Tyger Tyger by Kersten Hamilton - Get it for free

My friend, Kersten Hamilton, has a fantastic series that is based in Celtic mythology. Naturally, I love it. She was kind enough to read Awakening for me and give me a cover quote. Thanks Kersten!

The first book in the Goblin Wars series, Tyger Tyger, is the Apple book of the week this week! I don't know how she landed that sweet deal, but I hope she has fantastic success! 

I love this book, and I think you should go get your free copy! 

It is free on the iTunes bookstore and B&N right now, and will be free on Amazon soon.

Dream Cast of Awakening

Ok, so I'm not very good at this casting sort of thing, but my niece asked me to do this for a book report and I had so much fun picking actors and actresses (and Irish dancers) that I thought I'd share it with you. 

I love using Pinterest to brainstorm for my books. If you want to follow me on Pinterest, go ahead and click here. 

These are the actors and actresses I picked for the characters in Awakening. What do you think? Are there others that you would rather see? 

McKayla - Hailee Steinfeld

Perfect for McKayla with her dark hair, and her expressive face. 

Josh - Josh Hutcherson

He looks like a farm boy and like he's quietly contemplating the world around him.

Lucas - Zac Efron

Lucas, a nice guy who doesn't always think of other's feelings

 Taminy - Anna Kendrick

Snotty with a sliver of insecurity.

Christa - Hayden Panettiere

Best friend, ballerina and loves to do hair.

Maggie (Mom) - Emma Stone

I just love Emma Stone. She would be a great Maggie, subtle, but fiery.

William (Dad) - Joseph Gordon-Levitt

I just think he looks like a great dad.

Aunt Avril - Stockard Channing

Love this photo! She looks just like I imagine Aunt Avril to be! Quirky and confident.

Zoey - Georgie Henley

 She might be a bit too old for the role, but she fits Zoey--imaginative, talkative and fresh.

Cliona - Charlize Theron

 Can't you just see her screaming a banshee yell? I loved her as the wicked queen in Snow White and the Huntsman. 

Rourke - Joel Hanna

Joel is not an actor. He's a fantastic Irish dancer, and a friend of mine. 

Leah - Ciara Sexton

Ciara is another very talented Irish dancer. And she's very sweet. She would make a perfect Leah.

Pocket Full of Posies by Julie Coulter Bellon

New Release from Romantic Thriller Author Julie Coulter Bellon

Pocket Full of Posies by Julie Coulter Bellon

They say to keep your friends close and your enemies closer . . .

Hostage Negotiation Team member Bart Gutierrez is shocked to find Lucy Aguayo, a girl he knew as a teenager, working for the deadly Castillo drug cartel. This revelation uncovers a secret in Bart's family so big it forces him to accept a dangerous offer: infiltrate the cartel to keep his family safe.  Once inside the cartel’s headquarters he discovers that a large-scale attack on America is imminent and the only way to prevent it is to bring Lucy in on his plans---and hope she doesn’t betray him. 

 Lucy Aguayo has become a key player in the Castillo cartel, but not for money or power---she's on a mission of vengeance for her father's murder. Just when she gets a chance to bring down the cartel leader responsible, Bart Gutierrez appears, stirring up buried feelings and disrupting all her plans. But as the enemy closes in from all sides, Lucy must choose between being free from her past or finding justice for it.  Can she give up everything she’s ever worked for and reach for something more?

Available on Amazon 

Author Bio

Julie Coulter Bellon is the author of nine international romantic suspense novels and her book All Fall Down won the RONE award for 2012 Best Suspense/Thriller. Julie loves her work partly because she gets to travel to distant lands to research and add an authentic feel to all of her books. Her favorite cities so far are Athens, Paris, Ottawa, and London. She taught journalism at BYU for fourteen years and that kept her on the cutting edge of current events and world news---which is where she gets her story ideas.

