Showing posts with label anthology. Show all posts
Showing posts with label anthology. Show all posts

Friday, March 13, 2020

Shannon Lawrence, Bruised Souls & Urban Legends

My blog buddy Shannon Lawrence - AKA The Warrior Muse - has a new book out!

Fear resides in the soul.

A welcoming widow with a twisted appetite; a war-time evil lurking behind the face of a child; a father’s love gone horribly wrong; a deadly government solution; a new job with a demonic pay scale; a woman trapped in a mysterious house with no memory of who she is or how she got there. These are a mere glimpse of the terrors that lie in wait in this collection of horror short stories, sure to grip the psyche and torment the soul.  



Order the book HERE!!!



Where can you find Shannon?
website          Facebook           Twitter.             Pinterest 
Instagram      Bookbub             Goodreads       Amazon Author Page 

To join in celebrating her newest release, Shannon has asked us to post about 1 of the following
1. Your favorite urban legend
2. Your favorite old wives' tale
3. Something scary that occurred in real life and taught you an important lesson

As many of you know I am a wimp. Before I even entered school, my parents had taken me to a doctor to find out why I had such debilitating nightmares. His answer was that I had an extra-vivid imagination. Apparently I still do...

One of the urban legends that gave me nightmares for many years was about the gulley in our backyard. It extended the length of the street and then turned a corner and travelled three more streets.

Right up to the local jail.


Streets had been built over sections of the gulley and there were culverts in many sections to help with drainage.

Perfect for escaping criminals.

When we found scraps of clothing one day, an older kid in the neighbourhood told us the tale of Walter's Ghost. How the man had been jailed for slicing up kids. He'd escaped and his bones had been discovered "right there" - with "right there" being less than 100 metres from our back door.

Didn't sleep well that night. Or the next, or the next...

How about you? Any intriguing urban legends involving your neighbourhood?
Anyone else looking forward to Shannon's tales? My copy's waiting on my Kindle ... to be read in the mornings 😃


Monday, April 8, 2019

Elizabeth Mueller & Masquerade: Oddly Suited

The latest IWSG anthology looks like another winner! Today, I've got Elizabeth Mueller, one of the authors, here to answer some questions!

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Have you written YA romance before this short story?
Yes, I have. They are my favorite kinds of romances to write. Darkspell is my first published out there.

What was it about the prompt that intrigued you?
The prompt was YA Masquerade Romance—I find each one in itself: I love YA, romance,
and masquerades. Imagine what all three can do? Whoa!

What was your favourite part of writing this short story?
I loved creating the mysticism behind it, the implied history of their romantic intrigue.

As a writer, do you tend to start with characters, setting, or plot when you first get an idea? Oh, how do I answer that? It’s always a combination of things that come at me all at once I can’t possibly tell one from the other. Sometimes it’s a concept: like a character bound hand and foot by the queen’s body guards as he glares up at her (both are love interests). The story then unfolds as I imagine how he got himself into that mess and why. So fun!

Introduce us to the main character in your story.
Meet Ivy. Independent, smart, honorable. Curious. It’s what gets her into the mess to begin with but if she hadn’t have listened to her instincts, all would have been lost!


About my Short Story, ‘The Cog Prince’
Falling in love, saving the day, and a masque—oh my! The clock strikes the thirteenth hour and Ivy is sucked into a masquerade ball of whirling dancers where the Cog Prince has summoned her. A mysterious darkness seeks their destruction and she alone holds the key. Will Ivy save them in time?

Author Bio
Award-winning author Elizabeth Mueller lives in Texas with her husband, five lively children, five indoor kitties, a few outdoor kitties, and seventeen chickens. While she enjoys homeschooling her kidlets, she thrives as a full-time writer of any genre that captures her heart. She loves to hear from her readers!


***

Masquerade: Oddly Suited Tour Banner

Today I'm taking part in the blog tour for Masquerade: Oddly Suited, a young-adult romance anthology from The Insecure Writer's Support Group which is coming out on 30th April 2019!

