Monday, July 20, 2015

Author Feature: Liana Laverentz

LianaLaverentzLiana Laverentz has published three contemporary romances with The Wild Rose Press, Thin Ice, Jake’s Return, and Ashton’s Secret, a murder mystery romance. Thin Ice is a Golden Leaf and EPIC Award winner, Jake’s Return a Golden Leaf Award Winner. Her most recent release is PMDD and Relationships, LLaverentz-LivingwithPMDDthe first in a series of non-fiction books about women's hormonal health and wellness, based on posts from her highly successful blog, Living on a Prayer, Living with PMDD. Liana is also a freelance book editor with several award-winning clients. For more information, go to www.lianalaverentz.com

LLaverentz-ThinIceLLaverentz-AshtonsSecretLLaverentz-JakesReturn

 

Wednesday, July 15, 2015

Author Feature: Leann Smith

LeannSmithFounder of Pine Tree Publishing, Leann Smith is the author of The Magic Christmas Key, My Snowman and Me, The Hope Tree and the Winning Garden. Smith says she loves Christmas just about more than anything, and hopes that each family experiences the magic of Christmas each time they read this story. She resides with her husband in Grove City, Pennsylvania and is a mother of three grown children and grandmother of three. Rufus, too, makes his home with the Smith family.

 LSmith-HopeTreeLSmith-MagicChristmasKeyLSmith-WinningGardenLSmith-MySnowmanandMe

The Magic Christmas Key was a gold medal winner for the 2015 Independent Publisher Book Awards and was awarded Book of the Year by Creative Child Magazine.

Find Leann’s books and accompanying products at Pine Tree Publishing.

Author Feature: Vincent Paul Mirabella II

VincentPaulMirabellaVincent Paul Mirabella II is an artist, filmmaker, and photographer. This summer, he released his first book, The Tangled Web Of Betrayal, book 1 of the Trans-Metronome-Device Series. The sci fi adventure includes illustrations by the author and a film is in the making.
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The Mirabella Arts website will be coming soon. In the meantime, you can find Vincent on his Facebook page.



Author Feature: Cindy Bingham

CindyBinghamCindy Bingham retired after many years of teaching English and embarked on a career of writing. She is the author of Lion’s Awakening, and Perfect Timing, Books 1 and 2 of the Pennsylvania Series, novels which take place in different Pennsylvania locations. She traded the rigors of teaching grammar and literature for the necessities of learning websites and marketing. An avid greeting card maker and lover of punches, stamps, and numerous other items pertaining to paper crafting, she juggles her fiction writing with composing sentiments to include in her greeting card creations. Excerpts from her novels and examples of her cards can be seen on her website, www.cindybinghamwrites.com. 

The third novel in the Pennsylvania Series, Sufficient Strength will be coming in August.

CBingham-LionsAwakening   CBingham-PerfectTiming

Her next writing endeavor is a biography of Pennsylvania-born Paul Fullerton, originally from Cochranton. Fullerton's accomplishments, aside from being married to his war-time sweetheart for over fifty years and helping to rear their four daughters, include flying a B-17 bomber over Europe in 1944, gathering weather statistics in Alaska before it became a state, surveying and preparing road surfaces for the California Department of  Highways, and serving for over twenty years in one of the largest border patrol stations along the United States /Mexico border.


Monday, July 13, 2015

Author Feature: Amy Bovaird

AmyBovairdAmy L. Bovaird is an educator, an author and inspirational speaker—who happens to be vision impaired. When she was 28, doctors diagnosed her with Retinitis Pigmentosa (RP)-a degenerative eye-disease that eventually causes blindness. Later, she learned her RP was part of Usher’s Syndrome, the leading cause of deaf blindness.

Having taught in Latin America, South East Asia and the Middle East, Amy often features these cultures in her writing.

Although Amy suffers from a dual disability, she continues to enjoy running, hiking and traveling. She also volunteers with local and national ABovaird-MobilityMattersanimal rescue organizations. She dips into humor and optimism as she blogs about the challenges she faces as she loses more vision and hearing. But more importantly, Amy shares the lessons God reveals to her through her difficulties. You can read about her experiences at www.amybovaird.com.


Friday, July 10, 2015

Author Feature: Gloria Clover

GloriaClover

Gloria Clover has lived in western PA all her life, except for those four years in Dallas, TX for university. She's always wanted to write and has been in the business for nearly thirty years. Her first novel was published by Heartsong Presents in 1997. Then she got married.

