A Witch's Lament by Catherine Anne Collins

When Skye Temple buys a historic house in Salem, Massachusetts, the witch capital of the world, she ignites events that began centuries ago during the witch trials. Salem's bloody history unfolds with her discovery of ancestral diaries, the murders of local girls, and her attraction to Jerome Phips.

A local police officer, Jerome has returned to Salem vowing to uncover the truth of his mother's disappearance during a ritual gone wrong 30 years ago. His suspicion of Skye and her family's history keeps tension between them high.

Burdened with the birth-task of the Goods to keep an ancient knife protected, Skye gains a new understanding of her powers, while the need to avenge his mother's death drives Jerome. Past and present collide in a final ritual between evil, love and honor.




Interview with Cathy Walker:

Why did you write this book? I have an interest in the Salem witch trials and thought it might be interesting to write a book about them and have an excuse to do some research. Of course, this included a trip to Salem to do my research first-hand.

What was the hardest part? Even though A Witch's Lament is fiction, I wanted to imbue a true sense of the chilling events that occured in Salem, Ma. during the witch trials. It was difficult to be in Salem and imagine historical events without feeling overwhelmed and somewhat sad.

What was easiest or most fun? Oh, that's easy. In Salem there is this amazing candy store called Ye Olde Pepper Companie. It's the oldest candy store in America and well worth a visit. :-)

What do you hope people get from your book? Enjoyment. A brief look into a grievous yet fascinating historical event.

How do you want to be remembered as an author? As someone who wrote books that made people think, and maybe question life just a little.

What's next for you? A sequel called A Witch's Legacy and then more books, of course.

Help My Husband Has Sexually Abused Our Daughter: a devotional by Debra Butterfield

Help! My Husband Has Sexually Abused Our Daughter is a 30-day devotional based on the Book of Psalms. Written from personal experience, Debra L. Butterfield leads readers through the tumultuous journey of emotions mothers experience with this ordeal. Each reading includes four sections: My Story, Lesson, Take Action and Prayer.



Interview with Debra L. Butterfield

Why did you write this book? I wrote the book because I wanted mothers to know they were not alone in this ordeal and I wanted to help them through it.

What was the hardest part? Even though I thought I was fully healed from my experience, I had some emotional moments that revealed I still felt wounded in some areas. Writing the book helped me gain additional healing.

What was easiest or most fun? The easiest and most uplifting part by far was reading through the Psalms to find appropriate verses to use with each chapter.

What do you hope people get from your book? It is my intent the reader find hope, encouragement, and healing for her wounded spirit as well as practical tools to help her child and family heal.

How do you want to be remembered as an author? I'd like to hope that the openness and honesty about my life breaks down reader barriers and helps them to know I truly care about them and their lives.


What's next for you? I am working to build a readership through an online magazine called Glory and Strength.com. It's designed to bring readers hope and encouragement for the tough issues in life like abuse through stories of real people and the victories they have experienced.

Merry Christmas to All!

Why Is There a Menorah on the Altar? Jewish Roots of Christian Worship by Meredith Gould, Ph.D.

In her newest book, author Meredith Gould invites readers to learn more about the Jewish sources of Christian rites, rituals, and traditions. She draws upon scripture and historical sources to explain how Judaism has influenced liturgical worship; the design and décor of church sanctuaries; and how Baptism, Eucharist, and Confirmation are rooted in Judaism. Includes: questions for reflection; activities for individuals or groups; a glossary, easy-to-follow timelines, and key Christian-Jewish documents.

Website Link: http://meredithgould.blogspot.com




Interview with Meredith:

Why did you write this book?

Raised Jewish, I was taught that cultural and religious identity were synonymous; both permeated our home. Having come of age during the 1950s and 1960s, I was raised during a time when this was true for most Catholics as well.

When, as an adult, I became a practicing Catholic, I was somewhat shocked to discover how much had changed. Younger Catholics seemed fairly clue-free about how to create – let alone sustain – their Catholic identity outside church. As a result, I ended up writing The Catholic Home: Celebrations and Traditions (Doubleday, 2004).

While giving lots of parish-based talks about Catholic culture, I became aware that most Catholics know precious little (or nothing at all) about their Jewish roots. No joke: for some it came as news that Jesus was Jewish. (Really, I'm not making this up.) But, I was also delighted to discover a great curiosity about and hunger for learning more about Judaism among Catholics of all generations; that's why I wrote Why Is There a Menorah on the Altar?


What was the hardest part?

In both the "Foreword" and "Afterword" I describe some of the difficulties I experienced while writing this book. These difficulties ended up being personal, which is weird because I'm not exactly reticent about revealing factoids about my life in my published work.

