"Two for the Price of None" Sale.

As we all hunker down to enjoy the solstice, celebrate the holidays with family and friends, and spend some quiet time of reflection to bring 2012 to a close, I hope you're all well and looking forward to an exciting New Year! Since I'm not anticipating some dark end of the world today, I thought I would try to focus instead on the light. In an effort to do so, I'd love to make your season a little brighter.

And to show my appreciation to my readers, I'm having a Two for the Price of None Sale. What does that mean, you ask? It means that Saturday, December 22nd and Sunday, December 23, both On Thin Ice and Heaven is for Heroes are available for FREE on Amazon.

Heaven is for Heroes

AMAZON



Seventeen year-old Jordie Dunn must face the loss of her brother when he’s killed in the war in Iraq. But Jordie doesn’t believe the military report that his best friend and fellow Marine, Alex Cooper, is at fault. In her quest to find the truth and help Alex, the guy she’s had a crush on since the ninth grade, Jordie discovers that the truth isn’t the only thing she wants.

Kristan Higgins, NYT and USA Today bestselling author says,
“Filled with the complex emotions of grief, confusion and first love, HEAVEN IS FOR HEROES is a rich, uplifting story that will touch a reader’s heart.”

On Thin Ice

AMAZON



Seventeen year old figure skater Penny Trudeau is a liar. She knows it, hates it, and can’t help herself. The truth is too hard and ugly. Her mother is dying of cancer, her father treats her as if she’s invisible, and she is starving—for food, for love, for acceptance, and mostly for the perfection that is just beyond her reach. When she finds comfort in the arms of Carter McCray, a hockey hunk a few years too old for her, the lies begin a chain of events that have dire consequences, not the least of which are a rape she can’t remember and a pregnancy she can’t ignore. If she reveals her secrets, will the shock and disappointment mean the end for her mother? Or has her mother been keeping the biggest secret of all?


If you haven't read the books, I hope you'll take this opportunity to download them for FREE to your Kindle. They are both heartwarming teen dramas that deal with real life issues and hopefully ever after endings that culminate in a holiday surprise. If you love Hallmark movies, you'll enjoy my stories.

In case you've already read and enjoyed the books, I'd love some help spreading the word. Tell your friends about my FREE days by forwarding the buy links, sharing this post on FaceBook, or by tweeting about it. If you know someone who is giving a Kindle to a loved one for Christmas, why not suggest they load up the Kindle with some great freebies before they wrap it up and put it under the tree.

Whatever you're doing this holiday and however you celebrate, I'd like to wish you all a happy, healthy, and safe holiday season!

Blessings!

Last Weekend on Earth

It's almost mid-December, and with the coming end to the Mayan Calendar drawing near, my friends and I over at the WG2E Street team were asking ourselves, "What would we do if this was our Last Weekend on Earth? Since I write Dystopian these days, I've given this a bit of thought. As an author, I can honestly say that there's nothing I'd rather be doing at the end than escaping into a good book.

So in honor of the impending "shift," I'm here with you to share some great books. And to get you started, I'm giving away FREE e-copies of my short story prequel to WANING MOON, called SOUL REDEMPTION. Just leave your comment below including a valid e-mail address so I can send you your copy (name/email (dot)com ). If you could also click on the "join this site" button to your right, you can get monthly updates about what's new in my writing life and keep tabs on my whereabouts...providing we're still all here...just sayin'. The "hop" runs from Friday Dec. 14-Sunday, Dec.16th. Some participants are on Pacific time, so if you don't see their posts up, be sure to stop back.

Just in case you want to stock up on books and music for the weekend, stop by the sites listed below, and be sure to sign up for our Rafflecopter prize of a $35 i-Tunes gift card. The more you help us spread the word, the more chances you have to win! a Rafflecopter giveaway


To find more blogs about how some of your favorite thriller and fantasy authors would spend their "Last Weekend on Earth," or a related topic, try these.

http://daleamidei.wordpress.com/2012/12/14/last-weekend-on-earth/

http://stacygreenauthor.com/

Rhonda Hopkins

Catie Rhodes

Anna Erishkigel

CC Mackenzie

You'll find some fabulous fun reads along the way, all for under $5. As a matter of fact, WANING MOON is available now for only $2.99! AMAZON, B&N or SMASHWORDS I hope you'll pick up your copy today.

Book trailer for Waning Moon: http://youtu.be/prfYBPDBVmo

As a public service to my readers, I thought I'd use this opportunity to share my Apocalypse Survival Strategies.

Apocalypse Survival Steps
1) Find a clean source of water
2) Build or find shelter
3) Scavenge for food
4) Hoard useful materials and items
5) Collect containers
6) Band with others
7) Master fire
8) Create or find tools
9) Fashion weapons
10) Learn to trap
11) Know how to fight
12) Have a plan
13) Escape into a good book

Any tips I missed? Feel free to share your survival strategies below. Have a lovely weekend:-)

Happy Holidays everyone!

I know it's a busy time for us all, but I hope you're taking time out to relax and kick back with family and friends. Christmas break is made for sitting down with a good book and cup of tea, enjoying a fire in the fireplace and the lights on your tree. In fact, this week on December 11-12,

I've got both Heaven Is For Heroes and On Thin Ice available only on Amazon and priced to sell at $2.99 each. If you haven't read them yet, they are sweet YA romances with some family drama added in and a hopefully ever after end that culminates at the holidays. In fact, along with my Beach Book Blast pals, and the E-book Extravaganza, we've got a number of fantastic Christmas stories you might like as well. Check out the BBB site for details!

