D.E. Haggerty's Blog, page 36
August 21, 2017
An injured ankle & a physical therapist equals an a-ha moment #MondayBlogs #LifeLessons
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It’s always fun to have an a-ha! moment at a totally inappropriate moment (sarcasm intended). Like last week. I was trying to not kick my physical therapist in the gonads as he ‘massaged’ my injured ankle. While I was successfully ignoring the man, he decided to start a lecture on pain levels and pain management. How apropos! At this point, I lost the battle to not roll my eyes. Luckily, he was paying attention to my injury and not my lack of respect.
So, what was his lecture about? Apparently, pain is universal. No matter your ethnicity or culture, we all experience pain on pretty much the same level. This is the pain scale from 1 to 10 with 10 being extreme pain. The difference is in how we react to such pain. You have a high pain tolerance when you just suck it up until you hit a level 7 or 8. Your pain tolerance is said to be low if you start whining at a 2.
[image error]My therapist then went on to explain how much movement I was allowed to make with my injured ankle based on my pain level. Basically, he explained as follows: Pain at a 7 or below won’t permanently damage your body or harm your injury. Pain above a 7 is your body telling you to stop or it’s going to injure itself.
At this point, I had to screw my mouth shut to stop myself from shouting a-ha! Not because I finally understood how much pain is okay when I injure myself (although that is useful information and I did spend last week responding to my every question about my ankle with an assessment of my pain level).
Instead I was thinking about all the obstacles we confront in our lives. From small stuff – a computer crash causing a loss of a day’s work – to the big stuff – the death of a loved one. What if I looked at life’s obstacles on this pain scale? For example, small obstacles are merely twinges of low level pain, which should be dealt with quickly and then simply forgotten as they don’t do any permanent damage to my life.
Take that computer crash example. It’s definitely irritating, but on the obstacles of life scale it’s probably only a 2. Once I get my computer up and running again, I can re-do the work. Sometimes, I’ll even find a temporary file containing the latest changes! The only thing I’ve actually lost is time. Instead of being pissed off, getting completely off track and losing tons of time being irritated, I should just deal with it and move on as if it were a level 2 pain.
I’m not sure successful I will be on my new obstacles of life scale plan but having a plan is the first step to success, right?
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Back to School $250 #Giveaway
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Thanks to this fabulous group of bloggers and authors for sponsoring this giveaway!
Enter for your chance to win $250 in Paypal Cash or a $250 Amazon Gift Card.
Sponsor List
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Giveaway Details
$250 in Paypal Cash or a $250 Amazon.com eGift Card
Ends 9/7/17
Open only to those who can legally enter, receive and use money sent via Paypal or gift codes via Amazon.com. Winning Entry will be verified prior to prize being awarded. No purchase necessary. You must be 18 or older to enter or have your parent enter for you. The winner will be chosen by rafflecopter and announced here as well as emailed and will have 48 hours to respond or a new winner will be chosen. This giveaway is in no way associated with Facebook, Twitter, Rafflecopter or any other entity unless otherwise specified. The number of eligible entries received determines the odds of winning. Giveaway was organized by Kathy from I Am A Reader and sponsored by the authors, bloggers and publishers on the sponsor list. VOID WHERE PROHIBITED BY LAW.
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August 20, 2017
Spotlight on Dead on the Bayou, A Twin Sisters Mystery from @juneshaw #CozyMystery #Giveaway
by June Shaw
Dead on the Bayou (A Twin Sisters Mystery)
Cozy Mystery
2nd in Series
Lyrical Underground (August 22, 2017)
Paperback: 192 pages
ISBN-13: 978-1516100965
E-Book ASIN: B01N3ZNZVL
It may be easier to patch up an old home than a broken heart. But along the Louisiana bayou, where beauty and danger mingle all too seamlessly, thoughts of romance may have to simmer on the back burner . . .
Twin sisters and fellow divorcees Sunny Taylor and Eve Vaughn have established their home repair and remodeling business with an eye toward quality and personal attention. So when they’re approached by hunky Dave Price to fix up his bayou fishing camp, they’re more than happy to take the job—especially since they both secretly think he may prove to be more than just another satisfied customer . . .
The ramshackle campsite could certainly use a woman’s touch. What it does not need is a dead body—but that’s what the trio stumble across. Clearly, the poor soul was murdered—and once the town tongue-waggers get going, Sunny, Eve, and Dave come under suspicion of the police, not to mention potential clients . . .
Now, with their futures on the line, their brewing love triangle will have to wait. Helped—and harried—by the twins’ mother and her retirement home’s cadre of amateur sleuths, the trio starts snooping on their own. But when another dead body turns up, they’ll have to get their hands dirtier than a swamp-bottom snake if they hope to clear their names . . .
