Pages

Thursday, May 31, 2012

Stripling Warrior

stripling_warriorStripling Warrior by Misty Moncur

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I was so excited to discover Stripling Warrior on Wattpad the other day (Wattpad was also a nice discovery, but I haven't had a chance to browse yet).

Stripling Warrior continues the story of Keturah, the only girl in Helaman's army of 2,000 young men fighting for their religious freedom. There are slow parts, but it works well as the warriors are waiting for their chance to go to battle.
 

And, of course, there is romance. There's a bit of a love triangle going on, although it sort of expands as the young men that surround Keturah day to day come to like her too. I felt somewhat bad for some of them, even though I don't think she was trying to play with their emotions.

The ending was a cliff hanger. I'm anxious to find out what Keturah's path will be, but it sounds like there might be several more books in this series.

Wednesday, May 30, 2012

Paper Roses

Paper Roses (Texas Dreams, #1)Paper Roses by Amanda Cabot

My rating: 3 of 5 stars

Paper Roses was a free Kindle book, and it was a bit of a relief after the last two free Kindle books I read. This was a clean, Christian romance with a mystery.

Sarah is a mail order bride who arrives in Texas only to find that her fiance, Austin, has been murdered. She had fallen in love with Austin through letters he wrote to her (which she named paper roses), and although she's very sad about his death, she is determined to stay and make a new life for herself.

Austin's brother Clay can't wait to return back East to his medical practice, but he's determined to find the murderer first. He has no interest in romance, but there's something about Sarah.

The romance was predictable, but the "bad guy" came as a surprise. Part of the book was focused on Sarah and Clay being converted and forgiving people so they can move on with their lives. It was a little preachy, and sort of sudden, but many people probably have that "ah-ha" moment when they are converted.

Monday, May 28, 2012

Another Great Find

Speaking of great finds, Mind Games, Susan Kaye Quinn's short story prequel to Open Minds is free on Amazon right now. Go get it, it's a great addition to the series.


A Couple of Great Finds

The other day I was browsing NetGalley.com and found that galley for the sequel to Princess Academy is now available. As a follower of Shannon Hale's blog, I knew that Pricess Academy: Palace of Stone would be released in August, but I was really excited to be able to request (and be approved) to read the galley copy! NetGalley is wonderful. You should check it out if you haven't already.


My second great find came when I discovered Misty Moncur's blog. In her latest post I found that the sequel to her Whitney Award nominated novel, Daughter of Helaman, was available to read via Wattpad (which also has an app making it super nice and convenient to read on your iPad). Stripling Warrior was an enjoyable read (FYI, the story doesn't end yet). I'll post my review soon.

I love finds like these!

Friday, May 25, 2012

What Am I Putting In My Mind?

I recently decided to read a couple of eBooks I got for free on Amazon. I can't remember how I found them. Someone must have recommended a free book, and then the suggestions at the bottom listed more. Anyway, one was a Georgian romance, and the other was a Regency romance. I don't believe I've read any other Georgian romance novels before, and apparently the Regency romances I've read have all been very tame. Talk about racy!

So, I discovered, yet again, that free can be bad (like sharing a cup with someone who is sick, bad). Slippery, slippery slope. I hope that I've learned my lesson this time. I really should look at reviews before starting books that haven't been recommended by sources I can trust. Hopefully that will at least give me an idea about the content.

I like this quote from President Thomas S. Monson:

In short, if you have any question about whether a particular movie, book, or other form of entertainment is appropriate, don’t see it, don’t read it, don’t participate. 6

Such a good message to follow! Easier said than done at times, but something to strive for.

Wednesday, May 23, 2012

Guest Post: How Indie Publishing Has Changed My Thinking by Susan Kaye Quinn

Kathryn Rusch has a brilliant article where she uses a scarcity vs. abundance analogy to describe the publishing industry: most every writer, publisher, agent, editor, reviewer was raised in a scarcity model, where book shelf space was limited, publishing contracts few, and rarity was equated to quality. But in today's reality, (virtual) book shelf space is unlimited, anyone can publish, and we are operating in an abundance model where there is an unlimited supply of books. This infinite capacity combined with increasingly powerful search engine capabilities have trained consumers (readers) to adapt to this abundance model, but producers (writers, publishers, etc.) are (often) still stuck in the scarcity way of thinking:
"All those questions writers ask about how to get noticed in this new world? Those questions come from someone raised in scarcity. Being noticed was important because your moment on that shelf was - by definition - short-lived. Writers who understand the long tail know that the way to get more readers is to have more available product. Abundance works, even for the single entrepreneur."
Did I mention it's brilliant? (Go read the whole thing.)  

