Thursday, January 31, 2019

Book Spotlight: The Eulogist by Terry Gamble


Cheated out of their family estate in Northern Ireland after the Napoleonic Wars, the Givens family arrives in America in 1819. But in coming to this new land, they have lost nearly everything. Making their way west they settle in Cincinnati, a burgeoning town on the banks of the mighty Ohio River whose rise, like the Givenses’ own, will be fashioned by the colliding forces of Jacksonian populism, religious evangelism, industrial capitalism, and the struggle for emancipation.

After losing their mother in childbirth and their father to a riverboat headed for New Orleans, James, Olivia, and Erasmus Givens must fend for themselves. Ambitious James eventually marries into a prosperous family, builds a successful business, and rises in Cincinnati society. Taken by the spirit and wanderlust, Erasmus becomes an itinerant preacher, finding passion and heartbreak as he seeks God. Independent-minded Olivia, seemingly destined for spinsterhood, enters into a surprising partnership and marriage with Silas Orpheus, a local doctor who spurns social mores.

When her husband suddenly dies from an infection, Olivia travels to his family home in Kentucky, where she meets his estranged brother and encounters the horrors of slavery firsthand. After abetting the escape of one slave, Olivia is forced to confront the status of a young woman named Tilly, another slave owned by Olivia’s brother-in-law. When her attempt to help Tilly ends in disaster, Olivia tracks down Erasmus, who has begun smuggling runaways across the river—the borderline between freedom and slavery.

As the years pass, this family of immigrants initially indifferent to slavery will actively work for its end—performing courageous, often dangerous, occasionally foolhardy acts of moral rectitude that will reverberate through their lives for generations to come.

Hardcover: 320 pages
Publisher: William Morrow; 1st Edition edition (January 22, 2019)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0062839896
ISBN-13: 978-0062839893


Purchase here!

Wednesday, January 30, 2019

Shelf Control - Jan 30



Shelf Control is a weekly celebration of the unread books on our shelves sponsored by Lisa at Bookshelf Fantasies. Pick a book you own but haven’t read, write a post about it (suggestions: include what it’s about, why you want to read it, and when you got it), and link up!

Want to join in? Shelf Control posts go up every Wednesday. Here's how to jump on board:

  • Write a blog post about a book that you own that you haven’t read yet.
  • Add your link in the comments!
  • Link back to Bookshelf Fantasies in your own post.
  • Check out other posts, and…
Have fun!

Well, it's the last Wednesday of the month. It looks like it will be a snowy one here. There were a couple of inches on the ground by the time I went to bed.

Today, another book that I picked up for free on my device. It's only $2.99 right now.


BLURB:

You should never make a bet you can't keep, especially when the bet involves romance.

Sixteen-year-old Samantha Taylor is used to having things go her way. She's head cheerleader and has all the right friends and a steady stream of boyfriends. But when she tanks the SATs, her automatic assumptions about going to college don't appear to be so automatic anymore. She determines that her best hope for admission into a good college is to win the election for student body president. Unfortunately, with her razor wit and acid tongue she's better suited to dishing out insults than winning votes.

When she brashly bets her classmate Logan that she can go two weeks without uttering a single insult, Samantha immediately realizes that she may have bitten off more than she can chew. And when her current boyfriend dumps her, less than three weeks before the prom, it couldn't be a worse time to be forced to keep her opinions to herself. Finding a new boyfriend will be a challenge now that Logan shadows her every move, hoping to catch her slipping back into her old ways. Samantha is determined to win the election and find a dream date for the prom, no matter what it takes. After all . . . all's fair in love and war (and high school!).

DATE BOUGHT: 8/29/16 (not too bad)

WHY I BOUGHT IT: Your guess is as good as mine. I like competition, and acid tongue can be fun every once in a while. The cover is great. Something light and atypical--for me anyway--can be a good change of pace.

Any books from your TBR pile that you dug out recently?

Tuesday, January 29, 2019

Top Ten Tuesday: Ten Most Recent Additions to My To-Read List



Top Ten Tuesday was created by The Broke and the Bookish in June of 2010 and was moved to That Artsy Reader Girl in January of 2018. It was born of a love of lists, a love of books, and a desire to bring bookish friends together.

This is a great topic. Now, you can see how nutty it is to have hundreds of unread books on shelves, in boxes, and on devices, yet I still order more. Such is the life of a book lover.

