DAY ONE -Our first giveaway goes to Jeanine Elizalde, a Goodreads follower – Congratulations Jeanine, you’ve won a copy of The Award-winning novel SPARE CHANGE that will be sent to your NOOK. Enjoy reading!

DAY TWO – The luck winner of Today’s Giveaway is Karin Jackson – Congratulations Karin, you’ve won a Nook Book copy of the Award-winning Novel CRACKS IN THE SIDEWALK. Enjoy Reading!

DAY THREE – Congratulations to Shirley King, she is the lucky winner of The Kindle Best-Selling Romance Novel THAT BOY by Jillian Dodd. Shirley I know you will enjoy this book as much as I did!

DAY FOUR – Congratulations to today’s lucky winner Jan D’Ambrosia – A Goodreads follower, Jan will receive a Kindle or Nook copy of the four-time Award-winning novel SPARE CHANGE – happy reading Jan.

HERE’S HOW TO ENTER – Simply go to Amazon or BarnesandNoble.com, purchase a copy of The Twelfth Child – in any format – then stop back here at my blog and leave a comment mentioning where you bought the book. Do it on May 21st and you’ve got 10 chances to win, May 22nd- 9 chances to win, May 23rd - 8 chances…well, you get the idea.

SPECIAL PRICE – For the ten days of this contest, the Kindle and Nook versions of The Twelfth Child will be specially priced at $4.99 – on June 1st the e-books will go back to the regular price of $6.99.

AND THERE’S MORE… For the ten-day launch period, the Kindle and Nook version of  both SPARE CHANGE and CRACKS IN THE SIDEWALK will be specially priced at $4.99

JOIN IN THE FUN…Enter early and increase your chances of winning. Good luck!

To purchase this book from Amazon or download a free sample to your Kindle CLICK HERE

To puchase this book from Barnes & Noble or download a free sample to your Nook CLICK HERE

LIFE IN THE LAND OF IS…The Amazing Story of Lani Deauville, The World’s Longest Living Quadriplegic

This is a story that will both amaze and inspire you…Lani Deauville believes in “IS”…yesterday is gone, tomorrow is yet to be but “IS” is now and it’s the truth of reality. In this beautifully captured memoir, Lani Deauville tells how in one moment she in one moment of reckless abandon she went from a teenage diving champion to the edge of death and back again. Although destined to spend her remaining years in a wheelchair, Lani insists she wouldn’t change one moment of the amazing life that took her from high school dropout to one of the most acomplished and respected rehabilitative professionals in the state of Florida.

To purchase this book or download a free sample to your Kindle CLICK HERE

The living room was transformed into a black and white circus tent with clusters of stars imported from the Stargazer Tent.

The Reveurers each received an admission ticket and they were appropriately dressed in traditional black and white attire with a dash of red to indicate that they were in fact Reveuers … which by the way is the French word for Dreamers.

The buffet included such delicacies as chocolate mice, cinnamon sugary things, and sea creature stuff.

And did I mention the black and white Disappearing Cake?

In addition to all this fun, we also had a discussion of the book, some of the gals loved it, some didn’t. It’s one of those books that you either love or hate. Me, I loved it. I loved the magical prose and the beauty of Erin Morgenstern’s written word. I also loved the magical feel of a fairytale love story unfolding before my eyes. I could picture the majestic clock that stood just beyond the entrance, the fragrance of carmel wafting through the air and the overwhlming love that enabled these two fairytale characters to overcome all adversity.

A book club discussion should not be about just agreeing that a book was a good or not good read – a book club discussion is a voyage of discovery and this one was wonderful.

In April I did my first speaking engagement at the Villages which I discovered is a delightful town of 110,000 residents. I  was scheduled to speakto the Lake Sumpter Ladies Group, but upon arrival I was also greeted by a reporter for the town newspaper and their TV Station newsman.  It was a whirlwind of activity that resulted in a taped interview that was broadcast the following week and a feature article in the MIX SOUTH, a supplement to the Daily Sun.