This - literally - changes everything.

I thought I was forward thinking before self-publishing, but the act of going indie, of being up-close-and-personal in the indie trenches, has really changed my thinking about my writing and my author career.

There's a tension in the Indie world about needing to publish quickly, needing to get works out there, because that is what successful self-publishers in the recent past (1-2 years) have done. There's a drive to seek out the best way to promote books, to get on the Top 100 lists, to find the magic key to "discoverability" that will bring more book sales. The connection to book sales is visceral - you can track your rankings and sales by the hour, and those numbers mean something. They are the income that's going directly into your bank account, the funds that make it possible to keep publishing (by paying back your investment) or justify spending your time writing (by providing actual income). So there are huge, tidal-sized forces that drive indie publishers to put out books quickly and promote them heavily in order to connect their books to readers.

The potential to make money in Indie publishing is very real. The days when even "successful" authors had a tough time living off their writing wages is starting to change. As Rachelle Gardner noted in a recent blog post, the typical advance for a first-time traditionally published author is $5,000-$15,000 per book, and most of those first-time authors do not sell through their advance, so that is all the money they will ever get from that book (and if you don't sell through in the first 12 mos, the publisher may not be so excited about buying another book from you). Comparing this to Indie publishing, I know several authors (many, many authors, including myself) who have already earned more than $5k per book, often well before the first 12 months after publication. Of course, many indie authors also struggle to earn back what they've invested in their books, and everyone's experience is going to be unique with this.  

But here's the thing: concentrating on what a book earns in the first 12 months is scarcity thinking, a left-over from limited-time-on-shelf. Because if a book didn't hit in the first 3 or 6 or 12 months, it wasn't going to pay back its investment ... because it would become literally unavailable on the shelf. Books used to go out of print. Now, there is no reason for that to happen.  

Abundance thinking says: this book is going to be on the shelves forever. FOREVER. That is a very long time, my friends.

Cue the visuals:
I picked random numbers for this, so you can scale it up or down - thousands of sales instead of hundreds, or whatever. And this stops the race after 5 years, not FOREVER, as noted above. The point being, of course, that slow-n-steady wins the race (the tortoise out-earns the rabbit at about 3.5 years). This isn't just a trad-pub vs. indie-pub comparison; the same lesson applies to two indie books, where one is focused on scarcity thinking (I must have a hit right away; if not, I've failed) and one is focused on abundance thinking (I need to write more, because more books=success). 

The abundance thinker is going to focus on getting another tortoise out; the scarcity thinker is focused on promoting the rabbit. 

When you start figuring out how to build a herd of tortoises, rather than promoting your rabbit, you're starting to think in the abundance reality of today's publishing. Again, this changes everything.

My take(s):
  • Writing. Writing is the most important thing. Must spend more time writing. I already knew this, but this framework gives even more heft to that idea. 
  • My work is FOREVER. (If this doesn't evoke an existential paralysis, I'm not sure what will.) While the temptation is great to pump out a warren of rabbits (or the herd of tortoises), since my work is going to be out there FOREVER, I want it to be the best that I can produce at the time. In other words, I'm not rushing to write a bunch of books quickly because I know they'll be around to taunt me for a long time. (Also: I love this take that the highest earning self-publishers take 24% more time per wordand write 31% more words per day)  
  • Rankings aren't everything. I also already knew this, but having lived through surges in rankings and sales, I can tell you that emotionally it is awesome, fun, and sort of like the sugar rush after eating cotton candy at the carnival. Which almost always makes me want to throw up. Slow and steady sales not only win the race, they're good for my psyche.
  • I need to focus on the herd of tortoises. Promotion is still important, and I'm not going to go completely into my writer's cave, just because it's damp there and my friends are here. I enjoy social media too much. But the writing is definitely taking precedence. And I'm thinking not just about this trilogy, but the next, and the one after that. I want my turtles to all play nice in the sandbox together. 
  • I still think in scarcity ways sometimes. And that's okay. It takes time for the world to change, and for individual ways of thinking to change. And hearts. Those take the longest time of all. I still believe in creating pre-release buzz - I think it does sell books, even if it's a scarcity way of thinking. I think consumers have been trained by abundance thinking to believe they should be able to find any book they want, but they still look to bestseller lists and other scarcity markers to guide some of their purchasing. That's okay. Our world is in transition. Things will continue to change. But I still strongly believe that the most forward-thinking will be the winners in this new era.
This post is EPIC in length, so I'll stop here. But tell me: are you an abundance thinker or a scarcity thinker? And - whether you're traditional or indie bound - have the changes in the industry affected the way that you think?
~~*~~


