People you’re connected with and even related to should never be taken for granted.

Recently I had my aunt and grandmother visit for the weekend and though I always respected both I knew very little of each. We were never in a close quarters scenario which allowed us to really understand who each other are. This opportunity was well overdue and equally fabulous.

Learning about my history through my grandmother gave me a whole new appreciation for who she is and where I’m from. An immigrant from Holland, I always thought my grandmother moved to Canada as a little girl only to find out she moved after marriage not knowing a word of English.

And my aunt imparted wisdom for my future. Retired young, my aunt lived the life I’ve been directed towards and, though she may not have been aware, was making me realize my own self worth and shift my own path to success.

A lot has been happening lately and I know it’ll all come together. Knowing I have at least three great women in my family motivates me even more to forge a path that’s unique and my own. Even though I may not know everything, my grandmother didn’t know English when she came and she still succeeded.

Thanks for reading,

Sarah Butland
author of Sending You Sammy, Brain Tales – Volume One and Arm Farm

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A fantastic read for writers and conversationalists alike.

This book is filled with many excellent questions for any writer to overcome writer’s block but also a wealth of ideas for the average person wanting to make conversation.

As a writer I’ve collected many books for writing suggestions for my next short story or novel but none of them compare to the brilliance of this one.

Broken into sections to allow Bryan Cohen to delve deeper into each of his ideas, this makes it an easy read for any purchaser of this book. While some Creative Writing Prompt books seem more specific to a writer starting out, 1000 Creative Writing Prompts: Ideas for Blogs, Scripts, Stories and More can be loved by the general reader.

Although still not finished, this book already has me convinced and wanting to write, write, write.

A must have for anyone who has ever struggled with writing a new story or a general conversationalist who wants to know more about everyone.

Thanks for reading,

Sarah Butland
author of Sending You Sammy, Brain Tales – Volume One and Arm Farm

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Hilarious and comical, a showcase of the bizarre and how many characters can tell a great story.

Though it needs a bit more editing, Almost, Texas was a great read once I committed to it. From big ears and humongous noses, the story of Charmer Lewis and his adventures takes the reader on the ride of a lifetime. Certainly not the story I was expecting, complete with former Harvard student turned hitch hiker, James Bailey knows how to spin a tale of imaginary proportions.

With the many characters including Bozo and Leroy, Sunny, Lydia, Sheriff Hogg and Big Honey, the hero of this tale will surprise you as they all find their way to Roswell, New Mexico to meet an even more bizarre conclusion.

Bailey mastered the ability to introduce us to many characters and have me curious and caring about each one, even the elusive Wil Rogers who wound through this book without showing his face.

A definite read for anyone looking for a good chuckle.

Thanks for reading,

Sarah Butland
author of Sending You Sammy, Brain Tales – Volume One and Arm Farm

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From the international bestselling author that brought you Children of the Fog comes a terrifying new thriller that will leave you breathless…

“Submerged reads like an approaching storm, full of darkness, dread and electricity. Prepare for your skin to crawl.” —Andrew Gross, New York Times bestselling author of 15 Seconds

Excerpt:

Prologue

Near Cadomin, AB – Saturday, June 15, 2013 – 12:36 AM

You never grow accustomed to the stench of death. Marcus Taylor knew that smell intimately. He had inhaled burnt flesh, decayed flesh…diseased flesh. It lingered on him long after he was separated from the body.
The image of his wife and son’s gray faces and blue lips assaulted him.
Jane…Ryan.
Mercifully, there were no bodies tonight. The only scent he recognized now was wet prairie and the dank residue left over from a rainstorm and the river.
“So what happened, Marcus?”
The question came from Detective John Zur, a cop Marcus knew from the old days. Back before he traded in his steady income and respected career for something that had poisoned him physically and mentally.
“Come on,” Zur prodded. “Start talking. And tell me the truth.”
Marcus was an expert at hiding things. Always had been. But there was no way in hell he could hide why he was soaked to the skin and standing at the edge of a river in the middle of nowhere.
He squinted at the river, trying to discern where the car had sunk. He only saw faint ripples on the surface. “You can see what happened, John.”
“You left your desk. Not a very rational decision to make, considering your past.”
Marcus shook his head, the taste of river water still in his throat. “Just because I do something unexpected doesn’t mean I’m back to old habits.”
Zur studied him but said nothing.
“I had to do something, John. I had to try to save them.”
“That’s what EMS is for. You’re not a paramedic anymore.”
Marcus let his gaze drift to the river. “I know. But you guys were all over the place and someone had to look for them. They were running out of time.”
Overhead, lightning forked and thunder reverberated.
“Dammit, Marcus, you went rogue!” Zur said. “You know how dangerous that is. We could’ve had four bodies.”
Marcus scowled. “Instead of merely three, you mean?”
“You know how this works. We work in teams for a reason. We all need backup. Even you.”
“All the rescue teams were otherwise engaged. I didn’t have a choice.”
Zur sighed. “We go back a long way. I know you did what you thought was right. But it could’ve cost them all their lives. And it’ll probably cost you your job. Why would you risk that for a complete stranger?”
“She wasn’t a stranger.”
As soon as the words were out of his mouth, Marcus realized how true that statement seemed. He knew more about Rebecca Kingston than he did about any other woman. Besides Jane.
“You know her?” Zur asked, frowning.
“She told me things and I told her things. So, yeah, I know her.”
“I still do not get why you didn’t stay at the center and let us do our job.”
“She called me.” Marcus looked into his friend’s eyes. “Me. Not you.”
“I understand, but that’s your job. To listen and relay information.”
“You don’t understand a thing. Rebecca was terrified. For herself and her children. No one knew where they were for sure, and she was running out of time. If I didn’t at least try, what kind of person would I be, John?” He gritted his teeth. “I couldn’t live with that. Not again.”
Zur exhaled. “Sometimes we’re simply too late. It happens.”
“Well, I didn’t want it to happen this time.” Marcus thought of the vision he’d seen of Jane standing in the middle of the road. “I had a…hunch I was close. Then when Rebecca mentioned Colton had seen flying pigs, I remembered this place. Jane and I used to buy ribs and chops from the owner, before it closed down about seven years ago.”
“And that led you here to the farm.” Zur’s voice softened. “Good thing your hunch paid off. This time. Next time, you might not be so lucky.”
“There won’t be a next time, John.”
A smirk tugged at the corner of Zur’s mouth. “Uh-huh.”
“There won’t.”
Zur shrugged and headed for the ambulance.
Under a chaotic sky, Marcus stood at the edge of the river as tears cascaded from his eyes. The night’s events hit him hard, like a sucker punch to the gut. He was submerged in a wave of memories. The first call, Rebecca’s frantic voice, Colton crying in the background. He knew that kind of fear. He’d felt it before. But last time, it was a different road, different woman, different child.
He shook his head. He couldn’t think of Jane right now. Or Ryan. He couldn’t reflect on all he’d lost. He needed to focus on what he’d found, what he’d discovered in a faceless voice that had comforted him and expressed that it was okay to let go.
He glanced at his watch. It was after midnight. 12:39, to be exact. He couldn’t believe how his life had changed in not much more than two days.
“Marcus!”
He turned…

Pre-order today for only $0.99 US and receive it on March 2nd via:

Amazon: Submerged

Barnes and Noble (Nook): Submerged

Kobo Books (Kobo): Submerged

iTunes (iBooks): Submerged

#Submerged #Going4NYT #bestseller

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Have you ever felt like you were trapped in a wet paper bag and there was no way out? Trapped, disoriented, hearing voices calling you from not too far away and you can’t stretch out your fingers far enough to poke a hole?

