Goodereads Giveaway Winners announced

If you signed up for a chance to win one of my picture books through the Goodreads Giveaway program, Thank You.  I was offering 4 copies each of both picture books and I was overwhelmed by how many people thought they looked interesting enough to go through the hoops required to sign up. 1727 people total. Unfortunately there could be only 8 winners.  I wish I could afford to share more now, as I think of each copy out there in the worlds a hard working ambassador, teaching kids to love books and telling the world to look at what else I have written.

 For the Rainbows Around Us book of colors

The Winners are

Kathryn D. of Merseyside GB
Wheeler C. of Espanola NM
Arvinder S. of West Midlands, BG
and
Jan B. of Everett, WA

And the winners for Moonrise are

Alan B. of West Sussex GB

Kkritika V. of Haryana India

Greg D. of West Midlands GB

and

Christina D. of Hamilton, New York

Again, Thanks to all who participated and spread the word.  Now hoping for at least a couple book reviews posted.  Fingers Crossed.

Free Ebooks for Kindle from Me with update on progress

 From Feb. 26 until March 2nd, there will be two of my books available for free kindle Downloads.

Amazon's Dixie Dawn Miller Goode Page has the links! You can view it at:

http://www.amazon.com/-/e/B004458ES2

 Of course it seems crazy to work for years and then give that work away for free when you only ask a bit less than people would pay for a cup of coffee anyway, but once I heard the quote that says every book copy that you get out into the hands of the reading public is like your own personal ambassador to the world, encouraging good-will and getting themselves seen and getting you in the public eye, I saw the logic behind the trend to give away books.

Book Description For Duffy Barkley Is Not a Dog

Remember being with a group of friends where you felt safer and more included than you had ever felt at home, friends you had always wanted, who made you look around with a lump in your throat, wishing you could stop time? They were a lot like the groups in all the popular stories. They were the reason people love MASH, Harry Potter, Narnia, Friends, The Lord of the Rings , etc. They were a group of imperfect, overwhelmed and harassed people who became winners because they didn't have to face the overwhelming odds, alone. Even in the face of dark wizards, popular girls, bad hair days or War, they had each other's back. When one of them had a weakness, another had a strength to balance it out. When one was a jerk, someone else saved the day, and forgave them eventually. Now times are turning more difficult again. The world needs that kind of support. We need a source of encouragement so that we can find a way to be that kind of support when we are needed. As times are dark, people look for a reason to laugh, love and hope again. Duffy Barkley is not a dog, a middle grade fantasy, gives you those friends, that escape, that voice of hope in the darkness. Duffy is alone, handicapped, desperate. He is picked-on, lost, & yet, never defeated. In the most alien of places he finds friends. In the most dire of emergencies he finds courage. In the most evil of villains he finds compassion and a solution. In giving away what he most needs, he gains everything. Duffy, a 9 year old boy with cerebral palsy, survives tragedy in the form of a school shooting in which his younger sister is seriously injured. Falling into a new world, he regains his health but finds himself the focus of historic prophecy. While trying to deny his place in their prophecies he discovers his own abilities & changes his life & that of others in both worlds. He enjoys being physically strong but must give it up to save the villain, and find his way back to save his sister, Izzy.

Book description for Double Time: on The Oregon Trail

The past and present meet on the Oregon Trail when two girls travel the same trail with the same lap desk 152 years apart. Kenyon is traveling in 2002 from Pittsburgh to Salem, OR. Her mother is pregnant and staying behind to close escrow on the house and then flying west to join the family. Kenyon; her 5 year old sister, Melissa and her father are in a Dodge Caravan, with a trailer hitch. Her Grandfather has given her a plain, black polished ebony wooden lap desk lined with a scented wood that still smells faintly of cedar. The box is filled with thick, creamy paper, envelopes, a calling card, a hand mirror, pens and pencils and a small Swiss army knife, postage and an electronic address book. Her Grandfather is not moving with them but plans have been made for him to fly out in December for a visit. Kenyon strongly resents being expected to entertain Melissa at the motels in the evenings. Her father has decided to take the long way and show his girls some of the wonders of this country and Melissa is excited but Kenyon is determined to not have any fun. Traveling in 1850, Della, age 15, has already traveled from Northern Illinois to St. Louis, then a week by steamboat on the Missouri River. She stopped in Independence, MO to prepare for the journey and meet with the wagon train. She left behind her 60 year old grandmother who feels too old to attempt the trip, but who gave her a gift of a wooden lap desk. The desk is filled with paper, a small mirror, wooden handled pens with steel nibs, a metal letter opener, hair pins and a small sewing kit. Her younger brother, Orville, her father, and her pregnant mother are traveling with her. She has been asked to teach the younger children around the campfire in the evenings. What happens when they open the desk to see the other girls journal?