Not to forget the pagan followers and doomsday preppers,and since I'm in the process of writing a dystopian trilogy, we WG2E Street team members also decided to honor the end of the Mayan Calendar, or the approaching winter solstice. December 14-17, I'm participating with a few other authors in a "Last Weekend on Earth" blog hop.

Stop by here this weekend and catch my short story prequel to WANING MOON, called SOUL REDEMPTION, FREE to each person who "joins" my blog and leaves a comment with a valid email address (Only so I can send you your copy.)

Also, on the main page of BBB, from December 14-17th, you'll find a Rafflecopter where you can enter to win a $35 GC to i-Tunes and find links to other authors hosting their own blogs and giveaways. Blog topics are all about "The Last Weekend on Earth." What would you do if it was your last weekend on earth? Are you ready for an apocalypse? Will it be zombies or Superstorms? A blackout or a pandemic?

It seems the end of the world is all the rage! I hope you'll join us in celebrating the here and now, and all we're grateful for at this time of year. If you need some apocalypse survival strategies, I'll have them posted right here on this blog next weekend!

What will I be doing? I can't think of anything I'd rather be doing at the end than reading a good book.

BBB Thanks for Great Books Blog Hop

Welcome to the Beach Book Blast Thanks for Great Books blog hop happening November 25-26th. So glad you stopped by to chat about the thing that ties us all together—good books, fabulous authors, and amazing characters. Please feel free to share your favorites down in the comments section. To show you how much I appreciate you sharing your precious time with me, I’m giving away a signed copy of each of my first three books to random commentors. Yes, that’s a signed paperback copy of Heaven is for Heroes, On Thin Ice, and Savage Cinderella to three people who leave a comment with a valid e-mail address below. No worries, your e-mail address will not be used for any future promotions.

If you want to stay in touch and get all the updated info about upcoming releases, contests, and appearances, you can sign up for my newsletter here, or stop by the calendar page of my website. I also post my activities monthly, here at my blogspot. I’d love it if you followed me by clicking on the "join this site" button to the right. You can also find me on Facebook or Twitter.


When you’re all done here, be sure to hop on over to the other WG2E Street team member’s sites and check out their new releases and see what they have for prizes. For your convenience, I've listed them below. The grand prize is a $25 and a $10 gift certificate to Olive Garden. You can enter to win on our BBB main page by filling out the Rafflecopter in the right hand sidebar. The more you help us spread the word about our books, the more chances you have to win. So now, onto the reason we're all here. The theme for this blog hop is giving thanks for great books, authors, or characters who have inspired us to write.


I have tons of authors I love, but if I had to narrow it down to just one, I’d have to say that Diana Gabaldon is one of those authors whose work I find enthralling. Her Outlander series is amazing. The seven or eight brick-sized books about a time traveling nurse from 1945 England who gets thrown back to 1700’s Scotland and falls in love with a red-headed highlander named Jamie Fraser has to be the best series I’ve ever read. Gabaldon’s prose are poetic perfection and the dynamic love story between Claire and Jamie has captivated the hearts of millions of readers over the past twenty years. There is action, intrigue, a complexly woven cast of interesting and well developed characters, and an epic journey through time that leaves me breathless after each book.

My only complaint is that it takes Ms. Gabaldon three years to write her masterpieces. But then again, I’m willing to wait since she gets the research just right and I’m never disappointed in which direction the characters take me. I also have to say that as far as inspirational characters, Jamie Fraser is the BEST hero ever! He is as “stubborn as a rock” but willing to fight for what’s right at all cost. We love his sensitivity, his intelligence, his wisdom, and most of all his devotion to the equally stubborn and brilliant Claire. The dialogue in these books is real and heartwarming and the love scenes are the most organic and naturally steamy scenes I’ve ever read. I hope you’ll give this incredible series a try if you haven’t read it already.

Okay, readers, who/what is your favorite author, character or book?

After you leave a comment, stop by these other sites and see what great books have influenced these other wonderful authors. You'll find some fun prizes along the way!

Fabio Bueno @ http://www.fabiobueno.com
Debra Burroughs @ http://www.DebraBurroughsBooks.com
L.C. Giroux @ http://www.lcgiroux.com/thoughts
Stacy Green @ http://stacygreenauthor.com/
Stacey Joy Netzel @ http://staceyjoynetzel.blogspot.com/2012/11/thanks-for-great-books-blog-hopfall.html
Janice Lane Palko @ http://www.thewritinglane.blogspot.com
Lily Silver @ http://romancinghistorylove.blogspot.com/
Tamara Ward @ http://www.authortamaraward.blogspot.com/

November is NaNoWriMo and a Celebration of Great Books

So hard to believe November is already half over. I’ve been happily buried in writing Book Two in The Chronicles of Lily Carmichael, WESTERN DESERT. November is National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo) and I, as well as 300,000 writers worldwide, have committed to writing 50,000 words this month.

60,000 words is almost a completed first draft for me, so even if I don’t quite make the 1667 words per day or 12,500 words per week, I suspect I’ll be pretty close to my target. The downside is that to write quickly and consistently like this, the work is much less polished and I imagine will need considerable revision. I’m just going with the flow and trying to enjoy the new process. We’ll see how it goes and I’ll keep you posted on my Facebook page.

In addition to writing my little fingers off, I’ll be taking part in the New Fall Book Release and the Thanks for Great Books Blog Hop with nine of my WG2E Street Team buddies on November 25-26.

(The site will go live Nov. 24th).

To see a listing of the fabulous new books from a cornucopia of authors and genres, hop on over to http://www.BeachBookBlast.blogspot.com and browse through the "Fall e-book releases" and "Fall event authors" tabs.

