Conda Douglas Whips Up a Fairy War

A GIVEAWAY, A STORY, A RECIPE AND A FREE COOKBOOK TODAY, ALL FROM THE MALL FAIRIES SERIES!

Thank you, Marva, for having me on your blog! The second in my Mall Fairies trilogy, The Mall Fairies: War is just released and in honor of that I'm giving away an electronic copy (all formats) of either the first title, The Mall Fairies: Exile or the second title, The Mall Fairies: War (in case you've read the first one) to some lucky commenter. All you need to do is comment to be entered!

Wait, there's more, scroll down past the descriptions for a short story and recipe from the new edition of The Mall Fairies Sweet Tooth Cookbook. The Mall Fairies Sweet Tooth Cookbook is free today only here:

In The Mall Fairies: Exile Swoop the fairy lives in the attic of a shopping mall and loves it. She’s terrified of Outside, where fairies can die. But when Swoop finds her best friend One Wing in the company of a human, she determines she’ll do anything to save him from being exiled Outside.

The Mall Fairies: War: Once, the fairies lived hidden, safe in the attic of a shopping mall. No longer. Now the fairies must become warriors to get a necessary potion from the troll-like pixies. Now teenage fairy Swoop must discover a way to save her fairy clan from death. Can she stop a war?

(Conda's note: this story is about the pixies that are introduced in my new release, the second in my Mall Fairies' trilogy, The Mall Fairies: War. Enjoy meeting Flit and the rest of the pixies!)

FLIT AND THE PUMPKIN BREAD AND BARS AND...

"What, in the Big Digger's name, are we going to do with an entire pumpkin?" Cheer, the leader of the pixie clan glared at Flit. Cheer sat straight on her rock—okay, throne, as she insisted it be called—and leaned forward.

Flit fingered the hem of her mouse skin cloak. She'd thought that Cheer would be pleased with what Flit and her friends had managed to find tucked away in a human's garden and haul home. There were times when she hated her part time job of scavenger—Dumpster diver—provider of foodstuffs for the pixie clan. She gestured at the human's fist-sized pumpkin. "It's a tiny pumpkin."

"For human's maybe, not for five-inch-tall pixies. For pixies, it's big enough for all of us to live on for a week."

Flit nodded. "Exactly."

Cheer slumped on her rock. "My fault for sending a healer out instead of a hunter."

"Pumpkin is very good for you," Flit the healer said.

Cheer sighed. "Right, but I'm sending all the complaints your way."

… Three days later …

"Roast pumpkin, pumpkin soup, cold pumpkin soup—no more!" Digger, Flit's best friend, stood in front of a large group of angry pixies confronting Flit.

"But—" Flit looked over at the pile of cooked pumpkin, the rather large pile of remaining cooked pumpkin.

Digger saw her looking. "Yeah, I hate to waste food too, especially food I helped you drag home and then cook, but we're making an exception this time." The other pixies nodded in agreement.

"But—" Flit cast her gaze around as she tried to think of a way to use up the pumpkin—her gaze fell on the stack of honeycomb freshly stolen from a hive. Aha.

"What if we had it for dessert instead?" Flit asked.

"Dessert?"

"You know, make up some pumpkin bread or bars with acorn flour and the honey—"

"Yeah, yeah, that sounds—delicious," Digger said. The other pixies nodded again.

"And it's healthy too," Flit had to add.

PUMPKIN BARS

Ingredients:

2 cups flour

2 teaspoons baking powder

2 teaspoons cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon nutmeg

1/4 teaspoon cloves (can be omitted, but why?)

1/2 teaspoon ginger

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon baking soda

4 eggs

1 and 2/3 cups sugar

1 cup vegetable oil (I use canola)

1 teaspoon vanilla

1 large can (15oz) pumpkin (not pumpkin pie filling)

Sift dry ingredients (flour, baking powder, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, ginger, salt & soda) and set aside. In a large bowl, combine eggs, sugar, oil, vanilla and pumpkin until light and fluffy. Add the dry ingredients, gradually. Mix well.

Spread batter in a greased 15x10x1 baking pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 25 – 30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean. Cool completely.

For a richer dessert, frost with one of Grandma MacDougall's frostings (recipes follows Molasses Cake recipe in The Mall Fairies Sweet Tooth Cookbook).

Conda grew up in the ski resort of Sun Valley, Idaho, in her folk’s funky art gallery. She’s traveled the world and her own tiny office, writing all the while. She delights in writing her popular tween fantasy Mall Fairies series and getting fairy Swoop, pixie Flit, and their human companion, Grace, into magical and fantastical trouble. The inspiration for her Mall Fairies came from the sparrows living in the shopping mall Towne Square Mall in Boise, Idaho. Next up, trouble with trolls in the last of the trilogy: The Mall Fairies: Destiny.

When not rescuing fairies from humans, cats and themselves, Conda works on the next title in her Starke Dead creative woman mystery series with amateur detective and jeweler Dora Starke. The more Dora discovers cursed jewelry, her aunt digging graves, and a rampant poisoner, the more fun Conda has—although sometimes Dora complains about her plight!

For more about Conda visit: Conda's Creative Center,  http://condascreativecenter.blogspot.com, for hints, tips and secrets for creative people.

Gypsy Crystal by Lorrie Struiff

Lorrie's police procedural paranormal love story with gypsies is now available under her own imprint in ebook format on Amazon. Print is in the works. I'm pleased she asked me to help out with the cover. Between the two of us, I think we came up with a dandy one.

Blurb:

Everyone has secrets.

Homicide Detective Rita Moldova has a secret, a crystal amulet from her Roma bloodline that allows her to see the last image a victim had seen in their eyes before they died. Now, a ritual killer is terrorizing her town and the crystal’s magic has suddenly stopped doing its job.

FBI agent, Matt Boulet, is sent to lead the task force and gives the group strange orders. Worse, Rita senses he is holding back a deep, dark secret about the killer.

When she seeks her seer mother’s advice, she learns another secret about their clan that she finds impossible to swallow.

Rita swims through a whirlpool of confusion as the investigation continues. Can Rita deny the lore of the ancients? Can she deny her growing feelings for Matt Boulet?

