Debra L. Martin's Blog, page 189

January 15, 2016

Interview with Rory B Mackay, THE KEY OF ALANAR


Can you give us a brief overview of your latest book? Is it part of a series?
'The Key of Alanar' is the first official book in 'The Alanar Ascendant' series, although it was preceded by 'Eladria', which serves as a prelude to the series in much the same was as 'The Hobbit' did to 'Lord of the Rings'.

'The Key of Alanar' tells the story of David, a teenage boy on the run from a brutal enemy intent on seizing him. An orphan uncertain of his origin, David possesses a unique gift that will either save or destroy his world. Featuring alien invasions, time travel, cyborg soldiers, cities in the sky, angels, demons, dragons and a world full of different races, cultures and creatures, 'The Key of Alanar' is a hugely epic yet intimate, emotional rollercoaster of a story blending fantasy with science-fiction and metaphysics.
Do you have a favorite character?
David is a complex character who was wonderful to write. He's very definitely the hero, but along the course of the story, he becomes in danger of stepping over to the dark side. In some respects 'The Key of Alanar' is a psychological thriller and at the core of the story is a battle being waged inside the mind and heart of the lead character. Will David succumb to his demons, both inner and outer, or will he find his true inner strength and become all that is he capable of being? The fate of his entire world rests with him. No pressure or anything!
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 done both. 'Eladria' was traditionally published, and 'The Key of Alanar' is published by my own new publishing company.
What factors influenced your decision to self-publish your book(s)?
As with everything in life, there are pros and cons to traditional publishing and self-publishing. With traditional publishing, a lot of the pressure is off in terms of having someone to do all the practical things for you: editing, typesetting, printing, distribution and rudimentary promotion. However, there are pressures that mitigate that. You relinquish control of the final product, you give away the rights, and if your book fails to sell X many copies in the first few weeks, you find that a publisher suddenly isn't quite as on your side as you might think. I was unhappy about certain things that did or didn't happen with my publisher, and was only contracted to them for one book, so I decided to release the rest of this series on completely my own terms. I'm glad that I did that, even though it has given me some extra pressures. It's been worth it. Traditional publishers are struggling and the landscape is changing all the time. I believe that, unless someone already has quite a name for themselves and a publisher willing to invest the necessary time and money into promoting their work, that self-publishing may be the best and option for many authors.
If you used a graphic designer/publisher’s designer, how involved were you during the creative process for your cover?
I was greatly involved. I had a very clear idea what I wanted and even created my own mock up cover design. It looked pretty neat too, but the final design is much better. I loved working with the designer, who patiently implemented any changes I asked for, and I think the result looks pretty cool!

What is your writing process? Do you listen to music or do you like silence?
When writing first draft, I need complete silence. I shut myself away and endeavor to get into a creative flow. If I find myself struggling over parts and going over the same sentence or paragraph again and again, trying to 'perfect' it, I usually have to give myself a little kick and move on!

