Self-published Spotlight, my new feature, is booming! This is my effort to help self-published/indie authors share their books with others. Next in the spotlight, Sue Clancy! Check out cover art, descriptions, and more for her children’s books “How the Cow Went Over the Moon and “Tiny Notes to the Sun.”
ABOUT THE BOOK
A cow goes around the moon in a self-produced bubble of gas and somehow comes back to Earth in this wordless fable.
Also, a farsighted bird forgets the morning sun song and in this wordless poem finds a way to read sheet music and welcome the day.
It could be said that this book fits into the educational literary genre of “mirrors for princes” with its sage advice to not take bubbles of gas very seriously along with its suggestion to learn to sing, or at least read sheet music and pretend to sing outdoors now and then.
There aren’t many words in this book. It’s mostly artwork. So, who knows if this is advice literature after all. It’s probably just meant to be funny.
HOW TO PURCHASE
You can purchase the books from Sue’s website by clicking the photo above or at this link here.
You can also read the ebook versions separately on Storyberries for How The Cow Went Over the Moon and Tiny Notes to the Sun. The ebooks on Storyberries are free, but there is an option to support the author if you wish to do so.
Be sure and peruse Sue’s website while you are there. She has a lot of other books and wonderful artwork!
Self-published spotlight is my effort to highlight indie authors and share their work with you. Next, Brett Salter is in the Spotlight. He has just released the fifth book in his Talisman series entitled Desperate Tides, Desperate Measures. The Talisman Series is a young adult contemporary fantasy series with dragons! Dragons walk amongst us, though you might not be able to tell. See the description and links to buy below.
Looks like our heroes can finally put an end to the nightmare that was Scarabadon, The Juggernaut. And it seems everyone’s favorite Synergist Knight and Master Dragon have fixed their Talisman issue too. Having thwarted every attack The Tyrant King has thrown at them to this point, The Alliance believes that they can endure any challenge as long as they remain together. Now, having the upper hand seems like the perfect opportunity to seek out more allies and even more of the realm’s mystical Talismans. Could this be a “happily ever after” for our ensemble of motley heroes? Or is this peace just a fool’s hope and just as temporary as the changing tides?
BUY LINKS
Below is the link to all five books. Kindle Unlimited subscribers can also read them for free. Just click on the cover art.
Self-published spotlight is my attempt to help bring attention to great self-published/indie books. Today, Claire Conroy is in the Spotlight! Read below about her poetry book, Listen.
ABOUT THE BOOK
“Claire Conroy is a spellbinding sorceress of words who can magically transport you mentally, emotionally and spiritually to the brief glimpses of time she captures and puts down on paper.” -Joia DaVida, Entertainment Journalist
A Sample of Claire’s Work
HOW TO PURCHASE
In order to purchase the book, message Claire on her Facebook page, Poetry by Claire Conroy. Claire also invites everyone to like and follow her Facebook page.
You can also order Listen by emailing Claire at Claire_Conroy73@yahoo.com.
We have our first spotlight! See below for a book description and links to pick up a great Christian self-help book, which is absolutely free right now!
BOOK DESCRIPTION
Want to become a better leader?
Increase Your Leadership Impact is a short, easy-to-read book that walks you through simple tips to help you feel closer to God and grow in your ability to lead those around you.
If you’re a Christian professional, leader, pastor, or anyone who loves to serve and inspire others—and you’re willing to start by first improving yourself—this book is for you.
Drawing on life lessons learned while attending Oxford and Harvard, author John Christopher Frame, PhD, shares easy-to-implement strategies to help you develop your leadership capacity.
In this quick read, you’ll discover:
What to emphasize to encourage people to follow you
How to make tough decisions with more confidence
A way to easily complete large tasks so you can fight overwhelm
One thing to avoid to come across more professionally
How you can tell your story to touch people’s lives
Inspiring prayers and practical action steps make this a power-packed read.
Unlock your potential and grab Increase Your Leadership Impact today!
Click the photo below and get your free ebook on Amazon. (Free as of this posting. Grab your copy while you can.
Attention self-published/indie authors: I have a new feature I want to try called Self-Published Spotlight. This is a place, not for reviews, but to highlight your book, give a description, and include buy links. If your book is on sale, newly published, or you want a cover reveal, or for pretty much any reason, contact me and send me the book description, cover art, sale information, or anything else you want included. Self-Published Spotlight can be any day of the week, and the frequency I publish it will depend on how many requests I get. These do not include a review.
