Charity Around the World: Children's Tumor Foundation

Charity Hopping

Around the World

Children's Tumor

Foundation

Ending Neurofibromatosis Through Research

Special thanks to blog hop sponsors:

I Am A Reader Not A Writer

Reading Away The Days

Reading A Little Bit of Everything

Mercedes Christesen was a bright, bouncy, cute little girl with a beautiful complexion sprinkled with freckles across her nose.  No one would ever have suspected she had a mutant gene just waiting to fill her life with dread and pain.  She is one of every 3,000 births with a genetic disorder called neurofibromatosis (NF).  30% is by spontaneous mutation.  No one else in our family has NF.  But once a person is born with NF, she/he has a 50% chance of passing that on.  Both Mercedes' daughters have NF, too.

So what is neurofibromatosis?  The best way to understand it is to go to the Children's Tumor Foundation website.  You'll find lots of information there on this genetic disorder, as well as how you can help.  Here's a brief overview from the home page:

With most disorders and diseasees, there are poster children that tug at our heartstrings. With NF, you won't find many people willing to put their pictures out there. It's a disfiguring disease caused by tumors that grow on the nerves both inside and outside. Many of these tumors are extremely painful in the physical sense, and some turn cancerous, but that's nothing compared to walking into a store and seeing people turn their heads with horror written all over their faces, some covering their children's eyes.

But no matter how many tumors grow or where those tumors are located, some people are just beautiful, and Mercedes is one of those people.  You can find more beautiful people and their stories on the NF Heroes page. 



Royalties of the print book go to
Children's Tumor Foundation
http://www.ctf.org

Because of the courage of these people in spite of obstacles that would bring most of us to our knees and keep us hiding in our houses with the draperies closed, I dedicated my first book to the cause.  The NF Heroes in my acquaintance are a fun-loving bunch, so Faery Special Romances is a fun fantasy, complete with faeries, romance, and adventure:

Once Upon A Time, the faery princess Keely tried to match . . .

. . . a misguided faery maiden and a surly but handsome knight, the pirate Devlin Angel and the ever-hopeful Myra, a faery under the ruse of Lord Kembell and a lady of noble birth, a blacksmith and a duchess, a flapper and a barnstormer pilot . . .

But can Keely keep her own heart? With faery magic, anything can happen!

This enchanted carpet-ride features ten romantic faery tales, ten happy couples, and a journey through history with Keely, who grows from a kindergartner to a beautiful young faery woman.

Faery Special Romances is a sweet romance for adults, appropriate for teens, too.  It won the Night Owl Romance Award for Best Print Sci-Fi/Fantasy Romance, the Coffee Time Romance Reviewers Award, and several other awards and Top Picks as well. Try it. :)  (print, ebook.)

Win a Free eBook!

Six Chances to Win

Winner's choice of any of these ebooks:

♥ Hearts of Owyhee ♥ series (western historical romance):

Much Ado About Marshals

Much Ado About Madams

Fantasy romace:

Faery Special Romances

Faery Merry Christmas (novella)

All you have to do to win is leave a comment, but be sure to leave your email address in case you win, or else I'll have to choose another winner.
Note: some books are Kindle only.  Winners will be drawn April 5, 2012, noon Pacific Time.
Special thanks to Children's Tumor Foundation and all the great work they do!

Want to win more stuff? Visit these participating sites!

Caroline Clemmons: Brazos Bride

Brazos Bride

by Caroline Clemmons

Hope Montoya is being poisoned, but who would do that? and why? Her father was murdered and her mother succumbed from a "wasting disease" that Hope now thinks was also poison. She must save herself, and save her ranch--neither of which is easy when she's too weak to even walk.

Micah Stone has just been acquitted of Alfredo Montoya's shooting but the townspeople aren't buying it. His cattle are dying of thirst and all that stands in the way of their survival is a pathway to the Brazos River--straight through Montoya land. Imagine his surprise when Hope, the woman who has haunted his dreams since he danced with her at the fandango, comes to him with a business deal. Can he save Hope, his cattle, and his dreams with his heart intact?

Every time I read a Caroline Clemmons book, I think it can't be better than the last one, but she somehow manages to raise the bar with each story. Brazos Bride is steeped in mystery, adventure, and romance with a handsome cowboy, a savvy heroine, and a vile villain. I can hardly wait for Micah's brothers' stories!

Note to Ms. Clemmons: write faster!

Links to Caroline Clemmons:

Amazon author page ~ Website ~ Blog ~ Facebook ~ Twitter

Reviewed by Jacquie Rogers

#LuckyDaysFreeParTay is here! Award-winning Authors!

Have You Ready For The
Lucky Days Free Par-Tay?

March 14 - 18 only

Indie Book Collective is throwing a party and you're all invited!  We're over-imbibing in books, books, books! 

