Happy 5th Birthday Indie Author!

In 2014, I compiled this list to celebrate the first book birthday of my first novel, Blue Hydrangeas, an Alzheimer's love story. Five years have now passed since publication day, and I've learned even more from this experience. I'm reposting my original list with a few updates in an effort to help others who are starting out as authors.

#1 I Need Help

Indie publishing is not for the faint of heart. Never did I dream how much I had to learn and how much I had to do in order to be successful. If I had, I probably would have let the manuscript languish on my hard drive for eternity. Since early childhood, I always had to do everything myself, and have a hard time asking for help. But some things I just can’t do. Formatting a manuscript is at the top of that list. My repetitive strain injuries would not allow this no matter how many times I tried and how many strategies I used to get around the crippling pain. In the end, I asked for help and realized I didn’t have to do everything, or cripple myself to do it all. There are many skills needed to make a book, and no one person possesses all of them to do it expertly. Part of being an indie author is knowing when to call in the professionals to help make your book the best it can be. That’s why big publishing houses employ a staff of pros to turn out a book. It was foolish to think I could make it on my own.

UPDATE: I'll add to this that four years later I'm now teaching classes in self-publishing in the continuing education programs at three colleges. I've also mentored a number of people in publishing their own books. So, student became teacher. Who knew? Next step would be to write a book on the subject, but there are already so many good ones out there I'll save my energy for something else. I could do a webinar or a podcast, but that would require a whole new set of skills. Not sure if I'm up for that, but you never know...

#2 People are Helpful

One thing about book people: they’re helpful. I learned this at a writer’s conference a number of years ago. It must be a writer thing, this urge to share information, to write about your experiences, to answer when called upon for advice. I received information and help from many different sources: authors, publishers, editors, bloggers, and web sites, usually for free. I haven’t experienced such generosity in any other field. In turn, I give of myself, sharing what I've learned, letting others in on a good deal or a bad experience. When indie authors work together, we all win. It elevates our industry, and makes us all better at what we do. In the end, readers benefit, and that’s what we’re all here for, isn't it?

UPDATE: A few years ago I joined a wonderful writer's group, Clean Indie Reads, where I received not only knowledge but support. Through this affiliation I participated in numerous book sales and promotions, contests, blog tours, blog hops, podcasts, author interviews, guest blog posts, and more. Groups like this are essential for any author and I advise all aspiring authors to find one that suits them. As a result of this positive experience I helped create the AlzAuthors blog and writers group. This is a family of writers who share their dementia stories, paving the way for others dealing with the dementias to find resources to meet their needs. 

#3 I Am Not Invisible

People notice. They do, whether you’re commenting on someone’s Facebook status, a blog post, or retweeting a tweet. In order to be in this game, you need to put yourself out there, build a presence both online and in your community, letting the world know you’re an author with something to share, which leads me to the next thing I learned.

UPDATE: Some of the best things that have happened to me came by networking online in social media (see above.) Not all of these opportunities were online, but local, such as my recent participation in a regional authors event at a Barnes and Noble,  and at an Art Walk in a nearby town.  I learned of these opportunities through my involvement in Facebook groups. It is unlikely I would have learned of them otherwise. So time on social media is not wasted.

#4 Don’t Be Shy

No, you can’t be shy. This is not the time to be bashful, or wait for someone else to tell the world what you have to offer. Self-promotion doesn't come easy to me. I tend to do things quietly. But, in publishing you can’t sit back. You need to tell the world about your book, your next appearance, your latest interview. We indie authors are just drops in the ocean; there are thousands of us with thousands of books out there jockeying for attention. In order for us to reach readers, we must be our own best fans.

UPDATE: I still find this difficult. I sometimes go on whirlwind promotions but then sink back into obscurity. Neither is good. A consistent but not obnoxious prescence would be helpful. It's something I'm working on.

#5 I’m Important

It’s true. I never realized it before but I am important. I’m the only one who’s written this book, this story, about an important topic, one that affects millions of lives, and one that has moved many people to write to me and post reviews on Amazon and Goodreads letting me know how my work has touched them. And when I started to realize that, in my own small way, in my own little niche, I’m important, I started to act important, and then other people acted like I’m important. I accomplish so much more this way.

UPDATE: I tend to underestimate myself, so when I stand before an audience to talk about one of my books or in front of a roomful of students I surprise myself by what I know. I've picked up so much knowledge from my writer friends, bloggers, journals and podcasts, as well as my own practice. In time, you can do this too. It doesn't happen overnight, but with persistence, it happens.

