Replacing Gentry by Julie N. Ford

When Marlie attends a cadaver ball at Vanderbilt Medical School, she did not expect to actually see any cadavers. Or, that a strange apparition would issue her such a chilling message. Despite the cadaver’s warning, a year later Marlie is married to Tennessee State Senator, Daniel Cannon, and living in a plantation-style mansion with two step sons. Add to the mix her growing suspicion that something is amiss with the death of Daniel’s first wife, Gentry, and newlywed Marlie is definitely in over her pretty Yankee head.

What begins as an innocent inquiry into her new husband’s clouded past, ends with Marlie facing a dangerous conspiracy. A modern twist on the classic Gothic romance novels like Rebecca and Jane Eyre, Replacing Gentry follows Marlie’s precarious journey as she seeks to learn the truth about the man she married.

Read excerpt

Title: Replacing Gentry

Author: Julie N. Ford

Publisher: WiDo Publishing

Release Date: April 9, 2013

ISBN: 978-1937178314

Size: 286 pages, 5.5 x 8.5, softcover

Genre: Contemporary Women’s Fiction


Deep Cover by Traci Hunter Abramson

Twenty eight year old Kelsey Weber is one of the CIA’s finest undercover agents. After two years under deep cover in Salman Nassar’s desert compound, shes unearthed vital information on the volatile Middle Eastern extremist sect. When her allegiance is called into question, Nassar teaches her a lesson she wont forget with a bullet to the leg.Kelsey is whisked out of the field to recuperate in the safety of her missionary parents empty Virginia home.

Civilian life proves to be more complicated than Kelsey anticipated when she meets FBI agent Noah Cabbott, the handsome neighbor tasked by her parents with safeguarding the family home in their absence. As their relationship deepens, she s torn by her inability to divulge who and what she really is. In a twist of fate, their separate investigations converge in a horrifying plot that threatens the nation’s security, and Kelsey’s identity is revealed. She and Noah have been assigned as members of a secret task force, united with one common goal: to thwart Nassar’s impending terrorist attack.

As the situation grows increasingly dire, she is horrified to learn that there is a traitor in their midst: An agency mole has been leaking information to the enemy. Kelsey’s world is thrown into chaos with the shocking realization that nothing is as it seems, and each step toward the truth draws her deeper into a web of conspiracy more intricate and deadly than she dreamed

Read excerpt

Title: Deep Cover

Author: Traci Hunter Abramson

Publisher: Covenant

Release Date: March 1, 2013

ISBN: 978-1621083689

Size: 288 pages, 6×9, softcover

Genre: Suspense/Romantic Suspense


Jack and the Beanstalk by Jenni James

The quest to save a girl from a giant—

Jack Waithwrite is livid when he learns that his fiancée, Rachel, has been stolen by a giant and taken up to a kingdom in the sky. Without the means to save her, he travels with his sister to Larkein, the place where dark magic abides, to discover a way to help Rachel. While there, a cunning witch knows who he is and offers to help him. However, when he finds out the kidnapping was orchestrated by the witch to use him as her pawn for her own schemes, his true quest begins. Now Jack must outwit a giant and stay one step ahead of the witch in time to save Rachel.

Enjoy Jack and the Beanstalk, the continuing tale of Hansel and Gretel and what happened after they were married. Jack and Jill Waithwrite are the children of Hansel and Gretel, and as their parents before them had adventures, now it is their turn.

Read excerpt

Title: Jack and the Beanstalk

Author: Jenni James

Publisher: StoneHouse Ink

Release Date: March 31, 2013

ASIN: B00C4ZX858

Size: __ pages, ebook

Genre: Fantasy

Faerie Tale Collection: Beauty and the Beast (#1),  Sleeping Beauty (#2), Rumplestiltskin (#3), Cinderella (#4), Hansel and Gretel (#5)


Unbelievable by Sherry Gammon

Deliah Lopez Dreser’s in town to take care of family business. They say the apple doesn’t fall far from the tree, but there’s more to Lilah than meets the eye.

Cole’s in danger of losing his heart when this firestorm throws sparks his way. However, is she simply playing him for the fool in order to exact revenge for her brother’s murders?

Maggie and Seth’s reaction when the truth is revealed pushes friendship to the limit. And this time around it won’t be a Dreser causing an uproar in Port Fare. It will be Cole’s good friend Booker.

