Stephanie Faris's Blog, page 13
March 31, 2017
Best Books of March
It's the last Friday of the month, which means it's time to tell you all about the great books I read this month.
First up is a book with a seriously eye-catching cover. I feel like I know the author, Trudi Trueit, in person, thanks to Facebook! So when I'm reading her books, I want to cheer her on the whole way. Her latest book has a young girl fighting hard to save a family business.
My Top Secret Dares and Don'ts features Kestrel, a 12-year-old who's a big fan of lists. Currently, she's keeping a "top secret" list of things she wants to do and things she doesn't want to do. When she finds herself spending the summer before seventh grade at her grandmother's ski lodge, that list is put to the test. The good news is, that means we get to watch her take on one adventure after another. Kestrel is a strong, spunky heroine that readers will definitely root for as she tries to save the lodge after a bunch of nasty online reviews.
Next comes another M!x book with another cover that just jumps off the shelf at you. This one is by Allison Gutknecht, the successful author of the Mandy Berr series. This is her latest:
In Spring Break Mistake, a tween gets to spend spring break in New York City thanks to her mad social media photography skills. During her adventure, she makes a couple of new friends and even has a crush. Young readers love social media and this one pulls in a great lesson about friendship and venturing out of your comfort zone. A fun read with lovable characters!
I always get excited when I see a new book from Cindy Callaghan. Why? Because I know it's going to be great! This time, her cover calls out to my love for all things spooky.
Sydney Mackenzie Knocks 'Em Dead is full of surprises. You start off with a fun story about a California girl who learns she has to move away from her great life...to live in a house overlooking a cemetery. Then she gets to her new home and things get spooky. I was sure we were headed for "ghost story" territory. But just when you're all into the seances and such, the book kicks into "Underground Railroad" territory. I love surprises and I really love Cindy's writing, so I can't recommend this one enough!
I've read a lot of middle-grade books. More than I can count. And I can say I've never seen same-sex crushes tackled in a middle grade before. But that's exactly what you have in this awe-inspiring book from MG queen goddess Barbara Dee:
Last December, Barbara Dee's daughter wrote a post on Tumblr about coming out to her mom. On the day she said the words, she learned her mother had been writing Star-Crossed the whole time. The book means so much more when you know that! Star-Crossed tackles territory that few middle-grade books ever have--same-sex crushes. And the way Barbara handles Mattie's gradually developing feelings for a female classmate makes it a must-read for adults and kids.
One interesting thing about the next book is that it's actually the SECOND book with this name written by a friend of mine. My writer friend Carole Bellacera wrote the other one--random, especially when you consider the uniqueness of the title:
I never got to experience the 60s, but I'm old enough to remember bell bottoms! In Incense and Peppermints, we get to relive those times through the eyes of Mary Monroe (named for Marilyn, of course!), a high schooler dealing with some serious peer pressure. The gritty realism of the many struggles she deals with makes this book so compelling. Plus, just when you think you might be reading a romance, the author takes a completely surprising turn. This book is more of a coming-of-age story that keeps you guessing until the end!
My Audible read this month was a research project of sorts. I wanted to watch the show on HBO and when I heard it was a book, it was my duty to read the book first. It's surreal, watching the show after reading, since I now know what the big secret ending is!
Big Little Lies kicks off with a death at an elementary school trivia night. We know from the start that someone's dead...and nobody knows who the murderer is. But we spend the next 450 pages or so getting to know Madeline, Celeste, and Jane...women with very dark secrets. The book felt slow in parts (or maybe I'm just used to reading SHORTER books!), but the last hour or two of the audiobook will make it all so worth it.
What are you reading this month?
First up is a book with a seriously eye-catching cover. I feel like I know the author, Trudi Trueit, in person, thanks to Facebook! So when I'm reading her books, I want to cheer her on the whole way. Her latest book has a young girl fighting hard to save a family business.
My Top Secret Dares and Don'ts features Kestrel, a 12-year-old who's a big fan of lists. Currently, she's keeping a "top secret" list of things she wants to do and things she doesn't want to do. When she finds herself spending the summer before seventh grade at her grandmother's ski lodge, that list is put to the test. The good news is, that means we get to watch her take on one adventure after another. Kestrel is a strong, spunky heroine that readers will definitely root for as she tries to save the lodge after a bunch of nasty online reviews.
Next comes another M!x book with another cover that just jumps off the shelf at you. This one is by Allison Gutknecht, the successful author of the Mandy Berr series. This is her latest:
In Spring Break Mistake, a tween gets to spend spring break in New York City thanks to her mad social media photography skills. During her adventure, she makes a couple of new friends and even has a crush. Young readers love social media and this one pulls in a great lesson about friendship and venturing out of your comfort zone. A fun read with lovable characters!
I always get excited when I see a new book from Cindy Callaghan. Why? Because I know it's going to be great! This time, her cover calls out to my love for all things spooky.
Sydney Mackenzie Knocks 'Em Dead is full of surprises. You start off with a fun story about a California girl who learns she has to move away from her great life...to live in a house overlooking a cemetery. Then she gets to her new home and things get spooky. I was sure we were headed for "ghost story" territory. But just when you're all into the seances and such, the book kicks into "Underground Railroad" territory. I love surprises and I really love Cindy's writing, so I can't recommend this one enough!
I've read a lot of middle-grade books. More than I can count. And I can say I've never seen same-sex crushes tackled in a middle grade before. But that's exactly what you have in this awe-inspiring book from MG queen goddess Barbara Dee:
Last December, Barbara Dee's daughter wrote a post on Tumblr about coming out to her mom. On the day she said the words, she learned her mother had been writing Star-Crossed the whole time. The book means so much more when you know that! Star-Crossed tackles territory that few middle-grade books ever have--same-sex crushes. And the way Barbara handles Mattie's gradually developing feelings for a female classmate makes it a must-read for adults and kids.
One interesting thing about the next book is that it's actually the SECOND book with this name written by a friend of mine. My writer friend Carole Bellacera wrote the other one--random, especially when you consider the uniqueness of the title:
I never got to experience the 60s, but I'm old enough to remember bell bottoms! In Incense and Peppermints, we get to relive those times through the eyes of Mary Monroe (named for Marilyn, of course!), a high schooler dealing with some serious peer pressure. The gritty realism of the many struggles she deals with makes this book so compelling. Plus, just when you think you might be reading a romance, the author takes a completely surprising turn. This book is more of a coming-of-age story that keeps you guessing until the end!
My Audible read this month was a research project of sorts. I wanted to watch the show on HBO and when I heard it was a book, it was my duty to read the book first. It's surreal, watching the show after reading, since I now know what the big secret ending is!
Big Little Lies kicks off with a death at an elementary school trivia night. We know from the start that someone's dead...and nobody knows who the murderer is. But we spend the next 450 pages or so getting to know Madeline, Celeste, and Jane...women with very dark secrets. The book felt slow in parts (or maybe I'm just used to reading SHORTER books!), but the last hour or two of the audiobook will make it all so worth it.
What are you reading this month?
March 27, 2017
Mystery Monday: The Original Night Stalker
It's Monday, which means it's time for another...
There are some stories that are simply too horrifying to tell in detail. The Original Night Stalker is one of those cases. No, I'm not talking about Richard Ramirez, the convicted serial killer who terrorized L.A. and San Francisco in the 1980s. I'm talking about an even scarier killer...one whose crimes are the stuff the worst horror movies are made of.
Also known as the Golden State Killer, the East Area Rapist, and the Diamond Knot Killer, this murderer's crimes took place across California between 1976 and 1986.