And speaking of hopping, I’ll be participating in a blog hop right here with giveaways, prizes, and an up close and personal look at what book, author, or character inspired me to write. I hope you'll come by on Nov. 25 or the 26th to share your thoughts and enter to win prizes. From my site here you'll be able to hop on over to the other participating writers. It’s an opportunity for readers to get to know us authors a little better and share with us about your favorites and what great books you’re thankful for. Each author will have prizes and a blog post for you to enjoy. I hope you’ll join us on Thanksgiving weekend and please help spread the word.

If you want to tweet about it, cut and paste this:

#NewFallBookReleases from #WG2E StreetTeam members and Blog Hop with prizes @ http://tinyurl.com/a9d2q4d Nov. 25-26 #kindlebooks #Nook

Thanks for your help! See you right after Thanksgiving. Have a wonderful and safe Holiday!

October is Blog Tour month

It's not too late! Amid the falling leaves, rainy days, and wind whipped clouds, I'm traveling about the cybersphere chatting with bloggers about WANING MOON, Book One in The chronicles of Lily Carmichael trilogy. There are interviews, excerpts, reviews and prizes along the way! All commenters on my blog tour are entered into a drawing for a $25 gift card to either Amazon or B&N. Also, an e-copy of ON THIN ICE will be awarded to one lucky commenter at each stop, so make sure you stop by as many sites as possible and say hello. You can find all my blog tour stops with Goddess Fish promotions

on the Calendar page of my website.


So far, readers seem to be enjoying the book. Early reviews go something like this:

The novel was well written, and I instantly cared about Lily and the others characters. They were well drawn and believable. I can't wait for the next installment from this talented writer. Way to go PJ Sharon!
Cat Kalen, author of PRIDE'S RUN

I absolutely loved this suspenseful read by PJ Sharon. I may be an adult, but I'm a huge fan of YA fantasy. Sharon doesn't disappoint with plausible and creative characters and innovations to the world as it could be in the not-too-distant future. In addition to compelling characters, the action is so forward-driving I couldn't put this book down! Can't wait to read the next book in the trilogy!
Author Tamara Ward

Here's the back cover blurb:

In the year 2057, in a post-apocalyptic world where a polar shift threatens the survivors of a widespread pandemic with extinction, sixteen-year-old genetically enhanced Lily Carmichael has more immediate problems. Her uncle is dying of cancer and her healing abilities are ineffective against the blood ties that bind them. In order to find a cure, Lily must leave the protection of her quiet town and journey to the trading city of Albany, all while avoiding the Industry, an agency that would like nothing better than to study and exploit her abilities.

Seventeen-year-old Will Callahan has been searching for his father since severe storms blasted through the Midwest, killing his mother and sister. When he learns that his father may be in the city, he catches a ride with Lily, a girl who has come to his rescue more than once. As the two embark on a dangerous journey, the tension between them grows. But the secrets Will’s keeping could put Lily in far more danger than traveling to the city with him, and if he was any kind of man, he would have told her to run the minute she found him.



If you like the idea of WANING MOON,you'll love the short story prequel, SOUL REDEMPTION, which is part of the WG2E's All for Indies Anthologies Spooky Shorts edition, with short stories by D.D. Scott, David Slegg, Lois Lavrisa, and Patricia, (P.R.) Mason.

You can read the first chapter of SOUL REDEMPTION on Wattpad or you can find buy links for the anthology on my website at http://www.pjsharon.com

To all who have purchased my books, helped spread the word about them, and stopped by my blog tour to say "hey," THANK YOU so much! I couldn't do this without you! Have a safe and blessed autumn!

The Next Big Thing and WANING MOON

September is here again. Do you like my new look? I do love a new wardrobe, and it's that time of year. Back to work! Time for fall preparations, new projects, and my favorite weather. Since my big news for September is the release of WANING MOON, Book One in The Chronicles of Lily Carmichael trilogy, the timing of the Next best Thing Hop is perfect. The point of the hop is for authors to answer 10 questions about their current work-in-progress to give readers a little taste of what’s coming up. I was tagged by my buddy, Rhonda Hopkins, who has a release of her own coming soon, a romantic suspense called ILLUSION OF SAFETY. You can read all about it at her link above.

The ground rules for the hop are as follows:

*** Post the rules. Done!

***Answer the ten questions about your current WIP (Work In Progress) on your blog – Done! See below

***Tag five other writers/bloggers and add their links so we can hop over and meet them. — Done! Err..sort of. See below

***Link back to the person who tagged you. — Done! See above.

Simple enough. Now on to the questions and answers.

What is the working title of your book?

WANING MOON, Book One in THE CHRONICLES OF LILY CARMICHAEL, due out September 28, 2012. I also have a companion short story called SOUL REDEMPTION, the prequel to Book One, which will be part of the WG2E (Writers Guide to E-publishing) October Anthology.

Where did the idea come from for the book?

Living out in the sticks, I have very few neighbors, but we depend on each other a lot. My husband and I often get together with our neighbors across the street (our only neighbors for three quarters of a mile in any direction), have supper and play cards. Conversation inevitably turns to “what would we do if society as we know it collapsed.” I know…morbid, right? But we’ve had some fascinating discussions about this topic over the years and my husband and my neighbor go into great detail about how they would survive. Let me say, my husband, being a brilliant engineer, would be a handy guy to have around. The story evolved out of those conversations and my neighbors were a great resource for my research.

What genre does your book fall under?

Young adult literature has several subcategories these days, one being dystopian fiction, made famous by Suzanne Collins’ the Hunger Games trilogy, and books like Lois Lowry’s The Giver.

Which actors would you choose to play your characters in a movie rendition?

I always have trouble with this question because there are so many great young actors out there and I’m terrible with names. I think Chord Overstreet from Glee would make a great Will, Emma Watson for Lily, and John Stamos for Sam. Zeph would definitely be the wild card—some unknown thirteen-year-old who would steal the show.

