March 1st – Release of The Couples Guide to Pregnancy & Beyond (will be offered in paperback and e-book) *Already have major endorsements behind it!
Fall 2012 – If You Wore the Uniform… You’re a Brown Volume 1 (will be offered in Collectible Hardcover, Paperback and e-book) *Great endorsements from notable sports figures
The January 2012 issue of Palm Springs Life Magazine (with Glenn Close on the cover) features Stormy Knight in the Word Association section! Thank you, PSL!
My latest article for my column is the start of a new series featuring career options off the beaten path for kids to consider. Just in time for the spooky Halloween season, here’s the first cool and creepy career feature.
Robbie Knievel is in town this weekend for a stunt and I was quoted in the article that made the front page today. : )
Here are a few of the endorsements that have already come in for my next book, “The Couples Guide to Pregnancy and Beyond.” It will be released in paperback and e-book Spring, 2012!
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“…just what the doctor ordered. There are a thousand books on pregnancy geared to the expectant mother, but until now, not one that addresses the expectant dad in a format that he’ll actually read. It’s straight-talking, humorous and written in “guy talk”, while being sensitive enough to address the expectant mom’s questions and concerns. A true he/she bonding opportunity! Two thumbs up!” — Dave E. David, M.D. Nationally recognized Board Certified Obstetrician and creator of the video “Making Womb For Baby” http://www.drdavedavid.com
“We love this fun and refreshing approach to calming pregnancy fears for moms and dads.” — Ellie & Melissa, co-founders of the nation’s #1 maternity concierge and consulting company and planning experts for WebMD, DisneyFamily, Baby Zone, and Pregnancy Magazine. http://www.thebabyplanners.com
“A must-read if you’re expecting. Duffy and Zakour share the honest truth about those exciting nine months and beyond. Spiced with humor, their suggestions will truly help expectant parents understand each other and what’s happening in baby’s first apartment—the womb!” — Blythe Lipman, author of “Help! My Baby Came Without Instructions,” host of the Baby and Toddler Instructions radio show, and expert with 25+ years of experience in the field. http://www.babyinstructions.com
“A practical, delightful book chock full of valuable guidance for the expecting couple and gives them an expert map to embark on life’s greatest adventure.” — Stevanne Auerbach, PhD., Dr Toy Author, Smart Play Toys, http://www.drtoy.com
“A great approach to a very challenging subject, and a book every father-to-be should read. Having gone through the magic of having children twice, I would have appreciated this direct yet light hearted approach to preparing for the big day.” — John McPherson, Author, “Ten Simple Rules for Being a Better Parent in a World Turned Upside Down” http://www.tensimplerules.net
It’s an hour long and the interview starts at about the 11-15 minute mark… talking about The Couples Guide to Pregnancy and Beyond (Blue Leaf, Spring 2012).
I’ll be on air doing a radio interview with my co-author today, discussing pregnancy and babies! : )
For an a blog post on picky eaters, you can read it here.
It’s the special 70th Anniversary 2 disk edition and it’s only $5.49 right now on Amazon.
The Wizard of Oz (Two-Disc 70th Anniversary Edition)
Despite feeling under the weather today, I ventured out to the Orange County Book Festival this morning and promoted Stormy Knight a little. Here’s my article recap with a few photos and video. For those that aren’t aware, it’s the World’s Largest free Children’s Book Festival.
Stormy Knight Prom Queen of the Undead has been reviewed again; this time by Katharine Russell. I really like how she broke the story down.
“Duffy and Zakour deliver action-packed scenes peppered with spot-on teen dialogue…” – Katharine Russell
I just got word from my publisher that Stormy Knight Prom Queen of the Undead has hit bestseller status according to OmniLit!
Hurray! Stormy Knight Prom Queen of the Undead is currently featured over at Kindlegraph. Thanks, Kindlegraph!
I’m the new Palm Springs Parenting Editor over at Examiner. I’ll be posting some of my article links here from time to time.
Great news! For those that have purchased the e-book version of Stormy Knight: Prom Queen of the Undead, I can now autograph copies of it for you for FREE! Just go to this site and put in your request. It will come with a personalized message just for you.
I put together a crossword puzzle that I have used during classroom visits. For Stormy Knight fans, you can download and print your own copy. FREE Stormy Knight Crossword Puzzle
Here’s the cover of my next book, “due” Spring 2012! It’s called Couples Guide to Pregnancy & Beyond, He Says, She Says.
You can buy a copy of Stormy Knight: Prom Queen of the Undead at Wegman’s Grocery Stores! Here’s a list:
345 Eastern Blvd. Canandaigua, NY 14424
745 Calkins Rd. Rochester, NY 14623
6600 Pittsford-Palmyra Road Fairport, NY 14450
3195 Monroe Avenue Rochester, NY 14618
4276 Lakeville Road Geneseo, NY 14454
24 Bridge Street Corning, NY 14830
2157 Penfield Road, Penfield, NY 14526
3177 Latta Road Rochester, NY 14612
6660 Fourth Section Road Brockport, NY 14420
3175 Chili Avenue Rochester, NY 14624
500 South Meadow Street Ithaca, NY 14850
650 Harry L. Drive Johnson City, Ny 13790
300 Hamilton St. Geneva, NY 14456
675 Alberta Drive Amherst, NY 14226
5725 Sheridan Drive Williamsville, NY 14221
945 Fairmount Avenue West Jamestown, NY 14701
Just a reminder that the e-book version of Stormy Knight: Prom Queen of the Undead is currently on sale for only .99. Click the BUY THE BOOK link at the top or on the side an it will take you to a list of places to purchase it (Amazon, Barnes and Noble, Smashwords).
