Tuesday, October 21, 2014

Tornado Alley Publications New Release--Saigon Moon by B.J. Betts--Giveaway!


Include your email in your comment for a chance to win a free copy of SAIGON MOON by B.J. Betts.

BLURB

Rick Jameson leaves his small Iowa town for the jungles of Viet Nam expecting to come home and marry his high school sweetheart, Vickie Richards. But when he receives a “Dear John” letter with her engagement ring enclosed, Rick decides to be the biggest badass Marine the Viet Cong have ever dealt with. After all…what does he have to live for now?

On one suicide mission too many, Rick is shot and left for dead, only to be discovered by a young Vietnamese girl, Hang Le. She saves Rick’s life, and their passion flares in the steamy jungles of southeast Asia.


Years later, when Rick returns to Viet Nam with his military buddies, a chance encounter with Hang Le’s brother leads Rick to her door.  He’s a millionaire now; but as a successful clothing designer, Hang Le has her own life she might not want to give up for the American who left her behind. Now that the war is over, will Rick and Hang Le be able to rekindle the love they had to turn their backs on so long ago?

EXCERPT

A plume of light brown dust rose up off the dusty California roadway as the military bus slowed to a stop.
Rick Jameson shifted in his seat to look out the window of the bus he was riding in. All he could see was what appeared to be about twenty to thirty people, lined up in front of the gates to Camp Pendleton.
They grabbed hold of each other’s hands, making a human chain, blocking the entryway into the camp. Most carried signs, some with slogans written on them that read, “Baby Killers”, or “Murderers”.
The group consisted of a mix of people. Preppy college kids stood next to longhaired hippie types with jeans, beards, and peace signs painted on their clothes.  Parents and relatives who had lost their loved ones in the war, stood right alongside the others. They were demanding the government end this senseless war.
With batons in hand, the MPs came through the gates of the base to break it up. One college kid, blond, blue eyed, dressed in his white oxford shirt, and black chinos, laid down. He started whipping out his draft card, trying to set fire to it.  This being a federal offense, the MPs got involved. They pulled the kid roughly to his feet, and started to handcuff him. Rick watched from his seat on the bus, as things just went from bad to worst. The rest of the crowd started yelling, and cussing the MPs.
One after another they lay down, arms still linked. They refused to get up.  More MPs along with the local police were called onto the scene.
Rick’s bus finally chugged through the gates. He looked back to see the MPs using their batons on the protesters, and dragging them off to the cruisers that lined the side of the road. His eyes were wide open now.
Camp Pendleton stretched out before him. It went on for miles, over 200 square miles to be exact. It consisted of seventeen miles of undeveloped oceanfront property—coastal mountains, and inland away from the ocean, were undeveloped wetlands. At one time, it had been a cattle ranch.
Being fresh out of high school, having graduated only two days ago, he sat back in his seat and wondered what he had gotten himself into.  Ever since he’d been a kid, he’d talked of nothing but being a Marine. Now, here he was, ready to start a new life. Most of the guys on the bus were draftees –but not Rick; he’d enlisted.
He had grown up in a small town, the eldest child and only boy, with six sisters. He could not wait to get away.
The tough part was leaving his fiancĂ©e, Vickie Richards, behind. Had it only been two days since he’d seen her? It felt like a month. It was going to be okay, though. They’d talked about it their last night together. As soon as he was finished with basic training, he’d send for her, and then they’d get married.
The bus pulled to a stop. They all stared as a man with a crew-cut styled haircut boarded the bus. He stood at six-feet-two, and weighed in at about two-hundred-and-fifty pounds—all muscle.
“Okay, recruits, off the bus and line up.”
They shuffled off the bus, their gear in hand. They all looked half-scared. Most were about the same age as Rick; eighteen, soon to be nineteen. They were from all over the United States.
Rich had flown into San Diego with some of them from Eppley Airfield out of Omaha, Nebraska. Most of them were middle-class, small town boys or farmers. Their eyes were as big as his were as they lined up, waiting for the next order from the giant of a man that stood before them.
“At ease, I am Corporal Kline. You may call me Sir. As I call out your name, answer ‘Sir, yes, sir’, got that?”
It was so quiet one could hear a pin drop.
“I can’t hear you!” he bellowed out loudly.
“Sir, yes, sir,” the new recruits yelled back at him.
“Adams.”
“Sir, yes, sir.”
“Bailey.”
“Sir, yes, sir.”
All the way through the alphabet he went, with a few screw-ups along the way. The guys who didn’t respond correctly were given fifty push-ups right off the bat. Rick was sure to answer promptly and correctly.
After living with his old man for eighteen years, he learned early on to follow orders—and what could happen if you didn’t do as you were told.  His dad was a real tough guy.  There was nothing he liked better than to knock you around.  It was his way, or not at all. His life was like one of those old country songs: guy cheats on his wife, gets drunk, comes home, and beats the crap out of the wife and kids.
“No matter how tough this is here, it has to be better than home,” he thought to himself, as he stood at attention in line.

