Guest Author: Kim Kasch

#EggcerptExchange - The Cats of Cullaby Creek by Kim Kasch      

                                   

Think “The Animorphs” Grown Up

Love is in the Air, something else is in the water

BLURB:
When Savannah meets Kyle, it's love at first sight. And why wouldn't it be? He's perfect, as far as she can tell. But Kyle appears whenever things go wrong. Maybe he isn't everything she thought he was. It's a complete mystery until she discovers the water in Cullaby Creek is being bottled and sold as vitamin “infused” water. Mistic Water promises the impossible. And then, like a magical elixir, it delivers. People who drink it feel younger, smarter, faster...healthier. But it doesn’t take long before side effects hit. Literally. The secret has to be in the water…or is it something more?

RELEASE DATE: January 21, 2016

PUBLISHER: http://cleanreads.com/

ISBN: 978-1-62135-483-3

BOOK TRAILER: https://youtu.be/JOft7ED0z2Y

BOOK TEASER:

https://youtu.be/729o2HWEAuE

LOVE IS ALWAYS RISKY

BUT

IN CULLABY CREEK IT’S DANGEROUS

IS IT ALREADY TOO LATE FOR SAVANNAH?

FIND OUT IN THE CATS OF CULLABY CREEK

EXCERPT:

Kelly and Kyle

These two shared some sort of history. And now I was in the middle of their story.

Sparks flew through the air. But, they didn’t seem to notice—or maybe they just didn’t care how uncomfortable they were making the rest of us.

I scanned the room. The terribly odd thing was that while they stood in the center of the cafeteria—arguing—everyone’s eyes were on me.

What is so interesting about me?

After a few seconds, I heard whispered accusations slammed back and forth, like a ping-pong ball. My name, muttered in odd and angry tones. No one seemed to mind staring at me, but only the bravest few were sneaking sideways glances over at Kelly and Kyle, hoping no one noticed.

This wasn’t what I needed on my first day at a new school. I hadn’t come here looking for instant enemies, but I knew I’d accidentally stirred a private pot and things were already starting to boil.

I needed to do something and quick. From the sounds floating around me, if they got into an actual argument, I was going to get the blame.

I spit out the first words I could think to say, “What’s a new kid to do, after school, around here… for fun?”

Kyle sighed and chuckled, “That depends on what you’re hoping to find and what you think is fun.” He stepped back away from Kelly for a moment. “You big city kids always think something needs to be going on. But in real life, in a small town, not much ever happens.”

“We could ask my Mom to drive us into Astoria to do some shopping,” I suggested. It was a little too obvious—even to me—Kelly wanted me out of the picture and was trying everything she could think of to keep me away from Kyle. I almost felt sorry for her—but only for a second.

“Or,” Kyle sat down and nodded for me to join him. I could feel a warm rush of air and his scent worked its way up inside my head. I barely heard him finish, “We could go for a run.”

“What?” Kelly demanded, clenching her hands into tight-balled fists at her side.

“Savannah,” Kyle lowered his voice and said my name slow, putting an emphasis on the last syllable, like it was a soft sigh, ‘ah’. And, for the first time in my life, I loved the sound of my own name. “Is a runner. And she’s fast. Aren’t ‘cha?” He nudged me and moved even closer. I could barely think. His smell overpowered my senses; it was the sweet woodsy scent of him that took me by surprise. I closed my eyes and drank it in.

When I opened them back up, Kelly’s eyes were shooting red flames of rage straight at me.

I gazed at Kyle and felt a warmth in my stomach again. It was working its way up into my chest. “That’s not what you said this morning,” I laughed then spun away.

Buy links:

http://www.amazon.com/Cats-Cullaby-Creek-Kimbra-Kasch-ebook/dp/B01AVVSB44/

https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/the-cats-of-cullaby-creek/id1076224663?mt=11

CHARACTER INTERVIEW:

1. Nickname: Vannah
2. Level of schooling, or self-taught: High school
3. Birthplace: Portland, Oregon
4. Significant other: Kyle
5. Most important goal: Get her family out of Mist



AUTHOR BIO:

I'm a writer who grew up in a family with 9 kids and only 1 t.v. so I spent my days reading and, later, writing. I love books. . .maybe because I never got to pick t.v. shows we watched. But I’d run home after school to catch the last fifteen minutes of Dark Shadows...

 I still love to run...and read. My favorite romance novels are The Hunger Games...okay, I know, it's a survival book but it's really all about romance. Then there were the series: Twilight, Fifty Shades, and more but I also love paranormal, Horror and even light books like Dewey the Small Town Library Cat... Mainly, I just love to read. . . and write.

