ZINA ABBOTT
is the pen name used by Robyn Echols for her adult Golden Oaks series which
includes Family Secrets, the first book in the series, and her historical
novels.
Except for
the first year of her life, Robyn has lived in California. She started her
young life in San Diego and has had gradually moved northward. She has been
writing since she was in junior high school.
After
working several jobs, including that of being a rural carrier and union steward
for the California Rural Letter Carriers' Association, she has spent years
learning and teaching family history topics. She enjoys focusing on history
from a genealogist's perspective by seeking out the details of everyday life in
the past. Several of her family history articles have been published in
genealogy magazines.
She resides
with her husband in California near the "Gateway to Yosemite." When
she is not piecing together novel plots and characters, she enjoys piecing
together quilt blocks.
In 1868, Otto Atwell has a 160 acre
homestead near Abilene, Kansas and a limp as a result of an arrow shot in his
low back while with the 16th Kansas Cavalry on the Powder River Expedition in
1865. What he doesn’t have is a wife. Then again, what woman would want to
marry a cripple?
Libby Jones comes to Junction City as a mail order bride. Not
only does the man who sent for her reject her, he tries to sell her to the
local brothel to recoup his fee. Otto offers to marry her, but she rejects him
in favor of a job with his relatives. Will Otto’s offer still stand when
trouble from Libby’s past catches up with her?
“Put
your brother to work plowing and planting the garden for you. He can bend and
stoop better than you can.”
“A truck garden is women’s work,
Pa.”
Both Jefferson and Otto turned to
face Henry who had returned downstairs and stood in the doorway to the kitchen
with a scowl on his face.
Jefferson glared at his son with an
expression that brooked no nonsense. “Plowing is men’s work, Son. And when
there’s no woman around like in Otto’s case, then men need to put a garden in
themselves if they want a decent root cellar of vegetables to eat from over the
winter. You’ve helped your mother when you were younger, so you know how to
form the furrows and bury the seeds. You do that for your brother, and I don’t
want to hear any more about it.”
Shaking his head, Henry stepped into
the room and answered with a grudging tone. “All right, I’ll do it.” He turned
to Otto. “You need a wife, though, Otto. She’d not only keep this place cleaned
up and plant the garden, she’d be able to cook better than you, if that mess
left on the stove is any clue to what I can expect for meals the next several
weeks.”
To view our blog schedule and follow along with this tour visit our Official Event page
The year is 1626. A senseless war rips through parts of Germany. Ongoing animosity between the Catholics and the Protestants has turned into an excuse to destroy much of the landscape situated between France, Italy and Denmark. But religion only plays a minor role in this lucrative business of war.
The young dutchman, Pieter van Diemen, returns to Amsterdam in chains after a period of imprisonment in the Spice Islands. He manages to escape but must leave Amsterdam in a hurry. Soldiers are in demand in Germany and he decides to travel with a regiment until he can desert. His hope of survival is to reach Sichardtshof, the farm in Franconia, Germany; the farm he left ten years ago. His desire to seek refuge with them lies in his fond memories of the maid Katarina and her master, the humanist patrician Herr Tucher. But ten years is a long time and the farm has changed. Franconia is not only torn by war but falling victim to a church-driven witch hunt. The Jesuit priest, Ralf, has his sights set on Sichardtshof as well. Ralf believes that ridding the area of evil will be his saving grace. Can Pieter, Katarina and Herr Tucher unite to fight against a senseless war out of control?
The Soldier’s Return is the second book in the Heaven’s Pond Trilogy.
Katarina poked
at the fire and threw two logs on the embers. Sparks sailed up the
flue and the flames revived. Twice last night she’d
been to the kitchen to keep this fire burning. Fire was the sustainer
of life, the taker as well. She lit a tallow lamp, opened the door to
the low-vaulted stable adjoining the kitchen and hung the lamp on a
hook rammed into the sandstone. The two cows lowed and her goat
yawned. Their water was empty, the troughs too. She crossed the
hay-strewn stone stable floor and opened the door leading out to the
paddock. Bleating sheep, more than the paddock could accommodate,
threatened to break through the wooden fencing.
