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FREE! The first book of The Souls Trilogy, SOULS ENTWINED, is FREE on AMAZON for ONLY three days JUNE 13-15, 2017 Click on the video trailer of Souls Entwined below for a sneak peek!! Hurry! This FREE GIVEAWAY LASTS ONLY THROUGH
JUNE 15, 2017
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 Author D.R. Grady's most recent release, The Trouble With Nerds has had me carrying my Kindle with me everywhere I go. Here's the front cover and the blurb on the back... Odd things keep happening to Dr. Sara Newton. She’s a soon-to-be-unemployed pediatrician with an alleged stalker, a hot cop on her heels breathing dire warnings, and way too much student debt. It doesn’t help that the hot cop is Clay Morrison, her best friend’s older brother. The man has made her heart pound and her palms sweaty since puberty. The trouble is, he only interacts with her when he’s expounding on new security measures. He sees threats everywhere. Clay Morrison is frustrated. He hates his new job, misses his Army Ranger days, loves his well-meaning, pushy family—and when did sweet Sara Newton grow up? She won't admit she has a stalker, and she won't keep out of his thoughts. He can only protect someone in denial for so long. No matter how attractive she is... Clay and Sara are circling each other, trying to meet in the middle. Then a brand new threat sends them in a completely different direction. I love reading sweet romance! The Morrison Family Series combines strong family values with a small town feeling...all mixed in with a little suspense that keeps me turning pages. Here's a peek at a short excerpt from The Trouble With Nerds. Clay placed a hand at the small of her back and ushered her out of the hospital. He didn’t move it until they reached the front passenger door of his massive SUV. Sara calculated the distance between the passenger seat in relation to the ground. “I’m wearing a pencil skirt.” “I can see that.” No indication whether he approved of this state or not. Maybe she could step into the huge vehicle sideways? There was no way she could avoid flashing the fact she did still possess a few pairs of underwear if she had to step up into his SUV. She sighed. Clay opened the door, scooped her around the waist, and swung her into the vehicle. All without breaking a sweat. He buckled her seatbelt with professionalism. Then shut her door in the same detached manner. Did I miss something? Her breathing had only just resumed normal operations when he strode around the vehicle. The man didn’t use the running board to climb in. Like a normal person. He stepped into the driver’s seat as though this beastly SUV was car-sized. Muttering under her breath about tall people, Sara settled into the seat. “Dinner?” Her heart tripped a beat. “What?” He repeated the question. “What about it?” “Do you want to go somewhere for dinner?” Whoa! I haven't read to that part yet....I'll have to stop blogging and read more! Here's a list of D.R. Grady's books...oh, and I highly recommend The Dragon Chronicles----my personal favorites! The Morrison Family Series: The Nerd and the Marine The Corpsman and the Nerd The Nerd and the SEAL The Nerd’s Pocket Pets Shadows and Spice Macy’s Parade Bad Nerd Rising Bad Nerd Falling Nerds on Fire Nerds Unite The Trouble with Nerds The Nerd who Spied Me Free Short Stories: Math Nerds and Mechanics Tall Golf The Me Series: Treasure Me Save Me Trust Me Heal Me Love Me The Dragon Chronicles Series: The Dragon Chronicles Book 1: Learning The Dragon Chronicles Book 2: Shifting The Dragon Chronicles Book 3: Healing  I'm always in awe when it comes to authors who have a back list of books that I can't wait to read! It is also really cool that she lives in PA...my home state:)
