Books to read starring dogs

 

Looking for books to read starring dogs?

Smashwords is running a special promotion of doggie books -

https://www.smashwords.com/shelves/shelf/dog-days-of-summer

#dogs #reading #Smashwords #books #animals

Smashwords' Authors Giving Back Sale: I have some books for free

Hi!

Hope everyone is bearing up well in these weird times and keeping safe. And I hope everyone's loved ones and friends are also okay.

Smashwords.com has a sale on at the moment called Authors Giving Back, so if you'd like something new to read, there are many books at discount prices or free.

You can find mine here: https://www.smashwords.com/profile/view/vixie

The books I have for free are:

The Sea Inside

3 Heads & a Tail

Kiwi in Cat City

Kiwi's Christmas Tail

Day of the Living Pizza

Day of the Pesky Shadow

Kaleidoscope (poetry)

Travelling Light (poetry)

Mind-spinning Rainbows (poetry)

Life's Rhythms (haiku)

Enjoy!

A zany cat series for your Christmas stocking...

With Christmas just around the corner, do you know anyone who likes stories about cats? Or tales where kids go on adventures with their pet cat to a land full of cats? If so, you or they might like my Kiwi in Cat City series... They're available for under a dollar or a pound in kindle, and also for sale in paperback on Amazon, Smashwords, Kobo, Waterstones, and all of the regular places. 

The Kiwi Series is based on a little black, very fluffy and sometimes cheeky cat I used to have, called Kiwi. 

I wrote Kiwi in Cat City in April 2002. I had been made redundant and suddenly had a lot of free time. I began to write this book, adding more and more characters as I went along, not sure where the story would go. I sent a synopsis and a few chapters off to a big publisher, which replied with a single-line rejection. I put the book away in a drawer. In February 2011, I friend told me about Amazon Kindle Publishing. I typed up the book, edited it and published it in March 2011. This inspired me to keep on writing.

In March 2011, I published Kiwi in Cat City.

In June 2011, I published Kiwi and the Missing Magic. 

In October 2011, I published Kiwi in the Living Nightmare.

In December 2011, I wrote Kiwi and the Serpent of the Isle. It was published in June 2012.
In August 2012, I finished writing the fifth book, Kiwi in the Realm of Ra. It was published in November.
In November 2012, I wrote Kiwi's Christmas Tail during NaNoWrimo, and published it in December.

The series is illustrated by the talented Nikki McBroom.

Kiwi in Cat City

Amy and James live with their parents and their little black cat, Kiwi. One dark night, Amy cannot sleep and she looks out of the window into the garden to see Kiwi transfixed by the moon, which has taken on a weird, glowing shape like a cat's claw. Waking her brother, Amy suggests they follow Kiwi to see where she goes... whether it involves a hunt for mice or something else. Little do they know that with a flick of her tail, Kiwi is going to lead them on the adventure of their lives to a land they never knew existed in their wildest dreams. In the blue-lit world of Cat City, they gain an understanding of what it's really like to be a cat while helping Inspector Furrball to investigate a missing catizens case.

Kiwi and the Missing Magic

In book two, James and Amy embark on another adventure with their little black cat, which will take them to the Land of Giant Mice. The children return to Cat City to help their friends from the first book and meet some new characters along the way, including the Worry Bee, Whiskers and Moggie. The catizens' home is at risk of invasion and some of the Magic has gone missing. Can James and Amy help Kiwi to save the day? More importantly, will James' pet hamster find his true calling in life? 

Kiwi and the Living Nightmare

In book three, Amy, James and Kiwi embark on their spookiest adventure yet – on Halloween. What begins with an eerie dream about a three-legged cat will take the budding detectives on a quest to find an old house in the middle of the woods, meeting some familiar characters and some perky squirrels along the way. Little do they know that there awaits an angry, restless spirit that will do anything to stop them leaving. 

