"Farewell, My Denmark" GIVEAWAY!!!

Introducing Farewell, my Denmark by Tina Scott

COMING IN JUNE!!

First, a short Q & A with Tina...

What prompted you to write the novel?
My ancestors are from Denmark, and when I was reading my great-great grandmother’s life history, it dawned on me that I should write a novel about her experiences, and the Danish pioneers.
 Where did you get your information?
My ancestor’s life stories, the Mormon Immigration Index, personal visits to Denmark, and from visiting the Church History Museum in Salt Lake City, Utah. And, the Internet.
 Is the book set at sea, or in America, or both?
I wanted to give readers a feel for what the Scandinavian Saints gave up when they left their homes. Farewell, My Denmark starts at Catherine’s home and then chronicles their travels through Denmark, Germany, and England. About half of the novel is set aboard the John J. Boyd, the ship my ancestors actually sailed on, and then ends when they arrive in America.
 Could you tell us a little about your book?
I’d love to!

A failed engagement sets seventeen-year-old Catherine Erichsen on a faith-building journey of self discovery as she follows her parents and other Mormon Saints on the 1863 immigration to America. When precious heirlooms start disappearing aboard the John J. Boyd, Catherine nearly loses her life at the hand of thieving sailors and fears she won’t live long enough to fulfill the desires of her heart.

!! HELP ME CELEBRATE MY NOVEL !! 

FAREWELL, MY DENMARK book giveaway and celebration
APRIL 8 – 26th

 My Wonderful Helpers:

April 8____Tristi Pinkston:
April 12___Valerie Ipson:
April 15___Cami Checketts:
April 16___Joyce DiPastena:
April 22___Joyce Smith:
April 23___Jennifer Griffith:

Each Friday, April 12th, 19th, 26th, one winner will be picked from that weeks comments to receive a copy of my novel [You may choose from print or ebook] 

and a $10 Target gift card.

INTERNATIONAL: ebook only, no gift card. Sorry.

Winner will be drawn Fridays @ 5pm Pacific Standard time.

Participants who didn’t win may re-enter each week w/ new comments and announcements.

HOW TO PARTICIPATE:

Leave a comment on hosts blog = 1 entry

Leave a comment on my blog w/ your email address in case you win = 1 entry
http://totallytinascott.blogspot.com
(Those w/o an email address posted will forfeit if they win.)

Tweet about giveaway w/ link to my blog = 1 entry

Facebook announcement about giveaway w/ link to my blog = 1 entry


Find Tina at:
http://totallytinascott.blogspot.com

 

FREE E-BOOKS!

My friend, Andrea Pearson, has just had the fourth book in her young adult fantasy series published. In celebration, the first book, The Key of Kilenya, is available for free as an eBook, and the second book, The Ember Gods, is available as a $0.99 Kindle eBook until March 3rd.  

The Key of Kilenya has been in the top 100 for teen fantasies on Amazon since last May and has been very popular with young (and adult) readers. They compare it to Harry Potter along with Brandon Mull's Fablehaven and Beyonders books, with a hint of Narnia and Lord of the Rings.

To download a copy of The Key of Kilenya for Kindle, click here. Check out Andrea's blog post for other formats of the eBook.

The ANWA Writers Conference

Time Out for Writers

is open for registration NOW!!!!!

 

The American Night Writers Association, Inc. is hosting its 21^st Annual Writers Conference here in Arizona at the Phoenix East/Mesa Hilton Hotel on Feb 21-23^rd, 2013. 

 

ANNOUNCING the PRESENTERS!!!

 

 

KEYNOTE SPEAKER, JAMES OWEN!!!

 

 James Owen an author of more than a million copies of his publications in print, all over the world!   He has written and illustrated six books in the bestselling series The Chronicles of the Imaginarium Geographica: Here, There Be Dragons; The Search For The Red Dragon; The Indigo King; The Shadow Dragons; The Dragon’s Apprentice; and The Dragons of Winter. The series is now being published in more than twenty languages!  James has also written and illustrated two dozen StarChild comics, the inspirational nonfiction book Drawing out the Dragons, and the award-winning MythWorld novel series.  James is the Founder and Executive Director of Coppervale International, an art and design studio that also published the periodicals International Studio and Argosy, develops television and film projects, and is redesigning an entire town in Arizona, among other ventures.   

Dr. James Blasingame is a professor of young adult literature at Arizona State University. He is coeditor of The ALAN Review, a journal devoted entirely to young adult literature and sponsored by the National Council of Teachers of English. He also creates the Books for Adolescents pages of the Journal of Adult and Adolescent Literacy, which is sponsored by the International Reading Association. He is the author of Books That Don’t Bore ‘Em: Young Adult Literature for Today’s Generation, Teen Reads: Student Companions to Young Adult Literature, Teaching Writing in Middle and Secondary Schools, and They Rhymed with Their Boots On: A Teacher’s Guide to Cowboy Poetry. He has also published over 60 interviews with poets and authors of young adult literature and over 100 book reviews in VOYA, Journal of Adolescent and Adult Literacy, The ALAN Review and English Journal.
Erzsi Deak founded Hen&ink Literary Studio in 2011 as a traditional literary agency with the goal to work additionally across platforms and countries/borders -- from traditional publishing to design to multimedia. Currently, Hen&ink represents authors and illustrators from around the world as well as publishers Thomas Jeunesse (France), Epigram Books (Singapore), and Red Fox Literary (US). Erzsi is author of award-winning PERIOD PIECES: STORIES FOR GIRLS. Erzsi received the Member of the Year from the SCBWI in 1999 and 2008. Hen&ink represents children's and YA authors and illustrators and a few "grown up" projects. For more information, please visit: henandink.com
Dave Eaton is a Local Marketing Consultant and his recent ventures include Online Marketing and Social Media Marketing.  He is a business owner with more than 30 years experience building several multimillion dollar companies.
Lynn Gardner is an avid storyteller and author of ten books in the Gem series: Emeralds and Espionage, etc. and two Maggie McKenzie Mysteries: Vanished and Pursued.  She recently returned from a two week research trip to London, Portugal and Spain. 
Kathryn Jenkins Gordon is the managing editor at Covenant Communications and has thirty-eight years of professional experience in corporate and internal communications, public relations, media relations, marketing communications, and publications management. Prior to her current position, she was press secretary for a U.S. Congressman; vice-president of a Salt Lake City publishing company; manager of strategic communications for software manufacturer Novell, Inc.; director of public relations at a private college in Salt Lake City; and held communications management positions at a variety of national and international corporations. She is the author or co-author of more than seven dozen books and wrote an award-winning book-length poetry manuscript recognized by the governor of Utah. 
Jennifer Griffith is the author of four published novels, including her latest, Big in Japan, the story of an obese Texan good guy who accidentally becomes a sumo wrestler. She has a writing degree from Utah State University and has done writing critique for over 20 years. Professionally, Griffith served as a writer on staff for a U.S. Congressman.
Leslie Householder is the award winning, three-time best-selling author of The Jackrabbit Factor, Portal to Genius, and Hidden Treasures: Heaven’s Astonishing Help with Your Money Matters. Having worked on a team that helped Jack Canfield launch his best-selling book, “Success Principles,” she utilized what she learned to duplicate best-seller success for her own books. Her writings have since been published internationally in several languages and she has tips to share about online marketing and strategies for self-published authors. 
Heather B. Moore is the award-winning author of several historical novels which are set in Ancient Arabia and Mesoamerica. She is also the author of two non-fiction books, Women of the Book of Mormon and Christ's Gifts to Women (co-authored with Angela Eschler). Heather co-authored the women's series The Newport Ladies Book Club (with Josi Kilpack, Julie Wright and Annette Lyon). Heather also manages the editing company: www.precisioneditinggroup.com
 Angela Morrison is the award-winning author of Taken by Storm (books 1-3) and Sing me to Sleep, a 2010 Goodreads Choice Nominee and USA Best Books 2011 Winner for YA Fiction. She graduated from Brigham Young University and holds an MFA in Writing for Children and Young Adults from Vermont College of Fine Arts. 
Evan Neil is an award-winning screenwriter from Phoenix, AZ. He was the winner of the Best Original Screenplay competition in the Phoenix Film Festival as well as a finalist in the Sundance Film Festival Screenwriting lab in 2008. Evan has written over a dozen screenplays and stage plays. His work has been performed on national stages for the Kennedy Center Awards for the Arts as well as in many Arizona productions. He currently has 3 screenplays that have been optioned and one film slated to go into production in 2013.
Lara Perkins is an Assistant Agent and the Digital Manager at the Andrea Brown Literary Agency. She has been with the agency for nearly three years and works closely with Senior Agent Laura Rennert. Lara has a B.A. in English and Fine Arts from Amherst College and an M.A. in English Literature from Columbia University. She has been on faculty at various national writers' conferences, including Book Passage, the Big Sur Writers' Conference, and the Atlanta Writers’ Conference.
Aprilynne Pike, critically acclaimed, #1 New York Times best-selling author has been spinning tales since she was a child with a hyper-active imagination. At the age of twenty she received her BA in Creative Writing from Lewis-Clark State College in Lewiston, Idaho.
Janette Rallison is the award winning author of 19 novels that have sold over a million copies. Her books have also been on the IRA Young Adults’ Choices lists, Popular Picks, and many state reading lists. Her latest book is a time travel dystopia called Erasing Time. In her blog, she discusses the funny side of being a YA author http://janette-rallison.blogspot.com/
Chris Schoebinger is the Publishing Director and an Acquisitions Editor for Shadow Mountain Publishing. He’s discovered and launched several New York Times best-selling authors and award-winning authors such as Brandon Mull, Jason F. Wright, Obert Skye, Tyler Whitesides, Lisa Mangum, and Ally Condie. He also acquires manuscripts for Deseret Book Publishing and is the brand manager for million-selling LDS authors such as Sheri Dew and John Bytheway. Chris is also the #1 New York Times best-selling author for the children’s adaptation of Glenn Beck’s The Christmas Sweater.
Marsha Ward is an award-winning poet, writer and editor, with over 900 pieces of published work, including her acclaimed post-American Civil War novel series, The Owen Family Saga. She is the founder of American Night Writers Association, and a member of Western Writers of America, Women Writing the West, Pikes Peak Writers, EPIC, Rim Country Writers, and LDStorymakers. Visit her website at www.marshaward.com.
Stacy Whitman is the Editorial Director of Tu Books, an imprint of Lee & Low Books that publishes fantasy, science fiction, and mystery for children and young adults with a particular emphasis on diversity. In 2009, she founded a small press named Tu Publishing, dedicated to publishing multicultural fantasy and science fiction for children and young adults, which was acquired by Lee & Low Books and became Tu Books.  She holds a master’s degree in children’s literature from Simmons College.