Strange
rumblings groaned and swelled underground, traveling towards the
Sichardtshof farm along the Aisch River. Katarina imagined some
heavy, tethered beasts grumbling while pulling slow-rolling burdens.
She brushed aside the memories of the last visits from the
mercenaries like she was clearing sticky cobwebs from the rafters.
The past was not to be relived, Herr Tucher told her. Rise above it
or it will destroy you, he said.
She
took her overcoat down from the peg on the wall, shrugged into it,
grabbed a bucket and hurried back through the kitchen and up the few
steps to the house’s
main entrance. She pulled on one of the double doors. In the winter
the wood door swelled and stuck in the frame, squealing on the stone
floor as she pulled it open.
She rushed past
the half-timbered barn and the adjoining stable that dominated the
other outbuildings forming the oval farmyard. A lamp burned somewhere
inside. Tanner the Elder was awake, tending the horses. Distinctive
sounds rose above the rumblings now: men’s
shouts and whistles, the clank of chains from animals’ harnesses.
Katarina startled as a flock of waterfowl squawked into flight from
the ponds that lined the lowest point of the hollow called the
Edelgraben. The water reflected the eerie, pink light of the dawn.
The hills that protected the farm on either side of the hollow were
shrouded in mist. But the hills never stopped the soldiers from
coming before. The men knew the Sichardtshof farm was here and what
it had to offer.
It was too early
in the year for soldiers to be traveling. The nights were still
frozen and dark. Friert’s
am 40-Ritter-Tag, so kommen noch 40 Fröste nach. Because
there was frost today, March 10, the day of Forty Martyrs, the
farmers said forty more days of frost would fall upon the land. But
Katarina smelled a slight turn in the air, as if the emerging
vegetation let off a scent to attract and entice—a lush, green
smell. Buds developed on the low bushes surrounding the square stone
well and when the leaves filled in, the bushes made a good hiding
place for the children. After such a long, cold, dark winter, these
inklings of spring should afford some comfort. But Katarina took more
comfort in the fact that in the winter, the soldiers moved into
winter quarters and stayed away. This past winter was peaceful and
Katarina had almost forgotten the rest of the world, the troubled
world beyond the farm.
Katarina’s
trembling hand grabbed time and time again for the rope and finally
pulled the bucket up out of the well, craning her neck to look over
the bushes back to the crooked little workers’ house. Covered in
bramble bushes, she could just make out the glow of a fire through
the tiny kitchen window. A figure passed by inside. The Tanner family
and the other workers must be awake too. Katarina set the full bucket
down by a small surplus of buckets next to the well and ran back to
the house. Brambles snagged on her trousers as she softly rapped on
the door.
“Who
is it?” a man’s voice growled.
“It’s
me, Tanner, let me in.”
The door to the
workers’
house creaked open. Tanner’s large frame filled out the doorway.
Behind him, ceramic mugs clinked, water boiled, a baby cried, men
spoke in low tones and a woman coughed. Tanner looked over Katarina’s
head and sighed, running a hand through his short, dark-blond hair.
His cheeks were flushed with the heat of the fire.
“Listen,”
Katarina said.
He nodded,
understanding. “Wake
the master.”
***************
About the Author
Laura Libricz was born and raised in Bethlehem PA and moved to Upstate New York when she was 22. After working a few years building Steinberger guitars, she received a scholarship to go to college. She tried to ‘do the right thing’ and study something useful, but spent all her time reading German literature.
She earned a BA in German at The College of New Paltz, NY in 1991 and moved to Germany, where she resides today. When she isn’t writing she can be found sifting through city archives, picking through castle ruins or aiding the steady flood of musical instruments into the world market.
Her first novel, The Master and the Maid, is the first book of the Heaven's Pond Trilogy. The Soldier’s Return and Ash and Rubble are the second and third books in the series.
For more information, please visit Laura Libricz's website and blog. You can also connect with her on Facebook, Twitter, Google+, YouTube, Instagram, Pinterest, LinkedIn, and Goodreads.
