“Liar,” she teased as she put her hand on my arm.
Wrangled By Love
The Cowboy Way Series; Book 1
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Release Date: July 25, 2017
Cover Design by: MadHat Books
Tate
I could rope a calf before I could walk. Ranching is in my blood, my heart, and fills my soul. My family and I work for everything we have. But money only goes so far - sweat goes farther. My life has taken many paths. It’s made me grow up and deal with things that others only fear. My daughter is my life. No one could ever compare to that love - or so I thought. That was until this little city gal fell into our laps.
She stole my breath. Stole my thoughts, and stole my heart.
Georgie
Georgia was home until I lost everything. I had no one, so I packed up and hit the road. My dog was my only companion and for a time that was all right. Fate had other ideas though. My path brought me to Wyoming. Sprawling grasslands, wildlife and cold. I was surrounded.
My heart warmed when we got a good look at a certain cowboy. He was a brother, son and a father. He chased my blues away. Made me smile and put his heart on the line with mine.
He is my one and only. My forever.
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Excerpt:
Tate
I turned, hearing a vehicle coming back up the road. I turned fully to see Ma and Pa getting out of the truck.
“What’s wrong?” Ma asked me without missing a step. I guess my emotions were still written on my face. I shook my head and let out a long aggravated sigh.
“Nothing,” I said.
“Liar,” she teased as she put her hand on my arm.
“What’s got you frowning like that?”
“Son, answer your mother,” Pa said, chuckling. I chuckled at him.
“Your daughter left Abbie upstairs alone. Not sure how long.”
“Where’s Daniel?” Pa asked, a scowl pulling at his brows.
“Out with the boys unloading hay from the flatbed. Cody said he’s been out there a while.”
“I thought he was in the house. I should have checked. I’m sorry, sweetheart. Is Abby alright?” Ma asked, concern pinching her brows.
“Yea, Ma. Don’t worry. I went in to check on her. She must have woken Georgie up. I found them in the rocking chair in Abbie’s room, asleep. I left them there. They looked so peaceful.”
As we made our way to the porch there was a loud crash from inside. I heard Abbie start to wail. Tango was up the stairs and scratching at the door before I made it up them. I pulled the door open and ran inside.
“Tango, halt. Good boy. Sit,” I heard Georgie call out in a shaky voice.
“Georgie! What happened?” Ma asked as she came in behind me.
Georgie was sitting on the bottom step of the staircase, with Abbie clutched to her. She was soothing her as she looked up at us. I moved closer to them and then saw why she had sat down. There was glass on the floor, along with a vase and a couple of picture frames.
“I’m- I’m sorry. I got dizzy half way down. I thought I was okay. I hit the table and your things fell over. I’m sorry. I’ll replace them. Really I-”
“It’s okay, darlin’. It’s just stuff. Are you and Abbie okay?” I asked as I knelt before her. She nodded and looked at me with tears in her eyes.
“She’s just scared. I am too…” Her last words were muffled but I heard them. I crab walked a step closer and rested my hand on her knee.
“Hey, look at me. It’s okay. Can you stand?” She nodded and I helped her up since both of her arms were wrapped around Abbie. Her cast was rubbing against her own arm. I could see the redness of what was the equivalent to a carpet burn. She must have jerked when she hit the table. She was shaking now. My heart melted a little at that. She was determined to not drop Abbie, which caused her to injure herself.
“Take a seat on the step up from the bottom, let me get the glass up.” Ma said and I nodded, helping Georgie and Abby down onto the higher step.
I sat beside them and leaned into Abbie. She wasn’t crying now but she didn’t reach for me either. I kissed her nose. “Hey, my little boobear.”
“She- she’s yours?” Georgie asked, her brows pinched in confusion. I nodded and reached up to brush the hair from her face, tucking it gently behind her ear.
“She is. Georgie Larson, meet Abbie Grace Cannon. My ten month old daughter.”
“I’m sorry. I didn’t know. She was crying. I thought I was dreaming. I changed her. She was so warm, we fell asleep… I-I’m sorry. Do you want her back?”
