I hope that everyone has a wonderful holiday season and that the start of the New Year brings peace to everyone during these difficult times.

As I write this newsletter, snow is falling outside my window for the first time this year. Our twinkling Christmas tree and decorated window create a picturesque frame to the majestic, but chilly outside. There’s not enough snow to build a snowman or a fort, but just enough to coat the trees and dust the grass evenly.
The view alone makes me think of homemade braided cinnamon wreaths and a hot cup of cocoa. I included my yummy braided cinnamon wreath with cream cheese frosting at the bottom of this newsletter.
It’s not only scrumptious, but looks pretty with its white frosting and cinnamon sugar coating. YUM!

Back to books, can you tell I love food?

Word count is moving. I’ve started to focus again on DNA and I can’t wait to introduce Karen, my newest character, as she counts down the days to her own Christmas due date.
DNA: 37,370 words
Dalya Book III (Stranger Shores? I haven’t settled on the title yet, maybe in the next newsletter I’ll do a vote): 16,694

Braided Cinnamon Wreath
I like making this recipe into a wreath shape and then cutting slices of it, but you can make mini rolls too.

Dough
1/2 cup of warm milk 110°F
2 1/4 tsp yeast
1/8 cup melted butter
1 egg yolk
1 TBSP sugar
2 cups of flour
1/2 tsp. salt

Cinnamon Filling
1/4 cup softened butter
4-5 TBSP sugar
3 tsp cinnamon

Cream Cheese Frosting
2 oz cream cheese
4 TBSP melted butter
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
3/4 cup of powder sugar

Mix milk, yeast, sugar, melted butter, & egg yolk. Allow it to sit for ten minutes.

Mix in the shifted flour & salt. Knead the dough into a ball and place the dough in a greased bowl. Cover bowl with towel or plastic wrap and place in warm area to rise for at least one hour.

Whisk butter, cinnamon, and sugar.

Flour your work area and roll out the dough into an 8 x 12 rectangle. Spread 3/4 of the filling on it.
Roll the dough long ways into a log.
Slice the rolled up dough down the center and separate.
Take one of each end and braid the two pieces together into a circle.
Brush remaining filling on the top.
Bake at 400°F for 25 minutes
Drop the temperature to 350° and back for an additional 10 minutes.

While baking, beat cream cheese, melted butter, vanilla extract, and powder sugar until smooth. Drizzle on hot cinnamon wreath and enjoy.

As always, check out the books below, most of them are on sale or free!

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 On Sale Now!
Click on the link to get your ebook today!

It’s been a long, chaotic, stressful year since I began writing Below Dark Waters. But perseverance is the key to life and no matter what, we have to push through and still find a way to achieve our goals.
I’m so happy I did.

But we need to always help each other and that’s why I love cross promoting different authors. We all need help building our audiences and it means so much when cross promotions succeed. Please go through all the promo’s at the end, there’s even a chance to win $300! 

Below you will find the blurb to the book Escape. Click on the links to discover all the ways you can buy this awesome book. 

Beta readers!!

If anyone is interested in beta reading Below Dark Waters, send me an email at Zaberbooks@gmail.com. I’m creating a beta team and would love for you to join. In the email, please send a little info about yourself and why you want to be a beta reader.

As I type this, my fingers are dyed pink from food coloring, my kitchen is a birthday cake war zone, and currently my inbox is blowing up with emails. To say I’m busy is an understatement, but I love it. However, tomorrow I promised myself that I will go to the beach for the first time this year. I must! I grew up on the beach. It’s my second home!

But it will be my only day off this week as I’m trying to get Below Dark Waters released September 10^th. That’s the goal. As of this moment we are on track.

That’s about it for right now. In the next newsletter, I promise to have the back cover for Below Dark Waters. It should be up on most platforms by September 3^th for presale!

Until then, check out these two authors and the promotions below. There are some amazing books in here and they are either on sale or free!

What do you guys think of the new cover for Below Dark Waters?