Emotion and how we deal with what we have on our plate is always a personal and unique choice. Like a child with three favourites and one not so favourite on their plate (peas come to mind though my son LOVES them), panicking at the idea of cleaning the plate, we can look at it in two ways.

First, we can complain that it’s too much, we’ll never be able to get through it all and be frustrated it’s expected of you anyway. Or two, take a step back, realize everything on your plate can be accomplished by taking small, manageable tasks and just get through it. Swallow the peas mushed in with your beloved potatoes if that’s what it takes.

Piles of laundry seem daunting? Put away the underwear first, then the socks and work your way up to hanging the pants. Build up your momentum, realizing how great it feels to finally have everything put away and “your plate clean” if you will.

Like the ball in the wet paper bag, if you go with the flow and stay in the corner stewing about all there is beyond the bag you’ll stay there feeling cold and miserable, and wet. If you take charge and roll yourself slowly too the other side, using the side of the bag to propel from.

We’re not ever trapped in a corner when our minds are focusing on the possibilities beyond. Adjust your perspective and build momentum to break free of that overwhelming feeling. And sometimes, just take a moment to enjoy the escape of the paper bag.

Thanks for reading,

Sarah Butland
author of Sending You Sammy, Brain Tales – Volume One and Arm Farm

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Delighted as I was to receive an email asking me to review a copy of New Brunswick author, Lee D. Thompson’s, newest published short story, I was even more delighted after reading it.

Diary of a Fluky Kid (Fierce Shorts) is a story about baseball and not about baseball. A short anecdotal tale excellent for young and older readers alike, filled with a powerful message yet still an enjoyable and light read.

The story of Lee himself maybe, a short biography of how baseball dreams turned artist into writer, Diary of a Fluky Kid breaks the surface of the lives we all lead at some point.

Wonderfully written to grab sports fans and general readers, I enjoyed sliding to home plate with Lee and his team just as Fierce Ink Press Co-op Ltd is doing with this rising to fame author.

Thanks for reading,

Sarah Butland
author of Sending You Sammy, Brain Tales – Volume One and Arm Farm

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Ask the FP (field of potentiality) for guidance. A yes or no question that can be answered with a sign from the universe in the next 48 hours.

My question:

Is it time to launch my freelance writing career?

The same question Pam Grout, the author of E-Squared: Nine Do-It-Yourself Energy Experiments That Prove Your Thoughts Create Your Reality, was one she thought she would ask if in the same position.

My hesitation is that I always focused on fiction, not non-fiction, and am always nervous about trusting myself to make my own dreams come true. Surrounded by so many now living their dream, I’ve been envious and feel honoured to be connected with them. Reading and listening to a lot of law of attraction type books lately, I am starting to feel empowered to make drastic changes to my life and this would be the biggest. I’m always searching for the confidence in myself to make the leap so it’ll be interesting to notice what signs the universe has in store for me this week.

Thanks for reading,

Sarah Butland

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Canadian suspense author Cheryl Kaye Tardif is hoping to achieve a monumental dream this March—making the New York Times bestsellers list for her ebook, SUBMERGED. Gathering an “army” of dedicated friends and fans, she will be promoting this book with a special sale and a contest filled with awesome prizes. Pre-order today!

What’s SUBMERGED about?

From the international bestselling author that brought you CHILDREN OF THE FOG comes a terrifying new psychological thriller that will leave you breathless…

“Submerged reads like an approaching storm, full of darkness, dread and electricity. Prepare for your skin to crawl.” –Andrew Gross, New York Times bestselling author of 15 Seconds

Two strangers submerged in guilt, brought together by fate…

After a tragic car accident claims the lives of his wife, Jane, and son, Ryan, Marcus Taylor is immersed in grief. But his family isn’t the only thing he has lost. An addiction to painkillers has taken away his career as a paramedic. Working as a 911 operator is now the closest he gets to redemption–until he gets a call from a woman trapped in a car.

Rebecca Kingston yearns for a quiet weekend getaway, so she can think about her impending divorce from her abusive husband. When a mysterious truck runs her off the road, she is pinned behind the steering wheel, unable to help her two children in the back seat. Her only lifeline is a cell phone with a quickly depleting battery and a stranger’s calm voice on the other end telling her everything will be all right.

Pre-order today for only $0.99 US and receive it on March 2nd via:

Barnes and Noble (Nook): http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/submerged-cheryl-kaye-tardif/1114677237

Kobo Books (Kobo): http://store.kobobooks.com/en-CA/ebook/submerged-6

iTunes (iBooks): https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/submerged/id701307628

#Submerged #Going4NYT #bestseller

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Health is such a finicky thing. Take all your vitamins, eat fruits and vegetables, have positive thoughts and you can still catch a virus. It’s good, it builds your immune system and makes you appreciate your nostrils and ability to breath even more than ever before.

But while I struggle, working up the effort to do as little as possible for things that absolutely must be done, he runs laps around the house, oblivious to having anything slow him down. When I say we need to cancel story time or skating, he cheerfully tells me he’s healthy and ready for play.

And I try to learn. To think healthy and continue my daily routine as normal, not letting my poor night’s sleep of tossing and turning to get the right nostril cleared, interfere. I admit to being a bit crankier, more exhausted, lazier and not laughing nearly as much while I heal and build my immune system. I just wish I could be more like a child, still eager to get things done and go places, making them healthier faster and simply happier the whole way through.

It’s a process, a course in patience, understanding and growth no professor or other teacher can instill on us more than our own children. To see a smile through droopy eyes, runny nose and hear a cough so small it hurts the mom more than the child, a workshop we can’t miss a moment of as we’re our only student.

And so I’ll pay attention with swollen eyes and a tissue to my nose, to the little ways my son deals with anything that comes his way in an effort to learn as I teach.

Thanks for reading,

Sarah Butland
author of Sending You Sammy, Brain Tales – Volume One and Arm Farm

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Within 48 hours my breathing will be clear once again and I will have a few hours of quality time with my husband.

Starting simple as I know I’ve done everything this week to encourage free breathing and have a dinner date planned with my husband and some friends. The challenging piece of this is that whenever we go out it seems we focus the conversation around our son, worry about how he’s behaving or keeping our volume down to let him sleep. Time scheduled, quality time is the needed bit.

I do know it will happen like Augusten Burroughs knew he’d be a best selling author despite his struggle with alcoholism.

So Pam Grout inspires her readers to see themselves receiving something in the next 48 hours. To be specific and reasonable within this time frame. As in, though I will earn a substantial income from my writing, I understand the drastic switch will not happen within 48 hours. It will happen over time.

