UPDATE: Last night, May 20th, the body of Nichole Kristine Cable was found just miles from her home. Continue to keep Nichole and her family in your hearts, pray even if you've never prayed before. The perpetrator is still out there somewhere. As more information becomes available, I will update you all accordingly.
Thank you so much for your support.
London Heiress kidnapped by the Marquess of Ashlund, read the headlines. Yet no one tried to save her.
Phoebe Wallington was seven years old when a mass assassination attempt rocked Regency England. Her father was the only accused traitor to elude capture. Now as a grown woman and a British spy, she is no closer to learning what really happened that day.
Phoebe’s quest for the truth takes a sudden turn when she’s kidnapped by a suspected traitor. But Kiernan MacGregor, the Marquess of Ashlund, may not live long enough to stand trial. Someone wants him dead. And Phoebe stands in the killer’s way.
Award winning author Tarah Scott cut her teeth on authors such as Georgette
Heyer, Zane Grey, and Amanda Quick. Her favorite book is a Tale of Two Cities, with Gone With the Wind as a close second. She writes modern classical romance, and paranormal and romantic suspense. Tarah grew up in Texas and currently resides in Westchester County, New York with her daughter.
https://www.facebook.com/tarahscottauthor
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This post by L.Leander, Author of Fearless Fiction
I don’t like it when someone moves my stuff. I didn’t realize it until recently, although I’m sure I’ve made it known a few times. My husband, on the other hand, is very vocal about his stuff being moved. He wants everything right where he put it, no matter that it’s in the middle of the living room floor (where someone might trip over it) or added to the stack on his desk that threatens to topple over at any moment.
Please help me welcome author Coral Russell on a stop of her book tour for her latest novel, titled Sacrifice. Coral has written an insightful post on aging and if you’ll scroll farther down the page you’ll see her author bio and a description of the book. But first let me share a delightful clip of Mariachi Vargas music titled:
Mariachi Vargas de Tecalitlan – Popurri Mis Caballos
Their music is beautiful and much in demand in Mexico.
Getting Old Is Not For Wimps
by Coral Russell
The story Sacrifice has several elderly people in it.
Roberta has to go to a home for the elderly at the beginning of the story. Duke has a great-grandmother that helped raised him who ends up in the hospital. Alicia has an elderly grandfather who has reached the point where he needs full-time care.
I did this on purpose in case you’re wondering.
For one the U.S.’s population is getting older and which present certain challenges. My grandmother on my father’s side just turned ninety. Her husband, my grandfather, passed away several years ago. What I noticed were causal comments by my grandmother that started fifteen, twenty years ago like — ‘All of our friends are sick’ which progressed to ‘All of our friend are in a home.’ which progressed to ‘All of our friends are gone.’
That caught my attention. What would it feel like to experience the rest of your family passing away. Now none of her children or grandchildren, or great-grandchildren have passed (knock-on-wood) but I’m sure there is a part of her that misses family/friends. The people you grew up with and the friends you ran around with as a child.
I moved back to El Paso several years ago because of my mother getting older and a medical scare that has since been under control and my grandfather who also turned ninety and became ill. My mother had to move in to help take care of him. We lived too far away when all of this first happened but the two events happening so close together pushed me to consider moving closer to family if only for the sake of my child. My kid deserved to spend some time with them and there was always the chance that there wouldn’t be enough time.
I don’t think I explored aging and care-giving at great length in Sacrifice, but since those things were forefront in my mind while I was writing, they seeped into the story. When Roberta thinks, “I never want to get that old.” It’s something I’ve thought watching my grandparents’ health deteriorate.
Growing old and those watching and dealing with how to care for those growing old is not for wimps.
Coral Russell Bio:
Coral Russell lives in the southwest with her hubby, baby Godzilla sized kid and an adorable dog with which she shares a one-way thermal dynamic relationship. She blogs off and on at alchemyofscrawl – http://alchemyscrawl.com
There you can find links to her on Twitter, Facebook, Goodreads, Google+, and email.
