New Year's Special

What better way to start the New Year than with a new book!  I have three books on special that will end tomorrow (New Year's day).  Please follow the links as they are only on special at Smashwords.com:

"The Shadow Dragon: Orbs of Fire" is FREE: 

https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/171278

"Solace: Uncharted Territory" is FREE: 

https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/152083

Or you can get "Rise of Ansea: The General's Mark" for 50% off: https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/717446

PROJECT 21 is now available!

Woo Hoo!  "PROJECT 21" ebook is now available at these online locations: Amazon, Barnes&Nobles, iBooks, Kobo, and Smashwords.  (The paperback is also available at Amazon.)

PROJECT 21

Zehána grew up living each day surviving experiments and torture. She learned the cold hard truth that everyone’s actions are driven by selfish desires and ulterior motives. Even when Nick Etalo kills the beast, she knows that her future will never be what it should have been. After all, she knew that every face - no matter how attractive - hid a monster within. How could this be any different?

Wirting for me... who knew. ;)

I love this quote, and even more so, how well it reflects upon me. 

It's kind of funny, but when I started writing "Taken", I had no idea that my writing had anything to do with me.  To me writing was just an adventure that called to me (an adventure that my oldest son helped me hear the call of) - a dream awaking from a slumber that I hidden deep within me.  However over the last couple of years, especially when I go back and re-read my published books, I'm both impressed - and embarrassed - with how much of me I put into them. I had been in a bad place - emotionally and mentally - when I set forth Ava's adventure in "Taken".  And as I wrote Ava's story, instilled strength into her, I too gained confidence in myself, in what I wanted to do. ("Bring me to Life" by Evanescence had a big impact on developing Ava's story, and really helped me begin to break the shackles I had put upon myself). Ava might have begun my liberation, but it has been every story I've written that has helped me and reminded me of who I am.  Each character, not just the main protagonist, has torn from me a piece of my being: who I am, who I want to be, who I'm afraid to be or become, who I will never be...   It is remarkable that the more I re-read my published books, the more I can see - the more I understand - this quote. It's amazing how empowering writing has been, how reading my books reminds me of the hope, strength, and good that I want to have and be for others.  

The release date for PROJECT 21

The release date for PROJECT 21 is November 27th, 2017.  Woo Hoo!   I've also added chapter one for PROJECT 21 to the tabs above (in case you'd like to read something better than the short description 😉), and I will have a few copies of the paperback at the Romeo Band Arts&Vendor show on November 11th (which is at Romeo High School, Michigan) before the book goes on pre-order November 13th.

Project 21 - short description

My least favorite part of preparing a book to sell is writing the description, and even more so, the short description (I dislike it more than titles). I mean, I've just written a novel and you want me to sum it up in under 400 characters (and not the fun characters either.) However I love sharing my stories with you, so I do my best. Anyways, here's my attempt at the short description for PROJECT 21:

Zehána grew up living each day surviving experiments and torture. She eventually learned the cold hard truth that everyone’s actions are driven by selfish desires and ulterior motives. Even when Nick Etalo kills the beast, she knows that her future will never be what it should have been. After all, she knew that every face - no matter how attractive - hid a monster within. How could this possibly be any different?

Cover art for Project 21

Project 21

Title for my newest book is:

Project 21

And, the cover is almost done! Woo Hoo!!   Or, at least, I hope it is. I'm hoping to have the book uploaded to Createspace and ordered (the proof, that is) by the end of the week. Once I get the proof, I'll know if it works and if I'll have it for the Romeo Craft show (which is at Romeo High School) on November 11th!  :) Once I am happy with all that, I will post the cover art! 

The release date for this book will be in December. (Yes, that means you can get a pre-release copy at the craft show!  ;) ) I'll have a better idea of a date in a couple of weeks when I get the proof of "Project 21"!  

A new book at Copyright!

You'll be happy to know that my newest story is at Copyright.   Woo Hoo! Which means I have a title. (Amazing!) Cover art... not so much. I'm hoping to have this in paperback for the Romeo show in November, but it all rests on whether or not I have a cover. Ha ha ha    No pressure.  😉

It has been a great summer, not as productive as I would have liked, but I guess that's what happens when your kids take priority.  Now, not as productive doesn't mean stagnant.  I have finished and titled story 21.  I will be sending story 16 to my editors soon.   I've also completed book 2 for "Rise of Ansea", which still needs a little bit of work but the story is done.  And recently, I've been re-visiting story 3, which can I just say, how impressed I am with everything I've learned.  I'm not saying my writing habits are perfect, but it blows my mind how much I have improved.  Story 3 as of write now is 155,000-ish words.  My longest story so far.  It obviously needs work, but when all is said and done, will be even longer.   "The Shadow Dragon: Darkness" is my longest book published so far - coming in at 144,000-ish.  To be able to sit still and write so much is crazy to me.  To have done so six years ago, insane.  Back when I was in school a teacher would say write a 5000 word essay and I'd be lucky to get out half that.  And I had quit writing by the time I graduated.  I feel very humbled to have not finished story 3 so that I get the opportunity to see just how far I've come.  It is a wonderful feeling.  

