Chris Redding's Blog, page 30
August 14, 2013
Summer Sizzles
August 12, 2013
THE EYES OF LOVE
Angelina Rose
BLURB:
After a tragic loss five years ago, Sally Overby becomes an Attorney in Atlanta. She convinces herself that all she'll ever need again is her young son, David, and her life as an attorney. Until one day, Colin Dean barges back into her life and promptly blows her safe world apart, driving her crazy as only a guy she'd had a "school girl crush" on can.
Sally is wary to love deeply. Only, with every loving look Colin gives her plus every sweet kiss, as the attraction between them sparks, she can’t help but wonder if she’s met the one she should be with. And although Colin didn’t realize his life was going to change so quickly, amazingly, he isn’t the least bit interested in fighting that change. Instead, he’s gearing up for a different fight altogether. The one for Sally’s heart.
Will Colin be able to convince her that's it safe to love him... and that forever isn't really out of reach?
The Eyes of Love is a novella… so you can enjoy it in just one day!
EXCERPT:A hush fell over the room for a moment as Stephanie appeared with Jazz trailing behind her. She was wearing a skin tight black dress with stiletto heels which was typical Stephanie fashion. She wanted nothing more than to be the center of attention like she always had been.
Without missing a beat, Stephanie walked straight over to Colin. Sally was shocked.
"Hello, Colin..." she purred as she ignored Sally completely. "You look sexy tonight, as always." She smiled seductively as Colin looked away. "Who's your friend?"
"None of your business, Steph. Leave me alone."
"Oohhh.... Did I touch a nerve, sweetie?" she asked as she reached out to touch his chest.
"Don't touch me, Stephanie. I'm warning you. Why don't you go back to Jazz?"
"Oh. Jazz. Boring..." she sang. "We're not together anymore, just so you know..." she whispered in a husky voice. Colin held onto Sally's hand for dear life. She had to do something.
"Stephanie, don't you remember me?" she asked grinning from ear to ear as she slid into Colin's side. He put his arm around her and stared down in shock at what she was about to say.
"I don't know you," Stephanie said looking her up and down.
"Wow. Age is really doing a number on your brain," Sally said.
"Who are you?" Stephanie snapped. Jazz stood a few feet back obviously trying to hear the conversation.
"I'm your worst nightmare," Sally growled as she came almost nose to nose with Stephanie, her attorney public speaking skills getting ready to display themselves. She pulled the name tag from her purse without breaking eye contact and held it up. "You see, I'm the nerd that you and your cronies bullied through high school."
One commenter will receive a $50 Amazon or BN.com gift card. Please use this Rafflecopter code with your post:
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AUTHOR INFORMATION:
Angelina Rose has wanted to write ever since she could hold a pencil. The first daughter of immigrant parents, Angelina had her head buried in books, lost in a world of heroes, heroines and exotic places.
It was a shocking experience that jump-started Angelina's author career.
"I awoke in the ICU... I had been unconscious for several days," Angelina says.
In 2010, Angelina had a long stint in hospital following her involvement in a motor vehicle accident: the longest time off work (as a Registered Nurse), she'd ever had in her life!
It was then she took up pen and paper and started to write again, just as she had done when she was a child. She wrote four short fiction stories for young adults, entered them in several competitions, and managed to win three first prizes!
After happily dipping her toes into writing those short fiction stories for young adults, Angelina has now authored four books in a new "Mill Creek Crossing Romance" series... contemporary romance intended for adults.
The "Starting Over Series" is another contemporary romance series she wrote about a subject she knows well... nurses and their love life. At a recent reunion of her graduating class, she could not help but notice how the same girls would group together and laugh, chat, and even shed some tears over their lives since graduating. Many of the girls had divorced... so Angelina thought "what if a group of the nurses came up with a plan to meet in two years and have a new love story to share?" Then the first story in the series was born.
There is always a story running around in her head. A man with thick dark hair, gray-blue eyes, with an engaging smile and a quick wit... or a girl crying over a broken relationship. She finds herself talking to these characters during her day: when she's doing dishes, or bathing babies at the hospital. These characters crop up on days at the beach or on walks through the neighborhood. This is how the stories start to grow.
