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Indie Saturday – Author Jennifer Becton on her book ‘Caroline Bingley: A Continuation of Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice’ @JenniferBecton
Today, we have author Jennifer Becton featured on the blog’s ‘Indie Saturday‘ for her second historical novel ‘Caroline Bingley: A Continuation of Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice‘ (following the success of her debut novel Charlotte Collins: A Continuation of Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice).
Jennifer is the founder of Whiteley Press, an independent publishing house, and has also written the six-book Southern Fraud Thriller Series under the pseudo-pseudonym of J. W. Becton.
Jennifer Becton writes :
Top 5 Reasons Caroline Bingley Is a Great Character for a Sequel
I hear what you’re thinking: Caroline Bingley as the hero of her own Pride and Prejudice sequel? Jennifer, what are you smoking? She’s horrible! Just think of what she said to Elizabeth and how she treated Jane. Why should anyone want to read a book about her?
Well, I’ll tell you my top 5 reasons for deciding to write about dear, sweet Caroline, and you can decide if you want to read a book about her.
5. Caroline speaks her mind. Sure, she may not always say the nicest things, but at least she is willing to make her opinions known. In Elizabeth Bennet, we find pert opinions to be a benefit. In Caroline, not so much. Caroline was happy to speak negatively of the Bennet’s vulgar relations and on many other similar subjects of decorum and dress, but in reality, her opinions on wealth and status were not dissimilar to those held by many people in the Regency period. She was an outspoken product of her time and social influences.
4. Caroline is funny. Consider her attempts to woo Mr. Darcy while he demonstrates his letter-writing prowess: “You write uncommonly fast,” “I am afraid you do not like your pen. Let me mend one for you. I mend pens remarkably well,” and “Do you always write such charming long letters to [Georgiana], Mr. Darcy?” (Austen, P&P, ch. 10). Okay, so she may not be intentionally funny, but that is comic gold!
3. Caroline is complex. Caroline is “of a respectable family in the north of England; a circumstance more deeply impressed on [her memory] than that [her] brother’s fortune and [her] own had been acquired by trade” (Austen, P&P, ch. 4). Caroline has a secret. She is a wannabe. She may have money, but it was not gained through socially acceptable channels, and she is trying to hide her lowly past. That’s conflict and it makes for good reading and interesting character development.
2. Caroline is flawed. Mr. Darcy and Caroline were very much alike when they were introduced in Pride and Prejudice: “Darcy was continually giving offense,” and he said many unkind things about Elizabeth’s family and relations. He even participated in the plan to separate Jane and Bingley. However, he mended his ways. Caroline did many of the same things, but she never saw the error of her ways. Caroline has lots of room to grow and overcome her flaws just as Darcy did.
1. Caroline doesn’t mess around. She acts. She may not always do the right thing, but at least she is doing something. She does what she believes is best for her family. There is no dithering or whining. She sees a need and she acts upon it. That is just what we love in a heroine.
So Caroline Bingley may not be the most obvious choice for a heroine, especially because her goals in Pride and Prejudice were in direct conflict with Elizabeth’s. She was the antagonist, but not a true villainess who was out plotting her opponent’s destruction. She just wanted what she wanted, and she tried to make her desires come to fruition. She failed in all ways.
Did Caroline learn from her mistakes? Did she end up marrying a stuffy, old aristocrat? Or did she learn the joys of love?
If you’d like to read a free sample of Caroline Bingley, please visit Scribd (Also embedded below). Caroline is available in ebook and paperback formats at Amazon and in paperback at BN and other online retailers.
Also, please visit Jennifer Becton on her website: http://bectonliterary.com, Facebook and Twitter.
You can also check out Jennifer Becton’s Amazon Author’s page for more info and check out her other books!
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Do you want to be a featured ‘Indie Saturday’ author too? Go here for more info!
Read an embedded sample of “Caroline Bingley: A Continuation of Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice” after the jump!
Indie Saturday – Author Lola StVil on her “Guardians” Series @guardiansgirl
Today, we have author Lola StVil featured on the blog’s ‘Indie Saturday‘ for her paranormal “Guardians” Series.