D.R. Grady lives with her husband near Hershey, PA. She adores chocolate, laughing, collecting bags, books, and shoes, and writing stories that resonate with others. You can find her and her novels at your favorite social media below or at her Website: www.drgradybooks.com Twitter: @drgradybooks https://twitter.com/drgradybooks Amazon Author page: http://www.amazon.com/-/e/B007HR0ULS Facebook Page: D.R. Grady https://www.facebook.com/drgradybooks Google+: D.R. Gradybooks https://plus.google.com/u/0/114138197846185543554/posts Thanks, D.R. for getting me back into the blogging mode--- Life sometimes can get very busy and my blog has been neglected for a few weeks, uh months. Until my next blog...I'll be teaching my preschoolers, attending my teenager's activities, reading The Trouble with Nerds, and writing more chapters of my suspense novel, Protected....I'm half way through writing the first draft with hopes of publication late 2017/early 2018. Keep Reading and Writing, ----Anne  Chocolate Pretzel Crack is a yummy treat I make every Winter. The chocolate, pretzel, caramel, salt combination is truly addicting---so much so I only make it when I know I will be giving most of it away. There are only five ingredients and it is ever so easy to make. First, line a jelly roll pan with aluminum foil. Cover the foil with mini pretzels. I like the waffle shaped ones. It takes less than half a bag of pretzels.   Next, melt 2 sticks of butter (1 cup) and 1 cup light brown sugar in a medium saucepan. Stirring constantly, allow it to boil gently until it reaches 250 degrees F. on a candy or instant read thermometer. Pour the hot, smooth, caramel mixture over the pretzels. Place in the oven at 350 degrees F. for five minutes.  Remove from oven and sprinkle a 12 ounce bag of chocolate chips (I like the dark chocolate ones) over the caramel and put back in the oven for one minute or until the chips melt.  Spread the chips to make a smooth layer. Sprinkle coarse Kosher or Sea salt. Let cool on the counter. Place it in the freezer for three hours before breaking it into bite sized pieces.  I make sure I take it out of the freezer when my kids are not around. The salty/sweet combination of the pretzels, chocolate, salt, and caramel is so hard to resist, we simply call it "Crack".
Enjoy! ---Anne  Gift giving for Teachers can be TOUGH! As parents, we truly appreciate the time and effort teachers spend with our children, so how do we show our thanks at the holidays? I've been a teacher for over 20 years and here is one of my FAVORITE gifts that I received in 2016 from one of my preschoolers. Smells of the Season Potpourri. Inside a wide-mouth Ball canning jar place 2 Clementines, 2 Cinnamon Sticks, 6 Cloves, and a half cup of Fresh Cranberries. Tie a ribbon around it with a note similar to the one in the picture and you're done.  As a teacher, coming home from the Last Day of School before Winter Break I was both relieved and exhausted. After I unloaded my loot of assorted cookies, cards, ornaments, and coffee mugs from the car, I immediately grabbed a saucepan, dumped the content of the jar into it, and added some water directly from the faucet---no, I didn't peel the clementines nor did I measure two cups of water. I placed the pan on the stove and made myself a cup of tea.
By the time my tea was ready, I could smell the wonderful scents from my gifted potpourri---instant relaxation! Today is Day Four of my potpourri simmering on the stove. I've added water each day and enjoyed a wonderful scented kitchen, despite the growing pile of dirty dishes. Don't have time to assemble Potpourri Jars??? Teachers LOVE handmade cards from students, no matter what the age or ability or media. No time to draw a picture? Tuck a small gift card in with your child's or family photo. Gift cards enjoyed by teachers include Starbucks, Amazon, Book Stores, Local Restaurants, and Nail Salons. Have a wonderful holiday season! ---Anne Happy Friday! Today I'm a guest blogger on Nights of Passion. Talented author and blogger, Stacy Hoff is hosting me. I'm blogging about finding the perfect setting for a novel within our real world and I included pictures. Click on the link below to check it out! www.nightsofpassion.ordpress.com/  Happy shopping, wrapping, baking, and visiting!
