So Much for Challenge...

Yep, I missed a couple days.

But, honestly, it really wasn't all my fault.  Seems my computer decided the hotel internet wasn't secure and that someone might steal my info and wouldn't let me get online.  I totally intended to blog Saturday evening but just couldn't. But, here's a picture of the view from my hotel balcony.

Here is one of the bridge at night.

And finally, one from the balcony on our last morning.

I think the thing to learn from this is...sometimes things happen. And when they do, we sometimes need to change our plans and not get so stressed out.

It was a five-hour drive home yesterday, so I was tired and just didn't have the will to get on the puter and blog so didn't.  I might catch up, I might not...I'm not going to worry about it.

No Excuses Blog Challenge Post 1

I'm terrible with blogging. I really enjoy it, when I get going but sometimes I have a hard time getting started. So, I've decided to take part in a 21 day, no excuses blog challenge. I'll post links later. One thing I like, they are giving suggested topics for each day. Which really helps.  Today's topic is "hooks". I'm not going with their suggested discussion about hooks, but that's okay.

As a writer, hooks are hard. There is so much a hook has to accomplish. I mean, it has to get the reader to continue reading, and in this fast paced, go-go-go world, that's harder than ever to do.  As I thought about how I wanted to go with this topic, I pondered some ideas. For example...

She leaned over the balcony, staring at the ground only 4 floors below, and wondered if she'd survive the fall.

Is that a good hook? I'm not so sure. Would someone read on to see why she was pondering this? Maybe, if they didn't have anything else to do.

She leaned over the balcony, staring at the ground only 4 floors below, and wondered if he'd survive the fall.

Al little better. Who is she? Who is he? What did he do that would make her want to push him? Did he deserve it? Or, is she a victim?

Hooks must cause the reader to ask questions. And those questions must drive the reader to continue to the next line, the next paragraph, the next page, the next chapter.

So, as a writer, how do you handle hooks?  And, as a reader, what are some of your favorite hooks?

Share in the comments for a chance to win some free stuff. I'll give away a couple books along with a critique.



Check out these great blogs participating in the blog challenge.

San Gabriel's Secret by David Ciambrone

Nestled on the San Gabriel River in Central Texas’ Hill Country, Georgetown is a small town where things are normally pretty quiet. That is, until Adam Thomas, a retired scientist and now writer of a newspaper column for women under the name Aunt Kay, inherits a Confederate solder’s journal and a new murder. Adam and his girlfriend Kathy find themselves the center of dark doings, strange people and racing headlong into a fast paced, high stakes adventure to untangle a murderous puzzle, a series of macabre organizations and locate the centuries old and highly unusual, San Gabriel Secret.

*****

I really enjoyed this one. If you are a fan of David Ciambrone's, you'll love it too.

Get your copy here.

The Ruins of Shandor by C. R. Myers

Follow Waldo on the desert planet as he discovers an abandoned underground city, and meets Hamel from Shandor Frenna along with Ms. Ziimar, who claims to be over five-thousand years old. The trio journey to Middle-Land, and in the Valley of Xar D’Kee, Waldo talks with his missing father through the Well of Wisdom and discovers more about his true identity. His father agrees to meet him at the Arch of Worlds located on the island of Scotaden Wel.

When Waldo disappears from the ghostly staircase, Jeremy and Shauna begin a search, which takes them to a color world and through the depths of the planet to Down-World and the Temple of Eron where they find the forbidden Tablets of Jesreel. By studying the tablets, Jeremy learns the history of Pelayaces and the planet’s true relationship to his own planet, the Earth. Now, he understands the Elam Nostra’s ultimate mission, and why the creature wants to destroy the Earth above all else.

Will Waldo find his father and the answers he so desperately seeks on Scotaden Wel? Will Jeremy and Waldo be able to find their way home and save the Earth from the Elam Nostra or is the universe destined to be swallowed into a void of black nothingness?

*****

This is the sequel to The Dawn of Pelayaces.

Preorder your copy here.

Alphabet Tales, an award-winning children's book, is a collection of 30 short stories to delight readers of all ages.

Full of humor and fun, this book is a marvelous way to teach phonics to young readers. Great for home schoolers!

Donna  has a charming and unique way of telling each story using repetitious sounds utilizing each letter of  the alphabet.

This book includes tongue-twisting tales using other sounds as well, such as the ch, sh, and th combinations.

*****

Really good one to read to the kids.

Get your copy here.