Angelina's mother was an author, so Angelina grew up with a love of words and stories. If she wasn't writing a short story about something that took her fancy, her head was buried in books... reading, reading, reading, as her brother constantly told her...
When she's not spending time with her good-looking man, or quality time with her laptop, she's working at the hospital, hanging out with her family and friends, or walking her two dogs around the neighborhood. Angelina spends as much time as she can traveling, then coming home and including some of those adventures in her stories.
Angelina really loves to hear from her readers and she invites you to connect with her on Facebook as she interacts daily with her readers there!
Buy Link: http://www.amazon.com/The-Eyes-of-Love-ebook/dp/B00CRM1Q4IFacebook: https://facebook.com/angelinaroseromanceauthor
Twitter: https://twitter.com/RoseRomanceBook
Website: http://AngelinaRoseRomance.com
Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/angelinaroseromance
August 11, 2013
4. About the author, Lori Verni-Fogarsi (LoriTheAuthor)
MOMNESIA (mahm-nee-zhuh) -noun-
Loss of the memory of who you used to be. Caused by pregnancy, play dates, and trying to keep the house cleaner than the Joneses.
"Momnesia," which has been recognized in two awards, is the story of an average suburban mom who, feeling invisible under all the responsibilities of caring for her family, sets about finding balance between her "momminess" and her "sexiness." She does find some adventure pursuing her own interests, but it isn't until she tosses the Invisible Rule Book altogether that she discovers life---and love---have more to offer than she ever imagined!
During this special promotion, there are all sort of fun things going on. (EVENT DATES ARE 8/12 THROUGH 8/19/13) Hope you'll enjoy them all!
Lori is an author, speaker, and small business consultant. She has two novels: "Momnesia," and its sequel, "Unexpecting,"; and a nonfiction book, "Everything You Need to Know About House Training Puppies and Adult Dogs." Her books have been recognized in the USA Best Book Awards, the National Indie Excellence Book Awards, and Indie Book of the Day Award.
Regarding her novels, Lori says, "I like to write about the thoughts and feelings many women have, but are often hesitant to discuss... or even think about! It is my hope that when reading my books, people experience a sense of camaraderie, being understood, or at the very least, good old-fashioned entertainment for a time."
Her nonfiction dog training book is among the top bestselling independently published books of all time! Originally released in 2005, it continues to be one of the most highly acclaimed books in its genre, recommended by vets, rescue groups, and pet professionals worldwide. Lori is a happily married mom of two, step mom of two more, and has two cats, both rotten. Originally a native New Yorker, she now divides her time between Raleigh, NC, and Lake Gaston, VA, where she is hard at work on her next books. Because she is also an avid reader, Lori understands that your time is valuable and that selecting a book to read can feel like a commitment! She welcomes you to visit her special "Momnesia Page," which includes the first two chapters free as well as another excerpt, reviews, and more. Enjoy!
August 10, 2013
1. How long have you been writing? I began writing after...
2. Do you plot or do you write by the seat of your pants? I may have a touch of attention deficit disorder. I need a decent out line before I can begin. I write character biographies to get to know everyone well. Then I plot out the events that I think need to happen in the story from prologue to epilogue. Then I sequence them, going through the events in my mind as if I were watching a movie. I am always open to change as I go, and usually do find that I swerve off the course occasionally. But that’s always for the better because you can’t think of everything up front.
3. What drew you to the subject of DEVOLUTION? The first version of the novel, then called PAN-DORA ISLAND, was actually one of the first novels I wrote back in the mid-70s. I was fascinated by the work of anthropologists teaching chimpanzees to use sign language. What would happen, I wondered, if chimpanzees in the wild learned human language? Would they abandon it, or would they expand upon it and pass the skill along generation to generation. If so, what would the effects be on chimpanzee society?
4. What was the name of the first novel you wrote? Did you try to publish it? The first novel I wrote was called THE THIRD WORLD, a sci-fi. I didn’t try to publish it. I don’t remember why. It probably wasn’t good enough to be published in any case. I was just learning my craft and had taken no course in creative writing. The world was saved one bomb.
5. How many rejections have you received? Don’t ask. Remember, I told you I began writing in the 1970s and did not sell my first novel until 2008. Thank God for recycling.
