C.J. Petterson's Blog: Book launch scheduled, page 10

A call for young writers submissions

cj Sez: Hey, all you young writers (and teachers of same) in Mobile and Baldwin, Alabama, counties, the Mobile Writers Guild wants your stories.


  The Mobile Writers Guild is sponsoring a Writing Scholarship contest calling for submissions of short story fiction by students in grades 6 through 12 in Mobile and Baldwin Alabama counties.
   Write your story, edit and re-edit, get it proofread (the more eyes on it, the better), polish it some more, and submit the manuscript by February 26 for a chance to get some professional feedback and win a cash prize. (Be sure to follow all the instructions.)
§§
   On January 21, the Dauphin Island “People’s Parade,” the first of two weekends of parades on the Island, kicks off the 2023 Mardi Gras Season for Mobile, Alabama. The first parade for the City of Mobile will roll through the downtown streets on February 3. In case you didn’t know, Mardi Gras 2023, the actual day, also known as Fat Tuesday and/or Shrove Tuesday, is February 21. I checked the current schedule and counted forty-seven parades scheduled to celebrate the 2023 season. But wait, there’s more!
   Valentine’s Day is next on the list of February celebrations. 
   Soooo, here are a couple of Mobile Writers Guild anthologies, chock full of a variety of short stories about these popular holidays to get you in the swing of things. And the Ebooks are sale-priced, too!


Buy Valentine’s Day Pieces Buy Mardi Gras Pieces 

§§
   That’s it for today’s post. You-all guys keep on keeping on, and I’ll try to do the same. Raising prayers for your health and safety.
cj

   No inflation here: THE DAWGSTAR and DEATH ON THE YAMPA, my fast-paced, exciting suspense/thriller ebooks, are low-, low-priced at $2.99.
   P.S.  The Haunted Book Shop has signed copies of my books in stock. TO ORDER, contact The Haunted Bookshop here: https://www.thehauntedbookshopmobile.com/contact-us 

 

➜Follow me on . . .  ➜Amazon:    Amazon Central Author Page➜Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/CjPettersonAuthor➜BookBub:   https://www.bookbub.com/authors/cj-petterson➜Goodreads: https://bit.ly/3fcN3h6

  

Resolutions or goals ?

cj Sez: I admit I have never been able to keep any New Year's resolutions. When my career in a corporate environment taught me to set "goals," a lightbulb went off. 

  The writer in me said, “No wonder I can’t keep a resolution.” The word “resolution” infers a passive ending…you know, set it and forget it because it's reached resolution. Whatever that was has been resolved.

 

  The word “goal” infers action…a constant striving to reach it or be defeated. The important thing is that a goal must be realistic and reachable or it is automatically defeating.     I admit I have yet to set a goal for 2023. Since I love words and the syntax and cadence of a well-crafted sentence, paragraph, chapter, and story, I expect my reachable goal for 2023 will to once again sit down and write something—which I did not do in 2022. Yet enthusiasm wanes and ennui waxes when I contemplate self-publishing and marketing my novels. If a return to writing turns out to be my goal, I will not be defeated.
§§
  The new year does bring hopes for new opportunities, but it also brings with it memories of times gone by. Some memories bring fresh tears, some preciously bring smiles and warm feelings of love. A friend’s recent Facebook post sent my mind wandering back to my childhood days and my grandfather in Texas. The first things I remember are his blue eyes and thick Swedish accent. Of course, the years have enhanced my memories of Grandpa, but my fondest memory is still this:

Sitting across from him and his big, bushy, white mustache, playing checkers on top of an over-turned galvanized tub and dipping mama’s homemade bread into the hot, black coffee he poured into his saucer. I was about four years old and winning the game (so I thought).

