Katy Huth Jones's Blog, page 20

Potpourri Friday: Bits and Pieces

This clip has special meaning for me this week, and it has nothing to do with Christmas. I have been battling a recurrence of my lymphoma since the first of June, and yesterday finished my last infusion of chemotherapy. At the cancer center there is a bell that patients are encouraged to ring to signal the end of chemo. It felt good to ring that bell (and it sounded JUST like Zuzu's). I won't know for sure that this is over until November 18, but the end is in sight!



I also realized I did not post this video when it first aired in August. I was nervous about doing this interview while in the middle of chemo brain and mouth sores. I was so afraid I'd forget something or not be able to speak clearly, but it mostly went well, after my initial nervousness.



The other day I was thinking that having chemo brain must be what a Cotton-Headed Ninny Muggins feels like. LOL!

New Cover Reveal: Blue Hydrangeas

Design by Perry Elisabeth
What if the person who knew you best and loved you most forgot your face, and couldn't remember your name? A pair of retired Cape Cod innkeepers struggle with the wife's Alzheimer's. A beautiful love story written by a masterful storyteller who  
Amazon-rated 4.7 out of 5 starsGoodreads rated 4.11 out of 5 stars
Enter the Goodreads drawing to win a copy of Blue Hydrangeas.

Readers say:

"Heartbreakingly beautiful."

"I felt drawn to Jack and Sara from page one and find myself wondering about them even now. The book is very well-written and believable."

"A heartfelt tender story that is entertaining and emotionally gripping!"

"A real page turner and it gives you insights of the daily life events living with this crushing disease called Alzheimer’s."

"While not a 'happily ever after' love story, Blue Hydrangeas is sure to be one you will ponder for some time after you have finished reading it."


Purchase Blue Hydrangeas in ebook, paperback, and audiobook
Amazon Amazon UK Audible Barnes and Noble iBooks iTunes Kobo
About the Author Marianne Sciucco is not a nurse who writes but a writer who happens to be a nurse. A lover of words and books, she dreamed of becoming an author when she grew up but became a nurse to avoid poverty. She later brought her two passions together and writes about the intricate lives of people struggling with health and family issues. Her debut novel, Blue Hydrangeas, an Alzheimer’s love story, is a Kindle bestseller, IndieReader Approved, a BookWorks featured book, a Self-e Selection, a 5-star Readers Favorite, and winner of IndieReCon’s Best Indie Novel Award, 2014. She's currently working on a YA novel, Swim Season, about the new girl on the team who challenges a longstanding school record, to be released in 2015. A native Bostonian, Marianne lives in New York’s Hudson Valley, and when not writing works as a campus nurse at a community college. She loves books, the beach, and craft beer, and especially enjoys the three of them together.

Connect with Marianne Sciucco
Why did I Write a Book about Alzheimer’s? An Interview with Author Marianne Sciucco
WebsiteFacebook GoodreadsGoogle+PinterestTwitter  
 

Friday Book Spotlight: The Starlight Chronicles by Lisa Orchard

Box set on sale for 99 cents!

Lark Singer is seventeen years old and already on the way to a brilliant music career. But as she and her band, Starlight, gear up for a competition, life seems to be throwing her a few curve balls. The mysteries of her past seem to be unraveling, and she’s no longer certain she wants to know those answers or how knowing about her past will affect her difficult relationship with her mother. And when her best friend, Bean, changes things between them, all her plans for a musical future are placed in jeopardy. How can she balance her complicated personal life to keep her musical goals on track?
BOX SET CONTAINS ALL THREE BOOKS IN THE STARLIGHT SERIES: Gideon Lee Lark Singer Starlight About the Author:
Lisa Orchard grew up loving books. She was hooked on books by the fifth grade and even wrote a few of her own. She knew she wanted to be a writer even then. Her first published works are the “Super Spies Series.” These stories revolve around a group of friends who form their own detective squad and the cases they solve. “The Starlight Chronicles,” is the next series that Lisa created with musical misfit, Lark Singer as her main character.
Lisa resides in Michigan with her husband, Steve, and two wonderful boys. Currently, she’s working on the next book in the Starlight Chronicles Series along with a few new ideas that may turn into stand-alone novels. When she’s not writing she enjoys spending time with her family, running, hiking, and reading.
Buy link:
http://www.amazon.com/Starlight-Chronicles-Box-Set-ebook/dp/B0161FRFC8/ref=sr_1_7?ie=UTF8&qid=1443889573&sr=8-7&keywords=starlight+chronicles
How to connect with Lisa:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Lisa-Orchard/328536613877060?ref=hl
Twitter: https://twitter.com/lisaorchard1
Website: http://www.lisaorchard.com/

