A Vampire’s Star Marie-Claude Bourque (The Order of the Black Oak – Vampires, #5) Publication date: November 19th 2024 Genres: Adult, Paranormal, Romance
A VAMPIRE’S STAR: An Unexpected Pregnancy Slow-Burn Paranormal Romance
When music producer and banshee Tilly Davenport learns that her pregnancy puts her and her child at risk from evil sorcerers who would use her as sacrifice to unleash powerful magic, she has no choice but appear at her powerful vampire baby daddy’s concert to ask for his protection.
Easy-going Montreal immortal and rock star Cass St-Amand is shocked when his one-night flame shows up heavily pregnant with his child, disturbing his carefree lifestyle. But panic gets the best of him when a mysterious prophecy threatens the life of his expected child, and he vows to protect mother and baby at any cost.
If you love loyal tough guys with hearts, steadfast heroines and satisfying slow-burn paranormal romance, the Black Oak World is for you.
Bell Center, Montreal, Québec October, Present Time
Mathilda Ethel Davenport! Come on, girl. Tilly chided herself in the chilly, autumn night as she cradled her pregnant belly under the stark streetlights behind the Montreal Bell Center. It’s his child. He’s the only one who can keep you safe.
She rallied the courage she needed to dive into the horde of Cass St-Amand’s adoring fans waiting outside to catch a peek at their favorite rock star after his show.
The midnight air was crisp around her, the wind picking up a few dead maple leaves littering the concrete sidewalk. Yet the fall breeze did little to dilute the mixed scent of cheap perfume and body odor emanating from the boisterous mob awaiting their idol to exit the concert venue.
Standing amidst the downtown glass skyscrapers and centuries-old stone buildings, most of Cass’s superfans were not yet twenty-five, sporting jeans, leather jackets, or bodycon dresses under tiny coats.
Tilly winced and rubbed her belly once more. Her little munchkin was his baby alright. Conceived in the middle of a frigid winter, exactly thirty-six weeks ago today.
Would he believe it was his? Vampires, even immortal ones, did not father children.
Except that Cass had chosen to spend those few fateful nights not with just any woman, but a supernatural one—Tilly was a banshee.
One who walked with Death. Everything was possible.
She bit the inside of her mouth at the task ahead of her.
He had no idea she was pregnant with his child. How would he react?
He would have to acknowledge he was the father. But she’d cross that bridge when she’d get there. For now, she just had to reach him.
Author Bio:
Marie-Claude Bourque is a Montreal-born Seattle-based author of slow-burn paranormal romance and the winner of the American Title V award with her first novel ANCIENT WHISPERS.
Her writing features modern-day fantasy skillfully weaved into infinitely romantic supernatural stories between smart strong women and complex passionate heroes.
Forced Kink Key Publication date: November 18th 2024 Genres: Adult, Dark Romance, Romance
Today is my eighteenth birthday and I’m finally going to be free from my abusive father’s clutches… or so I hoped.
I knew something was wrong when he calls me to his office while gathering his men. Five men who look at me with hungry eyes that promise pain and misery.
Will they take mercy on me when I tell them I’m a virgin, or will that only feed into their violent nature?
***This book is a short DARK romance with many triggers. Find a complete list inside the book***
“Now the real fun can begin.” My father claps his hands. “Dante, you’re up next.”
“Fu(k yes,” Dante groans as he takes Lucca’s place behind me.
My whole body goes stiff when he grabs onto my hips with bruising force. I feel the head of his co(k between my folds but unlike Lucca, he doesn’t tease me; he doesn’t go slow, he simply thrusts his fat co(k inside of me with such force that I fall forwards onto my father’s desk.
The sound of laughter fills the room and anger fills my veins. I prop myself up on my elbows and brace for the pounding.
Dante isn’t gentle about fu(king me. He drives himself deeper with each thrust, making my thighs bang against the edge of the desk.
My pu$$y is already sore and I’m not sure how I’m going to make it through the night without bleeding or at the very least bruised.
I try to think about anything besides the man behind me, using me like a fu(k toy for his pleasure. I try to think happy thoughts like how Lucca and I are going to be free after this. It’s going to be worth it. A few hours of agony for a lifetime of freedom.
