May 26, 2012
This week Southern Writers Mic Nite is proud to present:
Susie Schecter
Lifetimes Ago
In this historical romance,"Lifetimes Ago", a modern-day couple discovers through past life regression that their lives were once intertwined and unintentionally uncover a passionate 1930s love story. It is 1934 in Rensselaer, Indiana when Elsie Wilkins meets John McDonald-a man unlike any other. After feeling an immediate and intense chemistry, Elsie cannot take her eyes off him. Its official — the handsome apprentice architect has just swept the independent-minded teacher off her feet. Despite the fact that Elsie is still married to a man who abandoned her without warning, she and John begin a fervent courtship as all social mores fall away.
Their love affair is brief, but their story gives flight to the heart: love never dies. It preserves even after death, with powerful ties reconnecting in a future life.
www.lifetimesago.com
Their love affair is brief, but their story gives flight to the heart: love never dies. It preserves even after death, with powerful ties reconnecting in a future life.
www.lifetimesago.com
Jennifer Bean Bower
Animal Adventures in North Carolina
Animal Adventures in North Carolina directs readers to 70 opportunities—aviaries, aquariums, farms, sanctuaries, rehabilitation centers, zoos, and seasonal events—to meet new species, observe how injured and orphaned animals are cared for, discover where food products come from, and learn how to champion the cause of animals. Families will find in these pages enough adventures to last them for years. Even lifelong animal lovers will be amazed at the variety of attractions North Carolina has to offer. So, what are you waiting for? Get the book, pick out a site, grab your camera and let the animal adventures begin!
Jennifer Bean Bower is a native Tar Heel and graduate of the University of North Carolina at Greensboro. Bower is the author of Animal Adventures in North Carolina; Winston & Salem: Tales of Murder, Mystery and Mayhem and Moravians in North Carolina.
www.jenniferbeanbower.com
Jennifer Bean Bower is a native Tar Heel and graduate of the University of North Carolina at Greensboro. Bower is the author of Animal Adventures in North Carolina; Winston & Salem: Tales of Murder, Mystery and Mayhem and Moravians in North Carolina.
www.jenniferbeanbower.com
Kimberly Brock
The River Witch
"The River Witch tells a story of the deep South with all its mystery, strangeness and distinction. Its essence brings to mind memories of the stories of Flannery O'Connor and Carson McCullers." ~ Jackie K Cooper, Huffington Post Books
The River Witch is Georgia author Kimberly Brock's acclaimed debut novel about a ballet star who suffers the end of her career and a tragic miscarriage. Devastated, Roslyn Byrne retreats to a cabin on a Georgia island where she is confronted by ten-year-old audacious, motherless Damascus Trezevant and an unforgettable summer that will work a gentle brand of magic on her grieving spirit.
“...the most fragile, gorgeous kind of love-soaked hope..."
~~ Joshilyn Jackson, New York Times bestselling author of Backseat Saints
Now featured in DEEP SOUTH MAGAZINE'S SUMMER READING LIST!
www.kimberlybrockbooks.com
The River Witch is Georgia author Kimberly Brock's acclaimed debut novel about a ballet star who suffers the end of her career and a tragic miscarriage. Devastated, Roslyn Byrne retreats to a cabin on a Georgia island where she is confronted by ten-year-old audacious, motherless Damascus Trezevant and an unforgettable summer that will work a gentle brand of magic on her grieving spirit.
“...the most fragile, gorgeous kind of love-soaked hope..."
~~ Joshilyn Jackson, New York Times bestselling author of Backseat Saints
Now featured in DEEP SOUTH MAGAZINE'S SUMMER READING LIST!
www.kimberlybrockbooks.com
Jo S. Kittinger
The House on Dirty-Third Street
Whether from death, divorce, tornado, or other trauma, families find themselves having to start over in dire circumstances every day. THE HOUSE ON DIRTY-THIRD STREET tells the story of one mother and child starting over in a very run-down neighborhood. As they reach out to the community around them, not only do they find help to repair their own house, but the seeds of revitalization are sown.
