The Edge of the Cliff

And now for something completely different . . .I love to encourage writers, especially newbies who are eager to learn the craft. Today I'd like you to meet Faith Culbertson, an up and coming dynamic new voice on the writerly scene. So without further adieu, I'm handing the reins off to her. Enjoy!

Author Faith Culbertson

Have you ever had to make a hard decision? If you have, then you know what it’s like to be at the edge of the cliff. We make decisions every day, but occasionally, we have to make life changing ones.

When big decisions that are life-changing and possibly irreversible come up, we often rely on our wisdom, instinct, and wit. But, how often do we rely on God? When we put our own desires and emotions aside and focus on what God wants us to do, it’s honestly one scary leap. However, that’s what true faith is. It’s letting go of all those important dreams, and aspirations and leaping, across the dark void of the unknown, and into God’s arms. 

A lot of us, myself included, think that we would always do what God tells us to, but trust me . . . it’s not until you’re in reach of your dream job or perfect spouse and God calls you in another direction that you are really tested. It’s when everything seems to be going perfect and then God wants you to step out of your safety bubble, that’s when things can become suddenly very, very real. 

Being a Christian isn’t always about going to church, reading your Bible, and making sure you’re extra nice to the drive-thru workers; sometimes it's the nitty-gritty-I’m-scared-out-of-my-mind kind of faith that God calls us to. So, here’s an encouragement: keep your mind and heart open, don’t be afraid to be scared, but don’t let go of God’s hand. He’s got this.

Pretty awesome words from an 18-year-old, eh? Expect to see more from this chick in the future. And don't forget there could also be a signed copy of OUT OF THE FRYING PAN in your future if you enter the Rafflecopter drawing. But hurry . . . it ends on Monday.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Writerly Wisdom From Ane Mulligan

Author ANE MULLIGAN

Starting out the writer's conference with my crit buddy Ane Mulligan. Well, that and a glass of wine, but let me tell ya, sparkling moscato or not, this author is a powerhouse of writing wisdom. Here's a nugget from Ane . . .

God whispers to our hearts

and our hearts whisper back in stories.

She'll be teaching a workshop on critiquing. Here are a few highlights: 

To find a good critique partner, start by joining a few groups. You won't click with everyone in the group, so pay particular attention to those you do. Then start building relationships with a select few. You have to trust your critique partners and that takes relationship building.

Don't be afraid to partner with someone who's at your level of writing. You can grow together. You don't need an established author, you just need to find someone who's serious about the craft. Finding mistakes in others work is a step to spotting it in your own.

Iron sharpens iron. It's truth given in love. Push each other for the best work possible. 

Like what you heard? There's more. Check out Ane's blog at SOUTHERN-FRIED FICTION.

Meet Katie Morton

KATIE MORTON
Writer / Author / Storyteller

And now for something completely different . . . drum roll, please, and an excessive amount of clappy-clappiness as I welcome a former student of mine to Writer Off the Leash.

Meet the awesome Katie Morton!

Back in seventh grade, my writing teacher assigned a short story essay over spring break. Since I loved writing stories, my mind went wild with the idea of a princess, caught up in a war, who had to flee her home when her country was attacked. I wrote the essay, submitted it, and then tucked away the idea. 

A year later, I discovered a fiction novel writing contest for teenagers hosted by a small publishing company. The prize would be publication of the winner’s novel. I immediately jumped at the idea, as I had always wanted to be a published author. I began searching my story ideas for the perfect novel plot, and stumbled upon my 7th grade writing class idea. There was my story! 

I took that summer to write my manuscript, and then submitted the final product to the contest. Weeks later, however, I was crushed to find that the contest was canceled due to a lack of entrants. Even though that door closed, I still had a completed manuscript, and my parents and I still wanted to see it published. 

My dad began searching for a publisher who could publish me, and about two years later, he found WestBow Press, a publishing company that would turn out to be the one to turn my manuscript into a book. From there, my little story idea, started all the way back in a seventh grade writing class, blossomed into a published novel. My dream of becoming a published author had come true!

ABOUT THE BOOK, THE EDGE OF REDEMPTION:

When King Maurice of Alandar launches a surprise attack on her kingdom, seventeen-year-old Princess Lorelle—crown princess of Aundria—is forced to flee for her safety, leaving behind her country and her beloved parents King Norman and Queen Isabel.

She escapes the fortress and boards a ship traveling across the Jasmin Sea to the beautiful island of Julinar. On the journey, she meets Sir James Wellington, a young knight who will stop at nothing to protect her. Yet even hundreds of miles away from the fray, she is still not safe from the dangers and horrors of war. As Alandar closes in on her, Lorelle must sacrifice everything to defend her country, find her way home, and fight for those she loves.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

KATIE MORTON grew up filling notebooks with stories and ideas. Now a 19-year-old sophomore in college, one of those stories has been published as The Edge of Redemption, her first full-length novel. A lover of traveling and the outdoors, Katie splits her time between a home with three brothers in Minnesota and a university full of adventures in California. She is forever thankful for God’s love and grace. Catch her next adventure at katieannmorton.com.

Launch of The Painter's Daughter

post by Michelle Griep

Author Julie Klassen

There's something special about December . . . and I don't just mean a fat man in a red velvet suit, stepping on pine needles in the living room, or Christmas cookies. Every December author Julie Klassen launches a new book. This year's fare is The Painter's Daughter. Her launch party was at a local Barnes & Noble, and indeed, a good time was had by all.

