Savvy Saturday: Print vs. Ebook by DJ Davis

Print or Ebook? That’s a lot like asking chocolate or vanilla. Fortunately, there’s an easy answer. “Yes, please!” There are obvious pros and cons to each, which vary depending on your point of view as a reader or a writer—or both.

I love my Kindle. I can hold a couple hundred novels in the palm of my hand at one time. It fits in my purse. It’s lightweight, a nice feature when I’m reading in bed, fall asleep, and drop it. Ever drop one of Mr. King’s 800 page whoopers on your nose? I appreciate the price of most ebooks, not to mention the plethora of free ebooks that are available. I can load my Kindle to the max and pay nothing. Everything from old classics to new writers trying to garner fans by giving their words away. Pretty nice for a reader. Different case when I think about it as an author.

For a writer, ebooks can reach a wider market, especially among the younger generation, gadget lovers, and those denizens of the digital world. Publication is less expensive and saves trees. It’s easier to email a PDF for reviews rather than mailing a book. Saves on gas, too (especially if your post office is as far away as mine is). There’s no denying the ebook’s ability to draw in new readers through convenience and low cost.

However, pirating of ebooks is an ongoing issue. It’s hard to get an ebook into stores and gift shops. And book signings? Probably not going to happen. I haven’t tried signing an ebook. I suppose I could sign business cards or coupons for an ebook, but as reader, a signed copy that means a book. Ebooks can certainly boost the sales of print editions. When I find an ebook that means something to me, something worthy of shelf space, I’ll buy a print edition.

I was over the top when my first novel, Courageous Cain, was published by Champagne Books as an ebook. My friends and family were thrilled for me. But many of the older ones, those who balk at the thought of a Kindle, not so much. Sure, they were happy about it, but they had to wait a year for the print edition to come out. Then they started calling me ‘author’ instead of ‘writer.’ This may not be a big deal to some authors and I understand that. But it was to me because these people are some of the most important ones in my life.

From a writer’s perspective, reading my own book on my Kindle was a trip and so much fun. But when I held that first print copy in my hands—the slick covers, the smell of the pages, its weight and dimension—I felt like an author, more than I did with the ebook.

The people closest to the writer, those who stood with them through the trials of writing and editing, the lows of rejection, and the highs of that first contract, will want signed copies to cherish and show off at every opportunity. Try that with an ebook. A Kindle sitting on a shelf doesn’t quite measure up to the unequalled thrill of seeing your own book on the shelf, sharing the living room like one of the family.

Now that my second novel with Champagne Books, Summer Star, is coming out in print, I have that high all over again. It’s been nearly a year since the ebook came out. My print-only fans are excited to have their chance to read it. My eighty-three year old mother recently said, “I can’t wait to read your book.” I can’t wait to give her a copy. Signed, of course.

Ebook or print? Yes, please! There’s a definite place for both and both is what it takes to reach all of your readers and gain new ones.

About DJ Davis

DJ Davis is a Colorado native and the rugged high country sets the scene for her stories. When she's not writing, she can be found hiking with her dogs, photographing the wildlife, or camping with her husband. A Great Dane runs her life.

A portion of each sale of her novel "Courageous Cain" will be donated to Big Bones Canine Rescue in Windsor, Colorado. Help us help big dogs in need.

Visit DJ's website for more info!

Savvy Saturday: Writing Tips with Ron Voigts

Writing Tips: Some Rewrite Advice

So you’re done. Whew! You’ve finished writing the novel, the one you’ve been thinking about and talking about for years. Job well done! Now you can move on.

Not yet. Now the real work begins. This is the moment that defines writers and their work. You are now ready to begin the rewrite.

Suddenly your hands become shaky. Heart beats faster. Palms become sweaty. But you shake it off and plod ahead. To help you polish your dream, let me toss out a few tips.

Continuity

In the real world we have expectations how things happen and function unless we’re living in the “matrix” or some alternate universe. We anticipate continuity in our real life experiences and would not expect anything less in fiction. Reread for the continuity.

• Time Continuity—things take place in real time. Assign dates and times to scenes. I usually add a first line in parenthesis and take out later. Review for conflicts and impossibilities. In my recent rewrite, two characters on a road trip could not arrive in time to meet up with the protagonist. I modified the scene to allow them to drive overnight rather than stay in a motel.

• Character Continuity—a character has history, personality, appearance, and likes/dislikes. They better well be the same in chapter one and chapter twenty. The pretty girl’s brown eyes better not be blue later. The two year med student becoming squeamish at the sight of blood will raise an eyebrow, unless you’re prepared to introduce some conflict or problem in his life.

• Plot continuity—plot needs to hold together from start to finish. Gaping holes are not permitted. Flaws will totally unnerve the reader. A dead grandmother in chapter one, making tea in chapter twelve will not do. The hero uses a hidden derringer strapped to his ankle better have been foreshadowed earlier.

