Debra L. Martin's Blog, page 200

Interview with Sheila A. Nielson, SHADOW IN THE SEA

Your newest book, Shadow in the Sea is a follow-up to the mermaid novel, Forbidden Sea, published by Scholastic Press. Do you have to read Forbidden Sea first in order to enjoy Shadow in the Sea?Shadow in the Sea is more of a companion novel rather than a true sequel to Forbidden Sea.  I knew this book would be the first time visiting Windwaithe Island for many readers—so I wrote Shadow in the Sea as a stand-alone. If readers decide they like Shadow in the Sea, they can always go back and read Forbidden Sea to find out what happened before.
Why mermaids? Or should I say, mermaids and mermen—since one of the main characters in Shadow in the Seais a handsome merprince. I was first introduced to Hans Christian Andersen’s classic fairytale, The Little Mermaid, as a child. My family had an illustrated version of the story and I used to look at the pictures in it again and again. I hated the whole lose-the-guy-and-turn-into-sea-foam-ending—so I would imagine my own mermaid stories to go along with the pictures. Ones with much better endings. 
After I became a children’s librarian, I noticed that many girls who came in asked for mermaid books. We didn’t have a lot of them so the kids left looking very disappointed.  I thought to myself, Someone needs to write more mermaid stories. That’s when I realized that person could be me. When I finally got around to writing my mermaid stories, I found myself revisiting some of the things I’d first imagined about mermaids back in my elementary school days.
Do you think there are real mermaids out there in the ocean somewhere?You would be surprised how often I get asked that question. I, myself, am a complete skeptic, though, nothing would make me happier than to be proven wrong. I will say this—while doing my research for Shadow in the Sea I discovered there are a lot of people who strongly believe in mermaids—both in present day and historically.  In fact, the Orkney Islands have an extensive history when it comes to mermaid sightings. (Try Googling “Deerness Mermaid” sometime and see what you find!)
What part of Shadow in the Sea did you enjoy writing most? The Sea Prince, Araedyn, was the most complicated (and enjoyable) character to write in Shadow in the Sea. Because he speaks only merlanguage, I had to find other ways to communicate his story and personality to the main character, and the reader. As an author, I know a great many private details about my characters. Some of this information can’t be fit into the final story. In the first book, Forbidden Sea, I didn’t have time to flesh out Prince Araedyn the way I wanted to. Shadow in the Sea finally gave me a chance to bring the mysterious merprince front and center, the way I’d been dying to from the start.
Are any of your characters based on real people?An author writes what she knows, so bits and pieces of real people do sneak in here and there. However, there is only one character in Shadow in the Sea who is completely based on reality. Dartemore, the horse. My grandfather owned an animal just like him while I was growing up. He was a one man horse who adored my grandpa and hated everyone else. If he could have slept at the end of my grandfather’s bed like a dog, he would have. When grandpa rode the horse, he lifted up his feet and let his tail fly high. When I got on him he tried to kill me. Every. Single. Time.
Fictional characters often find themselves in situations they’re not sure they can get out of. Have you ever found yourself in a situation like that? What did you do?I almost drowned when I was young. I was swimming in a lake all alone. (A really stupid thing to do!) I felt something swim into my legs under the water—either a good sized fish or a water snake—I ‘m not sure which. I panicked, started thrashing around, and quickly went under. I remember looking down through the water and realizing that I couldn’t see the bottom because it was so dark and deep. Luckily, I was able to calm down enough to stop flailing and float back up to the surface before it was too late. I’ve had a phobia of fish and deep water ever since.  This made writing about merfolk who live fathoms beneath the surface of the ocean an interesting experience. There were times I had to take a break from writing because I would start to feel like I couldn’t breathe.
You are a children’s librarian as well as an author. Do you find this affects your writing in any way?Children want to share their joy when it comes to reading. I’ve had the plots of far too many novels spoiled for me by eager young library patrons who just wanted to tell me everything about their favorite book. I don’t mind one bit. This has given me a unique understanding of what kids do and don’t like when reading a book. Sometimes, I find myself thinking, What would the kids at the library like to see happen in this chapter? then I write the scene accordingly. Kids love fun little details that don’t necessarily have anything to do with the book’s main plot. The game of Quiddich is a great example of this. In Shadow in the Sea, the Sea Prince has eyes that change color based on his emotions and moods. I recently had a young fan write me an email to ask if I could please make a list of every eye color and its corresponding emotion and send it to her as quickly as possible.
There is one other perk to being a librarian author. Kids will sometimes come to the reference desk and ask me for one of my own books—never realizing I’m the one who wrote it.
Have you written a book you love that you have not been able to get published?A couple of years ago, I wrote a paranormal romance story about a haunted doll museum. It was much scarier and darker than anything else I’ve ever written.  It was so creepy one member of my writer’s group decided they didn’t want to finish it. That book is one of my favorites despite the fact that it may never be published.
What would Sadelyn, Shadow in the Sea’s protagonist, think about you if she could meet you?After everything I put her through in this story--she would probably refuse to even speak to me. Sade would forgive me in time, but then find some sneaky way to let me know she didn’t approve of my methods of entertaining readers at her expense.

