Giveaway Winner: A Kiss at Vespers+Blue Diamond Delivery by Anne E. Johnson

Thank you!

We wanted to give a BIG thank you to Anne E. Johnson for being our Author Spotlight in July!

It has really been a pleasure to have you here with us at Rather Barefoot than bookless,

An on to one more funny thing..... Drumroll......

Giveaway Winners!

Congratulations to Marissa!

Congratulations to Stee-Venter!

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Teaser Tuesday: Fading by E.K. Blair

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by Miz B at Should Be Reading.

Anyone can play along! Just do the following:

Grab your current read

Open to a random page

Share two "teaser" sentences from somewhere on that page

BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!

 

 

 

Can a guilty conscience keep wounds from healing?

Fine arts major, Candace Parker, grew up with a mother who thinks image is everything, and her daughter’s perfection will never be good enough. About to graduate college and pursue her dreams of becoming a professional ballerina, Candace decides it’s time to let go and have a little fun. But fun is short-lived when a brutal attack leaves her completely shattered.

The memories that consume and torment Candace are starting to destroy her when she meets Ryan Campbell, a successful bar owner. He feels instantly connected and tries to show her that hope is worth fighting for. But is Ryan harboring his own demons? As walls slowly begin to chip away, the secrets that are held within start to become painful burdens.

At what point do secrets become lies?

 

 

Teaser

 

"How the hell did this become my life? I am not a weak person. I am strong and hold my emotions tight. I hardly recognize the weakness that is poring out of me. Defeat. I am so tired and worn out. Exhausted."

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Author Spotlight: Giveaway+ Excerpt of A Kiss at Vespers

 

Author: Anne E. Johnson
Title: A Kiss at Vespers
Genre: Medieval Historical Romance
Purchase: MuseItUp Publishing

Blurb
In 1008 AD, Dublin is just a small town, newly opened to trade now that Viking violence there has died down. A young woman named Asta runs away from her boring life in Britain on one of her father’s trading vessels bound for Dublin, hoping that she and the sailor she loves can find a new life together. But when shipwreck takes him from her, her whole world changes. She is helped up the rocky shores of eastern Ireland by handsome and enigmatic Brother Martinus, who takes her to the Monastery of St. Luran’s to recover. Despite his vows of silence and chastity, Brother Martinus is entranced by the beautiful maiden who seems delivered to him by Providence. Their unexpected relationship causes both of them to rethink their concepts of faith and love.


Excerpt

A spritz of cold rain awakened Asta, who came to with her mouth against salty wood. She found herself clinging to a piece of the shattered ship that someone must have set her on, and which now bobbed gently against the rocky shore. Her bones ached with exhaustion deeper than any she’d known, but she fought to pull herself up. The tides in this place were unfamiliar to her, and as a shipper’s daughter, she knew that fast-rising waters could strand the unsuspecting.

Dragging herself up to hands and knees, she thought, “Thank Heavens I’m in a boy’s outfit, and not in a big, heavy dress!” She smiled at her good fortune, but then remembered all her misery. With the last of her energy, she used her arms to navigate to the rocky shore and drag herself onto an outcropping. Nestling in a crevice with her knees pulled to her chin, Asta wept.

She must have cried herself to sleep. The next time she looked down, the water was lapping only inches from her. Although she felt a little more rested, her tongue was feathery with thirst, and the salt dried to her lips only made it worse. She knew not to drink from the ocean, but couldn’t imagine how she would find fresh water before she perished. Climbing to the next rock up (she thanked fortune again that she was not in a dress) she looked out to the sea. Except for some wood caught against the rocks, there was no sign of the ship or its men. The wild sea had devoured them, a punishment for humanity’s pride in trying to tame it.

“Magnus,” whispered Asta. She closed her eyes. “Magnus, dearest love in Heaven, please help me.”

It might have been merely the crashing waves, but she thought she heard his voice, hoarse and tired, saying, “Climb. Climb. Climb.”

Despite her weakened limbs, Asta climbed, moaning each time she dragged her weight upward to a new perch. Every motion seared her to the core.

At one tricky spot she threw her weight forward to grasp a jutting rock a few feet away. Although she caught the upper rock, her foothold crumbled beneath her. As her hands barely held onto the outcropping, one foot swung loose and the other was starting to slip.

“Help me, God!” she cried.

She heard angels singing again.

“Why, Lord,” Asta prayed, “did You not drown me in the sea, if it is Your will that I die today anyway?”

The angels sang on and on, Latin chants unfamiliar to Asta’s ear. The priest and deacons in her church didn’t sound like this. But then, she’d never heard angels sing the chants before.

“Do You want me to let go?” she cried. “Is that Your will?”

She heard a voice. Not the distant angels or the great, booming voice of an omnipotent God, but the nearby voice of a child. He spoke in syllables she couldn’t understand.

“Hello?” she said, unable to look up from her perilous place. “Is someone there?”

