Debra L. Martin's Blog, page 191

#Excerpt: INSANITY by Cameron Jace

Insanity
Cameron Jace
(The Complete Books 1-3)
Publication date: October 28th 2015
Genres: New Adult, Fantasy, Paranormal

A Top 100 Bestseller!
Amazon readers love it – over 500 reviews of 5* and 4* for the first book in the series.
‘Most absorbing fantasy read in years!’ W. McNaughton.
‘Insanity is A Summer Hit!!!’ Kindle Gram
‘An insane page turner’ – Kindle reviewer
‘Engrossingly fun!’ Rhonda Miller.
‘A truly twisted tale….fantastic!’ Sheri A. Wilkinsonon
Hannibal Meets Alice in Wonderland in this fantasy page-turning thriller.
After accidentally killing everyone in her class, Alice Wonder becomes a patient in the Radcliffe Lunatic Asylum. No one doubts her insanity. All but a hookah-smoking professor named Carter Pillar who believes he can prove her sanity by decoding Lewis Carroll’s paintings, photographs, and finding Wonderland’s real whereabouts.
Professor Caterpillar persuades the asylum that Alice can save lives and catch the Wonderland Monsters now reincarnated in modern day criminals. In order to do so, Alice leads a double life: an Oxford university student by day, a mad girl in an asylum by night. The line between sanity and insanity thins when she meets Jack Diamond, an arrogant college student who believes that nonsense is an actual science.
Larger than life characters, intricate mysteries, engrossing fun, and intriguing historical locations. Insanity will thrill you, makes turns pages, and stay with you forever.
Warning: intended for insane audience only.

Goodreads / AmazonYou can also purchase book 5 – Wonder – today!—EXCERPT:Underground Ward, the Radcliffe Lunatic Asylum, OxfordThe writing on the wall says it’s January 14. I am not sure what year. I haven’t been sure of many things lately, but I’m wondering if it’s my handwriting I’m looking at.
There is an exquisite-looking key drawn underneath the date. It’s carved with a sharp instrument, probably a broken mirror. I couldn’t have written this. I’m terrified of mirrors. They love to call it Catoptrophobia around here.
Unlike those of the regular patients in the asylum, my room is windowless, stripped down to a single mattress in the middle, a sink, and bucket for peeing—or puking—when necessary. The tiles on the floor are black and white squares, like a chessboard. I never step on black. Always white. Again, I’m not sure why.
The walls are smeared with a greasy, pale green everywhere. I wonder if it’s the previous patient’s brains spattered all over from shock therapy.
In the Radcliffe Lunatic Asylum, politely known as the Warneford Hospital, the doctors have a fondness for shock therapy. They love watching patients with bulging eyes and shivering limbs begging for relief from the electricity. It makes me question who is really mad here.
It’s been a while since I was sent to shock therapy myself. Dr. Tom Truckle, my supervising physician, said I don’t need it anymore, particularly after I stopped mentioning Wonderland. He told me that I used to talk about it all the time; a dangerous place I claim I had been whisked away to, when my elder sister lost me when I was seven.
Truth is, I don’t remember this Wonderland they are talking about. I don’t even know why I am here. My oldest vivid memory is from a week ago. Before that, it’s all a purple haze.
I have only one friend in this asylum. It’s not a doctor or a nurse. And it’s not a human. It doesn’t hate, envy, or point a finger at you. My friend is an orange flower I keep in a pot—a Tiger Lily I can’t live without. I keep it safe next to a small crack in the wall, where a single ray of sun sneaks through for only ten minutes a day. It might not be enough light to grow a flower, but my Tiger Lily is a tough girl.
Each day I save half of the water they give me for my flower. As for me, better thirsty than mad. My orange flower is also my personal rain check for my sanity. If I talk to her and she doesn’t reply, I know I am not hallucinating. If she talks back to me, all kinds of nonsense starts to happen. Insanity prevails. There must be a reason why I am here. It doesn’t mean I will easily give in to such a fate.
“Alice Pleasance Wonder. Are you ready?” The nurse knocks with her electric prod on my steel door. Her name is Waltraud Wagner. She is German. Everything she says sounds like a threat, and she smells like smoke. My fellow mad people say she is a Nazi—that she used to kill her own patients back in Germany. “Get avay vrom za dor. I’m coming in,” she demands.
As I listen to the rattling of her large keychain, my heart pounds in my chest. The turn of the key makes me want to swallow. When the door opens, all I can think of is choking her before she begins to hurt me. Sadly, her neck is too thick for my nimble hands. I stare at her almost-square figure for a moment. Everything about her is four sizes too big. All except her feet, which are as small as mine. My sympathies, little feet.
“Time for your daily ten-minute break upstairs.” She approaches me with a straitjacket, a devilish grin on her face. I never get out. My ward is underground, and I’m only allowed to take my break in another empty ward upstairs where patients love to play soccer.
A big, muscled warden stands behind Waltraud. Thomas Ogier. He is bald, and has an angry-red face and a silver tooth he likes to flash whenever he sees me. His biceps are the size of my head. I have a hard time believing he was ever a four-pound baby.
“Slide your arms into the jacket,” Waltraud demands in her German accent, a cigarette puckered between her lips. “Slow and easy, Alice.” She nods at Warden Ogier, in case I misbehave.
I comply obediently and stretch out my arms for her to do whatever she wants. Waltraud twists my right arm slightly and checks the tattoo on my arm. It’s the only tattoo I have. It’s a handwritten sentence that looks like a thick armband from afar. Waltraud feels the need to read it aloud: “‘I can’t go back to yesterday, because I was a different person then.'” I was told I had written it while still believing in Wonderland. “That Alice in Wonderland has really messed with your head,” she says as she puffs smoke into my face.
The tattoo and Waltraud’s mocking is the least of my concerns right now. I let her tie me up, and while she does, I close my eyes. I imagine I am a sixteenth-century princess, some kind of lucky Cinderella, being squeezed into a corset by my chain-smoking servant in a fairy tale castle above ground, just about to go meet my prince charming. Such imagery always helps me breathe. I once thought that it was hope that saved the day, not sanity. I need to cool down before I begin my grand escape.

