The August book of the month is all about helping kiddos with their first day of school.
Lola Hopscotch and the First Day of School is endorsed by the PACER Center for Anti-bullying and Stand for the Silent.
Kids can get really nervous about going to school for the first time, or even returning to school after the summer break is over. This book is designed to help.
With strong read-out-loud potential, this book helps open the lines of communication between kids and their adults when read together.
Give it a try. Kids love Lola Hopscotch!
Get it HERE for only 99 cents during the month of August!
I have a new Tommy story coming up in this awesome anthology of Joe Ledger stories from some amazingly talented authors. I’m honored to be in such esteemed company!
Joe Ledger fans rejoice! Ledger returns with more dynamic adventures with his friends in the industry. 16 adventures edited by Jonathan Maberry and Bryan Thomas Schmidt.
For those of you new to Tommy…
Tommy, or Tamaleigh, is a character I created specifically for Jonathan Maberry in his Joe Ledger universe. Tommy is a young woman with a past that’s made her hard as nails and she’s one of my favorites of all times.
Just look at this lineup! I am in the best of company. I can’t wait to read these stories.
Ray Porter is in this one with us, and, as many of you know, he is the narrator for the Joe Ledger series. I had the honor of meeting him last February and he is a wonderful, talented human.
I’ll post more as I receive more information about this one. If you pre-order this book, I would love to know about it!
Book Release Date!
This anthology will be delivered on November 10, 2023. I can’t wait!!
Reserve your copy now!
Check out Joe Ledger: Unbreakable and pre-order the new anthology here.
Joe Ledger: Unbreakable presents 15 all new stories and a bonus reprint by New York Timesbestseller Jonathan Maberry starring Joe Ledger, Top, Bunny, Lydia, Church, and all your favorites from The Department of Military Sciences and Rogue Team International. Powerful edge-of-your-seat adventures by Kevin J. Anderson, John G. Hartness, Scott Sigler, Dana Fredsti, Wayne Brady & Maurice Broaddus, Tori Eldridge, Kevin Eikenberry, Heather Graham, Ray Porter, Kat Richardson, Keith DeCandido, Marie Whitaker, Bryan Thomas Schmidt, Peter Clines, and Maberry himself. Includes a brand new interview about the evolution of Ledger with Jonathan Maberry and Ray Porter (the voice of Joe Ledger).
From his early days as a Baltimore cop to his time with the Department of Military Sciences and then more recently leading Rogue Team International, these stories cover the range of the Ledger timeline bringing back old favorites and introducing new ones. The stakes are as high as ever, and Joe Ledger is there to save the day!
I simply cannot believe it’s already July. I think the Colorado mountain weather agrees with me. Just three days ago the temperature made it to 90F. At least it didn’t hail. We’ve had plenty of rain so the gardens here at Penfield are flourishing.
Have I mentioned that Ronin and I are building a skoolie? My dream has been to travel around and write books in new, interesting settings. We’re making it happen! We considered buying an RV but I’ve always been leary of them because they seem to… well, break so easily. I don’t mean the motors, although that might be true, too, I mean that they crumble in fender-benders and blow over easily in strong wind. School buses are much safer. They’re trusted to transport little kiddos. I feel much better about doing it this way. I’ll get pictures for next time. 🙂
Featured Book of the Month
Scales: A Gargoyle Shapeshifter Fantasy Adventure
Just ninety nine pennies until the end of July! Click the bookcover to get the deal.
Next Appearance
20Books Vegas! This amazing conference takes place from November 6 – 10. I’ll have my final teaching schedule soon. Vegas, baby!
On July 31 I’m off to teach the grad students in Gunnison at Western Colorado University for the week. They have a wonderful publishing program. I get to see some of my best friends and check out the wildflowers.
Eldros Legacy News
A new release from Aaron Rosenberg!
Missing mages, rapacious pirates, deadly storms—and a pair of young adventurers stuck in the middle…
The second in the Areyat Isles series of fantasy pirate mystery adventures set within the world of Eldros Legacy!
I’m excited to announce that my book, Lola Hopscotch and the First Day of School, is available for FREE(!) as part of a promotion on Smashwords for the month of July as part of their Annual Summer/Winter Sale! This is a chance to get my book FREE, along with books from many other great authors, at a discount so you can get right to reading.
Please share this promo with friends and family. You can even forward this email to the avid readers in your life!
Summertime with Lola Hopscotch! How about a new coloring page? Click HERE to download a printable page to celebrate summer with Lola Hopscotch and Momma Rabbit during a bedtime story. Awwww! (Art by the super talented Lily Uivel)
Speaking of Lilies… The Mystery Lily is Revealed!
These lilies are a mystery from two years ago. They volunteered out of nowhere, and last year, just when they might bloom, deer ate all the buds. The Mystery Lilies are back! And just look at this gorgeous shade of dusty red!
Next time I’ll have photos from Gunnison and Crested Butte, plus some pictures of our Skoolie build. PLUS! A cover reveal for my newest Joe Ledger anthology!
