Volume V of short stories from Texas authors is available for pre-order!
Here is a snippet from my story:
A loud whinny cut through the cold Montana air, followed by a snort and a hoof pawing on the wood.
Frank cursed and eased the front door open two inches. He peered out with one eye. A saddled brown pony with no rider stamped his foot and nickered.
“Who’s out there?” Frank yelled again.
The horse tossed his head and let out a long whinny.
Frank swung the door open wide and stepped out into the waning daylight, gun cocked and aimed.
The horse backed off the porch and continued to toss his head and nicker.
When Frank saw no one, he stepped off the porch and grabbed the horse’s trailing reins. “Whoa. Good boy.” He patted the horse’s thick neck.
“Where’s your rider?”
The horse tried to pull away and reared up on his hind legs.
“Whoa, boy. Whoa.” Frank kept a tight grip on the leather.
The horse jerked against Frank’s hold and whinnied.
“You’re trying to tell me something, aren’t you, boy?” His gut told him someone was in trouble. “All right. I’ll go with you, you stubborn horse. First I’ve got to get my coat and gloves.”
I hope that snippet intrigues you enough to want to know more about Frank and this horse that can almost talk!
This collection of stories is available exclusively through the Indie Lector Store and $2.00 from each purchase goes to help put books in Title One Schools and small libraries.
For some of you who have asked, the national organization, Authors Marketing Guild is up and running! The mission of this organization is to educate authors on effective ways to market their work as well as set up events and programs to help authors find new readers!
AND, one more thing…(Yes, you can call me Colombo!) 🙂
Not only will my winning short story be featured in Vol V of Short Stories by Texas Authors, but will also be included in a national publication, entitled Short Stories by Indie Authors!
This book is available in ePub and Kindle formats.
It is with great pleasure that I turn my blog over to another wonderful Texas author, C.J. Peterson today. I hope you enjoy her post and take advantage of the awesome giveaways!!
Take it away, C.J.!
Jan,Thank you so much for the opportunity of sharing on your blog! I really appreciate you helping me out!
I have some great news! The fourth and final book in the Divine Legacy Series is coming out soon! This is an important milestone, as it is also the last book for the A.N.G.E.L.s! For those who have been following, the A.N.G.E.L.s books have been around since the first one was published in 2013.
In celebration of this milestone, I’ll be doing a countdown to the final showdown! It’s the A.N.G.E.L.s versus the other side. Who will win? Can the A.N.G.E.L.s restore the balance of power?
For this release, there will be a one-time offer. For the next three weeks, I will be giving away the first ebook in each series! Yes, you read that right! So, if you haven’t started reading them, the time is now!
** The new release CHAINS BROKEN (Book 4, Divine Legacy Series) will be out at the end of this countdown!**
Here is the summary for CHAINS BROKEN:
The last and final book in the Divine Legacy Series, Chains Broken, follows the A.N.G.E.L.s as they continue on their journey. There will be wedding, Christmas, and New Year’s celebrations, which should bring about a fresh start…but will it?
Kit’s battle is coming to a head. Can she overcome what is trying to lay hold, or will she succumb like her mother? Have the issues of anger been worked out within the team? Who will win the battle for the Outback? Will it be Pete and Charlie’s clan, or the other side? What about the other box? Do the A.N.G.E.L.s have a lead on it? Who will walk away the victor?
These questions and more will be answered as this exciting series wraps up. Chains will be loosened, and hearts and lives will be connected in Chains Broken. (Book 4 of the Divine Legacy Series.)
1 Peter 5:8“Be alert and of sober mind. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour.”John 8:32“Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.”
This is the time to download the start of each series to your Kindle! Don’t miss out on this one-time event! Get started on your journey with the A.N.G.E.L.s!
God bless, and Happy Reading!
And now, I want to share a little bit about this author!
C.J. Peterson grew up in a military Christian home, but it was far from tranquil. Many of life’s lessons were hard ones. Through the encouragement of her husband, C.J. was able to rekindle the creativity she thought she had lost. She is an eighteen-year veteran youth leader, a published author since 2012, and knows how to relate well to folks of all ages. Her bright spirit and personality shine through as she shares her various passions and heart. C.J. brings to life not only her world of writing and being a youth leader, but also shares portions of her abuse-survival past, and how that has shaped her in order to help others. Recently, she has had a number of successes! SEASONS OF CHANGE received SECOND PLACE in the “Adult Fiction” category in 2016 for the North Texas Book Festival. Also, ARMY RISING received FIRST PLACE in the “Adult Fiction” category for 2019 at the North Texas Book Festival. In addition, HEARTS UNITED received THIRD PLACE in the “Adult Fiction” category for the North Texas Book Festival as well. Also, the DIVINE LEGACY SERIES won 2019 Texas Authors BEST CHRISTIAN SERIES for Texas Association of Authors. “While the stories are fiction, the journey is real.”
