My Favorite Reads in 2014

Nothing like year-end lists, right? Here are the top 11 books I read this year. I probably could have added a couple more. If I read more than one book by an author, I've included only the highest rated one. Also, the books are not in the order of precedence, but of when I read them. The only grouping is by number of stars.

The Labors of Ki-shto-ba Huge Head Volume 6 Lorinda J. Taylor
 I'm a Termite Lover for Life

DEAD....If Only (The Alvarez Family Murder Mysteries Book 4) Heather Haven
Madcap Detective Lea Alvarez Strikes Again

Just a Smidgeon of Magic Charlotte Henley Babb
 Much More than a Smidgen

Side Trip Renee Duke

 Both Fun and Danger Mix

Old Hickory Lane E.J. Ruek
Nitty Gritty Business of Veterinary

Trial by Ordeal: Valda and the Valkyries Book 1 Mark Neumayer
 As Charming as How to Train Your Dragon

Energize (From the Logs of Daniel Quinn Book 1) Thomas R. Manning
 Great Hard SF Story

The Stairway To Nowhere (The Star Mages Book 1) Brian Rush

 Who Doesn't Like a Mage War?

Elspeth, the Living Dead Girl Stuart West
A Dynamic Duo of Deadly Dames

Waiting for Shadow: Tracking Jane Prequel Eduardo Suastegui
 Rooting for Jane and Shady

Fear the Light William Massa
Mystery Mixed with Paranormal

Final Ebook Sale for 2014

Sale Over on Amazon

Most ebooks are now $2.99, though there are still a couple of 99 centers and a couple for $1.99.
My entire stock of ebooks are on sale for 99 cents at Amazon (one exception is the 3-book volume which ends up costing 99 cents per book + 2 cents to reach the $2.99 mark for 70% royalty).

Several of these books are on the Kindle Unlimited program, thus are free to subscribers.

At Barnes and Noble and Kobo, most of the listed books are still 99 cents or even free depending on how fast Smashwords updates the prices to the retailers.

These prices will be good until the end of the month. At that time, they'll be raised to something reasonably within the parameters for ebooks of a similar length and genre.

Oh, and several of the books are also in audio format and sale priced at $1.99. You can get them through Amazon or directly from Audible.com.

Happy ChrSatPanHanKwaYulAth

Tis the season, as they say. Say what? Yeah, I made up that combo-holiday greeting. Covers just about everything celebratory throughout the winter doldrums. So, no matter what persuasion you follow, there's got to be something to brighten the soggy/cold season.

Christmas: A usurpation of the mid-winter Saturnalia Festival. St. Patrick was big on keeping the frolicking holidays, but bending them to his own purpose. Historical records seem to place the actual birth of Jesus in March or April. Facts don't get in the way of the commercial spending binge. All hail the Almighty (dollar/euro/pound/yen).

The big bruhaha this year in the US was all the stores who decided that Thanksgiving was a great day for their employees to not be with their family in a celebration of thanksgiving. So, they opened their doors and let the crowds rush in. Christians don't have to worry about atheists having some pretend war on Christmas. Christians are their own worst enemies. Ask the Pope.

Saturnalia: The Romans liked mid-winter to celebrate something, so Saturn got the festival. This one was usurped for the Christmas myth. Don't get all twisted. Christmas is not a celebration for Jesus. It's a way to get the Pagans to sign up.

Besides Saturn, other pagan dieties are celebrated for much the same reason. Mithra, Horus, Zeus, even Hercules. Christians didn't steal the celebration until 400 AD. Historical accounts have Christ born in the spring, but that would have interfered with the theft of Oestra, the spring festival of fertility.

Pancha Ganapati: The Hindu solstice celebration lasts five days (the Hindus really know how to party). The celebration is in honor of the elephant god Ganesha, who is the patron of arts and guardian of culture. Each day is celebrated by a different color which have special meanings for Ganesha. Golden Yellow creates a vibration of love and harmony within the family, Royal Blue for love and harmony between neighbors and friends, Ruby Red for harmony with business associates, Emerald Green celebrates art and culture, and the last day (which happens to be December 25th) is Brilliant Orange for love and harmony for all. The holiday is celebrated with lights and tinsel, but with a nice picture of Lord Ganesh rather than a tree.