6. Describe your book. DEVOLUTION features sixteen-year-old Chiku Flynn. Chiku was born in the Congo rainforest to two anthropologists studying the native chimpanzees. For the first eleven years of her life, Chiku is more chimp than child. She nests with the chimpanzees, grooms them and has no qualms about sticking a leaf tool in the soil and slurping up the ants and termites she uncovers. When she is eleven, her mother is killed, and Chiku is sent back to the United States to grow into a maladjusted teenager medicated for anxiety, depression, mood disorder, hyperactivity, you name it. When her father disappears, Chiku must return to the Congo to discover her true heroic self. In Swahili, Chiku means ‘chatterbox’ but the chimpanzees of the Maiku National park, with whom she can communicate using sign language, know her simply as Talk Talk.
7. What’s your writing schedule? I set myself a semi-rigid schedule. My novels tend to range from 400 to 420 pages. I figure if I can write 5 pages a day, I can finish in under two months. I try to keep to that goal though there are days when I can’t do five, other days when I might do 10. I always finish early.
8. What authors do you admire? I have recently found Peruvian writer Mario Vargas LLosa, whose FEAST OF THE GOAT and WAR AT THE END OF THE WORLD are remarkable.
9. What’s your favorite thing about your book? I love Chiku, the chimpanzees and their relationship. I also think it is important when writing a book to try to do more than create an entertaining page-turner. I like to subtly provoke the reader to think about things they may not have thought about before. I want them to think about my novel long after they’ve gone on to their next book. In DEVOLUTION environmental activism is a vital component.
10. What is the one thing your hero would do that you wouldn’t? Chiku can do so much that I can’t. She’s braver than I am, can swing through and climb tall trees, and can speak to her chimpanzees.
Author Bio
I was born in Portland, Maine and went to Bowdoin College. At that point, I wanted to head to the big city, so I moved to Boston with a college roommate. I became involved with the housing movement in that city, first as a tenant organizer, then working in public housing, and finally working with community action programs that deal with the homeless or at-risk families. I currently live in Haverhill, Massachusetts and have three wonderful kids, Leah, William and Stephen.
Book Blurb
Chiku Flynn wasn’t raised to be human. Born in the rainforest of the Congo, Chiku grows up swinging through trees and playing rough games of hide-and-go-seek and tag with her chimpanzee pals Scallion, Pan and Scopes. Things change suddenly when she witnesses the brutal killing of her mother by crocodile and she is sent back to civilization by her father. But in Brookline, Massachusetts Chiku fails to adapt. Her grades are poor, schools don’t want her, kids make fun of her behind her back. It is only when her beloved father disappears that Chiku begins to regain self-respect back in the jungle, back with her chimpanzees, back in a world that is inhabited by poachers, refugees and soldiers and assassins whose next target may be Chiku herself.
August 9, 2013
Welcome to the first day of The Twins of Devonshire and ...
Welcome to the first day of The Twins of Devonshire and the Curse of the Widow blog tour. It will run until August 17th and will feature excerpts and new author interviews each day. But first, here is the obligatory blurb about the novel to settle you into this strange world:
A plague has covered the land, a single word on the lips of the frightened masses: the Widow. Washing a wave of terror over the countryside and then disappearing like a thief in the night, the Widow holds a kingdom in the palm of her hand. The eyes of Chaos have settled on Prima Terra and heroes must rise. Xeno Lobo, enigmatic and cryptic, hunts the Widow, seeking an object taken from him years before. Will he be able to stem the tide of violence and horror that sweeps the land?</>
A few questions for the author:
Would you rather have less work to do, or more work you actually enjoy doing?
I would always choose more work I actually enjoy doing, which is perfect for where I am at in my life. Writing books and helping others realize their dreams of publication have become central to my everyday life. I wouldn’t have it any other way.
Do you feel like you’ve lived this day a hundred times before?
Each day is unique in some way. As a psychologist, I have to resist the urge (rather poorly, I might add) to look at everything as behavioral sets and neurological predispositions. I think we have the opportunity to have wonder in the simplicity of life, and in that way each time I open my eyes in the morning is the promise of a new, unique day.
When was the last time you marched into the dark with only the soft glow of an idea you strongly believed in?That is what I am currently doing. Starting your own business and committing to writing full-time is a wavering candle in the dark for sure. I have been fortunate that my determination to see it through to the end is paying off….
