Author Bette A. Stevens has something for everyone on your list!
Five-day Kindle Christmas Countdown (December 7–11, 2014)—books to inspire ‘kids’ of all ages by author Bette A. Stevens!
AMAZING MATILDA(Ages 5-10)Friendship, patience and persistence are among the lessons learned in this gem of a tale featuring an amazing monarch butterfly. This award-winning picture book adventure follows the monarch’s life cycle as Matilda embarks on a quest to make her dream of flying come true. Science, art and wise lessons for children—all wrapped up in a tale the kids will want to read/hear again and again!
PURE TRASH(Ages 11-adult)In this short story adventure set in New England in the 1950s, two young boys set out on a Saturday adventure you won’t want to miss! Experience the joy of a carefree Saturday and the blistering pain of feeling not quite good enough as you hop on a bike and ride into town with two delightful young boys who find adventure at every turn. Shawn and Willie Daniels live in the woods with no indoor water or plumbing. Dad spends most of his hard-earned money on beer. Prejudice, class division, alcoholism, poverty, injustice, and bullying are cleverly woven into this 1950s adventure short. PURE TRASH is the prequel to DOG BONE SOUP, Stevens’s début novel planned for release Winter 2014.
An insane killer, obsessed with blood and death, seeks revenge with those he perceives wronged him. He is now on the loose. His next victim may be Mariah.
Mariah has lost her memory. Will she remember what has transpired in her past?
Can Mariah escape this deadly killer’s grasp? Will she finally be safe? Will the killer be apprehended?
J.E. Spina’s novel has been a long time in coming. She started it over twenty years ago but put it on the back burner until this year when she decided it was time to get it ready for publication. J.E. Spina is an author of five children’s books, one of which received the Silver Medal from Mom’s Choice Awards. She writes her children’s books under the name of Janice Spina.
J.E. Spina has written three other novels—a spiritual/mystery, historical/drama and a YA fantasy which she hopes to edit and publish over the next two years. In between she will continue to publish more children’s books under the name Janice Spina. Besides being an author, Janice is also a copy editor, blogger, avid reader, book reviewer and supporter of fellow authors.
Kristy Feltenberger Gillespie is the author of Jaded, a dystopian novel, as well as Even in Death, a short story collection.
Hi, Kristy. It’s great to have you at 4writersandreaders today. I absolutely love the cover for Jaded and can’t wait to find out more about you and your books. The floor (post) is yours.
I’ve written poems, plays, and short stories since elementary school. I published Jaded, a YA Thriller in February 2014 and Even In Death: A Short Story Collection in August.
BOOK REVIEWS:
Jaded: “Jaded is a great dystopian because it’s totally different from what I expected. Gillespie really hits home with originality. (In a dystopian? I know. Ridiculous idea, but she does.) The eye colors, all of Samsara, the struggle to figure out her future: I loved all of it. The fine details about wines, the school kids, the struggle, it was great truly.” –Katie Cross
Even In Death: A Short Story Collection: “Even in Death” is an insightful and captivating collection. I found that once I started the first story, I couldn’t wait to see what kind of twist the next story would offer. Kristy brings life to her characters through dialogue that is realistic and energetic. I really enjoy how the author brings humor to an otherwise dark scene. I would recommend this short story collection to anyone who enjoys reading stories that offer hope, “even in death.” –Gary Caruso
Synopsis of Jaded
Jade has spent her entire life within the confines of the eye-color-obsessed Nirvana commune. She dreams of experiencing freedom but travel to the Outside is forbidden. Besides, she’s a dutiful daughter who never breaks the rules. As her seventeenth birthday approaches, however, she realizes just how little she wants to follow the commune rules. She doesn’t want to undergo another eye color surgery, or immediately choose a life partner, or follow her parents’ life paths of teaching or wine making. In fact, her green eyes suit her just fine, she’s never even been on a date, and she’s passionate about photography. And yet she’s resigned to do as she’s told because it’s easier for her to close her eyes and follow orders.
