Welcome, friend.
​
Right now...
Fear grips the land. Cowardice calls, betrayal beckons, and the Unknown rears its shrouded head before our eyes. Right now -- you are being called out, whether you hear it or not. You get this next moment, this next breath, to cross the shadowed line and bridge the gap of faith. 

When in doubt, when you’re on that line and the crowd has drawn back in fear, be the H.E.R.O. — implement a code of Honor, Engagement, Resilience, Ownership.

Honor: The hero serves a greater purpose than self. Move forward in integrity, service, and in honor of others and self. In a quick check, the hero can move from defeat into progress by checking the status of honor. Speak as an honorable person. Treat others with kindness. Honor employs grace and assistance over shame and offense.

Engagement: Engage the situation when intimidation strikes. Forward action initiates confidence. Remember the laws of motion; an object in motion stays in motion. The human brain can perform at high rates of speed, and the more accustomed to movement, the more the brain uses that energy to synthesize solutions. Choices can happen to the hero, or the hero creates the choice.

Resilience: Resilience keeps the hero in the game. Keeping a mindset of overcoming obstacles and hanging in there serves the hero. The abundance of options for action, the abundance of attempts to try again, keep the hero on track when the murky villains have inundated the land. When the protagonist learns how to better navigate obstacles and sees them as the path toward being the hero, then that’s the moment the ordinary human becomes the indelible survivor. Heroes forge ahead, resilient, regardless of the outcome.

Ownership: Ordinary characters become heroes as they recognize their powers, skills, strengths, and weaknesses. The hero plotline demonstrates that every protagonist needs an antagonist; the antagonists teach the heroes who they can be. So maybe it’s best somebody trips you up. In fact, show gratitude for the people who teach you the hardest lessons, for they allow you to become the hero. Own your abilities, improvements, and passions. They make you a unique hero in your ultimate story.

 

Remember that key verse in 2 Timothy 1:7: For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power, of love, and of a sound mind. Those efforts which intimidate you, beckon you, call you out. These assignments? They’re all a part of you becoming the hero in your story. 
​

Need some great stories to remind you of Whose you are and who you can be? Grab a free copy of Kingdom Come, a non-fictional inspirational workbook to help you engage your inner beast-mode hero.

December 3, 2020 is also the last day to grab the Insurrection series on sale. The Ebook $.99 sale ends at midnight, so act fast to get those at a great price. Click the buttons below to grab them! Share with your friends, and finish the mission!

The last few nights I have had trouble sleeping. Oh, that's an understatement. Since early February I have had trouble sleeping. "Oh a times, they are a changing" (Dylan). In the middle of the night I wake up, writing, shouting, stating my thoughts to the blank void of my bedroom ceiling. I keep thinking, I should be saying SOMETHING. I should be saying something important, something helpful, something encouraging. 
So here's a little bit of something, for wherever you are, whatever you are doing, however you may be feeling:

That's a little excerpt from HERE BE DRAGONS and it came to me, inspired, and I pray it draws your heart closer to the One who made you, who makes your arms strong, your feet firm, and your heart victorious.

Would you like a free book? Or a couple free books? They are all by clean science fiction and fantasy authors with a Christian worldview. 
Here's a link: https://storyoriginapp.com/bundles/97b669dc-1d57-11eb-b2b7-4fc259165361

AND

If you would be interested in purchasing any of my books at a discount of $.99 right now, they are on sale until December 3rd. Here are those links:

Insurrection: A Young Adult Science Fiction Fantasy (Book 1)
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01M8F5YZR/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_S5XLFbMMBDEW4

Incomplete: A Young Adult Science Fiction Fantasy (Insurrection Book 2)
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01MSABMCK/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_G6XLFbF47962W

Indelible: A Young Adult Science Fiction Fantasy (Insurrection Book 3) https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07229CDKC/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_n7XLFbSCRCXPE

​Here Be Dragons
(An Insurrection story/standalone/Book 4)
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0787PKJJF/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_Q7XLFbVDB4JQV

Earthshine: A Young Adult Science Fiction Fantasy (Insurrection Series/Standalone/ Book 5) https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07J5X6FDL/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_C8XLFbDPHFKN8

The winner of the collaboration giveaway was Katy B. from Louisiana, with 2nd Prize as Teresa K from Indiana.

Thank you again, friends, for persevering in this journey with me. May you see miracles around you, may your heart be strong, may you be courageous, and may you act in peace with faith as your guide.

Do you like prizes? Well, do I have great news for you. A couple amazing science fiction/fantasy authors and I have collaborated on a neat giveaway so that YOU can win big. Check out the different prizes available. All you have to do is enter the giveaway and share with friends. When you refer friends and they enter, you get more entries to win! Check out this amazing deal:

PRIZES – Total retail value $289.88
Grand Prize (1 winner): A brand new Kindle Paperwhite loaded with 6 eBooks from bestselling and award-winning authors of speculative fiction with a Christian worldview.
A New Kindle Paperwhite – the thinnest, lightest model, now waterproof, with 8 GB of storage, Audible, and Bluetooth
The Treasure of Capric by Brandon M Wilborn, an Amazon Kindle #1 Bestseller
Wolf of The Tesseract by Christopher D Schmitz
Insurrection by Kadee Carder
The Seer by Erin R Howard
Succession by Brett Armstrong
A Star Curiously Rising by Kerry Kietz, winner of the Readers Favorite Gold Medal Award for Christian Science Fiction

2nd Prize (1 winner): A Paperback Bundle
· The Treasure of Capric (The King of The Caves Book 1) by Brandon M Wilborn
· Siren Silence: The Fate of Cpt. Bacchus (A King of The Caves Novella) by Brandon M Wilborn
· Wolf of The Tesseract (Wolves of the Tesseract Book 1) by Christopher D Schmitz
· Through the Darque Gates of Koth (Wolves of the Tesseract Book 2) by Christopher D Schmitz

3rd Prize (5 winners): An eBook Bundle
· The Treasure of Capric (The King of The Caves Book 1) by Brandon M Wilborn
· Siren Silence: The Fate of Cpt. Bacchus (A King of The Caves Novella) by Brandon M Wilborn
· Wolf of The Tesseract (Wolves of the Tesseract Book 1) by Christopher D Schmitz
· Through the Darque Gates of Koth (Wolves of the Tesseract Book 2) by Christopher D Schmitz




Bonus Guaranteed Prizes: Earned through referrals
· 3 referrals = Behind The Scenes audio and visual content from Brett Armstrong and Brandon M Wilborn
· 5 referrals = "The Alliance Military Guard Training Guide", a high intensity workout smuggled from Kadee Carder's Insurrection series.
· 7 referrals = FREE shipping on signed print copies at BrandonWilborn.com
· 9 referrals = A Free Audiobook from Christopher Schmitz

​

Author Krysten Lindsay Hager has shared with me in the past about her amazing stories, and I'm so excited to host her today as her latest book releases. 