Here be an excerpt for your enjoyment:The halls of the Tower of Darkness were decorated with murals depicting grotesque beings; the curved jaws and mouths littered with jagged, uneven teeth were a frightening sight. The moon shone brilliantly in narrow corridors shrouded in the shadow, except for the square windows that were scattered about.
The monolith stood alone atop a windy mountain, the path leading to it covered in black snow. Poison oozed from deep in the earth, tainting the ground. The path wound down the mountainside, close to the only nearby village. It was a small town called Sel’verene in the tongue of the Old Ones: the village of the cursed.
The village thrived in the shadow.
The few sparse buildings were dark beneath the pale moonlight, nothing stirring in the streets or distance. Fear governed the countryside. The people did not dare to linger in the darkness, not even with the lunar skies so bright.
Skeletal brush was scattered about the village. The tavern was the only building that dared any noise––the lamp there burning dimly in the shadowed light. The beaten path that wove its way to the far side of the village was entrenched with footfalls in the fresh snow.
The tavern itself was dark and dank.
It reeked as if it served as a stable for horses and swine. Yet, the better part of a dozen sour-looking men remained seated in their chairs. The tables were dusty and the doors to the tavern were open wide, allowing the frigid air outside to whisk through the main room. The men drank their dark amber liquid from musty glass steins, the froth sticking to the cold glass and dripping down the side.
The wintry gales blew back their long, scraggly hair and equally thick beards that covered a sickly demeanor. The mood of the tavern was sour at best, not a word exchanged from patron to patron––even the comely serving woman behind the bar dare not utter a word.
A hand slammed into the brittle frame of the tavern, the skin worn and reddened from the cold air. The cuticles of the nails were cracked and bleeding: dried blood blotched over pale white skin. The hand slid down the doorframe, the moisture of the snow aiding the abrasive surface.
As the hand neared the bottom, a man fell through the open door. His cold face was filled with dread and fear. His hands were gripped tight like claws, knuckles white and bloodless. His mouth was agape, crystal blue eyes open and unwavering. With a beard much thinner than that of the other patrons, his hair was cut along his shoulders––the ends fair and unspoiled.
He crawled along the floor, his hands gripping the wood and slipping as he moved forward. The patrons looked on unfazed as the man inched through the doorway and into the center of the tavern.
“Help––me,” croaked the man. His voice was cracked and worn like a brass horn played far beyond its years.
He curled into a ball and shivered horribly. The minimal coat he wore had deep lacerations ripped through it, like three sets of distinct claw marks. The man closest to him watched the man reach up for him, the labored movement causing him to open his mouth once again like a dying fish out of water. The man rose slowly and slammed the heel of his boot into the prostrated man’s face, splitting his already cracked lips. He spilled blood upon the cold wooden floors of the solemn tavern.
“What,” groaned the man as he gripped his stomach and rolled away. He tried to raise himself upon another arm, but failed to do so when another patron knocked his arm to the ground. Slamming the chair he had been sitting in over the weakened man’s back, the blow drew a weak scream from him
Two of the patrons stood.
Upon seeing the man writhe upon the floor, the remainder of them stood. They began to beat and strike the man with whatever object they could find. The man’s cries were soon drowned out by the crunching of his bones and squishing noises as he bled his coat crimson.
The patrons’ chests heaved as they stared at the beaten man. His face was mangled, the claw marks upon his back exposed when they tore the clothes from his back. The man groaned and spit blood, his remaining teeth stained from the bloodbath.
His eyes streamed with tears.
They grasped him by the shoulders and dragged him outside into the moonlight. His incoherent mumbling did not deter them from their mission. His ravaged body lay in the snow; his face was turned toward the sky.
He could hear them walking away.
He waited for a long time, his mind slipping from consciousness as he lay there. After a while, he realized that he was alone.
“Help,” he called weakly.
No answer.
“Please….”
There was no answer, but in the distance something growled and leapt across the earth in mighty bounds. When it landed, he could feel it through his entire frame. “Is someone there?”
No answer.
The growling was much closer now, and this time accompanied by a solitary pair of footfalls. He tried to move, but his body would not respond. His mind was frantic, irrational fear beginning to grip his senses. He tried to crane his neck, but his muscles just seemed to mock him. A cruel laughing fit crept into the man’s soul. He stifled the laugh as best he could, saliva forming at the edges of his mouth.
