#OnSale #Promo – Entire Wake-Robin Ridge Series – $1.99 each

Merry Christmas, Everybody! As of today through Christmas Eve, each of my Wake-Robin Ridge novels will be on sale for the low, low, LOW price of $1.99.  This is your chance to check out all four books at a rock bottom bargain price! Hope you’ll take advantage of this holiday special! Happy Reading!

BTW, the wake-robin, for which this series is named, is the beautiful wine-red trillium that blooms in the forests of North Carolina every spring. You’ll see it pictured on the cover of all books in this series. 


WAKE-ROBIN RIDGE

BLURB:

“A PHONE RINGING AT 2:00 A.M. never means anything good. Calls at 2:00 A.M. are bad news. Someone has died. Someone is hurt. Or someone needs help.”

On a bitter cold January night in 1965, death came calling at an isolated little cabin on Wake-Robin Ridge. Now, nearly 50 years later, librarian Sarah Gray has quit her job and moved into the same cabin, hoping the peace and quiet of her woodland retreat will allow her to concentrate on writing her first novel. Instead she finds herself distracted by her only neighbor, the enigmatic and reclusive MacKenzie Cole, who lives on top of the mountain with his Irish wolfhound as his sole companion.

As their tentative friendship grows, Sarah learns the truth about the heartbreaking secret causing Mac to hide from the world. But before the two can sort out their feelings for each other, they find themselves plunged into a night of terror neither could have anticipated. Now they must unravel the horrifying events of a murder committed decades earlier. In doing so, they discover that the only thing stronger than a hatred that will not die is a heart willing to sacrifice everything for another.


A BOY NAMED RABBIT: Wake-Robin Ridge Book 2

BLURB:

“Evil’s comin’, boy…comin’ fast. Look for the man with eyes like winter skies, and hair like a crow’s wing. He’s the one you gotta find.”

The remote mountain wilderness of North Carolina swallowed up the ten-year-old boy as he made his way down from the primitive camp where his grandparents had kept him hidden all his life. His dying grandmother, gifted with the Sight, set him on a quest to find the Good People, and though he is filled with fear and wary of civilization, Rabbit is determined to keep his promise to her. When he crosses paths with Sarah and MacKenzie Cole, neither their lives nor his, are ever the same again.

The extraordinary little boy called Rabbit has the power light up the darkness, and the resourcefulness to save himself from the one person his grandparents had hoped would never find him. His dangerous and bittersweet journey will touch you in unexpected ways, and once you’ve let Rabbit into your heart, you’ll never forget him.


HARBINGER: Wake-Robin Ridge Book 3

BLURB:

“. . . he felt the wet slide of the dog’s burning hot tongue on his face, and the scrape of its razor sharp teeth against the top of his head. A white-hot agony of crushing pain followed, as the jaws began to close.”

The wine-red trillium that carpets the forests of the North Carolina Mountains is considered a welcome harbinger of spring—but not all such omens are happy ones. An Appalachian legend claims the Black Dog, or Ol’ Shuck, as he’s often called, is a harbinger of death. If you see him, you or someone you know is going to die.

But what happens when Ol’ Shuck starts coming for you in your dreams? Nightmares of epic proportions haunt the deacon of the Light of Grace Baptist Church, and bring terror into the lives of everyone around him. Even MacKenzie Cole and his adopted son, Rabbit, find themselves pulled into danger.

When Sheriff Raleigh Wardell asks Mac and Rabbit to help him solve a twenty-year-old cold case, Rabbit’s visions of a little girl lost set them on a path that soon collides with that of a desperate man being slowly driven mad by guilt.

As Rabbit’s gift of the Sight grows ever more powerful, his commitment to those who seek justice grows as well, even when their pleas come from beyond the grave.


THE LIGHT: Wake-Robin Ridge Book 4

BLURB:

For Robert MacKenzie Cole—or Rabbit, as he’s known to all—the chance to accompany his family to see North Carolina’s infamous Brown Mountain Lights has him nearly dizzy with excitement. And what better night to watch this unexplained phenomenon unfold than Halloween?

But when the entrancing, unpredictable lights show up, Rabbit gets far more than he bargained for. He’s gifted with what folks in the Appalachians call “the Sight,” and it’s this extrasensory perception that enables him to spot the one light different from all the rest.

In his biggest challenge to date, Rabbit—aided by his daddy and his newest friend, Austin Dupree— begins a quest to learn more about the mysterious light. Their investigation unveils a web of cons and corruption none of them expected and exposes a brutal murder along the way.

Throughout all, Rabbit is unfaltering in his commitment to do whatever it takes to understand the truth behind the glowing orb and to determine how he can help it. After all, it followed him home.


Hope you’ll check these out while the sale lasts. There’s nothing like a new book (or four) for Christmas, and it will probably be some time before these books will be available at this price again.  Hope you’ll enjoy them (and might even consider leaving a review or two.)

