 I'm very honored to have Author Annie Douglass Lima as my guest today. She's celebrating the release of her new novel, The Collar & the Cavvarach. If you enjoy adventure fantasy books, you'll have to add this one to your TBR list! ~~~ About the Book: Bensin, a teenage slave and martial artist, is desperate to see his little sister freed. But only victory in the Krillonian Empire's most prestigious tournament will allow him to secretly arrange for Ellie's escape. Dangerous people are closing in on her, however, and Bensin is running out of time. With his one hope fading quickly away, how can Bensin save Ellie from a life of slavery and abuse? What is the Collar for, and What is a Cavvarach? The story is set in a world very much like our own, with just a few major differences. One is that slavery is legal there. Slaves must wear metal collars that lock around their neck, making their enslaved status obvious to everyone. Any slave attempting to escape faces the dilemma of how and where to illegally get their collar removed (a crime punishable by enslavement for the remover). Another difference is the popularity of a martial art called cavvara shil. It is fought with a cavvarach (rhymes with "have a rack"), an unsharpened weapon similar to a sword but with a steel hook protruding from partway down its top edge. Competitors can strike at each other with their feet as well as with the blades. You win in one of two ways: disarming your opponent (hooking or knocking their cavvarach out of their hands) or pinning their shoulders to the mat for five seconds. Would you like to know more about the world that Annie created and what life is like for the slaves and other people living in it? Click here! You can also click here to read one chapter for free! ~~~  Annie Douglass Lima spent most of her childhood in Kenya and later graduated from Biola University in Southern California. She and her husband Floyd currently live in Taiwan, where she teaches fifth grade at Morrison Academy. She has been writing poetry, short stories, and novels since her childhood, and to date has published ten books (one YA action and adventure novel, four fantasies, a puppet script, and four anthologies of her students’ poetry). Besides writing, her hobbies include reading (especially fantasy and science fiction), scrapbooking, and international travel. Connect with Annie below:
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They survived the Oregon Trail, but claiming a legacy would be their biggest challenge yet…  I'm thrilled to be able to help spread the news about Christi Corbett's new release. Her book, Tainted Dreams, is the standalone sequel to her first novel, Along the Way Home, and is available today! Here's a little more about the book: ~~~ Sometimes, the end justifies the means… Kate Davis arrived into Oregon City transformed from a pampered daughter of fortune into a determined woman with a plan--fulfill her father's dream of starting a horse ranch in Oregon Territory. She quickly discovers a harsh truth--even thousands of miles from home, on an unsettled land America doesn't yet own or govern, gender still takes precedence over ability. Refusing to be ruled once again by the stifling laws and societal norms she'd escaped by leaving Virginia, Kate begins creatively claiming what is rightfully hers. Until a visit to the land office changes everything. Jake Fitzpatrick guided Kate across the Oregon Trail, and fell in love with her along the way. Now he wants to marry her and build a life together, but a ruthless man from Jake's past threatens to reveal a dark secret, and destroy everything he's worked so hard to achieve. ~~~ If that doesn't hook you on this historical Western romance novel, maybe an excerpt will do the trick: ~~~ Excerpt: (Jake, Kate, and two people they rescued on the Oregon Trail, William and Margaret, have entered Oregon City. They are looking for the hotel.) At the end of the block a man burst from the saloon and stumbled into the street, stopping mere inches from Jake's horse, Plug. Instead of backing away, the man lurched forward and reached for Jake's saddle horn. "Hey there!" Jake said. Raising his left leg, he ignored the resulting twinge of pain and shoved the stranger aside with his boot heel. "Watch it!" The man drew back and stared at him, his eyes bloodshot and unfocused. He raised an unsteady finger, slurred an unintelligible response, and then fell face-first into a patch of mud. "Drunken fool," Jake muttered, then faced the others. "Let's keep moving." High-pitched squealing foiled his plan. On the upper deck of the saloon a horde of harlots stood clustered together, giggling and shrieking as they pointed toward him. Clenching his jaw, he focused on the street ahead, all the while hoping Kate didn't notice one woman in particular who'd separated herself from the others and was now hanging over the railing, calling him by name. Jake pressed his boot heels into Plug's side, urging him to a steady trot. Thankfully the others followed and they quickly left the saloon behind. Minutes later, Kate motioned to the end of the street. "William, we're running out of road and I still don't see a hotel." William pulled a rumpled paper from his pocket. He studied it briefly and then eyed the surrounding buildings. "My