Saturday, September 26, 2015

Sample Saturday - Recipe #2

Last week I introduced you to my recipe book, - an eBook entitled Rapid Recipes for Writers...And Other Busy People.




This week I have another quick and easy recipe for you, called Skillet Spaghetti.
---

SKILLET SPAGHETTI
Marsha Ward

1 pound ground beef, browned and drained
3 cups hot water
1 package onion soup mix
2 handfuls of spaghetti, broken in thirds
Parmesan cheese

Boil together until spaghetti is soft. Add a 16 ounce jar of spaghetti sauce (if the contents of the jar are less nowadays, just use the closest size). Heat and serve, topped with Parmesan cheese.

That's all there is to it! Accompany the spaghetti dish with salad and a dessert.
---

Rapid Recipes for Writers...And Other Busy People is available FREE at Amazon, Smashwords, and other retailers of ebooks.
 


Friday, September 25, 2015

A Fine Line - The Ancients: Part 2 Book Tour

It's Fresh Book Friday, and here's a book presently on Tour:

Title: A Fine Line - The Ancients: Part 2
Author: J.C. Brennan
Genre: Fiction / Fantasy / Dark Fantasy
Warnings: Language, Violence, and Adult Situations
Disclaimer: I don't ordinarily read Dark Fantasy. The excerpt has been lightly edited to subdue objectionable language.


Book Description:
War is coming… Is William’s family ready?

The mysterious appearance of a young girl—brutalized and half dead—has thrown the Crew into a heightened state of disquiet. Aurora and her evil pack of Damned have declared war, and William now wonders if, somehow, the seemingly-innocent girl may be employed in some way as a dangerous weapon in the coming battle.

The revelation of an ancient relic may deliver the critical aid the Crew so direly requires. Its newly-discovered power enables William to delve into the strange girl’s memories, but will the answers be too horrifying for the Crew to accept? Along with the newfound strength found in this lost treasure comes a treacherous caveat, and William must decide if all of the gains gifted to his family are worth the precarious risks it demands.

A Fine Line - The Ancients: Part II is the continuing story in the "A Fine Line" series. This third book chronicles the story of William Healthaway and his family—the descendants of an ancient race possessed of powers they are only just learning to control. Enter a world where no one is safe from the wicked clutches of the Damned, where love, laughter, family and all that is held dear wavers on the knife-edge between life and eternal slumber. For fans of historical high drama—with traces of fantasy thrown into the mix, romance, war, family, death, and the supernatural.

Excerpt:

As the men walked through the woods looking for any signs of trespass, both were at the peak of readiness, though neither said much of anything to the other. William and Buckner were almost at the south-west line of the property and could hear the babbling of the water splashing along the rock bed of the narrow stream when a strong stench pervaded their senses.

“Oh…my…G--, what in the h--- is that?” Buckner shouted, covering his nose.

“I have no idea. Boy, that sure is rancid.”

They searched the area, spreading further apart to see if they could discover the source of the foul odor. William believed they would find a body at the height of its decay.

“Do you see anything, Jonathon?” William called, choking as the putrid stench became more intense.

“No, noth…” Buckner cut his response short, so William began walking in his direction. “No, no, stop! Will, stay perfectly still.”

“What is it?”

“Shhh, just listen,” Buckner whispered putting a finger to his lips.

William stopped and listened hard. The sound was strange but familiar and, at first, he thought it might be an animal caught in a trap.

“It’s coming from over here, Will,” Buckner said following the flow of the stream.

The men walked quickly but carefully. If it were a trapped animal, it might not take too kindly to them, whether they intended to help it or not. The sound became louder, but William realized it was being made by something quite small.

“What in the h--- is that?” Buckner asked.

Then, Buckner stopped abruptly. William crashed into his back and nearly bowled him over; he’d been so focused on finding the creature making all the noise. Buckner’s eyes widened in disbelief, “I can’t believe it.”

“Believe what? You know, you need to give some warning before you stop like that. What? What is it?”

