Fresh Book Friday - Ned's Choice: A Shenandoah Neighbors Story

Eek! I neglected to make a Fresh Book Friday post about this new story.

Title: Ned's Choice: A Shenandoah Neighbors Story
Author: Marsha Ward
Genre: Historical Romance
Published: February 14, 2018
Price: $0.99 for a limited time

Purchase Links: Kindle | NOOK | Kobo | Apple iTunes Bookstore | Smashwords (all formats available)

Description:
Ned Heizer has just released his betrothed from her promise to marry him. He knows she’s in good hands that are not his own.

But if he carries out his intention to backtrack their trail, to ride toward Raton Pass where he last saw the Mormon wagon party, he’ll be leaving behind his brother and his friends to go in search of an unknown future.

Is he mistaken in his belief that Maggie Julander is the girl for him? If the feeling like lightning that passed between them is any indication, he’s on the right road, unless she didn’t have the same experience.

A Shenandoah Neighbors Story that puts Ned in a situation where he must make an informed choice and take risks for his hope of happiness.

*Mormon religious beliefs play a large part in this story.*

(Ned’s Choice is best enjoyed if read following the Owen Family Saga novel Trail of Storms.)

~~~

If you’re new to the Owen Family Saga and its related series, Shenandoah Neighbors, here’s the perfect starting place: the origin story, That Tender Light.

How did the Owen Family Saga begin?

With a love story, of course, the most romantic love story of all: when Rod and Julia met.

God must have conspired with the angels to put Roderick Owen of Shenandoah County, Virginia, and Julia Helm, of Cumberland County, Pennsylvania, in the same place on one magical day in Spring, 1840. All nature paused, as though holding its breath, waiting to see what would happen.

In this short novella, Marsha Ward tells the story of the Owen Family origins, describing in her delicate language the tender feelings of two people who need to find each other in a very small window of time.

Purchase Links: Kindle | NOOK | Kobo | Apple iTunes Bookstore | Smashwords (all formats available)

Fresh Book Friday - Broken

It's Fresh Book Friday again, and I have a new story to present to you.

Title: Broken: A Shenandoah Neighbors Story

Author: Marsha Ward
Genre: Historical Romance
Published: January 19, 2018
Price: $2.99

Purchase Links: Kindle | NOOK | Kobo | Apple iTunes Bookstore | Smashwords (all formats available)

Description:
Rida Owen didn’t know married life on the Colorado frontier could be so difficult. Nothing in her Catholic upbringing prepared her for long, lonely nights when her husband, Bert, goes drinking. And womanizing. And then comes home to beat her.

Her mother-in-law thinks she’s stuck up when she doesn’t participate in the homestead wash day. Rida only wants to hide her bruises and preserve her marriage.

Then a neighbor from her past stops to say hello and reveals a secret of his own.

A Shenandoah Neighbors story that illuminates a dark corner of the Owen Family universe.

Optimum reading enjoyment will be derived from reading this story after reading The Man from Shenandoah, and possibly Spinster's Folly, so you get to know the characters involved.

Author Bio:

Author Marsha Ward writes authentic historical fiction set in 19th Century America, and contemporary romance. She was born in the sleepy little town of Phoenix, Arizona, in a simpler time. With plenty of room to roam among the chickens and citrus trees, Marsha enjoyed playing with neighborhood chums, but always had her imaginary friend, cowboy Johnny Rigger Prescott, at her side. Now she makes her home in a forest in the mountains of Arizona. She loves to hear from her readers.

Connect with Marsha: 
Website: http://marshaward.com
Blog: http://marshaward.blogspot.com
Email: marshaw@marshaward.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/authormarshaward
Twitter: https://twitter.com/MarshaWard

Join Marsha’s mailing list for a free book, special offers, and new releases: http://eepurl.com/vBKEj 
~~~

If you're new to the Owen Family Saga and its related series, Shenandoah Neighbors, here's the perfect starting place: the origin story, That Tender Light. 

How did the Owen Family Saga begin?

With a love story, of course, the most romantic love story of all: when Rod and Julia met.

God must have conspired with the angels to put Roderick Owen of Shenandoah County, Virginia, and Julia Helm, of Cumberland County, Pennsylvania, in the same place on one magical day in Spring, 1840. All nature paused, as though holding its breath, waiting to see what would happen.

In this short novella, acclaimed author Marsha Ward tells the story of the Owen Family origins, describing in her delicate language the tender feelings of two people who need to find each other in a very small window of time.

Purchase Links: Kindle | NOOK | Kobo | Apple iTunes Bookstore | Smashwords (all formats available) 

Fresh Book Friday: The Apple Pie Prize

It's Fresh Book Friday again, and I have a little something for you, a short story!

Title: The Apple Pie Prize: An Owen Family Story
Author: Marsha Ward
Genre: Historical Romance
Published: December 28, 2017
Price: $0.99

Purchase Links: Kindle | Kobo | Apple iTunes Bookstore | Smashwords

Description:
No one in Shenandoah County would say Rod Owen lacked vigor.

The evidence is clear, with six young’uns running around the farm and his wife Julia about to call in the midwife again.

A pie crust and a small boy with a sack of dead squirrels can be vexing impediments when such a man wants a little kissin' in the kitchen.

The Apple Pie Prize is a short story packed with insights into early times at the Owen Family farm.

Author Bio:
Author Marsha Ward writes authentic historical fiction set in 19th Century America, and contemporary romance. She was born in the sleepy little town of Phoenix, Arizona, in a simpler time. With plenty of room to roam among the chickens and citrus trees, Marsha enjoyed playing with neighborhood chums, but always had her imaginary friend, cowboy Johnny Rigger Prescott, at her side. Now she makes her home in a forest in the mountains of Arizona. She loves to hear from her readers.

Connect with Marsha:
Website: http://marshaward.com
Blog: http://marshaward.blogspot.com
Email: marshaw@marshaward.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/authormarshaward
Twitter: https://twitter.com/MarshaWard

Join Marsha’s mailing list for a free book, special offers, and new releases: http://eepurl.com/vBKEj

Have you picked up your copy of Mended by Moonlight yet? This Shenandoah Neighbors Novella is the perfect book to read after Gone for a Soldier, as it gives a character from that novel a happy conclusion to her story.

Purchase Mended by Moonlight: A Shenandoah Neighbors Novella
E-Book: Smashwords (all formats) | Kindle | NOOK | Kobo | Apple iTunes Bookstore

Fresh Book Friday - Scandalous: An Owen Family Story

It's Fresh Book Friday again, and I have another story to share with you!

Title: Scandalous: An Owen Family Story
Author: Marsha Ward
Genre: Historical Fiction, Coming of Age story
Publisher: WestWard Books
Date Published: September 8, 2017
Price: $2.99, Free for kindleunlimited subscribers

Purchase Link: Kindle 

Book Description:
Young Julianna Owen didn't think flirting with Parley Morgan at the barn raising would lead him to put his hands where they ought not to be. But worse yet, her sister discovers them and Parley abandons her, running off into the woods.

Julianna's strict father has found where she is hiding, and her world on the Colorado frontier is crashing down around her ears. She thought love and romance was only about going on picnics and holding hands, not rough kisses and hurtful pawing.

Now the consequences of her actions might be beyond what she can bear.

In the 1860s Owen Family universe, Scandalous shines a light on teen hormones run amok during a trying time in the family's story, as it ties up a loose thread from the novel, Spinster's Folly.

This edition contains bonus material at the end, an excerpt from the Shenandoah Neighbors story, Bloodied Leather.

Author Bio:
Author Marsha Ward writes authentic historical fiction set in 19th Century America, and contemporary romance. She was born in the sleepy little town of Phoenix, Arizona, in a simpler time. With plenty of room to roam among the chickens and citrus trees, Marsha enjoyed playing with neighborhood chums, but always had her imaginary friend, cowboy Johnny Rigger Prescott, at her side. Now she makes her home in a forest in the mountains of Arizona. She loves to hear from her readers.