But does Booker have it all wrong? Usually not!

Read excerpt

Title: Unbelievable

Author: Sherry Gammon

Publisher: Self

Release Date: April 5, 2013

ISBN: 978-1477594247

Size: 374 pages, 6×9, softcover

Genre: YA Contemporary

Port Fare Series: Unlovable (bk 1)


Esther the Queen by H. B. Moore

She is a beautiful young Jewess, content in her life of anonymity.

He is the most powerful king in the world.

When chance brings the two together, the course of history is forever altered.

An unexpected meeting between Esther and King Xerxes results in an immediate and unmistakable connection. When Esther is summoned to enter the harem—the first step toward becoming his wife—Esther is torn between her desire to be with Xerxes and the knowledge that they will forever be divided by the secret of her Jewish heritage.

Encouraged by her family to do what she must to help her people, she deftly navigates her new position in the palace, quickly becoming beloved by all, including Xerxes. But when a treacherous plan threatens to engulf the kingdom in violence, Esther must choose between love and duty.

Is she prepared to sacrifice all that she holds dear in order to save her people from certain annihilation?

Read excerpt

Title: Esther the Queen

Author: H.B. Moore

Publisher: Covenant

Release Date: April 1, 2013

ISBN: 978-1621084174

Size: 288 pages, 6×9, softcover

Genre: Historical


Stung by Bethany Wiggins

There is no cure for being stung.

Fiona doesn’t remember going to sleep. But when she opens her eyes, she discovers her entire world has been altered-her house is abandoned and broken, and the entire neighborhood is barren and dead. Even stranger is the tattoo on her right wrist—a black oval with five marks on either side—that she doesn’t remember getting but somehow knows she must cover at any cost. She’s right.

When the honeybee population collapsed, a worldwide pandemic occurred and the government tried to bio-engineer a cure. Only the solution was deadlier than the original problem. Those bearing the tattoo have turned into mindless, violent beasts that roam the streets and sewers, preying upon the unbranded while a select few live protected inside a fortress-like wall, their lives devoted to rebuilding society and killing all who bear the mark.

But Fiona has awakened branded, alone—and on the wrong side of the wall.

Read excerpt

Title: Stung

Author: Bethany Wiggins

Publisher: Walker Childrens

Release Date: April 2, 2013

ISBN: 978-0802734181

Size: 304 pages, hardcover

Genre: Young Adult Paranormal


Second Chances by Melanie Jacobson

After walking out of a thankless job at a prestigious marketing firm, feisty California entrepreneur Louisa Gibson is going into business for herself. Lou’s pioneering venture, The Mormon Bachelor, is a reality dating web series sure to be fabulous advertising for her new marketing firm. And as a bonus, she can solve a problem close to home: while Huntington Beach is crawling with eligible, sun-bronzed Saints, they’ve forgotten the vital skill of dating. Lou hopes the reality show will finally inspire this group of hangout enthusiasts to pair off. But shortly before filming begins, the unthinkable happens—Trentyn, a.k.a. The Bachelor, gets a girlfriend. And Lou needs a new leading man—fast.

Enter Nick, Lou’s devastatingly handsome ex-boy- friend. He’s the stereotypical actor: shallow, self-serving . . . and perfect for the job. A whirlwind of dating ensues, with Nick at the center of it all. Things are going according to plan—that is, until Lou is forced to step in as a substitute bachelorette, becoming an unwitting cast member on her own show. Despite Nick’s attempts to reestablish their friendship and the growing spark between them, Lou is determined to keep her distance. The show must go on—but what’s a girl to do when the Mr. Wrong of the past just may be the Mr. Right of the future?

Read excerpt

Title: Second Chances

Author: Melanie Jacobson

Publisher: Covenant

Release Date: March 1, 2013

ISBN: 978-1621083443

Size: 272 pages, 6×9, softcover

Genre: Romance


The Orchard by Krista Lynne Jensen

On the idyllic shores of Flathead Lake, Montana, Alisen Embry finds purpose and comfort tending her late mother’s cherry orchard adjacent to the family’s beloved lake house. Though pained by the loss of her mother and her father’s estrangement, it is Derick Whitney, the man she fell in love with four years earlier, who truly influences Alisen’s view of her future.