Excerpt:

Before Rita had time to get her fingers on the gun, the man had shot out of the door, yanked her forward, and somehow shoved her headfirst onto the front seat. She skidded over the vinyl, her nose and cheek hitting hard, blocking her breath for a moment. Rita yelled; the door slammed shut. She scrambled to sit upright, gagging when she inhaled the dank, moldy scent of the interior. A metal object, hanging from the roof above the mirror, clunked heavy against her head. She swallowed the acrid taste in her throat.

The driver’s door opened and the man slipped inside. One corner of her mind wondered how he could have possibly run around the front of the van so fast. Rita rubbed her bruised temple and twisted the door handle. It was stuck. She rammed her shoulder into the door. It didn’t budge. The window was up. Her purse with the gun lay on the sidewalk. She worked the lock button and slammed into the door again. The impact sent shock waves down her arm to her fingertips. The van was rigged.

Rita looked at the serial killer, her heart banging against her ribs, her breathing short and shallow. Tapping the mic with frantic fingers, all she could do was pray.

The man grinned.

Crossing the Ice - Excerpt from Bad Spelling Audio

Since Salmon Hunter (the Orca) was instrumental in helping Kat and Rune cross the frozen Barents Sea, it's about time he had his say. First, Salmon will address the audience directly, then the wonderful Lisa Baarns will provide her own, unique audio version of events.

Salmon Speaks

Chchchchch skreak! That be hello in human people talk. My name be Salmon Hunter because I so good hunting the fish.

I never met a human person who could talk the orca talk. I talk that speech only to Katrina Witch in her head. She talks back to me and both of us understand the other. Only this one human witch girl. She says it's how she makes magic. That is good for me! I like Kat Witch and help her out.

I even save her life more than one time. She's a lucky Kat Witch to have me be her friend.

First time I save her from a mad whitetooth. Kat Witch says human people call him polar bear. Not nice! But orca is big, strong! Not afraid of the bear. When I hear Kat Witch in my head, I heard scared. I heard help me. Curious, me. I went to look and chased off the mean bear.

Funny thing the whitetooth awake. Should be sleeping this season. Too early to wake up.  I think some bad magic wake him up to kill Kat Witch. She says that's truth. A shaman, she says.

The others of my pod don't speak to Kat Witch. They be what human people call stuck up. Think they're too good to speak to her. I think it best thing ever! It like getting a new toy. Orcas love to play. Spend most of time hunting, but playing is important too.

LEAVE A COMMENT TO WIN A FREE AUDIO BOOK OF BAD SPELLING

BAD SPELLING
A klutzy witch, a shaman's curse, a quest to save her family. Can Kat find her magic in time?
Buy the ebook, print book, and/or audio on Amazon. If you're an audio.com member, select it for your book of the month.

Here's the part in the book where I save Kat Witch from drowning. I don't speak here, but just be hero.

Excerpt in Text (listen to the audio book following)

She chatted happily with the orca when several more huge black and white heads popped up through the gaps in the ice. Rune and Kat had to step back again as the ice splintered with sharp cracking sounds.

“Back up, Kat, back up,” Rune said. For the first time in her life, Kat heard fear in Rune’s voice.

“You don’t need to be afraid.”

“I’m not. At least, I’m not afraid of the whales—”

“Orcas.”

“Orcas, then. It’s the ice breaking up. We could get dumped in the water.”

As if saying it made it true, the ice split once more. The crack exposing the frigid sea raced toward Rune and Kat. Before they could get traction to run, the ice floe created by the splintering tipped up and both of them fell into the water.

Kat’s parka filled with the icy water, and she sank. The sudden, intense cold knocked the breath out of her. She tried to claw her way back to the surface, but the weight of the parka kept dragging her down. Looking up, she could see Rune above her, thrashing toward the air. Blackness clouded the edges of her vision, and her struggles weakened.

Strangely, Kat felt warm. This is nice, she thought. Her arms floated out from her sides as she sank deeper.
Something big and black came up under Kat, and she rose up through the frigid water. She reached out with one hand and grasped a rubbery fin with all the strength she had left. The orca pushed her to the surface and shoved her out of the water. She landed face first on the ice.

Click here to listen to the excerpt on SoundCloud or use the embedded player below.

Two Girls, One Body - Hoo boy!

Hey there, I'm Stuart R. West, author of Elspeth, the Living Dead Girl.

Thanks, Marva, for hosting me and my guests on your blog.

Two teen girls, one alive, one dead, sharing the same body. And they couldn't be more different. It's complicated. As the official biographer of the adventures of Elspeth and Elizabeth, I thought it'd be cool to interview them to commemorate the launch of my new book, Elspeth, the Living Dead Girl. The girls agreed to join me in "Dream Space," the Limbo version of social networking. Here's what the girls had to say:

Stuart: Hi ladies. Thanks for inviting me into, um, limbo.

Elizabeth: Whatever. How long is this going to take? I have important things to do.

Elspeth: Like what? Prying the stick out of your butt?

Elizabeth: Oh, shut up. You're just jealous

Elspeth: Yeah, right. You dress like a forest ranger. And what's up with your hair? Is it cement?

Elizabeth: I'm sorry, Stuart, some people have no class whatsoever. I mean, honestly. Who looks nicer? Me or...this punk rooster?

Stuart: Um...

Elspeth: Oh, what's the matter, Lizzy? Did our pretty, pretty princess wake up on the wrong side of the unicorn?

Elizabeth: Gah! See what I have to deal with?

Stuart: Okay...why do you deal with Elspeth, Elizabeth?

Elizabeth: I ask myself the same question every day. But several years ago we made a pact. If Elspeth inhabits my body from time to time--to do whatever it is she does--she'll help me attain my goals.

Stuart: Which are?

Elizabeth: Duh. To get into an ivy league college, marry my boyfriend and--

Elspeth: Achieve world domination through supreme uptightness.

Elizabeth: He asked me the question, Elspeth!

Stuart: Okay, let's all take a deep breath. Elspeth, why do you inhabit Elizabeth's body?

Elspeth: If you find out, let me know. All I've been told--by the tormentors in Limbo--is that they send me to earth from time to time to right wrongs.

Stuart: But how'd you end up in this situation?