I laughed softly and shook my head. I didn’t mind sharing her with Georgie. I wasn’t sure why that was, but I was content to just watch them both right now. “It’s okay, darlin, really. You did nothing wrong.”
The moment Ma was done with the clean up Tango was up in Georgie’s face, licking away her tears and sniffing Abbie. Her little coos made us smile. Seems she had a new friend too.
© Barb Shuler 2017
~~ Other Books by the Author ~~
Shattered Lives Series
My Own Nightmare ~ Somewhere I Belong ~ Shatter Me Whole
Genre: Dark Suspense/Thriller ~ Romantic Suspense
Amazon: http://amzn.to/2uIxcRl
**All of the above books are available in KU
~Meet Barb Shuler~
I’m a Carolina Girl by right and a Texan by birth. Best of both worlds. I have the brass sass to keep up with my Texas sized temper. Living and working in both states i’ve learned a lot about hard work, adapting to your surroundings and making the best of the path that you have been led down. My grandma Dollie once told me I would know what I was meant to do when it happened. She was right, as always.
As with most book lovers, I am an avid reader. Reading has always been a hobby - a passion, really and a way to get lost in other people’s lives, their drama and other worlds. It’s a private movie in your imagination that you get to cast and navigate through, at your own pace. Reading helps to expand the perimeters of one's mind. That is what got me into writing. Writing has been something that I have done since I was a kid. If I had paper, I was writing. Nine out of ten times it made no sense but what are words if they are not to be used to your advantage? Words are a part of us all. Why not use them, right?
During the day I work as a ‘desk jockey’ and help the residents of my county navigate themselves around our little, but not too little country town. By night I am either blogging with my best friends, doing PA work for some of my favorite authors or fighting with the voices in my head. They can be stubborn at times. It’s a blessing and I am cherishing every moment. Tomorrow is never guaranteed so I want to make sure I live the day as fully as possible. For what is my creation, can become someone else's treasure.
~ Connect with Barb here ~
Email : Newsletter : Website : Author Blog : Facebook : Twitter : Instagram : Goodreads : Amazon Author Page
Want to be a Misfit? Oh yes, you do!
My group will get teasers, excerpts and all the behind the scenes things of my writings before anyone else gets them.
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![]() The Wolf of Kisimul Castle
Goodreads / Amazon / Barnes & Noble / iBooks / Kobo -- EXCERPT: He crossed to the window without a word and looked out at the courtyard, his eyes scanning beyond. “Where is everyone?” he asked. “At the chapel, I assume,” she said, stepping closer. He probably smelled of sweat or ale. She inhaled. Nay. She smelled pine and the sea and fresh air on him. He turned, and she rubbed her nose to hide the action of sniffing him. His gaze dropped to her as if her nearness surprised him. “We will go,” he said. Mairi sighed. “I won’t have Geoff wondering if I would have failed his test, so go ahead.” She let her eyes flutter shut and waited. “Go ahead?” he repeated, and she blinked open. “Aye,” she said, starting to feel foolish. “Kiss me, if ye’re going to. Otherwise take me to the chapel.” The only change in the man’s devilishly handsome face was a slight rise in his brows, his clear blue-gray eyes widening the smallest amount. Those damnably tempting lips opened and closed, and his gaze drifted to the shut door before returning to her. He stared at her, as if he were delving into her thoughts. The idea shook Mairi, and she frowned. “Well, if ye’re not—” The man wrapped his hand around her arm, slowly reeling her in with constant, gentle pressure until she had to tip her head back to see his face. He radiated authority and determination, as if he could order the mountains to move, yet chose to hold her instead. Her heart hammered in her chest as he set his hand on her cheek. “A kiss, and then we go,” he murmured, moving his thumb across her jaw. She had time for only a quick inhale as he descended. Mairi had expected a bruising press of his mouth like Geoff had given her when he’d asked her to wed. But this man’s kiss was gentle and warm. With slight pressure, he tipped her head to seal their lips together, moving against her as if tasting an aged whisky. Heat flowed down through Mairi, wiping away all rational thought. Her knees numbed, but the man seemed to accept her weight easily as he held her against his hard body. His height made him loom over her, but Mairi felt safely surrounded by power instead of fearful. Her fingers reached behind his head to feather through his wavy hair. They were still woven in the dark mass when he gently pulled back, ending the most sensuous kiss Mairi had ever experienced. What bloody foolishness was Geoff thinking? Her traitorous body begged for more, but she stepped back, hands to her flushed skin above her low neckline. The man adjusted himself through his kilt, proving that he too had been affected by the kiss. “Who are ye?” she asked. ![]()
