Girl Friday Productions

02/14/2025

Happy Valentine’s Day! We know it normally means chocolates and flowers but it could mean desks and textbooks ...and even classrooms too. Use this link to donate to and their Zambia 2025 projects.

https://lnkd.in/gfrN462R

GFP’s tie to The Zoe Jelinek Memorial Foundation runs deep. Learn more about the amazing young woman who continues to inspire us all, everyday: https://lnkd.in/gDDrjJEk

🇿🇲

02/14/2025

🌋⚔️ Sicily, 1269. On the foothills of Mount Etna, Don Vittorio Vespiri stood amidst the sprawling vineyards of Viticultura Vespiri, his family’s legacy. He was more than just a skilled vintner; he was a "cavaleri," a knight, and a man whose presence commanded deep respect.

Known to many as "O Santo Cavaleri," Don Vespiri was a true son of Sicily, his heritage a rich tapestry woven from Greek, Roman, Arab, and Norman bloodlines—a reflection of Sicily itself.

As he surveyed his land, a weight heavier than any sword rested on his shoulders. The Angevin tyrants had tightened their grip on the island, choking the spirit of his people, stripping them of their dignity. Yet for all his strength and reputation, Don Vespiri’s heart was not solely consumed by thoughts of rebellion—it was tied to his children, Aetna and Cicero.

"If I take up my blade against the Angevins, what becomes of our family?" he wondered, the thought haunting his soul.

He had been raised with the conviction that a true Sicilian knight fought for justice, for decency, for the people. His ancestors had done it before him, and his fellow countrymen looked to him now.

But as a father, he wasn’t just a protector of Sicily; he was the protector of his children. Aetna, fierce and sharp like the volcano she was named after, and Cicero, with the heart of a lion but still so young. What would happen to them if the blade fell on him in the fight for freedom?

Don Vespiri’s grip tightened on the hilt of his sword, the weight of his ancestors pressing down on him. He could feel the fire of Sicily in his blood, urging him to act, to fight against the corrupt Angevin regime that had ravaged their land. But every battle had its cost, and in this war, it wasn’t just Sicily that stood to lose—his family did too.

In that moment, Don Vespiri stood at the crossroads every father, every warrior, must face: sacrifice for the greater good, or protect what’s closest to his heart. His decision would determine not just the fate of Sicily, but of the two souls he held most dear.

For Sicily. For freedom. For family.

The decision had to be made.

02/14/2025

💕 This Valentine’s Day, fall in love with a story that stays with you long after the last page. 💕

What’s more romantic than a beautifully written story filled with history, intrigue, and unforgettable characters?

Whether you’re treating yourself or gifting a book lover in your life, there’s nothing quite like getting lost in a great read. Wishing you a day filled with love, roses, and of course—good books!

Pick up your copy of Masque of Honor, Veil of Doubt or The Grays of Truth online or at your local bookseller.

02/14/2025

Simone sent me an email. The subject line: “Just read.”

Most of us spend our whole lives searching for the one. Some of us are lucky enough to find them, even for a moment. And some—like Simone and Tom—were lucky enough to find love, purchase a second home abroad, create a successful business, and build a life together for nearly four decades. But what happens after the love story?

Told through a series of notes and emails, Tom shares his raw, humorous, and heartfelt declarations on what it’s like living, loving, and losing theone, Sim One, to a disease that no one talks about: cerebral amyloid angiopathy. Sim One is a love letter meets memoir that asks what does it mean to love—and keep loving—when faced with the possibility of losing it all?

❤️

02/13/2025

Congrats to GFP author Doug Levy on his book signing last night

02/09/2025

📖 Bring your book club to life! 📖

Choose one of my novels—Masque of Honor, Veil of Doubt, or The Grays of Truth—for your next read, and I’ll join your discussion! Whether it’s an in-person visit (if you’re local) or a virtual chat, I’d love to connect with your group.

Book clubs ordering 10+ copies will even get a special discount!

Ready to dive deeper into the stories? Reach out to check my availability! 💬 https://hubs.ly/Q034TW5W0

02/07/2025

Congrats to GFP authors Charlene Pell and Anthony Ausiello for winning top prizes in the Feathered Quill Book Awards, and kudos to Teresa Mosley Sebastian, Monica Granlove and Christina Holloway for being finalists in their categories.

.pell .author .holloway.author

02/05/2025

02/05/2025

"A well-written historical novel with a rich setting and well-developed characters...The book serves as an excellent promotional piece for Sicily, revealing the author's emotional attachment to Trinacria." — Amazon Review

🌋⚔️

Inspired by actual events, this unforgettable epic unfurls in the tradition of great works of Sicilian literature such as Giuseppe Tomasi di Lampedusa’s “The Leopard” (now a 6-part series coming to Netflix).

