Two groups of 12 authors (make that 24 giveaways!) are giving away books from a wide variety of genres. Ready to get in on the holiday spirit and win some prizes? Start here and take the blog tour. There will be posts and prizes to win every day of the 12 days of Christmas. On the 2nd Day of Christmas an author gave to me . . . Hello there. My name is Melanie Mason. I am an author, designer, and flight attendant all rolled into one. I graduated from Utah State University with a degree in communications. I have been telling stories all my life and I find a deep passion in sharing the plots that spin through my head. I hope one day soon I will be working on an airplane and see someone reading on of my books. I'm pretty sure when that day comes I will scream with excitement and probably send my flight crew into a panic. :) I live in Portland, OR- with my two dachshund chihuahua dogs and the rain - where the beauty of the Pacific Northwest feeds my imagination and the rainy winter evenings encourage me to curl up with hot chocolate and a good book. Or my laptop to write another good book. My two published books are The Line That Divides, a WW2 historical fiction novel and The Ring of Remaliha. Check out my website for more information: www.melaniemasonauthor.com. The book that I am offering on this the 2nd day of Christmas is a signed copy of The Ring of Remaliha. Here's a teaser: When April Tanner unexpectedly receives an ancient Egyptian ring, she is thrust in the midst of a desperate plot to uncover a treasure that will change the world. She travels to Egypt only to find herself dodging thieves, assassins, and rich debonair colleagues. Uncovering the secrets of the ring could lead to the treasure . . . or her own tomb. Enter to win here: I look forward to sending a copy to the lucky winner!!! Merry Christmas!!! Check out today's other giveaway author, Jason Zandri!
And stay tuned for more giveaways from these other fine authors (including me!)
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Two groups of 12 authors (make that 24 giveaways!) are giving away books from a wide variety of genres. Ready to get in on the holiday spirit and win some prizes? Start here and take the blog tour. There will be posts and prizes to win every day of the 12 days of Christmas. First up is a giveaway of a signed print copy of The Christmas Tree Keeper: A Novel Recently a #1 Amazon Bestseller in Contemporary Christian Romance Available in print and ebook on Amazon.com and other retailers About the book: Though Angela Donovan is out of work and needs money for rent, she yearns for her eight-year-old daughter to have a carefree holiday. The last thing she wants is the pressure of her daughter expecting a miracle. But when they pick out a Christmas tree at a cozy Massachusetts tree farm that’s exactly what happens when they learn the trees might be miracle trees. Mark Shafer is soon to be the new keeper of the Christmas trees when he inherits the family farm. He’d like to run it with a family of his own, but his girlfriend wants nothing to do with farm life. He makes plans to sell so he can propose to his girlfriend and pursue a career in music. Then he meets an unforgettable customer and her daughter, and an anonymous gift compels them to learn the truth about the trees. With a buyer willing to pay top dollar for the land, Mark has the fate of the trees in his hand. Will he be able to see what and who is most important? And will Angela give the miracle of love a chance? A little about me: Tamara Passey, author of the The Christmas Tree Keeper: A Novel, was born and raised in Massachusetts around a large family, one that has served as inspiration for most of her writing. She was named Arizona Young Mother of the Year in 2013 and contributes marriage and family articles to FamilyShare.com. Mothering through the Whirlwind is her fist work of non-fiction. She loves most creative endeavors and when she isn't writing or re-writing, you can find her baking or cross-stitching or walking--though not all at the same time. She lives with her husband and three children in Arizona. Visit her blog here. ENTER TO WIN HERE *** Be sure to check out today's other giveaway from Britney Mills! For a complete list of the authors and prizes: 12 Giveaways of Christmas Whatever you might feel about the Pilgrims and their arrival and subsequent take-over of the American continent, Thanksgiving is a celebration of family, gratitude for the year's bounty, and the opening act for the whole Christmas season. Its meaning has always been to celebrate, not only our roots, but to remind us of the goodness we do have in our lives and to thank the God who made it possible.
Have a happy Thanksgiving, everyone! I had a stunning realization this morning: I realized that Thanksgiving is only a little more than a week away! And Black Friday is just the day after! And, of the approximately 14 million gifts I have to get before Christmas arrives I have exactly two (2). But fortunately, this time of year is also season of Holiday Fairs and this year, I'm going to have tables at two of them! So if you're also looking to fill a few stockings (and my books fit in them pretty well), here's where you can find me and get an autographed copy: Saturday, November 21: Holly Days Fair and Kindle Sale, I'll be at Our Lady of the Miraculous Medal Parish, Hampton, NH, for their annual holiday fair, with both copies of my books, PLUS the Kindle versions of both Necessary Evil and Summer Shadows will be on sale, so pick up an e-version too, while you're at it and be sure to tell all your friends! Saturday, December 12th: Annual Women's Civic Club Christmas Fair, I'll be at the Atkinson (NH) Community Center, where not only can you find my books, but also tons of handmade goodies, like candies, soaps, and wood carvings. If you happen to be at either fair, be sure to stop by my table and say hi! Plus, it looks as though I may be involved in an awesome Facebook event, along with a slew of other fantastic authors. Be sure to stay tuned for that, too! Have a great week, everyone! Now, if you'll excuse me, I have to go find some turkey and a recipe book... TGIF! Here's a quote that inspired me today: Have a great weekend, everyone, and take time to make some memories!
