FORTITUDE by Carrie Dalby

Today on the blog, we have fellow Anaiah Press author Carrie Dalby, whose debut novel, Fortitude, recently released. Thank you, Carrie, for sharing a little about the process of researching and writing your Young Adult Historical Fiction novel.

Thank you, Lisa, for having me on you blog today. I thoroughly enjoy the Chasmaria series. It’s an honor to be here to talk about my debut novel.

Fortitude is a historical YA that took five years of research and plotting for me to write the first draft. I was working on another manuscript for the first several years, but I devoted much of my reading and study time to researching 1898 and the Spanish-American War. Library trips, special book orders, reading microfilm—I did it all. And though I’m not a historian, I enjoyed every minute of it, even finding the historical facts that soured my stomach.

Learning about the deplorable conditions the American troops lived in throughout Florida while waiting to disembark for war was the spark that began Fortitude’s journey. Recently drained swamps for campsites, over-crowding, disease… more soldiers died in Florida that year than in battle on foreign soil.

The other killer in the Florida camps was deadly riots. Soldiers from around the country were squeezed into unhealthy camps in a racially divided state that lived by the post-Civil War Jim Crow laws. The locals and many of the other troops despised seeing African-American men in uniform, especially the decorated Buffalo Soldiers. Fresh volunteers didn’t like being outranked by people they considered inferior and the townspeople didn’t want to serve them when they were on leave.

The riot scene in Chapter Twenty-five is based on an actual riot that took place on June 6, 1898 after white volunteers from Ohio “decided to have some fun” by snatching a two-year-old African-American boy from his mother, spanking him, and then using him for target practice. It was sickening to read so many different accounts about it, but I had to use the scene to depict just how extreme the attitudes were.

As fate would have it, I wrote the first draft of that chapter in early July 2013, when the George Zimmerman trial was happening in Florida. Anger, fear, and screams of injustice on the news echoed the voices of the past as I wrote—often with tears in my eyes.

Art imitating life?

History repeating itself?

Not learning from mistakes?

Truth is stranger than fiction?

All these and more are possibilities. What I do know is that a friend loaned me something I never would have chosen to read—a biography about the founder of the Girl Scouts. Within that book there were a couple pages about the miserable conditions the troops lived in at the Spanish-American War camps in Florida, where Juliette Gordon Low and her family tried to relieve some of the suffering. The story of those soldiers shouted at me from the pages and sent me on a research journey that lasted years and uncovered many difficult truths from American history. Facts we can learn and grow from, hopefully preventing painful history from being repeated.

Blurb:

Growing up with a Creole best friend, sixteen-year-old Claire O’Farrell held little regard for the Jim Crow laws and the consequences of befriending those of a different color. But once she leaves the haven of her home on Dauphin Island, the reality of racial intolerance can no longer be ignored. Though she’s underage, Claire makes the bold decision to serve alongside Loretta, her best friend, in the “colored camp” hospital tents during the Spanish-American War, but her idealistic attitude and choice of working location immediately puts her in danger. Claire gives her heart to a soldier in the camp, only to find herself caught in the racial violence besieging the area. When the intolerant attitudes and stigma follow her home, she clings to her faith to navigate through her social isolation and find the path she was meant to travel.

Release Date: December 8, 2015

 

Book Links

Goodreads:  https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/27855801-fortitude

Anaiah Press: TBA

Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B018HSNK62?keywords=fortitude%20carrie%20dalby&qid=1450025402&ref_=sr_1_1&sr=8-1

B&N: TBA

Author Bio:

Born and raised in California, but a resident of Mobile, Alabama since 1996, Carrie Dalby is a homeschooling mom with a love of literature for young adults and children. Some of Carrie’s favorite volunteer hours are with Mobile Writers Guild, SCBWI, and Metro Mobile Reading Council’s Young Author workshops.