Author Bio:
Cameron Jace is the bestselling author of the Grimm Diaries and Insanity series. A graduate of the college of Architecture, collector of out-of-print books, he is obsessed with the origins of folk tales and the mysterious storytellers who spread them. Three of his books made Amazon's Top 100 Customer Favorites in Kindle 2013 & Amazon's Top 100 kindle list. Cameron lives in California with his girlfriend. When he isn't writing or collecting books, he is playing music.
Sign up for his mailing list here: http://bit.ly/1sxp3p1
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SUNSET RISING by S.M. McEachern

Sunset Rising Trilogy
S.M. McEachern
(Sunset Rising #1-3)
Publication date: December 25th 2015
Genres: Dystopia, Young Adult

Limited Time Preorder price of just $4.99! Have it delivered December 25th!
Special edition of the ebook set of the Sunset Rising Trilogy, which includes: Sunset Rising, Worlds Collide, New World Order, and—available in ebook format for the first time—all seven satellite stories!
Sunset Rising: Born a slave inside a government biodome, seventeen-year-old Sunny O’Donnell becomes a pawn in a political plot that sparks a rebellion. Accused of treason and facing execution, she escapes with a man she considers an enemy and discovers she not only has to work with him to survive, but also lead the revolution.
A Readers Favorite 2015 Book Award Gold Medal winner!
Worlds Collide: Sunny and Jack must continue a life of subterfuge in order to stay alive and find a way to free the Pit. But in their attempt to save the urchins, they uncover the horrifying truth about President Holt and the evil he could unleash on the world.
New World Order: While Sunny and Jack struggle to find each other in the lawless post-apocalyptic world, tensions between the Pit and the Dome escalate. In the action-packed conclusion of the Sunset Rising Trilogy, friends will become enemies and enemies will become friends on a journey that will lead to a new world order.
Satellite Stories: For the first time in ebook format, the seven satellite stories are included with the trilogy. Find out what’s happening in the Pit between books one and two, and get a closer look at some of the other people in Sunny’s life.

Goodreads / AmazonThe Sunset Rising Trilogy ebook boxed set is up for the special pre-order price of $4.99 and includes seven satellite stories.—EXCERPT BOOK 1 – Sunset Rising:(Sunny O’Donnell and Jack Kenner on starting a rebellion)I went at him as fast as I could, and when I saw the nose of the gun come up, I pushed it down and used it to give me balance. I raised my leg and kicked him in his side. His grip on the gun loosened for a second, and I grabbed it with both hands while swinging my leg in a backward arc that brought me behind him. I brought the gun up under his throat and held it there. I heard people clapping and looked up to see them staring at me.
“You do catch on quickly,” Jack said, smiling.
I loosened my grip on the rifle, and he lowered it. “Am I scaring you, Jack?”
Suddenly Jack’s hands were on me, and he threw me over his hip. I hit the floor with an ungraceful flop.
“A little bit.” He stepped away and left me to pick myself up. “It’s going to be lights out soon, so we should wrap it up,” he said to the room.
“Can we try again tomorrow?” Raine asked.
Jack looked around the room to see if anyone else was interested. Most people wanted to come back. Jack asked the guards, and they agreed as well.
“You were amazing tonight,” Jack said once we were alone. “You blew me away.”
“I guess it went well.”
“You were great, but we only had maybe fifty people in that room, not nearly enough to take on the few hundred guards that patrol down here. I told you before, power comes with numbers, and we don’t have numbers.”
“I don’t think we stand much of a chance anyway. I expect someone in that room will gladly turn us in for the four hundred credits Holt is offering.”
When we arrived at our apartment, I scanned my hand across the lock and went in.
“I know. I think that too.” Jack shut the door behind him. Then he picked up one of the chairs and put it under the doorknob. I gave him an inquisitive look. “At least it will give us a little notice if someone comes.”
“I’ve always known we’ll be caught eventually, but now that it might be real, I’m scared.”
I didn’t want to die now that I had found a reason to live. I wanted to see this rebellion through and free Summer from Holt; have the chance to find my father if he was still alive; help liberate the Pit from centuries of slavery. I wanted time to finish what we started.
“You’re scared?” he asked in surprise. “I can’t believe the girl who stood up on a chair and convinced an entire room to start a rebellion is scared.”
“And you’re not?”
“Terrified. Hey, what was wrong with Raine’s wife? She seemed a little out of it.”
“Women get that way after they’re sterilized.”
“After they’re what?”
“Sterilized.” He had an odd look on his face. “You must know about the Sterilization Program. Your government came up with it ten years ago. If a couple doesn’t qualify to have a child, the woman is sterilized, and whatever they inject her with makes her go… blank. The injection changes a woman. She’s not as full of life as she used to be.”
Jack was staring at me with a horrified look on his face when the lights went out, leaving us in darkness. Maybe he didn’t know about that program.
“We should get some sleep,” I said.
“I’ll take the chair.”
“No. We shared last night, we can do it again tonight.” Considering the way I responded to his kiss this morning, it probably wasn’t a good idea. But we both needed a decent sleep. Jack was exhausted from sleeping in the chair, and I couldn’t afford to be tired and sloppy with Madi as my supervisor.
“Are you sure?”
“Yeah. Just stay on your on side of the bed.” But I didn’t really mean it. I walked toward the bedroom.
“That bed isn’t big enough to have sides.” He stumbled after me, knocking a chair over.
“You really can’t see, can you?”
“And you’re surprised? It’s pitch black in here.”
I took him by the hand and guided him toward the bedroom. He took off his t-shirt and flopped down on the bed. Since he was blind in the dark, I stripped off my vest and put my t-shirt back on before I climbed in.
“It’s not pitch black in here. The guards use nightlights, and it leaks into the apartment.”
He opened his eyes as wide as he could and looked around the room. “I guess you have to born in the Pit to find light where there isn’t any.”
I rolled that thought over in my mind and realized just how true it was.