My Review

Love a dark and brooding hero who’s really all heart on the inside? Captain Stephen Overtree is the man for you! He comes to the rescue time and time again in The Painter’s Daughter, another deliciously intriguing Regency by author Julie Klassen.

This tale of a marriage of convenience is sure to keep you up late into the wee hours of the morning. The heroine, Sophie Dupont, is between a rock and a hard place when she finds out she’s pregnant. Her lover leaves her behind for a painting trip to Italy.

Enter hero Stephen Overtree, a hulking captain in the army, and the brother of the man who ruined Sophie. He does the right thing by asking her to marry him, giving legitimacy to the unborn babe. But should she? She hardly knows him. She does, and ooh-la-la, what a heated relationship begins.

And therein begins The Painter’s Daughter. There’s intrigue, romance, and plenty of secrets to go around. Stock up on frozen pizzas before you crack open this one, folks. Your family will starve otherwise, because there’s no way you’ll stop until you read The End.

The Obstacle Course of the Writer's Life

Hey gang, while I tooled around South Carolina, I got to stay at the home of my writer buddy Ane Mulligan . . . and does she have some writerly advice for you! Sit back and enjoy some of Ane's wisdom. And make sure to check out her new ghost story at the end.

The obstacle course writers face has several stations. But first, you have to get in shape to even begin. So, flex those fingers, bring your typing up to speed, read lots of books, and when you’re sure you want to be an Author, then you start the obstacle Course.

The Tunnel Crawl

This is the place to start: in the tunnel to learning the basics. Don’t be tempted to crawl out too soon. What you’re doing by studying the guidelines of good writing, is exercising the memory muscle of craft. You’re building a good foundation. If you don’t learn the basic “rules” of good writing, how will you ever know when avoid the Stutter-step Tires*?

The Low Hurdles

Reading writing how-to books can be daunting. Some are downright boring. But others are eye-popping great. These are simply the low hurdles you need to jump. You’ll get the training you need to move on to the high hurdles.

*The Stutter-step Tires

Did you ever have a critique partner put the acronym RUE beside a sentence? Resist the Urge to Explain? I call these the stutter-steps. You’ve learned to show instead of tell, but then you don’t trust the reader to get it, so you tell it after showing it. Overcome this obstacle, because it will slow you down on your way to being published.

The High Hurdles

You’ve finally mastered the tunnel crawl and learned the craft. You’ve polished it and now avoid the stutter-steps. Now comes the high hurdle of editing. You’ve read your manuscript at least twenty times until you’re sick of it. Now you have to print it out and read it again???!! Yep. Told you it was a HIGH hurdle. Get going. You’ll thank me at the High Wall of submission.

The High Wall 

To leap this wall, you have to submit your work. Pry it out of your sweaty little hands and send it to an agent. If you’ve gone through the obstacle course, your manuscript is noes hinging like a new penny. It’s worthy of sunglasses. So submit it. And while it’s out on submission trail, start your next manuscript.

One final warning. The obstacle course contains Interruption Hill. And it’s often combined with the Sand Bag Carry. Slogging up that hill carrying sand bags of guilt, all the while trying to ignore the sideline voices of waiting chores isn’t easy. You have to practice it. But hey, your teenagers perfected selective hearing. You can too! The dishes will still be in the sink, and after all, paper plates can be a novelty. And I’ve told y’all before that dust bunnies are an endangered species. Let them propagate. Make PITA proud.

Way Down Upon a Suwanee Murder: 

a short ghost story

The Mackeys and the Halberts have been feuding for generations, but on one can remember why.

When Savannah met Jackson, she fell in love before she knew his last name. Now engaged, they have to end the feud so they can get married with each family's blessing. But if no one knows why the feud started, how can they end it? Savannah is sure the answer is hidden somewhere within the old—and haunted—Mackey mansion, now turned museum.

MICHELLE HERE: Just breaking in to say I've read this story and it's a HEAP of fun! Perfect time of year to read a ghost story, and don't worry . . . it's not scary. It's just a sweet, sweet read you won't want to miss!

About Ane Mulligan

Author Ane Mulligan

While a floppy straw hat is her favorite, novelist Ane Mulligan has worn many including pro-family lobbyist, drama director, playwright, humor columnist, and novelist. She firmly believes coffee and chocolate are two of the four major food groups. Ane writes her Southern-fried fiction in Sugar Hill, GA, where she resides with her artist husband and chef son. Her debut novel, Chapel Springs Revival, was an Amazon bestseller. Chapel Springs Survival releases in Dec 2015, and Home to Chapel Springs, in May 2016. You can find Ane on her Southern-fried Fiction website, Google+, Facebook, Goodreads, Twitter, and Pinterest.

The Legacy of Kara Tippetts

I was late catching the Kara Tippetts bus, but so thankful I hopped on at the last minute. Her blog, Mundane Faithfulness, is an authentic, gritty look into living life slathered with God's grace.

She died last Sunday . . . but her words live on. What an impact this humble author made in her 38 years here on planet Earth. What a picture she created by sharing her beautiful passage into eternity. And just today she'd pre-posted a letter to her readers upon her death.

Words remain long after we are gone, which is a solemn reminder to choose your words carefully.

