Monday, June 1, 2020

Summer Reading Blitz Day 1!




I’m a retired high school English teacher. A devourer of books growing up, my profession introduced me to writings and authors from times long past. Through my studies and teaching, I fell in love with the Ancient and Medieval Worlds. Now, I hope to inspire young readers and those Young-at-Heart to read more through my Tales and Legends for Reluctant Readers set in these worlds—Ancient Egypt, Medieval Wales, and coming soon, a hair-raising adventure through ancient worlds in search of 5 rare Phoenix Feathers.

All of my books come with Free study guides and/or extensive Back-of-the-Book materials.

My husband and I love to travel. In 2008, we spent three weeks in Egypt traveling by local train from one end of the country to the other; in 2014, we spent three weeks in the UK driving over 1700 miles through England, Wales, and Scotland; and in 2016, we spent a week in Iceland. We’ve also traveled to Mexico, Jamaica, and Aruba. Our next big adventure will be to Greece and Italy.

When I’m not writing or traveling, our 4 grandkids keep us busy.


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Their friendship put him in harm's way. Will it be enough to save him? 

Across the dark water to the land of ancient Gaul, renegades take Cedwyn and the littl'uns farther from home and rescue.

Led by her heart rather than her head and without any thought for her safety, fifteen-year-old Guinevere sets out alone to save Cedwyn. And if she fails…?

Eleven-year-old Cedwyn's trust in Guinevere is absolute. But will his sacrifice to save her and protect the littl'uns end with the loss of his own life? 






Universal Amazon Link ~ 
    
Click on the covers below to find these books on your local Amazon page
                                        


Q&A With the Author:

1. What do you like to do when you’re not writing?

I love to spend time with my kids and grandkids. The 4 four grandkids enjoy hiking Donkey Mountain (at the end of our street), catching bugs, riding bikes, and just playing. I also love to read. Working in our yard is also something I enjoy although I don’t have a green thumb.

2. What was the hardest part of writing your book, and how did you overcome it?

The ending of the story was the hardest in Guinevere: The Legend. I didn’t know what my characters were going to do, and I was afraid of what would happen. That sounds crazy, I know, but when I’m writing, it’s the character(s) and my creative brain in charge. It took me about six weeks before I finally just sat down and let them finish the story.

3. If you could travel anywhere in the world, where would it be and why?

Our next big trip will be to Greece and Italy. I’m somewhat obsessed with the ancient world and can’t wait to see the ancient architecture in those countries. Greece: the Acropolis, the Parthenon, Olympia, and Mycenae to name a few. Italy: Pompeii and Herculaneum which were buried in the Mt. Vesuvius eruption, the Colosseum, and the Circus Maximus to name just a few.

Made our trek to Egypt a few years ago.

4. Where do you get information and ideas for your books?

My ideas for the basis of my stories come from literature of the ancient and medieval worlds. From there I determine what stories I could write set in those worlds that would appeal to young readers (and mature readers). Since I taught a lot of the literature from those time periods, I have a good idea of what will attract readers (ages 9-17) to my books and characters.


5.  Tell us a bit about a future project you are working. Do you have any little sneak peaks you can share?

Currently, I’m working hard on book 1 in my Feathers of the Phoenix series. It’s called the Atlantean Horse. The series follows Rosa (from Sons of the Sphinx) and maybe her cousin Jerome—still debating that one—as she/they search and track down the five feathers from the fabled Phoenix bird which Poseidon expelled from the island of Atlantis before he sank it.

Also on the back burner is book 2 in my Young Knights of the Round Table series. I’ve had numerous inquiries about it, but haven’t settled on a solid idea yet.

