A Place to Call Home: Toby’s Tale G. A. Whitmore - every rescue dog has a tale to tell

I am, so pleased to feature this book today - Rescue dogs are dear to my heart having just had to send my beloved Bouncer over the Rainbow Bridge, I am now hoping to adopt another dog and feel again the love and joy only a dog can bring.

Book Description:

Every rescue dog has a tale to tell, a story uniquely their own. A Place to Call Home is Toby’s tale. His story takes you on a journey across the country from California to Connecticut and across the spectrum of life’s emotional and spiritual experience.

Born on a small farm in northern California, Toby narrowly escapes the death sentence imposed on him by his breeder. Through a series of events driven by good intentions, he finds himself in a Connecticut suburb where life with his new family soon collapses on him, and his newfound happiness is brutally destroyed.

On his quest to find a place to call home, Toby encounters and endures the best and worst of humanity as he comes face to face with sorrow and joy, fear and courage, and ultimately, with the power of love.

Based on a true story, A Place to Call Home is a young adult novel for dog lovers of all ages.

Excerpt  

This excerpt is a scene from one of Toby’s dream sequences:

Was this another dream? Who would visit him in this dream?

As if in answer to his question, a large pack of wolves and dogs slowly materialized out of the enshrouding gray and one-by-one encircled him.

The snow stopped falling. All was still and quiet.

A long, wailing howl pierced the silence.

Followed by another.

Then another.

After a few moments, a chorus of howls erupted from the group that now surrounded Toby. A primordial urge rose within him. He stood up and shook off the light layer of snow that had accumulated on his fur. The urge grew stronger, more compelling, until he realized his own voice had joined the others. The multitude of voices became one as they howled on and on, until the cry reached its crescendo and abruptly ended, leaving an echoing silence around them once again.

A large, white figure approached Toby.

“Welcome to our pack, Toby.” The figure turned, and with a nod of his head, indicated the others. He turned back to Toby. “How did you come to be here?”

          Toby tried to find his voice, but the howl still reverberated in his throat. When he finally spoke, his reply was weak and raspy. “I don’t know. I don’t even know where here is.” He hesitated, and then asked, “How do you know my name?”

“My name is Strider, Toby. I am your grandfather.”

Strider! The memory of lying with Tara next to his mother as she told them the story of Sadie and Strider came flooding back to him and he felt a warmth of emotion flow through his body.

“Where is this place? How did I get here?” Toby asked.

Strider paused in thought for a moment, and then replied, “This land is a different place for different creatures, yet it is the same place for all creatures. For us,” Strider swept his large head around him, “this is the place we call home.”

Book Genre: Middle-grade/Young Adult

Publisher: Outskirts Press

Release Date: February 19, 2014

Buy Link(s):    Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00IX32I2Y

                        Barnes & Noble:http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/a-place-to-call-home-g-a-whitmore/1118719475?ean=9781478700739

Author Bio:

Ms. Whitmore’s passion for writing and her love of dogs come together in her series The Rescue Dog Tales. The first book in the series, A Place to Call Home, is based on the true story of Toby, an abused dog she adopted from the Connecticut Humane Society. Ms. Whitmore currently lives in Connecticut with her rescue dog Kadee.

Website: http://gawhitmore.com

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/authorgawhitmore

Twitter: @gawhitmore

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/20901939-a-place-to-call-home?from_search=true

Amazon Page http://www.amazon.com/G-A-Whitmore/e/B00IN9CYVI/ref=sr_tc_2_0?qid=1408217183&sr=1-2-ent

Leap Into The Knight Cover Reveal

Cover Reveals are always very exciting and today, instead of my usual Monday legend, I'm thrilled to be part of this one for 'Leap Into The Knight' by M J Schiller - isn't it gorgeous!

 Sir Darius Lee is a Knight of the High Order.

But when Darius discovers a stranger in his room in the middle of the night, and the intruder turns out to be a beautiful woman, he begins to question how he is meant to live his life.

Princess Megan of Bethyea is being held captive.

But when two knights help her to escape and bring her back to her home planet, she finds the home she knew no longer exists.

When The Council of Twelve questions Darius about his relationship with Maggie, she tries to flee from The Academy of the High Order to prevent him from losing his knighthood.

Will Darius and Orion find Maggie before she leaves Albion? And if they do, how can they face the decision of The Council? And what about the feelings Orion has developed for the princess?  


Release Date: November 1, 2014
Published by: Kissmet Publishing 
PREORDER LINK


BIO

I was born in Overland Park, KS, grew up in St. Louis, MO, went to school at the University of Missouri-Columbia, and moved to Bloomington, IL fresh out of college.  I worked as a high school/junior college teacher, personnel recruiter, office manager of a jewelry store, and, for the past ten years, as a lunch lady.  I  like to karaoke and attend rock concerts.  I’m also actively involved at church and spend too much time on Facebook.  I am  the mother of a seventeen-year-old, fifteen-year-old triplets, and have been married to my husband, Don, for over twenty-four years.

