March 8th, 2012:
March is National E-Book Month, so I'm celebrating by posting Survival in Style, an adventure novel I created back when I was a teenager. I laugh when I read the story line now; I'll admit it's pretty trite! But it's still a cute story, so I'm offering it to any Minnesotan who's ever eaten cattails and wild strawberries (though non-Minnesotans are welcome to read it, too!).
Fifteen-year-old Alana Morgan never imagined using her father's "Wilderness Glamour" jewelry in a true emergency. But when her airplane is attacked by smugglers, Alana's hopes rest on her new fishing-lure earrings and a handsome stranger named Tony, whose secrets could get them both killed. If she doesn't discover the courage she's always dreamed of, she'll never make it out of the forest alive.
Check it out at Smashwords.com:
http://www.smashwords.com/books/view/140080
January 28th, 2012:
Two books in one month - I'm on a roll!
Destination Paraguay is about a young Spaniard who has to walk to Asunción after his ship is taken by pirates. He never wanted to come to the New World, anyway, especially not with its slave-traders, jaguars, and cannibals. But when he meets a Guarani warrior who agrees to act as his guide, his chances of survival seem to improve - unless the warrior is using him for revenge.
This e-book will be available at Amazon.com and Barnes & Noble.com in a few weeks. And it's only $1.99! For now, you can place your order at
http://www.smashwords.com/books/view/127479
January 5th, 2012: Happy New Year!
I just realeased my first novel since 2005. Code Name: Whatever is a coming-of-age story about a girl growing up in a blended family in small-town Minnesota:
Sixteen-year-old Margaret Beverly hates her old-lady name, but reconstructing a new identity is proving difficult. Introverted and covered in zits, Margaret's quest is immediately tested by her new Satanic stepsister, a gossiping class bully, and a flirtatious young man who doesn't care how nerdy she is. But is juggling really the answer? Or will she be doomed to nothingness forever?
E-books are a new market for me, who has only published in print so far. I was inspired by several shifts: Stephen King's successful e-releases; J.K. Rowling's Pottermore, which will allow her to sell directly to her fan base; the fact that Amazon.com sold substantially more e-books than print books in 2011; and the fact that my husband gave me a Nook as a gradutation present, which has really changed my mind about e-books. As an English teacher, I've always loved real books - the hard leather covers, the fresh paper scent (or mildew, for some of my antique books), the way my mind can recall a certain section of the book by the feel of the pages between my thumbs. I resisted buying an e-reader for years, but now I'm glad I have one. My favorite place for free downloads is www.gutenberg.org and you should check it out if you haven't discovered it already.
I'm currently hard at work editing another four young-adult novels, two of which will also be published at Smashwords.com within the next month or so. Keep checking for updates, and thanks for stopping by!