The Gifted Ones Book 3 Now Available!

I promised Book 3 of The Gifted Ones series for Halloween, and here it is. The Animator focuses on a Gifted One you’ve already met, and a certain lady he’s very taken with. This is the official blurb:

Ellie’s Aunt Grace has always had a love/hate relationship with The Gifted Ones. Deep down, she blames them for destroying her sister’s life, so when Doo Clovis, an especially kind-hearted Gifted One, shows her some attention, she isn’t quick to take the bait. When Grace finally lets her guard down and begins to warm to the handsome cowboy and his old-money Texas family, however, she is unprepared for the evil that lurks in the more distant branches of his family tree. The next thing she knows, Grace is found with blood on her hands, sucked into a web of lies and deceit, and must turn to The Gifted Ones to get herself out.

It’s showing on all the big vendors now. You can find the purchase links on the book’s page. So scoot on over there, and hunker down for a hunky read.

Cover Reveal for The Gifted Ones, Book 3

Still lots of editing to do on this puppy, but we’ve got a nice cover done, so I thought I’d float it out in the world and see what people think. Anyone who’s not sighing over this rugged-yet-thoughtful cowboy is clearly not into guys. But if that’s the case, that’s okay, because, as usual, there are plenty more players where that one came from—my stories are nothing if not packed with colorful characters. And if you’re wondering what they’ll be up to in this one, the blurb is up for The Gifted Ones Book 3, The Animator on the series page.
 
Given that we’ve now got the outside of Book 3 finished, and we’ll have the inside done in another 10-14 days, I’m certain this installment of The Gifted Ones series will go live before Halloween, as promised. The book will be available in all the popular ebook outlets, as I don’t do the whole “exclusive with Amazon” thing. Yes, I wish my books could be available to borrow in Amazon’s all-you-can-read club (“Kindle Unlimited“), but I’m just not willing to help Amazon shut down every other ebook vendor on the planet in exchange, and that’s what they require of small publishers who want to participate.
 
As always, this book will be in need of reviews when it comes out, so if you’d like a free copy in exchange for a review, just drop us a line on our contact page, and we’ll send you the file type of your choice, straightaway.
 

Worse Ways to Spend Your Weekend

Well, how-dee! Yes, there surely are worse ways to spend your weekend, but I have to admit, after staring at about a thousand pictures of handsome cowboys the past few days, my eyes are bugging out. I’ve been searching for just the right model and just right the pose for my next book cover, and as usual, I’m incredibly hard to please. No picture is ever quite right. It took me about a week to find the image I wanted for Book 2 of The Gifted Ones, but that was of a Native American man, and those are hard to come by. The striking cowboy from Amarillo, Texas needed for Book 3, I thought, should be a cinch. Well, the pictures are easy enough to find, it’s settling on just the right one that’s tough. I’ve been to five different photo sites already and found dozens of handsome hunks I’d be happy to marry…or adopt…or pay to just stand around looking pretty all day. But now I have to narrow it down. What do y’all think of this swoon-worthy farm boy from 123RF?
 

Under The Covers


 
Conventional ebook publishing wisdom has it that changing up your covers every so often is a good marketing move. You can revitalize an older book or series and draw in new readers by giving your product a whole new look, or so the recommendation goes. If it works for politicians and fast food restaurants, it ought to work for ebooks, right? Well, I’m not sure I follow the logic, but you’d be surprised—even covers that you once drooled over start to look old and tired when you’ve seen them too much. So, just to relieve my own eye fatigue, and in celebration of almost ten years since I started the first book in the series (Little Miss Straight Lace), I’ve invested in a beautiful new set of covers for my old standy-by, Unbreakable. Remember, if you haven’t read it yet, the first book is free, so grab it now and try out the new skin!
 

The Gifted Ones Book 2: A Learner

In case anyone missed it, last week we released the second book in The Gifted Ones series, as promised, on pi Day (3/14/15), though we didn’t quite make the 9:26 AM deadline to really give it the geeky math mojo (3.1415926). The book is available in all the usual outlets—just check the series page for purchase links.
 
And if you haven’t seen it yet, here is the final synopsis of the story to pique your interest:
In the second volume in the series, Daniel Holybear, a Native American Gifted One, finds himself at odds with a development company that is threatening the peaceful seaside town he grew up in. When the company’s construction project unearths a mysterious stone tablet, Daniel calls on his Gifted friends to help secure the stone and uncover its secrets. Their efforts to assist him, however, are complicated by a peculiar kinship Ellie senses between Daniel and the project’s lovely manager. As their relationship deepens, Ellie finds her Gift bringing more pain than pleasure to those around her, and ultimately leading one of them to the brink of tragedy.
 
