you’ll find snippets, as well as the link to each full post, below:
What inspired you to write the Land of Twilight Trilogy?
I am a child of divorce and know how difficult it can be to navigate the issues that accompany divorce. I also know that my faith in Jesus is what brought me through severely difficult times in my childhood. It is for these two reasons that I wrote this trilogy. I want kids to know they are not alone and that they have an ever-present Help to rely on and rest in.
Moving to Phoenix, Arizona felt like the worst thing that could happen to Lorna. Leaving her home and friends in California was the hardest thing she’d ever done in her life.
“This story has some fun mythical characters and Twilight is an interesting place. I like the friendship that built between Sam and Lorna. I really like the illustrations. They are awesome. . . . The characters are well-developed and it’s easy to feel their emotions. . . . I recommend this book to everyone who enjoys a great adventure.”
Lorna looked down and saw that the ground was as blue as a sky on a clear day. She grabbed a clump of grass and dirt. It felt like grass and dirt, but the color was all wrong. And the sky? The sky was green like the color of summer grass. Looking at the sky was a lot like looking at the world through a green glass bottle.
Jenny turned her attention to a pack of six chocolate doughnuts sitting on the shelf in front of them. Flicking her hair from her face, she stared back at Lorna. “I dare you to put those doughnuts in your bag and walk out.”
Lorna frowned. “What do you mean…without paying?”
Lorna sighed. Warm tears slid down the sides of her face. She felt lonelier than she had ever felt in her entire life. Sam knew she’d mistreated him. He was no longer her friend, and now Jenny was ignoring her, too. Ally hadn’t written or called her in over a month. She was probably loving her new town and school. She’d probably long forgotten Lorna wasting away in Phoenix. She had no one.
Lorna wiped her eyes with her free hand and smiled at her grandmother. “You can’t always be with me, grandma. I haven’t seen you for so long!”
Grandma Nila smiled and shook her head. “I’m not talking about me, Lorna Loon, although I will be with you as much as I can. I’m talking about the Savior. He is always with you, not just in places like this.”
Stealing a quick, concerned glance at Sam, Lorna asked, “What are you talking about, Trix? What is the Whatever?” Lorna made quote marks with her fingers.
“The Land of Twilight is dying. The Whatever has taken over and Twilight is dying!”
“It was so good from the first moment Lorna is introduced to Sam being introduced. I loved every moment of it. Ms. Hafen did a great job of spinning this tale. I am giving this novel five stars and recommend it to any parents that think that their child would love this book.”
“What did you mean when you said that the Whatever is invisible to those who have no faith? Faith for what?” Lorna hung on to this question as if it where the last one she would ever get to ask. She couldn’t get it out of her mind.
“Each book is filled with lively characters that boys and girls will be able to relate to, they also go through many of these situations that our youth today are going through . . . Truly inspirational books for young kids today! I would highly recommend this whole series!”
“That’s Socrates! Oh my gosh! I can’t believe this.” Lorna was more excited than she’d been in days. Things were getting good. Would a mystery be revealed in the darkness?
Journey to Twilight
(Land of Twilight Trilogy #1)
By Charmayne Hafen
Middle Grade Fantasy
Paperback & ebook, 113 Pages
November 1st 2019 by Capture Books
Sam and Lorna’s bike challenge becomes far more than a neighborhood race in this action-adventure fantasy for intermediate grades.
Riding over a cairn at sunset, Lorna surfaces in Twilight, where she is given three impossible tasks to complete before her heart’s desire is granted.
Story Line: Avid sixth-grade mountain biker, Lorna Wilson, moves to Crestwood, Arizona, after her parents’ divorce. Unpacking, Lorna seeks a way to fit into the new crowd when a girl named Ally knocks on her front door.
Splashing in the pool at Ally’s house, Lorna learns about the bike challenge created by a scar-faced neighborhood legend, Samuel Black. She hears herself boasting that she can take on Samuel Black in his own race and win. Lorna’s words quickly come back to bite her.
