More Summer Reading

So recently I was fortunate to vacation in Hawaii for a week with my Knight In Shining Armor. Hawaii, as always, was fabulous. I had lots of time to relax, eat local food (YUM!), catch up with friends, and yes, read some great books. These are the books that I read: Edenbrooke by Julianne Donaldson, Seeking Persephone by Sarah M. Eden, Surrender (ARC) by Elana Johnson, The Duke's Undoing by G.G. Vandagriff.

I will give you my thoughts on each one (don't worry, I'll keep it short).

Edenbrook: I read it twice. Yes, it was that good. One of the best books I've read in a long time. It's a regency romance and I loved the characters and the way they fit so nicely into their roles (Donaldson makes it look so easy, but it's really not). The characters have stayed with me and I know I will read this one again. One of the best things about it is that I can recommend it to my friends! (and some of you know, I have).



 Seeking Persephone: Loved this one, too. Eden does a great job weaving the story and the characters. A serious tale sprinkled with humor in all the right spots. Wishing I could get my hands on more of her stuff. Sigh.





Surrender: Umm. It you haven't read Possession (book one of this series), buy it, read it, and then move on to Surrender. Liked it more than I did Possession. I'll admit, I was a little apprehensive about starting this one as I didn't like the ending of book one. But, after a few days of staring at the book, I gave in. Ah, sweet surrender. If you're a fan of dystopian, this is a must-read. Get it, read it. Today.



The Duke's Undoing: Liked the story, liked the characters, but the ending fell a little flat for me. I felt like there were things that weren't really wrapped up (or maybe just not wrapped up the way I thought they should be). It's a sweet regency romance, and I love those, so it was good reading, just a little disappointed at the end.

Enjoy your summer reading.

Disclaimer: I bought these books and received no compensation (other than great reading!) for these reviews.

Caribbean Crossroads a novel

Caribbean Crossroads, by Connie E. Sokol

Back of the Book Blurb: New college grad Megan McCormick just got dumped. Hard. Swearing off men and relationships, Megan is coaxed into performing on a cruise ship where she meets the star performer, Bryant Johnson. Handsome and charismatic, he looks like trouble, but she can't deny the intense attraction between them. 

Urged to find a wife and run the family lumber business, Bryant is torn between his family's expectations for his life and his own. However, when he meets spunky, but love-skittish Megan McCormick, settling down doesn't look so bad. Just when Megan begins to trust again, and Bryant makes some big decisions regarding his future, her former fiance' returns with a malicious surprise, taking Megan and Bryant to their own CARIBBEAN CROSSROADS.

First off, don't you love the cover? I did. This book doesn't disappoint either. It really is the perfect summer read. I had a hard time putting it down--and it made me want to go on a cruise with my own sweetheart. I cheered for the characters and really liked that the typical ‘mean girl’ character had her nice moments. Loved Bryant, the hunky jock who can also sing and dance, (think Zac Efron in HS Musical—only much hunkier). Yum. And the main character Megan with all her love angst, I sometimes wanted to shake and say ‘look what you have right here in front of you!’ but at the same time wanted her to hurry and get her life figured out. Those characters, the twists and turns, and some fabulous secondary characters make it an enjoyable read. Definitely put this on your summer reading list.

Connie E. Sokol has several things going on in her life including her writing. To check out her author page, click here Connie E. Sokol. To check out her fabulous   Back to Basics progam, visit her Back to Basics website. To go straight to Amazon and buy this fun book, click CARIBBEAN CROSSROADS. Spice up your summer with a heart-warming story.

Disclaimer: I received a free copy of this book, but that did not influence my review.

Beginning of Book 1st Place Winner

Speculative Category ANWA Conference 2012

Providence

Chapter 1

Blue tape and eleven pushpins held the global map to the hotel suite’s wall. Rogan studied each point individually, assessing the progress of the crimes. He’d gone over it a hundred times, but still missed whatever linked them.

Lining up his notes he reviewed the information: dates, times, names of towns, addresses, names of the victims. Only the dates showed any order. Today was next in line for a hit. Rogan pinched the bridge of his nose. Nothing else stood out. It was impossible for the serial killer to be so random, yet no identifiable pattern existed.

Evan, his assigned partner and best friend, sat at the edge of the couch, flipping through news channels. Both hoped to find a clue to the next location before another plastic bead screamed bloody death from the map.