About the Anthology

Title: Masquerade: Oddly SuitedRelease date: April 30th, 2019
Publisher: Dancing Lemur Press
Genres: Young Adult Fiction: Romance – General / Paranormal / Contemporary
Print ISBN: 9781939844644
EBook ISBN: 9781939844651

Book cover for Masquerade: Oddly Suited

Find love at the ball...
Can a fake dating game show lead to love? Will a missing key free a clock-bound prince? Can a softball pitcher and a baseball catcher work together? Is there a vampire living in Paradise, Newfoundland? What’s more important—a virtual Traveler or a virtual date to the ball?
Ten authors explore young love in all its facets, from heartbreak to budding passion. Featuring the talents of L.G. Keltner, Jennifer Lane, C.D. Gallant-King, Elizabeth Mueller, Angela Brown, Myles Christensen, Deborah Solice, Carrie-Anne Brownian, Anstice Brown, and Chelsea Marie Ballard.
Hand-picked by a panel of agents and authors, these ten tales will mystify and surprise even as they touch your heart. Don your mask and join the party…


Stories Featured

Oddly Suited, LG Keltner
The silliest situations may be oddly suited for romance.
Behind the Catcher’s Mask, Jennifer Lane
Who can help her through a meltdown on the pitcher’s mound?
The Dark Charade, CD Gallant-King
The new girl in town falls in love for a mysterious boy who is maybe, probably, most definitely, a vampire.
The Cog Prince, Elizabeth Mueller
Falling in love, saving the day, and a masque—oh my! Will a missing key free a clock-bound prince?
A Diver’s Ball, Angela Brown
You can be anything you want in the online world of Cumulus. A human. An elf. A powerful beast mutation from your wildest imagination. But can you be in love?
Flower of Ronda, Myles Christensen
What if life's price of servanthood could be changed?
Fearless Heart, Deborah Solice
Is he a figment of her imagination conjured to keep her sane, or is he something else…something more?
Charleston Masquerade, Carrie-Anne Brownian
Can two worlds come together and find love?
Sea of Sorrows, Anstice Brown
What could a shapeshifting siren know about love?
Remedy, Chelsea Marie Ballard
Everything is against Remy and Rudy, but on the night of the Masquerade Ball, they must choose: each other or their lives?
You can find out more about the authors of Masquerade: Oddly Suited here.

Giveaway

The authors of Masquerade: Oddly Suited are giving away a $50 Amazon gift card to one winner. To enter, please complete the Rafflecopter below. The giveaway is open internationally from 12:00 am GMT 17th March to 12:00am GMT 6th May.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Tour Schedule

Visit the other blog tour hosts below to find out more about the stories and authors featured in Masquerade: Oddly Suited.
***
So excited for this book to come out! Can't wait to see if Ivy saves the day!
Thanks for the visit, Elizabeth!

How about you? Do you start with characters, setting, or plot first? Or do they all come in a blend the way they do for Elizabeth?

Wednesday, May 23, 2018

Until Release & Villains

Hi everyone!

I'm over at Tick Tock: A Stitch In Crime blog today - talking about Voldemort and Miss Congeniality.

I hope you'll pop on over to check it out!


Tuesday, May 1, 2018

Until Release is HERE!

Tick Tock: A Stitch In Crime is out and about in the real world today!!!!!
(And, yes, I might be alternately happy dancing and biting my fingernails!)



I hope you'll pick up your copy (if you haven't preordered) and check out all of the stories. They are SO GOOD!

I love how the voices, styles, and topics in the anthology vary so greatly, yet all mesh together to make a fabulous whole. You're going to really enjoy the read!

Thanks again to Dancing Lemur Press & the IWSG judges for including UNTIL RELEASE in this fabulous anthology!



Goodreads
Amazon B&N Kobo iTunes


We're also on Facebook!

Wednesday, March 14, 2018

Until Release & Tick Tock

Today I'm posting my very first post on the Tick Tock: A Stitch In Crime blog!

I'm thrilled that my story will be included in the Dancing Lemur Press anthology that will be released in May. I hope you'll pop on over to the blog and learn a little bit more about my story and one of the characters!