Two contemporary romances managed to reach publication in the next ten years, but she eventually found her niche writing speculative fiction in a series called Children of the King for Desert Breeze Publishing, Inc.out in CA. Starting in 2011, she has written a novel each year, currently working on book 5. Then she had a child.

She also edited Penned From the Heart, a compilation of daily devotions for ten years for Son Rise Publications in New Wilmington, PA. Penned From the Hearts continues into its 20th edition.

Gloria also directs the To Writing Success one day writing conference in Stoneboro, PA every April. She attends Commodore Perry Writers Day with the teens, and works with American Heritage Girls through her local church.

She plans to have a wide selection of books available for purchase, so stop by to chat about books, God, or whatever interests you at the moment.

GClover-WashedUnderTheWaves  GClover-FromTheFrozenDepths
GClover-DealingInShadows  GClover-TheFireStarter

Series Blurb:

The King sends out his children to reclaim the lost islands of the Archipelago of Solumnus. Shrouded from the eyes of the rest of the world over the centuries, the islands have remained hidden except to the few who colonized them—adventurers, seekers, freedom-fighters, prisoners, and those in need of a safe haven.

The isolated peoples of each island have their own history, ancestral culture, and unique deception keeping them bound to their past. From the Roman-based Undae Island caught in the lie that entertainment is the ultimate happiness to the frozen karma-driven island of Dharani to the Egyptian-based Osaze Island encased in physical appearances, each island's people have their own internal and external issues to overcome.

So the King sends his hand-picked princes and princesses to awaken the people of these islands to their generational lies. In the midst of the conflicts and frustrations, these children of the King stir the people's need for and allegiance to the King. The struggle is sweetened by an undeniable love for an island native with whom the prince or princess will rule.

Books available in print and ebook.

Gloria’s Website

 

Thursday, July 9, 2015

Author Feature: Kathy Otten

KathyOttenKathy Otten is the mother of three grown children and one grandson. She lives in the open farm country of western NY with her husband of thirty-three years. The author of three historical romance novels and several short stories and novellas, Kathy is also teaches fiction writing and occasionally presents online workshops on various elements of writing craft. She enjoys long walks with her German Shepherd Max, KOtten-ATarnishedKnightthrough the fields and woods near her home. In the winter KOtten-BetweenTheLinesshe likes to curl up with a good book and one or two of her five cats, while the snow blows outside. In between family, work and animals she can be found at her computer weaving stories of laughter, heartache, and love for the crazy cast of characters KOtten-LostHeartsswirling around in her head.


Kathy’s Website

Wild Rose Publishing

Amazon Page

 



Author Feature: Babs Mountjoy

BabsMountjoyBabs Mountjoy is a single mom of a daughter on the autism spectrum, a multi-published novelist in both romance (as Alana Lorens) and sci-fi/fantasy/paranormal (as Lyndi Alexander), a family law attorney during the day, and she also volunteers making patchwork blankets for Project Linus, which donates homemade blankets to children in hospitals so they have something homey.

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BMountjoy-Windmills

Lyndi Alexander
(sci fi/fantasy/paranormal)
http://lyndialexander.wordpress.com

The Elf Queen, 2010
The Elf Child, 2011
The Elf Mage, 2012
The Elf Guardian, 2013

Triad, 2012

The Horizon trilogy:
Horizon Shift, 2013
Horizon Strife, 2014
Horizon Dynasty, 2015

Love Me, Kiss Me, Kill Me,  August 2012

A Small Degree of Hope, a shapeshifter sci-fi romance, June 2013

Post-apocalyptic YA Series:
Windmills, 2013
Destinations, 2014

BMountjoy-ConvictionoftheHeart

Alana Lorens
(contemporary romance and romantic suspense)

Website
Facebook Fan Page

Secrets in the Sand, 2011
That Girl’s the One I Love, 2012
By Any Other Name, 2013
A Recipe For Success, in the anthology SIDEKICKS, March 2013 from Alliteration Ink

The Pittsburgh Lady Lawyers series (link):

Conviction of the Heart, 2012
Second Chances, 2012
Voodoo Dreams, 2013


Friday, June 12, 2015

Author Feature: Peggy (Loughner) Fisher

PeggyLoughnerFisherMy name is Peggy (Loughner) Fisher and my daddy died when I was 7 years old! Throughout my life I have loved my daddy and always thought of him as MY HERO. After I saw the movie “Unbroken”, I began to start to get a ‘glimpse’ into REAL war. My daddy’s actual words of what he went through followed along the movie very closely. I started writing this book to acknowledge history, to remember MY memories as a 7 year old, to hand his story down to his future generations and to honor my daddy and family for what they all endured. This book was written from the heart and I hope you enjoy DADDY CAME HOME!