BUY LINKS      B&N NOOK        SMASHWORDS

        

Tuesday, September 30, 2014

Tornado Alley Publications New Release -- Belle's Crossing by B.J. Betts -- Giveaway

Today B.J. will be giving away an e-copy of her story BELLE'S CROSSING to one person who leaves a comment on this blog. Be sure and include contact information in your comment for a chance to win!

BLURB
In 1909 on All Hallows' Eve, three beautiful young sisters perished in a tragic accident…or was it?  For years, citizens of Council Bluffs, Iowa would report strange sightings around Big Lake Park. Were the sightings due to over active imaginations…or something else? Over one hundred years later, Laynee Rodgers's car accident in the same location takes its toll on her memory, but she knows she isn't crazy. With the help of a psychic, she may remember exactly what happened to her, and unlock a century-old mystery in the process—if she only has the courage!

EXCERPT

    The three girls called out their good-byes as the old horse plodded down the dirt packed road.
    A harvest moon hung in the sky, and a spangle of stars surrounded it. The air felt crisp and clean as Old Blue hauled the wagon along the road.
    “I had the best time in my life,” said Rosie hugging her arms around her middle. She was beside herself with excitement, and wondered how she would get through the hours until Monday.
    “It was a wonderful night, wasn’t it?” added Katy, dreamily. Ty had whispered words of sweet love in her ear as they stood in the darkness of the yard.
    “Mmmhmm,” answered Susie. Her lips still tingled from the good night kiss Kyle had given her.
    As the wagon rounded the bend and passed by Spring Lake, the moonlight struck on the water turning it silvery black. The bit tugged on Old Blue’s mouth as he pulled the wagon up a small incline that led up to the railroad track ahead.
    Off in the distance, the shrill whistle of a train echoed in the night. Susie pulled her pocket watch from her dress pocket and looked down at it. By the light of the moon, she read the time, 9:50. Ahh, they were going to be late. The last thing they needed was to be held up by a long coal train. Pa would skin their hides, for sure. Without a second thought, she gave the reins a hard slap across Old Blue’s rump. The startled horse whinnied in surprise and took off at a gallop. Lickety split, up the incline he ran and onto the tracks.
    A loud cracking sound split the quiet of the night as the wheel of the wagon broke loose. The wagon twisted and turned violently, throwing the three girls beneath it—trapping them under it. Old Blue pulled as hard as he could, trying to free himself of the wagon, but to no avail. It was wedged tight into the grooves of the train tracks.  The shrill whistle of train chugging toward them filled the night.
    Blood dripped down Susie’s cheek as she tried to crawl out from under the wagon. The fabric of her dress held her tight. She reached up to her forehead, only to bring her hand down, now filled with blood. A deep gash marred her pretty face. Slowly, she turned her head in search of her sisters.
    Rosie lay next to her, motionless; and Katy laid nearby. Susie reached out and shook her sister’s thin shoulders. “Rosie, Rosie,” she cried.
    By the light of the moon that crept in through the darkness, she watched as Rosie’s eyes fluttered open.
    “Are you okay, Rosie?” she croaked out.
    “My leg, it hurts,” whimpered Rosie.
    Susie craned her neck to look and see Rosie’s leg. It was wedged into the track and a large piece of wood had gone through her thigh. Blood had soaked the skirt of her dress.
    “Rosie, can you wake up Katy?”
    Rosie turned to her big sister. Katy’s head was at an odd angle. “Katy,” Rosie nudged her shoulder.     Katy’s head lolled back, and she stared unseeingly into her youngest sister’s eyes.
    “Susie, Katy’s eyes are open!” Panic started to fill her voice.  “But she’s not answering me!”  Rosie started to cry. “Momma! I want Momma!”
    “Hush now,” soothed Susie. “We’ll be okay. Pa will come and help us.”
    The shrill whistle of a train broke into the silence. The train was coming, bearing down on them. Fear raced through every inch of the girls’ beings as the train chugged ever closer.
    “We’re going to die!” screamed Rosie.
    “Hush now, Rosie,” whispered Susie.
    Footsteps…she heard footsteps. “Who’s out there? Oh please help us!” she begged.
    She looked out through a small crack and out into the moonlight. She blinked in surprise as she saw a pair of near-black eyes looking back at her.
    “Help us! Oh, help us, please!” she screamed.
    She watched in horror as the man ran away, disappearing into the darkness.

BUY LINKS       Barnes and Noble Nook        Smashwords

Thursday, September 18, 2014

5 Days + 7 Authors = Writing Retreat

What do you get when you have seven authors on a mountain top with minimal internet connection?

