A bit of a plug for my writing buddies…

Books and authors you might be interested in…

William Long, author: I’m told I need to tell a little more about myself, so I hope the following bio will suffice.

I was born and raised in East Belfast, Northern Ireland, near the Harland and Wolff shipyard where the ill-fated Titanic was built. My father worked on it as an apprentice and continued to work there as a painter, but those were the days when there were frequent spells of ‘no work in the yard’, so he would be forced to make his way to the English and Scottish shipyards to find employment, rather than go on the dole.

Both my parents were deaf and dumb, not very PC, I know, but that was how they were described in those days. Today, I believe, the correct term is ‘profoundly deaf’.

I left school, much too soon, at the age of 14. It was an unfortunate decision, but a necessary one as money had to be earned. Later, I tried to remedy this by going to night school to further my education, concentrating on English, maths and chemistry as my main subjects; but in the long run, it was my love of books and reading which would prove to be my educational saviour.

During the day I pursued a variety of jobs before settling into my favourite as a shoe salesman. My love of leather stems from that time; and probably my refusal to wear trainers, except on the beach! In the 1960s I emigrated to Toronto, Canada, where I worked for Union Carbide in an electrolysis unit. After working there sixteen hours a day, seven days a week, for nearly a year, I decided it was time to relax and see the rest of Canada and the USA. This was one of the most exciting times in my life, and included working as a night cashier in the Hotel Vancouver to delivering vehicles for the movie producer, George Englund, in Los Angeles, before ending up in the Bahamas, exploring the islands.

After a couple of years ‘on the road’, I eventually returned to Belfast to look after my parents, and after working as a sales representative for three years I decided to set up my own promotional advertising aids business. This included creating and promoting the Five Nations Rugby Championship tie, a best seller for over 20 years, along with a range of other branded products for Coca Cola, the Ryder Cup, Glasgow Rangers and other well-known names.

After retiring from business I volunteered to work for 12 weeks in a men’s’ hostel for the homeless. That turned into 12 years of dealing with men from all walks of life, whose lives had been turned upside down by inflicted and self-inflicted experiences.

I’m married to Vi, a retired nursing manager. I have a son who is a construction engineer who loves climbing mountains as well as building skyscrapers; and a daughter who runs her own campervan business. In addition, I’m the proud grandfather of two wonderful young boys, both of whom, I’m delighted to say, are avid readers and keen to write their own books!

Besides reading extensively, I have a number of interests, which include travel, not only to countries such as Italy, Egypt, Mexico and Sri Lanka, to explore their ancient cultures; but also through my own country of Ireland and its own long history.

When it comes to sporting interests, it’s the fortunes of the Irish and Ulster rugby teams which capture my attention.

Like many ‘sleeping authors’ I’d nursed the idea of writing a book, but other projects took precedence and I did little about it.

I had written a number of unpublished Irish short stories, and when I was diagnosed – very unexpectedly, as it happened – with prostate cancer, I decided to write about my experience and combine it with the fictional short stories. It currently sells under the title An Unexpected Diagnosis as an eBook on Amazon.

I followed up with The Timecrack Adventure series including Timecrack and its sequel Copanatec, with a third in the pipeline. These evolved out of my interest in the cosmos, modern physics and the possibility of there being more than one universe.

And in response to the many enquiries on how, or why, I ever started writing so late in life, I have written How I Wrote My First Book, recently released, which may answer some of their questions.

Also, because of these enquiries from aspiring authors, I’ve added a Guest Author page to my website www.williamlongbooks.co.uk which, I hope, will go a little way to giving them more exposure for their writing.

W.L.

 

THE CAJUN GHOST, by James Moushon, a Jonathon Stone Mystery
CIA Agent Jonathon Stone’s purchase of an old rifle from a gun dealer leads him on a search for the owner of the gun to protect the CIA Long Beach undercover operation.

As the search accelerates, fellow agent Carol Haney joins Stone on a journey that goes from California to the French quarter in New Orleans to the mountains in Northern Arizona.

When he finds the owner, a Cajun gun for hire, he discovers that he was one of the shooters in downtown Phoenix the day Senator Ted Closen was assassinated.

“I have uncovered a story that must be told. A crime that has remained unsolved for years. A murder that happen in broad daylight in front of thousands of people. A murder that possibly changed the politics of a state and a nation forever.”

Stone and Haney follow the trail through murderers, land barons and politicians to find the truth about the Cajun Ghost and the murder of Senator Tad Closen.

Available at Amazon for a limited time for 99 cents.

Also, The Cajun Ghost is featured on the HBS Author’s Spotlight Showcase http://bit.ly/29PE2fc

 

 

Dancing To an Irish Reel, by Claire Fullerton (Vinspire Press) http://goo.gl/DtYnga

SYNOPSIS

On sabbatical from her job in the LA record business, Hailey takes a trip to Ireland for the vacation of a lifetime. What she finds is a job offer too good to turn down. Her new job comes with one major complication—Liam Hennessey. He’s a famous Irish musician whose entire live has revolved around performing. And Hailey falls in love with him. Although Liam’s not so sure love is in the cards for him, he’s not willing to push her away completely. And so begins Hailey’s journey to a colorful land that changes her life, unites her with friends more colorful than the Irish landscape, and gives her a chance at happiness she’s never found before.

