On the twelfth day of Christmas an author gave to me...

Merry Christmas!!! I hope you got these great books these past twelve days. I know I'll be reading some more. Today is the last day of the giveaway and I'm excited to offer:

Storm Child by Melanie Mason.

To escape capture by Imperial soldiers, 16-year-old Eridale Storm leaves the only home she’s ever known and drags her younger sister into the wilds of Mericon—the Empire that formed when America collapsed. Hoping to find safety with their mother who disappeared when Eridale was three, the girls follow clues that lead them across the country, but the empire hounds their every step.

The journey draws Eridale deeper into the conflict between the Empire and the rebel Freedom Fighters, producing questions about Eridale’s heritage, questions no one wants to answer.

Caught between the threads of deception, rebellion, and betrayal, Eridale struggles to find out who she is. The answers she finds could lead the country back to freedom or shackle them under the imperial throne forever.

Storm Child is book 1 of a four-book series. Book 2 Imperial Storm is available on Kindle Unlimited. Click here to find out more.

About the Author

Melanie Mason is an author, designer, and flight attendant all rolled into one. She graduated from Utah State university with a degree in communications. She has told stories all her life and finds her passion in sharing the plots that spin through her head. She hopes to be on an airplane one day and see someone reading one of her books. Melanie lives in Portland, Oregon—with her two dachshund Chihuahua dogs—where the beauty of the Pacific Northwest feeds her imagination, and the rainy winter evenings encourage her to curl up with hot chocolate and a good book. To see all her available books and follow her musings go to www.melaniemasonauthor.com.

To purchase click the title or the link below.

Amazon Link: https://www.amazon.com/Storm-Child-Book-1-ebook/dp/B076HY9WJN/

On the eleventh day of Christmas an author gave to me...

TURTLE SOUP by Danielle Thorne

Genre: Contemporary Sweet Romance; Romantic Comedy

Sea turtles may be endangered but after an encounter with marine biologist, Jack Brandon, nothing will stop Sara Hart from naming her deli, Turtle Soup. When Jack takes a job at the Georgia Aquarium nearby, Sara finds the environmental poster boy at her door, hungry but carrying a chip on his shoulder. Neither thinks the other has what it takes, until a scuba class reveals what lies beneath the surface.

To purchase click the title or the link below.

Link: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00PE6UH94

On the tenth day of Christmas an author gave to me...

A Thrill of Hope by Marie Higgins

Holly Kidman is determined to be the best movie-producer California has ever seen…until her mother’s broken leg ruins Holly’s plans and she must return home for the holidays. During her stay in her home town of Timberland, Montana, fate throws her with a man she’d rather not be around. And yet, once she can get past old grudges, she realizes the charming man and his large ranch inspire her more than she thought possible. Dare she hope for her dream-come-true?

Rafe Montgomery is pleasantly surprised when Holly suddenly returns to town. Still haunted by the one, less than eloquent, kiss they’d shared years ago, he’s disappointed by the haughty attitude she’s come back with. His hope is to change the stubborn and unforgiving woman he’s slowly having feelings for and to show her what Christmas is all about.

Marie Higgins is an award-winning, best-selling author of clean romance novels that melt your heart and have you falling in love over and over again. Since 2010, she’s published over 50 heartwarming, on-the-edge-of-your-seat romances. She’s broadened her readership by writing mystery/suspense, humor, time-travel, paranormal, along with her love for historical romances. Her readers have dubbed her "Queen of Tease" because of all her twists and turns and unexpected endings.

To purchase click the title or the link below.

Amazon Link: https://www.amazon.com/Thrill-Hope-Christmas-Sisters-Book-ebook/dp/B077XRTQRQ/

On the ninth day of Christmas an author gave to me...

Namesake by Kate Stradling

“Who needs magic in an age of electricity? I can flip the switch on the wall with the best of them.”

Anjeni Sigourna bears the name of a legendary goddess, but her resemblance to that honored figure ends there. Eighteen and jaded, she has cultivated sarcasm instead of the elusive magic everyone expects her to possess. Such mystic power lacks purpose in her modern world.