Julie offers writing and publishing tips as well as her take on life on her blog ldswritermom.blogspot.com 

You can also find out about all her upcoming projects at her website juliebellon.com

Shout out for Heirs of War by Mara Valderran

Heirs of War by Mara Valderran

 When seventeen year-old Zelene finds herself thrust into a world of magic and prophecy, she discovers fighting destiny might not be the toughest battle she has to face. Now she must join with three other girls, complete strangers linked only by blood relation, to fight a war they know nothing of and rescue the twin sister she's never met.
~Published October 13th 2013 

I'm helping out with the Amazing Race over at Becca and Angela's. If you haven't checked it out, it's writers helping writers. It truly is amazing what they can do with the writing community! So here is a shout out for Mara Valderran. She's Indie published, like me. I haven't read her book, but take a look!

You can purchase it on Amazon.

Don’t Miss The Writers Helping Writers AMAZING RACE!

Angela Ackerman & Becca Puglisi at Writers Helping Writers (formerly The Bookshelf Muse) have added two more books to their Descriptive Thesaurus Collection: The Positive Trait Thesaurus: A Writer's Guide to Character Attributes and The Negative Trait Thesaurus: A Writer's Guide to Character Flaws. To celebrate, they are hosting a race, and not just any old race, either. It's the...

 
Writing is hard, isn't it? Create the perfect hook. Make your first page compelling. Craft an amazing 25 word pitch. Knock out a query that will blow an agent's mind. On and on it goes. And sometimes, well, you just wish someone would help.

WISH NO MORE!

From October 21st until October 27th, Writers Helping Writers is posting an OPEN CALL for writers. You can fill out a form, requesting help with critiques, book visibility, social media sharing, blog diagnostics, advice and more.

An army of Amazing Racers are standing by (ME INCLUDED!) waiting to help with your submissions. How many people can we help in a week? Let's find out! Did I mention there are Celebrity Racers too--amazing authors and editors who know their way around a first page. Maybe one of them will pick your submission to help with!

Each day this week, there's an AMAZING giveaway, too. So stop in at Angela and Becca's new Writers Helping Writers website and find out how to take advantage of this unique, pay-it-forward event for writers. I'll see you there! 

Photo Credit: Tharrin

Bookmarked Bargains - Awakening on sale for .99!

The Bookmarked Bargains sales event is going on right now. Between October 16-18th, books from these fantastic authors will be discounted or free!

Awakening will be available for .99, a discount of up to 6.99!

Click here to enter the Kindle drawing and find fabulous discounted books. 

Here's a list of who's participating:

Andrea Pearson

Anna del C. Dye

Cami Checketts

Cheri Schmidt

Christine Kersey

Christy Dorrity

Cindy Hogan

Heather Justesen

Ilyan Lavanway

Jaleta Clegg

Jason Morgan

Jordan McCollum

Joyce DiPastena

Julie Bellon

Karey White

Maria Hoagland

Michelle Pennington

Mikey Brooks

Monique Bucheger

Rachael Andersen

Rachel Branton

Rachel Nunes

Rebecca Shelley

Rebecca Talley

Sandra Norton Flynn

Stephanie Fowers

Tamara Heiner

Teyla Branton

 Vickie Hall  

The deals run Wednesday, October 16th through Friday, October 18th. 

Go get 'em!

Blog Tour - Blog This by Cami Checketts .99

Blog this by Cami Checketts

Will protecting children throughout the world cost Natasha her own family?

Devastated by the loss of her brother, Natasha Senecot works to expose the dangers of Matthew Chrysler’s violent video games, succeeding in bankrupting and humiliating him.
Chrysler retaliates and sends a hit man after her. Natasha is forced to fake her own death to protect her children, but after witnessing another tragedy, Natasha won’t hide any longer.
In a race against time, can Natasha expose Matthew Chrysler before his assassin murders her family and shatters her world?