Closed Hearts (Mindjack #2)
$2.99 at AmazonBarnes and Noble (ebook and print)

When you control minds, 
only your heart can be used against you.

Susan Kaye Quinn is the author of the bestselling YA novel Open Minds, Book One of the Mindjack Trilogy, which is available on AmazonBarnes and Noble, and iTunes. The sequel Closed Hearts has just been released. Susan's business card says "Author and Rocket Scientist," but she mostly plays on TwitterFacebook, and Pinterest.
Mind GamesOpen MindsClosed HeartsIn His EyesLife, Liberty, and PursuitFull Speed Ahead


CLICK HERE to join the Closed Hearts Virtual Launch Party
(with more bonus Mindjack Trilogy content and guest posts)

and/or

ENTER TO WIN PRIZES
(below)
a Rafflecopter giveaway


Tuesday, May 22, 2012

Closed Hearts

Closed Hearts (Mindjack Trilogy, #2)Closed Hearts by Susan Kaye Quinn

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

After reading Susan Kaye Quinn's Open Minds, I was very excited to continue Kira's story in the sequel, Closed Hearts. I am happy to report that it lived up to my expectations.

Kira lives in a time where almost everyone can read minds. In Open Minds she found that she was quite different. Her thoughts are not open for all to read, and she has the ability to control others' minds. She found that she wasn't alone, and that the government is doing horrible testing on other Jackers.

Closed Hearts is packed with emotion, and some great new characters that you aren't quite sure how to read. Are they good or bad? Was Kira wrong to come forward about the Jackers? Can she save those she loves and those that are still being mistreated?

A great story and such a great deal! You can buy it through Barnes & Noble and Amazon for only $2.99 (eBook price). If you haven't taken the eBook plunge yet, I highly recommend it. Kindle and Nook apps make it so easy to read on your tablet or computer.

Tomorrow is the official launch day for Closed Hearts, and I'll have a guest post by author Susan Kaye Quinn.

Monday, May 21, 2012

Northanger Alibi

Northanger Alibi (The Jane Austen Diaries)Northanger Alibi by Jenni James

My rating: 3 of 5 stars

After reading Jenni James' Pride and Popularity, I was excited to read Northanger Alibi. I came to realize that a big reason why I enjoyed the first book in The Jane Austen Diaries series is that I had read it right after a somewhat disappointing YA, and it was a cute story that was CLEAN, so it was especially refreshing.

Northanger Alibi's main character is 16, and she is . . . silly. She has barely started dating, and guys are falling at her feet. She has an unhealthy obsession with Twilight, and assumes that Tony is a vampire and Jaden is a werewolf.

Claire's personality and the rushed relationships were a bit hard to take, but the story would probably be enjoyed by the younger crowd it is no doubt intended for.

Friday, May 18, 2012

The Ladies Auxiliary

The Ladies Auxiliary The Ladies Auxiliary by Tova Mirvis

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

The Ladies Auxiliary is our May book club selection. It took me about a week finish (long for me), even though I did find most of it quite interesting and thought provoking.

The Orthodox Jewish community of Memphis, Tennessee, is shaken when Batsheva and her daughter move in. Batsheva claims to be a convert, but she doesn't act the same way everyone else acts. Her clothing isn't quite as modest. She has a tattoo. She sings too loud. Her many faults are glaring and the women of the community don't like her influence. But, they have to admit that some of her actions make them think about the traditions they've followed their entire lives. Why are they doing them? Are they excited about being Orthodox like Batsheva appears to be?

This "understanding the why" is something that is being stressed in my own LDS religion, so I was able to relate to that aspect.

The Jewish traditions and some of the words were quite foreign to me. I was happy that some of the characters came to a realization that they needed to be truly converted, and understand why they were doing what they had done all of their lives, although I would have enjoyed a little more information so I could understand what they were doing too.