What I am struggling with is the idea of trusting the universe will provide balanced with doing and simply trusting. As in, knowing the outcome will happen and not focusing on how while we still need to take action and do our part to get there. For example, I know my books will sell and will be enjoyed, but if I do no marketing or tell people they are there the universe won’t just have people discover them all in one day years from now, I need to market them. But then I’m focused on the how instead of trusting it will happen.

I look forward to reading the rest of E-Squared: Nine Do-It-Yourself Energy Experiments That Prove Your Thoughts Create Your Reality will elaborate on that for me.

Thanks for reading,

Sarah Butland
author of Sending You Sammy, Brain Tales – Volume One and Arm Farm

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Every High School has their social outcasts. The band nerds, the math geeks, the chess club, the girl that chews her hair, but at Butler High, even the creepy nose picker in the chess club is more popular than Caleo Anima. No matter what he did, his pale skin, snow white hair, and piercing blue eyes always made him an easy target. He used to think that the only way things could get worse would be if someone found out that he was gay, but that isn’t even the tip of the iceberg of problems after a mysterious stranger shows up and changes Caleo’s life forever.

Hidden amongst our society, a secret and magical race of people known as ‘Leeches’, have been engaging in civil war for decades. Both sides are desperately searching for a weapon with unlimited power that will give them the advantage they need to rule their world. This wouldn’t mean anything to Caleo, except for one problem…He is that weapon!

Forget making it through High School. Caleo has bigger problems! As the search for him goes on, the world is quickly crumbling around him. He’s now fighting for his life and the life of what little family he has left. With the help of new friends, he has little time to try and master his newly found powers as he tries to figure out who he can trust, who is trying to use him, and who just wants him dead. One wrong step and being the awkward pale outcast will be the least of his worries.

Caleo for Free!

What if you knew the exact date and time the world will end, what would you do?

Sam Tucker was faced with that dilemma when he began getting visions of the Earth’s demise. Luckily for him, he was able to save his family and as many people as he could before the tragic event occurred, and he did so with the help of unknown visitors. With Earth now destroyed, Sam, his family, and thousands of other lucky survivors must live the rest of their lives on a faraway planet in a Dome that simulates life on Earth. But Sam’s mind can’t seem to rest as a few questions arise. Why did the aliens save them? How did they know about Earth’s sure fate? And exactly what are they hiding?

Emma Tucker begged for an escape from her boring life but never in a million years did she think it would come at the destruction of Earth. Living on a new planet and finding it difficult to get rid of her rebellious habits, Emma finds herself making friends with a member of the alien race and it soon develops into an unexplainable love; a love that is more dangerous than she could ever imagine. While her father is searching for his own truths, she has no idea that she is stumbling on a truth of her own.

Told from the point of view of both Sam and Emma, author Nova Sparks takes readers on a journey to discover love, fate, faith, truth, and the mystery of the DOME!
Click here to claim your Free copy on Amazon today only!:

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I have to admit, I hesitated with this one as I knew the results would be true but also because it’s a little more involved and weirder than the rest.

So very early this morning, after a night at work, instead of going immediately to bed I figured I’d try it. With the rest of my family sound asleep, feeling a little strange after an odd and giddy night, I best two hangers as best I could and got started.

Though I suspected the results this experiment still had me unnerved. No matter how many times I changed my thoughts the wire would do exactly as it said in this book. The one in my left hand showed this much better than the one in my right but I believe this experiment to be another success for the books (or else why would Pam Grout write it in hers).

I read ahead before taking the time and guts to do this and am eager to start the next one. I already know a few things I’m envisioning for myself and made one a reality on Tuesday. This week, I strive for the biggies.

Thanks for reading,

Sarah Butland
author of Sending You Sammy, Brain Tales – Volume One and Arm Farm

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Author, wise-man, genuinely true,
motivator, friend and mentor, too.
Hailing from Newfoundland
a busy but accommodating man,
Gerard Collins is someone you should meet.

When you desire something you do everything in your power to make it happen. The awesome part of this is how powerful you and your intentions are.

Somehow the universe sent me a Facebook friend request from Gerard Collins, an author and professor from Memorial University. An author, I admittedly never heard of or read before, and one I immediately connected with. That he took the time to connect with me and answer any message I sent, I felt honoured.

He soon told me of a Maritime tour he was going on and I started looking at schedules and distance to figure out which one I could attend. During this, I also asked if he would donate a book to a friend of mine who lost his home due to fire just before Christmas and he obliged without question and sent a book.

Long story shorter, it was difficult for me to attend anything Gerard already had scheduled so I asked him to host another one! And he did. He arranged to have one in the middle of the week in Moncton and I hesitated, thinking I wouldn’t make it. And then, the universe made it happen only Mother Nature was trying to get in the way. A storm threatened the opening of the library this was to be held but the weather predictions were drastically wrong and the workshop happened!

Gerard was warm, inviting, appreciative and motivating while being realistic. With exercises, conversations and great handouts, Gerard gave me more confidence to just keep going and maybe check out other avenues for my goals. The small group made it easy to embrace the depth of our psyche’s, at least for me, and made me think of things in a brand new way that still haunts me over 24 hours later.

This is what happens when you know your passion and talent, the world makes the path for you once you take that first step.

Where are you walking today?

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Thanks for reading,

Sarah Butland
author of Sending You Sammy, Brain Tales – Volume One and Arm Farm

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This month as everyone heads back to school, the leaves start changing colour and the air brings a chill I am bringing you lots of reading material in hopes you’ll find something you love to read. While I am putting forth a huge effort to bring awareness to my own books I understand that everyone wants something different to read. Please show a huge welcome to all my guests by commenting and checking out their books.

Today we welcome T.M. Novak to share how she finally decided to overcome her doubts and prove everyone wrong so she could move! There’s something somewhere for everyone to read – you just need to know where to find it.

Becoming Published

When I found out Kim Emerson at Master Koda Select Publishing was going to actually publish me I cried like a baby. There aren’t even words to express how happy I felt, and still feel. It’s definitely a dream come true. I don’t think I truly believed it would ever happen. I’ve been trying to break in for ten years. The funny thing is my husband was the one who lit the fire under me to try harder. He told me he would move us anywhere I wanted to live if I got published. He doesn’t want to move so I think even he thought it would never happen. He will never challenge me again! Needless to say, the flood gates are open now and the stories are spilling from my imagination. I am having the best time of my life.

How the idea of the book came to me

My ideas come to me in my dreams. One night, a long time ago, I woke up with a vivid recall of a dream. It later became the opening scene of the story. Once my heart beat slowed and I could actually breath again, I jotted down the idea and went back to sleep. The memory of the dream came back to me often and I knew the story had to be written, but I was afraid to write it. I wasn’t afraid of the idea but I was terrified I wouldn’t be able to pull it off. Writing wasn’t something I was trained to do. Finally, after years of waiting, I got the courage to try and since I’d thought about the story often I’d already worked out all the kinks in my mind. It was very easy and fun to write. I love the twists and turns! It is truly a unique story so I am thrilled the rest of the world will be able to read it.

“Her scream pierced the darkness, meeting the relentless thunder as it cracked against the black sky. It was like a battle of wills, each trying to conquer the other.”