A lot of good writing days.
Pages and pages of well-written pages. Which means more stories for you!
Last week I participated in a five day writing retreat. There were lectures by the facilitator, discussions about books, talking about our own books, and writing, writing, writing. The authors attending were at various stages of their careers: from working on their first novel to having published over thirty books with varying publishers. I fell somewhere in the middle.
We discussed the best way to polish our works-in-progress, learned rhetorical devices to make our prose stronger, and scoured examples of phenomenal writing. All of us came out writing stronger, pushing ourselves harder, and being confidant we were writing to the best of our ability.
I worked on ATLANTIS GLACIAL TIDES, which is Adria’s full story. Her novella was featured in Tornado Alley Publications’ THIS SUMMER STORM anthology. Now, she has a full story of her own where the growth she began in the novella is completed.
Now that I’m home, I miss the camaraderie of my fellow writers, the dedicated hours to perfecting my craft, and the internet silence. But I’m still pushing myself to write better and stronger.
News: SUPERNATURAL SIX, a young adult anthology featuring six different authors is being re-published at iBooks for a limited time only. ATLANTIS RIPTIDE, the first book in the Lost Daughters of Atlantis series is included in the anthology. Find out how the Atlantis series began and discover some other great authors.
 

For more information about other books in the Lost Daughters of Atlantis series, visit my website at www.allieburton.com.

Thursday, August 21, 2014

Summer Reading While You Can!


School is just around the corner and there’s only a few weeks left to kick back and enjoy a good summer read!
The final days of August is when I think about all the things I wanted to do during the summer and all that’s still left to accomplish. It’s also a time when I take out my TBR (To Be Read)  list and start to dig in.
Enjoying the sun, I will sit in the garden or out by the pond for a few hours of pleasure reading. Or I will take a book to the pool or beach. When the summer thunder storms roll in, I’ll sit under the covered patio with a good book. And in the evening, I’ll prop pillows on my bed and read late into the night.
I’ll read in line and waiting for the kids to get out of camps and even while I’m cooking dinner. Paperback, e-reader, or phone, one of these is always by my side.
Before the assigned reading for school starts, where is your favorite place to read?
Comment below to win an ebook copy of the LOST DAUGHTERS OF ATLANTIS book bundle, the precursor to Adria’s story in THIS SUMMER STORM.
And from last month’s blog, the winner of an e-copy of SOUL SLAM is Sarah J. McNeal! Send me your email address and I’ll send you a copy.
For more information about other books in the Lost Daughters of Atlantis series, visit my website at www.allieburton.com.
www.allieburton.com

Friday, July 18, 2014

HALLOWEEN OPEN CALL FOR SHORT STORY SUBMISSIONS by Cheryl Pierson



CALL OUT FOR SUBMISSIONS FOR HALLOWEEN STORIES!



Hey everyone! Prairie Rose Publications is now accepting submissions for their Halloween anthology, COWBOYS, CREATURES AND CALICO! This is a western historical romance anthology, and we would love to see what you can dream up about Halloween in the old west. Stories should be 10K-15K in word length, and the heat rating can be anything from sweet (candy corn) to spicy (red hot tamales!) No erotica is accepted. The deadline for your submissions is September 1, 2014! Do you have a Halloween tale for us? Please let us know! Submissions are received at fabkat_edit@yahoo.com or prairierosepublications@yahoo.com. We look forward to taking a look at your submissions!

SUBMISSIONS DEADLINE: SEPTEMBER 1, 2014

WORD COUNT GUIDELINE: 10K-15K

SUBMIT TO: prairierosepublications@yahoo.com or fabkat_edit@yahoo.com







MY DOG CAN DO MAGIC!—Middle Grade Readers—(ages 9-12)

Do you have a good idea for a fantasy or sci-fi story about a dog? That’s what we’re looking for in this anthology for MIDDLE GRADE READERS (9-12). If you have a story that tugs at the heartstrings or shows the excitement and bond in a relationship between a boy or girl and their dog, we’d love to see it! The possibilities are endless: a stray dog becomes a young girl’s best friend – but he’s got “something special” about him; a young boy is given a dog…though what he really wanted was a horse—or so he thought! These are just a couple of ideas, but your imagination is boundless with what “could be”. Dogs are magical anyhow, but in this collection, these dogs have a true bit of magic they’re able to use now and then! What magic will your dog have? Can he speak like a human? Does he sense trouble before it happens? We’d love to have a look! Spots are limited! Please send a cover letter and blurb along with your submission.

SUBMISSIONS DEADLINE: SEPTEMBER 1, 2014

WORD COUNT GUIDELINES: 8K-10K

SUBMIT TO: prairierosepublications@yahoo.com or fabkat_edit@yahoo.com




IT COULD HAPPEN--New Adult Category--(Ages 18-24)--PARANORMAL/HALLOWEEN THEME

Love happens in the most unlikely places, to the most unlikely people. This anthology will be a collection of stories about characters that fall in love under odd circumstances--one of them is not what he/she appears to be. With a paranormal or Halloween theme in mind, we want your best tale about what might happen when your human character falls in love with one that's not--a werewolf, shapeshifter, vampire, angel...or demon--or anything else you might think of! The young college girl who falls for a cruise ship entertainer who happens to be a vampire; or a chauffeur, who falls for the daughter of his millionaire boss--a beautiful woman who is immortal. It could be as simple as an odd coincidence, a stray glance or being caught in a summer downpour that sets the story in motion.

