K.C. Sprayberry's Blog, page 80

Making The Right Choices

Good morning and welcome to Sunday Blog Share. Let’s start off this new year with a look at smoking.
Few teens can resist a dare. Daryl is just like all of his friends, always up for a challenge. Nothing presented to him in the past has made him stop and think of the consequences nor will that happen today. Or so he believes…
The high school he attends has taken on a challenge. Daryl eyes the top prize. Five hundred dollars will go a long way toward making college next year easier financially. Despite his parents putting money away every month, despite his part time job at a local fast food place, he’s still a long way from having a nice financial cushion once he’s in University of Georgia.
The task seems minor. All he has to do is race through an obstacle course and come out first… or so he thinks. Openmouthed, he stares at the teachers lining up along the track. Each one holds a single sheet of paper.
“On your mark, get set, go!” Coach Johnson yells.
Trained as an athlete, fairly good in academics, Daryl runs toward the first teacher.
“What color does red and blue make?”
Way too easy! He grins from ear to ear. “Purple.”
“Two seconds, remember that. Go!”
Pushing himself to the limits, he stops at each individual on the track. They all ask him a question a kid in kindergarten could answer and gives him a time. He’s mentally tallying those times in his head, uncertain of why—just a gut hunch they might be important. As he approaches the last instructor, he’s a little wary. Ms. Janson is about the toughest teacher in his school. He barely passed her class with a strong B+.
“What is the reason for your presence here today?” she asks with a wicked grin.
“To win.” He stares at her in wonder. “To put the winnings away for college.”
“What is your average time on this course?”
His eyes widen in horror. He glances at where the other teachers are standing—Were standing! They’re all gone! Briefly closing his eyes, he takes a guess at how many teachers there were and divides that by the total number of times he was given.
“Three point two,” he says, gasping and hoping he is right.
“Correct.” Ms. Janson points at the bleachers. “Take a seat.”
Once he’s seated, Daryl watches the other students eliminated easily. Some don’t even make it past the first stop. All of them glare at him. Uncertain what’s going on, he waits for the last student to complete course. Guy Jacobs makes it all the way to Ms. Janson and groans before turning and walking away.
Daryl stares at the other students. They’re gathered on the edge of the track, across from him. Sun beats down on his head. Sweat pours down his face. He’s the only one here. Everyone else is… is… he can’t believe his eyes. They’re all getting soft drinks and pizza. Why? None of them finished.
“Daryl.” Coach Johnson stops in front of him, holding out an envelope. “Congratulations. You’re the winner.”
The glares from the people he’s known since kindergarten cause a shiver to run up and down his spine. He’s not sure why they’re angry. He won by knowing the answers.
“What’s going on?” he asked.
“Sometimes being a winner is more like being a loser.” Coach Johnson drops the envelope on the bench beside Daryl. “All of failed in one way. You didn’t work as a team.”
Daryl opened the envelope. He stared at the check for five hundred dollars. With shaking hands, he takes out the folded piece of paper also in the envelope.
He who wins also loses.
“Yeah. Stupid choice.” He stands and shoves the check and check into the pocket of his shorts. “Really dumb. All of us could have won, if we’d worked together.”
Dumb Decisionallows teens to understand they can make mistakes, if they learn from them.

Blurb

Leslie’s friend dared her to run a yellow light. She did but never saw a drunk running the red light until it was too late. Now, her friend is hurt and she’s scared. Can she face the consequences of her decision?



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About K.C. Sprayberry
Living a dream she’s had since she first discovered the magic of books. K.C. Sprayberry traveled the U.S. and Europe before finally settling in the mountains of Northwest Georgia. She’s been married to her soulmate for nearly a quarter of a century and they enjoy spoiling their grandchildren along with many other activities.
A multi-genre author, K.C. Sprayberry is always on the hunt for new stories. Inspiration strikes at the weirdest times and drives her to grab notebook and pen to jot down her ideas. Those close to her swear nothing or no one is safe if she’s smiling gently in a corner and watching those in the same room interact. Her observations have often given her ideas for her next story, set not only in the South but wherever the characters demand they settle.

