The Rose Hunter releasing in November!

The Rose Hunter will be available for purchase on November 2. Right now, you can pre-order a copy from Champagne Books and ARe.

Blurb:
Lucian Willshire is plagued by thoughts of a fey world and the disappearance of his aunt some nineteen years past, but when his friend drags him back to Hamingjur Castle, he stumbles into Alfheim Haven once more where mystical beings become more than a distant memory.

Lyerra Ahdia is baffled by the sudden emotional changes she’s experiencing until she discovers she’s the only witch to suffer “the change” since her mother stole the Rose, a special talisman with the power to perpetuate life among those in her coven. Tasked with finding and bringing the Rose home, she begs Lucian’s help in navigating the human realm. Against his better judgment, he agrees.

Though neither set out to find anything except the Rose, fate has other plans. Will love be more elusive than hunting the Rose?

Excerpt:

             After a frozen moment, she trudged up the stairs and to her room. When she entered her temporary sanctuary, something felt quite wrong but try as she might, she couldn’t put her finger on the problem. Shrugging, she sank onto the plush mattress and removed the locket. She was about to spread the parchment out on the bed when the dangling bird cage caught her eye.

She jumped from the bed. The tiny door on the cage gaped wide. Charl was gone.

Clutching the paper to her breast she hurried out the door. “Lucian!”

She ran down the stairs and skidded to halt. At the foot of the steps, Lucian stood beside Mary Elizabeth. The child held a limp Charl in her palms.

“I broke the doll.” Mary Elizabeth hiccupped and sniffed back tears.

Charl dead? No. Lyerra had locked him up in the cage to keep him out of the cat’s way and keep him from following her and Lucian into the city.

“Did you take the doll from my room?”

The little imp nodded. “I just wanted to play with him. Can you fix him?” She extended her arms, offering Charl for inspection.

Lyerra bent and examined the poor pixie. A tear slipped from her eye to think of the creature’s untimely death. Just as she was about to answer, Charl opened one eye, winked, and quickly closed the eye again. Lyerra blinked. The pixie played dead while a young girl suffered.

“Fix the doll? Yes, I know just the cure. If you’ll soak him in vinegar water for half an hour, that should do the trick nicely.”

Charl sprang to his feet, balanced for a moment atop chubby fingers then leapt to the floor. Mary threw her hands wide and screamed. An exaggerated ‘oomph’ escaped Lucian’s lips, and he bent double. Mary’s small fist had connected with a very vulnerable place on Lucian’s anatomy. Lyerra covered her mouth with her palm to stifle the chuckle.

Meanwhile, Charl scampered up the stairs and toward the guest room. Luckily Gremlin must have been occupied with other endeavors.

Though difficult to keep the mirth from her voice, Lyerra bent to reassure the frightened child. “I think the doll is fixed now. Perhaps he’ll want to play later.”

Mary gave her a shy grin. “All right.”

“But if you play with the doll again, you’ll have to be very gentle. Charl doesn’t like being handled too much.”

Mary nodded and took off after the fleet-footed pixie. Lyerra straightened to check on Lucian. “I could kiss you and make it better.”

“Madam?” His eyes widened at her suggestion, and his voice sounded strangled.

She placed a hand on his shoulder. “Are you in much pain?”

He slowly stood upright. “I do believe you meant that a kiss would give you the power to heal but by the saints, my rather seedy imagination drummed up a totally different image.”

Now it was her turn to show dismay. “Indeed. But since you’re standing and your words aren’t too breathless, the damage must be minimal.”

“I’ll live.” Warmth suffused his cheeks. “But that pixie might not be so lucky. If he continues to wreak havoc, I’ll be tempted to let the cat ...”

“Surely you wouldn’t be that medieval.”

He sighed. “Probably not, but I give fair warning. Keep that menace from under foot and out of my way while it’s in my home.”

“Pixie’s aren’t easily restrained.”

“Are elfin witches easily restrained?”

“I should hope not.” She turned on her heel. “We have a way of getting what we want no matter the consequence.”

The Editing Process

Edits are probably handled a tad differently with each house but I thought I'd give a glimpse into my history with editors and how each edits have gone.

For my first book, Celestial Dragon, I received my edits and thought wrongly that I had to have them back in record time. (Usually, I have at least 2 - 3 weeks with the first round of edits.) Not only that but at the time I was using Word Perfect which I dearly love and I had only a basic understanding of Microsoft Word. Needless to say I didn't know I could just click accept under reviews. I went through and compared the edited version to mine and made on the corrections necessary or rather, that I could see and find. Can we say argggg? It was a lengthy process.

The next books were a lot easier because I had a better understanding of the process in general. Basically, I go through three rounds of edits. The first round is for mostly content and some line edits. After that, the manuscript goes to a line editor. After I go through those edits and approve or disapprove, I get a copy of the ARC.

I go through the ARC again for any more problems we missed. I then write down the error and correction. This is called the errata. The publisher makes the necessary changes before publishing the book.