The first draft, I've found, should be written as fast as possible to get into a flow of writing. The editing stage should be held off as long as possible, otherwise it literally takes weeks to write a single chapter (or even page! Ha!). Once I have my bare-bones first draft, then I edit the heck out of it, often rewriting each sentence several times. I lost track of the number of drafts 'The Key of Alanar' went through over the best part of a decade! When editing I can happily listen to music, as long as it is non-vocal (or at least with no vocals in English, such as bands like Sigur Ros). I find ambient electronic music especially good for editing work, from Vangelis and Brian Eno to Carbon Based Lifeforms and Solar Fields.
Do you outline your story or just go where your muse takes you?
I'm an outline man. I need to have a map of the territory before I set off. I think, as a fantasy/sci-fi writer, you really have to. When it comes to world building, it takes considerable time to develop a world, its history, races and culture, and that's to say nothing of the plot. I need to have a clear idea of how the story unfolds, and how all the elements tie together. As I go, lovely little nuances and details present themselves and flesh out the story, but the plot is in place before I write the first word.
Besides writing, do you have any other passions?
Yes! I love animals and nature. Daily walks with my dogs are just heaven for me. I meditate, do qigong and love cooking, and make art and music when I have the time and energy. I'm a philosopher, environmentalist, social activist and advocate of a resource based economy as a needed alternative to our current socio-economic system. I also make great cake. I love cake.
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! Dogs are cool. I like both chocolate AND vanilla – which I prefer really depends upon the context! Love both coffee and tea, but I tend to drink more tea. Love amaretto coffee in the morning first thing, and redbush or chai throughout the day. I tend to text more due to time and convenience. And I prefer day – I love blue skies and sunshine although I also adore looking up at a clear night sky and staring up in wonder at the stars.
What’s next for you?
I'm hard at work on 'Shattered Time', the follow-up to 'The Key of Alanar' and am hoping it will be released in 2016! Following that, I will complete the final book in The Alanar Ascendant series and then, who knows? I certainly have a great many ideas for future books and am also toying with the idea of releasing books in different ways or formats, such as multi-media projects or graphic novels. I want to explore different ways of sharing stories!
   Book & Author Details:The Key of Alanar by Rory B. Mackay
(The Alanar Ascendant #1)
Publication date: August 15th 2015
Genres: Young Adult, Fantasy
Synopsis:Lasandria: an ancient, advanced civilization, consigned to oblivion by the greed and power-lust of its own people. The coming apocalypse heralds the arrival of a new evil that will ravage the world of Alanar for an entire age. Yet on the eve of Lasandria’s destruction, the ethereal overseers of the mortal realm grant a dispensation—a promise of hope for the future.
That hope lies with an orphaned teenager named David, born some ten millennia later; a boy whose isolated and uncertain existence leads him on a journey upon which hinges the fate of not just his world, but countless others.
On the run from a brutal military force, David’s quest is one born of shattered dreams and tainted by the thirst for revenge. As an inter-dimensional war that has been waged since the beginning of time threatens to consume his world, the dark force that destroyed Lasandria lurks in the shadows, ready to take possession of the one thing that will either save Alanar or destroy it: David.
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/25543881-the-key-of-alanar?ac=1
Purchase:Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00YDNBIEW/ref=cm_sw_r_tw_dp_DkCZvb18QZ9JZB&N: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-key-of-alanar-rory-b-mackay/1122166571?ean=9780993267505

AUTHOR BIO:A natural born writer, thinker and dreamer, Rory Mackay was born in Glasgow, Scotland in 1979. As an ardent student of Vedanta, Zen and Taoism, one of Rory’s true passions is exploring the potential of fiction and art to elevate mood and expand consciousness.
Rory is the author of the visionary fantasy/sci-fi novels “Eladria” (2013) and “The Key of Alanar” (2015), as well as a translation and commentary of the Tao Te Ching (2014) and several short stories. He is in the process of writing a self help book and writes a regular blog at http://beyondthedream.co.uk.
His website is http://www.dreamlight-fugitive.co.uk.
Author links:http://www.dreamlight-fugitive.co.uk/Dreamlight_Fugitive/Home.htmlhttps://www.goodreads.com/author/show/6150732.Rory_B_Mackayhttps://www.facebook.com/AlanarAscendanthttps://twitter.com/amoyaan
a Rafflecopter giveaway



 •  0 comments  •  flag
Share on Twitter
Published on January 15, 2016 05:00

January 13, 2016

#Excerpt: LONG OVERDUE by Tara Andrews


Long Overdue
Tara Andrews
Published by: Decadent Publishing Company, LLC
Publication date: January 25th 2014
Genres: Adult, Contemporary, Romance

