DAY 4 IS HERE! PRP PRE-BLACK FRIDAY SALE AND GIVEAWAY!

All right! Here we are on DAY 4 of our wonderful PRE-BLACK FRIDAY SALE AND GIVEAWAY! Just take a look at what we've got in store for you today from our PAINTED PONY BOOKS and TORNADO ALLEY PUBLICATIONS imprints!

Let's start with JAMES J. GRIFFIN'S A RANGER TO RIDE WITH--the first book in his LONE STAR RANGER series! Available now for only .99!

Nathaniel Stewart’s life changes in the blink of an eye when his family is murdered by a band of marauding raiders. They’ve made one terrible mistake…they didn’t finish the job. Fourteen-year-old Nathaniel is very much alive and ready to exact the justice his mother, father, and older brother deserve.

Taken in by a company of Texas Rangers, he begins to learn what it means to survive in the rugged wilds of Texas. Each of the Rangers have something to teach Nate, as they come to call him, and he’s a fast learner. When some of the same raiders later return, Nate proves his mettle when he saves the Rangers from being ambushed and wiped out.

A RANGER TO RIDE WITH is the first story in the western series, LONE STAR RANGER. Look for A RANGER TO RECKON WITH, book 2, and all the others that follow!

From our TORNADO ALLEY PRESS imprint, ANGELA CRIDER NEARY'S LI'L TOM AND THE PUSSYFOOT DETECTIVE BUREAU: THE CASE OF THE PARROTS DESAPARECIDOS is on sale for only .99! Angela's debut novel is the first of a delightful series that you will not want to miss--for the cat lovers on your list, especially!

Someone is stealing the parrots of Telegraph Hill! San Francisco is plagued with a rash of exotic birdnappings, and it's up to Li'l Tom and Lola of the Pussyfoot Detective Bureau to track down the culprits and put an end to this sinister scheme. With the help of a motley crew of cats, one rat, and a dog, they'll venture into the dangerous back alleys of Chinatown to rescue the brilliantly plumaged captives!

LI'L TOM AND THE PUSSYFOOT DETECTIVE BUREAU: THE CASE OF THE PARROTS DESAPARECIDOS is a whimsical, all-ages mystery featuring a pair of charming feline detectives. Packed with action, humor, colorful characters, and vivid settings, it's a delightful reading experience for young and old!

And for our FREE offerings being featured today--RICHARD PROSCH'S WAITING FOR A COMET is available! FOR FREE! WAITING FOR A COMET is the first in Richard's incredible series of stories about Jo Harper's growing up years in 1910 Wyoming.

During the long, hot spring of 1910 it seemed all 12-year-old Jo Harper could do was wait. Wait for her father, wait for her friends, wait for the comet that might appear in the sky and wipe out the whole town of Willowby, Wyoming once and for all. But when wild west legend Abby Drake arrives in town lugging an orphaned baby calf, an old-fashioned revolver, and a mystery shrouded with superstition, it’s up to Jo to take action. Why is Abby in town? Who is she after? And what secrets can Jo coax out of her own arch enemy, Emily Bly?

Action, humor, and real life history combine for an exciting mystery about one girl’s summertime quest for family, friendship, and justice on the windburnt Wyoming range at the dawn of a new century.

Another wonderful story we're featuring today is RANDY LEE EICKHOFF'S THE DONKEY THAT CARRIED MARY. FOR FREE! This is from our PRAYERS AND PROMISES imprint, and what a great tale this is!

Sara is a blessed donkey with a magical story to tell! She has been with the Holy Family since before Jesus was born—for she was THE DONKEY THAT CARRIED MARY. From the seemingly endless journey to Bethlehem that long-ago night of his birth, to the dark day of his crucifixion, Sara bears witness to the most important happenings of all time. When she saves the Holy Family from two would-be robbers, Jesus grants Sara immortality—a gift she takes seriously. Never far from Mary’s side, Sara vows to protect her from other humans who would cause her harm.