About the author: Claire Fullerton is the author of “Dancing to an Irish Reel” (Literary Fiction) and “A Portal in Time,” (Paranormal Mystery), both from Vinspire Publishing.  She is an award-winning essayist, a contributor to magazines, a five-time contributor to the “Chicken Soup for the Soul” book series, and a former newspaper columnist. Claire grew up in Memphis,  and now lives in Malibu, CA. with her husband, two German shepherds and one black cat. Currently, she is writing her third novel.

https://www.facebook.com/clairefullertonauthor?ref=hl

http://www.clairefullerton.com/

Celtic Life International Magazine review Dancing to an Irish Reel

By Claire Fullerton
Vinspire Press
237 pp / $13.99…
Almost like Eire itself, there is something magical, lyrical and whimsical about Claire Fullerton’s simple and satisfying story of an American woman’s (Hailey) romantic adventure with an Irish musician. A fairy tale of sorts, Dancing to an Irish Reel
transports readers from the hustle and bustle of modern-day Los Angeles to the wilds
of western Ireland, where time stands still. En route, our protagonist falls for Liam
(the musician), discovers newfound friendships, and falls in love with the music, language and landscape of her lineage. The author’s own time in Ireland has paid dividends here; mood, setting and tone are true to life, as is the quirky cast of characters. A strong narrative arc will keep readers turning the pages, and hoping for a sequel. ~ SPC

One Prince, Two Kingdoms by Jana Grissom

SYNOPSIS

My forehead’s throbbing. One minute this girl is yelling at me for giving up and the next, she’s laughing. Whiplash.

I squint my eyes at Danielle and whisper with my lips firmly in place, “I will never give up.”

Her voice is high and cheerful, “So what’s your plan?”

Johnny Boggs is a teen with trouble to spare who has learned one thing in life – trust no one. Paranoia befriends him as he moves into his fifth foster home and discovers no one appears as they are, his dreams are not just dreams, and he is supposedly the Prince of Shamayim.

On Johnny’s sixteenth birthday, fate requires him to leave the protection of this world but allows for him to choose to reign over the light or turn to the darkness. A vicious competition begins as two kingdoms fight for his loyalty while two beautiful girls, Danielle and Shay, fight for his attention. Time is running out; a decision must be made. Johnny finds it impossible to resist the beauty of his dreams, nor can he turn away from the one who has his heart.

EXCERPT

Footsteps enter my bedroom and approach my bunk. Not. Right. Now. I pretend to be asleep. A cold chill covers my body, making every hair stand on end. Then the bedroom door slams shut. I’m not in the freaking mood! Expecting to see one of my annoying foster brothers, I jerk my head toward the door and punch my fist into the mattress. “What!” I yell out, but no one’s there.

My eyes dart all around the room. Maybe there’s a draft, or someone shut another door causing this one to slam. Doubt it. I’m sure it’s just JC and Miguel trying to get even. “Hilarious, guys, I’m so scared. Now get the hell outta here.” I throw my pillow at the door and myself back on my bed.

An abnormal silence plays with my mind. I decide to reach for my headphones, but I can’t move. My heart jumps. No matter how hard I flex, my arm is stuck to the mattress. My lungs suck in air while every other organ aches under the pressure. An uncontrollable trembling takes over. What. The. Heck. Is. Going. On. My eyes blink over a hundred miles per hour. I can’t move, I can’t speak, I can’t, and then I realize I only have one ability left—sight.

Next to my bed stands a huge man with solid black corneas full of swirling dark fog in his vacant orbs, the Hollow Man. He’s staring me down again, but this time we’re the only ones in the room—no queen, no Camaro, no Mom. This can’t be real. It’s just another one of my crazy dreams. I go along for the ride, like I have a choice. The Hollow Man stands there clenching his fists, causing his abnormally large pecs to flex. My heart races, and my stomach threatens to return my lunch. An intense pain surges as he’s controlling every cell in my body without touching me.

The Hollow Man speaks, “Prince, why are you lying here as if you are a helpless child?” He turns off his death stare, and I feel an instant release followed by the familiar ache of a four-hour football workout in the Texas heat. Is this guy serious? Prince? And how am I supposed to fight something that isn’t really there? My chest tightens, and I try to wake up.

About the author:

Jana Grissom is a middle school teacher, an advocate for foster children and at-risk teens, a mom of two amazing teens, and married to Roy, her high-school sweetheart. Jana holds a Master of Education in Administration and Policy Studies and offers professional development in bullying identification, prevention, and intervention. She is available to speak to students at secondary schools about the writing process or bring a message that challenges them to S.T.O.P. bullying and suicide. Jana is a Texas girl who loves the outdoors, flip-flops, chocolate, and sweet tea. In her spare time, she loves escaping to imaginary worlds through the magic of books.

AUTHOR LINKS

Website: https://www.janagrissom.com

Blog: anovelreality.blogspot.com

GoodReads: https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/21133166-jana-grissom

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AuthorJanaGrissom

Twitter: https://twitter.com/janagrissom

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/profile/view?id=262129996

Green Zulu 51 (and other stories from the Vyptellian War), a new Military/Sci-Fi novella by Scott Whitmore

http://goo.gl/5CUHHf

A war of millions is fought by individuals. For sixteen years humanity and the alien Vyptellians have battled in space and on hundreds of planets in a distant corner of the galaxy.

Tyko is a teenage space fighter pilot who has never known peace; insulated from the horrors of the battlefield, he’ll learn war isn’t a game. Sergeant Siengha is one of a handful to survive the war’s first battle; surrounded and vastly outnumbered by a merciless enemy, it takes everything she knows to keep those around her alive and fighting.

These are just two of the countless stories from the human side of the Vyptellian War.  To those on the frontlines and their families at home, why the war began is unimportant, forgotten when the first shot was fired. What matters is the survival of the species.