I absolutely did not expect that researching and writing this book would plunge me into (yet another) murky night of the soul. Truly the hardest part was coming to terms with the fact that while Christians in the liturgical church (i.e., Roman Catholic, Lutheran, Anglican-Episcopalian) might be ready to embrace their Jewish roots, some Jews had "issues" about my qualifications (read: chutzpah) for writing this book. So what if I had scholarly training, I'd deserted the tribe!

My Conservadox Jewish therapist, who provided much positive support during my years of Catholic formation and when I worked for a parish, finally got very directive. One day after I wept my way through a session, he said, "Forget about writing for other Jews. They won't understand what you’re trying to do." What was I trying to do? I was trying to make the case for more similarities than differences among and between us.


What was easiest or most fun?

You might think that doing lots of research was tough, but I loved every head-banging moment of sorting through historical and biblical scholarship, reading theology, studying scripture, and then making all that highfaluting stuff accessible to regular folks.

I also had a lot of fun making quirky connections and poking some gentle fun at this and that. I was thrilled when Christopher Ringwald, author of A Day Apart: How Jews, Christians, and Muslims Find Faith, Freedom and Joy on the Sabbath and editor of the diocesan paper in Albany, NY characterized my book as "erudite and charming and breezy (in a good way)" on amazon.com.


What do you hope people get from your book?

My hope and indeed my prayer is that as a result of reading my book, readers develop deeper appreciation and gratitude for their Jewish legacy. And, having developed deeper appreciation and gratitude, I hope they commit to cultivating this in their children and grandchildren.

Scholarly theories abound about why it took nearly a century for a religion called Christianity to emerge from Judaism. In my book, I invite readers to look at this history through the lens of Judaism, then offer my own perspective – a family feud spinning out of control to the detriment of all its members.

How do you want to be remembered as an author?

In addition to being fondly remembered as an author who made readers laugh about things not normally considered funny, I'd like to be remembered for helping to heal the shattered world of Christian-Jewish relations. And, what the heck, I'd like to be remembered as an author who tried to break through barriers to ecumenical understanding. Not too ambitious, eh?

What's next for you?

If you'd asked me this question while Why Is There a Menorah on the Altar? was in production, I would've said, "Absolutely not another book." Thanks to the human capacity to forget pain, I've begun futzing with a book I started, then set aside, approximately six years ago. Sooner or later, I'll get around to writing a book about the spiritual value of fear. Write what you know, right?

Through the Open Window by Anne Faye

Lucy Lyons is a woman trying to escape her past. Content to work as a librarian and live alone with her dog, all she wants is a simple life with no complications. When she decides to take the plunge and begins to write a novel during National Novel Writing Month, she gets much more than she bargained for. Her writing will not only force her to face her own secrets, but will also put her in the path of a handsome artist who shares her love of the written word. "Through the Open Window" is an engaging novel about the secrets we keep and the hope for second chances.



Why did you write this book? I had always wanted to write a novel. Last year, I decided I would do National Novel Writing Month in November. I knew that there was no way I could get the 50,000 words done in one month, but I decided I would get as much done as I could. Of course, then I needed an idea. Around October 30th, the idea of writing about someone doing National Novel Writing Month came to me. After that, the story all fell into place. It actually took me until January to finish the story.

What was the hardest part? There was a point in the middle of the project when I just hated the whole thing. I felt like it wasn't worth all the aggravation and frustration of trying to squeeze in writing on top of all the other busyness of life. But once I got through it, the thrill of completing it was well worth it.

What was easiest or most fun? Most fun was checking my word counts on a daily basis and watching them go up. Hitting 50,000 words meant so much to me, even though the story wasn't done and I had to keep going. There was a great sense of accomplishment.

What do you hope people get from your book? I hope people enjoy the story. It is light reading and a bit of a tearjerker. I hope that they come to care about the characters and spend some pleasant time reading it.

How do you want to be remembered as an author? I want to be remembered as someone who wrote stories that touch the heart.

What's next for you? Right now, I am working on promoting "Through the Open Window" and hope to begin work on a new novel soon!

The Self-Publisher's Guide by Karen Coiffi

Do you have a book in you dying to come out? Do you want to self-publish a book you’ve already written, but you’re not sure what to do? Well, The Self-Publisher’s Guide is for you!

From Writing Your Book, to Self-Publishing Options, to Creating a Website, to Promotion - it's all included in this handy guide.

Topics include: learning to write, critique groups, being ready for publishing, choosing a publishing company, creating visibility through promotional strategies, bringing traffic to your site, resources, tools, and much more.

The Self-Publisher’s Guide offers great self-publishing and promotional tips, advice, information, examples, and resources!


Purchase link: http://www.lulu.com/content/e-book/the-self-publishers-guide/7747521

Why did you write this book?

