New Release --- GUNS OF THE PRAIRIE by Kevin Crisp -- Giveaway!

When mixed-blood army scout Peter MacLoon is caught in the middle of the short-lived Dakota Uprising he realizes there are two sides to every story—and both sides want him dead. Son of a Dakota mother and his father a Scottish trader, whites don’t trust him, and the Indians don’t, either. 

But Peter makes a promise to two women, both of them alone in the wild territory, that he will see them to safety. Believing he’s done the right thing for beautiful Emma Foster, he travels on to complete his mission for the army. But he stumbles upon a white captive that he must free—and when he does, he vows to keep her safe until he can return her to the world she was stolen from years earlier.

     Keeping his word may be the death of him when she is captured again by marauding Indians, and he must face the GUNS OF THE PRAIRIE to save her—or die trying. 

EXCERPT

      No change in the stoic Indian’s expression was evident from the time I pulled a gun on him to the time I gave him food. He picked up the small sack and disappeared silently into the dark woods.

     “You could have killed him,” Jacques whispered.

     “That’s right.”

     “He could have killed you,” he added.

     “Also true.”

     Jacques was quiet, propped up on an elbow, looking thoughtfully at me for a moment before he spoke again. “You pity the Indian.” From his tone, it was unclear whether he approved or found it offensive.

     “Hunger changes a man,” I said. “When a man has been hungry long enough, he becomes a wild beast.”

     “So, when an Indian is a little hungry, you'll feed him. But when he is very hungry, you'll shoot him.” Jacques shrugged, rolled over, and went back to sleep.

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New Release — PUNISHED: BAYOU VOODOO by Jackson Lowry — Giveaway!

Hanged twice, but still . . . undead. 

Vincent Bayonne’s luck may have run out at last. The former plantation owner must find William, the freed slave who placed the zombie curse on him, if he wants to avoid the unholy fate of a living death. To reach William in New Orleans, he makes his perilous way across the untamed American frontier while escaping from US Army patrols, dodging lawmen and railroad detectives after the reward on his head, and trying not to get killed by those who hate him because of his cruel rule over Dark Oaks Plantation. 

Bayonne's quest for revenge is now a fight for sheer survival. The medicine he needs to hold back the slow coarsening of his body and mind, turning him into a zombie, is long gone. His only hope is to find William, and to do that he must first get Marie Laveau, Voodoo Queen of New Orleans, to befriend him. His only allies are a beautiful woman from his past and his own incredible strength while under the curse. With the choice of becoming totally undead or begging those he hates most for aid, Bayonne plunges into the darkest recesses of black magic, hoping for a cure—and redemption.

EXCERPT

     Vincent Bayonne turned his bloodshot eyes upward to the sky. First, the gallows blocked his view and then the noose slowly swinging in the hot Kansas sun took its turn. The US Army conducted their hangings at Fort Riley all day long. From his cell in the stockade, he had seen a steady progression, one an hour since sunrise. From the sound of men crying and cursing in the other metal cages, and even a sorry looking man held in the stocks set beside the parade ground, more would dance at the end of the rope before sundown.

     More than him. It was a busy late summer day.

     "Step lively." A soldier shoved him, but he stood rock solid and even less movable.

     "Hey, Corporal, you sure this is the right one? He don't look much like the wanted poster."

     "He's the one, Sergeant. See?"

     The man with two stripes on his sleeve held up the wanted poster, not for the other soldier but to taunt his prisoner. He shoved it within a few inches of Bayonne's face. The likeness showed a gaunt man who, five years earlier, had his wife and family taken from him, his plantation burned to the ground by freed slaves and then hanged from the limb of an oak tree within sight of the conflagration destroying his hopes and dreams.

     "Don't show no recognition," the corporal said. "Don't show much of anything. Just like one of them cigar store Injuns. All wooden. Let me make certain sure he's the one."

     The non-com pressed the wanted poster against Bayonne's chest, then cruelly drove a ten-penny nail through it so it penetrated six inches of torso. Bayonne never flinched. He turned his dull eyes from the noose to the corporal. The man backed off at the look.

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New Release -- THE GIFT by C. A. Jamison -- Giveaway!