What is the one-sentence synopsis of your book?

In the year 2057, a genetically altered teen travels to the city to find a cure for her uncle's cancer, but the young drifter she meets puts them both in danger.

Will your book be self-published or represented by an agency?

I’m sticking to the indie-publishing route for now. I love the control I have over my product and you can’t beat the royalty percentages. It’s a ton of work, but so far I’m satisfied with how it’s going. If a fabulous agent or a large publishing house approached me with a stellar offer, I’d consider changing my mind.

How long did it take you to write the first draft of your manuscript?

This one took me six months to write the first draft. I’ve done others in three months, but that was before I was published. I hadn’t figured in the amount of time that marketing and promoting the books would require. It really made it challenging to buckle down and get the first draft done. I’ll definitely figure in that time for the next one.

What other books would you compare this story to within your genre?

Other than the dystopian feel of it, the story is really different from the Hunger Games. Not quite as dark and gritty, I think. With the genetic alteration aspect, it’s more like James Patterson’s Maximum Ride series, but has more of a real life feel like that of The Giver by Lois Lowry.

What else about your book might pique the reader’s interest?

One of the central story lines that will develop through the three books is the budding romance between Lily and Will as they embark on their adventures. I love a good teen romance! Oh, and there are wolves!

Tagged for next week – you’re it! Since I only tag authors and writers willing to be tagged, these are my two takers for next week:-)

Casey Wyatt

Marian Lannouette

August Excerpts and Contests

How did I totally miss the month of July? The summer is flying by and I’ve been a very busy writer, doing what I love most…writing. I’ve finished WANING MOON, the first book in The Chronicles of Lily Carmichael Trilogy, set to release SEPTEMBER 28, 2012. I handed the manuscript off to the editor and I should have it back in a few weeks to put it through the polishing and production phase. I’ll reveal the cover next Tuesday on http://www.Secretsof7scribes.wordpress.com.

In the meantime, I’ve been working on a companion short story, called SOUL REDEMPTION, a Prequel to the trilogy from Lily's younger brother Zeph's point of view. The short story will be part of the October WG2E (Writers Guide to E-publishing) Anthology, release date TBA.

CONTESTS:
It’s August Excerpt month over at YA Beyond. In place of my Healthy Teen Tips Friday, I’ll be sharing an excerpt from each of my books. To make it interesting, every week I’ll offer a signed copy of each book to a lucky commenter who also “like’s” our Facebook page. Winners will be announced the following Friday.

Schedule:

August 3rd--HEAVEN IS FOR HEROES. Get to know Jordie and Alex a bit better and enter to win until this Thursday at midnight.

August 10th--ON THIN ICE will be up for grabs. It is also part of a GOOD READS giveaway until August 15th. That means you have a few chances to win a signed copy! Don’t miss out.

August 17th—SAVAGE CINDERELLA will be featured. Simply stop by YA beyond on Friday’s and leave a comment. If you’ve already “liked” our FB page, we’d love to have you follow us on Twitter or subscribe to our blog posts instead.

August 24th—I’ll be sharing an excerpt from WANING MOON. That’s right, you guys get to meet Lily and Will before anyone else.


BIG CONTEST: Enter to win $50 and the opportunity to have your video chosen as the Official Book trailer for WANING MOON.

Rules:

Submit a 1-1:30 minute video book trailer for WANING MOON. Send your videos (AVI or even a PowerPoint presentation) as an attachment to pjsharon64@gmail.com. Each week I’ll pick one video to feature on my FB page and website. A final winner will be chosen September 21st and announced here. Your video will be used as a promotional tool for the release of the book on September 28th. I’ll be looking for book trailers that show originality, quality, design, and artistic interpretation. For examples of book trailers, here are my other two that my husband did. Heaven Is For Heroes was done with Power Point, while ON THIN ICE was done on I-Movie on my husband's Mac. http://www.youtube.com/pjsharon64


Here’s what the book is about:

WANING MOON
In the year 2057, in a post-apocalyptic world where a global shift threatens the remainder of the population with extinction, sixteen-year-old genetically enhanced Lily Charmichael has more immediate problems. Her uncle is dying of cancer and her healing abilities are ineffective against the blood ties that bind them. In order to find a cure, Lily must leave the protection of her quiet town and journey into the trading city of Albany, all while avoiding the Industry, an agency that would like nothing better than to study and exploit her abilities.

Seventeen-year-old Will Callahan has been searching for his father since severe storms blasted through the Midwest, killing his mother and sister. When he learns that his father may be in the city, he catches a ride with Lily, a girl who has come to his rescue more than once. As the two embark on a dangerous journey, the tension between them grows. But the secrets Will’s keeping could put Lily in far more danger than traveling to the city with him, and if he was any kind of man, he would have told her to run the minute she found him.

Helpful details:

1) Lily has light brown hair and green eyes. She goes from having long hair to short early in the book.
2) Will has sandy blond hair and blue eyes. Zephron has dark curly hair and is thirteen.
3) The solar radiation is a big problem after the global shift, and the weather is very hot.
4) Lily lives with her Uncle and her brother in a tiny hill town in the Northeast Sector.
5) Lily has the gift of being able to heal quickly and to heal others.
6) Lily travels to the Albany with a caravan of trucks to go to the trading post.
7) She has some close calls with the robotic Guardians who patrol the city.
8) Will and Lily get dumped into the Hudson River…twice!
9) Lily is in a race against time to get the medicine that could heal her uncle.
10) Lily and Will struggle with their feelings for each other because they both know they have to go their own way eventually.

Good Luck everyone! I hope you have fun with it.

