Debra L. Martin's Blog, page 183

Interview with Marc Alan Edelheit, THE TIGER'S FATE

How would you describe your Fantasy series?This is hardcore Military Fantasy done with historical accuracy. Think Imperial Rome meets Epic Fantasy on another world.
A nobleman from an infamous family, imperial legionary officer, fighter and a right proper bastard of a man… Captain Ben Stiger finds himself reassigned from a crack legion to the rebellion simmering in the South. Placed in command of a truly terrible company, the 85th Imperial Foot, he is unknowingly sent on a suicide mission to resupply an isolated outpost, the garrison of Vrell. Along the way he must rebuild his new company, gain the respect of the men he leads, survive an assassination attempt, fight bandits, rebels, and an agent of an evil god. His companions on this journey of discovery and adventure are one of the few remaining elven rangers and a paladin on a quest for the High Father.
The hero, Captain Ben Stiger, has to come up with practical solutions of his own. His companion, Eli, is one of the last elven rangers. The first book Stiger’s Tigers picks up in the middle of their adventures. Both are thrown into the deep end that sets them off on quite an adventure that neither the audience nor they can predict where it will take them. Lots of really cool twists and turns along the way!
I took great pains to give the imperial legions in the series a ring of authenticity in that they fight and act like those of Rome. Much of what you find was what it was like in the ancient world, with some magic and other races tossed in.
How many books do you plan on having in this series? There are currently five books planned for this series. Book 3 is expected out in June. I also plan on writing a prequel and an off shoot book/series involving some of the other characters.
Do you plan on writing anything but Fantasy?Yes. My next project will be a Science Fiction series. No spoilers though. I hope to deliver the first book between books three and four.
In both Stiger's Tigers and The Tiger we learn more and more about Stiger’s background in one bit at a time throughout the story. Why did you decide to start the series in the middle of Stiger’s and Eli’s adventures? Early on I wrestled with this. I could have very easily done a data dump and spent several paragraphs on his background, but I felt and bet that by having it come out one little nugget at a time, this approach would have a more profound effect upon the reader. As I started to write the story, I intentionally made the decision to keep Stiger’s background limited, as I wanted the story more focused on him as an individual and developing character. This was an intentional technique/approach that I felt would create a sense of mystery on Stiger’s part that would enhance his appeal to the reader as they worked to put the puzzle pieces of his character together.

Stiger’s personal puzzle is far from complete.
It is clear you were inspired by Rome and the Roman Army? Was it mostly the military organization or also other aspects of Imperial Rome that were important for you? It was a mixture of both. The Mal'Zeelan military and other social organizations are very similar to Roman ones. There is a definite point where that stops though. The empire in the books is certainly similar to Rome but is also intentionally not Rome. It is important for readers to understand that the story is set in a different world. I wanted the empire to be a believable entity, which is why I modeled it on Rome and her legions. That also allows me to add in a level of detail that you do not normally see in a Fantasy series, such as equipment, arms, how the legionaries live, train, fighting styles, etc.

Many of the norms in the books are based upon ancient norms… acceptable behaviors for the times. What would be considered normal in the ancient world would be thought of as barbaric and inhumane today… such as the torturing of prisoners for information and then executing them, or taking prisoners so they can be sold as slaves for monetary gain. Gladiatorial fights, labor, etc.

I’ve received a number of emails from fans who say they find it hard to identify with Stiger’s empire as being the good guys. This is because they are applying modern day norms to an ancient world mindset. Some of the things ancient cultures did to their neighbors would be considered war crimes or crimes against humanity in today’s world. When studying history you have to understand that ancient peoples thought differently than we do today. It is no different in Stiger's world and the reader is thrown into the middle of it.
I took this approach for a very specific reason. Over the years, I’ve read a number of fantasy books where the hero does everything “right” in that the decision making process has to be “good” in relation to what the reader would consider acceptable behavior in our modern day world. This has always bothered me. So, I specifically set about avoiding that pitfall. Once you dispense with modern day norms, it opens up all kinds of interesting possibilities for both the storyline and the characters. It also makes the story much more interesting to readers. I feel that the realism is one of the reasons why people feel so drawn to the story, while others love it, but have problems identifying Stiger's empire as the good guys. Besides... who is to say they are? The Carthaginians and many other nation states certainly did not feel the Romans were the good guys.
How much research did you do?A lot.  I spent months researching Imperial Rome and the ancient world before I even began writing. This involved reading hundreds of books and making pages of notes on details. I even paid attention to the small ones. I wanted to describe what it was like to be on an ancient battlefield and have it ring of authenticity. I had questions… “What was it like to be in the ranks?”  “What was the daily life of a legionary like?” To answer those questions and many more, it required a lot of study. When you read you should learn something… it makes the story much more enjoyable, so I set about showing my readers what it was like to serve in the legions.
Your cover art is very cool, but the first two book covers look like more like roman historical fiction as opposed to Fantasy. Why?
My goal in writing this series was to do something different and break the Fantasy model. So, I set about writing a non-traditional fantasy series. The first few covers had to set the tone for the series, as Stiger is slowly ripped from the normal/mundane world that he knows and understands, one filled by legionary life and service to the empire into one peopled with strange races, creatures, gods and magic. So it was important to me to have a very unique cover.
Perhaps it was a mistake to not include more fantasy in the first two covers... though the first two books have been so well received that looking back I would not want to change it. My cover artist, Gianpiero Mangialardi is a real genius. He’s done some amazing work for me… some of which have yet to see.