In an attempt to become Well Informed on the subject of the upcoming primary elections, I've decided to try something I've never personally attempted before: I'm going to read all of the books written by the presidential candidates. It's a daunting prospect (seriously - have you seen how long Hard Decisions is?), fraught with the perils of Oversimplification, Villification, Prevarication, Nationalism, and Cheesy Family Photos. But I've decided that, since I've decided not to run for the Oval Office myself this round (I'm pleased to announce that I am still too young for that post), I should at least take a small interest in those who will be running the country I live in. And in the spirit of information sharing and entertaining content, I've decided to share this journey with you! Starting with Ted Cruz's book, A Time for Truth, (it's first because it was the only book my library had at the moment), I'm going to plow through as many of the candidates tomes and review them here so you don't have to! You're welcome, America. Expect the first review, along with my findings, shortly. Please note that I am a layman, with no political experience, and producing these reviews only in the spirit of fun and laughs. It's Monday. And for many people, it's day two of the Nanowrimo, a month long writing challenge that has many authors scrambling to complete 50,000 words in a month. Its quite a trick to do, especially when you have a real job, a family, a social life, and two major holidays around the corner!
To all you Nanowrimo writers, best of luck! To everyone else who's dealing with the Monday Blues, here's a bit of wisdom from our old friend, Joseph Conrad, taken from his masterpiece, Heart of Darkness. Fall has finally come to New Hampshire. The green leaves are drying into mellow oranges, brittle yellows, and fiery reds. The air is so crisp and clean that breathing it is like drinking fresh, cold water - I fairly gulp it in as I walk along. The shops smell of pumpkin spice and the promise of coming holidays. Everyone is packing away their flip-flops and swim suits in favor of knee-high boots and comfortable sweaters that hug you like an old friend, and prepping fireplaces for long, cozy nights. If you haven't guessed it, I love this time of year. And for reasons I have yet to understand (though the name probably has something to do with it), it's in Autumn that I find myself quoting Robert Frost. So here, in honor of Friday and the beginning of fall, is a quotable from the man himself: In other news, Necessary Evil: the paperback is coming along nicely. To celebrate, down-load the eBook on October 2nd only. If you've read it already, leave a review! And if you haven't read it, now's your time to get it, on me. Tell your friends, too!
Happy Fall, everyone! So, in case you haven't heard: the Pope is in town. Yup, if you're in Philadelphia, Washington DC, or NYC, you might have notice a sudden influx of habited nun, collared priests, and bus loads of people waving papal flags and rosaries and selfie-sticks. Yeah, we're all pretty excited.
In honor of the Papal visit here in the US (which, sadly, circumstance prevent this Catholic girl from attending), here are some awesome quotes from my favorite popes. The Enterprise, long over-due for repair and relaxation, is unexpectedly sent on a mission to the fringe of the Federation world to deliver a diplomat intent on halting hostilities in two far worlds and preventing a Romulan take-over. Not only is the Enterprise under-powered and over-strained, but the diplomat's abrasive manner lends serious doubts to the efficacy of his mission. Things turn dangerous when Kirk rescues a stranded space-traveler - a woman who casts a curious spell of pacifism over his crew. Suddenly, Kirk is facing not only Romulans and hostile natives - but his own mutinous crew! Mutiny on the Enterprise is a good, solid addition to Star Trek. The characters are well portrayed, the pacing is good, and the story line feels like an episode for the original series. I loved the fact that, though Captain Kirk is never really fooled by the woman he's taken on board, he is nevertheless susceptible to her powers of argument - a touch of smart humanity that more careless writers wouldn't add. The only draw back (which isn't really a negative, so much as an observation) is that the author doesn't do much more with the story than present it. This is a fun adventure and not much more. The Star Trek morality-play hallmark is missing - or perhaps I just missed it. (Totally possible - I was overly charmed by the single-entity planet that Kirk and loyal crew are marooned on.) Summary: A good entry into the Star Trek series, with the cast and crew well represented. This book won't rock your world, but it's an enjoyable way to get your weekly Trek fix. Character ratings: All As and Bs. The first book that ever made me cry was Little Women. And when I say cry, I don't mean a gentile sniffle. I mean an out and out bawl - reading, first (spoiler!) Jo's rejection of Laurie's proposal, then (spoiler again!) Beth's death and Jo's devastating reaction to it was an emotional experience that rocked this 10-year-old's world. I've been an Alcott fan ever since.
