28 June 2019

Diantha by Zina Abbott






My name is Robyn Echols. Zina Abbott is the pen I use for my historical novels. I’m a member of Women Writing the West and Western Writers of America. I currently live with my husband in California’s central valley near the “Gateway to Yosemite.”

I love to read, quilt, work with digital images on my photo editing program, and work on my own family history.

I am a blogger. In addition to my own blog, I blog for several group blogs including the Sweet Americana Sweethearts blog, which I started and administer.





The daughter of a Georgia plantation owner, Diantha Ames was raised and educated to be a lady. Surviving the Civil War as a child, her family, in a desperate, but ultimately unsuccessful bid to save the property of both her father and her uncle, arranges a marriage between her and her first cousin. Although not a love match, she and Eugene were amiable. As information about her husband comes to light after his death in the Gold King Mine disaster that took so many lives in Wildcat Ridge, she is left with her husband’s hotel and postmaster position to fill—and a lot of questions.

With Diantha’s former laundress gone, she hires Hilaina Dowd, whose family hails from the mountains of Appalachia. Hilaina loyally stays with her mother who wishes to live out her life in Wildcat Ridge and be buried next to her husband who died in the mine disaster.

Henry “Hank” Cauley is branded a failure after refusing to be part of his father’s Salt Lake City brick-making business and then losing his stationary and book store business. To bury him far away, his brother and conniving sister-on-law use their political influence with the territorial Congressional representative to award him the postmaster position in Wildcat Ridge. He arrives in town to take over the position starting the first of September only to discover the postmistress, Diantha, knows nothing about the change, and is not relieved she no longer is obligated to fill this position originally awarded to her deceased husband. Finding himself surrounded by those loyal to the soft-spoken, Southern lady, is he destined to also be a failure in Wildcat Ridge?

Buckley “Buck” Kramer, wrangler on the Grassy Fork Ranch in Colorado, has not been totally satisfied with his lot ever since the trip he took to Wildcat Ridge earlier in the summer with his boss and best friend now he sees the happiness of family life the two men enjoy after they brought back wives. When two trail-worn young brothers stumble onto the ranch looking for a meal and permanent jobs, but are told with winter coming on there is only room for one, Buck insists on leaving in order to keep the brothers together. Is Buck really dissatisfied with his job on the ranch, or is this an excuse to return to Wildcat Ridge and the woman he has not been able to get out of his mind?
  
Diantha, Book 14, is a stand-alone novel. However, you might enjoy it best by reading all the books in the series, The Widows of Wildcat Ridge. Also, my other book in the series, Nissa, Book 3, was written to be a duet with Diantha—a series within a series. You might also enjoy reading Nissa if you have not already done so.




Snippet:

Diantha looked past the newcomer towards the approaching Wells Fargo driver bringing her the day’s mail. After Eugene’s death, she realized it was up to her to take over all aspects of the postmaster position. Not wishing the stagecoach drivers to consider her incapable of working the job, she had offered to meet the coach and collect the mail satchel the way her husband had done. The kindly men who drove for Wells Fargo insisted on bringing the mail to her on their way to the Crystal CafĂ©. The town still received rain and snow in late March and April, which left the streets either muddy, slushy, or icy much of the year. She had gratefully accepted.
          Diantha smiled at the driver as he drew near. “Thank you so much.”
          The mail bag landed with a heavy thud as the driver tossed it on the counter. “Glad to do it, Mrs. Ames.”
          Diantha watched with curiosity as he turned and glared at her new customer—well, potential customer.
          “You told her yet?”
          The man with the carpet bag shook his head. “Not yet. I was just about to introduce myself.”

          The driver grunted his displeasure and turned back to Diantha, an expression of regret on his face. “I’m right sorry about this, Mrs. Ames.” He paused and nodded his farewell. “Well, I’d best get next door if I want to eat before my last stop of the day.”




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27 June 2019

The Australian Billionaire by Britney M Mills






Britney Mills was born in Utah but parts of her heart lie in Boston, Washington D.C. and Germany. Her love of writing began with the third grade book her teacher assigned her to write and she spent hours hidden behind her mother's couch writing pages and pages about knights and castles. Now she writes about romance. Go figure.

When she's not mothering her 4 small children, writing or reading, she's probably out playing a sport, going on a hike, or binge watching a murder mystery series. The way to her heart is through homemade chocolate chip cookies and five minutes peace.







A self-made billionaire, his real estate agent and three weeks to find the right property.
Jackson Walker hasn't had the best family life. Growing up in the foster system in Australia, it wasn’t until he met his college football coach that he understood what a normal family looked like. When he gets the call that Coach has passed away, he returns to California for the funeral and to find a place to honor the man. 

Hailey Montgomery threw herself into real estate soon after breaking up with her boyfriend nearly five years ago. She’s been working to build a name for herself and when the chance to make partner at her firm becomes available, she jumps at the chance. But the only way to achieve that distinction is to find a commercial property for the guy she’s nicknamed ‘Golden Boy’ from all the stories her father told about him. 

