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The Winners of the FREE e-book, A Horse Called Trouble are...

12/30/2011

The book birthday blog contest is over and the votes are all in. But before I announce the winners, I just want to say thank you to my most gracious hosts who helped me celebrate my book birthday for
A Horse Called Trouble.
I am so blessed to have such wonderful friends.
(I do still have one more contest coming up if you missed this blog tour adventure. :-)

I also want to thank all the visitors that celebrated with me. It was such a joy to see you join me and share your thoughts and comments.

Now, I know I promised to give away 10 book with this blog tour, but I changed my mind. I decided to give away 15! I feel so blessed to have such wonderful people in my life, I want to share the joy. So, without further ado...the winners of the free e-book,
A Horse Called Trouble, are (in no given order)

Gwen
Kay
Stacey Sifred
dgorman
Cheryl
S. Durham
Kathy Gilmore
Victorine
Sharon
Adriana
Edith Parzefall
Viviane
Killarney
Penny
Gloria

As soon as I receive your e-mail addresses from the given blogs,
I will contact you and send your FREE e-book out.
Thanks again for joining me!

C.K. Volnek

2 Comments

Still A Chance to Win a Copy of A Horse Called Trouble

12/21/2011

1 Comment

There is still time to enter in to win a FREE e-copy of A Horse Called Trouble. Please visit any or all of the sites below and leave me a comment to gain a chance to win a FREE d-copy of my book to put on that e-reader you're getting for Christmas. Good luck everyone. Winners will be announced the end of next week.
Merry Christmas!

A Horse Called Trouble

A young teen must overcome her abusive past to save the defiant horse who taught her to love and trust again. Can Tara save Trouble? Or will Alissa destroy them both?

Visit these blogs to enter...
http://gracedelbygrace.blogspot.com/2011/12/horse-called-trouble_12.html

http://rosgemmell.blogspot.com/2011/12/introducing-horse-called-trouble.html

http://rryalsrussell.com/2011/12/19/1561c-k-volneks-a-horse-called-trouble/

http://www.ckvolnek.com/4/post/2011/12/a-horse-called-trouble-book-birthday.html

http://barbaraehrentreu.blogspot.com/2011/12/book-launch-party-for-ckvolneks-horse.html

http://meradethhouston.blogspot.com/2011/12/horse-called-trouble-and-contest.html

http://gmbarlean.wordpress.com/2011/12/22/author-interview-c-k-volnek/

http://roseannedowellauthor.blogspot.com/2011/12/meet-ck-volnek.html

http://mgddasef.blogspot.com/2011/12/ck-volneks-new-release-horse-called.html

http://www.lawnamackie.ca/wordpress/2011/12/726/

Good Luck!

1 Comment

A Horse Called Trouble - Book Birthday!

12/14/2011

18 Comments

It's finally here!
A Horse Called Trouble
is NOW AVAILABLE

Buy it here:
e-book - Muse It Up
Print - Amazon

So, grab a piece of cake and a glass of punch and raise your glass with me to celebrate!

In celebration, I'm also going to give one lucky reader who leaves me a comment a FREE e-copy of
A Horse Called Trouble.
So, just say 'hi' and you may WIN!
Good Luck.

Thanks for stopping by!
C.K. Volnek

A Horse Called Trouble

A troubled teen must overcome her abusive past to save the defiant horse that has taught her to love and trust again.

Tara Cummings hasn’t had an easy life. Abandoned by her mother at the young age of seven she’s been passed from foster home to foster home; not wanted anywhere by anyone. At thirteen she finds herself skeptic and suspicious, with no family, no friends, and forced to participate in horse therapy.

Horse therapy “will teach trust, perseverance, respect and the value of teamwork,” or so says the program’s instructor. Tara is unconvinced. Trust only got her heart broken, perseverance only gets her put down, and no one respects or wants to team up with the misfit foster kid.