Anyways, just wanted to let you know that I haven't fallen off the edge of the world.  I'm still writing, and still loving it!  And, I am hoping to get two more books out by next summer for you to enjoy.   

A couple of things going on this weekend

Rise of Ansea has officially released!!!  

And I will have it at the "Crafts Along the Creek" at the Heritage Festival downtown Rochester, MI. at the Municipal park.  I will be there both Saturday (5/20) from 11am until 6pm and Sunday(5/21) 11am until 5pm.  I will also have copies of:

"Taken" books 1 & 2

"Solace" books 1 & 2

"The Shadow Dragon" books 1,2, and 3

"Not Human"

"Heart of the Emperor"

I hope to see you there if you're in the area!  

Rise of Ansea - Chapter one

Can you believe it's May already!!  There's a lot of things I love about May: Spring flowers (specifically the Bearded Irises bloom), Memorial Day (remembering those who have fought and died for our freedoms), Crafts Along the Creek (where I will be selling and signing books), my birthday... And this year Rise of Ansea is going to be released - on the 19th!!

I've added the tab for Chapter One to the rest of the first chapters above!   I hope you like it!

Oh and here's the blurb for the book.   You know, in case you're curious 😊:

AJ’s life before arriving at the United Forces base with her sister lays dormant in her mind, surfacing in flashes that she hasn’t been able to piece together. In her efforts to satisfy her desire to protect and help defend the galaxy from the Zang, AJ excelled in her training as a cadet. The end of her formal training only months away is cut short when she takes a personal interest in one of her sister’s instructors. 

As their relationship deepens, AJ finds herself thrust into the middle of a battle which no instructor could have prepared her. With the discovery that an unexpected enemy has infiltrated the base, her reality becomes forever changed. This presence unravels her sense of self, revealing a part of her forgotten past and putting her in danger of a more deadly enemy than the Zang - a Trozan General who has been hunting her.

Price

You can purchase Rise of Ansea: The General's Mark for $2.99 now until May 18th-ish and then it is going to be selling for $4.99. 

Just a heads up.  All of my books are going to bump up to $4.99 by Memorial Weekend - if they're $4.99 they'll be $6.99.   I'm letting you know so that if you want to purchase them at the $2.99 price you have almost a month to purchase what you want. 😉

Release Date!

May 19th, 2017

Yep, that's the day that "Rise of Ansea: The General's Mark" will be released! That is only one month away!! So Excited!!!  :)

I changed the font color for the cover because when I received my paperback proof, you could hardly see the blue.  : The dark vibrant blue had significance to the story, but this is much easier to see - and looks nice too.  

Crafts Along the Creek - May 20th and 21st

Received the confirmation yesterday that I will have a spot at "Crafts Along the Creek" (also known as the Heritage Festival) in Rochester, MI.  This year it will be the weekend before Memorial Weekend.  So excited to get to be there again!

Cover for new book (Story 13)

Here is the cover art for Story 13 (as you can see has been titled "Rise of Ansea: The General's Mark") which is coming out in May! I am very excited about it. Not only was I able to breathe life into one of the ideas I had for this book, but I was able to bring in 16year old R.E.J. Kaiser's artistic skills. She gave me the foundation I needed to do what I do so I could accomplish the task of creating a skull worthy of the this story.  Woo Hoo!!!  

No I haven't given up on my dream...

I know it has been a long time since I have written on here.   I just wanted to let you know that I still writing.  A lot, actually.  I'm hoping to have Story 13 out this May.  I'm really struggling with the title (as you can tell) and cover art.  I also have 2 more stories that are almost done.  Both of which I'll be having someone else read shortly.  I'm in need of feedback on the story lines.  One is definitely close to done and the other has the story line completed, but I'm not sure if they are in need of more story.  I enjoy reading them, but I'm worried readers will need more information than what I've written.  Although, I could just be suffering from self-doubt.  So we shall see.  However, I'm pretty excited with the possibility that within the next year I'll have three new books out.  And I have a second book in the works for Story 13 (yep the one coming out in May) - I have the beginning, quite a bit of the middle, and most of the end finished.  I've also been working and tweaking a couple other stories because they're making it hard for me to focus on the stuff I want to get done.

Anyways, I am very hopeful that soon I will have new stuff for those of you who have read everything else I've written!  And with any luck, the story coming out in May will be sold at the Heritage Festival in Rochester during Memorial weekend.

Hope you are all having a wonderful winter!  😊