Author: Debbie

I'm a retired librarian and the award-winning author of the Cobble Cove, Buttercup Bend, and SOUP THE SUPERNATURAL KITTEN cozy mystery series and other novels, short stories, poems, articles, and a novella. My books include CLOUDY RAINBOW, REASON TO DIE, SEA SCOPE, MEMORY MAKERS, TIME'S RELATIVE, MEOWS AND PURRS, MEMORIES AND MEOWS, A MIXED BAG OF CAT TAILS, and A MYSTERY BOX OF CAT TAILS. My Cobble Cove cozy mystery series published by Solstice Publishing consist of 6 books: A STONE'S THROW, BETWEEN A ROCK AND A HARD PLACE, WRITTEN IN STONE, LOVE ON THE ROCKS, NO GRAVESTONE UNTURNED, and ROCK A BYE BYE BABY. My standalone short story collection featuring the Cobble Cove characters is SNEAKY'S SUPERNATURAL MYSTERY AND OTHER COBBLE COVE STORIES. My Buttercup Bend series published by Next Chapter Publishing includes THE CASE OF THE CAT CRAZY LADY, THE CASE OF THE PARROT LOVING PROFESSOR, THE CASE OF THE LLAMA RAISING LIBRARIAN, THE CASE OF THE WHALE WATCHING WEDDING PLANNER, THE CASE OF THE REPTILE RESCUING RESCEPTIONIST, and the forthcoming CASE OF THE BULLFIGHTING BUILDER. I've also written a paranormal romance, CLOUDY RAINBOW, and short stories of various genres published as eBooks and in anthologies published by the Red Penguin Collection. My poetry appears in the Nassau County Voices in Verse and the Bard's Annual. My latest book is SUITCASE STORIES, a collection of mostly mystery short stories. My forthcoming standalone gothic mystery is LOOKING FOR LUCY. I'm a member of Sisters-in-Crime, International Thriller Writers, and the Cat Writers' Association. I live in South Carolina with my husband, daughter, and 3 cats.

Authors, Books, Limitless Publishing

Have you Read Allie Kincheloe’s Garden Falls Novel, Clandestine?

Posted on June 3, 2016June 3, 2016 by Debbie

Clandestine: A Garden Falls Novel

Allie Kincheloe

Blurb:

Finding himself in Claire’s bed wearing nothing but a Zorro mask wasn’t exactly how Zane planned his Halloween. It was a certainty his sister’s best friend would lose her mind when she realized what they’d done. Having been secretly in love with Claire for years, Zane has no choice but to hide his identity. But he can’t just walk away…

Claire knew waking up naked and alone was just a part of a one-night stand. So she wasn’t too upset to find her mystery man had bounced sometime during the night. But when she finds his mask and a note, she can’t help but be intrigued. A few corny poems later, Claire starts a hunt to discover the identity of the mysterious “Z”. His demanding, yet sincere, persistence arouses not only her desire to recapture the magic they had shared on Halloween, but stirs up hidden desires she’s held on to for years.

When her best friend’s brother suddenly ups his flirting game, Claire is caught somewhere between her clandestine admirer and the man she knows she can’t have. Will she choose the secretive “Z” who won’t even tell her his name, or risk her relationship with her best friend and take a chance on Zane?

Excerpt 1:

Turning into the packed parking lot at Garden, Claire stomped the brakes and winced. Her car screeched to a stop, the bumper mere inches from Dracula and Medusa. The kissing couple didn’t seem to notice their near brush with death. If they did, it didn’t bother them enough to interrupt their embrace, anyway. With an exasperated shake of her head, Claire eased her car around them, glancing toward the front of the building as she crept slowly by. The line of people went from the double front doors, all the way around the side under the big stained glass windows. Of course it would, every adult in town under thirty was inside the club—or wanted to be. She finally found an empty spot at the back of the lot. A sports car was straddling the line, but it left just enough space for Claire to squeeze her little compact car in between it and the red Ford truck on the left. The Richland Construction sign on the door of the big truck made her sigh.

Shit. The last thing she wanted to deal with tonight was Zane freaking Richmond. The big goof had made it his life’s mission to make her smile for years. But lately? Oh, lately, he’d taken it a step further and the teasing had taken on more of a flirty tone. And now her heart went crazy every time he smiled her direction. Which happened way more than she wanted to admit. If he wasn’t her best friend’s brother, maybe… But after all that she and Talia had been through, endangering their friendship all for an uncertain relationship with Zane wasn’t something she was willing to chance.

It was just one night. She could ignore him for one night.

Even if he flirted? No… Some things just weren’t worth the risk. And despite how much that little dimple when he laughed begged her to kiss it, or how her heart fluttered whenever their hands brushed, she couldn’t give in to the temptation of Zane.

With a fortifying breath, Claire stepped out of her car. She pulled the rest of her costume from the back seat. Huge wings. Tonight, she was an angel. The snowy white feathers weighed heavily on her back. But with her mask and wings firmly in place, she strode up to the worn brick building. Zane Richmond wasn’t going to keep her from this party. Not tonight. Halloween was her favorite holiday and she’d be damned if she let his presence stop her.

She got in line behind a pair of ninjas and crept slowly toward the entrance, inch by inch. The slow moving line gave her too much time to worry. It would be a miracle if she was able to find her friends in the crowded club. At least she’d be able to find Sean. Even if he was in costume, the massive bartender her best friend had just married would be easy to find. And he’d be able to point Talia out.