Her Grandmother Ruby’s murder is the catalyst that causes Jade to open her eyes wide for the first time in her life. She’s devastated yet determined to find the killer and their motive. With help from her mysterious friend Tyrian, and Peaches, the commune leader’s sweet daughter, Jade unearths dark secrets which include her mother’s illicit affair, her maternal grandparents’ escape from Nirvana, and a plethora of murders. To make matters worse, someone is hell bent on ending Jade’s mission for the truth, and that someone is most likely the killer.
Jade can’t continue conforming to an evil society and yet she fears the Outside is just as corrupt. If she resolves to flee and is caught, the punishment is banishment to the slave cabins…and blinding.
Synopsis of Even In Death: A Short Story Collection
Even In Death, a collection of ten short stories, explores the thin line between love and hate; extreme emotions even death cannot destroy. Julie wants nothing more than to receive a flower bouquet from the hometown veterinarian. However, in “A Flower Story,” flowers are delivered long after a person is alive to smell them. After purchasing their dream home, Sara and David feel truly blessed. Unfortunately, the couple soon discover they’ve inherited a wicked curse. In fact, in “What’s Really There,” the former residents’ spirits refuse to move on. In the title story, on the anniversary of his fiancé’s death, Mark realizes that he can see and communicate with spirits, including Amy’s. Can Mark and Amy’s love survive even in death? “A Flower Story,” “What’s Really There,” and “Even In Death,” as well as the other seven stories in the collection are rife with emotion that will linger well after the last page.
Why did you write Jaded?
During a six-week writing class one of the assignments was to write a six word memoir. I thought of colors and what they represent and I thought of my parents and their dispositions. My father is often sad, my mother is often happy, and I’m somewhere in-between, a true combination of the two. So I came up with: Blue Father, Yellow Mother, Green Daughter. Then I starting thinking about writing a dystopian novel (which is the opposite of a utopian society) since that is my favorite YA genre. I imagined a society based on color, specifically eye color & that’s how Jaded came about.
What is your favorite line from Jaded?
“Like most babies born in Nirvana, my natural eye color is brown. Not hot chocolate brown or buttered biscuit brown, but brown like the Crayola crayon stuck in the original crayon box.”
How about your favorite character?
I would have to say that Jade is my favorite character since she’s a lot like me!
What was the hardest part about writing your novel?
The hardest part about writing Jaded was making sure that it was long enough to be considered a novel. I’m a brief writer which is why short stories are so appealing.
What do you do besides write?
Besides writing, I enjoy traveling, blogging, and reading. I work full-time as a middle school counselor, and am working toward my School Library Media Degree.
What’s next for you, Kristy Feltenberger Gillespie?
Right now I’m working on Hunted, the sequel to Jaded, as well as Blinded, the prequel.
It’s been a pleasure to have you on 4writersandreaders, Kristy. And readers, be sure to get your copy of Jaded (I’ve got mine!) and check out Kristy’s author sites. ~ Bette A. Stevens
September 21st, 2016 celebrates International Day of Peace and I’m sharing a post from my blog featuring M.C.V. Egan that I shared with readers two years ago. Egan’s novel is one of my favorites. Wishing you peace and love.
Meet M.C.V. Egan, the author of The Bridge of Deaths. You’ll discover fascinating facts about history in her page-turning novel. And today, you’ll learn more about Egan, who is an advocate for world peace. Egan’s Spotlight Tour for The Bridge of Deaths commemorates the anniversary of the crash of the G-AESY two weeks before Hitler invaded Poland:
In 1939 two weeks before Hitler invaded Poland and spun the world into war, a plane crashed in Denmark went almost unnoticed. The characters in The Bridge of Deaths explore it meticulously, guiding the reader through little known and well-known facts leading up to WWII as well as dissecting the crash, from plane to autopsies.
The Bridge of Deaths is a culmination of almost two decades of research using traditional and unusual sources.