Check out the cover for Book 3, which has yet to be released. This book has Stiger thrown into the deep end of the fantasy pool and the cover reflects it.
Do you write full time or part time?I like to think of this as a hobby.  I have a full time job as an executive in the healthcare industry and a family with three little girls. My wife, on the other hand thinks I write full time. :P I get home from work, play with my girls, have some family time… and when everyone goes off to bed, that’s my time to write. I spend about 3-5 hours a night writing. The key is being consistent and staying with it. That’s how you finish books. One day I hope to take writing full time… where it becomes my sole occupation and I can dedicate more time to it. Writing is my passion.
When did you first start writing Stiger’s Tigers? I began working on the series back in 2013/14. From the beginning I intended to write a multi-book fantasy epic. I mapped out where I wanted to go, developed a backstory and came up with a very detailed outline.
I wrote the first draft of Stiger's Tigers in three weeks and then spent the next year editing/improving the manuscript to its final form. The Tiger was started in April of 15 and published December 1st 2015. I was working on it right up until the second week of November.
I have just finished with the first draft of The Tiger's Fate. It took me six weeks to write and now I am working on improving it. Having a detailed outline to work from really helps you crank out the chapters. Making it readable, consistent and smooth is the hard part... that literally takes hours and hours of additional work. Luckily I have a great support team with my agent, beta readers and editorial team. That said... it is a lot of work to bring a book from conception to publication. After a book goes to publish, all I want to do is sleep for the next week. [image error]
What has been most surprising to you?The fan response has been the most surprising thing to me. The response to the series has been both amazing and humbling. I wrote Stiger’s Tigers to simply see if I could. You spend all this time writing and working… wondering if people will like your work and when it is published you are putting yourself out there for the ultimate critique. There was absolutely no expectation on my part that Stiger’s Tigers would become a bestseller. When I published Stiger’s Tigers, I felt people would think it was a good book and then suddenly I found myself getting compared to George Martin, Simon Scarrow and Bernard Cornwell. WOW! Fans began emailing, messaging me on Facebook and calling me at work. It’s pretty cool because they love the characters and the story. It’s been an awesome experience. The reviews on amazon have been great too. I read every review, even the critical ones. It is important to me.

To my fans… all I can say is thank you for reading my work. Each review motivates me to work harder.
Are reviews helpful? Do you read them?Oh, yes absolutely. There is a lot of really great feedback in many reviews which can help make you a better writer. The reader gets to tell you what they liked and sometimes hated. I feel it is important to read all of them, even the negative and off the wall ones… which sometimes leave you wondering… “Did they actually read my book?”

It can be tough taking some of the feedback, but as an author you have to do it. If the reader has taken the time to buy, read and then post a review, well then it is worth my time to read it. I appreciate every review and at times I feel like I work for reviews. They help to motivate me to write.
What advice would you give to aspiring writers?Never give up!  Keep at it and get some professional help. There are a lot of good developmental editors out there.  Seek one out who can help you bring your work to the next level.
What do you do for fun?I enjoy spending time with my family, traveling and doing outdoor things like hiking, and kayaking. I am a voracious reader… for both pleasure and work. When I am not writing, I can devour 4-5 books a week. I am also an avid video gamer and actively play World of Tanks, World of Warships and Armored Warfare.
How can readers discover more about you and you work?
Website: www.maenovels.com
Facebook: Marc Alan Edelheit Author
Twitter: @MarcEdelheit
Amazon Author Page: http://www.amazon.com/Marc-Alan-Edelheit/e/B00WNMAX2S/ref=dp_byline_cont_ebooks_1
Goodreads:  https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/13708274.Marc_Alan_Edelheit

SNEAK Peek: SAY SOMETHING by T.A. Roth

Say Something…
T.A. Roth
(Speak #1)
Publication date: March 25th 2015
Genres: Contemporary, New Adult, Romance

Twenty–two-year-old Ari Munoz prefers to keep men at an arm’s length. So when her best friend Vonne guilts her into going to a frat party, she couldn’t think of a worse way to spend her night. That’s until she sparks the interest of love’em and leave’em Ben Rodriguez. She knows she shouldn’t trust him, but the electricity she feels when they lock eyes is something she’s never felt before.

Twenty-two-year-old Ben Rodriguez has it all, and his senior year marks the beginning of even bigger things to come. He’s a football star, fraternity president, and his endless pick of beauties makes him the envy of all of his frat brothers. So why is a pair of long legs and hazel eyes making him want to throw out his rules?
Ari has her secrets.
Ben has his rules.
What happens when both your pasts threaten your future?
Say Something…
—
*This novel contains adult themes and language. 18+ please. This is book one in a series and contains a cliffhanger.

Goodreads / Amazon
—SNEAK PEEK:Every word is a whisper across my lips. I want him to kiss me so bad. I even start to chant it like a mantra. Repeating the words over and over in my head. kiss me . . . kiss me . . . kiss me. . . 

All it would take is a small tilt of my head. The closer he gets to the end of the song the more desperate I become. F*ck it! I tilt my head up unable to resist any longer and bring his juicy bottom lip into my mouth. I gently suck and he releases a moan that I feel vibrate throughout every inch of my body. His right hand slides up the back of my neck and he fists a handful of my hair. He gently pulls away and holds my stare, his golden brown eyes to my hazel green. His breath is coming out in quick pants. He looks like he’s fighting himself to make a decision. 

I’m blinking quickly, saying a silent prayer that he doesn’t make the wrong one.

—

Author Bio:
T.A. Roth is a wife and mother of two funny and crazy kids. Born and raised in Los Angeles, she couldn't imagine living anywhere else. When she's not beautifying clients as a stylist/make-up artist at her day job you can find her reading, fangirling her favorite authors, or singing along to the radio.

After getting the opportunity to read the debut novel of a then client now friend something clicked. Her "what the hell" attitude kicked in and a year later, here we are.
Say Something... A new adult romance is her debut novel.

Website / Goodreads / Facebook / Twitter

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Interview with April Ryder, SKID MARKS AND THE SELBY SLAMMERS