Author Bio:
Kink Key is a male/female author duo who writes short and spicy books.
Book Title: How to Dream: A Motivational Guide to a Life of Hope Success and Freedom
by Deedee Cummings Category: Adult Non-Fiction (18+) , 150 pages Genre: Inspirational/ Self-Help Publisher: Make A Way Media
Content Rating: PG.Just a couple words you can't say in school- no f-bombs
About the Book:
How do you dream in a world that actively crushes dreams?
Everything you’ve been told about dreams is wrong. Our dreams have been
hijacked. Dreams aren’t just fanciful thoughts; dreams are the very
reason we’re here. Yet, we’re constantly told they’re impractical, a
waste of time. How to Dream, by best-selling author, therapist, and entrepreneur Deedee Cummings, is your guide to reclaiming the power of your dreams.
In this inspiring and practical book, Deedee uses her expertise and the
art of storytelling to help you turn your dreams into reality. Whether
you're just getting started or are well on your way, How to Dream offers
doable steps and momentous mindset shifts that will make you
unstoppable.
Drawing from her own journey and years of experience helping others achieve their goals, you will learn:
Practical strategies to overcome self-doubt in a world filled with rampant negativity
Powerful affirmations to fuel your success
Actionable steps to put your dreams in motion
Techniques to develop a growth mindset and become unstoppable
Packed with affirmations, strategies, and practical advice, How to Dream
is the essential toolkit for anyone ready to take their life to the
next level. If you're struggling to find direction, seeking to reignite
your ambition, or need encouragement to stay the course, this book will
inspire you to dream bigger, push harder, find freedom, and create the
life you've always imagined.
Don't let another day pass without pursuing your true potential. It's time to make your dreams a reality—starting now.
INTERVIEW
How did you do research for your book?
My entire career as a therapist and working with families helped me write this book. Every day I sit in the chair in my office and I help one person at a time. I felt an urge to help more people, and I knew I needed to get the message out. This Summer I sat still and finally put everything I talk about as a therapist in a book! I am so hopeful that it will help more than one person in my office at a time.
What made you write a book about dreams?
Working with people every day, you have a front row seat to how easy it is to give up on yourself. On how easy it is to give up on life. My goal in writing this book was to inspire people to believe in themselves and in their dreams. Without a dream you have no purpose, and with out a purpose you might become filled with despair. Your dream is the reason why you are here.
There are many books on the topic of self-help. What makes your book different?
Several things. First, the book is my life’s work. This is actually what I do every day. I pour this information in to people so they will have hope and clarity in their lives. Secondly, the conversational tone of the book is much like being in an actual therapy session with me. The book is so easy to read because you can hear a clear voice and instantly you can feel that this voice has a message that needs to be shared with the world. I also made sure that the steps given in the book were practical. Real things that any reader can do. Dreams don’t happen overnight, but this book demonstrates the power of taking action, even in small steps.
Michelle @ Divas with a Purpose
What advice would you give to budding writers?
Write. Write now. Just start writing. You wouldn’t believe how many people want to write a book and just never do it. Stop thinking about it and get words on paper. If you are still struggling with that join a group that pours confidence into you like my Make A Way Mindset group. You need encouragement and accountability to make it happen if you are unable to get moving on your own. Stop thinking. Start writing. Get words on paper!
How long have you been writing?
I have been writing for ten years solidly. I wanted to write for years, which is why I gave the advice I did to just get a story down on paper. I did not publish my first book until I was 44 years old.
Where do you write?
This might seem like a silly or frivolous question, but it is not. IT is very important to have a space where your mind can be free. You can’t write at a desk crowded with bills. You can’t write where people will continually interrupt you. You need an area where your mind can be free. I write on my back deck. I am the most productive as a writer in the Summer.
Gina @ Gina Rae Mitchell
What is your next project?
The feedback from How to Dream has been great! I have a workbook coming out in November and a course around the beginning of the year to help dreamers plan their next steps. I am excited about my new Make A Way Mindset group. I have helped therapy clients one on one for years and now I can help thousands.
What is the most courageous thing you’ve ever done?
Writing a book by far. Writing a book and putting it out into the world for others to scrutinize and pick apart. By far. That is the most courageous thing I have ever done.
