Blog Archives
VBT – Patches
About the Book
Title: Patches
Author: Valicity Elaine
Genre: YA Coming of Age
Michael Bull Jr. is best friends with the most popular guy in school, his father is a famous politician, and he’s just started his last year in high school. He is the perfect student with the perfect life … except for his face.When you’ve got a disease that changes the color of your skin, turns your hair grey, and threatens to blind you, high school can be tough. It also doesn’t help when your crush decides to blackmail you and expose your secret. But hey, what can you do except try to survive?
Author Bio
Valicity Elaine is the owner/creator of The Rebel Christian Publishing. She is an avid reader and loves to write just as much! She grew up in upstate New York in a beautiful Christian family and loves using her writing and illustrations to express her wonderful faith. When she isn’t writing, she is spending time with her family or helping out her church. Random fact; Valicity LOVES pasta, haha!
Links
vbt – Kid Lit: An Introduction to Literary Criticism
About the Book
Title: Kid Lit: An Introduction to Literary Criticism
Author: Tom Durwood
Genre: Supplemental Textbook, Literary Criticism
An award-winning teacher lays out the basic rules of literary criticism in this accessible guide.
Foreword by Todd Whitaker
Tom Durwood’s ebook on Kid Lit provides teachers and students with comprehensive information they can really use–definitions and clearly delineated explanations of the tropes of Kid Lit, scholarly essays and interviews that explore these ideas further, and classroom activities and exercises that allow students to relate what they’ve learned to works they’re familiar with and their own lives. Practical for teachers and accessible to a wide-range of students, the book also encourages readers to embark on further study through extensive reading and film lists included in the chapters. This book is an impressive and invaluable resource for any classroom exploration of Kid Lit.
— Sarah LaBarge, English Instructor, LaSalle College
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Tom Durwood expertly breaks down and explains literary theory in an easy-to-understand way. This book makes sense of reading critically and guides students to producing their own explanations of literature.
— Christine E. Carlson, English Instructor, Cabrini University
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Tom has a gift for making complex ideas understandable to his cadets. His lesson plans are amazing! He can turn a standard freshman composition class into a forum for collaborative learning and global thinking.
— Susan Ray, Ph.d, Arts & Humanities, Delaware County Community College
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I enjoyed your book on Kid Lit and it fills a gap – I can think of several great intros to children’s literature (notably by Maria Nikolajeva and Roberta Seelinger Trites) but they are not exactly conversational.
I’d love to be in your class and the lesson plans look very fun.
— Lynley Stace, Writer and Illustrator (The Artifacts, Midnight Feast)
Author Bios
TOM DURWOOD is a teacher, writer and editor with an interest in history. Tom most recently taught English Composition and Empire and Literature at Valley Forge Military College, where he won the Teacher of the Year Award five times. Tom has taught Public Speaking and Basic Communications as guest lecturer for the Naval Special Warfare Development Group at the Dam’s Neck Annex of the Naval War College.
Tom’s ebook Empire and Literature matches global works of film and fiction to specific quadrants of empire, finding surprising parallels. Literature, film, art and architecture are viewed against the rise and fall of empire. In a foreword to Empire and Literature, postcolonial scholar Dipesh Chakrabarty of the University of Chicago calls it “imaginative and innovative.” Prof. Chakrabarty writes that “Durwood has given us a thought-provoking introduction to the humanities.” His subsequent book “Kid Lit: An Introduction to Literary Criticism” has been well-reviewed. “My favorite nonfiction book of the year,” writes The Literary Apothecary (Goodreads).
Early reader response to Tom’s historical fiction adventures has been promising. “A true pleasure … the richness of the layers of Tom’s novel is compelling,” writes Fatima Sharrafedine in her foreword to “The Illustrated Boatman’s Daughter.” The Midwest Book Review calls that same adventure “uniformly gripping and educational … pairing action and adventure with social issues.” Adds Prairie Review, “A deeply intriguing, ambitious historical fiction series.”
Tom briefly ran his own children’s book imprint, Calico Books (Contemporary Books, Chicago). Tom’s newspaper column “Shelter” appeared in the North County Times for seven years. Tom earned a Masters in English Literature in San Diego, where he also served as Executive Director of San Diego Habitat for Humanity.