During the Blog Tour we are giving away a set of The Master and the Maid and The Soldier's Return to one lucky winner! To enter, please enter via the Gleam form below.
Giveaway Rules
– Giveaway ends at 11:59pm EST on February 16th. You must be 18 or older to enter.
– Giveaway is open to US & UK residents only.
– Only one entry per household.
– All giveaway entrants agree to be honest and not cheat the systems; any suspect of fraud is decided upon by blog/site owner and the sponsor, and entrants may be disqualified at our discretion.
– Winner has 48 hours to claim prize or new winner is chosen.
The Soldier's Return Blog Tour
Amey Zeigler
wrote her first mystery with her best friend in fourth grade. She wrote, the
friend illustrated. It also had a cute boy in it with spiky hair (because that
was the style back then). Not much has changed. She loves mysteries. She loves
romance. She loves suspense. She loves action, adventure and comedy. But she
wants it to have a happy ending.
Because she grew
up moving all around the United States, Amey loves writing about different
places. In her books, she explores the whole world.
Growing up, Amey
was always trying new things. She played violin, drums, flute, piano, all
before she was sixteen. She also discovered she didn't have much talent for music.
When people asked
her what she wanted to be when she grew up, she was afraid to tell them she
wanted to be a writer because she didn't know how to write.
She is so
grateful for her Sophomore year Honor's English teacher who gave her a star and
five points (out of five!) for Voice on her personal essay. Otherwise, she
wouldn't have had enough courage to pursue writing.
In her spare
time, she adopts stray furniture left on the side of the road, fixes it up and
gives it a new look and home. Amey lives with her husband and three children
near Austin, TX.
Twenty-three
year-old investigative journalist, Andy Miller is armed with her many disguises
and creativity to take down the riff-raff of Saint Louis. When her stepbrother
is murdered by the mob, Andy soon discovers she’s out of her depth.
Enter Hugh
Donaldson who has reasons of his own for discovering the murderer. He’ll use
everything in his power to achieve that, including lying to Andy about his
past. Dangerous as he is attractive, his martial arts skills and his quirky
ways raise Andy’s suspicions.
Although Andy
balks at his lies, Hugh’s charms, twenty-inch biceps, and electrifying blue
eyes are difficult to resist. Striking out on their own, Hugh and Andy try to
outwit each other as they traverse North America tracking down people connected
to the case.
As clues
disappear and the body count climbs, Andy and Hugh must trust each other and
use their combined skills to bring the murderer to justice.
She tiptoed to the door. Voices echoed
in the spacious living area. Andy cracked the door. An eerie blue glow of the
computer lit Hugh’s face in the darkened space.
“I’ll ask her,” he said, his voice
low. “Nothing I could do, though, without compromise.”
A voice replied from the computer,
“You did right. Anything else would’ve been risking too much.”
“What about the girl?”
“I trust you.”
Intrigued, Andy craned her ear. The
door creaked.
Andy swore in her mind. Hugh glanced
up, silencing his computer. “You okay?” he asked.
“I woke up. Did I disturb you?”
Hugh didn’t blink an eye. “Just
watching a movie.”
He lied.
To view our blog schedule and follow along with this tour visit our Official Event page
Warning
- These stories are not for the faint-hearted. This anthology is
intended for readers aged 18+.
'When
you wake up randomly in the night, there's a good chance someone or
something was watching you'
A
bump in the night wakes you, the jolt just as you're about to sleep
could be something much more sinister than you thought, the sound
outside your window is much more than a branch knocking in the wind,
and no, you didn't imagine that shadow in the corner of your
eye...
Night
Night, Sleep Tight explores the horrific things that happen at night,
from sleep paralysis to monsters hiding under the bed.
So,
Night Night, Sleep Tight, and don't let them get you...
R
L Weeks
is the bestselling and award-winning author of the Dead Loves Life
Series, Bloodlust, The Fallen, Willow Woods Academy for Witches,
Cursed, and the owner of Enchanted Anthologies, publisher of
Fractured Fairytales Books 1 & 2, A Deadly World: Vampires in
Paris, Things Only the Darkness Knows, and Christmas Nightmares.
