Sharon Ledwith's Blog, page 45

Blog Takeover: Author Elizabeth Walker Grills Sharon Ledwith about her Writing Life…

With Elizabeth Walker, who is on my left.I thought it would be fun to cut, paste, and edit an interview I had earlier this year with fellow author, Elizabeth Walker, to let my followers know what’s going on in my writing life and offering other interesting tidbits. Take it away, Elizabeth…
First off, would you like to tell a bit about yourself and your writing.
I’d be happy to, Elizabeth! So, I have a confession. Besides being a late bloomer as a writer (I started in my mid-thirties), I didn’t seek out writing for young adults as I primarily do now. Nope. I lurked in the deep pool of the supernatural romance genre before I ever considered dipping my toes into the welcoming waters of young adult fiction. The idea to write for the younger crowd actually came to me through a dream I had around 1998. In this dream, I saw seven arches, and there were seven people (five kids, two adults) with crystals in their hands, walking up to these arches. It definitely had an “Indiana Jones” feel to it. I really thought about that dream a lot to the point where an idea for a book began to grow, and take root. So, I thought I’d challenge myself and write a novel—a series—that would appeal to my son, who at the time was the target age of my audience. I’ve always loved the time travel genre, so I imagined the arches I saw vividly in my dream as time portals. Then, boom. The Last Timekeepers and the Arch of Atlantis was born.
To say it’s been a long haul is an understatement. It’s been an uphill climb with peaks and valleys. I started gathering ideas and writing the first draft in 1999 before I signed a publishing contract with a now defunct publisher in September, 2011. Now, this was a back and forth project. During the twelve years before I signed a contract, I wrote a second book in The Last Timekeeper series, created and penned two novels for another young adult book series entitled Mysterious Tales from Fairy Falls, revised and edited my supernatural romance, took a writing correspondence course and various writing workshops, and worked at the local animal shelter. I finally returned to The Last Timekeeper and the Arch of Atlantis in 2010 to revise and polish it, and kept sending the manuscript out until I struck gold with a publishing contract offer. And even then, after all that, there were major revisions on changing my point of view over from five characters to one character. But I was determined, and did it. In early 2015, Mirror World Publishing, a local Windsor publishing company rescued my time travel adventure series, and the rest is history! Pun intended.
Do you have any new books coming out?
I sure do! The second book in my teen psychic mystery series, Mysterious Tales from Fairy Falls will be released (tentatively) May 17, 2019. It’s entitled, Blackflies and Blueberries, and is about seventeen-year-old Hart Stewart who possesses psychometry—the psychic ability that discovers facts about an event or person by touching inanimate objects associated with them. In the first book in this series, Lost and Found, fifteen-year-old animal communicator Meagan Walsh is coerced into helping the shelter animals save their home before it’s too late.
You currently have two series, the Last Timekeepers and Mysterious Tales from Fairy Falls. Do you have more books in store for both series? And – how do you write two series at once? Do you alternate writing one book for one series, and then go back to the other?
Definitely yes to the first question! I plan to have ten books, plus the prequel written for The Last Timekeepers time travel adventure series. I know, go big or stay home. Wink. Presently, I have Book #1, The Last Timekeepers and the Arch of Atlantis, Book #2, The Last Timekeepers and the Dark Secret, and the prequel, Legend of the Timekeepers published. I’m working on Book #3, The Last Timekeepers and the Noble Slave, which should be out sometime in 2020.
I have five books planned for Mysterious Tales from Fairy Falls, starting with Book #1, Lost and Found published in June 2017. The next installment, Blackflies and Blueberries will hopefully be released May 17th, 2019, as mentioned above. All these books revolve around the same setting (Fairy Falls) with a different cast of characters with psychic powers for each book.
When writing two series at once, my plan is to release one book and write one book during the course of a year. So, yes I alternate writing the books for each series, which helps me produce fresh content every year and building both book series backlists at the same time. Trust me, I’m never bored with writing about the same characters, that’s for sure! 
Sharing my reading wares at the Windsor Comic ConDo you enjoy being a writer in the Windsor region? What are the pros and the cons (if any!)?
Yes, very much! Comparing to where I used to live in the Huntsville area (seven hours drive north), Windsor has more opportunity for a writer and hosts a few writing groups to help writers improve their work for publication. Add in the fact that there’s the Windsor International Writers Conference here, and you’ve got a place that gives a writer plenty of chances to grow and learn. Though as a con, I’d have to say that it’s not a huge ‘arts’ oriented community, like Toronto. But we’re talking a different demography here. Windsor also boasts about seven publishing companies and over a thousand published/self-published authors. Not too shabby statistics for a city that’s known more for their manufacturing acumen. 
Do you have any advice for new writers?
Never stop investing in yourself. Invest in the best. That’s in yourself, and in your readers. Your readers deserve the best of what you have to offer them. Start building your author platform and brand early, even before you’re published. Surround yourself with the best possible team. Never stop learning. As you grow, so will your readers, so be prepared for this. Oh yeah, and never give up. That’s a given and should be part of any author’s credo. 
And – do you have anything else you would like to add?
Just a couple of things. I have a few freebies available on my website, so head over to my Home and Fun Stuff pages to find out what I’m offering! Oh, and if you live in the Windsor area and order any books through Mirror World Publishing’s Bookstore, delivery is FREE!
Thank you for grilling me on my blog today, Elizabeth. I appreciate your support and interviewing prowess. Wishing you all the best! Cheers!
Meet the Author/Interviewer:
Elizabeth J. M. Walker lives in Windsor, Ontario, Canada. She has always loved books and writing. As a teen she discovered zines, which inspired her to publish her own litzine of odd fairy tales for over a decade. She Dreamed of Dragons is her first novel.
Connect with Elizabeth J.M. Walker:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Elizabeth-J-M-Walker/620043831422660
Goodreads Author Page:https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/8509988.Elizabeth_J_M_Walker?from_search=true

YA Book Tour: Heartsong by Annie Douglass Lima...