Common theme in all stories will be a photograph. Example: maybe your heroine is a celebrity of some kind and a photograph of her is on the front page of the paper; or maybe your hero sees a photograph on the heroine’s wall that was taken with her older brother—whom he mistakenly believes to be his “competition”. The photograph can play a major role or be mentioned in passing—it’s up to you however you want to use the photograph YOU imagine! It can play any part in this unlikely love story.

We are excited about this collection for a recently-recognized readership—new adults—ages 18-24. We’re anxious to see how your characters fall in love—and what they do about it! Please send a cover letter and blurb along with your submission. Keep in mind that these stories should be set in contemporary times.

SUBMISSIONS DEADLINE: SEPTEMBER 1, 2014

WORD COUNT GUIDELINE: 10K-15K

SUBMIT TO: prairierosepublications@yahoo.com or fabkat_edit@yahoo.com
or fabkat_edit@yahoo.com

Thursday, July 17, 2014

Anthologies - A Story Sampler


Don’t you love those chocolate samplers you buy at candy stores? The ones filled with bite-sized chocolates with a different filling? A surprise in every bite? A chance to try a new type of chocolate? Maybe even find a new favorite?

Well, that’s what an anthology is for books. An opportunity for readers to sample new stories. And maybe find a new author that you love!

Tornado Alley Publications’ THIS SUMMER STORM Anthology is exactly like a sampler. The book is filled with different authors from different backgrounds writing very different types of stories.

Westerns? Mystical worlds? Outdoor adventures? How about mystery and romance? You will get a taste of each in THIS SUMMER STORM.
I love anthologies not only because I get to read new authors, but because the novellas are short reads. A complete story in a small package. A story I can start and finish in one sitting.
A story where I learn about new worlds and new lifestyles.
What are some of your favorite genres to read in the novella format? Or what combination of genres would you like to see more of in anthologies? Comment below to win an ebook copy of SOUL SLAM, a young adult mixture of romance, adventure and mystery.
www.allieburton.com
And from last month’s blog, the winner of ATLANTIS DARK TIDES is Lorraine Heath!
For more information about other Allie Burton books, visit my website at www.allieburton.com.

Thursday, July 3, 2014

TAP New Release-- Echoes in the Night by B.J. Betts -- Giveaway

B.J. Betts will be giving away one free ecopy to one person who comments.

When Marcus and Matthew Manning are drafted after graduation, they are sent to the jungles of Viet Nam.  But they’ve both left some unfinished business back home in Iowa.

Matt’s fiancĂ©e takes up with his best friend, and Marcus’s girlfriend sends word that she’s expecting a baby, conceived on prom night. For the first time in their lives, the twins don’t share everything—even in the heated war zone of Viet Nam.

When Marcus is killed in the heavy fighting at Hamburger Hill, Matt must unravel the mystery of what came between his brother and the young woman who bore his child—and he suspects an old flame of Marcus’s is to blame for the heartache he uncovers.

On the verge of finally laying his personal demons to rest over his guilt about Marcus’s death, Matt finds his own love—sweet and unexpected. But what would his brother think if he knew Matt had fallen for the mother of Marcus’s child?


Bio

B.J. Betts. was born and raised in Council Bluffs, Iowa. She married her high school sweetheart Don Betts. They did therapeutic foster care for years and adopted the last four placements which increased their number of children to 7. Over the years with marriages and children being born they had more than a full house.

B.J. has been an avid reader her whole life. Where other women would go shopping for a new dress or a pair of shoes, she headed to the book sections.

Her first book, Saigon Moon, will be re-released this coming August through Tornado Alley Publications. Her grandson had enlisted in the Army with a promise from his recruiter he would never be sent to Iraq. He did two tours and B.J. and her husband are so proud of him for serving. But memories of being a teenager during the Vietnam War whirled through B.J.’s mind. She sat down and wrote Saigon Moon. Echoes in the Night was inspired by a photo of a man carrying a fellow soldier on his back away from a battlefield.

She is a member of Romance Writers of America and Romance Authors of the Heartland.

Excerpt

    The June air was balmy as Matthew Manning stepped out of the Eppley Airport terminal. He hefted his duffle bag up on his shoulder as he whistled and yelled, “Taxi!”
    A yellow cab rushed to the curb. The cabbie stepped from the cab and took the bag, stowing it into the trunk.
    “Where to, Mack?” he asked as he slid into the front seat of the cab. He peered into the rear view mirror at the soldier sitting in the back seat.
    “330 Manning Lane.”
    Even to his own ears, the address sounded foreign to him. It had been so long since he’d said it out loud.
The taxi wove in and out of the five o’clock rush hour traffic. Matthew sat silently in the back seat, looking out of the passenger side window. Nothing much had changed, he thought as the cabbie drove over the bridge into Council Bluffs, Iowa.
    The taxi continued down Broadway, passing all the fa-miliar sights. He looked a little closer as they passed Ewald’s Drive-In, hoping to catch a glimpse of a face he might recognize as the carhops walked out in their short shorts to deliver an order to the waiting cars. But he didn’t know any of the girls.
    Memories of being a kid and watching westerns with his twin brother, Marcus, flashed through his mind as they passed the Strand Theater. John Wayne movies had been their favorites while growing up. You knew the good guys were always going to win in the end. He shook his head sadly. If only that were true in real life…

Links


         

Thursday, June 19, 2014

Summer Storms & Other Natural Disasters

Since the THIS SUMMER STORM anthology is all about storms, I began thinking about all the different storms and natural disasters I’ve lived through. Now, my mind is imagining ways to use all of these experiences in a book.