Connect with Marsha:
Website: http://marshaward.com
Blog: http://marshaward.blogspot.com
Email: marshaw@marshaward.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/authormarshaward
Twitter: https://twitter.com/MarshaWard

Join Marsha’s mailing list for a free book, special offers, and new releases: http://eepurl.com/vBKEj

Fresh Book Friday: Bloodied Leather, A Shenandoah Neighbors Story

It's Fresh Book Friday! Today is the Release Day for my latest short story.

Title: Bloodied Leather, A Shenandoah Neighbors Story
Author: Marsha Ward
Genre: Historical Fiction
Publisher: WestWard Books
Date Published: August 18, 2017
Price: $0.99 for ebook edition

Purchase Links:
Kindle | NOOK | Kobo | iTunes |Smashwords

Book Description:
Isabelle Gilbert chafes against the restrictions that Victorian life puts on a young lady.

Forced to accept a betrothal to Percival Egmont, an English ex-patriot like her father, she is disturbed by his passion for prize-fighting—and other pursuits. And what if Mama spots the bruise on her cheek?

Then shared secrets perplex Isabelle even more.

A “Shenandoah Neighbors” story that extends the Owen Family universe, Bloodied Leather opens a new era for this popular family saga.

Author Bio:
Author Marsha Ward writes authentic historical fiction set in 19th Century America, and contemporary romance. She was born in the sleepy little town of Phoenix, Arizona, in a simpler time. With plenty of room to roam among the chickens and citrus trees, Marsha enjoyed playing with neighborhood chums, but always had her imaginary friend, cowboy Johnny Rigger Prescott, at her side. Now she makes her home in a forest in the mountains of Arizona. She loves to hear from her readers.

Connect with Marsha:
Website: http://marshaward.com
Blog: http://marshaward.blogspot.com
Email: marshaw@marshaward.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/authormarshaward
Twitter: https://twitter.com/MarshaWard

Join Marsha’s mailing list for a free book, special offers, and new releases: http://eepurl.com/vBKEj

Sample Saturday: Cover Reveal - Bloodied Leather

How exciting it is to reveal the cover of my short story, Bloodied Leather! This story, the first of the "Shenandoah Neighbors" line of works to see the light of day, will be published as an ebook next Friday, August 18.

Bloodied Leather vaults over a lot of years and other Owen-verse stories (coming later). It's set in San Francisco in 1886. Here's the description:

Isabelle Gilbert chafes against the restrictions that Victorian life puts on a young lady.

Forced to accept a betrothal to Percival Egmont, an English ex-patriot like her father, she is disturbed by his passion for prize-fighting—and other pursuits. And what if Mama spots the bruise on her cheek?

Then shared secrets perplex Isabelle even more.

A “Shenandoah Neighbors” story that extends the Owen Family universe, Bloodied Leather opens a new era for this popular family saga.

Bloodied Leather will be published in a collection in 2018, which will be available in print as well as in ebook formats.
 

~~~~~

Have you read my latest novella, That Tender Light, yet? It's the wonderfully romantic origin story of how Rod Owen and Julia Helm met. Free at online retailers like Barnes and Noble, Kobo, iBooks/iTunes, and Smashwords. Only $0.99 at Amazon.

I always welcome your reviews. Thank you!

Sample Saturday: Bloodied Leather

The short story Bloodied Leather will be published in two weeks. Here's a sample to whet your appetite:

San Francisco, California. 1886

Isabelle Gilbert pulled a blonde curl down alongside her cheek. She repeated the effect with a second lock of hair, then adjusted the coiffure on the other side of her head for symmetry’s sake. She frowned. Mama had such sharp eyes. If the bruise weren’t entirely hidden, she would spot it in one second and ask about it in the next. How would Isabelle ever explain how it had happened?

Surely Percy hadn’t meant to strike her. He’d been so excited about attending the prizefight, and when she had declined to accompany him... I never imagined what trouble a fiancé could be to a girl. I must work harder to make him happy.

Isabelle determined at last that three dangling curls did the job of masking the unsightly discoloration. She gave her hair one last pat and rose from her dressing table to choose her outfit for the day.

Something simple. Nothing to call Mama’s attention to me.

Since Isabelle would not make any calls on friends today, she chose a pale blue bodice with puffed sleeves and a matching skirt with only the slightest of bustles. Something comfortable would be best. After all, she’d only be working on her trousseau. She grimaced. The hand towels must be embroidered with intertwined initials to herald her upcoming marriage to Percival Egmont.

She didn’t call him Percival. Who would? She had chosen to call her fiancé Percy, even though he pressed her daily to use an endearment like “dear” or “darling.” It didn’t suit her to bestow such sweet names on him yet. Especially after last night.

She had left Percy in the parlor on his knees, swearing he had not meant to lay a hand on her. Well, he had done so, and her remembrance of the blow stung as sharply as had the blow itself. Fortunately, Mama hadn’t caught her on the stairs afterward or she would have known something was amiss. Isabelle wondered what action, if any, Mama would have taken in regards to the man. Mama was sometimes a puzzle.

Look for a Cover Reveal next week.

Fresh Book Friday - Faith and the Foreman

It's Friday! Today is Book Release Day for my newest project:

Title: Faith and the Foreman
Author: Marsha Ward
Genre: Romantic Western Adventure Novella with a Bonus Short Story
Publisher: WestWard Books
Date of Publication: July 15, 2016
Price: $2.99 (ebook formats)

Book Description:
Faith and the Foreman was introduced in OLD WEST COLLECTION, volume nine of the bestselling and RONE Award-winning Timeless Romance Anthology series, and is now available as a standalone novella.

New Yorker Faith Bannister's circumstances force her to become a school teacher in faraway Arizona Territory. Harsh conditions don't seem so overwhelming when Faith meets lanky Slim McHenry. But menacing Rance Hunter stands in the way of Faith and Slim's happiness. Both must rally all their resources and act to overcome evil before it spreads.

Faith and the Foreman is bundled with a Western short story, The Usual Game, which is set in early-day Jerome, Arizona.

Verl might not make it home to Phoenix this weekend. His landlord is stuck in Happy Sam's usual poker game, and it looks like he's losing his entire savings. High stakes action in early Arizona.

Excerpt:
A bell jangled on the horse-drawn street car outside as Faith Bannister folded the letter she’d been reading and rose to pace the room. After two circuits, she stopped before her cousin. “I am ruined.”

Clarissa Pembroke looked up from the bandage she was knitting and shook her head. “The news can’t be all that bad, dear. We’ve managed to survive the bank crisis fairly well thus far.”

Faith waved the letter. “The interest on my stocks is practically zero.”

“You should have told me, Faith. I must try harder to find employment.” Clarissa breathed heavily. “I can’t believe my usefulness as a nurse is over because of a few gray hairs.” She straightened her back as though in denial of aging. “I’m going to a lecture tonight to keep up with advancing science. Doctor Harley will speak on treating poisons.”

“You shouldn’t have to support me, Clarissa. I’ll sell the house to that fat banker who lusts after it.”

“Faith! Mind your language.”

“He’s wanted it ever since Poppa and Mama got killed.” She bit a fingernail, then removed her finger from her teeth at Clarissa’s continuing reproachful look. “I know. Mama tried so hard to break me of that.” She brushed a blonde curl away from her misting eye and whispered, “Stocks and bonds are no replacement for one’s family. I’m most grateful for your companionship.”

Clarissa wiped her own tearing eyes.

Faith turned away. “Perhaps I can enter the nursing school at Bellevue Hospital. Mr. Spencer offered a price sufficient to pay tuition and allow me to rent an apartment.” She shrugged. “I’ll have to let the servants go. If it appears I don’t have time to train as a nurse before we’re destitute, I’ll become a governess or a shop clerk.”

Clarissa shook herself as though to restore a cheerful outlook. “Let’s not fret about finances now, dear. Come with me tonight and enjoy the lecture.” She held up her knitting. “This bandage will be finished by then, and I’ll have another eleven for the good doctor.”
~~~

Purchase Links:
Smashwords all formats | Kindle |  Kobo

Author Bio:
Amazon best-selling author Marsha Ward writes authentic historical fiction set in 19th Century America, and contemporary romance. She was born in the sleepy little town of Phoenix, Arizona, in a simpler time. With plenty of room to roam among the chickens and citrus trees, Marsha enjoyed playing with neighborhood chums, but always had her imaginary friend, cowboy Johnny Rigger Prescott, at her side. Now she makes her home in a forest in the mountains of Arizona. She loves to hear from her readers.