Two alien worlds.One teen emissary.No reality she can trust.
Thirteen-year-old Liz Smith has been ripped away from one foster family after another for years, so the idea of a permanent home is tantalizing. Who cares if that home is a colony sixty-five thousand light-years from Earth? The friends in her trusty e-reader will keep her company just fine on her interstellar relocation.
But when the adventure of a lifetime turns into the disaster of the cosmos, Liz can only retreat so far into the books that have always sheltered her from loneliness and loss. Trapped in half-truths and secrets that leave her questioning reality, can one orphaned bookworm find a way to stop two races from destroying each other … and somehow write a happy ending to her own story?
If you like books about space travel, aliens, or cross-cultural transitions, you’ll love this poignant science fiction adventure. Click here to get your copy of Heartsong now and start the journey today! (Shh! For July 1st and 2nd only, the ebook is available for free!)
Read on for a sample of the story ...
HeartsongChapter One
My love of reading started the whole thing.The best place to read on the Laika was in the lifeboats. I’d discovered that on the first leg of the trip, during the flight from Earth to the jump point off of Phoebe. I mean, what else was there to do when we couldn’t see much through the viewports? The view was exciting when there was one, but when you’re far away from anything, space all looks the same.The hyperspace jump that shot us across the galaxy had been quick, of course, so no time to get bored there. And after we came out of it at the jump point off of Somav, the blue giant that would light my skies for the rest of my life, the flight toward the little moon Soma was pretty exciting, too. I couldn’t stop staring as we passed Somavia, the blue and white planet I knew none of us would ever see close up again. I wondered about the aliens whose home it was. What were they like? The pictures and video Forerunner had sent back, from the few passes it had taken in high orbit, left everyone with more questions than they answered. Of course, we knew the planet had a breathable atmosphere. If it hadn’t been for the alien race who already lived there — and the tirtellium that we were going to mine on Soma, of course — New Horizons Industries might have decided to set up its colony on the planet Somavia instead of on its moon.We passed Somavia three days ago, and we’d been orbiting Soma ever since. Which was also exciting, at first. I couldn’t wait to actually get down there and start life on my new home. A home I would get to help create, along with the adult scientists and miners and the rest of the Young Explorers. A home I would never be taken away from just when I was starting to settle in. My forever home. Normally I hated new beginnings, but this one was different. This would be the last new beginning of my life.Even the colony’s name, chosen by the Samoan astronomer who discovered this solar system, was perfect. Avanoa, which apparently meant opportunity in the Samoan language, sounded to me like a kingdom from some fantasy novel.Not that life in Avanoa was going to be a fantasy. I knew that starting a colony would be hard work, but that didn’t matter. A real home, with friends I would never have to say goodbye to, would be worth any amount of work.Soma was interesting to look at, though not as pretty as the planet it orbited. The moon was mostly brown, with splotches of gray-green surrounding the dark blue dots that marked the location of its scattered lakes. With no actual oceans, the moon had just enough water to support a little plant and animal life. Nothing too dangerous, at least as far as we could tell from Forerunner’s pictures. Insects. Some fish and crustaceans that might or might not be edible. Small reptilian or maybe amphibian creatures that lived in and around the lakes. A handful of different mammals, all tiny, that made their homes in the hills. Nothing that seemed likely to bother two hundred human colonists setting up a new home on their world.Of course, the aliens could be another story. We knew the Somavians had developed a limited form of space travel; we knew they had mines on Soma, too. But whatever they were mining for, it wasn’t tirtellium, and they only had a few tunnel mines in a few locations. We planned to set up our colony hundreds of kilometers away, where if all went according to plan, they wouldn’t even know we were around. Forerunner’s sensors had not detected any other artificial satellites in orbit around either Somavia or Soma, and as far as we could tell, the locals had no instruments capable of detecting Forerunner, no way to suspect we were coming. Its orbit was carefully programmed to keep it out of sight of any of their mines after dark, when it might be visible from the ground as a moving point of light.The adults all said that hopefully we would never have to encounter any Somavians, but all of us kids hoped we would. I mean, why would anyone in their right mind not want to meet the first real live aliens actually confirmed to exist? Jessie, who loved science fiction movies almost as much as I loved reading, had often kept Maria and Shaliqua and me awake late into the night back in our dorm room discussing all the possible alien-related adventures that awaited us if we ever made contact. Most of those possibilities were a lot more fun — though some were scarier — than the idea of living in isolation and never letting the locals know we were on their moon.Anyway, judging by Forerunner’s footage, Somavian culture seemed peaceful, with no evidence of any wars going on down on their home world. If they did find out about the humans in their solar system, hopefully they wouldn’t mind us being there. We wouldn’t bother them, and with any luck, they wouldn’t bother us. And if they did get mad, well, the Laika had some weapons. Not enough to wage war with, but hopefully enough to convince them to leave us alone.So much to wonder about. So much to look forward to. I could hardly wait to get down to the surface and start my new life. But here we all were, stuck in orbit for three whole days so far. Three painfully long and boring days. Earth days, that is. It had been nearly five Soman days, though we wouldn’t officially switch to using Soman time until we landed.Atmospheric storms. Who would have thought that storms would be this big of an issue on a world with virtually no precipitation? Our science team had come up with a theory about minerals in the soil reflecting particles and wavelengths from the solar flares that Somav had been throwing out since our arrival. Whatever the case, the result was some pretty impressive windstorms in parts of the atmosphere. Since the spot picked out for Avanoa was directly underneath one of the worst storms, Captain Tyler insisted it wouldn’t be safe to try to land yet.But no one had anticipated that the flares and storms would go on this long. At first, I was glad of the opportunity to orbit my new home and see what it looked like from space. But after a while the excitement faded, and everyone turned grouchy as we all grew more and more bored and impatient. The movies and games preloaded on our Horizon-brand tablets weren’t good enough to keep everyone happy, not while we had to put the adventure we’d all waited over a year to start on hold indefinitely. And I’d never been a big fan of video games or movies anyway.So I did what I always do when real people get too annoying. I pulled out my old-school Novareader and turned to my true friends, the ones who never got annoying, who would always be there for me no matter what, who I never had to say goodbye to. And I escaped to the one place I had found on board where nobody would bother me or interrupt my adventures to ask what I was reading or exclaim over their new high score in who-cares-what-virtual-adventure on their RizeTab.The Laika was designed to be taken apart when we arrived. Its decking and bulkheads would be used to help create Avanoa’s buildings until we could construct permanent residences from local rock, and that was one of the reasons the ship was so large. But big though it was, it had no extra empty space. Every compartment was full of freeze-dried food items, mining equipment, packages of seeds for genetically modified crops designed to grow well in the moon’s dry soil, and educational resources for us youth, because even on an interstellar adventure, there was no escaping school in some form. So I had discovered in between Earth and Phoebe that the lifeboats were the best place to read. I wasn’t sure if I was really supposed to hang out in them, but they were unlocked, because after all, what would be the point in locking something that people would need to get into in a hurry in an emergency?I sat curled up on a seat in Lifeboat 1, alternating between reading and looking out to see if anything interesting had come into sight down below. But from this angle, the one window — a wide viewport at the very front — was mostly full of stars, only a tiny sliver of Soma visible from one edge. I could have turned on the screen at the lifeboat’s navigational console and adjusted it to show me any view I liked, but that might