Since the book is brand new, it’s painfully shy of reviews, so if anyone would like a free copy in exchange for a review, just drop us a line on our contact page, and we’ll send you the file type of your choice, straightaway.
 

 
Cover Photo Credit: fatalsweets @dreamstime.com
 

The Gifted Ones Book 2 Cover Reveal

Argh! Here I go, once again, madly in love with my own, sadly, fictional creation. Meet Daniel Holybear, another of the Gifted Ones, and a descendant of the Manitoke Indian tribe in eastern North Carolina. When a nearby construction project uncovers an ancient artifact on tribal lands, Daniel calls in some of the Gifted folks that readers met in Book One to help unravel the mystery and protect the property from unscrupulous developers. But you needn’t worry yourselves with all that, just sigh and drink in all the lovely alpha-maleness you can stand. He does make a very fine cover model, doesn’t he? And for those of you who want more than a just a pretty picture, hang in there, the book is in final editing now, and will be released before pi day (3/14/15).
 
Cover Photo Credit: fatalsweets @dreamstime.com
 

Niagara Falls Freezes Over

Well, I’ve never been to Hell, but I’ve been to Niagara Falls, and I’ve never seen it like this! As a matter of fact, I was born in Niagara Falls and still have a few die-hard relatives up there. I hope they’re taking advantage of the opportunity to see it on one of its rare frozen-over days. Okay, it doesn’t actually freeze completely over, but the mist and falling water on top do freeze, creating the so-called ice bridge between the U.S. and Canada. It’s a rather incredible sight, as these pictures from the Daily Mail show.
 
Meanwhile, I’m enjoying the couple inches of pretty snow we got here in the southeast today. Down here, snow is a few times a year treat where the cities shut down, and the kids build snowmen. All this time trapped indoors, however, is helping me get Book 2 of The Gifted Ones series out the door. Be looking for it in the next couple weeks!
 
via: PHOTOS: Niagara Falls has frozen over
 

Native American Indians be like “Columbus Who?”

So I’m working on my next book. It’s the second in The Gifted Ones series, and deals with a mystery from the American pre-Colonial era and has a couple major characters who are Native American Indians. As a result, I’ve been brushing up on the history of that period and Indian cultures of North Carolina. In the process, I came across this meme. Had to share.
 
via: I discovered America
 

Yes, I’m an Introvert

I saw this on Pinterest today and just had to share. It’s so-o-o me! I live in my head. People often remark that my husband and I seem to have the reverse relationship of most couples—when we’re in public, he is the social one, chattering away with everyone he meets, while I am hiding out, talking to one or two people that I already know well. And I’m fine with that. I think it also describes a lot of writers. Many, if not most, of us are classic introverts. We’re not weird or shy or socially maladjusted; we just prefer to think more than we speak, and particularly before we speak. Some of you extroverted types might want to try that sometime 😉 .
 
via: Pinterest
 

Word Usage: Its vs. It’s and Your vs. You’re

Research Triangle PublicationsA common confusion in writing is the distinction between the possessive adjectives its and your with the contractions it’s and you’re. The confusion arises because possessive nouns, acting as adjectives, use an apostrophe (John’s keys, the county’s tax base), but possessive adjectives do not (his keys, the dog is ours). The easiest way to keep the two straight is to ask yourself if the word you want to use is a substitute for two words; in that case, and only in that case, use the contractions.

Its vs. It’s

Its is a possessive adjective meaning “belonging to it”, while it’s replaces “it is”. If you can’t substitute “it is” when using it’s, take out the apostrophe. Consider these examples about a school that was just built.
Original SentenceSubstitutedDoes it work?
It's brand new. It is brand new.Yes, CORRECT
It's exterior is brick.It is exterior is brick.No, INCORRECT
The substituted sentence about the exterior has two verbs, and just sounds wrong, because the usage is possessive (the exterior belongs to the school), so you know it should be written without the apostrophe: The school was just built. Its exterior is brick. CORRECT.
 

Your vs. You’re

Your and you’re work the same way. Your is the possessive form of you, and you’re is the contracted form of “you are”. Only use you’re when you could substitute the words “you are”. Consider these two examples.
Original SentenceSubstitutedDoes it work?
You're my best friend. You are my best friend.Yes, CORRECT
You're dress is green.You are dress is green.No, INCORRECT
The green dress sentence is using your in a possessive sense (the dress belongs to you), so the substitution doesn’t work. Thus, the correct way to say it is without the apostrophe: Your dress is green. CORRECT. If you consistently use the substitution test when choosing between its and it’s or your and you’re, you will save yourself from these embarrassing errors.