Cold Coffee Press's Blog: Cold Coffee Press
June 14, 2019
The Sitcom Murders 1: Sexy Sixties Sitcom by Nicholas Victor (aka Nick Iuppa)
The Sitcom Murders 1: Sexy Sixties Sitcom by Nicholas Victor (aka Nick Iuppa)
What if the heroine of an immensely popular television sitcom suddenly learned that her show was being turned into a horror series by a deranged screenwriter? What if she was able to drive over to the writer’s home and confront him? What if she then learned that he was able to give her the power to defend herself and even begin to love the murder and mayhem of HORROR? And then, after she had eliminated three homicidal maniacs, he explained that he had more work for her... more sitcom murders.
Cold Coffee/BMGN 5 Star Review: This first installment of The Sitcom Murders is a dark comedy about a sexy sixties TV character who suddenly realizes that her TV show has become a horror story and she just might be the first victim.
Lacy Livingood, the TV heroine, is home alone when a madman suddenly begins breaking down her kitchen door. Terrified by his hideous stocking mask and threats of rape and murder, Lacy beats him off with a frying pan, then rushes to her car and drives across LA to find the show’s writer. She’s not sure what to expect, but aging screenwriter Billy Edelman explains it all.
“Ya know, for a girl half the world thinks is brilliant, you’re a little slow on the uptick,” Billy answered. “You and Johnny and Ronnie are characters, in a sitcom, a very popular one fifty years ago. Look at this.” And with that Edelman clicked a link and entered eBay. He typed in “Lacy Livingood” and pages and pages of Lacy Livingood memorabilia confronted him: autographed photos, scripts from the show, clothes she had worn.“But our show’s not on anymore,” Lacy whispered.“People’re always lookin’ for somethin’ fresh,” Billy answered. “If not new characters, at least old characters in new stories. And that’s what I’ve given them.”“So now I’m the main character in a horror story,” Lacy said at last. “Okay. But if I have to be in this show of yours, at least teach me how to defend myself. You can do that much for me can’t you?”
And Billy could; in fact, he could help Lacy learn to enjoy murder as much as his villains... but with dire consequences.
Author Nicholas Victor (aka Nick Iuppa) has given us something never seen before, a TV sitcom character who actively conspires with her show’s living writer to defeat the bad guys. There is a fine line between reality and fiction, TV characters and real people, self-preservation and blood lust. And sexy Lacy finds herself right at the crossroads of everything and loving it.
If you enjoy dark humor, pick up a copy of The Sitcom Murders I – SEXY SIXTIES SUBURBIA. I’m sure you will enjoy the read and find yourself looking forward to the next installment. (A preview of The Sitcom Murders II: SEVENTIES NEWSROOM is available as part of the first book).
I think you’ll find yourself as curious as I am about where the author will go with this new series...and just who Lacy Livingood will murder next. Review by Cold Coffee/Book Marketing Global Network: https://bookmarketingglobalnetwork.com/category/nick-iuppas-books/
Published on June 14, 2019 13:57
November 8, 2018
Sculptor Boy: The Journal of Jack McRose by Chris Craig
Sculptor Boy: The Journal of Jack McRose by Chris Craig
Jack McRose is great at being average.
Needing to ace his finals in order to graduate from the University of Illinois, he plans to bust loose from college and, well, live with his mom while working at his family’s business - a collection agency, managed by his father. His girlfriend is off to Africa for two years. His friends have moved away or are getting married (or both).
Jack’s plans are set, until he takes a road-trip to Colorado to attend the wedding of an old friend. There, he meets Hamish, a clever, charismatic, womanizing New Zealander. Through their friendship, Hamish introduces Jack to a different philosophy and a broader perspective. Hamish helps Jack realize that plans and expectations are great, as long as they’re your own.
Cold Coffee Review: Unlike some young men, Jack McRose has a plan for his life. With graduation from the University of Illinois in his sights, his family look forward to him coming home to work in the family business.
It is 1989, in all its glory. However, Jack’s lifelong friends are getting married and moving away. His girlfriend Kate joined the Peace Corps and has moved to Nairobi (capital city of Kenya) for her two-year commitment.
Jack decided to get out of his comfort zone and take a road trip from Chicago to Colorado to attend a friend’s wedding. While in Colorado, Jack meets a young man from New Zealand, who challenges neatly packaged view of reality, the world, and his expected place of duty within the family business.
In this well thought out story, the author, Chris Craig, nudges Jack and his readers to explore an alternative life direction. After all, nothing has been set in stone. His new friend Hamish, brings Jack from a ridged, narrow mindset, into broader perspective, that opens Jack’s mind to the possibilities in life.
I like stories like this, because it reminds the reader that the world is full of new experiences and an array of possibilities that can make the journey of life far more interesting than first imagined. If you like strong characters who are willing to break from the norm, you will enjoy this fast-paced, narrative where the taboos in life become the experimental ground. I purchased this book in Kindle and posted this review on October 29, 2018. I purchased this book from Amazon Print. The review posted on 11/08/2018.
Genre: Literature, Fiction, Coming of Age
Product Details:Paperback: 204 PagesPublisher: CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform; First edition (April 13, 2018)Language: EnglishISBN-10: 1986283348ISBN-13: 978-1986283342Product Dimensions: 5.5 x 0.5 x 8.5 inches
Amazon Customer Review:https://www.amazon.com/Sculptor-Boy-Journal-Jack-McRose/dp/1986283348/ref=sr_1_4?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1538853133&sr=1-4#customerReviews
Amazon Print:
https://www.amazon.com/Sculptor-Boy-Journal-Jack-McRose/dp/1986283348/ref=sr_1_4?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1538853133&sr=1-4
Barnes and Noble:
https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/sculptor-boy-chris-craig/1128506405?ean=9781986283342
Cold Coffee Press Spotlight Interview With Chris Craig
Author Chris Craig lives in central Indiana with his family. Sculptor Boy is his first book.
Interview:
What World Region are you in? I live in central Indiana, but my family moved frequently while I grew up. I was oftentimes a new kid in school in different areas of the U.S. Being exposed to different regions and people instilled a desire to travel. Different people like different styles of living, but I like staying mobile and being willing to follow opportunities. It is a lifestyle that I recommend to my daughters.
What inspired you to become a writer?Writing and reading are great ways to take my mind off work and responsibilities. Writing is an escape. It’s instant decompression.
Who inspired you to become a writer? I have an older brother that majored in English and was a great creative writer. I always wanted to be like him. When we were both in college, he sent me a funny poem he wrote about a trip we were about to take together over Christmas break. I received it just before finals week. I loved it, so I decided to write one back to him. I became consumed, writing a stupid poem when I should have been studying. It was the first time I’d written anything creatively. In Sculptor Boy, Jack and his older brother are adversaries. I’ve always admired my older brother. We’ve always been best friends.
When did you begin writing with the intention of becoming published? When I’ve written, it has been just for fun. When one of my daughters found out I’ve written some fiction, she asked to read some. I said okay, but that I’d need to clean something up, first. I decided to really try to impress her. That led to a makeover of Sculptor Boy. The “clean up” took 2-years!
What has been your most rewarding experience with your writing and publishing journey? I wrote the book 4-months ago and haven’t talked about it much. My brother and dad don’t even know about it. Nonetheless, a subtle compliment from someone that has read it is rewarding.
How many published books do you have? Sculptor Boy is the first.
Please introduce your genre and why you prefer to write in that genre? I enjoy literary fiction. I like the art of writing, and appreciate the work of authors like Donna Tartt. Her book The Goldfinch is a favorite. I like the classics. Reading Hemmingway, Steinbeck, and all the books that you had to read in school… I love those books.
Please list the title of your book you want featured and promoted? Sculptor Boy, The Journal of Jack McRose
What do you like to do when you are not writing? Spending time with my family, reading, and watching sports. I exercise quite a bit, not because I love it, but because I love the benefits. Oh yeah, I enjoy having a cocktail!
What one positive piece of advice would you give to other authors? I’m the person who should be receiving advice rather than giving it. My only advice is to be concise.
Who is your favorite author and why?Donna Tartt. She is a literary genius. Her words flow perfectly, and her characters are interesting and complex. I believe she’s written three books in thirty years. She must be meticulous, which serves her well with her writing.
Facebook:
https://www.facebook.com/chris.craig.10888938
LinkedIn:https://www.linkedin.com/in/chris-craig-a30535b6/
Instagram:
https://www.instagram.com/ccraig981627/?hl=en
Pen It Book Listing On CCP:
http://www.coldcoffeepress.com/sculptor-boy-the-journal-of-jack-mcrose-by-chris-craig/
Pen It Book Listing On Pen It:https://www.penitpublications.com/product-page/sculptor-boy-by-chris-craig
CCP Author’s Page:
http://www.coldcoffeepress.com/chris-craig/
CCP Book Directory Listing
http://www.coldcoffeepress.com/book-directory/pen-it-book-listings/
Authors Keys To Success
http://www.coldcoffeepress.com/keys-program-for-authors/
Published on November 08, 2018 12:30
November 7, 2018
The Violent Sea: A Novel of Time Travel (Book Two of the Harry and Meg Series) by Russell Moran
Time Travel-Science Fiction Thriller Series
The Violent Sea: A Novel of Time Travel (Book Two of the Harry and Meg Series) by Russell Moran
Rear Admiral Harry Fenton has done it again. He’s traveled through time. He finds himself, with a serious head injury from a fall, at Pearl Harbor Base Hospital on May 16, 1942, three weeks before the Battle of Midway.
His wife and aide, Lieutenant Meg Fenton, is frantic, and waits for him—in 2018.
Admiral Harry is the commanding officer of Carrier Strike Group 14 in 2018, but the people in 1942 think he’s a busted up, hallucinating sailor who imagines himself an admiral. Admiral Raymond Spruance is commanding officer of Carrier Task Force 16. After hearing about Harry’s wild claims, Spruance orders him brought to his flagship, the USS Enterprise. After Harry tells him about time travel, Spruance is convinced the man is insane. But after speaking to him at length, Spruance is amazed at Harry’s knowledge of naval tactics and strategy. He calls Harry’s bluff and orders him to stay aboard the Enterprise for her upcoming engagement at the Battle of Midway. By the end of the battle, Spruance thinks of Harry Fenton as a friend, and even calls him “admiral.”
Now Harry needs to figure out how to travel back to 2018, to his carrier command, but most importantly, to the love of his life, Lieutenant Meg.
Chapter 1 Excerpt “Here, drink this,” the nurse said. “You’re not taking in enough liquids.” Good idea, I thought. I was thirsty as hell. I downed the glass of water in two gulps. But where am I? I wondered. Well, in a hospital obviously, but why? “Excuse me,” I said, speaking loudly because the nurse was about to leave the room.
The act of raising my voice caused a lightning bolt of pain to zing through my head. My eyes went blurry and I felt nauseous. She turned around and walked back to my bed. She held up a mirror. Holy shit, I looked like I collided head-on with a train. My forehead was swollen and my face was discolored, a pretty mix of purple, red, yellow, and could that be green? “Where am I? I know it’s a hospital, but where?” “You’re at the base hospital at Pearl Harbor.” Pearl Harbor?
Sounds familiar, I thought. “Please explain what happened to me.” “You were in Building 19, God knows why, and you apparently tripped and slammed your head against an engine block. Pretty stupid of them to put an engine block in the middle of the floor if you ask me. The place has no electricity and the windows are boarded up. From what the shore patrol guy said, it seems that you walked off a step to a lower level and fell forward, resulting in what you just saw in the mirror.” “You’ve been here exactly one week. I’m glad to see that you’re talking. This is the first sign of consciousness you’ve shown. You had one nasty concussion.”
“Do you mind if I ask you a few questions?” “Of course. Could I please have some more water?” “You can have as much water as you want. So, let me ask you a couple of questions. Who are you, and what’s your name?” Oh, my God. My head started throbbing again. I could not believe I couldn’t answer her simple question—and it was a good question. Who am I? “I’m sorry. I don’t recall a name. But things are starting to come back to me.” “Well, sailor, you’re doing great, my friend. We’ll just keep talking, and your memory will come back to you.” “Nancy, please hand me that newspaper.” “Sure thing. Let’s see how your reading skills are doing.”
The date on the first page read May 16, 1942. Shit, I must be hallucinating. “Hey, sailor, you look pale. Do you want to rest a bit?” I dozed off. When I woke up, Nurse Nancy was there “So, sailor, do you recall being in the Navy?” “Yes, I’m in the Navy.” My memory was starting to come back “Are you stationed on a ship?” “Yes, definitely yes. The USS Gerald R. Ford, an aircraft carrier. It’s my flagship.” “Your flagship?” “Yes, I’m Rear Admiral Harry Fenton, the Commanding Officer of Carrier Strike Group 14.”“Well, it’s a pleasure to meet you, Admiral. My name is Florence Nightingale. Now get some more sleep, sailor.”
Cold Coffee Review: Imagine you could actually time travel. Now imagine waking up from a serious concussion in a strange hospital in 1942. When the fog in your head starts to clear, you realize if you tell the hospital staff that you are from the year 2018, they will most certainly commit you to an insane asylum. This is the precarious situation that Rear Admiral Harry Fenton finds himself in. Meanwhile in 2018, Harry’s wife and chief of staff, Lieutenant Meg Fenton and others close to the admiral, are frantic when Harry goes for a run and doesn’t return.
When he’s released from the hospital, Admiral Harry goes to sea with Admiral Raymond Spruance and engages in the Battle of Midway. He makes a time travel believer out of Spruance, who is amazed at Harry’s command of naval tactics. When he returns to Pearl Harbor, Meg awaits him.In this well-written, well-balanced military suspense, time travel thriller, Author Russell Moran skillfully takes the readers from one time period to the next, keeping the reader engaged with his true-to-life characters, balancing personal life, with their sworn duty to protect American interests. It’s also a sweet romance between Harry and is wife, Meg.
Admiral Harry revisits the time portal and returns to the present. It is Friday, November 2, 2018 when the US Carrier Strike Group 14 rendezvoused with Japanese and South Korean ships in Tokyo Bay.The country is faced with a crisis when Iran suddenly becomes a nuclear power. Admiral Harry, happy to be back in command of his strike group, comes up with the idea of a naval and air blockade.“President Blake, besides being a gutsy leader, is a gifted diplomat. Secretary of Defense Jamison told him about my idea of a blockade and he realized it made sense, but only with the full cooperation of our allies. No way would he want the United States to go it alone with a risky operation like a blockade.”
When dealing with a nuclear power like Iran, powerful countries like Russia and China suddenly take notice. The burning question remains, who can we trust? The strategic objective of the blockade is simple; turn back any ship or plane leaving Iran and prevent any from arriving. “But the tactical operations could get dicey as hell,” Admiral Harry says.
I have enjoyed reading many of Russell Moran’s fourteen novels. As a lawyer and veteran in the United States Navy, Russell brings authenticity to his stories. The Violent Sea lives up to my expectations of his story telling and riveting plots. Each of his books are stand-alone, but if you are not familiar with his characters, I invite you to familiarize yourself with the list of character’s (with their titles) at the end of the book. The Violent Sea (book two of the Harry and Meg Series), is the sequel to The Maltese Incident, published June, 2018. Russell promises his readers a new title “Leonardo Murphy” to be published by the end of this year. I purchased this book through Kindle and this review posted November 6, 2018.