From the Reviewers
“M.C.V. Egan twists truth and fiction until you question your own perceptions…it is a story of real love, triumph and search for self.” ~ Beckah Boyd @ The Truthful Tarot
“Casablanca with a touch of the modern.” ~ Daryl Davis author and lecturer Klan-Destine Relationships
“Unusual Yet Much Recommended” ~ Midwest Book Review
MEET THE AUTHOR
Hi, Catalina (a.k.a. M.C.V.). It’s a privilege to be part of your Spotlight Tour and a pleasure to have you with us today. I’m a big fan of yours and The Bridge of Deaths is a favorite of mine—history, mystery and romance. Before we get to your novel, tell us a little about yourself.
I would first like to thank you for inviting me to 4writers and Readers. I visit often and I am always so impressed by the quality of your posts that I am truly honored to be here. My Bio is easy to find in cyberspace so I wish to share a little something different about myself here. I write under my initials M.C.V. Egan which stand for Maria Catalina Vergara Egan; thought my name was such a mouthful and now I realize that with the fame and popularity of Sofia Vergara, it may have been an asset.
I am absolutely passionate about world peace—as a mother I would so very much like to believe that we can give future generations a better world.
I hope to infuse an awareness of PEACE in things I write; and to me, respecting the environment is a huge aspect to promote world peace, as is anti-bullying. Peace after all begins with each and every one of us.
Always chatty and fortunately can be so in four languages—Spanish, English, French and Swedish. I am a mom, a wife and a dog owner. I love life and try to enjoy every day to the fullest.
Can you give us a brief synopsis of your book?
In 1939 two weeks before Hitler invaded Poland and spun the world into war, a plane crashed in Denmark went almost unnoticed. The characters in The Bridge of Deaths explore it meticulously, guiding the reader through little known and well-known facts leading up to WWII as well as dissecting the crash, from plane to autopsies.
It is a culmination of nearly two decades of research using traditional and unusual sources.
Do you have a favorite line from The Bridge of Deaths?
“They made love like the Gods.”
I do not write Erotica and I have had several readers ask me Which Gods?
Who is your favorite character and why?
I have to choose MAGGIE and she is my favorite because she is the only main character who was born and formed entirely in my mind. I also love that she strives for world peace and believes in it. I like that she believes that KNOWLEDGE is the key to an awareness that might help us prevent future wars. I am a ‘wanna be pacifist’. I am not as brave as Maggie or as full of conviction, but I learned a lot from her. I also love her wild friends in my new epilogue.
Her name was originally going to be OLIVIA which I believe means ‘harbinger of peace’ but it just did not feel right for her age and Danish roots. Can you imagine my shock when I came across the fact that the real pilot’s wife was a Margaret? The name had to be Maggie!
Maggie was my favorite, too. Can’t wait to read the new epilogue and meet Maggie’s wild friends. What’s next for you?
By mid-October, I hope to release DEFINED BY OTHERS, the first in a series of entertaining socially conscious Chick lit. I hope to have the courage to become more involved in Pacifist movements and to be the best wife and mother I can be. So cliché but fulfilling to me!
I would again like to thank you for participating in this September event and welcoming me to your wonderful blog.
It’s been our pleasure, Catalina. I love The Bridge of Deaths and can hardly wait to delve into your soon-to-be-released chick lit.
Readers, don’t miss the video clip and read on to find out why M.C.V. Egan is celebrating. As for me, I can’t wait to get my Revised 75th copy of The Bridge of Deaths. ~ Bette A. Stevens
Can’t wait to get my Revised 75th Anniversary copy. ~~ Bette A. Stevens
About the Book
“M.C.V. Egan twists truth and fiction until you question your perceptions…it is a story of real love, triumph and search for self.”– Beckah Boyd @ The Truthful Tarot
5 out of 5 stars:“An unusual yet much recommended read.”– Midwest Book Review
On August 15th, 1939, an English passenger plane from British Airways Ltd. crashed in Danish waters between the towns of Nykøbing Falster and Vordingborg. There were five casualties reported and one survivor. Just two weeks before, Hitler invaded Poland.