Friday New Book Spotlight: The Key by Felicia Rogers

The Key, Secret Defenders, Book One
Everyone else has fun in high school, but not Maddie Clevenger, the senior year’s dork. Orphaned and living with her grandmother in the nowhere town of Coal Creek, she keeps her head down, her hair over her eyes, and herself as far away from the cheerleaders as possible… until she bumps into the cute new guy and he literally sends an electrical shock up her arm. Is it possible for a dork to fall in love at first jolt?
Air Force brat Chase Donovan has moved from town to town forever, but now Dad’s retired and promising they’ll stay put for a while, so maybe he can get to know some of the Coal Creek girls. He couldn’t care less about the cheerleaders, but there’s something so vulnerable about Maddie, the shy girl with the beautiful jade eyes. Chase just knows taking care of her is his calling in life… but when bizarre, murderous flying monsters begin stalking her, he wonders if he is the key to solving her problem, and what it will cost him to protect her.

More about The Key in Felicia's own words:

How should I begin? The Key is a novel with multiple layers. Everything from the names to the descriptions, to the umm, creatures, have double meanings. Some are easy to catch, some are not. But I'm getting ahead of myself. I should probably start at the beginning.
The Key is a Young Adult paranormal romance that was conceived of at my kitchen table over a span of two weeks. Like most novels it started with one thought — a girl who refused to date a guy with an ugly truck. The thought has little to do with the actual plot of the novel, but we all need a spring board, right?
Maddie Clevenger is alone. Her parents have died and she doesn't seem to fit in anywhere. Coal Creek High is no different. Two months into school and she still doesn't have a locker. She is basically invisible, at least until two new kids show up. Dougal and Chase. They are as different as night and day. They are like two sides of the same coin. One dark, handsome, and mysterious and the other light, handsome, and well, mysterious.
But you have to understand, Maddie Clevenger isn't just some random girl without a purpose. She isn't the class dork as she believes. No, she has a purpose. A purpose that has been passed down. A burden she must bear. Question is, how will she handle it?

Excerpt:
     “What’s wrong with you?” asked Stephanie.
     Marley lifted her shaky finger. “Th-that ain’t natural.”
     Maddie gritted her teeth. It wasn’t natural that someone would want to walk with her? Oh, one of these days Stephanie and her crew would go too far. Stephanie stared at Chase and Maddie as they passed by. “What’s happening this week? Is it the coming of the apocalypse or something?”
     “That’s him,” whispered Marley, loud enough for everyone in the room to hear.
     “Him, who?”
     “The other new guy.” Stephanie groaned.
     Maddie would’ve smiled if she hadn’t been distracted, but Dougal sat in her seat again. She stiffened as she prepared to approach.
     Maybe Chase sensed her discomfort, because he leaned down and whispered in her ear, his cool breath tickling her neck and sending shivers along her spine. “Is that your seat?” She nodded. “Do you want me to say something?”
     Grateful, she shook her head.****The Key, Secret Defenders, is a contemporary YA paranormal romance.


Buy links:Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B015I6KL6IBarnes and Noble: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/key-felicia-rogers/1100076666?ean=2940150894846Smashwords: https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/578255
Felicia Rogers is an author of multiple novels and novellas. When she's not writing, Felicia volunteers with the Girl Scouts of America, teaches at a local homeschooling group, hikes, and spends time with her family.
To find out more information about Felicia Rogers visit the sites below. She loves hearing from her readers.
Website: http://www.feliciarogersauthor.weebly.comFacebook: http://www.facebook.com/FeliciaRogersAuthorEmail:  feliciarogersauthor@yahoo.comGoodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/feliciarogers

Monday Blog: A Tale of Two Books

I feel like a distracted mother, not able to give her babies all the love and attention they deserve. It is enough, for me, that MERCY'S GIFT is here, and what an incredible journey it has been to get to this day.

