Thursday, November 12, 2026

Teaser: Oriana's Stallions by Silvia Violet

 




Oriana, Book 4


Sci-Fi Futuristic Offworld Romance

Date Published: November 13, 2026

Publisher: Changeling Press



Raya is what Orianians refer to as a techno snob. She thrives on her fast-paced urban life on New Earth. At least she did until she met Calder Brinkley, a horse shifter and regional governor on Oriana.

Calder likes wide-open spaces, the fresh air of early morning, and turning off technology in favor of face-to-face conversation. He also likes Raya. He likes her so much he's willing to alter some of what he enjoys about his low-tech planet.

Can Calder convince her that being together is more important than either of them having their way, or will her stubbornness keep them forever apart?

Oriana's Stallions includes the previously released novellas Stallion's Gambit, Stallion's Summer, and Stallion's Accord.



Excerpt from Stallion's Gambit

Copyright ©2026 Silvia Violet

 

Calder Brinkley ignored the rain pelting down on him. He eased closer to the glass doors that opened onto his guest's balcony. Raya had left them open, and the sheer curtains fluttered in the breeze. The moonless night allowed him to stand less than a yard from her threshold without being detected.


He'd arrived home well after the household had retired for the night, but his curiosity had gotten the better of him. Raya Varvara had intrigued him on both a physical and intellectual level during their comm link conversations. He wanted to know if she presented as attractive a package in person as she had on screen.


He took another step. When his shoulder was inches from the door, he leaned forward and looked in. Raya walked out of the en suite bathroom, and he sucked in his breath. She was naked, and even more delicious than he'd imagined. Her dark chin-length hair was tucked neatly behind her ears. Her skin was creamy and smooth, contrasting beautifully with her large coral nipples.


He longed to palm her small breasts and flick his tongue across her flesh, watching her nipples peak. She was slender, but not lacking in curves. He visualized himself gripping her waist and pulling her hips back against him as he fucked her from behind.


Her pussy was shaved bare. He could see her clit peeking from the deep cleft. His balls ached at the sight, and he had to reach down and tug his pants to make room for his expanding cock.


He smiled. He would have her before she left. A week would elapse before a transport arrived that could take her back to New Earth. Plenty of time to seduce her and introduce her to the various ways he could curb her sharp tongue and loosen her stiff manners.


A rich, earthy scent floated out through the doors. Calder inhaled deeply. He could have guessed Raya wouldn't go for flowery shower gels. She'd used the soap his servants placed in the showers for male guests. It mixed perfectly with her natural scent.


He cursed silently when she picked up a robe. The gauzy black garment could hardly be considered a covering, but he'd hoped to watch her prance around nude. She picked up a small comm unit from her nightstand and punched at the buttons.


"Fuck!" The expletive carried easily onto the balcony. Calder pressed his lips together to keep from laughing. He imagined what his uptight servants or, God forbid, one of his other guests would think to hear a woman use such a word.


Raya punched at the buttons again, making a low growl that sent heat straight to his cock. "Fucking backwater planet. Can't even get a decent connection!"


Calder bristled. Techno-snob! Wait until he got his huge dick in her. Then she'd learn there were satisfying things on this planet that she'd never find back home. Who wanted to be tied to a comm unit twenty-four hours a day anyway? New Earth was all concrete and steel and whizzing traffic. Oriana's untamed wilderness called to his very soul.

 

About the Author

Silvia Violet writes spicy bad boy romance that will leave you smiling and satisfied. She has a thing for characters who are in need of comfort and enjoys helping them surrender to love even when they doubt it exists. When she needs a break from listening to the voices in her head, she spends time baking, curling up with her favorite books, and crocheting.


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RABT Book Tours & PR

Book Tour & Giveaway: This Never Happened by Jessica Clem

 




Thriller

Date Published: 11-03-2026

Publisher: Rowan Prose Publishing



When former best friends Sam and Rebecca reunite at their college reunion, they decide to repair their fractured relationship and start over.

But then Sam finds out Rebecca is dating Adam, a man she’d had an intense relationship with two years ago. She vows to keep it a secret, lest it sever their newly mended bond.

Sam soon realizes she can’t outrun her and Rebecca’s imperfect past, nor can she ignore her and Adam’s desire for one another.

As Sam struggles between loyalty and lust, she realizes that vengeance can make monsters out of all of us.



Author Interview

Tell me about yourself. Where are you from? 

