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Genre: Historical Fiction
Title: A Call to Faith and Freedom
Author: Shirley A. Roe

Travel back in time to seventh century Scotland and enter the world of Celtic lords and chieftains, warriors and peasants, and their Druid priests and priestesses. In A Call to Faith and Freedom by Shirley A. Roe, lose yourself in a sweeping saga that follows the coming together of two clans to fight to hold on to all that defines them as a people – to protect their heritage, their beliefs, as well as their homeland. Witness their battles against a ruthless, tyrant king whose only goal is to conquer the strong-willed Highlanders with no regard for human loss. Bear witness to his unquenchable thirst for power and a desire for the total destruction of all of the Celtic ways in favour of Christianity.

Shirley Roe is a master at her act who weaves an intricate story with threads of suspense, adventure, battle, romance, and even some occasional humour thrown in. This story has it all. Her descriptive skills are nothing short of magical. The Celtic connection to nature is made evident in her detailed, beautiful descriptions of the Scottish Highlands which were so convincingly portrayed that if I closed my eyes, I felt like I was there with the characters experiencing the spirit of the hills.

We are also introduced to a rich variety of characters to grow to love from the selfless and spiritual Moreall, who answers the call of the Goddess in hopes that she can preserve the faith of her people to Armand, the strong yet compassionate military leader to Armand’s brother, Ian, a big bear of a man and a strong leader, whose heart is easily captured by the tiny Lilias, who personifies Highland courage and fortitude.

The reader becomes part of the lives of these proud and strong, yet gentle people of great faith, and when the last page is turned, you are left wanting more. In fact, you are left with a feeling of loss for the characters left behind. However, although the story is done, it ends on a note of hope that spans the breadth of time – the hope for all to live in peace and harmony.

Shirley A. Roe is an accomplished author and Managing Editor for Allbooks Review. She has received several awards for both poetry and business articles and is quickly gaining international recognition.

I would highly recommend this book for anyone who enjoys historical fiction.

Reviewer: Cindy Taylor

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Why not check out some other titles by Shirley.

“I lie here thinking of what could have happened to her with that lunatic. I wonder if Jebediah will ever leave us in peace? The man has been dead for twenty years but still he haunts me.”… “I keep thinking about those years long ago when Martha’s father sent you and I to find her in the wild Wyoming territory. Now it is as if history is repeating itself, but it is not my brother Jebediah that married Martha and disappeared, but his illegitimate son and Anna. If he is half the bastard that Jebediah was, Anna could be in great danger. I just feel so helpless.”

In Dreams and Nightmares: The Martha Whittaker Story, Shirley A. Roe introduces us to the Whittaker family as they leave England, traveling across the ocean to end up in what will later be named Whittakerville, Wyoming. In Dreams and Nightmares, Martha and her three stepsons find a life that is filled with dreams of escaping Jeb Whittaker and nightmares that only a person as evil as he can bestow on his family.

In The Whittaker Family Reunion, Roe takes us to St. Louis where Martha and the boys have escaped to with the help of Jeb’s brother Jeremy. The boys have grown into three loving men that have taken charge of their lives. As the family gathers for Martha’s 40th birthday, disaster strikes again in the form of a stranger who stalks the family.

And in the final episode Return to Whittakerville, the disaster continues involving Martha and Jeremy’s daughter Anna. Anna has left the family to travel to Whittakerville with the stalker. Anna is a very spoiled 15 year old that has always had her way and will let nothing stop her from acquiring whatever she wants. Some members of the family believe she left with the stranger to save the family, while others believe she left for selfish reasons. Will life with this man provide her with the sources to make her happy or will her life be another nightmare in Whittakerville?

I have thoroughly enjoyed all 3 books that make up the Martha Whittaker Story. I hated to see the family stories end but understand Roe will continue to write using the individual characters as the story source. Well Ms. Roe, I’m impatiently waiting.

See Shirley Roe’s titles here.

“There will be no gala ball for you this year Martha, you are to be married to Jebediah Whitaker in a fortnight.” John raised his voice interrupting Martha in mid sentence.

“Father, you are joking. But what kind of a silly thought has entered your head. I have no intentions of marrying anyone right now. Besides, Jebediah Whitaker has three children and is much too old for me.” Martha stopped sipping her tea and stared over the rim of the cup at her father in disbelief. As an afterthought she added, “Plus, he is a pompus ass!”

