New Cover for a Highly Rated Novel

I am really excited about our new cover for Arizona Redemption. This is a highly rated story with a great message. We are hoping the new cover will give it a boost. Thanks to Leia Jobe and her lovely model for the cover spread.  

Click here to see the Five-Star and Four-Star reviews.

 

Cheap Way to Convert Your Library to E-books

Amazon MatchBook now allows those of you who bought (or will buy) a paperback copy of one of my novels to also get an e-book version of the same title for a very low price or even free!
If you bought your paperback copy from Amazon anytime since 1995, beginning in October, Amazon will offer e-book versions of many of their titles, including mine, at more than 50% off retail.
So if you have purchased your e-reader or have a Kindle app on your smart-device, you will be able to convert many of your Amazon-purchased books to e-format. All of my titles will be enrolled.
Watch Amazon or this blog for the actual release date of this service and Happy Reading!

More Than A Review and an Interview with SQ Eads

"Like a heads-up from a friend…

More Than a Review doesn’t stop at reviewing a book’s style or story.  We give you the chance to share with fellow book lovers a warning about objectionable material, just the way you’d give a friend a heads-up.
We’ve all been there … we heard that a book had a great plot, but there’s so much vulgarity or other offensive content that it’s hard to enjoy the book. Our site’s unique review system helps prevent that.
When you pass a book on to a friend, you’ll tell her what you’d want to know before you decided to read:

• “It’s pretty graphic, but there’s no violence.”
• “It has a steamy cover, but it’s romantic, not vulgar.”
• “The level of violence made it hard for me to read.”

We still bring you great reviews and let you share your opinions with fellow readers. We also let you grade a book on violence, rough language, sex, and drugs and alcohol. Choosing a book at More Than a Review means you’ll know in advance if a book might be offensive. If you’d rather not encounter graphic sex scenes, you can avoid books that contain them.
Our review and rating system gives you—the reader—the ability to tell others not only what potentially offensive material might be in the book but how much. We all have different levels of sensitivity to certain content and by participating in our unique book review system, you are helping others decide if a book is truly right for them to read."
Below is the link for my interview at More Than A Review.
http://www.morethanareview.com/an-interview-with-sq-eads/

Signs of an Abuser

I and a few ladies were having a discussion recently and the subject of abuse came up.  One of the ladies had, at one time, been in an abusive relationship and shared her story.  I remembered that I have in my files a list of the signs of an abuser and I thought I would share it with as many as find this page.  It may save someone from entering into a long-term relationship with an abuser.

Signs to Look for in a Battering Personality

Many women are interested in ways that they can predict whether they are about to become involved with someone who will be physically abusive. Below is a list of behaviors that are seen in people who beat their girlfriends or wives; the last four signs listed are almost always seen only if the person is a batterer. If the person has several of the other behaviors (three or more), there is a strong potential for physical violence. The more signs the person has, the more likely the person is a batterer. In some cases, a batterer may have only a couple of behaviors that the woman can recognize, but they are very exaggerated (e.g. extreme jealousy over ridiculous things). Initially, the batterer will try to explain his behavior as signs of his love and concern. A woman may be flattered at first, but as time goes on, the behaviors become more severe and serves to dominate the woman.

1. Jealousy: At the beginning of a relationship, an abuser will always say that his jealousy is a sign of love. Jealousy has nothing to do with love…it is a sign of insecurity and possessiveness. He will question the woman about who she talks to; accuse her of flirting or be jealous of the time she spends with family, friends or children. As the jealousy progresses, he may call her frequently during the day or drop by unexpectedly. He may refuse to let her work for fear she will meet someone else, or even engage in strange behaviors such as checking her car mileage or asking friends to watch her.

2. Controlling Behavior: At first, the batterer will say that this behavior is because he is concerned for the woman’s safety, her need to use her time well, or her need to make good decisions. He will be angry if the woman is late coming back from the store or an appointment, he will question her closely about where she went and who she talked to. As the behavior gets worse, he may not let the woman make personal decisions about the house, her clothing or going to church; he may keep all the money or even make her ask permission to leave the house or the room.

3. Quick Involvement: Many battered women dated or knew their abuser for less than six months before they were engaged or living together. He comes on like a whirlwind claiming “love at first sight” and he will tell the woman flattering things such as “you are the only person I could ever talk to”, “I’ve never felt loved like this by anyone.” He needs someone desperately, and will pressure the woman to commit to him.

