I was thrilled to get a wonderful review this week for "Summer Storms," my story in the YA anthology Summer Lovin'. Then when I found out it was up for Book of the Week at LASR, I emailed everyone I know to vote for it on 8/15 & 8/16 at:
http://www.longandshortreviews.com/LASR/recentrev.htm
Exciting, right?? But when I looked more closely, I discovered that not only was my book up for the award, but it looks as if my fellow Susquehanna Writer Cate Masters also has a book up for the same honor. And would you believe two other friends are in the running? I guess I hang around with stellar authors. So now what do I do? Do I vote for my book & support my fellow authors? Or should I show my support for my good friend Cate? Or for one of my other friends? What would you do if it were you?
Bet you already know the answer. Cate gets my vote.
I’ve never read anything by Ms. Edwards, but I have to say after reading this story that I plan to read some more from this talented author. Summer Storms was my favorite of the anthology.
A heart touching story...There is some great writing going on in this story. I could feel the urgency and emotions of these characters caught in a possibly deadly situation. Outstanding.
Summer Lovin' is now available for purchase in print at Barnes & Noble and Amazon(no cover picture there yet, unfortunately).
It wasn't supposed to be out until July 10, so I'm excited! My author copies are winging their way to me now. To celebrate, I'm posting an excerpt and will give away a copy of the e-book to one lucky person who comments either here or at my blog.
Do you remember your first love? Your first kiss? Drop by and tell us about it.
BLURB:
SUMMER LOVIN’ is a collection of love stories by authors Dara Edmondson, Laurie J. Edwards, Mona Ingram, Kimberlee R. Mendoza, Sydney Shay, and June Sproat about life on a ranch, summer jobs, sandcastle competitions, the tragedy of a flood, and falling in love with a rock star.
My story in the anthology is “Summer Storms”: Sixteen-year-old Paige nearly drowns as she rescues a Pomeranian trapped in floodwaters that sweep through her town. Chase, the hottie who saves her, wants to help her and her mother, but Paige won’t accept charity. And can she risk him unmasking the family secret she’s kept hidden?
EXCERPT (Paige and her mother try to escape the flood sweeping through town. Waves have just smashed the branches of an uprooted tree through their window):
Picking her way over the broken glass, Paige lunged for the tree. Icy water soaked her sneakers and jeans. The suitcase banged against the trunk and almost slid from her grasp. Her fingers raked down the rough bark, tearing her palms. The tree bobbed up and down as water assaulted it.
Paige climbed on and wrapped one arm around an upright branch. Staying seated was like riding a bucking bronco. She wedged the suitcase between two branches and then leaned forward to extend a hand to Mama, who was scrambling for balance.
As she got Mama situated, another wave rocked the tree. The suitcase slid. Before Paige could grab it, it plunged into the water below. What had they lost? Her mind was a blur. But Mama was safe. That was the important thing.
She wrested the other suitcase from Mama’s grip and slid the handle over an upright tree branch. Mama clung to another branch as the tree shuddered. As long as the tree didn’t roll, they could float to safety. She hoped.
Wood cracked and splintered. Only a bit more and the branch would break free. Then they’d be at the mercy of the river.
A tiny yip caused Paige to turn. A Pomeranian paddled furiously in the sludge between their house and the one next door. Its fur slicked tight to its head, the dog panted as it struggled to keep its head above water. The tree had dammed the floodwaters between the buildings, but once the dog reached the rushing water, it would be doomed.
Paige clutched the branch with one hand and leaned back until her muscles screamed in agony. The dog struggled closer, but she couldn’t reach it. She gripped the trunk between her legs and let go of the branch. Still, the gap was too great.
Mama screamed, “No, Paige, no!”
But Paige ignored her. She inched backward and reached for the dog. With a great rending sound, the branch holding the tree in place tore free of its mooring. And with a sucking sound, the tree shot into the raging current.
Want to find out what happens next? Pick up a copy of Summer Lovin’. “Summer Storms” is only one of six stories in the anthology. All the stories in the anthology are different, so I’m sure you’ll find one you just love.
Two of my books from two different publishers are out today!
My YA biography, Rihanna (People in the News) is out from Lucent and Summer Lovin’, a YA anthology of summer love stories is out at The Wild Rose Press.
SUMMER LOVIN’is a collection of love stories by six Climbing Rose authors about life on a ranch, summer jobs, sandcastle competitions, the tragedy of a flood, and falling in love with a rock star.My story is in the anthology is "Summer Storms": Sixteen-year-old Paige nearly drowns trying to rescue a Pomeranian trapped in floodwaters that sweep through her town. Chase, the hottie who saves her, wants to help her and her mother, but Paige won’t accept charity. And can she risk him unmasking the family secret she’s kept hidden?
RIHANNA (PEOPLE IN THE NEWS) tells the story of R&B singer Rihanna, who loved to sing as a child, but had a rough homelife with a cocaine-addicted father. Discovered at age 15, Rihanna auditioned for Jay-Z and rose to stardom. My book offers a behind the scenes peek into Rihanna’s childhood, her rise to fame, her Grammy win, and some of the celebs she’s connected with, including Shia LaBeouf, Timbaland, Maroon 5, and Chris Brown.
WIN A FREE COPY!
Anyone who comments at my blog http://lje1.wordpress.com/or friends me on MySpace, Facebook, or Twitter from now until May 31 will have their name entered to win a copy of Summer Lovin’. Winner will be announced at noon on June 1, so stop back to see if you've won.
I was thrilled to get a wonderful review this week for "Summer Storms," my story in the YA anthology Summer Lovin'. Then when I found out it was up for Book of the Week at LASR, I emailed everyone I know to vote for it on 8/15 & 8/16 at:
