New Release Spotlight: "In a Jam" by Cindy Dorminy

I fell in love with the cover of this book and its sweet premise, and just had to invite the author to visit the blog. Welcome to Adventures in Publishing Cindy! 

Andie Carson has to do three things to inherit her grandmother’s lottery winnings—sober up, spend a month running her grandmother’s Georgia coffee shop, and enter homemade jam in the county fair. If she can’t meet those terms, the money goes to the church, and Andie gets nothing. She figures her tasks will be easy enough, and once she completes them, Andie plans to sell the shop, take the money, and run back to Boston.

After a rough breakup from his crazy ex-fiancée, Officer Gunnar Wills decides to take a hiatus from women. All he wants is to help make his small town thrive the way it did when he was a kid. But when wild and beautiful Andie shows up, Gunnar’s hesitant heart begins to flutter.

Women's Fiction Giveaway! Grand Prize Gift Baskets of all 20 eBooks!

Prepare for winter!

As fall settles in, it's time to prep for the coming colder days and nights with lots of great ebooks. Here's a selection of 20 titles in Women's Fiction, including my novel Blue Hydrangeas, an Alzheimer's love story. Take a moment to discover new authors. Maybe you'll get hooked on a new series. Enter to win 1 of 2 gift baskets holding ALL 20 books, or 1 of 20 featured ebooks! 

Win up to 20+ Women's Fiction eBooks!

(2) Grand Prize "Gift Baskets" of ALL eBooks!
(20+) Winners of Individual eBooks 
(randomly selected titles)

Disclaimer: Each participating author is responsible for providing winners with prizes.

What I Read on My Summer Vacation, Part Two

Summer is my favorite season, and my favorite activity during summer is catching up on my reading. This time, I have an extra large stack of books to get through because I picked up 25 additional titles at Book Con, some of my favorite authors recently published, and a number of titles about Alzheimer's and dementia are on my list because I'm an administrator for the AlzAuthors website. Here I'll share a few of the books that made me think, made me laugh, and /or made me wish that I had written them.

Gone: A Girl, A Violin, a Life Unstrung, by Min Kym

My Latest Adventure: My First Book Club Meeting as the "Read" Author

Today I visited Belle Reve Senior Living Center in Milford, Pennsylvania to drop off a box of books for their book club. A few weeks ago they invited me to speak to the club and ordered books. They took out this advertisement and it was published in two local magazines.

It all came about when I saw an ad in the paper for an Alz event they were presenting. On a lark I called and told them about my book. I offered a copy and the marketing director accepted. She loved it and now this is happening. 

I am so excited to meet personally with a group that has read my book. These are not residents of Belle Reve or their family members; these readers are from the local community who come to the center to participate in the book club. 

So, as they say in the New York Lottery, "Hey, ya never know!"

I always advise my students and fellow authors to leave the shyness behind and ask for what you want, not easy, I know. The worst that can happen is you'll hear a "No." So what? Sometimes you get a "Yes!" and it's worth all the "No's" and then some.

This program will take place on November 6, at the end of National Memory Screening Week and the start of National Caregiver Appreciation Month. I am working with four other authors of Alzheimer's books to bring awareness to these two events. Stay tuned for valuable information, interviews, and special offers and follow #AlzAuthors. 

New Release Spotlight: Marc Secchia's Fantasy Romance "Dragonlove," Book 2 in the Dragonfriend Series

For love that is tested in the crucible of fate must burn, or die...

Publication Date: August 15, 2015

Genre: Fantasy Romance

Series: Dragonfriend #2

When a woman loves a Dragon, that love will change the world.

Six years have passed since Hualiama and Grandion defied the Island-World’s most sacred law. They burned the heavens together as Rider and Dragon. For his crime, Grandion the Tourmaline Dragon suffered exile and imprisonment. The Dragons forced Hualiama to forget her past.

Now, the suns must set upon the age of the Ancient Dragons. Amaryllion Fireborn, last of his kind, bequeaths Hualiama an astonishing legacy. She is the Dragonfriend. Raised by Dragons. Burned by Dragon fire. Oath-bound to a Dragon. Crossing the Island-World in search of her Dragonlove, she will forge an indelible mark upon history.

As war between Dragons and Humans engulfs the Islands, Hualiama must unravel the secrets of her tragic past in order to confront an evil that threatens the very existence of the Dragonkind. For love that is tested in the crucible of fate must burn, or die.

Excerpt

There was no silence as profound as the space between Islands, no vault as large as the moons-lit sky, hoarding its treasury of stars, nor a loneliness as soul-shadowing as the loss of betrayal. This Hualiama knew as she piloted her Dragonship away from Fra’anior Cluster. She could not sleep. Instead, she searched the emptiness with the eyes of her heart, longing for a glimmer of moonlight upon gemstone scales, for a sign that all was not dust blown into the Cloudlands.