Genre: Science Fiction, Fantasy, Alternative History, Time Travel
Product Details:
Series: The Harry and Meg Series (Book 2)
Paperback: 297 pages
Publisher: Coddington Press (October 25, 2018)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0692034579
ISBN-13: 978-0692034576
Product Dimensions: 6 x 0.7 x 9 inches
Genre: Science Fiction, Fantasy, Alternative History, Time Travel
Product Details:Series: The Harry and Meg Series (Book 2) Paperback: 297 pages Publisher: Coddington Press (October 25, 2018) Language: English ISBN-10: 0692034579 ISBN-13: 978-0692034576 Product Dimensions: 6 x 0.7 x 9 inches
Amazon Printhttps://www.amazon.com/Violent-Sea-Novel-Travel-Harry/dp/0692034579/ref=tmm_pap_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=1541194142&sr=8-1
Kindlehttps://www.amazon.com/Violent-Sea-Novel-Travel-Harry-ebook-dp-B07JR3X5FW/dp/B07JR3X5FW/ref=mt_kindle?_encoding=UTF8&me=&qid=1541194142
The Maltese Incident: Harry and Meg Series Book One by Russell Moran
A corporate cruise ship, The Maltese, sets sail from Manhattan for the beautiful Azores on a charity fundraising cruise. The ship encounters a strange event in the ocean, and, after two minutes of turbulence, finds itself in a different time. The ship is surrounded by gigantic sharks. They’ve traveled back in time two million years.
The captain, Harry Fenton, a highly decorated naval war hero, falls in love with a beautiful passenger, Meg Johnson, a vice president of the Malta Investments, the company that owns the ship. After a whirlwind romance, they marry—in the ship’s ballroom. Captain Fenton convinces the passengers and crew that they must move ashore to a tropical island because the ship is running out of fuel and supplies.
An ancient forest inhabited by dinosaurs awaits them.
Captain Harry organizes a group to go ashore and inspect the island. Meg wants to go with them. Harry, fearing for her safety, tries to convince her to stay on the ship. Meg demonstrates that she is proficient with a gun by taking apart a rifle and reassembling it—in 15 seconds. Harry marvels that he’s never seen such an expert gun handler— or accurate shooter. So, AR-15 in hand, Meg joins the inspection party. Attacking dinosaurs are no match for Meg Fenton’s firepower.
Will the 1,000 souls ever make it back to the time they came from, or will they remain stranded in the distant past?
A scientist aboard theorizes that, to return to their present time, they need to go back to the time portal, or wormhole, that brought them to the past. But the ship doesn’t have enough fuel for the journey.
Realizing that their lives have hit the reset button, the crew and passengers construct a community in the forest—Malta Town. Under Harry and Meg’s leadership, they create a court system, a legislature, and all the elements of a small budding democracy. Meg figures out a way to harness hydroelectric power from a nearby waterfall. Everybody thinks of Harry and Meg as the heart and soul of Malta Town. They begin their new lives—among the dinosaurs.
The Maltese Incident is a tale of time travel, love, courage, and horror.
The Violent Sea, Book Two of the Harry and Meg Series, is the sequel to The Maltese Incident. Like The Maltese Incident, The Violent Sea is the further adventures of Harry and Meg Fenton, now two career naval officers. It is also a novel of time travel and alternate history. The Violent Sea will be published in the Summer of 2018.
Cold Coffee Review: As a reader who has enjoyed several of this author’s books; I am delighted that Author Russell Moran has written a new action adventure, romance, science fiction, alternative history series.
While reading The Maltese Incident my mind thought of all those ships, planes and people who have disappeared over the years in the Bermuda Triangle. Remember, that mystery has not yet been solved or any remains found.
Author Russell Moran uses his imagination and storytelling to put his readers on board the Maltese Corporate Cruise Ship, gliding its way from the Manhattan to the Azores. I dare say more rich people take cruises like this one, than simple retired folk like myself. It doesn’t take long into the story for me to appreciate not being on the Maltesein reality. With a bump and flash of light the Maltese passengers find themselves in alternate reality. The 1,000 souls on board must use their combined skills and what materials they have to survive with prehistoric creatures in the sea and on the land that they find and inhabit.
Just when you think nothing could be worse, other ships go missing. While the experts work on trying to figure out what has happened, Captain Harry Fenton and his wife Meg, the crew and passengers of the Maltese struggle to survive in an ancient time, avoid being eaten by prehistoric creatures, keep structure and civility among themselves while seeking a way to return through whatever portal, wormhole or time wrap they came through.
While military, scientists, academia, intelligence agencies and people around the world are still coming to grips with what is happening in the ocean, Wolf Blitzer reports from CNN. “The Celebrity Line cruise ship, Ocean Magic, disappeared last night. This incident didn’t happen in the Azores as did the other two events, but 50 miles off the coast of New Jersey. Just as with the previous two incidents, the ship simply disappeared.”
Theories abound and questions emerge about whether our own technology could be used against us. I invite you to read The Maltese Incidentfor yourself and draw your own conclusions.
You will find his detailed list of characters helpful. I personally enjoy Author Russell Moran’s fictional story telling and I am looking forward to his next book in this series titled “The Violent Sea”. I purchase this book from Kindle. This review was completed on July 28, 2018.
Genre: Science Fiction, Fantasy, Alternative History, Time Travel
Amazon Customer Reviewshttps://www.amazon.com/The-Maltese-Incident-A-Time-Travel-Novel-The-Harry-and-Meg-Series-Book-1/dp/B07DPVS5T3/ref=cm_cr_othr_d_rvw_txt?ie=UTF8#customerReviews
Amazon Printhttps://www.amazon.com/Maltese-Incident-Book-One-Harry/dp/0999000322/ref=tmm_pap_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=&sr=&dpID=510f6vuLinL&preST=_SY344_BO1,204,203,200_QL70_&dpSrc=detail
Kindle
https://www.amazon.com/Maltese-Incident-Book-One-Harry-ebook/dp/B07DPVS5T3/ref=tmm_kin_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=&sr=&dpID=51YkWsdRxwL&preST=_SY445_QL70_&dpSrc=detail
About The Author: Russell F. Moran, or Russ, as he prefers to be called, is the author of 15 novels with one more promised by the end of 2018.
The Gray Ship, Book One of The Time Magnet series, is a story of time travel, alternate history, romance, and a nuclear warship that finds itself in the Civil War.
The Thanksgiving Gang is the sequel, A Time of Fear is Book Three, The Skies of Time is Book Four, and The Keepers of Time is book five.
The Shadows of Terror is Book One of The Patterns series, followed by The Scent of Revenge.
A Reunion in Time is a time travel novel, but not in the Time Magnet series.
The President is Missing, a suspense thriller, was published in May, 2017
Robot Depot, a novel about our automated present and future, was published in October, 2017
A Climate of Doubt, a novel about climate change and terrorism, was published in May, 2018
The Maltese Incident a time travel novel about a cruise ship, was published in June, 2018
The Violent Sea, sequel to The Maltese Incident was published in October 2018.
Leonardo Murphy, about a 12-year-old boy with a staggeringly high IQ comes out at the end of 2018.
Moran also published five nonfiction books: Justice in America: How it Works—How it Fails; The APT Principle: The Business Plan That You Carry in Your Head; Boating Basics: The Boattalk Book of Boating Tips; If You’re Injured: A Consumer Guide to Personal Injury Law; How to Create More Time. He’s a lawyer and a veteran of the United States Navy. He lives on Long Island, New York, with his wife, Lynda, a Golden Retriever named Maggie, and a Shih-Tzu named Sammy.
Visit This Link To View All Books Published By Russell Moran
The Violent Sea: A Novel of Time Travel (Book Two of the Harry and Meg Series)
The Maltese Incident: Harry and Meg Series Book One by Russell Moran
A Climate Of Doubt Robot Depot
A Reunion In Time: A Rick Bellamy Book
Sideswiped: A Matt Blake Legal Thriller Series Book One
The Reformers: Matt Blake Legal Thriller Series Book Two
The President Is Missing: Matt Blake Legal Thriller Series Book Three
The Gray Ship: Book One In The Time Magnet Series
The Thanksgiving Gang: Book Two In The Time Magnet Series
A Time of Fear: Book Three In The Time Magnet Series
The Skies of Time: Book Four In The Time Magnet Series
The Keepers of Time: Book Five In The Time Magnet Series
The Time Magnet Series (4 Book Box Set) Kindle Edition
The Shadows of Terror: Patterns Series Book One
The Scent of Revenge: Patterns Series Book Two
Justice In America: How It Works - How It Fails
Your Business Plan - That You Carry In Your Head: The APT Principle
Amazon Author’s Page https://www.amazon.com/default/e/B006L6YIBO/ref=dp_byline_cont_ebooks_1?redirectedFromKindleDbs=true
Professional Website http://www.morancom.com/
Facebookhttp://www.facebook.com/AuthorRussMoran
Twitterhttp://www.twitter.com@rfmoran
Google+https://plus.google.com/103172817205376105513
Cold Coffee Press http://www.coldcoffeepress.com/russell-f-moran/
Authors Keys To Success http://www.coldcoffeepress.com/keys-program-for-authors/
Published on November 07, 2018 14:26
November 6, 2018
Threads Series: Psychological Thriller Stories That Touch The Soul by Kaylin McFarren
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Severed Threads (Threads Series Book One) by Kaylin McFarren
Award-winning author Kaylin McFarren delivers an action/adventure romance guaranteed to capture your imagination…
Romantic Suspense Novel by Kaylin McFarren: Believing herself responsible for her father s fatal diving accident, Rachel Lyons has withdrawn from the world and assumed a safe position at a foundation office. When called upon by a museum director to assist her former love interest with the recovery of a cursed relic from a sunken Chinese merchant ship, she has no intention of cooperating until her brother is kidnapped by a drug-dealing gangster. In order to save him and gain control over her life, Rachel must not only overcome her greatest fears, but also relive the circumstances that lead to her father s death.
Inspiration Behind The Story: Kaylin has been involved in the business of collecting and selling Asian antiques for more than a decade. Due to her interest in this field and her fascination with the undersea world, she was inspired to write a story about the recovery of a Chinese concubine’s cursed treasure from a sunken ship, which aids in healing a woman’s damaged soul. Kaylin spent four months researching scuba diving, trade routes, famous battles, and the natural disasters that befell Spanish galleons during the 15th-17th centuries. It is her hope that this action-adventure romance entertains readers and honors dedicated salvaging and exploration companies that have contributed remarkable discoveries and cross-sections of history to museums and institutions around the world.
Amazon Customer Reviews: https://www.amazon.com/Severed-Threads-1-Kaylin-McFarren-ebook/dp/B008UZYLOI/ref=tmm_kin_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=&sr=
Amazon Print: https://www.amazon.com/Severed-Threads-1-Kaylin-McFarren/dp/1475186525/ref=tmm_pap_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=&sr=
Amazon Kindle: https://www.amazon.com/Severed-Threads-1-Kaylin-McFarren-ebook/dp/B008UZYLOI/ref=asap_bc?ie=UTF8
Audio Book: https://www.amazon.com/Severed-Threads/dp/B00R1Y5UG2/ref=tmm_aud_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=&sr=
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Buried Threads (Threads Series Book Two) by Kaylin McFarren
A disturbing prophecy sends a treasure hunting duo on an urgent race to rescue a country in Kaylin McFarren's heart pounding new novel, Buried Threads. Full of erotic suspense and wild adventures, this is one trip that readers will never forget!
Rachel Lyons and Chase Cohen work together as the successful owners of a treasure hunting company. But a seemingly simple assignment--to track down a priceless gem that is believed to be buried in a shipwreck deep within the Sea of Japan--takes a startling, and dangerous, turn.
Faced with a monk's dark prophecy that a natural disaster will soon strike Japan, killing millions, Rachel and Chase must embark on the mission of a lifetime in order to uncover the three cursed samurai swords that can avert the catastrophe.
Chaos ensues as their adventure takes them from shark infested waters and creepy caves to haunted hidden tombs and a confrontation with Yakuza gang members. Time is running out as the prophecy's day of reckoning draws near. Will Rachel and Chase succeed before disaster strikes?
Buried Threads has received the following awards: 2014 Reader Views Readers Choice Awards - 1st Place for Romance; 2014 Pacific Book Awards - 1st Place Adventure Category; 2014 Chanticleer Book Reviews & Media's Great Beginnings Contest - 1st Place Paranormal Mystery; 2013 Chanticleer Clue Awards - 1st Place Steamy/Action/Thriller; 2014 National Indie Excellence Awards - Finalist, Best Cover Design; 2014 eLit Awards - 1st Place Mystery/Suspense/Thriller; 2014 eLit Awards - 2nd Place for Best Book Trailer; 2014 Global Ebook Awards - Gold Medal (1st Place) in the New Adult Fiction Category & Bronze Medal (3rd Place) in the Best Book Trailer Category; 2014 Readers' Favorite Gold Medal in the Fiction - Adventure Category.
Cold Coffee Review: When the mysterious, beautiful Japanese woman with a sword peering from the black sheen of the front cover of ‘Buried Threads’ - by Kaylin McFarren arrived, the silent beckoning began.
I always know when I am reading a well-researched, well written action-adventure, mystery, romance novel when the plot enters my night dreams. Although I didn’t read book one in the series ‘Buried Threads’ stands well on its own. The author knows how to take a great plot, create believable characters, hold the reader in suspense and spin the tale with mastery.
Unfamiliar with Japanese culture (beautiful customs, geishas, ancient rituals), especially the underbelly of the Japanese society, warlords, and unseen paranormal conflicts the reader will learn a great deal while experiencing writing in its truest art form.
A treasure hunt for lost artifacts that are embedded with precious stones that are not only priceless, but hold a curse that once stood for a “Prince’s valor, wisdom, and benevolence”.
What would a fast moving, suspense filled, heart beating adventure be without the dangerous, unpredictable interpersonal relationships that leads to attraction, trust, mutually mind-blowing sex and true romance? ‘Buried Threads’ is all that and more.
Compassion and greed, life and death, fear and resolution, mission and accomplishment, struggle and survival, gratitude and faith are all aspects of this story that can only be summed up as spectacular.
I endorse multi-award winning ‘Buried Threads’ - by Kaylin McFarren as the action-adventure, mystery-suspense romance-thriller that it is.
Amazon Customer Reviews:http://www.amazon.com/Buried-Threads-Kaylin-McFarren/product-reviews/1492120464/ref=dpx_acr_txt?showViewpoints=1
Amazon Print:http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1492120464/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=1492120464&linkCode=as2&tag=colcofpre-20&linkId=JJMNKUM6HDNUD5Y7
Amazon Kindle:https://www.amazon.com/Buried-Threads-2-Kaylin-McFarren-ebook/dp/B0189NOPYQ/ref=tmm_kin_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=&sr=
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Banished Threads (Threads Series Book Three) by Kaylin McFarren
A valuable art collection disappears turning a treasure-hunting duo into crime-stopping sleuths committed to vindicating family members in Kaylin McFarren's action-packed suspense novel, Banished Threads.
While vacationing at the stately Cumberforge Manor in Bellwood, England, Rachel Lyons and Chase Cohen attend an elegant dinner party hosted by her uncle, Paul Lyons, and his aristocratic wife, Sara. Before the evening ends, a priceless collection of Morris Graves's paintings are stolen from her uncle's popular gallery, throwing all suspicion onto his wife's missing granddaughter. Determined to clear Sloan Rafferty's name and, in the process, win Paul's favor, Chase scours the countryside looking for answers. In his absence, the police accuse Rachel's uncle of an unsolved murder and secrets surrounding her grandmother's death and the deaths of Sara's former husbands turn his wife into the most likely suspect.
With the true villains hell-bent on destroying Paul Lyons and his family, solving both crimes while ensuring her uncle's freedom not only endangers Rachel's life but that of her unborn child. Will Chase save them before the kidnappers enact their revenge or will the ultimate price be paid, as predicted by a vagabond fortuneteller?
First place - 2016 Hudson Valley RWA Hook, Line & Sinker Contest.