As I mentioned back in July, upon the release of book one, MERCY'S PRINCE, I wrote the original version of this story more than 25 years ago. It was the second novel I'd tried to write, and although it was a little better than the first one, it was definitely NOT publishable. Even after several rewrites, it just didn't work, because I was forcing a plot upon cardboard characters.

It took the life-changing event of my father's final illness to "get it right" and only because I wasn't thinking "publication" but merely a writing exercise for myself to distract me from the agony of watching my Dad slip away, piece by piece, over the space of eleven months. I learned about grief; I learned about channeling that powerful emotion into words and images.

I wasn't even thinking "more than one book"--I was just literally letting my characters tell me a story. It soon become obvious that this WAS more than one book, so I rearranged a few things and found a good place to end Book One and eventually found a stopping place for Book Two as well.

Half-heartedly trying to please my beloved critique group, who urged me to find an agent, I sent out queries even while paying a content editor for Book One, which I now called Mercy's Prince. In the back of my mind, however, I was going to pay talented cover designer Perry Elisabeth the end of August 2015 to design a cover for Mercy's Prince and self-publish the book sometime in September. Meanwhile, I had planned to finish the rough draft of Book Three the second week of June while I tagged along to one of hubby's conventions. Three whole days of glorious writing, writing, writing! I was SO looking forward to it! Then I could send Book Three to my content editor while I finished Book Four the rest of the summer and hopefully make a dent on Book Five.

There's a Yiddish proverb that says, "Man plans, God laughs." I honestly don't think God was laughing at me, but my plans were suddenly and unexpectedly blown to bits, accompanied by excruciating pain. My non-Hodgkin's lymphoma, which had been in remission for ten years, decided to return with a vengeance.

During that awful several weeks of waiting on insurance to approve tests and pain meds(!), looking for a surgeon willing to risk a biopsy of ever-growing lymph nodes wrapped around my abdominal aorta, and expecting the worst (because the pain was SO bad--I kept having to take more and more opiates to keep it barely under control), I decided to find another cover designer and release Mercy's Prince, since it only needed formatting. If the worst was true, I didn't have long to live, so I wanted this book as my "good-bye" to friends and family. That was a dark, scary time that thankfully just feels like a faded nightmare now.
Cover by Colleen Clarke mystiquebookdesigns.comThe lymphoma was "only" stage 3, and chemotherapy FINALLY began the middle of July with almost instant results. I hope to hear that precious word, "REMISSION" sometime in November. Meanwhile, I struggle to work on Books Three, Four and Five with chemo brain, with little success. So, even though I've managed to release Books One and Two, and I'm very happy with the way they turned out, the others will not be finished as quickly, because I do NOT want to release them until they're ready.

So, with a lot of fervent hope, I'm tentatively planning (Lord willing) to release Book Three, Mercy's Children, in the spring of 2016, Book Four, Mercy's King, in the fall of 2016, and Book Five, Mercy's Joy, in early 2017.

The series title is He Who Finds Mercy, but right now it feels more like SHE who finds mercy, because I'm still here, and the story is still in my head and my heart, if not yet on paper.

Monday Blog: New Book Release: Mercy's Gift

I feel like a distracted mother, not able to give her babies all the love and attention they deserve. It is enough, for me, that MERCY'S GIFT is here, and what an incredible journey it has been to get to this day.

As I mentioned back in July, upon the release of book one, MERCY'S PRINCE, I wrote the original version of this story more than 25 years ago. It was the second novel I'd tried to write, and although it was a little better than the first one, it was definitely NOT publishable. Even after several rewrites, it just didn't work, because I was forcing a plot upon cardboard characters.

It took the life-changing event of my father's final illness to "get it right" and only because I wasn't thinking "publication" but merely a writing exercise for myself to distract me from the agony of watching my Dad slip away, piece by piece, over the space of eleven months. I learned about grief; I learned about channeling that powerful emotion into words and images.

I wasn't even thinking "more than one book"--I was just literally letting my characters tell me a story. It soon become obvious that this WAS more than one book, so I rearranged a few things and found a good place to end Book One and eventually found a stopping place for Book Two as well.

