AVENGER: Star Trek Fan Fiction, Chapter 11

For your reading pleasure.

Now appearing on Wattpad:

https://www.wattpad.com/617018346-avenger-a-star-trek-fan-novel-avenger-chapter-11

Facebook Party! Celebrating Christian Fiction -- You ARE Coming, Aren't You?

What could be more fun than ending the year talking about BOOKS?
Come to the Christian Fiction Lovers Facebook party on FRIDAY, talk with authors, learn fun inside details, win prizes, meet other readers.
Did I mention PRIZES?

Here's the link --  https://www.facebook.com/events/541848979650669/ -- you need to sign up to come, then post about the party on Facebook and other places to earn your chances to win. What a dilemma -- either an Amazon gift card or books. How can you choose?
Maybe you don't have to .... Come celebrate books with us!

Off the Bookshelf: A GATHERING TEMPEST, by Catherine Jones Payne

This short story is a great way to get quickly immersed in the undersea world created by Catherine Jones Payne.

No pun intended.

Alexander is a kid from the wrong side of the tracks -- or in this case, the canal, in the undersea city of Thessalonika. His father is a drug addict and there's never any money for things like food or school supplies. Alexander is smart and could make something of himself, if the stratified society of his world would just give him a chance.

His best friend in school is Jade, heroine of one of Catherine's full-length books. Jade is upper class and her father is an important man. The social unrest that divides the undersea world directly impacts Jade and Alexander, their friendship, and his plans to make a better life for himself. He has to make some painful choices. Will they work out?

That's all I'm gonna tell you. Get the story, read it, and give in to the temptation to buy one of the full-length books and return under the sea. This ain't your granny's Little Mermaid by a long shot (well, at least not the Disney version... Thank goodness!)

AVENGER: Star Trek Fan Fiction, Chapter 10

For your reading pleasure.

Now appearing on Wattpad:

https://www.wattpad.com/617016676-avenger-a-star-trek-fan-novel-avenger-chapter-10

Off the Bookshelf: HOWL'S MOVING CASTLE, by Dianne Wynne Jones

When several people in a row  from different sources all talk about the same book and recommend reading it, and even refer to it as a favorite or a source of inspiration -- well, duh! -- it's time to get hold of that book and read it.

Of course, finding the time to read is a lot harder than remembering to buy the book in the first place! I finally sat down to read ... and ended up devouring. What a fun romp!!

I'm a fan of fantasy books where people have a good idea of the "rules" of magic that populate faerie tales, such as the youngest child has the adventures and ends up marrying the prince or princess, and the oldest child messes up the worst or has a totally boring life.

Sophie is well aware that as the oldest, she won't have a happy ending. She's convinced she isn't beautiful, she doesn't have any magical talents, and she won't fall in love. So she lets herself become overlooked and timid, until a witch walks into her hat shop, upset over something Sophie did. Sophie has no explanation, and no chance to defend herself. When the witch turns her into a shriveled old crone, she decides to get out of there. Before she knows it, she's on an adventure.

The moving castle of the title is just that. Howl the wizard has a reputation that makes him dangerous to young girls, so Sophie figures she's safe when she's caught out in the middle nowhere and the only shelter is -- you guessed it -- Howl's castle, trundling by. She finagles her way inside, and soon she's cleaning up the place, organizing it, and driving Howl and his apprentice crazy. As Sophie tries to fix things, somehow she makes a bigger mess. Or does she? Howl turns out to be entirely different from what she expected -- and when the witch is dealt with, Sophie ends up as a surprise for Howl, too.

There are more Howl's stories. Looking forward to finding them and devouring them, too!

AVENGER: Star Trek Fan Fiction, Chapter 9

For your reading pleasure.

Now appearing on Wattpad:

https://www.wattpad.com/617016160-avenger-a-star-trek-fan-novel-avenger-chapter-9

Off the Bookshelf: THE ROYAL WEDDING COLLECTION, by Rachel Hauck

If you're a Hallmark movie fan (especially the royal wedding movies) then you've probably seen the movie adaptation of Rachel Hauck's book, ONCE UPON A PRINCE. That's the impetus for getting at least the 1st book in this trilogy. Along with the fact that Rachel is an amazing teacher and worship leader -- heard her at this year's ACFW conference -- and she's the featured guest at this year's Faith and Fellowship Book Festival in Columbus, Ohio, December 1. (and an OSU football fan!)

CLICK HERE for info, and come see her (and me, too!!)

On to the review:

I bought all three books because hey, it's ebooks so no worry about shelf space, and 2nd hey, a lot cheaper to buy all 3 together and besides, I was really, really in the mood for some romance.

ONCE UPON A PRINCE -- Nathaniel (prince of Brighton) and Susanna
PRINCESS EVER AFTER -- Reggie (great-granddaughter of the long lost princess of Hessenberg, ally of Brighton) and Tanner
HOW TO CATCH A PRINCE -- Stephen (Nathaniel's brother) and Corina

Can I just say ... *sigh* What fun! Satisfying, funny, clever, and anything that smelled faintly of cliche was dealt with cleverly so it just plain worked.