Lola StVil writes :
First, I would like to thank Randomizeme for allowing me to guest host.
I wanted to talk about writing Fantasy.
The best part about this genre is that you can still be a kid. You remember running around your house with a cape “flying?” Well with fantasy, you never have to take the cape off.
You can build worlds and planets. You can leap skyscrapers, make love potions and even save the world.
When I wrote book 1 of this series, there was so much action and adventure, my feet never touched the ground. I’m hoping you will feel the same way.
The first novel in my “Guardians” series is called “The Girl.” It centers around Emmy – a bookish, witty student who is rescued by six teenaged angels with powers, called Guardians. They’ve been sent to elicit the secret from her before the demons can; a secret hidden so deep, Emmy doesn’t even realize she knows it.
Things get worse when Emmy falls madly in love with Marcus, the well-intentioned but obstinate leader of the Guardians. He eventually confesses that he is in love with her as well. Unfortunately, Marcus has been warned by his clairvoyant and omniscient guide that should he and Emmy get together, the mission will fail and humanity will perish.
So, it’s okay if you are like me and can’t leap tall buildings and have no superpowers. Don’t worry. You can still save the world.
Lola St. Vil
Feel free to stalk me: )
Lola StVil’s Guardians series are all available on Amazon in Kindle format. Book 1, Book 2 and Book 3
You can also check out Lola StVil’s Amazon Author’s page for more info!
More author links!
Lola StVil’s Blog: http://www.marcusandemmy.wordpress.com and Twitter: @guardiansgirl
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Read an embedded sample of “Guardians: The Girl” after the jump!
Indie Saturday – Author Katella Stegmann on “The Barking Mad Tale of a Teenage Werewolf” Series
Today, we have author Katella Stegmann featured on the blog’s ‘Indie Saturday‘ for her coming-of-age YA paranormal series – The Barking Mad Tale of a Teenage Werewolf.
Katella Stegmann writes :
Hey, you’ve never met me and this is crazy, but here’s my series … so read it maybe.
Now that you eternally hate me for getting that tune stuck in your head how about I introduce myself?
My name is Katella Stegmann. I’m a dreamer, a weirdo, and everything else most artists are known for. Writing has been a part of my life since the day I was born. I was a toddler when I wrote my first masterpiece about a group of superheroes banding together to save their city from an evil super villain bent on world destruction. I thought the tale was exceptionally good. My mother, however, was displeased with the scribbles of permanent marker I had left all over the wall.
I was a devious little child, always finding ways to be a menace to society. The one thing that seemed to qualm my thirst for trouble was writing. It has been as much a part of my life as anything else. It is etched into my soul. Through the years I have learned how to mold my words intricately into zany antics of tales of action, adventure, humor, and love. I truly can not remember a time in my life that I was not dreaming in some capacity. I have spent years perfecting my craft and take pride in the fact that I am an abstract artist who enjoys painting pictures with words.
My novels have always been about more than just one element. I’ve always believed that philosophy, character development, and plot are all equally important. I think that there is a balance of a perfect amount of love and strife in a good story. It was the great philosopher Empedocles that said, “At one time through love all things come together into one, at another time, through strife’s hatred, they are borne each of them apart.” There is both comedy and tragedy in my stories. I lean on humor, though, because I think that laughter is important. I don’t take myself or my writing too seriously, and I’ve been told that shines through in my stories.
I was sixteen when I wrote The Barking Mad Tale of a Teenage Werewolf. While other kids my age were dutifully taking notes in class about the fall of the Roman Empire I was engulfed in a world where a group of not so ordinary kids were protecting their town from rabid evil-doers. Imagine a world filled with secrets, corruption, and a wacky pack of werewolves who spend their time playing dare or dare and placing ridiculous bets with one another, all the while fighting crime and protecting innocent people. Trust me when I say that it’s not your average superhero team.
