The
Last Timekeepers and the Arch of Atlantis, Book One:

Children are the key to our future. And now,
they are the only hope for our past.

When 13-year-old
Amanda Sault and her classmates land themselves in hot water after a cafeteria
food fight, they’re assigned to yard duty as punishment. After the kids uncover
a mysterious stone arch hidden in the overgrown backyard owned by the Witch of
White Pines, they learn that it’s an ancient portal created by the lost
civilization of Atlantis.

Chosen by an Atlantean Magus, Amanda and her reluctant companions are swept
into the secret world of the Timekeepers: legendary guardians entrusted with
preserving history from a sinister force known as Belial. Their first mission?
Travel back to 13th-century England to ensure a young Robin Hood fulfills his
legendary fate.

But time travel comes with strict rules, and one wrong move could rewrite the
past… and erase the future.

Packed with high-stakes adventure and a touch of ancient magic, THE LAST
TIMEKEEPERS AND THE ARCH OF ATLANTIS is the first book in Sharon Ledwith’s
series of novels for middle grade readers and adults alike.

UNIVERSAL BOOK LINK: https://books2read.com/u/4NE2kx

The
Legend of the Timekeepers, Prequel:

There is no moving forward without first
going back.

After the
fall of Atlantis, young Lilith and her father seek refuge in the mysterious
Black Land, but Lilith’s heart remains connected to her lost home—until an
encounter with a high priestess reveals her true destiny.

She is meant to become a Timekeeper, a guardian tasked with protecting the very
fabric of time itself. When Lilith and a band of newfound friends are summoned
through the legendary seventh arch of Atlantis, they are thrust back into a
critical moment in history. Their mission? To prevent the dark magus Belial
from rewriting a sacred prophecy and unraveling the future of Earth.

Armed with ancient knowledge and trust in one another, the young Timekeepers
must navigate a dangerous path. But even together, can they outwit Belial and
preserve humankind’s future?

An epic adventure rich with ancient mystery, LEGEND OF THE TIMEKEEPERS is the
prequel to Sharon Ledwith’s The Last Timekeepers series.

UNIVERSAL BOOK
LINK: https://books2read.com/u/baxQw6

The
Last Timekeepers and the Dark Secret, Book Two:

Only
a true hero can shine the light in humanity’s darkest time.

When
fourteen-year-old Jordan joins his second mission with the Last Timekeepers, he
and his companions are thrust into Nazi-occupied Amsterdam during World War 2.

Tasked with locating a powerful, ancient book before it falls into enemy hands,
Jordan and his fellow Timekeepers are plunged into a fight far more dangerous
than anything they’ve faced before. With help from the Dutch Resistance and a mysterious
baron, they must stay one step ahead of a regime determined to silence the
truth.

As danger closes in, Jordan discovers that true courage is forged through
trust, sacrifice, and the strength of those beside you. But will that be enough
to change the past – and protect the future?

A fast-paced adventure rich with historical detail, THE LAST TIMEKEEPERS AND
THE DARK SECRET is the second book in Sharon Ledwith’s series of novels for
middle grade and adult readers alike.

UNIVERSAL BOOK LINK: https://books2read.com/u/499B8k

The
Last Timekeepers and the Noble Slave, Book Three:

True freedom happens only when you
choose to be free. 

When eleven-year-old
Drake Bailey embarks on his third Timekeeper mission, he must confront a dark
chapter of history:  the antebellum South. No amount of genius can prepare
him for the dark reality of the past, as he assumes the role of a plantation
slave.

In a time of fear and cruelty, Drake must outwit his captors, protect a vital
bloodline, and find the courage to break the chains that threaten to destroy
him. In a race against time, the Timekeepers confront Voodoo, zombies, and
ritual sacrifice. But do they have what it takes to complete their mission and
protect the timeline?

The third book in Sharon Ledwith’s Last Timekeepers series, THE LAST
TIMEKEEPERS AND THE NOBLE SLAVE blends rich historical detail with gripping
adventure.

UNIVERSAL BOOK LINK: https://books2read.com/u/bW2jxW

So, what do you think of the rebrand created by my new publisher Next Chapter? Would love to read your
comments. Cheers and thanks for taking the time to read my blog. I appreciate
you! 