The Original Night Stalker began as the East Area Rapist, committing a series of about 50 rapes and burglaries in the Sacramento area between 1976 and 1979. He targeted single women living alone, breaking in late at night and tying the women up before robbing them.
He became known by the knot he always tied when binding his victims. It was a diamond knot, which some have speculated indicates he might have been a rancher or cowboy.
Eventually, his M.O. changed...he progressed to couples. This is where it gets disturbing. He would tie up the male and stack plates on him, saying if he heard the plates rattle, he'd kill the female. Most of his crimes didn't involve murder, but to date, he's been linked to at least eight murders.
Due to the change in his M.O....and the fact that he expanded his crime area, the Original Night Stalker and the East Area Rapist were thought to be two different perpetrators until 2001. That was when DNA evidence linked them.
Both before and after his crimes, he would harass his victims by phone. There is even this recording left on one woman's answering machine. Police believe this is the Original Night Stalker:
The Original Night Stalker has never been found. The police have his DNA and it doesn't match the 14 million profiles in the FBI's national database, so did he retire? Die? Maybe he sits in jail today on an unrelated crime and the police simply never took his DNA...
Or maybe he's still alive, out there, somewhere...
My next Piper Morgan book, Piper Morgan Makes a Splash, comes out April 4, 2017. Sign up if you'd like to help out by posting on your blog about it!
Powered by 123ContactForm | Report abuse
There are some stories that are simply too horrifying to tell in detail. The Original Night Stalker is one of those cases. No, I'm not talking about Richard Ramirez, the convicted serial killer who terrorized L.A. and San Francisco in the 1980s. I'm talking about an even scarier killer...one whose crimes are the stuff the worst horror movies are made of.
Also known as the Golden State Killer, the East Area Rapist, and the Diamond Knot Killer, this murderer's crimes took place across California between 1976 and 1986.
The Original Night Stalker began as the East Area Rapist, committing a series of about 50 rapes and burglaries in the Sacramento area between 1976 and 1979. He targeted single women living alone, breaking in late at night and tying the women up before robbing them.
He became known by the knot he always tied when binding his victims. It was a diamond knot, which some have speculated indicates he might have been a rancher or cowboy.
Eventually, his M.O. changed...he progressed to couples. This is where it gets disturbing. He would tie up the male and stack plates on him, saying if he heard the plates rattle, he'd kill the female. Most of his crimes didn't involve murder, but to date, he's been linked to at least eight murders.
Due to the change in his M.O....and the fact that he expanded his crime area, the Original Night Stalker and the East Area Rapist were thought to be two different perpetrators until 2001. That was when DNA evidence linked them.
Both before and after his crimes, he would harass his victims by phone. There is even this recording left on one woman's answering machine. Police believe this is the Original Night Stalker:
The Original Night Stalker has never been found. The police have his DNA and it doesn't match the 14 million profiles in the FBI's national database, so did he retire? Die? Maybe he sits in jail today on an unrelated crime and the police simply never took his DNA...
Or maybe he's still alive, out there, somewhere...
My next Piper Morgan book, Piper Morgan Makes a Splash, comes out April 4, 2017. Sign up if you'd like to help out by posting on your blog about it!
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March 22, 2017
I'm Going on Tour!
Okay, so basically the words, "I'm going on tour" make me feel important. Like I'm one of those superstar authors who have a book tour in my contract.
But I am part of an awesome book tour. And this is even better because we get to pick the locations! Our first stops are in Kentucky...starting this weekend!
I'm so honored to be touring with these women. First up is Debbie Dadey, the author of (brace yourself) more than 160 books. Yes, you read that right! Generations of kids have grown up reading Debbie Dadey books, including this series:
And now this one:
Gail Nall is a young adult and middle grade author with books published by Simon & Schuster and HarperCollins. Here are some of her books:
I don't know about other authors, but my favorite thing about multi-author events is that you get to hang out with great people!
My next Piper Morgan book, Piper Morgan Makes a Splash, comes out April 4, 2017. Sign up if you'd like to help out by posting on your blog about it!
Powered by 123ContactForm | Report abuse
But I am part of an awesome book tour. And this is even better because we get to pick the locations! Our first stops are in Kentucky...starting this weekend!
I'm so honored to be touring with these women. First up is Debbie Dadey, the author of (brace yourself) more than 160 books. Yes, you read that right! Generations of kids have grown up reading Debbie Dadey books, including this series:
And now this one:
Gail Nall is a young adult and middle grade author with books published by Simon & Schuster and HarperCollins. Here are some of her books:
I don't know about other authors, but my favorite thing about multi-author events is that you get to hang out with great people!
My next Piper Morgan book, Piper Morgan Makes a Splash, comes out April 4, 2017. Sign up if you'd like to help out by posting on your blog about it!
Powered by 123ContactForm | Report abuse
March 21, 2017
Introducing Still Me by Karen Helene Walker
If you haven't seen the book I'm featuring today, you likely will in the days to come. Karen Helene Walker has gathered some of the best writers in the blogosphere for this anthology:
Today, Karen is joining us to tell us all about the process of putting an anthology together. Scroll down after the guest post to read all about the book and enter a giveaway to win two copies of Still Me!
THE CHALLENGES OF PUTTING OUT AN ANTHOLOGY
by Karen Helene Walker
I’m about to turn 68 next month, so I guess technically, I am a senior citizen. You'll have to read the anthology to hear how I and others feel about that. But I really didn’t feel the issues I dealt with in writing and compiling the anthology were age-related.
The first challenge was getting enough submissions to make the project worthwhile taking to publication. I was absolutely sure that certain folks would jump on this opportunity - but they didn’t. What I heard was: Nothing is coming to mind to write about, or I just can’t seem to wrap my mind around this topic, or the topic is so vast, I can’t seem to narrow it down. I think aging is a difficult topic and one most people don’t even want to think about. Or there’s denial about it, which I can totally relate to. So I was concerned from the get-go about whether this would come to fruition or not.
Then I faced the challenge of which pieces out of the submissions I did receive could I include. Was it a universal theme? Was it well-thought out and well-written? Did someone else cover the same topic? Actually, that was one of my main concerns, but it did not happen. 24 authors wrote about a different aspect of aging. It was awesome.
Some of the submissions were accepted with very minor editing needs. Others needed some work. That was the next challenge. I did the first pass on editing. Once I was comfortable with those changes, the essay was passed on to a professional editor. One author declined to work on edits at all. Another author felt she wanted to work directly with the editor and actually agreed to pay him herself to get her story where it needed to be (otherwise I paid all expenses for editing and publishing). I had to decline a story, even after several revisions went back and forth, because it still needed work and that writer just didn’t have the time to deal with it. I was bummed, because it was a good story.
That was the hardest thing, telling those authors I couldn’t include their essays. The last thing I want to do as a writer is hurt another writer’s feelings. But I had to consider that the quality of the writing would reflect on all the participating writers, so I couldn’t sacrifice any integrity on my part in choosing what to include.I was lucky. These 23 writers were a delight to work with. I couldn’t have asked for a better group.
The final challenge is marketing and promotion, always a challenge for a writer. Even with my 33+ years of marketing, it’s so difficult to promote myself. The anthology is a bit easier, because I’m not promoting me. I’m promoting 23 other writers as well. Hiring MC Book Tours was the smartest decision I made, besides hiring Mark David Gerson as editor and Kathleen Messmer as photographer for the cover.
Would I ever do another anthology? I’ve learned to never say never, but more than likely, I will never do another anthology. Mostly because of the humongous amount of time it takes. I am not sorry about this one, thought. I’m proud of it and so happy it’s done!
