Category: Souls Estranged

Souls Estranged Available in #Paperback

7/26/2016

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

4 Comments

#recipe Loaded Potato Chips

12/21/2015

6 Comments

Another yummy food found within the pages of Souls Estranged is
Loaded Potato Chips---

The best part of the holiday season is visiting with friends and family with food and beverage. My favorite diner---Jersey Cafe---makes the best loaded potato chips. Although my recipe doesn't have homemade chips or the famous Jersey barbecue sauce, it is fast, easy to make, and sure to please! Here are the ingredients.

1) Cook four slices of bacon until crisp. I do this in the microwave in about 3 to 4 minutes.
2) Place chips on a large cookie sheet.

3) Drizzle with your favorite barbecue sauce---more or less to taste.

4) Sprinkle cheddar cheese over the chips---more or less to taste. I use about 2 cups.
5) Crumble the cooked bacon over the cheese.

6) Broil in a 500 degree F oven for about 3 to 5 minutes or until cheese is melted and bubbly.
7) Optional---garnish with chopped green onions. Serve with ranch dressing. Enjoy!

From start to finish, it takes no more than 15 minutes to make loaded chips, making them a perfect snack or easy appetizer.

Have a happy holiday season!

---Anne

6 Comments

Souls Estranged Recipes: Ruby's Blueberry Buckle

10/26/2015

4 Comments

Fifteen minutes ago I placed a square pan of buckle into my oven. Scents of cinnamon and blueberries drift throughout the kitchen, reminding me of the many times my mom and grandmother baked this delicious coffee cake for breakfast. The well worn recipe card, hand written by a good friend of my mom in the 70's, declared this cake was served to George Washington during his presidency. Over two hundred years later it remains a family favorite.
When I wrote Souls Estranged I included blueberry buckle as one of several tasty homemade treats Ruby bakes. Ruby's character is an elderly nurse who takes Sam under her wing as he recovers from his broken shoulder. Her take charge attitude and skills in the kitchen are traits of my grandmother and mother all wrapped together. I needed a character suited for Katarina to entwine within and Ruby became the perfect choice. No, my mom never owned a cherry red Oldsmobile muscle car like the one in the story, but she has been known to call many of her cars, "Nellie" at one time or another.

Here is a little excerpt from Chapter Four with Sam, Gretta, and Ruby...

“Lunch is almost ready. Here’s a list of Sam’s pre-surgery instructions.” Ruby handed the paper to Gretta. “Tim and I both have to work tomorrow so you’ll need to keep him in line.”
Sam heard the two discussing the dos and don’ts prior to his operation, yet his mind registered one thing.
Alone time with Gretta.
Gretta scrutinized the list. “What about this one?”
“Never mind,” Ruby chortled.
Gretta walked over to the kitchen and opened a drawer. Finding it empty, she smiled at Ruby. “I could have cleaned the drawers.”
“What did you say?” Ruby lifted a square of gooey lasagna from the pan.
“You crossed ‘clean drawers’ off my list.” Gretta pointed to the paper.
“No, no dear. I meant—”
“Ruby?” Sam wasn’t sure how he knew what she was going to say, but he definitely didn’t want her to continue.
“I crossed it off, Sam. After I caught you two on the couch, I wrote a list for Tim. He will make certain you have on clean—”
“Ruby!”
“Oh, hush yourself and eat.” She handed them two heaping plates.
Gretta and Sam slid into the chairs at the table. He dug into the steaming layers of pasta, cheese, and sausage. After a minute of silence, Gretta’s grin caught his eye.
“Batman or Spiderman?”
Sam laughed before answering, “Hanes. Plain, white Hanes.” He peered sideways to Ruby and lowered his voice. “Fifteen years ago, Spiderman.”
Gretta smirked, forking a hunk of pasta dripping with cheese. “Spiderman?”
“Spiderman. What about you? Cinderella or Snow White?” He watched her savor her food.
She wiped cheese and sauce off her lips with one finger and licked it clean. “Cinderella.”

In Souls Estranged, Ruby makes a luscious lasagna and amazing apple pie, as well as blueberry buckle---all of these mouth watering treats were inspired by my mom and grandma. Want to make Ruby's Blueberry Buckle? Here's the recipe:

BLUEBERRY BUCKLE
Cake
3/4 cup white sugar
1/4 cup butter
1 egg
1/2 cup milk
2 cups flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 cups fresh blueberries

Cream together the sugar and butter. Add the egg and milk until well blended.
In a separate bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, and salt. Add this dry mixture to the creamed mixture and stir until smooth. Fold in the blueberries. Pour into a 9"X9" greased baking pan.

Topping
1/2 cup white sugar
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 cup firm butter

In a small bowl, cut butter into the sugar and cinnamon until crumbly. Sprinkle over the blueberry cake batter.
Bake at 375 degrees F for about 30 minutes or until center is done. Serve warm.

You can check out Souls Estranged on amazon by clicking on the cover below. I will be blogging more recipes from Souls Estranged over the next few months. To follow my blog simply enter your email address on the right hand column and click SUBSCRIBE.

