Month: June 2019

Diantha by Zina Abbott

June 28, 2019

My name is Robyn Echols. Zina Abbott is the pen I use for my historical novels. I’m a member of Women Writing the West and Western Writers of America. I currently live with my husband in California’s central valley near the “Gateway to Yosemite.”I love to read, quilt, work with digital images on my photo editing program, and work on my own family history.

I am a blogger. In addition to my own blog, I blog for several group blogs including the Sweet Americana Sweethearts blog, which I started and administer.

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~ Google+ ~ Newsletter ~ Booklinker ~

The daughter of a
Georgia plantation owner, Diantha Ames was raised and educated to be a lady.
Surviving the Civil War as a child, her family, in a desperate, but ultimately
unsuccessful bid to save the property of both her father and her uncle,
arranges a marriage between her and her first cousin. Although not a love match,
she and Eugene were amiable. As information about her husband comes to light
after his death in the Gold King Mine disaster that took so many lives in
Wildcat Ridge, she is left with her husband’s hotel and postmaster position to
fill—and a lot of questions.

With Diantha’s
former laundress gone, she hires Hilaina Dowd, whose family hails from the
mountains of Appalachia. Hilaina loyally stays with her mother who wishes to
live out her life in Wildcat Ridge and be buried next to her husband who died
in the mine disaster.

Henry “Hank”
Cauley is branded a failure after refusing to be part of his father’s Salt Lake
City brick-making business and then losing his stationary and book store
business. To bury him far away, his brother and conniving sister-on-law use
their political influence with the territorial Congressional representative to
award him the postmaster position in Wildcat Ridge. He arrives in town to take
over the position starting the first of September only to discover the
postmistress, Diantha, knows nothing about the change, and is not relieved she
no longer is obligated to fill this position originally awarded to her deceased
husband. Finding himself surrounded by those loyal to the soft-spoken, Southern
lady, is he destined to also be a failure in Wildcat Ridge?

Buckley “Buck”
Kramer, wrangler on the Grassy Fork Ranch in Colorado, has not been totally
satisfied with his lot ever since the trip he took to Wildcat Ridge earlier in
the summer with his boss and best friend now he sees the happiness of family
life the two men enjoy after they brought back wives. When two trail-worn young
brothers stumble onto the ranch looking for a meal and permanent jobs, but are
told with winter coming on there is only room for one, Buck insists on leaving
in order to keep the brothers together. Is Buck really dissatisfied with his
job on the ranch, or is this an excuse to return to Wildcat Ridge and the woman
he has not been able to get out of his mind?

Diantha, Book 14,
is a stand-alone novel. However, you might enjoy it best by reading all the
books in the series, The Widows of Wildcat Ridge. Also, my other book in the
series, Nissa, Book 3, was written to
be a duet with Diantha—a series
within a series. You might also enjoy reading Nissa if you have not already done so.

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Top Ten List:

10 Fun Facts About Myself

1.
I’m not a fun person—I tend to be serious.

2.
I’ll go to an organizational meeting with a speaker or class before I’ll
go to a social party.

3.
I’m analytical and sometimes suffer from “analysis paralysis.”

4.
I like to quilt rather than sew garments because l like doing the math
to create new block designs.

5.
The other fun part of quilting for me is to put together colors and
fabric patterns I don’t think will look good together – but in the end, they
do!

6.
I like photography, but I’m not a professional. Thank goodness for
digital cameras and photo-editing programs.

7.
I love to create digital memes, banners and blog post headers.

8.
I belong to my county genealogical society.

9.
My idea of camping is staying in a fifth wheel or a trailer—with
internet access.

10.
I’d rather be reading.

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The Australian Billionaire by Britney M Mills

June 27, 2019

Britney Mills was born in Utah but
parts of her heart lie in Boston, Washington D.C. and Germany. Her love of
writing began with the third grade book her teacher assigned her to write and
she spent hours hidden behind her mother’s couch writing pages and pages about
knights and castles. Now she writes about romance. Go figure.When she’s not mothering her 4 small children, writing or reading, she’s
probably out playing a sport, going on a hike, or binge watching a murder mystery
series. The way to her heart is through homemade chocolate chip cookies and
five minutes peace.