Can you give us a brief overview of your latest book? Skid Marks and the Selby Slammers is a Fun BBW roller derby romance. After being dumped by her live-in boyfriend for a blonde stick insect and a job in Wellington, Hayley is tricked into trying out for the local roller derby team—the Selby Slammers. At the tryouts, hilarity ensues when she leaves her mark on not only the rink, but some of the hunky men from the inline hockey team who practice on the next rink over.
Meanwhile, Hayley attempts to pick up what's left of her (love) life but is thwarted at every turn by three men: 1) the surprise return of her ex, 2) Jake, the hunky hockey player, and 3) continually running into Rick the 'Dick' who may or may not have a crazy underwear fetish! All three seem to be conspiring against her, taking turns causing unexpected problems in her new and very hectic (love) life.
Skid Marks is part of a series, how many books will be in total?For the serial there will be 8 installments, although at this stage I intend for the eighth to be novel-length. There will be three novelized books: Skid Marks and the Selby Slammers, Skid Marks and the Auckland Assassins and the eighth installment. And don’t forget the bonus stories, three short stories that are set during Christmas. They’re more focused on Hayley and her whacky family than they are on roller derby.
What’s with the BBW?Big Beautiful Women. Since I am one and they say to write what you know, I decided to go with it. I keep it vague as to how big they are so that any woman who might consider themselves a little curvier than average can relate.
Do you have a favorite character?Hayley, hands down. She is the most lively character I have ever written! Even I don’t know what she’s going to do, say or think until it happens. She’s easily relatable and I really feel for her when life kicks her when she’s down. I’m also a little envious over the action she gets. Who wouldn’t want multiple hot men chasing after them?
Do you outline your story or just go where your muse takes you?I mentioned above that Hayley is a force of her own but you’ll be surprised to learn that I actually do outline. Obviously it’s not set in stone and it’s more of a guideline for getting from A to B, but I do like to know where the story is going and what happens in between. I like to bullet point my ideas and move them around into an order that looks good. When Hayley is added into the mix things get a bit wonky. She usually follows the plan but then she might suddenly mention she wants to take someone right there on the table and next thing I know they’re in the bathroom of an Irish pub and going at it like rabbits! It’s like herding cats. Also, if I waited for the muse I’d never get anything written. Unless of course your muse turns up with a gun and points it at your head…
What is your writing process? Do you listen to music or do you like silence?I think I need there to be noise but I can’t stand writing when other people are around. So I have to be totally alone. Music is good but I also have an mp3 that is just the sound of rain falling. I put it on loop and listen to it with noise-cancelling headphones. The walls in my office are paper thin and the idiot in the next one can be loud. At the moment my process is headphones on, sit on a bean bag and write the scene. Get up have a break, then do it all over again. Sometimes I’ve had to lock the door to my office and take my pants off—summer just ended her and it’s been crazy hot. You have to be comfortable in order to write.
What factors influenced your decision to self-publish your books? I’m impatient. If a book is finished I get it edited and organise the cover. I want it published now. Even when I put a book up on pre-order it’s only for a couple of weeks. So it really comes down to having full control of everything. Getting all of the money also helps!
Did you hire an editor to review your manuscript before publishing?Yes. All of my books are edited by the same editor. I look forward to making her LOL and when she leaves comments about how jealous she is that such and such is done in New Zealand—where I live—and not in America.A quick note: Skid Marks and the Selby Slammers is set in New Zealand so therefore the book is in New Zealand English so please don’t think I—and my editor—can’t spell when you see: colour, favour, arse.
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: Definitely cats. I currently timeshare the neighbour’s cat as our landlord will not let us have one. Mickey—the cat—is super friendly but a little dim. I’m going to write him into the Skid Marks series!
Chocolate of vanilla: While I do like some chocolate I am a fan of vanilla bean ice cream and vanilla milkshakes, so I have to go with vanilla.
Coffee or tea: I do not like coffee or tea. If I need a hot drink it’s hot chocolate for me. Cold drinks are usually Coke or the occasional chocolate milk.
Talk or text: If it’s going to be a long conversation then talk, text is for short snippets of info being passed along. My dad, however, tries to text everything. I end up calling him otherwise he’ll keep texting well into the night.
Day or night: Hmm…this is a tough one. You wouldn’t think so but it is. While I like to get things done during the day and eating, I do like sleep. I’m going with night because sleeping wins every time.
What’s next for you?More books! Seriously, I have it all planned out. Release at least one book a month so I can save enough money to buy a house and get a cat. The end goal here is to get a cat. Well, that and earn enough money for my husband to leave his job and come work for me. I don’t want to do house work or garden, he can do it!
Amazon author page: http://www.amazon.com/April-Ryder/e/B00OIIK1LI

Interview with Angie M Brashears, BECOMING BLUE

Can you give us a brief overview of your latest book? Is it part of a series?It is a series. I usually describe it as a Fat girl’s fantasy. But it’s more than that. Every girl should have an opportunity to feel sexy, wanted, pampered. Blue, is a lonely lady, making therapist’s appointments, and attending Weight Watcher’s meetings just to be around people. All she has is her cat and a crummy apartment. Why shouldn’t great things happen to her for a change? Friends, a stalkery love interest, great house, high paying job, a clothier and a beauty parlor in the basement. Every woman’s dream right? But as you see, not every tasty treat is for eating.
Book 2 in The Chubby Chasers, Inc. Series, Blue, Light and Dark, is about independence, choosing your own path in life. There are two endings, a HEA and a DEA, so you can choose the ending, reading one or the other, or both. I’m very proud of the series, I’ve never read anything like it. Not every leading lady in romance needs to be a waif. I’m giving love to the big girls.
Do you have a favorite character?It’s gotta be Javi. He’s a mix of sexy and crazy that’s challenging to write. Readers reacted to him like I did. With a mix of love and hate. I ended up changing Book 2 of The Chubby Chasers, Inc. Series, Blue, Light and Dark, to give his point of view, as well as Blue’s. Something I didn’t see coming when I first started on this journey.
Have you ever had a minor character evolve into a major one? Did that change the direction of the novel at all? Yes, Sasha was going to be a bit part. But I really enjoyed writing her character. The sass, the one-liners, just everything about her is so amplified that I found myself writing her into scenes with the main character Blue. At first, Sasha was going to be the bait to “get” Blue, but she evolved into more of a friend, with her own life, opinions and love interest.
What factors influenced your decision to self-publish your book(s)?I wanted to do what I wanted to do. I’ve got a touch of OCD and wanted to be involved in the entire process from start to finish. I thought why not? And wrote my story. I did a lot of research about editing, formatting, promoting and cover design and hired the best team to give my story the very best chance at being successful. When I first started, I thought you write a good story, put in on Amazon KDP, and presto! Everyone reads it, lol, I’ve learned a lot. I’m still learning.
Do you belong to a critique group? Have they helped improve your writing?Not so much a critique group, but my teenaged daughter is my toughest critic. She doesn’t pull any punches, and being her mom doesn’t count for anything when she’s going through my books. I find that I write to please myself, so I take any critiques with a grain of salt.
What is your writing process? Do you listen to music or do you like silence?When I write, I do so in a continuous flow, not stopping to go back and fix anything. It helps me write faster, and I feel like it gives the story better flow. During the first phase, I wear my headphones to block out noise, but write in silence. When I’m done, and go back through to edit, I do listen to mood setting music. It’s edited a bunch by me, before I even let anyone read it. I like to write outside unless it’s raining. I have my own writing spot in my backyard that helps get me going. I know when I’m in this space, writing’s taking place.
Did you hire an editor to review your manuscript before publishing? Of course. My story is very important to me, and I wanted to give my book the best possible chance at success. I went through a few of my favorite books, that I thought were well written and read the credits in the back. That’s how I chose my editor, Aquila Editing, and my formatter, Tugboat Design. Working with these professionals was the best money I spent. They knew I had training wheels on, and helped avoid a few pitfalls along the way. Their help was invaluable.
Besides writing, do you have any other passions?I’m kind of a Renaissance woman. I’m an ER nurse, in a busy Los Angeles Trauma Center, and do a lot of different things to decompress after work. I build furniture, out of wood. I built my writing table. One thing about me is that if I can make it, instead of buying it, that’s what I do. I also make really cute scrub tops for work, with matching scrunchies. I’ve got Walking Dead scrubs, Ninja Turtles, Star Wars, and even Keep Calm and Eat Bacon scrub tops. So I guess my passion is bringing a smile to my patient’s faces, when they’re having a very bad day.  I love to cook, swim, hike, and feed my giant koi fish.I’m passionate about books, I’m a voracious reader, and will read anything, from Stephen King to Pepper Winters.
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 for sure…With my hiking/swimming buddy, Chewy. He’s always up for any of my shenanigans.Anything chocolate, at any time of the day, I can never have enough chocolate in my life. I’m a big coffee drinker, a fun fact, I work 7p-7a, so I’m one of those people that drink coffee before going to sleep.
I love to talk, especially when my friends and I get to laughing, there’s nothing like making your friends laugh so hard they cry. You don’t get that in a text.
I’m a night owl. I prefer the night shift, and even when I’m not working at the hospital, I’m up late. People say they don’t know how I work the night shift, well, I don’t know how they get up at the crack of dawn! My husband is a morning person, and we get along just fine, as long as he keeps his happy thoughts to himself until I’ve had a chance to wake up.
What’s next for you?The Chubby Chasers, Inc. Series continues! I’m working on Book 3, about halfway through now. I’ve got a short story, that I’m transitioning into a standalone book, Love Box. That should keep me busy for a while. I’ve got a signing in June, in Rancho Cucamonga, CA so I now they’ll both be done by then…hopefully!Just enjoying life, family, working, writing, and reading.

