I’ve been playing around with the cover for my upcoming release obsessively. Just when I think I’ve found a new cover I find a new image that is even better! I have it down to just a few and I could really use your help now. Vote for which one you like best for my 1866 American Historical Fiction, “When Dealing with Horses”. A young, free, and spirited single mom moves back into her childhood home with her overbearing and judgmental mother. She find out her mother sold her late father’s horse and carriage business out from under her, so she gets a job as a salesman there. It’s better to work there as an employee than to lose the beloved place altogether. Anastasia does her best to make her way in a man’s world in order to support her daughter but it’s not easy. Everyone’s against her, including her own mother, but Anastasia perseveres to come out on top, no matter who stands in her way.
VOTE FOR YOUR FAVORITE COVER! IN ORDER #1-5
Book Reviews
This was a good start to an exciting series. I loved the characters. At first I didn’t know what they all had to do with each other but in the middle they all came together for one epic adventure to evade danger. This book was right up my alley. I love history. I love Scotland. I love flowing red hair! I loved the main characters and their enemies were truly despicable. There was an element of magic and fantasy that I was not expecting at all so it made me like it all the more. And I really loved that the story itself was so thrilling and kept the pages turning, and that the love stories were side stories and not the main focus. I like a good love story, but I don’t like being beaten to death by it. I recommend reading this book if Scottish Historical Fiction with a touch of Fantasy is something you like.
This second book in the famous and epic trilogy was action-packed and full of adventure compared to the first one. The story is split between Frodo and Sam’s journey and the company’s since they are now no longer together. The descriptions of battles and action are so well done I can see it in my mind perfectly. My favorite part was the end in Shelob’s Lair. It was so well written that I was creeped out with goosebumps at the description of the giant spider and her movements and attacks on Frodo and Sam. I can’t wait to wrap the series up with the third and final book soon!
Currently Reading
This is the third book in the Belles of London series by Mimi Matthews. I am so excited to continue on with this Victorian Romance. Each book follows a different woman from the group of four friends as they navigate London society during the marriage market season. These four women own their own horses and love to ride the Rotten Row together. Each has their own unique story filled with horsemanship, friendship, and love. The fourth book is not out yet, but I’m anxiously awaiting its release!
I was in search of a clean story that centered around horses, or at least involved horses, and a historical fiction makes it all the better. I found this series in a three book box set. I had tried several Christian cowboy fictions with no luck. The characters were way too shallow and girl/boy obsessed for my taste. It was all they thought about! “A Trail So Lonesome” is a great story of a wagon train on the Oregon Trail in the 1800s. I am loving it so far! The characters have depth and secrets that keep the story interesting, and there’s never a lack of excitement on the trail, that’s for sure! So far, this one is an enemies to lovers trope, but the romance element is not overwhelming at all or too sappy, which I don’t like at all. This series is right up my alley and I recommend!
Links to Free and On Sale eBooks by Dozens of Fantastic Indie Authors! (Including a few of my own)
That’s right! I am STILL working on my first Historical Fiction, “When Dealing with Horses”. I’ve decided to slow things down from how I was producing books before. I tried to crank out three in a year and the quality was just lacking from what I would like it to be. So now the goal is to get one book out a year, maybe. And it’s going to go through several drafts of writing, several rounds of editing, and I am hoping this means the quality of work will be superior to what it was before. I love the books I wrote before and there is not much in them I would change, but when it comes to Historical Fiction I feel like things have to slow down for me and attention to detail is much more important. Plus there is so much more research that goes into it when writing so that took longer than I was expecting. The story is written though! I am in my first round of editing, and I hope to have it published this Fall. I am so excited to break into the genre of Historical Fiction/Historical Romance (although the romance will be soft and never the main focus of the story). This book is not available for preorder, but I will keep you updated on its release date. Thank you for all your support while writing and editing!
Sneak Peek Free First Two Chapters of When Dealing with Horses Just for You!
I’m giving my newsletter subscribers a chance to read the first two chapters of “When Dealing with Horses” this month! To download, click the button below. It’s going to ask for your email to download. This will not sign you up for my newsletter twice. But if you are not signed up, it will sign you up so you never miss another sneak peek or giveaway again!
