Interview with Author Jan Scarbrough

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Kentucky Rain by Jan Scarbrough

We have the pleasure to meet author Jan Scarbrough today, who just launched Kentucky Rain, the latest one of her seven Bluegrass Reunion series books.

Jan, how would you describe your book to someone who has not yet read it?

Kentucky Rain is part of my Bluegrass Reunion series for Resplendence Publishing. Each book in the Bluegrass Reunion series can stand alone, but each have similar themes—reunions, single moms, horses if I can fit them in—and all are set in Kentucky.

Is there a message in your book that you want your readers to grasp?

You can grow as a person even during the most troubling time of your life.

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What inspired you to start writing?
A life-threatening illness when I was 38 convinced me that I needed to start making my dreams come true.
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How did you get the idea for the novel?

Although I write about single moms, it’s taken me twenty years to be able to write a divorced heroine. Because of my own experiences, I wasn’t ready until now.  I like Kate because she deals with this situation many of us have dealt with, she grows, and she survives.
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Does your book have any underlying theme, message, or moral?

Another person can’t make you happy. You have to do that for yourself.
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Are your characters based on real people?

No, but my husband discovered our cat Folly in the book when he was reading it.
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Who is your favorite character and why?

Kate, because she grows as a person and is wise enough to not depend upon a man to make her happy.
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Give us an excerpted quote from your favorite review of this book:

“I am never disappointed by anything written by talented author Jan Scarbrough. Kentucky Rain, her latest ‘reunion’ story, is an emotionally satisfying read that has us rooting for Kate and Scott the whole way. We love them, hate Kate’s ex-husband, and enjoy her supporting cast. Highly recommended for everyone who loves a happily-ever-after ending.”
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Jan Scarbrough

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How much of the book is based on real life (either yours or someone you know)?

Considering a book from the first word you write to the moment you see it on a bookstore shelf, what’s your favorite part of the process? What’s your least favorite?
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How did you get published? Please share your own personal journey.

It took eight years. I heard from another writer about an opportunity at a major publisher that was looking for 50,000 word completed romances. I cut out 35,000 words from my manuscript, touched it up, and submitted it.
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What do you find is the best part of being an author?

Recently, during my riding lesson, I rode a very expensive, five-gaited American Saddlebred horse. This horse is a champion, but now retired from showing and in a lesson program. The mare was professional. Her gaits were smooth. She was responsive and game. It was like riding a dream. I said to myself that I’ll never be able to afford a horse like this. But my characters can. I can create characters who live out my dreams. I can create heroines who are stronger and spunkier than I am. In short, I can make my stories into the world of my dreams.
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What’s one thing that your readers would be surprised to know about you?

I take a riding lesson once a week on an American Saddlebred horse to get my weekly “horse fix.”
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Where can readers learn more about your book series?

Bluegrass Reunion Series book trailer on YouTube:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V6ve6C3fKYc

http://www.janscarbrough.com/

http://www.amazon.com/Jan-Scarbrough/e/B001K8768A/ref=sr_tc_2_0?qid=1365952793&sr=1-2-ent

https://www.facebook.com/pages/Jan-Scarbrough-Reader-Page/204815941631

https://twitter.com/romancerider

http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/198797.Jan_Scarbrough

THANKS Jan for giving us a glimpse in your writing life and to find out about the many books you published. 

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Introducing Author J.H. Walker

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We have the pleasure today to introduce a rising star:
J.H. Walker, the author of REWRITE REDEMPTION received raving reviews. She is a YA fiction author living in Colorado, in the foothills of the Rockies, working away on her next novel. The premise behind Rewrite Redemption is: “What if we could edit time?” It makes for a fantastic read with wonderfully complex and compelling characters. 

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Reviewers wrote:
“Many authors have tackled the subject of time travel but few manage to deliver an original story line; J H Walker is without doubt one of those rare exceptions.”

“Telling her tale from the alternative perspectives of Autumn and Constantine the plot is complex yet so deftly is it woven into the action that it doesn’t impair the enjoyment, making Rewrite Redemption a genuine page turner. The tale looping back upon itself with unexpected twists and turns that make it a hard book to put down and worthy of a weekend read.”

“Dialogue is certainly one of J.H. Walkers strong points and never better than when Lex, one of the supporting cast, takes on her mother in a scene that heralds a well scripted climax. With no unnecessary characters and no long, boring ineffectual dialogue to dog the story line, J.H. Walker has written a cracker of a debut novel that begs a sequel.”
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About the book:
She’s sixteen. He’s seventeen. They don’t know each other…at least not yet.
She has a secret and her whole life revolves around keeping it. Every few months and with little warning, she simply disappears, pulled into the past for hours or even days. She’s terrified it will happen in front of someone, changing her life forever. So far, the only witnesses have been her parents, and that didn’t end well. She has no control over it and no idea why it happens to her.

She wants answers. He has answers—at least he understands what’s going on. He has a secret, too…

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Curious about her novel? Get it on Amazon:  

Amazon.com/Rewrite-Redemption-ebook/dp/B00B6GT4H2

Amazon.co.uk/Rewrite-Redemption-ebook/dp/B00B6GT4H2

• 388 pages  $4.99 Kindle Purchase
• Borrow this book for FREE on Kindle
• 18 5-Star Reviews !!!

