Amidala speaking.
I’m very excited to be hosting a guest today: General Sterling Price, the cat in S. J. Francis’ new novel, SHATTERED LIES. Alas, he didn’t send a picture of himself, and his author sent what MaMA says is a very odd author photo. I see nothing wrong with it, myself. After all, who cares what people look like?
S. J. Francis is a freelance writer with over three
hundred publication credits, a University Lecturer with doctorates in English, Mass Communications, and Law, and most recently, a novelist. Francis writes for many publications, as well as regularly contributing to the local newspaper. Francis’ first novel, Shattered Lies is a women’s fiction/mainstream/family saga novel. In the end, it’s all about family.
So let’s proceed to the real order of business: the cat!
~*~
Meow! Hi everyone! My name is General Sterling Price, but everyone calls me Sterling. I was a stray cat until Kate Thayer took me in and I’m ever so grateful to her. Kate is the heroine in a new novel called Shattered Lies. It was released on October 24 from Black Opal Books and I’m ever so proud of her. It’s pretty scary living out in the country on one’s own, especially at night. Ever spend the night all alone outside in the dark? Don’t do it. I may be a cat, but I don’t like it. I hear all kinds of sounds and there are all sorts of other wildlife out there. Not all are very friendly. I once ran into a raccoon and I don’t know who was more scared.
Anyway, back to my owner, my mistress, my mom, Doctor Kate Thayer. She’s a wonderful person. She took me into her heart and home. I’ll never have to go hungry or be afraid again. It’s a wonderful feeling to have a home to call my own. I even have my own bed. Not many stray cats get a happy ending, but I did. The best thing about my mom, Kate, is that, aside from loving and taking care of animals at home, she’s a veterinarian, an animal doctor. She takes care of all animals, not just me. In fact, I forgot to mention that I live on a farm with horses and cows. There are birds that visit the trees and little tiny slithery things called geckos. I once chased a gecko out of sheer hunger and made the mistake of licking it. Yuck! I don’t recommend it. I’m fed so well now that I don’t chase anything anymore. I just watch them. I even had a blue bird once land on my head. I don’t know who was more stunned.
I guess you can tell that I’m living the high life now all thanks to my mom, Kate Thayer, and that’s why I’m here today. Kate’s life is in a new book written by someone called an author named S.J. Francis. I don’t know what an author is, but the book is all about Kate and her search to uncover secrets her grandmother hid from her all her life. I hope you’ll purchase a copy of Shattered Lies and in it, you’ll get to meet me.
My name is Sterling. I have a happy ending, but not all stray animals do. If you’re ever looking for a source of constant love and loyalty, please make adoption your first option. Please don’t ever shop. Please adopt. If you can’t adopt, you can always foster. When you foster an animal, the shelter usually pays for everything. Best part is a pet will never abandon you or laugh at you. I know. I’ll never leave Kate or let her be sad. Thanks for stopping by today. It was my pleasure. Meow.
~*~
Kate Thayer has a good life as a veterinarian running the family farm– until she uncovers an act of unimaginable treachery by those she trusted most and learns that everything she knew about herself was a lie. Her paternal grandmother, the woman that raised her is behind a series of devastating secrets and lies she is compelled to discover. But the digger she deeps, the more betrayal she finds, changing her life in ways she could have never foreseen.
Employees are actually her mother’s family, and her parents didn’t die the way she thought they did. Worse yet, neither set of grandparents wanted a mixed raced baby, though she was kept because she was “white”. Faced with these revelations, she discovers she has a twin sister and goes off to New York City in hopes of meeting her.
As expected, emotions run high, tempers flare, and the worst thing imaginable for the families occur. What happens next? What is to come from all of this? Does her family come together for Kate, or fall apart? The truth is revealed within the pages as Shattered Lies comes to a head. Sometimes secrets should remain that way. Sometimes bigotry is a whole lot closer to home.
Amazon: Kindle
Amazon: Paperback
Publisher’s Website Black Opal Books
Barnes & Noble: Nook
Smashwords: (epub, mobi, Kindle)
From S.J. Francis: In celebration of the launch of my debut novel, I’m offering a free book giveaway. To all those who leave a comment during my blog tour at my website, you will automatically be entered into a drawing to win a personally autographed paperback copy of my debut novel, Shattered Lies. Two copies are available giving two of you a chance to win. To keep up with my stops on my blog tour please visit my website.