A shiver coursed down her spine as the cool autumn breeze picked up. The angel costume really needed more fabric to be appropriate for this weather. She rubbed her hands over her bare arms, trying to warm the chilled flesh. She almost reneged on her promise to show up tonight when the line stopped moving for a minute. With the sun high in the sky today, the air had warmed to the mid-fifties. But now that it had eased below the horizon, those warmer temperatures were falling fast. She didn’t recognize the bouncer, but the jerk laughed at her chattering teeth when she finally made it to the door. She showed him ID and got the 21+ stamp on her hand.

Oh she definitely planned to have a few drinks tonight. This week had been damn ridiculous at work. They’d lost three patients due to various complications and her stress level had reached its max. She was so ready for some alcohol and a little relaxation. A few drinks, maybe some dancing where she could get close to a hot guy for a bit.

Slipping her ID inside the tiny pocket she’d sewn on her costume, she fought a shiver as her body tried to adjust to the temperature difference. Ten feet inside the club Peter Pan asked her to dance. She eyed him carefully. He was kinda cute. Glancing down, she vetoed that. Nope. Not nearly enough in those tights to tempt her. She gave him a soft smile and let him down easy. “Sorry, Pete. I’m an angel, not a fairy. Keep looking, you’ll find your Tinkerbell.”

Excerpt 2:

The loud blare of a train whistle pulled Zane from the depths of sleep. Why was there a train? Where the hell was he? There weren’t any trains near the lake. His Zorro mask blocked one eye. Tugging it up, he blinked a few times until his eyes adjusted to the dim light. A four poster bed? Satin sheets and pillows, a sweet perfume lingering in the air. Not his apartment.

Silky, long hair splayed across his bare chest. A soft arm lay across his stomach. Feathers tickled his arm. Feathers?

Damn.

He’d went home with Claire. Not just went home with her, but went to bed with her. That was her arm. Her naked body pressed so temptingly against his side. The feathers from her angel costume bent around his arm. And damn, she felt just as amazing as he’d dreamed she would.

She’d hate him when she woke up and discovered him in her bed.

He gulped down a ball of dread when that little speck of consciousness dropped into active thought. No way would she be cool with this. Not even a little bit. His heart and mind raced while he tried to come up with a plan that didn’t end with Claire castrating him. She’d made it clear how little she cared for him, repeatedly.

He wasn’t even sure why she seemed to hate him so much. Back when they were teenagers, she’d followed him around like a lost puppy for about a year. And even the year she’d half-lived with Talia they’d been cool. But it seemed like the more he tried to make her like him, the less she did.

And finding out they’d had a drunken one-night-stand? Yeah. No. He liked his balls just where they were. Firmly attached to his body.

Excerpt 3:

“Talia! Come in, how are you feeling?” Her best friend gave her a quick hug before coming inside.

“I’m good. I wanted to see if you wanted to come with me to Garden? Hang out for a bit?” Talia sat and propped her swollen feet up on the coffee table. “How you been? I’m sorry I didn’t make it out to the costume party. This pregnancy is kicking my butt.” She rubbed her belly with a soft smile on her face.

“I have to be at work early in the morning. I do need to run by Garden though. I…” Claire trailed off giggling. “Oh, I have to tell you. I have a secret admirer!”

“What?”

“Okay, so since you totally bailed on me for the Halloween party, I went alone. I mean, that costume was too fine and too expensive to waste, right?” Claire paused only for a second before continuing, “So… I’m standing there at the bar and this guy walks up and asks me to dance. And he’s totally hot, so I’m like okay. And so we dance. And drink. And dance. And kiss—oh my God, can he kiss. And well, the details get a bit fuzzy, but I uh… brought him home with me.”

“That’s a one night stand, not a secret admirer.” Talia nudged her.

“I know that.” Claire nudged back, but gentler. “When I woke up, he was gone.”

“So romantic… Never understood the whole hit it and quit it thing?”

“But he didn’t! Well, I guess kinda… but he went and got me flowers. And left me a note that’s signed Z for Zorro. And then a poem on my car, and a poem beneath the door.” Claire jumped up and ran to her bedroom to get the other notes.

When she came back, she dropped them in Talia’s lap. “See, look. How sweet is that? I have to write my next note and leave it at Garden.”

Talia read the notes, with Claire watching her face the entire time. There was a hint of confusion, then something that Claire thought might be anger, before Talia’s face softened into a smile.

“So, Z, huh? What are you saying back to him?” Talia raised an eyebrow.

“I don’t know. Pretty sure I sounded ignorant in my first note.” Laying her head on Talia’s shoulder, Claire asked, “Can you help me come up with something?”

“I suppose.” Her doubtful tone made Claire sit up and look at her.

“What’s that supposed to mean? You found love in an unconventional way. Who’s to say I can’t. Something about this guy…” Claire flipped her hair back. She searched for the words to explain how Z made her feel. How even his note made her feel.

“Okay, I’ll help you. But keep it G-rated, alright?” Talia shook her head. “Sean has made me more willing to try some things, but this is a line I won’t cross. And if you all get more X-rated than the whisker burn, I don’t want to read them.”

“Why not?” Claire poked Talia’s belly. “Baby stole your sex drive?”

“Hush. My sex drive is just fine. I just don’t need to hear about yours right now. Unless you want to hear about just how good Sean is with his—”

“Got it!” Laughing, Claire grabbed the stationery. “So… what do I say to Z?”

