*Free on KU 

Other than being an awesome mom and a devoted wife, Cynthia is an avid explorer traveling through the galaxy of her mind meeting new and interesting people along the way.  Her destination is unknown, but the fun is in the journey.

Cynthia’s first exploration took her to the world of Sanctoria, a place full of magic and mystery.  After falling in love and leading an army to war, Cynthia left Sanctoria and continued on her journey.

Currently, Cynthia resides in one of the Revenant cities on Earth.  What mysteries will the city hold and where will Cynthia end up?  Who knows?  But you can guarantee that Cynthia will tell us all about it!




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​The price of survival is blood.  The price of freedom is life.  All things will eventually meet their end…….including humanity.After generations of advancement, the human race thought they were invincible. That was until the revenant made their presence known. In order to survive, humans had to pay a price.

The cost......their blood. The source of life for all living things.

Persephone Black (Phoebe) was an orphan. She and her Pappy made a living on the outskirts of the revenant city where the poor and desolate were numerous. Phoebe had kept her head low and remained unnoticed for her entire life. She was content working as a junior gardner at the nursery as long as it meant her and Pappy's continued survival within the city walls.

As fate would have it, Phoebe wouldn't be able to go unnoticed for much longer. She caught the attention of Cassius, a revenant, and was summoned by him to the tower.

Phoebe would learn more about the revenant than most other humans. Cast into a world that she was not yet ready for, Phoebe would do anything to survive.

But she would soon learn that sometimes the cost of survival is more than a person could bear.
The Curse of Judas is a post-apocalyptic adventure interlaced with biblical prophecy and religious innuendo centered around the story of Judas Iscariot.

Persephone Black would be cast into the fray when she meets a son of Judas. Her existence is both a blessing and a curse for the revenant. If the secret of her birth ever came to light, the world of the revenants would turn on end.
​*CLIFFHANGER

Anne Butler Montgomery has worked as a television sportscaster, newspaper and magazine writer, teacher, amateur baseball umpire, and high school football referee. Her first TV job came at WRBL-TV in Columbus, Georgia, and led to positions at WROC-TV in Rochester, New York, KTSP-TV in Phoenix, Arizona, and ESPN in Bristol, Connecticut, where she anchored the Emmy and ACE award-winning SportsCenter. She finished her on-camera broadcasting career with a two-year stint as the studio host for the NBA’s Phoenix Suns. Montgomery was a freelance and/or staff reporter for six publications, writing sports, features, movie reviews, and archaeological pieces. Her novels include: The Scent of Rain and A Light in the Desert. Montgomery teaches journalism at South Mountain High School in Phoenix, is a foster mom to three sons, and is an Arizona Interscholastic Association football referee and crew chief. When she can, she indulges in her passions: rock collecting, football officiating, scuba diving, and playing her guitar.
 
Links
https://annemontgomerywriter.com/
https://www.facebook.com/anne.montgomery.359
https://twitter.com/amontgomery8
https://www.linkedin.com/in/anne-montgomery-1b995b23/
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anne_Montgomery
annemontgomeryauthor@gmail.com
​

A Light in the Desert
By Anne Montgomery
Mystery/Suspense
Paperback ISBN: 9781732139114
Ebook ISBN: 9781732139121
Blank Slate Press

​As a Vietnam veteran and former Special Forces sniper descends into the throes of mental illness, he latches onto a lonely pregnant teenager and a group of Pentecostal zealots – the Children of Light – who have been waiting over thirty years in the Arizona desert for Armageddon. When the Amtrak Sunset Limited, a passenger train en route to Los Angeles, is derailed in their midst in a deadly act of sabotage, their lives are thrown into turmoil. As the search for the saboteurs heats up, the authorities uncover more questions than answers. And then the girl vanishes. As the sniper struggles to maintain his sanity, a child is about to be born in the wilderness.

Rene DeFazio was born and raised in Canada and currently resides in the Vancouver area with his wife and writing partner Tamara Veitch. Rene is an actor and producer with numerous film and television roles to his credit. A world traveler and lifelong adventurer, Rene has called upon his unusual and exciting experiences in co-creating The One Great Year novel series. His tireless research and first hand knowledge of exotic locations, customs, sights, and smells help to bring this epic story to life.

