Thursday, October 31, 2013

Last Day of Christmas In October

CHRISTMAS IN OCTOBER!
Last Day!


Anne Stenhouse - Bella's Betrothal



Lady Isabella's room at the inn is invaded by handsome Laird, architect, Charles Lindsay, but is he hero or villain?

 Amazon: 
Giveaway: One copy of Bella's Betrothal + one copy of Mariah's Marriage.


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K C Sprayberry - Take Chances


It can’t happen twice … can it?

http://www.amazon.com/Take-Chances-ebook/dp/B00FIOX1MW/ref=la_B005DI1YOU_1_9?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1380502501&sr=1-9
                           
Just a note. They can go to my website, www.kcsprayberry.com, for a link to authorgraph – where I’ll send them an electronic autograph for their books!

I am offering an eBook of Take Chances

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Maria Grazia Swan - Love Thy Sister


All sisters aren't created equal – some are easy to love, while others are easy to kill.

I will donate an autographed  paperback copy, willing to mail to US or Canada, other countries only e-book

 * * * *
 Jeanne Bannon - The Search for Trisha Campbell


Just in time for Halloween. A short story about a girl who goes missing on Halloween and the unfortunate police officer who finds her.

 I am offering an eBook of The Search for Trisha Campbell

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Penny Estelle - Riches to Rags


Richest kid in school finds himself in 1875 on an Orphan Train with no money and no way of getting home!

https://museituppublishing.com/bookstore2/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=146&Itemid=82 
http://www.amazon.com/Riches-Rags-Wickware-Sagas-ebook/dp/B00G5ZXXYY  


  
I am offering an eBook of Riches to Rags, Book 5 of the Wickware Sagas, in whichever format you choose.


Today is the last day of our Christmas In October.  I want to thank all of you who have visited and commented.  Tomorrow I will be picking a name and will be in touch with the lucky winner. Thanks again and GOOD LUCK!!!!

Monday, October 28, 2013

Christmas In October - Day 8

Christmas In October
Only 2 days left until the big drawing!



Dianne Hartsock - Without Aiden



I'll be giving away an e-copy of any book on my backlist.

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Kirstin Pulioff - The Escape of Princess Madeline



Think Disney Princesses with a kick.
I will give away an e-book of The Escape of Princess Madeline.

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Deborah Melaney - Winter's Spirit


Winter McAndrew is on the brink of divorcing her philandering husband, Philip, when he dies in a car crash. One year later and with unfinished business; Philip is still earth bound and interfering in his wife’s love life. Will Winter get her man, or will ghostly Philip put an end to all her festive fantasies?
 I am offering an eBook of Winter's Spirit.

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Heather Greenis - Natasha's Dream


 Natasha’s dream is to escape a horrid future. The reserved young woman unexpectedly rebels in search of something very different. But there are consequences.



My giveaway is  a copy of Natasha's Dream

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Mark Iles - A Pride of Lions



Keywords/tags: Scifi, Science Fiction, horror, romance, aliens, war, future, space colonisation, space, space project, future of man, mankind’s future, British writer, English writer, upcoming writer, upcoming SF writer, BSFA, BSFA writer, Falmouth university, Falmouth alumni, space battle, BSFA Orbiter writer, Royal Navy
Kwaks Competition Taekwondo: http://www.amazon.co.uk/Kwak%60s-Competition-Taekwondo-Mark-Iles/dp/B000FTHGFI/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1325614714&sr=1-1
 
I am giving an eBook copy of A Pride of Lions

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Joanne Myers - Murder Most Foul
 
Solving a double homicide proves to be pure murder for the dangerously handsome FBI Agent Walker Harmon.
I am offering a printed version of Murder Most Foul
Our Christmas in October is almost over!  Be sure and leave your email address when you comment!  See you Thursday - the last day!  The drawing is Friday and it could be you!  HO HO HO!!! 

Friday, October 25, 2013

Riches To Rags - The big day is here!


Riches to Rags, Book 5 of the Wickware Sagas

Dylan Jones, seventh grader at Langdon Middle School lives the good life. His family has money. He gets most everything he wants.

