Month: March 2016

LODESTONE: WITCH-HUNT 1 #RRBC

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Lodestone

5 STAR REVIEW FOR LODESTONE: WITCH-HUNT 1

BY AUTHOR, WENDY J. SCOTT

I won this book in a book trailer blog party through the Rave Reviews Book Club and although I love paranormal books, I didn’t know what to expect. However, by the third chapter, I was hooked and couldn’t put it down. What a story!!

Sabrina has been at the ‘Healing School’ since she was a very small child. Florsiah, the matron of the school, is the only mother figure she knows. Sabrina finds herself thrown into chaos at her graduation from the ‘Healing School’ when she learns she is the direct descendent of Lauren, a woman who is considered evil. Florsiah gives her a diary, written in Lauren’s own hand, and a sliver of stone, and is told she must leave the school.

Lauren’s Order has been established to stamp out any and all witchcraft. They are known as witch hunters and scour the countryside killing innocent people, destroying villages and taking slaves.

As the story unfolds, Sabrina  travels in the company of a monk and three young monk apprentices to Sha’ La’ Shang, an idyllic city high in the mountains inhabited by monks. However, in the course of the journey, she falls in love with Micah, a young monk apprentice who has a unique talent of communicating with animals.

So much happens during the journey to Sha’ La’ Shang and I don’t want to give it all away, but there are grave troubles, fired up passions and danger lurking around every corner from the soldiers of Lauren’s Order to mythical birds who struggle to survive.

Once they reach Sha’ La’ Shang, she is given the task of finding and either destroying or changing the Lodestone to save Vallaoria. Being the direct descendant of Lauren, she is the only one who can undo the evil that has evoked terror across the land for many years. With the help of Lauren’s diary, the sliver of stone that burns brighter as she gets closer to the Lodestone, and many people from The Hidden, who strive to overthrow the evil that prevails, she takes on the task. At the cost of many lost lives, she finally makes it to her destination. What happens next is breathtaking and left me wanting to pick up the next book of this series to see!

If you like paranormal, fantasy and witchcraft, you’ll truly enjoy this book!   Amazon Link.

Wendy Scott

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Jazz Baby by Beem Weeks #RRBC

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REVIEW OF JAZZ BABY

jAZZ BABY

In this story set in the deep South, Beem Weeks spins a tale full of drama, tragedy and despair.

Emily Ann Teegarten, around thirteen years old, has one best friend in life, her papa. With his sudden death at the age of 39, she is devastated. But then to be told that her mother murdered him only adds to the heaviness of death, grief and anger that no young teenager should have to experience. Now add her mother’s suicide to the immediate tragedies that befall this young girl and you have the beginning of Jazz Baby.

She has one bright spot, one positive that she clings to. She can sing. With a deep love and gift for singing jazz, Emily Ann reaches for the dream she’s longed for ever since she can remember. But, the road to that dream is littered with deceit, lies, murder and greed. How does a young girl cope with a brutal rape just as she’s finally getting to sing regularly in a Speakeasy across the river? But even more than that, how can she be expected to understand the greed, lust and lies she will encounter from those she thought trustworthy?

I was pulled along with Emily Ann as she moved from one tragedy to the next. I held my breath as she experimented with drugs, moonshine and girl sex. How was this going to end for the poverty stricken southern girl with a gift?

This novel is written in the style of Faulkner or Steinbeck, revealing torrid secrets that we all prefer to remain hidden. Touching on social issues that beg to remain in the shadows. Beem Weeks has done a great job weaving this tale. The southern dialect is written to perfection and I could see and hear the characters as they spoke. If you like a story that keeps you guessing and makes you gasp a few times, then you’ll like this story about Emily Ann “Baby” Teegarten.

Interview by Allen American Newspaper!

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This newspaper article appeared in the Allen American newspaper this week and on the front page, no less!!

I am honored. Garrett Cook did a great job interviewing me and writing the article.  Not only did he cover all of the main points of the interview, but touched on writing projects that I do outside of my books, such as articles for Bridge The Beats magazine. He even mentioned my recent interview with the great Willie Nelson’s daughter, Paula.

Allen American Newspaper

Book Trailer – ‘Til Death Do Us Part

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I just got the new book trailer for the fourth book in my series of true stories, ‘Til Death Do Us Part!!

This story takes the reader on an emotional journey with Luke and Darlina Stone as they face Luke’s deteriorating physical health.  With sand in the hourglass of time running thin, Luke and Darlina draw on each other’s strength to persevere through trials that would destroy a lesser man and woman.

Sarah Stuart #RRBC Author

Published on by Jan Sikes17 Comments

Sarah Stuart    Sarah Stuart has been a writer since she could hold a pen: her debut novel, published in July 2014, is only the beginning of a lifetime ambition to embrace the freedom of creating characters in depth. Her first publications were articles about wildlife, horses, and dogs, followed by short stories created for mature students when she worked as a literacy tutor. During a period when she ran Kennel Club accredited dog obedience training classes she edited a monthly magazine.

Her passion for the theatre, the major setting for her first series of books, is rooted in dogs. She supplied them for the stage, which gave her an unrivalled opportunity to meet producers, directors, choreographers, wardrobe mistresses, dressers, stagehands, and performers. Her description of that experience is “I absorbed every scrap of information like blotting paper and, since I am no actress, no threat, actors and actresses confided in me.”