June is Jumping!

So many exciting things happening this month!

I've released SAVAGE CINDERELLA from it's exclusive run with Amazon. This sweet but edgy YA romantic suspense is now available on B&N and Smashwords.

You will also be able to read chapters of the book on a cool site called Wattpad. I'll post a free chapter every Friday. I hope you'll follow along and tell your firends who haven't read the book.


My book HEAVEN IS FOR HEROES now contains BONUS content, including an excerpt from ON THIN ICE and the Story Behind The Story of how HEAVEN IS FOR HEROES came to be.

A huge thank you to all of the wonderful authors and organizers who participated in the Booklovers Buffet .99 cent book sale. The winner of my $10 BN gift card was Donna Lawrence. Thanks Donna, and all of the entrants into our contest, for hanging out with us and buying our books. It was a lot of fun for everyone! But there was also a ton of hard work behind the scenes, so hats off to everyone who pitched in.

Then there was a short vacation I managed to slip in. Last week I went moosing in Maine with my sisters and got some great shots of mama and baby moose cooling off in Sandy Stream pond in Baxter State Park.



Another exciting developement is my involvement with the WG2E Street Team. Over the past several months, I've had the opportunity to work with some amazing and inspiring authors. I never imagined my writing would take me to places like the WG2E (Writers Guide to e-publishing), where authors come together to bring readers great books at great prices. They are the most supportive, smart, hard-working professionals I've ever worked with. That's why I'm happy to say that I will be joining the WG2E Street Team and making the Beach Book Blast site a permanent gig.

We'll have periodic events such as group book releases, a monthly Book Club thrugh Good reads, author interviews, and even some Live Chats so you can get to talk to real authors about their books and their writing life. I'll have more information about the site as the group sets up and implements the plan. Stay tuned!

Giving Away The Shop

Business first! The winner of my Authors in Bloom prize pack was Melissa Bourne Yayyy, Melissa! You can check out the Authors in Bloom main page to find a list of other winners and to see who won the grand prize of a Nook or Kindle.

Now, on to another giveaway! After the Give Your Child a Book Day was so crazy successful yesterday, and I didn't want anyone to miss out on a FREE Kindle copy of my latest release, SAVAGE CINDERELLA, I'll keep the book free for two more days. That's right! Today and tomorrow only, the book is available for a free download from Amazon. Jump on over and get your copy NOW!

If this is your first visit to my blog, I write, as the title suggests, Extraordinary Stories of an Average Teenage Life.

Savage Cinderella is the story of a young girl’s tragically lost innocence, her miraculous survival in the wilderness, and the unlikely romance that teaches her to trust, and leads her to triumph over her past.

Eighteen year-old Brinn Hathaway has survived alone in an abandoned cabin in the High Country of North Georgia since she was a child. If her life is lonely and less than complete, at least she is safe from the man who kidnapped her, held her captive, and left her for dead in a shallow grave in the mountains. She believes that her parents are dead, the police are her enemy, and that if she returns to the world, her tormentor will find her. With the help of some unlikely friends, she has what she needs to survive, but is surviving enough?

Life takes a turn when a young nature photographer, Justin Spencer—in pursuit of the fabled Wild Child—captures her on film. While chasing the story of a lifetime, Justin is injured and Brinn comes to his rescue. The two build a tentative friendship, but with his own violent past, an abusive alcoholic father, and a mother he couldn’t protect, he must decide if proving himself is worth betraying the trust of the girl he has vowed to help.

Trust is a commodity that Brinn has been unable to afford. Can the kindness and gentle touch of a stranger break through the wall she has built around her heart? After half a lifetime of living in isolation and fear, Brinn must decide if leaving the safety of her remote cabin is worth the hope—and danger—that may await her.


Some people might say it's crazy giving away my book like this, but since yesterday, over 8,000 people have downloaded the book for free. If a dozen or so folks feel compelled to write a lovely review, tell their friends what a great story it is, or maybe decide to purchase my other two books, Heaven Is For Heroes and On Thin Ice, then it is well worth it. Besides, every writer writes for one reason and one reason only...to share their stories with the world.

I hope you enjoy Brinn's story as much as I enjoyed writing it. Comments and feedback are always welcomed and I would greatly appreciate any reviews you'd like to post to Amazon.

Blessings!

PJ

Give Your Child a Book Day

Welcome to a fabulous opportunity to give your kids a free e-book for their Kindle! Check out the great list of books available. April 19th, the following Children's, Middle Grade, and YA books are FREE You'll see that my most recent release, SAVAGE CINDERELLA is among them. And because I wouldn't want you to miss out on a great opportunity, my book will stay FREE for three days, from April 19-21. Enjoy! I'll also be announcing the winner of my Authors in Bloom Blog Hop Prizepack right here on Friday the 20th. Stay tuned!

Fill up your Kindle and get your children reading this summer with these 15 books, free on Kindle only on April 19 during the Give Your Child A Kindle Book (or 15 of Them!) Promotion. Scroll down the list, which includes picture books, middle grade novels, and young adult books spanning a range of topics from sports, to paranormal, to historical, to educational. Selected books include the Florida Historical Society's Best Children's Book, and books that have been recommended in Best Books for Young Teen Readers Grades 7-10 and in an edition of Children's Book of the Year. The authors have been published by houses such as Scholastic, Dell, HarperCollins, Simon Pulse, Avon, E.P. Dutton, Millbrook, Lerner, and St. Martin's Minotaur. Adult readers will find much to enjoy on this list also. Some of the titles will be free for a couple days, but the entire list is just guaranteed free on the 19th. We also have two bonus books in multiple e-book formats, compatible with Nook, Sony and more! You'll find the list of novels for older tween and teen readers first, followed by picture books and books for younger readers, and then our two bonus novels.
Please click on the title to follow the Amazon buy links.

