“I’m looking out
from inside the chaos. It must be a one-way mirror because no one seems
to be able to see back inside to where I am. The looks on their faces,
the judgment in their eyes, tells me everything I need to know. The most
frustrating part about the whole messed up situation is that even
though I’m the one that they stare at in shock, I am just as shocked as
they are. I know no more than they do of why I lose control. What they
don’t know is that I am more scared of myself than they could ever be.” ~
Tally Baker
After a
devastating turn of events, seventeen year old Tally Baker is admitted
to Mercy Psychiatric Facility where she is diagnosed with Bipolar
Disorder. She has come to a place where she honestly believes that her
life is over. Her mind tells her that she will never smile or laugh
again, that she will never be normal again. It is in this unlikely place
that she meets two people, different in every way, yet both critical to
helping her realize that she has so much more living to do. Candy, a
cantankerous sixty year old Mercy Psychiatric patient, is hell bent on
driving everyone as crazy as she is. Candy shows Tally that, regardless
of her diagnosis, the ability to push on and live her life to the
fullest is her choice and hers alone. In the midst of Tally’s oftentimes
humorous, sometimes heart-wrenching, escapades with Candy, a new
patient is admitted to Mercy—a native American woman named Lolotea.
Along with this new patient comes a daily visitor, her son, Trey Swift.
At first glance, it is obvious to Tally that he is incredibly handsome
and unbelievably caring. But what she learns through her second glance,
and many thereafter, is that there is much more to Trey than he ever
lets on. It is during these daily visits that Trey and Tally build a
friendship far deeper than either of them truly realize. With Trey,
Tally feels for the first time since being admitted that someone is
looking at her as a person and not as a disease. Trey begins to make it
clear that he wants more than friendship, but she knows that she can
never give him more. How can she, when she won’t even give him the
truth? Tally doesn’t tell Trey that she is a patient at Mercy, and she
doesn’t ever plan to. Her plans go up in flames when she finds out that
Trey is a new student at her school, the school where her brokenness was
found out in the floor of the girl’s bathroom in a pool of her own
blood.
Author Bio
Quinn is a 32 year old wife, mother, nurse, and writer, not necessarily in that order. She lives in beautiful West Arkansas with her husband, son, Nora their Doberman pinscher and Phoebe their cat (who thinks she is a ninja in disguise). She loves writing, reading, and crocheting. Her favourite holiday is Christmas, favourite book(s) is Pride and Prejudice, The Alpha and Omega Series by Patricia Briggs, and the Harry Potter Series by J.K. Rowling. She loves to be silly and have fun, loves music and thinks there is no greater sound in the world than that of her little boy's laughter.
An open and
shut case of vandalism leaves more questions than answers for PI Nick Sibelius, as he untangles a knot
of egomania, desire and greed. When entrepreneur Dan Hoyt makes a deal with virtual gaming icon, Izzy
Zydeco, to partner in a desalination project Hoyt begins to count his money. Unknown
to Hoyt, his partner has bigger and more insidious plans, which involves betraying a major drug cartel
and, in a twisted business strategy to build a customer base for desalinated water, contaminating the
Austin water supply for the next century. Working with a covert Homeland Security agent and past love,
MaryLou and his new partner, Theresa, Nick must thwart Izzy and ultimately choose between justice and
saving Theresa’s life. Water is up for grabs in Texas and Nick discovers that H2O is a dirty
business.
Richard Hacker
Richard
Hacker’s novel, TOXIC RELATIONSHIP, released August, 2012 by Champagne Books was a 2011 Writer’s
League of Texas (WLT) finalist, where in addition, SHAPER EMERGENCE won best novel in the Science
Fiction category. He is a member of the Pacific Northwest Writers Association.
After living
many years in Austin, Texas where he worked as a leadership coach, public speaker and management
trainer, he moved with his high school sweetheart to Seattle. While he misses the big skies of
Texas, Richard has grown fond of the Pacific Northwest. His writing partner, a springer spaniel
named Jazz, helps with proofreading and ball fetching.
DIRTY WATER,
the next novel in the Nick Sibelius series after TOXIC RELATIONSHIP, will be released June, 2013.
He is currently working on the third book in the series, CHAIN REACTION, as well as a young adult
fantasy entitled INKER WARS: THE FIVE PENS OF JOHANN.
