Book Tour ~ Who's OUt there by Westley Smith

 

WHO'S OUT THERE

by Westley Smith

March 9 - April 3, 2026 Virtual Book Tour

Synopsis:

Inside Marburg State Park lies the remains of Camp Southwoods, where four counselors were slain twenty-six years ago. Their murderer, Douglas Lee Carver, has become a local boogieman with a chilling nursery rhyme attributed to his name. Locals believe the now-abandoned camp is haunted.

Ranger Colt Mitcham, leader of the Ranger Rescue Unit for Marburg State Park, ignores the ghost stories of Camp South Woods. He has real-world problems to worry about, like apprehending the person who's been vandalizing the grounds, finding a missing local man who's disappeared inside the park, and making sure that his team secures the park before the rapidly approaching blizzard – the worst storm in years – unleashes hell across the land.

But when a member of Colt’s team is found murdered, Colt begins to wonder if the tales about Camp Southwoods are true. Has Douglas Lee Carver returned? Or is there someone else out there? Someone with a personal axe to grind against Colt and his team, hoping to use the urban legends as a cover for their crimes and keep what happened at Camp Southwoods three decades ago from being exposed.

Praise for Who's Out There:

"An abandoned summer camp with a dark history, a brutal winter storm, and a group of park rangers fighting for their lives are the core of Westley Smith's WHO'S OUT THERE. With no help coming from the outside, Colt Mitcham has to figure out how to protect his crew as a relentless killer strikes again and again. This intense, blood-spattered page-turner had me in its grip from the beginning and kept me guessing until the end. Westley Smith is the real deal."
~ Joshua Moehling, USA TODAY bestselling author of AND THERE HE KEPT HER and A LONG TIME GONE

"Taut. Relentless... a plot careening to the brink and you're clinging on the edge all the way. Move over Voorhees. Step back Myers. Smith's WHO'S OUT THERE sends you both packing. Don't read this book until your feet are up, your blinds are drawn, and your glass is full-you're in it till the end!"
~ Tj O’Connor, Award Winning Author of THE WHISPER LEGACY and THE DEAD DETECTIVE FILES

Book Details:

Genre: Thriller, Action Adventure
Published by: Manta Press, Ltd
Publication Date: February 19, 2026
Number of Pages: 324
ISBN: 9781958370322 (ISBN10: 1958370320)
Book Links: Amazon | Kindle | Goodreads | BookBub

Read an excerpt:

Chapter 1

God, it’s cold. Rumor Shoff checks his digital watch. 10:45 p.m. The Marburg State Park ranger won’t start his nightly rounds for another fifteen minutes. It will take him at least half an hour to forty-five minutes, to reach this end of the park. Rumor has plenty of time to accomplish his task. Perfect.

At the bed of his Ford F-150, he lifts a duffel bag with R. Shoff sewn into the canvas, and throws the strap over his shoulder. He pulls the trucker’s cap tighter to his balding head, the air rushes through its vented rear and prickles his dome. Chills walk up his skin. He zips his coat to his chin. Christ, it must be near zero with the windchill. The crisp, dry air burns his throat, and the scent of the oncoming snowstorm tickles his nose.

He’s alone in the Serpentine Trail parking lot. Only the forest trees are watching. Silent observers who won’t tell a soul what he is up to—even after killing plenty of their kin.

Good. But Rumor needs to move. If caught by the park ranger at a quarter to eleven, he’ll arrest Rumor and charge him with trespassing on state land after dark. That’s the least of Rumor’s concerns. What’s in his duffel bag, however, is.

Heaving the strap to a more comfortable position on his shoulder, Rumor starts toward a large ranch-style gate serving as the entryway onto Serpentine Trail. The white moonlight casts the gate’s arch onto the gravel trail winding its way through the forest like a snake, past the Shoff Family Cemetery, and down to the shoreline of Lake Clarke, directly across from the abandoned summer camp.

Rumor starts past the gate and into the forest, the moonlight has trouble penetrating the leafless trees; the branches so thick and interwoven they block all but a few streaks of white light cutting through the bare canopy. But Rumor doesn’t need a flashlight to guide him; he’s taken this trail many times to get to the cemetery—day and night—before the land was stolen from his father.

Rumor’s face grows warm even in the bitter cold at the thought of the Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources (DCNR) stealing his father’s land. The DCNR came to his father a year and a half ago with an offer to buy thirty-two acres of woodlands that made up the southwestern shore of Lake Clarke, excluding the small plot of land on which the Shoff Family Cemetery rests. No sir! Uncle Sam won’t pick up the tab to take care of that. They planned to add to Marburg State Park’s already sizable acreage. With his father’s refusal to sell, the DCNR made an eminent domain claim—the right of the government or its agencies to expropriate private property for public use. His father sued. But it was a losing battle from the start, and the courts ruled in favor of the DCNR, forcing his father to surrender the land with zero compensation.

The DCNR can claim eminent domain or whatever fancy legal jargon the lawyers invented to sugarcoat the truth, but to Rumor, it was theft—plain and simple.

The trail curves sharply to the right, and the Shoff Family Cemetery appears on the left. Behind an old wrought iron fence, fifteen tombstones jut from the forest floor like crooked white teeth. The wind blows with a haunting whistle. The bare branches sway back and forth, casting long shadows across the front of the tombstones that look like skeleton fingers caressing the grave markers. Rumor pauses by the gate. Even in the shadowy darkness, he spots his mother’s tombstone. Feels his heart ache.

Fuck cancer.