Join Sara and Mary on their travels together in this unforgettable story for all ages. Who can say that animals cannot talk if they wish? Especially one as special as THE DONKEY THAT CARRIED MARY…

From teenagers to Grandma and Grandpa, everyone will love this story told by Sara, the donkey who carried Jesus’ mother, Mary, on their journey and lived out the long life Jesus promised her, always at Mary’s side. Not a Sunday school lesson, but a warm and funny story of animals and people that brings Biblical events alive in a new way.
—Judy Alter, WWA Hall of Fame writer and author of the Kelly O'Connell Mysteries


What a great bunch of stories we've got on sale! Remember, tomorrow is our last day of the "PRE-BLACK FRIDAY SALE" here at PRP! Be sure to snap up these great bargains, and spread the word to everyone else about these wonderful reads for .99 and FREE!

               


           

      

            

           

CALL FOR SUBMISSIONS: Memories from Maple Street, USA

Prairie Rose Publications is growing like the proverbial weed. After founding the historical western/western romance publisher in August 2013, Livia J. Washburn and Cheryl Pierson added Fire Star Press, Painted Pony Books, Prayers & Promises Publications, and Tornado Alley Publications. Each imprint publishes a specific set of genres, and all are devoted to nurturing new talent as well as offering established authors a publishing family, not just a book mill. All pay extraordinary royalties and give authors at all stages of their careers unprecedented input into cover design, content editing, and other aspects of the process in order to create reading experiences, not just words on paper.

The latest addition to the PRP family is Sundown Press. Launched in December 2014, Sundown is devoted to publishing traditional westerns and non-fiction written by both women and men. The imprint’s first non-fiction book, The Doctor’s Bag, will be released later this year. Authored by 40-year medical doctor Keith Souter, who writes popular western fiction as Clay Moore, The Doctor’s Bag is an indispensable reference manual covering all aspects of medicine and surgery in the 19th Century.

On May 14, Sundown will release its first novel, Kit Prate's The Outlaw, Billy Starbuck. Sometimes, history needs to be told by the men who make it. (The book is available for pre-order now.)

Today, Sundown announces its first call for submissions. Memories from Maple Street, USA, will be the first in a series of anthologies about real life.

Memories from Maple Street, USA

Theme: childhood memories
Length: 1,500 to 3,000 words
Deadline: September 1, 2015

Growing up is a miraculous time. The journey from the freedom of childhood to the workaday life of modern adults is filled with both poignance and wonder. Along with fond memories of pedaling bikes through honeysuckle-scented streets with a pack of neighborhood friends, playing “kick the can” and stickball on warm summer evenings alight with fireflies, and the inevitable loss of people and places dear to the heart, everyone experiences a seminal moment when he or she knows they’re leaving childhood behind.

Was there a turning point in your life when you realized the world had shifted and nothing would ever be the same? Sundown Press wants your story. From the touching to the humorous, the inspirational to the adventurous, if you have a childhood memory you’ll never forget, now is the time to put pen to paper and recount that special moment.

Editor-in-Chief Cheryl Pierson seeks original manuscripts from women and men across the spectrum and at all levels of writing experience. Unpublished writers are encouraged to submit. All stories must be true, first-person memoirs of 1,500 to 3,000 words. Do not send fiction or “as told to by” accounts.

Email completed manuscripts, along with a query letter, to Cheryl at prairierosepublications@yahoo.com. Please put MEMORIES FROM MAPLE STREET USA in the subject line.

Don't forget: All manuscripts must be in Times New Roman 12-point font, double-spaced, with one-inch margins.


Sundown Press also seeks submissions for how-to books, cookbooks, and other non-fiction works of all lengths. If you feel your manuscript would be a good fit for the imprint, please email it, along with a query and synopsis, to Cheryl at prairierosepublications@yahoo.com. For more information, visit the imprint's website.

HALLOWEEN READING FROM PRP AND A GIVEAWAY by CHERYL PIERSON

Just wanted to show off PRAIRIE ROSE PUBLICATIONS' lineup for this Halloween in case you've missed any of these! I'm giving away a PRINT COPY of TIME PLAINS DRIFTER to one lucky commenter! Be sure to leave your contact information so I can get hold of you if I draw your name. Meanwhile, have fun looking at all our company's offerings for readers of all ages--yep, we've got stories for middle grade readers on up through adults! Take a look and don't forget to comment!



What better way to spend Halloween than with some handsome cowboys and feisty heroines who are determined to fall in love despite their supernatural powers—or lack thereof? Halloween’s a good time to take a chance on love—and to see what these Cowboys, Creatures, and Calico Vol. 2 stories might reveal to the unsuspecting reader—YOU!