Website: http://www.carriedalby.com

Twitter: @Wonderwegian

Pinterest: pinterest.com/wonderwegian

Goodreads: goodreads.com/user/show/27124063-carrie-dalby

Google +: https://plus.google.com/+CarrieDalbyCox/posts

Facebook: facebook.com/carriedalbyauthor

 

 

Guest Post: Christian vs. Secular Romance — Bridging the Gap (Kara Leigh Miller and Jody Holford)

Christian vs. Secular Romance — Bridging the Gap

by

Kara Leigh Miller & Jody Holford

Oftentimes, there are a lot of misconceptions about the Christian romance genre. It’s been dubbed by some as boring and preachy. As authors of this niche genre, we are excited at the opportunity to bridge the gap between these two markets. Before we can successfully do that, though, we must first define the primary differences between Christian and secular romance. Simply, it comes down to three things:

1. Faith — Every Christian romance has an element of faith present throughout the story. Whether it is one of the main characters believing in God or attending church regularly or giving thanks before meals or saying nightly prayers, there’s always a relevant element of faith. It’s important to note that the faith doesn’t have to be “in your face” or preach to the readers. In fact, a strong Christian romance won’t do those things. It’s woven into the story subtly, it works with the plot to help strengthen it and the characters.

1. Romantic Elements — Typically, there are never any physical acts of love in a Christian romance novel. It can be talked about under certain conditions, but there’s never any moments of physical intimacy on the page, except for kissing. That’s totally okay 😉

1. Language — There’s never any cursing in Christian romance.

Now, we’ve heard the arguments that Christian romance is boring because it doesn’t have all the “good stuff” that secular romance has. In secular romance, authors have the benefit of really diving into the physical aspects of a relationship along with the emotional ramifications. Whereas in Christian romance, you don’t have that ability. For us, we had to work hard, to stretch ourselves as writers to be able to create that same sort of tension that wasn’t only emotional and physical, but spiritual as well. For example, in a secular romance, when the hero and heroine meet for the first time, there’s an instant, strong physical attraction. In Christian romance, the initial meeting of the characters is more of an emotional event.

In our book, Dangerous Love, Dr. Josh Parker’s first meeting with the heroine, Alessa Matthews is when she’s wheeled into the ER, beaten and half dead. There’s not an initial physical attraction, but rather a strong, internal need to want to help her and protect her — feelings that go beyond just his oath and duty as a doctor. Conversely, when Alessa awakens and consciously meets Josh for the first time, she’s thankful for his presence, for his gentle bedside manner and his ability to put her at ease.

Furthermore, neither of the two main characters have faith in the true sense of the word. Josh lost his faith shortly after his wife’s death. Alessa has no memory of her past for a majority of the book, so she really doesn’t know if she was a God fearing woman or not. Two of our secondary characters — Ethan and Amanda, who are Josh’s sister and brother in law — do have faith. Ethan is even the pastor of the local church. So for a majority of our book, they act as our faith element until our two main characters come around. Although Amanda is actively trying to get her brother back to church and back on terms with God, she doesn’t force him and she doesn’t preach to him, but rather let’s him find his own way back, which he eventually does thanks to a little help from our heroine.

From the very beginning stages of writing this book, it was important to us to ensure it had crossover appeal between both the Christian and secular markets. The draw for romance readers is the connection between the characters and the journey toward a happily ever after, regardless of market. We worked hard to achieve this by creating that intense connection between Josh and Alessa while also preserving the values and expectations that come within the Christian market. We don’t preach to our readers nor do we attempt to turn non-believers into believers. That’s not our job as Christian romance authors. It’s our job to tell a great story with compelling characters who live their lives by the teachings of God. And that’s exactly what we’ve done.

The Birth of a Village

A certain number of years ago, I gave birth to our first son. In honor of that event, and because I’ve already told his birth story to more people than probably cared to hear it, I thought today would be a perfect day to share about a different birth… The birth of Thresh, the village that produced the heroine of GRIT OF BERTH AND STONE.

The village of Thresh was born of the question, “What would society be like without love?” In answering this question, two things became clear very quickly.

First, the society would have to have some framework for ensuring their young not only survive, but also learn the necessary skills to live independent of any protective parental unit. Biology dictates that if the young die out, the population dies out. So even a loveless society would have to shield their young from harm, teach them to provide for themselves, and train them in the ways of the culture. While Threshan parents are harsher and more hands-off than the modern parent, they do what they need to do to keep their culture – and their children –  alive.

