Music Boxes by Tonja Drecker

Music Boxes

By Tonja Drecker

Middle Grade Fantasy / Performing Arts

158 pages

Dancing Lemur Press

Release date: March 5th, 2019

Ages 9 to 12

      ·         ISBN-10: 1939844568

      ·         ISBN-13: 978-1939844569

Book Blurb:

“I only desire your talent...”

Twelve-year-old Lindsey McKay's biggest dream is to be a famous ballerina. But after moving to New York, she ends up at the Community Center with a teacher who’s a burly bear in tights.

When she meets Madame Destinée, the teacher of a top dance school who offers her classes for free, Lindsey can't believe her luck. In exchange, she must perform in the school’s exclusive midnight shows, ones sure to make her a star. But something’s not right...

One by one, the other dancers disappear. Each time they do, a music box with a figurine just like the missing ballerina joins Madame Destinée’s growing collection. If Lindsey doesn’t discover the truth about the dance school, she might end up a tiny figurine herself.

Goodreads link :  https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/41452109

Sale Links:

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Music-Boxes-Tonja-Drecker/dp/1939844568

B&N : https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/music-boxes-tonja-drecker/1129391447

Kobo: https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/music-boxes

Get a FREE envelope with Swag!

Pre-order/order your book (ecopy or print) before midnight (EST) on Friday night, March 8^th, send a copy of your proof of purchase to  tonjadrecker@gmail.com along with an US mailing address, and you will receive an envelope with exclusive swag (bookmark, sticker, etc). 

All about the author...

Tonja Drecker is a writer, blogger, children’s book reviewer and freelance translator. After spending years in Germany exploring forgotten castles, she currently resides in the Ozarks with her family of six. When she’s not tending her chickens and cows, she’s discovering new adventures, nibbling chocolate and sipping a cup of tea.

Links:

Author website: http://tonjadrecker.blogspot.com/

Review blog: https://bookwormforkids.blogspot.com/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/TDrecker

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

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCJhQ1T8dLx1v9xkiLzlJSnA

Giveaway

The giveaway will run from midnight (EST) on the night of February 21^st, 2019 until midnight (EST) on the night of March 15^th,  2019. Entries will be made through the Rafflecopter. One winner will receive a music box (the one found in the book video: https://youtu.be/ww_RY4lVg3w) with the author’s golden signature on the bottom as well as swag (US addresses only). The second winner will receive an Amazon GC of $10 (US). The second winner must be in possession of a qualifying US Amazon account.

The contest is open to U.S. residents only, ages eighteen and over. No purchase is required for entry. All winners must claim their prize 48 hours after notification. Winners will be announced on www.tonjadrecker.blogspot.com on Saturday, March 16t^h 2019 by 10:00am (EST). All addresses and personal information will be used only for prize allocation. Sponsor, Tonja Drecker, assumes no responsibility or liability of any kind. Please email all questions to tonjadrecker@gmail.com.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Mistakes of the Past Release

Blurb:

Luc seeks atonement for the actions that banished him from his home. Living as a priest in a small town, he strives to show how much he’s changed with the hope that one day he can return to his family.

Haunted by the guilt that destroyed her family, Rose has shut her heart off. She vows to never let anyone near again lest she hurt them. When she meets Luc, she can’t deny the draw she feels to him.

But the past is not easily forgotten. When Luc’s past finds him, Rose is caught in the middle. Forced to face who he used to be, Luc must decide if he’s willing to give up his chance at redemption to save Rose. But doing so means he won’t be able to hide who he is. Will Rose be able to reconcile the man she knows with the devil he used to be? Or are the mistakes of the past too damning?

Buy Links:

Amazon

Smashwords

B&N

Kobo

iTunes

About the Author:

Patricia Josephine never set out to become a writer. In fact, she never considered it an option during high school and college. She was all about art. On a whim, she wrote down a story bouncing in her head. That was the start of it and she hasn't regretted a moment. She writes young adult under the name Patricia Lynne.

Patricia lives with her husband in Michigan, hopes one day to have what will resemble a small petting zoo, has a fondness for dying her hair the colors of the rainbow, and an obsession with Doctor Who.

Thornwood: Creating a fictional town

I have a habit in my writing, I don’t often use real places. In my YA, Snapshots, the city Cyc lives in, I didn’t have a name until one of the very last drafts. I picked a name along the lines of Los Angeles and had a bit of meaning. In Path of Angels, and Abducted Life, there are no names for the towns the characters are from. It just wasn’t important to the story.