All the houses on Thirty-Third Street were old and run down, but the one with the For Sale sign was the worst. I'd call the whole place "Dirty-Third Street."
"It's perfect," said Mom.
"It doesn't look perfect to me," I said.
"It's perfect," she said, "because we can afford it.
"Try looking at it through eyes of faith," said Mom.
I squinted and tilted my head. "It still looks horrible to me.
Thomas Gonzales' beautiful watercolor illustrations increase in vibrancy as the story unfolds and hope is restored. THE HOUSE ON DIRTY-THIRD STREET will touch the heart of anyone who has faced starting over in difficult circumstances. (Peachtree Publishers, 2012)
www.jokittinger.com
All the houses on Thirty-Third Street were old and run down, but the one with the For Sale sign was the worst. I'd call the whole place "Dirty-Third Street."
"It's perfect," said Mom.
"It doesn't look perfect to me," I said.
"It's perfect," she said, "because we can afford it.
"Try looking at it through eyes of faith," said Mom.
I squinted and tilted my head. "It still looks horrible to me.
Thomas Gonzales' beautiful watercolor illustrations increase in vibrancy as the story unfolds and hope is restored. THE HOUSE ON DIRTY-THIRD STREET will touch the heart of anyone who has faced starting over in difficult circumstances. (Peachtree Publishers, 2012)
www.jokittinger.com
Nancy Naigle
Sweet Tea and Secrets
Nancy Naigle writes love stories from the crossroad of small town and suspense.
In SWEET TEA AND SECRETS you'll be swept away to the small town of Adams Grove where the town is mourning the loss of Pearl Clemmons, known for her award-winning chocolate pecan pie and the best unsolicited advice in the county.
When Jill returns to settle her grandmother’s estate, she’s greeted by a Clydesdale-sized guardian dog who doesn't seem to be earning his stripes (although he drools on them pretty well), and Garrett Malloy, the ex-fiancé she left behind a year ago.
Jill insists on staying at Pearl’s amidst the string of break-ins, but Jill’s past with Garrett becomes the least of her worries when she learns that their lives are in danger. She is the only person standing between a desperate conman and a secret from Pearl’s past.
Will Pearl’s past kill any chance of Jill and Garrett’s future together?
www.NancyNaigle.com
In SWEET TEA AND SECRETS you'll be swept away to the small town of Adams Grove where the town is mourning the loss of Pearl Clemmons, known for her award-winning chocolate pecan pie and the best unsolicited advice in the county.
When Jill returns to settle her grandmother’s estate, she’s greeted by a Clydesdale-sized guardian dog who doesn't seem to be earning his stripes (although he drools on them pretty well), and Garrett Malloy, the ex-fiancé she left behind a year ago.
Jill insists on staying at Pearl’s amidst the string of break-ins, but Jill’s past with Garrett becomes the least of her worries when she learns that their lives are in danger. She is the only person standing between a desperate conman and a secret from Pearl’s past.
Will Pearl’s past kill any chance of Jill and Garrett’s future together?
www.NancyNaigle.com
Teresa Lynn
River Rat
RIVER RAT (A Lucy DelRose Mystery Series) will be out in print soon. This is a romance mystery set along the banks of the Mississippi River.
Commercial fisherwoman Lucy DelRose's ex-husband washes out from under her marina — dead. Nasty drug dealers begin to chase her. Alligators try to attack her. She gets blown sky high. This gutsy Southern woman kicks butt to protect her family from danger. A half-breed Indian whose skill as a boat pilot follows her into a deadly storm beating down on them as they make their way through the muddy river to rescue Lucy's son from the hands of the devil.
www.teresalynn.net
Commercial fisherwoman Lucy DelRose's ex-husband washes out from under her marina — dead. Nasty drug dealers begin to chase her. Alligators try to attack her. She gets blown sky high. This gutsy Southern woman kicks butt to protect her family from danger. A half-breed Indian whose skill as a boat pilot follows her into a deadly storm beating down on them as they make their way through the muddy river to rescue Lucy's son from the hands of the devil.
www.teresalynn.net
Guido Mattioni
Whispering Tides
Someone wrote that my novel WHISPERING TIDES, set in beautiful Savannah, GA, is a constant declaration of love to my first wife, Paola, who passed ten years ago. It's true, she is my unforgettable Angel. Someone else said it is a declaration of love to my second wife. And I can not deny that it is also true: Maria Rosa is my Angel, now. Personally I would add that my book is a declaration of love to all woman of the World because I do believe they are the Angels who make the World go round.
