The she-wolf, at the start of the days sleeps alone, devoid of her pack. The reason for it isn’t seen, though it’s clear from the shine to her silky coat to her sleek muscles that stretched like a sheath across her body. For now though, she sleeps, golden eyes shielded from the light as she breathed heavily and slowly. She was relaxed, only the faintest hint of movement making her toes twitch and her massive paws pedal the air as she dreams. We aren’t to know what she dreams about at this moment, only that the slightest hint of a whine, drifting from her muzzle and disappearing into the air that draws the shepherd to her side…though he is not the first.

Indeed, he runs through trails, as hyperactive as any dog let off the leash and given the freedom to roam. Everything he can smell, he does. Everything he can mark as his, he does in his misguided sense of possession. But he’s not completely alone. The pack that have made this place their home run with him, unseen in the trees and silent as they run paths they know better than the prey they hunt. They don’t lift their voices in a call for a hunt, lacking their guiding light- the she-wolf who with her white coat leads their charge and makes their decisions for them.

Grey-coated individuals split off, wheeling towards the back of his trail and cover his betraying scent with their own, reaffirming that they own this place to any that may try and take their boundaries from them. Softly, they break off, having done their job and disappeared into the distance while they await the ringing cry that will draw them back to the star in their silent sky. Instead, it is the dog that stumbles across her when drawn by tiredness, his youthful energy depleted in his urge to drink.

His nose twitched before flaring, his sore paws stilling slightly before his head lifted and he let out a soft whine. There was water ahead, plenty of it and it was so fresh that he was lost to the scent. His paws pounded on the ground, beating fast as he raced headlong into the clearing where the river and the she-wolf sit. Her body is unseen in his run; his muzzle plunged into water as he drank thirstily. His pink tongue is dampened by the water, curling it into his muzzle as he sated the thirst that had had him panting.

Only once his thirst is quenched, as surely as a fire is put out by a bucket of water, did his head raise and his odd eyes fix on the dreaming white wolf and her soft whimpers as she dreamed. Like any dog, he didn’t realise she was a wolf, plunging through the water noisily and then shaking so the water splattered her. Her whines stopped abruptly, her fur shifting all over her body before she leaped to all fours. Her hackles were lifted, from neck to hip and her teeth flashed in the light as a snarl forced its way from her throat into the space between them.

He slid to a stop, cringing to the ground as the animalistic sound echoed in his mind, drawing to something inside him that screamed of the danger a wolf could wreak on a dog. Nothing in him even allowed for an attack on her. Instead, he turned to the side on stiffened legs and presented her with the slab of his shoulder. Not even a growl prickled at his chest, which in turn eased the sounds slipping from the wolf’s chest into silence.

And silence was what reigned, for minutes until the she-wolf broke it.

“What the hell do you think you were doing, rushing towards me and waking me up?! I could have ripped your throat out…or called to my brothers and sisters so they could have protected me.” Her voice was low and silky, though the threat was implicit in her words. The dog himself was stunned, sinking onto his muscled haunches before he shook his head in disbelief.

“What the…how…how do you speak dog?” His voice was disbelieving, his head tilting to the side as he let out an inquiring whine.

She snorted softly, rolling her eyes before shaking her head in disbelief and glaring at him.

“We speak the same language, you idiot of a dog! Your sorry kind descended from the nobility of my own!” He words were forced out of stiff lips as she remained on edge, stiffened and on the verge of growling. A shake was all that he did before his nose flared slightly, and his ears perked upright. With such a start, was it any wonder that the pair became firm friends…and then, when time came, her mate, and fellow alpha?

She didn’t take long to change; now her new mate had met the pack and her stomach was swelling. Despite his ‘dog’ title, he wasn’t seen as being out of place. It took them a while to teach him how to hunt, but as she slowed down, he only grew stronger. Their bond was intense, the affection they felt clear among the wolves…and even more intent when he lost his collar the day that she went into labour.

It was that day that his yelps and whines drew the pack as he guarded the den from them, despite the jealous snarls coming from below and the occasional squeaking shape. Three days and three nights she was down there, so long that silence reigned in the clearing and the pack worried until they were anxious and pacing. That was when the gaunt face of their beloved alpha, mate…sister, slipped from the darkness and drank thirstily in the lake.

