Cherry Christensen's Blog, page 5
October 4, 2015
The Starlight Chronicles
Attention, readers! Stock up your Kindles with these great books by author Lisa Orchard. The box set is on sale for $0.99!
Lark Singer is seventeen years old and already on the way to a brilliant music career. But as she and her band, Starlight, gear up for a competition, life seems to be throwing her a few curve balls. The mysteries of her past seem to be unraveling, and she’s no longer certain she wants to know those answers or how knowing about her past will affect her difficult relationship with her mother. And when her best friend, Bean, changes things between them, all her plans for a musical future are placed in jeopardy. How can she balance her complicated personal life to keep her musical goals on track?
BOX SET CONTAINS ALL THREE BOOKS IN THE STARLIGHT SERIES:
Gideon Lee
Lark Singer
Starlight
Lisa Orchard grew up loving books. She was hooked on books by the fifth grade and even wrote a few of her own. She knew she wanted to be a writer even then. Her first published works are the “Super Spies Series.” These stories revolve around a group of friends who form their own detective squad and the cases they solve. “The Starlight Chronicles,” is the next series that Lisa created with musical misfit, Lark Singer as her main character.
Lisa resides in Michigan with her husband, Steve, and two wonderful boys. Currently, she’s working on the next book in the Starlight Chronicles Series along with a few new ideas that may turn into stand-alone novels. When she’s not writing she enjoys spending time with her family, running, hiking, and reading.
Social Media Links:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Lisa-Orchard/328536613877060?ref=hl
Twitter: https://twitter.com/lisaorchard1
Website: http://www.lisaorchard.com/
July 26, 2015
Catastrophic
I’d like to welcome Valerie Howard to the blog today! Valerie is the author of Catastrophic, a short story I found to be quite entertaining. With three furbabies of my own at home, I noticed myself smiling and nodding as I read about the crazy antics of Pumpkin, a cat who would soon enough find herself blasting off into outer space. Now let’s turn our attention over to Valerie and learn more about this fabulous feline!
Thank you for taking the time to be here! Let’s get started by having you share with us a brief description about the story.
My pleasure. The short description is: When NASA scientist Stanley Miller’s new experiment goes missing along with his wife’s pet cat, hilarity and chaos ensue.” This story is a twist on the classic “science experiment gone wrong” type of plot– like where Peter Parker gets bitten by a radioactive spider and instantly develops super powers. What if that happened to a stray cat instead of a high school boy? I thought it would be even more interesting if the cat was hardly in any of the scenes at all, yet remained the main character without saying– or purring– a single word.
So tell us, what inspired you to write this story?
I became aware of a fun contest to write a “cats in space” story for a new book called Space Kitties: Feline Forays Through The Galaxies by E. Kaiser Writes (Link: http://amzn.com/B00S5D1TRM). I thought it was quite a reach out of my normal genre of Women’s Christian Fiction, but I wanted to try it and see if I could get into the anthology. Happily, “Catastrophic” was one of the winners. It’s a funny situation, because I’m actually horribly allergic to cats. (During an allergy test in my college years, the doctor said I was the most allergic to cats that she’d ever seen in her career.) I own two dogs, though, and they can get in about as much trouble as Pumpkin in this story gets into.
Congratulations! Who’s your favorite famous cat?
I’ve always loved Garfield. I relate to his sarcasm, his distaste for Mondays, and his love for lasagna.
Oh, I agree. I enjoyed reading Garfield comic books when I was growing up. Now I have to ask, is this your first short story?
It’s my third. My first is called “Cabin Fever,” and my second is called “Think.” One is a suspense/kidnapping story, and the other answers the question, “What if you woke up one morning and everyone could hear your every thought?” I’ve also published two novels, a novella, two non-fiction books, and several children’s activity books.
It’s been wonderful getting the inside scoop about your book. To find out more about Valerie and her writing, check out her author bio and links below. Until next time, have a purrfect day!
Author Bio:Valerie Howard is a native New Englander, the wife of a reverend, the mother of a toddler, the owner of two crazy beagles, and a raving chocoholic. When she’s not writing, she’s designing covers for other indie authors and wearing flip flops as much as possible.
Amazon Link to eBook: http://amzn.com/B00TEOP9K4
Website: http://www.valeriehowardbooks.wordpress.com
Facebook: http://www.Facebook.com/ValerieHowardBooks
Twitter: @PenHelp
“Books. Cats. Life is good.” ~ Edward Gorey
March 4, 2015
Calling All Authors!
