9 Reasons Why YA Fiction Still Gets Me

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There's something about YA fiction. Although I've been an adult for decades, I love it. I love to read it and I love to write it. 

Maybe it's because it pulls me back to my teenage years, when everything was all wrong, and gives me a chance to view life from a different lens, to a life where I wasn't gawky, awkward, and insecure, where money wasn't an issue and I had the right jeans and the right sneakers, where my father didn't pass away and leave me rudderless. 

Or maybe it's because I have my own young adult (now a perfect 22) and lived through her much happier teen years, seeing that she had everything I lacked. 

My love of books and reading solidified when I was a teen, providing a much needed escape. YA spans a variety of genres - historical, fantasy, paranormal, romance, social - and brought me places I could only dream of seeing or didn't know existed. 

It introduced me to cultures and worlds beyond my own. 

I met important and famous people, and time traveled throughout the ages.

I learned about dark things in life while never leaving my comfort zone. 

I fell in love with heroes and heroines. 

I read and reread many books that touched my soul.

I still need to escape sometimes and a YA novel is often the best transporter. Some favorites: John Green's The Fault in Our Stars, Suzanne Collins' Hunger Game series, the Harry Potters, Cynthia Toney's Bird Face series, Ruta Sepetys' Between Shades of Gray, and Alyssa Sheinmel's R.I.P. Eliza Hart. 

How about you? Are you a YA fan? What's moved you lately?

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Here's a collection of 14 YA books currently free to download in the Discoveries promo sponsored by My Book Cave.  Multi authors, multi genres, rated all ages to moderate+ for language, sexuality, and violence. A sample of my novel Swim Season is included. Download now! Offer ends October 31st. 

Clean Indie Reads Back to School eBook Sale September 1-8

Here we go again! Another school year is about to begin. After you get the kids ready for reading, writing and 'rithmetic, treat yourself to some new eBooks to keep you entertained through fall. Here are 21 discounted titles from Clean Indie Reads authors, all with a high school or college theme. Many genres: romance, sports, new adult, YA, coming of age, fantasy, paranormal. Priced FREE through 2.99. Sale ends September 8. Note: please check all prices before clicking the "BUY" button. Each individual author is responsible for ensuring the correct sale price for her book(s).

Welcome to the International Authors' Day Blog Hop

Today is International Authors' Day, a day to celebrate those who have the imagination, skill, talent, and tenacity to bring us a world of books. As a reader, I definitely appreciate a well told, well written story, but as an author I understand the amount of sacrifice, time, and angst required to take an idea from first draft to the shelves of your  favorite bookstore. 

International Authors' Day is sponsored by Debdatta Dasgupta Sahay of  b00k r3vi3ws blog. Follow the blog tour at the end of this post where you will meet some great new authors, peruse their books, then enter a giveaway to win great prizes (BOOKS!) 
 

My mother had lots of stories of me as a child but the one I love best was the story of my wanting to drop out of school three weeks into first grade because "I still can't read or write!" Seems I couldn't wait to learn these skills. She had a conference with the teacher to ask her to move me along. I still remember those early primers featuring a little black dog named Tag. 

Once I mastered reading I was always lost in a book and I still am. I'm not one to turn down the promise of a good story which is why I have to-be-read stacks on my nightstand, at the base of my bookcase, and on my Kindle and iPhone (is it possible to overload those things?) I'm always in the midst of reading four or five different books in a variety of genres contained in various devices: hardcovers, paperbacks, ebooks, and audiobooks. Some I bought, some were gifts or giveaways, some are borrowed from the library. I don't discriminate. If it looks good I'll pick it up. I may not finish, but I start. 

There is never enough time for reading. 

I hope I live long enough to get through my TBR piles. 

Respond to this post and you'll be entered into a drawing to win a copy of each of my Kindle reads - Blue Hydrangeas, an Alzheimer's love story, (full-length novel,) and short stories Collection and Ino's Love. 

All raffles run July 14-18. Happy reading!

