Monday, February 16, 2015

Freebie's on the Book Menu

SweetFreeBooks.com

Merrick
by Claire Cray

New York, 1799: the future looks bright for the charming young book dealer William Lacy, until a raucous night of drinking lands him in shackles. He narrowly avoids the brutal prison system thanks to his mother, who negotiates with the judge to secure him a five year apprenticeship in lieu of a prison sentence.

FREE!~~Original Price: $0.99~~

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Beyond Anger
by Shambhala Publications

Excerpts from some of our books from a variety of Buddhist traditions that encapsulate values of love and nonviolence, which we can all practice ourselves.

FREE!

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A Pixie Called Pudding
by Travis Flynn

On an obscure island in the North Atlantic Ocean, a cheerful pixie named Pudding is about to make history by launching the world's first submarine. Unfortunately, the maiden voyage, which should be an easy cruise around the ocean for the young inventor and her three friends, quickly turns into an unexpected adventure.

FREE!~~Original Price: $0.99~~

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The Garden on Sunset
by Martin Turnbull

Right before talking pictures slug Tinsel Town in the jaw, a luminous silent screen star converts her private estate into the Garden of Allah Hotel. The lush grounds soon become a haven for Hollywood hopefuls to meet, drink, and revel through the night. George Cukor is in the pool, Tallulah Bankhead is at the bar, and Scott Fitzgerald is sneaking off to a bungalow with Sheilah Graham.

FREE!~~Original Price: $3.99~~

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The Candle Star
by Michelle Isenhoff

Emily Preston has plans for her life; plans in direct oppostion to her parents' wishes. After a moment of high spirits - a tantrum her mother called it - she is shipped off to stay with her Uncle Isaac. But his Detroit hotel is nothing like the beautiful plantation she has always known.

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Bookbub.com

AlterWorld

By D. Rus

A strange pandemic is turning video gamers into characters in the games they play, sentencing them to eternity in a virtual world. For terminally ill Max, leaving his physical body and cheating death is an alluring proposition — and his escape presents unimaginable freedom and danger. Over 200 five-star ratings on Goodreads!

Free!

Originally: $2.99

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Deal ends: February 16

Category: Fantasy

Modern Women

By Ruth Harris

From a New York Times bestselling author comes a “funny, sad,” and “vivid” novel (Cleveland Plain Dealer). Amid the energy and tumult of the 1960s, three unforgettable women forge their own paths in life and love.

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Originally: $3.49

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Deal ends: February 28

Category: Women's Fiction

Heart of Clay

By Shanna Hatfield

Callan’s life seems perfect, but her heart is in a dark place. Her husband Clay yearns to recapture the love they once shared. But that will mean uncovering a secret from Callan’s past — a secret so painful it could rip them apart…

Free!

Originally: $2.99

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Deal ends: Unknown

Category: Christian Fiction

Marked

By Kaylea Cross

FBI Special Agent Jake Evers has one regret: letting Rachel Granger slip through his fingers. But now that she’s being hunted by a domestic terror cell, he’ll do anything to keep her safe — and win her heart again.

Free!

Originally: $2.99

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Deal ends: February 22

Category: Romantic Suspense

Hollywood Assassin

By MZ Kelly

Detective Kate Sexton is having a rough time. Her ex-husband cheated on her, her mother sees dead presidents, and her dog is out of control. Despite all that, can Kate solve a cold case — and avoid the serial killer who’s stalking her?

Free!

Originally: $0.99

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Category: Mysteries

Stateline

By Dave Stanton

When a billionaire’s son is murdered on his wedding night, Dan Reno is offered a massive bounty to find the killer. Reno needs the reward, but the investigation soon turns deadly, fraught with crooked cops and shady dealings. Will he solve the crime or become the next victim?

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Originally: $3.99

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Deal ends: February 18

Category: Mysteries

18 Things

By Jamie Ayres

Olga is falling apart, so her therapist gives her an assignment: Complete 18 tasks before the end of her 18th year. She tries out for cheerleading and goes on her first date — but there’s more to the list than Olga ever expected… “Touching” (New York Timesbestselling author Jaime Rush).

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Originally: $4.99

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Deal ends: February 17

Category: Teen and Young Adult

A Handful of Pebbles

By Sara Alexi

Having traveled to a remote Greek village for her youngest son’s wedding, Sarah finds herself on an unforgettable journey of change and understanding. An emotional novel filled with gorgeous landscapes and rich emotional depth.