Down Magic's Path by Kathleen Wolak

Len Bouchard is a twelve-year-old boy dealing with the death of his mother in the Louisiana summer of 1925. Among the changes the death of his mother brings, his father’s new wife is the hardest to take. Magique is a mysterious woman who is the polar opposite of Len’smother. Magique is what Len’s friends maliciously call a gypsy, a dark woman with a supposedly checkered past.

Len tries to figure out his new step-mother’s secrets as his father announces a sudden move to New Orleans. Against the backdrop of the jazz filled French Quarter, Len learns much more than he bargained for.

*****

This is a really nice, coming of age story for younger readers.

Preorder your copy here.

Pierre's Picky Palate by Beth Lauzier

A Pine Beetle who hates trees? How can that be? 

And what do Pierre's parents think of his love of veggies? 

Will Pierre give wood another try, and if he does, will he like it?

*****

For all those picky eaters out there. 

Preorder your copy here.

Busy Girls Guide To Getting Things Done by Jean Lauzier

Are you overwhelmed by all the tasks you need to get accomplished?

Does it seem like you have 900 things to do but don't know where to start? Then you'll love this Busy Girls Guide to Getting Things Done.

In this 30-day journal, Jean shares a simple system for getting things done that anyone can use. Even the busiest busy girl.

Preorder your copy here.

*****

Okay, I have to saw, this is my latest work and I really like it. If you need to get stuff done, then you'll love it.  Want an autographed copy? Email or message me.

Thirteen - A Baker's Dozen by Vivra Beene

Do you like your scalp tingled, your spine chilled, and goose bumps along your arms? If you do, you will enjoy this collection of stories showing that perpetrators of perceived perfect crimes don't always go unpunished.

Get your copy here.

Wandering in the Wilderness by Karen Snead Partee

“Mommy, how do I get the madness out of me?” It was a question my seven-year-old son posed to me one dark evening after coming off a manic rage that took him through intense range of emotions. I have not decided for myself if the heartbreak of that question came from the sheer innocence of it or the sobering maturity behind it. How perceptive he was because he was so right - IT was madness, a madness captured in a catchall diagnosis that filled every crevice of our lives. It was a sickness that robbed us daily of peace and comfort. Attention deficit, hyperactivity disorder, or ADHD, is not merely a behavioral issue; it is not a question of adequate parenting skills; it is not the effects of too much sugar, not enough exercise, or even a learning disability. IT is a mental illness; and, yes, it is an incorrigible madness that has left an indelible mark on the most incredible little boy.

Get your copy here.here

Rebound by Michael Goodell

As a Private Detective, James “Don’t Call Me Corky” Corcoran has a lot in common with his adoptive hometown of Detroit. The past is brighter than the present; he’s going nowhere fast, and he’s running out of money. But things change when he starts to investigate Jonathan Wade’s death. A childhood friend and longtime rival, Wade was the black sheep son of one of the oldest and wealthiest families who called the exclusive suburb of Grosse Pointe home. Each clue in the case dredges up yet another memory Corcoran has spent the past decade trying to drink into oblivion. It takes him back to Grosse Pointe, where he hasn’t set foot for the past ten years, ever since Sara Jensen’s death sent his career into a tailspin.

Grosse Pointe looks the same, its quiet streets still lined with majestic homes, but behind those facades things aren’t as they seem. Some of the best and the brightest families are hiding some secrets so dark, so destructive, that they are willing to do anything to keep them hidden. They try to buy him off, scare him off, and even try to kill him to keep Corcoran from discovering the truth, but as time goes by he realizes he can’t quit because this case has become his road to justice, redemption, and even love.

He’ll solve this case, or die trying.

Get your copy here.here

*****

Just have to say, I loved this one. Reminds of of the old fashioned noir thrillers.

King Tut & the Plagues of Egypt by Douglas Derrer

The mysterious death of King Tut eluded archeologists for centuries until the Plancks, a time-traveling family from the 25th Century, flew four millennia into the past to 18th Dynasty Egypt to investigate. Encountering a vast volcanic eruption upon their arrival plunged them into the Ten Plagues of Egypt and the Exodus as two co-regent Pharaohs, Tut’s father and grandfather, battled over the fates of their Hebrew slaves. Will they make it back to their century alive, and without bringing some deadly disease that has been eradicated for centuries?

Get your copy here.