“Aren’t you going to try to figure out who he is?”

“Pretty sure it’s a guy who works at the hospital. I think he’s an anesthesiologist.” After a lot of thought, she could only think of one guy who might be romantic enough to pull this sort of seduction off.

Talia shook her head. “I wouldn’t get too attached to that idea, if I were you.”

Claire met her friend’s gaze. “Do you know something I don’t?”

“Nope. I wasn’t even there to see Zorro, remember? Don’t know anything about him except he had a scratchy beard.” Something about the expression on her face said Talia knew more than she was saying.

Book Links:

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01FRLGMDU

Apple: https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/id1114610877

Barnes & Noble: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/clandestine-allie-kincheloe/1123809833?ean=2940153243436

Kobo: https://store.kobobooks.com/en-us/ebook/clandestine-24

Author Links:

Author website: www.alliekincheloe.com

Twitter: @allie_kincheloe

Authors, blog challenge

#LifeBooksWriting Blog Challenge: A Day in My Life

Posted on June 3, 2016June 3, 2016 by Debbie

This week’s blog challenge is about A Day in My Life. Sophia Valentine of Lifestyle and Literature created this challenge (see graphic for topics and dates if you have a blog and would like to participate. If you’re a reader, I’m sure you’ll enjoy learning about some of the great participating authors).

My day usually begins at 5 a.m. when I wake up, feed my cats, and make coffee for my husband in that order. Then I check my computer for emails, Facebook messages, and my handy Google calendar, so I know what else is on the agenda for that day. I spend the next hour writing and eating breakfast which is usually a high fiber cereal with bananas or blueberries and coffee with skim milk. At 6 a.m., after my husband is out of the shower, I wake up my 6th-grade daughter who takes an hour dressing and using the bathroom. While she is getting ready, I put one of my Leslie Sansone walk-at-home DVD’s into my computer and exercise for a half hour. I then make breakfast for my daughter who, like my husband, grabs something quick because they are both running late all the time.

When everyone is gone, I shower and dress for work. I like to get there at 8:30 even though I start at 9. I work at my local library as a librarian. The best part of my job is ordering the new fiction and mystery books, but it’s also the hardest because I want to read them all and don’t have the time. I also enjoy helping people find new books and authors. I’ve been writing and editing the library’s monthly staff picks newsletter for the last three years.

I work at the library from 9 to 5 four days a week and from 1 to 9 once a week. I also work two Saturdays a month. When I work a Saturday, I usually get a Friday off. On my days off and on weekends, I try to catch up on household chores and social media/writing. But if my daughter is home, too, I try to spend time with her. She’s at the age where she’d rather be with her friends than her mother, so I usually take her out somewhere with a friend. Last weekend, we went to Old Westbury Gardens, a place she particularly likes, as she’s into nature. However, it was so hot that both she and her friend wanted to leave before we were there long. A week ago, my daughter unexpectedly asked me to read a book with her. We used to read together all the time when she was younger but, as she started getting more homework and I became involved in writing, there was less time for us to do so. The book she chose, The Bad Unicorn, is one of those pre-teen dramatic works with a mysterious ancient codex and a seventh-grade hero. I had to admit I found some of the parts funny, and she laughed through a lot of it, too. Despite its crazy plot, the book was written on a level that would help increase a middle-schooler’s vocabulary, and I was glad it was something we could share.

This weekend, I’m headed to Foxwoods Casino in Connecticut for MASE (Mystic Author Signing Event) where I’ll be meeting authors and readers and signing both of my books, A Stone’s Throw and Cloudy Rainbow. My husband is coming along, so we’ll also try to fit in some much-needed together time. Most of the time we’re both too busy with our jobs and daughter. The single exception is the one night a week, usually on a weekend I’m not working, that we watch a movie or TV show together on Netflix while our daughter plays virtual games on her computer with her friends.

There’s not much more to know about my days except that I try to fit in reading and some time with my cats.

Authors, Books, Limitless Publishing

Have you Read J.A. Kerr’s Erotic Suspense Braille Club Series?

Posted on June 2, 2016 by Debbie

✯ ☆҉‿➹⁀☆҉☆EROTIC SUSPENSE ✯ ☆҉‿➹⁀☆҉☆BOOK 1 FREE✯ ☆҉‿➹⁀☆҉☆BOOK 3 COMING SOON✯ ☆҉‿➹FREE ON KU⁀☆҉☆

ONE CLUB…3 STORIES…3 ENTHRALLING ENDINGS!

҉☆Book 1 : US: http://bit.ly/1MMslDU

UK: http://amzn.to/1KQ7K1c

Gabriella Ballantyne’s marriage is in trouble…

Her husband Max has grown cold, and Gabriella seeks out the Braille Club and its decadent delights in an effort to reawaken their hearts and strengthen their marriage. But when she presents him with his own membership card, she sees only revulsion in his eyes. Gabriella must use everything she’s learned from the club in a last-ditch effort to reconnect with Max and resurrect their love.

☆҉☆Book 2 : US: http://bit.ly/1OTlMRI

UK: http://amzn.to/1XbQogj

Ford Munroe will help bring the Braille Club to a whole new level…

Tasked with developing new technologies to enhance the club’s erotic pleasures, Ford enlists engineer Esme MacDonald to assist him. As they test the devices, the attraction between them intensifies, delighting Ford but leaving Esme perplexed about her sexuality. Her revelation rocks Ford—is Esme really interested in him, or only the Braille Club?

☆҉☆҉☆Book 3 coming soon…

Simon Lawrence will stop at nothing to satisfy his desires…

But his wife has other plans. Tess is tired of her husband’s infidelity and resorts to blackmail to stop him, but Simon won’t let his new woman of interest slip through his fingers. Distraught, Tess will be stop at nothing to protect her secret. How far will she go to save her husband…from himself.

❥¸.•´*¨`*•✿SEXY SUSPENSE SERIES,❥¸.•´*¨`*•✿

BOOK 1 FREE! FREE ON KINDLE UNLIMITED.

WANT EROTICA WITH A PLOTICA?

A blindfold can enrich an experience, but deadly threats are best faced with your eyes wide open. You decide—is it worth the risk to indulge in the Braille Club?

UK: http://amzn.to/1KQ7K1c FREE US : http://bit.ly/1MMslDU

Unbound UK: http://amzn.to/1XbQogj

Unbound Com: http://bit.ly/1OTlMRI

Authors, Books, Limitless Publishing

Have you Read Rosa Sophia’s Suspenseful Paranormal Romance, Meet Me in the Rose Garden?

Posted on June 1, 2016 by Debbie

Meet Me In the Garden by Rosa Sophia

#ParanormalRomance #RomanticSuspense #Romance #TeamLimitless

#OneClick #Kindle Buy on Amazon: http://amzn.to/1TLR1hw

#Synopsis

Memories of another life, and the garden where it all began, keep Amalie Jarvis awake at night.

A columnist for a popular magazine, she attends a function in Palm Beach at the famous Breakers Hotel, only to cross paths with graphic designer Ian Gardner—who appears to hold the key to her visions. The more time they spend together, the more Amalie realizes how much she wants to be with him. And how much she fears admitting that she loves him.

Ian can’t remember the past, but he is drawn to Amalie with an intense passion he’s never felt before.

Many moons ago, they met in a garden. Different names, different faces—but their souls were still the same. Unable to resist her, Ian falls deeply in love. He remains by her side as she battles severe facial pain, not knowing what it is or if it could kill her. Frightened for her, he swears his adoration without ever speaking the words.

But their devotion has dangers, and they’re about to be faced by hazards neither of them could have foreseen…

Genre: Paranormal Romance, Romantic Suspense

Publisher: Limitless Publishing

Publication Date: January 20, 2015

Buy on Amazon: http://amzn.to/1TLR1hw

About the Author

Rosa Sophia lives in South Florida in a cottage by the sea. She is an automotive technician, crazy cat lady, and member of the Editorial Freelancers Association. She is the author of numerous novels including Meet Me In the Garden, Over the Ivy Wall, Orion Cross My Sky, and The House Guest.

Visit Rosa:

Blog: www.backwordswriter.com

Website: www.authorrosasophia.com

Facebook: www.facebook.com/editing.by.rosa.sophia

Cover Reveal

Cover Reveal: A Series of Agains by Kiarra Taylor

Posted on June 1, 2016 by Debbie

BOOK & AUTHOR INFO:

A Series of Agains by Kiarra M. Taylor
Publication date: June 14, 2016
Genres: Contemporary Romance

Cover Design: Ashley Byland . Redbird Designs

Format: Ebook and Paperback will be available at online book retailers

Synopsis:

Her past…

Single mother, KaLena Tweed, is a bright-eyed law student who has absolutely no reason to be wary of the world. But when her son is kidnapped by her boyfriend, her outlook swiftly changes. Ultimately her beloved son is returned to her untainted, but the same can’t be said for Lena, who is forever changed.

Her Present…

A hellish dating experience has permanently scarred KaLena, and five years later she is both the victim and villain in her own life’s story. Like a badge, she proudly wears her pain and anger for the world to see. For her, trust is a thing of the past and these days the only thing Lena can trust anyone to do is stay far away from her—and even further away from her son. But unfortunately, a woman has certain…needs that just can’t be denied, so she resorts to taking on a friend with ‘benefits’.

Her Their Future…?

Sheriff Tristin Sullivan is as kind as he is handsome and KaLena is unable to resist making him the lucky new recipient of her ‘benefits’. He quickly proves that he is undeterred by Lena’s lethal mouth and foul attitude. In fact, it turns him the hell on. Although their physical chemistry is hot enough to scorch even the sun, KaLena is careful to make it known that anything more is simply not in the cards for them, because her ability to trust was stolen at the same time her son was. Not one to be easily dissuaded, Tristin vows that he will have her trust and her heart because he’s damned determined to earn them—through a series of agains.

Cue an epic, sexy, and endearing battle of wills.

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/30246292-a-series-of-agains?from_search=true&search_version=service

AUTHOR BIO:

Kiarra M. Taylor is a Pittsburgh native and current resident. She is a mother to a handsome son as well as a beautiful daughter. A lifelong bookworm, Kiarra began writing in the fifth grade and hasn’t stopped since. With so many genres out there she doesn’t limit herself to writing in just one and aims to write across genres. Her interests in books vary as does as her interest in music; she literally likes it all. Some of Kiarra’s favorite authors are; J.K. Rowling, Sylvia Day, Tiffany Snow, Jane Austen, Maya Angelou, Mary Monroe and ML Rodriguez.

