Ten Reasons Why Book Bloggers Rock!

Let’s face it, the internet is a tumult of noise, voices crying to be heard. Pay attention to me. No pay attention to me! How’s an author supposed to compete with that? How is he or she supposed to share what could very well be your favorite story, the one that got you reading again. The one that inspired you long after the printed words sunk deep into your soul. The answer, the amazing blogging community. Today, I want to give ten reasons that I and I know many of my fellow authors appreciate the book bloggers that read and review our books. This, my friends is for you.

1.       You share our passion for the written word.

2.       On your own time, often with many other things like work, school, children and other responsibilities you stay up late, sneak the book into the bathroom. Anything to find time to read and review our books.

3.       You do it for NOTHING. Who does that…awesome bloggers!

4.       You let us, even invite us to post on your blogs, sharing with your friends(who also share your passion for books).

5.       You make us feel special, like we are some sort of intellectual rock star.  

6.       After you post a positive review, we take a deep breath and think, someone really liked my work. Maybe I’ll write another book.

7.       You follow us on twitter even if we don’t say anything clever for weeks at a time.

8.       You introduce us to new authors that we grow to love and the cycle goes on creating a giant book lovefest.

9.       You learn how to use things like rafflecopter and google docs just so that you can give away our books and swag.

10.   And finally, you fall in love with our characters as much as we do and we love you forever because of it.

Hope you enjoyed my ten reasons why and now as further evidence of my appreciation, I want to give away two twenty-five dollar cash or kindle cards to thank my blogger friends. Anyone who reads and reviews The Secret Keeper by December will be entered to winJ Let me know at angelacarling@gmail.com or leave a comment below if you’d like to read and review. Most of all please know…no matter what we think you are the best!  

Review for The Collar and the Cavvarach

Every once in a while I post a book review for a fellow author. I’m kind of picky about these and will only write a review if I really enjoyed a book. (I know how important reviews are as an authorJ)  The Collar and the Cavvarach by Annie Douglass Lima was one of those books that I loved and wanted to share with the world. If I were a star giver, I would've been tempted to dole out 5 stars for this book!

It takes place in a fictitious world and revolves around a slave boy, his sister and their owners.   The image of the slaves wearing a metal collar left a power image in my mind that allowed me to feel the terrible captivity that they experienced. Even after finishing the book, I found myself thinking about the abhorrence that is slavery yet I didn’t feel Ms. Lima shoved the concept down my throat.  Bensin, the main character was endearing both because he looked out for his little sister and tried everything to free her.  Another unique element of this story was the martial arts slant.  In order to try and free his sister, he tries to win Martial arts competitions in a society where winners are revered even if they are slaves.  My favorite character of all was Bensin’s new owner, often called Coach.  I thought Ms. Lima did a wonderful job letting us feel his moral conflict with his role as a slave owner. Overall,  I found the storyline to be unique, which to be honest, is hard to come by.  After reading The Collar and the Cavvarach, I am excited to see what else this talented author publishes. Kudo’s to you Ms. Lima.

Here's a little more about this lovely book.

About the Story:

Bensin, a teenage slave and martial artist, is desperate to see his little sister freed. But only victory in the Krillonian Empire's most prestigious tournament will allow him to secretly arrange for Ellie's escape. Dangerous people are closing in on her, however, and Bensin is running out of time.  With his one hope fading quickly away, how can Bensin save Ellie from a life of slavery and abuse?

What is the Collar for, and What is a Cavvarach?

The story is set in a world very much like our own, with just a few major differences.  One is that slavery is legal there.  Slaves must wear metal collars that lock around their neck, making their enslaved status obvious to everyone.  Any slave attempting to escape faces the dilemma of how and where to illegally get their collar removed (a crime punishable by enslavement for the remover).  

Another difference is the popularity of a martial art called cavvara shil.  It is fought with a cavvarach (rhymes with "have a rack"), an unsharpened weapon similar to a sword but with a steel hook protruding from partway down its top edge.  Competitors can strike at each other with their feet as well as with the blades.  You win in one of two ways: disarming your opponent (hooking or knocking their cavvarach out of their hands) or pinning their shoulders to the mat for five seconds.

Want to Find out a Little More?

Click here to read a description of the setting and what life is like for slaves and others in that world.

Click here to read chapter 1 for free!

Click here to download The Collar and the Cavvarach from Amazon.

Click here to download The Collar and the Cavvarach from Smashwords (for Nook or in other digital formats).

About the Author:

Annie Douglass Lima spent most of her childhood in Kenya and later graduated from Biola University in Southern California. She and her husband Floyd currently live in Taiwan, where she teaches fifth grade at Morrison Academy. She has been writing poetry, short stories, and novels since her childhood, and to date has published ten books (one YA action and adventure novel, four fantasies, a puppet script, and four anthologies of her students’ poetry). Besides writing, her hobbies include reading (especially fantasy and science fiction), scrapbooking, and international travel.

Connect with the Author Online:

Email: AnnieDouglassLima@gmail.com 

Blog: http://anniedouglasslima.blogspot.com

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AnnieDouglassLimaAuthor

Twitter: https://twitter.com/princeofalasia

Goodreads: http://bit.ly/ADLimaOnGoodreads

Amazon Author Page: http://bit.ly/AnnieDouglassLimaOnAmazon

Smashwords: https://www.smashwords.com/profile/view/AnnieDouglassLima

LinkedIn: http://bit.ly/ADLimaOnLinkedIn

Google Plus: http://bit.ly/ADLimaOnGooglePlus

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Secret Keeper giveaway!