Elspeth: A rough life not ended nicely, I guess. I partied like a rock star. It caught up to me in the '80's. The Limbo jackasses told me they had use for me. A second chance, sorta.

Elizabeth: I wish you'd give your wardrobe a second chance.

Elspeth: Says the girl who favors young republican virgin-wear.

Elizabeth: Ooooh!

Stuart: Um, back on track...why have you been called out of Limbo this time, Elspeth?

Elspeth: There's a drug dealer at Elizabeth's high school, responsible for the death of a kid. I'm supposed to find out who it is before someone else dies.

Stuart: And how are you going to do that?

Elspeth: By kicking tail and whooping butt.

Elizabeth: How crass. Were you raised in a barn, Elspeth?

Elspeth: Hell, no. I raised the barn. Were you raised in a convent?

Elizabeth: I'm not even going to bother responding to that. Let's talk about me--

Elspeth: Snore.

Elizabeth: Ahem! I'm Elizabeth Blackmer of the Blackmer family, born into wealth and superior genes--

Elspeth: I didn't think you even owned a pair of jeans.

Elizabeth: Shut up! Jeans are gross. Ew. Anyway, I'm going to go to Dartmouth when I graduate and marry Donovan--

Elspeth: Like kissing a cold salmon.

Elizabeth: Excuse me? How would you know how Donovan kisses?

Elspeth: Hm. I think I have a t.v. dinner in the microwave. Better bounce.

Elizabeth: Grrr!

Stuart: I think our interview has ended...(maybe for my own safety)...anything else you want to say before we sign off?

Elizabeth: Yes, how do you like my pearls? I'm trending them now.

Elspeth: Yeah and I'm trying to untrend stupidity. Uphill battle. All I know, Stuart, is that the Limbo keepers said this will be a potentially dangerous operation.

Elizabeth: Wait...what? You didn't tell me this, Elspeth!

Elspeth: Must've slipped my mind. Anyway. I was also told that things are not what they seem. And to be careful who you trust.

Elizabeth: Oh my God! This gets worse and worse! All I want to do is become prom queen! Is that too much to ask? Don't you mess this up for me, Elspeth!

Elspeth: Would I do that?

Stuart: Okay, I, um, better leave.

* * *

Blurb for "Elspeth, the Living Dead Girl"

If you’re dead already, can you die again? Elspeth’s been summoned from limbo. Her new assignment? Track down the culprit in the mysterious death of a student at Clearwell High. And incidentally, uncover the identity of the new drug dealer prowling the halls. Only one problem—the body she has to co-inhabit has a different agenda. Elizabeth just wants to be prom queen, marry Prince Charming, and graduate with perfect posture. Both girls, alive and dead, will have their separate worlds rocked before the killer is unveiled. Nothing is as it seems. No one can be trusted. Being dead has never been so dangerous.

* * *

Check out all of Stuart West's funny, yet deadly serious books on MuseItUp Publishing. Other places, too, but I'm not going to list them all.

Follow Stuart on his blog: Twisted Tales from Tornado Alley

The Wolf Pack Attack - Excerpt from Bad Spelling Audio

Kat Deals With Smart-Aleck Boys - So What Else is New?

The most well-known werecritter is the werewolf. At this time in the cycle of what’s hot, what’s not, werewolves are getting great press via the Twilight books and movies by Stephanie Meyer.

I have to admit it. Werewolves can be totally sexy guys (gals) in human form.  Meyer finally got one legendary being right. Well, she agrees with my concept, which I used before I read any of the Meyer saga.

To tell the truth, I still haven’t read any of the books, because the first movie put such a bad taste in my mouth. OMG, Edward loves Bella because she SMELLS good?!?!? Gimme a break.

As we all know, werewolves are shape-shifters. When the full moon rises, your normal guy (or gal) changes into a werewolf. Sometimes, they are portrayed as mindless beasts who’ll rip the throat out of anybody they come upon. Other portrayals show that the maintain their human intelligence when shifted. Since the legends vary so wildly, I decided to not only have my werewolves remain intelligent, but also able to shift from human to wolf form at will.

How do I justify this turning away from the legend? I don’t need to. Some folks will howl in disgust with my tampering with the myths. Let ?em whine or even bark. I’ve seen authors do just about everything with the tropes: weres, vampires, demons, fairies, angels, ancient gods. That, I believe, is perfectly okay. You want a half-vampire, half-demon? I’ve seen that in paranormal more than once. Gods less than god-like? Yup, been done.

In BAD SPELLING, I have both real and wannabe werewolves. In Galdorheim, teenage warlocks have their own club, much like the Boy Scouts, who must earn their way up via self-transformation. Of course, teenage boys, being what they are, can't resist using their ability to scare teenage girls. Wait til they get a little older, then they'll be flexing those pretend werewolf muscles to impress rather than frighten.

In this excerpt, Kat has a run in with the Wolf Pack in a dark alley.

First, the excerpt in text (if you prefer reading), then the audio version. You should really listen to the excerpt.

LEAVE A COMMENT TO WIN A FREE AUDIO BOOK OF BAD SPELLING

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?

Buy the ebook and print book,on Amazon.  Best deal for audio at Amazon.

Excerpt in Text (audio embed below the break)

The fading light of the setting sun cast deepening shadows as Kat made her way down the alley. She smothered a startled gasp when she saw glowing red eyes a dozen yards up the narrow street. She wasn’t sure whether the boys changed shape only, or if they became real wolves, or worse yet, werewolves. A chill ran down her spine. When Rune saw blood, his vampire side took over. He couldn’t control himself yet; was it the same with the Wolf Pack? Maybe these wolves were real enough to attack her.

She stopped in the middle of the alley, undecided. Should she return to the street or face the Wolf Pack? At least the stuck-up girls wouldn’t go for her jugular. Nevertheless, she also knew turning her back on even a normal wolf was not a good idea. Surely, the warlocks wouldn’t allow outright attacks even if they turned a blind eye to the illicit transformations. She decided to go forward and slip out of the alley between the next two cottages.

She thought the shadowy figures moved closer. Or was it her imagination working overtime? She quickened her pace trying to reach the gap between the houses before the pack. It was nearer than turning back. The approaching sets of eyes flared and glowed a deep ruby red. Kat could now make out the wolf shapes loping toward her. She looked wildly around and saw she couldn’t reach the gap in time. She had nowhere to run.