Derick and Alisen wanted nothing more than to spend eternity together; however, intolerance and secrets forced Alisen to make a shattering choice between her family and the man she loved. But destiny always has a way of setting things right.

Now the Embry family has found themselves hopelessly in debt, and they realize renting the lake house is the only hope of saving the cherished orchard and family home. When Alisen discovers the new tenants have a connection to her past, her life takes an unexpected turn. Will fate find a way to reconnect what was broken so many years before?

Read excerpt   View trailer

Title: The Orchard

Author: Krista Lynne Jensen

Publisher: Covenant

Release Date: April 1, 2013

ISBN: 978-1608611454

Size: 223 pages, 6×9, softcover

Genre: Romance


Descendant by Nichole Giles

Seventeen-year-old Abigail Johnson is Gifted.

Blessed-or cursed-with Sight and Healing, Abby lives an unsettled life, moving from place to place and staying one step ahead of the darkness that hunts her. When she arrives in Jackson, Wyoming, she is desperate to maintain the illusion of normalcy, but she is plagued with visions of past lives mixed with frightening glimpses of her future. Then she meets Kye, a mysterious boy who seems so achingly familiar that Abby is drawn to him like he’s a missing piece of her own soul.

Before Abby can discover the reason for her feelings toward Kye, the darkness catches up to her and she is forced to flee again. But this time she’s not just running. She is fighting back with Kye at her side, and it’s not only Abby’s life at stake.

Read excerpt (Coming Soon)

Title: Descendant

Author: Nichole Giles

Publisher: Rhemalda

Release Date: May 1, 2013

ISBN: 978-1936850679

Size: 278 pages, 5.5 x 8.5, softcover

Genre: YA Paranormal Romance


April 2013 Prize Sponsors!

A big thank you to our Prize Sponsors! Please take a moment to learn more about this month’s wonderfully generous sponsors.

Gaze Into Heaven by Marlene Bateman Sullivan

GazeIntoHeavenWhat is life beyond the veil? Many authors have recounted their near-death expereinces in modern memoirs, but such experiences are not limited to this day and age. Gaze Into Heaven is a compilation of fifty documented near-death experiences of life beyond the veil, drawn from the early history of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

Filled with insight and inspiration, this book melds engrossing personal experiences with perceptive commentary, scripture, and quotes from latter-day Prophets. After reading this book, you won’t ever think of life—or death—the same way.

 

Bateman_MarleneMarlene Bateman Sullivan grew up in Sandy, Utah. She attended Dixie College and Utah State University, and graduated from the University of Utah, with a Bachelor’s degree in English. She is married to Kelly R. Sullivan and has seven children. Her hobbies are gardening, camping, and reading.

Marlene writes inspirational non-fiction (including Latter-day Saint Heroes and Heroines) and clean, uplifting novels (Light on Fire Island). Gaze Into Heaven is her eighth book.

The Orchard by Krista Lynne Jensen

OrchardOn the idyllic shores of Flathead Lake, Montana, Alisen Embry finds purpose and comfort tending her late mother’s cherry orchard adjacent to the family’s beloved lake house. Though pained by the loss of her mother and her father’s estrangement, it is Derick Whitney, the man she fell in love with four years earlier, who truly influences Alisen’s view of her future.

Derick and Alisen wanted nothing more than to spend eternity together; however, intolerance and secrets forced Alisen to make a shattering choice between her family and the man she loved. But destiny always has a way of setting things right.

Now the Embry family has found themselves hopelessly in debt, and they realize renting the lake house is the only hope of saving the cherished orchard and family home. When Alisen discovers the new tenants have a connection to her past, her life takes an unexpected turn. Will fate find a way to reconnect what was broken so many years before?

Jensen_KristaLynneKrista Lynne Jensen grew up in Washington State, lived in Oregon for many years, and now lives in northwestern Wyoming with her husband and four children, surrounded by mountains, rivers, and deer that eat eat her garden.

With a passion for words, Krista places her characters in the settings she loves and challenges them to dig deeper and fight for what they want, which is usually love. Though her family keeps her busy, she keeps up with the stories playing out in her head—while trying to ignore the dishes and laundry.

Krista blogs at www.kristalynnejensen.blogspot.com.

 

Parenting with Spiritual Power by Julie K. Nelson

ParentingSpiritualPowerI wish children came with an instruction manual!

