Debra L. Martin's Blog, page 159

Interview with Donna Compositor, CURSE OF STARS

Can you give us a brief overview of your latest book? Is it part of a series?CURSE OF STARS is a dark YA fantasy about a girl who cries diamonds who is kidnapped and taken to another world. Turns out it’s actually the world where she was born and her parents are hated fugitives from that world. While her diamond tears got her into this mess in the first place, a latent magic decides to come out and may be the solution she needs in order to get herself out of it.
It is part of a planned trilogy with a novella between books two and three. The only reason it’s not a four book series is because the story that I need to tell in that novella shouldn’t be too involved and shouldn’t render it’s own 90,000 word book. Famous last words on that one, but that’s the plan.
Have you ever had a minor character evolve into a major one? Did that change the direction of the novel at all?Not in CURSE OF STARS, but in a book I’m working on that’s currently on Wattpad, BEFORE I’M DEAD. It’s a novel about the vampire apocalypse and it was originally about a girl whose life gets turned completely upside down and everything she knows is thrown into shambles and it all started with finding out something huge about her friend.
The friend made one appearance in the book, in the very first chapter and for only a handful of paragraphs. That’s it. When I did the Wattpad Block Party in August I was like “oh, why don’t I write a little short story about how this friend got into this situation in the first place.” And that was the end of that. That friend ruined everything I’d already written. She basically came in and was like “WRITE ABOUT ME” and took over the world. So I scrapped 50,000 words and started from the beginning with the friend as the protagonist.
What factors influenced your decision to self-publish your book(s)?I queried the book for two years before making the decision to self-publish. I had some really good feedback on it and people liked it, just not enough to take on. Eventually I forced myself to decide which I wanted more: to be published or to be read? I decided I wanted to be read more. Don’t get me wrong. I still want to be commercially published. But I’m going to continue to write the stories I want to write, not cater to the market and what could potentially sell to a publisher. If things happen to match up, great! If not I’ll self-publish.
Do you outline your story or just go where your muse takes you?I don’t do the muse thing, but same concept. I’m a pantser when I write so I just go with the flow. I’ve taken to outlining a little bit, just to keep track of the plot and details and so I don’t have a complete mess when it comes time for editing. But mostly I just see where it takes me. I find I get the best twists and plot developments that way. I’m very much of the mind of “no surprises for the writer, no surprises for the reader.” Having everything planned out makes me feel like I’d be missing out on those surprises.
Besides Amazon, are there any other sites where your books are for sale?You can find my eBook on Barnes & Noble, Kobo, iBooks, and Amazon. I’m working on the print edition too. It’s basically ready. If it’s not available by release for purchase it will be soon after that. I’ve just been having some printer difficulties, but once I get those hammered out it’ll distribute and be available from all the major retailers too.
What kinds of marketing [twitter, facebook, blog, forums] are you involved with for promoting your book(s)?I blog (http://www.imaginewrite.net), I have my Facebook author page (https://www.facebook.com/dcompbooks/), Twitter (@dcompbooks), Instagram (donnaduck13), my Goodreads author page (https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/15517019.Donna_Compositor), tumblr (http://donnaduck87.tumblr.com/), and Wattpad (@dcompbooks). I use all of these avenues to one degree or another in order to promote. I use Twitter, Facebook, and Wattpad the most as I’m most active there, with Instagram coming in a close second. I tried Facebook ads (not worth it in my experience), Goodreads giveaways (had a solid response out of that), and Xpresso Book Tours, which has worked the best. Getting my book on NetGalley is where I’ve gotten my reviews from to date, which is awesome. The book blitz helped to get my book out there and I’m hoping the blog tour will drum up even more interest in my little brain child!
Do you find it difficult to juggle your time between marketing your current book and writing your next book?Throw in the fact that I have a regular job too and yeah. It gets difficult. Being in a position to pay for someone else to do the marketing for me has been very beneficial and has cut down on the time I’ve spent having to hand sell myself to people. While I’m spread out pretty widely in terms of social media I really just stick to Facebook and Twitter for the pure social aspect of it and Wattpad to promote my writing as a whole. You can’t be all things to all people and there are some aspects of marketing that just aren’t worth my time. I’ve spent hours and months hand selling the book to people to try and get reviews. The few acceptances I did get haven’t otherwise returned anything to date. Meanwhile I dropped some money for Xpresso’s NetGalley co-op and the response was almost immediate. Done. I’m not hand selling anymore. The return just isn’t there. I need to work smarter, not harder, with the spare time I do have. Finding that balance can take some time, but it’s ultimately worth it.
What advice would you give a new author just entering into the self-publishing arena?Persistence is really key. Don’t get discouraged. Just keep plugging away. Keep writing, keep marketing, keep socializing, and people will find you eventually. Find what marketing avenues work right for you. Some people will be really insistent that you should do X, however X may not work for you or your title. Have the patience to find what does work. And be prepared to drop some money. Unless you have friends everywhere, you’re going to have to spend something at some point, whether it’s on marketing, editing, cover design, whatever. You’ll spend it somewhere.
And just a note on editing, watch who you have editing your book. There are a lot of people out there offering services and while I think a lot of them have the best intentions, if they don’t come recommended by someone you trust, if they’re not providing valid references (edited a dozen different books, but don’t name the books or if they’re all self-published books check samples to see just what kind of editing’s been done), and they don’t have any actual industry experience at all, it’s best to walk away. I mean I found people who their only qualifications were that they were avid readers. That’s great! But it doesn’t qualify a person to content, line, or copy edit a book (which are three completely different things). And make sure the person actually meshes with your work. They should edit the work based on what’s best for the work, not based on what they think it should be.
Some fun facts about you, which do you prefer – dogs or cats? Chocolate or vanilla? Coffee or Tea? Talk or Text? Day or Night?Dogs or cats? Both. I’m indiscriminate about dogs and cats now. I have one dog and three cats so I can’t favor at this point. They’ll converge on me.
Chocolate or vanilla? Depends on what it is. I love chocolate, but prefer vanilla ice cream and vanilla cakes. But you can keep your white chocolate. Blech.
Coffee or tea? Tea, definitely. I drink it all the time, pretty much any kind (except pure blacks or oolongs). Never developed a taste for coffee.
Talk or text? Text. I’m not much of a talker. Never have been. I would have been all over text messaging if cell phones were a thing when I was in high school. Yuck. Hated the phone. Still do. I don’t even like to order food over the phone. I make my husband do it.
Day or Night? Night, probably, although I wouldn’t necessarily call myself a night person. I’m not a morning person either. I’m more comfortable staying up until midnight than my husband is, and I sleep a little later, but that only means maybe 8:30 if I’m lucky.
What’s next for you?After the Diamond Crier series is over I have a couple different directions I can take. I’m just not sure which one I want to take at the moment. I have the vampire apocalypse novel I’m working on that’s up on Wattpad at the moment. I could set myself to editing the crap out of that one when I’m done. I have another vampire-related one I want to write inspired by The Lost Boys. I have an historical vampire romance that has a few chapters written. I have an 80s-set urban fantasy/supernatural series-potential story about a psychic on Coney Island. Or maybe the stand alone historical fiction about the Mossad that’s drilling itself into my head. It’s anyone’s guess right now!



