Lynn Donovan's Blog, page 3
February 11, 2014
Release of Thorns of Betrayal
Release day special: 99 cents
I am so happy to announce Thorns of Betrayal is available on Amazon, Barnes and Noble, and other sites where e-books are sold.His destiny brought them together, but will her past rip them apart?
Ever since her father’s mysterious death, Rose Bauer has suffered with migraines. Visions and voices reach out to her from the intense pain. Is her father’s spirit trying to contact her? Or is she going crazy?
Now is not a good time to be crazy.
Zeke Clayton claims destiny led him to her door. But how strong can destiny bind two souls when one is as tainted as hers? Is his love for her and faith in God strong enough to survive all her secrets? Will justice ever be served against the one who has betrayed them all?
This is the sequel to The Wishing Well Curse. What are readers saying? "Lynn is quickly becoming one of my favorite authors." ~Pastor George McVey"The characters are real and the action dangerous and exciting." ~Sheila Odom Hollinghead"The suspense builds and builds, all the way to the last page!" ~Diane Adams About me:
Lynn Donovan spends her days chasing after her muses, trying to get them to settle down and behave long enough so she can dictate their words and actions. Thank goodness her muses love Christ or she’d be in big trouble. The results have produced The Clockwork Dragon, a collection of nine short stories in which she wrote half (4.5 stories), The Wishing Well Curse, Thorns of Betrayal. Later this year: Rocking Horse Shadows, and Christmas Grace: Signing Seeds. And a speculative fiction called The Abraham Project is hovering out there somewhere. Lynn enjoys reading and writing Christian fiction, paranormal, and speculative fiction, but you never know what her muses will come up with for a story, so you could see a novel under any given genre. All we can tell you is keep your eyes open, cause these muses are not sitting still for long! Oops, there they go again…
Stalker info:
Facebook MLDonovan Fan Page Lynn Donovan Twitter MLynnDonovan Amazon Lynn Donovan Website Lynn Donovan AuthorGoodreads Lynn Donovan
February 1, 2014
Thorns of Betrayal
Cover RevealI am so excited to reveal the cover for Thorns of Betrayal. This is the second book in the Spirit of Destiny Series and it is the sequel to The Wishing Well Curse.The graphic design is by Marcy Rachel Designs.
Be sure to enter to win $5 gift card at the bottom.
The back cover blurb reads: His destiny brought them together, but will her past rip them apart?Ever since her father’s mysterious death, Rose Bauer has suffered with migraines. Visions and voices reach out to her from the intense pain. Is her father’s spirit trying to contact her? Or is she going crazy?Now is not a good time to be crazy.Zeke Clayton claims destiny led him to her door. But how strong can destiny bind two souls when one is as tainted as hers? Is his love for her and faith in God strong enough to survive all her secrets? Will justice ever be served against the one who has betrayed them all? My Bio:
Lynn Donovan writes from her heart and her passion for Jesus Christ. She is a daughter, wife, mother of four, and grandmother of eight who has five decades of experiences to draw from when creating her stories. She has published a collection of Short Stories, The Clockwork Dragon, and novels such as The Wishing Well Curse with AltWitPress. She categorizes herself as the “sandwich generation” because she is caring for her mother who has Alzheimer’s and her special needs sister. Lynn enjoys reading and writing Christian fiction, paranormal and speculative fiction, but you never know what might inspire a story in her head, so you could see a novel under any given genre. Stalker info:
Facebook MLDonovan Fan Page Lynn Donovan Twitter MLynnDonovan Amazon Lynn Donovan Website Lynn Donovan AuthorGoodreads Lynn Donovan
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Be sure to enter to win $5 gift card at the bottom.
The back cover blurb reads: His destiny brought them together, but will her past rip them apart?Ever since her father’s mysterious death, Rose Bauer has suffered with migraines. Visions and voices reach out to her from the intense pain. Is her father’s spirit trying to contact her? Or is she going crazy?Now is not a good time to be crazy.Zeke Clayton claims destiny led him to her door. But how strong can destiny bind two souls when one is as tainted as hers? Is his love for her and faith in God strong enough to survive all her secrets? Will justice ever be served against the one who has betrayed them all? My Bio:
Lynn Donovan writes from her heart and her passion for Jesus Christ. She is a daughter, wife, mother of four, and grandmother of eight who has five decades of experiences to draw from when creating her stories. She has published a collection of Short Stories, The Clockwork Dragon, and novels such as The Wishing Well Curse with AltWitPress. She categorizes herself as the “sandwich generation” because she is caring for her mother who has Alzheimer’s and her special needs sister. Lynn enjoys reading and writing Christian fiction, paranormal and speculative fiction, but you never know what might inspire a story in her head, so you could see a novel under any given genre. Stalker info: Facebook MLDonovan Fan Page Lynn Donovan Twitter MLynnDonovan Amazon Lynn Donovan Website Lynn Donovan AuthorGoodreads Lynn Donovan
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January 22, 2014
Moonbow, Blog Tour
Author: Sheila Hollinghead
Published: December 17th, 2013
Publisher: AltWit Press
Word Count: 65,000
Genre: Inspirational Romantic Suspense
Synopsis:
A widow, a doctor, an unborn child. Three lives are at risk in this high stakes suspense. Die Auserwahlten, the Chosen Ones, have impregnated Gisa with an embryonic clone. Is it evil or just a child? It's up to Dr. Rayden Brooks to untangle the web that keeps them captive and save their lives. But will Gisa trust him?