Find Marsha online:
marshaward.com
facebook.com/authormarshaward
marshaward.blogspot.com
twitter.com/MarshaWard
authormarshaward@gmail.com

Join Marsha's Readers Mailing List to be notified of new releases: Click here

Fresh Book Friday - Blood at Haught Springs

It's Friday, and it's Release Day for my newest publication!

Title: Blood at Haught Springs
Author: Marsha Ward
Genre: Western Adventure Novella with two Bonus Short Stories
Publisher: WestWard Books
Date of Publication: May 27, 2016
Price: $2.99 (ebook formats)

Book Description:
Wes Haught wants his brother to grow up and take on his share of the chores at the family's general store. Lonnie Haught dreams of the day he can leave home and use his gun. Both brothers resent the added work their father's recent accident has laid on them.

When a new family arrives in Haught Springs, Wes falls for the fair-haired daughter, while Lonnie seizes upon the father's offer of a job as his chance for escape.

But lies unravel and lives hang in the balance as brother fights against brother.

Fiery emotions and vengeful acts erupt in a smoldering new Western adventure novella from the author of the acclaimed Owen Family Saga.

Excerpt:
Wesley Haught opened a barrel of beans, set the wooden top aside, and prepared to sack up ten pounds for his waiting customer, Mrs. Slonaker. The bell over the door of the store jangled, and he looked up. A tall, bearded man came through the door. Wes was sure he hadn't visited Haught's General Store and Commercial Emporium before. Perhaps he was just passing through town. Wes appraised the dark suit the man wore, made of expensive fabric and nicely cut. He must have money. Maybe he’ll spend some of it today. He smiled at the thought.

“Morning,” Wes said. “I'll be with you shortly.”

“Take your time,” the stranger replied, but with a terseness to his voice that indicated he was not in the habit of waiting his turn. He stroked a nicely trimmed yellow beard that had two streaks of gray. His hair— that is, what Wes could see below the man’s bowler hat— was a lighter color of yellow, as though it had faded over the years.

Wes bagged and weighed the beans, then tied the sack closed with a bit of twine. He'd just turned to add the beans to Mrs. Slonaker's order piled on the counter, when the door's bell jangled again as it opened. A rustle of skirts told him he had another female customer.

“Lonnie,” he called over his shoulder into the back room. Lazy lay-about, he thought, his mood turning sour. At nineteen, Lonnie was three years younger than Wes, and he was the worst brother in town. In his mind's eye, he saw Lonnie sitting at the work table, feet propped on the top. Playing with a pistol. As usual. The fact that Dad didn’t seem to see Lonnie’s shiftlessness was like a knife in Wes’s guts.

“Lonnie! Get out here. Folks are lining up.” He hated using a brusque tone of voice in front of customers, but Lonnie wouldn't move unless he thought Wes meant it.

“In a minute,” Lonnie hollered.

From the sounds coming out of the back room— the clicks of rotation and soft swishes of metal seating into metal— Wes knew his brother was fitting cartridges into the cylinder of his pistol. “Huh,” he snorted, then turned back in time to see the new arrival close the door, sashay toward the man in the suit, and take his arm. He inhaled sharply and blinked at the sight of her.
~~~

Purchase Links:
Kindle | Smashwords (all ebook formats) | Kobo | Apple iTunes Bookstore

Author Bio:
Amazon best-selling author Marsha Ward writes authentic historical fiction set in 19th Century America, and contemporary romance. She was born in the sleepy little town of Phoenix, Arizona, in a simpler time. With plenty of room to roam among the chickens and citrus trees, Marsha enjoyed playing with neighborhood chums, but always had her imaginary friend, cowboy Johnny Rigger Prescott, at her side. Now she makes her home in a forest in the mountains of Arizona. She loves to hear from her readers.

Find Marsha online:
marshaward.com
facebook.com/authormarshaward
marshaward.blogspot.com
twitter.com/MarshaWard
authormarshaward@gmail.com

Join Marsha's Readers Mailing List to be notified of new releases: Click here

Sample Saturday: Cover Reveal - Blood at Haught Springs

I'm excited to reveal the cover of my new novella, Blood at Haught Springs, which will be released as an ebook next Friday, May 27.

This ebook edition contains two short stories, as well: Cottonwood Cowboys, and No More Strangers.

As you can tell by looking at the cover, I plan more stories featuring men from Haught Springs, a fictional town in Texas, and the surrounding area.

~~~

Have you picked up a copy of my new novel, The Zion Trail?
After you read it, please post a review at Amazon.

Thank you!

The Zion Trail

 $3.99 for ebooks; $12.99 for print books
ebooks: Smashwords | Kindle | Nook | Kobo | Apple iBooks Store 

print books: CreateSpace | Amazon | Barnes and Noble

 

Sample Saturday: War Party

I wasn't sure I would be able to post something for today, because I've had at least five power outages during this week of snow storms. But yay! The power is on for now, and as I warm back up, I'm going to share part of a short story called War Party, set in Arizona.