Author bio: Donna has been writing since she was in the single digits when she first realized she needed to do something about all the thoughts in her head. After a stint with bad poetry she finally found her way to novels, mainly of the young adult fantasy variety. When she’s not cranking out more stories she works a regular 9 to 5, reads anywhere from 2 to 3 books a week, drinks copious amounts of tea, eats way too much, and makes her own beauty products because her skin turns into a sentient hive if she uses anything else. This is mostly because she lives in the desert where the air siphons water clean out of her. She lives with a man named Steve and several quadrupeds: three cats named Renfield, Sam, and Dean; and a MinPin named Malfoy.
Website: http://www.imaginewrite.net/Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/dcompbooks/Twitter: https://twitter.com/dcompbooks 

#Excerpt: SONGS OF INSURRECTION by J.C. Kang

Songs of Insurrection
J.C. Kang
(Daughter of the Dragon Throne #1)
Publication date: January 6th 2017
Genres: Adult, Fantasy

Princess Kaiya’s voice could charm a dragon.

Had she lived when the power of music could still summon typhoons and rout armies, perhaps Cathay’s imperial court would see her as more than a singing fool. With alliances to build and ambitious lords to placate, they care more about her marriage prospects than her voice.

Only the handsome Prince Hardeep, a foreign martial mystic, recognizes her potential. Convinced Kaiya will rediscover the legendary but perilous art of invoking magic through music, he suggests her voice, not her marriage, might better serve the realm.

When members of the emperor’s elite spy clan– Kaiya’s childhood friend Tian and his half-elf sidekick (or maybe he’s her sidekick?)– discover mere discontent boiling over into full-scale rebellion, Kaiya must choose. Obediently wedding the depraved ringleader means giving up her music. Confronting him with the growing power of her voice could kill her.