The Abduction of Lilly Waters
By T.M. Novak

Beth never anticipated her life would end up like it did. The last beating she received at the hands of her boyfriend threw her over the edge. She had to escape him, so she fled taking her daughter Lilly with her. She didn’t know where she’d go, but she didn’t care. All she could manage to think about was the safety of her unborn child and her daughter Lilly.
The frequent stops the mother and daughter had to make were uneventful until Beth pulled into a Diner in Moore, Oklahoma where her daughter Lilly was taken by unseen hands.
Detective’s Daniel Prescott and Frank Martinez head the investigation trying relentlessly to solve the case before it’s too late. These days, when children are taken it’s a unified frenzy to find them. In this case, every lead turns up empty and every turn they take reveals a clue they couldn’t have anticipated. The detectives aren’t quite sure where to turn or who to trust; even the mother herself is a prime suspect.
The Abduction of Lilly Waters is a fast paced child abduction thriller that will leave you on the edge of your seat in anticipation until the end where you’ll discover the deepest and darkest secret waiting.

Who is T.M. Novak?

Tammy was born in Waterbury, Connecticut eight minutes before her twin brother. She comes from a large family with seven brothers and sisters, and eleven nieces and nephews. She grew up in Southern California, and currently lives in Prescott, Arizona.
Tammy married her high school sweet heart Gary in 1994 and they have four sons’ together. She received her teaching degree from Northern Arizona University in 2010 and is currently a teacher in Mayer, Arizona.
The Abduction of Lilly Waters is her debut novel and there are several other works in progress; she has a Y.A. series in the works called Butterfly Lake, and a children’s book series called, The Big Green Dinosaur which will be published under Tammy Moore. Her sister Latisha Wood is expected to illustrate them for her.
The things that inspire Tammy the most are family and she always keeps them at the forefront of her thoughts. She gets her story ideas from her dreams and her children, where she takes a simple moment and turns it into a world all its own.

Thanks for reading,

Sarah Butland
author of Sending You Sammy, Brain Tales – Volume One and Arm Farm

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This month as everyone heads back to school, the leaves start changing colour and the air brings a chill I am bringing you lots of reading material in hopes you’ll find something you love to read. While I am putting forth a huge effort to bring awareness to my own books I understand that everyone wants something different to read. Please show a huge welcome to all my guests by commenting and checking out their books.

Please remember to enter the contest found at the bottom of this post.

Today we welcome A.F. Stewart, a Canadian author born and raised in the same province as me but we still have yet to meet in person. An indie author whose books are available through several online retailers such as Amazon, Smashwords, and Barnes and Noble. Some of her more well known published works are Chronicles of the Undead, Killers and Demons, Ruined City, Passing Fancies, and Shadows of Poetry. There’s something somewhere for everyone to read – you just need to know where to find it.

Please remember to congratulate A.F. on her amazing new book cover she’s releasing to the world this week! Congratulations, A.F.!

Welcome to Fairy Tale Fusion
Where things get messy in the Riding Hood

What if the characters in Fairy Tales existed? What if they lived and breathed in a place called Fairyland, a setting not too divergent from our world, situated next to Wonderland and down the lane from Camelot?

Meet Detective Piper, member of the Fairyland Metro Police. His job, to ferret out the suspects and investigate crime on the streets and in the lanes of Fairyland. Along with Officer Simon, he’s hard at work, searching for a missing pumpkin, hunting for an arsonist, wondering what the future holds in a series of crystal ball robberies, and dealing with spells, curses and other strange happenings.

His cases, and others like them, are the headlines of the day, brought to you by FTN news anchors Spider Bramble and Aurora Gossamer, with entertainment correspondent Lucinda Lovedust and reporter Chip Charming. Keep up-to-date on the latest information out of Fairyland and its adjacent suburbs, and the recent hubbub with trolls, princesses, fairies and their ilk.

And after leaving Fairyland, you’ll journey to a place where toys are born… to be bad. When spells go wrong and playthings turn mean, where clown dolls would kill to meet you and a Rubik’s cube holds a cosmic secret.

If you survive the toy box, then head out to party with some elves (if you can outlast the celebration), battle in a far, far away galaxy, play “find the dragon”, and discover how they do crime and punishment in Oz.

And remember, always be nice to your Fairy Godmother.

Fairytale Fusion will be available soon through Kobo and Barnes and Noble but for now read more about it at https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/356889.

Author Bio:
A. F. Stewart was born and raised in Nova Scotia, Canada, and still calls it home. The youngest in a family of seven children, she has always had an overly creative mind and an active imagination. She is fond of good books (especially science fiction/fantasy), action movies, sword collecting, and oil painting as a hobby.

Ms. Stewart is an indie author with several published novellas and story collections in the dark fantasy or horror genres, with a few side trips into poetry and non-fiction. She has a great interest in history and mythology, often working those themes into her books and stories.

Thanks for joining us today, A.F Stewart, and for you for reading!

Sarah Butland
author of Sending You Sammy, Brain Tales – Volume One and Arm Farm

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Knocking on wood I look at my calendar to see I’m doomed no matter what as it’s Friday and the 13th and I stumble out under a ladder and out of the way of a black cat.

Ok, ok, maybe this all didn’t happen but it is Friday the 13th and that conjures up a whole new idea of what luck might be upon us. I’m not superstitious, I believe in making our own fate so if a black cat crosses my path I may get it some food or water. I’ll put the ladder away where it’s supposed to go and who knows where there is real wood for anyone to knock on these days – except for my own log house where wood is literally all around me.

As you know, this month I’m taking charge of encouraging literacy for all genres and readers, hesitant and eager, and if I let superstition play a role in this I may not be where I am today. I’ve had success and I’ve had bad luck every day, no matter the date and I owe it all to me.

I believe everyone of the authors I’ve met through this month have paved their own way to success and whether or not they are superstitious didn’t seem to matter.

Now I want to know about you and your beliefs, fears and story of superstition and maybe you can make all of us a believer.

And remember to through caution to the wind today and enter my contest to win, win, win!

Thanks for reading,

Sarah Butland
author of Sending You Sammy, Brain Tales – Volume One and Arm Farm

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This month as everyone heads back to school, the leaves start changing colour and the air brings a chill I am bringing you lots of reading material in hopes you’ll find something you love to read. While I am putting forth a huge effort to bring awareness to my own books I understand that everyone wants something different to read. Please show a huge welcome to all my guests by commenting and checking out their books.

Please remember to enter the contest found at the bottom of this post.

Today we welcome R.A. Giggie who did an amazing thing last week with her book Stella’s Plea
during her free Kindle days. There’s something somewhere for everyone to read – you just need to know where to find it.

Where Do Writers Find The Time to Write?

One of the biggest problems a writer may face is finding time to put pen to paper, and/or fingers to keyboard. For some, if they don’t have at least a few hours daily to sit and develop their stories, they simply don’t have enough time. Period. So how much time is enough to plot, research, develop, write, edit, and rewrite, until you finally have a story completed? That all depends on YOU!

As an author who’d love nothing more than to stay home and write but who currently holds a full time job outside the home, I’ve had to not only find the time, but to make the time to write. Because writing is my passion and that’s what I want to do. No ifs, ands, or buts!