Rogan paced in frustration. Maybe he had over-thought the whole thing. He turned his attention to the blaring TV in the middle of the room. An advertisement for an upcoming World Heavyweight Boxing Championship flashed across the screen. Two contenders appeared for a split second before Evan switched channels. Tattooed numbers on the shoulder of one of the men caught Rogan’s attention. Instinct tightened his gut.

“Go back to the boxing ad, I think I saw something.”

Police tape and crying neighbors now played across the screen.

“Hold on, I think we might have something here.”

Impatient, Rogan grabbed the laptop and brought up the Championship information. The boxer in question had tattooed the location of every title win on his shoulder. Maybe that was it.

Rogan quickly logged in to the company’s GPS website and punched in the crime addresses. He scribbled them down in order and did some comparisons. The math genius part of his brain kicked in and it all came together. He punched in a new location. A place called Gilbert, Arizona, showed up.

“We’re headed to the heat.”

Evan either didn’t hear or was too focused on the details of the drive-by shooting to respond.

The satellite image on the computer rolled around dropping closer to earth until an abandoned-looking house and a grove of dying citrus appeared in the dim pre-dawn of the desert. Opening another screen he pulled up the town’s website and scanned through it in less than a minute. Nice town. He hoped they weren’t too late.

Ready for Evan’s full attention he pushed the power button on the TV.

“Hey, what’re you doing?”

Placing the open laptop on the coffee table in front of them he sat next to Evan.

“We should find him holed up in this barn,” he said as he pointed to the run-down structure on the satellite image.

“What? How did you—”

“Global positioning.

Rogan bounced his leg anxious to get moving. Although it didn’t show much, enough light peeked over the distant mountains for the pair to discern their meeting place. They studied it together, committing the image to memory.

Queen in Exile by Donna Hatch

I have really been looking forward to this. Donna Hatch is an amazing author. Her fun sense of humor and her love of romance shine through in her stories and I'm sure this one will not disappoint. Read on for more on her latest book:

Queen in Exile  is
the perfect
combination of fantasy and romance. 

Don't miss your the
chance to win this thrilling tale.

Queen in Exile

by Donna Hatch

Rumors of war hang over Princess Jeniah's peaceful country of Arden, a land that shuns both magic and warfare. Following a lifelong dream, Jeniah forms a telpathic bond with a revered creature called a chayim, who is prophesied to save her kingdom. But when a Darborian knight comes upon Jeniah with her chayim, he sees only a vicious monster about to devour a maiden, and he slays the beast.

Devastated by the loss of her chayim, and fearing that her own magic is evil, Jeniah doubts her destiny. When an enemy invades Arden City, they slaughter the people, storm the castle, and execute the entire royal family except the princess. Rescued by the knight who slew her chayim, Jeniah is now heir to the throne of Arden and the only hope for freeing her people from tyranny.

On the run and hunted by enemy soldiers, Jeniah must place her life and the fate of her kingdom in the hands of this trained killer. Torn between embracing her destiny as queen of Arden, and her love for a mere knight, she must ultimately rely on her magic to save herself and her people from death and tyranny.


Want a win one of three copies of Queen in Exile? The answer isYES! And, it's easy.

1. Visit the fabulous reviews and leave a comment letting us know why you're excited to read Queen in Exile. Remember to include your email address.

2. If you tweet about the blog tour, post about it on your blog or facebook, or become a fan of  Romance Author Donna Hatch on Facebook, leave the link in the comments section and you'll receive an additional entry.

All entires need to be left by Midnight, MST, Sunday, March 18, 2012. You won't be sorry.

In the Beginning

So, there's been some debate amongst my writer friends about whether you should start your story with the antagonist's (villain) point of view (POV) or the protagonist's (hero/heroine). Most of the time, stories start from the protagonist's POV.

Two things of note: I'm not much of a rule follower (unless it's practical) and I lean toward formal in things I like, e.g. pictures in frames should generally be the same size and color and symmetrically ordered on the wall. A mirrored balance makes me happy.

My soon-to-be-released novel, The Archer's Hollow, is in chronological order of events. Remember, I like things that way. This puts my villain in the very first chapter. It works for me and I hope it works for you when you read it.

This is why I think it will. Feel free to agree or disagree in the comments!

• The first chapter is titled Nefarious Intent.
• My villian's name is Nafaeri and not by accident (definite connection there).
• Throughout the first chapter, I've tried to expose her for what she is. I definitely want the reader to know what the hero and heroine are up against.

So, do you think I can pull of this latest rebellion? Any tips for making a stronger case?