 

Come meet, mingle, and learn from this fantastic and knowledgeable faculty!

Register now for the 21^st Annual ANWA Writers Conference in Phoenix/Mesa, AZ by going to the website at

anwa-lds.com/conference  

 

Pass this message along to any writer or teacher you know that may be interested in attending. 

WRITERS CONFERENCE INFO!

21^st Annual ANWA Writers Conference Coming to Phoenix/Mesa

 

The American Night Writers Association is hosting it’s 21^st annual, national writers conference, “Time Out for Writers,” at the Phoenix East/Mesa Hilton Hotel on February 21-23, 2013.  Registration is now open to all writers, whether novice or published, and teachers!

 

The “Time Out for Writers” Conference offers:

 

• Classes – 36 classes to choose from for beginners, emerging, and professional writers of all genres and platforms!
• Workshops – query and pitch workshops on Thursday night
• Faculty - nationally recognized presenters including NY Times best selling authors, agents, editors and publishers will teach the classes
• Pitch Sessions  - Pitch your manuscript to national editors and publishers
• Contests – Enter the Beginning of Book (BOB) Contest with the first 500 words of your manuscript
• Protagonist Ball – Come dressed as your favorite protagonist to mingle, network and have fun with faculty and other attendees
• All-star Breakfast – the first 25 to register early and book their hotel room receives the opportunity to share a special breakfast with the faculty
• Bookstore – sell your books and/or purchase others’ at our onsite bookstore

 

NEW - AZ Educator Licensing - “Time Out for Writers” now offers Professional Development hours for AZ Educator Licensing!  Receive up to 17 Professional Development hours that can be applied toward the renewal of your Arizona Educator’s License!

 

Come develop your writing skills, your teaching skills, your marketing knowledge, your networking base and your creativity!

 

 

Register now for the 21^st Annual ANWA Writers Conference in Phoenix/Mesa, AZ by going to the website at

http://anwa-lds.com/index.php/conference.html

 

 

Contact, for more information or questions:

McKenna Gardner, Communications Chair,
communications@anwa-lds.com
(602) 697-5022

Spinster's Folly by Marsha Ward

Spinster’s Folly

the fourth book in the novel series,

The Owen Family Saga

 

Marie Owen yearns for a loving husband, but ColoradoTerritory is long on rough characters and short on fitting suitors, so a future of spinsterhood seems more likely than wedded bliss.

Her best friend says cowboy Bill Henry is a likely candidate, but Marie knows her class-conscious father would not allow such a pairing.

When she challenges her father to find her a suitable husband before she becomes a spinster, he arranges a match with a neighbor's son. Then Marie discovers Tom Morgan would be an unloving, abusive mate and his mother holds a grudge against the Owen family.

Marie's mounting despair at the prospect of being trapped in such a dismal marriage drives her into the arms of a sweet-talking predator, landing her in unimaginable dangers.