4. Unrealistic Expectations: He is very dependent on the woman for all of his needs; he expects her to be the perfect wife, mother, lover and friend. He will say things like “if you love me, I’m all you need/you are all I need”. She is supposed to take care of everything for him emotionally and in the home.

5. Isolation: The man tries to cut the woman off from all resources. If she has man friends, she is a “whore”; if she has women friends, she is a “lesbian”; if she is close to family, she is “tied to the apron strings”. He accuses people who are her supports of “causing trouble”; he may want to live in the country without a telephone; he may not let her use the car; or he may try to keep her from working or going to school.

6. Blames Others for His Problems: If he is chronically unemployed, someone is always doing him wrong, or out to get him. He may make mistakes and then blame the woman for upsetting him and keeping him from concentrating or doing his job. He will tell the woman she is at fault for almost anything that goes wrong.

7. Blames Others for His Feelings: He will tell the woman “you make me mad”, “you are hurting me by not doing what I ask”, “I can’t help being angry”. He really makes the decision about what he thinks and feels, but will use feelings to manipulate the woman. Harder to catch are his claims that “you make me happy”, “you control how I feel”.

8. Hypersensitivity: The man is easily insulted, he claims his feelings are “hurt” when he really is very moody or he takes the slightest set backs as personal attacks. He will “rant and rave” about the injustice of things that have happened to him…things that are really just part of living, like being asked to work overtime, getting a traffic ticket, being asked to help with chores.

9. Cruelty to Animals or Children: This is a man who punishes animals brutally or is insensitive to their pain or suffering. He may expect children to be capable of doing things far beyond their ability (whips a two year old for diaper wetting) or he may tease children or younger brothers and sisters until they cry. Sixty percent of men who beat a woman, will also beat their children. He may not want children to eat at the table or expect them to stay in their room all evening while he is home.

10. Playful Use of Force in Sex: This man may like to throw the woman down and hold her down during sex, he may want to act out fantasies during sex where the woman is helpless. He likes letting her know that the idea of “rape” excites him. He may show little concern about whether the woman wants to have sex and uses sulking or anger to manipulate her into compliance. He may start having sex with the woman while she is sleeping, or demand sex when she is ill or tired.

11. Verbal Abuse: In addition to saying things that are meant to be cruel and hurtful, this can be seen by the man degrading the woman, cursing at her, running down any of her accomplishments. The man will tell her that she is stupid and unable to function without him. This may involve waking her up to verbal abuse her or not letting her go to sleep.

12. Rigid Sex Roles: The man expects a woman to serve him; he will say she must stay at home, that she must obey him in all things; even things that are criminal in nature. The abuser will see women as inferior to men, more stupid, unable to be a whole person without a relationship.

13. Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde: Many women are confused by their abuser’s “sudden” changes in mood. They will describe that one minute he is nice and the next minute he explodes; or one minute he is happy and the next he is sad. This does not indicate some special “mental problem” or that he is “crazy”. Explosiveness and mood swings are typical of men who beat their partners, and the behaviors are related to other characteristics such as hypersensitivity.

14. Past Battering: The man may say he has hit women in the past, but they made him do it. The woman may hear from relatives or ex-spouses that the man is abusive. A batterer will beat any woman he is with; situational circumstances do not make a person an abusive personality.

15. Threats of Violence: This would include any threat of physical force meant to control the woman: “I’ll slap your mouth off”, “I’ll kill you”, “I’ll break your neck”. Most men do not threaten their mates, but a batterer will try to excuse this behavior by saying “everybody talks like that”.

16. Breaking or Striking Objects: This behavior is used as a punishment (breaking loved possessions), but it is mostly used to terrorize the woman into submission. The man may beat on tables with his fist, throw objects around or near the woman. Again, this is a very remarkable behavior; only very immature people beat on objects in the presence of others in order to threaten them.

17. Any Force During an Argument: This may involve a man holding a woman down, physically restraining her from leaving the room, any pushing or shoving. The man may hold the woman against a wall and say “you are going to listen to me”.

99 Cents Sale

On Sale Now!

"For a limited time only", all of my e-book singles are on sale for 99 cents each.  So if the summer heat has you staying at home or at the pool side, grab a steal-of-a-deal and read the heat away. You can pick up my novels at Barnes and Noble and Amazon, only on the web.  This sale is not available in bookstores and does not apply to paperbacks or multiple books in a single cover.
Happy Reading!