But when an adverse encounter with the Eternity Gate lands her in an alien realm, magic marks the boundary between life and certain death. Anjeni alone holds the keys to saving an ancient people from a savage enemy. Her bitterness notwithstanding, she must now create a legend instead of living in its shadow.

Kate Stradling is a structure junkie who adores the English language. Her novels flit through the fantasy spectrum, from dystopia lite to fairy tales to time-travel adventures. She blogs about literary tropes and word-smithing at katestradling.com and makes her home in sunny Mesa, Arizona.

To purchase click the title or the link below.

Amazon Link: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B074MLW3KP/

On the eighth day of Christmas an author gave to me...

Shattered Faith by Elle Scott

You never know the strength of your faith, until it is tested. 

When Elle Scott’s life crumbled around her, she thought God had abandoned her, His perceived silence resulted in a total loss of her faith and hope

and left her near suicide, until, she learned the reason God fell silent and the expectations He held for her.

Sentenced to nearly four years in a Federal Prison for a crime she did not commit destroyed every belief she held true. Her young children left in dire conditions, her life in ruins, and her Heavenly Father nowhere to be found.

This is a true story of courage, inspiration, redemption and restored faith. 

To purchase click the title or the link below.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07KY41Z7W

On the seventh day of Christmas an author gave to me...

The Spectra Unearthed by Christie Valentine Powell

Keita thought that being a princess was nothing but trouble even before the power-hungry Stygians took over the Spectra kingdoms. Now she’s on the run, hunted at every turn, and able to trust only a few other royal exiles. Of course she’d like to make her life safe again, but among the enemy's ranks is the Nome king, Jasper Smelt. A former friend, Jasper insists he wants to keep her safe, but his pitch-black dungeon and fiery threats suggest otherwise. Trapped inside his desert kingdom, Keita sees the results of Stygian cruelty. She wants to help, but how can she face Jasper, someone with abilities she couldn’t begin to fight, someone who fears everything…except her?

To purchase click the title or the link below.

Link: https://www.amazon.com/Spectra-Unearthed-Keitas-Wings-Book-ebook/dp/B01M4GL59X

Author bio:

Christie Valentine Powell wrote her first story in second grade, and she has been writing ever since. She published her first book in 2015. Her other hobbies include making toys, hobby farming, and eating at Asian buffets. She lives near the sunniest city in the world with her husband, four children, and many chickens.

On the sixth day of Christmas an author gave to me...

Danny Boy by Melinda D. Turner

At times hilarious, at times heart-wrenching; full of wit and wisdom, "Danny Boy" is a must-read for anyone struggling to care for a special needs child.

This true story explores the lessons we can learn from people with disabilities and the reasons why a loving God allows some to struggle and suffer, while others enjoy healthy bodies.

Told from the perspective of the oldest sister in a family with a severely disabled child, this collection of real-life, behind-the-scenes experiences highlights the difficulties, disasters, and poignant moments that inevitably happen when caring for those with special needs. See the effect these experiences have had on each member of the family over the course of nearly 35 years of round-the-clock care for brother and son.

Prologue:

"I was not quite eight years old when Danny was born. Even at that young age I can remember the exact moment I knew my life, my family’s lives, everything we had known up to that point had changed forever.

It was evening in early summer. I walked to my parents’ bedroom at the end of the upstairs hallway wearing a soft summer nightgown and lurked silently, just inside the doorway. Mom and Dad stood side-by-side, arms around each other with their backs to me, looking down on their newborn son as he lay under the bilirubin lights in his crib. I don’t remember any words being spoken—only that I think mom was crying. Or maybe the baby was. What I do remember as the scene was forever stamped on my consciousness is that I knew something was wrong. Maybe not even wrong. Just different. This baby was different. And somehow, I knew that nothing would ever be the same again. And it never has been."

To purchase this book click on the title or click the link below.

Amazon Link:

https://www.amazon.com/Danny-Boy-Who-Raised-Family-ebook/dp/B077JJMK6Y

On the fifth day of Christmas an author gave to me...

In Her Dreams by Joanna Reeder

So, I have this curse… I experience the memories of dead people while I sleep.

One second I’m dreading that midterm in the morning, and the next I’m attending a ball that could be the movie set of an Austen or Bronte novel.