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Author J.H. Walker

Author Bio:
J.H. Walker grew up in Central America. She now lives in the foothills of the Colorado Rockies with her photographer husband and many, many books. In addition to her never-ending study of human behavior, she’s a political junkie and a certified tree huger. Rewrite Redemption is her debut novel.
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The author in her own words:
“I love young adult books. I’m not much into horrific violence, but I love a good story. Before the YA market really existed, (or before I knew it existed,) I read sci-fi and fantasy. I’m a fan of the unusual and the strange, and the YA market is more open to those things.”

“As for me personally, yes, I’m a political junkie. I’m a progressive and well aware that what happens politically hugely impacts our fate as a species. It’s of paramount importance. I’m interested in women’s issues, for sure. The men in Congress should not be making decisions about a woman’s right to control what happens to her own body. My gay friends should have the right to marry the person they fall in love with. Everyone should have equal and easy access to the voting booth. I’m also concerned with climate change. We all should be. The young adult market today is filled with dystopian novels with bleak world situations. Why is that? Could it be that our collective conscience senses that we’re not doing a very good job of taking care of the only planet we have access to?

“I have just begun the sequel to Rewrite Redemption. I left a hint in the last chapter of something that isn’t quite right with A.J., my main character. The sequel will take off days later when that “something” becomes glaringly obvious. As for a sequel cover, that’s a long way off. My next book will have more sci-fi elements. Not hard-core sci-fi, but the planet of Oreon will play a part. I like world building. I mean, how fun is it to completely make up your own world? But the gang will be back, and I’m sure there will be a few new characters. It’s starting to form in the back of my mind.”

“I see my role as a writer, first and foremost, to tell a good story. But with my background in human behavior, I can’t help but be aware of the impact of books on young minds. So no matter what I write, I will be writing it with the intent of being a force for good on the planet. And I will have had impact in some small way, and that’s what matters most to be as a writer, as a humanist, as a person. I think the next decade or two will be focused on writing. I am happiest when I’m creating something, whether it’s as an artist or a writer.”

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To learn more about the author and to connect with her:

Goodreads page

Google+ page REWRITE REDEMPTION

J.H. Walker’s Google+ page

Blog

Tumblr page

Facebook

Twitter: @jhwalkerbooks

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Introducing Author Michael J. Sullivan’s Books

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Michael John Sullivan

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Michael John Sullivan, Author of two books and a novelette, was homeless at the age of 23 after watching his mother — his protector in a dysfunctional family — die from cancer. A year later his father asked him to leave. Riding a New York City subway train at night, his only companion was a green plastic bag of belongings. During these bleak days he began writing his most reflective and emotional childhood and adult memories now featured in two of his novels.
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Necessary Heartbreak

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Necessary Heartbreak

Michael Stewart has lost his faith and is overwhelmed by the demands of raising his precocious fourteen-year-old daughter Elizabeth. When he and Elizabeth find a cellar door in the floor of a church basement, they discover a tunnel that transports them back in time to Jerusalem during the tumultuous last week of Christ’s life. There they encounter numerous characters including Leah, a grieving widow; a menacing soldier who is determined to take Elizabeth as his own; Judas on the last night of his life; and a close-up of the man, Jesus. Trapped in the past, Michael comes face to face with some of his most limiting beliefs and realizes he must open himself up to the possibility of a deeper faith in people, himself, and love if he is to ever find his way home.

A captivating and spiritual tale, Necessary Heartbreak will leave readers moved and transported.

256 pages, $10.69  Amazon.com/dp/B0033DDIVY

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Everybodys Daughter

 

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Everybody’s Daughter
What if you had a chance to ask a loved one for forgiveness – after they died? What would you say?
Would you give up your own lifetime of happiness for someone else?
Michael Stewart confronts these questions as he travels back in time through a mysterious tunnel in an old church when the Romans ruled with brutal violence and Jesus preached his peaceful message. 

His Teenage daughter Elizabeth soon follows Michael, but is surprised to discover that her father is nowhere to be found. Little does she know that Michael has returned safely to the present, leaving her to battle a vicious Roman soldier.

Separated by centuries, Michael is trapped to fight his own battles in the present day. Elizabeth’s disappearance, and the discovery of her blood in his car ignites a rush of judgment as the FBI focuses on him as a person of interest. Michael’s only hope for saving his daughter rests in the hands of his best friend – a local pastor with secrets of his own – and a mysterious old journal containing tales of miracles within the walls of the old church itself.

Thrilling and suspenseful, Everybody’s Daughter takes readers on a miraculous journey of their own, where salvation can be found in acts of sacrifice and hope remains forever eternal through the passage of a tunnel.

330 pages, $3.47  Amazon.com/dp/B007A2SQ8O

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An Angel Comes Home

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Novelette “AN ANGEL COMES HOME”
Michael John Sullivan: “Over the past decade I’ve been working on a time-travel trilogy, occasionally reflecting back to my childhood and young adult experiences and incorporating it into the plot. While the hardships of spending nights riding a subway train were an emotional and sometimes physical burden for me, there’s been a wonderful conclusion to this period of time.”

“I’ve been able to heal while writing NECESSARY HEARTBREAK and EVERYBODY’S DAUGHTER . It’s also given me a chance to reflect upon the story and the characters and what they truly mean to me. I decided to write a prequel to EVERYBODY’S DAUGHTER, a novelette. I felt it important that the reader should know who George Farmer was in more detail and to bridge the gap between the two books.”