Hanakkuh: This year, the beginning of Hanakkuh fell on December 16th. What a perfect time for the Festival of Lights for those of the Judaic persuasion. Since the Jewish calendar is based on different dates than the western one, liberal Jews can have their Hanakkuh, and still celebrate Christmas and Kwanzaa with their friends. Anyone want a convertible hanakkuh bush? Everybody can party like it's 5775.

Kwanzaa: Created in 1966, Kwanzaa was made up by a California guy to highlight African-American culture. Cool thought, but I'd just as soon we'd say: "What? Obama is black? Wow, I didn't know that." Keeping separate ensures separateness. Hey! Doesn't that look like a Menorah?

More recently, Kwanzaa is celebrated in conjunction with Christmas since many African-Americans are Christian. I suppose those of the Muslim faith can also celebrate Kwanzaa since the major winter holy day for Muslims was way back in November.

Odin Rides Sleipner

Yule: A Norse mid-winter celebration of the turning of the days from shorter to longer. Yay, we made it halfway through winter! Woot! Of course, the word gave us the tradition of the Yule log, a big chunk of wood burned in the fireplace and something large and meaty being roasted over said fire. It originated from the mid-winter celebrations (see Saturnalia) and applied to the Wild Hunt and Odin. We can blame King Haakon I for deliberately co-opting a perfectly good pagan celebration and dedicating it to the fictitious birth of Christ. That was a big miss regarding seasons since everybody knows shepherds watch their flocks at night only in the Spring and Summer, certainly not in the dead of winter. Skoal to Odin or Jölföðr. See how this alternative name for the Norse god being applied to the celebration?


Atheist/Agnostic/Pastafarian: The godless like holidays as much as the next person. They just don't have an official date for the FSM's birth celebration. FSM, you ask? Flying Spaghetti Monster has become the avatar for folks that think the FSM is just as realistic as any other god.

So, whatever you celebrate around this time of year, enjoy, be happy, and don't drink too much then drive around endangering others. Stay home and get smashed.

Final Free Book Days on Amazon 2

The ebooks I have enrolled in the Kindle Select program will be free for the final time. After this sale, all of the books are being pulled from the program. If you take one or more of these books (or already have), I'd appreciate a brief review.

December 22nd - 24th Free

Quest for the Simurgh-Faizah's Destiny

Tales of Abu Nuwas-Setara's Genie

Missing, Assumed Dead




Still Free to the 24th

December 20th - 24th Free
Fish Story: A Three Story Sampler

Lemons and Other Kids Tales

Final Free Book Days on Amazon 1

The ebooks I have enrolled in the Kindle Select program will be free for the final time. After this sale, all of the books are being pulled from the program. If you take one or more of these books (or already have), I'd appreciate a brief review.


 December 20th - 24th Free
Fish Story: A Three Story Sampler

Lemons and Other Kids Tales

December 22nd - 24th Free
Quest for the Simurgh-Faizah's Destiny

Tales of Abu Nuwas-Setara's Genie

Missing, Assumed Dead

A Holiday Card for You!

Not Too Late To Give Audiobooks for Christmas!

See all my audio books on audible.com 

Bad Spelling - Book 1 of Witches of Galdorheim

Listen to free snips on SoundCloud

Amazon Only $1.99

Audible Only $1.99

iTunes $14.95

Midnight Oil - Book 2 of Witches of Galdorheim

Audible  Only $1.99

Amazon Audio Link  Only $1.99

Itunes

Slide show on YouTube

NEWEST: Scotch Broom - Book 3 of Witches of Galdorheim.

Audible Only $1.99

Amazon  Only $1.99

iTunes

Tales of a Texas Boy
Amazon Only $1.99
Audible Only $1.99

iTunes $6.95

Missing, Assumed Dead (KindleUnlimited Ebook)

Audible Only $1.99

Amazon Only $1.99

iTunes $14.95

Spellslinger on audio - Listen on SoundCloud Free!

