Announcing: THE WINTER KITTEN

by Linda Benson

Ahh - it's cold out. 23 here this morning, and my ducks uttered a few choice words when they jumped in their pond this morning and hit ice. Yikes! But it is the season for snuggling up by the fire with a good story to read. Which is why I hope you'll allow me the liberty of announcing my new short read called
THE WINTER KITTEN.

No, this one is not a horse book (although, there are horses briefly mentioned.) But I do know that most horse lovers also are animal lovers in general, so I hope this book will appeal to you. Here's the blurb:

Brianna doesn't know how she'll make it through her first winter in Portland. It rains too much, she misses her mother and the country life they once shared, and with Christmas coming up she's having a hard time adjusting to life with only her dad. When she finds a kitten trapped in their garage, Brianna is sure things will get better. But nothing goes as planned, and Brianna wonders what she's gotten herself into.

This short story from Linda Benson, award-winning author of books about the human-animal bond, will surely warm your heart in any season.

THE WINTER KITTEN is available on Amazon for only $0.99 as a Kindle eBook, so if it sounds appealing, I hope you'll give it a try. Don't have a Kindle? You can download the Kindle app for free right from the product page of this book, and read it on your computer, tablet, phone, or other device. Cool, huh? Here's the link: http://www.amazon.com/The-Winter-Kitten-ebook/dp/B00GD4TDCI

After five novels from two different publishers, this book is a first for me - my first try at publishing on my own (with help from professionals on both editing and cover design) and my first try at publishing short fiction. And I believe there may be demand for shorter reads. With our busy lifestyles and (sadly) shorter attention spans, a complete, satisfying story that can be read in just one or two sittings might be appealing to many.

I hope some of you will pick this one up and let us know.
Is there a future for short fiction? What do you think?
Give us your opinion!

Final Offer...and Favorite Book Covers

  by Laura Crum

Does this title remind you of those carpet merchants who are constantly "going out of business" and this is your very last chance to buy at a reduced price? That was my thought, too. But its true. This is the very LAST week to get the first eight books in my mystery series featuring equine veterinarian Gail McCarthy for 99 cents on Kindle. Next week the pricing structure will change. So for anyone who is interested in my older titles, now is the time. Here is the link to find them on Amazon. The order is Cutter, Hoofprints, Roughstock, Roped, Slickrock, Breakaway, Hayburner and Forged. Each book deals with a different aspect of the horse business—all based on things I have actually done, so hopefully the ring of reality is always present. Cutter revolves around cutting horses, Hoofprints is about reined cowhorses, Roughstock about team roping (with some endurance thrown in), Roped is about ranching and roping, Slickrock takes place during a horse packing trip in the Sierra Nevada Mountains, Breakaway has much trail riding in the coastal hills, Hayburner involves breaking a colt…etc.

And for this week only, all eight books are only 99 cents each! (Do I sound like a rug dealer?)

So today I’d like to post a visual of my favorite covers. I think these images give a very good sense of what the series is about—mystery and horses. Here is the cover of Hoofprints, the second book in the series.

And here is Roughstock—the third book—by the very talented Peter Thorpe. This is one of my favorite covers.

Here is Hayburner—book number seven—the artwork is also by Peter Thorpe.

And here is Forged—book number eight—I love the artwork on this one, too.

So what do you think? Do these images work for you as alluring covers? Do they make you want to read the book? Anybody have a favorite? I have had a few covers I DON”T love. Maybe I’ll post those next.