Nathaniel is on diplomatic business for his father, the king, and taking a bit of a vacation when he meets Susanna. He has fun hiding his identity and being an ordinary guy, and when duty calls, he's honest with her -- it's against Brighton law for them to try to have a future. She understands that. She's not in the market for another broken heart. But of course they get thrown together, and they try to obey God and do what's right, and there's the whole political/diplomatic mess with Hessenberg distracting Nathaniel.

Reggie is happy restoring vintage cars, and has fond memories of the princess game she and her great-grandmother used to play. Until Tanner shows up on her doorstep after a long search through letters and immigration records, to tell her, guess what? You're our princess, we need you to get involved in a big political change 100 years in the making. Reggie's a smart girl who knows better than to get involved in foreign politics. And besides, she'd have to wear dresses and deal with scheming politicians and social upheaval. Who'd want that? Then there's Tanner's painful, shameful secrets and strained family relationships.

Stephen has some BIG secrets in his past, tied to the war in Afghanistan, and a lot of guilt. He considers himself completely unworthy of his position -- and doubly so when it comes to Corina, who loves him, who he loves, and who happens to be the twin sister of one of his soldier buddies who died protecting him. She wants the truth about what happened to her brother, and he's got this tendency to keep trying to throw himself on his own sword, metaphorically speaking.

Do I need to say that love conquers all -- as long as there's a lot of prayer, a lot of tears and soul-searching, and a hefty dollop of divine, spiritual interference?

*sigh* Just lovely. And I devoured all 3 books in 6 days. Ummm, more please?

Feature: SUMMER SONG, in the Tabor Heights short story anthology

Wanna get this anthology for FREE?

Come to the Mt. Zion Ridge Press Facebook party on Cyber Monday, and find out how!

CLICK HERE to sign up to attend.

You know you want to come.
You know you want to find out about upcoming books from Mt. Zion Ridge Press -- and oh yeah, how to get the free ebook.

The Tabor Heights books, and the companion series, Quarry Hall, are currently off the market, BUT they're coming back! You'll find out more about those plans when you come to the party.

What else do you have to do on the Monday after Thanksgiving, when you're absolutely wiped out from shopping on Black Friday???

The 4th story in the anthology is SUMMER SONG.
It appears in the From the Lake to the River anthology, the launch publication of Mt. Zion Ridge Press. This story is a follow-up to the Tabor Heights novel, FIRESONG, about a Christian band on the verge of their career taking off -- but maybe at the expense of ministry.

In SUMMER SONG, Dani and Kurt's romance is having some trouble. Their involvement in ministry keeps them both on the road -- and separated. They jump at a chance to work at a boot camp for summer music ministry. But problems seem to follow them...

Excerpt:

A quick glance around showed her co-leader, Shelby, had arrived and settled in. Her sleeping bag was spread out on the bunk on the other side of the door from Dani's. Suitcase and duffel bag neatly stowed underneath. A string of butterfly patio lights hung from the frame. Dani liked that whimsical touch.

An answering machine picked up on the other end of the line. Shelby came through the door right then, with a neon pink plastic basket of toiletries in one hand, clothes hung over her arm, and a towel around her neck. A good guess was that she had been to the bathhouse. She wore gray shorts and t-shirt, with the stylized Ohio State O, and a buckeye. She stowed her basket and hung up the towel on the end of the bunk, as Dani left a message why she was calling.

"Not good," Shelby said, after Dani hung up. "Dani, right?"

"If you're Shelby." She settled down on her bunk. Cabin co-leaders had been asked to take bunks next to the door. Drew joked that they were stationed there to prevent campers fleeing for their lives after they realized what they had gotten into.

"Did you hear the news at dinner? Firesong is spending boot camp with us, and they're looking to add to the band. You know, kind of like Broadway shows on the road, different teams. I mean, what are the chances of actually traveling with Firesong? But just knowing you kind of have their name, singing their songs, that'd be so cool."

She paused for breath, while Dani scrambled to think of something to say to shut down the torrent of words before it got awkward. 

Feature: ONE SMALL CHILD, in the Tabor Heights short story anthology

You KNOW you want this anthology.
Especially since it'll be FREE!

Come to the Mt. Zion Ridge Facebook party on CYBER MONDAY and find out how you can get your copy.

CLICK HERE to go to the page and mark that you'll be attending.

The Tabor Heights books, and the companion series of stories, Quarry Hall, are currently off the market.
BUT ....
Mt. Zion Ridge Press will be re-releasing them in the very near feature. Come to the Facebook party and learn more!

The 3rd story is ONE SMALL CHILD

Max and Tony are getting ready to be married, but first they have to deal with even more fallout from the events of last spring, when a conniving actor set out to destroy Max's reputation and her career as a screenwriter before it even got started -- by pretending to BE the up-and-coming screenwriter, Max Keeler.

Excerpt:

"I don't know, Leia," Tony muttered, his grin turning sickly. "I'm getting a bad feeling about this."

Normally Max would have sighed and slapped his arm, and maybe laughed, depending on her mood -- but she felt just as apprehensive as Tony looked. Taking a deep breath, she said a silent prayer that she was wrong, and turned on the light.