Cheryl Pierson’s Spellbound will have you on the edge of your seat as safecracker Brett Diamond and witch Angie Colton take on a border gang leader who is pure evil. Can Angie’s supernatural powers save them? No matter what, Brett and Angie are hopelessly Spellbound.

C. Marie Bowen’s Hunter and Lily Graham is an unforgettable tale of a beautiful school marm’s love for her children that surpasses all. When a Cajun bounty hunter known only as “Hunter” shows up, Lily Graham knows he, and no one else, can help her save a young girl.

Have Wand — Will Travel is Jacquie Rogers’s offering about a handsome young mage, Tremaine Ramsey, who has a wand and knows how to use it…sometimes. Will his magic be strong enough to pull off a daring rescue of his father from the evil Gharth? Or will he need the warrior Nora’s love to help him see his Fate through?

Will Kaye Spencer’s character, Mercy Pontiere, be able to break a centuries-old curse and find true love all at the same time? It all depends on Reid Corvane and what he’ll do For Love of a Brystile Witch.

In Kristy McCaffrey’s story, The Crow and the Coyote, Hannah Dobbin is after an evil Navajo sorcerer who murdered her father, and she’s determined to see him dead. But she’ll need a bounty hunter, The Crow—to help find this vile man. With Hallowtide upon them, more evil is afoot than they can handle; but love will find a way.

A failed bank robber, Tombstone Hawkins, along with a fake gypsy fortune teller, Pansy Gilchrist, set out to make both their deceased fathers proud in one final spectacular heist. Family Tradition is Kathleen Rice Adams’s tale of the discovery of true love amid the commission of a crime—or the failure to commit a crime—while being overseen by the ghosts of the couple’s fathers. How can there be a happy ending? It’s Halloween, and anything can happen!

http://www.amazon.com/Cowboys-Creatures-Calico-Cheryl-Pierson-ebook/dp/B00NVXNT5G/ref=sr_1_2?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1414127092&sr=1-2&keywords=cowboys+creatures+and+calico+vol



Halloween is here along with some romantic western-y ghost tales to share around a campfire! Cowboys, Creatures, and Calico, Vol. 1 is guaranteed to make you wonder what in the world–or in the “other” world—is going on. But are you sure you really want to know?

The Sheriff of Hel’n Gone by Lorrie Farrelly is a supernatural tale of a western lawman who must live one hellish Halloween night over and over, until a young woman from the future finds her way back to save him.

In Tanya Hanson’s The Bridesmaid, a bridegroom is doomed to marry a woman he becomes terrified of…but finds her bridesmaid is the love he’s been dreaming of. But will his sleeping or waking hours become his true nightmare?

Sarah J. McNeal’s The Beast of Hazard is a story about a predator that stalks the small community where veterinarian Joey Wilding practices. But is the vicious animal-killer on the loose of this world, or another?

Author Shayna Matthews makes a riveting debut with her tale of The Legend of Venture Canyon, about an exotic young woman who dances in the circus…where the show must go on—at all costs—and love survives everything.

Cher’ley Grogg’s story, Wild Injuns, Wicked Trains, and Cerulean Blue is an unforgettable tale of a young woman who comes west to get a sensational newspaper article and pictures, but in doing so, finds out that she will never leave.

Veteran author Linda Carroll-Bradd’s story, Wanderer, Come Home, is a poignant tale of the discovery of true love and trust amidst some strange Samhain happenings on a small farm.
http://www.amazon.com/Cowboys-Creatures-Calico-Volume-1-ebook/dp/B00NVX5Y2C/ref=pd_sim_kstore_1?ie=UTF8&refRID=0JCQB7GWADQ3Z8FG3S5R


Hank Renner enjoys summers and early autumns when he can escape his large family and spend time alone at the cow camp in the Bighorn Mountains. That is, until he starts seeing a beautiful woman with flaming red hair and brown eyes, who disappears as quick as the Wyoming sunshine. Questioning his sanity, Hank begins a search that just might lead him to his heart.

Annie Sullivan wants only one thing more than revenge for a rape and murder that occurred ten years ago…Hank Renner. Haunting the mountain, she’s kept watch over the handsome cowboy. But this year she did something she’s never done before, something that could change everything. She’s let the man see her—and exposed her soul.

