I’m thrilled to be participating in this Blog Hop.  The purpose of this blog hop is to promote Charlene Raddon’s latest release, The Scent of Roses, as well as the work of each of the participating bloggers. Be sure to read to the end of this page so you don’t miss out on the grand prize. Also be certain you visit each blog and comment to qualify for the individual giveaways, and the big prize.

Charlene Raddon has been writing historical romance novels for over thirty years. Her work has won several awards and much well-deserved praise.

 

Here is what she has to say about her newest release:

Any day when a new book is released is exciting for the author. I’m thrilled to announce that my eBook, The Scent of Roses, is now available.

The Scent of Roses is a sequel to my last eBook, To Have And To Hold, but stands alone and does not need to be read in order to be enjoyed. Whip Kincaid, from The Scent of Roses, is the half-brother of Buck Maddux from To Have and To Hold. Whip also has a twin, Cale, who readers met in Buck’s story, which gives me an excuse to write a third book for this series.

The added touch of paranormal elements made The Scent of Roses a fun story to write. Who doesn’t enjoy haunted houses with hidden passageways? When I first moved to Utah, I lived in this house. No, there weren’t any secret passageways, but in every other way, my description of the old house is accurate. The third element new in this book is the subject of polygamy.

 

Rosalyn Delaney came to Whisky Ridge, Arizona expecting to receive aid from her estranged husband, Josiah Bullock, in escaping the crazed leader of a polygamist cult determined to have her. She’s broke and has nowhere else to go. But Josiah is dead, murdered the very evening of her arrival. The town is in uproar, searching for the suspected killer, Josiah’s business partner, Whip Kincaid. Rosalyn also learns that Josiah has taken a second wife.

Whip is innocent but to prove that, he needs to stay out of jail. He hides in secret passageways in the old house he and Josiah shared. Smythely, the elderly butler who came with the house, is the only other person aware of the passageways. Lurking between spiderwebbed walls and using the abundance of peepholes provided allows Whip to keep up with what’s going on. Sneaking out at night allows him to investigate. He’s particularly interested in Rosalyn Delaney, and for more than one reason. Besides being attracted to her, he’s sure she knows something about the murder.

But does she? Is she safe at Rose House? Will she be safe from Whip Kincade?

I hope you enjoyed this peek into The Scent of Roses. Find it here, at Amazon.com.

We’re not done yet, though…

BE SURE TO LEAVE A COMMENT WITH CONTACT INFORMATION. AT THE END OF THE HOP, A NAME WILL BE DRAWN FROM THOSE WHO VISITED AND COMMENTED AT EVERY BLOG. PRIZE IS A $45 GIFT CARD FOR AMAZON OR B&N, WINNER’S CHOICE. Other bloggers are also offering giveaways so make sure you hit them all.  For example, me – you can win copies of all four books of my Dream series in the eBook format of your choice, which is pretty cool.  Since you’re already at my website, you can find out more about my books with just one click.  Or you can just go straight to Amazon and buy them!

And what are those other blogs on this Blog Hop, so you can enter the giveaway?  I’ve got the list for you right here…

May 31,  http://www.heartoffiction.blogspot.com/

May 31  http://www.hurricanereads.blogspot.com

June 1  http://www.charleneraddon.blogspot.com )

June 2, http://authortammieclarkegibbs.blogspot.com/

June 3  http://carolineclemmons.blogspot.com/

June 4  http://writingdreams.net/  (you’re already here!)

June 5  http://ciaragold.blogspot.com/ 

June 7, http://peggylhenderson.blogspot.com/

June 8, http://alisonhenderson.blogspot.com /

June 9, http://www.pamelaforeman.com/

June 10 http://annettedrake.com/annettes-blog/

June 11, http://elizabethdelisi.blogspot.com/

June 12, http://www.patyjager.blogspot.com/

June 14 http://www.wittyonlineeditor.com

June 15  http://blog.cathymansell.com/

June 16, www.katerobbinsauthor.com/ 

June 17 http://tinafosterspageturner.blogspot.com/

June 18  http://ccrawley210.wordpress.com/

June 19, http://lynhorner.blogspot.com/

June 21  http://ketaskeep.blogspot.com/

June 22, http://www.raintrueax.blogspot.com

June 23, http://bethtrissel.wordpress.com

 

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We’ve got a couple of things going on this week…

Tomorrow, we’re featuring a great indie author, Charlene Raddon.

Thursday, I’ll be on the internet radio again, at 8:45 PM on The Author’s Corner with Elaine Reco Chase.

Sometime in the four weeks, the audiobook of Dream Student will be ready.

And I’ve figured out who should play Sara’s mother, in the hypothetical future film version of the Dream books: Nicola Bryant, who played companion Peri Brown on Doctor Who back in the 1980’s.  She’s just the right age now to play Betty Barnes:

 

And I decided that Amanda Seyfried would make a pretty good Beth (although, since she’s 28 now, the college-age Beth is a bit of a stretch, but with some Hollywood magic, I’m sure that could be worked out!)

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Courtesy of Saskia Book Tours, I’ve got another fantastic indie author and a great new book to feature today, and a giveaway, too (but you have to read to the end!)

The author is Donna Hawk, who we last met just a week ago here!

 

Here’s what Donna has to say about herself:

I have been a teacher in Kansas for 33 years. I enjoy writing, riding my bicycle, and spending time with my husband. I am an avid photographer and Photoshop user. Currently, I am working on a dark trilogy for young adults, the first of which I am hoping will be completed by the end of the summer 2013.
If you have any questions for me, you can email me at: bydonnahawk@gmail.com

You can follow her at her website,, on Facebook, via Twitter and at Goodreads.  I’ve also got a NEW interview with her:

Question: What have you published recently?