The second thing I realized – and this came gradually, over the course of writing the first book in the trilogy – is that a society’s denial of truth – in this case, the truth that humans were made to love and be loved – cannot and does not nullify truth. In “The Problem with Pain,” C.S. Lewis writes, “A man can no more diminish God’s glory by refusing to worship Him than a lunatic can put out the sun by scribbling the word ‘darkness’ on the walls of his cell.” The more I wrote, the more I realized that Thresh was a village coursing with subdued, often denied love. Stone has these socially unacceptable relationships with Berth and their children. And Berth, for all her hardness… Well, I could write an entire post on how she’s struggled to subjugate her affections to her culturally-induced pride. If you look closely, you notice Talon of March and Swot – who’s an only child, by the way – interacting with and learning the trades of both of his parents. Dara and her daughter Trova raise their unclaimed offspring with a fierce tenderness. Even in this love-denying culture, love exerts itself.

And I think that’s the marvel of truth, goodness, and beauty. However a culture – even a fictional one – tries to deny or suppress truth, goodness, and beauty, we who are made in the image of a true, good, and beautiful Creator cannot help but reflect those holy qualities. It may be a limping, emaciated sort of love, but we, like the people of Thresh, cannot help but love.

GRIT OF BERTH AND STONE Trailer

So, that book I keep talking about…

It has a trailer. Check it out here: http://wp.me/p4e8bN-dx

If you are new to the blog and have no idea what I’m talking about, catch up by reading on.

Release Date: March 17, 2015

Banished for a foolish mistake, sixteen-year-old Grit of Berth and Stone scorns the loss of her home, her honor, and her only ally. Only the weak worry about such things.

But war is brewing all across Chasmaria, and as a group of rebels pull Grit into their ranks, she begins to question what strength, courage, and honor really look like. When faced with a horrible truth about herself, Grit must either fight her way back to Thresh or live with the blood of the innocent on her hands.

Guest Post: Sonia Poynter and THE LAST STORED

Words have a way of drawing us into kinship with one another. I met Sonia Poynter through our mutual publisher, Anaiah Press. Within a few brief messages (and a couple not-so-brief ones), it was clear she was a bit of a kindred spirit – honest, smart, and a little snarky, in the sweetest way possible. Add the fact that she’s a homeschooling mother, and we were fast friends. Oh, and did I mention she writes beautifully, her words somehow stirring the heart to yearn for magic just beyond its reach?

Today, I’m delighted to host Sonia on my blog. 

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It is a pleasure to guest blog for the amazing Lisa Dunn.  We both shared the same editor at Anaiah press, then connected through several social media sites.  It has been a blessing to get to know Lisa. Her words of encouragement touched me so much a few weeks ago that I printed out what she said and pinned it on my wall to keep things in perspective.  Thank you Lisa.  God puts people in our lives to help us along, and you are one of those people for me.

Lisa asked me what I hoped people would get from my story.  In one word, hope. The idea for my book, THE LAST STORED, came to me after the loss of my own father.  I wanted to explore a daughter’s love for her parents, and the pain of losing a loved one. How do you go on when you are stuck in routine and grief?  I tapped into what I knew and came up with Amber.  In some ways she is a reflection of me. She is trapped in a world she doesn’t belong in, she knows she doesn’t fit in, but she doesn’t know why.

I’m going to get a tad deep here so stand back, as a follower of Christ, we know we don’t fit into this world. Ultimately, our eternal home is in heaven, but we have to wait until we are called home.   And just like Amber, we Christians feel off. We know this world is not our home.  Of course the Last Stored has other spiritual overtones, such as Lorthis, the evil ruler who corrupts those who listen to him with merely his words. The Ague, the diseased, forever changed because of Lorthis. Then there is the Light, the creator of worlds and all things good. With just a breath, He can heal.

I attempted to lay a groundwork of hope for things above all throughout the pages. No matter what we are going through, God’s plans will ultimately work toward His good.  Not always what we want, but for His glory.  There’s a difference.  Even in death, the Light remains, and life goes on.  When things are at their darkest God is still there. Good always overcomes.

A verse that spoke to me throughout the writing of The Last Stored was:

Then spoke Jesus again to them, saying, I am the light of the world; he that follows me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life. (John 8:13) 

So I’ll answer Lisa’s questions again – I want my readers to find hope on its pages.

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The Last Stored by Sonia Poynter
Surge Anaiah Press

After the sudden death of her parents, making it through the day is a struggle for Amber Megan Peel. In the midst of her grief, an exquisite bird perches on her garden fence and shows her visions of a vivid landscape and a dark lord slouching upon a throne. She thinks the visions are tied to her sorrow. But when a boy flies through her kitchen window to tell her she’s the Last Stored, she wonders if she’s just lost her mind.