Book & Author Details:Becoming Blue by Angie M. Brashears
Publication date: January 15th 2016
Genres: Adult, Comedy, Romance
Synopsis:Every single thing I’ve been taught not to do…I just did.Talk to a stranger? CheckGet in a car with a stranger? CheckGo to a second location? CheckGo into a stranger’s house? CheckTake candy from a stranger? CheckIf this is a kidnapping, it’s the kindest one I’ve ever heard of.I’m living a fat girl fantasy. Snatched from a Weight Watcher meeting by a powdered-donut eating stranger, was by far the most exciting thing that has ever happened to me. Who knew I didn’t need to make appointments or attend meetings to have someone to talk to. A Friend. Two Friends. A dark, intense stranger. Secrets.Everything I ever wanted, and something’s I didn’t. Not every tasty treat is for eating.To each his own….right?
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/28214000-becoming-blue
Purchase:Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Becoming-Blue-Chubby-Chasers-Inc-ebook/dp/B019EN7KY2
AUTHOR BIO:Angie M Brashears is a lover of everything books.  When not writing, she's reading anything she can get her hands on. She grew up in Southern California, and loves the mountains, hiking with her dogs, the beach, and of course, Disneyland! She loves music, and loves singing along to the radio, loud and off-key, performing for anyone unlucky enough to be in the passenger seat.

 Angie loves dark and twisted, which she refers to as Dark Ever After books, but is known to read an occasional HEA story as well. When she's not writing, she working, saving lives.  A busy Trauma ER nurse for over twenty years, she gets enough reality in her life, and is always looking for a story to take her away from the harsh reality of Emergency Nursing.

If there's football on, she sure to have a huge party going on to cheer her team on...Go Patriots!

As a new author, she'd love to hear from you!

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Interview with Gwenan Haines, COLLATERAL DAMAGE

Can you give us a brief overview of your latest book? Is it part of a series?
Collateral Damage is the first in a two-part series. It tells the story of Laura Drake, a lowly Hill staffer, and FBI agent Dalton Ross. Laura is living a rather dull life in Washington when she gets a strange text from the chief staffer in her office one Friday night. This sets off a series of events that lead her to Dalton and put her life in jeopardy. It’s a high-stakes story about politicians, terrorists and the drive for power. It’s also a love story about healing and taking chances.  
Do you have a favorite character?For my own books, I’d have to say Blake Cartwright in Vertigo. She’s a lawyer in New York City who gives up her urban life to renovate an old lighthouse on the coast of Maine. I admire the way she’s willing to throw everything she’s achieved away and reinvent herself. If we’re talking about characters in other authors’ books, there are too many to name. One character I admire is Wanderer in Stephanie Meyer’s The Host. She’s a pacifist and a healer who abhors violence but she’s also courageous and willing to fight for what she believes in. She’s lived on nine different planets and has a thirst for experiencing as many worlds as she can. And she’s an old soul who can be both wise and child-like (in a good way) at the same time.  

Have you ever had a minor character evolve into a major one? Did that change the direction of the novel at all?Nick Doyle is Dalton Ross’s boss at the FBI in Collateral Damage and his role is pretty minimal in that book. When I finished the manuscript, I felt as if Nick’s story needed to be told so I wrote a follow-up novel, Collateral Risk, which is in the editing stage with Wild Rose Press. Nick loses his wife to cancer and is struggling with that grief, as well as with other issues from his past. I also got attached to hacker Elijah Todorev in Collateral Damage and ended up giving him more of a role than originally planned.