I have been a writer all my life. My first book, which was co-written with Mary Ellen Murphey in second grade, was titled The Black Cat, and was written on blue hotel stationary, hole-punched, and bound by white yarn.  I believe it is currently  out of circulation.

When I turned forty, I had an epiphany of sorts. I realized those bigwig publishing houses in New York were now probably run by people younger than me, so I shouldn’t be intimidated by them.  At about the same time, I was watching one of those award shows, and Jaclyn Smith got up to give a posthumous award to Aaron Spelling.  She credited him for encouraging her to go into acting, saying something brilliant like, “Reach for your dreams.”  Nothing new.  Almost even seems a little Jiminy Cricketish.  But, for some reason, it struck me that night.  When Aaron Spelling was thirteen, he was probably just like any other acned thirteen-year-old.  But he worked to achieve his dreams, and became a household name.  So, I  began to write.  Once I finished my first book,I wasn’t able to stop.  I would rather write than do just about anything else.  After all, I get to make people (characters) do what I want, and design their happy endings. What power!  And what a  privilege.

University of Missouri-Columbia, and moved to Bloomington, IL fresh out of college.  I worked as a high school/junior college teacher, personnel recruiter, office manager of a jewelry store, and, for the past ten years, as a lunch lady.  I  like to karaoke and attend rock concerts.  I’m also actively involved at church and spend too much time on Facebook.  I am  the mother of a seventeen-year-old, fifteen-year-old triplets, and have been married to my husband, Don, for over twenty-four years.

Halloween Earrings Giveaway - free entry contest

My friend Echo is running a fantastic contest to win a pair of earrings (as shown with her able assisant, Bob) just in time for the Halloween festivities.  To enter, all you have to do is complete the Rafflecopter form below:

HTML code: a Rafflecopter giveaway

The Sonar Series - Excerpts and a Review of Sonar Crashing

This is my stop during the blog tour for The Sonar series by B Truly, The Sonar series contains two books so far: Sonar the Crashing (The Sonar series #1) and Melanie’s Evanescent Journey (The Sonar series #1.5) by B Truly. This blog tour is organized by Lola's Blog Tours. The blog tour runs from 6 till 24 October and you can view the complete tour schedule here.

Sonar the Crashing (The Sonar series #1)
by B Truly
Genre: Paranormal Romance / Sci-Fi/ Thriller
Age category: New Adult
Release Date: April 08, 2014

Blurb:
Is it more than déjà vu? With the Romeland family it may be destined to be true.

Life on Earth is not the only place where devastation occurs and hard choices must be made. The Royal 4 of Kadan live in the Sonar galaxy three million light years from Earth. They travel to Earth to obtain the resources they need to give their world a fighting chance.
Their mission is compromised and they’re faced with life changing events. They have amnesia and no memory of their past. Strange dreams start to occur. They wonder if it’s more than a dream, or is it déjà vu?

The mind is a complex mystery. Amnesia is a secret unknown. The role it manifests in these characters’ lives is a catastrophic cyclone.
Shiray is frantic when she is the first to find out about their true destiny and that the love of her life no longer remembers who she is. She must find a way to restore her family before all is lost. They must prevail because the fate of their planet lies in their hand.

What would you do if you had amnesia and fell in love, only to learn upon regaining your memory, that you are already married?

Find out in this New Adult, Sci-Fi/Romance thriller!

You can find Sonar the Crashing on Goodreads.

You can buy Sonar the Crashing here:
- Amazon
- Barnes & Noble
- Kobo
- Smashwords

You can watch the trailer for Sonar the Crashing here:

MY REVIEW

There were elements in this SF young adult story that reminded me of 'Roswell High', and that's not a criticism, I loved that series. There's a lot to like about 'Sonar crashing.' The characters are easy to relate to and although for me it was a slow start, once the story gets going it is an interesting and engaging read.

I found the switch between the viewpoints of the two female lead characters a bit confusing, especially as the two characters' names are so similar (Shiray and Syira. The author does indicate the switch with a  row of asterisks, but perhaps I'm a bit slow on the uptake, because it took me a while to realise it wasn't the same person narrating the story when the switch first happened. It's written in the first person, and I happen to love first person narrative, but switching characters like this did tend to throw me out of the story for a while.  I felt it would have helped if the name of the current viewpoint had been at the top of the particular chapter or scene as was the only male viewpoint, in the epilogue. Also, the book would have benrfitted from some serious editing and polishing. There is a lot of repetition and several typographical and punctuation errors including the odd 'greengrocer's apostrophe'. :)

Having said that, I think this story would have quite a wide appeal  and possibly not just to fans of the science fiction genre, since a lot of the book takes place on Earth and concentrates on the amnesia of the characters and their feelings and emotions when they eventually get their memories back. This is the first book in a trilogy. More details are on the author's Website

 
Excerpt from SONAR CRASHING

That night I had the scariest dream of them all. I opened my eyes, and I was in a spacecraft going through the atmosphere of a dark planet. I walked into the cock pit and there was my guy. I could feel my cheeks flush. There were also four other women and six other men, all around my age. My guy smiled at me.

