Summer Splash Blog Hop - Quick and Easy

Ever have a day when you don't have much to say?  I'm having one of those days.  However, being that it is the official Summer Splash Blog Hop season, I urge you to visit the following authors.  They are giving away great prize opportunities just for visiting.  Not to mention, if you click on the blog hop logo at right, you can enter to win Kindle Fires, Amazon gift cards and other great swag.  AND, as always, enter my own contest at right.  It only takes a second.

Melissa A. Smith
Steven Montano
Ty Hutchinson
M.A. Demers
Beverly Preston
Marie J.S. Phillips
Marie J.S. Phillips
Alicia and Roy Street
Laura Eno

Other People's Swag

Day Two of the Summer Splash Blog Hop! 

Several years ago ( ok, over a decade ago but who is counting?), I put together a recipe collection of meals my family has enjoyed while vacationing at Sandbridge Beach.  I had everyone contribute their favorite recipes and, along with my anecdotes, and pictures, compiled them into a book.  There is only one copy remaining-- the prototype, and I am offering this personal book as a prize on my blog.  So. . . enter in the rafflecopter box at right.  YOU might win this coveted (and sometimes embarrassing) keepsake!


 A swag bag of stuff, a book mark and a whole series of books is available from Olivia Hardin.
THE eBook of YOUR CHOICE is available through R.G. Porter.
Marsha A. Moore if offering her whole series from the Enchanted Bookstore Legends!  A whole series!
A $25 Amazon gift card and an ebook copy of his latest biomed thriller?  Just leave a comment on Alan Nayes blog.  
Cheryl Bradshaw is giving away five boxed sets of her Sloane Monroe series.  PLUS - gourmet cookies and chocolate.
Julia Crane has a Young Adult series and is giving away copies on her blog.  AND, you may even win a Moonstone necklace.
If you enjoy fantasy, check out M. Edward McNally.  He is giving ebook editions of his series.  Simply go to his blog and leave a comment!
It gets better (I KNOW, hard to believe, right?)  G.R. Yeates is not only giving away his series, he is offering the opportunity to choose a title or have a character named after you.
Her blog is called "License to Thrill" and she has written some great books. Diana Capri is offering up a ton of books!  Several sets as well as 3 opportunities to name characters.  
Guardians of the Word, an epic fantasy series is available from Jolea M. Harrison but, even cooler. . .she is giving away a few Dragon Orb necklaces and a dragon statue.  
PLEASE TELL THEM JUDI COLTMAN SENT YOU!
Don't forget to take all of the opportunities to win my prized as well.  Just fill out the Rafflecopter form on the right.  EASY!
Stop back often to see what other fabulous authors are hoping you will hop into the waves and splash a little!  

What I Did On My Summer Vacation

I would love to start this with some grand story about my intrepid escapades this summer.  Perhaps the thrill of cruising on an airboat through the wetlands and weeds of the Florida swamps in search of gators in weather so hot, I was never completely dry.  Yeah, I did that.  It was fun.  And yes, there were more alligators than I could count.

Or, learning that 50 means I'm not so good with the upsidedown, twisty roller coasters anymore.  Ask the ride operators at Universal Studios, they can explain.  But, if you were there, stuck in line on the Harry Potter flying experience and they announced over the loud speaker that the ride was "temporarily out of service" - well, it's probably my fault.  Sorry about that.

Or, I could tell you about the day I received a text message from Casey Anthony asking to hide out with me on vacation.  I almost had my phone shut down before realizing that it was a BAD joke from a friend who NEVER, EVER texts but knew I was in Florida.  Ha! Funny stuff Steph.

But, while all of that HAS happened, I've really spent the bulk of my summer sitting on my ever expanding butt, finishing my book, going through edits, and getting it ready for publishing.  And that day came (last Monday).  It's available in paperback on my website with a 20% coupon code available there.  It is also available on Kindle and Nook for $4.99 (links on my site).  Amazon and BN.com will pick it up in a few weeks.

There is still some summer left, so what do I do now?  I'm taking suggestions.  Anyone?
http://www.judicoltman.com

The Butcher's Boy by Michael Robb - Trust Your Dogs!