Writers Need to
Perfect the Art in their posts if they want to sell books. Authors tend to think in
black and white. We are words-on-paper people who weave our worlds for readers
in print. However, when sharing book posts on the Internet, we need to do
better in regard to the art we use, me included.

Think of how much time
and effort you spend choosing cover art for your books, an often-laborious task
that has us second-guessing our choices, even the moment after we hit the send
button giving the final go ahead.

In the Huffington Post
story, “Yes, We Really Do Judge Books by Their Cover,” Smashwords founder Mark
Coker said, “A book’s cover is the first thing a potential reader sees, and it
can make a lasting impression. Our brains are wired to process images faster
than words. When we see an image, it makes us feel something. A great cover
(can) helps the reader instantly recognize that this book is for them.”

The same idea holds true
for blog posts. The picture you share is what catches the reader’s eye, not
your clever verbiage. So, if you post a fuzzy photo or one that looks
amateurish, the chances of readers getting to the meat of your post lessen
dramatically.

Authors should want to be
perceived as professionals, even if they’re writing that novel in the wee hours
after the kids are put to bed and before that ear-splitting alarm signals it’s
time to head off to their day job. Shoddy artwork instantly symbolizes the
blogger is an amateur.

“But I’m not a
photographer,” I can hear you mumble.

No worries, because we
live in the world of Google images. However, it’s extremely important that when
you scan those images, looking for just the right fit for your post, you do a
safe search. It’s simple. Just enter in the type of picture you’re looking for,
then click on images. On the tool bar, you’ll see Settings. Click and scroll
down to Advanced Search. At the bottom of the page you’ll see Usage Rights.
Because you’re an author selling books, you’ll need to choose Free to Use or
Share, Even Commercially. Then go back to your images. While the choices are
significantly pared down, the images remaining are free to use, without the
risk of running afoul of the art’s owner, an adventure that might include
lawyers and lawsuits and a big hit to your wallet.

When
searching for images online, it’s imperative that you only use pictures that
are marked Free to Use or Share.

You must then size your
art. Often, authors post art that’s too small, leading to those blurred
pictures. And remember, different social media platforms require different
sizes of art. What looks great on Twitter might be blurred Facebook. For an
in-depth look at sizing for various social media platforms, check out https://www.socialmediaexaminer.com/social-media-image-sizes/.

Before taking your own
pictures to post, locate images you’d like to emulate online. Then read David
Peterson’s “ Six Classic Design Elements for Outstanding Photographs”: http://www.digital-photo-secrets.com/tip/2679/six-classic-design-elements-for-outstanding-photographs/.

Note that it’s the little
things that can ruin a picture. Take food photos, which are notoriously tough
to shoot. Is the tablecloth the food rests on wrinkled? Is there an errant dab
of catsup on the plate? Are there shadows covering those scrumptious cookies?
“The Serious Eats Guide to Food Photography” might help: http://www.seriouseats.com/2015/03/beginners-guide-to-food-photography.html.

 

For those of you who are,
like me, a bit older, try not to be scared off by the technology. Over the course of
your lives, you learned new things. You got better at them with practice. The
same applies here.

If you peruse the
websites of well-known, successful authors, you’ll see the art is first rate.
You’ve labored vigorously to perfect your writing. It makes sense than, if you
want people to find your books, you’ll do the same with those images you’re
using to market your work.

Please allow me to give you a brief intro to my latest women’s fiction novel for your reading pleasure.

The past and present collide when a tenacious reporter seeks information on an eleventh century magician…and uncovers more than she bargained for.

Anne Montgomery has worked as a television sportscaster, newspaper and magazine writer, teacher, amateur baseball umpire, and high school football referee. She worked at WRBL‐TV in Columbus, Georgia, WROC‐TV in Rochester, New York, KTSP‐TV in Phoenix, Arizona, ESPN in Bristol, Connecticut, where she anchored the Emmy and ACE award‐winning SportsCenter, and ASPN-TV as the studio host for the NBA’s Phoenix Suns. Montgomery has been a freelance and staff writer for six publications, writing sports, features, movie reviews, and archeological pieces.

