Category Archives: Books

Hidden Release Day

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Happy holidays! It’s cold outside, even here in sunny San Francisco. No fog this time of year, lol. It’s the perfect time to curl up with a warm blanket, a hot drink, and a good book. Speaking of which, I have exciting news!

Today is the release day for my new novella, Hidden, a YA urban fantasy prequel to my Crossroads series. Hidden tells the story of Lennon’s Auntie Cat as a teenager. It is available on Amazon for $0.99.

Cat Lau’s world turns upside down when her father and brothers return home without her mother. Life on the Crossroads is always perilous and sudden death a constant threat. Her mother died in battle, but no one will tell her how or why. Her father consoles himself in the bottle. One brother prepares for an arranged marriage while the other plays vengeful games. As her family falls apart, an enemy within uses secret passion and a powerful weapon to manipulate them. Cat is determined to learn the truth, but will she discover that some things are better left hidden?

Hidden is part of a multi-author project titled Hidden.

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From sci-fi to romance, fantasy to cozy mystery, and many more, the Hidden Project has something for everyone. Each author has taken the same title and put their own spin on the story, leading to a wide range of stories in a variety of genres.

Follow the weekly release of all 70+ books!
http://hiddenreader.com
www.facebook.com/HiddenReader

Got any last minute holiday shopping? Books make lovely gifts. Fake and Folly are both available in paperback format. Suitable for teens and adults!

Fake_WP   folly_WP

New Book Covers

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I’m excited to announce that my Crossroads series now has new book covers. They were created by the immensely talented Julie Nicholls. I love how beautiful, mystical, and intriguing these new covers are. Fake and Folly are available now on Amazon. Hidden will be released in mid-December.

Fake_WP  folly_WP  HIDDEN_WP

 

Folly Launch Day

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Exciting news! Folly (Crossroads Book 2) launches today. It is available in ebook and paperback on Amazon. It is the follow-up to Fake (Crossroads Book 1), also available on Amazon. To celebrate, both ebooks are available for $0.99 each for a limited time.

Fake  Folly

What is the Crossroads Series? Imagine our contemporary world with an underground society of urban warriors. Maginalized people who have formed clans and fight each other for supremacy.

Two families are at the heart of the story. The Lau family are the hereditary rulers of the fierce warriors known as Two Dragon Clan. The Sparrows are Strowlers, a traveling people, but outcast from their clan because of their unconventional ways. When Lennon Lau and Penny Sparrow meet, they set into motion what could be the destruction of their clans and the Crossroads. Behind the scenes, an ancient dragon watches and waits, determined to save his species from extinction.

Keep up with the world of the Crossroads by subscribing to my monthly newsletter, Wandering Times. News, contests, deals and steals! SUBSCRIBE NOW and receive a free coloring book, Dragons: A Crossroads Coloring Book.

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Coloring Under the Covers

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Love to read? Love to color? Then this post is for you. I’m thrilled to be part of a new project called Coloring Under the Covers, a series of adult coloring books of novel covers. Volume 1 has just been released and my novel, Fake, is one of the featured books.

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Do you enjoy reading and getting to know the authors who create your fictional worlds? Use this coloring book to fulfill your artistic side and relax while adding to your “To Be Read” list. Meet the authors you know and discover new ones. Take this coloring book to events—have the author sign their page, color the cover, then pick up the e-book or the paperback and see what all the fuss is about. With easy-to-follow QR links to the books with our featured covers, as well as the authors’ websites, this is the ultimate reference for the “must read” books of the year. Be on the lookout for future volumes as you color for a cause. Each volume will help support a different charity each quarter. Coloring under the Covers … accept no substitutes.

Proceeds from Volume 1 will benefit the LifeAfter Project, a nonprofit organization focused on suicide prevention.

Special thanks to the creators of Coloring Under the Covers, Tiffany Fox of Beyond DEF and Deena Rae of E-BookBuilders. These women worked tirelessly on this project and are dedicated to raising funds for each chosen charity.

Coloring Under the Covers Vol. 1 is available on Amazon.

Banned Books Week

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I’m back from a long summer hiatus and ready to blog again. I thought I’d jump right in by commemorating a fabulous yet controversial event. Sept. 22 – 28, 2013 is Banned Books Week. This event puts the spotlight on banned and challenged books.

After checking out a few lists of banned and challenged books, I was amazed to see how many books I’ve enjoyed were banned. I was inspired to create the following gif for my Tumblr, Literary Gifs.

Banned Books Week

Some of the reasons these books were banned defies logic. For example, I cannot imagine anyone reading “Speak” would think the novel was soft porn or that the author was promoting promiscuity.  It’s the story of a rape victim who loses the ability to speak. I can only think that whoever accused “Speak” of these things either didn’t read the book or is all about victim blaming.

Other books are more problematic. “Mein Kampf” by Adolf Hitler is a commonly banned and challenged book. Obviously, his worldview is repugnant and his crimes against humanity are the very worst. I haven’t read the book nor do I want to. However, I cannot in good conscious tell anyone else not to read it. It is an historical document that can give the reader insight into the mind of a madman who came to power and was responsible for the murder of millions of people. We prevent the next Hitler by knowing all we can about the original one.

The lists of banned and challenged books have perennial favorites that have remained on the lists into the 21st century. These include “Of Mice and Men” by John Steinbeck, “I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings” by Maya Angelou, and “Catcher in the Rye” by J.D. Salinger. What do these books have in common? To my mind, they speak truth to power and sometimes power cannot stand the truth.

Looking for some banned books to read? Check out these lists:

A number of classic books have been banned. The following books are available free online. You may be surprised by what you see below.