If you'd like to add the anthology to your To Read or To Buy list, here are the links:

Goodreads
Amazon B&N Kobo ITunes



You'll have to read Until Release to see if the question above gets an answer! See you at Tick Tock!


Monday, January 15, 2018

Cover Reveal for Tick Tock!

I am thrilled to be able to share the cover of Tick Tock, the upcoming IWSG anthology. Release date is scheduled for May 1, 2018 and I can't wait for this to be out and about in the world!




The clock is ticking...

Can a dead child’s cross-stitch pendant find a missing nun? Is revenge possible in just 48 minutes? Can a killer be stopped before the rescuers are engulfed by a city ablaze? Who killed what the tide brought in? Can a soliloquizing gumshoe stay out of jail?

Exploring the facets of time, eleven authors delve into mysteries and crimes that linger in both dark corners and plain sight. Featuring the talents of Gwen Gardner, Rebecca M. Douglass, Tara Tyler, S. R. Betler, C.D. Gallant-King, Jemi Fraser, J. R. Ferguson, Yolanda Renée, C. Lee McKenzie, Christine Clemetson, and Mary Aalgaard.

Hand-picked by a panel of agents and authors, these eleven tales will take you on a thrilling ride into jeopardy and secrecy. Trail along, find the clues, and stay out of danger. Time is wasting...

Release date - May 1, 2018
Mystery & Detective/Crime/Thrillers
Print ISBN 9781939844545 eBook ISBN 9781939844552

Isn't it great? I love it!!

(And apparently I didn't press Publish for this to go live this morning... #sigh #oops)

Wednesday, January 3, 2018

IWSG & Schedules & SQUEEE!!!

The Insecure Writer's Support Group is the brainchild of Alex J. Cavanaugh. He, his clones, minions, friends, and fellow authors make it an amazing event every month.




Purpose: To share and encourage. Writers can express doubts and concerns without fear of appearing foolish or weak. Those who have been through the fire can offer assistance and guidance. It’s a safe haven for insecure writers of all kinds!

And we’re revving up IWSG Day to make it more fun and interactive! Every month, we'll announce a question that members can answer in their IWSG Day post. These questions may prompt you to share advice, insight, a personal experience or story. Include your answer to the question in your IWSG post or let it inspire your post if you are struggling with something to say.


January 3rd QuestionWhat steps have you taken to put a schedule in place for your writing and publishing?

Am I allowed to cry here? Or laugh ... hysterically?

Yeah, my life is more than a little wacky at the moment and things like schedules for anything other than the day job are more than a little loosey-goosey.

That said, I do tend to write during the weeknights - after the rest of my Real Life has been dealt with. I can usually get in thirty minutes to an hour a night, which isn't bad. Because of family commitments, the weekends tend to be a write-off (yep, pun intended). The whole attempt-at-publishing thing has been put on hold for the past 6 years due to Real Life and its many demands. Instead, I've been working on improving my craft and learning (there's always SO MUCH to learn!).

I'm hoping to one day have an actual schedule and be able to push my way into that publishing world!

EDITED TO ADD:
SQUEEE!!!!! 
Some of you may remember a while back when I said I wanted to try my hand at writing a short story. It was outside of my regular genre, but the prompt from the IWSG anthology had my brain ticking. Fast forward to today and my story was chosen as one to be included in the anthology. I'm thrilled and looking so forward to working with Diane & her team at Dancing Lemur Press. Thank you so much!

How about you? Do you thrive on schedules or do they make your soul quiver?



Monday, March 27, 2017

Still Me After All These Years

Please welcome the lovely Karen Walker to the blog today!
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It’s a pleasure to be participating in the Blog Tour for STILL ME … AFTER ALL THESE YEARS: 24 Authors Reflect on Aging by Karen Helene Walker through MC Book Tours.

This is a charming, funny, and enlightening collection of essays about aging. In addition, Karen is offering a tour-wide giveaway featuring two (2) print copies (U.S. entries only) of STILL ME and two (2) eBook copies of STILL ME (International entries). See how you can enter to win below.

