A magical deal! The Coven Princess only $2.99 on Amazon Kindle #YoungAdult

Do you miss the Harry Potter series? Do you want to recapture that otherworldly feeling you had when you read the books (or saw the movies)? Meet The Coven Princess; she'll take you there!

Growing up, Harley Torrance started to notice that she had strange powers only she found out she's a witch - not a wizard, like Harry Potter. At 14, you have enough to contend with without having to control the darkness within her. See how she pulls it off and explore the inner workings of her coven.

Click here: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07B5PC8L7/?tag=smarturlebook-20

My review of An Extraordinary Year by Judy Woodall: Five Stars.

Judy Woodall, who studied voice and classical music, spent her junior year in France and studied at the Sorbonne from 1956-57.

Here is my review of her book which is a collection of letters home to her family in Paducah, Kentucky.

This book is a delightful time warp back to the Fifties! From Judy singing the Judy Garland song "You Made Me Love You" and "I Could Have Danced All Night" from My Fair Lady to her settling in with her French family in Dijon, the book brought me there. And I really enjoy the exquisite grammar she uses in the book. She describes the (affordable) meals so well, she could compete with the hosts of the Food Network shows. Her accounts of her friendships and adventures in France and throughout Western Europe were interesting and heart-warming. Having spent the summer of 1972 near Grenoble, I can identify with Judy.  Yes, I do plan to read this again and enjoy every minute of it.

Presenting April Yellow Moon: A Cat Collier Mystery for 99 cents on Kindle!

This is Cat Collier's 4th mystery, so it looks like she's a busy sleuth! 

Here's an interesting character profile: 

Mary Catherine Collier, better known as Cat, wrote obituaries for the small-town local newspaper, the Heaton Valley Herald. She interviewed the senior citizens as to their accomplishments, likes, and hobbies. She kept these on file in case they won the lottery or the Nobel Peace Prize or something, or more likely, got involved in a scandal. She was also the sole member of the research department. She liked the quiet solitude of research work and was extremely tech savvy.

While she was in college, she dreamed of teaching in the local school system. Heaton Valley residents were wholesome, dedicated parents who valued a good education and the local schools were held in high esteem. The teachers were happy to go to work every day. The children were happy and safe in their school setting. And the community as a whole took pride in all the many varied accomplishments of the students.

Then something happened. Schools lost their place of honor as bastions of education and safety. They became gripped with fear. Test-taking and building security measures replaced the absolute joys of learning and discover.

It was then Cat began to rethink her career decision. She decided that, if the Heaton Valley Herald ever went belly-up, she’d open her own investigation business. With her laptop, an internet connection, and a big cup of coffee, she could find out almost anything online. There was no longer the need for any actual physical investigation, no high speed chases, no tailing or stalking, nothing dangerous. Just quiet, simple clicks.

Then one day Cat was called to the penthouse apartment of the city’s very rich, most influential lawyer, Detrick Bittmor. He had a very personal assignment for her. It involved a mysterious young man who sat on a park bench every day at noon and stared up at Bittmor’s top floor apartment.

Cat had a soft spot for this lawyer with a nasty reputation. There was something about this old man she liked, and even found charming.

Detrick Bittmor thought the young man on the park bench resembled a younger version of himself. He thought this young man could possibly be his son from an affair he had many years ago with a beautiful New Year lawyer. This man could be his only heir.

And old man Bittmor wasn’t getting any younger.

And so began… the Cat Collier Mystery series.

So, what's Cat been up to in this book?

 A dear, old friend comes up missing and Cat Collier must scramble to find her before it's too late. A powerful enemy resurfaces and claims responsibility for a personal attack on Cat's family. Nola relives Trent's murder. Carter proposes...again.

Cat Collier is not Carol Ann Kauffman's only series: She has mysteries, romances, and free ebook deals on her website: https://carolannkauffman.weebly.com/

And don't forget her Amazon page: https://amzn.to/2G568Fa

Spring Break Time - Perfect for a High Seas Mystery!

Get away from the early Spring wind, and unpredictable weather and head to the tropics for Murder Caribbean-Style! AND it's only 99 cents! https://amzn.to/2I1HGkC

A free cruise sounds like winning the lottery, but when your ex-lover dies in a mutiny you want to wake up from it all - safe in your bed.

Book summary:
 When Kayla was denied a well-deserved promotion, she resigned. Kayla’s shipboard friends applauded her bravery, but she knew the truth. Reeling from the painful humiliation inflicted by an unfaithful lover, Kayla welcomed an excuse to run home and hide. 

 Plunging into a frenzied investigation to discover the killer before police arrest her friends,Kayla bumps into Steven Young every time she uncovers a clue. They soon join forces to unravel the mystery and spark a fledgling romance. Like a tightrope walker balancing between passion and peril, Kayla risks her life to unearth the truth behind Patrick’s death and free herself from his memory. 

Author Diane Rapp has written a variety of books: clean mysteries and clean science-fantasy. You can read about sentient wolves and space colonists, an English lady who whose journey leads her to Colorado in 1888 or you can hear about her upcoming mysteries with cute dogs as sidekicks. Here is the link to her website: http://www.quicksilvernovels.com/index.html

Defining Her by Samantha March only 99 cents on Amazon Kindle. Being you changes over time.