Aside from reading Kiarra has a passion for all things Criminal Justice and currently holds several higher education degrees including a Master of Science in Criminal Justice Administration.

When Kiarra isn’t transferring fictional worlds from the dredges of her mind to her laptop, you can find her nose-deep in a book or spending time with her children.

Ever the social butterfly, Kiarra is very active on social media so please feel free to catch up with her on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Goodreads!

Author links:

www.authorkiarramtaylor.com

https://www.facebook.com/AuthorKiarraMTaylor/

https://twitter.com/KMTaylorWrites

https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/14537611.Kiarra_M_Taylor

A Stone's Throw, Authors, blog challenge, Books, Characters, Cloudy Rainbow

#LifeBooksWriting Blog Challenge: How I Create Characters

Posted on May 27, 2016 by Debbie

This week’s blog challenge is called character inspiration. Sophia Valentine of Lifestyle and Literature created this challenge (see graphic for topics and dates if you have a blog and would like to participate. If you’re a reader, I’m sure you’ll enjoy the posts from the great participating authors).

The characters I feature in my books are fictionalized composites of people I know or have known. The main character usually shares some of my personality or background. For instance, in “A Stone’s Throw,” Alicia Fairmont is a librarian like I am. Although my husband is still alive, thank God, Alicia is a widow. Her marriage was quite different from mine, as her husband kept his past secret. When she searches for his family that she has never met, she ends up meeting and falling in love with John McKinney, the publisher of a small town newspaper. John’s character is mostly imaginary. His occupation and interest in journalism and novel writing is another aspect of my personal experience. I worked as Features editor on my college newspaper and also edited and published my library school newsletter before writing articles, short stories and novels.

John’s father, 80-year old Mac, is another central character in my book. He is a librarian and previous library director at the Cobble Cove Library in upstate New York. One memorable characteristic of Mac is his love of peanut butter and jelly sandwiches. When I worked part-time in the special collections department of my college library, I worked with an older gentleman who ate peanut butter and jelly sandwiches every day. I gave Mac this similar quirk and also his propensity for creative quotes. The tagline of the book, which comes from one of Mac’s sayings is, “Things happen for a reason.”

Sheila, the current library director and a close friend of Mac and John is not based on anyone I’ve worked for. She’s a complex character who is difficult to know initially. As the story unfolds, we learn her hard exterior was built after the tragic loss of her young husband to a brain aneurysm that left her to raise her daughter alone.

There are many other characters in the book including Alicia’s best friend, Abigail Nostran, known as Gilly, who worked with her part-time as a clerk at their library on Long Island. Gilly has three sons and is a very down-to-earth person who likes to wear sweatshirts and casual clothing. She loves to bake and, despite a messy divorce, is a positive person who enjoys talking about the opposite sex. I based Gilly on several women I’ve known throughout my life. I also had a friend at my library who worked as a clerk.

Dora, the innkeeper, who Alicia first meets when coming to Cobble Cove, shares some similarities with Gilly. She has never married and, during the course of the book, develops a love interest in someone. An older woman who runs a bed and breakfast in a small town, she’s a bit wary about new guests. As she gets to know Alicia, she becomes friendlier. Her interests also include baking as well as gardening and making the inn’s bath soaps and lotions.

Two other characters that play important roles in my book, although they aren’t human, are the library Siamese cat, Sneaky, and Mac and John’s golden retriever, Fido. The cat is based on my own Siamese cat, Oliver, who is older than Sneaky. The dog is also based on some dogs I grew up with and those I’ve read about in books.

For more information about my characters, you can read “Interview with My Characters” and/or “Celebrating Christmas with My Characters” both on this blog.

The sequel to “A Stone’s Throw” will feature several new characters. Without giving the story away, some will be college-age and others children. I base the kids on my own daughter when she was the age of the characters. One young girl who plays a big role in the book, Angelina, suffers from leukemia. Her character is based on my niece who underwent a bone marrow transplant ten years ago at the age of 12 and is now completely recovered with a baby daughter.

The new book that I am currently writing with totally different characters, features themes of alcoholism. mental illness, and infertility. The main character, Sarah Lloyd, is a children’s book illustrator this time instead of a librarian. She is having problems conceiving which causes stress on her marriage. I have a familiarity with this topic because it took me many years and some fertility treatments to conceive my daughter. Sarah’s mother, Jennifer Brewster, is the alcoholic in the book. While my experience with this topic is limited, I used my knowledge of alcoholic characters I’ve read about and seen portrayed on television. Without revealing the plot or other characters because the book is only in a draft stage, I will say my characters are different from those of “A Stone’s Throw” and my first self-published novel, “Cloudy Rainbow,” although there are some similarities.

I believe most authors put some of themselves in their main characters as well as other aspects of their personalities in non-leading characters. I’ve also found that, once you name a character and begin to feature that person in your book, they start taking on characteristics and motivations that often surprise you.

In case the descriptions of my characters have interested you, you might consider joining my mailing list for updates on my books and monthly contests for prizes at https://debbiedelouise.wordpress.com (just complete the pop-up newsletter form and confirm through the email you are sent). The next newsletter will be out on June 1st where I’ll be announcing the June contest and awarding the May prize.

Monday Blog

Do you want to be happy, lose weight, and have a better memory?