Rumor starts again. The gravel trail fades away and turns to dirt, worn-down over time by hikers making their way to the lakebed on the backside of the hill. He hasn’t been past the cemetery since August 1997 and doesn’t want to go down there now. Still, the DCNR needed to pay for what they had done. And by God, Rumor was going to collect in spades, even if that meant scaring up the memory of that dead girl he and his father discovered the morning of the camp massacre.

Along the shoreline, where the cold water of Lake Clarke laps at the rocks and bankside like a soft kiss, Rumor pauses to catch his breath. The smell of mud and fishy water mixes with the crisp night air that smells both clean and repugnant to him. The full white moon is visible above, and its reflection ripples across the water. In the open, the cold wind cuts across the lake bowl. It stings Rumor’s face and makes his nose leak. He slides the sleeve of his jacket under his nose and sniffs back a glob of snot. The last time he stood there was the morning of the massacre at Camp Southwoods, when he was six.

Across the inlet of water, the steel cable tinks against the flagpole in the courtyard at Camp Southwoods. It’s a lonely, eerie sound that causes Rumor to shiver, as if a ghostly voice speaks from the past. The moonlight casts an eerie white glow across the rundown mess hall, tucked between two identical shotgun-style buildings—the boys’ and girls’ bunkhouses. The dilapidated structures stand out against the clear northeastern sky—though it’s about to be overtaken by the dark snow clouds rolling in from the South.

The ghost-town vibe of Camp Southwoods still resonates with residual energy from the grisly murders in the early morning hours of August 5, 1997. Rumor’s stomach churns as the vivid memory unpacks itself and his eyes drift to where they found the girl, washed up on the shore. She was lying on her side, facing away from them, her brown hair tangled with lake weeds, wet leaves, and interwoven sticks. On the back of her yellow T-shirt was a word in large red letters: COUNSELOR. Rumor thought she was sleeping. But when his father rolled her over to check on her, Rumor saw her pretty face was split from her hairline to her mouth, leaving a fleshy fissure where the axe had struck her. On either side of that gory canyon, two lifeless, milky-white eyes were locked on him in a death stare. An arrow was through the swell of her left breast. Deep lacerations scarred her forearms, and the first two fingers on her right hand were gone. She was from Camp Southwoods, just across the inlet—the torn and bloody yellow T-shirt with the camp’s name and logo affirmed this.

Rumor remembers screaming in horror at the sight of the dead camp counselor. Then, his father was next to him, hurrying them back up the trail to call the police.

Her name was Alice King, and how she ended up there raises the hackles on Rumor’s neck. He tugs his coat closer. But she wasn’t the only camp counselor found slain. Kurt MacReady, Virginia Steel, and Ted Charno also met their demise at the hands of fifteen-year-old Douglas Lee Carver, who, for reasons unknown, decided to hunt them down with a bow and arrow (taken from the camp’s archery range) before stealing their faces with a violent strike with an axe. Three of the victims, Rumor has learned in his research of the murders, were disposed of quickly. But Alice King had valiantly fought back. Sadly, she fell to Carver’s wrath by the lake before washing up a few feet from where Rumor now stood.

Since the murders, a local legend arose of a curse on Lake Clarke and a curse on Marburg State Park itself. Locals claim to see shadow people on the trails or around the camp, hear whispering and laughing, and see lights emanating from the rundown cabins. The lore has grown exponentially over the years. So much so that locals have reimagined an old nursery rhyme, “Bye, Baby Bunting,” to scare the bejesus out of one another for nearly three decades. Rumor knew it well:

Little counselor running,
Douggie Carver’s gone a-hunting
Gonna catch that counselor,
Gonna cleave that counselor,
Little counselor done running.

But those campfire tales are just that…tales. You have work to do. Rumor checks his watch. 10:55 p.m. Get your ass moving.

He continues to follow the trail south along the lake to an area known as Ice Fisherman’s Cove. It’s a favorite spot for ice fishermen to set up because the water freezes fast and hard in the winter. By a large oak tree leaning dangerously over the trail, Rumor drops the duffel bag and squats beside it. He unzips the bag and pulls out a gardening shovel. A battery-operated DeWalt drill with a three-inch wooden drill bit in its jaws. A 350 ml syringe. And a bottle of Tardon—an herbicide that kills woody plants. He drops to his knees at the oak's base and begins clearing away a small patch of earth with the shovel. The January ground is frozen and tough to dig up. Perspiration dampens his back even in the cold. But he’s persistent, despite the challenging work, and continues removing the earth until the oak’s root system is bare.

He rechecks his watch. 11:10 p.m.

Need to hurry this up.

With the drill, Rumor bores into the oak’s most prominent root. Once done, he opens the Tardon bottle, takes out the syringe, dips the wide plastic needle into the herbicide, and extracts a barrel full of blue liquid.

What was that? Footsteps?

Rumor searches the trail ahead but sees no one in the moonlight. It could be an animal. A deer?

The legend of Camp Southwoods, and its murderous boogieman, has lit his imagination. Stop it. There ain’t any ghosts in these woods. I’m alone.

Rumor shakes the silly thought away, plunges the 350ml of Tardon into the root, and empties the barrel. Drink it up. The Tardon kills the trees slowly over several weeks. He’s poisoned many trees around the park. Some are on trails like this one. Some in parking lots where a tree collapse could damage structures, costing the DCNR a lot of money in time and repairs. That’s just what Rumor wants. He refills the hole with dirt, replaces his equipment in the duffel bag, and stands.