My first book was published in 2010, Desert Gold, The Legend of Chinook, my second was published March 2012, Of Stone & Mist. I am currently working on the third book of the Mortgatha trilogy, aimed for teens and up. The first book will be called Where Darkness Walks, the second is Tattered Heart, and the third is Shadowed Hands. It is a dark fantasy/paranormal story about a girl who finds a flying carpet….

Question: How, and when, did you decide to become a writer?

I have always loved to write. I wrote my first full-length manuscript in 1981, but was never brave enough to pursue a writing career. The book is full of old-fashioned notions, but it makes me laugh when I read it, at least! I actually have 4 or 5 hidden, secret manuscripts! I retired from teaching to write.

Question: Where can we find your published writing?

My eBooks can be found on Smashwords, iTunes, Amazon, Barnes & Nobel, and other retailers. The print books can be found on Amazon and Barnes & Nobel. I’ve seen them other places, too, but I think Amazon & B&N are the most popular.

Question: What is a typical day like for you as a writer?

My very best time of the day is first thing in the morning. My mind is the most creative and clearest then. In the summer, that early morning time will compete with me wanting to go out for a walk or bike ride before the sun is hot, but I usually manage to work it out. I write until early afternoon, then I stop and get fresh air. I write a lot in the evenings. Some days, writing is like feasting, but others days it’s more like famine! J

Question: What are your favorite characters that you have created? Tell us about them

I try to make strong female characters. I don’t want anyone who wants to beat up their man; my women are definitely women. But their hearts are strong. Right now, I like Clarie character in my upcoming trilogy because she is strong, yet sensitive. I really like the Jessa character in Of Stone & Mist because she’s sassy. One reviewer called her “snarky”. I loved that! She doesn’t think she is brave, but she is! She is far braver than I’d be in the same situation. OOOh, scares me to think about it!

Question: do you find you “mentally edit” other writers’ works as you read them? Does doing this help you or bother you?

Actually, I do mentally edit, though I didn’t think about that until just now. I guess I’m always pitting my work up against theirs. I always think: Man! I wish I would’ve thought of that! It’s really hard to read a book that is poorly edited and poorly formatted. Being a teacher, it makes me want to get out a red pen and mark up my Kindle. Just kidding, of course! It’s hard to catch all mistakes. Every book I’ve ever read has mistakes.

Question: What music do you listen to, while writing?

Hahaha! That actually makes me laugh. I have tried and tried to listen to music: soft, country, alternative, all kinds, but I’m way too easily distracted to do it. My best writing occurs when there is nothing going on around me, just me and my computer. I wish I could listen to music, but alas, it just can’t be.

Question: What do you eat while writing?

Sometimes, but mostly I slurp coffee like it’s going out of style! Excuse me… *slurp*… okay!

Four for Fun:

What is your favourite non-alcoholic drink?  Diet Dr. Pepper

What is your favourite cartoon character? So many to choose from… Mickey Mouse

What is your favourite movie of all time? Mama Mia

What do you like to do for fun or just to relax? Ride my bike, hike, and take nature pics, READ

And her new book, just released last week, is “When Darkness Walks” (book 1 of the Mortgatha Trilogy)

 

Clarie’s world is about to change for the darker. Rand broke up with her at the prom, she uncovers a secret in the hidden back of an armoire, and she meets Patrick, who is determined to help her forget her broken heart.

As Clarie evades classmate Bulldog’s stalking, she and Patrick explore the dark halls of an abandoned cement plant. After following Clarie and Patrick deep inside the cement plant, Bulldog confronts Clarie as he fights with Patrick. When she is accidentally pushed against a set of dark doors into the shadow realm of Mortgatha, everything she fears is set into motion to keep her away from her beloved Earth world.

Even with Patrick’s help, the doorway home moves randomly, evil characters beset them at every turn, and the way home seems farther away than ever.

You can buy it on Kindle or in paperback.  Here’s a brief excerpt to whet your appetite…

Clarie stepped out of the cave and then skirted behind the rushing water of the falls. Peeking around the edge, she expected to see the vast prairie valley where they’d spent the night. Instead the air shimmered thickly, like a gossamer curtain, with the valley beyond. The mid-day was dull, though brighter here than they’d seen before now in Mortgatha. As she squatted down on a rock to watch, the whining became more strident and the gossamer curtain became thicker. Bright beads of the red crystal on Pusat’s border pulsed anxiously. The lighted dot in Pusat’s design glowed more steadily.

In one moment the world was dead quiet; in the next moment there was cacophonic rip in the air. The sky, the air, and the view of the world split apart. She was up too high and too far away to touch the void that opened, but Clarie could see a picture form inside the tear. Great, bright snowcapped mountains rose majestically from inside the rupture. The sky was the brightest blue she’d ever seen, and the huge, slender lodge pole pines in the foreground were surrealistically green. For only a moment, Clarie got a whiff of pine scent before the mountains at last began to fade into her memory. Slowly, the rift sealed, the gossamer curtain lifted and drifted away. The valley was once again just as it was when they made the climb to enter the cave.

And the giveaway…since you’ve read all the way down to here…a free copy of Donna’s novel, “Where Darkness Walks”!  And since you’re here, I’ll throw in a free copy of book #1 of my series, Dream Student, in the eBook format of your choice.  All you have to do is comment on this post, and one lucky commenter will win!

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Check out a excerpt from Dream Student and a great feature for the books by the fantastic Melodie Campbell!

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The final stop of my book tour is today, at Library at the End of the Universe – stop by and check it out!  That site is the personal website of Penelope Bartotto, who also organized and ran the tour – take a look at her tour business, Around the Universe Social Media Tours!

I’m also featured, along with several dozen other great indie authors, at the Virtual Book Fair today – check that out, too!

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