NBtM Virtual Book Tour and Giveaway: I Can Still Hear You by Nicole Black

Welcome to my stop on the NBtM virtual book tour for I Can Still Hear You by Nicole Black. This book tour was organized by Goddess Fish Promotions. On my stop, I have an excerpt from the book as well as a helpful guest post from the author. There's also the tour wide giveaway for a chance to win a $50 Amazon or Barnes & Noble gift card. Be sure to visit the other stops on the tour for more content. Enjoy!

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Title: I Can Still Hear You

Author: Nicole Black

Publisher: Whole Beauty Press

Publication Date: February 22nd 2021

Print Length: 226 pages

Genre: Contemporary Women's Fiction

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I Can Still Hear You is a powerful and deeply moving story which grapples with the universal pain of grief and the loss of a loved one. When Scarlett O’Connor loses her father at the age of 30, she’s forced to face the shambles that her life has become. With no money and no savings, the only thing that waits for her is a cryptic map and a mysterious letter. With nothing left to lose, she embarks on a trip to Maui for her father’s final adventure, to begin a treasure hunt which will force her to look deep inside herself and come to terms with her pain and grief.

Accompanied by her less-than-supportive fiancé, a close childhood friend, and an enigmatic man who was her father’s old acquaintance, Scarlett must decode the mystery and find the hidden treasure. But she knows she must face her fears alone, and calling upon the spirit of her father for guidance, she struggles to reconcile her emotions and uncover the treasure before her time in Maui comes to an end.

Perfect for fans of contemporary and women’s fiction, I Can Still Hear You is a gripping tale which will resonate with anybody who has struggled with the death of someone close. This book is a testament to the fact that even though we may have lost them, our loved ones stay with us no matter what challenges we face.

**The eBook is on sale for only $0.99 during the tour!**

Goodreads * Amazon * Barnes & Noble *

Book Depository * Books-A-Million *

Half Price Books * IndieBound

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EXCERPT:

I gazed up at the ceiling in quiet disbelief, as if I’d see my father looking down on me. Carefully, I removed the map from the box. It was yellowing and old, and the paper was as thin as tissue, so I took care in opening it. The map had some faint lines on it, some solid, some dotted, but no place names, no markings at all to tell what exactly it belonged to.

“Great, Dad,” I muttered aloud. “This is super helpful.”

But the second I said it, as had happened a dozen times in my life when I’d been presented with a puzzle, my father’s voice said, I’m not going to give you all the answers. Where’s the fun in that?

“This is one big party,” I muttered again. I had no idea where to even start. The only thing that made sense was to contact my dad’s friend living in Hawaii.

Hawaii.

He couldn’t possibly mean that he wanted me to go to . . .

No. That was impossible.

I read the letter, again and again. The more I did, the more it seemed as if, yes . . . that’s exactly what my father wanted.

Peering in the box again, I hoped that wad of cash would present itself. Or at least the stopwatch. But neither did. The box was empty.

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Nicole Black is an author, motivational speaker and entrepreneur with a passion for sharing unique stories and helping people grow. For over 20 years, she’s worked in the business world as a corporate trainer in employee productivity and effective growth, where she’s helped some of the biggest brands in hospitality and entertainment grow sustainably through inspiring their employees. She’s been featured on platforms including TEDxWilmington, Jack Canfield Show, Santa Barbara News Press, The George DiGianni show and the Tom Barnard Show.

Through her writing, Nicole hopes to empower her readers and impart valuable lessons about grief, loss, and emotional growth. In her free time, Nicole enjoys traveling, yoga, and spending time with her wonderful daughter in their home of Santa Barbara, California.

Amazon * Facebook * Goodreads *

Instagram 1 * Instagram 2 * Twitter

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GUEST POST:

How to Handle Negative Criticism
by Nicole Black

It happened. You wrote an article, or the first chapter of your book and you think it’s brilliant, right up there with Hemingway. A friend who isn’t a writer reads it and doesn’t like it. You are crushed, feeling like somehow maybe a knife in your chest might actually hurt less. One thing I can promise you is that in the writing world there is not only a lot of negative criticism, but also a lot of rejection.

When this happens, and it will likely happen, remember that your response is the most important thing. Ask yourself the following questions: Does the criticism have any merit? Does it come from a reputable source? If you can look at your story, after your hurt feelings have subsided, and see where the source of criticism might have a valid point, then take some time to think about what was said.

One of the things that can be very hard to deal with is knowing whether or not the criticism has merit or validity. At the end of the day, you have to be secure enough in yourself to brush off everything that is said to you about your book. Good, bad, indifferent, it doesn’t matter, what does matter is that you believe in yourself and your story. And remember, the criticism or rejection isn’t personal. It might end up being the best gift for you.

When I first wrote this book, I Can Still Hear You, I had some beta readers named Liz and Joe. They both read my book and gave me lots and I mean lots of constructive criticism. Joe even went so far as to tell me when he was reading, he started to hate one of my characters. It gave me an incredible opportunity to look at that character and make my own decision to change him to make him more likeable. When I was done with the umpteenth re-write of the book, I thought about Liz and Joe. It became important to me to see what they would think of this new, very polished version of the book. When they emailed me back it was filled with compliments about how much better the book had become. So remember, sometimes the criticism is warranted and can actually help make you a better writer.

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GIVEAWAY:

Nicole Black will be awarding a $50 Amazon or Barnes & Noble gift card to one randomly chosen winner via Rafflecopter. Good luck!

a Rafflecopter giveaway