One by one, they were led down to look at the pups, a black cast to their coats and slightly larger ears the only difference to the fat pups, erupting into squeaking balls of fury as their mother laid down and curled her large body around them. The black shepherd curled at the entrance, his muzzle just pressed in through the entrance so their voices could meet in quiet conversation. He was guarding them, jealously providing his back to prevent any harm from coming to the pups and his mate.

The pack fed them all, hunting taking places endlessly as the wolf fed herself up in preparation for the pups wanting more milk as they grew ever bigger and took their fathers build for their own…for that was clear. They were already deeper chested with narrower paws than most wolf pups were at birth, but with bald tails and ears, they were almost indistinguishable from others of their blood-kin.

Wendy is a wife, mother and also works as a tier one tech at a local call center. She has always loved to read books and when her children were small she loved to tell them stories she would make up with the kids being the main characters. Together Charlie and Wendy create worlds and people who live in them.

Our journey started as a school project back in 2009. Charlie was given the task of writing, editing, and publishing a book. He was always writing stories and the teachers had a difficult time getting him to do his homework or doing the writing topics they wanted him to write on. Since then we have tried our hand at finding an agent with the big publishing companies before going the indie route. We had found someone to help us edit the book but they didn’t quite have the same vision for the story as we did.

We had also found someone to help us create a book cover but again, they didn’t quite see it as we did. Since we have joined with MasterKoda Select Publishing we have had wonderful help with editing the book to make it the best story possible with characters that will stay with you long after you finish the book. Dan Peyton who is a very talented author is also a gifted artist who helped us by drawing the characters Kai and Clover for the cover. His amazing talents and beautiful work can be seen on the cover along with Rebbekah White’s background that helps bring the story to life. Together these two wonderful people have created a beautiful work of art       that we are proud to display for our book cover.

So please join us on May 31st for fun, games and prizes!

Just follow the link below and invite your friends as well! https://www.facebook.com/#!/events/379479385502512/

Have you ever had a moment, even if it was a split second when someone noticed you for the unique person you are or complemented you on a job well done? Do you remember what that feels like in your heart?

I’m getting those kinds of moments more and more but I think the most heart warming moments for me is when I get feedback from  the kids that my stories target.

One child I met at one of my book signings. She was clearly autistic yet very loving and I could tell she loves reading. She came up to me, wanted her photo taken in front of the dragon and said, “I am going to bring this book to all my friends. Everyone should read this book.”

A friend who bought her book for her grandson brought word back that his mom said he read it in one night.

One night!!!

My fencing instructor gave the book to his nephew, whom he said the boys parents have a hard time getting him to read. When I saw the boy shortly after that he said, “Hey, I’ve been reading your book!” I said, “Oh yeah? What do you think of it?” He said “Awesome!”

My friends daughter is a devote fan and when her daughter read Deception Peak she actually wrote a review. It’s on my blog. She said,

“The book is very in common with The Harry Potter Series!

My favorite part was when Ian and the Kaempern men go into the mountain to search for Ian’s father, Alex Wilson.

I like this book because it is full of adventure and there is always something amazing that happens around every corner.

This book is one of the greatest books I have EVER read!

I hope that other kids like me love this book. I would recommend this book for ages 9 and up.

Sincerely,

Alyson Zatt

http://dragontargeseries.blogspot.com/2012/11/allys-review.html

Another great moment when a 90 year old lady called me to tell me how thrilled she was with the book.

Those are the best moments as an author. Hearing directly from the readers and having them tell you what they loved about your story!

 Dianne Lynn Gardner     

Author-Illustrator

Young Adult Fantasy-Adventure Fiction

Dianne Gardner is both an author and illustrator living in the Pacific Northwest, USA.
She’s been a painter all her life having started at the age of 12 under her mother’s supervision. Her first private art lesson was with a sculptress in California. Excelling in art in school and on to college, her portfolio includes portraits, inspirational works, and plein air landscapes. She was the portrait painter for the Washington Renaissance Fantasy Fair for several years painting 20 minute oil paintings during the fair. She has just recently started illustrating books, beginning this endeavor with a 9′ triptych of Stenhjaert the Dragon, the antagonist in Ian’s Realm

Dianne is an active member of the Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators, and the National League of American Pen Women. Besides the Ian’s Realm Saga (Deception Peak, The Dragon Shield, and Rubies and Robbers which will be released in 2013) she boasts authorship to four short stories titled A Tale of the Four Wizards Series which interweaves with the Saga. She writes for middle grade and young adults targeting boys and adventure loving girls, but adults are some of her most zealous fans of all Her writing definitely falls under the ‘family friendly’ category!