I can’t afford not to work, so until I can make a living selling my books, I’ll work full time, and write whenever I can. But thanks to today’s technology, I have no excuse, because a computer is no longer the only tool needed for writing. There are so many techno gadgets on the market.

Take cell phones for example.

People say that my call phone is attached to my hip. It’s true, but what do I use it for? I have a Nokia Windows Phone. It has Microsoft Office application on it, so I can create Word, Excel, and OneNote documents, and view and edit PowerPoint presentations. So with this phone, I can write anywhere. I actually began writing this article from my phone, later uploaded it on SkyDrive, and here I am now.

With my busy schedule, if I waited to be in front of my laptop to write my novel, I never would have written Stella’s Plea. I actually penned that novel on lined paper pages by day, and transcribed it in my laptop at night. To put that into perspective, I took the NaNoWriMo Challenge (National Novel Writing Month), where one has to write 50,000 words in 30 days. I did it.

Granted, I have an advantage:

I work in a call centre where things are very slow at times, and I’m allowed some kind of pastime between calls. I chat with co-workers, do word puzzles, and read books. But I prefer to write. And if I could write over 50K words in 30 days between calls, so can you.

But that’s not the only place you can write. I read about a young writer who used her thirty-minute commute on the bus to and from work – that’s an hour a day – to work on her novel. Weather permitting; she also sat outside on her breaks. Some only have half hour for lunch, others have one hour. It’s not enough to write a full scene, but isn’t it a good time to leave work at work, and jot your ideas down? Whether you stay in the building, sit in the lunchroom, or in your car, take the time to put in a few minutes of plotting.

Where else can you write? What about the waiting room at your doctor’s appointment? And when you pick up the kids from piano lessons, or the baseball game? These few minutes add up to hours at the end of the day.

Some take time to stay up late, or get up early. I like to get up early – 5:15 is my usual time – have breakfast with my husband, and see him off to work. Then I have the house to myself to write in peace and quiet, until it’s time to get ready for work.

Set priorities

The most important thing is to set your priorities, make a schedule, and stick to it. I’m a creature of habit and without a schedule, my whole day falls apart. But if I know what I’m doing, and when, ah… it’s smooth sailing from there.

If your heart is truly into writing, you will not only find the time to write, but you will make time. Treat your writing as a priority. You’ll be surprised how much writing you get done in a week.

Happy writing.

R.A. Giggie is the author of Stella’s Plea, a Christian suspense about the abduction of a three-year old deaf child, and her mother’s struggle to find her.

Giggie always enjoyed writing but always for fun, until she read a courtroom drama series by Davis Bunn. This series inspired her to take her writing seriously. She wrote Stella’s Plea in 2010 and published it in 2012. She also has a love story in an anthology, Falling In Love With You, published by Oak Tara.
Born in Quebec, Giggie moved to New Brunswick in 1982, celebrating her Acadian roots where her ancestors came from. That’s where she met her husband. They’ve been together now for 28 years. She has two sons, and a grandson.
Feel free to visit her blog at: http://reneeann.wordpress.com

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Thanks for joining us today, R.A. Giggie and for you for reading!

Sarah Butland
author of Sending You Sammy, Brain Tales – Volume One and Arm Farm

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This month as everyone heads back to school, the leaves start changing colour and the air brings a chill I am bringing you lots of reading material in hopes you’ll find something you love to read. While I am putting forth a huge effort to bring awareness to my own books I understand that everyone wants something different to read. Please show a huge welcome to all my guests by commenting and checking out their books.

Today we welcome C Michelle Ramsey who generously donated a copy of IS THE GRASS REALLY GREENER? for you to enjoy. There’s something somewhere for everyone to read – you just need to know where to find it.

How C Michelle Ramsey Found the Love of Writing and of Her Life at Once

My desire to write emerged from my love of reading, which my mom nurtured in me at an early age. Realizing the imagination could create another world, I began to explore storytelling in my notebooks, crafting my own rules as I went along.

This love affair that I have with writing was hidden from the world, my personal escape mechanism. It kept me entertained for hours on end, and allowed me to find healing. Our love affair (mine and writing) would be uncovered by another love…the man I now know as my husband. To his surprise, he discovered a hidden box of files in 1996, which held my works. The surprise was on me, when I realized he loved them as much as I did, with one problem…none of them had been completed.

From Incomplete to Published

From that moment forward, he was on a mission to persuade me to complete at least one, and I did in 2001…Real Secrets. He then urged me to publish them; I did not want to be judged.
Fast forward to 2011, I finally shared one of my stories with my book club at my husband’s persistence, with one stipulation…the author would not be revealed. Equipping them with the printed manuscripts under the guise that my friend wrote them, their instructions were simple…be brutally honest. The phone calls started pouring in the next day.

They loved the characters and the storyline. They laughed, they cried, they were in shock, and as one lady put it…“from page one, I was thrown from the frying pan into the flames. I usually like to ease into things, but I loved this!” Another shocking reaction, was one member wanted to fight one of the male characters!!!! I was astounded.
Everyone’s mouth dropped to the floor at our next meeting, when I revealed the author…me. I was encouraged at that point to publish my work, and several months later I did…Reflections of Promises, which became available in June 2012, to be followed by Real Secrets (my first completed novel), in December 2012. Now with the release of Is The Grass Really Greener? I don’t want to stop putting them out there.

The Reason for Writing

What my writing has helped me to realize is I want to encourage people. A long time ago, I decided I would be true to my work. I would write about issues that I saw prevalent in the lives around me, on the news, and in everyday society. I would not run from those issues, rather take on a realistic stance to portray to my readers that despite the adversities that will come, we are strong, we are overcomers, we are more powerful than we know. And we can overcome those adversities with faith, and belief in ourselves. My books also stem from dreams that I have, such as the scandal in IS THE GRASS REALLY GREENER? I dreamt about that scandal, which compelled me to write the novel. Because my stories come from my dreams, I circulate things around dreams, such as my blog title Writing My Dreams. These dreams can be night dreams, day dreams, or our dream to achieve goals.

Believe in Yourself

I want people to believe in the power of pursuing their dreams; don’t allow anyone to discourage you. Whether you dream of being a singer/dancer/actor, or working for NASA, if you desire to be a painter, or the most accomplished underwater basket weaver, go after your dreams with all that is within you. You can do it, you can make it, you just have to dream it, and believe it!

*CONTACT ME LINKS:*
Website
Blog
Email: [email protected]
Facebook
Twitter: CMichelleRamsey
Pinterest: authorcmramsey

Hop on over to her website to read the first three chapters of IS THE GRASS REALLY GREENER?.

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Thanks so much for joining us today, C Michelle Ramsey and for all of you readers living or finding your dream!,

Sarah Butland
author of Sending You Sammy, Brain Tales – Volume One and Arm Farm

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This month as everyone heads back to school, the leaves start changing colour and the air brings a chill I am bringing you lots of reading material in hopes you’ll find something you love to read. While I am putting forth a huge effort to bring awareness to my own books I understand that everyone wants something different to read. Please show a huge welcome to all my guests by commenting and checking out their books.