I grew up with tornadoes in Illinois and am still terrified of them today. The second a tornado warning was posted, I cleaned out the closet under the basement stairs to fit my nine family members. While other kids were playing in puddles, I was shaking under the stairs. My brothers and sisters would make fun of me.
Moving to California as a teen, I had to deal with earthquakes. No warnings or alarms. Just a sudden jolt in the ground and the immediate dash for cover. I lived in the San Francisco Bay Area during the 1989 World Series earthquake where the Bay Bridge collapsed. I was working at the mall when the shaking started. I dove toward an interior wall for cover. Light fixtures fell, the floor cracked, and a jewelry store window shattered. The historic town I lived in was destroyed. 
Traveling in Japan, I experienced a typhoon. The rain was coming down sideways and the wind was hurricane force.
Speaking of hurricanes, I was in Mexico when Hurricane Emily struck. For days management would give reports of the hurricane’s approach. The storm was like a stalker. I was evacuated to a convention center. Just me and a thousand of my closest friends with no electricity and no air conditioning through an entire night.  Each person got enough space to sit, but not lay down. After the hurricane passed, we returned to the resort to find it had been destroyed. Roofs ripped off buildings. Pools filled with black water and debris. The beach completely washed away.
This past winter I was having dinner at the top of a Colorado mountain, taking two different gondolas to get there. A surprise snow storm came in with gale force winds while I ate. Heading down, the winds were so strong they had to stop the gondola several times. For several minutes. Sitting in the carriage hanging by a thin wire in the sky, I rocked back and forth like a carnival ride over a dark abyss. A freezing dark abyss.  When I arrived at the halfway point, they directed me to a closed restaurant for shelter to wait for the wind and snow to die down. Eventually, I was taken off the mountain by snow cat.
One storm or natural disaster I haven’t experienced is an avalanche. I live in Colorado now so my eyes are always searching the mountain tops…watching and waiting.
What are some of your storm and natural disaster stories?
For more information about other books in the Lost Daughters of Atlantis series, visit my website at www.allieburton.com.

Monday, June 9, 2014

A Current So Swift by Kristy McCaffrey

Post by Kristy McCaffrey

I’m pleased to have a story in the just-released Young Adult anthology, THIS SUMMER STORM. In “A Current So Swift,” a wilderness course on the Green River in Utah has sixteen-year-old Amy Whittaker stuck on a raft with football players and cheerleaders from her high school. No longer able to maintain a low profile among the more popular crowd, she wonders how she’ll survive the week. Even more distressing—Sawyer Tate, her crush since seventh grade, is also in the group. When a torrential rainstorm flips the boats and strands everyone, Amy is forced to take charge. And when Sawyer makes it clear he has feelings for her, remaining invisible is carried away on a current so swift.




I based this story on my own experience rafting the Green River when I was sixteen years old. My parents insisted that I take an Outward Bound course, since I was such a homebody. My trip wasn’t nearly as eventful as the crisis that befalls Amy and her classmates; and, while there were a few other teenagers in the group, it was mostly adults. But I hope I was able to convey how being in the wilderness can strip down many of the social norms we’re accustomed to in our everyday life. In Amy’s case, being forced to abandon her persona of detachment is made all the harder because she is with kids that leave her feeling socially intimidated. I threw in the love story because in my other life as a writer, I pen romance novels.
 
Unfortunately, I couldn't locate a photo of my trip on the Green
River. This is a photo of Lava Falls Rapid in the Grand
Canyon, considered one of the most fearsome
stretches of whitewater on the Colorado River.

I hope readers find my story enjoyable. I don’t normally write Young Adult, but I do have another YA short story available on Kindle. “Echo of the Plains” is a sweet historical western romance. Eli Ryan searches for the renegade stallion, Echo, in the Texas desert, but Cassie Callahan's stubborn protection of the horse just might steer him off course. Learn more at http://www.kristymccaffrey.com/YA-Short-Stories.html





 

Kristy McCaffrey is the author of several adult historical western romances, as well YA short stories. She loves to travel and frequently writes about her adventures on her blog, Pathways, at www.kristymccaffrey.blogspot.com.


Friday, June 6, 2014

Secondary Characters That Inspire

Secondary Characters That Inspire

I’m so excited to be part of Tornado Alley Publications THIS SUMMER STORM anthology! My story, ATLANTIS TWISTED TIDES, features Adria a secondary character from an earlier novel who inspired me so much I had to write not only the novella featured in this anthology, but another complete book.