Praise for Blog This

From the very first chapter, Blog This grabs your gut and your heart with surprising action and touching moments. Cami Checketts blends suspense, humor, and good clean romance into a story that will stick with you.
Daniel Coleman, Author of Gifts and Consequences

Loved it. Loved it. Loved it. Have read all of Cami’s books but Blog This is on the top of my list. Read it twice and enjoyed it just as much the second time. Just when you think you know what is going to happen you’re led into a different direction. Had a hard time putting the book down and was anxious to see how it was going to end.
Elsa Akinason

Get this! Blog This will be $.99 during the Bookmarked Bargains event - October 16-18th. Click here to purchase or read the first few chapters.

Blog Tour Schedule

About the author

Cami is a part-time author, part-time exercise consultant, part-time housekeeper, full-time wife, and overtime mother of four adorable boys. Sleep and relaxation are fond memories. She’s never been happier.

Please refer to her website – http://www.camichecketts.com for more information about her books. 

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Winner! Ghillies donated by Antonio Pacelli

Hullachan Pro donated by Antonio Pacelli
Photo: courtesy Antonio Pacelli

The amazing people at Antonio Pacelli were kind enough to donate a pair of Hullachan Pro ghillie Irish dance shoes for the launch of my novel, AWAKENING. 

Without further ado, the winner of the ghillies is......

Breezy Eberhart! Congratulations to you Breezy! I'll be in touch soon!

And a big thanks to everyone who participated and to all of you who helped out with my launch!

Irish dance diet - Harvesting the fruits of your labors

Christy Dorrity and Victoria Lambourne, TCRG,
at the launch party of AWAKENING
Photo: Kathleen Lamborn

Month: 11
Weight: 140
Weight lost: 15 pounds
Muscle gained: 17
Total fat loss: 32 pounds

For years I've been working hard. Not just on training my body, but on bettering my Irish dancing and writing a novel. It's been a great journey, full of hard work, sweat, and bumps in the road. Sometimes I've wondered if I would ever reach my goals, or if I would be happy when I arrived at the end of my journey.

This month I've seen the fruits of my labors rewarded in a harvest of plenty:

1-I am a hairs breath away from my personal training goals (can't wait for maintenance). It's been almost exactly a year from when I started, and I'm looking at solo dresses! More on that later. I can't tell you how good it feels to have my body in shape again. My body no longer gets in my way when I'm dancing, and I feel great!

2-My novel, AWAKENING, (about an Irish dancer) debuted this month, after four years of work. The launch was fantastic, blowing the doors off of the sales we expected to reach. My dance school hosted a launch party where we danced some Irish and I signed copies of the book. I can't tell you what that night meant to me. It was a fantastic blend of family, Irish dance, and the culmination of many years of hard work. Truly a bounteous harvest.

3-This weekend I went to the Southern California Open Feis in Redlands, CA, competing as an adult at the champion level. I placed last, but I danced hard and felt great about it. I felt accepted by the fellow competitors, the judge, and the teachers, and the satisfaction of being able to dance at that level was a boon.

I'll tell you what I tell the kids when I sign a book for them:

"Believe in the unseen, and follow your dreams!"

Yes, they really do come true!

Readers: Are you an Irish dancer or a dance school, competitive or not, with a story to share? Would you like to inspire others to feel your passion for Irish dancing and culture? Do you have a question about Irish dancing?

Last Day of the Blog Tour -- Awakening: Book One of The Geis

It's finally here! My book baby is born! Please celebrate with me:

Today is the last day of the blog tour. Thanks to all of you who participated! Awakening is on sale for as low as 2.99 currently.

Click here for a full listing of blog tours. Here are the blog stops for today, October 4th:

Lindzee Armstrong
Debbie Davis
Sheila Staley here and here
Danyelle Leafty
Jen Hunter

Purchase Awakening by Christy Dorrity:

  

About the Book

. . . because some Celtic stories won’t be contained in myth.

A little magic has always run in sixteen-year-old McKayla McCleery's family—at least that’s what she’s been told. McKayla’s eccentric Aunt Avril travels the world as a psychic for the FBI, and her mother can make amazing delicacies out of the most basic of ingredients. But McKayla doesn't think for a second that the magic is real—it’s just good storytelling. Besides, McKayla doesn’t need magic. She recently moved to beautiful Star Valley, Wyoming, and already she has a best friend, a solo in her upcoming ballet recital—and the gorgeous guy in her physics class keeps looking her way.