The Butcher's Boy by Michael Robb is my latest Indie read.  And, as promised, I committed to write about the books of other indie authors that I read. So, here you go.  I won't rate or recommend - that would seem somewhat pompous on my part.  My taste might must be all in my mouth.  But, I will tell a bit about it and let you decide for yourself.



DO NOT consider buying a large, dark, uninhabited home that has a homeless guy hanging around in it no matter what the dollar deal and decorating potential are.  It's not worth it.  But, if you insist that it would be the perfect place to live and raise a child, then understand why I will never visit.

Chances are good that the house has a violent history that the seller failed to mention and the chances are even better that your child will know before you do.

No matter how typical that set-up seems for a ghost story, there is something irresistibly enticing about an old house with a history and so, I intrepidly opened the book.  Robb, not only writes a story that conjures up spirits, those spirits are as vividly painted as the the epic that made them ghosts in the first place.  In red.

There is violence, there are characters killed, and there are twists that yank you from one side to the next when you aren't looking.  And if I tell you that Lucifer changes the spelling of her name and saves the day, would that prospect creep you out?  Just a bit?  If not, you can find The Butcher's Boy here https://www.createspace.com/3547010 here. On Nook here http://search.barnesandnoble.com/books/product.aspx?EAN=9781452413655 and here for Kindle http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B004FPYWKU   $3.69  - Not bad for a scare.

As for me, I'm going to take some Aleve and RUN.

Sometimes it Helps to be an English Major

One of the unexpected bonuses of writing a book is networking with other writers.  Seriously, since my book came out, I have spent time on some interesting forums and have had the opportunity of meeting other authors as well as reading their books.  The indie writer is a  unique animal.  The indie writer is not the “I want to write a book” vanity press author of old.  The indie writer/author often chooses to go that route because of the long lead time to publication (2 years), the freedom and control to write from the soul and not to a pre-ordained audience, and because it allows the author to make that book available in different venues (online, ebooks, Kindle).  It also requires that the author oversee his or her own marketing and therein lies the rub.  So, as promised, from time to time, I am going to review books from other indie authors.  I will not make recommendations however, that choice will be left up to you.

Larry Enright seems like a nice enough fellow.  He is clean cut, has a good sense of humor, and, although I don’t know this for a fact, is probably a younger brother.  I am basing that last observation on the main character from his book, “Four Years From Home”  - the character is Tom Ryan.

A mystery unfolds over the holidays at the Ryan house when all but one of the Ryan kids return to celebrate.  The youngest, Harry, the golden child, has been out of the house attending college out of state- never to return, as the family is informed by college officials that Harry has died in an unfortunate accident.  

Oldest child, Tom, is sent to find out what really happened.  Story enough in itself, except that Tom Ryan is one of the most self centered, egotistical bullies you could imagine. As the oldest child, Tom ruled his world with an iron fist and all those around him are but minions to complete his latest reign of terror, his own siblings obstacles to his supreme position in the family.  In his delusional world, Tom is the king and everyone and everything is designed around him, about him and for him.  The first clue into the depth of Tom’s ego is his ongoing conversation with himself.  Constantly arranging and rearranging his rules to suit the moment, loses are acceptable as long as the end result is a gain for Tom.  When Tom’s world enters Harry’s world, the collision of the mind in epic and unfolds into an act that only Harry could understand, and he’s not there to explain it.  

So is Harry dead?  Is Tom going to uncover what happened in the four years Harry has been gone?  

That will be up to you to determine if you read Four Years From Home, by Larry Enright.  It is available here:  Paperback  $12.95  http://www.amazon.com/Four-Years-Home-Larry-Enright/dp/1453867996/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1297082562&sr=8-2-spell

Kindle Edition .99 http://www.amazon.com/Four-Years-from-Home-ebook/dp/B0045OURSW/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&m=AG56TWVU5XWC2&s=books&qid=1297082681&sr=8-1-spell

Nook Edition .99 http://search.barnesandnoble.com/Four-Years-from-Home/Larry-Enright/e/2940011822100/?itm=1&USRI=four+years+from+home

And really?  For only .99 what have you got to lose?