Even so, everybody likes Dylan ’cause he is a happy go lucky kid.
Miss Wickware, his seventh grade history teacher, tells the class they will be studying the United States in the late 1800 for the next few weeks. Everybody will be expected to present an oral report on a subject that is drawn from a box. Dylan draws The Orphan Train.

A penniless Dylan finds himself at the train station in New York in 1875 and he is as scared and unsure as the children getting ready to ride the Orphan Train.

How will Dylan make it when money is nowhere to be found?



Excerpt


“Daddy, we don’t want to go with them. We want to stay with you.” His lips were quivering and his eyes filled with tears.

The man stood. “I done told you, since your mama died I can’t care for you.Now, you will do what I tell you.” He turned to walk away but the boy grabbed his arm.

“Daddy…” The man shoved the little boy, making him fall, landing hard on the cement. Both boy and baby were now crying and Dylan noticed not one person stopped to help.

“Hey,” Dylan yelled, “maybe you need to man up and go talk to the lady yourself. It takes a really brave man to push a little boy around.” Dylan’s face was purple with anger.

“This ain’t none of your concern, kid,” the man yelled over his shoulder as he practically ran through the door, escaping his kids screams.

“You can’t leave them here, you gutless wonder!” Dylan yelled, but their father was long gone. “People can’t just throw their kids away,” he muttered, picking up the screaming baby, afraid she would get stepped on.


“It happens all the time.”


Dylan turned to see a boy, a few years older than himself, leaning against the wall. He was dressed in dirty long pants and a shirt that seemed to have more holes than material.



https://museituppublishing.com/bookstore2/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=146&Itemid=82


 

 I want to thank you all for stopping by.  I am very excited about the 5th and final story of the Wickware Sagas being released.  Riches to Rags, and the other 4 stories in Volume One are geared for the middle grade kids.  One commenter will be able to pick anyone of the first 4 stories in the Wickware Sagas, in whatever format they choose!




Billy Cooper shrugs off a history assignment until he comes face to face with a 14 Century legendary hero!



A bully learns the meaning of humility and trust when he lands in 1777 on the Ride of a Lifetime.










Can the snooty school princess and the nerdy braniac work together to find their way back from the 18th century?









What does a twenty-first century tom-boy and the most famous poem ever written, have in common?

Thursday, October 24, 2013

Christmas In October - Day 7

Christmas In October
Thanks for stopping by Day 7 of Christmas In October



J. Q. Rose - Coda To MURDER


Pastor Christine Hobbs never imagined she would be caring for a flock that includes a pig, a kangaroo, and a murderer.


MuseItUp Publishing- http://tinyurl.com/anax9x7
bn.com and major online booksellers.

Giveaway is a copy of the e-book, Coda to Murder, sweet romance/cozy mystery.

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Andrea Buginsky - The Chosen




My giveaway is an eBook copy of The Chosen in whatever format you would like

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Kate Marie Collins - Mark of the Successor




Can Lily escape her abusive past and find her way in a new world


My giveaway is a copy of Mark of the Successor 
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Nicole Zoltack - Woman of Honor


Aislinn is willing to give up everything for the Kingdom of Arnhem: her childhood, her life, even her heart. No matter the pain it brings.


I'll give away a PDF of winner's choice out of WOMAN OF HONOR, KNIGHT OF GLORY, or CHAMPION OF VALOR.
* * * *

J. B. Cameron - Reading the Dead

 "A legend beyond death. A friendship beyond belief."




I am offering a copy of my paranormal detective thriller, Reading The Dead - The Sarah Milton Chronicles, in .mobi or .epub format.

 * * * *

Jennifer Garcia - My Mr. Manny



She needed help. He needed a change. Here comes the Manny. "Heartwarming and Uplifting!" 
Giveaway: 1 Kindle ebook of My Mr. Manny to winner.
 * * * *
Can you believe these selections?  Be sure to leave a comment and your email address!  After today, only 2 more days left!  The drawing is November 1 and somebody is going to get lucky!  See you on Monday, October 28!  HO!  HO!  HO!

Wednesday, October 23, 2013

Beverly Stowe McClure stops by Penny's Tales






WRITING VS PROMO

All I want to do is write. Stories fill my head. Characters whisper in my ears. My computer screen glares at me, as though asking “What are you waiting for? You’ve stories to tell, books to write, places to visit, worlds to create. So what are you doing for hours every day?”