Although none of the kids will root for the new girl, an ancient cairn opens to the Land of Twilight giving Lorna an opportunity to win anything her heart desires.
Thematic: Time travel ages 9-12; action-adventure; Female protagonist survives parents’ divorce; confidence and friendship; conflict opens to opportunity; Celtic; Jamaican; Multi-racial; coming of age fantasy for pre-teens with some paranormal, magical or mystical places and events. Intermediate grades. Book 1 in a series.
Return to Twilight(Land of Twilight Trilogy #2)
By Charmayne Hafen
Middle Grade Fantasy
Paperback & ebook, 142 Pages
January 21st 2020 by Capture Books
In this second book of the Land of Twilight Trilogy, seventh-grade Lorna struggles with the meaning of friend like, how to be one, how to choose one, and how to keep one.
Lorna rejects her dad, deceives her mom, and turns her back on the ethereal Land of Twilight. She even turns on her best friend, Sam, in favor of gaining the attention of a new girl in the neighborhood, Jenny. Lorna sheds her own social norms, stealing and hiding as she pretends to enjoy her second year in challenging Crestwood, Arizona.
It has to be Sam’s turn to do what true friends do.
An exciting read for readers ages 9-13 who enjoy Celtic mythology, magic, and busting the dust of the Arizona desert with your best friend.
Trouble to Twilight(Land of Twilight Trilogy #3)
By Charmayne Hafen
Middle Grade Fantasy
Paperback & ebook, 129 Pages
April 1st 2020 by Capture Books
How can the most colorful world in the universe turn hapless and gray?! That’s what mystifies both Sam and Lorna.
Trix falls from the Land of Twilight, showing up at the discarded camper shell in the Arizona desert where Sam and Lorna are making their secret plans.
Trix and Melvin focus on the Land of Realtime because the lives of both Lorna and Sam have interwoven with the Land of Twilight. How can the four unravel themselves?
A tragic accident forces Sam to again realize that life can change suddenly. Now he and Lorna must rethink what in life is most important to them.
History, philosophy, and faith enter the scene through interdimensional time travel. The Land of Twilight Trilogy is filled with adventure and supernatural elements for readers ages 9-12. With its relatable characters and fast-moving plot, Sam and Lorna discover their priorities. As Sam faces unbearable consequences, he learns the bonds of true friendship and personal truth are real.
Readers are given not only an interesting story filled with allegorical elements about the meaning of faith, but are also challenged to think about their own ideas of reality and meaning.
About the Author
One winner will receive an ebook of Journey to Twilight and a $50 Amazon eGift Card
Open internationally
Ends April 30, 2020
you’ll find snippets, as well as the link to each full post, below:
Thank you for joining in the book tour for Her Surprise Cowboy!
Are you ready for a springtime romance? The hills around the Northern California town of Shelter Creek are green and lush. The staff at the Shelter Creek Wildlife Center is busy rescuing baby bunnies and a cute fox. And Trisha Gilbert, a single mother who works at the center, is enjoying the good weather and more time outdoors with her baby son, Henry. . .
Liam and Trisha meet!
That night with Trisha had somehow saved his life. And now she was here. It was almost impossible to comprehend, but when he blinked and looked again, there she was, staring at him with an expression that resembled horror.
Liam glanced around to see Jace and Vivian watching him with quizzical expressions on their faces. How long had he been standing here, lost in memories?
Trisha was so still, she looked like she’d quit breathing. Liam pulled air into his lungs in silent sympathy. “Trisha.” It wasn’t much, but it was all he could manage.
“Claire McEwen gives readers and education in wildlife management and welcomes them into the wild beauty of the Northern California landscape. From the friendships to the meddling of the book biddies to the romance, it’s the people of Shelter Creek that leave their mark.”
In this excerpt from Her Surprise Cowboy, Trisha is trying to avoid Liam after she spots him in the grocery store.