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About The Author
From the bayou country of South Louisiana, June Shaw previously sold a series of humorous mysteries to Five Star, Harlequin, and Untreed Reads. Publishers Weekly praised her debut, Relative Danger, which became a finalist for the David Award for Best Mystery of the Year. A hybrid author who has published other works, she has represented her state on the board of Mystery Writers of America’s Southwest Chapter for many years and continued to serve as the Published Author Liaison for Romance Writers of America’s Southern Louisiana chapter. She gains inspiration for her work from her faith, family, and friends, including the many readers who urge her on. For more info please visit juneshaw.com.
https://www.facebook.com/june.shaw.338
http://www.ekensingtonbooks.com/author.aspx/31823
Giveaway
TOUR PARTICIPANTS
August 21 – Teresa Trent Author Blog – INTERVIEW
August 21 – Readsalot – SPOTLIGHT
August 22 – My Journey Back – REVIEW
August 22 – Books, Dreams, Life – SPOTLIGHT
August 23 – Brooke Blogs – GUEST POST
August 24 – Book Babble – REVIEW
August 25 – Socrates’ Book Reviews – SPOTLIGHT
August 26 – Escape With Dollycas Into A Good Book – SPOTLIGHT
August 27 – A Blue Million Books – GUEST POST
August 28 – FUONLYKNEW – REVIEW
August 29 – StoreyBook Reviews – SPOTLIGHT
August 30 – Maureen’s Musings – REVIEW
August 31 – Island Confidential – SPOTLIGHT
September 1 – Jersey Girl Book Reviews – REVIEW
September 2 – Celticlady’s Reviews – SPOTLIGHT
September 2 – Texas Book-aholic – REVIEW
September 3 – deal sharing aunt – SPOTLIGHT
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August 15, 2017
The McKinley Mysteries! Spotlight on Valentine’s Day is Murder #romance #humor #murder @Carolyn_Arnold #giveaway
August 14 – 28, 2017
Series Information
Romance. Humor. Murder. Are you looking for a murder mystery without all the graphic violence and foul language? Something that you can enjoy in an afternoon and walk away feeling good about afterward? How about a dash of humor and romance? If so, meet former detectives Sean and Sara McKinley. When a billionaire leaves them all his money, they no longer have to work, but they find themselves sticking to what they’re good at—solving murders. Undercover, off the books, and around the world, they’ll get to the bottom of things…and romance it up along the way.
This is the perfect book series for fans of Hart to Hart, Castle, Colombo, Monk, Rockford Files, Psych, and Magnum PI.
Book Overview (in published order)
The Day Job is Murder (2014)
Vacation is Murder (2014)
Money is Murder (2014)
Politics is Murder (2014)
Family is Murder (2014)
Shopping is Murder (2014)
Christmas is Murder (2014)
Valentine’s Day is Murder (2015)
Coffee is Murder (2015)
Skiing is Murder (2016)
Halloween is Murder (2017) – the cover will be available by the end of May/June, with some retailer links coming through in July, the rest in August.
Valentine’s Day is Murder
Cupid’s arrow may have missed its mark…
Jimmy finally takes a vacation–and a chance on love–only to be abducted. His female companion originally thinks he had cold feet about their relationship, but Sean and Sara know there’s more to it. Jimmy isn’t the type to just up and disappear, let alone leave a lady stranded.
Setting out on their private jet, Sean and Sara reach the tropical paradise of Ocho Rios, Jamaica with sightseeing as the last thing on their minds.
With a gold coin being their initial tie to Jimmy’s kidnapper, Sean and Sara even speculate about the involvement of pirates. Yet as the hours pass, and there’s no word from Jimmy’s captors, Sean and Sara will need to figure out the real motive before it’s too late.
With help from their friend, Adam, back in Albany, the pieces come together and not a moment too soon.
Grab a copy!
Amazon ~ Barnes & Noble ~ Kobo ~ Apple ~ Google Play
Author Bio
CAROLYN ARNOLD is an international bestselling and award-winning author, as well as a speaker, teacher, and inspirational mentor. She has four continuing fiction series—Detective Madison Knight, Brandon Fisher FBI, McKinley Mysteries, and Matthew Connor Adventures—and has written nearly thirty books. Her genre diversity offers her readers everything from cozy to hard-boiled mysteries, and thrillers to action adventures.
Both her female detective and FBI profiler series have been praised by those in law enforcement as being accurate and entertaining, leading her to adopt the trademark: POLICE PROCEDURALS RESPECTED BY LAW ENFORCEMENT™.