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Overcoming Issues

Good morning and welcome to Tuesday Blog Share. Let’s start off this new year with a look at smoking.
They are many and few. Teens everywhere experience troubles. On some occasions, those problems seem insignificant to adults but mean disaster to a teenager. Other times, the problems are more intense, life threatening.
How these young adults deal with their problems depends on the support system they have with their families. Supportive parents can help a teen through troubled times while a disconnected family will founder.
Soar High 1and Life Intrudes examine the problems teens face and how they resolve those issues.

Soar High 1 Standing Strong Blurb

Parents, siblings, spouses, friends. People you love. People you thought loved you. People whose truth you keep hidden, even from yourself.
People who make you feel guilty for the harm they cause to you and others, by their choice. People who cause you to doubt yourself into thinking it’s your fault.
K.C. Sprayberry presents a collection of devastating short stories on relationship abuse. To those in the midst of such a relationship, stand up, stand free, and stand strong.





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Life Intrudes Blurb
Teens face many issues in this often unforgiving world. The choices they make often decide where their life ends up. Choices are often gauged by the support they receive from the world around them, or their own values, which can be tested by their peers reactions.
The twenty-first century has given teens many things that seem to spell doom to their dreams and hopes. School violence, abusive friends, alcohol and drugs, and bad decisions leave them wondering if it’s worth the effort to stand up for what they think is right.








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About K.C. Sprayberry
Living a dream she’s had since she first discovered the magic of books. K.C. Sprayberry traveled the U.S. and Europe before finally settling in the mountains of Northwest Georgia. She’s been married to her soulmate for nearly a quarter of a century and they enjoy spoiling their grandchildren along with many other activities.
A multi-genre author, K.C. Sprayberry is always on the hunt for new stories. Inspiration strikes at the weirdest times and drives her to grab notebook and pen to jot down her ideas. Those close to her swear nothing or no one is safe if she’s smiling gently in a corner and watching those in the same room interact. Her observations have often given her ideas for her next story, set not only in the South but wherever the characters demand they settle.

Find out more about my books at these social media sites:



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Authorgraph Email

Evil Eyes

Good morning and welcome to Tuesday Blog Share. Let’s start off this new year with a look at stalkers. .
Tina has a great life. She’s popular and smart. Everyone loves to be around her. The only thing she doesn’t have is a serious boyfriend. That’s for later, once she’s in college. During high school, this sixteen-year-old prefers to go on group dates and be free of a romance.
Lately, she’s noticed small bouquets of flowers on her front porch when she leaves the house. Whoever is dropping them off knows she loves pansies and she always puts on in her hair clip before heading to school. In the afternoons, there are packs of gum, a secret teat she rarely indulges in, or snickerdoodles from the local bakery. Just this morning, she found a beautiful card with only a heart for the signature and a gift card to Dave & Busters.
At school, she takes the flowers out of her hair band and shows all this stuff to her friends. Very seriously, they tell her that her parents need to get a doorbell with a recording device in it. “This isn’t right,” they all say. “Someone is stalking you.”
Shocked and scared, Tina dumps everything into a trash can. She decides to wait until she gets home to talk to her parents, instead of texting them. After all, she’s in school. What can happen to her here?
She notices a guy, Brian Markey, taking the things out of the trash as she glances back while walking away. He glares at her and mouths “bitch.” Tina shivers. Brian a real jerk, always getting in trouble for rank jokes and cutting up in class. There is no way she’ll ever think of hanging around with his crowd. They’re all troublemakers.
As she’s leaving school, Tina waves goodbye to her friends. Not many people are still around, since they had band practice. It’s getting dark and she can’t wait to get home and talk to her parents. As she approaches her secondhand car, she notices all the tires are flat. The windshield has a huge crack in it, running across the center of the glass. Brian is nearby, smirking at her. Shaking with fear, she runs to the other side of the parking lot, screaming. Her friends huddle around her as one of them calls the police.

Evil Eyesexamines a teenage girl’s reaction to a stalker. The disbelief someone would do this to her and how she learns how to protect herself. Stalkers don’t always have an evil intent but creeping around and not coming into the open when you like someone isn’t right. Don’t ignore a stalker. Talk to someone in authority—your parents, teachers at school, or the police—if you face this situation.