The child spoke again. Asta heard footfalls crunching against the rock above, and felt two strong hands encircle her wrists. Although her legs felt leaden, she tried to help her rescuer by scrambling her feet against the rocks. It occurred to her that the little voice and the big hands couldn’t belong to the same person. Once they had pulled her up over the ledge, she found her head covered in a rank, scratchy brown fabric. For an instant, Asta feared she was being kidnapped by Vikings. That sort of thing happened to women all the time, or so she’d heard.

Struggling against her captor, Asta nearly fell backwards over the rock’s edge. A boy and a man, both in grayish-brown robes, lunged forward and righted her. At last she realized she wasn’t their prisoner, but had been covered in a fold of the man’s robe when he dragged her to safety.

“Oh, thank you,” she gushed. “Thank you both. My father has money, and I’m sure he’ll reward you handsomely for your…”

The man backed away, pulling up the cowl of his garment to cover his head. A large leather cross pendant swayed across his chest. Despite his tall, lean body, the way he hunched over made him seem smaller. Out of curiosity, Asta stepped forward and tried to get a good look at his face. He turned his hooded head in profile to her, eyes down, and she could make out only his pale skin and high, noble cheekbones.

More quietly, she spoke again. “Thank you, sir.”

“Thank you, sir!” Tugging at her hand, the little boy imitated her speech. Asta smiled in spite of herself. He was perhaps eight years old, the age of her brother back home, a brother she might never have seen again were it not for these two saviors.

The innocence in the boy’s round face so filled her heart that she fell to her knees and wept. He hugged her tightly. The maternal ache she felt was almost unbearable because she could not fulfill it, now that her betrothed was swallowed by the sea. Somehow the child understood her anguish.

The robed man, on the other hand, neither approached nor spoke a word. Instead, he turned and walked a few steps, disappearing behind a rock.

“Excuse me?” Asta called between sobs. “Sir, where are you going?” She turned to the little boy. “Where did he go?”

The lovely child seemed to understand her meaning, and used his sleeve to wipe her tears. Then he pulled at her hand and led her behind the same rock where the man had gone. Rough-hewn stairs carved into the yellow-gray limestone snaked through the outcroppings as far up as Asta could see. Since going down was impossible, there was no choice but to follow. But she was too exhausted to climb. After a few steps, she fainted.



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Summer Love Book Blitz + Giveaway

Author: Marysue G. Hobika
Title: Summer Love
Series: Senior Year #1
Publication date: June 2013
Genre: New Adult Contemporary
Amazon// Goodreads

Synopsis:

Carly and her best friend Becca are ready to drop a nuclear bomb on summer. It’s the last one before reality sets in and they’re off on their own. Carly is ready to break the mold and stop being known as a goody-two-shoes. In order to get the ball rolling, she agrees to a double date with Gavin – her good-looking, yet moody, lab partner.

Gavin doesn’t have summer plans except to work at his two jobs and hang out in his room drawing. He likes to keep to himself, but lets his brother Nate talk him into going on a double date. Carly isn’t like the rest of the girls at school that drive him crazy. She doesn’t ask a lot of questions and seems to know when to give him the space he craves. Gavin always thought that she was beautiful, but he believes that relationships and love are a lost cause.

Will their date prove that summer love is right around the corner or will it be a dead end?

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Excerpt



The band played and I held my breath, waiting to hear Carly’s voice. I thought maybe she’d lost her nerve. I was ready to rush in and rescue her, even if she didn’t want me to, when, like magic, she began to sing. The notes that came out of her mouth were full and sensuous, changing the band’s sound completely. It was harmonious, free flowing, and full.

I’d heard the band last summer, and even though they were good, something had always been missing. That something was Carly. Her voice fit and molded perfectly with Nate’s, and I felt another tinge of jealousy. Their sound filtered through the cracks and walls of the garage and into the night air. For a second, I forgot how to breathe. I found myself slinking back into the garage as the song came to an end. I felt empty and lost when she hit the last note, and every cell in my body craved more. I’d been wrong. So very wrong.

Everyone in the garage was silent, as if the music had cast a spell on them. All of a sudden, led by Ed, claps and cheers echoed. Carly looked elated until her gaze landed on me. I read in her eyes that she thought I was a jerk for not believing in her, and I couldn’t blame her. I was a jerk.

“Damn!” shouted Ed. “That gave me goose bumps.” He hugged himself, rubbing his hands over his arms.

“I told you Carly could sing,” Becca said, directing her words toward Nate.

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Author Spotlight: Excerpt from Ebenezer´s Locker

 

 

A hundred years ago, Corbin Elementary School's building housed Dr. Ebenezer Corbin's School for Psychical Research. It seems that a couple of old spirits are still wandering the halls. It's up to Rhonda Zymler to find out what they want.
Ebenezer's Locker follows the adventures of Rhonda, a sassy sixth-grader who's having trouble finding her place and identity. Getting to know these spirits becomes Rhonda's quest. The more she digs, the more perilous her task becomes, and to complete it she must take two trips back in time. This story blends the realities of an economically-challenged modern American town with supernatural elements. What Rhonda finds not only gives her life a sense of purpose, but changes the fortunes of her entire town.