Carolyn was born in a small town and enjoys spending time outdoors, but she also loves the lights of a big city. Grounded by her roots and lifted by her dreams, her overactive imagination insists that she tell her stories. Her intention is to touch the hearts of millions with her books, to entertain, inspire, and empower.
She currently lives just west of Toronto with her husband and beagle and is a member of Crime Writers of Canada.
Connect with CAROLYN ARNOLD Online:
Website – http://carolynarnold.net/
Twitter – https://twitter.com/Carolyn_Arnold
Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/AuthorCarolynArnold
And don’t forget to sign up for her newsletter for up-to-date information on release and special offers at http://carolynarnold.net/newsletters.
Giveaway
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Tour Participants
August 14 – T’s Stuff – INTERVIEW, REVIEW – The Day Job Is Murder
August 14 – Celticlady’s Reviews – SPOTLIGHT – The Day Job Is Murder
August 14 – The Layaway Dragon – REVIEW – The Day Job Is Murder
August 15 – Must Read Faster – GUEST POST – Book 1 – The Day Job Is Murder
August 15 – Celticlady’s Reviews – SPOTLIGHT – Vacation Is Murder
August 15 – The Pulp and Mystery Shelf – GUEST POST – Book 2 – Vacation Is Murder
August 15 – Books, Dreams, Life – REVIEW – The Day Job Is Murder
August 16 – Celticlady’s Reviews – SPOTLIGHT – Money Is Murder
August 16 – Readsalot – SPOTLIGHT – Valentine’s Day Is Murder
August 16 – Sapphyria’s Book Reviews – SPOTLIGHT – Series, GUEST POST – Book 3 – Money Is Murder
August 16 –Books, Dreams, Life – REVIEW – Vacation Is Murder
August 17 – Socrates’ Book Reviews – SPOTLIGHT – Skiing Is Murder
August 17 – Celticlady’s Reviews – SPOTLIGHT – Politics Is Murder
August 17 – Texas Book-aholic – REVIEW – The Day Job Is Murder
August 17 –Books, Dreams, Life – REVIEW – Money Is Murder
August 18 – Celticlady’s Reviews – SPOTLIGHT – Family Is Murder
August 18 – Christa Reads and Writes – REVIEW – Shopping Is Murder
August 18 –Books, Dreams, Life – REVIEW – Politics Is Murder
August 19 – A Holland Reads – GUEST POST – Book 4 – Politics Is Murder
August 19 – Escape With Dollycas Into A Good Book – SPOTLIGHT – Books 1-5
August 19 – Community Bookstop – REVIEW – The Day Job Is Murder
August 19 – Books, Dreams, Life – REVIEW – Family Is Murder
August 20 – Babs Book Bistro – REVIEW – Christmas Is Murder
August 20 – 3 Partners in Shopping, Nana, Mommy, &, Sissy, Too! – SPOTLIGHT -Blogger’s Choice
August 20 –Community Bookstop – REVIEW – Vacation Is Murder
August 20 – I Read What You Write – REVIEW – Family Is Murder – GUEST POST – Book 5 – Family Is Murder
August 20 – Cozy Up With Kathy – SPOTLIGHT
August 20 –Books, Dreams, Life – REVIEW – Shopping Is Murder
August 21 – Reading Is My SuperPower – REVIEW – The Day Job Is Murder
August 21 – Celticlady’s Reviews – SPOTLIGHT – Shopping Is Murder
August 21 –Community Bookstop – REVIEW – Money Is Murder
August 21 –Books, Dreams, Life – REVIEW – Christmas Is Murder
August 22 – Celticlady’s Reviews – SPOTLIGHT – Christmas Is Murder
August 22 – Cassidy’s Bookshelves – REVIEW – The Day Job Is Murder
August 22- Community Bookstop – REVIEW – Politics Is Murder
August 22- StoreyBook Reviews – GUEST POST – Book 6 – Shopping Is Murder
August 22 – Books, Dreams, Life – REVIEW – Valentine’s Day Is Murder
August 23 – Celticlady’s Reviews – SPOTLIGHT – Valentine’s Day Is Murder
August 23 – Laura’s Interests – REVIEW – Money Is Murder
August 23 – Community Bookstop – REVIEW – Family Is Murder
August 23 – Valerie’s Musings – GUEST POST – Book 7 – Christmas Is Murder
August 23 –Books, Dreams, Life – REVIEW – Coffee Is Murder
August 24 – Celticlady’s Reviews – SPOTLIGHT – Coffee Is Murder
August 24 – Laura’s Interests – REVIEW – Shopping Is Murder
August 24 –Community Bookstop – REVIEW – Shopping Is Murder
August 24 – Books, Dreams, Life – REVIEW – Skiing Is Murder
August 25 – Celticlady’s Reviews – SPOTLIGHT – Skiing Is Murder
August 25 – Bea’s Book Nook – REVIEW – The Day Job Is Murder
August 25 –Community Bookstop – REVIEW – Valentine’s Day Is Murder