Flicker. Amaryllion. Masters Jo’el and Khoyal. The long-dead face of her Nuyallith tutor, his knowledge lodged in her mind, unforgettable. Sometimes, she felt as though she carried more ghosts than living flesh upon her diminutive frame. She yearned for her spirit to abandon what the ballads called her mortal coil, to roam the Island-World upon wings less substantial than the wind itself; faraway, flyaway, free.

If she listened with the ears of her sixth sense, tasting and experiencing the tides and times of the Island-World, could she not rediscover that bond she had felt between herself and the Tourmaline Dragon, and sing the melody of souls united by oaths stronger than death?

Softly, she poured her heart forth in tuneful lament:

O my Dragon, I search for thee,

My spirit flying far and free,

I call to thee, Grandion; I beg, I burn,

Wilt thou not hear?

Wind keened among the inner hawsers binding spirit to flesh, and flesh to bone. Lia felt a sense of straining, perhaps the Dragon fire of Flicker’s gift bound in the form of a Human. Her hands played upon the controls as in a dream, setting a south-westerly course for Erigar Island. The sails were fully deployed to gobble up a bellyful of the night breeze. The stove burned cheerfully. She topped it up with a few chips of dry jalkwood.

A dream seemed to creep over her, a darkness deeper even than the night.

A Dragon lay in his lair.

Nay, not a lair, but a cage of indestructible Dragon bone, bound with bands of magic-infused iron. The Dragon shifted restlessly, as if gripped by dreams of his own–or touched by hers. Anger had long since guttered into grief. Hope lay crushed beneath a burden of despair. The Dragon circled his cage one more time, dragging his steps, and no light of the Island-World entered his eyes. He was blind.

Pre-order on Amazon. Available August 15th.

About the Author

Marc Secchia is a South African-born author who lives and works in Ethiopia with his wife and 4 children, 2 dogs, a rabbit, and a variable number of marabou storks that roost on the acacia trees out back. On a good night there are also hyenas patrolling the back fence. When he's not writing about Africa Marc can be found travelling to remote locations. He thinks there's nothing better than standing on a mountaintop wondering what lies over the next horizon. Follow Marc on Facebook, Twitter, Goodreads, and Pinterest and visit his Website.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

 

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New Release Spotlight: Bokerah Brumley's Paranormal Romance "ColdwaterBridegroom"

Today's  spotlight is on Texas author Bokerah Brumley's new paranormal romance Coldwater Bridegroom, available on Kindle now. The Pacific Coast, a mermaid, and a tortured artist all promise to make this an intriguing read to add to your summer TBR list. 

Synopsis:

Having grown up in San Francisco, Calder Brumen is drawn to the ocean, and he's spent his life trying to capture the beauty of the Pacific on canvas. Over time, he has become obsessed with the image of a dark haired mermaid named Gaire, and Calder struggles to explain his devotion to these portraits to his best friend. When Calder finds sandy footprints leading to the edge of his bed, he suspects that the haunting siren is real. Pursuing the truth, Calder is dragged into a murderous, underwater plot that could destroy them all. And he must choose – is the possibility of a lifetime with Gaire worth risking death for himself and everyone he loves?

Available on  AMAZON  and AMAZON UK

About the Author

Bokerah Brumley is an award-winning freelance writer. In her spare time, Bokerah enjoys climbing trees, photographing peacocks, and writing flash fiction. Two novellas and one novel are planned for 2015. She lives with her husband, five kids, and three dogs in West Texas where she serves as the blue-haired publicity officer for the Cisco Writers Club. 

Connect with Bokerah

Website

Facebook 

Twitter

Blog Tour Hosted By:

 

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Publication Day! Blue Hydrangeas in Kaleidoscope

Happy day! Pride. Happiness. Honor. And tears, yes, tears of joy. All of these were mine this morning when I opened Issue 71 of Kaleidoscope Magazine and saw an excerpt from Blue Hydrangeas within its pages. This was the forgotten submission I recently wrote about in my blog post "Planting Seeds." Today is publication day and there it is, even made the front page. 

Why does this mean so much to me? Kaleidoscope is an online magazine published twice a year by United Disability Services of Akron, Ohio. It focuses on the experiences of disability through literature and the fine arts from the perspective of individuals, families, friends, healthcare professionals, educators and others. Many of the contributors are disabled. This is my second time published with them. They were the first to publish my short story "Ino's Love" back in 2009, proving to me that my fiction work was publishable. 

In 2009, I was at the worst of my struggle with Thoracic Outlet Syndrome and other repetitive strain injuries, coming to terms with living with a permanent partial disability, and wondering if I would ever write again. Dark days. Seeing this story published in a respected, award-winning journal renewed my faith in myself and my future. It was a green light and I vowed to continue writing in whatever way I could. Now, seeing an excerpt from my novel in its latest edition inspires me to keep moving forward at my own slow pace. Good things do come. 