Audible $6.08

Amazon $6.08 Ebook $.99

iTunes $4.95

Slide show on YouTube

Holiday Gift Ideas - Free and 99 Cent Ebooks

My entire stock of ebooks are on sale for 99 cents at Amazon (one exception is the 3-book volume which ends up costing 99 cents per book + 2 cents to reach the $2.99 mark for 70% royalty).

Several of these books are on the Kindle Unlimited program, thus are free to subscribers.

At Smashwords, a few of the same books are free (because they let you do that on Smashwords).

At Barnes and Noble and Kobo, the same free ebooks at Smashwords are free on these sites as well.

These prices will be good until the end of the month. At that time, they'll be raised to something reasonably within the parameters for ebooks, mostly $2.99 for the 70% royalty point on Amazon.

All the books are also in print with very low prices on them all. To keep the price point at minimum, the sale prices are only available on Amazon.

Oh, and several of the books are also in audio format and sale priced at $1.99. You can get them through Amazon or directly from Audible.com.

Holiday Gift Ideas - Science Fiction

Without a lengthy explanation, I'll just get to the gist of the matter. I have two science fiction books available in ebook and print. They are the same plot. The difference is that the shorter (first published) book is PG-13 and the longer book is R.

First Duty is approximately 38K words; Ultimate Duty is approximately 60K words. If you have read First Duty, you'd recognize the plot of Ultimate Duty. Names are changed. The longer book has some additional space battle scenes and a rescue not in the shorter book.

I don't feel like I'm trying to fool anybody here. I even put a note in the Ultimate Duty description on Amazon so people would buy the longer book with full knowledge the plot was essentially the same as First Duty.

The paperback editions are available only through Amazon this month since I wanted to keep the price as low as possible. The ebook editions are $1.99 and $2.99, respectively.

FIRST DUTY
Print Edition on Amazon ($5.99)
Available in Ebook Format at Amazon and Smashwords

Nyra Hutchings, a young woman born into a life of servitude on a repressive factory planet, is desperate for a different life. When she's accepted into the Space Service Academy, run by the organization that enslaves her planet, she discovers the truth behind generations of rebellion. Now, she must decide what to believe, where her first duty lies, and fight for more than her life against impossible odds.

ULTIMATE DUTY
Print Edition on Amazon ($7.99)
Available in Ebook Format at Amazon and Smashwords

Remy Belieux, a woman born into a life of servitude on a repressive factory planet, is desperate for a different life. When she's accepted into the Space Service Academy, run by the organization that enslaved her planet, she discovers the truth behind generations of rebellion. Now, she must decide what to believe, where her duty lies, and fight for more than her life against impossible odds.

Holiday Gift Idea - Murder and Mayhem

MISSING, ASSUMED DEAD
Prejudice, murder, insanity, suicide: Every small town has its secrets.
Kindle Ebook
Audiobook
Paperback

When Kameron McBride receives notice she's the last living relative of a missing man she's never even heard of, the last thing she wants to do is head Oregon to settle his affairs. En route, she and her rental car run afoul of a couple of hillbillies and their pickup in an accident that doesn't seem...accidental. Especially when they keep showing up wherever she goes. Lucky for her, gorgeous Deputy Mitch Caldwell lends her a hand, among other things. With Mitch's help, she peels away the layers of prejudice, suicide, murder, and insanity.

Multiple Points of View Using Flashback

One multiple POV method not mentioned is called the Rashomon effect because of the excellent way it was used in the Japanese film, Rashomon. A Wiki article lists several more examples of the technique used in popular culture.

This quote from Wiki is quite good: The Rashomon effect is the effect of the subjectivity of perception on recollection, by which observers of an event are able to produce substantially different but equally plausible accounts of it.

In "Missing, Assumed Dead" several characters are telling the main character, Kam McBride, what had happened in the past (a flashback). To avoid simple telling, I switched to another character's POV. I delineated these flashbacks into scenes, and even made them italic to set them off from the narrative.