Blurb

Lisa is so ready for a break from the grueling first semester of college. Along with five other friends, she returns to Landry, and hopes to have nothing but fun. Within days, one of the group is the victim of a vindictive stalker, and Lisa herself is now in the man's sights. No matter what she does, she can't shake this person.
Fred has a little problem, but he figures he can take care of it himself, if he achieves fame with his folk rock band, Olney-Oak Lane Sounds. Then he happens to see this beautiful woman, who turns out to be just like every other woman he's met. He takes care of her, and is immediately drawn to Lisa. No one will get between Fred and Lisa, absolutely no one.
On Christmas Eve, Lisa has to fight for her life and sanity after Fred kidnaps her. She turns out to be very different from the other women, in a way he never figured.




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About K.C. Sprayberry
Living a dream she’s had since she first discovered the magic of books. K.C. Sprayberry traveled the U.S. and Europe before finally settling in the mountains of Northwest Georgia. She’s been married to her soulmate for nearly a quarter of a century and they enjoy spoiling their grandchildren along with many other activities.
A multi-genre author, K.C. Sprayberry is always on the hunt for new stories. Inspiration strikes at the weirdest times and drives her to grab notebook and pen to jot down her ideas. Those close to her swear nothing or no one is safe if she’s smiling gently in a corner and watching those in the same room interact. Her observations have often given her ideas for her next story, set not only in the South but wherever the characters demand they settle.

Find out more about my books at these social media sites:



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Authorgraph Email

Distracted Driving

Good morning and welcome to Sunday Blog Share. Let’s start off this new year with a look at distracted driving. .
Judi lives for the fabulous maroon Chevrolet Equinox her parents bought her for her eighteenth birthday. She’s always giving friends rides and taking off on a new adventure. She never gives a thought when picking up her phone while she’s speeding down the road, checking texts or finding the perfect song to sing to.
It doesn’t matter where Judi is driving, she must have that phone in her hand. The law against doing this doesn’t apply to her, so she believes. She’s a teen, with astral reactions. Speed limits are only suggestions. Judi can stop on a dime. She’s proven that many times.
That she’s racing past traffic, weaving in and out, doesn’t make any difference. She’s done this many times. Her SnapChat alert takes her attention from the road for several seconds as she responds to this cool guy. Judi’s only warning that her parents were right about not looking at her phone while driving is when she slams hard into a vehicle in front of her. Her first reaction is that jerk was going far too slow.
In what seems like seconds, police are all over the place. A woman keeps screaming “My baby! My baby!” Firemen are spraying water on flames while cops and paramedics struggle to open a rear door of a minivan and extract a car seat. Judi stares at the scene in horror; she clutches her phone tighter. An officer opens her door, snatches the phone from her hand and orders her to get out. All she can think of is that her life is over.

Where U @explores one teenage girl’s problems in school and how a distracted driver ruins her life. Using a phone while driving is dangerous. It doesn’t matter how good your reactions are. It doesn’t matter that you only take your eyes off the road for an instant. Put down your phone. Pay attention to the road around you. Don’t drive distracted.

Blurb

Trea Jones has always known the bitterness of bigotry and abject poverty. Her half-Cherokee daddy disappeared thirteen years ago on the pretense of getting milk. Mama has done nothing but mourn his loss, and she blames Trea for that. Now that she's starting her senior year of high school, Trea hopes for something better, but she doesn't hold out much hope.
Until …
She loosens up on some of her rules. Her guy, Dave, proves to her that she is worthy of everything the others have. The last day of classes prior to the winter break, she's ready to share some stupendous news with Dave, but tragedy intervenes when her daddy texts while driving a bus. Trea is left wondering if she can ever be free of a curse that heaps a lot of bad luck on her whenever good things happen to her.



