P.D. Workman's Blog, page 134

Camp NaNo Win!

Today is April 30. Personal taxes are due if you’re Canadian, and it is the final day to write and validate your word count for April Camp NaNoWriMo! My goal for this Camp Nano was 100,000 words, or however long it took to get to the end of my story, whichever came first. I validated today at 102,915 words. I am through the first round of edits and into the second. Questing for a Dream is on my production schedule to be released around December or January.

I really enjoyed having a private (virtual) cabin this year for Camp Nano, which was filled with online friends from various other forums around the net. We had lots of good discussion and encouragement.

Next Camp Nano isn’t until July, so I have two full months to work on editing, polishing, and publishing my other books.

Speaking of which, I will be making another announcement in another day or two… stay tuned!

Excerpt from Empath by Becca J. Campbell

Last week was busy around here! I released June & Justin (previously excerpted here), and also announced that one of my other books has been nominated for an award: Tattooed Teardrops has been nominated for the In the Margins Best Books for Teens award!

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, read the rules at A Daily Rhythm. Anyone can play along!

I picked up Empath by Becca J. Campbell after reading someone else’s Teaser Tuesday last week. (There are a lot of Empath books, so make sure you get the right one.)  I figured by the cover, and in particular the beautiful font, that it might include a fairyland, and took a look. The description made it clear that it was not a fairytale, but intrigued me nonetheless. It is set in the “real world,” but involves a number of kids with varying paranormal “disabilities”.

He’d opened up to her, let his guard down for a split-second, only to take it all back after the fact. Why? What was he hiding?

Becca J. Campbell, Empath

Supernatural empathy isn’t a gift, it’s a curse. Anywhere she goes, Jade’s emotions are replaced by those of the people around her.

Jade grew up in a suburb of Colorado Springs, protected from other people by her parents. Now she faces college—and the world—with nothing to shield her from unwanted feelings.

When Cam, a classmate with a major crush on her, unintentionally hijacks her emotions, Jade struggles to keep from being carried away in feelings of attraction. When Ethan, a psychopath with a thirst for fear, fixates on her, the emotional impact could be lethal.

Caught in a deadly trap, Jade must untangle the emotions and find a way to use her empathic curse to overcome this killer or be overcome by him.

Tattooed Teardrops Nominated for “In the Margins” Best Books for Teens Award

It’s all there in the title. In February, Ruby, Between the Cracks won the Top Ten Best Books for Teens In the Margins award, and now Tattooed Teardrops has been nominated as well! Can I saw how much I love the folks over there at Library Services for Youth in Custody? Between you and me, they may have asked for review copies of another book as well…

Is Tattooed Teardrops as good as Ruby, Between the Cracks? In my opinion, it’s even better. And over at Wattpad, Ruby has been garnering comments such as:

“One of the best books I’ve ever read.”

“I wish I could forget the book Ruby and read it all over again. It was so good and made me cry.”

“It kept me awake whole night because I wanted to know the end. This is one of those books where you feel the emotions of the characters, think about them when not reading and want to complete the book in one go. Truly captivating!”

“Best book I have ever read!! I didn’t even wanna sleep at night, because I wanted to just keep reading!!”

“This was amazing honestly. It was so twisted and intriguing and it felt like it was real and was never going to end. It kept me guessing the whole way through.”

So get a head start on the next “best book” and read Tattooed Teardrops!

 

“I don’t plan on getting in any trouble.”

Tamara had thought that when she got out of juvie, things would be easier. But before long, it seems like her life is spiraling into chaos.

If she can’t prove to her probation officer that she is innocent of the allegations against her, she’s going back to prison, and Tamara just can’t let that happen.

—For me, a sign of a good book is that it is a quick read, holds my interest front to back and I like the characters. This book met the mark on all three of those characteristics.

—A slimy villain, an eager-to-please side-kick and a heroine who simply wants to move on from her past make for an intriguing tale, indeed! A realistic and beautiful story filled with suspense, heart-breaking friendship and loyalty that will keep you reading until the very end.

Release of June & Justin!

June & Justin, the eagerly-awaited sequel to the award winning Ruby, Between the Cracks, is now available for purchase! It was on my production schedule for earlier in the year, but I need to remember how long it takes my beta readers and editors to review such a long book. (I have already updated my production schedule for book 3, Michelle, to take that into account…)

Currently, you can find it on Amazon (paperback and Kindle), and I will be distributing to the other major vendors soon.