What makes a secondary character worthy of their own book and/or novella? The character needs to be compelling, needs to have room to grow, have a unique background, and an interesting story to tell or an adventure to complete.

Readers must like and be intrigued by the secondary character you’ve chosen to star in their own story. A princess from the underwater Kingdom of Merta, Adria is the sister of Reef the hero in ATLANTIS DARK TIDES. This book was supposed to be the final book in the Lost Daughters of Atlantis series, but I couldn’t forget Adria. She is outspoken with her family and the adults in the royal household, but get her around people her own age and she’s tongue-tied and shy. And she had her own story to tell.

Her half Atlantean-half mermaid princess background makes her unique. Her mother’s fear of her not being approved of has kept her secluded from other Atlantean kids. Like all teens, she worries about being accepted on a variety of levels. On top of that, Adria craves excitement and until ATLANTIS TWISTED TIDES she’d never had any of her own. I wanted to give Adria her first adventure.

And does she ever get it. An adventure that based on the choices she makes could bring down her entire kingdom.

Adria’s growth in ATLANTIS TWISTED TIDES takes her from inexperienced, shy girl to a teen who heads out on a quest and learns to trust her instincts. But she still has more growth to accomplish and a love to fulfill which is why she will have her own full-length book to be released later this year. Keep watching my website for information.

So, have you ever read a book that had a minor or secondary character that you wanted to read more about? Tell me about it in the comments below for a chance to win an e-copy of ATLANTIS DARK TIDES.



For more information about other books in the Lost Daughters of Atlantis series, visit my website at www.allieburton.com.

Thursday, June 5, 2014

THIS SUMMER STORM--NEW RELEASE AND GIVEAWAY!

THIS SUMMER STORM is a collection of some of the best young adult stories out there today! In this exciting group of tales, it seems "one of everything" happens. Tornadoes, comets, hurricanes and raging river waters are all set to wreak havoc. But just when things can't get any worse, along comes a life-changing experience in each story that is just as unsettling as the threatening weather.
Can Jo and Frog solve the mystery of the cattle rustlers, or will Halley's Comet evaporate the earth first? Will Cassie be able to undo her father's terrible mistake by getting rid of his new wife? If Adria hadn't saved Kai, would she have ever had her first kiss? When a tornado threatens, rookie police officer Steve Cooper tries to save his new neighbor Christy--but gang warfare erupts in the apartment stairwell below them. Amy's a  heroine when she saves her rafting group--but Sawyer's sudden interest keeps her from wearing her familiar cloak of invisibility. Panic attacks have ruled Angela's life--until she faces something far worse than she ever could have imagined. Cassie's family life is on the verge of disaster, but when a tornado strikes, everything changes--again!

A CURRENT SO SWIFT—KRISTY MCCAFFREY
A wilderness course on the Green River in Utah has sixteen-year-old Amy Whittaker stuck on a raft with football players and cheerleaders from her high school. No longer able to maintain a low profile among the more popular crowd, she wonders how she’ll survive the week. Even more distressing—Sawyer Tate, her crush since seventh grade, is also in the group. When a torrential rainstorm flips the boats and strands everyone, Amy is forced to take charge. And when Sawyer makes it clear he has feelings for her, remaining invisible is carried away on a current so swift. 

WAITING FOR A COMET—RICHARD PROSCH
During the long, hot spring of 1910 it seemed all 12-year-old Jo Harper could do was wait. Wait for her father, wait for her friends, wait for the comet that might appear in the sky and wipe out the whole town of Willowby, Wyoming once and for all. But when wild west legend Abby Drake arrives in town lugging an orphaned baby calf, an old-fashioned revolver, and a mystery shrouded with superstition, it’s up to Jo to take action. Why is Abby in town? Who is she after? And what secrets can Jo coax out of her own arch enemy, Emily Bly? 

Action, humor, and real life history combine for an exciting mystery about one girl’s summertime quest for family, friendship, and justice on the windburnt Wyoming range at the dawn of a new century.

TO MAKE THE MAGIC LAST—CHERYL PIERSON
Tornado sirens wail, but Steve Cooper and Christy Reed are trapped on the top floor of their apartment building. As they try to get to safe ground, Steve is wounded by gunfire from the two rival gangs who are fighting it out in the apartment stairwell. It can’t get any worse…or can it? With no phone service because of the storm and the building collapsing around them, they must rely on each other. It’s going to take a lot of relationship magic and faith to survive what awaits them…will they live long enough  TO MAKE THE MAGIC LAST?

WEEKEND WHIRLWIND—ANGEL DREW
Cassie is excited about going to her first party at Lyndsey Stapleton’s house.  Lyndsey is a senior, and everyone that’s anyone will be there.  But, it is a senior party and Cassie’s dad is very protective; what if he doesn’t let her go?  

With her family on the verge of a breakup and Cassie’s mother’s bad choices, Cassie isn’t sure she can handle the turmoil of the coming weekend. Determined to go to the party despite her mother’s mid-life meltdown, Cassie knows she has some hard decisions ahead of her. How can she ever be her own person if she has to worry about her parents? This party means everything…but will her family be strong enough to survive one very life-changing weekend? 