How long before you got your offer of representation/your first contract? Was it for your first novel?
I wrote my first novel, Vertigo, a few years ago and sent it to Ally Robertson at Wild Rose Press. She ended up contracting it and Amazon Encore picked it up this summer. I’ve been thrilled with Wild Rose and their professionalism.
Are you currently under a traditional publishing contract for future books or do you have manuscripts that you will self-publish? Are you doing both?
I’ve got a contract with Wild Rose for Collateral Risk, the follow-up novel to Collateral Damage. I’ve self-published in the past and think it’s a great way to get your work out there and, hopefully, make some money. I love the hybrid publishing model many authors are using these days.
What is your writing process? Do you listen to music or do you like silence?I try to write as much as I can and when I’m actually writing a story I don’t like to stop until it’s complete. Sometimes it’s tough because I’m a mom, I work full-time, and I also write other types of things under a different name. But writing fiction is something I don’t think I can give up, so I make the time. Your question about music vs. silence made me smile because my teenage daughter and I have had many battles about this! I’ve got to have total silence but she can’t do her homework unless there’s music playing – neither of us can understand how the other one gets anything done.
Did you hire an editor to review your manuscript before publishing?Luckily I’ve got Ally Robertson over at TWRP. She’s fabulous and we’ve worked together on three novels now (and maybe a fourth – fingers crossed). I’ve also used beta readers for books and have found them to be incredibly helpful. Not only have they given me awesome feedback on my plots and characters, but they’ve even corrected my grammar and style.
Besides Amazon, are there any other sites where your books are for sale?My first novel Vertigois just on Amazon now because the company’s Encore imprint picked it up last summer (it’s on sale this month for 99 cents, if you’re interested. Here’s a link: http://www.amazon.com/Vertigo-Gwenan-Haines/dp/1612178111Collateral Damage is available everywhere and in print too.
Do you find it difficult to juggle your time between marketing your current book and writing your next book?
Definitely. I’m working on edits for the second Collateral book, doing a blog tour for the first, waiting to hear back about a shifter novella and novel, outlining/writing another book. I publish poetry books under another name and I work full-time while raising my teen-age daughter. Oh, and then there’s my wild Siberian husky, who needs lots of attention and exercise. So it’s pretty crazy but I wouldn’t change anything!
What advice would you give a new author just entering into the self-publishing arena?Be persistent, both in terms of writing and marketing. There are a lot of authors out there now, which is a great thing, but the number of indie writers also makes it tough to get noticed. Thousands of new books are coming out on Amazon EVERY WEEK – that’s tough competition. But indie publishing offers a way to make some real money and to connect with readers. I love when people email me about a character or a story they liked. If you keep at writing and work at the craft (something I’m always trying to do), readers will find you in the end. I guess that makes me an optimist, at least when it comes to writing.
Besides writing, do you have any other passions?
Yes, too many to name. I’m sort of an intense person, or at least that’s what people tell me. I love being a mom so that comes first with me. I also love poetry, Siberian huskies, reading, traveling, and many other things. Lately I’ve been getting back into running. And I plan to learn to cook someday – really! I’d also like to travel more because in recent years I haven’t had the time or the opportunity to do so. Last but not least I’d like to start studying martial arts. I’ve talked about it for years but haven’t actually done anything about it. Sigh.


BLURB:Amazon link: http://www.amazon.com/Collateral-Damage-Gwenan-Haines-ebook/dp/B01A9PUSMA/ref=twoen-20
http://www.amazon.com/Gwenan-Haines/e/B005WEXWRW

AUTHOR Bio and Links:I live in an old Cape house with my daughter, too many books, and a red-and-white Siberian husky born on Halloween. After working in Washington, D.C. for several years and traveling to Russia, Europe and Pakistan, I moved back to New England. I’m the author of the romantic suspense novel Vertigo, which is available as an E-book from Amazon Encore and in paperback from Wild Rose Press. Collateral Risk, the follow-up novel to Collateral Damage (which features Dalton’s boss Nick Doyle and scientist Mia Lindgren), is forthcoming from Wild Rose Press. When I’m not working on fiction, I write poetry, teach literature and am still trying to learn how to cook.
www.gwenanhaines.blogspot.com   Facebook https://www.facebook.com/gwenan.hainesAuthor Pagehttps://www.facebook.com/Gwenan-Haines-271101656263836/Goodreadshttp://www.goodreads.com/author/show/5278329.Gwenan_Haines

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/2016/01/vbt-collateral-damage-by-gwenan-haines.html  
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#Excerpt: BREAKING THE STORY by Ashley Farley

Breaking the Story
Ashley Farley
Publication date: March 17th 2016
Genres: Adult, Suspense

Passion, peril, and a scandal that will rock American politics.

Scottie Darden’s life is a disaster. Her marriage has become toxic, and her career as a photojournalist has stalled out. To attract the attention of the main players in the news industry, she needs a standout story with a unique perspective. What she finds is a scandal that could turn the 2016 presidential election upside down. But before she can release her damaging images to the media, Scottie must uncover the truth behind the photographs. She turns to handsome mystery man Guy Jordan for help. When they join the campaign trail in search of answers, their investigation quickly becomes deadly.

Hop on board for a wild ride of adventure where desire ignites, lives are threatened, and secrets are revealed.

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BOOK TRAILER:

EXCERPT:Her cell phone lit up on the seat beside her, and Brad’s name appeared across the screen. She reached for the phone and powered it off. The next time she communicated with him would be through an attorney.
Scottie contemplated her options for a place to spend the night. Already approaching the fifty-mile mark, she couldn’t drive much farther on her spare tire. Her best friend, Anna, had been avoiding her since Christmas, since Scottie had inadvertently placed Anna’s husband in danger of losing his medical license. The rest of her friends would undoubtedly be spending quiet weekends at home, nursing their babies and making love to their husbands. She could drive to Church Hill to her brother’s house, where she knew she’d find a sympathetic shoulder to cry on. But Will would want all the details, and she wasn’t ready to give voice to her drama. Tonight, she needed time alone to think. Tonight, she needed to drink tequila.

She took a right-hand turn onto the Boulevard, drove one block, and then turned left onto Franklin Street. She parked under the portico in front of the Jefferson Hotel, handed her key to the valet, and went inside to the front desk. After booking the cheapest room available, she wheeled her suitcase around the corner and rode the elevator to the third floor. The consolation prize to having the smallest room in the most luxurious hotel in the city was the stunning view overlooking downtown Richmond.

Author Bio:
Ashley Farley is a wife and mother of two college-aged children. She grew up in the salty marshes of South Carolina, but now lives in Richmond, Virginia, a city she loves for its history and traditions.