Excerpt from Moonbow by Sheila Hollinghead:THE MAN REFUSED to allow the crowd in the hospital cafeteria to thwart his efforts. He maneuvered to a seat, cutting in front of a young couple, to obtain full view of his prey. His cap was crammed down over his eyes, but he still saw the way Dr. Rayden Brooks smiled at the young woman, Adalgisa Ostheim. She bent her head closer to the doctor and allowed him to touch her arm. Surely, the doctor's conduct was unethical? The woman may not be the patient of Brooks, but she was the patient of his colleague, Dr. Cochran.
The man pulled the brim of his cap lower. He knew this woman—she had been his third and there was also a fourth. The other three he had forgotten as soon as he had finished the assignment. But not Adalgisa, or Gisa as she called herself. The other three had made no more an impression on him than a fly buzzing around his head. They had all been annoyances, really. All but Adalgisa.
He had reached his objective with her long ago and moved on. Yet, now he had returned to her, like a hound-pursued deer searching for water. And Oberste had learned of his obsession.
The man was not cognizant of the ways Oberste received information. Regardless, Oberste knew and had warned him away from the woman. The dangers of disobedience were great, but here he was, to understand why something within him would not, could not, allow this.
The man made a plan. First, he would approach Dr. Cochran, discuss the behavior of Brooks. If Cochran refused to put a stop to it, he would be eliminated—regardless of Oberste's orders.
Oberste need not know. The threat of defection among those recruited was always a concern. Oberste would accept his story—that Cochran threatened the integrity of the program. And, of course, Dr. Rayden Brooks would simply be collateral damage. Oberste would be none the wiser.
He had to wrench his eyes away from Adalgisa's laughing face to glance at his cell phone. The meeting was in an hour. Tardiness would not be tolerated. Reluctantly, he left the hospital cafeteria.
He convinced himself he had time for a quick stop before the meeting. He drove to the store. He paused before he entered and smoothed back his blond hair. Placing a practiced smile on his lips, he approached the counter. "Pack of cigarettes," he said to the woman.
She tilted her head at him, and one eyebrow rose. "Brand?"
"Lucky Strikes, unfiltered." Nasty habit, but if he was to continue his surveillance of Adalgisa and Brooks, he needed something to keep his hands busy. It had nothing to do with quelling his fear of Oberste.
He mimicked the woman's tilt of the head. "Sorry, make that a carton."
"Sure. My pleasure."
Yes, Oberste had his methods, but so did he. He would carry out his plan, seek out Cochran, and sever the bond between Adalgisa and Brooks. He fervently wished he could take care of Brooks directly, but the rules forbade contact with those outside of the organization. If a violation occurred, Oberste always perceived the infraction, within hours, if not minutes. No deception was allowed; all worked for the cause.
Still, if the car of Dr. Rayden Brooks was parked in front of Adalgisa's house when he returned from the meeting, he would tear him apart with his bare hands, no matter what Oberste might do to him.
Amazon | GoodReads
Below is the completed tour schedule:
Moonbow by Sheila Hollinghead:
January 20th – Laurie @ Laurie’s Thoughts and Reviews (Interview)January 20th – Autumn @ Fallen Over Book Reviews (Guest Post)January 21st – Marcy @ Marcy Rachel Designs (Spotlight)January 22nd – Lynn @ Sitting on the Porch with Lynn (Spotlight)January 22nd – Darcia @ A Word Please (Interview)January 23rd – Vicky @ Deal Sharing Aunt (Spotlight)January 23rd – Beppe @ Rose & Beps Blog (Spotlight)January 24th – E.M. @ The Reader’s Hollow (Spotlight)January 24th – Victoria @ Victoria’s Pages of Romance (Guest Post)January 27th – CCAM @ Mythical Books (Guest Post)January 28th – Roxana @ Crazy About Books (Spotlight)January 28th – Amber @ The Wonderings of One Person (Interview)January 29th – Jessica @ Jess’s Book Blog (Spotlight)January 29th – Kristy @ Keep Calm and Write On (Interview)January 30th – Cinta @ Indie Authors You Want to Read (Spotlight)January 30th – J. Hooligan @ Platypire Reviews (Guest Post)January 31st – Sara @ One More Chapter (Book Review)January 31st – Jaidis @ Juniper Grove (Interview) Link to the author’s tour page: http://junipergrovebooksolutions.com/moonbow-sheila-hollinghead/Title: Moonbow
About the Author:
Sheila Hollinghead, an army brat, was born in Nuremberg, Germany. When she was ten, her father was stationed in Toul, France where she discovered a treasure trove of books hiding in the furnace room. The house was rumored to be the former headquarters of the Nazi Party with bullet holes decorating the foyer as evidence. The books, sci-fi, mysteries, fantasy, and the classics, opened her mind to the power of story. Today, she is married and lives on a farm in south Alabama with dogs, cats, and chickens. She agrees with Emily Dickinson who said, "I know nothing in the world that has as much power as a word. Sometimes I write one, and I look at it until it begins to shine."
