COTT: FREE Historical Romance

The first three books in April W Gardner's Creek Country Saga have just hit the Amazon shelves! They are now available for purchase, but every subscriber to her newsletter gets the first in the series for
FREE!

Scroll to nab your copy!

Beneath the Blackberry Moon will sweep you away to another time, then make you sigh and wish you could stay just a little longer.

I cannot put this book down! April Gardner crafts the scenes and character interactions so well, you are there! What a powerful story. 

~Amazon reviewer

SUBSCRIBE HERE--FREE BOOK

This newsletter goes out only a handful of times each year to announce new releases, so no worries--your inbox won't be bombarded. April is generous to her email subscribers. Next month, each will receive another novel, absolutely free! See below to learn more about Better Than Fiction.

PURCHASE EBOOK (Kindle)

PURCHASE PAPERBACK

About the book:
War, captivity, hunger that will not be denied. And a blackberry moon with enough pull to endure the test of time.

Frontierswoman Adela McGirth has never feared her neighbors, the Creek Indians, but a suspicious encounter with a steely-eyed warrior shakes her confidence. As dreaded, a skirmish with the natives sends her family fleeing into a hastily constructed fort. But no picket is strong enough to hold off a party of warriors who fear nothing but the loss of their ancient ways.

Totka Lawe, a Red Stick bound by honor to preserve his heritage, will do what he must to expel the whites from Muscogee soil. But in the midst of battle, he is assigned to protect those he’s expected to hate and kill. One of whom is the copper-haired woman who has haunted his thoughts since that strange night under the blackberry moon. The war was simpler before his enemy became a beautiful face with a gentle warrior’s spirit he cannot resist.

But what woman would have a warrior whose blood-soaked hands destroyed her life?

Then again...does she have a choice?

PREVIEW BOOK BY CLICKING IMAGE

Learn more about this saga at 

AprilGardner.com

and Like her on 

Facebook!

~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Coming soon...

To get your FREE copy of Better Than Fiction, 

SUBSCRIBE HERE

(releases April 2016)

Better than Fiction

by 

April W Gardner and Michelle Massaro

Romance novelist Meghan Townsend’s marriage is slipping, and no amount of prayer seems to help. She aims to recapture her husband’s waning attention by getting in shape and finds escape by crafting her own fictional love story. Taking inspiration for the hero from a new friend—the attractive, spiritual, and attentive Curtis Jameson—she pours her yearnings onto the page, and craves the kind of pulse-pounding romance found in her book, Racing Hearts…

In 1916 Corona, California, motorcars are all the rage, and racing them is what Meghan’s hero, Russell Keegan, does best. But when his competition vandalizes his car, the only mechanic available is a greasy woman in a man’s overalls.

After a racing accident claimed her father’s life, Winifred became the sole breadwinner for her family. She is disdained as a female mechanic, but her daddy's trade is all she has left. Can she swallow her hatred of the races and take up Russell's offer of big bucks to fix his car, or will she lose everything to mounting debt?

Under Meghan's skillful pen, these two embark on a thrilling, adventurous romance. But she finds that writing those love scenes with Curtis’s face in mind takes her heart places it shouldn’t go. Will she realize in time that real life can be better than fiction?

COTT: The 2016 Laurel is here!

A NOTE TO PUBLISHED AUTHORS:

If you had a novel release any time in 2015, you're invited to submit to Clash of the Titles' Laurel Award!!

The Laurel is a contest available to any genre of Christian fiction published in 2015. The novels are judged by their audience—readers well-versed in Christian fiction yet not associated with the CBA industry.

Authors write for readers, so why not have readers be the judges?

With a submission fee of only $15, easy electronic submission, a bevy of prizes, and judges devoted to Christian fiction and author encouragement, the Laurel is a contest like no other.

But act quick! Slots are limited. To avoid overburdening our volunteer judges, we are limited in the number of submissions we can accept.

* All previous COTT champs whose winning novel was published in 2015 have an assured spot (fee waived) in the 2016 Laurel.

The Skinny:

ELIGIBILITY: Christian novels (30,000+ words) of any genre published between January 1, 2015 and December 31, 2015.

PRIZES: One first place winner will be chosen. The winner will receive a special feature on Clash of the Titles' blog, a tour through COTT’s Blog Alliance, a dedicated page on COTT’s site for a full year, an on-line radio interview with author and CAG board member, Cynthia L. Simmons, a digital winner’s badge, and a beautiful plaque to display at home.