Gazing upon the oak leaning precariously over the trail, Rumor knows it’s just a matter of time before it topples. He smiles jovially. Poisoning the trees is only one of the many subterfuges Rumor has committed around the park: clogging the toilets in the guests’ facilities, wrecking the well pumps so the park didn’t have water for drinking and cleaning, dumping trashcans, spray painting obscenities on the public pavilions. He even lit a few fires that burnt some acres on the park’s western side in late September. Maybe I’ll drill holes in the canoes this summer. Or put wasps’ nests in the garbage cans. Or poison the drinking water. He has little concern about someone getting hurt from his shenanigans: people are collateral damage. Pride flows through his veins, pure like holy water, warming him. He’s giving it to the man for stealing his father’s land.

But the warmth is quickly blown away as another gust of wind howls across the lake. Rumor shivers and looks at his watch again. 11:22 p.m. Time to get going.

He returns to where the trail winds back into the woods, past the Shoff Cemetery, and eventually to the parking lot. The desolate tink, tink, tink of the cable snapping against the flagpole at the abandoned campground cuts across the inlet.

Footsteps! On the trail again.

Someone is there! Cold fear shoots through him and tightens his chest like a clenched fist. I can’t get caught. Not now. Not when there’s so much more to do.

He ducks behind a large white sycamore and checks his watch. 11:29 p.m. The park ranger may be down there, checking for trespassers or even looking for him after finding his pickup in the Serpentine Trail parking lot. Or it might be a few local kids hiking to the abandoned campground to get high, drink, or make out. They might even tell each other ghost stories about Carver’s victims haunting the area.

Rumor peers around the tree and scans the trail from which he just came. No one lingers about. The tightness in his chest eases. Still, he tries to tune out the wind and focus on the sounds of approaching footsteps. But if they were there and not a figment of his imagination, they’re gone now. He lets out a slow, grateful breath and feels the tension in his muscles relax.

Rumor steps out from behind the tree. He’s about to turn away when he sees a human silhouette step off the trail and duck into the forest about twenty-five yards away.

I’m seeing things, he thinks, as his balls shrivel into his pelvis and goose pimples rise from his feet to his scalp. He’s heard stories about hikers seeing shadow people on the trail, ducking in and around trees. Is that what he’s seeing now? A shadow person? No! There’s no one out there. It’s the wind causing the tree branches to swing and the shadows to move, nothing more. He swallows. His throat is dry like dust. But you heard footsteps—twice now—and saw the shadow. Someone or something is out here with you. Maybe one of Carver’s victims? An unseen frozen hand clasps upon his lungs in a powerful, vicelike grip.

Fuck this!

Rumor turns on his heels to bolt up the trail when a loose rock gives way, and his right foot slips out from underneath him. He loses his grip on the duffel bag, which slides from his shoulder into the dark somewhere, and falls hard on his right elbow. The impact with the unforgiving ground peels the flesh back, and the sting of cold air bites at the raw, bleeding wound. He stifles a scream. He can’t risk someone hearing. Through the discomfort, he pulls himself to his feet and darts up the trail toward the dark, concealing woods where he’ll be safe from…well, whatever it was that he saw duck off the trail.

He doesn’t stop or look back until he’s far enough from the shoreline, hidden deep within the woods where no one—man or ghost—can see him. He bends at the waist to catch his breath, to allow his heart rate to slow. It beats in his ears like a sinister drum. He now understands what it must be like for people who say they’ve seen Bigfoot or the Loch Ness Monster…

“A ghost,” Rumor whispers in the dark.

Of course, Rumor will never admit ghosts are real. Just like Bigfoot and the Loch Ness Monster are nothing more than stories made up by fringe outliers looking for attention. What he saw tonight were moving shadows, brought on by the wind and an overactive imagination. Rumor feels that the only ghosts down there are memories.

Then why were you running?

He doesn’t entertain this thought and looks at his watch. 11:40 p.m. Christ! I need to—

My duffel bag! It isn’t slung over his shoulder. You must’ve dropped it when you fell. His bloody elbow begins to thump with discomfort at his carelessness. How could you be so stupid! He can’t leave it behind. If found, the Rangers will easily link the tree poisoning and the vandalisms back to him because his damn name is stitched on the side.

No. Leaving the duffel bag isn’t an option.

Rumor gazes down the trail into the dark hollow and listens for footsteps again. But only the breeze blows through the trees, rustling what leaves remain on the branches. He’s positive that everything he’s experiencing—the footsteps, the shadowy figure—is a manifestation brought on by the camp’s violent history and his memories of that fateful day. His head was full of enough lore about Carver and Camp Southwoods to trick anyone’s brain into thinking someone was out there, maybe even following him.

Steeling himself against his fears—real or imaginary—Rumor takes a step. Then another. Soon he’s heading back toward the lake to find the duffel bag. In his mind, he keeps repeating:

They’re only stories.

***

Excerpt from Who's Out There by Westley Smith. Copyright 2026 by Westley Smith. Reproduced with permission from Westley Smith. All rights reserved.

 

 

Author Bio:

Westley Smith is the author of the crime thrillers Some Kind of Truth (Wicked House Publishing) and In the Pale Light (Watertower Hill Publishing). In the Pale Light landed on IngramSpark’s #1 pre-order charts in the mystery, thriller, and hard-boiled detective category. He is also the author of the psychological thriller, They Came at Night (Watertower Hill Publishing). He has two self-published horror novels, Along Came the Tricksters and All Hallows Eve.