As spending time together brings them closer, the trust between them is called into question. Can they work through what’s happened in their individual pasts to create a relationship that will last?



Snippet:

. “Mom, please tell me what’s going on. Why are we here, and who is restarting the bookstore?”
“Jackson.”
The answer set Hailey back on her heels, blindsided by the revelation. “What do you mean, Jackson? He’s back in Australia. Why would he care about this space?”
“Because he loves you. He’s been trying to think of a way to show you, and this was his answer.”
“Did you tell him to do this?” Hailey felt irritation well up, hoping she wasn’t betrayed by her mother after the Avery situation.
Shaking her head, her mother said, “No. I haven’t talked to him in a few weeks. He contacted me today and said to bring you over.”
Hailey tried to figure out why he would have decided to do this. The only time she’d been here with him was that first day of property hunting, when she’d told him about the outings with her mother.
“What did he name it?” Her throat had gone dry, making her voice sound more scratchy than she was used to.
“Head outside and see.”

Without waiting, Hailey took long strides across the room and pushed at the glass door. Turning, she saw two men revealing a covering from the sign. Once the paper was gone, she gasped. “Montgomery’s Bookstore” shone back at her in a bright blue.





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26 June 2019

The Kingdom of Nereth by TJ Amberson




TJ Amberson hails from the Pacific Northwest. With a love of writing in several genres, TJ strives to provide well-written, age-appropriate, & original novels for tweens, teens, and new adults.










~ Facebook ~ Website ~  


Dark times are upon the land of Nereth. Centuries have passed since the rightful heir to the throne was banished. The people are losing hope in ancient legend, which foretells of one who will rise up, overthrow the evil king and queen, and restore peace. Like all others in Nereth, Edlyn has suffered greatly. Orphaned as a child, Edlyn grew up as the serf of a drunken lord. Now a spirited seventeen-year-old, Edlyn works to buy her freedom while fighting off the unwanted advances of Sheriff Hurst. One morning, Edlyn discovers a young man hiding in the stable. He is fleeing from Sheriff Hurst and inflicted with a sword wound that will surely be fatal without her help. In a split-second decision, Edlyn conceals the young man from Sheriff Hurst and begins nursing him back to health. As the young man's strength returns, Edlyn learns that his name is Maddock, and she is stunned to find that he has come from the mysterious land to the north. Maddock soon comes to Edlyn's aid, rescuing her from Sheriff Hurst. Suddenly declared outlaws, both Edlyn and Maddock must escape for their lives to enchanted Ravenshire Forest and then the desolate mountains beyond. As their adventure unfolds, Edlyn and Maddock discover that their meeting may have been more than chance, for their lives prove bound by a fate that neither of them could possibly have imagined.





Snippet:

The sound of a woman's sinister laughter caused them both to stop. A shiver of dread ran through Edlyn's body as the glowing vapor appeared once again, this time in front of the thrones. Gradually, the vapor brightened and sharpened, morphing into the figures of a man and a woman.

            Raelin and Guthrie were before her.





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25 June 2019

The Three Crowns Series by Sonya Ray






I grew up in Southeast Missouri; home of the Throwed Rolls, high cotton, and the St. Louis Cardinals. I have a little family consisting of son, daughter, son-in-law and a little Pi. Other than my children (and grandchild), my passion is writing. My current project is The Three Crowns Series. Sweet Tea is the first book in this seven-novel series which published October 15, 2013.

Besides reading and writing, I enjoy singing. I love music period. Music is in our family. Whether it be the bluegrass from the Ozarks that my Grandpa Sutton use to play on his banjo or fiddle, or the smooth, family harmony in which I am fortunate enough to sing with my Dad and Brother. But you can give me some kickin' AC/DC too! I like it all!

I work full-time as an Administrative Assistant. Every free moment is dedicated to my family and my current project, The Three Crowns, a seven-novel paranormal romance series.




It all starts with a Queen and a Plan.

The Three Crowns is a New Adult/Paranormal Romance series. There are seven books to complete the series, with a novella. This series has your modern day vampires dealing with the Old World Laws creating a struggle for ultimate power in the Night World.



THE THREE CROWNS SERIES SYNOPSIS

The Three Crowns series is about a normal girl whose life is more than what she will allow herself to imagine. It is the journey of her accepting that everything is not black and white, and our logic of what we understand does not mean something does exist. Throughout the story she is protected, loved, groomed and pushed to her limits to prepare her for what lies ahead of her. She is tested in all areas of her humanity which will someday bring her to know the person she is destined to be. The human nature of love is a tangled web of emotions for she feels the love of two men who are continually being taken away from her for the sake of their positions in the future as well.




