Cindy C. Bennett's Blog, page 44

Book Length

This week, Indie Author Series is asking us to write about book length. It's actually a really good time for this particular topic because I've noticed that lately there's a lot of people writing short stories or novellas - and not calling them that. Personally, if I purchased a book with the impression that it's a full length novel, only to discover it's not, I wouldn't be happy.

On paperback books it's easy enough to discover the page count, but on eBooks, it's not always listed. I think authors will find this reflected in reviews as well simply because on a few of my stories that are actually listed as a short story, I've had reviewers give me lower ratings based on the shortness of the story.

I think it's important that as authors we're respectful enough of our readers to be honest about what our books really are. If it's a short story or novella, call it that.

So, what lengths mean what? It's all about word count more than page number length. I went to several different websites to see what the general consensus it. Of course it varies from place to place, but here are approximate values:

Short story: Up to 20,000 words in some cases, though 15,000 words seems to be the more accepted maximum, and in many cases only up to 7,500 words is considered a short story.

Novella: Between 10,000 and 50,000 words. If you're less that 50,000 words, you should absolutely be calling it a novella, because in written pages that translates to about a 200 page book. That's about the minimum page number that you want to be calling a book a novel.

Novel: 50,000-300,000 words. 300,000 words??? That's 1200 pages! You're getting into War and Peace length there, and probably should call it epic. Or better yet, divide it into a trilogy. The average novel is between 75,000 and 100,000 words, which puts your book between 300 and 400 pages. (The average word count per page is 250.)

Want more opinions on book length? Hop on over to the other members of the Indie Author Series to see what others have to say.

1.Laura A. H. Elliott 2.Bryna Butler, author Midnight Guardian series3.T. R. Graves, Author of The Warrior Series4.Suzy Turner, author of The Raven Saga5.Rachel Coles, author of Into The Ruins, geek mom blog 6.K. C. Blake, author of Vampires Rule and Crushed7.Gwenn Wright, author of Filter8.Liz Long | Just another writer on the loose.9.Ella James10.Maureen Murrish11.YA Sci Fi Author's Ramblings12.A Little Bit of R&R13.Melissa Pearl14.Terah Edun - YA Fantasy15.Heather Sutherlin - YA Fantasy16.Melika Dannese Lux, author of Corcitura and City of Lights

Friday Five: PETS!

Welcome to this week’s Friday Five. If you haven’t been here before, this is nothing more than my random rambling about something that interests me, with a list of five, in no particular order. This week’s list is Five Pets I’ve Had. Hope you enjoy!