Writing since he was ten, his first short story, "Off to War," was published nationally at sixteen. His short stories have recently appeared in On the Premise and Unveiling Nightmares. He was the runner-up contestant in Alfred Hitchcock Mystery Magazine’s Mysterious Photograph Contest, and his short story "Winter Reflections" was chosen as a finalist for Crystal Lake Publishing's Shallow Waters short story contest. He also had a short story, "The Security Guard," in the horror anthology "Hospital of Haunts," (Watertower Hill Publishing) which hit #1 on Amazon, and his true encounter with the urban legend of York, PAs, Toad Road and The Seven Gates of Hell, was featured in George Watertower and Other Childhood Terrors (Watertower Hill Publishing).

He lives in southern Pennsylvania with his wife and two dogs.

Catch Up With Westley Smith:

WestleySmithBooks.com
Amazon Author Profile
Goodreads
BookBub - @wssmith100
Instagram - @wsmithbooks
Facebook - @westleysmith100

 

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Book Blitz ~ Pity Prank - Pity Series by Whitney Dineen

 

Pity Prank
Whitney Dineen
(Pity Series)
Publication date: March 30th 2026
Genres: Adult, Comedy, Contemporary, Romance

What happens when a quirkier than normal girl meets a hunky doctor from New York?

It’s not that I have subpar intelligence, or that I’m a total weirdo. In fact, I would consider myself kind, creative, and an all-in-all great catch—if you can get past a few peculiarities.

I love soft things. ALL soft things, and I surround myself with them to help self-sooth my way through the day. I have very particular opinions about sand, aluminum foil, and gum snappers. You wouldn’t believe how many men find this odd. In short, being on the spectrum has not exactly done wonders for my love life.

Enter Dr. Thomas Culpepper. Never in a million years would I have predicted someone like him would move to tiny little Elk Lake, Wisconsin. Then he gets sent to my photography studio to have his picture taken. I misunderstood the assignment, and instead of taking a boring old headshot like the hospital wanted, I forced him to take sexy pirate photos.

As far as meet cutes go, it was awkward. I won’t even mention the baby oil …

Pity Prank is a laugh-out-loud, small town romantic comedy featuring misunderstandings galore, a tiny bit of fake dating, a lot of fuzzy sweaters and socks, and oh, yeah, some sexy pirate photos.

Perfect for fans of Hallmark vibes. Book eight in a feel-good series of standalones.

*** For fans of The Kiss Quotient by Helen Hoang

Goodreads / Amazon

—

EXCERPT:

Finley

As soon as I enter, I notice a man sitting on one of the two overstuffed shabby chic chairs by the window. He looks up and makes direct eye contact which causes every thought in my brain to pour out like sand in a sieve. Holy. Hot stuff. Batman. This man is extraordinarily handsome, but his appeal is more than just physical. He emanates a kind of golden energy that’s positively intoxicating.

“Hi there.” As soon as he stands up, I can feel the room start to sway. I stagger to the counter, so I don’t fall over. He’s well over six feet and from what I can tell he’s built like he spends hours at the gym every day.

“H…h…hi, yourself. Thomas Culpepper?” I ask, both hoping he is and isn’t at the same time. How in the world will I be able to take sexy pictures of this man and keep my wits about me? I can’t even look at him fully clothed without stuttering.

“That’s me.” He flashes a brilliant smile which makes me wonder if he’s ever starred in toothpaste commercials. His hair is the softest looking wavy chocolate brown I’ve ever seen. My hand lifts of its own accord like it’s trying to reach out and touch it. Which of course I know I can’t do. At least until it’s time for me to style his hair for the shoot. I practically drool at the thought.

Thomas looks at my hand suspended in mid-air before copying the gesture and waving at me. “He-llo.” He breaks the word into two syllables like I’m new to the English language and might not understand otherwise.

I drop my hand immediately and try to regain my composure. “Constance is very excited about these shots.”

“Really?” He looks confused, like he doesn’t know who I’m talking about.

“Really,” I assure him. “She’s ordered the basic package to start but if she likes what she sees…” In lieu of finishing my sentence, I give him an exaggerated wink.

“I didn’t realize this was such a big deal to her,” he says. I wonder if I got it wrong and they aren’t a couple? Darn it, that’s the thing with me, I have an awful time reading people.

“Oh, it’s a very big deal.”

Thomas’s hazel eyes narrow in confusion before he bends down to pick up the bag he brought with him. “I brought some different shirts.”

“Oh, we won’t need shirts.” There’s no way, I’m covering up this man in unnecessary clothing. No way. Unless of course it’s a pirate shirt, wide open, and billowing in the wind. Lucky for him, I have such an item in my costume collection.

Thomas’s gorgeous brow furrows, drawing my attention to the golden flecks in his eyes. “I brought a doctor’s coat too, if you prefer that.”

“A doctor’s coat?” I love the idea of turning him into a sexy doctor. It’s decided then, we’ll do a pirate look and a doctor one. Constance is going to love these.

Motioning to Thomas, I tell him, “Follow me into the backroom and you can get ready there.”

As he approaches, I inhale his spicy aftershave. Cloves, cinnamon, and orange, oh my! “You smell great.” The words are out of my mouth before I can stop them. That’s another fun thing about me, I don’t always think before speaking, which can sometimes make other people uncomfortable. Like the time I told a woman in the grocery store that her pants made her butt look amazing. While meant as a compliment, it was clear she wasn’t used to such a forthright comment from a stranger. I figured that out when she walked out of the store, leaving a full cart behind.

The last thing I want to do is make Thomas nervous, so I hurry to tell him, “You smell like my favorite Christmas cookies.”

“Huh. I’ve never heard that one before.”

“It’s a compliment of the highest order,” I assure him. “My mom makes the best orange spice shortbread you’ve ever tried.” Just when I think I’ve saved the moment from getting too awkward, I groan suggestively and declare, “Yummy!” Thomas’s eyes pop open wider in an expression I once again worry is fear.

