Sheila's Guests and Reviews

The world is full of books! Good books too! I'm not sure how or why anyone would ever find my books with so many others to read, but I'm pleased to spotlight someone else's good book today - Saving Marilee 's theme of a wounded woman rebuilding her life must surely have some things in common with my soon-to-be-released Infinite Sum . And there's a dog (just like there is in Infinite Sum !). So, read on, enjoy the cover reveal, and don't forget to scroll to the end for a great giveaway. Coming May 1, 2015 - Saving Marilee by Annette K. Larsen READ THE BOOK Marriage wasn’t bliss—not for Marilee. Instead of finding contentment with the handsome son of a sovereign duke, she found betrayal and neglect. And fear. A fear that finally lifts when her husband dies, freeing her from his domineering hand. But freedom alone can't give her peace, and she must battle to regain her love for life, rebuild her happiness, and reclaim the ability to trust. When her c...

Today I get to welcome Jessica Landmon to my blog. She's the author of All Mascara is Not Created Equal , and the founder of Women Get Real . It's not the sort of book I'd usually pick up, but I learned the author had written it originally to help her daughter cope with today's social media absorbed world, so I found myself intrigued. If you are too, please draw up a chair, put some coffee on, and listen in on our conversation. So, Jessica, Could you start by giving us  us a brief summary of   All Mascara is Not Created Equal ?             All Mascara is Not Created Equal is intended to present lighthearted, witty, and spiritually sound advice to young women and girls in “tweet-like” form to help them live a life God would approve of. Ah, the joys of tweeting, but I'm sure twitter's not really where you go the idea to write from. is it?           ...

So, what do you when inspiration strikes like lightning, setting field and forest both aflame at once? I started editing Part 1 of my novel, Subtraction. I knew Part 2 was missing (did that mean it was subtracted?) and hoped I might soon figure out where it belonged. So Part 1 grew, and grew longer, and I liked it very much. Then I got stuck. Which is what I meant about flaming fields and forest. Part 1 is my forest with branches interwined - Andrew is teaching math to a special needs class (yes, he's teaching them subtraction) and a ghost/stranger/predator/murderer/or prowler hides under the trees of Paradise Park. Part 1 ends when... well, I think it ends when the reader works out who the stranger is . And the missing Part 2 will explain who he was , so Part 3 can follow on with how he changes into who he will be . Which makes part 2 the field of past dreams I suppose, and I'm ready, inspired by lightning, to start writing it. The problem is, I keep shifting where it beg...

Today I'm delighted to welcome Christian author Robert Luckadoo to my blog with a book that offers advice I could probably well use. So if you're kind of struggling to achieve your goals, if you feel like the world keeps offering chances only to snatch them away, and if frustrations feel like "grit in your craw," read on to enjoy a slightly different point of view. Thank you for visiting my blog Robert, and I wish you every success with your book, as you offer opportunities to reach for success to other readers. “Diligence, Tenacy and a Little Grit In Your Craw will help you achieve your goals on life’s carousel of success” (An Excerpt from Grit In Your Craw:  The 8 Strengths You Need to Succeed in Business and in Life) Success is achievable! Whatever your personal definition of it is, success in life is right there for the taking. God wants you to be successful. He’s given you opportunities in your life, some of which you’ve accepted and made the bes...

Today I'm delighted to spotlight Jennifer Peel's House Divided on my blog. As part of her I-Am-A-Reader blog tour, I'm hosting an intriguing sweet romantic excerpt from her novel. Plus there's a great giveaway, so don't forget to read the whole post! ABOUT THE BOOK There is a law irrevocably decreed in the state of Alabama that you must choose a team. You're either an Auburn fan or an Alabama Fan. There is no fence sitting or waffling. It’s one or the other. However, it doesn't mean that you can’t fall in love with someone from the opposing side. They even have a name for it ... House Divided. Ellie Eaton and Brady Jackson were just such a couple, but unfortunately they were separated by more than just their loyalty to a university. Against the odds and against the rules, Ellie and Brady dove right into the forbidden current of friendship and then love. Their sweet, innocent romance was one for the storybooks, but old rules and family prejudices ...

Today I get to introduce an intriguing YA novel, I'll Sing for My Dinner, by BR Kingsolver. It has a great cover, revealed today, and a truly intriguing plot, with a cowboy angel and a young girl singing for her dinner, so read on, enjoy the cover picture, and enjoy a bonus excerpt from the book as well, with thanks to Juniper Grove ! About the Author: BR Kingsolver is the author of the Telepathic Clans series (The Succubus Gift, Succubus Unleashed, and Succubus Rising) and Broken Dolls, a paranormal thriller. BR grew up in Santa Fe, New Mexico, among writers, artists and weird Hispanic and Native American myths and folklore. BR has lived all over the U.S. and earned a living doing everything from making silver and turquoise jewelry, to construction to computers. BR currently splits time between Baltimore and Albuquerque. BR made silver and turquoise jewelry for almost a decade, ended up in nursing school, then took a master’s in business. Along the way BR ...

There's always something scary about submitting a story for critique. Last month I submitted a scene from Subtraction to our local critique group. Subtraction is the novel I'm supposed to be writing while I set up blogposts and book reviews instead. It had kind of stalled at 45,000 words. I knew how it was going to end. I even knew how to get there. But something was missing and I didn't know what. Since I couldn't give our critique group 45,000 words to critique, I gave them 2,500 from near the end of chapter one. They... liked the writing style - I hadn't put my name to it, but several members said they knew it was mine. recognized the symbols, but thought something else was a symbol that wasn't meant to be; note to self, if repetition implies symbol, be careful what you repeat. disliked a character's name; Becky doesn't work for a hard-smoking film-noir landlady. thought I switched pov too much - maybe just two povs in a scene - I was experimen...

I reviewed Charles Davis' Standing at the Crossroads a couple of years ago, and soon I hope to read and review his  upcoming Pilgrim of Love. If it's anything like Crossroads, I know I'll love it.  Featuring mad monks, alchemy, and illicit love on Mont St. Michel in the early seventeenth century, Pilgrim of Love is a ludibrium or capricious game, a classic adventure story informed by riddles, myths and conspiracies. It is the eve of the Enlightenment, magic and mysticism are enjoying their last great flowering. When a young pilgrim is entrusted with an enigmatic emblem suggesting something occult is afoot at the Mont, he believes he is on the brink of uncovering a great esoteric secret. Instead, in seeking to decrypt the riddle, he discovers more compelling mysteries concerning love, life, illusions, folly, farce, and the fatal absurdity of human being The author creates incredible characters, sets them in glorious scenery, and weaves a wonderful web from the re...

Today I'm delighted to welcome author Jane Yates and eleven-year-old Aberdeen from her steampunk novel,  Garden. Jane is touring the internet with b00k r3vi3w tours, and Aberdeen tagged along. She must have heard I have good virtual treats on my blog. So find a virtual coffee, pick your favorite virtual gluten-free cookie, and meet Aberdeen. But first, please excuse me while I pet Jane's dog! Hi Aberdeen. I read online that you kind of like dragons. Why is that? I love all dragon, but I guess if I had to choose, I’d pick green and red ones. Maisy has told me loads of stories about dragons. There is a painting in my playroom of two dragons under a tree which I love. Also my family have an old heraldic shield which has two dragons blowing fire. How cool is that? Very cool indeed! I read that you like castles too. Have you ever lived in a castle?  Oh, sadly I have never been to a castle. But my uncle’s house here on Earth is as big as one, plus it has a secret tunne...