How many times have we heard this lament by a frustrated or overwhelmed parent? Perhaps we have said these words ourselves. There are “how-to” manuals for practically anything: installing a new faucet, building a remote control car, baking an apple pie, refinishing an antique chair… Is there a formula or a perfect manual for raising children? Yes! The scriptures.

Julie Nelson examines the lives of mothers and fathers in the scriptures (the best instruction manual) and the parenting principles we can learn from them. Discover powerful parenting examples and suggestions for personal application in this essential book.

Nelson_JulieK Julie K. Nelson is a wife and mother of five children, raising them in Illinois and now Utah. She received a bachelor’s degree in education from Brigham Young University and a master’s degree from Utah State University in marriage, family and human development. Her scholarly research and creative writing have been published in journals and anthologies, and she has won numerous state and national awards for her writing. Julie has enjoyed teaching children in public and private schools and currently teaches at Utah Valley University.

Peace River by Jaclyn M. Hawkes

PeaceRiverThe police didn’t understand the danger—but she did.

Her father had always been abusive, but now, with a ten million dollar Thoroughbred farm on the line, and a powerful bookie leaning on him, her father had become out of control. But how do you get away and take a world famous stallion with you? Carrie was getting desperate when a handsome and honorable but thoroughly cynical rodeo cowboy from Wyoming happened to show up with a horse trailer. He didn’t ride a white horse, but he was definitely a knight in shining armor.

He’ll protect her from the mob, but can she survive falling in love with a bull rider?

Hawkes_JaclynJaclyn M. Hawkes grew up in Utah with 6 sisters, 4 brothers and any number of pets. (It was never boring!) She got a bachelor’s degree, had a career and traveled extensively before settling down to her life’s work of being the mother of four magnificent and sometimes challenging children. She loves shellfish, the out of doors, the youth and hearing her children laugh. She and her fine husband, their family, and their sometimes very large pets, now live in a mountain valley in northern Utah, where it smells like heaven and kids still move sprinkler pipe.

 

To enter to win one of these books, simply leave a “thoughtful” comment on any post on this site.

CLICK HERE for details on sponsoring the contest.

March 2013 Prize Winners!

Here are the randomly selected winners of last month’s  “Win These Books!” Contest.

Thanks again to our sponsors. Please take a moment to read their info here.

JeremiahPremonition

Winner: Michaelbrent

Commenting on: “Dealing Positively with Negative Reviews by Michaelbrent Collings”

 

BravingTheBlaze

Winner: Cindy W

Commenting on: “When Shameless Self-Promotion is Shameful by Tristi Pinkston

 

EchoesIssel

Winner: Emily F

Commenting on: “The Runaway King by Jennifer A. Nielsen

 

Isabelle_GrecianPrincess

Winner: Shauna W

Commenting on: “Baked Alaska by Josi Kilpack

 

SecondChances

Winner: Lisa

Commenting on: “March 2013 Prize Sponsors!

 

WhereRiverFlowed

Winner: Rebecca I

Commenting on: “Why You Should Avoid Succeeding as a Writer by Michaelbrent Collings

 

Congratulations! I will contact each of you via the email address you used to enter for the contest. You have until Monday, April 8, 2013 to respond with your mailing address.

Click here to learn how you can win a copy of one of our sponsoring books.

Click here for details on sponsoring the LDS Publisher website.

 

Cindy Witch by RaShelle Workman

Magic is her birthright. Fashion is her forte. It’s been dictated that her destiny is to help Snow White. But, Cindy is no sidekick.

Cindy is a witch. And she has a mission. With the help of a snarky dragon, five of the seven brothers, and an eccentric old professor, they embark on a dangerous quest to rescue Snow White’s mother from the realm of Mizu.

When all is said and done, one thing is certain.

The fate of the world is balanced precariously.

A single false move, and it’ll all crumble.

Read excerpt

Title: Cindy Witch (Blood and Snow novellette)

Author: RaShelle Workman

Publisher: Polished Pen Press

Release Date: March 28, 2013

ASIN: B00C34PYKW

Size: Approx. 10,000 words, e-book

Genre: Young Adult Paranormal

Series: Cindy is a character in Blood and Snow


Updated Nominate a Whitney Button

I have updated “Nominate a Whitney” buttons for your blogs and websites.