So if you choose to take advantage of the free offer, I hope you tell others about the books, I'd love it if you post a review on Amazon or Goodreads, I'd be happy if you but the Duffy Barkley: Seek Well sequel and Most of all, I hope that you have as much fun reading them as I did writing them

Love Middle Grade Actually

Because my passion is books for middle grade and young adults, and because I am completely in love with a book called, The Ninja Librarian by Rebecca M. Douglass

http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_ss_i_0_14?url=search-alias%3Daps&field-keywords=the+ninja+librarian&sprefix=the+ninja+libr%2Caps%2C210

I reviewed her book awhile back and am looking forward to the sequel which she promises me she is making progress on, :)

My review here:

http://www.amazon.com/review/RDSRQHQOGG3KB/ref=cm_cr_rdp_perm?ie=UTF8&ASIN=1468198491&linkCode=&nodeID=&tag=

and she is involved in this project, 

I am delighted to be able to tell you about a middle grade sampler

http://www.amazon.com/Love-Middle-Grade-Actually-ebook/dp/B00B2KEI32/ref=ntt_at_ep_dpt_2

ABOUT THE BOOK

WIN A KINDLE FIRE (Value of $159!) WIN A $10 AMAZON GIFTCARD! WIN GREAT MIDDLE GRADE BOOKS!

Download this e-book, find the secret phrase, and enter it into the contest link embedded in the e-book to be entered into the draw to win a Kindle Fire, a $10 Amazon Gift Card or a great middle grade e-book from one of 14 fantastic authors!

Treat yourself and your kids with a special gift this Valentine's Day! This is a sample of 14 exciting middle grade stories that you will love and with the chance to win an e-reader.

Competition opens 7 February 2013 and the winner will be announced on 14 February 2013. This e-book will be available to download for free for 5 days from the 7^-11^th of February and at 99c for the remaining days of the promotion. The winners will be drawn on 14 February 2013 and announced shortly thereafter.

Whether you like fantasy, adventure, mystery or humor, "Love Middle Grade Actually" gives you a taste of it all!

This sampler includes:

Sally Harris - Diary of a Penguin-napper (3 weeks, 2 boys, 1 little penguin - what could possibly go wrong? Inspired by the urban myth that it is possible to steal a penguin from the zoo on a school visit using just a backpack!)

SW Lothian - The Golden Scarab (When JJ discovers the secret of time travel at his dad’s museum, he finds himself catapulted back to ancient Egypt with his best friend, smack-bang at the centre of an action-packed race against time and living statues to find the sacred Golden Scarab.)

Nikki Bennett - Four Fiends (Join Jinjing, Pietro, Saburo and Kate as they explore exotic lands, defeat evil demons, and discover the true meaning of friendship.)

Scott Clements - Gasparilla's Treasure (A fast paced adventure novel following Trip Montgomery on his quest through historic St Augustine, Florida to find the treasure of famed pirate Jose Gaspar.)

Paul R. Hewlett – Lionel’s Grand Adventure: Lionel and the Golden Rule (Meet Lionel, a lovable bully-magnet, as he arrives in Larrystown and discovers a magical Three-Toed-Potbellied Walbaun foot.)

Julie Anne Grasso - Escape from the Forbidden Planet (Caramel Cinnamon thought the worst day of her life was the day her grandparents, the King and Queen of the Elves of Cardamom went missing. She was wrong!)

Natalie Bahm - The Secret Underground (Anxious to forget the bank robbery she witnessed, twelve-year-old Ally joins her brother and the rest of the neighborhood boys (including the cutest boy in her class) in digging a secret tunnel to an abandoned steel mill.)

Jeff Bilman – Super Ninja Alien Robot Monsters (Ninja fighting, half-robot, half-monster aliens from Alpha Centauri have come to destroy the Earth. Are two bickering brothers the world's only hope?)