Along with her brain buddy, Donna, she volunteers at The Indie Exchange – http://indieexchange.com – a group of authors, readers, and book bloggers who post reviews, articles, and giveaways. Listen in Fridays to their radio show at http://blogtalkradio.com/alchemyofscrawl
Ms. Russell won the 2003 McCaleb Peace Initiative which produced the non-fiction articles Peace on the Peninsula. All profit from the sale of that eBook go to rebuilding Joplin, MO.
Don’t forget to enter the Giveaway!
You have a chance at some awesome prizes. Check these out!
10 Sacrifice eBooks ~ Kindle, ePub, PDF (Int’l)
2 $10 Amazon Gift Cards (Int’l)
$159 Kindle Fire (US Only) or Paypal Cash (Int’l)
Click on this rafflecopter link to enter
L.Leander Books is NOT responsible for distributing the prizes. All prizes will be distributed by Coral Russell atalchemyofscrawl@yahoo.com
Detective Martell of the Chicago Police Department has a big problem on his
hands when he discovers a connection between a recent drug bust and a case
he worked on in the ’80s. Not sure if he can trust his peers, Martell goes
to the one person he knows he can count on: Jeff Scott.
Jeff has taken over as the city’s vigilante after Jim, his predecessor, was
killed in a drug bust. Toward the end, Jim’s demeanor took a turn for the
worse as he became more violent in his work and went after bigger thugs,
which ultimately led to his untimely demise. The last thing Jeff wants is to
let a life of violence get the better of him and end up like Jim. So, in a
pursuit to avoid the same destiny as his mentor, he seeks the truth about
Jim and the life he led before the two joined forces.
Excerpt:
Jeff turned around and saw Martell standing out in the open across the
street. Martell was waving his hands in the air and pointing east up the
street. Jeff looked and saw the headlights of a car coming. Even if it
wasn’t Porter, he still didn’t want to be seen.
He darted to the right and clambered up and over the gate in between the two
buildings. There were no windows here on either building, but he now had
access to the back of the building.
He made his way back and came out on a small patio. It was completely
fenced in and had a glass sliding door that gave entry to Porter’s
apartment.
He heard the car pull up to the curb and turn off. He ran back down the
tight pathway to the front of the building and peered through the small
opening between the gate and building.
Porter was getting out of his car as Jeff put his eye up to the hole. He
watched as he worked his immense body out of the car and shuffled up the
sidewalk to the building.
As he opened the door and entered the building, Jeff hurried back to the
door at the patio. He stopped at the corner and crouched low, peering
around.
To his incredible surprise, Jeff saw Rick standing inside Porter’s apartment
frantically trying to work the lock to the sliding door. What on Earth is
he doing here, Jeff thought to himself? Jeff felt a sinking feeling knowing
that Rick was completely gripped by panic. He was out of his element and
could not work his fingers with enough control to simply slide the lock to
the side.
Jeff found himself willing Rick to get the lock open, but at the last second
Rick turned his head and ran away from the door. Porter entered the kitchen
that led to the patio, and Jeff could see that he had his gun drawn.
Rick was in huge trouble. Jeff watched Porter move around the kitchen as if
he were looking for something. He knew someone was in there with him. He
walked toward the door to the patio, and Jeff ducked back behind the wall
preparing for Porter to walk out onto the porch.
After a few seconds, Jeff peered back around the corner and saw the back of
Porter as he walked away from the patio door and into the living room just
off of the kitchen, the same way Rick had just run.
Jeff took a deep breath and for a moment thought about running back to get
Martell. He quickly dismissed it knowing there was not enough time. He
sprang up from his position and for the few moments it took him to pick the
lock he was in complete view of anyone who had cared to look thanks to a
small light just above his head.
The snap of the lock was loud when Jeff finally forced it back, and he
jumped back behind the wall leaving the door open just slightly. He hoped
Porter would hear the lock and come out on the patio thinking Rick had left
through this door. After several agonizing minutes, Jeff finally decided
Porter was not coming this way.
