Tangled bodies blocked Aedammair’s path through the gorge and almost made her turn around and run back to what remained of her home. She was less than a league from it, and it would be so easy to return. No one would notice.
No one would notice if she kept going, either, so she screwed up her courage and picked her way through the corpses of her friends and neighbours.
She couldn’t resist counting them. Seven. A lucky number, but not for these Alfar. Arrows protruded from the bodies. What broke her heart was that the killing arrows belonged to other Alfar—rebels wanting to wrest control of the state from the King to rule in his stead.
Paulette Mahurin is an international best-selling literary fiction and historical fiction novelist. She lives with her husband Terry and two dogs, Max and Bella, in Ventura County, California. She grew up in West Los Angeles and attended UCLA, where she received a Master’s Degree in Science.
Semi-retired, she continues to work part-time as a Nurse Practitioner in Ventura County.
When she’s not writing, she does pro-bono consultation work with women with cancer, works in the Westminster Free Clinic as a volunteer provider, volunteers as a mediator in the Ventura County Courthouse for small claims cases, and involves herself, along with her husband, in dog rescue. Profits from her books go to help rescue dogs from kill shelters.
Paulette’s first novel, The Persecution of Mildred Dunlap, made it to Amazon bestseller lists and won awards, including best historical fiction 2012 in Turning the Pages Magazine. Her second novel, His Name Was Ben, originally written as an award-winning short story while she was in college and later expanded into a novel, rose to bestseller lists its second week out. Her third novel, To Live Out Loud, won international critical acclaim and made it to multiple sites as favorite read book of 2015. Her fourth book, The Seven Year Dress, made it to the bestseller lists on Amazon U.S., Amazon U.K., and Amazon Australia. Her fifth book, The Day I Saw The Hummingbird, is now available for purchase on Amazon.
To learn more about Paulette, her books, and the dogs she rescues, visit her website.
Comment on this post and other posts in Paulette’s blog tour this week and we’ll enter your name into a draw to win a small prize. Find the complete list of sites to visit.
Mark Coker is the CEO of Smashwords, the largest eBook distributor in America. Mark was kind enough to offer Mom’s Favorite Reads an interview, and his answers are truly fascinating, a must read for all readers and writers.
Smashwords is a wonderful platform for authors and publishers. What sparked the idea for Smashwords?
Smashwords grew out of my personal experience trying to sell a novel my wife and I co-wrote.
My wife is a former reporter for Soap Opera Weekly Magazine. About 12 years ago we wrote a novel titled Boob Tube that explored the dark underbelly of Hollywood celebrity.
Despite enthusiasm from beta readers and representation from a top New York literary agency, traditional publishers rejected it. Our agent told us that previous novels targeting soap opera fans had performed poorly which made publishers reluctant to take a chance on our book.
I’m honoured and thrilled to announce that I was asked to do an interview with author Cheryl Holloway on her blog. Please take a moment to read the interview. The link to it follows:
Guest Author Interview – Val Tobin
… CH: Today’s Guest Author is Val Tobin. She writes stories worth losing sleep over by drawingon her master’s degree in parapsychology. Welcome to my blog, Val.
CH: How did you come up with the premise for this psychic/ghost thriller?
VT: Earthbound is a prequel to The Experiencers, book one of the Valiant Chronicles. Ever since I wrote about Michael Valiant, I wanted to know more about his previous victims and what led up to the events that occur in The Experiencers and A Ring of Truth. I decided to tell the story of one of the unjustly murdered, and to do it from the spirit world. This way, I could explore philosophical and theological themes. I’ve always wondered, if spirits exist, why don’t all murder victims try to expose their killers? What would cause them to let it go? What higher purpose might there be to events? What is fate and how does it fit in with free will?
Most of these questions don’t have answers, but fiction is a great conduit for exploring such ideas….
Goylake Publishing has teamed-up with the Fussy Librarian and in partnership we are offering you 20% off your first book promotion with the Fussy Librarian. To qualify for this promotion, your book must be either permafree or listed free during a special offer.
In our experience, the Fussy Librarian is the best book promoter in the business. When we promote with him, our free books always reach the top five of Amazon’s genre charts, most often they reach the top three. We promote with the Fussy Librarian every month and will continue to do so into the foreseeable future.
Prices start from as low as $15, minus our special discount of 20%. Click here:
There’s a cabin in rural Ontario, where the trees are bare and the rain falls in sheets. It sits on the edge of a black lake. Out of the flat black water rise sun baked wrecks of trees. There’s no guarantee that a slithering quiet creature hasn’t grabbed hold to that driftwood and in the silence lifted its hand to grip the edge of your boat.
The stuff of nightmares for many children or perhaps forgotten after hours of sunbathing, but for author Val Tobin, the family cabin she returned to each Spring was the stuff stories are made of. It has stuck with her through the years.
Recommended Reading, books that have captured my interest and authors I admire.
Val Tobin
Formerly a software/web developer, Val Tobin now spends her time writing and working on a masters degree. She is also a Reiki Master/Teacher and Angel Therapy Practitioner®. She is the author of the novels The Experiencers, A Ring of Truth, and Injury.
Injury
If you could ask your father anything right now, what would it be?
Actress Daniella Grayson would love to be able to ask her father anything at all. She puts herself in the spotlight, hoping to attract the attention of the father she believes abandoned her when she was five.
Dani’s world falls apart when her father’s remains are discovered, and her mother is arrested for the murder.
In a moment of vulnerability, she turns to the handsome and caring Robert “Cope” Copeland, her limo driver, for comfort and support.
Three wannabe authors suffering from various mental disorders find themselves on a killer's radar when they interfere in the investigation of a colleague’s murder.
The Valiant Chronicles
The Valiant Chronicles three-volume set includes The Experiencers, A Ring of Truth, and Earthbound. Three books for the price of two.
Earthbound
A spirit refuses to cross over and becomes earthbound when she discovers the shocking details behind her death.
Walk-In
A young psychic woman fights an attraction to a handsome but skeptical novelist while she battles a power-hungry sorcerer determined to make her his next conquest.
Gillian’s Island
A socially anxious divorcée confronts her greatest fears when she's forced to sell her island home and falls for the dashing new owner.
Injury
A young actress at the height of her career has her personal life turned upside down when a horrifying family secret makes front-page news.
The Experiencers
A black-ops assassin atones for his brutal past by trying to help an alien abductee escape her fate.
A Ring of Truth
A rogue assassin returns from the dead to rescue alien abductees and triggers Armageddon.