uncle sent me a rough sketch of where it's located, but there are so many new buildings, it's useless. Jake, do you know where it's at?" Jake shook his head. "There wasn't a hotel the last time I was here." "Perhaps one of those men sitting in front of the apothecary would know?" Margaret suggested. "We'll find it ourselves," Jake replied. He led the group around the corner and onto the next street. Buildings, so new their fresh pine scent still hung in the air, lined one side of the street while the other side held only two—an enormous livery and a two-story building with the word Hotel prominently displayed on a white sign with black lettering. A matching sign beside a light-rimmed window read Rooms Available by the Day or Week. They dismounted, secured their horses to the empty hitching posts in front of the hotel, and headed for the door. William reached for the glass knob, then turned to the others with a worried frown. "I haven't seen my uncle in over seven years, so I don't know what to expect. Though from what I've observed so far, living out west doesn't seem to improve manners." He stepped inside and ushered Margaret and Kate through the doorway. Jake followed them, then stopped cold. Behind the hotel's front desk sat Theodore Martin—the one man Jake never wanted to see again as long as he lived. ~~~  I know that this new book and the first one will be going on my TBR list. Speaking of both books, Christi's first novel was featured in USA Today. She won the 2013 RONE Award for Best American Historical novel. They lost everything but their dreams on the Oregon Trail… Kate Davis is intrigued when her father reveals his dream of starting a horse ranch in Oregon Territory. Settlers out west value a strong woman, and though she manages the financials of her father's mercantile her competence earns her ridicule, not respect, from Virginia's elite society. Jake Fitzpatrick, an experienced trail guide, wants land out west to raise cattle and crops. But dreams require money and he's eating dandelion greens for dinner. So when a wealthy businessman offers double wages to guide his family across the Oregon Trail, Jake accepts with one stipulation--he is in complete control. Departure day finds Kate clinging to her possessions as Jake demands she abandon all he deems frivolous, including her deceased mother's heirlooms. Jake stands firm, refusing to let the whims of a headstrong woman jeopardize the wages he so desperately needs--even a beautiful one with fiery green eyes and a temper to match. Trail life is a battle of wills between them until tragedy strikes, leaving Jake with an honor-bound promise to protect her from harm and Kate with a monumental choice--go back to everything she's ever known or toward everything she's ever wanted? ~~~  Christi Corbett, winner of the 2013 RONE Award for Best American Historical novel, lives in a small town in Oregon with her husband and their twin children. The home's location holds a special place in her writing life; it stands just six hundred feet from the original Applegate Trail and the view from her back door is a hill travelers looked upon years ago as they explored the Oregon Territory and beyond.
Love's Compass: Book Two Finding Hope by Melanie D. Snitker  I'm excited to share the cover of my newest book, Finding Hope. I hope you all love it as much as I do!
Many thanks to the talented Victorine Lieske of Blue Valley Author Services for this incredible cover. I haven't posted much about the book to date, so I thought I would share the synopsis: Cancer That one word has rocked Lexi Chandler's life to the core. Her focus has always been to help others. She loves being a nurse and enjoys spending time with her family. Things had been going according to plan. Now she’s struggling to pick up the pieces and make sense of the changes in her life. Lance Davenport has cared for Lexi since they were kids. He's turned burying his feelings into an art. Now, watching Lexi battle with cancer has made him realize just how much he's missed. He doesn't know what their future holds, but he's determined to not waste another minute. The people closest to Lexi pull together as she tries to navigate her way down a path none of them ever dreamed she’d have to follow. Stay tuned for some character interviews, book excerpts, and more over the course of the next two months. Finding Hope is set for release July 2015!
Uncharted Inheritance (Uncharted, #3)
By Keely Brooke Keith
From the author of The Land Uncharted and Uncharted Redemption comes the third book in the Uncharted series, Uncharted Inheritance. Written like a historical, set like a scifi, and filled with romance, Uncharted Inheritance concludes this suspenseful story of life in a hidden land. 
Bethany Colburn finally turns eighteen and Everett Foster is about to confess his love for her. When a new man arrives in the village of Good Springs, he brings charm Bethany has never encountered and illness the Land has never known. While the medicinal power of the gray leaf tree is put to the test and the Colburn family’s strength is stretched thin, Bethany must learn to protect her true inheritance. Uncharted Inheritance weaves heartbreak and hope while delivering long-awaited answers in this suspenseful story of life in a hidden land.
