“There it is, love.” Elbows propped on the ship’s stern rail, he pointed into the radiant brushstrokes of the setting sun. “Can you see it?” he urged.
She strained to locate anything in the open water. “What am I looking for?”
He grinned, his face alight. “The future,” he breathed. He kissed the back of her fingers and placed her hand in the crook of his arm. “Our future. It is as bright as the sun.”
All she saw were the ripples of miles and miles of ocean waves. The future to her was still a world away. “When will it start?”
“Do you not know, my dear? It has already begun.”
~ From Twisted River (Hope or High Water Book 2)
Latest News
Yesterday was Thanksgiving here in the United States, a time when amid the turkey, stuffing, and pumpkin pie, we offer thanks for our country’s and our own personal blessings. Likewise, I want to offer a massive shout out of gratitude to you, my readers, for all of your continued support. A book is merely a bunch of words until someone reads it. Only then does it become a story. Having the opportunity to share my stories with you has been one of my greatest blessings. Often I still can’t believe that it’s actually a reality. Thank you for bringing my passion to life!
So, with the holidays coming up, what are the best gifts you can give an author? (Hint: most don’t cost a dime.)
Write a book review. Reviews help readers decide what they should and shouldn’t spend their time and money on. Even one sentence makes a big difference. And if you don’t feel comfortable leaving a public review, why not send a private note via the author’s contact page? I can’t speak for every author, but I think individual feedback can be some of the most helpful.
Suggest a library purchase. Libraries are one of the best ways for an author to find new readers.
Buy a book. If that’s my book, fantastic, but read whatever you enjoy. Authors are a team, not in competition. We enjoy helping each other succeed.
Interact. Follow your favorite authors on social media, then like, comment, or share. Social media algorithms are typically based on interactions rather than views. Pages with fewer interactions are more likely to disappear from your news feed.
Tell your friends. Most readers are more likely to choose a book recommended by someone they trust. Thank you to each and every one of you who have done so for me. Your recommendations are appreciated!
And speaking of telling your friends … here’s some more big news: Broken Lines has an official publication date! On April 25, 2020, get ready to travel back to pre-World War I America with police raids, high-stakes blackmail, and the usual dose of complicated romance. How far would you go to protect the ones you loved? How far would you go to protect yourself? And where is the line between the two?
Pre-order link will be available in the December newsletter, but you can read the full description here.
Recommended Reads
I love a good time travel novel. It’s one of my favorite genres. Unfortunately, most of them simply fall short. But when I started reading Lisa T. Bergren’s River of Time series about two 21st-century sisters who are transported to 14th-century Italy through the remains of an ancient Etruscan tomb, I blew through all five books within the month. Since I spend a LOT of time reading about the early 20th century, I don’t often find myself choosing a novel set during the middle ages, and I definitely learned some interesting new facts about the time period. If you read the author’s notes at the end of each novel, you’ll learn that she spent tons of time in research, actually traveling to Italy to experience it firsthand.
This series contains so many fantastic elements all woven together into an intricate story: strong female warriors, handsome chivalrous knights, a heaping of clean yet slightly steamy romance, a sprinkle of comedy, gorgeous gowns, epic battles, epic betrayals, and so many questioning loyalties. Not to mention the constant question of how to return to the future and the ever looming threat over the Black Plague. Whew! Not a dull moment. (Ok, fine, one disclaimer. I did find that the first few chapters of Waterfall moved a little slowly, but after that, I was hooked.) Due to cliffhangers at the end of the first two novels, recommended reading order is: Waterfall, Cascade, Torrent, Bourne and Tributary (novellas), then Deluge.
I was also excited to read on the River of Time Facebook page that Waterfall is currently being considered for a movie. So, fingers crossed that they get the contract and adapt it well! For more information on Lisa’s books, visit https://lisatawnbergren.com/
Upcoming Events
Stephens College St. Louis Alumnae Club Holiday Luncheon (Private Event) – December 2019
University City Library Local Author Event – February 25, 2020
St. Charles City-County Library Local Author Fair – Spring 2020 – Date TBD
PennedCon Writers Conference – September 17-19, 2020
Do you know of an organization, book club, fair, coffee shop, book store, etc. that would be interested in hosting an author talk, book signing, or needs an event speaker? I’m working on my schedule for the upcoming year and would love to meet some new faces! If so, send me a note via the contact page.
Share the Book Love
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This month’s main event was PennedCon, 190 authors and around 1,000 readers coming together to raise money for charity. Thank you to everyone who came out for the conference, whether you purchased my books or not. This year you helped raise $13,366 for Action for Autism. More incredible, on the final day of the conference, an anonymous donor matched that amount for a total of $26,732, bringing the conference’s six year total to over $89,000! That’s simply amazing! We’re helping change children’s lives all through love of reading.
With Halloween coming up next month, I decided to feature The Broken Girls by Simone St. James. Part murder mystery, part ghost story, this dual timeline novel follows journalist Fiona Sheridan in 2014 as she searches for answers to her sister’s murder over twenty years ago. Juxtaposed with her story is that of four friends in 1950 at Idlewild Hall, a boarding school for troubled girls and also the location of Fiona’s sister’s murder. Although the convicted killer sits in jail for the crime, Fiona can’t shake the feeling that there is more to the story. As she digs deeper into the mystery, she discovers long buried secrets within the school and learns that she may not be the only one seeking justice.
I also jumped into my PennedCon purchases this past week. Wanting something fun, I chose Chris Cannon’s The Dating Debate, the first in her Dating Dilemmas series. In short, it’s about Nina, a teenage girl who doesn’t believe in Valentine’s Day, loves books, and is searching for someone who is fluent in Harry-Potter-nerd-speak. And wouldn’t you know, the perfect guy just happens to live next door! Nina and West are cute and humorous together and have some equally entertaining sidekick friends (who are the leads in the next book). Although most of the novel is not mentally taxing, the author does address the issue of mental illness through West’s mother’s hoarding. The scenes where he discusses how her illness influences his life actually took me by surprise and were some of the most moving of the book.
It feels like this summer flew by, doesn’t it? Much of my time this month has been spent getting back into the swing of regular school days and the excitement of matron of honor duties for my friend’s upcoming wedding. For part of her bachelorette party, we painted wooden signs, and I’m pretty pleased with the results.
A Man Called Smith
Windsor, a couple who according to the novel, often seemed more interested in parties and appearances than the problems of their people.
This fall I will be attending PennedCon, a three-day writers and readers conference and two-day book signing that takes place September 12-14, 2019 in St. Louis, Missouri. This conference helped me navigate the beginnings of wide world of publishing and introduced me to many new authors, several of whom I’ve had the chance to connect with personally. This will be my fourth year attending, but the first as part of the signing room, and I’d like to offer you and a friend the chance to attend for FREE.