Five Pets I’ve Had  Phoebe: I had to begin with Phoebe. She’s our newest dog, and one that I decidedly didn’t want. The hubs went down to Arizona in January to see his mom who snowbirds down there, went to a swap meet, and somehow walked away with a puppy. Seriously, who buys a dog at a swap meet? He proceeded to strap her little carrier on the back of his Harley and drive 500 miles with her. He was afraid to bring her home because he knew the last thing I wanted was another dog. I tried to resist her, truly I did, but do you see that face? Somehow she became my little baby, and now I can’t imagine not having her. She’s a funny little thing and makes me smile all the time.  Lily: We’ve had Lily since she was just a little puppy. She’s 12 now (pretty much an old woman in dog years). She’s tiny and adorable, but she can be a snippy little thing with people she doesn’t know. Because she’s so small and cute, people are drawn to her, but like most Chihuahua’s, she’s not super friendly. However, once she knows you, she’ll love you forever. And she’s smart. She does the usual dog tricks (sit, lay, dance) but she also rolls over and gives you a high five on command. Her mommy-genes kicked in when Phoebe came to live with us, and she’s been much better than Gus (who you’ll meet below) with her. Lily is a really good dog.  Gus: Oh, Gus. What can I say about Gus? A face only a mother can love, and not much in the intelligence department, but he has charm to spare. You should know that the 12 pound Gus is the puppy of the 4 pound Lily. Not sure how he became such a giant, but there it is. Gus isn’t very smart, but he has such a funny personality. I think we have more photos of Gus than we do of any of the humans in our family—combined. That’s mostly thanks to my daughters, though, not me. I still prefer my kids to my dogs. Gus is the dog version of Gus the mouse from Cinderella, though we didn’t know that when we named him. In fact, the kids and I have talked about writing a book about Gus, so don’t be surprised if you don’t see that sometime in the future. We have more than enough to say about him!
Annie: Annie was our Dalmatian. I say was because we had to put her down a few years ago because she just got so old she could barely stand and fell both up and down the stairs too many times. It’s one of the hardest things I’ve had to do because she was just such an amazing dog. Most Dalmatians are hyper and hard to take care of. Not Annie. She came into our home when my youngest was only one, who would lay on Annie, poke her eyes, pull her ears, stick her fingers in her mouth, and never once did Annie so much as lift a lip at her. She was the calmest, most loving dog we could wish for. She loved everyone, human or not. In fact, she’d sleep in a cage with our cat Rufus (below), and she never fought another animal. She was scratched by a cat or two because she thought they should be friends and would get too close, scaring a cat who didn’t know her and would then claw her. I miss her all the time.  Rufus: I know in the photo it’s hard to tell just exactly what Rufus is. We’re pretty sure he was a cat. He was a rescue. His previous owner had neglected him to the point that his leg was not only infected, but infested with maggots before they dropped him at the shelter. He was taken in by a kind organization who did the necessary surgery, and then my cousin, who was involved with the group, asked me to take him. When I first saw him I nearly said no (let’s face it—he’s u-u-u-ugly). But I couldn’t leave him behind to some unknown fate and brought him home. What a smart decision that was. Rufus, who limped and had a meow that sounded like a rusty chainsaw, was the sweetest, funniest, most entertaining pet I’ve owned. Even people who dislike cats (what’s wrong with those peeps anyway?!?) liked Rufus. He’d sit straight up on his butt, like a person, but then he’d stick one of his hind legs straight up in the air, next to his ear, and just sit like that. He’d meow at the appropriate times as if talking to or answering you. He loved Annie (above) as much as she loved him. Unfortunately, one day he wandered into a neighbor’s backyard who had a mean dog. Rufus, used to Annie, assumed all dogs were friendly, I suppose. Because of his leg, he couldn’t get away from the dog before it managed to get him and take his life. Rufus is one of those special animals that didn’t get a long enough life on earth, suffered for far too much of it, and can never be replaced by another. There will only ever be one Rufus, and I’m just grateful I got to spend a short time with him. I created the Friday Five graphic from an original image copyrighted by: <a href='http://www.123rf.com/photo_10806220_n... / 123RF Stock Photo</a>

Are We Special Blog Tour

Tour Schedule 
Are We Special?Are We Special? examines the source of the feeling experienced by so many of us and portrayed in so many films and books, that we are more than merely mortal beings and may even be chosen to fulfill some special destiny. Drawing upon the scriptures and the teachings of modern-day prophets, Are We Special? contrasts the true, divine origin of this special feeling with the worldly counterfeits propped up by the Adversary that lead us away from the love of God and produce feelings of pride, selfishness, and despair. Are We Special? provides insights from the gospel that are reinforced by psychological research and the authors' therapeutic expertise that will help the reader become more vigilant against the subtle manifestations of the Adversary's lie and more receptive to the resources God has provided us to know how truly and wonderfully special we all are.  
Amazon * Deseret Book 
About the Authors Jeffrey S. Reber holds a PhD from Brigham Young University in psychology. He’s an associate professor in the Department of Psychology at BYU. His publications look at the relationship between religion, psychology, and interpersonal relationships. He has also worked with LDS Family Services and has served as a bishop. Steven P. Moody received his master’s degree in clinical social work from the University of Southern California. At USC, his clinical work focused on families, including marital therapy and relationships. Steven has worked as a counselor with LDS Family Services. He is now a therapist in private practice specializing in both relationships and addictions.  
Website * Facebook * Twitter Tour Giveaway$25 Amazon Gift Card or Paypal Cash Ends 6/16/13 a Rafflecopter giveaway  

How to Get Published | KUTV.com

Today I was on Utah's Fresh Living show. I talked about my top five things you need to know for getting published. You can watch it here, and read below about what I said.