 

 

Author Notes

Movies, TV dramas, reality shows, novels, non-fiction... Every type of media seems obsessed with the paranormal. But, while this might seem like a new phenomenon, it's only the latest of many times this craze has hit. When I was doing research for Ebenezer's Locker, I learned a lot about a previous period of spectral fascination.

In the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, America was loony for specters. The ghost fans, called the Spiritualists, sought connections with the dead in the parlors of mediums. These were men and women (and even children, sometimes) who seemed or claimed to have the ability to talk to the Summerland, the world beyond this life.

In Ebenzer's Locker, Tallulah Radley is an older lady in the neighborhood who happens to be a psychic medium. The kids go to her for help when they realize that they're facing ghosts.

I had a wonderful time doing research about the old days of American Spiritualism. I filled Tallulah's home with the sort of equipment that would have been used at the turn of the century, as if she might have inherited it from a psychic ancestor. Most important for her is a planchette, a wooden device with a pen in it. Through the planchette, a spirit can write a message for the living.
Although American Spiritualism started because people believed in the afterlife and wanted to communicate with it, it blossomed because of its economic potential. People made a ton of money looking into the future or the past for clients. And, not surprisingly, the industry was rife with cheats. My research uncovered many faked, theatrical ways the so-called mediums made their connections with the other world seem more spectacular.

Excerpt

I packed all of these devices into a single, breathless speech by Tallulah, who would never do any of these disreputable things. In this scene, two of the girls are in a seance with Tallulah, trying to communicate with the ghost of Ebenezer:

Mica walked over to one of the two floor lamps in the room. “I should turn these off, right?”

“Whatever for?” said the medium. “We won’t be able to see.” She patted the back of the chair Mica was to sit in.

Mica didn’t budge, though. “Séances are supposed to be in the dark,” she said stubbornly, “or maybe with just one candle.”

I was glad she’d brought that up, since I’d been thinking the same thing. But Tallulah was not pleased. She didn’t sound like a cookie-baking grandma now. “Young lady, sit down this instant.”

Mica, looking as stunned as I was, followed the order.

“Dark-room séances are the last refuge of charlatans,” Tallulah said.

I didn’t get it. “The last what?”

She sighed sharply. “I’ll say it in simple modern words for you young people. Only phonies have to turn out the lights at séances, so they can cheat.”

“What kind of cheating?” asked Mica in a tiny voice.

Tallulah stood, her voice full of emotion. “Some cheaters have an assistant hide in a cabinet and tap on the wood, pretending to be a spirit communicating.” She drew her hands above her head in a circling motion. “Some have wire puppets draped in sheets that float across the ceiling.”

I thought she was done, but no. She seemed near tears. “I’ve seen phonies keep objects in hidden drawers under the table.”

“Why?” whispered Mica.

“So they can sneak them out as if a spirit made them appear. Some will hold a client’s sealed letter to their head and heart and pretend to absorb its meaning.” Tallulah mimed

pressing an envelope to her forehead, eyes closed, very dramatic. Then she opened her eyes wide and shouted, “But actually, they drip rubbing alcohol on it so they can read through the envelope. And you know what some fakers do to make it seem like a spirit has appeared in a darkened room?”

We shook our heads, afraid to speak.

“Well, I’ll tell you. They dip gauzy white cloth in glow-in-the-dark paint. And they hide the cloth…” She gasped, as if amazed at her own story. “Well, they hide it in their underwear, children! I will not be compared to these razzle-dazzle snake-oil salesmen.” She plopped down in her chair, limp and exhausted.

* * *

You can purchase Ebenezer’s Locker directly from MuseItUp Publishing, on Amazon, and on Barnes & Noble, as well as other online retailers.

Anne E. Johnson has published in a wide variety of topics and genres. She's written non-fiction books for children with the Rosen Group and feature articles for adults in serials such as The New York Times and Stagebill Magazine.

As the author of nearly thirty published short stories, she has won writing prizes for both children's and adults' short fiction.

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Follow Friday!

Hosted by Parajunkee & Alison Can read

RULES

To join the fun and make new book blogger friends, just follow these simple rules:

(Required) Follow the Follow My Book Blog Friday Hosts
{ Parajunkee & Alison Can Read}

(Required) Follow our Featured Bloggers

-Put your Blog name & URL in the Linky thing. You can also grab the code if you would like to insert it into your posts.

-Grab the button up there and place it in a post, this post is for people to find a place to say “hi” in your comments and that they are now following you.

-If you are using WordPress or another CMS that doesn’t have GFC (Google Friends Connect) state in your posts how you would like to be followed

-Follow Follow Follow as many as you can, as many as you want, or just follow a few. The whole point is to make new friends and find new blogs. Also, don’t just follow, comment and say hi. Another blogger might not know you are a new follower if you don’t say “HI”

-If someone comments and says they are following you, be a dear and follow back. Spread the Love…and the followers.