Hi y’all, I’m Guido Mattioni, a former senior journalist and a “Southern writer” living far away, in Milano Italy, but with his heart under the Mason Dixon line. WHISPERING TIDES is available at Amazon and B&N in paperback and in ebook (in eBook at Apple iBookstore).
Please visit http://www.facebook.com/pages/Whispering-Tides/162120427216558
Hi y’all, I’m Guido Mattioni, a former senior journalist and a “Southern writer” living far away, in Milano Italy, but with his heart under the Mason Dixon line. WHISPERING TIDES is available at Amazon and B&N in paperback and in ebook (in eBook at Apple iBookstore).
Please visit http://www.facebook.com/pages/Whispering-Tides/162120427216558
Vicki Moss
How to Write for Kids Magazines
Think writing for kids is easy? Think again. And writing for kids sometimes gets dirty. I never dreamed I’d be writing about the difference between dirt and soil. Or bugs. Plus, make a mistake—incorrectly describe a roach or a snake—and kids will throw you under the bus.
However, writing for kids is not only challenging but fun and a good way to hone your writing skills while building up writing credits. By writing 500-800 word stories mining childhood memories and making up a few, you’ll be entertaining the wee ones before you know it.
So why not come and join me at the 2012 Southern Christian Writers Conference June 8-9 at the First Baptist Church in Tuscaloosa, AL where I’ll be teaching a couple of workshops on that very subject—How to Write for Kids Magazines. See you there!
www.livingwaterfiction.com
However, writing for kids is not only challenging but fun and a good way to hone your writing skills while building up writing credits. By writing 500-800 word stories mining childhood memories and making up a few, you’ll be entertaining the wee ones before you know it.
So why not come and join me at the 2012 Southern Christian Writers Conference June 8-9 at the First Baptist Church in Tuscaloosa, AL where I’ll be teaching a couple of workshops on that very subject—How to Write for Kids Magazines. See you there!
www.livingwaterfiction.com
Bob Strother
Scattered, Smothered, and Covered
Excerpt from Bob Strother’s “Traveling Mercies.”
Otis Sacks shifted uncomfortably in the high-backed seat, trying without success to avoid the glare of the snot-nosed kid sitting opposite him. Otis hadn’t said a word since they’d all boarded the old locomotive and shuffled like cattle into a stuffy coach car redolent of cigarette smoke, cheap perfume, and stale body odor. Nevertheless, the kid glared at him like he just shot Santa Claus. He’d first noticed the boy—whom he figured to be five years old—inside the terminal, ripping train schedules from the wire rack beside the ticket counter and shredding them like confetti across the polished marble floor.
Otis Sacks shifted uncomfortably in the high-backed seat, trying without success to avoid the glare of the snot-nosed kid sitting opposite him. Otis hadn’t said a word since they’d all boarded the old locomotive and shuffled like cattle into a stuffy coach car redolent of cigarette smoke, cheap perfume, and stale body odor. Nevertheless, the kid glared at him like he just shot Santa Claus. He’d first noticed the boy—whom he figured to be five years old—inside the terminal, ripping train schedules from the wire rack beside the ticket counter and shredding them like confetti across the polished marble floor.
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“Traveling Mercies” won the 2012 Hub City/Emrys Foundation Fiction Prize, and provided me a week-long writers conference this summer at Wildacres www.wildacres.org .
