Tag Archives: Inspirational

National Excellence in Story Telling (NEST) 2021 Contest Winners ~ #NESTWinner2021 #CROWGroupOK #MustRead #Books #WRPbks #AHAgrp

Central Region Oklahoma Writers is pleased to present the winners of…

Contemporary Novel

First Place

What A Guy Wants by Judi Fennell

Publisher: Mergenie Books

Second Place

The Magnolia Inn by Carolyn Brown

Publisher: Montlake Romance

Third Place

Gravity by Mona Sedrak

Publisher: The Wild Rose Press

Fourth Place (Tie)

The Banty House by Carolyn Brown

Publisher: Montlake Romance

Fourth Place (Tie)

Good Vibes at the Vine by JB Schroeder

Publisher: JB Schroeder LLC and Two Feet Press

Fifth Place

A Ranger for the Twins by Tanya Agler

Publisher: Harlequin

Contemporary Short

First Place

A Song For Another Day by Maria Imbalzano

Publisher: The Wild Rose Press

Second Place

Power Play by Anna DePalo

Publisher: Harlequin

Third Place

Crazy Old Money by Kilby Blades

Publisher: Luxe Press

Fourth Place

Snowflake Cottage by Linda Carroll-Bradd

Publisher: Inked Figments

Fifth Place (Tie)

Practically Persuaded in Pittsburgh by JB Schroeder

Publisher: JB Schroeder LLC and Two Feet Press

Fifth Place (Tie)

A Perfect Grey Christmas by Anna Sugden

Publisher: Self-Published

Fifth Place (Tie)

Cinnamon’s Courageous Heart by Ryan Summers

Publisher: Self-Published

Erotic Novel

First Place

Tempt: A Wicked Sanctuary Novel by Marie Tuhart

Publisher: Hot Blooded Press

Second Place

You Can’t Buy Love by Melanie A. Smith

Publisher: Wicked Dreams Publishing

Third Place

Never Date a Doctor by Melanie A. Smith

Publisher: Wicked Dreams Publishing

Erotic Short

First Place

Honeymoon Hideaway by Mia London

Publisher: Mia London Books

Second Place

Blue Steel Hearts by Eve Lyn

Publisher: The Wild Rose Press

Third Place

Full Metal by Eve Lyn

Publisher: The Wild Rose Press

Historical Novel

First Place

By Promise Made by Susan Leigh Furlong

Publisher: The Wild Rose Press

Second Place

The Runaway Wife by CiCi Cordelia

Publisher:  Soul Mate Publishing

Third Place

Willie, My Love by Judy Ann Davis

Publisher:  Self-Published

Fourth Place

FELICE by Kathleen Bittner Roth

Publisher: Kensington Zebra

Fifth Place

A Scandalous Portrait by Callie Hutton

Publisher: Self-Published

Historical Short

First Place

The Blueberry Swirl Waltz by Maria Imbalzano

Publisher: The Wild Rose Press

Second Place

Grayson by Linda Carroll-Bradd

Publisher: Inked Figments

Third Place

The Christmas Bride by Kara O’Neal

Publisher: Self-Published

Inspirational

First Place

Patriot’s Courage by Penelope Marzec

Publisher: Prism Book Group

Second Place

My Heart Weeps by Pamela S. Thibodeaux

Publisher: Temperance Publishing

https://books2read.com/MyHeartWeeps

Third Place

Our Town Atheist by Victoria Buck

Publisher: Harbourlight/Pelican Book Group

Fourth Place

Eight Nights to Win Her Heart by Roni Denholtz

Publisher: Self-Published

Fifth Place

Lioness: Mahlah’s Journey by Barbara M. Britton

Publisher:  Pelican Book Group

Paranormal Novel

First Place

A Glimmer of Ghosts by Hunter J. Skye

Publisher:  The Wild Rose Press

Second Place

Unseen by Cassie Laelyn

Publisher: The Wild Rose Press

Third Place

Waking the Dead by Kerry Blaisdell

Publisher: The Wild Rose Press

Fourth Place

Touch of Evil by Cecy Robson

Publisher: Cecy Robson, LLC

Fifth Place (Tie)

