Just My Opinion

This whimsical mini-monster mash is a solid early reader’s alphabet lesson cleverly disguised as goofy lighthearted wordplay.

That’s exactly why ABC: A Mini Monster Alphabet Book for Young and Old is chock full of adorable (not scary!) mini monsters with a love for sophisticated, funny, and odd-sounding names.

Kids will enjoy reading along as the narrator of the bonus audio recites Arty names, Bold names, Cute names, Daft names, and 22 other name categories — with each category and its related list of vocabulary word names linked to an individual letter of the alphabet.

Buy Now @ Amazon

Genre – Children’s Picture Book

Rating – G

More details about the author

Connect with Tom Skinner on Twitter & Goodreads

Cherie didn't know which was flying faster, the coffee, the food or the gossip. The Klondike Breakfast Club, or KB's as they called themselves, were energetically discussing the fire that burned down a local business the night before and speculating about the owner's part in it. These folks, mostly closer to her aunt's age, were definitely not what she was used to in Tucson, Arizona. Back there, she couldn't call it home anymore, older folks mostly talked about their medical problems and where to find the best buffet deals.

Pansy Tucker, her aunt, was the unofficial founder of this unorthodox group - or maybe the unorthodox founder of this unofficial group would be a better description. She sipped her tea and listened to the voices rising above the clatter of dishes and silverware as everyone finished eating and continued sharing their snippets of gossip.

“Yeah, that fire was something else. The volunteers had their hands full. I heard they brought in the Bradford Fire Department, too. The chief told Tony it was so tough to fight ‘cause of the way it's been built up and added to over the years. That and it had probably been burning for hours before it got seen and called in.” This from the gentleman at the end of the table. Tom, Cherie struggled to remember his name, he's married to that tiny lady beside him.

The oldest person at the table, Bob Rounder spoke up. “Well I heard it was so bad the walls fell smack into the basement. They had to let it burn to the ground.”

“My Jimmy said it was really bad. Worst he'd ever seen since he's been a volunteer.” This from a woman who walked over from a neighboring table.

“Hi Janie. Was Jimmy at the fire?” asked Tom's wife, Edy.

Before Janie could answer, Ed Williams piped in, “You know this ain't the first fire at The Drop Inn. Back in the 80's and 90's when old Earl owned it, there were a couple of ‘em. Never burned to the ground though and he just kept adding on.”

Kat Daily, the owner and only waitress at Kat's Klondike Kafe, started refilling coffee cups as she listened in on the conversations. “More tea, Pansy?”

“Sure, but fetch me some more Sweet n' Low, too. Gotta watch my girlish figure.” Pansy hefted her more than ample bosoms in her hands, smiling innocently at her table mates.

Edy looked up from her coffee, “Did you hear about the fire last night, Kat? I can't believe The Drop Inn is gone.”

Buy Now @ Amazon & Smashwords

Genre – Cozy Mystery

Rating – PG

More details about the author & the book

Connect with DB McNicol on Facebook & Twitter

Website http://donnamcnicol.com/

How has your upbringing influenced your writing? Although there was much conflict in my family, they are all readers and many of them are writers. There is no doubt that growing up in an environment where the written word and verbal expression were highly valued affected my own verbal abilities and drive to express myself through words.

Who designed the cover? My husband designs the covers. It’s a wonderful, collaborative process, but he does the heavy lifting. He has a natural eye for color and composition.

What are your current writing projects now? My priority is to complete The Queen of the Realm of Faerie series.

Do you have any advice for writers? Finish the book. Then keep writing. More than anything, finishing books has allowed me, and forced me, to grow as a writer.

What do you do to unwind and relax? I spend time with my husband, we laugh, talk, and just enjoy hanging out together. I also love to play with my cats, get lazy in the backyard, and read.

In the Enchanted World, true love’s first kiss is magic.

Nandana’s Mark, Book 1: When two half-faeries–Melia and her younger sister–are cursed under dreadful circumstances, true love’s first kiss is the remedy.

The Flower of Isbelline, Book 2: Nothing but true love’s first kiss can save Melia’s younger sister from blind ambition and ruin.