Two lonely souls search for the truth that could solve a murder and a love that could resurrect their hearts.
http://www.amazon.com/Ballad-Annie-Sullivan-Kirsten-Lynn-ebook/dp/B00NREAG3M/ref=sr_1_3?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1414126229&sr=1-3&keywords=Kirsten+Lynn



In 1909 on All Hallows' Eve, three beautiful young sisters perished in a tragic accident…or was it? For years, citizens of Council Bluffs, Iowa would report strange sightings around Big Lake Park. Were the sightings due to over active imaginations…or something else? Over one hundred years later, Laynee Rodgers's car accident in the same location takes its toll on her memory, but she knows she isn't crazy. With the help of a psychic, she may remember exactly what happened to her, and unlock a century-old mystery in the process—if she only has the courage!
http://www.amazon.com/Belles-Crossing-B-J-Betts-ebook/dp/B00NW4DUVW/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1414126566&sr=8-3&keywords=b.j.+betts


FOR MIDDLE GRADE READERS!


Codi Jackson and her father have been forced to move again. Codi’s getting used to being the “new girl” in her fifth grade class—but that doesn’t mean she has to like it. Can’t life just be normal? With her mother out of the picture and her father working odd shifts as a police officer, friends are important—as long as they’re not the wrong kind.

When Codi and a classmate, Keith Wright, are assigned to work on a history project, Codi has to make some hard decisions about her popularity in her new school.
But everything changes when Codi picks up an old Texas Rangers badge that belonged to one of her ancestors and he appears right before her eyes! Her great-great-great-grandfather says he’s come to help her, but how? And how is she going to explain the ghost of her long-ago Gramps to her history project partner and her father?
http://www.amazon.com/Phantom-Ranger-Skateboard-Gang-ebook/dp/B00GYAOFU6/ref=tmm_kin_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&sr=8-1&qid=1414126735



GREAT READING FOR YOUNG ADULT READERS!

Halloween night can't get any worse when her boss, Joseph Clanton, is a no-show and Kelly is stuck closing up the Dairy King alone . . . or so she thought. A cryptic order from an empty room and late-season twister combine to make Kelly's Halloween night a truly unforgettable one by sending her spiraling back through the folds of time and depositing her smack in the middle of an ancient grudge match between none other than Wyatt Earp and Ike Clanton. Can Kelly survive the shootout in the streets of Old Amarillo while dodging Virgil's knife and denying Doc Holliday's romantic advances all while trying to find her way back home?
http://www.amazon.com/Shootout-Old-Amarillo-Sara-Barnard-ebook/dp/B00OPJXMMU/ref=sr_1_5?ie=UTF8&qid=1414190329&sr=8-5&keywords=Sara+Barnard

MORE PARANORMAL TIME TRAVEL STORIES FOR ADULT READERS!


Trapped in Indian Territory in 1895 by a quirk of nature, high school teacher Jenni Dalton must find a way to get her seven students back to the 21st Century. Handsome U.S. Marshal Rafe d'Angelico seems like the answer to her prayers: he is, after all, an Angel. In a race against time and evil, Rafe has one chance to save Jenni's life and her soul from the Dark One – but can their love survive? 4.5 Stars (Highest Rating) from Romantic Times Cheryl Pierson's fresh, well-crafted novel pits some unlikely heroes against evil incarnate. The characters are vibrant and tell a story of courage in difficult circumstances. An open thread invites a sequel. —Donna M. Brown Romantic Times
http://www.amazon.com/Time-Plains-Drifter-Cheryl-Pierson-ebook/dp/B00HS5ZNBG/ref=sr_1_1?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1414126879&sr=1-1&keywords=time+plains+drifter



When Lola Barton inherits a rundown plantation, she believes her life has finally taken a positive turn. But, when she finds a mysterious trunk in the attic, it takes her into the past and to a man with dark secrets—and she’s married to him.
http://www.amazon.com/Harmonica-Reluctant-Bride-Sarah-McNeal-ebook/dp/B00JVD40LW/ref=sr_1_1?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1414126955&sr=1-1&keywords=Harmonica+Joe%27s+Reluctant+Bride



Kate Kinsella has no choice but to go after Charley Barstow and talk some sense into him. After all, he’s skipped town, leaving a string of broken hearts and his pregnant fiancée, Agnes McPherson. But Kate didn’t count on being kidnapped by a band of criminals along the way!
Ethan Barstow is hot on his younger brother’s trail, too. He rescues Kate, believing her to be Charley’s fiancée, and suggests they try to find him together. Kate’s reluctance has him baffled.