• Location continuity—draw maps of locales and plans for buildings and rooms. Messing up a location can be disconcerting. If the bad guys hide out is north of town, the hero should not be heading south on Hwy 57 to get to them. The Piggly Wiggly down the block cannot turn into a Winn Dixie the next day.

• Object Continuity—changing the littles things can disrupt the reader’s experience. The hero driving a yellow Camaro in Chapter Two should not be cruising in a red Ferrari in Chapter Six. Grandma’s antique broach cannot magically become a vintage ring later on.

POV mistakes

The point-of-view character can see, feel, smell, hear, think and touch their environment. He or she cannot know what someone else is thinking. So when in Molly’s POV, she observes her boyfriend is angry, unless she is a mind reader, she cannot know that. She must have seen or heard something. He kicked the door, cussed, and shouted at her. The more obvious POV error is head hopping. Not recommended.

Scenes

Are the scenes well crafted? Do they move the plot along? If the scene lacks conflict and tension, it probably won’t hold a reader’s attention. Readers get bored when nothing is happening and page ahead or worse—put the book down. Also, a missing scene leaves things open and unexplained.

Ten More Things to Check

1. Show don’t tell. (This one gets beaten to death but still is important.)
2. Use active voice, not passive.
3. Use strong verbs.
4. Limit “-ing” words.
5. Eliminate excessive “-ly” words.
6. Replace overused words. (Examples: saw, heard, thought, little, looked, that, really, then, as, if, and so on.)
7. Use “said” and “asked” rather than fancier words. Eliminate if possible.
8. Avoid clichés. Find original ideas, metaphors, and similes.
9. Avoid word echoes. (Words repeated in short amount of time.)
10. Provide details instead of generalities.

Listen to Your Story

Finally, listen to your story. Word and Adobe have built in functions that read aloud the words. Some places offer free software for text to speech. Granted the voices are flat and tinny, but hearing your story makes it so much easier to find typos, wording issues, and sentence flow. If you have a friend who can read well that can work too. Just be cautious! The human brain is good at filling in missing words and making corrections on the fly. Someone reading your work may be editing it for you!

The most important tip on rewrites. Have fun! It’s not just the destination. It’s the journey.

About Ron
Ron D. Voigts, originally from the Midwest, now living in North Carolina since 1993, pens murder mysteries with a dark flair. He has authored eight books, including four in a middle-grade series. His latest mysteries, The Witch’s Daughter and The Fortune Teller’s Secret, lean toward the supernatural. Ideas for his stories comes from the rural areas where he has lived, places he has visited, his love of the paranormal, and an overactive imagination. When not plunking out a novel at the keyboard, he spends his time sharpening his culinary skills, watching gritty movies, and eating cookies with chocolate chips.

Check out Ron's website.

Excerpt from Summer Star

Summer Star
By DJ Davis
Romantic Suspense
$15.95
Champagne Books: https://goo.gl/fVvrfi
Lulu: https://goo.gl/ighG4o

A psychic with an attitude, a ghost from the old west, and lost Civil War gold. What could possibly go wrong? Just about everything.

Excerpt:

Sunrise came and, Holy Moses on a moped, it was one to write home about. Orange clouds sent deep purple shadows drifting across the snowcapped peaks. Troy followed the irresistible pull in his head through aspen trees boasting new spring green. A rock, dead center in a small clearing, drew him from the trail like a magnet. The tingling in his fingertips spread to his palms and grew into an itch. He dropped to his knees in the mud and melting snow. The gravestone was so eroded he could barely make it out. Emma Anders, September 18, 1865.

A familiar ache pulsed behind his left eye. “You’re going to be a real bitch about this, aren’t you, Emma?” No answer. He didn’t expect one, but who knew? Stranger things had happened in the mysterious void between the past and the present. The space his joker friend Eric called “The Troy Hart Zone”, and Troy called a pain in the ass.

He tented his fingers on the weathered chunk of granite and the vision flooded his senses.

Lightning, so close the ozone prickled the hairs in his nose. Thunder rolled off the mountain and echoed back. Icy rain hammered the oilskin duster and sluiced off the wide brimmed hat. Cold mud soaked his woolen pants and seeped through his broken-down boots.

He longed for the heat of his pistols but this part had to come first. First the shovel, then the guns. First Emma, then his brothers.

The pine box, mired in a puddle six feet down, gleamed bone white in the storm-light. Emma deserved better than a few rough-sawn boards and a rock he’d carve himself. The evening sky lacked the sunset colors she loved. There was only rain and churning clouds. He tossed a handful of wildflowers into her grave and took up the shovel. Dirt and stones covered the coffin with the dull thuds of ‘til death do us part.

A bearded, grizzled face swam out of the rain. Hate and grief burned in the man’s eyes. Troy yanked his hand from the stone. The vision dissipated, but slower than it should have. A voice thundered inside his head. “Find me!”

Troy kicked away from the grave. That was one hell of a vision, but that’s all it was. He’d had thousands of them and an occasional twist was nothing new. He pointed at the headstone. “I do not take orders from a dead dude with an attitude.”