August 26 – Sleuth Cafe – GUEST POST – Book 8 – Valentine’s Day Is Murder
August 26 – Brooke Blogs – REVIEW, SPOTLIGHT – Books 1-3
August 26 – Community Bookstop – REVIEW – Coffee Is Murder
August 26 –Escape With Dollycas Into A Good Book – SPOTLIGHT – Books 5 – 11
August 27 – Brooke Blogs– REVIEW, SPOTLIGHT – Book 4 – 5
August 27 – Community Bookstop – REVIEW – Skiing Is Murder
August 28 – Brooke Blogs – REVIEW, SPOTLIGHT – Books 6-7 – GUEST POST – Book 9 – Coffee Is Murder
August 28 – 3 Partners in Shopping, Nana, Mommy, &, Sissy, Too! – SPOTLIGHT – Blogger’s Choice
August 28 – Laura’s Interests – GUEST POST – Book 10 – Skiing Is Murder
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August 14, 2017
Spotlight on Deadly Choices by Karen Randau #Suspense #Thriller #Giveaway
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Title: Deadly Choices
Series: Rim Country Mysteries, 3rd in series
Author: Karen Randau
Genre: Suspense Thriller
Published: July 17, 2017
~ Synopsis ~
An elderly woman with an arrow in her chest. A murdered journalist. A decades-old cover-up. In Deadly Choices (Rim Country Mysteries Volume 3), Rita and Cliff Avery team up again to solve a spate of murders in their picturesque Arizona mountain town of Rim Vista. Rita’s mother Willow delivers gun-wrenching news while falling for the man who could be responsible for four deaths. And Rita must escape a string of life-threatening predicaments thrown at her by an assailant willing to do anything to scare Cliff off the case.
This book does not contain any explicity language or adult scenes.
Grab a copy → Amazon
Add to Goodreads → Here
~ About the Author ~
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Karen Randau is the author of the Rim Country Mystery series. Her fast-paced novels include Deadly Deceit, Deadly Inheritance, and Deadly Choices, each with intricate plots and lots of action and told from the point of view of protagonist Rita Avery.
Stalk the author!
Website ~ Facebook ~ Amazon Author Page
~ Giveaway ~
Win a Signed Print Copy of Deadly Choices by Karen Randau
(U.S. Only)
~ TOUR PARTICIPANTS ~
August 14 – Island Confidential – INTERVIEW
August 15 – Readsalot – SPOTLIGHT
August 16 – Celticlady’s Reviews – SPOTLIGHT
August 17 – My Reading Journeys – REVIEW
August 18 – Brooke Blogs – GUEST POST
August 19 – A Blue Million Books – INTERVIEW
August 20 – The Book’s the Thing – SPOTLIGHT
August 21 – Valerie’s Musings – GUEST POST
August 22 – Cozy Up With Kathy – INTERVIEW
August 23 – StoreyBook Reviews – GUEST POST
August 24 – Escape With Dollycas Into A Good Book – REVIEW
August 25 – 3 Partners in Shopping, Nana, Mommy, &, Sissy, Too! – SPOTLIGHT
August 26 – Christa Reads and Writes – REVIEW
August 27 – Laura’s Interests – SPOTLIGHT
August 27 – Maureen’s Musings – SPOTLIGHT
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August 10, 2017
Book Blast ~ Vishwamitra (Indian Mythological Fiction) by Dr. Vineet Aggarwal @drumbeatsofeden
Vishwamitra by Dr. Vineet Aggarwal
Indian Mythological Fiction
~ Book Blitz ~
11th August, 2017
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When Satyavati, wife of Rishi Ruchik, exchanges with her mother the magic potion for bearing a child, they change not just their children’s destiny, but also the history of mankind. Born of this mix up is Vishwamitra, the son of a Kshatriya, who strives to become a Brahmarishi—the ultimate and most powerful of all Gurus.
Vishwamitra is the powerful story of a brave but stubborn, haughty yet compassionate, visionary king of Aryavarta who not only acquires material wealth through military conquests but also becomes one of the most well-known sages of all times.
5 lesser known facts about Vishwamitra
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Almost everyone would have heard the name of Vishwamitra and some may even know of his dalliance with Menaka, or the role he played in the Ramayan but even those who are familiar with his name, may not know these five things about him:
1. Vishwamitra was born a Kshatriya prince and he reached the status of Brahmarishi, the highest possible rank for a Brahmin only through his tremendous effort!
