Laurisa White Reyes's Blog, page 22

$25 GIVEAWAY - THE SECRETS OF HAWTHORNE HOUSE by Donald Firesmith

The Secrets of Hawthorne Houseby Donald FiresmithGenre: Teen Paranormal Mystery
Fifteen-year-old Matt Mitchell was having the worst summer imaginable. Matt’s misery started when a drunk driver killed his mother. Then Matt’s father moved him and his sister to a small town in rural Indiana, as far as his grieving father could get from the ocean that his mother had loved. At the new high school, three bullies were determined to make Matt miserable. And to top it off, Matt learned that the recluse who lived in the dilapidated Victorian mansion next door was none other than Old Lady Hawthorne, the town’s infamous witch and murderer. Matt’s terrible summer was turning into an awful autumn when something quite unexpected happened. Old Lady Hawthorne’s niece and her three children moved in next door, and Matt met Gerallt.
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A geek by day, Donald Firesmith works as a system and software engineer helping the US Government acquire large, complex software-intensive systems. In this guise, he has authored seven technical books, written numerous software- and system-related articles and papers, and spoken at more conferences than he can possibly remember. He's also proud to have been named a Distinguished Engineer by the Association of Computing Machinery, although his pride is tempered somewhat by his fear that the term "distinguished" makes him sound like a graybeard academic rather than an active engineer whose beard is still slightly more red than gray.

By night and on weekends, his alter ego writes modern paranormal fantasy, apocalyptic science fiction, action and adventure novels and relaxes by handcrafting magic wands from various magical woods and mystical gemstones. His first foray into fiction is the book Magical Wands: A Cornucopia of Wand Lore written under the pen name Wolfrick Ignatius Feuerschmied. He lives in Crafton, Pennsylvania with his wife Becky, and his son Dane, and varying numbers of dogs, cats, and birds.


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$15 GIVEAWAY - TEAM NIGHTLY by Kate Porter

**books can be read as standalones in any order!**
Chase Nightly, L'UccisoreTeam Nightly Book 1by Kate PorterGenre: Urban Fantasy
Chase Nightly is a born and bred Georgia boy from Savannah, who loves his job as a social studies teacher, his bachelorhood and his widowed mother.
Rae Chandler is a contemporary big city woman with no desire to change that fact; as different from Chase as night and day with one important exception: They are both leaders of elite teams of vampire slayers called Uccisore, but with very different territories. When Rae shows up in Savannah for reasons other than visiting family, Chase demands to know her true motives. Sparks fly the moment they meet and past life memories surface, memories that keep Rae off balance and terrified that destiny will claim her heart once more.When Gordon Charles, Vampire King, kidnaps Chase’s mother, the two leaders must join forces and put their chaotic feelings aside to save her from becoming the Vampire Queen.

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Hunter's SwordTeam Nightly Book 2 
Armed with family legends and a blessed sword dating back to the first crusades, Hunter Blackfox leaves the reservation in Cherokee, North Carolina to replace a fallen member of Team Nightly and help protect the city of Savannah, Georgia. 

His life is about to change…
When he first lays eyes on Sheila Maxson, he likens her to Aphrodite, Helen of Troy, and Jackie Onassis—sex, beauty, and class—all rolled into one, long, luscious package just for him.
Sheila Maxson is a seasoned member of Team Nightly and a bloodline uccisore gifted with exceptional speed and agility on the battlefield. But she’s battling more than the rising number of vampires. The horrific memories of an event that took place only days after 9/11 when she, her brother Michael, and their aging grandfather tried to protect first responders from frenzied vampires, as they searched for survivors at ground zero, are slowly chipping away at Sheila’s emotional armor. With the added guilt of losing a friend and uccisore brother in battle, the short fuse of her control is burning fast. 
Each time she and Hunter are in the same vicinity, Sheila goes on the attack and Hunter has no option but to fight back. Until the night Chase and Rae’s daughter is born and the vampire king breaches the hospital nursery. The bickering teammates must team up to protect the innocent newborn.
Hunter must find a way to bring down the walls that Sheila has erected around herself in order to save not just Chase and Rae’s baby, but the woman of his dreams as well.
As word comes to them that Hunter’s Sword is coveted by Gordon Charles, Vampire King, the entire team must find a way to keep it out of vampire clutches. 
Gordon Charles will do whatever he must to corrupt the powers of the sword and sway its magic to benefit his cause. To do that he must spill Luccisore blood…Sheila’s blood.