Blurb:
Poignant...Humorous...Brutally Honest!
A collection of personal reflections guaranteed to keep you inspired and entertained on that journey we all travel together: The Journey of Aging.
With a blend of grace, dignity, warmth and humor, women and men from 60 to 90 and from all walks of life candidly share the blessings and pitfalls of aging – from keeping dreams alive and keeping sex lives active to dealing with retirement, loss of independence and a growing sense of mortality.
A BOOK ABOUT LIVING EVERY MOMENT OF LIFE!
Add it on GoodReads.
Buy Links:
Amazon| Barnes & Noble | Kobo | iTunes
About the Authors:
Rev. Clara Alexander is an ordained New Thought minister who creates and performs sacred ceremonies, including unique weddings, funerals, memorial services, baby blessings and house blessings. She is also a popular speaker, inspiring groups with her talks on how we cling to our grudges, how we overuse the phrase “I’m sorry” and how we can live the life we love.
Wendy Brown recently retired from a career in wildlife biology, where she studied sandhill cranes and whooping cranes as they migrated from Idaho to New Mexico. Wendy eventually found a permanent home in Albuquerque, where she and her husband enjoy the sounds of sandhill cranes from their deck.
Valerie Capps has bypassed the porch rocking chair to pursue her life-long passion for writing, thereby proving that in today’s world, life can begin again at 65! Valerie lives in Nashville with her husband and their spoiled-rotten Welsh Corgi. www.amazon.com/Valerie-Capps/e/B016VD9V72
Mary W. Clark retired from her law practice in 2007 and transferred her observation and composition skills to travel writing. She is currently working on a book about her father’s World War II experience flying “the Hump” from India to China over the Himalayas. Mary lives in Paris, Texas. www.maryclarktraveler.com
Fran Fischer: “I was born at a very young age and that happened 82 years ago, so I don’t remember much about it. I’ve crammed as much living into my life as possible, and I’m not through yet. I’ve traveled extensively and I even flew in the same zero-gravity plane that the astronauts trained in. I live in California with my first (and only) husband, and we celebrated our 62nd anniversary this year.”
Pat Garcia (Patricia Anne Pierce-Garcia Schaack) is an American expatriate living in Europe. An accomplished musician as well as a writer, she has been writing (and reading) since childhood.
Mark David Gerson is the author of more than a dozen books, including critically acclaimed titles for writers, award-winning fiction and compelling memoirs. Known as “The Birthing Your Book Guru,” Mark David works with an international roster of clients as coach and consultant, helping them get their stories onto the page and into the world with ease. www.markdavidgerson.com
Holly Deuel Gilster plays “make believe” for a living. In other words, she is a professional actress and musician. Holly also loves painting with words as an accomplished poet, an award-winning short-story writer and a book-reviewer for The Or Echo.
Aaron Gordon is a retired social sciences community college professor. He and his wife, Ellie, have been married for 65 years and have three children and grandchildren.
Ellie Gordon is a retired public school teacher who spent the best 20 years of her life in the classroom. A Chicago native, she now lives in New Mexico.
Karla “Rosie” Harper recently retired from teaching elementary school, freeing her to return to her early love of dancing. Today, when not helping out with her grandchildren, Rosie is taking dance lessons, spinning on a dance floor or performing in senior centers and retirement communities with Albuquerque’s Sugartime, as singer as well as dancer.
Linda Hoye is the author of Two Hearts: An Adoptee’s Journey Through Grief to Gratitude, available through major online retailers. A native of Saskatchewan, Linda currently lives in British Columbia (by way of Washington State) with her husband and doted-upon Yorkshire Terrier. www.lindahoye.com
E.V. Legters hasn’t so much retired as she has exchanged one life for another — from rewarding years with career and children (while pursuing the arts on the fly) to a life with the arts at its center. She is the author of Vanishing Point and Connected Underneath and is currently hard at work on her third novel. www.evlegters.com
LD Masterson lived on both coasts before becoming landlocked in Ohio. After twenty years managing computers for the American Red Cross, she now divides her time between writing, volunteer work and enjoying her grandchildren. Her short stories have been published in several magazines and anthologies, and she is currently working on a new novel. www.ldmasterson.com
Kathleen Messmer not only runs a film production company with offices in the UK and the US, she is an avid photographer and wildlife advocate. In the unlikely event that she ever retires, Kathleen plans to live on a ranch with draft horses and pygmy goats and vineyards and fruit orchards, somewhere near the water. Oh, and a cowboy...maybe. www.kathleenmessmer.com
Karen Norstad has worked as cashier/gift wrapper, secretary, boutique seamstress, administrative assistant, manager of employee stock options, executive assistant and budget analyst. Now retired, Karen’s life revolves around lounging about, wearing PJs until four in the afternoon, obsessing over the news, reading, fusing and slumping glass, practicing piano, keeping a small balcony garden and cooking.
Matt Nyman’s nonlinear career path has included working in the geological sciences, teaching high school, stay-at-home parenting and, currently, training tomorrow’s teachers. Poetry equently resides near the surface of his existence, occasionally erupting onto paper.
Jill Plaman was born and began aging in Milwaukee, but she has lived and worked in Albuquerque since 1977. She holds a BS from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee and an MSW from the University of Minnesota. Her special interests are travel, international folk dancing, reading, hiking and spending time with family and friends.
Maureen Polikoff is a clinical social worker/ therapist who has always pursued many other creative endeavors, including painting, playing music and, now, writing. A Connecticut native, she lives in New Mexico with her husband, Michael.
MaryFrank Sanborn left Boston 33 years ago, to apprentice with photographer Walter Chappell in Santa Fe. Still in love with the beauty of the Southwest, MaryFrank photographs, writes, hikes, travels, teaches yoga and meditation, makes soups on Sundays, and dreams of the ocean and whales.
Patricia Stoltey is the author of four mystery novels. The most recent is Wishing Caswell Dead. She lives in Northern Colorado with Sassy Dog, Katie Cat and her husband, Bill. www.patriciastolteybooks.com
Susan Swiderski grew up in Dundalk, Maryland, where everybody calls everybody hon and eating steamed crabs is a sacrament. Although she’s happy in her adopted Georgia, part of her heart still lingers on the shores of Chesapeake Bay, explaining the setting for her novel, Hot Flashes and Cold Lemonade. Susan is currently working on a trilogy, proof that this old gal is still a pathological optimist. www.susan-swiderski.blogspot.com
Jan Castle Walker is a retired teacher and an active artist. She lives in Davis, California with her husband, Mack. www.jancastlewalker.com
Karen Helene Walker is a novelist, memoirist and essayist and the author of The Wishing Steps and Following the Whispers. When not writing, Karen is tap dancing, folk dancing or performing with the musical group Sugartime at retirement communities. Karen is currently working on her second memoir. www.karenfollowingthewhispers.blogspot.com
You can follow Karen and the other authors along on their tour by checking out the schedule HERE.
a Rafflecopter giveaway
My next Piper Morgan book, Piper Morgan Makes a Splash, comes out April 4, 2017. Sign up if you'd like to help out by posting on your blog about it!
Powered by 123ContactForm | Report abuse
Today, Karen is joining us to tell us all about the process of putting an anthology together. Scroll down after the guest post to read all about the book and enter a giveaway to win two copies of Still Me!
THE CHALLENGES OF PUTTING OUT AN ANTHOLOGY
by Karen Helene Walker
I’m about to turn 68 next month, so I guess technically, I am a senior citizen. You'll have to read the anthology to hear how I and others feel about that. But I really didn’t feel the issues I dealt with in writing and compiling the anthology were age-related.