Since this was not a book club, I assumed that few, if any, ladies had read my books, but I was pleasantlysurprised to find that several of the ladies had read not just one book but both novels and they were filled with questions – not only about the characters and backgrounds of the the stories they had read, but also about The Twelfth Child, the book scheduled for May release. One of the questions that almost always pops up is how I came up with the idea for the book – this is especially true of Spare Change. I told the truth of how the idea came to me…we were visiting friends on the Eastern Shore of Virginia, a narrow strip of land where you can drive for miles without seeing anything but scrub brush and farmland, and seeing a place so remote made me think that a murder could happen out here and no one would hear it. That was the birth of an idea and a year later I gave birth to Spare Change.

I have to believe the group enjoyed my talk because just weeks later I was invited back to the Villages to speak to the Bailey Trail Ladies. One of the interesting things about this group is when I asked (and I always do) how many members of the audience read on an e-reader like Nook or Kindle – it was probably 75% – 80% who did.

It’s wonderful to see people moving over to the e-readers.  The e-reader revolution has put a major crimp in the monopoly that the big six held on the publishing industry. E-readers level the playing field and enable the independant publishers to offer great books at a more reasonable prices. One of the other things that I personally love about both the Kindle and Nook is that readers can download a free sample of a book that they’re considering. That 15 or 20 pages enables the reader to see whether or not they would enjoy reading the book.  This has become my preferred method of shopping for books, and I hope it will become yours.  And yes, a free sample is available on all four of my books, so enjoy.

And now for the Most Heartfelt Winners

#1  One of God’s Greatest Gifts  (Betsy)

#2  Caring, Loving, Weeping, Working, Living  (Rebecca B)

#3   She’s Always on Your Side  (Linda R)

And Winners for the Funniest are:

#1  Protector, Teacher, Champion, Cheerleader, ATM (Gayle S)

#2  The Go-To For Everything (Mary P)

#3  The Other Half of Me (Jennifer H)

First Place Winners will receive autographed copies of both Spare Change and Cracks in the Sidewalk, Second Place winners will receive an autographed copy of either of these books, and third place winners will receive their choice of either book for their Nook or Kindle.  Congratulations to all…and now for some of the other wonderful entries….

Gave Life, Loved a Lifetime

A Safe Place to Land

Fabulous, fan, fun, friend, funny

Wisdom, Caring, Fun, Warm, Welcoming

Loving, Devoted, Selfless, Confidante, Friend

Super Smart Sophisticated, Sassy, Scary

Busy, Caring, Multi-tasking, Lovable, Best-friend

Friend. Survivor, Laugh, Shoulder, Generous

Caring, Joyful, Lovable, Kind, Generous

Never ever a dull moment

Outgoing, Intelligent, Patient, Fun-loving, Champion

Faithful, Loving, Patient, Forgiving, Gentle

Friend, Confidant, Strength, Support System and Wonderful Source of Love

Looking after me from Heaven

Smart, Strong, Supportive, Playful, Loving

Courageous, Boundless Love, Yummiful Cook

Nurturing, Neurotic, Selfless, Teacher, Best Friend

Nurturer, Teacher, Mentor, Hero, Friend

Problem-solver, Nurturing, Loving, Magical, Multi-tasker

Warmth, dynamic, Tenderness, Rock, Patient

Mother was love, light and laughter

And last (although way more than 5 words, but very clever…)

M . . . multi-tasking, mighty, maternal
O . . . outrageous, open, outgoing
T . . . top notch, tender, tough, tired, true
H . . . helpful, happy
E . . . encouraging, enthusiastic, expressive
R . . . real, responsible, ready, refined
S . . . selfless

In 2012 SPARE CHANGE won the Reviewer’s Choice Award in both the General Fiction Category and the Southeast Literature Category. It also won the Jack Eadon Award for Best Contemporary Fiction. In 2012 SPARE CHANGE  was also one of the five finalist chosen by a panel of judges as the Finalist in the BookBundlz Annual Competition.  And, in 2010, while it was still in manuscript form, SPARE CHANGE won a Royal Palm Literary Award for Unpublisheed Women’s Fiction.

In 2011 What Matters Most, a book scheduled to be released November of 2012 also won a Royal Palm Literary Award for Unpublished Women’s Fiction.

In 2009 CRACKS IN THE SIDEWALK took First Place honors in the Royal Palm Literary Award Competition for Published Women’s Fiction. This book went on to win the FPA PRESIDENT’S BOOK AWARD GOLD MEDAL in 2011.

In 2008 GIRL CHILD won the National League of American Pen Women Award for Published Fiction.