GIVEAWAY! ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]()
Synopsis
An inspiring tale of a fourth-grader who fights back when her favorite book is banned from the school library--by starting her own illegal locker library! It all started the day Amy Anne Ollinger tried to check out her favorite book in the whole world, From the Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler, from the school library. That's when Mrs. Jones, the librarian, told her the bad news: her favorite book was banned! All because a classmate's mom thought the book wasn't appropriate for kids to read. Amy Anne decides to fight back by starting a secret banned books library out of her locker. Soon, she finds herself on the front line of an unexpected battle over book banning, censorship, and who has the right to decide what she and her fellow students can read. Reminiscent of the classic novel Frindle by Andrew Clements for its inspiring message, Ban This Book is a love letter to the written word and its power to give kids a voice. AMAZON | BARNES & NOBLE | BOOK DEPOSITORY Praise for BAN THIS BOOK “Readers, librarians, and all those books that have drawn a challenge have a brand new hero in Amy Anne Ollinger. She's a true champion and testament to how doing a good thing is the first step in finding your own courage."―Kathi Appelt, Newbery Honor winning author of The Underneath "Ban This Book is absolutely brilliant and belongs on the shelves of every library in the multiverse."―Lauren Myracle, author of the best-selling Internet Girls series, the most challenged books of 2009 and 2011 "A stout defense of the right to read." ―Kirkus Reviews “Gratz delivers a book lover’s book that speaks volumes about kids’ power to effect change at a grassroots level." ―Publisher’s Weekly ![]()
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Alan Gratz‘s first novel, Samurai Shortstop, was named one of the ALA’s 2007 Top Ten Best Books for Young Adults. His second novel, Something Rotten, was a 2008 ALA Quick Pick for Young Adult Readers, and was followed by a sequel, Something Wicked, in October 2008. His first middle grade novel, The Brooklyn Nine, was one of the ALA’s Top Ten Sports Books for Youth and Top Ten Historical Books for Youth, and his middle grade Holocaust novel Prisoner B-3087 was one of YALSA’s 2014 Best Fiction for Young Readers and has won seven state awards. His latest novels are the YA thriller Code of Honor, a YALSA 2016 Quick Pick for Reluctant Readers, and The Monster War, the third book in his middle grade steampunk League of Seven trilogy. Alan’s short fiction has appeared in Alfred Hitchcock’s Mystery Magazine, online at Tor.com, and in the anthologies Half-Minute Horrors and Tomo: Friendship Through Fiction, which benefitted victims of the 2011 Great East Japan Earthquake and Tsunami. As the first Artist in Residence at the American School in Japan in 2010, Alan spent six weeks teaching historical fiction-writing to middle school students in Tokyo, and he was the Thurber House Children’s Writer in Residence in 2011, living and writing in James Thurber’s attic for a month while working with young writers from all around the Columbus, Ohio area. In addition to writing plays, magazine articles, and a few episodes of A&E’s City Confidential, Alan has taught catapult-building to middle-schoolers, written more than 6,000 radio commercials, sold other people’s books, lectured at a Czech university, and traveled the galaxy as a space ranger. (One of these, it should be pointed out, is not true.) Alan was born and raised in Knoxville, Tennessee, home of the 1982 World’s Fair. After a carefree but humid childhood, Alan attended the University of Tennessee, where he earned a College Scholars degree with a specialization in creative writing, and, later, a Master’s degree in English education. He now lives with his wife Wendi and his daughter Jo in the high country of Western North Carolina, where he enjoys playing games, eating pizza, and, perhaps not too surprisingly, reading books. Photo Credit: Wes Stitt WEBSITE: http://www.alangratz.com/ TWITTER: @AlanGratz GOODREADS: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/68794.Alan_Gratz FACEBOOK: https://www.facebook.com/alangratzbooks/
