Jennifer Robins "Mirror Mirror"

Jennifer Robins 
"Mirror Mirror"

 

Blurb:

Britney never expected to meet up with a ghost living in an old mirror left in the house she’d moved into. Not only did he upset her by being there, but he also became very interested in her which led him to help her from a dreaded disease. His good deed is rewarded by the very thing that kept him from moving on. Britney finds her life turned around through the help of a lost spirit, Captain Leopold Archer and she can go on to fulfill her fondest wishes.

 

About the Author:

After spending many years in the business world, Jennifer Robins took up the pen and started to write about what she found to be the most interesting subjects, the paranormal-super-natural. Her family grown, she finds time now to pursue a career in writing.
She attended Tri-C College for business and went on to be successful in the real estate business in her home town, a small suburb of Cleveland.
She lives with her husband and her wonderful dogs and cats. Loves music, art, gardening and plays the piano, paints in oils and enjoys the company of her son’s and daughters and the families they now have. Every day brings a new idea, a new adventure in research and stories that take up her daily thoughts.

 

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Excerpt:

Settling in a new place had Britney at her wits' end. With so much to take care of, she hadn't had a chance to really inspect the third floor attic which had piqued her curiosity during the showing.

Her reddish brown hair piled on top of her head held up by a claw let a few strands dangle to the side of her face. Her arms were filled with blankets for the beds upstairs, and she hastily blew it away. The strand of hair flew back away from her face.

Interest in some great looking antiques left stored in the attic by the previous owner lingered in her mind. She heard the previous owner, a sea captain, Leopold Archer had been accused of many things including witch-craft.

The captain left behind some special things like a great mirror in its wooden oval frame standing at attention in the attic. Britney wanted to take a better look, but first came the work of settling in.

From the moving truck, the drivers brought in the last of the boxes and piled them on top of the others in the living room of her new Victorian home.

Her husband, Angelo, who didn't believe in anything of the super natural or the so-called after-life helped her put things away. Britney had teased him with the idea of ghosts lurking in the house. After all, it was many years old so the possibilities of spirits were not so far-fetched to her.

Happy with the move because it meant larger living space in this grand old century house, Britney was ready to take charge of her new home. What was once the parlor, now called a den, would be a great office for work. Having to be at the accounting firm every day meant traveling several miles both ways five days a week and with the cost of gas going through the roof, she really liked the idea of moving her work to this new home. No more dressing up in uncomfortable clothes and those awful pantyhose she couldn't seem to get through a day without ruining. Make-up and high-heeled shoes would be gone from now on. Get up in the morning, put on a robe, get a cup of coffee, then relax during her work day without interruptions or people messing up her thoughts. Who said life can't be wonderful?

 

 

 

J.J. Nikitin “Flushed”

J.J. Nikitin 
"Flushed"

 

 

Released: 20 May 2014

 

 

Blurb:
 

Captain Flatus Codswallup needs ten-year-old Lucas’s help getting his sewer-sailing ship seaworthy, and flushes him as a new recruit. Lucas learns it’s not all toots and giggles as a pirate in the sewer when threats of mutiny strike. Lucas must decide between saving Flatus’s butt and getting home before his plumber father misses him. But when the pirate ship falls under attack, Lucas learns who Flatus’s sworn enemies are. Plumbers like Dad! Now Lucas has to choose a side that doesn’t get everybody killed as plumbers and pirates meet in the messiest battle the sewers have ever seen.

 

About the Author:

J.J. Nikitin is a pharmacist by night, author by day, and a fulltime pirate at heart. J.J. stays sane as a writer thanks to Absolute Write and keeps her noggin functioning as an active member of American Mensa. J.J. lives in Phoenix, Arizona with the best landlubber family any pirate could wish for..

 

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Excerpt:

Lucas sat at his tiny school desk, trying desperately to focus on the exam and not his digestion. The greasy hair-netted lunch lady had sabotaged him. Who served double-bean burritos before silent test-taking time? The only thing worse would be double-bean burritos directly before PE-class partnered sit-ups.

His stomach gurgled, and he felt air moving down his intestines. It was only a matter of time before he burst. And in this silent classroom of test-takers, it would be embarrassing. Lucas mentally shrugged. When was he ever embarrassed of passing gas? Burping? Never.

Why would he care? He was nearly twelve years old. His buddies burped more than he did. He didn't care what girls thought. He was the perfect age to appreciate his mud-wallowing, belch-issuing, turd-producing body. After all, everybody had bodily functions. And these were about to blast him to the moon any second.

Whatever moved through Lucas's insides made him squirm. He looked to the left and saw red-headed Tabitha, oblivious to his discomfort. To the other side was Chuck, a baseball buddy. He knew what was up, since the baseball guys ate burritos together at lunch. Lucas crossed his legs and bit his lip while Chuck mimed a laugh.