For those of you who are Wattpad followers (where Ruby is just a shade under 100,000 reads today!), I have decided to serialize June & Justin on Wattpad. One chapter per week. Though of course, I’ll release two chapters this week, because you’ve already read the first as a sneak-peek in Ruby.

Justin had made a mistake. A big, life-changing mistake.

He already failed June once. He wasn’t there when she needed him, and because of him, their lives will never be the same. June is everything to Justin, and he must be everything to her. He must protect June at all costs. Justin is prepared spend the rest of his life keeping her from getting hurt again.

But it seems they are always falling behind, barely keeping one step ahead of the nightmares.

There is always one more hazard, just around the corner.

—A heartbreaking and intense story of the journey of two children to find themselves and happiness.

—Is it possible to rise above your circumstances when you already have two strikes against you?  That is the question facing June and Justin, children thrust into circumstances that would defeat many adults.  Can they ever hope to live happy, normal lives?

 

Excerpt from Final Catcall

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, read the rules at A Daily Rhythm. Anyone can play along!

I read two cozy mysteries at the same time last week, which ended up being a bit confusing. I finished both today, and Final Catcall by Sophie Kelly was the more satisfying of the two! A light read involving a couple of magical cats.

I felt my knees go rubbery with relief. “I’m so glad you’re here,” I said.

“I wasn’t sure you’d say that.” The denim-glad legs stretched and stood up. At the same time, Hercules began to hiss because he could see what I now saw.

It wasn’t Marcus waiting at my back door.

Sophie Kelly, Final Catcall

Small-town librarian Kathleen Paulson gets plenty of entertainment from her extraordinary cats, Owen and Hercules. But when a theatre troupe stumbles into more tragedy than it bargained for, it’s up to Kathleen to play detective….

With her sort-of boyfriend Marcus calling it quits and her ex-boyfriend Andrew showing up out of the blue, Kathleen has more than enough drama to deal with—and that’s before a local theatre festival relocates to Mayville Heights. Now the town is buzzing with theatre folk, and many of them have their own private dramas with the director, Hugh Davis.

When Davis is found shot to death by the marina, he leaves behind evidence of blackmail and fraud, as well as an ensemble of suspects. Now Kathleen, with a little help from her feline friends Owen and Hercules, will have to catch the real killer before another victim takes a final curtain call.

So many books, so little time!

Fill your shelves—or your Kindle—with books! A number of these are freebies, but always check the price when you navigate to it to be sure.

Here are books that grabbed my attention the last couple of weeks. These are not generally books that I have already read, though a few of them might be. They are books that I have seen and added to my TBR list, looked up on Amazon, loved the cover of, etc. Just a quick run-through of what caught my eye, so you can have a look too.

Click on a cover to jump to it on Amazon.

Added to my TBR List

Looked at on Amazon

Liked the Cover

 

Excerpt from Death by a Honey Bee

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, read the rules at A Daily Rhythm. Anyone can play along!

The bright cheery cover of this cozy mystery attracted my attention. It has been an interesting read so far! Death by a Honey Bee is a Josiah Reynolds Mystery by Abigail Keam.

As I worked my honeybees, I wondered what Richard’s death would have cost me had I really been guilty of murdering him. It probably would have been cheaper just to confess and go to trial.

Abigail Keam, Death by a Honey Bee

The Josiah Reynolds series is not just another formulated mystery series. They are not cozy or fuzzy, but they do try to be humorous and witty. Sometimes they succeed. Each novel/novella has a stand-alone mystery, but the stories are also about the continuing life saga of a middle-aged Southern woman as she faces many serious obstacles. Josiah faces the world with sarcastic humor and a number of quirky, oddball friends that can only be found in the Southern town of Lexington, the heart of the Kentucky horse country. Some mysteries end with a bang, some are not solved at all and the first one ends with a cliff hanger, but they always entertain in the sassy, humorous and suspenseful world as Josiah goes about sleuthing. The Josiah Reynolds Mystery Series is just like fried chicken . . . finger-licking good! Add some sweet tea and a piece of chocolate pecan pie with a scoop of ice-cream and you got yourself some tasty reading.

Description

Josiah Reynolds is a beekeeper trying to stay financially afloat by selling honey at the Farmers’ Market. She finds her world turned upside down when a man is found dead in her beeyard, only to discover that the victim is her nemesis.