Author Bio:
S.M. McEachern (also known as Susan) comes from the rocky shores of Canada’s East Coast. As a resident of Halifax during her early adult years, she attended Dalhousie University and earned an Honors Degree in International Development Studies with a focus on ocean development. Throughout her academic studies and early career, Susan had the privilege to study and work with Elizabeth Mann Borgese (daughter of nobel prize winner, Thomas Mann). An author in her own right and a political activist for world peace, Mrs. Mann Borgese played a significant influence on Susan’s view of the political world stage.
Sunset Rising is Susan's debut novel, which was published in November 2012. The second novel of the series, Worlds Collide was released in March 2014 and she is currently working on the third book of the series titled, New World Order, due to be released January 2015. For writing inspiration, Susan likes to go on long walks with her iPod (Keane and Moby are among her favorites). A few fun facts about Susan: she loves lattes, red wine, snorkelling, hiking and talking about herself in the third person.
If you'd like to read some satellite stories on the Sunset Rising series, visit her website: http://smmceachern.com/category/satel...
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#Excerpt: MOON DARK by Patricia Barletta

Excerpt:
Sabrina arrived safely at the casa where she lived. Scrambling out of the gondola, she rushed into the house through the water gate, the canal-side entrance. She did not bother to call any of the servants to take her cloak as she hurried across the rough tiles of the andron, the undecorated water-level entry hall. She ran up the stairs to the study. The room, lit brightly by the center wrought iron chandelier, seemed empty. She circled around the massive gum wood desk and went directly to the small table which held several decanters and glasses. Her hand trembled as she poured herself two fingers of brandy. She gulped it down, but even its burn did not stop her shivers. She turned to the fire and its warmth.
 “Sabrina.”
She jumped. Harold Dunfield, the uncle of her late husband, stared at her in shock from his chair before the blaze. His cool blue eyes pinned her. He was dressed to go out for an evening’s entertainment, impeccable in his burgundy velvet coat and yellow silk waistcoat, his silvery hair perfectly tied back with a black satin ribbon. He had obviously been waiting for her. She had not seen him sitting there.
“What is the meaning of this?” he demanded, indicating the empty glass in her hand.
Guiltily, she placed the glass on the mantle. “Someone just tried to kill me.” She choked out the words.
 His brow furrowed, but he said nothing.
“You never warned me my life could be in danger.” Her voice shook, and she took a breath to steady herself.
 “Really, Sabrina, I’m sure you are being overly dramatic.” Dunfield waved away her reproach.
 Of course he would show no sympathy for her ordeal.
“A stiletto missed me by inches,” she said.
“You must have been mistaken for someone else. There’s no reason why anyone should wish you dead. I’m only selling artwork.” Dunfield took a casual sip of his own brandy.
Frustration at his callous reaction to her fright brought tears to her eyes. She blinked them away and tried to make him see the problem—again. “They are Italian masterpieces, and you are selling them to our English king. If the Venetians discover their art is leaving the city—”
“They won’t.” His gaze sharpened. “Did you get the message?”
Sabrina swallowed. She did not want to confess what had occurred in the chapel. She would never reveal to this man that a shadow had saved her life. He would think she had gone mad. Perhaps she had, and the apparition in the chapel had merely been a hallucination. Except she still felt the bruise where she had landed on the hard marble floor. How could she explain something she did not understand herself?
“I lost it.” Her admission came out small and quiet.
Anger turned his eyes to ice. “So you thought to cover up your incompetence with some fantasy about an attempt on your life?”
“No! I—”
“Stop.” Dunfield gave her a hard stare. “If you cannot perform a simple chore for me, like retrieving a message, then you are of little use. I am disinclined to support a destitute widow with a son if you are unable to give me some recompense.”
   Blurb:
Alessandro D’Este, Prince of Auriano, is cursed. Doomed to live a life half in shadow, he is determined to free himself and his family from the evil that stalks them. When Alessandro saves the English woman’s life, he is captivated by her beauty and shocked at her ability to touch him in his shadowy form.
When Sabrina meets Alessandro in his human form, heady attraction sparks between them. She has no idea he is her shadowy savior, and she wonders what her life might be like with this charismatic man. Alessandro has never met a woman who affects him this way. Although life has taught him to trust only family, Sabrina might be the key that could deliver him from the diabolical darkness.
Buy Link:
Lachesis Publishing: http://lachesispublishing.com/?product=moon-dark
AUTHOR Bio and Links:Patricia Barletta always wanted to be a writer. That was right after she realized that becoming a fairy ballerina or a princess wasn’t going to happen. But being a writer meant she could go places in her head and be other people as much as she wanted. She could even be a fairy ballerina or a princess!
As a native of the Boston area, Patricia has been inspired by its history, which influenced her stories, and probably had an impact on her decision to become a high school British Literature teacher so she could pay the bills. She received a Master of Fine Arts in Creative Writing degree at the fabulous Stonecoast program in Maine. And now she’s an author writing about dark heroes, feisty heroines, magic, and other fantastical things.
Find out more about Patricia Barletta and her books on her website: www.patriciabarletta.com.
Connect with Patricia Barletta on facebook: https://www.facebook.com/patricia.barletta.3?ref=br_rs
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#Excerpt: ONLY WHEAT NOT WHITE by Varsha Dixit

Excerpt:
Eila hurriedly shifted further into the wall, giving him more room to walk by. He didn’t.
“Hold on,” Eila shot to Megan. Turning the phone away from her, she hissed, “What?”
“You’re blocking the way,” he shot back, coolly.
“No, I’m not.” Eila gestured with her free hand.
The ogre moved nearer. Eila had to tilt her chin to meet his eyes fully.
“This is a passageway,” he stated.
“I don’t see a sign saying I can’t talk here!” Eila gave him a haughty look.
Unexpectedly the ogre leaned forward, bringing his mouth next to her forehead. “What is with you and signs?” he whispered, his blue eyes positively gleaming.
Eila felt his breath stir some sensitive spots. Uneasily, she shifted to the side trying to put some distance between them.
“Can you just leave?” she demanded. “Sorry.” The ogre looked anything but apologetic. “I gave you a few minutes, but going by the advice you are shelling out on the phone, it’s looking to be a long conversation.”
“You were eavesdropping?”
The Ogre shrugged his shoulders. “If you were expecting privacy, you should not talk in a passageway.”
 “What is with you and the word passageway?” Eila mimicked him. “Is passageway your first name or last?”