But after years of bloody conflict, the war’s end is closer than anyone realises.

About the author

Born and raised in the American Midwest, Scott Whitmore enlisted in the U.S. Navy in 1982 and was later commissioned as an officer.

After retiring from military service he joined the sports staff at The Herald, a daily newspaper located in Everett, Washington. In 2009, his feature story about a young Everett sprint car racer was awarded third place in the annual writing contest held by the National Motorsports Press Association.

Scott left The Herald in 2009 to begin working as a freelance writer. In addition to his novels, he has written for various sports and motorsports magazines and blogs, and his profile of NASCAR driver Danica Patrick was included in the August 2011 New York Yankees Magazine as part of a special issue celebrating women in sports.

His previous novels are Carpathia and The Devil’s Harvest, available on Amazon.com. Contact him by email at 40westmedia@comcast.net or follow @ScottWhitmore on Twitter.

Native Lands, by Patricia Zick

http://amzn.to/1vSfMv3

Native Lands is a novel rich in intrigue and history as a tribe of Native Americans, thought to be extinct, fight to save their beloved heritage. They join with others willing to sacrifice everything to save further destruction of the Everglades and St. Augustine.

Forbidden loves, deceptions, and murder threaten to destroy nature and families in a saga stretching from the 1760s to the present day.

Join Locka and Mali as they lead their tribe of Timucuans away from the Spanish near St. Augustine in 1760 and settle into a new life in the Everglades alongside the Calusa Indians. Their progeny grow up in the Everglades, attempting to keep their bloodlines pure.

By 2010, Mangrove Mike, Joey Cosmos, and Rob Zodiac live among the white people and learn that the human connection transcends the fear of extinction of their people. Barbara Evans in the Everglades and Emily Booth in St. Augustine are the glue as the different cultures combine forces to fight a conglomerate of international interests.

It’s a dangerous journey as this oddly matched group attempts to halt the destruction of the natural world they treasure. Cultural boundaries established centuries ago are erased as love and nature seek the balance lost during the battle for power and control of the last of the Florida frontier.

About the author

P.C. Zick began her writing career in 1998 as a journalist. She’s won various awards for her essays, columns, editorials, articles, and fiction. She describes herself as a “storyteller” no matter the genre.

She was born in Michigan and moved to Florida in 1980. Even though she now resides in western Pennsylvania with her husband Robert, she finds the stories of Florida and its people and environment a rich base for her storytelling platform. Florida’s quirky and abundant wildlife—both human and animal—supply her fiction with tales almost too weird to be believable.

She writes two blogs, P.C. Zick and Living Lightly. She has published three nonfiction books and six novels.

Her writing contains the elements most dear to her heart, ranging from love to the environment. In her novels, she advances the cause for wildlife conservation and energy conservation. She believes in living lightly upon this earth with love, laughter, and passion.

Links:

Website: www.pczick.com/
Blog: www.pczick.wordpress.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/PCZick
Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/PCZick
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/5989135.P_C_Zick
Google +: https://plus.google.com/u/0/114232083554517874771/posts
Video Trailers: http://youtu.be/GNsZUiyDKIo?list=UUxE92WgTCZOLI6wrbIgoYhw

Conditions, by Christoph Fischer

http://smarturl.it/CONDITIONSCFF

When Charles and Tony’s mother dies the estranged brothers must struggle to pick up the pieces, particularly so given that one of them is mentally challenged and the other bitter about his place within the family.

The conflict is drawn out over materialistic issues, but there are other underlying problems which go to the heart of what it means to be part of a family which, in one way or another. has cast one aside.

Prejudice, misconceptions and the human condition in all forms feature in this contemporary drama revolving around a group of people who attend the subsequent funeral at the British South Coast.

Meet flamboyant gardener Charles, loner Simon, selfless psychic Elaine, narcissistic body-builder Edgar, Martha and her version of unconditional love and many others as they try to deal with the event and its aftermath.

On Facebook: http://ow.ly/C0ZqX
On Amazon: http://smarturl.it/CONDITIONSCFF
On Goodreads: http://ow.ly/C0Ziw

About the author

Christoph Fischer was born in Germany, near the Austrian border, as the son of a Sudeten-German father and a Bavarian mother. Not a full local in the eyes and ears of his peers he developed an ambiguous sense of belonging and home in Bavaria. He moved to Hamburg in pursuit of his studies and to lead a life of literary indulgence. After a few years he moved on to the UK where he now lives in a small hamlet, not far from Bath. He and his partner have three Labradoodles to complete their family.

Christoph worked for the British Film Institute, in Libraries, Museums and for an airline. ‘The Luck of The Weissensteiners’ was published in November 2012; ‘Sebastian’ in May 2013 and The Black Eagle Inn in October 2013. In May 2014 he published his first contemporary novel “Time To Let Go” in May. He has written several other novels which are in the later stages of editing and finalisation.

Website: http://www.christophfischerbooks.com/
Blog: http://writerchristophfischer.wordpress.com/
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/6590171.Christoph_Fischer
Amazon: http://ow.ly/BtveY
Twitter: https://twitter.com/CFFBooks
Pinterest: http://www.pinterest.com/christophffisch/
Google +: https://plus.google.com/u/0/106213860775307052243
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/profile/view?id=241333846

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/WriterChristophFischer?ref=hl
All Facebook links:
http://www.facebook.com/WriterChristophFischer?ref=hl
http://www.facebook.com/TheLuckOfTheWeissensteiners?ref=hl

Last Straw, by David Rheem Jarrett

http://goo.gl/5IDSaR

A tough, resourceful, middle-aged man, Thomas Pickering makes a dangerous adversary. Hammered by the Great Recession, betrayed by his new wife, and robbed of his retirement by men he trusted, he uses his experience and talent to exact his vengeance upon them in unique, ugly, and creative ways.  He finds he is quite good at dispensing justice, and begins to enjoy the game.  In this human chess match they are playing, his victims and the police have no chance — they have rules to follow — he does not.