If you didn't have a chance to meet Kara over at Mundane Faithfulness, here's a little sample of the amazing woman she was (and yes, the blog will continue, run by her friends) . . .

Books of the Year ~ Bronze Medal Winner

It's that list time of year. You know the routine. What was worst or best in 2014, yada, yada. Here at Writer Off the Leash it's my tradition to share the top 3 books I read in the past year, shining the ol' spotlight on some great fiction you might not have heard of. Today we'll cover the bronze medal winner. Drum roll, please . . .

TIDE AND TEMPEST

Edge of Freedom ~ Book #3
By Elizabeth Ludwig

Dreaming of a better life, Tillie McGrath leaves Ireland behind and, with her beloved fiance by her side, sets sail for America. But when illness robs her of the man she holds dear, she's left alone with only a handful of tattered memories. While forging on proves difficult, Tillie soon finds some new friends at her New York boardinghouse, and begins pursuing a new dream--to open a home for orphaned children.

Despite two years passing, Captain Keondric Morgan has never forgotten the lass who left his ship so heartbroken. When a crewman's deathbed confession reveals her fiance's demise was the result of murder, the captain knows he must try to contact her. But his attention draws the notice of others as well--dangerous men who believe Tillie has in her possession something that could expose their crimes. And to their way of thinking, the best way to prevent such an outcome is to seize the evidence and then hand Tillie the same fate as her naive fiance.

My Review:

Looking for a historical romance that will keep you on the edge of your seat from page 1 until the very end? Tide and Tempest is the book for you!

This is book 3 in the Edge of Freedom series, but don't worry if you haven't picked up the first 2 yet (you will, though, once you've finished this read). The story makes sense on its own all while wrapping up a very satisfying ending to the first two books.

My favorite character? Captain Keondric Morgan is a hubba-hubba kind of hero. Not that he's perfect, mind you, but that just makes him all the more real.

Stop it! You're Killing Me!

Yes, this IS her happy face.

Today I'm handing the leash over to my BF (yeah, I know, there's an F missing but you'll have to read on to find out why), Yvonne Anderson. Don't worry. You'll like her. She's a snarkmeister.

First off, I’d like to thank Michelle for inviting me to stop by. It makes me a little nervous that someone let her off the leash, but as long as I keep her in sight, she won’t be able to slip around and bite me in the behind. So, with one eye on her as she sniffs around the yard, I’ll begin.

I’ve been thinking about killing people.

More specifically, I’ve been thinking about how frequently we writers kill people in stories.

You’ve probably seen the statistics collected over the decades concerning TV and movie violence. One study estimates that by the time a person is 18 years old, he or she will have viewed 200,000 acts of violence, including 40,000 murders. (And that’s not counting video games.) If that’s the estimate for a teenager, how many grisly deaths will have played across a person’s vision by the time he’s old and gray?

Even those who avoid the graphic, gory stuff often find death to be entertaining. For instance, have you ever read a mystery, even a cozy one, that didn’t involve murder?

Count me among those who don’t like gore. I’m not a fan of shoot-em-ups with crazy-high body counts. I don’t care for stories in which characters pick people off with no more concern than they have for the lint they pick off their clothes. But the fact is, sometimes a novel needs a well-placed death to give it depth and dimension.

Since the Fall, death has been an inescapable fact of life. We all experience the pain of it in our lifetimes, and when it touches us personally, death matters a great deal. Fear of death—our own, or that of loved ones—provides the motive for much of what we do.

Despite our casual attitude about killing on-screen, the death of someone we care about, even a fictional character, packs an emotional wallop.

Some years back, when Michelle was writing her second novel, Undercurrent, I helped a little with critiquing her chapters. When I got to Chapter 28, where Alarik died (and I hope you’ve already read the book so I’m not spoiling anything for you), I was enthralled. It takes guts to kill off a main character—and it was for such a good purpose! The story sang as a result of it. Yes, Alarik died a worthy death.

I was going to say I don’t kill a lot of people in my novels, but I guess that’s not true. In The Story in the Stars, the first in the Gateway to Gannah series, a whole planet dies (though off-screen, so to speak), along with a few miscellaneous others. Including two that the protagonist kills with her bare hands, with the reader a ringside spectator. So yeah, I guess it’s true: I killed a lot of people in that one.

In the second title in the series, though, Words in the Wind, that’s not the case. Wait a minute… I didn’t kill a whole planet, so I definitely did better with that one. But, okay, there were several people who died at my hands.

How about Book #3, Ransom in the Rock? Well… ah…. Let’s move on.

Book 4, The Last Toqeph. Not bloody at all. The only person who died in that one (that I recall, at least) was… um… Michelle’s favorite character. After reading that fateful chapter, she rescinded my longstanding BFF privileges. (I thought that second “F” was supposed to stand for “Forever,” eh?)

So, all right: I kill people. But that last death wasn’t premeditated. In fact, it surprised even me. The story reached a point where there was no getting around it; it simply had to happen. After all, how could I deny the character the right to go out the way he’d chosen from the time he first entered the series?

I’m curious what you readers think. Why does death play such a prominent role in fiction? Do writers (novelists, screenwriters, or all such scribes) kill too many people? In stories, can death sometimes serve a good purpose?