Half-heartedly trying to please my beloved critique group, who urged me to find an agent, I sent out queries even while paying a content editor for Book One, which I now called Mercy's Prince. In the back of my mind, however, I was going to pay talented cover designer Perry Elisabeth the end of August 2015 to design a cover for Mercy's Prince and self-publish the book sometime in September. Meanwhile, I had planned to finish the rough draft of Book Three the second week of June while I tagged along to one of hubby's conventions. Three whole days of glorious writing, writing, writing! I was SO looking forward to it! Then I could send Book Three to my content editor while I finished Book Four the rest of the summer and hopefully make a dent on Book Five.

There's a Yiddish proverb that says, "Man plans, God laughs." I honestly don't think God was laughing at me, but my plans were suddenly and unexpectedly blown to bits, accompanied by excruciating pain. My non-Hodgkin's lymphoma, which had been in remission for ten years, decided to return with a vengeance.

During that awful several weeks of waiting on insurance to approve tests and pain meds(!), looking for a surgeon willing to risk a biopsy of lymph nodes wrapped around my abdominal aorta, and expecting the worst (because the pain was SO bad--I kept having to take more and more opiates to keep it barely under control), I decided to find another cover designer and release Mercy's Prince, since it only needed formatting. If the worst was true, I didn't have long to live, so I wanted this book as my "good-bye" to friends and family. That was a dark, scary time that thankfully just feels like a faded nightmare now.
Cover by Colleen Clarke mystiquebookdesigns.comThe lymphoma was "only" stage 3, and chemotherapy FINALLY began the middle of July with almost instant results. I hope to hear that precious word, "REMISSION" sometime in November. Meanwhile, I struggle to work on Books Three, Four and Five with chemo brain, with little success. So, even though I've managed to release Books One and Two, and I'm very happy with the way they turned out, the others will not be finished as quickly, because I do NOT want to release them until they're ready.

So, with a lot of fervent hope, I'm tentatively planning (Lord willing) to release Book Three, Mercy's Children, in the spring of 2016, Book Four, Mercy's King, in the fall of 2016, and Book Five, Mercy's Joy, in early 2017.

The series title is He Who Finds Mercy, but right now it feels more like SHE who finds mercy, because I'm still here, and the story is still in my head and my heart, if not yet on paper.

Fall Into Reading with Clean Indie Reads

Happy fall! Can you believe it's fall already? I know I can't. This summer seems to have gone by very quickly. As we batten the hatches and prepare for winter, are you ready to snuggle in front of a nice warm fire with a good book? Maybe you have the nice warm fire, but not necessarily the perfect book. I have just the thing for you! A bunch of authors and I collaborated in putting together a "Fall Into Reading" sale. The first page on the website has all the books on sale categorized by genre. Some are free, and others are discounted. If you want to find other clean books that aren't necessarily on sale, check out the second page. I hope you have an awesome fall!

Cover Reveal for MERCY'S GIFT

Cover reveal for MERCY'S GIFT, Book Two in the fantasy series He Who Finds Mercy:
Peace is fragile. Gifts have limits.
While Prince Valerian adjusts to marriage as well as his new title, conspiracy brews in the south among disgruntled lords who wish to separate from the north. The situation is made even more volatile by a charismatic rebel leader whose guerilla tactics are swift and brutal.
The clandestine efforts of a witch hired by one of the lords render Valerian's gift of Sight ineffective, and Merry's Healing efforts are sorely tested.
It has become dangerous for a northerner living in the south, and if the gifted young royals fail to stop the growing rebellion, evil will reign in Levathia.
The story begins in Book One, MERCY'S PRINCE:
A heart of peace in a time of war

As second son of the King of Levathia, seventeen-year-old Valerian desires the quiet life of a scholarly monk. But when he fails to save his older brother in battle, Valerian must instead become crown prince.
While a traitorous knight schemes against him, Valerian meets Mercy, a pacifist Healer with whom he can speak mind-to-mind like the great dragons. Their bond emboldens Valerian to seek out the legendary dragons and ask for their help against the monsters who killed his brother.
Can Valerian survive the traitor’s assassins long enough to find the dragons? And if he does, can he convince them to lay aside their hatred of humans and help him save the land from destruction?
Praise for MERCY'S PRINCE: 
"Easily one of the best indie books I've ever read." Story Sanctuary
"A truly believable fantasy world saturated with suspense." Marcha's Two-Cents Worth
"The action is heart-stopping, the love is pure, and the emotions are real." Amazon reader
"A lovely, spiritual tale with all the adventure, mystery and romance a reader could want. Oh. And dragons!" Amazon reader
MERCY'S PRINCE will be FREE on Amazon September 17-19, and MERCY'S GIFT will be released September 25.

