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Follow my journey toward publication. Laugh, cry, point and stare-- it's all good. I'll leave a trail so that you, my fellow author, may have a straighter path to finding your own elusive publishing contract. Adventure awaits. Let's travel together...



Thursday, November 29, 2012

Deadly Additive--An Action-Packed Gift!


Clash of the Titles hopes you had a wonderful Thanksgiving full of food and fellowship! Today, we are thrilled to talk to you about Donn Taylor's newest book, Deadly Additive. What an exciting book!

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To soldier-of-fortune Jeb Sledge it seems like a simple job: Rescue an heiress and her journalist friend Kristin Halvorsen from their kidnapping by Colombian guerrillas and collect a sizable paycheck. But Kristin has other plans. After stumbling onto a mass of dead bodies, she won’t leave Colombia without the proof she needs for the story of a lifetime. While she and Jeb wrangle over her obstinacy, they discover a hidden factory where the guerrillas build a new and deadly type chemical weapon for the international black market. Their discovery triggers a raid on the factory, followed by a desperate search through the Caribbean and the U.S. to prevent a catastrophic attack by weapons the factory has produced. But who is behind that attack, and what are the planned targets? Finding out brings Jeb and Kristin again into peril for their lives and leads them both into an unexpected spiritual Odyssey.

What others are saying:
“An edge-of-the-chair plot in prose that reads like satin, with a nails-tough hero who still has time for introspection.”
                -Donna Fletcher Crow, author of A Darkly Hidden Truth, The Monastery Murders

“I loved Deadly Additive! In this wonderfully written story, Donn Taylor offers up a perfect blend of suspense, intrigue, humor, romance, and inspiration. I savored every page and didn’t want it to end.”
                      -Ann Tatlock, award-winning author of Traveler’s Rest

“Donn Taylor continually thrusts his two leading characters into impossible situations, but their escape is always believable. His characters are well drawn, authentic.  You find yourself physically trying to help them out of a certain-death trap.  I recommend it without reservation.”
                    -James Callan, award-winning author of Cleansed by Fire

“…reached the level of making me forget I was reading. It was an intellectual action novel with likable characters…reminded me of Tom Clancy's novels.”
                  –author Rose Munevar on Goodreads



Sounds good to us! Want to take a peek?

Opener from Chapter 1: 

By habit, Jeb Sledge disapproved of people who pointed weapons at him. The present offender’s tuxedo did not qualify him for an exception, and the silencer on his pistol only aggravated the offense…

View the video book trailer: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=doMqtrIKOMw&feature=youtu.be

Preview Deadly Additive and other suspense novels on Donn’s Web site: www.donntaylor.com.

A bit about the author:
Donn Taylor led an Infantry rifle platoon in the Korean War, served with Army aviation in Vietnam, and worked with air reconnaissance in Europe and Asia. Afterwards, he completed a PhD degree at The University of Texas and taught English literature (especially Renaissance) at two liberal arts colleges. His novels The Lazarus File and Rhapsody in Red have received excellent reviews, and he has also authored Dust and Diamond: Poems of Earth and Beyond. He is a frequent speaker at writers’ conferences such as Glorieta and Blue Ridge. He and his wife live near Houston, Texas, where he continues to write fiction, poetry, and articles on current topics. His Web site is www.donntaylor.com.

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Clash of the Titles always wants to know what YOU think.

Saturday, October 27, 2012

Sensational September 2012 Releases



For most of us around the country, Fall is in the air. In Southern California we're still seeing temps in the 90s, but hey--I say Autumn is a state of mind. And I'm ready for comfy sofas, hot cider, and a great new book to curl up with. Oh, and chocolate! Maybe a cat purring nearby. George Winston playing in the background. But the main thing I need is the book.

So, I've been searching through the titles released last month, including a long list that YOU guys recommended to me through our survey (thank you very much), and I've come up with a list of FIVE. Now I want to hear from you. Which of these most appeals to you? Which will be highest on your to-be-read pile this month? Take a look at the cover and the summary, then cast your vote. Polls will remain through Wednesday, closing on Halloween night (oooeeeooo) at midnight PST. (Yep, when I'm the hostess you get a few extra hours to vote because, well, once in a while it only seems fair to go by West Coast time. Right?)

All of the books below captured my attention for one reason or another. I'm sure they'll capture you as well. After voting, I invite you to click over to Amazon and purchase one or more of these puppies!