The fun part is that the characters are relating the same incident to Kam, but each one has a slightly different view of the events, usually making themselves a bit more heroic than the other people in the same scene. This allows the reader to be suspect of the truthfulness of the characters.

It's not my original idea. That's why it already has a name, Rashomon Effect, in honor of the great Samurai movie of the 50s, directed by Akira Kurosawa and starring the wonderful Toshirō Mifune.

In the film, a crime occurs, and the film maker presents it four times, each from a different character's POV. Needless to say, the versions of the events vary, sometimes wildly, from each other. By the end of the film, you still don't know exactly what happened since none of the characters can be fully believed.

In addition to the contradictory retelling of the events by the different characters, there are two additional flashbacks. By the time they appear in the book, I hope the reader will be looking at everyone with suspicion.

Here are a couple of excerpts from "Missing, Assumed Dead," illustrating the Rashomon Effect in action. Two characters, Ray and George, describe their meeting to discuss the disappearance of Salvadore Vasco, the missing man of the title. Same event, but a big difference in the perception.

Ray's Story:

Ray went up the three steps into the Courthouse and turned left into George’s office. The self-appointed police chief sat behind his desk with his boots propped up on it. He raised his eyes from the Zane Grey novel he’d been reading.

“Hey there, Ray. What can I do you out of?” The fat man’s belly jiggled when he laughed at his own stale joke.

“I come about Salvadore.”

“Vasco?”

Ray shifted his weight from one foot to the other and glanced at the chair on his side of the desk. His legs ached, but he didn’t want to settle in for a long chat. George tended to run on some. “Only Salvadore in these parts far as I know. Anyways, has a habit of comin’ to town once a week, but he didn’t come last week nor this ’un.”

“So, what do you want me to do about it? Man’s gotta right to come to town or not.”

“True thing, but you know us old fellas like to stick to a schedule. It ain’t like him to not come in. I think someone oughta go up there and check on him.”

George glanced at the copy of Riders of the Purple Sage on his desk. “Why don’t you go, Ray? You’re his friend.”

“Yep, but he’d think I was buttin’ into his bizness if he’s okay. If you go, you can say sumthin’ about looking for someone else or what not.”

“So, I should lie to him but really just be checkin’ on his welfare, eh?”

“Yep. That’s what I’m thinkin’.”

George's Story

George sat in his office reading the latest statewide all-points bulletins for wanted criminals and stolen vehicles. Old man Ray from the Jack and Jill’s came in looking worried.

“Chief, I ain’t see Salvadore in a couple a weeks. I thought I’d better tell ya, since you’re the police and all.”

“Now, don’t get yourself all worked up, Ray. Old Salvadore prob’ly just don’t want to eat no more of your burnt burgers.”

Ray shook his head. “I don’t know what to do, George. Can you go check up on him?”

“Why sure, Ray. I’ll head up tomorrow morning for a welfare check.” George stood and walked around his desk. He patted Ray’s shoulder to comfort him. “You go on home and don’t fret. George is on the job.”

Holiday Ideas - Oregon Teen Adventure

Did you know that Oregon's official state song was written by Woody Guthrie? Pretty classy, eh? Here are a few lines to get you revved up about exactly why Oregonians love their state song:

Roll on, Columbia, roll on.
Roll on, Columbia, roll on.
Your power is turning our darkness to dawn,
Roll on, Columbia, roll on.

Other great rivers add power to you,
Yakima, Snake and the Klickitat, too,
Sandy Willamette and Hood River, too;
Roll on, Columbia, roll on.

* http://www.woodyguthrie.org/Lyrics/Roll_On_Columbia.htm

We don't burn coal to make power. We use our amazing waterways to produce hydroelectric power. My home city's electric company (EWEB, a publicly owned entity) also offers wind power as an option. Costs a few cents more, but wind is a good thing, eh?

