All the E-retailers have price-matched or beat the 99 cent deal on Deadly Devotion!
And…have slashed the price on Blind Trust.
Some…such as Amazon and CBD (epub)…have even slashed the Ebook preorder price for Desperate Measures!!!
Here are some links for Deadly Devotion:
Ebooks:
Kindle US
Kindle Canada
Nook
Kobo
EPub Version from CBD
Koorong (Australia)
Ipad (ITunes Store)
If you know anyone who enjoys fast-paced mysteries, I’d appreciate you letting them know. Thanks so much!
Just a quick post to let you know that if you haven’t tried the Port Aster Secrets series and would like to read it on a Kobo, from now until January 5th, you can pick up Deadly Devotion, book 1 in the series, for only 99 cents. (Click image or “kobo” above for link)
I’m hard at work on the first book in my next series. My writing cave doesn’t look quite as cool as this:
But I am locked away.
I added a heater to the room yesterday, so maybe I’ll be able to think better now. Although… the book is set in February, so all that shivering was inspiring. 😉
The opening scene happens in Buffalo, so at one point I have:
The chance of scoring a flight home to St. Louis tonight didn’t look good. And the frigid Buffalo temps would be nothing compared to the cold shoulder my cat would give me if he had to spend a second night with only my friend to look in on him. 😀
And here’s my question for you: What kind of cat should I give my heroine?
It is a he–Harold. It came with the apartment she took over from her Great Aunt. She’s never had a cat before so this is a new experience for her.
I snapped this pic of my friend’s cat in St. Louis (it refused to pose!!!), thinking “he’d” make a good model, except…would you say his coat has 3 colors? Because then he’d have to be a she, right?
These days I’ve been pretty much glued to my keyboard finishing up copy edits and page proofs for my publishers for my two 2015 books, while also trying to finish the first, very, very, very rough draft of my next book. But…
I wanted to take a moment to wish you, my dear blog readers, a blessed Christmas.
Also if you’re on Facebook, I wanted to let you know that I am one “like” away from having a 10-winners book giveaway to celebrate hitting 1000!
The winners will be chosen randomly from all the names that have interacted with my page since the beginning of November, so be sure to check in to see if your name is posted and message or email me if it is. If your name is selected and you already have all my books, (after I tell you how wonderful a person you are 😉 ), I’ll let you have your pick of an advanced copy of either of my 2015 releases as soon as they are available or I can gift the book of your choice to a loved one.
Back from his whirlwind tour of the international blogging circuit is the self-proclaimed hero of Identity Withheld. Since he received such a warm response at ICFW, I thought I’d invite him for a repeat performance here.
Sandra: Rusty, could you start by telling us about yourself?
Sandra: I hear you took a shine to Kara Grant, too, when Jake brought her to his parents after her house burned down and she had nowhere to go.
Sandra: Absolutely. Is there anything else you’d like to tell us?
Rusty: I don’t want to give away the story, but everyone keeps calling Jake the hero, when I should get top billing. Kara fell in love with me the first time she laid eyes on me and… <glances from side to side and lowers his voice> if you read Identity Withheld, I’m sure you’ll agree that it wouldn’t be much of a story without me.
Sandra: I agree! Thank you Rusty for visiting us. Blog Readers, if you’d like to explore more bonus features of Identity Withheld, including interviews with Jake and Kara, deleted scenes and more, please click here for “Sandra Orchard’s Bonus Features Page”
You’ll also find a scrumptious pumpkin muffin recipe. Sending out Happy Thanksgiving best wishes for all my American readers, which…happens to be the day Identity Withheld begins. Have a blessed week!
For this month’s Christmas Reads profile, I’m delighted to invite two-time national award nominated singer/songwriter and freelance writer, Sally Meadows, to tell us about her music and newly published stories. I had the privilege of meeting Sally at this year’s Write Canada conference.
She’s from Saskatoon and just had her first two short stories published in two different anthologies. This fall she is also promoting her Christmas CD Red & White, which is fabulous. Take it away Sally…
Sally:
Thanks so much for hosting me, Sandra! This fall marks the publication of my very first short story, called “Love, Shania and the Whispered Wish” in Chicken Soup for the Soul: Christmas in Canada, which has been #1 on The Globe and Mail’s (Canada’s national newspaper) bestseller list for the last two weeks! My story starts on my wedding day – I was married shortly before Christmas, 27 years ago – and the very first feedback I received on my story was that it is “very romantic”! Here’s a scrapbooked photo of my husband and me coming down the aisle just after we said our vows.
My story was inspired by my very first wish as a newlywed – that one day I would sing and play the piano in beautiful settings, just like the lovely brunette who serenaded us with Christmas music at the honeymoon resort. Little did I know back then, that not only was that whispered wish going to be fulfilled, but maybe – just maybe – the singer who inspired me all those years ago was none other than one of Canada’s most beloved stars, before she was discovered.
My story ends with a mention of my Christmas CD Red & White, so it’s so cool that I can promote these together this fall! My Christmas album includes four original songs and eight Christmas classics, so there’s something for everyone. I am especially proud of my song “This New Year”, which was shortlisted for a 2014 Word Award in the category of song lyrics.