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TODD WHITAKER is a professor of educational leadership at Indiana State University in Terre Haute, Indiana. He is a leading presenter in the field of education and has written more than 40 books, including the national bestseller, What Great Teachers Do Differently. He regularly presents at conferences such as the National Association of Secondary School Principals (NASSP), the Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development (ASCD), the Academy of Management Learning and Education, and the National Association of Elementary School Principals (NAESP)
Links
Book Tour – Lost on a Page
About the Book
Title: Lost on a Page
Author: David E. Sharp
Genre: Fantasy / Science Fiction
Some genres were never meant to cross.
Joe Slade is a detective with a hot lead and a warm gun. He no longer believes in happy-ever-afters, but his faith in plot twists is devout. Good thing.
He is about to discover the biggest twist of all.
Joe Slade is not real.
He is a character in a series of mystery novels. And when he discovers all his pain has been in the name of book sales, there will be hell to pay. Vowing revenge on his author, he will set off for the World Where the Books Are Written. The road will take him through genres foreign and treacherous: High Fantasy, Bodice-Ripping Romance, Intergalactic Sci-Fi, and others even more awful and terrifying.
But what if this new life is about more than just living? And will Joe still come out on top when all the rules have changed?
Get the book today from:
Amazon
https://www.amazon.com/Lost-Page-David-Sharp-ebook/dp/B0922VWJPQ/ref=sr_1_1?dchild=1&keywords=lost+on+a+page+david+e+sharp&qid=1624491838&sr=8-1
Black Rose Writing
https://www.blackrosewriting.com/scifi/lostonapage?fbclid=IwAR2qS4PAlsK2DHZX9H6G0poWBj5IsRZPWcePx6tPBtys_4oIlmajSf5k1KA
Author Bio
David E. Sharp is a noisy librarian. He is fond of theatre and got his start in writing by producing original plays in his hometown. He has also published short stories in various anthologies. David is a member of the Northern Colorado Writers and frequently contributes to their blog. He lives in Greeley, Colorado with his wife and family.
Find the author on Goodreads:
https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/18040967.David_E_Sharp?from_search=true&from_srp=true
Find the author on Facebook:
https://www.facebook.com/davidsharp.writer
Lost on a Page won the 2021 Maxy Award for the Fantasy/Sci-Fi Category
http://www.maxyawards.com/past-winners-2021
Lost on a Page recently received a score of 4.6 on IndieReader.
https://indiereader.com/book_review/lost-on-a-page/#review
Book Excerpt
Lost on a Page
David E. Sharp
Excerpt
She leads me down an aisle of books. The aisles are short. I sneer at a tacky paperback entitled The Marquis’s Mistress by Lyla Birdsong that sits crooked on the shelf. The marquis, as pictured on the cover, seems to have difficulty buttoning his shirt all the way, and a perpetual breeze blows through his curly dark hair. The strawberry haired mistress hangs off him in a still frame of passion, her breasts barely contained by her bodice. As we walk, the woman in indigo whispers something under her breath.
“All worlds, connected by words
All words, connecting to worlds,
From the dawning of time
Through the end of all days,
Bring us to the Nexus of Words.”
I snort at the ridiculousness of it. It doesn’t even rhyme. Call me old fashioned, but when I hear ominous, occult mantras, I at least expect them to rhyme. I am jarred from my thoughts when we pass a copy of The Marquis’s Mistress by Lyla Birdsong sitting crooked on the shelf. Does the world truly need two copies?
The air is stale and soupy. Guess these old buildings don’t have much ventilation. I feel a tingling in the fillings of my teeth. An electric hum fills the air. My head throbs too, which shouldn’t surprise me since I got ambushed in an alley some hours ago. But there’s something odd about it. Like each throb propels lingering echoes through my skull.
Now I consider we have been walking long enough that we should have come to the end of this short aisle twice over, but we haven’t even made it halfway yet. I look behind me. The front of the bookstore seems farther away than it should be. I look in front of me again. The row of shelves goes on for about fifteen feet. We are still walking at a normal pace. After several steps, the row of shelves continues to stretch out about fifteen feet in front of us. I look to my left. The marquis’s mistress can barely contain her unbridled passion.
