#BookTour: Driftless Spirits, by Karen Ringel @dollycas #DriftlessSpirits #KarenRingel #cozy #mystery #CastenHouseBooks #giveaway #GreatEscapesVirtualBookTours

Driftless Spirits (Secrets in Casten's Horn) by Karen Ringel About Driftless Spirits Driftless Spirits (Secrets in Casten's Horn) Cozy Mystery 1st in Series Setting: The Driftless area of Wisconsin, in a fictional town called Casten's Horn Publisher ‏ : ‎ Casten House Books Publication date ‏ : ‎ October 30,…

http://booksramblingsandtea.com/2026/03/23/booktour-driftless-spirits-by-karen-ringel-dollycas-driftlessspirits-karenringel-cozy-mystery-castenhousebooks-giveaway-greatescapesvirtualbooktours/

#PennedPossibilities 965 — What is your MC’s reaction when someone close to them is sick or injured? How do they behave? (Minor spoilers.)

Bolt, my day angel MC, has demonstrated that she will step up and do something a lot in the current story, if I include "sympathetic to" in the "close to them" category. It's one case where her not thinking through what could go wrong works in her favor to make her seem slightly heroic instead of somewhat cowardly. In one case, she rushes a guy via the metro to Health Services because he won't let her fly him there. This is despite the fact that she's a shadow citizen. Because she's in the mob, she's ditched her government ID—she can't even collect basic income—but it's better than being arrested for her crimes. Even so, she risks it to get him cared for. She manages to wiggle out of having to ID herself at the clinic, and sees that he is mended. He still leaves town. Being beat up by her coworker in the mob turns out to have been the straw that broke the camel's back.

[Author retains copyright (c)2026 R.S.]

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#PennedPossibilities 964 — MC POV: What area of your life do you tend to enjoy in excess instead of moderation?

If I asked this to my MC, a day angel woman named Bolt, she would emphatically answer, "Men."

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Had I written instead, "If I asked this to my MC, a day angel man named Blue, he would emphatically answer, 'Women,'"what would you have thought instead?

Be honest.

Reply if it's interesting.

I write gender fiction precisely to elicit these types of revelations about gender roles and how our society treats each gender differently and unfairly, as well as to tweak the reader's nose as to their own prejudices and preferences.

[Author retains copyright (c)2026 R.S.]

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#WordWeavers 2026.03.21 —Where does your MC fall, on a scale of timid to recklessly brave?

Bolt is a courier for the mob. She does everything she can to not interact with clients because, apparently, killing the messenger is actually a thing. Who knew? Considering she was blackmailed into the job, she's very wary of interacting with coworkers. She volunteers for NOTHING. On a timid-to-reckless scale, she's a 3. She does have to show initiative to prevent capture. She can't just fold.

With her new friends in the WIP, she's a bit less timid. Maybe a 5, except once when she takes on her mob boss (or rather comes on to him) to save everybody from a massacre. That qualifies as a reckless 10. When it comes to men, especially sexy ones, she's a definite 7-8. She's gotta have some joy in her life. She likes candy.

[Author retains copyright (c)2026 R.S.]

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Do you think he’s comfy?

#cat #caturday #kitty #comfy #cozy #saturday

#WordWeavers 2026.03.20 —How much romance is in your story?

People in Bolt's world apply totally different meanings to friendship, love, sex, and romance than we do. What constitutes blood relationships is totally different. Infertility and diminishing population is a problem; gender roles and attitudes regarding reproduction differ from what we are used to as a result. Romance exists. The characters feel it, they practice it. However, it exists for making friends.

How much? Plenty. I don't have the temerity to assert it's a romance even if a HEA is possible.

[Author retains copyright (c)2026 R.S.]

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Check out this lovely picture book about adventure, happiness, friendship, soup and some unhelpful ducks!

It's a collaboration between Human People Nicole Stone (hedgewitch / author / illustrator of Spirits of the Woodland Tarot) and Paul Alborough (writer / rapper / aka Professor Elemental).

https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/professorelemental/the-little-hedgewitch-and-the-professor-a-childrens-book

Boosts appreciated! ❤️

#Bookstadon #ChildrensBooks #Cozy #Cosy #Cottagecore #ProfessorElemental #NicoleStone #SpiritsOfTheWoodland #Tarot #Kickstarter #Crowdfunding #NoAI