If there is one thing you want readers to remember about you, what would it be?
That I am not the overachiever that people think I am. That I got a slow start in life and feel like I wasted the first 20 years of my life. I spent the rest of my life making up for that and tried to take advantage of as many things in life as I could. My mom died in her 50’s. At the time she passed, I was young, and I thought she was old. Now I am that age and now I know that she was in her prime. I live my life like I will die in my 50’s. Life is like a big amusement park. I want to ride every ride.
About the Author:
Deedee Cummings is a professional
dreamer. She is also an author of eighteen books, therapist, attorney,
and mom from Louisville, Kentucky.
Cummings founded Make A Way Media in 2014 after struggling to find books
with characters who looked like her own children and an extreme lack of
stories that reflected their life experiences. Books published by Make A
Way focus on hope, diversity, social justice, and therapeutic skills
for children and adults. Her work has been featured in HuffPost, Forbes,
NPR, USA Today, Essence Magazine, Psych Central, Well+Good, and The
EveryGirl, among other media outlets.
In 2021, she was appointed to the Kentucky Early Childhood Advisory
Council by Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear acknowledging her decades long
service to the children and families of Kentucky.
Deedee is also the founder of The Louisville Book Festival which
celebrates its fifth year in 2024 and hosts over 150 authors and
presenters from all over the country. She was inspired to work to
highlight and celebrate a culture of reading in her community after
working as an in-home therapist and visiting homes of children who had
no books.
Cummings believes literacy is a fundamental human right. Her work
highlights inspiring messages that remind us all it is never too late to
begin again. She is currently working to adapt her latest children’s
series inspired by the life of her daughter, Kayla Pecchioni (a Broadway
actress) to a Broadway musical. Deedee recently founded the Make A Way
Mindset program to teach the unshakable mindset she has developed as an
entrepreneur of thirty years.
The Mentorship Edge: Creating Maximum Impact through Lateral and Hierarchical
Mentoring by Deborah Heiser, PhD Category: Adult Non-Fiction (18+), 224 pages Genre: Non-Fiction, business and personal development
About the Book:
Written by Deborah Heiser, an
applied developmental psychologist with more than twenty years of
experience as a researcher and coach, The Mentorship Edge: Creating Maximum Impact through Lateral and Hierarchical Mentoring
explores how we connect to others, feel valued, get pleasure from life,
and believe our lives have meaning through forming mentor relationships
with others. This book covers both personal and professional mentorship
in various fields, including business, research, entrepreneurship, and
even art.
The traditional hierarchical mentorship we’re all familiar with is
simple and often very effective. But there is also lateral mentoring,
where you connect with a friend or colleague―someone you can be
vulnerable with―whether they work in your department, another
department, or outside of your organization entirely. Lateral mentoring
solves many common problems with mentorship, like feeling intimidated by
those above us at work, while still providing all of the key benefits
that mentorship has been proven to give.
The goal of this book is to inspire individuals to engage in mentoring
naturally, whether hierarchically or laterally, in work settings and in
their home life. Heiser shares the insights gained from in-depth
research and her extensive experience running The Mentor Project, a mentoring organization with more than 100 mentors at the absolute top of their fields.
Whether you have an emotional desire to give back to others to solidify
your legacy and ensure that all the boxes you’ve checked over the
previous decades mattered, or you’re seeking to connect with more
successful individuals as a mentee, The Mentorship Edge
is an essential guide to understanding the value of different types of
mentorship and taking the first steps towards using this special type of
relationship to create a better life for yourself.
DEBORAH HEISER, PhD, is CEO and
Founder of The Mentor Project, a nonprofit that enlists the help of
numerous thought leaders and accomplished professionals to offer
mentoring services to students. She is The International Association of
Top Professionals 2025 Top CEO and Mentor of the Year, and also an
applied developmental psychologist, a TEDx speaker, Marshall Goldsmith
100 Coaches, and a Psychology Today contributor.
Bartered to Viscount Hudson Becker by her father, Lady Lavinia
Holbrook escapes her arranged marriage and travels to her Godmother, the
Duchess of Chauncy to seek asylum. Determined to put men and marriage
behind her, she is unprepared for the duke’s interest or his heated
kisses.