Amazon Author Page | Facebook | Twitter | GoodReads | Website
Giveaway Details:
There is a tour wide giveaway. Prizes include the following:
Signed print copy of Moonbow & swag (US only)
Rafflecopter Widget Code:
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January 3, 2014
Launch of WayFarer and Insightful comment from Author, Janalyn Voigt
First there was DawnSinger:
Now the sequel:
I am so excited to share this with you. I love Janalyn's writing and I know you will, too. Be sure to take advantage of her one-day-half-price offer, TODAY ONLY. And now, from the author, herself:
What I Discovered In the Vale of Shadows
By Janalyn Voigt
As a writer, I like to think I’m in charge of the story I’m writing. I spend time in reflection and prayer, and then create a plot line. My outline consists of one or two paragraphs to summarize each chapter, and then one- or two-sentence descriptions of what will happen in each scene. It’s the bones of my story that I then flesh in, and you’d think I’d be able to stick to it. Most of the time, I do. But sometimes the story just sort of…happens.
One day, while I was writing a scene in Wayfarer, book two of my Tales of Faeraven epic fantasy trilogy, with High King Elcon, the main character, seeking the DawnKing, an allegorical figure who represents Jesus, in the deep forest. It should have been a simple matter to find him and return to pressing business in the form of a gathering battle at the high hold. However, Elcon floored me by taking a turn into the Vale of Shadows, a fearsome place and a story location I hadn’t known existed. Did I mention that I like to think I’m in control of my characters, too?
I had to stop writing and give some thought to Elcon’s maneuver. What was he up to? And then it hit me. Of course that is where we can expect to find Jesus. He dwells not just within the forest of our lives, but in the darkest valley we can descend to. Whether that valley is one of sin, despair, or even the shadow of death, he waits for us there. The Bible puts it this way: “Where can I go from your Spirit? Where can I flee from your presence? If I go up to the heavens, you are there; if I make my bed in the depths, you are there” Psalm 139:7-8 (NIV).
Take a moment to revel in this knowledge by watching this joyous video by Greg Long.
Writers are cautioned not to say God wrote your book, and I don’t believe that happens except when it came to writing the Bible. However, there are times writers need to move over and let God breathe life into our stories. I knew then how the scene I was writing would have to change. Sometimes writers get to surprise their characters. It was not a matter of Elcon finding the DawnKing, but the opposite. There is nowhere we can go that God cannot find us. This is the measure of His love for us. In Wayfarer I took the opportunity to illustrate this poignant message.
Special Offer for Today Only (January 3rd, 2014):
In celebration of the release of Wayfarer, book two in Janalyn Voigt’s Tales of Faeraven trilogy, her publisher is offering her book at a 50% discount. Click here to take advantage of this offer.
Wayfarercan be read as a standalone story, but reading DawnSinger , the book one in the fantasy trilogy first will make the experience is richer. It is available in print or digital formats at most online stores.
About Janalyn Voigt
As children, my older brother and I would beg my father for bedtime stories, and he would give them. His deep voice rumbled against my ear at his chest as he unfolded stories of exotic places like Oz and Neverland. My imagination carried on with the tales even after he closed the book for the night. When eventually he stopped reading stories, I began creating my own.
Within a few years I’d become storyteller of my neighborhood. The other children would gather in a circle on our lawn while I invented stories to entertain them. No one, including myself, thought of this as anything unusual. It wasn’t until my sixth-grade teacher pointed out my ability to spin a tale that I and my parents took note. This is how at the age of twelve I decided to become a novelist. At it turns out, the fulfillment of that dream took a few more years than planned. Find out more about Janalyn, her closet writing office, and her books at the author website for Janalyn Voigt .