Happy Follow Friday!

What do you do with your books after you’re done reading them?

 

They stay warm and cozy in my bookshelf =)

I wouldn´t dream of giving my babies away! lol

 

 

What about you?

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'Just because Giveaway' Winner!

Giveaway Winner of Amazon Giftcard!

 

So, we now have a winner in our 'Just because Giveaway'

Thank you all for participating!

 

The winner is.....(Drumroll)

 

 

a Rafflecopter giveaway

 

 

I hope you get some nice books!

Congrats and Happy reading Amber!

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Blogtour: Along the Watchtower by David Litwack

A Tragic Warrior Lost in Two Worlds…

The war in Iraq ended for Lieutenant Freddie Williams when an IED explosion left his mind and body shattered. Once he was a skilled gamer and expert in virtual warfare. Now he’s a broken warrior, emerging from a medically induced coma to discover he’s inhabiting two separate realities. The first is his waking world of pain, family trials, and remorse—and slow rehabilitation through the tender care of Becky, his physical therapist. The second is a dark fantasy realm of quests, demons, and magic that Freddie enters when he sleeps.
In his dreams he is Frederick, Prince of Stormwind, who must make sense of his horrific visions in order to save his embattled kingdom from the monstrous Horde. His only solace awaits him in the royal gardens, where the gentle words of the beautiful gardener, Rebecca, calm the storms in his soul. While in the conscious world, the severely wounded vet faces a strangely similar and equally perilous mission—a journey along a dark road haunted by demons of guilt and memory—and letting patient, loving Becky into his damaged and shuttered heart may be his only way back from Hell.




Please enjoy this gripping excerpt from Along the Watchtower by David Litwack. Then read on to learn how you can win huge prizes as part of this blog tour, including a Kindle Fire, $650 in Amazon gift cards, and 5 autographed copies of each book.  

Becky

On the ground floor, the center of the hospital opened into a small courtyard, an insecure space with too many places for insurgents to hide. I took a quick breath and tensed. “Wait up, Ralph.” “It’s okay, Freddie. You’re safe here.” “Give me a minute. It’s my first time out.” I surveyed the perimeter. A few benches. A flower garden dominated by hydrangeas, but not like the softball-sized blossoms my mom used to grow. These were small and paler than the Cape Cod variety, which were a blue that could compete with the sky. At once, I could see my mom, hands buried in the hydrangeas, grooming her flowers—one of the few memories I could bear to recall. Me and my brothers in the driveway shooting hoops. Mom telling us to keep the ball out of her garden. She was happy then, surrounded by her family, her garden, and the ocean. I looked past the hydrangeas to find purple asters and some lilies too. But no roses. For some reason, I’d been hoping for roses. Despite the nice day, the courtyard was deserted, except for a woman about my age who sat on a wooden bench, finishing up a brown-bag lunch. Her eyes were closed and her head tipped back to take in the sun, making her appear to be dreaming. Sitting alone on the bench, her face seemed framed by flowers. When she heard us coming, she sat up, straightened her scrubs, and smiled. “Hey, Ralph. What do you have there? Another victim for me?” “Becky,” Ralph said. “What’s up? This is Freddie, Lt. Williams, our newest patient. We’re trying to bring him back from the dead. Freddie, meet Becky Marshall, one of our physical therapists.” I nodded a greeting to her, not much in the mood for small talk. She tilted her head to one side as if evaluating me. Then she gave me the kind of look that said we’d met before, if not in this world than in another, and that she intended to make a difference in my life. “Is he ready for me?” “Soon. If he’s assigned to you.” My attention was drawn to a soda can on the bench next to her. I’d seen too many IEDs in soda cans. She caught me fixating on it and grinned. “Just my diet Pepsi, Freddie. See?” She chugged what was left and tossed the can into a nearby trash basket. Then she crumpled the bag into a ball and to show off, stepped off exactly five paces and shot the bag into the basket in a perfect arc. “Nice shot,” I said. “I make that shot every time.” “Yeah, right.” She came close enough that our knees were almost touching and hovered over me, sizing me up. “You’ll be mine,” she said finally. “I can tell. I get all the hard cases.” As she walked away, light on her feet like a dancer, I fumbled for the wheel of the chair, trying to spin it around so I could watch her go. But Ralph had set the brake.  