With the world at the brink of war, how this incident was investigated left much open to doubt. The jurisdiction battle between the two towns and the newly formed Danish secret police created an atmosphere of intrigue and distrust.
The Bridge of Deaths is a love story and a mystery. Fictional characters travel through the world of past life regression and information acquired from psychics as well as archives and historical sources to solve “one of those mysteries that never get solved.” Based on true events and real people, The Bridge of Deaths is the culmination of 18 years of sifting through conventional and unconventional sources in Denmark, England, Mexico and the United States. The story finds a way to help the reader feel that s/he is also sifting through data and forming their own conclusions.
Cross The Bridge of Deaths into 1939, and dive into cold Danish waters to uncover the secrets of the G-AESY.
Get the revised 75th anniversary of The Bridge of Deaths on Amazon in ebook and paperback.
“Shawn Daniels and his siblings shake off extreme poverty, hunger, a dilapidated homestead and a drunken father, to somehow embark upon an idyllic childhood. Bette Stevens has crafted a remarkable tale of hope and happiness in the face of despair.” ~ Charles Bray (author/editor/reviewer)
I invite you to sign up for my email updates for news on pre-release orders, specials, freebies and more at http://eepurl.com/t-7JP
“M.C.V. Egan twists truth and fiction until you question your perceptions…it is a story of real love, triumph and search for self.” – Beckah Boyd @ The Truthful Tarot
On August 15th, 1939, an English passenger plane from British Airways Ltd. crashed in Danish waters between the towns of Nyk?bing Falster and Vordingborg. There were five casualties reported and one survivor. Just two weeks before, Hitler invaded Poland. With the world at the brink of war, the manner in which this incident was investigated left much open to doubt. The jurisdiction battle between the two towns and the newly formed Danish secret police created an atmosphere of intrigue and distrust.
The Bridge of Deaths is a love story and a mystery. Fictional characters travel through the world of past life regressions and information acquired from psychics as well as archives and historical sources to solve “one of those mysteries that never get solved.”
Based on true events and real people, The Bridge of Deaths is the culmination of 18 years of sifting through conventional and unconventional sources in Denmark, England, Mexico and the United States. The story finds a way to help the reader feel that s/he is also sifting through data and forming their own conclusions.
Cross The Bridge of Deaths into 1939, and dive into cold Danish waters to uncover the secrets of the G-AESY.
Join us as we commemorate the 75th anniversary of the crash of the G-AESY?and the start of World War II with a month-long history-laden event that will entertain, educate, and enlighten you! As part of this event, a revised version of The Bridge of Deaths,?this award-winning and highly-acclaimed account of the events of that fateful day in 1939, will be re-released.
If you would like to be a part of the month-long anniversary event from September 1 to September 30,?please go here:?http://bit.ly/TBOD75Event.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
M.C.V. Egan is the pen name chosen by Maria Catalina Vergara Egan. Catalina was born in Mexico City, Mexico in 1959, the sixth of eight children, in a traditional Catholic family. From a very young age, she became obsessed with the story of her maternal grandfather, Cesar Agustin Castillo–mostly the story of how he died. She spent her childhood in Mexico. When her father became an employee of The World Bank in Washington D.C. in the early 1970s, she moved with her entire family to the United States.
Catalina was already fluent in English, as she had spent one school year in the town of Pineville, Louisiana with her grandparents. There she won the English award, despite being the only one who had English as a second language in her class. In the D.C. suburbs she attended various private Catholic schools and graduated from Winston Churchill High School in Potomac, Maryland in 1977.
She attended Montgomery Community College, where she changed majors every semester. She also studied in Lyons, France, at the Catholic University for two years. In 1981, due to an impulsive young marriage to a Viking (the Swedish kind, not the football player kind), Catalina moved to Sweden where she resided for five years and taught at a language school for Swedish, Danish, and Finnish businesspeople. She then returned to the USA, where she has lived ever since. She is fluent in Spanish, English, French and Swedish.