STILL ME…AFTER ALL THESE YEARS: 24 Authors Reflect on Aging
◊ By Karen Helene Walker
◊ Kindle: 2000 KB, 102 pages
◊ Genre: Biographies, Memoirs, Nonfiction
◊ Publication Date: April 4, 2017
◊ Language: English
◊ ASIN: BO6WWRK82K

Poignant...Humorous...Brutally Honest!

A collection of personal reflections guaranteed to keep you inspired and entertained on that journey we all travel together: The Journey of Aging.
With a blend of grace, dignity, warmth and humor, women and men from 60 to 90 and from all walks of life candidly share the blessings and pitfalls of aging – from keeping dreams alive and keeping sex lives active to dealing with retirement, loss of independence and a growing sense of mortality.

A BOOK ABOUT LIVING EVERY MOMENT OF LIFE!

STILL ME is available at the following sites: Amazon (print and Kindle), Barnes and Noble, Kobo, and iTunes. Be sure to add it to your shelf on Goodreads.


Rev. Clara Alexander is an ordained New Thought minister who creates and performs sacred ceremonies, including unique weddings, funerals, memorial services, baby blessings and house blessings. She is also a popular speaker, inspiring groups with her talks on how we cling to our grudges, how we overuse the phrase “I’m sorry” and how we can live the life we love.
Wendy Brown recently retired from a career in wildlife biology, where she studied sandhill cranes and whooping cranes as they migrated from Idaho to New Mexico. Wendy eventually found a permanent home in Albuquerque, where she and her husband enjoy the sounds of sandhill cranes from their deck. Since retiring from state government in 2014. 