To celebrate the official release day for THE SECRET KEEPER I'm giving away FIVE KINDLE OR NOOK copies of The Secret Keeper. I love my readers and am so excited to share this amazing story with you. Here's an excerpt from the story. Over and over in my head I repeated, “She can make my secret go away.” I’m not sure if I was trying to convince myself, or trying to keep myself from going nuts, but the phrase calmed me as I drove. I found Lejo Street and began the steep climb to the top. The houses in this neighborhood were small. Most were weathered if not completely forgotten. Pines grew too close together. Piles of rusted tools and long-forgotten bathroom fixtures littered the landscape, hidden only by overgrown grasses and neglected Quakies. No wonder everyone thought it was creepy. My heart rate quickened with the ascent, and my palms left sticky sweat on my steering wheel. I wiped them on my jeans only to have the moisture build up again immediately. Soon there was nothing but dense forest; a blur of green, broken only by the ashen skies above. The rain came down in unyielding sheets and I turned up the windshield wipers. Back and forth they went like a giant metronome, keeping in step with my nervous heartbeat. I strained to see out the windows until all at once there was nothing in front me but a large rusted metal gate and a cracked wood sign, painted long ago, that declared, “No trespassing.” Beyond the gate, through the trees and the rain, I saw the pale blue house that the girl in the park had described. One more time I said out loud, “She can make my secret disappear.” I’d almost convinced myself now. I had to be convinced, what with the dilapidated house in the middle of nowhere and the stormy weather. Everything screamed “Don’t go in!” but I was driven to try something, anything, not to lose my best friend and boyfriend. I climbed from the car and ran until I reached the porch, slipping and having to catch myself as I tried to take the stairs too fast. Light spilled out through a crack in the curtains, letting me know someone was there. I lifted my hand to knock on the old splintered door and froze. I didn’t know the secret keeper’s name. How would I address her? Before I could decide what to do, the heavily scratched door handle turned and the door opened a crack. My mouth fell open. The eyes that peered through the opening were surprisingly young. My throat felt tight as I swallowed and it sounded loud to me. I could turn and run. Everything in my gut told me to go, but I stood like a marble statue frozen by my anguish. “Who are you looking for?” she asked. Her melodic voice made me think of dozens of wind chimes all tinkling at once. Still, I felt uneasy. I made myself spit out the words. “The Secret Keeper.” An excruciatingly long minute passed and I thought she might tell me that I had the wrong house or that I should get off her property. Finally, in a voice no louder than a whisper she said, “Come in. I’m The Secret Keeper.” Enter below and make sure to sign up for my newsletter so I have a way to get in touch if you win! Good luck! a Rafflecopter giveaway

Cover Reveal for THE SECRET KEEPER

Holy Guacamole, it's time to reveal to the world The Secret Keeper. Well, maybe not the secret keeper herself, but the cover for the first book in the Secret Keeper series written by ME! Even though this is my fourth published book, I still get excited to share with the world.  The lovely cover art was done by Patti Hulstrand. After you check it out, read on to learn a little bit more about The Secret Keeper due to release THIS SAME WEEK! Come back then and win a copy for yourself. 
And now, The Secret Keeper by Angela Carling.

About The Secret Keeper:

When Seventeen year old Winter Merrill is compelled to make a bargain with the mysterious Secret Keeper, she knew there were rules.  The most important one, the next time you have a secret, you will not be able to tell it….even if you try.

What she didn’t know is that her next secret if not told, would destroy her life and the life of Liam, the only boy she ever loved. Can Winter find a way out of the dark bargain that binds her tongue or will her deal with the Secret Keeper bring devastating consequences unimaginable even to her?

Come and find. I love my book friends!

Website http://www.angelacarling.com/

Blog http://www.angelacarling.blogspot.com/

Twitter https://twitter.com/angelacarling

Facebook https://twitter.com/angelacarling

Goodreads https://www.goodreads.com/author/list/5331346.Angela_Carling

Youtube https://www.youtube.com/user/ThePajamWriter/videos?view=0

Amazon http://www.amazon.com/Angela-Carling/e/B006P15NOG/ref=ntt_athr_dp_pel_1

Barnes and Noble http://www.barnesandnoble.com/c/angela-carling

Stalk me on Instagram too!

 

In case you have no idea who I am, here's a short bio. 

Angela Carling was raised in Palm Springs California, but lives Arizona with her husband, three kids and five felines.  After years of denial she finally admitted that she is a hopeless romantic which led her to write her first Young Adult book Unbreakable Love. Since then she’s published three more books, Shackled, Becoming Bryn and The Secret Keeper. Shackled won the silver IPGA award in 2012 and has been optioned as a screenplay. She always eats the frosting off her cake and leaves the rest, and can be caught singing in public bathrooms for the acoustics.  When she’s not writing YA novels, she’s mentoring teen writers, making pizza with her family or dreaming of taking a nap, not necessarily in that order.  

Thanks for stopping by...and as a parting thought...what secret would you give away if you could?