Award-winning books & reviews

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Snow on Bald Mountain by Linda Wood Rondeau with Elk Lake Publishing released Aug. 2017. This novelette is a sequel to the critically acclaimed, Miracle on Maple Street. Ryan McDougal’s wife informs him she’s pregnant. To find better housing, he accepts a job as a caretaker for an eccentric, elderly woman. He wonders why she never leaves her home and seems fixated on three mysterious photographs that line her mantel. But pregnancy complications arise, Ryan finds himself on his knees one more time. Available now in print. Ebook to follow soon. For review contact Linda Wood Rondeau lindarondeau@gmail.com. **********    …

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Express Line Prayers

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Express Line Prayer By Darlene Franklin Waking up early is one thing. Waking up for a date with a needle is another. “Good morning!” A cheerful, African-accented voice called out. “I’m here to draw your blood.” I placed my right arm on top of the blankets and closed my eyes so I didn’t have to watch. Needle sticks often took three attempts or more. My hands and arms stayed black and blue from broken blood vessels. I prayed that somehow, this time would go more easily. Imagine my surprise when I peeked and saw a vial filling with my blood….

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FOLLOWUP FROM FACEBOOK PARTIES

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Hello, it’s Darlene Franklin (http://darlenefranklinwrites.com/) again! I enter the marketing arena with some fear and trembling, since I sit at the knees of people are masters of the craft, such as my publisher, Cindy Hickey. But I also know that I do more social media marketing than many other indie published authors. So . . .I share what I’ve learned by trial and error. Something is working right. A popular and fun use of Facebook is a “party.” I’m not discussing how to hold the party today, but what next? How can you utilize the momentum from the party?

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USING UNUSUAL HOLIDAYS TO PROMOTE YOUR BOOKS

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Hi everyone! This is Darlene Franklin (http://darlenefranklinwrites.com/) in my first ever Marketing post for CAN. Do you ever wonder how to inspire interest in an older title? One that I’ve used with some success is finding unusual holidays. Of course we can use major, federal or Hallmark holidays, but for almost every book you can find a matching holiday. Consider the holidays between now and Christmas: MacIntosh Apple Day (Oct 3): Perfect for An Apple for Christmas, since the hero owns an apple orchard and is named “Mac”Intosh Cortland German American Day (Oct 6): Works for my three books featuring German…

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Tips from the Pros: Darlene Franklin

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Greetings from Sarah Sundin in California! How many times do we writers gripe about interruptions to our writing schedules? After reading Darlene Franklin’s interview, I realize how little I have to gripe about. This lovely multi-published novelist manages to be a productive writer, connect to her readers, and maintain a cheerful attitude—while living in a nursing home. I’m sure you’ll enjoy this chat with her. Darlene, how many books do you have published? What are a few of your latest titles? I’ve had forty books published or repackaged, plus another twenty books I’ve contributed stories and devotionals to. February has…

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Homefront Dreams by Darlene Franklin

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CLARINDA FINCH HATES CHANGE  As the newly elected mayor of Maple Notch, the war widow must lead her town through the dark days of World War II. But where she finds comfort in tradition, the town council insists on trying new ways of handling the homefront challenges. Her most untraditional opponent? Councilman Ralph Quincy…

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End Of The Trail – A New Release

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End Of The Trail by Vickie McDonough, Susan Page Davis, and Darlene Franklin    About End of the Trail: Brooks Morgan is quick on the draw, but his weapon of choice is his smile. He’s smart and witty and has charmed his way through much of life, but now that he’s growing older—and a bit wiser—he wants to stop drifting and settle down. He sees his chance when he wins Raven Creek Ranch in a poker game, but when he goes to claim his prize, a pretty, young woman with a shotgun says the ranch belongs to her. Brooks isn’t leaving…

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Tips from the Pros: Darlene Franklin

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Hello from Sarah Sundin on a crisp November day! Today I have the privilege of interviewing multi-published author Darlene Franklin. Darlene, how did you get into writing? I started writing daily in the wake of my divorce, twenty years ago. My first book was published in 2005. How many books do you have published? What are a few of your latest titles? I have fifteen books in print and five more in process. This fall I’ve had three books published: Lone Star Trail, book 1 in the Texas Trails Series; Christmas at Barncastle Inn, a contemporary Christmas anthology; and Knight…

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