2. He is the discoverer of the Gayatri Mantra that is spoken by millions of Hindus even today all over the globe!
3. He is associated with two major Avatars of Lord Vishnu – Parshuram, the 6th incarnation was his grand-nephew while he himself became the Guru of Shri Raam, the 7th incarnation.
4. Vishwamitra’s daughter Shakuntala gave birth to Bharat, the King who gave India its official name – Bhaarat.
5. He is credited with the remarkable feat of creating actual star systems purely on the basis of his mystical powers & the stars he created can still be seen in the southern hemisphere as the Crux.
About the Author
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Dr. Vineet Aggarwal is described by many as a doctor by qualification, manager by profession and artist by temperament. Born in a family of doctors, he successfully completed an initial stint with the family occupation before deciding to venture into pharmaceutical management and currently pursues writing and photography as a passion.
He is the author of popular online blogs ‘Decode Hindu Mythology’ and ‘Fraternity Against Terrorism and Extremism’ and the author of books ‘Vishwamitra – The Man who dared to challenge the Gods’ and ‘The Legend of Parshu-Raam’
August 9, 2017
Read an exclusive excerpt from Crossing the Line, #Contemporaryromance from @KimberlyKincaid #giveaway
Don’t miss this sexy small town romance with heart and heat. A cocky small town farmer must decide whether to reveal his secrets or follow his family legacy.…CROSSING THE LINE will delight fans of IT STARTED WITH A KISS by Marina Adair and SWEET LITTLE LIES by Jill Shalvis!
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Title: Crossing the Line
Author: Kimberly Kincaid
Series: Cross Creek #2
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Release Date: August 8, 2017
Publisher: Montlake Romance
Cocky farmer Eli Cross plays twice as hard as he works. When his latest stunt drums up a heap of negative PR for the family farm, he grudgingly agrees to play host to an ambitious New York City photographer. Her feature on Cross Creek could be just the ticket to show the country what the Cross brothers do best…which is more problem than solution for Eli.
Scarlett Edwards-Stewart has photographed everything from end zones to war zones. She’s confident she can ace this one little story to help her best friend’s failing magazine. At least, she would be if her super-sexy host wasn’t so tight lipped. But the more Scarlett works with Eli, the more she discovers that he’s not who he seems. Can his secret bring them closer together? Or will it be the very thing that tears them apart?
Add to your TBR list → Goodreads
Grab a copy!
Excerpt
Just as she finished her last piece of toast, a knock sounded off on the door to Scarlett’s apartment. Her heart did the samba in her chest, but she pressed a hand over the front of her dark-green tank top to cover the commotion. Eli had said he wanted to stick to business. She could totally do that. They’d be professional. Polite. Work only.
But the perfectly professional, perfectly polite greeting Scarlett had worked up in her head completely disintegrated at the sight of Eli standing on her doorstep with a charming-as-hell smile on his face and a brown paper bag in his hand.
“Morning.” He extended the bag, looking hotter than anyone had a right to. Seriously, who made a hoodie and a pair of banged-up jeans sexy? At five o’clock in the morning? It just wasn’t right.
“What’s this?” she blurted as she took the bag from his outstretched hand, and God, could she be any more graceless?
If Eli was bothered by her distinct lack of a filter, though, he sure didn’t show it. “This is a vegan breakfast burrito.” He paused, tipping his blond head slightly as he added, “And we can add that to the list of things I never thought I’d say.”
Scarlett blinked, trying to piece the words together in a way that made sense. “You bought me a vegan breakfast burrito?”
“No. I made you a vegan breakfast burrito.”
The shock pumping through her veins must’ve taken a detour over her face, because Eli took one look at her and backpedaled. “Okay, sort of. I went up to the main house an hour ago to get a bunch of crates that didn’t fit in the box truck, and Owen was making breakfast burritos. I helped him come up with one for you that fits the bill.”
“Why?”
Scarlett clamped down on her lip just a second too late to bite down on the overly bold question, but to her surprise, Eli just laughed.
“What, is breakfast some sort of sacrilege once you cross the Mason-Dixon Line or something?”
Seriously, she needed to build some sort of immunity to that here-comes-trouble smile of his. Either that or she was going to have to head back to that cute little town where she’d gotten her coffeepot for some cute little batteries to fuel her cute little vibrator.
“No! Nope, mmm-mmm,” she barked, chasing the burn from her cheeks with a sweep of her fingertips. Sure, Eli was good-looking (Fine. He was sex on a stick. Potato-potahto). But they needed to stay professional. That’s what he’d said he wanted.