The Duke of Chauncy believes love is a weakness and refuses
to take a bride despite his mother's scheming. When the duchess makes a
wager he will marry by Christmas, he considers the matter a lark. Until
Lavinia gets under his skin, and he rethinks his position on love and
happy ever afters.
On This Christmas I Thee Wed is available through these fine retailers…
I began writing in 2018. I had a story in my head that needed to be told. I considered the idea several times over the last couple of years and in 2018, I made it happen. It took me most of the year from start to finish, but it was worth every second.
Can you tell me who or what the inspiration for the book was?
On This Christmas I Thee Wed is my sixteenth story. In a previous story, the groom left the bride at the altar, and I thought a Regency Romance where the bride left a very eligible groom at the altar would be a fun story to write.
Can you tell us how you came up with your title?
The title to this story incorporates the Christmas Theme with the wedding vows. I had to do a search to see how many books had similar titles before I settled on it.
Can you tell us a little about your main characters?
My heroine abhors the idea of being subjected to the whims of a man and runs away, hoping to make a different life. She refuses to live the life her mother and sisters do and takes matters into her own hands.
The duke has just as much reason to avoid marriage as my heroine but for different reasons. He has seen the devastation losing the love of your life can cause and avoids the situation at all costs because he believes love is a weakness.
Do you ever suffer from writer’s block? If so, what do you do about it?
I do suffer from writer's block and the way I deal with it is to go do something else for awhile. Usually the writer's block clears up within a day, and I am able to continue.
Where is this book set, and why did you choose that setting?
The book is set in Northern England in the 1700's. I love Regency romance and always have. The reason the story is set in Northern England is plot specific.
What’s next on your writing to-do list?
I am currently finishing up the fourth addition to Calhan Brides featuring the oldest Calhan brother, Connor. This series is my historical western romance series following the Calhan Family.
Can you tell me about your experiences finding a publisher for the book?
I write for The Wild Rose Press so finding a publisher for this story was simple. When I first started writing, I bought a copy of the Guide to Literary Agents and submitted to several who were open to submissions and printed romance. I signed with The Wild Rose Press not long after.
If you were going to hang out with one of your characters, who would that be?
I would hang out with the Duchess of Chauncy. She does not concern herself with the rules of society and has a great sense of humor. I believe everyone should have an eccentric lady in their family.
What do you like to do for fun when you’re not writing?
I love to watch the ocean waves on the beach. Any ocean and any beach. I also sew, embroidery, crochet, and play with my grandchildren. That's pretty great in my opinion.
Book Excerpt
His mother planned his downfall into marriage with meticulous care or she wouldn’t have goaded him with her bet. And he didn’t believe her innocent of sending Lavinia to the wrong chamber last night, despite her feigned innocence.
Nay. His mother had nothing to do but plot his matrimonial demise and design a nursery for his progeny.
God. Though he loved her with all his heart, why wouldn’t she accept his decision to remain a bachelor?
Lavinia’s voice played in his head.
There, neither Papa nor the viscount can order me
to do anything I don’t want to do.
He understood her frustration, but even Scotland wouldn’t save him from his mother. The woman had a tenacious streak to rival Satan’s.
And who the hell was the viscount? He knew of no scandal involving Lavinia. Her voice continued.
I refuse to be some man’s broodmare, impregnated and discarded…
Snorting, he wanted to add his discontent to being a…What would a man forced to sire a child be called, anyway? A brood sire?
He chuckled. Discarded like a settee in the parlor.
Forgotten until the lord required someplace to sit. The girl used amusing analogies, he thought. But if she were his, he wouldn’t be sitting on her. Nay, she would be atop
him. The memory of her soft body in his arms made him rigid.
Shifting in his seat to ease his ardor, he remembered her mentioning being abducted by a Scot and taken to the highlands to ravish. Then her voice went all dreamy and soft as if ravishment by a highlander were every girl’s fantasy.
His lips tightened as he swung his chair around to stare out the window, steepling his fingers in thought.
English lords were much better lovers and far superior in every other avenue. What the devil did she have against them?