Ten Most Recent Additions to My To-Read List












What are some recent additions to your to-read list? Anything you think I should be adding to mine?

Monday, January 28, 2019

Book Review: The Perilous Adventures of the Cowboy King by Jerome Charyn

Just when you think Jerome Charyn has crafted the best book he could ever write, he comes out with a new one that is even better than the last.

The Perilous Adventures of the Cowboy King is a novel of Teddy Roosevelt, who would one day become the 26th president of the United States. Covering the years of 1862 when he was still suffering from debilitating asthma, through 1901 when Vice President Theodore Roosevelt is on his way to take a new oath after President McKinley is assassinated, the reader discovers the whirlwind that was Roosevelt.

Charyn makes this larger than life historical figure even grander through his well-researched, in-depth account of the man's tragedies and triumphs. Told in first person, every detail and each rich description draws the reader into Roosevelt's world. Lovers of historical novels will be captivated by this Cowboy King who pushed himself outside of his comfort zone every day of his life. The story is as unique as he was.

With The Perilous Adventures of the Cowboy King, Charyn has outdone himself. Another amazing historical figure that he brings to life in colorful new ways. A phenomenal story. A clever cover. No wonder Charyn has been entertaining readers for decades. He's the best at what he does, and he leaves readers longing for more.


Hardcover: 304 pages
Publisher: Liveright (January 8, 2019)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1631493876
ISBN-13: 978-1631493874

I received a copy of this book from the author's publicist. This review contains my honest opinions, which I have not been compensated for in any way.

It's Monday! What Are You Reading? - Jan 27



It's Monday! What Are You Reading? is a place to meet up and share what you have been, are and about to be reading over the week. It's a great post to organize yourself. It's an opportunity to visit and comment, and er... add to that ever growing TBR pile! So welcome in everyone. This meme started with J Kaye's Blog and then was taken up by Sheila from Book Journey. Sheila then passed it on to Kathryn at the Book Date.

Happy Monday! I hope you had a wonderful weekend. Mine was a bit slower than usual, but I can use some down time every once in a while.

I finished this book recently. Look for my review today.


Next up is this cozy mystery that I am sure to love.


Then I am polishing off these three. 





Then I am committed to the next three.





What are you reading? Is there anything I should be adding to my wish list?

Friday, January 25, 2019

Bargain E-Book: Tangled Webs by F. M. Meredith

What better time to catch up on one of my favorite series. This book is on sale for only 99 cents starting today through January 28.


Officer Gordon Butler and his overanxious trainee Dakota Ayala are dispatched to a scene where they find a woman named Melody White who has been stabbed to death. Gordon is not surprised. He’d been called to that address several times to confront Jacob Hulsey who had stalked the victim. The neighbor who placed the call to the Rocky Bluff Police Department reported seeing Hulsey there the night before. But when another neighbor says Melody’s ex-husband had threatened her, and then one of Melody’s co-workers at the day care center where they worked reported a clash between Melody and her boss, suspects seem to be multiplying like Russian nesting dolls. And to add to the difficulty of sorting it all out, Gordon’s new partner is making moves on Gordon’s wife, and detective Doug Milligan’s daughter Beth has become moody and secretive. At least two of the suspects and maybe some others are weaving tangled webs.

File Size: 736 KB
Print Length: 137 pages
Publisher: Aakenbaaken & Kent (September 27, 2018)
Publication Date: September 27, 2018
Sold by: Amazon Digital Services LLC
Language: English
ASIN: B07HRKZ927



F.M. Meredith is the author of over thirty novels including the Rocky Bluff P. D. crime series. Her many relatives and friends in law help her provide realistic stories of police officers and their families. She is a member of three chapters of Sisters in Crime, Mystery Writers of America, and on the board of the Public Safety Writers of America. Visit her online at http://fictionforyou.com

Book Review: Tandem Demise by Duffy Brown

Ever since Evie Bloomfield has arrived on Mackinac Island, she seems to stumble upon dead bodies and get roped into solving murders. This time is no different. When she and her friend Fiona find a dead man on the dock, they know it's going to be one of those days.

Though island police chief, Nate Sutter, encourages her to stay out of the way and let the cops handle it, Evie is sure Nate's past, the body on the dock, and a wedding planner more interested in playing bedroom bingo than ordering bridal bouquets are connected. Can she put the pieces together before she becomes the killer's next victim?

