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Where Awesome Book Readers Meet Awesome Writers

1. Mangroves and Monsters (Stolen Nickel Series, Book 2)

   About Mangroves and Monsters (Stolen Nickel Series, Book 2):

   Charlie Cooper never bought into the hype surrounding the supermodel Angeline St. Cyr’s sudden death in New Orleans. Fate wouldn’t be so cruel as to bring a woman like Angeline into his life, allow him to fall hopelessly in love, only to rip her away in some freak accident. His gut says so, and growing up around the perilous Louisiana swamps, Cooper learned the hard way that listening to his gut kept him one step ahead of his bastard of a grandfather. Finally, a tenuous lead draws him to the Caribbean island of Jacqueme Dominique. Only Cooper isn’t alone in his quest. By chasing his dream of rekindled love, he becomes embroiled in murder, treachery and abduction at the hands of his old nemesis – a merciless killer. For five long years his love survived while he searched for Angeline. Will finding her cost Cooper his life?

   Learn more about the author, buy the book, or follow them on social media:
   Visit the Author’s Website.
   Buy the Book On Amazon.
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   Author Bio:
   Sharon Cupp Pennington’s love of mysteries is rooted in a gazillion bicycle excursions to her local library as a girl, and hours spent sitting on the floor in back aisles surrounded by books. Trying to decide which three or four would go home in her bike’s basket. If a new Nancy Drew novel appeared on those shelves, all the better. She’d found the day’s treasure. Her hort stories have appeared in numerous online and print venues, with anthology contributions to The Rocking Chair Reader (Coming Home, Family Gatherings), A Cup of Comfort for Weddings and Good Old Days Magazine. Second editions of her Stolen Nickel Series, HOODOO MONEY (#1) and MANGROVES AND MONSTERS (#2), were released in September 2013. She resides in Texas with her husband, where she is busy finishing up her next novel.

   Mangroves and Monsters (Stolen Nickel Series, Book 2) is a post from Awesome Gang

2. Quantum Tangle

   About Quantum Tangle:
   Dropping out of sub-space into the wrong galactic sector, Sethran Kada wakes up with a headache and an extraordinary alien aboard his ship. She implores him to help stop the abductions of her people, a newly evolved species emerging from sub-space. Their dangerous potential has caught the attention of rebel factions as well as the ruling Commonwealth. When contact with her kind turns pilots into casualties, the Governors fear an imminent invasion engineered by their rebel enemies.

   Pursued by Air Command, Seth heads deep into rebel-controlled territory to recover the stolen entities and keep this deadly weapon from falling into the wrong hands. Things get personal when his alien visitor begins to transform his mind and his life, turning the rescue mission into a fight for survival for all of them.

   Learn more about the author, buy the book, or follow them on social media:
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   Buy the Book On Amazon.
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   Author Bio:
   Living in Canada, it is inevitable that those who lack enthusiasm for snow-related activities tend to stay indoors for a good portion of the year.
   Thank goodness for computers. And sci-fi. And eBooks!

   I’ve always loved fantasy worlds and writing about what might be possible, given a certain suspension of disbelief and a rude assault upon the laws of physics.
   Since I’ve always suspected that there is far too much gravity on this planet, I tend to take my people to other worlds.

   Please visit my web site at www.chrisreher.com for info about my books and some of the (non-fiction) science behind some of the concepts used in the stories.
   My “Sky Hunter” is currently shortlisted in the sci-fi award category at the eFestival of Words.

   Quantum Tangle is a post from Awesome Gang

3. Family Matters

   About Family Matters:

   The peaceful farming community of Deer Creek nestled in the rolling hills of Western New York is home to Gracie Andersen, who once again finds herself in a cemetery, laying a family member to rest. Wrestling with unresolved guilt and grief over the loss of her husband and unborn child, Gracie desperately wants to get her life back. An odd gift from her troubled uncle thrusts her into an investigation of her cousin’s tragic death 20 years ago. What really happened that rainy, October night when her cousin was killed by a hit-and-run driver? As pieces of the truth are wrenched from the past, her new business, Milky Way Kennels teeters on the edge of disaster. Her life starts to tailspin, and opposition to the investigation comes from friends and family alike. And then death strikes again. With Haley, her black Labrador by her side, Gracie doggedly pursues the truth of her cousin Charlotte’s untimely death.

   Learn more about the author, buy the book, or follow them on social media:
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   Author Bio:
   Growing up in rural Western New York where cows outnumber people gave me a love for the great outdoors and the magical world of books. A good book for me usually had a horse or a dog as the main character, or even better, a mystery to unravel. Black Beauty, Misty of Chincoteague, Call of the Wild, Lad, A Dog, along with Paul Hutchens’ Sugar Creek Gang mystery series, Sherlock Holmes, and Christie’s Poirot were all favorite reads. These books inspired writing my own tales of adventure in notebooks stashed under my bed.

   Now fast forward quite a few years and I’m raising two daughters, working on a career, and driving our mini-van all over the countryside. Writing was a distant dream. But once our nest was empty, my husband, David and I left New York for sunnier skies and warmer weather in southeast Arizona. The high desert with its beautiful mountain views, awe-inspiring night skies, and independent spirit brought back the old desire to write.

   Since 2005, I’ve been writing for magazines and websites on a variety of topics. Throwing caution to the wind, the real fun began when the Gracie Andersen mystery series was conceived. With plenty of canine antics and a good mystery in the quirky town of Deer Creek, there’s something for everyone. A couple of other books got written along the way as well.

   I’m a dog lover and former therapy dog handler. My current Labrador, Clancy is the inspiration for some of Haley’s adventures in Family Matters. He’s a character. I’m also a gardener who doesn’t always enjoy the challenges of the high desert, but I refuse to give up. Hiking and geocaching in the mountains near my home are favorite weekend activities that keep the inspiration coming.

   Family Matters is a post from Awesome Gang

4. Waiting for Prince Harry

   About Waiting for Prince Harry:

   Twenty-four-year-old Kylie Reed has always been a rule follower. Organized and cautious to a fault, her dreams for life are often filed away for future use—when she has a house, when she meets her future husband, when she has been at her visual display job at a chic Dallas boutique longer…Kylie always has a reason for living her life in the future, not in the present, and not living her life to the fullest and reaching her dream of becoming a fashion designer.

   The only exception to rules, of course, would be running away with Prince Harry—Kylie’s ideal man. A hot, fun ginger boy would be worth breaking all the rules for, of course. And Kylie is sure Harry just needs the right, centering woman to settle him down. But living in Dallas and not knowing Prince Harry make this a non-option.

   Or does it?

   Because when Kylie accidentally falls into the lap of a gorgeous ginger boy—yes, even more gorgeous than the real Prince Harry—all bets are off. Could this stranger be the one to show Kylie how to take a chance, to face her fears, and live in the present? And could this stranger be the Prince Harry she has been waiting for? Kylie’s life takes some unexpected twists and turns thanks to this chance encounter, and she knows her life will never be the same because of it…

   Learn more about the author, buy the book, or follow them on social media:
   Visit the Author’s Website.
   Buy the Book On Amazon.
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   Author Bio:
   I have always loved to write. I completed my first novel at the age of 15—an angst driven high school romance (Boy meets girl! Evil girl likes same boy! A deception! Will true love prevail?) Though I truly wanted to be a fiction writer, I also knew it was more practical to pursue a job in the communications field and write fiction on the side. So I went off to Purdue University and earned a degree in communication, writing for The Exponent along the way (apologies to anyone who fought through reading those early attempts at journalism.)

   After a stint writing for a community newspaper and a public relations agency, and not enjoying what I was writing at all, I found myself a non-writing job and continued writing at night and on weekends. I completed multiple manuscripts that found a home under my bed. Complete it, print it, stick it in an envelope, slide under bed. It became a routine for me, similar to “Lather.Rinse.Repeat.”

   Finally, years later, I wrote Connectivity. I loved this story; I loved writing for William and MK. I became brave enough to share this story with new friends who became equally as passionate about these characters and their journey. They encouraged me to submit it to a publishing house. Then, in a critique group session, wine was poured and one of my partners, Lauren Linwood, pointed her finger at me and demanded that I submit Connectivity to a publisher, telling me the words every writer dreams of hearing—this will sell. I ended up submitting Connectivity to Soul Mate Publishing and now can happily say I am a published author. My secon release is Waiting for Prince Harry, and Chronicles of a Lincoln Park Fashionista comes out this September.

   I live in the Dallas area with my family. I enjoy clipping out recipes I will never get around to trying, working out, and chatting with friends on social media. I am particularly fond of British actors named Benedict and Henry. I love shopping and fashion and admit to being obsessed with whatever the Duchess of Cambridge is wearing. I am also obsessed with any show or cookbook featuring Gordon Ramsay.

   And I do not believe in the Lather.Rinse.Repeat theory when it comes to shampooing my hair.

   Waiting for Prince Harry is a post from Awesome Gang

5. Written in the Cards by Lauren Linwood

   About Written in the Cards by Lauren Linwood:

   Maggie Rutherford jilts her too-perfect society groom at the altar and flees to the frontier, where she turns her travels into dime novels that she writes and illustrates under the pen name Lud Madison.

   Civil War veteran Ben Morgan takes his wife to homestead on the Great Plains. Losing her in an Indian attack, Ben becomes a gambler. When he kills a cheating opponent in self-defense, the man’s gunslinger brother swears revenge upon Ben.

   Ben hides on a cattle drive and brings in a herd to Abilene, where a waiting Maggie interviews him for her next story. Sparks fly as they wind up living in the same household, running a general store east of Abilene. But with Black Tex Lonnegan hot on his trail, will Ben run from his growing attraction to Maggie and the gunfighter’s promise of death–or will he make a stand for his life–and love?

   Learn more about the author, buy the book, or follow them on social media:
   Visit the Author’s Website.
   Buy the Book On Amazon.
   Visit the Facebook Fan Page.
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   Author Bio:
   Lauren Linwood became a teacher who wrote on the side to maintain her sanity in a sea of teenage hormones. Her romances use history as a backdrop to place her characters in extraordinary circumstances, where their intense desire and yearning for one another grow into the deep, tender, treasured gift of love.

   Lauren, a native Texan, lives in a Dallas suburb with her family. An avid reader, moviegoer, and sports fan, she manages stress by alternating yoga with daily five mile walks. She is thinking about starting a support group for Pinterest and House Hunters addicts.

   Written in the Cards by Lauren Linwood is a post from Awesome Gang

6. There’s an App for That by Ed Toolis

   

   About There’s an App for That by Ed Toolis

   For the last 150 million years, we’ve longed for a time when all of human knowledge and wisdom would be at our fingertips, so we could finally live up to our potentials and be the geniuses we think we are, be able to out-smart our kids when they ask for money, and know what to do when the loves of our lives scream, “If you really loved me, you’d know what I’m mad about,” just to name a few. And with the Internet and mobile devises, there are now apps for all that. However, there are some unintended consequences.

   Find out why this is the most interesting, and fun, time to be alive.

   Get the book from Amazon.

   There’s an App for That by Ed Toolis is a post from Awesome Gang

7. Creating a Savings Plan

   About Creating a Savings Plan:

   Does the word “budget” just make your heart pound and your forehead sweat? If so, then Creating a Savings Plan is the book for you! In it you will “learn how to manage bills and money, and still have a little bit left over to stash away… no matter what your financial situation.”

   Creating a Savings Plan is “Not just another budgeting book. This books encourages you to save money for a rainy day and so that you can get out of debt faster. Very simple principles anyone can implement right away to help get yourself out of the paycheck to paycheck routine.”

