Twentynine Palms Book Festival: Romance Books Author Panel

Twentynine Palms Book Festival

DATE: SATURDAY NOV 9th AT 2:45 PM

LOCATION: 29 PALMS COMMUNITY CENTER

6547 Freedom Way, · Twentynine Palms, CA

CHECK THE BOOK FESTIVAL AGENDA

Festival Agenda

 29 PALMS BOOK FESTIVAL 

Nov 9: EXPLORING THE DIVERSE APPEAL OF ROMANCE FICTION AMONG MODERN AUDIENCES. 

Join Jayce Carter and Ariella Moon, two distinct voices in the world of romance fiction, as they delve into the unique allure of the genre for younger generations. Jayce, known for her contemporary and paranormal romances featuring strong-willed women and the red-flag men who love them, contrasts with Ariella, whose shamanic experiences inspire magical tales of medieval Scotland and contemporary paranormal adventures. Together, they will explore what draws new audiences to their differing styles and how romance fiction continues to captivate across different worlds and narratives.

Learn More

See you there!

Ariella Moon

The Unwedding by Ally Condie: Book Review

 

Ally Condie did so many things well in The Unwedding, a Reese’s Book Club selection, that I didn’t expect to have any criticism. The short, crisp chapters and hook endings propel the reader through the story of Ellery Wainwright, who reluctantly takes a solo trip to the Broken Point resort in Big Sur, a trip she was supposed to take with her husband to celebrate their 20^th wedding anniversary.

 

That was before Luke asked Ellery for a divorce and took up with a girlfriend.

 

Condie does an excellent job of depicting a blindsided woman who had maintained hope despite mounting warning signs her marriage was beyond repair. She also perfectly captures a setting I know well: Big Sur resorts and the destructive storms that too often wipe out roads and communication in the area. In The Unwedding, a storm at Broken Point echoes the tempest within as Ellery, unmoored by her husband’s actions, also remains guilt-ridden by a past tragedy.

Isolated from her family and best friend because of the torrential rain, Ellery is alone at a resort where, compounding her heartache, a big wedding is about to begin.

 

When Ellery discovers a dead body, she thinks, not again. But as a fellow guest warns, there is never just one murder.

 

Brava to Condie for creating a page-turning mystery. She left enough clues to make the eventual reveal of a murderer feasible. But a few chapters later, when what appears to be an abrupt continuity error occurs and is followed by a lot of conjecture, I was thrown out of the story.

 

Despite its messy third act, I still recommend The Unwedding. See if you reach the same conclusion I did.

Happy reading!

Ariella Moon

 

 

Witchcraft to Wordcraft: Saturday's Writers Forum

 Happy Witchy Wednesday!

I look forward to seeing many Coachella Valley authors this Saturday, October 5, 2024, when Eduardo Santiago will interview Jayce Carter and Ariella Moon.

To learn more or to register for this free event: CLICK HERE

In the meantime, don't forget to download your FREE Kindle ebook, Spell Check, Book 1, The Teen Wytche Saga. Offer ends October 5, 2024.

Happy writing!

Ariella Moon

The Halloween I Became Radioactive

I still remember the year when Halloween loomed like a ticking clock. The heads of nuclear medicine at two hospitals had tried to convince me swallowing radioactive iodine was my only medical option.

Did I mention I am deathly allergic to iodine?   

                                                      

I purchased bags of candy in advance of becoming radioactive. We assured our neighbors I would be quarantined in the back bedroom and bathroom, far from the Kit Kats and Reese's Peanut Butter Cups.

On Halloween morning, I trailed a grim-faced head of nuclear medicine down a nearly empty hospital corridor, shuffling as though bound for the gallows. We entered a small restricted chamber. After consulting my file, which I noticed had ATTORNEY stamped in red block letters across every page, the doctor used three-foot tongs to extract a radioactive vial from a lead-lined canister.

"Swallow this."

"You first."

He was not amused.

That night, my husband (the aforementioned attorney) placed a heaping candy bowl on the front porch, then took our daughter trick-or-treating. I had a vision of a giant nuclear symbol on our front door. Others must have sensed the invisible symbol, too, because even the after-hours marauding teenagers bypassed our house.

Years later, Halloween became the ticking clock in SPELL CHECK, Book 1, The Teen Wytche Saga.

The Kindle Edition of SPELL CHECK is free October 1- 5, 2024. All four TWS novels are available in Kindle Unlimited and in paperback.

Happy reading, and happy Halloween!

~Ariella Moon

AMAZON

DOES SOMEONE IN YOUR NOVEL NEED TO DIE?