Mike Kingman and Tess Brogan, the detectives assigned to capture him, have their own issues. Not only do they wrestle with problems of a developing love affair while trying to remain focused on the job, but Tess also finds, as the investigation proceeds, she has an unusual attachment to the killer.

From the Berkeley hills, to the Ghost Fleet of ships in Suisun Bay, to the towering Campanile in the center of the University of California campus, Pickering is always one step ahead, in a race that tests his considerable intellect and skill, and challenges the relationship of the two young officers.

About the author

David Rheem Jarrett was born and raised in Berkeley, California. He attended Berkeley High School, graduating in 1959. His educational career could be described as “checkered”. Entering U.C. Berkeley at the age of seventeen, he promptly flunked out after three semesters. After a year of working as a mechanic and having an older fellow worker tell him to “use his head, not his hands,” he decided to reinstate himself with the educational establishment, ultimately receiving his D.D.S. degree from the U.C. San Francisco School of Dentistry.

He has always loved being outdoors, and spends as much time there as he can. He enjoys being on the golf course, or in the woods with a fly rod in his hand and a gun on his hip. His father was a U.C. Professor, but also a jack-of-all-trades, and he learned the basics of many different trades by the side of this wonderful man. One of his favorite expressions is, “What one fool can do, another can!” He worked at many different jobs during the ascent of the academic ladder, most of them outdoors and physically challenging, and the experience gained while doing these has proven invaluable in his life and in his writing, as has the interaction he had with patients and staff members during his thirty-five years practicing dentistry.

He met his wife, Kathie, while fighting forest fires in California in 1959. They have now been married for fifty-two years. They split their time together between Reno, Nevada and Palm Springs, California, and travel to other places to explore in their motor coach. Three grown children and numerous grandchildren will testify to the fact that their union has been a happy one.

The Bridge of Deaths, by MCV Egan

ebook

paperback

On August 15th, 1939, an English passenger plane from British Airways Ltd. crashed in Danish waters between the towns of Nykøbing Falster and Vordingborg. There were five casualties reported and one survivor. Just two weeks before, Hitler invaded Poland.With the world at the brink of war, the manner in which this incident was investigated left much open to doubt. The jurisdiction battle between the two towns and the newly formed Danish secret police created an atmosphere of intrigue and distrust.The Bridge of Deaths is a love story and a mystery. Fictional characters travel through the world of past life regressions and information acquired from psychics as well as archives and historical sources to solve “one of those mysteries that never get solved.” Based on true events and real people, The Bridge of Deaths is the culmination of 18 years of sifting through conventional and unconventional sources in Denmark, England, Mexico and the United States. The story finds a way to help the reader feel that s/he is also sifting through data and forming their own conclusions.Cross The Bridge of Deaths into 1939, and dive into cold Danish waters to uncover the secrets of the G-AESY.

MCV Egan

About the author

M.C.V. Egan is the pen name chosen by Maria Catalina Vergara Egan. Catalina was born in Mexico City, Mexico in 1959, the sixth of eight children, in a traditional Catholic family.

From a very young age, she became obsessed with the story of her maternal grandfather, Cesar Agustin Castillo–mostly the story of how he died.

She spent her childhood in Mexico. When her father became an employee of The World Bank in Washington D.C. in the early 1970s, she moved with her entire family to the United States. Catalina was already fluent in English, as she had spent one school year in the town of Pineville, Louisiana with her

grandparents. There she won the English award, despite being the only one who had English as a second language in her class.

In the D.C. suburbs she attended various private Catholic schools and graduated from Winston Churchill High School in Potomac, Maryland in 1977. She attended Montgomery Community College, where she changed majors every semester. She also studied in Lyons, France, at the Catholic University for two years. In 1981, due to an impulsive young marriage to a Viking (the Swedish kind, not the football player kind), Catalina moved to Sweden where she resided for five years and taught at a language school for Swedish, Danish, and Finnish businesspeople. She then returned to the USA, where she has lived ever since. She is fluent in Spanish, English, French and Swedish.

Maria Catalina Vergara Egan is married and has one son who, together with their five-pound Chihuahua, makes her feel like a full-time mother. Although she would not call herself an astrologer she has taken many classes and taught a few beginner classes in the subject.

The celebrated her 52nd birthday on July 2nd, 2011, and gave herself self-publishing The Bridge of Deaths as a gift.

Find M.C.V. Egan and The Bridge of Deaths on Facebook, Twitter, Tumblr, and online.

Gettysburg: The True Account of Two Young Heroes in the Greatest Battle of the Civil War, by Iain C. Martin

amzn.to/VGfqLo

amzn.to/1pLZXpn

In the summer of 1863, General Robert E. Lee and the Army of Northern Virginia advanced into Pennsylvania in a daring offensive to win the Civil War in a single campaign. They met the Union Army at a quiet crossroads town called Gettysburg, and engaged in the greatest battle ever fought on American soil.

Three days of combat ended on July 3 with Pickett’s Charge, a heroic assault by nine of Lee’s brigades against the Union defenses on Cemetery Ridge. Their repulse at the stone wall became known as the “high-water mark” of the Confederacy. At the dedication of the Soldiers’ National Cemetery that November, Lincoln used the occasion to deliver his Gettysburg Address, a short, two-minute speech that became the most famous in American history.