His rejoinder was quick. “If you want to know my name just ask.”
 “Don’t flatter yourself. My only point being-”
“What do I wear? Hello?” Megan was now shouting loud enough for even the Ogre to hear. For a second his expression was perplexed and then he muttered something under his breath. Eila only caught “…brings out weirdoes.”
A loose strand of her hair tickled her chin. Eila raised a hand to brush it off her face carelessly.
Unseen by her, the blue-eyed ogre let his raised hand fall. He experienced a quick pang of disappointment. His fingers were itching to know the texture of her skin. The girl in front of him maddened him. Tonight, the moment he had seen her in the bar she had become his sole point of focus.
He thought, who knows, if we keep bumping into each other like this, she might trip straight into my arms. And I will catch her and join that sexy mouth of hers with mine. The ogre swung his head as if to break his mind free of such fantasies.

BLURB:What if following your heart means failing your family? Eila Sood leaves India for the U.S., hoping to unite her family and mend fences with her estranged older sister. She soon learns that her sister’s intercultural marriage, which outraged their parents, has hit rock bottom. To help pay the bills, Eila accepts an accounting job at a strip club, working for the fascinating yet infuriating Brett Wright. As their friendship and mutual desire builds, Eila chooses keeping family peace over following her heart. After Brett misinterprets her fears and accuses Eila of prejudice, his ex-girlfriend steps in to offer solace. Eila realizes that whichever choice she makes will rip her life apart. What will Eila choose? Love of her life or a life ruled by tradition? Fall in love with love, in this steamy saga from a best selling romance author.
Amazon link:http://www.amazon.com/Only-Wheat-White-Varsha-Dixit-ebook/dp/B00KQNNHVA
Amazon UK:http://www.amazon.co.uk/Only-Wheat-White-Varsha-Dixit/dp/0990388409
Nook link:http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/only-wheat-not-white-varsha-dixit/1119700059
Nook UK:http://www.nook.com/gb/ebooks/only-wheat-not-white-by-varsha-dixit/2940046357653
Kobo link:https://store.kobobooks.com/search?Query=only+wheat+not+white

~~~~~~~~~~~~~AUTHOR Bio and Links:
Varsha Dixit is the best selling author of four successful contemporary romance books. Her debut book, Right Fit Wrong Shoe was a national bestseller for the year 2010. Varsha was a part of the Indian Television Industry and worked as an assistant director and online editor. She considers herself a dreamer who thinks deep but writes light. Even though creativity is gender free, Varsha feels blessed and enriched to be a woman. Currently, with her family, Varsha resides in CA, USA.
Website: www.varshadixit.com
Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Only-Wheat-Not-White/705660732873230?fref=ts
Twitter: https://twitter.com/Varsha20
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#Excerpt: DARK SIRENS Series by Eden Ashley

Dark Siren
Eden Ashley
(Dark Siren, #1)
Publication date: July 4th 2013
Genres: Fantasy, Paranormal Romance, Young Adult

To survive, their bond must be unbreakable.
When the mysterious and passionate Rhane rescues Kali from an attacker in the theater parking lot, they form an immediate, smoldering connection. But Kali doesn’t remember Rhane or anything from their past. As far as Kali knows, she’s just a seventeen-year-old kid coping with an insatiable hunger for the “spark” or energy of others, feeding on classmates to survive.

A unique artifact—one that may hold the key to returning Kali’s memories—is uncovered by the archaeology firm where she works part-time, sending Kali and Rhane on a dangerous journey that leads them to the Forbidden City, into the unforgiving Gobi, and into the ruins of Rhane’s ancient homeland. As they fight for survival, Kali begins to discover who she really is and the true power she possesses.

But Rhane still harbors a secret that could destroy Kali…unless old enemies kill her first.
The complete series:

Goodreads / Amazon


EXCERPT – Dark Siren:The stranger shifted, leaning over until his mouth was within a millimeter of her left ear. He spoke softly, his lips brushing against some serious nerve endings, “Is this seat taken?” With a nervous shiver, she blinked long and slow, savoring the low and sexy quality of his voice. Then she edged away to put at least an inch between his lips and her ear. If he touched her like that again, Kali was very likely to embarrass herself. Just as she was about to answer his question, the room brightened with light from the illuminated screen. What Kali saw made her jaw drop.If an eighty-year-old grandmother had been sitting next to her when this guy had shown up, Kali would have politely asked the old lady to move so the stranger could sit down. He was absurdly good looking. Silver lighting accented every perfect line and angle of his face. Several locks from his thick mass of hair fell idly across his forehead, slightly curling at the ends. There was softness to his features that suggested he could be a keeper.The stranger returned Kali’s stare with an intensity that took in every part of her. But his eyes never left her face.Realizing she had been staring at him stupidly for far too long, Kali struggled to find something to say. “I’m…” She cleared her throat. “It’s yours.”He finally looked away. Whatever tied her to him was loosed, and Kali pulled her gaze away. They didn’t speak again for a long time, but Kali was constantly aware of him. She kept stealing furtive glances in his direction because the sight of him was more enthralling than anything the movie had to offer. Growing bolder, Kali watched him from the corner of her eye at increasingly longer intervals. Apparently, the stranger was not as bothered as she was. Relaxed in his seat, he sat observing the screen with languid interest, doing a pretty good job convincing her that he’d forgotten anyone was beside him. Kali was so immersed with watching him, and was completely startled when he spoke. “It’s not polite to stare,” he murmured softly without taking his eyes from the screen.Kali jerked and turned away. But she wasn’t fast enough and was mortified to see the beginning of a satisfied smile appear on his face. She slid down into the chair, grateful for the darkness that concealed a blush spreading across her cheeks. From then on she tried to concentrate on the movie. But it was useless. She gave up and watched the screen absently, all the while thinking about the guy sitting next to her and how he probably thought she was an absolute dork. She didn’t get it. Boys never had this affect on her. For the past two years, it had always been them falling helplessly at her feet.A mutated mix of human and creature launched itself from a quiet scene, growling and snarling into the camera. Several audience members jumped in surprise, and Kali was one of them. She made a noise that sounded like a strangled bird. “Do these things frighten you?” the stranger asked. He was clearly enjoying her discomfort.Kali cleared her throat. “Why would they? This stuff isn’t real.” This time, she didn’t look at him.After a long moment, he spoke again. “Right,” he slowly agreed.