Kiwi and the Serpent of the Isle

In book four, the wedding of Inspector Furrball and Madame Purrfect approaches. But, catastrophe, the ring is stolen from the Gem Shop! A pawprint identifies Fyre Cracker as the thief, but he lives in a dark world beneath Cat City, which is inhabited by crimicats. It’s up to the Kiwi Klub to find the ring. In the human world, the hamsters decide to stand up for their rights to better plastic wheels and an abundance of sunflower seeds. Meanwhile, the dastardly Dev shocks Kiwi with the news that he knows a big secret about her family –  her father, Delphinius, may still be alive! The key is The Sculptor, who will lead Kiwi and friends on their biggest adventure yet – to the strange Isle of the Serpent where they will come face to face with their most dangerous adversary so far.

Kiwi in the Realm of Ra

In book five, inspired by the film 'Back to the Future', Whiskers invents The Time-Squeaking Mouse. He plans to take his friends on a fantastic trip to celebrate Amy's thirteenth birthday. However, the time machine falls into the wrong hands and dastardly Dev travels back to Ancient Egypt when cats were sacred. With Dev having changed the path of history, it's up to Kiwi and the gang to travel back in time to find him. What will Kiwi, Amy, James, Whiskers, Hammy, Misty, Furrball and Siam think of this desert world of tombs, pyramids and sacred gods?

Kiwi's Christmas Tail
 

Book six is set over one Christmas and involves a star, a fairy, a witch, a toad, some catizens and Santa himself. Amy, James and their magical cat, Kiwi, find a star. But this is not an ordinary star. He's living and breathing, and his name is Sharissimo. A year earlier, the star and a fairy called Lilabel were captured by an evil witch with a big wart on her nose. While Sharissimo managed to escape, Lilabel didn't. Can Amy, James and Kiwi find the fairy before Christmas Eve, and rescue her from the clutches of the witch? The witch herself is in for a shock when she finds herself in the furry land of Cat City where she might be forced to be... nice.

Cheers,

Vickie

Goodbye Winter, Hello Spring #bloghop #giveaway

Hello, and welcome to a hop welcoming in the Spring. On this hop, a bunch of writers are giving away books, swag and gifts galore, and they'll be posting stories and other interesting things. Just click on the links at the bottom to hop to the other blogs. Cheers and have fun! I'm so glad Spring is around the corner... bye Winter, brr, hello bunnies, boing! :)

First, here's a poem for Spring (previously posted on this blog)

Dragonfly

In this greenest of grass

Where the cracked ivy winds

Ever searching to burrow

Buttercups nod to the sun

This blaze of egg-yolk yellow

Set in a wash of purest blue

Here, in the mind’s eye

The imagination runs wild

A neon-blue dragonfly

Flits delicate gossamer wings

Whirring to create a current

Of moving air to play upon

Against nature’s own breeze

These valleys dive deep below

Verdant fields of lowing sheep

Unrestrained by fences

Wandering as free as they will

Bowing to the buttercups bobbing

Where the dragonfly hums

Now for the giveaway - 

I've published 15 books and I'm giving away the following prizes -

Winner - ebook copies of The Sea Inside, I Dream of Zombies, Kiwi in Cat City, Day of the Living Pizza and 3 Heads & a Tail. If you like poetry, I'll happily throw in one of those too.

Runners-up - 5 people will win an ebook of their choice.

To win, all you need to do is enter the Rafflecopter competition below - Good luck!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Here are the other participating blogs in the hop - click and go! Thanks for visiting! 

MKSP party with prizes - I'm hosting Monday - #99c sale

There's a big book party going on right now with fun, games and prizes - it's all part of the MKSP Black Friday/ Cyber Monday event with games, books, bargains, things to win and authors chatting. I'd like to thank the amazing Kim for organising it and letting me join in. 

I'm hosting on Monday with the awesome Leland Hermit, who writes fantastic books starring dogs, on Monday at 1pm PST/ 2pm MST/ 3pm CST/ 4pm EST/ 9pm GMT. Yep, I'll be the one in my pyjamas! I've reviewed one of his books on my review page.