Cree of Din is tasked with one job: Bring Amber home. For seven years, Cree has trained as her protector and it is the ultimate responsibility. Failure means Amber’s certain death, and that’s not an option for Cree – especially since he’s falling in love with her.

The Returning has begun. Now all Amber and Cree have to do is enter Tali, a world of unimaginable splendor and equally unimaginable horror, and defeat Lorthis. If they can’t, not only will Tali plunge into darkness, but so will Earth.

Release Date:
January 6, 2015

Book Links:
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/22606747-the-last-stored?ac=1
Anaiah Press: http://www.anaiahpress.com
Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Last-Stored-Sonia-Poynter-ebook/dp/B00QUD6CGC/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1419879023&sr=8-1&keywords=the+last+stored

Excerpt:
Cree climbs onto the railing and extends his hand to me. “Your choice, Amber, you can come or you can stay!” he yells over the roar of the water.
“This is nuts. You expect me to jump?”
“Nuts? No, merely the door.” He beams with anticipation. He seems fine. In fact, his eyes sparkle with the moon’s glow.
My heart skips. My choice. I had another choice. I grasp his hand and crawl onto the railing. My feet slip, and I waver. Cree steadies me with his hand. The water falls in torrents in front of me. Am I really about to do this?
“You can’t go back once you enter. Are you ready? You can do this.”
He looks into the raging waters, then back at me. His cloak swirls around him like Superman’s cape.
“Yes, I can do this!” My heartbeat bangs in my throat. I’m about to jump off of Lovers Leap with a boy I don’t know, along with two little old men who have vanished below my feet. This is crazy, but I’m supposed to do it. Part of me knew it every time my mother and father looked over this very railing. I’m at the door.
Cree squeezes my hand, nods, and we jump. He howls. The feeling of dropping over a roller coaster comes on fast. The water rushes by, cold and wet. I fall.
My chest tightens like I’ve had the wind knocked out of me. I choke and cough, spitting out water. I see darkness, and I feel Cree’s hand holding mine.
Then, a bright light shimmers and glows at my feet, reflecting upward. The sound of the water fades. My lungs fill with sweet air. The light expands, covering me. Wind swirls and holds me up. I no longer fall, but glide upward. A light from above warms my face, and the aroma of fragrant honey hangs on the air. We twist and turn, Cree’s cloak coils around him, my own clothing flapping in the wind.
I giggle loudly and squeal like a child.
Cree crinkles his face and laughs along. The wind continues pushing us through a tunnel. I lift my free hand and try to feel the mist forming around us; it scatters with my touch, only to form again when I retreat. We have increased our speed. Far above me, Dartlin and Fink’s feet come into focus, and they’re whooping with joy.
Then we stop.
We stand in a brick wading pool a few inches deep. Stone replaces the air, which moments before surrounded me. I take in a deep, fragrant breath.
Cree continues to hold my hand. He looks at our fingers still entwined and laughs. “You can let go.”

Book Trailer:

Sonia Poynter grew up traipsing through the thick woods of Kentucky. The magic of the forest made her want to write. Currently, she lives in the sleepy community of Pittsboro, Indiana, with the love of her life and God has blessed them both with three amazing kids.

Website: http://twowillowswriter.blogspot.com/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/SoniaPoy
Pinterest: http://www.pinterest.com/bigmug/
Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/user/show/8009965-sonia-poynter
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SoniaPoynterAuthor

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Cover Reveal: GRIT OF BERTH AND STONE by Lisa Dunn (Wait, I know her!)

Today’s the big cover reveal, and truth be told, I’m not sure I can handle all the pretty. Thanks beyond words to the lovely team at Anaiah who put this together.

Seriously, thank you!

Some other day, I may tell you all the little things that make this cover so sweet to me on a personal level, but for now, how about I just, you know, let you take a peek

at my very first ever book cover?

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Grit of Berth and Stone by Lisa Dunn

Surge, Anaiah Press

Blurb:

 

Banished for a foolish mistake, sixteen-year-old Grit of Berth and Stone scorns the loss of her home, her honor, and her only ally. Only the weak worry about such things.

But war is brewing all across Chasmaria, and as a group of rebels pull Grit into their ranks, she begins to question what strength, courage, and honor really look like. When faced with a horrible truth about herself, Grit must either fight her way back to Thresh or live with the blood of the innocent on her hands.