I remember watching an old movie about an actress who became a star in 1930s Hollywood and had completely changed over the years. Somebody called her Daisy Clover. She replied, "That girl doesn't exist anymore."  The movie, Inside Daisy Clover starring Natalie Wood, came out in 1965. I think I saw it on TV in 1970 and just thought the character was being overly dramatic. Fast forward to 2018 and I'm in my early 60s. That quote doesn't sound so off base to me now.  The me from 2005 is much different from the me now and getting married late in life was only part of the equation.

In Defining Her, Nellie Hawthorne is a woman who has it all. A devoted husband, her own business, a wealthy lifestyle. But the Nellie she is now is much different from her past. A past filled with abuse, addiction, and men. Nellie’s carefully constructed new life is suddenly in jeopardy when a blast from the past emerges in her small town and her overbearing mother-in-law starts pushing for grandchildren and questions start being asked. A budding new friendship presents itself at an opportune time, and a once friendless Nellie finds herself growing closer to Prue Doherty.
Prue Doherty is the quintessential good girl. Always making the right decisions, always playing it safe. Until she meets a man that could change all of that. Still reeling from a devastating breakup and betrayal that had her fleeing from Chicago and settling into suburb life with her mom close by, Prue finds herself in a damaging funk. But everything changes when she befriends Nellie Hawthorne. 
Nellie is trying to escape her past. Prue wants that perfect future. While both women strive to change their lives, they continue to cling to the past. But what defines us? Who we were then . . . or who we are trying to be now? 

This is not your typical romance novel, but rather a psychological novel. It is deeper and more complex than the typical boy meets girl story. 

As the Brits say, have a look?  http://amzn.to/2tSKD4P

Like what you see? Here is Samantha March's Amazon Page: http://amzn.to/2DyKRgS

Beyond Forged in Fire: Morning Coffee with Doug Marcaida and more!

Doug Marcaida is a judge on the popular History Channel series, Forged in Fire. He is a knife designer with his own martial arts school. Details can be found here: www.dougmarcaida.com His website does include a blog.

In the martial arts world, Doug is known as "Kuya Doug". I emailed him and his definition of Kuya is: the Filipino Tagalog word for Older brother which is an affectionate way of showing respect. While Guro is the word for teacher and given as a rank in Filipino Martial Arts like Sensei or Sifu. I prefer to use a common term that one uses for family because I preffer to view training more like one would view a family. A community that comes together to share knowledge that goes both ways as opposed to the stricter classical linear way of Teacher and student. In my preferred way of teaching, Both are simultaneously teaching and learning from each other as they go. I'm not into the use of Ranks or titles. I find that these tend to separate rather than invite people because ranks seem to become a hierarchy and some are are higher up to be considered within reach because of their "lower" ranks. See the terms here Higher or lower tends to separate or seem intimidating. 

So It doesn't matter to me. I give and expect mutual respect for the art anf the knowledge shared with one a another. Inclusive rather than exclusive and it begins with how we view each other and call one another.  

In preparation for this blog spot, I read an interview of Doug

https://www.offgridweb.com/preparation/qa-with-doug-marcaida/

What touched me the most was one of Doug's answers: "because in the end, the methodology and training process is to be able to realize and use what is to me the only weapon: your mind".

Since so much of Doug's accomplishments have already been covered in other interviews/articles, I want to focus on the above quote.

The mind is really the most powerful tool you have. It can change the direction of your life for better or for worse with just a decision.

You can initially dislike a person, then get acquainted and change your mind. 

Doug discusses labels and profiling in his most recent vlog Morning Coffee with Doug Marcaida.

https://www.facebook.com/kuyaDougMarcaida/videos/643671369136801/
He has serious, inspirational and sometimes funny videos, even one where he runs out of coffee and has tea instead! http://bit.ly/2Gk6Ifa

Being involved in some creative process can give your mind a workout. 

In his March 2017 video, Doug discusses the creative process of knife design: 

https://www.facebook.com/kuyaDougMarcaida/videos/643730592464212/

Doug has a station on You Tube which includes Morning Coffee episodes along with videos on knife design and martial arts: 

https://www.youtube.com/user/kalisong1

And you can enjoy Forged in Fire streaming here: 

http://www.history.com/shows/forged-in-fire

This just out: Coven Princess by Lily Luchesi. Young Adult Horror Fantasy for only 99 cents!

Home invasions are scary enough, but to lose both parents to them at the age of three is a painful start in life. Even though she is adopted, her inborn abilities show that she is a powerful witch and must wrestle with her dark side.  She goes from being a fairly ordinary14-year old to being in the company of the Coven King.

Now a part of the magical community, Harley must learn to control her powers lest the Darkness already in her blood overcomes her. Can she dampen her lust for power in order to stop the Dark from taking over the Coven and killing everyone in their way?

The Amazon link: http://amzn.to/2FGSqHy


Lily Luchesi is a prolific writer who also wrote the Paranormal Detectives Series. Her Amazon page will keep any Paranormal, Horror, Fantasy fan busy for a long time:
http://amzn.to/2Fqv1L2