The Dragon Carnivale, Book 3: Melia must choose the freedom she cherishes or true love’s first kiss–and a relationship that promises to secure her place in the Whole.

The Queen of the Realm of Faerie is a fairy tale fantasy series that bridges the Mortal and Enchanted worlds. The main character, Melia, is an eighteen-year-old half-faerie, half-mortal.

When the story opens in the first book, Melia is troubled by her dark moon visions, gossip she overhears about her parents at the local market, and the trauma of living among full-blooded faeries with wings–she doesn’t have any.

As the series unfolds, the historic and mystical forces that shape Melia’s life are revealed. Each step of her journey–to find the place where she belongs–alters her perceptions about herself, deepens her relationships with others, and enlarges her world view.

True Love’s First Kiss is a compilation of the first three books in this ongoing series.

Buy Now @ Amazon

Genre – Fantasy

Rating – PG

More details about the author

Connect with Heidi Garrett on Facebook & Twitter

Blog http://www.heidigwrites.blogspot.com/

What are some milestones on your journey as a writer? I have had some really cool stuff happen with my books along the way. Hot Enough to Kill was featured in Redbook, Colorado Homes and Living, Romantic Times and a lot of magazines and newspapers and I had personal features in Mountain Living, San Antonio Woman and others. A few years ago, an excerpt from the book was included in the University of Texas Press’ Lone Star Sleuths: An Anthology of Texas Crime Fiction. To be included along with big names such as Kinky Friedman, Mary Willis Walker, Walter Mosley, Joe Lansdale and many others was a pretty fantastic thrill. And, I admit to being a little star struck at the group book signing event. The second book in the series, Dead Man Falls, won a literary award and getting Turkey Ranch Road Rage into print after a long stretch of “life happening” was a big deal for me too. After I revised and re-released the books as ebooks in 2012, Hot Enough to Kill wound up as the number one book in the entire free Kindle store with almost 50,000 downloads in November. And, along the way, I also became a seven-time award-winning author of self-help nonfiction as well. Yeah, milestones!

Is writing a form of personal therapy for you? Yes and no. Because I also write self-help, most people assume that Living the Life You Love by Paula Renaye is my own personal therapy book. It isn’t. Not at all! My personal therapy occurs in my fictional world. I mean really, how cool is it that you can go back and rewrite your story so that it turns out the way you really wanted it to. And, as a special bonus, anybody who ever pissed you off can die a slow and appropriately painful death! That’s pretty therapeutic! Of course, it usually doesn’t work out that way for me. Several of the characters I’ve intended to deliberately and deliciously murder, not to mention metaphorically mutilate, did not die. Once I’d worked through what I need to, it just didn’t matter anymore and the story went however it needed to.

Do you put experiences from your life in your books? I’m working on Killer Moves now, and while I have way fewer axes to grind these days, I am surprised to find that I certainly have an adequate supply t to entertain myself. And, on my recent trip back to Texas, I gathered a few more. I stopped in a little town along the way—yes, I went to the Dairy Queen just like Jolene—to get a mega-unhealthy, grease-coated and gravy-laden chicken basket. I was sitting in a booth, minding my own business, and this man came up to me and spontaneously said some wildly inappropriate things. Now, Jolene would have punched him and Lucille would have shot him. Paula, however, responded quite calmly with only two little words—and they weren’t even bad ones—“That’s inappropriate.” His face turned deep red and he literally ran out the door. Oh, yeah, he’ll be in a book somewhere!

Why do you write? I have to! Some people believe I am possessed. Others are certain I am on some sort of drugs. You know, if only it were that simple. Those problems can be fixed with an exorcism and drug rehab. I’m not fixable—and I’m really glad about that! However, it is a documented fact that when I am writing Jolene, there is a bit of a personality shift—okay, a lot. I’m normally a high energy person, but when Jolene is out and about it is off the charts. And I love it! It is so much fun and I get so excited about how the story is unfolding that I can’t fault people for thinking I’m a little wacko. It probably doesn’t help that every time an exciting scene pops into my head I call them and squeal, “Guess what just happened!” So, to answer the question again…I write because I have to—it feeds my soul. It also gives the voices in my head something to do, which is not nearly as crazy as it sounds. Hey, it works for me!