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About K.C. Sprayberry
Living a dream she’s had since she first discovered the magic of books. K.C. Sprayberry traveled the U.S. and Europe before finally settling in the mountains of Northwest Georgia. She’s been married to her soulmate for nearly a quarter of a century and they enjoy spoiling their grandchildren along with many other activities.
A multi-genre author, K.C. Sprayberry is always on the hunt for new stories. Inspiration strikes at the weirdest times and drives her to grab notebook and pen to jot down her ideas. Those close to her swear nothing or no one is safe if she’s smiling gently in a corner and watching those in the same room interact. Her observations have often given her ideas for her next story, set not only in the South but wherever the characters demand they settle.

Find out more about my books at these social media sites:



Facebook Twitter Goodreads Amazon Author Page
Google+ Pinterest Manic Readers AUTHORSdb
Authorgraph Email

Bullying

Good morning and welcome to Tuesday Blog Share. Let’s start off this new year with a look at bullying. .
High school has its own trials and tribulations. Everyone somehow divides into cliques based on their likes and dislikes. It doesn’t matter who you are or what your dreams are, there are some people who are going to make your life miserable.
Kaya walks into the building, clutching her books against her chest. She’s tall, skinny, with long, straight hair and a wide-eyed terrified expression. Her early education was in a small private elementary school. Seeing all of these teenagers talking to each other, walking confidently along the hallways, shouting plans scares her.
The first thing that runs through her mind, as she searches for her homeroom is that her neatly pleated skirt and simple button up blouse are completely out of place, as are her flats and the nylons her mom made her wear—to make a good impression.
“Move.” A girl towers over Kaya. “That’s my seat.”
“Next desk, Belinda,” the teacher says. “We don’t reserve desks in my classroom.”
“Bindi,” the girl says. “She’s sitting in seat.” Bindi gives Kaya a scathing glance. “Gawd! Look at those clothes! Did you hit up your granny’s closet?”
Loud laughter runs through the room. Kaya stares at her open notebook and carefully writes down the rules on the whiteboard. Bindi keeps on making ugly comments as she strolls past, dropping her backpack on the desk and settling with a few more nasty words about Kaya.
Every day, it’s the same. Bindi follows Kaya around, talking about her hair, clothes, and holier than thou attitude. Despite constant pleading with her parents to change schools, Kaya returns to this horrible place day after day. Her grades are their usual “A”s with comments from the teachers about what a good student she is.
On the last day of school, Kaya runs out the door, her head down. Tears blind her as she streaks away from the horror that has been her first year of high school. No one, not a teacher, not the counselors, not the principal—none of the adults in school or at home did a thing to stop Bindi. All Kaya wants is to escape to her home and hide. She fears returning in the fall, for another round of make fun of the stupid girl, as she’s come to think of herself.
Without looking, she races into the street. A screech of brakes is her only warning before a car rams into her. Kaya flies through the air and hits the curb with her head. She doesn’t hear the screams of the horrified students. She doesn’t know everything possible was done to save her life. Kaya has escaped the horror she’s lived with for nine long months.
Inits explores the first year of high school for a boy with an unfortunate set of initials, in a town where all the kids use those instead of names. Alex deals with this problem and comes out the winner, but far too many other teens aren’t as lucky as he is. Bullying hurts far deeper than most people know. Far too many teens are told to endure the bullying, to ignore it. That’s now it should be handled. Those in charge of today’s teens need to take a proactive stance against bullies, from the moment they start.

Blurb

Alex Starkey is a normal teenager with unfortunate initials. Initials which have been his nemesis his entire life. Initials matter when all the kids call each other by them instead using their names.
If that isn’t awkward enough, there’s Payne, who’s made a career out of bullying kids he thinks deserve it. Alex’s inits make him a target. Alex can deal with that on his own, until Payne crosses the line and tries to force him into doing things with long-range consequences. That’s when Alex stands up and faces him down.








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About K.C. Sprayberry
Living a dream she’s had since she first discovered the magic of books. K.C. Sprayberry traveled the U.S. and Europe before finally settling in the mountains of Northwest Georgia. She’s been married to her soulmate for nearly a quarter of a century and they enjoy spoiling their grandchildren along with many other activities.
A multi-genre author, K.C. Sprayberry is always on the hunt for new stories. Inspiration strikes at the weirdest times and drives her to grab notebook and pen to jot down her ideas. Those close to her swear nothing or no one is safe if she’s smiling gently in a corner and watching those in the same room interact. Her observations have often given her ideas for her next story, set not only in the South but wherever the characters demand they settle.