With The Rose Hunter, we hit a glitch. I won't go into details but edits didn't go as they normally did. However, even with the difficulties, I had an awesome editor who caught quite a few problems. The line editor did a great job as well. And while I've encountered smoother edits, I'm very happy with the end result. For a while, I wasn't sure The Rose Hunter would be released on time but kudos to Champagne Books for doing all in their power to see the book published on time.

You can pre-order a copy here.

Lots of News!

First, my publisher, Champagne Books, has bundled all of the Orphan Train Books for this month only. My Once Jilted is among the titles. This was a great series and so fun to write. Here's a short review of Once Jilted from Katrina Maria: "Once Jilted by Ciara Gold is a really special and heart-warming read. I first got this book on my kindle after reading a few of Ciara Gold’s other books, and a few years later I got it in paperback because it became one of my favourite books to read...I found this novel emotional and inspiring, the way Shauna Joyce would do anything to give Sarabeth a life full of love and happiness. I would highly recommend this novel, it truly touched my heart with every page. I wasn’t able to put it down for long."

Click here for a link to KOBO.


 

My next news is that Eliza's Copper Penny is now available in print. I got the proof back this week, and I'm really pleased with the result. Click here for a link to Amazon.

Third, and probably most exciting is that The Rose Hunter is on track for release on November 2. In fact, it's available for pre-order. In preparation for it's release, I have lots of things scheduled. I have guest blogs scheduled for Romance Lives Forever, Susan Leigh Noble's Blog Into Another World, and Susan Horsnell's blog.

Getting one of my older titles ready for print

When I decided to self publish my historical westerns, I did well in getting them all up on Amazon but then life interrupted me and I either got lazy or busy or maybe both. Anyway, I managed to get two of my westerns into print format but I failed to do so for the others. With a little nudging from a friend and my mother, I'm making time to finally see the deed done.

I'm happy to report that while it took me a full day to do it, I have finished the first leg with create space and I'm now awaiting an e-mail regarding Eliza's Copper Penny. While it's the third in my Western Treasures Series, it's one of my favorites so I started with this one. I'll do the second in the series next (Julia's Golden Eagle) and last but not least will be Kaitlin's Silver Lining.

So - what took all day? First, I didn't have the gutter size right and had to resize. Next, I didn't have fonts embedded. It took a while to figure out the best way to save in order for the fonts to embed correctly. I discovered that the best way was to first save, then save as Adobe PDF. Before I hit save after selecting this option, I went to Options. I clicked on PDF/A - 1a:2005 and finally managed to upload a file without errors. Thought I'd mention this in case anyone else has difficulties like I did.

The cover took a wee bit of time as well, but hopefully I got the spine dimensions correct and the bleed. I'll post here when it's actually available.

Book of my Heart

So I have several books that are special. Celestial Dragon was my first published book and will always hold a special place in my heart but The Keeper of Moon Haven is probably the "book of my heart". The one that really kept me writing until all hours of the night. With the coming of my new novel, The Rose Hunter, I thought it might be fun to revisit The Keeper of Moon Haven. Why? Because The Rose Hunter is set on the same world. You might call it a sequel of sorts. :-)

Please enjoy and excerpt for The Keeper of Moon Haven:

Blurb:

On the southern fringes of the Mendip Hills sits the Castle Hamingjur, an abandoned structure most fear haunted. Yet, on the rare occasions when the Hunter’s Blue Moon occurs, the Keeper occupies this mysterious castle where he guards the bridge to Alfheim Haven.

Noreen Willshire discovers more than fairytales hidden between the pages of Beletania’s diary. She opens the ancient book and finds a pathway to a Faery Realm where all manner of mythical creatures reside. In her naïveté, she summons the Keeper before his scheduled time in the human realm. In that brief moment, the mysterious wizard touches her soul with more than magick. She promises to return the diary during Mefylleth, a time when the barriers between the two realms melt away, but danger stalks her path. Torn between her desire to make a new life for herself in America and her growing love for the Keeper, she must bridge the gap between magick and time to follow her heart.

Excerpt:

 

 

An unearthly wind whooshed over the page. Noreen stopped reading mid-sentence. She shivered. Cold seeped into the room. Her gaze scanned the bedroom, but no one appeared.

          Twenty-three. She groaned at the number of times she’d read the story. Her throat ached from her efforts, yet she couldn’t quit. Tomorrow she would be gone from Somerton Manor, and she wanted the issue with the book resolved before then.

          She rubbed aching eyes, still perplexed at the absence of Old English text. For a story written over eight hundred years ago, it read as if written just yesterday.

          With bent head, she continued, determined to read the entire passage once more.

          “Sir Fenot! Come quick!”

           “Wizard Tartel Fenot froze at the terror he heard in the child’s voice.” A deep, masculine voice read in unison with her own, then continued when she stopped reading. “Only fear for his life would garner such strong emotion in the young elf.”

          She whirled toward the sound and shrieked. Jumping from the rocker, she turned her back to the man and slammed the book shut. A cloud of dust flew. Panting, she set the heavy book on the bed and leaned over it. Merciful heavens, the man had been bare-chested.