Bisbee, AZ on the Fourth of July

There is nothing like a day in Bisbee, AZ.  Especially if that day is the fourth of July.   Independence Day is a very big day there.  As a child and as a young adult, I would attend many of the festivities in Bisbee.  The run up "B-Hill", coaster races down Tombstone Canyon, Hard-Rock drilling contests and the parade down the canyon were only a small part of the day.  It was and is a day where celebration and fun is the goal of everyone attending.
If you can't make it this year, I have an alternative.  Read about the fourth in Bisbee in my novel Arizona Redemption.  It is now available in a Thre3 Pack of my Kindle books as well as a single and as a paperback.  You can get it at Amazon.com or Barnes and Noble.com.  The three pack is currently selling at a reduced price.  You get three novels for the price of two. Buy it now and enjoy the fourth in Bisbee.

Equal Time for Dads

To give equal time to dads we are offering Angels in Cowboy Boots FREE for Father's day, plus one day.  It will be available FREE on June 16th and 17th in Kindle format for Kindle and Kindle apps only.  In addition the price of the Three Pack is now only $5.99 a savings of nearly $3.00 on three of my novels.  Happy reading!

Angles FREE for Mother's Day

FREE: For Mother's Day, May 12-14, 2013, one of my most popular books, Angles in Cowboy Boots.  This title will be free only in Kindle format and the give-a-way will be for three full days.

Angels in Cowboy Boots is an award winning story. Two years ago Sarah Bentley lost everything except her faith and it teeters in sync with her hesitant steps. Now a chance encounter with four-year-old Matt and his uncle, Dave McKeever, brings hope for the future with a job, a wonderful new place to live, and…dare she dream?…love.
Active outdoorsman, Dave McKeever, battles the instant attraction between them believing God can’t possibly want him to marry a woman held together by titanium joints and steel rods when he needs a capable, athletic mate. Though God’s love brings them up out of the valley of pain and death, can they trust Him not to thrust them there again?
A heart warming story of recovery and romance.

What Readers Are Saying: "An amazing story of a young woman who lost everyone in her life and spent years trying to overcome her own physical injuries. And along comes Matt, a lively 4 year old who never lacks for a topic of conversation. This was a great story of a young woman who was physically impaired in many ways, but her shining spirit made her strong. Between Sarah and Matt, Uncle Dave had no choice but to open his heart and let love in. SQ Eads has the unique ability to allow her strong male characters to be loving men with a deep faith in God."
"I loved it! I really enjoyed the wonderful way that God used the darling little boy to bring the couple together, but what touched me the most went a little deeper. The story was about loving someone, loving someone with imperfections and weaknesses beyond their control, loving someone that wasn't perfect! How refreshing!"

Ricky the Rock Squirrel Video

For the time being, there is a video available on You Tube that gives you the full version of Ricky the Rock Squirrel in color.  The video is narrated by yours truly.  My only complaint was that we do not have a better microphone.  It's not too bad for our first attempt at this process.

I hope that you enjoy the video and that you will share it with friends and family.

Here is the link:  The Adventures of Ricky the Rock Squirrel

Happy Valentine's Day

Free Children's Story
For Valentine's Day we will be offering the black-and-white version of Ricky the Rock Squirrel for free on Kindle only.  The full-color versions will still be available for $2.99, Kindle and Nook, and $8.50 for an 8.5 X 11 inch paperback in full color.  If you like the B/W version, you may want to invest in one of the color versions.  I am sure that you will love all of the detail that was painted by Candace Curry.  The promotion will be from February 13th and run through February 15th.


Feedback
Check out all of my books at Amazon or Barnes and let me know what you think of them.  A good review on Amazon or Barnes will go a long way in letting others know that there is still clean Christian fiction to be found in published works. Many thanks to all of you who have taken time to rate my books on Amazon.

Synopsis of Ricky the Rock Squirrel
Ricky's first adventure takes him to the Biblical time of David and Goliath. Ricky, the rock squirrel, like many children, thinks he is smarter than his mother. When she tells Ricky the stream bed is a dangerous place, he ignores her warning. Ricky determines to explore this new and exciting land. His adventure soon turns scarey when he is scooped up by a human hand, slipped into a sling and unwillingly rides the stone that fells a giant. His mother was right after all and Ricky rushes back to her loving arms. Ricky has learned his lesson of obedience.