I grew up on a farm in rural Nebraska, in a family of horror and thriller readers. We had livestock and animals of all types, including horses, sheep, dogs, chickens, a parakeet, a ferret, and cattle. I spent my childhood on the farm before moving to Lincoln, Nebraska, for high school and college. I moved to Omaha for graduate school, and I now live in Minneapolis, Minnesota, with my husband, David. I love my Midwest roots–Nebraska plays a huge role in my upcoming horror novels–but I absolutely adore traveling domestically and abroad. 

What genre do you read? Who's an author you read? Name your top 5 authors.

I mostly read thriller and horror, but I am branching out into more literary fiction and even romance. Cozy mysteries are a new genre for me, too; I highly recommend the book Murder at the Agency by my fellow Rowan Prose Publishing author, Kylie Forsythe. I also have a soft spot for sci-fi from Michael Crichton, Ray Bradbury, and Margaret Atwood. My top five authors are Stephen King, Paul Tremblay, Catriona Ward, Brian Evenson, and Ashley Winstead. 

What book are you reading right now, and what do you like about it?

I just finished One of Us by Dan Chaon, and I really enjoyed the character development, circus setting, and the terrifying antagonist. I’m also rereading the unabridged The Stand, my favorite book of all time, but I’m listening to the audiobook this time around, and I love the narrator’s voice acting and pacing. Stephen King has some of the best characters in horror, and Randall Flagg is one of my favorite antagonists in modern literature. 

How long have you been writing?

When I was very little, I remember staring at the spines of my parents’ Stephen King hardbacks and imagining the stories between the covers. The IT spine in particular stood out to me because of its malevolent red ink and strange font, and I would spend hours cooking up a story based just on those two letters. I started writing poetry and prose at a young age, but my writing took a stylistic turn when I turned fourteen, the same year my mother died of brain cancer. I began processing the loss of my mother through writing horror and thriller stories, and I have continued this journey to this day. 

What is your writing process like? Are you more of a plotter or a pantser?

I’ve evolved from a pantser to a plotter. It took seven novel manuscripts before I figured out the importance of plotting. I used to just open a Google Doc and immediately jump into drafting. While this offers instant gratification and progress, I’ve discovered that it makes the editing phase so much harder. I now outline once I have a story idea in mind. 

I write out a rough outline with the major plot points and the stakes or conflict. Then, I develop character bios. I think of these like dating profiles. What does this character value? What are their morals, likes/dislikes, religious views, etc.? I start drafting once I have an idea of the characters, plot, and general cadence. I also try to write a synopsis or chapter summaries with each draft, but that is easier said than done. 

How do you celebrate finishing a book?

I celebrate finishing a book by resting. This seems a bit anticlimactic, but I’ve found it is crucial for creative recovery and avoiding burnout. There may also be a bottle of champagne that gets uncorked as well.  

What would you tell a writer who is just starting? What program do you use for writing? What advice would you give to a writer working on their first book? What’s your writing software of choice? 

You must truly believe in yourself and your work. Writers deal with an unprecedented amount of rejection, and it’s important to truly love yourself and your work as you navigate criticism and tough feedback. Also, be determined and stubborn in your pursuit of craft. Take classes from your local library, connect with other writers at book events, and support your local literary community. Push your ego to the side, and be very open to advice. Writers are some of the most supportive people around. 

I am pretty simple when it comes to writing programs or software. I usually start drafting in a Google Doc versus Word, and I like to print hard copies of each draft. This makes the revision and reading process much easier. 

Who has been the biggest supporter of your writing? 

I’m fortunate to have many champions of my work. My husband is always my first reader, and his feedback is crucial to the development of my novels. My mother was so supportive of my creativity that she told me to keep writing in her final note before she died. I now have “keep writing” tattooed in her handwriting on my left arm. My dad always reads whatever I send him, and I have a wonderful, supportive group of friends and family. 

Can you describe a typical day in your writing life?

My ideal day begins leisurely with coffee and reading, and then I write in the mid-to-late morning. This is when I’m most creative and the least distracted. I am a creature of habit, and my writing process is heavily based on routine. I aim for 500 words daily in the morning during the work week, and 1000 words a day during the weekend. Sometimes, I try to “bank” these word count goals if I have a vacation coming up, and sometimes I write over or under the limits. Any day when I can write is a good day. 



About the Author

 

 Jessica Clem is the author of the thriller, This Never Happened (coming November 2026), and the horror novel In Lieu of Flowers (coming 2027), both from Rowan Prose Publishing.