Read an Excerpt:
The Mystery of the Missing Book It all started the day my favorite book went missing from the library. I didn’t know it was missing. Not yet. In my mind, it was still sitting there all alone on the shelf like a kid in the cafeteria waiting for her one and only friend to come and find her. Waiting for me to find her. All I wanted to do was run to the library and check out my favorite book before homeroom, but Rebecca, my one and only real-life friend, was still talking about trademarking our names. “Have you ever thought about registering AmyAnneOllinger.com?” Rebecca asked me. “No, Rebecca, I have never thought about registering AmyAnneOllinger.com. I am nine years old. Why in the world would I bother to register a Web site with my name on it when my parents won’t even let me use Facebook yet?” That’s what I thought about saying. What I said instead was, “No.” “You should,” Rebecca told me. “You’ve got a unique name, but even so, somebody could register it, and then what would you do? RebeccaZimmerman.com is already gone! I’m ten years old, and already my future intellectual property is being snapped up! Jay Z and Beyoncé trademarked their baby’s name less than a month after she was born. You’d think my parents would have known enough to do the same.” Rebecca’s parents were both lawyers, and she wanted to be one too when she grew up. I couldn’t imagine a more boring job. Instead I said, “Yeah.” I was still itching to get to the library and check out my favorite book. I opened my locker to stuff my backpack inside and gave my mailbox a quick look. Nobody knows how it got started, but everybody at Shelbourne Elementary has these cardboard boxes taped to the inside door of their lockers, just below the little vents they put on there in case you get stuffed in your locker by a bully. If you want to leave a note for somebody you just slip the piece of paper in the slot and it falls right into the little cardboard box. It’s such a tradition that Mr. Crutchfield, the custodian, just leaves the boxes in the lockers from year to year. As usual, my mailbox was empty. Which I’d expected. My one and only friend doesn’t believe in writing notes. “Never leave a paper trail,” Rebecca says. More advice from her lawyer parents. “Did you hear about Morgan Freeman, the actor?” Rebecca asked. “Somebody who wasn’t named Morgan Freeman registered his name at morganfreeman.com, and he had to sue them to get it back! Now that’s an interesting case—” “I can’t imagine anything less interesting, Rebecca! I don’t care anything about trademarks or registering domain names. I have to go check out my favorite book before somebody else does!” That’s what I wanted to tell her. Instead I held up a handful of books like a shield and said, “I have to return these books to the library before class!” and backed away before she could tell me more about the court case. “I’ll see you in homeroom!” I called. Normally I would already have my favorite book checked out and in my backpack, but our librarian, Mrs. Jones, has a rule that you can only renew a book two times in a row, and then it has to sit on the shelf for five whole school days before you can check it out again. She says it’s to make sure other people get a chance to read it, but I think she made that rule up just to make me read other books, which I would have done anyway. I dumped last night’s books in the book return and waved good morning to Mrs. Jones on the way to the fiction shelves. “Amy Anne,” Mrs. Jones called. “Honey, wait—” “Just let me grab my book,” I called back. I turned into the H–N shelves and hurried to where I knew my favorite book would be waiting for me. Only it wasn’t there. I looked again. It still wasn’t there. I looked behind the books, in case it had gotten pushed back and was hidden behind the others like they sometimes do, but no. It really wasn’t there. But my favorite book was always on the shelf. Could somebody else really have checked it out? I was about to go and ask Mrs. Jones when she turned down the row. Mrs. Jones is a big white lady with short brown hair and rhinestone granny glasses that hang around her neck on a chain when she isn’t reading. Today she was wearing a red dress with white polka dots. Polka dots are her thing. “Where’s my book?” I asked her. “That’s what I was trying to tell you, honey,” Mrs. Jones said. “I knew you’d come in for it first thing.” “It’s been five days,” I told her. “I marked it down on my calendar. I get to check it out again after five days. You said so. Did somebody—did somebody else check it out?” “No, Amy Anne. I had to take it off the shelf.” I frowned. Take it off the