I stop. The air is hard to breathe. My head is reeling. The floor keeps changing directions on me. “Just give me a minute, fellas. I seem to be having a nervous breakdown.”
Release Blitz – Lost on a Page
About the Book
Title: Lost on a Page
Author: David E. Sharp
Genre: Fantasy / Science Fiction
Some genres were never meant to cross.
Joe Slade is a detective with a hot lead and a warm gun. He no longer believes in happy-ever-afters, but his faith in plot twists is devout. Good thing.
He is about to discover the biggest twist of all.
Joe Slade is not real.
He is a character in a series of mystery novels. And when he discovers all his pain has been in the name of book sales, there will be hell to pay. Vowing revenge on his author, he will set off for the World Where the Books Are Written. The road will take him through genres foreign and treacherous: High Fantasy, Bodice-Ripping Romance, Intergalactic Sci-Fi, and others even more awful and terrifying.
But what if this new life is about more than just living? And will Joe still come out on top when all the rules have changed?
Get the book today from:
Author Bio
David E. Sharp is a noisy librarian. He is fond of theatre and got his start in writing by producing original plays in his hometown. He has also published short stories in various anthologies. David is a member of the Northern Colorado Writers and frequently contributes to their blog. He lives in Greeley, Colorado with his wife and family.
Find the author on Goodreads
Find the author on Facebook
Lost on a Page won the 2021 Maxy Award for the Fantasy/Sci-Fi Category
Lost on a Page recently received a score of 4.6 on IndieReader.
VBT – Jay Got Married
About the Book
Title: Jay Got Married
Author: James Robinson Jr.
Genre: Non-Fiction Humor
Jay Got Married consists of 9 humorous and, at times, poignant essays chronicling the ironies of everyday life in word and picture. Take for example the lead essay, aptly titled, “Jay got Married,” where I find myself mired in a horrendous dream.
In the fantasy, my aging father–dressed in his favorite Champion t-shirt with stains covering the front–marries my wife and I like he did 42 years ago but, this time around, the my 92-year-old ex-clergy dad forgets his lines causing me to coach him through the event with hints like: “ask for the rings, ask for the rings.” All the while, my best man sings Sonny and Cher’s, “I Got You Babe.”
Finally married, my wife and I end the ceremony with a kiss. But as I turn to exit, my eyes catch a glimpse of the bridesmaid who is no longer my wife’s best friend but now Gal Gadot from Dell Comics and Wonder Woman Fame. She is dressed in full Wonder Women regalia and looks totally shocked by the whole affair.
My mother turns to my father (now in the audience) with a quizzical look and says, “Dad, look at that bridesmaid. Isn’t that Superman?” She doesn’t get out much.
As we exit the church, and the bubbles fill the air–no one uses rice anymore—my wife ignores the limo and takes off on a sleek motorcycle, leaving me in the lurch—hence the cover.
Sure, it’s sounds crazy. But, in truth, isn’t the world of marriage crazy these days? In my case, what would one do when faced with the prospect of losing their beloved wife after 42 years? At age 67, would they remarry? Would they even want to remarry? These and other marital tidbits are discussed with humor and as much reverence as I could muster.
P.S. The author pairs up with Wonder Woman again in a final bit of photo wizardry Why? How? How are tricky copyright infringement laws avoided? Read Jay Got Married and find out.
Links
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jjrobinsonjr_author/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/jamesjr3?ref=bookmarks
Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/James-Robinson-Jr/e/B0074O0QLI/ref=dp_byline_cont_book_1
Get “Jay Got Married” from Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1687046670/ref=dbs_a_def_rwt_bibl_vppi_i3
EXCERPT
CELEBRITY
Because We Need to Know
Who’s living with whom, who’s breaking up with whom, who’s having sex with whom? In the scheme of things, do we really need to know? Does the public really have the right to hear about the intimate details of the lives of the rich and famous? Well, guess what! You’re damned right, we do. It’s called celebrity. And they say that’s what famous people have signed up for. They may not have realized they were making a pact with the devil when they scribbled their name on the dotted line (You see, their eyes were all blurry with the prospect of fame and fortune.), but that’s what they did.