Trisha hadn’t expected her first step to happen so soon. She wasn’t ready. Her emotions had been rubbed so raw during her conversation with Becca that the moment she spotted Liam in the Shelter Creek Market, she almost burst into tears.
That was why she was hiding behind the potato chip display, waiting for him to finish choosing milk in the dairy section. Trisha peered around the corner again. How could anyone take so long picking out a carton of milk? She pretended to examine the ingredients on a potato chip package while she waited, heart thrumming hard in her veins.
“No matter how long you stare at those, they’re not going to get healthy.”
“. . . well written and a fun read for relaxing. The characters are well-defined and seem so real. There is slight humor and serious, plus fun, situations.” – LAWonder10
“This is a wonderful story. I love the way Liam and Trisha find each other again. . . . The characters are well-developed and it is easy to feel their emotions. . . . I highly recommend this story to others who enjoy great relationships and learning new things.” – Vickie
“Author Claire McEwen does a really nice job of weaving the past together with the present in a way that readers can connect. And since I have only read one of the previous books in this series, I was able to keep up with the characters and the plot with no problem. . . . This is a sweet story of forgiveness and a chance at life neither of them expected. If you love sweet Heartwarming drama, this is a great one for you.”
“It is always interesting when a father comes home to a child. Even more so when he is surprised to be a dad. I really like this series because the author weaves in the characters from previous books in the series, even the non human ones. . . . I can not wait to read more from this series and author.”
“It has been a while since I have read a romance, and Her Surprise Cowboy by Claire McEwen is perfect. The characters are well developed, and the story came together fabulously. I loved the ending. All in all, my rating is five stars. I highly recommend this to all readers of sweet romance.”
“Her Surprise Cowboy was such a fun “surprise daddy” story! . . . I loved the changes that occurred in both Trisha and Liam throughout the novel as they learned to trust each other and opened their hearts to love.
Even though this is book three in the series, readers should have no trouble jumping into this wonderful cast of characters and beautiful setting.”
Trisha bumps into Liam at the grocery store.
Trisha set her shopping basket down and went to retrieve Liam’s basket from where it lay on its side. She collected the cans that had flown out. “You have a dog?” She waggled the can of dog food she’d just found.
“Yup.” He was looking at her with such a serious expression that Trisha braced herself. Did he know about Henry already? He was still standing in the milk. He gingerly stepped out of the puddle, onto dry linoleum.
“I’m truly sorry I bumped into you.” She needed to leave, to get away from his hazel eyes, and the way he was studying her so carefully. It was disconcerting how familiar his face was. There was the curve of his lower lip, the faint stubble blurring the line of his jaw, the thick lashes and tousled curly brown hair. She remembered, suddenly, how soft it had felt under her fingers. Yet he was a complete stranger.
“Her Surprise Cowboy is a sweet story of love and family, truth and secrets, ranching and wildlife. It proved a pleasure to spend time in Northern California with Trisha and Liam as their complicated romance unfolded; I enjoyed it immensely—I’m sure other readers of contemporary-cowboy romances will enjoy it, too.”
“Her Surprise Cowboy is a book that I found very interesting. I loved the place that Trisha work at that took care of the wild animals. Especially the part about the coyotes. . . . I also enjoyed the Book Group called Book Biddies that were all friends of Trisha. They were so much fun and cared for Henry and Trisha.”
“This was a delightful romance of two people learning from their biggest mistakes and embracing life and who they have become due to them.”
Liam talks with Monique, local hairdresser and member of Shelter Creek’s Book Biddies, about the baby son he’s just learned about the night before.
Liam was petting Ranger’s head and pondering a tree when the unfamiliar woman sat herself right down on his tailgate.
“That’s a pretty nice tree,” the bleached-blonde lady said as she sat down. “A coast live oak. I love their twisting silver trunks. This one must be a few hundred years old.
Startled by her presence, Liam scooted over to make more space for her. “I was just thinking that. How much it’s seen. All the weather and people’s lives…” Liam realized he was revealing his inner thoughts to a total stranger. “I’m sorry, I guess you caught me in a strange mood. What can I do for you?”