Jill Malone has been looking for love for all the wrong reasons. A reality check has her signing up for a no-strings attached night to simply forget about forever after. The last thing she expected was to know her blind date.
Blake Anders doesn’t need help finding a date, but he’s tempted by 1Night Stand’s reputation of arranging exactly what a person needs. And he needs more. Though doubtful, he agrees to one night and hopes to discover his perfect match. He didn’t count on Madame Eve reaching deep into his past to give him a night with the woman he never forgot.
Fearing another broken heart, Jill works to keep herself from becoming attached, but Blake goes all in to convince her that he wants their long-overdue love to be more than a one-night stand…
Goodreads / Amazon / Barnes & Noble / Kobo / All Romance eBooks
EXCERPT:“I think there’s been some sort of mistake,” she managed.
“But, we’re here. And I don’t think it’s a mistake.”
Of course, he’d be polite, while wondering what happened to the size zero, with extra-large breasts, he ordered. “I don’t know.” She shook her head and swore disappointment flashed across his face. “I’ll be honest; I am not comfortable.”
“And let me be honest. I’m looking forward to an evening with you.” Ooooh, smooth. Then again, she didn’t expect less, given his tabloid reputation. Still, her legs felt a little less stable.
She faced him. What really went on in his head? “You don’t find it strange that you know me?”
His killer smile set off butterflies in her belly and a warning bell in her mind. “No. In fact, it makes sense.”
“Why is that?”
“Because I used to wonder about you. A lot.”
Jill forgot to breathe. Forgot almost everything. Did he say…?
“Didn’t you ever wonder about me?”
Jill exhaled. “I’m taking the Fifth.” His smile grew. She shook her head, recognizing dangerous territory. “I’m still not sure.” Not sure she’d measured up. Not sure she’d survive with her heart intact.
“Stay for a drink.”
She wavered at his low-voiced offer. Dammit, he’d become even more handsome than she remembered.


Author Bio:
Tara Andrews divides her time between a full-time job as an office manager, an even more full-time job as a wife and mother, and her dream job as a romance author. An avid reader and writer, Tara continuously seeks to hone her craft in order to provide readers with stories that are provocative yet romantic.
Tara lives in upstate New York with her wonderful husband and two fabulous children.

Website / Goodreads / Facebook / Twitter

GIVEAWAY!

a Rafflecopter giveaway
Hosted by:



 •  0 comments  •  flag
Share on Twitter
Published on January 13, 2016 05:00

January 11, 2016

#Excerpt: NEXT TO ME by Allie Everhart


Next to Me
Allie Everhart
Publication date: January 2nd 2016
Genres: Contemporary, New Adult, Romance

After losing her parents and brother in a car crash, Callie dropped out of college and went to live in the small town where her family used to spend the summers. A year later, and struggling to move on, she keeps to herself and wants to be left alone. So she’s not too happy when her new neighbor keeps knocking on her door.
Nash Wheeler, a 25-year-old construction worker from Chicago, inherited the house next to Callie’s and is living there while he renovates it. Outgoing, confident, and never one to back down from a challenge, Nash sets out to get to know his new neighbor, inviting her over for dinner and offering to fix things around her house.
As much as his persistence annoys her, Callie finds herself attracted to the tall, muscular guy next door. And the more time she spends with him, the more she realizes how much they have in common. Like Callie, Nash has experienced loss, but when he opens up to her about it, she’s not willing to do the same. It’s too personal.
Nash is just her neighbor. Just some guy living there for the summer. But is that really all he is? Or is he the one person who can finally help her move on?
Goodreads / Amazon / Barnes & Noble / iBooks / Kobo
EXCERPT:Nash
“You’re holding my hand,” she says, her lips creeping up.
“I am,” I say, matter-of-factly.
Her eyes return to mine. “Why are you holding my hand?”
“You have nice hands.” I rub the top of it with my thumb.
“That’s why you’re holding it? Because I have nice hands?”
“You got a problem with that?”
“I guess it’s okay. Although your hands aren’t the greatest.” She tries to hide her smile.
“You’re making fun of my hands?” I hold up the other one that’s not connected with hers. “I do construction for a living. I work with my hands. I’m surprised they look as good as they do.”
She takes the hand I was holding up and inspects my nails. “You need a manicure.” She tries to be serious, but then laughs.
“I’m not getting a freaking manicure. I’m not one of those metrosexual guys or whatever the hell they call them. The guys who walk around with purses? You see them downtown Chicago.”
“There’s nothing wrong with those guys.” She sits back but keeps her hand in mine. “And by the way, it’s not a purse. It’s called a man bag. Or a murse. And a lot of guys get manicures. They’re not just for women. It even has the word ‘man’ in it. And cure.” She pauses, then smiles. “It’s a cure for manly hands. Get it?” She laughs at her own joke.
I scoot my chair over and lean in close to her face. Her smile drops, her breath quickens, and her eyes fix on mine. She thinks I’m going to kiss her, but I’m not.
Instead I say, “I don’t want a man bag. Or a murse. Or a manicure.” I look directly in her eyes. “I’m a man’s man. I like red meat. Football. A cold beer. Hard liquor. Pounding nails into walls. And women who challenge me.”
She’s looking at me with lust in her eyes, and God, I feel it too. The intense need to rip off her clothes and do her right here on this table. How the hell did this happen? How did we go from having a conversation to wanting to have sex? I’m not even trying to date this girl, and I definitely wasn’t planning to have sex with her.
I’m here to do a job. Fix the house. That’s it. Plain and simple. But suddenly it feels more complicated than that.