The sound stopped immediately. She looked down, just as a gust of wind blew powdery snow into the theater. Stunned, she still had the presence of mind to close and latch the doors.

"I thought that cliché went out with tying damsels in distress to railroad tracks," Tony said, and stepped around her to kneel, putting the basket on the floor between them.

Big eyes in a wizened little face blinked up at him, putting a lie to the temporary -- wishful -- belief that a doll lay in the bright orange, soft plastic basket, just like one that Max had seen in the Dollar Spot at Target last week. She wanted to say something witty, or at least smart-alecky as Tony picked up the basket and carried the baby from the chill box office into the warmth of the lobby. She pushed the doors open again and looked out, to glance up and down the street, on the off-chance that whoever had put the baby there -- as a joke, it had to be a really bad joke -- was watching, waiting for a reaction, to jump out in another moment and laugh and yell gotcha!

No one and nothing moved on the snowy street, under the steel gray stormy morning sky.

AVENGER: Star Trek Fan Fiction, Chapter 8

For your reading pleasure.

Now appearing on Wattpad:

https://www.wattpad.com/617015206-avenger-a-star-trek-fan-novel-avenger-chapter-8

Feature: SILVER HEARTS, in the Tabor Heights anthology

You KNOW you want this anthology.
Especially since it'll be FREE!

Come to the Mt. Zion Ridge Facebook party on CYBER MONDAY and find out how you can get your copy.

CLICK HERE to go to the page and mark that you'll be attending.

The Tabor Heights books, and the companion series of stories, Quarry Hall, are currently off the market.
BUT ....
Mt. Zion Ridge Press will be re-releasing them in the very near feature. Come to the Facebook party and learn more!

The 2nd story in the anthology is SILVER HEARTS.

Rose Weinberg, a widow, comes to Tabor Heights to help her brother Joel during a family crisis. She soon becomes a vital part of the family. And when a would-be suitor from her childhood follows her to Tabor Heights, Jeremy is terrified that they'll lose their Aunt Rose.

Excerpt:

"Rose Weinburg? Widow of Morris?"

"Speaking." She was ready to slam the phone down. If this turned out to be one of those moronic telemarketers, she might just be peeved enough to call her father and tell the nasty old man what she thought of all his legalism and my-word-is-law-you-are-only-a-woman-don't-presume-to-think. She wouldn't put it past him to tell telemarketers who called their house how to find her.

"It's Mischa. How are you, darling?"

"Mischa?" She choked. "Mischa... Wyse?" Clutching the counter, she closed her eyes and said a prayer that she was mistaken. Then again, how many Mischas had she known in her entire life?

It was on the top of her tongue to blurt, 'Speak of the devil!' Only a few days ago, for the first time in more than forty years, she had thought of the fat, silly, somewhat pompous boy from her high school days.

"That's right!" Mischa crowed. "My dear girl, I just heard the horrid news. And I must tell you, I am hurt -- but not half as much as horrified on your behalf," he hurried on.

"On my behalf?" Rose looked for the nearest chair, to sit down. Then she silently scolded herself for being so dramatic. What had Mischa Wyse ever been to her, that she would be affected by a phone call from him? "Wait a minute, how did you find me?"

Feature: HOMESPUN, from the upcoming Tabor Heights short story anthology

How, you may ask, can you get hold of this anthology?

Especially since it'll be FREE?

Come to the Mt. Zion Ridge Facebook party on CYBER MONDAY and find out.

CLICK HERE to go to the page and mark that you'll be attending.

First story in the anthology is HOMESPUN

This is the story behind the story, telling how Joel and Emily Randolph met and fell in love and came up with the idea of Homespun Theater, the community theater in Tabor Heights.

Excerpt:

A little body with an amazing mop of black curls squatted in the pool of light from the Green Room door, playing with one of the wooden tops that Gregori liked to carve during performances while waiting for his lighting cues. She looked up as Joel approached and opened her mouth as if she would say something, then shook her head. She stood up and held out her hand.

Bemused, Joel bent over. He had learned a long time ago that no matter how small the children, they hated when adults went down on one knee and emphasized how short they were. He shook her hand.

"Hello. I'm Joel. What's your name?"

"I'm Max."

"Max?" He grinned, sure he had heard her wrong.

"Max? What are you doing out here?" A little woman with pure white curls and a neon orange jogging suit paused in the doorway, leaning on her glossy black cane. "Honey, remember what Mommy told you? Don't go running around strange places." She took hold of Max's hand to lead her back into the Green Room. "I'm sorry. We just got here, and she's been riding for six hours and... well, you know children. If they can't run around once every hour..." Her smile was full of mischief and life, and Joel found himself grinning back at her.

"But it's not a strange place," Max said, all seriousness. "It's a theater. I know all about theaters."

"You do, huh?" Joel gestured for them to precede him into the Green Room. "How's that?"

Off the Bookshelf: TEAROOM FOR TWO, Susan Page Davis

Book 1 of the Tearoom Mysteries published by Guideposts.

