Happy happy! That’s me after last week. An author spends a lot of time shut away in her office with imaginary friends. Sometimes those friends don’t play nice and make the writing hard. Other times the writing goes well and you meet your deadlines and goals. I sent off my work in progress on my readjusted deadline, a month later than the original date I agreed to. But I needed that extra month. In fact, I was worried a couple of months ago that I might need more than an extra month, but the story came together. I got it edited and a bunch of those unnecessary words slashed to let me hit send well before midnight on my deadline day.
Now I can come up for air and pay attention to some of the things I had to put on hold while racing for that deadline. Like a newsletter to talk about my new book, River to Redemption that’s a month away from Release Day! More about that on Wednesday’s post, but it’s part of my Book News week too.
But I can’t tell you everything at once. You’d get tired of reading.
First – Great News for You E-Readers
Three of my books are on special e-book sale for a limited time in June. These Healing Hills, my mountain story that is still practically a new release is 
available for a mere $1.99. That’s less than a strawberry sundae at most restaurants, especially if you add nuts. I always want to add nuts. As you can tell I know about those sundaes. But it’s not every day you can download a book packed with Frontier Nursing history and characters I hope you’ll like for such a great price. I do think if you get the book, you might enjoy getting to know Granny Em as much as I did while I was writing the story. Some characters just finagle their way into your heart. And now you can get to know her at a very cheap price if you like to e-read. You can find links to some online sellers here.
Then two of my Rosey Corner books are also on e-book sale. Small Town Girl is only $2.99. Okay, you can probably get a strawberry sundae with nuts for that price at some places, but it’s pretty cheap for a trip to Rosey Corner and the chance to read about the Merritt sisters’ trials and loves. Then you can add Love Comes Home for a dollar more and you’ll be sitting pretty in Rosey Corner. It’s definitely got some romantic scenes in it and a few more of my favorite secondary characters in those stories. You have to love Graham and his dog Poe and wonder about Fern. You can check out buy links here.
2nd – Great News for Me
The Faith Hope & Love Reader’s Choice Award finalists were announced last week, and These Healing Hills is a finalist in the Women’s Fiction category. No wonder I’m happy happy. Check out all the finalists at FHL Reader’s Choice Awards. I’ve entered this contest several times in years past with various books that I thought might be romantic enough but this is the first time I’ve been a finalist. So I’m celebrating. I love my mountain story. I enjoyed finding out about the Frontier Nurses and their history. The Appalachian Mountain setting was great to walk through in my imagination. And I liked getting to know my mountain people. I’m really happy that this award might introduce the story to new readers so they can ride up in the mountains with Francine and meet the challenges of being a Frontier Nurse in 1945-46.
Thanks for letting me share my book news and how I met my deadline – at least my extended deadline.
How do you celebrate when you get something done that you’ve been working on for a while?
Hmm, maybe I’ll go get one of those strawberry sundaes with nuts. But actually a couple of my granddaughters say they have never eaten a banana split and it’s been years since I have. Maybe that’s what I should do. Take them out for banana splits. Hey, why don’t we have a virtual banana split party with all our favorite fixings?
As always, thanks for reading.
Comments 10
These Healing Hills is a favorite of mine, too. I learned a lot about the frontier nurses, and maybe if I knew you could ride a horse as a nurse I would not have given up the idea of becoming a nurse. But I did go on to become a special ed. teacher, but not on horseback.
I’d say go for that sundae. sounds like a great way to celebrate!
Author
A couple of the grandgirls are coming visiting later this week. We may have to make that ice cream stop. 🙂 Probably by the time you were ready to be a nurse, the Frontier Nurses had mostly stabled their horses and gone to riding in jeeps. But a special ed teacher is a calling and one where you have an opportunity to bless the children you teach. They used to have a special program here in KY where children with disabilities were taken to ride horses, so maybe you could have been a special ed teacher on horseback, Birdie. 🙂
Congratulations Ann ! I loved These Healing Hills. My G-G Grandma was an herb Dr In Owsley Co. I remember hearing stories how she prepared a gruel for sick folks in the area .I really enjoyed learning about the Frontier Nursing service . I hope you win the award ! As far as celebrating ; I think ice cream is the perfect choice! Blessings
Author
Thanks, Nancy. If you were one of the judges, I’d be a shoe-in. 🙂 But I’m happy just getting to be a finalist. Of course, it would be nice to win, but the two other books in the category are great reads too. That’s neat about the great great grandma being a herb doctor. I’ve used the idea of herb doctors in several of my stories. And in the book I just send it I have somebody making gruel for a baby.
I’m rooting for you to win that award. You certainly deserve it. Love all your books. I’m having hip replacement surgery July 31, so I hope to have your new book to recuraperate with.
Author
Thanks so much, Jean. I appreciate your vote of confidence. Sorry to hear about the upcoming hip replacement, but I’ve heard those surgeries are sometimes easier to get over than the knee replacements. So hoping and praying yours will go easy and be successful. You should have my book before then.
Congratulations, Ann, especially on These Healing Hills. I am so excited for you and ready to read other books you have written. These Healing Hills is one of
my all-time favorites and I would be so happy to see winnings on this book. I also hope the one day you will be able work in another book as a sequel. I just want to learn more about the frontier nurses’ program. I rather suspect as I progress on your books, I will be saying that many times over. My husband and I vote for the banana split party–once upon a time they were so delicious and it has been such a long time since we have had one.
Author
Thanks, Glendora. I’m so glad you enjoyed These Healing Hills. Actually for my next project I’m going back to the mountains. It won’t exactly be a sequel to These Healing Hills, but it will be about the Frontier Nursing Service. Maybe we should have a make your own banana split party.
Congratulations on meeting your (2nd) deadline! We all need a little extra time now and then. You definitely need to treat yourself. Banana splits for you and your granddaughters sound good! My husband would like that. My treat would be hot fudge, with nuts, of course! 😊
Author
Of course, you have to have those nuts, Karen. As much of a chocolate fiend I was as a kid, I always liked the other flavor sundaes better than the hot fudge ones. Maybe I should give one of those another try. We’re definitely going to have to have an ice cream party!