GREETINGS!

                              MERRY CHRISTMAS AND HAPPY HOLIDAYS TO ALL

                                              

Wishing everyone a New Year filled with blessings.  May we be united in peace and joy throughout the year.

A Horse Called Trouble

Welcome to a talented author who has just written a novel for tweens entitled A Horse Called Trouble.  This is a novel that would be a great Christmas present for the young teen or near-teen in your life. 

Introducing Charlotte Volnik…..

Greetings.  Thanks for allowing me to visit your blog today.  It is such a treat to be able to visit and I’m so excited to be here and announce my newest tween novel, A Horse Called Trouble!  And I would also love to offer a FREE copy of my e-book to one lucky reader who leaves me a comment!  (I hope you love free stuff as much as I do.)

A Horse Called Trouble

Abandoned by her mother at a young age, Tara Cummings has been passed from foster home to foster home; not wanted anywhere by anyone.  At thirteen she’s skeptic and suspicious, with no family, and no friends.

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

            At the farm, Tara meets Trouble, an angry and defiant horse, bent on destroying everything and everyone around him.  Tara is frightened of the enraged horse, until she realizes Trouble is as misunderstood and untrusting as she is.  Pushing aside her

fear, a special bond is formed, 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.

But Tara’s confidence is shaken as an even greater challenge looms ahead.  Trouble’s mean and manipulative owner is the one and only Alissa, Tara’s nemesis.  Can Tara overcome her own limitations and fight to save the horse who freed her heart and gave her life value and meaning?  Or will Alissa destroy them both?

Q)  What inspired you to write this story?

I have always loved horses.  Such marvelous creatures they are.  Proud, elegant, powerful, yet gentle, compassionate.  And I was fortunate enough to be able to call several of them my friend and confidant as I grew up. 

I knew I wanted to immortalize some of my treasured equine friends but I never expected to write the story of Trouble in such a fashion as I did.  It was after visiting a horse farm that also entertained a horse therapy program for troubled youth that the story sky-rocketed. Tara came to life and shared her entire sad story with me and I couldn’t help but oblige and put it down on paper.  And Trouble? He’s a mix of several of the horses I knew.  Full of spunk, spirit, trust and devotion.  It’s a horse story, full of conflict, with antagonists you’ll love seeing get what they deserve.

Q)  Tell us about your characters.

A horse called Trouble has many characters my readers will be able to identify with, from those who are picked on and put down, to the bullies and followers.  And I hope my readers will discover one thing from my story—not to judge people before they really know them.

My main character, Tara Cummings, is a bright girl, but due to her situation—her abusive mother abandoning her and throwing her into foster care—Tara is left vulnerable, picked on and put down.  She tries to become invisible, staying under the radar of the bullies and teachers, doing only enough to survive.  Accused of a crime she didn’t commit, Tara is placed in an alternative school and forced to enter a horse therapy program.  There she meets Trouble.  Trouble is exactly her opposite.  He is defiant and spirited.  He refuses to be broken and will not succumb to the cruel treatment used to try and force him into submission.  He is strong and willful, yet Tara sees his vulnerable side, knowing the inner conflict only too well.

Trouble is a book about growing and believing in oneself to overcome what the world presumes of you.  It’s easy to feel put down and unaccepted by the standards set by society today.  But by believing in and staying true to oneself, the future can only offer the stars as the limit.’

Q)  What can readers expect from you in the future?

My first tween novel, GHOST DOG OF ROANOKE ISLAND made its debut in September and is available in both print and e-book versions now.  It is a tween ghost story with a twist of Native American folklore and based on the Lost Colony of Roanoke Island.

My next novel, THE SECRET OF THE STONES, is the first of a series called THE LOST DIARIES OF NORTHUMBERLAND and will make its debut in April of 2012.  THE STONES is a much lighter story and is a Harry Potter meets Merlin the Magician kind of story.  A Merlin-loving tween is thrust into magic mayhem when the gift he’s been entrusted to protect turns out to be the enchanted object detailed in a mysterious prophecy.

Q)  Where can readers find you?

My readers can contact me at ckvolnek (at) yahoo (dot) com.

They can join me on my webpage”  www.ckvolnek.com or visit me at my blog: www.ckvolnek.com/blog.html.