*****

Returning to the reign of King Tut in 18th Dynasty Egypt, the 25th Century, time-traveling Planck family discover that sinister palace intrigues surround the young pharaoh and his lovely queen. Although unable to prevent Tut’s eventual death, they learn its mysterious cause. But can they forestall the fate of the queen by unscrupulous plotters? Finally, the Planck’s travel to the Valley of the Kings in the 1920s to oversee archeologist Howard Carter’s discovery and opening of Tut’s fabulously wealthy tomb. Can they prevent Carter from destroying the invaluable mummy?

Get your copy here.here

They Call Me Avenged by Cyndi Lord

When a number of people go missing in a small Northeast Texas town, Sandra Derringer becomes involved to solve the case of missing twelve-year-old twin boys. She soon learns that two common denominators exist between the people who have gone missing; abused animals, and a local animal rescue owner, Loretta Bentley. Her deep devotion to animals is overshadowed by mental illness and her belief she is getting messages from God to deliver an-eye-for-an-eye justice to anyone who neglects or abuses animals. Many have thought this penalty deserved, but Loretta is insane enough to carry it out in her isolated, large ranch where no one can hear her victims’ screams.

*****

Not for the faint of heart. Order your copy here.

New In The Woods - by Beth Lauzier

All Zippy wanted to do was be like Super Squirrel. 

But who knew being a hero was sometimes so dangerous. 

Not just for Zippy but his new friend Ren too. How will Zippy get out of danger this time?

Preorder your copy here.

*****

Okay, I have to admit it, I love this. I mean, my daughter wrote it.  It's really nice. The illustrations are great too.  Your kids will love it.  

Hit & Run by Beth Lauzier

Catherin’s day started like any other, but it sure didn’t end that way. What was to be a sleepover and pizza ends with bad guys and running for her life. And just what’s that thing under her bed?

Her friend Madison shows up, but Madison knows more than she’s telling. Catherin is about to see a different side of her friend. In fact, Catherin’s about to see a whole world she never knew existed.

Order your copy here.

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*****

Okay, this book gets a double amount of love. Written by my oldest daughter, cover and illustrations by my youngest daughter. 

It's a great story too.  Target age is 8 and up to about 13, but I loved it too and can't wait to see what happens next.

Dating Death by Randy Rawls

The Chief of Police of Coral Lakes, FL has the goods on Roger Adamson, a dirty politician. However, the chief knows Adamson has additional information that could bring down a drug lord and disembowel his organization. Chief Elston asks Beth Bowman, a South Florida PI, to assist by becoming Adamson's consort/bodyguard while Adamson parses out data. Beth agrees, not realizing multiple homicides, a kidnapping, a tight frame for murder, and the loss of the man she loves await her. If not for Beth's homeless friends, all might be lost.

Get your copy here.

*****

A really nice read for the summer.

Flight of Fantasy - Jean Lauzier

Let your imagination take flight...

Ride the Night Wind, converse with a dragon, join "Woof" as he stalks his prey. Will the mirror's revelation come true, and just what does one do with a chamber full of pumpkins?

Flight of Fantasy also includes a preview of Dragons of Blue Water, the award-winning sequel to Dragons of Jade. 

Order your copy here.

This is a collection of short fantasy stories, not a novel. 

The Radio Murders by Kelly Marshall

Seattle homicide detectives Nick Winston and Pat Strom dig working together. Their lively banter gets them through the daily dark side of their business. After all, dead bodies dominate their workload.

He’s straight, she’s gay. In politically liberal Seattle, that’s not a problem until…they both find the same woman irresistible. Suddenly their wonderful working relationship is intolerable.

At the center of their attention is radio announcer, Jasmine James. Beautiful and sultry, James has a sexual appetite big enough to satisfy both detectives. The two officers are not the only ones obsessed with the Love Songs host. A crazed fan kidnaps Jasmine James while four of her male listeners are discovered dead with a single bullet to their ear as her Love Songs program plays softly in the background. The pressure is on the Seattle cops to find the murderer and locate James before her air runs out.

Order your copy today here.

Six Pack of Murder by Jean Lauzier

Murder happens –

And no matter the reason, there’s always a crime to be solved and a bad guy that needs to be caught. Within the pages of Six Pack of Murder, you’ll find good guys and bad along with those who strive to balance the scales of justice. Just beware; sometimes things aren’t as they appear.

Get your copy here.

*****

Since I wrote this, I naturally like it. Hope you do too. 