There are three reasons I wrote this e-book. The first is that I listen to a number of teleclasses about writing and marketing. Hearing the questions asked from some attendees I realized there are many writers who don’t know the basics. I wanted to address these issues in an affordable manner.

The second reason is because I am a reviewer for BookPleasures.com and I review a number of self-published books. So far, almost every one of these books, it is obvious, has not been professionally edited. If fact, it is apparent that most of them haven’t even been critiqued.

I find this sad because a few of these self-published books had good stories. It is difficult to do a review for a book that is poorly written. One of the books I read didn’t even have dialogue punctuation. I am hoping that through The Self-Publisher’s Guide author’s who are taking this road will be better equipped to produce a quality book. I made the price of this e-book very affordable so those, like most of us today, with little money can still afford this guide.

The third reason I wrote this book is because I self-published a children’s bedtime story, Day’s End Lullaby, and this e-book. I put a lot of effort and time researching self-publishing and looked at a number of Print on Demand companies. I wanted to share this information with others who are venturing onto the self-publishing road.

What was the hardest part?

The hardest part was keeping the guide small. There is so much information on writing, publishing and marketing that it was difficult to narrow down the information I wanted to include in this 22 page e-book. It is intended to be a starting point that touches on everything from writing the story, to publishing it, to promoting it. While there are a number of very informative manuals that go into greater detail in these areas, The Self-Publisher’s Guide is meant to guide the writer so he/she knows in which direction to head, along with providing step-by-step instructions.

What was easiest or most fun?

The entire e-book was easy to write. When you know the topic well and there is so much information available, it’s easy to write about it. It began as a simple and basic 10 page guide, but every time I reread it, I added something else. Finally, I told myself I had to stop at 22 pages – I could have went on and on. And, it was fun trying Lulu.com to publish it.

What do you hope people get from your book?

I hope this e-book guides those who are beginner writers and those who are thinking of self-publishing onto the path that helps them produce a quality book. By taking time, a little effort, joining a critique group with experienced authors, and the extra cost of getting a professional edit, a poorly written or mediocre book can be turned into a great book.

This is especially true of children’s books. There are a number of tricks, strategies, and rules that are unique to this genre. If you’re not aware of them it’s a give-in that your book will reflect it.

How do you want to be remembered as an author?

I guess I want to be remembered as a good writer, one who knows the craft (still learning), and one who ‘pays it forward.’ What I mean by the last part is: recently I read in The Writer that writers are a generous lot. They give of their time and knowledge – they ‘pay it forward.’ I want to be remembered as part of that group.

What's next for you?

I have a number of things brewing. I’m working on a couple of children’s stories, I write articles about writing, marketing and health, and I want to write a guide for beginning writers, specifically children’s writers. As I mentioned above, writing for children involves additional rules and strategies. I know many beginner writers would benefit from a guide to get them started in the right direction.
In addition to this, I have the Karen and Robyn Writing for Children Newsletter that I send out monthly. It includes information, advice, tips, and links relating to writing, marketing, and reviews. In fact, sections of The Self-Publisher’s Guide are included in monthly installments. It also includes news bits from DKV Writing 4 U (http://www.dkvwriting4u.com). To subscribe readers can go to http://karenandrobyn.blogspot.com and just sign up!

A Chaunce of Riches by Chelle Cordero

Ben Johnson was hired as a bodyguard for a rich widow and her kid, but he never expected to be working for the woman who had abandoned him just when he had needed her the most. Damn it all, he still wanted her. Samantha Chaunce never thought she would have to explain why she married the rich man instead of Ben. Or that her husband had been murdered...and Ben was the prime suspect.


An Interview with Chelle Cordello:

Why did you write this book? In yet another one of my random thinking spurts, I wondered how far a woman would go to help the man she loves – that’s how Samantha was born. I paired Sam with a guy who was educated in the "school of hard knocks" and who still had an attitude about those who "had".

What was the hardest part? Researching the setting so that it seemed authentic – while I've been to Baltimore and most of the other areas, I was not as familiar with them as my own backyard. Fortunately the internet provides a wealth of virtual sightseeing.

What was easiest or most fun? I will very often talk aloud as one of my characters as I write and I enjoyed talking like Samantha who went from being a financially poor orphan to the very rich widow of a publishing mogul. I enjoyed pretending some of the airs.


What do you hope people get from your book? Enjoyment, on the surface. And I guess I'd like them to think about what they would be willing to do for the people they love.

How do you want to be remembered as an author? I think I just want to be "remembered".

What's next for you? My next novel Common Bonds: Tangled Hearts will come out next February. This is another romantic suspense that involves some unusual twists of fate, greed, deception and hot romance.