Lordy, lordy, Duffy Brown just keeps getting better. I've never read a book by her and been dissatisfied. She knows the cozy genre well and pieces together a great mystery with tons of twists and turns. After reading, Tandem Demise, I feel like I know all about Mackinac Island too, though I've never even been there.

Other than a fabulous mystery with tons of interesting characters, the font that was chosen for this book--and I assume the previous two books in this series--is perfect for the feel and the tone of the story. Kudos to the book designer on this one.

Though this is the third book in the series, it stands alone well. I didn't feel lost at all...though I plan to go back and read the previous two books because I want to know Evie, Fiona, Nate and others on the island right from the very start of their journey together.

If you enjoy cozy mysteries and you love interesting settings, then Tandem Demise by Duffy Brown will be right up your alley. I can't wait for the next Cycle Path Mystery to come out.


Series: A Cycle Path Mystery (Book 3)
Paperback: 298 pages
Publisher: Independently published (October 28, 2018)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1729374786
ISBN-13: 978-1729374788

I received a free paperback copy of this book from the author. This review contains my honest opinions, which I have not been compensated for in any way.


Book Spotlight: Iquitos by John R. Beyer


IQUITOS: THE PAST WILL KILL by John R. Beyer
 Mystery/Thriller
353 pp.
 $15.49 (paperback) $3.99 (kindle)



Title: IQUITOS: THE PAST WILL KILL

Author: John R. Beyer

Publisher: Black Opal Books

Pages: 353

Genre: Mystery/Thriller


Jonas Peters and Frank Sanders team up to solve a string of murders, starting with the intentional and fatal bombing of a local coffee shop in downtown Riverside—a usually calm city in Southern California. Dozens are dead after an explosion rips apart the Coffee Grind, leaving dozens of others gravely wounded. Frank soon finds himself up to his elbows assisting the bombing victims, especially when he discovers that Jonas was walking to the Coffee Grind to meet up with his fiancée, but he never made it. In an instant, all their lives are thrust into a trail of death and destruction carried out by an unknown psychopath.

ORDER YOUR COPY:

Amazon











PROLOGUE


Jonas
Peters grinned at the slightly older man standing on the second step of the
entrance to the brick building while reaching out his right hand. “Thanks for
the help on the case.”
Frank Sanders shook his head. “I should be the one saying
‘thank you’ a few times, as many cases you’ve helped me on.”
“How’s business, seriously?” Jonas asked.
     “It’s
good, Jonas. Some cases really make me some money, and some just pay the bills.
Sure, I miss the days when you and I would bump into each other at the
department on a juicy murder or burglary, but those days are gone. Retirement
pay isn’t substantial, but this gig gives me plenty of traveling money.”
The two men had spent the previous forty minutes in Frank’s
office on the second floor of the Wright building just northwest of the Mission
Inn in downtown Riverside, California.
They had been going over the final paperwork on a joint case they had been
working on together, albeit somewhat apart.
Frank had gone from a crimes-against-persons detective to
private detective when he retired from the Riverside Police Department. Jonas
Peters had gone from homicide detective to falling into a bottle of Jack
Daniels and then re-surfacing to finish a case which cost him a dear friend,
along with many innocents. Fortunately, that story had a happy ending, with the
killing of Zachary Marshall, the psychopath who had started it all. It should
have meant the release of the demons Jonas had felt for so many years, but
instead, it just reinforced the negativity of the world in which he had lived
for so long. He wanted out, but did not know how to exit.
Jonas had turned in his badge for the Riverside Police
Department where he worked, and moved to Scottsdale,
Arizona, believing his life might take a
one-eighty. It hadn’t. Jonas eventually found himself on a pension, living on
twenty acres of desert near a small town named Phelan in Southern California
and working a few cases here and there as a private detective. Not a glamorous
job but one, like Frank had responded, that helped make the financial side of
life a bit more comfortable.
Jonas also liked the solitude of the High
Desert. Seemed fewer ghosts circled
there.
He also liked to cry where no one would see him.
“How’s your life really going?” Frank asked while stepping
down a step and looking his friend squarely in the eyes.
Frank had known Jonas for over two decades while working at
the Riverside City Police Department but had never gotten to know the man very
well. Jonas had always been friendly enough, but to dig into his personal
history was not a door a fellow officer ever tried to venture through.
Jonas had always been somewhat aloof. Not aloof like a
head-in-the-sky sort of fellow but one who always questioned himself and thus
never allowed anyone from the outside to look inside.
“Actually, Frank,” Jonas stated. “Things are looking up for
me recently. The cases I take are ones that I want, and the ones I don’t, I
don’t.”
Frank nodded his rather large square head. “Any women?”
Jonas smiled. “There was in Scottsdale
for a while. A great lady by the name of Samantha—I called her Sam—and we hit
if off well after I retired from the force. You know, after Steve’s murder, I
just had to get out of here, but after a year or so I needed to come back. This
is where I grew up and all I really know.”
“You know, John Steinbeck wrote that you can never truly go
home.”
“Yeah, well, he was right. That’s why I live out in the
boonies in Phelan. Just me and my three dogs.”
Frank grinned. “I like dogs.”
“You have any?”
“Nope, I’m just gone too much to feel like it would be fair
to them.”
“That makes sense.”
“What happened to Sam?”
Jonas shifted his weight from the left to the right. “She
could sense I wanted to move back near here, and we sort of went our own ways.
We reconnected a few months back—you know, sort of a long-distance affair with
texts, phone calls, and the like. She called me the other week to let me know
she would be in Riverside on
business. It coincided with my meeting with you.”
“Serendipitous, I would say.” Frank clapped Jonas on the
shoulder while giving him a wink.
Jonas smiled in return. “Yes, we’ve spent the last couple of
days together, and things were just like they were. We may even try the
relationship again—even if it means some traveling for both of us for now. I
truly love that woman, Frank.”
“And I’m sure she feels the same way about you.”
“I hope so,” Jonas said. “Well, I gotta get going. I promised
to meet her at the Common Grounds in a few minutes. Thanks for helping me on
the case.”
“And vice versa.” Frank held out his hand and shook his
friend’s. “Go and enjoy your cup of coffee.”
I hope she does love you, Jonas—you could use it.