Please take a moment to discover this journal. The writings are lovely and enlightening. You'll enjoy the artwork. The artists and authors will move you. 

Disability does not have to be an end to one's dreams. 

Here's the link: 

http://www.udsakron.org/kaleidoscope/issues.aspx

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June is Alzheimer's and Brain Awareness Month! Goodreads Giveaway: One Paperback of Blue Hydrangeas, an Alzheimer's Love Story

Goodreads Book Giveaway

Blue Hydrangeas

by Marianne Sciucco

Giveaway ends June 30, 2015.
See the giveaway details at Goodreads.

Enter to Win


"Read it twice just to make sure I didn't miss anything." - Amazon reader

What if the person who knew you best and loved you most forgot your face, and couldn't remember your

name?  

A nursing facility is everyone's solution for what to do about Sara, but her husband, Jack, can't bear to live without her. He is committed to saving his marriage, his wife, and their life together from the devastation of Alzheimer's disease. He and Sara retired years ago to the house of their dreams, and operated it as a Cape Cod bed and breakfast named Blue Hydrangeas.  

Jack has made an impossible promise: He and Sara will stay together in their beautiful home no matter what the disease brings. However, after nine years of selfless caregiving, complicated by her progressing Alzheimer's and his own failing heart, he finally admits he can no longer care for her at home.  

With reluctance, he arranges to admit her to an assisted living facility. But, on the day of admission, Sara is having one of her few good days, and he is unable to follow through. Instead, he takes them on an impulsive journey to confront their past and reclaim their future. In the end, he realizes that staying together at any cost is what truly matters.

A Library Journal Self-e Selection

IndieReader Approved

IndieRecon Best Indie Novel, 2014

5-Star Reader's Favorite

Kindle Bestseller

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New Release! Franky A. Brown's Sweet & Funny Chick Lit "Pride and Butterflies"

Just in time for your summer reading! A new release by Clean Indie Reads author Franky A. Brown, author of Julia the Secret Keeper and Julia the Secret Blogger. Now we have Pride and Butterflies. 

Caralyn Sharp has a demanding job and a love life that just walked out the door. She barely has time to be her best friend’s Maid of Honor. Right when she thinks things can’t get any worse, she brakes hard to avoid a turtle and is rear-ended by Alex Garrison. He’s a military officer with an attitude and the owner of the most amazing pair of blue eyes she’s ever encountered. As they continue to cross paths, she can’t decide what she wants more: to scream at him or stare into his dreamy eyes. 

About the Author

Franky Brown is from Sumter, South Carolina and has a degree in English Literature from the University of South Carolina. Writing has always been her passion and she loves to journal. She writes humorous, clean chick lit novels and also has a gluten-free recipe blog, "Julia and Me, Gluten-free". She currently lives in Alabama with her husband and son where she is at work on her next book. 

Purchase Pride and Butterflies on Amazon

Connect with Franky A. Brown

Website

Goodreads

Twitter

Facebook

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Fresh Fiction: My Short Story "Collection" is Now Available on Kindle

I published a new story on Kindle! In "Collection," young Daisy and her family accompany their housepainter father on a trip to collect wages from a slow-paying customer, and encounter surprising consequences. This is the first in a series of stories involving Daisy and her large family growing up in the 1970's.  I wrote it about ten years ago, and have wanted to publish in ebook for quite a while but needed a cover. I asked my talented intern Jorge Vidals to come up with something and he made this beautiful cover. This story won Honorable Mention in the 2007 Tom Howard/John H. Reid Short Story Contest.  A Kindle Select title, it's free for Kindle Unlimited users. Otherwise 0.99. Enjoy! Reviews welcome! Available on Amazon only.

Excerpt: The lady eyeballed Mama, stared at her swollen belly, and then at the ragtag collection of children lined up behind her. I held onto Sadie, patting at the wrinkles in her tattered blouse. It was once mine and had seen better days. The lady's gaze settled on me, and she shook her head. I moved behind Mama, my face flushed, and focused on the ground, on my soiled canvas sneakers. My big toe poked out of a hole in one of them, revealing chipped nail polish. I stepped on my foot, covering it up.
The lady pointed at Mama's belly. "You're about near your time," she said.
"That's right, Ma'am," Mama said. "Two weeks."
"Oh, my," the lady said. "And how old is your baby?"
"Seventeen months.” Mama pulled Joe tight against her and kissed the top of his head. He studied the lady with big brown eyes and smiled, his two front teeth gleaming.
"Good heavens," the lady said, fanning herself.

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New Release Spotlight: YA Author Krysten Lindsay Hager's Best Friends...Forever?

