FREE Audio Review Copies!

Psst ~ I had so much fun with Venture Galleries when they interviewed me about audio books and book tours and . . . oh, a little bit of everything. http://shar.es/Dq3JP 

I hope everyone had a great Thanksgiving ~ we had the traditional turkey/ham and all the trimmings with twenty or so family members, then the Dude and I took off for Austin to attend the Braun Family Thanksgiving Get Together at The Moody Theater (home of Austin City Limits).  It was a great show.  In addition to Papa Braun, we also saw Reckless Kelly and Micky and the Motorcars all onstage together.  I love live music, especially from singer/songwriters such as these (give a listen to RK's Wicked, Twisted Road, it's one of my all time favorite songs), and you seriously can't beat strolling weird downtown Austin just for fun.

When we returned, I was pleased to find that ACX has provided me with numerous copies of the AUDIO version of STUTTER CREEK (She went looking for an old flame and found a serial killer instead) which was narrated by the bestselling author, Stephen Woodfin.  Go here to listen to a sample, http://ow.ly/r7MM0

I also have FREE AUDIO copies of ALL FOR LOVE (contemporary fiction) and STEVIE-GIRL AND THE PHANTOM PILOT (ghost story) in exchange for reviews.  http://tinyurl.com/l62zjek

Seriously, how can you possibly go wrong with a deal like that?  Just leave me a comment at the bottom of this post telling me which book you want to review...

Afterthought: Did you do any Black Friday shopping?  Folks (read that as adults) at one of our local Wal-Mart stores were pepper sprayed for fighting.  No, I wasn't there, just saw the video, but sheesh how ridiculous.  Wait, did I really say adults?

Thankful

What are you thankful for this year?  

Family, friends, a good job, nice home, plenty to eat?  How about the freedom to worship as you please, or the freedom to walk down the street, wearing anything you want, anytime of day or night?  How about the freedom to marry whomever you wish, to have as many children as you wish, without penalty?

I have all of these things and so much more,

 and for this I am very, very thankful.

Afterthought: Venture Galleries interviews yours truly about audio books and book tours and . . . oh, a little bit of everything. http://shar.es/Dq3JP 

Doctor Sleep Review

I was very fortunate to see Stephen King speak at George Mason University a couple of years ago (thanks Cuz!). He talked about writing Doctor Sleep, and he read from it. He said he knew it was risky to revisit the remains of the Overlook Hotel because, as he wrote in the author's note to the book, “I like to think I’m still pretty good at what I do, but nothing can live up to the memory of a good scare, and I mean nothing, especially if administered to one who is young and impressionable.”  I say Amen to that. I was a young, impressionable secretary when I first read The Shining. It scared the willies out of me. Working part time in a one girl office, I was all alone when I read it. And even though it was full daylight, I was quite certain the woman in Room 217 was coming for me every time the branch of a tree scratched across the old tin roof of my little freight company office.  But Doctor Sleep isn't that kind of a scare. In this one, Danny is grown, but he has suffered. And now he is being visited by a young girl who shines even harder than he ever did. And she needs his help to stop a pack of vampiric killers who prey on other kids with the shining.  The name Doctor Sleep comes from Dan's (no longer Danny, he's grown now) ability to help folks cross over to the other side--peacefully.  This is where King shines. Check out this passage from one of Dan's moments of helping an old guy cross over (I even marked the place, something I never do in books). This is King's version of seeing someone's life flash before his eyes--since he is connected to the patient, he sees what the old guy sees:  “He saw Charlie’s wife pulling down a shade in the bedroom, wearing nothing but a slip of Belgian lace he’d bought her for their first anniversary; saw how her ponytail swung over one shoulder when she turned to look at him, her face lit in a smile that was all yes. He saw a Farmall tractor with a striped umbrella raised over the seat. He smelled bacon and heard Frank Sinatra singing “Come Fly with Me” from a cracked Motorola radio sitting on a worktable littered with tools. He saw a hubcap full of rain reflecting a red barn. He tasted blueberries and gutted a deer and fished in some distant lake whose surface was dappled by steady autumn rain. He was sixty, dancing with his wife in the American Legion hall. He was thirty, splitting wood. He was five, wearing shorts and pulling a red wagon. Then the pictures blurred together … At times like this, Dan knew what he was for.” And this, my friends, is why I gave the book 5 Big Stars. Especially that line about the rain in the hubcap. (less)