Today is a bit different in that it’s a post by me about a special literacy hero I’ve found who is doing, and trying to do, amazing things. Reading is contagious, especially when you have good role models and great books at hand. Please give Miles a warm welcome.

Meet Today’s Champion Miles Cobbett

A man of many passions, Miles Cobbett is now on a mission to bring a new bookstore/ library to his community in Alaska.

Before he retired in the summer of 2002 his 30 students of that year won ALL three of the Principals Reading Award Trophies, 23 Olympic Style medallions, and 4 Letters Of Special Recognition. He had the Awesome honor of seeing every child in hi 4th grade “Team 55B” class get called up one-at-time, up to the school Principal on stage to individually get their Award. ))) That was with a total of 300 students competing in just the 4th grade at the big 1785 K-5 school competing for just 3 trophies!

After RetirementSome people retire with the goal of traveling, doing nothing, reading some more books or maybe knitting. These aren’t bad things and I admire anyone who can have that luxury but what Miles Cobbett does astounds me. He has written one book titled Champion: A Story of the Happy Life of Roman Lefthanded Losinski but he’s not done yet and has lots more in the works.

From being a teacher in South-Central LA to moonlighting as a taxi driver or pizza delivery guy, Miles now has the time and flexibility in addition to his passion and know how to dream and he unselfishly is dreaming of a better community, one with an amazing bookstore and library for the kids of his community.

Have you been to a library?I’m sure a lot of my readers have a library or bookstore within a 10 minute drive from them. Most take this for granted and rarely check out any books or visit the store often. But remember when you were a kid and a friend or relative bought you a book? I know my son eagerly runs to the mailbox eagerly awaiting his book from Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library and the look in his eyes when it finally arrives is priceless.

Now imagine kids without a place to escape into another world. Someone who hasn’t read and smelled the pages of Cat in the Hat or other classics. Miles wants to be sure everyone gets this chance with his kids only book heaven (adults must be accompanied by a child) and you can help. For as little as $10 you can make this dream a reality and let kids dream their own reality in a whole new way the world should enjoy.

With IndieGogo anyone from anywhere can help make this amazing goal a reality.

Thanks for reading and, in advance, for supporting such a wonderful cause,

Sarah Butland
author of Sending You Sammy, Brain Tales – Volume One and Arm Farm

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This month as everyone heads back to school, the leaves start changing colour and the air brings a chill I am bringing you lots of reading material in hopes you’ll find something you love to read. While I am putting forth a huge effort to bring awareness to my own books I understand that everyone wants something different to read. Please show a huge welcome to all my guests by commenting and checking out their books.

Today we welcome C N Lesley to share about her current and upcoming novel to celebrate all types of genres. There’s something somewhere for everyone to read – you just need to know where to find it.

The wyvern has hunted for the young outcast all her life; a day will come when, after being rejected by civilisation and the tribes, she must at last face him.

Abandoned as a sacrifice to the wyvern, a young girl is raised to fear the beast her adoptive clan believes meant to kill her. When the Emperor outlaws all magic, Raven is forced to flee from her home with her foster mother, for both are judged as witches. Now an outcast, she lives at the mercy of others, forever pursued by the wyvern. Soon her life will change forever.

A unique and unsettling romantic adventure about rejection and belonging.

ABOUT THE AUTHORElizabeth Hull, writing under the by line of C.N.Lesley, lives in Alberta with her husband and cats. Her three daughters live close by. When she isn’t writing, Elizabeth likes to read and to paint watercolors. She is also a keen gardener (despite the very short summers) and now has a mature shade garden. Once a worker in the communications sector, mostly concentrating on local news and events, she now writes full time, and fusses over her cats. She was senior managing editor of FlashMe Magazine and now is assistant flash fiction editor for Abyss and Apex.

REVIEWS
REVIEW BY JEANNE HASKIN
Author of ‘Love, War and Magic’, Artema Press
Raised in the world of Darkspire Reaches to heal the sick and fear the wyvern, Raven is an immediately accessible and lovable character, for whom the road from servitude to motherhood is paved with persecution, betrayal, and ultimately a showdown for who will command the loyalty of her mate. At times, the book is heartrendingly brutal, and, at others, filled with a tenderness that inspires happy tears. Comic relief, in the form of Raven and Connor’s wit, not to mention the antics of Kryling, a much smaller cousin of the wyvern, raises the book another notch from excellent to brilliant. With layers of complexity that attain additional depth each time I return to the story, this is a book to be read again and again.

I cannot recommend it highly enough.

http://www.artemaepress.com/jeanne-m-haskin.html

REVIEW BY LIT AMRI, READERS FAVORITE – 5 STARS
In C.N. Lesley’s “Darkspire Reaches”, when Emperor Chactar order the death of witches by burning, Raven and her foster mother, Margie, leave their village and seek shelter from the very man who is responsible for their misery. In exchange for a secret that Margie threatens to expose, they are granted shelter by the wicked emperor. From that moment onward, Raven’s life continues to change, and she will learn so much more about herself, about Samara Maidens, a Drakken male and the beast Wyvern that has plagued her mind like a nightmare.

I love the cover art by Alex Boca which grabs my interest right away. The dialogue was confusing at first until I figured out the difference of a ‘peasant talk’ and the normal speech that Margie and Raven use. The author’s beautiful writing style easily sparked off interest and my imagination about the story. I rooted for Raven from the beginning as I felt her pain and sympathized with the harsh life that she had to endure. Honestly, I didn’t like the things that happened to a protagonist that deserves so much more. I couldn’t find it in me to like Connor, the Drakken male, at all. Only when Raven accepted him that I followed suit. A tumultuous but otherwise entertaining read, this is an adult fantasy novel with solidly-built worlds, characters and creatures. If you love dragon-themed tales like me, the Wyverns are definitely on par with the dragons as a large, mythical winged creature.

http://readersfavorite.com/book-review/11842

OTHER ENDORSEMENTS/REVIEWS
From Kristell Ink
Darkspire Reaches is a dark romantic fantasy, richly told and with characters so real, you cry for them. C N Lesley is masterful. This is for lovers of Ilona Andrews, Karen Chance, Sherrilyn Kenyon and such like.
***
‘Despite the cover this is not yet another book about magic and dragons. It is about a young woman’s journey of self-discovery. On par with the lowly Wart of Arthurian legend, fifteen-year-old Raven starts out as a foundling, a servant, bound by love to the only mother she knows.’ Review by Wendy Delmater
***

‘Despite this being a suspenseful read, however, Lesley’s words are so rich, so well-crafted, that you don’t want to finish it off so soon–you’d want to nibble the words just to make it last a bit longer. Highly recommended, especially those who have read a lot of fantasy books and are looking for something “deeper.”’ Review by Meghan
***

‘Leslie knows how to build a world, and create–not just characters–but whole races of them, complete with speech patterns and a recognizable cadence that sucks you into her world. From the first chapter you know you are entering a new world, and by the third chapter, you are already familiar with it.’ Review by GG

View the trailer at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eWTaDpBORsY