A headstrong young princess and the guardian sworn to protect her fly on winged horses to the Gate of Life above the Well of Light in a desperate bid to release the DawnKing, and the salvation he offers, into a divided land. Will they each learn in time that sometimes victory comes only through surrender?
Now the sequel:
When an untried youth ascends to the high throne of Faeraven, his mistakes tear kingdoms apart and allow just one chance at redemption. He must humble himself before the man he banished.
I am so excited to share this with you. I love Janalyn's writing and I know you will, too. Be sure to take advantage of her one-day-half-price offer, TODAY ONLY. And now, from the author, herself:
What I Discovered In the Vale of Shadows
By Janalyn Voigt
As a writer, I like to think I’m in charge of the story I’m writing. I spend time in reflection and prayer, and then create a plot line. My outline consists of one or two paragraphs to summarize each chapter, and then one- or two-sentence descriptions of what will happen in each scene. It’s the bones of my story that I then flesh in, and you’d think I’d be able to stick to it. Most of the time, I do. But sometimes the story just sort of…happens.One day, while I was writing a scene in Wayfarer, book two of my Tales of Faeraven epic fantasy trilogy, with High King Elcon, the main character, seeking the DawnKing, an allegorical figure who represents Jesus, in the deep forest. It should have been a simple matter to find him and return to pressing business in the form of a gathering battle at the high hold. However, Elcon floored me by taking a turn into the Vale of Shadows, a fearsome place and a story location I hadn’t known existed. Did I mention that I like to think I’m in control of my characters, too?
I had to stop writing and give some thought to Elcon’s maneuver. What was he up to? And then it hit me. Of course that is where we can expect to find Jesus. He dwells not just within the forest of our lives, but in the darkest valley we can descend to. Whether that valley is one of sin, despair, or even the shadow of death, he waits for us there. The Bible puts it this way: “Where can I go from your Spirit? Where can I flee from your presence? If I go up to the heavens, you are there; if I make my bed in the depths, you are there” Psalm 139:7-8 (NIV).
Take a moment to revel in this knowledge by watching this joyous video by Greg Long.
Writers are cautioned not to say God wrote your book, and I don’t believe that happens except when it came to writing the Bible. However, there are times writers need to move over and let God breathe life into our stories. I knew then how the scene I was writing would have to change. Sometimes writers get to surprise their characters. It was not a matter of Elcon finding the DawnKing, but the opposite. There is nowhere we can go that God cannot find us. This is the measure of His love for us. In Wayfarer I took the opportunity to illustrate this poignant message.
Special Offer for Today Only (January 3rd, 2014):
In celebration of the release of Wayfarer, book two in Janalyn Voigt’s Tales of Faeraven trilogy, her publisher is offering her book at a 50% discount. Click here to take advantage of this offer.
Wayfarercan be read as a standalone story, but reading DawnSinger , the book one in the fantasy trilogy first will make the experience is richer. It is available in print or digital formats at most online stores.
About Janalyn Voigt
As children, my older brother and I would beg my father for bedtime stories, and he would give them. His deep voice rumbled against my ear at his chest as he unfolded stories of exotic places like Oz and Neverland. My imagination carried on with the tales even after he closed the book for the night. When eventually he stopped reading stories, I began creating my own.
Within a few years I’d become storyteller of my neighborhood. The other children would gather in a circle on our lawn while I invented stories to entertain them. No one, including myself, thought of this as anything unusual. It wasn’t until my sixth-grade teacher pointed out my ability to spin a tale that I and my parents took note. This is how at the age of twelve I decided to become a novelist. At it turns out, the fulfillment of that dream took a few more years than planned. Find out more about Janalyn, her closet writing office, and her books at the author website for Janalyn Voigt .
December 11, 2013
Storm Chase by K.M. Carroll
I'm so excited to present this book. Released on Amazon.com November 20, 2013. (The same day the author gave birth to a baby girl, by the way) Kessie and I have known each other for about two years. I met Kessie on a chat Forum established by Jeff Gerke called Where the Map Ends. She invited me to join a critique group, spin off from that forum. My interaction with that critique group was invaluable and I cannot thank Kessie enough for scooping me under her wing and letting me play with her friends.
But enough about me!Kessie stopped by to chat, and I asked her a few questions. I thought you might be interested in knowing what she said, so, pull up a chair and fill your cup...
Here is our conversation:
I think Christian Fiction writers always have an amazing God moment or two when they write their stories. Did you have one? What was it?
For me I think it was a whole God process. While writing, I found the Marcher Lord Press website and visited the forums. There I found a link to the Sandbox critique group. The Sandbox proceeded to pummel Storm Chase while I put it through multiple drafts. If God hadn't guided me to the critique group, I wouldn't have really learned to write and edit. I wouldn't have met Dana Bell and had multiple stories published in anthologies. Really, God's hand has been on my entire writing journey. It's wonderful. :-)
Why did you choose to write Storm Chase?
