HerStory Book Launch with Prizes and Giveaways

I'm so very proud to be part of this fabulous anthology of stories about incredible women of history. My story features Queen and Saint Matilda, who lived and reigned during the 10th century. I am working on her life story in a novel entitled The Prophetic Queen which should be completed sometime during 2013. To celebrate the launch of HerStory, there are some fabulous prizes being offered.

In ancient times, women were regarded as sacred. They were thought to hold the mystical power of creation—responsible for the continuation of our species. With the rise of Science and Religion, these myths were dispelled and their plight began.

HerStory: Fiction Honoring Women’s History Month is a collection of Flash Fiction and Short Stories from today's top authors featuring female characters that exemplify strong strength of mind, body, and character. Some of these tales are based on real people while others are purely fictional. However, all are standing up for themselves and what they believe in.

Grab yourself a glass of wine or favorite hot beverage and get comfortable as you read about the lives of women who will light the fire in your soul.

It's finally here. HerStory. Available to the masses. And to honor release day, we're having a party. Use the Rafflecopter below to enter to win some terrific prizes. *U.S. residents only*

Here's what's up for grabs.

GRAND PRIZE

First Grand Prize

First Grand Prize

Because they have the same agenda: empowering girls/women, Keira's Kollection owner Mr. Wagstaff has graciously agreed to donate a Strong is Beautiful T-shirt. One very lucky woman is not only going to walk away with a paperback copy of HerStory and be empowered through words, but she will also be showing her empowerment right there on her shirt.

And that's not all, the grand prize winner also gets a pair of earrings from Cathy from Etsy, who runs Yesware. The earrings sparkle one side and have a message on the other side: the greatest story never told.

Only, we're telling it, the authors of HerStory. We are telling it.

SECOND GRAND PRIZE

Author Laura DeLuca has donated an incense diffuser to go along with some handmade soap from Greenchild Creations.

And we're throwing an e-book into this mix. Why soap and diffusers? What does that have to do with women's history?

In HerStory, Mathilda of Ringelheim runs a bath house. It seems appropriate to honor herstory this way.

AND as Mathilda seems to know, every woman needs soap and every woman needs time to relax. So one lucky winner will take a nice long shower with her fantastic handmade soap, set her diffuser on a table, and curl up with HerStory on her kindle. Who says you can't be relaxed and empowered at the same time? (and smell good)

THIRD GRAND PRIZE

Another donation from Laura DeLuca: an ebook, a Japanese tea set, and an Oriental incense diffuser. How does this tie into HerStory?

In Please Stay, Asuka, a Japanese wife of the 1600s, is preparing the evening meal while awkwardly trying to discuss a matter--somewhat delicate--but of great importance with her husband.

As you get lost in your ebook, in Asuka's story (penned by Becca Diane), you can pretend you are there. Perhaps you feel your husband's penetrating stare. But you serve him his tea, straighten your spine, and say what needs to be said...then wait, breath held, for his reply, incense lightening the tension in the air...

FOURTH GRAND PRIZE

One lucky winner will have a chance to make their voice heard on the radio...with a $25 Amazon gift card burning a hole in their pocket!

HerStory goes behind the scenes to locate the stories of women who lived, laughed, and touched the lives of generations...

Now, here is your chance to have your story told to the world....or your mother's...it's your chance to talk about the most inspiring woman or women in YOUR life. Shout it out! Tell listeners everywhere about this amazing person. Honor her!

This prize is being donated by Indie Reviews Behind the Scenes.

PRIZE 5, FOUR WINNERS, FOUR TINS OF EMPOWERMINTS

Four of these tins of mints are being donated by the Unemployed Philosophers Guild. That means four lucky winners are going to win a tin of mints to carry around in their pockets and every time they look at the tin, they'll be empowered!

The tin is also the perfect size to serve as a pillbox once the mints are gone. This is something you can keep for a LONG time.

PRIZE 6, TWO WINNERS, CROSS STITCH WALL HANGINGS

Author and editor Tara Chevrestt has a secret addiction and hobby. It makes her feel like an old lady, so she keeps it under wraps, but now the truth is out...

She likes to cross stitch!!!

And with the suffragette tales (Sister Suffragettes by Dahlia DeWinters and Chevrestt's own From You No and Silent Suffragette) in the back of her mind, she found a pattern on Etsy by Patternbird and set to stitching.

Two lucky winners will walk away with these. They are 3.25" by 6" and have a hard backing so they may be placed on a wall.

PRIZE 7, ONE WINNER, FLAPPER-STYLE HAT

Donated from Rakestraw Book Design.

Toni Rakestraw, one of the HerStory contributors, is stitching this hat so one lucky reader can--in her mind--march in a suffragette parade as she reads HerStory. Or perhaps this is something Margaret Sanger would have worn as she leaves the workhouse in The Woman Rebel.

PRIZE 8, ONE WINNER, ONE PAINTING

You've heard the term multi-published and many of HerStory's authors can place that before their name, but how about multi-talented?