One of the fun parts of going to a writing conference is learning about the projects of other writers, or publishers. At the ACFW conference this past September in Nashville, I was lucky enough to meet up with a Guideposts editor and she gave me this book.

Fun! I'm handing this one to my mother, and I'm sure this is one of those series we're both going to be racing each other to read the next installment. Guideposts' books are part of a club, but I think -- don't quote me on this -- individual books, especially older series, can be bought individually. I sure hope so!

Jan and Elaine are cousins, widows, who decide to combine their resources and their love of tea and open a tearoom in Maine, where they were children together. In the course of picking up bits and pieces for their tearoom, such as decorations and mismatched teapots and tea cups, they stumble into a mystery that turns downright thrilling, and even dangerous at times.

Don't worry -- this isn't Cabot Cove, where anyone and everyone runs the risk of being either the murderer or murdered.

The first mystery deals with an ugly old teapot the cousins pick up for practically nothing at a flea market. Their first clue that something is up is when the dealer tries to buy it back. Then other people get downright rude, invasive, and dishonest, trying to get their hands on it. As the mystery deepens and the stakes rise, Jan and Elaine prove they're smart and tough, even when it could be dangerous to refuse to back down, or do the right thing.

The perfect way to spend a chilly, wet fall afternoon. I was almost glad to have a miserable cold and an excuse to just sit and read for a couple hours straight. Brew a pot of your favorite tea and dive in.

Feature: SHATTER SCATTER

Fantasy from Mundania Press:

Sequel to WOLVES ON THE WEST SIDE

Be careful what you wish for!
Aggie, Brody and Lara learn the hard way that tampering with magic and investigating without the guidance of their mysterious guardian, Anton Dorayn, leads to big problems. All they meant to do was test a few theories, but a supposedly harmless picnic in the park stirs up magic and opens a doorway into another world. Is it the home the three barely remember?

Between finding Werelings who claim to be relatives, a waterlogged ghost searching for her true love, magic that doesn't follow the supposed rules and wizards who suddenly want to kill Lara, it's not a day in the park by any stretch of the imagination. All they know is that they have to protect the friends who fell through into the mirror world with them and unlock the secret of the magical disaster that hit them ten years ago, before unraveling magic destroys the land, and possibly the world.

AVENGER: Star Trek Fan Fiction, Chapter 7

For your reading pleasure.

Now appearing on Wattpad:

https://www.wattpad.com/617014817-avenger-a-star-trek-fan-novel-avenger-chapter-7

Feature: WOLVES ON THE WEST SIDE

Fantasy from Mundania Press:

A freak storm dumped two battered children into a river in the Cleveland Metroparks. No clue to their identity or why anyone tried to kill them. Yet that mystery was nothing compared to the secrets the girls protected.

Lara could work minor magic, though she didn't know how she did it. Aggie could turn into a wolf. They knew they came from another world, but didn't know how or why, where that world was, or how to get home.

Their only chance to find answers was to stay together, follow the stray bits of magic that they sensed around them, and find Aggie's twin brother.

But first, they had to survive high school.

Off the Bookshelf: DRAGONS AT CRUMBLING CASTLE, by Terry Pratchett

This is another collection of the late Sir Terry Pratchett's early writings.

What's really fun is seeing all the drawings that he seems to have done to illustrate his stories. These are little more than scribbles, pen or pencil scratchings, not great artwork by any means, but quite enjoyable, giving some added depth to the characters and setting, a clue to his feelings about the fantastical worlds he created when he was just starting out, and another side to the author's personality and talents.

Lots of fun, reading the sly digs at local customs and rivalries and just inspired silliness. I especially enjoyed reading the stories about the Carpet People -- which I discovered at the end of the book were the launching point for an entire book. One of these days, when I get my reading list down a few more feet, I intend to buy the Carpet People book, which launched Pratchett's writing career, complete with his original illustrations.

For writers in general, and for fantasy and humor writers in particular -- especially those who adore Discworld and mourn the loss of the creator -- this is sure to be a fascinating look back at the beginning of things. And encouragement for those of us who are still waiting for that big break to launch us high enough to be discovered.

Feature: THE WOLF THAT WAS

Fantasy from Mundania Press:

Sequel to BITTER SWEET

Tirian grew up knowing she would inherit her mother's duties as village wise woman, but without inheriting her mother's magical gifts. It didn't help that her mother insisted Tirian herself was magic. When an enemy wizard killed her mother, she despaired of ever finding an answer to that puzzle.

Then she met Bran, a man cursed by that same wizard: a wolf by day and a man only by light of the waning moon. Forced to choose between her new friend and the villagers who would never truly love her, Tirian decided it was time to seek answers for them both. Their journey took them to Stonemount, where King Fallon feared his new queen conspired to steal his throne, and a lonely child waited to grow into the most powerful enchanter in the world.

Their search united them, but their answers could tear them apart forever. Could a wolf that was a man at heart, and the maiden with a wolf in her soul ever find a world that would let them simply be, much less be together?

AVENGER: Star Trek Fan Fiction, Chapter 6

For your reading pleasure.

