A Virtual Book Chat & A Sale

 by Maureen Bonatch

I rarely take selfies and I've never been one to like my photo, but when I took a new job over 2 years ago that was completely virtual, I began spending every day on Zoom video meetings. It took some getting used to, but now, virtual has become the new normal to me, and many.

So when I was asked to do a virtual book chat about Destiny Calling, I hesitated for a minute before I said, sure!  What could be better than talking about books and some of my favorite characters while we are all in the comfort of our own homes? Because I admit, I've become more of a hermit over the past year and now that the temperatures are frigid in our neck of the woods, staying in seems like a good thing.

Win a Signed Book

To sweeten the pot for the virtual event, I'm giving away a signed paperback copy of both books in The Enchantlings series—AND the ebook versions of Destiny Calling and Not a Chance are on sale now for $0.99 cents so you can get your copies to read before the chat. 

Register for the free virtual chat at this link, or get details right here at Bosler Memorial LIbrary's Facebook page. 

The virtual event is Tuesday, February 16th from 5pm- 6pm EST- I hope to see you there!

On Sale Now for $0.99 cents

Destiny Calling (Book 1)

Hope only wants to find out if her ability to infuse euphoria or despair with her touch makes her the devil's spawn, or his exterminator. But when the woman who raised her is murdered by something not human, she loses the only family she knew and discovers one she might wish she hadn’t.

Not a Chance (Book 2)

The last thing Hope Hallows wants is to become the latest headline. Living in a town that likes secrets, she prefers to keep hers hidden. Avoiding a nosy reporter’s questions about her ability to infuse euphoria or despair with a single touch, and those who crave this bliss, is nothing new. But having her brother’s annoying girlfriend, Berta, go missing is—especially when it makes Hope suspect number one.

Have You Gone Virtual This Year?

Author Bio: Maureen Bonatch grew up in small town Pennsylvania and her love of the four seasons—hockey, biking, sweat pants and hibernation—keeps her there. While immersed in writing or reading paranormal romance and fantasy, she survives on caffeine, wine, music, and laughter. A feisty Shih Tzu keeps her in line. 

Find Maureen on her website, Facebook & Twitter Be the first to know about Maureen’s book sales and new releases by following her on BookBub, Amazon and/or signing up for her newsletter

The Last Sale of the Summer

August is upon us, and the summer is winding down—almost as quickly as this sale. 

If you haven't had enough time to get in some summer reading, I have a treat for you. Even though it’s not even Halloween—and you don’t need a costume. NOT A CHANCE is on sale for .99cents for a limited time.

Not a Chance in book #2 in The Enchantlings series, so if you want to start Hope's journey from the beginning then don't forget to pick up Destiny Calling—two books for under $8.

Hope just wants to be normal—too bad that will never happen.

The last thing Hope Hallows wants is to become the latest headline. Living in a town that likes secrets, she prefers to keep hers hidden. Avoiding a nosy reporter’s questions about her ability to infuse euphoria or despair with a single touch, and those who crave this bliss, is nothing new. But having her brother’s annoying girlfriend, Berta, go missing is—especially when it makes Hope suspect number one. 

As a triplet, her resemblance to her beloved dead sister causes her family to grieve even more, and her escalating supernatural skills makes Griffith, her half-human-half-Oppressor boyfriend, wary. He wants to put his unsavory past behind him—this could include Hope—since her abilities remind him of the Underworld. 
In her desperate search to find Berta, she stumbles across a tunnel. Phantom voices within whisper that evil has been waiting for a new leader—and isn't she lucky, they've chosen Hope.

Get Your Copy of NOT A CHANCE for .99 cents today!

About the Author:
Maureen Bonatch grew up in small town Pennsylvania and her love of the four

seasons—hockey, biking, sweat pants and hibernation—keeps her there. While immersed in writing or reading paranormal romance and fantasy, she survives on caffeine, wine, music, and laughter. A feisty Shih Tzu keeps her in line. Find Maureen on her website, Facebook & Twitter

Be the first to know about Maureen’s book sales and new releases by following her on BookBub, Amazon and/or signing up for her newsletter

How I Took a Chance with Not a Chance

By Maureen Bonatch

Hello, my name is Maureen and I’m a panster. Most writers will recognize the term that causes readers to frown and assume it’s just another indicator that writers can be a little unusual. 

Most stories I write by the seat of my pants, instead of the most sensible, logical way. You know by starting with a plot and a plan for the story in advance. 

Believe me, it surprises me as well, because I’m an organized logical person. I’ve tried to force myself to plan and plot the story first, but alas, so far, it’s like putting a square peg in a round hole.

 Although I’ve found out there are some good things that come from writing in this manner. I mean besides the whole roller-coaster ride that I get to enjoy along with the reader as I discover the characters and write the pages to find out what comes next. 