What inspired you to write your first book? A trip back to Fort Worth, Texas for a funeral. Seriously! My uncle, who was like a second father to me, had been ill for a long time and when he passed, we headed back to Texas. He and I had always joked about being forced to go to Wichita Falls for family gatherings, so making disparaging comments about anything and everything became a bonding activity for us. My mother never totally caught on, but she suspected and gave us the evil eye accordingly. So, the night before we left Colorado to go to his funeral, I had a dream. I know it sounds hokey, but it’s also true. The idea for the book laid itself out in full living color and I had the opening line as well when I woke up. I loaded myself in the car, and thanks to my trusty laptop and an ongoing supply of Benadryl to combat motion sickness, I wrote the first fifty pages of the novel on the trip down. No small trick with three kids and two dogs. Yes, I figure I had a little other worldly help with that!

Have you included a lot of your life experiences, even friends, in the plot? Oh, no, not at all, and it says so quite clearly and emphatically in the disclaimer at the front of the book. Now, it is true that I did grow up in Texas, and I might possibly have loosely based the setting on a town similar to Holliday, Texas, but the description fits pretty much any small town, including the fact that there’s a Dairy Queen. One thing is very true. The ugly yellow yearbook fiasco described in Dead Man Falls is just too stupid to not be a fact. And, for the record, Jolene is not me, she just sort of looks, talks and thinks like I have from time to time—totally different thing. Lucille isn’t a mirror of my mother either, she’s more a compilation of several women, but the looks, oh, yeah, that’s her. I still have some of her very large and wildly eccentric clip-on earrings. I did not keep the trademark gold-glitter slippers, but I did buy a pair of blue sequined ones for myself in her honor. Obviously, the murderous events were made up—the local mayor didn’t actually die, but he sure did deserve to. Now, the “You slut, he’s a married man” hate mail thing is disturbingly true. Even more disturbing is that my mother was proud of it. “Isn’t that something!” she said, giggling. “At my age, somebody thinking I’m a slut! I must be doing something right!” …I could go on, but I’m pretty sure I’ve already said too much…

Book 1–The 1st Jolene Jackson Mystery
REVISED EDITION–July 19, 2012

Kickapoo, Texas, is the last place Jolene Jackson wants to be, but with her 72-year-old mother’s boyfriend murdered and Mother Dearest locked up because of it, she’s got little choice but to head south and deal with it.

Bullets are flying, chicken’s frying and there’s a lunatic on the loose in the mesquites with a shotgun who’s Hot Enough to Kill.
An excerpt is included in The University of Texas Press’ title, Lone Star Sleuths–An Anthology of Texas Crime Fiction

REVIEWS

“Don’t Mess with Texas! You’ll laugh your way from Kickapoo to Redwater Falls and back.” — Linda Huntley Wills, Redbook

“This is a wild ride with thrills, chills and laughs galore. Highly Recommended.” — Editor, I *Love* a Mystery

“…makes for fast, fun summer reading.” — Nancy Cook-Senn, Shawnee Escort
“Anyone who enjoys the works of Janet Evanovich or Joan Hess is going to love Ms. Boyd.” — Toby Bromberg, Romantic Times

“…a terrific mystery, sharply drawn, cleverly plotted, dynamically presented, and pure sleuthing entertainment from first page to last.” — Wisconsin Bookwatch

“The mystery genre has witnessed an abundance of female sleuths, but none quite like Jolene Jackson and her mother, Lucille.” — Argus Observer

5 Stars and 5+ Laughs! Has to be film adapted. Would make a delightful audiobook. ” …a hoot and a half of rollicking good mystery! The best dang novel I’ve read all year!” — Leann Arndt, The Midwest Book Review

“Carl Hiaasen meets Texasville! …a must read for your Sherlock funny bone.” — Judi Clark, Mostly Fiction

“… comedic characters you’ll just love. …a humor you can’t resist. I can’t remember the last time that I read a book as light and refreshing as this.” — Pamela Stone, My Shelf