Just leave a comment at my website and drop me a line with “Giveaway” in subject line at:
http://www.sjfranciswriter.com
Be sure to leave a valid, working email address in case you win. Good luck and thanks so much for stopping by. It’s always my pleasure to connect with other authors and readers.
FYI: The drawing will take place at the end of my blog tour on Saturday, December 12, 2015. I will contact the winner at their email address at that time to request your mailing address to send you the printed copy of Shattered Lies.
My Black Opal Books Author Page: http://www.blackopalbooks.com/author-bios/bio-sj-francis
View My ShoutOut:
My web page: http://www.sjfranciswriter.com
Twitter: https://twitter.com/sjfrancis419
Face Book: https://www.facebook.com/pages/SJ-Francis/480058115420325
My Blogs: http://sjfranciswriter.blogspot.com
A Book Review 4 U: http://abookreview4u.blogspot.com
A Consumer’s View: http://aconsumersview.blogspot.com
OnefortheAnimals: http://onefortheanimals.blogspot.com
Pinterest: http://www.pinterest.com/sjfrancis419/
Google Plus: https://plus.google.com/u/0/104831238907682620486/about
Good Reads: https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/33550975-s-j
A WRITING PROMPT FOR ANIMALS: Have you ever been outside in the dark? Did you like it?
AA
Dan
November 28, 2015 at 8:26amSounds like a very interesting read. Also, our first cat was a stray who lived happily ever after.
Marian Allen
November 28, 2015 at 12:13pmMy cats have all been strays or rescues or otherwise second-hand. 🙂
Jane
November 28, 2015 at 9:52amMy cats are all vagabonds. They all come to me. Sometimes just to visit. And sometimes I kidnap them from the backyard. All results so far have been highly satisfactory.
Marian Allen
November 28, 2015 at 12:13pmI love looking at your kitty pictures!
SJ Francis
November 28, 2015 at 2:35pmThanks Marian for hosting me! It was fun coming up with this post.
Thanks everyone for visiting and taking time to comment. You’ve been entered in the drawing at a chance to win a personally autographed copy of Shattered Lies.
I currently have five fur babies. Three kitties and two dogs. All are rescues and my book is dedicated to them. My last two kittens I adopted almost a year ago were found abandoned at the garbage dumpster at just 3 weeks old. They’re now a year old and thriving causing all kinds of mischief and our 21 year old cat Princess can’t stand them. But they’re all happy and safe.
Thanks again. Have a great weekend!
Cheers!
S.J. Francis
Marian Allen
November 28, 2015 at 3:15pmRescues are awesome! Wow–21 years old! I’m impressed! My oldest was 19 when she passed. Three cheers for all your kitties, old and new. 🙂
Linda Thorne
November 28, 2015 at 6:03pmNow the cat is being interviewed? How innovative and fun. One thing you can say about Kate in this book is everyone seems to love her. Even if not at first, she wins them over.
Marian Allen
November 29, 2015 at 8:21amMy cat always blogs for me on Caturday, and she wanted to interview the cat. No, my cat isn’t spoiled — why do you ask? 😉
SJ Francis
November 29, 2015 at 7:04pmThanks again, Marian. I really enjoyed my visit with you. I really enjoyed coming up with the post for this blog.
General sterling say hi to Amidala, as do all my three kitties.
Take care. Have a great week!
Cheers!
S.J. Francis
Annyce Placey
November 29, 2015 at 6:48pmI really enjoyed this website. In the book, Shattered Lies, the cat named Sterling seems to be the only one not intimidated by the formidable grandmother Katherine Thayer. This was a really neat post and shows the talents of author S.J. Francis. If you haven’t read the book yet, trust me that you really should. I gave it 5 stars in my review simply because it really earned it. SJ Francis won this reader over. I’m looking forward to her next book, whether it is the sequel or something new. I just love how all you authors support one another.
Marian Allen
November 30, 2015 at 7:49amThanks for the mini-review here, Annyce; I love it that you enjoyed the book enough to spread your high opinion of it! I wish more readers took the time to be so generous.
SJ Francis
November 29, 2015 at 7:01pm@Linda Thorne –
Hello again, Linda! Thanks so much for stopping by! This was definitely a fun post to come up with and why not? I love cats. Marian loves cats. Even Kate Thayer loves cats. I don’t spoil my cats at all. Neither does Marian, huh? Besides isn’t there a saying that a cat is simply a spoiled child inside a fur coat? Sorry, Amidala and General Sterling, but it’s true, isn’t it.
Thanks again! Have a great week!
Cheers! S.J. Francis