In this original retelling of the Gettysburg story, Iain C. Martin draws upon firsthand accounts—from the generals to the lowly privates and civilians caught in the epic struggle.

Readers will discover history through the experiences of two Gettysburg teenagers—Matilda “Tillie” Pierce and Daniel Skelly. Featuring the artwork of Don Troiani, original photos, full-color maps, interesting tales, and trivia, Gettysburg gives young readers a fascinating look into this great turning point of American history—and just in time for the 150th anniversary of the epic battle.

 About the author:  Iain C. Martin is a freelance writer and historian with a MA in American history from Southern Connecticut State University. Originally from Owego, New York, he now resides in Connecticut with his wife and two children.

Go Away Home

by Carol Bodensteiner

 

Amazon Kindle Link: http://amzn.to/1s171ku

Liddie Treadway grew up on a family farm where options for her future were marriage or teaching. Encouraged by suffragette rhetoric and her maiden aunt, Liddie is determined to avoid both and pursue a career. Her goal is within her grasp when her older sister’s abrupt departure threatens to keep her on the farm forever.

Once she is able to experience the world she dreamed of, Liddie is enthralled with her independence, a new-found passion for photography, and the man who teaches her. Yet, the family, friends, and life of her youth tug at her heart, and she must face the reality that life is not as simple, or the choices as clear-cut, as she once imagined.

GO AWAY HOME is a captivating coming-of-age novel that explores the enduring themes of family, friendship, and love, as well as death and grief. This novel will resonate with anyone who has confronted the conflict between dreams and reality and come to recognize that getting what you want can be a two-edged sword.

About Carol:  Carol finds writing inspiration in the places, people, culture and history of the Midwest. After a successful career in public relations consulting, she turned to creative writing. She blogs about writing, her prairie, gardening, and whatever in life interests her at the moment. Her memoir Growing Up Country: Memories of an Iowa Farm Girl shares stories of growing up in the middle of the United States in the middle of the 20th century. Go Away Home is her first novel

A Fitting Place,
by Mary Gottschalk

http://goo.gl/jV2pqz

In the wake of her husband’s desertion, Lindsey Chandler finds solace in a relationship with a woman who offers an intimacy Lindsey has never known.

Before long, she finds herself ensnared by the same destructive inter-personal dynamics that plagued her marriage. Unable to blame her dilemma on traditional gender roles, Lindsey is forced to look in the mirror as she seeks to define what she wants from this—or any—relationship.

Freed from the straightjacket of societal notions of friend, wife, and mother, Lindsey calls on inner resources she never knew she had, as she sets out to build a new life for herself and her teenage daughter.

About Mary: Mary has made a career out of changing careers. She spent nearly thirty years in the financial markets, working with major corporations in New York, New Zealand, Australia,  Europe, and Des Moines, Iowa. Mid-career, she dropped out to embark on the multi-year sailing voyage chronicled in her memoir, Sailing Down the Moonbeam.  A Fitting Place is her first novel.

Leap of Faith by Michele Shriver

Single mother Tracey Hiatt prides herself on having a close relationship with her daughter- the kind of relationship she’s always wanted, but never had, with her own mother.

When her mother suffers a debilitating illness and faces a lengthy recovery, family takes on a whole new meaning for Tracey as she finds herself pulled back to her ex, Steve Eldridge. There’s only one problem: he’s involved with someone else.

Steve is drawn back into Tracey’s family drama and after her mother awakens from a coma believing he and Tracey are married, the two are forced to confront some fundamental questions about their
relationship. Can they put past hurts behind them and take a leap of faith into a new future together?

About Michele:

I caught the writing bug in sixth grade, when I threatened to write a whole book after a class
assignment to write the first chapter. I never finished that book, but the desire to create stories
never left.

When I’m not giving life to the voices inside my head, I can probably be found watching a
hockey or football game on TV, hoping one day the Dallas Stars will win another Stanley Cup
and the Denver Broncos will win another Superbowl. (Hey, it might happen!) Either that or I’m
busy with my day job as a juvenile court attorney, a position that never ceases to provide new
material for my books!

Available now:

http://
www.amazon.com/dp/B00JD0LYCQ/?tag=viewbookat0e-20

http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/leap-of-faith-michele-
shriver/1118970901?ean=2940149455492

Lily’s Daughter by Diana Raymond

A poignant coming of age story set in 1930s England

‘Diana Raymond is an observant, sensitive writer whose characters come alive.’ The Daily Telegraph

Lily’s Daughter is a bitter-sweet and often witty account of a young woman’s coming of age in 1930s England. Seventeen year old Jessica Mayne suddenly finds herself alone and unable to pay her rent, when a chance discovery leads to help from unexpected quarters. A new life beckons, while Jessica learns about past family secrets, and falls in love for the first time, all under the shadow of the advancing war in Europe.

Being Lily’s daughter has never been easy. Jessica has long had to cope with her mother’s fragile mental state, and a hand to mouth existence. When she finally makes the decision to have her mother committed, Jessica must face an uncertain future alone.

But there is the promise of a different kind of life when Lily arrives at Huntersmeade, the home of her estranged Aunt Imogen. It is here that she meets her dashing cousin, Guy, and Deirdre, the wealthy young woman he is expected to marry. Meanwhile, Imogen’s house-guest, Aaron, a Polish Jew who is about to return to Warsaw, has a deeper understanding than the English youngsters of how the world they know will soon change forever.