Now appearing on Wattpad:

https://www.wattpad.com/617014342-avenger-a-star-trek-fan-novel-avenger-chapter-6

It's That Time Of The Year: OPERATION CHRISTMAS CHILD

You have less than a month to fills those shoeboxes and get them to your local collection center.

Are you excited?
I am.
I LOVE doing Operation Christmas Child, shopping for hygiene and school supplies and special treats for children in other countries, and imagining their fun and excitement as they explore all the surprises.

This year, I'm even more excited, because Mt. Zion Ridge Press plans to get involved by rewarding YOU for being involved.

Here's the plan:
1) Fill your shoeboxes. Need tips or just plain instructions? Go to the Christmas Child page at Samaritan's Purse. (Link provided)
2) Pay electronically for the shipping/processing costs for your box
3) Send a copy of your electronic receipt to Mt Zion Ridge Press: MtZionRidgePress@gmail.com
4) You will then have an entry in a Rafflecopter giveaway for your choice of a FREE ebook from the growing Mt. Zion Ridge Press catalog.

We're still setting things up at the site and figuring out how to process the giveaway, so please don't check the Mt. Zion Ridge Press site for those specific details just yet, okay?

However, there's nothing to stop you from visiting our site and seeing the books available, and coming up, and start shopping!

Feature: BITTER SWEET

Fantasy from Mundania Press:

What can a princess do when Prince Charming isn't?

Vevina started out like any fairy tale princess, with a christening and a magical gift and betrothed to a handsome prince from a neighboring country. The only thing she had to worry about was the typical witch or evil enchanter appearing when she turned eighteen.

Then Fallon, her Prince Charming, revealed he was anything but charming. His plots stole nearly everything and everyone Vevina loved, and he tried to make the rest of the world think it was her fault. There was only one thing to do, and that was to beat Fallon at his own game and reveal his lies to the whole world. With the aid of a friendly spirit, Vevina disguised herself and headed into Fallon's country in search of the magical healer, Ambrose, and some justice.

But as her teacher warned her, using the enemy's tactics led to complications that even magic might not be able to cure.

Off the Bookshelf: PHYSIK, Septimus Heap #3, by Angie Sage

You know what's funny? I have the next book in this lovely, enchanting, addictive fantasy series waiting in my bookshelf, QUESTE, and I'm already planning my next trip to the bookstore to see if there are more. I want the adventures to keep going.

In PHYSIK, our young apprentice to the Extraordinary Wizard is reminded that being the seventh son of the seventh son is a dangerous position. People keep wanting to take advantage of his inborn magical talent and potential. In this case, a nasty, self-righteous queen who wants to live forever -- even though she's a ghost -- and her more-than-slightly crazy son, an alchemist, who has been waiting for Septimus to show up for the last 500 years. He's found out that living forever ain't all it's supposed to be cracked up to be. (I know that phrase is awkward -- live with it!)

Princess Jenna, Septimus' adopted sister -- they were born on the same day -- plays a big part in the story, and she learns that family can be both wonderful and horrifying. More characters are introduced into the saga, and considering the loose threads left hanging at the end of this book, they better show up in the next one.

Lovely, fun story, in a thick book. The kind that it would be smart to set aside large chunks of time for reading, because it's utterly frustrating to have to put the book down and deal with real life. Know what I mean? Start with the first book, MAGYK. You'll be glad you did.

Feature: SILVER AZULI, Chorillan Cycle, Commonwealth Universe

SF from Writers Exchange:

Vidan was again reaching out to the stars: sadder and wiser... and cautious, unwilling to repeat the mistakes of the ancestors. The Commonwealth was born, reaching out to lost colonies and establishing new ones, rediscovering lost technology and how to navigate the star-ways. Many of the lost colonies not only survived but thrived--and they remembered their abandonment and the harsh centuries of the Downfall...

Lucas and Kay'li marry and anticipate a peaceful domestic life, when his duties as lieutenant governor and her duties as Scout recruiter and trainer allow. However, not all their enemies were caught during the revolution and they are still out in the wilderness of Chorillan, waiting for the perfect opportunity to take revenge.

Then a family vacation of exploration and camping, to hide Kay'li's pregnancy from friends and foes, goes suspiciously, horribly wrong. They find sanctuary on the edge of the secret Azuli canyon, and intend to stay there until Kay'li gives birth... if their enemies don't find them first.

AVENGER: Star Trek Fan Fiction, Chapter 5

For your reading pleasure.

Now appearing on Wattpad:

https://www.wattpad.com/617013912-avenger-a-star-trek-fan-novel-avenger-chapter-5

ALMOST HERE! The newest Neighborlee, Ohio novel

Yep, LIVING PROOF, the latest misadventures of Lanie Zephyr, the broken semi-pseudo-superhero,

will be released in just one more week.

Check out the Uncaged Reviews issue in the sidebar for the ad for LIVING PROOF.

You can find all my Neighborlee books -- and all my other Uncial Press titles -- at www.UncialPress.com or by searching Amazon, of course.

Enjoy!


ARE YOU GOING TO BE IN TROY ON SATURDAY?