Pretty cool right?

Did you catch that I call it a curse?

See, not everyone lives a life full of joy, true love, and happy endings.  Sure, I get to re-live the good memories. But I also get to experience pain, heartbreaks, and sometimes even death.

For a long time, I had zero friends so when I dreamed of Victorian-era Lucy (who just got engaged… eek!) I had an escape. And then Lucy met her future cousin-in-law, Andrew. **swoon**

My life felt less… tragic when the Lucy dreams started. Oh! And I met this new boy, Duncan and finally had a friend. (He’s easy on the eyes too…**sigh**)

But one night I changed the outcome of one of my dreams by accident and shifted my reality in a major way, so now I have to make some important decisions about choices and control. And what I believe is right.

In Her Dreams is the first in the In Her Dreams trilogy.  Trapped In Her Dreams (book 2) and Purpose In Her Dreams (book 3) can be found for FREE on Amazon through Kindle Unlimited.

Joanna is currently working with three other authors on a collaboration universe about a school for shifters. The first in the universe, Shifted, (Book 1 in the Siren Prophesy) released January 8, 2019.

Link for Shifted: https://www.am...ct/B07JKQ5V99

About the Author

Joanna Reeder creates scintillating but clean YA novels while chasing 3 littles and a hubby. “A Dr. Pepper a day keeps insanity away!” Joanna grew up and lives in Northern Utah. She graduated with a Bachelor’s degree in English from the University of Utah.

To purchase this book click on the title or the link below.

Amazon Link:

https://www.amazon.com/Her-Dreams-Joanna-Reeder-ebook/dp/B079ZMV7XK/

On the fourth day of Christmas an author gave to me...

MASTER OF EMOTION

by D. Ogden Huff

When a reclusive teen with the enhanced ability to read others’ emotions finds more teens with similar sensory powers, he must confront his fears before a budding romance and his twin brother’s life fall into the hands of the devious doctor who created them all. 

Beau could change if he wanted. But he won’t do it.  Now his extroverted brother expects him to embrace his abnormality, too?  His twin brother calls it his “ability”–Beau’s gift for experiencing someone else’s emotions with just a touch. But when he’s surrounded by an onslaught of overactive teenage emotion and a brother who eagerly touches everyone to read their thoughts, his ability seems like a curse.  The safest way out is to put up a wall and hide behind it.

What is it about a girl and danger that makes a seventeen-year-old guy leap forward when he ought to step back? Of course, Beau will be the first to admit the girl is totally worth the trauma.  And it’s kinda amazing finding five more sensory enhanced teenagers, just like him, though they seriously invade his personal space. Then just when he thought life had finally cut him a break, they end up as lab rats to the psycho doctor who killed their mothers and made them orphans.  What Beau didn’t see coming was having the most painful threat come from one of their own. What’s a guy have to do to survive it all?

MASTER OF EMOTION is Book 1 of the completed TOO SENSITIVE four-book series. Find it on amazon at: https://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_noss?url=search-alias%3Daps&field-keywords=d+ogden+huff

About the Author

D. Ogden Huff is a sun addict who moved to Arizona at the age of two. She's lived there ever since, except for a two year stint in Utah where she discovered that she gets cold just looking at pictures of snow. Thankfully, she lives in sunny Phoenix with the man of her dreams and a house full of kids and grandkids. They are the funniest people she knows, and choking at the dinner table is a daily hazard of their contagious laughter.  Find out more at www.dogdenhuff.com .

On the third day of Christmas an author gave to me...

Quick and Clever Kids’ Crafts by Deb Graham

A go-to for any parent, teacher, scout leader, or friend of children. Loaded with easy crafts a child can do with little or no assistance, unleashing creativity with materials you probably already have on hand.  Bonus: a whole section on swaps,  little pieces of artwork on a safety pin! Quick and Clever Kids' Crafts is just what you need for long wintery days.

Deb Graham is an author of twenty books, with a background in scouting and stand-up comedy. Be sure to check out the other books in the Busy Kids, Happy Kids series

To purchase, click on the title or the link below.

