A GRIPPING YOUNG ADULT ADVENTURE!

This great story is now available as an audiobook!

Or Read for FREE! (Details below)

About the Story:

Bensin, a teenage slave and martial artist, is desperate to see his little sister freed. But only victory in the Krillonian Empire’s most prestigious tournament will allow him to secretly arrange for Ellie’s escape. Dangerous people are closing in on her, however, and Bensin is running out of time. With his one hope fading quickly away, how can Bensin save Ellie from a life of slavery and abuse?

What is the Collar for, and What is a Cavvarach?

The story is set in a world very much like our own, with just a few major differences. One is that slavery is legal there. Slaves must wear metal collars that lock around their neck, making their enslaved status obvious to everyone. Any slave attempting to escape faces the dilemma of how and where to illegally get their collar removed (a crime punishable by enslavement for the remover).

Another difference is the popularity of a martial art called cavvara shil. It is fought with a cavvarach (rhymes with “have a rack”), an unsharpened weapon similar to a sword but with a steel hook protruding from partway down its top edge. Competitors can strike at each other with their feet as well as with the blades. You win in one of two ways: disarming your opponent (hooking or knocking their cavvarach out of their hands) or pinning their shoulders to the mat for five seconds.

More About the Story

Set in a world alarmingly like our own, The Collar and the Cavvarach is the story of fourteen-year-old Bensin, a slave, whose status is made obvious to everyone by the steel collar locked around his neck. A martial artist who competes to win money for his owner, Bensin fights in tournaments with a cavvarach. But his greatest battle is the struggle to protect his little sister from the horrors of legalized slavery in a world where slaves have few rights. Desperate to keep her safe, Bensin struggles to find a means – legal or otherwise – to arrange for her freedom.

(For a fun introduction to the story’s setting and its culture, including an explanation of how cavvara shil works, click here.)

Sound Like a Book you Might Enjoy? 

Click the play button below to listen to the first 15 minutes of the story as narrated by Joseph Baltz.

Click here to go to the audiobook on Audible.

Click here to go to the audiobook on Amazon.

(Either way, try listening to the free sample to see what you think!)

Like to Read Along While You Listen? 

The Collar and the Cavvarach ebook is available for FREE from July 14-18. Grab your copy now!

Enter the Giveaway to Win a Bundle of Action and Adventure eBooks!

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About the Author

Annie Douglass Lima considers herself fortunate to have traveled in twenty different countries and lived in four of them. A fifth-grade teacher in her “other” life, she loves reading to her students and sparking their imaginations. Her books include science fiction, fantasy, YA action and adventure novels, a puppet script, anthologies of her students’ poetry, Bible verse coloring and activity books, and a fantasy-themed cookbook. When she isn’t teaching or writing, Annie can often be found sipping spiced chai or pomegranate green tea in exotic locations, some of which exist in this world.

Email: AnnieDouglassLima@gmail.com

Blog: http://anniedouglasslima.blogspot.com

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AnnieDouglassLimaAuthor

Twitter: https://twitter.com/princeofalasia

Goodreads: http://bit.ly/ADLimaOnGoodreads

Amazon Author Page: https://www.amazon.com/author/anniedouglasslima

LinkedIn: http://bit.ly/ADLimaOnLinkedIn

Bloglovin: https://www.bloglovin.com/blogs/letters-from-annie-douglass-lima-6275229

Bookbub: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/annie-douglass-lima

Sign up for author updates and receive a free ebook: http://bit.ly/LimaUpdates

Meet Talented Author, Gwen Plano!! (2nd RRBC “TREAT” Reads Blog Hop, Day #3) #RRBC #RRBCTreatReads

“Greetings!  Welcome to the 2nd RRBC “TREAT” Reads Blog Hop!  These members of RRBC have penned and published some really great reads and we’d like to honor and showcase their talent.  Oddly, all of the listed Winners are RWISA members!  Way to go RWISA!

We ask that you pick up a copy of the title listed, and after reading it, leave a review.  There will be other books on tour for the next few days, so please visit the “HOP’S” main page to follow along. 

Also, for every comment that you leave along this tour, including on the “HOP’S” main page, your name will be entered into a drawing for a gift card to be awarded at the end of the tour!”

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Today’s featured author is Gwen Plano, another one of my favorite authors. Don’t you just love her wall full of sticky notes? I can sure relate! You can follow Gwen on Twitter @gmplano

She’s the author of “Letting Go into Perfect Love”, a true story of escaping and overcoming the horror of abuse. She has also recently co-authored with John Howell the Amazon Best Seller, “The Contract Between Heaven and Earth”.