Books

Ian’s Realm Trilogy
Deception Peak
The Dragon Shield
Rubies and Robbers coming soon
Sequels
Cassandra’s Castle To be released
The Diary of a Conjurer To be released

Short Stories

A tale of the Four Wizards
Silvio
Meneka
Kaempie
Reuben

What is the title of your newest release?

Victory is my newest release. It came out in December 2012.

Do you have any books in the works?

I have a book called From Tinker to Belle: From Worthless to Priceless. That is the story of my first puppy mill rescue: her life in the mills, her rescue, and how she changed our family and others.

I have another book of stories about my grandchildren as superheros. I asked them each to tell me what they would be like as a superhero, what their costumes would be, what superpowers they had. Using the information they gave me, I write stories about them. It’s a fun project, and a gift to each of my grandlings!

When you read, what is your favorite genre?

I like to read Christian fiction, historical fiction, and classics mostly. There are some I have read by my fellow authors that I have really enjoyed, even though I wouldn’t have chosen that genre for myself!

Do you have any hobbies? What do you like to do in your free time?

Crocheting is one of my hobbies. All my grandchildren have toys and clothes I have made for them. They will often ask me to make them something special, and I will do it. I also crochet dog sweaters, afghans, shawls, and doilies. Right now I am making a butterfly swag for one of my granddaughters with over 30 different crocheted butterflies on a crocheted vine.

In my free time…. what is that? I always seem to have something I need to be doing, but I like to read, watch old movies, play with my grandkidlings, or crochet. I also love to visit historical sites!

If you would have time travel abilities and could meet anyone from any time, who would you like to meet?

Oh, so many choices! It’s hard to pick just one! At the moment, I think I would like to meet Galileo Galliel. As the Father of Modern Science, I would love to chat with him about what he thought about his discoveries and where those discoveries have taken us now.

What is your all time favorite movie?

That’s a tough question. I have many favorites; it depends on the mood I am in. I love August Rush, The Sound of Music, Pride and Prejudice, but of all the movies I have seen, It’s a Wonderful Life has got to be at the top of my list!

Are there any specific authors that you admire?

There are so many! Jane Austen, CS Lewis, JRR Tolkien… Of my peers, I admire Kim Emerson, G Mitchell Baker, Joe McCoubrey, Brad Fleming. There are others, too!

What advice would you give to aspiring writers?

Write about what you love. Don’t worry about making it all work to start with; just write. There will be time later to go back and make corrections, adjustments, deletions. Write what you feel. There is that old saying “Strike while the iron is hot.” When you know you have something to write, get it written then. Carry a notebook and pen with you to make notes or write complete scenes if you are away from the keyboard.

If a word count is important, don’t fill in with words that don’t add to the story. Just write. Once the first draft is finished, you can go back.

Don’t be afraid of editors; they are your friends, there to help you make your story the best it can be.

Find the method that works for you and stick with it, even though your best writing buddy uses a different style. If you need to write an outline and character sketches first, do so. If you write better just sitting down and writing, do that.

Whether or not you ever get anything published, you are a writer if you write.

Do you plan on being a full time writer, or do you have other career plans?

How long have you been writing?

I have been a stay-at-home mom (whatever that means! I certainly didn’t stay at home much with six kids!), a preschool teacher, a teacher at a private school, a trainer for people with disabilities, and a group home manager…. All that was before I started writing in 2007. Now I love to be with my grandchildren and taking life a little slower.

Do you prefer Ebook, paperback, or hardcover?   

Personally, I love the feel of a nice hardcover book in my hands! Paperbacks are next, and ebooks follow that. However, since I have a limited space, I am thankful I have the Kindle app on my iPad and can carry an entire library with me wherever I go! I think the most important part is being able to read, not so much how it is available!

Do you have any writing rituals like a particular treat, good luck charm, etc.?

Not really. Before my little dog died, he used to sit on my lap or at me feet while I wrote. I would read to him and he would listen politely.

I do write better with some background sounds, like the TV or music. I prefer classical music. I don’t have a particular composer or show I like.

Do you have a set writing schedule or do you write when the fancy hits you?

I write when, as you say, the fancy hits me. My schedule is never certain right now, so I make use of the time I have. I carry a notebook with me to make notes when I am out if something strikes me as write-worthy!

Thank you so much being my guest, DeEtte! Please share your bio and links where others can connect with you and your books.

Author and blogger, DeEtte Beckstead started writing in 2007 when her son challenged her to get involved in the National Novel Writing Month, known by the acronym, NaNoWriMo. The manuscript sat untouched with several others until January of 2012 when a good friend encouraged her to seek publication. The Christmas Visitors is her first published short story, and her current novel, Victory is also her first.

            DeEtte spent much of her childhood playing the piano, clarinet, and guitar, reading, and making up stories. She was active in Girl Scouts, which gave her a  variety of experiences. While in college, she was on the University of Utah Synchronized Swim team, and taught winter camping and survival skills for Girl Scouts. She has spent many years working with people with disabilities.

Originally from the state of Utah, currently DeEtte lives in New England where she writes full time and works on the editing team of Master Koda Select Publishing. Her other interests include swimming, crocheting, reading, traveling, history, and her grandchildren. In addition, this devoted mother of six and grandmother of twelve has been a concerned participant in dog rescue services for many years.  

Blog: http://deetteanderton.wordpress.com

Facebook: www.facebook.com/DeEtteBecksteadAuthor        

Amazon author page: http://www.amazon.com/DeEtte-Beckstead/e/B00ADDW94Y/ref=ntt_athr_dp_pel_pop_1

AuthorsdB page: http://www.authorsdb.com/authors-directory/66-deette-beckstead

Twitter: https://twitter.com/DBAnderton

T.M Scott loves writing. With passion, drive and a taste for the unusual, she enjoys reading and writing new and different things. Doing her best to always think out of the box, her writing usually starts off as an insane scheme of some sort before she works out the finer aspects and turns it into something great! Her heroines and heroes are never the typical ‘beautiful’ people, meaning they all have some sort of quirk or oddity about them that makes them unique and refreshing characters everyone can relate to.

Her first novel, Symphoni was published in March 2013 and her work has been featured in the horror anthology, The Withering Darkness. She lives in Los Angeles, California with her daughter Ariyanna.

Life hasn’t been too easy for Greg Daniels lately. But when he arrives at school on the first day back from summer vacation, he finds that things are much worse than he could have ever imagined.

Stuck in the middle of an ancient feud between the Olympians and the Titans, Greg discovers that the line between good and evil isn’t always clear and his allies might be more dangerous than the enemy.

And of course, where would we be without…an excerpt!

“See you later Kassandra!” Symphoni called out sweetly. I was sure it wasn’t sincere, but I couldn’t look back at her. My instincts were telling me, literally screaming for me to watch Kass. She turned around slowly, leaned her head to the side and just as she smiled, I watched in shock as her ice blue eyes slowly turned to a dark, midnight blue.

The eyes were surprising enough, but it was the smile that startled me. I couldn’t explain why, but everything about her smile sent chills down my spine. It was feral and terrifying and I was so focused on it that it took a moment before I realized I’d started shaking. First my feet, then my legs, and the rest of me. I couldn’t stop myself and I started to wonder how Kassandra could have such an effect on me when somewhere in the lunchroom someone screamed. I looked around to find the source, but people were running everywhere. It took a second for me to understand. It wasn’t me shaking at all, it was the whole room. An earthquake.

T.M Scott’s contact info

http://authortiannascott.blogspot.com/

http://www.facebook.com/AuthorTiannaScott

http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/6904904.T_M_Scott

@tiannna_MHAFH

http://www.amazon.com/T.-M.-Scott/e/B00BUA6ADK

Buy links here!

http://www.amazon.com/Symphoni-Eros-Sister-Series-ebook/dp/B00BU34ZQG

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Symphoni-Eros-Sister-Series-ebook/dp/B00BU34ZQG

But it was this lad, Rain, who came out to see me first.

He is massive! I mean…truly huge. 8 stone (52kg/115lbs) in weight and taller than I was. His paws? Larger than my own hands. And yet, he had the sweetest personality. I wasn’t just able to stroke this handsome, handsome lad…I was allowed to walk him too! He wasn’t as much of a puller as I was expecting, less so than my malamute! However…he did pull when we reached the field I was walking him through..

Wonder what he saw here? Could it be the camera? Or the idea to pull me about…?