But when it came to Mistakes of the Past, I needed a town name because it matters to Rose. She wants to escape the town and the tragedy attached. Plus, the characters kept talking about the place. When I introduce Rose, she’s looking at the name to the town!

Many writers will use real places, but that has its downsides. You gotta get details right. That’s hard if you don’t live near the place. And trust me, someone who lives there will let you know. This is the main reason why I often make up the places where my characters live. I can arrange it how I need it to and don’t have to worry about getting it wrong and throwing readers out of the scene.

Of course, that’s not to say I don’t get inspiration from real towns and cities.

Thornwood is actually a mix of two towns I grew up around: Newberry and Curtis, Michigan. Curtis is a tiny, little tourist trap. You can drive through it in a minute. Newberry is bigger, but not by much. I mashed them together to get a small town where most everyone knows each other, but it’s also big enough for a hospital. Both aren’t too far from where I currently live, so the inspiration for the city (which I never bothered to name) is inspired by that. Although, that city is much bigger than the one I live in.

Will I ever use a real life place for a story? Yeah. It will probably be somewhere I have visited or can easily. That will allow me to make sure the streets I use are accurate and makes sense.

Links

Twitter: https://twitter.com/plynne_writes

Website: http://www.patricialynne.com

Newsletter: http://www.patricialynne.com/newsletter.html

Books: http://www.patricialynne.com/my-books.html

Google+: https://plus.google.com/u/0/108938106639683446081/posts/p/pub

Wattpad: http://www.wattpad.com/user/patricialynne07

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/13460894.Patricia_Josephine

R is for Restraint, Where Words Fail Music Speaks Release, and Celebrate the Small Things-April 21, 2017

I have a lot of stuff for you today, so I hope you stick with me! Let's start with today's A to Z piece!

For this year’s A to Z Challenge, I’m writing drabbles based on words I got from a random word generator.  A drabble is a short piece of fiction of exactly 100 words.

Enjoy!

Restraint

Don’t do it.  No matter how much you want to strangle him, it isn’t worth it.  Just walk away.  You can do it.

“It’s easy,” he continued with a wave of his hand.  “Anyone can write a book.  You shouldn’t complain.”

I trembled, my hands clenched into fists at my sides.  I’d never exercised such restraint before.  Part of me didn’t know why I was even holding back.

He’s not worth getting in trouble over, I reminded myself.

“I could write a book if I wanted to,” he said.  “I just don’t have the time for that sort of thing.”

I hope you enjoyed that!  Now let's move on to the next tidbit I have for you today!

I'm excited to be taking part in the release blitz for the Where Words Fail, Music Speaks Anthology, which is out now!  (I'm currently in the process of reading an ARC of this, and I'll have a review for you soon!)

Where Words Fail, Music Speaks is a collection of short stories and poetry by writers from all walks of life.

Each story is based on the titles of 90s Britpop songs, including Come Back To What You Know, Bittersweet Symphony, Animal Nitrate, Disco 2000, and more.

Our list of authors is: Kyra Lennon, Clare Dugmore, Annalisa Crawford, Ker Dukey, Wesley Copeland, Robb Turburville, D H Sidebottom, Audrina Lane, M.B. Feeney, Karen Frances, S.J Warner, Scout Dawson, Kimberly Morgan, Maddie Wade, Rebeccalou Heronpontin, Andrea Coventry

All proceeds from the sales of this anthology will go to Clusterbusters.

Amazon US | Amazon UK | Goodreads

Okay!  Let's take a deep breath and move on to the final part of this post!

And last but not least in this monster post, it's Friday!  Let's Celebrate the Small Things with Lexa Cain!  Tonja Drecker and I are her co-hosts.

It's been a challenging week, so I'm mostly grateful that it's Friday.  We had a major car issue this week, in that our Taurus has had a catastrophic issue.  It's never a good sign when you're driving with your children and you hear a terrible cracking sound, after which the car starts making terrible thumping noises and shaking.  Oh dear.  We haven't finished assessing the damage yet, but it isn't good.  I'm just glad this happened close to home and at a low speed.  It could have been far worse.

Poor Zoe also has an eye infection, although it doesn't seem to be bothering her that much.  She still seems like a happy baby, so I'm glad about that.

At least my writing is still going well.  I'll celebrate that.