Friday Author Spotlight: Shari L. Tapscott

Today I'm privileged to interview Shari L. Tapscott about her wonderful Eldentimber fantasy series, the newest of which, ANWEN OF PRIMEWOOD, is available for pre-order at Amazon!


1. I'm so impressed with the detailed fantasy world you've developed for your series. Did you begin with this world in mind, or did it gradually take shape as you wrote the first story?

SHARI: My goodness, thank you! Pippa of Lauramore was a last minute Camp NaNoWriMo project. About a week before July, I decided I was going to participate. It was my second NaNo, and the first one was a mess. I made my word count, but that manuscript is such a nightmare, I still haven't tackled it.
This time I decided I needed a plan. I hunted down a bunch of character and setting questionnaires online. Iced coffee in hand, I sat down and filled them out. It was fun—it reminded me of taking the teen quizzes in fashion magazines (I used to love those!). They were also helpful. They prompted me to think of environment and economy. They answered questions I hadn't even thought to ask. Before I started writing, I had a pretty solid idea of what my world looked like. 2. I love the character of Pippa. She's so strong and spunky, and yet has a sense of honor that breaks your heart, because she's willing to put aside her heart's desires for the sake of her kingdom. Was she the inspiration for this series? How did you actually begin?
SHARI: Ah, Pippa. She was such a fun character to write. She's beautiful and charming, but because she's the kingdom's darling, she grew up a little wild. She absolutely inspired the book. Another princess may have sat back and hoped a handsome victor would take the win away from Lionel—but not Pippa. She was bound and determined to find her own champion. One of the things I loved about writing her was her heart. It isn't obvious in the beginning of the book, but she is a fiercely loyal, caring character.
3. Your setting details are deliciously realistic. Did you have certain actual places in mind while writing?
SHARI: Absolutely! We visit Colorado's San Juan National Forest at least once a summer, and that's where a lot of my ideas for Lauramore came from. It rains a lot, so everything is always bright and green, and there are some spectacular waterfalls in the area. It's not unusual to see flocks of sheep grazing on the rocky hillsides. It's just an amazing part of Colorado.
The lower areas of Lauramore, below the terraces, were inspired by the National Forest area above Vega State Park, also in Colorado. Some of the trails go through some pretty dark, thick areas. I'm pretty sure we're going to run into a grim boar one of these days.
4. The medieval tournament to win the hand of a noble lady, since it's based on historical fact, is one story that never grows old with me. But you've managed to make it more exciting and much more dangerous. You must have done a lot of research for at least part of it, though, right?
SHARI: This is a hard question to answer. When I was young, I was obsessed with the medieval time period. However, I definitely romanticized it. In my mind, everything was perfect—princesses wore beautiful dresses, the men were chivalrous and handsome, and unicorns could and should grace every fountain.
Obviously, when I got older, I learned that the times were very difficult and that things weren't nearly as lovely as I had imagined…and there were no unicorns (that was probably the hardest blow).
However, I remained interested. So while I never specifically sat down to do research for Pippa, by that point, I had thoroughly immersed myself in medieval books, fairy tales, movies, and even video games. Though I can't specifically say where my knowledge of the marriage tournament came from, I was familiar with the basic concept when I came up with the idea. And after that, I just wrote a story that made me happy (and that my five-year-old self would be proud of).
5. I'm anxious to read your newest book in this series. Are there any more in the works?
SHARI: Yes! Originally, I had planned to write four books, but now it's looking like I will be adding a fifth. My sister contacted me a few weeks ago and begged me to add just one more. She had the greatest idea…so my quartet is now a quintet!
The second book in the series, Anwen of Primewood, will release on September 17th. Seirsha of Errinton, the third book, is complete and about to go through editing. It will release in January 2016. I don't have dates set for the next three, but the fourth book is outlined, and I'm chomping at the bit to get started. I'm hoping to hold off until November's NaNoWriMo, but I'm not sure I'll be able to wait that long!
To read Pippa of Lauramore (which you MUST read--I gave it 5 stars), go here.
To read the 15,000 word prequel, Grace of Vernow (which you also MUST read--I gave it 5 stars), go here.  To learn more about Shari, check out her Amazon author page. 