The first book, “An American Werewolf in Idaho” follows young Cassie Hill in her quest to find a place to belong in the world while she stumbles through her destiny to protect her small Idaho town from a band of evil werewolves led by an ancient angry wolf who has a vendetta against her. And as if her life isn’t complicated enough, Cassie also has to deal with the struggles of that awkward feeling of falling in love for the first time. Her love life is more than complicated, seeing as how she has to keep secrets from her admirer, the new kid in town, Jackson Tucker, who has a few secrets of his own.
As the series progresses in the second book, “A Tale of Two Shih Tzus” the reader watches the secrets and lies of the two lovers unfold. As our young protagonist uncovers those secrets she has to waver through difficult decisions about life, love, and family. She struggles with the internal battle in her brain and her heart while dealing with the impending battle on the horizon.
In the third book, “The Labrador of the Rings” the reader is taken on a fast paced action adventure where Cassie seeks to overcome the hurdles that are presented to her. She learns the true meaning of love, sacrifice, and loyalty.
In the fourth and final novel, “The War of the Werewolves” the journey comes to a close. The reader witnesses children become adults as the characters they have grown to love prepare to fight the battle of their lives. Good and evil are going to have it out. Who will be left standing?
The series has humorous undertones of government control, individuality, and battles between the sexes. It tackles cultural differences and discrimination in a language that young minds can understand. The novels were based on that (call me old fashioned) notion that beauty lies within the soul. Age, race, and gender are all meaningless because when it comes to being human we are all the same. Yeah, I’m a hippie. Aren’t most writers?
It took me ten years to publish this series. Ten years to perfect my story to my liking. Ten years to overcome my fear of putting my writing in the public’s eye. I have to give credit where credit is due. I have a lot of followers and supporters on fanfiction sites online. Without them I never would have been brave enough to jump into sharing my work. I have been a writer my entire life, but without my fans I never would have become an author. I count myself as lucky, because the fans that I have are great. And I hope to build my fan-base even more over the years. I like making new friends. I’m also one to take constructive criticism. I think it helps me grow as an author. So if you have any questions, don’t be shy! Speak up. If it’s one thing I’ve learned through this whole experience is that you should never be afraid to ask questions.
I’ve rambled long enough. Stop browsing the interwebs and get back to work or pay attention in school you naughty, naughty children! I’ll end simply by saying that if you’re into fast talking werewolves with wicked humor, non-sparkly vampires, and a whole lot of laughter then I urge you to check my books out. If not, that’s cool, too. I’ll just take comfort in the fact that you’ll be singing Carly Rae Jepson’s “Call Me Maybe” all day. You’re welcome.
You can keep up with my books online on facebook (sorry, kids. I have not yet had time to build a real website for the series!)
https://www.facebook.com/AnAmericanWerewolfinIdaho
Or my facebook page:
https://www.facebook.com/KatellaStegmann
Or the twitter:
@KatellaStegmann
And/or
But be forewarned…I suck at the tweeting. I’m twitter stupid and have yet to really figure out how it works.
Katella Stegmann’s The Barking Mad Tale of a Teenage Werewolf series are all available on Amazon in Kindle format.
You can also check out Katella Stegmann’s Amazon Author’s page for more info!
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Do you want to be a featured ‘Indie Saturday’ author too? Go here for more info!
Read an embedded sample of “An American Werewolf in Idaho” and “The Labrador of the Rings” after the jump!
Indie Saturday – Author Keira Michelle Telford on “The SILVER Series”
Today, we have author Keira Michelle Telford featured on the blog’s ‘Indie Saturday‘ for her SciFi series of books – The SILVER Series. This is a planned 10-book series of post-apocalyptic dystopian science fiction novels, all centering on the lead character of Ella ‘Silver’ Cross.
Keira Michelle Telford writes :
Anatomy of a Dystopian Society
The SILVER Series takes place in a harsh, post-apocalyptic version of earth where humans are a species on the brink of extinction. The first seven books in the series, The Amaranthe Chronicles, are set in a reclaimed portion of derelict New York City, in a walled community called Amaranthe. Soon after Amaranthe’s inception it was divided into two distinct regions: the Sentinel District (formerly Brooklyn and Queens) and the Fringe District (formerly Staten Island).