John R. Beyer spent nearly ten years in law enforcement in Southern California as a street cop, a training officer and a member of the elite SWAT team. After leaving the force, he continued in public service entering the field of education. During his tenure, he served as classroom teacher, school administrator and district administrator, and was an integral part of the gang and drug force in San Bernardino. While in both worlds he earned a Doctorate in School Administration and a Doctorate in Clinical Psychology.

During all those years, he never gave up the passion for writing – both fiction and nonfiction. He has been published in numerous magazines, newspapers and the like for decades, writing on a variety of topics. His latest short stories in the past year can be found in Foliate Oak Literary Magazine (2016) and GNU Journal (2017). He is also the author of three highly praised internationally known novels – Hunted (2013), Soft Target (2014) and Operation Scorpion (2017).

He won the ‘Write Well Award’ in October of 2018 from the Silver Pen Writer’s Association for a fictional short story.

His newest novel, ‘Iquitos – the Past Will Kill’, was released in November of 2018 by Black Opal Books bringing two of his protagonists together for their first investigation. Jonas Peters and Frank Sanders will work hand in hand with an international incident which left undetected could cause a catastrophic issue for the United States. They are friends and they are good at they do. Catching the bad guys.

Website Address:    http://johnrobertbeyer.weebly.com/


Blog Address:  https://jandlresearchandexploration.blogspot.com/


Twitter Address: @Drjohnrbeyer



http://www.pumpupyourbook.com


Thursday, January 24, 2019

Book Blast and Giveaway: The Ultimate Guide to Book Marketing by Dara Beevas and Roseanne Cheng



This post is part of a virtual book tour organized by Goddess Fish Promotions. The authors will be awarding a 30 minute book marketing consultation to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour. Click on the tour banner to see the other stops on the tour.



Congratulations, indie author!

You’ve finished your book—now all that’s left is to get it out into the world. Unfortunately, for many authors, it’s that step of the process that’s the hardest. Marketing is seen as something to be feared, dreaded, and outsourced as much as possible—a daunting task that will leave you drained.

But fear not! The team at Wise Ink knows a thing or two about how to sell your book. And they’re here to tell you everything.

Buzz is the indie author’s ultimate guide to marketing effectively, inexpensively, and excitingly. Within its pages, you’ll find answers to the questions on every writer’s mind:



• What does it really mean to “market” my book?