Author Bio:
Cynic, realist, and hopeless romantic all rolled into one, Eden was born and raised in a small, sunny town in South Carolina where thunderstorms helped inspire her best ideas. There are few things she loves more than curling up with a good book and a cup of coffee on a rainy day (except maybe chocolate cake, she loves cake), often reading into the wee hours of morning when something really grabs her. Eden enjoys reading or watching anything with supernatural elements, so writing paranormal and fantasy romance is a natural fit.
Her first novel, Dark Siren, is best described as paranormal romance artfully wrapped within a plot chock-full of action, adventure, and edge-of-your-seat suspense, while the series has evolved to become a journey of redemption and second chances as two characters understand that sometimes committing evil is necessary to protect what is loved most. Eden took the siren from Greek mythology (and borrowed a little from mermaid lore), creating an entirely different creature, with its own mythology, and one that Publisher's Weekly praised for its passion and complexity. This is not just another werewolf/shapeshifter romance or vampire romance. This is a story that both adults and teens can enjoy, full of great characters to fall in love with!

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#Excerpt: HOUSE OF ROYALS by Keary Taylor

House of Royals
Keary Taylor
(House of Royals, #1)
Publication date: June 21st 2015
Genres: New Adult, Paranormal

If you loved BRANDED, you won’t want to miss HOUSE OF ROYALS, Keary Taylor’s newest dark, romantic read.
Every town has its history and skeletons, but Silent Bend, Mississippi’s are darker than most. Ruled from the shadows by the House—the immortal Born and their aging, enslaved Bitten—everyone knows not to go out after dark and that the police will never look into crimes involving blood.
Alivia Ryan didn’t know the man who claims to be her father through a will even existed until she inherits the Conrath plantation. Instead of the sleepy house she expects, she finds a mansion and a staff who look at her with fear in their eyes.
Ian Ward tried to kill Alivia the first time they met, and then insisted he train her to defend herself against the House, who he claims will try to manipulate and take her in for their own political reasons. And the growing attraction between them will threaten their lives—Ian is a sworn enemy of the House.
In Silent Bend, people disappear, the threat of a demented King and the legend of his resurrecting Queen hang over everyone’s heads, and proving loyalty means far more than blood. You’d better watch who you trust in this town…

Goodreads / Amazon / Barnes & Noble
EXCERPT:“What are you doing here?” he hisses, pulling me close. His lips tickle my ear. His hand on my waist slips low and his fingers dig into my skin just a little.The breath catches in my chest and every nerve ending in my body goes crazy. The music surges, and this night suddenly feels too big for me to breathe.
“I’m not lying down and taking a fate I didn’t ask for,” I manage. My fingers cling hard to Ian’s shoulder. I can feel the muscles beneath his clothes tense and tighten. And suddenly, I’m back to the days at his cabin, when he’d come walking out of the shower with only a towel and I pretended not to look. I know what his bare skin looks like, and I’m craving another glimpse.
“They won’t care about a show of good faith,” he says. “Do you have any idea what this party is even for?”
My silence is his answer.
“They throw this party once a year and offer massive amounts of alcohol so that people won’t remember the blackouts that come from being fed on.”
My eyes dart to that door at the back of the room. The blood on the woman’s shoulder. The blood in the corner of the man’s mouth.
“They’re feeding on the party attendees,” I say.
Ian nods. His scratchy cheek brushes mine. “The bite numbs and makes you forget, but people tend to realize they blacked out. A party like this with this much booze, you brush it off. It’s the one time a year they feed freely upon the townspeople. It’s the only way to keep people from asking too many questions.”
It’s terrifying and horrifying, and I’m suddenly wondering if the man was asking me to dance as my turn to be fed upon.
“It’s bad, but I have to do something, Ian,” I breathe.
“Walking into the fire isn’t the way to do it,” he whispers into my ear.

Author Bio:
Keary Taylor grew up along the foothills of the Rocky Mountains where she started creating imaginary worlds and daring characters who always fell in love. She now resides on a tiny island in the Pacific Northwest with her husband and their two young children. She continues to have an overactive imagination that frequently keeps her up at night. She is the author of THE EDEN TRILOGY, the FALL OF ANGELS trilogy, and WHAT I DIDN'T SAY.

To learn more about Keary and her writing process, please visit www.KearyTaylor.comWebsite / Goodreads / Facebook / Twitter

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#New Series: THE DAY BAILEY DEVLIN WAS BORN by USA Today Best-selling Author Rebecca Forster

Or the long, painful, labor of love  Husband:        "What do you want for dinner?"Me:                  "I don't think these books are funny. They're  supposed to be funny. I'm not sure they are funny. People have to laugh. Or at least smile when they read them." Husband:         I'm sure they're fine."Me:                  "I want a taco."Husband:         "Sounds good. I'll go to. . ."Me:                  "You don't think it will be fine, do you? I can hear it in your voice. You're just being nice. You don't think they're funny, I can tell. I don't think I can eat." Husband:         "I'm sure they're funny. You're funny. . . (pause). . . you were funny. Before. . ."
Then he would mumble something as he went upstairs and closed the bedroom door. No dinner.
I yell up the stairs: "What do you think? About the books, I mean? Being funny?"
I recall having conversations like this when I was pregnant - just substitute fat for funny. The only difference is that I got tacos when I was pregnant. To be exact, I got giant burritos. I ate a giant burrito and a waddled around the block the day I went into labor. At three in the morning I thought my labor pains were indigestion. Neither was pleasant.
 I swore off burritos.
 I had one more baby then I swore off babies.
Now that the Bailey Devlin series is launched, my literary hormones have settled, I am ready to tell you the truth. The truth is that being an indie author - one who has gone rogue and written outside her normal thriller genre - is just like childbirth and here's why.