Inspiring and unforgettable, Letting Go into Perfect Love is a riveting account of a journey through the terror of domestic violence to a faith that transforms all. As a college administrator, Gwendolyn M. Plano lived her professional life in a highly visible and accountable space–but as a wife and mother, behind closed doors, she and her family experienced unpredictable threat. The statistics are staggering–every 9 seconds in the United States, a woman is assaulted or beaten–but to Gwen, this was her secret; it was her shame. When her husband eventually turned his brutality on her son, she knew she could no longer remain silent.

Alternately heart-wrenching and joyful, this is a story of triumph over adversity–one woman’s uplifting account of learning how to forgive the unforgiveable, recover her sense of self, bring healing into her family, and honor the journey home. Accompanied by glimpses of celestial beings, Gwen charts a path through sorrow to joy–and ultimately, writes of the one perfect love we all seek.

You can pick up your copy on Amazon here.

#RRBC #RRBCTreatReads

Meet Another One of My Favorite Authors, Mary Adler!! (2nd RRBC “TREAT”Reads Blog Hop, Day #2) #RRBC #RRBCTreatReads

“Greetings!  Welcome to the 2nd RRBC “TREAT” Reads Blog Hop!  These members of RRBC have penned and published some really great reads and we’d like to honor and showcase their talent.  Oddly, all of the listed Winners are RWISA members!  Way to go RWISA!

 We ask that you pick up a copy of the title listed, and after reading it, leave a review.  There will be other books on tour for the next few days, so please visit the “HOP’S” main page to follow along.

Also, for every comment that you leave along this tour, including on the “HOP’S” main page, your name will be entered into a drawing for a gift card to be awarded at the end of the tour!”

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Today’s featured author is Mary Adler, another one of my favorites. You can tell by that mischievous smile that she’s going to mess with your head in her book, “In the Shadow of Lies”. This well-written and beautifully crafted story is an intriguing murder mystery set in an historical setting, the San Francisco/Oakland Bay Area in the 1940s. Learn more about it in the book blurb below. You can read my review of this great story here. Follow Mary on Twitter @MAAdlerWrites

IN THE SHADOW OF LIES

Richmond, California. World War II.  Marine Lieutenant Oliver Wright comes home from the war in the Pacific injured and afraid his career as a homicide detective is over.  But when an Italian Prisoner of War is murdered the night the Port Chicago Mutiny verdicts are announced, and black soldiers are suspected of the crime, the Army asks Oliver to find out the truth.

 He and his canine partner, Harley, join forces with an Italian POW captain and with a black MP embittered by a segregated military. During their investigation, these unlikely allies expose layers of deceit and violence that stretch back to World War I and uncover a common thread that connects the murder to earlier crimes.

In the Shadow of Lies reveals the darkness and turmoil of the Bay Area during World War II, while celebrating the spirit of the everyday people who made up the home front. Its intriguing characters will resonate with the reader long after its deftly intertwined mysteries are solved.

You can pick up your copy on Amazon here.

#RRBC #RRBCTreatReads

Does your commute look like this?

Is your daily drive a nightmare? Turn it into one you like with an #audiobook! Join #Audible and get two FREE! Make my day by starting with mine! #scifi Join here! Also available on AMAZON.

Meet Actor T.W. Ashworth, Narrator Extraordinaire of “The Terra Debacle: Prisoners at Area 51” Audiobook.

Getting my first audio book produced was a thoroughly enjoyable experience, thanks to the talents of my narrator, Hollywood actor, T.W. Ashworth. You can learn more about him and his credentials on  IMDB. Meanwhile, he was willing to participate in a short interview so I could show you the face behind the many voices you get to enjoy in the audio version of “The Terra Debacle: Prisoner’s at Area 51.”

MF: How long have you been acting? How did you get your start?

TW: I’ve been performing since 1970 in a pretty varied career. Ballet dancer, Classical regional Theatre as an actor and director, national tours in musicals, movie musicals, commercials, music videos, and television. I got my start when a friend in high school dared me to audition for Eugene Ionesco’s RHINOCEROS…I got cast and fell in love with the stage.

MF: What’s your favorite part about narrating a book?

TW: Like Bottom in Shakespeare’s Midsummer Night’s Dream, I get to play all the roles. I enjoy finding different voices in my story telling.

MF: What was your favorite role so far as an actor?