Heart pounding in her chest, Kat’s breath grew fast and shallow as she watched the glowing eyes draw nearer. The wolves spread out, trapping her against the building. The snarls and bared fangs sent a shiver up her spine. She looked around, but there wasn’t a soul in sight. Just her and the wolves.

Click here to listen to the audio edition on SoundCloud, or use the embedded player below.

Kai Strand's Super Villain Academy Series

Young Adult Author, Kai Strand, Wants to Shift Your Perspective

SUPER VILLAIN ACADEMY – where you learn to be good at being bad.

In book one of the Super Villain Academy series; KING OF BAD, Jeff Mean finds out he’s a super villain and his urge to start fires makes a lot more sense.

The making of a main character is a tricky business. Plus, there are many novels based in academies and private schools, and I wanted both my main character and my school to be different. That’s when it hit me that I needed to tell the story about the bad guy. What made him bad? What is it like to be bad? Is he the baddest of them all? Writing the good verses evil scenario from the evil standpoint shifts the perspective on the classic battle. Plus the motivations for the supporting characters – most being villains themselves – is different than normal. It’s like walking a tightrope to keep the characters bad, yet make them likable enough that the reader sympathizes with their struggles and even routes for them.

In POLAR OPPOSITES, my newly released second book in the series, I confused the issue more and gave the supers an equal balance of good and bad. Having to learn how to be good when you’ve always been bad is difficult, even awkward. But when you suddenly care about consequences, you’re left with little choice but to try to figure it out. That’s the main reason Oceanus’ ex-villain, ex-boyfriend, Set, decides to help her current boyfriend, Jeff, search for her when she goes missing. Or so Jeff believes.

What journey will our supers go on in book three? My goal is that-for the reader-it will be an unexpected one. It is said there are no new ideas, there are just new ways of addressing old ideas. I think Jeff’s stories fit well within that adage. Tag along with him and ask yourself – am I a hero or a villain? The answer isn’t always cut and dry.

About POLAR OPPOSITES:

The supers are balanced. All’s well in the super world. Right? When dogs drag Oceanus away, Jeff learns the supers are so balanced, they no longer care to get involved. The only one who seems to care is Oci’s ex-villain, ex-boyfriend, Set. With Jeff’s own powers unbalanced and spiraling out of control, he wonders if they will find Oci before he looses control completely, and if they’ll find her alive.

Amazon

Barnes & Noble

Whiskey Creek Press

Add on Goodreads 

About the author:

When her children were young and the electricity winked out, Kai Strand gathered her family around the fireplace and they told stories, one sentence at a time. Her boys were rather fond of the ending, “And then everybody died. The end.” Now an award winning children’s author, Kai crafts fiction for kids and teens to provide an escape hatch from their reality. With a selection of novels for young adult and middle grade readers and short stories for the younger ones, Kai entertains children of all ages, and their adults. Learn more about Kai and her books on her website, www.kaistrand.com.

Bad Spelling - The Book Trailer

Since I'm on a Donner Pass push to let people know about Bad Spelling, how about watch the very short trailer for the book. If nothing else, the music is really nice.

LEAVE A COMMENT TO WIN A FREE AUDIO BOOK OF BAD SPELLING

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?

Buy the ebook and print book,on Amazon.  Best deal for audio at Amazon.

Bad Spelling Ebook Special

Of course, I'm hoping folks would like the audio books, but I know some people just don't use audio for their "reading." Given that, I've put BAD SPELLING on sale for the month of June for only 99 cents.

LEAVE A COMMENT TO WIN A FREE EBOOK OR AUDIO BOOK OF BAD SPELLING

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?

Buy the Kindle ebook on Amazon.  

Buy the Nook ebook on Barnes & Noble.

If you’re a witch living on a remote arctic island, and the entire island runs on magic, lacking magical skills is not just an inconvenience, it can be a matter of life and death–or, at least, a darn good reason to run away from home.  

Katrina’s spells don’t just fizzle; they backfire with spectacular results, oftentimes involving green goo.  A failure as a witch, Kat decides to run away and find her dead father’s non-magical family. But before she can, she stumbles onto why her magic is out of whack: a curse from a Siberian shaman.

The young witch, accompanied by her half-vampire brother, must travel to the Hall of the Mountain King and the farthest reaches of Siberia to regain her magic, dodging attacks by the shaman along the way.

Speaking to the Dead - Excerpt from Bad Spelling Audio

LEAVE A COMMENT TO WIN A FREE AUDIO BOOK OF BAD SPELLING

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?

Buy the ebook and print book,on Amazon.  Best deal for audio at Amazon.

Katrina's aunt, Thordis, is both harsh on her niece for her failings as a witch, and her biggest booster -- but never to Kat's face.

Thordis is the most powerful witch on Galdorheim, and the administrator for the practical day to day operations of an island that runs on magic. The witch population combine a share of their personal magic for the common good. Maintenance of the protective shield around the village, lighting, food production all make use of a touch of magic from every resident.

When Kat and Rune run off to find Kat's Siberian family, Thordis takes charge of what the witches will do. She has to make an alliance with a very unfriendly witch, Mordita. Possibly, Thordis isn't the most powerful witch on the island after all.

Thordis is both regal and officious. She demands respect and brooks no nonsense. While the governance of the island falls on a council of witches, just about anything Thordis says is what gets done.

I picture Aunt Thordis as Dame Judi Dench the head of M6 in the James Bond films. Thordis is a bit younger, and her hair long but always done in an elaborate style. In that way, I'm reminded of Endora in the Bewitched series, except with blond hair, not red.

Katrina's Aunt Thordis believes Kat's frozen father might have information useful to solving the girl's spelling problems. She visits to speak to him, but must determine first whether he's still alive or really dead. Raising the dead is a black art which no good Galdorheim witch would practice.

Buy Bad Spelling in ebook, print, or audio on Amazon (links to audible.com). The ebook is on sale for 99 cents through this month.

First, the excerpt in text (if you prefer reading), then the audio version. You should really listen to the excerpt. The narrator, Lisa Baarns, really does a bang up job on Aunt Thordis.