Happy Reading and
Happy Eating!
---Anne

4 Comments

Souls Estranged---Released today on Amazon!

9/30/2015

4 Comments

Today is the BIG day! Souls Estranged Book Two of The Souls Trilogy is now available on amazon.com!
"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.

Souls Estranged is Book Two of The Souls Trilogy---BUT I wrote this book in a way readers could pick it up and read without needing to read the first book,
Souls Entwined. I hope new readers will go back and read the first book because it has time traveling and a touch of historical fiction--two things I love in a book.
Souls Estranged develops Sam and Gretta's characters as the curse of bad luck follows them into present time. Spiritual ancestors, Roxana and Katarina appear throughout the book and do a little entwining within humans destined to Tartarus. They also entwine within a cat and a squirrel to keep an eye on Sam and Gretta. Here's my cat, Monster, who has been the inspiration behind 'the little gray and white cat with big green eyes.' Roxana entwines herself in the cat in both books.

Here is a fox squirrel who snitches sunflower seeds from my bird feeder and steals peaches from my tree. While I write, this little critter visits and I get many opportunities to take her picture. Katarina entwines within a fox squirrel in Souls Estranged. After watching this little one steal my peaches I had to write in a 'peach tossing' squirrel...quite the character.

And now...
Here's an excerpt from Chapter Four of Souls Estranged...
   "Lunch is almost ready. Here's a list of Sam's pre-surgery instructions." Ruby handed the paper to Gretta. "Tim and I both have to work tomorrow so you'll need to keep him in line."
   Sam heard the two discussing the dos and don'ts prior to his operation, yet his mind registered one thing.
   Alone time with Gretta.
   Gretta scrutinized the list, What about this one?"
   "Never mind," Ruby chortled.
Gretta walked over to the kitchen and opened a drawer. Finding it empty, she smiled at Ruby. “I could have cleaned the drawers.”
“What did you say?” Ruby lifted a square of gooey lasagna from the pan.
“You crossed ‘clean drawers’ off my list.” Gretta pointed to the paper.
“No, no dear. I meant—”
“Ruby?” Sam wasn’t sure how he knew what she was going to say, but he definitely didn’t want her to continue.
“I crossed it off, Sam. After I caught you two on the couch, I wrote a list for Tim. He will make certain you have on clean—”
“Ruby!”
“Oh, hush yourself and eat.” She handed them two heaping plates.
Gretta and Sam slid into chairs at the table. He dug into the steaming layers of pasta, cheese, and sausage. After a minute of silence, Gretta’s grin caught his eye.
“Batman or Spiderman?”
Sam laughed before answering, “Hanes. Plain, white Hanes.” He peered sideways to Ruby and lowered his voice. “Fifteen years ago, Spiderman.”
Gretta smirked, forking a hunk of pasta dripping with cheese. “Spiderman?”
“Spiderman. What about you? Cinderella or Snow White?” He watched her savor her food.
She wiped cheese and sauce off her lips with one finger and licked it clean. “Cinderella.”

On Amazon.com you can read the first 25 pages of Souls Estranged for free. Just click on the cover.

Thanks for stopping in today to celebrate my release!

One lucky commenter will receive a gift certificate for an e-copy of Souls Estranged.

---Anne

4 Comments

New Release Date: Souls Estranged Book Two of The Souls Trilogy---September 30, 2015 on Amazon.com

8/6/2015

4 Comments

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's been a CRAZY summer! July 29th had been my tentative release date for Souls Estranged. Life happens and I'm happy to announce Souls Estranged will be released on e-book by Amazon.com on Sept 30th. I'm so excited to have two additional months to apply final touches and prepare for the big day.

Writing a sequel is tough. The first book, Souls Entwined, can be read as a stand alone novel. I also wrote Souls Estranged as a stand alone---even though my hero and heroine remain the same. For those who become attached to Sam and Gretta, all three books contain connecting elements and come to a conclusion in the third book.

I'm currently writing the final book in The Souls Trilogy, Souls Endure. I admit, it is very difficult writing this one. I've had the ending in my head for at least a year and what happens to my characters has not changed. What changes is how they get to the ending. As planned, all of the curses and premonitions will be revealed. In wrapping things up, I've found different and exciting options that continually swim around in my head.

Speaking of swimming...my husband and I sat at my second daughter's Senior State Swim meet last month and I plotted yet another twist to the ending. It just dawned on me that I wrote the notes to the final chapters in a composition notebook at a swim meet. That is exactly how I wrote out the ideas for the first book...at a swim meet on paper. I didn't plan it. It just happened. Kind of gives me goosebumps:)

I'm tentatively looking at a summer 2016 release for Souls Endure.

Here's a sneak preview of Souls Estranged...

Prologue: Sunday

In the dim morning light of the hospital room, Sam Daggett watched the little cat stretch its front paws before zeroing intense green eyes on him.

“Roxana?” He scrutinized the feline for the slightest twitch of recognition.

Nothing.

Doubting Roxana’s spirit remained entwined within the gray and white cat, he moved his focus to Gretta Dobbs. She slept peacefully with her hand nestled in his. Neither of their families had returned to the hospital. Her garnet ring caught his attention and immediately a sense of foreboding crept up his spine.