TW: Let me give you an answer as varied as my career: Classical Stage – Face in Ben Jonson’s THE ALCHEMIST, Musical Theatre – Harold Hill in THE MUSIC MAN, Stage – Pastor Brian in Christine Ashworth’s two person play CASSANDRA CRIES, TV – Mr. Fisher in HOW TO GET AWAY WITH MURDER, sketch comedy – Pat Bristow’s HOW TO SURVIVE A ZOMBIE APOCALYPSE.

MF: What are you working on now (either acting role or narrating, or both)?

In narration I’m working on A Fairy Night’s Dream: or The Horn of the Oberon by Katharine Elise Chapman, Samantha V. Hutton and Symbols: Book Two of The Allegoricon Parables by Jason P Doherty. It’s the off season for TV and a slow time for film, so I’m primarily working on narration.

MF: Who was your favorite character in “The Terra Debacle”?

TW: Gabe, a gentle telepathic  intellectual botanist, who is more than a bit bothered by his psychic  gift.

MF: Did any part of “The Terra Debacle” surprise you?

TW: The bittersweet ending.

MF: Who do you think would enjoy this story the most?

TW: A person with an intelligent heart.

So now you know what the man behind the voices you’ll hear in “The Terra Debacle: Prisoners at Area 51” looks like and a little bit about him. You can get your copy of the audiobook on Amazon (where you can listen to an excerpt), Audible, and iTunes. If you’re not already a member, you can get it for free if you sign up for a 30-day trial. If you’re already a member and would be willing to give the story a review, contact me at marcha@kallioperisingpress.com and I’ll make arrangements for you to get a complimentary copy.

Join RRBC’s Book Trailer Block Party!

Whether you’re looking for your next great read or ideas for clever, effective book trailer videos, you’ll enjoy this great “Block Party”! One video is featured each day, so it will only take you a few minutes to take a break and feed your creativity! Here’s the link.

The Block Party has been running for a few days, so be sure to go back and watch the three that are already out there, then bookmark the page to go back each day for the entire month. Be sure to “Like” each one on YouTube and leave a comment so you’ll have a chance at winning each day’s giveaway!  Enjoy!

More FREE Sci-Fi Fantasy Novels!

Here’s another chance to download dozens of FREE science fiction and fantasy ebooks! You can also enter the drawing for a chance to win a $50 gift card! Is that cool or what?

With this particular promotion you can grab an ecopy of Star Trails Tetralogy volume iv, Refractions of Frozen Time, which means, if you’ve been paying attention, at this point you could have the entire Star Trails series including The Terra Debacle at no cost to you!

Please bear in mind that giving away books  does not pay my bills. I don’t like working for free any more than anyone else, but without readers it’s pretty pointless to be an author.  All I ask in return if you like my book is to PLEASE leave a short review on Amazon or Goodreads. That will help other potential readers decide whether they might like it and perhaps actually buy it. The same goes for all the other authors. That’s all we ask in return for providing you with hours of no cost entertainment. Thank you so much!

“The Student and the Slave”– An New Adventure Novel with a Giveaway!

Take a look at this exciting new young adult action and adventure novel, The Student and the Slave, now available for purchase! This is the third book in the Krillonian Chronicles, after The Collar and the Cavvarach and The Gladiator and the Guard.

The series is set in an alternate world that is very much like our own, with just a few major differences.  One is that slavery is legal there.  Slaves must wear metal collars that lock around their neck, making their enslaved status obvious to everyone. Another difference is the popularity of a martial art called cavvara shil.  It is fought with a cavvarach (rhymes with “have a rack”), a weapon similar to a sword but with a steel hook protruding from partway down its top edge.  Competitors can strike at each other with their feet as well as with the blades.  You win in one of two ways: disarming your opponent (hooking or knocking their cavvarach out of their hands) or pinning their shoulders to the mat for five seconds.

Cavvarach

First, a Little Information about Books 1 and 2: 

Book 1: The Collar and the Cavvarach

Bensin, a teenage slave and martial artist, is desperate to see his little sister freed. But only victory in the Krillonian Empire’s most prestigious tournament will allow him to secretly arrange for Ellie’s escape. Dangerous people are closing in on her, however, and Bensin is running out of time. With his one hope fading quickly away, how can Bensin save Ellie from a life of slavery and abuse?

Click here to read chapter 1 of The Collar and the Cavvarach.
Click here to read about life in the Krillonian Empire, where the series is set.

Book 2: The Gladiator and the Guard

Bensin, a teenage slave and martial artist, is just one victory away from freedom. But after he is accused of a crime he didn’t commit, he is condemned to the violent life and early death of a gladiator. While his loved ones seek desperately for a way to rescue him, Bensin struggles to stay alive and forge an identity in an environment designed to strip it from him. When he infuriates the authorities with his choices, he knows he is running out of time. Can he stand against the cruelty of the arena system and seize his freedom before that system crushes him?