He made it three steps toward the trail before pain burst like fireworks in the left side of his skull. He crumpled to his knees and elbows, crying out as a dead man clawed into his mind.

Excerpt from Smile and Walk Away

Smile and Walk Away
Shatter, Book 1
By Danielle Riedel
Suspense/Thriller
$3.99
Amazon: https://goo.gl/M1QVXH
Kobo: https://goo.gl/9gkeUe
Champagne Books: https://goo.gl/pJyfvd

Detective Duran thinks he’s searching for a missing woman. Little does he know he’s actually pursuing the last remaining evidence of a CIA cover up.

Excerpt:

January 1981

The agent sat in a comfortable chair facing a blank screen. He wore a cuff around his upper right arm and had plastic clips over the tips of his right index and ring fingers. Rubber tubes were wrapped around his chest and abdomen. His head was shaved, and his scalp was covered in small white sensors. Wires from everything attached to his body were connected to a tabletop machine.

The doctor situated himself behind the machine with a pencil, a notepad, and a cup of coffee. A third man stood off to the side next to a projector. The agent in the chair couldn’t see either of them. Plastic panels extended eight inches out from each of his temples so that he could only see what was right in front of him.

“If you’re ready, Agent Majors, we’re going to show you a series of images.”

“Ready when you are, doctor.”

“Excellent,” said the doctor. He nodded to the man at the projector. An image came up on the screen of a child on a swing set. “I’m using the same electroencephalograph as the last time you were here,” he continued. “If the results today match your baseline electroencephalogram, within a small range of course, we can move on to the next phase of testing.” The doctor fixed his eyes on the monitor screen in front of him. The image on the projector screen changed to one of a dog urinating on a tree.

The agent relaxed as he looked at pictures of dolphins swimming beside a fishing boat, butterflies flying over a meadow, and a puppy catching a Frisbee. Two minutes passed, and those images became interspersed with ones of car crashes, open-heart surgeries, and amputees. Each photograph lingered on the projector screen for about three or four seconds. The doctor remained focused on the screen of the electroencephalograph.

Agent Majors saw three seconds of a nude woman on horseback, then four seconds of a man attempting to crawl out of the wreckage of his home after an earthquake. He saw four seconds of a new mother nursing her baby, then three seconds of a lion tearing apart a dead gazelle. The man at the projector was silent as he performed his simple task, and the doctor periodically glanced away from the screen to make a note or to sip his coffee.

The images became more graphic, ranging from sexual to grotesque. Pleasant and relaxing pictures would show up in between, but the contrast became more dramatic. The doctor continued his notes and observations. He picked up his coffee mug as the image changed from two women caressing each other’s breasts to a child sobbing as a man prepared to strike him. The coffee mug shattered in the doctor’s hand before it reached his lips. He cursed, but gestured for the man at the projector to continue. With the tail of his lab coat, he managed to stop the coffee spill from reaching the machine.

“Everything okay, doctor?” Agent Majors asked.

“I just spilled my coffee; it’s fine. Focus, please.” The doctor sat down, ignoring the small brown puddle and mug shards at his feet. It was a cheap mug.

The agent focused as he was told. The doctor wrote notes without looking at his paper, determined not to take his eyes away from the monitor.

An image came up of three kittens nestled together in a basket. The doctor signaled to the man at the projector that he should pause on this. He signaled again for him to proceed, but only after almost ten seconds had passed. Next, a picture appeared of those same three kittens screaming in agony as two adolescent boys set them on fire.

The doctor made no move to write anything. Then his pencil snapped in half with a distinct, high-pitched crack. The doctor laid down his notepad and the two halves of his pencil with shaking hands. His eyes widened as he looked from his monitor to the now kaleidoscopic image on the agent’s screen.

“Stop the test.”

The lens of the projector had shattered.

Excerpt from Love on Longboat Key

Love on Longboat Key
Keys to His Heart, Book 1
By Meg West
Contemporary Romance
$2.99
Amazon: https://goo.gl/KFZMqb
Kobo: https://goo.gl/VJSceh
Champagne Books: https://goo.gl/wJJ3UT

Over Christmas break a sweet, but shy, copywriter is forced to fight off her aggressive boss to win the heart of his son.

Excerpt

Julie stretched out her long pale legs and flexed her even paler bare toes. She could hardly believe her good luck. Just yesterday she’d been bundled in a down coat and fur-lined boots, yet now she wore white cargo pants, a thin cotton T-shirt, and red rubber flip-flops. Basking in the warmth of the Florida sun took some of the sting off spending the holidays with her quarrelsome mother and father.

Sitting under the Bodhi fig tree on the outermost edge of the park was her favorite thing to do. Years ago, the Bodhi tree had been toppled in a hurricane, but thanks to conservation efforts, it had been replanted, taken root again, and thrived. Julie loved the idea of sitting beneath a tree that had overcome the odds. She thought of this bench under the Bodhi as her personal refuge, the spot where she always found all the peace and quiet she craved.

Until today.