The Road to Mercy by Kathy Harris
Bethany and Josh Harrison are faced with a decision that could cost her life--and the life of their unborn child; Dr. Ben Abrams is lost without a heritage of faith. Can Bethany’s choice save them both?
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The Shadow on the Quilt (The Quilt Chronicles) by Stephanie Grace Whitson
Juliana Sutton's life looks perfect-from the outside. Until her husband's untimely death reveals a devastating truth. Will the shadow of her dead husband's name stand between Juliana and Cass, or will Juliana choose a love she never thought possible?
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Deadly Additive by Donn Taylor 
Soldier-of-fortune Jeb Sledge’s rescue of kidnapped journalist Kristin Halvorsen from Colombian guerrillas reveals a hidden threat to the global balance of power. Jeb and Kristin must also learn that virtuous lives without a spiritual dimension remain incomplete.
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Restored Heart by Jennifer A. Davids
Anne Kirby and Peter McCord are both determined to hide their pasts. But they soon discover that love – and God – has a way of revealing everything.
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Hidden in the Heart by Catherine West
"You existed before you were adopted."
... Everything Claire wants seems to be beyond her reach ...
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So there you have it! Please make your selection in the Survey Monkey below. And send your friends to cast their votes as well! (good practice for November, right? lol)


Create your free online surveys with SurveyMonkey, the world's leading questionnaire tool.

Olympia Button
p.s. Are you an aspiring author of Christian Fiction? This is the last week to enter Clash of the Titles' annual contest for unpublished authors, the Olympia. Hurry! Submissions close Friday, November 2nd. 


Friday, October 26, 2012

Living in Harmony, New Amish Fiction!


The Clash of the Titles Blog Alliance is proud to share great August release with its readers.
Ink still damp from the presses, Living in Harmony by Mary Ellis, currently sits on a store shelf near you! Want more good news? It’s the first in a series—perfect time to jump on board.



About the book:
Living in Harmony is the first book in bestselling author Mary Ellis's New Beginnings series. It's about fresh starts and love...and how faith in God and His perfect plan for our lives provides us with the peace and joy we desire.

Amy King--young, engaged, and Amish--faces difficult challenges in her life when she suddenly loses both of her parents in a house fire. Her fiancé, John Detweiler, persuades her and her sister Nora to leave Lancaster County and make a new beginning with him in Harmony, Maine, where he has relatives who can help the women in their time of need.

John's brother Thomas and sister-in-law Sally readily open their home to the three newcomers. Wise beyond his years, Thomas, a minister in the district, refuses to marry Amy and John upon their arrival, suggesting instead a period of adjustment and counseling. During this time Amy discovers an aunt who was shunned. She wishes to reconnect with her, but this puts a strain on her relationship with John.

Can John and Amy find a way to live in happily in Harmony before making a lifetime commitment to one another?

For those addicted to Amish stories, you won’t want to miss this one. To everyone else, this might be the book that gets you hooked on this wildfire genre.

Here’s what reviewer Rachel Brand of the Christian Manifesto has to say about Living in Harmony:

Just when you think nothing new and original can come out of the Amish genre, a book like this comes along and proves that you’re completely wrong.
It’s hard to express exactly what I loved so much about Living in Harmony. It’s not just the setting, the new community and the realistic secondary characters that made this novel so refreshing and unique. Mary Ellis crafted her hero and heroine as incredibly relate-able characters, flawed human beings who prove that even the Amish don’t have perfect relationships or marriages.
Each character had their own personality and purpose in the novel, which means that there’s bound to be at least one character that every reader can relate to.
If you need a little bit more realism in your Amish fiction, or just don’t want to read a happily-ever-after romance, then Living in Harmony is the book for you.

About the author:

Mary Ellis grew up near the Amish and fell in love with them. She has now written nine bestselling novels set in their communities. When not writing, she enjoys gardening, bicycling, and swimming. Before "retiring" to write full-time, Mary taught school and worked as a sales rep for Hershey Chocolate. Her debut Christian book, A Widow's Hope, was a finalist for the 2010 ACFW Carols and the Holt Medallion Award of Merit.

You can find Mary at these locations:
www.maryellis.net
blog: www.maryeellis.wordpress.com
https://www.facebook.com/#!/pages/Mary-Ellis/126995058236

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