New Release ~ REBEKAH'S QUILT ~ Amish Romance by Sara Barnard

REBEKAH'S QUILT  

An Amish Settlement. An English stranger. The Blizzard of 1888

 http://tinyurl.com/qeyabw6 

Rebekah's mother, Elnora Stoll, is the finest quilter in all of Gasthof Village but it seems Rebekah has inherited none of her skill. It's not until the arrival of a mysterious English stranger that a lifetime of questions are answered and Rebekah, her special friend Joseph Graber, and the entire settlement of Gasthof Village learn the meaning of what it truly means to be Amish.

Sara Barnard: Author of An Everlasting Heart Series

Bestselling Historical Romance NovelistandAuthor of the Civil War-era Romance series An Everlasting Heart***A Heart on Hold (An Everlasting Heart, Book #1) was a top 3 finalist for the 2012 RONE award, Best in American Historical Fiction!

Publisher: http://www.5Princebooks.com

Website: http://www.sarabarnardbooks.com

Sara Barnard is a native Texan, conservationist, mother of four youngsters, and has made her home in places all over the world.  Inspiration from her children and rescue pets (three dogs and three cats), and her love of the natural world shows itself in her writing.

After earning her degree in History, Sara experienced the scariest adventure of all: children.

Three little ones later, Sara decided to put finger to keyboard and wrote her first novel: A HEART ON HOLD (5 Prince Publishing, 2012).  The many revisions and edits that took place next weren't entirely completed until well after her fourth baby was born. Now, the family of 6 make their home in the far reaches of west Texas where drought is as constant as the desert sun.

Audio Books - Yeah!

Howdy, first of all, I've got a new interview up at http://carpinelloswritingpages.blogspot.com/2013/11/meet-middle-grade-author-ann-swann.html 

Thank you, Cheryl Carpinello!

The topic of the interview is my Middle Grade writing.  The Phantom Series is aimed at Middle Grade and up.  In other words, ages 10 to 100.  I've had great reviews from all age groups.  

And today, the first book in the trilogy, Stevie-girl and the Phantom Pilot, has gone live on Audible.com.  The narrator is the immensely talented, Janet Borrus.  It will also be available on iTunes and Amazon.com as an audio book.

Here is the audio book link for both books: http://tinyurl.com/l62zjek


ALL FOR LOVE, my women's novel, has also just been released on audio. Go to the same link listed above. It was narrated by the awesomely talented, Kelly Self.  It will also be available on iTunes and Amazon.com audio very soon. Enjoy listening to these talented narrators read my stories.

One more note about my audio books; all covers are being done by Deborah at Tugboat Design.com.  I think she does a wonderful job--I really love the way the All For Love audio cover tied in with the original All For Love print edition.  

Afterthought:  Please take a moment to leave a review if you pick up one of these books--or any of my books.  Reviews are like bread and butter to authors and narrators (and cover artists, too). 

 

Joyland Review, Doctor Sleep preview

In honor of Halloween . . .

I loved Stephen King's Joyland, it was a place I wanted to return every time I had to close the book and go away.  It isn't horror.  It is a ghost story.  It is, in my opinion, a character driven ghost story, my favorite kind of tale.  Don't believe me?  Just read my ghost stories starring Jase and Stevie-girl.

Doctor Sleep arrived the day after I finished Joyland (yes, I'm a one-click addict with no plans for rehab), and the moment I read the inscription -- to Warren Zevon -- I knew I was going to like the book.  What I didn't count on was how the very reintroduction of Dick Halloran and Danny Torrance would immediately transport me back to my youth.  (Sidenote here,  thanks to Kimmie Orr, my hubby's cuz, I was able to attend a speech given by Stephen King at George Mason University a while back.  He was receiving an award, but he was also talking about Doctor Sleep, and I will admit, when he described the RV people, I really wondered how they could relate to little Danny Torrance, but guess what?  It all makes sense.  In a twisted, horror-story kind of way, which is the best way, of course).