Here's the link - there are authors hosting hour-long sessions, offering prizes and playing games until Monday fades - https://www.facebook.com/events/735998423151432/

During the event, I have these ebooks on sale for ‪#‎99c‬ / 75p

I Dream of Zombies

3 Heads & a Tail

Kiwi in Cat City

The Sea Inside 

Click for US Amazon page 

Click for UK Amazon page 

See you there!

Have a gorgeous weekend,

Vickie

Kiwi in Cat City: on sale for #99c / 75p

Happy Saturday!! The weekend didn't come soon enough :)

One of my ebooks, Kiwi in Cat City, is on sale at the moment for #99c or 75p... purrs...

Kiwi in Cat City is the tale of a magical cat and her friends. This 6-book series is full of furry fun for ages 9-99. It has 38 4/5-star reviews and book 4 was a finalist in the Indie Excellence Book Awards 2013. 

"I love this book. I bought it this morning and just finished it. I couldn't put it down! I recommend this book to all readers who love a good crime/mystery, and if they love cats." (Katharine Robey/Amazon)

Amazon US: http://ow.ly/kSQYy
Amazon UK: http://amzn.to/15Nxfsv
Book trailer: http://youtu.be/CLjmVgNJcLM
Zazzle gift shop: http://www.zazzle.co.uk/kiwiincatcity

Spooktacular Giveaway Hop - Oct 15-31 - win books!

Hi, I'm excited to be involved in the SPOOKTACULAR Giveaway Hop, hosted by I am a Reader, Not a Writer (www.iamareader.com). The hop is running from October 15-21, and there are so many blogs involved that you could gather an awesome armful of books!

I'm giving away paperback copies of my fantasy novel The Sea Inside to 2 winners, and an ebook copy of Kiwi and the Living Nightmare to 10 runners-up :) Good luck!

The Sea Inside

Book 1 in the Cerulean Songs series

"A young woman is struggling to adjust to life after a spinal cord injury when she is given a gift by a mysterious older woman. Rather than merely help Jayne adjust to her new reality, this gifts offers the potential of a completely alternate existence. Jayne finds her true love only to be dealt another cruel blow by fate. In her journey to get back her new life she must face the biggest hurdles any of us can – our own fears and doubts. The Sea Inside is a young adult fantasy adventure that, like the Kiwi series, takes the reader on a visit to a fantastic realm." (Review, Amazon)

Kiwi and the Living Nightmare

Book 3 in the Kiwi Series

Amy, James and Kiwi embark on their spookiest adventure yet – on Halloween. What begins with an eerie dream about a three-legged cat will take the budding detectives on a quest to find an old house in the middle of the woods, meeting some perky squirrels along the way. Little do they know that there awaits an angry, restless ghost that will do anything to stop them leaving. Meanwhile, Inspector Furrball and Siam discover the human world, and that Ames and Jimster are not what they seem. 

"Living Nightmare has just the right amount of scary bits along with humour to make it a very enjoyable read for kids of all ages." (Review, Amazon)

For a chance to win, just do the Rafflecopter. Good luck! 

Click on the links at the end to hop to the other blogs offering fantastic prizes :)

 

#WW WOW Wednesday: John Emil Augustine

Welcome to the very last WOW Wednesday of 2013! Is it almost the end of the year already? Oh my, 

but we're going out with a bang! Ding dong! My 14th guest is John Emil Augustine, 

author of the autobiograpical From the Abyss. So, take it away, John... 

Eeek, but first... I almost forgot to say that John is having a Facebook party today to celebrate the launch 

of this book. There will be fun, games and prizes, so feel free to pop along -  

http://www.facebook.com/events/452801828159353

  

"An abusive relationship masquerades as a perfectly normal relationship, especially to those involved in it." 

From the Abyss, Book I.