“This first entry of an apparent series will leave readers loudly laughing at the antics of Jolene and her mother. Hot Enough to Kill is a tongue-in-cheek look at relationships and amatuer sleuthing. Still, the mystery has a character of its own that adds to a wonderful plot. If this tale is any example, Paula Boyd has a long running series that will provide much pleasure to fans.” — Harriet Klausner

Buy Now @ Amazon

Genre – Mystery & Thriller / Women Sleuth

Rating – PG13

More details about the author

Connect with Paula Boyd on Facebook & Twitter

Website http://paulaboyd.com/

1: Marsha and Barry

The room was a cube. It was twenty feet in height, length, and width, and the walls seemed to glow a stunning white that surpassed the purity of freshly fallen snow. There were no windows, no doors, and no blemishes of any kind, just solid walls that boxed the young girl inside with no way of escape.

Her fragile body lay sprawled upon the solid white ground, shaking from cold. Fear had yet to settle in, for she had not yet awakened.

As time ticked away, her eyes finally opened and her head jerked up from the floor of her prison. Her head pivoted and tilted as she surveyed her surroundings. The beat of her heart began to quicken as she came to the realization of her predicament.

She remembered her identity, and where she was from, though why she was in this strange place escaped her memory. She sat up and grabbed at her neck, letting trembling fingers glide across the soft tan skin. A bump where somebody had stuck a needle found its place underneath her index finger and she rubbed at the spot, ignoring the pain. She had been drugged, though the reason why someone would do this eluded her.

Panic threatened to kick in. The fight or flight instinct gripped at her heart, but with a deep breath she pushed the feelings away. Her father had always said, "Marsha, fear is an illusion that makes you weak. You either learn to control it, or it will control you." She agreed with that statement and made destroying fear in her life a goal.

Marsha slowly stood up and felt her legs wobbling underneath her. Using the wall for support, she steadied herself and took another deep breath, letting it out slowly. A pedestal in the very center of the room drew her attention. Sitting atop the square stand was a single pistol, though she had no idea what kind it was, or if it was even loaded.

Deciding to avoid the deadly device, Marsha turned toward a wall and ran her hands over it. It was smooth like marble and radiated a luminescent light that gave the room its glow. If it weren't for these walls, floor, and ceiling, she would be shrouded in darkness. She followed the wall around the entirety of the cube, feeling for any switches or hidden panels, though she didn't find anything.

She finally leaned against and slid down a wall until her bottom hit the ground. She rested her head against her knees and began to cry.

Buy Now @ Amazon

Genre –  Thriller / SciFi

Rating – PG13

More details about the author & the book

Connect with Lucas Heath on Facebook  & Twitter

Website http://lucasheathbooks.com/

I looked down at the wound but made myself keep going despite feeling the pain and the thick, crimson liquid oozing down my leg. As I pushed my way forward, a million questions ran through my head. One in particular stuck out. Why were these guys trying to kill me? I was just a college student. I never had problems with anybody. I looked back at the men in the trench coats. They were walking slowly now, but still firing their weapons. Glass storefront windows shattered around me and car windshields cracked with spider webs, hollow holes in the middle.

I dragged myself off the concrete and started to limp away as fast as I could, but another bullet found it’s way through the calf muscle of my other leg. I dropped to my knees and groaned in agony. My hands tugged against the concrete, straining to pull my body’s weight along. Suddenly, I felt a sickening thud in the upper part of my back. It felt like I’d been struck by a sledgehammer. The force of the impact knocked me forward onto my face. The concrete was cold on my skin, a strange contrast to the warm liquid leaking from my body in three places.

Three pairs of black boots crunched across the glass and rubble, coming to stop next to my face. The men were standing over me, looking down like I was nothing more than a rabid dog they were disposing of. The one with the shaved head grinned, revealing stained, crooked teeth. The other two just watched as he aimed the gun at my head.

There was nothing I could do but lay there. I couldn’t feel my legs, which meant the last bullet had severed my spinal cord. I knew I was about to die but didn’t close my eyes. I couldn’t understand why these men were doing this. I’d never seen any of them before. But I wouldn’t give them the pleasure of seeing me flinch, whoever they were. I didn’t beg. I didn’t even ask why they were doing it. I’m not sure why. I just didn’t.