Author Morgan Summerfield can not only write as she shoes us in Adella, but she can paint too! She is kindly donating a painting 27" wide by 11" high, titled Morning Poppies. The frame is handmade with real wood and she stretches all her own canvases. It is hand-painted-by her!-in multi media.

And last, but certainly not least, we have a lovely Coco Chanel quote pendant donated by the lovely Jewelry Designs by Lula. One winner will win this delightful pendant that says  A girl should be things: WHO and WHAT she wants.

I could not have said it better.

Enter for all prizes using the Rafflecopter form below. Giveaway is for three weeks. Winners will be notified via email and will have 48 hours to respond with their snail mail addresses. After 48 hours, new winners will be chosen.

Thank you and enjoy HerStory! Be empowered! Learn something. Believe in yourself and womankind.

Buy links:

Smashwords


Barnes and Noble

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Remembrance Day - The Highway of Heroes

The Canadian Highway of Heroes - A tribute to all our military loved ones  

Here in Canada, when one of our beloved soldiers pays the ultimate sacrifice, he or she is carried from the airport to the military base along a stretch of highway from Trenton, Ontario to Toronto, Ontario. No matter the weather, even in sub zero storms, men, women, and children will line this route to pay tribute and pray for their fallen heroes on their way to their final resting place. The road has now been officially renamed as The Highway Of Heroes. May God Bless our Soldiers and their families for their sacrifice.


There is a heart-wrenching song that is being aired on radio stations across Canada about The Highway of Heroes. A band named The Trews has donated all royalties from this song to our veterans. The song is entitled "The Highway of Heroes" and can be downloaded on iTunes. Here is the music video version.


And let us not forget our courageous women

And here is one last tribute to our Australian colleagues

I LOVE COMMENTS

Orphan of the Olive Tree Book Launch!

I'm pleased and excited to announce the official launch of Orphan of the Olive Tree: A Novel of 13th Century Tuscany.

A deeply evocative story of lies, secrets, and betrayal, Orphan of the Olive Tree is a family saga of two unforgettable women, an oath sworn in blood, a curse uttered in envy, and the dark secret that destroys their lives. 

From two neighbouring villas in the heart of the Tuscan countryside to the elegance of Siena; from a world steeped in ancient superstitions to a culture where family honor is paramount comes this multi-layered novel of the lives, loves, secrets and strivings of two women and their families in the 13^th century.

Felicia Ventura is an unpretentious woman, alone in the world, who is happily married to Enrico. She dreams of a simple future raising a family, but her hopes are shattered because of a curse and the casting of the evil eye by her envious neighbor, a Sicilian beauty named Prudenza.  

Prudenza is worldly and materialistic and her envy of Felicia knows no bounds. She casts the evil eye on her adversary. When Felicia gives birth to twin sons, Prudenza revives an ancient superstition and spreads a rumor that Felicia’s twins were fathered by different men. Soon, Prudenza gives birth to her own twins - daughters. Desperate to save face, Prudenza rids herself of one infant, keeping the child’s existence secret. But as the years go by, the truth has a way of making itself known. Soon Prudenza’s deception will lead to the unraveling of everything she values in life.

Orphan of the Olive Tree is an unforgettable novel about wicked intentions, superstition, undisclosed secrets, unstoppable destinies; and two generations of women and the extraordinary event that will vindicate or destroy them.

Orphan of the Olive Tree is available in Trade paperback and ebook formats at all all booksellers and libraries.

Cochrane Times Newspaper Article

A big thank you to Sarah Junkin, journalist for the Cochrane Times. I am blessed and grateful that she has taken such an interest in my career! She is one of the finest writers I know.

The Contessa's Vendetta Book Launch

Book Launch of Contessa's Vendetta - A Renaissance thriller! 

 I'm pleased to announce that The Contessa's Vendetta will be available as an ebook on October 3, 2012. The trade paperback version will follow shortly and should be ready for release sometime this month. Look for it on Kindle and other major ebook retailers!

To be buried alive is everyone’s worse nightmare.

A deadly plague is killing thousands in 17th century Vicenza Italy. Contessa Mancini struggles to protect her family and servants, but despite her precautions, she is the one who falls prey to the deadly illness. Her body is tossed into a coffin and swiftly buried in the underground, dank confines of her family’s vault. 

But Contessa Mancini is not dead. No, she is very much alive. She awakens terrorized, trapped in dense darkness surrounded by the flimsy wood of the coffin they buried her in. Desperate, she claws and kicks until she escapes its stifling restraint, only to find herself trapped in the mausoleum with the decaying bodies of her ancestors. As she seeks to escape, she discovers a vast treasure of gold, silver, and gems secretly hidden in the vault by brigands, and the secret tunnel they used to hide it there. 