Kadee asked me to write about my favorite scene in the book and one of my favorites is Cecily at her first magazine photo shoot and she feels totally out of her element. She’s overwhelmed when she hears the magazine people gossiping about a bigger name model also there because she feels like if this model, Scarlett, can’t win them over, then how could she? Then Cecily overhears them questioning if she’s really qualified to be there—something she has already worried about herself.

I think we all go through moments like that with imposter syndrome. It’s not uncommon to feel you don’t belong somewhere or didn’t deserve something even if you’ve worked hard for it. So, having Cecily doubt herself, and then hearing those exact doubts confirmed, is everyone’s nightmare. She goes through panic initially, but after a talk with the other models, Scarlett and Neneh, she keeps going. She fights through her fear and goes on to do the best job she can do and winds up impressing the magazine people because of her acting ability. Pushing through her fear was one thing, but bringing what she could offer to the shoot made the very doubters see how capable she was.
​
Cecily walked in doubtful, went through fear, but came out better than ever because she stayed professional and learned what she brought to the table. I loved seeing her growth in this scene and also seeing the other models share their difficult times in modeling. You also see the other models’ knowledge of the business side of the industry come out. These other models are playing the long game in terms of business growth and I think that’s inspiring as well. I hope other people will be inspired by Cecily’s journey as they laugh and cry with her.

Where are you from? What has been your favorite place to live?
I’m from Michigan, but have lived in several different states and even in Europe. I would have to say of my top three favorite places they would be Michigan, Ohio, and Portugal.

You finally have an evening free to spend any way you want. Money is no object. Where do you go? What would you do?
Okay, if money is no object then I’m going shopping! Particularly to a bookstore and someplace with cute stationery products like journals and other fun office stuff. Then home to watch a good movie and finish up the night with a mystery novel.

What do you think your greatest weakness is? (writing or in general)
How much time ya got? I guess I would say tend to get overwhelmed easily.

(LOL! I think we can all relate!)

What do you think is your greatest attribute? (writing or in general)
Being able to cheer people up and make them laugh in their darkest hour.

Do you have any regrets?
I regret not calling people out on bad behavior. I tend to swallow things and worry, what if no one believes me, and just hold it all inside.

Do you have any bad habits?
I’m messy.

What has been your greatest adventure to date?  
Moving overseas was quite the adventure. We moved to a European island for three years. Thankfully, I decided to finish and submit my thesis the semester before we left since I got to the island, but my computer didn’t get there until four months later! I would have missed my deadline by months had I not made sure to finish it early.

What is your most favorite moment from this book?  
I love seeing Cecily get to embark on her acting and modeling dreams and her relationship with the pop star, Andrew, is so sweet. I also enjoy watching him learning the best way to deal with the anxiety he has with his singing career.

What is one takeaway you would like readers to get from this book?
I hope the readers see that it’s important to stay true to yourself. In the book you see how even having your dreams come true—whether it be the dream career or whatever it is that they think will make them feel complete—might not be all that they imagine. Andrew seems like he has the dream life, but he’s dealing with anxiety that’s taking over. Cecily sees these models who look like they have it made and yet they’re dealing with a lot themselves with critics online and in the fashion world. No one has it easy, but with the right foundation you can get through the storms.

​About The New Book:
In Over Her Head: Lights, Camera, Anxiety (The Cecily Taylor Series) by Krysten Lindsay Hager
Young Adult Romantic Comedy from Clean Reads

Cecily wants a big life, but can she handle it?

Cecily feels like she has it all: great best friends, the beginnings of a career as a model/actress, and she’s dating her favorite singer, Andrew Holiday. Then Cecily’s best friend Lila begins to ditch her every time Lila’s boyfriend calls. Cecily feels lost, but she and Andrew begin connecting more and she’s never been in a relationship where she felt so understood. Andrew even begins to confide in her about his anxiety. Soon Cecily experiences her own anxiety on a magazine photo shoot, but she manages to impress the magazine staff. Just when it seems like all her dreams are coming true, everything comes crashing down when a photo of Andrew with another girl appears online. He swears nothing happened, but Cecily is crushed. She feels like she’s lost two of the people closest to her.
Was her perfect relationship real or was she in over her head?

Excerpt:
 “Good luck at the photo shoot tomorrow,” he said. “You’ll be great.”
I stared out the window on the ride back to the hotel taking in all the sites. As I walked into the hotel, I felt a new air of confidence. Instead of just reading about someone going out with a pop star to some fabulous rooftop hotel restaurant and being in the big city, I was living it. This was my life and not some YA book heroine’s. Tomorrow I was off on a modeling shoot. I was living a dream and proving how I was ready for a big life. This was my destiny. I could do this.
****
My alarm went off and at the same time an alarm went off in my brain saying, no, I could not do this. What was I thinking? Me, model? That’s where people take photos of you for the sole purpose of other people looking at them, which encouraged judgement and evil comments. People don’t just keep those comments to themselves anymore. Oh no, they grab their phone or laptop or whatever device helps them spew out unhelpful and cruel comments on people’s appearances online for all the world to see.

My stomach felt like spewing all over the nice hotel sheets I was wrapped in.  Why did I ever think I was up for this? Those strangers online would destroy me within seconds. Girls like Harlow who were born with an undeniable beauty could do stuff like this and even then, I had seen strangers criticize her online when she posted selfies.

Being anxious always made all my senses go nuts. I ate two slices of toast and then my stomach did a weird flipping thing. Oh no, not today. Looking over at the clock I realized it was almost time for us to leave. Come on, stomach. You’re fine. Just relax and…nope, time to hit the bathroom. Why can’t I just be a big girl and go to this stupid shoot which most girls would kill to do without my stomach freaking out?

Purchase:
Amazon US: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07VRYS65N/
Amazon UK: https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B07VRYS65N
Amazon Canada: https://www.amazon.ca/dp/B07VRYS65N
Amazon Japan: https://www.amazon.co.jp/dp/B07VRYS65N
Amazon IN: https://www.amazon.in/dp/B07VRYS65N
Barnes and Noble: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/s/Krysten+Lindsay+Hager
Book Depository: https://bit.ly/2ZuKQun
IndieBound: https://bit.ly/2Yt5t4S
Book One: https://www.amazon.com/Dreams-Come-True-Cecily-Taylor-ebook/dp/B079S3KJSH


Author Bio: Krysten Lindsay Hager writes about friendship, self-esteem, fitting in, frenemies, crushes, fame, first loves, and values. She is the author of True Colors, Best Friends...Forever?, Next Door to a Star,  Landry in Like, Competing with the Star, Dating the It Guy, and Can Dreams Come True. True Colors, won the Readers Favorite award for best preteen book and the Dayton Book Expo Bestseller Award for children/teens. Best Friends…Forever won the Readers’ Favorite Silver Medal. Competing with the Star is a Readers' Favorite Book Award Finalist. Landry in Like is a Literary Classics Gold Medal recipient.
Krysten's work has been featured in USA Today, The Flint Journal, the Grand Haven Tribune, the Beavercreek Current, the Bellbrook Times, Springfield News-Sun, Grand Blanc View, Dayton Daily News and on Living Dayton. 