Free!

Originally: $3.99

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Deal ends: February 18

Category: Women's Fiction

How to Find a Job

By Paul J. Rega

An experienced executive recruiter provides fresh, effective strategies for finding employment in a weak economy. Learn an insider’s secrets for building a network, crafting a stand-out resume, giving successful interviews, and much more.

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Originally: $6.99

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Category: Advice and How-To

10.

The Passion of Patrick MacNeill

By Virginia Kantra

From a New York Times bestselling author comes a beautifully written romance about new beginnings. When Dr. Kate Sinclair finds herself falling for a young patient’s pilot father, will she trust her professional judgment... or her heart?

Free!

Originally: $3.99

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Deal ends: Unknown

Category: Contemporary Romance

11.

The Three Arks

By Kevin George

In this sweeping adventure saga, humans race to build spaceships to flee a rotting Earth. As the end of the world approaches, can Tyler Ainsworth finish his escape craft before it’s too late? And all the while, the secret of Comet Clement looms from above…

Free!

Originally: $0.99

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Deal ends: February 17

Category: Action and Adventure

Bonus Books:

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Kindling Flames: Gathering Tinder (The Ancient Fire Series Book 1) [Kindle Edition]

Julie Wetzel

Fresh from college and with no real work experience, Victoria Westernly considers herself lucky to land the coveted position of personal assistant to Darien Ritter, the CEO and owner of a multibillion-dollar company. His busy schedule and eccentric ways are enough to keep her on her toes. But, all is not what it seems when she discovers the handsome man employing her just happens to be the most powerful vampire in the area.

This is the first book in The Ancient Fire Series. It is part one of two.

Kindle Price:

$0.00

A Crime Collection - 5 Heart-Pumping Mystery Thrillers Boxed Set [Kindle Edition]

Five first-in-a-series mystery novels by up-and-coming authors Betta Ferrendelli, R.S. Guthrie, Simon Jenner, Emily Kimelman and Renée Pawlish. These spellbinding stories, filled with twists and turns, murder, intrigue and suspense with captivating and unforgettable characters, have been reviewed more than 1,600 times and have earned more than 750 five-star reviews.

*** MORE THAN 750 COMBINED FIVE-STAR REVIEWS ***

THE FRIDAY EDITION - Betta Ferrendelli

A beautiful Assistant District Attorney falls from her balcony to her demise on Christmas Eve. Police suspect suicide, but the DA’s sister, newspaper reporter Samantha Church, doesn’t buy it. Can she find the killer and write the biggest story of her career before it’s too late and she becomes the killer’s next target?

Kindle Price:

$0.00

Blue Fall (The Tournament, #1) (The Tournament Series) [Kindle Edition]

B. B. Griffith (Author)

**The entire Tournament Trilogy is on sale for $4.95! A Kindle top 50 bestseller! (amazon.com/dp/B00HVQIHFG)**

If you knew about the Tournament, you'd know why they want it kept secret. People don't like to hear that state-sponsored war games are going on under their noses, in their cities, and on their streets. The world isn't ready to know that the most powerful among us can shape the future by wagering on these fights. People wouldn't understand if they learned that teams in the Tournament have the freedom to do almost anything, anywhere, to win.

The Tournament was supposed to be the perfect game, and the perfect secret. Frank Youngsmith, a hapless insurance agent, was supposed to be a nobody, none the wiser. But sometimes things just don't work out like they're supposed to. When Frank stumbles into the dark world of the Tournament when the game is on, it's up to him to expose the secret...or die trying.

Blue Fall is book 1 of 4 in the Tournament series

Kindle Price:

$0.00

Top 5 reasons why I don't CHEAT

With Valentine's Day just passing, and a lovely dinner @SmokeyBonesBBQ, it seems only fitting that the strange and unusual choice of conversation naturally be, why I don't cheat.

The conversation actually happened quite casually. My phone started vibrating on the table. I took a peek and noticed that Hubby had tagged us at the restaurant for dinner. (no kids!) Then, he joking (or so he says) tells me he tagged me to let my boyfriend know that I am unavailable tonight. This is a running joke that we have in our house, especially due to the fact that he works for an Automobile manufacturer on second shift, so we are usually passing one another. But, I let this comment linger. I take it as a joke, of course, but it made me think about the why's in my life.