TAKEN BY STORM—DIANA STUART
Angela Spencer has been dealing with storms as long as she can remember. These storms take over her body, leaving her paralyzed in a wave of fear. Dealing with panic attacks has been detrimental to her high school social life, but this summer Angela is starting over. Her summer job leads to new friends, her first crush, and new opportunities to overcome challenges. As she faces down storms, Angela learns who she really is and just what she is capable of.

ATLANTIS TWISTING TIDES—ALLIE BURTON
When fifteen-year-old Atlantean Princess Adria sneaks away to see a hurricane on the surface of the ocean, she finds an air-breather in trouble. Kai’s sailboat is sinking, and Adria risks exposure of her Atlantean powers in order to save him. 

Kai believes he’s rescuing Adria. He’s Atlantean too, with his own skills and secrets. 
The two teens stumble onto an uninhabited island, still thinking the other needs rescuing. When other Atlanteans show up—Atlanteans plotting against Adria’s kingdom—Adria must decide whether to trust Kai based on the guy she’s come to know…or the company he keeps. 

THE LAST OF HER KIND—CHERYL PIERSON 
An antique Victrola record player is the cherished possession of Cassie's grandmother but her new stepmother, Trish, detests it and wants it gone. Despite the heated arguments over getting rid of it, Cassie’s father also seems oddly attached to the antique phonograph, and stands up to his new wife and her demands to see it gone. Cassie’s grandmother is sick, probably dying, and Cassie will be the only one left in the house who sees through Trish as Cassie's brothers no longer live with them. Trish is a threat, and Cassie must protect their family—what’s left of it.

Then Cassie discovers a secret; something so wonderful, yet frightening, that she can hardly believe it. Can she make it work to her advantage? Will her new knowledge save her family…or destroy it?

Links
Amazon Trade Paperback     Kindle      Smashwords

We're giving away a digital copy of THIS SUMMER STORM to one lucky commenter today! Be sure to leave your contact information in your comment for the drawing, and good luck!

Wednesday, June 4, 2014

Waiting For a Comet by Richard Prosch



Looking back, it’s hard to believe the stuff we imagined, the stuff we did, and the stuff we got away with while growing up in a rural area. On  a farm, ranch, or small town with easy access to the country, the sheer variety of opportunities are unimagined in the cities. Opportunities for education. Opportunities for fun. Opportunities for trouble!

In my story, “Waiting For a Comet,” part of TAP’s new anthology, THIS SUMMER STORM, twelve-year-old Jo Harper takes full advantage of her country setting to help justice prevail. It’s the kind of mystery I imagined growing up on a northeast Nebraska farm in the ‘70s. And, in looking back over the story, some of Jo’s adventures aren’t so far removed from my own.

Here’s something that directly influenced a scene in “Waiting for a Comet.” 

When I was eight or nine years old, I was obsessed with dinosaurs. Fact is, I knew I’d grow up to be a famous archeologist, somebody who discovered heretofore unknown species of lightning bugs in amber and thunder lizards in rock. To do that, I knew I’d have to read up on the subject, so I checked out every library book about dinosaurs I could find. But more important, I knew I needed to get crackin’ in the field. There’s just no substitute for hands on experience.

My grandpa’s cow pasture became an untapped sea of Jurassic-age treasure. Under the dry bluestem I knew I’d find a million fossils. In the banks of the wandering crick, I was sure to locate a footprint or twelve. At the very least I hoped for a collection of Indian arrowheads.  When I heard that a hunting guide along the Niobrara river, twenty miles north, had discovered the remains of a wooly mammoth (a creature the local Ponca tribe called Pasnuta), my dreams reveled in newfound credibility.  

And then one day: the mother-lode.

My friend Greg and I discovered a near complete skeleton. Small and bleached white, a perfect specimen preserved there on the flaking mud floor of the crick. Consisting of a skull, a rib cage and a couple long “dog bones,” it was just small enough for two kids to manage, and we drug it off to my fort. 

We argued about it. Was it a baby Tyrannosaurus? Maybe a little Stegosaur? Greg even suggested it might be a Pterodactyl. We simply hadn’t yet found the wings.  We spent the afternoon setting up our display.  We invited my parents and grandparents to the newly christened “Museum Wing” of the fort.  We even charged admission (a quarter).

I don’t know what the grown-ups expected. My mom, I think, figured we had set up a display of our plastic model toys. My grandpa probably thought we found some old tree limbs.

Nobody figured on us finding the remains of a baby calf that had gone missing in the early spring. But that’s what we had. And after a round of “Pee-ewws” and then, “Where did you find it?” we were driven up to the house and into the bath tub for a serious scrubbing. 

The best part in looking back is remembering how on one level I knew the rack of old bones wasn’t a real dinosaur, and yet…on another level, convincing myself that maybe it was. What if? Why not? Then what?
Those three questions led to plenty of nonsense on the farm. But they also led to plenty of wonder. 

They still do!