EXCITING! Just found out that San Diego’s book store Mysterious Galaxy has Stormy Knight on their list of books “that’ve caught our attention, and we don’t want to escape yours.” : )
Stormy Knight: Prom Queen of the Undead e-book version is on sale for only .99 right now!!! In honor of back-to-school time and getting kids into meeting their reading minutes for school, the price is been dropped temporarily. Even if you do not have a Kindle or a Nook, you can STILL download the e-version and read it on your computer – for ONLY .99! It’s available at Amazon, Smashwords and Barnes & Noble websites. Just click the BUY THE BOOK link to the right for direct links.
I’m quoted on the CNN website this today in the article entitled, “Ten Ways to Get Kids to Eat Their Veggies.”
I’m working on the second round of edits for The Couples Guide to Pregnancy (He Says, She Says). This was a fun book to write. It’s slated for release… or shall I say ‘delivery’ Spring 2012.
I did an hour long author presentation today and really enjoyed it. It’s really fun to see students get excited about writing! I wasn’t able to get any photos today, but the kids asked some great questions!
Today, I’m the guest blogger over on Kourtney Heintz’s Blog. Stop on by and read my article about the benefits of writing with a co-author.
I just got word that Stormy Knight: Prom Queen of the Undead has been nominated for an Award! Please CLICK HERE TO VOTE for this title as a portion of the final decision is weighed by how many 5 star votes it receives. It’s FREE to vote. You just have to click this link and then CLICK on the 5 e’s that are in BLUE just under the title. Make sure you click on the LAST ‘e’ so that the saying next to it says, ‘You gotta read this.’ That’s it! You can also leave a positive review about the book if you’d like, underneath, but that isn’t required to vote. PLEASE VOTE 5 “E’s” Thank you!!!
I was contacted by NBC Universal letting me know that they’d like to feature me in their Mother’s Day story on iVillage about the first time mom’s realized they were a mom. The piece just went up on the site and you can view it here. I’m slide #1. : )
- Shannon
Today is the official release date for Stormy Knight: Prom Queen of the Undead! 
Two recent reviews:
“With a nod to Buffy, this whimsical chick-lit urban fantasy is an entertaining tale due to the heroine who wants to live life as an ordinary teen, but fate keeps forcing her to use her paranormal skills to perform good deeds. A quirky support cast, a reluctant heroine and a spell caster who doesn’t know the consequences of his actions makes this a character driven charmer…”
Harriet Klausner for Alternative Worlds
“I really enjoyed this book. I was completely entranced with the great characters. This is the type of novel that you can really sink your teeth into…has a great plot and reaches outside of the box… pleasantly surprised by the level of emotions shown by the characters….”
Catie Vargas for Night Owl Reviews
Working on book edits for Couples Guide to Pregnancy in my outside office today. : ) There’s a little bit of fresh snow up on the mountain peak. It’s in the 80′s here today.
Stormy Knight is set to debut May 1st, but Amazon.com has already begun shipping orders for it. I just checked rankings of the paperback version and as of this morning, it’s ranked at 35,214 out of over 8 million books! The stats change regularly, but it’d be awesome to end up on one of their Bestseller Lists. To those that have been spreading the word through Facebook and Twitter and word of mouth, thank you! I’ve made it super easy to do so – click on the BUY THE BOOK link to the right – - – -> near the top (next to my picture) Once you are on that page, you can scroll down under the video book trailers and there will be little icons for Facebook, twitter, etc. Click on one of those and it will allow you to write a little blurb and then share the direct ordering link right on Facebook, or other social media websites. You can also print out free Stormy Knight bookmarks from that page, too!
Yesterday was my birthday, so I had the cover of Stormy Knight put on the cake. It turned out really cute.
Stormy Knight: Prom Queen of the Undead is now available to download at Smashwords, too! You can also read a sample for free.
I wrote the article below for the local newspaper website for their ‘reader blog’, but since they have it ‘under editorial review’ right now, I’m going to go ahead and post it up here. Do you have any firsthand accounts with Devore shelter you can share? Please post below in the comments section.
For the past few weeks, I’ve been reading some mind-boggling posts that have come through Facebook regarding an animal shelter here in Southern California called Devore. Phrases like, “the armpit of shelters” and “hellhole for animals” are a couple of the comments made about this place sprinkled amongst desperate pleas by animal advocates looking for a rescuer to take yet another discarded pet that’s waiting at death’s door. Well, this morning i decided to google this shelter and am sick to my stomach reading what I have read. From the story about a doggie rescued from there a few days ago that was recovering from being fixed and was sewn up with WIRE to the animal control loser by the name of James Hensley. Just type in his name and the word Devore to read the eye witness account of him kicking and beating a helpless little doggie so bad it left blood all over the place. Yeah… and this guy still got to keep his job. More stories to follow… can you stomach it? I know I sure can’t. I do know that I’m not afraid to put the word out there though.
Be the voice for those that don’t have one…
Do you have a firsthand account of animal abuse or neglect associated with a shelter? Please leave a message or contact me for a more in-depth story I am working on. Must be willing to be quoted and have firsthand account.
Stormy Knight Prom Queen of the Undead is now available as an e-book for the Barnes and Noble Nook! The other e-book versions (Kindle, etc.) will be available in the coming days. The e-book version is only $3.99!
Stormy Knight for Nook (e-book)
Stormy Knight: Prom Queen of the Undead
If you click on the BUY THE BOOK link to the right, you’ll see the newest book trailer at the bottom of the three!