All in all, the past four years have been truly exciting, but perhaps the greatest of all accolades is when a reader comes up to me and says…I just finished reading your book and I loved it. Those are the words that every author longs to hear.

The Twelfth Child is the story of friendship, lost love, dysfunctional family relationships and greed as it evolved around the life of one woman, Abigail Anne Lannigan. She was a free-spirited, independent woman much like many we know today, but perhaps out of place in the rural mountain life of the early 1900’s. As you go through some of the discussion questions, try to imagine yourself back in that era, years before women were allowed to vote, a time when men controlled the destiny of women.

1)                  In the opening chapter the elderly Abigail Anne Lannigan rapidly develops a friendship with Destiny Fairchild, a young woman in her early twenties – do you think such a friendship is unlikely? Why do you think a young girl would have an interest in such an elderly woman?  Did you early on consider that Destiny had an ulterior motive in developing the friendship?

2)                  Abigail Lannigan took an immediate dislike to Elliott, even though he was supposedly a blood relative – why do you think she felt that way?  What was your reaction to Elliott? How did you feel about Abigail tricking him into claiming he was a Baptist?

3)                  After Livonia died, Abigail’s father was extremely opposed to her continuing school, why do you think he felt that way?

4)                  Abigail’s father was set on the idea of her marrying Henry Keller, do you think he was simply concerned with her welfare or had ulterior motives?

5)                  Henry professed his love for Abigail, do you think she should have stayed and married him? Why do you think she couldn’t bring herself to respond to his love?

6)                  Judith Troy, Abigail’s school teacher, went against William Lannigan when she helped his daughter get a job in the city and leave home – do you think she had the right to interfere in such a manner? What would you have done?

7)                  During the Great Depression when she was hungry and out of options, Abigail took the job in a speakeasy, even though she knew it was illegal and she could have been arrested, what would you have done? Should she have considered returning home and marrying Henry as her father wanted her to?

8)                  Abigail seemed to fall in love with John Langley the moment he walked into the library, have you ever experienced a similar reaction to someone? Do you think she was simply awed by him, or is such a reaction is possible?

9)                  Abigail knew John was a travelling salesman, but should she have been suspicious when he kept finding excuses for being elsewhere during the holidays? Should she have confronted him about this? And, why do you think she didn’t?

10)              When Abigail told John she was expecting a baby, he said he couldn’t marry her but offered to continue the relationship – she was desperately in love with him, so why do you think she turned and ran instead of taking him up on his offer?

11)              After she lost the baby, Abigail sent John away even though she still loved him, do you think you could do the same?  Why do you think she chose that path of action?

12)              Why do you think Abigail’s father never responded when she sent him the pipe for Christmas?

13)              The reader does not discover that Abigail is already dead until mid-story, did that come as a surprise to you?

14)              At the end of the story, Abigail indicates that even though Destiny did not get the bonds she wanted her to have, everyone got what was coming to them – do you agree?  Did you feel there was a sense of poetic justice in the final resolution?

15)              Would you have changed the ending and if so, how?

16)              Who was your favorite character in the book and why?

17)              Can you speculate on what might eventually happen to the bonds?

SPARE CHANGE – BOOK CLUB DISCUSSION QUESTIONS

The novel Spare Change addresses a number of issues and covers a time span of over fifty years, which of the following would you consider this book – Historical Fiction, Murder Mystery, Women’s Fiction or Inspirational Fiction?

The story takes place in the first half of the twentieth century, do think it was possible back then to successfully have both a career and a family?

Have you ever known a woman who, like Olivia, felt having children would be a detriment to the other aspects of her life?

Olivia had a lot of foolish superstitions; do you have any superstitions you know are foolish?

After Charlie’s death, did you suspect the okra soup Canasta gave Olivia actually had a magical quality that brought about happiness?

When Olivia returned to live in Charlie’s apartment the residents felt she was responsible for his death and they shunned her—do you think there was something she might have said or done to convince them otherwise? In a similar circumstance do you think you’d be more forgiving or do you think it’s human nature to resent the interloper?

Ethan Allen’s mother Susanna was a lot like Olivia in that she had aspirations of a career and she did not want children – did they differ only in education and refinement or could you see other distinctions?