Her work has appeared in The Stygian Lepus Magazine, Creation Magazine, Dark Harbor Magazine (now Macabre Magazine), Ms Magazine, Literally Stories, on the Creepy Podcast’s Patreon page, and in the horror anthologies Down with the Fallen from Franklin/Kerr Press, D is for Demons from Red Cape Publishing, and After Dark from Rowan Prose Publishing. She is a 2026 Next Step Fund grant recipient, a project made possible by the Metropolitan Regional Arts Council through a grant from the McKnight Foundation.


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RABT Book Tours & PR

Virtual Book Tour: Yuletide Murder at Sea by Sue A. Stewart


🚢 A festive holiday cruise. A sudden death. A 300-year-old lost treasure.🔍


Retired librarian Molly St. Clair sets out on a Christmas cruise expecting relaxation and holiday celebrations with her close-knit group of friends. Instead, the voyage takes a dark turn when a fellow passenger is found dead under suspicious circumstances.

As Molly and her friends dig deeper, they uncover a connection to the 17th-century Spanish galleon San Cristóbal and a legendary lost treasure protected by a coded message, an intricate maritime chart, and clues hidden in the past. At the center of the mystery is an heirloom pendant given to Molly by her late husband, who had been researching the same historical mystery before his death.

With another group pursuing the treasure—and willing to kill to possess it—Molly must rely on her intelligence, intuition, and the help of her friends to decipher the clues before history repeats itself in deadly fashion.

Yuletide Murder at Sea is available at Amazon, Barnes & Noble and Indiebound.

╰┈➤Book Details 

❆Title: Yuletide Murder at Sea

❆Author: Sue Stewart

❆Genre: Cozy Murder Mystery

❆Sub-genre: Amateur Sleuth

❆Language:English

❆Pages: 257

❆Paperback ISBN: 979-8996016808

❆Publisher: Waypoint House Publishing

❆Publication Date: August 10, 2026

❆Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Yuletide-Murder-Sea-Treasure-Mystery/dp/B0HDQWQGVW

❆Price: Paperback $15.99, Kindle $3.99, FREE with Kindle Unlimited

Excerpt:

1715: Aboard the San Cristóbal, Sailing the Caribbean

Salt spray lashed Sebastian St. Clair’s face as he clung to the surging deck, exhaustion deepening with each wave. Blood trickled from a cut above his brow, warm against the chill. He kept his gaze fixed on the roiling darkness ahead, where the ocean heaved with relentless force. This tempest clawed at his spirit—cold dread burrowing deep, every instinct warning of imminent danger.

The San Cristóbal was no ordinary vessel. She carried the spoils of empires: gold and silver taken from distant lands, gems pried from temples and forgotten ruins—wealth meant to reinforce crowns and purchase loyalty. Much of it would be lost before dawn, swallowed by the depths and erased by time.

But not all of it would vanish with the tide. Sebastian had ensured that.

During his voyages aboard the San Cristóbal, he forged a close bond with the island guardians of Isla Verdeña—locals devoted to preserving their cultural heritage rather than serving crowns or chasing treasure. Because he distrusted both his crew and distant authorities, he entrusted a small trove to them, ensuring it would remain safe from careless or greedy hands. He hoped that one day a worthy descendant would follow the clues he had left behind, recover the treasure, and return it to its rightful owners.

The island guardians became vigilant protectors, preserving not only the artifacts but also the stories and knowledge surrounding them, ensuring the St. Clair legacy would endure until someone worthy could uncover the trove and fulfill its purpose.

To guide that future seeker, Sebastian dispersed three carefully chosen clues: a disguised chart, a cipher, and a pendant of deep personal significance.

The pendant’s laurel design symbolized lineage, memory, and quiet strength. He pictured it now—the gentle curve of the filigree, the way it glistened in warm light. As a boy, he had reached for it often, drawn to its warmth against his mother’s chest. She never scolded him. Instead, she covered his hand with hers and told him it carried the weight of their name—not as a burden, but as a promise.

“This pendant is a legacy of our heritage. You must honor it wherever you go,” she had said. The words had stayed with him long after she was gone.

In his final preparations, he hid the last clue within the pendant. It was no longer merely an heirloom—it was the key to everything he had sworn to protect.

As days blurred into nights and the voyage wore on, whispers spread among the crew. Rumors were traded in shadowed corners. Glances lingered too long. Loyalty aboard was fragile.