Had they read the small print, they would’ve seen the following:
“The public, including all the losers, bozos, Walmart dwellers…”
“…and sociopaths, whom I never would’ve come within ten feet of prior to success, will have all rights and privileges to my family, property, belongings, and garbage, should they choose to go through it.”
Translation: “Any member of the creepy public, as well as the paparazzi and my adoring fans, can get all in my shit any damn time they please, without so much as a Hello.”
I’ve never attained celebrity status, but I often wonder what it’s like. They say everyone gets their 15 minutes of fame, but frankly, that isn’t nearly enough. It could be wasted on some real bullshit. It could come when you happen to witness some “exciting” event. You may find yourself in the middle of a holdup or carjacking.
“Oh, look, there’s Sharon!” friends and family might say, as they watch the evening news. “They’re interviewing her about that drug bust over on Carson Street. Guess that was her 15 minutes. That’s it for her. Boy, that sucks.”
Sharon would reply, “Wait, that didn’t count! I want another chance!”
I’ve fantasized about my name being a household word. Remember when Kim Kardashian flashed that $4,000,000 ring on social media, alerting every criminal in the free world to the fact that it was there for the taking? Well, when she was gagged, tied up, and robbed in her French hotel room, celebrity status lost a bit of its luster for me. Kim thought her life was over and was shaken up for a long time. But it’s all a part of the superstar experience. And for me, the charm quickly reappeared when I found out that she is worth $100 million.
Sometimes I like the idea of fans approaching me and asking me for autographs or for photos with them. You know, these days, those in the cellphone generation ask celebrities for selfies. Such a request would make me feel good for the moment—the thought that these people like me enough to approach me and ask for my name on a piece of paper or to record my picture on an iPhone.
As an author, I have written my name on the inside covers of my books when asked, but it’s not the same thing. Being recognized and summoned for a signature is attention based on fame and notoriety, which is quite different.
Sometimes rock stars, rappers, and other music artists are asked by crazed female fans to sign their body parts. “Here,” a young girl might say, pulling down her top, “sign my breast.” I’ll never be asked to do that. But if it were to happen, and I did it, my wife would shove a dagger through my heart.
“James,” she would say. “Have you been signing women’s breasts?” I might gather the strength to nod. “I hate to do this, but…”
She would regret it afterwards.
VBT – Refraction
About the Book
Title: Refraction
Author: Terry Geo
Genre: Science-Fiction / Fantasy
Most stories start at the beginning; this one begins at the end. At least for Maria. Her sudden death sends shockwaves through her family and pushes her grieving mother to the very brink of insanity. After exhausting every avenue conventional medicine has to offer, Maria’s father, Henry, brings together the world’s greatest minds in the hope of carving out a new path. Months pass, and as Henry watches his beloved Elena slowly drift away, he begins to lose faith. It is only then that a solution presents itself. A discovery so momentous, it saves Elena and reveals the most important scientific and technological breakthrough in modern history.
Silicate is founded; a privately funded facility which delves deeper into the human mind, able to discover answers to questions we are yet to ask. Securing Silicate’s secrets becomes of utmost importance; even after treating hundreds of patients, the public are still unaware of the wonders and terrifying reality Silicate has unearthed . . .
The world you know is only half the story.
Author Bio
Born in Derbyshire, raised in Yorkshire, resides in London, Terry learned from a young age that he was different from his peers. He preferred the company of girls over boys, didn’t like sports and would write at every opportunity. He was bullied throughout his school life both physically and verbally and had to deal with the cruelty of others from an early age.
Terry Geo wrote and directed his first play at age eleven. At sixteen, he started work in television, writing scripts and becoming the youngest director in the country. Terry applied for a job while taking his final exams and started work in television the week after he finished school. For the first time in his life, he found a world where he could shine and be accepted for who he was. He came out as gay to his parents the following week and never again hid his sexuality from anyone. At seventeen he became the youngest director in the country, producing a light entertainment show for Yorkshire Television. After a short stint in a boyband, Terry went back to writing, editing two national publications. He toured the world as an actor, moved to London and in 2017, wrote and directed a musical for the London stage. A year later, Terry married Ken, the love of his life, in London. After their honeymoon in Thailand, he returned to a book he had started some years before. In January 2019, his cat Megara sadly passed away. This hit Terry hard and in memorial to her, he wrote her into the book he was writing. She is now a part of Terry’s debut published novel, Refraction.