The longer Julie sat there in delicious silence, the more she became aware of a voice. A male voice. A louder-than-necessary voice. She turned and glared at the tall, sandy-haired guy crunching down the shell-lined path. He was so busy half-shouting on his cell phone he didn’t even give her a glance as he walked to the edge of the railing that hemmed the water.

For all Julie knew he was yet another self-absorbed thirty-something guy, the kind she often saw in the hallways at work, who gathered his sense of self-importance from how tightly he was tethered to his iPhone. He sure was dressed the part of an insurance executive on casual Friday, in a crisp blue Oxford shirt, khaki pants, and leather deck shoes. He only lacked the socks. And he was taller than normal. In the halls of Pilgrim Mutual, his head probably would have grazed the tiles of the low ceiling.

In any case, he was disturbing the peace. Julie felt annoyance surge within her until she heard him say, “No, Mom, I don’t think that’s what Dad meant...it doesn’t matter, so give it a rest...come on, it’s Christmas, I’m here for all of a week, is it too much to ask for you to just get along with each other?”

His conversation came to an abrupt end. He pressed his thumb down on the phone and cussed the F-word under his breath. When he turned back, his forehead wrinkled and his jaw clenched, Julie recognized all too well his look of frustration, since whenever she had to deal with her mom and dad, she felt her own face tighten in exactly the same way.

He let out an exasperated breath when he saw her. “Sorry.”

“For what?” she said.

“Swearing. Arguing. And otherwise interrupting your Zen.” He gazed over his shoulder at the calm water of the bay. “I’ve been here less than twenty-four hours and already my parents are driving me crazy.”

“Join the club,” Julie said.

“You here for the holidays, too?”

Julie nodded. “It’s like being a teenager all over again.”

“Exactly. Only they’re the ones who crack up the car and need to be grounded for misbehaving.” He looked down the shell-lined path. “Are your parents here with you?”

“No, they’re home arguing about graham crackers.”

“Graham crackers?”

“Don’t ask and I won’t tell.”

“Fair enough.” He smiled. “Mind if I sit for a sec?”

Julie scooted over on the bench. Ordinarily she wasn’t drawn to guys who looked like they could have been college basketball players. And she wasn’t overly fond of the preppy look, but there was something endearing about the rolled sleeves on his pressed Oxford shirt, his creased khaki pants, and his boat shoes. He needed only to put on a navy blazer, a striped tie, and a pair of socks to look like an overgrown schoolboy.

Release Day Part 2!

Love on Longboat Key
Keys to His Heart, Book 1
By Meg West
Contemporary Romance
$2.99
Kobo: https://goo.gl/VJSceh
Champagne Books: https://goo.gl/wJJ3UT

Julie Joseph dreads spending Christmas in Florida with her cranky elderly parents. Yet that changes when she arrives at Sun Tower and meets the eligible bachelor whose equally quarrelsome parents have just moved into the penthouse.

Thomas Briggs IV is hardly the type Julie has dated in the past: he's tall, handsome, and out-of-this-world wealthy. He's also the son of the CEO of Pilgrim Mutual Insurance, where Julie works as a copywriter.

She has just a few days to date Thomas before they both have to return to the ice and snow blanketing the Northeast. There's one big problem: Julie's rival for Thomas's affection happens to be her gorgeous, but mean-spirited, CEO boss at Pilgrim Mutual.

Can Julie overcome the odds to win Thomas's heart?

Love on Longboat Key is a sweet holiday tale about finding romance on the beach.

Smile and Walk Away
Shatter, Book 1
By Danielle Riedel
Suspense/Thriller
$3.99
Kobo: https://goo.gl/9gkeUe
Champagne Books: https://goo.gl/pJyfvd

The police are looking for Velma Bloom, a young woman who has gone missing. All that’s left of her is her car parked in front of a house containing two dead Russian men.

Velma is a twenty-five year old woman who loves her life of booze, sex, and cigarettes. But this sassy, over-educated waitress has a secret—a strange ability she’s never been able to understand. Answers come unexpectedly and from an unexpected source. Armed with her new knowledge, she sees her way to forging a new future. She only has one obstacle—making sure she stays alive.

Now she has vanished, and rookie detective Jackson Duran is trying to find her. She hasn’t left many traces, and everything Duran discovers about her only complicates his search. What he does learn leads him to some sinister truths he never thought he’d know, and would rather not know.

Now in Print

Summer Star
By DJ Davis

Romantic Suspense

$15.95

Champagne Books: https://goo.gl/fVvrfi

Lulu: https://goo.gl/ighG4o

Loner and history buff Troy Hart’s visions of the old west are all fun and games until he gets more than he bargained for when his psychic connection to the past leads him to the mountains of Colorado. The legend of buried treasure is nothing new, but falling in love is—and that’s the last thing Troy wants.

When the ghost of an outlaw forces Troy to fulfill his dying wish, to save his own life, and the life of the woman he loves, Troy must follow a trail of greed, betrayal and revenge on a treasure hunt for lost Civil War gold.