     “Are you ready? We have to hurry. A storm is on the way,” he said. The huge door to the ship opened. It looked like the opening to the back of a cargo ship. I gasped in disbelief. The sky outside the ship was black, and all we could see was water. The men shined the light in the water and threw down a net.

     “Don’t be scared, Sweetheart,” my guy said. “We’re very low on food, and there is no telling how long this storm will last.” I smiled at him. Suddenly the wind started howling, like a wind I had never heard before. It sounded like a freight train. The water started forming huge waves and the ship started rocking.

     “We have to hurry! The storm is coming in fast, and it will take us down if we don’t get out of here!” one of the men yelled. A huge wave rose up and washed over the ship. “Everyone grab a hold whole of something!” somebody screamed. “I’m taking off!”

     Then another huge wave washed over the ship. I tried to grab a hold of something, but the pressure was too strong. I was too close to the door, and fell out. We were high up, and it took me a while before I hit the water. I went deep under. The water was so cold; it felt like knives were stabbing me all over my body. I tried to swim to the surface, remembering I knew how, but it was like the pressure was keeping me down. I had never felt so scared before. Then I saw him and he grabbed me. He had a rope around his waist. He tugged on it, and it started pulling us up. Before we reached the surface I could no longer hold my breath. Water came gushing into my mouth, and I couldn’t breathe. Oh my God, I can’t breathe! My mind screamed. My body started jerking. I was frantic, and we still had not reached the surface. The next thing I saw was darkness.

     I heard voices. “She’s coming to! She’s coming to!” I opened my eyes slowly. I felt pressure on my chest; I turned quickly on my side and started coughing up water and gasping for air. Everyone started laughing and sighing in relief. I looked up, and my guy was leaning over me. He must have revived me. He was crying and laughing. He grabbed me into his arms. “You scared me. I thought I’d lost you,” he said.

     “Thank you,” I said, hugging him. I felt relieved to be in his arms.

     “We’ve made it out of Hydrocesis atmosphere safely. Let’s head home.” I heard a man say.

     Then I jolted awake, and quickly sat up in my bed. I was sweating profusely. This was no regular dream; this was a waking dream. I could still feel the pressure in my lungs and the taste of salt water in my mouth. My skin felt wet, and I was cold. I started sobbing. Who was I? Where did I come from? I needed answers and stayed awake for the rest of the night, my mind astir. Everything was a blur.


Melanie's Evanescent Journey (The Sonar series # 1.5)
by B Truly
Genre: Paranormal Romance
Age category: New Adult
Release Date: May 31, 2014

Blurb:
True Love may cost a price, if the greater good preordains that you are the sacrifice.

There are always two sides to a story. Melanie Wilhelm's begins after she moves from Australia and starts her senior year at Cashmere High. On her first day, she bumps into a mysterious guy, and they form an instant connection. They become friends and he shares his deepest secret with her. As they grow closer, their relationship amplifies and becomes binding. Strange things occur, but instead of worrying, Melanie's feelings intensify.
The excitement of New Year's Eve approaches, and so does Jason's most devastating revelation of all. She learns his ultimate truth and is now spun into his chaotic web. The danger rises and hard choices must be made. By being with Jason, Melanie may have to sacrifice more than her heart. It may cost her life.

Melanie's Evanescent Journey ties into books one and two of The Sonar Trilogy. From spiraling twists to devastating plots, her journey will make you question fate and true love.
Is fate something you can control? Some believe it's in the hands of what you behold.

You can find Melanie’s Evanescent Journey on Goodreads.

You can buy Melanie’s Evanescent Journey here:
- Amazon
- Barnes & Noble
- Kobo
- Smashwords


About the Author:
I have wanted to be an author since I was fifteen years old and I'm grateful to have accomplished this dream. I have three wonderful children and a husband who defines the person I am today. I work full-time as an Ultrasound technologist in Sugarland, Texas.
I have very vivid dreams and a wild imagination. I like to read, watch tons of TV shows, and movies. I’m addicted to romance and get a thrill out of action and suspense. I write New Adult Fantasy, Sci-fi, and Paranormal-Romance. In the Sonar series it was fun to explore different elements of Sci-fi romance and create various realms of powers for my characters. I want to show my readers that Sci-fi can be fun, but also traumatic. I hope you guys enjoy the Sonar Series.