Links
https://www.facebook.com/refractedworld
https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B07XDC1PPS
Giveaway
Win an eBook copy of Refraction during the tour!
http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/share-code/OWVmMzUzNWJlY2NjOWExMTIxY2QwNzQ2NmEzMTdiOjYwMw==/
Book Excerpt
ONE
“And you think he’s trapped us in here out of spite or something?” Isabell asked.
“I can’t say I understand his motives, but the system logs show he was the last person to enter this room before today. Until we have more information, that’s the only explanation I can come up with.”
“What do we do now? Just wait until someone lets us out?” Jake asked.
“I’m afraid that’s not an option. The nearest washroom is on the other side of that locked door, along with the kitchen, so we have no food or water. The next person with access to Archeus won’t be on duty until six a.m.”
“You’re saying we have to hold our bladders for another six hours?”
“Sorry, I meant six a.m. on Monday.”
“What?” Isabell, Jake and Ryder cried in unison.
“And that’s assuming we’re reported missing and they come to check Archeus.”
“That’s insane. How are we going to manage that long?” Isabell asked.
“That’s not even our most immediate problem.”
“What do you mean?” Ryder looked hard at Padman.
“I can’t access the main network on the computer, but I was able to search through the folders specific to this room. In the system logs is a live-feed measuring the air quality. It’s dropping. I checked why that might be, and I believe the air circulation system has been manually switched off. This is a vacuum-sealed room and as you can see, there are no windows to crack open.”
“How long do we have left?” Ryder asked.
“There are stores of air to feed this room and as long as we —”
“How long do we have, Padman?” Jake asked nervously.
“A little over an hour.”
Panic set in for Isabell and Jake, whose eyes were now darting around the room, searching for an opening of any kind. Ryder maintained more composure.
“Do you have any suggestions?”
“Only one, and I would use it in a heartbeat, but —” the doctor turned to Isabell “— your cat being here terrifies me more than the thought of us all suffocating to death.”
VBT – Edge of Death: Book Two of the Admiralty Archives
About the Book
Title: Edge of Death: Book Two of the Admiralty Archives
Author: Joni Parker
Genre: Urban Fantasy
In this second installment of The Admiralty Archives, the warrior Lady Alexin, the Keeper of the Keys for the Elf realm of Eledon, finds herself exiled to the harsh world of near-future London. Rendered little more than a political pawn by the Elfin Council of Elders to avoid a war with the Rock Elves, she has little choice but to struggle to find her way in this strange new land. Taken under the protection of kindly mentors, Vice Admiral Malcolm Teller of the British Royal Navy and his wife, Alex brings all her skills to the fore as she uncovers a series of deadly plots.
Murder is on everyone’s mind as an underground White Supremacist organization takes aim at Admiral Teller while two wizards, resurrected from death, must kill Alex in order to survive. To make matters worse, the Rock Elves dispatch a hundred assassins from Eledon with their sole mission to bring Lady Alexin to the very… Edge of Death.
Author Bio
Writing fantasy novels are Joni Parker’s passion. She’s completed two series so far: “The Seaward Isle Saga” and “The Chronicles of Eledon.” Her latest series, “The Admiralty Archives, is a three-book series that begins with the “Curse of the Sea.” The second book is called “Edge of Death” and the third will be finished next year. In addition to her novels, Joni enjoys writing short stories and has contributed two stories to the anthology, “Beyond Tucson: Adventures in the Multiverse” with her writing group. Joni retired from the U.S. Navy and the Department of Homeland Security and currently resides in Tucson, Arizona with her sister.
Links
Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07X43MSQG
Twitter: https://twitter.com/ParkerJoni
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AuthorJoniParker
Website: http://www.joni-parker.com
Goodreads profile/blog: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/7191836.Joni_Parker
Amazon author profile: https://www.amazon.com/-/e/B004FS3YC4
Book Excerpt
Chapter one
An unusual sound caught her attention and she gazed out the sunroof of the black limousine. It was a helicopter. Or a chopper. A helo—whatever they called it. Alex leaned her head back and sighed. What was it doing here? It wasn’t part of the motorcade. Over the past few weeks, she’d seen a lot of them flying in and out of Portsmouth’s Royal Naval Base in southern England. The Royal Marines had told her about them. This one hovered way too close. The pilots smiled and waved at her, so she waved back. Friendly, she thought, at first. But why were they wearing sunglasses on a cloudy day? Her instincts told her something wasn’t right. Who were these men? Assassins? Why were they waving at me? The hairs on the back of her neck rose as she thought of the worst-case scenario. The helo was going to attack them.