---Anne Sooooo EXCITED! The final book of The Souls Trilogy, Souls Endure, is now available at Amazon! Click the cover to see on AMAZON!  Souls Endure: Book Three of The Souls Trilogy ‘Without faith, love may not exist. Without love, evil takes control.’ Protected against the ring’s curse by their bond in marriage, Sam and Gretta begin a new life together. Gifted with a free honeymoon from strangers, they encounter visits from spirits of dead loved ones as they travel to the origins of the curse on Gretta’s ring. The beautiful Greek Islands become not only their honeymoon get-a-way, but their fated destiny where they will be forced to either break the curse or succumb to its evil. With help from ancestral spirits Roxana and Katarina, Sam and Gretta time travel to the nineteenth century in search of answers to the mysteries behind the ring’s final curse. Faced with challenges of faith, trust, and forgiveness, Sam and Gretta prepare to make the ultimate sacrifice. Missed Book Two??? Check out Souls Estranged (available in ebook and paperback editions through AMAZON) by clicking on the cover!  Souls Estranged: Book Two of The Souls Trilogy She fled to save him from the curse. Now she must flee to save herself. Back from their adventures in Souls Entwined, Sam Daggett begins a new relationship with Gretta Dobbs, whose memories of their time traveling experience have been erased. Determined to never leave her again, Sam vows to help Gretta, despite the bad luck curse on her heirloom ring. Within hours of their return, tragedy strikes. As Sam becomes the third victim of the bad luck curse, Gretta’s memories of her time spent in the past begin to return. Unable to remember more than snippets, she realizes that anyone close to her is in grave danger. In order to keep Sam and her family safe, she flees in the middle of the night. Finding the perfect summer job in the back hills of Virginia, Gretta unknowingly crosses paths with a serial killer. With guidance from their ancestral spirits, Roxana and Katarina, Sam desperately attempts to find Gretta before the curse strikes again. It all started with a swim mom jotting ideas on the back of heat sheets at a very long swim meet..my debut supernatural suspense novel...Souls Entwined Book One of The Souls Trilogy. Click the cover to see it on AMAZON in ebook and paperback editions!  Souls Entwined: Book One of The Souls Trilogy
Can love be found in the present through dangers of the past? A tree crashes upon two strangers. Time stands still. A cursed family heirloom catapults eighteen-year-old Gretta Dobbs back in time with Sam Daggett, who reluctantly agrees to help despite an instant infatuation with her. Their souls entwine within the bodies of young lovers on a Greek island in 1829, where they begin to unravel the mysteries behind Gretta’s ring all while avoiding revenge-seeking pirates. Can Gretta and Sam find the secrets needed to save her from an afterlife in purgatory? Or will they become trapped in the past, continuing the evil cycle of the ring’s curse?  Souls Endure is scheduled to release October 26, 2016 on Amazon.com.
The E-book format will be available with the paperback version due to release Summer 2017. All edits are in and I'm anxiously waiting for release day. Souls Endure completes the trilogy with action, adventure, and suspense. Here's a look at the back cover--- ‘Without faith, love may not exist. Without love, evil takes control.’ Protected against the ring’s curse by their bond in marriage, Sam and Gretta begin a new life together. Gifted with a free honeymoon from strangers, they encounter visits from spirits of dead loved ones as they travel to the origins of the curse on Gretta’s ring. The beautiful Greek Islands become not only their honeymoon get-a-way, but their fated destiny where they will be forced to either break the curse or succumb to its evil. With help from ancestral spirits Roxana and Katarina, Sam and Gretta time travel to the nineteenth century in search of answers to the mysteries behind the ring’s final curse. Faced with challenges of faith, trust, and forgiveness, Sam and Gretta prepare to make the ultimate sacrifice. Souls Endure combines time travel and afterlife settings of Souls Entwined, the fast paced suspense of Souls Estranged, and adds a mythological element of its own to wrap up the series. I'm ever so grateful for the following people who have made this book possible---Fiona Jayde--- the phenomenal cover artist for all three books in The Souls trilogy. Char Chaffin---my amazing editor from Soul Mate Publishing. My family, coworkers, and friends who have encouraged me along the three year journey. And my critique partners and