Monday, December 3, 2012

Time for Launch. You Hungry?

Thought for the day: A lot of people ask me if I were shipwrecked,and could only have one book, what would it be? I always say, "How to Build a Boat."  [Stephen Wright]


U.S.S. Mississippi christening, 2011 (Wiki)
I've never launched a boat before. Have you? That distinguished looking lady in the picture is Alison Stiller, the Deputy Assistant Secretary of the Navy, and I'll betcha SHE'S launched a lot of boats... er ... ships... before. 

But I'll betcha she hasn't launched any BOOKS. 

Okay, so I haven't launched any of THEM before either. (sigh) But there's always a first time, right? Today I'm gonna take a good swig of the champagne bottle, and add my enthusiastic voice to a bunch of other bloggers' voices to help launch a book that's being released by J. Taylor Publishing... TODAY!!! 

                                               Ready? We christen theeeee.... Make Believe!


                                     
           For REAL, may her voyage be long and joyous, and her seas be ever serene.

Pretty cover, isn't it? Make Believe is a compilation of short stories, one of which was written by Aussie blogger pal and author Lynda R. Young. Her story is called Birthright. (PSSST! Wanta peek at the blurb for her story?)

Christa can mask the pain and hide the scars, but running from a birthright is impossible. 

She’s tried to escape her grief by fleeing to a small town in Florida. Much to her frustration, the locals think they recognize her even though she's never been there before. To make things worse, a man named Jack spouts outrageous theories about her. 

Both spur Christa to bolt, to start fresh yet again, but there’s something about Jack that intrigues her enough to stay. The only problem? Someone else wants her to leave, and they won’t stop until she’s dead.  


Oooooh. Intrigued?  Wait, there's more! How's about an excerpt...?

Palms rustled overhead as Mrs. Tinder shouldered open the rickety door of Christa’s new home.

“Here we are,” the landlady said. The dark space breathed Florida’s hot air. “It’s not usually so humid here in December, but never you mind about the unseasonal heat, dear. As soon as the air-conditioning kicks in she’ll be right as rain.” Mrs. Tinder toddled over to a control panel on the wall and pressed a few buttons. A hum emanated from the walls, the lights blinked on, and the air stirred.

Busying herself around the single room cabin, Mrs. Tinder spread the drapes, straightened the cushions and opened and closed the fridge. She turned her sharp gaze on Christa. “You have family in town?”

Christa gave her a tight smile. “No, I don’t.”

“Friends, perhaps?”

She shook her head.

Mrs. Tinder’s wrinkles deepened into a frown. “You’ll be alone over Christmas?” Her pinched lips broadcast her true thoughts. No one should be alone over Christmas. It’s not right. It’s not natural.

Christa’s smile wavered. “I’ll have plenty to keep me busy.” She tapped her camera case, still hanging from one shoulder.

“Ah, a photographer.” The woman’s nod turned to a slow shake.

Christa didn’t need pity, and she didn’t need more invitations to join random family gatherings, either. To prevent further discussion, she asked, “Are there any galleries in town? Or museums?”

The woman’s face didn’t brighten. “No galleries. There’s one museum. A shack run by a man named Jack.” She grunted. “But you don’t want to go there. His displays are a load of balderdash, if you don’t mind me saying.”

“Balderdash?” Christa asked in mock surprise. “A mighty strong word.”

Looking like a school principal about to pass judgment on a wayward child, Mrs. Tinder perched on a kitchen stool and leaned on the counter.

Christa regretted the tease, realizing the woman had taken it for an invitation to continue.

“Apologies for my language, dear.” Reprimand laced Mrs. Tinder’s tone. After a pause of awkward silence, she sniffed. “Mr. Jack fancies himself the town historian, but he wouldn’t know history if he fell into a dung pile of it. He snoops into family lore, delves into lost legends, and makes up stories when he can’t find nothing of no interest. Mark me, all of it’s nonsense.”

Christa nodded, though she didn’t understand at all.

“Don’t get me wrong. Jack’s a lovely boy, but he’s strayed from the path.” Mrs. Tinder peered at Christa with an appraising eye. “Perhaps a woman like you would do a young man like Jack some good.”

Christa stiffened. Matchmaking was one of the many reasons she’d left New York for the holiday season. She hadn’t expected to find it in a small town in Florida, as well.