The Gardener

The white butterfly fluttered before her face. When she saw it, she reached out a hand and at once it landed on the curve of her wrist. “Now there’s a fine omen for you,” she said. “Light knows we need one these days.” She whispered some words and the butterfly flew off across the courtyard and out over the castle wall. A fine omen? Perhaps. But I’d learned to be wary. I stepped forward, scuffling my boots to make noise. She ignored my presence. Not until I was a pace away did she turn. It was hard to say if she was beautiful or even pretty. Soil from the garden had splattered her cheeks and marked her forehead with a splotch that looked like a raven. A muddied apron hid her shape. But I took note of a glint in her gray-green eyes, as if the flowers had conspired to lend their color. And her mouth was a crescent moon upturned on its side. The corners of the crescent twitched when she saw me but only for an instant. Then she went back to her work as if I were invisible. Her hands cradled each bloom as she sliced off the heads with a small knife. “Are you spirit or demon?” I demanded. She made no answer. I drew my sword, relieved it slipped so easily from its scabbard, and stretched it in her direction. She watched the point from the corner of her eye but kept her head down and continued to work. Finally, I nudged her with the tip. She let out a yelp. Only then did I realize I’d thrust too hard, and the blade had slit her garment. I backed off at once, ready to apologize, but then recalled my encounter with the assassin. I poked again, more gently this time. “Why do you keep doing that?” she said. “To see if you’re real.” She stood and faced me, feet set wide and planted squarely on the ground. “Why shouldn’t I be real?” She was tall for a girl, her head rising above my chin, and had a bearing unlike a servant. When I continued to challenge her, she reached out and eased the point of my sword to one side. “Would you put that silly thing away?” I began to back off, then remembered the circumstance and held firm. “Why didn’t you say anything when I first approached you?” “Because we servants aren’t supposed to talk to you royals.” She lowered her gaze and turned back to the flowers. “I’m sorry . . . Milord.” “What’s your name?” “Rebecca.” “Rebecca. My name is Frederick.” She paled and then bent in a deep curtsy, her brashness collapsing into two whispered words. “The dauphin.” . . . I wandered in a circle, hands folded behind my back, and inspected the flowers, unsure of what else to say. Then a thought occurred to me. “Do you have roses in this garden?” “No roses, Milord. I have asters and hydrangeas. Some fall crocus. And climbing the wall to the watchtower, sweet autumn clematis. A bit of monkshood underneath and tulips in the spring. But no roses.” I must have looked disappointed. She came closer and reached out, but not enough to touch me. “It must be lonely, Milord, a terrible burden. Every morning as I walk from my village to the gardens, I see the darkening clouds and wonder where my strength will come from. Then I remember. The dauphin will protect us. Save Him Oh Goddess, I pray. If only I could do something to help.” I mumbled a thank you and turned to go, but stopped when I saw her examining her damaged apron. “Are you here every day?” “No, Milord, I have other gardens as well.” “Come tomorrow, and I’ll bring you a new apron to replace the one I tore.” She curtsied more deeply this time. “I’d be so grateful, Milord, but I have nothing to give in return.” “No need.” “Ah, wait.” She took her small knife and clipped off a bulging blossom at the stem and handed it to me. “Now place it in water the first chance you get.” I accepted the gift and admired her through its petals. “Thank you,” I said. “Tomorrow at noon.” As I walked away, I glanced over my shoulder to get one last look at the gardener. She was back at her work, resuming her song and snipping away, so light of hand and foot. As she blew away a curl that had drifted across her face, the summer dress rustled against her skin. I inhaled the scent of the flower and thought I caught the sun peeking through the clouds over Golgoreth. And for the first time since my father died, goddesses seemed possible.  




As part of this special promotional extravaganza sponsored by Novel Publicity, both Along the Watchtower and There Comes a Prophet by David Litwack are on sale this week. What’s more, by purchasing either or both of these fantastic books at an incredibly low price, you can enter to win many awesome prizes. The prizes include a Kindle Fire, $650 in Amazon gift cards, and 5 autographed copies of each book. All the info you need to win one of these amazing prizes is RIGHT HERE. Remember, winning is as easy as clicking a button or leaving a blog comment--easy to enter; easy to win!
 















To win the prizes:

1. Pick up Along the Watchtower at its discounted price of $2.99 on Amazon
2. Get There Comes a Prophet at its discounted price of 99 cents
3. Enter the Rafflecopter contest below
4. Visit the featured social media events
5. Leave a comment on my blog for a chance at a $100 prize.

Along the Watchtower tells of a tragic warrior lost in two worlds; a woman who may be his only way back from Hell. Get it on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, or iTunes. There Comes a Prophet A thousand years ago the Darkness came—a time of violence and social collapse. Nathaniel has grown up in their world of limits, longing for something more. For what are we without dreams? Get it on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, or iTunes.

 

David Litwack, the once and future writer, explores the blurry line between reality and the Fantastic.

Visit David on his website, Twitter, Facebook, or GoodReads.

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Author Spotlight: Interview with Anne E. Johnson

 

Trouble at the Scriptorium and its upcoming sequel, The London Hurdy Gurdy, are medieval adventure novels written for kids aged 10-13.

Blurb
In thirteenth-century England, Harley gets mixed up in an adventure with missing jewels, a missing monk, and a secret message hidden in a book of Gregorian chant. Good thing twelve-year-old Lady Margaret reads Latin, but Harley sure finds it hard to know how to behave around a noble girl.

Interview with Anne E. Johnson, author of Trouble at the Scriptorium.


