Sweet Success Celebrates Darby Karchut

Darby Karchut’s DEL TORO MOON (middle grade fantasy/western mashup), received multiple offers before being sold to Hannah Smith at Owl Hollow Press, in a nice deal, for publication Summer 2018, by Amanda Rutter at Red Sofa Literary (World Rights).

DEL TORO MOON

Bad enough Matt Del Toro is the greenest greenhorn in the family’s centuries-old business: riding down and destroying werewolf-like creatures, known as skinners. He must also learn how to match his father’s skills at monster hunting. Odds of doing that? Yeah, about a million to one. Because Matt’s father is the legendary Javier Del Toro—hunter, scholar, and a true caballero: a gentleman of the horse.

Now, with the skinners multiplying, both in numbers and in ferocity, Matt is desperate to keep his father and hot-tempered older brother from killing each other, prevent his new friend, Perry—a horse-crazy girl who recently moved to their small town of Huerfano, Colorado—from discovering the true nature of his odder-than-oddball family, and save a group of archeologists from getting skinner-ed.

Luckily, Matt has twelve hundred pounds of backup in his best friend—El Cid, an Andalusian war stallion with the ability of human speech, more fighting savvy than a medieval knight, and a heart as big and steadfast as the Rocky Mountains.

Serious horse power.

Those skinners don’t stand a chance. 

About the Author:

Darby Karchut is an award-winning author, dreamer, and compulsive dawn greeter. A native of New Mexico, she now lives in the foothills of the Rocky Mountains, where she runs in blizzards and bikes in lightning storms. When not dodging death by Colorado, Darby is busy at her writing desk. She is represented by Amanda Rutter at Red Sofa Literary. Visit her at: www.darbykarchut.com

Sweet Success Celebrates Darby Karchut & Finn's Choice

Darby Karchut’s middle grade fantasy FINN’S CHOICE (ISBN: 9781633920705; 230 pages; trade paperback) released September 20 from Spencer Hill Press. It is available at Amazon    Barnes & Noble , and indie bookstores worldwide. This is the fourth and final book in the Adventures of Finn MacCullen series. School Library Journal called the first book in the series, FINN FINNEGAN, “...a great choice for adventure-loving readers who prefer their battle scenes with a hefty dose of ancient weaponry, ground-fighting skills, and just a touch of magic."

Just when Finn MacCullen thought fate couldn’t kick him any harder after the events of the Festival of the Hunt, it does. Now, he must overcome a series of nearly impossible trials to prove his worth as an apprentice, or lose his place at his master Gideon’s side. However, Finn’s life has as many twists as a Celtic knot, and master and apprentice find themselves in their ancestral homeland of Ireland with only their wits—and a fair bit of the Black Hand’s charm—to protect them from a vengeful Celtic goddess. It’s going to take every scrap of Finn’s Irish luck and pluck to save himself, and his master, from death. Or worse.

  

Darby Karchut is an award-winning author, dreamer, and compulsive dawn greeter.  A native of New Mexico, she now lives in the foothills of the Rocky Mountains, where she runs in blizzards and bikes in lightning storms. When not dodging death by Colorado, Darby is busy writing for children, teens, and adults. Best thing ever: her YA series, GRIFFIN RISING, has been optioned for film. She is represented by Amanda Rutter at Red Sofa Literary. Visit Darby at www.darbykarchut.com.

Sweet Success! M.J. Stewart

Compiled by Kathie Scrimgeour

M.J. Stewart is pleased to announce the release of her new Middle-Grade Action Adventure novel, Two Degrees From Zero: A Snowboarding Adventure (Clan Publishing, ISBN: 978-0-9911850-0-9, Kindle e-book; ISBN: 978-0-9911850-2-3, Paperback, 200 pages), and is available at Amazon.  