“There’s a twist, too, in showing the relationship between Pastor Dennis, Michael Stewart, and George Farmer. George was a man of strength, love, faith and hope. Perhaps someday you’ll run into someone like him. Or better yet, you already have.”

99c   Amazon.com/dp/B00B7FIJHI

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Enjoy Sullivan’s books as much as his many readers did:  “I’ve been truly blessed with the opportunity to review all these wonderful novels and if you haven’t read any of them, you are truly in for a treasure. ” and “Eagerly awaiting Sullivan’s next book. ”

Michael J. Sullivan can be reached on https://twitter.com/AuthorMSullivan
or Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Michael-J-Sullivan/237943096234593

 

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“Grace Unexpected”, a Romantic Comedy by Gale Martin

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Today we meet Gale Martin, the author of Grace Unexpected, the dating life of a 30-something: Grace has slogged through crummy jobs and dead-end relationships with men who would rather go bald than say “I do” …    

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How would you describe your book to someone who has not yet read it?
Grace Unexpected is a romantic comedy about a smart, fun-loving professional woman who blunders into an unexpected romantic triangle.

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Grace Unexpected by Gale Martin

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Grace Unexpected has a promotion on Sunday, March 24, and is available at all retailers for only $0.99.  So, readers can take advantage of this amazing offer and download chick-lit at its finest. Wit, drama and surprise fill every page. A 5- star read. 273 pages of fun!

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Is there a message in your book that you want your readers to grasp?

Love will find you, if you let it.

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How did you get the idea for the novel?
I don’t travel to the extent that a lot of people do, I suppose, so any trip I take makes a profound impression on me. When I visited Shaker Village in Canterbury, New Hampshire in 2005, I couldn’t stop thinking about the place. Everyone’s lives were so neat and ordered and prescribed. The idea of a place for everything (and everyone) and everything in its place is attractive, to a degree, until it becomes stifling.
So, when I learned men and women were expected to live in celibate community in Shaker Village during the 19th and most of the 20th centuries, it profoundly affected me. I am a better person for having found a wonderful, loving man for a life partner. The more I thought about it, the more severe it seemed to restrict an entire culture of women intimacy with the opposite sex while LIVING alongside men. I wrote a short story about Grace visiting Shaker Village that eventually evolved into a novel.

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Give us an excerpted quote from your favorite review of this book:
“I absolutely LOVED Gale Martin’s, Grace Unexpected and recommend it to anyone who loves chick lit. Grace Unexpected has it all: sexual frustration, great friendships, witty dialogue, hilarious scenes, and even a shocking twist thrown in that will shock you!  Do yourself a favor and read this great book, you won’t be disappointed!” — Candace Lybarger, Endless Days of Literary Ecstacy

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Are your characters based on real people?
My characters are inspired by real people because real people are hilarious and infuriating and endearing, alternately. In this novel Lacy is is several wretched annual fund directors rolled into one treacherous young woman. True was inspired by a very charismatic 60-something I met when I was 30-something, whose charm and physical appeal left an indelible impression on me.

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What inspired you to start writing?

After being a lifelong reader, I woke up one day in midlife and started writing a novel. It helped me deal with a lot of heart hurts I’d accumulated but hadn’t surfaced since my teenage years, and I found the writing to be actually pretty cathartic. So, I began writing at age 46 and haven’t stopped writing since.

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What would/could a reader or reviewer say about this book that shows they “get” you as an author?

Here’s an excerpt of a review from Barbara Bamberger Scott that shows she gets me as a storyteller: “Martin has taken a likable smart young woman and dropped her into what seems like an overwhelming series of landslides (relationship woes, job stress, sprained shoulder, car on the blink, enemy of the powerful) and then it seems, she watches with us as her character comes alive and digs herself out. We are all amazed at Grace.”
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If Oprah invited you onto her show to talk about your book, what would the theme of the show be? Today on Oprah we’re talking to women who fell in love with much younger men and women who fell for much older men. Can relationships with either (or both) can really work? In Gale Martin’s newest novel, her protagonist Grace Savage becomes involved with one of each–a young stud and a silver fox.

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Gale Martin

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What scene or bit of dialogue in the book are you most proud of, and why?

Beginning on p. 171 — “If you’ve ever grown zucchini, you know they all ripen the same day. You wait all of June and July for zucchini. August rolls around, and one day—bam! You have more zucchini than you know what to do with. You start handing them out to your neighbors and friends at work because there’s no way any single person can handle all that zucchini. Not even if you’re smart and resourceful and have accumulated dozens of good recipes, not even a person who likes zucchini as much as I do.”

I love that passage because it shows how funny and literary Grace is, relying on an extended metaphor to carry the humor.
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Grace Unexpected can be found at Amazon

Barnes&Noble  and Local Booksellers / Kobo

Grace Unexpected has a promotion on Sunday, March 24, and is available at all retailers for only $0.99.  So, readers can take advantage of this amazing offer and download chick-lit at its finest. Wit, drama and surprise fill every page. A 5-star read. 273 pages of fun!

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Book Launch March 20: Kentucky Rain

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Jan Scarbrough did it again: she wrote a new romance in her Kentucky series, Kentucky Rain

Kate Lawrence is a recently divorced, single mom who is ill-prepared to make it on her own. She moves to her small Kentucky hometown to create a new life for her daughter and herself. Carrying emotional baggage with her, Kate is not sure she is ready for the man she finds living right next door.