COST: $15 USD

Novels participating in the Laurel are judged by their audience—readers who are well-versed in Christian fiction yet not a part of the CBA industry. This contest judges the first two chapters (or 3,500 words) of published novels. Any genre of Christian novel (30,000 words or more) is eligible, including indie.

SUBMISSION DATES: February 4, 2016-February 26, 2016

Learn more about the Laurel Awards HERE.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Indie Publishing -- Getting the Typos Out of Published Books

I ran across an article from John Doppler recently called No, Amazon Will Not Penalize Your Book for a Typo and it made me wonder how my books will weather the latest change from Amazon. 

Seems Amazon is planning to post warnings for books that have certain types of errors. Read Doppler's list for details.

I think I'm okay. I try to make corrections when I learn of them. Other writers I've talked to about this think it will be good for us. There is a lot of junk out there that makes indie publishers look bad.

My latest novel, Murder in Sun City, was launched with FIVE errors that I learned about after the launch. 

My wife found some, a writer friend found several, and a reader reported one. Based on Doppler's article, these errors probably would have been disregarded by Amazon. But they were embarrassing to me. Here are some examples:

• where for were
• by for my
• placed for place
• it for them
• an extraneous the

Why is it so difficult to proof my own work?

I'm not blaming my editor. I want her to concentrate on the big things which she does quite well. I should have caught these myself, and I suspect they all happened after she turned the book over to me. 

I read the book from start to finish twice before publishing it. My critique partners say I am good at proofreading and a publisher I worked for seems pleased with my work. 

The good news is that it is easier to update published books

In the past, it took forever for me to make changes to Kindle editions of my books. I'd have to find the chapter, open the chapter file in an XML editor, and make the change without messing up the HTML code.

Now, I have Scrivener. All you have to do is make the changes in the text and compile for mobi. Much faster and no chance of accidentally messing up something else.

Murder in Sun City -- Are all the errors out?

I correct the paperback and the Kindle edition. If you already have a copy, Amazon will replace your Kindle version for free. If you want a correct paperback, contact me.

However, if you find errors in the corrected version, let me know.

Now, if you see any typos in this article about getting the typos out, please let me know.

Murder in Sun City Acknowledgements

Book acknowledgements often go unread. That's why I decided to published this as a blog article.

This book was my first to be written with the help of a critique team. I think it made it my best book yet.

A special thanks to Dorothy Featherling and Wayne Dawson, the other two members of the team. They helped me in many ways. A major reason to join a critique team is to write on a regular basis. Left on my own, I can go for days, even weeks, without writing a word and find ways to justify the lack of productivity. A critique team is hard to ignore. We began with a goal of two-thousand words a week and later upped it to three-thousand a week. Sometimes what I submitted was short and not my best work, but the word count grew.

We met weekly and critiqued each other's work in writing and verbally. We limited the verbal critique to fifteen minutes per person. The corrections and suggestions received were valuable to me and resulted in changes in story direction and character development. In addition, I learned to be a better editor by reading and commenting on their work.

I would also like to thank my editor, Lisa Lickel. She did an excellent job correcting my mistakes and pointing out where more (or less) was needed.

Thanks to Peg Case for talking to me early on about the concept. Thanks to Liz Franklin for helping with the opening based on an oral account of what I planned.

Beta readers for this book were Malia Barth, Nell Newton, and Vivian Davis. A special thanks to all of you. This book wouldn't be the same without your input.

The books that resulted from our year-long critique meetings can be found here:

Murder in Sun City by Sidney W. Frost: http://www.amazon.com/Murder-Sun-City-Sidney-Frost-ebook/dp/B0186HDTBU/

The Darkness That Could Be Felt by C. Wayne Dawson:

http://www.amazon.com/Darkness-That-Could-Treasure-Raven-ebook/dp/B01BLYJXVA/

Conventional Murder (Staged for Murder Book 2) by D.A. Featherling: http://www.amazon.com/Conventional-Murder-Staged-Book-ebook/dp/B011YX120I/

Goodreads "Murder in Sun City" Giveaway Results

One way to announce a new book is to give away copies. I think Goodreads is an ideal place to use to do so.

Why? They reach a lot of readers.

