5 Things You Might Not About Your Ghost: A Memoir of Love, Loss and the Echoes That Remain By Marie McGaha

 

5 Things You Might Not About Your Ghost: A Memoir of Love, Loss and the Echoes That Remain
By Marie McGaha

1
This is the story, or madness, that followed as I grieved the death of my husband, Nathan. 

2. This came from over 600 pages of me purging my grief onto paper.

3. Grief is a process that evolves over time and comes in waves in varying degrees.

4. Writing this, editing the 600 pages of the insanity of grief kept me in tears the entire process.

5. Nathan is still the love of my life. 


Marie McGaha is an award-winning writer whose work includes clean historical romances, Christian devotionals, and heartfelt children’s books. A storyteller at her core, she weaves faith, resilience, and gentle humor through every page she writes.

She makes her home in southeast Oklahoma, in the foothills of the Ouachita Mountains, where life is anything but quiet. Her days are shared with four spoiled dogs, a crippled rooster with more attitude than feathers, a noisy guinea who believes it runs the place, a couple of flighty hens, and a watchful roo who keeps an eye on everything that moves. This lively little farm—equal parts sanctuary and circus—provides endless inspiration, companionship, and the kind of grounding only God’s creation can offer.

Whether she’s crafting a tender love story, guiding readers through Scripture, or bringing the Bible to life for children through animal characters, Marie writes with a voice shaped by faith, loss, healing, and the stubborn hope that refuses to let go. Her work reflects the heart of a woman who has walked through fire and come out carrying stories worth telling.

You can also join her for daily devotionals on YouTube at @HeReignsChurch, where she shares encouragement, Scripture, and the steady reminder that hope is still alive. You can contact her by email: church.hereigns@gmail.com

Marie’s latest book is Your Ghost: A Memoir of Love, Loss and the Echoes That Remain.

Visit her blog at authormariemcgaha.blogspot.com

Connect with her on social media at:

╰┈➤ Facebook: www.facebook.com/AuthorMarieMcGaha

╰┈➤ LinkedIn: Linkedin.com/in/mariemcgaha 

 

5 Things You Might Not Know About The Lemon House Murders by Tucker May

 


5 Things You Might Not Know About The Lemon House Murders
By Tucker May

1. The setting for this book comes directly from my own personal experience in a shabby rehab facility. I spent time living in what became direct inspiration for Lemon House in 2022. The details of the house in the story, and some of the minor characters, are based on true details directly from my memories. While the events of the story in The Lemon House Murders are entirely fictionalized, the setting is not.  


2.
It's more than your typical whodunit murder mystery.

Like all good mysteries, it will keep you guessing until the very end. What makes The Lemon House Murders special is that it will also make you think about important topics like societal marginalization of former addicts, the importance of self-determination to a fulfilling life, and what we're really doing when we judge others. Come for the mystery puzzle box, stay for the thought-provoking messaging.

3. It questions pervasive popular media messaging.

I like to build stories around a central idea that I think is worth exploring deeply. The Lemon House Murders was born when I noticed how much of our popular media emphasizes the importance of family. We hear it so much that it almost doesn't register any longer: family is everything, blood is thicker than water. We're constantly told that familial relationships are some of the most important ingredients of a happy life. It made me begin to wonder if there might be a downside to this pervasive messaging. What about the people who have no family? How are they meant to feel about all of this? Even more broadly, I wondered if it's healthy to put anything, even something as supposedly good as family, up on a pedestal in that way? This led me toward the topic of addiction, something that I have personal experience with, and I crafted The Lemon House Murders to explore our society's addiction to family and how that might potentially damage a young man's life.

4. It challenges the reader's pre-existing notions about addiction.

I hope that The Lemon House Murders encourages readers to think differently about addiction, which is a simple miswiring of feedback mechanisms that are baked into each and every one of our brains. Addiction is not a personal or a moral failure on the part of the struggling individual. The people who suffer from addiction are just as engaging, multi-faceted, and full of promise as anyone else. This story, I believe, can help others recognize these facts. Recovering addicts have much to offer the world and when we write them off as a lost cause, we're hurting them, ourselves, and our society as a whole.