The first challenge was getting enough submissions to make the project worthwhile taking to publication. I was absolutely sure that certain folks would jump on this opportunity - but they didn’t. What I heard was: Nothing is coming to mind to write about, or I just can’t seem to wrap my mind around this topic, or the topic is so vast, I can’t seem to narrow it down. I think aging is a difficult topic and one most people don’t even want to think about. Or there’s denial about it, which I can totally relate to. So I was concerned from the get-go about whether this would come to fruition or not.
Then I faced the challenge of which pieces out of the submissions I did receive could I include. Was it a universal theme? Was it well-thought out and well-written? Did someone else cover the same topic? Actually, that was one of my main concerns, but it did not happen. 24 authors wrote about a different aspect of aging. It was awesome.
Some of the submissions were accepted with very minor editing needs. Others needed some work. That was the next challenge. I did the first pass on editing. Once I was comfortable with those changes, the essay was passed on to a professional editor. One author declined to work on edits at all. Another author felt she wanted to work directly with the editor and actually agreed to pay him herself to get her story where it needed to be (otherwise I paid all expenses for editing and publishing). I had to decline a story, even after several revisions went back and forth, because it still needed work and that writer just didn’t have the time to deal with it. I was bummed, because it was a good story.
That was the hardest thing, telling those authors I couldn’t include their essays. The last thing I want to do as a writer is hurt another writer’s feelings. But I had to consider that the quality of the writing would reflect on all the participating writers, so I couldn’t sacrifice any integrity on my part in choosing what to include.I was lucky. These 23 writers were a delight to work with. I couldn’t have asked for a better group.
The final challenge is marketing and promotion, always a challenge for a writer. Even with my 33+ years of marketing, it’s so difficult to promote myself. The anthology is a bit easier, because I’m not promoting me. I’m promoting 23 other writers as well. Hiring MC Book Tours was the smartest decision I made, besides hiring Mark David Gerson as editor and Kathleen Messmer as photographer for the cover.
Would I ever do another anthology? I’ve learned to never say never, but more than likely, I will never do another anthology. Mostly because of the humongous amount of time it takes. I am not sorry about this one, thought. I’m proud of it and so happy it’s done!
Blurb:
Poignant...Humorous...Brutally Honest!
A collection of personal reflections guaranteed to keep you inspired and entertained on that journey we all travel together: The Journey of Aging.
With a blend of grace, dignity, warmth and humor, women and men from 60 to 90 and from all walks of life candidly share the blessings and pitfalls of aging – from keeping dreams alive and keeping sex lives active to dealing with retirement, loss of independence and a growing sense of mortality.
A BOOK ABOUT LIVING EVERY MOMENT OF LIFE!
Add it on GoodReads.
Buy Links:
Amazon| Barnes & Noble | Kobo | iTunes
About the Authors:
Rev. Clara Alexander is an ordained New Thought minister who creates and performs sacred ceremonies, including unique weddings, funerals, memorial services, baby blessings and house blessings. She is also a popular speaker, inspiring groups with her talks on how we cling to our grudges, how we overuse the phrase “I’m sorry” and how we can live the life we love.
Wendy Brown recently retired from a career in wildlife biology, where she studied sandhill cranes and whooping cranes as they migrated from Idaho to New Mexico. Wendy eventually found a permanent home in Albuquerque, where she and her husband enjoy the sounds of sandhill cranes from their deck.
Valerie Capps has bypassed the porch rocking chair to pursue her life-long passion for writing, thereby proving that in today’s world, life can begin again at 65! Valerie lives in Nashville with her husband and their spoiled-rotten Welsh Corgi. www.amazon.com/Valerie-Capps/e/B016VD9V72
Mary W. Clark retired from her law practice in 2007 and transferred her observation and composition skills to travel writing. She is currently working on a book about her father’s World War II experience flying “the Hump” from India to China over the Himalayas. Mary lives in Paris, Texas. www.maryclarktraveler.com
Fran Fischer: “I was born at a very young age and that happened 82 years ago, so I don’t remember much about it. I’ve crammed as much living into my life as possible, and I’m not through yet. I’ve traveled extensively and I even flew in the same zero-gravity plane that the astronauts trained in. I live in California with my first (and only) husband, and we celebrated our 62nd anniversary this year.”
Pat Garcia (Patricia Anne Pierce-Garcia Schaack) is an American expatriate living in Europe. An accomplished musician as well as a writer, she has been writing (and reading) since childhood.
Mark David Gerson is the author of more than a dozen books, including critically acclaimed titles for writers, award-winning fiction and compelling memoirs. Known as “The Birthing Your Book Guru,” Mark David works with an international roster of clients as coach and consultant, helping them get their stories onto the page and into the world with ease. www.markdavidgerson.com
Holly Deuel Gilster plays “make believe” for a living. In other words, she is a professional actress and musician. Holly also loves painting with words as an accomplished poet, an award-winning short-story writer and a book-reviewer for The Or Echo.
Aaron Gordon is a retired social sciences community college professor. He and his wife, Ellie, have been married for 65 years and have three children and grandchildren.
Ellie Gordon is a retired public school teacher who spent the best 20 years of her life in the classroom. A Chicago native, she now lives in New Mexico.
Karla “Rosie” Harper recently retired from teaching elementary school, freeing her to return to her early love of dancing. Today, when not helping out with her grandchildren, Rosie is taking dance lessons, spinning on a dance floor or performing in senior centers and retirement communities with Albuquerque’s Sugartime, as singer as well as dancer.
Linda Hoye is the author of Two Hearts: An Adoptee’s Journey Through Grief to Gratitude, available through major online retailers. A native of Saskatchewan, Linda currently lives in British Columbia (by way of Washington State) with her husband and doted-upon Yorkshire Terrier. www.lindahoye.com
E.V. Legters hasn’t so much retired as she has exchanged one life for another — from rewarding years with career and children (while pursuing the arts on the fly) to a life with the arts at its center. She is the author of Vanishing Point and Connected Underneath and is currently hard at work on her third novel. www.evlegters.com
LD Masterson lived on both coasts before becoming landlocked in Ohio. After twenty years managing computers for the American Red Cross, she now divides her time between writing, volunteer work and enjoying her grandchildren. Her short stories have been published in several magazines and anthologies, and she is currently working on a new novel. www.ldmasterson.com
Kathleen Messmer not only runs a film production company with offices in the UK and the US, she is an avid photographer and wildlife advocate. In the unlikely event that she ever retires, Kathleen plans to live on a ranch with draft horses and pygmy goats and vineyards and fruit orchards, somewhere near the water. Oh, and a cowboy...maybe. www.kathleenmessmer.com
Karen Norstad has worked as cashier/gift wrapper, secretary, boutique seamstress, administrative assistant, manager of employee stock options, executive assistant and budget analyst. Now retired, Karen’s life revolves around lounging about, wearing PJs until four in the afternoon, obsessing over the news, reading, fusing and slumping glass, practicing piano, keeping a small balcony garden and cooking.
Matt Nyman’s nonlinear career path has included working in the geological sciences, teaching high school, stay-at-home parenting and, currently, training tomorrow’s teachers. Poetry equently resides near the surface of his existence, occasionally erupting onto paper.
Jill Plaman was born and began aging in Milwaukee, but she has lived and worked in Albuquerque since 1977. She holds a BS from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee and an MSW from the University of Minnesota. Her special interests are travel, international folk dancing, reading, hiking and spending time with family and friends.
Maureen Polikoff is a clinical social worker/ therapist who has always pursued many other creative endeavors, including painting, playing music and, now, writing. A Connecticut native, she lives in New Mexico with her husband, Michael.