MERRY CHRISTMAS!

Aaaahhhhh…that’s better!

coverat25% cover at 35%

Thankfully, last week’s problems seem to be sorting themselves out satisfactorily, which is nice, because it frees me up to deal with THIS week’s problems, as they arise. And they are sure to arise. 😉

Swamp Ghosts, it all its forms, seems to be looking correct once again. Finding Hunter has been corrected on Kindle, so that the formatting is prettier, and I have just ordered a new proof of the print version from CreateSpace.  So Hunter Painter’s distressing tale seems resolved, at the present time.

I can breathe again. And possibly even sneak in some reading this weekend. (I’m close to the halfway point in Lee Child’s latest Reacher book, Make Me. OH, how I love watching Jack Reacher tug on threads one at a time, as he slowly unravels the latest mystery he’s uncovered.) And I can even catch up on my Bookin’ It reviews, perhaps.

However, I can’t dawdle for long. Rabbit has a story to tell, and when that boy gets to talking, there’s no stopping him. So, I plan to start Harbinger in the next day or two. I’m already putting together my inspiration board, filled with gorgeous images of the North Carolina mountains. *sigh* Makes me want to load up my car and go!

But…here’s the biggest news of all. Starting on Monday, here at The Write Stuff…we’re going to have an EVENT! Nothing earth-shattering or difficult, but it should be fun. Stay tuned for details shortly.

And that’s it for me today. What wonderful things are you guys up to this weekend?

cover2at304.jpg Final FH Cover Smaller

 

#ExcerptWeek #ABoyNamedRabbit by #MarciaMeara

cover at 50%

Excerpt From Chapter 14:

MAC AND I raced up the stairs to find Rabbit sitting up in bed, screaming hysterically. Rosheen was beside him, covering his face in frantic licks, whining in distress—a pretty good sign there was no real danger in the room.

I sat down on the edge of the bed and pulled him into my arms, holding him as close as possible, and making shushing noises as I rocked him back and forth. Mac checked the windows and closets to be sure we were alone, then stood beside us, face pale and distressed.

“It’s all right, Rabbit. Everything’s all right. Mac and I are here. You’re safe with us now.”

His arms twined around me, but gasping sobs continued to wrack his thin shoulders for several more minutes, before they slowed down, fading into sad, little whimpers.

“Open your eyes, Rabbit. We’re here. See? Tell me what happened. Did you have a bad dream?”

His whimper turned into a moan. “He’s comin’.” Continue reading

Excerpt from #ABoyNamedRabbit by #MarciaMeara

cover at 35%

Ten-year-old Rabbit has finally made his way out of the wilderness and has been taken in by Sarah and MacKenzie Cole, while they decide what to do about him. (They have very different ideas on that score.) It’s his first morning at what he has nicknamed Angel House, and everything is new and wondrous to him.