Rumpel’s Redemption by Tamara Grantham

Publisher: Clean Teen Publishing

Fifth Place (Tie)

Lightning Strikes Again by Roni Denholtz

Publisher: Self-Published

Suspense Novel

First Place (Tie)

Colder Than Sin by Toni Anderson

Publisher: Self-Published

First Place (Tie)

Only Obsession by Marissa Garner

Publisher: Self-Published

Second Place

Retrograde by Desiree Holt

Publisher: Totally Bound

Third Place

Time to Run by Susan C. Muller

Publisher: Self-Published

Fourth Place

Cold & Deadly by Toni Anderson

Publisher: Self-Published

Fifth Place

A Pride of Brothers: Rick by Peggy Jaeger

Publisher: The Wild Rose Press

Suspense Short

First Place (Tie)

Stranger in the Storm by Patricia McAlexander

Publisher: The Wild Rose Press

First Place (Tie)​

Blood and Breakfast by Alicia Dean

Publisher: Self-Published

Second Place

A Shot of Murder by Brenda Gayle

Publisher: Bowstring Books

Third Place

Running Wild in Reno by Shirley Hailstock

Publisher: Self-Published

Young Adult Novel

First Place

Finding Frances by Kelly Vincent

Publisher: The Wild Rose Press

Second Place

Cherokee Summer by Susan Antony

Publisher: The Wild Rose Press

Third Place

The Haunted Purse by Kimberly Baer

Publisher: The Wild Rose Press

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FREE Ebooks Galore!!!

 

Free book blog

Check out our monthly list of FREE reads. All different genres, all free! Just click on the cover to be taken to the Amazon purchase/download page.

PLEASE CONFIRM BEFORE ORDERING!!! – We are not responsible if books are no longer free

 

 

1

A cursed doll? A broken nose? True Love?

Ludicrous . . .or is it?

Find Kathy L Wheeler here: http://kathylwheeler.com/

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2

A soldier trapped behind enemy lines.  A nurse risks everything to save him. As the Kaiser’s Army steamrolls across their country, they’ll make a desperate bid for freedom.

Find Linda Andrews here: http://www.authorlindaandrews.com

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3

The Druid Knight Tales ~ She would give her last breath for him. He would give up everything to guard her well and love her more.

Find Ruth A. Casie here: http://www.ruthacasie.com/books.html

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4

A future king claiming the woman he loves. A commoner falling in love with a prince. An unexpected threat that could destroy them both.

Find Marianne Knightly here.

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5

For Tatiana Ashurst, there’s no escaping destiny. Kit Vallentyn would rather devote himself to anything but finding a wife. The only way to survive the storm looming on the horizon will be to have the courage to shed their secrets and discover their true destinies together.

Find out more at Meredith Bond at meredithbond.com.

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6

Saving home, family, and protecting tigers can’t be mutually exclusive, can it?

Find Lynn Cahoon here –www.lynncahoon.com

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7

Struggling to survive on the streets of Paris, Genny agrees to be shipped to the colonies—and marry a dangerous stranger.

Find Lisa Ann Verge here:  www.lisavergehiggins.com

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8

When her friend is assaulted, sixteen year-old Corinne couldn’t help reacting. Now her hands are burnt, Gran is coming to look after her and, worst of all, strange men are watching her house. Could they be terrorists? Secret agents? Suitable 16years + (Contains coarse language and sexual references)

Find Rachel Stedman here: http://rlstedman.com

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9

When Viscount Sheffield’s ballroom burns down, whirlwind Amelia Pembroke rushes in to rescue the party–and steal his heart!