AN EXCERPT FROM DARKSPIRE REACHESThe late afternoon sun gave a red tinge to the sky as Raven emerged from the rank tunnels onto the lake shore. She wrinkled her nose in distaste at the smell coming from her wet clothing. Foul water found and polluted every dry shred of fabric on her body.
The hunters used vargel hounds to track, and they would come to this place, so she would spread her scent to confuse them. Raven waded out into the lake, keeping within her depth, then, using the sun as her guide, she headed northwest. They would figure a direct north line of escape to the settlements of the tribes. Raven didn’t doubt Margie would help foster that notion to save her own skin. Again, a bitter smile curled her lips upward. As long as she remained in the water, she left no trail. Almost as an afterthought, she dipped her torch into dull, gray waters and let it fall.
Cold seeped into her bones while she waded on the fringe of the lake. It made a harsh contrast to the foul, but warmer, temperature of sewer filth. Hunger clawed at her insides, bringing another form of cold, one that started from within. The baying of hounds startled Raven into a misstep and she fell; her feet rose to the surface, turning her on her back, the motion warring with the wet clothes pulling her down. If she shed them, she would give the hunters another clue to her passage, and how would she get new ones? The fabric belled out to catch a current and draw her to the center of the lake.
She drifted north to the sounds of the horn call of hunters and the baying of their hounds. Maybe they would burst from the thick line of trees almost reaching the edge of the lake. No pyre could send her spirit on its journey now.
She didn’t know the size of the lake. She hadn’t seen the other side across a vast expanse of water, sunlight sparkling off the waves and ripples. No doubt it drained in the direction of her passage for the current to pull her, but that soon ceased to concern her as the icy waters leeched at her, sucking out her life. A small bird fluttered down to settle on her chest and under his bright gaze, she let herself become enveloped by death’s cold arms.
Waves of sleep lapped around her, washing away hurt. She closed her eyes, feeling the wind on her face, on her body, as she hurtled through the air. For a moment, she imagined herself back at the citadel, throwing herself off a turret to ride the wind. One last image of Margie, a smile lighting her face after a good scrying session, and then flashes of gold lanced through the picture in her mind’s eye until only gold remained. Gold upon gold, fading down into nothing—nothing but a pair of shining, golden eyes.

PURCHASE LINKS

Available in paperback and digital form from the following.

http://www.amazon.com/Darkspire-Reaches-ebook/dp/B00DJE8RP4/ref=pd_rhf_gw_p_tnr_1

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Darkspire-Reaches-ebook/dp/B00DJE8RP4/ref=sr_1_1_bnp_1_kin?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1374159165&sr=1-1

http://www.amazon.ca/Darkspire-Reaches-ebook/dp/B00DJE8RP4/ref=tmm_kin_title_0?ie=UTF8&qid=1374159264&sr=8-1

http://store.kobobooks.com/en-CA/Books/darkspire-reaches-1

http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/darkspire-reaches-cn-lesley/1114798335?ean=2940044587823

https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/323273

Future Books 

Shadow Over AvalonAvailable for pre-order at Amazon.com, Amazon.uk.co and Amazon.ca
A Science Fantasy to be released by Kristell Ink 31st October 2013. This book is first of a series and delves into science fiction, fantasy and myth. Ever wondered what happens when the legendary King Arthur is returned to fulfill his vow to protect his people in the time of their greatest need? In Earth Year 3874 all hell breaks loose. Stay tuned for what happens next.

Beyond the mists of time, a dying warrior binds his soul to his sword with an oath to protect his people. His shade now rides with the Wild Hunt while he waits for the call of greatest need. When it comes he doesn’t know it is a lie.
A War Maid princess is raised to be fearless, ready to sacrifice her life to defend her kin, but faced with the unthinkable; she must die or devolve into a creature worthy of loathing.
In the undersea city of Avalon, a Seer Acolyte nears the end of his training. He wants to serve on the surface world with the air breathing Terrans, fighting their common enemy instead of serving the Archive. Others have plans for him and the price will be his life.
On Moonbase, a predator finds a threat to the comfortable existence led by his species. How did Terrans diverge to generate an amphibious branch? They must all be killed.
An ageless man sits in a cave conjuring images in his fire. Weave a twist here; pull the weft of compulsion there and the plan is ready to set in motion. Fortune twists in the strongest of hands.

Thanks for joining us, C N and Elizabeth and thank you for reading!

Sarah Butland
author of Sending You Sammy, Brain Tales – Volume One and Arm Farm

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This month as everyone heads back to school, the leaves start changing colour and the air brings a chill I am bringing you lots of reading material in hopes you’ll find something you love to read. While I am putting forth a huge effort to bring awareness to my own books I understand that everyone wants something different to read. Please show a huge welcome to all my guests by commenting and checking out their books.

Today we welcome Aaron Paul Lazar who generously donated a copy of For the Birds for you to enjoy. There’s something somewhere for everyone to read – you just need to know where to find it.

What do you picture when you dream about your book’s success? Do you envision readers stopping you in the grocery store with stars in their eyes? Getting on Oprah? Seeing your book in the front window of your local book store?

Or maybe you dream of your book riding at the top of the NY Times bestseller’s list for months at a time? How about dining in New York City with Mr. Warren Adler, of War of the Roses fame? Talk about a dream made in Heaven, this writer is one of the century’s best. Of course, this repast would be followed by a glowing, personal endorsement of your works by the master.

Am I close?

Are you being honest?

Over the years I’ve pictured several of these dazzling dreams happening to me. Including a multi-million dollar movie deal in which Yannick Bisson (Of Murdoch Mysteries fame) plays Gus LeGarde. And of course, the world would fall in love with the LeGarde family and beg for more each year.

I imagined quitting my engineering job, staying home to write, making enough money to pay down the debt and take care of long needed repairs, like the twenty-six windows that shake and rattle every time the wind blows.

I envisioned copies of my books in everyone’s home library. Worldwide, mind you. Not just in the States.

Lots of dreams. Big dreams. And all revolved around the traditional definition of success.

Recognition. Adulation. Confirmation that my work is valued. And enough money to take care of a small country.

A few weeks ago something happened that changed all that.

Judy, one of my lunchtime walking partners, had been canceling walks and working through lunch to make extra time to care for her elderly mother. We all admired her, watching as she shopped for her mom, took her to numerous doctors’ appointments, and tended to her increasing needs with fortitude and devotion. She was one of five siblings, but took the bulk of the responsibility on her shoulders.

The cancellations increased in frequency, and it seemed we’d never see our friend on the walking trails again. We worried when her mother was admitted to the hospital. Up and down, her progress seemed to change like the December wind that skittered across the parking lots at work.

Judy was absent a few days, then a few more. Something felt wrong.

Then came the dreaded email. The subject line always seems to say the same thing. “Sad News.”

Judy’s mom had passed away, released from her earthly bonds and finally free to float among the angels.

When Judy returned to work a week later, she shared stories about her mother’s final days. One of them surprised me greatly, and fundamentally changed my definition of success.

Judy read to her mother during her final stay in the hospital. For hours on end. She happened to have my second book, Upstaged, handy and began to read to her during her responsive times. Sometimes her mother would just lie there with her eyes closed, and Judy didn’t know if she was listening. Frequently, she’d ask, “Do you want me to continue reading, Mom?” Her mother would respond. A nod or a short word.