He was just a LITTLE bit dirty, but this was him pulling me along the grass…so glad my shoes had grips! It was astounding to see the size and the movements of a wolf like him, especially since he was a friendly, gentle creature…

You can see the size of his paws here…and those AWESOME eyes. A mixture of burnt amber and orange, they were absolutely piercing…and 1000000% better than I believed they could be.

Until this happened…

Apparently, I hadn’t let him say hello quick enough…so before I knew it, he was in my face…and I couldn’t get my arms around him! He was kissing me for ages…and yes, I nearly fell over! He’s a massive beast, as you can see…but I loved him…loved everything about him.

I also got to meet Miska – she’s a very, very timid wolf-dog, who still managed to leap up and push her face into mine (a bit nerving because…she’s timid and stalks people) but she was absolutely gorgeous…a lot smaller than Rain…(This is me holding Miska!)

She’s red wolf x, just a little over a year and a VERY skittish girl. I loved her. She had the most awesome eyes, and the most odd stalking gait I’ve seen. Her ears are HUGE compared to the rest of her, as seen by the difference in size between her and Rain against me.

This is a close-up on Miska’s eyes – can see the difference in her head structure/facial shape to Rain. She’s glorious!

And finally…I met Soli. Soli was the oldest wolf-dog, at 9 years old, and his hips are starting to go. He’s sweet, too! A little age-tattered but that is only the fact that he is poorly bred. He was just as lovely as Rain!

These wonderful creatures, and many others, are looked after by Artisan Rarebreeds – truly a rescuing gem in the UK. I’d recommend anyone who can afford to to donate money/items/buy stuff off of his wishlist!

Wish List

I want to thank Wayne, who runs the rescue for today. Being able to meet them all is absolutely amazing! I’ve never, ever been as happy as I am today. It’s given me a reason for the writing I do, and an idea of someone to thank, and something to add into every book I write with my wolves in – that wolves are to be treasured, and places like Artisan, who take in waifs and strays, are in need of publicity to make sure they get what they truly deserve!

Day Two in the Arena…

I’m still alive! I’ve joined up with Cene, the other Tribute from my District…

We were attacked by this massive spiders…and that was scary! Cene had no weapons, so she climbed into a tree, while I had hatchets (the only thing I got from the cornucopia) . Cene jumped onto the spiders (brave, I’m sure!) but she hurt her ankle…not sure how we’ll fix that! She got caught in a trap…that left only me to kill the spiders…which I did with creativity.

I crushed them. Like the bugs they are. No bites, so we’re safe as far as that goes. After I helped Cene from the net, we moved away from there, we needed to find somewhere safe to rest and sort her ankle…and food would be good, too!

Canon shots sound in the darkness, and faces appear for us to see…

District Four lost Amethyst

District Six lost Melly

District Six also lost Lainy

District Ten lost Nyx

District Eleven lost Izzidell

District Twelve lost Ganar

So that’s District Six, District Eight and District Eleven that are no longer in the running for District Thirteen’s win. There’s only a few of us left to survive, and it’ll take all our wits to do it…and the sponsors who will surely be helping us soon…right?

Shewolf- Tribute from District Thirteen…Rebel District all the way!

Now for how you can help. I need your help massively right now! There’s a lot of competition going on…and it’ll take sponsors to help me win! All you need to do is go to the link I’ll add in a moment, scroll down to District 13 (the best district, of course) and do as many of the tasks as possible. IF you comment there…there’s every chance of you winning an eCopy of Echoes of Winter (I have between 3 and 5 to give away) MHAFH Tribute Sponsorship 

Day One of The Hunger Games
I survived at the cornucopia. The cannons have gone off four times and I’m waiting until tonight to see who died. I hope it’s no one I know…

Shewolf…Tribute from District 13 – Rebel District all the way!

(As always, I’m asking for you to vote for District 13! Your votes count towards myself and my fellow tribute getting some much-needed food/medicine in the arena! If you’ve already voted, then go back and tweet – it can be done daily! MHAFH entry point)

The Hunger Games have begun, and District 13 where your tributes live need your help! It’s simple to help us out! All you need to do is go over to http://www.officialmhafh.com/p/giveaways-fun.html and do the tasks! 

Here are the district 13 badges!

and then the badges with your Tributes names!

This is me!

And my fellow tribute!

And to keep abreast of our Hunger Games tourney…

https://www.facebook.com/groups/496142403785322/

May the odds be ever in your favor…