Check out Krysten's other award-winning work!
Website: http://www.krystenlindsay.com/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/krystenlindsay/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/KrystenLindsayHagerAuthor
Pinterest: http://www.pinterest.com/krystenlindsay/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/KrystenLindsay

In the first two books of the Six Pack series, my characters didn’t get much time to enjoy themselves. They spent their time in hiding, in danger, in stressful situations. Whenever they got the chance to just sit around and chat, it wasn’t what you would call a time to relax.
 
That changed when I included a scene in my third book, Six Pack: Uprising, which featured my young characters going through a commencement ceremony. This scene was probably my favorite one to write. They got to dress up in fancy clothes, they had a wonderful meal, enjoyed music (minor spoiler: two of my young heroes got to share their musical talents) and simply had the chance to enjoy each other’s company in a pleasant setting.
 
I think back to The Hunger Games series and how those books partly inspired my writing. What I appreciated the most about Suzanne Collins’ writing was how she built tension. However, I also liked the scene in her third book, Mockingjay, in which Finnick and Annie get married. Though Mockingjay is a book in which Collins puts her characters through a lot of difficult, stressful situations, I appreciated that she added at least one scene in which there was joy, a cause for celebration.
 
I thought it was important to have a similar scene in my Six Pack series. Though I don’t go quite as dark as Collins goes, I’m not exactly being gentle with my characters. I think all characters deserve to have a moment in which they can experience simple joys of life, rather than going through one stressful or dangerous situation to the next.
 
This entire series has been a labor of love and made me appreciate what authors go through. Though I’ve spent many years as a writer, I never experienced what it was like to be an author. But I’ve found the journey rewarding.
 
And the way I wrote reminded me that, while we all go through a lot of stressful situations in life, there are always the moments in which we get to experience joy and times of celebration.
 
It’s easy for an author to think your characters must always be put through the worst – but, once in a while, it’s OK to have them enjoy the best.

​Though the Underground Network has lost a lot, its leaders believe there may be ways to bring down President Douglas Irons and the Novusordo government. Tyler Ward and his friends are more determined than ever to take action and break the control the president has over the citizens.
 
But more must be answered than how they will accomplish their objectives, even with the superpowers they have. They must ask themselves who they can trust — even within the Network’s ranks. They must ask themselves who might become new allies — even if they work for the government. Most of all, they must ask themselves how much they are willing to sacrifice — even if it means self-sacrifice.
*********************************************************************
The Six Pack Series:
It all started with a drink – a drink that gave Tyler Ward and five of his friends superpowers. Now they must figure out how their new powers can change society.

But who can they trust?

Who has their best interests in mind and who has a bigger agenda?

And what cost comes with change?

The young adult, science fiction/dystopian series is published by Clean Reads.

​B.W. Morris is a longtime writer for small-town newspapers who put his inner comic book geek to work through writing novels. He has published two books in the Six Pack series with the third to be released soon, and has written the Arrowverse Elseworld, which you may read at his website at bwmorrisauthor.com. Born in Texas but grew up in Colorado, he has lived in New Mexico, Oklahoma and currently resides in Kingman, Kansas.

​Greg Weisman, Suzanne Collins, Stan Lee, George Orwell and Conor Friedersdorf all influenced his writing. Morris is a fan of the Young Justice animated series, the Arrowverse shows on the CW Network, the Marvel Cinematic Universe, the Star Wars films and more graphic novels than he can keep track. He volunteers his time for the Kingman County Humane Society.
 
Follow B.W. Morris on Twitter: https://twitter.com/sixpackwriter
Visit his Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/bwmorrisauthor/
Stop by his website: bwmorrisauthor.com
Email him with questions about his work at bwmorris@mail.com.

My good friend Saylor MacTavish has been wielding high-tech weaponry, dodging villainry, and globe-trotting with her fellow Alliance crewmates for the past two years in digital form...and now her story has finally come to print in books one AND five of the Insurrection series! "Insurrection" and "Earthshine" are NOW AVAILABLE in print from your favorite book retailers.
​
Insert huge squeal here!

Now's a fantastic time of year to purchase the gift of adventure for any loved one on your gift list. From best friends to co-workers, teachers, aunts, uncles, grandparents, and teenagers, the Insurrection books will take readers to a daring new tomorrow. Join Saylor in her kingdom of fire by clicking here:

Insurrection from Amazon

Insurrection from Barnes & Noble

Earthshine from Amazon

Earthshine from B&N

For my *fabulous* readers, I have an exciting offer for you: I'm grabbing some first-run copies and will sign them just for you.  With this special offer, you get a discounted version of the books plus a special freebie as a thank you from me. Simply CLICK HERE to grab those discounted books! I'm shutting down this offer midnight on Thursday, December 13th, 2018.

Do you have a special someone who needs some adventure? Christmas is just around the corner and we all need some tropical time off! 

"Insurrection" kicks off a trilogy where we meet Saylor as a sixteen-year old orphan. The last thing Saylor McTavish remembers is a cry for help. Now she’s fighting for her life. Deep within a mysterious island, strange things are happening and an army of fire reigns.

Banding together with her closest friends, she escaped abuse at the Oak Point Girl’s Home and fled across the high seas, only to end up a prisoner again, this time at the mercy of the Alliance Military Guard. They are at war and now so is she.

Follow Saylor as she unlocks the dark secrets of the island, learns to wield high-tech weaponry, and ultimately faces an enemy bigger than herself. Will she find the strength to overcome her past, or will she discover the power to be the hero the world needs?

Fans of Madeleine L'Engle, Marie Lu, James Dashner, Suzanne Collins, Marissa Meyer, and the Netflix Original Series' "Stranger Things" would enjoy this young adult science fiction action adventure.

Earthshine stands alone as a dual-perspective science fiction mission, where fear may be a liar, but hope can be a monster.
Saylor single-handedly saved the world from a devastating solar flare...and it nearly killed her. Now her father's Alliance Military Guard must track down pirated tech, missing ships, and a rogue billionaire, and they’ve requested a reluctant Saylor’s help.

Tucker spent a year training the rookie Guardsmen. They call themselves Dragons. He calls them defiant. Dispatched across the ocean on a mission to retrieve AMG's bootlegged tech, he rallies Saylor to overcome her fears and return to the field by his side.