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Keys to the Mermaid's HeartTeam Nightly Book 3
A mythical sapphire, a family legend, and a lost treasure, could lead Carly Harden to her fondest dreams . . . or her worst nightmare.
Now that Carly has revealed her secret, that she knows who and what Team Nightly is, Tony Sargento, chef of the Blue Mermaid restaurant, empath, and Carly’s boss, is furious with her. His jealousy at Carly’s close friendship with Rhett James, the newest team member, isn’t helping him calm his anger. That she’s been in love with Tony since the day they’d met, is one thing she would never disclose. His anger at her is breaking her heart and her past is preventing her from trusting him fully.In order to help the team locate an artifact that Gordon Charles, King of the Vampires, is after, Carly digs a little deeper into the family lore behind the key that she’s worn on a chain since she was a little girl. She soon comes to believe that it is one of three needed to open a lost treasure chest. One that is said to hold the Mermaid’s Heart: a massive sapphire that is said to hold mystical powers and created by Zeus himself. The powers that legend has attached to the Mermaid’s Heart, are said to be boundless, granting the one who holds it their fondest wishes.But when Gordon Charles gets word that Carly is the owner of one of the fabled keys to the Heart, he sends his minions to retrieve it, no matter the cost.After Carly is attacked and nearly killed, Tony and Rhett must try to set aside their ongoing battle, to win her heart, in order to protect her. Even with the help of Team Nightly, it may not be enough to save her . . . unless they find the Keys to the Mermaid’s Heart.

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Redemption StoneTeam Nightly Book 4
The only thing keeping the beast at bay is THE REDEMPTION STONE.

Chuck Logan fled Ireland fourteen years ago, letting his family believe him dead, like his brother, Matty. When he landed on America’s shores he was a feral werewolf, but everything changed when a special boy and his father found him and gave him the gift of redemption.
Now, Chuck has found his true mate in Scarlett James, and he is terrified that he has now put her life in danger. Walking away after only one night with Scarlett is the only way to keep her safe. Ashley Connor, a wolf with an agenda, has set her sights on mating with Chuck and building an invincible pack that will rule the entire region. She will do whatever it takes to have her way, including partnering with Gordon Charles, the Vampire King.
After Chuck and Scarlett are attacked by a vampire who miraculously morphs into a wolf, the reality of this new, and seemingly indestructible, threat must be eradicated before Ashely Connor and Gordon Charles have the chance to build their army…It may already be too late!

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Kate Porter has had one true passion, even as a young girl: writing. Poetry and short stories were her pleasure and her escape while growing up on a small farm approximately fifty miles south of Indianapolis. From her first short story printed in her high school newspaper at the age of fifteen, until the publication of her first full length novel, SECRETS IN BETHLEHEM, in the summer of 2012 she has dreamed of being an author. As a two-time winner of the Indie Book of the Day award, Kate has explored different genres in her writing career and has an eclectic collection of works to her credit consisting of romantic suspense, mystery, and an urban fantasy series. She has studied fiction writing at Greenville Tech, in Greenville, SC and traveled to Georgia for a writing workshop. Kate was featured in WOMAN'S DAY magazine and again in the Greenville News and her hometown newspaper in Spencer, IN. She has been profiled in her hometown newspaper, in Spencer, Indiana and in August 2013, News. 

Kate's novel, BLACK HARVEST, has not only received 5 stars from Reader's Favorite, but has been awarded the 2014 NEW APPLE BOOK AWARD MEDAL for the MYSTERY.