Snippet:

My legs and arms kicked and thrashed at the air. Until finally…thud. I landed hard. I couldn’t see! Something was attacking me! I kicked and punched to get away from it!
“No! No! No!”
I was not ready for my head to be cut off! But I was sure fixing to rip someone’s face off if they didn’t get away from me! I felt my face flush with anger. They didn’t want any of what I was fixing to dish out!
I finally fought the thing off of me and gasped, as my eyes flew open.  I was breathing heavily as I looked around, taking everything in. My heart was still pounding.
But…I was safe in my room on the floor next to my bed. I looked down at my would-be attacker and swallowed hard. It was my down comforter. I bit my bottom lip and quickly stood up, throwing my comforter back on the bed. I put my hands on my hips and thought about the dream. No. Nightmare! But it was just a dream. I ran my hand through my long dark hair and exhaled.
I gave my comforter a masterful smile. “I told you not to mess with me.”
My phone started vibrating on the nightstand. Fearing the worst, I looked at my clock. Great! Today was the first day of school and it was 7:55! No doubt about it, I was going to be late!
As I jumped in the Mustang and headed down the road, my dream came back to me. It had really freaked me out (not so much the wrestling with my comforter). Everything was so detailed. Thoughts of the silver and red eyes in the smoke made chills crawl up my body. My heart started pounding as the horrifying scene filled my mind. I had to put the dream out of my head. I didn’t want to keep seeing headless bodies—geez! And the fear. The fear was like a force in itself.  It surrounded me. I could feel its darkness as though it was hiding in the shadows waiting to collect me. All of me. I shuddered and found myself gripping the steering wheel as the feeling of darkness returned to me from the dream.  I had to shake this off. It was a dream—only a dream. The guy in my nightmare who was trying to save me came to mind. Who was he? I could still see him so plainly, and remembered feeling I knew him, but in real life I had never seen that guy. I scanned through the dream one last time, then tucked it away—deep. I had several dreams similar to this one that were stored away never to be thought of again (if I could help it!).

Little did I know that one day, this dream (nightmare) would be reality.



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24 June 2019

Sons of the Sphinx by Cheryl Carpinello



I’m a retired high school English teacher. A devourer of books growing up, my profession introduced me to writings and authors from times long past. 

Through my studies and teaching, I fell in love with the Ancient and Medieval Worlds. 

Now, I hope to inspire young readers and those Young-at-Heart to read more through my Tales and Legends for Reluctant Readers set in these worlds.





 If they fail...

She could die over 3300 years from home!



Tackle the elements & evil of Ancient Egypt...
A history-changing battle & Time Travel Thriller...


Fifteen-year-old Rosa doesn't see dead people...
She hears them & talks to them.

When she agrees to help King Tut's ghost find his lost queen & clear his family's name, she doesn't count on falling for him.

She & Tut must also outwit an evil pharaoh determined to stop them...
Even if it means one of them must die.

Get it today and see who triumphs.


2015 IAN Book of the Year Finalist YA
2015 CAL Book Award Finalist YA Fiction
2014 Literary Classics Seal of Approval
2015 Readers' Favorite Finalist YA
2014 Literary Classics Silver Medal for PreTeen/Tween




Snippet:

No way! “Hey, Tut. This sphinx still has its nose. This isn’t The Sphinx.”

“What are you saying, Roosa? Come and help me clear the sand away from the stele.” “I said, this isn’t The Sphinx. It still has its nose.”

“Of course, it has a nose. That’s the way it was made.”

“No. You don’t understand,” I protest. “The Sphinx in my time has no nose. It’s been broken off for centuries.”

Tut casts me a perplexed look. A tingling sensation goes through me like when you touch your tongue to the two terminals of a battery. “Come, Roosa. We need to unbury the stele.”

I follow blindly, still looking at the undamaged face of the Sphinx. It’s definitely more striking to see it in one piece.

“People have always wondered what happened to it,” I say more to myself than to Tut. “Guess I won’t find out now.”

It is only as I help Tut scoop the sand away from the top edge of the stele that I realize the sand has drifted and blown all around the Sphinx, burying it up to its neck in places. No wonder it appears smaller.

The desert always reclaims its own, even mighty Pharaohs.”

I jerk my head up searching for the voice. I glance at Tut, but he continues to dig.

My hands wrap themselves around my stomach. The nausea’s coming back. It is her. It is Ankhesenamun.

“It is all right, Rosa. Here in my homeland I find communication easier for short moments.”

Tut stops digging, his eyes glued on me. “Please, Rosa. Show him I still love and support him.”

Confused, I start to question her, but like an avalanche, the answer bursts into my mind.


The picture at home in my room. The two of them. Her longing sits heavy in the pit of my stomach. Unable to do anything else, I nod ever so slightly. Then, with Tut’s expression still questioning, I reach out and touch him as she does in the picture. Energy flows down my arm into my fingertips. Tut grips my hand and presses it to his heart.





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