How to Get Published | KUTV.com

1.      Become a strong presence on social media now: Before you're ready to publish, before you've even written a single page, you should be building your online presence on sites such as Facebook, Twitter, Goodreads, Pinterest, Shelfari, Library Thing to name a few. Why? Think about it, when you buy a book, you usually buy from an author you know of, whose name is familiar. So the point of being active on these sites and building a network of followers is twofold: 1. You are a familiar name to readers so they're more likely to buy your book once it's published. 2. You have a network of other authors and bloggers who will help promote your book once it's published because they know you.
2.      Find yourself a good critique group of around 3-5 other authors: It's essential that you have a group of authors to critique your work rather than mom, sister, friend. Someone who knows and loves you isn't going to be objective. They're going to love your work. That's okay, sometimes you need a cheerleader. But more importantly you need someone who's objective and who knows what to look for. That way you can genuinely improve your writing and change things that are needed to make your work stronger. Also, critiquing and editing others' work strengthens your writing as well because it helps you recognize places in your own work that can be improved.
3.      Make sure you have a well-polished manuscript before sending in to an agent or publisher: What this means is that you've re-read your manuscript multiple times, you've had it read by other authors, and you've had it edited either professionally or by someone who knows what they're doing. It's impossible to entirely edit your own work because you're so intimately familiar with it you won't be able to see flaws or holes, so it's best to have someone else do it. Then, when it's as clean as you can possible make it, you're ready to submit it to either an agent or a publisher. Some publishers require an agent, so be sure your understand all submission policies before submitting it anywhere.
4.     Learn everything you can about the publishing industry, and specific publishing venues, and determine if it’s best for you to traditionally publish, or self-publish: The publishing world is not the same as it used to be. It's in constant fluctuation now with the advent of self-publishing and eBooks. There are positives and negatives to both ways of publishing (I know because I've done both) and so you need to research them, talk to a few authors from both sides to get their experiences, and decide which works better for your goals.
5.      Learn everything you can about marketing and begin implementing some of the ideas now: Writing the book is the fun part. The real work comes with marketing, which is absolutely necessary if you want a single person outside your family to read your book. Whether you traditionally publish or self-publish, you're your own marketer. No one else is going to do it for you. So if you prepare now and have an idea of what you'll need to do when the time comes, you can start building a basis for it now to make it easier then. 

The YA Indie Author Club is having another great week of ...

The YA Indie Author Club is having another great week of releases. This week, we are going to ask you to join us in supporting  K.C. Blake . She's as dedicated to writing great stories as any author I've ever met in person or virtually.  