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WINNER ANNOUNCED

Congrats to BRANDON SPARKS for winning Mike Mullins' SURFACE TENSION!

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BOOK SPOTLIGHT: ECHO RIDGE by Rachelle Christensen

ECHO RIDGE ROMANCE COLLECTION
Rachelle Christensen
Peachwood Press

Come back to Echo Ridge and delight in 4 contemporary romances! Each heartwarming, inspirational story is set in beautiful upstate New York. This box set includes bonus epilogues and a sneak peek of Rachelle's new book! Savor a recipe with each of the stories and come back for more.


HOPE FOR CHRISTMAS

Anika Fletcher hates Christmas--its promises of good tidings and hope for the future are as tinseled as the ornaments on Kenworth's Hope Tree. Despite her feelings, Anika wants to maintain her daughter's faith in the magic of the season and gladly accepts a second job working with the handsome Carlos Rodriguez to restore Kenworth's old fashioned soda fountain. Carlos is no stranger to hard times and slowly shares his life of light and joy with Anika as they work together. Just as her fragile soul begins to feel hope again, an ill-timed act of charity changes everything. Anika isn't sure who she can trust or if hope is worth nurturing--especially at Christmas when it's easy to enjoy a kiss and believe love can last longer than the season.

THE KISS THIEF

As the head librarian of the Echo Ridge Library, Britta Klein thrives on order and categorization. Unfortunately, the old church-turned-library is in desperate need of a renovation. The Harvest Hurrah fundraiser seems to be the answer, but plans keep going awry. With help from Milo Geissler, accomplished musician, piano tuner, and kiss thief, each catastrophe is narrowly avoided. When Milo goes to great lengths to help Britta find a key classic book, she begins to wonder if there is more to life than books and order. Can she allow this man who speaks the language of music to tune her heart to a new song?
Welcome to Echo Ridge, New York where romance finds its way into the hearts and lives of the people who walk the streets of the close-knit community.
NOTE TO READER: THIS VERSION of The Kiss Thief contains a BONUS EPILOGUE!

THE PRINCESS BRIDE OF RIODAN

When a mysterious man offers to help Elise redecorate the old Bed & Breakfast, she gladly hands him a wallpaper steamer. After she discovers his true identity, she doesn’t know whether to curtsy or run and hide. Unfortunately, hiding isn’t an option because her heart is already tangled up with the handsome prince. At the same time, Elise’s old crush from high school wants a relationship and she’s forced to decide whether to chase after a fairy tale ending or stay grounded in reality.

COMING HOME TO LOVE

Do you remember your first love? Have you ever wondered what would happen if you had a second chance to follow your heart?
When Laney Richins left Echo Ridge, New York eight years ago, she vowed she’d never return, but life had other plans. Those plans included her cute little boy and a divorce, so Laney moved back home and started over. Working in the flower shop seems like the perfect plan until Billy Redford, the man she should have married shows up.

Billy Redford’s heart was broken when his high school sweetheart turned her back on him and fled Echo Ridge for the big city lights. Running into Laney in Echo Ridge now brings up past feelings he thought were long gone. She’s prettier than ever, still seems to read his mind, and despite his protests ends up on the building and decorating committee with him for the Homecoming dance. Billy knows how to build just about anything, but he isn’t sure he knows how to mend a broken heart.

BOOK REVIEW: THINGS FALL APART by Chinua Achebe

THINGS FALL APART
Chinua Achebe
Penguin Books
African Literature

Nominated as one of America’s best-loved novels by PBS’s The Great American Read

Things Fall Apart is the first of three novels in Chinua Achebe's critically acclaimed African Trilogy. It is a classic narrative about Africa's cataclysmic encounter with Europe as it establishes a colonial presence on the continent. Told through the fictional experiences of Okonkwo, a wealthy and fearless Igbo warrior of Umuofia in the late 1800s, Things Fall Apart explores one man's futile resistance to the devaluing of his Igbo traditions by British political and religious forces and his despair as his community capitulates to the powerful new order.