She nudged Leftenant Nelson of the British Royal Navy—the red-haired, fair-skinned man raised his chin, but his eyes remained fixed on the screen of his mobile. He played a video game to pass the time.
“Wait.” The young officer pushed the buttons with his thumbs and stared intensely at the small screen. The car crashed and the game ended. “Damn it!” He shook his fist and gritted his teeth. “I can’t get past this level. What in the bloody hell do you want?” He pulled his ear buds out and turned sharply; his eyes narrowed—his anger still prevailing.
“Sorry, but why is that helicopter flying so low?” Alex pointed up. She had learned one thing about the mortal world—it could be dangerous here.
“It’s just a traffic helicopter, looking for accidents on the highway.”
“So why are those men wearing sunglasses? It’s cloudy out.”
“They’re pilots—they think it makes them look cool.” He waved his hand dismissively and went back to his game.
“Good.” Alex felt relieved. Her instincts were wrong. No need to worry. This was normal. Since that night she was supposed to return home to Eledon, but couldn’t, she wasn’t quite sure what was normal and what wasn’t here in the mortal world. She relived the scene, repeating in her head on an endless loop and clenched her jaw. Lord Fissure of the Rock Elves had threatened to kill her grandfather if she tried to return home—and the sneer on his face told her that he’d won.
Release Blitz – Highway to Hell
About the Book
Title: Highway to Hell
Author: Lydia Anne Stevens
Genre: Paranormal Fantasy
Death. Reapers. Atonement.
Catriona Clarke is a mercenary demon leading a gang of reapers and working with Lucifer to atone for her sins. The Hellcats’ mission is to collect the marked souls of the damned and bring them to Hell once they perish. When Catriona returns from collecting a soul, she discovers the rival gang of demons, the Hellhounds, have marked her ex-boyfriend.
Conflicted about going to reap Zeke’s soul, she reluctantly goes to collect. In a whirlwind of chaos, Catriona discovers that the son of Satan, Damien, has mistakenly marked the innocent and pure soul of Zeke’s twin brother, Lowell. Her gut instinct tells her to stand up against Lucifer and the demons of Hell, but in doing so, she will lose everything she’s worked hard for.
Is her ex-boyfriend’s brother worth the trouble?
Readers of Patricia Briggs, Darynda Jones, and Kevin Hearne will devour this Hellishly fantastic series.
Author Bio
Lydia Stevens is a full-time author and freelance writer having written over 75 novels for clients – with two series having become Amazon Bestsellers. She is an active member of the Maine Romance Writers Association, The Horror Writers of Maine, The Fantasy Writers of Maine, The Maine Women Authors, The Maine Writers and Publishers Alliance, Sigma Alpha Pi’s, National Society of Leadership and Success, and Sigma Tau Delta’s, International English Honor Society. Lydia graduated from the University of Southern New Hampshire with a Bachelor of Arts in Creative Writing and English on May 12th, of 2018 and she graduated with a Master of Arts in Creative Writing and English on May 11th, 2019.
She’s the author of a paranormal/humor trilogy, The Ginger Davenport Escapades and is contracted with a second trilogy, The Fire Series with LM Vintage Publishers. The first book, Phoenix Fire, is slated to be released in 2019. Lydia currently works as an internist in the second semester within a literary agency and plans to pursue future endeavors within this line of work, as well as a PhD in Creative Writing. Her creative writing research proposal is under review at Lancaster University in Lancaster, England.
Lydia lives in Maine where she enjoys living life with an active eight-year-old and a black cat, Sirius Black, who is equally competitive for her attention. In her spare time, Lydia loves knitting, reading, coaching soccer, completing fantasy-themed jigsaw puzzles for inspiration, traveling and having a laugh with her best friends.
Links
Buy Highway to Hell
Author Links:
