Ghost Story Anthology

I am thrilled, ecstatic, beyond excited – can’t you tell from my solemn expression?  I laugh because the picture fits perfectly with my news.  My short story, AMITY, is going to be published in a ghost story anthology!  Yes, it is an honest-to-goodness anthology with an ISBN and a way to order it (coming soon). 

I don’t want to give away the ending, or even too many details.  Let’s just say there’s a cemetery…a young woman who meets a stranger amongst the graves…a secret hidden in a diary…  I may be biased since I wrote it, but I like to think the story will be so much more than what a few words can depict. 

More details will follow as soon as I have more information.  

These amazing photographs were done by my cousin, Ashlee Mierek, to depict the mood of AMITY.  

UNENDING DEVOTION

I received a copy of UNENDING DEVOTION by Jody Hedlund from Bethany House.  The cover is addictive – a young woman wearing a cape stands amongst skeleton trees while looking pensively out at the audience.  Who can resist that?

I am never disappointed with Bethany House’s books.   They have the perfect mix of religion, romance, and adventure, with a sprinkling of danger that keep you riveted to the edge of your seat.  This novel was no exception.  Lily Young has had a hard life.  She’s had to raise her sister, but now her sister is trapped somewhere as a prostitute.  Lily is determined to find and save her, so she travels around logging camps.  Her companion is a photographer who uses Lily as his assistant.  As they search for her sister, they save other unwilling prostitutes. 

I adored the mingling of mystery and history.  It really is one of those books that sucks you back in time.  I never considered what life might have been like for prostitutes or photographers in the logging camps during the late 1800’s.  This opened my eyes to the dangers and heartaches.  I really felt for the helpless girls.  I highly recommend this novel to history lovers like myself. 

HUNTED HARE

I received a copy of THE HUNTED HARE BY Fay Sampson from Monarch Books via Kregel. It is the first novel in the Aidan Mysteries.  Aidan and his family travel to Pennant Melangell in North Wales. Right there, I was hooked. While studying my genealogy, I found that many of my ancestors lived in Wales.  I even recognized some of the locations mentioned in the book from my research on my family tree.  It was like taking a trip to their modern day world.

Aidan takes his family there because his wife, Jenny, loved it when they visited long ago. She had written a book about it and he’d taken the photographs.  Jenny is now dying of terminal cancer. She wanted to experience the setting one more time and hopefully benefit from its healing properties.  Along for the journey is Melangell, their daughter, who was named after the location. 

Throw in great dialogue and heart wrenching sadness.  The descriptions were very thought-provoking.  The mystery left me wondering right up until the final chapters, and even then, I remained on the edge of my seat until the final page.

I enjoyed the novel for many reasons, but I didn’t love it for one: I couldn’t connect with the voice.  While other people will surely adore it, it just didn’t flow well for me.  With that aside, I definitely recommend this fast paced book to anyone who is interested in history and mysteries.  I’ll watch for the next mystery in the series.

TANGLED ASHES

I received a copy of TANGLED ASHES by Michele Phoenix from Tyndale Fiction via Handlebar Central.  This adult novel, with plenty of action and mystery, is based on World War II.  I shouldn’t say that’s my favorite topic – it is much too dark and morbid.  However, I do read a lot of novels on the subject.  This fits in well with those, so I recommend this to anyone interested in the Holocaust – if “interested” is the right word.

The book focuses on a Manor in France.  The best part?  It’s a real place!  I hope to visit it someday.  The author paints it into a beautiful, majestic light, interweaving history with nature.  The story jumps between World War II and 2001.  In 2001, Becker is hired to restore the manor for the owner’s wife’s birthday; time to welcome a cast of unique, realistic characters.  I loved the descriptions and the discovered artifacts.  The manor really came to life for me. 

In World War II, the manor was used by the Nazis as a “baby factory.”  Aryan women, whose babies had been sired by Nazi soldiers, came to the Manor to bear their children.  After the baby was born, the women had to leave them there to be raised.  A servant in the house decides to steal one away…  I’ll leave it at that to avoid spoiling the plot.   

THE RIVER

I received a copy of THE RIVER by Michael Neal from Thomas Nelson via BookSneeze.  I was excited to start reading.  Based on the reviews and back cover, I expected a book that would change my life, filled with mystery and courage.  By the time I finished, I had mixed feelings.  Unlike the reviews, this book didn’t change my life.  Yes, it did have powerful messages, but I didn’t look at the world through new eyes.

Gabriel Clarke is raised by his father beside the River.  When Gabe is five, his father drowns and Gabe moves to Kansas to live with his mother.  He grows up frightened and insecure, until he eventually returns to the River.  He faces his fears while coming to terms with his father’s death.  I definitely recommend this book to anyone who has had something traumatic happen in his or her life.

A few writing techniques in the book bothered me.  The author used simple, almost childlike sentences that made the story awkward to read at times.  There were also a lot of exclamation points and passive sentences, not to mention moments of Telling rather than Showing; I’ve learned from numerous writing websites not to use those techniques.

As a final note, the book’s cover is very eye-catching.  It holds the old world elegance of a diary.  I read THE RIVER at work and left my copy on my desk.  Many people came over to ask me about it.  Normally, no one questions the books I read.

PURGATORY REIGN

I know everyone is different, but this writer (me) writes so that other people can find enjoyment in her words.  My stories wouldn’t be what they are with my critique partners.  One of my most amazing critique partners is L. M. Preston.  Let’s all share the love – help me help her celebrate the release of her new book, PURGATORY REIGN.  It’s a paranormal romance, action adventure novel for young adults.  The eBook will be released in March 2013 and the print version will come out in May 2013. 

Instead of me raving about how incredibly awesome the book is (and yes, it is.  I’ve already read it), here are some links so you can check it out yourself:

Book Trailer Link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=atvKA9E4bPI&feature=youtu.be

(Is it just me, or are book trailers totally addicting?  I can’t stop watching them.  Then I get that giddy, I-can’t-wait-to-read-this feeling and grab a copy)

Read sample: http://www.freado.com/book/13273/purgatory-reign

(See what I mean about the awesomeness?)

RaffleCopter Prize Pack: Paperback ARC of Purgatory Reign, $20 Amazon Gift Card, T-shirt, LM Preston ebooks Flutter Of Luv and The Pack

 (code is below)
http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/bc05446/" rel="nofollow">a Rafflecopter giveaway

(Free stuff – need I say more?)

Pre-Order:
Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Purgatory-Reign-Series/dp/0985025131/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1344012202&sr=8-1&keywords=purgatory+reign+by+lm+preston

(Then you don’t have to worry about ordering it later on)

Barnes & Noble: coming soon

Indie Bound: coming soon

Books A Million: coming soon

Of course, I can’t forget LM’s details:
Blog: http://lmpreston.blogspot.com/
Twitter: http://twitter.com/LM_Preston
Facebook: http://tinyurl.com/2fev6qc

LM’s Other Awesome Novels:
Explorer X - Alpha, The Pack, BANDITS
Read Excerpts: The Pack, Bandits, The Pack-Retribution, Explorer X-Beta, Flutter Of Luv