1) Conception: Fun, exciting, and takes place in a burst of extraordinary passion. That's what it was like conceiving Bailey Devlin. My mother asked for some books-with-out-bodies. Not that she didn't like my thrillers, it's just that she wanted to see if I could actually put more than three sentences together without killing a character. I heard that wistful tone in her voice. It sounded like 'will I ever be the grandmother to a book-baby that makes me smile?" Her 91st birthday was in September and Bailey Devlin was her present. It took a few tries, it took some restraint not to kill Bailey off, but eventually the seed was planted; Bailey Devlin was more than a twinkle in my eye.
2) Gestation: No morning sickness, no sleepless nights, no discomfort. The Day Bailey Devlin's Horoscope Came True came trippingly off the keyboard.  Piece of cake. The Day Bailey Devlin Picked Up a Penny took a little longer and by the time The Day Bailey Devlin's Ship Came In, mine had sailed, leaving me adrift in a sea of doubt. Were these books as funny as I thought? Would anyone really care about Bailey? Was she ever going to pass the bar and find happiness? Who did she really love? Would she have my eyes but her father's feet? Can't they give me something for the pain? Oh, sorry, keep getting these two events confused. We're talking books not childbirth.
3) Labor: It never goes as smoothly as you think it will. No matter how often you're coached, you forget to breathe. I knew there would be the mind numbing pain but I didn't realize I would be the one inflicting it.  My very patient editor* was not fooled by the fake smiley faces at the end of each email asking, WELL? HAVE YOU READ IT? The poor cover designer* has probably decided that selling insurance would be more fulfilling than ever working with the nit-picking me again. And then there were the frantic emails in the middle of the night begging the formatter* to revise the files because I'd found yet another typo. Think breach birth on that one. I kept wondering if these files would ever turn around and come out the right way.
4) Delivery: I delivered triplets; three books published on the same day. By this point, I was goofy with getting them written, formatted, covered and published, so I did what any reasonable person would do: I went on vacation and left them with grandma.
Now readers are visiting my offspring. I hope they love the covers and adore Bailey Devlin and her crew. I hope they laugh and cry because the stories are sweet in a sexy world. They are inspired by people I know and love. Bailey Devlin is me and I think she is every woman. Like an anxious mom, I'm waiting for someone to chuck me under the chin, and tell me I did good, and that they really like my babies.
Happy Birthday Bailey Devlin. It was worth every minute.
Thanks to my birthing team:
*Jenny Jensen -editorial*Paul Ziomek - covers*Steff McDaid - formatting*Robin Blakely - PR/marketing *Tod Damotte -  Bailey mini-movie
Amazon buy link:http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B016QBBZK0/ref=twoen-20 

Book Tour Blast: A PARIS CHRISTMAS by Cynthia Gail

Billionaire Nicholas Adrien Rousseau works seven days a week. He lives on a schedule, doesn’t like surprises, plans his days, and outlines his goals. Until an irresistible blonde slides into the backseat of his Mercedes, mistaking him for the driver of the car service provided by his company, Bridal Bliss. 

Bella Rose is late for the airport. The opportunity to turn Creative Couture into an International marketing firm is a dream come true, but if she doesn’t catch the last flight home to the states, she’ll miss Christmas Eve with her family. Two strangers with an attraction that could melt an iceberg, are stranded in the heart of Paris, the city of light and love. 

When Bella throws caution to the wind, deciding to accept the spontaneity life has thrown her and enjoy the journey, she never imagines it will lead to the man of her dreams. Adrien realizes too late that by hiding his identity, he could lose the one woman who loves the man and not the money.

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About the author:My husband and I live in the suburbs of Nashville, Tennessee with our three dogs. When I'm not working or writing, I can be found with family and friends. I love to bake in the winter, grill in the summer, and on occasion, I sneak away from everyone and curl up with a good book.  

Website: http://cynthiagail.com/
 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/CynthiaGailRomance  
Twitter: https://twitter.com/CynthiaGailBook  
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Interview with Caitlyn Duffy, CENTER STAGE

Can you give us a brief overview of your latest book? Is it part of a series? Center Stage! is a spin-off of the Treadwell Academy series. It focuses on Allison Burch, the best friend of Taylor Beauforte, who’s the main character of The Rock Star’s Daughter. Allison’s very jealous of the lifestyle that Taylor leads when she goes on tour with her father. Out of desperation to explore her own singing talent, Allison tries out for an American Idol-style vocal competition reality TV show, and shocks herself when she’s chosen as a contestant. But of course, she wasn’t expecting that Taylor’s rock star dad, Chase, is one of the judges.
Do you have a favorite character?I love Allison’s mom, I must confess! Mothers are often killed off or described as slightly villainous in YA literature. As an author, I’m guilty of propagating this trend, too, because Taylor’s mother dies on practically the third page of The Rock Star’s Daughter. For this reason, it was really important to me to develop a solid relationship between Allison and her parents in Center Stage that lasted throughout the book. Mrs. Burch is somewhat conservative and over-protective, but she’s also really cool.
Have you ever had a minor character evolve into a major one? Did that change the direction of the novel at all?That’s exactly how this novel came to be! When The Rock Star’s Daughter came out in 2011, I received literally thousands of emails from readers. One question that was raised repeatedly was about what had happened to Allison after she and Taylor had an argument. It was a loose thread I’d left dangling in that first book, and I’d planned to address it in the sequel to The Rock Star’s Daughter. The more I thought about Allison’s position and how difficult it might be to maintain a friendship with someone who’s living the life of a celebrity, it became irresistible to write Allison’s own story.
Did you try the traditional route to publishing, i.e. querying agents/publishers?Yes – I’d sent out a query for The Rock Star’s Daughter the year before it was published to probably three or four agents. I don’t think I ever even received a reply from any of them! My friends who run a tiny digital publishing company asked if they could publish it as sort of an experiment to see how many downloads the book could get if it were offered for free—purely to measure how many kids share books they like on social media. At that point, I was discouraged, busy at my job, and didn’t particularly care what became of the book, so I said, “Sure.” As of November, 2015, that book has been downloaded over 1.5M times (it’s not free anymore, although you can still read an early draft on Wattpad). I like to think that a traditional publisher probably could have made a pretty penny off of it, but it was also totally awesome watching it take off the way it did.