The gossiping in this small community was heart breaking. Batsheva wasn't really given a chance. This seems so common in communities that profess to love God and live His Word. Judging is so easy. Getting to truly know someone, and understand them is hard. It's a shame that so many of us take the "easy" road.

The book was a bit slow moving (especially near the end). I was hoping for more resolution, but at least it made me ponder whether or not my focus is on the why, instead of the what.

Thursday, May 17, 2012

The Most Important Catch Giveaway Winner


 And the lucky winner for the eBook of The Most Important Catch is:

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Congratulations Tara!

Thanks to everyone who entered. 

Wednesday, May 16, 2012

Friday, May 11, 2012

Daughters of Jared

Daughters of JaredDaughters of Jared by Heather B. Moore

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Heather Moore has an exceptional talent for writing an interesting story that makes me want to pull out my scriptures and re-read the real thing. I really appreciate any historical fiction that makes me want to go to the history books (scriptural or otherwise) for more information.

This was shorter than her other novels, but the length was good. I liked the characters, even though Naiva's selflessness after what she'd been through was hard to imagine.

Levi's love seemed to come out of no where (the characters hardly knew each other), but their interaction over time and their commitment was sweet (especially the dialogue at the end of Chapter 34).

This was an enjoyable, fast read that made me want to work on being less selfish.


*I received a copy of this book in exchange for a review.

Thursday, May 10, 2012

The 2012 Book Blogger's Cookbook Launch

I was checking out my blog roll this morning (instead of exercising) and came across a very cool contest (if you like blogs, books, and cooking). The contest is part of the launch for The 2012 Book Blogger's Cookbook. The grand prize is . . . wait for it . . . Over $200 worth of books!
Plus Five Copies of The 2012 Book Blogger’s Cookbook. 


You can take a sneak peek of the book on Amazon, where you can buy it (Kindle) for the low, low price of ninety-nine cents!

Anyway, visit DearestDreams.com to see the tour schedule and enter the contest (or don't because that increases my chances of winning, right?). 

Same Kind of Different as Me

Same Kind of Different as Me: A Modern-Day Slave, an International Art Dealer, and the Unlikely Woman Who Bound Them TogetherSame Kind of Different as Me: A Modern-Day Slave, an International Art Dealer, and the Unlikely Woman Who Bound Them Together by Ron Hall

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

My sister's book club recently read this. She liked it, and since I checked the book out for her (her library's hold list was very long), I decided to read it before I returned it.

The chapters alternate between Denver (a modern-day slave) and Ron (an art dealer). The initial chapters tell about their lives before they meet. They were pretty interesting, although I could read a chapter or two and walk away for a day or so. Once they met, the story held my attention much better.

I glanced at a few other reviews and was surprised at the varied reactions to this touching story. It made me second guess selecting this for my book club's discussion next month, but I'm going to go forward with it anyway. It would probably be impossible to pick a book that everyone liked, and having different opinions is what makes a discussion good.

Several things in the book touched me deeply. Deborah really did seem like an angel. Just being able to forgive her husband for his infidelity was HUGE. But that was just one of many things she did that were praiseworthy. I also liked how Ron and Denver didn't excuse or sugarcoat their downfalls. They seemed straightforward about them, and their transformations were amazing.

While this isn't like many of the books I really enjoy, I think it's worth 5 stars in part because it is true. The authors took the time to share their stories, illustrating how people can find happiness in serving and loving others (especially by overlooking our differences).

Wednesday, May 9, 2012

The Most Important Catch Blog Tour and Giveaway

The Most Important CatchThe Most Important Catch by Jaclyn M. Hawkes

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I am happy to be a part of The Most Important Catch Blog Tour today. This was the first Jaclyn M. Hawkes novel that I've read, and I found it to be an entertaining story with very likable characters.

"She knew too much, and she’d seen too much. And the police refused to help. Knowing that she was to be the next scheduled death, Kelly Campbell hid under head to toe black leather and a tinted motorcycle helmet and ran for her life.

When the weather turned cold, she turned south. She ended up in North Carolina, home to one of the most famed and eligible NFL football stars in the whole league; only she didn’t know that. She thought he was a businessman. Not being a huge fan, all she knew was that he was incredibly attractive, kind, generous, and that she was safe with him. Or was she?

His brand of fame proved to be all but deadly, but his fame wasn't nearly as lethal as his attraction. He kept her safe and protected. All except her heart."