Cold Coffee Review: Banished Threads begins on a dreary night in late October. Stargazer sliced through the surface of the North Atlantic at fifteen knots, heading straight for the coast of England. After facing many perils at sea Chase Cohen is relieved to finally be in London.
Quote from Book: “With Rachel by his side “they disembarked from the train at Whitchurch and stepped through the station’s main door, Rachel’s excitement rose at the prospect of seeing her uncle. He was a younger version of her father, with the same chiseled good looks. He would have been easy to spot, even in this busy place. But from her vantage point, he was nowhere to be seen. Believing he had forgotten about her arrival, Rachel’s heart sank. She turned to Chase and was about to voice her concern when she caught sight of a handsome man in the passenger-loading zone: white cable-knit sweater, tight jeans, in his mid-thirties, shaggy brown hair, rugged jaw, easy smile, dimples, and unforgettable emerald-green eyes. He was leaning against a silver Mercedes, flashing his perfect white teeth and holding up a sign reading, “Welcome to England, Rachel Lyons.”
For a moment, she could hardly breathe, and she wondered if it was possible to fall over and die from shock. Or maybe from the idea of coming face-to-face with the last person on earth she ever expected to see. Although she had spoken to his Irish mother at a fund-raising event year earlier and was told that Killian was living with relatives in Northampton, she had convinced herself that the chance of meeting him was as unlikely as the sky turning green.
Killian Reed. His shimmering eyes were loving and warm and full of laughter. Rachel gasped and dropped her purse and over- night bag. She pulled off her high heels and ran to him. He swept her up and spun her around. When he set her back down, she buried her face in his chest and hugged him with all her might. She took a deep breath, inhaling the familiar scent of bay-rum aftershave. He kissed the top of her head, and she gazed up at him. She didn’t realize she was crying until he reached out and wiped a tear from her cheek.
“I can’t believe it’s really you,” she whispered, gratified to see unshed tears in his beautiful eyes.“It’s me, seaweed brain,” he said. “I’m really here.”
Rachel stood on her tiptoes and wrapped her arms around his neck. He put his arms around her waist and held her close. His hand smoothed her hair as he whispered, “I missed you, girl.”
She looked up at him and smiled, and it suddenly dawned on her that you meet all kinds of people in your life. Some you never think about again. Some you wonder what happened to and if they ever think about you. And then there are some you wish you never had to think about again, yet somehow you do. Killian Reed just happened to be one of those disconcerting, unforgettable beings. He was part of her past: a distant, bitter- sweet memory that had lingered for years.
With their last parting, they had grasped each other’s hands with a rush of melancholy, tender, and inexpressible feelings, and had gone their separate ways.
But time had moved on, and there was someone else in her life now—a silent observer patiently standing by, watching their every move with an annoyed pinch between his brows.
She took Killian by the hand and led him to Chase. More than anything, she hoped they would become fast friends, but as they shook hands, Rachel found it difficult to ignore the frowns tugging at the corners of their mouths. They both took a step back and just stood there, regarding each other silently, the air now seeming as cold as a razor blade.”
Twenty-two chapters entwine a cast of strong characters in this well written mystery drama that expose family secrets, lies, stolen gallery art, kidnapping engaging readers with suspense and romance. Sit back and enjoy book three of this series where each book can be read in or out of sequence. Author Kaylin McFarren teases us with new tales taking shape in the recesses of her mind that are “only a night’s dream away”.
I endorse multi-award-winning author Kaylin McFarren’s Threads Series which include Banished Threads, Buried Threads, Severed Threads and Flaherty’s Crossing (her stand-alone fiction drama). I purchased and reviewed this book from Kindle and the review was completed on March 22, 2016.
Amazon Reviews:http://www.amazon.com/Banished-Threads-Kaylin-McFarren-ebook/dp/B0191RJQZM?ie=UTF8&redirect=true&ref_=cm_cr_asin_lnk#customerReviews
Amazon Print: http://www.amazon.com/Banished-Threads-3-Kaylin-McFarren/dp/1518806910/ref=as_li_ss_tl?_encoding=UTF8&qid=&sr=&linkCode=ll1&tag=colcofpre-20&linkId=d34ce0324f88450a3675e0210cdd964f
Amazon Kindle: http://www.amazon.com/Banished-Threads-Kaylin-McFarren-ebook/dp/B0191RJQZM/ref=as_li_ss_tl?_encoding=UTF8&qid=&sr=&linkCode=ll1&tag=colcofpre-20&linkId=be54c232ad483ccf00888f3400a523a8
Amazon Audio: http://www.amazon.com/Banished-Threads/dp/B01BH2B0O4/ref=as_li_ss_tl?_encoding=UTF8&qid=&sr=&linkCode=ll1&tag=colcofpre-20&linkId=2d3df5a8679d547f4da144463c268600
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Twisted Threads (Threads Series Book Four) by Kaylin McFarren
Akira Hamada is driven by past failure. Two years earlier, she had a chance to kill her greatest enemy--Kaito Mitsui. Instead, the Yakuza boss forced her to become an assassin in his employ. Now Akira carries out the bloody business of the notorious crime syndicate and hates herself more each day.
When Mitsui hears that his sister's murderer will be on the cruise ship Starfish, he immediately tasks Akira with eliminating the man once and for all. This is what Akira has trained for, but a series of strange events on the ship tests her resolve and shows her a way to redemption.
Devon Lyons, on the other hand, has nothing to do with assassins. He's merely accompanying his aunt and uncle, Sara and Paul Lyons, on a free cruise. Little does he know that the two are the true targets of the charming Japanese tourist he has just met!
Akira knows that either Sara or Paul is the killer but doesn't know which one. She hopes seducing the handsome Devon will lead to better intel, but she is surprised to find herself trusting him. And soon, the pair finds themselves fighting for their lives on the high seas.
*2017 NYC Big Book Award Winner, Thriller Category
Cold Coffee Review: For all of us following the Threads Series by Kaylin McFarren, Twisted Threads does not disappoint. When we left off with book three, we were wondering if the ‘Watcher’ would ever deliver justice.
This drama opens with Akira Sato contemplating a “justified killing” and she is lost in the consequences, forced to move forward. Devon Lyons laments over his recent demotion and the emotional sting of a forced Caribbean vacation to please his Uncle. Devon’s mind and attention soon shifts when Akira calls him “Sexy”. Women have called him “clever”, “lovable” and “incredibly handsome” but “sexy” has just caught him off guard. With more than romance in the air the voyage brings mystery, suspense and a complex drama with threads so twisted you will keep turning the page.
Here is an excerpt I think you will like: “Akira took the elevator across from the theater, dazed from the four glasses of wine and shot of vodka she had consumed. A few seconds passed, and the doors opened before her. She stepped out into the empty hallway and couldn’t figure out which direction she was facing, let alone which way to proceed. She looked down and realized the carpeting under her feet had red and blue medallions—not the gold and blue diamonds, she’d become familiar with seeing. After making numerous trips to various restaurants, she realized she had gotten off on the right floor but on the wrong end of the ship. The enormous staircase on her right led to the upper and lower levels, which should have made it easy to find her way back to her room.
However, her explorations on the ship had proved that not every floor had immediate access to the passenger levels; many were blocked by restaurants, lounges, and shops.
Akira decided it was best to start over—to backtrack the way she had come. She pushed the elevator button and waited for what seemed like an eternity. Then a slight sway in the ship’s motion caused her stomach to lurch. She needed fresh air to avoid further humiliation. A glass exit door stood waiting a short distance away. She slid it open and stepped outside. Oddly, all of the overhead lights above the walkway were out. It was impossible to see more than ten feet in any given direction. She gripped the safety railing and gazed up at the sky, drawing long, deep breaths. A sudden breeze whipped at her hair, tugging tendrils loose from her pinned-up hairdo. She wrapped her arms around herself, warding off the chill, and was about to return inside when she heard the sound of a voice.”Jump right in and start peeling off the layers of this Twisted Plot, that will be worth the read and will leave you wanting more.
I endorse multi-award-winning author Kaylin McFarren’s Threads Series which include Banished Threads, Buried Threads, Severed Threads and now Twisted Threads. I purchased and reviewed this book from Kindle and the review was completed on January 6, 2018.
Customer Reviews:https://www.amazon.com/Twisted-Threads-4-Kaylin-McFarren-ebook/dp/B0783PSMR1/ref=tmm_kin_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=1515011407&sr=1-1#customerReviews
Amazon Print:https://www.amazon.com/Twisted-Threads-4-Kaylin-McFarren/dp/1975921356/ref=tmm_pap_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=1515011407&sr=1-1
Kindle:https://www.amazon.com/Twisted-Threads-4-Kaylin-McFarren-ebook/dp/B0783PSMR1/ref=tmm_kin_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=1515011407&sr=1-1
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Cold Coffee Press Spotlight Interview With Kaylin McFarren
About The Author: Kaylin McFarren has received more than 45 national literary awards, in addition to a prestigious Golden Heart Award nomination for Flaherty’s Crossing - a book she and her oldest daughter, Kristina McMorris, co-authored in 2008.
Prior to embarking on her writing journey and developing the popular THREADS psychological thriller series, she poured her passion for creativity into her work as the director of a fine art gallery in the Pearl District in Portland, Oregon; she also served as a governor-appointed member of the Oregon Arts Commission.
When she's not traveling or spoiling her pups and three grandsons, she enjoys giving back to her community through participation and support of various charitable and educational organizations in the Pacific Northwest, and is currently the president of the Soulful Giving Foundation - a non-profit focused on cancer research, care and treatment at hospitals throughout Oregon.
Fun Tidbits: Kaylin is proud of the fact that her great aunt Bessie B. Cordell, an evangelistic missionary during WWII, was instrumental in opening an orphanage in Tientsin, China and also wrote two published novels, Precious Pearl and Blossoms of the Flowery Kingdom, documenting her dangerous, harrowing experiences.
She keeps a glass of wine close by while writing love scenes, Kleenex on her desk while writing heart breakers, and has been known to empty a box of chocolates when she's completely stumped.
A consummate "pantser" and perfectionist, she writes and edits as she goes, and uses photographs of models and actors from tabloid magazines to visualize her characters.
She loves her husband of 44 years dearly. However, if Josh Holloway, Hugh Jackman or Ian Somerhalder came knockin', well... their marriage just might be put to the test.
On A Personal Note: Kaylin sat before her computer writing Flaherty’s Crossing as a source of personal therapy after losing her beloved father to colon cancer. You might say she was angry at him, at God, at the world in general. However, after writing this story, she had the opportunity to really look into her soul and consider the fact that so many other sons and daughters have had to deal with similar and even worse situations.
Rather than a memoir, her novel evolved into a fictional journey which brought about the resolution she needed to find. She never expected this exercise in writing to go to press, touch lives, or win literary awards. But as a result of her good fortune, she has arranged for proceeds from the sale of this book to go directly to the Providence Medical Foundation's colon cancer research department in her father's name. She's now convinced and proudly shares her belief that good things can grow out of the worst times in our lives if you just take the time to open your heart.
Message From The Author: For many years, I've had the privilege to experience remarkable things and rare opportunities while traveling the globe. This includes many forms of transportation, ranging from private planes, helicopters, and hot air balloons to kayaks, submarines, and elegant cruise ships.
My journeys have allowed me to meet interesting people, discover fascinating cultures, forge lifelong friendships, and introduce dear friends to all parts of the world. Personal experiences, extensive research, and interesting tales shared by business associates have contributed to making this fun character-driven story possible and it's my hope that readers are thoroughly entertained.
Interview:
What makes you proud to be a writer from Oregon? A lot of talented writers come from the Northwest and it's great to be included among them at workshops, conferences and on bookshelves.
What or who inspired you to become a writer? I kept journals for a number of years and when my father died after a lengthy battle against cancer, I realized that telling my story about my journey to find faith and forgiveness could bring closure not only for me but also for readers face with the same difficult choices in their lives.
When did you begin writing with the intention of becoming published? After completing Flaherty's Crossing in 2009, I elected to submit it to a number of literary contests and when it kept winning first place awards, I came to the conclusion that it deserved to be published.
Did your environment or upbringing play a major role in your writing and did you use it to your advantage?My environment, cultural immersion, passions, and relationships continue to play a role in my storytelling and the types of books I like to write.
Do you come up with your title before or after you write the manuscript? I actually come up with the title to each of my books as soon as I determine what the storyline involves and how it will impact my characters. I love the idea of having a double meaning that readers can interpret for themselves, appreciate and later understand.
Please introduce your genre and why you prefer to write in that genre? The books I write include romantic suspense stories in third point of view. This genre keeps the pages turning and makes for an entertaining read. I enjoy dropping my characters into difficult situations, making them struggle against all odds then demonstrating their growth while fighting their way back.
What was your inspiration, spark or light bulb moment that inspired you to write the book that you are seeking promotion for? Buried Threads is the culmination of years of travel and exposure to the Asian culture. The "light bulb" or inspirational moment came after speaking to a Buddhist monk and finding myself enlightened by his ability to view a person's past lives and predict the future with amazing accuracy.
What has been your most rewarding experience with your writing process? I would have to say the awards, great reviews and kudos that come with it, which motivates and encourages me to write more.
What has been your most rewarding experience in your publishing journey? There's nothing like seeing your book on store book shelves. It gives your writing credence and makes your feel like a viable writer. But more than that, in regard to a rewarding experience, I would have to say that the letters I receive from readers telling me that Flaherty's Crossing encouraged them to contact people in their lives, forgive and more on with no regrets is truly beyond amazing. Time is simply too short to fill it with hate and knowing that I've changed a life by sharing my personal experiences and beliefs is the ultimate reward.
What one positive piece of advice would you give to other authors? Never lose sight of your aspirations or be discouraged by what critics, authors or the general public might say. If you have a story inside your heart that needs to be told, cut open a vein and let it flow.
Who is your favorite author and why? I love Jodi Picoult books are my favorite because they delve into current issues, include memorable lines and characters, tend to be controversial, and make me think and analysis my own beliefs.
Is there anything else that you would like to share with us? I would just like to remind readers that every dime earned from the sale of Flaherty's Crossing benefits cancer research at Providence Hospital, which I like to call Kaylin's Cause. More information is available at: http://www.flahertyscrossing.com/cause.php
Amazon Author’s Page: http://www.amazon.com/Kaylin-McFarren/e/B003BCPKE0/ref=dp_byline_cont_ebooks_1
Professional Website:http://www.kaylinmcfarren.com/
Facebook:https://www.facebook.com/kaylin.mcfarren
Twitter:https://twitter.com/4kaylin
Cold Coffee Press:http://www.coldcoffeepress.com/kaylin-mcfarren/
CCP Book Page: http://www.coldcoffeepress.com/threads-series-psychological-thriller-stories-that-touch-the-soul-by-kaylin-mcfarren/
CCP Book Series Spotlight: http://www.coldcoffeepress.com/book-series-spotlight-threads-psychological-thriller-stories-that-touch-the-soul-by-kaylin-mcfarren/
Authors Keys To Success: http://www.coldcoffeepress.com/keys-program-for-authors/
Published on November 06, 2018 14:23
October 28, 2018
Incredible Story Telling: Historical Western Fiction With A Focus On Canada
Amazon Author's Page:
http://www.amazon.com/D.-M.-McGowan/e/B004V9WZVI/ref=sr_tc_2_0?qid=1439326526&sr=1-2-ent
The Making Of Jake McTavish by D. M. McGowan
In the west of the 1890s, Jake's wife is raped and murdered, an image from which he attempts to escape and hide. When two thieves try to take what little he has left, Jake realizes he must face the past and solve his wife's murder to truly escape the images in his head. But to find the killer, he discovers even more surprises ...
