My friend, author Ranee’ S. Clark, is hosting a super fun event on her blog this month. In honor of March Madness, she’s hosting a Book Cover Tournament! Each week, two book covers face off in a cover-only voting contest. The winners will vie for the ultimate title. Fill out a bracket and enter the giveaway for more chances for you to win (and more fun)!
Today, my cover for Saints & Spies is up! Go check me out and vote for this beauty (scroll down to find my matchup):
It’s here! After SEVEN! LONG! YEARS!, I’m finally ready to share this story, and on its actual seventh birthday, no less:
When she finds her priest murdered, Molly Malone, secretary of their Catholic parish, vows to never let it happen again. She’ll use the full force of her Irish will, and her previous stint on the Irish police force, to protect the new priest from the congregation’s rumors of criminal activity.
Falling in love wasn’t part of her plan. However, young, handsome and — dare she even think it? — flirtatious, Father Tim O’Rourke is nothing she expected. But Father Tim is also nothing like he seems to Molly: he’s Special Agent Zach Saint, an LDS FBI agent undercover to root out the mob that’s hiding in the parish.
And Molly isn’t helping: every time Zach gets close to the mob, Molly manages to get in the way. Falling for her is the last thing he needs. Now Zach must find the murderer and catch the mobsters before his feelings for Molly blow his cover and add another murder or two to the mobsters’ docket.
Buy now | About the book | Excerpt
But you MUST purchase the book by Saturday to get this exclusive content. Some of these features will NEVER be shared again!
To celebrate the release of Saints & Spies (can I say that again?!), I’m giving away a reader prize pack!
In the pack, one lucky winner will get to curl up with hot cocoa (don’t worry, I’ll ship it as powder), a reading-themed mug (I like “Reading is my super power”), ALL SIX BOOKS OF THE SPY ANOTHER DAY SERIES (Kindle or ePub format), and cozy handknit socks (women’s mediumish, ankle height, reversible, knit by yours truly!).
Okay, I’m crazy excited about these socks. The name of the yarn color is “Molly.” AND the sock pattern’s designer was actually my Irish consultant on the novel. She’s awesome! And I decided to make them ankle high, and then I remembered this scene:
Molly.
Even if he could cover his gun before she found him, Zach would look really suspect—and really stupid—hiding under her desk. He tried to force himself further into the shadows. Good thing she had a deep desk, and she hadn’t bothered to switch on the lights, either.
But wouldn’t any normal person with a legitimate reason to be in their own office after hours switch on the lights first thing? Was she here for something illegal? . . .
In the silence, Molly shifted her weight from one attractive ankle to the other—he’d never realized ankles could be pretty. . . .
He waited until he was sure Molly would be gone before he returned to the parish house. As he walked through the parking lot, he took note of the maroon sedan parked across the street. But he was more worried about the owner of a pair of pretty ankles.
Okay, I love these things. And cocoa. And reading mugs. And my books. And I’m giving them to you!
Physical prizes shipped to US addresses only. Entries must be received by October 24, 2015. No purchase necessary.
Hot cocoa photo by meg
Hey! I’ve got two awesome events this week, and I hope you’ll join me:
Even if you couldn’t come for the murder mystery dinner, we do have fun FREE events tomorrow:
6 PM – 7 PM
Meet & greet with authors Annette Lyon, Heather B. Moore, Sarah M. Eden, Jordan McCollum, Lisa Mangum, & Josi S. Kilpack
And, oh yeah, this will be your first chance to get a print copy of my next book!
Northampton House
198 W 300 N
American Fork, Utah
And then . . .
I’ll also be teaching THIS SATURDAY at a FREE writers conference. YES, FREE!
Saturday, October 24
Writers Building Community Conference, presented by the United Authors Association with the Springville Library
Classes 9 AM – 4:30 PM
Author signing 4:30 PM – 5:30 PM
I’ll be teaching on approaching POV problems through character voice (and “voice” versa).
And yes, I will have copies of my new novel there, too (unless I sell out first!).
Springville Public Library
45 South Main Street
Springville, UT 84663
So last month, I had a novella come out in a Timeless Romance Anthology. Next month, we’re celebrating at the scene where one of the stories is set!
Come hang out with SIX awesome authors! Enjoy a fabulous dinner! . . . Solve a murder? YOU BET!
And, oh yeah, this will be your first chance to get a print copy of my next book!
Annette Lyon, Heather B. Moore, Sarah M. Eden, Jordan McCollum, Lisa Mangum, Josi S. Kilpack
Tuesday, October 20, 2015, 6-8 PM
Gorgeous, historic Northampton House
198 W 300 N American Fork, Utah
Author Meet & Greet (free admission!)
Bookstore (free admission!)
Delicious Dinner (ticket required)
Live Murder Mystery to Solve! (ticket required)
Tickets: $28 per person
Want some hands-on help understanding how structure will help your story and crafting your revision plan? Sign up for my next online class, starting Sunday!
28 September – 25 October 2015
taught at SavvyAuthors.com
Sign up today!
After a first draft, do you have a solid story or . . . not quite? A structural edit enables you to refine your individual scenes and guide your work on the highest level. Discover how to build strong narrative structure, create a resonant theme, and craft an unputdownable story through the structural self-editing process.
This hands-on class will give you the tools and guidance necessary to understand good story structure and apply it to your story. Before you start polishing your prose, tap into the power of these vital editing tools to get your whole novel on the right course.
Level: Mixed/Beginning/Intermediate/Advanced
Where: The Savvy Forums
Cost: Premium Savvy Author Members $30 / Basic Members $40
Week 1: Crafting your character arc & thinking about theme
Week 2: Strong story structure & solid scene structure
Week 3: Common pitfalls of story and scene structure
Week 4: The Scene Chart–find weak spots & craft your revision plan
Who doesn’t love a good spy novel? (Put your hands down!) I love to read them and write them. What’s not to love about fun, love, lies, secrets and spies? The main characters in my next spy novel, coming out next month, love spy fiction and movies, too, so I’ve had to read (and watch) even more spy fiction.
Today as part of the #TackleYourTBR Read-a-thon, we’ve got a fun spy challenge. Can you match up these literary spies with their authors in the form below?
| Character | Author |
| Jason Bourne | Robert Ludlum |
| Cammie Morgan | Dorothy Gilman |
| Talia Reynolds | John Le Carré |
| James Bond | Ally Carter |
| George Smiley | Jordan McCollum (yes, me!) |
| Jack Ryan | Ian Fleming |
| Mrs. Pollifax | Tom Clancy |
Deadline: Wednesday, September 23, 2015, 11:59 PM PDT
Prize
The complete Spy Another Day series in Kindle, nook or PDF format!
Winner will be chosen at random from correct entries received through the form by the deadline! If no correct entries are received, I’ll be super sad. And the prize will go to the person with the most correct answers. Entrants do not have to be part of the #TackleYourTBR Read-a-thon. The winner will be contacted via email.
CONTEST IS CLOSED
Do you want to make your characters unique and avoid empty repetition and clichés? Sign up for my Gesture Crutches webinar, coming up JULY 7 at 8 PM MDT/5 PM PDT. The presentation will be followed by a live chat Q&A. The cost is $10.
Smiling, nodding, laughing, sighing, frowning–they’re all the little gestures we use every day to convey meaning, and they can creep into every page of our writing. These overused actions quickly become flat clichés, sapping your story’s power. Come learn how to find these common “gesture crutches,” discover new strategies to fix them, and use the smallest gestures to personalize your characters.