Martha McGuire was the 18 year old daughter of John McGuire and the late Lillian McGuire. She, her father and their cook Emma lived in the home her grandfather had built fifty years before.. Graystone Manor. Having no mother around to guide her, Martha depended on Emma to teach her the running of the household. But she depended on her best friend Austin Wells for fun and entertainment. The two had grown up together and as children were always together getting themselves into more mischief than their parents could handle. But now, when she needed Austin the most, he was away at college and her father was demanding that she marry Jebediah Whitaker.

Jebediah’s first wife had died several years before after falling down a flight of stairs leaving him to raise three sons alone. Martha would be the perfect wife. She was young, healthy and even with her high spirit, he would tame her. But there was one thing that very few people knew about Jebediah and that was the he would do anything to get and keep whatever he wanted, even if it was illegal.

After Jebediah took his sons and new wife Martha across the ocean to the Americas, John was presented with the truth of what a mistake he had made in forcing Martha to marry Jebediah. The only recourse he had was to employ Austin and Jebediah’s brother Jeremy to find them and rescue her before it was too late.

Of Dreams and Nightmares is a book filled with history as well as being a wonderful story. Following Martha, Jebediah and his three sons as they cross the ocean and on to Wyoming was a wonderful adventure for me. As I read I could see the wagon trains as they proceeded west. I felt the cold as they lived in their small sod cabins. I experienced the pain as Jebediah broke Martha’s spirit and will with by inflicting her with fear for not only her life but also the boys. And now I’m getting ready to continue this saga of the Whitaker family through Shirley A. Roe’s next book The Whitaker Family Reunion.

Review by Martha A. Cheves (Author of Stir, Laugh, Repeat)

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Genre: Mystery/Crime

Title: Dead of Knight

Author: William Potter

Publisher: RealTime Publishing

ISBN: 9781849610278

Pages: 268 pages

RealTime Publishing Announces the soon-to-be-released, Mystery/Crime novel called “Dead of Knight” from Canadian Author, William Potter.

Author William R. Potter takes the reader into the heart and soul of his protagonist and into the warped mind of a psychopath. Potter’s first full length novel, Dead of Knight is told from the point-of-view of Detective Jack Staal and from the perspective of a killer who murders women on their birthdays.

Through clever use of back story, we learn that Detective Staal is suffering from post-traumatic stress after a horrific shooting. Unable to shake the horror of that day, Staal has left his position with the Vancouver PD’s homicide squad and has resurrected his career with the police service in a fictional country town called Hanson, British Columbia.

Anxious to work the biggest case of his career, Staal is forced to the outside when the Royal Canadian Mounted Police’s Integrated Homicide Teams are assigned to the case. Not one to sit on the sidelines, Staal convinces his colleagues to follow his lead and pursue a serial killer the media has dubbed Birthday Boy.

Believing he is a soldier of justice, a misguided young man has begun a callous campaign of terror. Damian Knight (Birthday Boy) is convinced of his righteousness and continues his brutal crusade of revenge. As his death count mounts, so does Knight’s courage and he soon turns his anger on a fatigued Staal. Staal and Knight play out a cat and mouse thrill ride that culminates with an epic, one-on-one meeting of cop versus killer.

Potter has created an intriguing police procedural with a strong main character, a terrific supporting cast, and a plot with twists, turns, and plenty of red herrings. I have read many books in this genre featuring a main character that is a bullet-proof, womanizing Neanderthal. However, Potter’s Jack Staal takes a pounding, both physically and emotionally. This is one author who isn’t afraid to show his hero breaking down or making mistakes. Potter has penned a captivating tale filled with plenty of tension and conflict, crisp dialogue and an unrelenting pace. He puts us in the story with vivid descriptions and scene-painting narrative.

“Dead of Knight” comes highly recommend by Erin Hynd for Reader’s Choice Literary Reviews. It is sure to delight fans of Patricia Cornwell’s Kay Scarpetta or Michael Connelly’s Harry Bosch.

Coming soon! Check back in November.

About the Author
William Potter attempted his first novel at age eleven when he scribbled a few lines about a giant rampaging crab. The teen years kept his imagination in a state of unrest and he used poetry to journal personal thoughts, achievements and events of those times. He returned to his love of storytelling in his twenties, writing numerous short stories; and now in his forties, has completed two full-length novel manuscripts. Lighting the Dark Side-Six Modern Tales represents his work from the past several years and is his first published book. The collection received the Editor’s Choice Award for short stories from AllBooks Review International in 2009. Dead of Knight is Williams second novel. William resides in New Westminster, Canada with his wife and two children.