+++

If you'd like to learn more about the other stories in this book, you can find that info here And then you can pop right on over to Amazon and order it. (Let's help this book launch make a BIG SPLASH!)

Huh? I beg your pardon? You say you didn't see me swing that bottle of champagne? Pardonez-moi, you must have misunderstood. I didn't take a swing... I took a swig. (sheesh) 

Here's to Lynda and all the other authors included in this book. SALUT!!!

 (mutter, mutter) As if I'd waste a perfectly good bottle of bubbly... besides, it'd just make the pages all soggy.

                        Until next time, take care of yourselves. And each other.

39 comments:

  1. There's something about moving to Florida that leads one to the love of a good man.

    Love,
    Janie

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  2. With your enthusiastic launch, who could resist? I have no doubt that this literary journey will be as effervescent as a bottle of champagne (or maybe two....).

    By the way - I don't profess to judge books by covers, but I really like this one.

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    1. Thanks. (And much more effervescent than... ugh... Andre champagne!) Hey, nothing wrong with passing judgement on a cover, no matter what the ol' adage says.

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  3. Looks like a great book, the cover is awesome. Enjoy your bubbly :)

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    1. It does look good, doesn't it? Definitely one on my TBR list. As for the bubbly, I talk big, but I believe I'll stick with my hot tea.

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  4. It is a pretty looking book and the taste of Birthright has me wanting to read more of it. Is it available as an e-book? I'll just hop on over to Amazon and find out...

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  5. the book looks interesting....i bet it also contains interesting and wonderful thoughts...good job on that launch...:o)


    xx!

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    1. It does look interesting, and one good thing about a collection of short stories is (maybe) I can discipline myself to only read one or two at a time, rather than sitting there and reading the whole darned thing at one sitting. (Kinda like eating potato chips.)

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  6. Congrats to the authors on their book launch! Will definitely check it out.

    Cheers!

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    1. Cheers to you, too. YOUR new book launch is right around the corner, too. Woo HOO! I hope the thrill of the launch is high for each book you launch, no matter how many.

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  7. Congratulations, Lynda, and great job with that launch, Susan! And I love the quote about what book to bring on a desert island. I'm going to give that answer next time I get asked that in an interview!

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    1. Glad you liked that quote; it totally cracked me up, too.

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  8. Pass me over a glass of that bubbly...I'll sip it while I investigate.

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    1. Here, ya go. Some crackers and spinach dip to go with it?

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  9. Sounds interesting, will have to check it out.

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  10. I've heard great things about this book, the buzz is phenomenal.

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    1. Lots of bees working together can produce an impressive buzz.

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  11. Like the excerpt - congrats to all the authors!

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  12. Sounds like a lovely read to me! Thanks for telling us about it. :)

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    1. Sounds loverly to me, too. Guess we'll have to read it, and find out!

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  13. It's a Lynda-fest today!! And that is such a beautiful cover. So perfect for the holidays.

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    1. Yeah; you're right. The cover is well-suited for the Holidays. By coincidence... or design?

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  14. Yay for Lynda! Congratulations to her and all the authors. I love the cover of this book.

    And I love Stephen Wright's quote LOL.

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    1. Yep, YAY! for Lynda is right. I really like that quote, too. Wright's mind works in a most delightful way.

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  15. am loving that first photo
    she looks like she sands no nonsense!
    probably launches ships with her bare hands

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  16. I agree. She looks like an American version of Margaret Thatcher.

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  17. I'm only just back and what a post to come back to. This is brilliant and put a huge smile on my face. Thank you so much, Susan.
    huge hugs,
    Lyn

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    1. My pleasure, Lynda. I'm glad it made you smile. Good luck with the book!!!

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  18. Alright, you've piqued my interest. It's funny - I just recently found out that indie authors are quite a force in Australia. I'm currently reading a second book from a friend of mine who is a self-published Australian author. Once I'm done with that, I'll have to check out "Make Believe."

    Oh yeah, I want a glass of the bubbly and some spinach dip on crackers. Thanks!

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    1. I think Indie authors are getting to be quite a force all over the world. All right! The champagne is good and cold, and I made a boatload of spinach dip. Help yourself! (The cake's in the kitchen...)

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  19. Good luck to Lynda and her new release! I think I'll have to Christian my next book with a bottle of wine.

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    1. I dunno. Maybe you could christen your next book with some pale ale with a really cool name.

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  20. Good luck to her and to all others contributing to our reading pleasure:-)

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