All hell breaks loose when they discover Charley in search of a copper mine—not wishing to be found by anyone; certainly not Kate! But, then, Kate was always trouble—and now she’s brought it to his doorstep, with tales of a pregnant fiancée and his brother Ethan, who he hasn’t seen in five years.

Can Ethan and Kate ever find their own love and happiness with one another through the dark deception and hurt? Or will they both return INTO THE LAND OF SHADOWS…
http://www.amazon.com/Into-Land-Shadows-Kristy-McCaffrey-ebook/dp/B00H49GO8M/ref=sr_1_1?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1414127669&sr=1-1&keywords=Into+the+Land+of+Shadows

HALLOWEEN "OFFERINGS" FROM PRAIRIE ROSE PUBLICATIONS IMPRINTS by CHERYL PIERSON

Hi everyone! Well, Halloween is right around the corner and Prairie Rose Publications as well as some of our other imprints have some great stories to share with you! Some are new and some have been out a while, but you might have missed them. So be sure to scroll through this post and look at all our offerings that are already here or that will be coming SOON. The first thing that we're really excited about here at PRP is our double anthology set of wild west Halloween stories with a romantic flair! These are now available for pre-order at Amazon (Kindle) and will be released in print as well as digital venues on OCTOBER 2!



COWBOYS, CREATURES, and CALICO VOLUME 1:

Halloween is here along with some romantic western-y ghost tales to share around a campfire! Cowboys, Creatures, and Calico, Vol. 1 is guaranteed to make you wonder what in the world–or in the “other” world—is going on. But are you sure you really want to know?

The Sheriff of Hel’n Gone by Lorrie Farrelly is a supernatural tale of a western lawman who must live one hellish Halloween night over and over, until a young woman from the future finds her way back to save him.

In Tanya Hanson’s The Bridesmaid, a bridegroom is doomed to marry a woman he becomes terrified of…but finds her bridesmaid is the love he’s been dreaming of. But will his sleeping or waking hours become his true nightmare?

Sarah J. McNeal’s The Beast of Hazard is a story about a predator that stalks the small community where veterinarian Joey Wilding practices. But is the vicious animal-killer on the loose of this world, or another?

Author Shayna Matthews makes a riveting debut with her tale of The Legend of Venture Canyon, about an exotic young woman who dances in the circus…where the show must go on—at all costs—and love survives everything.

Cher’ley Grogg’s story, Wild Injuns, Wicked Trains, and Cerulean Blue is an unforgettable tale of a young woman who comes west to get a sensational newspaper article and pictures, but in doing so, finds out that she will never leave.

Veteran author Linda Carroll-Bradd’s story, Wanderer, Come Home, is a poignant tale of the discovery of true love and trust amidst some strange Samhain happenings on a small farm.


COWBOYS, CREATURES, AND CALICO VOLUME 2:

What better way to spend Halloween than with some handsome cowboys and feisty heroines who are determined to fall in love despite their supernatural powers—or lack thereof? Halloween’s a good time to take a chance on love—and to see what these Cowboys, Creatures, and Calico Vol. 2 stories might reveal to the unsuspecting reader—YOU!

Cheryl Pierson’s Spellbound will have you on the edge of your seat as safecracker Brett Diamond and witch Angie Colton take on a border gang leader who is pure evil. Can Angie’s supernatural powers save them? No matter what, Brett and Angie are hopelessly Spellbound.

C. Marie Bowen’s Hunter and Lily Graham is an unforgettable tale of a beautiful school marm’s love for her children that surpasses all. When a Cajun bounty hunter known only as “Hunter” shows up, Lily Graham knows he, and no one else, can help her save a young girl.

Have Wand — Will Travel is Jacquie Rogers’s offering about a handsome young mage, Tremaine Ramsey, who has a wand and knows how to use it…sometimes. Will his magic be strong enough to pull off a daring rescue of his father from the evil Gharth? Or will he need the warrior Nora’s love to help him see his Fate through?

Will Kaye Spencer’s character, Mercy Pontiere, be able to break a centuries-old curse and find true love all at the same time? It all depends on Reid Corvane and what he’ll do For Love of a Brystile Witch.