It recounts a tragedy that led up to a fictional participation in an actual event, the Battle of Salt River Canyon at Skeleton Cave in Arizona Territory. Here's the first scene.
~~~

$0.99 at Smashwords and Amazon's Kindle store.

War Party, Scene 1

Black smoke drew Rolla's eye, smoke where there should not be smoke. Then he heard the noise: high, piercing yips, and a woman's scream, and the flat report of gunshots.

A sand hill girdled with stunted mesquite trees blocked his view of the home place. The boy tongued the grass stem from his teeth as the dun-colored pack horse swung its head, nostrils wide, and the rope between the boy and horse tightened. Water in the barrels sloshed and splashed over the rims. Rolla smelled dank wetness as it cut through the dust on the sides of the casks.

He heard Pa's angry voice, and more shots, and the eternal yips, chilling his spine. Rolla started to run, pulling the dun behind, but the horse resisted, so he tied a fumbled knot around a mesquite branch. Then he scrambled and panted his way up the slope.

Rolla reached the top and flopped belly-down behind a tangle-branched creosote bush. He broke a stem so he could see through the shrub, and a tarry odor filled his lungs. Now he saw the source of the smoke. On the right, the dugout roof and door were ablaze, and to the left, hay stacks burned next to the corrals. The boy tried to count the dashing, milling figures with long black hair tied down by rolled bandanas, but because of the dust and smoke, he lost the total.

Apaches! he thought, remembering a neighbor's warning: "They's got hair down to here, boy, and them dirty white cloths to hide their nekkedness. And most often they's got a white band of paint clear acrost their faces, from ear to ear, nose and all."

One of the raiders knocked down the corral poles. The stock spilled out, chased by another Indian, and the rest of the band bunched behind, whooping, and drove the protesting animals onto the trail.

When the Apaches were a cloud of ocher dust, Rolla slid down the hill and, kicking the tree, snapped the spiny branch holding the horse's tether rope. He ran along the path, jerking the animal behind him, not caring about the water.

The boy came yelling into the yard between the overturned wagon and the stone fence surrounding the garden plot. "Pa!" he called, and saw a dark brown patch on the tan earth near the wagon. The boy dropped the horse's rope and followed scuff marks around the vehicle.

His father lay in a heap, and Rolla skidded to a halt beside him. "Pa," he cried, and knelt to shake the man. "Pa, wake up. They're gone." Then he recoiled, and held himself rigid at the sight of the stark white and crimson circle on the top of Pa's head. Rolla drew in a deep breath, and took in the dust and smoke, and the sweet-rank stench of blood.

The first, numbing shock passed, and the boy laid his hand inside his father's coat, checking for a heartbeat. There was none, and he stumbled to his feet.

"Ma?" he asked, looking around, swallowing hard, and he saw the splash of white petticoats behind the black wash kettle. "No, please," he prayed, feet dragging, as he approached the place where one shoe stuck out from in back of the boiling pot. He stopped, then peered around the column of rising steam.

Ma lay stretched out, eyes wide, mouth twisted, and the bodice of her gray dress was dark with blood. Her shawl looked like a yellow butterfly on the ground, and Rolla picked it up, fingering the soft wool. The threads caught on his chapped hands, and he clenched his fists over the wrap.

"Ma!" he yelled, and an echo returned from the hill as he draped the shawl over her terrified features. As he got up, he shook with restrained rage, and for a moment he stood, quivering, as though he were rooted between the two fallen figures. Then the youth dug one grave on the flat behind the corral: a large one beside the two small ones already there in the Arizona sand. After he rolled rocks atop the mounded earth, Rolla took his hat by the crown, pulled it forward off his head, and mumbled the Lord's Prayer before he stamped back to the yard.

The boy kicked through the rubble of the corral and found the riding saddle. He caught and tethered the dun, dumped the water barrels, loosened the pack saddle, and pushed it to the ground. Then he hoisted the riding saddle onto the horse's back.

Although the smoking roof poles had collapsed, and the front part of the house sagged, the fire had burned itself out, and Rolla wrestled the charred door aside and stepped into the dugout.

He found saddlebags, and stuffed them with whatever came first to hand: a loaf of bread; tins of tomatoes; his store-bought shirt; ammunition for the Winchester he had found under his father's body, brass dulled with blood. Then he rolled and tied a pair of quilts. Last, he picked up the photographic portrait of Matt and Kate Wood on their wedding day, and carried everything out into the daylight.

Rolla stared hard at the picture, as though by staring he could bring his parents to life. A dark sigh shook his body, and he pressed his lips together, shuddering at the contrast between this almost smiling couple and the mutilated corpses he had buried.

"I'll get 'em, Pa," he choked, his voice high, thin. "Those 'Paches killed their last white folks."

He shoved the portrait into his coat pocket, then hoisted the saddlebags behind the saddle, secured them, and tied on his bedroll. The rifle he jammed into the boot, then he loosed the horse, gathered the reins, and stepped onto the chopping stump to reach the stirrup. Mounted, he took one last, bitter look around, then bounced his heels off the mustang's ribs, and it skittered out of the yard and onto the trail.
~~~

Young Rolla has revenge in mind. Have you ever been so provoked that you thought of killing someone? How could you defuse that strong emotion? What else might Rolla have done in these circumstances instead of vowing revenge upon a band of Indians?

After you give your answer, be sure to go buy the story to learn what happens to Rolla:
Smashwords in all ebook formats| Kindle

Sample Saturday: Cottonwood Cowboys

Welcome to Sample Saturday! This snippet is from Cottonwood Cowboys, an Arizona story, in which Slim and Curly's plan for the school house dance get sidetracked by a rotted cottonwood tree..
~~~

The week ran along fine until Thursday night.

Then the big cottonwood came crashing down on the corral.

It about ruined my weekend.

I guess I didn’t mind so much that I was stuck on the two-man saw with Curly, but Saturday afternoon working toward evening was a poor time to pull tree clearing duty, especially this Saturday, with the dance all laid out at the school house, and a new schoolmarm to gaze at.

I reckon it wasn’t Curly’s fault; there wasn’t a finer hand than Curly, except maybe for me, on the whole Four Rivers, Arizona, spread. It was just that I was itching to get to that dance, having caught a beforehand sign of that schoolmarm when last I was in town.

The trouble was, Curly was just as anxious to get duded up and out to the school house as I was, and I didn’t want him to get an edge on me.

I guess it weren’t Amos Ramsey’s fault neither. But I sure cussed him some under my breath while I worked that saw back and forth as fast as I could stand. Old Amos owned the Four Rivers Ranch, and I thought sure he was going to leave that old, rotten tree for another day or two, seeing as how it had been laying there since the storm brought it down on Thursday night, and he hadn’t seen fit to give orders to clear it away.

Old Amos changed his mind along about Saturday noon, and decided he surely could use some firewood from that stringy tree, and while Curly and me were at it, we might as well clear the whole mess from the corral. And after that, if we didn’t mind, we could fix the section of fence that got mashed with the tree atop it.

“Tarnation,” I said, along with a few other little things, once Old Amos was safely out of earshot. “I reckon I hired on to do just about anything, as long as it could be done from the back of a horse.”

Curly growled something in reply, and yanked on the handle of the saw.
~~~

Thank you for visiting my blog.

Cottonwood Cowboys (An Arizona Short Story) is available at the following online retailers: 
Smashwords all formats | Kindle | nook | Kobo | iTunes Bookstore

My latest novel, The Zion Trail, will be published in 2016 as an ebook, and if there is sufficient demand, in print. To keep up-to-date on when The Zion Trail will be published, along with other new releases, and to learn of special offers and sales, click here to join my Readers email list. In your inbox, you will also receive instructions on how to download a free ebook of my last novel, Gone for a Soldier.
  

Sample Saturday: The Usual Game

Welcome to Sample Saturday. This snippet is from my short story, The Usual Game, set in the early days of the State of Arizona.
~~~

The Ford sputtered and died.

Verl allowed the car to slip backward down the side of the steep mountain road to the almost-flat place where the switchback zigzagged in the other direction, then turned off the lights and set the brake. Night surrounded him with insect chirps and the crisp, tangy odor of creosote as he stepped off the running board of the 1926 Model T.

I shoulda put in gas at Clarkdale, he thought, and wondered if the gas can was as dry as the tank.

The young man let his eyes adjust to starlight for a moment, breathing deeply, hoping to cut the concrete dust that filled his lungs with the night air. Even if his was a dirty job, it was honest labor, like he'd promised Betty. Construction work was good for the economy of the young state of Arizona, and pretty well paying for him.

He felt the wad of bills in his pocket. Maybe his earnings weren't like before, but soon there would be enough money for him to drive down to Phoenix to visit Betty and Ma. He could wire his wages to them, but he longed for some home cooking, and for the sight of Betty's laughing face when he came in the door.

Verl felt along the running board for the gas can. He untied it, then gave it a shake. Should be a good two gallons in there. Plenty to get him up the hill to his lodgings in Jerome.

He got the funnel out of the toolbox, uncapped the tank, and slid the funnel into the hole. Pungent fumes rose from the opened can as he lifted it, carefully adding the liquid to the tank. Then he was finished, and a tuneless whistle flowed through his pursed lips as he put away the gas can and funnel.

"Let's go on home," he said, patting the car.

Verl fired up the engine with the electric starter and eased off the brake to make another run up the steep road. The car settled into the proper gear and putted into the long ascent.

The engine died again.
~~~

Thank you for visiting my blog.