While reflecting the preoccupations of the era, Lily’s Daughter is essentially about the timeless challenges faced by us all: childhood, first love, family relationships and bereavement – the themes of love and death are present throughout this insightful story.

Author Diana Raymond

About the author

Diana Raymond was born during the First World War, and lost her father to the fighting a year later. Both before and during the Second World War, she worked in Whitehall. At the Committee of Imperial Defence she was personal assistant to General Ismay, who was to become Winston Churchill’s chief military assistant. In 1939, Diana leaned out of her office window on Whitehall to witness Chamberlain give his famous ‘Peace for our time’ speech. She later recalled that she knew at that moment that war was inevitable.

Lily’s Daughter by Diana Raymond

Published by Corazon Books

ISBN: 9781909752092

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Lilys-Daughter-Diana-Raymond-ebook/dp/B00HZS2OV8

P.C. Zick, author and editor

P.C. Zick began her writing career in 1998 as a journalist. She’s won various awards for her essays, columns, editorials, articles and fiction. She describes herself as s “storyteller” no matter the genre.

She was born in Michigan and moved to Florida in 1980. Even though she now resides in Pennsylvania with her husband Robert, she finds the stories of Florida and its people and environment a rich base for her storytelling platform. Florida’s quirky and abundant wildlife—both human and animal—supply her fiction with tales almost too weird to be believable.

She writes two blogs, Writing Whims and Living Lightly. She has published two nonfiction books and five novels. She also offers editing and formatting services for other authors.

Her writing contains the elements most dear to her heart, ranging from love to the environment. In her novels, she advances the cause for wildlife conservation and energy conservation. She believes in living lightly upon this earth with love, laughter, and passion.

“This is one of the most exciting times to be an author,” Ms. Zick says. “I’m honored to be a part of the revolution in writing and publishing.”

P.C. Zick’s latest novel, Trails in the Sand (Florida fiction), follows environmental writer Caroline Carlisle as she reports on endangered sea turtles during the Deepwater Horizon oil spill.

As she delves into the story, she uncovers secrets about the past that threaten to destroy her family unless she can heal the hurts from a lifetime of lies.

Her journey reveals the truth behind mysteries that have plagued her family for three generations.

Lost journals, a fake tablecloth, and nesting sea turtles lead her to discover why her uncle committed suicide, why her sister developed anorexia, and why her mother only wanted acceptance from those she loved.

Caroline and her husband Simon discover love lasts despite decades of separation when he was married to Caroline’s sister. Caroline’s niece Jodi, caught in the crossfire of family tensions and lies, struggles to find a way to forgive the past so she can move into the future.

Trails in the Sand explores the struggles to restore balance and peace, in nature and in a family, as both head to disaster. Through it all, the ancient sea turtle serves as a reminder that life moves forward despite the best efforts to destroy it.

Other novels by P.C. Zick
Tortoise Stew (Florida fiction)
Live from the Road (Route 66 fiction)
A Lethal Legacy (Psychological thriller)
Nonfiction books by P.C. Zick
From Seed to Table (Gardening tips and recipes)
Civil War Journal of a Union Soldier (memoir of Zick’s great grandfather)

Amazon Author Page U.S. – http://www.amazon.com/P.C.-Zick/e/B0083DPN4E

Amazon Author Page UK – http://www.amazon.co.uk/P.C.-Zick/e/B0083DPN4E

Smashwords: https://www.smashwords.com/profile/view/pczick

Website: Writing Whims

Blog: Living Lightly

P.C. Zick, Author

Florida Environmental Novels

Civil War Journal

Twitter: @PCZick

Lori Crane, historical novelist

I love Ameircan history and none  more so than that of its native Americans. I even wrote a book about the CHoctaw indians, which I have yet to publish., so I’m excited to see Lor Cranes novel Ely Hays focuses on the Creek nation. Check out Lori’s bio below and the blurb for what sounds like a great read…

the As the War of 1812 approached, the Creek Indian Nation was in the middle of a civil war. They fought brutally between themselves, as well as with the white settlers who were encroaching upon tribal land.

It was during this time Elly’s family moved to the eastern Mississippi Territory for the promise of low-cost land and fertile soil. She had no idea they were moving into Creek territory – into the middle of a hornet’s nest.

Tafv’s band of warriors taunted them, stealing their property, killing their animals, and destroying their livelihood. Just when the family thought things couldn’t get any worse, during one of the Indian raids as Elly’s husband chased the Indians away from the farm, Tafv’s young son was killed in the pursuit. Tafv vowed revenge against Elly’s family, and a final showdown was imminent.

Elly Hays is based on the real-life story of Elizabeth Hays Rodgers and is the epic clash between a fearless warrior with nothing to lose and a young mother on the verge of losing everything.

 

BIO

Lori is a historical novelist specializing in the 17th-19th centuries of the American south. She is active in historical preservation as a member of the United Daughters of the Confederacy, Daughters of the American Revolution, and the United States Daughters of 1812. She is also a professional musician and a member of the Screen Actors Guild, American Federation of Television and Radio Artists, and the Historical Novel Society. More info available at www.LoriCraneAuthor.com

website http://loricraneauthor.com/

blog http://loricrane.wordpress.com/

Amazon http://www.amazon.com/Lori-Crane/e/B00ATIQW8M

 GIVEAWAYS

 1. EBOOK!  Every comment on this post during the book tour (Nov 4-16) will be entered to win an ebook of the 1st or 2nd book in the Okatibbee Creek series, OKATIBBEE CREEK or AN ORPHAN’S HEART. Your choice of Kindle or Nook. One winner will be chosen. Prize will be delivered by email. Winner will be posted here in the comments on November 17, 2013. Visit each stop of the tour to increase your chances. An ebook will be given away at each stop. Tour schedule is posted at www.LoriCraneAuthor.com.