A feline beast haunts old Nellie Crane’s soul. Since 1912, twenty years have passed, and still, the tragic accident that caused her daughter’s death continues to trouble her. Nightly visits to the cemetery are hidden from her husband and a town full of people who did nothing to help when her precious nine-year-old died.

Sheriff William Reed searches for a killer—a heartless murderer who has taken the lives of eight people. He follows a trail of suspects that lead to Nellie’s abusive husband…but is it the old man that wreaks havoc in his small river town—or something else?

EXCERPT

     Is that fur?

     She nudged the black mound with the toe of her shoe. No movement. The dead animal lay stiff, and looked exactly like the kitten Louisa had as a child.

     Nellie dropped her bare knees into the cold earth. A chill rushed across her shoulders as the sound of her daughter’s cries echoed in her mind. Poor creature died on my baby’s grave. She looked around, and her eyes narrowed. Or someone put it here.

     “What kind of mother would I be to leave a dead animal on my sweet Louisa’s grave?” She snatched up an empty bucket from some old florals on a nearby plot and used it to scoop up the cat. “Don’t worry, honey. I’ll bury your friend at home, in my garden, next to the roses.”

     She held the black corpse away from her gown and scurried back through the field. If Dan woke from the sofa and found their bed empty, life with him would become unbearable—a lesson she’d learned many times.

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New Release -- WANTED: DEAD OR REVIVED by Clay More -- Giveaway!

As the Civil War rages, Confederate Army surgeon Oscar Chamberlain uses his years of research to invent his Regen formula—a medicine so powerful it can promote healing at unheard-of speed. With this incredible discovery, he will revolutionize medicine, and hopes for the ultimate victory by the Confederacy.

But when a crude and tainted sample of his formula falls into the wrong hands, a devastating plague, more virulent than any other contagion known to mankind, is released. It spreads like wildfire, afflicting both armies, leading to cessation of hostilities between the North and the South in what becomes known as The Great Stalemate.

With Chamberlain being blamed for the Revenant Plague, both President Andrew Johnson and President Jefferson Davis agree that he must be found and brought to justice.  Somehow, a cure must be discovered—or the entire country will become infested with the walking dead. In desperation, they turn to a medium and a ghost catcher to lead them to the man who is WANTED: DEAD OR REVIVED…

EXCERPT

Brush Creek, Missouri, October 1864

     Throughout the morning, Captain Beauregard Sanders had led from the front in the hard fighting at Brush Creek, which ran perpendicular to the Kansas-Missouri border. With his goatee beard and mane of red hair, his unquestioned courage, his passion for the cause and his ferocity in battle, his men respectfully called him Captain Barbarossa. His cavalry company, part of General Joe Shelby’s renowned Iron Brigade outflanked and drove the Federals back across the icy-edged creek. With his sabre in hand and the blood lust upon him, he was intent on doing whatever it took to win the day.      With the enemy retreating into the mist before them, he turned and signaled Lieutenant Carstairs to come toward him for instructions.

     Then, the unexpected happened.

     Two simultaneous explosions shrouded the lieutenant, his mount and two other troopers in a blinding flash, bringing instant death and scattering mud, blood and body parts in all directions.

     Sanders immediately understood from whence they had come. He looked upward and saw the basket of the balloon high overhead, the Ketchum grenade hurtling downward.

     The mist! We never knew their damned balloon was there!

     He had no time to maneuver as he was engulfed in the blast of the second explosion. He felt the agony of burning shrapnel as he flew through the air, thrown from his horse.

     Damned Yankees! Damned balloons! Damned… 

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Writing Your Passion

Post by Gayle M. Irwin

This month is National Adopt-a-Shelter Dog Month, celebrated and recognized around the country by animal shelter and rescue groups. Many such organizations reduce their adoption fees or at least take the opportunity in October to bring greater awareness to the plight of animals in need of loving homes. While touring Best Friends Animal Society & Sanctuary around this time last year, I learned the startling statistic of how many animals die in kill-shelters throughout this country. Even though I was aware of the annual statistic (3-4 million), the tour guide bravely broke it down to how many every day: 9,000. NINE THOUSAND dogs, cats, and other creatures (bunnies, guinea pigs, birds) DIE EVERY DAY in kill shelters. Yet, Americans shell out billions of dollars every year – in fact, more than $55 billion! –  for their pets: food, vet bills, treats, toys, beds, clothing... Americans who love their pets REALLY LOVE their pets to spend billions of dollars every year on them. That's so cool! Yet, we let 9,000 companion animals (most of whom are quite healthy) die every day in kill-shelters. That's very sad. It's estimated that only 25% of adoptable pets in shelters and rescue organizations find new homes.