beta readers who gave me honest feedback and suggestions. HUGS TO ALL! ---ANNE  Ocean view, blue skies, a walk among the cliffs to sandy beaches...the perfect place for a mystery... Today, I'm welcoming fellow Soul Mate Publishing Author, Rachel Sharpe to talk to us about the setting of one of her Jordan James, PI suspense novels. Read on for a chance to win a Jordan James, PI ebook! THE SIGNIFICANCE OF SETTING by Rachel Sharpe When I first decided to begin the Jordan James, PI series, I only knew two things - I wanted her to be a private investigator, and I wanted to set the series in New England. Although I was born and raised just outside of New Orleans, Louisiana, my father’s family is from New England and I have been fortunate enough to spend a lot of time there. It is easily one of my favorite vacation destinations for many reasons, including the picture above. I took that picture a few summers’ ago when I visited my cousins on Martha’s Vineyard. Martha’s Vineyard is one of the most beautiful places I have ever been and after that trip, I knew I wanted to set one story on the island, which I did in LOST DISTINCTION. I have always felt that setting is just as important as character development and plot which is why I have spent so much time choosing the settings for all of my stories. Thanks, Rachel for sharing the great picture and why you chose an island setting for LOST DISTINCTION. I'm a big Jordan James, PI fan and recommend the suspense novels to all mystery readers. Take a peek at them, below. Click on the covers to see them on Amazon!  "It was my life-long dream to become a private eye. Little did I know that with my very first case, that dream would become a life-threatening nightmare..." When Jordan James decided to embark on a career as a private investigator, she never could have imagined that a chance encounter would lead to her staring down the barrel of a gun on the roof’s edge of a high-rise building. As she begins to investigate her first case, the puzzling murder of a prominent businessman that has left Boston’s finest mystified for more than two decades, she finds herself suddenly immersed in a treacherous underworld brimming with betrayal, raw greed, and political subterfuge of international proportions. In the midst of this, she discovers she is falling for her mysterious client despite the hints of his dark past. Can this feisty Southern girl with a penchant for trouble solve this baffling case or is she doomed to become another tragic chapter in an international conspiracy? "COLD AMBITION" Available Now on Amazon!  “It all started with a favor…” When private investigator Jordan James agreed to search for the missing son of a U.S. Ambassador, she didn’t realize she was walking into a case one hundred years in the making. The deeper she delves into this unusual assignment, the more shocking, and the more dangerous, it becomes. With time running out and lives at stake, Jordan must race to identify the culprit of an elaborate plot while also uncovering a far more personal truth too intimate to ignore... "LOST DISTINCTION" Available Now on Amazon!  “What started out as a star-studded vacation has turned into a sensational avalanche...” When private investigator Jordan James decided to join her best friend on the set of her hit television series in the Rocky Mountains, she had no idea she would become a key player in a murder mystery more suited for the big screen than the slopes. With one actor dead and a killer on the loose, can Jordan uncover the culprit before another victim makes headlines on Hollywood Minute? "BITTER RETRIBUTION," Available Now on Amazon!!!  ABOUT THE AUTHOR Rachel Sharpe is the author of the Jordan James, PI series, including Cold Ambition, Lost Distinction, and Bitter Retribution. Although born and raised in the South, "Yankee" relatives first led Rachel to historic New England, which she has come to consider her second home and is the setting for the series. After obtaining a Bachelor of Arts in English, Rachel began dedicating her free time to her childhood passion, writing, and in the fall of 2013, she signed with Soul Mate Publishing. An active member of Sisters In Crime, Rachel currently resides with her husband and their children in the Greater New Orleans area. "COLD AMBITION," "LOST DISTINCTION," and "BITTER RETRIBUTION," available now on Amazon from Soul Mate Publishing! Check Out Rachel's Sites to Keep Up with Jordan James!!! Facebook: www.facebook.com/authorrachelsharpe Twitter: www.twitter.com/RachelCSharpe I LOVE Mysteries, suspense, and Private Investigators! Jordan James is my favorite female PI...Thomas Magnum is my favorite male PI....yep, I'm dating myself.