  Does the arrival of 2023 bring memories for you? I hope they are mostly happy. 
§§ 

 

   When I first saw the picture of Mr. Scrappy Rooster, I wasn't sure if he was the winner or the loser, but then I thought, he's not only upright, he’s strutting, He’s definitely the winner. He’s my mascot again this year.
§§ 
A readers and writers note       Something to think about: If you replace “W” with “T” in What, Where, and When, you get the answer to each of them.
§§
  That’s it for today’s post. You-all guys keep on keeping on, and I’ll try to do the same. Raising prayers for your health and safety.
cj \
  No inflation here: THE DAWGSTAR and DEATH ON THE YAMPA, my fast-paced, exciting suspense/thriller ebooks, are low-, low-priced at $2.99.
P.S.  The Haunted Book Shop has signed paperback copies of my books in stock. TO ORDER, contact The Haunted Bookshop here: https://www.thehauntedbookshopmobile.com/contact-us 
➜Follow me on . . .  ➜Amazon:    Amazon Central Author Page➜Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/CjPettersonAuthor➜BookBub:   https://www.bookbub.com/authors/cj-petterson➜Goodreads: https://bit.ly/3fcN3h6

 

Winding down . . .

 cj Sez:  I’m winding down as quickly as 2022 is …

§§
  Is your gift shopping complete? Are your decorations all up? My answers are yes and no. I have some wreaths and garland on the walls, but there is a new, rambunctious kitten at my house, so there is no Christmas tree in my home this year. 
  Instead, I've decided to pull together some non-breakable items to hang on the cat’s climbing tree. I got the idea off of Facebook (mine is not up yet).
§§    Lyrical Pens is taking the rest of the year off, but please know that I am sincerely grateful for all of my readers. Thank you from the bottom of my heart . . . See you in 2023!

I pray your Christmas and New Year’s celebrations

 are filled to the brim with the love of family and friends.

The Lord bless you and keep you; The Lord make His face shine upon you, And be gracious to you; The Lord lift up His countenance upon you, And give you peace.  

                                                                            Numbers 6:24-26

 

cj

§§

 

  Dancing with Daddy is my true short story in the anthology Christmas Through a Child’s Eyes.

Buy It Now

  As I remember the dance today, I can still smell the aroma of his aftershave and feel the coarseness of a morning beard against my cheek as he whirled me around the kitchen.

  This anthology of several authors' precious Christmas memories is available on Amazon (free on Kindle Unlimited) at the time of this post.

➜Follow me on . . .           ➜ Amazon:    Amazon Central Author Page➜ Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/CjPettersonAuthor➜ BookBub:   https://www.bookbub.com/authors/cj-petterson➜ Goodreads: https://bit.ly/3fcN3h6

 

Introducing . . .

cj Sez: This holiday season  . . .

§§
  A favorite “shop local” bookstore of mine that carries my books is The Haunted Book Shop, which is owned by Raven award-winning author Angela Quarles. 

How pretty !   An avid reader, Angela writes books she'd like to read—laugh-out-loud, smart romances that suck you into her worlds and won't let you go.

  In addition to carrying the works of national and international popular authors, The Haunted Book Shop has books written by many of my fellow Mobile Writers Guild members. Here are a few:

Carrie Dalby Author



Candice Marley Connor (books available now)

 

  If you can't come on down to browse the shelves, you can support this Indy book store by buying on-line. To order, contact The Haunted Bookshop here: https://www.thehauntedbookshopmobile.com/contact-us 

  Interested in having a signed book by one of the authors? This is how to request one: After you choose the book you want, select “shipping” then add it to the cart. When you check out, scroll all the way to the bottom of the screen to find a text box labeled “Add a note for the seller.” That’s where you request a signed copy. We’ll be happy to run by the shop and sign the copy before it’s shipped.

§§
  But wait, there’s more . . .
BUY NOW
   Each of the anthologies is a two-fer—you get a variety of wonderful stories to read and part of the proceeds go to benefit a worthwhile charity. (Note: I have a short story in each anthology.)
   These ebooks are available for 99 cents at the time of this post . . . Get all three for $2.97 !! 
§§    That’s it for today’s post. You-all guys keep on keeping on, and I’ll try to do the same.

Happy Reading! 
cj 
➜ Follow me on . . .           ➜ Amazon:    Amazon Central Author Page➜ Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/CjPettersonAuthor➜ BookBub:   https://www.bookbub.com/authors/cj-petterson➜ Goodreads: https://bit.ly/3fcN3h6

 

What piques your interest in a book?

cj Sez: Books make great gifts

Question: What piques your interest in a book?
  cj Sez: As an author and reader, the first thing that catches my eye when I’m looking for a book to read is the cover. It will be someone or some art that I can relate to in a personal way. Then I read the back-of-the-book blurb that gives me a snippet of what the book is about. If my interest is still piqued, I scan a couple of first pages then flip to a couple of pages in the middle of the book. (I check the middle to see if the excitement I found at the beginning sags. No one likes a saggy middle.) Like every reader I know, I rifle through books on shelves (physical or electronic) many times before I make a final selection.