Realizing the growing risk, he knew he could not keep the clues with him. To do so risked losing them forever—to the sea, to betrayal, or to hands that would never understand their worth.

So, facing these mounting dangers, he made his choice.

He entrusted the chart and cipher to the island guardians. He gave the pendant to his closest friend with instructions to return it to his family in England should the sea claim him. The decision to sever his last tie to a vanished world tore at him, yet beneath it flickered a strange calm—a sense that, at last, he no longer carried the burden alone.

Let it endure, he willed, even if I do not.

– Excerpted from Yuletide Murder at Sea by Sue Stewart, Waypoint House Publishing, 2026. Reprinted with permission.




Author Interview

Tell me about yourself. Where are you from? 

SAS: I was born in Bridgeport, Connecticut, and still live near Long Island Sound, within easy reach of New York City by train. I’m married, and we have one adult son. My professional background is in technical writing and instructional design, and I’ve always enjoyed learning new software.

Outside of writing, I love going for walks and traveling—especially when there’s something a little unexpected to discover. This summer, we visited a bunny farm, and on another trip, we attended a crab race in Florida. I enjoy those offbeat experiences that give you a story to tell afterward.

A couple of things people might not guess about me: I’m a dual Hungarian-American citizen, and despite having written a mystery novel set at sea, I don’t know how to swim—but I can tread water!


What genre do you read? Name your top 5 authors you read? Who's an author you read? Name your top 5 authors. 

SAS: I enjoy thrillers, historical mysteries, and cozy murder mysteries. What draws me in is the intrigue—the secrets, the discoveries, and the challenge of putting the pieces together before the author reveals the answer. I prefer suspense without a lot of graphic violence or explicit sex. For me, the puzzle is the best part.

Choosing just five favorite authors is much harder! My reading list includes Dan Brown, Charles Finch, David Baldacci, Clive Cussler, and Steve Berry. My favorites shift with my mood, but those are names I’m always drawn back to.

What book are you reading right now, and what do you like about it? 

SAS: My reading has taken a bit of a back seat while I’ve been busy with my own book, which came out in August. I’m not in the middle of anything at the moment, but I have a very inviting to-be-read pile waiting for me: The Hidden City by Charles Finch, The Omega Factor by Steve Berry, and Something Borrowed, Someone Dead by M. C. Beaton.

That little stack reflects my love of historical mysteries, thrillers, and cozy mysteries. I can’t tell you what I like about those particular books just yet, but I’m looking forward to settling down with a story where someone else is responsible for figuring out the ending!

Favorite sports. 

SAS: I’m more of a walker than a sports fan, although I enjoy watching football with my husband on occasion.


Favorite thing about the state/country that you live in. 

SAS: I live in southeastern Connecticut, and my favorite thing about it is the charm of its small New England towns. They have such a wonderful sense of character, and they inspired Hartwell, the fictional town where Molly and James live in my book. It’s been a pleasure to bring a little of that New England atmosphere into their world.


How long have you been writing? 

SAS: I’ve needed a creative outlet for as long as I can remember. I started drawing when I was around ten, and writing eventually became another way to express myself. As a child, I had a stutter and a lisp, so putting my thoughts on paper gave me a different way to find my voice.

My interest in writing later found a practical home in information technology and technical writing. I began writing fiction after my son was born, and over the years, the ideas have kept coming. Some have become books, while others are still waiting their turn!


What inspired you to become a writer? 

SAS: My son inspired me to start writing fiction. He is dyslexic, and many of the books available at school weren’t the right fit for him. I wanted to create stories he could connect with, so I began writing about things we did in everyday life—with him as a character.

Bannie Bear Repeats a Grade and the Otto’s Epic Adventure series grew out of those stories. Bannie is a little bear who struggles socially and academically, and I wanted to share his story with other families who might recognize some of those same challenges.

The original stories used clip art. Years later, when my father became ill with dementia, I would sit beside his bed with my computer and work on rewriting them. He could no longer talk to me, but I wanted to be there with him. During that time, I also hired an illustrator from Ukraine to bring the characters to life.

Writing those stories began as a way to connect with my son, and revisiting them became part of the time I spent beside my father. They’re deeply personal to me, but I also hope other families will see something of their own experiences reflected in these stories.

What is your writing process like? Are you more of a plotter or a planner? 