Coughing, he let the absurd laughter spew forth.
Bio: A psychologist, author, editor, philosopher, martial artist, and skeptic, he has published several novels and currently has many in print, including: The End of the World Playlist, Bitten, The Journey, The Ocean and the Hourglass, The Path of the Fallen, The Portent, and Cerulean Dreams. Follow him on Twitter (@AuthorDanOBrien) or visit his blog http://thedanobrienproject.blogspot.com. He recently started a consultation business. You can find more information about it here: http://www.amalgamconsulting.com/.
Bitten (US)End of the World Playlist (US)
Cerulean Dreams (US)
The Journey (US)
The Path of the Fallen (US)
The Twins of Devonshire (US)
Mondays with Mephistopheles: 9 am – Rhys (US)
Publish Your Dreams (US)
The End of the World Playlist (UK)
Bitten (UK)
Cerulean Dreams (UK)
The Journey (UK)
The Path of the Fallen (UK)
Mondays with Mephistopheles: 9 am – Rhys (UK)
Publish Your Dreams (UK)
Follow My Blog
Follow Me On Twitter
Like Me On Facebook
All of his books are only 99 cents on Kindle right now!
Download The Twins of Devonshire and the Curse of the Widow for free on Kindle from 8/13 until 8/17!
Would you like to win a Kindle Fire?
Visit http://thedanobrienproject.blogspot.com/ and follow the blog for a chance to win a Kindle Fire!
August 8, 2013
HOW TO GET GOOD REVIEWS ON AMAZON
How To Get Good Reviews On Amazon is a simple, no-nonsense guide that teaches exactly what it says it does. Based on both psychological science and thousands of hours of conversation with some of Amazon’s top reviewers, it takes you behind the scenes into the reviewing subculture that has grown up on Amazon’s website. It gives you a deep, insider’s knowledge of how the top reviewers think and operate. It not only shows you what to do: it takes you inside the reviewers’ heads so that you can see for yourself both how these techniques work and why they’re so effective.
Lessons include:
• A simple, four-part formula for writing emails that get your work reviewed.• Three things never to say when communicating with reviewers!
• How to pick reviewers who are more likely to give you a good review.
• How to reduce the chance that a reviewer you contact will post a bad review – even if it turns out they don’t like your work!
• How people get caught out when receiving reviews from friends and family.
This book teaches an honest, straightforward approach that works. It works because it’s not based gimmicks or tricks but on a real understanding of how Amazon reviewers operate: most of all on what they expect from authors and other sellers. If you want to know how to talk to Amazon reviewers in a way that will make them respect you as a professional and see you as the kind of seller they actually want to help, this is the book for you.
Theo will be giving away a $100 Amazon gift carda Rafflecopter giveaway
EXCERPT
Sellers do quite often turn up on forums on Amazon, specifically asking for reviews. Unfortunately, a while ago Amazon changed its policies to expressly forbid this sort of behavior in all forums but one: the Meet Our Authors forum. The trouble with this is that the Meet Our Authors forum is very largely just a bunch of authors spamming each other. Very few seem to have any real interest in what the others are saying.
Despite Amazon’s rule against using its forums for self promotion, people still do it. And in practice the reception that authors and other sellers get when they post on any of the multitude of forums does vary. To some degree it depends on how the author or seller handles themselves.
The other thing you should always be extremely careful about is paying close attention to the codes of behavior considered appropriate among the forum regulars. Different forums have different levels of tolerance for authors or other sellers seeking reviews, or otherwise promoting themselves. For example, the Romance forum has a reputation as a place you should absolutely never leave this kind of post – unless you actually want to be ripped to shreds. Indeed, the Romance forum has developed a reputation as an extremely hostile place for authors in general. So it is important to do your homework on the specific forum you’re considering using.
AUTHOR INFORMATION:
Theo Rogers combines years of coalface experience on Amazon's website with formal training and qualifications in a range of business and social science disciplines. He's spent literally thousands of hours talking with Amazon reviewers, getting inside their heads, and learning what makes them tick. He's spent almost as many hours observing the carnage that so often takes place on Amazon's forums. In the process he's developed a deep insider's knowledge of the reviewing subculture that's grown up on Amazon's website.