Good friends have your back, but some go behind it. 

 
Today's guest is Krysten Lindsay Hager, a Clean Indie Reads author who calls herself a book addict who's never met a bookstore she didn’t like. She’s worked as a journalist and writes middle grade, YA, humor essays, and adult fiction. She's originally from Michigan and has lived in Portugal, South Dakota, and currently resides in southern Ohio where you can find her reading and writing when she’s not catching up on her favorite shows. She received her master’s degree from the University of Michigan-Flint. Welcome to Adventures in Publishing  Krysten! Please tell us about your new book and what motivated you to revisit middle school, a time most of us would prefer to forget.

KLH: Hi everyone and thanks for inviting me to visit your readers, Marianne.   I've always loved reading books that use humor and have realistic (and relatable) characters. I decided to write the book I wanted to read when I was reading YA and I’m overjoyed it’s now a series where people can follow along on Landry’s journey through dealing with friendships, the ups and downs of school, crushes, and insecurities. Sure, going back to that time in my own life was a little crazy, but lucky for me there weren’t camera phones to capture me dancing in the school talent show…while wearing jean shorts. If you’re not cringing yet, let’s just say I also had a moment of “genius” where I thought my super dark brown hair would look amazing with “Sun-In” highlights that actually turned my hair a lovely shade of copper. Sigh...

The Landry’s True Colors Series is a clean reads young adult series about friendship, self-esteem, fitting in, middle school and high school, frenemies, modeling, crushes, values, and self-image. Best Friends…Forever? was ranked at #1 on Amazon’s Hot New Releases in Teen & Young Adult Values & Virtues Fiction and #1 on Amazon’s Hot New Releases in Children's Books on Values. True Colors is an international bestselling book.

MS: Best Friends...Forever? was a trip back in time, dragging me back to the halls of South Junior High School where I encountered so many of the issues Landry faces. I thought it was  a great read that portrays the early teen years with painful accuracy. Kids today have a lot to deal with and live their lives much more publicly than my generation ever did.  Can you tell us more about Landry and her story?

KLH: Landry Albright hopes the new year will start off in an amazing way—instead she has to deal with more frenemy issues, boy drama, and having most of her best friends make the cheerleading squad without her. Suddenly, it seems like all anyone can talk about is starting high school next year—something she finds terrifying. Landry gets her first boyfriend, but he dumps her just as things come to a head with her friends. She feels lost and left out, but finds good advice about dealing with frenemies from what she considers an unlikely source. Landry faces having to speak up for what’s right, tell the truth (even when it hurts), and how to get past the fear of failure as she gets another shot at competing in the American Ingénue modeling competition. 

MS: How about an Excerpt?

“Landry, it’s gotta be so awkward for you to be going to Vladi’s school next year,” Tori said. “I mean, what if you run into him during the tour?"

"It’s a huge place,ʺ Ashanti said. “People break up all the time. It’s not a big deal.ʺ

Tori raised her eyebrows as if to say, “Yeah, right,” and went back to her sandwich. Meanwhile my delicious homemade soup was no longer sitting well. It never occurred to me Vladi might be around during the first pre‑freshman tour. I would be mortified if I ran into him and he was with a girl. Or worse yet, running into him, and he was with Yasmin. Plus, I hadn’t told my mom about the breakup, so if she saw him, she’d probably go over to talk to him. I could already imagine it: “Landry, Vladi’s here! Hon? Why are you hiding behind the garbage can? Your boyfriend, Vladi, is here. Come say, ‘hello.’ Stop trying to run away. Why is everyone laughing and pointing at you and calling you a ‘loser dumpee?’ What does that mean?”

Well, maybe the world would end and I wouldn’t have to deal with high school or Vladi and my mother running into each other.

Sadly, the world did not end, and on Thursday, we all had to go to the high school for a freshman information night from 6 to 9 p.m.

View the Book Trailer

What people are saying about True Colors (Landry’s True Colors Series Book One):

From Teenage Book Recommendations in the UK: "This is a fantastically relatable and real book which I feel captures all of the insecurities and troubles which haunt the modern teenage girl. It is about a young model who has to go through tough times when she is torn between a life as a model and managing her friendships. You learn which friends she can most trust and which will create the drama typical of teenage life. Follow the life of Landry and try to see if you can find out which are her true friends before their true colours are revealed. This book is all about relationships, hopes and truth. I loved this book!"

From Books & Authors Spot: “This book is such an inspiration for those who just care about their looks and are tensed about them. This thing is looks aren't everything. This book is related to every teen's problem. Hager has written a very inspiring novel.”

Buy Links:

Amazon

Amazon international

Barnes & Noble

iBooks

Kobo

Connect with Krysten:

Website

Instagram

Facebook

Twitter

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