Tuesday, March 28, 2023

Stop and Smell the Roses by Darlene Fredette

One day last week, during my book tour with Trickster, I had a guest spot where I talked about working with a group of writers on the Mortar and Pestle series. I tried to jump ship a couple of times, but they pulled me from the deep waters. I’m happy they did as I made some new friends, and I wrote a story I absolutely love.

As much fun as the collaboration was, it may be my last writing project with and without a group. I’m seriously thinking about retiring my writing cap. I’ve considered retiring before, but a story would always call me back to the computer. Redford Falls still has a few more stories to tell, but the drive to write is diminishing. 

There are several factors that push retirement – I’m a
slow writer, I don’t have many hours during the day to write, and I’m terrible at marketing and lack the passion to learn the new avenues. As we get older our priorities change – at least for me they have. I want the everyday pace to slow down and to not worry about meeting deadlines. As
the saying goes – stop and smell the roses.

Should I retire? Never say never, but right now I’m taking a well-deserved break. And what a better way to go out than on a high note with a book I adore like Trickster!

Trickster

A Redford Falls Story, Part of The Mortar and Pestle Series

Can she heal the trickster before he breaks her heart?

Working for a top modeling agency is Jade Parsons’s dream job until her boss suffers a heart attack, and his son temporarily fills his position. Eric’s push-pull approach fuels her frustration. While anticipating the troublemaker’s imminent departure, Jade’s destiny is revealed through a magical mortar and pestle, leaving her heart tormented by whispers of a different fate.

World-renowned photographer Eric Martini returns home to restore his relationship with his estranged father, but wounds from the past haunt him. Enchanted by his father’s feisty assistant, he masks his heart and refuses to give in to desire. Convinced his destined future is already written in the stars—and doesn’t include Jade, Eric’s only choice is to walk away.

Will Jade and Eric find the courage to trust the mythical and smokey signs before their paths are severed forever? 

Two weeks ago, Eric had aired his family’s dirty laundry. Probably unintentional on his part, but he revealed the reason behind his frustration toward his father, and Jade gave her unwelcomed input.

Today she exposed her secret, which felt exhilarating. “I only wanted you to understand you have to let go of the past to be present in the future.”

“And I’m trying. My father and I are on a good path to rebuilding our relationship and for that, I thank you. You forced me to see the error of my ways. I’m sorry for taking out my problems on you. You didn’t deserve my grouchy moods. I was rude and obnoxious.” He raised a brow. “Can you forgive me? Can we start over?”

Smiling, she squinted. “Who are you?”

He strode forward and held out a hand. “I’m Eric Martini. Nice to meet you.”

“No.” Jade pointed a finger. “You, sir, are a trickster.”

“Excuse me?”

“A trickster is someone who has many sides. Disruptive and helpful, troublemaker and hero. I know the man in the office. But I don’t know the man standing in front of me.” She clasped his hand, and a flurry of tingles surged the length of her arm. Warmth flushed her cheeks. Without thinking, she leaned up on her toes and kissed Eric’s cheek. “Thank you for being my hero today.”




Darlene Fredette resides on the Atlantic Coast of Canada where the summers are too short, and the winters are too long. Retired from a career as Director of Administration and Marketing, she now has eleven published contemporary romance books and is an artist at heart. When she isn’t researching her next book or having a pencil, paintbrush, or a cup of hot chocolate in her hand, she’s with her husband, daughter, and one-hundred-pound yellow Labrador.

Links:

Trickster on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0BS1PD9W2/

Website: http://darlenefredette.blogspot.com/

Blog: http://findingthewritewords.blogspot.com

Amazon Author Page: https://www.amazon.com/Darlene-Fredette/e/B005NAF660/

Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/DarleneLF

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/darlenefredette1/

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/76941835-trickster

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/shorts/cIFW-jplJBE

But wait! There’s more! I’m giving away a free PDF copy of The Mortar and Pestle Preview. This preview document is similar to the free prequel offered in Book Funnel, but the preview has tons of additional fun stuff – more graphics, book teasers, an inside look at how the series came to life, and much more! To get this free preview, pop over to my author website http://darlenefredette.blogspot.com/ and send me a note using the Contact Form on the left sidebar. No rafflecopter, no contest, and no drawing of names. Just send me a note through the secure Contact Form. It’s that easy!


7 comments:

  1. Thanks for visiting the Window today, Darlene. Good luck with your release and with your decision on the subject you discussed. I'm in the same place you are.

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  2. Thank you, Liz, for hosting Trickster and me today! To retire from writing is a hard decision to make, but as I'm sure you know that life is about making many hard decisions. Even if I do retire, I'll still stay within the writing community by supporting my fellow authors and reading lots of books.

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    1. Oops, I forgot to log in. That above 'anonymous' is me, lol.

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  3. I totally get where you're coming from, Darlene. Best of luck with your decision.

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    1. Hi Jana! Thank you for stopping by and joining the chat. I will definitely miss interacting with all the wonderful author friends I made over the years.

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  4. I hear you, Darlene! And the idea has plagued me as well. It's such hard work for so little return, as far as marketing is concerned. But much more of a return on the investment of your time writing. And I would love to have the opportunity to read all the wonderful books my friends have written. I think that opportunity may arise before long... Thanks for sharing your thoughts on a difficult subject. I hope the decision you make is the right one for you and that you will feel comfortable, no longer harboring doubts. :) TRICKSTER sounds awesome!

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    1. Hi MJ! Thank you for stopping by. Any doubts I have are diminishing. I feel lighter already know retiring is the best decision for me. Hope you get a chance to read Trickster.

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