Confession is good for the soul even after the soul has been claimed...
The story begins in Italy, 1900. After years of torment and neglect, Victoria and her four small children immigrate to Hell's Kitchen, New York, to escape her alcoholic, abusive husband. On the day they leave, he tragically dies, but she does not learn of his death for several years—a secret that puts many lives on hold.
Quickly, they realize America's streets are not paved with gold, and the limits of human faith and stamina are tested time and time again. Poverty, illness, death, kidnapping, and the reign of organized crime are just some of the crosses they bear.
Victoria's eldest son, Vincenzo, is the sole surviving member of the family and shares a gut-wrenching account of their lives with his daughter during a visit to Ellis Island on his ninetieth birthday. He explains how the lives of he and his siblings have been secretly intertwined with an infamous Irish mob boss and ends his unsettling disclosure with a monumental request that leaves Clare speechless.
Forty Years in a Day is layered with the struggles and successes of each family member and defines the character of an era. Follow the Montanaro family through several decades, and stand in the shoes of a past generation.
Mona Rodriguez and Dianne Vigorito are cousins. Throughout their lives, they had heard many stories from family members that were fascinating, sometimes even unbelievable, and decided to piece together the puzzle of tales. Through research and interviews, their goal was to create a fictional story that follows a family through several decades, providing the reader an opportunity to stand in the shoes of a past generation and walk in search of their hopes and dreams. What they realize in the process is that human emotions have been the same throughout generations - the difference is how people are molded and maneuvered by the times and their situations. Mona and Dianne live with their husbands in New Jersey and they each have two grown sons. This is their first novel together.
Website: http://www.fortyyearsinaday.com
Twitter: @monarodriguez22
Trailer: http://youtu.be/AfJ5p4qCzmM My Thoughts:
There is a lot of history and a lot of raw emotion jammed into this short book! I couldn't stop reading and wanting to know more about this family! I've never been all that into historical fiction, but something about this story just pulled me in. The writing is so good, the characters jump off the page and feel so real. The time jumps and POV shifts were a bit jarring at times, but it reminded me of sitting at my Grandmother's feet and hearing her talk about her past and her family.
This is a wonderful, yet intensely emotional story.
BUY LINKS
Amazon: HERE
Tate Publishing Bookstore: HERE
Barnes & Noble: HERE
Why
Book Covers are So Important
The
cover story…
The
cover is an essential part of a book. If thought doesn’t go into
the cover, what prompts the reader to believe the rest of the product
is any different. Especially for a debut author with no following,
the book cover is similar to the first impression of an interview.
Does
this author have the guts to entertain me, to elicit emotion, to
teach me something, to take me on a journey to a place I’ve never
been before?
Unfortunately, not every book with an alluring cover fulfills
expectations, but
a book that is accurately and interestingly represented by its cover
is more likely to catch the eye. If the design seems uninspired, it
might be a sign, and the reader will look no further.
I
have had the cover image for Forty
Years in a Day
in my head from the onset of the project. The story begins on Ellis
Island where Clare has taken her father as a gift for his ninetieth
birthday. After an emotional morning of touring the immigration
museum, they sit down to rest on a bench overlooking the Statue of
Liberty. Seeing the depth of emotion in her father’s eyes, Clare
decides to ask him for the truth about his family, wondering whether
he was willing or able to fill in the pieces of their lives.
Something
mysterious overcomes him, and the memories seem to flood Vincenzo’s
mind. He begins his narrative with why his mother, Victoria, had
escaped from Italy into the streets of Hell’s Kitchen, New York. He
ends his unsettling disclosure by telling Clare about the soulless
incident that had changed the course of his life and the lives of his
siblings; a secret so atrocious that it took him ten years to come to
terms with the magnitude and the consequences of the crime. In one
afternoon, he shares this gut-wrenching account of their lives and
imparts the wisdom of a lifetime.
I
believe my publisher has captured my vision, and the cover truly
represents the gateway to this incredible story.
She will protect her identity with
her very life if necessary. Who will protect her from herself?
Shoney's lightning speed with a bow
captures Ronan by surprise, and their chance meeting ends with him
lying unconscious at the bottom of a ravine.
When he awakens, he cannot rid his
mind of her startling beauty, her valor, or the secret fear he
glimpsed in her steel eyes.