Find out more about my books at these social media sites:




Facebook Twitter Goodreads Amazon Author Page
Google+ Pinterest Manic Readers AUTHORSdb
Authorgraph Email

School Violence

Good morning and welcome to Sunday Blog Share. Let’s start off this new year with a look at the issue of school violence. Far too many of our children have experienced school violence in the twenty-first century. Many claim this is part of the world we live in—the ever increasing violence coming from bullying. Yet, if history is examined, people will see this is not a new phenomenon but one that has been around since this country was young.
The idea of attending high school, or even middle grade/junior high and elementary education centers, and being safe is a myth. In high school especially, the students are dealing not only with increased class loads, higher expectations as students approach their adult years, and raging hormones. The person we’re looking at today is Mike. He’s a pretty nice guy. To look at him, no one will ever expect him to explode into a rage that will turn everyone’s lives upside down.
Many ask, now that the trouble is over, how they never knew Mike would express himself in this manner. He’s not talking to anyone—not his parents, his attorney, or law enforcement. Mike remains in a world of his making, seemingly oblivious to the consequences of his actions. His only statement after he was caught was, “Every one of them earned this.”
It was a bright spring morning when he showed up an hour before classes started. The only thing on everyone’s mind was the finals they would be taking once they got to school. Mike’s final would be one that would attract national attention but he only cared about making a statement about the troubles he’d endured at a school where he’d always excelled.
This member of the honor society; this young man with college acceptances all over the country; this person with the appearance of winner had made a terrible decision. Today was when he would take control of his life and rid the world of those he saw as losers. With teachers arriving and quietly conversing about how they would soon have a long break from students, Mike needed to be careful. No one could learn of his plan until the right moment. He counted on the unrest the school had tolerated for the last nearly four years to hide his actions. Once he was in place, hidden in the library near the windows, he carefully prepared his weapons for destruction.
The targets arrived and swarmed toward the building. Mike patiently waited, until he noticed the worst of the students, those scrabbling to destroy what he’d built so hard to make his escape from this place. As soon as those individuals paused near the front stairs, he made his move, carefully picking out targets and eliminating them.
The screams of panic, the fire alarm sounding, the pounding of feet racing down the stairs all gave him a sensation of power. He was in control. Mike never paused in his aim, fire, aim, fire, aim, fire mode, until the cold muzzle of a gun against his head forced him to stop.
As he was escorted out the building, down the front steps, and across the lush green lawn, he smiled. “They deserved this.” Those were the last words he said to anyone. At his trial, he never once spoke in his defense, just stared at the judge the whole time. In his head, he replayed the day he’d beat those determined to steal what he’d worked so hard to earn.
Take Chancesfocuses on school violence, on the actions of one person changing lives drastically. This intense tale is captured in moments of extreme violence, of bullying from those we trust, and of standing up to make a difference. Let it be said that banning weapons of destruction, allowing bullying, or creating safe spaces will cure this problem. The real cure to stopping this problem lies within the hearts of those attending these schools, within the home life of these students. Only when they understand that their world can be torn asunder by the actions of a few who believe themselves to be above all others can we get a handle on school violence.

Blurb

Military brat, Julie Bond, survived school violence as a small child. As a teen nearing graduation at a high school in Landry, GA, she puts down the flashbacks to that time as pre-graduation jitters. Her attempt to convince herself it can’t happen again fails, as she continually sees herself caught up in the madness of that day…
She walks into her classroom, prepared for a last assignment…
And hears a strange voice…
She’s no longer living in the past…
Can she overcome evil once again?