Only from the look of the cocky, come-and-get-it smile on his face right now, Scarlett wasn’t so sure he’d meant a single word.
About the author
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Kimberly Kincaid writes contemporary romance that splits the difference between sexy and sweet and hot and edgy romantic suspense. When she’s not sitting cross-legged in an ancient desk chair known as “The Pleather Bomber”, she can be found practicing obscene amounts of yoga, whipping up anything from enchiladas to éclairs in her kitchen, or curled up with her nose in a book. Kimberly is a USA Today best-selling author and a 2016 and 2015 RWA RITA® finalist and 2014 Bookseller’s Best nominee who lives (and writes!) by the mantra that food is love. Kimberly resides in Virginia with her wildly patient husband and their three daughters.
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August 8, 2017
Formatting tips and tricks for the newbie #WritingWednesday #AmWriting
If you’ve already written and published a few books, move on. No need for you to be here. When I say newbie, I mean exactly that – someone brand-spanking new to publishing. Over on my Readsalot blog, I promote self-published authors like myself. I actively encourage self-published authors to contact me for reviews and spotlights. Unfortunately, I’ve noticed quite a few formatting issues occurring on a regular basis.
So, let’s dive right in, shall we?
Double space is D-E-A-D. I know you learned this back in school. I did, too! But using two spaces after each sentence is no longer the standard. And it’s really disruptive to readers. Who needs all that space, anyway?
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Copyright Phreelance Writers
Line spacing is dying a slow death. Line spacing is the space between lines within a paragraph. In hardcovers and paperbacks, you won’t see them. In fact, sometimes I think editors try to put lines too close together in paperbacks! If you’re a self-published author, most of your books will be purchased as eBooks. Line spacing is annoying when reading on an ereader. There’s just too much space! Readers can change the size of font on their ereader so there’s no need to ‘help’ them out with line spacing.
Maintain the same font throughout your novel. It goes without saying that you should try to use the same font throughout a novel. Using different fonts for emphasis (or even different sizes) makes the work look amateurish, and that’s exactly what we’re trying to avoid.
Always, always, check the actual file. Amazon makes this easy. You can download a mobi version of your eBook from the KDP website. Make sure you do! Strange things can happen to your formatting when it gets converted to an eBook. This is especially true if you try to add cute pictures or symbols in between chapters. They almost always end up looking like squiggly lines.
[image error]Follow the style guides – religiously. Both Amazon and Smashwords have extensive style guides to help the self-published author. Don’t skim through those. No! Read and follow them to the letter. Please, I’m begging you.
Remember, what you find ‘easy’ to read in an eBook or word document may not be the same as readers. So, even if it you have to force yourself to stop making that extra space between sentences (for example), suck it up and do it anyway.
Spotlight on Lee Anne Wonnacott, author of From Windy Ridge to the Flint Hills #YA #Western #Adventure
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Title: From Windy Ridge to the Flint Hills
Author: Lee Anne Wonnacott
Genre: Young Adult; Western Adventure
Published: July 2017
Synopsis
Everything changes for Kelly Stolter the morning she finds her mother dead from pneumonia.
The rug is suddenly jerked out from under her and her two younger siblings, Lola and Colton. Their steady world started to shake. Bills were coming due. The ranch loan on Windy Ridge Ranch must be paid. The tears won’t stop.
Shifty cattle ranchers rubbed their hands together ready to prey on the seemingly naïve young children. Kelly had watched her blue-ribbon cutting horse riding mother and champion rodeo winning father negotiate horse sales all her life. Either she could follow in their footstep and keep the family going or not.
Shady relatives begin to come out of the woodwork to lay claim to the prosperous horse breeding ranch. In an old trunk, under her mother’s possessions lay the name of the distant attorney. 135 miles to the south was a longshot but it was the only hope in sight.
The Flint Hills family friend knew more than she would tell held secrets behind tight lips. The averted eyes and the cold silences told Kelly there was more history to the family.
A letter from a Hattiesburg attorney told of the death of the friendly stranger and the news shocked their world. A scandalous family truth out kept hidden for decades is thrust into the open light of day.
Her father, Nick Stolter, had ridden east at the side of a long-time friend in need. Was that man with the green eyes truly a friend or a past partner in crime as others alluded to in discreet whispers?
Before he disappeared into the deserts of Arizona, the one thing Kelly’s father left her was a gritty determination and sassy boldness.
As sole heir to a ranching dynasty, Kelly’s mother held title to hundreds of prime grasslands to the distant south. Kelly and younger sister, Lola make the nine-day ride and run into familiar faces and new-found friends. But evil comes in all shapes and sizes. When outlaws attempt a stagecoach holdup, Kelly and Lola’s Colt pistols save the passengers.