Chimera by David Ciambrone

Someone broke into the high-level security section of US ARMY MEDICAL RESEARCH INSTITUTE FOR INFECTIOUS DISEASES at Fort Detrick, Maryland and steals vials of weaponized smallpox. Later he dies at the Washington, DC train station after a clandestine hand off to another person.

Jack Turner, Ph.D., is a chemist and the Coroner of San Sebastian County California.  He is also a reserve officer (Lt. Colonel) in the Army Medical Service Corp and has a background in chemical and biological warfare from working for defense contractors and a stint at USAMRIID (US ARMY MEDICAL RESEARCH INSTITUTE FOR INFECTIOUS DISEASES).  One of his Medical Examiners hits the HOT ZONE lock down button while performing an autopsy.  Jack is called to the morgue. The body the M.E. was examining died of smallpox. Not regular smallpox, but an unusual and highly reactive strain of the disease. Jack examines and realizes it is a man made chimera.  The smallpox released from the inside the cells of an E-coli bacteria as the cells were killed by antibiotics and the dead man’s immune system. Who made it? Where did it come from? E-coli is common. But, smallpox was eradicated decades ago. He knows there are still strains of smallpox in labs in Russia and in the US. Jack notifies the state and the CDC. He is notified by the federal government to keep it quiet.  Dr. Jack Turner receives orders from the U.S. Army Adjutant General activating his reserve commission and authorizes him to act as a law enforcement special agent of the army. Jack and a health department officer, Nancy Cartwright must-find the source of the Chimeras and smallpox, find the perpetrators and stop anyone from using it as a terrorist weapon and causing a pandemic. He and Nancy must stop an attack worse than an atom bomb.

Get your copy here.

*****

Generally, I don't care for military type books but I really enjoyed this one. Of course, I tend to like all of David's books.  You can check out his others here.

Trailer Trash & Oil Field Brat by Andi Stracener

Trailer Trash and Oil Field Brat is about how I grew up in the turbulent years following World War Two. Jobs were scarce and the job market was flooded with young men returning from the war. My father chose to work in the oil fields even though it meant leaving home and living in trailers or the occasional apartment.

I have tried to be as factual as possible in the telling of my life. It was easy to bring out the funny and interesting things that just naturally happens to boys as they grow up. Before the book was started I had my doubts if I could think of enough things to write about. As it progressed, at one point I told my wife that people wouldn’t believe all the things that did take place.

Trailers are interwoven throughout the book. There is literally no way to estimate how many miles my wife and I have traveled in RVs of some kind since we were married. The Alaska trip alone covered over 13,000 miles. We don’t regret a single penny that we spent in this endeavor. It is like the book says; once trailer trash, always trailer trash.

Get your copy here.

*****

 Love'd this. Very interesting and cool to see how life was back then.

Unknown Magic by Evelyn M. Byrne

Discovering she is a Tuatha Dé Danann and that, on her twenty-fifth birthday, she will be able to wield magical powers she never knew she possessed, turns Megan’s life upside down. As if that was not enough, an arrogant, drop-dead gorgeous man tells her she is his mate.

Seamus escaped his mysterious captors seventeen years earlier, taking a little girl with him and returning her to her home. Running for his life since then and needing a respite, he returns to the one location he considers his safe haven. Once there, he spots Megan across the lake and realizes she is the same young child he rescued. Only now, she is stunning enough to make him forget, almost, just how treacherous his life is.

Megan soon realizes fighting her attraction for Seamus, is a losing battle.  But when the people hunting Seamus track them down, Megan and Seamus are faced with a much more immediate and deadly threat—a battle for the lives of all the Tuatha Dé Danann. Can they overcome their pursuers and win?

Get your copy here.

*****

This is a great paranormal romance series. Love the characters and story.  Here's two more of the series.

During the rescue mission to save his niece Megan, Patrick discovers and brings to safety a petite black wolf. Despite his growing attachment to the wolf, Patrick soon realizes something is very off.

Drugged and tortured, for over a year, Brenna lacks the power to transform back into human form.

She must now face the fact that she killed her own family. When she figures out Patrick is her mate, she knows she will likely to do the same to him. Unable to run or transform she tries to fight the inevitable.

When Megan examines Brenna, she discovers that Mallaidh is now using the black arts and has imbedded a malevolent presence in Brenna’s brain. Megan and Seamus rush to discover a way to break the spell and save Patrick from sure death. In the process, Mallaidh turns her evil magic toward them. Have Megan’s powers grown strong enough to thwart Mallaidh or are they all doomed?