MaryFrank Sanborn left Boston 33 years ago, to apprentice with photographer Walter Chappell in Santa Fe. Still in love with the beauty of the Southwest, MaryFrank photographs, writes, hikes, travels, teaches yoga and meditation, makes soups on Sundays, and dreams of the ocean and whales.
Patricia Stoltey is the author of four mystery novels. The most recent is Wishing Caswell Dead. She lives in Northern Colorado with Sassy Dog, Katie Cat and her husband, Bill. www.patriciastolteybooks.com
Susan Swiderski grew up in Dundalk, Maryland, where everybody calls everybody hon and eating steamed crabs is a sacrament. Although she’s happy in her adopted Georgia, part of her heart still lingers on the shores of Chesapeake Bay, explaining the setting for her novel, Hot Flashes and Cold Lemonade. Susan is currently working on a trilogy, proof that this old gal is still a pathological optimist. www.susan-swiderski.blogspot.com
Jan Castle Walker is a retired teacher and an active artist. She lives in Davis, California with her husband, Mack. www.jancastlewalker.com
Karen Helene Walker is a novelist, memoirist and essayist and the author of The Wishing Steps and Following the Whispers. When not writing, Karen is tap dancing, folk dancing or performing with the musical group Sugartime at retirement communities. Karen is currently working on her second memoir. www.karenfollowingthewhispers.blogspot.com
You can follow Karen and the other authors along on their tour by checking out the schedule HERE.
a Rafflecopter giveaway
My next Piper Morgan book, Piper Morgan Makes a Splash, comes out April 4, 2017. Sign up if you'd like to help out by posting on your blog about it!
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March 20, 2017
Mystery Monday: Lindsay Buziak
It's Monday, which means it's time for another...
Real estate can be a dangerous job. Agents are often asked to meet strangers in empty houses. There have been a few cases of real estate agents who have been murdered, including Beverly Carter in Arkansas. But today's mystery includes a young Canadian realtor who many Americans may not yet have heard about.
In late January 2008, Lindsay Buziak received a call from two extremely promising new clients. The couple was in a hurry to buy and wanted a house in the one-million-dollar range.
However, Lindsay had an unsettling feeling about the callers. They spoke with an accent, but it seemed fake. Everyone advised her not to go to the viewing alone. Her boyfriend, Jason Zailo, agreed to go with her. They had lunch beforehand and separated. He had to make a couple of stops first and she needed to go home and change.
Jason (left) and Lindsay (center)
Jason sent Lindsay a text saying he was on his way. Lindsay replied that the couple had arrived and she was going in. They entered this house at approximately 5:30 p.m.
Jason sent one final text, saying he was just a few minutes away. That text was never opened.
At 5:41, Lindsay's phone made a short call out. Police believe that was when the attack happened, pushing buttons on her phone.
At 5:45, Jason and a friend pulled up in front of the house. According to police, he told Dateline he saw two people through the glass. (Police say he saw them actually leave the house.) He pulled a little farther up the street and texted her, "Are you okay?" When she didn't respond, he started to get worried.
Image credit: LindsayBuziakMurder.com
At 6:05 pm, he made his way toward the house. Through the window, he saw her shoes in the foyer (standard procedure for agents showing houses). He tried the door and found it locked.
Jason lifted his friend over the backyard fence. His friend came in through the unlocked back door and ran through the house, letting Jason in through the front door. Jason went straight up the stairs and found Lindsay's dead body in one of the upstairs bedrooms.
Lindsay's shoes. Image credit: Saanich Police Department
A neighbor reported that she saw Lindsay and a couple standing outside the house just before the murder. This is a recreation of what she reported:
The phone number for the killers was traced to a cell phone purchased at a convenience store only weeks before the murder. It was activated less than 48 hours prior to the murder. There was no way to trace the number.
Many people do think it was a murder-for hire, but they have never been able to close in on a suspect. She had told friends that she planned to break up with him as soon as a few more real estate deals closed, but she was trying to make it work when the murder happened.
There are many details the police have never released to the public...and, of course, true crime fans have come up with their own stories to fill in the blanks. A detective with the case says that most of the information they've seen out there is false. NBC News consultants looked through the case files and gave their thoughts to Dateline NBC.
They say they don't believe Jason did it. The police also have cleared him. They believe the murder was carefully planned, but they don't know who would have had something personal against her.
Do you think her boyfriend had something to do with the murder?
My next Piper Morgan book, Piper Morgan Makes a Splash, comes out April 4, 2017. Sign up if you'd like to help out by posting on your blog about it!
Powered by 123ContactForm | Report abuse
Real estate can be a dangerous job. Agents are often asked to meet strangers in empty houses. There have been a few cases of real estate agents who have been murdered, including Beverly Carter in Arkansas. But today's mystery includes a young Canadian realtor who many Americans may not yet have heard about.
In late January 2008, Lindsay Buziak received a call from two extremely promising new clients. The couple was in a hurry to buy and wanted a house in the one-million-dollar range.
However, Lindsay had an unsettling feeling about the callers. They spoke with an accent, but it seemed fake. Everyone advised her not to go to the viewing alone. Her boyfriend, Jason Zailo, agreed to go with her. They had lunch beforehand and separated. He had to make a couple of stops first and she needed to go home and change.
Jason (left) and Lindsay (center)
Jason sent Lindsay a text saying he was on his way. Lindsay replied that the couple had arrived and she was going in. They entered this house at approximately 5:30 p.m.
Jason sent one final text, saying he was just a few minutes away. That text was never opened.
At 5:41, Lindsay's phone made a short call out. Police believe that was when the attack happened, pushing buttons on her phone.
At 5:45, Jason and a friend pulled up in front of the house. According to police, he told Dateline he saw two people through the glass. (Police say he saw them actually leave the house.) He pulled a little farther up the street and texted her, "Are you okay?" When she didn't respond, he started to get worried.
Image credit: LindsayBuziakMurder.com
At 6:05 pm, he made his way toward the house. Through the window, he saw her shoes in the foyer (standard procedure for agents showing houses). He tried the door and found it locked.
Jason lifted his friend over the backyard fence. His friend came in through the unlocked back door and ran through the house, letting Jason in through the front door. Jason went straight up the stairs and found Lindsay's dead body in one of the upstairs bedrooms.
Lindsay's shoes. Image credit: Saanich Police Department
A neighbor reported that she saw Lindsay and a couple standing outside the house just before the murder. This is a recreation of what she reported:
The phone number for the killers was traced to a cell phone purchased at a convenience store only weeks before the murder. It was activated less than 48 hours prior to the murder. There was no way to trace the number.
Many people do think it was a murder-for hire, but they have never been able to close in on a suspect. She had told friends that she planned to break up with him as soon as a few more real estate deals closed, but she was trying to make it work when the murder happened.
There are many details the police have never released to the public...and, of course, true crime fans have come up with their own stories to fill in the blanks. A detective with the case says that most of the information they've seen out there is false. NBC News consultants looked through the case files and gave their thoughts to Dateline NBC.
They say they don't believe Jason did it. The police also have cleared him. They believe the murder was carefully planned, but they don't know who would have had something personal against her.
Do you think her boyfriend had something to do with the murder?
My next Piper Morgan book, Piper Morgan Makes a Splash, comes out April 4, 2017. Sign up if you'd like to help out by posting on your blog about it!
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March 17, 2017
Please Learn How to Behave in Restaurants
When I was a kid, meals were consumed at home. Today's kids grow up on Chipotle and Chinese takeout. In fact, Americans now spend more on restaurant dining than groceries.