May is my birthday month, and in honor of that I am giving away my Kindle box sets for free!! That’s right, you can download the entire epic six book YA Fantasy series, Chronicles of a Supernatural Huntsman, or the thrilling zombie apocalypse trilogy, Dead Soil, or both (why not?) from Saturday May 18- Wednesday May 22. Don’t miss out on this rare deal, and please leave a review once you’ve made your way through these epic adventures. I love hearing what my readers think of my stories and characters. Plus reviews are like food for an author’s soul. They get the word out to other readers so they can find our books and read them too. Word of mouth is a powerful thing.
I know, I know. I’m late to the party! Who hasn’t read LOTR?? I have to be honest, I attempted this book three times over the last few years and always got about a quarter of the way through and gave up. I didn’t understand why I had such a hard time with it when its an acclaimed Fantasy novel, a timeless classic! But in the beginning it’s a lot of description, very little dialogue, a lot of walking and eating and long winded poems. I couldn’t get into it. This time I pushed myself to finish and I am so glad I did! Once I the hobbits left Tom Bombadil’s house and made it to the Prancing Pony Inn the dialogue picked up, the story was more fast-paced than before, and it was definitely more exciting and enthralling! I looked forward to reading it every day.
Not much needs to be said of this classic because its all already been said. I loved the characters. I loved the in-depth descriptions of the elven realms of Rivendell and Lothlorien. I wish I could live in the elven tree kingdom forever! The main reason I am so glad I read the book finally is because there was so much more in the book than the movies! With the movies being SO long I didn’t think that would be the case, because the books don’t seem that big, but there was really a lot of story and detail altered or left out from the movies.
I highly recommend reading this Fantasy classic trilogy if you haven’t already. I am already into The Two Towers (book 2). The only reason I gave it four starts instead of five was because of how long it took me to get into it from the beginning.
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Rating: 5 out of 5.
Every year my daughter’s elementary school does a one book across the whole school system read together. Parents are to read a chapter or two a night to their kids and then the next day the kids discuss it in class and can win prizes for having the answers. It’s a lot of fun. This year was the first book in the Lemoncello series and my daughter loved it! It has some great Willy Wonka vibes, if he was in charge of a library and made games instead of candy. Lemoncello is whacky and eccentric, and what nine year old wouldn’t love that alone? And the kids in the story talk like the kids today with all their “bro”s and “whatever”s. It’s hilarious. My daughter struggles with reading. She hates it because it’s such a challenge for her. It feels like a chore. But she loves stories so much, so me continuing to read these chapter books she really likes are a great way for to stay connected to reading. And hey, who said listening to a story wasn’t reading a book? I’m sure there are a lot of audible listeners who would agree. My daughter loved the first book so much that she had me buy the second book to keep going. There are five books total and we will be reading all of them I’m sure. They’re funny to her, have good moral values in them, no goofy political agendas hidden inside, and they are fun for parents as well. I highly recommend it if you have kids (or if you like kid stories yourself!)
Currently Reading
I am forever reading Diana Gabaldon’s Outlander series (LOL). I will start a book, get a quarter through, take a break for a quick other read, come back to it, take a break. It’s a vicious cycle, but I’m on book 7 and I will someday get through the entire 10 book series (when book 10 finally comes out).
Highland Healer is my work read. I bought it because I love historical Scottish fiction, the fact that its about a healer means there will be some witch accusations the main character has to deal with, and Scotland! Come on! I’m more than halfway through and loving it. It has elements of real magic in it that I was not expecting! I love when history and fantasy collide.
Once I finished The Fellowship of the Ring I moved straight into The Two Towers. It’s much more fast paced, action-packed, and similar to the movies than the first one ones. I am surprised by how long the movies are that they did not incorporate more of the books into them. Tolkien definitely has a way with detail. It’s magical.
Since my daughter and I finished the Lemoncello second book and I have yet to order the third, I thought we’d take a break and shift over to some fairy tale/fantasy with The School for Good and Evil series. We watched the Netflix show and absolutely loved it. Right now, I am liking the read a lot, just for myself. I am not sure that my daughter is as enthralled with it as I am or as she was with Lemoncello. This might be more for teens than elementary or middle school. There is a lot of great descriptions. The author makes you really feel like you’re there in Gavaldon. I am a fan of their writing style and even if my daughter doesn’t want to continue the series I think I will. I bought the box set and its a fun read.