#6 Don’t Give Up

This is a tough business. There are times I feel like giving up. Why did I ever get involved with this? How am I ever going to get it all done? But, after a little respite I get my equilibrium back and keep plugging along. In the end, I do get it all done, astonishing myself. Things may not happen overnight, or when I want them to, but things happen: the invitation to speak at the conference arrives; the interview with the alumni magazine is published; the host of the radio show wants an interview; the royalties are direct deposited. I never know what’s going to happen next, what opportunity will present itself to help me advance as an author, a writer, to build my reputation, to grow my brand. Each day brings a new adventure. Or not. During the slow times, I play catch up, and dream.

UPDATE: In five years, writing has not gotten easier because of my repetitive strain injuries. I still need frequent rest periods (sometimes weeks) but I have learned to plan and organize my projects to manage or eliminate stress. I don't think anyone ever gets the perfect writers life, anyway.

#7 I Love This!

I wouldn't change anything. Every ounce of frustration and disappointment is worth every moment of joy. This is a journey, and not everyone is destined to take it or make it. The end is nowhere close, but I continue to work, a little each day, to make my dream come true.

UPDATE: No change!

What Am I Doing in This Place? When Who You Are and Who You Want to Be Collide: The Writer Becomes a Nurse, Then a Writer

photo by Sergey Nivens via Adobe Stock

Have you ever had the feeling you're in the wrong profession? I have. In fact, several years ago I attended a writer's conference at a university in New Jersey, and for weeks later castigated myself for giving up my pursuit of a writing career to become a nurse. 

The hours spent meeting and talking with other writers. The workshops that inspired me to go after my dream. The buzz of adrenaline that ran through my veins when I thought, "I can do this! I can be a writer!" All of it was wonderful. I was excited to be back at school, even for just a day. Walking the halls of that fine institution felt so right. I wanted to stay there, to be a part of it everyday. For years.

When reality hit on Monday morning I felt deflated, forlorn, a fraud when I had to put away my work-in-progress to attend to the needs of my patients. Second thoughts about my career choices hounded me:  

New Release Spotlight: Silently in the Night, by Clayton Graham

A collection of tantalizing tales with more twists than braided hair!

This week's new release comes from fellow Books Go Social author Clayton Graham. Here you will find mystery, murder and mayhem – plus a moment of romance. All the stories will make you stop and think, even question your role in the world and the universe. Just what are we doing here, and where are we going? Easy questions with problematic answers.

This anthology of sixteen short and thrilling tales of unusual, extraterrestrial and conspiratorial stories is the latest compilation from Clayton Graham, the author of science fiction novels Milijun and the soon to come Saving Paludis. The characters in this eclectic collection are mostly ordinary people whose reactions to their fears and to unexpected events will have you guessing at every turn of the page.

Guest Author: Andrew Joyce on Researching His Historical Novel "Yellow Tail"

Today's guest author conducted painstaking research into his three novels and shares his methods here for anyone aspiring to write a historical novel or any novel which has its basis in reality. I have done the same research myself for both of my novels. I am a stickler for accuracy, and although I trusted my knowledge on Alzheimer's disease and competitive swimming, I still spent months researching these topics. The last thing a writer wants to  learn in a review or reader mail is that she messed something up. It damages your credibility and takes the reader out of the story. I'll let Andrew Joyce tell you more about this.

***

My name is Andrew Joyce and I write books for a living. I would like to thank Marianne for allowing me to be here today to promote my latest, Yellow Hair, which documents the injustices done to the Sioux Nation from their first treaty with the United States in 1805 through Wounded Knee in 1890. Every death, murder, battle, and outrage I write about actually took place. The historical figures that play a role in my fact-based tale of fiction were real people and I use their real names.Yellow Hair is an epic tale of adventure, family, love, and hate that spans most of the 19th century. 

Through no fault of his own, a young man is thrust into a new culture just at the time that culture is undergoing massive changes. It is losing its identity, its lands, and its dignity. He not only adapts, he perseveres and, over time, becomes a leader—and on occasion, the hand of vengeance against those who would destroy his adopted people. 

Now that the commercial is out of the way, we can get down to what I really came here to talk about: the research that goes into writing an historical novel or an action/adventure novel that uses an historical event as a backdrop.