Buckner pointed to a small area just ahead of them off to the right, where a very large, very old sequoia tree stood. The tree had a naturally formed opening at its base, which reminded William of the entrance to a cave. The girth of a sequoia tree could grow very large, but this one was massive, nearly forty meters. The opening at the bottom of the tree was quite unusual and almost perfectly rounded.

After the initial shock at the size of the tree had worn off, William saw what had made Buckner stop. In the huge opening, was a nest of leaves, which held a small bundle wrapped in cloth. Neither of them could believe what they were seeing... It couldn’t be…

Buckner’s words faltered. “Is that, that…”

“A baby? Yes, that does appear to be exactly what that is.”


Purchase Link:
A Fine Line: The Ancients (part II): is currently available at CreateSpace.com and on Amazon.

About the Author:

I grew up in a small village in Michigan called Skidway Lake. The small town life was a fantastic way to grow up, but I always wanted more. My life was a difficult one. Being a single mother made me realize that will power is a person's greatest friend.

I started by writing poems when I was younger. The thought of writing a novel was always on my mind, but I wasn't sure if I could write a full novel. When I decided I was going to give it a shot, the words just began to flow, and before I knew it, a wonderful story emerged.

My first novel was the hardest, a nightmare, actually. I had never published before and it was a whole new world. I learned quickly that there are people in every industry that will take your money and use you. However, there are also good people out there, people with good hearts. I don't think I would have made it without the wonderful independent authors out there who are genuinely good people and are willing to help.

I have struggled most of my life to get where I am, and know there are more battles yet to face, but with will, strength, and the love of my family and friends, I can accomplish anything.

Find J.C. Brennan on the Internet:
Author site: http://loveme64.wix.com/a-fine-line
Facebook: www.facebook.com/AFineLineTheBeginning
Twitter: @JanetCBrennan
Goodreads https://www.goodreads.com/JCBrennan


Giveaway:


Official Event Page: https://www.facebook.com/events/1661228934114000/

Blog Schedule:

Sept 15
http://www.melsshelves.blogspot.com
http://authorcandyodonnell.blogspot.co.uk/

Sept 16
http://authorsrevealed.blogspot.com/

Sept 17
http://fictionalrendezvousbookblog.blogspot.com/
http://authorsandralove.blogspot.com/

Sept 18
roomwithbooks.com

Sept 19
http://bookschatter.blogspot.co.uk/2015/09/tour-fine-line.html
http://www.bound2escape.com

Sept 20
http://snoopydoosbookreviews.com/

Sept 21
semishort.blogspot.com

Sept 22
https://silenceisread.blogspot.com.tr

Sept 23
http://nicolesbookmusings.blogspot.com/
http://lynnromanceenthusiast.blogspot.com

Sept 24
http://nerdgirlofficial.com/
imaginativedreams.weebly.com

Sept 25
http://marshaward.blogspot.com/
hello-booklover.tumblr.com

Sept 26
pennybrojacquie.blogspot.com
http://lifebooksandmore.blogspot.com

Sept 27
https://m.facebook.com/profile.php?id=423333517841340&ref=bookmarks
http://thenaughtlibrarianplayground.blogspot.com/

Sept 28
http://authorsandralove.blogspot.com/
Facebook.com/TripleabookBlog


Saturday, September 19, 2015

Saturday Sample - A Recipe!

Way back in 1985 when I edited a newsletter for writers, I solicited recipes from my contributors for a short cookbook pamphlet. I ended up with thirty-one quick and easy recipes, and touted it as "One new thing to eat a day for a month." Yeah, that's awkwardly put. The idea was that a writer could have something on the table for dinner even after writing all day long. I called the booklet Rapid Recipes for Writers...and Other Busy People.


I didn't vet the recipes for calorie content, break down the nutritional elements, or otherwise make claims for wholesome goodness. They were simply tasty, quick recipes.

A couple of days ago I wanted to cook up the package of chicken thighs that had been sitting in my fridge nearly too long, so I tried to remember one of the recipes that I had collected during the two years I lived in South America. There's nothing Hispanic about the recipe. It came from an Anglo. However, it was a very tasty chicken recipe that I have made numerous times for my husband and children.