  How about you? When you’re in a bookstore or library, what piques your interest in a book? 
  Exciting ups and downs, i.e., conflicts, must always be in the story to hold my attention, but I’m not interested in grabbing for tissues. I don’t want to cringe at something a character says or does, even if it really does happen in real life. I believe I have enough grief going on in my life and don’t want to cry while reading. I’m drawn to strong heroines and hunky heroes…they don’t have to be young, wild, and good-looking, but they do have to be likable. (And for me, the villain has to be villainous, but I also look for a hint of sympathy for him.) I want the heroine/hero to win and the story to end with a promise of something positive for the good guys. That’s the story arc I want to see and what I like to write. 

  What is your preference . . . lots of delicious narrative or sassy and deep point-of-view dialogue?
  Follow-up question:  Who are your favorite authors? What about their writing appeals to you? 
  I tend to like stories with great dialogue and character narrative. Robert B. Parker, James Lee Burke, and Elmore Leonard are some of my favorite authors. They produce great story content and write wonderful repartee. I want to get most of the story’s sense of place, characterization, emotion, and plot from the action and the dialogue (see the Burke dialogue below). I also appreciate humor, even in some of the dark scenes.

“The evening sky was streaked with purple, the color of torn plums, and a light rain had started to fall when I came to the end of the blacktop road that cut through twenty miles of thick, almost impenetrable scrub oak and pine and stopped at the front gate of Angola penitentiary.”  ― James Lee Burke, The Neon Rain  (the first title in his Detective David Robicheaux series)

What keeps you reading?
  Obviously, plot and content of any good book are de rigueur to keep my attention, but after those two requirements are met: I like a strong, smart heroine, an equally smart and incredibly attentive hero, and, hopefully, I find a perfect ensemble of characters. (Caveat: I get thrown out of a story if there are more than a few gremlins that have snuck past the editors.)

§§

 

  If you tried the NaNoWriMo challenge, I hope you met the goal you set for yourself—whatever the number. Now go rest a while.
§§ BUY NOW  Ebooks available for 99 cents at the time of this post

   Each of these anthologies is a two-fer—you get a variety of wonderful stories to read and part of the proceeds will go to benefit a worthwhile charity. (Note: I have a short story in each anthology.) 

§§

 

That’s it for today’s post. You-all guys keep on keeping on, and I’ll try to do the same.
cj

  No inflation here: THE DAWGSTAR and DEATH ON THE YAMPA, my fast-paced, exciting suspense/thriller ebooks, are now low-, low-priced at $2.99.

P.S.  The Haunted Book Shop has signed paperback copies of my books in stock. TO ORDER, contact The Haunted Bookshop here: https://www.thehauntedbookshopmobile.com/contact-us 

 

Happy reading!  ➜ Follow me on . . .           ➜ Amazon:    Amazon Central Author Page➜ Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/CjPettersonAuthor➜ BookBub:   https://www.bookbub.com/authors/cj-petterson➜ Goodreads: https://bit.ly/3fcN3h6

From the archives

cj Sez: “As I have mentioned before—” That’s my sneaky way to introduce a subject I’ve written about before: the story structure authors need to follow to turn their ideas into intriguing novels. 
    Today seemed like a good time to resurrect that post since all you NaNoWriMo writers are racing to the end zone and will soon be gearing up for the editing on that raw, 50K-word manuscript. (Hip, Hip, Hurray for thirty days of writing discipline, 50K or no 50K.)
  Eons ago, when I was still working full time, I attended a screenwriting seminar led by author, lecturer, and story consultant Robert McKee. 
  The experience was invaluable in showing me how to create scenes that create a story. 
  Now I envision all of my story ideas as a play or movie, each chapter (act) having a beginning, middle, and an end that, hopefully, makes the reader want to turn the page. And that pattern doesn’t just apply to chapters. Ideally, it applies to scenes as well.
  Then in 2014, I happened across a post titled “Adapting screenplay to novels,” by author James Preston.
  Mr. Preston’s post explained how he reverse-engineered a screenplay into a story. The following is an excerpt from Mr. Preston's post. 
Kurt Vonnegut Graphic       “Remember, a story is about somebody who wants something. Something stops them from getting it. They try to get it and either succeed or fail. 
 This is called the Plot Point. It changes the  story, turns it into something unexpected, usually by changing the heroine’s goals.     Since I am talking about adapting this structure to novel writing, I will use page numbers to show locations in the manuscript. Assume a 200-page manuscript.  We’ll see how it works as minutes.
  Let’s talk about the bones, the skeleton that is one way of building your story.