AUTHOR LINKS:

KIM’S AMAZON AUTHOR PAGE

http://www.amazon.com/Kim-Kasch/e/B00ZOAUKMO/ref=dp_byline_cont_ebooks_1Website: 

Website:

https://www.kimkasch.com

https://www.kimbrakasch.com

Blog: https://www.kimkasch.blogspot.com

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100009489617484

Twitter: https://twitter.com/kimkasch 

SOCIAL MEDIA SITES:

And join me on Twitter or stop by and see what I'm pinning on  Pinterest and, if you've read Demon's Ink and have a question or simply want to share a comment, please feel free to send me an email. I love connecting with readers.

Thanks, Kim, for being on my blog!

#EggcerptExchange - with @Author Tina Gayle

Welcome, Tina!                                      

Four women...
One fatal car wreck...
Everyone's lives changed...

Marketing Exec's Widow
http://www.tinagayle.net/ReviveCover.jpg

Letting go and rebuilding a life comes at a price.

Having come to terms with losing her husband, Jennifer is ready to move on with her life, but she faces opposition from her friends, in-laws, and brother-in-law, who sees himself as her future husband. None of them know of Jen’s marital problems and she is afraid of their reaction when they learn she has a date for Friday night. Hagan Chaney is not anything like Craig. He tempts Jen into the future but is she willing to give love another chance after the heartache she faced the 1st time around?

Excerpt –

      “God, you must think I’m awful.”

     “Not even in the ballpark as to what I think about you. Because I know you would never have said yes to a night out with me if you’d been happy in your marriage.”

     His words hit her like a fist to the face and her head snapped backward, striking the wooden partition between the booths. Wow, how could he have guessed the truth when so many people who knew her hadn’t?

     She closed her eyes and searched for an answer. For so long, she’d kept her emotions bottled inside, not allowing anyone to see the loneliness or heartache her unhappy marriage had caused. What now? Lie, or admit the truth?

     The vinyl cushion squeaked, and a hand touched her shoulder, pulling her from her stupor. Hagan slipped in beside her, his thigh bumped hers and his arm slid along the back of the seat. In the space of a few seconds, his large athletic body blocked her escape from the confining booth.

Nerves pulsed in an agitated rhythm. She couldn’t sit still, and opened her mouth to tell him to back off, but the thin lines of concern marring his brow killed the comment.

     “Hey, there’s no reason to get upset.” He cupped a hand over her shoulder and drew her close. “I’m happy you said yes.”

      Jolted by his sudden nearness, she exhaled, and then fought to draw air back into her lungs. His crisp, masculine scent acted like a seductive lure, and she had to fight the urge to bury her nose in the curve of his neck.

Read the 1st chapter of any of Tina's books at www.tinagayle.net

Purchase Links:

Marketing Exec's Widow is available at www.amazon.com/gp/product/B007AARGPA/" target="_blank">Amazon,</a>

Tina’s Bio –

Tina Gayle loves writing and is currently working on finishing her Family Tree series, a contemporary paranormal suspense series.

When not writing, she enjoys spending time with my family and traveling around the country. She hasn't hit every state, but she hopes to someday. You might also catch her on the golf course with her husband of 30 years. 

Also, you can read the first chapter of any of her books by visiting her website or download an exclusive story "My Future Step Brother" and join her special friend's list. All on her website www.tinagayle.net

Home - www.tinagayle.net
Blog - www.tinagayle.blogspot.com
Twitter - https://twitter.com/#!/AuthorTinaGayle
Goodreads - http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/1641826.Tina_Gayle
Facebook - http://www.facebook.com/tina.gayle

Character Questions

1. Nickname – Jen
2. Job - realtor
3. Birthplace-Omaha, NE

4. Significant other – Craig but he was killed in a car wreck
5. Worst fear or nightmare – spending my live alone

Thanks Tina, for sharing your book with us!

Why should a reader read "Surviving Haley?"

Tragedy can strike without notice. It’s in the news every day. Bad things happen to good people—men, women, and children, and that bothers me.      

My young adult novel, Surviving Haley, is about Lauren Werthman, a teen who used to like soccer, who used to play an instrument and have a best friend. But now she turns to food for comfort and doesn’t do much of anything. Why? A tragedy. She makes a mistake, one that results in her little sister Haley’s death. Lauren can’t forgive herself, because if she’d been paying attention, Haley might still be alive.

The book isn’t about the accident, though. It’s about Lauren’s battle to fight her way back to a normal life. After the accident, the family moves to a new state. Lauren gains weight. She hides mini-candy bars in her school bag. At home, she keeps a stash in an old flocked bunny bank where her mother won’t find it, because Mom monitors everything Lauren eats. Food is the only thing that lifts her mood, but the good feeling is short-lived. She eats way too much in a short period of time and afterwards, she’s disgusted with herself and even more depressed.

There are lots of novels about Anorexia and Bulimia, but there’s another disorder known as B.E.D., or Binge Eating Disorder. Overeating is normal from time to time. But Lauren’s eating becomes out of control—she can’t stop even when she’s full.   