You can find and contact B Truly here:
- Website
- Facebook
- Twitter
- Goodreads

There is a tour wide giveaway for the blog tour of The Sonar series. These are the prizes you can win:

- 5 e-copies of Sonar the Crashing
- 5 e-copies of Melanie’s Evanescent Journey

Enter the rafflecopter below for a chance to win:
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Dead On Her Feet

Dead on Her Feet

by Lisa Fernow

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

BLURB:

What happens when a dancer violates the tango code?

Tango instructor and chronic rule-breaker Antonia “Ant” Blakeley has no respect for authority. So when a much-hated member of the Atlanta tango community is stabbed in the middle of the dance floor, leaving her troubled nephew Christian first on the list of suspects, the last thing she wants to do is use her tango expertise to help the police work out how someone could have struck the fatal blow, unseen. As someone who has experienced police incompetence first hand Antonia doesn’t trust them to find the real killer. So she lies to give Christian an alibi, and the coverup begins.



Unfortunately for Ant, former marine Detective Sam Morrow is on the case and he will do whatever it takes to solve the crime. He’s not about to let Antonia hijack his case. As both Ant and Sam investigate (or in Ant’s case, interfere), the two sleuths are about to find out the more antagonistic meaning of “it takes two to tango.”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Excerpt

“Tango can be about many things—seduction, longing, nostalgia, intimacy, tenderness— you get the picture. Whatever the music and the moment inspires. This song isn’t one we normally dance to but I happen to think it’s a beautiful piece, especially if you understand the words. It’s called ‘Uno.’ One.” Uno, oh yeah, she thought.

“He gave away his heart to a woman who betrayed him and now he can’t love the way he used to. That’s life and death stuff.” She was pleased to see Christian nodding, solemnly. “For this exercise I want you to move with whatever emotion inspires you. No partners. Walk around the room in the line of dance, counterclockwise, everyone, remember? Don’t worry about steps, the idea is to get used to feeling the music and transmitting it through your bodies.”

Antonia started the track, savoring the instrumental opening. When Sosa finally started to sing the yearning in his voice punctured her heart as it never failed to do. The class shuffled around the room, some self-consciously, others with more abandon. One of the Emory students seemed to be channeling Martha Graham, in a good way.

Something out of the corner of her eye caught her attention: a stranger, not that much taller than she was, standing in the doorway. His military bearing, neatly trimmed mustache, and close-cropped sandy hair would have conveyed unyielding strength if it hadn’t been for the fact that his eyes were pale blue and his nose had been broken at least once. He would have been just her type if she were interested in a relationship.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

AUTHOR Bio and Links:

Lisa Fernow grew up on the classic mysteries of Ngaio Marsh and Elizabeth Peters. Lisa has danced Argentine tango since 1996, studying with such legendary masters as Cacho Dante, Susana Miller, and Brigitta Winkler, as well as other inspiring instructors in Atlanta, Seattle, and Portland. Lisa’s short story,Death of a Tango Dancer was featured in King County Library’s Take Time to Read program. She lives in Seattle, Washington. Dead on Her Feet is the first book in a planned series set in the tango world. Read more at www.lisafernow.com.

Author Links:

Website:  http://www.lisafernow.com

Blog: http://lisafernow.com/about/lisas-blog/

LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/lisafernow/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/lisafernowtangomysteries?ref_type=bookmark

Twitter:  @lisafernow

Pinterest:  http://www.pinterest.com/lisafernow/

Book Links:

Amazon:http://amzn.to/1okdIeu

Goodreads:  http://bit.ly/1kLdhdq

Barnes and Noble: http://bit.ly/1pZeD0p

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Win an eArc of Spooktacular Seductions!

Roane Publishing is giving away three eARCs of Spooktacular Seductions!

Genre: Romance Anthology Release Date: October 31, 2014 Keywords: Romance, Short Stories, Halloween, Paranormal

Falling in love can be terrifying.
Eight tales of spooky romance brought to you just in time for Halloween.

• Where Angels Tread by Christy Thomas
• Do You Believe in Ghosts by Anne Higa
• Bewitching Gypsy by Linda Carroll-Bradd
• If This Be Madness by Echo Shea
• Encantado by Havva Murat
• Garden of Souls by Michelle Ziegler
• Spooky Hollow Café by Lisa A. Adams
• Ghost of a Chance by Lily Carlyle

Roane Publishing is giving away THREE ARC copies to three lucky winners!

You don’t even have to be a blogger.

If you are willing to leave an honest review between the dates October 31st and November 14th, you are eligible to enter.

How? Simply fill out the form! You have until Midnight of October 11th when three winners will be chosen by random drawing.

Thanks so much & best of luck!