Perhaps her parents were the answer. The Earl of Holbrook and his wife were the epitome of a marriage of convenience, and with their history, he could understand her reluctance to join the marital throng. He avoided the marriage noose for much the same reason. Thoughts of being tied to some of the ladies his mother paraded through the castle made him shudder with revulsion.
Good god, what a dreadful thought.
– Excerpted from On This Christmas, I Thee Wed by Virginia Barlow, The Wild Rose Press, 2024. Reprinted with permission.
About the Author
Virginia Barlow has been a dreamer her whole life. She loves reading, traveling, and roses. She will dive headfirst into any romance she can get her hands on in any genre. Although her first love is Regency Romance and always will be. Something about the era calls to her soul like a siren’s song rising from the depths.
She loves to write steamy romances whether fantasy, historical, or contemporary, all are liberally spiced with adventure and sensual, seductive heroes. Her heroines are just as compelling with equal parts intelligence, sass, and backbone. They give as good as they get whether saving their man’s life or responding to his heated kisses, they’re all in.
The most important thing in Virginia’s life is her family, and spending time with them. When she is not bouncing a grandbaby in her arms or handing out popsicles, she is writing and dreaming up her next love story. Virginia has published fifteen romance novels with another two on the way and has half a dozen more circling around inside her head eager to make their debut.
In the heart of Chicago, where shadows conceal secrets and organized
crime reigns, one retiree embarks on an extraordinary journey.
David Blazen didn’t know what to expect from retirement. Witnessing a
murder that police are calling a suicide definitely was not how he
planned to spend his “golden years.”
With a strong need to know what happened to the victim and why, David
attends the funeral, where he discovers an unusual cast of characters
in attendance: the FBI, the frontrunner candidate for Mayor of Chicago,
disciples of Chicago’s two dirtiest crime lords, and dozens of police
officers.
David begins to investigate why all these people cared about the
victim and why no one was calling it a murder. In his search for truth
and justice, he gets caught in a web of contentious situations, each
filled with a mixture of humor and suspense.
The further his investigation goes, the more he realizes he shouldn’t
be asking who killed the victim or why it was being covered up. As
David ultimately is confronted with becoming a criminal himself, the
real question he has to ask is how much bad can he justify in the name
of good?
As one reviewer said, “This book has the many twists and turns that a
great mystery will throw at the reader. It is a fun read, witty, and
suspenseful with many surprises turning up throughout the story. If you
think you have this story figured out, you don’t!”
Guest Post:
Have you ever asked a police officer how to commit a murder?
I have.
I was writing a key scene for Boomsters: An Unexpected Adventure, and without giving too much away, I'll just tell you that a character is murdered. I talked to a friend about the scene and explained how the character dies, and my friend looked at me, confused.
"David, that doesn't make sense," my friend said. "There's no way the character would die the way you explained it."
I thought my friend was just giving me a hard time, but as I started to tell more people about the scene, I realized I might have a problem. Some people agreed with how I set the scene, but just as many people agreed with my friend.
How was I going to solve this predicament? I didn't really want to ask Google if this scenario would kill someone.
One day I was doing some writing at a public cafe, and I noticed a police officer walk in. If anyone could help answer my question, I figured an officer of the law could. But what if he got the wrong idea? I wrote this book to help keep my creative mind fresh, not end up in the backseat of a squad car. I thought about it for a minute or so and decided to go for it.
I walked up to the officer and began by thanking him for his hard work. Then I got right to it.
"Officer," I said, "I have a rather unusual question for you."
"OK?" he said questioningly.
"You see, sir, I'm writing a mystery, and in it, there's a murder. I fortunately have never committed a crime or considered murdering anyone, but I have an active imagination. Anyway, I wrote out the whole scene and thought it worked out, but then I showed it to a buddy and he said it didn't make sense."
By this point the officer seemed captivated by my saga.
"I see," he responded. "Well, tell me what happens."
I went ahead and painted the whole scene for him. I explained how I thought the murder would happen and then shared how my friend thought it would go down. The officer listened intently. When I finished, he remained quiet. I prayed he wasn't considering whether my tale was a confession. Fortunately, he was apparently just deep in thought about the dilemma.
After a few seconds, he told me he agreed with my buddy.
