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My little mystery novel is taking shape. Oh, someone guessed the farmer in the red truck did it. What was his motive and did he have an...
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Stop and Smell the Roses Origin of "stop and smell the roses" Song by Mac Davis A search on the web is inconclusive, but ...
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The reasonable woman adapts herself to the world; the unreasonable woman attempts to adapt the world to her. Therefore all progress depends ...
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Become an Entrepreneur Michael Finney of View from the Bay interviews Kevin on 10 easy steps to starting your own business (YouTube) ...
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A book accepted by Mockingbird Lane Press Oh, yes, lol, when I got home on Saturday night I found an email from Regina at Mockingbird...
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DO NOT STAND AT MY GRAVE AND WEEP Do not stand at my grave and weep; I am not there, I do not sleep. I am a thousand winds that bl...
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Nobody gets rich and famous from one book. An author has a better chance of winning the lottery or striking the moon in the eye than becomin...
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The American Civil War was iconic in its tragedy and heroism, and really was about industrial power struggles and not black slavery at all....
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Showing posts with label Imajin Books. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Imajin Books. Show all posts
Friday, December 20, 2013
Christmas sale on now till January 3, 2014 at Imajin Books
Christmas Book Sale
Imajin Books from December 20-January 3
Loads of great eBooks from $0.99 to $1.99! Stock up now on last minute Christmas gifts, stocking stuffers, great for that teen on your list or that hard to buy for reader.
Don't forget SpaceHive, my debut MG/YA sci-fi thriller!
Sunday, December 15, 2013
Celebrate the Season with Imajin Books' 25 Days of Christmas Giveaways

This Christmas season, Canadian publishing house Imajin Books decided to do things a bit
differently. Instead of only 25 days of contests and discounts as in past
years, they're holding various events from December 1st to January 3rd.
Okay, so they can't count, but they believe readers deserve to be rewarded. And
we agree!
From December 1-25, Imajin Books will be awarding random
prizes to those who leave comments on their Facebook page.
So drop by, check out their posts and leave a comment or question.
Want to win even more? Check out their Share the Imajin
Books Buzz contest. You could win a Kindle Fire HD or Kobo equivalent, or one
of two $50 Amazon gift cards. This contest also runs December 1-25. To enter,
visit the Rafflecopter contest widget below or at http://www.imajinbooks.com/contests-events.
You can enter multiple times a day.
Friday, November 29, 2013
Free stuff and parties, big sale from Imajin Books
So here's what we have
planned:
1. Giveaways –
We'll be awarding random ebook prizes to those who leave comments on our Facebook page between December 1-25,
2013.
2. eBook Sale – This year's sale will be held December 20-January
3rd, so load up your ereaders (Kindle, Nook, Kobo etc.) before
Christmas and after! Most of our ebooks will be on sale for $0.99 or
$1.99. You can also use
our sale for Christmas gifts and stocking stuffers--just print out the receipt
from Amazon and gift it to your loved one. They'll also get an email from
Amazon.
3.
Rafflecopter –
Share the Imajin Books Buzz! Prize: Kindle Fire HD or Kobo
equivalent, (2) $50 Amazon gift cards – December 1-25. To enter, visit
our contest widget at http://www.imajinbooks.com/contests-events
or on our FB
page. You can enter multiple times a
day.
4. Twitter Party – Meet
our authors! Ask them questions! Win random prizes! Follow and use hashtag
#ImajinAuthors to join our Twitter Party on December 14 & 15 from 3-8 PM MT
(5-10 PM ET).
Imajin Books and our
authors wish you all a wonderful holiday season, and we thank you for reading
our books! Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!
Tuesday, September 10, 2013
Kat Flannery and the State of the Union
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| Amazing Author Kat Flannery at home |
Bestselling western romance authors, Kat Flannery and Alison Bruce take you on an exciting journey with the release of HAZARDOUS UNIONS: Two Tales of a Civil War Christmas.
Reviews:
“You’ll
sigh with pleasure as you finish each story” ~ Caroline Clemmons, author of
Bluebonnet Bride
“Stories
that play on your senses like a sonata. A must read!” ~ Jacquie Rogers,
award-winning author of Much Ado About Madams
“Wonderfully
entertaining and well-written, with engaging characters…delightful!” ~ Charlene
Raddon, author of To Have and To Hold
Twin sisters separated by war, bound by love…
After
the death of their father, twin sisters Maggie and Matty Becker are forced to
take positions with officers’ families at a nearby fort. When the southern
states secede, the twins are separated, and they find themselves on opposite
sides of America’s bloodiest war.
In
the south, Maggie travels with the Hamiltons to Bellevue, a plantation in west
Tennessee. When Major Hamilton is captured, it is up to Maggie to hold things
together and deal with the Union cavalry troop that winters at Bellevue.