Amazon Link:

https://www.amazon.com/Quick-Clever-Kids-Crafts-preschool-ebook/dp/B00DBMR1IS

12 Giveaways, Day 2 Alternates

For those of you who have checked today's post already, you probably noticed a hitch in today's giveaway. It's not free. I'm so sorry. I learned this too late. So to help ease the disappointment, I'm giving you a few alternatives that I have enjoyed reading that are free today.

My Double Life by Janette Rallison https://www.amazon.com/My-Double-Life-Janette-Rallison-ebook/dp/B00CRW7VKG

Her whole life, Alexia Garcia has been told that she looks just like rock star Kari Kingsley. But being a famous person's doppelganger hasn't turned out to be the teen fantasy you'd expect. People look at Alexia like she must be as ditzy as her counterpart. One day when Alexia's photo filters through the Internet, she's offered a job as Kari's double. This would seem like the opportunity of a lifetime--or at least a way to make some fast cash--but Alexia's mother has always warned her against celebrities. They can't be trusted. They'll use her.

Alexia can't resist the siren call of fame. Who could say no to Hollywood, hot guys, and . . . um, did we mention hot guys already? She flies off to L.A. and gets immersed in a celebrity life. Not only does she have to get used to getting anything she wants, she also romances the hottest lead singer on the charts and finds out that her own father is a singing legend. Through it all, Alexia must stay true to herself, which is hard to do when you are pretending to be somebody else!

Starstruck by Brenda Hiatt https://www.amazon.com/Starstruck-Brenda-Hiatt-ebook/dp/B00FDKBXLM

Nerdy astronomy geek Marsha, M to her few friends, has never been anybody special. Orphaned as an infant and reluctantly raised by an overly-strict "aunt," she's not even sure who she is. M's dream of someday escaping tiny Jewel, Indiana and making her mark in the world seems impossibly distant until hot new quarterback Rigel inexplicably befriends her. As Rigel turns his back on fawning cheerleaders to spend time with M, strange things start to happen: her acne clears up, her eyesight improves to the point she can ditch her thick glasses, and when they touch, sparks fly--literally! When M digs for a reason, she discovers deep secrets that will change her formerly mundane life forever . . . and expose her to perils she never dreamed of.

On the second day of Christmas an author gave to me...

Fighting the Promise, by F. Allan Roth.

When the Chinese conquered America, the government gave up without a fight—but the people didn’t.

Church leaders had cautioned the people that the collapse of their nation was the fulfillment of an ancient prophetic promise from the Book of Mormon. Fighting against the occupation, they warned, would be the same as fighting against God’s righteous judgment on a nation ripened in iniquity. They warned that those who fought God’s judgment would be destroyed, while those who humbly submitted would survive.

But when war came to their home, Bishop Stuart Holliwell and his family found themselves torn in an epic struggle between freedom and faith, and between love of their country and love of their God.

This one is free on Kindle Unlimited or you can purchase it for only $0.99.

To purchase for $0.99 click on the title or the link below:

Amazon link: 

https://www.amazon.com/Fighting-Promise-F-Allan-Roth-ebook/dp/B07HY5KSQH/

Or here are some free alternatives:

My Double Life by Janette Rallison https://www.amazon.com/My-Double-Life-Janette-Rallison-ebook/dp/B00CRW7VKG

Starstruck by Brenda Hiatt https://www.amazon.com/Starstruck-Brenda-Hiatt-ebook/dp/B00FDKBXLM

On the first day of Christmas an author gave to me...

Ideal High by Valerie Ipson

a tragic fire
a grieving student body
a class vice president forced to read the names of the dead at a memorial

What a way to start a senior year…

Taryn’s decided there’s no way she’s taking her late boyfriend’s place as president of the student body. As soon as the memorial for him and six of their friends is over, she’s resigning as VP. Really. 

Until someone scribbles a disturbing list on a bathroom wall: WHO DESERVED TO DIE IN THE FIRE? The bullied Tim Jenks’ name tops the list, but more are quickly added. Taryn knows what it means. To get to the truth she has to come out from under her paisley comforter where she spent all summer, and go from grieving girlfriend to leading the fight against lies and bullies. 

But, seriously, what stage of grief says Taryn has to be the one to fix what’s wrong at Ideal High? Maybe she’s the one who’s broken.