The backroom of my store is one big unfinished space with a variety of backdrops scattered about. I point toward the barber-style chair in front of a big lighted mirror in the corner and tell him, “Let’s start there. I’ll get your hair and makeup done first and then we’ll settle on wardrobe.”

“Hair and makeup?”

“Yeah, you know, so we can get the look we’re after.”

“I thought I was okay the way I am.”

“You’re fantastic,” I assure him. “Really great! But I want to make sure we capture your character to the fullest.”

“I’m a doctor,” he tells me. I’m starting to think Thomas might be the one new to the English language.

“Doctor, pirate, sexy duke with a superiority complex… you can be anything you want and I’m here to make that happen.”

Thomas sits down in the makeup chair looking highly uneasy. “I really am a doctor.” Then he asks, “Do you get a lot of pirates and nobility in here?”

“Tons,” I assure him.

Thomas sits down with the same amount of enthusiasm he might have knowing he was about to be electrocuted. “I’m pretty sure I don’t need hair and makeup,” he says again.

“I’m not putting lipstick on you, Thomas.” Picking up a bronzing palate, I tell him, “Just a bit of contrast to sharpen your angles.”

“Why exactly do I need sharper angles?” How is it possible that he’s even sexy when he’s acting stupid?

Turning to look him square in the eye, I ask, “Why do you think you’re here?”

“I’m here to get my picture taken for …”

“Constance,” I finish his sentence for him. “You’re here for Constance. And you want to make her happy, don’t you?”

“I… suppose?” He isn’t selling it.

“You suppose? She’s paid me four hundred dollars to take very specific pictures of you and that is exactly what I’m going to do. Do you understand?” He nods his head almost imperceptibly, so I tell him, “This is my job, Thomas. My job. It’s what I do for a living. It’s how I pay my bills.”

“Yes, but…”

“Constance came in here herself to tell me what she wants, and as she is my client. I’m not going to let her down.”

Thomas sits as still as a statue while I brush bronzer on his cheeks and jaw. By the time I’m done with him, he could have posed for a Michelangelo statue of a Greek god. I can’t take all the credit for that though; he practically is one on his own.

Once I’m convinced his face couldn’t look any better, I put the makeup brush down and face my model once again. This is the moment I’ve been waiting for. After turning the chair so his back faces the mirror, I lift my hands and run all ten of my fingers through his hair. Holy heck. It’s even softer than it looks. It’s better than all my furry sweaters combined. It’s like running my hands through a litter of baby minks. It’s softer than the Barefoot blanket I spent way too much money on. But only because it lost some of its softness after being washed. Until then, it was worth ten times as much.

Dear Santa, all I want for Christmas is to rub Thomas Culpepper’s head every day of my life until I die.

Reluctantly, I remind myself that Thomas is Constance’s boyfriend, not mine. Yet I don’t understand how that can be because this man is so vital and alive. Constance has the warmth of a vampire bat in winter. But they got together somehow and now it’s my job to give my client the best fantasy material I can.

She never has to know it’s doing the same for me.

Author Bio:

Whitney loves to laugh, play with her kids, bake, and eat french fries -- not always in that order.

Whitney is a multi-award-winning author of romcoms, non-fiction humor, and middle reader fiction. Basically, she writes whatever the voices in her head tell her to.

She lives in the beautiful Pacific Northwest with her husband, Jimmy, where they raise children, chickens, and organic vegetables.

Gold Medal winner at the International Readers' Favorite Awards, 2017.

Silver medal winner at the International Readers' Favorite Awards, 2015, 2016.

Finalist RONE Awards, 2016.

Finalist at the IRFA 2016, 2017.

Finalist at the Book Excellence Awards, 2017

Finalist Top Shelf Indie Book Awards, 2017

Website / Goodreads / Facebook / Instagram / X

GIVEAWAY!

Pity Prank Blitz

—

Book Blitz ~ M. B. U. Discover the Truth about Leadership by D. M. Christensen

 

Leadership, Business

Date Published: March 13, 2026

Are MBAs actually worth it?

Why do confident people keep getting promoted over competent ones?

Why does modern leadership often look like meetings, buzzwords, and no real decisions?

M.B.A. is a sharp, satirical business book that examines the uncomfortable realities of modern education, leadership, and corporate culture. With dry humor and analytical clarity, it challenges the myths surrounding higher education, management, teamwork, and “hard work,” revealing why so many smart, capable professionals feel stuck despite doing everything they were told would lead to success.

This book explores why credentials don’t equal competence, why confidence is often mistaken for leadership, and why organizations reward appearance over results. It breaks down how flawed systems—not a lack of talent—create inefficiency, burnout, and poor leadership across companies, institutions, and workplaces. Rather than offering motivational clichés or productivity hacks, it provides a clear-eyed explanation of how professional life actually functions in today’s economy.

Written for professionals, managers, MBA candidates, and anyone questioning the value of modern business culture, M.B.A. exposes the gap between titles and ability, education and outcomes, and leadership language versus leadership behavior. It explains why teams frequently slow down high performers, why clarity feels threatening in organizations, and why real competence often goes unnoticed.

This is not a self-help book. It’s not a business manifesto. And it’s not another guide filled with inspirational quoquoteI

It’s a calm, unsentimental critique of the systems that shape education, leadership, and work—and a guide to understanding them without buying into the illusions they sell.

If you’re tired of corporate buzzwords, skeptical of MBA hype, frustrated by ineffective leadership, or curious why the modern workplace rewards the wrong behaviors, this book will give you the language and clarity to finally make sense of it.