After her brother died in 1999 of an accidental overdose, she turned to writing as a way of releasing her pent-up emotions. She wrote SAVING BEN in honor of Neal, the boy she worshipped, the man she could not save. SAVING BEN is not a memoir, but a story about the special bond between siblings.
HER SISTER'S SHOES—June 2015—is a women's novel that proves the healing power of family.

Merry Mary—October 2015—a holiday novella, a young woman longing for a child stumbles upon a Christmas miracle.

BREAKING THE STORY is scheduled for release on March 17, 2016. A romantic political suspense. Passion. Peril. And a scandal that will rock American politics.

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Interview with TJ Park, MORTAL THOUGHTS

Can you give us a brief overview of your latest book? Is it part of a series?It’s my first book. Not part of a series but it has been released by Harper Collins in 70-100 page installments. The first installment is called MORTAL THOUGHTS but the entire combined novel is called UNBIDDEN and will be available in its bloody glory in April. It’s a crime/horror novel, borrowing/stealing liberally from Macbeth – but placed in a contemporary remote Australian setting where awful things regularly happen. I’m from there, I know! There’s buckets of blood, desperate criminals, a supernatural curse and an unstoppable monster. If that wasn’t enough there’s also a helicopter ride that doesn’t go well. If you’re into tough as nails crime stories and you like your horror unrelenting this is the book for you. If I hadn’t written it I would seek it out, read it in a single sitting, forget to go to work or feed my children and then send the author a fan letter with a nudie pic.
How long before you got your offer of representation/your first contract? Was it for your first novel?As mentioned, this is my first novel. It wasn’t easy to write so it may be my last novel. Depends if the nudie pics come flooding in. I work as a screenwriter so I was lucky enough to already have an agent but it still took a long time to place. I was delighted that the manuscript hooked Harper Collins and remain grateful and jarred that they took on a full-throttle Australian crime/horror novel. We don’t do many of them in Australia which is weird because every inch of this continent is terrifying.

What factors influenced your decision to go with a particular agent or publisher?We don’t have many well known agents in Australia so I targeted the big ones and kept at them until they gave up and signed me. Took about three meetings before my current agent took a punt. The list of publishers to target was the usual suspects – the big guys. The agent submitted on my behalf, working through the list until we were lucky enough to get a bite. That bite turned into a deal. It all takes a long time but you learn about patience after you turn thirty.
If you used a graphic designer/publisher’s designer, how involved were you during the creative process for your cover?Harper Collins gave us a lot of rope to work on the covers. Because the novel is broken up into 5 installments with the combined edition coming out in April – it meant we needed 6 covers which has been a bit of a nightmare. But the upside is that to the casual eye it looks like I’ve written 6 books and have an oeuvre! I’m a regular Tim Winton if he wrote about outback covens of witches and opal heists – which he probably won’t. A very good Australian designer named Ross Robinson did the 5 covers for the installments and the combined version was done by Santiago Caruso – an Argentinean artist who is becoming a superstar. It was a pleasure working with both of them.

What is your writing process? Do you listen to music or do you like silence?I like privacy of course. I’m reluctant for others to witness the torment and idiot moaning. I need an empty house so I drive others away which is easy with my woeful personality. I move forward, don’t revise or look back which is the best advice in writing or life: don’t look back. Much later on I’ll review what I’ve done and after the despair has dissipated will square my jaw and battle through the next draft and the next etc. I like the right kind of music for whatever section I’m working on and the  particular mood I’m trying to summon. As they say, if you don’t feel it yourself, the reader never will. Music helps me feel whatever that emotion is – from fear to the finer emotions (which don’t come easy). I sometimes even have to cry if the story calls for it – soppy music helps me squeeze a few when required. Music is one more tool in a writer’s toolkit – the others are alcohol, internet porn and alcohol. 
Do you outline your story or just go where your muse takes you?Definitely outline. Everything. I’m a screenwriter by day. Every script is outlined – from a sketchy 10 page document to a highly detailed 80 page treatment with every beat of the story worked out. A 250 page treatment was produced for UNBIDDEN before the manuscript was commenced. Overkill but I didn’t know what I was doing. Next time I’ll do something shorter or slit my wrists. That said there’s always room to take the material into an unexpected direction and those forays are often very readable and keep me interested. Great to be surprised.
What kinds of marketing [twitter, facebook, blog, forums] are you involved with for promoting your book(s)?I’m involved in a couple of horror pages on FB with a decent membership base so have been flogging the book there. We’ll set up a FB page soon and maybe twitter. Once the combined edition of the book comes out I’ll be gifting it to a truckload of producers to see if there is any film interest in it. I’m a screenwriter so most of my contacts are in the film world, certainly not publishing. Everything is a long shot but it works out sometimes. We’ll see.

Do you find it difficult to juggle your time between marketing your current book and writing your next book?No new books planned right now. They’re too damn hard to write! I am pumping out film scripts but they’re a cinch compared to a book. Marketing should take up more of my time but I can’t help feeling dubious of how effective FB or Twitter marketing is – unless you have 60 million followers like Stephen King. How many books can you sell to family and friends before the guilt runs out? But I’ll be a good soldier and engage in that battle regardless.
Besides writing, do you have any other passions?Sure, but I can only mention a couple otherwise it’s off to a gulag for me! I love reading because it’s easier than writing. I’m a great cook because long ago I realized I was unable to summon maternal feelings in others so I would need to learn to cook like champion if I wanted to eat well. I’m also, very unoriginally, head over heels in love with cinema.  

What’s next for you?
More scripts. The beauty of screenwriting over books is you can write them fast. That’s my experience anyway – I know some novelists are creative whippets. Not me. Prose is a grind. But I know I want to write another book. All I need is the superhuman effort required and a year of hell.
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#Excerpt: CLOAKED IN SECRECY by T F Walsh

Cloaked in Secrecy
T.F. Walsh
(The Wulfkin Legacy #2)
Published by: Crimson Romance
Publication date: March 14th 2016
Genres: Adult, Paranormal

What better way for a pack of wulfkin shifters to remain in seclusion than to hide in plain sight?
Death has followed Alena Novac’s circus family for years, but when the police arrest her brother for murder, she must rescue him before he transforms behind prison walls. With less than a week to execute her plan, a member from the Varlac family who murdered her mother reappears. Now, Alena has to decide whether to make good on her promise to avenge her mother’s death or risk rescuing her brother.
Enre Ulf has one mission – prevent Alena’s father from claiming his territory and slaughtering his wulfkin pack in Transylvania. Enre may have turned his back on his Varlac heritage, but that doesn’t mean he won’t impersonate one to infiltrate the circus clan and take out their alpha. Knowing that his secrets will lead to his demise, Enre takes the risk in order to save his home. What he never planned on was his wolf claiming Alena as his mate.
Now with the police closing in, and the real Varlac threatening them, Alena and Enre must overcome their pasts to save their packs’ futures.
Cloaked in Secrecy is the book 2 in the Wulfkin Legacy series, but can be read a stand-alone-book.