Bait (Order of the Spirit Realm #1) by K.C. Blake
Summary for Bait:
Ghosts, a reaper, and a rock star.
At sixteen Bay-Lee is not your typical girl. She doesn't even try to fit in at school. What's the point when she'll be moving to a new place within a few months?She's lived her whole life on the run, hiding from monsters.
Then a reaper uses her closet to cross over from the Spirit Realm. It has a message for her. Just when she's about to join her father at his school for hunters she finds out they are dying on their birthdays. Something is killing them, slipping past locked doors, never leaving a trace of evidence, and her birthday is only two months away.
Becoming a hunter isn't exactly her dream come true. She's doing it for her mother, for revenge, for justice. Nothing is going to get in her way, least of all love. Then she looks up into a pair of jungle green eyes and everything changes.
Author Bio:  Born and raised in sunny California, K.C. Blake fell in love with books at a young age and decided to pursue writing as a career.  Her favorite authors include Stephen King, John Saul, Cassandra Clare, J.K. Rowling, and Carrie Jones.  In her spare time she enjoys shopping (and when I say shopping I mean go to the mall early in the day, eat lunch, and then keep going until you don't have any strength left), reading great books, taking care of animals (she lives on a farm), and searching for creative ideas to improve her home.  A former writer for Harlequin, she now publishes her books her way and loves every second of it.  Okay, she's a bit of a control freak.
Bait links:Amazon link:  http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00CJ182E4Amazon UK:  https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B00CJ182E4B&N link:  http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/bait-kc-blake/1115218705?ean=2940044497689Smashwords: https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/252449(also available in print)
K.C. Blake's Social Links:Blog:  http://kasi-kcblake.blogspot.comGoodreads:  http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/4809417.K_C_BlakeGoodreads Book Club Discussion on Bait:  http://www.goodreads.com/group/show/102756-order-of-the-spirit-realmFacebook Fan Page:  https://www.facebook.com/pages/K-C-Blakes-Author-Page/246146215412824Twitter:  @kasiblake

Heather Sutherlin

Today, the YA Author Club is exited to Spotlight our very own  Heather Sutherlin . She's an amazing person and a phenomenal YA Author Club contributor who writes young adult fantasy adventures when she's not spending time with her family.


Author Bio


1999 – B.A. in Elementary Education from Harding University
2011 - 1st Place White County Creative Writers’ Conference First Chapter Contest
2012 – Debut novel, A Light in the Darkness, is released along with its sequel, To Light the Path.
2013 – Seen and Wandering, two books in a new YA fantasy series, will be released in the spring.
President - Fiction Writers of Central Arkansas
Featured Author – Arkansas Literary Festival

About the Author
Heather Sutherlin  lives in Arkansas with her husband and three children. She is the author of  A Light In The Darkness  and  Seen   both fantasy adventures for young adults. She loves all things creative and enjoys the worlds she dreams up, longing to live the adventure alongside her characters. When she’s not at her writing desk, she is busy exploring and learning with her children or cooking big, elaborate meals in the kitchen with her husband.
You can see more of Heather at her website,  HeatherSutherlin.com Or, email her at  HSutherlin@gmail.com See behind the scenes of her indie life by following her on  Facebook .You can also follow Heather on 
Books by Heather Sutherlin:
A Light In The Darkness
Merrilyn’s life is quiet and predictable. An apprentice to the royal healer, she spends her days helping in the village or up to mischief with her best friend who happens to be the handsome younger son of the king. But when a mysterious archer shows up in the forest and shoots their escort, Merrilyn’s life is forever changed. Caught in a battle between two forgotten gods, she must embrace her destiny and fight the very powers of darkness before it’s too late.




 

To Light The Path
Prince Jarrod and his men have been missing for months and still Merrilyn has no idea where they are hidden. Now the king of Zinder is missing, too, and his children seem to think Merrilyn’s the key to finding him. Along with Aiden and Prince Justan, she travels to Zinder looking for clues in the king’s journals. When a mysterious man begins whispering in her dreams, tempting her to reconsider all that she believes, she must face both her fears and her desires. Merrilyn may be a light in the darkness, but she’ll have to trust Loian to light their path as they travel through foreign lands and face new enemies in their search for the missing men.




Seen
Rory has no idea what’s going on in the woods behind her house, but it’s driving her crazy. On the last day of her senior year she finds herself caught up once again in the curious happenings of the forest and walks away without any of the answers she was hoping to find. To make matters worse, she is sent to visit a sick neighbor and instead finds the hottest guy she’s ever seen. When she discovers his brother’s incredible secret she falls further into her own chaos and into a fate she never could have imagined.
Jaron is just counting the days until the summer is over and he can get back to his real life. Stuck with his little brother on a tiny farm in rural Oklahoma is not exactly his idea of fun. But when Rory shows up on his doorstep with an armload of pie, he knows his summer has just taken a sharp turn into new territory. He never expected the adventure they would discover next or the quest that would change their lives forever.