trigger some sort of alert, and I didn’t want anyone showing up to tell me I wasn’t supposed to be in here.So I joined Caz and her friends on their travels across the Granbo system, caught up in their space adventure on my Novareader screen, since my own space adventure had turned pretty dull. Lunch was another two hours away, so I might as well enjoy myself in the meantime.And I did — until the ship vibrated more vigorously than usual and the fasten seatbelts sign flicked on.I often felt as though several of me were debating inside my head. For a moment, Cautious Liz wondered if I should return to my seat. But what was the point? Practical Liz reminded me that I would be just as safe here in the lifeboat, and if the turbulence got bad, walking around with the Laika lurching under me would not be the smartest idea.I already had my seatbelt on, since that was the best way to keep from floating around. Not that floating around wasn’t fun, but there was too little room in the lifeboat to do mid-air flips and spins without banging into things, and drifting around while I read made it hard to focus on the book. Of course my magnetic-soled shoes could have kept me anchored to the deck, but not when I wanted to sit cross-legged. So I just tightened my seatbelt a little and turned back to The Gypsy Pearl. We had encountered turbulence lots of times in the last few days, thanks to the solar flares. It was no big deal.But the vibrations grew stronger, and then the ship started lurching under me. I lowered my Novareader and looked around, but there was nothing to see here in the little lifeboat. The stars jumped and jerked outside the window, and if it hadn’t been for my seatbelt, I knew I would have been thrown about and probably injured already. I waited for the crackle of the intercom and Captain Tyler’s voice to explain what was happening or issue instructions. But I heard nothing, and I wondered if the flares had damaged the lifeboat’s intercom system. They had interfered with the Laika’s electrical systems before, after all. Now I wished I’d returned to my seat while I could. If something dangerous was happening, I would rather face it with the others in the main cabin, where at least I would know what was going on. Without warning, the lights flickered and then went out. Now that was a first. An instant later, an alarm screeched, making me jump. I gasped, really worried for the first time since we left Earth. The screeching continued as the stars swirled and zigzagged, sending faint but frightening shadows thrashing around me like alien spirits trying to take over the ship. For a second I wondered if that could actually be happening. Maybe the Somavians had powers we didn’t know about. Maybe they were trying to drive us out of their system … or worse.Then the emergency lights embedded in the deck glowed to life, and I let out my breath in relief. The navigational computer two rows ahead of me powered on automatically, its screen lighting up green. My relief was short-lived, though. The alarm kept blaring its intermittent warning. Screech! Silence. Screech! Silence. Screech! The turbulence was worse than ever, as though the Laika was a wild horse, bucking and leaping and trying to throw its rider off. And that rider gripped the edge of her seat all alone there in the lifeboat, wondering what in the universe was happening.Suddenly the whirling stars vanished and Soma swung into view, filling the viewport ahead of me, a blur of brown-blue-gray-green-brown. I barely had time to notice before it was gone and the streaking stars reappeared. Then the moon appeared again. My stomach was spinning as fast as the ship. Thank goodness I had inherited the Smith Stomach of Steel, or my breakfast would probably have ended up all around me. I could only imagine what a nasty experience that would be in zero gravity with the ship thrashing around like this.A new noise caught my attention. A mechanical noise, a series of clicks and clinks and the sliding of metal against metal. I had only ever heard it before in simulations, but I recognized it right away, and my heart lurched in terror. “No!”Words flashed across the computer screen, large enough to read from where I sat. LIFEBOAT LAUNCHING.“No! I yelled again. I fumbled for the seatbelt clasp and flung myself across the tiny cabin, lunging for the manual override button beside the door. Not a smart move, I have to admit, considering how wildly everything was jerking around me. But I panicked. Can you blame me? None of our training, none of the simulations, had dealt with what to do if the lifeboat you were sitting in alone accidentally detached from the ship. I knew what to do if a lifeboat didn’t detach when it was supposed to. I knew which lifeboat I was supposed to board in an emergency. Not this one, though they were all the same. I knew who my lifeboat buddies would be — a fairly even cross-section of the ship’s crew in terms of age and abilities, so we would have the best possible chance of survival in case not every lifeboat made it. I knew how to steer the lifeboat and bring it down for a controlled landing, even though I wasn’t the assigned helmsperson in my group. We had all learned all those skills, just in case. But I didn’t know how to survive in deep space or on Soma’s surface on my own. The cupboards contained emergency rations and survival gear, of course, but not enough to live off of indefinitely. Of course the lifeboat would emit a signal that the ship’s sensors would pick up — I knew they were picking it up already, as of the moment my craft started to detach — but what if no one could come and get me right away? What if I landed on Soma, but the Laika couldn’t land for days or even weeks? They would have no way to rescue a stranded teenager who shouldn’t have been reading in a lifeboat in the first place.And what if the aliens found me before my people did?All that went swirling through my brain within a couple of seconds as I slammed my fist into the manual override button again and again. But nothing happened. That is, the hatch didn’t open to let me out into the ship’s corridor. But the incessant alarm finally went silent, and the frantic jerking and thrashing stopped, replaced by a slow, gentle twirl. For a second, Optimistic Liz dared to hope that the trouble was over. But I knew that wasn’t it.The lifeboat was no longer connected to the ship.Too horrified even to yell again, I watched the Laika drift past the window, Somav’s light tinting her silver-white hull a metallic frostbite-blue against the blackness of space. She was still spinning and dancing like some huge bird as the solar flares played havoc with her electrical systems. And then I saw only stars, and then the mottled brown of the moon, then more stars. And then there went the Laika once more, further away this time.Grabbing the back of a seat for leverage, I shoved off from the deck, thankful for the zero-gravity training. Floating was faster than clomping along in magnetic shoes, and I had to get to the controls now. I had to steer myself back to the ship. But as I seized the arm of the helmsperson’s chair and maneuvered my body into it, I realized I had no idea how to reattach a lifeboat to its socket on the ship’s side. They had never taught us that. Were lifeboats even designed to reattach once they were separated?Well, somebody must know the proper procedure for this kind of emergency. Captain Tyler or one of the other adults could talk me through the process. Right?I fumbled for the seatbelt, twisting my ankles around the legs of the chair so I wouldn’t float off in the meantime. Jabbing the intercom button, I called, “Help! I’m in a lifeboat that just detached! What do I do?”Realizing how panicked and little-girly I sounded, I took a deep breath and tried again. “I mean, this is Liz Smith on Lifeboat 1, calling anybody on the Laika who can hear me. Come in, please.”There was no response, and I realized that the communication light wasn’t even on. The intercom was offline.Great. Dang solar flares. I took another deep breath. I had never felt so alone. But the controls in front of me looked exactly like the ones in the simulator. I could do this. It would be just the same as I had practiced. Except this was no game, where the only real struggle was to beat my classmates, to be the first to land my virtual lifeboat safely. This was a real emergency.This was my life at stake.
Buy Heartsong from Amazon in Kindle or paperback format here: 
http://smarturl.it/HeartsongSciFi
About the Author:
Annie Douglass Lima spent most of her childhood in Kenya and later graduated from Biola University in Southern California. She and her husband Floyd currently live in Taiwan, where she teaches fifth grade at Morrison Academy. She has been writing poetry, short stories, and novels since her childhood, and to date has published eighteen books in a wide variety of genres (science fiction, fantasy, YA action and adventure novels, a puppet script, anthologies of her students’ poetry, and a Bible verse coloring and activity book). Besides writing, her hobbies include reading (especially fantasy and science fiction), scrapbooking, and international travel.
Email: AnnieDouglassLima@gmail.com
Blog: http://anniedouglasslima.blogspot.com

