Number ONE!!

 Yahoo!  Threatening Skye hit #1 in New Releases in Historical Fantasy Fiction.  I don't know how long it will last, but here is the link.  For those of you who have already purchased or downloaded, thank you for making this happen.

Here's proof :)

Threatening Skye

Also, I can use your help in an All Author Book Cover Contest. This is for the month of October only. All you have to do is go to this link and click VOTE.  If I make it through the first round, I will come back and ask you to vote again.  

All Author Book Cover Contest

Thanks so much.  You guys are awesome.

My Facebook Page

 Did you see a change on my Facebook page? Enough time has passed that I was able to change my name to Jane O'Brien Author. Now you won't ever get me confused with that other guy, who shall remain unnamed. I have my author identity back. This is the real me!! It feels good. Now if only I could find all of the one thousand followers that I lost. I'm working on it. Thanks for sticking around.

Winner!! Winner!!

 I couldn't wait to wake up this morning and see who won my giveaway. I'm pleased to announce it is someone who has never won one of my books before. Congratulations to Erin Moull !!!!

Please DM me with your mailing information and the autographed book of your choice. Thank you all for participating. Look for more giveaways and contests in the future.

Giveaway on Facebook

 I'm running a giveaway of an autographed copy of my newest book, Threatening Skye, on my Facebook page.  All you have to do is pop over to my page:

JANE O'BRIEN'S FACEBOOK

Follow me (if you're not already a follower) and then share my giveaway post.  Oh, and don't forget to tell me on that page that you shared on Facebook.  Isn't that easy?  Hurry.  The giveaway ends on Friday at midnight.  Good Luck!

AND --- IT IS HERE!

 Yes!  The day finally came yesterday when Threatening Skye was posted on Amazon.  I am beyond thrilled to have my 28th book published.  This one was especially difficult for some reason, from the actual writing to the entire publishing process.  Nothing seemed to go right.  It was like I had a nasty little gremlin on my shoulder causing trouble and havoc every time I tried to do something, but I persevered and made it happen.  Now it's up to you.  Here is the link which will lead you to either a paperback or Kindle.  Don't forget.  My books are always free on Kindle Unlimited.  Just click on the link below and discover what Skye is up to next.  Enjoy!  And please leave a review when you're done reading.  It helps other readers to find it. Thank you for following me.  I truly appreciate it.

Threatening Skye

It's Almost Here!

 

Are you getting ready?  Threatening Skye is coming even sooner than you expected.  Perhaps even this week!  Follow along for the big announcement and be the first to read this new adventure.  For now, here's the Amazon Blurb to tease you even more.  

When Skye left 1927 to go back to the year 1907, she discovered she was not as happy to be home as she had first thought she would be, because leaving the future meant she had to leave behind a handsome stranger named Remington Hart.  She felt his presence and saw him in her dreams every night, but knowing he was unattainable because he was from another decade, she forced herself to go on with her life.  Chastising herself for always longing for adventure, she convinced herself to be satisfied with where she was at the moment and enjoy the life she had.  To ease her brother's worries for her safety, she promised to put the thrill of time traveling out of her mind.

As she began dating the charismatic Irishman, MacDonald O'Hara, she found she was often comparing him to the man of her dreams.  Even when it became apparent there was no spark between them, she continued to see Mac, while always longing for Rem.  Little did she know, Rem was a time traveler, too, and he had been sent to 1927 to find her and take her back to 2051, which according to the government was her proper time and place.  Rem was working for the State in The Red Guard, and it was his sworn duty to fulfill his assignment and find all absconders.  He had no choice; he was obligated to bring her and her entire family back.

Completely unaware of the threat that is about to descend upon her, her brother, and their parents, Skye Kent Kestler goes about her daily routine as she continues the search for the ancestors on her family tree.  Longing to know about her past, she continues to dig into the mystery of Lilian DeLuca, her three times great-grandmother, a flapper from the nineteen twenties.  Will Skye be able to follow the trail that leads to unanswered questions about her family, or will she be captured before she has a chance?  What other threats lie around the corner for the unaware time-traveler?  Is there something to fear from MacDonald O’Hara, also?

