Saturday, December 9, 2017

Summer's Squall Winner



I hope you had as much fun with the Summer's Squall blog tour as I did. And today, we have the winner!

The recipient of two paperbacks is...



Amanda G.!


Congratulations, Amanda! I will send your email address to Amy so she can get your mailing address from you.

Monday, December 4, 2017

Summer in December!




Do you like winter? I personally do, but I also know there are a lot of people who don’t. Just remember, summer is coming. Yes, it’s about seven months away, but we can still celebrate it. And today, Amy Schliser is on the blog telling us all about her new book, Summer’s Squall.

About the Book


Summer’s Squall, begins in Baltimore where Baltimore City Police Detective, Abe (Lank) Lankton, assumes he'll be helping his cousin solve a minor problem when she calls and asks him to fly west. When he learns that he's been called out there to aid in capturing an elusive stalker, his first instinct is go straight back to Maryland. However, when he meets the alluring victim, Summer Cooper, all bets are off. With his future, and his own life, in jeopardy, Lank must choose between going back to the life he knows in America's Charm City or staying out west to help Summer. But Lank's not sure that Summer is all that she claims to be or that the stalker even exists. One thing he knows for sure, Summer is guilty... of stealing his heart. Summer’s Squall is published by Chesapeake Sunrise Publishing and will be available in local book stores. It may be ordered through Amazon, Barnes and Noble, iBooks, and most other online sellers.

About the Author

Award-winning author, Amy MacWilliams Schisler, grew up in Maryland, not far from Washington, DC. She graduated from Salisbury University with a Bachelor’s Degree in History and Political Science and from the University of Maryland with a Masters of Library and Information Science. Amy began writing as a child and spent fifteen years working as a librarian, a job she dearly loved, before becoming a full-time author. Her debut book was the beloved children’s book, Crabbing With Granddad, an autobiographical book about spending the day with her grandfather that us used throughout the state of Maryland as part of its Maryland history unit. Amy’s first novel, A Place to Call Home, was published in 2014 by Sarah Book Publishing. Her books, Picture Me and Whispering Vines, received 2016 and 2017 Illumination Book Awards, which recognize the best Christian themed books published both in the traditional book form as well as the ebook industry. Whispering Vines received a 2017 LYRA Award for the best romance of 2016. She followed up her success with the acclaimed, Island of Miracles in 2017. Amy’s weekly blog currently has over 1000 subscribers, and topics vary from current events to her home life with her husband, Ken, and their three daughters, Rebecca, Katie, and Morgan as well as their two dogs, Rosie and Misty.

Schisler delights in speaking to groups, and more information may be found at her website: http://www.amyschislerauthor.com.


You may follow Amy online at the following places:
http://amyschislerauthor.com
http://amyschisler.wordpress.com
http://facebook.com/amyschislerauthor
https://www.goodreads.com/amyschisler
https://www.bookbub.com/authors/amy-schisler
Twitter @AmySchislerAuth

Giveaway


Amy is generously giving one lucky person two signed paperbacks. One copy is for you and the other for your friend. You can enter here: 

a Rafflecopter giveaway


Tour Schedule

December 4

December 5
Lisa Swinton - Queen of Random – Book Spotlight
Rachel Rossano's Words – Book Spotlight

December 6
Rebekah Lyn Books – Book Spotlight
Amy Schisler, Author – Book Spotlight

December 7
Among the Reads – Book Spotlight

December 8
Adventures in Publishing – Book Spotlight

December 9
Bookish Orchestrations – Giveaway winner
 

Thursday, November 30, 2017

The Student and the Slave: an Adventure Novel with a Giveaway

Take a look at this exciting new young adult action and adventure novel, The Student and the Slave, now available for purchase! This is the third book in the Krillonian Chronicles, after The Collar and the Cavvarach and The Gladiator and the Guard

The series is set in an alternate world that is very much like our own, with just a few major differences.  One is that slavery is legal there.  Slaves must wear metal collars that lock around their neck, making their enslaved status obvious to everyone. Another difference is the popularity of a martial art called cavvara shil.  It is fought with a cavvarach (rhymes with "have a rack"), a weapon similar to a sword but with a steel hook protruding from partway down its top edge.  Competitors can strike at each other with their feet as well as with the blades.  You win in one of two ways: disarming your opponent (hooking or knocking their cavvarach out of their hands) or pinning their shoulders to the mat for five seconds.