PFisher-DaddyCameHomeDaddy Came Home
Memoirs of Earl Loughner, an American POW who survived the Bataan Death March


Website

 

 


Saturday, May 30, 2015

Author Feature: Burton W. Cole

Author and humor columnist Burton W. Cole grew up on a small farm outside of Conneaut, Ohio, and attended a small-town church with a slew of cousins and buddies. That boyhood inspires his colorful and comical novels today about a bunch of adventuresome kids and their goofy antics on a farm in northeast Ohio.

His debut novel, Bash and the Pirate Pig (2013), was a finalist for the prestigious 2014 Selah Award for Best Children’s Book and a finalist for Christian Retailing’s Best Award for Children’s Books. Bash and the Chicken Coop Caper (2014) won the 2015 Selah Award as Best Novel for Middle Grade Readers. The third book, Bash and the Chocolate Milk Caper (2015), just released May 1.

“I love sharing the silliness and pure joy of the goofy escapades I remember my siblings and cousins pulling growing up in the country, and how the love and discovery of God was such a natural part of all those awesome adventures."

The series of “faith, fun and farm pranks” novels for tweens (and adults who haven’t quite grown up) is published by B&H Kids (LifeWay Christian Resources).

Cole is assistant metro editor at the Tribune Chronicle in Warren, Ohio. His award-winning humor column, “Burt’s Eye View,” has been appearing weekly in the Star Beacon, Ashtabula, Ohio, for 22 years and in the Tribune Chronicle for 19 years. He has earned more than 50 writing awards, including a nomination for a Pulitzer Prize. He and his wife, Terry, live outside of Garrettsville, Ohio.




ABOUT THE BOOKS

Bash and the Pirate Pig:
Cranky city kid Raymond "Beamer" Boxby can't imagine what good could come from cousin Bash Hinglehobb’s so-called country fun that includes riding cows to the dairy drive-through, rafting on a pond with a pig, and smuggling a skunk into Sunday school. But Bash's zany exploits—often involving his "Farmin' and Fishin' Book" (The Bible)—are about to spin life toward a weird and wonderful adventure!


Bash and the Chicken Coop Caper:
While Mom offers “anything” to get Bash and cousin Beamer out of the house, she really isn’t expecting them to use her good sheets to sail-snowboard off the top of the chicken coop, to put a pig in ice skates, use undershorts for a snowball slingshot. Bash uses the most misadventurous methods ever imagined by a couple of cooped-up kids to harvest the Fruit of the Spirit. Beamer’s more concerned about the disappearing pink, purple, and orange paisley sleeping bag,and the mysterious footprints in the snow.
  
Bash and the Chocolate Milk Cows:
Chickens dripping in strawberry-rhubarb pie run amok in a fire station. A goat gets painted in an explosion of circus colors. And the cows give chocolate milk on April Fool’s Day. Just the typical weirdness Beamer encounters when visiting cousin Bash on the farm. Meanwhile, somebody’s holding up stores and feed mills. Beamer finds himself face-to-face with the robber with only his crazy cousin, pesky neighbor Mary Jane, and Morton, the goat of many colors.


Find Burton on his Facebook page
 
 

Monday, April 27, 2015

Author Feature: Catherine McLean

CatherineMcLeanBesides Catherine being a wife and mother, she has ridden and exhibited Morgan Sport Horses. She's an avid clothing and costume designer, an award-winning amateur photographer, a 4-H leader, and a Red Hatter who loves bling.

CMcLean-KarmaMayhemShe lives on a farm nestled in the foothills of the Allegheny Mountains of Western Pennsylvania. In the quiet of the countryside, she writes fantasy, futuristic, and paranormal stories where a reader can escape to other worlds for adventure and romance.

Her short stories have appeared in hard-copy and online anthologies and magazines. Besides having two novels published, soon to be released is her lighthearted fantasy/sci-fi romance HEARTS AKILTER.