   So, if you want to learn a positive approach to help you with your finances then this is the book you need to do it. Take the fear out of managing and saving money today!

   Learn more about the author, buy the book, or follow them on social media:
   Visit the Author’s Website.
   Buy the Book On Amazon.

   Author Bio:
   Jan Royston is a freelance writer who enjoys helping everyone she meets learn to save money! She loves to write, spend time on the golf course, in the pool and with her family and friends!

   Creating a Savings Plan is a post from Awesome Gang

8. Speed of Light by Scott Ralph

   About Speed of Light by Scott Ralph:

   High school student and obsessive journal writer Rylie Kirklen is having a difficult sophomore year. A heavy load of classwork, overly competitive friends and a serious sports injury have made the first weeks of school a living hell. She finally gets the chance to relax by herself for a few days when her parents leave to celebrate their anniversary in Key West, but even that respite is cut short when the lights go out one night. What begins with a quiet candlelit evening deteriorates into a desperate situation for Rylie’s community as the power stays off for weeks. Resources and information run short while rumors abound, and her circumstances are worsened as her parents remain absent long after they were expected home.

   A complete breakdown of public services makes for a very harsh world when people who are used to the comforts of modern society try to survive a new, lawless reality. Rylie discovers for herself the dangers of a populace in despair as she fends off attackers, buries friends, and takes a daring road trip through a treacherous urban landscape in an effort to find help. With her parents missing and the world she once knew crumbling around her, Rylie chronicles her struggle to navigate the boundary between her comfortable past and an uncertain dystopian tomorrow.

   Learn more about the author, buy the book, or follow them on social media:
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   Buy the Book On Amazon.
   Visit the Facebook Fan Page.
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   Author Bio:
   Scott Ralph was born in Goldsboro, North Carolina, and traveled extensively as a military brat until the end of high school. Much of his childhood was spent hiding out in base libraries or burning his allowance money at Stars and Stripes bookstores across the world. He became a teacher in the late 1990s and during his time in the classroom he enjoyed sharing stories of his unique upbringing with his students. This love of stories, bookstores, and libraries led him to author a few novels of his own.

   Scott lives in central Florida with his wife and daughter. He still gets called to come in and cover a classroom whenever a real teacher just can’t take it anymore.

   Come find me on Twitter at @RalphSensei!

   Speed of Light by Scott Ralph is a post from Awesome Gang

9. The Divine Manual: A Holistic Approach to Raise Your Consciousness, Resolve Your Karma and Fulfill Your Life Missions

   About The Divine Manual: A Holistic Approach to Raise Your Consciousness, Resolve Your Karma and Fulfill Your Life Missions:

   The Divine Manual presents an innovative approach that unifies various branches of New Age theories, practices, and various energy healing modalities into an integrated framework. Novice or intermediate readers eager to transform their lives can follow these step-by-step instructions and discover their own path to awakening by resolving their Past Life Karma, cleansing their emotional scars accumulated in the present life, and aligning the directions of their lives with their Divine Paths.

   If you have experienced the following in your life, the techniques presented in this book should be able to help you. For instance, if you

   Career
    feel stuck at your current job but do not know if changing your career is a good decision
    have been out of a job for a long time and do not know what to do

   Financial
    work hard for most of your life but still cannot accumulate enough
    always feel that making money is difficult
    keep experiencing ups and downs in your personal fortunes

   Relationship
    have difficulties with your boss, coworkers, or people in general
    have constant fights with your spouse/romantic partner
    get stuck in a relationship and do not know if you should walk out from it or let it drag on
    have not had a romantic partner for a long time

   Health
    get injured or chronically ill
    have loved ones who are seriously or terminally ill; or
    become seriously or terminally ill and feel scared to face your possible death

   Or if you are already an avid New Age follower, you may still have experienced confusion when trying to find answers from the myriad of New Age literature and teachings in the market. For instance, you may have the following questions:

    Staying in the Now/Presence and connected to the Higher Consciousness is important, but what about our Karma and Life Missions? Should we worry about those ?
    Which meditation method is better? Should we just “empty” our thoughts, or should we practice specific energy and visualization-based meditation?
    Should we wholly adopt the Principle of Surrender and accept everything that happens to us, or should we practice the Law of Attraction manifestation techniques and try to change our lives for the better?
    Studying our past lives through past life regression seem fascinating, but what do we do with it?
    Should we just focus on developing the upper three chakras for receiving Divine guidance, or should we focus inward into our bodies for a more grounded earthly experience?
    How does our human sexuality tie in with all of this?
    What about angels and spirit guides? Should we pray for their help, or should we affect any changes from our internal selves through our own efforts?

   In this book, Dr. Ching shares what he has learned after sieving through the maze and picking what works and what does not from the myriad of techniques. He explains how to reconcile these techniques and fit them together into a holistic approach.

   He has mapped out a path and put together an integrated framework that you can follow step by step at your own pace.

   Once you are on your Divine Path, you will discover a path of least resistance laid out before you. All the Life Challenges will either mellow or even disappear. You can then focus on sailing through your life journey with joy, peace, and blissfulness.

   For more information, visit www.divinemanual.com

   Learn more about the author, buy the book, or follow them on social media:
   Visit the Author’s Website.
   Buy the Book On Amazon.
   Visit the Facebook Fan Page.

   Author Bio:
   Wallace grew up in the international city of Hong Kong under the influence of both Oriental and Western cultures. Since young, he has been searching for the answers of who we are and what the meaning of life is.

   He graduated from Oxford University and obtained his PhD from the University of Pennsylvania.

   He built up a successful career in the finance and banking industry but after two wake-up calls that triggered his awakening process, he decided to share with others the spiritual lessons that he has learnt so as to facilitate others in their own awakening process.

   Wallace is also a certified Master Hypnotherapist and Master NLP Practitioner.

   The Divine Manual: A Holistic Approach to Raise Your Consciousness, Resolve Your Karma and Fulfill Your Life Missions is a post from Awesome Gang

10. Vardin Village by Maggie Spence

    About Vardin Village by Maggie Spence:

    Sixteen-year-old, George Vardin, lives in Perfectville, MidAmerica in a crappy, ramshackle cabin. The electricity was shut off weeks ago, the roof is about to implode and the creaky front porch overlooks the ancestral mansion that his father lost because of his drug abuse. George is not sure which is more breathtaking; the view or the irony.

    George’s life is about to suck even more because school starts next week and he can’t scrape up enough money to pay his cell phone bill let alone the fee to play varsity football. Uncle Morris shows up from one of his weird international jaunts and offers a creative solution to keep George and his sister together under one roof. It’s a much larger, less leaky roof, with a breathtaking view of the crappy, ramshackle cottage. Crafty Morris reveals a secret tunnel that leads to the mansion and consequently some Vardin family secrets that will make junior year unforgettable.

    Reginald, the proper curator of the mansion-turned-museum, has his doubts about the new living arrangement but he also has good reason to befriend George. Morris enlists the aid of a waitress from the diner and a cranky old security guard to make up the proverbial “village” that’s needed to raise a child. Even a slightly dysfunctional, eccentric village can get the job done unless, of course, a greedy lawyer and his popular quarterback son hate your guts. It seems not all of the villagers are buying into the pesky proverb. It seems some villagers don’t want to raise a child. Some villagers just want to destroy George and shred what’s left of his family name. To stay in Vardin Village, George must follow clues left by his grandfather to unlock the past and preserve his future.

    Learn more about the author, buy the book, or follow them on social media:
    Buy the Book On Amazon.
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    Author Bio:
    Author Maggie Spence is an award-winning writer and lives with her family in Libertyville, IL.

    Vardin Village by Maggie Spence is a post from Awesome Gang