repost cover and enter to win

October 7 is release day for Whispers from the Past.

There will be two giveaways.

The first contest is running now through October 18th. Repost or retweet the book cover and you'll be entered to win a $25 gift card to a bookstore. Follow the instructions on this Facebook page to get started!

9 days until Whispers from the Past

Whispers from the Past, the third and final book of the Whisper Falls series, releases in 9 days.  Here's a teaser:

Whispers from the Past is available through most online retailers in paperback and e-book.
[ Amazon  B&N]

Contest winners and countdown to Whispers from the Past

October 7th is the book birthday for Whispers from the Past. That's only 2 weeks!

This is the third and final book of the Whisper Falls series. (And I cried when I wrote The End. I love Mark and Susanna, and hated to say goodbye to them.)

I'll be visiting other blogs, giving away prizes, and dropping in the occasional excerpt or teaser. So stay tuned.

About the Whisper Falls series... Each book contains a complete and distinct part of Mark and Susanna's story. There are no cliffhangers at the end of any book. However, it really is best to read them in order, because each book builds on its predecessor.

• Whisper Falls (book 1) is on sale for $0.99 (e-book) at Amazon, Barnes&Noble, and Kobo through September.
• Today, I gave away 2 ARCs of A Whisper in Time (book 2).  The two print books are on their way to Molly and Shirley. I had an international winner, Rachel, and she'll be receiving a gift card from Amazon.
• I'm giving away 2 ARCs of Whispers from the Past on goodreads. Contest ends October 1.
• If you have access to netgalley, Whispers from the Past is available there for a brief time.

Here's a teaser (taken from this excerpt):

Photo of Emerald Isle, NC—courtesy of my friend Chris!

Trip #6 to New York

I'm going to New York this weekend.  This is my sixth trip to NYC ever, and three of them have been in 2014.

The first two times, I played tourist and took my family.  We visited museums, the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island, Fifth Avenue, Central Park.  DD1 and I went to see Les Miz on Broadway. I contacted the actor portraying Jean Valjean in advance (to get his autograph on a CD), and he invited us backstage.  My daughter got to meet all the leads and had a long conversation with Young Cosette. Oh, yeah!

The rest of my visits have been all about writing, just as this one will be.  I'm attending the Chapter by Chapter Book Rave.  It'll be a lot of fun meeting readers, but there will be no time for touristy stuff in the Big Apple. Again.

Giving away 2 ARCs of A Whisper In Time

The final book of the Whisper Falls series is almost here!

Whispers from the Past releases on October 7th. To celebrate:

• I'm giving away 2 signed ARCs of A Whisper In Time (US only.) Enter below!
• International readers, if your name is selected, I will send you an Amazon e-gift-card for Whisper Falls or A Whisper in Time.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Through the end of September, Whisper Falls (book 1) is on sale (e-book version) at online retailers like Amazon.

Writing question - will you read my manuscript and tell me what you think?

Will you read my manuscript and tell me what you think?

Aspiring authors ask me this question and the simple answer is: No, I can't.

I used to give feedback, before I was published. But it isn't realistic anymore for two reasons:

1. I can't spare the minutes. I want to devote all of my free time writing my next book.
2. America has a litigious society, and there have been too many instances where generously-offered feedback turned into a legal nightmare for an author.

Don't despair, though. There are ways to get honest feedback. You can join a critique group, submit your manuscript to a writing contest, and connect with a beta-reading club. Be persistent and you'll find a way.

[I often get questions about what it's like to be an author. I'll answer each of the most commonly asked questions in a separate blog post. You can also navigate to them through the faq on my website too.]

Free astronomy book that is accessible to all!

A good friend of mine, Willie the Seeing Eye Dog, has written a great blog post about a cool new textbook on astronomy. This e-book, Reach for the Stars, is *free* from Apple iStore and bristles with gorgeous images from the Hubble telescope (enhanced by amazing new digital technologies).

Want to know what's even better? The scientific content is completely accessible to children of all abilities. Visually impaired students can love this book as much as their classmates.

Here are the types of people that I think will enjoy this book.

• Students who are visually impaired
• Kids of all abilities, especially in grades 4-6, who enjoy astronomy
• Science teachers
• Anyone with a fascination for the stars!
• Authors who are curious about the amazing technologies that can enhance a digital book

Please share the link to Willie's blog with students, science enthusiasts (of all ages), as well as families and teachers of the visually impaired. (You must have an iPad to download this free book.)

And check out this video. (Willie has it embedded in his blog too.)

Whisper Falls is on sale!

Only 99 cents! Whisper Falls (e-book version) is on sale at Amazon, Barnes&Noble, and Kobo. If you haven't had a chance to try this series, now is a great time to discover it.

The final book in the Whisper Falls series, Whispers from the Past, releases in October!