Book Giveaway for Shhhh. . .Murder!

It's here, the giveaway for Shhhh. . .Murder! 

Use the Rafflecopter box below and comment below for a chance to win a free copy of this fun fiction anthology from Darkhouse Books. The contest begins Thursday, October 25 at 12 a.m. EST and ends Saturday, October 27 at 12 a.m. EST, so spread the word and tell your friends while there's still time to enter!

a Rafflecopter giveaway



The prize: one copy of the paperback edition of Shhhh. . .Murder!, signed by Amy Ballard, the author of "Bookish Dreams," one of the stories in the collection.

Shhhh. . .Murder!

I was so excited when I saw the call for submissions for this anthology. What a fun theme! Immediately, I knew I wanted to write a library-themed who-dunnit. After all, I have so many good memories of libraries.

One of my favorite library memories from childhood is of the big, old-fashioned, clawfooted tub full of pillows that the public library in Waterville, Maine, kept in the children's room. What better reading nook could there be? And why don't I have one of those in my house? #LifeGoals. I wonder if the tub is still there. . . ?

Here in my southern Idaho town, our local library served as part of the inspiration for my story, "Bookish Dreams." While the characters in the story are purely fictitious, the setting of the old library building and other spots around town may be recognizable to local readers. 

(And speaking of my public library, I'm looking forward to doing a reading there in mid-November! More on that in a future post.)

As for the would-be detective pooch, Billy, he's inspired by a bulldog rescue that one of my husband's coworkers took to work with him. To my knowledge, the real-life doggy, Max, never solved any mysteries either, though he did get in trouble with the cops once or twice.

Amy Ballard

I hope you have a chance to read the story, along with the 23 other stories in the cozy/noir mystery anthology. If this contest doesn't bring you luck, you can go to Amazon.com to purchase the Kindle edition for $2.99 or the paperback for $12.95. Like what you read? Leave an Amazon review. Your reader reviews will help the book find more readers.

If you're a Goodreads user, you can add the book to your lists and follow me, Amy Ballard, there, too.

It's your turn! In the comments, tell us your favorite library memory.

Note: Any entries or comments deemed spam will be deleted by the author of this post and will not be eligable to win.

Book Giveaway for Shhhh. . .Murder! Coming October 25th!

Shhhh. . .Murder!

Mark your calendars, mystery readers, because a fall book giveaway is headed your way! Tell your local librarian, too, because the stories in this anthology all feature "Cozy crimes in libraries."

The giveaway begins Thursday, October 25 at 12 a.m. EST and ends Saturday, October 27 at 12 a.m. EST. Be sure to stop by Christian Teacher, Public School during the contest to claim your entries! You'll have a chance to win a paperback edition of Shhhh. . .Murder!, featuring "Bookish Dreams" by Amy Ballard and twenty-three other stories.

In "Bookish Dreams," assistant librarian Emma and her English bulldog Billy help solve a murder in the old library building across town. There's a smattering of romance, a pile of old National Geographics, and plenty of small-town charm for cozy mystery readers who like a happy ending.

Can't wait to read it? Get the Kindle edition for $2.99 or the paperback for $12.95. Like what you read? Leave an Amazon review, and don't forget to follow Amazon author Amy Ballard. Your reviews help make this launch from Darkhouse Books a success.

If you're a Goodreads user, you can add the book to your lists and follow Amy Ballard there, too.

Tell your friends about the giveaway by using the sharing buttons below. Spread the word about the contest to the book lovers and library lovers in your life!

More:

www.amyballard.com
Landlocked: Poems by Amy Ballard
The Swans of Starlight Lake, a traditional fairytale by Amy Ballard and Reagan Ballard, .99 for Kindle
"The Ghosts of the Composers," a short story by Amy Ballard on Penultimate Peanut

New Kindle eBook: The Swans of Starlight Lake

The Swans of Starlight Lake

When my daughter was very small, she began drawing ducks and swans, teaching herself to draw by constant practice. We had printer paper all over the house—drafts of swan necks and wings, nests, eggs, swans in flight, nesting swans, swans on water, frightened swans, and proud mother swans with newly-hatched eggs.

Today I feel like one of those proud mother swans. My daughter and I have self-published a fairy tale we wrote together—about swans, of course. The Swans of Starlight Lake began as a bedtime story, evolved into an ebook typed and illustrated for our own enjoyment, and now comes into its own as a Kindle edition.

