Meet Author Michael Hicks Thompson (2nd RRBC “Treat” Reads Blog Hop, Day 13) #RRBC #RRBCTreatReads

“Greetings!  Welcome to the 2nd RRBC “TREAT” Reads Blog Hop!  These members of RRBC have penned and published some really great reads and we’d like to honor and showcase their talent.  Oddly, all of the listed Winners are RWISA members!  Way to go RWISA!

We ask that you pick up a copy of the title listed, and after reading it, leave a review.  There will be other books on tour for the next few days, so please visit the “HOP’S” main page to follow along.

 Also, for every comment that you leave along this tour, including on the “HOP’S” main page, your name will be entered into a drawing for a gift card to be awarded at the end of the tour!”


MICHAEL H THOMPSON PIC Meet author Michael Hicks Thompson! Follow him on Twitter @mhthompsonsr

 THE RECTOR

Book Blurb: Thompson’s engaging, high-energy Christian murder mystery is narrated by Martha McRae, a woman living in a small Mississippi town who seeks to solve the mystery of the sudden death of pastor David Baddour. Throughout the novel, readers are introduced to the cast of characters who inhabit the small Delta town in the 1950s.

MICHAEL H THOMPSON BOOKThe book gleefully mixes all the elements of a small-town murder mystery—gossip, foul play, backstabbing—and, as more is revealed about Pastor Baddour and the other townspeople, more mysteries, hypocrisies, and dangers add to the intrigue. Thompson’s tale looks intimately at what it means to function in a community—how a population can reveal and obscure the truth. The Rector works as a suspenseful murder mystery, Thompson also incorporates a spiritual and religious undertone to the story. This Christian Murder Mystery successfully intertwines faith in its plot twists with surprising results.

 This small-town tale, set in the 1950s, delves into religion, spirituality, and murder; and is exceedingly clever and cunning. The small community of Solo, Mississippi, is rocked after the murder of a prominent religious figure. Law officials consider the case closed, much to the dismay of widow Martha McRae. She questions how the young rector could die so unexpectedly. After sharing her suspicion with her bible study leader, Betty Crain, a chain of events is set off in the small southern community. Gossip soon abounds with murmurings of foul play, murder, and loss of faith. In the case of whodunit, Martha soon finds that asking questions has put her own life in peril, as she comes face to face with evil.

Pick up you copy on Amazon here.

Meet Author Victoria Saccenti (2nd RRBC “Treat” Reads Blog Hop, Day 13) #RRBC #RRBCTreatReads

“Greetings!  Welcome to the 2nd RRBC “TREAT” Reads Blog Hop!  These members of RRBC have penned and published some really great reads and we’d like to honor and showcase their talent.  Oddly, all of the listed Winners are RWISA members!  Way to go RWISA!

 We ask that you pick up a copy of the title listed, and after reading it, leave a review.  There will be other books on tour for the next few days, so please visit the “HOP’S” main page to follow along.

 Also, for every comment that you leave along this tour, including on the “HOP’S” main page, your name will be entered into a drawing for a gift card to be awarded at the end of the tour!”


VICTORIA SACCENTI PIC Meet author Victoria Saccenti  ! Follow her on Twitter @VictoriaSAuthor

DESTINY’S PLAN

Book Blurb: One empty bus seat. Two aching hearts. A future written by Fate…When Raquelita Muro’s overbearing mother rips her and her little sister away from their beloved Papa, one tiny, rebellious corner of Raquelita’s heart is grateful that the bus is crowded, and the only seat left is out of Mama’s sight. Next to a handsome young man.

 VICTORIA SACCENTI BOOKMatthew Buchanan’s beautiful traveling companion is more than something pretty to look at before he ships out for Viet Nam. Deep in her sad, whisky-colored eyes he glimpses a new dream to replace the ones he’s leaving behind. It breaks his heart to leave Raquelita in her tyrannical mother’s hands, but she gifts him with a token of love and a tender promise to exchange letters in secret.

 But their first, shy “hello” has reached the ears of Fate. Fate is in the mood to see how far it can push two lonely hearts—to the brink of temptation, desperation, and despair—before they break. Perhaps beyond any hope of healing…

Pick up your copy of this award winning story on Amazon here.

 

 

 

Today’s Writing Tip

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Author booths at book expos, fairs, and conferences are excellent ways to get visibility. Expecting your sales to be sufficient to pay for the expenses, however, may be unrealistic. It’s best to consider it as a marketing expense and count any sales as a bonus. This will avoid disappointment and frustration, which authors suffer enough without setting themselves up for it.