NOVELS


Download Dark Before Dawn by Stacy Juba - When teen psychic Dawn Christian gets involved with a fortuneteller mentor and two girls who share her mysterious talents, she finally belongs after years of being a misfit. When she learns her new friends may be tied to freak “accidents” in town, Dawn has an important choice to make – continue developing the talent that makes her special or challenge the only people who have ever accepted her. "A special book that should not be missed.” Fresh Fiction


Download Face-Off by Stacy Juba - Brad’s twin brother T.J. has gotten himself out of the fancy prep school his father picked for him and into the public high school Brad attends. The whole school is rooting for a big double-strength win…not knowing that their twin hockey stars are heating up the ice for a winner takes all face-off. Included in the reference guide Best Books for Young Teen Readers Grades 7-10.


Download Charlie Woodchuck is a Minor Niner by Dalya Moon - It’s 1988, and Charlie Woodchuck is the most minor of niners. At thirteen, she’s the youngest girl at Snowy Cove High School, and so clueless, she wore leg warmers and acid-wash jeans on her first day. Big mistake! Almost as big a mistake as signing up for a boys-only shop class. Doy! Just when she thinks the first week of high school can’t get any more weird, Charlie discovers she may be adopted.


Download Away from Whipplethorn by A.W. Hartoin - Tiny fairies. Huge adventure. Matilda is about to get what she’s always wanted, and it’s a bad thing. Being a babysitter isn’t much of a dream, but Matilda is anything but average. She’s half a centimeter tall, invisible to the human eye, and hearing-impaired. In her life, adventures are in short supply, but there is a emergency list for her first job. The only problem; humans aren’t on the list.


Download The Worldwide Dessert Contest: Enhanced Multimedia Edition by Dan Elish - Pancakes that turn into trampolines, attacking caramel apples, roller-skating pies, are all a part of The Worldwide Dessert Contest: Enhanced Multimedia Edition by Dan Elish, a lip-smacking middle grade fantasy with an original musical score by a Broadway veteran embedded alongside the text! After losing to a cheat for the past eleven years, will chef Applefeller finally manage to nab the prize?


Download Practice Cake: A Romantic Comedy by Dalya Moon - There's one thing Maddie Bird (18) finds more tempting than red velvet cake: her coworker, Drew. All it takes is one of his sly winks or a playful hip-check by the cooler, and she's incinerating the cookies. Her boyfriend would not approve. When a reality TV crew descends upon the bakery, her simple summer job gets even more complicated.


Download Savage Cinderella by PJ Sharon - Eighteen-year-old Brinn Hathaway has survived on her own in the Northwest High Country of Georgia since she was left for dead in a shallow grave by the man who kidnapped her as a child. When a young nature photographer, Justin Spencer, catches the wild girl on film and the two form a tentative friendship, Brinn must decide if coming out of hiding is worth the hope - and the danger-that may await her.


Download Ashlyn's Radio by Wilson Doherty (Norah Wilson and Heather Doherty) - When circumstances force 17-year-old Ashlyn Caverhill to move to her grandma's in Maine, she's PO'd. Although it boasts the hot Caden Williams, she thinks Prescott Junction is the deadest place ever. She may be right. Not only does a ghost train roll through at night, but the Caverhill-cursed radio Ashlyn finds foretells that she'll board it! With Caden's help, she must find a way to escape her fate.


Download Dark Ascension: A Demon Anthology by N.R. Wick - Keep a flashlight handy. This collection of short stories for young adults is sure to draw out whatever's skulking in the shadows. From supernatural entities, to crazed monsters, to disturbing discoveries, evil is lurking 'round every corner. Delve into the dark recesses of this creepy book… if you dare.

FOR YOUNGER READERS:

Download Teddy Bear Town Childrens E-Book Bundle by Stacy Juba - Immerse your child in the gentle world of teddy bears with three picture books in one download. Each story is fully illustrated with simple illustrations of teddy bear families. Includes The Flag Keeper, Victoria Rose and the Big Bad Noise, and Sticker Shoes. The Midwest Book Review on The Flag Keeper: "Excellent educational book filled with information all American children should know."


Download Doctor: Discover Series Picture Book for Kids - Who likes going to the doctor? Who wants their child to grow up to be a doctor? Whether you're looking to alleviate anxiety or plant the suggestion early, DOCTOR features 25 full-color photos of of doctors, nurses and medical equipment. Like other titles in the Kindle Kids Library from Xist Publishing, DOCTOR has been formatted to take advantage of the Kindle, Kindle Fire and Kindle apps for phones, tablets and computers.


Download Einstein The Lazy Kitty by Renae Rae - This 30-page story is inspired by Renae Rae's real-life lazy kitty. Einstein The Lazy Kitty, combines rhythmic writing and colorful illustrations to make this a short, fun book for all ages but it was designed with your toddler and early reader in mind.


Download Time to Get Ready, Bunny! by Brenda Ponnay - It's time to get ready, Bunny! Bunny? BUNNY? In this charming little book, author/illustrator Brenda Ponnay has artfully depicted the morning routine of so many families. Whether your little one would rather stay in bed, play with toys, or try on every outfit in the closet, this book is sure to resonate with parents.


Download Grammar Candy by Katrina Streza - Have you ever wondered what exactly an adjective was? Drawn a blank when your child asked for help with English grammar homework? In GRAMMAR CANDY, the second book by educator Katrina Streza, Danny and Sam are back for another candy-filled learning adventure. This time, they'll turn a grammar lesson into some sweet fun when they visit Mr. Candor's Candy Shop and learn about nouns, pronouns,
adjectives, verbs and more. For candy-loving kids in grades 1-3 (and their parents too)!