Thirteen-year-old Derek’s cool snowboard adventure does a dangerous rewind, because his Burton Hero board holds the key to an unsolved crime. Two Degrees From Zero is a story about a boy who lost his father in a car accident two years earlier, and struggles to accept his mom’s new romance, Thomas, who invites Derek, his mom, and teen friend Janae (The Clan) on a snowboarding/ski vacation to Keystone, Colorado. When a blizzard hits during a sleigh ride and dinner The Clan accepts an offer from two arrogant snowmobilers for a way home. To The Clan's dismay they are abandoned in a creepy backwoods cabin. The teens must escape the frozen ravages of the blizzard. Derek’s determination to save The Clan while outwitting the thieves is unstoppable.

Constantly nourished by Colorado’s scenic beauty, M.J.s love for the outdoors includes downhill skiing, biking, camping, hiking, and nature photography. Two Degrees From Zero is her first middle-grade novel.

We love to hear of fellow Pikes Peak Writers' Sweet Successes, including story acceptances, winning contests, getting published and book signings. Please email Kathie Scrimgeour at ppwsweetsuccess@gmail.com if you've got a Sweet Success you'd like to share.

PPWC 2013 - Barry Goldblatt, Agent

Barry Goldblatt Literary

Barry Goldblatt

Barry Goldblatt, one of the agents who will be appearing at PPWC 2013, headed to New York with a dream of finding an editor position in science fiction and fantasy, ultimately discovering that this dream wasn't going to be easy. A helpful interviewer pointed him in another direction, and he ended up working with children's books for a branch of Penguin. 

Through eleven years, he also worked for Putnam and Orchard, having fallen in love with children's literature. When Orchard was bought out, he decided to open his own literary agency, encouraged by a friend and award-winning author. That was in 2000, and he's still going strong. In fact, he represents his wife, Libba Bray.

Other authors he's worked with include Angela Johnson, Shannon Hale, Cassandra Clare, Tim Wynne-Jones, and many more recognizable names. He represents the gamut of literature for youths, from children's to Young Adult, but he is especially looking for Middle Grade right now. He is hands-on with his clients, and helps them get their work ready for publication, in addition to finding them contracts.

You can find Barry at:

His website

Twitter

About the Author:  Shannon Lawrence is a mom of two, a freelance writer and aspiring novelist.  She lives in Colorado Springs and is inspired by the beauty of Pikes Peak and the Rockies.  After years of letting her writing fall by the wayside, she has recently thrown herself back into it.  Her main focus is fantasy and horror and she has just finished a Young Adult Fantasy novel.  She has a flash fiction piece featured in the anthology Sunday Snaps: The Stories, due out in 2013.  She has also discovered a love of photography and enjoys photographing the breathtaking Colorado scenery and wildlife, as well as her children.  She blogs about reading, writing and photography at www.thewarriormuse.com.

Sweet Success! C.L. Roth

C.L. Roth's (a.k.a. Carol Englehaupt's) middle-grade fantasy novel, Cosmic Shift (ISBN: 978-0-9846619-0-9, softcover and paperback, 248 pages), will be released by C.L. Roth Publishing on November 22, 2012. The book will be available through Kindle, Nook, and Amazon CreateSpace. The author's website is at www.clroth.com.

Bo Tanner and Mark Cooper anticipate a summer of fun when a strange rip in the sky spews dimensional renegades, pursuing Hunters, and a strange being known as Cosmos into Earth's atmosphere setting off a chain reaction that will change the world.

C. L. Roth is an artist, caregiver, and author. She's spent twenty-five years learning her crafts. She spent a year writing articles for her local newspaper, a job that taught her to write tight and meet her deadlines. She is a full-time caregiver for her son. Joshua was born with cerebral palsy, but much to C. L.'s surprise indicated a love of art and has become a very talented watercolor and acrylic artist. C. L. manages Our Home Studio, which showcases her son's artwork as well as rare pieces of her own work.

We love to hear of fellow Pikes Peak Writers' Sweet Successes. Please email DeAnna Knippling at dknippling [at] gmail [dot] com if you've got a Sweet Success you'd like to share.