You can purchase a copy at any of the following locations: Amazon | Smashwords | Barnes and Noble | iBooks | Kobo Uncharted Inheritance is also available as an audiobook. Audible | iTunes | Amazon | YouTube sample Shelf Links: Goodreads | Shelfari | Fictfact | LibraryThing ACFW FictionFinder | Authorgraph About Keely Brooke Keith: Keely is a bass guitarist and lives on a hilltop south of Nashville. When she isn’t writing stories or playing bass, Keely enjoys dancing, having coffee with friends, and sifting through vintage books at antiques stores. Be sure to follow Keely at the links below: Twitter | Facebook | Goodreads | Instagram | Pinterest Who's ready for a contest? Enter to win an ebook copy of The Land Uncharted, Uncharted Redemption, and Uncharted Inheritance. 
They say that love and business don’t mix . . .Charlee is angry... What do you do when your boss makes someone else the lead on a big renovation project that should rightfully be yours? You quit. On second thought, that might not be the best idea, but Charlee Jackson has never been one for second thoughts. Instead, she lands a big contract of her own. She’s jumping into her new life—work boots, tool belt and all. Now she just needs to form a company and hire contractors and buy supplies and get an office and not fall in love with her former boss's son. Yeah. Definitely not that last one. Peter is torn... You can’t date someone who works for you, but now that his dad let Charlee walk out the door, Peter Elliot is considering his options. Charlee was their top renovation expert, his best friend’s sister, and the only thing that made the drudgery of running a large construction business bearable. But how do you date a competitor, especially one your father is trying to drive out of business? It would be stupid to make your dad angry right before he retires and hands the company over to you. Right? When Charlee and Peter are scheduled to work on the same Indulgence Row house, their feelings and priorities are put to the test. They need to make a choice, and they better be quick about it, because the whole mixture is curing fast and threatening to crumble to pieces.
LOVE UNDER CONSTRUCTION
by Danyelle Ferguson
Published by Wonderstruck Books
Coming Sept. 8th, 2015
Other books in the series: Sweet ConfectionsAbout the Author
She grew up surrounded by Pennsylvania’s beautiful Allegheny Mountains. Then lived for ten years among the majestic Wasatch Mountains. She is currently experiencing mountain-withdrawal while living in Kansas with her husband and four angels-in-training. She enjoys reading, writing, dancing & singing in the kitchen, and the occasional long bubble bath to relax from the everyday stress of being “Mommy.” Share the Love Giveaway!
Share the Love Under Construction cover on your social media and be entered to win a $25 Amazon Gift Card or PayPal cash, plus a Sweet Confections ebook by Danyelle Ferguson. There are several different ways to enter - and none are "mandatory." Choose your favorites, share & like away, and cross your fingers to win the prize. The giveaway is open internationally and ends at midnight (CT) on Thursday, May 7th. Good luck & thank you!
 My family moved a week ago yesterday. What an adventure! This isn't the first time all four of us has moved, but I sure hope it's one of the last times. LOL
We were actually very organized. Boxes were all properly labeled, we had a couple of yard sales and sold or gave away as much as we could to make the moving process that much easier. We moved from a 950 sq. ft. house to a 1600 sq. ft. house with a double garage. How hard could it be? What I would like to know is where all this stuff came from?! Now, granted, we still had some things boxed up from our move two years ago because there was no storage space or kitchen space in our previous house. I must admit, I'm loving all of this room. There's room to spread out. We don't have to step on shoes to get out the backdoor. And I have kitchen cabinets! Yes! I even have a dishwasher now, though I've yet to try it out. I guess I'm so used to washing by hand I haven't even thought to get the dishwashing soap to use in it yet. I will, though. The backyard and front yard are both beautiful and we spent some time planting flowers in the flower bed by the front porch. We are already enjoying this house and having more room! Now to get back to normal again. Back to blog posts and writing. Back to school tomorrow and a schedule. Yeah, it'll be nice to have a schedule again! Speaking of writing, I know I was supposed to have a cover reveal for my next book by now. I'm very sorry about that! The official reveal will be this Wednesday, May 6th. Which is timed nicely (and completely accidentally) because Wednesday is Nurses Day and the book is all about Lexi! I am very thankful for your patience during this transition to a new home. I appreciate you all! |
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