"An incredible story of love, abuse, friendship, loss, disappointment and most of all... hope!!!" - Teresa L Myrick

Book blurb

Twenty-four-year-old John Augustine is looking for a lasting, loving relationship and finds one hidden where he least expects it. Knowing that no relationship is perfect, he walks in with eyes wide open, but is unable to see the future swirling with hell and heartache. Amid the struggles of a new marriage, John begins to realise his wife is far different from the woman he thought he married. Her mental illness soon drags the new family past the point of no return. As a man, John struggles to be strong and tackle their problems single-handedly, though the marital foundation is eroding before his eyes. Once his wife files for divorce, he finds himself in a free fall.

All about John

John Emil Augustine grew up in Minneapolis, Minnesota, and toured in his twenties and early thirties with local and national acts; writing, arranging and performing with notable jazz, blues, gospel, reggae, post funk, prog rock and folk groups. John has also been a landscaper, mail carrier, English professor and forklift operator. He currently lives in Minneapolis with his wife and four boys.

Links

Website 

Facebook 

Twitter 

Reviews on Amazon

"As a 'guy', Augustine writes about stuff 'guys' don't typically talk or write about. Quite daring really... At first, I wasn't sure about this read. I was asking myself, 'Do I want to read about stressed relationships from a guy's point of view?' And then the author won this 'guy' over with literal, realistic story lines and statements."

G Mitchell Baker – 5 stars

"Heartbreaking at parts, full of life, in its best and worse, and a promise of a better tomorrow. Would definitely recommend for adult readers and especially to people at a crossroads, trying to decide whether to stay or leave."

Jennifer Loiske – 5 stars

"This is a good read, an in-depth look at the life of an abused man. A creature we don't often hear about, but one who is far more common than most know. Though easy to read, the author is unmistakably well versed. His writing reaches deep into the reader's heart, and I can only imagine it is because he, himself, has reached deep into his own while writing this book."

GypsyNana – 5 stars

Thanks for reading! Don't forget John's party!

Look out more WOW Wednesday spots next year!

I'll be back tomorrow with a book review:) 

Starting now: Black Friday / Monday Bash & 99c sale

This event is starting today... organised by Kim Emerson of Master Koda Publishing, the four-day event will see 35 authors hosting for 2 hours each, and giving you games and prizes to win. Throughout there will be fun and chat, and the big prize of a Kindle Fire HD. On top of that, there is a huge list of books on sale for 99c and some bumper book collections to win. 

I will be hosting with Greta Burroughs on Monday at 6pm UK time / 10am Pacific time / 1pm EST, and giving away my books, ebooks, posters and a Kiwi bag. Hope to see you there - the party room will be full all weekend... 

Follow this link - https://www.facebook.com/events/497079807055347

List of authors you'll meet during the 4 day event. I've listed them in PACIFIC time. 

UK time is 6 hours ahead.

FRIDAY 11/29/13:
10am-noon: Adam Gaffen and Laurie E. Boris
noon-2pm: Linda Bolton and Kim Kim Mutch Emerson
2pm-4pm: Brenda Perlin, Jane Carroll and G Mitchell Baker
4pm-6pm: Tammy Novak and Jerrid Edgington
6pm-8pm: Jacqueline Cross and Lisa Day

SATURDAY 11/30/13
11am-1pm: Sherrill Willis and Sarah L. Wallace
1pm- 3pm: Tamy Burns and Stephanie Brown Myers
3pm-5pm: Douglas Davis and Tellulah Darling
5pm - 7pm: Allison M. Cosgrove and Laci Paige

MONDAY 12/2/13:
8am-10am: Barbara Robinson and Martin Crosbie
10am-noon: Greta Burroughs and Vickie Johnstone - 6pm UK time
noon-2pm: Jennifer Loiske and Doug Simpson
2pm-4pm: Kim Emerson and Arlene R. O'Neil
4pm-6pm: Lynne Cantwell and Kimberly R Hughes
6pm-8pm: J Kelly Accinni and DeEtte Beckstead

My ebooks that are currently on sale for 99c / 75p for the entire 4 days!

The links to click: 

UK Amazon

UK Amazon

Inspiring Teens Blog Hop - Mon 14 - Sat 19 October

Tomorrow sees the start of the week-long Inspiring Teens Blog Hop, organised by Greta Burroughs and me. We're bringing you 6 days of books and giveaways!