Basically, they’re the same as before, but I took the date off so they can be used year after year. They’re available in six colors and two sizes.

If you use the code in the boxes below the images, they will link directly to the nomination page on the Whitney Awards website.

 

You can get them here: http://www.ldspublisher.com/whitney-buttons/

Insecta: Zombie Queen by W Thor Larson

Take the best Nat Geo WILD specials on ants, mix in the Discovery Channel’s “Monster Bug Wars,” cast the brew in fantasy, and you’ve got Insecta: Planet of the Ants (Book 1 – Zombie Queen). Iridescent imagination flies high, burrows deep, and attacks head-on in this epic fantasy adventure set in a distant bioluminescent world where giant insects rule and powerful ant queens lock mandibles in a deadly chess game of massive proportions.

Although the queens command the board, the game is much more complex than they suppose. The pincers of Providence control their fortunes and dangers lurk on every side: voracious ladybug bands, ravenous centipede hatchlings, vicious acid-spitting butterfly menaces, amoebae pandemics, hulking fire ant super soldiers, exploding kamikaze carpenter ants, and a slaver queen’s mysterious arts. But no monster is more feared than the tiny and lethal Phorid fly—the zombie maker! Mantis claw swords and beetle shell shields are no match. Armored millipede tanks and huge war beetles are no defense. Massive bulwarks and moats of tar offer no refuge.

After an impossibly large swarm of Phorids overwhelms his mound, Nodosa braves the desert plains in search of the famed leafcutter fortress desperate to enlist their aid. Little does he know that he’ll become the catalyst of a gallant attempt to rescue his queen from a nest filled with thousands of zombie ants and their fly spawn, the inescapable skirmish between leafcutters and the fire ant horde, and the miraculous healing of a very special egg.

See http://insectaplanetoftheants.wordpress.com/

Read excerpt

Title: Zombie Queen (Insecta: Planet of the Ants, Book 1)

Author: W. Thor Larson

Publisher: Self

Release Date: March 26, 2013

ASIN: B00BLHZJKM

Size: 248 pages, ebook

Genre: YA Fantasy Adventure


Current Creek Valley by RaeAnne Thayne

If you build it, love will come…to Hope’s Crossing.

Alexandra McKnight prefers a life of long workdays and If you build it, love will come…short-term relationships, and she’s found it in Hope’s Crossing. A sous chef at the local ski resort, she’s just been offered to Hope’s Crossing. her dream job at an exclusive new restaurant being built in town. But when it comes to designing the kitchen, Alex finds herself getting up close and personal with construction foreman Sam Delgado….

At first glance, Sam seems perfect for Alex. He’s big, tough, gorgeous—and in town for only a few weeks. But when Sam suddenly moves into a house down the road, Alex suspects that the devoted single father of a six-year-old boy wants more from her than she’s willing to give. Now it’s up to Sam to help Alex see that, no matter what happened in her past, together they can build something more meaningful in Hope’s Crossing.

Read excerpt

Title: Current Creek Valley

Author: RaeAnne Thayne

Publisher: Harlequin HQN

Release Date: March 26, 2013

ISBN: 978-0373777471

Size: 320 pages, 4 x 6.5, softcover

Genre: Romance

Hope’s Crossing Series: Blackberry Summer, Woodrose MountainSweet Laurel Falls,


Seeker by Jolene Perry

Three girls…Three talents…And a 300 year old tragedy that follows them in the shadows.

Eighteen-year-old Kara is the best as what she does: Finding people with talents.

This time her target is a group of powerful people sailing toward The Bahamas, and her timing isn’t just important, it’s life or death.

But Kara’s given a new partner, a guy named Ocean. He doesn’t follow the rules on a video game, much less her black and white ideas of how people with talents should behave.

As the chase begins and she starts to warm up to him, everything changes. In formation about the Shadows come to light, and the more she learns about her mark, the less she knows who to trust.

Timing is still critical, but the misinformation fed to both Kara and the people on the sailboat could be devastating for everyone.

Told from the perspective of the “bad guys” Seeker is the last book in the Shadows trilogy.