“Yes.”

A nurse perched behind Judy and became involved in the story, too. So Judy would continue reading aloud, giving comfort to her mother and providing a little armchair escapism to her nurse. Solace came from the tentative loving voice of her daughter, close and warm. And she was reading my words.

It floored me.

In a flash, I realized if one woman could be comforted on her deathbed by my books – I’d already reached the definitive pinnacle of success.

You’ll never know how your stories will affect the world. Not until it happens. So keep writing and imagine the best. Not the money, not the fame, not the ability to quit that day job. Imagine affecting one solitary soul in their final moments on this earth, and you’ll have pictured… the ultimate reward.

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Beautiful story, Aaron, thanks for sharing it with my readers.

And thank you for reading!

Sarah Butland
author of Sending You Sammy, Brain Tales – Volume One and Arm Farm

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It’s September and with that comes crisper air, early mornings, school buses and thoughts of Halloween, school trips and fees that never seem to stop. Whether it’s a child going to grade school or college or university, your house may be just a bit quieter during the day and if you work nights that can be a blessing!

This September I’m promoting literacy in a huge away as those who can read should be doing so on a regular basis and it’s super easy to pass on the ability and inspire the addiction. I want you to date an author this month and it’s not as expensive as dinner or a movie!

So over the next 30 days I want you to each pick an author, give a stranger a chance and possibly fall in love without cheating on a loved one!

Yes, I’m selfishly making the effort to lower my own sales rank in an attempt to prove that independently published authors can succeed and beat the odds. But it’s more than the sale rank and the money for me, much more.

All About Literacy

I want everyone to find someone they love to read. There are too many non-readers in the world who just simply haven’t found the right book to fall in love with. So this month I’m going to be introducing you to many authors in various stages of their career to inspire, motivate and impress you.

For you, I ask you to share, comment, check out their books and review them if you buy them. When you write something people will read it and reading can be as contagious as a smile – be sure to pass it on.

Prizes

In support of all these authors and the idea of literacy I’m giving away a $25 Amazon gift card using Rafflecopter so you have a lot of easy opportunities to enter! Check it out:

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Thanks for reading,

Sarah Butland
author of Sending You Sammy, Brain Tales – Volume One and Arm Farm

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How I Made Over $42,000 in 1 Month Selling My Kindle eBooks is an amazing read but best-selling Canadian author Cheryl Kaye Tardif.

An author who many would easily discount because she’s Canadian and self-published, Tardif beat the odds and proved a lot of people wrong, even herself, by launching her books to an unbelievably low number on the Amazon best seller’s list. Much like golf, the lower the score with all of your shots the better and with 9 books out now Tardif was as good as half a round of golf!

In How I Made Over $42,000 in 1 Month Selling My Kindle eBooks Tardif documents her journey so that others can learn from her and, in turn, compete with her. By reading this novel I learned some great tricks and tips relevant to fiction writers but also how wonderful it is to learn from other authors. Though we are in almost direct competition a group of authors facing the same challenges are the best teachers.

Eager to learn how to make a living from fictional writing, I’ve read other marketing books including Sell More Books!: Book Marketing and Publishing for Low Profile and Debut Authors Rethinking Book Publicity after the Digital Revolutions but Tardif’s left me with the longest to-do list relevant for my books. Sell More Books!: Book Marketing and Publishing for Low Profile and Debut Authors Rethinking Book Publicity after the Digital Revolutions was terrific but seemed too specific to non-fiction to be completely relevant for me.

So my challenge to you, if you have any fictional books published, is to buy this book by Tardif and make a list as well as a commitment to put it into action. With school coming back in session, this is the perfect time for us all to take action to promote literacy in a huge way!

Let me know your progress. I am setting up to make this September the best year yet for my sales! What about you?

Thanks for reading,

Sarah Butland author of Sending You Sammy, Brain Tales – Volume One and Arm Farm

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$0.99 isn’t much. Even during the harsh economic times most people spend this mindlessly on a daily basis. As part of a coffee order, gas getting no where, at a dollar store on a small toy you know will only last an hour. Things that bring momentary enjoyment and quick disappointment.

Yet these days $0.99 can go much further when it’s supporting an emerging author. $0.99 to an indie author means:

1) Support to do what they love, follow their dream and make money doing it even if it is just a few cents per sale.

2) Support local – the local author, publisher, book seller, and in turn your local farmer, gas station and that family owned restaurant competing with the big guys.

3) Increase their sales rank – with all the best selling authors out there supported by the big 5 publishers, this sales rank means a tremendous amount and with each book sold your neighbourhood author gets more competitive.

4) The difference between best seller and unknown – With this sales rank comes responsibility. Like golf, the lower the score the better it is and the more people brag about it.

5) Literacy – Most authors work hard every day to improve the literacy rates of their own community. It may sound a bit selfish and I’m sure deep down it may be but deeper still and on the surface, communities rise when their members can read, write and teach and educate.

Skip the coffee today – buy a book and see the ripple effects in your own community.

I could go on and on and on but I think you understand how much your $0.99 will mean to authors like myself who are trying to make a difference in so many lives, including yours.

As soon to be best selling author Cheryl Kaye Tardiff says:

“YOU HAVE 10 SECONDS TO MAKE A DECISION”

What are you going to do?

Thanks for reading and buying a book today,

Sarah Butland

author of Sending You Sammy, Brain Tales – Volume One and Arm Farm

PS: All of my ebooks are $0.99 until August 18, 2013.

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YOU HAVE 10 SECONDS TO MAKE A DECISION:
Let A Kidnapper Take Your Child, Or Watch Your Son Die. Choose!

Sadie O’Connell is a bestselling author and a proud mother. But her life is about to spiral out of control. After her six-year-old son Sam is kidnapped by a serial abductor, she nearly goes insane. But it isn’t just the fear and grief that is ripping her apart. It’s the guilt. Sadie is the only person who knows what the kidnapper looks like. And she can’t tell a soul. For if she does, her son will be sent back to her in “little bloody pieces”.

When Sadie’s unfaithful husband stumbles across her drawing of the kidnapper, he sets into play a series of horrific events that sends her hurtling over the edge. Sadie’s descent into alcoholism leads to strange apparitions and a face-to-face encounter with the monster who abducted her son–a man known only as…The Fog.

CHILDREN OF THE FOG, an international bestseller, is on sale August 12-18 for only $0.99. Help make it a New York Times bestseller!

My review:

We all must believe in something, especially if we have a child to raise and our sanity to keep.

With a young son myself I felt my heart wrench for Sadie first when her son somehow stopped talking when he was 5 years old and more so when he was stolen right before his 6th birthday. From the safety of his own home, the horrific “Fog” captured him and his mom watched it all go down, just not without a fight.

Cheryl some how tells the gut wrenching story of fate, devastation, loss and closure with Sadie’s and Sam’s tale that has me shaking and wondering even after the book is closed.

A must read!

Thanks for reading,

Sarah Butland
author of Sending You Sammy, Brain Tales – Volume One and Arm Farm

Canadian buyers of Children of the Fog

AMAZON UK: http://www.amazon.co.uk/Children-of-the-Fog-ebook/dp/B004PVSTLW

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