Born in Sin

Today, author and friend Camelia Miron Skiba stops by to leave a guest post for us, and to announce the release of her newest book, Born in Sin , which is book 2 in the Dacian Legends series. I had the chance to read this book, so beneath Camelia's guest post is my review of the book. 

BORN IN SIN 
by Camelia Miron Skiba
DACIAN LEGENDS, # 2
Loathing the thought of his beloved Oriana in the arms of another man, fearless Zyraxes delivers death upon the Roman enemy. With only the rugged land as his bed and the sky as his blanket, trouble finds him often.

Summoned to aid Oriana’s father in the war against two powerful enemies—one of them Oriana's savage husband—Zyraxes proves himself worthy of more than just noble titles and coin. But he wants none of it. What he wants is her.

When Zyraxes discovers a broken and nearly dead Oriana, though forbidden, he disregards her father's orders to leave her to her death, and instead chooses to protect and conceal her. Will saving her be enough to win her heart? Will his part royal lineage make him worthy of her love?
  Guest Post—Regrets by Camelia Miron Skiba There are two regrets I’ve accumulated in my whole life and while I try not to dwell on them sometimes they resurface to remind me what I could’ve done differently. One of those regrets is not taking enough photos of Patrick when he was little. Too busy licking my own wounds after I divorced his biological father, too overwhelmed as a single parent and too scared about the future, buying a camera was not top priority on my to-do list. He was only 9 months at that time. I wish there is a way I could go back and immortalize on paper those memories I have kept in my heart—chubby cheeks, curious big blue eyes, blond shiny hair, adorable smile, loving hands. I pray I’ll never lose my mind because the memories of him as a baby are the most treasured from a time in my life I call “Looking for me.” My second regret is smoking. I started when I was only 16, rebelling against my father who always threatened he’d make me eat the cigarette if he ever found me smoking. That coming from a man who woke up middle of the night to smoke and had packs of cigarettes in every pocket. I used to leave the house earlier in the morning and meet my friends in the park to smoke before classes started. The same cigarette made it from mouth to mouth until there was nothing left. Talk about exchanging differentbodily fluids and God knows what diseases. These memories I wish I can erase not only from my mind but from my life entirely. Because I poisoned my body for quite a few years until one day I woke up, smoked one last cigarette and told myself, “I’m done.” Never again picked up another cigarette. And while many, many years have passed since, I sometimes wonder when will I pay the price for being so reckless. Because there is no such thing as free of charge.  My Review of Born in Sin  The first book in the series, originally titled I Was Here - Before You Came, and recently retitled Born in Vengeance to be more in accordance with the series, is a short story. It was published in the It's a Love Thing anthology by Prose by Design (which I happen to co-own) so I'm very familiar with the story as well as the journey for Camelia in writing this series. Camelia hails from Romania, though she's lived in the USA for the past nine or ten years. So the subject of these books is very near and dear to her heart - the rise of Romania as a country. The first book follows Ilias, and his love for the daughter of his sworn enemy, Nerva. The sequel, Born in Sin , follows Ilias' brother Zyraxes and his longing for childhood love Oriana. Their's is a sweet love story, one of being forced apart by social expectation and circumstance, and then thrown back together in the midst of a hopeless battle. He finds Oriana, beaten, broken, nearly dead, and hides her, nursing her back to health in spite of the risk to his own life by doing so. My favorite part of their love story is that it's so believable. There's no instant look of burning desire. There's a history of innocent love between them, and familiarity. Zyraxes longs for her, wanting nothing more than to be with her. It's impossible, though - or so he thinks. She's married and royalty, and he's simply the bastard son of a king, and a warrior.  