His heart sped as images of his time traveling, out-of-body adventure with Gretta flashed through his mind. Roxana, Gretta’s long-dead ancestor, enabled their souls to entwine within nineteenth century lovers in order to gather information on the cursed ring. Pride, determination, and fear filled him.

“I’m so sorry we didn’t find all of the answers we needed,” Sam whispered as he lifted her hand to his lips. He watched her eyes and listened for the beep of the heart monitor to quicken. Satisfied she remained in dreamland, he continued. “You have no idea what we’ve been through.”

He shuddered at the memories. His gaze fell back to the ring. Frustration filled him. The urge to rip it off her hand coursed through him, but he remembered she remained cursed with or without the ring.

Control. I must control my emotions.

He refocused his thoughts on the present and relished in the gratitude of simply being in the same room with her.

A soft sigh escaped her lips and she squeezed his hand before slipping into a deeper slumber.

“With you, nothing is impossible.” Careful not to bump his broken collarbone, Sam leaned closer and continued inches from her ear. “Brave and beautiful. Ready and willing to face pirates, spirits, and the horrors of the purgatories to end the family curse.” His heart hammered in his chest as memories of seeking treasure, falling in love, and losing it all flashed within his mind.

“I love you, Gretta and I’ll do everything in my power to earn your love.”

Tracing his fingers over the back of her hand, he touched the face of the ring’s oval red stone. He remembered every moment of their time together while Gretta’s memories had been erased. No matter how hard he tried, he couldn’t prevent his thoughts from wandering. Concern prickled his skin as he remembered their quest to understand the ring’s curses.

The most dangerous one, a curse of bad luck, remained a mystery.

He inhaled and pushed his failures away. “Katarina told me to keep my distance from you because of potential tragedy. Nothing will keep me away. I vow to protect and love you forever.”

Sam felt Gretta’s grip on his hand tighten. With her hand remaining in his, he brushed a stray lock of hair off her cheek. She let go of his hand and nuzzled into his palm with a tiny sigh. He closed his eyes, content to be back in his own body and time with her.

Yet, uneasiness seeped deep within and the dreadful feeling of impending tragedy grew stronger with every passing minute.

I hope you enjoyed the excerpt of Book Two---Souls Estranged. I'm headed back to my spot to write Chapter 35 of Souls Endure.

---Anne

4 Comments

SOULS ESTRANGED COVER REVEAL!

6/30/2015

9 Comments

As a reader, I judge a book by its cover. Sounds superficial, but most people do. Authors get one shot at grabbing the attention of a reader and I'm excited to share the cover to my second novel!

Here's 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 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.

Cover artist, Fiona Jayde once again created exactly what I envisioned.
Thank you, Fiona!
Her talents amaze me and I'm already thinking about cover art for the final book of The Souls Trilogy.

Souls Estranged is slated to release August 2015 by Soul Mate Publishing in e-book format through amazon.com. For those who love to read paperbacks, it will be available April/May 2016.

Souls Endure Book Three of The Souls Trilogy is currently half written aiming at a release date of Summer 2016.

Let me know what you think about the cover for Souls Estranged!
Any ideas for Souls Endure?

Okay, I need to stop thinking about cover art and focus back on edits...

Have a wonderful holiday weekend:)

---Anne

9 Comments

The Sequel to Souls Entwined---Souls Estranged

10/15/2014

2 Comments

Just received an email from my editor...the sequel to Souls Entwined has been approved! Here's a sneak peak---

In Souls Entwined, Sam Daggett and Gretta Dobbs travel through time to unlock the mysteries of her cursed ring.

Souls Estranged continues the story with their return to present time with Sam’s memory of their adventure intact and Gretta’s memory erased. With a curse of bad luck at hand, will Sam be able to rekindle Gretta’s love, or will evil place a wedge between them, distancing them forever?

Souls Estranged focuses on Sam and Gretta’s lives and how they deal with being cursed. The scene is primarily set in the mountains of Virginia. Short sections take the reader to death row in Indiana, the streets of New York City, the spiritual realms of purgatory, and a peek into the depths of Tartarus. The two spirit characters from Souls Entwined, Roxana and Katarina, work diligently to seek out spirits who can help break the curse while attempting to protect Sam and Gretta from danger.

The curse of Bad Luck follows Gretta and tragedy strikes within the first pages. Despite placing himself in danger, Sam swears to protect her at all costs. With flashbacks of memories filling her mind, Gretta begins to understand that no one around her is safe and takes matters into her own hands.

That's all I can reveal for now. I'm aiming for a 2015 late spring/early summer release on e-book with edits beginning in February. Will keep you updated as things progress:)
---Anne

2 Comments

Souls Estranged Available in #Paperback

#recipe Loaded Potato Chips

Souls Estranged Recipes: Ruby's Blueberry Buckle

Souls Estranged---Released today on Amazon!

New Release Date: Souls Estranged Book Two of The Souls Trilogy---September 30, 2015 on Amazon.com

SOULS ESTRANGED COVER REVEAL!

The Sequel to Souls Entwined---Souls Estranged

Anne B. Cole

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