I thanked him for his time and opinion, and I reiterated that this was only for a book and that I'd never consider following through and making this work of fiction a reality. He appreciated that and shook my hand.
"So, who's the killer," the officer asked as we began to go our separate ways.
"You'll have to read the book to find out," I said with a smile.
I packed up my things and headed home. On the way, I called my friend and said a cop agreed with him and that I'd fix the details the next morning.
When I woke up, before getting to the revisions, I scoured the local news, hoping no one committed a crime like the one I created. Once I confirmed I was in the clear, I went back to the scene and rewrote it to match the logistics the officer shared. Satisfied, I sat back and thought about the officer's last words.
"Who's the killer?"
I'd lost count of how many times I'd been asked that question from people who knew about the story. I'd usually give a light-hearted remark like what I shared with the officer, but from the moment I realized this was going to be a book, I knew I wanted it to be more than a whodunnit.
I wanted readers to get more than just that type of mystery.
I wanted readers to meet a cast of characters straight out of a Coen Brothers movie, each with their own distinctive backstory, and figure out how they fit together.
I wanted readers to be entertained with humor while being confronted with ethical and moral dilemmas.
I wanted readers to have to answer the question of how much bad could be justified in the name of good.
Thank you to the hundreds of readers who've told me I accomplished that goal.
Thank you for reading this far and considering reading Boomsters.
And thank you to the officer who helped me out. I never caught your name, but if you're reading this, reach out to me at contact@boomsters.com. I'd love to send you a signed copy of the book.
Read an excerpt:
Chapter 1
BOOMSTERS
“We are gathered here today before God and in the company of loved ones to celebrate life,” Rabbi Rabinowitz said. “The life of—” He paused. “The life of—” Another pause. Finally, he pulled a notecard from his pocket. “We are here to celebrate the life of Melvin Weinberg.”
I adjusted my tie as I leaned toward Mary. “More like celebrating his death,” I said. She rolled her eyes as she listened to the rabbi.
“Melvin, or Mel, as most of you probably knew him, was a husband and a father, a man whose life was cut short at the age of fifty-six. The world will not be the same without him.”
“Yeah, it will be safer now,” I whispered to Mary, who responded with an elbow to my left kidney. “What? Clearly this rabbi never met Mel.”
Candidly, I had never met Mel either, but I was confident I knew more about him than any of the two hundred or so people at the funeral. My guess was most were here not because Mel would be missed but because so many people wanted to confirm he was dead.
When you’re in your seventies like I am, you become familiar with funerals and the certain routine that comes with them, but it was easy to see nothing was routine about this one. Sure, the rabbi forgot the dead man’s name, but now he was extolling Mel’s virtues. Mel had no virtues. He was a murderer, a rapist, and a gambler. You can’t live life as a jerk and die a mensch. Clearly the rabbi was officiating as a favor to someone.
But that wasn’t all that was off. Those in attendance were also peculiar. First, a half-dozen FBI agents patrolled the room. Sarah Cutler—the woman expected to be Chicago’s next mayor—was sitting in the front row for all to see. Scattered throughout were members and employees from the West Coast Club, a fitness center I’ve worked out at for more than twenty years and a place I know Mel was no member of.
Then there was the crowd in the back row. On one side sat associates of Tony Santori, the head of the notorious Italian crime family. Santori expanded his family’s corrupt and dishonorable reign from New Jersey to the Midwest six years ago, and although he wasn’t in attendance, his presence was certainly felt. On the other side were members of the Deli Boys, a pack of Jews who’d owned Chicago’s streets for decades, at least until Santori arrived. Solomon Feldman was their leader, though he, too, was not present. A line of uniformed Chicago police officers blanketed the room’s back wall, there primarily to keep the peace between the two families.
Keep the peace? At a funeral? Like I said, the whole scene was bizarre. Then again, I guess it was fitting for the unique set of circumstances surrounding Mel Weinberg’s death. Why they were there was a legitimate question, as was this: As a retired businessman who spent fifty years selling trinkets like light-up Christmas necklaces and pens that sang “Yankee Doodle Dandy,” what the hell was I doing there?
To answer that question, I needed to take a step back.