History, and British history in particular, interests her but, so far, she has resisted the temptation to write historical novels. Instead a link to English and Scottish royalty runs through her current contemporary work that is firmly imbedded in the twenty-first century. A confirmed Christian, she has no qualms about tackling subjects that push the boundaries of faith and forgiveness.

People hold the greatest fascination of all. Mother, child-minder, foster mother, student landlady, university “wife” meeting the rich, famous, titled and royal, and an appetite for worldwide travel, all contribute to her deep understanding of how individuals react to different circumstances and triggers. Her characters “live”; in one guise or another they have, or do, live.

Sarah’s Books:

This is a special re-launch of the Royal Command series. Both books have been rewritten and edited. As a result, both now have 5 star Readers’ Favorite reviews. The last book in the trilogy, Dynasty of Deceit, will be available winter 2016/17.

Dangerous Liaisons Cover  FREE FROM MARCH 18-20 ON AMAZON! 

Lizzie, daughter of a wealthy Scottish laird, inherits Margaret Tudor’s secret diary. A decoded message reads “I direct and beseech my heirs to find love where they may”. Lizzie falls in love with Michael, a poor aspiring actor whom she helps become a superstar. Lizzie passes the diary to their daughter, Lisette, who is influenced by Queen Margaret’s manipulative, vengeful, granddaughter, sparking dangerous passions and betrayals.

Can Lizzie outwit the paparazzi or will the scandal of adultery and incest end in tragedy for them all?

Illicit Passion  ONLY .99 FROM MARCH 18-20 ON AMAZON!

Showbiz superstar, Lisette, is blackmailed with a threat to expose illicit love, a secret that she, and her father, thought safely hidden forever. Michael initiates an audacious plan to free her from a life of humiliation and pain that puts the whole family in peril. Once again, they hover on the brink of disaster at the hands of the paparazzi.

Meanwhile, their daughter, Harriet, the new owner of the Book of Hours, deciphers coded entries made by Queen Margaret’s great-granddaughter, Lady Harriet Allanach. Will she too follow her namesake’s example and comply with the queen’s command “I direct and beseech my heirs to find love where they may”, or walk away from the twin she loves, and shouldn’t love, before it’s too late?

Sarah is an amazing #RRBC author. I have read both of these books and enjoyed them tremendously. If you love a story that crosses over boundaries and keeps you guessing, you’ll love both of Sarah’s stories!!
Sarah’s Amazon UK Author Page
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Follow Your Heart

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How many times in your life have you been told to follow your heart when trying to make a decision about something? I couldn’t begin to count the number of times this has applied in my own life. Heart on the Water

We have a physical heart that beats inside our chests and helps keep our bodies alive, but we also have a deeper internal “Heart” that serves as our guide.

How? By feelings. Your internal heart will NEVER guide you to do the wrong thing. The trick is getting still enough to listen and tune into the feeling behind a thought.

A good example of this would be the inspiration I had to write this series of books that is now drawing to a close. Did I think I was qualified to tackle this monumental task?

No! But, I listened to my heart, took a leap of faith, educated myself and dove in.

 

And now, I’m crossing the finish line. There is no better feeling than to know you ran the race the best that you could.

Crossing the finish ilne

When things like an award for book excellence comes along, it makes all the hours of effort worthwhile. When a reader leaves a glowing review, or someone sends an email and tells me how much the books have touched them, my internal heart gets really happy.

Biography Fic       Home At Last_3D

I am so honored to have received this award from the Texas Association of Authors. It inspires me to continue on into the next project. Excited to see where my heart leads me!

In the meantime, the fourth and final book of this series will soon be available for pre-order.

TilDeathDoUsPart_BookAnd CD-Text

Stay tuned and whatever you do, follow your internal HEART!!

 

The Magic Bank Account!

Published on by Jan Sikes2 Comments

Money

The Magic Bank Account

Imagine that you had won the following *PRIZE* in a contest:

Each morning your bank would deposit $86,400 in your private account for your use.  However, this prize has rules:

The set of rules:

  1. Everything that you didn’t spend during each day wouldbe taken away from you.
  2. You may not simply transfer money into some other account.
  3. You may only spend  it.
  4. Each morning upon awakening, the bank opens your account withanother $86,400 for that day.
  5. The bank can end the game without warning; at any time itcan say, “Game Over!” It can close the account and you will not receive a new one.

What would you personally do?

You would buy anything and everything you wanted right? Not only for yourself, but for all the people you love and care for.

Even for people you don’t know, because you couldn’t possibly spend it all on yourself, right?

You would try to spend every penny, and use it all, because you knew  it would be replenished in the morning, right?

ACTUALLY, This GAME is REAL…

Shocked ???

YES!

Each of us is already a winner of this *PRIZE*. We just can’t seem to see it.

The PRIZE is *TIME*

  1. Each morning we awaken to receive 86,400 seconds as a gift of life.
  1. And when we go to sleep at night, any remaining time is NOT credited to us.
  1. What we haven’t used up that day is forever lost.
  1. Yesterday is forever gone.
  1. Each morning the account is refilled, but the bank can dissolveyour account at any time WITHOUT WARNING…

SO, what will YOU do with your 86,400 seconds?

Those seconds are worth so much more than the same amount in dollars.

Think about it and remember to enjoy every second of your life, because time races by so much quicker than you think.

So take care of yourself, be happy, love deeply and enjoy life!

Here’s wishing you a wonderful and beautiful day. Start “spending”….

Hourglass

DON’T COMPLAIN ABOUT GROWING OLD…!   

SOME PEOPLE DON’T GET THE PRIVILEGE!