Email me at bonniereadsandwrites@gmail.com if you want to be in the spotlight! And share this with any authors you know. Please make the title of your email Self-Published Spotlight.
Self-Published Saturday is my effort to help self-published and indie authors promote their books. Indie authors have to do it all, and marketing may be the most daunting of all the tasks they have to take on. If I can help even a little bit, I’m happy to do it. Below is my review of Silk by Sophia Alexander. This is gorgeous, richly layered historical fiction with a hint of something more that takes it to another level.
Silk is set in 1899 in South Carolina. Caroline Corbett and her brother have moved to Kingstree, South Carolina to live with their uncle on his plantation. Caroline goes to work in the local sewing factory. She is soon joined by Anne, a relative of similar age. Together they find a niche in fashion. Her aunt and uncle are also searching for marriage prospects, and before long Caroline and Anne find themselves at a supper party crowded with eligible men. Caroline is soon being courted by the town doctor and a local farmer. But somebody else has plans too, and those plans may not bode well for Caroline.
This is not just a romance novel. It is compelling, well-researched historical fiction. It could almost be called a psychological thriller as well. There are certainly elements of that genre in this story. The characters are all well developed and I connected with them instantly, whether it was to love them or hate them. The history and prejudices of the period are so well researched and expertly woven into the story. The suspense added to this novel through the character of Jessie Bell really takes it to another level.
The ending contains a shock, but a promise for the future. I can’t wait to read Book 2.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Sophia Alexander writes character-driven historical fiction that grips readers’ emotions and surprises them with unexpected twists. A Lowcountry native, she is the author of the Silk Trilogy. Her writing is inspired by historical facts, genealogical investigations, intuitive guesswork, and fanciful romanticizations. Sophia is a graduate of the College of Charleston and lives with her family in Savannah, GA.
Sophia Alexander‘s new novel, Silk: Caroline’s Story, has garnered a clutch of accolades: finalist in the Historical Fiction category for the Next Generation Indie Book Awards 2021, finalist in the Family Saga category for the American Fiction Awards 2021, finalist for the Shelf Unbound 2021 Best Indie Book Awards, and longlisted for the Goethe Award 2022 by Chanticleer International.
*If you buy the book(s), please leave reviews on Amazon and Goodreads, as well as anywhere else you review books. Some people feel very daunted by writing a review. Don’t worry. You do not have to write a masterpiece. Just a couple of lines about how the book made you feel will make the author’s day and help the book succeed. The more reviews a book has, the more Amazon will promote it.
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This is the story of Ruth Miner and her journey of survival in 17th-century New England. Accused of witchcraft after her parents’ deaths, she stows away on the ship of her friend Owen, who feels responsible for all her misfortune. However, they both soon find themselves fighting for their lives as the war between England and France in 1689, known as King William’s War, begins. Ruth’s strength and independence make her a target in this patriarchal society, and Owen, who has French ancestry, is treated as a suspect by the English. After Owen and Ruth find love, a harsh and domineering man tries to destroy them both.
What a wonderful and authentic work of historical fiction! The dialogue is completely true to the period, and there is a helpful list of non-English phrases at the end of the book. The descriptions of the people and their prejudices are completely realistic. The reader is shown how the absolute oppression of women includes death to any woman who seeks to be different, and how the accusation of witchcraft is a convenient excuse. The superstitions of the time are fascinating and well-researched. The wildness of the New World and the cruelty of those in power against anyone who disagrees with them are splashed in blood across the pages of this realistic and no-holds-barred novel. Out Front the Following Sea is an odyssey in an untamed country that will one day be America. Those interested in American history will want to explore this oft-forgotten period in her past.
I received a free copy of this book from Regal House Publishing via Historical Novels Review Magazine. My review is voluntary and my opinions are my own.
Leah Angstman
Leah Angstman is a historian and transplanted Midwesterner, unsure of what feels like home anymore. She is the recent winner of the Loudoun Library Foundation Poetry Award and Nantucket Directory Poetry Award and was a placed finalist in the Bevel Summers Prize for Short Fiction (Washington & Lee University), Pen 2 Paper Writing Competition (in both Poetry and Fiction categories), Saluda River Prize for Poetry (twice), Blue Bonnet Review Poetry Contest, Baltimore Science Fiction Society Poetry Contest, and West Coast Eisteddfod Poetry Competition. She has earned three Pushcart Prize nominations and a Best of the Net Award nomination, and serves as Editor-in-Chief for Alternating Current Press and a fiction and nonfiction reviewer for Publishers Weekly.
