P.D. Workman's Blog, page 143

Trailer for “Diversion, Breaking the Pattern #2″

Soon, you’ll be able to order “Diversion”.

You can’t yet, but you can watch the brand-spanking-new trailer!

Excerpt from “Tin God” #teasertuesday

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. Anyone can play along!

I’m so glad for my little MacBook Air! It has been well worth the investment. Yesterday I spent ten hours in the ER (with my son—and yes, he’s okay) and spent much of the time writing on my MacBook Air, and still had over two hours left on the battery when I got home! I turned the screen brightness down when I got to 2.5 hours, to lengthen out the battery life still more, if I needed it. My phone battery crapped out at about 2:00 p.m. All of the walls and brick/concrete made it difficult to get a cell signal most of the time, and the phone was getting hot searching for a signal, battery life spiraling down. Note to self next time I have to head for the Emergency Room: take along a phone charger, and turn it all the way off unless using it.

This week my teaser is from “Tin God (A Southern Mystery) (Delta Crossroads Trilogy #1)” by Stacy Green.  So far, it is an engrossing, fast-paced story, and I am enjoying it. Here is a teaser from my current location (23% in, or page 86 of 394):

“I got Lana killed, didn’t I?” Jaymee slumped forward, her head coming to rest on Nick’s chest. Her hair smelled like vanilla, her body hot against his. Her small frame rattled with hoarse sobs as her fisted hands pressed against his stomach.

Tin God, Stacy Green

“Stacy Green has the power to transport readers to a place and time. Whether it’s the sticky heat of a Mississippi summer, or the cold terror of coming face to face with a murderer, her writing stimulates all the senses. TIN GOD is a very satisfying read.” –Bestselling thriller author Rachel Abbott 

“Stacy Green has written an emotionally charged, thought-provoking and stunning mystery/suspense that will capture and hold you hostage until the last page is read.” –The Kindle Book Review 

The truth can be as deadly as any weapon. 

Jaymee Ballard trusted only one person in Roselea,Mississippi with the secret of her lost daughter. When that person is brutally murdered, it leaves her with heartbreak and a slew of unanswered questions. The eerie similarity to a murder of one of Jaymee’s close friends years ago causes her to realize her past has come back to haunt her and may cost her own life. 

Years of deception and abuse leave Jaymee with few options and fewer allies. She turns to the widower of her friend—a man struggling with his own demons—to help her find her daughter and identify the killer before he strikes again. 

Before all evidence, the truth—and Jaymee’s daughter—are lost. 

TIN GOD is a romantic thriller set in a small town. Filled with suspense and featuring a strong female protagonist, this mystery leaves the reader wanting more. 

“Stacy Green writes some of the best villains out there while at the same time keeping them well hidden. I highly recommend this book for adults who love suspenseful mystery with a dose of romance and a surprise you don’t see coming. I will definitely be reading more of her stories.” –Open Book Society

Teaser from “Thrown to the Wolves” #teasertuesday

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. Anyone can play along!

If you haven’t already, don’t forget to enter my Goodreads book giveaway for an autographed copy of Ruby, Between the Cracks. It is on the sidebar, but it ends this Thursday!

This week my teaser is from “Thrown to the Wolves” by Holly Newcastle.  Not quite the Amish romance genre (though I can see there is a possible romance in the wings,) “Thrown to the Wolves” is more of an Amish adventure. I am only 20% of the way through, and am eagerly awaiting the upcoming “peril”. (This is book 1 of the “Faith in Peril” trilogy.) A pleasant read so far!

It was as if every shadow might hold something sinister—something terrible lurked, waiting, and this wickedness was fast approaching.

“Anna,” I murmured, although she couldn’t hear me. “We need to go. I don’t like this one bit.”

Holly Newcastle, Thrown to the Wolves

The Glick children are precocious and exuberant, chasing rainbows and butterflies and living happily on their farm in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania. But when five-year-old Jacob Glick wanders off into the woods, his sisters, Rebekah and Anna, are obliged to retrieve him. The siblings soon stray too far, as darkness falls, and they are lost. 

Rebekah, the oldest of the children, is eighteen and ready to marry, although the man she has had her eye on is courting someone else. To her chagrin, only Daniel Stoltzfus has offered for her, but an incident in the past is the reason she is so determined to give him a wide berth. Never, under any circumstance, would she consider courting Daniel. 

While lost in the woods and struggling to survive, the Glick children are forced to find food and shelter. Rebekah and Anna are tested not only mentally and physically, but also in their faith, as they are pushed to the limits of what they can endure. A danger lurks, stalking them, and, when they are attacked by wolves, it’s quick-thinking and luck that saves them, but the ordeal is far from over.