He's also seen a lot of authors and other would-be sellers make the same mistakes in their dealings with that subculture - over and over again.
As a result of his experiences, Theo has come to believe that yes, there is a simple formula that works: a way of dealing with reviewers that's honest, powerful, and extremely effective at winning reviewers over, getting them on your side, and making them actually want to help you.
https://www.facebook.com/TheTheoRogers
Authorsday: Maggie Bishop
While working in the corporate world, I asked a secretary if I could borrow a book to read on vacation. That one contemporary romance paperback changed the course of my life. I devoured four hundred novels in one year. My husband couldn’t understand the addiction. My nose was in a book all the time, even while in the car at stop lights. At home, he would have to call me several times to break my concentration and get my attention.”
One evening while driving home from work at Danskin in York, PA,I decided that I could write a romance. I’d been absorbing the rhythms of the stories, the variety in plot lines, the depth of characters. The decision to write was easy – the execution was the hard part. I joined the Romance Writers of America and had a crash course in the craft of writing by attending their national conferences.
How did you pick the genre you write in?Appalachian Adventures started with romance, then turned to murder. The original concept was 4 books, 4 male cousins, 4 seasons and 4 different sports. I had to get the romance out of my system. “Appalachian Paradise” is romance and backpacking. “Emeralds in the Snow” is romance, downhill skiing and a cold case mystery. “Murder at Blue Falls,” my third novel (3rd male cousin, 3rd season and 3rd sport – horseback riding) changed everything. My publisher, Ingalls Publishing Group, fell in love with the two main characters and the following books are based on the fictional Blue Falls Guest Ranch in the real Triplett Valley outside the real cozy mountain town of Boone, NC.
Do you plot or do you write by the seat of your pants?
Once, I outlined a book and became bored with it because I already knew the ending. Lesson learned – my writing has to entertain me during the process so I’m 90% panster. Most of the time, I don’t know who did it until the last third of the book, which means more revisions.
If you could ask your readers one question, what would it be?Since I write cozy mysteries, did you figure out who did it before it is revealed in the story?
Describe your latest book, “One Shot too Many.”This time Detective Tucker is the main character and we find out more about his past. Yesterday's regret; today's deadly fix.
Impulsive acts during emotional upheavals from the past return to haunt, ending in the death of a photo-journalist near the cozy mountain town of Boone, NC. Detective Tucker must deal with his past while investigating the secrets of suspects determined to keep from facing their own histories. Jemma Chase, trail-ride leader and CSI wannabe, follows clues, even though her interference may cost Tucker his job. “One Shot Too Many” ... suspects a-plenty for Detective Tucker when someone kills the newspaper photographer who took one too many photos. Everyone has something to hide. The nurse – too many injections. The judge -- too many attempts. The retired army man – too many guns. And then there’s the dental hygienist with too many ejac – lovers, the grandmother who loves too much, the sports medicine professor who drinks too much. When Tucker’s own past comes back to haunt, Jemma Chase, his CSI wannabe girlfriend, has to make a choice. What do you consider your strengths in terms of your writing?My strengths are dialogue and action. Readers comment often on the setting.
What is your favorite word?“Umbrella” because of the way it trips the tongue around the mouth. My favorite 2 word combo is “Ball hootin” which is what a pickup truck does down a slick mountain road.
Why do you use real people as minor characters?I live in the South where uniqueness is more than tolerated, it’s encouraged. It helps avoid using stereotypes. Plus it’s fun for them and me. You read about them and see them in movies but I live near them, know them, enjoy them. Including myself, so I’m in my books like Alfred Hitchcock is in his movies.
Tell us about your background.My family are all readers. My dad was Air Force and I grew up with 4 brothers. When Dad would come home and say that he was transferred, Mom would get excited and pack up all us kids and make the move with little trouble. We would explore the culture and land where ever we lived – England, Germany, Oklahoma, North Carolina, Japan. My parents started ski patrol when they were 65 and retired at 87. We are an adventurous bunch. That’s why I had to have adventure in my novels.