Goodreads / Amazon
—
EXCERPT:CHAPTER 1
Not-So-Chance MeetingsIf marriage were a woman’s grave, as the proverb claimed, sixteen-year-old Princess Kaiya suspected the emperor was arranging her funeral. Entourage in tow, she shuffled through the castle halls toward the garden where General Lu waited. Given his notorious dislike of the arts, the self-proclaimed Guardian Dragon of Hua had undoubtedly envisioned a different kind of audition when he requested to hear her sing.
After all, she was dressed like a potential bride.
She buried a snort. The Guardian Dragon—such a pretentious nickname. The only real dragon, Avarax, who lorded over some faraway land, might make for a more appealing audience. A quick trip down his gullet would spare her a slow death in a marriage with neither love nor music.
And it wouldn’t matter what she wore.
The gaudy dress compensated for her numerous physical imperfections, but stifled the only thing that made her special. How was she supposed to sing with the inner robe and gold sash squeezing her chest, in a futile attempt to misrepresent her woefully underdeveloped curves? The tight fold of the skirts concealed her lanky legs, but forced a deliberate pace. At least the short stride delayed the inevitable, while preventing her unsightly feet from tripping on the hanging sleeves of the vermilion outer gown.
At her side, Crown Princess Xiulan glided across the chirping floorboards. Kaiya suppressed a sigh. If only she could move with the nonchalant grace of her sister-in-law, or even the six handmaidens trailing them. She dug her nails into clammy palms. Through this choreographed farce, appearances had to be maintained, lest she embarrass her father, the Tianzi.
Chin up, back straight. A racing heart threatened to ruin her already meager semblance of imperial grace. Eyes forward. Servants knelt on either side of the looming double doors, ready to slide them open. She forced a smile, with her best approximation of feminine charm. If only she’d lived before Dragon Songs had faded into legend, she could’ve sent the realm’s victorious hero fleeing with the song he supposedly wanted to hear.
An aging palace official stepped into her line of sight.
Singular focus on the doors broken, she blinked. Her fluttering pulse lurched to a stop as she blew out a breath.
His blue robes ruffled as he tottered forward with averted eyes and a bobbing head. He creaked down into a bow. “Emergency, Dian-xia,” he said, using the formal address for her rank. “The Tianzi commands you to greet a foreign delegation in the Hall of Bountiful Harvests.”

Author Bio:
JC Kang's unhealthy obsession with Fantasy and Sci-Fi began at an early age when his brother introduced him to The Chronicles of Narnia, The Hobbit, Star Trek and Star Wars. As an adult, he combines his geek roots with his professional experiences as a Chinese Medicine doctor, martial arts instructor and technical writer to pen epic fantasy stories.

Website / Goodreads / Facebook / Twitter

GIVEAWAY!a Rafflecopter giveaway



 

#Excerpt: GHOST TOUCH by LA Dragoni

“Dex!” she shouted again, leaping forward and running toward the door. A stabbing pain of cold sliced through her upper arm when she knocked against the ghost with the shovel in his hand. He stopped to stare at her with a surprised expression on his face. She pushed forward, ignoring the increasing pain as she jostled up against the ghosts.
A knot of ghosts hunkered together where she last saw Dexter. She pushed through them, her warm touch surprising enough to make them jump back. Dex lay crumpled in a quivering ball at the center of the group. Tamara kneeled beside him and clutched his shoulders.
“Dex! Are you okay?” He didn’t respond, just rocked to and fro, mumbling incoherent words. She shouted. “Dex! Can you hear me?”
His gaze finally lifted, a wary look colored with terror.
“Oh my God.” Tamara wrapped her arms around him. His body was ice cold. She pressed as much of herself against him as she could and buried her face in his hair. “I gotcha. You’ll be okay.”
Then she became aware of an ache worming through her muscles and realized hands pawed at her, clutched her, and were trying to pull her away. She raised a furious glare at the eager crowd of ghouls and snarled. “Stop! Leave us alone.”
However, hunger showed in the eyes of those who’d been dead a short enough time to still have them. Actions became more insistent and then combative. The group shoved and swayed until she worried she’d be crushed beneath them when they fell. She kept her arms wrapped around Dex, hoping to keep the spirits off him, but many simply reached through him to get to her. He shuddered violently and had grown quiet.
Each individual touch drained her of warmth and energy, yet they continued to grope at her arms and back, tug on her hair and clothing. She grew weaker and weaker until the edges of her vision dimmed and she could barely feel the boy she was trying to protect.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~BLURB:
For fifteen minutes each night a portal opens in Tamara’s barn and a horde of ghosts spills into her yard. She and Dex work together to find a way to help Cal and the thousands of spirits stuck in the void to cross over. When she learns she has the ghost touch—the ability to touch the ghosts as if they were corporeal—and she accidentally helps a little boy cross, she believes it might be possible. But not all the spirits play nice and when they learn they can sip energy from her ghost touch, they become greedy putting her life at risk.
Each time Cal has to pull her from the mass of ghosts, her touch restores him more and more until he is at danger of being stuck on earth—forever, which is very enticing to Tamara the better she knows him. Will she and Dex figure out how to help the spirits cross and if they do, will she be able to let Cal go?
Available in ebook, and audiobook from Amazon, http://amzn.to/1G7ZpC4

