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Tuesday, June 25, 2013

Congratulations to Linda Weaver Clarke on her NEW Release, "The Rebels of Cordovia"




The Stories of Robin Hood is Inspiration for The Rebels of Cordovia

We celebrate Independence Day, remembering the freedom we fought for centuries ago. Many patriots had to pay for this freedom with their lives and we are grateful to those who fought for our liberty. In this new novel, you get a glimpse of what another country had to fight for, as well. The freedom of speech, the freedom of equality, and the freedom to worship as we please! No one could have a greater gift than this.

This tale will entertain those who enjoy bits of adventure, humor, mystery, and a tender love story. The stories of Robin Hood have enchanted readers for years. In our youth, we enjoyed hearing the escapades of Robin Hood and were spellbound by each story and how he cared for the people. How awesome would it be to live during that time period just because of Robin Hood! In The Rebels of Cordovia, a similar story is created but centuries after the legend of Robin Hood. But this time, there are two major groups of rebels fighting for the rights of the people. Daniel, a good-looking rogue, would be the leader of the Freemen. Robin Marie, a young woman, would be the leader of Robin’s Rebels. Each leader is an expert archer and swordsman. With bits of adventure and delectable kisses, this tale will entertain anyone who enjoys a sweet romance.

In The Rebels of Cordovia by Linda Weaver Clarke, the time period is set in the late 1700s. Centuries after the legendary Robin Hood, a group of men and women find themselves fighting for the same cause: for their rights, for freedom of speech, and equality. Robin’s Rebels realize they must fight against the tyranny of a wicked king and help the people survive this oppression. In the small country of Cordovia, groups of rebels begin springing up, but its Robin’s Rebels who get the attention of the king.

In this battle for freedom, a tender love story begins to blossom. Daniel, a rogue and a leader of the Freemen, doesn’t realize that the sweet feminine woman he has met and is falling for happens to be the leader of Robin’s Rebels. Realizing the importance of uniting all the rebel groups, Daniel tries to recruit Robin’s Rebels but they refuse. Now he has to find a way to convince them. When he finds out the leader is actually a woman, what will his reaction be?

Author Anna Del C. Dye wrote: “What a fun and interesting tale The Rebels of Cordovia is. A very good story to keep you glued all the way to the end. I really enjoyed the romance mingled with the fights. It is a well-paced tale to give you entertainment next to a warm fire in the rain. Linda writes a good, clean, and sweet romance, for young adults and adults alike. You will enjoy this story to the end.”

Read a sample chapter here: http://www.lindaweaverclarke.com/rebels.html

The Rebels of Cordovia by Linda Weaver Clarke
Genre: Sweet romance
ISBN: 978-1484147658
Price: $12.95, Ebook: $2.99 

Monday, June 17, 2013

Welcome, Author Gail Pallotta and her new release, STOPPED COLD!



Today I am thrilled to welcome the wonderful author Gail Pallotta to Gina's World of Good. Gail will be discussing her newest release, STOPPED COLD, which is already stopping traffic on the sales charts! Welcome, wonderful author, blogger and friend - Gail! Let's start with chatting about your thoughts on writing.



As an author, what makes a book great in your eyes?

I love to read, so it’s difficult for me to find a book I don’t like, but there are a few I’ve read that stand out. Those touched my heart on a personal level and had meaning for mankind as well.

Tell us a little about what you are working on.

I recently finished an adult romantic comedy with suspense. It’s a fun book with surprises. Also, I’m writing a romance about a young girl with a mysterious illness.
Let’s talk about the book you’d like to promote today.  How did you come up with the title and where can we find it?

Stopped Cold is a sports mystery. In it the heroine looks for drug dealers who sold her brother the steroid that caused him to have a stroke. As I worked on Stopped Cold, I thought of titles that had something to do with sports and came up with the word “game.” Pondering further, it dawned on me that some might think of taking drugs as a game, so I titled the book A Dangerous Game. Another day while writing about the young man who took the steroid, I thought, “Man, he was stopped cold.” I changed the title.

Here are buy links for Stopped Cold:


What was your first reaction when you got a glimpse of your cover art?

Excitement. It validated that I really had a book coming out soon.