CMcLean-JewelsoftheSkyCMcLean-HeartsAkilter

Catherine also gives writing workshops, both online and in-person.

Catherine's website for writers  
Blog

Workshop Schedule
Hub Website 

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Friday, April 24, 2015

Author Feature: Catherine Coulter

CathyCoulter

Catherine (Cathy) Coulter was born in western Pennsylvania and lived her younger years in Northern Illinois before moving back to western Pennsylvania and marrying a dairy farmer. It's there that she now lives with her husband and is raising 4 children. An author and genealogist who majored in elementary/special education and sociology, Cathy has been doing research since 1996 and creating children’s stories since 1989. She is also a volunteer genealogist and member of the Grove City Area Historical Society.

A Child's Book of Poems: Goodnight, Hello was her first published book. Since then, she has released several genealogy workbooks and a second children’s book titled The Man in Red.
Catherine is an affiliate member of the AiA Associated Independent Authors.

Find Cathy on her Website



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Thursday, April 16, 2015

Author Feature: Daisy Beiler Townsend

DaisyTownsendDaisy Beiler Townsend had a life-long dream of being a writer and published her first story in 1981. Since then her work has been published in Guideposts, The Upper Room, The Secret Place, New Man, Christian Home, and many other Christian periodicals. Now she has written a devotional book that is filled with personal experiences of God speaking to her through the common, every day happenings in life. This has resulted in a deep homespun faith that is shared in many practical ways in her book, Homespun Faith, Reflections on the Seasons of Life.

In addition to writing, Daisy is also a certified pastoral counselor, and along with her husband, Donn, she served with One Mission Society as a missionary in Japan for a total of four years, besides five other short-term mission trips to Japan between 2001-2011. They live in Greenville, Pennsylvania and have three children and five grandchildren.


DTownsend-HomespunFaith
Homespun Faith, Reflections on the Seasons of Life
can be found locally at Leana's Books (Shenango Valley Mall), M & M Groceries, Fresh Grounds in the Sans Moco area (both in Greenville), and is also available online as an eBook and paperback.


 Find Daisy at HomespunFaith.com 
or on
Facebook






Author Feature: LK Hunsaker

LKH-Nov09-2689-4in

LK Hunsaker is the author of a string of novels centered around the arts and societal issues. Raised in Central Illinois in the midst of an artistic family and surrounded by cornfields, she married a career soldier and spent the next 20 years moving around the U.S. and abroad. During that time, she raised two children, worked a few odd jobs, finished her psychology degree, and embarked on a writing career. She and her husband have been settled in Western Pennsylvania since 2007 and are kept on their toes by two rambunctious grandbabies in between working and biking through the gorgeous scenery of Mercer County and beyond.

LK has been labeled a master storyteller by reviewers and peers, and has won several peer awards and commendations. Several of her short stories, poems, and articles have been published in literary ezines and print magazines.

FBprofileDec2012Ella M. Kaye is the pen name for LK’s shorter and more sensual romance line, also featuring the arts. Each book centers around a mental health issue and overcoming the related obstacles in the midst of two people finding each other and growing together into a couple.

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You can find LK/EMK at most major book retailers, in both print and ebook.

LK: Website / Blog / Facebook / Twitter
EMK: Website / Blog / Facebook

Wednesday, March 18, 2015

Author Feature: Anne Slanina

AnneSlanina
Anne Slanina, "Annie Mouse," is the author of The Adventures of Annie Mouse children's books.

The Guardian Angel series, intended to help parents talk to their children about serious issues such as bullying, anger, and getting lost, consists of four books:  Annie Mouse Meets her Guardian Angel, Baby Brother Goes to the Hospital, Where the Rainbow Touches Ground, and Annie Mouse Meets a New Friend.

ASlanina-AnnieMouseBooks 

 ASlanina-Route 66 JournalAnnie Mouse introduces children to historic facts and US landmarks in the Route 66 travel books, which include a picture book: Annie Mouse's Route 66 Adventure: A PhotASlanina-ChapterBooko Journal and a companion chapter book: Annie Mouse's Route 66 Family Vacation  Anne resides in Western PA and is a professor at Slippery Rock University in the Elementary/ Early Childhood Education department where she prepares people to be early childhood educators. During semester breaks, she can be found traveling Route 66 -- America's Mother Road. She has two grown sons, two fabulous daughters-in-law, and four grand-children.

More about Anne and her books:
Website
Amazon