Page Turner Book Tours Presents: One Year Anniversary!

PTBT opened its doors a year ago, and it has grown from strength to strength, working with some amazing authors along the way. This year the official .com site opened, a dedicated team of graphic designers joined the team and PTBT became the official host for all tours under 5 Prince Publishing.

The story doesn’t stop there… There are already plans for further improvements and many more tours to be held in the future, along with further charity work. We hope you will check them out at this link: http://pageturnerbooktours.com

During July, PTBT is offering the following discounts:

1 week tour - 1 additional day

2 week tour - $63.75 - 2 additional days

3 week tour - $85 - 3 additional days

4 week tour - $170 - 4 additional days

These discounts are good for a year AS LONG AS the tour is booked and paid for in July 2013.

“Working for Page Turner Book Tours has been amazing. I have met some amazing people, worked with some fantastic books and been privileged to be part of some amazing journeys. I know there will be great things to come for PTBT, and I am excited to meet every request, author, and to discover the wonderful books that I work with. Thank you to everyone over the past year who has worked with PTBT - you are all amazing and I am so glad to have been part of your journey. Here’s to the next fantastic year!” 

~ Kate, Owner/Tour Coordinator, PTBT

“I have been blessed to have had a long professional relationship with Kate and Page Turner Book Tours. Her organization of the tours and cover launches has always exceeded our expectations. She is thorough and knows what she’s doing. I believed enough in the company that Page Turner Book Tours is now the official coordinator for 5 Prince Publishing. Kate sets up tours for our cover/book launches for each of our authors, as well as book tours. Her prices are very fair, and that helps individuals and small businesses. I give Kate and Page Turner Book Tours 5 STARS for their consistently good service, well managed tours and comfort level when working with them. If you are looking to promote yourself or your book, I highly recommend Page Turner Book Tours.” 

~ Bernadette Soehner, CEO, 5 Prince Publishing - Lost And Found Tour Details

“I enjoyed working with Page Turner Book Tours in 2012 for my second Lash Series book, Shadow Man. Kate was able to arrange far more stops than I’d initially hoped for, and also garnered my book several five-star reviews! The spreadsheet she gave me to work from had all the relevant contact information to write tailored, engaging posts for each site, and she fulfilled every part of the agreement to create and deliver signature prizes for the tour. She tried her very best to make my tour the best it could be. The best recommendation is that I will be using her services again this summer to promote another co-authored work!

   Service: "At least half of the service is value for the money spent. Kate gives great packages and I feel I got very good value for the money I spent with her. She was knowledgeable and answered my questions in a timely fashion. I especially appreciated the reviews as part of the package, of which almost all were favourable."

   Communication: "The other half of the service for this type of promotion is communication, and Kate was very good in that aspect as well. For my tour, I had a total of 5 interviews to complete, along with 12 guest posts. She got me the info for topics and interview questions as soon as she had them, which helped me to stay ahead and on time with my side of the tour."

   Overall tour running: "5 stars."

~ Tara Fox Hall, author - Lash Tour Details

“I have had the pleasure of working with Page Turner Book Tours for just a few short months. When I first contacted Kate and told her what I was looking for, she helped walk me through everything they could do and what it would entail on my part, as well as what was to be expected from her and Page Turner Book Tours.

   "Every time I have any questions, Kate is sure to reply quickly. I have not encountered many problems while working with Page Turner Book Tours other than a few bloggers did not follow through on their end, which I, by no means, hold against Page Turner Book Tours.

   "Kate does a wonderful job communicating what is needed by all her bloggers. If you are interested then you just let her know and she does the rest. All you have to do as a blogger is set it up to go on your scheduled date.

    "Overall, I think Kate and Page Turner Book Tours do a wonderful job with their press releases, interviews and book reviews, and scheduling who needs to be where and at what time. I would give Page Turner Book Tours 5 out of 5 stars!” 

~ Marie, 5 Prince Publishing

“Page Turner Book Tours is a great resource for authors, and I have personally found Kate and her tour company to be worth their weight in gold! I have worked with Kate on book tours for myself and I have even joined book tours for other authors as a host. Each time I have found Kate to be absolutely wonderful to work with. With many tours running consecutively, Kate is adept and masterful as she customises each tour to the specific author and his/her book.