If you are, please make time to stop in at Around About Books, 8 W. Main Street, right off the center of town and the roundabout, from 2 until 4.

I'll be with other authors in the From the Lake to the River anthology, signing the book (new from Mt. Zion Ridge Press) and other books from the participating authors. We'd love to talk with you and tell you about the anthology -- stories set in Ohio, all written by Ohio authors!

Visit the bookstore's website: www.AroundAboutBooks.com -- or call them for information: 937-339-1707.

NEXT WEEKEND, October 13, I'll be participating at the Indie Author Showcase at the Parma-Snow branch of the Cuyahoga County Public Library. 2121 Snow Road, Parma, OH. There will be workshops for indie authors, from 10 until 12:30, and then a booksigning open to the public from 1 until 4. What a great chance to get a major jump start on your Christmas shopping!

Here's the link for information: https://attend.cuyahogalibrary.org/event/874800

Feature: CHORILLAN, Chorillan Cycle, Commonwealth Universe

SF from Writers Exchange:

Vidan was again reaching out to the stars: sadder and wiser... and cautious, unwilling to repeat the mistakes of the ancestors. The Commonwealth was born, reaching out to lost colonies and establishing new ones, rediscovering lost technology and how to navigate the star-ways. Many of the lost colonies not only survived but thrived--and they remembered their abandonment and the harsh centuries of the Downfall...

Kay'li Fieran returns to Chorillan, to investigate the conflicting stories about Wildlings and government activities, and learn the truth. She is reunited with Lucas and becomes a friend to the Wildling community. As a Scout captain she has the power to dissolve the colonial government and place it under military rule, if necessary.

And the things she learns, including the abuse and murder of innocents, makes her fear that will be necessary, far too soon.

Off the Bookshelf: LEVERAGE IN DEATH, J.D. Robb

Is there anything better than getting a new book in a favorite series the DAY it officially releases?
How about not having to pay the hardback price? Thank you, Cuyahoga County Public Library system, and being able to order books online!
I ordered the physical book this time, instead of reserving an ebook of the latest In Death book -- the adventures of futuristic homicide cop Eve Dallas.

Is there anything more despicable than an emotionally stunted jerk who's out to punish the world because he decided he was cheated in childhood, and happy little families don't deserve to be happy? And if he can make a profit out of it while he's getting some payback, he should? How about two of these selfish bozos? How about, after threatening people with the torture and death of their loved ones, to make them commit horrible crimes, they turn around and say they were only bluffing, that their victims chose to do what they did, that they're to blame because they didn't call the bluff?

Go get 'em, Dallas, and lock the scumbuzzards up for a couple dozen consecutive life sentences.

As always, the tightly knit plot and search for creepazoid killers takes a close second place to the interaction of the characters and their personal lives, their affection for each other, their teamwork -- and of course, Dallas' continuing bafflement when it comes to things like fashion and pop culture and idiomatic phrases. *sigh* I was in agony whenever I had to put the book down to work and earn a living.

So, when does the next book come out?

Catching Up

This morning's Verse of the Day from my devotions/Bible reading app.

Hard to believe September is almost over!

Tonight is Homecoming at my alma mater, Cuyahoga Valley Christian Academy. Go, Royals!! If you're going to be there, either for the game or just to catch up with alumni, or you're a student or parent, hope to meet up with you. I'll be in the alumni tent and helping with cleanup. You have got to check out the great carnival set up for kids of all ages, and the food trucks and goodies provided by and for alumni.

Incredible developments over the last few months. Some of you probably heard, and others probably haven't: Desert Breeze Publishing, which did my Tabor Heights, Quarry Hall, and Guardians of the Time Stream series .... has closed its doors. All of those books (39 total) are off the market ... but only temporarily. I am turning over Tabor Heights and Quarry Hall and my SFR books, Blue Fire and Starblue to Writers Exchange of Australia. I will be re-releasing the Guardians of the Time Stream series through the new small press, Mt. Zion Ridge Press, starting in spring of 2019.

In fact ... I'm one of the founders of Mt. Zion Ridge Press. Check us out! https://mtzionridgepress.wixsite.com/mtzionridgepress

We have 2 books so far, and are gearing up to release our third late fall, with lots more slated for the next year. Right now we're re-releasing our orphaned DBP books, but we're going to be sending out invitations soon for people to submit for a Christmas anthology for 2019, and then late in 2019 we'll be opening the door for submissions. More on that later -- check out the MZRP site for details.

Here's the cover of our first book, available in paper and ebook. FROM THE LAKE TO THE RIVER: Buckeye Christian Fiction Authors 2018 Anthology. Very proud of this anthology that offers a lot of bite-sized stories for different tastes, genres, and time periods -- all set in Ohio!

If you're going to be in Troy next Saturday, October 6, PLEASE STOP IN at Around About Books, on W. Main Street, right off the center of town -- if you find the roundabout, you're close! I will be there with most of the authors participating in this anthology for a book release and booksigning. It'll be great fun! Check out Around About Books' website for more details.