A confirmed bachelor, Scott Gray thinks he’s gotten over Kate, but when he finds out who his new tenant is going to be, he’s surprised at the depth of his reaction. Carrying a torch for someone who hasn’t given him a thought in years is ridiculous. There’s no time like the present to move on. But does Scott really want to?
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Reviews for Kentucky Rain
“I am never disappointed by anything written by talented author Jan Scarbrough. Kentucky Rain, her latest ‘reunion’ story, is an emotionally satisfying read that has us rooting for Kate and Scott the whole way. We love them, hate Kate’s ex-husband, and enjoy her supporting cast. Highly recommended for everyone who loves a happily-ever-after ending.” Karen Block

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About Jan Scarbrough

A professional technical writer by day, Jan Scarbrough spends her nights writing romance. She is the author of several dozen books, a member of Novelist, Inc., the Romance Writers of America, and the Kentucky Romance Writers, where she manages their award-winning web site. Jan has written for Kensington and ImaJinn Books, and currently writes for Resplendence Publishing and the Turquoise Morning Press. She lives in Louisville, Kentucky, and rides American Saddlebred horses for fun and recreation.
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Jan Scarbrough Romance Author

 

http://www.janscarbrough.com/
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Follow Jan on Twitter @romancerider

See Jan Scarbrough’s Amazon page
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Prices of her Bluegrass series have been reduced in preparation for the 3/20 release of her latest work:
KY Cowboy – $5.50 to $3.99
KY Woman – $5.50 to $2.99
KY Flame – $6.50 to $4.99
KY Bride – $4.00 to $2.99
KY Groom – $5.00 to $3.99
KY Heat – $2.99 to $2.99
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Funnier than Bill Bryson – Trips Around the World

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I am reading a lot of travel stories, and until now Bill Bryson was my favored travel writer. Funny and witty. However, last year, I discovered books by Lawrence Winkler, and found out that there is even better travel literature around:
Dr. Lawrence Winkler to be precise, as he is a Clinical Assistant Professor in a British Columbia, Canada, hospital.  Now I am already slipping into his bio… so let’s finish:

Recreational interests include viticulture (making wine from his own Burgundian varietals), travel to offbeat destinations, wild mushroom foraging, gardening, music, Japanese Art, efforts at local environment protection and he joyously cultivates a small acreage on Vancouver Island together with his wife Robin. 

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So, how does a medical prof come to write books about travel adventures?

As a young Canadian physician in residence, he decided to discover the world before settling down – and took a couple of years off from the rat race.  He hitchhiked to the States, then South America and Africa, described in his first book Orion’s Cartwheel.
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After a short, yet adventures stint in an Israel Kibbuz, he continued through Western Europe and Skandinavia and further to the Middle East, described in Between the Cartwheels.
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An old Boeing 707 brought him to the Indian Sub Continent, where he used trains for further adventurous travels, accompanied by great young pals, one of them becoming later his wife. Read more in Hind Cartwheels.
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The Final Cartwheel

The Final Cartwheel by Lawrence Winkler.

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The latest book in the Orion’s Cartwheels series is “The Final Cartwheel“, published last month as an e-book on Amazon, like the other volumes. It lively describes Lawrence Winkler’s trips into Burma, when it was still Burma, to Macau and into China and other parts of Asia, as well as the UDSSR, now split into Russia and other countries. 

Beside the humorous tone in Lawrence Winkler’s books, one learns a lot about other parts of the world, most of us wouldn’t travel so easily or eagerly.  He vividly describes the world as it was thirty years ago and makes the reader yearning to follow his route – even as an armchair traveler.
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Snippets from his books:

“Tip the world on one side & everything loose will land in Los Angeles.”
“Tel Aviv: We honed the fine art of stuffing a Falafel, so that a dollar could last all day.”
“Most intense joys of travel are likely to be experienced in the least obvious places & often at the most inopportune times.”
“If you want to sell your whisky to buy hashish, I may be of service, he offered…”
“Humphrey Bogart said: You are not a star until they can spell your name in Karachi.  I spelled my name out for Stefan.”
“The ratio of corruption to competence was encouraging. The smiling faces of the inept immigration officials cleared the middle path for me out of the terminal.”
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The Final Cartwheel is the story of a young doctor’s return home, after a five-year hitchhiking odyssey around the world.  Through East Asia, Indonesia, and around the Antipodes, the circle becomes unbroken. 359 pages, Kindle e-book
Amazon.com/dp/B00BEIXB1M
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To use a cliche:  The Cartwheel series is a MUST READ!
To find out more, see Dr. Winkler’s Amazon page, go to http://about.me/lawrencewinkler  or visit his website: www.lawrencewinkler.com

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Interview with Author Michael Watson TREASURE OF THE ANASAZI

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Hello Mike, thanks for being with us today and telling readers more about your Jack Trader series and yourself as a writer. Let’s start, as I have lots of questions for you today:

How would you describe your book to someone who has not yet read it?
Treasure hunters threaten the discovery of the single remaining Anasazi village deep in the Mesa Verde area of SW Colorado. Jack Trader, the main character, and Ranger Samantha Baker must stop the men even when their own lives are threatened. The Anasazi, the coyote people, have the capability to transform if they are forced to protect themselves.

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What inspired you to start writing?
Research about Noah’s Ark led to the writing of my debut novel, “The Nestorian Alliance“.

