A HUNDRED LIES - is here!
It’s release day. All the planning, nerves, to-do list a mile long…and…
It’s here!
Ah. Time to breathe.
And celebrate!
Since my brain is numb and eyes fried from all the anticipation and work, I’m keeping it short. A Hundred Lies, the final book in my historical romance trilogy, is here. Check it out. Read. Review! Oh, how I love reviews. Now to go have a second cupcake since it is my kiddo’s birthday, too! Extra special day of celebrating. I am not big on selfies, but here you go.
Here I am with all 3 books from the Hundred Trilogy. A Hundred Breaths (February 2019), A Hundred Kisses (May 2017), and A Hundred Lies (August 2020). Yes, yes, I did publish the trilogy a wee out of order, but don’t despair! Now they are all here - and yes, you can read just one of them or read out of order, too. Whatever you want. Don’t forget to check out the EXTRAS page, too with a map, glossary, and family lineage chart.
Psst.
Find it here. Amazon ~ Barnes and Noble ~ iBooks ~ Kobo ~ Google
Review it here. Amazon ~ Goodreads ~ Bookbub ~ Barnes and Noble ~ iBooks ~ Kobo ~ Google
THANK YOU! :)
Sending out so much gratitude to all who have helped bring this trilogy to life! And to print. Many thanks to my husband, my editor, my writing bud Lorraine (L. Ryan Storms), fellow authors from The Wild Rose Press and Women’s Fiction Writers Association as well as my writers fellowship group, and last but never least, my children for their patience while I have carved out a corner of their playroom as my own (but wait….just this week I moved my desk to my bedroom!).
Best and kindest regards,
Jean
The End is in Sight! - Wrapping up a Trilogy
I never knew that when I sat down to write A Hundred Kisses seven years ago (in 2013), that it would grow into a trilogy. At the time, it was my fourth manuscript on my writing journey. I changed my century from the first three “practice” novels to the 13th century, spiced it up with paranormal elements, and threw my heart into it. Lo and behold, this time period happened to be the spark of the Scottish Wars of Independence, too. Go figure. I really did just pick a random year. 1296 sounded good to me.
That story snagged me a publisher!
Here I am four years later. The final book in the trilogy will be out this summer! A trilogy that had never been intended. Hey, you gotta follow the muse, right? After Alasdair and Deirdre’s story was published in A Hundred Kisses, inspiration struck—what about Simon and Gwyn’s (Deirdre’s parents) story? I was drawn to the mystique of the Norse/Vikings in Scotland. I dug deeper into the mystical Ancient culture of Deirdre’s kin. Henceforth came A Hundred Breaths, the prequel. By this point, I knew I needed to complete the story of the Ancients of the isles and the Scottish Clan MacCoinneach in a trilogy.
And now we have A Hundred Lies!
Cover and blurb time!
Do you need to read them all in order?
No.
Do you need to read them all?
No.
But can you?
Sure.
The trilogy spans three generations from 1263 to 1322 and weaves through the history of the time: Norse conquering (and the end of a powerful realm), Robert the Bruce and Scottish Wars of Independence, and lastly the aftermath and English revolts. I take you on a journey of three protagonists with powerful mystical abilities to heal wounds, feel life energies, and portend futures. Readers travel from the Highlands to the Western isles, to southern abbeys, and to the English border.
Each book is a STANDALONE. Yes, you can read them out of order. Heck, I published the middle book first! However, threads run through all three books, joining them into a trilogy. Likewise, characters from the books overlap. My hope is that readers will enjoy each for its own story but when you read all three, you’ll be rewarded with a solid trilogy. That’s any author’s hope, right?
Do I have a favorite?
Maybe. I’ll never tell.
Will you?
…
Water…Fire…and Wind.
The mystical Ancients rely on the elements of the earth, but will their abilities be their downfall?
Stay tuned. Pre-order links and release date will be coming soon.
Celebrating my birthday month with a 99c sale!
What better way to celebrate February—the month of love & my birthday? A book sale! (oh yes, and cake…that will come). Will Rise from Ashes, a mother and son’s story of heartache, healing, and hope is on sale for $0.99 [ebook]. Grab a copy now!
What is this book about?
Young widow AJ Sinclair has persevered through much heartache. Has she met her match when the Yellowstone supervolcano erupts, leaving her separated from her youngest son and her brother? Tens of thousands are dead or missing in a swath of massive destruction. She and her nine-year-old autistic son, Will, embark on a risky road trip from Maine to the epicenter to find her family. She can't lose another loved one.
Along the way, they meet Reid Gregory, who travels his own road to perdition looking for his sister. Drawn together by AJ's fear of driving and Reid's military and local expertise, their journey to Colorado is fraught with the chaotic aftermath of the eruption. AJ's anxiety and faith in humanity are put to the test as she heals her past, accepts her family's present, and embraces uncertainty as Will and Reid show her a world she had almost forgotten.
Excerpt:
He slid closer and placed a hand on mine and squeezed. “I see a strong woman who has been hurt deeply. I see a resilient mother who would journey through hell for her children. I see somebody who has become jaded and has trouble trusting, unable to sort through friend and enemy. I see a woman with hope.” He held my gaze. “And I’d like to be your friend, Audrey Jane.”
My jaw may have dropped. I wasn’t sure. I recovered quickly. Or at least I tried. “You’ve been talking with my therapist, haven’t you?” God, I was teasing him. I was joking. I was like Will. Will always got goofy with his peers in social situations when he didn’t know the expectations, or how to behave.
Either way, Reid didn’t laugh. Thin lips pressed into a frown that I couldn’t decipher.
