Erin R. Howard's Blog, page 3

Last Call for the .99 Cent Sale!

Hello my dears!

It’s the LAST day to take advantage of the Christmas in July sale and snag your copies of The Kalila Chronicles for .99 cents each! $3 for THREE Kindle books.

This morning The Seer made #19 in my category! So, a HUGE thank you to everyone who has purchased their copy and helped spread the news. Please help keep the momentum going, and don’t forget to check out all the other amazing books from my publisher, Scrivenings Press.

Get Your Copy of The Kalila ChroniclesScrivenings Press Sale

Happy Reading!

Erin

Wisdom Wednesday (Friday Edition) Molly Noble Bull

Hello everyone!

I know that it’s not Wednesday, but our guest author just released a new book, and we thought we would do it today.

Welcome, Molly!

Name: Molly Noble Bull

Genre: Contemporary Romance-both historical and modern day novels.

Publisher: Scrivenings Press

Latest Novel: Bluebonnet Bride

Writing Tip: 

Books I want to read begin with strong opening hooks—first sentences that reaches out, grabs my interest, and will not let go. When I visit a bookstore, whether online or in house, I choose a book and read the first sentence in chapter one, and if it captures me, I read all of page one. If at that point I’m still hooked, I buy the book, and the same is true when I write a novel.

 

Billionaire Steve Bryson doesn’t like Bible thumpers, and he thinks Dr. Gina Hollister is one.

Gina Hollister, a dyslexic with a PhD in educational psychology, is hired by widower and business tycoon, Steve Bryson, to tutor his fourteen-year-old daughter, Amanda, for the summer at his huge house near Durango, Colorado, a mansion that Gina calls a castle. An attraction develops between Gina and Steve. However, their romance can never end in marriage because Gina believes the lies about Steve’s womanizing told her by his former wife before she died. He claims he’ll never marry again, even to a beautiful Bible thumper like Dr. Gina Hollister.   

Molly Noble Bull is a wife, a mother, a grandmother, a Christian romance novelist, and a graduate of Texas A&I—now Texas A&M at Kingsville. A native Texan and the daughter and granddaughter of cattle ranch foremen, it is not surprising that Molly likes to write about cowboys. Molly and Charlie Bull have three grown sons, six grandchildren, and have been married for many years.

Molly has published with Zondervan, Harlequin’s Love Inspired, and others. .  Sanctuary, her long historical, won the 2008 Gayle Wilson Award in the inspirational category and tied for first place in a second national contest for published authors that year. Later, Sanctuary was republished under a new title, The Secret Place. However, the two novels, Sanctuary and The Secret Place are exactly the same book. The only difference is the title and cover information.

.   Gatehaven, her Gothic historical, won the Grand Prize in the 2013 Creation House Fiction Writing Contest.

.   When the Cowboy Rides Away won the 2016 Texas Association of Authors contest in the Christian western category, and Scrivenings Press republished it in 2021. 

.   Other of Molly’s titles are The Rogue’s Daughter, Brides and Blessings, For Always, and The Winter Pearl.

.   Barbour Publishing published The Secret Admirer Romance Collection on May 1, 2017, and Molly’s novella in that collection is titled “Too Many Secrets.”

Scrivenings Press also published Bluebonnet Bride, her newest sweet Christian romance; it was published on June 29, 2021.

Social Media Links:

www.mollynoblebull.com

https://www.facebook.com/molly.n.bull

So what about you? Do you have any favorite opening hooks? Tell us in the comments and don’t forget to check out Molly’s new release, Bluebonnet Bride.

If you are a published author (of clean or Christian fiction), please sign up here to be highlighted on Wisdom Wednesday!

Christmas in July

Today is the day! It’s Christmas in July. My publisher, Scrivenings Press, is celebrating its birthday and has marked all our ebooks down to 99 cents.

Now is the perfect time to get caught up on my series, The Kalila Chronicles. Please pass on the info to your reader friends.

https://scrivenings.link/theseerhttps://scrivenings.link/thesoulsearcherhttps://scrivenings.link/thesilencer

Wisdom Wednesday: Heather Greer

Hello everyone!

I’m excited to re-launch my Wisdom Wednesday blog, and I can’t think of anyone else that I would love to be our starting guest author, then my friend, Heather Greer! Heather is one of my Once Upon a Page sisters and handles all of our video editing for our YouTube channel.

And, she has a brand NEW release that just came out yesterday! I can’t wait to share it all with you. It’s SO good!