SAS: I’m a bit of both! An idea will often come to me while I’m out walking or driving alone. Once I can stop and jot it down, I’ll use whatever is handy—a napkin or the notes app on my phone. I like to catch the idea before it slips away.

Eventually, I create an outline, but once I start writing, I give myself room to explore. I don’t worry much about spelling or polishing sentences in that first draft. I’m getting to know the characters and discovering whether the idea has enough behind it to become a full-length story.

Sometimes it leads to a dead end. I have an entire folder of unfinished stories, so not every idea makes it into a book! If I get past Chapter Three and can envision an ending, that’s usually my signal to keep going.

I write for the pleasure of it, so my starting point isn’t what might appeal to the widest audience. It’s a more personal question: Is this a story I would enjoy reading?

How did you come up with the ideas for your series? (If your book is a standalone or nonfiction, please skip) 

SAS: When I first had the idea for Yuletide Murder at Sea, I didn’t know it would become a book, let alone a series. The first Christmas after my father passed away, my mother didn’t want to celebrate at home, so our family decided to take a Caribbean cruise. The cruise line catered primarily to older adults, which gave me plenty of opportunities to people-watch.

That’s when I began to wonder: Wouldn’t it be fun to set a murder mystery on a Christmas cruise, featuring a group of mostly widowed seniors as unlikely sleuths? That question became the seed for the story.

Writing it also helped me move forward through a time of profound loss. My father was an excellent chess player and a natural problem-solver. He loved building things, figuring out how they worked, and finding ways to improve them. The mystery’s clues and puzzles are a tribute to him.

I also wanted to create characters who challenge assumptions about aging and disabilities. Older adults and people with disabilities are sometimes underestimated, and I wanted their knowledge, experience, and abilities to take center stage. I loved the idea of giving them a new adventure in which the talents they’d developed over a lifetime become essential to solving a centuries-old mystery.

By the time I finished the book, the characters felt so real to me that I wasn’t ready to say goodbye. I already had an idea for their next adventure, and that’s when I realized I hadn’t just written a book—I’d found a group of characters I wanted to follow into a series.

How do you celebrate finishing a book? 

SAS: I’ve actually never celebrated finishing a book! For me, it doesn’t feel like an ending so much as a shift toward the next idea. By the time I finish one book, another story is usually waiting for my attention. My version of celebrating may simply be opening a new document!

What would you tell a writer who is just starting? What program do you use for writing? What advice would you give to a writer working on their first book? What’s your writing software of choice.

SAS: My advice is to start with something you know or a subject that genuinely interests you. Don’t worry about whether it will become the next bestseller. Start writing and then make it a habit—even if that means just fifteen minutes a day, a few days a week. It’s easy to get excited about a new idea; the challenge is continuing to show up for it.

My main writing tools are straightforward: Microsoft Word for drafting and Grammarly to help with editing. I use Excel to outline the entire book and keep track of the timeline. For Yuletide Murder at Sea: The Lost Treasure Mystery, I needed to coordinate a Christmas cruise itinerary, port stops, dinners, and other events. Having that laid out helped me keep everything straight.

I also use Google and Wikipedia as starting points for historical and ship-related research, browse Amazon for book research, and use name generators to explore variations on names I already have in mind. For graphics, I’ve worked with Canva and Adobe Photoshop.

How do you organize everything and find the time to sit down and write? 

SAS: That’s probably the most difficult part! I write for pleasure, so I don’t want it to become a chore. If the words aren’t flowing or a chapter isn’t coming together, I prefer to step away rather than force it. For this book, I worked backward from my goal: it’s a Christmas cruise mystery, and I wanted it published before December.

Last winter, my husband and I rented a condo in Florida. I took advantage of that time to settle in and write in total quiet. That uninterrupted time helped me get the entire first draft onto the page. Then came more than six months of editing, including feedback from three beta readers—and, naturally, more revisions!

As an author, what would you choose as your spirit animal? 

SAS: A dragon, of course! I’m a March Pisces, and I’ve always identified with the imaginative, creative side of that sign—but a dragon captures my fiery, independent streak, too. I’m intuitive, sensitive to other people’s feelings, and, I’ll admit, sometimes a little stubborn!

That independence carries over into my writing. I love reading other authors’ work, but I’m not trying to recreate anyone else’s style. I follow my own path and write the story that’s in my head.

Who has been the biggest supporter of your writing? 