 

2. $25 AMAZON GIFT CARD! If you sign up for Lori’s newsletter by November 16th, you will be entered into the drawing for a $25.00 Amazon Gift Card. One winner will be chosen. Prize will be delivered by email. Winner will be announced in the newsletter on November 18, 2013. Sign up at www.LoriCraneAuthor.com.

 

Love & Deception (Agents in Love ~ Book 1)

Release Date: October 18, 2013

Author: Chantel Rhondeau

Genre: Romantic Suspense

 What if everything you believed in was a lie?

In hiding for six years, Carlie Hollis is tired of running. All she wants is to stay in Sayle, Washington and make a success of her struggling delicatessen. Because of her past, she’s suspicious of anyone who takes an interest in her.

Nick Kendall works as a spy in a top-secret government operation, protecting innocent people from danger. Sent to Sayle on a mission to infiltrate a suspected terrorist organization, Nick finds himself attracted to Carlie, an alleged key player of the group.

Despite her misgivings, Carlie develops feelings for the handsome stranger, believing he is there to help her. But when Nick finds evidence of her guilt, he’s given orders to do the unthinkable—eliminate the target, one he’s fallen hopelessly in love with. Will he follow orders…or become hunted himself?

CONTENT WARNING: Violence, language, sizzling love scenes.

Agents in Love Series:
Book 1 – Love & Deception (October 2013)
Book 2 – Love & Redemption (Spring 2014)
Book 3 – Love & Compromise (Fall 2014)
More to come…

Buy it now:

Kindle Edition:

Amazon: US | UK |

Apple iStore:  US | UK | AU | CA

Barnes & Noble

Kobo

Smashwords

All Romance eBooks
Print Edition:

CreateSpace

Amazon US

Amazon UK

Mark it as “to read” on Goodreads

Excerpt:

Silence rushed to fill the space between them. Desperate to keep the conversation moving, Carlie jerked her chin in the direction of the chandelier. “I love how big that is.”

“Really?” Nick lifted one eyebrow and his lips quirked at the corners. “I’ve heard size is important.”

Embarrassment burned all the way up her neck and face. “I meant the chandelier. I wasn’t saying…” Holy crap. She was supposed to flirt. Another woman would have come up with a witty comeback, but Carlie had nothing.

He laughed and reached across the table, patting her hand. “Relax. I figured that’s what you meant. Just trying to lighten the mood.”

“I’m sorry. I don’t mean to be so nervous.”

“It’s okay, but you really don’t need to be. I don’t bite. Well,” he glanced at the tablecloth briefly before looking at her again, heat in his gaze, “not on the first date.”

“I…you…” Carlie gasped for a few seconds and then sighed. Shelley would be so disappointed in her. “I’m not good at this.”

“You’re not trying to tell me you don’t date much, are you?”

“Well, actually, I don’t.” She took a sip of water. The truth was the wrong path to take here. Guys wanted worldly, experienced girls who knew how to have a good time.

Flirt!

She winked at him, hoping it didn’t look like she had something in her eye. “At least, not men as sexy as you.”

He winked back. “And big, don’t forget big.”

Author Bio

Chantel once thought a great mystery or fantasy book with strong romantic themes was the highest level of reading bliss. After reading her first romantic suspense novel, she never looked back. Before long, the need to create her own stories took over. She spend her days in the clinical profession of medical transcriptionist, but her passion is in the hours spent with her characters in the evenings.

She live in the western United States, and when she’s not writing she love playing cards with her family, bowling on leagues, and snuggling with her lazy kitties.

Want to contact Chantel?

Website: http://www.chantelrhondeau.com

Cyber Stalk on Facebook

Follow on Twitter
Check out all Chantel’s available titles: http://www.chantelrhondeau.com/p/my-available-titles.

M.K. Tod has enjoyed a passion for historical novels that began in her early teenage years immersed in the stories of Rosemary Sutcliff, Jean Plaidy and Georgette Heyer.

Armed with Mathematics and Computer Science degrees, she embarked on a career in technology and consulting, continuing to read historical fiction in the tiny snippets of time available to working women with children to raise.

In 2004, Mary moved to Hong Kong with her husband and no job. To keep busy she decided to research her grandfather’s part in the Great War. What began as an effort to understand her grandparents’ lives blossomed into a fulltime occupation as a writer.

Beyond M.K. Tod’s debut novel UNRAVELLED, she has written two other novels with WWI settings. She has an active blog — http://www.awriterofhistory.com—discussing many aspects of historical fiction, including interviews with a variety of authors and the results
of a survey of over 800 readers.

Mary can be contacted on Facebook, Twitter and Goodreads or at mktod@bell.net.

UNRAVELLED

Two wars. Two affairs. One marriage.

In October 1935, Edward Jamieson’s memories of war and a passionate love affair resurface when an invitation to a WWI memorial ceremony arrives. Though reluctant to visit the scenes of horror he has spent years trying to forget, Edward succumbs to the
unlikely possibility of discovering what happened to Helene Noisette, the woman he once pledged to marry. Travelling through the French countryside with his wife Ann, Edward sees nothing but reminders of war. After a chance encounter with Helene at the dedication ceremony, Edward’s past puts his present life in jeopardy.