—–
David Blazen is my name, born soon after World War II ended at eight pounds and who cares how many ounces. Growing up, I loved to watch Saturday morning television, where Superman stood for justice and Captain America defended our country from evil. All the shows I gravitated toward appealed to me because they focused on doing the right thing, no matter if the hero was a rifleman or a collie. I liked when bad people were caught and justice prevailed. When I couldn’t find the right story on our black-and-white TV, I’d find it in my piles of GI Joe comic books. Before I fantasized about girls, I dreamed about being GI Joe.
The best education I got came from my World War II-veteran dad, a navy man who was the smartest person I knew, even though he never made it past fifth grade. From him I learned how to be human. His motto was simple: “It’s nice to be important, but it’s more important to be nice.”
I went to Wright Junior College in Chicago, but saying I went there is a loose term. I only showed up when I wanted, which wasn’t often. I wanted to learn to be a salesman, so when I wasn’t in class, I was practicing my craft. At that time, I sold personalized pens. I decided I learned all the school could teach me three months into my freshman year when I sold Wright Junior College ten thousand pens emblazoned with the school’s name on them.
After my brief stint in college, I started my own business. I sold creative impulse merchandise of all kinds—things people decide they can’t live without, like an extendable back scratcher or holiday-themed ice trays. Those who knew me then would call me creative and fast-paced, and I would agree. I had a zest for being zestful. My creativity was not stymied by what others did or what books said, only by the limits of my imagination. Every day, I challenged my brain to think outside the norm.
I got married to an incredible woman, and we raised four incredible children. I lost her to cancer far too young, before she could see any of our ten adorable grandchildren.
I retired after five decades at the helm of my company and issued my declaration of independence—I call it that because I truly felt independent for the first time in my life. No parents or teachers telling me what to do. No customers to worry about. No colleagues to manage. When I got that gold watch at my farewell party, it wasn’t just a sign of gratitude; it meant I was on my own.
The irony was I didn’t have anything to do; who cared what time it was?
When people asked about my retirement plans, I joked I’d figure something out, but really I didn’t have a clue. One advantage was I wouldn’t be completely alone. My girlfriend, Mary, retired from her forty-year business career the day after I left mine, and we entered this new world enthusiastic to travel, relax, and enjoy our lives with one another, like those hokey life insurance commercials with aging couples hugging on a boat, grateful to have time together.
It took us four days to realize we didn’t like boats and there was only so much hugging to do.
We went from leadership positions where others counted on us for direction to spending virtually every waking minute together. It used to take only one of us to squeeze the tomatoes at the produce counter, but now it’s a two-person event complete with discussion and, in most cases, a concession on my part. I was no dummy, though; bigger decisions would be needed at the avocados. What used to be short trips now became extended outings. Lunch was another discussion, followed by a compromise. Everything we did was a discussion, then a compromise.
The one thing we agreed on was we needed a new plan.
***
Excerpt from BOOMSTERS by David Marks. Copyright 2024 by David Marks. Reproduced with permission from David Marks. All rights reserved.
Author Bio:
David Marks
David Marks launched DM Merchandising, a wholesale marketplace for
business owners, in 1988. He spent 30 years relying on his creativity in
the hopes of developing the world’s greatest impulse products. He
retired in 2018, thrilled for a new chapter in life, only to discover
his creativity had hit a brick wall. One day he was an innovative
workaholic with a team of more than 200 employees, the next day he found
himself with no forum to exercise his mind.
Desperate to do something creative, he imagined a fictitious
character facing the same traumatic reality of retirement. Inspired by
watching crime stoppers on TV, David began pondering the question of how
much bad could be justified in the name of good. With no clerical staff
and limited typing skills, he put his thumb to work and began tapping
out a story on his iPhone. A book was never the goal. The exercise was
simply meant to help keep his mind sharp. But in the process, Boomsters was born.
This is a giveaway
hosted by Partners in Crime Virtual Book Tours for David Marks. See the
widget for entry terms and conditions. Void where prohibited.
When music producer and banshee Tilly Davenport learns that her pregnancy puts her and her child at risk from evil sorcerers who would use her as sacrifice to unleash powerful magic, she has no choice but appear at her powerful vampire baby daddy’s concert to ask for his protection.