SAS: For this book, I’d have to say my Aunt Phyllis, with a special mention for my Uncle Don. They’ve been wonderfully enthusiastic about Yuletide Murder at Sea: The Lost Treasure Mystery. My uncle told me the back-cover description caught his interest, and my aunt has been reading the book aloud to him. Knowing they’re enjoying the story together means a great deal to me.

They’ve also invited me to their retirement community in Florida for an author event this winter, so their encouragement has gone beyond kind words.

My aunt is an avid reader, and she tells me my book is better than anything else she’s reading. Of course, she may be just a little biased—but I’m certainly not going to argue with her!

How do you name your characters?

SAS: I spend a surprising amount of time on character names. I start with a name that feels right for the person I’m imagining, rather than simply choosing one I like. Then I begin writing. As their personalities emerge, I’ll often change their first and last names several times before everything clicks.

Molly came to me fairly quickly, but her surname, St. Clair, took quite a bit of going back and forth because of her connection to Sebastian St. Clair. James, on the other hand, felt right for a grounded, reliable character. His name suited him from the start.

Sometimes I use a name generator to explore variations on an idea. I also enlist my family, giving them a shortlist of no more than ten names and asking for their favorites. Their opinions help, but ultimately, I choose the name that feels most natural on the page.

Kai Zhang is a good example. He had an entirely different name until Chapter 15, but it never quite flowed. Sometimes you have to get to know a character before you discover what they ought to be called.

Can you describe a typical day in your writing life? 

SAS: My writing day usually begins with a cup of coffee, a clear workspace, and, ideally, a little peace and quiet. I’ll review my outline to remind myself where the chapter fits into the larger story, then start writing.

The first draft is very rough. I don’t worry much about spelling, grammar, or finding the perfect phrase. At that stage, I’m simply getting the story onto the page.

After a few hours, I take a break. Stepping away is part of my process because some of my best ideas arrive when I’m doing something else entirely. Apparently, my characters keep working even when I don’t.

When I return, I begin shaping what I’ve written—adding details, cutting what doesn’t belong, and making the words flow. That’s how a book comes together for me: bit by bit, with plenty of rewriting along the way. 

Tell us about your current release. 

SAS: Yuletide Murder at Sea: The Lost Treasure Mystery is the first book in my Vintage Quest Mysteries series. It brings together friendship, maritime history, hidden treasure, and a Christmas getaway that doesn’t go quite as planned.

Retired librarian Molly St. Clair would rather spend Christmas on the couch watching It’s a Wonderful Life with a bowl of popcorn than set sail on a holiday cruise. Her friend Martha has other plans. No one spends the holidays alone on Martha’s watch, and she won’t take no for an answer. When Molly learns the Caribbean cruise includes an author panel featuring her favorite mystery writer, the invitation becomes harder to resist.

Aboard the Emerald Star, garlands glitter, steel drums play Christmas carols, and Molly’s close-knit circle of friends settles in for sun, champagne, and a welcome escape from a New England winter. Then a maritime chart in the ship’s exhibit stops her cold. Its crest—a crowned eagle framed by laurel leaves—matches the heirloom pendant her late husband, Henry, left her.

The chart comes from the San Cristóbal, a Spanish galleon lost in 1715 near one of their ports of call. Its navigator was Sebastian St. Clair, a man whose secrets have remained buried for centuries.

When a fellow passenger turns up dead, Molly and her friends are drawn into an investigation involving a disguised chart, a cipher, and rivals willing to kill for the treasure.

Solving the mystery will take all their combined talents—from a librarian’s eye for detail to a detective’s caution. Their Christmas getaway has become a dangerous adventure, and the secret behind Molly’s pendant may be the key to it all.


About the Author

Sue A. Stewart is the author of several children’s books. These include the Otto’s Epic Adventure series, Bannie Bear Repeats a Grade: The Gift of Time, Bannie el Oso Repite un Grado: El Regalo del Tiempo,and Save the Seagull. Yuletide Murder at Sea is her debut adult mystery novel. It is the first book in the Vintage Quest Mysteries series.

Sue has a background in technical writing. She enjoys traveling and exploring unique destinations. She likes observing people and uncovering details that bring places to life. Her stories come from real experiences, family adventures, and the idea that ordinary people can face extraordinary circumstances.

When not writing, Sue enjoys walking, puzzles, traveling, and time with her family in Southport, Connecticut.

Visit www.suestewart.org to learn more about Sue and her books.