The story that became Storm Chase has been part of my life since high school. It's my husband's story, you see. He's been writing it and rewriting it for years. Finally, one day I got sick of it and said, “I'm going to write it for you and then it will be DONE.”
Ten drafts later, it finally is.
Are any of your characters based on a real person? Can you tell us who?
Carda is a caricature of my husband. Naturally we had to change Carda quite a bit, though!
Your dialog was spot-on for the age of your characters. How did you do that?
I love writing dialogue and listening to people talk. I have a bunch of teen and adult siblings, and I love listening to them and the slang they use. They also coin hilarious phrases and say really funny things with a completely straight face. My kids, although younger, are the same way.
What inspired you to write this story?
Well, I was writing my husband's story, really. But a lot of other influences crept in—Lovecraft and Diablo influenced the angel-with-tentacle-wings. I'm a fervent admirer of Diana Wynne Jones's work, and I adore her multiverse, and the way she wrote magic happening in the real world. In later Spacetime books I go nuts with the multiverse aspect.
I happen to know the male main character in this book drives a particular car, would you like to tell the readers why his car has special meaning to you?
When we got married, my husband drove a red 1990 Mazda Miata. So of course Carda did, too! Although my husband no longer owns that car, it lives on in Storm Chase. I have fond (albeit terrifying) memories of zipping along the highway in that thing and almost getting blown off the road in storms.
I also know you just gave birth to your fourth child, but do you have hobbies, other interests besides writing and taking care of the kids?
I've been in art class since I was little, and taught art to kids for about five years. I swap between writing and drawing to rest my muse. I also adore videogames and computer games, usually of the simulation sort: SimCity, The Sims, Rollercoaster Tycoon, and the like. I love building things.
Can you tell us something interesting about you that most people do not know?
My preferred pet is a reptile. Lizards, usually. Snakes don't have eyelids and can't give you sarcastic sideways looks. I had iguanas growing up—and then bearded dragons became popular, and I always wished for one. But I have small children, and small children do not mix well with reptiles that consume crickets and mealworms. (Hint: Twenty-five escaped crickets inside your house is a LOT.)
That's very true, and wise of you to realize it's not your season to have reptiles. But, when the kids get older... Right? Thank you for stopping by! I have enjoyed our chat. And if you'd like to know more about Kessie, scroll down. And I'd love to hear from you in the comments.
About the Book
Carda is the Strider of Chronos. But figuring out what that means may cost him his life.
Struggling through high school in Phoenix, Arizona was hard enough, but now Carda’s hands are burning with magical fire and lightning. Worse, they affect time and space. Now all kinds of people want Carda dead, from a killer angel to the head of the extra-world Council.
Fortunately he has allies—his twin sister Michelle manipulates gravity with dance. His rival Indal is secretly a time mage—until Carda accidentally turns him into a werewolf. There’s Ben, a black time-traveling lizard. And Xironi, a gorgeous catgirl with a growing crush on Carda.
Together they face the most horrifying enemy of all—an inept mage with far too much power. This power unleashes a chaotic subspace storm that consumes worlds—and Earth is next on the menu.
Young Adult fantasy, 12+
It's available for 99 cents at Amazon.com
About the author
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K. M. Carroll got her start writing fanfiction, which she did for the majority of her teens. After marrying her high school sweetheart, she began collaborating with him on what became the Spacetime Legacy series. She also enjoys painting, raising chickens, and cooking delicious meals. She currently lives in Phoenix, Arizona with her husband and four children.
You can stalk, I mean contact Kessie at:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/kessie.carrollWebsite: http://spacetime.netraptor.orgBlog: http://netraptor.org/blogEmail: netraptor001 (at) hotmail (dot) comhttp://spacetime.netraptor.org
http://netraptor.org/blog
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But enough about me!Kessie stopped by to chat, and I asked her a few questions. I thought you might be interested in knowing what she said, so, pull up a chair and fill your cup...
Here is our conversation:
I think Christian Fiction writers always have an amazing God moment or two when they write their stories. Did you have one? What was it?
For me I think it was a whole God process. While writing, I found the Marcher Lord Press website and visited the forums. There I found a link to the Sandbox critique group. The Sandbox proceeded to pummel Storm Chase while I put it through multiple drafts. If God hadn't guided me to the critique group, I wouldn't have really learned to write and edit. I wouldn't have met Dana Bell and had multiple stories published in anthologies. Really, God's hand has been on my entire writing journey. It's wonderful. :-)
Why did you choose to write Storm Chase?