Why don't I cheat?

It really was a deep question because, honestly, I have never even thought about it, it has never crossed my mind, not once. It became a topic that I brought to the table talk convo. and he found my answers similar to his own, which was interesting and, let's face it, so sweet.

So, this brings me back to my blog, today, to share with you all!

Have you ever stopped and asked yourself why?

Why you do this or why you do that?

Have you ever asked why you don't?

Crazy concept, right! Well, read below for why we don't cheat!

#1: Most importantly, because we love each other and do not want to hurt one another.

I know...not a great, thoughtful answer, right. But, it is the truth. Love between us is deeper than just a feeling today. I can be made as hell, hurt, angered and not want to utter a single word to him, but I still love him with all I have. I would break down my betrayed feelings if he reached out and hugged me. If he took my hand in the heart of my anger, I would crumble and find peace. It is just the wacky way our relationship is tied.

#2: There is no one else I would want to be intimate with.

Yea, maybe I am facing some self-esteem issues, but I think it is beyond that body image that I see within myself. Intimacy is very different from being naked with someone. I think it is best said that your soul mate is the one that can still make you nervous. I believe this to be true.

#3: Intimacy with my Husband is beyond SEX.

There is this crazy connection that happens between my Hubby and I, as if we become one and it is pure and it is a bond that only we share. I don't want to have sex. Intimacy is beyond banging. It is when we are the only two people in the room and feels like we can see beyond each others souls into the vulnerability that makes us who we are. It is something that is impossible to explain, let alone understand, unless you are experiencing the same feelings.

#4: It would break bonds that have taken thirteen years of faithfulness to build.

I am a believer in God and understanding my path from him. I first saw my Hubby when I was fourteen years old, a freshman in a big, new school. The moment that I saw him, I knew something about him was meant for me. It literally took until I was nineteen/twenty to cross his path again. It happened all over again when we did. God had thrown clues out to him along the way, unbeknownst to me. When the stars aligned, we were together and it was a home that we built, children that we made together. I am just wise enough to know that times can not always be good. We have to go through the good, bad and ugly to grow and early on, we set an understanding in our relationship that we wanted to make this work, no matter what obstacles crossed our path. I think that that is the bond that was created and it is up to us to continue to maintain.

#5: Because he is the one.

At the end of the day, there is no one else. He is the one for me. It is just that simple.

Now, do me a favor, ask yourself this same question:

Why don't you cheat on your Spouse?

What is your Top Five?

Please feel free to share! Comments are always welcomed or e-mail me if you have some interesting topics you want me to dive into! KAM0900@yahoo.com use SUBJECT: Blogs Topics.

Saturday, February 7, 2015

In 5..4...3....2....1

Are you ready? You know what I am talking about...it is mid-winter (in Ohio) and snow is on the ground, the chill is in the air and the blues are all around....it's time for a MUCH NEEDED BREAK!

I am going to be taking a week off. After our Writing Challenge, I need to refuel! I will return in a week and have lots of stuff to pass on. I loved the writing challenge and am thinking of taking it back up for another month...what do YOU think?

Let me know!!

Enjoy some R & R! You ALL deserve it!

~KEL

Thursday, February 5, 2015

The TODAY I will someday want BACK!

Waiting for the Bus- my girls September 2014

So many days pass by. They pass by so fast, like life is a toilet and with a flush, this day is done and we have moved onto the next.

Some days we just want to be held, to relish the moments of today, but we are unable to find enough time for a simple hug, let alone a moment to stop and find ourselves.

With children, we are dealing with the struggles of one kid being grumpy, loud, wild, obnoxious and all we want them to do is go play, be carefree and for the love of God, stop arguing with one another! These are the "Mommy Needs a Break" moments!

It sounds terribly selfish, in the light of day. They are only children for a minuet second- literally! There is going to be a time when we will be begging for the opportunity to be "involved" in our children's lives.

The time will come when you will no longer be asked to color that picture, you know the one. You will be half way through coloring when you child/children decide that they have had enough...then your sitting at the table alone...still coloring. You won't have to read any longer because they can do it themselves and then, with a shock to your whole system, you realize that you are no longer, so, needed.