Some authors plan their vacations around such events. The good news is that it is then tax deductible! Again, don’t think it will pay for your vacation, because unless you are already famous and making a six-figure income from your books, that’s not likely to happen, especially once you factor in travel expenses.

Meet Author Nia Markos (2nd RRBC “Treat” Reads Blog Hop, Day 12) #RRBC #RRBCTreatReads

“Greetings!  Welcome to the 2nd RRBC “TREAT” Reads Blog Hop!  These members of RRBC have penned and published some really great reads and we’d like to honor and showcase their talent.  Oddly, all of the listed Winners are RWISA members!  Way to go RWISA!

 We ask that you pick up a copy of the title listed, and after reading it, leave a review.  There will be other books on tour for the next few days, so please visit the “HOP’S” main page to follow along.

 Also, for every comment that you leave along this tour, including on the “HOP’S” main page, your name will be entered into a drawing for a gift card to be awarded at the end of the tour!”


NIA MARKOS PICMeet Author, Nia Markos! Follow her on Twitter @NiaMarkos

ELEMENTS

Book Blurb: For eighteen-year-old Alexa finding a place to put down roots after being forced into a nomadic life by her paranoid mother was not as simple as she had believed. Her attempt to settle down in the coastal town of Beverly comes to an abrupt halt. Within months an explosion levels her apartment building, and all her preconceived ideas of her world come to an end.

NIA MARKOS BOOK Now on the run, Alexa can only follow Bet, her roommate, into the unknown, where the worlds of the Sidhe race of faeries, warlocks, daemons, and shadows, threaten her very existence. Pulled into a prophecy that she together with Aidan, the Sidhe Prince, would right their worlds, Alexa finds herself fighting against the prophecy’s telling of her being bound to Aidan. What makes it worse is her increasing attachment to his brother Liam.

With her destiny set centuries ago, can she save their worlds in time, does she have a choice in whom to love, or will choosing her own path lead to their destruction?

Pick up your copy on Amazon here.

 

 

 

Today’s Writing Tip

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If you have a significant number of local followers/fans, having a book signing at a bookstore can bring a few sales for both you and the store. It’s also an excellent opportunity to meet new potential readers, so make sure you have your “elevator pitch” describing your book(s) ready as well as some freebies and swag. Perhaps conduct a drawing to increase interest, but don’t give away something you want them to buy!

If you’re not familiar with “elevator pitches”, they’re a very short hook to interest someone in your book that you can explain in a minutes or less. Thus, when someone asks you what you book is about, you have a ready response rather than hemming and hawing, and going into a lengthy explanation that makes their eyes glaze over.

Freebies and swag should have your website or a buy link and relate to your story in some manner; having an image of your cover is great. The more useful the item is, the better.

Meet Author Amy Reece (2nd RRBC “Treat” Reads Blog Hop, Day 11) #RRBC #RRBCTreatReads

“Greetings!  Welcome to the 2nd RRBC “TREAT” Reads Blog Hop!  These members of RRBC have penned and published some really great reads and we’d like to honor and showcase their talent.  Oddly, all of the listed Winners are RWISA members!  Way to go RWISA!

 We ask that you pick up a copy of the title listed, and after reading it, leave a review.  There will be other books on tour for the next few days, so please visit the “HOP’S” main page to follow along.

 Also, for every comment that you leave along this tour, including on the “HOP’S” main page, your name will be entered into a drawing for a gift card to be awarded at the end of the tour!”


AMY REECE PIC

Meet author Amy Reece! Follow her on Twitter @AReeceAuthor

THE WAY TO HER HEART

Book Blurb: No amount of counseling can bring Josh Harris back to his old self. After a tragedy that changed his life forever, eighteen-year-old Josh has lived in a year-long fog of medication and confusion. It’s all he can do to not think about his dad—a culinary genius who raised him in the kitchen. Thankfully, Josh inherited his golden palate and sixth sense for cooking, which is the only thing that makes sense anymore.

 AMY REECE BOOKFor a seventeen-year-old girl, life can’t get much worse… Bernie Abeyta is a senior in high school and lives with her drug-addicted mother, but has managed to keep her grades up so she can get into college. With her father in prison and her mom’s sleazy boyfriend getting too close for comfort, Bernie turns to her best friend Gabby Rodriguez for help, but discovers Gabby has gone missing. Distressed over her friend’s sudden disappearance, Bernie resorts to living out of her car while she looks for answers and tries to avoid foster care.

 Part love, part mystery, part cookbook—and all heart.

