Hi TSD Readers! I wanted to give you a quick update on what’s in store for you in the coming months. As you know The Pooka is coming out later this year and I’m hoping my second Persimmon book will have a publication date near Christmas time though that may not happen until the new year. I’ll be taking part in NaNoWriMo 2011 and during those 30 days I plan to complete my foray into Young Adult territory and that project will have a publication date of late spring next year. Coincidentally I will be needing beta readers for my YA project in March 2012 and I will be updating you on that topic in the coming months.

However, the point of this post is to fill you in on my current project which is a short story for the 2011 Scriborium Anthology tentatively titled A Very Scary Christmas which is coming out this Christmas of course. My short story will be included with about 9 other stories from the other Scriborium members and I am so excited about it that I have to share the news with you. The theme of the collection of short stories is a Christmas story with a paranormal or horror twist. The name of my story is “I’ll Be Home for Christmas”.

Here’s the synopsis:

Elspeth Stone hasn’t been home since she left for college after high school at the age of seventeen. Her decision to leave wasn’t supported by her family and she went without their blessing.  The only person she kept in contact with after the falling out with her family is her younger sister Erin. Now, 13 years later, Erin is pleading with Elspeth to come home for Christmas. Despite her resistance to the idea, Elspeth relents only because she hasn’t met her 5 year old niece yet and if she doesn’t come home this Christmas she may never get the chance since the child is ill and may be dying. The thought of going back to her childhood home fills Elspeth with the old fear and dread. Memories of the terror she experienced there, the horrors that went bump in the night and the evil thing that lurked in the shadows waiting for her surfaced from the dark recesses of her mind. As her sense of foreboding mounts, she doesn’t  know if she’s going home to reconnect with her estranged family or to confront the demons of her past.

And that’s how it goes. I might even be persuaded to give you a sneak peek and share a short excerpt here in the weeks to come. It’s going to be an exciting couple months, that’s for sure, and I hope you’ll come along for the ride!

ΩPhoto Credit 1, Photo Credit 2

So it’s here again everyone! Bestseller For a Day is back and today’s book is Fierce Dawn by author Amber Scott. What is BFAD you ask? It’s an Indie Book Collective event where readers like you show your love for one book and try to drive it as far up the Amazon lists as is possible in one day. Pretty cool, huh?

Today you can pick up a copy of Fierce Dawn (ParaRealm) for just $0.99 at Amazon! Then you head on over to Bestseller for A Day and fill out the entry form for your chance to win a brand new Kindle! Just enter your email address and the first five numbers from your Amazon purchase confirmation code and you’ll get 5 entries to win that Kindle!

Also, if you purchase Fierce Dawn (ParaRealm) today, May 18th, get rebates on these 3  bonus buy books  for just by purchasing Fierce Dawn today! Here are the three books:

Bestseller For a Day!

Additionally, any reader who purchases Fierce Dawn through May 18th can request a signed ebook copy of it after submitting proof of purchase in the form of a five word phrase from the middle of the book sent by email to amberscottbooks@gmail.com!

Now I have a bit of a treat for you. Amber Scott has written up a super cool guest post for your reading pleasure! Good luck and happy reading!

The Time Capsule

By Amber Scott

About a year before the Kindle released as an e-reader, before the Sony e-reader was very known or popular, I was traditionally published with three e-publishers. Back then, this was a popular way for authors to earn their way into the big NY publishers. Authors like Cheyenne McCray carved this path and I was following suit.

I used to tell my hubby how, if someone made an e-reader that could be personalized like a book and was tactile like a book, the industry would boom with them. He nodded and smiled and today wishes he’d bought stock.

Now, I clearly wasn’t the only person who saw this possible. Amazon and Barnes and Noble and Apple were way ahead of me. But ever since then, when I get my little ideas and predictions, we call it putting it in the time capsule. Let’s see if we’re right.