And hey, if you live in the UK, Germany, France, or other Amazon countries, the books are available there, too.  Most are FREE, others are only 99¢.

Check out these awesome books!

ACES WILD by Taylor Lee: They call him Angel but women see the devil in his eyes
THE COUNTERFEIT by Tammie Gibbs: Historical western romance, mystery and humor 
WANTED DEAD OR ALIVE by Amber Scott: A time traveling woman MUST protect her heart
CHARITY BEGINS AT HOME by Alicia Rasley: Don’t be fooled by a sweet talking man
NEARLY DEPARTED IN DEADWOOD by Ann Charles: Mystery, romance, comedy, and suspense
MUCH ADO ABOUT MADAMS by Jacquie Rogers: Romance and mayhem in the Old West

Also, sign up for the Free Par-Tay newsletter and you'll be eligible to win Amazon Gift Cards!

Pick Up Over 40 Great Books for exactly 00¢!

Announcing

Lucky Days Free Par-Tay

March 14th-18th!

Your Lucky Day is here!  Yep, it's Free Par-Tay, and where else can you find dozens of great books at no cost?  That includes my latest book, Much Ado About Madams.  Fill up your Kindle now! 

Discover over 40 amazing ebooks: Romances, Thrillers, Mysteries, Humor, Fantasies, and more! 

All FREE at Amazon.com 

Fantastic ebooks, many by award-winning and best-selling authors. 

There's a genre for every reader's taste.

• Romance from sweet to HOT, suspense, paranormal, humorous, historical...we have an awesome range.
• If Mysteries and Thrillers are your thing you can't go wrong. Police action, murderous mayhem, amateur sleuths and more.
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• Got kids? We have books for elementary school age and teens alike.

Don't miss out! Soon these amazing ebooks will be back to their usual prices. Grab them while they're FREE! March 14th-18th. 

Who says you can have too much of a good thing. You can never have too many great books. Load up your Kindle and tell your neighbors to do the same. 

The FREE Par-Tay is a BLAST!

 Some Examples of the Great Books Available 

You like Romance?

Find them here 

Don’t miss Mimi Barbour’s My Cheeky Angel or Verna DePaul’s Chased by Sin. Rita Herron will make you smile with Marry Me Maddie. Stephanie Bond’s I think I Love You and Denise Domning’s Almost Perfect are perfect for the addicted romance reader. Debra Burroughs Three Days in Seattle and Nina Bruhns’ The French Detective’s Woman add a splash of mystery and suspense to their romance.  

Excited by Thrillers? Ecstatic for Mysteries?

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Ron Kierkegaard’s The God Particle stretches the boundaries and Michael Shean’s Shadow of a Dark Star will open your eyes to new worlds. Michael Paneush’s The Stein and Candle Detective Agency is a fantastical take on mystery and fantasy abounds in Jack Albrecht’s Osric’s Wand and Vicki Keirie’s Worlds Burn Through.  

Liquid Lies By Lois Lavrisa dives into secrets, lies and murder, while Shannon Mayer will lead you through ten Horrifying stories in Ingredients of a Caldron. Nathan Yocum investigates a post-apocalyptic future in The Zona and Katherine Owen digs deep in a story of love and loss in Seeing Julia. 

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New Release! Much Ado About Madams

Much Ado About Madams
by Jacquie Rogers
Book 2 of the Hearts of Owyhee series

* A story this good can only come from the imagination of Jacquie Rogers *

~ Detra Fitch, Huntress Reviews

* A rollicking riot of a good read! *
~Ann Charles, author of Nearly Departed in Deadwood

* A romantic trip to the Old West stamped with Jacquie Rogers' special brand of humor *
 ~ Caroline Clemmons, author of Brazos Bride

* Ms Rogers' clever western romance, MUCH ADO ABOUT MADAMS manages to enrousingly engage her growing readership while reminding us of the difficulties faced by the brave women who tamed the American West.  All that, and did I say entertaining! *

~ John Klawitter, author of The Freight Train of Love

Overview:
A suffragist schoolteacher with a hidden past,
Six shopworn whores cooking up plans for a better future,
And a hunky cowhand who isn't quite sure what to do with all these women...
Life isn't always comfortable at The Comfort Palace!

If you'd like a humorous Linda Lael Miller or an old west Rachel Gibson novel, you'll love Much Ado About Madams!

Amazon ♥ Jacquie's website ♥ Facebook ♥ Twitter

Winners of my blog swap with S.G. Rogers:

toasttodragons

and

D’Elen McClain

You'll each receive:

The Last Great Wizard of Yden by S.G. Rogers

and

Faery Special Romances by Jacquie Rogers

Congratulations!