So, for today's Words of Wisdom, here is New England's own Louisa May. So, I intended to write something charming and witty and instructional today. Something that would rock your world. Something that would send you into the long weekend with a smile on your face.
But, alas for good intentions, I got distracted by work, life, and too many John Wayne movies and Star Trek novels, so the article remains unwritten. But until next week, here's a quote from a lady whose devious plots and charming writing style still dominates the mystery world today. Have a great Labor Day weekend, everyone! By Barbara Hambly Summary: While on a peaceful mission at Starbase 12, Spock uncovers a Klingon plot to destroy the Federation by going back in time to murder a man. But before he can relay the information to Kirk, Spock disappears along with the Klingon ship. Meanwhile, back in 1860s Seattle, Washington, Aaron Stemple comes across a strange man who has lost his memory - and may not be human. Stemple takes a huge risk by taking the man in as his nephew, Ishmael - little realizing that the danger comes, not from the alien, but from those seeking him. Can Kirk find Spock before the Klingons do? Ishmael is quite possibly the strangest crossover book in the history of Star Trek crossovers. Barbara Hambly takes advantage of the fact that Sarek was played by Mark Lenard, who also played Aaron Stemple in the romantic dramedy series, Here Comes the Brides. In Brides, Stemple is the somewhat unscrupulous businessman who puts up money for Jason Bolt's bridal scheme - with the proviso that, should any of the women go home before the year is up, Stemple will take over the considerable Bolt property. Hambly sets the story in season 1 of Brides, and changes the terms of the bet for her own purposes: in Ishmael, Bolt will lose the bet if any of the women remain un-betrothed by the end of the year. Ishmael has a lot of fun drawing Spock into Seattle's romantic intrigues, while still maintaining the tension of Kirk's desperate search for his missing first mate. The Trek cast are pretty strong, focusing, by necessity, on Spock, Kirk, and McCoy. The Brides' cast doesn't fare quite as well. While Stemple and singleton Biddy Cloomb get sympathetic treatment (especially Stemple, who is played as a misunderstood loner rather than the more acrimonious figure in the TV season one), the smooth-talking, charismatic Jason Bolt of the TV show suffers, coming across as a desperate schemer - a surprise, considering he's the hero of the show. One gets the impression that Hambly didn't like him very much, but perhaps she's approaching him from Stemple's POV. All in all, Ishmael is a thoroughly enjoyable piece of fan-fiction that seeks to answer some of the questions left open by the end of Brides and tie Spock more firmly to his human past. While sci-fi and action take a backseat to character and relationship building, this is a satisfying outing, especially to fans of both shows. Bonus: keep a sharp lookout. there are cameos from other TV shows, such Doctor Who and Bonanza, sprinkled liberally through out the book. Character ratings: Star Trek: all As and Bs. Here Come the Brides: Mostly Bs, except for Jason, a definite C. Love a good mystery? Want to check out new and exciting authors?
Join the Mystery Writers Revealed Facebook on September 12th, 2015, and get to know the mystery authors, enter contests, and buy books for a special low price. A great time is guaranteed! Click on the photo for the link. By Chuck Miceli There is a storm coming, and her name is Amanda. When infant Amanda died, her parents abandoned their luxurious home, leaving the room untouched. 18 years later, a small group of clever students stumble upon a anomaly - the atmosphere in Amanda's bedroom is stable and unaffected by outside weather conditions - they convince their brilliant professor to study the incident. Little do they know that they are about to witness the unleashing of a supernatural force - and they may not survive to tell the tale. Author Chuck Miceli crafts a tightly plotted, swift moving thriller, using an unusual (and terrifyingly effective) weapon: the weather. A fishing trip turns deadly when a water spout suddenly appears, a clear road suddenly becomes icy, a courthouse is literally attacked by cyclone - all these frighteningly familiar scenarios become tools in the hand of a supernatural power. True story: I've had nightmares since reading this book about the water spout. But weather is only one part of what's going on: there is the mystery of Amanda's parents, one of the students is accused of murder, and another is presumed dead - but may not be. And Miceli adds lots of fun details about weather tracking and patterns and keeps you guessing about who will survive. Throughout it all is the question: is Amanda trying to communicate? Or is she trying to kill? This is a fun, brisk adventure, with a mystery at it's core, and anyone who enjoys old fashioned horror/thrillers is sure to enjoy this one. Note for younger readers: some strong language, gruesome killings, some sensuality, and one brief bedroom scene. Disclaimer: This review was part of a book exchange for reviews. |
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