While my story “Love, Shania and the Whispered Wish” is all about the joyful aspects of my musical journey, my story “Choosing to Praise”, which appears in the book “Organized Obstacles: An Underdog Anthology”, has a more serious note as I discuss the challenges I have faced in music ministry. But it also has a happy ending, as do all the stories in this book. Each story inspires and provides hope as the author chronicles how he or she has turned his/her stumbling blocks into stepping-stones, rising above “underdog” status to become an “overcomer”.
I thoroughly enjoyed writing these stories and songs, and my sincere hope is that you as reader and listener will enjoy them too! Here’s how you can connect with me: I’d love to hear from you!
https://www.facebook.com/SallyMeadowsMusic
http://www.youtube.com/SallyMeadowsMusic
Twitter: @SallyMeadows
Sandra again: Sally is giving away one Free download card for her CD “Red & White”–the full album. To have your name added to the hat, please leave a comment or question for Sally and let us know your favorite Christmas song.
A name will be randomly chosen from all comments on Sat. Nov 22nd.
You can also find the books and music CD at Amazon and Sally’s webstore: http://sallymeadows.com/store
If you witnessed a crime and reporting it meant you might be targeted by the criminals, would you report it?
That’s the dilemma Nicole faced before the opening of my newest release, Identity Withheld. Her boyfriend tried to talk the
young kindergarten teacher out of reporting what she believed was a baby being sold, but her conscience wouldn’t allow her to turn a blind eye to what she’d seen.
The bad guys targeted her and she was compelled to go into witness protection.
The deputy marshal handling her case warned her to never tell anyone who she really was and to trust no one, because the person could be luring her into a false sense of security.
I have.
If you allowed yourself to fall in love, how would you feel knowing the person loving you back doesn’t even know who you really are?
Or is that true for most of us these days?
Oftentimes we don’t even realize how we’re misleading people (maybe even ourselves).
In new relationships, it’s natural to enthusiastically participate in activities that don’t particularly interest us, because they are an opportunity to spend time with the person we’re attracted to. But are we duping the person into believing we share their interests?
Maybe that football fanatic husband has grounds to be resentful after the wedding.
In Identity Withheld, Nicole was given a new name, a new job, a new state to live, her ties to all her friends and relatives were cut, and she was told who to be.
We actually face it daily on many levels—at school, at work, at church, at home.
Nicole moves to the new state and adopts the new name and the new job. Her faith and fortitude are tested in countless ways.
Thankfully, the kind of tests she faces don’t happen to most of us. But our faith and fortitude are constantly tested, too. Often in subtle ways.
-Being tempted to tell a little white lie to whitewash something we did or didn’t do
-Hearing a friend or colleague or family member say something against God, something we should speak up against
Read Identity Withheld to see if Nicole ultimately turns her back on who she really is.
For yourself, decide who you really are and stay true to it.
Your Turn: What or who has helped you stay true to yourself (or the person you know God wants you to be) in a difficult situation?
Masked woman image courtesy of graur codrin at FreeDigitalPhotos.net
The cooler winter months tend to bring with them more home fires than any other time of year, so I’ve invited firefighter, Jake Steele, the hero of my new release, Identity Withheld to share his top five fire safety tips that he wished every family would implement.
1) Maintain working smoke detectors outside all bedrooms in your home and a carbon monoxide detector on each level of your home.
Did you catch the maintain part? That means:
-vacuum the dust from them regularly
-install fresh batteries in them TODAY
2) Plan your escape route in case of fire. Practice it. Designate a specific place outside your home where family members will meet.
3) Keep bedroom doors closed at night to slow the spread of fire.
4) Do not leave candles or cooking unattended. Fires can flare up in an instant.
5) Check that your chimneys and vents are clear to allow proper ventilation of deadly gases.
If the fire is confined to a small area such as a frying pan or trash can and is not spreading, the room is not filled with smoke, and/or you need to move past it to escape, then attempt to extinguish it by an appropriate method:
-A lid on a frying pan to deny the fire oxygen.
-Water on solid fuels such as paper, wood or cloth, but never on oils, gases or electrical fires
-Baking soda or fire extinguisher for class B and C fires.
If the fire extinguisher runs out, smoke fills the room, the fire begins to spread or firefighters arrive, leave immediately.
Your Turn: Have you implemented Jake’s tips?
Fire Image courtesy of Sailom at FreeDigitalPhotos.net
About Identity Withheld: 
WITNESS IN HIDING
After exposing an illegal adoption ring, newly named “Kara Grant” is promised safety in Witness Protection. But someone has found her—and wants her dead. If only she could trust the handsome firefighter who catches her fleeing from a suspicious fire. Jake Steele seems to think she’s guilty of burning her own home. But how can she tell him who she really is and what she’s been through without bringing danger to the widowed father’s door? Yet with the criminals fast closing in, taking such a risk might be her only chance at survival. Because the price she’ll pay for her silence could be her life.