Tamara Veitch is a writer, mural artist, and mother of three. She grew up in Canada and attended Simon Fraser University, studying English, psychology, history and General Arts. Tamara has had a lifelong interest in spiritual wisdom and has carefully researched ancient teachings from many traditions to ensure historical accuracy throughout The One Great Year Series.
​
Tamara and Rene have completed Book I and II in The One Great Year Series and are currently working on Book III. To maintain a dynamic and authentic presentation of the ancient secrets at the core of their writing, they travel to exotic locations in search of esoteric knowledge and cultural insights that will inspire readers everywhere.

​When the world collapses from a Golden Age into one of chaos and strife, mankind’s salvation lies in the hands of eternal Emissaries― guardians chosen to protect the secrets of a sacred, ancient civilization and to guide humanity back to enlightenment even as its darkest hour approaches.

A timeless tale of love reborn through the ages.

Marcus and Theron are two lovers bound by an eternal and unshakable bond. As a series of catastrophic events nearly destroys their world, the two along with a chosen few become Emissaries destined, over the course of 13,000 years and through many reincarnations, to lead humanity into an era of peace and prosperity as foretold by the Elders of their race. But the forces of evil have taken possession of one man, Helghul, who relentlessly pursues Marcus and Theron through time, determined to destroy them and ruin all hope for salvation. The Emissary tracks Marcus’s epic adventure across centuries of human civilization to present day, where envoys of darkness gather threatening to bury the life-giving secrets of Atitala forever.

Good and evil come to blows and the future of mankind hangs in the balance.

“For every soul there is a theme, a path that must be followed, lessons that must be learned...”
​
Veitch and DeFazio’s award-winning debut novel deftly blends elements of a fantasy- adventure with historical fiction to create an unforgettable, fateful tale of eternal love, undying devotion, betrayal, suffering and the hope that binds us all.

The first reviews- “A stirring first instalment in a sprawling epic fantasy…”
​~ Kirkus Reviews
                                                                                                     ​
“The Emissary not just a solid first novel but an excellent beginning for a new fantasy series.”
~ Misanthropester Reviews
                                                                                                                                  
“A story that is engaging and written with a passion that is sure to stay with (you) long after reading. Veitch and DeFazio have created a world of the unknown that is unlike any other.”
~ Truly Reviews

The One Great Year website - https://onegreatyear.com/
Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/OneGreatYear/
Twitter - https://twitter.com/@onegreatyear
YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCHmMy2OdoFnF6pYXkUWwKVQ?view_as=subscriber
​

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Mary M. Schmidt is a graduate of Notre Dame University in Baltimore.  She spent time in Rome during the '60s, getting to know the feral cats.  Her previous book, Cat Lady, is about that experience. Cat Lady won the Jaffalogue's Picks award for best long narrative published in 2015.
Mary works for a local hospice doing transitions, that is, assisting terminal patients with their end of life procedure. This is not in the least bit depressing!
Mary makes her home near Annapolis with her cat Graycie.

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I had the pleasure of meet author Melanie Gilbert at OUAB 2018.  She is absolutely adorable and is part of triplets!  Believe it or not her one of her sisters is an author too.  I was doing double takes all weekend, lol.   ~ Lynn 

​Life and Water is Melanie Gilbert's 1st book, and my into to her work. The story started out a bit awkward and I had trouble getting into it. However, as the story progressed the author found her voice and the book started to flow more smoothly. I am glad I didn't give up. Life and Water is an action packed, supernatural, upper YA fantasy and is a good start to the series.

​Melanie was born in Michigan, USA where she lived until moving to Virginia to attend college. She majored in Business Management and minored in English. After graduating in 2009, Melanie added a Pomeranian puppy named Toby to her family. Soon after, Melanie got married and quit her day job to be a stay at home mom. She, her husband, 2 sons, and Toby live in Michigan where her husband attends college. She enjoys playing with her boys, reading, putting puzzles together, and of course, writing.

Stalk her on FACEBOOK.

​Sixteen-year-old Jaclyn looks up to her father. An honest man who once fought for the king, he now teaches Jaclyn how to use her wits—and her sword.

But he has a secret. And his secret may have a connection to the one thing Jaclyn is hiding from him.

Upon hearing “monsters” are terrorizing the small villages around Black Mountain, Jaclyn’s father and his friends head out to hunt them … but they don’t return.

Armed only with her sword and three magic beans—a gift from a mysterious old woman—Jaclyn sets out for Black Mountain to save her father.

On her climb, one bean drops and grows into a beanstalk, catching her when she falls.

She isn’t the only one that takes the ride. Jack, her childhood friend and secret crush, is following her.

Together, Jaclyn and Jack must battle to save not only their fathers, but the townspeople the beasts plan to lay waste to before it’s too late.

I haven’t read a lot of Mary Ting’s work, but I was intrigued by the blurb for Jaclyn & the Beanstalk and had to check it out. This is NOT a Disney fairytale! Far from it! It is a much darker, twisted version. There is action, suspense, drama, death, and a budding romance. I was hooked from page one.

The author took a unique approach to the story by weaving in religion, magic, and monsters. I was whisked away to another land. Sixteen-year-old Jaclyn may be the strongest female lead I have read to date. I was blown away by her strength and tenacity. 

I do have one small pet peeve with this story. I wish the author was more descriptive. While I was transported to another time, I felt that the author could have packed a bigger punch by painting a more complex and colorful world. As a reader it’s a personal preference of mine. For that reason, I gave the story 4 stars instead of 5. ​

~Lynn 

​International Bestselling/Award Winning Author Mary Ting/M. Clarke resides in Southern California with her husband and two children. She enjoys oil painting and making jewelry. Writing her first novel, Crossroads Saga, happened by chance. It was a way to grieve the death of her beloved grandmother, and inspired by a dream she once had as a young girl. When she started reading new adult novels, she fell in love with the genre. It was the reason she had to write one-Something Great. She also toured with Magic Johnson Foundation to promote literacy and her children's chapter book-No Bullies Allowed.

Ways to keep in touch with the author:

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Twit @maryting
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/4388953.Mary_Ting

I started writing Crossroads after my grandmother passed away about 3 years ago. When these characters came to life in my mind, along with the character Gamma, inspired by my grandmother, it was a way for me to heal. I decided to start from a dream I had in high school, chapter one. Chapter two is also based on my dream as well. I didn't think I would have much to write about, but when I made Claudia to be more like me, it was easy. Her first car, her first job, her first experience at camping and her grandmother having a stroke was all part of me. Too bad Michael wasn't real...lol!!!

Many people like Davin, which I'm really happy about because his character was inspired by my friend who passed away. He was very likable and was a best friend to all his friends. Patty is my friend from church. She is exactly how I described her, social butterfly who knows everything about her friends and fashion. I named Claudia after a student I once had many years ago. I can still picture her face, just like an angel. When I was much younger, I had a crush on a boy name Michael, but his character is based off my husband, protective, romantic, and silly at times. No... he doesn't have wings...lol!!!

Though I was busy with work, being a wife, a mother, and PTA president, I would always find time to write, even if that meant typing while I was cooking or brushing my teeth. Crossroads was written for a fast, fun reading with likable characters. Many have emailed me to let me know how Crossroads has helped them escaped from their everyday stress. Also, how they've connected to this book because of chapter one, having a loved one passed away. I took on a journey not knowing how rewarding it would be for me. I've meet so many wonderful people from all over the world through facebook, goodreads and blog sites. I've made everlasting friendship where friendship knows no boundaries. And I have to thank my grandmother who continues to watch over me from Heaven.

I love Kelly Martin's stories.  She writes creeptastic, thrilling, horror that will leave you sleeping with the lights on and checking the closet for monsters! ~ Lynn 

The girl—woman—looked down at him, her brow arched. She had to be around his age, maybe younger, but not by much. Her brown hair was pulled back into a lose ponytail at the nap of her neck and the top of her hair covered the side of her face. Her eyes were brown. Her skin was as pale as her white dress.
“And you are . . .” He pushed, but not too much. Lord knows he didn’t want to be batted upside the head again.
“Valley,” she answered finally. “What are you doing here?”
“I could ask you the same thing, Alley.”
“Valley.” She corrected. “Val-leeee.”
“Valley.” He nodded. “I was getting a glass of water for Mrs. Haggard. She hit her head, and I thought she could use it. She’s getting disoriented. I came in here. Found a phone. Wanted to call for help. Then you hit me.”
She looked at him.
He looked at her.
“Can you please move the bat from my neck please?”
Valley moved it back just a bit and leaned on one of the chairs around the table. “Mrs. Haggard?”
“Yes, the woman who lives in the house. The one that owns it. I’m worried about her. Do you live nearby?”
Valley scoffed. “Jake, I’m the woman who lives in the house. This is mine. There is no, nor has there ever been, Mrs. Haggard under this roof.”