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

Twitter: https://twitter.com/princeofalasia

Goodreads: http://bit.ly/ADLimaOnGoodreads
Google+: http://bit.ly/ADLimaOnGooglePlus
Amazon Author Page: http://bit.ly/AnnieDouglassLimaOnAmazon
LinkedIn: http://bit.ly/ADLimaOnLinkedIn p.p1 {margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; text-align: justify; text-indent: 14.4px; line-height: 3.0px; font: 11.0px Garamond}

Book Tour: Date Night Dinners, Meals to Make Together For a Romantic Evening by Sloane Taylor...

Book Details:

Publisher: Toque & DaggerPublication Date: May 29, 2018ASIN: B07DD5HDVLPage Count: 136 pagesGenre: Cookbook

Date Night Dinners has a unique assortment of recipes to tantalize your taste buds. Here’s a short list of recipes you will find in the cookbook. Grab your copy today and spark a little romance while you prepare your next meal!For the Meat Lovers in Your Life:Cheeseburgers Sloane Style is a recipe that will have you relaxing all evening enjoying the good food and even better company.Have a Vegetarian or Vegan Partner:Whip up an easy Snazzy Tomato Salad dish that can be paired with other dinner favorites.If you or your partner love asparagus, check out the steamed asparagus recipe. Not vegan but vegan ingredients could probably be substituted – that is one great thing about this cookbook – make the recipe and then tailor it to your palate.Each recipe in Date Night Dinners comes complete with ingredient lists that most people already have in their kitchens. Sloane Taylor also adds a bit of commentary with some of the recipes.
Follow the tour to read reviews and recipe teaser lists and to view spotlights.https://saphsbooks.blogspot.com/2018/06/tour-schedule-date-night-dinners-meals.html

About Date Night Dinners:
Ready to ignite that old flame? Or perhaps spark a new one? Take your partner by the hand and turn on your stove. A true romantic, award-winning author Sloane Taylor brings her creativity to the kitchen with easy-to-make meals sure to spark the intimacy and quality time you want with your special someone. Cooking together is only the start of the fun!
Create 45 complete dinners for two or flavor your evenings with a new dish. These 80 recipes use everyday foods already on most kitchen shelves. The recipes are easily increased for those fun times friends or family join your table.
Date Night Dinners, Meals to Make Together for a Romantic Evening, is an ideal gift for engagements, bridal showers, anniversaries, or for anyone who wants to spice things up.
Goodreads
Amazon

Sloane Taylor is an Award-Winning author with a second passion in her life. She is an avid cook and posts new recipes on her blog every Wednesday. The recipes are user friendly, meaning easy.

Taylor currently has seven romance novellas released by Toque & Dagger Publishing. Her first solo venture into non-fiction is a cookbook with eighty of her favorite recipes DATE NIGHT DINNERS , Meals to Make Together for a Romantic Evening .

Excerpts from her books can be found on her website , blog, and all popular vendors. Connect with Taylor on Facebook and Twitter .

Book Tour: The Ghost in the Gardens by HL Carpenter...