Valerie Capps has bypassed the porch rocking chair to pursue her life-long passion for writing, thereby proving that in today’s world, life can begin again at 65! Valerie lives in Nashville with her husband and their spoiled-rotten Welsh Corgi. www.amazon.com/Valerie-Capps/e/B016VD9V72
Mary W. Clark retired from her law practice in 2007 and transferred her observation and composition skills to travel writing. She is currently working on a book about her father’s World War II experience flying “the Hump” from India to China over the Himalayas. Mary lives in Paris, Texas. www.maryclarktraveler.com
Fran Fischer: “I was born at a very young age and that happened 82 years ago, so I don’t remember much about it. I’ve crammed as much living into my life as possible, and I’m not through yet. I’ve traveled extensively and I even flew in the same zero-gravity plane that the astronauts trained in. I live in California with my first (and only) husband, and we celebrated our 62nd anniversary this year.”
Pat Garcia (Patricia Anne Pierce-Garcia Schaack) is an American expatriate living in Europe. An accomplished musician as well as a writer, she has been writing (and reading) since childhood.
Mark David Gerson is the author of more than a dozen books, including critically acclaimed titles for writers, award-winning fiction, and compelling memoirs. Known as “The Birthing Your Book Guru,” Mark David works with an international roster of clients as coach and consultant, helping them get their stories onto the page and into the world with ease. Mark David Gerson
Holly Deuel Gilster plays “make believe” for a living. In other words, she is a professional actress and musician. Holly also loves painting with words as an accomplished poet, an award-winning short-story writer and a book reviewer for The Or Echo.
Aaron Gordon is a retired social sciences community college professor. He and his wife, Ellie, have been married for 65 years and have three children and grandchildren.
Ellie Gordon is a retired public school teacher who spent the best 20 years of her life in the classroom. A Chicago native, she now lives in New Mexico.
Karla “Rosie” Harper recently retired from teaching elementary school, freeing her to return to her early love of dancing. Today, when not helping out with her grandchildren, Rosie is taking dance lessons, spinning on a dance floor or performing in senior centers and retirement communities with Albuquerque’s Sugartime, as a singer as well as a dancer.
Linda Hoye is the author of Two Hearts: An Adoptee’s Journey Through Grief to Gratitude, available through major online retailers. A native of Saskatchewan, Linda currently lives in British Columbia (by way of Washington State) with her husband and doted-upon Yorkshire Terrier. www.lindahoye.com
E.V. Legters hasn’t so much retired as she has exchanged one life for another — from rewarding years with career and children (while pursuing the arts on the fly) to a life with the arts at its center. She is the author of Vanishing Point and Connected Underneath and is currently hard at work on her third novel. www.evlegters.com
LD Masterson lived on both coasts before becoming landlocked in Ohio. After twenty years managing computers for the American Red Cross, she now divides her time between writing, volunteer work and enjoying her grandchildren. Her short stories have been published in several magazines and anthologies, and she is currently working on a new novel. www.ldmasterson.com
Kathleen Messmer not only runs a film production company with offices in the UK and the US, she is an avid photographer and wildlife advocate. In the unlikely event that she ever retires, Kathleen plans to live on a ranch with draft horses and pygmy goats and vineyards and fruit orchards, somewhere near the water. Oh, and a cowboy...maybe. www.kathleenmessmer.com
Karen Norstad has worked as cashier/gift wrapper, secretary, boutique seamstress, administrative assistant, manager of employee stock options, executive assistant, and budget analyst. Now retired, Karen’s life revolves around lounging about, wearing PJs until four in the afternoon, obsessing over the news, reading, fusing and slumping glass, practicing piano, keeping a small balcony garden and cooking.
Matt Nyman’s nonlinear career path has included working in the geological sciences, teaching high school, stay-at-home parenting and, currently, training tomorrow’s teachers. Poetry equently resides near the surface of his existence, occasionally erupting onto paper.
Jill Plaman was born and began aging in Milwaukee, but she has lived and worked in Albuquerque since 1977. She holds a BS from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee and an MSW from the University of Minnesota. Her special interests are travel, international folk dancing, reading, hiking and spending time with family and friends.
Maureen Polikoff is a clinical social worker/ therapist who has always pursued many other creative endeavors, including painting, playing music and, now, writing. A Connecticut native, she lives in New Mexico with her husband, Michael.
MaryFrank Sanborn left Boston 33 years ago, to apprentice with photographer Walter Chappell in Santa Fe. Still in love with the beauty of the Southwest, MaryFrank photographs, writes, hikes, travels, teaches yoga and meditation, makes soups on Sundays, and dreams of the ocean and whales.
Patricia Stoltey is the author of four mystery novels. The most recent is Wishing Caswell Dead. She lives in Northern Colorado with Sassy Dog, Katie Cat and her husband, Bill. www.patriciastolteybooks.com
Susan Swiderski grew up in Dundalk, Maryland, where everybody calls everybody hon and eating steamed crabs is a sacrament. Although she’s happy in her adopted Georgia, part of her heart still lingers on the shores of Chesapeake Bay, explaining the setting for her novel, Hot Flashes and Cold Lemonade. Susan is currently working on a trilogy, proof that this old gal is still a pathological optimist. www.susan-swiderski.blogspot.com
Jan Castle Walker is a retired teacher and an active artist. She lives in Davis, California with her husband, Mack. www.jancastlewalker.com
Karen Helene Walker is a novelist, memoirist and essayist and the author of The Wishing Steps and Following the Whispers. When not writing, Karen is tap dancing, folk dancing or performing with the musical group Sugartime at retirement communities. Karen is currently working on her second memoir. www.karenfollowingthewhispers.blogspot.com 

You can follow Karen and the other authors along on their tour by checking out the schedule HERE.


This tour-wide giveaway is for two (2) print copies (U.S. entries only) and two (2) eBook copies of STILL ME … AFTER ALL THESE YEARS: 24 Authors Reflect on Aging. The giveaway will end at 12 a.m. (EST) on Tuesday, April 4.

To enter, click on the Rafflecopter widget below and follow the instructions. The widget may take a few seconds to load so please be patient.

Thanks for stopping by today. Be sure to check out this charming book.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

***
Thanks Karen, all the best to you and your collaborators!

How about you? Does getting older scare you or are you doing it with grace?
Me, getting older hasn't scared me yet. I know more, I have more confidence, and I'm much better at saying No. Sure, it would be great if my body would do a better job at staying strong, but I'm doing okay!