Find Erica Ridley here: http://EricaRidley.com

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10

Headed home, Ben Morgan runs into Maggie Williams and his ailing heart skips a beat. For years, Maggie has struggled to forget him, raising their daughter, Emma, Ben ignorant of his child’s existence. Now, here he is, gorgeous as ever! Maggie swears Ben Morgan will not break her heart again.

Find M. Lee Prescott here: http://www.mleeprescott.com

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11

What secrets lie beneath a Quaker school’s serene and quiet beauty?  The murder of lascivious, comptroller, Milt Wickie shatters the silence, a scrimshaw knife protruding from his chest, a knife belonging to grieving widow, Bess Dore. Bess’ old flame, police detective, Roger Demarks, and Harry Winthrop, an amateur sleuth are on the case and romance is in the air!

Find M. Lee Prescott at: http://www.mleeprescott.com

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12

Hip young up-and-coming executive Mariah Olsen has mastered separating work ambitions from personal desires in her climb up the cut-throat corporate ladder. Caught mixing the two when daydreaming in a board meeting, she faces unexpected consequences delivered by self-made billionaire Clark Mannings.

Find JACINTHA TOPAZ here: http://eepurl.com/R9OfH 

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13

Strong minds, strong passions, and strong urges. THE INTROS brings six couples together for exclusive FAQs, a couple of never-before-published vignettes, and first chapters about women-loving women. Taste, if you dare.

Find JACINTHA TOPAZ here: http://eepurl.com/R9OfH 

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14

From the Alpha Fever Boxed Set of USA Today, Amazon, International, and Award Winning Bestselling Authors, we bring you Alpha Heat: 21 steamy short stories to get your temperature rising as we introduce some of our characters. Don’t miss out on our boxed set of 22 full-length novellas coming to you on March 19th!

Find ALPHA FEVER fan page here: https://www.facebook.com/Alpha-Fever-Contemporary-and-Paranormal-Romance-Boxed-Set-1101198736609829/

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15

No identity, no home, no idea who’s chasing her…

Find Chris Marie Green here: www.chrismariegreen.com

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16

Is a new man enough to make baker Tora stay in her Texas hometown?

Find Linda Carroll-Bradd here: www.lindacarroll-bradd.com

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17

One man is determined to take her life, the other wants to save it.  With over 1800 five-star reviews, don’t miss this romantic thriller!

Find Alexa Grace here: www.AuthorAlexaGrace.com

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18

He is intent on rescue. She won’t be rescued. A rebellious heroine runs headlong into adventure in this madcap romp.

Find Elizabeth Bailey here: www.elizabethbailey.co.uk

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Book 1 of the best selling Stewart Realty Series! Once you go Jack, you NEVER go back!

Find Liz Crowe here: http://www.lizcrowe.com

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21

Back in town on the secluded Stewart Island, police officer Piper Harland is only sticking around long enough to save her brother from a financial meltdown. Can former flame and local bar owner Ryan Westlake convince her to stay?

Find Tracey Alvarez at http://www.traceyalvarez.com

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22

When you’re enemies, does love have a fighting chance? Amiria of Berwyck vows to protect her people by pledging her oath of fealty to the very enemy who has laid siege to her home. Dristan, the Devil’s Dragon of Blackmore, has a reputation to uphold as champion knight of his king. Lies, treachery, and deceit attempt to tear them apart, but only love will bring them together.

Find Sherry Ewing at http://www.SherryEwing.com

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23

Lies, Secrets, Betrayal…When a woman’s father dies on his way to the cabin he visited every month, she discovers a secret that threatens everything she’s always held to be true. Book 8 in this popular series just released!  Also available in paperback and audio, and is perfect for book club discussions.

Find Mary Campisi at http://www.marycampisi.com

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24

As a murderer stalks the streets of London’s East End, Darcie Finch accepts a position that no one else dares as assistant to Dr. Damien Cole, a dangerously attractive man with dark secrets, a man who may well be a remorseless killer.

Find Eve Silver at http://www.evesilver.net

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25

As they make their way across the untamed Louisiana wilderness, hoping to reunite the Gallant family, Emilie learns that love has a way of healing all wounds — even in the most unusual places.