The Collar and the Cavvarach by Annie Douglass Lima
First, a Little Information about Books 1 and 2: 


Book 1: The Collar and the Cavvarach

Bensin, a teenage slave and martial artist, is desperate to see his little sister freed. But only victory in the Krillonian Empire's most prestigious tournament will allow him to secretly arrange for Ellie's escape. Dangerous people are closing in on her, however, and Bensin is running out of time. With his one hope fading quickly away, how can Bensin save Ellie from a life of slavery and abuse?


Click here to read chapter 1 of The Collar and the Cavvarach.
Click here to read about life in the Krillonian Empire, where the series is set.


The Gladiator and the Guard by Annie Douglass LimaBook 2: The Gladiator and the Guard

Bensin, a teenage slave and martial artist, is just one victory away from freedom. But after he is accused of a crime he didn’t commit, he is condemned to the violent life and early death of a gladiator. While his loved ones seek desperately for a way to rescue him, Bensin struggles to stay alive and forge an identity in an environment designed to strip it from him. When he infuriates the authorities with his choices, he knows he is running out of time. Can he stand against the cruelty of the arena system and seize his freedom before that system crushes him?


Click here to read about life in the arena where Bensin and other gladiators are forced to live and train.


And now, The Student and the Slave, with another awesome cover by the talented Jack Lin!


Book 3: The Student and the Slave

Is this what freedom is supposed to be like? Desperate to provide for himself and his sister Ellie, Bensin searches fruitlessly for work like all the other former slaves in Tarnestra. He needs the money for an even more important purpose, though: to rescue Coach Steene, who sacrificed himself for Bensin’s freedom. When members of two rival street gangs express interest in Bensin’s martial arts skills, he realizes he may have a chance to save his father figure after all … at a cost.

Meanwhile, Steene struggles with his new life of slavery in far-away Neliria. Raymond, his young owner, seizes any opportunity to make his life miserable. But while Steene longs to escape and rejoin Bensin and Ellie, he starts to realize that Raymond needs him too. His choices will affect not only his own future, but that of everyone he cares about. Can he make the right ones … and live with the consequences?


Click here to order The Student and the Slave from Amazon for $2.99 a discounted price of just 99 cents through November 31st!


About the Author:
Annie Douglass Lima spent most of her childhood in Kenya and later graduated from Biola University in Southern California. She and her husband Floyd currently live in Taiwan, where she teaches fifth grade at Morrison Academy. She has been writing poetry, short stories, and novels since her childhood, and to date has published fifteen books (three YA action and adventure novels, four fantasies, a puppet script, six anthologies of her students’ poetry, and a Bible verse coloring and activity book). Besides writing, her hobbies include reading (especially fantasy and science fiction), scrapbooking, and international travel.



Connect with the Author Online:
Email: AnnieDouglassLima@gmail.com
Blog: http://anniedouglasslima.blogspot.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AnnieDouglassLimaAuthor
Twitter: https://twitter.com/princeofalasia
Goodreads: http://bit.ly/ADLimaOnGoodreads
Amazon Author Page: http://bit.ly/AnnieDouglassLimaOnAmazon
LinkedIn: http://bit.ly/ADLimaOnLinkedIn
Google+: http://bit.ly/ADLimaOnGooglePlus


Now, enter to win an Amazon gift card or a free digital copy of the first two books in the series!