THE BIG Q & A with Author Marsha

Q: What do you hope readers will get from your books?
A: Actually, hope itself. I had an epiphany several years ago when I realized that I write to let people know there is always hope, and to show them through the experiences of fictional characters that they can get through hard times, even really, really terrible times, and find happiness at the end of it all.

Q: What’s your secret to making the characters in your books come to life?
A: I get to know them very well. I have a sheet of questions I fill in about them, and I also interview them. Then I don't overwrite them with too much description. I let their actions define them, instead. That way, the reader invests the characters with their own unique qualities and peculiarities, and they come alive in the reader's mind.

 

Q: What makes you passionate about writing?

A: I so love indie publishing. It's a one-on-one opportunity for the writer to connect with a reader, without someone saying their publishing list is filled for the next three years so they can't use your work. I'm a bit of a rebel, I guess. The advent of widespread availability of electronic books is right up my alley. I only held off putting my work on Kindle because 1) I told myself it had to wait until I finished my current novel, and 2) I heard it was difficult and I didn't want to tackle the learning curve. It's actually quite within my skill set, and I should not have waited so long.

Q: What is your writing schedule like?

A: I'm supposed to have a schedule?
I fall into the category of “Writers who wish they had a more structured writing schedule.”

Q: Do you ever experience a snag in a story, a form of writer's block? If so, how do you deal with it?

A: That terrible sound you hear is me groaning in agony. Yes, I encounter snags. My favorite way of dealing is to avoid and procrastinate, but that doesn't get the book written. The best way is for me to set very low expectations for myself so I don't self-sabotage. A lot of highly creative people have oppositional defiance, and I find that tendency is well-developed in me. To counteract it, my goal is often to write 25 words a day. I could do that on a sheet of toilet paper, right? Surprisingly, the tactic works.

Q: Who has made the greatest difference for you as a writer?
A: I've had a lot of influences through the years. However, I'll have to say that my [late] husband, Robert Ward, made the greatest difference. He believed in me. He supported me. He made it possible for me to live where I do and have the time to write.

Q: What authors do you admire, and why?

A: Robert Newton Peck, whose writing contains the unexpected elements. Louis L'Amour, for his fastidious research. Elmer Kelton, for creating great characters. Frank Roderus, whose titles always have a multitude of meanings.

Q: What words of advice do you have for other writers who desire to publish their manuscripts?

A: Two words: Indie publishing. There's nothing stopping a writer from making the connection directly to the reader anymore. Get started by reading the blogs/websites of JA Konrath and Dean Wesley Smith. Google will find them for you.

Q: What are you working on now?

A: I'm doing research for the fifth novel in the Owen Family Saga, entitled Gone for a Soldier. This is Rulon Owen’s story of his experiences as an infantryman during the Civil War. We’re going to see what made Rulon the caring big brother you see depicted in Spinster's Folly. I’m very excited about the project. The American Civil War has had a deep pull on me since I was in high school. Let’s see how many errors I can avoid. Civil War enthusiasts are very picky.

Q: Where can our readers go to find your books and order them?

A: All the online booksellers, such as amazon.com and bn.com, have the trade paperback books. The easiest way to find all my online eBooks is to go to my author pages at Smashwords:  https://www.smashwords.com/profile/view/marshaward and at Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Marsha-Ward/e/B003RB9P9Q/ The eBooks are also on Kobo Books, and Diesel Books, in Canada.

Q: Final thoughts?

A: I'll address this to writers: Believe in yourself, but learn all you can about writing, too. No first drafts are set in stone. Don't hang around negative people. Write at least 25 words a day. Listen to people to learn the flow of language. Find a good, encouraging group of writers who will show you the ropes. Read, read, read! When you start writing in earnest, find a good critique group. Reach down and help another writer along the way.

Blog: http://marshaward/blogspot.com

Website: http://marshaward.com
Twitter: https://twitter.com/marshaward
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/authormarshaward
Books on Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Marsha-Ward/e/B003RB9P9Q
Ebooks on Smashwords: https://www.smashwords.com/profile/view/marshaward

TOBY GOLD AND THE SECRET FORTUNE by CRAIG EVERETT

"Money is the most dangerous magic."

 

"Unique children’s lit that cleverly tackles interest rates, endowments, fluctuating commodities, bullying and identity." 

- Kirkus Reviews
 

Toby Gold and the Secret Fortune is a middle-grade fantasy

that incorporates money facts in a fast-paced, engaging story kids will love!

An infant is discovered one night on a commuter train from New York City during a stop in the sleepy town of Wallingford, Connecticut.  The local police are summoned, but are unable to locate the boy’s parents, despite painstakingly questioning each person on the train.  For some strange reason, none of the passengers can remember seeing his mother falling from the train – after falling victim to an assassin’s bullet.