How long before you got your offer of representation/your first contract? Was it for your first novel?There are now four books in the Treadwell Academy series in addition to Center Stage, and I still don’t have representation or a publishing deal with a major publisher. And that’s fine with me! I’m friends with a lot of YA authors, and I think there’s a misconception about publishing among writers that landing a book deal means you’re going to get a windfall of cash and suddenly be living the Oprah lifestyle. Most first-time book deals are for a couple thousand dollars. Publishing with a micropublisher, I know that the profits come directly to me and I retain control over the final manuscript and marketing efforts.
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 have two finished manuscripts that aren’t part of the Treadwell universe. They’re both much more serious and would probably appeal to an older reading audience. I’ve honestly been sitting on those for quite a while because I’m not sure what to do with them. On one hand, I think that if they were to be published by a major publisher, there’s a chance that they’d reach a wider audience just because of the exposure that offers. On the other, they’re both deeply personal books and it might be painful for me to make the type of copious changes that typically agents and editors request. Neither of those books may ever see the light of day!
If you used a graphic designer/publisher’s designer, how involved were you during the creative process for your cover? I was pretty involved; the cover for The Rock Star’s Daughter changed a few times before a format was established for the entire Treadwell series. My only major concern with that was not showing a face on the cover. That’s just a personal preference; I think when readers see a character’s face, they make judgements about the character that may or may not be true to the book. I prefer for readers to use their imaginations!
Do you belong to a critique group? Have they helped improve your writing?I used to belong to a writing group a few years ago when I lived near Columbia University. Receiving feedback from readers is extremely valuable to me. Writing is a very isolated exercise, and sometimes when I write something that I think conveys a sentiment with perfect precision, I’ll receive a note from a reader expressing confusion. It’s kind of like the golden rule of business (the shopper is always right); the reader is usually right. I’ve personally found Wattpad.com to be a fantastic resource for getting truthful feedback on my writing.
What advice would you give a new author just entering into the self- publishing arena? I’d tell anyone who’s considering jumping into any level of publishing – whether it’s self-publishing or starting the query process, to remember that publishing is a business. You may feel passionately about your manuscript and think it’s the most brilliant thing ever written, but for anyone else to want to invest their time and resources in bringing your book to market, it must have commercial appeal. When you’re self-publishing, you have to be your own business manager and marketer, so anyone who wants to self- publish a book should be prepared for at least a year of hard work that isn’t the least bit creatively satisfying (most of the time). Reviewing your sales reports and managing all of the different types of e-book files and sales platforms can be overwhelming. I’m very fortunate to have help with that, but quite honestly, I’d much rather be writing than thinking about numbers. On the flip side, getting a traditional publishing deal can sometimes take years, and even after your manuscript is purchased it probably won’t be added to the release calendar for another year or two. It’s a slow-going business.
What’s next for you?A proper sequel to The Rock Star’s Daughter is long, long overdue, so that’s my next writing project. And since it’s been almost five years since the first book was released, I’m planning to revisit in 2016 and maybe overhaul the cover art for the whole series to introduce it to the next wave of young readers. A reader who had sent me a fan letter three years ago recently emailed me just to say hello, and I had a pretty profound realization: girls who read that book when they were 13 are now preparing to graduate from high school! It kind of blew my mind to think about how much I’d personallychanged between ages 12 and 17. There’s a whole new wave of girls just starting high school who haven’t met Taylor Beauforte yet.

Book & Author Details:Center Stage! by Caitlyn Duffy
(Center Stage!, #1)
Publication date: September 14th 2015
Genres: Contemporary, Romance, Young Adult
Synopsis:Allison Burch’s wildest dream is to become a famous singer. She can hardly believe her own good luck when she auditions for the reality television singing competition, Center Stage!, and is chosen as a contestant. She finally has a legitimate shot at fame, fortune, and a chance to go on tour as the opening act for her favorite boy band on their world tour.
However, Allison wasn’t counting on one of the celebrity coaches being Chase Atwood, the famous rock star father of her former best friend. Allison’s terrified that Chase is going to find out that she and his daughter have been in a fight for months, and it’ll ruin her shot at the grand prize. Making matters worse, Allison’s own coach, Country Western star Nelly Fulsom, intends to groom her into a Nashville superstar.
As Allison struggles to decide if she really wants to win on the show if it’s by resorting to dirty tricks and assuming the image that Nelly wants to create for her, she find herself falling hard for her biggest competition on the show: a brooding songwriter named Elliott Mercer. She’s not sure if Elliott’s interest in her is genuine, or if he’s just playing along with the producers’ strategy.It’s up to Allison to decide: how much is she willing to lose in order to win?
Fans of Caitlyn Duffy’s The Rock Star’s Daughter will enjoy this tale about Taylor’s friend Allison and her journey to fame.
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/26127074-center-stage?ac=1
Purchase:Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Center-Stage-Caitlyn-Duffy-ebook/dp/B01427HP5E/
AUTHOR BIO:Caitlyn Duffy is a private boarding school survivor and the author of The Treadwell Academy Novels, a series about privileged girls in an elite boarding school setting and the challenges they face. The series addresses issues common to teen readers including eating disorders, divorce, grief, heartbreak, first love, drug addiction and disagreements with parents. It was Caitlyn’s dream to create a series that mixed glamour and celebrity with the real-life problems that kids endure that could be enjoyed by readers of all ages. Her writing experience includes freelance editing for publishing houses and copywriting in the advertising industry.

When she’s not writing about the girls of Treadwell, she’s walking her semi-famous dog Maxim around Park Slope, Brooklyn and drinking too much coffee.
Author links:https://caitlynduffy.wordpress.com/https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/5277310.Caitlyn_Duffyhttps://www.facebook.com/TreadwellAcademyNovels/https://twitter.com/caitlyn_duffy
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Interview with Josh Powell, DRAGON APOCALYPSE

Can you give us a brief overview of your latest book? Is it part of a series?Dragon Apocalypse is a funny fantasy adventure.  It follows a Gurken Stonebiter, a berserker dwarf, Maximina Nobility, an under-elven (Don’t call her a drow!) Jill of all trades and master of none, and Pellonia, a little girl who must learn to become a leader in order to complete their quest to save a small village from a rampaging dragon demanding sacrificial maidens.