1. Did you have any special reason to write this particular book?

I have a master’s degree in medieval musicology, and I taught music history for 16 years. Therefore it made perfect sense, when I started writing for kids a few years back, that I should try to funnel that knowledge and experience into middle-grade fiction.



2. What sets this book apart from other medieval historicals?

In terms of literature for kids, a medieval setting without any kind of fantasy or magic is not the typical approach these days. But I find medieval history so thrilling on its own that, for me, adding in dragons or fairies just detracts from it. I’m hoping readers will see what I mean.
Scriptorium is also different because the knights and swords are secondary to the art of music, yet this is still an adventure story. There’s both physical and intellectual adventure in this book, making it the kind of story I would have responded to as a tween.



3. What is the target audience for this book, and why is it appropriate for them?

The target audience is kids 9-12 years old, particularly those who are advanced readers and are intellectually curious. The story features two twelve-year-olds, and shows what life would have been like for those kids in the thirteenth century. It also introduces many elements of feudal life, monastic life, book-crafting, and music. But I worked hard to make it an exciting story first and foremost, involving interesting characters, suspense, and humor. The idea is for kids to learn something about the Middle Ages in a context that is nothing at all like a history schoolbook.



4. Why have two protagonists?

There are two reasons for this choice. First, it allows both a boy and a girl to work on the problem at hand, which I hope will broaden the readership of the book. Second, it allows for two social perspectives on the story. Harley is a servant and Lady Margaret is noble, so they counterbalance each other well, and their class distinction also allows for some interesting tension between them even as they work together.



5. What is the role of adults in this story?

Although it’s important for kidlit to feature kids, I love filling the character lineup with well-rounded, distinctive adults, who have specific and unusual experience or skills that can help the
kids in their quest. In historical fiction, the adult characters also have a function for the reader, allowing them to learn more about the historical world of the novel.
In Scriptorium, the three most important adults are all very different from each other, and therefore help Harley and Lady Margaret in different ways. There’s Martin of Hibernia, chief of the castle guards, who is physically brave and strong. There’s Brother Benedict, who is Harley’s uncle, a monk, and a trained musician. And there’s Professor Jabir Al-Zarkali, a Spanish Moor who works in the castle as tutor, adviser, and physician.



6. What’s next for Harley and Lady Margaret?

The sequel is written and with my publisher, hopefully ready for release by autumn of 2013. It’s called The London Hurdy Gurdy, and this time brings Harley and Margaret into the big city of London for a nail-biting adventure!



* * * You can purchase Trouble at the Scriptorium directly from the publisher, Royal Fireworks Press. Learn more about Anne E. Johnson on her website.

Anne E. Johnson has published in a wide variety of topics and genres. She's written non-fiction books for children with the Rosen Group and feature articles for adults in serials such as The New York Times and Stagebill Magazine.

As the author of nearly thirty published short stories, she has won writing prizes for both children's and adults' short fiction.

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Waiting on Wednesday: A Radiant Sky

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly meme and is hosted by Jill @ Breaking the Spine

This week I´m waiting for the third book in Jocelyn Davies 'A beautiful dark' series.

 

Release date September 24th!

Since the night of her seventeenth birthday, Skye has been torn between two opposites: Light and Dark, the Order and the Rebellion, Devin and Asher.

But her decision shocked both sides—because she chose neither.

With the help of her friends, Skye forges her own path, setting out to gather an uprising of Rogues. The treacherous and elusive half-angels may be the key to maintaining the balance of fate and free will. But completing the mission her parents left unfinished is more difficult—and dangerous—than she could have imagined. And doing so comes at a cost: Her greatest love may now be a lethal enemy. Because it’s not just the Order that sees her as a threat who must be eliminated. The Rebellion does, too.

And both sides will do whatever it takes to win.

Dark days lie ahead, and if Skye is to survive, she’ll need to rely on her extraordinary powers and the strength of her will. Because she has a future—and a love—that’s worth fighting for.

The sweeping, darkly romantic story that began with A Beautiful Dark and gathered intensity in A Fractured Light comes to a thrilling conclusion in A Radiant Sky.

 

 

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Top Ten words/Topics that makes me not pick up a book

Top Ten Tuesday is an original feature/weekly meme created here at The Broke and the Bookish. This feature was created because we are particularly fond of lists here at The Broke and the Bookish. We'd love to share our lists with other bookish folks and would LOVE to see your top ten lists!

This week's topic is Top Ten Nine words/topics that make me NOT pick up a book

 

1, Mental Illness

I really don´t care to read about mental patients. I don´t wan´t to be in their heads... 

 

2, Terminal Illness

 This i just depressing.. I read to escape reality and I don´t want this kind of topic in my imaginery world. The only exception to this rule has been "The Burning Star" by Jessie Lane. But only because it had a magical happy ending lol

 

3, Spaceships/Sci Fi

Bleh! No, no and over again NO! I can read very light sci fi like The Host but not books with Spaceships and stuff. Just not for me. 

