DRAGONFIRE, by Toni Kerr

Tristan is caught in a losing battle between the Slayers’ poison and the call of hibernation, while fighting to co-exist with increasing amounts of power that threatens to destroy everything. Jacques and Molajah remain elusive and Tristan must plan his own course of action while he still can.

An uprising in the realm of dragon spirits suspends any sense of leadership within the council and forces the ghostly ancestors to make a choice. They can join the rebellion in support of Tristan freeing the Faerie races, or support the council in their desire to keep a centuries-old contract from falling apart, assuring them time to oversee the world’s progression through an age of destructive humans, in hopes of releasing the races to a safer, less toxic era.

The stakes are high for either choice and Tristan must decide for himself, which of the races will be sacrificed for the greater good.  

Dragonfire, Book 3 in the Makai series, will be available July 8th! 

Mini-Book Charm Adventures

Updating! I decided to give the mini books their own page in this blog... click here to see the gallery of examples made so far. :-) 

Ever get sucked into something different while you sit around and wait for the publishing industry? Well, that happened to me just recently, thanks to fellow bloggers Angie and Michelle.

However, with their insistence and encouragement, I decided to take my little creative endeavor to the next level—and I opened an Etsy shop for these adorable mini-book charms.

I honestly have no idea how much work I just created for myself, but special thanks goes out to Michelle, Angie, and AJ for letting me play with their covers-- your charms are in the mail!

The first thing I want everyone to know is that these charms are ONLY made for authors/ publishers/ designers (not fans) who have permission to use the novel's cover art for marketing swag, etc. Much like having bookmarks or postcards made for giveaways.

Who wouldn't want to show off their book everywhere they go?

The charms make great jewelry, key chains, handbag/purse charms, ornaments, bookmarks, or lanyard decor for badges at speaking engagements, conventions, book fairs, book signings ... you name it!

Each charm is handcrafted with YOUR cover art on the front and back. If you don't have a back cover, I'll choose a color from the front and make a blank one for you. I'll also put your name on the spine. 

~Acid-free pages are trimmed and layered to fit the dimensions of your cover. This book does NOT open when finished.

~High-gloss, color covers are glazed with acrylic gel for protection against normal wear-and-tear and water resistance (it's still paper.. can't be 100% waterproof).

~A small loop is securely embedded within the pages for extra durability. 

~As for size, each book will vary depending on the format of your cover. But I'd say it's safe to expect something around 1" x 1.75" x .25". (I'm willing to go smaller if you plan to do a bracelet with multiple books of a series—just let me know!) 

All charms will arrive ready for use, however, there are two variations: A simple charm by itself, or, a charm with extra bling added. (Bling would be theme charms and/or beads added to the mini-book, and either a ribbon/cord necklace to hang it on, a ball chain, or a lanyard (for you professional business types).




We can talk about focusing the extra bling on a theme, or I'll do my best to guess based on the style of the cover. I'll even run to the craft store if I don't have something that works perfectly. :-) 


I'll offer a discount for volume if you want to keep some on hand for giveaways or merchandise on your website or blog- just ask.

Any questions? I'll answer here on the blog. 

Like me on Facebook!

Visit my Etsy page! 

Luck Vs Perseverance

If you need a bit of writing inspiration.... or if the thought "Some writers have all the luck" has ever crossed your mind, check out this blog. Scene 13ers is a group of fabulous authors (myself included!) who have books coming out this year. This month the theme has been "Luck Vs Perseverance".  I'll be posting "5 Ways to Make Your Own Luck" on March 22nd.

Whether it be luck or perseverance that gains personal success, one fact is certain--we've all worked our butts off to appear lucky.


Did you know... when a horseshoe is kept for luck:

Some believe the ends should point upward, creating a storage container that absorbs good luck. If it is tipped, the good luck falls out. (In that case, I wonder if you should tip it, so you can actually use the luck it contains!)

Others believe good luck comes from the shoe itself, and if the ends are pointed down, good luck falls upon all who are near.