Working together wielding unprecedented tech and determined to defy their destinies, the two wrangle missing ghosts, brunt force betrayal, and the swagger of power. What lies beneath the earth just might save it.

Standing on top of the world changes a person. So does dying.
*****

Thanks to all my friends and readers who have taken the dive in to the Alliance world! I hope it brings some thrill to your life and challenges you to face your own missions. <3

Cindy Ervin Huff has come to share a little with us today about her latest novel! She's a fabulous Clean Reads author and I thought my readers would enjoy hearing about this new release and Cindy's 'why' behind her writing:

I have been haunted by the idea for my Contemporary Romance for a while. As a write I see stories all around me. Some ideas flit about in my mind and fade to nothingness, but New Duet rooted itself in my authors’ heart.

The idea of a romance between two wounded people intrigued me.  The “what if” moment that was the foundation for the story happened a few years prior to writing the book. I was part of a worship team. My author’s mind went a wandering as I look at our group. The vision for the first chapter began to take shape. It was based on an actual experience many years prior. A missionary was at an elder’s meeting and dropped dead from an aneurysm. It shook the church. He knew he had it and it was a matter of time before it took his life.

What if in my story it was the worship leader who died during the service. And what if his wife was on the team and didn’t know he had an aneurysm. What if she was abused. That’s when Isabella Wilson introduced herself to me. An artist shoved into a mold of her late husband’s making. She travels to Aurora, Illinois to live with her sister and find herself.

 Then ‘what if' her love interest is a disabled soldier. Wounded Warrior Dan Sweeney is not the hunky guy you often meet between the pages of a romance. But he is sweet and caring and suffers from PTSD. Dan has a prosthetic and struggles to be a whole man. Add a service dog and life is interesting for him. Both Isabella and Dan are on a journey to find themselves. Isabella searches for her artist muse and Dan must make peace with his new normal.

This is a character-driven story. The plot is the thread the characters evolve on. They are like caterpillars changing into butterflies by the end of their respective journeys.

*****

Cindy Ervin Huff is an award-winning author who writes historical and contemporary romance. She serves as a mentor for Word Weavers International and is the founding member and past president of Word Weavers Aurora, Illinois. Helping fledgling writers improve their craft is important to her. Jubilee Writer, her biweekly blog shares writing tips and gives new authors a platform to be spotlighted. Cindy is also a member of ACFW and alumni of the Christian Writers Guild.

www.jubileewriter.wordpress.com

Facebook Author Page: https ://www.facebook.com/author.huff11/
Amazon Author page: https://www.amazon.com/author/cindyervin
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/8029703-cindy-ervin-huff
Twitter: https:// twitter.com/CindyErvinHuff
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/cindyervinhuff/

******

Isabella Melinda Wilson has been squeezed into the music ministry model of her controlling husband’s making. Before she can leave him, he leaves her a guilt-ridden widow. Her mother-in-law is no comfort and presses the guilt button at every turn. Isabella flees to her sister’s home in search of her own identity and a new beginning.

Dan Sweeney has one goal. Be as normal as possible. After losing a leg, some fingers and his self-worth, he needs his service dog Brutus to help keep his PTSD at bay. Career-less and clueless about the future, he struggles to put his life back together.

Isabella isn’t looking for a new relationship and Dan feels unworthy of one. Can these two broken people heal into one whole love?

*****

An excerpt for your entertainment:

She reached the driver’s side door of the red Dodge Durango
first. Ron closed the gap between. His breath brushed across the
top of her head, “I’m driving.”
She faced him feeling for the handle and pulling the door
open.
Anger flashed in his dark brown eyes. Melinda stood her
ground.
“You have one of your migraines. I’ll drive.” She climbed in
before he could grab her arm.
“Fine.” Ron moved to the passenger’s side, slammed the
door, and leaned back on the gray leather headrest. “It’s so bright.”
His forearm covered his face.
“Here’s your sunglasses.” Melinda took them from the visor
before gazing into the rearview mirror. The gravel driveway
flowed beneath the tires. Her chest tightened and her hand shook
as the gears shifted into drive.
Ron adjusted the sunglasses. “Can you drive a little faster?”
“No.” A tremble escaped her lips. White knuckles gripped
the steering wheel. Fear wrestled her confident tone. “We’ve got
time.”
“You’d better be right.” Ron massaged his temples with his
index fingers. “If we’re late, it’s all on you.”
Typical.
Everything always seemed on her lately. Always her fault,
always her problem. Blame had been the morning focus.
“What’d you do with my socks?”
“Why haven’t you folded the laundry?”
“Did you break the iron? I wouldn’t hand off this shirt to the
homeless.”
“You forgot to charge my phone again.”
His harsh words produced her own headache which found
solace in a bottle of pain reliever.
The silent treatment was a welcome change. Sweet worship
music streamed into the car comforting her soul, relaxing her
thoughts. Peace flowed from the melody. She turned the wheel and
panic assailed her. Her wrist was bare. I left my witnessing bracelet on
the bathroom sink. The colorful beads used to share the gospel. Oh,
how she hated it. He gets so mad when I forget it. Please, please don’t
notice. Another reminder of her failure in the ministry.
“Turn off the radio. The music’s killing my head.”
“Maybe we should return home and you can rest.”
Ron raised his head, lifted his sunglasses, and glared. “And
give you another excuse. Six Sundays, Melinda, six times sitting in
the pews and not helping with worship. Well, my migraine will not
be your seventh excuse.”
Melinda’s knuckles ached on the steering wheel. Tight lips
held back tears. Arriving at church in the middle of an argument
would make things worse later. God forbid anyone would see them
arguing. That would be my fault too. She hated being in ministry, on
the worship team, and under a magnifying glass in this
congregation. If I don’t get away soon, I’ll go insane. God forgive me.
Ron made no mention of the headache once they arrived at
the church. His spotless dress shirt and neat pressed Dockers (no
thanks to her imperfect ironing ability) added to his confident air.
His look had changed over the past few years from casual jeans and
collar-length hair to short, moussed hair and black dress shoes.
Ron wanted her to get a makeover. The CD sales had
switched her husband’s focus. When they first married, Ron asked her to grow her hair out. “Sweetheart, the Scripture says long hair
is a woman’s glory.” Now a file folder of acceptable hairstyles
created by the church secretary lay in the bottom of her underwear
drawer.

Ebook only $.99 for the next 24 hours!!
Click here to grab your copy of New Duet on Amazon

Paperback copy of New Duet on Amazon

“Belief in the breeze
The smoky morning haze
The sun on her face
and the touch of lovers' hands
The pain that comes today
Is here, then goes away
And we are homeward bound
And I
I want this more than life…”

Whitley’s version of the song, “More Than Life,” brought Saylor and Tucker into my mind, sitting on a porch swing, watching the sun set.