 "Mauled Men, Drowned Dames and Crispy Critters;

 a Body Disposal Primer for Writers"

Presented by Jeanne Adams for the Palm Springs Writers Guild

Thursday, September 12. 1:00 - 3:00 Pacific Standard Time

DOES SOMEONE IN YOUR NOVEL NEED TO DIE?

You’re writing your fabulous novel and, as you go on, you realize you absolutely HAVE to kill someone to make the plot work. In order to bring that hero/heroine together, or tear them apart, and tangle everyone up over wills, funerals, murder, mysterious death or serious mayhem, someone’s got to die.

Once you’ve silenced that nagging dead guy, then what? You have to do SOMETHING with the body, but what? Whether or not you want the forensics, murder, death or dis-appearance to be central to your story, there is that annoying dead guy to dispose of. Discover the pernicious particulars of body disposal and how to trip up your characters, throw them together or drive them apart with the particulars of the business of death.

To learn more or register, CLICK HERE About Jeanne Adams Jeanne Adams writes award-winning romantic suspense, paranormal and urban fantasies, as well as space adventure that’s been compared to the works of Robert Heinlein and Jack McDevitt. She’s a sought-after speaker, teaching classes on body disposal for writers, worldbuilding and collaboration, plotting for pantzers and how to write a fight scene that works! Jeanne lives in Washington, DC with her husband and two growing sons, as well as three dogs – two Labs and an Irish Water Spaniel. Don’t tell, but she’s prone to adopting more dogs when her husband isn’t looking. You can find her books on all major platforms, and connect with her on the web at: www.JeanneAdams.com I am SO looking forward to this online writing lab! Hope to see you there! To learn more or register, CLICK HERE Happy writing! Ariella Moon

I Loved Simply the Best by Susan Elizabeth Phillips

Need a mental health break? Head to the library or your favorite bookstore!

Simply the Best: A Chicago Stars Novel by Susan Elizabeth Phillips is a fun read with a colorful cast of eccentric characters, delightful dialogue, and a murder mystery with well-crafted red herrings.

 

Rory Garrett is a broke chocolatier, and a rootless failure when compared to her overachieving football star half-brother. Despite their sibling rivalry, Rory still tries to protect Clint by setting a trap to expose his avaricious girlfriend, Rory’s neighbor, Ashley.

 

Brett River, Clint’s highly successful, hyper-focused sports agent, is wary about Ashley and warns Clint she is after his money. When Ashley breaks up with Clint, the heartbroken football player blames his agent. Brett, for whom failure isn’t an option, is afraid he will lose his high-value client, especially after Brett realizes the mystery woman he hooked up with is Clint’s sister.

 

On the surface, Simply the Best is an entertaining opposites-attract romance and whodunit murder mystery. But wait for it… Susan Elizabeth Phillips has a jaw-dropping surprise waiting below the surface. Once you get it, you will happily realize she did warn you. Well played, Ms. Phillips!

 

My Writing Progress

The third book in my Two Realms Trilogy is currently with my editor.

What to write next? I am torn between writing a spin-off novella for the Two Realms, a short story for The Teen Wytche Saga, or something new! Brain overload... I may need to head back to the library to clear my head.

Happy reading!

~Ariella Moon

Book Review: Another Great Novel From A.J. Finn!

END OF STORY

By A.J. Finn

 

I loved A.J. Finn’s debut novel THE WOMAN IN THE WINDOW. Now I am ecstatic over his second novel, END OF STORY.

 

Finn is the master of mysterious protagonists, plot twists, and surprise endings. In END OF STORY, terminally ill crime novelist Sebastian Trapp invites his longtime correspondent Nicky Hunter to visit him and write his life story. Nicky hopes the reclusive author will reveal the truth about the night, twenty years ago, when Trapp’s first wife and son mysteriously vanished.

 

Finn seamlessly shifts between multiple points of views: Nicky’s, Sebastian’s, Sebastian’s daughter, and his second wife’s. San Francisco and Sebastian’s eerie manor house provide palpable backdrops to the past and present mysteries. END OF STORY kept me guessing until the end, although I did figure out a major plot twist just before it was revealed. END OF STORY is a page-turning cat-and-mouse mystery that will leave you in awe of Finn’s writing.

MY WRITING UPDATE

The third novel in my Two Realms trilogy is in the capable hands of my fabulous editor, Barbara Millman Cole. Yay! 

Haven't read the first two novels or the Two Realms companion novella? 

THE BELTANE ESCAPE, 

THE AMBER ELIXIR, and 

THE VIKING MIST can be read for free with Kindle Unlimited, or purchased in ebook or paperback. 

Happy Reading!

Ariella Moon