Racism, politics and a matchmaking stepmother test Maggie’s resourcefulness as
she fights for Bellevue, a wounded Confederate officer and the affections of
the Union commander.
In
the north, Matty discovers an incriminating letter in General Worthington’s
office, and soon she is on the run. With no one to turn to for help, she drugs
the wealthy Colonel Cole Black and marries him, in hopes of getting the letter
to his father, the governor of Michigan. But Cole is not happy about being
married, and Matty’s life becomes all about survival.
Two unforgettable stories of courage, strength and honor
Matty by Kat Flannery
Fort
Wayne, Michigan
December
1862
What had she done? Matty Becker
was going to hell, and there'd be no one to save her. A loud snore echoed from
the other room. She peeked around the corner and caught a glimpse of Colonel
Black's stocking feet. She'd burn for sure. She glanced at the paper she held
and groaned. She was a horrible, devious, scheming letch. Maggie wouldn't be
pleased. Maggie wasn't here. Another
snore blew into the kitchen and she placed her head onto the table banging her
forehead twice. There was no turning back now.
Last night she'd pushed aside her
conscience and let fear guide her. For her plan to work, she'd have to throw
all sense to the dogs, not that she hadn't done so already by following through
with the blasted thing. She couldn't fail now. If her family found out what
she'd done they'd never forgive her. Worse yet, if Colonel Black found out
she'd be locked behind bars, a fate far better than the one that got her in
this mess to begin with.
She placed the paper on the table
and went into the bedroom. Colonel Black lay on the bed with his clothes
stripped off and tossed about the floor. He'd been out for nine hours and would
wake any minute. Matty stood, pushed all thoughts of reason from her mind and
removed her dress, corset and pantaloons. Her face heated and the room spun. He
rolled over and she jumped into the bed next to him, pretending to sleep. She
knew the moment he'd woken. The bed stilled and she couldn't breathe the air
was so stiff.
"What the hell?" He sat
up and she knew the instant he saw her. "Son of a bitch."
She felt his nudge once, twice
and now a shove almost knocking her from the bed.
"Wake the hell up," he
growled.
She squeezed her eyes closed and
willed strength into her soul so she could face the dark Colonel. She rolled
over pretending to wipe the sleep from her eyes.
"Who are you?" He
placed his head in his hands. She'd bet he had one heck of a headache.
"Your wife," she said.
"The hell you are." He
shot out of bed without grabbing the sheet, and she averted her eyes.
"Please cover
yourself." She held up the sheet and he ripped it from her hand. "The
marriage license is in the kitchen on the table if you do not believe me."
She watched as he grabbed his
head and closed his eyes. The heavy dose of laudanum she'd placed in his drink
the night before had done the trick and it wasn't but a mere suggestion they
marry that the Colonel jumped to the challenge. Soon they were standing in the
dining room in front of a preacher. Words were spoken—words she thought to say
with someone she loved, someone who'd wanted her. Her stomach lurched and her
mouth watered with the urge to vomit.
"How did this happen?"
he asked sitting on the end of the bed.
"Mrs. Worthington sent me to
see if you needed anything."
"I was drinking." He
looked at her. "I was drunk."
She shrugged.
He stood holding the sheet tight
to his midsection.
She couldn't help but notice the
rippled stomach and defined muscles on his chest.
"We can annul. I had too
much to drink. My head wasn't clear."
She shook her head.
He frowned.
"We have consummated."
A lie of course but she was desperate.
His mouth fell open. A moment she
knew he'd not remember. After the preacher left, she'd taken him to the bedroom
where he passed out before hitting the bed.
"Impossible. I'd remember
that."
She shook her head again praying
he'd buy the fib.
He pulled on his pants and dress
shirt. "I don't even know you. Why in hell would I marry you?"
"My name is Matty
Beck—Black. I was employed with the Worthington's. You've come to dinner
several times."
His brown eyes lit with
recognition. "You're the house maid."
"Yes."
"I married a maid?"
The words stung and she turned
from him so he wouldn't see the disappointment upon her face.
"Why would you marry me if I
was into the spirits?"
"You seemed fine to
me."
He took a step toward her.
"Why would you marry me at all when you don't even know me?"
She gripped the blanket on the
bed. "You…you said kind words, and I…I believed them.
"How desperate are you to
marry a stranger?" he yelled. "You found out who my father is. You
want money. You tricked me."
Well, he got the last one right,
but the first two irritated her. She was not the kind of person to marry for
money. Really, who did he think she was?
"Sorry to disappoint you but
I refused my inheritance years ago."
"If you mean to say that I
could not find myself a suitable husband because I am a maid, then you're
wrong."
"That is exactly what I am
saying Miss—"
"Black."
"The hell it is."