Don’t forget to sign up for a chance to win “Ruby” #goodreads #giveaway

In case you haven’t signed up for a chance to win an autographed copy of “Ruby, Between the Cracks“, you only have five days left! Sign up now, and share with your friends.

 

Not sure if you would like it? Check out the trailer!

 

Teaser from “Benny and the Bank Robber” #teasertuesday

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. Anyone can play along!

I just have to say, now that I have finished “The Grave Artist“, that it was really a great book. I learned a lot about things to change in my own writing from it. And it was interesting and engaging from beginning to end.

Do you know anyone who is a native Italian speaker? I have received an offer to translate “Stand Alone” into Italian. I’d like someone to take a look over the sample translation to make sure it is good, and perhaps to beta-read the entirety once it is translated for any issues. Please let me know if you have any suggestions!

This week my teaser is from “Benny and the Bank Robber” by Mary C. Findley. It is for little bit of a younger crowd than I often read, maybe 9-10 year olds or so. Very good so far. It keeps a fairly light mood, even despite some of the rather grim subject matter.

“Thanking God for the food,” Benny answered.

“You better thank me for the food, Sonny,” snorted Mr. Clancy, “And thank me that you’re even alive. I wish I had the nerve to cut your throat…”

Mary C. Findley, Benny and the Bank Robber

Ten-year-old Benny found the drunken cart driver who caused his father’s death, but he’s got bigger mysteries to solve. A long, sharp knife, a bag of disguises and a savage black stallion don’t reassure Benny about his traveling companion to frontier Missouri. Still, Benny can’t shake the Scripture’s promise that God “will never leave thee nor forsake thee.”

Excerpt from “Stand Alone” #SampleSunday

Sample Sunday was originally an inspired idea by David Wisehart in December 2010 as a way for authors to leverage social media to share some of their work with readers.

The basic idea is that on Sunday the author puts some writing up on their blog, and then tweets it using the #SampleSunday hashtag. Folks on Twitter (commonly called tweeps) have a chance of coming across the tweet and clicking through to see the author’s writing. These are generally tweeps who are following the author or watching the #SampleSunday hashtag activity.

So, following is a sample from the recently published “Stand Alone“:

 

“Let’s go,” Christian said, and he was instantly on his board and picking up speed, racing Justine.

Justine hopped her board, grinning.

“No fair!” she protested, pumping her leg as fast as she could to catch up to him.

Christian laughed in delight, looking back over his shoulder at her for an instant. He kept going, cresting the hill in front of her and bombing down the long, steep incline on the other side at super speed. Justine crested the hill and looked down at him, as he again checked to see how close she was behind.

“Look out!” Justine screamed. Christian was going too fast and not watching ahead of him. He didn’t see the garbage truck pulling out of the lane. The huge dark chunk of metal loomed like a dinosaur in his path.

Christian’s face changed and he looked. Justine squeezed her eyes shut, not wanting to see the impact; but instantly opened her eyes again. She was also speeding down the hill and needed to see where she was going. Christian had disappeared. Justine looked in horror at the garbage truck, looking for any sign of him.

“Here!” Christian shouted, and she swerved and instantly launched into the grass beside him where he’d bailed out. She landed with a jarring crash and went flying off of her board. The whole world twisted and turned around her, and she hit both her jaw and the back of her head with a force that made her head spin. Righting herself, Justine crawled over to Christian.

“Are—you—okay?” she puffed, reaching for him.

“I’m fine,” Christian giggled. “Did you know you did a somersault?”

Justine rubbed the back of her head tenderly.

“You’re okay?” she repeated, looking him over intently. He seemed to be in one piece. No obvious broken bones. He had a cut above his eyebrow, but it was barely bleeding. Christian was, however, as white as a sheet.

“That was close,” he admitted. “Thanks.”

“If you ran into that garbage truck, I never would have forgiven you,” Justine told him severely. She dropped beside him and lay in the grass, staring up at the sky, cushioning her bruised head with her hand. She felt nauseous, and the world lurched unexpectedly this way, then that.

“Are you okay?” he questioned. “That was a pretty sick landing.”

“Uggh,” Justine groaned. “That was crazy.” She stirred, trying to sit up, but getting too dizzy. “Is my board okay?”

“Yeah, it’s fine.”

Christian got up and retrieved his own board and Justine’s, laying hers beside her on the grass.

“You ready? Let’s roll.”

“Gimme a minute,” Justine told him.

Her heart was still racing like a sports car engine. She had been sure that Christian was going to collide with the dump truck. She had seen it happen in her head half a dozen times in the few seconds she was barreling down the hill. And here he was, ready to get right back to it again. Justine, on the other hand, was still feeling the effects of both the scare and the fall.