Name: Heather Greer

Genre: Contemporary Romance

Publisher: Scrivenings Press

Latest Novel: Cake That!

Writing Tip: 

Find your people and keep them close. Writing is a somewhat solitary endeavor. But it doesn’t have to make you feel alone. We need people in our lives who think like us, because, let’s face it, writers don’t think like everyday people. We need people who are as passionate about telling stories as we are and are walking a similar path. We need these people for encouragement, to mentor to and be mentored by, to sharpen our skills, to share our joys and struggles, and to push us out of our comfort zones. 

Favorite Writing Tip for New Writers: 

Write. Learn. Then, write some more.

 

Ten bakers. Nine days. Only one winner.

Competing on the Cake That baking show is a dream come true for Livvy Miler, but debt on her cupcake truck and an expensive repair make her question if it’s one she should chase. Her best friend, Tabitha, encourages Livvy to trust God to care for The Sugar Cube, win or lose. 

Family is everything to Evan Jones. His parents always gave up their dreams so their children could achieve theirs. Winning Cake That will let him give back some of what they’ve sacrificed by allowing him to give them the trip they’ve always talked about but could never afford. 

As the contestants live and bake together, more than the competition heats up. Livvy and Evan have a spark from the start, but they’re in it to win. Neither needs the distraction of romance. Unwanted attention from Will, another competitor, complicates matters. Stir in strange occurrences to the daily baking assignments, and everyone wonders if a saboteur is in the mix.

With the distractions inside and outside the Cake That kitchen, will Livvy or Evan rise above the rest and claim the prize? Or does God have more in store for them than they first imagined?

Heather Greer grew up as a pastor’s kid in rural southern Illinois. She swore she’d never marry a pastor, but when her husband answered the call to preach—she changed her mind. When she isn’t writing or ministering alongside teens and women, Heather loves to bake, spend time with her family or sit down with a cup of cocoa and watch the latest Hallmark channel movie.

Social Media Links:

Website and blog: http://heathergreer.com/

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

Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/Heather_Greer1

Intagram: https://www.instagram.com/1heather.greer

Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/1heathergreer

So what about you? Do you have a writing mentor or a group of writers that you talk with for encouragement and to encourage? If so, let us know!

And before you go, please take a moment to connect with Heather on social media and check out her new release, Cake That!

If you are a published author (of clean or Christian fiction), please sign up here.

Publishing News!

I have a big announcement!

I just signed a contract for my next series, Beyond the Gates with Scrivenings Press.

(insert happy dance here!)

I’m so excited about this new series. It’s dystopian, which is one of my favorite genres to read, and I can’t wait for you guys to meet Renna, Miles, and Gabbi.

As of now, it will be at least two books. The first book, Beyond the Gates, will release in May of 2022. The second book, Storming the Gates, will release in March of 2023. I can’t wait to share with you all the fun behind the scenes, cover, freebies, and all about the characters in the coming months. So be on the lookout for all info as I go through the publishing process.

I’ve also received a contract for a fantasy novella collection with two other speculative authors. I had such a fun time collaborating with them, and all of our stories are so fun. This collection will release in October of 2022.

I’ve also wanted to let you know that I’ve started a Discord channel! I’m really excited about this because there will be weekly chats, and of course, exclusive content. And we aren’t just talking about my writing, but also other books, movies, fandoms, crafts, and gaming! As a member of my reading community, you get the first invite to the Discord. This will be launching very soon, and I can’t wait to see you all there!

Hugs,

Erin

Join my Discord ChannelConnect with Erin

Download The Seer Free!

[image error]Hello, my dears!

I hope you are doing well through this trying time. If you’re like me, you are probably schooling your kiddos and trying to keep them from going stir crazy! We are now on Spring Break, so we are enjoying the break from schoolwork.

We’ve had lots of sunshine, so the kids are playing outside a lot. I have taken my laptop out to my patio table and soaked up some Vitamin D as I worked on a brand new book.

I wanted to drop by and tell you that The Seer, book one of The Kalila Chronicles, is FREE on Kindle today!

YAY!

If you haven’t had a chance to read it yet, now is a perfect time, and you can even use the Kindle app on your phone as well! From the 9th through the 30th, it will be marked down to $2.99.

You can snag your copy of The Seer by clicking here. 

Happy Reading,

Erin

New Year and News

I know I’ve been a little quiet on the blog, but I promise it’s for a good reason. Book three is almost ready for publication! YAY! We’ve already gone through the phases of edits and cover design, so now I just have to do the final read-through out loud. Then the countdown begins until February 4th!