They can also find me on Facebook (C.K. Volnek) or Twitter (CKVolnek), Good Reads and Jacket Flap.

My book trailer is on youtube: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KyJ1J9wESEY

My books are available at the MuseItUp Book Store as well as Amazon and many other fine book locations online.

Thanks for allowing me to join you today!  And remember everyone…I’m offering a FREE copy of my e-book to one lucky reader who leaves me a comment!

C.K  Volnek

HOORAY! BETWIXT AND BETWEEN IS NOW IN PRINT!

Many of you have asked about getting a print copy of my book, Betwixt and Between.  I'm happy to announce Betwixt and Between is now in print.  The paperback edition is available online at Amazon and Barnes and Noble and is a fantasy adventure tale with a spiritual theme for kids from 9 to 14 years old.

The book will also be available at a "Meet and Greet the Author" session which is planned for the near future.  Will publish details on that soon.

HUGS ACROSS THE BORDER

            Returned from Montreal, Canada two days ago where I attended the MuseItUp Publishing Retreat.  Wow! What a wonderful experience.  So many good things were jam-packed into the three day Retreat, I didn't catch my breath until waiting in the plane for take-off to Home Sweet Home.

It was a pleasure to meet Lea and Litsa, two women who accomplished an amazing feat.  They created a publishing company that is, in reality, a family of authors from all over the world.   Kudos to each of them...their accolades are well-earned.

I was also happy to meet so many MuseItUp Authors and my editor, Nancy Bell, who gave me such good advice while I prepared my book for publication.  Since we’d only communicated previously through the internet, it was great to meet everyone face-to-face.

And last, but not at all least, it was a joy to get together with my cousin, author Heather Haven.  We hadn’t seen each other for about five years and though we kept in touch, it can’t compare to meeting in person.  We arrived a day early so we’d have a whole day to share, laugh together, and catch up with all one doesn’t bother to say on the phone or in an e-mail.  And it was such fun to sit side-by-side with her at a Meet and Greet Authors’ Book Sale.

When it was time to say “good-byes,” there were hugs for all our new friends across the border and throughout the United States.  I went home with many happy memories and a firm desire to return some day.

LAVENDAR DREAMS

Since I am one of their authors, I am proud to announce that MuseItUp Publishing has released Lavendar Dreams, the first anthology to help support cancer research…one dollar at a time.  Muse authors have openheartedly donated ten stories and their royalties to the fight against cancer. Cover art was also generously designed and donated by their artists. 

At the request of the husband of one of our editors who recently passed away after fighting a long battle with cancer, a check will be sent next October to the Dana Farber Research Hospital.

Please mention Lavendar Dreams to family and friends and help in our effort to raise funds for this important cause.  Finding a cure for cancer means a lot to me personally since both my mother and a beloved aunt died from the disease and my father suffered with it for many years.  The anthology is available at MuseIt Up Publishing Bookstore and at Amazon.

Many thanks to all who join in this effort to help those working to find a cure for this dread illness. 

Good News!

A Wedding to Die For is one of the three finalists

            for the EPIC 2012 Mystery Award. 

I strive to recommend only books I sincerely believe are among the best in their genre.  Today I'm happy to say A Wedding to Die For, which was previously recommended on this blog , has reached the pinnacle of  "top three" in the Epic 2012 Mystery Award.  Congratulations Heather!

Hooray!  I have a review for my book, Betwixt and Between, to share with you....

"Betwixt and Between is entertaining enough as an adult read, so I can imagine that the targeted age group will better relate to the characters and the quest.  I must say it kept me entertained on a leg of my recent flight to Alaska, and I was grateful for the company.  For me the book was an adventure, not just a read meant for a younger audience.  I enjoyed the journey.

The title represents the place where main character, Michael, is transported.  The author’s stunning description of how Michael gets to such point will leave you breathless and gasping for air.  I thought the temptation between good and evil was well relayed, and I think the message the author intends to deliver will be easily accomplished.  If my grandson was older, I would gladly have him read this story.  I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend this as a great gift for young readers.  Well done, Ms. DeLuca!"