I want to say that I learned the hard way how important proper research is. But it wasn’t really that hard of a lesson. In my first book, which takes place in the last half of the 19th century, I made two mistakes. I had the date of an event off by one year and I had my hero loading the wrong caliber cartridge into his Winchester rifle. I would have gone blissfully throughout life not knowing how I had erred if not for my astute fans. Both mistakes were quickly pointed out to me in reviews of the book. One guy said he would have given me five stars if not for the wrong caliber bullet mistake. I had to settle for only four stars. Lesson learned!

Before I get into telling you about the year-long research I did for Yellow Hair, I’d like to tell you how I researched my second and third books and describe what that research entailed.

My second book was a western and the protagonist was a woman. The research took about three months. I had to know everything from women’s undergarments of the late 19th century to prison conditions for women in those days. (I sent my heroine to jail.) That kind of research was easy. Thank God for the internet. But then I had to do some real research. Molly (my protagonist) built up her cattle ranch to one of the largest in Montana, but she and her neighbors had nowhere to sell their beef. So Molly decided to drive her and her neighbors’ cattle to Abilene where she could get a good price. She put together the second largest herd on record (12,000 head) and took off for Abilene.

That’s when I had to really go to work. I wanted my readers to taste the dust on the trail. I wanted them to feel the cold water at river crossing. I wanted them to know about the dangers of the trail, from rustlers to Indians to cattle stampedes.

This is how I learned about all those things and more. First of all, I found old movies that were authentic in nature. I watched them to get a feel for the trail. Then I read books by great authors who had written about cattle drives to soak up even more of the atmosphere of a cattle drive. That was all well and good, but it still did not put me in the long days of breathing dust and being always fearful of a stampede.

That’s when I went looking for diaries written by real cowboys while they were on the trail. After that, I found obscure self-published books written by those cowboys. Then it was onto newspaper articles written at the time about large cattle drives. That’s how I had Molly herd the second largest cattle drive. I discovered that the largest was 15,000 head, driven from Texas to California in 1882.

My next book took place in the Yukon during the Klondike Gold Rush of 1897. Here new elements were added such as wolves and the extreme weather as adversaries. Dogsledding was also involved. I have seen snow only three times in my life and I have never dogsledded. I knew even less about wolves. I had to learn about those things. I had no idea what it was like to travel across a wilderness on a dogsled at seventy degrees below zero. I also had to acquire knowledge about the dogs themselves, especially the lead dog. I learned about all that by doing the same things I did for my second book. The old diaries were the most helpful. As to the gold rush, there was plenty of material in the form of self-published books by some of the participants. Some were never even published, but I found copies of them in the archives of universities and historical societies. Again, newspaper stories printed at the time were very useful. Concerning wolves . . . I read everything I could get my hands on about wolves—their habits, the pack hierarchy, the alpha male, and the different jobs or tasks the males and females have while hunting.

Now we come to Yellow Hair. As I mentioned above, the book is about the Sioux Nation from 1805 to 1890. I had to know both points of view, the white man’s and the Sioux’s. Getting to know the whites’ take on things was easy. There are many, many books (non-fiction) that were written at the time. I even found a book written by Custer detailing his strategy for wiping out the Sioux entirely. That was hard reading. And, again, there were universities and historical societies whose archives were a great help.

As to the Sioux’s point of view, there are a few books that were dictated to newspapermen years later by the Indians that took part in the various battles that I weave into my story. I found a lot of material from Native American participants of the Little Big Horn, written twenty to thirty years after the fact.

But I wanted to immerse myself in the Sioux culture and I wanted to give them dignity by using their language wherever possible. I also wanted to introduce them by their Sioux names. So, I had to learn the Lakota language. And that wasn’t easy. There is a consortium that will teach you, but they wanted only serious students. You have to know a smattering of the language before they will even deign to let you in. I had to take a test to prove that I knew some Lakota. I failed the first time and had to go back to my Lakota dictionary and do some more studying. I got in on my second try.

I’m running out of space, so I reckon I’ll wrap it up. I hope I’ve given you a little insight into the research process. It’s time-consuming and sometimes frustrating. But it is also a blast. Every new discovery is like finding the motherlode.

I’d like to sign off with another commercial. The three books I alluded to above are:

• Redemption: The Further Adventures of Huck Finn and Tom Sawyer

• Molly Lee

• Resolution: Huck Finn’s Greatest Adventure

I would like to thank Marianne once again for having me over and you good folks for tuning in.