Release Date:

March 17, 2015

 

Book Links:

Anaiah Website

Author Bio:

 

As a child, Lisa Dunn fell asleep to her father’s fanciful bedtime tales and played with her own story ideas during the daylight hours. She now resides in a small southern town with her husband, four children, and an ever-changing assortment of pets. Local librarians habitually thank her for their job security.

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/authorlisadunn

Twitter:  @ScouterWife

 Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/21086727-lisa-dunn

Trailer Reveal: THE LAST STORED by Sonia Poynter

The Last Stored by Sonia Poynter

Surge, Anaiah Press

Blurb:

After the sudden death of her parents, making it through the day is a struggle for Amber Megan Peel. In the midst of her grief, an exquisite bird perches on her garden fence and shows her visions of a vivid landscape and a dark lord slouching upon a throne. She thinks the visions are tied to her sorrow. But when a boy flies through her kitchen window to tell her she’s the Last Stored, she wonders if she’s just lost her mind.

Cree of Din is tasked with one job: Bring Amber home. For seven years, Cree has trained as her protector and it is the ultimate responsibility. Failure means Amber’s certain death, and that’s not an option for Cree – especially since he’s falling in love with her.

The Returning has begun. Now all Amber and Cree have to do is enter Tali, a world of unimaginable splendor and equally unimaginable horror, and defeat Lorthis. If they can’t, not only will Tali plunge into darkness, but so will Earth.

Release Date:

January 6, 2015

…..and now…for THE LAST STORED trailer!

 

Book Links:

Add to Goodreads

Anaiah Press: www.anaiahpress.com

Author Bio:

 

Sonia Poynter is a homeschooling teacher, an active youth volunteer, and a writer.  She grew up traipsing through the thick woods of Kentucky often getting lost in the magic of the forest. The woods inspired her heart and her father and mother, a Kentucky Colonel, cultivated her love for storytelling. For Sonia every day is an adventure, providing her with an endless parade of eccentric characters and vivid worlds. Currently, she lives in the sleepy community of Pittsboro, Indiana, with the love of her life and God has blessed them both with three amazing kids.

Author Links:

Website: http://twowillowswriter.blogspot.com/

Twitter: www.twitter.com/SoniaPoy

Facebook: www.facebook.com/SoniaPoynterAuthor

Goodreads: www.goodreads.com/user/show/8009965-sonia-poynter

In Which I Share Some News and Ask for Help

Real quick, because my coffee’s almost ready…

1.  I recently signed my second book with Anaiah Press. GRIT’s sequel is slated to come out in August 2015. Editing like crazy over here to meet my first deadline!
2. The cover reveal for GRIT OF BERTH AND STONE happens in ONE WEEK! Seriously excited to share the prettiness with the world! If you have a blog and would like to participate in the cover reveal or any other promotion of the book, please click HERE. I’ve done a few of these for other authors, and it’s super easy – cut and paste easy.
3. If you’re interested in more updates, please check out my Author Facebook Page.

Thanks for reading, and extra thanks to any who help spread the word about GRIT OF BERTH AND STONE. It still amazes me that my little book has made it so far!

Cover Reveal: THE LAST STORED by Sonia Poynter

 

The Last Stored by Sonia Poynter

Surge, Anaiah Press

 

Blurb:

 

After the sudden death of her parents, making it through the day is a struggle for Amber Megan Peel. In the midst of her grief, an exquisite bird perches on her garden fence and shows her visions of a vivid landscape and a dark lord slouching upon a throne. She thinks the visions are tied to her sorrow. But when a boy flies through her kitchen window to tell her she’s the Last Stored, she wonders if she’s just lost her mind.

 

Cree of Din is tasked with one job: Bring Amber home. For seven years, Cree has trained as her protector and it is the ultimate responsibility. Failure means Amber’s certain death, and that’s not an option for Cree – especially since he’s falling in love with her.

 

The Returning has begun. Now all Amber and Cree have to do is enter Tali, a world of unimaginable splendor and equally unimaginable horror, and defeat Lorthis. If they can’t, not only will Tali plunge into darkness, but so will Earth.

 

Release Date:

January 6, 2015

Book Links:

Add to Goodreads

Anaiah Press: www.anaiahpress.com

Author Bio:

 

Sonia Poynter is a homeschooling teacher, an active youth volunteer, and a writer.  She grew up traipsing through the thick woods of Kentucky often getting lost in the magic of the forest. The woods inspired her heart and her father and mother, a Kentucky Colonel, cultivated her love for storytelling. For Sonia every day is an adventure, providing her with an endless parade of eccentric characters and vivid worlds. Currently, she lives in the sleepy community of Pittsboro, Indiana, with the love of her life and God has blessed them both with three amazing kids.