I write inspirational pet stories for children and adults. Pet rescue is my passion. All of my animals are adopted, and I assist my local humane society and regional pet rescue organizations every year through various means: events, monetary and supply donations, transportation, home visits – I even donate a percentage of my book sales to these groups. Why should 9,000 wonderful animals die every day because people won’t adopt? Such a staggering statistic boggles my mind.

Many people believe that an animal at a shelter has a major problem or is unfit for a home. Why do we think an animal is LESS THAN because it's in rescue or a shelter? The fact is the #1 reason why animals are at those places is because of their human, not because of the animal; the #1 reason people give for giving up their pet is “I'm moving.” Yet, they move with their child, their car, their furniture … and leave their pet behind. 

In 2008, my husband and I adopted a nearly-ten-year-old cocker spaniel named Cody. He was an intact male, likely used for breeding then tossed away after his "services" were no longer viable. Although he was a purebred dog, his chances of being adopted were slim due to his age. Cody lived with us nearly eight years, crossing the Rainbow Bridge in January 2016 at nearly 18 years of age. We never expected him to live that long; we were very willing to give him his "retirement home" for a couple of years. Perhaps that "second chance," a home with great love and care, kept him going much longer. Part of that love and care comes in the form of stories. Cody has his own book, by which I teach children to appreciate not just older pets, but the nature around them, encouraging them to get outdoors with their family and their pets. Cody's legacy lives on in Cody's Cabin: Life in a Pine Forest and in Sage Finds Friends, a children's picture book about friendship, confidence, and trust. Cody traveled with me to several library, school, and bookstore visits, impacting children just like my blind dog, Sage, did; Sage was also a former animal shelter resident.

I am ready to add another dog to our home, and you can bet I'll adopt from a shelter or rescue. I've done my research to know what breed would best fit into our home that has two older cats and another aging dog -- as well as aging humans. I'm hoping by Christmas to have this new furry friend in our household.

Best Friends has two significant campaigns: No Kill and No More Homeless Pets. Since October is National Adopt-a-Shelter Dog Month, I think it's a good time to get on the #NoMoreHomelessPets/#NoKill bandwagon and encourage dog adoption. So, as I did last year, this October I'm taking the stage with blogs and Facebook posts and Twitter tweets, and asking my friends to join in. Tout however you can: #NoKill! #NoMoreHomelessPets! #AdoptaDog! #AdoptDon'tShop! I’m blessed to have at least three opportunities this month to join with local independent bookstores and animal shelters in my area as we partner for events that promote dog adoption and offer opportunity to sell my books at these happenings.

As writers, we can weave our passions into our work. Whether it’s animals, child abuse, domestic violence, history or space travel, we can incorporate our passions into our stories.

The dogs' stories of which I've played a part are featured in my current writings. I'm working on two books that involve dog rescue: an educational/awareness book about rescue organizations for children and families – that book idea sprouted from my encounter with Jazmine, a dog I helped transport to her new home; and a romance story involving dog rescue (I imagine the hero of my story will rescue the heroine, or vice-verse!). Again, I'm weaving my writing with my passion for pets, and I'm looking forward to seeing how these stories come together in the near future. I also write a pet column each month for two publications, and I’m able to share my thoughts about pet adoption and pet rescue in those compositions. I feel blessed to work in this niche, to weave my passion for pets into my writings.

How about you? What is your writing niche? Do you weave something you’re passionate about into your work?

Gayle M. Irwin is a Wyoming writer, author, and speaker. She is the author of seven inspirational dog books for children and adults, including a chapter book called Sage's Big Adventure, a kid's activity book titled Cody's Cabin: Life in a Pine Forest, and a memoir titled Walking in Trust: Lessons Learned from My Blind Dog. She is also a contributing writer to several editions of Chicken Soup for the Soul and is one of the featured writers in Memories from Maple Street U.S.A: Pawprints on My Heart, released by Sundown Press. She speaks in schools, at libraries, and for civic and faith-based organizations. Learn more at www.gaylemirwin.com.