Main page for the hop - www.tinyurl.com/kq4f3lv

It coincides with Teen Read Week 2013, which aims to get our teenagers reading! We hope to bring you a fun week in which you can meet writers and win their books, and enter a competition to win a $10 Amazon gift card.

- Check the schedule below for dates and author appearances plus giveaways.

- There are 35 authors of middle-grade and YA books and 27 bloggers taking part, so that's 35 fantastic giveaways! Most of the bloggers are also writers. 

- There is a writing contest on Wendy's blog on the Tuesday with a prize to win.

- You can win a $10 Amazon gift card - there will be two winners - on the main hop site: www.tinyurl.com/kq4f3lv

Good luck with winning prizes and we hope you have fun!

Schedule

Monday, October 14

Blogger – Kate Bainbridge - http://read2review.com/
Author - Vickie Johnstone

 Blogger - Sharon Ledwith - http://sharonledwith.blogspot.com/
Author - Jennifer Loiske

 Blogger - Armen Pogharian - https://armenpogharian.wordpress.com/
Author - Ey Wade

 Blogger – Candice Conway Simpson - http://booksforboysreviewsandfun.blogspot.co.uk/
Author - Sharon Rose Mayes

Blogger - Cedar Sanderson - http://cedarwrites.com/
Author - Kim Mutch Emerson

Blogger – Maria Savva – https://www.goodreads.com/author_blog_posts/5020446-inspiring-teens-blog-hop-interview-giveaway-with-author-ed-drury/

Author – Ed Drury


Tuesday, October 15 

Blogger - Kate Bainbridge - http://read2review.com/
Author - Greta Burroughs

Blogger - Jennifer Loiske - http://jenniferloiske.wordpress.com/
Author - Cedar Sanderson

Blogger – Lisa Cresswell - www.lisatcresswell.blogspot.com
Author - Tim Flanagan

Blogger - Debra J Jameson Smith - https://www.facebook.com/Creationsbydjamesonsmith
Author - Sharon Ledwith

Blogger - David Lowbridge - http://indieebookreview.blogspot.co.uk)
Author - Amanda Haulk Taylor

Writing Contest at 7.45-8.45pm CST / 12.30am GMT

Blogger - Wendy Strain - http://www.writeonwendy.com/
Starring author Greta Burroughs
This is a five-minute fiction contest open to everyone. Please join in. The task is to write a short story using a prompt provided by Greta. A prize will be awarded to the winner. It's a lot of fun and an exciting way to show off your skills at writing.
 

Wednesday, October 16 

Blogger - Kate Bainbridge - http://read2review.com/
Author - Debbie Manber Kupfer

Blogger – Maria Savva - http://quietfurybooks.com/bestsellerboundrecommends/
Author - Linda Deane

Blogger – Debbie Manber Kupfer - http://debbiemanberkupfer.wordpress.com/
Author - Lisa Cresswell

Blogger - Ey Wade - http://dna-bloodtiesandlies.blogspot.com/
Author - Armen Pogharian

Blogger – David Lowbridge - http://indieebookreview.blogspot.co.uk
Author - Dianne Gardner

Blogger - Robert DeBurgh - http://robertdeburgh.weebly.com/blog-blogging-through-the-mire.html
Author - Christine Hughes


Thursday, October 17 

Blogger - Kate Bainbridge - http://read2review.com/
Author - Hugo Jackson

Blogger - Vickie Johnstone - http://vickiejohnstone.blogspot.co.uk/
Author  - Paul Plunkett

Blogger - Kim Mutch Emerson - http://masterkoda.com/category/master-koda-blog-tour
Author - Donna Dillon

Blogger - Karen Pokraz Toz - http://kptoz.blogspot.co.uk
Author - JR Simmons

Blogger - David Lowbridge - http://indieebookreview.blogspot.co.uk/
Author - Saoirse O'Mara

Blogger - Brenda Perlin - http://homewreckertheblog.com/
Author - Charlotte Blackwell


