Tag Archives: #bookworm

Hummingbirds and Freebies

Hummingbird Magic

In Haida legend hummingbirds bring joy and healing. We commonly encounter the Rufus Hummingbird in our area of Northern Vancouver Island. In early spring these little energy-powerhouses leave their wintering grounds in Mexico and find their way north following the early sea level blooms of red flowering current and salmonberry.

The males, distinguished by their bright red neck markings, arrive first. They stake out their feeding territory and defend it with gusto. I’ve seen this phenomenon first hand. The little guy below maintains an ongoing post perched on the edge of our butterfly chimes right next door to the feeder. He is relentless in driving off the other hummingbirds that come around. Though every now and then, a group of five to six females will work together to take over the feeder for a few hours.

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Quick note – Disappearing in Plain Sight, 1st book in the Crater Lake Series, is FREE through midnight June 8th. It is trending right now at #1 in literary fiction sagas in the Amazon free store. Here’s you chance to get a jump on some highly-rated summer reading.

Crater Lake Series Banner

Freelance editor, Sarah Stewart, describes the novel in the following way:

I read upwards of ten books a month in my work as an editor and it’s quite rare for me to encounter a story that stays with me for months afterward. This book did just that rare thing for me … I crave getting enveloped in a story, one that is entertaining and well-paced, but intelligent too. I love it when novels deal in equal measure with interpersonal relationships/ romances and more systemic issues such as bullying, trauma, and oppression. As such, I devoured this story, felt attached to the characters, and was sorry when it was over. Not to mention that her beautiful prose me yearn for the rugged west coast that I’d moved from not long before I read it. These are all marks of a wonderful book for me. Disappearing in Plain Sight is well worth reading.

Here’s hoping you enjoy this free offer and all the joy and healing magic that hummingbirds bring.

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Long Weekend Give-Away

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No time like a wintery long weekend to cozy up with a good book. When you can start a whole series for FREE, who can resist?

Get Disappearing in Plain Sight – 1st book in the highly acclaimed Crater Lake Series – FREE today and tomorrow. Enjoy!

Check the deal out on             Amazon.com          Amazon.ca             Amazon.co.uk

Five Star Review: Great start to a wonderful series

First book of a great series. I’ve just finished the 4th in the series and they just keep getting better. This first book really sets the scene and allows you to start connecting with characters. Each book tells a great story. This first one will get you hooked for those that follow. Enjoy!

Snowy Feb morning

Release Day! No Compass to Right

NO COMPASS TO RIGHT corrected version with corner alignment grid (original Jpeg )

Well – the big day has arrived. No Compass to Right – the 4th book in the Crater Lake Series – is live on Amazon in ebook and softcover format.

Rejoin all your favourite characters two years down the road from where you left them at the end of Chasing Down the Night. Sophie is now a delightfully vocal toddler. Izzy is busy building a private counselling practice and working part time at Micah Camp. Lisa-Marie has been avoiding Crater Lake and Justin but she is now coming home. Reg has more motivation than ever for driving production at the sawmill.

Amid laughter and tears, people discover that in the search for identity, acceptance and belonging, the compass that points true leads to the most unlikely of spots.

Amazon.com link

Amazon.co.uk link

Amazon.ca link

Enjoy Smile

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Ode to Joy–Holding My New Book

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I suppose the picture says it all Smile 

The proof copy of No Compass to Right arrived and, on first blush, it seems everything I hoped for. Of course, with proof copies, the devil is in the details. I discovered that uncomfortable truth the hard way with a previous release. I’ll be pouring over this one for a couple of days before placing my bulk order.

If you read e-books, you can pre-order a copy of No Compass to Right for release on June 1st. The big day is coming, folks!

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And if all of that is not enough cause for celebration, I received another wonderful surprise in the mail yesterday. Delayed Mother’s Day gift – Bear Paw oven mitts. Many thanks to Kristen, Matt, Emma and Britney. Can you imagine a greater gift for out here at the lake? Now I can lift hot pans with my bear hands while watching bears stroll by – LOL. Wow – two goofy, happy pictures of me in one post. What is this world coming to?

Me and my mother's day gift

Free Book Offer Continues

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Disappearing in Plain Sight hit number 1 in the Amazon Free Store in the category of Literary Sagas today Smile 

Free book offers continues until midnight Wednesday, May 10th. Don’t miss out on a chance to read the first book in the Crater Lake Series for free.

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All my chimes were ringing in celebration today.

Pick up your free copy of Disappearing in Plain Sight on Amazon.com or Amazon.ca or Amazon.co.uk. Or search for it on the Amazon site of your choice. It is free everywhere Amazon operates.