shelf? What did she mean, take it off the shelf? “Why?” Mrs. Jones sighed and wrung her hands. She looked like she was about to tell me my dogs had died. “Because some parents got together and said they didn’t think it was appropriate for elementary school, and the school board agreed with them.” “Wasn’t appropriate? What does that mean?” “It means I can’t check it out to you, honey, or to anybody else. Not until I talk to the school board and get this nonsense overturned. “It means, Amy Anne, that your favorite book was banned from the school library.” Copyright © 2017 by Alan Grantz Reader’s guide copyright © 2017 by Tor Books CUTLASS by T.M. Franklin is NOW AVAILABLE!Title: CUTLASS Author: T.M. Franklin Genre: Historical Adventure/Romance Release Date: August 7, 2017 A quest for vengeance. Amazon | Barnes & Noble | iTunes | Kobo | Google Play T.M. Franklin writes stories of adventure, romance, & a little magic. A former TV news producer, she decided making stuff up was more fun than reporting the facts. Her first published novel, MORE, was born during National Novel Writing month, a challenge to write a novel in thirty days. MORE was well-received, being selected as a finalist in the 2013 Kindle Book Review Best Indie Book Awards, as well as winning the Suspense/Thriller division of the Blogger Book Fair Reader's Choice Awards. She's since written four additional novels and several best-selling short stories...and there's always more on the way.
Website | Bookbub | Facebook | Newsletter | Twitter Pinterest | Instagram | Goodreads | Amazon ![]()
Mystery, Detective
Date Published: July 2017
Private Investigator, Sammy Shovel, finally gets the client of a lifetime and rushes to claim his jackpot, but he soon discovers—wealth and pearl coincide.
Beloved Golden Opportunities, CEO, Joel Ceja, is found murdered one foggy morning. Three months after Joel’s death the police are stumped, they still have no clues to his murder. Golden Opportunities’ employees feel they’re being stonewalled and decide to hire Shovel to assist the police. Sammy accepts, figuring it was nothing more than a local homicide.
However, in no time at all, he’s mired in international quicksand filled with a worldwide assassinations ring—and he wants out. But greed overcomes his common sense.
He runs from firefight to firefight to get to the truth, but his adversaries dupe him time and again.
You may deceive Sammy—some of time. But when he put's it altogether—run bother, run for we all know Sammy’s a shoot first and ask questions later type a guy.
About the Author
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Ronald M. James was born during the great depression, and as a toddler watched WPA men build a new street, from his home’s big front window. His playmates were a red rider wagon, a small black satchel and rocks. By using his imagination he had conversations with mythical street workers that bloomed into fashioned fantasies by age four. He used cardboard boxes to create fun spaces for his neighborhood playmates to enjoy and he kept telling stories all through high school. In college he abandoned writing and studied architecture. James had a successful architectural career and retired, however he wanted to keep his creative juices fluent, so he returned to his childhood story telling days and joined a writers group.
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Paranormal Time Travel Romance
Date Published: July 2017
Lorna Randolph is hired for the summer at Harrison Hall in Virginia, where Revolutionary-War reenactors provide guided tours of the elegant old home. She doesn't expect to receive a note and a kiss from a handsome young man who then vanishes into mist.
Harrison Hall itself has plans for Lorna – and for Hart Harrison, her momentary suitor and its 18th century heir. Past and present are bound by pledges of love, and modern science melds with old skills and history as Harrison Hall takes Lorna and Hart through time in a race to solve a mystery and save Hart's life before the Midsummer Ball.
About the Author
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Married to my high school sweetheart, I live on a farm in the Shenandoah Valley of Virginia with my human family and furbabies. An avid gardener, my love of herbs and heirloom plants figures into my work. The rich history of Virginia, the Native Americans, and the people who journeyed here from far beyond her borders are at the heart of my inspiration. I'm especially drawn to colonial America and the drama of the American Revolution. And I love a good ghost story. In addition to historical romance, I also write time travel, paranormal, YA/NA fantasy romance, and nonfiction.