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EXCERPT:ALENA“Girl, you going to stand there all day?” Sonia’s voice turned loud as she snapped me back to the here and now.She sat at the table, both hands clasped around at least a dozen twigs, each about half a foot long. Balancing the ends on the center of the table, she let the twigs fall and studied the way the pieces of wood collapsed on top of each other. The majority crisscrossed each other, others rolled away from the pile.
Sonia’s dark-blonde curls were pulled off her face with a headband. She wore no makeup or her usual fake gypsy jewelry reserved for the circus customers.
“Have a seat.” She spoke without taking her eyes from the pile of sticks in front of her, her head tilting from side to side.
Taking a chair at the table and kicking aside a boot, I reconsidered telling her about my dream with Enre. The more I replayed the vision in my mind, the more I was convinced it was me lusting over him. Heat radiated down my neck at the thought of telling Sonia that I’d turned into some horny nymph.
“What do you see?” No matter how many times Sonia read my future, my insides still fluttered.
“He’s at the circus for you.”
“The Varlac?” I slouched into the chair, arms folded across my chest, fire scaling my cheeks. “I doubt it.” Not the first time the twigs would have been misinterpreted.
“You’ll bring a change out in him. How exciting.” She flashed me a cheerful smile.
A thousand possibilities swirled in my head, but none of them made any sense, except the one where I hated being paired with Enre. “What does that even mean?”
Sonia inched closer. “The universe has a sick sense of humor. It shows us only snippets of events. You know that.” She twisted in her seat and retrieved a pack of tarot cards from the bookshelf behind her. The top card had a brightly colored parrot painted on it. She sighed, stashed it back on the shelf, and continued to fumble through her numerous other decks.
“That’s for the tourists.” She spoke with her attention still on the bookshelf. “Anyway, what about you? Had any dreams lately?”
I licked my lips, deciding not to share the memory of what Enre had intended to do to me in the dream. “Not much.”
“So you dreamt about him? The shake of your head says no, but your tone tells a different story.” She giggled, a piercing laugh, as she retrieved another pack of cards, the backs printed with a kaleidoscope of colors in a diamond patchwork design. “Weeks ago, I told you a visitor was coming.” Sonia settled in her seat to face me.

Author Bio:
T.F. Walsh emigrated from Romania to Australia at the age of eight and now lives in a regional city south of Sydney with her husband. Growing up hearing dark fairytales, she's always had a passion for reading and writing horror, paranormal romance, urban fantasy and young adult stories. She balances all the dark with light fluffy stuff like baking and traveling.

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#Excerpt: MISS MISERY by Tracey Martin

Wicked Misery
Tracey Martin
(Miss Misery #1)
Published by: Samhain Publishing
Publication date: October 7th 2014
Genres: Adult, Urban Fantasy

It s all quasi-legal fun until somebody gets framed for murder.
Jessica Moore thrives on misery. Literally. Thanks to a goblin’s curse, she gets a magical high from humanity’s suffering. A shameful talent like that could bury a girl in guilt, so to atone, she uses her dark power to hunt murderers, rapists and other scumbags until one of them frames her for his crimes.
In desperation, Jessica seeks refuge with the one person she trusts to not turn her in, a satyr named Lucen. Like every member of his race, Lucen uses his lusty magic to control Boston’s human population, and Jessica isn’t immune to his power. But the murder victims belonged to a rival race, and when they discover Lucen is harboring Jessica, dodging the cops becomes the least of her problems.

With only five days to find the real killer, Jessica faces a danger far more serious than the brewing magical war. The danger of succumbing to Lucen’s molten seduction.

Warning: Contains a heroine with a lust for misery, creepy murders, and creepier goblins, satyrs so hot you’d sell your soul for one, and scaly sewer rats masquerading as dragons. Who said magic was all sparkles and tiaras?

The complete series:

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EXCERPT BOOK 1:Lucen hung up, and I jogged the rest of the way down the block to the bar. He was already outside by the time I got there, looking freshly showered in jeans but no shirt or shoes. His blond waves dripped water on broad shoulders. I winced. He’d better put on a shirt soon or I was going to have a hard time concentrating. Yeah, being framed for murder sounded like it should easily take precedence over a chiseled chest and a six-pack, but only to someone who never spent time around satyrs. I couldn’t take my eyes off him.Lucen stood on the stoop next to the bar, holding the front door open. “Come on in.”
“I didn’t know you lived above The Lair.”
“There’s lots you don’t know about me because you’re always running away.”
I squeezed past him, getting a good whiff of his cinnamon-tinged skin and undoubtedly a good dose of his lusty magic. My hands twitched, eager to attach themselves to that broad swath of chest and trace every contour of muscle, to follow that thin line of blond hairs on his stomach to where it disappeared into his waistband and beyond. I dug my nails into my palms. The pain helped, but not as much as usual. “I hate to be rude since you’re doing me a huge favor, but could you put on a shirt?”
“If you insist, or you could take off yours and call it even.”
“I’m being framed for murder. I’ve got more important things to worry about than whether I’m wearing my pretty bra.”
Abruptly, some of my lust subsided, pulled back almost as though a blanket had been tugged off my skin. Lucen gaped at me, his eyes filled with shock.
Could he do that? Keep a handle on his power if he wanted to? Granted, not all my desire had disappeared, but the worst of it had. Damn it, if I didn’t need his goodwill right now—whatever little goodwill a satyr might have, that was—I’d want to kill him for never bothering to do this before.
“Have a seat. I’ll be right back.” He disappeared to the right, and feet pounded up some unseen stairs.
I wandered deeper into his apartment, not expecting to find it so light and airy. The kitchen was immediately to my left. Through a doorway I could see steps, and beyond that a small, tastefully decorated living room. Muted sunlight seeped into the joint kitchen and dining area through linen drapes. I pulled them aside and discovered sliding doors leading onto a small deck that overlooked a parking lot. All in all, not a bad spot. But then, rents in Shadowtown were cheaper than almost anywhere else in the Boston area. For all I knew, Lucen owned this entire building.
He was right in that regard. I’d never bothered to learn much about him. Prolonged conversations had always felt like an invitation for trouble.
With that thought in mind, I plunked myself down at the kitchen table, wondering whether this had been a bad idea of Biblical proportions. Until now, I’d never exactly sought out Lucen’s company. Since the beginning of our relationship, it had always been the other way around. After all, most of the major religions taught that preds were on this planet to tempt humanity to ruin, and I usually saw no point in throwing myself at temptation.