He vows to find her, but as the
mysteries of her identity unfold, his courage and heart are tested as
never before.
Audio Book
Sample
EXCERPT
Shoney gripped a large rock with
one hand to keep from rising to the surface and was hurriedly
scooping handfuls of Dulse with the other, putting the slimy clusters
into the sack hanging about her neck. Dulse was her favorite seaweed.
Its translucent pink color was hard to spot, but it grew in bushels
at the bottom of her pool. If infused in a bath, it soothed sore
limbs, and its oil cleansed the skin, clearing away unsightly dry
patches. Satisfied she had gathered enough, she released the stone
and swooshed her arms, swirling in a circle. Her hair fanned out,
covering her face and wrapping around her waist.
The sting from the icy water
subsided so that she could truly enjoy the feel of being submersed.
The bottom of the deep pool gleamed with smooth white rocks, which
seemed to light the murky water. She was enclosed inside rocks
directly below her home where she knew none of the clansfolk would
ever dare to venture, allowing her to leave behind the Witch’s
cloak and every other stitch of clothing for that matter. Nothing
delighted her more than to feel the rush of cold water over her bare
limbs. Nothing made her feel more alive, but she was running out of
breath and knew she had to surface.
Her feet touched down on the
bottom, and she bent her knees, pushing against the white stones to
hasten her swim to the surface, but she did not surge through the
water as expected. Large hands grabbed her from above, blocking her
momentum. She seized with panic as she flailed against her captor’s
grip. The water churned, bubbling from her efforts, but she was
powerless against the strong arms that wrapped around her from behind
and pulled her against the unyielding hardness of a man’s chest.
Every corded ridge of muscle pressing against her naked back shifted
as he pushed off the bottom, propelling them both toward the
surface.
They emerged from the depths, and
he pulled them to the edge of the pool. Shoney sucked air into her
lungs. Too long had she been submersed and now felt dizzy. Despite
her reeling head, she lunged to escape the hands still grasping her
shoulders, but his hold only tightened. Then, for the first time, she
tilted her head back to look upon her captor.
“You”, she exclaimed. “What
are you doing here?”
“What am I doing here?” he
said. “This is my island. What are you doing here?”
“Taking a bath”, she
gritted.
She could not believe the giant,
the one called Ronan, was in her pool. How dare he invade her
rightful territory. Fury consumed her but also terror. Not only was
she unarmed, but he was even larger than she first
realized.
“I am finished now”, she said.
“So release your grip, and I will be on my way.”
“A bath she says.”
He turned her around in his arms so
she faced him. Then he wrenched the sack from around her neck and
threw it into the water. Shoney watched as it sunk beneath the
surface. “I have been searching the whole island for you for a
fortnight only to find you nigh drowning, leaving me no choice but to
dive in to save you.”
“Save me? Is that what you
thought? That I was drowning.” She could not help laughing, but
stopped when his hand slid down the curve of back.
Shoney was suddenly very aware of
her state of undress. Her curves were concealed from his eyes by the
water, but what he could not see surely he could feel as his arms
pressed her close. She gasped as she felt the contours of his muscles
shift against her skin. The heat of his body provided warmth against
the frigid water, and his arms seemed to touch more than just her
waist. They reached beyond her physical form, satisfying a craving
for contact, which solitude had entrenched deep within her heart. He
was powerful and intoxicating, and her response to him was shocking.
She never imagined a man would feel so good, so strong, but she knew
it had to be wrong. Shouldn’t she be outraged? She had to escape
his hold. Her hands pressed against his wide chest as she thrust away
from him, but he wouldn’t budge.
“Let me go, this is indecent”,
she snapped.
“No more indecent than leaving me
to die, lass. I was only trying to save you.”
“The only saving I need is from
you”, she hissed through gritted teeth. “Release me. You have no
claim over me or my body as I am neither your wife nor your whore.”
She renewed her struggles and shrieked, “Let go of
me.”
His grip loosened slightly, and she
felt the warmth of his breath as his head dipped close to hers. His
hand swept the length of her torso and then gently caressed her
cheek.
“I know I need to let go of you,”
he whispered. “I know that I am disgracing you as well as myself,
but I cannot bring myself to do so.”