 

4, History

 I wan´t to be able to relate to the charachters and surroundings in my books so this is out of question for me. Either I read Urban Fantacy or paranormal the books always takes place in present time.

 

5, Death/Tragedy

Same answer as no. 2 

 

6, Politics

Ick! I hate politics. I just think it´s extremely boring. 

 

7, Zombies

Nope, not happening!

 

8, Religion

I don´t care for religion at all so this makes me throw a book across the room if I by some chance happen to come across one.

 

9, Boring Covers

 I´m a sucker for pretty covers and always pick up a book if the cover is nice (Ofcourse the blurb has to be good aswell). I mean it´s the first thing I see so if I don´t like the cover the chance is I woun´t read it....

 

 

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Teaser Tuesday: Playing for Keeps

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by Miz B at Should Be Reading.

Anyone can play along! Just do the following:

Grab your current read

Open to a random page

Share two "teaser" sentences from somewhere on that page

BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!

 

She's in love with him.
He's trying not to love her.
One night changes everything.

Aston Banks never meant to get close to Megan Harper – not even for that one night. Haunted by a childhood he refuses to face, he knew she could break through every wall he’d ever built and tear them down without even realizing she was doing it.

Betraying Braden by starting a relationship with Aston wasn’t on Megan’s to-do list, but the second she sees a glimpse of someone other than the arrogant ass she’s come to know, she can’t walk away.

Aston’s childhood is worse than Megan ever guessed, but as he tries and fails to push her away, it’s clear her love is stronger than the demons that cling to him every day. And now, because of it, he finally has to deal with what he’s buried deep down.

What he doesn’t want to face. What he’s fought against for so long.

And they have to do it all without Braden finding out.

Keeping a relationship secret has never been harder.

 

 

Teaser

 

 "What?" I hiss.

He chews on the end of his pen.

"Are you avoiding me?"

"I´m sitting right next to you, douchebag. How the hell can I be avoiding you?"

"Would you be sitting here if you didn´t have to?"

"No, I wouldn´t. But the same applies to every time I have the utmost pleasure of sitting next to you, so don´t think today is anything special."

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Book Blitz + Giveaway: Bittersweet Junction

 

Best friends once, lovers never, yet an attraction that can’t be ignored.

Five years ago, Julia Bell walked away from her life the moment her high school diploma was in her hand. She left her family and friends behind to start over and escape the chokehold of small town life in Benton Hill. But an urgent call from her little sister brings Julia back to her hometown wholly unprepared for what awaits her.

Ben Miller was always the nice guy. Just before high school graduation, he stepped out of that role hoping to capture the heart of the woman he loved. Instead, in quick succession he lost the girl, and the future he worked so hard to achieve.

Even though Julia and Ben are drawn to each other, echoes of the past block them at every turn. Secrets are exposed, and reality needs to be dealt with if they can ever hope to move past the bittersweet junction that ripped them apart.

Amazon// Barnes & Noble

 

 

About the book:

Describe Bittersweet Junction in one sentence.

Fate gives two former best friends a second chance at romance, if they overcome old misunderstandings and deceit.

Give a quick blurb about the book and why readers would enjoy it.

Bittersweet Junction picks up with the main characters, Julia Belle and Ben Miller, five years after high school graduation. Julia left the small town of Benton Hill right after graduation because she was faced with some grown-up kind of decisions that she couldn’t make. Ben, one of Julia’s childhood best friends, was left confused and hurt after her departure. Julia’s sister Clary lures Julia back to Benton Hill under false pretenses, and that’s when Julia realizes it’s impossible to outrun the past.
I think what readers will enjoy most about this story is the way that Julia and Ben eventually overcome the obstacles in their path to have a shot at their happy ending. I found it very satisfying to write, and I believe that will resonate with readers.

How did you come up with the idea for Bittersweet Junction?

I’ve had several ideas for stories that revolve around the idea of a five year high school reunion. The idea for Bittersweet Junction started there, although in the end, there is no actual high school reunion in the book. That wouldn’t have been a good enough reason to drag Julia back to Benton Hill.

If Bittersweet Junction were made into a movie, who would you want to play the main characters?

I’ve thought a lot about this. I could see Emma Roberts playing Julia and Chris Pine, with his gorgeous blue eyes, would make the perfect Ben. Emily Browning would play Julia’s little sister Clary, and Max Thieriot would round out the casting as Mike.
About you as writer:
When did you begin writing?

I started writing the summer between sixth and seventh grade. I kept all of my teenage angst in a journal and experimented with poetry as well. I think that helped me start finding my writing voice.

When did you first think, wow I have made it as a writer?

My senior year of high school I won a state newspaper award for a piece of hard hitting journalism in the school paper. It was an article on how a teacher in a local junior high had gotten in trouble for showing an R-rated movie in the classroom. The day I received my award, I knew that writing was part of my life’s journey.

Do you have any special rituals you do when you sit down to write?

I usually have an idea of how many words or chapters that I want to get written that particular writing session. It helps to have a goal because I am easily distracted.