Feature: BY FIRE AND STARS, Chorillan Cycle, Commonwealth Universe

SF from Writers Exchange:

Vidan was again reaching out to the stars: sadder and wiser... and cautious, unwilling to repeat the mistakes of the ancestors. The Commonwealth was born, reaching out to lost colonies and establishing new ones, rediscovering lost technology and how to navigate the star-ways. Many of the lost colonies not only survived but thrived--and they remembered their abandonment and the harsh centuries of the Downfall...

Lucas Aidan, Kay'li Fieran's childhood friend, faces the greatest fear of children born on Chorillan: Phase. His family tries to hide his condition and ease his torment during the worst part of the illness, but when tragedy strikes he flees into the wilderness. He learns to survive, guarded by Azuli and learning the secrets of the Wildlings who never returned from Phase.

When he is captured and brought back to civilization years later, he is a figure of legend, a leader for all Wildlings, and someone the corrupt government of Chorillan would do well to fear.

AVENGER: Star Trek Fan Fiction, Chapter 4

For your reading pleasure.

Now appearing on Wattpad:

https://www.wattpad.com/617013411-avenger-a-star-trek-fan-novel-avenger-chapter-4

Feature: SCOUTS; PRIDE, Chorillan Cycle, Commonwealth Universe

SF from Writers Exchange:

Vidan was again reaching out to the stars: sadder and wiser...and cautious, unwilling to repeat the mistakes of the ancestors. The Commonwealth was born, reaching out to lost colonies and establishing new ones, rediscovering lost technology and how to navigate the star-ways. Many of the lost colonies not only survived but thrived--and they remembered their abandonment and the harsh centuries of the Downfall...

When Miranda dies of the same degenerative disease that killed her father, Ian and their daughter, Kay'li, flee Chorillan to keep Miranda's powerful family from taking the child away from him. Ian returns to the Scout Corps, and Kay'li grows up on board the Leaper ship, Estal'es'cai, seeing first-hand the requirements and the price of true heroism.

Feature: AZULI EYES, Chorillan Cycle, Commonwealth Universe

SF from Writers Exchange:

Vidan was again reaching out to the stars: sadder and wiser... and cautious, unwilling to repeat the mistakes of the ancestors. The Commonwealth was born, reaching out to lost colonies and establishing new ones, rediscovering lost technology and how to navigate the star-ways. Many of the lost colonies not only survived but thrived--and they remembered their abandonment and the harsh centuries of the Downfall...

Scout Captain Ian Fieran cleans up operations after battling a Gen'gineer team that attacked and decimated a small colony. The crime of the colonists? Their genetics didn't suit the exacting standards of the Gen'gineers, who continue the dogma and goal of the Set'ri from centuries ago in their attempt to create the "perfect" Human genome. Captured data leads Ian and his team of Scouts across the galaxy to the Rim colony world of Chorillan, where they hope to track down a Gen'gineer nest.

At the same time, Miranda Riallon, a schoolteacher and daughter of very important members of the Colony Council, worries about one of her students. The boy is an orphan, and she wants to adopt him. However, Ranny shows all the signs of going into Phase--the sensory overload that hits some children near adolescence. No one knows what causes Phase, and there's no known cure. Some fear that the Azuli--sentient canines native to Chorillan--are stealing the children when they escape into the wilderness to ease their discomfort. When Ranny vanishes, Miranda heads into the forests of Chorillan to find him.

She meets Ian and his Scouts. They help her look for Ranny while she helps them hunt down the Gen'gineers. As each side educates the other, they come to a partnership, then friendship. The choices Ian and Miranda make during their hunt will change Chorillan for generations to come.

Off the Bookshelf: COILED, by H.L. Burke

There's been some excitement in the fantasy community over this book -- and well deserved!!

I heard the story talked about on various podcasts and on different Facebook groups, so I was pretty confident buying it.

COILED is lovely.

The simplest description is a re-telling of the Psyche and Cupid legend, and yet .... can I say WOW?

Laidra and her sister, and Calen and his brother are twins -- and more than that, both sets of twins are cursed at birth with what is called a mirror curse. And yet it's not the same curse in that the effects are not the same between both sets of twins. Laidra and Calen, our heroes, are considered the monsters .... and yet that is only physical. The personalities of their twins are truly the "monsters" in the story, and what their parents do to each other, to their children, and the lengths they go to try to break the curse and cure their children ... heartbreaking. And infuriating. I just wanted to reach through the screen and slap some of them. Don't get me started on the creep who put the curse on the innocent babies.

How enthralling is this story? I picked it up late at night, planning to read a couple chapters ... and finally stopped about 2am with dry eyes and about 20 percent of the book left to go. I would have finished it that night/morning, but I needed to get some sleep!

Take my advice and put aside a big chunk of time so you can read from cover to cover. You'll be glad you did.

AVENGER: Star Trek Fan Fiction, Chapter 3

For your reading pleasure.