Completing The Silencer was bittersweet for me. I love these characters so much, so to see an end for this series was unsettling, and I may have shed a few tears.

Okay, fine.

I cried.

And I was mopy for a few days.

Okay, weeks.

I even wrote a cliffhanger ending. I closed the word document and left it for a few days.  I think it was in defiance since I had to write some sort of an ending for a series that I never envisioned only being a trilogy. However, I love my readers and my characters too much to do that to you. So, I went back and rewrote the ending.

I can’t wait for you all to read Sam’s story. I know so many of you are on pins and needles to find out who Anthony murdered. While I can’t tell you who it was, I can tell you that you won’t have to wait. The murder is on page one.

Now that The Silencer is almost in your hands, and I’m over my post-book blues, I’m already working on several projects! Some, I can’t give more details about just yet, so keep checking in. And if you haven’t signed up for The Hive, make sure you do so! As a member of my reading community, you get all the goodies first.

I’m working on a brand new series. YAY! And even better, it’s in the same story world as The Kalila Chronicles. Did you just smile with me? I feel so much better that we don’t have to forever say goodbye to this world.

I’m also collaborating with a few other authors on two different projects. One is a Fantasy/Sci-Fi devotional, and the other is a romance collection with my Once Upon a Page (YouTube channel) authors. See, I can write a romance, for those of you who were wondering. And if you wonder how in the world I will fit into this collection, mine will be a dystopian romance.

A Merry Christmas Surprise

Hello, my dears!

Christmas festivities are in full force around my house, but I wanted to stop by and let you know of a special Christmas sale. I’m really excited because my publisher put The Seer and The Soul Searcher on sale from now until December 26th! You can get both paperback books for $12.99 each, making this the perfect time to surprise a book lover on your list. Or the perfect time to get caught up on the series, because in two short months, The Silencer, will be released.

Which brings to me another exciting announcement.  I just received the initial draft of the cover, and I can’t wait to reveal it to you. As always, my newsletter, The Hive, will be the first one to see it. If you haven’t signed up yet, make sure you do so you can be one of the first people to see it. I can’t wait for you all to read Sam’s story. 

I hope you have a Merry Christmas, and I will reveal the cover soon! You can order your copy of The Seer, here and a copy of The Soul Searcher, here. 

Happy Reading,

Erin

 

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Fantasy Reads: Laurie Lucking

We’ve made it to Friday! Amid ballet classes and doctor appointments, I’m going to sit down and get started on this book. I’ve had my eye on it for a while, and it’s been on my TBR pile. I’m thrilled to have author Laurie Lucking on Fantasy Reads giving us a Behind the Scenes look at her book, Common. 

Welcome, Laurie!

Author Name: Laurie Lucking

Genre: Young Adult Fantasy

Title: Common

Behind the Scenes of Common

When I first started writing Common, I’d just accepted that my first manuscript, a story I’d worked on for years, was never going to find a publishing home. Rejection after rejection left me feeling discouraged and beaten down, wondering whether it was worth continuing to put time, effort, and resources into my writing. But an idea had sparked for a story about a shy, red-haired palace maid struggling against her growing feelings for her best friend, the unobtainable Crown Prince, and it wouldn’t let me go.

I began with childhood scenes in which the maid and prince met and formed a friendship, chapters that never even made it to the final draft! I delighted in adding hints of romance to their relationship as teenagers, only to agonize along with them when barriers kept them apart. When I got stuck with what needed to happen in the middle for these characters to reach my intended destination, I jumped to the ending, writing whichever scenes inspired me on a given day. Basically, my writing process was a plotter’s worst nightmare! But as a mom of young kids, at least it kept me writing through hundreds of daily distractions. Wrangling the edits for such a mashup of scenes took a lot of hard work, but after at least a dozen drafts, I eventually pulled together the final product. Finding the right publishing home for Common was a dream come true I appreciated all the more after my earlier disappointments.

As I approached writing the second book in my Tales of the Mystics series, Traitor, I intended to have a much more organized writing process. I would know where every scene was going, and every step it would take to get my characters from the beginning to the end. In reality, my process has been messier than ever. *Sigh.* But I’ve realized something this time around. For me, a disjointed approach to writing actually allows me to add so much more depth and complexity to my story than my original vision. When I attempt to outline, scenes each have one main purpose and thus turn out a little flat.  But as I’ve given in to the freedom of following my inspiration wherever it leads, I’ve found instead that new layers of subtext develop I hadn’t anticipated—new connections form between side characters, or powerful emotions arise out of what I intended to be straightforward dialogue.

