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A GRIPPING YOUNG ADULT ADVENTURE!







About the Story:


Bensin, a teenage slave and martial artist, is desperate to see his little sister freed. But only victory in the Krillonian Empire’s most prestigious tournament will allow him to secretly arrange for Ellie’s escape. Dangerous people are closing in on her, however, and Bensin is running out of time. With his one hope fading quickly away, how can Bensin save Ellie from a life of slavery and abuse?



What is the Collar for, and What is a Cavvarach?


The story is set in a world very much like our own, with just a few major differences. One is that slavery is legal there. Slaves must wear metal collars that lock around their neck, making their enslaved status obvious to everyone. Any slave attempting to escape faces the dilemma of how and where to illegally get their collar removed (a crime punishable by enslavement for the remover).  


Another difference is the popularity of a martial art called cavvara shil. It is fought with a cavvarach (rhymes with “have a rack”), an unsharpened weapon similar to a sword but with a steel hook protruding from partway down its top edge. Competitors can strike at each other with their feet as well as with the blades. You win in one of two ways: disarming your opponent (hooking or knocking their cavvarach out of their hands) or pinning their shoulders to the mat for five seconds.





More About the Story



Set in a world alarmingly like our own, The Collar and the Cavvarach is the story of fourteen-year-old Bensin, a slave, whose status is made obvious to everyone by the steel collar locked around his neck. A martial artist who competes to win money for his owner, Bensin fights in tournaments with a cavvarach. But his greatest battle is the struggle to protect his little sister from the horrors of legalized slavery in a world where slaves have few rights. Desperate to keep her safe, Bensin struggles to find a means – legal or otherwise – to arrange for her freedom.


(For a fun introduction to the story’s setting and its culture, including an explanation of how cavvara shil works, click here.) 




Sound Like a Book you Might Enjoy? 



Click the play button below to listen to the first 15 minutes of the story as narrated by Joseph Baltz.






Click here to go to the audiobook on Audible.

Click here to go to the audiobook on Amazon.

(Either way, try listening to the free sample to see what you think!)



Like to Read Along While You Listen? 



The Collar and the Cavvarach ebook is available for FREE from July 14-18. Grab your copy now!












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About the Author





Annie Douglass Lima considers herself fortunate to have traveled in twenty different countries and lived in four of them. A fifth-grade teacher in her “other” life, she loves reading to her students and sparking their imaginations. Her books include science fiction, fantasy, YA action and adventure novels, a puppet script, anthologies of her students’ poetry, Bible verse coloring and activity books, and a fantasy-themed cookbook. When she isn’t teaching or writing, Annie can often be found sipping spiced chai or pomegranate green tea in exotic locations, some of which exist in this world.





Email: AnnieDouglassLima@gmail.com

Blog: http://anniedouglasslima.blogspot.com

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AnnieDouglassLimaAuthor

Twitter: https://twitter.com/princeofalasia

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Amazon Author Page: https://www.amazon.com/author/anniedo...

LinkedIn: http://bit.ly/ADLimaOnLinkedIn

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Bookbub: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/annie-douglass-lima

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The post The Collar & the Cavvarach -Annie Douglass Lima appeared first on Allyson Carter .

Title: Waiting for Forever

Author: Jessica Prince

Series: Hope Valley

Genre: Contemporary Romance

After a bitter divorce had left him jaded and cynical, Leo Drake thought he was done. To him, love and happiness were myths. Then the shy, sweet, coffee shop owner looked up at him with those big gray eyes and beautiful smile, and he was done for.

Danika Parrish had been the nerdy girl growing up. The girl who sat in her window, watching the boy across the street, and secretly longing for the day when he might notice her. When that day finally came, she was convinced all her dreams had come true. But after giving her everything she’d ever hoped for, he’d ripped it all away with a handful of words.

Leo’s made a lot of mistakes in his life, but the one he regrets most is hurting Danika. For the first time in his life, he knows what it feels like to love someone, to truly be happy, and he’ll do whatever it takes to win her back. He’s determined to prove to her that he’s worth a second chance. That he’s the forever she’s been waiting all her life for.

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We were both sweaty and panting like we’d just run a marathon. Releasing my breast and hip, he reached for my hands and gently pried my fingers from the headboard. I would have collapsed onto the mattress in a sated heap had it not been for him holding on to me and guiding me down slowly.