Now the fun is over and the game is survival as Troy battles the elements, a dead man and his own heart deep in the remote high country.

Imagine by Jenna Greene Review from Bookish Coffee Blog

Title: Imagine

Author: Jenna Greene

Rating: 4.5/5 Stars

I was sent a copy of this novel in exchange for an honest review. Thank you!

This is a spoiler free review 

 https://bookishcoffeeblog.wordpress.com/

Summary

One day, Kat Bowers and Becky Thatcher are taken from the home they have known their whole life and thrown into a new place full of strange creatures and large castles. There they meet Enalie, who claims the existence of magic and sends Kat and Becky on a quest to defeat the evil that is overtaking the realm, called Nandor. She tells them that to do this, they must find two other people with magical powers, like Kat, called the Elementals. They must also find the Unifier. Throughout their journey, they travel to places they only read about in books to fulfill their destiny and save the lives of many.

Review

“With imagination, anything is possible.” 

Ok, the first thing I want to say about this novel is the incredible story telling. There is so much thought put into the description of the world, characters, and events and this allows the reader to become immersed into the story. I was always able to develop a full image of what is occurring and what the setting looked like because of the author’s descriptions. The world is also very complicated in the best way possible because there was a lot of attention to the detail of all aspects of the story. The events that occur never come out of nowhere and they always make sense for the plot and characters. An example of the ability of the story to pull me in: I was reading one evening and looked outside my window and was shocked to find that it was not raining, like it was in the book.

One of my favorite things about this story is the relationship between Kat and Becky. They are both taken from the world they know and thrown into a confusing place. This leads them to develop an organic relationship that helps both of them throughout their journey. None of the relationships in the novel felt forced, which I appreciated. The characters are also incredibly relatable, especially Becky with her love of books!

“She twisted and turned, wishing for a book in her hand. Stories were her passion as well as her security blanket. There was nothing she wanted more than to hold one right now.”

This novel also deals with death and the first time experiencing it. The characters are facing many dangerous creatures and when people lose their lives, it is shocking and new for them. They notice the emotions they feel towards a person they see die, even though they did not know that person. Later in the story, Kat and Becky experience death on a more personal level and must learn to deal with this. I think this is really important, especially for the younger readers who may be experiencing these things for the first time as well.

An incredibly important aspect of this novel is imagination. This was also my favorite aspect of the novel. Becky comes from a life spent in fantasy. She spent most of her time at home reading books and imagining different worlds. This seemingly mundane aspect of Becky’s personality becomes incredibly important for the success of their journey. I don’t want to explain any more on this topic, for fear of spoilers, but this is such an important part of the story.

“She did feel slightly comforted. Imagination had that power sometimes.”

I highly recommend this book if you are looking for an escape from the real world. It definitely gave me a classic fairytale vibe. It made me laugh, it made me nervous, and it made me sad. I thoroughly enjoyed this fantasy story and I am looking forward to reading the sequel, Reality.

Savvy Saturday: Affair de Coeur Cover Art Contest

This year, we entered the ever popular Affair de Cour Cover Art Contest, and several of our books made it to the semi-finals. Now, we just need your vote to help us win. Voting is open until July 15th. It's voting time! Go vote for these CBG titles:

http://affairedecoeur.com/HotGuyzPatrol.html
The Jackal Prince – Rebecca Goings
Tempting the Darkness – Shiela Stewart
   

http://affairedecoeur.com/AlmostKiss.html
Cleaning Up – Jophrael Avario
New Prints in Old Calico – Jennifer Lynn
Salvaged – JS Marlo
   

http://affairedecoeur.com/GorgeousGals.html
Reality – Jenna Greene


http://affairedecoeur.com/UniquelyYours.html
Children of Neptune – Makenna Snow
Elfin Nights – Brantwijn Serrah
Tracks – KM Tolan

Excerpt from Children of Neptune

Children of Neptune
Children of Neptune, Book 1
By Makenna Snow
YA Fantasy
$3.99
Amazon: https://goo.gl/Z3JGFo
Kobo: https://goo.gl/4usO5f
Champagne Books: https://goo.gl/1inRF3

Excerpt:

“Get me out of here,” she whispered. Jet crept along the ancient stone passage and waited for instructions. Inky blackness closed in as her heart hammered in her chest.

“Come on,” she said, teeth clenched. She had no choice but to stop—if she took a wrong turn, she’d be discovered and her plans ruined. At last, a voice reached her.

“It’s the next left, and you’re free all the way to Sofana Park.” There was no audible sound with his words, just what Jet could hear in her own mind. She followed the dark tunnel until she reached a wall with iron rungs forming a ladder. She climbed to the top and pushed away the large stone blocking her exit. Blinking against the harsh sunlight, she emerged from the tunnel, then returned the stone and hurried along the path leading away from her prison.

Shell fragments crunched under her sandals, and the wind whipped her long, dark hair around her head. The promise of the sea hinted the air, and Jet ran, her heart skipping with excitement. At last, her co-conspirator’s sleek, black body emerged from the forest, and she grinned. “Peppercorn, now isn’t the time to hunt. You have to help me get back so I’m not late.”