Jake McTavish left his home in central Canada when he was in his Winnipeg, feeding cattle south of Fort Garry, and shooting wolves on the prairies, he starts his own cattle operation in the foothills of the western mountains. Then he meets his life-long partner, Anna. Jake and Anna were married three years when it all came crashing down. He came home to find his beautiful wife raped and murdered. In an attempt to escape the vision of his butchered wife and all that he lost, Jake runs deep into the mountains, where he spends three years trapping and panning gold.
When two outlaws attempt to rob him and leave him for dead, Jake finally comes out of the stupor he has lived in and begins to fight back. First, he deals with the two thugs. Next, he returns to his homestead to find his wife's killer. Solving a murder after several years is no easy task, especially when it includes surprises he didn't want to find.
After a variety of work experiences, D. M. McGowan has now returned to work as a commercial driver and lives near Mile "0" of the world-famous Alaska Highway. His books bring Canadian history to life. This is his fourth published book. Publisher's website: http://sbprabooks.com/davidmmcgowan
Cold Coffee Review: The Making of Jake McTavish by D. M. McGowan is an 1800’s western pioneering era saga that combines exceptional story telling with an historical tale told by Peace Country pioneer John Brown.
Well-developed characters and true to life settings with descriptive writing put the reader into the story. The main character Jake McTavish stands alone in his empty cabin with his thoughts that he voiced to his blue tick hound, “Maybe I’ll just have t’shoot somebody. That way the government will have t’ feed us ‘til they punch my ticket and bury me.”
Life had been especially hard since the murder of his wife. For the fourth year he must continue his Peace River trek in British Columbia (1898) to take the furs that he had collected by canoe down to Ft. St John. This is an important ritual as Jake trades bails of skins for cash to pay for supplies and to repair equipment heading into the new season. Times were hard enough without the ambush that knocked him out cold and took most of everything that he had in his camp.
Just 11 years ago “in the spring of 1887 Jake became a wealthy saddle tramp. He only had fourteen Canadian dollars, two U.S. dollars and eighty-six cents, but he was rich in other goods. He had four horses, a fine, double rigged saddle, a short barrelled Colt pistol, a Colt Navy .36 and a Winchester rifle. He also had a serviceable pack saddle, bed roll, enough food to last a month and the pack covered with two tarps.”
By 1889 Jake had spent two years with the Cambridge Cattle Company and had accumulated some money. With a deep yearning for something more and the passing of the Canadian Homestead Act, Jake chose three hundred and twenty isolated acres in the foothills north of the Rocky Mountains. In the fall of 1891 with 15 yearlings to sell he met Anna Porenski. When she married him he no longer felt driven, because he had it all. Anna was raised on a farm, so ranch life came easy to her and she enjoyed gardening. The only thing missing are children for fate has refused to grant Jake and wife Anna a baby. To end such dreams Anna is murdered and the responding Mounted Policeman comes close to accusing Jake."
Travel with Jake McTavish on a journey to find Anna’s killer or killers.
The Making of Jake McTavish by D. M. McGowan for the author’s incredible story telling of Jake McTavish. I invite you to also read: The Great Liquor War, Homesteader: Finding Sharon and Partners. D. M. McGowan tells us that Cattle Business is coming soon. This review was completed on December 20, 2015.
Amazon Customer Reviews: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B019LRRU3C?redirect=true&ref_=cm_cr_asin_lnk#customerReviews
Amazon Print:http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1681810883/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=1681810883&linkCode=as2&tag=colcofpre-20&linkId=OT7BRF3YLF6MYY76
Kindle:http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B019LRRU3C/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B019LRRU3C&linkCode=as2&tag=colcofpre-20&linkId=P4STAM2ZP3YNGK6X
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The Great Liquor War by D. M. McGowan
The year is 1885. Hank James has been in Canada several months panning gold from a stream near Roswell, British Columbia. When he hears a prizefight will be held in town, he attends along with everyone for miles around. With a little help from the fight referee, he wins big betting on the fight. Having realized that the life of a miner isn't nearly as romantic or rewarding as he expected, and with advice from the policeman who helped him win money on the fight, Hank goes to Farwell to haul freight with pack horses for contractors building the transcontinental railroad
The railroad's security, a detachment of North West Mounted Police, have maintained across the West that no liquor be allowed one mile on either side of the rail bed. Provincial authorities disagree. Hank James believes in honoring and repaying his debts, but that doesn't mean he should be involved in a war between the BC Provincial Police and the North West Mounted
He and his partners have trouble enough running their freight business, they don't need to be caught between competing policemen. They are already stuck between Canada's transcontinental railroad people and the contractors doing the actual construction. While the police are fighting one another, who is looking for criminals, particularly those stealing Hank's horses? Despite a variety of jobs, D.M. McGowan now works as a commercial driver and lives near Mile "0" of the world-famous Alaska Highway
His stories bring Canadian history to life. "I believe in seeing morality and societal responsibility rewarded. Too much of today's fiction seems to lead into the dark instead of the light."
Cold Coffee Review: The Great Liquor War by D. M. McGowan is a western pioneering era saga that combines great story telling, true-to-life cowboy experience with US and Canadian history combined with legends from the 1800’s.
The main character Hank James was born in Canada and migrated south into the US with his family after the Civil War. Hank’s father headed towards Oregon in search of a farmstead while protecting his family from raids by outlaws and Indians. They made it as far as Kansas to find that the land was too dry to farm so pushed on to Oregon to find the land was too wet. With Mother Nature as their biggest obstacle and many mouths to feed young Hank James set out on his own. He settled down with his own gold mine claim near Rossland, British Columbia in 1984.
Hank wasn’t afraid of hard work, but he wanted more out of life than to eke out a living on his claim. With tenacity Hank took advantage of the Transcanada Railroad, found some partners and started his own freight business. Life should be good, but where there is industry, technology, commerce and economy, there are criminals.
In all my reviews I quote a passage so readers can get a feel for the authors writing style. I quote from page 37.
“It didn’t take a detective to know that the horse thief had played a little joke on the Provincial Police. Constable Art Hubbard was over six feet tall and probably ten pounds lighter than the one eighty mentioned in the description. Not only was he a long way from round, he was also clean shaven.I gave Constable Hubbard my story, ending with the recovery of the bay gelding and the description I had from Miller. “An’ the fella called himself Art Hubbard,” I added.The Constable’s expression didn’t change. He worked his chew around into one cheek and sent a stream of tobacco juice into the waste basket. “Feller with a sense o’ humor,” he noted, and then added. “It’ll be one ‘o Bulldog Kelley’s outfit. They work out o’ some of the illegal saloons t’ be found back in the bush. We catch one or two of ‘em every now an’ then, but we can’t get Kelley, an’ he’s the head o’ the snake. I can think of one or two that might fit your description, but not a one that had a full beard. An’ this fella’s probably shaved by now.”I wrote out my story, signed it, and returned to work.”
Between the horse thieves, authority over liquor sales and a war between the BC Provincial Police and the North West Mounted Hank is he in over his head? Only time will tell if he makes the right choices and will he win the heart and loyalty of Sharon Dalton?
Saddle up your horse, holster your gun and join a rugged western cast of characters that will take you back to the reality and the legends of the Wild West.
The Great Liquor War by D. M. McGowan shares nuggets of history told within a great story of human experience in the Wild West. This review was completed on August 11, 2015.
Amazon Customer Reviews:http://www.amazon.com/review/RFW423981YYZU
Amazon Print:http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1681810859/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=1681810859&linkCode=as2&tag=colcofpre-20&linkId=G5TOV3MA6HRWDV3V
Kindle: https://www.amazon.com/Great-Liquor-War-D-McGowan-ebook/dp/B015YUHFTY/ref=tmm_kin_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=&sr=
Barnes and Nobles:http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-great-liquor-war-d-m-mcgowan/1122444434?ean=9781681810850
Strategic Book Publishing:http://sbprabooks.com/davidmmcgowan/
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Partners by D. M. McGowen
Thomas Brash is trying to escape but knows he never will. Pursuing him is the memory of the family he lost to cholera. Perhaps he believes that traveling alone in a wild, dangerous land will end all his memories; there is no doubt he wishes to be alone. Whatever his intentions the appearance of Frank Clement and the circumstances of that meeting upset those plans. Brash views Clement as an uneducated child who requires fatherly protection and guidance. Clement views Brash as a tenderfoot and cannot understand how anyone who knows so little could live so long. These two loners are joined by others and they all become partners. Having achieved relative sanctuary and surrounded by civilization their wilderness past comes back to haunt them.
Amazon Customer Reviews:http://www.amazon.com/Partners-D-M-McGowan/product-reviews/1934925810/ref=dpx_acr_txt?showViewpoints=1
Amazon Print:http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1934925810/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=1934925810&linkCode=as2&tag=colcofpre-20&linkId=BIUWJY2AMERVDRX3
Kindle:http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0064IDXFG/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B0064IDXFG&linkCode=as2&tag=colcofpre-20&linkId=5QEIZK7EQMO22AG6
Strategic Book Publishing: http://www.strategicbookpublishing.com/Partners
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Homesteader: Finding Sharon by D. M. McGowan
Staking a claim to a homestead in the rugged, untamed Canadian frontier of the 1880's was hard enough. But when someone tries to run roughshod over the "nesters," a man has to take a stand. There is more than bad weather for Hank James to contend with as he rides in search of the land of his dreams and the woman of his heart. Portis Martin, manager of a large cattle company, has no use for the small homesteaders that have begun to pepper the area...and he isn't afraid of using every dirty trick he knows to run them out. And Portis had been doing a pretty good job of it-until Hank James and his partner arrive on the stage. The dreams of early homesteaders were not always strong enough to see them through adversity, but with Hank James on their side, the people might just find a way of uniting for the common good and building a dream that can endure.
Amazon Customer Reviews:http://www.amazon.com/Homesteader-Finding-Sharon-D-McGowan/product-reviews/1608600394/ref=dpx_acr_txt?showViewpoints=1
Amazon Print:http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1608600394/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=1608600394&linkCode=as2&tag=colcofpre-20&linkId=3P33JL6RDZ54WAGE
Kindle:http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B006HCO9JI/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B006HCO9JI&linkCode=as2&tag=colcofpre-20&linkId=KHH5LCTLON2737WF
Barnes and Nobles:http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/homesteader-finding-sharon-d-m-mcgowan/1017034582?ean=9781608600397
Nook:http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/homesteader-finding-sharon-d-m-mcgowan/1017034582?ean=2940013465589
Strategic Book Publishing:http://www.strategicbookpublishing.com/Homesteader
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About The Author:
"Author Dave McGowan has been a cowboy, forest fire fighter, heavy equipment operator, farmhand, gardener, road musician and businessman.
He now writes, and works as a commercial driver, in Northern British Columbia."
The forgoing is the bio from the back of my three novels and one might conclude from this information that I was a poor employee ... either lazy or didn't know what I was doing ... and was kicked off a lot of jobs.
You would be partially correct, at least in surmising that I don't know what I am doing. As for my being a poor employee, you would have to ask my bosses ... although I think I've managed to trick the one I have now.
Of course, when I had my own business my boss thought I was marvelous.
Truthfully, I've managed over the years to find employment regardles of my location or the problems that might exist with the economy. I enjoyed much of that experiance at the time and am glad that I attained it.
I've also visited a good portion of North America and lived in several areas of Canada where I met some great people and enjoyed some wonderful country.
Speaking of great people, Karen and I are parents to four great people who have supplied eight grandchildren who show that improvements can be possible in each generation.
Amazon Author’s Page:http://www.amazon.com/D.-M.-McGowan/e/B004V9WZVI/ref=sr_tc_2_0?qid=1439326526&sr=1-2-ent
Professional Website: http://sbprabooks.com/davidmmcgowan
Professional Blog:http://www.dmmcgowan.blogspot.com/
Blog Talk Radio:http://www.blogtalkradio.com/Partners/2009/02/20/Dave-McGowan-author-of-Partners Cold Coffee Press:http://www.coldcoffeepress.com/d-m-mcgowan/
CCP Book Listing Page: http://www.coldcoffeepress.com/incredible-story-telling-historical-western-fiction-with-a-focus-on-canada/
Authors Keys To Success: http://www.coldcoffeepress.com
Published on October 28, 2018 13:44
October 27, 2018
Burning Night Spotlight
Where the ashes of the past awaken the future This is the turning point…
When Collie flees an abusive husband she’s also escaping her sordid past. But when her money is stolen, the only way to earn it back in time for her trip to Alaska, is to do the very thing she hoped she left behind. Burning Night festival is only a month away and she simply has to be there.
Exotic dancing at her age seems laughable, but the woman who owns the bar thinks differently. Meanwhile she’s met a much younger man who is undermining all her good intentions. As the past catches up with the present, terrible memories rise to the surface.
Can she untangle the threads of her life before it’s too late, or will her dreams be lost forever in the web closing in around her?
Cold Coffee Review: Collie’s life is out of control. Everything that can happen, seems to be happening. Her marriage was a disaster, due to Dean’s abuse, and running seems to be her only way of escape.
While memories haunt her awake and sleeping mind, a trip to Alaska to attend the Burning Night Festival is perhaps going to be a fresh start. The trip is long and through her emotional pain, she finds a strange sort of comfort, when her laptop becomes her voice. As she writes, a character emerges named May. Collie’s old truck doesn’t like the trip up Medicine Mountain within the Crow homeland. At 10,000 feet the “wind whips around her, like something alive”.
With clean fresh air, wildlife in abundance all around her, a sense of reverence abounds, even though she is not Native American Indian. Dancing is in Collies blood. Her dance is not done in a huge auditorium where everyone admires the rhythm of each limb orchestrating moves within a flowing white costume. Instead, it is a dance that frees her body, mind and soul, while attracting the wrong types of men to fill her loneliness.
Can Collie take her love of dance, the magic of Medicine Mountain, a new relationship, and the words that pour from her mind, through her finger tips, into her manuscript, create a life worth staying alive for?
I enjoyed reading Burning Night. I hope the author will choose to let us know how Callie does in the future. I invite you to read this book along with the many other books written by Nikki Broadwell. Nikki uses her life experiences in Pacific Northwest and now Desert Southwest of the United States to create her novels. I purchased this book in Kindle and posted the review on October 27, 2018.
Genre: Science Fiction, Fantasy, Magical Realism, Women's Fiction, Contemporary
Product Details: Paperback: 271 Pages Publisher: Airmid Publishing (October 15, 2018) Language: English ISBN-10: 1732617317 ISBN-13: 978-1732617315 Product Dimensions: 5.5 x 0.7 x 8.5 inches
Amazon Customer Reviews: https://www.amazon.com/review/R1KHJYXRBYHPAP/ref=pe_1098610_137716200_cm_rv_eml_rv0_rv
Amazon Print:https://www.amazon.com/Burning-Night-where-awaken-future/dp/1732617317/ref=tmm_pap_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=&sr=
Kindle:https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07J9Q97T2/ref=docs-os-doi_0
About The Author: Nikki I was raised by fairies in a sylvan glade under a massive oak tree. Her early life was spent wandering fields and woods searching for acorns and berries and staring at the cloud shadows racing across the landscape while listening to the whispers on the wind. Magic and the mystical are alive and well in all her books.
Celtic and Norse fantasy, time travel, murder mixed up with ghosts, humor and steamy romance, and a shapeshifting coyote, inhabit my 19 novels. If confused about where to begin--start with Moonstone, book 1 of Wolfmoon.
Nikki books are not what you would call literature, and yet they are not mere entertainment either. They are unique--humorous at times, sad at times, and page-turners that take the reader into a world separate from this one. I do not write to market, I write from my heart. She couldn't stop writing if she tried--it is the heart and soul now. She is astounded by how her characters lead her, taking her down meandering paths where she hadn't planned to go. A muse sits on her shoulder most days, and when she's absent, Nikki flounders and realize she needs a break. Nikki loves all things magic, including the Tarot, the runes, divination of all kinds, ghosts, clairvoyance, astral travel--you name it.