and now available in print! https://www.amazon.com/dp/152052157X?ref_=pe_870760_150889320
Also available on Barnes and Noble, http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/ghost-touch-la-dragoni/1122871133
Kobo, https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/ghost-touch-2
 iTunes, https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/id1053760714

~~~~~~~~~~~~~AUTHOR Bio and Links:
LA Dragoni isn’t too particular about who falls in love or where they fall in love. She simply considers it her job to capture the story about their love. Whether it’s paranormal, mythical, or time travel, LA will be there to divine their story for you. She lives in Central Oregon with her husband and children, but haunts ghost towns and cemeteries up and down the west, in search of the next adventure to sift through her storytelling brain.
Follow LA on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/ladragoni/and
Twitter https://twitter.com/LA_Dragoni
Subscribe to her mailing list  http://eepurl.com/czuyuP
and learn more about LA and her work at www.ladragoni.com




a Rafflecopter giveaway

#Excerpt: ARES ROAD by James L Weaver

Ares Road
James L. Weaver
(Jake Caldwell, #2)
Published by: Lakewater Press
Publication date: March 2nd 2017
Genres: Adult, Thriller

With his days as a mob enforcer behind him, Jake Caldwell’s trying to go straight.

But it seems his past won’t let him go.

His first job working as a private investigator turns up a teenage girl screaming down a dead man’s cell phone, and Logan, his mentor and the only man with answers, beaten into a coma.

Now Jake’s taking it personally.
The only clues Jake has to unravel the mystery are a Russian with a stolen, silver briefcase and three names: Snell, Parley and Ares. Teaming up with his best friend Bear, the Sheriff of his home town, and an attractive FBI agent, Jake quickly discovers they’re not the only ones looking for the briefcase and its deadly contents.

It’s no longer about seeking revenge.

The thrilling second book in the Jake Caldwell series is a heart-stopping ride that won’t disappoint fans.

Goodreads / Amazon / Barnes & Noble—
EXCERPT:“How do you know, Mr. Logan?” a uniformed cop named Murphy asked Jake while a couple of young paramedics tended to Logan. Murphy had a low forehead and wide-set eyes, and spoke like he’d been dropped on his head multiple times as a child.“We work together.”
“You a PI, too?”
“Sort of. I was learning the ropes from Jack. Don’t have a license yet.”
Murphy jotted in a notebook. Paramedics wheeled Logan out of the office on a stretcher, and Jake wondered how they would get him down those three flights of narrow stairs. A rail-thin, black detective with a shaved head and a cheap, tan suit slipped into the room. His polar opposite partner squeezed through the door, red faced with beads of sweat rolling down his jowls from the three-flight climb. The fat one was as tall as he was wide and waddled into Logan’s office. The bald one talked to Murphy, took some notes, and turned to Jake.
“I’m Detective Ogio. You know Jack Logan long, Mr. Caldwell?”
“Three years,” Jake answered. “We were supposed to meet tonight.”
“To do what?”
The detective waited with raised eyebrows for an answer. Ogio’s acorn eyes were hooded, giving him a sleepy look, but there was light there. The guy wasn’t stupid. He was suspicious of Jake, which pissed him off because he’d given them no reason to be suspicious. Plus, Jake couldn’t tell the cop the truth because it would start a whole line of questions he didn’t want to answer. He had to stonewall them.
“We were going out to dinner,” Jake lied.
“Where?”
“Does it matter?”
“It does if I’m asking the question.”
“I didn’t do this,” Jake said.
“I didn’t say you did. You’re a big guy, though. Six two and what…two hundred twenty pounds?”
“Six three, two thirty. Like that matters. Why would I beat the shit out of him and then call you guys?”
“Like I said, I didn’t say you did. Why are you getting defensive?”
“You think I’m being defensive?” Jake asked.
Ogio’s head ticked to the side. “A little.”
“I’m worried, that’s all. My buddy just got his ass kicked.”
“What were you guys working on?”
Jake shifted, tired of answering these banal questions.
“We were between jobs.”
“Must make it tough to learn the ropes.”
“What ropes?”
Ogio’s thin lips pressed together. “The ones Officer Murphy said you were learning from Mr. Logan.”
“A bit. We done here? I want to go to the hospital.”
“Why do you think Mr. Logan’s office was trashed?”
“Somebody was looking for something.” Jake hoped the detective caught his sarcasm. He laid it on pretty thick.
“You think? Maybe you should be a detective.”
“Maybe you should too.”
Ogio grinned. He clearly had a good nature. “He say anything to you about anyone being after him?”
“He said he did a lot of divorce cases. Maybe someone looked for photos of their cheating wife.”
“Always possible,” the detective said. He handed Jake his card—Thomas Ogio.
“Where are they taking Logan?”
“Truman Medical Center,” Ogio answered, flipping his notebook shut. “You got my number. Call me if you think of anything else. Stay reachable.”