WELL, I was hoping to have Below Dark Waters out by the end of the month, but because of COVID and hurricane Isaias taking my power out, there MIGHT be a delay. I’m hoping only a week at most. We only lost power, but my heart goes out to anyone whose property was damaged.

There’s been more progress on DNA, a separate project and for the moment, it is still on schedule to be released the end of fall. I’m thinking around Thanksgiving, as long as there are no other snags in my plans. 

Take it easy and try to enjoy what’s left of summer; the leaves will start to change in a blink of an eye.

And please if you haven’t already, please post reviews for Ashes and Blood. It really helps. Goodreads, Amazon, Smashword, Bookbub, Barns and Noble—any site helps.

If you’re looking for a new book to read, check these promos out. There are tons of great books by talented authors.
And this week I have a spotlight on Forget Me Not by Anca Antoci. Click on the links below for more information.

When tragedy strikes, Rae makes a terrible choice and struggles with the aftermath. In the wilderness of the Tongass rainforest, she finds herself hunted by creatures of hell, monsters she never dreamed could be real. A hidden world, an ancient race, and a secret she discovers by accident give a new meaning to her life but only if she can escape and return to civilization. If she is to survive, Rae must comply with Ari, her reluctant hero, and allow him to wipe away any memory of this realm. Knowledge is power, but is it worth dying for? A story about overcoming loss and self-doubt and finding purpose in life while being hunted by monsters. When push comes to shove, that’s when real strength emerges. What would it take to discover what you’re made of?
 

I hope everyone is enjoying the summer and had an awesome 4^th of July!

This month is birthday month. That means I’m in the kitchen, baking cakes. So far this week, I’ve made a New York cheesecake, vanilla cupcakes with vanilla buttercream frosting, and a vanilla bean cake with chocolate buttercream frosting. Normally, right about now I’d be preparing my kitchen for my nephew’s birthday cake, (in the past it’s been multiple types of dinosaurs, a 3D pirate ship, and a rocket ship) but because of COVID… things have changed.

I hope by this time next year, that everything will be back to normal.

My cover artist has been super busy. I should see the cover for Below Dark Waters by the end of next week. The following update should have a first look at the cover design.

I’ve shifted gears from DNA back to putting the finishing touches on Below Dark Waters. So far, I’m right on track on for having it out end of August.

Next update will be August 6^th. Meanwhile, checkout some of these promotions, there are tons of books on sale!

https://books.bookfunnel.com/readers-sale-promotion-for-july/fsiokq9ecu
https://books.bookfunnel.com/allthingsfae/bj4dviie3v
https://books.bookfunnel.com/99centsfreefantasy/56ccibrcgm

Stay safe and healthy,
Katie Zaber

I can’t believe this weekend is the 4^th of July!!!
I hope everyone has a healthy and fun weekend, full of eating delicious BBQ, swimming, hiking, and enjoying the beautiful weather.

This month has been crazy busy!
Below Dark Waters, Book II in the Dalya series is officially with my editor. My goal is to have that out by the end of August. I should have the book cover soon… Next month’s update should have a sneak peek at the cover and the synopsis.

DNA—Demons N Angels, is on its second draft. That should be coming out in the fall and has been incredibly fun to write, besides downright horrifying. I’d call it a fantasy/supernatural/horror.

Ashes and Blood is on sale on Amazon for $0.99!!
Click on the link below
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B087YJ8W87

Download for FREE on Smashwords 
https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/1019163

Kobo https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/ashes-and-blood-2

Nook https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/ashes-and-blood-katie-zaber/1137021243

Meanwhile, if you find yourself needing a new book to read, click on these links below to find a book you might like.

With multiple projects spanning from being transported to an alternate universe, past lives, reincarnation, and prophesied pregnancies—there are plenty of stories to tell. Stay posted for future projects.

Below Dark Waters- Book II in the Dalya Series, should be published this summer. Stay tuned for the back cover in the upcoming weeks.

DNA -Demon’s N Angel’s, is planned to launch mid-fall, beginning of winter. Mysteriously pregnant, Karen tries to figure out what is best for her little miracle while dealing with biblical problems.