What would you like to celebrate?

O is for Oblivious and Maski Release Day!

For this year’s A to Z Challenge, I’m writing drabbles based on words I got from a random word generator.  A drabble is a short piece of fiction of exactly 100 words.

Enjoy!

Oblivious

“I get the feeling I’m missing something important,” Sarah said, tapping her chin thoughtfully.

Ian nodded.  “I’m not surprised.”

“It’s weird, because I feel like we’ve had this conversation before,” she continued distractedly.

“We have.  Once a year, in fact.”

She sighed.  “For the life of me, I can’t think of what it is.”  She approached the refrigerator to retrieve a cold can of Coca Cola, passing the calendar on the wall as she did.

That day’s date was circled in red marker and clearly labeled ANNIVERSARY.  Ian smiled.  Oblivious as Sarah was about such things, he still adored her.

*     *     *     *     *     *

Maski: Broken But Not Dead

By Joylene Nowell Butler

Psychological Thriller

$4.99 eBook ISBN 9781939844385

An IPPY Silver Medalist!

To the Breaking Point...

When Brendell Meshango resigns from her university professor position and retreats to her isolated cabin to repair her psyche, she is confronted by a masked intruder. His racial comments lead her to believe she is the solitary victim of a hate crime.

However, is all as it appears? After two bizarre days, the intruder mysteriously disappears but continues to play mind games with her. Taught by her mother to distrust the mainstream-based power structures, and with her stalker possibly linked to a high level of government, Brendell conceals the incident from the police. But will her silence keep her safe?

Then her beloved daughter, Zoë, is threatened and Brendell takes matters into her own hands. To save Zoë, Brendell searches for the stalker and confronts not just a depraved madman but her own fears and prejudices.

Purchase Links:

Barnes & Noble - http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/maski-joylene-nowell-butler/1125994868?ean=2940154062012

Kobo - https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/maski-broken-but-not-dead

iTunes - https://itunes.apple.com/ca/book/maski-broken-but-not-dead/id1216518807?mt=11

Amazon - https://www.amazon.com/Maski-Broken-But-Not-Dead-ebook/dp/B06XQMGMHW/

“Joylene Nowell Butler gets straight to the story, taking you from one happening to the next and keeps you turning the page.” - Martha A. Cheves, author

“A psychological thriller filled with suspense, action and drama...” - John Bell, 93.1  CFIS-FM: Prince George, BC

“Riveting and beautifully written. You won't be able to set it down.” Judith S. Avila, author

Joylene, Métis, is the author of Dead Witness, Broken But Not Dead, and Break Time. She and her husband and their two cats reside in Canada for the summers and Nayarit for the winters. They believe life should be an adventure. https://cluculzwriter.blogspot.com/

Circuits & Slippers is Available Now!

It's here!  Circuits & Slippers, an anthology of fairy tales retold with a science fiction twist, is now available from Amazon!  If you're interested in purchasing your own copy, here are the links.

E-book

Print

You can also add it on Goodreads.

It's so exciting to be a part of this amazing project, and I hope people truly enjoy reading it.  Though I may be biased, I think there are some terrific stories in this book.  It's great to see my story "Treating the Beast" featured alongside so many other fantastic tales! 

Happy reading!

Self-Help 101 or: How to Select a Costume to Help You Deal With People Release Day!

First of all, I wrote an article for StoryDam about the benefits of writing novellas.  You can check that out here.

It's here!  The third installment of the Self-Help 101 series is available now!  For those of you who don't know, here are the details!

Title: Self-Help 101 or: How to Select a Costume to Help You Deal With People

Author: L.G. Keltner

Genre: holiday/humor

Length: 29,000 words

Cover Art:  L.G. Keltner and Jamon Walker

Release Date: September 27, 2016

Blurb:

Book 3 in the Self-Help 101 series.

Dani Finklemeier is adjusting to life in college and the realities of living away from home for the first time.  She’s also learning to deal with the criticism that stems from sharing her writing with the world.  Some of the online criticism is even spelled correctly, which somehow makes it worse.

Fortunately, she has a Halloween party, a group of friends, and a supportive boyfriend to distract her from the things that are bothering her.  Of course, a holiday celebration wouldn’t be complete without something going wrong.  Between an unpleasant confrontation with an infuriating classmate, some shocking costume choices, and a bizarre fraternity stunt, the evening will be anything but dull.