   "Kate is a marvellous coordinator and I can’t wait to work with her in the future on a book tour.  If you are looking for a company to schedule a tour, than I recommend working with Kate at Page Turner Book Tours. She will customise a tour specifically for you and work with book bloggers, making your tour run as easy as possible, leaving you with a sense of satisfaction and a great tour experience!

    "Page Turner Book tours is definitely a five star company!”

~ M.M. Shelley - Murder On Mars Tour Details

Supplied by and posted for Page Turner Book Tours

A Poem a Day (30) - Light refracted

Hi! I think this is the first poem I've posted for about a month. My aim was to write one a day, but, oh dear, I haven't managed it yet! But it's my aim! The last couple of weeks have been a bit of a sad stress-fest, so I haven't been posting much apart from posts on behalf of other people. My beloved cat, Moggie, who is 14, collapsed and was diagnosed with kidney disease. I've just changed vets as mine seemed very pessimistic and talking about worst-case scenarios. I'm aiming to do all I can for her as she's brought me a lot of happiness. Her dear little face and the way she runs, doing what can only be described as bunny hops, always bring a smile from me. Tomorrow I should be getting some results from the vet, so I'm hoping for the best. 

Before all this drama, I went to Hampstead Heath on a very hot day. Summer only arrived in the UK at the turn of July (better late than never) and walking through the forest bit, I came across the beautiful sight of pollen drifting through the trees. It was like glistening rain and made me think of a fairy world. I had to get out my notebook, kneel down and write, which probably made passers-by think me a little crazy, but what the hell. This was the result.

Light refracted

It blows

Tripping on the green

Spirit of a many shaped sigh

Hurtling forth on the

Fingers of the waking breeze

Light breaks between

Yellow figments of ages seen

Dust lifts, floats afar

Distancing

Scattering the pollen

Where eyes unseen have sung

Sweeping through sweet gusts

Of transparent fate

Leaf heads pass me by

Catching a ride

In the glint of the sinking sun

Light breaks, shakes

A time that maybe never was

They peek, these wisps of grass

Eagerly through greying soil

Waking and waiting

Listening for the rush

Blowing through the trees

Where the leaves whisper

The faintest chirp is heard

In the place where spirits dance

Endlessly, between times

Treading the lost paths

Where the airy pollen sways

Copyright Vickie Johnstone

Thanks for reading!! 

Feel free to post your own poem about pollen or the forest :)

Page Turner Book Tours Presents: Hearts in Exile by Mysti Parker

Title: Hearts In Exile

Series: Tallenmere (standalone)

Author: Mysti Parker

Genre: Paranormal, Fantasy, Romance

Publisher: Melange Books

Formats: Ebook and paperback

Release date: June 3, 2013

What’s in a Theme? Pt. 2

By Mysti Parker

“Life goes on
It gets so heavy
The wheel breaks the butterfly
Every tear, a waterfall
In the night, the stormy night
She closed her eyes
In the night, the stormy night
Away she'd fly.”

~ From ‘Paradise’ by Coldplay

These lyrics sealed the deal when choosing a song for the beginning of Hearts in Exile. The farther I got into the story and later drafts, the more I saw a theme emerging. It made its first appearance in Chapter Eight when young Loralee and Sir Robert (Igrorio) are out riding and she finds an injured butterfly…

Gently, she reached down to the grass, where a butterfly struggled to take flight. One of its wings was crooked, probably broken.

“That’s too bad,” I said, and was about to find something else to occupy my attention when Loralee touched the butterfly’s broken wing with one finger and rested the palm of her other hand on the ground beneath her. Eyes closed, her mouth moved silently. A brief glow covered the insect, she withdrew her finger, and the butterfly fluttered both wings. It took flight a second later.

I stood there with my mouth hanging open, watching it fly around Loralee’s head. It landed on her nose as if to say ‘thank you’, and she giggled. Then, it flitted off over the grasses until I couldn’t see it anymore.

She must have healed me like that, too. Amazing… and clearly beyond my comprehension.

Scratching my ear, I asked, “Is there anything you can’t do?”

“Well…” One of those brushed-on smiles lit up her face. “I can’t fly… yet…”

That little scene said so much about Loralee’s character as compassionate healer, and like the butterfly, she was gentle and beautiful. At the end of that snippet, you catch a hint of what she longs to do with her life. She wants to follow her dreams, to become a great healer, to be free to fly.

