What’s Scribd and Why Should you Care?

Posted on: October 18, 2014February 14, 2015 by Sandra Orchard

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.

The number of Christian fiction and non-fiction titles in Scribd’s library is growing daily.

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 try Scribd for free for three months by clicking here

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. 😉

Find all Sandra Orchard’s titles on Scribd here.

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.

Image courtesy of Master isolated images at FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Christmas Reads – Part 2 – The Forest Ranger’s Christmas

Posted on: October 13, 2014October 13, 2014 by Sandra Orchard

Welcome to part 2 of my Christmas Reads series, but first Happy Thanksgiving to all my Canadian blog readers!

As regular Love Inspired readers know, the Christmas stories start rolling out this time of year, and I was fortunate to win an advanced copy of Leigh Bale’s October release, The Forest Ranger’s Christmas.

If you’re collecting Christmas stories, a couple of Christmas-themed Love Inspired Suspense that are also in stores this month are Holiday Defenders, a collection by various authors, and Covert Christmas by Hope White.

covert christmas

And I’ll put in a plug for my November release, Identity Withheld, since it is also Thanksgiving/Christmas themed, and already available directly from Harlequin. 😉

I don’t read many of LI’s contemporary romance, since as a primarily romantic-suspense/mystery reader, I tend to like a lot more going on in the novels I read, but The Forest Ranger’s Christmas was a nice change of pace for me with a lot more focus on the romantic conflict than the external conflict, which tends to be the main fodder of my own novels.

A Small-Town Christmas

Josie Rushton’s in Camlin for the holidays—but not for long. She has just a few weeks to persuade her ailing grandfather to leave his small Nevada town and move closer to her Las Vegas home. But after seventy-five happy years in his house, Gramps isn’t going anywhere. Josie can’t imagine what’s so great about Camlin. When she meets single dad and forest ranger Clint Hamilton, she quickly begins to see the appeal. Clint shows Josie the joys of living in a close-knit community, especially at Christmas. She’s soon falling for the town, Clint’s charm and his adorable daughter. Can Clint convince her that love and family are the best gifts of all?

This book received a 4 1/2 star review from Romantic Times!

It does a great job of showing the challenge of caring for aging parents, or in this case, grandparent. And who could resist a handsome forest ranger who’s always eager to lend a helping hand?

Award-winning author, Leigh Bale, is the daughter of a retired U.S. forest ranger, and holds a B.A. in History. Married in 1981 to the love of her life, Leigh and her professor husband have two children and two grandkids. You can reach her at www.LeighBale.com.

Your Turn: Do you have other Christmas reading recommendations?

Meet New Love Inspired Author Patricia Johns

Posted on: November 25, 2013November 24, 2013 by Sandra Orchard

This year the Love Inspired has welcomed two new Canadian authors to our family.

Both had releases this past summer, which I missed, because I was eyeball deep in meeting deadlines, and enjoying my new grandbaby. (Have you noticed that I mention him every chance I get? 😉 )

So with apologies for my tardiness, I’m delighted to introduce you to the first, Patricia Johns, who hails from Northern Alberta, where some of those rumors that we live in igloos might just originate!

While Patty is new to Love Inspired, she is not new to publishing. In fact she already has 13 books out, in various genres, with small presses under her maiden name Patty Froese.

And no, Johns is not her married name. Her married name is Patty Nithemuka, but since that’s unpronounceable, she chose the pen name of Patricia Johns, because her hubby’s first name is John.

Her debut Love Inspired contemporary, HIS UNEXPECTED FAMILY, released in July 2013.

I invited her to answer a few questions so we could get to know her better…

First, tell us a little about yourself.

As you said, I’m a Canadian living in Alberta, Canada. And yes, the winters are long and cold, but that suits me just fine since I write full time and can stay on the right side of the window. Not all of Canada is as cold as our neck of woods, for the record. I’ve been writing seriously since I graduated from my BA in English Literature. I horrified my parents by quitting my sensible full-time job and taking a part time gig that paid just enough to rent a small room and eat on the cheap. It paid off, because I wrote my first published novel in that little, leaky room, and never looked back.

I’ve written in other genres from Ancient Christian historical to kids books, but Harlequin has always been my goal. I’m thrilled to have my first romance out!

Tell us how you got The Call.

I got The Call on my birthday. I was getting over a nasty flu, so I sounded miserable, but I was over the moon to be offered a contract! My little boy was tugging on me for attention, my fever was soaring, and I was perfectly thrilled.

What’s the single biggest thing in your writing life you can point to as contributing to getting The Call?

I learned early on to keep trying and trying, and if I hadn’t stuck to it, editing and re-editing, even completely rewriting the story, I wouldn’t have finally gotten that contract. It all comes down to being willing to do whatever it takes.

So true. What do you know now that you wish you knew when you started on your writing journey?

It’s actually a matter of what I’m glad I didn’t know back then. I’m glad I didn’t know exactly how much work it would be to get here, because I might have just crumpled in despair. It was worth it, though. I love the novel writing process, so it’s been a lot of fun along the way.

Anything else you’d like to share?

I’d love to connect on Facebook. Come by and find me at https://www.facebook.com/PatriciaJohnsAuthor. You can also find me on my blog at http://patriciajohnsromance.com.

What are you working on now? Is there another LI book on the horizon?

There IS another book on the horizon. I’ve been offered a contract for a cowboy romance with Love Inspired. (I don’t know a release date yet.) Come by my blog to stay posted! As for what I’m working on now… more Love Inspired novel ideas, of course!

That’s awesome! Congratulations, Patricia. And thank you for being today’s guest.

Blog readers, as Love Inspired fans know, the books go out of print very quickly and then are only available used or as Ebooks. Thankfully, despite my tardiness in inviting Patricia to my blog, His Unexpected Family is still available in paperback from online retailers.

Here’s the back cover blurb to whet your appetite: 😉

When a baby is dropped into her life without warning, Emily Shaw is overjoyed. It’s a bit odd that her distant cousin named single Emily as guardian, but she’s thrilled all the same. She never thought she’d get to be a mom. Another unexpected blessing is that baby Cora arrives in the arms of police chief Greg Taylor. Despite all three of them instantly bonding, Greg has promised himself he’ll never be a father. And now Emily’s smooth-talking relative is challenging her right to raise Cora. Will Emily have to make an impossible decision between the child she already loves and the man who loves her?

I hope all of you have a fabulous week. I’m looking forward to my daughter returning this weekend after 3 months in Australia!

Oh, oh, oh and…

There’s still a couple of days left to enter my international giveaway for a bunch of different books, including advanced copies and the option to gift your prize to a friend. Click here: ENTER GIVEAWAY

Your Turn: Any questions for Patty?

P.S. Just in case you missed my FB announcements or notices around the blogosphere this past week… next Sunday, I will be emailing all my newsletter subscribers an exclusive Christmas romance mini-novella. If you’d like to receive it, please subscribe by clicking here: http://bit.ly/OrchardNews