At the therapy horse farm, Tara meets Trouble, an angry and defiant horse, bent on destroying everything and everyone around him. At first she’s afraid of Trouble, until she realizes he’s as misunderstood and untrusting as she is. She pushes aside her fear and a special relationship is formed as she alone manages to calm him, much to the surprise of everyone at the farm. Trouble trusts Tara, and Tara in turn finds hope and acceptance as well as the will to love and trust again herself.

Tara’s self-esteem grows through the therapy program as she begins to work through her shyness and reservations. But her confidence is shaken as an even greater challenge looms ahead. Trouble’s manipulative owner is determined to have him destroyed because of his ‘dangerous’ nature. Tara must overcome her own limitations and fight to save the horse that has freed her heart and given her life value and meaning. But can she save Trouble, or will Alissa destroy them both?

Thanks for stopping by!
C.K. Volnek

18 Comments

Letters From Al - Inspired from true life connections with Al Capone

12/12/2011

3 Comments

Today I am happy to have Kathy Pieper on my blog, introducing her book, Letters From Al, a story inspired by her great-aunt and her connections with Al Capone. Welcome Kathy!

Thanks for having me on your blog today, Charlie. I'm a born and bred Nebraskan and have always loved reading and ultimately writing, my first contemporary romances were published back in the 80's. I love a good mystery and romances seem to never go out of style, and altho' the technical world seems to be taking over, I still love to hold an actual book in my hand. One of my writer friends had a good point too, how in the world do you autograph an e-book? Made me laugh, but there's room for all. My favorite character is always the one I'm working on.

As a teen my favorite book was Adventures of the Black Stallion(I was very horsey at that age) and "Christy" by Catherine Marshall, but I was also developing my love of mysteries and romance. Nancy Drew was fun and the old Jane Austin classics. In grade school I loved "Peach Tree Island" by Mildred Lawrence, and I just found a hard copy online which I snapped up and immediately read. Ahhh, contentment and getaway time just like before. Reading still affects me like that.

I write contemporary romance and romantic mystery for young adults, what used to be called 'sweet', I enjoy telling a story that makes my reader use their imagination and every sense. When you get so lost in a story you smell the flowers and hear the hoofbeats, you've succeeded.

Letters From Al is my newest novel published by Treble Heart Books. It was submitted and rejected several times before I finally found a publisher. I never was tempted to give up because I was very wrapped up in the story. The photo on the front cover is actually my own great aunt Sophia who lived to be 104! I had admired the photo of a cute 'flapper' girl in my grandmother's living room for years and she finally gave it to me. While the story is not about her, her photo inspired my story of Madeline Morris and her connection with the infamous gangster Al Capone. One of my favorite scenes is the prologue where she must use her street smarts to get out of a precarious situation, then decide if she will warn the criminal to protect her friends and co-workers. How she handled it sets the tone for the rest of the story and the future of her own great niece. I like to think she would have approved.

Writing has given me an outlet for my creative side, plus entertained me and others. My favorite part of being a writer is seeing the finished product, seeing my characters come to life and the enjoyment others get by reading what I put down on paper.

My best advice on writing is, WRITE. Don't think too much, don't procrastinate but plan! Get up early, stay up late, write on your lunch hour or whenever the mood strikes you but if you don't pick up the pen or sit down at the computer, you won't write. And don't forget, if a laptop isn't available, plain old pen and paper always is.

It's tough writing for publication these days if you don't study your markets and learn the craft. With all the technology out there available to us now, it pays to learn all you can from groups like the Nebraska Writer's Guild, and RWA, there's a smaller group for about any type of writing these days so take advantage of it. And don't forget about critique--having someone honestly review your work will save you lots of time and disappointment. Call your library or go online, you will find lots of information available.

I'm online at my website kathleenpieper.com and if you want to contact me personally the email addresses are there. Thank you so much for this opportunity to visit with you. I hope your readers check out "Ghost Dog of Roanoke" and "Letters From AL". Thanks again, and happy happy holidays to all!