Jemima Pett - The Princelings and the Pirates (A simple mission to solve a problem with the winery turns into a nightmare as our guinea pig heroes, Princelings Fred and George, are captured by pirates, rescue a damsel in distress, and get more than they bargained for in the battle of Dimerie)

Rebecca M Douglass – The Ninja Librarian (Skunk Corners is a dusty, tough, unfriendly town until the Ninja Librarian—a mild-mannered librarian who offers his wisdom with a little extra when folks don’t listen—gets off the train and moves into the library).

Adam C. Veile - The Dreamcatcher Adventures: Greedy Jack Wallace (When the ghost of his rowdy Wild West ancestor appears, seventh-grader Blake Monroe joins him in the search for a hidden treasure, but they soon discover a deadly outlaw is in pursuit and they’ll be lucky to escape with their lives!)

Krista Michelle Breen - Knockout: The Hermit's Escape (When Phillip Brooks’ new horse leaves him face down in the mud, he soon discovers something very strange is going on inside the old hermit Bert Massey’s house.)

Stanley & Katrina - The Perpetual Papers of the Pack of Pets (Cat and Dog. It is a love/hate relationship. Enter the inner psyche of these creatures as they try to peacefully coexist within the same house. Cleverly written. Hilarious antics.)

Anna Olswanger - Greenhorn (Greenhorn is a powerful story that gives human dimension to the Holocaust. It poignantly underscores our flawed humanity and speaks to the healing value of friendship. )

DOWNLOAD YOUR COPY AND ENTER TO WIN!

IMPORTANT LINKS AND HASHTAGS

Love Middle Grade Actually on Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Love-Middle-Grade-Actually-ebook/dp/B00B2KEI32 or permalink http://amzn.com/B00B2KEI32

Entry page for the promotion: http://lovemgactually.blogspot.com.au/ but don't go here first as There is a restriction on the Rafflecopter page that means that readers must know the secret phrase to be able to enter. They may then add additional entries by liking any of us on Facebook or following on Twitter.  They will also get extra entries by tweeting about the competition and hopefully spreading the word further.

Twitter hashtag to use for this promotion: #lovemg 

Other hashtags to spread the word further: #kidlit #mglit #amreading #mmgm (And any others that you have at your disposal!)

Free on Kindle for a short time

Duffy Barkley, The protagonist of Duffy Barkley Is Not a Dog, has returned in the sequel, Duffy Barkley: Seek Well.  Now 11 years old, he cannot remember the events that happened the first time that he was in Uhrlin, or a time when his Cerebral palsy was cured, or when he flew.  But those memories are breaking through and Uhrlin remembers him and is calling him back.  He can't remember why he is fascinated by Guatemala, or anything about a giant, bald, orca colored mer-woman with the voice of an angel.  But he has to seek her.


For 5 days this book is free on kindle

http://www.amazon.com/Duffy-Barkley-Tales-Uhrlin-ebook/dp/B005CQ5Z8E/ref=ntt_at_ep_dpt_3 

and the first book in my series is only 99 cents on kindle at

 http://www.amazon.com/Duffy-Barkley-Tales-Uhrlin-ebook/dp/B004478F5M/ref=pd_sim_kstore_1?ie=UTF8&m=AG56TWVU5XWC2

Remember being with a group of friends where you felt safer and more included than you had ever felt at home, friends you had always wanted, who made you look around with a lump in your throat, wishing you could stop time? They were a lot like the groups in all the popular stories. They were the reason people love MASH, Harry Potter, Narnia, Friends, The Lord of the Rings etc. They were a group of imperfect, overwhelmed and harassed people who became winners because they didn't have to face the overwhelming odds, alone. Even in the face of dark wizards, popular girls, bad hair days or War, they had each other's back. When one of them had a weakness, another had a strength to balance it out. When one was a jerk, someone else saved the day, and forgave them eventually. Now times are turning more difficult again. The world needs that kind of support. We need a source of encouragement so that we can find a way to be that kind of support when we are needed. As times are dark, people look for a reason to laugh, love and hope again. Duffy Barkley is not a dog, a middle grade fantasy, gives you those friends, that escape, that voice of hope in the darkness. Duffy is alone, handicapped, desperate. He is picked-on, lost, & yet, never defeated. In the most alien of places he finds friends. In the most dire of emergencies he finds courage. In the most evil of villains he finds compassion and a solution. In giving away what he most needs, he gains everything. Duffy, a 9 year old boy with cerebral palsy, survives tragedy in the form of a school shooting in which his younger sister is seriously injured. Falling into a new world, he regains his health but finds himself the focus of historic prophecy. While trying to deny his place in their prophecies he discovers his own abilities & changes his life & that of others in both worlds. He enjoys being physically strong but must give it up to save the villain, and find his way back to save his sister, Izzy.