I didn't take the time to pull out the recipe from the cookbook, which I revamped and published as a free electronic book back in 2010.


I just improvised, changing a key ingredient to a similar one. The chicken turned out to be delicious, and the rice even more so.

As a special treat, my Sample this Saturday is the original recipe--which I can't even make anymore, due to my severe mushroom allergy. I used cream of chicken soup in my chicken cook-up this week, and it worked just as brilliantly.
---

SUNDAY SCHOOL CHICKEN*
Helen Milligan

Mix:
1 can cream of mushroom soup
1 can chicken gumbo soup
1 can water
1 cup rice

Place in bottom of 9x13-inch pan. Sprinkle 2/3 of a package of onion soup mix over mixture.

Lay one cut-up chicken over soup mixture, skin side down. Sprinkle remaining soup mix over chicken. Cover with foil. Bake at 350 degrees F. for 2 hours**, while you go to Sunday School or on a shopping trip, or finish another chapter of your novel!
---


Rapid Recipes for Writers...And Other Busy People is available FREE at Amazon, Smashwords, and other retailers of ebooks.

* The original name of this recipe is "Relief Society Chicken," after the name of the ladies auxiliary in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Once upon a time, the Relief Society held "work meetings" on a weekday, where the women would gather to quilt, make crafts, or otherwise learn home skills. I changed the name for the cookbook, in an attempt to make it a bit more universal, at least to Christians and those familiar with the Sunday School concept.

** If I need a three-hour stretch of time for the recipe to bake, I turn the temperature down to 300 degrees F.

Thursday, September 17, 2015

Book Blitz - Vocal Crush



Title: Vocal Crush
Author: Lisa Swinton
Genre: Romance

Description:
Can you ever outrun a broken heart?

Lexi Court spent seven years traveling the world, living the nomadic Broadway life, in an attempt to outrun the broken heart Nick Rivers gave her. Now, there’s nowhere left to go.

When she accepted a position as a high school drama teacher in Las Vegas, Lexi hoped to get over Nick, find a nice guy, and settle down. But what should be a quiet summer gets turned upside down when Lexi's best friend, Taffy, drafts her to be an emergency replacement coach on a televised vocal competition.

Feeling out of her league among the other three celebrity coaches, Lexi fights for the most promising contestants to be on her team. One note from a single voice shatters her summer. Nick unexpectedly auditions and joins Lexi's team. With her vocal crush on him raging as strong as ever, she has nowhere to run from Nick’s dreamy looks or siren voice.

Lexi has no doubt that Nick can win the competition. The question is does he want to win her heart as well or will he damage it beyond repair?

Grab your copy of this great book on Lisa's Amazon page:
http://www.amazon.com/-/e/B00HXNXDCO



Lisa Swinton caught the romance bug early by way of fairy tales and hasn't been able to cure it since. Consequently, she feeds her addiction with romance novels and films. In between being a doctor's wife and mother of two, she puts her B.A. in Musical Theater to good use via community theater and church choir.

In her elusive spare time she enjoys researching her family tree, painting her house, and baking, especially with chocolate. She loves traveling, reading Jane Austen, and all things Italian. In her next life, she plans to be a professional organizer.

Go check out Lisa's pages:

BLOG: http://www.lisaswinton.blogspot.com
FACEBOOK: https://www.facebook.com/AuthorLisaSwinton
AMAZON: http://www.amazon.com/-/e/B00HXNXDCO
GOODREADS: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/7796962.Lisa_Swinton



LISA'S 10 RANDOM THINGS
I can row a gondola.
I don't eat seafood of any kind.
I broke my first bone this year.
I read Nancy Drew growing up.
I cannot draw. Stick figures are my limit.
I can roll my R's.
I can't sew or draw a straight line, even with a ruler.
I love Utz's chocolate covered pretzels.
I bake a tasty chocolate chip cookie.
I've dyed my hair every natural color and a few unnatural ones too.


Follow along with Facebook:
https://www.facebook.com/events/1460632017579498/

And make sure you check out all the great blogs in this event:

http://www.katiescleanbookcollection.blogspot.com
https://m.facebook.com/profile.php?id=423333517841340&ref=bookmarks
http://nerdychampagne.wordpress.com/
http://marshaward.blogspot.com/
http://www.turninganotherpage.com
http://authorsandralove.blogspot.com/
http://thequeekiegirl.blogspot.sg/
http://thewritersrevolution13.blogspot.com
http://www.bound2escape.com
imaginativedreams.weebly.com
http://thenaughtlibrarianplayground.blogspot.com/
hello-booklover.tumblr.com
http://authorsrevealed.blogspot.com/
www.redheadsreading.com
http://sweet-n-sassy-book-a-holics.blogspot.com/
www.tifferzandhersisterz.com
http://roomwithbooks.com/
http://semishort.blogspot.com/
http://fictionalrendezvousbookblog.blogspot.com/



a Rafflecopter giveaway

Wednesday, September 16, 2015

HUGE eBook Sale!

A bunch of author friends and I are participating in an eBook sale beginning today and lasting through next Tuesday, September 22. We're offering works in many genres, so you don't want to miss this sale. The Man from Shenandoah is reduced in price from $2.99 to $.99 during this event.

Check out all these books! (Edited to make corrections)


The Man from Shenandoah by Marsha Ward

Regular Price: $2.99
SALE Price: $.99

Purchase on Amazon
Purchase on BN
Purchase on Kobo
Purchase on iTunes


When young cavalryman Carl Owen returns from the Civil War, he finds the family farm destroyed, his favorite brother dead, food scarce, and his father planning to leave the Shenandoah Valley to start a cattle operation in Colorado Territory.

But Pa does a bit more: he also chooses a suitable mate for both Carl and his younger brother, James.

With no one else in mind, Carl is agreeable to marrying the delightfully flirtatious Ida Hilbrands somewhere along the trail, but James is devastated. Ellen Bates isn't the girl he loves and must leave behind.

Making their way across the vast continent, the Owen family and their friends battle a prairie fire, internal strife, a band of vicious outlaws, and the land itself to try to achieve their goals, but before that can happen, the two brothers are fighting over the hand of one girl—and only one of them can win!



Dangerous Favor by Joyce DiPastena

Regular Price: $3.99
SALE Price: $.99

Purchase Dangerous Favor

Mathilde needs a champion.

Her father has been accused of stealing from the king, an allegation that has reduced her family to poverty. She has one chance to find and marry a man who can help her prove her father's innocence. Lord Therri, heir to a rich barony, has the wealth and connections Mathilde needs to delve into the mysteries of her father's past. Furthermore, Therri embodies all her romantic dreams.


Etienne, the younger son of a disgraced family, has neither wealth nor connections, but is smitten with Mathilde at a glance. She finds the knight intriguing, but believes he is only out to seduce her. While she seeks for a way to win Therri's attention, Etienne tricks her into granting him her favor, an embroidered white ribbon, for a tournament, setting in motion a dangerous chain reaction of events.

Can Etienne save Mathilde from a nightmare from her past and prove himself the true hero of her dreams?



Imperfect Love by Rebecca Talley

Regular Price: $3.99
SALE Price: $.99

Purchase Imperfect Love

Lauren Wilson is well on her way to her happily-ever-after. She’s passionate about her career as a middle school English teacher, she adores her handsome, hard-working husband, and with a baby finally on the way, her perfect life is within her grasp.

But then a devastating test result changes everything.

Forced to choose between her baby and her husband, Lauren makes the only decision she can live with, and she returns to her small hometown in hopes of rebuilding her shattered life.

Ethan Campbell is a gifted photographer who travels the world and has no desire to settle down. When his mother dies, he must go home to settle her estate. Then it’s back to exciting adventures across the globe.

When Lauren crosses paths with Ethan, her teenage crush, old feelings resurface—feelings she’s not prepared to face. Will Lauren have the courage to trust again or will she spend her life alone?

Imperfect Love is a story about sacrifice, healing, second chances, and discovering that although love isn’t always perfect, sometimes it’s the imperfect love that’s the sweetest of all.



A Change of Plans by Donna K. Weaver

Regular Price: $3.99
SALE Price: $.99

Purchase A Change of Plans
Audiobook (If you own the eBook, the audiobook is only $1.99)

When Lyn sets off on her supposedly uncomplicated and unromantic cruise, she never dreams it will include pirates. All the 25-year-old Colorado high school teacher wants is to forget that her dead fiancé was a cheating scumbag. What she plans is a vacation diversion; what fate provides is Braedon, an intriguing surgeon. She finds herself drawn to him: his gentle humor, his love of music, and even his willingness to let her take him down during morning karate practices. Against the backdrop of the ship’s make-believe world and its temporary friendships, her emotions come alive.

However, fear is an emotion, too. Unaware of the sensitive waters he navigates, Braedon moves to take their relationship beyond friendship—on the very anniversary Lyn came on the cruise to forget. But Lyn’s painful memories are too powerful, and she runs off in a panic.

Things are bad enough when the pair finds themselves on one of the cruise’s snorkeling excursions in American Samoa. However, paradise turns to piracy when their party is kidnapped. Lyn’s fear of a fairytale turns grim. Now she must fight alongside the man she rejected, first for their freedom and then against storms, sharks, and shipwreck.



Salem Witch Haunt by Theresa Sneed

Regular Price: $4.99
SALE Price: $2.99

Purchase Salem Witch Haunt

When she finds herself thrust back in time, 17 year old Bess Martin, a senior at Danvers High, sets out on a mission to save her 11th great-grandmother from the gallows-tree. With a near-perfect knowledge of the historical events about to unfold, Bess knows the untimely fate of many.

The problem is that Bess has inherited her grandmother’s sharp tongue—a tongue that caused her grandmother to be tried and hanged as a witch in Salem Village, 1692.

Can Bess stop the hangings and change the course of history, or will she share her grandmother’s fate?



Felicity A Sparrow's Tale by Loralee Evans

Regular Price: $2.99
SALE Price: $.99

Purchase Felicity A Sparrow's Tale

Tales of adventure and danger have thrilled Felicity since Augustus, her ivory-billed woodpecker friend, taught her to read as a little nestling. She adores the tales of heroes and heroines who forge ahead in spite of all odds, and who always seem to succeed no matter what. More than anything, Felicity wants to be brave and selfless like them.

But adventures are in short supply, especially for someone who’s just an ordinary sparrow.

Until the day an unexpected visitor shows up at her tree with an unusual request…



Newbie by Jo Noelle

Regular Price: $3.99
SALE Price: $.99

Purchase Newbie

The housing market is crashing, and Sophie’s life is crashing with it. At twenty-four, her successful real estate career evaporates. She’s broke, can’t find a job, or pay her bills, leaving Sophie wondering how her successful lifestyle became so fragile.

At the urging of her roommate, Sophie accepts a job in her fallback career—teaching six-year-olds. She hopes it’s temporary. After all, how long can a tanking economy last anyway? The best part of the new job is Liam, another employee at Rio Grande Elementary. The worst part of the new job is, well, teaching.

Sophie has a surprise real estate closing from a contract she wrote months ago, leading her to a niche in the real estate market and to a new partner, Kevin. Sophie must choose between Liam or Kevin and between a lucrative career or recess duty.



Lost Without You by Annette Lyon

Regular price: $2.99
SALE Price: $0.99

Purchase Lost Without You

For months, Christopher Morris has been Brooke's idea of the perfect man—attractive, charming, and fun to be around. But lately he's begun acting strangely, becoming possessive, controlling, and moody. Brooke feels she has no choice but to break up with him, but Christopher doesn't take it well. He drives her wildly back home and gets into a car accident.

That's when Brooke first meets police officer Greg Stevens. After she keeps meeting him—at the worst possible times—they begin dating. Greg confesses he's a widower and that Brooke is the first woman he has so much as looked at in years.

But as Brooke agonizes over whether Greg will ever be able to truly love her, Christopher makes a dangerous return into her life, deciding that if he can't have her, no one can.



With No Regrets by Julie N. Ford

Regular Price: $4.99
SALE Price: $.99

Purchase:
Kindle
Barnes and Noble
Apple iBooks
Google Play
Kobo
Smashwords

Living With No Regrets Is Harder Than It Seems

Finley isn’t exactly sure when her life began to feel unfamiliar. She suspects the transformation started long before she caught her husband and fellow garden club member doing the white-trash-two-step on her new Bernhardt sofa. Now free from the shackles of a loveless marriage, and with her children off to college, she’s finally able to go searching for the missing pieces of her heart.

Finley’s best friend, Cathyanne, is already working hard to ensure that Finley finds true love this time around. But when Finley is unwittingly tossed into the arms of two men—their sexy trainer and her neighbor, a popular country star—Cathyanne fears finding the right guy will be more complicated than she ever could have imagined.

For Finley, building a new life feels as impossible as flying a paper airplane to the moon. But maybe, just maybe, with the right help, she will find her whole heart—even if it’s in the very last place she thinks to look.



This Very Moment by Rachel Ann Nunes

Regular Price: 4.99
SALE Price: $.99

Purchase This Very Moment

A Compelling Story of Heartbreaking Loss, Inspiring Faith, and a Newfound Love Strong Enough to Heal All Wounds.

Bill Dubrey is a sought-after plastic surgeon for LA’s prestigious and wealthy, and an equally sought-after bachelor. On the surface it appears he has it all—money, respect, and fame. Yet behind his aloof exterior lurks a tragic past that prevents him from finding lasting happiness.

All that changes on the day Kylee Stewart reenters his life. She alone knows Bill’s secret agony, and she is determined to help him face his past. During the years they’ve been apart, Kylee’s own life has been far from easy, but unlike Bill, she has turned to God in her need, finding a faith to which she desperately clings.

The tentative friendship they begin has Bill rethinking his stark future, yet he keeps his heart in check—afraid to commit, afraid to lose again. During Kylee’s darkest moment, when she needs him most, will he be there for her?



Shooting Stars by Philip Carroll

Regular Price: $3.99
SALE Price: FREE Sept 15- 19

Purchase Shooting Stars

Chuck McWilliams is fourteen years old and had just started high school in Washington State when his father lost his job and moved them to the hot, dry, valley of Central California. Starting his freshman year six weeks after the rest of the students, Chuck is insecure about finding his way, making new friends and overcoming bullying from members of the cross country team.

When he is invited to the Homecoming Dance by a strange girl in his English class, Kelsey Llewellyn, he can't think of any reason to say no. Later that day Dahlia Chand, an attractive girl on the cross country team, asks him to the dance, and he wonders if he has made a mistake.

How a secretive student, Doug Le Roux, avoids the notice of the rest of the students, yet stands out so clearly to Chuck makes him wonder if something extraordinary is going on at this high school.

Chuck will become entwined in an ages old battle with werewolves, vampires and elves that most of humankind is unaware of in their midst. Remarkably, he will find the most enchanting magic comes from romance.



Ideal High by Valerie Ipson

Regular Price: $4.99
SALE Price: $1.99

Purchase Ideal High

There’s no way I’m taking Blake’s place as president of the student body. As soon as the memorial for him and six of our friends is over, I’m resigning as VP. Really.

Except people say the fire was no accident.

(I say it’s way too easy to blame someone who’s dead.)

When I read the writing on the wall, literally, the bathroom wall, I know what it means. To get to the truth I have to come out from under my paisley comforter.

But, seriously, what stage of grief says I have to be the one to fix what’s wrong at Ideal High? Maybe I’m the one who’s broken.



First Love Second Choice by Lindzee Armstrong

Regular Price: $.99
SALE Price: FREE

Purchase First Love Second Choice
Audiobook

When wedding planner Keslee gets asked on a date by her long-lost high school crush, Bryce, everything should be perfect. But Bryce mistakes Keslee for her deceased twin sister, Jadyn. And Keslee doesn’t correct him. Talk about awkward. To make matters worse, she learns they’ll be seeing a lot more of each other because Bryce is the marketing director at the venue where Keslee’s new client has chosen to get married. Keslee knows the charade can’t last much longer, and fears she’ll lose Bryce forever when she tells him the truth.


Emerine's Nightmare by Anna del C. Dye

Price: $2.99

Purchase Emerine’s Nightmare

What would you do if one night, life as you know it changes and you are left alone in despair? That is how Emerine’s nightmare starts and now all he does is run.

His family lived at the edge of the forest until dark shadows killed them all. Now they want him, and so does a magic tree. He has never seen dark shadows or enchanted trees before. Emerine has to get to the heart of Red Forest, to the fairy people. Only then he will be safe. Safe? He has never heard of fairies before and once he gets there, what?



Cassandra Jones by Tamara Hart Heiner

Regular Price: $3.99
SALE Price: FREE Sept 16-17

Purchase Cassandra Jones

What's special about Cassandra? Absolutely nothing. She's as ordinary as any other fifth grader. And yet her ordinary life is riddled with hilarious and sometimes heart-breaking mishaps as she guides herself through the world of pre-teens on the brink of adulthood.

Cassandra Jones is the new girl at school. She's been uprooted from her beloved state of Texas and relocated to the hillbilly Ozarks of Springdale, Arkansas. She wonders if she will like her teacher or if she will have any friends. She can only hope school won't be harder than it was back home.

She doesn't expect to have two close friends, and even worse, two friends that don't like each other. As she tries to make a spot for herself, will she keep her friendships intact?



We have such a fantastic line-up of great books that are on SALE! Everyone loves a sale, right? Load up on some of these great reads!

Saturday, September 12, 2015

Rafflecopter!

Author Philip Carroll is also running a Rafflecopter which begins today and ends on September 19th to publicize the coming release of his new book, Drawn into the Mist: Shooting Stars 2. The prize is a Kindle HD 7, so you don't want to miss this!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Study Questions for Book 0

I know it's Sample Saturday, but I'm substituting something different for a sample today. Now that you've had a while to purchase and read my novels, I've got a couple of "Study Questions" to throw at you. Today's questions are for Book 0, Gone for a Soldier. If you're brave enough, please post your answers in the comments.
~~~

As you read the first chapter of Gone for a Soldier, did you guess correctly what was going on in Rulon's town? What did you think he would do about it? How do you think you would react if a crisis occurred that impacted your community?

Julia Owen makes Rulon a uniform for him to wear to war. Have you ever tried to keep a gift project a secret from someone else? What did you do to hide what you were doing? Did you successfully surprise the intended recipient?
~~~

I hope this exercise was interesting to you, because, well, I'm going to throw out more study questions in weeks to come. Have a great day!

Friday, September 11, 2015

Two Goodreads Giveaways!

My friend, author Philip Carroll, is running TWO Goodreads Giveaways to publicize the second book in his "Shooting Stars" series.

The first Giveaway is for the first book of the series, Shooting Stars: A Teenage Vampire Love Story from a Boy's Perspective.
Enter for a chance to win 1 of 3 paperback copies of Shooting Stars: A Teenage Vampire Love Story from a Boy's Perspective, signed by the author, Philip Carroll.

Book Description:

Chuck McWilliams is fourteen years old and had just started high school in Washington State when his father lost his job and moved them to the hot, dry, valley of Central California.

Starting his freshman hear six weeks after the rest of the students, Chuck is insecure about finding his way, making new friends and overcoming bullying from members of the cross country team. When he is invited to the Homecoming Dance by a strange girl in his English class, Kelsey Llewellyn, he can't think of any reason to say no.