• How do I best reach my specific audience?

• What are effective ways to promote my book via social media?

• Do I really need to be a public speaker?

In addition to this, the Wise Ink marketing team has provided sample content calendars, email promotions, a marketing starter kit, and more to ensure you’re prepared to get out there and sell your book.

Marketing doesn’t have to be a horror story! Let Buzz teach you how to take your book to its maximum potential.

Read an Excerpt:

How do I best reach my specific audience?

You will hear us say this over and over again, as it is one of the Ten Commandments of book publishing: Know thine audience!

Think carefully about your “ideal” reader. What do they do in their spare time? Where do they normally purchase things? Where do they go for information? And most importantly, what are some unique and organic ways to get your book and message in front of them?

Hopefully, by the time you begin marketing your book, you will have already thought through these things carefully. Still, it’s a good idea to refresh your memory. Also, be concrete in how you determine your market demographics. Go deeper than the standard questions around gender, age, education, and geographic location. Those are just places to start.

When describing your ideal reader, be specific with the details that matter, such as how much time they have to read, how they might use your book day-to-day, and how they generally make recommendations to others. Another thing to do is segment your readers into three specialized subgroups—communities that align with each reader’s professional identities and personal aspirations. This helps you dig even deeper into the psychology of how to sell your book smartly and where it makes the most sense to spend your time. As an example: To market your business book, you might segment your readers into millennials and recent grads, aspiring entrepreneurs, and motivational speakers. If you've just published a sci-fi thriller, your subgroups might include fans of the popular sci-fi series Black Mirror, sci-fi writers who frequent fan-fiction sites, and people who attend conventions like WorldCon.

How does your ideal reader obtain information? Blogs? Magazines? Newspapers? Ads? What social media sites do they frequent? Be as specific as you can here. These are the places you will want to target in terms of marketing.

Where does your ideal reader shop? Think beyond bookstores. Are they frequent travelers? (Maybe they shop in airports a lot.) Do they have stores they tend to gravitate toward? Make a list of these places, and find connections there to share your book with.

Buy Link: https://wiseink.com/store/buzz-the-ultimate-guide-to-book-marketing


About the Authors: Roseanne Cheng is a former high school English teacher and author of two young adult books, The Take Back of Lincoln Junior High and Edge the Bare Garden, which won the gold medal for young adult fiction at the Writer’s Digest Self Published Book Awards and the Moonbeam Children’s Book Awards. She now works as Marketing Director at Wise Ink Creative Publishing where she holds the secondary title of “Author Therapist” and has the pleasure of helping authors create plans to get their work into the world. When she’s not reading a book or practicing yoga, you can probably find her hanging out with her hilarious husband of ten years and their two ridiculously awesome kids. Follow her on Twitter http://www.twitter.com/teachablelit.

Dara Beevas believes that books can save lives, open doors, and build bridges. As co-founder of Wise Ink, she encourages authors to share powerful stories that ignite change, tolerance, and growth. She has been involved in the publishing community for fifteen years, acquiring manuscripts, managing projects, and creating marketing and sales strategies for authors and publishers. She’s helped more than four hundred authors publish their books. She is the author of The Indie Author Revolution and co-author of Social Media Secrets for Authors. When she’s not busy pushing the envelope in this crazy world of publishing and networking with inspiring entrepreneurs, she’s traveling and enjoying her husband Tomme’s delicious Jamaican meals with her daughter Genesis. Follow her on http://www.twitter.com/darairene or http://www.instagram.com/darairene.



Website: http://www.wiseink.com

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/WiseInkPub

Twitter: https://twitter.com/Wiseink

Instagram: http://www.instagram.com/wise_ink

Pinterest: http://www.pinterest.com/wiseink/pins/


ENTER FOR YOUR CHANCE TO WIN!




a Rafflecopter giveaway

Wednesday, January 23, 2019

Shelf Control - Jan 23



Shelf Control is a weekly celebration of the unread books on our shelves sponsored by Lisa at Bookshelf Fantasies. Pick a book you own but haven’t read, write a post about it (suggestions: include what it’s about, why you want to read it, and when you got it), and link up!

Want to join in? Shelf Control posts go up every Wednesday. Here's how to jump on board:

  • Write a blog post about a book that you own that you haven’t read yet.
  • Add your link in the comments!
  • Link back to Bookshelf Fantasies in your own post.
  • Check out other posts, and…
Have fun!