​
NEW RELEASE: Between the Dreaming and the Dead-- September 13th, 2018

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Kelly Martin lives in a possibly haunted house in a small southern town. While she'd like to say paranormal things have only happened to her at her home, it would be a lie... 

She is an active member of the Horror Writers Association and an international #1 best selling author in horror, paranormal, contemporary, historical, young adult, and mysteries. All of Kelly's books have one thing in common-- imagine the real world is tilted slightly on its side. You don't really know what's going on, what's missing, but there is a tilt, a hum you can barely hear, telling you that something is off. 

Email Kelly Martin at kelly @kellymartinbooks.com

This may be a short story but it is not short on intensity.  A Brush with Death is a white knuckle, fast paced, thrill ride that left me me breathless and wanting more.  ~ Lynn 5 Stars

​A darkened road.  A truck-stop diner.  A chance meeting.
 
All Marisol Pedilla wanted was to make the drive to her aunt’s house without incident. Instead, she meets a woman named Sasha. Together, they encounter more misfortune than Marisol has ever experienced.
 
Danger and deception seem to be all too common in Sasha’s world, and it’s a world Marisol wants no part of. But fate has other plans. The secrets Sasha’s keeping from her could change Marisol’s life forever.

Chapter 1
 
I’d never been more thankful to be wearing jeans as I crawled around on the checkered floor of a truck-stop diner. It had to be here somewhere. “Mierda,” I cursed loudly as I smacked my head against the underside of the table. I climbed back into the booth, and the dark green vinyl squeaked in protest, sticking to the back of my legs. My stomach dropped as I dumped my purse out onto the table for a third time and rifled through the contents. I sighed. Yup, it was official. My wallet was missing, and I was screwed.
A waitress hurried towards me. She looked tired; dark shadows nestled under her eyes, and her mouth was turned down in a thin-lipped frown. “Have you decided yet, Honey?”
I looked up, panic fluttering hard in my stomach. The sizzle of food hitting the flat top caught my attention, its aroma flooding the tiny diner. Bacon. Possibly hash browns. My stomach growled, but spare change would only get me so far. “Uh, just coffee for now. Thanks.” I smiled politely then haphazardly shoved things back into my purse.
My hands felt grimy, and I grimaced. I threw my purse over my shoulder and pushed past incoming people towards the bathroom. I washed my hands twice. I didn’t know how it happened or where I could have lost it, but I knew what my mom was going to say when I called her. “I told you you were too young to drive to your aunt’s alone. I knew your brother should have gone with you.”
It didn’t matter that I was twenty-three. In her eyes, I wasn’t ready for so much responsibility, even though I’d been her shadow, her second in command for as long as I could remember. I knew I could handle this. While I’d never driven so far across the country before, I had the GPS on my phone and a printout of the directions in case that failed. What I didn’t factor in was bad luck, or maybe it was just my own stupidity.
Once I was sitting back in the booth, I rested my head on my arms. Exhaustion was tugging at my eyelids, making me sluggish, like I was dragging my body through water. I sat up, pushing my jet-black curls behind my ears. The lecture was coming no matter how long I put it off. I plucked my cell phone from my purse, but the screen stayed blank. I pushed the power button. Ugh, no charge. I picked up a menu instead, to avoid looking awkward, and glanced out the window.
The interior of the diner was tinged red from the glow of the neon sign hanging in it, providing some extra security against the inky darkness. It was already past midnight, and even once my phone was charged, it would still be too late to call.
I skimmed over the menu, not really taking it in. My stomach growled again, and I startled as I felt myself falling forward. I was hungry and tired, with no money and a lot of miles left to go. I wasn’t sure how, but there had to be some way I could manage to get to my aunt’s without my mom having to rescue me.
“You mind if I sit with you?”
I jumped again. I’d been so lost in my thoughts that I didn’t notice the woman come up to me. Her skin was a deep golden brown that reminded me of tiger’s-eye stones. Her voice was soft, but there was a hint of underlying smokiness. Tall, with a slender, athletic build, she looked imposing in a leather jacket and high-heeled boots. She had a long, angular face with full lips and high cheekbones, and her onyx hair billowed outward in an afro. I looked around. The diner was crowded but not completely full, and I failed to find a reason why a total stranger would try and sit with me.