Here’s the current opening for The Atlantean Horse:

Chapter 1
It’s late April here next to the foothills on the edge of the Denver suburbs, and yesterday’s storm dropped two feet of snow. Overnight it turned into a roaring blizzard plummeting temps below zero. The snow has moved on, but not the biting cold. The wind gusts not only create impassable drifts, it keeps the wind chill factor far below freezing. Even sheltered behind this window in my darkened living room I find myself rubbing my arms for warmth.
Outside, newly leafed trees fight against the ice coating their branches, a fight lost for some of them. The crackle of breaking limbs echoes through the glass. I shudder from sadness at the thought of the new life brought to an end so soon after emerging. But that’s Colorado for you. Here the weather changes from one day to the next, sometimes from one hour to the next.
For the second day, schools are closed. My friends are inside playing video games or chatting online hoping that the afternoon will be calm enough for sledding and snowball fights. I’m usually one of those. Nothing like a wet spring snow and a roaring ride down the hill below my house. I might even talk my dad into sledding, if it’s not too dark once he and mom get home from work.  I’m not a fan of the snowball fights—though my cousin Jerome, who lives across the street, is—after having my nose broken by an errant snowball. On these days, I can still feel the impact, the pain and the blood running down my face and throat. A warm liquid that is nothing like a cup of hot chocolate soothing as it goes down. This almost gags me even now.
Usually I welcome Mother Nature’s little tantrums, but not this late. The wet cold hangs in the air and in my body refusing to let go. And today, in particular, I long for the stifling heat and that burning orb of the desert on my skin. Heat so thick I can see it rising in twisting streams from the blistering sand. And the sun literally baking my body, my hair, my skin. Never thought I’d wish for that again.
I don’t hear dead people anymore either. And that makes me sad. You heard right, sad. After all I went through with Tut and Hesena in ancient Egypt...1330 B.C. to be exact…I miss it. Well, let me rephrase that. I don’t miss the dead that talked—complained is more like it—before Tut came to me. I miss my Nana’s gift that let me help Tut find Hesena, his love, and helped him restore his family’s good name.
Those others, the ones who wanted a second chance at life, are gone now. I’ve even gotten through almost two years of school without the other kids wondering if I’m ever going to be sane. I’m sure they’re as relieved as me that those dead don’t interrupt my classes or my tests. A small part of me even misses the challenge of defeating General Horemheb, though not the almost dying part.

6. Tell us a story from your childhood.

Every August my family would spend 10 days at a small resort in Gunnison, Colorado. My dad was a fisherman. He would fish everyday. My mom would bring her sewing machine, patterns, and cloth to sew our school clothes. My grandparents used to come also. My brother and sister and I would hang out with the kids of the owners. We climbed the same mountains year after year, walked for miles, built forts in the willows by the river, and many times took the raft across the river to explore.

Over time (around 12 years), we became such good friends that the bond forged back then has carried into our adult lives. Some of the siblings, theirs and ours, have passed on, but we still stay in touch. When we do get to talk or get together, it’s like we just saw each other last summer.




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Thursday, June 27, 2019

Blitz: The Australian Billionaire by Britney M Mills






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.







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?


  
~ Universal Amazon Link
   


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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Wednesday, June 26, 2019

Blitz: The Kingdom of Nereth by TJ Amberson




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.














  
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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.



  
~ Universal Amazon Link
  



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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Tuesday, June 25, 2019

Blitz: The Three Crowns Series by Sonya Ray






I grew up in Southeast Missouri; home of the Throwed Rolls, high cotton, and the St. Louis Cardinals. I have a little family consisting of son, daughter, son-in-law and a little Pi. Other than my children (and grandchild), my passion is writing. My current project is The Three Crowns Series. Sweet Tea is the first book in this seven-novel series which published October 15, 2013.

Besides reading and writing, I enjoy singing. I love music period. Music is in our family. Whether it be the bluegrass from the Ozarks that my Grandpa Sutton use to play on his banjo or fiddle, or the smooth, family harmony in which I am fortunate enough to sing with my Dad and Brother. But you can give me some kickin' AC/DC too! I like it all!

I work full-time as an Administrative Assistant. Every free moment is dedicated to my family and my current project, The Three Crowns, a seven-novel paranormal romance series.