About the Author

Five-star ratings are how modern systems measure value. If that sentence made you uncomfortable, you’re probably the target audience.

Drew Christensen is an entrepreneur and corporate leader who has spent years inside large organizations observing how confidence, credentials, and presentation often outperform competence. His writing blends satire with clear-eyed analysis, exploring the quiet absurdities of modern business, leadership, and professional life.

Influenced by the idea to “give rise to mind while abiding nowhere,” his work resists rigid frameworks, fashionable doctrines, and credential-driven certainty in favor of independent thinking and practical judgment.

He lives in the United States with his wife and a total of fifteen animals, depending on how generously one defines the term. This includes three dogs, two cats, two in-laws, one dog-in-law, and four cats-in-law. The remaining three animals reject the premise outright and insist on being classified as “children.”

Masters of the Bullshitting Arts is his second

Purchase Link

Amazon

Release Blitz ~ Secrets of the Hidden Heritage - Witchlight Magical Mysteries by Heather G. Harris & Ella Stone

 

Title: Secrets of the Hidden Heritage

Author: Heather G. Harris & Ella Stone

Genre: Urban Fantasy

Publication Date: April 2nd, 2026

Hosted by: Lady Amber’s PR

Blurb:

In a town of magic and monsters, the smallest mystery can spark the biggest trouble.

Life in Witchlight Cove should finally be settling down. The Eternal Flame burns bright again, my PI business is growing, and for once the magical town I was born to protect isn’t in crisis.

Of course, things aren’t all roses and puppies. My best friend Maddie is struggling with the powerful magic at Witchlight’s heart, and I’m starting to worry the Flame might be affecting her in ways none of us can control.

Then a witch’s familiar vanishes without a trace.

When the trail ends at the very edge of Witchlight’s protective wards, it becomes clear this is no ordinary disappearance. Someone took the cat. And in a town full of witches, shifters, fae and vampires, that raises a very dangerous question.

Why would anyone steal a familiar?

As I investigate, old grudges resurface and magical politics turn ugly. What started as a missing pet begins to look like something far more dangerous.

If I don’t uncover the truth quickly, it won’t just be one life at risk … Witchlight Cove itself could be in danger.

With my fiercely loyal retriever by my side and magic now crackling at my fingertips, I’m about to learn just how far someone will go to keep their secrets hidden.

Perfect for fans of strong heroines, lovable animal sidekicks, and twisty paranormal mysteries, the Witchlight series delivers humour, heart, and supernatural intrigue. With stand-alone cases, found family, and a slow-burn romance that builds across the series, it is an adventure you won’t want to miss.

NOW LIVE!

 

Heather is an urban fantasy writer and mum. She was born and raised near Windsor, which gave her the misguided impression that she was close to royalty in some way. She is not, though she once got a letter from Queen Elizabeth's lady-in-waiting.

Heather went to university in Liverpool, where she took up skydiving and met her future husband. When she’s not running around after her children, she’s plotting her next book and daydreaming about vampires, dragons and kick-ass heroines. 

Heather loves to travel and once spent a month in Thailand. Thai food remains a firm family favourite. It goes without saying that Heather is a book lover. She grew up reading the likes of Brian Jacques and Anne McCaffrey.

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NOW LIVE!

A long time writer and dedicated reader of urban fantasy and paranormal romance. Finally bringing these two passions together in an epic saga years in the making.

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NOW LIVE!

Spotlight Book Tour ~ Her Own Legacy - Chatea de Verzat Series by Debra Borchert

 

 

Book Details:

Book Title:  Her Own Legacy, Book 1 of the Chateau de Verzat Series by Debra Borchert
Category:  Adult Fiction (18+), 870 pages
Genre:  Historical Fiction
Publisher:  Le Vin Press
Release date:   Sep 2022
Tour dates: Mar 13 to Apr 3, 2026
Content Rating:  PG-13 + M: No explicit sex scenes or bad language, but one of the main characters is illegitimate. Violence of the French Revolution included, but no gore. 

Book Description:

A captivating tale of courage, betrayal, and resilience set against the tumultuous backdrop of the French Revolution

To save her world, she must risk losing it.

Chateau Verzat’s vineyards have sustained generations, but ancient laws forbid unmarried women from inheriting land. Countess Joliette de Verzat secretly manages her estate, haunted by the fear of losing everything for herself and her people.

Revolution erupts, chaos descends. She risks her life to save her forbidden lover amidst the turmoil and flees to Paris where she uncovers a shocking truth: her illegitimate half-brother, Henri, is the rightful heir.

Now hunted by her father’s killer, Joliette must trust those she has saved to protect her and help her reclaim her legacy. But as she faces impossible choices and dangerous enemies, she must also confront her own desires and the true meaning of family.

For fans of strong women and forbidden romance, Her Own Legacy is a gripping tale of love, betrayal, and the fight for self-determination. Experience the passion and turmoil of a woman defying tradition to claim her rightful place.

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Meet the Author:

Debra Borchert has had many careers: clothing designer, actress, TV show host, spokesperson for high-tech companies, marketing and public relations professional, and technical writer for Fortune 100 companies. Her work has appeared in The New York Times, San Francisco Chronicle, The Christian Science Monitor, and The Writer, among others. Her short stories have been published in anthologies and independently. 