02/05/2025

Today is the day! Head to today — 6 - 8 PM for Wine and Author night! 🍷📖

I’m thrilled to take part in this fun event, celebrating local authors and their work. I look forward to seeing you there!

DATE: 02/04/2025
TIME: 6:00pm - 8:00pm
PLACE: Kona Stories Book Store

02/04/2025

“A compelling mystery/thriller with a social conscience.” - New York Times Bestselling author, Robert Dugoni

Shackled to her bed against the pleas of the medical staff, Charli Zhao gives birth to a beautiful daughter she names Willow. Charli had been transported to the hospital from prison, where she is serving time for a crime she didn’t commit. Within hours of the birth, the unthinkable happens: the newborn is abducted, leaving Charli devastated and wondering if she’ll ever find her child, even after she gets free.

Attorney Camille Delaney isn’t used to the inside of women’s prisons―she works in courtrooms. But when a local legal aid group recruits her to help with a case on the inside, she feels drawn to these women’s stories. They are often so similar―a lifetime of trauma culminating in the heartbreaking and often permanent loss of custody of their children, even after they’ve served their time and gotten clean.

When Camille meets Charli, it’s been years since Willow was abducted, and the case has gone cold. But there’s something about Charli’s story―and Charli herself―that Camille can’t refuse. With the help of her trusted friend and private investigator Trish Seaholm, Camille begins a dogged pursuit to find Charli’s daughter and bring the man who framed Charli to justice. As Camille’s quest for the truth takes her team from Seattle to the San Juan Islands to the mountains of Olympic National Park, she must reckon with a system that routinely dismisses the rights of convicted mothers―and has their children pay the price.

Now available >

02/01/2025

Feeling the love here in Baja with a feature story in our local magazine!

01/31/2025

Congratulations to this GFB author!

Such a pleasant surprise to see this in the lobby of the Westin Ottawa Hotel! Thank you for this surprise, Westin Ottawa!

01/29/2025

Now available as an

For Dr. Stacey Marie Kerr, a road is only worth traveling if it comes with some unexpected turns.

In her midfifties, Dr. Stacey Kerr was diagnosed with osteoporosis and told to play it safe. Instead, she bought her first Harley. Over the next fourteen years, Stacey and her two best friends decided to give the finger to aging gracefully, ultimately embarking on seven epic motorcycle tours throughout the western United States filled with drama, introspection, and pure joy.

https://www.amazon.com/Wild-Heart-Hippies-Healers-Harleys/dp/B0DSJPYBDW/ref=sr_1_1?crid=2VI1Q0F4GA1UG&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.VSYtxUKZHljZcHdLw8N_tA.le8QBm59YdKpl7jjh1wIwyzMKGOUZXDgO-pn-Gm5iI0&dib_tag=se&keywords=wild+heart+stacey+marie+kerr&qid=1738104977&sprefix=wild+heart+stace%2Caps%2C204&sr=8-1

01/28/2025

This is a great opportunity for indie authors to hear what a GFP author has to say about her publishing journey. Check it out tomorrow!

01/28/2025

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
"Murder, love, deceit... It sounds like a soap opera. However, these things are all based on a true story out of Reconstruction-era Baltimore. Living in a world where noone believes you is enough to make anyone go crazy, but having to deal with this, within your own family, because the person you thought you could trust is also in the family., that's truly terrifying.

This incredible story of Jane Gray Wharton and the unbelievable things that she dealt with in her life are laid out here, keep in mind this is just a novel that's been tweaked. Some changes here and there. Not everything is factual. It is however factual enough to make you think of what it must've been like in that day and age."

- Carla Newton

Get your copy today online or at your local bookseller!
📱 https://hubs.ly/Q0331DCB0
📖 https://hubs.ly/Q0331rr90
🎧 https://hubs.ly/Q0331w0n0

01/28/2025

It's book signing and book club season! These are some of the wonderful readers who came to my book signing at the Terry Library in Little Rock last weekend. Such a great event! If your book club or library wants me to schedule an event, I'd love to join you!

01/28/2025

What does it mean to be a hero—in sports and in life?

Heroes aren’t just the ones who bring home medals. Hero Redefined delves into the lesser-known stories of Olympic athletes—and a couple of special Olympic venues—that challenge the conventional narrative of glory and gold. In riveting personal profiles exploring herculean feats of strength, perseverance, and sportsmanship, award-winning sports journalist Doug Levy offers a new vision of heroism. There is more than one path to greatness, and the extraordinary acts of resilience and personal sacrifice by these athletes have left an indelible mark on the spirit of the Olympic games in quiet but fundamental ways through the ages.

Each chapter reveals a different face of heroism—immense resilience, strength of character, unparalleled sportsmanship, an incredible zeal to compete, and a seemingly superhuman will to finish. Throughout, Levy celebrates the heroic human spirit and its relentless drive to carry the torch forward—both inside and outside of the Olympic Games.

#1984