The Love Sweet Love Giveaway! 12 Romantic eBooks for Lovers Who Love to Read

Enter here!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

eBooks included in the Love Sweet Love! Giveaway

The Land Uncharted by Keely Brooke Keith

Finding Beth by Linnette R. Mullin 
Falling for Alaska by Shannon L. Brown
God's Daughter by Heather Day Gilbert

Unraveled by Heidi McCahan
Finding Peace by Melaine D. Snitker

Reverie by Christina Yother
Chain of Mercy by Brenda S. Anderson

Blue Hydrangeas by Marianne Sciucco
Her Imaginary Husband by Lia London 
Uncharted Redemption by Keely Brooke Keith
Reliance by Christina Yother

Official Sweepstakes Rules:
No purchase necessary to enter. Must be 18 years or older and a resident of the United States. Sweepstakes begins Feb. 8, 2016 and ends midnight CST Feb. 15, 2016. Odds of winning dependent upon the number of entries. Grand prize includes one ebook copy of each title listed here. Winner will be selected at random and notified by email. Once winner notification email is sent, winner must reply within 7 days. Once winner confirms email address, the ebooks will be emailed to the winner’s email address. First name and last initial of winner will be announced, all other information will be kept private. Sweepstakes sponsored by the participating authors. Void where prohibited by law. 

New Release Spotlight: Meg Dendler's "At the Corner of Magnetic and Main"

Today I'm pleased to tell you about a new novel by fellow Clean Indie Reads author Meg Dendler. Meg is a best-selling, award-winning children's author and former teacher who recently debuted her first full-length adult novel, At the Corner of Magnetic and Main. Welcome to Adventures in Publishing Meg! Here's what you need to know about Meg's book:

It's hard to get on with your life

when you're already dead.

   

Penny had been stuck in the same diner for decades—ever since she died in 1952. Her diner was comfortable and safe. Serving ice cream to those who dropped in on their way to the next level of existence, she helped to ease their transition into The Light, the one place she can't go. Her afterlife was perfect. 

But when the ridiculously handsome, bad-boy biker Jake Thatcher shows up and becomes stuck as well, Penny rediscovers feelings that she thought had been buried with her body.

Life is still life, and love is still love. But was her existence really perfect, or was it something else entirely?

About the Author

Meg Dendler has considered herself a writer since she won a picture book contest in fifth grade and entertained her classmates with ongoing sequels for the rest of the year. Beginning serious work as a freelancer in the '90s while teaching elementary and middle school, Meg has over one hundred articles in print, including interviews with Kirk Douglas, Sylvester Stallone, and Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson. She has won contests with her short stories and poetry, along with multiple international awards for her best-selling Cats in the Mirror alien rescue cat children's book series. At the Corner of Magnetic and Main is her first adult novel, but it won't be her last. Meg and her family (including four cats and her dog, Max) live at 1,400 feet in the Ozark Mountains on what they call Serenity Mountain, just outside of Eureka Springs, Arkansas.  

Purchase At the Corner of Magnetic and Main 
Amazon Author Page

Connect with Meg Dendler

Web site

Blog
Facebook 
Goodreads 
LinkedIn 
Twitter

New Release Spotlight: Judy Nickles' "Lethal Legacy in Dreamland," The Dreamland Series

Book 1 of The Dreamland Series: Lethal Legacy in Dreamland

FREE through Friday at Amazon!

What’s the ghost of Al Capone doing in Dreamland, Arkansas? Trixie’s willing to live and let live, but he doesn’t seem to be so tolerant! 

Trixie Blake barely remembers her small hometown or the grandfather who left her  the Quimby Building on the antiquated town square. Newly-widowed and at loose ends, she treks to Dreamland to look for a fresh start. It takes less than twenty-four hours to discover she’s in the path of a shadowy development company’s plans to take over all of Dreamland’s historic downtown. That is, if they can persuade the three hold-outs to sell and move on. When Trixie decides to become hold-out number four, her already precarious situation deteriorates rapidly.

She finds an odd assortment of allies: the Drummond sisters, two feisty senior citizens  who run the Sunshine Style Shoppe on the first floor of Trixie’s building;  Rudy James, a former high school classmate (now the proprietor of the Twilight Bar and Grill); Glen Ellard, the long-time mayor who owns the town’s only hardware store; Hetty Green, a retired teacher who keeps her fingers on the pulse of the town; Danny Jefferson, who doesn’t let his Down Syndrome define him; Mitch Langley, whose connection  to the development company is too close for comfort; and Candace King, self-appointed head of the Dreamland Historic Association, who knows the town’s dark secrets.

On top of everything else, Trixie’s great-grandfather’s buddy Al Capone seems to be still in residence on the Quimby Building’s second floor. Does he also get out and about to vandalize Trixie’s hotel room, slash her tires, and make threatening phone calls? And why does Police Chief Doug Everton want Trixie out of town sooner than later?

Has Al met his match in Trixie Blake, or is he just a bystander in a seedier plot?