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Vishwamitra by Dr. Vineet Aggarwal
Indian Mythological Fiction
~ Book Blitz ~
11th August, 2017
When Satyavati, wife of Rishi Ruchik, exchanges with her mother the magic potion for bearing a child, they change not just their childrenâs destiny, but also the history of mankind. Born of this mix up is Vishwamitra, the son of a Kshatriya, who strives to become a Brahmarishiâthe ultimate and most powerful of all Gurus.
Vishwamitra is the powerful story of a brave but stubborn, haughty yet compassionate, visionary king of Aryavarta who not only acquires material wealth through military conquests but also becomes one of the most well-known sages of all times.
Top 5 Rishis of all time:
5. BHRIGU - the father-in-law of none other than Lord Vishnu! He is famous to have tested the three gods of the Hindu Trinity to see whoâs the most deserving out of them! He is the author of the famous Bhrigu Samhita also known as 'Laal Kitab' that supposedly contains information about every human being's past, present and future.
4. KASHYAP - the father of all species of life that exist including Devas, Daityas, Danavs, Manavs, Apsaras, Gandharvs, Nagas, Plants, Animals, Birds, Aquatics and many more! He gives real meaning to the thought - Vasudhaiv Kutumbakam - the World is my Family.
3. VISHWAMITRA - an ordinary human who in spite of being born as a Kshatriya reached the highest levels of spirituality and became a Brahmarishi at par with Vasishth! He is the discoverer of the famous Gayatri Mantra, and the creator of an entire constellation!
2. ATRI - another son of Brahma and one of the oldest rishis to exist. Husband of a very powerful lady Anasuya and the father of Chandrama, the Hindu Moon-god; Dattatreya, the combined Avatar of Brahma, Vishnu & Shiva; and the angry rishi Durvasa.
1. VASISHTH - the son of Brahma the creator-god is number one on the list. He is the original Brahmarishi whom Indra gifted the Divine Cow Nandini. He was the Kulguru of Suryavanshis or the Solar Dynasty of kings in ancient India and mentored many famous kings like Divodas, Harishchandra and Shri Rama.
About the Author
Dr. Vineet Aggarwal is described by many as a doctor by qualification, manager by profession and artist by temperament. Born in a family of doctors, he successfully completed an initial stint with the family occupation before deciding to venture into pharmaceutical management and currently pursues writing and photography as a passion.
He is the author of popular online blogs âDecode Hindu Mythologyâ and âFraternity Against Terrorism and Extremismâ and the author of books âVishwamitra â The Man who dared to challenge the Godsâ and âThe Legend of Parshu-Raamâ
Sci Fi/Space Opera
The origins of Judeo-Christian religion and mythology come together in this mature science fiction page-turner.
To combat overpopulation on the planet Orion, the government releases a birth control virus to keep women from becoming pregnant. Only the brightest and most attractive of their species are allowed to mate. But the virus rages out of control, killing both mother and child. Attempts to develop a cure fail. They only have one option left: search other worlds for advanced societies that may be able to help.
The two most intelligent minds on Orion—and former best friends—Lucifer and Zues band together to search for a secret planet. When they finally arrive, they are greeted with unexplainable death and destruction. This planet is not the answer. Something doesn’t add up. They discover an extra unknown planet in the solar system.
The new planet is covered in lush land masses and bodies of water. Different species of hominids run—and mate—freely. Fire-breathing dragons guard the land. Lucifer is determined to figure out who or what created this planet. He thinks it just might be the key to saving Orion and the Orionites.
About the Author
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BCE is originally from parts unknown and currently resides in areas of the planet yet to be explored. His favorite pastime is reading old encyclopedias while eating Peanut M&M’s. He does believe that the warehouse depicted at the end of Raiders of the Lost Ark actually exists. He has only one goal left in his life that he wishes to accomplish: to live long enough to see the aliens return so he may look over at his beautiful wife in her nursing-home bed and say, “I told you so.”
Contact Links
Twitter: @bceauthor
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