I’ll be doing a reading at the Hub City Bookstore in Spartanburg, SC Wednesday, May 2nd, and exhibiting at the Southeast Writers Book Expo in Greenville, SC on Friday and Saturday, May 4th and 5th. www.bobstrother.net
I’ll be doing a reading at the Hub City Bookstore in Spartanburg, SC Wednesday, May 2nd, and exhibiting at the Southeast Writers Book Expo in Greenville, SC on Friday and Saturday, May 4th and 5th. www.bobstrother.net
Vicki Allen
Drink One to Me, Christian Bennett
Hi all!
I often refer to myself as the Jack Russell Terrier of Southern Literature because I don't seem to ever be able to simply sit still. I'm the author of four books with three more on the way. I am also a pharmacist, mask masker and certified Zumba Fitness Instructor and own a pharmacy/restaurant and Zumba Fitness studio in Alexandria, Louisiana.
Love all my jobs, but am especially proud to be a Southern Writer!
www.magnoliapublishing.com
I often refer to myself as the Jack Russell Terrier of Southern Literature because I don't seem to ever be able to simply sit still. I'm the author of four books with three more on the way. I am also a pharmacist, mask masker and certified Zumba Fitness Instructor and own a pharmacy/restaurant and Zumba Fitness studio in Alexandria, Louisiana.
Love all my jobs, but am especially proud to be a Southern Writer!
www.magnoliapublishing.com
Kim Hix
No One is Perfect and YOU Are a Great Kid
I am the mom of two awesome kids, one which is the topic of a children's book I wrote about children living with mental illness, emotional illness, neuropsychiatric disabilities...whatever the official name you choose to call it. The end result is pretty much the same, for the child, the family and loved ones. These children feel different, may know they are different and want so much to be accepted by peers. They struggle and their inability to control much of their behavior rules their lives and the homelives as well. I wrote this book, No One is Perfect and YOU are a Great Kid, from my son's point of view, as one of these loving children struggling with these challenges.
www.youareagreatkid.com
www.youareagreatkid.com
Shelia E. Lipsey
True Beauty
In this sequel to Beautiful Ugly, Layla, Kacie and Envy maintain their tight bond of friendship. Layla’s drastic blessing through tragedy weight loss opens doors that she never thought possible. She’s determined to live her life to the fullest, but as she moves forward with a new body and a new man, Layla forgets who used to be the most important man in her life – God.
Kacie tries hard to pick up the broken pieces of her life so that she can concentrate on raising her seven kids as a single mom.
While there is no mistaking Envy’s outer beauty, she comes to believe the only way to have a chance to give and receive true love is by exposing the horrid secret of her past. Layla, Kacie and Envy still have much to learn about life and how to uncap the true beauty already divinely placed within each one of them.
www.shelialipsey.com
PerfectStoriesAboutImperfectPeople.com
Kacie tries hard to pick up the broken pieces of her life so that she can concentrate on raising her seven kids as a single mom.
While there is no mistaking Envy’s outer beauty, she comes to believe the only way to have a chance to give and receive true love is by exposing the horrid secret of her past. Layla, Kacie and Envy still have much to learn about life and how to uncap the true beauty already divinely placed within each one of them.
www.shelialipsey.com
PerfectStoriesAboutImperfectPeople.com
W. Scott Moore
Dead Ends or Destiny?: Seven Paths through the Wilderness Experiences of Life
I invite you to read my newest book, Dead Ends or Destiny? and discover the seven people you will meet in the Wilderness. This book consists of seven vignettes describing the lives of seven characters. Each character will teach you lessons you will need in order to survive the Wilderness experiences of your life. They are the evil talebearer, the radical nonconformist, the juvenile delinquent, the overwhelmed pastor, the unwilling immigrant, the lone ranger, and the silent partner. Why will you meet them in that order? They are ranked from the least helpful to the most helpful to you in handling your Wilderness experience. Each one will post his résumé, describe his life, and share his epitaph. They will each issue the same invitation: “follow me.”
www.walterscottmoore.com
www.walterscottmoore.com
Shannon Milholland
PrePrayed: Preparing for Life's Events
Shannon is the author of Jesus & My Orange Juice, a fresh-squeezed oasis for ordinary living. She finds joy among piles of laundry and miles of carpools and delights in leading others to this place of contentment in life. She recently wrote the free 30 day prayer guide PrePrayed: Preparing for Life’s Events. She is also the Social Media Director for Southern Writers Magazine where she shares her arsenal of secrets about how to be successful in the sometimes intimidating world of social media.