He went into the kitchen picked
up the marriage license and stared at it.
Matty dressed quickly and inched
into the room. Confusion pulled at his features and she began to feel sorry for
him. This was her fault. She'd planned this. Now she had to continue telling
the lie she'd told. She glanced outside and shivered. Boldness, be my tongue. Shakespeare's words echoed in her mind. It
was worth it. She'd been living in fear for a week. Colonel Black had been her
saviour, and she risked a life full of love and happiness for this—a lie in
which she'd speak for the rest of her life. She swallowed back the lump in her
throat and willed the tears not to fall.
"Why
can't I remember?" He glanced at her. "And why in hell would I marry
you?"
Author bio:
Kat Flannery’s love of history
shows in the novels she writes. She is an avid reader of historical, suspense,
paranormal, and romance. When not researching for her next book, Kat can be
found running her three sons to hockey and lacrosse. She’s been published in
numerous periodicals. This is Kat’s third book and she is hard at work on her
next.
Website: www.katflannery-author.com
Saturday, August 10, 2013
SUMMER SIZZLES WITH IMAJIN BOOKS
Great things come in threes this August!
- 'Share the Imajin Books Buzz' contest- share our events on Twitter and Facebook, and share your pics of our books on your ereaders or you holding one, and receive entries into a draw for a KINDLE FIRE HD with wi-fi! Open to US, Canada and UK residents. Other prizes include three $20 Amazon or Kobo Books gift cards (winner’s choice). Void where prohibited. Draw will take place the first week of September. To enter, use the Rafflecopter form on our home page from August 1-31.
- Imajin Books eBook Sale – www.imajinbooks.com – all ebooks will be priced at $0.99 or $1.99 from August 15-31st.
- Twitter Party - for two days, August 9/10, we'll be holding a Twitter Party online and giving away prizes (ebooks and gift cards from Amazon and Kobo.) Join us by searching for #ImajinAuthors. Leave us a question or comment by including #ImajinAuthors in your tweet. The party begins each day at 2:00 PM EST and goes until 8:00 PM EST. Our authors will drop by when they can. Follow us at http://www.twitter.com/imajinbooks
GET SPACEHIVE FOR 99 CENTS ON AMAZON AUGUST 15-31!!!!!
LOOK FOR IT THERE. KNOW A MG/YA TEEN WHO LOVES TO READ? FANTASY/SCI FI, GREAT READ FOR 99 CENTS.

Sunday, August 4, 2013
Can you get there from here?
Where do I go from here?
Where I've been
Came from the depths of obscurity and mental illness to that place called author.
![]() | |
| Kitten at computer |
My blog
Jenn from Sapphire Designs created my blog on blogger in 2011. I had input; she was patient and the end result pleased us both.
Beginning of Kenna McKinnon, Author
I was on-line and met an Imajin Books author, Alison Bruce, who referred me to Cheryl Tardif at Imajin Books. I contacted Cheryl with the rough draft of Jive Hive, which we subsequently trimmed to half its size, changed the name to SpaceHive, and aimed it at a young adult audience rather than more mature.
Over the space of several months Cheryl mentored me until my debut novel was polished and ready for acceptance. She sent me not one but two contracts: one for eBook and one for trade paperback.
SpaceHive was published in eBook in August 2012 and released in print September 2012.
How did I do?
SpaceHive has not sold well despite my best attempts at marketing and Cheryl's best suggestions.
I'm told I'll need more books under my girth before SpaceHive may start to sell well, as I'll need a recognizable name.
True, at a book signing this spring a reader commented he'd never heard of me!
I recently contacted Jay at Kindle Promoters and paid for an annual subscription for several tweets a day for a year and his valuable suggestions. Jay has also accepted a short story which will be put in front of thousands of his readers, along with his other authors, to serve as a promotion for my books.
What else is out there from my pen?
I say books, because I've self-published The Insanity Machine and DISCOVERY: A collection of poetry. As well, BIGFOOT BOY: Lost on Earth, a YA/MG fantasy, has been accepted by Mockingbird Lane Press, a small press in the USA.
I'm hoping to sell a book of short stories in memory of my son Steve, who loved robots, sci-fi, and quirky writers.
Also, my new adult mystery novel, RED HERRINGS, is ready for its final edit before I attempt to look for a publisher.
Benjamin and Rumblechum, an early reader's chapter book, was co-authored by Emma Brinson and is looking for a home. It was accepted by Diamond Heart Press in California last year but they are no longer in business, so am looking for a new publisher.
Finally, a book of fantasy/horror is looking for a home, as well, Den of Dark Angels.
Where do I go from here?
![]() | |
| Woman in contemplation |
Maybe you can tell me, gentle readers, where I go from here.
What does the future hold for an author?