And that’s where the real world-building begins.
The Sentinel District is a residential area, populated by financially stable, law-abiding citizens. Food and healthcare are readily available, and accessible to all. They have many of the same creature comforts that you enjoy, but every aspect of their lives is strictly monitored and controlled by their government, the Omega administration. On the flipside, the Fringe District is effectively a prison. If you commit an offense in the Sentinel District, the Fringe District is where you end up—banished for life. There are no laws here, and civil disobedience abounds: violence, murder, thievery. It’s the epitome of everything disgusting and vile that exists in the world today.
On the face of it, the two districts appear to represent two extremes: perfection and imperfection. Utopia and dystopia. Control and chaos. Heaven and hell, if you like. But the closer you look, the more you come to realize that one is simply just a magnified reflection of the other. In the Fringe District, the ugliness is plain to see. The people of this district wear their grudges like armor and battle their demons (and each other) head-on, with no holds barred. In the Sentinel District, battles are won or lost by the stroke of a pen or a well-cast vote. Their methods might be different, but the war is the same.
The Sentinel District encapsulates everything I hate about privilege, nepotism, political control and corruption, and human greed. I loathe it even more than I loathe the Fringe. At least the Fringe is upfront about what it is. The Sentinel District is supposed to be a paradise-on-earth, offering comfort and safety and all the luxuries anyone could ever ask for. It was built upon utopian ideals, but the hope it should’ve brought to the struggling human population trapped within it was soon poisoned by the strict reign of the Omega administration.
On both sides, people are fighting against subjugation and the suppression of freewill. On both sides, people who oppose the status quo are permanently quieted. In the Fringe District, an angry mob might tear you limb from limb for a crime committed against one of their own. Omega would call that murder. In the Sentinel District, you could be sentenced to death without trial if the Banishment & Enforcement Council should so will it. They’d call that justice.
In this world, one man’s crime is truly another man’s law.
JOIN THE FIGHT!
Go Inside…. The SILVER Series
Ella ‘Silver’ Cross is a banished Hunter with a grudge. Condemned and left for dead, she’s still mourning the loss of her former life when we meet her in SILVER: Acheron (A River of Pain) — the first installment in a 10-book series.
Before her banishment, she was a Commander in the elite Hunter Division: an army sworn to protect the only remaining human city, Amaranthe, against the Chimera…
Chimera are the unfortunate by-product of a global war that destroyed the Old World more than three hundred years ago. These grotesque, flesh-eating monsters outnumber the human population in Amaranthe 25:1 and must be destroyed at all costs…
Unfortunately, Silver’s banishment means that she’s out of a job—and out of luck. Torn away from her lover, Alex…
…She’s lonely and confused, and welcomes the distraction that mysterious, young Alice provides…
Silver found her naked and terrified, huddling amidst a pack of Chimera. She looks human enough, but her eyes… they’re bright, violet Chimeran eyes. Silver can’t make head nor tails of it, and Alice claims to remember nothing of her life before the night that Silver found her.
Nevertheless…
Desperate for food and money—and now with Alice to care for—Silver accepts an opportunity to work for the Police Division as an informant. A job which brings her back into the life of her childhood sweetheart, Luka…
And with their reconnection, things promise to get a whole lot more complicated for Silver…
Will she give in to her feelings for Luka? And betray her love for Alex? She’s banished, after all. Alex can’t step foot in the Fringe District, her new prison-like home, filled with murderers, thieves and rapists.
She could never have predicted that her father, Gabriel Maydevine, the Chief of Police, would eventually be able to offer her the chance to be repatriated…
A chance to go back home. A chance to be redeemed. A chance to rekindle an old flame…
The world might end, but love endures.
** All Character artwork by: Kitt Lapeña (http://scarypet.deviantart.com) **
Keira Michelle was born and raised in the UK. She moved to Canada in 2006, and there she still resides in her west coast townhouse with a husband and 10 guinea pigs.