Author Links:

Website: http://twowillowswriter.blogspot.com/

Twitter: www.twitter.com/SoniaPoy

Facebook: www.facebook.com/SoniaPoynterAuthor

Goodreads: www.goodreads.com/user/show/8009965-sonia-poynter

Guest Post by Robert A. Polk, Author of OPERATION TREE ROPER

 

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Today I have the privilege of introducing you to Robert A. Polk, author of the Middle Grade novel, OPERATION TREE ROPER: AN EYE ABOVE. When asked what I’d like Robert to blog about, I remembered the pang of parental anguish – and ultimately triumph – I’d felt upon reading that Robert’s daughter had influenced the creation of his main character, Declan. I wanted to know more about his personal experiences and the message he hoped to deliver through this story. Thank you, Robert, for sharing a bit of your story.

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Robert: Thank you so much for having me on your blog this week, Lisa. I’m going to get a little personal in this post in order to share a bit about the creation, or actually, the discovery, of my book’s main character. You see, OPERATION TREE ROPER would not exist without the influence of my children, especially my third child. She was born with only one eye.

When she was an infant and toddler and we’d be out in public, people would often come to see the cute little baby and then awkwardly hasten away when they saw her face. Those people weren’t trying to be mean, they simply didn’t know how to address us without focusing on her absent eye.

She’d never respond to people’s questions and comments which were frequently directed toward me anyway and often phrased something like “What’s wrong with her?” Can you imagine a child growing through early years of life and hearing and seeing those comments over and over? She’s learning about herself from the expressions on the faces of the people around her. So what if her parents always focused on her strengths and lovingly accepted her as a beautiful and strong young child. The larger world around her saw her differently. She noticed.

I noticed, too. She was still an infant, with two toddler siblings when it sank in much deeper, what an important role her mother and I should play in our children’s lives. We had to find that correct balance of sheltering, nurturing and supporting that each of our children required to grow into confident and capable individuals. When my first three children were very young, I began telling them, “It’s more important how you act, than how you look.” I still remind my children that.

In crafting Declan, I did not so much create him as I tried to hear him. And I tried to hear him through the experiences and emotions of my own children.

When I began writing the first draft, Declan was too shy and defensive. Although that was a necessary portion of his personality, its significance diminished as the story evolved. While this did fit his age and attitude, I began to see that it was only a small part of him.

As the book evolved through the revision stages, I heard more clearly Declan’s sense of humor, intelligence, and fortitude. I recognized his family devotion and fierce loyalty to his siblings in my own children, in particular, my third child. Declan was becoming more multidimensional, and I was seeing moments of stubborn strength and courage in the face of adversity.

I hope everyone who reads OPERATION TREE ROPER will have opportunities to consider that the value of other people might just be how they act, rather than how they look.

OPERATION TREE ROPER: AN EYE ABOVE 

By Robert Polk

Adventures, Anaiah Press

Twelve-year-old Declan Parker was only born with one eye, but all he seems to have trouble seeing in proper perspective is himself. All he wants is for kids to see him as normal before he starts a new school in the fall. To that end, he sets out to make money helping with his dad’s tree care business.

Unfortunately, when his dad lands in the hospital after a climbing accident, Declan’s surgery hopes are wrecked. His only hope remains in a neighbor girl and her uncle, a wounded army veteran. Can they help him save his dad’s business, or will Declan’s once-courageous drive turn into total despair?

Operation Tree Roper: An Eye Above is a well-crafted story about a strong, dauntless young man who redefines the value of self-reflection. Declan is a character you won’t be able to forget.

Welcome to your new favorite book…

Release Date: October 7, 2014

Buy Now!

Amazon | B&N | iTunes | Smashwords 

Add it on Goodreads!

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/22388584-tree-roper

 

Read Chapter 1 Here: http://www.anaiahpress.com/Roper.html

Author Bio:

Robert Polk lives in western Nebraska where he shares his love of books and the great outdoors with his wife and seven children. He is a former school counselor, business owner, and tree climbing arborist. Robert participates in his church and local community, currently serving on several non-profit boards. 

Website | Twitter | Goodreads

 

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