Magic is all around us if only we open our eyes to it. Nikki lived in the Pacific Northwest for sixteen years before moving to the desert southwest with her husband, a cat and a dog. The move was hard because she left family behind. “Arizona is a wonderful place to be and the weather, at least in the winter, is delightful!” In her spare time she enjoys yoga, hiking, gardening, and enjoys the bird and animal life that abound in the desert.
Nikki Broadwell Published Books: The Last Keeper Of The Light: A Dystopian Fantasy https://www.amazon.com/Last-Keeper-Light-dystopian-fantasy-ebook/dp/B07G6RBKYF/ref=sr_1_23?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1533658930&sr=1-23&keywords=Nikki+Broadwell
Just Another Desert Sunset: A Shapeshifter Romance (Coyote Book 1) https://www.amazon.com/Just-Another-Desert-Sunset-shapeshifter-ebook/dp/B00MJ6IWEE/ref=tmm_kin_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=&sr=
Coyote Sunrise: A Shapeshifting Story http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0195QJLOK/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B0195QJLOK&linkCode=as2&tag=colcofpre-20&linkId=OUJ3NNWFVCPVVC2T
Moonstone: Wolfmoon Trilogy Book 1https://www.amazon.com/Moonstone-Wolfmoon-Book-Nikki-Broadwell-ebook/dp/B007DXI9SM/ref=tmm_kin_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=&sr=
Willow: Wolfmoon Book 2 https://www.amazon.com/Willow-Wolfmoon-Book-Nikki-Broadwell-ebook/dp/B00A2WZDXU/ref=tmm_kin_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=&sr=
Raven: Wolfmoon Book 3 https://www.amazon.com/Raven-Wolfmoon-Book-Nikki-Broadwell-ebook/dp/B00DDHA1FG/ref=tmm_kin_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=&sr=
Faery: Wolfmoon Book 4 https://www.amazon.com/Faery-Wolfmoon-Book-Nikki-Broadwell-ebook/dp/B01M0X19G0/ref=tmm_kin_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=&sr=
Wolfmoon Series Gift Set: Books 1-4 https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00QL9O0LE/ref=dbs_a_def_rwt_bibl_vppi_i5
The Wolf Moon: A Supernatural Fantasy https://www.amazon.com/Wolf-Moon-supernatural-fantasy-ebook/dp/B01DWPRX04/ref=tmm_kin_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=&sr=
Gypsy's Quest: A Time Travel Romance (Gypsy Series Book 1) https://www.amazon.com/Gypsys-Quest-travel-romance-Gypsy-ebook/dp/B00HXNKLRO/ref=tmm_kin_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=&sr=
Gypsy's Return: A Time Travel Romance (Gypsy Series Book 2) https://www.amazon.com/Gypsys-Return-travel-romance-Gypsy-ebook/dp/B00LMDHIBS/ref=tmm_kin_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=&sr=
Gypsy's Secret: A Time Travel Romance (Gypsy Series Book 3) https://www.amazon.com/Gypsys-Secret-Travel-Romance-Gypsy-ebook/dp/B00PZ2BVBA/ref=tmm_kin_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=&sr=
Gypsy Trilogy Gift Set: Gypsy Trilogy: Gypsy's Quest, Gypsy's Return, Gypsy's Secret https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00QO845Z8/ref=dbs_a_def_rwt_bibl_vppi_i6
Murder In Plain Sight: A Summer McCloud Paranormal Mystery Book 1 http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B013VKERKE/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B013VKERKE&linkCode=as2&tag=colcofpre-20&linkId=MT53XWYHBBPZHK3T
Summer McCloud Boxed Set: Paranormal Murder Mysteries 1-5 https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07C7W91PH/ref=dbs_a_def_rwt_bibl_vppi_i15
Saffron and Seaweed: A Summer McCloud Paranormal Mystery Book 2 http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B016UZMHM2/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B016UZMHM2&linkCode=as2&tag=colcofpre-20&linkId=Y7VTLDQFO3TKU5UK
Black and White and Red all Over (A Summer McCloud Paranormal Mystery Book 3) https://www.amazon.com/Black-Summer-McCloud-paranormal-mystery-ebook/dp/B01FY6IEZ2/ref=tmm_kin_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=&sr=
Finlay's Folly: A Ghost Story (A Summer McCloud Paranormal Mystery Book 4) https://www.amazon.com/Finlays-Summer-McCloud-paranormal-mystery-ebook/dp/B01N28P07O/ref=tmm_kin_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=&sr=
The Night Of The Jaguar: A Summer McCloud Paranormal Mystery Book 5 https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B078J9KB2W/ref=dbs_a_def_rwt_bibl_vppi_i10
Time Bridge: Fehin and Airy Book 1 https://www.amazon.com/Bridge-shared-destiny-travel-across-ebook/dp/B00XZGXGJ8/ref=tmm_kin_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=&sr=
Time Gap: Airy and Fehin Book 2 https://www.amazon.com/Time-Gap-happens-present-collide-ebook/dp/B01M9JR2V1/ref=tmm_kin_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=&sr=
Rosemary For Remembrance: A Supernatural War-Torn Love Story https://www.amazon.com/Rosemary-Remembrance-supernatural-war-torn-story-ebook/dp/B0711FL8T8/ref=tmm_kin_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=&sr=
A Witch In Time Saves Nine https://www.amazon.com/Witch-Time-Saves-Nine-ebook/dp/B01IL91QTA/ref=tmm_kin_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=&sr=
The Moon In Her Eyes: A Witch's Tale https://www.amazon.com/Moon-Her-Eyes-witchs-tale-ebook/dp/B076N412QV/ref=tmm_kin_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=&sr=
Interview:
What makes you proud to be a writer from Tucson, Arizona? I am proud to be a writer no matter where I live, but this area has a special mystical quality about it that harkens back to the early days of the Native tribes who lived here.
What or who inspired you to become a writer? I always loved to write—my favorite classes in school were when the teacher gave us one unfinished sentence and told the class to write for fifteen minutes. In college I majored in Art and English, unsure which was the most important to me.
Did your environment or upbringing play a major role in your writing and did you use it to your advantage? I spent a lot of time alone when I was a kid—There were no electronic devices then and so I was able to use my imagination to make up stories as I roamed forests and fields. I was an army brat and so we moved a lot, which added to my introversion. I read books nonstop.
When did you begin writing with the intention of becoming published? It was around 2003 that I began a serious story that had to do with my father’s time as a POW. That book still languishes due to the heavy emotional toll it took. In the meantime, I began a fantasy that took off and turned into three books. I sent it out to 60 agents before I decided to self-publish.
What has been your most rewarding experience with your writing and publishing journey? The writing itself is my reward. I feel blessed that the muse has seen fit to stick with me!
Please introduce your genre and why you prefer to write in that genre? I write in several genres—the main one is fantasy, but I also write paranormal mystery, historical fiction and dystopian.
What do you like to do when you are not writing? We just got back from a trip to Britain…I love to travel. Travel has brought me many ideas for my books. I also like to hike with my dog, and do yoga—I’m also thinking about making my own shea butter products…
What one positive piece of advice would you give to other authors? Main one is do not be discouraged. There are many writers and many approaches to writing. Don’t give into the crowd mentality—think for yourself. And READ avidly!
Who is your favorite author and why? If I had one favorite author it would probably be Lewis Carrol. Alice in Wonderland was my favorite book growing up, as well as his other writings—also loved Rudyard Kipling (Jungle books) There are so many it would take a full page to list them all! Of course, Tolkien comes to mind. I love fantastical stories like The Night Circus.
What writers would you compare yourself to? I have always had a difficult time when I’m asked to compare myself with other writers. There seems to be a marketing trend now about describing oneself as a mix between this author and that. I question this. I recently read a book about Hemingway, who felt as I do—he thought of himself as unique and frowned on comparisons with others. I understand the reasoning, but my contention is—can’t being unique be a claim to fame? w
Amazon Author’s Page http://www.amazon.com/Nikki-Broadwell/e/B007EE1LN0/ref=sr_ntt_srch_lnk_1?qid=1445118734&sr=8-1
Professional Websitehttp://www.nikkibroadwell.com/
Professional Blogshttp://niksblog-authorinprogress.blogspot.com/2015/10/saffron-and-seaweed.htmlhttp://jalapenosandjavelina.blogspot.com
Facebookhttps://www.facebook.com/Author-Nikki-Broadwell-117978961639691/
Twitterhttps://twitter.com/nikkibroadwell
Book Awards http://authorstalkaboutit.com/2017-atai-book-award-contest-finalists-announced/
Cold Coffee Presshttp://www.coldcoffeepress.com/nikki-broadwell/
CCP Book Listing Page: http://www.coldcoffeepress.com/burning-night-by-nikki-broadwell/
Authors Keys To Success http://www.coldcoffeepress.com
Published on October 27, 2018 14:59
October 26, 2018
Finding Billy Battles Trilogy - by Ronald E. Yates
Finding Billy Battles Trilogy by Ronald E. Yates
Must Read Historical Fiction With Action & Adventure Trilogy
All Three Book Bundled At Kindle For $13.97 https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07DNDWHH6/ref=series_rw_dp_sw/132-5477088-3669130
From Book 1: Finding Billy Battles When a great-grandson inherits two aging trunks and a stack of meticulously detailed journals penned by his great-grandfather, he sets out to fulfill his great-grandfather's last request: to tell the story of an incredible life replete with adventure, violence, and tragedy. The great-grandfather's name is Billy Battles--a man often trapped and overwhelmed by circumstances beyond his control. For much of his 100-year-long life Billy is a man missing and largely unknown to his descendants. His great-grandson is about to change that. As he works his way through the aging journals and the other possessions he finds in the battered trunks he uncovers the truth about his mysterious great-grandfather--a man whose deeds and misdeeds propelled him on an extraordinary and perilous journey from the untamed American West to the inscrutable Far East, Latin America and Europe. As he flips through the pages of the handwritten journals he learns of Billy's surprising connections to the Spanish-American War, French Indochina, and revolutions in Mexico and other Latin American countries. But most of all he learns that in finding Billy Battles he has also found a long lost and astonishing link to the past.
One Special Book Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars Fantastic Historical Fiction Amazon Verified Purchase Review Most of my relatives are normal, boring people. They have interesting anecdotes and some cool experiences, but overall there is nothing that will make me sit back and listen to them for hours on end. Billy Battles is nothing like these people. Apparently taken partially from a real-life person, this tale is told through the great grandson of Billy Battles reading through the personal journals of his life as a young man, exploring the world and discovering himself. Having studied history, the research involved in this book is striking and very thorough. The language, the details, the people and cultures, are very true to life, and I have to take my hat off to Ronald Yates. Yet the book doesn’t just rest on being factual. Through the journals, I got a very close look at Billy, and the people he met, which humanized several actual historical characters, without taking any undue liberties to make them fit a certain mold. I read this book in a day and half the night, and I don’t regret the lost sleep. Reviewed by Dan Clarke
From Book 2: The Improbable Journeys of Billy Battles Billy Battles is definitely not in Kansas anymore. As Book 2 of the Finding Billy Battles trilogy opens, Billy is far from his Kansas roots and his improbable journeys are just starting. The year is 1894 and Billy is aboard the S S China sailing to the inscrutable Far East. Trouble is not far behind. He has met a mysterious and possibly dangerous German Baroness. He has locked horns with malevolent agents of the German government and battled ferocious Chinese and Malay pirates in the South China Sea. Later, he is embroiled in the bloody anti-French insurgency in Indochina–which quite possibly makes him the first American combatant in a country that eventually will become Vietnam. Then, in the Philippines, he is thrust into the Spanish-American War and the brutal anti-American insurgency that follows. But Billy’s troubles are only beginning. As the 19th century ends and the 20th century begins, he finds himself entangled with political opportunists, spies, revolutionaries, and an assortment of vindictive and dubious characters of both sexes. How will Billy handle those people and the challenges they present? The answers are just ahead.
One Special Book Review: You can't help but be intrigued and fascinated by the intrepid, larger-than-life protagonist in Ronald Yates' entertaining and thoughtful second book of his Finding Billy Battles trilogy. This time, you see how Billy's tumultuous life begins to impact him in middle age as he seeks his next adventures to distract him from past grief and guilt. Yates has an effective way of revealing interesting details of exotic places during historic periods--this time primarily in the Orient of the late 19th and early 20th centuries--while weaving in a fascinating tale of a man in perpetual motion. One can't help but find interesting parallels at Yates' deft hand between Billy's unrest and that of French Indochina and the Philippines during a time of conflict and pushback over European colonization. Ray Elliott, Author of, With the Silent Knowledge, Iwo Blasted Again, and Wild Hands Toward the Sky
Awards: Three Pulitzer Prize nominations by the Chicago TribuneThe Peter Lisagor Award from the Society of Professional JournalistsThe Inter-American Press Association Tom Wallace Award for coverage of South AmericaThree Edward Scott Beck Awards for international reporting.
Cold Coffee Review: The Improbable Journeys of Billy Battles is the sequel to Finding Billy Battles. I jumped right into this book without reading the first in this trilogy and found it to be a compelling story based on fact and expanded by narrative fiction. Ted Sayles who is the great-grandson of Billy Battles inherits Billy’s journals and while writing this trilogy he stays very true to the language of the late nineteenth and early twentieth century. While this book opens in 1894 with William (Billy) Battles heading for the Orient aboard the SS China it covers his time in the Far East, Latin America, and Europe. It is aboard the SS China that Billy meets German Baroness Katharina von Schreiber. She is gorgeous and regal, far out of reach of a Kansas scribbler (journalist).
Since you have probably read the book’s description I wrestle with what to share with you from this amazing story and journey that Billy Battles is about to embark on. So I have decided to quote this passage to whet your appetite. I quote: “Katharina’s cabin was a bit larger than mine was, and like mine, its walls were covered with dark mahogany panels. In addition to the two overstuffed chairs and writing table, she also had a small dining table. That is where we settled, she on one side and me on the other. “I’m sorry, I have nothing to offer you to drink.” Then she paused, stood up, and walked to her wardrobe where she produced a tear-shaped bottle of Glenglassaugh single malt Scotch whiskey and two heavy cut crystal glasses. “Except for this.” She returned and placed the glasses on the table in front of us. “May I?” she asked, and then uncorking the bottle, she poured two fingers in each glass. “This was my late husband’s favorite.” I shuddered imperceptibly at that remark but pulled the glass toward me anyway. Images of Katharina pushing Baron von Schreiber over a cliff or poisoning him with arsenic-laced Wiener schnitzel flooded my mind. I forced those macabre thoughts out of my mind by focusing on the rich amber hue of the whiskey as I uneasily swirled the glass around and around in front of me. What was I doing? I found myself thinking. Why was I in Katharina Schreiber’s cabin about to drink expensive single malt Scotch whiskey with a woman who had just admitted she had killed, but not murdered, her husband?” Murder, mystery, intrigue, people, places and events that were intended to divert Billy’s attention from his past soon gets him embroiled in Katharina’s past, with the German government, not to mention Chinese and Malay pirates. Later on he finds himself perhaps the first American to be involved in the Anti-French insurgency in Indochina which will later be called Vietnam and involve America. War will not end there as he is forced into the Spanish-American War while in the Philippines. Just as life takes many unexpected turns for Billy Battles so will your desire to keep turning the pages of this book to find out what is it about Billy Battles that causes him to try to escape his past, endure his new reality and find measured peace as he heads into the twilight of his life. I invite you to read The Improbable Journeys of Billy Battles as it is a journey worth your time. Be sure to read Finding Billy Battles (book one in this trilogy) while waiting for the author to write the final book in this amazing trilogy. Author Ronald E. Yates life experience as a foreign correspondent for the Chicago Tribune in Japan, China, Southeast Asia, and Central and South America gives him the authority with which he writes. It is important to point out he won “three Pulitzer Prize nominations and several other awards, including the Peter Lisagor Award from the Society of Professional Journalists; The Inter-American Press Association Award for coverage of South America; and three Edward Scott Beck Awards for international reporting. He is a graduate of the William Allen White School of Journalism at the University of Kansas. He lives in Murrieta, California.”