Susanna’s husband Benjamin knew she wanted to be a singer when he asked her to marry him – was he at fault for thinking he could change her or was she to blame for thinking he’d be her ticket to New York?

Susanna and Ethan Allen had a rather strange relationship; it was not parental but did you believe it to be loving relationship?

When Susanna finally decided to take Ethan Allen and go to New York without Benjamin, was she justified in making that decision?

When Benjamin took the money Susanna had saved to buy a new tractor, was he justified in doing so? How do you think you’d react if, without prior discussion, your spouse withdrew your savings and bought something he wanted/needed?

Ethan Allen was not your typical innocent child—he manipulated people to get the things he wanted—was it excusable because of his home life?  Did you see the parallel in the way his parents manipulated each other in their attempts to get what they wanted?

The gas station owner Tom Behrens helped Ethan Allen get to Wyattsville, do you think he was in his mind righting the wrongs of his own childhood?

When Ethan Allen arrived at Olivia’s why do you think he was reluctant to tell the truth of what he’d seen?

Did you think Detective Jack Mahoney was simply trying to close a case or had a genuine concern for Ethan Allen?

Did you feel Sam Cobb got involved as he did because he was trying to garner a departmental promotion or because he was trying to protect his father?  If you were in the position of knowing your parent or sibling had committed a crime would you tell the truth to investigators?

What about Emma Cobb, should she have hidden the bloody shirt and what did you see as her alternatives?

Although Olivia never wanted children, she allowed Ethan Allen to stay—what did you see as her reason for doing so? Did you feel that it was because she had also experienced the feeling of being alone and friendless?

After Scooter Cobb was killed, Olivia told the police that she shot Scooter but she allowed Ethan Allen to believe that he had done it. Did you see this as a kindness to the boy because he could now believe that he’d saved someone he cared about whereas with his parents he’d been helpless to do anything?

The final chapter takes place in Heaven, would you have written it differently?

SPEAKING ENGAGEMENTS 2013

January 3 – Cocoa Beach GFWC Ladies

SPEAKING ENGAGEMENTS – 2012

November 14 – Legacy Book Club

November 7 – Coral Gables Ladies Club

November 6 – Cascades Book Club

June 25 – West Palm Beach Women’s Club

June 15 – Fort Lauderdale GFWC Group

May 10 – the Villages, Bailey Trail Ladies Group

April 2 – The Villages, Women’s Coffee Club

March 26 – Sebastian Women’s Club

March 15 – PGA Book Club

February 28 – EastPointe Country Club

February 14 – Sisterhood of Temple Beth El Israel

February 8 – Evergreen Book Club

February 7 – GFWC, Vero Beach Women’s Club

SPEAKING ENGAGEMENTS – 2011

May 13 – Vero each Yacht Club

February 18 – Palm Beach Writer’s Group

January 20 – Monarch Country Club

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SPEAKING ENGAGEMENTS – 2010

December 7 – Lundmann Book Study Group (80+)

November 18 – National League of American Pen Women, Boca Raton

November 17 – GFWC, Women’s Club of Stuart

September 15 – GFWC, Port St. Lucie Women’s Club

September 8 – Sisterhood of Temple Beth El Israel, PSL

April 21 – Cascades Women’s Group

April 17 – Westside Baptist Ladies Annual Tea (350 attendees)

April 13 – PGA Island Club Readers

April 6 – GFWC, Vero Beach Women’s Club

March 24 – Brandeis Book Study Group

March 3 – Treasure Coast Writer’s Association

February 11 – RWA (Republican Women Aware) Vero Beach

February 8 – Singer Island Book Club

February 5 – Art in the Park Book Talk

January 21 – Casey Women’s Book Club

January 14 – Soroptimist International, Port St. Lucie

January 12 – PGA Philanthropic Educational Organization

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SPEAKING ENGAGEMENTS – 2009

November 4 – Bodega Blue Book Club, Vero Beach

October 5 – PGA Island Club

April 23 – PGA , Savoy Book Club

March 23 – Vero Beach Book Center

February 21 – AAUW Vero Beach Annual Author Fundraiser (200 attendees)

February 11 – AAUW of Stuart at Evergreen Country Club

February 9 – PGA Ladies Book Club

January 21 – GFWC, Stuart

January 17 – Book Talk, Delray Library

January 10 – DAR Regent’s Conference, Wellington (100+ attendees)