Keira Michelle Telford’s The SILVER Series is currently available on Amazon in Kindle format. In series order, these are the ones currently published:
- SILVER: Acheron (A River of Pain)
- SILVER: The Lost & Damned (Part One)
- SILVER: The Lost & Damned (Part Two)
- SILVER: Entropy
You can also check out Keira Michelle Telford’s Amazon Author’s page for more info!
To learn more about Keira Michelle Telford, follow Keira Michelle on her author website: www.keiramichelle.com, book website: www.ellacross.com, Facebook pages: thesilverseries and silver.acheron, and Twitter: @mylostanddamned.
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Do you want to be a featured ‘Indie Saturday’ author too? Go here for more info!
Read an embedded sample of “SILVER: Acheron (A River of Pain)” after the jump!
Indie Saturday – Author Catherine Stine on “Fireseed One”
Today, we have author Catherine Stine featured on the blog’s ‘Indie Saturday‘ for her SciFi futuristic thriller novel Fireseed One.
Amy Kathleen Ryan, author of Glow (the first novel in The Sky Chasers series), describes it as “so full of startling ideas that I couldn’t stop reading! Recommended for fans of science fiction, thrillers, or for anyone looking for a story full of big surprises.”
Here’s some great reviews by Book Bloggers:
5 stars from The Magick Pen: “I found myself caught up in Fireseed’s futuristic world with characters that made me laugh and cheer them on… Stine’s illustrations really helped put a picture to all the beautiful descriptions… the romance between Varik and Marisa was sweet… a fast-paced read, filled with action and adventure.”
5 stars from 909 Reviews Never Lies: “Fireseed One will have you on the edge of your seat… Stine is an author to look out for, and shines brightly with this stunning thriller.”
5-stars from Electrifying Reviews: “Fireseed One is an action-packed, emotional thrill ride that focuses on the characters and their journey.”
Catherine Stine writes :
I’m thrilled to share my new sci-fi thriller, Fireseed One.
I’ve always liked weird science, particularly unusual hybrids, which abound in Fireseed One. I’m an avid gardener and follow Pharming and GM crop news, so when I did research into transgenic hybrids these last couple of years and found out that there were already lots of actual transgenic experiments going on I got very inspired.
Transgenic hybrids are hybrid plants that don’t exist in nature and must be bred in a lab, for instance, blue roses. But it gets much deeper. Biologists have combined tomato and fish DNA to produce blight-free tomato crops! They’ve also combined mothers’ milk and wheat DNA to create baby cereal and formula that will protect babies in third world countries from fatal diarrhea. Pretty cool, huh?
So, in the creation of Fireseed One, I kept asking “What if?”
What if the year was 2089 and all of the Arctic ice had melted, and what was now the USA was a lethal Hotzone? What if there were a digital border wall that separated the two zones and hungry terrorists hacked the border, and stole all of the agar — an algae type plant that the whole world lived on? What if, in the meantime, Professor Teitur, a marine biologist had invented a transgenic hybrid — Fireseed — an edible giant red flower with almost magical breeding properties that could thrive down in the Hotzone with no water in the killer heat?
But what if that marine biologist turned his back on the refugees after one of them stole his wife’s flycar and left her in the desert? And what if a beautiful and shrewd terrorist from the Zone Warrior Collective named Marisa, broke into that marine scientist’s seed vault, trying to find Fireseed, but destroyed all of the agar instead? And what if this Professor Teitur had drowned five weeks prior under mysterious circumstances and his eighteen year-old son, Varik Teitur was left to deal with Marisa, the sea farm, in fact the fate of the entire known world?
Varik, with Marisa his sworn enemy, must hunt down Fireseed One — a supposed plant with an undetermined mash-up of DNA. The catch? The world is now starving and Fireseed, the last hope may have never even existed off of the drawing board!
Is there any comic relief?
Ah, but of course. Gallows humor is a specialty of mine.
Illustrations?
Yes, I’m also a published illustrator and have nine drawings in Fireseed One.
Romance?
Yes, a fire and ice romance that rivals the Arctic’s polar winter and Hotzone summer!