As a speaker, Shannon is straight forward about her own struggles. She is a compassionate advocate fighting for victory in the life of her audience with a message of hope and encouragement.
As a speaker, Shannon is straight forward about her own struggles. She is a compassionate advocate fighting for victory in the life of her audience with a message of hope and encouragement.
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When not writing she enjoys her favorite job of wife to Scott and mom to four daughters from preschool to high school.
www.shannonmilholland.com |
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Debbie Harris
Which Church Am I?
Written in skillfully crafted free verse, poet Debbie Harris blends elegance, beauty, and sensitivity into Christ-centered portraits. WHICH CHURCH AM I? is a compelling thought-provoking poetry series challenging both seekers and believers to thoughtfully ponder the modern day church. The reader is invited to enter each church as a participant. This poetry series is a must have for those who desire an intimate relationship with Jesus Christ.
Debbie Harris holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Speech Education, a Master of Performance Studies degree from Bob Jones University, and a Masters of Science degree from Texas A&M University at Commerce with a double emphasis in School Counseling and Community Counseling. She is currently a School Counselor and has been a volunteer Chaplain at Parkland Hospital. Her passion is to further the Kingdom of Jesus Christ through Christian poetry. dharris1.wordpress.com |
Londa Hayden
Date, Pray, Wait
“One woman's search for true love brings her to a place of spiritual renewal.”
Londa Hayden takes you on a journey of her various dating experiences as a Christian woman in her debut release DATE, PRAY, WAIT. Touted as the Christian version of Eat, Pray, Love, you will laugh, cry, and be blessed with the frankness of her true and very personal stories that will inspire you to find peace in your own search for real love. Londa offers insights and methods that worked for her. This book will encourage women to seek God first and wait for His best for them. DATE, PRAY, WAIT retails for $19.95 at www.publishamerica.net/product38647.html at local bookstores, and $9.95 in ebook format at Amazon.com and Barnes and Noble. You'll also find it in the Southern Writers bookstore. Additionally, you may request a signed copy available in limited quantity at the author's website at londahayden.com. |
C. Hope Clark
Lowcountry Bribe, A Carolina Slade Mystery
A smart mystery holds my attention in a twin-fisted grip, and that standard, what I expected in a grand mystery, is what drove me to spend 14 years writing LOWCOUNTRY BRIBE, A CAROLINA SLADE MYSTERY. Reading Lee Child for action, Sue Grafton for plot, Lisa Gardner for characters and Janet Evanovich for flavor, I studied how to find the best mix of style and voice to establish my own place in the genre. Usually urban and without close family, most sleuths solve cases without the burden of others, short of maybe a partner or romantic interest. I, however, wanted people to realize that a woman with a dissolving marriage, exhausting children, a caustic boss and jealous peers could find the time and energy to kick butt, even if it takes her to the tippy, tiny, final point of despair. Carolina Slade is totally awesome.
www.chopeclark.com
www.chopeclark.com
Click below to enjoy an audio excerpt:
Steve Ruediger
PS: I'm Innocent
My
purpose in publishing PS: I'M INNOCENT is to provide readers with a fun
read. It came out in December and comments have been unanimously
positive.
In the novel, Lizzie, an environmental researcher, is studying loggerhead turtles on a Florida beach late at night when she sees illegal aliens being brought in. The smuggler pursues her. When he is found dead in her bed, the police believe she killed him.
The people who hired the smuggler also pursue her. Will she have the strength and courage to clear herself and escape death? How will a semi-retired Mafia don and a tame Florida panther help her?
PS: I'M INNOCENT is available through all bookstores but more rapidly available on Nook or Kindle.