Posted on May 23, 2016 by Debbie

I started an exercise program a few months ago. I’d tried to make exercise a habit many other times in my life, but I always ended up making excuses and falling back into a sedentary lifestyle. A few factors made it harder for me to adopt a fitness routine. The first was that I grew up in a family that didn’t exercise regularly. My father’s favorite activity when he was home was sitting in front of the television watching his favorite shows. My mother enjoyed walking but had some issues with her legs and couldn’t keep it up. Another strike against me was my weight. I was an obese child and, although I lost weight in my teens and early twenties, the pounds crept back on as I entered my 30’s.

I became a member of a gym, but like most people, wasted the money by always finding a reason not to go. I purchased a treadmill and only used it a few times. I even hired a personal trainer to come to my house, but I found it too costly and could barely do the exercises she suggested. When I joined Jenny Craig to try to lose weight, I expected the program to include exercise. However, they stressed following the diet first. As the pounds started to come off, I felt more able to perform even the basic moves of getting up from a chair, walking up and down stairs, etc. When my counselor suggested I try some Leslie Sansone walk-at-home videos, I took the beginner ones out of the library and then purchased a few that I liked. I alternated them and, as my counselor suggested, followed the recording twenty-minutes three times a week to start. When it was nice, I also took walks outside. Eventually, I felt that I could exercise longer and increase my pace. I also started to add short jogs to my walks.

After 18 months on the Jenny Craig program and having lost 60+ pounds, my weight loss is slowing down, but I’m now walking 30 minutes every day. There are days I have to push myself and days I can hardly make it through the half hour, but most of the time I feel great afterwards. I especially like a morning routine that helps wake me up and get my day to a nice start.

Besides helping to keep one’s metabolism high to help weight maintenance and loss, exercising has many side benefits. Everyone knows it’s good for you, but not everyone is aware of all its benefits. Like the nursery rhyme, “Jack be nimble, Jack be quick, Jack jump over the candlestick,” exercise can truly help you clear any hurdle. It’s a safer stress reliever and mood lightener than any anti-anxiety pill or anti-depressant. It has even proven to aid one’s recall and brain function. It is even believed to slow aging and prevent many illnesses from heart attacks to strokes to high blood pressue and even cancer.

I’m not a doctor, but I recommend starting slow and always consulting your physician before you start an exercise program. If you are severely overweight or lead a very sedentary life, you need to build up your endurance slowly. The main thing is to keep at it. Set up a routine. Schedule a time to work out. Thirty minutes a day is all it takes, even if you break it up or begin with 20 minutes three times a week as I did. Another important tip is to keep moving throughout the day, not only when you exercise. I have one of the Apple watches that monitors your daily activity. It requires you to try to close three circles that measure the amount of exercise you’ve completed: the additional calories you’ve burned through activity; and the optimum of standing you do during the time you wear the watch. It even alerts you when you’ve spent too much time sitting which has also been found unhealthy even for people who exercise regularly.

Below are some links to articles about exercise benefits. After reading them, I hope you consider making exercise part of your life so that you live a longer, more productive one.

http://greatist.com/fitness/13-awesome-mental-health-benefits-exercise

http://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/fitness/in-depth/exercise/art-20048389

https://go4life.nia.nih.gov/how-exercise-can-help-you

http://www.iphoneincanada.ca/news/apple-watch-activity-circles-motivate-users/

Authors, Books

Have You Read Fallback by Lori Whitwam?

Posted on May 22, 2016May 22, 2016 by Debbie

From @limitlessbooks! FALLBACK by @ripleygold is LIVE!

FALLBACK (The Dead Survive Book 2) by Lori Whitwam is available for purchase on Amazon!

► #oneclick →→ http://amzn.to/1NicBG5

► Publisher: Limitless Publishing ~ #TeamLimitless

►►► SYNOPSIS ◄◄◄

After being rescued from a brutal band of marauders, Ellen Hale rebuilt her life in the fortified neighborhood that became her home. A heartbreaking decision and devastating loss pushed her to become a fierce fighter, because weakness only got you and those you loved killed.

Now her community is facing a deadly threat, and Ellen has another choice to make.

Ellen volunteers as a member of fallback team three, tasked with establishing a temporary refuge for their citizens in the event their community is overrun by the enemy. As the danger intensifies, she and her adopted sister, Melissa, set off with the rest of their team on the road trip from hell.

Their mission is cloaked in secrecy, but suspicions of a traitor arise.

Something is affecting the zombies’ migration patterns, and when blacksmith Tyler Garrett is discovered trapped in a farmhouse, the team refuses to trust him. But Ellen believes his story, and it’s not just because of his rugged, blond good looks and soft-spoken manner—his skills can greatly benefit their team.

As the team struggles to reach the fallback, previously secure locations are overrun, and their chances of success seem remote. With the likelihood of a traitor nearly certain, and the lives of everyone she loves at risk, Ellen must figure out who to trust before the traitor—or the zombies—destroy them all.

Is there a spy among the fallback team,

or is there another threat lurking in the Kentucky hills?

►►► Meet the author: LORI WHITWAM ◄◄◄

Lori spent her early years reading books in a tree in northern West Virginia. The 1980s and 90s found her and her husband moving around the Midwest, mainly because it was easier to move than clean the apartment. After seventeen frigid years in Minnesota, she fled to coastal North Carolina in 2013. She will never leave, and if you try to make her, she will hurt you.