When an unexpected fascination with Irish dance leads McKayla to seek instruction from the mute, crippled janitor at her high school, she learns that her family is not the only one with unexplained abilities. After Aunt Avril comes to Star Valley in pursuit of a supernatural killer, people begin disappearing, and the lives of those McKayla holds most dear are threatened.

When the janitor reveals that an ancient curse, known as a geis, has awakened deadly powers that defy explanation, McKayla is forced to come to terms with what is real and what is fantasy. A thrilling debut novel based in Celtic mythology, Awakening is a gripping young adult fantasy rife with magic, romance, and mystery.

Praise for Awakening

"AWAKENING is a wonder and a delight. Christy Dorrity is a talent to watch."
~DAVID FARLAND, New York Times bestselling author of Nightingale

"Dorrity invites her readers to a céilí that will quicken the pulse of anyone with Ireland in their blood! AWAKENING will draw you deep into the mysteries of the Celtic worldview—and leave you wanting more of McKayla and her fascinating Aunt Avril!"
~KERSTEN HAMILTON, author of Tyger Tyger and the Goblin Wars books

"I thoroughly enjoyed AWAKENING, a captivating and unique debut novel that creatively integrates Irish dance."
~ CHRIS NAISH, Riverdance member and Creative Director of Fusion Fighters Irish dancers.

About the Author

Christy Dorrity lives in the mountains with her husband, five children, and a cocker spaniel. She grew up on a trout ranch in Star Valley, Wyoming, and is the author of The Geis series for young adults, and The Book Blogger’s Cookbooks. Christy is a champion Irish dancer and when she’s not reading or writing, she’s probably trying out a new recipe in the kitchen.

Blog Tour -- Awakening: Book One of The Geis

It's finally here! My book baby is born! Please celebrate with me:

A book signing party and Irish dance performance will be held this Saturday, September 28th, in Layton, Utah, at Legacy Irish Dance, from 6-8 pm.

And the two week long blog tour launches today. Click here for a full listing of blog tours. Here are the blog stops for today, October 3rd:

Jordan McCollum
Dalene K Rodman
Ashley
Christina Dymock
Chandra

Purchase Awakening by Christy Dorrity:

  

About the Book

. . . because some Celtic stories won’t be contained in myth.

A little magic has always run in sixteen-year-old McKayla McCleery's family—at least that’s what she’s been told. McKayla’s eccentric Aunt Avril travels the world as a psychic for the FBI, and her mother can make amazing delicacies out of the most basic of ingredients. But McKayla doesn't think for a second that the magic is real—it’s just good storytelling. Besides, McKayla doesn’t need magic. She recently moved to beautiful Star Valley, Wyoming, and already she has a best friend, a solo in her upcoming ballet recital—and the gorgeous guy in her physics class keeps looking her way.


When an unexpected fascination with Irish dance leads McKayla to seek instruction from the mute, crippled janitor at her high school, she learns that her family is not the only one with unexplained abilities. After Aunt Avril comes to Star Valley in pursuit of a supernatural killer, people begin disappearing, and the lives of those McKayla holds most dear are threatened.

When the janitor reveals that an ancient curse, known as a geis, has awakened deadly powers that defy explanation, McKayla is forced to come to terms with what is real and what is fantasy. A thrilling debut novel based in Celtic mythology, Awakening is a gripping young adult fantasy rife with magic, romance, and mystery.

Praise for Awakening

"AWAKENING is a wonder and a delight. Christy Dorrity is a talent to watch."
~DAVID FARLAND, New York Times bestselling author of Nightingale


"Dorrity invites her readers to a céilí that will quicken the pulse of anyone with Ireland in their blood! AWAKENING will draw you deep into the mysteries of the Celtic worldview—and leave you wanting more of McKayla and her fascinating Aunt Avril!"
~KERSTEN HAMILTON, author of Tyger Tyger and the Goblin Wars books

"I thoroughly enjoyed AWAKENING, a captivating and unique debut novel that creatively integrates Irish dance."
~ CHRIS NAISH, Riverdance member and Creative Director of Fusion Fighters Irish dancers.