MY REVIEW:

I heard about Things Fall Apart on PBS's The Great American Read and added it to my TBR list. Now, having read it, I honestly don't see what all the fuss is about.

I know Barack Obama called this a "masterpiece", and I've read that this is the most beloved novel of Africa, but how it ended up as one of America's greatest books is beyond me.

The story has myriad loose ends, subplots that go nowhere, like the story of Okonkwo's son, Nweye, or his daughter who becomes so sick, gets better, and nothing else of import happens. The story starts off well enough, with Okonkwo taking in a young exile from another village and raising him as his own son. Then when the village oracle commands that the boy dies, Okonkwo, against the warnings of his friend, cuts the boy down with a machete. But then the story never really develops into what I'd call a story worthy of a novel. It reads more like a diary of a man's life.

Also, the style of writing, while perhaps praised in African literature, is nearly 100% "telling". We are told what happens in Okonkwo's life, but we get little in the way of active "showing". And the tale ends abruptly with the tragic reveal of how the white man's intrusion on Okonkwo's world destroys his culture and expectations for his life. I think THAT message, the white man descends on a native African world and turns it upside down, is why this book is so popular among (I'm assuming) progressives here in America. It isn't that the book is any good, it's that it preaches an anti-white sentiment, which Barack Obama did so well while he was president.

Overall, it's a worthy read for anyone interested in international forms of literature or who like traditional tales that spread animosity toward white people. (See the Underground Railroad by Colson Whitehead for more of that.) And the part about the white man coming only encompasses that last few chapters.

I can't help but think placing this book on The Great American Read had nothing to do with actual polling but of a progressive agenda (Hey, we need some anti-white books on this list!) which makes me doubt the validity of the entire list.

$10 GIVEAWAY - THE DRAGON HUNTERS by Christian Warren Freed

The Dragon HuntersHistories of Malweir Book 2by Christian Warren FreedGenre: Epic Fantasy

The Mage Wars are a fading memory. The kingdoms of Malweir focus on rebuilding what was lost and moving beyond the vast amounts of death and devastation. For some it is easy, others far worse. Some men are made in battle. Grelic of Thrae is one. A seasoned veteran of numerous campaigns and raids, Grelic is a warrior without a war. He languishes under mugs of ale and poor choices that eventually find him locked in the dungeons of King Rentor. His only chance at redemption is an offer tantamount to suicide: travel north with a misfit band of adventurers and learn the truth of what happened in the village of Gend.Grelic, suddenly tired of his life, reluctantly agrees and meets the only survivor of the horrible massacre: Fitch Iane. Broken, mentally and physically, Fitch babbles about demons stalking through the mists and a terrible monster prowling the skies, breathing fire and death. What begins as a simple reconnaissance mission quickly turns into a quest to stop Sidian, the Silver Mage from accomplishing his goals in the Deadlands. The last of the dark mages seeks to recover the four shards of the crystal of Tol Shere and open the gateway to release the dark gods from their eternal prison.Grelic and his team are sorely outnumbered and ill prepared to deal with the combined threats of a dark mage and one of the great dragons from the west. Not even the might of the Aeldruin, high elf mercenaries, and Dakeb, the last of the mages, promises to be enough to stop evil and restore peace to Thrae.
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Armies of the Silver MageHistories of Malweir Book 1
Malweir was once governed by the order of Mages, bringers of peace and light. Centuries past and the lands prospered. But all was not well. Unknown to most, one mage desired power above all else. He turned his will to the banished Dark Gods and brought war to the free lands. Only a handful of mages survived the betrayal and the Silver Mage was left free to twist the darker races to his bidding. The only thing he needs to complete his plan and rule the world forever are the four shards of the crystal of Tol Shere.