Catherine Stine has held some colorful jobs, including a stint as a sail-maker, a solar-heated swimming pool cover designer, and as a designer of children’s fabrics and watch-faces. As an illustrator, she has done work for Penguin-Perigee, Learning Strategies and Lantern Books. Writing, illustrating and teaching creative writing are her favorite gigs ever.
Fireseed One by Catherine Stine is available at Amazon in Kindle (on sale for $0.99!) and illustrated Paperback formats. The ebook is also available on Barnes & Noble.
You can also check out Catherine’s Amazon Author’s page for a listing of her other books!
To learn more about Catherine Stine, follow Catherine on her website: www.catherinestine.com, Facebook page: Fireseed One, Goodreads page and Twitter: @crossoverwriter. She also blogs on www.catherinestine.blogspot.com. Drop by and say hi to her!
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Do you want to be a featured ‘Indie Saturday’ author too? Go here for more info!
Read an embedded sample of “Fireseed One” after the jump!
Indie Saturday – Author Bernadine Fagan on “Murder by the Old Maine Stream”
Today, we have author Bernadine Fagan featured on the blog’s ‘Indie Saturday‘ for her cozy murder mystery “Murder by the Old Maine Stream” which stars a smart and funny ‘out of her element’ heroine in the amateur sleuth Nora. Bernadine is presently working on a sequel which should be out this summer.
Bernadine Fagan writes :
Several summers ago I drove up to Maine to visit my cousin and her husband in their new home. It was in the woods. While I loved the wild beauty of the place I also found it a bit intimidating. I could see myself getting lost. I once went through the Brooklyn Battery Tunnel three times on my way to the Statue of Liberty.
I pictured being attacked by wild animals. I was once bitten by my friend’s German Shepherd because I ventured too close to his food bowl. I have a vivid imagination so it was only one step farther to picturing someone (not me, of course) stumbling upon a body in those woods. The idea for MURDER BY THE OLD MAINE STREAM was born on that visit.
My writing experience prior to “the visit” consisted mainly of romances, which never seemed to take off, possibly because they weren’t me. With my first mystery, I decided to write the way I think, which leans more in the direction of humor than hearts and flowers.
Here’s a short description Of MURDER BY THE OLD MAINE STREAM:
When computer analyst and city woman Nora Lassiter loses her job and her fiancé in an incredibly short period of time (same day), she heads north to visit relatives in the Maine woods that she hasn’t seen since she was ten years old and her father up and moved the family to New York City. She never understood that and figures this is an opportunity to find out the real story.
She gets involved when she stumbles upon a body in the woods. She tracks a murderer, gathers evidence on a friend’s cheating husband and gets reacquainted with family she hasn’t seen since she was a child.
And yes, in a nod to my former career as a non-published romance writer, there is a little romance in this book. Our Nora meets and falls “in like” with handsome and manly Sheriff Nick.
Bernadine Fagan is based in New York, and has worn several hats in her life – Writer, Former Science Teacher, Former English Teacher. She counts Susan Elizabeth Philips, Janet Evanovich, Jennifer Crusie, Lee Child, Vince Flynn, David Baldacci, Harlan Coben, Hank Phillippi Ryan among her favorite authors, and is a member of Mystery Writers of America, Sisters in Crime, and Long Island Sisters in Crime (Vice-president).
Murder by the Old Maine Stream by Bernadine Fagan is available at Amazon in Kindle and Paperback formats. The ebook is also available on Barnes & Noble.
To learn more about Bernadine Fagan, follow Bernadine on her website: www.bernadinefagan.com. Drop by and say hi to her!
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Do you want to be a featured ‘Indie Saturday’ author too? Go here for more info!
Read an embedded sample of “Murder by the Old Maine Stream” after the jump!
Indie Saturday – Author Shannon Esposito on “Karma’s A Bitch (A Pet Psychic Mystery)”
Today, we have author Shannon Esposito featured on the blog’s ‘Indie Saturday‘ for her cozy murder mystery “Karma’s A Bitch (A Pet Psychic Mystery)“. It’s hard to resist this mystery about a sleuthing duo composed of an adopted mastiff called Karma and her reluctant pet psychic owner Darwin Winters.