BONUS BOOKS: Available in multiple e-book formats compatible with Kindle, Nook, Sony and other e-readers.
The Younger Days by Mike Hays -
In the beginning, Boy Smyth has a dull Missouri farm life and a burning desire to be an outlaw like his hero, Cole Younger. In the end, Boy Smyth has five dead bodies and two burning buildings at his farm and the most feared man in the United States crying outside his front gate. And that desire for the outlaw life? It's purged completely from his system. Download free on April 19 from Muse It Up Publishing.

The Pea Soup Poisonings by Nancy Means Wright - To get into her brother's Spy Club, Zoe must walk a high narrow beam over rusted farm machinery and then discover who poisoned Granny Fairweather's pea soup. She has 5 days to find the culprit. Can she do it? Winner of an Agatha award for Best Children’s/Young Adult Novel. Download free on April 19 from Belgrave House.

Hoppy April!

Hey Gang! Happy Spring time wherever you may be. I love this time of year. The birds are back in force, everything is budding and blooming, and the promise of warmer days has me itching to get out and dig in the dirt.

To celebrate this month, I’m joining forces with a fabulous group of authors on a Blog Hop called Authors in Bloom. How it works is that between April 9th and April 18th, you can visit each author’s blog or website and enter to win an amazing array of prizes. At each stop, you’ll be able to pick up some great gardening tips and wonderful recipes to make your spring that much brighter. You'll also be able to collect phrases at each author's site that will add up to a story. If you collect all the phrases, you can enter to win a Kindle or a Nook loaded with free books! You’ll find all the details and the list of participating authors with links to their sites by clicking here to go to the Authors in Bloom landing page.

Don’t go yet! Here are my phrases to the Authors in Bloom Traveling Story.
Line 4: Nestled together in the garden,
Line 5: they present a lovely palette of beauty; fresh fragrant.

I recommend checking out the details of the contest requirements on the Authors in Bloom site, but if you want to hop right on over to the participating authors and their links to collect your phrases, see their recipes and gardening tips, and enter their individual contests, you can find the links here.

Here's my idea of a Sunny Delight dessert. If you want a great super easy pie recipe that's just perfect for spring and summer, try this:

You'll need one package of vanilla instant pudding mix, 2 cups of cold milk, an 8 oz. package of cream cheese, a graham cracker crust (I buy mine ready made), and a banana. Beat the softened cream cheese with a half cup of the milk until smooth and creamy. Add the vanilla pudding mix and the rest of the milk and blend until thickened (3-5 minutes). Slice half the banana onto the bottom of the pie crust and then pour the pudding mixture on top. Top the pie with the rest of the banana slices and add whipped cream if you like. I also add sliced strawberries to both the bottom and top of my pie to add a sweet/tart flavor. Chill and serve. Enjoy! You can make this low fat and sugar free by using lite cream cheese, sugar free pudding mix, and skim or 1% milk.

As for gardening tips, here's one of my favorites. Check out this you-tube video to find out how to make manure tea. Trust me; your plants are going to LOVE it!

My Contest
At the end of the blog hop, I’ll pick one lucky winner to receive this awesome prize pack which includes signed copies of each of my books, a free download of ON THIN ICE, a mug, bookmarks, a pen, a tee shirt, a World Wildlife Fund water bottle, and a national Wildlife Federation tote along with a cute stuffed baby polar bear! Whew…what a giveaway!

So here’s how you enter. Between April 9th and April 18th leave a comment on this blog. That’s all you have to do to be in the running. Make sure you include a valid e-mail address. If you want more chances to win, you can subscribe to my Newsletter by "Joining my mailing list" here, “like” my Face Book page here, follow me on Twitter here, and tweet about the Authors in Bloom Blog Hop (#Authors in Bloom Blog Hop. Enter to win amazing prizes @pjsharon http://www.pjsharonyawriter.blogspot.com ). It’s that easy, and for every effort, you will be rewarded by having your name entered for another chance in the drawing. If you do all of the above, I’ll add your name an extra time. That means you could be entered five times! That has got to up your chances. Just let me know in the comment section what you’ve done to help me spread the word.
Contest is only open to US residents and deadline to enter is midnight on April 18th. Winner will be announced here and also on the Authors in Bloom site on April 21st.

And if that doesn’t get you hopping, I’m joining fifteen other authors on April 19th for a “Give Your Child a Free Book Day (or fifteen)!

That’s right, SAVAGE CINDERELLA will be included in this wonderful opportunity to grab free Kindle books for kids from children’s books, to Middle Grade, to YA. You can check out the amazing lineup here. Just so you don’t miss out, I’m extending my free days to include April 20th and 21st. Awesome, right? Here's the link to Amazon where you'll have three days to get SAVAGE CNDERELLA for free!

Before I forget, a big thank you to Gina Beach for all of her creative "Title ideas" for Book One of the dystopian trilogy I'm working on called the Chronicles of Lilly Carmichael. A few other folks chimed in with suggestions, but I had to go with my gut on this one. Book One will be titled "WANING MOON", Book II will be "WESTERN DESERT" and Book III, "WINTER SUN". So there you have it! Now I just have to write it:-)

Well, that’s all I have for now. It’s going to be an exciting month!

March Magic

Twenty days until spring, folks. This is always a time of rebirth and awakening for me. I can sense the energy grumbling beneath the earth and waiting to burst forth with life. It's time to get outside and start the early preparations for my garden. I know it sounds crazy with six inches of snow on the ground, but it will be gone before we know it and I'll be out there in a few weeks trimming down some of last summer's remnants. Butterfly bushes and hydrangeas will get a gentle trimming and all the dead pods I left for winter birds will need to be cleared out to make way for new growth in the perennial bed.