In Kristy McCaffrey’s story, The Crow and the Coyote, Hannah Dobbin is after an evil Navajo sorcerer who murdered her father, and she’s determined to see him dead. But she’ll need a bounty hunter, The Crow—to help find this vile man. With Hallowtide upon them, more evil is afoot than they can handle; but love will find a way.

A failed bank robber, Tombstone Hawkins, along with a fake gypsy fortune teller, Pansy Gilchrist, set out to make both their deceased fathers proud in one final spectacular heist. Family Tradition is Kathleen Rice Adams’s tale of the discovery of true love amid the commission of a crime—or the failure to commit a crime—while being overseen by the ghosts of the couple’s fathers. How can there be a happy ending? It’s Halloween, and anything can happen!


AVAILABLE FOR PRE-ORDER NOW!
COWBOYS, CREATURES, AND CALICO VOL. 1 preorder here: http://www.amazon.com/Cowboys-Creatures-Calico-Lorrie-Farrelly-ebook/dp/B00NVX5Y2C/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1411743017&sr=8-1&keywords=Cowboys%2C+Creatures+and+Calicos

COWBOYS, CREATURES, AND CALICO VOL. 2 preorder here: http://www.amazon.com/Cowboys-Creatures-Calico-Cheryl-Pierson-ebook/dp/B00NVXNT5G/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1411743017&sr=8-2&keywords=Cowboys%2C+Creatures+and+Calicos

OPEN CALL FOR SUBMISSIONS FROM PRP AND TAP! by Cheryl Pierson

CALL OUT FOR SUBMISSIONS FOR HALLOWEEN STORIES!



Hey everyone! Prairie Rose Publications is now accepting submissions for their Halloween anthology, COWBOYS, CREATURES AND CALICO! This is a western historical romance anthology, and we would love to see what you can dream up about Halloween in the old west. Stories should be 10K-15K in word length, and the heat rating can be anything from sweet (candy corn) to spicy (red hot tamales!) No erotica is accepted. The deadline for your submissions is September 1, 2014! Do you have a Halloween tale for us? Please let us know! Submissions are received at fabkat_edit@yahoo.com or prairierosepublications@yahoo.com. We look forward to taking a look at your submissions!

SUBMISSIONS DEADLINE: SEPTEMBER 1, 2014

WORD COUNT GUIDELINE: 10K-15K

SUBMIT TO: prairierosepublications@yahoo.com or fabkat_edit@yahoo.com






MY DOG CAN DO MAGIC!—Middle Grade Readers—(ages 9-12)

Do you have a good idea for a fantasy or sci-fi story about a dog? That’s what we’re looking for in this anthology for MIDDLE GRADE READERS (9-12). If you have a story that tugs at the heartstrings or shows the excitement and bond in a relationship between a boy or girl and their dog, we’d love to see it! The possibilities are endless: a stray dog becomes a young girl’s best friend – but he’s got “something special” about him; a young boy is given a dog…though what he really wanted was a horse—or so he thought! These are just a couple of ideas, but your imagination is boundless with what “could be”. Dogs are magical anyhow, but in this collection, these dogs have a true bit of magic they’re able to use now and then! What magic will your dog have? Can he speak like a human? Does he sense trouble before it happens? We’d love to have a look! Spots are limited! Please send a cover letter and blurb along with your submission.

SUBMISSIONS DEADLINE: SEPTEMBER 1, 2014

WORD COUNT GUIDELINES: 8K-10K

SUBMIT TO: prairierosepublications@yahoo.com or fabkat_edit@yahoo.com




IT COULD HAPPEN--New Adult Category--(Ages 18-24)--PARANORMAL/HALLOWEEN THEME

Love happens in the most unlikely places, to the most unlikely people. This anthology will be a collection of stories about characters that fall in love under odd circumstances--one of them is not what he/she appears to be. With a paranormal or Halloween theme in mind, we want your best tale about what might happen when your human character falls in love with one that's not--a werewolf, shapeshifter, vampire, angel...or demon--or anything else you might think of! The young college girl who falls for a cruise ship entertainer who happens to be a vampire; or a chauffeur, who falls for the daughter of his millionaire boss--a beautiful woman who is immortal. It could be as simple as an odd coincidence, a stray glance or being caught in a summer downpour that sets the story in motion.