With fairy-tale tradition entwined throughout, this new story by a mother-daughter team is a classic tale of adventure and love.

Readers ages 5-10 will wonder what's going to happen next as Muriel, Leo, and their mother set out to rescue two stolen swan eggs from a reclusive noble who hides beneath a feathered cape. The kids work together to thwart the guards and bring their treasure safely home to Starlight Lake.

The Swans of Starlight Lake contains several vintage, color illustrations and has a 14-point font for little eyes. Get it for Kindle for .99¢, or free with Kindle Unlimited.

If you read the story, please consider leaving a review on Amazon.com and using social media buttons to share. Thanks for helping our story reach a wider audience!

Guest Blog Post and Poetry Giveaway Hosted by Carrie Fancett Pagels

Landlocked: Poems by Amy Ballard

What's the antidote to four snow days in a row? A visit to another great blog!

Next week, I'll be guest blogging about my new poetry chapbook, Landlocked, on Carrie Fancett Pagels's blog. Carrie is an inspirational fiction author you may know from titles like The Blue Ribbon Brides Collection from Barbour and The Substitute Bride, a Christmas novella. Carrie has also agreed to guest blog here on Christian Teacher, Public School in March and share with us about her fun novella, The Fruitcake Challenge.

Poetry is close to many a teacher's heart, so grab some friends and swing on by Carrie's blog on Monday for a chance to win a copy of Landlocked, my first poetry collection. I'll share why I think everyone secretly likes poetry and how God is still transforming me as a Christian woman living in the West.

What's a chapbook? It's a short book or pamphlet (mine is 34 pages) containing poems or fiction, usually on a single theme. The theme of Landlocked is my feeling of being uprooted when I moved from Maine to Idaho as a newlywed and the ways God is still teaching me contentment. Other motifs in the book include postcards, water (and sometimes the lack thereof), and specific flowers that grow wild in Maine and Idaho.

For more information about Landlocked, please visit my Web site, www.amyballard.com.

Let your friends know about the free book giveaway Monday!

Tweet this:
Enter to win Landlocked: Poems by Amy Ballard at https://cfpagels.blogspot.com Jan 16 #BookGiveaway #Poetry

Thanks, and blessings upon those of you who aren't snowed in and have to teach today!

Upcoming Guest Post on Carrie Fancett Pagels's Blog for Landlocked, My New Poetry Chapbook

". . .for I have learned to be content in whatever circumstances I am." 

Philippians 4:11

I'd dearly like to be able to say the words above with Paul, but contentment is one of the greatest challenges I've faced in life. Just when I think I'm finally learning, something gets me thinking about what I want that I don't have. May God continue to teach me, and may I be willing to listen in this new year!

The struggle for contentment is prominent in my poetry. Coming up soon, I'll be celebrating the launch of my new chapbook, Landlocked, with a guest post on Carrie Fancett Pagels's blog. Carrie is a writer friend I met online through my mother, author Susan Page Davis. I'm looking forward to chatting with Carrie and her readers. Make sure to stop by and say hello!

Landlocked: Poems by Amy Ballard

Landlocked is my first poetry collection. It's about growing up in Maine and moving to Idaho, a state that is vastly different, notably by being dry and landlocked. It's about being uprooted and undergoing the difficult process of adapting to a new place. It's about learning contentment despite a very real homesickness.

This chapbook, or short collection of poems, is a project I've had on the back burner for fifteen years. Two of the poems found publication in magazines before being included in Landlocked. Others won honorable mentions in contests. Even back in 2002, when I first started thinking of creating a chapbook, I knew what its theme would be. I didn't know the motif of postcards would appear when the book finally came together! Both the first and the last poems in the collection mention postcards. In the first, a postcard makes me homesick. In the last, I savor the view of the trees lining the creek and accept that I live in a postcard-perfect place. In between are glimpses of the journey toward that sense of contentment.

You can help this book reach a wider audience by visiting my Web site, amyballard.com. Click on the "Landlocked" tab and use social media buttons to boost. Thanks for making a difference!

Stop by my Pinterest collection for Landlocked, where I've pinned some vintage postcards and other images that fit the theme of my book.

Did you know Christian Teacher, Public School is on Pinterest, too? Stop by for encouragement and blessings for the new semester!