Some people like having the protection of a horseshoe nailed over a doorway with the ends pointing down, so no evil can pass through its downpour of lucky goodness.


I have a few horseshoes that I've found over the years. I think they're buried in the garage, in what must be a very lucky box.

AMAROK - Amazon's pick for the Daily Deal!

If you haven't read Amarok, by Angela Townsend, today's the day! Amazon is featuring this book as their Daily Deal, offering it at $1.99 for today only. :-)

Spread the word and check out the super-awesome official book trailer!

Happy Things 151-160

160. Olympic champions making time for kids. Thanks for caring, Nick Symmonds! I will forever cheer for you. 

159. Seeing an animal rescue another animal. I love it when animals show feelings toward each other. 

158. Acapella music. Voices working together in perfect harmony always makes me stop and listen. 

157. Saplings thriving in the wood of the less fortunate. This amazing example was photographed by Karen Mallonee.

156. Pulling into a gas station on fumes. Funny how there are gas stations everywhere, but never when you need one.

155. Hot chocolate with a candy-cane stir stick. :-)

154. Watching the last person cross a finish line. So inspirational!

153. Receiving an order from Amazon. It's like an unexpected present!

152. Pizza!  Pizza makes it so easy to please everyone at meal time.Yum!

151. Blowing out candles on a birthday cake. There's just something about marking the occasion, no matter how many candles are lit.

1000 Happy Things

People often find themselves stuck in loops of negativity and worry. It's especially frustrating when we know we have no control, yet we can't stop the dwelling. So here's a list of things that make me smile, and I hope a few will make you smile too. Because no matter what mood we're in, these amazing everyday things still exist all around. 

These items and observations are in no particular order of importance or category, and I'll be adding as time permits. Feel free to add your own happy thoughts in the comments, so that they might bring a bit of cheer for the next reader. My goal is to hit a thousand by the end of the year. 