Chapter 7

Is It Like Lightnin’, Then?

~~~ 

EARLY SUNDAY MORNING
APRIL 28, 2013
DAY 1 AT ANGEL HOUSE 

“IS IT LIKE lightnin’, then? This here ‘lectricity stuff?” Rabbit was staring at the overhead fixture again, still trying to grasp the concept of being able to flip a switch and have light flood the room. Of everything that had caught his attention—and almost everything in the house had—that was the one thing he kept coming back to. And hot water on tap, of course.

Mac sat at the end of the island, sipping coffee and trying not to get pulled into the conversation, but I knew he was listening as I tried again to explain.

“I don’t know exactly how it all works, but I’m pretty good at knowing how to put it to use. The electricity is harnessed and then sent out through wires and into our house. And then we can use it to make things light up, or heat up, or cool down. If you do it right, it’s wonderful, but you have to be careful with electrical things, so you don’t accidentally get shocked.”

“You mean like it’d get away from you if you wasn’t careful? I seen what lightnin’ can do when it hits trees an’ such. It’s a powerful thing, an’ it can kill, too. Seen a deer what was struck by lightnin’ once. Burnt him pretty bad, but we ate us some venison for days after.” Continue reading

I Love UPS!

itsheresmall

Just look what they brought me today! My proof of A Boy Named Rabbit, which, btw, looks GREAT! I’ve already ordered my first batch, and will have them in time for my two Meet the Author Eco-Tours on the 25th and 28th. Woohooo! Doing the happy dance, here. Don’t you just love it when your newly released books show up?

Milestones!

kaelen1

Sometimes, you just have to stop and marvel at Life, don’t you? The speed at which Time whooshes by, or the realization that yet another milestone has been reached. It’s all such a miracle to me. Several milestones caught my attention today, and I thought I’d share.

For one thing, this blog is coming up on its six month anniversary, and I’m so pleased with how much it’s grown, and how generously our members share of their time and knowledge. We are adding new members at over 100 a month, which makes me very happy, and I hope it just keeps getting better and better.

I’ve been absent a bit these last couple of weeks as I pushed to get A Boy Named Rabbit ready for print, and that brings me to my next milestone. I just uploaded Rabbit’s  final files and cover image to CreateSpace today, and hopefully, they will be approved within 24 hours, and the paperback version will be available on amazon, and at local shops near you…if you happen to live in central Florida, that is. 🙂 So that’s a huge personal milestone for me. My third novel out in print, in less than two years. Whoa. Somebody pinch me!

As for my last milestone of the day, well just take a look at that little boy in the photo above. That’s my grandson, Kaelen, who turns two years old tomorrow! Now THAT’S a milestone I intend to celebrate! Happy Birthday, Kaelen! Granny  loves you to the moon and back!

Excerpt from A Boy Named Rabbit CH 16

 

Just want to get in one or two more short excerpts before the night is over. These two brief scenes from A Boy Named Rabbit come about after some very tense and frightening things happen to Rabbit. Mac wanted to give him a few hours of fun, so he took him to the waterfall and  pool where Rabbit first camped upon reaching Wake-Robin Ridge. Rabbit doesn’t believe for one minute that Mac can be crazy, having mostly seen him in serious mode. And since Mac is notoriously angsty and always worried about something, Rabbit has good reason for his doubts. This is his response after finding out Mac does have his moments.

***

Scene 1

…I closed my eyes, braced for Rabbit’s reaction, but to my surprise, he didn’t start crying again. Instead, he squared his shoulders and with a determined nod of his head, announced, “Well, then—I reckon we need us a plan.”

 “I think you’re right. We do need a plan. But what we need even more right this minute, is a break from all this worrying. Why don’t we do something fun for a couple of hours, and then come back and tackle the problem when we’ve cleared our heads a bit? Nothing like looking at things with fresh eyes, you know. What do you think, partner? Want to go have some laughs?”

The boy stared at Mac like he’d grown another head.

“Why are you giving me that look? I know how to laugh, Rabbit. I do.”

“You ain’t laughed much that I’ve seen.”

“Well, maybe that’s because there hasn’t been a lot to laugh about. But that doesn’t mean I don’t know how to have a good time. Tell him, Sarah.”

I rolled my eyes, and grinned. “Um, yeah, okay. Mac knows how to have fun. Sort of.”

Grabbing his heart, Mac slumped down on the couch. “Et tu, Sarah? Why does everyone think I’m so anti-fun? Am I really that bad?”

He was pathetic, and I had to work to keep a straight face, while Rabbit glanced back and forth between the two of us, not knowing what to expect. “Not always, but you’ll have to admit, it’s been a long time since you’ve done anything really crazy.”

“Crazy? You want crazy? I can do crazy, you know.” Continue reading

Excerpt: Prologue from A Boy Named Rabbit

 

 

A boy named Rabbit

I love all the characters I write about, even the bad ones, in a perverse sort of way, but I love Rabbit most of all. This plucky little boy was so much fun to bring to life, and his journey out of the wilderness and into Sarah and Mac’s cozy life spoke to my heart every step of the way. Rabbit looks at life with a unique perspective, and I hope readers will find him as adorable, clever, and completely compelling as I did. He has a lot to share with all of us, including the most important lesson of all: giving and receiving profound love is always, always worth the risk. Here’s the prologue to Book 2 of my Wake-Robin Ridge series, A Boy Named Rabbit.

*** 

TUESDAY
FEBRUARY 26, 2013
DEEP IN THE NORTH CAROLINA MOUNTAINS 

“Gran? Gran, wake up. Wake up, please?”

The little boy reached out a timid hand and shook the bony arm of the woman on the cot. “Please, Gran? I got tea here. I made it the way you like, an’ all. With honey.”

“I’m awake, Boy. Stop shakin’ me, now. Help me up.”

He set the tea on the apple crate, and pulled his grandmother into a sitting position. She was growing more and more frail every day, weighing hardly more than he did. That wasn’t a good thing. She was a grown up. Grown up women should be much bigger than he was.

Propping her up on the cot, he wrapped a worn army blanket around her narrow shoulders, as the wracking coughs started again. This was the longest spell yet, and when she choked to a stop, the sound of her wheezing scared him.

“I wish Grampa was back.” He handed her the mug of hot tea, being careful not to spill it .

“Wishin’ won’t make it so. You know that.”

 “But we need him. He’s bringin’ some of that stuff what makes you feel better.”

“He’ll be here directly, don’t fret, Boy. I’ll be okay ‘til then, good Lord willin’.”

She took a sip of tea. “Perfect. You done good.”

The boy’s straight, black brows lifted, and some of the fear left his enormous, dark blue eyes. “You need to get better, Gran. Grampa says we gotta move camp, ‘fore the weather gets any colder.”

“He’s right. Mild winter, so far, but worse is on the way. We done fished this little stream ‘bout out, anyway. Maybe time to head back to the caves.” Continue reading