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A self-made billionaire, his real
estate agent and three weeks to find the right property.
Jackson Walker hasn’t had the best family life. Growing up in the foster system
in Australia, it wasn’t until he met his college football coach that he
understood what a normal family looked like. When he gets the call that Coach
has passed away, he returns to California for the funeral and to find a place
to honor the man.

Hailey Montgomery threw herself into real estate soon after breaking up with
her boyfriend nearly five years ago. She’s been working to build a name for
herself and when the chance to make partner at her firm becomes available, she
jumps at the chance. But the only way to achieve that distinction is to find a
commercial property for the guy she’s nicknamed ‘Golden Boy’ from all the
stories her father told about him.

As spending time together brings them closer, the trust between them is called into
question. Can they work through what’s happened in their individual pasts to
create a relationship that will last?

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Q&A With the Author:

1. What do you like to do when
you’re not writing?
Read, play outside with my kids, travel.

2. What would you say is your interesting writing quirk?
I like to write with music that has singing, but I
have to edit with classical music

3. Do you have any suggestions to help budding authors become better writers?
If so, what are they?
Read, A LOT. Read craft books, read in your genre,
join a writing Facebook group and learn from them.

4. Where do you get information and ideas for your books?
Ideas come in everyday life. I’ll have an idea pop
up for a story and then I do some research. For the International Billionaire
Club series, I’ve used Youtube a lot to learn about the different countries.

5. What do you think makes a good
story?

One that makes it hard to put down.

6. Tell us about your favorite summer
vacation? Or what do you like to do in the summer?

It’s been a few years since we’ve
been able to go camping but those are some fun times. S’mores, tin foil
dinners, hiking. Those are my favorites in the summer!

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The Kingdom of Nereth by TJ Amberson

June 26, 2019

TJ Amberson hails from the Pacific
Northwest. With a love of writing in several genres, TJ strives to provide
well-written, age-appropriate, & original novels for tweens, teens, and new
adults.

~ Facebook ~ Website ~

Dark times are upon the land of
Nereth. Centuries have passed since the rightful heir to the throne was
banished. The people are losing hope in ancient legend, which foretells of one
who will rise up, overthrow the evil king and queen, and restore peace. Like
all others in Nereth, Edlyn has suffered greatly. Orphaned as a child, Edlyn
grew up as the serf of a drunken lord. Now a spirited seventeen-year-old, Edlyn
works to buy her freedom while fighting off the unwanted advances of Sheriff
Hurst. One morning, Edlyn discovers a young man hiding in the stable. He is
fleeing from Sheriff Hurst and inflicted with a sword wound that will surely be
fatal without her help. In a split-second decision, Edlyn conceals the young
man from Sheriff Hurst and begins nursing him back to health. As the young
man’s strength returns, Edlyn learns that his name is Maddock, and she is
stunned to find that he has come from the mysterious land to the north. Maddock
soon comes to Edlyn’s aid, rescuing her from Sheriff Hurst. Suddenly declared
outlaws, both Edlyn and Maddock must escape for their lives to enchanted
Ravenshire Forest and then the desolate mountains beyond. As their adventure
unfolds, Edlyn and Maddock discover that their meeting may have been more than
chance, for their lives prove bound by a fate that neither of them could
possibly have imagined.

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Q&A With the Author:

Question 1) What do you like to do when you’re not writing? When I’m not writing, I
enjoy working in my garden, bike riding, taking walks on a sunny day, star
gazing with my telescope, and traveling whenever I can.

Question 2) What would you say is your interesting writing quirk? I would say an
interesting writing quirk of mine is that I’m much more productive at
certain times of the day, particularly right after waking up or in
the late evening.

Question 3) Do you have any suggestions to help budding authors become better
writers? If so, what are they? For budding
writers, my advice on how to improve is to simply keep writing! Just like
any skill or talent, you get better the more that you do it!

Question 4) Where do you get information and ideas for your books? I glean information or
ideas for my books from just about anywhere – including random ideas
popping into my head, online research, dreams, my educational
background, witnessing something humorous or inspiring – ideas come
from all around!