150. Four leaf clovers.

149. The loving trust in the eyes of a puppy.

148. Finding money in pockets before doing laundry.  

147. Crop circles.

146. State fairs.

145. Getting carded at the grocery store.

144. Saving money by doing something yourself, and succeeding. 

143. The tourist photos of people holding up the leaning Tower of Pisa.

142. Hearing  "No cavities!"

141. Angora Rabbits.

140. Art made by personal friends.

139. Finding the thing you're actually looking for.

138. Flower bouquets.

137. Giving someone a hug for no particular reason, and having them say you have no idea how much they needed it.

136. Trying something new and loving it.

135. Restoring something historic.

134. Knowing you are the sole reason something is alive—saving something from certain death.  

133. The words, "In remission."

132. Coming up with the perfect thing to say or do at exactly the right time.

131. A good thesaurus.

130. The pyramids of Egypt.

129. Super Bowl commercials.

128. Halloween costumes and the cute trick-or-treaters.

127. Breaks on the porch when hot summer work is kicking your butt.

126. Eating home-grown food.

125. Being able to watch a bird's nest without disturbing it.

124. Sunflowers.

123. My sisters' cooking.

122. The soft fur of kittens.

121. Blue sky.

120. Clouds that take shape into something fun and obvious.

119. Colorful Sunsets and Sunrises.

118. Eclipses.

117. A moon that shines like the Cheshire cat smile (as in Alice and Wonderland).  

116. Snow days!

115. Publisher's Marketplace announcements—somewhere, a lucky author is dancing the happy dance.

114. Friends who live in the computer. (at Facebook and favorite blogs)

113. Seeing the word "Love" in critiques.

112. The start of an engine that could be dead any day now.

111. Budding trees in the Spring.

110. Magnified snowflakes.

109. Rivers that forge through mountains.

108. Warm rain.

107. Flower bulbs that bloom in the Winter.

106. Hatching eggs.

105. Beautiful creatures that are just now being discovered.

104. Spotting that perfect gift for a friend.

103. The color of fall leaves.

102. Frozen waterfalls.

101. Trees that survive the flow of lava.

100. Glowing worms that hang in caves. 

99. Exploring other worlds-- snorkeling!

98. The view of the world from an airplane or the top of a mountain.

97. Crossing a snowline on a mountain range.

96. The incredibly long legs of newborn foals. And those eyes!

95. Adults wearing silly, sparkly shoes.

94. Little girls dressed like princesses in the grocery store.

93. Receiving personal notes in the mail. (Opposed to email)

92. Random acts of encouragement.

91. Kindness shown from one kid to another, when no one is looking.

90. Mob performances in unexpected locations.

89. Lemonade.

88. Eating strawberries and raspberries straight from the plant.

87. Feathers.

86. Art that has survived for centuries.

85. Shimmering humming birds.

84. The scent of roses.

83. The iridescent colors of a rainbow trout.

82. Whittling whistles out of twigs and screeching grass blades.

81. Wind on a wheat field.

80. Murals.

79. Kids singing the national anthem for large crowds, not caring at all if they're singing off key.

78. The scent of clean.

77. Candle wax.

76. Watching the stars at a high elevation.

75. That moment when clouds part for the moon.

74. Spotlight sunbeams and distant patches of streaking rain.

73. Mountaintops hovering above fog.

72. Flying above or looking down on clouds.

71. Rainbows.

70. Herons (except when they're killing your pond fish for fun, not for food).

69. Stunt kites.

68. Sand castles.

67. Seashells.

66. Tide pools on the beach.

65. Fool's gold in beach sand.

64. Glass floats.

63. Rootbeer floats!

62. Critter condos—finding and making them.

61. Exploring ghost towns.

60. Finding ancient weapons.

59. A child's pride when they succeed at something they've been working toward.

58. A good relationship between a horse and his rider.

57. Lady bugs.

56. The profile of a Praying Mantis.

55. Disneyland.

54. Snowmen.

53. Anything homemade.

52. The fancy hats old people wear.

51. Live music.

50. Yo-yo tricks.

49. Baton twirling.

48. Gymnastics.

47. Ice skating.

46. Well-trained dogs (esp seeing-eye dogs!).

45. Magic tricks.

44. Time-lapse photography.

43. Reading (or writing!) an awesome novel.

42. The Olympics.

41. Finishing a race.

40. Finishing anything.

39. Street performers.

38. Sidewalk chalk art.

37. People who can surf.

36. Newborn babies.

35. Jackie Chan.

34. Crossing things off the 'to-do' list.

33. Having a flashlight that works when you need it.

32. Snow globes.

31. The art of Flytying.

30. Ice cycles in mixed-drinks instead of ice cubes.

29. Snow forts and igloos.

28. The things some people can do with Photoshop.

27. Beautiful bridges.

26. Formal and informal garden designs.  

25. Cityscapes.

24. Lighthouses.

23. Palm trees and hammocks.

22. Fireworks.

21. Hitting a target dead-center with a sling shot.

20. Pixar and Dreamworks.

19. The imagination of high-fantasy illustration.

18. Reflections on a glassy lake.

17. That cyan blue of tropical water.

16. Food art.

15. Lightning captured on film.

14. The smell of books.

13. Hot air balloons.

12. Unexpected cactus flowers in the desert.

11. Agility dogs.

10. Using a compass.

9. The relief when something high-risk pays off.

8. Gypsy horses.

7. The Northern Lights.

6. Beach glass.

5. Caves.

4. Wonder woman.

3. Camping.

2. Clipper ships.

1. Writing "The End" on a first draft. 

Scene 13 Blog

There's a great new blog underway for authors who have books being released this year, covering just about every genre from Middle Grade to Romance. We have monthly themes for the authors to interpret, mostly centered around writing, reading, and sometimes our personal books.

As January can be a time for making resolutions, or re-committing to long-forgotten goals, we thought it would be fun to post about what our main character's resolutions would be. It's been a blast to see everyone's amazing fictional characters come to life!

All I can say is, I'm thrilled and honored to be included with such a wonderful group. I'll be posting at Scene 13 on the 22nd of every month, starting today!

Check it out! And be sure to catch a few of the others while you're there. Some are downright hilarious.

Resolutions of a Descendant

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