The romance was quite believable-not rushed like most romance novels. Although, at times I was a little impatient for the characters to admit their feelings for each other, I enjoyed how they built their friendship and trust by working together.

Religion is a big part of this LDS Fiction novel, and for the most part Hawkes is able to integrate it well with the flow of the story.

It might sound silly, but I liked when I came across the title in some dialogue in the book. Sometimes you wonder how a title is picked, and it was fun reading it in the story.

The suspense aspect also kept me turning the pages. This was a clean and enjoyable read. I look forward to reading more of Jaclyn M. Hawkes' books.

For a full list of all of the stops on this Blog Tour, visit The Book Bug.

You can purchase The Most Important Catch via Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and the Book Depository.

And now for the giveaway! One lucky Literary Time Out follower will win an eBook copy of The Most Important Catch. To enter, become a follower (via Google Friend Connect in the upper left) and fill out the entry form below.

a Rafflecopter giveaway
The winner will be posted on May 17th. Good luck!

*I received a copy of this book in exchange for a review.

Monday, May 7, 2012

Daisy

Daisy (The Newport Ladies Book Club)Daisy by Josi S. Kilpack

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Book Two of The Newport Ladies Book Club series follows Daisy, a forty-something mother of two who is counting down the days until her youngest graduates from high school. She can't wait for this new "freedom", but encounters several HUGE bumps in the road. Part of coping with the changes in her life is done by joining a book club and making some new friends.

Since each book in the series is the same story, but told from a different point of view, you have a general idea of what is going on with everyone. It is definitely interesting getting more details, and very tempting to pull out the first book to compare dialogue, etc.

One thing that really stood out to me was how the books being read for book club really mirrored Daisy's life (in tone, not specifics). It made me think about how we have to find and make happiness in our lives.

Motherhood has been on my mind quite a bit lately, what with my baby entering school this fall, so Daisy hit home in many ways. Although I'm very thankful that my life is nowhere near the depressing situation presented in this novel, it was a good read that made me want to reprioritize some things to make my relationships with my children more positive.

*I received a copy of this book in exchange for a review.

Friday, May 4, 2012

Grave Mercy

Grave Mercy (His Fair Assassin, #1)Grave Mercy by R.L. LaFevers

My rating: 3.5 of 5 stars

The blurb I read via NetGalley for Grave Mercy was pretty intriguing:
"Escaping from the brutality of an arranged marriage, seventeen-year-old Ismae finds sanctuary at the convent of St. Mortain. Here she learns that the god of Death Himself has blessed her with dangerous gifts -- and a violent destiny. She will be trained as an assassin and serve as a handmaiden to Death -- yet in order to claim her new life, she must be willing to take the lives of others. But how can she deliver Death's vengeance against a target who, against her will, has stolen her heart?"

It took me some time to get into the story, but once I focused solely on this book, I enjoyed it. Ismae's journey was such an interesting one. I was happy with her transformation and her discovery about Mortain's wishes.

The characters were well done. LaFevers did a great job making the creepy guys creepy, and the mysterious guys mysterious.

This is a YA romance, which probably explains why the author was pretty vague with some of the romantic details. I'm all for this, even though it left me wondering if a few scenes were more than cuddling and healing (hypothermia treatment-esque).

There is some swearing, talk of mistresses, and intimacy.

Thursday, May 3, 2012

Friends & Foes

Friends & FoesFriends & Foes by Sarah M. Eden

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Kudos to my sister for supplying me with some great books lately!

Sarah M. Eden's latest novel is another great Regency romance, but, this one differs from her others in that the main male character has a job! I'm sure that sounds so strange, but Philip is much more than just a wealthy Earl. He works for the Foreign Office (unbeknownst to his family and friends), and has spent the last five years helping the war effort by tracking down spies.

I loved this new aspect, and also the unconventional main female character, Sorrel. The "war" between Philip and Sorrel is very entertaining.

Keep up the good work Sarah M. Eden!

Wednesday, May 2, 2012

The Breakaway

The BreakawayThe Breakaway by Michelle Davidson Argyle

My rating: 3.5 of 5 stars

A few years ago I connected with an old classmate and learned that she was writing novels. (WOW!) This connection lead to the opportunity to read a draft of The Breakaway.

And now, a few years later, The Breakaway is a published novel.