He clenched his butt-cheeks together, attempting to finish his math test before exploding. He finished up the last question, double-checked it… It was a habit engrained in him, and most of the world, to suppress nature. Silence your toots. Cover your burps. Say excuse me.

Nature had its own piece to say about it. And at the moment, its voice sounded like a gurgling juicy toot. Frraaapp. The silent room seemed even more silent in the wake of his noisy outburst. Time stopped.

Lucas wondered whether to look around proudly to see who'd heard him, or if he should carry on like nothing had ever happened. He smirked, let his pride get the best of him, and looked around the room at the wide-eyed horrified faces of his classmates.

Elderly Mrs. Anthony barely raised her eyes from her desk as she spoke.

"Excuse yourself, Lucas."

"Why? It's nature."

"It's polite, Lucas. Class, carry on with your exam. Time has not stopped for this disruption. Excuse yourself and continue with your exam, Lucas." Mrs. Anthony let her glasses slide down her nose and gave Lucas a look over the frames.

M.J. Wilson “Animal Angel”

M.J Wilson
"Animal Angel"

 

 

Released: 20 May 2014

 

 

Blurb:
 

One moment can change the direction we believe our life’s path should take. The loss of a parent. An illness leaving you unable to have children. These are things we never plan for and yet they happen. Mavis Frost didn’t foresee any of these things at only nineteen years old, and yet this was her fate. Emotionally she shut down and felt unworthy of love, isolating herself from the possibility of a relationship. Her energy went into saving as many dogs as she could at her rescue, where all it took to receive love was a good belly rub.

As the years past she accepted her life alone and her joy came from her work. Until the day Detective Weston Speier bursts through her rescues door and falls at her feet. Will this improbable man succeed in reaching through her carefully constructed walls, where all others have failed? Or, will her hostile demeanor leave him wondering if the odds against him are insurmountable.   

 

 

About the Author:

Mary Jane Wilson lives on the Georgia side of Lookout Mountain, the natural beauty there fuels her love of the outdoors. Her time is divided between writing stories, hiking with her two dogs, and working with her horse. She also sits on the board of a local non-profit dedicated to reducing the overpopulation of dogs and cats by offering spay/neuter assistance and education.

 

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Excerpt:

A loud crash from outside brought Mavis's attention away from the adoption application she was reviewing. The springs on the office chair creaked as she leaned back, craning her neck to see around the reception counter. The trashcans slammed against the front of the building. She jumped, tossing her pen in the air. The back of her chair over tilted. Her arms flung wide to regain her balance, and her neck jarred as the chair slammed into the upright position. On the other side of the closed door, a deep voice was letting loose with a stream of muffled expletives.

"Good night," Stella said as she breezed through the door separating the dog kennels from the adoption reception area. The overhead lights danced in the gray highlights of her otherwise black hair. "I was out with the dogs for playtime and could hear the commotion from the other side of the building. What in the world?"

"I have no idea," Mavis said, groaning as she bent over to pick up her pen. She tossed it onto the desk before walking around to join Stella in front of the raised counter. The voice was loud enough to carry a few choice words into the reception area, and the dialect became clearer the closer it came to the front door.

"What do you think that word means?" Stella asked, catching the end word of the man's rant.

"New one to me. I'll do an Internet search later." Mavis sighed as she started for the door to end their curiosity.

It flew open, and she stumbled backward when a man tumbled onto the floor, engaging in what looked like a tug of war with a dog. His sports jacket hung amiss, covered in what she hoped was mud, and his khaki slacks were a wrinkled mess. The man was spread-eagled on the floor and still managed to have a quality that made her want to study his features. Mavis admired his deep chestnut-colored hair, cut in a kempt crew style, and the way it framed his perfectly chiseled, square jawline.

Mavis and Stella stood frozen in bemusement at the scene unfolding before their eyes.

"Well, you don't have that fall at your feet often," Stella said in a hushed voice.

Mavis glanced at her, speechless, not sure if she should thank the Lord for answering her prayers by dropping this near-perfect physical specimen at her feet, or repent for whatever sin she'd committed to earn this punishment after vowing to lead a solitary life.

"Miserable mutt," he mumbled, struggling with the catchpole around what appeared to be an immensely unhappy brindle colored pit bull's neck. Scrambling to his feet, he tried to drag the dog the rest of the way through the doorway. The dog bolted forward, knocking him backward onto his butt, and raced past him farther into the room.

Lee Ann Sontheimer Murphy: “The School Teacher's Scandal”

Lee Ann Sontheimer Murphy:

 “The School Teacher's Scandal”

 

 

Released: 12 May 2014

 

 

Blurb:

Although times are hard in 1934, rural school teacher Alice Ettinger lands on her feet with a new job teaching in town. She boards with the local undertaker, a widower with two small children, but when tongues wag, scandal threatens!