S.G. Rogers: Got Dragons? #wintwobooks

Got Dragons?
by S. G. Rogers

Although they’ve received a bad rap from time to time, I like dragons. J.K Rowling certainly portrayed dragons as pure flying terror in Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire. I suppose Dragonriders of Pern by Anne McCaffrey was a big influence on me growing up. In McCaffrey’s Pern novels, dragons bond with humans to become partners. When I was writing The Last Great Wizard of Yden, I envisioned dragons as a combination of horse, dog, cat, and friend.

Of course dragons can’t be any of those things if they no longer exist. When 16-year-old Jon Hansen finds his way to Yden, he discovers the evil Wolf Clan wizard Efysian has killed off all the dragons. To restore them to their rightful place, Jon uses his extraordinary magical ability to draw things to life…

Excerpt:

“Is that a good idea?” Casey asked Jon.

“Efysian killed off the dragons. It's time I brought them back.”

“No, I mean dragons breathe fire, don't they? How do you know it's going to be a friendly dragon?” Casey asked.

The completed drawing shimmered against the dawn and began to take shape. Suddenly Jon was consumed with doubt. “You've got a point, Casey,” he said. “Maybe we should wait inside.”

Unfortunately, the turret staircase was now filled with the echo of cygards in pursuit. Jon’s heart sank when he noticed Lyesh leading the charge. Kira brandished her sword. “We are cut off!”

Jon winced as a colossal‑sized dragon materialized in the open space where his drawing had been. “Get behind the turret!” he yelled. “Fast!”

The turret was made out of stone blocks he hoped would provide protection from fire. Although the four of them made it to safety in time to avoid a blazing‑hot blast of dragon fire, the cygards unwittingly ran right into it. As the other cygards screamed in agony, Lyesh lurched past the turret, in flames, and flipped over the parapet. Several seconds later, he hit the ground with a sickening crash.

Fred dug his elbow into Jon’s ribs. “Good going, cheese wiz,” he whispered. “We're all gonna be human marshmallows.”

They waited in eerie silence.

“Maybe the dragon flew away?” Casey whispered.

Jon craned his neck, but the only thing he saw overhead was a black bird circling in the sky. Suddenly the tip of a huge bright red tail curled around the turret and whomped the stones beside them. The whole tower shook with the vibration, and Fred let out a startled yelp. The tail coiled out of sight once more and then there came a grating sound, like sandpaper on wood.

“What’s that noise?” Casey whispered.

Jon shook his head. “I don’t know.”

Bracing himself against injury and/or death, he edged around the side of the turret to peek at the monster he’d created. The animal was as big as a single‑engine Cessna airplane, and its scales shone like a freshly washed fire engine. The grating sound was the sound of the dragon’s tongue licking its hide.

“It’s grooming itself like a cat in the sun,” Jon said over his shoulder.

The dragon's eyes caught him. As Jon froze in fear, the creature lowered his head and nudged a crisped cygard with his snout. The dragon seemed to wink and snort with laughter. Then he folded up his fifteen‑foot wings, lolled over on his back, and waited for Jon to scratch his tummy. Gulping, he worked his way closer. When he put his hand on the dragon's belly, the animal arched his back in invitation. The dragon's tail smacked the floor with pleasure as Jon stroked him. Unable to contain his joy, Jon hollered in delight.

***

Okay, I admit it. On Yden, dragons can be pure flying terror—if you happen to get on their wrong side. I just happen to be on the side of the dragons. *winks*

~ S.G. Rogers

To learn more about S.G. Rogers, visit her blog.

The Last Great Wizard of Yden has been nominated for book of the month at iBookBuzz.com! If you love dragons, please vote.

Voting is open only until March 14th.

For his sixteenth birthday, all Jon wanted were the keys to the family car. Instead, he got a lousy magic ring…

Artistic prodigy Jon Hansen yearns to fit in, but when he stumbles onto a supernatural kidnapping, his life changes forever. Unfortunately, his search for answers uncovers a magical secret—one that makes Jon a danger to everyone around him.

The Wolf Clan wizard Efysian has been draining the magic from Yden. On a quest for eternal power, he’s willing to kill to feed his addiction. To harness the ultimate source of energy, he travels to Earth. This time, however, he has a persistent witness to his crime.

Can Jon survive long enough to outwit the most evil wizard the magical world has ever known? Or will Efysian add the young wizard to his gruesome collection of trophies?

To buy The Last Great Wizard of Yden, go to:

Amazon or BN.com.

… or wherever online books are sold.

Contest!

You can win a copy of The Last Great Wizard of Yden by S.G. Rogers AND a copy of Faery Special Romances by Jacquie Rogers just by leaving a comment! Be sure to include your email address. Winner will be drawn 9pm Pacific Time on March 11th.  Be sure to check out my post over at S.G. Rogers' blog for another chance to win both books!