Maria Catalina Vergara Egan is married and has one son who, together with their five-pound Chihuahua, makes her feel like a full-time mother. Although she would not call herself an astrologer she has taken many classes and taught a few beginner classes in the subject.
She celebrated her 52nd birthday on July 2nd, 2011, and gave herself self-publishing The Bridge of Deaths as a gift.
Here I am reading, editing & rewriting one more time…
Dear Readers,
The manuscript for my debut novel (current Work-in-Progress title: DOG BONE SOUP, A Boomer’s Journey…) is almost ready to go to the pros (professional editors). I feel like I’m making progress. Wanted to share my latest cover design with you.
I would love to get your thoughts on the cover design and on the back cover blurb. Simply click on the image to enlarge.
Thanks for reading & comments. APPRECIATED. The more ‘eyes’ the better. Thanks so much Marilyn and Dale for heads-up on changes. You’re awesome! ~ Bette
For the latest updates on my novel, free chapters, excerpts, notices of author giveaways and other freebies, I invite you to sign up for my bi-monthly author updates athttp://eepurl.com/t-7JP
Thanks for stopping by for a visit.
I look forward to reading your comments.
Happy reading, writing & all of those other amazing things you do,
A story about the patience required to reach our dreams, told through the life of a monarch butterfly. From hatching through metamorphosis, Stevens captures the frustration of waiting for the perfect moment and the strength of continuing to try to achieve. Amazing Matilda encourages little ones to strive to do anything they want to do.
The sweet illustrations and the encouraging words definitely stirred interest in my daughter while we read the book together on my iPhone. She curled up to listen and begged to see the next picture.
It’s time for this writer to get writing—finishing up my first novelMORE PURE TRASH (current working title). What’s this novel about?
First of all, it’s a sequel to my short story PURE TRASH released in July 2013. Here’s what I’ve put together (unedited & still in revision state) for the back cover of the novel slated for release Summer 2014. I invite you to leave a comment and let me know what you think of the title (above) and the back cover text (below). As things progress, I’ll keep you posted. Thank you. ~ Bette A. Stevens
Onion sandwiches and dog bone soup… Shawn Daniels is leaving it all behind!
Remember the Good Old Days? You know, the 1950s and ’60s, when America was flying high. The All American Family lived a life filled with hopes and dreams and life’s necessities too.
Shawn Daniels isn’t your typical American Boomer Boy. No, Shawn is a poor boy. He can’t join Boy Scouts or sports teams. There’s not even enough money for what most folks consider the essentials. Besides, Shawn doesn’t have time for any of that. But when chores are done, there’s always time for fishing!
Shawn Daniels is the oldest in a family of four children. His father is the town drunk. Shawn’s family has no indoor plumbing or running water, but they do have a TV. Dad deserves the rewards of his labor at the tannery—television, beer and ballgames—while the boys keep the firewood cut and stacked, haul in water for cooking and cleaning and weed the gardens or shovel snow. Shawn hates school. He’s been the butt of the kid’s jokes for years, eating his onion sandwiches in the cafeteria while others feast on food that he only dreams of tasting.
It’s 1964 and Shawn Daniels is ready to leave it all behind. Shawn’s on his way to U.S. Army boot camp in North Carolina to soak up some southern sun and begin a new life. But for some reason, he just can’t get Mum’s scrapbook out of his mind. When a little fellow with blonde hair sits beside him on the plane, the life Shawn is leaving behind comes back in a flash. The plane’s getting ready to take off, so fasten your seat belt and enjoy the ride!
Welcome to 4writersandreaders
I’m a writer inspired by nature and human nature. You’ll find great books, authors, writing tips and more right here. I advocate for kids & families, childhood literacy and the protection of monarch butterflies and their habitat.Happy reading & writing!~Bette A. Stevens, Maine author
DOG BONE SOUP is coming soon…
Bette A. Stevens, Maine Author 
Written
on 11/07/2014