Free at last, she returns home to her beloved husband, her best friend, and her darling daughter. But before she reveals herself to her loved ones, she learns of an endless series of lies, deceits, and betrayal. As she unravels the labyrinth of shocking treachery, her wrath breathes life to an overwhelming need for vengeance. Slowly, meticulously, she launches her diabolocial vendetta.

The Contessa’s Vendetta is a retelling of the classic novel, Vendetta by Marie Corelli. Inspired by this epic story, the author weaves her own captivating tale in a new setting, a new century, and with new plot twists while remaining faithful to the key story elements.

The Joy of Critique Groups

The Value of a Critique Group

Writing is a solitary craft, but it doesn't have to be. One thing I've noticed in today's indie publishing world, is I can immediately tell authors who have worked in critique group first and those who haven't.

Those in critique groups produce excellent work. This includes everything from keeping to one point of view per chapter, excellent sentence structure, very few gerunds, and even a thorough synopsis. There are few story holes, plots are usually well developed, and they've brought to life their characters. Their work is usually so well polished with so few errors that it makes it much more difficult to place them on the rejection/slush pile. Their work always makes me stop and look real hard at their product. I notice!

On the other hand, I have encountered authors who haven't worked with critique groups and their work may be full of errors, both typos and technical writing errors. Even their synopsis' aren't as strong or as well developed as those in critique groups.

I run a highly successful on-line critique group:

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Historical-Fiction-Writers-Critique-Group/

A critique group is also highly beneficial for aspiring authors because they require you to critique the work of others. There is no better way to learn to self-edit and the art of writing than by critiquing and working one-on-one with other authors. You have the opportunity of receiving feedback on every chapter. It allows you a glimpse into what your readers will see and think when they read your work.

Yes, being part of critique group is more work because you must also equally critique those who critique you. But in the long run, I'd rather spend the time up front learning and improving than sending out submission after submission and receiving tons of rejections. Wouldn't you?

And in this world of indie authors, the work produced is better edited, more succinct, and much more polished. So today, I'm grateful to my fellow critique group partners for making me a better writer. Thanks for teaching and sharing your knowledge and expertise with me. 

My dirty little secret

I'm a chocoholic and this is my dirtly little secret, my delicious indulgence:

One of the best chocolate treats available in the world today is a product called Nutella. If you’ve never tasted it, then I urge you to drop whatever you are doing this instant and rush out to your local supermarket to purchase a jar.  It’s that good!  Oh, and while you’re at it, better buy two because one jar is never enough.

Mr. Pietro Ferrero, an Italian pastry maker and founder of the Ferrero company, invented this decadent treat.  Even more incredible is the fact that he invented it in 1940’s while World War II ravaged Italy.  Somehow he managed to acquire a limited supply of chocolate during food rationing.  To extend his short supply, he mixed the chocolate with hazelnuts which grew in overabundant supply in the Piedmont region of Italy.

Ferrero produced the chocolate-hazelnut spread and baked it in a loaf of bread. He then wrapped the loaf in tinfoil and marketed it.  He called the chocolate loaf “Pasta Gianduja” after a carnival character famous to the region.  So mothers began purchasing the loaf for their children and served it to them slice by slice.  Children being children, however, they discarded the bread and went straight for the chocolate.

Always one to recognize a golden opportunity, Mr. Ferrero dispensed with the bread and began to sell the chocolate paste in a jar.  He renamed the product “Supercrema Gianduja”. The produce became a huge hit almost instantly.  Italians discovered it to be an inexpensive way to enjoy a decadent treat.  During the 1940’s and 1950’s a kilo of chocolate was 6 times the cost of one kilo of Supercrema Gianduja.  It grew in popularity so fast, that Italian food stores started a service called “The Smearing”.  Children could go to their local food store with a slice of bread for a free “smear” of the super cream. In the 1960’s the product was renamed to Nutella.

Its popularity has now spread to encompass the entire world. Many years ago, one could only find the product at Italian specialty stores as imports.  Today, it is available in the peanut butter aisle in grocery stores across North America, and, it outsells all brands of peanut butter combined!

There are many companies who have tried to copy this chocolate hazelnut treat and I’ve even tried a few.  However, they all pale in comparison to Nutella.  So don’t waste your money.  A jar of Nutella will cost you almost $5.00 in the store.  And if you think that’s expensive – think again.  It takes Ferrero three hours to produce one batch of Nutella.  It is a highly refined, amazing process, making the shelf price a fair value for the quality and care it takes to make the product.

If you are able to read and understand Italian, you can visit Nutella’s home page at www.nutella.it where 1000’s of Nutella recipes are readily available. It’s a favourite bookmark of mine.

I’ve translated the Nutella Recipe of the month below for you.  Enjoy!

After Sport Nutella Shake

(Serves 2)

Ingredients:

1 banana

150 grams of Nutella

300 grams whole milk

50 grams heavy cream

Place milk, whipping cream, half of the banana, and Nutella in a blender.  Blend for 2 minutes.  Serve in tall glasses and decorate with the remaining portion of the banana.