The Usual Game (An Arizona Short Story) is available at the following online retailers: Smashwords all formats | Kindle | nook | Kobo | iTunes Bookstore

My latest novel, The Zion Trail, will be published in 2016 as an ebook, and if there is sufficient demand, in print. To keep up-to-date on when The Zion Trail will be published, along with other new releases, and to learn of special offers and sales, click here to join my Readers email list. In your inbox, you will also receive instructions on how to download a free ebook of my last novel, Gone for a Soldier. 

It's Cyber Monday!

Have you checked out the Thanksgiving Blockbuster eBook Sale yet?

9 Genres! 15 Authors! 40 eBooks!

You DON'T want to miss this Special Event. It ends at MIDNIGHT tonight (Mountain Standard Time, USA).

ALL my Owen Family novels are just $0.99 each! It doesn't get any better than that.

 Get all the details here.

Thank you for being such a supportive fan!

It's Black Friday!

Now that you're home with your tired feet up on a footstool, did you remember to get a stash of books for the coming months?

No? EEK!

Calm down. It's not too late. Fourteen of my friends and fellow authors have an eBook Sale going all weekend, including Cyber Monday!

We write in all kinds of genres: 

Historical Romance
Fantasy/Steampunk/Science Fiction/Horror
Non Fiction/Self-Help/Memoir
YA/Middle Grade Fantasy
Sweet Romance
Women's Fiction
Romance
YA Contemporary
Romantic Suspense

That's NINE genres, and there are FORTY TITLES included in this SALE! 

Find your Favorite Authors, or find a new Favorite among these popular and emerging writers:

Joyce DiPastena, Karlie Lucas, 

Marsha Ward, Lisa Swinton, 

Charles T. Whipple, Valerie Ipson, 

Jaleta Clegg, Valerie Steimle, 

Sarah Daley, Donna K. Weaver, 

Anna del C. Dye, Pamela Lynn France,

Brittney Mulliner, 

Stephanie Connelley Worlton, 

Vicki Hunt Budge

Click Here for the details of the sale.

 

Happy Reading!

Thanksgiving Blockbuster eBook Sale!

If you live in the United States, on Thursday this week you'll be eating with friends, neighbors, or the folks, unless you have other circumstances, like having to work. I wish all of you a wonderful Thanksgiving Day!

Sometime this weekend, you might want to read a book. If you pull out your handy ebook reading device and discover that you've already read everything on there that looks interesting, I've got the solution right here: the Thanksgiving Blockbuster eBook Sale!

Even if you still have books to read on your device, don't forget the coming winter, when you will snap your fingers and tell yourself, "Sheesh! I could have bought that neat ebook for a song!"

Don't be that guy or gal.

Several of my author friends, who write in lots of different genres, have banded together during this five-day weekend to bring you special discounts on ebooks.

The Thanksgiving Blockbuster eBook Sale runs from Thursday, November 26 through Monday, November 30. That's from the U.S. Thanksgiving Day through Cyber Monday. Prices will go back up on Tuesday, so don't miss this event!

Genres include:

Historical Romance
Fantasy/Steampunk/Science Fiction/Horror
Non Fiction/Self-Help/Memoir
YA/Middle Grade Fantasy
Sweet Romance
Women's Fiction
Romance
YA Contemporary
Romantic Suspense

**Remember, the sale starts on THURSDAY. Be sure the price at your chosen retail venue reflects the sale price listed here. Some retailers take a while to post new prices after authors change them!**

(Note - all links marked "Kindle" go to Amazon.com when clicked.)

Historical Romance

Gone for a Soldier by Marsha Ward
Historical Action/Romance (Civil War)
Regular price $3.99
Discount price $0.99

Purchase Links Smashwords all formats | Kindle | nook | Kobo | iTunes Bookstore

Rulon Owen loves two things more than life—his country and Mary Hilbrands.

When Virginia secedes from the Union, Rulon enlists and finds himself fighting foes both in battle and in his own camp. He struggles to stay alive against all odds, with a knife-wielding tent-mate and a Union army that seems impossible to defeat. It will take every ounce of vigilance he has to survive and, with a little luck, he might make it home to his wife and the son he's never seen.

Forced to live with her parents for the duration, Mary faces a battle for independence. With a mother whispering that her husband won't come home to her and a son who needs her to be both father and mother, Mary has to dig deep for strength to overcome her overwhelming loneliness and the unknown future ahead.

Separated by war and circumstance, Rulon and Mary discover that not all enemies wear the Union blue.

The Man from Shenandoah by Marsha Ward
Historical Action/Romance
Regular price $2.99
Discount price $0.99

Purchase Links Smashwords all formats | Kindle | nook | Kobo | iTunes Bookstore

Carl Owen doesn't intend to lose anything—not his land, not his cattle, and certainly not his girl—ever again!

The young cavalryman returns from the Civil War to find the family farm destroyed, his favorite brother dead, food scarce, and his father determined to leave the Shenandoah Valley to build a cattle empire in Colorado Territory. Crossing the continent, Carl falls in love with his brother's fiancée while set to wed another girl, but he might lose everything if the murderous thug Berto Acosta has his way. Carl battles a band of outlaws, a prairie fire, blizzards, a trackless desert, and his own brother—all for the hand of feisty Ellen Bates.

Ride to Raton by Marsha Ward
Historical Action/Romance
Regular price $2.99
Discount price $0.99

Purchase Links Smashwords all formats | Kindle | nook | Kobo | iTunes Bookstore

Estranged from his family, James Owen leaves home to make a new life for himself. The turbulent world of post-Civil War Colorado Territory is fraught with danger and prejudice that increase his bitter loneliness as personal setbacks threaten to break him. Then James's journey brings him into contact with another wayfarer, beautiful young Amparo Garcés, who has come from Santa Fe to Colorado to marry a stranger. Through a twist of fate, their futures are changed forever when their lives are merged in a marriage of convenience. James and Amparo undertake a hazardous horseback trek over Raton Pass to Santa Fe, battling their personal demons, a challenging language barrier, and winter's raging storms.

Trail of Storms by Marsha Ward
Historical Action/Romance
Regular price $2.99
Discount price $0.99

Purchase Links Smashwords all formats | Kindle | nook | Kobo | iTunes Bookstore

Jessie Bingham put heartbreak away to tend to her sister's needs, but when she settled for second best in love, she didn't foresee that James Owen would come back into her life.

The aftermath of the Civil War creates cruel circumstances for the Bingham family. A brutal attack on Jessie's sister, Hannah Fletcher, drives the extended family to flee to the West. They are soon joined by Heppie Bingham's beau George and his brother, Ned, who bring news that the Binghams are being pursued by cronies of Hannah's attacker. Even after they fight off that onslaught, poverty, bad weather, and Hannah's frightful secret plague their journey. Nursing her battered heart when she hears James Owen took a wife, Jessie accepts Ned's offer of marriage. But a stop on the trail holds surprises that launch Jessie into a bewildering tangle of values, emotions, and high adventure.

Spinster's Folly by Marsha Ward
Historical Action/Romance
Regular price $2.99
Discount price $0.99

Purchase Links Smashwords all formats | Kindle | nook | Kobo | iTunes Bookstore

Marie Owen yearns for a loving husband, but Colorado Territory is long on rough characters and short on fitting suitors, so a future of spinsterhood seems more likely for her than wedded bliss.

Her best friend says cowboy Bill Henry is a likely candidate. Marie knows her class-conscious father would not allow such a pairing. When she challenges her father to find her a suitable husband before she becomes a spinster, he arranges a match with a neighbor's son. Then Marie discovers Tom Morgan would be an unloving, abusive mate and his mother holds a grudge against the Owen family. Marie's mounting despair at the prospect of being trapped in such a dismal marriage drives her into the arms of a sweet-talking predator, landing her in unimaginable dangers

Illuminations of the Heart by Joyce DiPastena
Historical Romance
Regular price $3.49
Discount price $0.99

Purchase Link Kindle

Siri de Calendri was trained in the art of illumination in her brother’s workshop in 12th century Venice, but when her brother dies his will sends her far from home. Siri travels to the faraway county of Poitou in France, where she enters the guardianship of her brother’s friend, Triston de Brielle. Once settled, she hopes to find employment in an illuminator’s shop—until Triston unexpectedly snatches her heart away with a kiss.