Do you have the panache for writing? Are you looking for some innovative ideas to earn money right from the comfort and convenience of your home? Well, I hope you would have got some clues of what I am hinting to. Just publish your ebooks and you could make really good money.

Ebook publishing offers a quick and convenient method of making money. By using the right Internet marketing tools, you can promote your ebook and create a substantial market for it. If web users find your ebook interesting, you could earn a huge amount of money from its sale.

To further enhance your earnings from ebook publishing, you may sell ad spaces in your ebook. Depending on the size of the ad space and the popularity of your ebook, you may earn anywhere between $400 and $500 per ad.

I am sure, you must be excited to know how you can go about ebook publishing. So, first pick up an interesting topic for your ebook. You may write on anything under the sky- benefits of building an ecommerce website, web designing tips, guidelines for Internet marketing, tips for home décor, gardening tips, what to do for living a healthy lifestyle, suggestions for online buying, a short real-life story, an ebook on poems written by you, and so on. The list is indeed exhaustive.

Just search over the net to find out hot topics and pick up one that interests you and you think would interest the web users and they would like to download your ebook.

Now, save your ebook in various popular formats like PDF, Microsoft Reader, PALM, and others and upload it on the Internet. Don’t forget to check the URL of your ebook and ebook download options. You should not annoy the web users by making your ebook inaccessible or slow in downloading.

If you can afford to spend a little amount of money, avail the services of an ebook publishing author. He would make your ebook look professional and would help you reach your target audiences effectively.

To maximize your earnings from ebook publishing, you may announce special offers like free download of ebook to some early birds or offer free software or free gifts to attract the web traffic to your ebook publishing site.

So, don’t think more. Just start working on your ebook and make big money!

For ebook publishing, you may visit www.thebooksale.com The website offers ebook publishing services to authors and anonymous individual writers.

Those looking for non-fiction ebooks, ebook literature, or free download of ebooks, may also visit the website.

After hiring a new system analyist and site developer (welcome Dave Maxwell), his first endeavor was to update the homepage a little. Check it out, the previously static 5×3 title array has been replaced with a dynamic array that updates on every pageload. Also, Dave added a ‘slideshow’ that can be configured to display our latest publications, display our latest blogs or the latest site news.

Nice work Dave.

Genre: Science Fiction

Title: towards the unMaking of Heaven, Happiness: a Planet

Author: Sam Smith

Publisher: RealTime Publishing

ISBN: 9781849610339

Pages: 258 pages

Book Price: $14.95 US

RealTime Publishing Announces “towards the unMaking of Heaven, Happiness: a Planet”, the second of a Sci-Fi series from British author Sam Smith.
RealTime Publishing, Inc. has published “towards the unMaking of Heaven, Happiness: a Planet” by Sam Smith, which is the author’s most recent book to date. The 6 x 9 Paperback in the Science Fiction category is available worldwide on book retailer websites such as Amazon and Barnes & Noble, Borders for a suggested retail price of $14.95. ‘Happiness’ is also available in multiple eBook formats from all the main online retail stores for $7.95. The webpage at www.http://store.theebooksale.com was launched simultaneously with the book’s publication.

About the Book (Excerpts & Info)
For the first time since he had known Space, Halk did not look down on the farm with loathing, with the contempt a prisoner has for his keeper. Now he gazed down on those blue-green rows, as they massed into so many geometric patterns, with something akin to affection, with the indulgence of incipient nostalgia. The farm, after all, was but his father’s eccentricity. And he, Halk Fint, was heading out, in a ship of his own, for the new, for the exciting, the different.
A longing for life itself urged Halk Fint on; a desire to escape the known for the unknown, to go in search of life in all its guessed-at magnificence, in all its supposed multitudinous variety. Propelled too by the fear that if he stayed much longer on the planet then he would miss something vital; drawn on also by the feeling that somehow the future held all the answers, and he knew life on the planet and the answers weren’t down there. He knew what he would become down there, and he wanted something more, something better than that. Because Halk Fint owned the unlimited potential of the young; and the planet was old and limited in scope.
Such are the conceited aspirations of the young – so general that they are always indefinable. Like all the young, Halk Fint saw himself as the first of his kind; and the life he already knew didn’t have anything new to offer him. Suffice it to say that life itself, that ever-regenerated mystery for the young, lured him out into Space.