After visiting the verdant ranch, it is a united decision for the three to move to the Flint Hills Ranch. With a few hired hands, jangling spurs, and a lot of help from friends, they arrive in their new, yet old, home.
Connections were everything in the old west and the friendly teenaged son of the neighboring rancher brought out the rosy blush on Kelly’s cheeks. Twinkling blue eyes, a brilliant white smile, and a quick wit inspire warm admiration for the young man.
At last, word comes that Nick Stolter is alive and headed for home. But a month of hell has chased him across Arizona and into California and he is bringing it to their front gate. The three Stolter children turn loose a barrage of bullets to protect their bloodied father. The herd crosses onto the Flint Hills Ranch and Nick tumbles from his saddle. Together again. Family again. Home again.
Grab a copy!
Amazon ~ Apple ~ Barnes & Noble ~ Google Play ~ Inkterra ~ Kobo ~ Smashwords
About the author
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Lee Anne Wonnacott grew up enamored with the struggle and adventure of men and women living in the 1800 U.S. At thirteen, it felt as if she had suddenly awoken to hear that space was the final frontier. Eventually, she came to realize that is was the human imagination that encased the new frontier.
Lee Anne believes it was the stories of others who ignited her novelist imagination. Neighbors recited trials and tribulations on trains. Elderly relatives brought forth memories from diaries and letters. A lonely stranger in the Zurich train station revisited deep scars.
It was the prodding, nitpicking, and pushing from one determined high school English teacher who showed her where to jump into storytelling. Lee Anne’s secret to crafting the moving story is that if the story is not working, just kill off a character in a horribly painful death. Her passion is authoring and promoting her western adventure novels. Author of fiction titles Newton Cutter, Iron and Rawhide, Rage at Rancho del Oro, and Nick Stolter.
Lee Anne Wonnacott cooks, knits, hunts for sea glass, and howls with the neighborhood dogs in Oceanside, California.
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August 7, 2017
My #bookreview of Under Fire, new #romanticsuspense from @ItsScarlettCole
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UNDER FIRE by Scarlett Cole
Published by St. Martin’s Paperbacks
Publication Date: August 1, 2017
ISBNs: Print – 9781250128447; EBook – 9781250128454
Price: $7.99
Synopsis
“Fantastic characters, scorching sexual tension, and non-stop action make this one of my favorite reads this year!”—New York Times bestselling author Laura Kaye RITA nominee Scarlett Cole’s Under Fire pairs a hot Navy SEAL with a medical researcher who finds herself in too deep.
Hot, hard-bodied Sixton Rapp is a former SEAL who’s raring to begin his brand-new civilian life. He and his Navy “brothers” start a security firm that offers the kind of services only a team of military-trained professionals can provide. But nothing prepared Six for his new client: an innocent woman on a mission to improve thousands of lives. . . unless someone takes hers first. Dr. Louisa North knows time is against her as she tries to create a “miracle” medical treatment for a disease with no known cure, until she creates a sample so powerful that the wrong people want to use it as a chemical weapon. At first, Six is unwilling to accept Louisa as his client. But soon he realizes that the danger is real and that there’s much more to this plain-Jane scientist…including a burning passion between them that neither of them can resist. And now that an enemy is on Louisa’s trail, Six will do whatever it takes to protect her—or die trying.
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My Review
As a former Army Military Policewoman who is more than a little obsessive about details, I often steer clear of novels with ex-military heroes. I’m a fan of Scarlett Cole, however, and decided to give Under Fire a try. It was worth it!
I really liked Louisa, like I’d totally be her BFF if she could get over her shyness around me. She is truly smart – not like you often read in romance novels where the hero refers to how smart the heroine is even though she’s obviously not smart and keeps making stupid decisions. Nope, Louisa is a genuine genius. Her background and reasons why she’s such a dedicated researcher are thoroughly explored and add depth to the story. Her shyness is painful to read but completely believable.
Six was okay. Sure, he was totally hot and I’d probably jump him, but he was just your typical military hero. He had some issues (perhaps PTSD) but those issues weren’t delved into.
The story itself kept my attention despite the ‘bad guy’ being fairly obvious from the beginning. There was plenty of suspense and action to keep me glued to my kindle. I’m looking forward to the next book in the series as Cole has already set the premise for it and I must say I’m intrigued.
There were some formatting issues that have to be mentioned as they disrupted the flow of reading. The point of view would change mid-chapter very abruptly. Something to mark the change would have been helpful.
Excerpt
“Now that you’ve got a little more color in your face, and you’ve stopped shaking, you want to tell me who those men were, or what they wanted?”