It’s been a while since I did any self-promotion. I do love supporting other authors and music artists. It makes me happy when I can help spread the word about the work of another.
But, today, I want to talk about a book that I am probably the proudest of, out of all of my babies, and that is the poetry and art book, DISCOVERY.
You may have noticed the author names include Rick Sikes. In truth, the only reason I included my name as an author, was so I could legally publish the book since Rick is deceased. And, I do write poetry, so I included some of my work in the back.
Several things about this book set it apart from other poetry and art books. Firstly, Rick wrote this book in its entirety while he was incarcerated in Leavenworth Prison. Secondly, he created all the artwork that is included in the book including the cover.
He’d always had artistic talent, but until he was locked behind bars, he didn’t discover it fully. The artwork represented here is what we referred to as ‘pen-and-ink’ drawings, but the correct name is Pointillism. The drawings are made up of millions of tiny dots. I loved to watch over his shoulder, after he came home, while he created a new piece. But, all the drawings in Discovery except for one of Willie Nelson were created while he was in prison.
The original title Rick gave the poetry book was “Etchings In Stone.” But, since we released a music CD with that title, I needed to find something different.
The first poem in the book is entitled, “Discovery,” and it tells of a turning point in Rick’s life when he decided to be, think and do only positive things in a negative situation. It was a resolve that served him well the rest of his life.
You’ll find everything from raw bleeding hurt and emotion, to off-the-cuff silly poetry, to strong political statements included in this book. It is a true baring of the soul.
The Forward to this book was graciously provided by Connie Nelson, ex-wife of Willie Nelson.
Myself with Connie Nelson
This beautiful book is available in Hardback, Paperback and eBook formats.
A special radio show is scheduled for February 14, 2019.
Win a chance to be on a show plus, receive extra promotion and advertising for this Valentine’s Day Special. This is open to any author in any genre. You do not have to be a member of the Texas Association of Authors to enter!
Publicity is what every author needs and wants. And, an international radio show is one of the best platforms available.
Indie Beacon Radio was created out of DEAR Texas Radio and has on average 2,000 listeners on all of its various platforms. Now, as part of the iHeart Radio, we are expanding Indie Beacon Radio by doing both Audio and Video Live.
On February 14, 2019 we will be doing extra promotion, press, etc., for the lucky author scheduled for this special event. We have also turned this event into a fundraiser to continue our various literacy programs with DEAR (Drop Everything and Read)/Indie Texas.
To be the selected author for this special event, we are offering a chance to purchase a tax-deductible raffle ticket for $5.00 each. Simply follow the link and select which hostess you’d prefer, then purchase the ticket. http://Radio.IndieBeacon.com
Of course, you can purchase as many tickets as you would like. You may purchase one ticket at a time, of IF you would like more then one ticket, simply email us the Host/Hostess name you would like to have interview you and how many tickets you would like to info@dearindie.org
As we closed out our segment last week, Andy Roberts had a vision and a visit from his father telling him to get his ass back in the fancy car and go make some music. But, he’s also leaving the cabin with a priceless bit of information about his brother, Timmy. Let’s see what he does next.
###
I pulled into a truck stop not far down the road.
With a steaming cup of coffee in hand, I fished the yellowed paper out of my pocket, located a pay phone and dialed the number on the letterhead.
“It’s a great morning here at the Blackmon Children’s Home,” a cheerful voice greeted me.
After I finished explaining who I was, I heard excitement on the other end of the line. “I can’t tell you how thrilled I am that you called. We thought Timmy’s family was dead. He’s just about to turn eighteen, you know. He had an obsessive fascination with the banjo when he first came to stay with us, so we taught him to play. You should hear him. He’s nothing short of genius.”
I choked back tears and promised to be there within two hours. I told the kind lady I would be taking my brother home with me as soon as paperwork could be processed.
Just before I turned onto the highway, I rolled down the window, hung my head out and shouted, “I love you, Papa. Keep watching because I’m going to get this right!”