What advice would you give to aspiring writers out there?

Take an active interest in reading about what’s going on in the publishing industry today so that you can make informed decisions about your writing destiny. The landscape of publishing is changing faster than anyone could have imagined, and it affects all of us.
 Silly questions:

Favorite color? I am digging orange right now. I have an orange purse, loads of orange tops, and even my toenails are orange at the moment.

Salty or Sweet? I am 50/50 on that. My favorite snack right now is a handful almonds mixed with a handful of dark chocolate chips.

Favorite author? Stephen King. I can’t think of another author out there who has influenced me and my writing as much as he has, and I have enjoyed almost every single book he’s written.

Favorite book? I still remember discovering Intensity by Dean Koontz. It seriously blew my mind and scared me to death (which I love in a good book btw.)

a Rafflecopter giveaway

 

AUTHOR BIO

Ivy Sinclair cut her romance teeth on classics like Gone With the Wind, Casablanca, An Affair to Remember, and Sabrina. She is a firm believer in true love, a happily ever after ending, and the medicinal use of chocolate to cure any ailment of the heart. Ivy’s guilty pleasures include sushi, endless Starbucks lattes, and wine. Readers of Ivy’s stories can expect smoldering sweet stories of romance that tug at the heartstrings.

Website// Goodreads

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Book Blitz: The Chalice of Malvron by Elisabeth Wheatley

 

 

Author: Elisabeth Wheatley
Title: The Chalice of Malvron
Series: Argatellam Series #3
Release: July 22nd
Purchase: Amazon

A princess with no recollection of the past eight years. War on the horizon. Who to trust? Who to save?


Sixteen-year-old Janir Caersynn Argetallam wakes, sore and disoriented in the home city of her people, surrounded by relatives who seem concerned for her well-being. As she tries to recover, the Argetallams’ allies, the Stlavish, prepare to unleash a magical relic of untold power against the Argetallams’ age-old enemies, the Brevians. Janir watches silently from the sidelines until she meets a warrior elf and a strange wizard-boy who claim to know her and make her feel…confused. They claim that everything she’s been told is a lie, that her memories were stolen at the command of her father, the Lord Argetallam. As the eve of Brevia’s destruction draws closer, Janir finds herself with the power to stop the Stlavish. Conflicted and confused, she must decide whether she will allow Brevia to be conquered or if she will betray her father and destroy the relic—the Chalice of Malvron…

 



 

For the first days Book 1 and 2 in this series are free on Amazon and book 3 is only 0.99 cents!

 

About the Author
Elisabeth Wheatley is a teenager of the Texas Hill Country. When she’s not daydreaming of elves, vampires, or hot guys in armor, she is reading copious amounts of fantasy, playing with her little brothers, studying mythology, and training and showing her Jack Russell Terrier, Schnay.

Links

Blog- http://elisabethwheatley.wordpress.com/

Facebook- https://www.facebook.com/ElisabethWheatleyYAFantasyAuthor

Twitter- https://twitter.com/wheatley_e

Goodreads- http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/5139754.Elisabeth_Wheatley

Pinterest- http://pinterest.com/inkspelledfaery/boards/

 



 

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Stacking the Shelves!

Stacking The Shelves is all
about sharing the books you
are adding to your shelves.
Hosted by Tynga´s Review

Purchased

 

On Goodreads:

SEIZE ME BY CRYSTAL SPEARS

UNDECLARED BY JEN FREDERICK

STAY BY KELLY MOONEY

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Saturday snapshot

Saturday Snapshot is hosted by Alyce @ AT Home With Books.

Share your photos with us! They can be old or new but should be taken by you!

My son and I went to a lake last weekend to swim. It was so beautiful there and I wanted to share it with you.

The little lake,

My son is exploring 

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Follow Friday!

Hosted by Parajunkee & Alison Can read

RULES

To join the fun and make new book blogger friends, just follow these simple rules:

(Required) Follow the Follow My Book Blog Friday Hosts
{ Parajunkee & Alison Can Read}

(Required) Follow our Featured Bloggers

-Put your Blog name & URL in the Linky thing. You can also grab the code if you would like to insert it into your posts.

-Grab the button up there and place it in a post, this post is for people to find a place to say “hi” in your comments and that they are now following you.

-If you are using WordPress or another CMS that doesn’t have GFC (Google Friends Connect) state in your posts how you would like to be followed

-Follow Follow Follow as many as you can, as many as you want, or just follow a few. The whole point is to make new friends and find new blogs. Also, don’t just follow, comment and say hi. Another blogger might not know you are a new follower if you don’t say “HI”

-If someone comments and says they are following you, be a dear and follow back. Spread the Love…and the followers.

Happy Follow Friday!

Book Vacay: Where is the best destination reading spot for you? (Where do you like to go to read other then your home)

When reading I really need peace and quiet so mostly I read at my balcony. Then I get to cozy up with a book and at the same time get a tan! I can´t get better than that for me =)

What about you?

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