Real Life Books and Media
Last year I was blessed and honored when Jessie won a Grace Award in the Young Adult category. This year I had the privilege to be a judge in the contest. Congratulations to the 2015 winners!!
The Grace Awards, a reader driven awards and the most democratic awards in Christian fiction, now in its sixth year, is very proud to announce its 2015 WINNERS.
Source: Grace Awards 2015 Winners ~ in Faith Based Fiction | Grace Awards
My friend, the talented Mike Thomas, created this amazing photo to honor our fallen military heroes. Be sure to go to his blog learn more about Mike and the model in the photo.
Greetings Y’all, I know it’s been FOREVER since I’ve posted on this blog. Been utilizing my Facebook and Instagram (MikeThomasImagery on Instagram) accounts more so than the blog.…
Source: A Heartfelt Memorial Day Tribute | Mike Thomas Imagery
If you enjoyed Nancy Drew novels as a child, you will enjoy today’s author spotlight for Friday Reads. Tara Ellis has just released book five in her Samantha Wolf Mysteries and she has agreed to answer our Friday Reads questions, so let’s get started.
Tell our readers why they should choose your novel as their Friday Read.
This would make the perfect Friday Read, due to it being a fun, quick mystery. While the book is written at the middle grade level, it is an intelligent story that readers of all ages will enjoy.
What is the book’s backstory, what inspired you?
This is book #5 in an on-going series, so finding new and exciting adventures is something I rather enjoy. Each book can be read on it’s own, or you can start with book one. They are chronological, and this one happens during Halloween. It was only natural to feature something spooky, but as with all the other books, there are a few different layers to the mystery. I was inspired by reviews on the other books to include the brothers more, which ended up adding to some really fun scenes.
Who were your favorite authors as a child and teen.
Julie Campbell (Trixie Beldon), Carolyn Keene (Nancy Drew), Lois Duncan. As I got older, I spent some time reading Stephen King, Dean Koontz and Ken Follett.
Imagine a big name author that you love is reading and raving about your book. Choose one of these reactions and explain why.
a. Freak out and shake all over.
b. Google everything you can find about your book and the author
c. Call everyone you know to share your excitement
d. Post immediately to Clean Indie Reads so your friends can freak out with you.
e. Begin to mentally compose a tweet to tell the world.
d. Post immediately to Clean Indie Reads Facebook group so your friends can freak out with you.
You know, it’s funny. Not that long ago, I would have chosen any other option equally. But I know that this is what I would do, because I have done it already. It was under different circumstances, but exciting nonetheless. There is something about sharing news that you KNOW only another author can fully appreciate, that is worth SO much. Having the support of other writers is monumental and something I absolutely cherish.
I feel the same as Tara about Clean Indie Reads. In the words of its founder, Lia London, it is awesome sauce!
After reading her Friday Reads answers I am sure you would like to know more about her, so here is the official bio.
Author Tara Ellis lives in a small, rural town in Washington State, set in the beautiful Pacific Northwest. She enjoys the quiet lifestyle with her husband, two teenage kids and several dogs. Tara was a firefighter/EMT, and worked in the medical field for many years, before committing herself to writing young adult and middle grade novels full-time. (she still dabbles in teaching CPR)
She grew up on sci-fi, was a devoted Star Trek and Battlestar Galactica fan, and has since found a love for conspiracy theories. This background, combined with a wild imagination has led to The Forgotten Origins Trilogy. The first book in the series, Bloodline, was a finalist in the IAN 2015 Book of the Year Awards, was awarded Honorable Mention in the 2015 Reader’s Favorite Book Awards, named ‘Indie Book of the Day in Oct, 2014’ and voted as ‘Top 50 Indie Books of 2014’. (readfreely.com)
Her on-going middle grade mystery series, The Samantha Wolf Mysteries, has hit the best seller status on Amazon in the children’s detective story genre several times, and continues to grow in popularity. The engaging, fun stories herald back to the days of Nancy Drew and Trixie Beldon, and several readers have commented that the series is of the same caliber. These are clean reads that are suitable for the whole family to read together, and are also part of the Kindle Unlimited program.
*Find her on Facebook at: www.facebook.com/taraellisauthor
**Visit her personal blog at: taraellisauthor.blogspot.com/
***Twitter: @taraellisauthor
Without further ado or chit-chat, I am pleased to introduce you to Tara’s new release.
The Haunting of Eagle Creek Middle School
Halloween is right around the corner, and the girls find themselves in the middle of a hauntingly good mystery.
Sam, Ally, and Cassy help form a new club at their school in order to raise money for charities. Their first mission is to save a struggling program founded by a local widow, but the benefactor has some secrets.
It turns out that Eagle Creek Middle school has some secrets too, including a tragic story passed down for fifty years. Does a tormented ghost really roam the basement of the school?
While creating a haunted house to raise the needed donations, the young detectives uncover the shocking truth. One that will forever change the lives of people they have come to cherish.
Visit Amazon to view the whole series.
If you have enjoyed meeting Tara Ellis today, consider signing up for her newsletter.