Louisa smoothed her hands down the front of his chest to fix his rumpled hoodie and then straightened the hem. Six grabbed her hands in his and stilled them. His hands were the size of baseball mitts compared to hers.
“I don’t know for sure. They beat you in here by a minute or two at most. They told me that they wanted me to go with them, and that was about it. I don’t want to think this has something to do with the missing sample.”
Thoughts crowded in almost too quickly to process them all. Things like this didn’t happen to her. It went against the rules. Her rules that said she would spend her life doing research away from all the horrid stuff that went on in the world. And shit like this certainly didn’t happen in Mission Hills. She wondered if it was smart to keep the fact that she’d swapped the two samples and disposed of the one they seemed to be after five days earlier from the police when they finally arrived. But this was a golden opportunity to find out where the police were with the theft in the lab. Obviously Six had saved her life, but she didn’t want him to get into trouble for shooting one of the men. She wasn’t even sure how that would work. It wasn’t like he was defending his home. He was defending hers with a gun he’d brought with him which she wasn’t sure was even legal. Crap.
“It’s all such a mess,” she whispered against Six’s shoulder.
“I know. But I’m right here with you,” he said softly.
Her heart pounded again and her head felt groggy, like mud, as though she was hungover. What she really needed was some silence. She tried to pull away from Six, but he wouldn’t let her move. “Let me go,” she said, blowing her bangs out of her face.
Six shook his head slowly. “I don’t know what’s going on, but you’ll walk the police through it step by step, and I’ll tell them what I know. Then we’ll figure out how to make you safe tonight. Then in the morning, I’ll help you figure out what you can do to remain safe while this gets sorted out.”
What if they came back? Oh, God. She hadn’t thought that far ahead. She could go to her mother’s home, but that might lead the people that were after her to her family. Damn. Why had she already decided it was about the sample when it could have been an abduction attempt or an armed robbery, which didn’t make her feel less vulnerable but did quash all the conspiracy theories in her head? What if she was excluding options that were important? She was the daughter of a very wealthy widow. Ransom could be a possibility.
Six squeezed her shaking hands, bringing her back to the present. “And just so you know, staying safe means learning to protect yourself, sweetheart.”
“I did just fine,” Louisa huffed, unwilling to take on the mantle of victim she was constructing in her head.
“You held a rolling pin,” Six said, shaking his head at her. “What were you going to do, Betty Crocker them to death?”
She pushed her hands against his chest, and this time he let her go. It had never occurred to her that someone would violate her home, but Six was right. If she looked at it logically, she obviously needed to upgrade every element of her home security. She couldn’t even remember when she’d last opened the window in the dining room, but she’d obviously become lax in locking it afterward. And none of her external security lights had come on, which meant they either weren’t effective or the sensors were pointing at the wrong places. And her alarm had the ability to be on for just the doors and windows when she was home but awake, yet she never—
“What’s going on inside that head of yours?” Six asked. “Because you disappear inside it sometimes and I worry when I see you start messing with things.”
Louisa looked down at her hands and realized she was restacking the coasters she had placed on the marble. “I was just thinking through what you said. I guess I’ve become a little lazy … I’ve stopped worrying about home security because nothing ever really happens here.”
“Okay, we’ll look at two things. One, how you protect your home, and two, how you protect yourself in the event that someone makes it past all of your other defenses.” He parted her bangs with his finger, and it made her shiver.
Since her father’s death, she hadn’t had anyone to count on. Not like this. “Why are you really here, Six? It’s not about my uneven shelves, is it?” she asked quietly.
Six studied her face, taking in her forehead, her cheeks, and even her neck before meeting her eyes. It was a moment that felt much longer, filled with … something. Potential, maybe. “Because you asked me to help, and—”
He stopped talking at the sound of wheels pulling onto the gravel. Quickly, he shut off the kitchen light, and it became apparent that the exterior lights were on. With a swift jog, gun drawn, he hurried to take a look out the window. Blue and red beams of light flashed onto her kitchen wall. They were the best thing she’d seen all day, well, other than seeing the door to the kitchen burst open and Six rolling in, looking as deadly as any soldier she’d ever seen. In hindsight, now that the danger had passed, she realized he’d looked hotter than any Hollywood action star in a big blockbuster movie.
Even as she wondered what other reason he’d been about to give her for being there, she realized that none of his words, or the arrival of the police, meant she was safe.
About the Author
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Born in England, Scarlett Cole traveled the world, living in Japan and the United States before settling in Canada where she met her own personal hero – all six and a half feet of him. She now lives with her husband and children in Manchester, England where she’s at work on her next book. She is the author of The Strongest Steel.
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