Yet, just like the wheel broke the butterfly in the song lyrics above, fate crushed Loralee’s dreams and she never got the chance to fly… not until she became a Dragon Keeper.

With that in mind, I brought back the butterfly theme during a rewrite much later in the story after Sir Robert and Loralee were reunited on the island with the dragons. It brought tears to my eyes, seeing the symbolism come full circle. Sir Robert, having just found Loralee again after ten years, is desperate to keep her safe from a threatening dragon, but he’s grown too protective, doubting the strong woman she’s truly come to be. Here, in Chapter Thirty-Six, as he’s alone and brooding about how to keep her from harm, he realizes what he must do…

I stared into the water of the tiled pool. A spotted butterfly flew from one of the bushes, flitted close to the current flowing from the wall, and landed on my hand. I held it up, smiling at the tickly sensation as it crawled up my finger. Tiny water droplets weighed its wings down a bit, and I started to blow on them to help them dry. The butterfly wobbled under the force of my breath and retreated to the very tip of my finger.

Deciding to leave it alone, I simply held my finger steady and watched as it lifted and lowered its wings again and again. Between the gentle movements and the sun’s warmth, it was soon dry. One more flutter, and it lifted from my finger, flitting back toward the bushes.

Smiling down at the figurines Loralee had taken such great care in carving, I said, “So, that’s it, hmm? I can be there when she needs me, but I’ve got to let her fly.”

Loralee had to be given the chance to prove herself, even if it put her in danger. Sir Robert had to learn to trust her abilities, even though it went against his paladin nature. Think about that. We can pin butterflies down and preserve them as specimens forever, but their true beauty is only seen when they can fly free, with their colourful wings glimmering in the sunlight.

And isn’t that true for us all?

***Tour-Wide Drawing***

Buy one copy (print or electronic) of Hearts in Exile at Melange Books, Amazon, B&N, Smashwords, or All Romance E-Books, and you'll be entered into a drawing to win this BIG prize pack:

Dragon Necklace, I ♥ Dragons Tote Bag, This Gal (or Guy) Loves Dragons T-shirt, Hearts in Exile Notebook, $10 Amazon Gift Card, and set of three signed playlist postcards.

To enter, just purchase a copy of Hearts in Exile from any of the online retailers above and email your receipt to Mysti Parker at this email: mystiparker@yahoo.com. Drawing to be held on August 1, and it is open worldwide!!!

Book Tour Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/events/519253418129437/

Book blurb:

Somewhere, hidden in the waters of the Southern Sea, lies an island unlike any other. Within the amber glow of its pyrogem-laden cliffs, legend says the very heart of the dragon god Drae keeps the island and its occupants alive. Loralee Munroviel, daughter of Leogard's High Priestess Arianne, had no idea what she would face when she arrived by boat ten years ago and was left alone in exile. All she knew about Draekoria's inhabitants was written in one tattered notebook. Now her life revolves around keeping Drae's descendants happy. Never in her life did she imagine being a Dragon Keeper.

Captain Igrorio Everlyn, known as Sir Robert to his unit of Holy Paladins, has faced his share of hell, battling the evils of Emperor Sarvonn's tyranny and the dark god Tyr's abominations. But none of that compares to the ten years of hell he's spent without Loralee, presumed dead. One freak storm changes everything. Now the two of them must fight to re-establish the delicate balance of the island before the dragons take things into their own hands. Through it all, they discover the secrets that kept them, and their hearts, exiled for a decade.

Purchase links:

Melange Books (Print, PDF, & HTML)

Amazon (Kindle) 

B&N (Nook)
Smashwords (all e-formats)
All Romance E-Books (PDF & HTML)

Excerpt from Chapter 3:

After a shipwreck, Sir Robert wakes up in a strange cottage, only to find Loralee, the love of his life, whom he thought had been dead for a decade…

“I don’t understand. What is this place?”

“It’s an island. Very few know of its existence.”

I shook my head, trying to clear the fog of this confusing dream come to life. “But, why would you be here, and why would you be sorry? Unless…”

The words wouldn’t come. My racing mind pitched in to help. Unless she didn’t want to marry me after all.

Wrenching pain I’d kept tucked inside broke free, and I clambered to my feet. Loralee followed suit, backing herself into the small dining table.

I tried, but could not hide the bitter anger in my words. “How could you do this to me? Do you have any idea what I’ve been through?”