Where can we find out more about you? Visit my Website maggiebishop1.tripod.com and Blog Dames of Dialogue and Friend me on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/maggiebishop and Twitter https://twitter.com/maggiebishopAmazon listing for all my books http://dld.bz/maggiebishopamazon
Author Bio
Maggie Bishop hikes, skis, swims, explores and writes in the mountains of North Carolina where she settled in 1993 with her husband and cat. Every time they travel, they seek out other mountains but none are as exciting as the ancient Appalachians. When asked, "What do you do?" her answer is, "Entertain with word pictures."
She was awarded the honor of being one of "One Hundred Incredible East Carolina University Women" for literature and leadership. She's an Air Force brat who put herself through East Carolina University and received a MBA degree, a former manufacturing executive, founder and past president of High Country Writers, and is a member of Romance Writers of America and Sisters in Crime.
Book Blurb:
The Start: In MURDER AT BLUE FALLS, when her horse finds a body, CSI wannabe Jemma starts to investigate, Detective Tucker comes in and it twists and turns from there.
And Then: Since pay is low in the mountains, Jemma has more than one job and is also a carpenter. In PERFECT FOR FRAMING, trouble’s a-brewing in the Property Owners Association where greed and a lust for power lead to murder in a clash of personal versus public needs.
Now: The photography group meets at Blue Falls Guest Ranch and soon there is ONE SHOT TOO MANY which features Detective Tucker with yesterday’s regret haunts.
August 5, 2013
Bama Bride
by Joan Chandler
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
BLURB:
Neal Sinclair meets David Bankston in a college town bar. He’s tall, dark, and handsome, and wears a Stetson like nobody’s business.
When they dance, inner passion heats up while inhibitions melt away. Neal quickly discovers David’s not a Southerner at all. He’s a Boston architect, in Tuscaloosa for only one night. The next morning, they struggle to walk away from something that caught them both by surprise.
Time doesn’t diminish the ache they feel in each other’s absence. Unable to stay apart, David arranges to take Neal to watch her beloved Crimson Tide play in a football bowl game. Reunited, they’re determined to make it work. When separated, they perfect the art of open communication. They each know that true love is a long shot.
But distance isn’t the only thing standing in their way. Unbeknownst to her, Neal’s overprotective father is, too. With so much conspiring against them, can a natural disaster turn the odds in their favor?
~~~~~~~~~~~~~ EXCERPTS:.
“What’s this?” she asked curiously.
“Do you do tequila shots?”
“Never have before.”
“Then you’re in for a treat. This is a slightly different recipe from the traditional salt and lime. I think you’ll like it.”
“How do you do it?” She looked at the three separate ingredients and wondered if there was a method to the madness.
“I’ll show you how I’m going to do it. May I have your hand, please?”
He held his palm out and she placed her hand in it. He turned it over, so the underside was exposed, and then he kissed it open mouthed. Neal watched him run his tongue over her skin, making it glisten with saliva. Then he sprinkled a generous amount of cinnamon over the slick spot. He picked up the whiskey and held it in one hand then dipped his mouth to suck her wrist. She felt him lick softly over her skin, and the fire started to burn inside her. He sat up and raised an eyebrow at her as he quickly consumed the liquid and then he sucked on the wedge to drain the juice out of the citrusy pulp.
“Damn, that’s hot.” She could already feel the rush of moisture to her sexual center, and crossed her legs.
David’s expression was lustful as the rush of alcohol began to take effect. “Your turn.”
He reached for her wrist, but she quickly jerked it back from him.
“No way, Cowboy,” she admonished him. “I’m doing it like you showed me.”
She reached out for his hand. When he extended it to her, she pushed up his sweater, then unbuttoned his shirt sleeve and rolled it up to get it out of the way. She kissed his wrist just below his thumb, and then took her own slow, sweet time to suck it until it was thoroughly wet before applying the aromatic spice. Neal licked the cinnamon, threw back the tequila, and bit the orange wedge that he held out to her. As soon as she swallowed, he covered her mouth with his and plundered it with his tongue.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~ AUTHOR Bio and Links:Joan Chandler is a Florida native who has lived in the Deep South all of her life. She is married with two children who are her pride and joy. She lives a double life of sorts, holding down a nine-to-five job during the day, and writing steamy romance at night—often with her black cat curled up in her arms as she types.
When she’s not spending her spare time working on her next novel, she loves to go camping, sharing girls’ night out with her friends, walking her two dogs, and watching college football.