He peered around again, and seeing no one, jumped up and entered the
apartment. He moved left through the living room and immediately heard
terrible noises from the other side of the apartment. The sound reminded
him of a hammer being slammed down on a soft, wet wood. It was deep and it
thumped over and over again.
Jeff felt a malaise come over him. He completely neglected preparation and
secrecy and simply walked forward, leaving the living room and entering a
small hallway. He moved right down the hall and arrived at a bedroom where
the door was open.
Bio:
Growing up in north-central Indiana, Matthew learned the value of a good imagination at an early age. Bob Kane and Bill Finger’s Batman, Clive Cussler’s Dirk Pitt, and Ian Fleming’s James Bond were constant visitors to Matthew’s imaginative world.
At the age of 14 Matthew began taking writing classes from none other than his own mother. Having a Master’s in English, she wanted her children to be able to communicate properly with the written word. Of course, Matthew hated this. However, nearly twenty years later the lessons learned combined with the imagination born from sheer boredom have cultivated a desire to share his imaginings.
To better tell his adventure stories, Matthew began taking lessons in Martial Arts in 2011. Having achieved a Red Belt in Tae Kwan Do and having broken his nose during a sparring session, Matthew has a unique ability to combine his imagination with real-life experiences to tell stories in a way that are creative and adventurous, yet gritty and realistic.
In September of 2011 Brighton Publishing made Matthew’s second book, The Good Fight, his first published novel. The sequel, Nothing Good is Free is now out in eBook and will be released by Brighton in paperback in March 2013. The final installment, The Price We Pay is currently being written and will hopefully be released during the summer of 2014.
You can contact him by clicking the “Email the Author” link from the homepage. You can also follow Matthew on both Facebook and Twitter.
Links to Matthew Horn
Some thoughts on designing a book cover from Author Alethea Williams
Check out my latest post for writers on Writing Wranglers and Warriors.
***FREE***13 Extreme Tips to Self Publishing by L.Leander – are you a beginning author? Need help? This book is a concise guide to help you get started. Get it while it’s FREE! http://www.amazon.com/Extreme-Tips-Publishing-Writers-ebook/dp/B00AT17062
I hope you enjoy this free download – get it March 3-7 on Amazon – absolutely free!
Check out this YA novel by author Krystol Diggs, newly released.
Synopsis: Zoela Best is the new girl at school. Trying to get used to the new school and people she meets Vincenza Catucci. They are two peas in a pod until the “Jawbreakers” make their presence known and tortures the girls with bullying and hazing. Vincenza and Zoela are asked to be a Jawbreaker and the two are ecstatic. But, the leader has a trick up her sleeve to turn the two girls into frenemies. Will they see the danger ahead or will they put an end to the Jawbreakers once and for all?
http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/jawbreakers-krystol/1114225225?ean=2940016042862
Blog: Jawbreakers is a book that is near and dear to my heart. Being bullied when I was just a freshman in high school, I can relate to what the main character, Zoela endures. Although bullying has a greater effect today then when it did when I was in high school, it’s still a big epidemic that is going on today. Statistics show that there is at least 77% of students who are bullied verbally, psychically, mentally, and verbally. In my case it was just verbally but that was all it took. But, I will say that it has made me a better woman today and I am able to over come it. Some children aren’t lucky today. They are loosing their lives with suicide which is such a tragedy. No one should want to end their life from being ridiculed on. I started writing Jawbreakers when I was reflecting on my high school experiences. I was only bullied for one year because I switched schools, but It still happened and it’s apart of my growth as a person. I hope that readers of all ages mainly Young Adults take something from Jawbreakers and help someone who may be going through or know someone who is affected by bullying. Please help them before it is too late. Writing this story has taught me to respect everyone in spite of their downfalls and short comings. Enjoy the read and be blessed. Krystol