Please give us a blurb and excerpt!

The Book Blurb:

Margaret McWhorter enjoys a laid-back Freshman year in high school flirting with Jimmy Willmore, swimming and hanging out with friends—until that day. Her brother, Sean, suffers a stroke from taking a steroid. Now he’s lying unconscious in a hospital. Margaret’s angry at her dad for pushing Sean to be a great quarterback, but a fire of hatred burns inside her to make the criminals pay.
Looking for justice, she takes Jimmy and her best friend, Emily, through a twisted, drug-filled sub-culture. A clue sends them deep into the woods behind the school where they overhear drug dealers discuss Sean.
Time and time again they walk a treacherous path and come face to face with danger. Even the cop on the case can’t stop them from investigating. All the while Margaret really wants to cure Sean, heal the hate inside, and open her heart to love.
An Excerpt:
My heart flip-flopped, my feelings in a boxing match. Sean
was so sick. I couldn’t understand why he took the steroid.
Trying to figure it out haunted me day and night like a ghost
inside my head that wouldn’t shut up howling. Then Jimmy
gave me attention, and I was all flowers and sunshine.
How ironic that Sean’s illness brought Jimmy and me
together. Maybe we would have gotten to know each other
better anyway. I’d never know for sure, but Sean would be
glad for me. The need to find the people who hurt him burned
in my stomach like a raging fire. “Wednesday sounds good.
Can we go after my swim practice?”
Suzie put her palms on the table. “That’s good for me. I have
to go to French Club Wednesday after classes.”
“Let’s meet in front of the gym at four-thirty.” Jimmy stood.
“I’ll see you then.”
He left, and Emily leaned across the table. “Sometimes I
wonder if Candy’s as out-of-it as she acts. I can’t see Sean
dating her.”
“If I didn’t know Sean, I’d think he did it to aggravate Dad.
But Sean’s not spiteful. He tries to please people.” Tears
forcing their way to my eyes caused me to blink. “You know
what? He probably did it because Candy hangs out with the
football players. You can see how they all flip out over her.”
Emily peered at me with sad dark eyes. “Sean deserved
better.”
“I know. I wish I’d talked to him about her and steroids.”
“You can’t blame yourself for what happened.”
How could I not blame myself? He got no help from me
when he needed it most.
Joe Garrett walked past us then meandered through the
students toward the doorway.
“Do you think he heard us make plans?” Emily tilted her
head toward Joe.
“No, we weren’t talking loud. There’s so much noise in here
I doubt he could hear anything.”
A glint danced in Emily’s eyes. “You’re probably sorry
Jimmy left. In case you haven’t noticed, he’s totally into
you.”
I couldn’t have stopped my grin if I’d wanted to. “You think
so?”
“Oh, yeah.” Emily nodded. “I’m glad he’s going with us
Wednesday.”
“So am I. Thanks for asking him.”
“You’re welcome.” Emily shifted her gaze to my plate. “You
have to keep up your strength. We’re not leaving until you
eat.”
Seeing Candy, the talk about the temple, and the shame of
telling Jimmy about Sean had squashed my appetite. “Emily,
I can’t. My stomach’s churning.”
Emily’s dark eyes turned stern. “You have to.”
I rubbed my stomach.
“Think of something soothing and eat.”
My thoughts turned to the warmth I’d seen in Jimmy’s eyes
the day he told me he was keeping Sean in his prayers. The
first nibble of my french fry tasted better than I thought it
would. Now, the chicken sandwich. Yum.
Emily grinned. “After you eat it all, I’ll take you home.”
Since Sean had been in the hospital, Emily looked after me.
Guess she realized there was no one else to do it. “You
sound like my mom, but for a ride, I’ll do it. I’m too tired to
wait on the bus.”
Emily laughed. “I’m more like a big sister.”
I cleaned my plate. “There.”
Emily and I strolled out of The Grill to her car. The
conversation Candy had with the football players replayed in
my mind and fueled my hatred of the drug dealers. Seemed
like Candy thought steroids were a big joke. Did she really
know something about the temple?
Emily turned on the radio and kept her eyes on the road. “I
love this song.”
It was a soft, love tune. Tears pooled in my eyes. With all of
the hurt and anger in my heart there wasn’t room in my life
for such songs. “It’s pretty.”