I was a newlywed ~ 34 years ago ~ when someone gave me The Shining.  I read it almost nonstop in my little Freight Company office amidst the dust motes and cobwebs when I should have been cleaning and typing up way bills on the old Royal typewriter.  But I couldn't tear myself away from The Overlook Hotel, it was just too creepy, too intriguing, and too darn scary.  When the woman in Room 217 grabbed little Danny, I could've sworn the branches scratching on the old corrugated tin siding of the freight dock were her fingernails . . .

Now, back to the long-toothed woman in Doctor Sleep (yes, I could've easily been finished by now, but I'm pacing myself.  In other words, I don't want it to end).  On the other hand, I understand Dean Koontz is joining the .99 club.  I'll be checking out that bargain, too.

Afterthought:
Went to see the movie Rush.  Let me just say, I loved Opie, I loved Richie Cunningham, now I love Ron Howard.  We sort of almost grew up together, didn't we?  And in my humble opinion, he knows how to make an honest film.  He doesn't beat us about the head and shoulders with ideals.  He doesn't feel the need to change our politics. He tells stories.  That's why I will always go to a Ron Howard film.  Just like Stephen King, I simply love the way he tells a story.

Books-a-Fire October Blaze Days ~ 46 books on sale for .99 each!

http://booksafiregiveaway.com/

Happy October ~ we love Fall ~ here's another sale to celebrate.  Every book on the page is only .99
You can pick up all 3 Phantom Tales and many, many more.

46 books in all ~ something for everyone!

Don't forget to scroll down on this blog to enter an October giveaway, too!

Wow! Kindle Fire or Amazon Gift Cards ~ What a Giveaway!

Short and Sweet!

We're giving away a Kindle Fire 7" HD and $200 in Amazon Gift Cards Oct. 15 - 31. There is absolutely NO purchase necessary. Just go to The Kindle Book Review or Digital Book Today and register. It's really easy. Maybe you'll get some early Christmas shopping done before Halloween! How's that for awesome!

Go here to win ~ http://ow.ly/pP65U

Good luck!

Just in Time for Halloween ~ New Release ~ The Phantom Series ~ All Three Books in One Volume

Are you like me, do you love a ghost story, especially at Halloween?  One of my favorite memories of teaching 5th and 6th graders was choosing the class novels -- especially at Halloween.  RL Stine was always in demand!  That's probably why I wrote these ghost stories.  Because I love reading them.

Just for the record, I still love ghost stories.  Joyland, by Stephen King, was quite a treat.  Now, I'm on Doctor Sleep (and loving it).  And aside from reading about them, writing about Stevie's ghosts was a blast.  Scary?  Yep, sometimes -- check out the first meeting with the Phantom Pilot in book one, or the little mirror-phantom in book two.  Better yet, crawl in the tent with Stevie and the babydoll in book three -- if you're feeling brave!  What have you got to lose, except for a few hours reading time, and maybe a loss of sleep . . . and when you've finished the trio, send me an email.  Tell me which ghost was your favorite.

A trio of ghostly tales all in one book ~ The Phantom Series ~ just in time for Halloween http://tinyurl.com/mjslkax  $2.99


 OR if you've already read one or more of the tales, you can pick up the others for only .99 each ~ links below!





Title: The Phantom Series (3 books)

Author: Ann Swann

Genre(s): Ghost stories, MG, YA, mystery

Book One: Stevie-girl and the Phantom Pilot

TAGLINE:

No matter who dares you, no matter what lures you, do not go in the spooky old house…

BLURB:

When a small planes crashes behind Jase's rural home, strange things begin to happen. But no one believes him. After all, there's no such thing as a ghost, right?  Then he sees his pretty, quiet schoolmate, Stevie-girl, about to enter the legendary haunted house, and he knows if anyone can help him solve the mystery, she's the one.  

http://tinyurl.com/crr5kry

Book Two: Stevie-girl and the Phantom Student

Tagline:

Bullies, freaks, and phantoms inhabit the abandoned elementary school.  Would you go inside to help out a friend?