I’ve recently finished a paranormal mystery set in my home town of Manitou Springs. I’ve read through it and I really need more eyes on it. I think the main things I’m looking for is to see if anything needs more fleshing out or description. And things like plot holes, of course! Please let me know if you’re interested in reading it. Here’s some information about the book:
The disappearance of a child leads to a deadly murder investigation in a town where the homeless population seems to have gone insane. The body count rises and the unexplained takes place. Is the terror created by vengeance and greed, or a deadly paranormal force?
Little Boy Lost is a paranormal mystery that has jaded reality-show paranormal investigator Tim Slade traveling to the mountain town of Manitou Springs, Colorado, which is known to harbor a large community of pagans and witches, both historically and in current times. Slade is well-known for two things: debunking claims of paranormal activity and hosting his reality TV show, Ghost Beat. Slade is contracted to document findings of an estranged husband’s cruel tricks against the man’s soon to be ex-wife after the death of the couple’s son. After years of hosting his show, traveling from fake case to fake case, Slade’s personal journey explodes as he is confronted by the most deadly and real haunting he’s ever encountered. And that’s not all. The case is entwined with a string of murders that rocks the small community and threatens the lives of a grieving woman and her sister.
This mystery will appeal to fans of Alexandra Oliva’s The Last One, and Grief Cottage by Gail Godwin. Little Boy Lost is a standalone novel with strong series potential. Tim Slade is a dynamic hero that will do anything it takes to stop two very different types of monsters from haunting a small town—a man whose greed consumes him and a spirit with a story to tell.
June has been a great month so far but the weather… wow. So. Much. Rain. Colorado is known for crazytown weather but the state also touts over three hundred days of sunshine per year. At this rate, CO had best step it up. Things are soggy, but the gardens here at Penfield are like mini rain forests of blossoms.
My son Cody came for a visit at the end of May and I got to do something I’ve been pining away at for years—we went metal detecting together! Cody spent the last few years in Okinawa, where he scanned the beaches and found tons of Japanese coins, jewelry, and items left over from the wars. Here is my first ever detecting find. It is a piece of a tin can with a bullet hole through it. The second photo is our combined efforts the next day. I’m hooked!
The Superstars Writing Seminars Scholarship Application
Superstars Scholarship
The Superstars Writing Seminars Scholarship application is open! I know I talk about this a lot, but I am really excited to share. Superstars changed the trajectory of my writing career nearly a decade ago. There are five scholarship types available. If you’re ready to take your writing career to the next level, don’t wait any longer. Apply for this opportunity to attend in February.
The 2024 lineup of instructors includes Jim Butcher, Rebecca Moesta, Jonathan Maberry, Gail Carriger, Kevin J. Anderson, Chuck Gannon, Lisa Mangum, Chris Kennedy, James Artimus Owen, Toni Weiskopff, Michael La Ronn, Ann Rose, Craig Martelle, Lisa Kastner, Henry Herz, Stacey Kondla, Bryan Cohen, and more. You can apply here.
Next Appearance
Western Colorado University in Gunnison Colorado from July 26 – August 2.
I will also have a few local signing events popping up this summer, one of which will be at Barnes & Noble. We are locking in dates so stay tuned.
Eldros Legacy News
Stonewhisper is live for sale!
It’s Book Release Day for sweet friend and debut novelist, Hailey Gregor!
Lovers of the Night Angel trilogy and The Ember Blade will enjoy this dastardly tale of torn loyalties, a criminal empire, and a fallen hero. You can find it in eBook, trade paperback, and a gorgeous, jacketed hardcover here.
Lola Hopscotch News
We’re finally going to sell the full set at an event at Barnes & Noble. The dates are forthcoming, but I can’t wait for this. I might get to do a reading and meet some kiddos and talk about anti-bullying!
Did you know that The Adventures of Lola Hopscotch is endorsed by the PACER Center for Anti-bullying? We also partnered with StandForTheSilent.org during our anti-bullying outreach when I wrote Book One. You can find the full set here.
A Free Story!
I just got the rights back to Betsy and the Time Ship and I’m really happy about it. I learned a lot while researching for this story. I’ve been fascinated by Amelia Earhart for a long time and this little book features some fun alternate history. As a special thanks for being part of my readers group, I’m giving it to you as a special gift for a limited time. You can download it here.
“Betsy and the Time Ship is a fun, mind-bending adventure! Marie Whittaker brings game and new excitement to time travel science fiction. Brava!” -Jonathan Maberry, NY Times bestselling author of V-WARS and RAGE
A mysterious romp through time from colonial era Salem to alternative history featuring the days of Amelia Earhart.
Steampunk blends with Victorian intrigue and paranormal fantasy in this tale of a witch hunt gone awry when an airship pilot meets a bounty hunter as they travel through time on a mission leading to a deadly grapple for a cursed artifact which possesses the power to control time..
Can a hunter honor a contract without ruining his own honor in the process?