Hey, everyone! Fellow author, Armand Rosamilia, needs your help with his event: Authors Supporting Our Troops. Please read on for more information.
What #ASOT2015 still needs in order…
1. Soldier addresses in remote areas. If you know of a soldier (friend, family, etc.) you are in contact with, and they are interested in receiving books to hand out to their unit, please let me know in a private message on Facebook or at armandrosamilia@gmail.com
2. More author-signed books. From the authors themselves or their publishers. I’m getting too many requests again for people trying to send me their used books. We’re ONLY interested in author-signed books for this event, and won’t be doing it any other way for years to come. I appreciate the enthusiasm but I have a focused goal. You also need to send me a Faceobook private message or e-mail (see 1. above) for my home address to send books to. I don’t post it online and don’t want it ever posted online.
3. Donations for the huge shipping cost. We are right on schedule with what we’re going to ship out in the coming weeks and what we need to pay for it. The #ASOT2015 shirts have been successful, and we’ll add another new shirt up tonight if possible. While I love getting in PayPal and checks (and some cash) donations, I think it is cooler to see people buying a shirt to proudly wear and to have something else to remember this great event. But however you want to help is fine with me!
4. More eyes on the event, especially your author friends. Every day I get another couple of authors who just found out about the program and ask for the address. So many never knew about it last year. I’d love to have more people aware of this program so I can flood Kuwait, Afghanistan, etc. with author-signed books for the soldiers who need a distraction. I ask everyone to please take a minute to invite your author friends or those who would be interested in also sharing the event and/or sending in a donation to help.
Find the event on Facebook at: https://www.facebook.com/events/1534524343483468/
December 1, 2014
Author Interview
I had the pleasure of being interviewed by author, Patricia Kiyono, on the Four Foxes, One Hound blog today. I’d love for you to stop by and say hello!
Also, don’t miss your chance to win a 6-inch Kindle Fire HD. Read the blog for details on how to enter the contest. Best of luck!
November 26, 2014
Release Day!
My debut novel, The Fearful Heart, is now available on Amazon and Smashwords.
The heart must be protected at all costs… but will Cassidy be able to afford the price?
Cassidy has distanced herself from childhood friend, Tristan. She’s moved on from their days of best friend-hood and is attending college. And dating one of the most eligible males on campus. Life couldn’t be better. Really.
Tristan has devoted himself to Cassidy since they were children together. But no matter what he did, she’s never treated him like more than her best friend. He knows they can have something deeper. If only he can find the key to unlocking her fearful heart.
Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Fearful-Heart-Cherry-Christensen-ebook/dp/B00Q6ZVQKQ
Smashwords: https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/496537
Thank you all for your support!
October 30, 2014
The Fearful Heart: Name Game
Welcome! Meeting and falling in love with new characters is always fun, so let me first introduce you to mine by way of the book blurb. And away we go!
The heart must be protected at all costs… but will Cassidy be able to afford the price?
Cassidy has distanced herself from childhood friend, Tristan. She’s moved on from their days of best friend-hood and is attending college. And dating one of the most eligible males on campus. Life couldn’t be better. Really.
Tristan has devoted himself to Cassidy since they were children together. But no matter what he did, she’s never treated him like more than her best friend. He knows they can have something deeper. If only he can find the key to unlocking her fearful heart.
Authors have many ways of choosing names, but here’s the process I used for The Fearful Heart…
When I was younger, I enjoyed reading teenage romance books. One of my favorite stories was We Belong Together by Elaine Harper. The heroine’s name always stuck with me: Cassandra. (Cassie for short.) So when I sat down to name my own heroine, I brainstormed for a similar name, but with a modern twist. And that’s how I decided on Cassidy.
Moving right along to Tristan… Well, it didn’t take a rocket scientist to figure out that a dark-haired, blue-eyed babe should be named after one of my favorite TV characters of all time: Tristan Rogers. For those of you who aren’t familiar with the name, he played debonair WSB agent Robert Scorpio on the soap opera General Hospital. And that’s the 411 on Tristan.