Read excerpt

Title: Seeker (Shadows, Book 3)

Author: Jolene Perry

Publisher: Next Door Books

Release Date: March 25, 2013

ASIN: B00C18Y6S6

Size: __ pages, ebook (print version coming soon)

Genre: YA Paranormal

Shadows Series: Insight (bk 1), Manipulation (bk 2)


Reclaiming His Bride by Heather Tullis

Secrets rule Lana’s life. Her father’s death brought some out into the open, but she has a few of her own: 1) she’s been married to Blake for nearly a year—and trying to get a divorce for most of that time. 2) A moment of emotional weakness and too much champagne ended with her in her husband’s arms—and now she’s pregnant.

Blake hasn’t thought of another woman since they first met, though she believes otherwise. When Lana’s hotel-magnate father offers him the job of regional manager—and an office in the hotel Lana would be managing, Blake jumps at it. Keeping her attention when it’s split between her sisters, the ins and outs of running a resort, and the ‘ghost’ who’s been haunting the building isn’t easy. Learning about the baby convinces him to redouble his efforts though—he isn’t going to give up without a fight, and when someone comes after Lana, the stakes are raised again.

Read excerpt

Title: Reclaiming His Bride (DiCarlo Brides, Book 3)

Author: Heather Tullis

Publisher: Jelly Bean Press

Release Date: March 17, 2013

ASIN: B00BVXQS1U

Size: 210 pages, ebook

Genre: Romance

DiCarlo Brides Series: A Perfect Fit (bk 1), SEALed with Love (bk 2)


Camp NaNoWriMo

Did you ever wish that NaNoWriMo was held at some time other than November, when you’re trying to get ready for the holidays?

Well, give Camp NaNoWriMo a try! There will be two sessions this year. The first one starts on April 1st and the other one starts July 1st.  Not sure if I can do April, but I’m definitely thinking of July…

From their website:

What is Camp NaNoWriMo?

 

Based on November’s National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo), Camp NaNoWriMo provides the online support, tracking tools, and hard deadline to help you write the rough draft of your novel in a month… other than November!

What: Writing a novel from scratch in one month’s time.

Who: You! (And about 20,000 other novelists around the world.) Let’s write some perhaps-awful, but definitely lengthy, prose together.

Why: The reasons are endless! To actively participate in one of our era’s most enchanting art forms! To write without having to obsess over quality. To be able to make obscure references to passages from our novels at parties.

When: You can sign up anytime to add your name to the roster. Writing begins at 12:00 AM on April 1, and again on July 1. To be added to the official list of winners, you must reach your word-count goal by 11:59 PM on the last day of the month. Once your novel has been verified by our web-based team of robotic word counters, the partying begins.

To join, go to campnanowrimo.org

After you sign up, post your Username so we can connect with each other as friends on the CampNaNo site. If you’ve participated in the regular NaNoWriMo, your user name is the same.

Whitney Reading Word Count Reader

Jim Haberkorn sent an email reminding me about Whitney Award widgets…

Here is a free word count widget that is easily adjusted to count the number of Whitney finalists you’ve read.


Get your own counter here.

It’s simple, elegant and you get to control a lot of the various options, like color, font, and size.

Just go to CritiqueCircle.com and use their word meter builder. It’s really easy and has instructions for each element of the widget.

Paste the code into an HTML widget box on your blog.

As you read, you’ll need to open the widget box and adjust the first set of numbers in the code, but that’s really easy to do.

And the Whitney buttons with the cool image and the yea those updated soon.

UPDATE: I just realized that I’m out of town until the middle of next week and the artwork is on my computer at home. Will update those Whitney buttons when I get home.

Pitch Green by The Brothers Washburn

Horror comes in all shades of green.

No other kid in Trona will go near the creepy old Searles Mansion, but Camm Smith is obsessed with the need to get inside.

Seven years earlier, as Camm herded a pack of little trick-or-treaters past the mansion, her young neighbor, Hugh, disappeared, becoming one of the many children who have vanished from Trona over the years without a trace. Now a senior in high school, Camm is still haunted by the old tragedy, and is sure the answer to the mysterious disappearances lies hidden somewhere in the decaying mansion.

Joining forces with her best friend, Cal, who also happens to be Hugh’s older brother, Camm naively begins a perilous search for the truth. As things spiral quickly out of control, and others die, Camm and Cal discover it will take all their combined ingenuity to stay alive.