Click here to read about life in the arena where Bensin and other gladiators are forced to live and train.

And now, The Student and the Slave, with another awesome cover by the talented Jack Lin!

Book 3: The Student and the Slave

Is this what freedom is supposed to be like? Desperate to provide for himself and his sister Ellie, Bensin searches fruitlessly for work like all the other former slaves in Tarnestra. He needs the money for an even more important purpose, though: to rescue Coach Steene, who sacrificed himself for Bensin’s freedom. When members of two rival street gangs express interest in Bensin’s martial arts skills, he realizes he may have a chance to save his father figure after all … at a cost.

Meanwhile, Steene struggles with his new life of slavery in far-away Neliria. Raymond, his young owner, seizes any opportunity to make his life miserable. But while Steene longs to escape and rejoin Bensin and Ellie, he starts to realize that Raymond needs him too. His choices will affect not only his own future, but that of everyone he cares about. Can he make the right ones … and live with the consequences?

Click here to order The Student and the Slave from Amazon for $2.99 a discounted price of just 99 cents through November 31st!

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Read an Excerpt:

In this excerpt, Bensin meets a character he encountered earlier in less than favorable circumstances.

 In the parking lot, Bensin noticed a man who seemed to be watching him. Choosing not to make eye contact, he quickened his steps as he crossed toward the buildings. 

He bought his envelopes, addressed one of them at the counter, slid the folded letter inside, and stuck it in the mail slot. Now we just have to wait for Officer Shigo to reply. Then he and Ellie could contact Coach and start to figure out a plan for freeing him.

When he stepped out of the post office, the man was standing just outside the door. “Hey.”

Instinctively, Bensin jumped back to gain room for self-defense. There was something about the man’s burly build and the way he was sizing Bensin up with his eyes. And the silver threads spiraling their way through his dreadlocks. 

Bensin brought his arms up, ready for action. “What do you want?”

“Take it easy.” The man backed away a step or two, hands raised to show he wasn’t a threat. He grinned. “You’re a good fighter. Where’d you learn those skills?”

“In the arena. I was a gladiator back in Jarreon.” It wasn’t something Bensin would normally boast about, but if his violent past discouraged a gang member from attacking him, so much the better.

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About the Author:

Annie Douglass Lima spent most of her childhood in Kenya and later graduated from Biola University in Southern California. She and her husband Floyd currently live in Taiwan, where she teaches fifth grade at Morrison Academy. She has been writing poetry, short stories, and novels since her childhood, and to date has published fifteen books (three YA action and adventure novels, four fantasies, a puppet script, six anthologies of her students’ poetry, and a Bible verse coloring and activity book). Besides writing, her hobbies include reading (especially fantasy and science fiction), scrapbooking, and international travel.

Connect with the Author Online:

Email: AnnieDouglassLima@gmail.com

Blog: http://anniedouglasslima.blogspot.com

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AnnieDouglassLimaAuthor

Twitter: https://twitter.com/princeofalasia

Goodreads: http://bit.ly/ADLimaOnGoodreads

Amazon Author Page: http://bit.ly/AnnieDouglassLimaOnAmazon

LinkedIn: http://bit.ly/ADLimaOnLinkedIn

Google+: http://bit.ly/ADLimaOnGooglePlus

Now, enter to win an Amazon gift card or a free digital copy of the first two books in the series!

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Calling All Bibliophiles!

Whether you’re an avid reader, an aspiring writer, or published author, there’s something for you at RRBC’s Writers’ Conference and Book Expo. It’s open now and will be online until October 30.

Come meet dozens of outstanding authors, many of which are award winners, learn about their often amazing backgrounds, and explore their many books. Most of us are sponsoring a giveaway and all you have to do to enter is leave a comment on our author page! Be sure to stop by my Author Page for a chance to win an 8 gigabyte USB card preloaded with the Star Trails Tetralogy, including my latest release, “The Terra Debacle.”

Don’t miss the raffle, which has some spectacular prizes. For only $5, you get a chance at a virtual gift basket worth approximately $100 in gift cards! You can sign up here.

While you’re there, be sure to check out my Astrological Services page to discover how astrology can be a writer’s best friend, whether it’s timing a book release or rounding out a character.

Hope to see you there!

Sign up to Win an Autographed Copy of “The Terra Debacle”

Sign up before October 30 for a chance to win one of three autographed copies of “The Terra Debacle: Prisoners at Area 51” being given away through Goodreads. Details here.