Now appearing on Wattpad:

https://www.wattpad.com/617012885-avenger-a-star-trek-fan-novel-avenger-chapter-3

Feature: TAKSEARHE, Wildvine Book 6

Fantasy from Writers Exchange:

In multiple worlds, universes and dimensions of reality, there are tales of Hub Worlds where many different realms can meet and intersect. Some travel between worlds through the power of the mind and with Talents born into the blood, while others are chosen through vision and prophecy and step between worlds with the power of talismans. None can go to the others' worlds, except when they meet in a Hub World.

Wildvine County, somewhere in the United States, is that pivotal point where the travelers from multiple worlds and universes meet.

Bree has lived with the burden of knowing she's born to be a Taksearhe, the highest level of strength among all the Talents, with the ability to travel between worlds. Yet childhood trauma has blocked her gifts. She knows she travels to other worlds in her dreams yet can't remember where she went or how when she wakes up. The exiles from Rehdonna are depending on her, and she's willing to do whatever it takes to learn what's going on in her brain and dreams to awaken her gifts.

When she joins a dream and sleep study program at Lyndvale University, she's relieved when Dr. Harland, the man her mother is dating, takes her under his wing to protect and guide her. With the help of her roommates and then contacts in other worlds, she learns to awaken and control her gift, but not before she attracts the attention of evil forces that want to use her to open the doorway to Earth.

Bree's wishes come true, but the cost if she takes just one wrong step could deprive her of friends, her heritage, and the soulmate who's reached out to her from another world.

Off the Bookshelf: The JOY SPARTAN Series, by Ruth I Johnson

I remember reading and enjoying these books in the church library when I was in junior high. Funny, but they're almost as old as me ....

Joy Spartan is a PK -- preacher's kid -- in the 60s. A simpler age (allegedly), but still just as uncomfortable and demanding and frustrating and embarrassing for a pre-teen even without the demands of social media. Yeah, everyone still managed to watch every move a PK made, even without the help of the Internet.

Joy and her twin brother Roy got in trouble  with the stuffed shirts at church, as well as with peer pressure and normal problems that still plague kids today. Along the way, they solved a few mysteries and helped straighten out a few troublemakers, and even faced an escaped convict. Being a PK, she got more than her fair share of Bible verses flung at her, but I think she still turned out okay. Read these books for a bit of nostalgia, and share them with your kids, who might just find a trip to the deep dark distant pre-Internet past fascinating.

Joy Spartan of Parsonage Hill
Joy Spartan and Her Problem Twin
Joy Spartan and the Vacation Mix-Up
Joy Spartan and the Money Mix-Up
Joy Spartan and the Mystery in Room 7

Feature: APPRENTICE SOLAR, Wildvine Book 5

Fantasy from Writers Exchange:

In multiple worlds, universes and dimensions of reality, there are tales of Hub Worlds where many different realms can meet and intersect. Some travel between worlds through the power of the mind and with Talents born into the blood, while others are chosen through vision and prophecy and step between worlds with the power of talismans. None can go to the others' worlds, except when they meet in a Hub World.

Wildvine County, somewhere in the United States, is that pivotal point where the travelers from multiple worlds and universes meet.

A secret life is just as much a burden as a secret identity...

Jori's still recovering from her injuries earned on her first adventure in Unipuri when her college life turns upside down. While losing her pain-in-the-neck roommate is good news, she also loses the good one. Two friends in her dormitory rescue her from the dilemma of taking new roommates, and share their dorm room with her. Nothing in the world can compel Jori to mess up her new dorm situation.

However, she's now living in two worlds, and, as a result, some complications just can't be avoided. Jori enjoys learning to be a Solar, charged with protecting the doorway between worlds. The time differential between the Midworld and Earth is a big help in getting her homework done. She can't always hide her dual lives, when she puts her life on the line in the centuries-long war raging in Unipuri. Especially when she realizes her new roommates have secrets of their own. Even her dreams aren't private anymore.

Enemies of the Solars target Jori and manage to follow her from Unipuri to Earth with their magic, threatening her life and the ones she loves most. She was warned and trained, but at the end of the day, she's still just a college freshman.

Feature: OLD SOLAR'S SHOPPE, Wildvine Book 4

Fantasy from Writers Exchange:

In multiple worlds, universes and dimensions of reality, there are tales of Hub Worlds where many different realms can meet and intersect. Some travel between worlds through the power of the mind and with Talents born into the blood, while others are chosen through vision and prophecy and step between worlds with the power of talismans. None can go to the others' worlds, except when they meet in a Hub World.

Wildvine County, somewhere in the United States, is that pivotal point where the travelers from multiple worlds and universes meet.

Jori goes to Willowood College because of a promise her father made years ago when he was a student there. She only has to put in one year and then she can go to whatever college she prefers. When she walks into Old Solar's Shoppe her first day in town, prophecies spoken in another world awaken and claim her.

Lew has already lost one apprentice, and he isn't happy when the dreamstone marks Jori as his new apprentice, but he knows better than to disobey the will of Waetru. Lew and Jori become friends and he teaches her about the world called Unipuri. She believes Lew's stories are just a wonderful, complicated game.

Then an ancient evil attempts to reach across multiple universes and force protective barriers wide open. Jori's game becomes more real than anything she has ever known, changing her life forever...if she and Lew survive their first test as master and apprentice.