Having spent most of their lives dreaming about leaving their sleepy village and travelling the world, Delin Kerny and Fennic Attleford never thought that one day they would be forced to flee their town in order to save their lives. Everything changes when they discover the fabled Star Silver sword and learn that there are some who want the weapon for themselves. Hunted by a ruthless mercenary, the boys run from Fel Darrins and are forced into the adventure they only dreamed about.
Ever ashamed of the horrors his kind let loose on the world the last mage, Dakeb, lives his life in shadows. The only thing keeping him alive is his quest to stop the Silver Mage from reassembling the crystal. His chance finally comes through the hearts and wills of Delin and Fennic. Dakeb bestows upon them the crystal shard, entrusting them with the one thing capable of restoring peace to Malweir.

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Christian W. Freed was born in Buffalo, N.Y. more years ago than he would like to remember. After spending more than 20 years in the active duty US Army he has turned his talents to writing. Since retiring, he has gone on to publish 17 military fantasy and science fiction novels, as well as his memoirs from his time in Iraq and Afghanistan. His first published book (Hammers in the Wind) has been the #1 free book on Kindle 4 times and he holds a fancy certificate from the L Ron Hubbard Writers of the Future Contest.

Passionate about history, he combines his knowledge of the past with modern military tactics to create an engaging, quasi-realistic world for the readers. He graduated from Campbell University with a degree in history and is pursuing a Masters of Arts degree in Military History from Norwich University. He currently lives outside of Raleigh, N.C. and devotes his time to writing, his family, and their two Bernese Mountain Dogs. If you drive by you might just find him on the porch with a cigar in one hand and a pen in the other.

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WRITER 2 WRITER: SHOULD I SELF-PUBLISH?

SUCCESSFUL SELF-PUBLISHING, PART I

In 2012, my first of three traditionally published books was released. When I was first offered the contract, I was thrilled. Who wouldn’t be? I’d spent over two years submitting to agents and publishers with nothing but a stack of rejection letters to show for it. All I needed was one YES! So, when that YES arrived in my inbox, I jumped at the chance to finally see my book in print.

My experience mirrors that of thousands upon thousands of anxious new writers who dream of getting published and seeing their books on a prominent display in Barnes & Noble. Like so many others, I poured a lot of time and money into attending writers’ conferences and workshops where speakers assured us that if we learned our craft and kept persevering, our dreams would one day come true. And I believed it.

Now that I’ve been in the writing industry for a while (both as a writer and professional editor), I’ve come to see publishing from a different point of view. First, when it comes to traditional publishing, there are limited spots at the top. For example, I write children’s books. In a given year, about 3400 books for kids (toddler through teen) are traditionally published. This includes titles produced by the Big 5, as well as independent and small presses. For every published book, dozens and dozens of other manuscripts are rejected or ignored.

Second, even if you are lucky enough to land an agent or find a publisher, success is not guaranteed. There are plenty of authors who have agents who still never get published, and plenty of published authors whose books don’t sell well. The reality is, the traditional book market is saturated. There are a limited number of spots on publishers’ new release lists, and a limited number of consumers who will buy them.

The reality is that no matter how good a writer you are, your chance at getting published and becoming a successful author is a lot like winning the lottery. If you attend enough conferences, meet enough agents, connect enough on social media, write a good enough book, or if you’re just really, really lucky, then you MIGHT get a publishing contract. And sure, every year thousands of authors do end up with that winning ticket, which keeps the rest of us running on the treadmill hoping we will be next.

I was one of those lucky few who got published. Not just once, but three times. The publisher of my first two books was a small press from Indiana. I loved working with the owner. Loved the personal attention I got, and loved participating in the process of seeing my book come into being. I worked my butt off promoting it: visiting 70+ schools, establishing a strong online presence, attending events, etc. In the end, however, the experience was disappointing, to say the least. To date, I’ve sold around a thousand copies, which is a lot more than some authors but not nearly enough to make a profit. Then,when the publisher decided not to publish the third book in the series, I ended up right back where I started.