And while you’re out and about book buying, please check out the pre-release page for the 4th book in the Crater Lake Series – No Compass to Right. Available June 1st.

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Free Book Offer: May 8-10, 2017

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Here’s your chance to grab the first book in the Crater Lake Series free of charge.

A Novel to Deepen One’s Humanity – Amazon reviewer

I rarely read contemporary novels (Marge Piercy and Barbara Kingsolver being notable exceptions), but once I read the first chapter of this one “just to check it out,” I was hooked. The psychologically-true and compassionate descriptions of each unique, complex character, blended with the real-life-like plot twists, kept me eagerly reading on. I resonated with the wisdom of the life lessons and insights each character developed, and their processes of growth and discovery catalyzed new insights in me. I appreciated the multisensory richness of the scenery, creating a vivid setting in which these extraordinary “ordinary” people move, stumble and grow in deeply realistic and moving ways. The plotting is intricate and well-woven, easy to follow if one pays attention — which is easy because the characters are so engaging and interesting. I grew to care about them, so I’m glad there’s a sequel. Best of all, I was reminded that everyone has a story, and if one knows these stories, one can never judge another human being, even while deploring some of the things they do. Reading this book, taking in the courage, vulnerability, and honest communication amongst the characters as the story progressed, I felt my own humanity was deepened.

Amazon.com         Amazon.co.uk          Amazon.ca

Fourth book – No Compass to Right – is available now as a pre-order for release on June 1, 2017.

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No Compass to Right–Cover Reveal

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Drum roll, please. I am thrilled to officially reveal the cover for the latest offering in the Crater Lake Series – Book four: No Compass to Right. Tentative release date: June 1, 2017!

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Photographs and design by Bruce Witzel.

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I can’t wait to hold this one in my hands Smile

Coastal Vibrations–New Release

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Two short stories from the acclaimed author of the Crater Lake Series. Readers are invited to experience heartbreak and fresh starts amid a rural, coastal landscape splashed onto each page with vibrant, deft strokes. In an isolated logging camp, a wife struggles against a husband who is out of control. What will become of her young daughter if she cannot escape? Danger stalks her no matter which way she turns. An older woman mourns the loss of her independence and ponders what is left for her to contribute in a life hat has lost relevance. Can she find meaning in the face of a child? Coastal Vibrations presents bitter realities in hard-fought races with hope. Only the reader can judge which has triumphed.

This new release is a little gem I’ve been working on amid other projects. A perfect read with your morning coffee, on the bus or over lunch. Enjoy!

Coastal Vibrations on Amazon.com

Coastal Vibrations on Amazon.ca

Coast Vibrations on Amazon.co.uk

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Free, Free, Free–Disappearing in Plain Sight is Free

Could it be Crater Lake - Bruce Witzel photo

Who doesn’t love free stuff? I’m taking a break from the intensity of writing the fourth book in the Crater Lake Series to do a promotion for the flagship first novel in the series – Disappearing in Plain Sight. 

Free Sunday, March 19th and Monday, March 20th.

Here’s a glimpse of what readers think – A recent Amazon five star review:

Every page of it was an eye opener of raw emotion and the struggle just get through each and every day. This was the first book by this author that I have read and I loved it. I’m hooked on the story and can’t wait to read the next book.

Enjoy Smile

February–Love of Reading Month

Love of Reading Month

Special offer in honour of a special month:

Get all three of the Crater Lake novels in one box set for only $5.00

Here’s what one reviewer thought:

Have you ever read a book or a series where you become emotionally bonded to the characters? This is what I did with Francis Guenette’s Crater Lake series. At the end of the last book, I was heartbroken that I would not encounter the beauty that surrounds Crater Lake and the cast of characters anymore.

Yes, I was going to miss my new friends and their lives. In fact, I had to stop reading for a few days so that I could adjust to my life without them. I had a book hangover, one of which I have not experienced in a long time! The complexity of the characters and the realistic relationships shared between them are what propel this saga forward. Pair that with the beautiful descriptions of the surrounding area and Crater Lake comes alive in magnificent colors much like a rainbow which spreads hope in the darkest times.

There is something here for everyone. Love, sex, lust, greed, spirituality, sacrifice, death, murder, life… the list goes on and on. Each book in the series leads you on to a different life lesson much like the lessons you learn within your own family unit.

There was a kinship found within these pages where I as the reader was drawn along, all the while given permission to become part of the family. I feel my life has been enriched for having shared their lives. I will reread these books numerous times because it will feel like coming home.

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The Crater Lake Series – Boxed Set $5.00