My favorite part of the story overall is the language in which it's written. Camelia wrote it first person, present tense, and her prose is appropriate for the time period, making it feel as if you're reading Zyraxes' private journals. This hardened, tough warrior has a romantic, poetic heart which you see through his thoughts. Obviously he's not going to spout poetry to his warrior buddies. There's an excerpt below so you can see what I mean about her prose. I highly recommend this book to those who enjoy historical books, or historical romance. Camelia captures the feel of the time perfectly, plunging you into their violent, desperate world. You can feel her passion for the subject of the rise of Romania. You can pick up a copy beginning on 5/30/13 at Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and other online retailers. Check Camelia's website for links when they become available.  Excerpt from Born in Sin  Horror pains Oriana’s face when she sees me. I wouldn’t recognize her had I seen her in a crowd. Dark bruises mar her jaw and right temple. Her hair, once beautifully braided, is now a dry mud and straw-tangled mass, framing a deadly pale face. She strains to get up, but she’s too weak. “We are lost,” she cries, “why did you bring him?” I rush to Oriana’s side, pain splitting my heart in pieces. “My queen, you don’t recognize me?” “Oh, Zyraxes, why did you come? You shan’t see me this way …” Oriana hides her face behind Thera’s shoulder, tugging at the torn rag covering her fragile body. She struggles to sit up, but she falls back on the ground with a cry. “Oriana …” I place a hand on her arm, then withdraw it. She’s hot to the touch, feverishly hot. Seeing the queen of my heart so hurt and broken is harder than her rejection. I must save her, I must. The knot in my throat chokes me. I haven’t cried since my mother died. “Oriana … remember when you broke your wrist?” I have to whisper or she’ll know how weak I am, tears of helplessness brimming my eyes. With a little spark in her glassy blue eyes, she holds her right wrist at her chest. More bruises cover both her arms, her left hand wrapped in a dirty cloth. I pray she remembers. Her nod gives me hope. “Remember the splinter and the bandages I wrapped your arm in and told you not to remove for three weeks?” She nods again. I take her wrist and kiss it, then stroke it. At first she tries to pull away, but now her arm rests in my hand. “And remember how I threatened to tell your father about you climbing the tree when you took it off only a week later?” Oriana smiles between tears. Her voice is above a whisper, “I do not want you to see me this way …” “I am not. I only see you need my aid. Please, Oriana, let me serve you. Please?” About the Author    ~Who I am is not important but what I leave behind is~~ © 2013 Camelia Miron Skiba  I’m a dreamer
I’m a sinner
I love my books
I conjure hooks
And heroes with good looks
Romance is my guilty pleasure
Taking me to places with new decor
Come join me if you dare
I promise not to bore If you like to read my stories
Pray my husband continues snorin’
For he’s the one who keeps me up at night
When I give my heroes wings and flight.  
WEBSITE:      LOVE. WTHOUTYOU         GOODREADS TWITTER: @CamiSkiba AMAZON AUTHOR PAGE: CameliaMiron Skiba
 
 
 
 

 
 

Friday Five: Hawaiian Style

 Welcome to this week’s Friday Five. If you haven’t been here before, this is nothing more than my random rambling about something that interests me, with a list of five, in no particular order. Hope you enjoy!Because I just returned home from an amazing vacation in Hawaii, I decided to dedicate today's Friday Five to this American paradise. So, here are my five favorite things about Hawaii:

1. The scenery. Of course. Who doesn't admire the absolute beauty that is Hawaii. These volcanic islands that popped up in the middle of the Pacific have a beauty that's undeniable. White sandy beaches with clear blue water. And palm trees. I love palm trees, but can't grow them here in Utah. Too cold.

2. The people. Hawaiians, and Polynesians in general, are some of
the happiest, kindest, most loving, always-smiling people I've ever met. I could blame it on living in paradise: I mean, how unhappy can you be living there? But I find that's true of these beautiful people no matter where they live. So spending a few days immersed in their happiness was a treat.