Oh, dear, I lost sight of Michelle. Where’d she go? Michelle? Yoo hoo, Mich— OUCH! Ow, oh, drat it! I knew I shouldn’t have taken my eyes off her. I need that leash. Where’s the leash? Somebody, get this writer chained up before she kills someone!

**spits out bite of heinie and marks another notch in her belt** See what I mean about Yvonne? Snappy little gal. And her novels will hold your attention every bit as much. Here's her latest and greatest  . . .

THE LAST TOQUEPH

While traveling through desolate terrain, Adam stumbles upon an impossibility: a village of Old Gannahan survivors. Hard to believe. Harder yet, it seems one of them is the true heir to the throne.

Will Adam right an ancient wrong and lose his inheritance? Or ignore the truth and lose his integrity?

AND A BIT ABOUT YVONNE:

Yvonne Anderson writes fiction that takes you out of this world.

The Story in the Stars, the first in the Gateway to Gannah series as well as her debut novel, was an ACFW Carol Award finalist in 2012. The adventure continues with Words in the Wind and Ransom in the Rock and concludes with The Last Toqeph, released in October of 2014.

She lives in Western Maryland with her husband of almost forty years and shares the occasional wise word on her personal site, YsWords. She’s been with The Borrowed Book blog for a year or two now and has coordinated Novel Rocket’s Launch Pad Contest for unpublished novelists since the beginning of time. (Or at least, since the contest’s inception.)

Oh, yeah: she also does freelance editing.

WANT TO WIN A PRIZE????

Who wouldn't? Yvonne's graciously asked me to reinstate her F in BFF if she sucks up and offers a free giveaway here on Writer Off the Leash. Never one to turn down a bribe and/or freebie, I said sure. So, simply do one of the following and let me know in the comment section what you did. I'll enter your name in a hat (or more likely a piece of Tupperware) and draw a lucky winner on my Friday vlog. You'll win the book of your choice from Yvonne's collection (and they're all great - I've read every one of them).

Choose one of these:

• Like Yvonne on Facebook
• Tweet this blog entry
• If you've already read one of her books, post a review on Amazon or Goodreads
• Tell one other person about Yvonne Anderson (anyone, even the mailman, but maybe not the dog)
• Visit her personal site: Ys Words (yes, I just broke every rule of blogging by directing you to someone else's blog . . . deal with it)

And anytime you comment on any of my posts this week, I'll toss your name in the Tupperware just because I'm awesome. I mean Yvonne's awesome.

Gotta run. I'm feeling kind of bitey again.

Want to Meet a Spunky Red Head?

I may be toodling around in England, but I do not want you to miss out on the chance to discover a debut author. Meet my critique partner, Ane of Mean Gables, I mean Ane Mulligan . . .

Debut Author Ane Mulligan

I’ve heard you are the one who spearheaded the reviving of Chapel Springs. Is that true?

Are you from the mayor’s office? If you are, it wasn’t my fault. Whatever it was. Felix Riley takes credit for everything that works and blames me is anything goes wrong.

Really? Did anything go wrong?

Of course not. Unless you count the incident at Georgia Tech with the monkey.

Moving right along, I’ve heard of your Great Aunt Lola’s theatrical career. What was it like growing up with her?

 I adored her. Patsy and I both did. The old gal would give us her cast-off gowns to play dress-up with. But she retired from the screen when she was seventy-five I think. She wanted to leave her fans wanting more. She was quite the flamboyant character. She tried to teach Patsy and me to flirt, but it didn’t take when we were eight years old. She died a couple of years later.

She had a bit if a racy past didn’t she?

You bet your booty patooty. Aunt Lola never took second place to anyone or anything. She lived the high life, all right. Presidents and princes wined and dined her, while all I got was a TV tray in front of a ball game. I miss her and her stories and her advice.

Great Aunt Lola knew men, that’s for sure. What with having seven husbands, she might have been able to tell me how to get my Joel to pay me more attention. Right like that would happen. I’d have to turn into a high definition television set or a fishing reel to get some attentions paid to me.

I’ve heard that you...well aren’t the best cook in Chapel Springs. Any truth to that rumor?

Okay, I admit I failed home economics—twice. My culinary expertise maxed out at Jell-O jigglers. And coffee. I make a mean pot of coffee. Unfortunately, that lack got me into trouble with my firstborn’s future mother-in-law. But the woman coerced me.

How so? You’re no shy violet from what I’ve heard?

Who’ve you been talking to?

Let’s see, first there was Faye, oh and Gloria, then Bev and—

Uh-uh, that dog won’t hunt. Besides, if you’d heard my son’s future mother-in-law talk, why she’s wound tighter than an eight-day clock. The woman never takes a breath. She could talk the hind legs off a donkey. It wasn’t until she’d hung up that I heard the end of that particular conversation.

So, what did you do?

Oh, no you don’t. You’ll have to read the book like everyone else to find out.

While a large, floppy straw hat is her favorite, Ane has worn many different ones: hairdresser, legislative affairs director (that's a fancy name for a lobbyist), drama director, playwright, humor columnist, and novelist. Her lifetime experience provides a plethora of fodder for her Southern-fried fiction (try saying that three times fast). She firmly believes coffee and chocolate are two of the four major food groups. President of the award-winning literary site, Novel Rocket, Ane resides in Suwanee, GA, with her artist husband, her chef son, and two dogs of Biblical proportion. You can find Ane on her Southern-fried Fiction website, Google+, Facebook, Goodreads, Twitter, and Pinterest.