I endorse The Improbable Journeys of Billy Battles (Trilogy Book Two) by Ronald E. Yates. Ronald E. Yates is the author of the Finding Billy Battles (book one in this trilogy) and The Kikkoman Chronicles: A Global Company with A Japanese Soul, Aboard The Tokyo Express: A Foreign Correspondent's Journey Through Japan as well as three journalism textbooks: The Journalist's Handbook, International Reporting and Foreign Correspondents, and Business and Financial Reporting in a global Economy. I purchased this book from Kindle. This review was completed on June 17, 2016.
From Book 3: The Lost Years Of Billy Battles Where in the world is Billy Battles? As Book Three of the Finding Billy Battles trilogy begins we know where Billy is. He is in Chicago with his wife, the former Baroness Katharina von Schreiber living a sedate and comfortable life after years of adventure and tragedy. That changes with a single telephone call that yanks Billy and Katharina back into a life of havoc and peril. Persuaded by a powerful old friend to go undercover for the U.S. government the two find themselves in Mexico during the height of the violent 1910-1920 revolution. There they encounter assorted German spies, Mexican revolutionaries, devious political operatives, and other malefactors. Caught in the middle of the 1914 American invasion of Veracruz, they must find a way out while keeping their real identities secret. Later on, disaster strikes. It is a tragedy Billy is all too familiar with and one that will send him plummeting into a chasm of despair and agony. Then, Billy vanishes leaving family and friends to wonder what happened to him. Where is he? Is he dead or alive? What provoked his disappearance? In Book 3 of the Finding Billy Battles Trilogy, those questions are answered, and the mystery behind Billy’s disappearance is ultimately revealed.
Cold Coffee Review: Saying goodbye to an old friend is always hard and that is how I feel as the “Finding Billy Battles Trilogy” comes to a close with book three titled “The Lost Years of Billy Battles”.
The fictional Ted Sayles has done a remarkable job reading and producing this trilogy from more than a dozen journals written by his great grandfather Billy Battles. It is the historical significance woven skillfully within the element of fiction that makes this trilogy a must read for history buffs and fans of action and adventure novels. After years of travel, relationships with foreign governments, wars of American making and wars forced upon us, not to mention the Chinese and Malay pirates; Billy and Katharina finally enjoy a few peaceful years where Billy is an editor for the Chicago Record-Herald and Katharina a successful author. It is inevitable that this serene period wouldn’t last forever. One phone call to go undercover will find them “caught in the middle of the 1914 American invasion of Veracruz”. Just when danger subsides, I found myself holding my breath when the unthinkable happens. “Katharina wasn’t the one the five men were after. It was me. But when they couldn’t find me, they decided to take Katharina to use as bait. That was the first revelation. Next was who the men were. The man who had dragged Katharina out of the house was Mason Bledsoe, son of Nate Bledsoe, the man I had killed in 1889 on my family’s homestead in Western Kansas. When I heard the name, my knees buckled and my heart raced for a moment.” It was the ransom note that made Billy’s heart sink. Of all the dangers Billy and Katharina had been exposed to in their life together, how will this one match up? When Billy is nowhere to be found, what reason will be uncovered? How will Billy Battle close the final chapter in his journal? Will Ted Sayles effort to canonize the legacy of his Great Grandfather Billy Battle live on for future generations? There is no doubt in my mind that Author Ronald E. Yates’ extensive historical research, skilled character development and impeccable story telling has brought the reader to a successful conclusion in this thought-provoking trilogy.
I invite you to read the entire “Finding Billy Battles Trilogy” as it portrays, as much a glimpse into history, as it does into one man’s life. I endorse The Lost Years Of Billy Battles (Finding Billy Battles Trilogy Book 3) by Ronald Yates as a final testimony to the life and times of Billy Battle. I purchased this book in Kindle format. This review was completed on June 26, 2018.
About The Author: Ronald E. Yates is an award-winning author of historical fiction and action/adventure novels, including the popular and highly-acclaimed Finding Billy Battles trilogy. His extraordinarily accurate books have captivated fans around the world who applaud his ability to blend fact and fiction. Ron is a former foreign correspondent for the Chicago Tribune and Professor Emeritus of Journalism at the University of Illinois where he was also the Dean of the College of Media. His award-winning book, "The Improbable Journeys of Billy Battles," is the second in his Finding Billy Battles trilogy of novels and was published in June 2016. The first book in the trilogy, "Finding Billy Battles," was published in 2014. His latest book is entitled The Lost Years of Billy Battles. It is book #3 of the trilogy and will be released in May 2018. Ron has been a presenting author at the Kansas Book Festival and the Los Angeles Times Festival of Books, among other venues. He is also the author of The Kikkoman Chronicles: A Global Company with A Japanese Soul, published by McGraw-Hill. Other books include Aboard the Tokyo Express: A Foreign Correspondent's Journey through Japan, a collection of columns translated into Japanese, as well as three journalism textbooks: The Journalist's Handbook, International Reporting and Foreign Correspondents, and Business and Financial Reporting in a Global Economy. Before leaving the world of professional journalism where he toiled 27 years, Ron lived and worked in Japan, Southeast Asia, and both Central and South America where he covered several history-making events including the fall of South Vietnam and Cambodia; the Tiananmen Square massacre in Beijing; and wars and revolutions in Afghanistan, the Philippines, Nicaragua, El Salvador and Guatemala, among other places.
His work as a war correspondent resulted in several awards, including the Inter-American Press Association's Tom Wallace Award for coverage of Central and South America; the Peter Lisagor Award from the Society of Professional Journalists; three Edward Scott Beck Awards for International Reporting, and three Pulitzer nominations. Ron is a proud graduate of the William Allen White School of Journalism at the University of Kansas and a veteran of the U.S. Army where he served in the Army Security Agency.
Amazon Author’s Pagehttp://www.amazon.com/-/e/B001KHDVZI/-/e/B00KQAYMA8/
Professional Websitehttp://ronaldyatesbooks.com/
Professional Bloghttp://ronaldyatesbooks.com/category/foreign-correspondent/
Facebookhttps://www.facebook.com/Ronald-E-Yates-Books-688075584557417/
Twitterhttps://twitter.com/jhawker69
Google+https://plus.google.com/u/0/+RonYates/about?cfem=1
Cold Coffee Presshttp://www.coldcoffeepress.com/ronald-e-yates/
CCP Trilogy Page http://www.coldcoffeepress.com/finding-billy-battles-trilogy-kindle-gift-set-by-ronald-e-yates/
Authors Keys To Success: http://www.coldcoffeepress.com/keys-program-for-authors/
Published on October 26, 2018 13:24
October 4, 2018
Wayland���s Revenge by Lesley Lodge
Wayland���s Revenge by Lesley Lodge
It���s 1647: a time of bitter civil wars in England. Wayland, the village blacksmith, returns from army service to find his wife, Rebecca, murdered and his son traumatised and struck dumb. Wayland���s overpowering desire for revenge is thwarted by the collapse of laws and a dearth of clues to her sadistic killer. Thwarted, that is, until the villagers ask him to investigate a runaway horse. Whilst searching for its rider, he discovers instead the body of a young boy, cut with symbols in the same way as Rebecca���s body had been. The clues abound and confuse with elements of witchcraft, religious hatred and the enmities of civil war.
Wayland sets out on a perilous journey to find the killer, taking with him his son Jonathan and Alun, a canny Welsh baker. But just as they find their first suspect, they are trapped in the brutal Siege of Colchester, facing ever more dangerous challenges. Wayland, Alun and Jonathan must draw on all their strengths, devise new strategies and make agonising decisions, if they are to stay alive and find the real killer before he strikes again.
Cold Coffee Review: Captivating story listed as historical fiction, but seeped in truth. The Author is writing from the UK, where language and spelling might differ from your own.
The setting is 1647 in Forest Heath, England. The main character, Wayland returns from war to find his wife has been murdered and his son traumatized. This village blacksmith sets out to find the sadistic killer of his beloved Rebecca. Wayland enlists his son Jonathan and his baker friend Alun to help him. The three of them set out on a perilous journey. In the process Wayland discovers the truth behind the symbols cut into Rebecca���s dead body.
Author Lesley Lodge is a compelling writer. I quote, ���Wayland was standing beside a lake, watching thick grey clouds swirl over the seething water. At first, he could hear only the waves slopping against the shoreline. Then a woman���s head broke through the surface of the lake, gasping, choking, panting. Wayland leapt forward, ran towards her, shouted to her to hold on, to wait for him. But her head sank down again. He could see only the black surging sea and some dirty white foam.���
The author carefully takes the reader from 1647 back to 1645. I quote, ���The howling became louder, nearer. Agnes could make out individual screams now. For a moment she felt paralysed, rooted on to the earth, her hands still holding the strips of cloth. Then she dropped the cloth and she ran, holding her skirts up out of the mud. Other women soon overtook her; their urgency spurred her on. Tree branches whipped at her face and caught at her skirts. Neither she nor any of the other women wasted any breath screaming now. All that Agnes could hear was the sound of her own lungs heaving and that of her heart drumming.���
Then back to 1647 where for Wayland ���a few more days passed uneventfully though, and the uneasy feeling began to leave him. Instead, he and Alun discussed again and again their hoped���for encounter with their suspect Carter and what it might mean in terms of opportunities to question the man further. One morning they were sorting through the charcoal stores, setting to one side the big lumps needed for the smithy furnace and to the other side the smaller pieces more suited for the bakery oven. Wayland suddenly picked up the bellows and threw them into the far corner of the smithy.
���When?��� he shouted, ���When will God grant me the truth? Will we never get any further with our search? Can we never find justice for the boy���s death? Or for Rebecca���s death? We will likely perish in this Godforsaken town, murdered by one side or the other. Or starve to death. All for no reason.���
I invite you to read Wayland���s Revenge. I purchased this book from Kindle and posted this review on October 3, 2018.
Genre: Historical Fiction, Mysteries, Thrillers, Fiction, Literature, Suspense
Product Details: Paperback: 232 Pages Publisher: Troubador Publishing (August 28, 2018) Language: English ISBN-10: 1789013607 ISBN-13: 978-1789013603 Product Dimensions: 7.8 x 0.9 x 5.1 inches
Amazon Customer Reviews: https://www.amazon.com/Waylands-Revenge-Lesley-Lodge/dp/1789013607/ref=tmm_pap_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=&sr=#customerReviews
Print https://www.amazon.com/Waylands-Revenge-Lesley-Lodge/dp/1789013607/ref=tmm_pap_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=&sr=
Kindle https://www.amazon.com/Waylands-Revenge-Lesley-Lodge-ebook/dp/B07CYW7JZ5/ref=tmm_kin_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=&sr=
Audio Book https://www.amazon.com/Waylands-Revenge/dp/B07D84KB6N/ref=tmm_aud_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=&sr=
************************
Lights-Camera-Gallop: The Story Of The Horse In Film by Lesley Lodge
All the film and TV horses you've loved - and more!
From Roy Rogers' Trigger to War Horse Joey
You'll find all the genres of film featuring horses here: Westerns (with exciting chases), wild horse movies (survival against great odds) and comedies (talking horses, a horse on a piano).
You'll find out how some of the most awesome scenes with horses were filmed - and how to spot some of the tricks of the trade.
Check out the pictures of beautiful horses - well-toned bodies, manes to die for, amazing stunts. You'll find key cinematic techniques are explained, from clever editing, through Stop Animation to Computer Generated Images, all in easy to understand terms.
Lights! Camera! Gallop! will also tell you where to watch exciting clips of horses on the internet for free. And there's a fun film trivia quiz at the end.
* Sixteen great photos
Horse stars and stunts
* Over one hundred films referred to
From silent movies to War Horse
* How DID they do that?
Stunts ��� and make-up for horses ��� explained
Genre: Crafts, Hobbies, Home, Animal Care, Pets, Horses, Humor, Entertainment, History, Criticism
Product Details: Paperback: 138 Pages Publisher: CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform; 1 edition (December 15, 2012) Language: English ISBN-10: 1481051644 ISBN-13: 978-1481051644 Product Dimensions: 6 x 0.3 x 9 inches
Amazon Customer Reviews: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01E04EF4S/ref=dbs_a_def_rwt_hsch_vapi_taft_p1_i2#customerReviews
Print: https://www.amazon.com/Lights-Camera-Gallop-Story-Horse/dp/1481051644/ref=tmm_pap_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=&sr=
Kindle: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01E04EF4S/ref=dbs_a_def_rwt_hsch_vapi_taft_p1_i2
************************
Horse and Pony Colours: Which Would You Choose by Lesley Lodge
Have you ever wondered what a blue roan is? Or a Perlino? There are more than fifty horse and pony colours and colour combinations!
Illustrated paperback.
This book - with colour photos - will tell you about all the horse and pony colours and their combinations. It has some stunning colour photos and explanations of the different colour terms. There's a bit of science too, around why horses inherit different colours. And some useful websites for more horse colours and film clips.
So, what colour would you choose for your perfect horse (real or imaginary)?
Genre: Nonfiction, Science, Biological Sciences, Animals, Horses, Science, Math, Biological, Nature, Ecology, Fauna
Product Details: Paperback: 90 Pages Publisher: CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform; First edition (December 9, 2013) Language: English ISBN-10: 1494338866 ISBN-13: 978-1494338862 Product Dimensions: 6 x 0.2 x 9 inches
Amazon Customer Reviews: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00HA7A772/ref=dbs_a_def_rwt_bibl_vppi_i3#customerReviews
Print: https://www.amazon.com/Horse-Pony-Colours-Which-choose/dp/1494338866/ref=tmm_pap_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=&sr=
Kindle: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00HA7A772/ref=dbs_a_def_rwt_bibl_vppi_i3
************************
Because It Is Written by Lesley Lodge
"Two very different short stories about revenge and redemption:
"Because it is Written" is set in seventeenth century England. The discovery of a runaway horse leads to a chance for Wayland ��� village blacksmith and ex-soldier ��� to take a full revenge on the man who murdered his wife. Includes some original images.
"Hoodies", set on a present-day inner-city estate, tells of a drug-dealer���s violent death from the viewpoint of his one-time girlfriend.���
Genre: Mystery, Thriller, Suspense, Crime Fiction, Historical Fiction
Product Details: Paperback: 36 Pages Publisher: CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform (February 2, 2013) Language: English ISBN-10: 1481912542 ISBN-13: 978-1481912549 Product Dimensions: 6 x 0.1 x 9 inches
Print: https://www.amazon.com/Because-Written-Lesley-Lodge/dp/1481912542/ref=tmm_pap_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=&sr=
Kindle: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01DSY44V0/ref=dbs_a_def_rwt_bibl_vppi_i4
************************
Coloring Book Of Horses: Stress Reducing Art Therapy Paperback by Lesley Lodge
Reduce your anxiety and stress levels colouring-in - with horses. This book offers two sorts of colouring-in: Coloring-in with patterns and Coloring-in with the 50 plus actual horse colour combinations.