Shannon Esposito writes :
Thank you for giving me the opportunity to share my cozy mystery, Karma’s A Bitch (A Pet Psychic Mystery) with you here on Indie Saturday!
I am really fond of this book for a number of reasons. I had just finished writing a darker mystery about a serial killer on Anna Maria Island called The Monarch and, although I still felt the need to write something, I just couldn’t dive into writing the next book in that series yet. So, my daughter suggested I write something just for fun.
At that time I was spending the mornings at the local dog park with our new puppy and decided it would be a lot of fun to write a cozy murder mystery centered around a dog. That’s how Karma, the hundred and fifty pound toothless mastiff, was born. The next piece of the puzzle to fall into place was the setting.
A few weekends later, we visited St. Pete here in Florida and I was smitten. If you’ve never visited St. Pete, I highly recommend you do so. It’s one of the most charming cities I’ve ever been to. I walked around there, watching the people, visiting the museums, restaurants and parks and knew it was the perfect place for Karma to solve a murder.
Here’s the plot:
Darwin Winters, reluctant pet psychic, is determined to leave her family’s paranormal past behind and lead a normal life. So she strikes out on her own and opens up a new pet boutique in St. Pete, Florida. When a local homeless man she befriends is found dead, and the police assume it’s a suicide, Darwin has no choice but to use her gift to help collar the killer.
She adopts his grieving mastiff, Karma —and with the dog’s help— tries to piece together the events of that fatal night. Accepting the visions is one thing, but can she solve the mystery without revealing her powers to the jaded, yet drool-worthy, detective in charge of the case?
Or will the killer put an end to her psychic sleuthing and bury the truth for good?
Darwin is such a loveable character. Because of her sheltered life so far, she sees everything through a naive and fresh filter. She’s sweet and trusting and gets herself into a very dangerous situation because of these qualities. She and Karma, with all their shortcomings, still make a formidable pair while they try to solve the murder.
I hope your readers will enjoy reading about Darwin and Karma’s adventure as much as I enjoyed writing about them.
And yes, I’m currently working on the second book in the Pet Psychic series. A black cat gets Darwin involved in a murder-by-rattlesnake case just in time for Halloween!
Shannon Esposito lives in a magical gulf coast town with fluorescent sunsets, purple dragonflies and the occasional backyard alligator. Her mysteries transport readers to Florida without the hefty price of airfare. Although she knew from the age of five she wanted to be a writer, she briefly entertained the idea of being a scientist, until she found out it involved math, which gives her hives.
She shares this little corner of paradise with her husband, twin boys and dogs. If she’s not writing, you’ll find her coddling one of the above, hiding with a book or daydreaming with her toes in the sand.
Karma’s A Bitch (A Pet Psychic Mystery) by Shannon Esposito (misterio press) is available at Amazon in Kindle format. Check out her Amazon author’s page for a listing of all her books!
To learn more about Shannon Esposito, follow Shannon on her website: murderinparadise.com, Twitter: @soesposito, Facebook: S.O.EspositoBooks. Shannon also runs a blog: Shannon Esposito’s Blog. Drop by and say hi to her!
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Do you want to be a featured ‘Indie Saturday’ author too? Go here for more info!
Read an embedded sample of “Karma’s A Bitch” after the jump!
Indie Saturday – Author Shawna K. Williams on “Orphaned Hearts”
Today, we have author Shawna K. Williams featured on the blog’s ‘Indie Saturday‘ for her book “Orphaned Hearts” – an inspirational and heartwarming story set during the Great Depression (Available on Amazon). Sadie, David and Caleb’s story will steal your hearts!
Shawna K. Williams writes :
Here’s a book description of “Orphaned Hearts“:
Pastor David Langley understands six-year old Caleb Holsheyer — what it feels like to be damaged and alone. His family killed in a fire, and his body severely burned, David grew up in an orphanage, ridiculed and shunned. He couldn’t let that be Caleb’s fate.
When adoption plans fall through, David is desperate to find Caleb a new home. But in the midst of the Great Depression, most families are barely getting by. No one seems willing to take on the responsibility of an extra mouth, especially one belonging to a crippled child.