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How did you get the idea for the novel?
This second novel, “Treasure of the Anasazi“, is a continuation of the Jack Trader series. My research of the Mesa Verde / Durango area gave the inspiration to write this book.

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Are your characters based on real people?
Not specifically, but I’m sure my personal experiences find their way into the characters.

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Treasure of the Anasazi by Michael Watson in a YouTube Book Trailer:
http://youtu.be/UCQp1_NF9yU

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Who is your favorite character and why?
Jack Trader is the leading character and my favorite. He always strives to do the right thing and will take personal risk to protect those around him. He is not perfect. He still struggles with his relationship with Samantha.

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Give us an excerpted quote from your favorite review of this book:
“Darn awesome. I felt like I didn’t want to put it down.”

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Michael Watson

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If Oprah invited you onto her show to talk about your book, what would the theme of the show be? Adventure in our National Parks.

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How much of the book is based on real life (either yours or someone you know)?
It’s not based on any one person’s real-life event(s), but does try to reflect real situations, dialogue and real character actions.

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What would/could a reader or reviewer say about this book that shows they “get” you as an author?
He writes realistic interactions and natural flowing dialogue.

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Thinking way back to the beginning, what’s the most important thing you’ve learned as a writer from then to now?
The writing process cannot be rushed.

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Considering a book from the first word you write to the moment you see it on a bookstore shelf,

what’s your favorite part of the process?
One of my favorite parts of the process is the research.
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What’s your least favorite?
My least favorite is the revising and re-reading over and over and over. Oh yeah. Marketing is a real pain too. It takes away from writing.

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What scene or bit of dialogue in the book are you most proud of, and why?
I enjoyed the last scene when (spoiler alert) Jack and Sam may finally come back together.

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If you had to do it all over again, would you change anything about your book? Nothing. There were changes after my editor and beta-readers went through it though, and I’m glad they did.

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What genre have you not yet written but really want to try?
I’ve never written a western, but I am now in the process of writing one based on research I stumbled upon at the historical museum at Durango, CO while researching this book.

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If your book would be made into a movie, who should play the main character?
Hugh Jackman

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How did you get published? Please share your own personal journey.
After receiving a huge pile of rejections from every agent and publisher I queried by snail mail or email, and failed pitches at numerous writer’s conferences, I took the leap to self-publish. The experience through CreateSpace has been very positive. The downside is the amount of time necessary to market.

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What general advice do you have for other writers?
Write what you are interested in. Don’t follow trends. Establish good writing habits.

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What do you find is the best part of being an author?
Being able to research and write about what interests me. The schedule to write is my own, however, the more structured, the better.

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What is one thing that you have done that brought you more readers?
Hired a great designer (Laura Wright LaRoche) for the book cover. First impression is extremely important, even though we are told not to judge a book by its cover.

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What else your readers would be surprised to know about you?
I didn’t start writing seriously until I was 50 years of age.

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Where can people learn more about your writing?
My blog on http://www.adventurewithmike.com/mikes-books-etc.html

Thanks so much Mike, for answering so many questions I had. And to all your readers: Have fun and enjoy Mike’s great book series!

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“Grace Unexpected”, a novel by Gale Martin

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‘Boy, are YOU in for a surprise…’
“I thoroughly enjoyed reading Grace Unexpected  and those around me thoroughly enjoyed watching me jump out of my seat and scream ”ARE YOU SERIOUS?” while reading the second to last chapter of the book. Want to find out more? You’ll just have to pick this one up!”
Reviewer N. Whiffen, Amazon.com
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What others say:

“Martin delivers an engaging plot, with witty banter, comedic elements that border on farce and cleverly titled chapters . . . its ending contains a welcome twist. An entertaining light read.”
– Kirkus Reviews

“This is Gale Martin’s second novel and I can’t wait to see what she does next. Not many authors can be intelligent, witty and funny with such ease. Five and of five huge stars.”
– Book Evolution

“I absolutely LOVED Gale Martin’s ‘Grace Unexpected’ and recommend it to anyone who
loves chick lit.”
– Endless Days of Literary Ecstacy

“GRACE UNEXPECTED is chick-lit at its finest. Wit, drama and surprise fill every page. A 5-
star read. 273 pages of fun!”
– Literary R&R

“A simple gift of comic genius”

“Calling all single ladies! In this charming and witty story, Gale Martin reminds us how humorous and daunting the dating life can be. GRACE UNEXPECTED is a delightful mix of love and loss. Snark kept me laughing on each page, but it was Grace Savage’s voice that kept me wanting more.”
– Marni Mann

Read more Book-Blurbs 
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About the book:

Thirty-something Grace Savage has slogged through crummy jobs and dead-end relationships with men who would rather go bald than say “I do”. In search of a respite from her current job, she visits a Shaker Village in New Hampshire. Instead of renewal, she’s unnerved to learn that Shaker men and women lived and worked side by side in complete celibacy.