Her eyes widened. She clutched the table with one hand and her robe with the other. “What you’ve been through? I didn’t want this. I was forced here.”

“What do you mean, forced here? Where are your shackles?” My voice roared through the little cottage as I gestured around me with one arm. “Where are the bars? This looks like no prison I’ve ever seen.”

Her voice cracked the air, rivaling with my own. “I was betrayed, forced into exile. Don’t you understand? I never wanted to leave you. I never wanted anything so much as I wanted you.”

Pacing away, I closed my eyes and breathed deeply. I had to calm myself, to let the weight of this discovery, the improbability of her explanation to sink into my water-logged brain.

I couldn’t bring myself to look at her just yet, so I stared at my bare feet instead. “Why didn’t you tell me, write to me?”

“I tried. I begged the supply ship crew to bring my letters to you. They always took them, but never brought one in return. I suspect they destroyed them, but I had no way of knowing.” She sucked in a shaky breath as though trying to hold back her tears. “I never stopped loving you.”

Turning back to face her, I felt like a mindless beast. Here I was, raging against the love of my life when she’d all but been brought back from the dead.

“Loralee.” I eased toward her. She cringed. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to scare you.”

Without a word, I leaned in and pressed my forehead to hers, allowing myself to breathe in her scent for the first time in a decade. We stood suspended like that for a while, lost in time, and emerging from a purgatory neither of us had imagined ten years ago. I would have been content to stand like that forever, but Loralee burst into tears and wilted to the floor.

I followed her down and opened the quilt to wrap us both inside. I held her tight while she cried.

While I cried.

I finally got enough breath to speak again. “What did you mean by forced here? They told me you were…” I couldn’t say it, not with her warm and so very alive against me.

“I know.”

The weight of it all came crashing down on me. “This is my fault, isn’t it? You’re here because of me.”

She made no attempt to wipe her cheeks, but shook her head and stared at the rafters as though entreating the gods. “No, it’s not your fault. Not at all. There is so much to explain, I don’t know where to start.”

I couldn’t comprehend any of it, so I focused on the here and now. “You found me on the shore?”

She nodded.

“The crew, Francis…did you find anyone else out there?”

“No, I had Xax-, I mean, no, I searched but didn’t find anyone else.”

The familiar weight of grief squeezed my chest, and a few more tears escaped before I could stop them.

She pulled me close and whispered, “I’m so sorry. I know how much you loved him. We all did.”

“We all grieved for you. You’ve been here…all this time?”

“Yes.”

“By the gods, Loralee, I’ve missed you so much.” I put my wet cheek against hers and pressed my lips to her soft skin. “Part of me died the day I thought you… please…just tell me how you ended up here.”

Loralee took a few deep breaths and finally pulled away from me. She caressed my cheek and smiled weakly.  “I’ll make us a pot of tea. And then, I think we should start at the beginning, back to the Great Plague and when we first met. Do you remember that?”

Smiling past the sadness, I covered her hand with mine and closed my eyes. “How could I ever forget?”

About Mysti Parker:

Mysti Parker (pseudonym) is a full-time wife, mother of three and a writer. Her first novel, A Ranger's Tale, was published in January, 2011, by Melange Books, and the second in the fantasy romance series, Serenya's Song, followed in April 2012. The highly anticipated third book, Hearts in Exile, has already received some great reviews. The Tallenmere series has been likened to Terry Goodkind's Sword of Truth series, but it is probably closer to a spicy cross between Tolkien and Mercedes Lackey.

Mysti's other writings have appeared in the anthologies Hearts of Tomorrow, Christmas Lites, and Christmas Lites II. Her flash fiction has appeared in the online magazine EveryDayFiction. She has also served as a class mentor in Writers Village University's six-week free course, F2K. 

Mysti reviews books for SQ Magazine, an online specfic publication, and is the proud owner of Unwritten, a blog voted #3 for eCollegeFinder's Top Writing Blogs award. She resides in Buckner, KY, with her husband and three children.

Connect with Mysti Parker:

Blog

Facebook Page 

Twitter 

Goodreads

Tallenmere series links:

A Ranger's Tale, Tallenmere #1

Serenya's Song, Tallenmere #2

Hearts in Exile, Tallenmere #3 

You can follow the rest of the tour here:

http://pageturnerbooktours.com/now-touring-hearts-in-exile-by-mysti-parker/

 Posted for Page Turner Book Tours

http://pageturnerbooktours.com/

Thanks for reading! 