3. The dances. I seriously do not get how those hula dancers move those hips like they do. They can show me the technique all day long and it doesn't matter. I can't do it. And when they're flipping those hips around and walking across the stage boggles me. And the men. Seriously sexy when they're dancing, so strong and masculine, tribal tattooed, and funny when they're doing the stomping and tongue wagging. Then if that weren't enough, they start throwing fire around!

4. The fruit. I'm a fan of pineapple. One of the things I looked forward to most was eating some fresh pineapple. Unfortunately, there were only two occasions when I was able to do this: once at a luau, and once from a little rundown shack on the side of the road where a woman sold cut up pineapple. Because we were on a cruise, we were limited for time in each port, so sadly I couldn't just gorge myself to death on pineapple. Also, they have amazing bananas, papayas, and mangos.



5. The high prices of everything there. Yeah, yeah, I know you're probably thinking that I maybe got a little too much sun while in Hawaii, but I have a reason. A couple actually. First of all, it made me grateful that I don't have to pay those high prices to live ($8 for a gallon of milk, 43¢ a kilowatt hour for electricity, almost $5 a gallon of gas). I complain about how much things cost more often than I should, so it was a good reminder to be grateful for what I don't have to pay. Also, it reminded me to be grateful for the blessings in my life that put me in the position to be in Hawaii at all, awestruck by what they pay for everything. I know not everyone will have the chance to visit Hawaii in their lives, especially considering how much it costs to live or even visit there, so I'm very, very thankful that I had this amazing opportunity.

Above Rubies

 
Tour Schedule  Above RubiesHis chivalry was strangling her. He thought he was helping her—and in truth, he was. She was in desperate straits. But as honorable as he was, he was also breaking her heart. Her attraction was drowning him. When World Champion rodeo cowboy Rossen Rockland and his friends rescue a young runaway who has been abused by her foster father and take her home to his parents’ ranch, he expects her to turn out to be a pain in the neck. And sometimes she is. It doesn’t take him long to figure out that she has way more than her allotment of troubles—and far more than her share of gifts. Lovely, talented, and ravingly brilliant, Kit Star is too young, unbelievably humble, and oh, so loveable. Knowing that she needs his protection and time to grow into her potential, Rossen also figures out that what she really is, is a pain in the heart. Watch for more of the Rockland Ranch Series!  
Praise for Above Rubies:I absolutely could not put this book down. It had me laughing, crying, angry and pretty much every other emotion. I can not wait for the next one in the series to come out. Keep them coming!!!
 ~Addicted to Books
This is the second book in the Rockland Ranch Romance Series. It can be read as a stand alone or copies of Peace River can be supplied if you would also like to review it.  

Amazon Peace River (Book 1)The police didn't understand the danger, but she did. Her father had always been abusive, but now, with a ten million dollar Thoroughbred farm on the line, and a powerful bookie leaning on him, her father had become out of control. But how do you get away and take a world famous stallion with you? Carrie was getting desperate when a handsome and honorable but thoroughly cynical rodeo cowboy from Wyoming happened to show up with a horse trailer. He didn't ride a white horse, but he was definitely a knight in shining armor. He'll protect her from the mob, but can she survive falling in love with a bull rider?  
Praise for Peace River"Give me a clean romance, humor and a good looking cowboy and I'm a happy girl. LDS fiction isn't always my favorite but I really enjoyed the characters and adventure in this book."
~Carol - Goodreads "There was plenty of action, adventure and danger to keep me guessing just how everything was going to turn out. I didn't want to put it down until I finished! Jaclyn Hawkes is one of my favorite LDS romance authors. You really can't go wrong with any of her books that you pick up!"
~Cathy -Goodreads Amazon  
Author Jaclyn M. HawkesJaclyn M. Hawkes grew up in Utah with 6 sisters, 4 brothers and any number of pets. (It was never boring!) She got a bachelor’s degree, had a career and traveled extensively before settling down to her life’s work of being the mother of four magnificent and sometimes challenging children. She loves shellfish, the out of doors, the youth and hearing her children laugh. She and her fine husband, their family, and their sometimes very large pets, now live in a mountain valley in northern Utah, where it smells like heaven and kids still move sprinkler pipe.

