Free Books For Review

 

Take your pick from 20 different YA science fiction/fantasy novels for free through StoryOrigin. These authors (including me) have gathered our published titles in this promo as a way to boost our online reviews. That's the hope. That you'll read the books and leave a review at your favorite stores online. No catch. That's it! Tap here to check out the titles available. 

If you're more in the mood for a spooky Halloween read, The Ghosts Within is discounted this month and available through Kindle Unlimited. I HIGHLY recommend. 

WINNER Oklahoma Writers' Federation's Best Book of Fiction 2022!!

A sinister ghost. A skeptic author. A notoriously haunted hotel … inspired by true events.

Sloane Fox is a best-selling author with a big problem … inspiration. Her editor’s solution, a writing retreat at Lunar Peaks Resort and Spa in the middle of nowhere, Arkansas. Not just any hotel, but a haunted one. That little fact would be great for a horror author, but Sloane writes gritty murder mysteries set in the city, not the backwoods. As she attempts to break her writer’s block, the hotel grows restless with activity. As an evil entity sets its sights on Sloane, determined to add her soul to his collection, the spirits try to warn her. She may not believe in ghosts, but he doesn’t care.

***

And if you live in NW Arkansas, I hope you are ready to enjoy the upcoming craft fair weekend! I will have a booth in a different location this year. We are striving to keep events indoors for the future, so we will be at the Springdale Convention Center event instead of War Eagle. Stop by and say hello!

Other Upcoming Events: 

November 5  Harvest Fest, Fayetteville-Springdale (AR) Elks Lodge, 10:00am - 2:00 pm

November 19  Cecil Floyd Arts & Crafts Show, Joplin, MO 

{December events may be added, but none are scheduled at this time.}

Farewell, Kimba Baby

Our beloved book star Kimba passed on Wednesday morning at 1:30 am. While we were fully aware she was 15 and had some kidney and anemia issues that were being treated, we expected we had at least a year left. The liver failure that hit quickly took us all by surprise, but I am grateful to the vet at our local emergency clinic for being so kind and respectful of the necessary decisions. 

My husband, Scott, discovered Kimba and Hiro in a box outside a house under construction when they were just a day or so old. Hiro was screaming, but Kimba was barely conscious. After some advice from our vet, Scott rushed to the store for kitten formula and bottles, and I was able to get Kimba to take a few drops and make it through the night. Before long, we would be calling her the White Cat of the Apocalypse. 

While Hiro and our younger cat Cheetara are still with us, there is a huge hole in our lives without the very large presence of Kimba. But she will certainly live on in the stories I've told about her, and the ones to come in the future. I just try to imagine that Kimba has returned to the ship and is beginning the first big steps on her life there as an agent. 

Rest in peace, Kimba Baby. We were not ready for you to go, and you are sorely missed. 

 

Book Sale: Female Authors Unite!

 

I'm participating in an ebook promotion with a group of female authors who all have our books discounted until August 14th. Check out the fun summer reads! Grab them while you can!

For my part, The Tigran Chronicles ebook is on sale for 99 cents. 

Free Tigran Novella

 A quick note to those of you who are The Tigran Chronicles fans: a free novella is now available. 

You can get a copy when you sign up for my Readers' Group at this link. 

Taliya the tigran and her husband Kano are sent by President Nakobi to help create a reservation for the wild tigran who survived the Gathering. But there are more than tigran loose in the Colorado wilderness.

Note:

This novella is designed for readers of The Tigran Chronicles

and will be confusing without reading that first.

Berry Fest Bentonville

As I write this, I'm enjoying blueberry pancakes created with delicious blueberries Scott and I picked yesterday at The Berry Fest. If you are fans of Fixer to Fabulous, you know about Jenny and Dave Marrs, but you may not know about their charitable work, including The Berry Farm. This is the second year of this fundraising event, and it was ridiculously hot (like "danger level" according to our weather guy) but still a delightful evening. 

The purpose of the fundraiser--copied from their website:

In partnership with Help One Now and their local leaders in Marondera, Zimbabwe, our farm will provide resources to train and empower teenagers and young adults to transition into adulthood with the skills that they need to succeed. Our farm funds The Gatehouse Project, providing training and mentorship in agriculture & livestock, wood & metal working, business management, textiles, cooking and even technology to over 80 orphaned and vulnerable children at Musha WeVana Village in Zimbabwe. 