Christian sat watching her. He shifted, eager to be on his way again. His restless energy made Justine anxious, and she levered herself slowly into a sitting position, hoping that once she was up, she’d feel better.

“Walk it off, Bywater,” Christian quipped.

Justine grimaced.

“I’m trying,” she said.

“It’s okay. Take your time,” he said, not wanting her to take his rebuke too seriously.

“Yeah. I’m okay.” Justine drew a deep breath. “Help me up, here.”

Christian got to his feet and bent over to help Justine up. He grabbed hold of her elbow and levered her up. Justine leaned heavily on him, trying to get her equilibrium back.

“You sure?” Christian questioned, watching her face intently.

Justine breathed, willing the giddiness to recede. She tested her legs, tried to calm the shakiness.

“Yeah, let’s walk,” she said.

They started off, arm in arm, like an elderly couple. Justine found her head clearing and the steadiness starting to return. She eased her grip on Christian’s arm, and he glanced up at her.

“Getting your legs back?” he queried.

“Yeah, just about.”

They walked on in silence. Justine tentatively let go of Christian, and still felt okay.

“You gonna be able to skate some more, Just?”

“Just about,” Justine said with a smile.

Christian set his board down, and skated slowly beside her.

“You tell me if you’re going to faint or something.”

“I don’t faint,” Justine scoffed.

“We’ll, whatever you want to call it when you fall flat on your face,” he snickered.

“Knocked out,” Justine said. “I was KO’d that time, I didn’t faint.”

“Whatever. Tell me if you’re going to take a dive,” he said comfortably.

Justine put her board down and stepped on, to prove that she was fine and wasn’t going to faint. Her head was clearing, but she did still feel a little groggy. She wasn’t about to let Christian know that. He watched her like a hawk for the first couple of minutes, then started to relax. His movements and frequent looks at her told her that he was eager to move a bit faster, at their usual pace.

“Go ahead,” Justine said. “I’m coming.”

He picked up his pace, skating out into the street to do a few tricks, to work his restlessness out. Justine kicked off a bit faster, testing out her body. Everything still seemed to be working. Her muscle memory filled in the areas that her fuzzy head left blank and she gained in confidence. She jumped and ground the curb, and Christian glanced over at her, smiling.

“Keep your eyes in the road,” Justine told him irritably. “Don’t watch me. We don’t want you smushed by any more garbage trucks.”

“Yes, Mom,” he teased.

 

 You know where to find the rest!

Image above: on license from Dreamstime and used on my back cover, please do not reproduce

 

 

Cover question and Teaser from “The Grave Artist” #teasertuesday

I can’t believe how closely together Tuesdays seem to be coming lately! Teaser Tuesday is below, but first, a question for you. I have been working on a concept cover for “Once Bitten, Not Shy”, a new novel still in first draft, and I need some feedback. Knowing nothing about this novel, take a look at the concept cover, and let me know what genre you would expect it to be and what your guess is as to the subject matter or storyline. I am having way too much fun in Photoshop to be objective about whether I am close to the target or not! Let me know what you think in the comments.

 

And now, on to Teaser Tuesday!

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. Anyone can play along!

I have just (today) started to read “The Grave Artist” by Paula Lynn Johnson. While I am only 16% of the way in, I am really enjoying it so far. Well-written, good emotional engagement with the protagonist, a good hook.

Here is a teaser from the first chapter (2%):

“Are you freaked?” I ask him, shifting uncomfortably in my seat.

He levels his eyes with mine. “Wouldn’t you be?”

Paula Lynn Johnson, The Grave Artist

 

16-year-old Clare can’t stop drawing the bizarre, winged skulls she calls “Sammies”. Her psychiatrist assumes the compulsive drawings are just expressions of Clare’s grief over her father abandoning her. But then Clare discovers that her Sammies are exact matches for the Death’s Head on the grave of Samantha Forsythe, a teen who reportedly fell to her death over two centuries ago.

Before long, Clare’s drawings morph into cryptic writings that urge her to uncover the truth behind Samantha’s death. Together with Neil — the friend she might be falling for — Clare scours the local history for clues. She finds that, although Samantha was engaged to a wealthy landowner, there were whispered rumors of her involvement with a younger, biracial man.

Soon, Clare is haunted by disturbing dream images — a mysterious eye, a broken chain — that point to someone Samantha called her “Dearest”. But who is Dearest? And why does Samantha need Clare to find him so badly?

Isolated and carrying hidden scars of her own, Clare fears her obsession with Samantha will threaten her sanity and safety. But it seems she has no choice in the matter . . . 