Reviewed by Ginger Simpson, Multi-genre author

NEW MYSTERY SERIES

Our first guest to this site is Heather Haven, a talented writer who is also my cousin.  The first two novels of her new series, The Alvarez Family Murder Mysteries, will keep you captivated to the last page.  Start with  Murder is a Family Business, and go on to enjoy her second book, A Wedding To Die For.   If you’re looking for wit, humor, and suspense in the books you read, this series is for you. 

                                                                

Welcome to the Family! And when the Alvarez clan is not is not solving murders, they run Discretionary Inquiries, a successful Silicon Valley agency that normally deals with the theft of intellectual property and computer software.

Murder is a Family Business, A Wedding to Die For, and the soon to come Death Runs in the Family are part of the humorous mystery series revolving around Lee Alvarez, a combination of Sue Graftonʼs Kinsey Millhone and Janet Evanovitchʼ Stephanie Plum. Completing the Alvarez Family is Leeʼs Never-Had-A-Bad-Hair-Day aristocratic mother, Lila; computer genius brother, Richard; beloved uncle “Tio;” and her energetic orange and white cat, Tugger. These whodunit novels explore familial love -- the good, the bad and the annoying.

For more information go to:         Heather@HeatherHavenStories.com

http://www.heatherhavenstories.com/

Heather's blog at: http://tinyurl.com/4nensnp

     

BETWIXT AND BETWEEN

    My first published book Betwixt and Between came out two months ago. It's an e-book for tweens (ages 10 to 14) and is a fantasy/adventure story about the spiritual journey of a 13-year old boy named Michael, who is sent on a Quest by his Guardian Angel

    I was thrilled (still am) when I went online and saw my book listed on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and in the Muse It Up Publishing Bookstore.

Here's a little bit about Betwixt and Between...

    Plunged into a whirlpool, teenager Michael loses consciousness and awakens to find himself suspended in a bizarre new world.  There he meets Evannius, his Guardian Angel, who sends him on a spiritual journey  through the strange land of Betwixt and Between.  He is on a Quest for knowledge and it's the only way home.  

    Enemies like Blackjack, Skulke, and the dread monster, Gargosaur, stand in the way of Michael completing his mission.   Though he finds friends as well as enemies in Betwixt and Between, friends cannot travel Michael’s dangerous path.  He must do that alone. 
Michael uses his wits and all his energy in the struggle to reach his goal.  If he succeeds in his quest, what will he find?  What is the secret knowledge awaiting him? 

An excerpt from Betwixt and Between:                   

    “Come back, Michael, come back.” 

     Michael tried to answer his cousin Kaity’s cry.  He swallowed a mouthful of water instead.  His head bobbed up and down in the churning water of the Palatucka River, but he managed to catch a glimpse of her racing after him.  Above the roar of the water he heard her older brother, Tyler, shout, “He can’t come back.  I’m going for help.”

     “I’ll go with you,” called Kaity’s twin, Curtis. 

     It had rained for days.  The shallow stream Michael waded across a few weeks ago was now so deep he couldn’t touch bottom. Tons of water plunged down from the mountains swelling the creek to a turbulent river.    It sped over rocks and boulders, past the loblolly trees-- pulling Michael with it.  He tried to fight the strong current.  Too powerful; I can’t do it.  Dragged underwater, hurled up again, he gasped for breath.    Michael’s stomach sank.  Kaity’s falling behind.  She can’t keep up with the swift current. Around a curve, another curve, until Kaity disappeared.   

     His strength was fading.  In desperation he reached for a boulder.   Too slippery!  His fingers slid off the surface; he was swept away.   Roaring sounded in his ears.  The din grew louder with each passing second.  His already racing heart pounded even harder.  A waterfall! Hurtling toward the brink of a cliff, he made a frantic attempt to turn back.    Impossible!  The power of the raging river carried him on. 

     “OH, NO-O-O-O-O---”

     Flung over the edge, arms and legs thrashing as he fell, Michael plunged into the angry waters at the bottom of the waterfall.  Down into a cold, dark whirlpool, turning round and round, sinking deeper and deeper, until it became so dark he was spinning in blackness.  He couldn’t see or grasp onto anything.   Pray . . . .  Our Father . . . .  His lungs were bursting; he couldn’t breathe.  Try, . . . Our Father who . . .  Pain exploded in his head. 

     And then he didn’t think at all.