If I'm going to pick blueberries in the summer heat, it helps knowing the proceeds are going to support something so important. Plus, there was live music and delightful company.

I wore my tiger shirt from Turpentine Creek and ended up chatting with a family about how they should visit again and see all the new rescues. We all have our causes we support!

Scott was good about getting the low ones so I didn't have to bend down so much.

Yum! Will there be any left to freeze? Questionable!

Besides getting to say hello to Dave (I love how he is constantly so excited to see everyone and responds like you are an old friend he's so glad showed up), we also had a star sighting of Keith and Evan from Bargain Block. Detroit native Scott was tempted to yell, "Go Blue!" but they were talking with someone and, well, it was SO hot. We just ate our Kona Ice in the shade instead.

And if you are somehow not familiar with Fixer to Fabulous, I highly recommend you check it out. Season 4 is in process now. Besides wanting to support a local business, we just love the show. Reruns are on HGTV all the time, and I often leave it playing, even if I don't have time to watch, so they get the ratings. Go Jenny and Dave! 

On the business side of things, I'm wrapping up a novella, Taliya and the Uncivilized, that will be free for newsletter subscribers. It covers an event during the three years in The Tigran Chronicles between the end of the main story and the epilogue. Hopefully that will be up and ready through Book Funnel by the end of July. There are more novellas to come, and a full sequel. Many more adventures for Taliya and her tigran crew.

I don't normally do book events during the summer. It's just too hot! But we will be back at it again in the fall. Reminder: We will not be at the War Eagle Craft Fair this year. Instead, we will be INSIDE at the Springdale Conference Center that weekend. The whole outside plus easy-to-damage books is something we are trying to avoid in the future, but it will be odd not to be at War Eagle. It's a great event, and we met many of you there! 

Have a wonderful Father's Day Weekend! Scott has already enjoyed some blueberry pancakes and will be celebrated by his daughters (and Hiro) tomorrow. He's also already seen the new Top Gun movie. He's kind of a fan. 

HAPPY FATHER'S DAY!! 

Happy Birthday, Kimba and Hiro!!

 Monday, April 18th, is 

Kimba's and Hiro's 15th Birthday!!!

We never could have anticipated the impact finding those tiny newborn kittens in a box would have on our lives. Beyond loving them to the moon and back, writing about Kimba started me on the book publishing journey that now includes eleven titles. 

Tiny babies in their bathtub nursery with a stuffed mama cat.

Big yawn from a tiny Hiro. You can see Kimba's head under her.

My, Kimba, what big ears you have!

We are grateful to still have them with us and living healthy, if a bit slower, lives. Kimba doesn't climb ladders anymore, but she chitters at us anytime we step out of line or alter her schedule. Hiro still convinces Daddy to do everything she wants. We are all looking forward to many more happy years. 

Hiro still comes running when a bag of anything cheesy opens.

Kimba is still the queen of sleeping in freshly cleaned sheets.

We will be at the Dogwood Festival in Siloam Springs, AR, next weekend, so stop by the Serenity Mountain Publishing booth and say hello . . . and pick up a book or two. 

Women in Publishing Summit

 

My topic this year will be "Self-Editing So Your Manuscript Shines."

This is my second time speaking at this online conference, and I highly recommend not only the workshops and talks but also the active community created around this event. You can still get tickets and join us. Just tap here!

This four day virtual event covers all of the key aspects an author or aspiring author needs. (Everything is live, but recorded, so you can watch and re-watch at your convenience.)

Day 1: Writing Craft & Tips

Day 2: Editing, production, routes to publication

Day 3: Marketing all day long

Day 4: How to grow your author business

Sponsored by GracePoint Publishing, Pub-Site, ProWritingAid, Aurora Publicity, Your Book is Your Hook, and a whole group of amazing companies who believe in the mission, AND are offering great discounts on their products, you're sure to leave with amazing content under your belt, great discounts on services you need, and a COMMUNITY to support you along the way.

No matter where you are on your author journey, this summit is for you. It covers everything from writing to publishing, and from marketing to whatever comes next. If you haven’t finished your book yet - heck, if you haven’t started your book yet - you’ll learn from this summit. And people who have published multiple books will also learn from the 60+ presenters who will be sharing their knowledge.

Probably the most special thing about this event is the community. We spend a year together in a private Facebook group where we're networking, sharing resources, and helping each other out. We also have a monthly networking event, which everyone is loving!

So join us!! 
Get your ticket now and use the coupon code: 50OFFWIP22 to save $50!