Suffering causes people to question their faith or even doubt the existence of God. Guilt invades every aspect of Lauren’s life. The first day at her new school, she meets a guy who’s wearing a shirt with a religious logo, and her initial reaction is anger: If there’s a God, why didn’t He save her sister? 

Who’s this book for? Readers who want to root for a character trying to change, who believe everyone deserves a second chance. Can Lauren ever be happy again? Could you?   

Exclusion Starts Early

Children are born with no sense of right or wrong, and left to their own devices, human nature will take over. Unfortunately what comes naturally is selfishness and cruelty. Even in kids as young as three, I've witnessed the exclusion of classmates and heard cruel comments directed at others. "I don't like you," or "You can't play," or "No girls allowed."

I've seen kids, really young kids, refuse to hold hands with someone whose skin color differs from their own. Or some of them don't want to sit at a table next to another child who is of a different ethnic background. It's sad that this behavior occurs in early childhood settings, when children are supposedly innocent and unbiased.

The key word in all of this is, "different." If a child is different from others in any way, he or she is a prime candidate for being teased, bullied or excluded. Children don't seem to value uniqueness, they value sameness.  Again, that's sad. Because we were created to be unique with our own set of talents, gifts and abilities. The only way we should all be the same is in the way we treat others--with empathy, acceptance and love.     

Book cover released

After more than ten years of writing, and a file drawer full of unfinished pieces, it's really happening--my book's being published. If there's something you love to do, even if realizing your dream is a long shot, keep doing it, because you never know. The only thing certain is, it will never happen if you give up.  

Throughout the entire process of learning to write, I kept hearing, "a published author is an amateur writer who didn't quit." Like most things, writing improves with practice, and one page at a time, one chapter at a time, those blank pages fill and you end up with a book-length story. 

So, what have you always wanted to do? What's holding you back? Quit listening to people who say, "That's impossible," and just keep trying. It's been said a long journey begins with a single step. So take the first step and then keep moving forward. Stop listening to negative thoughts and negative people and go ahead, allow yourself to believe it's possible. 

 

Out of Touch

I hope print books never cease to exist. There's something about holding a book in your hands, feeling its weight, flipping each page and then noticing how far along you are in the story until the author writes, The End. You can't do that on a screen. You can't feel the paper with your fingertips or mark the pages with a bookmark or read in bed with a flashlight.

If you play a game online, it's not the same as it used to be when you played a board game with friends. I used to like lining up all the small, polished Scrabble letter tiles on the wooden tray. And then when your turn was over, you'd stick your hand inside a bag and draw more letters until you had seven again. Computers have robbed us of our sense of touch. Keys don't feel like wood tiles. There's a big difference between a full-sized game board and a tiny flat-screened one online. Dragging your tiles into position with a computer mouse isn't quite the same as picking them up and positioning them on a board.

What about Monopoly? Or Yahtzee? Or other games that have been computerized? Yes, you can play them on a screen, but you don't get to hold the game pieces in your hands, or shake the dice and roll them, or move your token around the board. And the biggest drawback of all? When you play games online, it's a solitary activity not a social one, Because even if you're playing against another person or persons, you're in your space and they're in theirs and you don't talk to each other. The closest thing we have to human interaction online is chat windows. At least you know the other person is "talking" at the same time you are.

We've lost something, people. If you want to see what, try this experiment. Play a game by yourself online. Now invite some friends or family over and play the same game, but at a table with cards or a game board. Which one was more fun to do?

I like games, so if playing online is my only option then I'll do it. I like to read. If I don't have a book, I'll go online and read a story. But given a choice, I will always opt for a real book and a real deck of cards or a board game. It's just more satisfying.

Me-ism

What would the world look like if we focused on others instead of ourselves? Simply this: It would be more peaceful, more fulfilling, more satisfying. We'd receive what we needed--love, attention, and confirmation of our worth--from others, and we wouldn't have to conform to the current mantra of modern society: "Me-ism." What's in it for me? What can I gain by investing time and energy into this endeavor or person or cause?

We ought to be shifting the focus off ourselves and onto others. If we did, life could change radically for us all.We'd notice when someone was down, and we'd encourage them to talk about their problem instead of monopolizing the conversation, turning it back to our own lives. We'd see a need in someone's life and we'd try to fill it instead of thinking about all the things we wanted for ourselves. We'd compliment people when we noticed them using their gifts for the betterment of society and not just for their own personal gain. We all have gifts--talents we were born with that were given to us by the Creator so we could make the world a place of kindness and acceptance.  

Human beings are born selfish, so it comes naturally to us to put our own agenda in front of everyone else's. to be self-focused instead of other-focused. It's said that money is the root of all evil, but I think selfishness is too. As long as we fail to have concern for others, to care about their welfare, then we will also fail to coexist in harmony and peace.