Later that day when Dahlia Chand, an attractive girl on the cross country team, asks him to the dance, he wonders if he has made a mistake. How a secretive student, Doug Le Roux, avoids the notice of the rest of the students, yet stands out so clearly to Chuck makes him wonder if something extraordinary is going on at this high school.

Chuck will become entwined in an ages old battle with werewolves, vampires and elves that most of humankind is unaware of in their midst.


The second Giveaway is for Drawn into the Mist: Shooting Stars #2. The ebook is in preorder at Amazon, at the price of $0.99 through September 19, but it will launch on Tuesday, September 15.
Enter for a chance to win one of three paperback copies of Drawn into the Mist: Shooting Stars 2, signed by the author.

Book Description:

After a battle with a small coven of vampires at the homecoming dance, Chuck McWilliams is confident and prepared to use his newly found magical powers.

However, Kelsey Llewellyn, Chuck's date from the dance and an undercover elfin vampire hunter, has disappeared back to faerie. The vampires marked her as their next acolyte and sapped her elfin defenses. Returning to the village of her birth she is protected while the elders work to restore her powers.

Chuck is confused and emotionally desolate. When the vampires make an attempt on his life he decides his only option is to go to faerie for help and his own protection.

Doug, a vampire who owes Chuck a favor, agrees to send him to the land between the human world and faerie by magically drawing him into a painting of a castle. He warns Chuck that he has drawn other things into the picture which will both help and hinder his efforts.

Adventure begins again for Chuck as he is Drawn into the Mist.


Both giveaways run through September 21.



Saturday, September 05, 2015

Sample Saturday - Book 4

In Spinster's Folly, Book 4 of The Owen Family Saga, Marie Owen is fearful of becoming an old maid (aka spinster), due to the lack of suitable men in her new neighborhood, She has convinced her father that he should make a match for her with someone, and he has decided to do it.
~~~

The night before Pa trailed his beef cows to the Cuchara, Marie tossed and turned. Jule elbowed her once, then went back into slumberland, but Marie’s mind seemed to bubble with imaginings like a pot boiling over on a too-hot stove. It wouldn’t allow her the relief of sleep.

She wondered whether she dreaded or anticipated the next few days. If Pa liked Tom’s prospects and proposed to add him to the family, the young man’s reaction would play a big part in Marie’s future. He might have given up thinking about Ellen by now. He might accept Pa’s suggestion with enthusiasm. He might jump into making and carrying out plans for a wedding and a life together. On the other hand, he might have no notion of marrying her, and his disinclination could doom her to spinsterhood.

Who else was there for her to marry? She lay very still, searching every nook and cranny of her brain for prospects. She’d seen the Dominguez brothers several times when they stopped by to water their horses on their way to Pueblo Town or back. Patricio and Enrique Dominguez cut blazingly romantic figures, with their wide-brimmed hats and differently-styled clothes, their teeth-flashing smiles and flirtatious comments. She thought the pair of them was tremendously exciting. Given the chance, which one would she choose to wed?

After thinking on the exotic brothers for a time, she sighed and discarded the wild idea of being courted by such a man, knowing Pa was dead set against any marriage in that direction. That left her with a suitor pool made up of Tom Morgan, grubby freighters from Pueblo Town, hard rock miners from the north and the west, or her father’s cowhands.

Tom had his distinctions. Despite being a farmer, he washed his hands before eating and wore fresh clothing to social events. He kept his medium brown hair trimmed above his collar, and it was never greasy. He had his moments of merriment, but he’d always treated her with respect. Or maybe it was diffidence.

Marie turned on her side, and let her mind examine that topic. Tom had never sought her out as an object of courtship, although she now suspected his pa and her own had intended for some years for them to marry one day. She and Tom, though, had never discussed marrying. Never once.

~~~

Is the law of unintended consequences in play? Will Marie regret pressuring Pa to act? To find out, read Spinster's Folly.

Spinster's Folly: Book 4 - in print and ebook formats
Print: CreateSpace | Amazon | Barnes and Noble | ebooks: Smashwords all formats | Kindle | nook | Kobo | iTunes Bookstore 


You may purchase an autographed print copy at this site
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