          She closed her eyes and fanned warm cheeks.

          “Is that anyway to greet a guest?”

          She shrieked again, picked up the book, and held it like a shield.

          “Ssh. You’ll have the entire household here posthaste if you keep crying like a banshee.”

          She froze. Her breath came rapid and loud. Slowly she turned to face the intruder, keeping her eyes averted. She couldn’t stare at the man because of his state of undress, but she couldn’t turn her back on him either. Her gaze fixed on his face. “What do you want?”

          “Want?” The corners of his lip lifted. “I was under the impression, ’twas the other way around. I believe you summoned me.”

          The book slipped from her fingers and landed with a thud on the hard floor.

          The Keeper? No, it couldn’t be. Her gaze fastened on the now closed book. Why was he still here if she’d broken the bridge? She’d expected another troll, not a virile man. What sort of monster had she summoned?

 

 

You can find the book at Amazon.

 

 

Liberated - a new release from Laura Miller

Cover Design

Cover by Charlene Raddon of Cover-Ops

http://cover-ops.blogspot.com

BLURB:

This book is a biography of a woman I have loved and admired for the whole of my life.

In December 1944 a German family of seven were captured and convicted of war crimes for harbouring Jews.

 

I have known this story for most of my life. In the twilight of her years, this lady has decided that it is time for her story to be told, so it will be recorded for future generations.

 

The woman and her sister were interned in Bergen-Belsen Concentration Camp until Liberation on 13 April 1945. This is a true account of her experience.

EXCERPT:

Hanover, Lower Saxony

GERMANY 1939

The house looked the same as every other dwelling in the street. Two story, attached, weathered stone. There were three bedrooms and a bathroom with indoor plumbing upstairs. An attic, where family treasures were hidden, could only be accessed through a removable panel in the ceiling of the main bedroom closet. Downstairs was a small but adequate dine in kitchen, a sitting room and a storeroom. Inside the storeroom was a staircase which led down to a basement.

The house sat opposite the banks of the Leine River. It was home to Inga Albine and her family. She had one older sister, two older brothers and one younger brother. They loved summer when they could swim and play in the water.

Inga’s father, Adaulfo, was a well-known and successful Banker. An unusual occupation for an Aryan as most Bankers were Jewish.

Inga’s mother, Alisz, was a talented seamstress but with her husband being more than capable of providing for the family, sewing was a hobby rather than a chore. Although sewing gave her a great deal of joy, her first love was her family. She adored being with her children.

Being only children, both Alisz and Adaulfo had always dreamed of having a large family. Their dream had come true. They had five healthy children, blonde haired, blue eyed. Perfect Aryans in Adolf Hitler’s eyes. Klaus, 18, Manfred 17, Elke 15, Inga 13 and Oskar 8. The girls and Oskar attended private school while the two older boys studied Engineering. They all played the violin and with the exception of Oskar, they played very well. Neighbours often praised Adaulfo and Alisz on how polite and well-mannered all five children were.

The family were prominent in the local community. They never hesitated to help people who were less fortunate than themselves.

That was to be their downfall…..

 

GENRE:

Non-Fiction, Historical, True Life

BIO:

Laura is a middle aged lady who was born in England. She has a compassionate nature, a great sense of humor and is a loyal friend. She also has an insatiable love of history.

Growing up, Laura would spend hours with a member of her family who she loved dearly. Over the years she was told the story of how this amazing lady had suffered at the hands of the Gestapo and German SS.

Laura had always had a strong desire to write. She felt a responsibility to record the story as a part of her family history.

 

All Buy Links:

http://millerlaura1955.wix.com/liberated?_ga=1.155138814.777416237.1441783286#!liberated/c24vq

 Social Links:

Author Page:  http://www.amazon.com/Laura-Miller/e/B013L6IDV2?ref_=pe_1724030_132998060

Website: http://millerlaura1955.wix.com/liberated

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100010043828277

Twitter: https://twitter.com/Laura1955Miller

Guesting at Katie's Place

I'm so excited that Katie Hart, author of Finding Destiny, has asked me to be a guest on her blog.She had some awesome questions for me. So come on over and take a peek. https://katrinamarie25.wordpress.com/2015/09/09/guest-interview-with-author-ciara-gold/

In the meantime, here's the blurb and cover for her book, Finding Destiny:

When eighteen year old Alex’s little sister’s pony goes missing, he sets out to look for her and finds himself in a strange gypsy camp in the middle of a forest. The pony is being cared for by a young girl called Faith. When Alex accepts a drink from Faith’s grandmother, he wakes up later to find himself transported into 2038 to a technologically-advanced, very colorful world inhabited by humans and robots. Alex soon discovers that he is now twenty, married and has a magical little baby girl. A magic he only seems to notice. He soon finds out that he will have to defend his little girl from the half-breeds with everything he has. He travels back through the magic pages of books to try and save her before it is too late and she is lost from him forever.