A graduate of the Fashion Institute of Technology, she weaves her knowledge of textiles and clothing design throughout her historical French fiction. Her work has been honored with a Historical Novel Society Editors’ Choice, Publishers Weekly BookLife Editor’s Pick, numerous awards--including: Winner Best Book Series, Page Turner Awards and the Independent Author Award, Runner Up, and many five-star reviews.

connect with the author: website ~ facebook ~ instagram ~ pinterest ~ goodreads

Enter the Giveaway:

Her Own Legacy Spotlight Book Tour Giveaway

Book Tour ~ You Got This! by Lisa Bartley

 

Honest Lessons on Life, Love, and Leveling Up

Personal Development

Date Published: March 24, 2026

Publisher: Acorn Publishing

Your twenties and thirties are packed with big decisions, bigger emotions, and the pressure to somehow have life all figured out. But what if you didn’t have to learn every lesson the hard way?

In You Got This!, personal and professional development coach Lisa Bartley shares candid advice and empowering mindset shifts—through sharp honesty, laugh-out-loud moments, and the kind of wisdom that only comes with experience. Bartley tackles what no one prepares you for—setting boundaries, navigating relationships, rebounding from failure, and finding the courage to go after what you really want.

This is not a guide to becoming perfect. It’s a guide to becoming powerful on your terms.

If you’ve ever felt stuck or like everyone but you got the memo on adulthood, this book is your reminder that growth is messy, clarity takes time, and no, you’re not behind . . . you’re just getting started.

You Got This! is a must-read for every woman standing at the threshold of the rest of her life. It’s the permission slip, pep talk, and playbook every woman needs while figuring it all out.

INTRODUCTION

It takes a village to raise a child. A village to nurture a teenager. And a village to cheer them on throughout adulthood. Yet, in recent decades, that village has practically become extinct. Economic pressures have left families feeling overworked, overwhelmed, and overstressed with little time and energy to support and cheer on the next generation of powerhouse women—leaders, creatives, rock star moms, trailblazers, and community enthusiasts. Digital communication has replaced face-to-face interaction. And while social media may give the illusion of connection, it doesn’t offer the same wholehearted encouragement, wisdom, and insight that communal and multigenerational relationships once did. And then there are those who feel isolated due to relocation, depression, divorce, and tragic loss. Where’s their tight-knit tribe? And who can they look to when facing important—and sometimes life-altering—choices?

The landscape of the proverbial village has changed, and the shift has left a hollow space—one that begs to be filled. Consider the following:

• Women today have more career opportunities than ever before . . . but less of a village to help them seize those opportunities confidently and assertively, without second-guessing themselves.
• We’re feeling more empowered to pursue our passions . . . but have less of a grassroots cheering squad shouting, “You Got This!” from the sidelines.
• We’re encouraged to lean in . . . but we’re hearing fewer communal and societal words of wisdom when we miss the mark—a community rallying around us, reminding us that strike three doesn’t mean we’re out.

This good news–bad news dichotomy raises the question, Where can women find support and sage advice when navigating the decisions, the triumphs, the hurdles, the self-doubt, and the ebb and flow of early-to-mid adulthood?

The village has shrunk, while the need for it has expanded.

Honest Lessons on Life, Love, and Leveling Up is my contribution to the diminishing village. After coaching thousands of people over the past fifteen years, raising a son and daughter, and yes, having the perspective of seeing my own twenties and thirties in the rearview mirror, I’ve gained insights that—if time travel were possible—I would have excitedly shared with my younger self. Instead, I’m sharing them with you.

Originally intended as a literary blueprint for my daughter, Madison, I started jotting down bullet-pointed life lessons. Some of those lessons I learned the easy way, some the hard way, and others by simply observing the cause and effect that played out among friends and family. As a mom, I felt a deep desire to help my daughter make smart choices; to give her the benefit of everything I had done right as well as the benefit of everything . . . Well, let’s just say everything I would have done differently, had there been a do-over. I also wanted to bequeath maternal words of wisdom from my mom, Norma, and her mom, Grandma Libby. Sure, societal norms have changed over the years. But human nature has not. This would be a gift—my gift—to my daughter.

I continued to scribble down thoughts, mentally fast-forwarding to the time when these insights would have the greatest impact on the trajectory of her life. One day, I realized this “gift” had book potential. Women just like you—in the throes of life-defining decisions—could benefit from practical generational guidance, along with the assurance, You Got This!

The pages that follow have been a work in progress for over twenty years and therefore the content has evolved over time. Let me explain. In my role as a personal and professional development coach and trainer, I’ve had the privilege of helping men and women across all walks of life uncover blind spots, overcome challenges, and close the gap between who they are now and who they want to be. And I say “who” they are and “who” they want to be instead of “where” they are and “where” they want to be because we can only alter where we’re going by first recognizing and adjusting who we’re being; who we’re showing up as in our day-to-day lives. It’s always exciting to see the transformation! The thrill of being part of that process never gets old. Bolstered by their newfound confidence, clients have made bolder moves, improved the quality of their relationships, and become the architects of their own lives. I’m excited and honored to help you do the same!

Interestingly, throughout the years, some patterns began to emerge, especially among my female coaching clients and workshop participants. As they articulated their goals and visions—along with their fears and frustrations—it became clear that the Five Pillars of Empowerment™ were necessary to support their dreams and aspirations: Self-Confidence, Courage, Assertiveness, Resilience, and Self-Acceptance. Courage, as I define it here, is the willingness to acknowledge your worth, step out of your comfort zone, take risks, and pursue your passions.

As I was refining You Got This! and developing the Action Steps for each chapter, I began to intertwine the Five Pillars of Empowerment with some of the biggest challenges women are facing in their twenties and thirties: dating; self-respect; setting boundaries; relationships with friends, family, and colleagues; learning from life’s disappointments; following their dreams; and reaching their full potential.

While each vignette-style chapter focuses on a life lesson in one of those areas, the chapters are also designed to help you build one or more (usually more!) of the Five Pillars of Empowerment. Again, they are Self-Confidence, Courage, Assertiveness, Resilience, and Self-Acceptance. To help you remember these pillars and establish a benchmark to review and measure your progress, I’ve developed the acronym SCARS, as in the battle SCARS we invariably and proudly develop as we step into the arena, à la Brené Brown, and play full out!

In Part One: The Dating Game, I’ll share practical advice like “Avoid the Tendency to Overcompensate for Previous Relationship Flaws” and “Don’t Date Sprinters If You’re Looking for a Long-Distance Runner.” In the life lesson, “Love is Like Being in a Boxing Ring,” you’ll discover you can’t guard your heart and leave it open at the same time, along with strategies to help you “get back in the ring.”

One of the biggest decisions you will ever make is choosing a life partner. In fact, studies show that fulfilling relationships lead to higher levels of happiness. And the choice of a life partner has a profound effect on a person’s overall quality of life. Yet, many women find the right one to be elusive. That’s why The Dating Game is its own section and includes pitfalls to watch out for; warning signs, many of which others did not consider. Even if you’re already married, I hope you’ll still read through this section. I promise there will be something helpful and entertaining you can share with your single friends and relatives.

In some ways, You Got This! evolves right along with you.

Part Two: Respect Yourself/Setting Boundaries/Kindred Spirits focuses on themes that set a foundation for fulfillment and future success. You’ll build confidence as you find your voice in the thick of unfamiliar or uncomfortable conversations. For example, in chapter 27, “Confrontation Doesn’t Have to Be Confrontational,” I share a six-step process to help you assertively and fearlessly navigate an otherwise difficult exchange. You’ll also learn in chapter 23 why “Invisible Boundaries Are Worse than No Boundaries at All.” And if you’re struggling to forgive someone, I’ll explain why forgiveness is not simply a gift you give the other person, but one you give yourself.

The three themes in Part Two are interrelated. Self-respect is the value we place on ourselves. And the boundaries we set—or fail to set—reflect that value. Both are foundational to building and maintaining “kindred spirits” with our friends, family, and colleagues. There’s an abundance of research correlating clear boundaries with confidence, personal growth, mutual respect, career advancement, mental health, and lower levels of stress and anxiety. According to one study in The Journal of Positive Psychology, women who set clear boundaries have better coping strategies and can navigate difficult situations more effectively.

Among the biggest regrets people report later in life is not having reached their full potential or not having pursued their passions when they were younger. Part Three: Strike Three Doesn’t Mean You’re Out/Follow Your Dreams/Step Into the Best Version of You is all about reaching your full potential in spite of—and sometimes because of—hurdles and disappointments along the way. In “Run Your Own Race,” I encourage you to compete against yourself instead of competing against others. One approach encourages continuous growth and the other tugs on your insecurities. In “Accountability Makes No Excuses,” you’ll find there are varying degrees of accountability and why choosing the top tier is really the only option if you want to elevate your relationships and your reputation. In the life lesson, “We See Exactly What We’re Looking For,” we’ll explore the concept of Intentional Perspective and the importance of adjusting the lens through which we view relationships, work, and opportunities.

While I certainly offer plenty of tips and advice, I also pose lots of questions designed to help you take a deeper dive into your choices and the motivation behind them. Questions that build your critical thinking muscle so that your personal development journey extends far beyond the pages of this book. Questions to inspire you to be the best possible version of yourself . . . and to empower you to support and mentor other women to do the same.

What you can expect from this book: a series of lightbulb moments, sparked by stories, insights, tips, and strategies to help you claim the life, the love, the respect, and the opportunities you want and deserve.

What not to expect: While there are many noteworthy books that explore religious, political, and social issues, I’ve chosen to focus on topics that unite, rather than divide, us. That being said, most of the Action Steps in each chapter can be applied to a variety of situations.

Although much of the content in this book is relevant to men, it has been written with a female audience in mind. I hope to foster a spirit of women helping women. We need each other. We need the village. And while you’re not my daughter, you are someone’s daughter. And that’s reason enough for me to want to contribute to you in a meaningful way.

I’m grateful you’ve chosen to invest in this book, and more importantly, that you’ve chosen to invest in yourself. Throughout the pages that follow, I’ll share forty-six micro life lessons along with no-nonsense Action Steps to help you put insights and advice into practice. Names (and sometimes details) have been changed to protect the innocent . . . and the guilty. Although You Got This! can be a solo journey, please consider reading this with a friend, or even an “accountabili-buddy.” Supporting each other and exchanging experiences, past and present, will help you to see your growth, and your life, as a journey instead of a checklist. Besides, everything’s better when we share it with someone—except, maybe, that last serving of Häagen-Dazs Vanilla Swiss Almond!

I’m rooting for you to lean in. To claim your seat at the table—whether that’s the conference table, the kitchen table, the negotiations table, or the round table. I’m rooting for you to come into your own and step into the best version of yourself with confidence, optimism, and the unwavering belief that You Got This!

 

About the Author

Lisa Bartley is an author and award-winning speaker who helps women break free from their comfort zones and step into the strongest, truest versions of themselves.

You Got This! began as an attempt to record words of wisdom she wishes she’d heard in her early adult years. Now, in its completion, it stands as a legacy of lessons written for her daughter and for every young woman finding her way.

Lisa lives in Southern California where she prefers her hikes coastal, her wine bold, and her dinner parties unforgettable.

 

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