Welcome the 1-week Virtual Book Tour for The Ghost in the Gardens (A Flower Girl Mystery) by HL Carpenter.
About The Ghost in the Gardens:
Until the first spooky visit, ten year old Chrysantha Howe doesn't think about ghosts. She thinks about plants.
All.
The.
Time.
She has her future planned out, and that future includes plants. Chrys is going to be a plant scientist like her uncle and her favorite teacher, and she's determined to find the very rare Coralroot orchid.The ghost is not in the plan.But when her teacher disappears and the police suspect her uncle was involved, Chrys has to figure out what the ghost is trying to tell her—before it's too late.

Follow the Book Tour:



Book Details:
Genre: Middle Grade Paranormal MysteryPage Count: 152 pages
Publisher: Mirror World Publishing (http://www.mirrorworldpublishing.com/)Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/40072894-the-ghost-in-the-gardens
Order Links:Mirror World Publishing:  Ebook  PaperbackAmazon
Read an Exclusive Excerpt:
I tugged Barkley's ear and picked up one of the quarter-size flat stones scattered beside the path. I tossed the stone into the deep end of the Water Garden pond.Barkley scrambled to the bank, then yipped and jumped back, almost jerking the leash from my hand. The ruff on his neck rose straight up. He stared at the pond, his lips curled, his teeth bared.I gripped the red plastic leash more tightly.The ghost liked water.Barkley growled.In the pond, twin black shafts of water shifted into the wavy outline of feminine eyes. Pale lips, reed-thin and white as unearthed slugs, parted. The lips tried to form a word. A gurgle rose from the depths like a deep sigh."Daaaaay...daaaay..."Bubbles roiled the surface of the water.Barkley growled again. Then he barked, as if to prove the ghost hadn't silenced him.I tried to speak, to ask the ghost what she wanted. My tongue clung to the roof of my mouth. My lips moved in a quivery jiggle as if I were silently whistling. But I could not force out a sound, much less a whole question.Maybe if I could think a question, the ghost and I could communicate. Maybe she didn't need actual words to hear me and to answer.I tipped forward. My glasses slipped down my nose. I wanted to ask her...something...something...important...What would touching her feel like?I stretched out my hand.
The buzz of a bee snapped me out of my trance. I scrambled back as the edge of the bank crumbled under my foot. The ghost vanished.Meet the Author:

Florida-based mother/daughter author duo HL Carpenter writes family-friendly fiction. The Carpenters write from their studios in Carpenter Country, a magical place that, like their stories, is unreal but not untrue. When they’re not writing, the Carpenters enjoy exploring the Land of What-If and practicing the fine art of Curiosity. Visit HLCarpenter.com to enjoy gift reads and excerpts and to find out what’s happening in Carpenter Country.
Connect with HL Carpenter:
Website: https://hlcarpenter.com/
Author Page: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/5820921.H_L_Carpenter

Cover Reveal: Date Night Dinners, Meals to Make Together for a Romantic Evening by Sloane Taylor...

COMING to a KITCHEN NEAR YOU...
JUNE 25, 2018 
in 
E-Book and Paperback


Ready to ignite that old flame? Or perhaps spark a new one? Take your partner by the hand and turn on your stove. A true romantic, award-winning author Sloane Taylor brings her creativity to the kitchen with easy-to-make meals sure to spark the intimacy and quality time you want with your special someone. Cooking together is only the start of the fun!

Create 45 complete dinners for two and flavor your evenings with a new dish. These 80 recipes use everyday foods already on most kitchen shelves. The recipes are easily increased for those fun times friends or family join your table.

Date Night Dinners, Meals to Make Together for a Romantic Evening, is an ideal gift for engagements, bridal showers, anniversaries, or for anyone who wants to spice things up.

Sloane Taylor is an Award-Winning author with a second passion in her life. She is an avid cook and posts new recipes on her blog every Wednesday. The recipes are user friendly, meaning easy.

Taylor currently has seven romance novellas released by Toque & Dagger Publishing. Her first solo venture into non-fiction is a cookbook with eighty of her favorite recipes DATE NIGHT DINNERS , Meals to Make Together for a Romantic Evening releasing June 25, 2018.

Excerpts from her books can be found on her website , blog, and all popular vendors. Connect with Taylor on Facebook and Twitter .

Using Reiki on your Pet…

I think the main reason why I wrote Lost and Found —the first book in my teen psychic mystery series, Mysterious Tales from Fairy Falls—was to create an emotional experience that connects humans to animals, and to bring about an understanding between our two species. In this book, one of my characters Natalie (Nat) Knight uses a holistic healing system called Reiki on the shelter animals. The cats just soak up this vibrational ‘frequency’ while gathered around Nat’s wheelchair to receive their weekly treatment. Although Reiki traditionally has been used primarily for humans, it has many qualities that make it an ideal complementary therapy for animals. First and foremost, it is gentle, painless, non-invasive, and stress-free for animals. Reiki heals at all levels of an animal’s being: physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual.
The term “Reiki” is usually translated as “universal life energy”. Reiki is part of the emerging field of energetic healing, rediscovered from the wisdom and knowledge of ancient cultures for use in modern times. Everything in the universe is made up of and connected by energy. By transmitting the healing energy of the universe along energetic pathways and through the practitioner’s hands to the client/animal, Reiki heals as deeply as needed within a being to create a shift toward health. Treatments can be given in person, with the hands of the practitioner placed on or at a short distance from the client/animal; or, since Reiki is energetic in essence, it can be sent across a distance, across a room, or to another geographic location.
Reiki will benefit not only the animals being treated but also the health of the person giving it. Every time a Reiki practitioner gives a treatment, the Reiki flows through her/him, healing her/him and the client/animal simultaneously. The feeling of receiving a Reiki treatment is generally one of deep relaxation. In practicing Reiki with animals, you’ll find that the more animals you treat, the more you’ll encounter animals who need healing. Animals understand Reiki’s benefits and will seek you out when they need healing. The beauty of Reiki as a healing system is its simple, gentle nature combined with its powerful and transformative results.
I received my level one Reiki in 1996, and continue to use it to this day. I’ve recently just started using Reiki on my dog, whose back legs are giving him a lot of trouble due to arthritis, and have seen some amazing results. My cat absolutely loves to have a treatment almost every night, and once I initiate the healing, she plops herself across my stomach or next to me in bed to receive her special treatment. What a princess! If Reiki sounds like something you’d love to learn, then seek out a Reiki Master near you who will teach you the new language of Reiki. Trust me, you’ll never regret being able to help a fellow human or furry friend in need of a good old fashioned healing.