Then there is the realization that the time will come when I would give anything to be able to just sit down so I would have energy enough to do all the things they ask me to do just one more time...

Chaos is life right now. It is finding balance between work (which is at home) kids and chores like cleaning, cooking, laundry, etc. The opportunity to just sit down only happens while I am working and it is far from a break. Someone always needs something, so even then it is a series of up, down, up, down cardio until I find work peace around 10:00 a.m. on a good day. Something always needs cleaned up, someone always needs juice, water, milk, snack....a revolving door.

One day I know I will look around my house, which will be much different than it is today and wish for little people to be present, needing me. Or the little messes which are all around, no matter how many times I ask for it to be cleaned up, will no longer be there, there will be nothing left for me to constantly do. Lifeless.

Moments happen when the feeling of defeat hits hard. I can't possibly wipe one more butt, clean a mess, wipe a face, pick up that bin of dress up clothes that trails from one room to the next. The moment when these tasks are finally finished are short lived as I walk unexpectedly onto the next disaster!
But, I am understanding that my need to be needed is greater than all else.

I will miss this.

I will yearn for this...one day.

We still have nights of restless and sleeplessness. We have the up and down, one more hug, I need a kiss, more water, potty please and it feels like we have danced for fifteen songs. Patience reaps within me knowing that I long for those hugs, kisses, the need to help to give to be there. I know my days are numbered at this age, this time and place in life and one day it will stop.

The nights when they stay with Grandparents ping that reality within, as I pace, trying to find something to keep me busy, trying to find something to occupy my sudden free time that has been such a stranger for six long years.

The silence is deafening. I miss them.

Motherhood is like a magician, the most tiring and sometimes...most dreadful duties actually hold the biggest blessings. It is like a handkerchief turning into a rose. It looks ordinary, messy, dull and boring but it is simply filled with magic, it just takes sometime to appreciate that hidden message.

Embrace this, all of this. The struggles, the exhaustion, the juggling of a million things at once just to survive.

One day, everything will start to slow down, simplify, just a little, then a little more and eventually it all comes to a stop. The pause button does not exist, rewind is not an option and don't even think about a do-over.

Today will be gone.

9 months

6 years old

I have had my moment. Looking at the pictures of this adorable baby. My first born. Seeing her first smiles, sleeping while we were feeding her, watching her learn to walk, talk and sing. Feeling her need for her Mom. Yesterday she turned six. Yes, she still needs her Mom, but everyday it is less and less. She is independent, strong and wants to try everything herself, testing herself...leaving Mom in the stands.

Of course, I am her biggest cheerleader. To see her growing up so fast makes me appreciate time a little more with my youngest. It helps me find more patience than I know I ever had with her.

There is not a do-over button.

The girls & Mom 2014

~Kel

Tuesday, February 3, 2015

Let's Write- Day 29

The end of one story marks the beginning of another. I think that this is important as we are embarking on the end of our writing challenge, which will only be replaced by another, whether it is a writing challenge or a challenge of a different kind.

I think that this can be said with most things in life. The end is never the end, unless you let it be. Instead, think of the end of one chapter, the beginning of another. If you are unhappy in the current chapter, re-write the next- you have that power!

It is Day 29- we have two words left and I feel like my story has not even gotten off of the ground yet. Imagine that- after 1 entire month of writing and I have not even planted my feet in in the sand. We have characters, we have a plot but we are missing so many pieces, still having so many holes that we have yet to fill.

Ready?

Set?

*****

Writing Challenge- WORD OF THE DAY:

CRUSH

So much was swirling through my head, as much of this investigation, over the past month has been. It has been difficult to see myself in such a vulnerable state. Me. I was tough. I was determined. I was a damn good detective. I guess that was the thing that made me laugh the most. How many other detectives thought they were damn good? Probably all of them, right.

I was stalking down the hall. My feet moving faster than my body. I knew that I had to find Mac. I had to put the pieces together and find how they fit. Who had done this to my sister? Who had shot me? I knew that Char was with me. I felt her presence as I left the Captain's office. I smelled her perfume from when we were last together, it was something sweet and fragrant with a hint of musk. I was not a fan of smelling things, I wouldn't dare to ask what the scent was, but it was Charlotte, through and through. I felt perplexed that this would be a memory for me of my baby sister. I would hold onto her scent.