Write On my friends!

Babies

There's a certain smell, the tiny cries, the miniature fingers wrapping around your own, the feeling that comes when the baby nestles into your shoulder and falls asleep. There really is nothing like it. This past week I got to visit my sister who has one of these said little bundles of joy. What a treat. Baby is so sweet and I got to snuggle him a lot. I didn't have to do any of the work to get him here, but pitched in as much as I could to burp, change, love, and adore the little guy.

In the meantime, my baby, previously titled 'Bound', now has a new title: The Archer's Hollow and I spent about zero time loving on it while I was gone. Now that I'm not snuggling my sister's baby, I'm devoting time to change, love, and polish my own baby. On that note, I've got to get back to editing, so Write On, my friends.

In God is our Trust Guest Post

Guest Blog Post by Laurie L. C. Lewis

The Founding Fathers' vision of "One Nation Under God" was not left to chance. 

But what if yours was the generation tasked with forging that nation?    

And forced to defend her once again. .  

Just before the heavens were about to open. . .

And a new dispensation was about to begin?    

These were the challenges facing a choice generation.

They were. . . FREE MEN & DREAMERS

Peggy: Hi Laurie. Welcome to my Blog.

Laurie: Hi! Thanks for inviting me to guest blog about my FREE MEN and DREAMERS books.

Peggy: Tell us a little about yourself and about your books.

Laurie: I’m from Maryland, but about 14 years ago, I fell in love with historic Williamsburg. There is a sacred spirit there, one felt also in other places that welcomed the great patriots—Washington, Jefferson, Adams, Madison, Franklin, Key, and others—cities like Philadelphia, Washington, and Georgetown; and places like Fort McHenry, Hampton, Craney Island, Fort Monroe, and dozens more.

I believe it’s because God’s hand was over the events that happened in these places, moving people where they needed to be in order to accomplish His purposes for this land.

The past eight years of my research and writing have focused on an incredibly fascinating, and rather forgotten, generation of Americans. Most of us know a bit about the Revolution, and we have some basic understanding of the issues that drove us into the Civil War, but far fewer know anything concrete about the War of 1812, and yet historians will tell you that it was this period and these events that finally forged us into The United States of America.

The idea for a historic novel began back in 1998 after my first visit to Williamsburg, but I set it aside and moved on to another project. After 9/11, my heart, like most Americans', turned more tenderly to America and her history. By 2004 I submitted the first draft.

The original manuscript was set in the late 1840’s, but after much soul searching, many hours buried in American history, and a small mention in Lucy Mack Smith’s “Biography of Joseph Smith,” I knew I needed to back the books up a generation.

It was Lucy’s reference to her brother Stephen Mack’s service during the War of 1812 that was the deal-breaker. I had never before made the connection between the Smiths and the War of 1812, but there it was! Joseph Smith grew up during that war. He and his generation were affected and shaped by the critical historic events of the tragic burning of Washington, the critical Battle of Baltimore, Key’s rallying of a broken nation with his writing of “The Star-Spangled Banner.”

The generation that would take on Britain’s war machine in the War of 1812 was already unique in that they were the children of the Founding Fathers’ generation. They were the heirs of the great patriots’ vision, those charged to build a nation founded on the lofty principles of liberty and freedom, and now they would experience the great religious reformation and the Restoration led by Joseph Smith.   

After eight years of research and rewrites, it is this generation’s story that I tell in my FREE MEN and DREAMERS books where we wind six fictional families—three American, two British, one slave—through carefully researched American history to illustrate the courage, sacrifice, and vision of this extraordinary group.


Peggy: Sounds so fascinating! How many books are there?

Laurie: There are five books in the series: DARK SKY AT DAWN, (2007); and TWILIGHT'S LAST GLEAMING, (2008) were each finalists in the 2008 USA Best Books Competition; DAWN'S EARLY LIGHT, (2009); OH, SAY CAN YOU SEE? (2010) was a Whitney Award finalist; IN GOD IS OUR TRUST, (2011) is currently a nominee for a Whitney Award.. Preview chapters from each book are available on my website at http://www.laurielclewis.com/books.htm.


Peggy: Check out my previous blog post for an excerpt from In God is our Trust. 

Thanks for visiting my blog today Laurie! What a great journey it's been for you and a wonderful way to share the true spirit of our beginnings as a nation. If anyone has any questions for Laurie, you may email her at lclewis2007@gmail.com.