Author Bio:
Tracey Martin grew up outside of Philadelphia, the lucky recipient of a drama-free childhood, which is why she spent so much time reading about other people’s lives. It was while she was working on her doctorate in psychology that she had an epiphany–imaginary people are way more fun than real ones. And so she began writing. Never able to choose just one of anything, she currently writes both urban fantasy for adults and contemporary stories for teens.
She likes her coffee simple, her music epic, and her movies to contain explosions. A city girl at heart, she doesn’t understand how she and her husband ended up living in New Hampshire, but writing keeps her off the mean, small town streets. You can find her online at tracey-martin.com.
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#Excerpt: BECOMING FENIMORE by Rebecca Bryan

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He had promised to be at the dock to pick her up and take her to her hotel as he had made all the arrangements for her stay. She hated to admit it, but she had begun to think the man on the other end of the phone sounded handsome, not that it mattered. He was probably married with children and she shouldn’t be looking anyway. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">When she saw a man a few feet away holding the second sign of the day with her name on it, she was secretly pleased to see sandy brown hair, dark blue eyes, and soft lips. His charming and somewhat familiar voice was a welcomed relief.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">“You must be Elle,” he said when she had made her way through the crowd to him. He had an air of confidence that was rather intimidating yet pleasant all at once. “Jace Stokes. How was your trip?” </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">She rubbed her lips together, wishing she’d combed her hair and put on some lip-gloss before she’d gotten off the ferry, but it was too late now. “It was interesting. I haven’t traveled in a long time.” Would this justify her looking rather weathered? she wondered.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">“Are you cold?” he asked, acknowledging her parka- like hoodie. That’s when she noticed he was wearing khaki shorts and a button down, short sleeve Hawaiian shirt. She pulled the hoodie back and ran her fingers through her tangled tresses. “It was a bit breezy on the boat.”</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">“Florida blood.” He smiled like it was an inside joke. She unzipped her jacket and worked her fingers through the knots as she followed him out of the gate and into the street.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Mackinac Island (sounded out ‘Mackinaw’ as Jace had explained) was filled with people, carriages, bicyclists, and ringing bells. There was not, however, one single car on the street. It was like she’d traveled back in time.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Jace seemed to sense her shock when he said, “No motorized vehicles are allowed on the island.”</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">“None?” She stared at the row of whinnying horses. A maroon carriage with The Grand, stenciled in gold paint sat near the entrance. Jace handed the driver Elle’s suitcase.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">“It’ll be waiting for you in your room. In the meantime I thought we’d get something to eat and then I’d show you the house. Is that alright?”</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">She nodded. She hadn’t eaten since Detroit and since she’d pretty much ran a 5k to catch her flight she was starving. She followed Jace down the boardwalk, glad to see a man who thought like she did – through her stomach first.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Main Street looked and felt like a movie or a beautiful coastal getaway or Disneyland or home. The clapboard building fronts were crisp and white, the trims painted in blues, reds, or yellows. Colorful purple petunias, orange gingersnaps, and white alyssum hung from baskets along the boardwalk, filling the air with a sweet honey fragrance. While bees buzzed hungrily from container to container, shop owners swept the sidewalk and waved to the tourists as they passed on their way to the beach or the ice cream shop. Again, similar to St. Augustine. The two cities could have been related. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Horse drawn carriages clopped along in a syncopated rhythm. It felt like a simpler time, one people craved as evidenced by the large crowds enjoying the thousands of blooming lilac trees dotting the hillsides, their sweet fragrance permeating the air and making everything look and smell like a picture book.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">~~~~~~~~~~~~~</span></div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">Blurb:</span></b></div><div class="MsoNormal"><a href="https://www.blogger.com/null" name="_GoBack"></a><span style="font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-font-family: Cambria;">Upon learning she is the only living beneficiary of a late aunt's estate on far away Mackinac Island, Elle Curtis finds an unusual array of items connected to 19th Century writer Constance Fenimore Woolson—a discovery that will lead her on a journey and change her forever.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Becoming-Fenimo... class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">~~~~~~~~~~~~~</span></div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-VP8XMz3gCw..." imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="256" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-VP8XMz3gCw..." width="320" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">Author bio:</span></b></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">Rebecca started writing one summer day in 2008 to escape from the stresses of life, never imagining she actually publish one day. Becoming Fenimore is her third novel. Her previous novels, The Sand Bar, 2012 and Far From Perfect, 2013 were runners up on Readers Favorites, in the category of women’s fiction.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">In a previous life Rebecca graduated from Brigham Young University-Idaho in Interior Design. When she is not writing or taking care of her five children, she can be found working in the theater and has been known to do a commercial or two on the side. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"><a href="https://www.facebook.com/rebeccabryan... class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"><a href="http://rebeccabryan.blogspot.com/&quo... class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">Twitter handle : rebeccabryan2<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">  </span></span><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: red; font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"></span></b></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial;">Follow the tour and comment; the more you comment, the better the chances of winning. The tour dates can be found here:  <a href="http://goddessfishpromotions.blogspot... style="font-family: Arial;"></span></div><br /><a class="rcptr" data-raflid="28e4345f1564" data-template="" data-theme="classic" href="http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/disp..." id="rcwidget_unolv1lg" rel="nofollow">a Rafflecopter giveaway</a><script src="https://widget-prime.rafflecopter.com... /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-4pZMrqACZns..." imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="160" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-4pZMrqACZn..." width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-C5L0oQyTYj..." imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-C5L0oQyTYj..." /></a></div><br /><img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/TwoEnd..." height="1" width="1" alt=""/>