Now Available at AMAZON
and other fine bookstores.

Chapel Springs Revival

With a friend like Claire, you need a gurney, a mop, and a guardian angel.

Everybody in the small town of Chapel Springs, Georgia, knows best friends Claire and Patsy. It's impossible not to, what with Claire's zany antics and Patsy's self-appointed mission to keep her friend out of trouble. And trouble abounds. Chapel Springs has grown dilapidated and the tourist trade has slackened. With their livelihoods threatened, they join forces to revitalize the town. No one could have guessed the real issue needing restoration is their marriages.

With their personal lives in as much disarray as the town, Claire and Patsy embark on a mission of mishaps and miscommunication, determined to restore warmth to Chapel Springs —and their lives. That is if they can convince their husbands and the town council, led by two curmudgeons who would prefer to see Chapel Springs left in the fifties and closed to traffic.

At the Hop

A blog hop is kind of like a chain letter, only there are no bad-luck-until-you're-dead threats if you don't participate. So here I am, participating. You can check out my feature on The Borrowed Book and leave a comment to win a freebie of mine.

Or you can stay here and win a freebie from one of my authorly buddies.

Author Yvonne Anderson

Meet YVONNE ANDERSON. She started playing the writing game right around the same time I did, so we became instant bff's. Besides which, she's a snarky little gal and a heckuva crit partner. So grab yourself a cup o' joe, put up your feet, and meet Y. . .

1. What am I working on? 

A bag of pepperoni pizza flavored Combos.

Oh, you’re talking about writing projects? In that case, the 4th and final title in the Gateway to Gannah series is in the process of being edited, and I plan to publish it in October. Meanwhile, my newest brainchild, still in its infancy, is a short nonfiction piece that describes the handling of venison from the field to the table entitled A Deer in the Dining Room: A Hillbilly’s Guide to DIY Bambi Butchering. I also have a new speculative novel gestating.

2. How does my work differ from others of its genre?

My sci-fi is light on “sci” and heavy on “fi,” but that’s no great distinction, as the same is true for much of the genre. My stories tend to be different simply because I don’t read a lot of sci-fi, so I’m not influenced by other stories I’ve read. Or seen. Because I watch even less sci-fi than I read. Once I realized I was a sci-fi writer, I started reading more of it to get a better feel for the genre. But I still doubt you’ll find my Gannah series derivative of anything else.

3. Why do I write what I do?

Short answer? It was an accident. But once I stumbled into it, I realized I’d found my niche.

4. How does my writing process work?

Depends on the story. Sometimes a character invades my mind, crying to be developed. Sometimes a situation begs to be explored. The Gateway to Gannah series began with a concept introduced to me by a little nonfiction book I read some years back, The Gospel in the Stars. It put forth the theory that when God created the heavens and the earth, He placed the stars in constellations that told the gospel message for early man to “read.” I found the idea intriguing, so I wrote a tale in which the characters discovered this “story in the stars.”

Whatever I write, I let it incubate in my mind for a while. Sometimes years. I get to know the characters, play out the action in my mind, and mentally clamber about the setting to become familiar with it. Then, armed with only a beginning, an ending, and two or three major events along the way, I dive in.

I ran into a little trouble with that method partway through The Story in the Stars. It became apparent that too many things had to happen before I could get to the end I’d first envisioned, so I was forced to settle on a different stopping point. Also, I’d discovered so many fun things about the planet Gannah that it wouldn’t all fit in one book. So I wrote sequel in the hope of wrapping it up, but I still couldn’t get to the end I’d had in mind. It took a total of four books, but I did get there eventually.

When I finally quit procrastinating and embark on the writing process, I work slowly. Laboriously. Agonizingly. Sometimes I think I won’t survive the travail. In fact, I’ve been told that I groan audibly when I write.

Once I’m through with the first draft, I’ll go back in and initiate a bloodletting: I file away burrs, spark life into comatose verbiage, and cut off all the dead wood I see. Then I’ll run the chapters past my crit partners—who will inevitably suggest cutting some more. More agony. All in all, my writing process is excruciating. I love this job.

Here's a blurb from Yvonne's latest and greatest, RANSOM IN THE ROCK. . .

How much is a life worth? And who will pay the price? 

Fifteen-year-old Lileela returns from the planet Karkar, frothing with bitterness over what she perceives as abandonment by her parents. Why do they want her back now? And why does Karkar demand such a huge payment for delivering her? Neither she nor her family suspects that Karkar’s true motive is revenge. The tiny New Gannahan settlement has no hope of repelling an invasion – no hope, that is, except for One the Karkar can’t see.

Don't let the sci-fi cover freak you out. This is a great story, plus Yvonne's snark is large and in charge throughout the tale. I loved it.

And you can too! Anyone who leaves a comment this week will be entered to win a copy of any one of her four books.

You can keep up with Y's adventures on her blog, Y's Words.

Ode to Ray

Ray Bradbury 1975 (taken from Wikipedia)

Author Ray Bradbury died 2 years ago. I know. Morbid way to being a post, eh? Still, I loved him. I spent hours and hours during my awkward adolescence absorbed in his books. Even now he's still an inspiration to me with his encouraging quotes...