This story is told in the third person from the viewpoint of its many different characters – a young girl called Belid Keal, a bureaucratic Head of Department called Munred Danporr, the young policeman Drin Ligure, plus several others, and of course the two principal characters – Awen Mendawer, a photographer, and the heroinne, the astrophysicist Tulla Yorke.
Where the first book (with mystery, intrigue, kidnapping and escape) was about 3 young men being marooned on a planet called Balant, this installment is about a planet that finds its moon has gone missing.
At the same time that the moon disappeared all radio communication to and from that planet was blocked. Within Space only farmers and cranks live on planets. An unseen force destroys any craft that tries to leave the planet, except the one Space police ship. During the investigation into the missing moon, and its consequences, the principal one of which is the building of a road though mountainous terrain for the convenience of Nautili, there are 2 love affairs and many considerations upon the nature of government and society.

Expertly constructed at 258 pages, “towards the unMaking of Heaven, Happiness: a Planet” is being aggressively promoted to appropriate markets with a focus on the Science Fiction category. With Global wholesale distribution through Ingram, Barnes & Noble, Baker & Taylor, Books a Million and Borders, and pervasive online availability through RealTime Publishing’s online store TheEbookSale.com, Amazon and elsewhere, ‘Happiness’ meets consumer demand through both retail and library markets with a suggested retail price of $14.95 and $7.95, respectively.
Additionally, ‘Happiness’ can be ordered by retailers or wholesalers from the RealTime wholesale department by emailing buybooks@realtimepublishings.com. To qualify for the maximum trade discount price set by the author, order in quantities of ten or more.
ISBN: 9781849610339 Format: 6 x 9 Paperback SRP: $14.95
ISBN: 9781849610315 Format: multi-format eBook SRP: $7.95

Book 3, “towards the unMaking of Heaven – You Human”, will be available early in 2010.

About the Author
Sam Smith – presently living in Maryport, Cumbria, UK – is a freelance writer and editor/publisher of Original Plus books and the poetry magazine, The Journal.

Everyone everywhere is talking about Twitter these days. More and more it has gone from being a simple communication tool to one that can be effectively used for marketing. Authors aren’t exempt from this and many have created Twitter feeds that have garnered quite a following. If you’re into writing and want to learn more about using Twitter to promote and communicate, consider these tips before starting.

• Talk about your work. Twitter can be a great way to let readers know about what you’re working on, when it will be released and what they can expect. Twitter has a great advantage in that once people follow your feed they don’t have to remember to seek out information about you-it just comes to them.
• But not just your work. While you can use your Twitter to share information about your writing it shouldn’t only be about what you’re trying to sell. After all, that’s not of much interest to many of your readers. Find other related topics to post about that will engage and excite readers.
• Use it to expand your fan base. Because you’ll be able to access so many people out there, use Twitter to expand your fan base and bring in new readers. If your feed is funny, interesting or clever you might even find followers who’ve never read anything you’ve written and would be intrigued to do so.
• Communicate with fans. Twitter is a social media tool-emphasis on the social. It’s all about communication, so spend some time actually responding to comments on your feed and answering questions. You’ll build stronger relationships with fans and maybe even have some inspirational conversations.
• Link to longer posts. If you also have a blog, Twitter can be a great way to link to other things that you’ve written and draw in new readers to that site as well.
• Keep it interesting. If you’re going to have a Twitter feed make sure you have the time to actually make it high quality. Post things that you think would be of interest to your readers whether it’s related to something you saw in the news or something directly related to your books. Don’t let things get dull.
• Don’t let it become a distraction. One problem with Twitter is that it can be a big distraction, just like a myriad of other things on the web, from actually get important things done. Like, for instance, actually writing a book. Limit your posts and updates to ensure you don’t become an addict.
• Go with the flow. If something you posted sparked a lively discussion, go with it. You never know what you’ll get out of interacting with the people you meet through your feed.

While creating a Twitter feed isn’t necessary for success as an author it can be a novel and potentially beneficial way to keep in touch with your fan base, promote your book and learn something new.

This post was contributed by Donna Scott, who writes about the online school. She welcomes your feedback at DonnaScott9929@yahoo.com

Genre: Childrens/Young adult

Title: The Horse Painters

Author: Peter Stockwell

ISBN: 9781601458483

Book Price: $12.95 US

The Horse Painters, set in the ice age, follows the story of young brothers Umalik and Aku as the attempt to catch the boy who murdered their sister and restore the soul of the Horse Painter to their family.