5. It is my second published murder mystery novel.

My first book, Death of a Billionaire, follows a man wrongly accused of murdering the world's most famous tech billionaire. Will his desperate attempt to prove his innocence cost him everything he was trying to save in the first place? Death of a Billionaire is available to purchase on Amazon here.


Tucker May
is a writer of mystery novels, whodunit short stories and all kinds of fun, puzzling tales. Murders, crimes, and mysteries abound. He grew up in Missouri then attended Northwestern University in Evanston, IL. He’s a diehard fan of the Los Angeles Rams and Geelong Cats. He lives in Pasadena, CA with his wife Barbara and their cat Principal Spittle. He is the author of The Lemon House Murders and Death of a Billionaire

╰┈➤ Visit Tucker’s website at www.tuckermay.com

Connect with him on social media at:

╰┈➤ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/p/Tucker-May-Mysteries 

╰┈➤ Instagram: http://www.instagram.com/TuckerMayMysteries 

╰┈➤ BlueSky: http://www.bluesky.com/TuckerMayMysteries

╰┈➤ Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/58926295.Tucker_May 


Character Profile Sheet for Outis Everrett from Lee Mavin's 'The Wars Between’

 

Years ago (and still applies today), the experts were telling fiction writers that in order to really know their main character, they must come up with a character profile sheet for them and definitely applies to all your characters as well.  This is a good practice because once you know all the ins and outs of all your characters, the book flows better and allows the author to get inside the head of each of their characters.

We decided to ask authors if they would like to come up with a character sketch of their main character, throwing in a few unique questions to make it really fun!

Today we have Lee Mavin stopping by on his book tour with a character sketch of his main character, Outis Everrett of The Wars Between. Enjoy!

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Learn more about Outis Everrett!

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Name of Character:
Outis Everrett

Age: 23

Eye Color: Blue

Hair Color: Blonde

Birthplace: Asalandia

Marital Status: single

Children: none

Place of Residence: the outskirts of Asalandia

Description of Home: a small shack filled with books, berries and fruit from the nearby market and unfinished poetry, 

Dominant Character Trait: Outis is constantly creating poems in his head based on his surroundings, who he is talking to and how he is feeling

Best Friend: Gwenia Xiachung, the Kastanarian outcast. 

Enemies and Why: He doesn’t believe in enemies

Temperament: usually calm, quiet and lost in his thoughts

Ambition: To have his poetry read by everyone

Educational Background: He failed warrior school and feels ashamed. He did well in every history and literature exam but failed every physical exam.

Philosophy of Life: to put down the sword and pick the pen

Bad Habits: overthinking and worrying 

Talents: the ability to create a poem out of everything he sees and everyone he meets

Hobby or Hobbies: reading and writing poetry and daydreaming

Why is Character Likeable? He finds the strengths and good in every one

Favorite Pig Out Food: berries and fruit

Character Mini-Interview:

Every New Year’s I resolve to: write a hundred poems

Nobody knows I am: no warrior. I have shamed my family name and dwell in my shadowy room, pondering life and creating rhymes. 

I wish: there were peace and everyone would learn to get to know each other before taking up arms

The worse part of my life is: failing the warrior exams

I want to teach my children that: there is no need for weapons

A good time for me is: writing poetry by the sea, under the sun.

The worse advice my father gave me is: to shoot a Kastarian, you must aim for the back of their head.

When I feel sorry for myself: I live a world that doesn’t value me

My friends like me because: I have few friends, though my mother often says she loves me and reads my poetry over dinner

My major accomplishment is: Writing the poem that changed the world

My most humbling experience was: Meeting the King of Asalandia, the President of Kastanair and the love of my life: Gwenia Xiachung.

 

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Learn more about Lee Mavin!

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Lee J Mavin is the author of 11 books. He is also a teacher and father. He has a Masters in Creative Writing and am solely focused on writing fiction (fantasy and horror) and poetry. He is now in collaboration the illustrator Karolina Piotrowski, a Polish artist who has brought many stories to life. He has worked and studied in China and Japan and studied with Dr Xiaohuan Zhao (a master of Chinese poetry) to complete his book Li Bai’s Shadow, at the University of Sydney. He has two children who are both avid readers, so he is always in the loop with trends in children’s fiction. He is married and lives in Sydney, where he teaches English.