"You will have to write and put away or burn a lot of material before you are comfortable in this medium. You might as well start now and get the necessary work done. For I believe that eventually quantity will make for quality. How so? Quantity gives experience. From experience alone can quality come. All arts, big and small, are the elimination of waste motion in favor of the concise declaration. The artist learns what to leave out. His greatest art will often be what he does not say, what he leaves out, his ability to state simply with clear emotion, the way he wants to go. The artist must work so hard, so long, that a brain develops and lives, all of itself, in his fingers.”

He was a prolific writer, the author of over 50 books (such as Fahrenheit 451 and The Martian Chronicles) and hundreds of short stories. He won a gazillion awards ranging from the Pulitzer Prize Special Citation to the National Medal of Arts. What inspired him to become so prolific? When he was 12 years old (in 1932), he met a carnival magician named Mr. Electrico. At the end of Electrico's performance, he reached out to Bradbury, touching him with his sword, and commanding, "Live forever!" Bradbury later said, "I decided that was the greatest idea I ever heard. I started writing every day. I never stopped."

With all that fame and glory and gumption, one would expect him to have lived in a mansion, right? Wrong. He lived in a modest 3 bedroom, 3 bath. And if anyone is interested in buying that home, here it is for sale. . .

Information and Photo taken from Redfin

10265 Cheviot Drive is perhaps Cheviot Hill's most important address. For more than half a century it was home to Ray Bradbury, one of the most celebrated, beloved authors of our time. This charming traditional features a grand living room with soaring vaulted ceilings, classic brick fireplace, large bay window allowing soft California light to flood in across original hardwood floors and custom built-ins; formal dining room for proper entertaining with detailed crown moldings, expertly crafted wainscoting and wood shuttered windows; 3 generously sized en-suite guest bedrooms; maid's quarters on the main floor; expansive grounds with a large front yard as well as backyard to retreat to the outdoors in a secluded environment and a surprisingly spacious basement where he chose to write daily. A beautiful property with an important cultural provenance, come see where so many great works of fiction were conceived. A tremendous opportunity to begin a new chapter in its storied history.

What's Your Excuse?

I hear it all the time.
"I'm gonna write a book someday." Really? To that I say, "Shut your pie hole and do it."

And that's exactly what 93 year old Wendell Ware did. He seriously wrote a novel and published it at ninety-freaking-three! If that isn't inspiration, I don't know what is. Here's his life in a nutshell. . .

Wendell R. Ware was born in 1918 in West Virginia. He graduated from St. Petersburg College in Florida and the University of North Carolina, then went on to serve in the air force as a pilot, seeing lots of action in the Southwest Pacific during World War II from 1943-1946. He was the Commanding Officer of the 35th Fighter Control Squadron during the atom bomb missions that led to the end of the war. As if that weren't enough, he served an additional 27 months in the Korean War. After his military stint, he became President of Micro Publication Systems, with international offices in Los Angeles, Chicago, London and Paris.

All that to say, the man clearly was NOT a slacker.

So when he turned 93, he figured he'd "slow" down and write a novel. Here's the back cover copy from his book, Arise My Love and Come Away With Me

Wynn always dreamed of becoming a pilot, flying from the age of ten, and making his first solo flight as a teenager. While studying at the University of North Carolina he meets Doey Brooks, a beautiful young woman studying law at Duke University. Their shared passion for flying becomes an inspiring love story that begins as a college romance and grows in depth and meaning as World War II becomes an ever-looming menace. As their relationship blossoms, the war stalls their plans to marry.

Wynn and Doey's story harkens back to a kinder, gentler time when loyalty, good manners, and personal integrity were the rule rather than the exception.

Okay, so whether a WWII love story is your genre or not, are you going to let a senior citizen kick your butt at writing? Don't wait until you're in your nineties. If there's a book inside of you screaming to get out, open the door and let it fly.

Writer's Talk with Alton Gansky. . . and Me!

Today I put on my writerly grown-up pants, which I admit do chafe a bit in the tender part of the netherland region. But even so, I persevered and finished a for-real, legit, make-sure-there's-no-broccoli-in-my-teeth kind of interview with publishing big name ALTON GANSKY.

Meet Author Shannon McNear

Driving With Dekker

My last car trip was with Ted Dekker. While I drove from Minneapolis to Indianapolis, I listened to the audio version of Boneman's Daughter. Before I get into commenting on Ted, can I just say that hearing a man do female voices is freaky? I mean, yeah, I know the entire story was supposed to be creepy, but the dude's falsetto tone added an extra eew factor.

Now then, dare I admit I've only ever read one other Dekker? That was Showdown, and frankly, I wasn't that impressed. The writing was fine, but nothing that made me underline a catchy phrase or want to cry because I wish I would've written it first. The story moved along all right, but not at a breakneck pace that made me sit on the edge of my seat. All in all, I really didn't see what the Dekker fangirls were foaming at the mouth about.

Obviously I wasn't that put out, though. I figured any author can have a mediocre book, even one with a big name, so I decided to give him another try.

This time I still didn't find the magic of a Crichton or the killer prose of a Steinbeck, but the story pulled me in from the beginning and kept me engaged throughout. If you like scary (I'm talking serial killer kind of fright), then you'll want to scoop up a copy. But if you're easily grossed out, definitely pass.

Dekker's okay, but honestly? I probably won't go out of my way to score any more copies of his books. Hear that, Dekkerites? That's one less fan you'll have to elbow out of the way at his next signing.