With its growing popularity comes the realization that some human beings just don't know how to behave in public. So I've compiled a list of things you should STOP doing if you choose to eat your meals in public.
1. Blowing your nose
Sneezing and coughing you can't help, but blowing your nose? Puh-leeze. It's just disgusting. If you can't leave the table to blow your nose in the restroom like a civilized human being, stay home.
2. Showing up at closing time
If you've never worked with the public, I have a newsflash: employees hate people who show up at closing time. This is especially true at full-service restaurants where you'll be occupying someone's table long after the doors are locked. Before you enter a place at the last minute, ask if you could reasonably be out of there by their official closing time. If not, go somewhere else.
3. Refusing to tip
I've heard all kinds of excuses for not tipping. While I'll agree that it's gotten a little out of hand (i.e.: the tip question on the checkout terminal at Jersey Mike's), there's no excuse for not tipping when it's customary. No, you aren't making some fancy "statement" toward business owners who don't pay minimum wage. Tip or stay away from restaurants with servers. Those are your choices.
4. Complaining online
The internet has given customers a voice. We can give five stars when we love an establishment or one star when we hate it. Unfortunately, too many people abuse that privilege, firing off a missive about any imperfect situation. Consider that the restaurant you're bashing is filled with workers who rely on the money they make to pay the bills. If you have one bad experience, acknowledge that it may simply be an off night and refrain from telling the world about it.
What are your restaurant pet peeves?
My next Piper Morgan book, Piper Morgan Makes a Splash, comes out April 4, 2017. Sign up if you'd like to help out by posting on your blog about it!
Powered by 123ContactForm | Report abuse
With its growing popularity comes the realization that some human beings just don't know how to behave in public. So I've compiled a list of things you should STOP doing if you choose to eat your meals in public.
1. Blowing your nose
Sneezing and coughing you can't help, but blowing your nose? Puh-leeze. It's just disgusting. If you can't leave the table to blow your nose in the restroom like a civilized human being, stay home.
2. Showing up at closing time
If you've never worked with the public, I have a newsflash: employees hate people who show up at closing time. This is especially true at full-service restaurants where you'll be occupying someone's table long after the doors are locked. Before you enter a place at the last minute, ask if you could reasonably be out of there by their official closing time. If not, go somewhere else.
3. Refusing to tip
I've heard all kinds of excuses for not tipping. While I'll agree that it's gotten a little out of hand (i.e.: the tip question on the checkout terminal at Jersey Mike's), there's no excuse for not tipping when it's customary. No, you aren't making some fancy "statement" toward business owners who don't pay minimum wage. Tip or stay away from restaurants with servers. Those are your choices.
4. Complaining online
The internet has given customers a voice. We can give five stars when we love an establishment or one star when we hate it. Unfortunately, too many people abuse that privilege, firing off a missive about any imperfect situation. Consider that the restaurant you're bashing is filled with workers who rely on the money they make to pay the bills. If you have one bad experience, acknowledge that it may simply be an off night and refrain from telling the world about it.
What are your restaurant pet peeves?
My next Piper Morgan book, Piper Morgan Makes a Splash, comes out April 4, 2017. Sign up if you'd like to help out by posting on your blog about it!
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March 16, 2017
What Inspires Medeia Sharif
Today I'm bringing you a new book from a name many of you know all too well. If you've been around a while, you probably miss Medeia Sharif as much as I do! Today she has a new book out and she's sharing what inspired her to write it. Scroll down to read all about the book and buy your copy after her guest post.
What inspired me to write GIRL WITHOUT A FACE…
by Medeia Sharif
We all see the same thing as we go to and from our workplaces. On my route, I see my favorite trees—African tulip, yellow tab, and golden shower—and the stores and gas stations that are frequent stops. One thing that I kept seeing years ago—and that is still there—is a memorial marker.
In Florida, we have lollipop-shaped markers indicating where someone died in a traffic accident. They all read “Drive Safely, In Memory,” followed by the deceased person’s name. Loved ones can request them from the Department of Transportation.
On my way back home, I saw one particular marker that always had flowers. For quite a while I thought about writing a book involving one. I just had to wait for the idea to come to me. When GIRL WITHOUT A FACE was in its planning stages, I didn’t want to let it go. I sometimes write outlines that I don’t follow up on, but this outline became a book that I drafted fast—my published works seem to always be drafted fast, while the ones that don’t become drawer manuscripts until I’m passionate enough to rewrite them. So, that’s how GIRL WITHOUT A FACE came to be. It was from stopping at a particular intersection and seeing this memorial marker five days a week.
Blurb:
Destiny awakes with amnesia. She'd been driving on a wet road, about to leave flowers at a memorial marker of a deceased classmate, when she almost met that same fate.
Her mother, Mildred, is beyond restrictive, and she doesn’t want Destiny to have her cellphone back. A nurse sneaks it into her room, but it’s useless without the passcode. After her hospital stay, her mother becomes physically abusive.
Destiny and the boy she’s developing feelings for decide to drive around to spark her memory. She’s positive she crashed near a memorial marker. When they find the place in question, and when Destiny remembers her phone’s passcode, nothing is as it seems—and Mildred is crazier than she first thought.
Buy Links:
Amazon | Evernight Teen
Bio:
I was born in New York City and I presently call Miami my home. I received my master’s degree in psychology from Florida Atlantic University. After becoming a voracious reader in high school and a relentless writer dabbling in many genres in college, I found my niche writing for young people. Today I'm a MG and YA writer published through various presses. In addition to being a writer, I'm a public school teacher. My memberships include Mensa, ALAN, and SCBWI.
Links:
Website | Twitter | Goodreads | Instagram | Amazon
a Rafflecopter giveaway
What inspired me to write GIRL WITHOUT A FACE…
by Medeia Sharif
We all see the same thing as we go to and from our workplaces. On my route, I see my favorite trees—African tulip, yellow tab, and golden shower—and the stores and gas stations that are frequent stops. One thing that I kept seeing years ago—and that is still there—is a memorial marker.
In Florida, we have lollipop-shaped markers indicating where someone died in a traffic accident. They all read “Drive Safely, In Memory,” followed by the deceased person’s name. Loved ones can request them from the Department of Transportation.
On my way back home, I saw one particular marker that always had flowers. For quite a while I thought about writing a book involving one. I just had to wait for the idea to come to me. When GIRL WITHOUT A FACE was in its planning stages, I didn’t want to let it go. I sometimes write outlines that I don’t follow up on, but this outline became a book that I drafted fast—my published works seem to always be drafted fast, while the ones that don’t become drawer manuscripts until I’m passionate enough to rewrite them. So, that’s how GIRL WITHOUT A FACE came to be. It was from stopping at a particular intersection and seeing this memorial marker five days a week.
Blurb:
Destiny awakes with amnesia. She'd been driving on a wet road, about to leave flowers at a memorial marker of a deceased classmate, when she almost met that same fate.
Her mother, Mildred, is beyond restrictive, and she doesn’t want Destiny to have her cellphone back. A nurse sneaks it into her room, but it’s useless without the passcode. After her hospital stay, her mother becomes physically abusive.
Destiny and the boy she’s developing feelings for decide to drive around to spark her memory. She’s positive she crashed near a memorial marker. When they find the place in question, and when Destiny remembers her phone’s passcode, nothing is as it seems—and Mildred is crazier than she first thought.