Blurb:

Stevie asks Jase to help her find out why the ghost of a girl keeps appearing in her mirror. They think it has something to do with the new student at their school, a boy who has Tourette syndrome.  Both the new kid and the new phantom seem to need some kind of help. When the new kid falls prey to the school bullies, Stevie knows they must act. But will they be too late, or will a tragic moment in their school's history be repeated on Halloween night?

http://tinyurl.com/d47a8hs

Book Three: Stevie-girl and the Phantom of Crybaby Bridge

Tagline:

Stevie-girl and her best friend, Jase, are phantom magnets. Whenever they are together, the doorway between this world and the next swings slightly open.

Blurb:

The summer his parents treat them to a camping trip in New Mexico, the two friends can’t wait to visit the legendary Crybaby Bridge.  Right away, they hear the crying baby.  Is it a phantom, or is someone playing tricks on them?

As the two friends scour the campgrounds for answers, they discover that phantoms are not the only secrets the nearby town has kept hidden for over 60 years.  They also discover things about each other, and about Stevie’s family history, that will force their relationship to a whole new level—a level from which there may be no return.

http://tinyurl.com/n7pusfw

The Interview

1. I got the idea for this book late one night when a small plane flew over my house and then went silent.  I jumped up from the computer and ran outside to see if it had crashed.  It had not.  I didn’t see a thing.  But I dashed back inside and wrote a short story, which I called The Escort.  It won several awards for short fiction, and then I turned it into a novella, which is now Stevie-girl and the Phantom Pilot.  The short story is included in the novella—except now, it belongs to Jase.

2. I wrote the story in one evening.  Then, when it became successful, I went back and lengthened it in just a few days.  The thing seemed to write itself.  Appropriate for a ghost story, wouldn’t you say?  Books two and three went almost as fast.  It seems that Stevie girl isn’t through with me yet.  I pretty sure there will be a book four, and possibly more.

3. When I wrote the short story, I had no target audience.  It just came out onto the page.  Later, when I wrote the rest of the story, I intentionally aimed it at tweens because I taught that age group for many years—and I know how they love anything spooky!

4. A couple of different reviewers have compared this series to The Hardy Boys and Nancy Drew mysteries. I’m quite flattered by the comparisons!  In truth though, I’ve tried to incorporate a bit of reality into the books.  In book one, for example, there is the underlying theme of loneliness.  In book two, school bullying and being different takes center stage, and in book three, jealousy is examined.  Furthermore, due to the 1960s-1970s time period, the Vietnam War wraps around the entire series like an invisible blanket.

5. Is there anyone in the book like me?  Well, yes.  Stevie is my idealistic self.  I only wish I were half as brave!  I will admit that her hometown is based on the one where I grew up.  Even the brick streets are the same—and the music store?  It was my home away from home. 

Reviews:

Stevie-girl and the Phantom Pilot (Book One)

“ A touching tale with just enough fright!”

“Ann Swann took me back in time! The characters were so easy to identify with. As a retired Jr high reading teacher, I would have loved using The Phantom Pilot as a class novel. So many teaching and learning activities could be used with this novel. I loved it and cannot wait for the sequel.”

“I loved this book and so did my daughter!”

Stevie-girl and the Phantom Student (Book Two)

“A must read sequel!”

“A captivating series . . .”

“Ann Swann does it again. Rarely does a sequel measure up to the first, but The Phantom Student is a gleaming exception!”

Stevie-girl and the Phantom of Crybaby Bridge (Book Three)

“An enchanting mystery!”

“Book #3 is as good as the rest.  Bring on #4!”

“Teenage ghost hunters!”

Love Songs ~ The Keller Family Series Book Six by best selling author, Bernadette Marie

Warner Wright is looking for that big break into countrymusic, but the reputation of his ex-stepmother is getting doors slammed in his face. But when he hears the angelic voice of Clara Keller—he knows she’ll be his ticket.

When the talented Clara Keller and the sometimes awkward Warner Wright get together there is a spark even bigger than Nashville. Opportunity is going to knock on their door, but fame can be a tricky bedfellow.

Making beautiful music will be the easy part.  FacingWarner’s past might corrupt them both.

Download Love Songs

Amazon

For more great authors and more links, visit

5 Prince Publishing