The Grave Artist is a compelling paranormal murder mystery and a poignant story about loss and what it means thrive in a less-than-perfect reality.

Excerpt from “The Society of Imaginary Friends” #teasertuesday

In case you missed it, “Stand Alone” was released on Friday, and I finished the first draft of my latest Camp NaNo book yesterday. Busy, busy!

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. Anyone can play along!

I am having a lot of fun reading “The Society of Imaginary Friends” by Kristen Pham. It is a young adult novel about a girl in foster care, thought to be schizophrenic, discovering her magical powers. If you read my stuff, you know that foster care and mental illness are two topics that I write a lot about, so that is what probably attracted me to this one. I am finding it to be well-written and engaging, with just the right mix of fantasy and moral development of the characters.

Here is a teaser from my current location:

…But sometimes, when my dad looks at me as if I’m some disgusting distortion of the son he once knew, I worry that he’s right. Maybe someday, my magic will warp me into a power-hungry villain, like he thinks it will.

Kristen Pham, The Society of Imaginary Friends

 

Belief is a powerful magic.

Valerie Diaz has a power that she can’t contain, and it’s killing her.

Bounced between foster homes and the streets, she only has time to concentrate on staying alive. But a visit from the imaginary friend of her childhood opens a world of possibilities, including a new life half a universe away on a planet that is bursting with magic.

The Society of Imaginary Friends follows Valerie on a journey that straddles two worlds. In order to survive, she must travel many light years away to a realm where anything is possible.

On the Globe, imaginary friends come to life, the last of the unicorns rules the realm, and magic seeps from the pores of all the Conjurors who live there. But choosing to embrace her potential will set Valerie on a treacherous course – one filled with true love, adventure and perilous danger.

Author’s Note: This novel was originally titled Into the Dark and was republished in 2014 under its current title.

CampNano Draft #1 complete at 94,733 words #campnano #campnanowrimo

The headline and the graphic say it all! I just finished draft one of my new novel, tentatively titled “Once Bitten, Not Shy”. It came in at 94,733 words, but that could change a bit during the revision process. The ending had me choking up, but I don’t want to say too much and give anything away. No spoilers here!

Today is April 21, and I began promptly on April 1. Less three Sundays, I completed it in 18 days. That’s roughly 5,200 words per day. With other NaNo novels, I have had 8,000-10,000 word days early on, but my schedule didn’t allow that this time. Today though, I did put in nearly 9,000 words.

Now that I have the entire storyline pulled together, I’ll run back through it to look for any structural defects, polish up some of the scenes, add any pieces that might be missing, etc. Then it will be on the shelf to season for a month or so. I need to get to work getting “Diversion” (sequel to “Deviation“) ready for my beta readers to that I can aim for publication in June. Gotta get it done before July Camp NaNo! Do you want to read a pre-release copy and give me your feedback? Contact me and I’ll get you one!

Here is my initial cover concept for “Once Bitten, Not Shy”. I will be thinking as I run through it again what I want on the final cover.

 

 

Stand Alone makes an Easter debut! #Fridayreads #yalit #standalonepdw

Wait—what’s that in your Easter basket?

Stand Alone makes it’s debut on Good Friday! Looking for something to read on the holiday weekend? (Okay, here in Canada it’s a holiday weekend.)

You can watch the trailer here.

My beta readers say this is the best book that I’ve published yet. Want it? Click on the graphic to see your options, or jump straight to the Kindle store.

Synopsis follows…

Is Justine crazy?

Everyone thinks so…

Her mother. The kids at school, and the teachers and administrators too. Even the police who pick her up from her night rambles. Maybe them most of all.

Justine’s therapist says she is ‘troubled’, but it means the same thing. He thinks that her vivid, reoccurring nightmares and atrocious behavior point to some trauma in her past; but Em, Justine’s mother, can’t explain it.

Justine used to have Christian, her best friend and skateboard partner. He was the only one who accepted her. Maybe because skating is the only time that Justine is really free to be herself. Now that Christian is gone… Justine keeps thinking things can’t get any worse.

Even as she sees her life spinning further and further out of control, Justine can’t give up her sense of who she is—someone far different than the loving daughter Em expects her to be—to just fit in and be happy. She is sure that Em secretly holds the key to who Justine really is. But if she does, Em isn’t talking.

—This book is a wonderful story filled with many twists and turns… it will keep you turning the pages until the wee hours of the morning. The end will blow you away. A great story.

—As PD Workman draws you inside Justine’s head you begin to wonder what really makes her act the way she does.  Good luck trying to put the book down until you find out why…