I had an even worse experience with my first YA novel. The first publisher to pick it up did a great job, but six months later the publisher closed its doors, leaving me with an orphan book. Fortunately, a second publisher took it on, but marketing has been minimal, and in two years I’ve sold less than a dozen copies, yet I’m trapped in a five year contract from which I cannot escape.

Why am I telling you all this? Why all the doom and gloom about traditional publishing? For those of you who are still nourishing the dream of getting published the traditional way, I say go for it. As long as you understand what you’re up against and what the stakes really are, then by all means, I wish you the best of luck. I want to be the next John Green or Marissa Meyer as much as anyone. Who wouldn’t want to be a best-seller? And for those who make it, the wait and the sacrifice are worth it.

But for those of you who are disillusioned by the always-just-out-of-reach promises of traditional publishing, or for those who are new at this game and want to avoid the rat race altogether, there are alternatives. We happen to live in the day of self-publishing. But before you dive head first into the pool, there are pros and cons to self-publishing, and there are steps to follow in order to self-publish successfully.

In part two of this series, I’ll talk about why authors should and should not consider going the independent route. In part three, I’ll share the Keys to Successful Self-Publishing. In the meantime, I recommend reading Susan Kaye Quinn’s 10 Step Self-Publishing Boot Camp , one of the best titles on the subject by one of today’s most successful self-published authors.

See you next week!

$10 GIVEAWAY - THE HUNTRESS by J. Risk

The HuntressThe Alterealm Series Book 1by J. RiskGenre: New Adult Paranormal Fantasy
Where all those things that go bump in the night are real and other realities do exist.

What would you do if you woke up in another realm where the residents are beings from fictional tales?Where all those things that go bump in the night are real and other realities do exist!!
Damariss Maxx just woke up in a world where all those things that go bump in the night are real. An alternate realm where the residents are beings she thought only existed in fiction.Will she find the way to keep life normal and simple for those unknowing without losing her own sanity?
All she has to do now is find a way to protect the people in her world from the nightmares that have bleed from this other realm into it and fulfill a prophecy that says she's their huntress queen or doom this other world to a bleak, violent existence.
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The SeerThe Alterealm Series Book 2

Sometimes crazy is all that works…

Different. Weird. Unwanted. Crazy. Afraid.That’s been the story of Crissy’s life.A life spent never quite knowing why she has these visions in her head.And just why she’s so afraid.
Finding herself important and accepted for the first time in her life, the workings of this other realm are confusing, but feel familiar. She’s seen it before, and that feeling may just be home.Now in a place where she’s understood and loved, Crissy’s visions may just help to tip the balance in the fight between good and evil.
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The EmpathThe Alterealm Series Book 3
A century of questions brought no answers, until now.
A century always on the move, never aging and not being able to form relationships, Alona has far more questions than answers. Absorbing the emotional turmoil of others is bad enough, with the headaches, nausea and blackouts, but it is the loneliness that is a never-ending ache.
A bizarre encounter with a crazy-erratic redhead in a nightclub brings her the promise of answers, if only she can open her mind to the possibilities. Life will change in ways she never thought possible, or could ever imagine.
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The WitchThe Alterealm Series Book 4
Doing a favor for your best friend never works out.
Finding a best friend and roommate in Erin, Bethany agrees to use her magic to help a group of Erin’s new friends. But something told her that things were off, and now she’s got to use her powers to get her friend back. Sharing a small apartment and struggling to survive was far better than being locked away with no word of Erin, and a niggling feeling that the stories she was told aren’t the truth. Discovering another realm, learning about her powers and making things right, Bethany must make amends for all she did wrong, no matter the consequences.
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J. Risk is a pseudonym used by Author Jacqueline Paige (Multi-published Paranormal Romance author of The Magic Seasons series, The Hidden Senses Trilogy, The Dream Series and more)

I wanted to write a story that would fit into new adult levels as well as adult. Something that was serious with fun elements--paranormal / fantasy that everyone could read and enjoy.
I've decided to use J. Risk as the pen name for this to separate this series from my other writing which is definitely adult reading material.