She met his smoldering gaze. His
lips were but a whisper away from hers. Try as she might, she could
not take a deep breath. Her quick, shallow breathing was unnerving.
And then as he pressed her body into his, her breathing was forgotten
completely as was the cold water that encircled them, the crash of
the waves, and the call of the birds. All she was aware of was his
eyes, the closeness of his mouth, and the racing of her heart. He
slowly lowered his lips, taking possession of the soft skin just
below her ear. She closed her eyes, feeling a strange heat at the
place where his lips had been. His hot kisses trailed down the length
of her neck. The heat spread like languid fire throughout her
body.
She had never felt the strength of
a man’s hands on her skin. Nor had she ever known the tenderness of
a kiss. Her breathing quickened. Her body felt like it was swelling,
preparing to burst, and she liked it. She pressed herself closer and
felt the crushing strength of his muscles as her fingers explored his
form. Her hands swept down his powerful arms, sliding over muscled
ridges. And then they traveled down past his lean waist to stroke the
length of his hard thigh, but instead of smooth, wet skin, her
fingers touched something cold and sharp.
Her eyes snapped open, and her
senses returned with a strength that would have knocked her over had
it not been for the water and the support of his caressing
hands.
Mother of all, what spell was
this?
He was even more dangerous than she
first imagined, for he could control her thoughts and her body. She
had to break away from his embrace. Her hand returned to his thigh,
only this time she had no intention of stroking his skin. She seized
his dirk from its sheath and with a practiced hand she thrust the
pointed end of the blade beneath his chin. She smiled ruefully at the
small droplet of blood that appeared beneath the dagger’s
point.
“You keep your blade sharp. I
thank you for this kindness.”
Lily Baldwin
Writing historical romance has been
Lily's lifelong dream. She lives a quiet life in New England,
surrounded by family.
Ellena Ripley is a
bookshop owner from a rural town in the south of England - or so she thinks.
But lately, she has a growing sense that life is not as it seems. At night, she
dreams of a serene man who appears to be trying to tell her something; In the
day, she can't shake a feeling of expectation. But of what?
Meanwhile Hector, servant of LIFE and the man from Ellena's
dreams, has a dilemma. How do you tell someone they are a goddess? His previous
attempts have met with disaster so he must be cautious, particularly when his
new trainee, Boudica, formerly Queen of the Iceni tries to help. The question
is can they succeed before it is too late?
About the writer:
A.F. Firebird is the alter ego of a
sociologist/psychologist turned web developer from the UK. While A.F. Firebird
has worked in several fields her primary focus is the exploration of six
virtues: appreciation, forgiveness, compassion, humility, understanding and
valour. Her first novel, The Reluctant Goddess, numerous short stories and children's
books, all investigate aspects of these virtues.
Last year, Kayla’s world imploded. Her beloved father died, leaving her alone with a narcissistic mother who is quick to criticize her daughter’s appearance. During her winter break from college, Kayla’s dangerous obsession with losing weight begins.
Kayla feels like her world changes for the better overnight. Being skinny seems to be the key to the happiness she has desperately been seeking. Her mother and friends shower her with compliments, telling her how fantastic she looks. Kayla is starving, but no one knows it.
Cameron Bennett explodes into Kayla’s life. He’s sexy and kind—he has every quality she has been looking for in a guy. As Cameron grows closer to Kayla and learns of how far she’s willing to go to stay thin, he becomes desperate to save her.
Kayla’s struggles with anorexia and bulimia reach a breaking point and she is forced to confront her body image issues in order to survive. She wonders if Cameron could be the one to help heal her from the pain of her past.
New Adult Contemporary-Ages 17+ due to language and sexual situations.
Author Bio
Heather
Topham Wood’s obsession with novels began in childhood while growing up
in a shore town in New Jersey. Writing since her teens, she recently
returned to penning novels after a successful career as a freelance
writer. She’s the author of the Second Sight series and the standalone
The Disappearing Girl.
Heather
graduated from the College of New Jersey in 2005 and holds a bachelor's
degree in English. Her freelance work has appeared in publications such
as USA Today, Livestrong.com,
Outlook by the Bay and Step in Style magazine. She resides in Trenton,
New Jersey with her husband and two sons. Besides writing, Heather is a
pop culture fanatic and has an obsession with supernatural novels and TV
shows.