To purchase, click on the title or the link below.

Amazon link:

https://www.amazon.com/Ideal-High-Mystery-Valerie-Ipson-ebook/dp/B00U1Q0QO8

12 Giveaways of Christmas

Hello Friends, Family, and Followers,

So this year I'm doing a 12 Days of Giveaways with eleven other authors. This is a head's up post so you can set your reminders to check out my blog every day starting on December 14th through the 25th. Or if you sign up for my newsletter, you will also receive an email with each giveaway for that day.

These books will be free on Amazon for one day only, so make sure you check out the blog posts for each day.

Happy reading and Merry Christmas!!!

As Time Goes By

Yes, here we are again, several months later...again.

I thought it would be good to post with my latest recommendation for reading. This is a fantasy series of five books. The first is only $0.99 on Amazon and the rest of the series are on Kindle Unlimited.

The Glass Gargoyle by Marie Andreas

Archeologist Taryn St. Giles has spent her life mining the ruins of the elves who vanished from the Four Kingdoms a thousand years ago. But when her patrons begin disappearing too—and then turning up dead—she finds herself unemployed, restless, and desperate. So she goes looking for other missing things: as a bounty hunter.  
Tracking her first fugitive—the distractingly handsome and strangely charming Alric—she unearths a dangerous underworld of warring crime lords, demonic squirrels, and a long-lost elven artifact capable of unleashing a hell on earth.
Chased, robbed, kidnapped, and distressingly low on rent money, Taryn just wants one quiet beer and to catch her fugitive. But there’s more to Alric than his wicked grin—is he a wanted man or the city’s only hope? With menacing mages in pursuit and her three alcoholic faery sidekicks always in her hair, Taryn’s curiosity might finally solve the mystery of the elves… or be the death of her and destroy her world.

The Obsidian Chimera

After the destruction caused by the discovery of the glass gargoyle, the last thing archeologist Taryn St. Giles needs is another elven artifact capable of obliterating the world. But her eccentric new patroness seems hell bent on finding exactly that. An unholy companion piece to the glass gargoyle, the obsidian chimera may be far worse, and it may be more than just an artifact. It also could prove deadly to anyone who finds it.

Struggling to unearth the connection between her overzealous patroness, an outbreak of zombie trolls, and an infestation of flying snakes, Taryn also stumbles upon proof that the elves are still alive. She’ll need all the help she can get from old friends and an old adversary who might be more than a friend, because the elves have changed in the thousand years they’ve been missing. Unfortunately, their murderous spells are not a thing of myth. They want the obsidian chimera back. And they won’t let anything, or anyone, stop them from reclaiming it—and the rest of Taryn’s world.

 The Emerald Dragon

After surviving two previous encounters with ancient relics of mayhem and destruction plus saving her friends and her whole damn city, archaeologist Taryn St. Giles thinks she deserves a beer and a break.

Then her world starts to tear itself apart, literally.

Earthquakes are unheard of in quiet, sleepy Beccia, but sadly, doomsdays are not, and Taryn is getting uncomfortably familiar with both when she discovers the existence of more pieces of the dangerous relics. With old friends and even older enemies -- and friends who might be enemies after all -- Taryn races against bloodthirsty relic hunters and nightmarish monsters to find a legendary creature carved from a single, giant gemstone. 

The upheaval rattles her team, tears apart her city, and unleashes a creature that should have stayed dead and buried. And that wants Taryn's blood. Now she'll unearth her biggest adventure yet.

Assuming she survives...

The Sapphire Manticore

Taryn St. Giles thought she knew all about elves. She dreamed of the long vanished elves as a child and has spent the past fifteen years digging through their abandoned ruins in Beccia. Six months ago, Taryn found out everything she thought she knew about the elves was wrong.

Two weeks ago she found out how very wrong she’d been.

Taryn and Alric have been captured to answer for crimes against a long lost people. Crimes that could bring down an entire kingdom and revolve around a small, glass gargoyle. Part of a weapon that destroyed an extremely powerful race, now only known as the Ancients, it, and its fellow pieces are deadly to any who have them. Knowledge of the relics found by Taryn and Alric have spread far. Dangerous bands of long dead creatures, ghosts, and nightmares out of myths are waking up and hunting for the relics. And Taryn.