Triston is a man of quiet honor and courage, but the guilt he carries for the death of his wife, Clothilde, has left him numb and hesitant to love again. Worse yet, Siri bears an uncanny resemblance to his lost love. Or does she? Her merry laughter and twinkling eyes are very different from his late wife's shy smiles and quiet ways. Yet when he gazes into Siri's face, all he sees is Clothilde.

Then Triston's past returns to threaten them both. Trapped between the rivalry of the king's sons on the one hand and a neighbor out for vengeance on the other, Triston realizes it would be safer to send Siri away. Siri is determined not to be cast off and not to live in another woman’s shadow. She has illuminated many a priceless book with pen and paint, but can her own vibrant spirit illuminate the darkness in Triston’s soul and make his heart beat for her alone?

Loving Lucianna: A Hearts in Autumn Romance by Joyce DiPastena
Historical Romance
Regular price $2.99
Discount price $0.99

Purchase Link Kindle

Sir Balduin de Soler gave up long ago on love. He never had the means to support a wife until an unexpected advancement in his fifties allows him to reassess his future just as the lovely Lucianna enters his life.

Lucianna Fabio harbors a secret, painful memory from her past that has kept her unwed, as well. Now in her forties, she thought herself too old to marry until she meets Sir Balduin. Now suddenly their lonely autumn lives feel very much like spring again . . . until Lucianna’s brother appears without warning and threatens to revive the secret that will destroy Lucianna’s second chance at love.

Loving Lucianna is the first in my new “Hearts in Autumn” romance series, medieval romances revolving around heroes and heroines “in the autumn of their years.” Because you’re never too old to fall in love!

Loving Lucianna is based on characters that appear in my title, Illuminations of the Heart.

A Candlelight Courting: A Short Christmas Romance by Joyce DiPastena
Historical Romance
Regular price $1.99
Discount price $0.99

Purchase link Kindle

When Burthred comes courting on Christmas Eve, Meg rejects his advances. She has her heart set on becoming a nun and insists that he call her Christina, the spiritual name she has chosen for herself. She tries to make him swear on her box of holy relics that he will not pursue her, but he carefully words his oath to allow him to stay in her candlelit chamber and try to change her mind.

What Meg does not confess is that her reliquary box holds a secret.

Burthred needs a wife, and no one will satisfy him except Meg. He swore on his father’s deathbed that he would marry her. But Burthred has a secret, too. When they come together before the Yule fire, their shared revelations will either join their hearts together or tear them apart.

Fantasy/Steampunk/Science Fiction/Horror

Drowning Sandy by Sarah Daley
Fantasy/Magical Realism
Regular price $2.99
Discount price $0.99

Purchase Links Kindle | Kobo | Scribd | Oyster

The water is calling...

and Sandy can no longer resist the urge to unleash her mermaid form. But a simple swim in Lake Ontario ends when she discovers the truth of her own banishment. When long time crush, Dylan, seems to shift in a direction she never dreamed possible, Sandy must make a choice—mermaid or human? Once she chooses, she can never go back.

Dark Dancer by Jaleta Clegg
Steampunk Fantasy
Regular price $2.99
Discount price $0.99

Purchase Links Kindle | Smashwords

A banished Seligh lord rules the Winterlands with an iron fist and his pets, the balmorae, patrol the borders against all intruders, guarding the secrets hidden beneath his icy lair. A young woman rediscovers her heritage, a gift of magic and dancing that opens portals between worlds. She holds the fate of their world in her hands. A strange prophecy haunts the Seligh lords, rulers of the Fey and controllers of all magic in the Summerlands, a prophecy that foretells their fall. All who live within the lands of the Fey must choose where they stand—beside the Dancer or opposed to her.

Second Chances by Jaleta Clegg
Science Fiction Short Story
Bargain price $0.99 at Amazon
FREE at Smashwords

Purchase Links Kindle | Smashwords (Coupon Code DE23P)

Paltronis may not have started the fight, but she ended it. And her future with the Patrol. Facing criminal charges, she gets one last chance to prove she's not a total screw-up.

Nexus Point by Jaleta Clegg
SF Space Opera
Bargain price $0.99

Purchase Links Kindle | Smashwords

Stranded on a primitive world, betrayed by her crew, facing death at the hands of the natives, hunted by drug smugglers, Captain Dace has one hope of survival - convince the Patrol agent trying to kill her that she's innocent. But on Dadilan, no one is innocent.

Soul Windows by Jaleta Clegg
SF/F Short Story Collection
Regular price $2.99
Discount price $0.99

Purchase Links Kindle | Smashwords

The eyes are windows to the soul. What would you find if you could look deep enough? These ten tales of science fiction and fantasy explore characters good and evil, placid and troubled, dark and light. Journey through the windows of the soul. You may be surprised by what you find. Original stories by Jaleta Clegg.

Brain Candy by Jaleta Clegg
Silly Horror Short Stories
Regular price $2.99
Discount price $0.99

Purchase Links Kindle | Smashwords

Ready to feel the chills running down your spine? Wait, that's just the green gelatin monster from one of the stories in this collection of very silly (and a few not-so-silly) horror stories. Vampires, werewolves, demons, mummies, and zombies compete with evil little Shirley Temple look-alikes and their collectibles, centerpieces and church women, cops and monster hunters, for your laughs. It's a light-hearted take on the horror genre.

The Fall of Awa - Story 1 of The Masacado Scrolls by Charles T Whipple
Japanese Fantasy/Adventure Short Story
Bargain Price $0.99
Warning: Violence/Adult Themes

Purchase Links Kindle | Nook | Smashwords (all formats)

The world is in turmoil as the mighty armies of the Toh call on the dark powers of Yami, lord of the underworld, to help them destroy all in their way. At last they come to the little kingdom of Awa. Lord Masaharu and his army cannot defeat the Toh. Invaded by Kage shadow warriors, Awa falls. The royal family dies. And all the servants are given to the Hinin, non-people who scavenge to live. Ryo, despite her spiritual talent of reikan, becomes a slave. Yet she must protect the baby growing in her mother's womb. Can she defeat the Haigorei and save the life of the last royal son?

The Shadow Shield - Story 2 of The Masacado Scrolls by Charles T Whipple
Japanese Fantasy/Adventure Short Story
Bargain Price $0.99
Warning: Violence/Adult Themes

Purchase Links Smashwords (all formats) | Kindle | Nook

Ryo has been called and anointed Seeker. And every Seeker, by sadame, has a Shielder to protect her. Kaku, a shadow warrior or Okuhida, feels his sadame call as Shielder to Ryo. He must travel a thousand ri and more to reach her side at Awa Omote. During his journey, he gains two helpers, a giant Tengu named Golan and an unknown slave girl called Nanashi or No Name. Can they defeat the oni demons and hannama denizens of the deep? Will they be able to protect Ryo, the Seeker?

The Road to Kio - Story 3 of The Masacado Scrolls by Charles T Whipple
Japanese Fantasy/Adventure Short Story
Bargain Price $0.99

Purchase Links Nook | Kindle | Smashwords (all formats)

Koziro is anointed of Amaterasu. In time, if he grows in knowledge and wisdom, he must wrest the eight Kingdoms of Kanto from the evil Toh. But first, he must take a journey on the road to Kio, the ancient city of the emperors. The Toh, Yami, lord of the underworld, and all the dark forces wish to prevent Koziro from achieving his quest. What is in Kio that Koziro must not learn? When his protectors are captured in a magic cavern, can Koziro persevere?