The two characters have stayed with me over the years, as I have traversed their roads, through wet marshes, muddy mountain trails, and the wilds of the Australian outback. What would they be doing right now, I’d ask myself. The hard part about meeting characters and following their stories is that they stay with you, real as friends. Their lives influenced mine. Their stories shaped mine. So in that smoky morning haze, in the golden, setting sun, what would they be doing, I’d revisit the question in my memory.

Would Saylor ever be satisfied with her ending?

What would she want more than life?

And from the ashes of broken dreams, from the depths of dark nights, of agony, of restlessness, of inability to wait with inaction, the story of EARTHSHINE came to be. Could a girl who’s “done the hard thing” once more rise to the occasion? You see, there is not just one “hard thing” to face in life. There will be one, then another, and another. Each time more difficult, each time more unhinged and chaotic, each time drawing the protagonist further into the hero position. What would Saylor do when asked to face her greatest fears, knowing they are real?

I wasn’t ready to write EARTHSHINE when the words began spilling out. It began with another title – Deadlight.

Halfway through, exploring the theme and tone brought on by the title “dead-light” generated, the word no longer fit. Is death the finale? While it served as an intriguing vocabulary word, no, it didn’t fit with Saylor and Tucker’s story. Theirs is a story of perseverance, of love, of hope. Of reflection. Of audacity. Of moxie. Of grit. One morning as I began to wrap up the final chapters on my manuscript, my “Word of the Day” email popped into my inbox. The term, “earthshine,” lit up my screen. In fact, it lit up my eyes from its first appearance, because earthshine means…well...I suppose you’ll have to read the book to find out.

“Those voices that tell you to stop, those are wrong. Those voices lie. They steal your victory. Out there be dragons, but in here—” Burkman tapped my chest, “—here lodges your sword and shield.”
 
Can Tucker lead his small crew of rogue warriors in a daring rescue mission? Or will the ghosts of his past and the tech of tomorrow rip him to shreds? Find out now with your free copy of HERE BE DRAGONS!
 
Regularly $4.99, you can get HERE BE DRAGONS for FREEEEEE from now until July 15th. But don't wait, because you don't want to miss a free awesome adventure. 

Just click here: https://amzn.to/2KYcdVj

Follow Tucker Thompson to the brave wilds of the Australian Outback in search of his long-lost home (which he doesn’t remember) and to rescue the remnants of an undercover op gone wrong (which has been attacked). HERE BE DRAGONS is a young adult science fiction adventure for the thrill seeker and action taker. It's the a spinoff standalone of the INSURRECTION trilogy. If you liked Saylor's point of view, just wait until you see Tucker's, on a whole new mission.

And share with your friends who need a great story! <3 Happy reading!

Got a manuscript you've been itching to pitch? Well, wait no longer, because #PitProm is heading your way this weekend!

Calling all Sci Fi and Fantasy writers! Pitch your manuscripts and see if you can make it to the Top 20 finalists. We are accepting up to 200 submissions for this year's PitProm contest. Our Royal Advisors will take the submissions and pick the top ten favorite sci fi and top ten favorite fantasy pitches. Those finalists will then work with published authors to sharpen their pitches, submit the final work, and industry experts will vote for their favorites! Whichever manuscript pitch receives the most requests from an agent or publisher will be crowned King or Queen of this year's PitProm!

The fun begins July 14th at 10:00 AM, Central Standard Time. Simply go to PitProm.com and submit your 140-character pitch, query letter, and the first ten pages of your completed Sci Fi or Fantasy manuscript.

Know someone who has a manuscript waiting to be published? Share the news so they can enter and dance to the finish line!

​See you on the floor this Saturday!

Have you felt overwhelmed, unworthy, or ready to give up? How many times have you waited, unsure, hesitant, when faced with a decision? Is that ache in your chest old yet?

Good news.

I’ve had that deep ache in my chest these past few months (years?), and I’ve done a lot of seeking. A LOT. I got tired of the ache. Instead, I tooled up. I learned that I can sit there sad, frustrated, burned out and cynical…or I can take action.

Did you know that you have incredibly powerful tools right within your grasp, and you are on the verge of walking through this mysterious, fabulous door to unknown new worlds? Oh, yes you are.

I hope that doesn’t sound too scary….actually, maybe I do. Because fear masquerades around you, calling you out. Are you ready to stop being afraid? Do you even realize when you’re afraid?

I used to think I was pretty brave until I looked at how I was going about my business, hiding out in the shadows, taking the safe path, and venturing only when I was sure the next step would find firm ground. Even putting this book out is the entry into a nail-biting, murky realm for me, but I firmly believe these tools are essential for us and we don’t even realize we have them. But they’re right there.

Opt in for an adventure to discover purpose, tenacity, and to build your empire. Even the most ordinary of humans can do impossible things. The elements of storytelling are tools to help us understand our purpose and to build a life greater.

My latest collection of seeking and soldering has led to a 150-page guide and workbook to help you change your mindset to change your life. Within these pages of KINGDOM COME we discover the three protocols every hero satisfies in order to fulfill the mission. You’re the hero in your own story. Transforming into the hero may be the most difficult thing you’ve ever done, but it will be the best thing you’ve ever done.

Here we discover the ultimate objective in understanding and experiencing the combined unity of these three tools in your hero story. Get ready to travel the vast horizon of the hero plot line and forge new paths toward your legacy.

Available TODAY from Amazon, in paperback and ebook, you too can join the adventure. Come on, friend. I’ve taken some of these steps myself, and it’s beautiful over here. Let’s get crackin, together. Click here to purchase your copy right now. Only $1.99 in ebook and $6.99 in paperback, you’ll have my crazy little stories about life and how all these problems around you serve as the real excitement you’ve been seeking. The chapters are short and the questions might make you squirm, but I’d rather be out there on that sunny mountain than stuck, waiting for air. Here’s your fresh breath. From my heart to yours.

Do you remember the moment you met someone who changed your life? The first time I was invited to go hear Krista Johnson speak about nutrition and health, I didn’t want to go. All of my friends were talking about her fat loss program, how they were suddenly losing all this weight, and how I *just had to* hear her story. At the time, I was a new mom, had just recently lost my job, and possessed little motivation for trying new things.

But I sure am glad that my friends didn’t give up. There in that white-walled church meeting room, as Krista introduced her story of releasing one hundred pounds from her body, going from being a tired mother of four, into a business owner who taught Tae Bo classes and had trained in person with Billy Blanks, I could almost feel the sands shifting under my feet. A fresh, soft breeze began to blow within my spirit. It started out with a plate. Now I’ve changed from that weary new mom who lived on coffee and bagels and struggled to get out of bed without crying, to someone who races to the gym every day to see if I can beat yesterday’s weight bracket. Now I understand that every day I get this great gift, this new opportunity, to speak life into others, and I think my friends understood that. I’m so glad they insisted I go to that meeting seven years ago.