1. Hook. Something interesting happens that grabs the reader’s attention. This is the very beginning of the story and it is important!

2. Twist.The story goes off in a different direction. It’s not what you thought it would be. This can come any time before . . .

3. Plot Point One. About 20% in. For our mythical 200-page books, this is around page 40.

4. Midpoint. A watershed moment. You guessed it. Page 100.

5. Plot Point Two. Everything the heroine did is wrong. Page 160.

6. Climax. The heroine solves the problem, or doesn’t. This is less precise. Say around page 180.

7. Denouement. Loose ends are tied up. Everybody who wasn’t killed and eaten goes home.”

///
  cj Sez: I personally liken all of the above to a stairway the character travels to get from the beginning to the end.

  

How would my work-in-progress stack up against Mr. Preston’s skeleton, you ask? It needs editing, a lot of editing.
§§



Books do make great gifts . . . especially multi-story anthologies.

BUY NOW 

  Ebooks available for 99 cents at the time of this post

   Each of these anthologies is a two-fer—you get wonderful stories to read and part of the proceeds will go to benefit a worthwhile charity. (Note: I have a short story in each anthology.)

§§

  That’s it for today’s post. You-all guys keep on keeping on, and I’ll try to do the same. 
cj
  No inflation here: THE DAWGSTAR and DEATH ON THE YAMPA, my fast-paced, exciting suspense/thriller ebooks, are now low-, low-priced at $2.99.

  P.S.  The Haunted Book Shop has signed paperback copies of my books in stock. TO ORDER, contact The Haunted Bookshop here: https://www.thehauntedbookshopmobile.com/contact-us 

Happy reading!

➜ Follow me on . . .           ➜ Amazon:    Amazon Central Author Page➜ Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/CjPettersonAuthor➜ BookBub:   https://www.bookbub.com/authors/cj-petterson➜ Goodreads: https://bit.ly/3fcN3h6   

For writers and readers

cj Sez: Writers live and writhe on reviews. We want them, solicit them, need them, and thank you for giving them.

  But this note from one of my author friends puts them into perspective:
“You have officially arrived when someone makes a Goodreads account JUST to one-star your book that isn't even out yet. Ha! Do watch for the trolls, ladies. They are everywhere.”
  The moral is: Take your reviews with a grain of salt
§§
Why it’s good to read anthologies

   Question: When you’re reading a story that drags you deep into the plot, do you wonder how the author could have imagined all those twists and turns? I do because I know personally that writing a coherent story is a difficult and exacting task, and I get a ton of inspiration by reading. In fact, a writer has to be a reader, especially in the genre they write.     Because I also like to read the works of different authors in multiple genres, I find reading anthologies filled with short stories appealing for many reasons, but the top three are:
1) they don’t require a singular lengthy commitment;2) they provide a lot of variety; and3) they often introduce me to a new favorite author.

  I say three cheers for anthologies and their short stories! (Try it, you’ll like it.)

§§ 

  Participating in NaNoWriMo?

  I’m rooting for you …

  This is how you do it: you sit down at the keyboard and you put one word after another until it’s done. It’s that easy, and that hard. — Neil Gaiman

§§

My non-publishing victory . . .
  Tis the giving season, and I joined a group of police officers and Mobile Citizens Police Academy Alumni on Saturday morning to help decorate a Giving Tree in front of the Mobile Police Department headquarters. 
  And as the picture can attest, it was a cold morning, and I'm wearing a down coat over a wool shirt. 
  It’s the second annual event hosted by the MPD Victim Services unit to acknowledge victims of crime and families served by the Mobile Police Department. 

  Of course, the absolute prettiest ornaments were the ones hand decorated by school children.

  The Giving Tree lighting ceremony takes place Monday, November 21.