G. Mitchell Baker - interview & 99c book tour!

Hi! I hope you're having fun and sunshine on your Saturday! Today I welcome author G. Mitchell Baker. His newest novel, Lethal Believers - The Innocents, is on sale for just 99c - that's a nice 75p to us Brits. That's about the price of a bag of crisps, so it's a good time to scoop it up before it goes back to its original price methinks.

I did a quick Google to find out what the book is about. Here's the blurb: Someone has been hurting children and Danta vows to find them. As the sinister Mantid Tranquil rises to protect its criminal maneuvering, Danta is empowered by those from other dimensions to honor his commitment and defend The Innocents.

It sounds intriguing... Now without further ado, G. Mitchell Baker takes the stage. I was kind and didn't ask too many nosy questions... here we go... 

When you write do you take notes, organize your characters and plot, or do you write freely as you go?

I place a heavy emphasis on ‘capturing’ ideas… they pop in, inspired by so many things at all times of the day or night. I learned early on not to rely on memory and will pop ideas -sometimes writing out a page or two - on to any available paper, my phone or into the computer right away. Capturing the ideas and concepts is so important for managing stress and getting the ideas working into the story lines… or saving them for a project I know I’ll be working on in the future.

I know what you mean. I often get ideas when I'm drifting off to sleep and I don't write them down cos I'm too lazy to get up and they're gone... worst thing is ideas in the shower... soggy paper or they're gone...

Where does your inspiration come from?

Everywhere… often expected sources and just as often unexpected sources. I am often amazed to be with people, other writers, and see the same thing and come away inspired with story concepts, and they are going "huh?" I am fortunate to just have a mind that is willing to bring things together into interesting concepts and ideas, and I'm starting to believe there is something special about it now that I see how many people do not do what I am doing.

A man after my own inspiration... I get my inspiration from everywhere too. 

Do you write about your personal life experiences in your stories?

Because I take many ‘experiences’ and bring them together to create original and interesting stories, there is no writing directly from personal life experience. I have never done that and I think it is because I would feel uncomfortable with doing it.

Me too - I'd be scared someone might recognise themselves and I wouldn't want to wander into the 'dark side'!! Although I did name a bad character after an arrogant ex-boss I couldn't stand... la la...

About the author

G. Mitchell Baker enjoys living out west, from the southwest United States to western Canada. Having practised law for more than twenty years, he likes researching and writing projects that draw him into the many genres, including contemporary fiction, science fiction and paranormal works of fiction. Also a writer of feature-length screenplays, Baker enjoys adapting his novels into screenplay and his screenplays into novels.

Baker has been fortunate to compete at the highest levels in sports including baseball and karate. This spirit has led to him also striving to compete to entertain his readership. Moreover, it is in this spirit that Baker invites you to visit and revisit his Anything but a Tired Barn, and to become familiar with his current and ongoing projects. Please take the time to learn more about him and his projects. Any reasonable offer for original and interesting conversation will not be refused, he says.  

Where you can connect with G. Mitchell Baker

Website 

LinkedIn

Twitter

Facebook

Master Koda Select Publishing

G. Mitchell Baker's books and where you can buy them

Lethan Believers: DVM

Paranormal mystery

Master Koda Select Publishing - 2013

Amazon UK kindle 

Amazon US Kindle

G. Mitchell Baker's website 

Facebook page

Lethal Believers: The Innocents

Paranormal mystery

Master Koda Select Publishing, 2013

Amazon UK kindle

Amazon US kindle 

G. Mitchell Baker's website 

Facebook page 

The Involvement of Emerson

Contemporary fiction

Brent House Books, 2013

Amazon UK kindle

Amazon US kindle

Amazon US paperback

G. Mitchell Baker's website 

Facebook page 

Thanks for reading!! And thank you to Mr Baker for visiting :)

Just 99c - a 5-star romantic comedy with a dog!

• Don’t Miss KND eBook of The Day: Vickie Johnstone’s 5-Star Romantic Comedy 3 Heads & a Tail – Now Just $0.99 http://bit.ly/13diHTb

  
  
  
  
  

Sci-Fi/Fantasy Kindle Book Event - 13-14 July

Hi guys & girls!!