The Golden Basilisk

A long-lost elven kingdom, body-swapping ghosts, walking weapons of mass destruction... Archaeologist and part-time bounty hunter Taryn St. Giles has had a Very. Bad. Year. Ever since she and her trio of singing, drunken faeries started digging into the mysteries of a certain handsome elven lord, she's been up to her nose in explosions, slavering monsters, and assorted other dangers. Now Taryn and Alric, their friends and more than a few enemies are racing across the desert to find the last pieces of a lethal relic so they can save their world and finally share a quiet pint of beer.

But some secrets are buried deeper than a millennia, and this time, Taryn might not escape unscathed. Actually, she might not even be Taryn anymore...


So, I have really been enjoying this series. I'm just starting the fifth and final book of the series today. I like Taryn's spunk and how full and interesting all the supporting characters are. If you like fantasy and are willing to explore a new world, this is a great series to dive into. I have devoured the last four books in the series since I signed up for Kindle Unlimited.

I do want to give a warning. There is mild swearing (No F-bombs!!! I don't tolerate those) and some mild suggestive language. So this may not be appropriate for younger audiences. I would probably rate it between a PG and a mild PG-13. There is violence, but not in gory detail.

Enjoy!!!

Storm Fans

I know it's been a while since I've posted. This summer has been busy. Waaaaaaay too busy for my liking. I always get determined to write more often on my blog and then suddenly life sets in and my goals fly out the window like Harry Potter's broomstick.

Recently I received an email from a friend that made my day. This friend has read Storm series books 1 and 2 and loved them, but not only that, she gave copies to her grandkids and they loved them too. It was awesome to hear that I have some new fans.

Whenever I receive notes like this, or reviews on Amazon, or comments to newsletters it makes me so happy that I have this gift of storytelling and that I am able to share it with the world. World seems like a big goal and my audience isn't quite worldwide yet, but I hope that someday I can touch lives all around the world. My writing has blessed me in so many ways and pictures like this are better than making a best seller list.

Thank you to all my fans who have stuck with me through the thick and thin and who wait anxiously for the next book to come out.

Book Signing at the Tremonton City Library

Book Signing!!!!

Join me on June 4th, 2018 from 5-7PM 

at the 

Tremonton City Library 

Summer Reading Kickoff.

I will be there with all my books an lots of pens for signing.

Storm Series Book 2 Coming!!!

Here's the cover:

Seasons

So I've noticed on social media there are a lot of complaints about the weather this spring . . . or is it third winter? Anyway, I thought I'd put in my two cents, since that is what a blog is all about and of course the winter of my procrastination is finally ending.

Aren't the seasons amazing. We get to watch the world around us course through the cycle of life.

Spring is a time of rebirth. The flowers bud, pollen fills the air (and my lungs), tulips and daffodils grace us with their cheerful presence, and the sun peeks out once in a while (amidst the rain showers of Portland, OR).

Summer is the glory of youth and the beauty of young adulthood all rolled in one. We have the sunshiny days that make us want to get out into nature and enjoy the beauty all around us. The leaves on the trees are brilliant shades of green that produce the very air we breathe. Life seems better in the summer. Fuller. Happier.

Autumn is my favorite season. The leaves begin to change, but they still wow us with their glorious colors and the air is crisper. I always feel like fall has this golden glow to it that hangs in the very air, like that last bite of pumpkin pie that rests on your tongue long after you've eaten it. Fall is busy, with school starting, the beginning of the holiday season, and the promise of Christmas. It's also the beginning of the end of the cycle.

Winter becomes the death of the natural phenomena. There is
beauty in seeing a world covered in white like a burial shroud. I love to see the sparkles in the snow as the sun glimmers on the frozen fractals. The cold makes us hurry inside to grasp warm cups of cocoa and sit by the fire (or curled up in a heating blanket). Things can seem a bit bleak in the winter (especially when it doesn't seem to want to end, like this year), but there is the beauty and hope in the world as we see the evergreen trees pointing always heavenward. Winter also brings Christmas and the true reason we retain our hope.

The world is a fantastic place and I'm grateful to be a part of it.