An unseen evil lurking deep within the bowels of the mansion is now hunting them. To make matters worse, they become entangled with hostile federal agents, who will do all they can to keep old secrets permanently hidden. Left with only their wit and seemingly ineffective firearms, Camm and Cal know time is running out. Unless they can make sense of the few pieces of the puzzle they manage to unearth, their lives are in danger, and like so many others before them, they may also disappear without a trace.

Read excerpt

Title: Pitch Green

Author: The Brothers Washburn (Berk and Andy)

Publisher: Jolly Fish Press

Release Date: March 16, 2013

ISBN: 978-0988649125

Size: 280 pages, 5.5 x 8.5, hardcover

Genre: Fantasy/Horror


Finding Story Ideas by Rebecca Talley

I’m often asked where I find ideas for my stories. As a writer, I’ve learned that ideas are everywhere.

Many of the magazine stories I’ve written have been based on a true experience. One such story was about my son. He’d saved money to buy a set of Legos. He was so excited when he’d finally accumulated enough money from doing odd jobs and chores to buy the Legos. He thumbed through the catalog and found the order form. He placed the order form and his money inside an envelope and left it on my desk. While the envelope sat on my desk, Hurricane Katrina hit.

My son came home from school and talked about the devastating effects of the storm and how many children had to leave their homes, pets, and toys. He then ran to my desk and scooped up the envelope. He told me he wanted to donate all of his money to a local Katrina fund. Not only was I proud of my son for his decision, I had a basis for a story that I then sold to a magazine.

Ideas are everywhere. Tidbits of conversation can become the base of a story. Newspaper stories, friend’s experiences, historical accounts, local folklore, myths, or dreams can all provide nuggets for stories. The trick is becoming aware of potential stories.

Here are some ideas:

Take a notebook to the mall. Write down different bits of conversation, descriptions of people you see, and play with various scenarios.

Sift through some newspapers and look for human interest stories. I once read an account of a woman whose husbands all ended up committing suicide in the same way. Children of the dead men accused the woman of killing the men. Is there a story? Perhaps.

Watch TV news and see if it triggers ideas for stories. What about a man who risks his life to save homeless people over and over again? Or the woman who lives with a chimpanzee that then goes berserk? These wouldn’t be full-blown novels, but could form a foundation for possible novels.

Family history can also be a valuable place to find story ideas. I have an ancestor who emigrated from Italy, became a chef, and cooked meals for some of the presidents of the United States. Or what about the ancestor who was a horse thief when America was still a frontier?

Look around you. Ideas are everywhere. Once you start looking, you’ll discover so many ideas you’ll have a hard time keeping track of them. Be sure to write them all down in an idea notebook. And then you’ll be like other writers who declare, “I’ll never live long enough to write about all the ideas I have.”

Blood Relations: A Good Mormon Girl Mystery by Michaelbrent Collings

Lane Cooley is the best Homicide Detective on the LAPD. But she isn’t anything like you’d imagine. She’s no fast-talking femme fatale… no, she’s a Good Mormon Girl who doesn’t smoke, drink, cuss, or even watch R-rated movies.

But that doesn’t mean Lane misses out on all the blood and guts. Especially now. A new serial killer is in town, one who knows all the cops’ tricks, all their secrets. One who is targeting young girls, killing them, and cutting them to pieces.

Now, Lane has to race against the clock to find the killer. Because the murderer has chosen his next victim. And it’s Lane’s little sister.

Note: Author says this book is “mild” PG-13.

Read excerpt

Title: Blood Relations: A Good Mormon Girl Mystery

Author: Michaelbrent Collings

Publisher: Createspace

Release Date: March 18, 2013

ISBN: 978-1482783537

Size: 306 pages, 6×9, softcover

Genre: Mystery


Story Plotting: Turn off the GPS by Julie N. Ford, WiDo Publishing

Every now and then I’ll hear a writer say that plotting is his/her least favorite part about writing a novel. Okay first of all, “novel” and “plot” are nearly synonymous. Without a plot, there is no novel, no story. So technically, if a writer doesn’t like to “plot,” said writer probably shouldn’t be wasting his/her time writing a novel. Just because a person enjoys writing doesn’t mean he/she must become a novelist. There are other ways one can express oneself through the written word—columns, editorials, poetry, blogging, journaling.

And second, maybe the reason so many writers have a hard time plotting is because we as a society have become too dependent on technology doing our thinking for us. We don’t memorize phone numbers anymore because all of our contacts are stored in our cell phones. We don’t have to think about how to spell because Word and even our phones do that for us.