Book Two, Threatening Skye, in the series Branches of Time, is a spin-off of the loved, Amazon bestselling series, A Slip in Time.  Follow along as a new branch of the family emerges, bringing with it new trials and tribulations.

It's a Blue Moon

 This month, on Wednesday August 30, 2023, there will be a Blue Moon.  I've always loved that term as  my mother used it often when she would say something only happens 'Once in a Blue Moon.'  And one of my favorite songs is Blue Moon, a melancholy love song..  

If you're unfamiliar with the term, it means there will be a second full moon in the same month and as it happens that is only a few days away.  But this moon is special because it is also a Supermoon, meaning it is the closest to the Earth that it has been all year.  So look to the skies on Wednesday for a spectacular view of the moon, and say hello to the 'Old Man' for me.  In the meantime, catch up on your reading of  A Slip in Time and so you can move on to the spin-off,  Branches in Time, because book 2 Threatening Skye is coming soon. I can't wait for you to read it!

If you were one of the lucky ones who happened to fall in love under a Blue Moon, send me your story.  I'd love to read it. Who knows?  It might make it into one of my books!

Don't forget to follow this blog so you can keep up with my news and giveaways.

Day Trips for Research

 One of the best parts of writing books about my home state is doing research. My husband and I took a three-day trip around The Traverse City area, then north and back down to Ludington. We had been to many of the small towns before but it has been years. I was shocked to see how much building up had occurred. Those sleepy towns are now filled with big gorgeous houses on bluffs which overlook the Grand Traverse Bay (both arms) and Lake Michigan. Most of our trip was wet as it rained off and on throughout the entire time. It was often difficult to drive with the windshield wipers constantly going back and forth. But we were not daunted one bit; we continued on until we found quaint out of the way places to eat. We stopped to walk in the downtown shopping districts, between raindrops, admiring the local artisans' work. I have to say I was quite restrained as I wanted to buy everything I saw. And of course we had to buy fudge, because how can you ever go Up North, as we say here, without buying fudge?

One of the best lunches we had was in downtown Frankfort at a place called L'Chayim Delicatessen. I had the best Pita filled sandwich I ever had in my life there. In Harbor Springs we stumbled across a cute little Mexican restaurant off the beaten path called Rodrigo's, probably known only to the locals. It was very small and busy but the food was great!

And how could we leave the area without some wine tasting? Besides it was a great escape from the rain. We stopped at Brys Estate Vineyard & Winery on Old Mission Peninsula in Traverse City and had a glass of wine high up on the deck which overlooked their acres of grapes. Such a beautiful spot, and the wine was fabulous.

Overall, I picked up some great ideas for the next book or two which was the whole point in going and also to heal from my grief of losing my beloved dog, Teddy. I can't wait to get started on the next book the minute Threatening Skye is published. So far early reviews are great! I'm thrilled as this one was not easy to write. It's coming to you very soon now. I'll make a big announcement here the moment it hits the stands! So stick around.

YES!!

 Why YES?  Because I finished Threatening Skye, re-read it myself, and it is now in the hands of my alpha reader.  And so far he LOVES it, and believe me, he can be tough. 

While he is reading, I am tweaking some things plus adding the dedication and updating the character list, which I always place at the back of the book so as not to give anything away. This list is helpful to my readers, as the names of people in my stories are continuous from previous books and so it can get quite lengthy. It also helps me, as I have to refer to it to make sure I keep my people in the right decade and year.  Time travel is quite tricky. 

So it won't be long now.  It still has to make it through the beta reader test, and then it's on to publication.   I can't wait for you to read the newest installment of Branches of Time. 

Almost Done

 Once I am done writing this post, I will begin to write the last words on my newest book.  I am always a little nervous to write the ending.  Will it be good enough?  Will the book hold your interest?  And worst of all will I miss the people I just spent months inventing?  In this case this is a series so the next book will bring them back to me in full force, which is why I write a lot of series.  I hate to lose my people. I actually go into a mourning period after my book is done.

So if I'm successful, and I am able to write a conclusion I'm satisfied with, the editing process and proofreading will begin soon.  Crossing fingers. Here's hoping for a September publication for Threatening Skye!