Author Bio:
Allie Everhart is a hopeless romantic who writes books about love. Allie has authored fourteen novels, including The Jade Series, a college romance that follows the story of Jade and Garret as they deal with numerous obstacles trying to tear them apart. Her other series, The Kensingtons, is a romantic suspense series. After writing two series, she’s now working on several standalone books, including her latest book, Next to Me, a new adult romance.
Website / Goodreads / Facebook / Twitter

GIVEAWAY!

a Rafflecopter giveaway





 •  0 comments  •  flag
Share on Twitter
Published on January 11, 2016 05:00

January 8, 2016

#Excerpt: BEFORE GOODBYE by Mimi Cross




Book & Author Details:Before Goodbye by Mimi Cross
Published by: Skyscape
Publication date: January 1st 2016
Genres: Contemporary, Young Adult
Synopsis:Music means more than anything to high school student Cate Reese; it’s also what unites her with Cal Woods. Devoted classical guitar players, Cate and Cal are childhood friends newly smitten by love—until a devastating car accident rips Cal out of Cate’s life forever. Blaming herself for the horrific tragedy and struggling to surface from her despair, Cate spirals downhill in a desperate attempt to ease her pain.
Fellow student David Bennet might look like the school’s golden boy, but underneath the surface the popular athlete battles demons of his own. Racked with survivor’s guilt after his brother’s suicide, things get worse when tragedy darkens his world again—but connecting with Cate, his sister’s longtime babysitter, starts bringing the light back in.
As Cate and David grow closer, the two shattered teenagers learn to examine the pieces of their lives…and, together, find a way to be whole again.
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/25828753-before-goodbye?ac=1&from_search=1
Purchase:Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Before-Goodbye-Mimi-Cross/dp/1503951286/ref=tmm_hrd_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=1447706493&sr=8-2B&N: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/before-goodbye-mimi-cross/1122377360?ean=9781503949720&cm_mmc=AFFILIATES-_-Linkshare-_-GwEz7vxblVU-_-10:1