Sunday, June 1, 2014

Welcome to Tornado Alley Publications



Welcome to the Tornado Alley Publications blog!

We've got a lot of great stories coming up in the near future from some very talented authors! First rattle out of the box is our first Tornado Alley Publications anthology for Young Adult readers, THIS SUMMER STORM.


Authors include: Kristy McCaffrey, Richard Prosch, Angel Drew, Diana Stuart, Allie Burton, and Cheryl Pierson.

Here's a little bit about the stories in THIS SUMMER STORM:

A CURRENT SO SWIFT—KRISTY MCCAFFREY

A wilderness course on the Green River in Utah has sixteen-year-old Amy Whittaker stuck on a raft with football players and cheerleaders from her high school. No longer able to maintain a low profile among the more popular crowd, she wonders how she’ll survive the week. Even more distressing—Sawyer Tate, her crush since seventh grade, is also in the group. When a torrential rainstorm flips the boats and strands everyone, Amy is forced to take charge. And when Sawyer makes it clear he has feelings for her, remaining invisible is carried away on a current so swift.

TO MAKE THE MAGIC LAST—CHERYL PIERSON

Rookie police officer Steve Cooper heads out for work one morning just as the city's tornado sirens blast a warning. In the stairwell, he runs into a different situation—a gang war in his apartment building. Shots ring out and Steve catches a bullet.

Christy Reed, his enchanting new neighbor, pulls him into her apartment and attempts to stop the bleeding. Recently arrived from Mississippi, Christy has no idea what the sirens and gunfire mean, but she is terrified.

As the storm bears down, they take refuge in the bathtub. Through the pain, Steve finds himself drawn to Christy. There's some sort of magic about her. Christy feels the same about Steve. He's the man she's always dreamed of meeting.

When the building collapses around them and they meet the gunmen once more, will Steve and Christy have what it takes to help each other survive? Can they make the magic last?

THE LAST OF HER KIND—CHERYL PIERSON

An antique Victrola record player is the cherished possession of Cassie's grandmother but her new stepmother, Trish, detests it and wants it gone. Despite the heated arguments over getting rid of it, Cassie’s father also seems oddly attached to the antique phonograph, and stands up to his new wife and her demands to see it gone. Cassie’s grandmother is sick, probably dying, and Cassie will be the only one left in the house who sees through Trish as Cassie's brothers no longer live with them. Trish is a threat, and Cassie must protect their family—what’s left of it.

Then Cassie discovers a secret; something so wonderful, yet frightening, that she can hardly believe it. Can she make it work to her advantage? Will her new knowledge save her family…or destroy it?

WAITING FOR A COMET—RICHARD PROSCH

During the long, hot spring of 1910 it seemed all 12-year-old Jo Harper could do was wait. Wait for her father, wait for her friends, wait for the comet that might appear in the sky and wipe out the whole town of Willowby, Wyoming once and for all. But when wild west legend Abby Drake arrives in town lugging an orphaned baby calf, an old-fashioned revolver, and a mystery shrouded with superstition, it’s up to Jo to take action. Why is Abby in town? Who is she after? And what secrets can Jo coax out of her own arch enemy, Emily Bly?

Action, humor, and real life history combine for an exciting mystery about one girl’s summertime quest for family, friendship, and justice on the windburnt Wyoming range at the dawn of a new century.

WEEKEND WHIRLWIND —ANGEL DREW

Cassie is excited about going to her first party at Lyndsey Stapleton’s house. Lyndsey is a senior, and everyone that’s anyone will be there. But, it is a senior party and Cassie’s dad is very protective; what if he doesn’t let her go?

With her family on the verge of a breakup and Cassie’s mother’s bad choices, Cassie isn’t sure she can handle the turmoil of the coming weekend. Determined to go to the party despite her mother’s mid-life meltdown, Cassie knows she has some hard decisions ahead of her. How can she ever be her own person if she has to worry about her parents? This party means everything…but will her family be strong enough to survive one very life-changing weekend?


TAKEN BY STORM—DIANA STUART

Angela Spencer has been dealing with storms as long as she can remember. These storms take over her body, leaving her paralyzed in a wave of fear. Dealing with panic attacks has been detrimental to her high school social life, but this summer Angela is starting over. Her summer job leads to new friends, her first crush, and new opportunities to overcome challenges. As she faces down storms, Angela learns who she really is and just what she is capable of.

ATLANTIS TWISTING TIDES—ALLIE BURTON

When fifteen-year-old Atlantean Princess Adria sneaks away to see a hurricane on the surface of the ocean, she finds an air-breather in trouble. Kai’s sailboat is sinking, and Adria risks exposure of her Atlantean powers in order to save him.

Kai believes he’s rescuing Adria. He’s Atlantean too, with his own skills and secrets.
The two teens stumble onto an uninhabited island, still thinking the other needs rescuing. When other Atlanteans show up—Atlanteans plotting against Adria’s kingdom—Adria must decide whether to trust Kai based on the guy she’s come to know…or the company he keeps.

This wonderful anthology will be available on THURSDAY, JUNE 5!