Connect with her on social media at:

╰┈➤ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/suestewartauthor/

╰┈➤ Instagram:  https://www.instagram.com/sue_stewart_author/

╰┈➤ Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/22519020.Sue_A_Stewart


Sponsored By:
 


Book Tour: She Forgot She Was Free by Giselle Mascarenhas

 

She Forgot She Was Free is a powerful invitation to remember who you were before fear, expectations, and survival convinced you to forget.


She Forgot She Was Free is an invitation to remember the woman you were before fear, expectations, achievement, disappointment, and survival convinced you to forget.

In this deeply personal and transformational book, two-time best-selling author and founder of The BECOME Method™, Giselle Mascarenhas, shares the lessons, questions, and revelations that led her back to her truest self. Rather than offering quick fixes or another self-help checklist, she invites readers into a journey of honest reflection, identity, healing, and intentional growth. Through compelling stories and practical insights, readers are challenged to release limiting beliefs, reconnect with their authentic voice, and rediscover the freedom that has been within them all along.

Rooted in the principles of The BECOME Method™, She Forgot She Was Free equips readers with a powerful way to move beyond simply surviving and begin living with clarity, courage, and purpose. Whether you’re navigating a season of transition, rebuilding after loss, or simply sensing there is more waiting for you, this book will remind you that the life you long for doesn’t begin by becoming someone new, it begins by remembering who you have always been.

Because the person you are searching for has never been lost.

She has simply been waiting for you to remember her.

╰┈➤Book Details

● Title: She Forgot She Was Free
● Author: Giselle Mascarenhas
● Genre: Self Help
● Sub-genre: Inner Child Self Help/Transformational Self Help/Motivational Self Help
● Language:English
● Pages: 132
● Paperback ISBN: ‎ 979-8234125965
● ASIN: B0H6M1PSHT
● Publisher: Mija Media House
● Publication Date: June 23, 2026
● Price: Hardcover $37.99, Paperback $25.81, Kindle $9.99
● Amazon: https://a.co/d/04aiKYWO
● Purchase Signed Copy: https://signedcopy.netlify.app/

Excerpt:

“Beat It”

If you grew up in the 80s, you understand what Michael Jackson meant.

Not as a celebrity. Not as a pop star. As a feeling.

My bedroom walls were covered in him. Floor to ceiling. Every page I could tear from every magazine that had his face on it, I put it up. I would climb on my dresser drawers and stand on chairs just to reach higher, just to fit one more. My brother John knew this. And because brothers are built to find the exact thing that will undo you, ripping one of those pictures was his most effective weapon. That was the deal, unspoken but understood, touch my Michael Jackson pictures and I stop raiding your Little Debbies and cereal. We had a whole economy built around it.

But Michael Jackson wasn’t just decoration on my walls.

He was proof that you could be fully, completely, unapologetically yourself, and the whole world would not just accept it, they would lose their minds over it.

Third grade. The school talent show.

I signed up to dance to Beat It. I borrowed a dress. Black tights that were slightly too small. I was not nervous. Not even a little. I was a great dancer and I loved Michael Jackson and the combination of those two facts felt like more than enough reason to get on a stage in front of the entire school.

When the music started, I stopped thinking.

I just danced.

I hit every move. I got lost in it, the way you only get lost in something when you are doing exactly what you were made to do. No performance. No awareness of being watched. Just a little girl and the music and the complete and total freedom of a body that knew what it was doing.

When it was over, the cafeteria stood up.

The whole cafeteria.

Elementary kids on their feet, cheering, for me, for little Gi who had just danced her whole heart out in slightly-too-small tights without a single moment of self-consciousness.

I remember that feeling. I want you to feel it with me for just a second before I tell you what happened next.

That feeling, of being fully yourself, fully alive, and being met with that kind of love, that is vitality. That is exactly what this book is about. Not the applause. The aliveness that came before it.

I signed up again the following year.

I was going to dance again. At this point I was certain, certain, that I was either going to be a ballroom dancer or a Dallas Cowboys Cheerleader. It was not even a question in my mind. It was just a matter of which one.

Then I got called to the principal’s office.

Mrs. Champion sat across from me and told me that before I could perform in the talent show, I would need to audition privately for her. Because last year, she said, and I still remember her tone more clearly than her words, my dance moves had been vulgar. And I would not be allowed to perform if I did anything like that again.

I was in third grade.