EXCERPT:
CONNECTION
CATE
The sheet music perches on the black metal stand, a stack of white flags begging for surrender. But I will not. The music itself looks like a war zone: Pencil strikes are everywhere, the pages filled with casualties—discarded fingerings, interpretive markings. Added, then savagely crossed out. I am trying desperately to get the changes right, Cal’s changes.The upcoming concert is my inspiration to get up in the morning. Making these changes is my homage to Cal, my connection to him.But the Brooklyn gig . . . that show was for us. I need to cancel, yet can’t make the call.There are so many people I can’t seem to call, my friends in the city—some who knew Cal. A few have called me, but I’m not sure that it matters. They all seem a lifetime away.Besides the addition and blackened subtraction of musical direction, there are comments written in my music: maybe I’m just a crazy person with this boy in my head.Cal Woods is not the only guy on my mind.When Mr. Close finally showed today, he acted like he didn’t know why David and I were there. He probably just didn’t want to punish David for something everyone wanted to do, and he didn’t want to punish me because he doesn’t even know who I am. Half the time in PE I’m like a ghost. Or maybe Close knew I didn’t deserve a detention. Yes, I served a volleyball at the back of Dee’s head, but it couldn’t have hit her that hard, I can’t spike for shit. Of course the volleyball incident was right after I went off on her for telling me not to call Laurel. That was a big deal—to me, but not to her. So neither of these things should have sent her crying to Close. I think she was just pissed at me because of that guy she was talking to earlier.I haven’t been able to go into the cafeteria for lunch since the accident—too many people, too many eyes on me. Hardly anyone at school knew Cal, but the fact that I was in the car with someone who died in an accident on Chapel Hill Road means that now everybody knows me.So I’ve been going to the library with my lunch, when I remember to bring it, but I didn’t quite make it today. I couldn’t. Couldn’t stop crying.Laurel heard I was having a meltdown in the girls’ room and came looking for me. We’d just taken seats outside on the stone wall surrounding the patio when Dee appeared at the far end.“Dee.” Her name was a small noise escaping my lips, a sound not at all like Laurel’s secret sharing whisper-hiss, but more like choking. Dee was the last person I needed to see.Laurel waved a hand dismissively. “Don’t worry about her. You’re all pale. I’m going to get you some food.”I nodded, then glanced back at Dee. But she’d already turned away, calling to a tall boy with dark hair standing at the edge of the woods that border the closest playing field.Even with everything I was feeling, as the boy approached the patio, I was struck by his looks—he had that kind of face. Plus, he seemed familiar for some reason. But it wasn’t his face or the odd feeling of familiarity that got my attention. He was carrying a guitar case.I watched him, watched Dee bum a cigarette. But when she started using it to gesticulate, jabbing it angrily in his direction as she spoke, he appeared to stop listening. His eyes flitted from face to face—Till they landed on mine.One summer the Ridgeways took me to Montana, to a dude ranch called Triangle X where we rode horses all day. Out West the sky is somehow higher and wider, bluer.Even from where I sat on the wall, I could see the boy’s blue eyes. They reminded me so much of that sky . . . I couldn’t look away.Dee followed his gaze and shot me a cyanide smile, then tugged on his arm. But even as they were walking away, the dark-haired boy’s eyes held mine, his head swiveling to keep the connection. There was a slow-motion feel to everything as my head turned, too—But then Laurel returned, plopping down on the wall, and time snapped back to its normal tempo. A minute later, I’d forgotten all about the boy. But maybe Dee hadn’t. She’s with Laurel now, but who knows. Maybe she had a thing with this guy.I picture her jabbing her cigarette in his direction. Obviously, she knows him well.So, right, I bet that’s what it is. Not the volleyball, the boy. Then again, Dee would find a way to hate me no matter what. No one has ever really hated me before, except . . . That night, the night David insisted on talking about. Wasn’t what happened just another kind of hate?My left hand travels automatically up and down the fretboard, fingertips splayed like spider legs, running scales again and again. The fingers of my right hand dutifully hop from string to string— but these exercises don’t absorb me, not fully, not now.Closing my eyes, I concentrate harder. Hammer-ons, pull-offs, be stiller than still. Classical musicians must not move, must not let our bodies express. The music expresses. We are merely the vehicles for the composers. For Saint Cecilia, for the Muses. Maybe, even, for God.I do not play an instrument; I am the instrument. I serve.My fingers move up and down the fretboard, skip, skip, skip across the strings . . .Silently, a window in my attention span slides open. At first I notice nothing, too busy playing . . . But then a dark intruder—a recent memory—slips over the sill like vapor.

AUTHOR BIO:Mimi Cross was born in Toronto, Canada. She received a master's degree from New York University and a bachelor's degree in music from Ithaca College. She has been a performer, a music educator, and a yoga instructor. During the course of her musical career, she's shared the bill with artists such as Bruce Springsteen, Jon Bon Jovi, and Sting. She resides in New Jersey.
Author links:http://www.mimicross.com/https://www.facebook.com/mimicrosswriteshttps://twitter.com/mimicrosshttps://www.goodreads.com/author/show/14136110.Mimi_Cross
a Rafflecopter giveaway



 •  0 comments  •  flag
Share on Twitter
Published on January 08, 2016 05:00

January 7, 2016

#Excerpt: IMPERIA by Jason Hatcher


Excerpt:
After bathing in a tub filled with orchid blossoms, she sat down at the vanity. As she gripped the comb and held it by her head, she felt its teeth scratch her scalp, and she realized that her hand was trembling. Even as her body cooled and dried, that place below felt like a cauldron boiling over.
The bedroom door creaked open then and Fei Sei gasped aloud. "Who is there?!" she shrieked, only to turn and find a Silongese maidservant staring back at her in terror. "I have all I need, thank you," Fei Sei muttered, exhaling a long sigh of relief. The girl vanished. Fei Sei turned back to the vanity mirror, making sure the water-colored dressing robe was closed around her body. She silently thanked the gods that her thick black hair had begun to grow back. It fell close enough to her chin that she no longer resembled a boy. Swollen nipples poking the surface of her weightless linen robe left no doubt whatsoever that she was female.
“I prepared the room for you myself,” a deep, male voice from somewhere behind her began to speak. She dropped the bottle of perfume from her hands. It shattered on the floor. “I chose the color of the shallow sea so that your surroundings here may comfort you.”
Fei Sei remained seated at the vanity with her back to the door. She could not summon the courage to turn around. In the vanity mirror, she could see the reflection of his bare arm, so thick with muscle and tanned to the color of red clay. A bit of his sash showed, too: a sleeveless tunic, black and gold.