Her pet sable stared at her with his brown eyes and snorted. Peppercorn’s entire body was covered in luxurious, black fur, save for a tuft of white on his head. “You’re the one who needed a break.”

She rolled her eyes at his admonition. She had been able to enComm—communicate with him telepathically—for years, and he never missed an opportunity to set her straight. “You sound like the king. We’ve been through this. I need to get out of there once in a while. If I don’t, the walls close in on me.”

Peppercorn darted along the path in front of her. “The king and queen have a lot to worry about right now, but I will always help you, Jet.”

“You take good care of me. Thanks, Peppercorn…though it sounds like you’re eavesdropping through walls again?” she said. “Besides, I know you like to hunt too much to be satisfied with palace food.”

He had no response but another snort. They hurried along the path. Jet flung off her sandals as the shells gave way to pink sand. They’d emerged from the cover of forest onto a deserted beach. She ran to the water.

She dove into the surf and swam. Feeling the familiar pull at her core, her body hummed, her skin tightened and smoothed, and her heart rate slowed. She shifted to her water form and became stronger, faster, and lighter. She let the powerful sensation envelop her, relishing the sense of belonging she felt in the water. She found one of the underwater tunnels leading to the world outside her safe bubble.

Exiting the stone tunnel, she entered larger body of water called Indigo Lake. Cutting through the clear water, the village of Aurealia sat below, protected in the half bubble of air beneath the crystalline Shield. Neptune had provided the Shield to safeguard her people—the descendants of Neptune himself.

And safe was just what Jet’s life was. As a princess, she had trained since childhood for the duties she’d one day assume as queen. At sixteen, those duties seized center stage, with public appearances ruling her days. She pushed the limits of her breath, her chest tight as she picked up speed before swimming to the surface. She’d be late for today’s session if she didn’t get back home. After sighing, she took a huge breath and dove down, headed for home.

Release Day Part 1!

Take the Bai Road
A Bai Hsu Novel, Book 2
By Erika Mitchell
Thriller/Espionage
$3.99
Amazon: (not until July 5)
Kobo: https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/take-the-bai-road
Champagne Books: https://goo.gl/TJ3Wer

Conspiracy. Cartels. Chaos.

After the events of Bai Tide, CIA case officer Bai Hsu is safely tucked away at Headquarters in Langley, Virginia. Bored and frustrated, he’s starting to doubt he’ll ever return to the field until he’s given a difficult new assignment: Track and investigate the mysterious Ghost Cartel, who may or may not already have hooks in our government.

With secrecy of the utmost importance, Bai accepts the mission even though he knows he’ll be out in the cold. With no official cover, no backup, and no resources, Bai has no choice but to infiltrate a shadowy organization few know anything about.

Tangled in a conspiracy that will pit him against warring cartels in Mexico, this is Bai’s most impossible mission to date. It will test him, make him question himself and the organization he works for, and ultimately rip away everything that’s ever mattered to him.

Children of Neptune
Children of Neptune, Book 1
By Makenna Snow
YA Fantasy
$3.99
Amazon: https://goo.gl/Z3JGFo
Kobo: https://goo.gl/4usO5f
Champagne Books: https://goo.gl/1inRF3

To save her family and her crown, Jet leaves the life she's known to uncover the plot to destroy everything she holds dear.

Sixteen-year-old Jet can talk to animals with her mind, but she gets tongue-tied with someone her own age. She can use her ancient powers to hydroshift, but she's still figuring out how to be smooth out of the water.

Sheltered behind the palace walls, Jet trains to become queen of a secret island. All that changes when she's forced to accept a mission she isn't prepared for—fitting in at high school. Her powers, never before tested, are pushed to their limits.

She learns that handling high school life is just as complicated and dangerous as the mystery that brought her there. Her journey leads her to friendship, romance, and her first taste of freedom. But betrayal threatens to take all that away.

Jet faces an enemy that could cost her everything she loves. She must succeed…or die trying.

Savvy Saturday: Reader's Choice

So we asked our readers what they would like to read this summer from CBG, and here are their answers:

I would like to read Reality by Jenna Greene. Well not so much for me but for my daughter who loves Imagine. She loves Becky and how Becky loves to read like her. Abi would love to continue to find out what happens to her favourite character.
-Christi N.
Reality
eBook
$5.99
Available on Amazon, Kobo, and at the Champagne Bookstore.

Three young Elementals discover they no longer have full control over their magic, a fact that is both unsettling and could put lives in peril. As a group known as the Coalition rises in power, its anti-magic sentiments spread from the small village of Sorc all the way to the kingdom of Areth. Amidst all this turmoil, Kat decides to take on a new quest, one that will affect Becky’s future. Venturing into territory more hazardous than any they’ve seen before, both girls strive toward a goal they know has little hope of success.

To Ruin a Rake by Liana LeFey. Her words speak to me as many authors do not.

-Jessica E.