Over this weekend I'm taking part in the 
SCI-FI/FANTASY KINDLE BOOK EVENT in which every book is just 99c/75p. 

Thanks to Tim Flanaghan for organising this! There are many, many authors involved, as you can see from the list on the graphic.

To check out the books and also enter the giveaway for some fantastic prizes, including signed paperbacks, just click on the link below. Good luck & cheers!! :)))

http://timflanaganauthor.wordpress.com/promotional-events/sci-fi-fantasy-promo-event/

Greta Burroughs' 99c Tour: My Most Embarrassing Moment!

It's my pleasure to welcome friend and author, Greta Burroughs, to my blog today. Yay! 

Greta has written 6 books. Two are for young adults, three for children 

and one is a more serious book about her battle with ITP. 

Right now fantasy adventure Gerald and the Wee People is on sale for 99c and it has some great reviews on Amazon! Greta is also on a mission to inspire the new generation 

to read, which you can find out more about on her blog:

http://booksbygretaburroughs.weebly.com/inspiring-childrenone-book-at-a-time.html

Take it away, Greta!!

Greta, we all want to know, what is the most embarrassing moment of your life?

My most embarrassing moment happened when I was around six years old. The pastor at our church promised to take me on a picnic. I was absolutely thrilled and started making plans. Of course my plans were known only to me. I tied a box of Chicken ‘n a Biscuit crackers to the back of my bicycle, and took off early one morning to pedal my way to Mr. and Mrs. Crenshaw’s house. At that age I really didn’t consider the 15-mile ride through city traffic it was going to take to reach my destination.

It was a beautiful warm day and I was enjoying my trip until I saw a bright red light behind me. (At that time, police cars had a big, red, round flashing light on top of the car.) I pulled over to the side of the road just like any good motorist and waited for the policeman to get out of his car.

As he approached the look on his face told me I was in trouble. I tried to explain to him that I was going on a picnic, but he did not believe me, for some strange reason. He also did not understand why my parents did not know about my adventure. I tried to explain that it would not be a surprise if I had told my mother where I was going.

The policeman took my bike, put it in the trunk of his car and sat me down in the front seat beside him. I was very unhappy. My picnic plans were ruined, and he crushed the box of crackers that I had carefully and loving tied to my bicycle.  

This is where the embarrassing part came in…. He stopped at the newspaper office and unloaded my bike, and told me to sit on it. A man took my picture and wrote an article, which was published in the newspaper the following day. By that time my father had arrived to pick me up, and he told the reporter that I was going to be grounded and my bicycle was going to be put way for a long time.

Now I had a LOT of relatives who saw that picture/article and I was laughed at by every one of them. Everybody at church laughed at me too. The laughing continued for years afterward. Everywhere I went someone mentioned my bicycle trip, and I just wanted to crawl into a hole and die. Even today, fifty years later, the topic still comes up occasionally. That is one event that will live forever, no matter how hard I try to forget it.

Okay, I have to admit that in the history of embarrassing moments that one is up there! :)

More about Greta...

Greta Burroughs loves to read. No matter where she is, there is always a book close at hand. Her love of reading began at an early age and blossomed over time to include many different genres, her favorite now being fantasy. As a preschool and elementary school teacher, Greta tried to instill the joy of reading in the children she worked with. Books were an important part of her classroom and story time was the highlight of the day.

It has been a while since Greta was in a classroom but she had lots of experience in reading to children of various ages and remembers what they enjoyed listening to. She tries to incorporate that knowledge into her work as an author and believes it makes her a better writer of children's and young adult books. She now resides in SC with her husband, Robert and three dogs. 

All of Greta's books...

Where to find Greta & her books (just click them!):

Twitter 

Amazon US 

Amazon UK 

Goodreads 

Website 

Smashwords 

Facebook 

Heartaches and Miracles

“But I don't feel sick. Why do I have to stay here in the hospital?” I stubbornly asked the emergency room doctor, and he replied in an exasperated voice, “Because you are one sick chick. Your platelets are down to 2000. You are going upstairs to PCU and you are going to stay there until I say you can go home.”
I was diagnosed with an autoimmune disorder called ITP (Idiopathic Thrombocytopenia Purpura) in April 2005. At that time, I knew very little about platelets, CBCs, corticosteroids and other factors that would play a significant role in my well-being for the rest of my life. Heartaches and Miracles was written as a form of chicken soup for the ITP soul to give encouragement and strength to those affected by this blood disorder. Reading how others have coped, hopefully will give those newly diagnosed a glimpse of what to expect and give everyone with ITP a new hope for tomorrow.