The story that became Storm Chase has been part of my life since high school. It's my husband's story, you see. He's been writing it and rewriting it for years. Finally, one day I got sick of it and said, “I'm going to write it for you and then it will be DONE.”
Ten drafts later, it finally is.
Are any of your characters based on a real person? Can you tell us who?
Carda is a caricature of my husband. Naturally we had to change Carda quite a bit, though!
Your dialog was spot-on for the age of your characters. How did you do that?
I love writing dialogue and listening to people talk. I have a bunch of teen and adult siblings, and I love listening to them and the slang they use. They also coin hilarious phrases and say really funny things with a completely straight face. My kids, although younger, are the same way.
What inspired you to write this story?
Well, I was writing my husband's story, really. But a lot of other influences crept in—Lovecraft and Diablo influenced the angel-with-tentacle-wings. I'm a fervent admirer of Diana Wynne Jones's work, and I adore her multiverse, and the way she wrote magic happening in the real world. In later Spacetime books I go nuts with the multiverse aspect.
I happen to know the male main character in this book drives a particular car, would you like to tell the readers why his car has special meaning to you?
When we got married, my husband drove a red 1990 Mazda Miata. So of course Carda did, too! Although my husband no longer owns that car, it lives on in Storm Chase. I have fond (albeit terrifying) memories of zipping along the highway in that thing and almost getting blown off the road in storms.
I also know you just gave birth to your fourth child, but do you have hobbies, other interests besides writing and taking care of the kids?
I've been in art class since I was little, and taught art to kids for about five years. I swap between writing and drawing to rest my muse. I also adore videogames and computer games, usually of the simulation sort: SimCity, The Sims, Rollercoaster Tycoon, and the like. I love building things.
Can you tell us something interesting about you that most people do not know?
My preferred pet is a reptile. Lizards, usually. Snakes don't have eyelids and can't give you sarcastic sideways looks. I had iguanas growing up—and then bearded dragons became popular, and I always wished for one. But I have small children, and small children do not mix well with reptiles that consume crickets and mealworms. (Hint: Twenty-five escaped crickets inside your house is a LOT.)
That's very true, and wise of you to realize it's not your season to have reptiles. But, when the kids get older... Right? Thank you for stopping by! I have enjoyed our chat. And if you'd like to know more about Kessie, scroll down. And I'd love to hear from you in the comments.
About the Book
Carda is the Strider of Chronos. But figuring out what that means may cost him his life.
Struggling through high school in Phoenix, Arizona was hard enough, but now Carda’s hands are burning with magical fire and lightning. Worse, they affect time and space. Now all kinds of people want Carda dead, from a killer angel to the head of the extra-world Council.
Fortunately he has allies—his twin sister Michelle manipulates gravity with dance. His rival Indal is secretly a time mage—until Carda accidentally turns him into a werewolf. There’s Ben, a black time-traveling lizard. And Xironi, a gorgeous catgirl with a growing crush on Carda.
Together they face the most horrifying enemy of all—an inept mage with far too much power. This power unleashes a chaotic subspace storm that consumes worlds—and Earth is next on the menu.
Young Adult fantasy, 12+
It's available for 99 cents at Amazon.com
About the author
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K. M. Carroll got her start writing fanfiction, which she did for the majority of her teens. After marrying her high school sweetheart, she began collaborating with him on what became the Spacetime Legacy series. She also enjoys painting, raising chickens, and cooking delicious meals. She currently lives in Phoenix, Arizona with her husband and four children.
You can stalk, I mean contact Kessie at:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/kessie.carrollWebsite: http://spacetime.netraptor.orgBlog: http://netraptor.org/blogEmail: netraptor001 (at) hotmail (dot) comhttp://spacetime.netraptor.org
http://netraptor.org/blog
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November 11, 2013
Thank You U.S. Veterans
I posted this last year to honor the Veterans in my life. It has since then won an award. Columbia University's 2013 Student Gold Circle Collegiate Award. M8. Non-fiction interview1. Kirsten Clark, “5,000 mile man,” Indiana Daily Student, Indiana University, Bloomington, IN;
2. Kate McCullough, “Somalia,” Convergence, Humber College, Toronto, Ontario, Canada;
3. Megan Washausen, “Katy Sullivan,” The Ampersand, Webster University, St. Louis, MO;
CM. Matthew Glowicki, “Growing up together,” Indiana Daily Student, Indiana University, Bloomington, IN;CM. Lynn Donovan, “The eleventh hour,” Telolith, Seward County Community College, Liberal, KS;CM. Laura Petro, “Framed for Success,” The Walk, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA. What an honor for me, and for my Dad, whom this was written to honor in the first place. Daddy past away April 2005 and needless to say, we miss him very much. So... This is for him and all of those who served in the Armed Forces. Thank you for keeping us safe and free.