BUY Links:AMAZON: http://www.amazon.com/Bride-BookStrand-Publishing-Romance-ebook/dp/B00CT35YFW/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1369583017&sr=8-1&keywords=bama+bride
BOOKSTRAND PUBLISHING: http://www.bookstrand.com/bama-bride
BLOG: www.joanchandler.wordpress.com
twitter account: @joanchandler1
Find me on facebook: Joan Chandler
email: joanchandler13@gmail.com
Joan will be awarding a $25 Amazon gift card to a randomly drawn commenter during the tour, and a $10 Amazon Gift Card will be awarded to a randomly drawn host.
Follow the rest of the tour: http://goddessfishpromotions.blogspot.com/2013/06/virtual-super-book-blast-tour-bama.html
Imajin Summer Sizzles
August 1, 2013
The Journey
Welcome to the first day of The Journey blog tour. It will run until August 9th and will feature excerpts and new author interviews each day. But first, here is the obligatory blurb about the novel to settle you into this strange world:
The Frozen Man. The Translucent Man. The Burning Man. The Wicker Man. The guide known only as the Crossroads, together these are the signposts and totems of the world that the being called the Lonely inhabits. Seeking out the meaning of his journey, the Lonely is a being consumed by philosophical inquiry and adventure. Filled with exotic places and age-old questions, the Journey is a book that seeks to merge the fantastical and real. Join the Lonely as he seeks out answers to his own existence and perhaps the meaning for us all.
A few questions for the author:
Have you ever seen insanity where you later saw creativity?
The beauty of life is that perceptions change. I have seen madness where I later saw organized chaos, of which I am a fan. Sometimes a story seems like a convoluted mess until I get into it and realize that there was something very captivating deeper in the text.
What’s something you know you do differently than most people?
I have a very strict sense of organization and self-discipline that makes it appear as though I am working a lot harder than other people. I do not see it that way, though the evidence is in my production. I like to stay very busy. That is my meditative state.
How come the things that make you happy don’t make everyone happy?
This is a fairly context-driven question. Having different interests is the spice of life. If others did not have hobbies beyond what I consider safe, then I might never undertake something new. We cannot all have the same interests, even if I think mine are the best. :)
Here be an excerpt for your enjoyment:
IThe Passing of the Darkness
The open arms of the darkness embraced the being, the one that had been called Th’bir. He went into the darkness not knowing what would become of what he had left behind. That darkness flirted with his mind, his being. From that darkness a new man arose, that man was called the Lonely.
The world below and the world above were not so different to the eyes of the Lonely. He saw both through a crystal glass. The reflection he saw there was duplicitous, one of the man he was and of the being he had become.
This realm was filled with both nothingness and everything. Those who walked there soon became infused with the shadows that danced in their hearts. But the Lonely walked the path, watching perdition as if it were a wonderful play.
The Lonely called out into the darkness.
“Who am I? Where am I going?”
The darkness responded with silence, though that silence encompassed more truth than the Lonely could begin to comprehend. And as he walked along the path, he saw the inverted reality that he had yet to understand.
Bio: A psychologist, author, editor, philosopher, martial artist, and skeptic, he has published several novels and currently has many in print, including: The End of the World Playlist, Bitten, The Journey, The Ocean and the Hourglass, The Path of the Fallen, The Portent, and Cerulean Dreams. Follow him on Twitter (@AuthorDanOBrien) or visit his blog http://thedanobrienproject.blogspot.com. He recently started a consultation business. You can find more information about it here: http://www.amalgamconsulting.com/.
Bitten (US) End of the World Playlist (US) Cerulean Dreams (US) The Journey (US) The Path of the Fallen (US) The Twins of Devonshire (US)
Mondays with Mephistopheles: 9 am – Rhys (US) The End of the World Playlist (UK) Bitten (UK) Cerulean Dreams (UK)The Journey (UK) The Path of the Fallen (UK)
Mondays with Mephistopheles: 9 am – Rhys (UK) Follow My Blog Follow Me On Twitter Like Me On Facebook
All of his books are only 99 cents on Kindle right now!
Download The Journey for free on Kindle from 8/5 until 8/9!
Would you like to win a Kindle Fire?
Visit http://thedanobrienproject.blogspot.com/ and follow the blog for a chance to win a Kindle Fire!
The H