When WWII erupts a few years later, Edward is quickly caught up in the world of training espionage agents, while Ann counsels grieving women and copes with the daily threats facing those she loves. And once again, secrets and war threaten the bonds of
marriage.

With events unfolding in France, England and Canada, UNRAVELLED is a compelling novel of love, duty and sacrifice set amongst the turmoil of two world wars.

M.K. Tod writes historical fiction and blogs about all aspects of the genre at A Writer of History. Her debut novel, UNRAVELLED: Two wars. Two affairs. One marriage. is available in paperback and e-book formats from Amazon (US, Canada and elsewhere), Nook, Kobo, Google Play and soon on iTunes. Mary can be contacted on Facebook, Twitter and Goodreads.

Christoph Fischer

Christoph Fischer was born in Germany, near the Austrian border, as the son of a Sudeten-German father and a Bavarian mother. Not a full local in the eyes and ears of his peers he developed an ambiguous sense of belonging and home in Bavaria. He moved to Hamburg in pursuit of his studies and to lead a life of literary indulgence. After a few years he moved on to the UK where he is still resident today. ‘The Luck of The Weissensteiners’ was published in November 2012; ‘Sebastian’ in May 2013.He has written several other novels which are in the later stages of editing and finalisation.

http://www.facebook.com/WriterChristophFischer?ref=hl

http://www.christophfischerbooks.com/

http://writerchristophfischer.wordpress.com/

The Luck of the Weissensteiners

In the sleepy town of Bratislava in 1933 a romantic girl falls for a bookseller from Berlin. Greta Weissensteiner, daughter of a Jewish weaver, slowly settles in with the Winkelmeier clan just as the developments in Germany start to make waves in Europe and re-draws the visible and invisible borders. The political climate in the multifaceted cultural jigsaw puzzle of disintegrating Czechoslovakia becomes more complex and affects relations between the couple and the families. The story follows them through the war with its predictable and also its unexpected turns and events and the equally hard times after.
But this is no ordinary romance; in fact it is not a romance at all, but a powerful, often sad, Holocaust story. What makes The Luck of the Weissensteiners so extraordinary is the chance to consider the many different people who were never in concentration camps, never in the military, yet who nonetheless had their own indelible Holocaust experiences. This is a wide-ranging, historically accurate exploration of the connections between social location, personal integrity and, as the title says, luck.

http://www.facebook.com/TheLuckOfTheWeissensteiners?ref=hl

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Weissensteiners-Three-Nations-Trilogy-ebook/dp/B00AFQC4QC/ref=tmm_kin_title_0

http://www.amazon.com/Weissensteiners-Three-Nations-Trilogy-ebook/dp/B00AFQC4QC/ref=cm_rdp_product

http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/16177343-the-luck-of-the-weissensteiners

Sebastian

Sebastian is the story of a young man who has his leg amputated before World War I. When his father is drafted to the war it falls on to him to run the family grocery store in Vienna, to grow into his responsibilities, bear loss and uncertainty and hopefully find love.
Sebastian Schreiber, his extended family, their friends and the store employees experience the ‘golden days’ of pre-war Vienna and the timed of the war and the end of the Monarchy while trying to make a living and to preserve what they hold dear.
Fischer convincingly describes life in Vienna during the war, how it affected the people in an otherwise safe and prosperous location, the beginning of the end for the Monarchy, the arrival of modern thoughts and trends, the Viennese class system and the end of an era.
As in the first part of the trilogy, “The Luck of The Weissensteiners” we are confronted again with themes of identity, Nationality and borders. The step back in time made from Book 1 and the change of location from Slovakia to Austria enables the reader to see the parallels and the differences deliberately out of the sequential order. This helps to see one not as the consequence of the other, but to experience them as the momentary reality as it must have felt for the people at the time

http://www.facebook.com/pages/Sebastian/489427467776001?ref=hl

http://www.amazon.com/Sebastian-Three…

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Sebastian-Thr…

http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/17…

******

Announcing a new release
Book: White Swans: Revelations
Author: annamaria Bazzi
Release date: June 5, 2013

White Swans: Revelations

Book Blurb:
After attempting to accept her fate in the strange fishbowl world, Kendíka decides it’s impossible. Call her a pet, will they? Determination revived, she tempts her “master’s” fury by trying to make life better for the people of Deverow’s Duchy. She will bring technology to the Regency era or end up a swan trying.
Still longing for a higher station in her new existence, Jillian sets her sights on Harry, the Count of Paddington. The only problem? Getting the man to take notice of her. Perhaps discovering some common ground—besides their rabbit-like features—will do the trick.

About the Author:
Although born in the United States, Annamaria Bazzi spent a great deal of her childhood in Sicily, Italy, in a town called Sciacca. Italian was the language spoken at home. Therefore, she had no problems when she found herself growing up in a strange country.
Upon returning to the states, she promised herself she would speak without an accent.
She attended Wayne State University in Detroit Michigan, where she obtained her Bachelor of Science in Computers with a minor in Spanish.
Annamaria spent twenty years programming systems for large corporations, creating innovative solution, and addressing customer problems. During those years, she raised four daughters and one husband. Annamaria lives in Richmond Virginia with her small family where she now dedicates a good part of her day writing.
You can visit or contact annamaria at:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Author.annamariabazzi?ref=hl
Blog: http://www.annamariabazzi.com
LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/profile/view?id=124386057&trk=tab_pro
Twitter: https://twitter.com/AMBazzi
AUTHORSdB: http://authorsdb.com/authors-directory/3508-annamaria-bazzi
Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/6890526.Annamaria_Bazzi
You can write to annamaria at: annamariascorner@yahoo.com