Leave a comment and tell us who is your favorite Private Investigator (young or old) and you will be automatically entered in a drawing for a free ebook of BITTER RETRIBUTION. Monster (my writing buddy) will paw the winner at random. Thanks, Rachel for stopping by! ---Anne  My absolute favorite sweet is chocolate. Pair a Hershey bar with a sweet romance and I'm able to escape from reality for at least an hour...or until one of my kids figure out I have a secret stash of Hershey bars! Today multi-published author, D.R. Grady is blogging about the settings of her books---Hershey, Pennsylvania! Welcome, D.R.! Hershey is touted to be the sweetest place on earth, according to their billboards. Whether that’s true or not, I don’t know, but I do know I love the feel of Hershey, (except during heavy tourist season, when you have to wait in major traffic) and the amazing smell! Who wouldn’t place a romance in such an enticing locale? Usually Hershey is redolent in milk chocolate scents and that’s definitely sweet! My books are also touted as sweet, so it seemed appropriate to set them in the sweetest place on earth. Hershey is clean, wholesome, and sweet, exactly like my books. All three of my series, the Me Series, the Dragon Chronicles, and the Morrison Family series are set there. The Morrison Family series is centered around nerds and Hershey, two of my favorites. Nerds Unite, the latest release, and book ten of the series, features Leo and Katy who live and work in Hershey. It’s a fictional Hershey, as I’ve added to it and taken some things away, as we writers do. However, Hershey forms the backdrop for a sweet story about two best friends who soon discover their feelings for each other aren’t so sweet.  Life is full of promise for Katy Greene. New town. New job. New BFF. Everything is great...except for the creepy feeling that someone is watching her. After they confirm Katy’s stalker is real, she has some explaining to do to BFF Leo de Vosse. Not to mention some explaining to herself. When did her feelings for Leo turn into something more than friendship? The stakes are high as she fights for her life with the stalker, and for her heart with Leo. Sounds like a great story in a sweet setting! Check out Nerds Unite on Amazon. Click on the cover or click on the Nerds Unite Button Below  D.R. Grady lives with her husband near Hershey, PA. She adores chocolate, laughing, collecting bags, books, and shoes, and writing stories that resonate with others. Website: www.drgradybooks.com Twitter: @drgradybooks AmazonAuthorpage: Facebook: D.R.Grady Google+:D.R.Gradybooks Thanks D.R. for sharing your Sweet Setting with us.....and now....an excerpt from NERDS UNITE
“What do you mean what’s wrong?” Katy eyed him in dismay, so certain she had managed to hide her fears. Of course Leo had picked up on them—at least the tension in her body. He spent enough time in her personal space, more time than Trixi, who would also pick up her vibes if she wasn’t trampling Mark’s personal space so much these days. “You’re tense, not sleeping, and you’re starting to jump at little noises.” Leo’s eyebrows nearly met over the bridge of his nose. Uh oh. He led them into the living room and firmly pointed to the couch. She sat, a little belligerent. With little fanfare, he dropped beside her. His shoulders were squared, mouth grim. “Talk, Kates.” She took a deep breath, not certain she could explain what was going on. “The reason I haven’t said anything is because I’m not certain there is a problem.” “Your instincts are telling you there is. Regardless of what your intellect is telling you.” Katy shoved a hand through her hair. “What should I do?” “Tell me what’s happening.” There was a thread of surgical steel hidden in his tone. This looming dread had followed her to Hershey, so she had been carrying it a long time. Maybe it was time to unload it. “At my residency in Maryland,” she started. He nodded. “I was working long hours, as you know.” All residents and fellows did, and Leo would have during his own final training period. “Anyway, I was there a lot, so I got to know all the people who were in any way connected to the trauma unit." It wasn’t pleasant to relive this. “During that time there were a couple of men who made remarks, some subtle, some overt.” “What kind of remarks?” From his tight jaw, Katy figured he had a good idea. “Just the typical garbage jerks say to women.” His jaw looked in danger of cracking. “Most of the