In honor of Oregon's commitment to clean energy and just being an all-round cool place to live (yes, I was born here), I've got a couple of Oregon-based books to give you a tour of a some of those really cool places, or really hot if it's summer. If you're a fan of Oregon-based books, try out:

Eagle Quest - MG/YA Adventure Listed $5.99 at Amazon for Print, $1.99 for ebook

Set in the Klamath Wildlife preserves in Southern Oregon, this book is about the Bald Eagle flyout area in Bear Valley. Yes, we have Bald Eagles like they were pigeons in the park around Oregon. And we're danged proud of our big birds. The cover shot was taken by Coralie, a professional wildlife photographer and my long-time friend. See her work on her website at http://mrsroadrunner.com/

Book Blurb:

Fiona, Hap, Billy, and Mitch make an odd set of friends, as different from the usual high school crowd as they are from each other. Mitch, the oldest of the four, is a half-breed Native American, adopted by white parents. Troubled that he doesn't know his tribe, he avidly studies Native American history and lore. 

Learning the nearby Bear Valley Wildlife Refuge is a bald eagle nesting site, he wants to add an eagle feather to his medicine bag and explore the refuge as a site for his Vision Quest, a Native American rite of passage. He and his three friends get far more than an overnight campout as they encounter a black bear, an old man living in the refuge, and a pair of eagle poachers. Bringing the poachers to justice, they test their courage and gain confidence in themselves and each other.

Want an excerpt to get an idea of the style?

“Hey, you guys!” Billy called out, “Look up ahead.”

“What is that?”

“It looks like feathers. Maybe they’re eagle feathers.”

As the kids walked nearer the pile of feathers, their smiles dropped away as they could discern the body of the large bird. There were feathers scattered around the body, but someone had removed the wings and cut the talons from the legs.

“Oh, man. That’s disgusting. Did something get it, like a bear?” Billy said as he looked down at the remains of the large bald eagle.

“No, it wasn’t an animal. Look at how they removed the wings. Done with a knife,” Mitch said through teeth gritted in anger at the desecration of the beautiful bird.

The stood in silence, looking down at the pitiful remains.

“Should we take some feathers?” Billy asked.

“No. It wouldn’t be right. That’s not how you’re supposed to get your feathers. You find one on the ground because the eagle has left it for you. To do this...this is horrible, just wrong,” Mitch said, feeling tears brimming in his eyes. He gave them a quick swipe, but saw that Fiona’s cheeks showed rivulets of the tears she was shedding.

“Poachers. It has to be poachers,” she said through her tears. “We’ve got to do something.”

“We could go back to the old man’s place. He must know the people in charge and can contact them,” Hap suggested.

The others were nodding, ready to turn around and head back to the old man’s cabin.

Mitch stopped. “No. We should find the poachers first. The eagle hasn’t been dead very long. 

Look,” he said as he pointed toward the pitiful bird, “Blood is still seeping from where they cut off the wings. I think the poachers are close by. If we can find them, we’ll have more information to give the people in charge.”

The others didn’t look too excited about the idea of tracking down poachers.

“I think it’s enough just to tell them about the eagle,” Hap said.

“That’s fine. You guys go back to the cabin, but I’m going to find the poachers.” Mitch began looking at the ground around where the eagle lay.

“Footprints. They head off in that direction,” he said and started following the trail. The others looked at each other, then one by one followed Mitch.

Holiday Ideas - A Little Down Home Nostalgia

*This book is not being sold for $7.64 at Amazon as it had been. Instead, they are selling it for $8.49 and paying me royalties on its real price of $7.64. If you have purchased this book for $8.49, let me know and I'll give you a free audiobook and ebook of this title.*

Have an elderly or sight-impaired relative who could use a little Holiday Cheer? Consider this Large Print book as a gift.

Tales of a Texas Boy - Large Print (discount priced at only $7.64 right now) makes a really great Christmas present for those who are still spry, yet their danged glasses don't work as well as they should. My mom's like that. With her progressive lenses, the world in general is more or less clear, but the tiny spot left to the reading part of the lens is difficult for her to find.

The 18Pt type is eyesight-impaired friendly. I can even read it without my glasses.

The trim size (dimensions) is an easier-to-hold 9.7 x 7.4 x 0.3 inches with 138 pages. It's discount priced at only $7.64 (regular price $8.49), which is a freaking bargain for a print book these days. And it's eligible for free shipping and handling from Amazon Prime.