Tara is one of over 2,000 authors who are committed to writing Flinch-Free fiction, books packed with excitement but without the “ewww factor.” Visit them on the Clean Indie Reads book blog where each author listed has a short Q&A .
Thank you, Tara for allowing us to share in the excitement of your new release. We would love to host you when book six comes out!
David Millican’s debut novel, Frontier Preacher, is now available in eBook and Paperback!
Hollis feared the loneliness would swallow him whole. He had arrived in Wyoming to fulfill his uncle’s dying wish – that he save the people of Gillette – but his education and faith had not prepared him for the bitter cold and hardened hearts of the west. A dark secret in his new home threatens to destroy his very soul. Will Hollis be strong enough to stand against the tide of evil? Can he overcome where stronger men failed, before the west claims another victim?
eBook: www.amazon.com/dp/B017QRMMM8/
Paperback: https://www.createspace.com/6236943
David was born and raised in Wyoming then spent his twenties traveling the world. He now spends his time in McKeesport Pennsylvania with his wife Emily. He has been writing since he was a child, enjoying success in the young authors program, local literary magazines, and blogging. You can follow David’s new projects and release dates on his Facebook author page.
“Definitely worth reading.“-Amazon Reviewer
“The author makes great use of his setting offering many rich details”-Amazon Reviewer
“I loved the writing and the story. Then [sic] ending is unexpected and inevitable at the same time. “-Goodreads Reviewer
I asked the author if he would answer my Friday Reads questions, just for fun and he was gracious enough to agree!
1. Tell our readers why they should choose your novel as their Friday Read.
I had three purposes in writing this book. One was to tell stories that need to be told. Two, I want to make a living from writing (or at least supplement my living). And three, I wanted to bring back the dime novels of the late 1800’s and Frontier Preacher is consistent with their length and pacing. One of the things that made those novels so successful was their length. Now in a time where people are pushing for longer, longer, longer, I endeavored to tell an entire story without the fluff. Most people find it a short read, and a compelling one from what they tell me.
2.What is the book’s backstory, what inspired you?
So I set out as a goal to take all of those stories and make them into a single cohesive narrative. Most of the events in the book occurred at one time or another in different places. One of my favorite, the one where a Baptist preacher is shot at for fun, happened in a small town in Kansas.
I transported it all to Gillette, the town I grew up in for three reasons. (That’s getting to be a theme with me…) They say write what you know, so I did. I also love my home town and want others to see it through my eyes. And the last reason, and most important, I know the people of Gillette are good, solid people. They stand a cut above the rest and were perfect for the story I needed.
3. Who were your favorite authors as a child and teen?
I read anything and everything I could get my hands on. That meant reading things too old for me sometimes and things over my head a lot of the time. To choose an author is like choosing my favorite food. What day is it? Richard Adams and Watership Down changed the way I looked at story telling. Mark Twain and The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn made me question the world around me. (I had to read it and do a book report on it over summer vacation, when I was nine, for a punishment. Yes I had a teacher as a dad. Why do you ask?) George Orwell’s 1984 made me…I shouldn’t talk about that here– I mean there is nothing to talk about. Ever. We’ve always been at war with Eastasia.
4. Imagine a big name author that you love is reading and raving about your book. What would your reaction be and who would you tell?
I don’t want to sound too cynical here but I would be focusing on getting a review and advertising from them. I mean, it would be cool, but life (and sales window’s) is too short to be star struck. But I would be calling my mom like crazy.
Thank you for these interesting answers. Growing up, I read constantly too. Now let’s talk something we all like:
David is offering a 50% discount for the paperback book! To get your copy, go to the Createspace estore and enter this code when you checkout: GYM7ACWX.
From May 27-31, Frontier Preacher will also be on sale for just $1.99. That’s a $3.00 savings!
Enter to win one of three giveaways! Giveaway #1 is a paperback of Never by J. Grace Pennington and a $15 Amazon gift card. Giveaway #2 is a paperback of Revel Knox by Michael Shank and a $15 Amazon gift card. Giveaway #3 is a personalized notebook from Faith Blum and a $15 Amazon gift card.
To enter the giveaway, please fill out this form. The only required entries are your name and your email address. Everything else is optional.
Monday, May 23
Writings, Ramblings, and Reflections-Tour Introduction and Book Spotlight
Rebekah Lyn Books-Book Spotlight and Character Interview (John Davies)
Perpetual Gardener, Writer, and Mormon-Book Spotlight
Rachel Rossano’s Words-Book Spotlight
Tuesday, May 24
God’s Peculiar Treasure Rae-Book Spotlight
PhreyPress-Book Spotlight, Guest Post, and Author Interview
Wednesday, May 25
Letters from Annie Douglass Lima-Book Spotlight and Excerpt
Writing About Life-Book Review
Frances Hoelsema-Book Spotlight and Excerpt
Zerina Blossom’s Books-Guest Post
Thursday, May 26
Stephany Tullis Blog-Character Interview (John Davies)
Ramblings-Guest Post
Writings, Ramblings, and Reflections-Excerpt
Friday, May 27
Writings, Ramblings, and Reflections-Giveaway Announcement
