The Phantom Series #WeWriWa

Hallo paple--
Trying out a new accent, what do you think? Dorky?  Oh well, read on, it gets better.
Starting this week for Weekend Writing Warriors I am going to do a snippet from each of the three books in The Phantom Series because Book One, Stevie-girl and the Phantom Pilot, will be FREE July 9th - 13th so grab your copy.  http://tinyurl.com/crr5kry

It's a novella, a quick read with 25 great reviews!

Okay, here's a sample:

Stevie-girl and the Phantom Pilot (the set up)

Home alone, twelve-year-old Jase heard a small plane flying low over his rural home.  When the plane's engine went suddenly silent, he rushed out to see what had happened.

In the field behind his house, he saw the small plane on its top, wheels pointed toward the night sky.  He thinks if the wind hadn't been blowing so hard, the pilot might have pulled off the emergency landing.  But now, it's up to Jase and his dog, Lady the German Shepherd, to go down and check for survivors.

This passage is told in Jase's first person POV.

I shined the flashlight all around.

“Hello!” I called. The wind hooted at me through the trees.

The cockpit was crumpled. I would have to crawl underneath the wing for a closer view. “Anyone in there?” I did not want to stick my head inside that darkness.

“Here.” The voice came from behind me.

I spun around, dropping the flashlight. It rolled over and over in the dirt shooting light this way and that until I snagged it and aimed it at the voice. 

Sorry, I added a couple extra sentences to finish the scene -- well, it actually went on for quite a bit longer, but I don't want to give away too much. You can read the whole thing next week for FREE!

Afterthought:  Next week I will feature a snippet from Book Two, Stevie-girl and the Phantom Student.  It has received great reviews, too. 

Now, hop on over to the #WeWriWa website and check out some more snippets.  There's something for everyone!      http://www.wewriwa.com

Giveaways - Should I Feel Flattered or Furious?

I choose furious.  Actually, I don't choose it, I just let it wash over me and move on.  But first, I want to share with you the reason why.  You see, it appears that most, if not all, of the print versions of Stutter Creek which I gave away on Goodreads, actually wound up for sale--as new--on Amazon.  One even touts a book mark signed by the author.

Helloooo, I don't recall signing any bookmarks so ummm, what gives?  Oh, you mean those rack cards my pub had made with the Ann Swann signature design?  Not really an author sig, sorry.

Nevertheless, after seeing those books pop up on Amazon barely a week after the giveway ended and the books were mailed out, I was at first dumbfounded, then furious.  Oh, not because the "readers" were trying to sell them--I don't really care what happens to them if the person buys the book, I'm just furious that these were my author copies from my publisher.  The resellers did not purchase them.  They got them for FREE as a promotional giveaway.  Now they're trying to make a buck (or $22.95 in one case) off my good nature.  Hmph!  Not cool.  Yes, yes, I know that once something is given away, it becomes the property of the "givee."  Still, it isn't right.  Entering Goodreads giveaways just to try and make a buck is just downright smarmy.

And now that I know how that game is played, I will not be gifting any more print versions of any of my books.  Digital either for that matter.  The bloom, as they say, is off the rose.  Or perhaps I've just removed my rose-colored glasses.

Afterthought:  Rant over.  Next time, I'll be back to normal, sharing a snippet from one of the books.  Maybe Crybaby Bridge, maybe Stutter Creek . . . I can't decide.  But it will be one of them, that much is certain.  Then, I'm itching to do another movie review.  Yes, Dude is finally better and we were able to spend a couple of evenings at the Drive-In. Whoohoo, life is good great!

New Romantic-Suspense SPLIT DECISIONS by bestselling author Carmen DeSousa

Welcome back to another super post about a super book release and a chance to win a $10 Amazon gift card.  Read on for details!

Split Decisions is a follow-up novel to the romantic-suspense bestseller She Belongs to Me. While you do not have to read the first book to enjoy the second, we believe you should have the option, so click here to avoid spoilers.

If you’re still here, read on for a first peek at Split Decisions and a chance to win a $10 Amazon gift card.

Book Description:

Sometimes you want something so badly you are willing to abandon everything you’ve ever known—including yourself.

Eighteen years ago, Jaynee Monroe married the man of her dreams, became the mother of four, and fulfilled her career goals. About to turn forty, she senses something is missing from her idyllic life. While Googling her name in an attempt to find herself, she unearths something so impossible, she contemplates her own sanity. Seeking answers, she embarks on a journey to discover the truth, only to end up abducted by a deranged stranger who insists on calling her Caycee.

Caycee took the road less traveled. Rejecting a marriage proposal from the only decent man she ever knew, she ventures to California to become famous. Eighteen years later, success has left her alone and miserable. Attempting to locate her lost love on Facebook, she discovers his infatuation with her. Not only does his presumed-dead wife have Caycee’s uncommon middle name, it appears he has photo-shopped her face over hers.

Never could Caycee and Jaynee have imagined decisions they made years earlier would threaten not only their lives but also their loved ones. Caycee must now reunite with the southern gent she dismissed eighteen years ago and convince him to accompany her to New York to locate his wife, the most important person in both their lives.

Download Split Decisions here:

Amazon US

Amazon UK

Barnes & Noble

iTunes

Now all you have to do to register to win the $10 Amazon Gift Card is share this page via Raffle Copter. Contest ends 7/1/13 at 12:00 a.m. EST and you can share daily if you want. Good luck!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Oswald and I by "Nick" McDonald from RMSW Press

I am pleased to take part in the unusual historical event brought about by bestselling author, Ashley Fontainne.  Read on for details...and be sure to click the link to watch the book trailer, too!

It is a rare event when you are fortunate enough to be a part of releasing a piece of history to the public. My publishing imprint, RMSW Press, falls into that category. While conducting research for a historical novel I am currently working on, a chance meeting took place with Daisy McDonald, the widow of former Dallas Police Officer Maurice N. “Nick” McDonald.  Mr. McDonald had written his memoirs about how his life was impacted from the moment he arrested Lee Harvey Oswald at a movie theater in Dallas. Sadly, Mr. McDonald passed away in 2005 and his heartfelt, 300+ page story sat unread inside a thick binder.

I met Daisy McDonald in Hot Springs, Arkansas in April of 2013 after a speaking/fact finding engagement. After the meeting, she approached me with questions about my experiences in publishing. We immediately hit it off and talked several times over the course of the next few weeks when she offered me the unimaginable: she wanted RMSW Press to publish her husband’s work.

So, it is with humility, thankfulness and a sense of duty to honor one of Mr. McDonald’s dying wishes that I bring to you the amazing cover (designed by the team of professionals at Blue Harvest Creative) for Mr. McDonald’s novel, Oswald & I, as well as the book trailer. Look for the paperback and ebook on Amazon, Barnes&Noble and Kobo November 2013.

Book trailer:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WTxIa2eHO2U

Ashley Fontainne

Author/Owner, RMSW Press

Website: www.ashleyfontainne.com
Blog: http://ramblingsofamadsouthernwoman.blogspot.com

Artist First Radio Show: http://www.artistfirst.com/ashleyfontainne.htm