Character Profile
I decided to add something new and fun to my newsletters. Each one will have a new character profile from one of my books! I’ll talk about stats, background stories, their part in the story, and the inspiration behind the character. I love all my characters so much that I just can’t let them go even when a series is over! That’s why you’ll see Christine Moore and her sister Gretchen from the Dead Soil trilogy in my Zooey Zombie post-apocalypse series! And a Holly Everest trilogy is in the works in my brain, a spin off from my Chronicles of a Supernatural Huntsman series. These characters are forever in my heart and so they will keep popping up in my stories and connecting my series in a complex and hopefully entertaining web. So here it is. The first character profile! It’s only fitting we start with a main character.
Kamlyn Paige from the Chronicles of a Supernatural Huntsman YA Fantasy Series
I do not own the rights to these pictures. They are merely used as inspiration for the characters
Stats
Name and Meaning: Kamlyn has English, French, and Slavic origins. In French it means Young Ceremonial Attendant. In Slavic it means perfect, complete. Lyn in English means lake so it could be a combination of meanings. In English the name Cam means crooked nose, and the name Kam in Dutch means Brewery, so the meanings could be endless. Paige is Kamlyn’s Surname. It’s found in the USA, Canada, UK, and Scotland. It’s most common ancestry has origins in the ancient Anglo-Saxons of England. It’s given to someone who has worked as a servant or personal attendant to a Lord or nobleman. I chose the last name of Paige because I’m a booknerd and it’s a variant of page, like the pages of a book. Right on the nose with that one.
Age: 24
Hair: Long brown and wavy
Eye Color:Hazel (because all authors can’t help putting a bit of themselves in their characters.)
Currently Lives in:Valparaiso, Indiana
Education: High School Graduate
Income:She lives off her parent’s inheritance, which is quickly dwindling
Occupation:Huntsman for the Chamber of Darkness (In Training in Book 1)
Relationship Status: Single, though there is a man of interest throughout the series
Personality Traits: Kamlyn is a bit of a loner. She always had her one best friend and her family and that was enough. She wasn’t a party girl, but she did have a high school sweetheart. It’s because of the hurt he caused her that she has remained alone to raise her son. She is a loving mother who would do anything for her little boy, Danny. And once he is taken from her she becomes a fierce warrior who will stop at nothing to have her revenge for his death. She’s hardworking, diligent, kind-hearted, caring, and smart. She can keep her cool in tough situations and isn’t afraid to use her weapons and combat training to protect those she loves.
Story Motivators: Kamlyn is motivated by revenge in the first book, Broken Angel. Her son is murdered by a mysteriously cloaked figure in the night and she will stop at nothing to hunt it down and take its life. As the series continues she has different reasons for further revenge, now against the fallen angels. When she learns of their plans to destroy the human race, she’s motivated to save her fellow humans and the world.
Background Story: Kamlyn Paige lived with her mother and father in Northwest Indiana all her life. She had one best friend, Cara, and lived simply and peacefully. In her senior year she met Rob, a cool new kid who showed an interest in photography and her. Weeks before graduation Kamlyn learned she was pregnant. She turned to her family for support when Rob refused to help her. Just before the baby was due, her parents were in a fatal car accident. Her best friend, Cara, moved in with Kamlyn to support her and her baby. For five years, Kamlyn lived off her parent’s inheritance while Cara worked contentedly at the local diner. Life was good, until one fateful night when a cloaked figure appeared in the dark of night and killed Kamlyn’s beloved son, Danny. She was almost defeated by her grief, when a neighbor she’d never met before saw her crumpled in tears on the sidewalk. He picked her up and revealed a whole new world to her. A world that lives just beneath the surface of ours. A world of monsters and mythological beings, and a secret society that protects the human race from them all. Kamlyn is invited to joint the Chamber of Darkness as a Huntsman in the first book, giving her the chance to have the one thing she wants the most in life…revenge.
Special Abilities: Kamlyn does not have a natural aptitude for physical activity. She was always more artsy than she ever was a jock, pursuing her passion for writing through journalism with the high school newspaper. But she trains hard at the Chamber of Darkness, and eventually she proves that with hard work and determination we can do anything we set our minds to. But that’s not all there is to Kamlyn. Further into the series, without giving too much away, I can tell you she realizes that she’s not who she thought she was, and she has a whole slew of special abilities that will help her in the upcoming war against the fallen angels. She trains with various the very creatures and beings she once hunted to hone in her new magical skills. All should beware of the power of Kamlyn, that’s for sure.