 Thank you for visiting, Gail! Leave a comment and you'll be entered to win an e-book copy of  STOPPED COLD. Good luck!

Tuesday, June 11, 2013

Welcome, Author Nike Chillemi ~ Crime Fictionista!

Today I am delighted to welcome author Nike Chillemi for a visit to Gina's World of Good. Nike will share her thoughts on writing and specifically, her book BURNING HEARTS, published by Desert Breeze Publishing. Welcome, Nike!





Regina: As an author, what makes a book great in your eyes?

Nike: The characters, first and foremost, determine a great work of fiction. If the author hasn't presented compelling characters who I love to love, or love to hate, then it's a waste of an interesting plotline. I don't care if it's a seat of the pants ride, if I haven't become emotionally invested in the characters I won't become fully engaged in the story.

Regina: Tell us a little about what you are working on.

Nike: I'm leaving the world of historical whodunits w/romance and venturing into contemporary mysteries w/romance. I'm constructing a series with really strong, spunky private investigator and law enforcement heroines and stalwart heroes who are sometimes exasperated by these impulsive, but very capable females. My heroes are three-dimensional and ultimately can handle relationships with complicated women. There is a huge amount of humor, some of it all out funny, or zany, with moments of satire. I'd compare it with some of the work of Susan Issacs (humorous romantic suspense) or Jaqueline Girdner (comic California murder mysteries) or Chris Well (Earl Walker series, hilarious Christian mysteries).


Regina: What is the hardest scene you had to write in this piece?

Nike: The first work to introduce this new contemporary series is a novella, HARMFUL INTENT. My heroine is a girl-next-door private investigator from Brooklyn, NY who goes to Abilene, TX where she is accused of murdering her husband of one year. There were two difficult scenes to write. The first was searching the husband/murder victim's hotel room. I rewrote it several times to get the police procedure correct. The second was writing the scene when my female PI discovers the body of the second victim of the murder(s). I'm a victim's rights advocate. The second victim is a sympathetic character and I wanted to be honest about the brutality of murder and also wanted to be sensitive to my victim and respectful.


Regina: Let’s talk about the book you’d like to promote today.  How did you come up with the title and where can we find it?

Nike: I'm promoting BURNING HEARTS (arson/murder, action, romance, and humor). It's gotten all four and five star reviews on Amazon and Barnes and Noble. The title is a play on words. It's an arson/murder whodunit. The story opens with an arsonist burning down a house, killing the owner. But it's also a "sweet" romance in which Erica and Lorne yearn for each other, but they care so deeply, their hearts are burning, so to speak. It's actually my debut novel which Desert Breeze first published as an ebook, but it's now come out in print and I'm very excited about that. I love ebooks and was completely happy with it in electronic format, but I do know there are readers who only read print and now it's available for them.

Regina: What was your first reaction when you got a glimpse of your cover art?

Nike: When I first saw the cover for BURNING HEARTS I'd never had my own cover before and didn't know what to expect or what it should look like. The I'm afraid I asked Desert Breeze Art Director, Jenifer Ranieri, some pointed (though hopefully not rude, no seriously, never that) and stupid questions...all out of ignorance and beginner's fear. Here I am, now a multi-published author, and I can laugh about how wet behind the ears I was back then. The fact is Jen's cover for the novel is gorgeous and the other covers in the series are equally awesome. I keep getting wonderful complements on the covers.


Please give us a blurb and excerpt!

BURNING HEARTS: Historical Murder Mystery with Romance, mid-1940s
---arson/murder, action, and romance
---Sweet romance, sophisticated themes presented tastefully
---Finaled in 2011 Grace Awards Romance/Historical Romance category

Can a sheltered young seamstress, disillusioned by the horrors of WWII, escape an arsonist/murderer who has killed her employer and mentor, while trying to decide if she can trust the dashing war hero who’s ridden into town on his Harley—who some say is the murderer?

Erica Brogna’s parents doted on her and taught her to think for herself. Many boys she grew up with had fallen in WWII, shaking her childhood faith. In rides a handsome stranger, at the hour of her most desperate need. A woman who is her close friend and mentor is trapped in a burning house. After making an unsuccessful rescue attempt, Erica stands by as this man rushes into the inferno and carries her friend’s lifeless body out.