What does the future hold for SpaceHive and my other manuscripts?
How and when should I market?
I have plans
Like any proud parent, I have plans for my novel "babies."
Plans to spend some money promoting, as I'm able, and plans to edit and polish until my mystery is almost perfect, or as perfect as I and my editors can make it.
I plan to submit the manuscript of Red Herrings to the author-in-residence at the Canadian Authors Association this fall, for their critique. It's been edited by my own copy editor and beta readers.
This might be the novel I've been waiting for, a genre that's popular and sells well, and a book--dare I say? of amusing and interesting characters, including a schizophrenic female private eye.
What would you like to see?
A book set in medieval Russia?
Napoleon invading Russia while the population burns its towns behind them?
India or China as a love story and a search for meaning? (I've just watched Eat, Pray, Love).
I am not a Phoenix. I will rise from my ruins and build on the ruins; I will not rise anew from my ashes.
![]() | |
| Balloons of freedom |
Wednesday, July 31, 2013
SUMMER SIZZLES EVENT - IMAJIN BOOKS
My publisher, Imajin Books, is having a summer sizzles event in August.Read about it here!
EBooks on sale, a Twitter party, lots of fun!
Enjoy the summer, folks.
NOTE: My book, SpaceHive, will be on sale August 15-31 for $0.99! Get it on Amazon!!
Sunday, December 18, 2011
Happy Holidays!
'Twas the week before Christmas and all through the wee suite -- I've interviewed a very special person to celebrate the holiday tweet.
| My friend Emma Brinson's house Christmas 2007 |
Welcome to Cheryl Tardif, writer and publisher of Imajin Books. Cheryl shares some of her thoughts while looking back over the past few years and forward to the future.
Enjoy!
How long have you been a writer/publisher, Cheryl?
I’ve been a writer since my teens when I wrote my first novel, but was published as a novelist in 2003. I’ve been in publishing for a number of years. In the late 1990s, I published a childcare directory in Edmonton, something not many people are aware of. In 2003 I went on to publish 3 novels of my own. I partnered with a subsidy company and learned a lot about the process and the business. I was then published by a traditional publisher in 2007 and learned what NOT to do as a publisher.
In January 2011, I realized there was a need for a publishing company that offered writers the benefits of both traditional and self-publishing. I opened my company, Imajin Books, to accept other authors and detoured from self-publishing into becoming a new model of publishing, one that doesn’t charge authors a penny to publish their works and gives them far more input into the process.
Where did you get the wonderful name for Imajin Books?
Every story starts from one thing: imagination. Every character, setting, plot must be imagined. Thus IMAGINE became key for me. And my daughter Jessica and my brother Jason inspired the ‘J’. Imajin Books motto: Quality fiction beyond your wildest dreams.
What's been your greatest satisfaction?
Every novel I’ve written that has been published is greatly satisfying, as are the numerous emails from movie producers and directors who are interested in my works. The fact that a handful of my books are in the process of being translated into foreign languages is very rewarding. But with this last year and my newest endeavor, seeing my authors at Imajin Books succeed and realize their own dreams is one of the best rewards.
What's your favorite time of year, Cheryl?
Summer is my favorite time of year. I like sunshine and sitting outside on my deck with my Pom, Chai.
What's your favorite Christmas story?
My favorite Christmas story is The Grinch Who Stole Christmas.
What do you enjoy in a holiday story?
I enjoy stories of family, especially when families are brought together emotionally and physically by the holidays.
Your favorite movie?
Avatar is my favorite movie. I’ll probably watch it during the holidays.
Looking back over the past year, Cheryl, what has been your greatest satisfaction this year, and do you have any regrets?
My greatest satisfaction this year has been watching Imajin Books grow and realizing I have superseded my initial goal of publishing 6 books in 2011. Having to say “sorry” to so many authors who had a dream and submitted a manuscript to us has probably been my only real regret.
What are your plans for 2012?
For 2012 we have some exciting things planned for Imajin Books. We’ll be holding more sales during the year, as well as more contests. We plan to give away books to people who follow us on Twitter, FB, our blog and IBIC, our rewards program. And we have an exciting new initiative we’re planning to put into motion in the summer, one we think readers will be thrilled with. And we plan to bring more quality fiction and great authors into the spotlight.
Is there anything else you'd like to say that I haven't asked, Cheryl?
I’d like to invite your readers to check out our 25 Days of Christmas Giveaways at http://www.imajinbooks.com/contests-events. We have an ebook sale on until January 7th, plus we’re giving away ebooks and paperbacks between now and Christmas.I'm looking forward to working with you and hearing lots more about you in the near future, Cheryl, and here's wishing all your dreams come true in the New Year.
Merry Christmas to all my readers, and a happy and prosperous -- and prolific and successful -- New Year.

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