                

About the Author:

Lee Ann Sontheimer Murphy is a native of historic St. Joseph, Missouri and now makes her home in the beautiful Ozark Mountains. As a wife and mother to three children, she spends her days penning her stories, substitute teaching, gardening, cooking, and all the other daily duties. She has a BA degree in English and History from Missouri Southern State University and an AA degree from Crowder College. She has worked in broadcasting, education, and retail. Lee Ann is a member of Romance Writers of America, Missouri Writers Guild, and the Ozark Writers League. Her multiple works include full length novels, novellas, and short stories. Lee Ann has also contributed to more than two dozen anthologies including the popular Chicken Soup For The Soul series. She writes a weekly column for the local newspaper and writes several romance genres and subgenres.

 

 

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Excerpt:

May 1934

Her routine was as fixed as the constellations in the night sky. The moment the children's voices and laughter faded into the distance, Alice Faye Ettinger slipped out of her heavy pumps with a sigh of relief. Her shoes, handed down from her married sister in Springfield, refused to be broken in properly and rubbed her heels raw each day. Once the shoes were off, Alice pulled out the hairpins and let her braid fall free of its figure eight pattern and down her back. Then she undid her top button, the one so tight she often thought she wouldn't be able to draw the next breath. Sometimes she took time to heat water for a cup of tea and savored it before she put her shoes back on for the walk to the Richards', where she boarded during the school year. On the nights she knew in advance Mrs. Richards – Mollie – would serve cabbage, green lima beans, or stewed turnips, the three things she loathed the most, Alice ate some of the graham crackers she kept in the bottom drawer of her desk or a few saltines. Sometimes she opened a tin of sardines as a treat.

Since she'd spotted Mollie out in the garden early picking the first tender green beans and digging new potatoes, Alice knew what would be served so she didn't even make tea. After a quarter hour of hard earned solitude, she stuck her feet back into the pumps and began gathering her things. This late in the season, she didn't mind the mile and a quarter walk to the Richards' home through the greening fields and trees as long as she didn't linger until dusk.

With a sigh, she reached for her shoes. If she waited much longer, the shadows in the wooded areas would thicken into near darkness. At the same time she stood up, pumps in place on her feet, a car horn blared into the quiet.

"What in the world?" Alice said aloud as her fingers fumbled her top button back into place. She flipped her braid over one shoulder as the car, an old Model T, came into view. Although she didn't recognize the driver, she knew the passenger and tensed. The superintendent of rural schools usually made one visit a year, and his appearance now didn't bode well. Alice steeled herself as he walked through the door.

"Hello, Mr. Bartholomew," she said, her voice schooled to be calm and polite.

"Miss Ettinger," he replied and doffed his hat. "I've come on an errand, and it's not happy news, no, it's not."

Her heart fumbled a few beats. "Would you care to sit down?"

He waved his hand in dismissal. "No, thank you. It's best if I just state my business. As the rural superintendent, it's fallen to me to close some of the schools. With hard times making the rounds, I have to shut down schools with the fewest students. Harvest Moon School's numbers have declined steadily. Too many families have left to find work in the cities or to try their luck in California. When this school year ends in a few weeks, it's the end of this school. The remaining pupils will attend Spring Creek School, and I apologize but I won't be able to offer you another position. Your final pay will be mailed to your home address."

Alice stared at the man. As stunned as a bird who's just smacked into window glass and dropped to the ground, she remained wordless, something which seemed to increase his anxiety.

The Energy Crusades NEW RELEASE

After the Great Oil Wars destroyed the majority of civilization on earth, an alien race has colonized the planet creating a society whose only currency is energy. Humans must wear energy suits and are required to earn their energy daily, while also supporting the grids that fuel society. In addition, all children must join an Energy Crusade by the time they are 18. The higher the level of danger assigned to the Crusade, the higher the energy payout.
Kaia Robi has trained her entire life as an Athlete for the Reformation Republic. Her ability to generate energy for her grid has afforded her a life of privilege and celebrity, but has cost her personal friendships and freedoms. She is strictly monitored and sequestered, until she heads to the University to join an Energy Crusade. She is paired up with an old childhood friend, Ajax, but he is determined to ignore their former bond, making life at the University even more difficult.
As Kaia and her team begin to complete their missions, she and Ajax learn that they excel when training together. Despite increasing tension, they are able to form a united front while training. They will encounter virtual fighters, cave dwellers, and resisters, while competing against other teams to become an elite class.
When the Resistance attempts to kidnap her in the ruined city, Kaia must face the possibility that she is different, and not just because she's an accomplished Athlete. She's tried to deny her special capabilities, but now that there are people fighting over her, she must accept her fate and decide where her loyalties lie. Will Ajax stand by her side, or is he part of the plot to take her away from all she knows and loves?