Liam visits Tricia and Henry for the first time.
Liam folded his big frame to sit cross-legged. He seemed to take up most of the space in the living room. He set up some of Henry’s blocks close to him. Henry crawled over and waved a pudgy arm to knock them down. Then the baby took a block and put it in his mouth. “I’m not sure that’s for eating, big guy.”
“It’s okay for now. I’ll get his teething ring back out of the freezer in a few minutes.”
Liam glanced at her ruefully. “I didn’t even know they got teeth this young. I have a lot to learn.”
“Her Surprise Cowboy is a sweet & tender romance with layered characters and a heartwarming subplot, particularly if you are interested in wildlife rescue. Watching Liam embrace the role of “daddy” is as swoony and endearing as you might expect, and so is the romance between Liam & Trisha. A story that draws you in, characters that capture your heart, and just the right amount of humor and warmth.”
“There is a certain layer of joy in reading a story about second chance romance . . . McEwen has such a wonderful way of tucking you into her character’s lives and giving you a reason to take up residence beside them as [they’re] working out their problems. Although the circumstances within Her Surprise Cowboy aren’t ideal they are realistic and it is how she showed the willingness to grow and the ability to right wrongs is what rooted me in the pages of the novel – whilst having this beautiful community of Shelter Creek fully represented and present.”
“5 Teacups filled to the brim for Claire McEwen’s Sweet, country, western romance Her Surprise Cowboy! If you love a good western and a good Hallmark movie, then this is the book for you! I absolutely fell in love with the characters in this amazing tale . . .”
Trisha and Liam go on their first family outing
Trisha went to put Henry in the stroller, but Liam held out his arms. “Can I carry him for a bit?”
She hesitated, anxiety whispering vague warnings in her ears. “Well, I guess. Just watch your step.”
He shot her an amused look. “I’m fairly good at walking.”
“I know, I’m just—” she sighed, hating to admit it “—overprotective. Everyone teases me about it. Maya, Vivian, all the ladies in my book club.”
She set Henry carefully in Liam’s hands and he nestled Henry on his hip, his arms around him, just like she carried him. At least he’d been watching her. He was trying.
“Her Surprise Cowboy is a wonderfully written contemporary romance about forgiveness, fresh starts, starting over and rebuilding trust that is sure to bring a tear to even the most cynical of eyes. Claire McEwen imbues her story with plenty of hope, warmth and heart and has penned a love story that will lift the spirit and make readers smile. . . . A first class romance that will steal readers’ hearts, Her Surprise Cowboy is a terrific page-turner by Claire McEwen.”
Her Surprise Cowboy
Linked to Amazon affiliate links.
Life: 1. Brenna James: 0.
An AWOL talent, an enemy-occupied hometown, and a Life Shade boyfriend—Brenna James just wants something to go right. Although her family has been given sanctuary in Syeira, Brenna will never be safe as long as Rune is hunting down and killing Firebrands.
Can someone please wake her up already?
When a prophecy sends Brenna and Baldwin on a confusing quest, they aren’t sure where to begin. They must find the Caelestis Staff, a powerful object that both cuts and mends space itself. Rune wants it too, and he’ll use any lethal tactics necessary to obtain it.
Yeah, nightmare material right there.
A traveling oasis, plenty of man-eating mermaids, and one Skeleton King later, Brenna seriously doubts she has the edge she needs to confront Rune. When Brenna’s faced with the biggest test of her life, will she burn like the Firebrand she is? Or will she burn out?
Author Bio:
J. M. Hackman loves thunderstorms, bookstores, and happy endings. She’s never met a reading nook she didn’t like and prefers soul talk to small talk. When she’s not writing, she spends time with her two munchkins and her handsome husband who supports her in this crazy profession. Her days are filled with writing stories, consuming massive quantities of dark chocolate, and looking for portals to other worlds. You can find her at www.jmhackman.com.