In the novel, the Horse Painter is someone with a gift that allows them to draw animals on the walls of caves and summon those animals to them. In the family of the story it is young Aariak who has the gift, but the jealousy of Uirngut, leads him to murder Aariak in her sleep believing that it will allow the gift to pass to him. As Aariak is only person in the family with the gift her killer must be caught and killed in order to bring the soul of the Horse Painter back to the family and save them from starvation.

Umalik, as the eldest of the two brothers believes it is up to him to track his sister’s killer despite the knowledge of danger on the hunt. With his pet wolf accompanying him and his younger brother Aku, the journey takes them through perils of the wild, dangers of other humans and the conditions of the ice age weather as they track down Uirngut.

There is often the question of what makes a book for children for children. Since the arrival of Harry Potter the definite line between fiction for children and adults has blurred significantly. After reading The Horse Painters, I feel I am a little clearer on where the line is drawn. The story is one that has been told many times in many ways, the avenging of a death, but it is the telling that makes this a unique piece. There have not been a great deal of prehistoric novels for any reading market that have included characters that say anything more than “Ug”, but Peter Stockwell has done just that. He has taken the murder thriller storyline and transformed it into a children’s adventure set in a time long forgotten.

The writing is simple, the characters are complex enough to pull the readers in and draw on the emotions and the story moves quickly from one incident to the next ensuring that even the most hyperactive early teen could be pulled into the story and encouraged to leave the computer alone for a few hours. The images of the ice age period are brought vividly to life through the scenes of the brothers among bison and lions, their meeting with Gardel the Hunter, right through to the finale and the hint of further stories to come.

The book is aimed at early teen readers, but like so many other stories there is no reason why adults cannot enjoy the book just as much as children. There is enough action and drama to sustain interest and it is currently a pretty unique idea and the characters could certainly have plenty of mileage in them yet.

Highly recommended by Anthony Lund, Allbooks Reviews.
Available through amazon and bookstores.

Genre: True Life Dram

Title: Holiday in Hell

Author: Trisha Smith

ISBN: 9780973137965

Book Price: $16.95 US

Imagine a wonderful holiday vacation in an exotic tropical resort surrounded by friends and the man you love. Imagine relaxing, away from work and the tedium of life in cold Canada, not a care in the world. Imagine being wakened in the middle of the night by a punch to the face and a man screaming “I’ll kill you, I’ll kill you.” You barely escape and, beaten half to death, you stumble down a hallway pounding on doors, blood flowing in streams from your wounds. Someone yells, “Who has done this to you?” You barely manage to mumble the name of your boyfriend before passing out.
Holiday in Hell is a true story but what I described above is only the beginning of Marisha’s struggle. Cuban authorities, reluctant to have an international incident on their hands, refuse to arrest the man since they are both Canadian citizens. Instead, they secretly put the victim onto a plane home so arriving tourists won’t see her; the same plane on which her boyfriend is returning. They tell the badly beaten woman to accuse him of the crime to the first officials she sees when she arrives in Canada. Through bandages and a swollen face she points to her attacker and mumbles to the official, “I charge Raffaele Grecci for assaulting me in Cuba! I charge him now in Canada!”
Marisha has been victimized once, now the violation is doubled as Raffaele walks away scott free, the Canadian authorities telling her that they can do nothing. The crime happened in Cuba, they have no jurisdiction.

Basically they leave the injured woman in a wheelchair on the curb and walk away.
Holiday in Hell is the story of one woman’s struggle for justice in a system that did not foresee such an event. It documents her pain, her fear and her disappointment as every avenue is blocked, every person in authority saying, “We’re sorry, there is nothing we can do.” It’s a story of persistence and not giving up in the face of bureaucracy and it’s about ensuring this never happens again, to anyone.
I found the story compelling and important. Sometimes there is no change unless the victim takes a stand. Marisha’s strength stems her from family and friends. They don’t let closed doors stop them and they use the media to press the fight. It documents the court battles, the defeats and the small victories along the way. If you like true life drama, this book is a great choice.
Reviewed by Allbooks reviewer Gregory J. Saunders, www.allbookreviews.com

Reviewed by: Donetta Garman, Allbooks Reviews
Available through amazon and bookstores.