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About K.C. Sprayberry
Living a dream she’s had since she first discovered the magic of books. K.C. Sprayberry traveled the U.S. and Europe before finally settling in the mountains of Northwest Georgia. She’s been married to her soulmate for nearly a quarter of a century and they enjoy spoiling their grandchildren along with many other activities.
A multi-genre author, K.C. Sprayberry is always on the hunt for new stories. Inspiration strikes at the weirdest times and drives her to grab notebook and pen to jot down her ideas. Those close to her swear nothing or no one is safe if she’s smiling gently in a corner and watching those in the same room interact. Her observations have often given her ideas for her next story, set not only in the South but wherever the characters demand they settle.

Find out more about my books at these social media sites:



Facebook Twitter Goodreads Amazon Author Page
Google+ Pinterest Manic Readers AUTHORSdb
Authorgraph Email

Teen Drinking

Good morning and welcome to Tuesday Blog Share. Let’s start off this new year with a look at a problem among teenagers, underage consumption of alcohol. All of us have stories about getting plastered, having what we defined as fun in our teen years, but not all of those stories had a good ending.
Let’s call him Joe. The all around great guy at your high school. We’ve all known someone like Joe. Always willing to do for others, a smile on his face, the kind of guy your parents want you to bring home.
Except Joe has a secret side to him, something he never let others see. None of us knew about this problem until it was too late to do anything. Joe liked fast cars. His Camaro was in perfect shape. He’d go driving along the mountain roads above our high school, driving fast around curves and sipping from a Coke can. Only there wasn’t Coke in that can. He’d poured that out once he popped the tab and filled it with whiskey.
Joe thought he was invincible. No one knew his dark side, how he got drunk as soon as he left school. How he pushed boundaries, until one day he met a curve he couldn’t handle. His car flew off the road and tumbled down a steep incline, until it landed upside down at the bottom. The cop who’d been chasing him, to pull over a driver all over the road, stared in horror at the remains of the town’s hero—half in and half out of the vehicle he’d loved. Nothing could be done to save Joe, because no one knew he was an alcoholic until it was too late.
Teen drinking is a real problem. It’s not less of a problem than drugs, as one person pointed out to me in 2012. This issue is as big a problem as drugs are, in fact alcoholism is an issue that hasn’t gone away and won’t until we address what drives people like Joe to drink when they seem to have everything.
Softly Say Goodbyeis a story about teens standing up against a group of drunks in their high school. This story resonates with teens and their parents. It’s real, based on real events, a story that can prove to your teen they need help to stay away from this problem.Blurb

Erin Sellers, an eighteen-year-old high school senior, hates teen drinking. She and her three friends – Bill, her guy, Shari and Jake - decide to use Twitter to stop a group, the Kewl Krew, from using their high school as the local bar. But the members of this group are just as determined to stop anyone from messing up their fun. Despite veiled threats to her safety, Erin continues her crusade.
To make matters worse for her, the stress of school and extracurricular work mounts and suddenly, shockingly, booze-fueled tragedy strikes. Erin is now under greater pressure as she spends all hours to produce a mural and other work to commemorate the death of a teen friend. Bill, Jake and Shari support her in all this...
But more tragedy lurks nearby… until it’s time to softly say goodbye.




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About K.C. Sprayberry
Living a dream she’s had since she first discovered the magic of books. K.C. Sprayberry traveled the U.S. and Europe before finally settling in the mountains of Northwest Georgia. She’s been married to her soulmate for nearly a quarter of a century and they enjoy spoiling their grandchildren along with many other activities.
A multi-genre author, K.C. Sprayberry is always on the hunt for new stories. Inspiration strikes at the weirdest times and drives her to grab notebook and pen to jot down her ideas. Those close to her swear nothing or no one is safe if she’s smiling gently in a corner and watching those in the same room interact. Her observations have often given her ideas for her next story, set not only in the South but wherever the characters demand they settle.

Find out more about my books at these social media sites:



Facebook Twitter Goodreads Amazon Author Page 
Google+ Pinterest Manic Readers AuthorsDB
Authorgraph Email

Celebrating Christmas with My Characters, The Missing Mistletoe

Good morning. Welcome to Monday Blogs. In keeping with the holiday spirit, we are talking with Debbie De Louise today about her books Celebrating Christmas With My Characters and The Missing Mistletoe.
Celebrating Christmas With My Characters
Blurb
The characters from Debbie De Louise's Cobble Cove cozy mysteries gather in the Cobble Cove library to celebrate the holidays. Each character receives a gift from the author, and Alicia, the main character, reads some excerpts from the first book, A Stone's Throw, and the new release, Between a Rock and a Hard Place.