Common theme in all stories will be a photograph. Example: maybe your heroine is a celebrity of some kind and a photograph of her is on the front page of the paper; or maybe your hero sees a photograph on the heroine’s wall that was taken with her older brother—whom he mistakenly believes to be his “competition”. The photograph can play a major role or be mentioned in passing—it’s up to you however you want to use the photograph YOU imagine! It can play any part in this unlikely love story.

We are excited about this collection for a recently-recognized readership—new adults—ages 18-24. We’re anxious to see how your characters fall in love—and what they do about it! Please send a cover letter and blurb along with your submission. Keep in mind that these stories should be set in contemporary times.

SUBMISSIONS DEADLINE: SEPTEMBER 1, 2014

WORD COUNT GUIDELINE: 10K-15K

SUBMIT TO: prairierosepublications@yahoo.com or fabkat_edit@yahoo.com

Announcing Prayers & Promises Publications

There’s a new publisher in town—or, more correctly stated, a new imprint.

Prayers & Promises Publications is a new division of Prairie Rose Publications. Devoted to publishing inspirational fiction, Prayers & Promises is the home of entertaining, uplifting stories about people overcoming adversity through faith.

Between the covers of PPP books, readers will come to know and really care about characters caught up in compelling dilemmas of life, love, and the spirit. From historical romances to tales of suspense and mainstream novels, Prayers & Promises Publications will present fiction offering real-life hope through the power of belief.

PPP is looking for well-written stories of all lengths that make readers come back for more. Novel-length stories will be published in both print and digital formats; shorter works will be available in digital format only. Occasionally, PPP will put together anthologies, which represent an excellent opportunity for authors to introduce themselves to readers who are unfamiliar with their work.

Prayers & Promises Publications’ submission requirements are here.

Livia J. Washburn and Cheryl Pierson, who founded Prairie Rose Publications in August 2013, are excited about the new imprint. Working together with a stellar group of authors across a wide variety of genres, Cheryl and Livia have accomplished remarkable things in one year. The PRP family now includes five imprints: Prairie Rose (westerns and western romance written by and for women), Tornado Alley Publications (contemporary, sci-fi, and fantasy fiction for Middle Grade, Young Adult, and New Adult readers**), Painted Pony Books (western and historical stories of all lengths for Middle Grade, Young Adult, and New Adult readers), and Fire Star Press (contemporary, futuristic, paranormal, and fantasy works of all lengths for the adult market). All of the imprints except Prairie Rose accept submissions from both women and men.

PRP and all of its imprints are delighted to work with both established and emerging authors. In fact, all of the imprints have helped previously unpublished authors make their dreams come true.

If you believe you have a manuscript that fits any of the imprints in the Prairie Rose Publications family, please contact Cheryl at prairierosepublications@yahoo.com. For novels, include a query letter, synopsis, and the first three chapters of the manuscript. For shorter works, send a query letter and the entire completed manuscript. Please type SUBMISSION and the name of the imprint in the subject line.

The Prairie Rose family of imprints looks forward to hearing from you!

** Middle Grade = readers 9-12 years of age

     Young Adult = readers ages 13-17

     New Adult = readers ages 18-24

MAKING A DIFFERENCE--PRAIRIE ROSE PUBLICATIONS by CHERYL PIERSON

In August, 2013, my business partner, Livia Reasoner and I decided to take the plunge and open our own publishing house. So many little companies were bursting on the scene that we wondered if we would be able to make much of a difference in the publishing world. Less than a year later, I want to share with you all what we’ve done.

To start with, I better talk a little about why we wanted to start Prairie Rose Publications to begin with. Livia and I both belong to a professional western writing group, the WESTERN FICTIONEERS, of which we are both very proud to be members. I am currently acting as President of the Western Fictioneers until 2016. We had both noticed that there were many women writers—good women writers—who were having trouble “breaking in” to the western genre. Many of these women wrote “gritty” western stories—not so heavy on the romance as on the “western” aspect; many of them wrote shorter stories than the normal popular length for a novel, or novella; and many were having trouble just because they were women—with the name to prove it.

Lots of publishers don’t like taking a chance on westerns anymore, written by man or woman—but when they have a choice, they’ll be publishing the ones by men—since men are more apt to buy western and science fiction works by another man than by a woman.