Find Cherie Claire at https://www.facebook.com/authorcherieclaire/

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26

Finding love is hard, even when you aren’t a mutant.

Find Sandra Cox @ https://www.facebook.com/SandraCox.Author/

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27

The middle of nowhere gets a lot more interesting for an orphaned astronomy nerd when the hot new quarterback inexplicably befriends her and strange things start to happen: her acne clears up, her eyesight improves, and when they touch, sparks fly—literally!

Find Brenda Hiatt at http://www.facebook.com/BrendaHiatt

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28

TV reporter Elizabeth Danniher’s address has changed from New York City to rustic Sherman, Wyoming, and her life has changed even more. She’s drawn into investigating the disappearance of a sheriff’s deputy at the insistence of a little girl and with the prodding of a new TV station colleague.

Find Patricia McLinn at http://www.facebook.com/PatriciaMcLinn

 

Enjoy…Happy Reading!!!

 

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A Humorous and Helpful Article from Anna Kittrell – How to Hear Your Errors

A dear friend of mine and very talented author, Anna Kittrell, shares a different method for reading aloud to catch mistakes in your writing:

Read Aloud, Hear Your Errors

by Anna Kittrell

Have you ever listened to a first grader proudly read a story while dragging his finger over every single word on the page? Indeed, he should be proud—he is mastering the skill of reading aloud. And as you sit smiling (or, perhaps shifting impatiently while Spot the dog runs on and on and on…) a habit is being reinforced that will not only help the child read better, but will also help him write better.

Reading aloud forces the brain to slow down and focus on each individual word, allowing the writer to hear errors initially overlooked. When used as an editing tool, this technique drastically improves writing quality. But what if your voice simply can’t hold up through that enormous work in progress? Take heart, there is a solution—Adobe Reader’s Read Out Loud option. 

Not unlike that first grade child, Read Out Loud loves to read to you all day long, leaving you free to sit back and relax, with nothing to do but drag your finger across the page—and catch mistakes. Trust me, you’ll find plenty.

To use the Adobe Read Out Loud option, follow these six easy steps:

  1. Save your word document as a PDF in the “Save as type” drop down box. This will turn your word document into an Adobe Reader file.
  2. Open your PDF in Adobe
  3. Go to your Adobe toolbar, and select “View”
  4. From the drop down box, select “Read Out Loud”
  5. Choose an option from the list that appears to the right: Deactivate Read Out Loud, Read This Page Only, Read To End of Document, Pause, or Stop.

(Tip: Since it is not possible to make changes within the PDF, I keep my original word document open. When I encounter an error, I pause the reader, pop over to my word document, and make corrections.)

  1. Listen as the automated voice brings your words to life—sort of.

(Tip: During the Read Out Loud process, if you click on your document, a box will appear around a section of your text. After the outlined portion is read, the reader will stop. Repeat the above steps to re-start Read Out Loud.)

That’s all there is to it.

Okay, I admit the mechanical voice sounds a lot like the gal on my GPS, but I promise she will not say, “recalculating”—unless it is in your document. Sometimes she makes mincemeat of my characters’ names, which I find wildly entertaining. And, on occasion, a regular word such as bifocals throws her for a loop (she calls them biforcals).

Still, it beats reading aloud all weekend, getting laryngitis, and being unable to call in to work. Wait a minute—that sounds like a job for Adobe Read Out Loud! Type your excuse, save as a PDF, dial up your boss, and let the computer explain why you won’t be at work on Monday. Then spend the day cleaning up that manuscript—with Adobe Read Out Loud.

Anna Kittrell is the author of  Romantic Suspense stories, Skinbound and Another Man’s Treasure

Plus, Inspirational Young Adult,  Redbend High Series.

redbend a779502c2e1c3c4bb

Click here to purchase from Amazon

Visit Anna on her homepage

 

 

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Filed under Entertainment, For Writers