Find Lethal Legacy in Dreamland at Amazon.

Follow Trixie’s saga with Desperate Deception in Dreamland and Ghostly Gambit in Dreamland.

Judy Nickles blogs Monday, Wednesday, and Friday at

The Word Place

Follow her blog for writing tips, research links, book-related information,  and the occasional freebie offer.

Visit her website to learn about her other books including the popular

Penelope Pembroke Cozy Mystery Series

Not too sweet and not too spicy!

Connect on

Facebook

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Subscribe here and receive a free PDF of my Kindle short story "Ino's Love."

Beyond the Bestsellers:Indie Catholic Authors Ebook Sale

Looking for something beyond the bestsellers? Spiritual reading to enlighten and entertain on a lazy summer day? I belong to a great Google+ group called Indie Catholic Authors, and 15 of us are hosting an ebook sale from June 24-26.  All ebooks are sale priced at $0.99 or less. You can buy a whole new library for less than $15! Participating authors include:

• John C. Connell

• Mary Ann D’Amico

• Jeannie Ewing

• Ellen Gable

• Melanie Jean Juneau

• Jane Lebak

• Tom McDonough

• Gil Michelini

• Larry Peterson

• Connie Rossini

• Michael Seagriff

• Cheryl Ann Wills

• Dawn Witzke

• John Paul Wohlscheid

• and myself  

Among the titles, readers will find spirituality, memoir, fiction, a children’s book, and a collection of short stories. The books are available for Kindle, Nook, and iBooks. Some are also available in paperback and audiobook (although those formats are not discount at this time). See our new blog header for individual titles. On Wednesday, June 24, we’ll post all the details about each book here, including buy links.

This is our first joint sale that focuses exclusively on ebooks. Can you help us spread the word by joining our Thunderclap campaign.? Sign up to have an automatic tweet, Facebook or Tumbler post on the 24th at noon. We need at least 100 participants to blast social media with our message. Click here to help. Thanks!

Join us on Facebook to chat with authors throughout the day. We’ll have giveaways (on both Facebook and here at our blog) from authors Connie Rossini, Ellen Gable, Jeannie Ewing, and myself. We can’t wait to see you there!

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Don't miss a word. Follow my Adventures in Publishing. 
Subscribe here and receive a free PDF of my Kindle short story "Ino's Love."

Clean Indie Reads March Madness Blog Hop, Sale & Giveaway - Find Your Next "Flinch Free" Read

Have you ever skipped over the parts of a book with too many graphic details about a violent act or bloody scene? Do you pass over paragraphs or pages that go beyond the bedroom door in a way that makes you uncomfortable? Do you cringe when you come upon excessive and pointless foul language in a story? I do, and too often. Sometimes in these days of "anything goes," I need to take a break from all the oversexed, obscenely violent, and filthy language that permeates popular culture, including  books. This is not always easy because the powers that be at the helms of pop culture think this is what everyone wants.  Well, not everyone, which is why I was thrilled to discover Clean Indie Reads, the home of "flinch-free fiction," and joined them not only as a reader but as an author.

Clean Indie Reads is a group of indie authors writing fiction that's clean, meaning  without gratuitous sex, violence or profanity. Home to more than 2000 (!) authors, CIR offers titles in just about every genre from children's books, to YA, new adult, romance, mystery, you name it. We not only help each other market and promote our work but also support one another through the writing process, publication, and sometimes personal difficulties. We also share our members' news and accomplishments on our website, Facebook page, and on Twitter using the hashtag #CR4U. This is a tight group, but open to others who'd like to join us. Readers are always welcome. Here's the link.

  

Over the next five days, we’re hosting a March Madness Blog Hop, Giveaway, and Sale. Please take a moment to visit our authors on the blog hop to find out what we're all about, then browse through our free and discounted titles on our sale page to try out a clean indie read. I guarantee you'll connect with someone offering just the book you need right now. 

But before you go, be sure to get in on our "Year of Reading Giveaway." Forty authors have contributed books to create an awesome year of reading for one lucky reader! All you need to do is visit as many of the blogs in the giveaway as you can by March 20th.  The books offered in the Grand Prize can be seen in the slide show on the right side of this page. Be sure to fill out the secure Google form at each blog you visit - each time you do, you'll earn another entry! And you can start right here! Good luck! And happy reading!

March Madness Book Bundle Grand Prize!