Ogio headed toward Logan’s office to join his partner. Jake strode out the door, down the steps, and out into the early March evening. He stood on the sidewalk wondering what to do. Did Logan meet with his contact that would lead them to Voleski? Did the contact do this to him? Was this about another case? Somebody wanted something up there and it wasn’t divorce photos. What did Logan say? The less you know on this one, the better.
Jake rubbed his hand over the day’s growth on his face. The one person who could answer his questions and give him a direction to go was Logan. Jake jumped in his truck and headed toward Truman Medical Center.

Author Bio:
James L Weaver is the Kansas City author of the Jake Caldwell series featuring IAN Thriller of the Year finalist Poor Boy Road and soon to be released Ares Road from Lakewater Press. He makes his home in Olathe, Kansas with his wife of 19 years and two children. His previous publishing credits include a six part story called “The Nuts” and his 5-star rated debut novel Jack & Diane which is available on Amazon.com. Author note: a handful of the raters are actually not related to him.

Website / Goodreads / Facebook / Twitter

GIVEAWAY!
a Rafflecopter giveaway

#Excerpt: THE GAME BEGINS by Victoria Danann

The Game Begins
Victoria Danann
Publication date: February 27th 2017
Genres: Fantasy, Science Fiction, Young Adult

When it came to the attention of the old ones that their creations, the Earth gods, had been playing games at the expense of humankind for millennia, they put a stop to it. But the rebellious gods were far too addicted to their games to give them up. After several summit meetings, they voted to use their own children as players and locate the playing field in the most treacherous environment in the known universe.

High school.

To make it even more interesting, they would strip their children of their memories and withhold the rules of the game. The players believed they were ordinary kids until they were transferred to R. Caine High School. When odd things begin to happen, the players gradually realize they have special gifts or attributes. But that doesn’t mean they can’t die.

Goodreads / Amazon / Barnes & Noble / iBooks / Kobo
—EXCERPT:My name is Ever Moore.I know. It makes me wince every time I say it. When I’m eighteen, I plan to have it legally changed to something that doesn’t make people laugh. But right now I’m stuck.
My dad thinks puns are the highest form of humor. He calls it ‘word play’. That’s right. I’m the spawn of nerds. My dad creates video games. My mother is an ethics professor at UCLA who thinks the battle between good and evil begins at home.
If you want to know just how weird it can get at the Thanksgiving table, I can go one better. My grandfather was a big deal rock star in the seventies. You wouldn’t know the name of the band. So there’s no point in name dropping. After a visit, he exits with a two-finger peace salute like all the other well-adjusted hippie grandparents, but he doesn’t say, “Peace.”
He says, “Rock steady.”
Ugh!
My family is big on manners. They’re too strict to let me say what I think, especially about Buzz’s love life. My grandfather doesn’t want to be called Grandpa or Grandad or Gramps or anything close to normal. Oh no. He wants to be called ‘Buzz’. I have no idea why. That is not his name.
Anyway, the best protest I can mount is rolling my eyes. I keep trying to get his attention and roll my eyes back further into my head when he does the ‘rock steady’ thing, but he will not be deterred.
Anyway I was leading a completely typical and deliciously angsty teenage life in Austin, Texas when my parents were suddenly offered jobs in the LA area at the same time. It was weird, but weird is part of my normal. Always has been.
Since my grandad, the rocker, still lives in LA with the latest girlfriend who’s barely legal – she’s two years older than I am and her name is Charmin, yes, like the toilet paper. If that was my name, I’d have the decency to go by something like Charm, which would really be making lemonade from lemons. But not Charmin. I don’t think she’s bright enough to understand what people are thinking whenever they say her name. Anyway, with the jobs and the fact that ‘Buzz’ lives there, moving seemed like a good idea.
To them.

Author Bio:
New York Times bestselling author of seventeen romances including paranormal, scifi, fantasy, contemporary, and teen. Victoria's Knights of Black Swan series won BEST PARANORMAL ROMANCE SERIES and PARANORMAL ROMANCE NOVEL OF THE YEAR the past FOUR YEARS IN A ROW. This past year two of her series took the top two places and two of her books took first and second place Paranormal Romance of the Year category. - Reviewers Choice Awards, The Paranormal Romance Guild.

Victoria is co-host of the popular ROMANCE BETWEEN THE PAGES podcast. → www.romancecast.com
WEBSITE: → www.VictoriaDanann.com
FACEBOOK: → www.facebook.com/victoriadanannbooks

The rich characterizations come from being a lifelong student of behavior, casually, and a serious student of behavior academically. She has also studied comparative religion, myths, and Dark Ages history.