I thought about the fragrant blooming tree in front of the cabin and how Mama’s eyes shone the day Papa planted it. I began to write.
She is like a Mountain Laurel
A breath of pure fresh air
Her hair the scent of floral
Her eyes so bright and fair…
THE END
I do hope you’ve enjoyed this short story. It won first place in a short story contest sponsored by the Texas Associaton of Authors in 2016.
In going back through some of the handouts I received at the Authors Marketing Event two weeks ago, I found these useful social media tips and wanted to share.
When is the best time to post to Facebook to get results?
Best – Weekdays between 1 – 4 p.m.
Peak – Thursday and Friday
Most clicks – 3 p.m.
Use images to increase engagement by 104%
Don’t forget Facebook Groups – you can create your own group – start discussions, moderate posts and you have the option to make the group private or public
Just last weekend, I attended an Author’s Marketing Event. There were so many interesting, informative and educational workshops and I learned lots.
But, one workshop, in particular, started off with the letters above.
F alse
E vidence
A ppearing
R eal
That gave me pause. How many times do our fears (false evidence appearing real) stop us in our tracks? We can imagine failure before we even embark on a quest. So, this thought came to mind. What if we could immediately erase “fear” (cancel, clear, delete) and replace it with a positive vision? I personally think that would change our entire gameplan. Just the incredible energy of switching one thought is extremely powerful and produces results.
We’ve all been programmed to think and act a certain way. We have filters that we view through. Not all of these are bad. Some are extremely beneficial and positive. But, anytime we let even the tiniest bit of negativity in, a seed is planted and grows like a proverbial weed.
So, I thought about a few ways to turn “fear” (false evidence appearing real) into “FEAR” (Fearless Eager Approach Reward).
Finding a quiet space of solitude to do some meditation is first and foremost the number one most effective way to release fear and gain a different perspective. There are some excellent guided meditations on YouTube. If you are a beginner, search for the ones that say “beginner meditations.” Of course, it would be wonderful if we all had our own private beach for practicing meditation, but the truth is most of us don’t. And you don’t have to sit in the cross-legged position on the floor to do meditation. You can practice that quietness sitting in a chair or lying on your bed. It doesn’t matter. The importance is going within and letting your own sweet soul help you gain a more open and more positive perspective.
Take a step back and look more objectively at whatever is causing fear.
Listen to some uplifting music. Music is an excellent way to raise our vibration.
Get outside in nature and reflect on the reality of what is causing fear.
It has been said that the opposite of fear is acceptance. There is a nugget of truth in that. Find what works for you, but most of all, don’t let FEAR cripple you and keep you from going for that pot of gold or rainbow.
There are approximately 3,600 books published per day in the United State. That’s a heck of a lot of books!
But, there will NOT be one book exactly like the one you write. Organizations can often be helpful in the entire frightening process of publishing your first book and I’ve listed some of the ones I know to be excellent below.
What do you do when you find yourself dealing with the fear of moving forward? I’d love for you to share your experiences, including any organizations that you’ve found to be supportive and helpful.
“This is the final book in the fictionalized true-story of Luke and Darlina Stone. The story continues where it left off in “Home at Last” for Luke and Darlina. The remarkable journey of this couple comes full circle when music reenters their lives. I loved that Darlina (and their daughter) joined Luke on stage. It was beautiful to read the process of this couple creating music together. I felt every emotion reading “’Til Death Do Us Part”, especially knowing it’s the real story of the author– and it was the last book. I was heartbroken watching the decline of Luke’s health, but was amazed, again, at how strong their love was. When I hear an owl hoot at night it will always remind me of this couple’s unwavering love. A beautifully written series I highly recommend.”
Thank you to D.L. for the kind words! Please visit the original post on her BLOG.
Christmas is coming! If you’d like an autographed copy of TIL DEATH DO US PART, visit my website.
And, of course, this book can be purchased on Amazon
You can find out more about all of my books on my website
Hello, fellow Texas authors! I want to make you aware of, and invite you to, a Writing Symposium in Comfort, Texas September 14 – 16, 2017.
Yes, that is SOON!!
I will be presenting two separate workshops at this event to be held at the Comfort Public Library. If you are anywhere near this area and wish to hone your writing skills through hands-on workshops, check this out.
Hill Country Writing Symposium – Fall Edition
September 14-16, 2017
Comfort Public Library
701 High St, Comfort, TX 78013
Thursday, September 14, 2017 – Meet & Greet Reception
Writing and Music 
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