Excerpt in Text (audio embed below the break)

When she felt her magic to be at its peak, Thordis opened the book to the chapter titled Speaking to the Dead. The incantation woke the dead, so waking Boris should be a piece of cake. It also provided translation services. After all, why try to speak to the dead if they can’t understand what you’re saying?

“Þat kann ec iþ tolpta,

ef ec se a tre vppi

vafa virgilná:

sva ec rist oc i rvnom fác,

at sa gengr gvmi

oc melir viþ mic.”

I know a twelfth one if I see, up in a tree, a dangling corpse in a noose, I can so carve and colour the runes, that the man walks And talks with me.

But nothing happened. She slowed down and spoke the spell with precision, putting as much magical force as she could into it. Finally, she felt the spell break through the barrier.

“Boris, do you hear me?”

“Yes.”

Click this direct link to the audio excerpt or listen using the embedded player below.

Happy Birthday, Janae!

It's my granddaughter's birthday today. Oh, right and it's the Summer Solstice. Litha is the Wiccan celebration of the solstice. Check out my erudite discussion of the solstice (it's really kind of lame, but whatever) on Renee Duke's blog, Time Traveling with Kids.

Now, a graphic to make this post pop.

Leave a comment on this or any other post on this blog for a chance to win a free audio book of "Bad Spelling," the first book in the Witches of Galdorheim series. To check out a sample, go on Amazon to listen to an excerpt or visit  this blog for lots of samples coming up in the next couple of weeks. http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00L3WR9NU/

LEAVE A COMMENT TO WIN A FREE AUDIO BOOK OF BAD SPELLING

BAD SPELLING
A klutzy witch, a shaman's curse, a quest to save her family. Can Kat find her magic in time?
Buy the ebook and print book,on Amazon.  Best deal for audio at Amazon.

Summer Solstice on Renee Duke's Blog

The second book in the Witches of Galdorheim series (note the release of the first book to audio) titled "Midnight Oil" has a major plot point involving the exact time of the summer solstice. I've written a little essay on the solstice for Renee Duke's blog, Time Traveling with Kids. I hope you'll drop by Renee's to read a bit about it.

Here's a graphic so this post won't be all naked.

Oh, one other thing. Leave a comment on my post on Renee's blog and I'll put you in a drawing to win a free audio book copy of BAD SPELLING, book 1 of the Witches of Galdorheim.

And another thing (when will I run out of things?). I have special guests this month, so it's not all about me me me.

June 25th - Kai Strand introduces her second book in the Academy for Villains series.
June 27th - Stu West stops by to discourse on his two crazy ladies occupying the same body (Elizabeth and Elspeth). Talk about a fashion disaster!
June 30th - Conda Douglas has some more Mall Fairy goodness for us. Stop by to say hi.

And the last thing (I promise).

Leave a comment on this blog or on Renee's blog for a chance to win a free audio book of "Bad Spelling," the first book in the Witches of Galdorheim series. To check out a sample, go on Amazon to listen to an excerpt or visit  this blog for lots of samples coming up in the next couple of weeks. http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00L3WR9NU/

Bad Spelling at the Witches' School - Excerpt from Bad Spelling Audio

NEW RELEASE ON AUDIBLE.COM!
BEST DEAL VIA AMAZON!

Kat Introduces Bad Spelling - the Audio Book

Tap tap tap squeal!!

Is this thing on? Oh. I don’t need a microphone because the book is already recorded? Alrighty then.

My name is Katrina Galdorheim, but I'd rather you call me Kat. Try to convince my mother and aunt of that and you’d most definitely bring on one of her lectures. Especially if you try to argue with Aunt Thordis about ANYTHING! She’s the chief administrator and de facto mayor of our little island village full of witches and warlocks.

So when she implies I’m a L-O-S-E-R, everybody pretty much agrees with her. Oh, most of the other witches are nice enough to me, but the whispers behind my back are none too subtle.

A couple more people to introduce for this story.

My mom seems like a ditz, but her magic is just as powerful as Aunt Thordis’. I think Mom just likes to be the total opposite of her overbearing sister. Don’t tell Aunt Thordis I said that.

My only real friend is Rune even if he is my brother (half) and crazy good at magic. Everything comes so easy for him and it’s enough to make me insane. The only thing he does have trouble with is keeping his vampire half in control. I know how hard it is for him. If he sees even a drop of human (well, witch or human) blood, he totally freaks. Eyes go blood red, canines grow. Yeah. Seriously. But he’s working on it, and will beat the blood-sucking monkey on his back someday.

What else can I say? This book is about me mostly, though mom, Aunt Thordis, and Rune all play a big part in it. So my problem is that I can’t cast spells without them going wrong. Not just little, teensy so-what wrong, but big, gigantic, totally outrageous wrong.

When you’re living on an island populated by witches, and the island runs on magic, being magic-challenged doesn't just suck, it's downright dangerous.

The following excerpt gives you a taste (if you like pond scum) of how awful my spellcasting can be. Since the book has just been released in audio format, you get both the sound and the text. At least I hope it's for sale now, but I'm worried about sunspots what with the Summer Solstice coming up in a couple. of days.

LEAVE A COMMENT TO WIN A FREE AUDIO BOOK OF BAD SPELLING

BAD SPELLING
A klutzy witch, a shaman's curse, a quest to save her family. Can Kat find her magic in time?
Buy the ebook and print book,on Amazon. Best deal for audio at Amazon.

Excerpt in text first, followed by the audio below the cut:

“Now, class, draw the pentagram on your desktop and place your familiar in its center.”

The younger students practicing their first transformations looked to the board where, under Miss Mariah’s control, the chalk drew a practice pentagram stopping short of completing the last of the five points. She tapped the board. “An unattended pentagram can cause all sorts of problems, the least being a tusser or tomte taking advantage of an open gateway. They’re harmless for the most part but like to play tricks. So be prepared with your spell before completing the pentagram.” More than one kid smudged an opening in their already drawn star.

“Children, you must focus. Don’t let yourselves get distracted.” Miss Mariah adjusted a child’s grip on his wand as she walked by.

Merry curled her lip and hissed, “You’d better not screw me up. If I can’t work this spell right, it’ll be your fault.”

“Tough luck, Merry,” Kat snarled. “If you’re such a great witch, my being here shouldn’t make any difference.”