Jacqueline Paige lives in Ontario in a small town that's part of the popular Georgian Triangle area. 

She began her writing career in 2006 and since her first published works in 2009 she hasn't stopped. Jacqueline describes her writing as "all things paranormal", which she has proven is her niche with stories of witches, ghosts, physics and shifters now on the shelves. 
When Jacqueline isn't lost in her writing she spends time with her five children, most of whom are finally able to look after her instead of the other way around. Together they do random road trips, that usually end up with them lost, shopping trips where they push every button in the toy aisle, hiking when there's enough time to escape and bizarre things like creating new daring recipes in the kitchen. She's a grandmother to four (so far) and looks forward to corrupting many more in the years to come.

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$20 GIVEAWAY - WATER TO WATER by Karen A. Wyle

Water to Waterby Karen A. WyleGenre: Science Fiction
Two young Vushla questioned what everyone knew about death. What should they do with the answer?
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EXCERPT:


Honnu squatted by the campfire, all four legs comfortably sunk in the sand, his lower armor sealed tight to keep sand out, and watched the procession approach the sea. It was a small group, with only one young Vushlu among the older ones. A funeral, then. The young one must be the son or daughter of the Vushlu, aging or ailing, whose funeral it was.
Honnu turned away before the group reached the edge of the water. He knew, of course, what would happen, but he had no wish to watch. After all, he lived with the ocean, lived from it, rode out every day to toss the nets and haul them back. He and his family depended on the ocean. But he often thought he must feel like a farmer with a very, very large and powerful bull. Such a useful animal — it sired strong beasts like itself, and it pulled plows through earth too sticky for pull-cycles. But it could, any time it chose to, trample the farmer into jelly. The farmer could hope that the bull would never turn on its master. Honnu lived with the certain knowledge that one day, the ocean would reveal itself as the largest possible beast, and devour him whole.
No, he had no need to watch it happen to others, not when he would be paddling the boat out again tomorrow morning. Karen A. Wyle was born a Connecticut Yankee, but eventually settled in Bloomington, Indiana, home of Indiana University. She now considers herself a Hoosier. Wyle's childhood ambition was to be the youngest ever published novelist. While writing her first novel at age 10, she was mortified to learn that some British upstart had beaten her to the goal at age 9. 



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$25 GIVEAWAY - CRYPTID by Douglas E. Roff and Jacob A. Roff

Cryptid: DiscoveryCryptid Trilogy Set 1by Douglas E. Roff and Jacob A. RoffGenre: Horror, Thriller 

Adam St. James, software genius and savant Chief Technologist of the massive American DataLab Project, had just returned to his home in Barrows Bay, British Columbia from Tucson, Arizona. He had spent the better part of the past month working on a pro bono assignment for his father’s friend Peter Berg, Regional Director of the FBI, working out of the Seattle field office. His favor for the FBI was to secure the mother lode and Holy Grail of the FBI’s Joint Organized Crime Task Force that Berg believed he had accidentally stumbled upon. Mere fortuity had led him to what he thought was fifty years or more of Mafia financial books and records detailing organized criminality from Seattle to Miami and all points in between. 
What Adam found was nothing even remotely resembling what Regional Director Berg was looking for. It had been a small clerical error made by a temp transposing a letter or two in a last name that led Adam St. James to his incredible discovery. But this discovery was too incredible, too massive to even contemplate as being authentic. Adam himself did not believe it could be true. Would he be proven correct or was the truth too immeasurably stranger than fiction? 
If Adam had accidently stumbled upon a great discovery, it would mean that he had fortuitously confirmed the existence of the cryptid of all cryptids. Had Adam found scientific and verifiable proof of the existence of an unknown species of creatures capable of transforming to human form or was this some immense practical joke designed to annoy and embarrass him and his father, noted forensic archeologist and author, Edward St. James? 
His journey will be fantastic. His discovery, if true, immense. 
But will Adam and his eclectic family survive discovery? Will humanity? 
Cryptid: Discovery chronicles the discovery of the Gens Collective, ancient and primal beings previously unknown to humanity but living among mankind as crypto humans. 
They live among us. 
Murder, intrigue, deception, treachery, lust and betrayal all come together in the Cryptid Trilogy as mankind faces off against an unknown species bent on its total destruction as the dominant species on the planet. 
Adam continues to develop his amazing natural abilities as he seeks to understand and control them. How will this saga end?