The police are calling the brutal death murder and Josiah is the number one suspect! Josiah makes the rounds of quirky characters that can only be found in the lush Bluegrass horse country. Fighting an unknown enemy in the glamorous world of Thoroughbreds, oak-cured bourbon and antebellum mansions, Josiah struggles to uncover the truth in a land that keeps its secrets well.

Death By A HoneyBee is the first of an episodic series and as such ends in a cliff-hanger which is crucial to the rest of the series. Attached to HoneyBee is a bonus chapter from Death By Drowning which continues our heroine’s story in linear time. I hope you enjoy reading Death By A HoneyBee as much as I have enjoyed writing it. It was a labor of love.

Pre-release Excerpt from June and Justin

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, read the rules at A Daily Rhythm. Anyone can play along!

I just got final edits back on June & Justin, so I am getting it all finalized and ready for publication, and thought I would share a passage with you for my Teaser Tuesday this week. Soon to be released!

June apparently couldn’t wait either. The front door of the house flew open, and she came running down the sidewalk, colliding with Justin and throwing her arms around him tightly. Unable to repress a wide grin, Justin squeezed her hard.

“June.”

“I missed you, Justy! Oh, I missed you, I missed you, I missed you!”

He laughed and lifted her up, whirling her around in a circle. “It’s only been two days,” he pointed out.

P.D. Workman, June & Justin

 

Justin had made a mistake. A big, life-changing mistake.

He already failed June once. He wasn’t there when she needed him, and because of him, their lives will never be the same. June is everything to Justin, and he must be everything to her. He must protect June at all costs. Justin is prepared spend the rest of his life keeping her from getting hurt again.

But it seems they are always falling behind, barely keeping one step ahead of the nightmares.

There is always one more hazard, just around the corner.

Easter weekend reads

I am having a good time with Camp Nanowrimo! Some very sad scenes today, though. It’s gonna make you cry…

Do you have a few hours this weekend for some reading? Fill your shelves—or your Kindle—with books! A number of these are freebies, but always check the price when you navigate to it to be sure.

Here are books that grabbed my attention this week. These are not generally books that I have already read, though a few of them might be. They are books that I have seen and added to my TBR list, looked up on Amazon, loved the cover of, etc. Just a quick run-through of what caught my eye, so you can have a look too.

Click on a cover to jump to it on Amazon.

Added to my Shelf:
Looked at on Amazon:

Excerpt from The Centurion’s Wife

Before I start my teaser, a couple of reminders:

I am running a Goodreads giveaway for an autographed copy of Those Who Believe. This is your last chance to enter!
Camp NaNo starts this week! I am getting geared up to write my next book. I’d love to get your input on the three concept covers for Questing for a Dream (working title).

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, read the rules at A Daily Rhythm. Anyone can play along!

Quite appropriate for this week, I am reading The Centurion’s Wife, by Davis Bunn and Janette Oke, which is historical fiction set in the weeks following the crucifixion/resurrection of Christ. Look at that gorgeous cover!

I know it sounds absurd—I can scarcely believe those words have come from my own mouth. But I am increasingly drawn to wonder if this might—just might—have happened. What would you call such a man?

Davis Bunn and Janette Oke, The Centurion’s Wife

Mediterranean breezes caressed her, and Leah could not help but pause between kitchen and bath house. She lifted her face to the cry of the sea birds and the few clouds overhead. Sea waves lapped gently along the promontory’s edge. Not even the first stirrings within the palace compound behind her could wipe out her sense of peace. Leah finally turned toward the elaborate courtyard with its columns and statuary, the opulent ceramic tiled baths, and the impressive marbled facade of the palace. No childhood dreams had ever included residing in the palace of the Prelate of Palestine. In different circumstances, Leah would have found it all impossibly beautiful. In different circumstances…Leah sighed and turned away. The reality was that she was here because she had no other recourse. Far to the northwest lay her home. True, it was no longer her home, but it still held her heart. There her mother faced a new dawn also, alone. Leah yearned to be with her, giving what love and comfort she was able. But trapped within this imposing palace, she was surrounded by elegance she could appreciate only from a distance. Yes, even though she had been born to wealth, to position, yet here she was little more than a slave. Bitterness filled her throat and caught her breath. She pushed the dark thoughts aside, cast one more longing look out over the wide expanse of sea, and with a determined lift of her shoulders walked on toward the bathhouse. Her first of many duties for the day would have her laying out fresh towels and robes…