Turning away from Merry, Kat finished the final leg of her pentagram and set the bunny in the center. “Stay right there, Teddy,” she whispered to her little brown rabbit, setting a chunk of carrot in front of him. He made a dash for the edge of the desk. Kat hauled him back. “Cut it out. You’ll smear my chalk lines.” She stroked his soft fur for a moment. “Hope this works.” He twitched his nose twice, closed his eyes, and hunkered down.

Kat checked her spell book one last time, took a deep breath, and completed the spell with a loud “Fullgerður!” and a dramatic sweep of her arms, just missing Merry’s head with her wand.

Merry shrieked and jumped out of her chair. She glared at Kat while wiping green goo off the side of her face. “Your rabbit stinks. Just like your spellcasting!”

Kat’s mouth hung open for a moment; then she clamped it shut when she glanced down at what was left of Teddy sitting in a pool of slime dripping onto the floor. Merry was right about one thing. The goo smelled like pond scum.

Click here for the direct Link to the audio excerpt, or listen to the excerpt using the embedded play.

Visit these Writers on Writing Bloggers

I was tagged by Heather Haven to answer some questions. I posted my answers on June 9th. Here are the links to the writers I tagged. Please click over and give them some love.

Renee Duke - Time Traveling with Kids Blog
Jaleta Clegg - The Far Edge of Normal
Lyra Torres -  Love Letters from a Parallel Universe

Renee Duke
Renee Duke grew up in Canada and England and holds dual nationality. Having made several trips across the Atlantic during childhood, a love of travel was inevitable, and she has been to various points of the globe, including Belize, Central America, where she spent some time working with children in a Peace and Development project. She has worked with children all of her adult life and enjoys sharing her passion for history with kids of all ages, both through her writing and the interactive programs she now runs for out-of-school care groups. Mother of one son, and servant to two cats, she and her widowed mother share a home in Kelowna, B.C.


Jaleta Clegg
Jaleta Clegg loves to spin stories. It started when she was small and her mother asked, “Who broke the jar of pickles in the basement?” The answer involved monsters, pirates, dragons, a fierce battle, and magic. Her addiction to making stuff up has only grown. Most of her stories involve spaceships and other planets because that’s where she really wants to be. Someday, when she finally grows up, she wants to be Han Solo. She has an eleven book space opera series and several dozen short stories in print. Find more at http://www.jaletac.com  She also has a love/hate relationship with her photo-bombing cat.

Lyra Torres

Lyra Torres is an up and coming author working on her first novel. She writes Science Fiction Romance. She lives in Florida with her husband, two year old son, and a cat.

Father Listen to Audio Books?

Tales of a Texas Boy AUDIO BOOK is still discounted by Amazon/Audible to $1.99. That's about as cheap as an audio book can get. Even short stories cost more. Try out Tales as your free book selection when you sign up for Audible monthly services. Or pay the modest $1.99 to try it out.

Buy TALES OF A TEXAS BOY at Audible.com (and somewhere on iTunes)

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.

Ebooks also available at Amazon, Smashwords, Barnes and Noble, Kobo, Sony, and other on-line stores.

Print books available in both standard and large print editions at Amazon.

Audio Excerpt:

Need a Father's Day Gift - How about a book?

Tales of a Texas Boy is available in Large Print  and standard trade paperback on Amazon.. It's also in ebook format on Amazon, Barnes and Noble, and Smashwords. And if your father has vision issues beyond the help of large print (as my father did), the audio book is available at audible.com.

Tales of a Texas Boy is a series of related short stories loosely based on my father's stories about his boyhood in West Texas during the Depression.

It all started with a cattle drive. Yeah, right, pop. Nobody had cattle drives in the 1930's. Well, yeah, they did. My father, Eddie in the stories, got to ride herd when he was only eleven years old. That was sure the highlight of that year.

His father, Louis (my grandfather), had been a veterinarian with Blackjack Pershing's American Expeditionary Forces. That's what they called the army during WWI. In the service, he became friends with an interesting old guy who happened to have a bear. When Dad Boles brought Sophie to the annual fair, Eddie loved to sit by the campfire listening to some dandy whoppers.

Eddie had a pretty busy life for a boy who lived miles away from the nearest neighbors. He managed to find plenty of trouble to get into, but had a big heart to soften his bad boy image. No matter that he loved to aggravate his sister, he took care of her when she and her pony were almost swept away by a flood.

The boy cared about the rattlesnakes, the jackrabbits, the jack asses, even old Cage McNatt's prize sow. He went fishing with a special borrowed float, then proceeded to lose it, find it, then give it away.

These are simple tales without any big events, unless you consider the despair of the Great Depression hanging over everybody's lives.

Yes, I made up some aspects of the stories, and I even made up a few completely, but most of the book is as true as a Texas Tall Tale can be.

If these kind of stories appeal to your father, your mother, uncle, aunt, or even yourself, I think you'll be glad to read my father's stories. Since he died last August, I'm proud and relieved to have gotten around to writing the stories, having several published separately, then putting all of them together in one book.

A Brief Audio Interlude

Baarns VO and Narration produces my audio books. The latest one is in post-production and coming soon to Amazon, Audible, and iTunes. I picked out a few short audio excerpts which my producer is posting to SoundCloud. You can purchase Bad Spelling the Kindle ebook or Nook Epub for only $1.99 this month. Here's one for your listening pleasure.

Conda Douglas Hosts My Father Today

Today, I'm visiting Conda Douglas, so just click on over to her blog - Conda's Creative Center - to learn a little more about TALES OF A TEXAS BOY. The post provides a few pictures from the print edition of the book you might find interesting. 

* * *

Tales of a Texas Boy is available in Large Print and standard trade paperback on Amazon.. It's also in ebook format on Amazon, Barnes and Noble, and Smashwords. And if your father has vision issues beyond the help of large print (as my father did), the audio book is available at audible.com.

Blog Hop Tag - Writers on Writing

The lovely and talented Heather Haven tagged me to answer a few simple (ha!) questions. I've been a fan of Heather's for several years. I first found her Alvarez Family mystery series and avidly read one after another. She recently one an IPPY award for "Death of a Clown," a book which drew on her own mother's experience as a circus performer (how cool a mom is that!). Then, she has a whole other vintage noir mystery series with intrepid gal detective Persephone Cole. Heather is not only a talented writer, but she also had the good taste to tag me for the blog hop adventure.