 

Springtime and Free books

 I am in a great mood today, Springtime is making itself felt all around me, in the blooms and the new green growth, in the warmer temperatures and the violent spring storms we have here in the Redwood Coastal area.

 I wanted to share a bit of what excites me about my book this week, after I announce that there were four winners of our St. Patrick's Day giveaway, who each will be getting a paperback copy of Duffy Barkley is Not a Dog.  Ann LeFevre, Lubna, Tricia Reynolds and Catherine Warthan.  For everyone else who entered (56!!) Thank you, and this week you can get the kindle version for free from Monday 3-19 through Friday 3-23

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B004478F5M/ref=pd_lpo_k2_dp_sr_1?pf_rd_p=486539851&pf_rd_s=lpo-top-stripe-1&pf_rd_t=201&pf_rd_i=1452836779&pf_rd_m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&pf_rd_r=0FD39B76233SBS486JH1

 My Book is also being featured this week on Goodreads Book Review program at http://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/838228-brp-2-duffy-barkley-is-not-a-dog-by-dixie-dawn-miller-goode connecting author to readers 

 I love the way this overblown tulip arrangement speaks to me of, "this getting old is not for whimps" but that there is much that is beautiful once the prime of life is past, anyway.

St. Patrick's Day Luck

 Hey, just a reminder that if you are interested in something to read, there is a free book giveaway, with books from six authors included with the drawing on St. Patricks Day. You can sign up for anytime before that, and one of the choices is mine.

http://writersparty.com/contests/

So Breathe. Remember it is a beautiful world, and Books help us live more than one life in it.

The Luck Of The Irish to you!

Thinking, and Giving Away Books in Paper and in Kindle

• 

    I think a lot, as I face the fact that this stage of my life has to change, and I really don't want it too, I had spent so long trying to get pregnant, and to adopt, and I loved being a mom to little kids, but when I adopted and found out I was pregnant too, it meant that they both were grown together, and after graduation in June, my husband and I will find ourselves rattling around in a much emptier house.

     It has been as a stay at home mom/writer/1/2 time substitute teacher that I defined myself, but suddenly the stay at home part is me alone while the husband and boys are out and about. At first that was a rare treat, but now it's a rut. I think I'm trying to test out my thoughts on getting back into full time teaching after 13 years away, or full time in a different job. The writing is fun, but not a money maker, some months I make as much as one day subbing, but not usually. You know, I'm depressed because the one choice I'd make in a heartbeat is to rewind time and relive the last 18, wonderful years, and I feel like I've fulfilled my goals but don't have new ones yet.

   Remember your blessings, and I'll remember mine. Hey, if you are interested in something to read, there is a free book giveaway on St. Patricks day that you can sign up for anytime before that, and one of the choices is mine.

  http://writersparty.com/contests/

  So Breathe, remember it is a beautiful world.  Have a Happy Sunday,
• Yesterday was my day of rest so except the normal firewood hauling, I did not work out. But then there was Jonathan's message this morning, if you took Saturday off, make sure you get in a work out today. I swear he knows my mind 

  
  
  

  

  
  
  
  

  

  
  
  
  

  

  

  Last night was bitterly cold, so the wood stove didn't really keep the house warm, and I woke up at 4:30 with my nose feeling frozen from being out from under the covers, fortunately my grandma's old quilt had the rest of me toasty warm.

  I have leftover roast beef and potatoes, carrots and onion, and leftover marinara sauce and more veggies and that is my favorite way to start a big kettle of minestrone soup, and this is sure soup weather.

  At work, I have my books on kindle on sale so For the next 5 days, my second book, Duffy Barkley: Seek Well will be free on the kindle at

  http://www.amazon.com/Duffy-Barkley-Tales-Uhrlin-ebook/dp/B005CQ5Z8E

  and the first book on kindle is always only 99 cents
  http://www.amazon.com/Duffy-Barkley-Tales-Uhrlin-ebook/dp/B004478F5M

  and at school we had the funnest time on friday, there had been a contest in a k-8 school to see which class could log the most minutes reading. The second grade won, so the principal gave each second grader a can of silly string, then he climbed on the stage in front of them and allowed them to spray him, they were good aims and his whole face was covered and the fumes were thick but the laughter was thicker.

  So Good to hear kids laugh.