Dani’s detractors may not like it, but she’ll definitely have enough material for another book.

Bio:

L.G. Keltner spends most of her time trying to write while also cleaning up after her crazy but wonderful kids and hanging out with her husband.  Her favorite genre of all time is science fiction, and she’s been trying to write novels since the age of six.  Needless to say, those earliest attempts weren’t all that good. 

Her non-writing hobbies include astronomy and playing Trivial Pursuit.

You can typically find L.G. lurking around her blog, on Twitter, or on her Facebook page.

Purchase Links:

E-book:

Amazon US

Amazon UK

Smashwords

Barnes & Noble

iBooks

Kobo

Print:

Amazon US

CreateSpace

Add it on Goodreads.

Kyra Lennon's Final Score: Part 1

New Release

Final Score: Part 1

Book 5 in the Game On Series

by Krya Kennon

Leah Walker and Radleigh McCoy have overcome a lot of personal demons to be together, but what happens when everything they’ve worked to build is threatened? 

With wedding plans in full swing and Leah settled into her role as a stay at home mum, life is just about perfect. However, an unexpected job offer sparks tension between the couple, and when someone from Radleigh’s past shows up in Westberg with a life-altering revelation, Leah and Radleigh’s relationship is shaken to the core. 

Just when Leah and Radleigh seemed to have it all together, their happy home is ripped in two, leaving them both with some tough choices to make. Will they be able to overcome their problems and make it down the aisle, or will outside temptations make them say goodbye forever?

Amazon UK: http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B01KR4ZNIW

Amazon US: https://amzn.com/B01KR4ZNIW

Self-Help 101 or: How to Survive a Bombardment With Minimal Injury Release Day!

It's release day!  Woohoo!  If any of you know nothing about the 2nd book in my Self-Help 101 series, here are the details!

Title: Self-Help 101 or: How to Survive a Bombardment With Minimal Injury

Author: L.G. Keltner

Genre: YA/holiday/humor

Length: 25,000 words

Cover Art: L.G. Keltner and Jamon Walker

Release Date: June 28, 2016

Blurb:

Book 2 in the Self-Help 101 Series

Dani Finklemeier has self-published her guide to taking over the world, but she still isn’t rich.  Now she’s eighteen, still babysitting for money, and looking forward to starting college in the fall.

Of course, she has to survive a 4^th of July outing with her family first.  That’s a challenging prospect considering she has to be in close proximity with a group of cousins known as The Fallible Four.  As if that weren’t enough, she also has to deal with the fallout of her parents learning more about her relationship with her boyfriend Seth than she ever wanted them to know.

The good news is that, if she survives this holiday, she’ll have plenty of material for another self-help book.

Bio:

L.G. Keltner spends most of her time trying to write while also cleaning up after her crazy but wonderful kids and hanging out with her husband.  Her favorite genre of all time is science fiction, and she’s been trying to write novels since the age of six.  Needless to say, those earliest attempts weren’t all that good. 

Her non-writing hobbies include astronomy and playing Trivial Pursuit.

You can typically find L.G. lurking around her blog, on Twitter, or on her Facebook page.

Purchase Links:

Ebook-

Amazon

Barnes & Noble

Kobo

iBooks

Smashwords

Print-

Amazon

CreateSpace

Add it on Goodreads.

I mentioned last week that I was going to have some pre-written tweets for everyone to help make promotion easier. Here they are!

Fireworks + irresponsible cousins. What could go wrong? Find out in the 2nd #novella in the #SelfHelp101 series.  https://www.amazon.com/Self-Help-101-Survive-Bombardment-Minimal-ebook/dp/B01H87BE6G

Dani has to survive the #4thofJuly with her family in the 2nd #novella in #SelfHelp101 series. https://www.amazon.com/Self-Help-101-Survive-Bombardment-Minimal-ebook/dp/B01H87BE6G #YA #holiday

Beware flying French fries in the 2nd #novella in the #SelfHelp101 series! https://www.amazon.com/Self-Help-101-Survive-Bombardment-Minimal-ebook/dp/B01H87BE6G #YA #holiday #4thOfJuly #99cents 

If you can help me by tweeting any of these, I'd really appreciate it.  If anyone is also interested in helping me promote the 1st novella in the series as well, you can also send out the following tweet!

A teenager writes a #book about taking over the world in the first #novella in the #SelfHelp101 series! #free #YA https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/584589

Thanks everyone!