She has worked in public libraries, written advertising copy for wastewater treatment equipment, and managed a holistic veterinary clinic. Her current day job, conducted from her World Headquarters and Petting Zoo (her couch) is as the Managing Editor for Limitless Publishing, as well as editing for a select group of indie authors.

Her dogs are a big part of her life, and she has served or held offices in Golden Retriever and Great Pyrenees rescues, a humane society, a county kennel club, and her own chapter of Therapy Dogs International.

She has been a columnist and feature writer for auto racing and pet publications, and won the Dog Writers Association of America’s Maxwell Award for a series of humor essays.

Parents of a grown son, Lori and her husband were high school sweethearts, and he manages to love her in spite of herself. Some of his duties include making sure she always has fresh coffee and safe tires, trying to teach her to use coupons, and convincing the state police to spring her from house arrest in her hotel room in time for a very important concert. That last one only happened once—so far—but she still really, really appreciates it.

You can find her online at http://www.loriwhitwam.com.

Her Facebook author page is http://www.facebook.com/loriauthor

Also on sale a limited time, the first book in the series:

Lori Whitwam – The Dead Survive

It should be easy to tell who the monsters are in the middle of a global zombie pandemic…

The blank-eyed swarms of animated corpses who want to gnaw on your flesh. Well, those are the obvious choice, of course.

In reality, though, it’s not always that simple.

In the early days of the global zombie pandemic, Ellen Hale learned a brutal lesson. While trying to survive the hordes of zombies, Ellen was abducted by a band of marauders and subjected to abuse almost beyond her ability to endure.

She is broken both mentally and physically, and fears she is on the verge of becoming a monster herself…

Until she is rescued by a growing band of survivors and given a second chance.

Ellen is taken to “The Compound.” Where she meets ex-convict, Quinn.

He’s everything she’d ever been taught to fear, but his presence is the only thing that makes her feel safe.

Will she be able to look past his rough exterior and learn to trust him? Or will the memory of the men who subjected her to such sadistic horrors ruin her chance at a new life?

Tag Line:

Sometimes the shambling animated corpses aren’t the worst things out there. Sometimes the monsters are human…

Authors, blog challenge, Books

#LifeBooksWriting Blog Challenge: 6 Marketing Tips

Posted on May 20, 2016 by Debbie

This week’s blog challenge is about marketing tips. Sophia Valentine of Lifestyle and Literature created this challenge (see graphic for topics and dates if you have a blog and would like to participate. If you’re a reader, I’m sure you’ll enjoy learning about some of the great participating authors).

I don’t have many book marketing tips I can recommend and hope to learn something from others taking this challenge, but here are six things I’ve done that seemed to help my sales of “A Stone’s Throw,”so far:

I spoke to the editor of my local paper about my book before it first came out, and she interviewed me and published an article the week of its release.
Since I’m a librarian, I sent a press release to the Nassau County Library Association, and they featured me and my book in their monthly newsletter. This can work for anyone who is a member of any association or group that publishes a newsletter which features member news.
I contacted book blogs for reviews and interviews. See my Media page for those that featured me.
I organized a Thanksreader’s Facebook party around the time of my release. Since my book came out around Thanksgiving, I used a theme of a virtual feast at which each author taking over brought a “dish” as well as giveaways. The dishes often included recipes and yummy photos.
I signed up for a release blitz with Book Enthusiast Promotions.
I created teasers using Canva.com with scenes from my book, as well as review quotes that I used on Facebook posts and Twitter tweets.In addition to these marketing tips, there are some things I tried that weren’t productive for me but that doesn’t mean they won’t be productive for you. These included posting in FB groups, taking out Facebook ads, and holding Goodreads and Facebook giveaways. While these didn’t result in much sales for me, I may not have promoted them properly. You might have totally different results. The main thing is to try many avenues to reach your target market — both online and through personal appearances, signings, etc. It’s a tough market, but if your books are good, you don’t give up, and you keep writing, you will be noticed, build a fan base, and eventually earn some profit from your hard work.

Monday Blog

Can you believe the exciting services Libraries Now offer?

Posted on May 16, 2016 by Debbie

On May 5th, I attended the 41st Long Island Library Conference at the Melville Marriott. This annual event brings together librarians and other library staff members from both Long Island counties. Three workshops are offered during this day-long conference as well as a break for lunch during which attendees listen to a keynote speaker. There are also many exhibitors from vendors to library associations and groups that fill up the exhibit hall.

I was impressed, as I have been at the previous conferences I attended, with the many volunteers who helped organize, run, and man the tables at the event. I found the workshops enlightening and inspiring and was again proud of being a librarian in this day of fast answers by Google and Siri.

Below is the report I wrote about the conference that I feel will be of interest to not only library employees but library patrons. The conference was appropriately titled, “Shaping the Future,” to emphasize the new role of today’s libraries that has shifted from a place to borrow books to one of a community gathering space featuring programs, services, and materials that support people of all ages, incomes, and interests.

If you don’t currently have a library card or make use of your local library, I urge you to read my report and consider the variety of new services libraries now offer. There’s something for everyone, and the workshops I attended just addressed three of the multitude of offerings. Check the ones that are available at your own library or request some you’d like to see. Libraries are always open to patron suggestions.