                       

                                                                                             Get your copy here.

After realizing he has been drugged, Colin O'Kelly transports from his enemy, only does not make it home. Instead, he falls into Kate Sweeny's backyard. When he awakens, he has none of his powers, but worse he does not even know who he is.

Kate has been hiding for twenty-five years and now she has a stranger drop into her protected haven. Can she overcome the fear she carries for her own people, the Tuatha Dé Danannor will she run once she finds out who Colin really is. 

Frantic to find Colin before Mallaidh, Seamus and Megan try to trace him from his last known appointment. Unfortunately, Mallaidh tires of looking and decides she will either flush him out or drown him by sending two hurricanes on a collision course for the Florida Keys. Can Megan and Seamus stop them before they hit or will they not only wipe out Colin and Kate, but most of Florida as well?

Get your copy here.

Defiance on Indian Creek by Phyllis Still

Thirteen-year-old Mary Shirley wants a normal life with friends her age and someday, suitors. But Papa intends to remove the family to Kentucky territory, and she believes he’s a loyalist spy, endangering the family.

Internal struggles lead to lost trust and acts of defiance until Mary is faced with a dangerous decision: loyalty to Papa or loyalty to a cause. Lives are at stake no matter what choice she makes—one, puts hers at risk.

Get your copy here.

*****

Another one I really enjoyed reading. 

Revenge of the Awful Pawful by Audrey K. Miller

Glitter Pug has been kidnapped, and Polly is the only one who can save her.

Get your copy here.

*****

This is an amazing little book.  Written and illustrated by young author, Audrey K. Martin. Not only will kids love it, but dog lovers too. 

The Adventures of Sam Maverick by Lynn M. Fichtner

This biography of the legendary Texas pioneer Sam Maverick recounts the incredible stories that shaped his life, a life that is entwined with some of the most pivotal moments in the early history of Texas. Sam Maverick participated in hand-to-hand combat at the Battle of Bexar in San Antonio, signed the Texas Declaration of Independence, fought with Comanche Indians, and survived a forced 900-mile march through the desert to the Perote Prison in Mexico, to name just a few of the many heroic adventures that are retold in this exciting biography. Included are dramatic illustrations, a Texas map, a Maverick family tree, and vocabulary with definitions at the end of every chapter

Get your copy here.

*****

 Very cool book. Really nice bio of a Texas legend. 

Dangerous Threads by David Ciambrone

Virginia Davies-Clark must find a quilt missing for seventy years. An award-winning quilt hiding an amazing secret. Virginia Davies-Clark is called back into the service of the Smithsonian Central Security Service and the Department of Defense, along with her husband, Andy, and her friend, Donna, to locate a quilt. This isn't just any quilt. At the 1933 Century of Progress in Chicago, Sears Roebuck Company sponsored a quilt contest. The Grand Prize was to be $1,000.00. The quilt that won the prize was a pieced called "The Unknown Star" by the maker, Margaret Rogers Caden of Kentucky. The quilt itself was presented to the President's wife, Mrs. Franklin D. Roosevelt. 

Sometime during FDR's presidency, the quilt disappeared and has not been seen for almost seventy years. Virginia questions why the DOD is interested in an old quilt. As she, Andy and Donna start their quest, they find they are not the only ones searching for the quilt and they are attacked by various organizations bent on stopping her. Their adversary list grows as they try to accomplish an impossible assignment. Virginia makes some strange alliances across the country to take down the organizations trying to stop her. Using her wits, cunning, intellect, and guts, she, Andy and Donna attempt to locate the quilt and use any means she can to undermine a bold strategy by her adversaries trying to kill her and her little group. Her conniving, devious and messy strategy brings the villains to an explosive end.

Get your copy here

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*****

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I love David's books. He has a whole series with Virginia including another "quilt" mystery.

 Get your copy here.

A Plain Wish by Cyndi Lord

Just before her sixteenth birthday, Kristi’s world implodes when her parents who are divorced, remarry others whom she cannot tolerate. Life for her will never be the same, and her only hope of escape is to leave both homes where she no longer feels included. Her Amish pen-pal, Betty, sends a letter and Kristi decides to run away from her father’s house in Batesville, Indiana. On her journey to Lancaster, Pennsylvania, she overcomes many challenges. What will happen when she arrives in a community where no cars, electricity, or worldly clothes are allowed? From a background with no religious instruction, will she fit in where God and separated living dominate the Amish? Will her plain wish for a new family become a reality?