The Horse Soldiers - Story 4 of The Masacado Scrolls by Charles T Whipple
Japanese Fantasy/Adventure Short Story
Bargain Price $0.99

Purchase Links Smashwords (all formats) | Nook | Kindle

Noritsugu, by heritage, is captain of the horse guard that serves the Toh. By his conscience, he cannot condone what Michizane, the Toh overlord, does. In the course of morbid events, Noritsugu saves a virgin girl from ritual defiling by Michizane and the black priests. To survive, he must get her to the shrine of Amaterasu, the only holdouts of the Almighty in Toh lands. There he finds the girl is a princess, who by sadame is to marry the Anointed One. Noritsugu and his Yotsu horse soldiers are anointed Bearers and given the task of delivering the princess to Awa Omote, thousands of ri away.

Nami of the Waves - Story 5 of The Masacado Scrolls by Charles T Whipple
Japanese Fantasy/Adventure Short Story
Bargain Price $0.99

Purchase Links Kindle | Smashwords (all formats) | Nook

After the Anointed of Amaterasu, even Masacado, did begin his journey to Kio the Imperial City in search of enlightenment and wisdom, behold, others were raised up by the Almighty to join in the search for the lost talismans of Amaterasu. One of these chosen was Nami, daughter of the Sea Lord, Umihiko, whose gift from Amaterasu shall be revealed henceforth. Let it suffice to say that she is entitled the Fuku, that is, bringer of good fortune. May her own fortune ever be boundless.

As with the account of The Horse Soldiers, I will now lay aside my brush so those who read of the Fuku, a stalwart subject of Amaterasu, might search the accounts and come to believe in the might and sacred power of Amaterasu Omikoto, creator of all and ruler of Heaven and Earth. So I have written and so shall it be done. Sayo nara, and sayo nara.

Non Fiction/Self-Help/Memoir

Home is Where the Learning is For Highschoolers by Valerie Steimle
Non Fiction/Education
Regular price $2.99
Discount price FREE

Purchase Link Kindle

High school is often the most intimidating aspect of homeschooling. Most parents don't know anything about preparing transcripts for college, and the unknown is scary. Home Is Where the Learning Is for High Schoolers helps parents learn the necessary classes for acceptance into college or trade school, as well as information on how to write high school transcripts, how to plan and execute a graduation, transitioning from public school, and more.

Life Soup - A Memoir - Testifying of the Healing Power of Jesus Christ by Pamela Lynn France
Self-Help/Memoir
Regular price $6.99
Discount price $3.99

Purchase Link Kindle

A true story, told using the memories of a child--the author's inner child; a story of survival--a love story without romance, but with hope. The author recounts the age-old struggle between good and evil. Jesus Christ has been saving souls throughout human history, and is a part of this story, too.

YA/Middle Grade Fantasy

The Unknown Elf by Karlie Lucas
YA Fantasy/Thriller
Regular price $2.99
Discount price $0.99

Purchase Links Kindle | Smashwords | Nook

Marie never expected to wake up in North Pole City, let alone become Santa’s Emergency Replacement. It was a job she never wanted but couldn’t turn down, thanks to Clarence, Santa’s right hand man.

Now, Marie has to work with Clarence, who believes she is some kind of criminal who will cause the destruction of everything he holds dear. Trying to prove that he’s wrong, Marie keeps making mistakes that push them even further apart. It doesn’t help that she has a past she’d rather keep hidden. However, trying to keep her past where it should belong isn’t easy.

Just when Marie starts to feel like things are coming together, a madman with a bone to pick, and Christmas to ruin, threatens the whole of the North Pole Organization. Marie must rely on Clarence and her new friends to help her face her past before Christmas is gone forever. But does she have the courage to truly be herself when it could mean losing everything?

The Silent Warrior Trilogy

The Elf and the Princess by Anna del C. Dye
YA Medieval Fantasy
Regular price $2.99
Discount price $1.99

Purchase Link Kindle

Menarm was a great and prosperous kingdom, known throughout the lands for its friendly, hard-working people and fair trade. But a bitter struggle of succession between brothers left the kingdom devastated, the people divided. Some stayed with Fenil, who had conquered the crown, others followed Renil to the wild lands of the north, founding a new kingdom.

Now Adren, the last princess of the vanquished realm of Menarm, finds herself alone in a world where women live in the shadows of men. Not only must she battle her enemies, but also a truth that could obliterate her last hope for happiness and bring dishonor to all those whom she hold dear. On her quest, she finds unlikely allies in a powerful prince and a defiant mercenary, only to be devastated by an ancient and wily elf. Will Adren be able to survive this final assault?

The Elf and the Princess is a brilliant tale of true love, high adventure, and medieval-style warfare between elves, men, and orcs. Drawing inspiration from the myths and legends of Europe and from such writers as J.K. Rowling and J.R.R. Tolkien, Anna del C. Dye spins a completely original tale that will leave the reader wanting more.

Trouble in the Elf City by Anna del C. Dye
YA Medieval Fantasy
Regular price $5.49
Discount price $2.99

Purchase Link Kindle

In the serene and beautiful city of the elfs, life has changed but little since Menarm was destroyed and the war ended. Three springs have passed and Adren, the last princess of Menarm, has settled into her new life. Her champion, the Silent Warrior, has not been seen since the battle at Wilapond.

Suddenly the peaceful life in her new kingdom is challenged by enemies the elfs are unable to fight. Disaster seems imminent for their whole race. Will Adren have to witness the destruction of this kingdom and once again find herself alone in the world? Or can the Silent Warrior come to her rescue and save them all?

Once again Anna's inspiration from the myths and legends of Europe and from writers such as J.K. Rowling and J.R.R. Tolkien has woven a new and completely original tale full of suspense, adventure, and medieval-style warfare in Trouble in the Elf City, Book Two of "The Silent Warrior Trilogy". This tale of high adventure between elfs and men will take you to a fantasy world that will leave you asking for more. Join in the continuing saga of Adren and the elfkind, in Book Two.

Elfs in a Conquered Realm by Anna del C. Dye
YA Medieval Fantasy
Regular price $6.49
Discount price $2.99

Purchase Link Kindle

On their visit to the vanquished Kingdom of Menarm, the elfs face many uncertainties. However, they are strong in numbers and sure of their purpose. Zyrthal, the young elf strategist, is given the task of finding the kingdom's hidden treasures; but instead the elfs encounter ruthless highwaymen.

Meanwhile, the two half-elf princes play among the ruins of Menarm to their hearts' content while their parents attend to their work, cleaning and repairing the houses around the castle in an effort to revive the city. It is a hard job and they could run short on time. In the midst of all this commotion the boys disappear from the dead kingdom.

Brigands want riches and they will let the boys go if the city of Menarm gives up its treasures to them. They allow only one person to go to verify that the boys are alive and the elfs confide in the most harmless figure among them: The Menarm Princess. The outlaws have no clue as to the hidden shadow that will accompany her, the Silent Warrior.

Yet Adren's warrior has been battling demons of his own and finds himself in great doubts concerning his performance as the champion of the last Princess of Menarm. These shadows in his heart double with the disappearance of the two half-elf princes and he harbors misgivings that he won't succeed in rescuing the young boys and thwarting the mercenaries. The Silent Warrior fears that he has fallen from Adren's graces forever.

Elfs in a Conquered Realm is the outstanding finale to "The Silent Warrior Trilogy". Anna has answered all the open questions in the continuing saga of this beautiful race. A masterpiece of storytelling, "The Silent Warrior Trilogy" will leave you with a sense of peace, love, and great accomplishment and take you on a journey you will not soon forget.

Once Upon Two Kingdoms by Anna del C. Dye
Sweet YA Medieval Romance
Regular price $5.49
Discount price $2.99

Purchase Link Kindle

Freedom to Choose is Paramount for any human.

An arrangement made when Elizabeth was just a babe ties her to someone she has never met, never spoken to, never loved. Now she desires freedom—a way to choose her own path—her own husband. The moment Elizabeth meets Patrick she knows he is her soul mate. But when you are bound to a crown how is any choice your own?

Emerine's Nightmare by Anna del C. Dye
Middle Grade Fantasy
Regular price $2.99
Discount price $1.99

Purchase Link Kindle

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?

Sweet Romance

Vocal Crush by Lisa Swinton
Sweet Romance
Regular price $3.99
Discount price $0.99

Purchase Link Kindle

Can you ever out-run 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?

Think television reality show "The Voice" mixed with Jane Austen's Persuasion.

Ring on Her Finger by Lisa Swinton
Sweet Romance
Regular price $3.99
Discount price $0.99

Purchase Link Kindle

What happened in Vegas should stay there, not follow Amanda home, newly wedded to the man who broke her heart.

After celebrating college graduation with her friends in Las Vegas, Amanda St. Claire wakes up with a terrible hangover and a ring on her finger. Her day gets worse when she finds out she's married to rich playboy Blake Worthington—the guy she has loathed the past four years. Amanda convinces Blake to legally terminate the marriage and they both return home like nothing ever happened. That is, until Blake shows up on her doorstep and Amanda has to come clean with her family.

Together for better or worse while the legalities are cleared, Amanda reluctantly plays along, but then the unthinkable happens—she finds herself falling in love with Blake.

Can they overcome the past? Or will it end their future before it even starts?

Those who enjoy What Happens in Vegas and The Prince and Me will find a kindred spirit in Ring on Her Finger.

Fallen Angel by Lisa Swinton
Sweet Romance
Regular price $2.99
Discount price $0.99

Purchase Link Kindle

Antonio does not believe in love at first sight until he sees Renatta fall into a street in Milan and get hit by a motorcycle. Compelled to know if she can return his affection, he becomes her hospital volunteer, only to learn that the accident erased her memory. Together they must discover her past, present and future. Her opera career, tyrannical mother, and fiancé stand in the way of happily-ever-after, so Antonio must win Renatta’s heart before she bends to the will of her mother and marries Marcello. Failure means a lifetime of loneliness, for love at first sight never happens twice.

Women's Fiction

Intercession, Hope and Healing #1 by Vicki Hunt Budge
LDS Women's Fiction
Regular price $3.49
Discount price $0.99

Purchase Link Kindle

In The Darkest Hours of Addiction, A Light Shines

When Jessica Mobley’s husband abandons her and flies off to Mexico to meet another woman, it’s the tip of the iceberg. She soon unravels his porn addiction and her financial ruin.

Jessica tries to keep up an appearance that all is well, but ultimately she resorts to drastic measures to support her three children. She guts part of her home to start a preschool and rents out another two rooms.

Her life is soon filled with new friends and activities, but the new friends bring problems of their own. Is hope and healing possible as they strengthen one another and rely on the Lord? And will romance find its way into Jessica’s heart again?

Intercession is a story of love and friendship loaded with drama, inspiration, loss and the tenacity of one woman who finds her strength in the Lord.

Renewal, Hope and Healing #2 by Vicki Hunt Budge
LDS Women's Fiction
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Being deeply loved by someone gives you strength,
While loving someone deeply gives you courage.
~Lao Tzu

Kayla Morrison, an LDS young single adult, grew up in an unloving, verbally abusive home. It’s no wonder she’s skeptical when charming, successful Chris Christensen brings up love on their first date. Making things worse, her former fiancé shows up later and claims Chris doesn’t love her.

Meanwhile Kayla’s father drops the bomb that he’s not her real father. And then he dies, setting Kayla on an arduous quest to discover who she really is, and if she’s worthy of anyone’s love.

Along the way she establishes new friendships and treasures current friends. But will the drama of her friends and family strengthen her, or will it cause her to withdraw back to her destructive beginnings?

Renewal is the continuing story of love and friendship in the Hope and Healing Series. It is a story of redemption and faith in the Savior, Jesus Christ.

Romance

A Change of Plans, Safe Harbors #1 by Donna K. Weaver
Adventure Romance
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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.

Hope's Watch, Safe Harbors #1.5 by Donna K. Weaver
Romance
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Elle Reinhardt loves people and has a gift for turning groups of strangers into friends. When she talks her best friend Lyn into taking a month-long Pacific cruise, Elle is in her element, gathering fellow passengers to her. But things go horribly wrong when a ship excursion ends in death and disaster at the hands of modern-day pirates.

Filled with her own emotional wounds from the experience, Elle tries desperately to buoy up the grieving loved ones as they wait for news on those lost at sea. Malcolm Armstrong, friend of one of the missing men, arrives to act as family spokesman. Elle knows it’s unreasonable, but she resents his presence. When Mal offers the strength she so desperately needs, will she be able to let go of her animosity and accept his support?

This ebook-exclusive short story includes special excerpts from both A Change of Plans and Torn Canvas.

A Season of Change, Safe Harbors #2.5 by Donna K. Weaver
Romance
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It’s a time of change for Jori Virtanen. The former playboy model is about to be married. He juggles wedding arrangements, a bachelor party, and plans for keeping the ceremony secret from the press. But Jori has another problem. He has to figure out how to tell one of his best friends, Marc North, that his girlfriend may not be what she appears.

This ebook-exclusive short story includes a special excerpt from Swing Vote, Safe Harbors #3.

YA Contemporary

Ideal High by Valerie Ipson
YA Contemporary
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There's no way Taryn's taking Blake's place as president of the student body. As soon as the memorial for him and six of their friends is over, she's resigning as VP. Really. Except people say the fire was no accident. (She says it's way too easy to blame someone who's dead.) When Taryn reads the writing on the wall, literally, the bathroom wall, she knows what it means. To get to the truth she has to come out from under her paisley comforter. But seriously, what stage of grief says Taryn has to be the one to fix what's wrong at Ideal High? Maybe she's the one who's broken.

 Begin Again by Brittney Mulliner
YA Contemporary
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Escaping her past, Aubrey Tate moves to Southern California for a fresh start with her older brother, Brandon. Starting over at a new school seems easy with her cousin, Mckayla, and her two best friends at her side, but handling the new guys is another matter. Aubrey ends up in the middle of three rivals that each wants her to themselves. Mike claims her first and declares himself her friend and protector. Luke is the school heartthrob that stops Aubrey in her tracks, speechless. Gage is the mysterious, dark outsider that Aubrey can be herself around. How will she navigate her new life while she's still haunted by her past?

Live Again by Brittney Mulliner
YA Contemporary
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In the sequel to Begin Again, Aubrey Tate finally finds where she belongs.

Living with her brother in California, finding new friends she can trust; things are finally beginning to settle down for Aubrey. Then she receives the note that changes everything. The past she thought she left behind is still following her.

Now she faces the threat of a stalker who has the potential to unravel her perfect new life. This time, she has her friends and brother helping her, but will they be enough to save her from her real life nightmare?

Romantic Suspense

All the Finer Things by Stephanie Connelley Worlton
Romantic Suspense
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Married to one of the most lucrative and sought after plastic surgeons in SoCal, Megan Hamilton has it all. Her posh life, designer clothes, and stunning penthouse leave her wanting for nothing… or do they?

HACKED: A Romance Novelette by Stephanie Connelley Worlton
Romantic Suspense
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NSA data analyst Samantha Perry never imagined life as an introverted computer geek could get dangerous, but when she digs a little too deep into a greedy blackhat’s business, trouble comes right to her doorstep. Changing her identity and relocating nearly 2000 miles across the country are only the beginning of her problems. As she risks everything to try to close the case that turned her life upside down, she may end up putting a nail in her own casket. And if she doesn’t, Seth, her hot new neighbor, just might.