Guest Post: How to Write a Book in Two Months with Author Lois D. Brown

Today I welcome mystery author Lois D. Brown, who will share with us how she wrote a book in two months, something I bet all authors wish they could do. Since it takes me years to write a book, I'm especially intrigued with Lois' accomplishment. Lois also has a special contest to tell us about with a grand prize of  3 nights in a vacation townhome in Kanab, Utah, thirty minutes from Zion Natinal Park. Read on!

About Lois D. Brown

Lois Brown's love of all things fantastical began at an early age when her five older brothers made her watch television shows such as “Dr. Who” and “Lost in Space.” (Yes, the originals.) Her passion for science fiction continued when, at age 12, she spent an entire summer buying “Star Wars: Return of the Jedi” collector cards. As an adult, she has appeared on television shows such as “Myth Hunters: The Curse of Montezuma's Gold” and “American Unearthed” discussing Montezuma’s treasure and Freddie Crystal in Kanab, Utah. If you’d like updates on Lois’s adventures in writing and treasure hunting, please subscribe to her newsletter at www.loisdbrown.com. Other novels by Lois include: Cycles (a top five finalist in The Kindle Book Review’s Best Young Adult Indie Books of 2012); Spaces; and Catching Katil (a tween mystery set in the 1980s.) 

Welcome to Adventures in Publishing Lois! Please tell us how you wrote your mystery Robbed of Soul in two months.

Thanks for inviting me to visit your blog, Marianne. So you want to write a book in two months. I have a little advice. (Writers always do.)

Two years ago it took me almost twelve months to write a middle grade book that was 30,000 words long. This past fall I wrote an 85,000 word adult mystery in two months. What made the difference?

Point #1: Like your book

First off, let me say that to write a book, and to write it fast, you need to like your idea. I wasn't so jazzed about writing the middle grade book. I thought it had a good premise and was marketable. However, I was completely passionate about Robbed of Soul. It’s set in a real town, Kanab, Utah, which I love to visit. It includes legends about Montezuma’s gold and historical tales from treasure hunters in the 1920's. And the protagonist is a woman who survived eight months in solitary confinement in Tehran. All of these are things that fascinate me. So much so that I've actually appeared on a television show about Montezuma's treasure. 

Point #2: Make it a competition.

I contacted a friend of mine who was about to write her second book. (If you don’t know someone personally, there are tons of online author support sites that would work too.) My friend and I made writing our books into a competition. It made all the difference. Every few days we would check up with each other. We’d send a quick text asking how many words the other had written that day. It was fun. First she was ahead. Then I was ahead. Then she was ahead. Yes, she finished the book before me, but it didn't matter. We both finished writing rather large novels in less than ten weeks.

Point 3: Get rid of distractions 

I created an atmosphere that was conducive to writing. Our family’s main computer is in the kitchen. I like it there because I can see what my kids are doing on it. But, it really makes it difficult to focus. The fridge is about six feet from my computer chair. It whispers to me all the time. I knew I had to change where I wrote Robbed of Soul. I set up a desk in the corner of my house the furthest away from my kitchen as possible.  I also put my cell phone in a different spot than where I wrote. 

Point 4: Write while you do chores

There is a free app for iPhone called Dragon Dictation. It's easy to download and it's simple to use. While it's not perfect, it does a good job of transcribing everything I say. I use it for outlining. I write dialog with it. I'm even using it to write this blog. I speak into my cell phone while I'm riding in the car, when my hands are tired of typing, even while I walk around the house picking up messes.

Point 5: Stay awake!

Caffeine does a number on me. I really don't like consuming large quantities of it. However, I found Crio Bru to drink. It has a great natural stimulant in it, tastes good, and I feel like a legit writer with my steaming mug of brown liquid at my side. Another natural stimulant I use is an orange essential oil. I like the brand doTerra. I keep a small bottle of this essential oil right next to my computer. When I started to feel drowsy, I open the lid, pour a drop on my hands, and rub them together. I then breathe in deeply and have an immediate pick me up. And it makes my keyboard smell good. (No, I don't own stock in either of the companies.)

About the contest

Do you like books? Do you like Zion National Park? 

Join the ROBBED OF SOUL book launch giveaway

 and you may win 3 nights in a vacation townhome in 

Kanab, Utah. (Thirty minutes from Zion.) A $450 value!

 (Or a $100 Amazon gift card if preferred.) 

