nAfter last week’s rant, I’ve settled down and really have nothing much to expound upon. I do have some updates for you, though.
n
nThe Book of the Month has been changed. February’s featured book, Triple Burn, will be available as a free download the last weekend (Friday, Saturday, Sunday) of the month. All other days, the e-book is only $0.99. The same goes for March’s featured book, The Falcon of Imenotash. It, too, will be offered as a free download the last weekend of the month. Don’t forget to leave a review of the book(s) you read.
n
nOn Friday last week, I had an interview with Tony Tellado who hosts Sci-Fi Talk. It’s not live yet, but you can be sure announcements and the link to listen will go out when it is. The 20-minute interview discusses The Eagle at Dawn, the Immortal Shifters series, shape shifters in general, and the writing process. The last may disappoint, because I don’t really have a process. Paranormal romance might not be what one thinks about with regard to science fiction, but let’s hope it finds a receptive audience among the listeners anyway.
n
nI have two more interviews coming up. One will be with AdriAnne Headen who hosts The Writers Television. This will be an face-to-face meeting in my hometown, probably at one of my favorite lunchtime eateries, Un Mundo Cafe. The interview with Ms. Headen has yet to be scheduled. The other interview will be on Thursday, April 2, at 5:00 PM EDST with Richard Dugan who hosts Peabody Award nominated Tell Me Your Story in Santa Barbara, CA. This will be both a live radio broadcast and podcast. The theme of our interview is “possibilities.”
n
nI have events coming up, too. On Saturday, March 21, I’ll be at the Reader’s Envy Legendary Book Bash at the Double Tree Suites in Lexington, Kentucky. My bestie, Cindra, will accompany and (probably) do much of the driving. Driving in unfamiliar cities unnerves me. Admission is free to the public. I’ll have copies of my latest books to sell: Shot from the Hip (a collection of all my western short stories) and Hogtied (which was released on Valentine’s Day). Whichever book(s) you read, please leave a review!
n
nSpeaking of events, more are coming up. Check the EVENTS page of the Hen House Publishing website for updates.
n
nI’ve made decent progress on my next book, tentatively titled F-Stop. Another tentative title is Focus. The idea for this book sparked after yet another failed attempt to read a BDSM romance and, consequently, to like it. I know the sub-genre’s popular, very popular. But I don’t see the appeal of heroes who treat women with no respect and spineless heroines who roll over and take it. Regardless, this story is not focused on BDSM, but does have a strong theme of respect running through it. Can you hear Aretha Franklin singing now?
n
nThat’s it for now. I’ll probably be back to ranting next week.
n

n

Triple Burn 
n​By Holly Bargo

n

n

n

n

n

n

n

n

n

n

n

n n nn n n n nAvailable on Amazon n n

n nA lengthy and increasingly unnerving interview lands Ursula a job as the event planner at a foreign embassy. Not until the government hustles her off to a different planet does she realize just how foreign that embassy is. When the U.S. ambassador hands over one of her coworkers during her first event as collateral to seal a trade agreement, Ursula breaks out of the embassy, determined to find a way back home before she, too, can be used as a bargaining chip in this world desperate for females. n nWhat she doesn’t know as she navigates the unfamiliar streets of a totally alien culture and climate, is that she already caught the attention of a native warrior triad in a land where women are coddled and kept, yet prized above all else. They take her, elated to have obtained their collective heart’s desire.  n nWhat they don’t know is how fiercely independent a woman from Earth can be. Disoriented, confused, and not a little angry at the way these three overbearing, dominant, sexy warriors take over her life, she wants to go home, but soon discovers this job was a one-way ticket courtesy of the United States government. If she can’t go back, she must go forward. Can she retain her identify and adapt to life on this new world with the three warriors who’ve claimed her as their mate? Is compromise possible between a woman used to controlling her own life and three warriors steeped in a culture that forbids it?n n