To Ruin a Rake

eBook/Print

$4.95/$13.95

Available on Amazon, Kobo, and at the Champagne Bookstore.

When her fiancé died, Harriett vowed not to let his wastrel brother destroy the charity they built. But Roland becomes a nuisance the moment he sets foot on the grounds, and it’s all-out war until their conflict threatens to expose her family’s dark secret.

Intrigued by the beautiful tyrant, Roland agrees to a ceasefire. It’s a dangerous truce, for she has the troublesome effect of making him want to be both a better man and a scoundrel. Can he resist the temptation?

Harriett is equally dismayed to find the rogue she swore to forever despise far less of a devil than she thought. Worse, he disturbs her in ways to make even the most virtuous woman contemplate the primrose path.

Fate will drive them into each other’s arms, intimate truths will be revealed, and enemies will have to learn to trust each other or all will be lost.

Angel's Keeping... Because I am an angel.

-Sheila F.

Angel's Keeping

eBook

$1.99

Available on Amazon, Kobo, and at the Champagne Bookstore.

As a succubus, preying on humans is Raschael's business, and mortal feelings are nothing but a waste of time. So maybe her king meant to punish her when he sent her out to hunt on one of the most holy mortal holidays. Or maybe he just wanted her far, far away, so he could banish Raschael's one and only friend.

Now Raschael must track down a missing fallen angel, and she doesn't have a clue where to start. Bigger predators are closing in, and Rasche's only lead is a Christmas stripper named Noelle.



The Viscount's Prize because it is historical. It also contains a rogue spy, what's not to like.

-Karen M.

The Viscount's Prize

eBook

$3.99

Available on Amazon, and at the Champagne Bookstore.

When his younger brother is summoned to Versailles, Vicomte Frederique de la Tour decides to intervene and takes his place. King Louis’s XV court is stunned when instead of a lad, the legendary spy, known to his underworld associates only as The Wolf arrives.

Lady in Waiting Hélène d’Ètoilles’ life has been serene: Serve Her Majesty the Queen of France with grace and obedience. Now her life and her sense of self are in turmoil when she discovers she’s been gifted to a nobleman for his family’s loyalty and years of service. No longer a lady in waiting to the Queen of France, she’s thrown into a world of subterfuge and passion, of lust and power.

Fun in the Sun party code: Champagne2017

Tattle and Wrye column July 2017 edition

From the desk of ~

DONA PENZA TATTLE, ESQ.

AND

ASSOCIATE WRYE BALDERDASH

Greetings!

Associate Wrye Balderdash stood on the still dark cyber stage in top hat and fancy tux. Yes, he wore tails for the grand awards ceremony, a fox tail and a zebra tail. He ran a hand around his ascot, and whispered to Tattle who was attempting to climb up the stairs to the stage. “It’s starting!”

“I’m trying. My skirt’s too tight. I can’t get my leg up to the first step.” Dona Penza Tattle arrived in a bedazzled walk-the-checkered-carpet, ruby red bedazzled top and slender body hugging skirt, long enough to hide her orthopedic shoes. She wanted all to notice the slender part. She worked hard at stuffing herself into the outfit.  

“Tug down the zipper a little.”

“I am!” she said, loud enough to draw the attention of those nearby. She ignored the twitters.

“Again!”

Tattle reached behind her and tugged it once more. She couldn’t quite manage the step. The skirt was still too tight. She lowered the zipper yet again.

The spotlight exploded, shinning on Wrye.  His eyes went wide and he grinned at the crowd sheepishly. “Ladies and gentlemen, welcome!” Then to Tattle in a mutter. “Hurry up!”

(Applauds from the cyber crowd of readers.)

Tattle gave her zipper a big yank. Suddenly, she felt two hands on her buns, pushing her upward and helping her onto the stage.

She looked down at the usher horrified at his audacity. “Well, how dare you, I don’t know you well enough for you to touch me like that.”

“Ma’am, I don't know you well enough for you to unzip my fly four times either!" 

Cheeks now matching her outfit, she shuffled her way to Wrye, smiled at the nominees and readers. “It is such a pleasure to be here.”

(Applauds from the cyber crowd of readers.)

"Thank you, thank you."  Wrye bowed graciously.  "The true applauds go to all the nominees and their riveting books and the artists and their fabulous book designs.  It has been an incredibly difficult decision, but at last we have found our WINNER and TOP NOMINEE for the Tattle and Wrye Book Award.”  Otherwise known as:

THE FABULOUS FICTION FABRICATOR FEATHER IN THE FEDORA, WRYE TOAST FROM BALDERDASH AND TATTLE... JAM OPTIONAL AWARD, DENOTING THAT BALDERDASH BABBLES AND TATTLE PRATTLES AND GOOD WRITERS WRITE WELL...

TAA DAA!  WITH BOW AND CURTSY

(More applauds from the cyber crowd of readers.)

Tattle smiled broadly, tripped over the hem of her gown, felt her zipper pop and made sure to keep her back hidden. “The following is the criteria we used for the book award.”