Lorne Kincade can’t out run his past on his Harley Davidson WLA, the civilian model of the motorcycle he rode in the war. He’s tried. He’s been a vagabond biker in the year since the war ended. His Uncle Ivar bequeathed him a ramshackle cottage in Sanctuary Point, on the Great South Bay of Long Island, NY and now he’d like to hope for a future again, repair the miniscule place, and settle down. The only problem is, a young woman with hair the color of mink is starting to get under his skin and that’s the last thing he needs.

Excerpt:

Chapter One
Long Island, New York
September 1946

Erica Brogna hurried down Hill Street, eager to sketch her new design, a forest green taffeta dress with a swirling skirt for a twenty-fifth wedding anniversary -- her first significant assignment. She paused to inhale the salt scent on the ocean breeze, and her gaze lingered on a copse of red, rust, and gold maples near Ada's house and dress shop.
She smiled, pulling her cardigan tight around her, and dropped the newspaper Poppa asked her to bring to her mentor and employer. She retrieved the paper and saw Bess Truman smiling as she entered Walter Reed Army Hospital. With the war over, the First Lady visited broken soldiers in long-term care. Erica slapped the paper closed before rage and depression overtook her. So many boys had not come home.
Chin jutted out, she smoothed the pleats of her skirt and marched toward Ada's house.
She'd think on pleasant things and hand the paper over without a fuss as she did every morning.
Nothing would ruin this day.
She climbed Ada's wooden front steps and opened the door.
Smoke filled the living room Ada had turned into a fabric shop. Erica waved a hand in front of tearing eyes. Gray vapors, like swirling fog, partially obscured bolts of fabric stacked against the opposite wall.
"Ada! Ada, answer me please." Dropping the newspaper, Erica rushed toward the stairs, trampling Bess Truman's image. "Ada can you hear me?"
Coughing, she grabbed on to the cutting table in the middle of the room, steadied herself, and reached for the phone -- no dial tone. Perhaps the fire melted the line.
She yanked the collar of her blouse over her nose and mouth against the smoke. The stairs loomed before her, seeming as impossible to scale as Mount Everest. She lunged forward, gripping the baluster, and thrust herself up two steps. Since Ada wasn't outside, she had to be upstairs.
As Erica climbed, the smoke thickened and swirled around her. It was darker with each step.
One hand clasped the rail and pulled, and she advanced a few more steps. Heat blasted against her skin from above, and soft crackling sounds drew her gaze to the upstairs landing.
Squinting into the smoke, she lost her grip on the banister, missed the next step, and fell backward tumbling to the bottom.
The back of her head smacked against the baluster, and wooziness followed sharp pain.
She tried to stand but couldn't get her bearings.
Will triumphed over ability. She hoisted herself, ignoring the dull throb at the back of her skull. Her palms stung, the skin scraped off during her fall. She took a deep breath, and a coughing fit seized her. Shallow breaths were the better alternative.
Planting her penny loafer on the bottom step, Erica began her climb again, shaken but with new resolve. If she could reach the top of the stairs, she could also make it to Ada's bedroom.
Halfway up, the scratches on her palms pulsated as the temperature rose. So did her knees -- must've scraped those, too. The pungent smoke shrouding her darkened, and grit clung to her skin. She couldn't see the banister or the top of the stairs and each breath took effort.
Poppa's lectures on fire drills flashed into mind -- stay low in a fire to get fresh air. She dropped to her knees and crawled, ignoring her pain. A sickening smell made her stomach lurch.
Inch by inch she crept, now three quarters of the way up. Hot, putrid air assaulted her windpipe, and she doubled over, her insides trembling.
Heaving herself forward, she maneuvered up one more step, but the smoke pushed back, choking her. She sobbed, knowing she couldn't make it to Ada, and scrambled down, hoping she could find help.


Regina: That excerpt totally grabbed me, Nike! Name two things readers would be surprised to know about you.

Nike: A ways back, I was a pet rescuer for about five years and even had a small animal shelter in my basement complete with cages were stray cats and dogs could live until they were adopted. I rescued and adopted about nearly 50 dogs and cats. The other thing is that I worked in marketing in the bridal industry before I started writing professionally.