Thanks for joining us today, Kathy. It's been great to hear more about you and your books. Your writing advice is great. Everyone needs to be reminded of that! Thanks again for being here.
C.K. Volnek

3 Comments

The Circle of Sorcerers, a New Epic Fantasy Series by Brian Kittrell

12/8/2011

4 Comments

Today I'm introducing Brian Kittrell and his novel, The Circle of Sorcerers, a new intriguing fantasy series. Hi Brian, welcome to my blog. I have to say, I am extremely captivated with your book The Circle of Sorcerers. This wonderful fantasy world sounds exciting and spellbinding. Can you tell your readers a little about the book?

Sure thing, but first, I must say thank you very much for having me. I appreciate it!

The Circle of Sorcerers is the debut novel of my epic fantasy series, and it involves the early life of Laedron Telpist, a boy who hails from a small village but who is trained in magic by his mother. To continue his training, he must go to a formal environment and study beneath a skilled sorcerer. It seems simple enough until the winds of change come and shift the course of the Heraldan church—the largest religious organization in the world. When the new leader of this church swears to rid the world of free practitioners of magic, all of the Circle mages are endangered.

Excellent conflict. Tell us about your favorite character/s in your series.

Oh, there are so many in this book. Laedron, the young mage and main character, comes from humble, comfortable beginnings in the peace and solitude of Reven’s Landing. Marac, his best friend, enjoys ‘long nights and drinking from a tall cup’, to quote the book, but he has cause to be that way. Ismerelda, the Uxidi sorceress, was a very interesting character to explore throughout the book, and she is one of my favorites—complex, dangerous, but also kind and protective.

You mention your main character embraces old friends, consorts with unlikely allies and confronts potent enemies…can you share a few of the Laedron’s greatest challenges?

Without giving too much away, the premise of the book is based upon a battle of supremacy between the worldly sorcerers and the divine priests. Both use magic in one form or another and largely tolerated one another in the past, but with the appointment of Andolis Drakar as Grand Vicar of the Heraldan church, things change quickly. No longer are sorcerers safe; they become outnumbered and targeted once the church issues its declarations against them.

This sounds more exciting by the minute. What is the world like in The Circle of Sorcerers? It sounds so very unique and mystifying. And not a world that is very accepting to one spinning spells.

The world in the book consists of the Bloodmyr Isles, three large islands which are host to a variety of people and cultures. The story begins on the central island (the Midlands to the locals) in the nation of Sorbia, Laedron’s home country. Sorbia is quite accepting of magic and sorcerers, but the eastern island—the home to Falacore and the Heraldan theocratic lands—is far from being accepting. Mix in the appointment of a Grand Vicar hostile to sorcerers, and you have a war.

Different parts of the world are known for different things, and many of them draw heavily from our own history—such as the Al’Qarans being very much like the Persians while the Qal’Phametines draw heavily from Egypt. The Falacorans are similar in many ways to the Holy Roman Empire, and the Heraldan theocracy—of course—could quickly be compared to the early Catholic church. The Midlands have a wide diversity in culture and tradition, and I feel that makes them ripe for tolerance of different ideas. They were also invaded at one time by the Falacorans, and that would make anyone cautious of accepting any single ideal or way of doing things.

You have built an enticing world. Can you offer your fellow writers some advice on writing fantasy?

The key to writing good fantasy isn’t about copying what’s already out there. You could try to write like J.R.R. Tolkien and spend vast amounts of time doing so, but you’ll write yourself into a hole. The same goes for G.R.R. Martin—no need to mimic styles. It also goes for Sanderson, for he’s prolific enough to keep people busy with just his material for long stretches of time.

Tolkien spins a wonderful tale, but we have Tolkien’s works. Martin and Sanderson build interesting worlds and characters, but we have Martin and Sanderson. What we don’t have is your unique style, and that’s what people want when they pick up a different author. They don’t want someone trying to be someone else; they want you.

Beyond that, utilize the five senses. Do you have a unique food in your world? Make the reader taste it. Does the character happen upon a battlefield with rotten corpses? The smell is like no other. Many writers will easily say what they see and hear—most people are either sight- or audio-centric—but we mustn’t forget that smells and tastes do just as much to pull the reader into the story.