My head twisted and I stared down the barrel of the gun as the sunlight silhouetted the enormous figure of the man who was about to kill me. My head rolled to the side and for the briefest of seconds, I noticed a young woman with long brown hair standing still while everyone else panicked. She was a vision of serenity amidst the chaos. She watched with a strange curiosity as the bald man stood over me. I returned my gaze to the tip of the weapon just in time to see him squeeze the trigger. I heard the gunshot, again like it was in slow motion and, felt the bullet hit my skull.

Then everything went black.

Buy Now @ Amazon

Genre –  Science Fiction

Rating – PG13

More details about the author & the book

Connect with Ernest Dempsey on Facebook  & Twitter

Website http://ernestdempsey.net/

What’s your favorite meal? Isn’t it funny how as we change our minds our taste buds change too? This past weekend, I discovered that I love sushi! Who knew! I had tried a few things before and didn’t like any of it, and really, eeewwww. This time, however, I tried some different things and I was sold. I’m not yet ready to say it is my favorite meal, but it was my favorite meal this weekend!

What other jobs have you had in your life? My first year in college, I had three jobs, all paid positions. I worked three days a week at an orthodontic office, was co-editor of the university yearbook and copy editor of the university newspaper. I’ve been a “security guard” who cleaned toilets and picked up trash at a botanic gardens and I’ve been an Environmental and Health & Safety Consultant, which, now that I think about it, are kind of the same thing.

Do you find the time to read? Not often, no. My daughter bought me a Kindle for Christmas so I have read a few things, but mostly, it just made me see things in my own books that needed fixed so I went back to work. It has been a long time since I’ve read a novel and I’d like to do that again. However, when you’re writing two books simultaneously, speaking and coaching and keeping up with the business side of both, there isn’t a lot of time left for much else. I’m not complaining! I love what I do! I am truly Living the Life I Love!

How do you feel about social media websites such as Facebook and Twitter? Are they a good thing? I enjoy interacting on Facebook and use Twitter to some degree. They definitely connect us in ways we wouldn’t otherwise, which is very nice. However, so much of it seems like such a huge waste of time. I enjoy the conversations around personal development, spiritual awareness and self-discovery. I’ve recently become rather brutal about deleting those with political, religious or advertising agendas. It felt odd at first, now it feels so good to be free of the negative vibes, which, of course, is what my work is all about—being the best you possible!

What’s your greatest character strength? What’s your weakest character trait? I combined these because they are very often different sides of the same coin. My greatest character strength is the willingness to keep going and pushing through. It is also my weakest, because it kept me pushing and struggling even when I didn’t need to. In order to feel strong and competent, I had to struggle. So, while I accomplished a tremendous amount, I made it way harder on myself than it needed to be.

How often do you write? And when do you write? I write constantly. From January 2011 to January 2013, I wrote nonstop. Literally, I averaged about 12 hours a day seven days a week. Some days I’d only work 8 hours and others 16. . I know, it sounds impossible and ridiculous, but it’s true. No one made me—I was driven. Getting that book written and my career moving forward was—and still is—my number one priority. I’m also working on a book about relationships—a topic that behooves me to make time to actually have one!

Wishing your life were different doesn’t make it so. If you want to live a life that you truly love, it takes deliberate and soul-searching work to figure out what you really want, why you don’t already have it and what you’re honestly willing to do to get it. Like a best friend dispensing more than a little tough love, Renaye wraps a sturdy arm around your shoulders, forces you to look in the mirror and says, “You can do this.” And with a simple, practical step-by-step process, she shows you how.

Discover what’s been holding you back, and how to turn those limitations into life-transforming choices. Her guided coaching session shows you how to define your dream life and map out how to get it.

The book also includes • detailed examples and instructions on how to create your own personal vision script and vision board • with anecdotes and concise, practical exercises • bonus chapter: What to do when you don’t know what to do Whether it’s a relationship, career, health or other challenge, you’ll find the tools to stop tolerating what you need to change and start living a life you truly love.

Buy Now @ Amazon

Genre – Personal Development / Self-Help / Motivational

Rating –G

More details about the author

Connect with Paula Renaye on Facebook & Twitter