Once there, he turned me to my back and hovered over me, his fingers coming up to brush the damp hair from my forehead.

“You okay, sweetheart?”

I gazed up at him, sure my grin was totally goofy as I replied, “So okay.”

The harshness that had been carved into his expression when he first entered the room was now completely gone, in its place was a look so tender and so warm it made my heart expand.

“Thank you for that,” he said quietly, leaning in to run the tip of his nose along mine.

“Pretty sure I’m the one who should be thanking you. After all, you did most of the heavy lifting.”

He chuckled for a second before his expression grew serious. “I mean it, Danika. I needed that. I needed you. That’s the brand of sweet only you’re capable of giving me because it’s just how you are.”

It had to be said that I really liked hearing that in a seriously big way

Visit Hope Valley

a series of interconnected, standalone romances

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Out of My League

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Come Back Home Again

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The Best of Me

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Wrong Side of the Tracks

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Stay With Me

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Out of the Darkness

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The Second Time Around

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Waiting for Forever

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Born and raised around Houston Texas, Jessica spent most of her life complaining about the heat, humidity, and all around pain in the ass weather. It was only as an adult that she quickly realized the cost of living in Houston made up for not being able to breathe when she stepped outside. That’s why God created central air, after all.

Jessica is the mother of a perfect little boy–she refuses to accept that he inherited her attitude and sarcastic nature no matter what her husband says.

In addition to being a wife and mom, she’s also a wino, a coffee addict, and an avid lover of all types of books–romances still being her all time favs. Her husband likes to claim that reading is her obsession but she just says it’s a passion…there’s a difference. Not that she’d expect a boy to understand.

Jessica has been writing since she was a little girl, but thankfully grew out of drawing her own pictures for her stories before ever publishing her first book. Because an artist she is not.

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The post Waiting for Forever-Jessica Prince appeared first on Allyson Carter .

What goes into a blog post? Helpful, industry-specific content that: 1) gives readers a useful takeaway, and 2) shows you’re an industry expert.

Use your company’s blog posts to opine on current industry topics, humanize your company, and show how your products and services can help people.

The post Blog Post Title appeared first on Mia's Cleaning.

Who else loves pumpkins? I sure do as do my kids. Each fall I used this to teach my children about the Pumpkin Gospel. Have you heard of this? I heard it from Liz Curtis Higgs. She’s amazing Bible teacher.

Bible truth: We become a new creation through Jesus and can let His light shine in and through our lives.

This is what I want my kids to know. To know that God uses us and shines through us to other people. What an amazing truth this is. The pumpkin’s outside is hard and you need a sharp knife cut through it. Sometimes, our hearts are hard like this. Life can do that to a person.

Jesus comes and cuts all the hardness out of our hearts. The stringy stuff which I can’t remember the actual name is like sin. The junk inside the pumpkin. Jesus scoops this out of us and makes us clean.

Then God starts working on us. He carves out a new heart, smile, and eyes. Those eyes are to see His work in us and around us. He gives us light inside that shines through all three of these, just like when you put a candle inside of the pumpkin. We see it in a whole night light.

In the same way, God’s transforming love can fill each of our hearts with joy and light.

*This was originally posted on Putting On The New blog by me.*

 

There’s a great event happening today over at Free Christian Books. It’s our Fall Into Savings event! A lot of authors are going to be stopping by and chatting with readers. There’s a lot of books that will be free for one day, two or even all three days. It’s more than worth coming and checking out!

You never know you might, just find your next favorite author!

Two of my books will be free for all three days. Buried Secrets and Road To Recovery!

 

Here are all the books that will be free one of the days.  Christian Indie Authors

I debated even writing on this because I don’t write in the same genre as this woman. That all changed on Friday when it did affect me. I don’t know if your aware of an author named, Faleena Hopkins  who’s trademarked the word cocky. A word mind you that has been around for years.

There’s a major uproar over this in the romance genre. Personally, I think this is crazy! How in the world can someone trademark a word that’s been around longer than she’s been alive? I get that she’s trying to protect her brand. This is what she said on Twitter about it when it got out.

“It’s a brand,” she wrote. “And everyone who wants to can keep their books, rankings, reviews and their money by retitling which takes one day.