Andrew Joyce

 About the Author

Andrew Joyce left high school at seventeen to hitchhike throughout the US, Canada, and Mexico. He wouldn’t return from his journey until decades later when he decided to become a writer. Joyce has written five books, including a two-volume collection of one hundred and fifty short stories comprised of his hitching adventures called BEDTIME STORIES FOR GROWN-UPS (as yet unpublished), and his latest novel, YELLOW HAIR. He now lives aboard a boat in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, with his dog, Danny, where he is busy working on his next book, tentatively entitled, MICK REILLY.

Write What You Know and Then Some - Researching My Young Adult Novel Swim Season

My daughter had been swimming for five years when I came up with the idea to write a novel about girls’ varsity swimming. Sitting on those cold, hard bleachers season after season gave me more than a sore you-know-what. It sparked my imagination, creating a story line and cast of characters that would show in written form what high school swimming is like for these girls. As I wrote the story, they were always at the heart of it. I wrote it for them. And I wanted it to be as accurate and realistic as possible.

 

In many ways, writing Swim Season was natural and easy. Through many autumns, I’d watched my daughter and her team swim their hearts out, beside parents rooting for their own swimmers. In the beginning, I knew next to nothing about the sport, about swim meets. But as the years went on, I learned. 

I learned simple things, like the order of events. Try finding your kid on a pool deck swarming with dozens of young swimmers in caps and goggles when you’re not sure which event it is, or whether your child is swimming in it or not. Impossible. 

I chaperoned the waiting rooms where dozens of youngsters waited for their next event. Try to keep all that adrenaline in check.

 

I volunteered to time the races, and stood at the blocks, race after race, helping to make things run smoothly, making sure the right kid was in the right lane.

I helped out at the concession stand, serving up bagels and cream cheese.

I was involved with the fundraising activities, Picture Day, and put together the program for Senior Night for a number of years. 

I went to 99 percent of the meets with my husband (we missed one when it was an hour away from our home on a week night.) 

Most of my daughters’ friends were swimmers, so I got to know several of them up close and personal. They were an intelligent, ambitious, fantastic set of young women. When my book was criticized by a critique partner because the characters seemed “too smart,” I responded with, “Well, those are the girls I know.” The team had the highest GPA of all athletic teams at the high school year after year. Yes, swimmers are smart.

I took advantage of coaches I knew personally (and some I didn’t) to pick their brains, try out the story’s premise for believability, and tweak the details. Many thanks go to the following New York State coaches: Frank Woodward, Middletown High School; Justin Wright, Monroe-Woodbury High School; Jeremy Cuebas, Minisink Valley High School; and Danielle Lindner, former coach for Mount Saint Mary College, in Newburgh.

Early in the process, I sent out a tweet on Twitter, asking swimmers to complete a questionnaire for a new book about varsity swimming. Almost a dozen young swimmers – girls and boys -  responded, and we started dialogues that provided great background for my story. Some of them went on to become beta readers. All of them were thrilled at the idea of a book about them, about their sport.

As a reader, when the answers weren’t so simple I resorted to books. Michael Phelps’ biography No Limits: The Will to Succeed, with Alan Abrahamson, was more than worth its cost. Likewise, Amanda Beard’s memoir In the Water They Can't See You Cry gave me insight into how to build an Olympic silver medalist. Instruction books, such as Terry Laughlin’s Total Immersion, with John Delves, and Tracey McFarlane’s Mirande’s Championship Swimming with Kathlene Bissell, taught me the fine-tuning of technique. The Champion’s Mind: How Great Athletes Think, Train, and Thrive, by Jim Afremow, PhD, was instrumental in creating Aerin’s mental game. For inspiration I turned to Swimmers: Courage and Triumph by Larry Thomson.

Then there was the time when I decided to swim the race at the heart of my story. For a while I was taking Aquasize classes at my local YMCA. One day I got the idea to try to swim 500 yards. I wanted to see if I could do it, how long it would take, and how I would feel during and afterwards. I have never swum competitively, although I have always loved to swim and am capable of doing the freestyle. My first 500 clocked in at 30 minutes. I stopped after every length to catch my breath and chat with the other ladies in the Aquasize class. I kept at it, though, and after a few weeks managed to complete the 500 in 16 minutes, which was phenomenal for me. Of course, the time to beat in Swim Season is 4:52.50, which, for me, was in never never land. But, as a middle-aged woman with below-average fitness, I was proud of my achievement. In the end, unfortunately, it exacerbated my repetitive strain injuries and I had to give it up.