BLURB:

Thirty years is a long time to hold a grudge. The Red Empress has endured every single day of the past three decades living among enemies. A captive empress, she bides her time, her mind's machinations plotting a future bathed in blood. And then the future becomes the present. Across the Empire of Heaven, the winds blow calmly no more.
Amazon Kindle book purchase site:http://www.amazon.com/IMPERIA-Jason-Hatcher-ebook/dp/B0188AQZ2A
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
AUTHOR Bio and Links:
Originally from Pensacola, Florida, Jason Hatcher attended the International Baccalaureate senior high school program, then went on to study Japanese and English literature at the University of Florida. He attended law school in Boston, and worked as an attorney in New York City for eight years. A lifelong lover of Asia, he spent much of his childhood in Japan. He speaks, reads, and writes Japanese, and has traveled extensively throughout that part of the world. Today, he lives in Westchester County, New York, with his husband, mother, and twin sons.
Author website:www.jasonhatcher.space

Author Facebook fan page:https://www.facebook.com/MeetJasonCarterHatcher/?fref=ts

IMPERIA Facebook fan page:https://www.facebook.com/imperianovel/?fref=ts
Goodreads author page:https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/14715959.Jason_Hatcher
Goodreads book page: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/28001974-imperia?from_search=true&search_version=service
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/2015/12/book-blast-imperia-by-jason-hatcher.html

a Rafflecopter giveaway



 •  0 comments  •  flag
Share on Twitter
Published on January 07, 2016 01:00

January 6, 2016

#FREE: Sweet Contemporary Romance WAITING FOR LOVE by Debra Elizabeth


WAITING FOR LOVE will be FREE from January 6-10, 2016.  
So grab a copy and enjoy the story of a love that never dies.


Blurb:Shelly Morrison loves her life as a single working woman, but has no one to share it with. She left her heart back in high school—with the captain of the football team.

Scott Harris was living the dream as an NFL player until a devastating injury ended his career. A chance meeting with Shelly—a girl from high school who'd never bought into the hero worship thing—may be just what he needs, but can she accept the man he is today?
Amazon link:http://www.amazon.com/Waiting-Love-Debra-Elizabeth-ebook/dp/B00YFEXCMU
 •  0 comments  •  flag
Share on Twitter
Published on January 06, 2016 08:15

#Excerpt: RELENTLESS by Vanessa Dare


“God, Anna, you drive me crazy.” He lifted a hand, ran it over his jaw as if trying to wipe my kisses away. “Look, I have to go.”
I looked down at the floor, my arousal fizzling out like a used match. I was a terrible kisser! I hadn’t done it right or else he would have liked it. That’s why he didn’t respond. Tears clogged my throat.
A finger gently lifted my chin. “You being in control is pretty damn hot,” Nick murmured.
I looked up at him from beneath my lashes, doubtful. “Seriously?” I whispered.
“Want to know what I want to do to you?” His voice had gone dark and rich, like the coffee brewing.
Did I? Yes, yes I did. I nodded.
He smiled and his dimple appeared. “I want to unwrap you slowly, like a present. I’ve been picturing what you look like beneath those prim clothes you wear. Don’t panic,” he said, probably witnessing the flare of hurt in my eyes as he spoke of my wardrobe. “I love your clothes. Know why?”
I cleared my throat. “No.” My voice was a scratchy whisper.
“Once I undo those buttons on your shirt, unzip your skirt, I’ll see things no one else has. At least for a long time. Right?”
His voice was almost hypnotic, soothing. I could only nod.
“Those clothes that cover you up so well means no other man can see. You’ll only share with me.” He leaned in close. “No one else.”