Buy Links:
Amazon | Evernight Teen
Bio:
I was born in New York City and I presently call Miami my home. I received my master’s degree in psychology from Florida Atlantic University. After becoming a voracious reader in high school and a relentless writer dabbling in many genres in college, I found my niche writing for young people. Today I'm a MG and YA writer published through various presses. In addition to being a writer, I'm a public school teacher. My memberships include Mensa, ALAN, and SCBWI.Links:
Website | Twitter | Goodreads | Instagram | Amazon
a Rafflecopter giveaway
March 14, 2017
Introducing My Top Secret Dares & Don’ts by Trudi Trueit, Star-Crossed by Barbara Dee, AND Cover Reveal: Incense and Peppermints by Cathrina Constantine
First, thank you to Donna for featuring Piper on her blog. Click over and check it out if you get a chance!
Today, I'm celebrating two book birthdays AND a cover reveal, which is super exciting! Today's books come from Trudi Trueit, Barbara Dee, and Cathrina Constantine--all talented authors AND great people. Be sure to read all about their books and order your copy of each!
Blurb:
Twelve-year-old Kestrel must battle evil twin sisters and overcome her own worst fear to prevent the foreclosure of her grandmother’s beloved lodge in this fresh, funny M!X novel.
Kestrel and her family are headed out to Vancouver, BC, to help out her grandmother at her beautiful ski lodge. It’s been in the family for generations, but the business is in trouble—and there are lots of people looking to take over the property.
Kestrel is determined to help her family retain their precious business—one that her grandfather built literally from the ground up. But two evil twins—who happen to be the daughters of a property developer determined to drive the lodge out of business—prove to be her nemeses in every way possible. Can Kestrel help save the lodge and beat the twins at their own game?
Buy Links:
Amazon | B&N | IndieBound
Bio:
Trudi Trueit knew she’d found her life’s passion after writing (and directing) her first play in fourth grade. Since then, she’s been a newspaper journalist, television news reporter and anchor, media specialist, freelance writer, and is now a children’s book author. She has published more than forty fiction and nonfiction titles for young readers and lives near Seattle, Washington.
Links:
Website | Facebook | Twitter | YouTube
Blurb:
Mattie is chosen to play Romeo opposite her crush in the eighth grade production of Shakespeare’s most beloved play in this Romeo and Juliet inspired novel from the author of Truth or Dare.
Mattie, a star student and passionate reader, is delighted when her English teacher announces the eighth grade will be staging Romeo and Juliet. And she is even more excited when, after a series of events, she finds herself playing Romeo, opposite Gemma Braithwaite’s Juliet. Gemma, the new girl at school, is brilliant, pretty, outgoing—and, if all that wasn’t enough: British.
As the cast prepares for opening night, Mattie finds herself growing increasingly attracted to Gemma and confused, since, just days before, she had found herself crushing on a boy named Elijah. Is it possible to have a crush on both boys AND girls? If that wasn’t enough to deal with, things backstage at the production are starting to rival any Shakespearean drama! In this sweet and funny look at the complicated nature of middle school romance, Mattie learns how to be the lead player in her own life.
Buy Links:
Amazon | B&N | IndieBound
Bio:
Barbara Dee is the author of TRUTH OR DARE, THE (ALMOST) PERFECT GUIDE TO IMPERFECT BOYS, TRAUMA QUEEN, THIS IS ME FROM NOW ON, SOLVING ZOE (2010 Bank Street Best Children's Books of the Year) and JUST ANOTHER DAY IN MY INSANELY REAL LIFE (Publishers Weekly starred review). In 2017, Aladdin/S&S will be publishing her next tween novels, STAR-CROSSED (March) and HALFWAY NORMAL (December). Barbara is one of the founders and directors of the Chappaqua Children's Book Festival. You can visit her on the web at www.BarbaraDeeBooks.com.
Links:
Website | Facebook | Twitter | Goodreads
Blurb:
Peace demonstrations, sit-ins, and burning the U.S. flag following the escalation of the Vietnam War are leading to a catalyst known to the world as the Sixties, and a musical revolution, flower power, hippies, marijuana, and drugs are carrying the generations—young and old—into a new decade. All the while sixteen-year-old Mary Monroe is caught between being an innocent good girl and an autumn of sex, drugs, and rock ‘n’ roll.
When her brother offers a solution to her dilemma in the form of a little pill, Mary ignores the rumba in her brain and takes a walk on the wild side. Plunged into popularity and a life she’s only imagined, she meets Michael Covington, the hot newcomer, and she’s instantly drawn in by his less than flawless exterior and bad boy sex appeal. Caught up in the danger and excitement as they drift from party to party, into underground fight clubs, and through a series of drug and alcohol fueled adventures, Mary follows her new crush into a world where young girls are never truly safe from the predators lurking in the shadows and young men are hiding from the harsh reality of war.
Feeling buzzed and as if her life is spinning out of control, Mary is assaulted by an unknown man at a party, and she’s left questioning if the enigmatic Michael is truly her hero or if he is the face behind the terrible attack. With every piece of information Mary learns about Michael, her doubts grow deeper, but with every minute she spends in his presence, so does her love.
With the war and her fear threatening to separate Mary and Michael forever, only the death of a friend, a crushing confession, and her own sensibilities can carry her over the threshold between adolescence and adulthood.
Add it on Goodreads!
Bio:
Cathrina Constantine is the Best Selling author of Don’t Forget To Breathe. Her book won Readers’ Favorite International Book Award for 2015 and The Literary Classics Seal of Approval and Literary Classics Gold Award. Her Paranormal Fantasy, Wickedly They Come has been awarded the 5 Star Seal from Reader’s Favorite. Tallas from her dystopian series received Literary Classics Silver Award and Literary Classics Seal of Approval.
Cathrina resides in Western New York with her husband, five children, two Labrador Retrievers and her cat, Bones. Author @chbbpublishing. Crushing Hearts and Black Butterfly. When not attached to her computer, she likes to take long walks in the woods with her dogs, drink way too much coffee, and is an avid movie watcher. She loves music and doesn’t need a dance floor to shake a leg.
Links:
Blog | Goodreads | Facebook | Twitter | Amazon
a Rafflecopter giveaway
Today, I'm celebrating two book birthdays AND a cover reveal, which is super exciting! Today's books come from Trudi Trueit, Barbara Dee, and Cathrina Constantine--all talented authors AND great people. Be sure to read all about their books and order your copy of each!
Blurb:
Twelve-year-old Kestrel must battle evil twin sisters and overcome her own worst fear to prevent the foreclosure of her grandmother’s beloved lodge in this fresh, funny M!X novel.
Kestrel and her family are headed out to Vancouver, BC, to help out her grandmother at her beautiful ski lodge. It’s been in the family for generations, but the business is in trouble—and there are lots of people looking to take over the property.
Kestrel is determined to help her family retain their precious business—one that her grandfather built literally from the ground up. But two evil twins—who happen to be the daughters of a property developer determined to drive the lodge out of business—prove to be her nemeses in every way possible. Can Kestrel help save the lodge and beat the twins at their own game?
Buy Links:
Amazon | B&N | IndieBound
Bio:
Trudi Trueit knew she’d found her life’s passion after writing (and directing) her first play in fourth grade. Since then, she’s been a newspaper journalist, television news reporter and anchor, media specialist, freelance writer, and is now a children’s book author. She has published more than forty fiction and nonfiction titles for young readers and lives near Seattle, Washington.Links:
Website | Facebook | Twitter | YouTube
Blurb:
Mattie is chosen to play Romeo opposite her crush in the eighth grade production of Shakespeare’s most beloved play in this Romeo and Juliet inspired novel from the author of Truth or Dare.