Gerald and the Wee People

Gerald and his best friend, Vernon literally fall into a new world when responding to a plea for help. A few years prior to that, the boys had discovered an unusual clearing in the woods where only Gerald had the ability to watch the daily activities that took place in a miniature village. When creatures started attacking the village, Gerald became more and more concerned about the little inhabitants that he had become attached to. Vernon humoured his friend but became concerned when Gerald mentioned one of the villagers coming to him and asking for help. To prove him wrong, Vernon agreed to venture out to the clearing late one night and show Gerald it was all in his imagination. Instead, Vernon was drawn into the enchanted vision and both boys charged off to the rescue. While in the wee people village, Gerald and Vernon try to fulfil a prophecy overcoming many dangers and obstacles. The boys help the villagers in their fight against the misshapen ones while also trying to defeat a powerful being intent on destroying all life.

The House at Bo-Kay Lane

A mirror is found in a forgotten room in the far-seers’ training centre. Sheela, a far-seer master and Alyson, an apprentice firestarter are unwillingly drawn into the depths of the mirror and wind up in the abandoned house on Bo-Kay Lane. Sheela uses her telepathic skills to enlist the aid of Gerald, Vernon and Gerald’s father, Andrew to help find the way back to the world of the wee people. That problem resolved, they try to unravel the secrets of the mirror and find that it is a portal between their two worlds, as well as to a time in the future and possibly even to a parallel universe. They also discover that someone is trapped inside the mirror and the decision has to be made as to whether or not to help the trapped soul escape the confines of the portal.

Patchy and Calico series

Patchwork Dog has a knack for getting into trouble and his best friend, Calico Cat usually winds up right in the middle of the mess with him. Calico would rather spend her days sleeping in her nice comfortable bed, staying safe and worry free. She knows better than to follow Patchy when he is out looking for a new adventure, but she tags along anyway just in case… On the other hand, Patchy is very curious and is always investigating new sights, sounds and smells. He follows his nose wherever it goes. Sometimes that leads to trouble but other times it gives Calico a chance to play a trick on her not so smart friend. The tales will entertain children of all ages with the antics of the title characters and hopefully teach youngsters some valuable lessons on sharing and working together.

Thanks for reading :)

I'm talking about writing for kids & giving away prizes!

Hi, I'm the writer in the hot seat today at the 'Inspiring Children... One Book at a Time' event, organised by Greta Burroughs. 

It's taking place at 11am US / 4pm UK. 

We're talking about books for young readers up to 16. Come along and ask me anything :) I'll try to answer, unless it is to do with maths, physics or football and I'm out!! 

I'll also be giving some of my children's books away and your pet can be in a book... I'd give cakes, but I'm a bad cake maker :) 

The  link - https://www.facebook.com/events/479784575431174/

These are the prizes:

--- Set of all 8 of my ebooks for middle-grade readers 

--- Paperback copy of Kiwi in Cat City

--- If you have a cat or any other pet, I will write them into the next Kiwi book. Bear in mind I haven’t started book 7 yet!!

--- Paperback copy of The Sea Inside

Thanks!!

Coming soon: Sci-fi/Fantasy Kindle Book Event (13-14 July)

I'm thrilled to be taking part in this event on 13-14 July. Lots of authors are taking part, offering lots of fantastic books for bargain prices - and there will be a give-away. 

Get ready!!

I'm judging Write on Wendy's #5MinuteFiction contest tonight! Come and play!

Hi!
I'm doing something different today and judging a flash fiction contest at Write on Wendy. The winner will receive a paperback copy of my new fantasy adventure, The Sea Inside, and 4 other ebooks of their choice (out of 13). The runner-up (as it's always hard to choose) will win an ebook. 

The competition will start at 7:30pm Central time. That's 2.30am GMT (UK, etc). 

Here is the link for the contest: http://www.writeonwendy.com/

Thanks to Wendy for asking me to judge! I'm looking forward to it. Please join in! The more the merrier!

You can sign up to get email and/or twitter reminders on Wendy's website.

Vix