The big news for Tales of a Texas Boy is that it's in audio book now. It's discounted to only $1.99 at Audible.com (also through Amazon).

Here's the blurb for the book:

How do you handle a crazy jackass? Eddie knows. If you ask Eddie, he'll tell you pigs can fly and show you where to find real mammoth bones. Take his word for it when he tells you always to bet on the bear. These are things he learned while dreaming of becoming a cowboy in West Texas during the Depression. Through Eddie, the hero of "Tales of a Texas Boy," we find that growing up is less about maturity and more about roping your dreams. Hold on tight. It's a bumpy ride. A wonderful read for anyone who enjoys books like "Little House on the Prairie" or "Tom Sawyer." A great bit of nostalgia for seniors, too.

How about an excerpt to give you an idea of the style?

Here's an excerpt to give you an idea of what you might expect to find in "Tales of a Texas Boy." In this story, ten-year-old Eddie is left home with only his sister. Without Ma and Pa around, Eddie usually finds some way to get into mischief. This story is titled, "No Angel."

I noticed a flock of blackbirds lit on Ma's clothesline, so I went in and got the shotgun. I loaded it with smallshot and snuck around the side of the house so's not to scare the birds. I figured I could get the whole flock of birds if I shot straight down the clothesline from one end to the other.

I had to be real quiet, so's I thought I'd sneak up on 'em like I was a Comanche. I got down on my belly and rested the shotgun across my arms. The grass was high enough so I'd not be seen. I dug in my elbows and pulled myself real slow around the corner of the house. When I got to the lilac bush, I got up behind it and checked if the birds had a notion I was there. They just sat on the line and didn't even look my way, so I hunched over and ran lickety-split to the oak tree. From there, I was right at the end of the line and no more'n ten feet away.

I leaned around the tree trunk and eyed the line. Yep, I could see right down it. My hands aren't big enough to span both triggers, so I pulled them one at a time. I figured I'd shoot the first barrel and then real quick-like, fire off the second. That way, I'd get to hit the flock twice.

I eased the shotgun up to my shoulder and pulled back slow on the left-hand trigger. The first shot blasted off and knocked me back a few feet where I landed on my rear end real hard. I still held the shotgun in my hands, but I wasn't in any position to fire off the second barrel. When I sat up and looked to see how many birds I got, I was in for a shock. All that noise and not one feather to show for it. But Ma's clothesline...now that's a different story. The durn thing looked like a dead snake layin' there.

I knew right away Ma would not be pleased with this.

I got myself up and was wonderin' what to do next when I looked up and saw the blackbirds flyin' in a circle like they were waitin' for the clothesline to be put back up for 'em to light on.

Holiday Ideas - Middle-Eastern Fantasy?

Why would books based on middle-eastern myth be appropriate for a Christmas present? First, let's just change that "Christmas" to "Holiday."

Because any book is a great gift, and  my middle-eastern books are far more Disney than bin Laden.

Before Mohammad, the Aramaic people had a variety of religions. Within these religions, a pantheon of gods were worshiped, placated, begged of, and permeated the hearts and minds of those who lived in Persia, Mesopotamia, Canaan, Sumeria, Phrygia, Egypt (the most consistent of kingdom names), and many more which rose and fell.

Two of my books, I consider to be my middle-eastern cycle. Will there be more to come? It all depends on whether you, dear reader, let me know it's worth my time to continue. How will I know that? First, you could buy the books in ebook or print format. Second, you could review the books you have read (whether getting them free or by purchase). Third, you could tell me here, on Google+, Facebook, Twitter, or by email whether I should or not.

While researching various mythologies, I was reminded of Scheherazade's 1001 Arabian Nights.  I liked the idea of the frame story to contain the seven adventures of a girl named Setara. I wanted a story teller sitting in an ancient bazaar telling tales for a few coins. I discovered the poet Abu Nuwas and borrowed his persona to be my storyteller.

The frame story contained the telling of the seven adventures of the adventurous girl and her genie. I'd made up my original character names, but I now wanted them all to have proper middle-eastern names. Thus, my original Cadida became Setara, Bascoda the djinn became Basit, and so on.