When her longtime boyfriend dumps her instead of proposing, Grace avows the sexless Shaker ways. Resolved to stick to her new plan – dubbed the Shaker Plan – and despite the fact that her ovaries are ticking, she returns to her life in Pennsylvania.  Almost immediately, she’s juggling two eligible bachelors: Addison, a young beat reporter; and True, a venerable anthropology professor. Both men have ample charms and real soul mate potential to test her new-found Shaker-style self-control. Grace appears to be on the fast track to a marriage proposal… until secrets revealed deliver a death rattle to the Shaker Plan.
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Grace Unexpected, e-book ($3.99) and print ( $13.35), 273 pages,
Amazon:
Barnes&Noble
Independent Bookstores in North America with store locator

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Gale Martin

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About the Author

Gale Martin  is an award-winning writer of contemporary fiction who plied her childhood penchant for lying into a legitimate literary pursuit during midlife. She began writing her first novel at age eleven, finishing her first book three decades later.

Her debut novel, DON JUAN IN HANKEY, PA, published in 2011, is a humorous backstage novel inspired by Don Giovanni, Mozart’s famous tragicomic opera about the last two days of Don Juan’s life. It was named a Finalist in the 2012 National Indie Excellence Awards for New Fiction.

Her second novel GRACE UNEXPECTED, published in 2012, is wryly witty women’s fiction that features a protagonist who can hear her ovaries ticking, who has a heart of pure gold, wrapped in lead. But a string of crummy boyfriends would do that to any lovable woman while waiting for Mr. Right.

She has a master of arts in creative writing from Wilkes University. Her work has been published in: The Christian Science Monitor, Duck & Herring Company’s Pocket Field Guide, Sirens Magazine, Giggle Water Review, and in several anthologies.  Gale hosts a blog about opera called “Operatoonity.com” and an opera-themed Twitter account @operatoonity.
Visit her Goodreads presence
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Gale is a also a very popular guest speaker, her next appearances are:

• AAUW Book and Author Luncheon, Willingboro, NJ, April 26, 2013
• Author Event, Alvernia University Literary Festival, Reading, PA, October 24, 2013
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Don’t miss to read Gale Martin’s blog when visiting her appealing website http://galemartin.me.  Every time I log on, I enjoy her amazing posts, and spend way too much time reading it all. Her website is a real show case, a role model for other authors.
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Never Say Sorry …

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Never Say Sorry Thriller Rose Edmunds

Claudia Knight is a straight-talking, feisty journalist hungry for her first big scoop. When she receives
a tip-off that pharma giant BEP has suppressed a natural cancer cure she’s sceptical, until her
source becomes the victim of a hit-and-run and his proof disappears.

Corporate financier Hugo Fleming likes the good life – but he’s broke. The promotion he
desperately needs hinges on the successful completion of BEP’s bid to take over bio-software
company IDD, run by glamorous and celebrated ethical businesswoman, Julia Fraser. But bulldog
boss Stephanie is breathing down his neck, and somehow Hugo can’t seem to stay out of trouble.

When Claudia and Hugo’s paths cross by chance, they clash and sparks fly. But like it or not, their
fates become entwined as they both hunt for the missing proof. In a search that takes them from
London to New Jersey and Rio, the pair are plunged into a world of mysterious hedge funds, secret
insider trading and unexplained killings. To what lengths will they go to find the truth? And how far
will the dark forces at work go to keep it hidden?

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Length: 364 pages            
Amazon.com:
Kindle Price: $8.99
Paperback $12.64
Amazon.co.uk: £8.99
Available at Waterstones in the UK

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About the author

Rose Edmunds gained a degree in mathematics at the University of Sussex and a doctorate from Cardiff University, before qualifying as a chartered accountant and embarking on a successful career in professional services. She worked for Arthur Andersen and Grant Thornton, before being headhunted to join Deloitte as a partner. After 20 years in the business, she decided to jump off the corporate hamster wheel and focus all her energy on writing commercial thrillers. Her second book is already to be launched this year. Rose Edmunds is a thriller writer who understands how big business and the City (London Business District) works, and who concentrates on the ethical dilemmas that modern commercial life poses.

Read a great article about the author and her book at Economia Magazine
“She’s done the time – now she’s turned to crime”

Read an interview with Rose Edmunds
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Maiden’s Veil – Novel Short-Listed for Award & Won!

 

… and she received the Award!  CONGRATULATIONS Lisa Costantino! 
Wonderful News for Lisa today, January 16, 2013:  
Her book  ”Maiden’s Veil” received INDIE 1st Place Blue Ribbon Award,
Women’s Fiction  Read all about her books success here

 

In the remote English countryside, tapestry weaver Clarinda Asher performs a pagan fertility ritual with a local landed man—a sacred union that ignites a firestorm and ultimately has her banished to a lonely hilltop above her village.

Three hundred years later, American Jess Barlow arrives in Maidenvale as the village celebrates a diluted version of that long-ago holy day. Together with the fair’s king of the May, Jess rediscovers—and ultimately reenacts—the ancient rite, which soon rips their lives apart. But the ritual’s potency has been revived, and events take an unexpected turn.

Maiden’s Veil’s alternating stories explore the psychological power of ritual, the complexities of love, and the small actions that can cause devastation far beyond our own hearts and out into our fragile communities.

This fascinating novel, written by Lisa Costantino, is already short-listed for the Best Indie Historical Fiction for 2012 Award. It is available in print and as an e-book on Amazon, Kobo and B&N for Kindle, Kobo and Nook – or your tablet or laptop. 370 pages. 

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From Numerous 5-Star Customer Reviews:

A wonderful new author!

“A very unique and magically woven story. This author transports you through time with vivid descriptions. You will love the characters and the events that connect them.”

“I loved so many things about this book: the history, writing, characters and the twining stories. I would recommend this book if you’re looking for an entertaining read with amazing female characters.”