So, at least for now, I’m embracing the chaos. Just as Common turned out to be a bigger, more powerful story than I initially envisioned, I want to give Traitor the same opportunity. Maybe someday I’ll manage to create depth and complexity in outline form and produce a first draft that doesn’t require months of editing. In the meantime, I’m buckling up to enjoy the wild ride!

Fantasy Reads: Verity A. Buchanan

Creativity inspires creativity, and I love how other stories can birth new stories in other writers. Today, I’m happy to have author, Verity A. Buchanan on Fantasy Reads.

Welcome, Verity!

Behind the Scenes of The Journey 

By: Verity A. Buchanan

Like many fantasy authors, I was determined to be the next Tolkien. Big goals for an 11-year-old.

I created 12 human tribes of varying ethnicities, several extra races, and a couple language skeletons. I wrote a dramatic, foreshadowing-heavy prologue and outlined some plot ideas. I named the world “Legea”, a truly prestigious combination of sounds. The Black King of Icedor, brainchild of Verity A. Buchanan, was destined for greatness.

And two years later, I was no closer to finishing it than my first impetus had taken me… which was about three hundred words into Chapter 2. I remained unfazed, however. Legea was genius. Legea was going to make history. Legea was obviously my future as an author. Convinced that I only needed to wait for inspiration to strike, I focused on other writing projects for the present.

Meanwhile, my creative brain was busy goofing off.

My love for Lord of the Rings was loyal and indefatigable. I drew paper dolls of the characters, made coloring books depicting scenes, quoted, misquoted, and invented Further Adventures of the Hobbits That Nobody Ever Wanted to Know. With my sister as an equally indefatigable companion, we invented parody versions of Middle-earth in which the fiery mountain was a lake resort, and Sauron a benevolent monarch who got jittery when delivering speeches.

But we could go farther. Using this new Middle-earth as a backdrop, we reimagined the Fellowship’s journey countless times, each time giving the cast a fresh set of character traits and backstories. This generated duplicates of almost every country, all miraculously converging on the same destination: the fiery mountain resort mentioned above.

But we could still go farther! Eventually, the multi-Fellowships got new names. A new set of names for every new reimagining. I started to keep lists in a notebook.

Well, by now, this weird and entirely inconsistent fantasy world was barely Middle-earth (about a year later, we would slap the name Legea on it instead). But we still thought of it as a game, a hobby: a portal for our brains to wreak creative havoc. We never thought these stories were going anywhere.

But then…

One of these rebranded Fellowships was a single family unit called the Thornes. It had a remarkable cast of characters. It had several hilarious scenes (none of which made it into the final cut). It had unusual purpose and a proper main character with a growth arc. It had a vision.

And I knew I was going to write it.

So that’s how The Journey happened. It was never going to be a grand epic. (It was, in fact, intended to be snarky comedy.) It happened rather by accident, at least on our part — nothing, of course, is an accident with God. It’s a rather crazy accident, but its very craziness makes it beautiful. I couldn’t have made an origin story like this up in a million years.

Who would have dreamed that a Middle-earth parody would turn into a heartwarming story about responsibility, and three siblings searching for a home?

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Fred Thorne must shoulder the full care and protection of his sisters after a fire leaves them homeless and friendless. He sets out to follow the last advice given to him by his great-aunt: Take the girls to Menevace, to the refuge home.

But the road to Menevace is fraught with bandits, famine, and unknown dangers.

The Journey follows the three Thorne siblings through rejection, captivity, and an increasing downward spiral of guilt as Fred fails time and time again to protect his family from the dangers of a hostile world.

Can the Thornes find a place of rest and safety? Will their journey ever end?

Dangerous cities, breathtaking creatures, and an incredible adventure awaits in this debut novel by Verity A. Buchanan.

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A storyteller by nature, Verity A. Buchanan writes to share her words with the world and give God the glory. The world of Legea took over her life about 8 years ago and she’s been there ever since. She wrestles through late nights and uncooperative characters to portray stories of courage, family, and very ordinary people living ordinary lives — because it’s in the ordinary that we find the extraordinary. In spare time, she haunts the pages of The Silmarillion and gives her piano hours of love.

 

Before you go, take a moment and connect with Verity on social media and check out her new release, The Journey.

SOCIAL MEDIA LINKS:

Website: https://www.verityabuchanan.com/

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

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/verityb.writes

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/19384782.Verity_A_Buchanan

 

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