Oh, and research and anachronisms. Never too little of the former and never the latter.

Oh my, so very descript. Would you share your favorite excerpt/scene and tell us why this is so special to you.

I often cling to my scenes of loss. In this book, the pivotal moment of loss would be the death of Laedron’s teacher at the hands of the priest.

Regarding publication and marketing, what advice can you offer aspiring writers?

Always the tough one. Book bloggers can do wonders for your book and exposure, and it’s the kind of real marketing that you want to do. If I came up to you and said, “My book is wonderful. Buy it,” you have a totally different feeling than if someone else says, “This book is by Brian Kittrell, and it’s wonderful. You should buy it.” That’s because when I say it, it’s self-promotion. When someone else says it, it’s a recommendation. My self-promotion is basically, “The book’s out at (link)”, and then I work on finding people who might be willing to read it, review it, or otherwise say that other people should try it.

I do some paid advertisement, but it’s very cheap. My budget for that is something like $50 per month on all of the places I advertise. I try to do publicity at every opportunity because I think it’s more valuable.

And of course, last but not least…how can your fans find, follow or friend you?

I’m on Facebook and Twitter, but I don’t post at either one terribly much. I also maintain a newsletter list, and I post emails infrequently. Probably the easiest way to find any option to stay in touch is by going to my website, http://www.latenitebooks.com, and choosing whichever option you prefer.

A big thanks to Charlie for having me today. I appreciate it very much, and I hope you all enjoy your next book, whichever it may be!

It was my pleasure to host you today, Brian. I hope everyone is as captivated as I am with your new book, The Circle of Sorcerers and checks it out for Christmas. Thanks Brian.
C.K. Volnek

4 Comments

Seasons of Reading Blog Hop

12/4/2011

5 Comments

Today I am happy to be a part of Jo Ramsey’s Book Blog Hop. For a full list of participants and blogs sharing our thoughts on books, please see Jo’s blog.

The written word has always been special to me. I still remember so many of my favorites growing up…Follow My Leader, My Side of the Mountain, Pippi Longstockings, Black Beauty, and the list goes on and on. And because of my love of the written word, I’m a big believer in giving books as Christmas gifts. How else can I send my favorite people on a trip to another time or place? Adventures, romances, historicals, paranormal, mysteries…stories to entertain and excite. So many books, true and fiction, to make everyday a vacation.

A few years ago I gifted my daughter one of my favorite books, The Secret Garden by Frances Hodgson Burnett. This delightful tale combines mystery and intrigue in a charming children’s story. Mary is a complex character—spoiled and orphaned, angry at the world after being sent to live with her elusive Uncle in England. However, after discovering her cousin, Colin, Mary changes, learning to encourage and support her cousin as she helps him strengthen his muscles and move from being debilitated and broken to a healthy and joyful child. Important subjects intermixed with a great story, showing tremendous growth and personality.

It’s because of stories like The Secret Garden that I love writing for young people. And I can only hope my stories will one day inspire my young readers as so many books have inspired me. In my first novel, Ghost Dog of Roanoke Island, I have mixed a true historical mystery with a fast-paced ghost story while sneaking in a lesson on forgiveness and prejudice.

My main character, Jack, is much like Mary in The Secret Garden. He is angry and upset, having been ripped from the only home he ever knew to live on Roanoke Island. His relationship with his father is also strained after his sister’s accident and Jack is stressed as he tries to prove himself to his father once again. Enter a horrendous monster, a demon remnant from the time of the Lost Colony, determined to destroy Jack and his family and my ghostly adventure begins. I hope you’ll give Ghost Dog of Roanoke Island a read this Christmas.

In celebration of the Book Blog Hop, I am happy to offer one FREE e-copy of my story, Ghost Dog of Roanoke Island to one lucky winner. I am also supplying one print copy to my local library. I wish you all a very Merry Christmas and may all your holidays be Book-a-licious!

C.K. Volnek