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Cryptid: ProbeCryptid Trilogy Set 2

They live among us. 

Working with his father, renowned archeologist Edward St. James, and his new wife, Misti Alarcon, Adam St. James continues his investigation into the Gens Collective and its rival rebel faction, the Black Shirts. Both factions seek the demise of homo sapiens and have developed the means to destroy humanity in what they call the Great Cull. And they seek to destroy each other. 
As Adam continues his dialog with Paulo Fortizi, leader of the Gens Collective, he is met with deceit and duplicity at every turn. The Gens Collective desperately seeks to find Adam, who they call the Human, and recover their lost Library. 
Adam continues to develop extraordinary new mental abilities with a close group of colleagues and finds his new abilities are more powerful and frightening than he could possibly imagine. Can he control his powers or will they be his undoing? 
With the addition of the beautiful and mysterious Alana McCarthy, world renowned NSA computer hacker, and the equally mysterious and lethal Nocera “Noki” Lee, Adam confronts his adversaries uncovering the depth and breadth of the plot against humanity. Can they succeed? Only Adam holds the key to prevent unleashing total annihilation. 
The mysterious Cardinal Bellinelli plots against the Black Shirts and the Gens Collective to spark a war between the Gens and humanity he believes will eliminate the Gens species on the planet. Does the Vatican hold the answers Adam seeks? Which side will the Vatican choose and why? 
Murder, treachery and betrayal combine with unexpected twists and turns, as events pit friend against friend, family against family, and species against species. Nothing is as it appears to be, and new discoveries shed light upon old grievances. 
The Black Shirts and their charismatic leader, Saldana Ri, develop the means to destroy the rival Gens Collective and humanity, but will they unleash the devastation? Can they? What explosive secrets does Saldana hide that could destroy her leadership and shift the balance of power back to her rival, Paulo Fortizi of the Gens Collective. With the means of destruction of humanity complete, it’s a race against time to prevent genocide on a global scale. Can Adam stop the impending holocaust? Can anyone? 
With the fate of mankind and the Gens Nation hanging in the balance, forces array against Adam and his teams trying to prevent the conflagration that could signal the demise of intelligent life on the planet. New tech, new weapons and new adversaries, along with new powers never thought to exist, entertain the reader throughout the novel. New mind journeys and psychic powers begin to reveal themselves as both the savior and destructor of humanity.

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Born in the United states, lived in Russia, the UK, Mexico, Costa Rica and Canada. Citizen of the US and Canada. Worked for US and Canadian governments as well as a long career in finance and trade finance. I live in Latin America between countries on and off. I am retired and now write novels full time.

I am single, have one son who was active in my first three novels, the Cryptid Trilogy. I speak Spanish fluently. 
I have completed three other novels that are now in edit, and have two more novels that are in various stages of completion, will be finished in 2018 but will not be published until 2019.
I was targeted by the Russian government for arrest in retaliation for the arrest of a Russian spy in the US.
I was never a spy, but was a visible American involved in trade promotion. The Russian spy was released and I was left alone after that. I left Russia in 1998.
I moved to Canada after that and spent over fifteen years in Vancouver, BC. I lived in Ecuador, Costa Rica, and Mexico after leaving Canada.
I have traveled extensively around the world, largely with my son, and extensively in my home country of the US.

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