God bless you and protect you always. TheEleventh Chapter
“I know I am going to Heaven because I have already been to hell, in 1968.”SSG Donald L Conant, Sr.Retired Army DAVDad sent a surprise in the mail to each of us kids, but when my brother read it, he had a surprise for Dad. For months our dad had sat at the computer typing, crying, pacing, and staring into space. This was no labor of love. It was a confession of his soul. He wrote about the year he spent in Vietnam. We knew very little about that year. All we knew was he had a pathological fear of having a flashback. At times it was debilitating. My siblings had seen him come home blanch-faced and mousey because he heard about a buddy “losing it” at a filling station. The buddy shot several people, killing them, because he thought he saw “gooks.” Loud noises and closed-in spaces terrified Dad. My sister and I laughed at him for years. While our brother, Donnie, stayed silent as if he understood.Donnie hated it at times, because they couldn’t do the things other fathers and sons did, like hunting, because Dad couldn’t handle the affects it had on him. He tried once, I’ll give him that, but when they got into the woods, holding their guns at the ready, Dad had to stop. He was in tears as he apologized and hurried back to his truck. They drove home in silence. As soon as they were home, he went to bed. Donnie didn’t see him for three days. Mom said he was sleeping. But Donnie wondered what he had done. Still Donnie didn’t blame him.After Dad typed his memoirs into the computer, he printed every gut-wrenching word onto tear-apart track paper, tore the perforated edges off, punched holes in it, and mounted each set in a black manuscript folder. He autographed them for each of us kids. At last, we could read the things he refused to tell any of us, his deepest, darkest secrets. Finally, we would know the causes for his insomnia, why he drank so much, and the reason why he dove into depression when I married a Filipino. Dad had a comedic style for telling stories, so we expected humor mixed with seriousness, like watching a war movie. We had no idea what horrors would be revealed in this manuscript. A lump formed in my throat as I read his dedication.DEDICATED TO:My family, who I am sure suffered as others did, that had loved ones in Vietnam. I love them all and I thank them for their support and understanding.DLCI turned the page and began to read. I laughed and I cried throughout his stories. I couldn’t put the manuscript down. However, my brother had a very different reaction.The words, the descriptions, the tales were vivid, graphic, and haunting, all the while, familiar to Donnie. How could they be so familiar to him? He knew this book was a project, suggested by the V.A. doctors, for Dad to gain control over the insanity he felt nipping at his heels every waking and sleeping moment. But, when he read Chapter Eleven, he had to pick up the phone.“Dad? I am reading your book,” Donnie told him. He didn’t know how to tell Dad what he knew, so he simply said, “You’ve told me these stories before.”“No, son, I haven’t told anybody about these things. I just couldn’t talk about it.”“No, you’re wrong. You told me these stories. I remember them distinctly.”Silence crackled across the phone line. “How could you remember?” he asked.“I don’t know, but I do. I remember lying in a bed. You wore your straw cowboy hat. It lifted up as you pressed your head against the side rail. I remember the red indentation the metal made on your forehead. You talked to me for hours. I think that’s when you told me these stories—was I dreaming?” “Oh my god.” Dad’s voice broke into sobs. “I wasn’t sure until I got to Chapter Eleven,” he said. “When I read about the local village being slaughtered, about the dead people everywhere, and you guys walking in on the mess.” He hesitated. Should he go on? Dad was already crying. He hadn’t heard Dad cry too many times in his life. It broke his heart. “Dad, when I read about the children strung upside down in the trees, their mutilated bodies, their Asian eye-lids sliced off and the grotesque death stare of each of them, I knew this was not anything you would talk about, yet I knew the story. How could I know these stories, Dad, if you didn’t tell them to me?” He sniffed and blew his nose.“Dad? Are you alright?”“Son, when you were ten, you got sick.” He cleared his throat. “You were in a coma. The doctors told us you were dying. I told them, ‘Look here, I don’t wanna know what my son died from. I wanna know what’s killing him!’ Those doctors ‘bout wet themselves, yes-siring me and running off to figure out what was wrong with you.” He sniffed, and I heard ice clink against his large plastic cup. He took a long drink. He knew it was RC Cola. “The nurses were really nice. They told us to talk to you. Even though you were unconscious, just talk to you. About anything, it didn’t matter. Your mom and I thought they were crazy, but we were willing to try anything. So I sat down by your bed, and I talked. I didn’t know if you could hear me or not. Eventually, I ran out of things to say, and you still didn’t move, so I started talking about ‘Nam.” Now Donnie sniffed. His tears wouldn’t stop flowing. Finally, he knew why he had empathized with Dad’s fears. He had told Donnie these stories, and Donnie had remembered. That was my brother’s surprise for Dad. Although we lived in three different states, we were talking about the manuscript within a week. After Chapter Twenty-One, his final chapter, we understood why Dad couldn’t carry a gun in the woods. It was too similar to the jungle in Vietnam. A flashback really could be triggered without warning. After reading about those mutilated children, we understood why almond-shaped eyes, especially children’s, put a chill in his heart. We admired his ability to overcome this branded nightmare for the sake of his two Filipino grandchildren.Our dad was, once again, our hero. He had survived a bloody, senseless “police action.” His memories had been his prisoner of war. Thank God the V.A. doctors had suggested he write them down. By doing so, he was able to set them free. He was able to let us know what he had been through. More importantly, he was able to face what he feared most—what we would think of him. He found out we still loved him. We did not judge him for what he had done, what he had seen, or what he did not do. “Chapter Eleven was the toughest chapter to write,” he had told us. It required him to stand toe to toe with the devil and spit in his face. He feared it would break his sanity, yet he kept pecking the story onto the screen. It was the bravest thing our father ever did. Well, second bravest. The first was surviving Vietnam, 1968. Personal note: I love you Daddy! (deceased 4/13/2005) Thank you Veterans. I appreciate and pray for you all the time. Gold Circle Awards
November 1, 2013
October 29, 2013
Feeling the Love
BinxI think my husband, Paul, is trying to tell me something. He keeps commenting on how sweet our Yorkshire terrier is because when Paul comes home from his 12 hours shift at the hospital, Binx always greets him at the front door with a shoe, or a sock, or a flip flop.
Now, mind you, this is indigenous to the breed. They carry something to you in order to greet you. But still it is cute and out of three dogs in our house, Binx is the only one who wakes up and runs to greet the master. Because of this inbred ritual, Binx is the favored one to be allowed to ride along on outings which do not involve leaving him in the truck during warmer weather...
He gets to go!
He loves to go!
But this got me to thinking. Doesn't Paul know I love him more than life itself. Just because I don't greet him when he comes in at eleven o'clock at night is no reflection of the dedication I feel in my heart? Isn't that what I'm showing him when I make nice dinners, wash his laundry, make decisions not to buy myself something I don't really need, so the money is there for his hobby/projects?
Perhaps, those things are too much behind the scene and are not as noticeable as Binx's excited tail wagging, nose bumping, shoe carrying exhibition of love and welcome.
So the other night, when I heard Paul open the front door, I put down my Kindle, put on my glasses, slipped out of bed, walked into the living room...
and handed him my shoe. I hope he felt the love.
October 21, 2013
Cover Reveal of MoonBow by Sheila Hollinghead
Look what will be released soon!
Moonbow
by Sheila Hollinghead.
A widow, a doctor, an unborn child. Three lives are at risk in this high stakes suspense. Die Auserwahlten, the Chosen Ones, have impregnated Gisa with an embryonic clone. Is it evil or just a child? It's up to Dr. Rayden Brooks to untangle the web that keeps them captive and to save their lives. But will Gisa trust him?
Will be published in ebook format on December 17th by Alt Wit Press.
Sheila Hollinghead
Raised an army brat, Sheila Hollinghead discovered a treasure trove of books in the furnace room of a house while living in Toul, France. She became immersed in the books, becoming enamored of sci-fi and fantasy as well as mysteries and the classics. Many, many years later, she's married and lives on a farm with dogs, cats, and chickens. As a Christian author, she is learning to be the bow that bends in God's hand. She agrees with Emily Dickinson who said, "I know nothing in the world that has as much power as a word. Sometimes I write one, and I look at it, until it begins to shine.”
You are going to want to keep an eye on this author! Here's how:Visit her on her blog, Rise, Write, Shine, www.sheilahollinghead.com, or on her website, http://sheilahollinghead.weebly.com. on Facebook, Sheila Odom Hollinghead, Author and on Twitter, SHollinghead.
October 20, 2013
Happy Anniversary
Today is our wedding anniversary! October 20th
Thank you Paul, for six wonderful years. You are the best husband, friend, step-father to my children and Pop Pop to our grandchildren. I love you will all my heart!
Here's a little poem I wrote, just for you, baby: Ahem!
You are my sunshineYou make my bones strongWithout your love,I'd fall apart I know, I know, it gets ya right there! Don't it? But seriously... I thank God for you everyday. You are an answer to my prayers when I thought He wasn't listening. I am amazed by how much you love me. How much we have in common. And how much you put up with me and ... well you know ... all the stuff. You make me happier than I ever thought possible. I will love you forever. *Insert BIG SLOPPY KISS*
And all the kids go: "Ewwwwwwww!" Here's the Anniversary card sent by my Step-mom, Betty. I think it looks just like us, don't you?
ROFL! Thank you Betty! We love you too!