Question 5) What do you think makes a good story? I don’t know if there’s a
way to articulate perfectly what makes a good story, but I would include on the
list: characters that we can care about, a story that intrigues us,
storytelling that makes us feel emotion, and a conclusion that satisfies.

Question 6) Tell us about your favorite summer vacation? Or what do you like to do
in the summer? Summertime is all about
being outside and enjoying sunshine! That can be anything from big to small,
including a boat ride, traveling, or a peaceful evening enjoying dinner
out on the patio.

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The Evil That Was Done by Michelle PW

June 26, 2019

Release Tour for THE EVIL THAT WAS DONE by Michele PW

Brought to you by Forever Write PR

Michele PW is back with THE EVIL THAT WAS DONE, the shocking conclusion where long-buried
secrets will finally be revealed. Time is running out for Becca to prove she isn’t responsible for the
recent disappearances in her childhood hometown, Redemption. Fans of Dean Koontz, Nora Roberts,
and Holly Seddon will devour this addicting award-winning series.

Title: The Evil That Was Done

Author: Michele PW

Published: June 26th, 2019

Publisher: Love-Based Publishing

Series: Secrets of Redemption, book 3

Genres: Psychological thriller/romantic suspense/mystery

It’s happening again—people are disappearing.

And just like before, the finger is pointed at Becca.

She knows how it looks … and that she’s being set up.

Someone is following her. Sneaking into her house. Planting evidence to make her look guilty.

The problem is, she has no idea why.

The bigger problem is, no one believes her.

And time is running out.

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As the 2018 Paranormal Romance Guild Reviewers’ Choice Book Series Winner, the Secrets of Redemption series is a must read. Fans of psychological thrillers, romantic suspense, and mystery novels will devour the twisty and addicting series. Grab your copies today! Also, available in Kindle Unlimited!

It Began With A Lie, Book #1 on Amazon

This Happened To Jessica, Book #2 on Amazon

Excerpt:

“So, if we’re done grilling JD, maybe we can move on to other topics of interest now,” Barry said. “Like Daniel.”

I spilled my wine.

“Oh, clean up on aisle ten,” Barry said, as JD handed me his coaster napkin to mop it up. “Maybe we need to get a refill.”

“I’m good, really,” I said. The last thing I needed was more wine. Or to talk about Daniel.

“It’s not a big deal. Daniel can bring it over when he comes over.” Barry started signaling with his hand.

Wait a minute. Daniel was here? He was supposed to be working. That’s why he canceled our date. Did he lie to me?

A part of me wanted to march over to wherever he was and give him a piece of my mind. I had asked him straight out if he really wanted to do this, to try dating. I had already told him I would understand if he thought it was going to be too complicated for him to date me and be a cop in this town.

He assured me he wanted to try.

I believed him.

And, here he was, standing me up again.

A small voice inside me immediately wanted to argue—fifteen years ago, Daniel didn’t actually stand me up. And, regardless, Daniel wasn’t standing me up right then, because he had called to cancel.

Yet it somehow still felt like I was sixteen again, standing alone in the woods, wondering where Daniel was … and feeling like a total fool.

Of course, I couldn’t say any of that in front of all our friends. Maybe I should just leave. That would kill two birds with one stone. Not only would I avoid seeing Daniel, but I could also get away from JD and his strange, intense energy.

Before I could figure out how exactly to sneak away, there was Daniel, doling out drinks—including another glass of wine for me. He was wearing a blue tee shirt that brought out the blue in his eyes. His blonde hair was getting a little long, curling around the back of his shirt.

Speaking of his eyes, they darted between me and JD, but he didn’t say a word. Not only that, but his face was completely unreadable—a professional mask. His cop face. He pulled a chair over and turned it around before he sat down, so he was straddling it backwards. He was careful not to look at me, but I could still feel the sparks dancing between us. I was having trouble breathing, something that happened often when I was near him.

“So, since you’re here, does that mean Ellen is safe and sound?” Mia asked.

He took a pull from his beer. “No, but there’s not much we can do right now.”