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Friday, November 17, 2017

Christmas Comes Early Conclusion



The tour was fun, but all fun things must come to an end. And today, we have arrived. I hope you enjoyed the tour. If you missed any of the blogs, you can find the direct links below.

Reviews

Resting Life – Review and Excerpt
Bryce’s Creative Writing Corner – Author Interview, Review, and Excerpt
Counting Your Blessings One by One – Review and Excerpt
Whimsical Writings for His Glory – Author, Review, and Excerpt
Maidens for Modesty – Author Interview and Review
Once Upon an Ordinary – Review 
 Stories by Firefly – Review
Kelsey's Notebook – Review and Excerpt

Interviews

Odelia's Blog – Author Interview and Book spotlight
Bryce’s Creative Writing Corner – Author Interview, Review, and Excerpt
Maidens for Modesty – Author Interview and Review
Laurel's Leaves – Author Interview
Claire Banschbach – Author Interview

Spotlights and excerpts

Read Another Page – Book Spotlight from the author
Kaylee's Kind of Writes – Book Spotlight
Rachel Rossano's Words – Book Spotlight and Excerpt
Perry Elisabeth – Excerpt  
Read Another Page – Book Spotlight from the author
Odelia's Blog – Author Interview and Book spotlight
Perpetual Indie Perspective – Book Spotlight
Read Another Page – Book Spotlight from the author
The Destiny of One – Book Spotlight
Rebekah Ashleigh – Book Spotlight
Read Another Page – Book Spotlight from the author
Jaye L. Knight – Book Spotlight and Excerpt
Stephany's BLOG Snippets – Book Spotlight and Excerpt
Read Another Page – Book Spotlight from the author
Ruffles and Grace – Book Spotlight
With a Joyful Noise – Book Spotlight

Thursday, November 16, 2017

Music of Her Heart


Sophie Dawson is back with a new book! Just published on November 16th! It's all about music and a marriage forced on them by circumstances. Can Red and Gema make things work?

About the Book

 Red Dickerson is shocked to see a young woman running through the woods in the freezing rain. He’d gone to the far end of Hawk’s Wing Ranch to think after his engagement was broken by the woman he planned to marry. Recognizing her as Gema Volkovichna, one of the women from Sanctuary House, he spurs his horse to go after her. Finding she’s escaped after being kidnapped by the infamous King Gang, he vows to keep her safe. 


Gema Volkovichna is one of the newest women to come to Sanctuary House in Stones Creek, Colorado. She came to find work and possibly a husband. When a spring blizzard forces them to spend three days alone in a line shack, there’s only one conclusion. She and Red must marry to salvage her reputation.

Can Gema and Red learn to be husband and wife? Will love grow from this forced marriage? Will the King Gang return to reclaim what they lost? Can Red and Gema learn to dance together to the MUSIC of HER HEART?




About the Author


Sophie Dawson has made up stories in her head all her life. It wasn’t until 2011 that she began writing typing them out.


Her first books were all historical fiction romance. They’ve won multiple awards and garnered rave reviews. Now, Sophie has branched out into contemporary romance though she plans to continue writing historical and hopes to add more books in her popular Cottonwood and Stones Creek series.

Sophie lives with her husband and very old cat on a farm in western Illinois. She’s an avid seamstress and was a professional quilter for a number of years before the writing bug bit. She’s just thankful it’s not fatal.


Excerpt

Red didn’t know what hit him. All he’d said was that he’d take Gema to Jeb and see if she could play his fiddle. Now, he had her in his arms, and she was crying on his shoulder as she held him tightly. He looked at Cookie who smiled at him.