This compilation became "The Tales of Abu Nuwas - Setara's Genie." Available in print and ebook.

Since I had some left over demons and deities, I wrote another novella based on middle-eastern mythology. It became "Quest for the Simurgh - Faizah's Destiny." Also available in print and ebook.

Paperback Sale on Amazon

To provide the best deal I can on my print books, I have set their prices to rock bottom through the holidays. All books are available through Amazon only. Amazon discounts the base price further on many (if not all) of the books, e.g., a $6.99 book sold for $6.29. If you have Amazon Prime, the shipping is free.

Best Seller:
Tales of a Texas Boy-Large Print: $8.49 (usually discounted to only $7.64)

How do you handle a crazy jackass? Eddie knows. If you ask Eddie, he'll tell you pigs can fly and show you where to find real mammoth bones. Take his word for it when he tells you always to bet on the bear.

These are things he learned while dreaming of becoming a cowboy in West Texas during the Depression. Through Eddie, the hero of "Tales of a Texas Boy," we find that growing up is less about maturity and more about roping your dreams. Hold on tight. It's a bumpy ride. A wonderful read for anyone who enjoys books like "Little House on the Prairie" or "Tom Sawyer." A great bit of nostalgia for seniors, too. Bonus story included.

The Witches of Galdorheim Series: Individual books only $6.99 each
Bad Spelling
Midnight Oil
Scotch Broom
Spellslinger (prequel short story only $3.49)


The Witches of Galdorheim Boxed Set: All of the above books in a single volume for only $11.99. That makes them only $4.00 a book when bought as a set with a short story thrown in free.

The Tales of Abu Nuwas - Setara's Genie: $5.99

Quest for the Simurgh - Faizah's Destiny: $5.99






Eagle Quest: $5.99


First Duty (YA, kid-friendly SF): $5.99

All of the books here and above are kid-friendly.





Most Popular For Adults: The following two have some explicit material.

Missing, Assumed Dead: $6.99 (Murder Mystery)


Ultimate Duty: $7.99 (Adult SF)

#Free Book Days: November 29th-30th

GET TWO FREE EBOOKS THIS WEEKEND ON AMAZON

LEMONS and Other Kid Tales

FISH TALES: A Three Story Sampler (Adult)

LEMONS and Other Kid Tales

Three stories with photo illustrations.

  

LEMONS: Karen is horse crazy. One day, it seems like everything is going wrong. From ripped jeans to dead snakes, she's determined to make lemonade out of the lemons life tosses her way.

  

ONE FINE DOG: Pete, the sheep dog, knows his business is to protect his flock. He'll do something downright impossible to make sure the sheep are safe. 

  

A PRACTICAL CAT: Boots is living the good life, but really really wants to go chase a squirrel. But the Bigs won't let her out of the house!


FISH TALES: A Three Story Sampler

Three short stories from the collection, "Mixed Bag II: Supersized." 
 
Fish Story - Colonists to a distant planet find salvation in a fish. 

The Vision - Charlie can't get terrifying images out of his head, but why? 

Chilpequin 22 Miles - The bartender is big and hairy. Could it be? Nah, it couldn't. Could it?

Two Free Ebooks This Weekend

LEMONS AND OTHER KID TALES

FISH STORY AND OTHER TALES

Free on Kindle this weekend (November 29th-30th)

Always free for #KindleUnlimited Subscribers.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Have a great Thanksgiving or a decent Thursday the 27th if you're not in the US.

Also, Happy Birthday to my mom on her 91st birthday. 

CLICK HERE TO SEE THE TURKEY TROT (and sing).

Buy Ebook, Audiobook is Free - Witches of Galdorheim

Buy the Ebook, Get the Audiobook Free*

*Purchase the ebook from Amazon, send proof of purchase to mgdasef@gmail.com, Or, you can PM at Facebook or G+. I will send a gift of the book through audible.com. All links listed below. Valid until December 31st.