“This author clearly knows her way around the alphabet. She loves words and paints a rich tapestry of colors, smells, textures, and dialogue that puts the reader in the middle of the action. Maiden’s Veil captures the sense of village life in pre-industrial England and shows it’s lingering effects on modern society.”
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Author Bio

Lisa Costantino writes:

Typing Gothic novelettes on paperback-size sheets of paper and stapling them
together: my very first “publications.” I’ve been writing since my tween years, churning out short stories, poetry, and unfinished novels. But up until now, most of my writing has manifested in travel articles for Virtuoso Life magazine and copious amounts of content for Microsoft, Expedia, Amazon, and many other companies.

Maiden’s Veil is my first full-length published novel. I have two new novels in the works. The Herbalist is a young adult novel set in fifteenth-century Wales that tells the story of a young woman on the run from an arranged marriage who becomes a healer.The Reluctant Occultist follows the psychological arc of a skeptical woman who joins a school of magic and mysticism, where she comes to realize her own power and the dangers in ignoring its influence.

As well as creating content for a living, I also write book reviews for Kirkus and Chanticleer Book Reviews & Media, and my travel writing looks to pick up again in 2013. My editing services tackle everything from readying manuscripts for publication to proofreading fishing magazines. Photography is more a strong love than a profession, but I do have a dozen or so of my photographs displayed at Swedish Hospital Issaquah (in Seattle).

http://www.lisacostantino.com

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Bestsellers 2012 and e-Book / Print Book Sales

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Paperbacks Are Declining

A new report from Nielsen Bookscan indicates, while e-book sales are on the rise, the decline in print sales has actually slowed down, a sign that mainstream readers may not be finished with the print book format just yet. According to Nielsen Bookscan data analyzed by Publishers Weekly, sales of print books in 2012 declined by nine percent, approximately the same rate at which print sales declined in the previous two years.

• The Paperback category experienced a 20 percent drop in sales from 2011 to 2012.
• Readers using an e-book or tablet to read a book increased from 18 percent in 2011 to 33 percent in 2012

Bestselling Books of 2012

Half of the top 20 bestselling books of 2012 in print were either Fifty Shades titles or Hunger Games titles, and only one book not written by E.L. James or Suzanne Collins—Jeff Kinney’s latest Wimpy Kid title—cracked the one-million-copies-sold mark for the year, according to Nielsen BookScan, which tracks 75%-80% of prints sales.  Scanning this list, I would say sex and crime sell best!
Read the whole article by Gabe Habash

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Treasure of the Anasazi

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Michael Watson just published his second novel in the Jack Trader Adventrue series:

Treasure of the Anasazi: A Jack Trader Adventure, Volume 2
e-book  http://www.goo.gl/Y8v8u   Special only 99 cents
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It is 1953. The Anasazi are in extreme danger deep within the Restricted Area of Mesa Verde.
The journal of a past Indian agent is found with entries about the Anasazi and a treasure.
Now, treasure hunters threaten to discover and destroy their village. Nothing will get in their way.

A spirit, befriended by the Anasazi, asks for Jack Trader’s help.
He joins forces with Ranger Samantha Baker to stop the threat before it’s too late.
As a last resort, the Anasazi will take matters into their own hands. They
are the ‘coyote people,’ able to transform with deadly consequences.
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The Author has recently completed the 2nd in the Jack Trader adventure series, TREASURE OF THE ANASAZI, available in both eBook and print versions. The story takes the reader on a journey to the Durango/Mesa Verde area. Jack and Samantha, interim ranger, must stop treasure hunters from discovering the Anasazi village before the ‘coyote people’ take matters into their own hands.

His debut novel, ‘The Nestorian Alliance: A Jack Trader Adventure’, is also available as both an eBook and in paperback. It takes the reader from Durango to the eastern mountainous region of Turkey in search of Noah’s Ark.  Stalin’s henchmen are determined to get there first. The Nestorian Brotherhood are prepared to protect the Ark at all cost.

Michael Watson is a writer and self-employed geologist and surveyor, living with his wife in a rural setting near Clearwater, Kansas. The characters in the series reside in or near Durango, Colorado, one of his favorite destinations.

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Treasure of the Anasazi by Michael Watson special only 99 cents
http://www.goo.gl/Y8v8u (e-Book) http://www.goo.gl/jb3Nx print Price: $12.79

If you haven’t read the first novel in the Jack Trader adventure series by Michael Watson:
you find it here:  The Nestorian Alliance (A Jack Trader Adventure)
Kindle Edition 236pages $2.99  Paperback $13.95

Read more on Michael Watson’s website http://www.adventurewithmike.com
where he has great photographs e.g. of the Pueblos of Colorado and the Durango area
You can meet him on Facebook and Twitter:  @adventurewmike
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And don’t miss the BookTrailer TREASURE OF THE ANASAZI

http://youtu.be/UCQp1_NF9yU
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FREE to read for Prime Members: The Wolf’s Moon

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In The Wolf’s Moon author Patrick Jones creates a spellbinding tale of an ancient animal that haunts the foothill towns of Missouri’s Ozark Mountains. An unknown group of scientists has genetically engineered a Dire Wolf into the present day. Allegedly extinct, the ferocious beast preys upon the innocent people of Maple Hills. 