Get your copy here.

Cyndi has a second in the series too.

Kristi Becker ran away from Batesville, Indiana after her parents divorced. Once she made it to her Amish friend, Betty Miller’s house in Lancaster, Pennsylvania, she learned about family life grounded in God. She thought her grandmother lived somewhere in Lancaster, and her fondest hope to find her and regain the love she remembered neared. When she learned her grandmother had moved to Clarksville, Texas, Kristi decided to drive across the country with her friend, Betty, and friend’s brother, Jacob. While they journey in A Plain Adventure, they encounter fears, trials, challenges, and something else happens. Is Jacob, the Amish young man, falling in love with the Englischer, rebellious, Kristi? In Texas, conflicts begin in ways Kristi never anticipated. In the end, love prevails, but what will the future bring?

Get your copy here.


*****

These are nice, kid friendly, fun reads.

Four Days to Fusion by Lira Brannon

To save her friends she will have to burn.

In a small town in the middle of the U.S., the only thing Seren wants to do is fit in.  This proves difficult when everything about her is different and people call her freak behind her back. Things change suddenly when she gives a boy her necklace, the one her parents told her never to take off. Next thing she knows she’s running for her life with a smart-mouth water globule with two personalities, putting out hot flashes that burn her clothes off, and dealing with two boys she will have to choose between.

Get your copy here.

*****

A really nice young adult sci-fi. Lots of action and twists. If you like sci-fi, you'll love this.

I Just Came Here to Dance by Susan Mary Malone

Paula Anne Fairbanks understands all about the unexamined life. And she likes hers that way—until her world gets ripped smooth apart.

Running from reality, Paula falls under the mythological yarns being spun on Diana Maclean's porch. Surely Paula's own choices aren't to blame for the summer of insanity she spends under the spells of Diana...who is, after all, known as the White Witch of Sociable, Texas.

I JUST CAME HERE TO DANCE, a modern allegory, waltzes atop the line between the creative and the crazy, the sacred and the maligned. Through myths it weaves together the multi-layers of personal Self with that of the collective whole. And finally, Paula Anne and the townsfolk learn the simplest of truths: that the fire's ashes produce wisdom and courage, just as the stories say.

*****

I'm not a big "women's fiction" fan but I loved this one.

Get your copy here.

And, if you are ever in need of an editor, Susan is the one you want. Seriously, she is amazing. You can check her editorial services out here.

Secrets of the Dead by Caleb Pirtle !!!

Ambrose Lincoln is one of the government's prized operatives, a trained assassin, a man whose past is continually erased by mind control treatments. He is dispatched to Baden-Baden after the Night of Broken Glass to find rolls of film that will tell the truth and uncover the lies. The photographs will reveal to the world the sadistic threat that exists for everyone if Hitler's mad march isn't stopped. Lincoln’s mission is to uncover the deadly secrets that his own government doesn't want him to find, secrets that can change history.

Get your copy here.

      It was the race for the Atomic bomb. America was at war a long way from home. Hitler’s war machine was storming across Europe. Russia feared the German threat and secretly wanted to become a world power, more feared than it already was. All three nations knew that whoever split the atom and developed the Atomic Bomb first would rule the world.

      A stealth espionage operation within the U. S. Government dispatched their man with no memory to Los Alamos where physicists, chemists, and scholars were frantically trying to build the bomb. Ambrose Lincoln was himself a human experiment, a man whose mind had been erased by electronic shock treatments because the rogue political operation believed he could be more effective if he wasn’t shackled by fears and memories of the past. It would be his duty to uncover and silence those spies who were trying to steal America’s most vital secrets and selling them to Russia and Germany.

      If he fails the United States might well lose the war, and Lincoln finds himself embedded in a conspiracy of lies where nothing is as it seems to be.

Get your copy here.

American operative Ambrose Lincoln has no idea where he is or has been or where he's going. He believes he has been to the night side of dark, a place of the first death, from which no one can return. So why does he find himself on the bomb-ruined landscape of Poland, or has he been exiled to the second death? Lincoln only realizes, if the man in the shadows has not lied to him, he must find an ancient religious painting that has been missing for centuries. The German Gestapo will pay a fortune to buy it, or take a man's life to get it. The painting, if legend holds true, is the German hierarchy's final and only chance to escape the onslaught of the war that is crumbling around their feet.