Click Book Cover Image to enter this week’s giveaway!
Patricia Bradley, in A Promise to Protect, the second book in her Logan Point series, once again delivers a wonderful, keep-you-guessing romantic suspense. And don’t worry, you don’t have to have read book one. This is a standalone novel that will give people who have enjoyed book one the added fun of seeing what some of its characters are up to now.
And who could resist the stunning cover?
Pat does a fabulous job of making the Mississippi setting come to life. As a Canadian who’s never traveled to the deep South, it was quite a vivid experience. One particular scene involving snakes even haunted my dreams!
Here’s the book blurb:
Acting Sheriff Ben Logan hasn’t heard from Leigh Somerall in a very long time, but it doesn’t mean he can get her—or their whirlwind romance of ten years ago—out of his head. When she calls out of the blue it is with a strange request to protect her brother, Tony. But when Tony dies just days later, Ben is charged with a different task—protecting Leigh and her nine-year-old son, TJ, from the killers. But how can Ben keep an eye on Leigh if she’s doing everything in her power to avoid him? And could the secret that Leigh is keeping change Ben’s life forever?
Suspense, intrigue, and a touch of romance make A Promise to Protect perfect for readers who like their stories with a hearty dose of mystery.
Me again: Now, as you probably guessed from the description. This is a secret baby story. While I often have a difficult time sympathizing with a heroine who keeps her child’s parentage a secret from the father, and admittedly there were a couple of spots that I wanted to knock Leigh upside the head for not finally coming clean, for the most part, the fast-paced scenarios compelled me to suspend judgement and read on to see how the Lord might change her heart.
I borrowed the idea for the following questions from Jessica Patch’s blog. BTW, I’ll be there on Friday doing a giveaway.
Would you rather be single or married?
Pat: since I’ve been dating the same guy for going on 17 years, I figure I’d rather be single. Maybe that’s why I write a little romance. 🙂
Leigh: Married, but he’d have to really like children.
Ben: Single. I have panic attacks when I get around kids.
Would you rather be invisible or read minds?
Pat: I’d rather be invisible. I used to watch Topper and really wanted to be like George and Marion Kerby.
Leigh: I’d rather read minds. I think I’d be a better doctor if I could. And I’d like to know what Ben Logan is thinking.
Ben: I’d rather read minds. It would make being a sheriff much easier if I knew what the criminal was thinking. And Leigh, too. She’s so hard to read. And maybe I could discover what’s really bothering her.
Oh, I remember, Topper! Thanks so much, Pat, Leigh and Ben!
I actually had the opportunity to room with Patricia Bradley this past September at the Writer’s Police Academy. It was especially fun to hear her warm Southern drawl, which I then found myself hearing in the character’s voices as I read. 😀
In getting to know her, it quickly became clear that honoring God through her writing is her top priority. She is also an abstinence/healthy relationship speaker. And when she’s not writing or speaking, or posing for crazy pics with me
she throws mud on a wheel and tries to make something beautiful.
A Promise to Protect is available from all the major retailers. If you’d like to connect with Pat, you’ll find her at: http://patriciabradleyauthor.com/ and her Facebook author page
Your Turn: Pat is crazy busy these days with approaching deadlines for both another book from Revell and one for Harlequin’s Heartwarming line. But she’ll be happy to answer your questions. So ask away!
Contest entries close
Wednesday October 29 NZDT.
If you enjoy reading books on an Ereader, tablet, or other electronic device, and you read more than a couple of books a month, then you need to check out Scribd.
Scribd has been called Netflix for books. For one low monthly fee, you can download and read as many books as you want.
Harlequin has begun adding their family of Love Inspired titles to the subscription service. So far, all the books in my Undercover Cops series are there, as are my Port Aster Secrets books from Revell Publishing.
And the best part is, thanks to Harlequin’s special promotion…
You can download up to 20 books at a time to read offline, as well as, organize all your chosen titles onto personal library shelves while online.
Scribd describes itself as “your personal digital library, where you have unlimited access to the world’s largest collection of e-books and written works.” With their premium subscription service you’ll have access to over half a million books from nearly a thousand publishers, from New York Times bestsellers to literary classics.
They also store an eclectic collection of user-uploaded written works, from landmark court filings to academic papers from scholars around the world.
You have nothing to lose by trying it. If you decide it’s not for you, just be sure to cancel before your free trial period ends and you won’t be charged a penny. But be sure to read all my books first. 😉
I’m guessing that if you choose to “follow” me on at my profile on Scribd, you’ll receive notices when new books are added.
If you still have questions, check out Scribd’s frequently asked questions page here. I’m still learning my way around the place myself, working on “claiming” my author profile so I can add a photo etc. 😀
BTW, you won’t find any erotic fiction (at least not at this time) available in the subscription service–reassuring if the kids start browsing.
Your Turn: What do you think of this concept? Do you plan to try it?
The service has been around since 2007, but I imagine with Harlequin now on board the number of users is bound to boom, at least for the next three months. However, I would very much hate to see it further undermine the viability of our local bookstores.
To receive new release and discount alerts:
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