When she can, Anne indulges in her passions: rock collecting, scuba diving, football refereeing, and playing her guitar.

Learn more about Anne Montgomery on her website and Wikipedia. Stay connected on Facebook, Linkedin, and Twitter.

A
Canadian staple, peameal bacon (Canadian bacon is a comparable substitute), and
eggs have graced many a table every Sunday for brunch, including mine. However,
sometimes we do things a little different in our home by cooking a peameal
roast as the main course for supper. Served with hash browns, air-fryer roast
potatoes, or wedge fries, and veggies of your choice (we love the garden bean
medley), this meal makes extra for sandwiches or breakfast. Yum! So get your
toque on, and maple syrup out of the fridge, it’s time to embrace Canada’s
culture and cuisine. Can you give me an ‘Eh’?

¾
cup pure maple syrup (125 ml)

Gently
boil maple syrup, mustard, and thyme in a saucepan until reduced to almost half
and thickened, about 10 to 15 minutes.

Brush
glaze over peameal and roast for about 30 to 45 minutes, basting occasionally
with the glaze, until peameal is heated through. Transfer peameal to a large
plate and let stand, loosely covered with foil, for about 15 minutes.

Slice
roast and serve with your choice of potatoes and veggies.

This
meal is perfect at campground get-togethers or cottage retreats when you need a
meal in a pinch to serve for dinner or even brunch. Once dinner or breakfast is
finished and the dishes are done, it’s time to relax, kick back, and let your
meal digest in peace. Depending on the time of day, pour yourself a cup of
coffee, tea, or a favorite beverage, and head over to the porch, parlor, or
patio and allow a good book to seep into your soul. May I suggest a visit to mysterious Fairy Falls, or if you’re feeling really
adventurous, a trip back in time with The
Last Timekeepers? Whichever you choose, either series will
transport you to another time and place, taking you away from the troubles of
the real world.

Have you ever used a news story as a starting point for your writing?

Here’s an interesting idea to get your brain pumping in the new year. Several years ago, medical ethicist Art Caplan told CNN that an invitro fertilization procedure using DNA from three different people may be able to prevent illnesses passed from mother to child via the mitochondria, diseases like muscular dystrophy and respiratory problems, or mitochondrial disorders that can lead to heart or liver problems.

The technology, called oocyte modification, involves scooping out potentially mutated mitochondrial DNA from a woman’s egg and replacing it with the DNA of an unaffected donor woman. By doing this the hope is that the transmission of inherited mitochondrial disease can be prevented. Once the DNA is swapped, the egg is fertilized in the lab with the father’s sperm and implanted back in the mother to be carried to term.

Caplan believes that this procedure, often nicknamed three-parent IVF, will be useful in preventing diseases that can be passed down from generation to generation and would be ethical as long as it proves to be safe. We’re all for preventing diseases, but messing with our DNA could potentially be disastrous, in our humble opinion.

The writer in us however, started constructing scenarios the minute we read this, not the least of which has to do with what one could do using this technology for the opposite of good. Before we go any further in this idea exercise, we must emphasize that any scenarios we list here are purely from our imaginations, and not something that the creators of this procedure have planned. We are not saying we believe this is right or wrong, and we are not inviting comments or opinions about the ethicalness of this subject. This is merely an exercise in how to take an idea or news clip and turn it upside down to create a fiction story.

So, without any further disclaimers, here are some interesting concepts we came up with from reading this article.

• Stepford Children, based on the Stepford Wives movie concept; perfect mothers and housekeepers who bent to every whim of their husbands. You remember that creepy story from the 60s? Ooh, what could go horribly wrong?
• The unintentional creation of a new disease from the combining of three parental sets of DNA. Think Zombie War here or I am Legend, but different.
• A realignment of the basic family concept. Lots of room for conflict there. It takes two females and one male for this procedure. If you changed the basic family unit, the poor child would have two moms nagging him to clean his room, find a wife, get a job. You get the idea. And we won’t even mention the polygamous adult relationships in this complication.
• When you can create the perfect child, what happens to the rest of the children who didn’t get that chance to be created perfectly? Would there be a rag tag population who live in a dystopian setting on the border of the perfect children and their perfect three parent families in their perfect world?