Cheers, and as always, thank you for reading my blog.

YA Book Tour: The Nameless Soldier by Annie Douglass Lima...

The Nameless Soldier is book 4 in the Annals of Alasia young adult fantasy series. Haven't read all (or any) of the others? That's okay! The books can be read in any order, and each one can stand on its own.

Description:

What do you do when you’re the only survivor?

Nineteen-year-old Tarvic bears the name of a mighty hero from Alasia’s past. However, the young soldier feels anything but heroic when he regains consciousness to find himself the lone survivor of a brutal attack by invaders from the neighboring kingdom. 

Forced to leave his identity behind, Tarvic is thrust into civilian life in the role of protector to three war orphans. When the four of them encounter a mysterious stranger, he must choose between keeping the young girls safe and taking on a mission that could help free his kingdom. Can Tarvic live up to his noble name and find a way to balance his duty and his dreams?


Where to Get a Copy:

Click
Not sure if you'll like the story or not? Take a look at the first chapter and see!


The Nameless SoldierChapter One
      
Tarvic woke to the sound of a distant yell, abruptly silenced. He pushed his blankets aside and sat up, puzzled, but heard only the light patter of rain on the canvas. “What was that?”Drevel, his roommate in the barracks and tentmate out on campaigns like this, stirred and rolled over. “What?”“I heard something. Someone shouting.” “It’s probably just another drill.” But Drevel sat up too, shoving his own blankets away, as Tarvic crawled over and untied the tent flap.A blast of wintry air and raindrops greeted him as he leaned out, peering across the tent-studded hillside. Clouds hid the moon and stars, and on every side the thick dark of the forest leaned in from the edges of the large clearing. But the telltale flickering light of distant torches sent shadows leaping over tents and across the open spaces between them. Why would someone be using torches out here? Any soldier in camp had easy access to lanterns among the supplies. Something was wrong. Very wrong. Tarvic pulled back into the tent and yanked on his breeches and jacket.They both heard the next yell, closer this time, and then the unmistakable clash of swords. Both men snatched up their own swords, jamming their feet into their boots and fumbling for shields. From all around them, shouts of alarm erupted as men in their company woke up.And then the enemy was upon them. Horses exploded through the camp, trampling tents and the soldiers just crawling out of them. Riders leaned low off their mounts’ backs, swinging swords and waving torches.Halfway out of his tent, Tarvic threw himself flat on his face to avoid a slash that would probably have decapitated him. He scrambled to his feet, only to be knocked off them again by a blow that he barely caught on his shield.Light, shadows, horses, blades, rain. Chaos raged through the clearing to the sound of crashing metal, pounding hooves, shouts of challenge and desperation. Tarvic regained his feet and fought as best he could from the ground while enemy riders thundered around him. Dodging and ducking, he aimed for the men’s legs and tried to keep out from under their horses’ hooves. With no idea who he was fighting or why, his only goal to stay alive for the next heartbeat, he dodged and darted through the tumult looking for spots where horses and enemy swords weren’t. All around him, men fought and ran and crumpled to lie as limply as the trampled tents.Slipping and stumbling in the mud, Tarvic felt a surge of satisfaction as his sword met flesh and an enemy yelled in pain. And then the man wheeled his horse and charged back toward him, and Tarvic turned to flee. He tripped on something soft that groaned. Pain shot through Tarvic’s wrist as he caught his fall, and only a quick roll saved him from being trampled as the man’s horse cantered over him. Its rider wheeled again, and Tarvic rose to his knees, barely raising his shield in time to protect his face. The force of the blow threw him backward, jarring his already sore wrist.Another horse leaped over him, and Tarvic cried out in pain as a hoof struck him on the shoulder. He stumbled to his feet, ducking low to present as small a target as possible, and ran through the melee.He saw fewer people on foot now, more obstacles in the mud. Was it cowardly to flee from a battle you couldn’t win? Nothing in Tarvic’s eight months in the military had prepared him for this. Not counting occasional minor border skirmishes, the kingdom of Alasia hadn’t seen an actual war in six generations. Besides routine patrols, city peacekeeping, and the frequent drills and training, the military’s primary duties involved escorting merchant wagons through robber-frequented stretches of rural highway and keeping an eye on the sections of coastline where seafaring raiders were known to attack. Tarvic had never fought in a battle that involved more than a handful of opponents at a time, and none of those opponents had been anywhere near this organized — or this deadly. If we escape, we can regroup somewhere safer and — A hard blow to the back knocked him to the ground again as another horse pounded over him. Giving up all pretense of courage, Tarvic scrambled to his feet once more and fled for the edge of the clearing and the relative safety of the trees beyond. I can’t do anything here. They’re going to slaughter us all!He was practically there when another rider appeared in front of him, leaning low with sword outstretched. Tarvic almost impaled himself on the blade, raising his shield just in time. He fought back frantically as the man slashed, swinging his weapon again and again. I need my horse! Military training had included nothing about how to fight a mounted enemy from the ground. But Lightning was tethered in the row of makeshift stalls on the far side of the camp, probably prancing restlessly under his blanket and wondering why his rider didn’t come to spur him into battle.Tarvic didn’t even see the blow that almost killed him. His ears barely registered the thudding of more galloping hooves from behind, nearly drowned out by the rain and the sounds of battle. But the world exploded in light and pain as something struck the back of his head harder than anything had ever hit him before.He lurched forward, feeling his sword drop from limp fingers. Managing two steps before his legs buckled, he was just conscious enough to recognize the urgent need to crawl. Don’t stop. Don’t stop. Don’t stop. Or they’ll kill you out here. That was the only thought left in his mind as he pulled himself toward the concealing shadows behind the line of tree trunks. And then even that faded, giving way to darkness.
Want to know what happens to Tarvic? Click 
About the Author:

Annie Douglass Lima spent most of her childhood in Kenya and later graduated from Biola University in Southern California. She and her husband Floyd currently live in Taiwan, where she teaches fifth grade at Morrison Academy. She has been writing poetry, short stories, and novels since her childhood, and to date has published seventeen books (four YA action and adventure novels, five fantasies, a puppet script, six anthologies of her students’ poetry, and a Bible verse coloring and activity book). Besides writing, her hobbies include reading (especially fantasy and science fiction), scrapbooking, and international travel.