BAD SPELLING - Book 1 of The Witches of Galdorheim Series
A klutzy witch, a shaman's curse, a quest to save her family. Can Kat find her magic in time?

Click here for the direct Link to the excerpt or click the embedded player below.

MIDNIGHT OIL - Book 2 of the Witches of Galdorheim Series
Shipwrecked on a legendary island, how can a witch rescue her boyfriend if she can’t even phone home?

Click here for the direct Link to excerpt or click the embedded player below.

SCOTCH BROOM: Book 3 of The Witches of Galdorheim

A magical trip to Stonehenge lands a witch in the Otherworld where an ancient goddess is up to no good.

Click here for the direct Link to excerpt or click the embedded player blow.

#Free Book Days: November 22nd-23rd

TOO LATE, YOU MISSED THIS ONE, but you can always buy it or read it free on the KindleUnlimited Program.

GET YOUR FREE EBOOK ON AMAZON

QUEST FOR THE SIMURGH - FAIZAH'S DESTINY
The gods are at war and only a farmer’s daughter can save the world from Armageddon.

The village magician has gone missing.  His four pupils think he has left a clue to his whereabouts in the Magicalis Bestialis--the book of magical creatures.  They must seek the help of the elusive Simurgh, the mythical birds who know all the secrets of the universe.

However, this is not an easy camping trip into the mountains. Spirits, gods, and demons confront the four friends, who are not aware they’re being set up by otherworldly forces for a much larger task.

A farmer’s daughter, Faizah is chosen to lead the humans in the battle. She must persuade a slave, an orphan, and a rich merchant’s son to join in the battle on the side of good. Although divided by Dev, the evil god of war, the teens must band together to find the Simurgh, rescue their teacher, and stave off Armageddon.

Free Ebook This Weekend

QUEST FOR THE SIMURGH - FAIZAH'S DESTINY

Free for two days (November 22nd-23rd) on Kindle.

Always Free for #KindleUnlimited Subscribers.

Cheryl Carpinello Hosts Kid Lit Blog Hop and Me

I'm visiting Cheryl Carpinello's blog today (the 19th) and there's a big blog hop going on at the same time. Click the big button below to find a lot of children's book authors strutting their stuff.

My topic will be on producing audio books for self-published authors (or authors with a publisher, but have the audio rights to their book). Free audio books are in store for people who leave a comment.

http://motherdaughterbookreviews.com/category/kid-lit-blog-hops

Current Blog Hoppers:

http://motherdaughterbookreviews.com/kid-lit-blog-hop-49/ 

#Free Book Days: November 15th-16th

TOO LATE, YOU MISSED IT

Free on Amazon November 15th and 16th

This weekend, get your free Kindle copy of "Tales of Abu Nuwas - Setara's Genie" from Amazon.

The Tales of Abu Nuwas - SETARA'S GENIE 
A girl, a genie, a few demons. Would could go wrong?

Abu Nuwas sits in the bazaar on his threadbare rug; a cup and sign proclaim him a teller of tales. For one small coin, he bids passers by to listen. A poor girl, Najda, sells spices from a tray. Would he, she asks, trade a tale for a packet of spice? Abu Nuwas agrees and begins the epic adventures of a girl and her genie.

As did Scheherazade before him, Abu leaves Najda hanging in the middle of each yarn to keep her coming back. Between stories, he questions the girl about her life. He discovers that she’s been promised in marriage to an old man whom she hates, but she must wed him to save her sick mother’s life. The rich bridegroom will pay for the doctors the mother needs. Meanwhile, Najda sells spices in the market to earn enough money to keep her mother alive.

He relates the adventures of the bored daughter of a rich merchant, Setara, and her genie, Basit, as they encounter the creatures of legend and folklore: a lonely cave demon seeking a home; a flying, fire-breathing horse who has lost his mate; a dragon searching for his family; an evil genie hunting for the man who put him in a lamp; and a merboy prince cast out of his undersea kingdom.

This weekend - Free Ebook Day

Tales of Abu Nuwas - Setara's Genie

Free for two days (November 8th-9th) on Kindle.

Always Free for #KindleUnlimited Subscribers.