CRITERIA (for book)

(humorous)

~Reviewed by Tattle and Wrye, separately and donut free (so as not to create an artificial zone of contentment)

~Dimensional characters who morph over time, and not into dinosaurs (unless that is a plot device)

~Faceted universe like a kaleidoscope that brings flashbacks to psychedelic Tuesdays of our 80s (someone digressed)

~Compelling like chocolate truffles you can't resist (no one can write chocolate, but what if, the world would eat it up)

~Good conflict - think clashing swords or sparing armadillos or Feuding Writing Partners (shameless plug)

~Smart/snappy dialogue, without using finger-snapping or gingersnaps or snapping turtles with red polished toenails unless they speak

~Believable inner voice even if crazy voices.  Note:  Crazies seem to have more fascinating inner voices.

~Memorable, even more so then remembering getting lost in a cupcake factory without your blood sugar testing kit

~Unpredictable plot that brings the cat ate the canary snigger as, get this, the canary ate the cat

~Stunning twists that cause spontaneous "Weoooos!" and pee-pee dances around the Rug Doctor

~Keeper-upper-til-all-too-late, as good as any date, and the perfect purchase avoiding the bad book rebate

~Ultimately, an irresistible urge by both Tattle and Wyre to high five the author

~Bottom line:  Was it good?

 

“Yes, we adore being playful, but just so you all know, we take this very seriously. We truly took our time, and thoughtfully considered everyone’s book as you can see by the following criteria,” said Wrye, looking somber.

CRITERIA (for book)

 (non-humorous)

~Reviewed by Tattle and Wrye 

~Dimensional characters who change

~Believable universe 

~Passionate (weather humorous, dramatic, or mysterious, etc.)

~Compelling

~Good conflict

~Smart/snappy dialogue

~Credible inner voice

~Memorable

~Unpredictable plot

~Stunning twists

~Page-turner1.     

“Now our criteria for book cover art.”

CRITERIA (for book cover art)

~Attention grabber

~Complexity

~Artistic talent

~Creativity

~Unique

~Conveys intrigue

~Captures the book’s intent

~Excellent use of color

~Imagery

~Imaginative

~Beauty

~Emotionally provocative

~Shows masculine strength

~Creates a sense of romance

~Use of Fonts

~Ratio of author to title

~Compelling

~Composition

~Pick-me-upper

~Mystic

~Contemporary

“The nominees for the Tattle and Wrye Awesome Book Cover Award are: A Wicked Truth - Cover Art by Ellie Smith, Untamed - Cover Art by Staci Perkins, Traitor Knight - Cover Art by Trisha FitzGerald, Home World - Cover Art  by Ellie Smith, Imagine - Cover Art by Trisha and FitzGerald, Absence of Light - Cover Art by Ellie Smith!”

An envelope appeared in Tattle’s hands. “The WINNER for the Tattle and Wrye Awesome Book Cover Award is HOME WORLD - Cover Art by Ellie Smith!”

(Cheers and applauds from the cyber crowd of readers and Tattle and Wrye.)

“The nominees for the Tattle and Wrye Book Award are: UNTAMED (Duty Bound #3) by J.S. Marlo, SEDUCING THE DARKNESS, Darkness, I by Shiela Stewart, DOORS by Joanne Renaud, SILENT AUTUMN by Veronica H. Hart, ABSENCE OF LIGHT by Rick Giernoth, HOME WORLD by Michael W. Davis, and TRAITOR KNIGHT by Keith W. Willis.”

(Cheers and applauds from the cyber crowd of readers and Tattle and Wrye.)

Now, for our TOP FINALIST!  The envelope, please.”  A large off-white envelope appears in her hand as Tattle and Wrye announced in unison:  Congratulations to Veronica H. Hart in recognition of SILENT AUTUMN!”

 (Cheers and applauds from the cyber crowd of readers and Tattle and Wrye.)

 “And, finally our WINNER!  The envelope, please.”  An extra-large off-white envelope appeared in Tattles’ hand as the duet announced in unison:  Congratulations to our WINNER Keith W. Willis in recognition of TRAITOR KNIGHT.

 (Cheers, whistles, feet stomping and applauds from the cyber crowd of readers and Tattle and Wrye.)

Well done Veronica and Keith and Ellie. The books were fabulous and the book cover was captivating. CONGRATULATIONS!

Reviews and interviews continue in August!

Dona Penza Rutabaga Tattle, Esq. and Associate Wrye Balderdash

of Blather City, Wannachat

Created and written by:  Angelica Hart and Zi

Books by: Angelica Hart and Zi

KILLER DOLLS ~ SNAKE DANCE ~

CHASING YESTERDAY ~ CHRISTMAS EVE...VIL

http://www.champagnebooks.com/

Books by: Vixen Bright and Zachary Zane

STEEL EMBRACE

BOOK NOOKIE-A LIBRARIAN'S BUIDE TO THE DO-ME DECIMAL SYSTEM

http://www.carnalpassions.com/

angelicahartandzi.com