Victoria lives in The Woodlands, Texas with her husband and a very smart, mostly black German Shepherd dog.

GIVEAWAY!
a Rafflecopter giveaway

#Review: SECOND TIME AROUND by Ella Quinn

3 of 5 stars
It has been several months since I read the first book in this series, THREE WEEKS TO WED, where we are introduced to Matt and Grace's story. I had a hard time figuring out who was who in THE SECOND TIME AROUND. Within the first couple of paragraphs, several characters were introduced and it made it difficult to follow. The heroine, Patience, now a widow living under her step-son Matt's roof with her 4 daughters has loved Richard Wolverton her whole life. Now 20 years later, he's back in her life and she finds that she still loves him. Richard has never forgiven himself for letting Patience get away and is determined to win her back again.
While the writing was well-done, the story is quite bland. Not much happens. There is one "evil" guy, but he is dispatched so quickly, it almost didn't make sense to include him in the story. I find Ms. Quinn's writing to be lacking in any kind of suspense of what will or will not happen next--everything is so nice and a bit boring. I'm all for happily ever after, but I'd prefer to read stories with a bit more meat to them.
I received a copy of this book in exchange for a fair and honest review.
Amazon buy link:https://www.amazon.com/Second-Time-Around-Worthingtons-ebook/dp/B01KRUMV2W

Interview with Tiera Rice, AWAKENING BLOODLINE

Give a brief overview of your book. Is it part of a series?Awakening is a story of self-exploration and family history, with Vampyres and Witches thrown into the mix! Written in alternating point-of-views, it follows Antanasia (set in 1480 Romania) and her story being the daughter of Dracula. How Antanasia deals with the war she was born into and how she handles the challenges she faces. Simultaneously, we have Nadia (set in 2015 NYC) who is learning the truth about who she is and who her family is. A practicing Witch, she starts to develop abilities that she recognizes as a Vampyre Awakening–what does this mean for her now? How does she handle this reveal and what she’s learned about her family? Awakening is a story of parallel lives and the first installment of the Bloodline series.
Do you have a favorite character?Hmm...naturally, I enjoy all my characters for different reasons. But I would like to say that Antanasia is perhaps my favorite. She’s impulsive, but confident, strong, courageous, beautiful, and she kicks butt!
Did you try traditional route to publishing?I chose to go the self-publishing route.
Are you currently under a traditional publishing contract for future books or do you have manuscripts that you will self-publish?Unless offered a deal I can’t refuse, I will always choose to self-publish.
What influenced your decision to self-publish?I chose to go the self-publishing route because I like to have control over every aspect of the process–from what to write, how to write, editors, marketing, etc. I’m very hands-on, and felt that too much would be taken from me if I were to go with a traditional publisher. I also created a publishing company, Eula Rae Printing & Publishing, in which I plan on taking other indie authors under my wing.
What is your writing process?Honestly, I have no set process LOL! I write when I can, whether that’s 9pm or 4am. To this day, I’m still unsure as to how I was able to finish Awakening, especially while going through cancer treatments, but somehow I found the time. I would love to sit here and say, “I wrote for 2 hours every day in the morning religiously,” but that’s not the case. I’m a single mother of a two-year old, and a Realtor. I write when I’m called to write, in between mommy and real estate duties
How involved were you in the cover process?I originally was going to have a friend of mine design the cover, but I always knew what I wanted it to look like. Instead, I did some research on cover designers and came across Damonza.com. They asked for covers I liked, key elements of my story, and what my idea was. I told them I always saw a girl with a split face, since the story is written in alternating point-of-views, but one was set in present time, while the other was past. This was the cover they came up with and I’m in love with it!
Besides Amazon, where else are your books for sale?Awakening is also available at Barnes and Noble (online), and Kobo.
Besides writing, do you have other passions?I love to read (go figure!) Anything creative—visual art (I design clothing and draw when I can), singing (I’ve sung at Carnegie Hall with my choir when I was in high school), and dancing. Not to mention being with my daughter and watching her blossom into the little girl she is today.
Fun facts about meI like all animals, but cats are definitely preferred over dogs. Vanilla over chocolate. Coffee and tea equally have their proper times in my life lol! Talk in person, texting when not. Night, of course!!!


_________
Book & Author Details:
Awakening: Bloodline Book One
by Tiera Rice
Publication date: October 12th 2016
Genres: Fantasy, New Adult, Paranormal
Synopsis:
Antanasia knows better than anyone that being royal comes with lots of expectations. Born into war as a Vampyre Witch, she has to battle the ultimate enemy: her own blood. When she has a terrifying Vision, Antanasia fights harder than ever to prevent it from coming to pass. Will she succeed? Or does she die trying? ∞ Nadia is an average teenager celebrating her nineteenth birthday. But her day turns upside down when she starts developing unusual abilities that make her question everything she knew. Searching for answers to her predicament, she finds herself trusting Nicolae, a stranger with a familiar presence. Why does she feel so drawn to him? Will Nadia find answers to the questions about her past and take on her new role willingly? Or will she choose to remain in the dark and deny her destiny?
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/32613594-awakening
Purchase:Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01MCT1MLMB&N: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/awakening-tiera-rice/1125011136?ean=9780997674804Kobo: https://www.kobo.com/ca/en/ebook/awakening-168
AUTHOR BIO:Tiera Rice was raised in Rockland County, New York and is a realtor in Rockland, Westchester, and Orange Counties. She earned her degree in criminal justice from Temple University, is the founder of Laughter and Lemonade: a project that focuses on motivational posters for those experiencing a chronic illness, and co-founder of #26forTiera: a foundation that provides financial resources to single parents battling life-threatening illnesses.
A creator of poems and short-stories for many years, Tiera challenged herself by leaping into the world of novels. Having recently survived a battle with cancer, Tiera decided to use her writing to entertain and motivate her readers. When not writing or selling houses, Tiera can be found spending time with her friends and family, especially her young daughter, fish, and kitty cat. Her other interests include singing, drawing, and dancing.
Author Links:https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/15968811.Tiera_Ricehttps://www.facebook.com/tierawrites/https://www.tierarice.com/https://twitter.com/tierawrites



a Rafflecopter giveaway

#Excerpt: INTO SHADOW by T.D. Shields

The hallway was mostly empty with a bench or two placed along the walls. Open doors lined both sides of the wall, gaping pools of deeper dark opening off the main path. I tried looking inside a couple of classrooms, but it was too dark to make out anything.
At the end of the hallway something caught my eye—a tiny gleam of pale color against the wall where it should have been dark. I turned my steps to investigate and crouched down to look closer. It took me a minute to realize what I was looking at and when realization came, I shoved my hand hard against my mouth to hold back a whimper. The white gleam came from bones piled in a jumbled heap against the wall. Judging by the empty skull peering from the mound, the bones were human.
Even worse, behind the first heap of bones was another. And another. I wasn’t sure how many there might be continuing back through that hallway. I wasn’t going to find out either. Investigating this was not a job for one guard on her first patrol. I stumbled to my feet so I could turn and run for the exit. Suddenly, I heard a noise behind me. Not much, just a whisper of sound like a sliding footstep against the tiled floor. I whirled, trying to locate the source of the noise, but I could see nothing.
“Marcii?” I called. I admit it, my voice shook a little. Silence answered me. “Hello?” I called again.


BLURB:
She’s nineteen. The President’s daughter. They want her dead.
Poppy’s father may be the President of the North American Alliance, but that just makes her a target for those wishing to topple the regime.
Barely escaping with her life, she must travel across a country ravaged by war and climate change to seek safety amongst a people who only recently opposed her. There she must use every skill learned from her military upbringing to survive terrifying beasts, deadly plant life, and lawless gangs before finally finding a group willing to accept her.
But her peace soon proves to be illusory. It’s not only the government that wants her dead now.
Buy links: This book is on sale for .99

Amazon https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01N5URN3ZiBooks https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/into-shadow/id1200776828Kobo https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/into-shadow-4
~~~~~~~~~~~~~AUTHOR Bio and Links:
After writing stories in her head for the last 30+ years, Tara finally decided to take a stab at writing them down to share them with others.
Tara has a husband, 4 kids, and 5 cats to care for along with a full-time job and contract work on the side, so finding time to write is the biggest challenge. Since her most productive hours are from 12-5 a.m. anyway, Tara usually gives up sleep in favor of writing.
Tara’s social media:
FB www.facebook.com/tdshields.authorTwitter handle @td_shieldsWebsite http://taradon.wixsite.com/tdshieldshttps://www.goodreads.com/author/show/12042892.T_D_Shields

