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!
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?
The month of May has been NUTS so far. Between attending a great conference, meeting new readers at the library, and crazy weather here on the mountainside, May has me on the edge of my desk chair.
The first thing I want to tell you about was the amazing time I had teaching at Pikes Peak Writers Conference in Colorado Springs. I met some truly engaged writers and we talked project management, book distribution, writing craft, and so many other great topics that I know I’ll return to that conference to network.
I also attended Mountain of Authors last weekend and had a great time. The event lasted for one afternoon that was packed with great conversation, signing books, an amazing panel of expert authors, and seeing some of my local author friends. It was a great way to spend a Saturday and I was honored to attend.
The weather in Colorado has a knack for punking the weatherman. True to form, it’s been all over the place for the last week. A crazy storm rolled through two days ago and this chunk of pink granite slid down the mountain and landed beside the house. Another rock the size and shape of a football clunked on top of one of my tomato plants. And now it’s raining again! Holy buckets!
Audiobook Sale!
The Witcher Chime audiobook is part of a massive sale on Kobo! If you like chills and hauntings, this is a great book for you. Stephanie, the narrator, is perfect for this book. Take a listen. You’ll see what I mean. All books included in the sale will be 3 for $15 from May 1st to May 31st
Next Appearance
Western Colorado University in Gunnison Colorado from July 26 – August 2.
Did you know that May is Get Caught Reading Month? I’d love to see photos of you getting caught reading in May. Respond here or tag me on your socials!
Eldros Legacy News
Stonewhisper, by H.Y. Gregor will be released on June 13! Check out the pre-order here. And look at this amazing cover!
Lola Hopscotch News
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.
Book One
Here are two fun dates coming up in May:
May 21 international Tea Day
May 23 National Drinking with Chickens Day
May Fun Facts!
May 5, 1961: Alan Shepard becomes the first American to enter space
May 6, 1856: Sigmund Freud is born in Freiberg, Moravia
May 8, 1429: Joan of Arc wins the siege at Orleans
May 10, 1994: Nelson Mandela is inaugurated as the president of South Africa
May 12, 1820: Nursing pioneer Florence Nightingale is born in Italy
May 20, 1932: Amelia Earhart becomes the first woman to fly solo across the Atlantic (I wrote a book about Amelia’s fictional sister! Check it out here.)
May 25, 1803: Author and philosopher Ralph Waldo Emerson is born
May 28, 1961: Amnesty International is founded
Here’s the latest bloom from one of the gardens here at Penfield. I can’t wait to see what my roses do after all this rain.
Milk Dud has been right at my side while I’m at my desk lately. We had to come to an agreement because she kept sitting on the keyboard. I told her she had to stay on the other side of the stapler. 😊
Thanks so much for being a part of my readers group! See you in June.
I love to work shows and conventions in my home state of Colorado! Thanks in advance to MileHiCon for having me. I get to see some friends I haven’t spent time with since before the pandemic. Yay!
I’ll have loads of books to check out and for the first time, I’ll be selling eBooks in person. That should be interesting. 🙂
MileHiCon 54 in 2022 will be held at the Denver Marriott Tech Center
4900 S. Syracuse St. Denver, CO
Here’s my schedule:
Marie Whittaker ● Fri 3p, Evergreen B: Writing a Good Query Letter ● Sat 11a, Conifer 3: Blind Slush Panel ● Sat 12p, Pint’s Pub Back Area: Wordfire Press Signing ● Sat 2p, Evergreen B: How to Handle Rejection ● Sat 3p, Conifer 3: Writing Flash Fiction and Short Stories ● Sat 7p, Evergreen B: Crowdfunding your Project
For SF/F and speculative fiction lovers, it’s a weekend not to be missed. The convention will feature authors, artists, speakers and programming on every aspect of the science fiction and fantasy genres.
For more information head on over to the official MileHiCon website.
I hope to see you there!
Read on next time because the stars have finally aligned and I get to go to the Emma Crawford Races right here in Manitou Springs!
Look at this awesome animation for Embers & Ash! You can find the book on Amazon. If you pick it up, please leave a review? Thanks! (Sorry it’s ginormous. It’s the only way I could get it to stick!)
Happy Wednesday! I’m sharing three excellent book deals and a boxed set sale this week. Urban fantasy, a touching young adult tale, sword and sorcery fantasy, and a collection of stories featuring strong female leads— all on a special sale for you!
One of these deals is a set of three books for just 99 pennies!
In cooperation with my friends in publishing I’m proud to present the following titles on a special discount. Check them out. You won’t be disappointed.
Ten-year-old Noah has a gift beyond the natural gifts of humans.
This ability allows him to hear the thoughts of the family therapy dog, Ozzie, and to see visions of the future, which go unnoticed by the people who should love him and trust him the most. Noah’s brother Sean is on the autism spectrum and receives more attention from their parents, at least more than Noah gets…which causes him to feel angst, sadness, frustration, and jealousy. Noah wants what all children want, love and acceptance. He needs his parents and grandmother to trust him and help him gain confidence in himself.
Being Noah is a story of a boy believing in himself, even when others don’t, and finding a way to use his gifts so he can affect change in the world and lives of those around him.
Being Noah is Margaret Cheryl Hardy’s first and only work, written in the MFA program at Western Colorado University.
“A thoughtful book that is well-paced and includes enough realism to balance the mystical and spiritual content. A great book for introspection and discussion after reading.”—School Library Journal
“There is always something going down in New Orleans.”
A city as old and as violent as New Orleans is filled with ghosts. They aren’t a hidden phenomenon anymore. They are as real as any living person and capable of causing just as much trouble.
Fortunately, there are unique bounty hunters like Johnny Despereaux to hunt them down.
Grab this boxed set and step into a new world where ghosts and breathers walk the street together.
Within the Thiaran Empire, citizens put on jeweled masks and turn away from those who are taken. As long as one child is sacrificed each month to the Slinks and nobody interferes, their society will thrive.
But seventeen-year-old Grei’s mind is alive with treason, and he plunges into the heart of a prophecy that will drive the Slinks back to their fiery dimension. All he must do is travel to the capitol city and sacrifice one last innocent.
As Grei wrestles with the prophecy and battles those who would kill him, he hurtles toward his final decision: save the empire, or save his own soul.
Ripley facing down the Xenomorph Queen. Sarah Connor fighting the Terminator. David Weber’s Honor Harrington. Science fiction novels and the silver screen are full of badass women kicking butt and taking names. Sometimes it’s the momma bear persona stepping up to defend her young, but, other times, she’s just the meanest one standing—bionic arm or not!
Edited by Jamie Ibson and Chris Kennedy, “We Dare: No Man’s Land” is a collection of 15 all-new stories with female leads. Whether it’s changing an engine on the outside of a spaceship’s hull or chasing SimNACs through the jungle, these heroines have only one goal in mind—to win at all costs! From defending asteroid bases to searching giant space stations, these women get the job done!
What makes female leads great? Does it matter—these women are incredible! Be warned though—they may be referred to as the “fairer” sex, but don’t cross these ladies, or you’re gonna get what you have coming! The authors dared write about these awesome women; will you dare to join them on their adventures? If so, step inside. But beware…this is No Man’s Land!
With stories by: Marisa Wolf Rick Partlow A.K. DuBoff Jamie Ibson Marie Whittaker Griffin Barber Joelle Presby Chris Kennedy Sarah A. Hoyt Quincy J. Allen Melissa Olthoff Jonathan P. Brazee Rachel Aukes Josh Hayes Kacey Ezell