Featuring today another book from my free Kindle downloads collection. This book is only $1.00 right now if you want to try it out.



BLURB:

A lighthearted tale of mystery and adventure set against the historical legacy of the American Civil War.

In the Autumn of 1864, a Confederate payroll train out of Richmond, Virginia, is attacked and plundered by a Union raiding party near Waynesboro, Virginia. The successful band of raiders, with their booty of strongboxes full of gold coins, headed north toward the Union lines near Winchester, Virginia. They never made it back.

One hundred forty-six years later, this tale of the lost gold is regarded only as legend, except in the small Shenandoah Valley town of Apple Grove. The descendants of the town’s founding families, the Sons and Daughters of the Stars and Bars, have never stopped looking for the gold. But the trail of clues to its whereabouts has long grown cold, until the summer of 2010.

Lauren Reynolds had recently moved to Apple Grove and purchased the old White Swan Inn. She loved the town’s old houses and battlefield park, the working period steam locomotive, and the numerous shops that catered to tourists and Civil War enthusiasts. It was a town where Civil War Reenactors came each year to relive the romance of times gone by. But when Lauren accidentally stumbles across hidden secrets from the inn’s past, she discovers that there is a darker side to this picturesque Shenandoah Valley town.

DATE BOUGHT: 3/9/12 (not as bad as some others)

WHY I BOUGHT IT: Anything involving the Civil War, Civil War legends, or pretty much anything set during this time period in American history will catch my eye. Many novels have been written with the lost Confederate treasure as part of the plot. As long as people keep writing them, I'll keep reading them.

What is a book from your TBR pile you want to read?

Tuesday, January 22, 2019

New Release: Learning to See by Elise Hooper


At a time when women were supposed to keep the home fires burning, Dorothea Lange, creator of the most iconic photographs of the 20th century, dares to be different. Now, in this riveting new novel by the author of The Other Alcott, we see the world through her eyes…


In 1918, a fearless twenty-two-year old arrives in bohemian San Francisco from the Northeast, determined to make her own way as an independent woman. Renaming herself Dorothea Lange she is soon the celebrated owner of the city’s most prestigious and stylish portrait studio and wife of the talented but volatile painter, Maynard Dixon.

By the early 1930s, as America’s economy collapses, her marriage founders and Dorothea must find ways to support her two young sons single-handedly. Determined to expose the horrific conditions of the nation’s poor, she takes to the road with her camera, creating images that inspire, reform, and define the era. And when the United States enters World War II, Dorothea chooses to confront another injustice—the incarceration of thousands of innocent Japanese Americans.

Learning to See is a gripping account of the ambitious woman behind the camera who risked everything for art, activism, and love. But her choices came at a steep price…

Paperback: 384 pages
Publisher: William Morrow Paperbacks (January 22, 2019)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0062686534
ISBN-13: 978-0062686534


Purchase here!

Top Ten Tuesday: Books I Meant to Read In 2018 but Didn’t Get To



Top Ten Tuesday was created by The Broke and the Bookish in June of 2010 and was moved to That Artsy Reader Girl in January of 2018. It was born of a love of lists, a love of books, and a desire to bring bookish friends together.

This is going to be a tough list because there are hundreds of them. My spreadsheet currently shows 315, but that doesn't count my free Kindle downloads. There are 553 on that list.

This was my list for 2018 when I started my reading challenges, so I'll go with that:



1. For Keeps by Aaron Paul Lazar
2. Mayan Intrigue by Linda Weaver Clarke
3. Montezuma Intrigue by Linda Weaver Clarke
4. The Bitch in the House by Cathi Hanauer
5. Double Forte by Aaron Paul Lazar
6. An Amish Christmas Quilt by Charlotte Hubbard et al. 
7. Strong Darkness by Jon Land
8. Strong Light of Day by Jon Land
9. Strong Cold Dead by Jon Land
10. Sarah’s Orphans by Vannetta Chapman
11. Becoming Marie Antoinette by Juliette Grey
12. Played by the Book by Lucy Arlington


What are some books you didn't get to last year?

Monday, January 21, 2019

New Release and Free Webinar: The Emotion Thesaurus Second Edition by Angela Ackerman and Becca Puglisi


Hi everyone! Today's an exciting day because I've been helping Angela and Becca at Writers Helping Writers keep a BIG secret: what the next book in their thesaurus series will be.

