Tag Archives: Karia’s Path

Last day free …

22 Nov

The House in the Old Wood coverAt midnight tonight, the Kindle version of The House in the Old Wood returns to its normal price, $4.99.

That’s not bad, but nothing beats free, right?

I want to take this opportunity to again thank folks for sharing the word, and for downloading the book. By the second day of the giveaway, your response exceeded my wildest expectations, in number of downloads and in making Amazon’s Kindle Top 100 Free list.

Sometime overnight The House in the Old Wood slipped back off that list, but it was there for three days, which is three more than I expected.

And for that, I thank you.

I will endeavor to reward your interest, help and friendship with books that are worthy of your investment of time and money. I trust you’ll find that the next two books in the series, Karia’s Path and The Hall of the Prophetess, live up to that promise.

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2 …

16 Nov

The Hall of the ProphetessTwo days until the release of The Hall of the Prophetess, Book 3 of the series, The Day Magic Died. On Nov. 18, we’ll unveil the book … and a surprise! Here’s hint: The surprise is about Book 1, The House in the Old Wood.

Let’s take a look back.

The first chapter of Book 1, The House in the Old Wood

The first chapter of Book 2, Karia’s Path

Do you have your copies of the first two books yet?

Book 1: The House in the Old Wood

Book 2: Karia’s Path

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3 …

15 Nov

The Hall of the ProphetessThree days until the release of The Hall of the Prophetess, Book 3 of the series, The Day Magic Died. On Nov. 18, we’ll unveil the book … and a surprise!

Seems like a good time to recap.

What’s Book 1, The House in the Old Wood, about?

What’s Book 2, Karia’s Path, about?

What’s Book 3, The Hall of the Prophetess, about?

Do you have your copies of the first two books yet?

Book 1: The House in the Old Wood

Book 2: Karia’s Path

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Please help spread the word

24 Oct

Most of the folks who have bought my books so far, bought them because they know me. Thanks!

If you enjoy the books – and a number of you have said you do (again, thanks!) – would you help me get them in front of more readers?

You’re a much more effective voice than I am. Of course I want people to buy the books. But you wouldn’t be telling people about the books unless you really liked them. Or you owed me money. Which almost no one does. Unless you’re feeling guilty and think you might owe me money. In that case, feel free to ease your guilt by telling people about the books.

Here are some more specific ideas …

Put it out: If you have a print version of one or more of my books, put it on your desk at work or on your coffee table. Or drive through a bad part of town with the passenger window down and the book on the passenger seat. Wait, on second thought, don’t do that last one.

Loan the book: Let someone else read your print copy of the first book. That’s one of the best ways to get people to read it. And then they’ll be hooked and have to read the next book. But don’t let them borrow your copy of the other books. Send them to Amazon for Karia’s Path instead. Bwahahahahaha!

Give a book (or two or three or more) as a gift: Discounted to less than $10 each on Amazon for paperbacks and as little as $4.99 for the Kindle edition, they’re great gifts for friends who have birthdays coming up. And don’t forget, Christmas is just around the corner. (Hint hint hint) Oh, and if you don’t want to really irritate them, best start with The House in the Old Wood.

Post a review: Tell others what you think of the books on Amazon.com or at Goodreads.com — or on your blog or Facebook or anywhere else you think folks will see it. Pick out something you liked about the book. A reason you enjoyed the book. A book you would compare it to. Be honest. You won’t hurt my feelings. Well, maybe you will, but I’ll get even. I mean, I’ll get over it. Yeah, that’s what I meant. See what others have written about The House in the Old Wood and Karia’s Path.

Tell your friends: Like a review, pick out something you liked about the book. A reason you enjoyed the book, or a book you would compare it to. One great way to do this is with a bookmark. I have plenty still, and I’d be glad to send some your way so you can spread the word. Message me on Facebook, or use the Contact form on my blog.

Here are some of ways other people have helped spread the word:

  • One person bought a copy to donate to a rummage sale
  • I donated copies to a charity that provides gifts for parents to give to teens at Christmas
  • A teacher put it in a classroom lending library (she says students are loving it)
  • My son-in-law set it out on a coffee table (and now his co-workers have bought Karia’s Path)
  • My wife and I put a couple in a gift exchange – you know, one of those where people trade for gifts they want? And several wanted them.
  • A friend suggested the book to a book club.

How have you spread the word? Have you used any of these? Or something else? How did it go?

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Preview of Book 3

18 Oct

Karia’s Path includes the first chapter of The Hall of the Prophetess, so people can get a feel for what comes next. And so here it is, so you can get a feel for it too:

CHAPTER ONE

The high-strung mare whinnied and pranced, her hooves clattering, as she slipped on the snow-covered ice of the frozen river. She tugged on the line Karia was using to lead her. Karia’s hands were so numb she almost lost her grip on it.

“Shh, Tsilinki,” she said. “Easy girl.” Her heart raced. She slipped a bit too as she stepped back to put a hand on the horse’s shoulder to calm her.

She heard a sharp crack behind them and looked nervously down the line from Tsilinki to Nebok. The big draft horse was usually rock-solid and calm, but even he looked skittish now. Or maybe he just looks that way to me because I’m shaking.

Karia took a deep breath. “Steady, Nebok. Almost there, big boy,” she called to him. Oh, great, I’m squeaking. That’s not going to help calm him.

She turned back and stepped forward, placing her feet carefully to keep from slipping. She was just beyond the center of the river, with perhaps forty feet to go to the safety of the shore. She felt the line to Tsilinki tighten and then go slack again as the horse began walking with her.

She thought, Nebok should be stepping forward now. That’s when she heard another sharp crack, then a crash and deep snort from behind her. She spun in time to see Nebok falling through the ice. Spinning threw her off balance, but she had almost caught herself as she saw Nebok trying to leap back up onto the ice; it just broke in front of him.

But Nebok’s leap tugged on the line from him to Tsilinki, pulling the mare from behind. And Karia, trying to steady herself, tugged on the line she was using to lead the mare from the front. Pulled from both sides, Tsilinki whinnied and reared, pulling the line away from Karia, but not before disrupting her precarious balance.

Karia’s feet and hands flew toward Tsilinki, and her behind landed hard on the ice, knocking the wind out of her. She gasped as she tried to take a breath in that tiny pause between when she hit the ice and the time it cracked, then shattered, and she smashed through. The current under the ice went up her cloak and it billowed into the icy water like a sail.

She grabbed in vain at the edge of the ice, but could not even slow herself as she was sucked through the hole into the frigid river below. She gasped for breath again, but got only water as the current swept her under the snow-covered icy surface of the river.

Want to read more? Soon. In the meantime, make sure you have The House in the Old Wood and Karia’s Path

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