Writing Swim Season was an endeavor born of many resources, personal and professional. It’s recommended that we write what we know. I knew a lot about competitive swimming as a Swim Mom, but that was not enough to compose this story. I needed to reach out to many others - swimmers, coaches, parents, Olympians, and a psychologist – to nail the details. All of this, I believe, leads to a more credible, believable story with depth. 

Swim Season is available in paperback and Kindle on Amazon.

Guest Post: Author Mehreen Ahmed on The Therapeutic Nature of Writing

by Mehreen Ahmed 

Why do people write? The answers certainly vary from writer to writer, but writing evolved alongside a popular and a well-established oral tradition. Traces of the earliest writing system was first found in Mesopotamia, Iraq around 3200 BC. However, there is much debate around this, as some believe that the earliest script was found in South India. Wherever it was, it is obvious that only one form of communication did not suffice. Valuable information would often be lost because of a lack of documentation. Preservation of data in scripted words proved to be more lasting than the spoken medium. The archives today would be empty otherwise and history would remain forgotten. 

A friend of mine had once told me how writing got her through many a troubled situation. There was a time when she felt totally helpless because of her husband’s acute anxiety. At this juncture in her life, it was writing that helped her tremendously. She often sat down at the computer and jotted random, non-linear thoughts without caring much about grammar, or punctuation. or spelling. She continued this for a while until a pattern emerged. An eventual plot began to show. That plot turned itself into her first book. This gave her pleasure beyond measure as a new window of opportunity and happiness opened for her. One book then led to many books. 

If sad thoughts can be written in words, then sometimes they can help in difficult situations. That is the whole point of keeping a diary. My friend had no idea that writing could bring her such sweet relief. In a way, writing acted as her counselor or a psycho-therapist by giving her a platform to vent her unhappiness. Her life changed dramatically after that. She became a writer and found a way to help other emerging writers as well. 

How does writing act as therapy? There is no specific research guidelines to prove exactly what happens to the human brain when it undergoes such activity. Researchers have tried to find out brain functions and effects of expressive writing. Advances in psychiatric treatment (2005), Vol 11, 338-346, published an article written by Karen A. Baikie and Kay Wilhelm. A study elaborated in this article shows a correlation between writing and mental and physical health benefits. Participants were asked to write about their deepest thoughts and feelings of traumatic situations. They were also asked not to care about grammar, spelling, and punctuation,. This research found long term benefits in both emotional and physical health outcomes: a reduction of mood swings and depressive symptoms such as withdrawal. And in physical health a notable reduction of blood pressure. 

In a nutshell, therapeutic effects of writing were found beneficial to human health, generally. But even without delving into too much scientific detail, we can speak from our own experience that writing is good for the soul and for the mind. It gives us pleasure just to take flight on the wings of imagination; creating fantasies, otherwise impossible. Thoughts that would leave indelible marks long after we have passed away. Imagine if Shakespeare had not written a word. Not only would there be a vacuum in the literary world, but what a lonesome and boring place this would be. 

And as imagination bodies forth

The forms of things unknown, the poet’s pen

Turns them to shape and gives to airy nothing

A local habitation and a name.

-William Shakespeare, Midsummer Night’s Dream

About the author

Queensland writer, Mehreen Ahmed has been publishing since 1987. Her writing career began with journalism and academic reviews and articles. Her latest work, Moirae, is available on Amazon.

Follow Mehreen Ahmed

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New Release Spotlight: Brenda Kennedy's New Romance "Forgetting the Past"

When Ava Emerson wakes up from a coma, she has no memory of the past 25 years. The only things she knows are the confusing stories told to her by her split family and her two best friends, Chase and Skylar. Learning that her husband, Connor, died in the car accident that caused her amnesia, Ava is sad and heartbroken. 

With the encouragement of Chase, Ava and Skylar open a bed and breakfast together in the heart of Savannah, Georgia.

When a tall, dark, and handsome Xander Jamison walks into her life, will Ava feel safe enough to let him into her broken and empty life? Will Ava be able to move on and live her life free of a haunting past? Is Xander the man that Ava thinks he is? Or does he hold his own secrets?

GENRE : Soft Romance   RELEASE DATE : August 9, 2016
∗∗∗∗∗ This is book 1 in an all new series, The Forgotten Trilogy by Brenda Kennedy, and is not meant to be read as a stand - alone. Book one does end in a cliff - hanger. Books 2 and 3 are scheduled for later release this year.