Get your copy here.

*****

I LOVE reading Caleb's writing.  I once heard him call himself a "used word salesman" but I call him a wordsmith.  He has learned his craft and wields words the way a master swordsman wields a sword. Even if you don't like this "time in history"  I urge you to give these a read. I think you'll love them.

More Than A Witness by Jack Moseley

The apparent homosexual murder of a fellow Army recruit inexorably leads Alex Massey into a maze of seemingly unrelated violence, corruption and intrigue—in, out, and back in uniform.

To survive, the young police reporter/mobilized weekend warrior must discover himself and be MORE THAN A WITNESS; he becomes a participant in the events that shape his life and provide him an expose that shakes the highest levels of the Pentagon. An unlikely, unsavory and absolutely fascinating cast of characters cross Alex’s path on his way to a life and death climax in an isolated area of a resurrected military post.

*****

This is a real gritty one. I did like it though. Just be warned, it is not g-rated.

Get your copy here.

How to Eat Like a Dragon - M. Lopez & L. Simmons

This really cool cookbook will become a kid favorite. Not only is it full of healthy recipes, it has nutrition tips and pointers on taking care of bearded dragons.I'm not one who eats a lot of veggies, but for those of you who do, or who would like to get the kiddos to eat them, this might be a great book to have.  It's available as ebook or hardcover.

Get your copy here.

Here's a pix of the Viking Opera Duckies with Chef Zutoo at the Lousiana Book Festival last Oct.

Dragons of Jade by Jean Lauzier

There’s no such thing as dragons.

Of that, Jade Delaney was sure.  She may not have known who she was or where she came from, but at least she had a plan for her future.

All that changes when a dragon summons her back to the world from which she came. There, she learns dragons are real, the truth of her birth, and just why she was abandoned as a toddler.

Now she must discover and stop whoever is killing the dragons, while avoiding the man who is hunting her.

*****

Okay, so this is my book. But since this is my blog, it seems fitting to put it here.  At least once in a while.  It is a stand alone, however, I am working on a sequel. It's going to be really good.

Get your copy here or if you'd like a signed copy, let me know and we'll work out details.

Not Bound By Blood by Gay Ingram

In a friendship forged in high school days, solemn athletic Miriam Meyer and flamboyant actress Blanche LaRue seem as different as apples and kumquats.

After winning an Olympic Gold Medal while still a teenager, a plane crash forces Miriam to give up her dream of a repeat performance. She marries and settles for small-town life as the wife of her banker husband, Brad Hammond.

Blanche disposes of anything that will come in the way of achieving her goal, even husband and child. Her career carries her into the European war scene. An enamored Count Romano Vicente comes to rescue her. 

Although continents sometimes separate the friends, their strong bond of friendship remains.

*****

This is another historical that I enjoyed reading.

Get your copy here.

Stop That Turtle by Beth Lauzier

Who knew turtles could go so fast? 
As Kobe is on the ride of his life, Zippy must find a way to stop that turtle. 

Maybe it’s a good thing turtles go slow after all.

*****

This is the sequel to A Tough Little Squirrel. This is also a great bedtime read. Kids will learn we all have our special talents and it's okay to be different. 

Get your copy here. 
Or, want a signed copy, then email me and we'll work out the details.

A Tough Little Squirrel by Beth Lauzier

Who knew being brave would be so hard. That’s a lesson Zippy learns when challenged by his older brother. So he sets out to prove just how courageous he is. 

Join Zippy on a nighttime adventure as he discovers not everyone in the forest is friendly.

*****

Okay, I admit it. I love this!

 Of course, my daughter being the author has nothing to do with that. :-)

Seriously though, this is a great bedtime read-to-the-kids book that they will love to read over and over. Not only is there a great story, we also put fun facts about some of the animals at the back of the book. Your kids will love it.

Get your copy here.

Or, if you'd like a signed copy, just email me and we'll work out the details.

The Doctor's Wife by Myra Hargrave McIlvain

Young teacher Amelia Anton leaves Germany in 1845 on an immigrant ship bound for Texas. After the death at sea of the child she is hired to tutor, her employer abandons her. Amelia quickly accepts the marriage proposal of the much-respected physician, Joseph Stein, only to discover that he is not the husband she expected.

*****

I'm not normally a historical reader but I really enjoyed this one. If you love historicals or novels set in Texas, then this fills the bill. 

Get your copy here.