I hadn't spoken to my Parents, not since I found out what they knew. Danny, of all people. My high school sweetheart, a person who was around my family in my most vulnerable state. If my father ever knew Danny had put his hands on me, I think that is the irony. If my Father had known, Charlotte still would be married to him. She did what she wanted, when she wanted, with whom she wanted. She was her own person and that was something that we would always remember, honor about her. Had Danny treated Charlotte like he had me? Was he cheating on her? Leading another life right in front of her eyes? Had he hurt her?

I stopped in my tracks. I knew that this was good. This was what a good detective did- they processed, they took notes. analyzed and built their case. This was who I was. I took my stylus out of my phone and started jotting these very questions into my S Note app. I was standing against the wall, nose to the screen in the stark white halls of the precinct.

"Kat, you OK."

I looked up to see Mac standing next to me, watching me.

"I am OK. I had questions building in my head that I needed to put to paper." I said and I showed him my phone.

"Ahh. I see. Everything OK with the boss?"

"Sure. I had to tell him everything and he put a spin on it all. It was a perspective I had not thought of. I am more out of it than I had realized."

"Kat, you are going through a lot right now." he said gently. "I do have news."

I looked into his blue eyes, waiting, baiting him for more information.

"They were able to get specs from the bullet."

I just kept looking into his eyes. I needed to know what the gun was. On a prayer, a linger of hope, I was sure it would be the same gun that Danny had used, or attempted to use on me, the one that I had struggled to get from him, threatened him with. I will never forget that gun, the 9 millimeter subcompact semi-automatic Springfield armory black beauty. I still remembered the way it felt, the heaviness of it, the feel of it in my hands, the power it help to know that I was holding Danny's life in my hands, not the other way around.

"9 mm, two rounds confirmed fired, one grazing your hip, the other gaining entry, lodging itself in you."

Something about the way he stated that caused chills to shiver up my body. This was real. A 9 mm meant something.

"Do we have gun make/model?"

"They were still working on examining the markings they found on the bullet. Stuart was explaining how different guns left different marking, he explained it like data left behind or something." Mac was laughing at this in-dept, techie talk that was more like a foreign language to us than much else.

"So, there is a chance?"

"Yup, sure is."

I pushed my hands together, in prayer. I needed this. We needed this. This would be huge.

"What are the chances that Danny still has that old gun?" I said before I could stop myself.

"There is no record of it changing hands. He had it registered with purchase, but you know how that goes. He could have sold it without a sale or registration."

"Yes, but is he that smart." I was thinking, wheels turning, spinning inside my head. I was sure that God was trying to tell me something, Charlotte was giving me the directions, I just had to find my way.

Mac stood close to me. He leaned down and whispered in my ear, "Kat, let me take you to dinner."

I know he did this so no one would hear, but we were alone in a desolate hallway. Not a soul was near. "Sure, where to?" I asked.

That is when we heard it. The door creaked, slammed hard. We stopped and looked, waiting for someone to walk from the stairs, before we heard the hard footsteps descending further down.

Mac moved first, hustling towards the door. It was a feeling that we both had that something was off. Something or someone was up to something- it was just that question of us being paranoid cops or keen on our instincts?

***

She would never know it was me, not if I had a say in it. I would never disclose that I had killed her sweet sister. If only she knew that the whore had to die for me to kill her. They were both whores. Her and the crush she had on her partner. Wasn't that against Police protocol? I had to find out. That would be grounds of ruining her life. That was the goal, after all, wasn't it? She had ruined mine. Everything was fine before she went putting her nose in business that did not have anything to do with her. Bitch. She would learn. That bullet should have taught her, instead it acted as fuel. Bitch. She would die. I would make sure of it.

I had heard enough. I turned and knocked the door, causing it to slam. Maybe they would not hear it? Maybe they would not think anything of it? Ah, who the hell was I kidding. This was Katraina Cale, super detective. She would be paranoid as all hell by now and come running. I had to go, get out of there before I was caught and this whole thing turned into a shit storm.

The games were just beginning for Katrina and the poor thing did not even have a clue. What a great detective you are, Detective Kat. The time has come to expose you for the crook and manipulator that you are. You think that you can blackmail me, I will always own you. That much you will see. The games have just begun.

------------------------

Good luck writing all!

~Kel