Enter the Rafflecopter giveaway 

About Robbed of Soul

Rescued but psychologically damaged from a failed mission, ex-CIA officer Maria Branson takes the job of police chief in the quiet town of Kanab, Utah. Rest and relaxation are the doctor’s orders. She gets neither. Instead, a missing mayor, the spirit of a dead Aztec warrior, and the over-confident-yet-attractive head of Search and Rescue await her in a town whose past has almost as many secrets as her own. As Maria investigates a modern-day murder, she disturbs a world of ancient legends and deadly curses. Yet most lethal of all is Maria’s fear someone will discover just how empty her soul really is.

Available at Amazon, Smashwords, and Google Play.

Follow Lois on her website, Twitter, and Facebook.

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Authors Supporting Our Troops 2015 Puts Books into the Hands of OurTroops Serving in Remote Areas

Last year I wrote about ASOT2014, but it’s such a worthy cause and effort I want  to give it a little more ink as it enters its second year.

Authors Supporting Our Troops is a small but dynamic operation to put author donated/author signed print books into the hands of our troops (all military branches) serving in remote areas (Iraq, Afghanistan, Kuwait) where days can be long and diversions difficult to find. Books are in such short supply that one single copy can make the rounds throughout the entire base, some soldiers reading it two or three times. ASOT sends boxes of books to individual soldiers to share with his or her comrades, offering a variety of genres and hours of entertainment.

Launched January 1st and continuing through May 1^st, ASOT2015 hopes to exceed the accomplishments of ASOT2014, when authors and publishers donated 2,900 books, all of

which made it to our troops.

“Our goal this time is to put 3,500+ print books into the hands of soldiers in remote areas of the world like Kuwait and Afghanistan,” says event organizer Armand Rosamilia. “If a soldier is stationed in Germany or San Diego, they can easily buy a book or have access to TV, games, e-readers, etc. This event is for the men and women of the military who don’t have easy access to read. It’s something for their downtime between hostile situations.”

What types of books are accepted?

 “Everything but blatant porn,” says Rosamilia. “Nothing taboo or racist, nothing pushing the

envelope. Antimilitary books might not be so popular. Last year many authors didn’t think their romance books would fit, but they did. Soldiers will read anything if it’s the only book around. They like to read a good paranormal romance, you know.”

How do you get the soldier’s addresses?

“From you,” Rosamilia says. “We don’t work with a company or the military. We rely on family and friends of soldiers overseas to get in touch with them to make sure they’re interested in handing out the books. Then we need their COMPLETE address (including their name and APO/FPO) to ship to them. That’s it. The goal is 35 soldiers in 2015 or more.” Right now, the project is short on names, so anyone who knows a soldier serving in these areas is encouraged to contact him at armandrosamilia@gmail.com.

How are the books shipped?

 ASOT2015 relies on the good old United States Postal Service. “No other carrier is as cheap or easy as the USPS,” says Rosamilia. “It costs about 25 dollars to ship a box of books (about 50 books per box.)”

How  can I help?

Authors and small publishers interested in donating books can reach out to Rosamilia via email at armandrosamilia@gmail.com.

Many people have come forward to help with shipping costs, donating money directly to the cause. Email Rosamilia to make a donation, any amount helps.

ASOT2015 also has T-shirts and hoodies available in a variety of colors and styles for purchase via TeeSpring to help defray costs. They’re simple, inexpensive, and available to anyone, author or not.

Also, Rosamilia asks authors to spread the word about this event. “Even though we hit so many authors the last time around (about 325 or so), that is such a small blip of the writers and publishers out there. If you belong to an author’s organization, let them know about it. Ask your publisher to get in touch. Many of them sent us boxes of books last year, which was great.”

For more information please visit and LIKE the ASOT2015 Facebook page.

About event organizer Armand Rosamilia

Armand Rosamilia is a New Jersey boy currently living in sunny Florida, where he writes when he's not sleeping. He's written over 100 stories that are currently available, including a few different series: "Dying Days," extreme zombie series; "Keyport Cthulhu," horror series; "Flagler Beach Fiction Series," contemporary fiction; "Metal Queens," non-fiction music series. He also loves to talk in third person... because he's really that cool. He's a proud Active member of HWA (Horror Writers of America) as well. Visit his website where you can find not only his latest releases but interviews and guest posts with other authors he likes. E-mail him to talk about zombies, baseball and Metal at armandrosamilia@gmail.com

Follow Armand Rosamilia on Facebook, Facebook Fan Page, Twitter

Book links:

Rymfire eBooks

Amazon 

SmashWords
 

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