When she quieted, Red escorted her to where the cowboys were gathered. “Jeb.” Red waited until all the cowboys were looking at him with Gema who was standing slightly behind him, gripping his hand tightly. “Seems my wife can play the fiddle. Would you be of a mind to let her use yours to show us?”
Jeb who was sitting on a log stool jumped to his feet. “Sure enough, Red. Be glad to. My arm’s gettin’ a might tired.” He held the violin out, and Red took it.
“Here you go, honey. Give it a whirl.”
Gema took the instrument and bow. He watched as she stroked the wood, her face held an expression of love and joy. Tucking it under her chin, Gema touched the bow to the strings. Several minutes were spent tuning them to her satisfaction. Then she stepped back, centering herself within the semi-circle of seated and standing cowboys.
At first, Gema ran through several sets of scales, pausing to start over when her fingers stumbled. Then, she began a haunting, sad tune that brought echoes of the past to Red’s thoughts. He glanced at the other cowboys. They were feeling the effects of the music, too.
Once the strains of the song faded, Gema picked up the tempo with a lively folk song that had the men all smiling. Red could tell she missed some notes, but that she had a natural talent was obvious.
She played two more songs he wasn’t familiar with. Then, she played another piece evoking emotions of joy and sorrow, love and loss. Her eyes were closed, and tears streamed down her face. He couldn’t take his eyes off her. Gema seemed one with the violin and bow. They were extensions of her body. When Gema lifted the bow from the strings and bowed her head, Red looked at the cowboys. They were opened-mouthed at the wonder of the music they’d just heard.
Gema stepped up to Jeb. “Thank you for opportunity to play.” She held out the violin and bow so he could take them back. She turned away and walked to Red. “Thank you. Can’t know how much a gift you gave me.” She hadn’t bothered to wipe the tears away.
Red watched as she walked away, heading toward their house.
“She’s mighty talented with that thing. Much more than Jeb,” Cookie said from his spot leaning against the bunkhouse. Several of the cowboys voiced their agreement. Others were teasing Jeb about how much better Gema played than he did. He was nodding.
Red glanced at the men. “Thanks, Jeb. It seems to have meant a lot to her.”
“Any time she wants to play, you tell her she can, even if I’m out on the range and she wants to practice. I’ll show Cookie where I keep it. He can get it for her.”
“Much obliged to you, Jeb.” Red tipped his hat and walked away, following in his wife’s footsteps.
He found her lying on their bed, weeping into her pillow. “Gema, Honey, are you okay?” He sat beside her and stroked her back.
She turned her head. “Yes, fine. So lovely to play again. It been so long. Miss it so. Memories, good memories. My grandmother, my babushka. She teach me. From very little girl I play. Then she die. Papa want move to America. Sell my violin. No can play then.”
“You truly love to play, don’t you?” Red asked.
Gema rolled onto her side. “Yes, the music, it in here.” She touched her chest. “It wants come out but no can. Hum, not enough. Sing, not enough. Not know words America songs. Russia songs no others know.”
Red realized then that Gema hummed often. While she cleaned, cooked, did laundry, any of the activities of daily life. She hadn’t at the shack, but she’d been under a great deal of stress.
He’d stayed close this past week, not riding out on the range. He wanted to be sure she settled in well. She and Juanita were becoming friends even with their limited communication skills. Cookie was keeping a careful, fatherly, eye on her, also.
Tomorrow, Red was going to have to head out with the cowboys. He’d been gone longer than he’d anticipated when he went to the line shack.
“Jeb said you can play his fiddle whenever you want. Just ask Cookie if he’s not around.”
Tears glistened in Gema’s eyes. She wiped them away and chuckled. “I water pot today. No more tear. I plan special thank you for cowboys for let me play violin.” She kissed him. “Special thank to you for let me.” She kissed him again.
“Honey, any time you want to thank me like that you go right ahead.”
Gema’s face turned bright red.
Over the next two weeks, Red spent most of his time away from the homestead with the cowboys as they rode the range. There were many nights he spent out under the stars wishing he was home in bed with Gema. Not that they had progressed in their relationship in a physical way. They still slept curled around each other, but never went further than snuggling.
As attracted to Gema as Red was, he didn’t want to push her. He was so much older than she was, and that held him back.