To hunt and kill the beast, the town folk will have to rely on the tracking feats of Mark Lansdowne. He is a reluctant hero, still mourning the loss of his wife to illness. Relying on his rescue dogs and indefatigable hunting skills, Mark will set out on foot in search of the mysterious beast. Yet the hunter’s personal history and romantic entanglements will come back to haunt him during his search for the vicious animal.

Accompanying him on the hunt is his pal Warren Skruggs, who knew Mark when he was known as Michael Linden, a chapter of his history that he prefer be kept to the past. Adding to the intrigue are two beautiful, intelligent women who aid the hunter in his quest. Their looks and smarts would make the Bond Girls envious but Mark is still a grieving widower, unsure of how to move forward.

With its mixture of high-stakes hunting and personal and romantic intrigue, “The Wolf’s Moon” is a page-turner that will keep the reader captivated with its unexpected story twists. The thriller suspense novel is a real story grounded in the life and folkways of the Ozark Mountains not just another unbelievable werewolf story grafted onto the romance of the South.

Available as paperback and Kindle edition

Patrick Jones: “The sequel to The Wolf’s Moon is already in the works and proves to be yet another suspenseful page-turner!  Pat believes that there is a story in everything. Everybody that he meets has their own special story; one simply has to take the time to listen. The story then writes itself.”

http://www.thelindenchronicles.com

 

Westwood Lake Chronicles

Twenty-five years ago they bought a homestead, in the middle of Vancouver Island, on the water’s edge. There are still reflections off the small lake at the foot of Mount Benson – of gardens and vineyards and woodland encounters.
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Westwood Lake Chronicles is a “dreamscape” diary, a backyard inventory of life and death in paradise, and the desperate pressures that threaten its existence.
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Lawrence Winkler has written an anthem to living deliberately with nature, and the virtues of simplicity, self-sufficiency, solitude, and silence. Find refuge.
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Author’s Bio
Westwood Lake Chronicles is one of four books by Lawrence Winkler, who is an ancient physician and a traveler, a phenomenologist, a mushroom forager, and an amateur naturalist. As a young man, he hitch-hiked around the world, for five trans-formative years.

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His middle age is morphing from medicine to manuscript. He has a passion for habitat protection, including the (hopefully) final repairs on a leaky roof. Westwood Lake Chronicles was his first book.
He lives on Vancouver Island with Robyn and Shiva, tending their garden and vineyard, and dreams.
Amazon.com/dp/B008UAQGZA

See Lawrence Winkler’s author page and all his books on Amazon.

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Perfect Gift for Young Adults: “And By The Way”

Alex is caught between honoring her mother’s memory and needing desperately to move on. She’s so afraid to move forward. If she let’s herself be happy, she’s afraid the world will rip that happiness away from her again.

“Six months ago, I lost my mum to cancer and my dad, ‘The Rockstar’, to work.  Now, I don’t do close. That way I won’t get hurt.  My friend Rachel won’t let give up on me. And that’s a problem. So is David McFadden, a guy in my class who says he wants to help. Six months ago, he could have, but didn’t.  Now, it’s too late. The last person I’m going to listen to is David McFadden.  When he calls me Ice Queen, I’ll show him just how right he is.”

The PERFECT Christmas gift for teens: “And By The Way” - in America only 99 cents till Christmas

amazon.com/dp/B009SMWI6K

Special ends December 25
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‘Deegan nails Alex’s caustic teen voice, and leaves the reader rooting for her heroine throughout…’ Irish Independent.
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More from reviews:

‘This is a gem of a book; intriguing, deep and thoughtful. Alex is a feisty heroine, and her voice rings strong and true. It’s fun entering the world of the privileged teen, with their credit cards, fake tans and less-affluent friends. Teenagers – and adults – will adore this book. It kept me up half the night.’ Irish Examiner.

‘An engaging and emotional read that leaves you wanting more – bring on the second installment.’ RTE Guide.

‘It was such a powerful, emotional, beautiful book, one I loved to pieces and gobbled up as fast as I possibly could.  I just can’t wait to read more by Deegan – it was just so freaking amazing!’ The Book Addicted Girl, blog.

‘We can’t explain our fascination with the spawn of the rich and famous but it won’t go away. AND BY THE WAY… is our latest addiction and it’s the first title in the new BUTTERFLY NOVELS series….super compelling.’
Kiss Magazine.

‘AND BY THE WAY… is a journey through grief, love and self-discovery. It’ll break your heart and make you laugh – both at the same time. And by the way…you’re going to love it.’ Dubray Books, Staff Recommended Reads.

‘I absolutely loved it. I was so engrossed in it that my family started pulling it out of my hands.’ Author Keris Stainton.

‘This is an absolute gem of a series.’

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Denise Deegan is the bestselling author of seven contemporary novels, four for adults and three for young adults.  Her first butterfly novel, And By The Way, was published as an e-book in the USA just a couple of weeks ago.

She began her writing career with a book of non-fiction. Her books have been published in Ireland, the UK and Commonwealth, Germany, Holland and Korea. She has been a nurse, a china restorer, a pharmaceutical sales rep, a public relations consultant, an entrepreneur and a college lecturer. Her short story, Checkout Girl, was inspired by her days carrying out the toughest of all these positions. Denise lives in Dublin with her husband, two teenage kids and their dog, Homer.

www.denisedeegan.com

www.butterflynovels.com

www.facebook.com/butterflynovels

twitter: @denisedeegan

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