After I do my duty, I'm to tag some other writers to answer the same questions. More about these writers at the end of the post.

Renee Duke - Time Traveling with Kids Blog
Jaleta Clegg - The Far Edge of Normal
Lyra Torres -  Love Letters from a Parallel Universe

Now on to the questions:

What am I working on/writing?
My current project is publishing my Witches of Galdorheim series in audio format. At the time I post this, I'll be this close | |. The narration and production so far are excellent. Here's a chapter from "Bad Spelling," the first book in the series. Click here to listen to it on YouTube.

How does my writing/work differ from others in its genre?
I write with more humor than the standard YA fantasy. Most of those books are all about angsty girls who find they're the heir to the secret throne and it comes complete with a vapid prince the girl can't possibly do without.

Am I being a bit snide? No. Just calling it as I see it. I don't think YA fantasy needs a love interest as a primary focus. Certainly, my female characters like a cute guy as much as the next teenage girl, but they sure don't need those guys to rescue them, save them, or even become their life-time loves. They might, but the love angle is not the point in any of my books (hm, let me think about that a sec...nope, my gals can drop the guys without a backward glance).

Why do I write what I do?
I write what comes to mind. My mind has entertained inept witches, dead mysterious uncles, genies, flying horses, middle-eastern mythology, trolls, Texas boys, giants, demons, merfolk, Vlad the Impaler, amongst many characters who inhabit my imaginary world. I don't put them all into a single book. Matter of fact, I've put them into several books. My blog header shows the covers of my books currently for sale in ebook, print, and audio formats. If you're using a blog reader (like I do), then here's the graphic. Yeah, I've written a few books.

How does my writing process work?
Generally, I make up a rough outline with short descriptions of the events of the book. As I fill out those brief ideas in draft form, I check it off the list. I might also decide not to use a scene, or I find some information which generates another scene which might take me into an entirely different direction. To illustrate the point, my murder mystery started as a fictionalization of an actual murder committed by an eight-year-old girl. By the time I'd filled in the details, the girl became the victim of abuse and somebody else entirely was the killer. It was still a murder mystery, but completely different from my original concept.

In other words, I'm a semi-organized pantser.

Now, a bit about the wonderful writers who agreed to being tagged. Their posts answering these same questions will appear on their blogs on June 16th.

Renee Duke
Renee Duke grew up in Canada and England and holds dual nationality. Having made several trips across the Atlantic during childhood, a love of travel was inevitable, and she has been to various points of the globe, including Belize, Central America, where she spent some time working with children in a Peace and Development project. She has worked with children all of her adult life and enjoys sharing her passion for history with kids of all ages, both through her writing and the interactive programs she now runs for out-of-school care groups. Mother of one son, and servant to two cats, she and her widowed mother share a home in Kelowna, B.C.


Jaleta Clegg
Jaleta Clegg loves to spin stories. It started when she was small and her mother asked, “Who broke the jar of pickles in the basement?” The answer involved monsters, pirates, dragons, a fierce battle, and magic. Her addiction to making stuff up has only grown. Most of her stories involve spaceships and other planets because that’s where she really wants to be. Someday, when she finally grows up, she wants to be Han Solo. She has an eleven book space opera series and several dozen short stories in print. Find more at http://www.jaletac.com  She also has a love/hate relationship with her photo-bombing cat.

Lyra Torres

Lyra Torres is an up and coming author working on her first novel. She writes Science Fiction Romance. She lives in Florida with her husband, two year old son, and a cat.

Dad Like a Mystery?

If your father commutes or has eyesight problems, but loves to read, then he's probably already discovered audio books. My father listened to books on tape the last few years of his life. He worked through dozens of books. Thank you to the Library System for providing this free service to the blind. I imagine the old tape players from the library are most likely gone, being replaced with audio books which are downloaded to computers, ipad, or even smart phones. That's when audio bookstores are most important. What library can keep up with all the books being produced in print and ebook format?

Anyway, maybe your dad (or uncle or mom or yourself) is a fan of audio books. If they (or you) also like a mystery, then I've got the book for you. It's got a western vibe as well. Modern western, that is. My father would have enjoyed it immensely. Of course, he might have had some bias in my favor.

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 to some half-baked Oregon town to settle his affairs. But since she’s the only one available, she grudgingly agrees.

En route, she runs 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. Her suspicions increase when the probate Judge tries a little too hard to buy the dead man’s worthless property.

Working on a hunch and trying to avoid the Judge’s henchmen, Kam probes deeper into the town’s secrets and finds almost no one she can trust. With Mitch’s help, she peels away the layers of prejudice, suicide, murder, and insanity. But someone in town doesn’t like her poking around, and when they show their intentions by shooting her through the police chief’s office window, the stakes are raised. Kam must find out what really happened to her dead relative before someone in this backward little town sends her to join him.

And she thought Oregon was going to be boring.

AMAZON AND AUDIBLE ON SPECIAL RIGHT NOW! 
ONLY $1.99 FOR THE AUDIO BOOK.

Amazon offers a discounted price ($13.08) if you purchase from their store. It just sends you to Audible anyway. The book is also available in ebook and print formats from Amazon (and other on-line stores which seldom sell any of my books).

Audible has the higher price ($14.95), but "Missing" can be your book of the month if you're a member or you can get it free if you sign up to be a member. That's what I made my hubby do. He got two book by signing up.

iTunes also carries Missing,

So, what are you waiting for? Oh, right! You're waiting for those freebie promo coupons. Just comment on or reply to this post wherever you see it (my blog, on G+, Facebook, or Twitter) and I'll give you a coupon for a freebie. Say Happy Father's Day and forget buying that tie or aftershave lotion.

Hero in a Wheelchair

A Tribute to His Dad by Stuart West

Memorial Day has come and passed. This year I didn't make it out to my dad's graveside. The weather, prior obligations, blah, blah, blah, and other excuses prevented me from going.