Regina: What is your favorite place in the whole world?

Nike: Key Largo, Florida (and some of the other lesser well known keys). I find them relaxing, romantic in the classical and personal sense. The Florida Keys are a great place to kick back.

Regina: If you didn’t have to worry about counting calories or fat, what’s the first food you’d reach for?

Nike: An authentic Florida homemade key lime pie.

Regina: Mmm- great choice! Speaking of choices, if someone hasn't read any of your work, Nike, what book would you recommend they start with and why?

Nike: I always like to start reading a series from book one, so I'd recommend BURNING HEARTS, the first in my historical whodunit series. That way readers can get to know all the people of Sanctuary Point, my fictitious bayside village. Characters from the first novel reprise in the later novels as secondary and minor characters. All the types you'd have in any tiny village. Of course, HARMFUL INTENT will be coming out soon and is book one in my new contemporary series.


Thanks for spending a bit of time with Gina’s World of Good and best wishes for your continued success. 

Leave a comment for Nike and you may win a pdf copy of one of her books.

Here's a link to finding Nike on the Web: 
Nike Chillemi ~ Crime Fictionista  http://nikechillemi.wordpress.com

 

Sunday, June 2, 2013

Welcome to the Cuffe Sisters and A WOMAN LIKE ME




Today I am so delighted to welcome the wonderful sisters, Sadie and Sophie Cuffe, who will discuss their writings, especially their newest project, A WOMAN LIKE ME. Welcome, Sadie and Sophie and thank you for visiting this week!


Are You A Woman Like Me?

by Sadie & Sophie Cuffe

We first thought about A WOMAN LIKE ME several years ago and pitched it to Christian publishing houses and agents, but none saw its potential, or they felt there were already similar items on the market. So we shelved the idea and worked on our other writing projects, but AWLM was always hovering, demanding her space.  Then in December 2012 we got the idea to make it a year-long blog project. We figured we had plenty of time and decided to wait until after Christmas. Who knew that week between Christmas and New Year's Eve was so short?

We finally got our act together and launched our fusion of Christian fiction and daily devotions on December 31st, 2012. Tuesday is fiction day and features one chapter of our work-in-progress novel A WOMAN LIKE ME. Wednesday is a devotion specifically tailored to our heroine and features her personal thoughts in a journal entry (but we control her thoughts mwahaha!). Friday is our guest slot where we post devotions written by women like us - (basically if you're a Christian female, you qualify LOL).

We'd LOVE to hear from our fellow sisters in Christ - you don't have to be a writer, just a lover of the Lord. It can be as simple as a shared testimony, or a story, song, or event that moves you. Word count is 350, with an additional sentence or two at the end (that doesn't figure into the wc) that tells a little bit about you, and includes a link to your website/blog/fb page/books, whatever.

If we had a back page for our book, the back page blurb would read as follows:

When Susanna Jacobs discovers a discarded Bible with the name Joanne Voss penned on the inside cover, she searches the Scriptures for insight into this mystery woman's identity, and her imagination runs wild. She finds Joanne, but her expectations are crushed when this stranger refuses to accept her Bible. 
Susanna can't let it go, and she and Joanne develop an antagonistic relationship which changes both women forever. Along the way Susanna finds herself, but not before she nearly loses her identity, her daughter, and her husband's love.
Susanna's fictional journey mirrors many of the contemporary issues of Christian women today. A Woman Like Me dovetails a magazine-style serial with a year of Biblical wisdom as each woman steps out in her own Spiritual journey.
 
We hope you'll visit (maybe even follow us, but not in a creepy stalker way LOL) atwww.awomanlikemeblog.com <http://www.awomanlikemeblog.com/>  and we'd love it if you'd consider submitting a devotion for a Friday. There are still 30 of them (yikes!). 

 We soooo appreciate Gina's kindness in hosting us here, that we're offering a free PDF of one of our ebooks from Desert Breeze Publishing - reader's choice.  You can check them out at our author page on Amazon http://tinyurl.com/q9ulwjn to determine your preference.

Blessings,
Sadie & Sophie