If you’ve never met someone who helped you understand freedom, let me introduce you to my friend Krista.

1. Tell us a little bit about your background and how you came to own and operate Fit By Faith. When did you establish it?   

When I was in the middle of my weight loss journey, down 20 pounds from 242 pounds, I was going for a run.  Well, if you want to call it a run.  I was tip toeing up a hill, crying in pain, feeling humiliation trying to get my body to move.  I made a choice to keep pushing on and I literally heard in my head, FIT BY FAITH.  I prayed and God showed me a vision for Fit By Faith and I laughed.  How could someone as out of shape as me ever be able to help others get fit?   As I began to lose and become fitter, God gave me guidance and equipped me mind, body, and spirit, to start preparing Fit By Faith.  About two years later, I taught my first Tae Bo class out of another gym.  One month later we opened up Fit By Faith, on September 30, 2006.
 

2. What does your typical day look like now? 
 
Each day is a bit different.  It involves keeping my household running, being available for my family and my famous dogs :) It is a mix of personal training, teaching fitness classes, running nutrition groups online, organizing all the other services we offer that are taught by my Husband, running two Network Marketing businesses and volunteering at my church running the media and working on the protection detail team.  It sounds like a lot, but God truly equips me to handle it all.  When I become overwhelmed and feel like it is too much, I stop trying to do it myself and get back on track letting God lead me!
 
 
3. What kept you going through your fitness/wellness journey when you felt like you were at a plateau? What did you do?  
 
I like how you call it a journey, because it is.  I am still on it and will be on it forever.  There were times I had no changes, but I think the reason people quit when results stop or give up is because their motivation was a weak one.  If it is to be a certain weight by a certain date, to look good in a swim suit, etc, then those are weak motivations that will not last a lifetime.  For me it was realizing I had the responsibility to break this cycle and keep it from trickling down into my children.  It was realizing I did not want to be this overweight, sick burden to my family.  I want to be an example and a blessing to my children and family.  So whether I am having results or not, they see me walking in faith, making good choices, being joyful in all situations and then they learn to do the same.  
 
 
4.      Do you have a favorite quote or Bible verse which encourages you?  

Yes.  There are about 354 to be exact! Ha!  But the one that stays with me through all situations is Acts 1:8. I believe we are equipped to do whatever God leads us to do.  I may have had no clue about fitness, but when I allowed him to use me 100%, he has equipped me.  If he told me tomorrow he wanted me to be a hair dresser, I may have no idea today about how to be one in that moment, but you can bet I would become the best one in the nation because He would equip me to do it :)   You shall receive power (ability, efficiency, and might) when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you shall be His witness to the ends of the earth.  Acts 1:8
 

​5. Do you have a favorite and a least favorite fitness move? What are they?   
 
I have an equal amount of both, but if I had to pick one, I like burpees.  It is funny because when I first did one, I thought they were straight from the pit of hell and hated them with all my being.  Now I love them.  I love that I can do them and do them well.  I love to get creative with them too.  Least favorite would be pull-ups.  Enough said.  Ha!
 
 
6. What is one change anybody can make today in order to begin a fitness journey? What about a faith journey?  
 
I believe the absolute first change has to be what comes out of your mouth for both your fitness journey and your faith journey.  Our words are life and death.  What you speak is what you will become.  Change your words, change your life.  When I finally fixed the inside, the outside was no longer a battle.  It just fixed itself.  Until you can speak truth to your body, to your mind and spirit, and only work on the outside, it will be like a dog chasing its tail in circles.
 
 
7. Do/did you have a particular struggle in regard to changing your lifestyle? What do you do when you find that weakness creeping back in? Do you have a particular strength or preference that keeps you in the fat loss lifestyle?  
 
I did and still do face struggles all the time, but through them I grow and learn.  I see struggles as great teachable moments.  You have to be a teachable person and be willing to have not so good days and learn from them.  I think what has kept me on this journey is just loving myself through the process.  Understanding that my best will be different each day and embracing every victory no matter how small.  I think love is the answer to everything, honestly.  It is the strength that everyone possesses, you just have to do it :)  Honestly the power is always in our hands.  You just have to flip the switch on!
 
 
8. What’s one thing you would tell your teenage self?   
 
When your flesh wants to handle something, stop before you speak or act and remember this:  Be in love, walk in faith, be led by the spirit.
 
 
9.  What do you hope to leave as your legacy?  

John and I have four of the absolutely most amazing children. Each one of them truly is if you know anything about them. They are my legacy and as far as I am concerned, that job is already done!  

I accepted the document, two sweaty palms reaching, tentative, unprepared. I scanned the words, reading them aloud. “I've got this deep wrestling within my dark soul. A hunger for the oppressed. An almighty beckoning for the broken and bent, a writhing which cannot be tamed by silence. No; the silence, the hush, the hustle cannot squelch the fire to share light for those trembling in the depths. I cannot stop giving of myself for my mission, for to stop is to suffocate. To quit, impossible. To surrender, unattainable. My wrestling therefore occurs not in the loss, but the gain. Loss no longer exists. All movement, all attempts, fulfill the mission. My mission.

For I have been redeemed, and I defeat the darkness within me by each lent hand and rescued soul whom I reach. I am Alliance. I defend freedom, defy injustice, and deepen creative productivity to enhance mankind’s survival. In living victory, I bear my burden, a warrior for my objective: Be powerful. Be consistent. Never quit. Finish the mission.”

My eyes glanced up from the words to my father, then back down, reading, re-reading. Recoiling. Rerouting. “I guess with this kind of mission statement, there’s no room for fear.”

“There’s no need for fear. It’s not part of the mission.”

“I am Alliance. I like it.”

“I am Alliance.”

“Hoo-rah.”

***


That was an excerpt from EARTHSHINE, the fifth and final book recounting the tales of my Alliance buddies. In the past four years I’ve put in a lot of work, not only writing, researching, and editing, but in learning marketing, networking strategies, and social media communications. You know what I’ve learned? I’m one person. Just as I thought before I signed any book contracts with Clean Reads, I knew I wanted a publisher who would help me market my books. You know what else I’ve learned? My publisher doesn’t do any of that, and I’m still one lil’ ol' person with a big dream of encouraging the broken-hearted.

I recently received the royalty statement from last quarter’s books. I sold 44 copies of HERE BE DRAGONS and earned $.08.

Yes.

Eight. Cents. Eight digital pennies. Woo! Super exciting. I’ve also decided I want my words to be used for good, no matter what. Regardless of what it takes to get these books to readers, I’m doing my best to follow my heart’s calling. My heart’s hunger.

So, I’m planning a party.