That’s Not the Story 

Not a Chance is book #2 in The Enchantlings series. Book #1, Destiny Calling, was named after one of the triplets in the story. My original intent was to write a trilogy with each book highlighting the story of one of the triplets. Well, that didn’t happen. Not because I changed my mind, but because my character did. Hope kind of insisted that she continue to be the one to tell the tale into book #2. That was fine. I still intended for the story to mainly focus on her brother, Chance. 

But when you write by the seat of your pants, you’re taking the chance that the story isn’t going to go in the direction you originally planned—and it didn’t. We took a whole detour into the woods and then some to create a whole different story line.

The Reader’s Benefit When Authors Take that Chance

By not being set on the story, it enabled me to really listen to some of the feedback from readers of Destiny Calling. The characters they liked, what they thought might happen, what they wanted to see happen next. Since the story wasn’t completely structured, I was able to implement some of the suggestions I thought would fit into the story well. Plus, when you write paranormal and fantasy, you can bend the rules a little sometimes. At least in my book, you can. 

So, I took multiple chances with Not a Chance in my efforts to make the story better and engage more with readers. Because as a reader myself, I fall in love with certain characters and they become like dear friends to me. 

I can’t wait to see what happens next in their life, and I usually have an idea of what I want to happen. It's so wonderful to see how the story comes to fruition.

Have You Ever Taken a Chance on a Story?

Author Bio: Maureen Bonatch grew up in small town Pennsylvania and her love of the four

seasons—hockey, biking, sweat pants and hibernation—keeps her there. While immersed in writing or reading paranormal romance and fantasy, she survives on caffeine, wine, music, and laughter. A feisty Shih Tzu keeps her in line. Find Maureen on her website, Facebook& Twitter

Be the first to know about Maureen’s book sales and new releases by following her on BookBub, Amazonand/or signing up for her newsletter

Is There Magic in the Everyday World?

 When I watch an old movie, or television show, I try to imagine what life was like then. The plethora

of gadgets and technology we have at our fingertips today weren’t even considered a possibility. 

Some resisted bending their imagination and may have even considered new amazing technology as inconceivable, or sorcery. 

Nowadays, most of us are more accepting of new technology every day. It’s almost as if we expect the unexpected to become part of our lives. Things that we may have never believed were possible in the past, that we may have thought we’d need a little magic to create, have become part of our daily lives. 

My Children Were Amazed

It’s possible that we’ve begun to incorporate magic into our everyday world. A few of these things are so ingrained into our reality that it’s almost hard to imagine that not too long ago, they may have been considered a fantasy. It takes more and more to impress us and stir the wonder we felt as a child. 

My daughters are teenagers. They grew up in this magical time. As children, I could amaze them with my magical abilities. 

•     I could slide open the van door with a wave of my hand, and occasionally I might toss in an abracadabra! (As I secretly pushed the key.)
•     I had eyes in the back of my head and could tell when they were getting into trouble in the other room. This was so convincing that they searched for eyes buried under my hair to no avail. (I viewed their reflection on the television screen or the microwave.)
•     I had the hotline to Santa, the Easter Bunny and all the magical creatures of our world. It came with the parent handbook. (Don’t I wish there was a parent handbook!) 

Now I’m Amazed

As teenager, my daughters, and most people, would find it hard to imagine a world without the technology they’ve grown up with. I find it hard to amaze them anymore, things that may have once been considered sorcery or magic, are expected. Instead I find myself amazed at what magic the world has to offer and can hardly imagine what will be available next.  

•     The way we can instantly connect with people around the world with computers, cellphones or technology in all shapes and sizes. There’s no more busy signal, or waiting for a letter to arrive when there’s email.
•     How my phone seems to know where I’m going and tells me the distance and time to get there or the GPS that’s now part of almost every car.
•      Self-driving cars and gadgets that can mop and vacuum my house are now available. I don’t have either yet, but I hope one day I will.

We Want to Believe in Magic

It’s harder to be amazed and wonder if magic might be responsible, although I think most of us want to. Even as adults we may still flock to movies and stories about extraordinary people and things. We dress up for Halloween and go to parks that let up suspend belief in the world we live in for a bit and escape into the books that we love.

I think even as we grow and mature that magic doesn’t leave us. It’s still around us in our everyday world. We just must open our imagination, look a little closer, or when the world gets too serious we can find it in the pages of our favorite book.

Don't lose your sense of wonder, it's what makes the world wonderful.

What in the World Do You Find Magical?

 

P.S. Like Magic? I’ve got tons of fun this month with lots of spooktacular giveaways and events leading up to my new release. You can find out more about them on my Facebook page, newsletter or author website. 

Author Bio: Maureen Bonatch grew up in small town Pennsylvania and her love of the four seasons—hockey, biking, sweat pants and hibernation—keeps her there. While immersed in writing or reading paranormal romance and fantasy, she survives on caffeine, wine, music, and laughter. A feisty Shih Tzu keeps her in line. Find Maureen on her website, Facebook& Twitter

Be the first to know about Maureen’s book sales and new releases by following her on BookBub, Amazonand/or signing up for her newsletter