She seemed to read my thoughts. “Hey, it’s cool. I thought it’d be nice to have some company, but I understand.”
She turned to go, and I felt a pang of remorse at my hesitation. I reached out and grabbed her wrist. “Wait!”
She turned back, and my heart flip-flopped. I ignored it. My fingers brushed against hers as I let go. “Sure, you can sit here.”
Her eyes widened, and the ghost of a smile showed on her face. It only lasted for a second, but the warmth of it seemed to make her brown eyes lighter. She slid into the seat opposite me. “Thanks. I’m Sasha.”
“Marisol.”
“So what brings you out this way, Marisol?”
Before I could answer, the waitress returned. “Would you like to order?”
Sasha glanced at me. “You haven’t ordered yet?”
I shook my head. “Just coffee.”
Sasha didn’t even bother looking at her menu. “I’ll have the western omelette, extra cheese, and she’ll have the pancakes with bacon.”
My face burned with embarrassment. “You don’t have to do that.”
“It’s the least I can do. Besides, you were staring at the picture so hard when I walked up; I thought you were going to burn a hole through the menu.”
My embarrassment deepened, and I looked away, desperately trying to think of anything else to talk about. “Do you come here often?” I mentally kicked myself. “I mean, I only ask because you seemed pretty sure of what you wanted.”
“No, not that often. I’ve passed through here a couple times though.”
I looked back to find her watching me, and I quickly dropped my eyes to the tabletop and fidgeted with the edge of the menu. “So, you do a lot of traveling?”
“You could say that, yeah.”
“For work?”
“Most of the time.”
“What kind of work do you do?”
This time it was Sasha’s turn to be interrupted. The waitress set two mugs in front of us and filled them. I moved my menu out of the way as she slid a steaming plate of pancakes in front of me. My mouth watered. “The rest of your order will be out in just a minute, hun,” she said to Sasha as she handed her a stack of buttered toast.
I grabbed three packets of sugar, ripped them open and dumped them into my coffee, along with two creams. I stirred, watching the color of it lighten to something more acceptable. Sasha’s gravelly laugh made me look up.
“You want any coffee with that?” I noticed she had left her own cup alone.
I smiled at her. “Not if I can help it.”
She shook her head as I drizzled syrup onto my pancakes and dipped a piece of crispy bacon in it. “So you never answered; what do you do for work?”
Sasha’s face fell, and I instantly regretted asking. The waitress brought her omelette. I waited as she cut into it. “This and that. Nothing worth talking about.”
I nodded. Conversation stopped for a few minutes as we ate. The neon sign flickered, and Sasha tensed. She stared out the window. I did the same, but beyond the procession of cars and trucks, I couldn’t see a thing. “What is it?”
“Nothing.”
But it didn’t seem like nothing. I watched as she shifted and reached for something I couldn’t see. The sleeve of her leather jacket lifted up, revealing a tattoo: a long-stemmed rose intertwined with a scythe.
“That’s beautiful.” I moved my plate out of the way so I could lean forward. “Would it be okay if I took a closer look?”
Sasha pulled her sleeve up some more and stretched her arm out towards me. I traced the lines with my eyes. “Why a scythe?”
“It’s a reminder.”
I looked up. Sasha’s gaze connected with mine, and my stomach lurched. I was scared to breathe. Scared to blink. Then she turned away, looking out the window again, and disappointment sank like a stone in my stomach.
“Marisol,” Sasha said sharply. “Get down!”
Hands grabbed my legs. I fell backwards, and my butt hit the floor. The window next to us exploded in a shower of jagged glass as the diner was plunged into darkness. 

​N.J. Ember is a paranormal fiction author who loves to write stories about survival and triumph over adversity. Whether her characters are dealing with the paranormal or everyday life, she seeks to show that strength is not always about being superhuman or invulnerable. She enjoys anything with mystery, suspense and horror, so when she’s not writing you can find her watching shows like Orphan Black, Penny Dreadful and Sherlock. She currently lives in Michigan with her grandpa and a forever growing collection of books and Funko Pop! figures.
 
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