I’m putting together a team of people who like to encourage and who need encouragement, and I’m inviting you to the team. #TeamMessyBun. Oh, yes. Regardless of your reading any of my past writing, I’m inviting you onto Team Messy Bun because I saw potential in you. You are someone who cares about others and who invests in them. You are an encourager, a lifter, a beacon of hope to those around you. And I want you on my team.

In the world of publishing, they recommend small press authors use a “street team,” (I cannot stand the term!) to help market your books. I have hesitated doing this, because I don’t want to obligate anyone to my passions. So I do not consider this a “street team.” However, I DO want to celebrate with my friends. The journey of writing these INSURRECTION books has been years in the making, and it’s finally at fruition. I’ve celebrated the past releases somewhat alone, and I’m over it. Five books and almost five years of work deserves a party, yo! I’m no longer looking at stats or rankings or ratings or royalty statements. I’ve learned a lot, both about practical application and about digging in when the ground’s quaking. I’m simply encouraging others to pursue their passions and giving them helpful tools to do so. And I’d love for you to join me.

It’s time to employ OPERATION MESSY BUN.

In fact, I’m so pumped that I’ve begun work on this even before the book’s in the final stages of being ready. Team Messy Bun truly is a passion project of mine, more than a group of people posting about a book release. I want to equip and empower you do to great things. Let’s get to it. From here on out, you here in this group are my Alliance.

So what are the expectations of “being on Team Messy Bun”?

There’s a give and take, and hopefully, you wouldn’t mind passing along a few posts on social media or in real life to help spread the word about the EARTHSHINE release in October. In return for your sharing, I’m all about rewarding and making it totally fun in the process.

My requests for anyone on Team Messy Bun would be:

1) Join the Facebook group – it’s closed and ONLY to be used for posting encouraging thoughts to help you achieve your goals and providing you with tools to spur you on to doing the amazing things you’re passionate about. It will be our main communication tool. [Check it out: https://www.facebook.com/groups/1863146427281089/ ]
2) During Release Week (sometime in October. Waiting on release dates.) you would do a total of five challenges on social media or in real life. All would pertain to EARTHSHINE’s release, as well as bringing light and life to the world. These challenges will be something like sharing a Kadee Carder Ink post or two, taking a picture of yourself reading the free copy I provide to you, posting a review, and other fun things like that. With each of these “challenges” you will be put in a drawing to win free things like gift certificates, coffee, movies, gift paraphernalia, and a grand prize drawing at the end of the week.
3) Basically, join the party and play along. And win stuff. Be my party guest. Let’s celebrate doing hard things.

What do you get in return for being on Team Messy Bun?

Throughout the summer and until October, you will receive:
1) A free ARC (Advanced Reader Copy) of EARTHSHINE in PDF form.
2) A free ALLIANCE MILITARY GUARD TRAINING GUIDE – containing 10 free metabolic workouts from Fit By Faith. All workouts can be done in about 20 minutes, at home or in the gym.
3) A free FUEL YOUR LIFE cookbook containing 12 recipes pertaining to the INSURRECTION series. Most will be paleo, keto, or fat-loss friendly to get those boots on the ground and pumping.
4) A free digital copy of THE LEGACY PYRAMID, a brief non-fiction guide to building your purpose and creating your unique legacy.
5) A free digital copy of IGNITE, a 60-page guide to dealing with challenges and encouragement for the weary. Find your sparkle. Keep walking.
6) Each day that you participate in the EARTHSHINE release week party, you’ll be entered into a daily drawing for gift certificates to coffee, movies, online retailers, and more. There will be a grand prize drawing at the end of the party that will include merchandise and most likely a PHYSICAL COPY of EARTHSHINE. Probably a Team Messy Bun t-shirt!
7) Encouragement here in the Facebook group to build your purpose, live courageously, and to build your own Alliance. Hoo-rah!

If you aren’t interested in posting about a book release, I totally get that. If you aren’t interested in joining ANOTHER GROUP on Facebook, I totally get that, too. If you aren’t interested in posting about a book release, I totally get that. Zero spam. Zero pressure. Zero obligation. I will not be posting any "buy my awesome book" posts. This group will be 100% enthusiasm and support. 100% dream-weaving. 100% applicable tools. Yes, that’s 300%. Go big or go home. We roll hard. Especially if there’s coffee involved.

Oh, yeah, here’s the blurb for EARTHSHINE, in case you’re interested, before making up your mind:

Saylor spent two years recovering after she single-handedly saved the world from a devastating solar flare...and it killed her. Now her father's Alliance Military Guard must track down pirated tech, missing ships, and a rogue member of the board. And Alliance needs her help.

Tucker spent a year training the rookie recruits with Alliance. They call themselves Dragons. He calls them hot-headed. Dispatched across the ocean on a mission to go unearth Alliance's bootlegged tech, he rallies Saylor to overcome her fears and return to the field by his side.

Determined to change their destinies, the two wrangle missing ghosts, brunt force betrayal, and the swagger of power--utilizing awesome tech, of course, inundated with sizzling romance along the way.
EARTHSHINE is the final book following the McConnell clan and Alliance Military Guard, a standalone for the seeker of YA Sci Fi Action Adventures.

***

No need to comment or respond if you aren’t interested. Again, I’m not here to pressure you to do allthethings.
​
However, if you feel stuck, if you feel discouraged, if you feel frustrated or left out, or alone, or unsure of what your purpose is on this blue sphere….I hope you’ll sweep that hair up on top of your head and shift gears with me. If you’re pumped about life and confident in the direction you’re going, then yes, please, come on in! Go Team Messy Bun. I’m available for any and all questions if you got ‘em.
If you’re interested on any level, especially regarding the EARTHSHINE project, just add yo-self to the FB group here: https://www.facebook.com/groups/1863146427281089/

Then reply to this/comment with some kind of “Yes, I want to be Team Messy Bun!” and please email at kadee@kadeecarder.com so I can get you the free documents as they become available.
Sparkle on, seekers.  #teammessybun

Cecily has always had a huge crush on singer Andrew Holiday and she wants to be an actress, so she tags along when her friend auditions for his new video. However, the director isn’t looking for an actress, but rather the girl next door—and so is Andrew. Cecily gets a part in the video and all of Andrew’s attention on the set. Her friend begins to see red and Cecily’s boyfriend is seeing green—as in major jealousy. A misunderstanding leaves Cecily and her boyfriend on the outs and Andrew hopes to pick up the pieces as he’s looking for someone more stable in his life than the models he’s dated. Soon Cecily begins to realize Andrew understands her more than her small-town boyfriend—but can her perfect love match really be her favorite rock star?​


Clean Reads Author Krysten Lindsay Hager's latest YA Contemporary Romance released this week, and you should definitely check it out. To celebrate the release, she let me ask her some fun questions about the book and life as an artist. 