Follow the tour and comment; the more you comment, the better the chances of winning. The tour dates can be found here: 
http://goddessfishpromotions.b logspot.com/2017/02/book-blast -into-shadow-by-td-shields.htm l

 


a Rafflecopter giveaway

#Excerpt: SECOND TIME AROUND by Ella Quinn

The day after Richard had been told Pae was ill, he was in the reading room at Brook’s having coffee and waiting until he could try to see her again. All he’d been able to think about was her boast that she never took a chill, and now she was sick.

If she was not better today, he would send for some fruit from his succession houses. They would be much better quality than what one could procure in London.
Another gentleman entered the room, drawing a chair up next to his.
“What is my stepmother to you?”
He glanced at Lord Worthington’s stern face and carefully folded the paper, placing it on the low table next to him. “Why do you wish to know?”
“Because she has been asking for you. She’s running a fever.”
Richard stared at the younger man for what seemed like eons before he finally understood. “I’ll come straightaway.”
As he started to rise Worthington’s hand clamped down on Richard’s arm. “I’ll ask you again, what is she to you?”
He looked straight into the other man’s eyes. “The only woman I have ever loved.”
Worthington gave a terse nod. “I was afraid it was something like that.” He released Richard’s arm. “My carriage is outside.”
~~~~~~~~~~~~~BLURB:
Can a beautiful Worthington widow find love again? Depends on who’s asking . . .
Before he died, Patience was the Earl of Worthington’s second wife. So why shouldn’t Patience be allowed a second chance at marriage, too? Of course, finding a new husband was not something the mother of four had ever planned on. But a surprise encounter with her first love has suddenly made the impossible seem possible all over again . . .
It seems like a lifetime ago that Richard, Viscount Wolverton, was halfway around the world, looking for adventure . . . while Patience, at her coming-out, was left with no choice but to take old Worthington’s hand. Richard never forgot the woman whose heart he yearned for—and now that he’s back, he’s not going to let her slip away again . . .
Buy Link: https://www.amazon.com/Second-Time-Around-Worthingtons-ebook/dp/B01KRUMV2W
~~~~~~~~~~~~~AUTHOR Bio and Links:
Bestselling author Ella Quinn’s studies and other jobs have always been on the serious side. Reading historical romances, especially Regencies, were her escape. Eventually her love of historical novels led her to start writing them. She has just finished her first series, The Marriage Game, and her new series, The Worthingtons, began in April 2016.
 She is married to her wonderful husband of over thirty years. They have a son and two beautiful granddaughters, and a dog. After living in the South Pacific, Central America, North Africa, England and Europe, she and her husband decided to make their dreams come true and are now living on a sailboat cruising the Caribbean and North America. Europe is next!     Website: www.ellaquinnauthor.com
Facebook: www.facebook.com/EllaQuinnAuthor
Twitter www.twitter.com/ellaquinnauthor
Blog http://ellaquinnauthor.wordpresscom
Amazon Author Page:  https://www.amazon.com/Ella-Quinn/e/B00CAE0FSQ
Follow the tour and comment; the more you comment, the better the chances of winning. The tour dates can be found here: 
http://goddessfishpromotions. blogspot.com/2017/02/book- blast-second-time-around-by- ella.htm

 


a Rafflecopter giveaway

#Excerpt: SHATTERING TRUTHS by Kyrian Lyndon

Shattering Truths
Kyrian Lyndon
(Deadly Veils, #1)
Publication date: January 30th 2017
Genres: Suspense, Young Adult

She was left fighting her demons alone . . .

For sixteen-year-old Danielle DeCorso, the old house in Glastonbury was an eerie place to grow up. Coping with mental health challenges exacerbated by a traumatic family dynamic, Danielle watches from the window for two men in a dusty black sedan who keep circling the house and harassing her with phone calls. The two predators drugged her and her cousin, Angie, and then lured them from Pleasure Beach in Bridgeport to a secluded cottage on Long Beach West. She remembers feeling dizzy, the room spinning. She recalls screaming, crying, fighting, and then slipping in and out of consciousness. Angie, however, has no recollection of the incident.

When Danielle attempts to jog Angie’s memory and convince their best friend, Farran, that the two strangers had victimized them, no one seems to believe her. Alone in her pain, Danielle remains guarded, obsessed, and withdrawn. Soon she is sinking deeper into a tumultuous world of adolescent isolation and change. Grief, guilt, and anger send her spiraling into an even darker place.

Tormented by terrifying nightmares, she fears she will lose her sanity, or possibly her soul. Is she having post-traumatic stress hallucinations, as one of her friends suggest, or are her recurring nightmares as real as they seem? Trapped in an unyielding emotional bondage, Danielle continues the fight to reclaim her power. Startling revelations awaken her newfound spirit, inspiring a once naïve girl to grow into a woman of defiance and courage.

Goodreads / Amazon / Barnes & Noble / iBooks / Smashwords

Author Bio:
Kyrian Lyndon is the author of Shattering Truths, the first book in her Deadly Veils series. She has also published two poetry collections, A Dark Rose Blooms, and Remnants of Severed Chains. Kyrian began writing short stories and fairy tales when she was just eight years old. In her adolescence, she moved on to poetry. At sixteen, while working as an editor for her high school newspaper, she wrote her first novel, and then completed two more novels at the ages of nineteen and twenty-five.
Born and raised in Woodside, Queens, New York, Kyrian was the middle of three daughters born to immigrants —her father from Campochiaro, Italy; her mother from Havana, Cuba. She has worked primarily in executive-level administrative positions with major New York publishing companies. She resides on Long Island in New York.

Website / Goodreads / Facebook / Twitter / Pinterest / Instagram / Tumblr / Google+

GIVEAWAY!
a Rafflecopter giveaway