Genre: Arts, Photography, Drawing, Coloring Books for Grown-Ups, Animals, Health, Fitness, Dieting, Alternative Medicine, Meditation, Crafts, Hobbies, Home, Crafts, Hobbies
Product Details: Paperback: 82 Pages Publisher: CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform; 1 edition (August 27, 2015) Language: English ISBN-10: 1515202364 ISBN-13: 978-1515202363 Product Dimensions: 8.5 x 0.2 x 11 inches
Amazon Customer Reviews: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1515202364/ref=dbs_a_def_rwt_bibl_vppi_i0#customerReviews
Print: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1515202364/ref=dbs_a_def_rwt_bibl_vppi_i0
************************Cold Coffee Press Spotlight Interview With Author Lesley Lodge
About Lesley Lodge: Lesley Lodge now lives on a very small farm in England after many years working on regeneration projects in inner-city London. She grew up in the New Forest with holiday jobs in a racing stable and on a palomino stud farm. Her long-time ride is Freddie, a hairy bay cob mare with a moustache. Lesley has had several short stories published. Blues to Orange, about a farmer ruined by the foot and mouth outbreak, was a Luton Literary Prize Winner and published in Junction 10, a collection of short stories. She has twice been a Runner-up Prizewinner in the annual British National Short Screenplay Competition and is a past Time Out and Jim Beam Whiskey Cult Film Buff of the Year. Lesley is currently working on a crime novel set in 17th century England featuring ex-soldier and blacksmith Wayland. Lesley is always looking for new stories about horses in film or TV - you can contact her through her website: http://www.lesleylodge.co.uk
Interview:
What makes you proud to be a writer from Bedfordshire, in the UK? It���s a rural area in the UK and a few aspects of farming life are much the same as in the seventeenth century, when my novel is set. A blacksmith still makes my horse���s shoes from molten iron, for example, just as the protagonist in ���Wayland���s Revenge.
What World Region are you in? I live in the UK (European Union) on a smallholding farm, about 40 miles north of London.
What or who inspired you to become a writer? The boy next door was writing stories. He was fourteen, I was eleven. I thought if he can do it, then I could certainly try it (and maybe that would impress him���).
When did you begin writing with the intention of becoming published? I���d had professional articles published in the course of my work but I began writing fiction in earnest, with the aim of being published, around 2010.
What has been your most rewarding experience with your writing and publishing journey? I think the most exhilarating moment in my writing and publishing journey was finally writing ���The End��� to my draft novel ��� after five years of researching, writing and polishing it.
How many published books do you have? One novel, two self-published non-fiction books (on horses in film). Several short stories published.
Please introduce your genre and why you prefer to write in that genre? Historical novels are a great way to explore issues in a more distant and nuanced way. For example, ���Brexit��� has divided Britain ��� but England was far more brutally divided by civil wars in the seventeenth century for example. Also, history is an amazing source for stories of all kinds. The stakes were usually much higher than in many of today���s societies.
Please list the title of your book you want featured and promoted? Wayland���s Revenge.
What do you like to do when you are not writing? I ride Freddie, my hairy horse, a Clydesdale Cob cross with a moustache. And the turkeys and sheep on the smallholding keep me busy.
What one positive piece of advice would you give to other authors? Grammar and structure can always be perfected afterwards. The thing is to get your story, quirks and all, on to paper first.
Who is your favorite author and why? C J Samson ��� for his Shardlake series which completely take you to England in the sixteenth century but also for his moving story set during and after the Spanish Civil War in Winter in Madrid.
Please add any additional questions and answers that you think readers would like to know.
Q: So why did you choose the seventeenth century setting? And why Essex, England?
A: England was utterly divided ��� in civil war. Matthew Hopkins, self-styled Witch-finder General, was responsible for the trials and deaths of some 300 supposed witches in Essex. The Siege of Colchester lasted eleven weeks in the summer of 1648. The townspeople, once they���d eaten all the dogs and rats, were reduced to eating candles and soap. Hundreds died.
Q: So why Wayland, a blacksmith, as protagonist and ���detective���?
A: Well, blacksmiths were neither gentry nor peasant class. This gave them some scope for independent action ��� a rare thing in the seventeenth century but something a ���detective��� needs. Also, they were experts not only with horses but also with weapon making and repair. Their command of fire and molten iron inspired awe and respect in the community.
Awards: One of my short stories ��� Blues to Orange - was a Luton Literary Prize winner but no links.
Amazon Author���s Page: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Lesley-Lodge/e/B0094HBCMK/
Professional Website: http://www.lesleylodge.co.uk/
Professional Blog: https://lesleylodge.wordpress.com
Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/LesleyLodgeAuthorPage/
Twitter: @LesleyLodge
Google+: https://plus.google.com/u/0/115281020673054750226
Cold Coffee Press http://www.coldcoffeepress.com/lesley-lodge/
Authors Keys To Success Program: http://www.coldcoffeepress.com/keys-program-for-authors/
Published on October 04, 2018 09:22
Wayland’s Revenge by Lesley Lodge
Wayland’s Revenge by Lesley Lodge
It’s 1647: a time of bitter civil wars in England. Wayland, the village blacksmith, returns from army service to find his wife, Rebecca, murdered and his son traumatised and struck dumb. Wayland’s overpowering desire for revenge is thwarted by the collapse of laws and a dearth of clues to her sadistic killer. Thwarted, that is, until the villagers ask him to investigate a runaway horse. Whilst searching for its rider, he discovers instead the body of a young boy, cut with symbols in the same way as Rebecca’s body had been. The clues abound and confuse with elements of witchcraft, religious hatred and the enmities of civil war.
Wayland sets out on a perilous journey to find the killer, taking with him his son Jonathan and Alun, a canny Welsh baker. But just as they find their first suspect, they are trapped in the brutal Siege of Colchester, facing ever more dangerous challenges. Wayland, Alun and Jonathan must draw on all their strengths, devise new strategies and make agonising decisions, if they are to stay alive and find the real killer before he strikes again.
Cold Coffee Review: Captivating story listed as historical fiction, but seeped in truth. The Author is writing from the UK, where language and spelling might differ from your own.
The setting is 1647 in Forest Heath, England. The main character, Wayland returns from war to find his wife has been murdered and his son traumatized. This village blacksmith sets out to find the sadistic killer of his beloved Rebecca. Wayland enlists his son Jonathan and his baker friend Alun to help him. The three of them set out on a perilous journey. In the process Wayland discovers the truth behind the symbols cut into Rebecca’s dead body.
Author Lesley Lodge is a compelling writer. I quote, “Wayland was standing beside a lake, watching thick grey clouds swirl over the seething water. At first, he could hear only the waves slopping against the shoreline. Then a woman’s head broke through the surface of the lake, gasping, choking, panting. Wayland leapt forward, ran towards her, shouted to her to hold on, to wait for him. But her head sank down again. He could see only the black surging sea and some dirty white foam.”
The author carefully takes the reader from 1647 back to 1645. I quote, “The howling became louder, nearer. Agnes could make out individual screams now. For a moment she felt paralysed, rooted on to the earth, her hands still holding the strips of cloth. Then she dropped the cloth and she ran, holding her skirts up out of the mud. Other women soon overtook her; their urgency spurred her on. Tree branches whipped at her face and caught at her skirts. Neither she nor any of the other women wasted any breath screaming now. All that Agnes could hear was the sound of her own lungs heaving and that of her heart drumming.”
Then back to 1647 where for Wayland “a few more days passed uneventfully though, and the uneasy feeling began to leave him. Instead, he and Alun discussed again and again their hoped–for encounter with their suspect Carter and what it might mean in terms of opportunities to question the man further. One morning they were sorting through the charcoal stores, setting to one side the big lumps needed for the smithy furnace and to the other side the smaller pieces more suited for the bakery oven. Wayland suddenly picked up the bellows and threw them into the far corner of the smithy.
‘When?’ he shouted, ‘When will God grant me the truth? Will we never get any further with our search? Can we never find justice for the boy’s death? Or for Rebecca’s death? We will likely perish in this Godforsaken town, murdered by one side or the other. Or starve to death. All for no reason.’
I invite you to read Wayland’s Revenge. I purchased this book from Kindle and posted this review on October 3, 2018.
Genre: Historical Fiction, Mysteries, Thrillers, Fiction, Literature, Suspense
Product Details: Paperback: 232 Pages Publisher: Troubador Publishing (August 28, 2018) Language: English ISBN-10: 1789013607 ISBN-13: 978-1789013603 Product Dimensions: 7.8 x 0.9 x 5.1 inches
Amazon Customer Reviews: https://www.amazon.com/Waylands-Revenge-Lesley-Lodge/dp/1789013607/ref=tmm_pap_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=&sr=#customerReviews
Print https://www.amazon.com/Waylands-Revenge-Lesley-Lodge/dp/1789013607/ref=tmm_pap_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=&sr=
Kindle https://www.amazon.com/Waylands-Revenge-Lesley-Lodge-ebook/dp/B07CYW7JZ5/ref=tmm_kin_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=&sr=
Audio Book https://www.amazon.com/Waylands-Revenge/dp/B07D84KB6N/ref=tmm_aud_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=&sr=
************************
Lights-Camera-Gallop: The Story Of The Horse In Film by Lesley Lodge
All the film and TV horses you've loved - and more!
From Roy Rogers' Trigger to War Horse Joey
You'll find all the genres of film featuring horses here: Westerns (with exciting chases), wild horse movies (survival against great odds) and comedies (talking horses, a horse on a piano).
You'll find out how some of the most awesome scenes with horses were filmed - and how to spot some of the tricks of the trade.
Check out the pictures of beautiful horses - well-toned bodies, manes to die for, amazing stunts. You'll find key cinematic techniques are explained, from clever editing, through Stop Animation to Computer Generated Images, all in easy to understand terms.
Lights! Camera! Gallop! will also tell you where to watch exciting clips of horses on the internet for free. And there's a fun film trivia quiz at the end.
* Sixteen great photos
Horse stars and stunts
* Over one hundred films referred to
From silent movies to War Horse
* How DID they do that?
Stunts – and make-up for horses – explained
Genre: Crafts, Hobbies, Home, Animal Care, Pets, Horses, Humor, Entertainment, History, Criticism
Product Details: Paperback: 138 Pages Publisher: CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform; 1 edition (December 15, 2012) Language: English ISBN-10: 1481051644 ISBN-13: 978-1481051644 Product Dimensions: 6 x 0.3 x 9 inches
Amazon Customer Reviews: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01E04EF4S/ref=dbs_a_def_rwt_hsch_vapi_taft_p1_i2#customerReviews
Print: https://www.amazon.com/Lights-Camera-Gallop-Story-Horse/dp/1481051644/ref=tmm_pap_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=&sr=
Kindle: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01E04EF4S/ref=dbs_a_def_rwt_hsch_vapi_taft_p1_i2
************************
Horse and Pony Colours: Which Would You Choose by Lesley Lodge
Have you ever wondered what a blue roan is? Or a Perlino? There are more than fifty horse and pony colours and colour combinations!
Illustrated paperback.
This book - with colour photos - will tell you about all the horse and pony colours and their combinations. It has some stunning colour photos and explanations of the different colour terms. There's a bit of science too, around why horses inherit different colours. And some useful websites for more horse colours and film clips.
So, what colour would you choose for your perfect horse (real or imaginary)?
Genre: Nonfiction, Science, Biological Sciences, Animals, Horses, Science, Math, Biological, Nature, Ecology, Fauna
Product Details: Paperback: 90 Pages Publisher: CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform; First edition (December 9, 2013) Language: English ISBN-10: 1494338866 ISBN-13: 978-1494338862 Product Dimensions: 6 x 0.2 x 9 inches
Amazon Customer Reviews: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00HA7A772/ref=dbs_a_def_rwt_bibl_vppi_i3#customerReviews
Print: https://www.amazon.com/Horse-Pony-Colours-Which-choose/dp/1494338866/ref=tmm_pap_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=&sr=
Kindle: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00HA7A772/ref=dbs_a_def_rwt_bibl_vppi_i3
************************
Because It Is Written by Lesley Lodge
"Two very different short stories about revenge and redemption:
"Because it is Written" is set in seventeenth century England. The discovery of a runaway horse leads to a chance for Wayland – village blacksmith and ex-soldier – to take a full revenge on the man who murdered his wife. Includes some original images.
"Hoodies", set on a present-day inner-city estate, tells of a drug-dealer’s violent death from the viewpoint of his one-time girlfriend.”
Genre: Mystery, Thriller, Suspense, Crime Fiction, Historical Fiction
Product Details: Paperback: 36 Pages Publisher: CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform (February 2, 2013) Language: English ISBN-10: 1481912542 ISBN-13: 978-1481912549 Product Dimensions: 6 x 0.1 x 9 inches
Print: https://www.amazon.com/Because-Written-Lesley-Lodge/dp/1481912542/ref=tmm_pap_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=&sr=
Kindle: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01DSY44V0/ref=dbs_a_def_rwt_bibl_vppi_i4
************************
Coloring Book Of Horses: Stress Reducing Art Therapy Paperback by Lesley Lodge
Reduce your anxiety and stress levels colouring-in - with horses. This book offers two sorts of colouring-in: Coloring-in with patterns and Coloring-in with the 50 plus actual horse colour combinations.
Genre: Arts, Photography, Drawing, Coloring Books for Grown-Ups, Animals, Health, Fitness, Dieting, Alternative Medicine, Meditation, Crafts, Hobbies, Home, Crafts, Hobbies
Product Details: Paperback: 82 Pages Publisher: CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform; 1 edition (August 27, 2015) Language: English ISBN-10: 1515202364 ISBN-13: 978-1515202363 Product Dimensions: 8.5 x 0.2 x 11 inches
Amazon Customer Reviews: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1515202364/ref=dbs_a_def_rwt_bibl_vppi_i0#customerReviews
Print: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1515202364/ref=dbs_a_def_rwt_bibl_vppi_i0
************************Cold Coffee Press Spotlight Interview With Author Lesley Lodge
About Lesley Lodge: Lesley Lodge now lives on a very small farm in England after many years working on regeneration projects in inner-city London. She grew up in the New Forest with holiday jobs in a racing stable and on a palomino stud farm. Her long-time ride is Freddie, a hairy bay cob mare with a moustache. Lesley has had several short stories published. Blues to Orange, about a farmer ruined by the foot and mouth outbreak, was a Luton Literary Prize Winner and published in Junction 10, a collection of short stories. She has twice been a Runner-up Prizewinner in the annual British National Short Screenplay Competition and is a past Time Out and Jim Beam Whiskey Cult Film Buff of the Year. Lesley is currently working on a crime novel set in 17th century England featuring ex-soldier and blacksmith Wayland. Lesley is always looking for new stories about horses in film or TV - you can contact her through her website: http://www.lesleylodge.co.uk
Interview:
What makes you proud to be a writer from Bedfordshire, in the UK? It’s a rural area in the UK and a few aspects of farming life are much the same as in the seventeenth century, when my novel is set. A blacksmith still makes my horse’s shoes from molten iron, for example, just as the protagonist in ‘Wayland’s Revenge.
What World Region are you in? I live in the UK (European Union) on a smallholding farm, about 40 miles north of London.
What or who inspired you to become a writer? The boy next door was writing stories. He was fourteen, I was eleven. I thought if he can do it, then I could certainly try it (and maybe that would impress him…).
When did you begin writing with the intention of becoming published? I’d had professional articles published in the course of my work but I began writing fiction in earnest, with the aim of being published, around 2010.
What has been your most rewarding experience with your writing and publishing journey? I think the most exhilarating moment in my writing and publishing journey was finally writing “The End” to my draft novel – after five years of researching, writing and polishing it.
How many published books do you have? One novel, two self-published non-fiction books (on horses in film). Several short stories published.
Please introduce your genre and why you prefer to write in that genre? Historical novels are a great way to explore issues in a more distant and nuanced way. For example, ‘Brexit’ has divided Britain – but England was far more brutally divided by civil wars in the seventeenth century for example. Also, history is an amazing source for stories of all kinds. The stakes were usually much higher than in many of today’s societies.
Please list the title of your book you want featured and promoted? Wayland’s Revenge.