Livia and I agreed that one of the submissions requirements for our publishing house would be first and foremost, to submit, you had to be a woman. We have not been sorry, and have had more business than we can handle at times.

Another thing we wanted to do was encourage new writers as well as seasoned ones. We’ve got a fantastic mix of both, and have thoroughly enjoyed working with them all. Our royalty rate is one of the best anywhere, paying 80% net to the authors, who work so hard to write these wonderful tales and hope with everything in them to find a home for their stories. After years of being offered the traditional meager 35% for e-books and 7% for print, our authors are extremely happy with the royalty payments, and so are we.

We can do this because we don’t accept anything that requires heavy editing, so we are able to produce more quality stories and novels in a shorter time span.

It wasn’t long after we opened Prairie Rose Publications that we were asked if we published children’s westerns. And what about contemporary and science fiction? Well, did we also have an imprint for youngsters’ contemporary or fantasy stories? The answer became YES very quickly. Painted Pony Books is our imprint for Middle Grade, YA and New Adult western fare; Tornado Alley Publications is the sister imprint for Middle Grade, YA, and New Adult contemporary stories, and Fire Star Press satisfies contemporary, science fiction and fantasy categories for adults.

All of our imprints except Prairie Rose Publications are open to ANYONE to submit to—men and women, alike; newbies and experienced writers.

Since opening our doors, we have published many anthologies at PRP—Wishing For a Cowboy (Christmas 2013), Hearts and Spurs (Valentine’s Day 2014), Lassoing a Bride, Lassoing a Groom, Lassoing a Mail Order Bride, and Cowboy Cravings (Summer stories, 2014).

We’ve also put out 14 novels in the PRP line, as well as 6 novellas.

In the Painted Pony Books imprint, we’ve published 9 books, some for all three of our age groups.
In the Tornado Alley Publications imprint, we published our first anthology, THIS SUMMER STORM, for YA readers just a few weeks ago in time for summer reading for ages 13-17. We also released a “retro” novel about the Viet Nam era, Echoes in the Night, and will be releasing two more about that era in the next couple of months.



Fire Star Press has seen the release of one novella and one novel, with many more on the way.
Part of what we want to do with our company is to inspire people in many ways, and one of these ways is by helping others. We have partnered with some charities that are so rewarding and exciting to work with. One of them, The Lighthouse For Recovery Ministries, has many branches that reach out to all segments of the Birmingham, Alabama community—the homeless, abused animals, addiction programs, and programs for veterans who need help. http://www.thelighthouseforrecoveryministries.org/

Another of our “pet projects” has been helping with Westie rescue expenses by donating books to the Westie Rescue Missouri Fundraising Auction (here is the Facebook page for their event, for anyone who might be interested): https://www.facebook.com/groups/WestieRSQMissouriAuction/


What do we have coming up in the next year? More of the same! Prairie Rose Publications will have its first Halloween anthology, Cowboys, Creatures, and Calico making a debut in late September. But there’ll also be an anthology from Tornado Alley Publications for Middle Grade Readers this fall called My Dog Can Do Magic! For New Adult readers, we’ll have an anthology just in time for Halloween—It Could Happen—stories that have a love story with a Halloween twist. We have submission calls open for all three of these anthologies, if you have a story you think might meet the requirements!


Christmas will see two anthologies, Present for a Cowboy and Present for a Cowgirl in our PRP line.
And Valentine’s Day will be marked by another new anthology to be released in the middle part of January.

But even more immediately, we have a special CHRISTMAS IN JULY event coming up from July 25-Aug. 1! During that time period, we’ll have many new Christmas-themed novellas and short stories available for purchase at our brand new website!


We’ll have a lot of giveaways going on, too! We hope you’ll come back and join us during National Week of the Cowboy, the week we’ve chosen for our Christmas in July event—and get to know our authors. But don’t wait until then—here’s the link, come on over and join us now!

PRP website:

PRP blog: www.prairierosepublications.blogspot.com

Questions? Ideas? Thoughts? Please leave a comment with your contact information! I will be drawing the names of 3 lucky winners today!


Here’s what’s up for grabs from the PRP goodie bag!
1 digital copy of COWBOY CRAVINGS
1 digit copy of LASSOING A MAIL ORDER BRIDE
Winners will be announced tonight! Thanks so much for stopping by and celebrating with us!