Email: AnnieDouglassLima@gmail.com

Blog: http://anniedouglasslima.blogspot.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AnnieDouglassLimaAuthor
Twitter: https://twitter.com/princeofalasia
Goodreads: http://bit.ly/ADLimaOnGoodreads
Google+: http://bit.ly/ADLimaOnGooglePlus
Amazon Author Page: http://bit.ly/AnnieDouglassLimaOnAmazon
LinkedIn: http://bit.ly/ADLimaOnLinkedIn

Cover Reveal: The Ghost In The Gardens by HL Carpenter...

Mirror World Publishing presents the cover reveal for The Ghost in the Gardens (A Flower Girl Mystery) by HL Carpenter.
About The Ghost in the Gardens:
Until the first spooky visit, ten year old Chrysantha Howe doesn't think about ghosts. She thinks about plants.
All.
The.
Time.
She has her future planned out, and that future includes plants. Chrys is going to be a plant scientist like her uncle and her favorite teacher, and she's determined to find the very rare Coralroot orchid.
The ghost is not in the plan.
But when her teacher disappears and the police suspect her uncle was involved, Chrys has to figure out what the ghost is trying to tell her—before it's too late.
Book Details:
Genre: Middle Grade Paranormal MysteryPage Count: 152 pagesPublisher: Mirror World Publishing (http://www.mirrorworldpublishing.com/)Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/40072894-the-ghost-in-the-gardens
Pre-Order Links:
Mirror World PublishingEbook: https://mirror-world-publishing.myshopify.com/collections/juvenile/products/the-ghost-in-the-gardens-e-bookPaperback: https://mirror-world-publishing.myshopify.com/collections/juvenile/products/the-ghost-in-the-gardens-paperbackAmazon: https://amzn.to/2GAWW6Z

Meet the Author:

Florida-based mother/daughter author duo HL Carpenter writes family-friendly fiction. The Carpenters write from their studios in Carpenter Country, a magical place that, like their stories, is unreal but not untrue. When they’re not writing, the Carpenters enjoy exploring the Land of What-If and practicing the fine art of Curiosity. Visit HLCarpenter.com to enjoy gift reads and excerpts and to find out what’s happening in Carpenter Country.
Connect with HL Carpenter:
Website: https://hlcarpenter.com/
Author Page: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/5820921.H_L_Carpenter

Recipe and Read of the Month: DATE NIGHT DINNERS; Meals to Make Together for a Romantic Evening by Sloane Taylor...

In anticipation for Sloane Taylor’s upcoming new cookbook, DATE NIGHT DINNERS; Meals to Make Together for a Romantic Evening, here are two quick and easy meals that is sure to impress your special someone, family and friends. BTW – this cookbook makes the perfect gift for bridal and baby showers, and as an added bonus for a wedding gift basket filled with cooking utensils, gift cards or ingredients. Bon Appetit!

Allen0417 PixabaySAUTÉED SEA SCALLOPS

1 lb. sea scallops
1 ½ tbsp. olive oil
2 tbsp. butter
2 tsp. garlic, chopped
Freshly ground pepper to taste
¼ cup dry white wine
1 tsp. chives, snipped for garnish

Have everything measured and ready to go before you start cooking. This recipe only takes a few minutes so you must be prepared.
 
Preheat oven to 210° F.

Rinse and pat dry the scallops.

Add olive oil and butter to a frying pan set on medium-high heat. Add the scallops when the foam subsides. Sear 2 – 4 minutes per side. Make sure they are golden edging into brown before you turn them.

Add garlic when you turn the scallops.

When they have reached the proper color, remove the scallops to a bowl and set in the oven to keep warm while you make the sauce.

Spoon out the garlic from the frying pan. Skim off some of the fat that has floated to the top. Carefully add the wine, all the while scraping in any browned pieces on the sides and bottom of the pan. Cook until the mixture reduces by about ⅓.

Lay the scallops on a bed of orzo either on a platter or individual plates. Lace the sauce over the dish, top with chives and serve. Serve with sliced tomatoes, and a bottle of dry white wine. Be sure to drizzle plenty of sauce over the pasta.

CHICKEN STIR-FRY

A quick and tasty meal served over rice is perfect for those super busy days when you don’t want to spend a lot of time at the stove. Be sure to cook the rice first and keep warm in a 210° F oven while you make the chicken.

¼ cup olive oil
⅓cup honey
⅓cup soy sauce
¼ tsp. freshly ground black pepper
2 gloves garlic, chopped fine
2 boneless and skinless chicken breasts, cut in large chunks
1 medium onion, quartered
1 red pepper, seeded and chopped

Combine all ingredients in a glass or ceramic bowl. Marinate for 4 to 8 hours in the refrigerator.

Remove from the fridge one hour before cooking to bring mixture to room temperature.

Drain chicken and vegetables in a colander. Do no reserve the marinade.

Heat a large frying pan on medium-high. It’s ready to use when a sprinkle of water dances across the surface.

Add the chicken and vegetables to the pan. Sauté for 10 to 13 minutes or until the meat is no longer pink.

This dish can also be prepared as SHISH KABOBS on the grill.

Follow the recipe up to the cooking steps.

Soak the skewers in a dish of water for at least 30 minutes before threading the raw ingredients. This stops the skewer from catching on fire.

Preheat your gas grill on medium-high.

Thread the meat and vegetables onto wooden skewers chicken, onion, pepper. Repeat until all your ingredients are used. This recipe will make at least 6 skewers.

Grill 12 – 15 minutes. Be sure to turn often so they don’t burn.