“What happened?” Daphne asked. On the surface, her voice sounded neutral, like she was simply inquiring about an acquaintance, but I could hear the confusion and worry swirling beneath the calm.

He shrugged. “No one seems to know. She didn’t show up at work today, which is unlike her. They had tried calling her home and her cell, but there was no answer, so they called her mother. Her mother was the one who came in to file a missing persons report, but since there’s no sign of foul play, there’s not a lot we can do right now.”

I felt a shiver run down my spine, like I had just been blasted by air conditioning.

“What about putting an alert out?” Mia asked.

“We can, but she hasn’t even been missing for a day. It’s not a crime for an adult to disappear. We’re in wait-and-see mode.”

“And, Ellen has been known to just take off without telling anyone,” Daphne said darkly, pressing her lips together so hard they turned white.

“Not to mention it’s pretty common here for people to leave quickly, making it seem like they’ve disappeared,” Mia said, after a quick glance at Daphne.

“Yeah, I had heard that,” JD said. “Something about how, if the town doesn’t like you, it makes sure you don’t stay?”

Celia rolled her eyes. “It’s all a bunch of nonsense.”

“It is NOT a bunch of nonsense,” Mia said. “Weird things DO happen here. And, they have for years. Over a hundred years.”

“Weird things happen in every town,” Celia said. “It’s no different here.”

“I don’t know, we sure seem to have more than our share of weirdness,” Daphne said.

Author Michele PW:

When Michele was 3 years old, she taught herself to read because she wanted to write stories so badly.

As you can imagine, writing has been a driving passion throughout her life. She became a professional copywriter (which is writing promotional materials for businesses), which led to her founding a copywriting and marketing company that serves clients all over the world.

Along with being a copywriter, she is also a bestselling, award-winning fiction and nonfiction author.

For fiction, she writes psychological thriller/mystery/romantic suspense novels. She also hosts a popular book and entertainment blog. Check out MPWNovels.com for more.

For nonfiction, she’s the main author and creator of the “Love-Based Business” series that include both business and personal development books. For articles and resources on business, writing, success and more, visit LoveBasedBiz.com.

She holds a double major in English and Communications from the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Currently, she lives in the mountains of Prescott, Arizona with her husband Paul and southern squirrel hunter Cassie.

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Off Shore Secrets by Maya Berger

June 25, 2019

FTC: I received a free copy of this book from Pump Up Your Book in exchange for my honest review. I received no other compensation and the opinions expressed in this review are one hundred percent true and my own.

Off Shore Secrets by Maya Berger was a very typical chick lit book that I enjoyed because there wasn’t a whole lot of thought that goes in reading these types of books. I love to read these books when I am in need of a book that isn’t super intense. I read a ton of thrill type books and because of that, I find that need breaks between those books so books like this one I love to read when I am wanting something lite and not super dark. I wasn’t the biggest fan of this author writing because it did seem like there was a ton of dialogue and she didn’t spend hardly anytime describing what the setting was like and where they actually were. At times I also wondered if this book was written in another language and was translated to English because parts of it didn’t flow well as other parts did. If you are looking for a great book to read this summer I would give this one a shot.

About The Book

Title: OFF SHORE SECRETS
Author: Maya Berger
Publisher: Independent
Pages: 252
Genre: Chick Lit

Single again, Maya and her bestie, Una, make plans to sail around the beautiful Adriatic Coast on board a luxury yacht. Fun in the sun with friends is just what these two need this summer.

Maya shouldn’t be attracted to Adrian—the cocky, handsome Spaniard on board—especially when after a passionate night, he calls out another girl’s name in his sleep.

Una, who is supposed to be in a long distance relationship, hooks up with a stranger and sneaks him on board. The next day, the stranger is gone and so is some very expensive jewelry. When Una goes missing too, Maya wants to help her, but what is Una’s involvement?

And who is the mysterious girl Adrian mumbles about in his sleep? Perhaps it is something to do with Una’s secretive and reckless behavior. Maya has a lot of questions, but no one seems ready to give her the answers.