However, if you're hoping to collect the names and email addresses of those who entered the giveaway the way you can using Rafflecopter, Goodreads is not the place to use. 

Goodreads only shows you the names and addresses of the winners. AND, you're not supposed to contact the winners for any reason other than sending them the book.

I have no problem with that since my goal was to let readers know about my new book.

I ran the giveaway from January 5, 2016 to February 5, 2016 and 1,151 people entered the drawing for ten books. I allowed entrants from the United States, Canada, United Kingdom, and Australia. 

The winners were all from the United States except for one from the United Kingdom.

The United States winners were from: Alabama, California, 3 from Florida, Michigan, Nevada, Texas, Wisconsin.

Since I am an Amazon Prime member with free shipping, I ordered the books on Amazon and had them shipped directly to the winners. As soon as I get notification that the books were delivered, I'll delete the winner's names and addresses.

If you had hoped to win a copy of Murder in Sun City and didn't, order yours here: 

http://www.amazon.com/Sidney-W.-Frost/e/B003Z9C08I/

COTT: Winner of the January Clash

Thanks to all of January’s wonderful authors! 

Here’s what readers had to say:

All of these books look like so much fun!

When I first saw The Volk Advent by Kristen Wilks, I was intrigued by the combination of a teen trying to escape murder charges and a pack of wolves, and I like to read historical fiction because I can experience other cultures. 

Cynthia Hickey is a wonderful author. Engaging characters with twists you don’t expect. I love her books! 

Andrea Boeshars’ Seasons of Love—Love reading them.

Beth Wiseman just happens to be the best of the best! Her novels are outstanding at character and plot development
Runaways is a book you start and can’t put down.
Am so looking forward to reading Runaways by Brenda Poulos!!!
Congratulations Brenda Poulos on your new hit, Runaways: The Long Journey Home.
Excellent reading. Great job, Brenda
Introducing Our Winner Congratulations Brenda Poulos!

About the book:

No Mama. An abusive father. A hound dog for a best friend.

A victim of physical and emotional abuse at the hand of his father, Jake runs away following the most severe beating he’s ever endured. Leaving the only home he’s ever known in the backwoods of the Appalachian Mountains, he escapes into unknown territory with only his dog beside him. Jake and Hound face bitter cold and near starvation as they seek a new life--one free from fear, loneliness, and pain. And Father hunts Jake down with the very rifle he used to kill Sam and Mama.

Led by unseen forces. Protected by his dog. Jake experiences acceptance and unconditional love when he is befriended by a kindly older couple.

But, will he be able to put his past problems behind him and embrace a future made possible through the power of forgiveness?

Will he find a new life filled with hope for the future and learn to trust?

And when he is confronted with the biggest decision of his life, will he choose to run away, again, or face his father?

Runaways: The Long Journey Home is available on Amazon

From Brenda:

For years, I had a recurring dream...a boy leaving a wilderness cabin on a cold winter’s night. No coat. No shoes. Totally unprepared for life on his own. And yet, I knew he was desperate to get away.

I was compelled to find out who the boy was, what circumstances he was running away from, where he would go, and if he would survive...

At this point, the dream left off, and the story—Jake’s story—began to take shape.

I sat at my computer day after day for almost two years. Eyes closed, I wrote as I experienced the journey along with this determined and resilient ten-year-old boy.

Reviews for Runaways: The Long Journey Home 

"Brenda Poulos should be a best-selling author! She is a masterful writer. Her ability to develop characters within the context of a compelling and spell-binding story is captivating. If you are looking for a fun read that will leave you wanting more, Runaways is a great selection. You’ll read this and find yourself recommending it to your friends." ~by J. Akerson on Amazon

"Runaways is a book you won't be able to put down. The writing style of Brenda Poulos will pull you in as if you're a main part of the story. You will be on the edge of your seat in anticipation of what's coming next. And I'd bet the emotions of the characters will be felt throughout and will touch your heart. Wow! Perhaps a top-rated movie in the future?" ~A+ by Jon Peterson on Amazon

"Brenda does a wonderful job developing characters you care about while driving a story that is compelling and inspirational. This is a must read for all people who are looking for a story for the soul." ~by an Amazon customer

"I couldn’t put this book down! Engagingly written, authentic characters, pain, and grace all intermingle in a believable way. Poulos lit up my mind’s eye with her vivid imagery. I will definitely read more from this author." ~by Kirsten Samuel on Amazon