I didn’t prod any further. I broke the gaze and released my hand from his, then stoked the fire for the tenth time, sleep luring me with sweet abandon. I tossed the stick into the fire. “I should turn in.”
“I’ll stay awake,” he offered. “Until the fire goes.” “Okay.” I nodded, though the fire could have been quickly snuffed.
I paused in my opening of the tent flap, turned around, and peered at him. My arms dropped to my side, my hands still. “I’m sorry about the hotel. I was sick and wasn’t thinking straight. Thank you for your help today.” A part of me couldn’t disclose the unvarnished truth. Part of it had been crazy withdrawal symptoms AJ. The other part—I’d been paranoid he’d been drinking. Harrison’s death remained a ghostly echo in my mind, perhaps clouding my judgment. The scent had been on his clothes though. I was sure of it. The more I pondered, I believed his story. Perhaps I had been triggered. Perhaps I really did have trauma or PTSD. I shook my head. I didn’t know.
Firelight glistened off the growing beard hairs on Reid’s chin and spots of amber danced in his dark, round eyes. Speaking of soulful eyes… “You were looking out for Will. I understand. I had been gone far too long.”
“You had a legitimate reason. Shit happens,” I countered.
His lips curved into a resigned smile. “Yeah. Rest, Audrey Jane.”
“You, too, Reid,” I whispered. I added in a deep exhalation, “And yes, yes, I’d like to be your friend.”
As I stepped into my tent, I observed Reid’s normally straight shoulders slouch a hair. Perhaps he, like all of us, was on his own road of atonement. Searching for meaning, searching for answers…searching for absolution.
I had treated him poorly. I didn’t know what the hell had just happened between us, but I tucked it away into a corner of my brain to contemplate upon another time when I was lucid. My remorse had lifted somewhat.
Ignoring my exhaustion for at least a few minutes, I clicked on my headlamp and pulled out my journal. It was time to unburden my heart.
Inspiration for the book. Yellowstone National Park.
Psst…if you’ve made it this far in reading the blog post, I have exciting news. Will Rise from Ashes will be released on AUDIBLE this spring. I am astounded by the performance of the book producers and narrators. Stay tuned on release date. Want a FREE AUDIBLE CODE? Drop me a message via my contact form. Happy listening!
Sweet Words to My Ears: Why I Love Audio Books
A few years ago a friend suggested I listen to audio books. Like many, I was skeptical. Really? Listen to a book? Seeing as my life was in the throes of wrangling busy young children (and it still is…), I gave it a try. I had started and stopped reading The Fiery Cross (Diana Gabaldon’s 5th book in the Outlander series) countless times. Her books are long tomes and at the rate I was going, I would never finish the series…I did a lot of driving in my car, so why not?
Game changer!
Davina Porter’s narrating blew me away. I listened in the car on drives to work, on long stretches to stores, and during errands around town. Granted, once my youngest picked up on his name in the dialogue (one of the book characters has his name), I decided, okay, no listening with kiddos in the car! At least not those books (btw, Harry Potter as audio book is fabulous!). I flew through the rest of the Outlander series, then devoured a few of the novellas (so good, btw!). I now read across genres on audio.
Now audio books are my go-to.
As a writer, I do prefer holding a book in my hand. However, audio books save me time, whisk me off to a distant place, and help me actually get reading done. Authors spend so much time reading and writing their own words that the hobby of reading goes to the back-burner. Not with audio books! My least preferred method is e-book reading, but I do plenty of that, usually to read and review other authors’ books. So I dabble in all: print, audio, and e-book.
So if I’ve not yet won you over, how about a list of reasons to listen to audio books?
Multi-tasking! Driving, housework, whatever. Great to listen while doing other things. Fills those long commute times.
The art of narration. Most producers are voice artists trained to do this for a living. Some are mind-blowing.
Libraries carry them. Audible and iTunes are not the only places to dig up these lovelies. My first go-to for a book club I attend: check the library (thank goodness for inter-library loan!). I never feel bad about reading a library book. I support the author (it was a purchase to the library), write reviews, keep the library in business, and recommend the books. Future post idea: why I love libraries!
It can be (but not always) quicker than reading. I am a slower reader. Average novella length is 4-5 hours of listening. A typical 350-page book: ten hours. Granted, Outlander is way longer than that. Like 20 hours? Even so, bleary-eyed at night makes for slower chunks of reading for me at least. Before you ask, yes, non-fiction books are in audio book formats, too! The audio book industry is booming.
Gives your eyes a break! As an author, my eyes need breaks!
It can be BETTER than the print book. My historical novels can be a tough read for those not used to reading historical. I’ve had more than one person say they loved the audio-book…easier to understand and keep going. We run busy lives and are tired, and sometimes reading works our brains.
You learn interesting pronunciations and accents. I did mention the narrators/producers/voice actors are artists, right? Admission: I do thorough research for all my books. Dot the i’s, cross the t’s, then do it all again. However, I did NOT know that Caoimhe, an Irish/Gaelic name (a character in A Hundred Breaths), is pronounced “Kee-va.” My narrator for the book series is amazing and did her homework. I also provided her pronunciations of Gaelic words (thanks to my editor’s Gaelic-speaking mother), and she relied on a Norwegian friend for the Norse words for the current book she is producing, A Hundred Breaths. I just finished reading a book that had a host of accents: British, American, and Scandinavian. It was great.
More accessible. For those with reading challenges, audio books have opened doors!
Have I listened to a bad audio book? You bet. Like print books, reading (listening) is subjective. Quite often if I’m not digging a book in print for whatever reason, I give the audio book a go.