§§

Speaking of anthologies . . . but I repeat myself:

BUY NOW 

Ebooks are available for 99 cents at the time of this post.

   Books are the kind of gifts that keep on giving, don’t you know, and each of these anthologies is a two-fer—you get wonderful stories to read and part of the proceeds will go to benefit a worthwhile charity. (Note: I have a short story in each anthology.) §§

  That’s it for today’s post. You-all guys keep on keeping on, and I’ll try to do the same. 

  Sending my warmest and best wishes for your Happy Thanksgiving celebrations. 

cj

  No inflation here: THE DAWGSTAR and DEATH ON THE YAMPA, my fast-paced, exciting suspense/thriller ebooks, are now low-, low-priced at $2.99.

P.S.  The Haunted Book Shop has signed paperback copies of my books in stock. TO ORDER, contact The Haunted Bookshop here: https://www.thehauntedbookshopmobile.com/contact-us 

Happy reading!

➜ Follow me on . . .           ➜ Amazon:    Amazon Central Author Page➜ Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/CjPettersonAuthor➜ BookBub:   https://www.bookbub.com/authors/cj-petterson➜ Goodreads: https://bit.ly/3fcN3h6 

cj Sez: For all you word warriors: You still have almos...

 cj Sez:  For all you word warriors: You still have almost half a month to reach your NaNoWriMo goal of 50,000 words on or before November 30 . . . Keep up the good work…you got this!

§§

  November 30? Now that I think about it, since I get paid monthly, that means I have only one more payday before Christmas. Aarrgh

§§

cj’s helpful hints for Holiday gifts that keep on giving …

Pix credit: Carrie Dalby
   Each of the anthologies pictured is a two-fer—you get wonderful stories to read and part of the proceeds will go to benefit a worthwhile charity.     The overall anthology theme might be Christmas, but you’ll find stories with contemporary, historical, and paranormal plot lines. Ergo, the stories are enjoyable reads, all year round.  (Note: I have a short story in each anthology.)
  FINALLY HOME brings you eight Christmas stories about our four-legged friends in need of rescue and the special people who provide loving homes. From funny to sad to romantic, there’s something in this anthology to tug at everyone’s heart strings. (My short is “Puppy Love”)

 

   
  HOMETOWN HEROES brings you five Christmas romances that celebrate the everyday heroes in our hometowns. (My short is “Hobbes House Noel.”)

    
  HOMEROOM HEROES brings you seven Christmas romances celebrating our teachers and the compassion and dedication they bring to their classrooms every day. (My short is “The Substitute.”)

§§

Just a thought: 

   Stephen King has sold more than 350 million books, many of which have been adapted into feature films, miniseries, television series, and comic books. And he has strategies for creating a story that people love to read. One such strategy in his writing is to tell the truth.

  “Now comes the big question: What are you going to write about? And the equally big answer: Anything you damn well want. Anything at all... as long as you tell the truth... Write what you like, then imbue it with life and make it unique by blending in your own personal knowledge of life, friendship, relationships, sex, and work...What you know makes you unique in some other way. Be brave.”
§§
  That’s it for today’s post. You-all guys keep on keeping on, and I’ll try to do the same. Raising prayers for your health and safety.
cj
  No inflation here: THE DAWGSTAR and DEATH ON THE YAMPA, my fast-paced, exciting suspense/thriller ebooks, are now low-, low-priced at $2.99.

P.S.  The Haunted Book Shop has signed paperback copies of my books in stock. TO ORDER, contact The Haunted Bookshop here: https://www.thehauntedbookshopmobile.com/contact-us Happy reading!
➜ Follow me on . . .           ➜ Amazon:    Amazon Central Author Page➜ Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/CjPettersonAuthor➜ BookBub:   https://www.bookbub.com/authors/cj-petterson➜ Goodreads: https://bit.ly/3fcN3h6

Did you remember?

cj Sez:  Daylight Saving Time ended this morning at 2 a.m. local time. Did you remember to turn back your clock one hour? I did, but I didn't get any extra sleep.

  Animals, specifically my cats, don’t deign to observe hoo-mom time. Their internal clock said it was time for me to get up and feed them, and they were not shy about walking across my body and face to remind me. About the time we all get back on the same schedule, the time will change again because standard time returns on Sunday, March 12, 2023. I wish “those” people would make up our minds. All that ending of daylight saving time really means is that the sun will rise earlier in the morning and the evenings will get darker sooner.