Which, bless her I don’t think she understands very well how the publishing market works. Yes, maybe it would take a day to fix if your self-published. But even then, you have to have it done by your cover artist and it would more than likely cost you more money to fix. It’s like she has no regard for the work that other authors have put into their books. If it is with a publisher, well, that takes even more time and more money.

Now, like I said at the start of this blog it now affects me and some other authors that I know. We don’t even write in the erotic genre. Of course, there will be those who do and it affects them, too. I bet you’re wondering how. Reviews. Yes, you read that correctly. She is making Amazon take down any reviews with the word cocky used in it by a reviewer. I’m going to be most were used as an adjective. I’ve had reviews for my books taken down because one of my hero’s was referred to as cocky. Really? This is crazy and going way too far. It has nothing to do with her brand. I write sweet and Christian fiction!

I don’t wish her any ill will at all. I don’t agree with her. She’s left a bad taste in my mouth. She’s trying to play the victim when she’s the one that started this. Plus calling her readers stupid. That’s not something you do to your readers. It’s rude and mean!

I hope and pray she comes to her senses.  I feel for her. I do. It has to be hard to face tons of criticism and even threats. That’s not something that should happen no matter what she did. I pray God convicts her and this can be used for His glory in some way or another.

 

I’m back after a small break. Let’s face it, sometimes while blogging you’ve got to take a break. No matter how big or small it might be. For me, it was for personal reasons. With having children with special needs there are times you’ve got to pull in and concentrate on those issues and let other things fall to the way side. Moving also will do that as well. Life happens!

That’s what has happened to me. Thankfully, things have calmed down a bit and I can start blogging again and getting back to a “normal” writing schedule again. I really don’t have a normal one. I make sure mine is flexible. It has to be with kiddos with autism.

You know…God uses these times to bring a family together. Or at least in my case. You have to lean on Him. There’s no other way around it. Is it easy? Uh. No! It’s crazy, and messy and not so fun at times. It’s life.

Let’s just say aggression and autism sucks! Puberty is here and has been for awhile with the twins and it just purely sucks, sometimes. I won’t sugar coat it. So many don’t talk about that side of this. It needs to be. Families need to know their not alone. LISTEN TO ME. YOU’RE NOT ALONE! The aggression behavior doesn’t last forever. It does get better.

Scream, yell and cry to God with how you feel and everything. He knows. I won’t be ashamed to say, I’ve told Him off. Let it out! God is faithful.

 

Title: Enticing Daphne

Author: Jessica Prince

Genre: Sassy Romantic Comedy

Release Date: January 10, 2018

It’s easy to stop believing in happily ever afters when the man you thought you’d spend the rest of your life with abandons you right before your wedding day. After that disastrous event I decided that commitment was for suckers. I was young, successful, and in the prime of my life.

I didn’t need a man to make me happy.

Then an unexpected blast from the past came waltzing into my studio and decided I was a challenge he was more than willing to accept. The only problem is that he doesn’t remember he’s met me before.

He’s the ultimate playboy, determined to stop at nothing until he entices the hell out of me. But if Caleb McMannus thinks he can lure me in with his sinful looks and silver tongue,

then he’s…probably right.

PRE-ORDER ENTICING DAPHNE

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Born and raised around Houston Texas, Jessica spent most of her life complaining about the heat, humidity, and all around pain in the ass weather. It was only as an adult that she quickly realized the cost of living in Houston made up for not being able to breathe when she stepped outside. That’s why God created central air, after all.

Jessica is the mother of a perfect little boy–she refuses to accept that he inherited her attitude and sarcastic nature no matter what her husband says.

In addition to being a wife and mom, she’s also a wino, a coffee addict, and an avid lover of all types of books–romances still being her all time favs. Her husband likes to claim that reading is her obsession but she just says it’s a passion…there’s a difference. Not that she’d expect a boy to understand.

Jessica has been writing since she was a little girl, but thankfully grew out of drawing her own pictures for her stories before ever publishing her first book. Because an artist she is not.

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This week on Excerpt Tuesday, Cindy Huff is here sharing about her newest release, Secrets & Charades

 

 Secrets & Charades Back Cover Copy

 

Jake Marcum’s busy ranch leaves him no time for courting, and his wounded heart has no place for love. When battlefield nightmares disturb his peace and his tomboy niece, Juliet, needs taming, somehow a mail-order bride seems like a logical solution.