Here’s a few ideas that are in there now:

• Ebook cafe bookstores. I envision bookstores evolving to have espresso print on demand machines and ebook kiosks, e-readers and fab covers for them, open mic nights and a more lounge like atmosphere. In my mind, one is called “The Nut House.” It’s by a college campus.
• E-readers that have a sign function. I can sign ebooks now, but only with my iPad and then it takes conversion. It only takes me about five minutes total now, but it will be way cool to sign in person for that instant gratification readers crave and deserve.
• Animated covers, meaning the book cover itself will be like the framed photos in Harry Potter. Much like music, I think ebooks will become the dominant format. Having covers that move on your e-reader would be so awesome. Imagine the hero, at first looking down then slowly his eyes drawing up and looking straight at you. *gasp*
• Paperbacks and hardbacks will become like CD’s, still preferred by a portion of the population but filled with specific extras because more than likely that audience includes the hard core fans.

Now, I have no idea if I’ll be right. It is an exciting future to daydream about, though. I can’t help myself. Seeing how much digital is changing the landscape is exciting. Readers are reading more often. Authors have more opportunities to earn an audience. Even book reviewer bloggers are beginning to get the recognition they deserve. The playing field is leveling and being in the midst of it is SO exciting.

Speaking of reading, I hope you’ll grab your 99 cent copy of Fierce Dawn today as part of the Bestseller For a Day promotion-one day, one low price, and one goal: to get into the top 100 in Amazon Kindle rankings. We’re making history together and while I don’t have much of a guess for the time capsule on what the long term effects will be, it sure is exciting to daydream about.

About Amber Scott

In between naptimes and dishes, Amber Scott escapes into her characters’ addictive lives. She often burns dinner, is a sucker for chocolate and still believes in happily ever after. She makes her home in hot Arizona with her two children, husband, and one day, two cats.You can stalk find Amber on Twitter, Facebook or at her website. You can also email her at the email listed above.

Salquin to the Rescue by Rosie Reay with illustrations by Candice McMullan

Stop the presses! The wait is over! Salquin to the Rescue has just been released as an EBook at Foden Press! The 2nd book in the popular The Chimona Chronicles series is written by children’s author Rosie Reay and illustrated by Candice McMullan. The story takes us back to the Okanagan Lakeside Resort in beautiful British Columbia, Canada to see all our friends from the 1st book in the series, How Kelvyn Got His Name, and to meet some new friends.

The story begins with a Thunder storm rolling in over the Okanagan Lake. It’s getting dark and all the boaters are starting to come in and return the boats they’ve rented for the day. Everyone is accounted for except a vacationing family from Scotland, and this sparks a brave plan to try and rescue them — if they can find them in the dark during a storm! But Chimona and Kelvyn are on the scene, and so is their new Blue Raven friend Salquin, a young First Nations boy with a knack for tracking and a trusty canoe. In addition to the search and rescue, a mystery is afoot. Another boat is missing, and no one can figure out who took it or where it could possibly be! Will the OLKs be able to find the family in time? And will the mystery of the missing boat ever be solved? And who do you think will solve the mystery?

This is a lovable story about furry, feathered, finned and human friends who all live around the lakeside community coming together to help a lost family. Kids will love reading about the intrepid Chimona, Kelvyn and Salquin and their adventures and mystery solving techniques. Great for travel reading and capturing the imaginations of the young reader and grandparents alike, Salquin to the Rescue is sure to please and entertain! Kids will enjoy gazing at the beautiful illustrations by talented artist Candice McMullan and will enjoy the bonus, full length poem Firelogs Burning. This original poem is also written by Rosie Reay, and poems are a unique trademark in The Chimona Chronicles series of books. Want to learn more about your favorite characters? It’s simple! Just visit the official website of Rosie Reay and The Chimona Chronicles series at www.Chimona.com and explore until your heart’s content!

So pick up a copy of Salquin to the Rescue today, and enjoy hours of reading and learning fun for the whole family! You can connect with Rosie Reay on Facebook and Twitter. Connect with Candice McMullan on Facebook. Just click on the links above!