October 13, 2014
Facebook Romance Party
Are you a fan of clean romance stories? The types of stories that are sweet, not spicy? If you answered “yes,” then join me this Thursday night at 7:00 p.m. EST on Facebook at the Clean Romance Event. I’ll be hosting for an hour, so stop by and say “hello.” And don’t forget to enter my giveaways! I’ll have a charm with my book cover on it, and a pair of handmade bookmarks up for grabs. Hope to see you there. :)
https://www.facebook.com/events/619918141456580/
July 21, 2014
New Book Release
What happens when reality fuses with dreams? A futuristic world turns upside down into a prehistoric land of savagery and adventure.
Amish Johnson and the Pegasus Chamber
June 26, 2014
Are you looking for a Publisher?
If so, why not check out Eskape Press? They are currently accepting submissions for all genres. For more information, simply follow the link below.
http://eskapepress.com/Submissions.html
Happy Writing!
June 10, 2014
An Evening in Edinburgh
Peering out the tiny window, the iconic Forth Road and Forth Rail bridges came into view as our plane made its descent toward Edinburgh. I smiled at the sight of them, my heart pounding with excitement while I gazed at the rolling hills beneath me. After a sleepless night cramped in my seat, I was eager to land and begin enjoying a wonderful vacation with my husband.
Upon arrival at the airport, we discovered it to be similar in size to our hometown’s airport. We easily made our way through Customs, and then onto the baggage claim area. Stepping outside a short time later, I slowly breathed in the fresh air; relishing the warm sunshine hitting my face. Aah… we’d finally made it to Scotland.
Anticipation trumping exhaustion, we quickly boarded a double-decker bus to take us into the city center. Settling into our seats on the upper level, my husband grinned at me. And I knew why. It was our first ride on a double-decker bus. I matched his grin and removed the camera from my backpack as the bus eased away from the curb and headed for Edinburgh— on the opposite side of the road.
Entering traffic, I cringed at the numerous cars I envisioned crashing into us because my brain was still running on American convention. The camera shaking slightly in my hand, I told myself to focus on the scenery instead of the road. Outside the window were historic churches with spired steeples, old stone buildings high on a hill, and colorful trees and flowers in bloom for the spring season.
When we turned onto Waverley Bridge, my husband tapped me on the shoulder to signal our bus ride was over. Soon we were climbing what felt like an endless flight of stairs up to Giles Street where we found our hotel and dropped off our bags to go grab a bite to eat at the café next door. We looked like crazy tourists as we took pictures of our plates and drinks to commemorate our first meal in Scotland!
Our hunger satisfied and our excitement mounting, we ventured outside in the direction of our first tourist attraction: The Edinburgh Castle. While my husband soaked in the history of the castle and admired the cannons, I began taking pictures, all the while fighting the tremendous urge to run around in circles shouting, “I’m at a castle! Woohoo!”
My husband was grateful that I didn’t succumb to my urge, but instead joined him in calmly touring the grounds and the Crown Jewels exhibition. The crown was pretty spectacular, and I couldn’t help but notice that my husband’s eyes lit up when he spotted the sword and sceptre. I’m almost certain he was imagining himself as a valiant knight on a horse, armed for battle with his trusty sword.
After a fun day exploring the castle, it was time to do some shopping and sightseeing on The Royal Mile. Having successfully found the perfect wool sweater for my dad’s souvenir, we then visited The Writers’ Museum and St. Giles Cathedral. Along the way, I paused to snap a quick picture of the bagpipe player standing on the sidewalk. Love the kilts!
Leaving the bagpipe player behind, we eventually found our way to a local restaurant to have dinner. My husband ordered fish and chips with “smashed” peas— at least that’s what he told his friends on Facebook while he sipped an Irn-Bru for the first time. His UK friends got quite the chuckle from his message since he’d meant to say “mushy” peas. I think it will be a while before he lives that one down!
The air was cool by the time we left the restaurant and headed back to our hotel to meet up with one of our friends from Fife. Maureen, who runs Cameron Tours with her husband, came by to say hello to us, even though we weren’t able to go on the Kingdom of Fife tour with her because of problems with our flight out of the States. We had a great visit! My friend, Alex, was right— Fifers are extremely friendly.
Finally, bidding farewell to Maureen, we returned to our room. Reliving the day, our tired bodies sunk wearily into the feather-soft mattress. Ooh, so relaxing compared to the plane seat I wasn’t able to sleep in the night before! Closing my eyes, I heard the sound of laughter drift in through the open window, followed by a peaceful silence. Good night, Edinburgh. Thanks for the memories.