“I’m blogging, tweeting, and all the other promotion things I can think of,” I say. And the truth hits me, right between the eyeballs. I’m spending more time promoting my novels than I am writing new ones. This is not what I want to do. I’m a writer. I create books for children, teens, and the young at heart to read. Yes, it is important to promote them because everyone says “Beverly Who?” when they see my name on Amazon or other places that talk about books. Without promotion, no one will ever recognize me as an author. I don’t write for fame or for money. (Good thing there, huh?) I write because writing brings me joy, and I hope my novels encourage, inspire, and touch young readers’ lives in a positive way. So, to solve my dilemma, hopefully, I’ve given myself a schedule, and I plan to stick to it as closely as possible. Writing first, then promotion.

Mornings, from 9 to 11:30 AM, after I’ve answered a few emails, and my brain is alert and can think, I write. At the moment, I’m on the final revisions of a YA contemporary novel. Some days I switch to the rough draft of a YA historical novel, and it is coming along slowly. My critique partner is reading the sequel to one of my books to help me revise it. Also, another Chicken Soup for the Soul story is playing around in my mind. With this many manuscripts waiting for my attention, I must stay busy writing.   
Promoting my books that are published is also a necessity. The afternoons work good for me. I answer more emails, check out Facebook and my blogs (I usually pre-post them a few days ahead of time, in case my Internet service goes down, which it has been known to do). I also read other authors’ blogs and leave comments then trot back to Facebook again to see what’s happening with my friends there. I might post a few tweets and retweet others that I like. I review books for authors, too, and spend a couple hours each day reading their novels. I make my to-do list and check off each task as I accomplish it. Some items are always left for tomorrow. My promotion still takes up a greater chunk of my day than my writing does, so I’m searching for other ways to use my time wisely and do both, writing and promo.

For those writers of you that have children at home and/or work at a job outside the home, how do you do it? I’m retired from teaching. It’s just the cats and me, and my days are way too short. I’d love to write in the afternoons, too. What is your secret? How do you balance your creative side with your business side? I bet other readers would like to know. I sure would. 





About the book:

Thirteen-year-old Erik Burks’ life is falling apart. When he discovers a lace bra in the glove compartment of his dad’s car, his mom leaves his father and drags Erik from being king of the hill in Texas to the bottom of the pits in South Carolina. No Dad, no baseball, no friends, just Starry Knight (a girl who reads minds) and her equally weird brother, Stormy, the twins that live down the block.

Just when Erik thinks life can’t get any worse, while hanging out at the beach one evening, he and the twins notice lights radiating from the lighthouse. The only problem is the lighthouse was deactivated years ago. Stranger still, a ship materializes in the moonlit harbor. Curious, the twins and a reluctant Erik investigate and discover the ghost of a blockade runner, a phantom cat, and a pirate who prowls Charleston Harbor, all searching for rest.
A former nonbeliever in the existence of ghosts, Erik cannot deny the proof before him. And he has a revelation: The ghosts may be the answer to his desire to return home. Erik soon makes a deal with the ghosts. He’ll help them find what they’re looking for so their spirits can rest in peace. In return, the ghosts will scare Erik’s mother so she’ll be on the next flight back to Texas. Star thinks his plan stinks, but Erik wants his life back, even at the cost of his mother’s sanity.


Excerpt:

          “Have you seen the lights?” Star asked.
          On the day we met she told me to call her Star or Starry. Either way she was from outer space. I glanced over my shoulder at the football field length of tall grass separating the beach from the nearest houses.
          “You mean those?” I pointed at the hazy glow around a street lamp. “What’s the big deal?”
          “Not those. Over there.” Star tipped her head in the direction of the water. “Look.”
          “I’m looking. I’m looking.” Why was she so excited? All I saw was a faint beam of light floating across the inlet. “So? It’s a reflection of the moon.”
          Star shook her head. “No moon tonight.”
          She was right. Yet stars (the heavenly kind, not the girl) glittered between the layers of gathering clouds. “Okay, it’s only the starlight.”
          “The light comes from the lighthouse,” Star said.
          “You can see it blink on and off,” Storm added.
            Morris Island Lighthouse stood several hundred yards into the water. According to Mom, who was big on history, the water was land during the Civil War. Over the years the sea had eroded the shore and water now surrounded the lighthouse. I couldn’t deny the yellow glow flowing from the top of the building. I couldn’t explain it either.
“Impossible. Mom said the lighthouse has been out of commission for years. The lantern was removed. Sullivan’s Island Lighthouse across Charleston Harbor replaced it.”
          “Then tell us what it is, Erik,” Star said. “You see it. Storm and I see it. This isn’t the first time, either. On cloudy, rainy nights the light flashes on.”
          “It’s not raining,” I said.
          “It is raining.”
          Star had barely said the words when a gust of wind whipped across the beach. Sand spiraled like a Texas dust devil. Something wet slapped me on the nose. Several somethings wet—raindrops. The space girl predicted the weather. So what? Dark clouds usually brought rain. “Yeah, it’s raining.” Under my breath I mumbled, “And I’m getting wet.”
In a lame attempt to pep me up about my new home, Mom had promised many adventures waited for me in Charleston. Adventures? Yeah. If you called ocean waves slurping against the shore and neighbors with two grains of sand each for brains adventures, I was up to my wet nose in adventures.
          The twins stared into the gloomy night, watching the light fading into a dim sliver.
The rain seeped into my T-shirt, gluing it to my skin. Lightning raced across the sky. I shivered. I’d had enough. I shook Stormy’s shoulder. He kept his eyes focused across the inlet. Star didn’t budge. They could drown if they wanted. I was outta there. I jumped to my feet, turned, and took one step, before Star snagged my ankle.
          “Wait. Where are you going?”
          “Home, before I turn into a duck with webbed feet,” I yelled above the whistling wind and growling thunder.
          She freed my ankle and stood. Raindrops plastered her carrot-red hair against her face.
“Besides the light, we’ve seen a ship, Erik. It always comes during bad weather.”
          Stormy sprang up. “We think someone in the lighthouse is warning the ships.”
          “Who? How? They can’t.”

Purchase at MuseItUp Publishing or Amazon!




About the author:

Beverly Stowe McClure, a former teacher, is now enjoying a second career: writing. She never planned to be a writer, but in the classroom she and her students did such fun activities in art and science that she decided to write about some of them. Luckily, a few magazines liked what she sent them, and her articles have appeared in Humpty Dumpty, Jack and Jill, Ladybug, Focus on the Family Clubhouse, Jr., and others. Nine of her stories have been published as books, the latest one a MG/Tween eBook: A Pirate, a Blockade Runner, and a Cat. She also has two stories in Chicken Soup for the Soul anthologies.
Beverly enjoys discovering her ancestors in her genealogy research. She plays the piano. (Thank you, Mom, for making encouraging me to practice.) She takes long walks where she snaps pictures of wildlife and clouds, and of course she reads, usually two books at a time. She teaches a women’s Sunday school class. Watching baseball (Go Rangers) is another of her favorite activities. Retirement is fun.
 You can learn more about Beverly Stowe McClure at http://beverlystowemcclure.wordpress.com or her blog at http://beverlystowemcclure.blogspot.com.

Friend Beverly on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/beverlysmcclure

Follow her on Twitter: https://twitter.com/beverlymcclure

Become one of Beverly’s fans on Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/11462.Beverly_Stowe_McClure

A Pirate, a Blockade Runner, and a Cat VBT Schedule
October 7th
October 8th
Author interview at Blogcritics
October 9th
Author interview at As the Pages Turn
October 10th
Author interview at Between the Covers
October 11th
Author interview at The Dark Phantom Review
October 14th
Guest post at Authors and Appetizers
October 15th
Author interview at Broowaha
October 16th
October 17th
Author interview at Examiner
October 18th
Guest post at Literarily Speaking
October 21st
October 22nd
Book spotlight at The Writer’s Life
October 23rd
Guest post at Penny’s Tales
October 24th
Book spotlight at Cheryl’s Book Nook
October 25th
Book spotlight at Review from Here
October 28th
Book review at This Kid Reviews Books 
October 29th
Book review at Cheryl’s Book Nook
October 31st
Book tour highlights at The Book Rack