Naomi has it all, and at the same time has nothing. It's true that money can't buy happiness. Her wealthy parents pay very little attention to her, and her boyfriend is controlling and abusive. The one true joy she has in her life is photography, but even that leads her to be in the wrong place at the wrong time. She's kidnapped by thieves who think she witnessed their crime, and they have no intention of letting her go. The longer Naomi is with the thieves, the less she wants to leave.

It's hard to imagine that a person could truly like or even love someone who kidnapped them, but Michelle does a great job helping the reader understand Naomi's transformation. I couldn't help but somewhat like the criminals at times myself.

As several other reviewers have said, Michelle's writing is lyrical. She has a great ability to convey emotions and draw you into the story.

As far as content goes, there is some swearing, sex, and violence.

Following Michelle's writing journey the last few years has been very eye opening. I never knew how much work went into having a book published. Michelle has worked very hard, and I am so happy for her success.

*I received an eBook of The Breakaway in exchange for a review.

Tuesday, May 1, 2012

The Breakaway Blog Tour

I'm happy to share the following post from author Michelle Davidson Argyle about her newly released novel The Breakaway.




Thank you so much for having me here on your blog! This week, I’m excited as my young adult contemporary novel, The Breakaway, releases from Rhemalda Publishing. I’ve been waiting for this week for what feels like half my life—since I was around sixteen, actually. I first wrote the book when I was fifteen. It was my first novel-length work.

Do you remember back when you were seventeen going on eighteen? (If you’re seventeen now, even better!) Think about how you felt at that age. Vulnerable, maybe? Constantly self-conscious. Irritated with the adult world because you are in that gap—a place no longer for children, but it still doesn’t seem fit for an older teen preparing for adulthood, either. I remember that age, and it frightened me. Of course, back then, I was full of confidence and anger and excitement and all sorts of other emotions constantly rolling around. I was preparing to go to college, and that meant preparing for a huge change in my life.

Naomi, my main character in The Breakaway, is seventeen when she is kidnapped by the strangest criminals ever. She’s almost eighteen, about to graduate high school, and dealing with a boyfriend she thought she was in love with until he…well, until he hit her. Talk about some adult stuff coming straight at you. So, then she’s kidnapped and ripped away from all these decisions and changes. Her life suddenly revolves around survival. Instincts. Fear. Plans to escape.

But does she want to escape?

The Breakaway revolves around that question. Naomi comes from an unloving background. Her parents are obsessed with their careers and her boyfriend is obsessed with keeping her in her place. So being “adopted” into this new family who actually cares about her (not to mention she’s falling in love with one of the younger kidnappers… ) doesn’t seem like the worst thing to happen in her life. In fact, she’s wondering if it’s a better life than before.

The Breakaway is one of those books that has haunted me since the day I started writing it. I wrote other books back then, but this is the one I kept working on over the years—until now when I can share it with the world. It’s filled with suspense, psychological tension, and a bittersweet love story. Author Zoe Winters calls The Breakaway, “Lush, literary, and multi-layered.” Author Karen Amanda Hooper says it is, “A total mind-bender that will leave you breathless.” And Jennifer Hillier claims, “You won't be able to put it down until you've read every last word.”

I’m happy to finally have The Breakaway out there after all these years. It’s truly exciting and uplifting. I hope you’ll check it out!

BOOK DESCRIPTION: When Naomi Jensen is kidnapped, it takes her parents two days to realize she’s missing. Escape isn’t high on her list of priorities when all she has to return to is an abusive boyfriend and parents who never paid much attention to her. For the first time in her life she’s part of a family—even if it is a family of criminals. But she’s still a captive. In a desperate attempt to regain some control in her life, Naomi embarks on a dangerous plan to make one of her kidnappers think she’s falling in love with him. The plan works too well, and when faced with the chance to escape, Naomi isn’t sure she wants to take it.

The Breakaway is available now! You can find it on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and anywhere else books are sold, both as an e-book and in print. Find it for a discounted price on the publisher’s website here: http://shop.rhemalda.com/

ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Michelle lives and writes in Utah, surrounded by the Rocky Mountains. She loves the seasons, but late summer and early fall are her favorites. She adores chocolate, sushi, and lots of ethnic food, and loves to read and write books in whatever time she can grab between her sword-wielding husband and energetic daughter. She believes a simple life is the best life.

You can find Michelle on her blog, http://theinnocentflower.blogspot.com.