Friday, October 18

Blogger - Kate Bainbridge - http://read2review.com/
Author - Tianna Scott

Blogger – Tim Flanagan - http://timflanaganauthor.wordpress.com
Author - Catherine Stovall

Blogger – Sharon Rose Mayes – http://www.notyourmomblog.com/
Author - Wendy Siefken

Blogger – Cassie McCown - http://gatheringleavesreviews.blogspot.com/
Author - Alan Tucker

Blogger – David Lowbridge - http://indieebookreview.blogspot.co.uk/
Author - Michael Chulsky

 Blogger – Wendy Siefken - http://siefkenpublications.blogspot.co.uk/
Author - Juli Caldwell


Saturday, October 19 

Blogger – Robbie Cox - www.themessthatisme.com
Author - Debra J. Smith

Blogger – Jonathan Gould - http://daglit.blogspot.co.uk
Author – Sibel Hodge

Blogger - Greta Burroughs - http://booksbygretaburroughs.weebly.com/-a-new-day-has-begun.html
Author - Chris Baker

Blogger – Cassy Wood & Alex Harrington - http://reviewmetwice.blogspot.com
Author - Vicki Kinnaird 

Thanks to all authors and bloggers, and all of you for reading... :) 

We hope to see you on the hop!

The Sea Inside is the Indie Book of the Day :)

I just had a lovely surprise. I checked my emails and just found one from IndieBookoftheDay.com, saying that my newest book, The Sea Inside, is their Indie Book of the Day. Sweet! I've been working hard all afternoon to get an advert right, so this is fantastic. 

A big thank you to everyone at the website.

http://indiebookoftheday.com/the-sea-inside-by-vickie-johnstone/ 

FREE book today! The Sea Inside

Hi everyone! I have a free gift for you today!

My ebook, The Sea Inside, is free on Amazon - all countries.

It is a fantasy adventure set in various worlds and times, starring a strong heroine called Jayne, who must endure many trials and tribulations to find herself and her heart's desire.

Amazon links:
US: http://amzn.to/15vFmXA
UK: http://amzn.to/17k0V03

Book 1 in the Cerulean Songs series. 

Time is all we have; it flows – it cannot stop.

Jayne wakes up in hospital following a terrible accident, which changes her life as she knew it. While struggling to recover, she is visited by a mysterious woman who offers her a gift. To the girl’s astonishment, she finds herself on a journey, on both the physical and mental plane. It brings her to the mystical realm of Entyre, where life is very different and power lies with the creatures of the deep. While the threads of time keep flowing, Jayne must decide what is real, who to trust, and regain her inner strength in order to find herself and her true destiny.

Excerpt...
Jayne concentrated on getting better. The dark mood that she had found herself in grew steadily lighter and she pushed her memories of the blue city to the back of her mind, dismissing them as dreams, which would gradually fade with time. That was her hope, for while she slept her mind wove images of the sea, accompanied by the echo of the whales and a tall man whose hair was the colour of the darkest waves. He was always there, not far away it seemed, thus was the lucidity of her sleeping life.

Some reviews...
Nickie Storey, author of the Grimsley Hollow series: “A delicious brew of invention, enchantment and refreshing characters, Vickie Johnstone has a firm grasp on the fantasy genre. I can’t wait to read more of her work!”

Greta Burroughs, author of the Wee People series: “Strange worlds, interesting characters, suspense and a surprise ending – what more can you ask for? This book has it all and more.”

Jennifer Thomas: “A gripping and fascinating mythical adventure that is beautifully described. There is suspense, fear and emotion throughout the entire novel that makes you want to keep turning the page.”

DW Davis: "Your heart will break, soar, break and soar again as Jayne faces trials and tribulations, experiences love and loss, and learns what really matters to her above all things in both worlds." 

KJ Dahlen: "I couldn't put it down until I reached the end." 

A big thank you to Maja Dražić for the beautiful cover photograph.

Hope you enjoy the book if you pick it up :)