May you enjoy all the days of your life filled with laughter and seated around a well laden table!

Sloane


Sloane Taylor is an Award-Winning author with a second passion in her life. She is an avid cook and posts new recipes on her blog every Wednesday. The recipes are user friendly, meaning easy.

Taylor currently has seven romance novellas released by Toque & Dagger Publishing. Her first solo venture into non-fiction is a cookbook with eighty of her favorite recipes DATE NIGHT DINNERS , Meals to Make Together for a Romantic Evening releasing June 25, 2018.

Excerpts from her books can be found on her website , blog, and all popular vendors. Connect with Taylor on Facebook and Twitter .

Book Tour: Mirror's Deceit by Justine Alley Dowsett and Murandy Damodred...

Mirena Calanais is destined to change the world.  Her rival has made a desperate flight to the past to stop her.

About the Book:
A gifted student of majik, Mirena is on the verge of graduating from a secret college that will give her a leg up in her political career, when her achievements are overshadowed by the arrival of a mysterious woman with an unknown agenda. Desperate to keep what she sees as her rightful place in the spotlight, Mirena goes to astounding lengths including taking it upon herself to pose as a double agent to investigate a rebel force plotting to destabilize the government. Unfortunately, her actions cost her the trust of those around her, so when she is proclaimed the Dark Avatar of the Destroyer, she finds she has nowhere to turn. 
In a seeming utopia, Mirena is now a pariah with the force of Destroyer behind her and her once bright dreams have darkened, leaving her a threat not only to herself, but to those she cares about. Can she turn her life around, or will someone need to stop her before she goes too far? 
Book Information:
Publisher: Mirror World Publishing; 1 editionPublication Date: May 17, 2018ASIN: B07BNY8RVF
Genre(s): Dark Fantasy, Romance, Fantasy

Page count: 240 pages
Read an Exclusive Excerpt:  
“Why?” Caralain demanded, shaking her head in denial even as tears stung the open cuts on her face and raindrops continued to pelt her skin without remorse. “How could you…?”His response was cold, calculated. “To secure our rule. The people here will one day have the power to destroy everything. Now they can’t. I’m doing this for us.”Her eyes locked on to the hand he was using to keep her there next to him and she became aware of something she hadn’t seen before. Around his hands swirled a dark kind of energy, unlike the majik she was used to but familiar to her nonetheless. Caralain had read all about the Dark Avatar and the power of the Destroyer; she knew what she was looking at, despite having never seen it in person before.“You have it too,” she whispered, staring at the darkness crackling around her wrist where he held her. “Just like your mother…”“It’s my birthright. And through me, it can be yours to command as well. I would do anything for you, you just have to say the word.”Horror filled Caralain and she stumbled back. This time, for a wonder, Greyson let her go. “I could never…” she began and then she stopped, looking up at him, trying to find some hint of the man she’d fallen in love with. “You’re a monster!”Having said what she could, and still feeling the island she’d called home for the last decade crumble all around her, Caralain ran for all she was worth.Greyson whirled after her. “Caralain!”She ignored him, stopping only to stare back at the school she loved so much. There were people within, friends, mentors. As she watched, fire spurted from yet another window and the ancient stone cracked, splitting the building in two.Greyson stood between her and the rest of the island. Dark power crackled around him like an aura now, and at every clench of his fist, another tremor shook the now uneven ground. His eyes were on her, but he showed no remorse, no sign of stopping, only a desire to bring her, too, under his control.She choked back a sob. The Stoa may fall, but I won’t let him have me. I have to hope that the teachers get the students out in time, but my power is nothing compared to his. I can’t stop him… I have to flee. She realized abruptly where she stood, amidst the circle of tall standing stones this school existed primarily to study. She whirled and located the central pillar with her eyes and hands, scanning the symbols there. But where? Where do I go? There isn’t a place in this world beyond his reach.Her eyes lit on a familiar symbol. It was the one Terrence Lee had been pointing at in the picture of him she’d spent the last hour half-heartedly staring at. It was on a row she didn’t recognize, but that wasn’t strange; there was so little they didn’t know about the Sentinal Stones. She didn’t really know where it would lead, but more than likely Greyson wouldn’t either.One last look back showed the school almost completely in ruins, along with the livelihood and possibly the lives of all the people she’d known. And before it all was Greyson, on his knees now amidst the ruins. He hadn’t tried to follow her or stop her. Maybe he didn’t realize how serious she was about leaving him. She shook her head, letting the tears fall freely now.You did this, she thought at him, and it was wrong, but maybe, just maybe there’s a way I can undo it all.Caralain summoned her majik and poured it into the Stone as she shut her eyes tight against the flood of tears that threatened to overwhelm her and prayed. Goodbye, Greyson.
Order from AmazonOrder Ebook from Mirror World Publishing
Order Paperback from Mirror World PublishingAdd to Your Shelf on Goodreads
Follow the Tour to Read Reviews, Exclusive Excerpts, and Spotlights:https://saphsbookpromotions.blogspot.com/2018/05/virtual-book-tour-schedule-mirrors.html
Meet the Authors:

Justine Alley Dowsett is the author of eight novels and one of the founders of Mirror World Publishing. Her books, which she often co-writes with her sister, Murandy Damodred, range from young adult science fiction to dark fantasy/romance. She earned a BA in Drama from the University of Windsor, honed her skills as an entrepreneur by tackling video game production, and now she dedicates her time to writing, publishing, and occasionally roleplaying with her friends. 
With a background in Drama and Communications from the University of Windsor, Murandy Damodred enjoys fantasy fiction with strong romantic subplots. She is an avid role-player and is happiest when living vicariously through her characters. Though she'd rather think of herself as the heroine of her next novel, in the real world she is a new mom living in Windsor, Ontario, ready to embark on a new career as a medical technician. 
Connect with the Authors: 
Website: http://www.mirrorworldpublishing.com
Author Page: https://www.amazon.com/Justine-Alley-Dowsett/e/B004MNQAUA/ref=dp_byline_cont_ebooks_1
Goodreads Author Page:
https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/4637105.Justine_Alley_Dowsett