I’m showing my age here but I remember when telephones still had party-lines and TVs were black and white. *Gasp* Viewers had to actually get up and turn a knob to change channels. (Currently, I don’t even know where the on and off switch is on my TV much less how to change channels without the remote.) And when I started college, students were still using typewriters for term papers and libraries to do research. Ah, I do miss the days of rifling through the card catalog . . .

Back in the good ol’ days when we needed to travel somewhere we’d never been before, we used something called . . . a map. For those of you who don’t have a firsthand knowledge of such a thing, maps are somewhat cumbersome, accordion folded sheets of paper that often hitch at the seams and have a tendency to flap away at the slightest breeze. But when laid out flat, a map is a vision to behold—a colorful labyrinth of intersecting paths that offer options to one’s destination while branching out into a myriad of possibilities. Stretched out across a table or the hood of a car, maps are a visually pleasing tool that allows an individual to plot his/her path to a desired destination while highlighting each and every point of interest along the way.

The beginning, middle and end of a new journey.

When traveling with the use of a map, one needs to be keenly aware of where he/she is at all times, pay close attention to mile markers and state lines, watching for signs indicating the next turn in the journey. The traveler is an engaged, active participant in the success or failure of reaching the desired destination.

Enter the GPS.

An ingenious piece of technology you can feed an address and then like magic, the course to follow appears on the screen accompanied by a pleasant voice that guides you effortlessly to your destination.

Easy, peasy.

The last road trip I took was from Nashville to Kansas City. I plugged the hotel’s address into my GPS and then started driving. Along the way I passed small towns and big cities often asking myself, “Where am I?” But it didn’t matter. I didn’t need to know. Dave (the name we gave the voice that comes from our GPS) dutifully warned me of every upcoming turn, while repeatedly reminding me of the impending change in course, followed by an exact measure of when to make the change in direction. And I never even questioned, never wondered if Dave was leading me the right way, never thought to check the correctness of his course. I blindly followed Dave, and he led me straight to where I needed to go.

Like going back to the “dark ages” and planning out a trip on a map, plotting our story seems tedious—a waste of time and effort. You see, plotting a story is much like mapping out a road trip. Our stories must stretch out in front of us with a beginning, middle, and then an end. If we don’t know how to visualize the possibilities, experience wrong turns, back track, take unexpected stops along the way and roll with diversions from the path, then how can we envision the same for our characters?

We’ve become lazy.

And this lack of plotting ability may just be the reason that many novels and movies are sent out to readers and viewers with holes in the storyline. Could it be that we are losing our ability to step from one point to another without the help of technology? What’s next, electronic story plotters? One day, will Dave be capable of plotting my novel for me as well?

Good gracious, I hope not. Plotting is, after all, half the fun in writing a novel.

 

Julie N. Ford is the author of four women’s fiction novels, The Woman He Married (March 2011) and No Holly for Christmas (November 2011), published by Whiskey Creek Press. Whitney Award Finalist, Count Down to Love (July 2011), published by Bonneville Books. And Replacing Gentry to be released April 2013 by WiDo Publishing. Currently, she lives in Nashville, TN with her husband, two daughters and baby hedgehog, Wallace. Julie’s website is julienford.com.

The Gate Thief by Orson Scott Card

Here on Earth, Danny North is still in high school, yet he holds in his heart and mind all the stolen outselves of thirteen centuries of gatemages. The Families still want to kill him if they can’t control him…and they can’t control him. He is far too powerful.

And on Westil, Wad is now nearly powerless—he lost everything to Danny in their struggle. Even if he can survive the revenge of his enemies, he still must somehow make peace with the Gatemage Daniel North.

For when Danny took that power from Loki, he also took the responsibility for the Great Gates. And when he comes face-to-face with the mages who call themselves Bel and Ishtoreth, he will come to understand just why Loki closed the gates all those centuries ago.

Read excerpt

Title: The Gate Thief (Mither Mages #2)

Author: Orson Scott Card

Publisher: Tor Books

Release Date: March 19, 2013

ISBN: 978-0765326584

Size: 384 pages, hardcover

Genre: Contemporary Fantasy

Mither Mages Series: The Lost Gate (bk 1)