Author Sightings at the ACFW Conference ~ Part 2

Shannon McNear ~
Historical Romance

On the frontier of western North Carolina, which will someday become east Tennessee, Truth Bledsoe keeps her family fed while her father is away fighting the British. When she discovers a half-starved, fugitive Tory, she’s not above feeding him, but to go past simple Christian charity to forgiveness seems impossible. To love would be unthinkable.


Micah Elliot has fled capture after the massacre at King’s Mountain, heartsick, battle weary, and ashamed of the cowardice that sent him westward over the mountains instead of eastward to home. Groping his way through a crisis of faith, he must discover and embrace what might finally be worth laying his life down for.

Shannon's got the first story in this collection of Christmas stories.

Susan Meissner ~

Mysterious Contemporary Romance

Since she was a child, Meg has dreamed of taking a promised trip to Florence, Italy, and being able to finally step into the place captured in a picture at her grandmother’s house. But after her grandmother passes away and it falls to her less-than-reliable father to take her instead, Meg’s long-anticipated travel plans seem permanently on hold.

When her dad finally tells Meg to book the trip, she prays that the experience will heal the fissures left on her life by her parents’ divorce. 

But when Meg arrives in Florence, her father is nowhere to be found, leaving aspiring memoir-writer Sophia Borelli to introduce Meg to the rich beauty of the ancient city. Sofia claims to be one of the last surviving members of the Medici family and that a long-ago Medici princess, Nora Orsini, communicates with her from within the great masterpieces of the Italian Renaissance.

When Sophia, Meg, and Nora’s stories intersect, their lives will be indelibly changed as they each answer the question: What if renaissance isn’t just a word? What if that’s what happens when you dare to believe that what is isn’t what has to be?

John Otte ~ Speculative

Why did Robin Laughlin 

(aka. Failstate) 

think being a superhero 

on a reality show 

would be a good idea again? 

Things seemed so simple: win the show, become an official, licensed hero. But with his brother, Ben (aka. Gauntlet) stealing America's heart and his own powers proving too unwieldy even for the monitored studio challenges, Robin begins to wonder if his calling isn't to save the world after all.

Until one of his competitors is murdered.

Vowing to find the killer, Robin sets out on a very real quest to unmask the hidden villain. Can Robin find justice? Or will his lunk of a big brother ruin everything?

Brandilyn Collins ~ Seatbelt Suspense

Amaryllis, Mississippi is a scrappy little town of strong backbone and southern hospitality. A brick-paved Main Street, a park, and a legendary ghost in the local cemetery are all part of its heritage. Everybody knows everybody in Amaryllis, and gossip wafts on the breeze. Its people are friendly, its families tight. On the surface Amaryllis seems much like the flower for which it’s named—bright and fragrant. But the Amaryllis flower is poison.

In the past three years five unsolved murders have occurred within the town. All the victims were women, and all were killed in similar fashion in their own homes. 

And just two nights ago—a sixth murder.

Clearly a killer lives among the good citizens of Amaryllis. And now three terrified women are sure they know who he is—someone they love. None is aware of the others’ suspicions. And each must make the heartrending choice to bring the killer down. But each woman suspects a different man.

Author Sightings at the ACFW Conference ~ Part I

ELIZABETH LUDWIG ~ Historical Romantic Suspense

Ana Kavanagh's only memories of home are of fire and pain. As a girl she was the only survivor of a terrible blaze, and years later she still struggles with her anger at God for letting it happen.

At a nearby parish she meets and finds a kindred spirit in Eoghan Hamilton, who is struggling with his own anger--his sister, Cara, betrayed him by falling in love with one of his enemies. Cast aside by everyone, Eoghan longs to rejoin the Fenians, a shadowy organization pushing for change back in Ireland. But gaining their trust requires doing some favors--all of which seem to lead back to Ana. Who is she and who is searching for her? As dark secrets from Ana's past begin to come to light, Eoghan must choose which road to follow--and where to finally place his trust.

JILL WILLIAMSON 

~ Young Adult

When eighteen-year-old Levi returned from Denver City with his latest scavenged finds, he never imagined he’d find his village of Glenrock decimated, loved ones killed, and many—including his fiancée, Jem–taken captive. Levi is determined to rescue what remains of his people, even if it means entering the Safe Lands, a walled city that seems anything but safe. 

Omar knows he betrayed his brother by sending him away, but helping the enforcers was necessary. Living off the land and clinging to an outdated religion holds his village back. The Safe Land has protected people since the plague decimated the world generations ago … and its rulers have promised power and wealth beyond Omar’s dreams. 

Meanwhile, their brother Mason has been granted a position inside the Safe Lands, and may be able to use his captivity to save not only his people, but also find a cure for the virus that threatens everyone inside the Safe Lands. Can Mason uncover the truth hidden behind the Safe Land’s façade before it’s too late? 

JORDYN REDWOOD ~ Spine Tingling Suspense

Dr. Lilly Reeves is a young, accomplished ER physician with her whole life ahead of her. But that life instantly changes when she becomes the fifth victim of a serial rapist. Believing it's the only way to recover her reputation and secure peace for herself, Lilly sets out to find--and punish--her assailant. Sporting a mysterious tattoo and unusually colored eyes, the rapist should be easy to identify. He even leaves what police would consider solid evidence. But when Lilly believes she has found him, DNA testing clears him as a suspect. How can she prove he is guilty, if science says he is not?