It is the second in the series The Berserker and the Pedant.  It can be read on it’s own, but I’m a big fan of ongoing jokes, so many things in Dragon Apocalypse are funnier after reading The Berserker and the Pedant.  It’s hard for me to choose a favorite of the two, Dragon Apocalypse is about 1/3 longer so it has at least 1/3 more jokes, so probably that one.  Don’t tell The Bersker and the Pedant, it’s sensitive.

Do you have a favorite character?Maximina Nobility is my favorite character because she is based on the aspect of my personality that learns very fast, but gets bored easily and moves on to the next challenge.  This shows up in my life with the way my wife and I play games together.  At first, I dominate the game, then over the course of a few games she gets closer and closer to winning.  After she starts winning, it never turns back.  She continues to win most of the time.  We have a large collection of games.

Have you ever had a minor character evolve into a major one? Did that change the direction of the novel at all?Arthur Gimble, wizard of the tenth rank, pedant, and master grammarian was intended to be a minor character in The Berserker and the Pedant.  He was there to annoy Gurken and then get killed.  This was to tap into the frustration many people, myself included, feel when they are in the midst of an online “discussion” and are interrupted by someone who has nothing to add but a correction to their grammar.  Unexpectedly, Arthur and Gurken had an amazing interaction and I decided to save him from permanent death, which allowed me to have him killed again and again, after being resurrected each time, in many satisfying and hilarious ways.  It completely changed the path of the novel and the sequel.

Did you try the traditional route to publishing, i.e. querying agents/publishers?I traditionally published a book on programming, so had some experience with that part of the industry.  I decided to go it alone with my fictional series because it gave me more control over what happens with my writing.  I’m not beholden to a publisher who maintains the rights to that work.  I’m considering going in for a mix of traditional and self-publishing because being published by a traditional publisher comes with an air of respectability that you don’t get being self-published.

What is your writing process? Do you listen to music or do you like silence?I usually get up very early in the morning, forgo a cup of coffee first thing so as to wake up naturally, and start writing. I do not listen to music when writing in the morning.  If I’m writing during the day, I listen to Deadmau5 4x4=12 continuous track because it’s mostly instrumental and it serves to crowd out the noise of the cafe.

Do you outline your story or just go where your muse takes you?With Dragon Apocalypse, I wrote the first chapter without an outline, it introduces Maximina Nobility to the series.  She’s an under-elf Jill of all trades.  She

Did you hire an editor to review your manuscript before publishing?Oh my goodness, yes. I can’t find most of my mistakes because I’m too close to the material. I consider myself a good writer, but writing a novel teased out some mistakes I didn’t realize I was making.  Then vs. Than was probably my biggest mistake, followed by using the phrase “begins to” or “start to” too much.  I also am constantly momentarily confused when doing possessive with “it”  That frustration actually appeared in the story in The Berserker and the Pedant when Arthur makes a fateful decision about the nature of magic.

What have you’ve learned during your self-publishing journey?I’ve learned that while writing a book is a great accomplishment, the journey is only just beginning.  Getting people to read that book is even harder.  The Berserker and the Pedant has won several awards, is highly rated with a decent number of reviews on Goodreads and Amazon, and people seem to like it, but breaking into people’s awareness against all of the 10’s or 100’s of thousands of books published every year is difficult.  Then, many avid readers have a stack of books they want to read and the challenge is not only getting onto that list, but convincing people that your book belongs on the top.
Being a funny fantasy book, I have a strong advantage with a certain kind of reader.  If you love fantasy books and you like to laugh, then there aren’t a lot of books that cater to you.  Funny fantasy is a pretty small genre, so if people really enjoy The Princess Bride or anything by Terry Pratchett or Monty Python and the Holy Grail, then it’s much easier to get on the top of their list.

Do you find it difficult to juggle your time between marketing your current book and writing your next book?Not yet.  My plan right now is to focus on writing.  Marketing pays more dividends when people have more to buy.  If I spend $100 on marketing and only have one $3 book to sell, then I have to attract a lot more buyers than if I had a dozen books ranging from $3 to $9 or more collections.  I do some marketing now, like this book blog tour, to see what kind of effect they have and start to get my name out there and into readers consciousness, but right now my focus is on writing.

What’s next for you?
In 2016, I’m going to publish 2 more books, go to at least four conventions in bay area, and work on getting a short story published in a sci-fi/fantasy magazine or collection.  That will finish off The Berserker and the Pedant trilogy and start the next one, get my name out there with the local fantasy community, and reach out to a broader audience.  It should be a pivotal year for me.

BLURB:Along the way, Gurken and Pellonia meet up with Maximina, a half under-elven woman that also happens to be a tad psychic, a ranger with a dash of necromantic ability, a smidgen of samurai training, and just enough time living as a rogue to acquire the ability to sneak up on and stab a foe in the back. Maximina is full of clever ideas on how to gain a tactical advantage over her foes, and on occasion they even work.
During their adventures, Gurken, Pellonia, and Maximina face a snarky unicorn, do battle with a terrible frost giant, contend with a rival adventuring party bent on their utter humiliation, and confront the end of the world in the form of an evil sorcerer and a teeming dragon horde. Can they save the world one more time?
Amazon buy link:http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0108J28XE
AUTHOR Bio and Links:JOSH POWELL, wielder of the Sommerswerd, destroyer of the thread, expeditioner to Barrier Peaks, discoverer of his magic talent, and venturer into the Tomb of Horrors is known for having survived a harrowing adolescence full of danger and fantasy. He's gone on to write The Berserker and the Pedant and Dragon Apocalypse and is currently working on the yet to be named third book in the series.
He also spends some not inconsiderable amount of time wiggling his fingers over a keyboard as a software engineer.  He lives with his wife, Marianne, and two amazing children, Liam and Chloe, in sunny California, where winter is, most decidedly, never coming.
Website:www.pedantpublishing.com Twitter:https://twitter.com/seasoupGoodreads:https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/26492210-dragon-apocalypse
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/2015/10/vbt-dragon-apocalypse-by-josh-powell.html
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