Except for Sadie Miller, the town spinster. In Sadie, David sees the answer to Caleb’s needs. But Child Welfare doesn’t agree, and demands other arrangements be found, or the boy be returned to the orphanage.
David and Sadie team up, determined to find a home for an orphaned child, but while searching, might they find a family instead.
I never intended to be a writer, but life took a funny turn shortly after my 32nd birthday while visiting my parents for the Thanksgiving holidays. It began with a vivid dream. I woke up on the sleeper sofa in my parents’ den feeling like I’d just experienced key moments in someone else’s life.
I was so intrigued by this dream that I spent the next six months pondering on it and trying to fill in details. It eventually became too big to keep straight in my head so I had to start writing. At first, my writing was just to satisfy my own curiosity, but as the story unfolded, I discovered that I’d not only fallen in love with the characters and their journey within the pages, but with writing itself.
That dream served as the inspiration for my debut novel, No Other, and its sequel, In All Things. I’ve now have four novels published and a fifth under contract. The sequel to Orphaned Hearts, A Hand to Hold, releases in December 2012.
Orphaned Hearts is a story that is dear to my heart. It isn’t my grandparents’ story, but it was written because of them. My grandfather grew up in the same orphanage the one in this story is based upon. My great-grandfather was hired to work the orphanage’s dairy during The Great Depression. He brought his young family with him to Arkansas, and they lived in the accommodations provided for them on the orphanage grounds. That is how my grandparents met.
My grandparents served as foster parents for many years, and I firmly believe the seeds for this were planted because of their childhood experiences. At my granddad’s funeral, I sat in the pew marveling at the fullness of his life, but also thinking how unfair it was for him to have been orphaned as a young boy. Then I remembered a story my grandmother told me about one of the many children who came to live with them through Child Welfare.
She was a young girl, about fifteen or sixteen years of age, pregnant, and she’d been cast from her home. The social worker told my grandmother she would be a problem, but that turned out not to be the case at all. She was sweet, appreciative, and longing. For a few short months she got to experience a home — a real, loving home. When she gave birth, she decided that sort of home was what she wanted for her child, and chose to give her baby up for adoption to a family in the area. The girl left my grandparents’ house not long after and my grandparents moved away later that year. Life went on.
Many years later my grandmother ran into an old friend who went to church with the family who had adopted that baby. She learned that the little girl had grown into a lovely young Christian woman; compassionate and kind-hearted. She was attending a university and had a bright future ahead. I can’t help but wonder, had my granddad not been an orphan, had that empathy for hurting children not been embedded deep within my grandparents’ hearts, what would have happened to that young woman and her baby, and so many others they took into their home? How many lives did they affect because of their experience?
While the story above is not the one you will read in Orphaned Hearts, I was able to incorporate many of the memories my grandmother shared with me from her and my grandfather’s days at the orphanage. Sadly, most were not good, but from them came a heart of compassion. I tried to bring this same spirit into the pages of the Sadie, David and Caleb’s story. It’s my pleasure to share it with you.
“Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world.” James 1:27 NIV
Shawna K. Williams is an inspirational novelist who loves telling a story through flawed characters – the only kind she can relate to. She also likes a good dose of nostalgia, which is why many of her stories are set in rural America during the first half of the 20th Century. However, being a fan of other genres, including Science Fiction and Suspense, she has a few surprises planned for future works.
When not writing, Shawna spends time with her husband and three children enjoying life on their ranch. She’s also an avid reader, book reviewer, blogger and jewelry designer.
Orphaned Hearts by Shawna K. Williams (Desert Breeze Publishing, Inc.) is available at Amazon in Kindle format. The eBook is also available at Barnes & Noble and Christian Book. Check out her Amazon author’s page for a listing off all her books!
To learn more about Shawna K. Williams, follow Shawna on her website: Shawna K. Williams, Twitter: @shawnakwilliams, Facebook: Shawna-K-Williams. Shawna also blogs at shawnawilliams-oldsmobile.blogspot.com. Drop by and say hi!
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