Amazon eBook

The Missing Mistletoe
Time travel via Victorian mistletoe.
After her divorce, Anna moves to San Francisco where her sister Emily and her brother-in-law Tom live. Emily, a real estate agent, locates a beautiful Victorian home for Anna. The house’s history dates back to before the San Francisco earthquake of 1906. Emily has decorated Anna’s new house with festive decorations she’s purchased and others she found in a box in the attic. The only item she couldn’t find was a mistletoe. When Anna nearly trips on one of the steps to the second floor, she finds a mistletoe hidden in a recess underneath the stair. Hanging it up as her sister holds the ladder, she becomes dizzy and falls. When she awakes, Anna finds herself in 1906 San Francisco the day before the earthquake is scheduled to hit. The occupants of the house cannily resemble her relatives and her ex-husband and his girlfriend. Can she find a way to return to her own time before the earthquake strikes, or should she warn these strangely familiar people of the imminent danger?


Amazon eBook
About Debbie De Louise
Debbie De Louise is an award-winning author and a reference librarian at a public library on Long Island. She is a member of Sisters-in-Crime, International Thriller Writers, and the Cat Writer’s Association. She has a BA in English and an MLS in Library Science from Long Island University. Her novels include the three books of the Cobble Cove mystery series: A Stone’s Throw, Between a Rock and a Hard Place, and Written in Stone. Debbie has also written a romantic comedy novella, When Jack Trumps Ace, and a paranormal romance, Cloudy Rainbow, as well as several short stories of various genres. She lives on Long Island with her husband, Anthony; daughter, Holly; and cat Stripey.



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Sweet Heart

Good morning. Welcome to Sharing Saturday. In keeping with the holiday spirit, we are talking with Linda Lingle today about her book Sweet Heart.
Sweet Heart
Blurb
Heartbroken and resentful, Lee has a difficult time adjusting to his life without Deirdre and struggles to settle in to his new surroundings. Knowing he made the only decision a father could make does little to lessen Lee’s profound sense of loss. Although he tries to be upbeat and optimistic for the sake of his daughters, in the dark and quiet of his lonely nights, Lee relives the fifteen heady months that he spent with Deirdre and gives free rein to the anguish and bitterness he feels because he was forced to leave her.
Then, his youngest daughter enlists Lee to help her find an elusive Christmas gift for her favorite teacher and everything changes.
As if guided by fate, Lee stumbles across a poignant reminder of his time with Deirdre and sets in motion the 38-year ritual that eased his heartbreak and sustained his hope for the future.
In this companion book to Dear Heart, we meet the people who populate Lee’s world, and learn the shocking secret he promised never to reveal.





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About Linda Lingle
Linda Lingle began writing at a young age and had some early success with her whimsical short stories. Then life intervened and she took a break from writing to build a career in public service. When the storyline for Dear Heart, and its companion book, Sweet Heart, came to her out of the blue, it sparked her imagination and reignited her enthusiasm for writing. She is currently working on a screenplay for Dear Heart which incorporates the plots of both books. Linda lives in Pennsylvania with her husband, Arthur, and her dog, Sam.


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Hanakkuh Miracle

Good morning. Welcome to Friday Feelings. In keeping with the holiday spirit, we are talking with Mark Newhouse today about his book Hanukkah Miracle.
Hanukkah Miracle
Blurb
Only a miracle can bring Hanukkah to a young mother whose husband is in the military far away from home in this heartwarming story from a multi-award-winning author.
In writing Hanukkah Miracle, Mark wanted to capture the feelings of family members who find the holidays difficult to celebrate with loved ones in the military, protecting our nation, facing terrible risks, far away from home. The real miracle is how a family's love makes everyone's holiday something miraculous, something to treasure, no matter what faith you are. 