About The Author

Maya Berger is the author of a memoir focusing on women’s personal growth called Luna Tree and its sequel In the Pursuit of Change. She took a break from writing about life and personal growth to write adventure stories about two young women just out of university trying to make important decisions in their life like who to date, who to socialise with, how to travel with no money and how to act in potentially dangerous situations. The most important lessons they learn are how to depend on each other and rely on themselves.

Maya is a 44-year-old living in Zagreb, Croatia with her husband and their three-year- old daughter. She is a marketing graduate, pilates instructor, she promotes Croatia as a tourist destination and she loves to read and write.

Website: http://www.mayabergerauthor.com

Twitter: https://twitter.com/maya___berger

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

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Encounters by Patrick Stull

June 25, 2019

FTC: I received a free copy of this book from Pump Up Your Book in exchange for my honest review. I received no other compensation and the opinions expressed in this review are one hundred percent true and my own.

Encounters by Patrick Stull was such an amazing book full of amazing pictures. When I flip through books like this I am always left wishing that I had the talent to take the kind of pictures that people like this author can take. I do want to let everyone that this book does have nude pictures in it so if that is something that will bother you I wouldn’t pick this book up. There are also tons of pictures that made me rotate the book because I wasn’t sure what was going on with them and there are still some that almost creeped me out because of how abstract they look. If you are looking for something new and interesting to rest on your coffee table I would pick this one up because I feel like I could look at this book forever and not see all of it or able to figure it all out.

About The Book

Title: ENCOUNTERS
Author: Patrick Stull
Publisher: Independent
Pages: 250
Genre: Fine Art Photography Book

With photography at its base, Stull offers a nuanced explication of his encounters to allow the viewer an opportunity to form a relationship with his art. While looking within ourselves, exploring our own feelings, he hopes that he will inspire greater humaneness in response to his art.

ENCOUNTERS is the second in a series of six large-format books in which artist, photographer and author, Patrick Stull explores a wide range of experiences. Using light and the physical body, the written word and his artistry he creates imagery that examines aspects of the lives of women.

Compiled over the last 18 years, the images in ENCOUNTERS, Stull says, are meant to “inspire and challenge the observer while always empowering the subject.”

Stull brings a powerful sense of the surreal and the spiritual to his work as he plots a course along the many paths of the human experience. His imagery runs from the ghostly and ephemeral to the flowing and fiery.

As much as he concentrates on the human form, Stull never forgets to focus on the humanity of his subjects. His choice of the coffee-table style book format draws the viewer into an experience both intimate and universal.

Stull’s first book in his series, titled EVOLVE, was published in 2006. A third book, titled HIDDEN DIMENSIONS, is completed and awaiting publication. Future titles in the series include DHARMA, BEING DIFFERENT, and YOGA, A HEALING MOMENT.

Stull hopes that his readers come away from the book with “a love for art and a respect for the female who gives us life and challenges us to be better human beings.

About The Author

American artist Patrick Stull has spent the last eighteen years mostly creating imagery about the lives of women. He searches for what lies beneath the surface of his subjects, empowering each one he encounters. He has recently ventured into the realm of surrealism, creating powerful imagery that reflects on our humanity while dealing with the meaning and power of art.

Stull say’s, “My work has allowed me to venture past the camera into the realm of a humanist, an artistic life, delving into the intellectual, a more cerebral life experience, creating what I call ‘connectivism.'”

His ongoing work is based in large-scale digital photography accompanied by sculpture/body casts, composition art, painting, poetry/prose and drawings. His art is then integrated, collectively, into exhibitions to provide the viewer a once in a lifetime experience. The presentation of the work is delivered to the viewer in a unique and emotionally powerful way.

Stull, 71, a self-taught artist, works in many artistic disciplines. Educated at San Diego State University with degrees in psychology, economics and philosophy during the 1960’s, amidst the backdrop of the counter-culture revolution and the Viet Nam War, where his social consciousness and political views were shaped. Stull emerged from a Catholic Irish/German family, one of five children where work, discipline and religion took precedence over emotional expressions of the self – a different kind of loving environment. Being a husband of thirty-plus years and father to two has taught him the power of kindness, love and commitment.

His latest book is the fine art photography book, Encounters.

Visit his website at http://www.patrickstull.com.