About the Author

Christy Dorrity lives in the mountains with her husband, five children, and a cocker spaniel. She grew up on a trout ranch in Star Valley, Wyoming, and is the author of The Geis series for young adults, and The Book Blogger’s Cookbooks. Christy is a champion Irish dancer and when she’s not reading or writing, she’s probably trying out a new recipe in the kitchen.

Christmas anthology coming on November 1st.

What do Witches, Elves, and Greek gods (Oh My) have in common? They are part of the romantic Christmas anthology, A Fantasy Christmas, written by Cindy C Bennett, Stephanie Fowers, and Sherry Gammon. This exciting collection of fantasy stories will be available on November 1^st. Watch here for blog tour info! http://afantasychristmasthenovel.blogspot.com/

             

                                                                          

Halfling  by CindyC Bennett

Banished from the South Pole, Kara tries to carve out a new life among the elves of the North. It’s not easy with a secret to protect—a secret she's cursed with by the unusual circumstances of her heritage: half-elf, half-fairy. In the North, she’s assigned to work with Seb on a special project. He's the most gorgeous elf she’s ever seen - and the orneriest. 

As if being banished wasn’t punishment enough. 

Seb introduces her to Trystin, a fairy from the nearby fairy forest. Trystin discerns her secret right away and promises to teach her how to use the powers given to her by the very thing she’s fighting to keep hidden.

                                                                

                                                         

Loving Marigold by Sherry Gammon

Young Marigold Yarrow has a secret. She’s also in love with Jack Mahoney. In the middle of her ninth grade year, Jack's family up and moves to Port Fare, New York, leaving the small town of Sugar Maple, West Virginia - and Marigold - far behind.

Nine years later Jack and Marigold meet again. They join forces to weed out the shady Abbott boys. The unscrupulous brothers are illegally selling moonshine near her home on Sugar Maple Ridge. And they'll do anything to get Marigold to leave the ridge. Anything.

But this time it could be magic that tears Jack and Marigold apart.

 Aphrodite by Stephanie Fower

Nothing is simple for Aphrodite’s daughter, especially love. 

Scorned by society in regency England, Affry longs for romance. Upon encountering a dashing nobleman at her aunty's Christmas' ball, Affry gets caught in a lovely intrigue with disastrous results. Worse, she wins the interest of the gods. Now the furies of the underworld and Hades himself are after her. 

When all is fair in war,  Affry must use love as her weapon—but only for the one who’s stolen her heart.

Cover reveal and Giveaway for The Accidental Marriage by Annette Haws

About THE ACCIDENTAL MARRIAGE:

Nina Rushforth was born with a silver spoon caught in her throat. She and her father have mapped out a future that includes a brilliant legal career, a marriage to an equally stellar attorney or Wall Street whiz kid, and eventually the production of three perfect children. A semester at St. Andrew's University in Scotland, was part of the plan, but falling in love with a handsome missionary was not. Six months later, after Elliot returns from his mission and after a tumultuous courtship, Nina finds herself teaching at a junior high school, learning to keep house in a minuscule apartment, and living with a man who doesn't know any more about being married than she does. Intimacy, cooking, laundry, lesson plans, and a tug-of-war with a possessive mother-in-law prove to be more overwhelming than Nina can successfully manage. The newlyweds awaken to realize the head on the adjacent pillow belongs to a stranger. This novel captures the heartbreak of young love caught in the turbulent social crosscurrents of the 70's, at a time when brave women struggled to find dignity and equality in the workplace, as well as peace at home.

Publication Date: December 10, 2013 ISBN: 9781462113743 Publisher: Cedar Fort Publishing

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Author-Annette-Haws/449482665167812
Website: http://annettehaws.com/
Blog: http://annettehaws.com/?page_id=14
Book on Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/18275669-the-accidental-marriage Annette on Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/1404936.Annette_Haws

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