men didn’t give me trouble, a few even became good friends. But there was a small percentage that I avoided whenever possible.” “Except it wasn’t always possible,” he surmised. “No. Especially the one who ranked among the ‘distinguished’ specialists in the trauma field. He knew what he was doing and was excellent at his job, but...” she trailed off, uncertain how to proceed. “But he came on to you?” “Yeah.” Her heart dropped as a jittery energy flooded her. “His wife had died nine months or so before I arrived and he said he was ready to get out in the dating scene again. For whatever reason, I became his top pick. I reminded him that I got very little time off.” “He assured you he could make certain you had time off.” “Yes. Of course the catch was that I had to spend it with him.” Bile rose into her throat. “I’m guessing you didn’t find him attractive?” “No. He gave me the willies. There were at least two men there who did. Maybe more. Definitely him and a maintenance man were the two I avoided the most.” “This surgeon made life difficult for you after he figured out you weren’t interested?” She nodded, trying to forget his little campaign of terror. “The only saving grace was that there was another surgeon, the head of the department and happily married with grandkids, and he noticed. I think he talked to the other man and set him straight.” “And it helped?” Katy shrugged. “The lecher just took his efforts underground. He knew our boss wouldn’t tolerate any unprofessional behavior from him, so he kept it subtle afterward.” “That’s called harassment.” “Yes, it is.” She swallowed the bile still trying to creep up her throat. “What happened?” A muscle in Leo’s jaw ticked. Sweet and Suspensful! Kind of like a chocolate bar....gonna eat one now:) BIG Thanks to D.R. Grady for guest posting today! Readers and Chocolate Lovers Unite!!! Leave a comment and tell us what your favorite sweet or story setting is! Monster (my cat) will randomly draw (paw) a comment. If you're selected by Monster, you will receive an ebook of your choice.... Souls Entwined or Souls Estranged. ---Anne  I am thrilled to announce----
Souls Estranged Book Two of The Souls Trilogy can be purchased in PAPERBACK on Amazon.com Click on the Cover! Read what is on the BACK COVER! Back from their adventures in Souls Entwined, Sam Daggett begins a new relationship with Gretta Dobbs, whose memories of their time traveling experience have been erased. Determined to never leave her again, Sam vows to help Gretta, despite the bad luck curse on her heirloom ring. Within hours of their return, tragedy strikes. As Sam becomes the third victim of the bad luck curse, Gretta’s memories of her time spent in the past begin to return. Unable to remember more than snippets, she realizes that anyone close to her is in grave danger. In order to keep Sam and her family safe, she flees in the middle of the night. Finding the perfect summer job in the back hills of Virginia, Gretta unknowingly crosses paths with a serial killer. With guidance from their ancestral spirits, Roxana and Katarina, Sam desperately attempts to find Gretta before the curse strikes again. Filled with suspense, Souls Estranged has readers turning pages to see what happens next. WHAT REVIEWERS ARE SAYING ABOUT SOULS ESTRANGED--- I recommend this book to readers with extra sets of nails to bite...I can't wait to find out what happens next---Leon Durham, Online Book Club I thoroughly enjoyed watching Gretta and Sam's tale continue and cannot wait to see how it concludes in book three. I highly recommend this trilogy and look forward to more from this talented author!!---R. Sharpe, Author This book is the reason why I'm completely exhausted at work today. COULD NOT PUT IT DOWN. When does Book 3 come out?!? I need more Sam and Gretta!--- R.B. Austin, Author I was reading a book using the Kindle App on my phone when I picked up my son from marching band practice last night. Another parent asked me if I caught anything...Uh, what??? It took me an awkward moment of silence to figure out she was talking about Pokemon Go... It is seriously time for me to stash more real books in the car! Enjoy the summer! ----Anne |
Anne B. ColeAnne B. Cole is my pen name. In real life, I'm Becky Blystone, a preschool teacher, wife, and mother of three fast growing teenagers. In my spare time I like to run, garden, take pictures, and read books! Archives
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