1. Where did you get the idea for this book? 
It was basically one of those daydreams I had been having since grade school! I used my own celebrity crushes to create a “what if” moment and to see what the mindset would be for a girl who was suddenly given the opportunity to date her ultimate crush while she’s a regular high school student.

2. Who was your teenage rock star crush?
I started my main lifelong crush way before my teen years. I fell for George Michael when I was a kid and that lasted until he passed away in 2016. I liked Enrique Iglesias a lot, Johnny Gill, and probably a Backstreet Boy or two—haha. And I had a lot of basketball player crushes, too.  

3. How long has this book been in the works?
I’ve been planning on writing it for years, but I never quite got the story quite how I wanted it. It was one of those stories that doesn’t go onto the paper/screen the way you imagined in your mind. So I had a lot of false starts. I think this version of the story started out officially around 2015. 

4. How many books do you have published total?
This is my seventh book. I have three middle grade books and four young adult novels.

5. If you could live vicariously through an actor/singer/artist, who would it be and why?
Ooh, good question. Jennifer Lopez, but just for a day because I’d get tired out with her schedule! 

(Girl, yes. Those celebrities have to be exhausted.)

6. What is one piece of advice you'd tell your teen self?
To stop worrying what people think of me. There was a lot of stuff I did and a lot of stuff I didn’t do simply because I worried about judgement. That went away in high school somewhat though. It was really bad in my middle school years because a couple times I did put myself out there and really got made fun of, but eventually it helped me because I realized those people weren’t nice, so why did I care what they thought anyway? I didn’t see it that way at the time though. 

7. What's one thing you'd like to leave as a legacy?
That people found solace, escape, and encouragement from what I wrote or said. 

Enjoy An Excerpt From
​CAN DREAMS COME TRUE?

I started to feel anxious after lunch. After all, I had been an Andrew fan for a long time, and even though I had seen him in person, this was a huge deal to get to meet him. What if he wasn’t what I had imagined? I didn’t expect him to fawn over me or anything, but what if he was rude or ignored me? It would kill my fantasy of him as being this sweet, quiet, sensitive songwriter who wore his heart on his sleeve while also being kind of a loner/rebel with just a touch of bad boy in him. Oh man, I would be crushed if he didn’t notice me or worse—if he ended up flirting with Harlow. 

In all his magazine interviews Andrew always said looks weren’t important to him, and what he noticed in a girl was if she was true to herself. He said he went for “bright girls who were sweet and easy to be with.” Now that I thought about it, that was the kind of fake crap magazines put out about all the teen celebrities. It was like when I saw Lawrence Claibourne, my favorite actor who claimed to be Mr. I’m-just-looking-for-a-sweet-girl-to-read-poetry-to on a red carpet with a model whose boobs were falling out of her dress and had overdone the lip fillers—I mean, you just knew he wasn’t into her for her personality. But Andrew wasn’t like Lawrence. Andrew seemed so sincere and deep. Lawrence had a smirk and you could tell he was a player, but Andrew seemed like he had been hurt and needed to find the right girl who he could open up to and learn to trust again. . .or at least that’s what he said in his last interview.

The final bell rang and my heart shot up to my throat. This was it. I was on my way to meet my crush. From now on, any dreams of him would be marred by the reality I was about to face.

Was it better to keep wondering what if and keep the fantasy alive or to go and actually meet him?

***

Now available on Kindle Unlimited or in Paperback! 
PURCHASE ON AMAZON TODAY!

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
​Krysten Lindsay Hager writes about friendship, self-esteem, fitting in, frenemies, crushes, fame, first loves, and values. She is the author of True Colors, Best Friends...Forever?, Next Door to a Star,  Landry in Like, Competing with the Star, Dating the It Guy, and Can Dreams Come True? True Colors, won the Readers Favorite award for best preteen book and the Dayton Book Expo Bestseller Award for childen/teens. Competing with the Star is a Readers' Favorite Book Award Finalist.
​
Krysten's work has been featured in USA Today, The Flint Journal, the Grand Haven Tribune, the Beavercreek Current, the Bellbrook Times, Springfield News-Sun, Grand Blanc View, Dayton Daily News,and on the talk show Living Dayton.

Connect with Krysten on social media! (She's got a lot of fun, encouraging content and will make you laugh. Go check her out!)
WEBSITE: http://www.krystenlindsay.com/

INSTAGRAM: https://www.instagram.com/krystenlindsay/
TWITTER: https://twitter.com/KrystenLindsay
FACEBOOK: https://www.facebook.com/KrystenLindsayHagerAuthor
PINTEREST: https://www.pinterest.com/krystenlindsay/
AMAZON BIO: https://www.amazon.com/Krysten-Lindsay-Hager/e/B00L2JC9P2/ref=sr_ntt_srch_lnk_1?qid=1518310668&sr=8-1

Fabulous clean romance? Yes, please! Check out these steamy, sweet, delectable romantic reads now available from Clean Reads. 

Gray's Good Samaritan
​by Lee Ann Sontheimer Murphy

On an ordinary Saturday morning, Robin Cavanaugh’s life takes a wild turn. A wounded man leaps into her car at a traffic light. He refuses to go to the hospital and after he reveals his real name, she realizes she knows him from church. When he swears he’s one of the good guys, Robin abandons common sense to help him. As his condition worsens, she soon learns he’s not really Spike McGee, a criminal but an undercover agent whose life is in danger. His brother, Jack, a doctor, pulls Gray through and soon, Robin is part of the action too. Their love grows under the unlikely conditions and when Gray heads home to visit his mother, Robin comes too. While there, Gray proposes and she accepts but a family tragedy brings them back to Tulsa. Everything hangs in the balance as Gray goes undercover as Spike one last time…if he survives, can find their happily ever after?

Purchase on Amazon

The Pirate Princess
by K.R. Martin

Sometimes, to become a princess…

Raised to marry a king, Renee’s greatest desire is to be a true queen. So, while other girls learned the art of embroidery, Renee perfected her skills with a sword. She was prepared to earn the respect of her future husband, but a chance encounter with a handsome stranger awakens her heart to the possibility of love.

… a girl must become a pirate.

When tragedy strikes, Renee flees, right onto a pirate ship! Surprising herself, she offers to join their crew. Happy to finally put her swordsmanship to use, she fights injustice on the seas, but when her kingdom is threatened, can she give up the safety and happiness for an uncertain future? Or can she finally become the leader, the princess, her people need?

​Purchase on Amazon

Incomplete
by Kadee Carder

Power within her. War without. Between the lines of flirtation and justice, Saylor must clench the missing pieces of her fate. While harnessing her ability to communicate with deadly weapons of mass destruction, attending the annual gala, and fighting her growing feelings for the hunky Australian soldier, Saylor’s instincts become increasingly distressed. Tempted by greed and in-dependence, she must determine what she stands for and on whose side she belongs.

Purchase on Amazon