I did not fully understand the word she used. But I understood her face. I understood the disgust in it. The way she looked at me like my aliveness, my joy, my freedom, the very thing that had made every child in that cafeteria rise to their feet, was something to be ashamed of. Something that needed to be contained. Auditioned. Approved before it was allowed to exist.

I went back to my homeroom teacher and told her I had decided not to perform.

She asked why.

“I just don’t want to anymore,” I said.

And I sat down.

I did not have the language for what had just happened to me. I did not know that a grown woman had just looked at a little girl on fire and made her feel like her flame was a problem. I did not know that the thing I did most naturally, the thing that made people come alive, had just been handed back to me with a note that said too much.

What I knew was the feeling in my body.

The same body that had been lost in the music, free and uncalculating, was now sending a different signal.

A warning.

A familiar click.

When the light shines too bright on you, move it.

Point it somewhere else before someone decides your brightness is the problem. Before they call it vulgar. Before your heart gets shattered by someone else’s discomfort with your aliveness.

I had already learned the light switch.

Mrs. Champion just gave me the first real reason to use it.

– Excerpted from She Forgot She Was Free by Giselle Mascarenhas, Mija Media House, 2026. Reprinted with permission.


About the Author

Giselle Mascarenhas is the founder of BECOME™, creator of the BECOME Methodology™, and author of She Forgot She Was Free. An entrepreneur, speaker, and transformational guide, she has dedicated her life’s work to helping people reconnect with who they were created to be so they can live with greater purpose, freedom, and intentionality.

After years of building businesses, leading organizations, and walking through seasons of personal growth, Giselle recognized that lasting transformation does not begin with external success, it begins with remembering one’s authentic identity. That realization became the foundation of the BECOME Method™, a proprietary methodology designed to guide individuals through a transformational process of self-awareness, healing, alignment, courageous action, and embodied growth. Unlike a framework that offers guidelines for achieving a specific outcome, The BECOME Method™ is a comprehensive method of personal advancement that can be applied across every area of life, leadership, and purpose.

Her debut book, She Forgot She Was Free, is both a deeply personal memoir and an invitation for readers to embark on their own journey of remembrance. Through honest storytelling, reflection, and faith, the book explores the universal experience of losing ourselves beneath expectations, fear, pain, and performance, and the courageous journey of rediscovering the freedom, identity, and purpose that have always existed within us. Rather than simply telling her story, Giselle invites readers to see themselves in its pages and begin writing the next chapter of their own lives.

The book became the catalyst for the broader BECOME movement, an expanding ecosystem of transformational experiences designed to help people move beyond inspiration into intentional action. Through immersive workshops, retreats, leadership development, educational programs, community experiences, publishing initiatives, and speaking engagements, Giselle equips individuals with practical tools to create meaningful and lasting transformation. Every experience is grounded in the belief that personal growth is not about becoming someone different but remembering and embodying the person God uniquely created each of us to be.

Known for her ability to blend heartfelt storytelling with practical application, Giselle creates spaces where people feel seen, challenged, and empowered to take meaningful action. Her presentations combine vulnerability, strategic thinking, and actionable guidance, allowing audiences to leave not only inspired but equipped with a clear path forward. Her work resonates with entrepreneurs, leaders, professionals, educators, faith-based communities, and individuals seeking deeper purpose and authentic fulfillment.

Beyond her work as an author and speaker, Giselle is passionate about developing leaders who create ripple effects within their families, businesses, organizations, and communities. She believes transformation is contagious, that when one person remembers who they are and chooses to live courageously, they give others permission to do the same. This philosophy continues to shape every initiative within the BECOME movement.

Through future books, collaborative publishing projects, leadership academies, retreats, and global speaking engagements, Giselle’s mission is to help millions of people reconnect with their God-given identity and become the fullest expression of who they were created to be. She envisions BECOME as a worldwide movement that empowers individuals to live intentionally, lead authentically, and create lasting impact for generations to come.

Giselle lives in Texas with her family and continues to write, teach, speak, and expand the global reach of the BECOME movement. Whether on stage, in the pages of a book, or through transformational experiences, her message remains the same: the person you are searching for has never been lost, you have simply forgotten who you are. Remember. Rise. BECOME.

Visit her website at www.thebecomemethod.com.

Connect with her on social media at:

╰┈➤Twitter: https://x.com/giselleempowers

╰┈➤ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/giselleempowers

╰┈➤Instagram: https://instagram.com/giselleempowers

╰┈➤Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/21957760.Giselle_Mascarenhas




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