Purchase Forgetting the Past

AMAZON | B&N | iTUNES | KOBO | SMASHWORDS

AMAZON INTERNATIONAL

About the Author

First and foremost I am a wife, mother and grandmother. I am also a nurse and a new author. I moved to sunny Florida in 2006 and never looked back. I love fresh squeezed lemonade, crushed ice, teacups, wineglasses, non-franchise restaurants, ice cream cones, boating, picnics, cookouts, throwing parties, lace, white wine, mojitos, strawberry margaritas, white linen tablecloths, fresh flowers and Pinterest. I also love to read and write and to spend time with my family. My books thus far, have been inspired by the things I love and the people who influence me, every single day to be a better person.

Connect with Brenda Kennedy

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GOODREADS  |  WEBSITE

JOIN BRENDA'S STREET TEAM : BRENDA'S STREET TALKERS

More books by Brenda Kennedy

The Starting Over Trilogy

          

The Freedom Trilogy

          

The Fighting To Survive Trilogy

          

The Rose Farm Trilogy

          

The Forgotten Trilogy

          

Coming Soon!

 

Tour proudly hosted by Christina at #CBB Productions

Cover Reveal: Keely Brooke Keith's Aboard Providence

One of my favorite Clean Indie Reads authors has a new book coming out! Here's the cover reveal for Keely Brooke Keith's Aboard Providence. Keely is the author of the genre bending series The Uncharted, which I love, and this new series promises to be as wonderful. At the end of the intro is a Rafflecopter link to win an autographed copy. Pretty cover!

A voyage aboard Providence changes Jonah’s plans, but can it change his heart?

In November 1860, Jonah Ashton is determined to finish his studies at Penn’s Medical School before rumors of Southern rebellion erupt into all-out war. When he learns his father has joined a group of Virginia families planning to sail from America to form a new settlement elsewhere, he travels to his family’s estate intent on saying goodbye. However, when an accident leaves his father in need of a physician, Jonah agrees to serve as ship’s doctor, but he resolves to return to medical school as quickly as possible.

While aboard the Providence, Jonah falls in love with former classmate Marian Foster. Despite their love for each other, Marian has no desire to return to America with him.

After an arduous voyage, Providence runs aground on an uncharted land in the South Atlantic Ocean. While the rest of the settlers celebrate finding the land they wanted, Jonah takes off to explore the island and he soon discovers a startling truth that changes everything, but can it change his heart?

Praise for Aboard Providence

“A delightful adventure reminiscent of Swiss Family Robinson, Aboard Providence is one of those novels that will stick with me because I feel I’ve lived it. A captivating, well-researched, and deftly written tale I can confidently recommend to a wide range of readers.” –Heather Day Gilbert, author of Amazon Norse bestseller God’s Daughter

“With vivid settings and multi-layered characters, Keely Brooke Keith whisks her readers off on a page-turning journey, not just across the ocean, but within the heart. You won’t be able to put Aboard Providence down until the final word is read and then you will long for more.” –Brenda S. Anderson, author of the Coming Home series

“A blend of history and romance with a compelling inspirational message, Keith expertly weaves an intriguing tale. Fans of the Uncharted Series won’t want to miss this journey.” –Heidi McCahan, author of Unraveled

“Keely Brooke Keith is a master storyteller, weaving adventure, love, and wonderful characters into a vivid story that will take readers on an unforgettable voyage to a new place. Full of inspirational messages and tales of God’s love, readers will find themselves longing for more. Keely’s story teaches all of us that the journey is just the beginning!” –Christina Yother, author of the Hollow Hearts series

Release Date: October 20, 2016

Pre-order Link: CrossRiver Media

About the Author:

Keely Brooke Keith is the author of the Uncharted series (Edenbrooke Press) and Aboard Providence (CrossRiver Media). Her novels are known for blending genres in surprising ways. When she isn’t writing stories, Keely enjoys playing bass guitar, preparing homeschool lessons, and collecting antique textbooks. Originally from St. Joseph, Missouri, Keely resides with her husband and their daughter on a hilltop south of Nashville where she dreams up stories, hoping to encourage, comfort, and inspire readers. She is a member of ACFW. 

Connect with Keely:
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Find Keely’s books online:
Amazon
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Giveaway Info:
Enter here for your chance to win an autographed copy of Aboard Providence.