Website   Book Blast Giveaway $50 Amazon Gift Card or Paypal Cash Ends 6/11/13

a Rafflecopter giveaway
Open only to those who can legally enter, receive and use an Amazon.com Gift Code or Paypal Cash. Winning Entry will be verified prior to prize being awarded. No purchase necessary. You must be 18 or older to enter or have your parent enter for you. The winner will be chosen by rafflecopter and announced here as well as emailed and will have 48 hours to respond or a new winner will be chosen. This giveaway is in no way associated with Facebook, Twitter, Rafflecopter or any other entity unless otherwise specified. The number of eligible entries received determines the odds of winning. Giveaway was organized by Kathy from I Am A Reader, Not A Writer http://iamareader.com and sponsored by the author. VOID WHERE PROHIBITED BY LAW. Prize value $50 US.

The Trouble with Toads

  The Trouble with Toads Once upon a time a young girl wanted revenge. But first, she wanted to be beautiful. Twelve-year-old Bettony has read enough stories that begin with ‘Once upon a time’ to know what happens to the ugly stepsisters at the end, and she’s determined to escape that fate by any means necessary—even by magic. Unfortunately, when it comes to magic, there is no place for regret, refunds, or exchanges. Even if you accidentally turn your older sister into a toad. If Bettony wants her Happily Ever After to end well, she’s going to have to find a way to turn her sister back into a person before their mother finds out she’s been dabbling with magic and grounds her for life. Tracking down the family magic turns out to be surprisingly easy. Now, if only it came with directions . . . THE TROUBLE WITH TOADS (45,000 words) is the first book in a new upper MG series The Secret Stepsister Society. The second book will be released Summer 2013.
Amazon   Author Danyelle Leafty Danyelle Leafty writes upper MG and YA fantasy, and is the author of THE FAIRY GODMOTHER DILEMMA series. Danyelle has always loved fairy tales, and prefers stories where someone gets eaten, or at the very least, transmogrified. Much of her inspiration has come from fairy tales, because as G.K. Chesterton so aptly states, "Fairy tales are more than true: not because they tell us that dragons exist, but because they tell us that dragons can be beaten." In her spare time, she collects dragons, talking frogs, and fairy godmothers. She also collects books, and one day hopes to make a house out of them. She enjoys learning languages, fiddling with her harp, and perfecting the fine art of mothering. (It's a lot like trying to herd chickens during a lightning storm while a goat stampede is going on.) One of her heroes is Albert Einstein, particularly for the following quote: "Learn from yesterday, live for today, hope for tomorrow. The most important thing is not to stop questioning."
Website * Twitter * Facebook * BlogBook Blast Giveaway$50 Amazon Gift Card or Paypal CashEnds 6/10/13a Rafflecopter giveaway   Open only to those who can legally enter, receive and use an Amazon.com Gift Code or Paypal Cash. Winning Entry will be verified prior to prize being awarded. No purchase necessary. You must be 18 or older to enter or have your parent enter for you. The winner will be chosen by rafflecopter and announced here as well as emailed and will have 48 hours to respond or a new winner will be chosen. This giveaway is in no way associated with Facebook, Twitter, Rafflecopter or any other entity unless otherwise specified. The number of eligible entries received determines the odds of winning. Giveaway was organized by Kathy from I Am A Reader, Not A Writer http://iamareader.com and sponsored by the author. VOID WHERE PROHIBITED BY LAW. Prize value $50 US.