These are only four possible story scenarios we came up with using a controversial news clip as a jumping off point. We challenge you to go find your own interesting news article and come up with some new twists using the basic concept of the story. If this helped you see how to use the news to create a book idea, please let us know. We’d love to hear from you.

Putting words and stories on paper is second nature to co-authors C.D. Hersh. They’ve written separately since they were teenagers and discovered their unique, collaborative abilities in the mid-90s. As high school sweethearts and husband and wife, Catherine and Donald believe in true love and happily ever after, and that’s why they write romance.

In addition to writing Catherine and Donald love antiquing, traveling, singing, and going to the theatre. Catherine is also an avid gardener and has drawn Donald into her garden as a day laborer. They figure the couple who plays together and works together, stays together—and that’s just what they aim to do.

Second Editions Coming Soon:

Ghosts and Gardenias

The Promised One The Turning Stone Chronicles Book 1
Blood Brothers The Turning Stone Chronicles Book 2
Son of the Moonless Night The Turning Stone Chronicles Book 3
The Mercenary and the Shifters The Turning Stone Chronicles Book 4

Social Media Info:

My son brings me a gigantic fuchsia plant every year for Mother’s Day. I love it. I confess, it’s for my favorite small bird, the Hummingbird. She shows up right around Mother’s Day every year and it’s a perfect gift for my deck. The female nests close by and some years bring her off spring to the flowers. So darling, so sweet, so tiny, as they cling to the perch, all wobbly and delicate. You watch and wonder how she managed to raise three babes in a demitasse nest. They love to sip from fuchsia blooms of this plant and I skip artificial feeders for that reason. Some years a second plant joins the first. I am honored on Mother’s Day. My son understands me well. No roses, no candy. Feed my birds.

In the greenhouse, I’m creating a Succulent Bowl. These collections of various, and there are many, varieties of succulents live peacefully together in one container. They are perfectly suited to indoor dwelling in a sunny window. These plants require very low maintenance, water once a week, if that; and they tolerate well the dry indoor air. Caution: do not over water!  My good friend swears fairies live amongst hers. I place meaningful messages on small decorative rocks. It’s easy to add your own favorite sayings. Another friend creates a fairy garden complete with toadstools and small winged fairies. It’s fascinating to find small lovelies hiding between the different succulents. Enjoy! These bowls are a perfect Mother’s Day gift for a busy Mom with their easy-care maintenance.

My last suggestion for your Mom’s special day is a gift certificate to her favorite plant nursery. Even for a novice gardener, a visit to the plant world is an “upper” for these still dreary covid days that are still hanging around. The visit is outside in the fresh air and, by the first week in May, many perennials and annuals are already in bloom Stick to the locals who will give individual attention to their customers that the ‘big boxes’ can’t. Honor your Mom on her special day and she will keep this event warm in her heart for a long, long time. I know I do.

Another lovely gift is a copy of my latest Cozy
Adventure/ Mystery, Whispers of Danger and Love. 

 The heroine is a
landscape architect who speaks gardening. She struggles with a client who
demands a cutting garden mid summer, (and a hunky detective who seems bound to
destroy her plants.) I enjoyed relaxing in her garden even as I created it from
my own imaginings. It was also fun to watch the sparks fly between a couple who
knew each other as children but must readjust their thinking as adults.

Emma Lane is a gifted author who writes cozy mysteries as Janis Lane, Regency as Emma, and spice as Sunny Lane. 

She lives in Western New York where winter is snowy, spring arrives with rave reviews, summer days are long and velvet, and fall leaves are riotous in color. At long last she enjoys the perfect bow window for her desk where she is treated to a year-round panoramic view of nature. Her computer opens up a fourth fascinating window to the world. Her patient husband is always available to help with a plot twist and encourage Emma to never quit. Her day job is working with flowers at Herbtique and Plant Nursery, the nursery she and her son own. 

Look for information about writing and plants on Emma’s new website. Leave a comment or a gardening question and put a smile on Emma’s face.

Stay connected to Emma on Facebook and Twitter. Be sure to check out the things that make Emma smile on Pinterest.