His latest book is the YA fantasy, The Wars Between.

Visit his website at leejmavin.com

Connect with him on social media at:

╰┈➤ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/lee.mavin.925/ 

╰┈➤ Instagram: http://www.instagram.com/mavin798 

╰┈➤ Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/5103759.Lee_J_Mavin

╰┈➤ TikTok ➜ https://www.tiktok.com/@leemavin4  


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Inside the Book

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For centuries there had been an ongoing war between Asalandia, the proud monarchy of the east and Kastanair the progressive democracy of the west. However, the years of war would end with the most unlikely turn of events.

Outis Everrett, the disappointment of his family, a measly poet, is suddenly thrusted into an epic adventure across the sea, with the King’s blessing. His poem, the poem that somehow won the first annual Asalandian poetry competition, was meant to be taken across the seas, to the enemy island of Kastanair, there, it would be read by the President of Kastanair, the newly elected and very progressive, Penelope Chinwa and she was supposed stop the war after reading those so special words.

So Outis set sail aboard the Golden ship, guided and protected by the Knights of Sunrise and their adventures began. The Knights are led by Bartholemew Aries, the most famous soldier in Asalandia, though when their ship drifts off course to the mysterious island of Aquos Atalantious, the Princess of the island soon lures him to stay. So, the Knights of Sunrise become distracted by the beauties of this foreign island.  After failing to find the prince, who had been taken by a monstrous octopus, the Golden ship sails onto Kastanair, without its leader, who had fallen in love with the Princess. They then sail to Syanthia, where the worlds’ meat was produced. There they meet, the young Kastanairian, Gwenia Xiachung, an enthusiastic vegan on a mission to stop everyone eating meat. Outis is thrown into a pig saving mission with Gwenia and is intrigued by the young girl. After saving the pigs and convincing the head of meat production to change his ways with a beautiful poem about animal empathy, Gwenia falls in love with Outis. She joins him and the Knights of Sunrise on the voyage to back to her country, Kastanair. Once they finally reach the shores of Kastanair, they are attacked on the shores by a small army, led by Caslian Jesper, the tough captain who worked his soldiers to exhaustion. The Knights, Outis and Gwenia are rescued by Nastab and his band of terrorists who take them on horseback through Kastanair to Mount Xian. Nastab and his men come from a rebel group who had been dwelling on the plateau of Mount Xian, plotting to overthrow the government of Kastanair. However, their leader, who had driven their group to crimes and violence, was hoarding their food and treasure.

Caslian Jesper follows the terrorists to Mount Xian, in pursuit of two of his enemies at once, the terrorists and the Asalandians. Outis and Gwenia are suddenly taken off their horses by huge hawks, who fly them up Mount Xian, to a cave opening. There Gwenia and Outis meet The Tall Man, a strange man with huge black eyes who has no name. He takes them into the cave, and they fall more tall people. There they learn that the tall people had been in the caves for hundreds of years and they care not for treasures of war. The tall man collects water from an underground stream and fruits from the cave roofs and they take Outis and Gwenia up to the top of the mountain. There they find Caslian’s army had managed to climb to the top of the mountain in attempt to attack but they were too drained to fight so the tall man shared his fruit with them. Both sides rested as Outis read a poem to the leader of the terrorists.

Outis and Gwenia are then taken to the capital, by an eclectic group including Nastab, The Tall Man and the Knights of Sunrise, they journey through the planes of Kastanair where they are attacked by wolves. The Knights and Nastab fight the wolves off valiantly and they continue. When they finally reach the capital Outis reads his poem to the President, but it is not the words of his poem alone that convince her to stop the war, it is the group he brings with him, a group of once enemies, who had come together with the same goal. 

╰┈➤Book Details

  • Genre: YA Fantasy
  • Language:English
  • Pages: 300

To find out how to purchase this book, visit the author’s website at leejmavin.com.