What do you like to do when you are not writing? I ride Freddie, my hairy horse, a Clydesdale Cob cross with a moustache. And the turkeys and sheep on the smallholding keep me busy.
What one positive piece of advice would you give to other authors? Grammar and structure can always be perfected afterwards. The thing is to get your story, quirks and all, on to paper first.
Who is your favorite author and why? C J Samson – for his Shardlake series which completely take you to England in the sixteenth century but also for his moving story set during and after the Spanish Civil War in Winter in Madrid.
Please add any additional questions and answers that you think readers would like to know.
Q: So why did you choose the seventeenth century setting? And why Essex, England?
A: England was utterly divided – in civil war. Matthew Hopkins, self-styled Witch-finder General, was responsible for the trials and deaths of some 300 supposed witches in Essex. The Siege of Colchester lasted eleven weeks in the summer of 1648. The townspeople, once they’d eaten all the dogs and rats, were reduced to eating candles and soap. Hundreds died.
Q: So why Wayland, a blacksmith, as protagonist and “detective”?
A: Well, blacksmiths were neither gentry nor peasant class. This gave them some scope for independent action – a rare thing in the seventeenth century but something a “detective” needs. Also, they were experts not only with horses but also with weapon making and repair. Their command of fire and molten iron inspired awe and respect in the community.
Awards: One of my short stories – Blues to Orange - was a Luton Literary Prize winner but no links.
Amazon Author’s Page: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Lesley-Lodge/e/B0094HBCMK/
Professional Website: http://www.lesleylodge.co.uk/
Professional Blog: https://lesleylodge.wordpress.com
Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/LesleyLodgeAuthorPage/
Twitter: @LesleyLodge
Google+: https://plus.google.com/u/0/115281020673054750226
Cold Coffee Press http://www.coldcoffeepress.com/lesley-lodge/
Authors Keys To Success Program: http://www.coldcoffeepress.com/keys-program-for-authors/
Published on October 04, 2018 09:22
October 1, 2018
Dagger's Destiny (Curse of Clansmen and Kings Book 2) by Linnea Tanner
Dagger's Destiny (Curse of Clansmen and Kings Book 2) by Linnea Tanner
A Celtic warrior princess accused of treason for aiding her enemy lover must win back her father's love and trust.
In the rich and vibrant tale, Author Linnea Tanner continues the story of Catrin and Marcellus that began with the awarding-winning novel APOLLO'S RAVEN in the Curse of Clansmen and Kings Series. Book 2: DAGGER'S DESTINY sweeps you into an epic tale of forbidden love, mythological adventure, and political intrigue in Ancient Rome and Britannia.
War looms over 24 AD Britannia where rival tribal rulers fight each other for power and the Romans threaten to invade to settle their political differences. King Amren accuses his daughter, Catrin, of treason for aiding the Roman enemy and her lover, Marcellus. The ultimate punishment is death unless she can redeem herself. She must prove loyalty to her father by forsaking Marcellus and defending their kingdom--even to the death.
Forged into a warrior, she must overcome tribulations and make the right decisions on her quest to break the curse that foretells her banished half-brother and the Roman Empire will destroy their kingdom.
Yet, when Catrin again reunites with Marcellus, she is torn between her love for him and duty to King Amren. She must ultimately face her greatest challenger who could destroy her life, freedom, and humanity.
Will Catrin finally break the ancient prophecy that looms over her kingdom? Will she abandon her forbidden love for Marcellus to win back her father's trust and love? Can King Amren balance his brutality to maintain power with the love he feels for Catrin?
Cold Coffee Review: I invite you to continue this epic tale as Dagger’s Destiny takes up where Apollo’s Raven left off. It is July AD in Southeast Britannia and main character Princess Catrin kneels by her father’s bloody and bruised body reassured that the King is still alive.
Fast moving drama with the characters, you came to love or hate in Apollo’s Raven finds Princess Catrin torn between loyalty to Marcellus and her father. “How could Catrin continue living if her heart was split between Marcellus and her father? Losing Vala was the fatal wound in her already bleeding heart. She trembled, recounting her father’s words. Would you bet your own life on the gamble that Marcellus will release Vala?
Catrin’s love for Marcellus and his failure to release Vala had condemned her as a traitor in her father’s eyes. She looked around the stark receiving chamber and stared at the skulls looking down on her in judgment. She remembered the dark tale that her father had told her when she was a child.
A mermaid, who had saved a sailor from a shipwreck, swam to shore, cradling his head above the water. Though she desperately wanted to stay with the sailor, she realized she was a sea creature and would die on land. Heartbroken, she stabbed herself in the breast with a knife and turned the water red with her blood. Grief-stricken, she floated on the waves until her body dissolved into its foam. As the sun’s rays radiated on the cold foam, delicate fairies sparkled over its surface.”
A test of loyalty that no daughter, father or romantic suitor would want to engage in. Find out what happens as this story continues from book one and prepares the reader for book 3 in this Celtic Tale. Like me, you will keep you turning the page as author Linnea Tanner skillfully weaves fantasy, romance, mythology, history, and the clash of Celtic culture and the Roman Empire into the Curse Of The Clansmen and Kings series.
I purchased Dagger’s Destiny Apollo’s Raven and Dagger’s Destiny from Kindle and like you, I wait for promised “Amulet’s Rapture (Book 3) by Linnea Tanner. This review was completed on October 1, 2018.
Genre: Historical Fiction, Fantasy, Ancient Rome and Britannia, Celtic Mythology
Amazon Reviews https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07G3G4G55/ref=dbs_a_def_rwt_bibl_vppi_i2#customerReviews
Print https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0998230057/ref=dbs_a_def_rwt_bibl_vppi_i0
Kindle https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07G3G4G55/ref=dbs_a_def_rwt_bibl_vppi_i2
Barnes and Noblehttps://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/daggers-destiny-linnea-tanner/1129214183?ean=2940161874004
Kobohttps://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/dagger-s-destiny
************************
Apollo's Raven (Curse of Clansmen and Kings Book 1) by Linnea Tanner
A Celtic warrior princess is torn between her forbidden love for the enemy and duty to her people.
AWARD-WINNING APOLLO’S RAVEN sweeps you into an epic Celtic tale of forbidden love, mythological adventure, and political intrigue in Ancient Rome and Britannia. In 24 AD British kings hand-picked by Rome to rule are fighting each other for power. King Amren’s former queen, a powerful Druid, has cast a curse that Blood Wolf and the Raven will rise and destroy him. The king’s daughter, Catrin, learns to her dismay that she is the Raven and her banished half-brother is Blood Wolf. Trained as a warrior, Catrin must find a way to break the curse, but she is torn between her forbidden love for her father’s enemy, Marcellus, and loyalty to her people. She must summon the magic of the Ancient Druids to alter the dark prophecy that threatens the fates of everyone in her kingdom.
Will Catrin overcome and eradicate the ancient curse. Will she be able to embrace her forbidden love for Marcellus? Will she cease the war between Blood Wolf and King Amren and save her kingdom?
Cold Coffee Review: Interesting story. Travel back to a time in 24 AD where strong Celtic women find themselves influencing Clansmen, Kings and Queens. This ancient time is set in Rome and on the Southeast Coast of Britannia where fantasy, mythology, medieval practices, politics, religion, Celtic culture, the Roman Empire, and forbidden romance bring about this fictional tale tailored by well researched history, archaeological evidence supported with a cast of fictional and non-fictional characters artfully woven in by skilled writer Linnea Tanner.
The story begins with Princess Catrin, her horse and her raven spirit guide observing ships, possible war ships in the distance. Advice from her father “know your enemies better than your friends” along with her spirit guide and ancient powers will help Catrin through the perils that await.
I invite you into this epic tale where “Alone in Mor’s candlelit bedchamber, Catrin shifted restlessly under her blankets. Not having to share the bed with her sister, because Mor was gone most of the night with Belinus, she thought slumber would come easy. Yet an ominous fire lingered inside her and foreboding thoughts crackled through her mind about what her father had said at the familymeeting during the festivities. When he announced that Mor must be prepared to wed Cunobelin’s son after he renegotiated a matrimonial agreement, she wilted like a flower denied water. The burden of keeping Mor’s secret about Belinus weighed heavily on Catrin’s conscience. If Cunobelin found out, it could unravel the tenuous negotiations for peace between the powerful tribal kingdoms.
More troubling, her father instructed her on ways she could beguile Marcellus into revealing Roman’s schemes for their kingdom. Her stomach tossed with conflicting emotions about the striking Roman. How could she carry out her father’s directive when this young man made her heart race every time he gazed at her?”
Apollo’s Raven is a fast-paced, intriguing story with characters, situations and mystical threads sparked my interest and kept me turning the page of this award-winning book. I pre-ordered Dagger's Destiny (Curse of Clansmen and Kings-Book 2) so I will not miss a thing as the story continues. I purchased Apollo’s Raven from Kindle and this review was completed on August 20, 2018.
Awards:
Bronze Medal Winner 2017 Global Ebook Award Fantasy/Historical2017 New Apple Summer E-Book Award Historical Fiction Chosen SelectionLiterary Titan Gold Book Award2017 New Apple Book Awards CROSS GENRE - OFFICIAL SELECTIONGenre: Fiction, Historical, Fantasy, Epic
Amazon Reviews https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07GBHVZY7#customerReviews
Soft Cover https://www.amazon.com/Apollos-Raven-Linnea-Tanner/dp/0998230006/ref=tmm_pap_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=&sr=
Hardcover https://www.amazon.com/Apollos-Raven-Linnea-Tanner/dp/0998230014/ref=tmm_hrd_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=&sr=
Audio Book https://www.amazon.com/Apollos-Raven/dp/B0714JCD7T/ref=tmm_aud_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=&sr=
Kindle https://www.amazon.com/Apollos-Raven-Curse-Clansmen-Kings-ebook/dp/B07GBHVZY7/ref=tmm_kin_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=&sr=
Barnes and Noble Nook https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/apollos-raven-linnea-d-tanner/1125792731
Google Play https://books.google.com/books/about/Apollo_s_Raven.html?id=7ll0AQAACAAJ
Itunes https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/apollos-raven/id1424570213
Kobo https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/apollo-s-raven-1
************************
Cold Coffee Press Spotlight Interview With Author Linnea Tanner
Award-winning Linnea Tanner weaves Celtic tales of love, magic, adventure, betrayal and intrigue into historical fiction set in Ancient Rome and Britannia. Since childhood, she has passionately read about ancient civilizations and mythology which held women in higher esteem. Of particular interest are the enigmatic Celts who were reputed as fierce warriors and mystical Druids.
Depending on the time of day and season of the year, you will find her exploring and researching ancient and medieval history, mythology and archaeology to support her writing. As the author of the APOLLO’S RAVEN series, she has extensively researched and traveled to sites described within each book.
A native of Colorado, Linnea attended the University of Colorado and earned both her bachelor’s and master’s degrees in chemistry. She lives in Windsor with her husband and has two children and six grandchildren.
Interview:
What makes you proud to be a writer from (Colorado)? I’m proud to be a writer from Colorado where several authors call home. There are several writers’ organizations that provide additional education and support for aspiring authors. I’m a proud member of the Historical Novel Society, Northern Colorado Writers, Rocky Mountain Fiction Writers, and Pikes Peak Writers.
What or who inspired you to become a writer? As a young girl growing up in the 1950s in Colorado, I was inspired by myths, legends, and historical accounts of powerful women warriors, sorceresses, and goddesses. In third grade, when my friends were reading Nancy Drew mysteries, I was devouring books on Greek and Nordic mythology. By eighth grade, I was reading adult historical fiction classics such as The Egyptian, The Hunchback of Notre-Dame, and Ben-Hur. These novels swept me into other bigger than life worlds. This is when I began creating characters which I would use later in my books.
Did your environment or upbringing play a major role in your writing and did you use it to your advantage? My mother, who was widowed in her thirty’s and had to raise five children, emphasized education and supplied our household with a variety of books. She allowed me the freedom to explore my world without placing any stereotypical restrictions on me. The ability to open your mind to other viewpoints and possibilities is critical in the creative process.
When did you begin writing with the intention of becoming published? After my semi-retirement in 2010, I completed my first draft of one of the books in the historical fantasy series, Apollo’s Raven . Ever since, I continued to hone my craftsmanship and learn more about the publishing world by joining writers’ organizations and taking workshops.
What has been your most rewarding experience with your writing process? The most rewarding experience in the writing process is the creative process of conjuring characters and general plot to a story. It gives me great pleasure to weave a story together that transforms in unexpected and delightful ways.
What has been your most rewarding experience in your publishing journey? One of the greatest pleasures I’ve experienced is getting to know other authors through social media and writers’ groups. Many successful independent authors graciously support and promote each other. I’ve met fellow authors throughout the world through social media.
How many published books do you have? Book 1: Apollo’s Raven in the Curse of Clansmen and Kings series is published. Book 2: Dagger’s Destiny will be released on September 26.
Please tell us the titles and the genre of each? Apollo’s Raven ; Genre: Historical Fiction/Fantasy; Fantasy Historical Dagger’s Destiny ; Genre: Historical Fiction/Fantasy; Fantasy Historical
Do you come up with your title(s) before or after you write the manuscript? After I wrote my first manuscript, I changed the title from The Sword and the Raven to Apollo’s Raven.
Please list any awards that you have won: Silver Medalist 2018 eLit Award Fantasy/Science Fiction; Bronze Medal 2017 Global Ebook Award Fantasy/Historical; 2017 New Apple Awards: Official Selection for Historical Fiction and Cross Genre; Literary Titan Gold Book Award.
Which book title would you like featured in this interview? Apollo’s Raven and Dagger’s Destiny
What was your inspiration, spark or light bulb moment that inspired you to write the book (one book) that you are seeking promotion for? Book 1: Apollo’s Raven and Book 2: Dagger’s Destiny in the Curse of Clansmen and Kings series is inspired by the legacy of Cleopatra and Mark Antony but with a Celtic Twist. The female protagonist is inspired by the historically-based Celtic warrior queen, Boudica, who united the Britons to rebel against the Romans in 60 AD. It is my hope that modern women can draw on the rich traditions of the ancient Celtic culture where women owned property and could become rulers and Druids. These women fought in battles just like the men to maintain the integrity and protection of their society.
What one positive piece of advice would you give to other authors? Follow your dream and never give up.
Who is your favorite author and why? I’ve had the fortune of taking workshops and meeting Diana Gabaldon, author of the Outlander Series. One of the reasons I admire her is she writes true to her heart and graciously shares her vast knowledge and experience.
Please List Links To Any ‘You Tube Videos’ That Promote Your Book(s):https://youtu.be/zJzqMvsNQ8E
Amazon Author’s Page https://www.amazon.com/Linnea-Tanner/e/B01N6YEM04
Author's Websitehttp://linneatanner.com
Facebookhttps://www.facebook.com/apollosraven
Twitterhttps://twitter.com/linneatanner
Google+https://plus.google.com/u/0/114576568667814788324
Cold Coffee Press http://www.coldcoffeepress.com/linnea-tanner/
Authors Keys To Success http://www.coldcoffeepress.com
Published on October 01, 2018 09:40
Cold Coffee Press
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We invite autho We invite authors to Author Meeting Place (AMP) where you can join our site for FREE, Blog, Create and Participate in Groups and Communicate in our Forum. http://authormeetingplace.com/
We invite authors to eReader Paradise where you can post just your eBooks (only) for FREE. http://ereaderparadise.com/
For rigorous low cost book promotion, please visit Cold Coffee Press: http://www.coldcoffeepress.com
Also check our Cold Coffee Writer’s Magazine (24/7 Live Magazine): http://coldcoffeemagazine.com/
Small Publishers' Invite
http://www.coldcoffeepress.com/publis... ...more
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