§§ 

Public Service Announcements
  November 11 . . . one hundred years ago, on the eleventh hour of the eleventh day of the eleventh month, the “war to end all wars” officially came to an end.

  This coming Friday is Veterans Day, also called Poppy Day, the day set aside to honor the sacrifices of all who fought in wars throughout the years. 
  From the American Legion [image error] https://spanberry.com/news/detail/32/national-poppy-day-honors-veterans-sacrifice-for-freedom  
  “Even in the darkest of times, flowers still find their way to the surface to bloom. Poppy seeds can lay fallow for years, yet bloom brilliantly when the soil is disturbed or when the soil is freshly dug. After the battles were fought in World War I, the blood red poppy flourished in France and Belgium when battlefields became burial grounds. The red flowers suddenly bloomed among the newly dug gravesites of fallen service members, turning the new graveyards into fields of red.
  Surviving soldiers came to see the poppy as more than a flower—–it became a symbol of their sacrifice; a tribute to the price of freedom. Although all WWI veterans have since passed, 100 years later, the poppy has become a universal display of the sacrifices made by Americans and allied service members around the world.”
For more info, visit www.ALAforveterans.org

///

cj Sez: 

I thank God for the sacrifice of Jesus Christ for my soul, and I thank the thousands and thousands of service people and their families for their sacrifices which have ensured the singularly rare freedoms that Americans enjoy. 
§§
This week Tuesday is Midterm Election Day.
Please take the time to exercise your right and duty to vote. (Psst: Voting is one of the ways to help safeguard the freedoms that all those thousands of service people fought for: "All gave some; some gave all.")

cj
No inflation here: 
THE DAWGSTAR and DEATH ON THE YAMPA, my fast-paced, exciting suspense/thriller ebooks, are now low-, low-priced at $2.99.

P.S.  The Haunted Book Shop has signed paperback copies of my books in stock. TO ORDER, contact The Haunted Bookshop here: https://www.thehauntedbookshopmobile.com/contact-us  Happy reading! 
➜ Follow me on . . .           ➜ Amazon:    Amazon Central Author Page➜ Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/CjPettersonAuthor➜ BookBub:   https://www.bookbub.com/authors/cj-petterson➜ Goodreads: https://bit.ly/3fcN3h6

Kids writing contest and a Halloween excerpt

 cj Sez:  Because it's the season!  The video excerpt of my Once in a Blue Moon story was too big for Blogger, so I've posted the video on my cj petterson Facebook page. Hop on over to  https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=1539531295   to watch me read the excerpt, complete with ghosts and kitty assistant. 

§§

  The Mobile Writers Guild's Halloween Pieces anthology (18 stories by 17 authors) is still available. Signed books available through The Haunted Book Shop . . . and, and the ebook is on sale as of the time of this post. Hurry on over to the Big A and grab some hauntingly good reading. Buy Halloween Pieces Now

§§
  Hey, all you young writers! The Mobile Writers Guild is sponsoring a Writing Scholarship Contest for short story fiction for students in grades 6 through 12 in Mobile and Baldwin, Alabama, counties. Write your best short story, edit and re-edit, have it proofread, polish it to the nth degree, and submit for a chance at being rewarded with a cash prize. 

 

§§

 

As I’m typing these last lines, there are weather warnings coming across my phone and the
TV, so I’m outta here. That’s it for today’s post. You-all guys keep on keeping on, and I’ll try to do the same. Raising prayers for your health and safety.

 

cj

 N

o inflation here: THE DAWGSTAR and DEATH ON THE YAMPA, my fast-paced, exciting suspense/thriller ebooks, are now low-, low-priced at $2.99.

P.S.  The Haunted Book Shop has signed paperback copies of my books in stock. TO ORDER, contact The Haunted Bookshop here: https://www.thehauntedbookshopmobile.com/contact-us 
Happy Halloween reading!
➜ Follow me on . . .           ➜ Amazon:    Amazon Central Author Page➜ Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/CjPettersonAuthor➜ BookBub:   https://www.bookbub.com/authors/cj-petterson➜ Goodreads: https://bit.ly/3fcN3h6