Writer’s Inspiration: I will fully admit, that like most writers, that my first character I developed, Kamlyn Paige, was based a lot on myself. Not just who I am, what I look like (or wished I looked like) but also who I would like to be if put in a similar situation. Kamlyn is strong and fearless, but she doesn’t start off that way. In the beginning she is a bit of a nerd. She likes to write and tells her best friend everything, but is not the popular girl is school. She flies under the radar and stays out of trouble until she meets a boy, a fact of life I think we women can all relate to in some way or another. I love Kamlyn’s character arc of going from this bookish loner and nurturing mother to a fierce bad-a warrior. The readers seem to like that storyline as well, so I’m glad.
May Free and On Sale Book Links
I use Bookfunnel to connect with readers who like to give indie authors like me a chance. It’s a completely safe network that many of you are familiar with, but if you’re not here is how it works. Authors set up their profile, add their books and giveaway pages, and then they can join promotions with other authors. The authors then put the word out about the promo through their mailing list and social media. Most of the time the books are free to download for readers, all the authors ask in exchange is their email to add them to their mailing list. And why wouldn’t you want to be on that list? Free books! But no one holds it against you if unsubscribe, which you easily can. Other times, the links will lead you to Amazon or Barnes and Nobles where the author’s books are on a special sale for you to purchase. And that’s it! Your info and email is never shared with anyone except the author you are downloading the book from. Here are the links to the promos I am currently participating in for the rest of May. Come June there will be more!
I’ve decided to make a change to how I contact everyone with my monthly newsletters! I think this will be a good change for everyone and keep us in better contact so there’s no missed free books or updates.
The Delivery
All my monthly newsletters and updates are going to be given through my WordPress website subscription now. I’ve been on the hunt for a cheaper way to send out newsletters. My mailing list has been growing exponentially with the use of Bookfunnel, and with that the price of service like MailChimp keep going up too. I discovered that I can add the Bookfunnel subscribers to my WordPress blog mailing list for free! So, that is how I will be keeping in contact with you all from now on. Whenever I post a blog it will be emailed directly to you, but don’t worry. I am still only going to post blogs for the monthly newsletter, free and on sale Bookfunnel deals, and maybe a special post for a book release if it doesn’t fall in time with the monthly newsletter. You will not get blasted with daily blog posts. If anything, I should post more than I do to my blog, but it’s hard to keep up with if I’m being honest. You can count on the monthly newsletters, though!
The Content
The content of my emails is not going to change. In my monthly newsletter I like to update everyone with what I’m writing, what I’m reading (recent book reviews for the month), updates for any new releases, occasionally there is a link to download one of my books for free, and of course there are dozens of Bookfunnel links for you to download free and on sale books to stock up your eReaders from hundreds of talented indie authors (including myself).
I may possibly send a second email out at the beginning or middle of the month with more Bookfunnel links if I feel they are very different from the ones I sent at the end of the month in my monthly newsletter.
I will send out an email on release day for my books.
I will send out an email with a link to download my unpublished book if you wish to be a part of my ARC team. All I ask in return for downloading my book early is that on release day you leave a review on Amazon, Bookbub, Goodreads, your personal blog and/or wherever you review books. Reviews are how we indie authors survive!
Subscribing
Most of you joined my mailing list through downloading one of my books through a Bookfunnel link, and that is still the easiest way to join the list. You can also join my mailing list directly on my WordPress website. There should be a space for you to enter your email with a subscribe button.
If you would like to unsubscribe you can easily do so at the bottom of any of the emails I send out through my blog. There should be an unsubscribe here button, but then know you’ll be missing out of great free books every month too!
Keeping in Contact with Each other
So keeping in touch with each other is going to look a little different now than it did before. I used to get emails from a dozen or so of my followers every time I sent out a mailer. A lot of the time my subscribers just wanted to say hi and ask how I’m doing. You’ll still be able to do that, but now you will do so by leaving a comment on the blog post of my newsletter. I’ll check them frequently and get back to you in a timely manner. Following me on Instagram is still the best and quickest way to keep in contact with me, though. You can do so by clicking the link below.
Also, if you need to contact me privately and you do not have Instagram, you can go to my contact page on my website and there is a form for you to fill out. This gets sent to my email and I will respond as quickly as I can.
And that should about wrap that up! If you have any questions please let me know in the comments! Thank you for your patience while I figure out how to best do this monthly mailing list.