Amazon eBook

About Mark Newhouse
Video games. That’s what my books are like, with surprises flying at you on every page. They’re like a comical mix of Harry Potter, Sherlock Holmes, and Perry Mason, (a fictional lawyer), starring kids who solve problems with their ‘smarts’ and guts. I want kids to see they can solve any problem by brainpower, knowledge, and having a dream. I want every kid to believe in their dream and know they can reach their goals.
My parents were divorced. I was bullied, problems kids face today. It inspired my writing. For example, in WELCOME TO MONSTROVIA, (Silver medal, Benjamin Franklin Book Awards; Bronze medal, Readers' Favorite Book Awards, a smart, but always in trouble boy, is sent by his divorced parents to stay with an unknown uncle, not suspecting the incredible dangers in a secret sector of the United States where humans are rare. He overcomes his fears and prejudices after he becomes his lawyer uncle's assistant and tries to solve the murder of a giant. You’ll roar at the surprise ending that can only happen in Monstrovia...or in my wacky imagination.
Would you risk your life to save a fire-breathing dragon? In THE CASE OF THE DISASTROUS DRAGON, voted a Top Ten Children's Book, P&E Readers Poll, Brodie, Doofinch, and a ‘difficult’ girl, face disaster if they can’t defend a ferocious dragon with a pair of mischievous pups. In THE CASE OF THE CRAZY CHICKENSCRATCHES, Brodie has to prove a man who turned his house into a zoo isn’t crazy. Or is he? I love this series because it teaches about law with funny, fantasy cases. I can see this being turned into a video game or movie series.
I loved teaching on Long Island and was named Elementary/Secondary Teacher of the Year by the New York State Reading Association. The only subject I didn’t like teaching was science since I almost set fire to a classroom one year. That’s what inspired The Rockhound Science Mysteries, Learning Magazine’s Teachers Choice Award winner. Catch the world’s meanest cafeteria lady by making orange juice ice pops. Prove the ‘fizzling fossil’ isn’t a fake. Solve the theft of the Million Dollar Mona Mousey with a piece of plastic and clay? Kids love my crazy mysteries which they solve with fun experiments, which makes me happy. It's safer too.
Being bullied as a child inspired THE MIDNIGHT DIET CLUB, 1st Place, Florida Writers Association Royal Palm Literary Awards. Who are Dr. Ghoulash and Ignor Amos? What is the secret that brings three sinister bullies to the cemetery at midnight? Bullies are vampires, so how do we ‘put a stake’ in them?
I love picture books but can’t draw to save my life. I'm thrilled when I see Dan Traynor's colorful illustrations bring my stories to life. SANTA'S SPEEDING TICKET, ALICE IN BATSYLVANIA, A BITE BEFORE CHRISTMAS, DREIDEL DOG, and PASSOVER PUPPY COLORING BOOK, are loaded with lively art, activities, laughs and surprises. 
A reason I hate bullying, is that I was born in Germany to Holocaust survivors. MY FAMILY SECRETS, where a boy must become a brave detective to discover how his grandfather lost his whole family, is my way to help children learn about the Holocaust. I hope it honors all victims of hate. It should be out soon, so watch for it. I always like helping children and am the state chairperson for the Florida Writers Association Youth Program (www.floridayouthwriters.org) and co-chair of the FWA Youth Conference at the Hilton Orlando Altamonte Springs, October 20, 2018. I also am the founder/leader of Writers 4 Kids and Writers League. I have my BA and MA, political science, from Queens College, CUNY, and was an adjunct instructor at SUNY Old Westbury, Department of Education as well as an education writer and instructor for Newsday’s Newspaper in Education department where I created activity guides for teachers to use in their classes.
My short stories for adults have won many prizes and are in a number of anthologies. For a complete list of my books and stories, or the latest updates, please visit www.aimhipress.com. I hope you enjoy my books, and a special thank you for your kind reviews and letters. A few years ago, a boy ended a nice fan letter with: "I know all authors are rich. Can I swim in your pool?" All I can do is share my stories, and I’ll be honored to do that for as long as you want them. Thank you. See you in Monstrovia.  
Your friend,Mark