Assigned the name “Toby Gold” by social services, the mysterious child grows up in Wallingford, moving from foster home to foster home, not knowing who his real parents are - or why he was born with such freakish skills with math and money.

Now a teenager, Toby’s money skills are noticed by the wrong people, and thus he is unwittingly sucked into a high-stakes financial conspiracy that puts his life, and the lives of his two closest friends, in great peril.  Ultimately, Toby solves the crime, saves his friends, and even saves his school—all in one harrowing afternoon.

"This fast-paced adventure weaves fundamental concepts in economics and finance seamlessly into the story. Toby Gold makes learning finance exciting."  - Francis A. Longstaff, PhD, Professor of Finance, UCLA - Anderson School of Management

About the Author: Craig Everett

Craig R. Everett was born and raised in Maine, spending his childhood summers digging along the shores of Bar Harbor for buried pirate treasure. Fortunately, he was able to remain blissfully unaware that pirates seldom, if ever, ventured that far north. He received his B.A. in Economics from Tufts University, an MBA from George Mason University, and a Ph.D. in Finance from Purdue University.

Dr. Everett is currently a finance professor at Pepperdine University in Malibu, California, where he teaches corporate and entrepreneurial finance. Dr. Everett also volunteers in public schools teaching financial literacy principles.

You can learn more about Craig here:
http://craigeverett.com/
http://tobygold.com/
FB: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Craig-Everett-author/128980444347?ref=hl
Twitter: https://twitter.com/craig_everett

Toby Gold and the Secret Fortune: Reading Level: 9 and up
Publisher: Fiscal Press

NEW, REVISED (in 55 minutes or less): THE QUERY

IDEAL HIGH

YA Contemporary
75,000 words




Query:

 A summer’s worth of mourning is not nearly enough after a suspicious fire kills several of Taryn's classmates at the end of junior year. Now her only plan is to resign as vice president-elect and get her senior year over with as quickly and privately as possible. Way too soon she’s compelled to come out from under her paisley comforter to take her late boyfriend's place as student body president. It seems the only way to fix what’s broken at Ideal High.

If in-school rivalries and an old-school principal aren't enough, she's forced to deal with former best friend, Chelsea, and all her anxiety over the fire. Throw in a hot cowboy who, unfortunately, only wants to talk about the tragedy and it’s not long before Taryn is wondering why she dragged herself from the safety of her warm bed. At least there her mascara could run in private.

When Chelsea goes from head-cheerleader-popular to the lowest ranks of the bullied, Taryn must decide whether risking her pride and hard-won status is worth facing both the truth about the tragedy and the possibility that Chelsea needs a true friend. Doing so could mean Ideal High finally lives up to its name.

First 150 Words:

Taryn forced a glance at the pull-down screen behind her and was sorry she had. Whose idea was it to broadcast the super-sized faces of the dead to the far corners of the school's auditorium? Everybody knew they were gone. Why emphasize the obvious even for the sake of a memorial? And why no rain on this joyless day? Never a good Texas thunderstorm when you needed one. 

Instead, light poured through the ribbon of windows high along the back wall, criss-crossing the podium where she stood. Leaned was more like it. She squinted at the sheet of paper in front of her, trying to make out the first name. Not that it mattered. She knew the list by heart.

“Ashley Benton.” When she finally focused through the glare to speak into the microphone, the name echoed across the vast room.

All eyes riveted on the screen as Taryn pictured the name and the face heading straight to the heart of each student, parent, faculty member, and community leader standing at attention.

The news from the GUTGAA Contest is that I am IN! I am one of 25 pitches (consisting of a query and first 150 words of the manuscript as seen above) to advance to the next round, the round where small press editors read the pitches and decide if they want to ask for more pages or even full manuscripts.

I was thinking I had most of the day to rework my query after receiving some great feedback online and from my writing chapter, but that pesky time difference caught up with me. When Ms. Barnhart, the contest host, says 3:00 PM EASTERN STANDARD TIME, that means if you live in Arizona you gotta get crackalackin' well before noon. My first 150 stayed as is, but the query got a quick overhaul just to clarify a few things. 

Stay tuned next week to see what comes of all this mayhem...
#holdingbreathandcrossingfingers. Oh, and #prayinglotsandlotsofpraying.

http://deanabarnhart.blogspot.com/2012/10/finalists-and-prizes.html I'm in the YA Contemporary and YA Historical category, or go straight here...http://julianalbrandt.com/2012/10/gutgaa-pitch-contest-winners-other-news/