Pick up your copy on Amazon today!

Today’s Writing Tip

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A common author lament is that so many people are unwilling to actually pay for a book when plenty are available for free. Everyone loves a bargain, which begs the question whether you do the same thing? How many times have you bought a book for its full sales price? Maybe book sales of your own work begin with your own generosity toward other authors.

Especially bear this in mind if you purchase books from stores that sell used books. The author doesn’t make a dime on those sales! And speaking of dimes, that’s about all you’re going to make off those “expanded distribution channels” as well.  Do unto other authors as you would have them do unto you!

Meet Author Wendy Scott (2nd RRBC “Treat” Reads Blog Hop, Day 10) #RRBC #RRBCTreatReads

“Greetings!  Welcome to the 2nd RRBC “TREAT” Reads Blog Hop!  These members of RRBC have penned and published some really great reads and we’d like to honor and showcase their talent.  Oddly, all of the listed Winners are RWISA members!  Way to go RWISA!

 We ask that you pick up a copy of the title listed, and after reading it, leave a review.  There will be other books on tour for the next few days, so please visit the “HOP’S” main page to follow along.

 Also, for every comment that you leave along this tour, including on the “HOP’S” main page, your name will be entered into a drawing for a gift card to be awarded at the end of the tour!”


WENDY SCOTT PICWendy is a versatile and very talented author who writes in several genres. She has a natural talent for character development and suspense that keeps you reading with bated-breath, long after you should have turned out the light.

I loved her story, “Tails”, which was captivating, even though it’s intended as a children’s story. You can read my review of this touching story here. I’m sure this award-winning story is no exception. Follow Wendy on Twitter @WendyJayneScott

HIEROGLYPH

WENDY SCOTT BOOK13 year old TC has a secret. No one knows she possesses a supernatural power.

Can TC help her Uncle Max, an archaeologist, to unearth enough evidence to prove Ancient Egyptians visited Australia, before he’s discredited in the media by those that want the past to stay buried?

 “Some would say that I have a gift, but to me it’s always been a curse. Before I changed my mind, I tugged off my gloves and whipped my head left and right, checking to see that no one was watching. I sucked in breath and steadied my nerves then thrust my hands against the stones and touched one of the cartouches. Time and place ripped away.”

 An enthralling archaeological mystery, mixing the supernatural with humour and suspense.

Today’s Writing Tip

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There are so many social media platforms these days that maintaining a presence on them all is a full-time job in itself. The real question is whether they’re doing you any good versus being no more than a time-suck on your precious time?

It will take a bit more of your time, but could turn out to be well worth it if you try concentrating on each one separately for a specific trial period to see if your ROA is justified. Those that don’t perform, don’t waste your time; those that do, increase your efforts in that venue. If none of them do you any good, consider whether there is something fundamentally wrong with your posts. One thing to remember is that people’s eyes glaze over if all you do is hawk your books. Give them something informative or entertaining.

Meet Author Bette Stevens (2nd RRBC “Treat” Reads Blog Hop, Day 9) #RRBC #RRBCTreatReads

“Greetings!  Welcome to the 2nd RRBC “TREAT” Reads Blog Hop!  These members of RRBC have penned and published some really great reads and we’d like to honor and showcase their talent.  Oddly, all of the listed Winners are RWISA members!  Way to go RWISA!

We ask that you pick up a copy of the title listed, and after reading it, leave a review.  There will be other books on tour for the next few days, so please visit the “HOP’S” main page to follow along.

Also, for every comment that you leave along this tour, including on the “HOP’S” main page, your name will be entered into a drawing for a gift card to be awarded at the end of the tour!”

BETTE STEVENS PIC

Bette is a nature lover and former educator with a sweet outlook on life. As a “Baby Boomer” myself (whose family also missed out on living the “American Dream”) this sounds like a fascinating story I look forward to reading.

Follow Bette on Twitter @BetteAStevens

 

 

DOG BONE SOUP

BETTE STEVENS BOOKWhether or not You Grew Up in the 1950s and 60s, you’ll find DOG BONE SOUP (Historical Fiction) to be soup for the soul. In this coming-of-age novel, Shawn Daniels’s father is the town drunk. Shawn and his brother, Willie, are in charge of handling everything that needs to be done around the ramshackle place they call home—lugging in water for cooking and cleaning, splitting and stacking firewood…But when chores are done, these resourceful kids strike out on boundless adventures that don’t cost a dime. DOG BONE SOUP is the poignant tale of a dysfunctional family struggling to survive in America in the 50s and 60s, when others were living The American Dream.