The truth, though? I don't like to visit the cemetery. I prefer to remember my father as the living giant he was. Larger than life and twice as full. When Multiple Sclerosis struck him down, he never nestled into depression, instead choosing a higher path. Even though confined to a wheelchair for a good portion of his life, Dad managed to raise three boys, doing so with humor, strength and compassion. Once, in a rare mood of melancholy, he apologized for not being able to toss a baseball back and forth with me. I said, "Dad, hello! I hate sports. That doesn't matter." He just smiled. A man of few words, we both understood, a silent acknowledgement of our mutual love.

So when I go to his graveside, all I see is a patch of grass. Not the man who meant so much to me.

I commemorated his life in my Tex, the Witch Boy trilogy. A what-if scenario, almost. Tex's dad suffers from MS, yet still maintains a functionally happy existence, a strong guiding force in his son's life. My dad would be doing the same thing for me if he still lived. And he does. His spirit lives on in my books, doling out wisdom and, of course, fatherly angst about stupid teenage mistakes. Being a parent now, I totally understand. Just wish I could tell him so.

The Tex trilogy goes out to you, Dad. Love you. Miss you. Happy Father's Day to all fathers past and present.

* * *

Get all three of the "Tex, the Witch Boy" series. I guarantee a good read.

TEX, THE WITCH BOY (Book 1)

Being in high school sucks. Just ask Richard “Tex” McKenna, a Kansas sophomore. Dealing with bullying, burgeoning love, the loss of parents, and dodge ball is bad enough. To top it off, he's just found out he's a witch! Oh, and fellow students are being murdered. The suspicious eyes of local law enforcement are looking right at Tex and his loyal group of friends. And so is the killer. Will Tex's new-found skills prove helpful? Or cause even more problems?






TEX AND THE GANGS OF SUBURBIA (Book 2)

Tex McKenna’s junior year of high school is just as bad as his sophomore year. Maybe worse. Olivia’s dumped him. He's caught up between two warring gangs and gone “undercover” with the Modern Gangstas to unmask a murderer. All this poor Witch Boy and supernatural trouble magnet wants to do is end the school year alive. And maybe find out who the mysterious punker girl is and how she knows all his secrets.




TEX AND THE GOD SQUAD (Book 3)

Richard “Tex” McKenna's graduating high school. It’s a shame he doesn't have a clue what comes next. There's no time to think now, either. Being a male witch makes Tex a ginormous supernatural trouble magnet. There's an angry witch in pursuit and a maniac in a Grim Reaper's costume on the loose. Why did the cheerleader really kill herself? Is the heinous Clarendon Baptist Church a front for something more sinister? Elspeth’s back, too, trouble trailing on her booted heels. If Tex and his friends don't figure it out soon, Tex won't have to worry about life after high school.

A Rooster's Tail

My friend, EJ Ruek, has a fantastic book for sale titled "Old Hickory Lane." I reviewed it and posted my review on this blog a few days ago. Since I know EJ, we started a dialogue about cross-posting. She wrote up a really fun post on riding a broomstick to Galdorheim Island with me (related to my Witches of Galdorheim trilogy). I replied with a bit on one of her characters, Ed the Bantam Rooster. I imagined what the rooster was thinking in her book. Visit EJ's blog, The Grimace and the Giggle. In the meantime, here's what I wrote about Ed the rooster.

Cocked Tail's Day

Cocked Tail turned his beady, black eye toward the sound and saw the dust billowing a short flight down his wide path. Most of the time, the big things humans rode were loud enough to give him plenty of notice. Lately, though, a new type of mount could come on him before he could complete the journey from one side of his path to the other.

This mount was a noisy one, and big. Cocked Tail knew it belonged to one of the humans who came to take care of Annie’s big animals. Judging the distance and time available, the bantam crossed the road to get to the other side.

Why would he want to cross the road? Why to let loose the white hens who followed him wherever he wanted to go, of course. Mostly, he wanted to go to the hilltop where the golden horse came just as the sun set. Even a brilliantly beautiful creature such as himself with his iridescent green and blue feathers could admire the ghostly stallion. When the horse appeared, it meant good luck for Cocked Tail. The next time the rooster raided the hen house, the farmer wouldn’t be around to yell and throw rocks.

He dashed three strides, spread his wings, and soared across just before the human’s mount rounded the corner. The dark-haired human rode inside. Cocked Tail knew him well. He first came to Annie’s some time ago. Cocked Tail teased the dark man by grabbing things from his hand. The man grabbed back, but, as usual, Cocked Tail won the game. When the man made a soft crowing sound, Cocked Tail knew the man was a friend. After that, he let the man come and go as he wished.

Landing on the far side of the path, Cocked Tail turned to watch the approach of the mount. The dark man’s eyes met his. Both dipped their head in a sign of respect. The man’s mount roared on, and Cocked Tail turned back to his business. He had a flock of fair hens to rescue.

Blurb for Old Hickory Lane:

Think "All Creatures Great and Small," but with a plot, some mystery, and maybe a ghost. 

Set in a near future 'now' and marked by moment-to-moment, life-and-death crises that are a practicing veterinarian's life, meet Warren Jeffreys, D.V.M. Raised white, half Cree, he's gifted with animals, but not very people savvy. 

Struggling to survive his first year in private practice, despite the huge chip on his shoulder, college debt, and a plague of bigotry and prejudice, his bad luck and worse judgment lands him broke and homeless, camping out with vagrants and vagabonds. He's cleansing cows and cutting up dead lambs inside bawling ewes—an animal mechanic working for a small-time veterinary service in rural North Idaho. 

As his hopes for prestige and preeminence buckle under the rigors of day-to-day practice, he finds a new dream—a reconciliation to home and family—and with it comes a certain peace…until, once again, as fame and fortune tempt, he faces hard choices. 

Filled with intense, critical emergencies, all of them based on true cases, the book has been “vetted” by modern, practicing veterinarians. It's the animals that make you really pull for Dr. Warren Jeffreys, because, despite his best attempts not to, he cares. A lot. And, because he cares, because he competes against death, regardless the odds, he makes a difference. Unfortunately, the often cantankerous farm folk he serves don’t always appreciate his efforts and skill. Nor do they trust him, the "too tall, long-haired Injun." Warren truly is a man without a home, with a foot in two worlds, but welcome in neither until he learns to trust his own heart. 

Buy Old Hickory Lane on Amazon.