n

n

n

n

Excerpt

n

nUrsula shuddered, affected by his blithe lack of concern for her survival as well as the vast room’s cool temperature. The soldiers released her arms and she rubbed where their tight grip had likely left bruises.
n
n“Well, go on, Miss Cartwright. Up the ramp. The wormhole is open.”
n
n“Wormhole?”
n
n“Miss Cartwright, you’re stalling.”
n
n“You’ve been dishonest with me, Mr. Argosie. I never agreed to somewhere in outer space.”
n
nThe fat man frowned. “Miss Cartwright, you have two choices.”
n
nThe two soldiers drew pistols from the holsters at their hips and aimed them at her. Her eyes went wide with fright. Her sphincter clenched. 
n
n“You go through that portal or we kill you, because what you know cannot be divulged beyond this facility.”
n
n“No one would believe me,” she muttered. “No matter. Make your choice now.”
n
nUrsula swallowed the lump of fear clogging her throat and stepped forward, eyes locked on the black hole in the center of the room. Formed like an arched doorway, the gleaming metallic rim flashed with sparkles of sudden color like black opal. Her heels echoed in the nearly empty chamber as she trudged up the steel ramp toward an open doorway large enough for a Clydesdale to trot through. No sound penetrated the opening. She looked back over her shoulder. The grim expressions and leveled pistols convinced her to go forward. At least she had a chance of surviving by doing so.
n
nShe did not want to think there were worse things than death, but the thought occurred to her anyway. 
n
nShe paused in front of the black void beyond the arched door frame and listened. No sound. She saw nothing. The world oubilette came to mind and she shuddered again. Ursula’s heart pounded as she crossed herself and whispered a quick prayer. 
n
n“Miss Cartwright, don’t make me push you through,” Mr. Argosie snapped with obvious impatience. 
n
nUrsula’s hand trembled with fear as she raised it with the intention of testing the portal with a finger, like dipping a toe into a pool to test the water. The empty blackness clamped down on her finger and sucked the rest of her through, her frightened yelp of surprise abruptly cut off before it could echo within the large, nearly empty room. 
n
nFlashes of color burst before her eyes and vanished as something squeezed her in its crushing grip and then spat her out. Frost rimed her exposed skin and she crumpled at the base of the portal, shivering uncontrollably. 
n
n“Quickly! Get her to the recovery room,” an authoritative, masculine voice ordered. 
n
nHands grabbed her shoulders and legs and shifted her onto a stretcher. Ursula blinked, but could not focus her blurry vision. She whimpered when straps anchored her to the stretcher.
n
n​“Damn it,” the voice muttered as the loaded stretcher was hefted into the air and carried away. “I wish Argosie would better prepare new hires for the journey.”n

n

n

nn

n

n

n

nn

n n

n

n

About a year ago, I posted an article on this blog content which expressed my disagreement with a claim that not only could a person produce a great book within a week, but that editors were entirely unnecessary. That person makes such declaration on his website: it’s public.

This blog, too, is public. Nothing I stated in my blog was untrue. I did not call him a liar, insult his parentage, or otherwise state anything false. I disagreed with his public declaration.

Some people can’t handle disagreement.

On Sunday, February 16, 2020, he sent a message to via Facebook instead of through the very same website where the article is posted stating that he took his brand seriously and threatened me with legal action if I did not remove the article immediately. I take my brand seriously, too, and stand by my words. The article stays. He has no legal grounds.

He expressed his opinion. I expressed mine and backed it up with authoritative sources and my own examples.

Anyway, let me put this clearly: You do not have the right not to be offended. You do not have the right to forbid someone to disagree with you.

If you disagree with me, that’s perfectly fine. You have that right. I probably won’t like it. Your disagreement might offend my delicate sensibilities. That doesn’t mean it’s illegal.

The situation reminds me of an extremely harsh book review received for Russian Gold. Boy, that review hurt! I responded to the review (wrong move, there) and wrote about it this blog. The reviewer then objected to my description of her review as “brutal.” I responded, stating that she had the right to express her opinion about the book and I had the right to express my opinion about her review. She shut up–at least she stopped engaging me directly.

It’s public, folks. Anyone can disagree with what you put out there. Anyone can discredit your statements as long they’re not lying. They have that right.

Anyone will tell you that I will readily admit my mistakes. Prove I’m wrong and you’ll get both an apology and a correction. Otherwise, I’ll simply disengage. I haven’t the time or energy to waste on someone who tries to bully me.