It might seem strange for an author to not tell their readers about the book they plan to release...unless your names are Becca and Angela. They are known for writing books on showing, not telling, and couldn't pass up a chance to do just that by waiting for the cover reveal, which is today!

So without further ado, I give you...


You might have heard of The Emotion Thesaurus before, or even have a copy. The original released in 2012 and quickly became the go-to guide on expressing character emotion. The book's lists of body language, thoughts, and visceral sensations for 75 unique emotions made brainstorming character expressions and reactions so much easier.

In this second edition, the authors have added 55 entries, bringing the total to 130 emotions.

That's not all, either. This book is almost double in size with lots of new content. You can find a full write up for it HERE and a list of all the entries (plus some samples!) HERE.

Plus, this book is available for preorder! You can find it right now on Amazon, Kobo, iBooks, and Indiebound.

One last thing I wanted to mention...

Angela & Becca are giving away a free webinar recording of one of their popular workshops on Emotion, so head over if this is an area of struggle for you. It might really help!

It's Monday! What Are You Reading? - Jan 21



It's Monday! What Are You Reading? is a place to meet up and share what you have been, are and about to be reading over the week. It's a great post to organize yourself. It's an opportunity to visit and comment, and er... add to that ever growing TBR pile! So welcome in everyone. This meme started with J Kaye's Blog and then was taken up by Sheila from Book Journey. Sheila then passed it on to Kathryn at the Book Date.

Today we honor the legacy of Martin Luther King Jr. If you are looking for ways you can serve your community, check out the MLK Day of Service website.

Leading up to today, we had our first major storm of the winter. No church and no work, since the mixture of snow and sleet made the roads a bit treacherous. I made cornbread and white bread to go with the turkey chili I made on Saturday, so that supper would be easy because I was finally taking down the Christmas decorations. All that is left is the upstairs Christmas tree and the lights off the family room tree. Then things will be back to boring and normal around here.

I'm in the middle of the latest book by Jerome Charyn.


I also started this book since my review is coming up soon.


Next up is this one.


After that, I hope to tackle the rest of my first book and this great autobiography.



What is going on in your reading world?

Book Blast and Giveaway: Immortal Girl5 by Griffin Stark

This post is part of a virtual book tour organized by Goddess Fish Promotions. Griffin Stark will be awarding a copy of the book (US ONLY) to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour. Click on the tour banner to see the other stops on the tour.



The year is 1095, Normandy, France. Five year old Skylar runs away into the woods to escape nuns who are convinced her inexplicable seizures are the work of satan. She survives after being adopted by wolves, when two mysterious strangers appear and reveal Skylar’s destiny to her. Skylar is the first of the Immortal Girls, destined to save humanity from itself.

Immortal Girl5 (January 22, 2019) follows Skylar, Rachel, Caitlin, Beth, and Bethany, five immortal sisters who, over the course of a thousand years, attempt to learn the purpose of their own existence while hunting down the worst criminals this world has ever seen. They’ve faced the likes of Jack the Ripper and the Nazis, but as a new enemy arises to threaten the sisters’ survival they’ll soon learn that immortality doesn’t mean forever.


EXCERPT


“Wait! Now look, please, just let me explain!” he begged her, while shielding himself from the next imminent attack. Even if he’d had the desire to fight back—which he certainly did not—Luke wasn’t sure how easy it would be. After all, she’d survived more than a thousand years from what he’d been told. For being that old, this girl looked beyond amazing, with her blonde hair that fell into curls at the ends, angelic looks, and a flawless, pale complexion that held two stormy blue eyes of unusual intensity. Skylar seemed to accept Luke’s sincerity, at least for the moment, and slowly put her fist down by her side.

Watch the Immortal Girl5 book trailer on YouTube

Purchase a copy at Amazon!


GRIFFIN STARK is an American author who proudly lives in Nashville, Tennessee. Even as a young child, Griffin had an active imagination. As an author of young adult fiction, he has harnessed his creativity to tell memorable stories filled with important life lessons.

Griffin served as a combat medic in The United States Air Force and later founded THE SHEEPDOG MOVEMENT to join in the fight against bullying of teens worldwide.

Visit http://immortalgirl5.com/ to learn more about Griffin and his YA fantasy novel, Immortal Girl5.





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