She
lives in a small village in the UK.
When
she's not writing, she's traveling, reading (paranormal, fantasy and
horror being her go to genres) and designing covers for Dark Wish
Designs.
Erin
Lee
is a dark fiction/reality author and therapist chasing a crazy dream
one crazy story at a time. She is the author of books published by
Savant Books and Publications, Limitless Publishing, Black Rose
Writing, Zombie Cupcake Press, Bella Tulip Press, and Crazy Ink.
Her
Diary of a Serial Killer Series is an international bestselling
series as is the Moving On Series that she co-wrote with Chelsi
Davis. Upcoming titles include Wendigo and Momma. She is a co-founder
of the Escape from Reality Series and author of several books in that
series.
Lee
holds a master’s degree in psychology and works with at-risk
families and as a court appointed special advocate. When she isn’t
busy dissecting the human experience, she enjoys escaping from
reality through reading and spending time with her muses and canine
companions and therapy dogs—Thomas the Terrier and Milo Muse. To
her, laughter is the best medicine of all.
K.
L Roth
is the award-winning, international bestselling author of The Royals
Series, The Fallen, Bloodlust, and she has stories in Fractured
Fairytales Book Two, A Deadly World: Vampires in Paris, and Night,
Night Sleep Tight anthologies published with Enchanted
Anthologies.
She
lives in the small town of Delphos, Ohio. When she's not writing she
enjoys reading, participating in outdoor activities and teaching her
son the outdoor way of life.
She
writes erotica, paranormal, historical, horror and thriller. She is
working on several series and anthologies for 2018.
My
stories vary from sweet and romantic to whimsical and mischievous, to
temperamental and moody. My fervent imagination makes all of my
projects different.
I
started to focus on my writing career after developing a nasty case
of empty nest syndrome. My stories have appeared online at
Speculative 66, 101 Words, Our Write Side, and Dark Chapter Press, as
well as in anthologies published by Rhetoric Askew and Our Write
Side. I have several anthology projects in the works, several working
with various charities. 'Whisper of an Angel' is my first full length
romance novel, but I have many more in progress that cover different
genres, each blended with a romantic element.
I
spend my days behind a desk, and try to write in the evenings while
entertained by my greatest distraction,my Jack Russell. I enjoy
creating with polymer clay, hiking and exploring the great outdoors.
I spend time volunteering at a local wildlife rescue and am a total
Hallmark Channel addict.
They
call it Pandoravirus. It attacks the brain. Anyone infected may
explode in uncontrollable rage. Blind to pain, empty of emotion, the
infected hunt and are hunted. They attack without warning and without
mercy. Their numbers spread unchecked. There is no known cure.
Emma
Miller studies diseases for a living—until she catches the virus.
Now she’s the one being studied by the U.S. government and by her
twin sister, neuroscientist Isabel Miller. Rival factions debate
whether to treat the infected like rabid animals to be put down, or
victims deserving compassion. As Isabel fights for her sister's life,
the infected are massing for an epic battle of survival. And it looks
like Emma is leading the way . . .
Raised
in a small town in Mississippi, Eric L. Harry graduated from
the Marine Military Academy in Texas and studied Russian and
Economics at Vanderbilt University, where he also got a J.D. and
M.B.A. In addition, he studied in Moscow and Leningrad in the USSR,
and at the University of Virginia Law School. He began his legal
career in private practice in Houston, negotiated complex
multinational mergers and acquisitions around the world, and rose to
be general counsel of a Fortune 500 company. He left to raise a
private equity fund and co-found a successful oil company. His
previous thrillers include Arc Light, Society of the Mind,
ProtectandDefend and Invasion. His
books have been published in eight countries. He and his wife have
three children and divide their time between Houston and San Diego.
ZINA ABBOTT
is the pen name used by Robyn Echols for her adult Golden Oaks series which
includes Family Secrets, the first book in the series, and her historical
novels.