BLURB:
A fun weekend at a friend’s wedding in Denver takes a bizarre twist for Anna Scott when her rental car is pulled over due to an “anonymous tip.” In her trunk…a dead man linked to warring crime families in Denver and New York. It should be easy for an innocent woman to be cleared for an simple mix-up. But was it a mistake? The police aren’t so sure, and neither is the crime boss who wants vengeance for his son-in-law’s death. Suddenly appearing on the radar means that now Anna Scott is in real trouble. Two years ago, Anna Scott didn’t exist. The police think she knows way too much about criminal procedures and they’re determined to find out her secret. Their attention forces Anna to play a deadly game of cat and mouse with both the mafia and the police. This twist of fate could not only expose her, but place her, and anyone close to her in jeopardy.

Jake Griffin is playing a deadly game. He’s spent the last few months undercover in the Moretti crime family. The mysterious and beautiful Anna Scott is a big problem. Moretti assigns him to find out who she is and what she’s after, and to kill her if she becomes a problem. Jake needs to focus on taking down Moretti, not risking his life and career protecting a sexy woman who is a complete mystery. Unfortunately, he can’t stop wondering about her. He knows she’s lying, but his gut instincts, and the bone deep desire he feels every time he sees her, won’t allow him to walk away. He discovers that he’s willing to go to war with the whole world for one alluring, yet vulnerable woman. He can’t seem to stop taking desperate gambles where she’s concerned. The most dangerous of all might be trusting her with the truth.
Amazon buy link: http://www.amazon.com/Relentless-Vanessa-Dare-ebook/dp/B017OJGVF2/ref=twoen-20
   ~~~~~~~~~~~~~AUTHOR Bio and Links:
Vanessa Dare does it all: Urban contemporary to time traveling to Scotland and everything in between. Her bestselling alter ego, Vanessa Vale, sticks with steamy Wild West romps.

Social media links:
Email: vanessavaleauthor@gmail.com
Web: http://www.vanessavaleauthor.com
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/vanessavaleauthor
Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/iamvanessavale
Amazon Author page: http://www.amazon.com/Vanessa-Dare/e/B016YKNBYG

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/2015/11/blurb-blitz-relentless-by-vanessa-dare.html

a Rafflecopter giveaway

 


 •  0 comments  •  flag
Share on Twitter
Published on January 06, 2016 01:00

January 5, 2016

#Review: CITY OF LIGHT by Keri Arthur




  5 of 5 stars

This is the first book I've read by Ms. Arthur and I'm so glad I chose this one. The writing is superb, the characters come alive on the page and the world she creates fills me with terror. The story revolves around Tiger, a dechet humanoid super soldier created by humans during the last war. She is the last of her kind--all the others were destroyed by the victors of war--and lives a hermit existence to conceal her identity. The night she rescues a human child from vampires, her world is irrevocably changed.

The shifter Jonas was an intriguing character as the author teased bits about him throughout the book. I wanted to know more about him and why the sexual chemistry between him and Tiger, his mortal enemy, was so powerful. The book wrapped up a major storyline, but there are many questions left unanswered that hopefully will be answered in the next book. I'm definitely looking forward to reading that one to find out if Tiger can survive now that a shifter knows she still exists. Highly Recommended.


I received a copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for a fair and honest review.

Amazon buy link:
http://www.amazon.com/City-Light-Outcast-Keri-Arthur-ebook/dp/B00W2ZKO7A

 •  0 comments  •  flag
Share on Twitter
Published on January 05, 2016 05:00

January 4, 2016

#Excerpt: LADLE TO THE GRAVE by Connie Archer

  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/2015/11/blurb-blitz-ladle-to-grave-by-connie.html

a Rafflecopter giveaway




 •  0 comments  •  flag
Share on Twitter
Published on January 04, 2016 01:00

January 1, 2016

HAPPY NEW YEAR 2016!


Wishing everyone a very happy and healthy 2016! Dave and I are working on the final book in the Witch Stone Prophecy. Witch Stone Assassin is scheduled to be published in Winter 2016. There's lots of twists and turns in this book and we're working hard to through in those twists and turns you may not see coming.

I'm also working on my romances. Have so many books to write, but there's only so much time in a day!


 •  0 comments  •  flag
Share on Twitter
Published on January 01, 2016 04:00