Thank you for considering reading it. Hope you enjoy it.
www.stevetheauthor.com
In the novel, Lizzie, an environmental researcher, is studying loggerhead turtles on a Florida beach late at night when she sees illegal aliens being brought in. The smuggler pursues her. When he is found dead in her bed, the police believe she killed him.
The people who hired the smuggler also pursue her. Will she have the strength and courage to clear herself and escape death? How will a semi-retired Mafia don and a tame Florida panther help her?
PS: I'M INNOCENT is available through all bookstores but more rapidly available on Nook or Kindle.
Thank you for considering reading it. Hope you enjoy it.
www.stevetheauthor.com
Anna M. Aquino
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Tom Blubaugh
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Sandra Balzo
Maggy Thorsen and Main Street Mysteries
I was an event manager in my
first life. They say you should know when it's time to leave. My time came the
summer my musical director was shot and a set of drums rolled off the
stage. During a performance.
With nine months of severance pay, I turned to writing mysteries. And a mere six years later, one was actually published. UNCOMMON GROUNDS was that first Maggy Thorsen Coffeehouse Mystery and this past December marked the release of the seventh--TRIPLE SHOT. I also write Main Street Mysteries, set in the High Country of North Carolina. The Maggy books have been described as "witty" and "laugh-out-loud funny" and received starred reviews from Kirkus and Booklist. So far, so good on Main Street, too: Kirkus says RUNNING ON EMPTY is a "full-throttle joyride," and Booklist and Library Journal recommend the series to fans of Joan Hess and Margaret Maron.
High praise, indeed. And, I might add, no one was shot in the making of these books. Except fictionally, of course.
www.sandrabalzo.com
With nine months of severance pay, I turned to writing mysteries. And a mere six years later, one was actually published. UNCOMMON GROUNDS was that first Maggy Thorsen Coffeehouse Mystery and this past December marked the release of the seventh--TRIPLE SHOT. I also write Main Street Mysteries, set in the High Country of North Carolina. The Maggy books have been described as "witty" and "laugh-out-loud funny" and received starred reviews from Kirkus and Booklist. So far, so good on Main Street, too: Kirkus says RUNNING ON EMPTY is a "full-throttle joyride," and Booklist and Library Journal recommend the series to fans of Joan Hess and Margaret Maron.
High praise, indeed. And, I might add, no one was shot in the making of these books. Except fictionally, of course.
www.sandrabalzo.com
Southern Writers Magazine invites you to be a part of the next chapter in author networking: Southern Writers Mic Nite!
Brag on your book, boast your bio, tout your talents or just let the world know you're a writer!
All Southern Writers subscribers are eligible to participate in Mic Nite. Just send us a photo or book cover plus 50 to 150 words about yourself, your projects, an excerpt from your writing, whatever's on your mind. We reserve the right to edit and of course, please keep it family-friendly!
For an even more effective listing, include an audio message to go with your info! For audio help click here.
Send your image and text, website, and the email address you subscribed with, to:
micnite @ southernwritersmagazine.com
(if copy/pasting, delete the spaces around @)
or use our simple fill-in-the-blanks form here.
Please submit anytime during the week prior to Saturday 3PM Central.
Join us ... the stage is yours!
Brag on your book, boast your bio, tout your talents or just let the world know you're a writer!
All Southern Writers subscribers are eligible to participate in Mic Nite. Just send us a photo or book cover plus 50 to 150 words about yourself, your projects, an excerpt from your writing, whatever's on your mind. We reserve the right to edit and of course, please keep it family-friendly!
For an even more effective listing, include an audio message to go with your info! For audio help click here.
Send your image and text, website, and the email address you subscribed with, to:
micnite @ southernwritersmagazine.com
(if copy/pasting, delete the spaces around @)
or use our simple fill-in-the-blanks form here.
Please submit anytime during the week prior to Saturday 3PM Central.
Join us ... the stage is yours!
Mic Nite is brought to you by Southern Writers Magazine. For info or to subscribe visit www.southernwritersmagazine.com