Giveaway



In honor of the Music of Her Heart Blog Tour, Sophie is giving away one print copy of Music of Her Heart along with an autographed tote bag. Also, two Kindle copies will be awarded. Winners will be notified by email – keep your eyes open for an email from Sophie Dawson. You can enter here: http://sophiesgiveaways.com/giveaways/music-of-her-heart-giveaway/

Tour Schedule

November 16
Bookish Orchestrations – Introductory Post
Perpetual Indie Perspective – Book Spotlight

November 17
Reveries Reviews – Review
God's Peculiar Treasure Rae – Book Spotlight

November 18
Peggy's Hope 4 U – Author Interview

November 19
Rachel Rossano's Words – Excerpt
Little Bits Blog – Excerpt 

November 20
Shout out – Book Spotlight

November 23
Bookish Orchestrations – Winner Announcement

Monday, November 13, 2017

Christmas Comes Early!


 


Christmas time is here! Okay, so not quite yet. It's still over a month away, but that doesn't mean we can't start celebrating early, right? So today, we're celebrating the release of not one, not four, but eight new Christmas books! All written by Rebekah A. Morris. I'll be spotlighting two of her books today and you can find out more about the others as you follow the tour.

About the Books



Christmas Eve at the Back Door

The Great Depression is in full swing, and Mrs. Kabrick hopes to make Christmas a special time for her children even though they don't have much. With the back door constantly opening and shutting, time flies bringing cold air, visitors, and a very special Christmas Eve.






First Christmas in America

Klara Ivanski arrives from the Old Country with her Papa, Mama and ten brothers and sisters. “All vill be vell,” Papa assures them, but Mama and several of her brothers and sisters must remain at their aunt and uncle’s because of sickness. With barely enough money for food, Klara is quick to assure her papa that they only need Mama and the other to make Christmas special. But will the family be together for their first Christmas in America?



About the Author

Rebekah A. Morris is a homeschool graduate, an enthusiastic freelance author and a passionate writing teacher. Her books include, among others, Home Fires of the Great War, The Unexpected Request, Gift from the Storm, and her bestselling Triple Creek Ranch series. Some of her favorite pastimes, when she isn't’ writing, include reading and coming up with dramatic and original things to do. The Show-Me state is where she calls home.






Excerpts



“We may not have much,” Mrs Kabrick had often told her children, “but there are others who have even less.” ~ Christmas Eve at the Backdoor


“Do you think Mama and the others will be here by Christmas?” Klara looked up. The low flames of the firelight flickered on Papa’s face. ~ First Christmas in America
 

 

Tour Schedule


November 13
Bookish Orchestrations – Introductory Post
Read Another Page – Book Spotlight from the author
Kaylee's Kind of Writes – Book Spotlight
Resting Life – Review and Excerpt
Perry Elisabeth – Excerpt
Rachel Rossano's Words – Book Spotlight and Excerpt

November 14
Read Another Page – Book Spotlight from the author
Odelia's Blog – Author Interview and Book spotlight
Bryce’s Creative Writing Corner – Author Interview, Review, and Excerpt
Counting Your Blessings One by One – Review and Excerpt
Perpetual Indie Perspective – Book Spotlight

November 15
Read Another Page – Book Spotlight from the author
Whimsical Writings for His Glory – Author, Review, and Excerpt
Maidens for Modesty – Author Interview and Review
The Destiny of One – Book Spotlight
Rebekah Ashleigh – Book Spotlight

November 16
Read Another Page – Book Spotlight from the author
Laurel's Leaves – Author Interview
Stories by Firefly – Review
Claire Banschbach – Author Interview
Kelsey's Notebook – Review and Excerpt
Jaye L. Knight – Book Spotlight and Excerpt
Stephany's BLOG Snippets – Book Spotlight and Excerpt

November 17
Read Another Page – Book Spotlight from the author
Ruffles and Grace – Book Spotlight
With a Joyful Noise – Book Spotlight
Bookish Orchestrations – Closing Post

Save