And lest you happened to miss it on my Facebook Page, the starriest of stars of the weekend...

Frank Peretti & little ol' moi!

Bleeding Heart

No, I haven't been playing around with chainsaws again, thank you very much. Today I'm going to do something that I usually do only during the last week of the year...a book review.

While I write many book reviews, I don't generally post them here. You can find my snarky comments on Goodreads or Novel Reviews. But (and I've always got a big but) I love to help out fledgling authors. Amber Stokes is a new kid on the block with her debut novel Bleeding Heart.

Amber Stokes

Here's a blurb ~

Five bleeding hearts. One profound journey.

Summer 1886

Sally Clay's livelihood has been snatched away, but in its place arises an opportunity to escape from her sordid past and an unrelenting, unwanted suitor. Boarding a train with a heartsick rancher and an enigmatic miner, she leaves Virginia City behind and heads to Northern California, waiting for the chance to make right what went wrong three long years before.

But the road to revenge is far from smooth. Sally soon learns that the jagged pieces of a broken heart can far too easily wound the hearts of others - and hers isn't the only heart that's broken. Tragedy and fear dog her steps as she flees from the redwood forests to the high desert and back again. Will her bleeding heart ever find a way and a place to heal?

A desperate soiled dove. Three men who come to care for her. One man determined to claim her.

All on a journey that will show them what true love really involves.

And here's my review ~

Looking for an Old West action-packed story? Have I found a book for you! Bleeding Heart is a rootin-tootin-shootin’ debut novel by Amber Stokes. There’s plenty of romance, the requisite gunfight and hanging, a marshal, saloons and yes, even a train ride.

The story takes place shortly after the Civil War. Heroine Sally Clay is desperate to leave behind her life in a brothel to chase after the man she loves. The thing is…the fella doesn’t really love her. It’s one mishap and adventure after another, keeping the reader in suspense of who Sally will end up with. Just when you think you’ve got it figured out, wham! Yet another plot twist. I won’t give you a spoiler, but doggone if there was one surprise I totally did not see coming.

Sally is painfully aware of her sordid past, creating a very realistic guilt that makes her a believable character. She’s also impetuous, making bad decisions without even thinking about the consequences. Everywhere Sally looks for safety and love, she doesn’t find it.

The villain is someone you love to hate, although I’m not quite sure what his motivation is to have Sally for his own, other than perhaps he hates not getting his way. Basically, he’s a creepy stalker.

Love the sidekick Myghal. Full of good advice, solid, dependable. You’ll root for him, cry for him, and close the book with an immense amount of compassion for this character.

I thought I could trust the cook, Zachary Taylor, but then I wasn’t certain…turns out, well, you don’t really want me to tell you, do you?

Overall, this is a good summer read. There’s a big jump between part I and II, one I didn’t expect. I would’ve liked to see the action played out, though that would’ve made this a much longer book. Bleeding Heart has a whole lot of broken hearts all over the place, except for the reader’s—a solid debut novel for Amber Stokes. 

Romance, Treachery, and Tea

If you've read A HEART DECEIVED and loved it, I've got another fantastic read to recommend to you. My crit buddy, Jessica Dotta, is releasing her debut novel, BORN OF PERSUASION, in September. Here's a blurb:

The year is 1838, and seventeen-year-old Julia Elliston’s position has never been more fragile. Orphaned and unmarried in a time when women are legal property of their fathers, husbands, and guardians, she finds herself at the mercy of an anonymous guardian who plans to establish her as a servant in far-off Scotland.

With two months to devise a better plan, Julia’s first choice to marry her childhood sweetheart is denied. But when a titled dowager offers to introduce Julia into society, a realm of possibilities opens. However, treachery and deception are as much a part of Victorian society as titles and decorum, and Julia quickly discovers her present is deeply entangled with her mother’s mysterious past. Before she knows what’s happening, Julia finds herself a pawn in a deadly game between two of the country’s most powerful men. With no laws to protect her, she must unravel the secrets on her own. But sometimes truth is elusive and knowledge is deadly.

Sound interesting? You bet it is! I was lucky enough to get to critique it and woo-hoo! Love it to pieces. 

Now then, here's the fun part. Check out Jessica's Facebook page frequently during the entire month of August. She's got giveaways galore, and one of them will be my book. You might be the lucky winner!

Sneak Peak: Bleeding Heart by Amber Stokes

Sally Clay’s livelihood has been snatched away, but in its place arises an opportunity to escape from her sordid past and an unrelenting, unwanted suitor. Boarding a train with a heartsick rancher and an enigmatic miner, she leaves Virginia City behind and heads to Northern California, waiting for the chance to make right what went wrong three long years before.

But the road to revenge is far from smooth. Sally soon learns that the jagged pieces of a broken heart can far too easily wound the hearts of others – and hers isn’t the only heart that’s broken. Tragedy and fear dog her steps as she flees from the redwood forests to the high desert and back again. Will her bleeding heart ever find a way and a place to heal?

A desperate soiled dove. Three men who come to care for her. One man determined to claim her.

All on a journey that will show them what true love really involves.

Sound interesting? You'll have to wait until August to snatch up your copy. Keep updated at The Bleeding Heart Blog.