It all starts with a Queen and a Plan.

The Three Crowns is a New Adult/Paranormal Romance series. There are seven books to complete the series, with a novella. This series has your modern day vampires dealing with the Old World Laws creating a struggle for ultimate power in the Night World.



THE THREE CROWNS SERIES SYNOPSIS

The Three Crowns series is about a normal girl whose life is more than what she will allow herself to imagine. It is the journey of her accepting that everything is not black and white, and our logic of what we understand does not mean something does exist. Throughout the story she is protected, loved, groomed and pushed to her limits to prepare her for what lies ahead of her. She is tested in all areas of her humanity which will someday bring her to know the person she is destined to be. The human nature of love is a tangled web of emotions for she feels the love of two men who are continually being taken away from her for the sake of their positions in the future as well.




Top Ten List:


1) I'm a MiMi!
2) I'm a cancer survivor
3) I LOVE all kinds of music
4) I sing with my brother and dad every Sunday
5) I'm writing a story in my head all the time
6) My celebrity crush would be Dwayne Johnson
7) I think maybe Arya Stark and Gendry will take the Iron Throne  
8) My favorite classic book - Pride and Prejudice
9) I love the beach
10) I'm a flip flop/barefoot kinda girl





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Monday, June 24, 2019

Blitz: Sons of the Sphinx by Cheryl Carpinello



I’m a retired high school English teacher. A devourer of books growing up, my profession introduced me to writings and authors from times long past. 

Through my studies and teaching, I fell in love with the Ancient and Medieval Worlds. 

Now, I hope to inspire young readers and those Young-at-Heart to read more through my Tales and Legends for Reluctant Readers set in these worlds.





 If they fail...

She could die over 3300 years from home!



Tackle the elements & evil of Ancient Egypt...
A history-changing battle & Time Travel Thriller...


Fifteen-year-old Rosa doesn't see dead people...
She hears them & talks to them.

When she agrees to help King Tut's ghost find his lost queen & clear his family's name, she doesn't count on falling for him.

She & Tut must also outwit an evil pharaoh determined to stop them...
Even if it means one of them must die.

Get it today and see who triumphs.


2015 IAN Book of the Year Finalist YA
2015 CAL Book Award Finalist YA Fiction
2014 Literary Classics Seal of Approval
2015 Readers' Favorite Finalist YA
2014 Literary Classics Silver Medal for PreTeen/Tween




Q&A With the Author:

1. What do you like to do when you're not writing?

When not writing, I spend time with my family, enjoy the Colorado outdoors, catch up on my reading, go to concerts, and travel.

2. What would you say is your interesting writing quirk?

I have tried several different methods for putting my thoughts down, but after 10+ years of writing have settled on just doing that—writing. I don't outline. I write one draft and recycle back through the last writing session to edit and add material. When I'm finished with the story, I send it do my editor and move onto the next. I love not being bogged down in multiple drafts.

3. What suggestions do you have any suggestions to help budding authors become better authors?

My suggestions won't work for everyone but I encourage all levels of authors to try it. Write the stories you like to read. Entertain your readers. Don't think you have to know how your story is going to end. Have you ever finished a book where you already knew the ending? Trust your creativity to write the story. And as a writing instructor told me, "When you are stuck just write the next sentence and the next and the next."

4. Where do you get information and ideas for your books?

My stories have all come from my love of the ancient and medieval worlds and my imagination. I write the stories I would like to have lived.

5. What do you think makes a good story?

One that entertains, has engaging characters, a magical/mystical setting, and moves at a fast pace.

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


In summer, we go down to southern Mexico for 8-12 days and just play in the sun and ocean. We read a lot, and I do some writing. We love to travel and usually plan a trip overseas very 3-4 years. When we go, we spend 3-4 weeks in the country traveling around on our own.




To view our blog schedule and follow along with this tour visit our Official Event page