On the writing front, I'll be busy getting SAVAGE CINDERELLA ready for publication. Release day is March 15th.

I'll have hard copies available through my website or on Amazon, but since I've elected to publish with Amazon's KDP Select program, the book won't be available for Nook readers until June. This was a hard decision for me because I have loved B&N for many years. But honestly, this is a business decision for me. I have had much greater sales through Amazon and the Select program offers some benefits that I can't get any other way. If you have an i-pad or sony reader, or even an i-phone, you can download a Kindle app and be able to get the e-book that way. If anyone has a problem with this, please contact me and I will make sure you get a copy of the book.

As for where I'll be this month, please check out my calendar page of my website to follow my blog tour. You can also "like" my Face book fan page and keep track of my activiteies that way. I always love hearing from readers and writers about what's happening in your world and what your thoughts are about my books.

And speaking of books, I need a title for the first book in the dystopian trilogy I'm working on. The series will be called THE CHRONICLES OF LILLY CARMICHAEL. Click here for a brief synopsis and then stop back in when you have some ideas for titles. If I choose your title, I'll send you signed copies of my first three books. Contest ends at midnight on March 31st.

I look forward to hearing your ideas!

February-the month of fish and dragons

Happy Spring, Everyone!

I know, I know...it's not technically Spring and in fact for most people, February is the month of the winter doldrums. For me, February represents fresh starts and the beginning of change. It's my birthday month and that means that I'm a Piesces. I'm not a huge follower of astrology, but I do think there is something to the idea that there is a plan brewing in the cosmos. So what do I do every year on my birthday? I take a trip to the beach where I feel most connected to my true nature. I love feeling the sand beneath my feet and the sun on my face, and hearing the crash of waves on the shore. There is something about the vastness of the ocean that makes me feel small and yet infinitely loved by my creator. My yearly sojourn to the beach in February is a time of reflection and renewal for me.

Not only am I a water baby who loves the beach, I'm also born under the sign of the Dragon, according to the Chinese zodiac. Dragons are auspicious creatures known for their strength, courage, and transformative abilities. 2012 is the year of the dragon, which means there will be a lot of changes coming our way. Most people are fearful of change, but us dragons welcome it. We love the surprises that await us around the corner and look forward to facing challenges with fire and fortitude.

This month, I'll be continuing my blog tour (check the calendar page of my website for locations and topics). I'm putting the finishing touches on SAVAGE CINDERELLA (once I get it back from the editor), and I'm happy to say, I've started working on the first book in my Dystopian Trilogy, THE CHRONICLES OF LILLY CARMICHAEL. I haven't titled the first book yet, so I'd love some help with that if anyone has any great ideas.

The premise is that the year is 2048, and three quarters of the population has been wiped out by a virus. Lilly and her brother Zephron have survived and are hiding out in the Northeast sector with their uncle and are trying to avoid capture from an agency called the Industry. Why, you ask? Lilly and her brother were born of an experiment that took place during the plague, when the government was trying to create children who would be resistant to the virus. Lilly's mother was the lead scientist on the project and had great success with Lilly. But the experiment went terribly wrong with Zeph and Dr. Carmichael died in childbirth. Now the government is rounding up these Gen-1 and Gen-2 children and bringing them to the Western desert where they are never seen again. Lilly has spent most of her 16 years protecting Zeph and hiding her gift. But in order to survive in this new world, she may have to come out of hiding and show the world exactly who she is.

Submit your ideas for a title for Book 1, and if I choose your suggestion, you'll win a signed copy of each of my books, HEAVEN IS FOR HEROES, ON THIN ICE, AND SAVAGE CINDERELLA due out next month. You have until the end of March to submit your suggestions.

Thanks for your help! Oh yeah, Book 1 takes place over the summer where the weather is steamy hot and extreme. There has been a polar shift that creates brutal winters and tropical summers, so keep that in mind when you're thinking of the title.

And try going to the beach on one of these beautiful February days. You won't regret it, and you'll see that Spring is right around the corner.

January Events.

Happy New Year and happy reading everyone. I've got a TBR (To Be Read) pile that would eclipse my nightstand if it weren't for my new Kindle Fire that I got for Christmas. I've loaded up on books from the Booklovers Buffet Extravaganza where e-books are .99 cents until January 15th. My first young adult novel, HEAVEN IS FOR HEROES is among them. Also available now is ON THIN ICE and I'm working on revisions to SAVAGE CINDERELLA which will be out in March of this year. I'm very excited about all that 2012 has in store.

I have a blog tour scheduled between January 22 and March 22 and I'm planning a trip to the RT Booklovers Convention in Chicago in April where I'll be signing and selling books at the Expo there. I'm looking forward to meeting fans, industry professionals, and other indie authors like myself.

Check my website calendar page for details about the blog tour topics and watch for more about SAVAGE CINDERELLA as March approaches. I'm hoping to have more options on my YouTube channel and if you haven't seen the book trailers for the first two books, please feel free to check them out.

I'll keep you all up to date on events and promotions here at this blog site and would love to hear from you. Please leave comments, suggestions or questions and I'd be happy to respond. If you would like to read some of my blog posts, check out the links on the right side of this page. I'm over at the Secrets of 7 Scribes on Tuesdays and at YABeyond on Fridays talking about Healthy Teen tips. You can "like" my facebook page, follow me on Twitter @pjsharon, or sign up for my occasional newsletter by going to my website and adding your name to my mailing list. News letters are very non-spammy and only come out when I have actual news to report or a special contest or promotion I think you might want to know about.

In the meantime, many blessings in the year to come!