Dr. Evangeline Olson has no idea her niece is writing to a rancher on her behalf, and she sure isn’t interested in abandoning her medical practice for a stranger. But when an inheritance threatens to reveal a long-buried secret, she travels west to become Jake’s wife.

Jake soon realizes Evangeline is more than he bargained for, especially when her arrival causes a stir in the community. As the two try to find their way in a marriage of convenience, their fragile relationship is further tested by cattle rustling and kidnapping. Can their hearts overcome past hurts to create a real marriage?

 

Biography:

Cindy Huff is a multi-published freelance writer who loves to bring her imaginary characters to life. As president of the Aurora Illinois chapter of Word Weavers is enjoys helping other writers hone their craft. Her Historical Romance, Secrets and Charades is now available. When she is not writing articles, editing posts or talking with her imaginary friends she helps with her grandchildren and binge reads.  Her main goal and passion is to encourage other writers in their journey and believers as they grow in faith. Check out her blog  Jubileewriter at www.jubileewriter.wordpress.com

This week on Excerpt Tuesday, Kittye Sharron is here sharing about her books., Secrets & Charades

 

 

Blurb , IT’S ALL IN YOUR HEAD! THE GENE THAT STUMPED THE DOCTORS:

Kittye Sharron shares more than her hairstyle…she shares her true story which will boggle your mind! A rocky journey strewn with despair, fear hopelessness, depression, pain and misery, and how her persistence saved her life. The medical profession has recently discovered a rare mutated gene. Turns out she’s one in a million! And who else? Over 21 different doctors concluded her “preposterous” symptoms were ALL IN HER HEAD!

“I was so hot that I slept in a bathtub full of cold water, every night, for 6 ½ years. In the middle of winter I sat outside on the doorstep wearing only a sleeveless top and Bermuda shorts. I watched the snow melt as it fell on my bare skin.”

And, that was only the beginning…

(Foreword by: Mary C. Mobley, Med, MS, CGC) “Kittye’s story is an important one to tell. Without her resilience and determination, an entire family and its future generations may never have known about the rare condition for which they are at risk.”

There is an entire chapter devoted to her hairstyle with helpful tips and pictures. Furthermore, this author features a how-to-do-it-yourself video on her YouTube channel showing how to achieve the look, as well as, to advertise her book. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rAEKi3GgfsQ  (OR can be found @: You Tube then search for Kittye Sharron.) The video can also be viewed on her Word Press website@: https://wordpress.com/types/jetpack-testimonial/kittyesharron.com and, readers can “follow her books” @: http://www.kittyesharron.com . In addition, she has a Facebook author page @: www.facebook.com/KittyeSharron .

 

Published a year ago, was her first book in the series titled, “THE LONGEST LETTER: INCREDIBLE HOPE”. Available in both eBook and paperback, the ordering link is: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01BHGW2OW. This book is a lifeline for victims of childhood sexual abuse. The Prologue has a Disclaimer because that section contains very graphic, mature content about a little 8 year old girl being sexually molested. (That was Kittye Sharron’s personal story; one in which she kept to herself for 45+ years. It wasn’t until physical pain began to present itself she chose to reveal the horrific events. The only way in which she could find the words was to become, Amy Kayleen.) Thirty-five years later, the development of her faith emerged while trying to help a wayward relative.

Blurb  THE LONGEST LETTER: INCREDIBLE HOPE by: Kittye Sharron

The letter began with the salutation, “Dear Mama.” It was an answer to a cry for help from a loving grandmother, Mama, whose granddaughter was in trouble, again! Mama was the only mother Sarah Lane had ever known. It prompted Amy Kayleen’s attempt to rescue Sarah Lane from a dark world whose victims rarely escape; a life on the streets filled with crime, prostitution and drugs, maybe even murder!

Her discoveries reveal a concrete jungle which captures young, unsuspecting victims. It erodes their cognitive awareness so that they cannot retain core, family values. They often find themselves in more turmoil, running from life itself!

Biography:

 

Inspirational and Motivational: Author, KITTYE SHARRON, pictured below, is retired. She and her husband reside in Muskegon, Michigan. She has made it her mission in life to continue researching the rare genetic mutation which she and her extended family are at risk. Her goal is to reach an audience for whom hope is difficult to grasp because something, or someone they love and care for, is sucking the very life out of them! Her aim is to provide clarity and personal solutions toward victory.