Friday Author Spotlight (on Thursday): Tamara Grantham

This week I get to interview Tamara Grantham to help spotlight her new fantasy release, DREAMTHIEF.
1. What inspired you to write this story? Did you begin with Olive?
Tamara: Dreamthief started out as a question asked by my brother-in-law. He worked as a military policeman at Fort Sill in Lawton, Oklahoma. Apparently, he’d pulled over quite a few people who were a little off. They also happened to display fairies and unicorns on their car’s bumpers. “Are people who read fantasy books and collect fairy stuff a little weird?” he had asked.
Hmm… Were they? And if they were, then why? These questions evolved into my book’s premise. What if they’ve really been to fairy world and can’t remember it? And what if their lost memories are causing their societal abnormalities and mental disorders? And if so, who would treat them? A half-elf who can remember both earth and fairy world?
2. Since Olive is a therapist, did you do any research to make her believable?
Tamara: I’m lucky that my husband attended medical school and learned a few things about mental disorders, so I frequently picked his brain. I also suffered with depression while I was pregnant with my last two babies, so I guess you could say I did some, “in the field” research. It also helps to have quirky friends and family members, but hey—don’t we all?
3. I'm intrigued with your fairy world Faythander. I noticed there are dragons and other dangers there. What is the scariest thing about this realm?
Tamara: In book one, the goblins are the scariest. They’re more like zombies than traditional goblins, and their skin excretions are poisonous. I suppose I like a good scare now and then, so I had fun writing about the bad guys.
4. I love the trading cards you had designed for your giveaways. How did that come about?
Tamara: My friend and fellow author Kelly Risser did character spotlights to introduce her Never Forgotten series, and she suggested I do something similar. At the time, I had five weeks before my book’s release, and oddly enough, five major races in Faythander, so it made sense that I would connect the two. Marya Heiman with Strong Image Editing designed the cards, and I think she did a fabulous job. I recommend her to everyone. 5. When did you first begin to write for publication?
Tamara: After I wrote my first book, it became obvious that if I ever wanted anyone to read what I’d written, I would have to publish.
6. How do you manage to keep writing with five children?
Tamara: Ha! If I had a nickel for every time I get asked that one… You know, I’m not really sure. I just do it. I honestly think it helps to have kids around. They make me take breaks, give my mind a minute to rest, and then I’m ready to get back to writing again.
7. Name one fun fact about Dreamthief you'd like to share with readers.
Tamara: Okay, this one may sound odd, but I’m a member of the Mormon church (The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints), but I’m not from Utah and I never went to BYU, which is usually how one can tell if you’re Mormon. I still wanted my readers to know that I was Mormon, so I put a few hints in Dreamthief. Two hints, actually, Nehor and Pahoran, which are names of people from the Book of Mormon. And now you know my secret!
8. Name one fun fact about Tamara Grantham. :) 
Tamara: I can’t spell the word rhythm to save my life. Thanks goodness for spell check!
9. Is fantasy your favorite genre to read and write?
Tamara: Absolutely, although I’ll read anything if I feel like it’s well 10. What is your next writing project?
Tamara: I’ve just finished Dreamthief’s sequel, called Spellweaver, which will release tentatively in January, and now I’m outlining book 3.
I want to give a special thanks to Katy Jones. What an inspiration! Whenever I feel low, I think about Katy and what she endures, and it gives me the courage to keep going. Thank you for your strength, Katy!
Aw, thanks, Tamara! I've really enjoyed meeting you through the Clean Indie Reads group and can't wait to read DREAMTHIEF! 
Get your copy of DREAMTHIEF at Amazon today!
Check out Tamara's blog, Tamara Dares to Write!