Crowd-Pleasing Memory Programs at Half Hollow Hills

The first workshop, sponsored by the Half Hollow Hills Library, was entitled Crowd-Pleasing Memory Programs. It entailed a description of the four memory-themed programs the Half Hollow Hill Library offers its patrons and the Long Island Community and also included many informative handouts. The presenters were Catherine Given, Virginia Pisciotta, and Kate Anastasia of Half Hollow Hills Library. They stressed the feelings of accomplishment these programs gave them and the importance of serving the memory-challenged community on Long Island. Nationwide, Alzheimer affects 5 million people and is the 6^th leading cause of death killing 1 in 3 seniors.

The four programs featured at Half Hollow Hills are Memory Fitness, Memory Café, Music and Memory, and Alzheimer’s Association 8-week programs. The library markets these programs through releases sent to neurologist offices, churches and Jewish centers, Assisted Living residences, through word of mouth, and by announcements in the library’s newsletter.

The Memory Fitness program takes place weekly at the library. Run by Ginny Pisciotta, this program allows those with memory difficulties to challenge their brains through puzzles, games, and other activities. The program attendees are seated at tables to encourage social interaction which is also very important for these people. The cost to start this type of program is not high, approximately $200, and many materials can be borrowed from the library’s children’s or YA departments. Half Hollow Hills also has a collection of memory-related materials that can only be used by their patrons.

The Memory Café meets monthly at a local restaurant. The LI Chapter of the Alzheimer’s Association pays for the restaurant’s buffet in a room provided free by the owner. Participants eat, dance, and sing along to CD’s. Last month, the library had 50 participants.

Music and Memory is a program whereby the library offers lifetime-loaned iPods for patrons’ family members affected by dementia. These iPods are loaded with a playlist of the memory-challenged relative’s favorite tunes. The material costs are $49 plus $3 for headphones. Alternately, a library can launch a donation program.

The 8-week early-stage Alzheimer’s workshops are conducted by the Alzheimer’s Association at libraries that have two rooms available. One room is used for caregivers; the other for Alzheimer patients. While the Alzheimer patient attends a recreational program similar to the Memory Fitness one given by Half Hollows Hill staff, the caregiver attends a support group by the Alzheimer Association’s Program Director.

Serving the Business Community

The second workshop I attended, Serving the Business Community, featured speakers from the Miller Business Resource Center at the Middle Country Public Library and the Business Resource Information Center at Freeport Memorial Library. The purpose of a library targeting its business community is that small business is crucial to the economy; the library can build its brand with different groups, new groups of people look to start businesses, it can fill a niche, and there will be new funding opportunities. The business community needs one-on-one assistance (owners come in to ask questions); free resources; and subscription databases. A business blog is also helpful.

The program described some of the programs Middle Country and Freeport offer to the business community. The speakers mentioned that while it is not necessary for every public library to have a dedicated business center, libraries should all be prepared to help the local business community, new entrepreneurs, and job seekers. A library can make a small physical space and/or an online space for their business patrons. The Miller Center uses LibGuides, the Reference USA database that it highly recommends along with Business Source Premiere and Gale Virtual Reference. They also have a business blog.

Two interesting programs that were discussed were the Miller Center’s Business Bites program and a Trade Show event. The Business Bites program is a 45-minute workshop for business people at hours that are convenient for library staff and patrons. The Middle Country Public Library conducts these workshops before the library opens and before busy people need to get into work. Other libraries may find an evening or weekend program would work better for their communities. The workshop can feature topics of interest to business people such as social media marketing on Facebook, twitter, and other platforms. Librarians can run some or an hire a presenter from an outside company. The Brooklyn Public Library also offers this program.

The Strictly Business Trade show that Middle Country just began takes a lot of work, but they’ve had a good reaction to it even though it’s in its early stages. They hold the show at the library between 9 and 1 on a Tuesday and include breakfast with admission. Their previous show included 100 vendors and 800 attendees. They had a speaker from the Long Island Library Association and distributed evaluation forms for feedback which was quite positive.

Building Communities of Readers Using Library Readers “Staff Picks”

This program was presented by speakers from the New York Public Library, Darien Public Library, and Queens Public Library. It focused on how library staff can recommend books to readers all over the country through a program called LibraryReads. The presenters explained the process of registering as a public library staff member with LibraryReads, requesting digital ARC’s (Advanced Reader Copies), and nominating their favorite titles. The object of the program is to increase a library staff member’s awareness of new books.

There are several advantages to becoming a LibraryReads reviewer. One is that it will enhance a library’s reader’s advisory services because books that are included in LibraryReads do not need to be by well-known authors or big publishers. The source for these selections are found through Edelweiss and Net Galley that feature debut authors as well as small and independent publishers. Another benefit to reviewing on LibraryReads is that your review may be featured in newspapers and other nationwide publications.

After the presentation on LibraryReads was complete, the floor was opened up to a discussion by participants regarding other ways they promote reader’s advisory at their library. I spoke about our monthly staff picks newsletter where we feature debut as well as popular authors and the fact that those books reviewed see a high circulation rate. Other libraries use other methods such as shelf talkers, book discussions, and displays.

Besides the workshops I attended, I also listened to the keynote speaker, Tad Hills, a Children’s author known for his books featuring duck and goose the mascots of the conference, and gathered some handouts and other materials from library vendors and associations on the conference floor I felt would be useful information to myself as well as my co-workers.

Attending the conference made me realize how much my profession is growing and how much it offers to people both those who visit and those who log in from home. These new programs and services are not restricted to Long Island libraries. Libraries around the country and the world are adding new services and programs every day.