Mattie, a star student and passionate reader, is delighted when her English teacher announces the eighth grade will be staging Romeo and Juliet. And she is even more excited when, after a series of events, she finds herself playing Romeo, opposite Gemma Braithwaite’s Juliet. Gemma, the new girl at school, is brilliant, pretty, outgoing—and, if all that wasn’t enough: British.
As the cast prepares for opening night, Mattie finds herself growing increasingly attracted to Gemma and confused, since, just days before, she had found herself crushing on a boy named Elijah. Is it possible to have a crush on both boys AND girls? If that wasn’t enough to deal with, things backstage at the production are starting to rival any Shakespearean drama! In this sweet and funny look at the complicated nature of middle school romance, Mattie learns how to be the lead player in her own life.
Buy Links:
Amazon | B&N | IndieBound
Bio:
Barbara Dee is the author of TRUTH OR DARE, THE (ALMOST) PERFECT GUIDE TO IMPERFECT BOYS, TRAUMA QUEEN, THIS IS ME FROM NOW ON, SOLVING ZOE (2010 Bank Street Best Children's Books of the Year) and JUST ANOTHER DAY IN MY INSANELY REAL LIFE (Publishers Weekly starred review). In 2017, Aladdin/S&S will be publishing her next tween novels, STAR-CROSSED (March) and HALFWAY NORMAL (December). Barbara is one of the founders and directors of the Chappaqua Children's Book Festival. You can visit her on the web at www.BarbaraDeeBooks.com.Links:
Website | Facebook | Twitter | Goodreads
Blurb:
Peace demonstrations, sit-ins, and burning the U.S. flag following the escalation of the Vietnam War are leading to a catalyst known to the world as the Sixties, and a musical revolution, flower power, hippies, marijuana, and drugs are carrying the generations—young and old—into a new decade. All the while sixteen-year-old Mary Monroe is caught between being an innocent good girl and an autumn of sex, drugs, and rock ‘n’ roll.
When her brother offers a solution to her dilemma in the form of a little pill, Mary ignores the rumba in her brain and takes a walk on the wild side. Plunged into popularity and a life she’s only imagined, she meets Michael Covington, the hot newcomer, and she’s instantly drawn in by his less than flawless exterior and bad boy sex appeal. Caught up in the danger and excitement as they drift from party to party, into underground fight clubs, and through a series of drug and alcohol fueled adventures, Mary follows her new crush into a world where young girls are never truly safe from the predators lurking in the shadows and young men are hiding from the harsh reality of war.
Feeling buzzed and as if her life is spinning out of control, Mary is assaulted by an unknown man at a party, and she’s left questioning if the enigmatic Michael is truly her hero or if he is the face behind the terrible attack. With every piece of information Mary learns about Michael, her doubts grow deeper, but with every minute she spends in his presence, so does her love.
With the war and her fear threatening to separate Mary and Michael forever, only the death of a friend, a crushing confession, and her own sensibilities can carry her over the threshold between adolescence and adulthood.
Add it on Goodreads!
Bio:
Cathrina Constantine is the Best Selling author of Don’t Forget To Breathe. Her book won Readers’ Favorite International Book Award for 2015 and The Literary Classics Seal of Approval and Literary Classics Gold Award. Her Paranormal Fantasy, Wickedly They Come has been awarded the 5 Star Seal from Reader’s Favorite. Tallas from her dystopian series received Literary Classics Silver Award and Literary Classics Seal of Approval.Cathrina resides in Western New York with her husband, five children, two Labrador Retrievers and her cat, Bones. Author @chbbpublishing. Crushing Hearts and Black Butterfly. When not attached to her computer, she likes to take long walks in the woods with her dogs, drink way too much coffee, and is an avid movie watcher. She loves music and doesn’t need a dance floor to shake a leg.
Links:
Blog | Goodreads | Facebook | Twitter | Amazon
a Rafflecopter giveaway
March 13, 2017
Mystery Monday: Isidor Fink
It's Monday, which means it's time for another...
For today's mystery, we take you back in time a bit...to March 9, 1929. A laundryman by the name of Isidor Fink was in his laundry in New York City.
At approximately 10:30 pm, a neighbor heard screams. He tracked down a police officer and they headed straight for the laundry. They found all of the windows and doors locked from the inside.
5th Avenue, NYC, 1920s
There was a transom, but they couldn't fit through it. Only a small child could squeeze into the space. They found a young boy who crawled in and let them in. This is a transom:
Once inside, they found Isidor dead from three gunshot wounds. Yet there was no gun. Very little time had passed since the neighbor had heard the scream.
Nothing had been stolen, so robbery was ruled out. Fink was known to be a careful man who never opened the door to strangers. The only fingerprints found in the room were Isidor's.
The case was never solved. Not only was there no motive, detectives couldn't figure out how anyone had committed the crime and escaped, since the room was sealed from the inside.
Can you solve this mystery?
My next Piper Morgan book, Piper Morgan Makes a Splash, comes out April 4, 2017. Sign up if you'd like to help out by posting on your blog about it!
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For today's mystery, we take you back in time a bit...to March 9, 1929. A laundryman by the name of Isidor Fink was in his laundry in New York City.
At approximately 10:30 pm, a neighbor heard screams. He tracked down a police officer and they headed straight for the laundry. They found all of the windows and doors locked from the inside.
5th Avenue, NYC, 1920s
There was a transom, but they couldn't fit through it. Only a small child could squeeze into the space. They found a young boy who crawled in and let them in. This is a transom:
Once inside, they found Isidor dead from three gunshot wounds. Yet there was no gun. Very little time had passed since the neighbor had heard the scream.
Nothing had been stolen, so robbery was ruled out. Fink was known to be a careful man who never opened the door to strangers. The only fingerprints found in the room were Isidor's.
The case was never solved. Not only was there no motive, detectives couldn't figure out how anyone had committed the crime and escaped, since the room was sealed from the inside.
Can you solve this mystery?
My next Piper Morgan book, Piper Morgan Makes a Splash, comes out April 4, 2017. Sign up if you'd like to help out by posting on your blog about it!
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March 10, 2017
And Then the Murders Began
It started as an innocent tweet from author Marc Laidlaw:
Laidlaw's Law states that any book can be improved with a simple change. Replace the second line of the book with, "And then the murders began." It works with the Bible:
And Little Women:
Neil Gaiman even joined in:
But it can really be applied to any novel. Try it with the book you're reading now. Sometimes it doesn't work as a second line, but when you finally insert it, it's gold!
I wondered if it would work with my own books. Here's 30 Days of No Gossip. Doesn't really work so well...
And 25 Roses. A little better?
It seems to work best of all for little Piper.
Give it a try! Add the phrase to the book you're reading or writing now...or add it to one of the famous openings on this list, then copy and paste the results below!
My next Piper Morgan book, Piper Morgan Makes a Splash, comes out April 4, 2017. Sign up if you'd like to help out by posting on your blog about it!
Powered by 123ContactForm | Report abuse
Laidlaw's Law states that any book can be improved with a simple change. Replace the second line of the book with, "And then the murders began." It works with the Bible:
And Little Women:
Neil Gaiman even joined in:
But it can really be applied to any novel. Try it with the book you're reading now. Sometimes it doesn't work as a second line, but when you finally insert it, it's gold!
I wondered if it would work with my own books. Here's 30 Days of No Gossip. Doesn't really work so well...
And 25 Roses. A little better?
It seems to work best of all for little Piper.
Give it a try! Add the phrase to the book you're reading or writing now...or add it to one of the famous openings on this list, then copy and paste the results below!
My next Piper Morgan book, Piper Morgan Makes a Splash, comes out April 4, 2017. Sign up if you'd like to help out by posting on your blog about it!
Powered by 123ContactForm | Report abuse