Book & Author Details:Shadow in the Sea by Sheila A. Nielson
Publication date: July 15th 2015
Genres: Fantasy, Young Adult
Synopsis:When sixteen-year-old Sadelyn Hanson washes up on the shores of Windwaithe Island, her beauty and the strange marks on her wrist make superstitious locals suspect she is a mermaid. Feigning amnesia, Sade hides a far worse secret: she was sailing to her own murder trial when she was thrown overboard by the real killer, the cunning and cruel Captain Westwood.Sade’s quiet effort to rebuild her life on the island is threatened when she meets an actual young merman. Unable to speak his language, Sade still longs for the warm companionship he offers, despite the locals’ dire legends about merfolk and their dark magic. But her confused feelings for the impossible boy become the least of her problems when Captain Westwood’s ship docks at Windwaithe. With nowhere to escape, Sade must trust in the one person who doesn’t fear the merfolk. A woman who had dealings with them herself—years ago.
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/25318717-shadow-in-the-sea?ac=1
Purchase:Amazon (Paperback and Kindle): http://amzn.to/1Nnu2ad
Barnes and Noble (Paperback and Nook): http://bit.ly/1Mx6kt1eBook Mall (ePub version): http://bit.ly/1TOb1CR
AUTHOR BIO:Sheila never did figure out what she wanted to be when she grew up. She graduated from college with a BFA in illustration, has worked as a children's librarian for over eighteen years, and would eventually like to be a full-time author. Why pick one career when you can have many? Sheila lives with her two pets, a goffin cockatoo and a tiny toy poodle. She was born and raised in California but has come to also love her adopted home in Utah where she currently resides.

Author links:http://www.sheilanielson.blogspot.ca/https://www.facebook.com/pages/Forbidden-Sea/300689349440https://twitter.com/sheilaanielsonhttps://www.goodreads.com/author/show/3090324.Sheila_A_Nielson

 

Fantastic $.99 sale from USA Today best-selling author, DONNA FASANO @DonnaFaz

THE SINGLE DADDY CLUB is on SALE!! Grab a copy while you can. The sale won't last forever!


Blurb:Three bachelor dads are about to be single no more! Save big by buying the whole series in a boxed set!
The Single Daddy Club: Derrick, Book 1
The Single Dad: Ex-military man Derrick Richmond. Solitary and satisfied…until little Timmy was dropped into his lap and Derrick had to learn to be somebody's daddy.
The Single Woman: Schoolteacher Anna Maxwell. Fate might have denied her a family of her own, but Anna still had plenty of love to give, if only someone would notice.
The Solution: Anna would teach Derrick all he needed to know about kids. Father and son would give Anna some precious memories. Then the schoolteacher and the single dad would go their separate ways. Unless one little boy figured out a way to make Miss Maxwell become his mom!
The Single Daddy Club: Jason, Book 2
Desperate Daddy: Widowed police officer Jason Devlin. Taking care of his baby girl was usually a piece of cake – until his housekeeper quit, leaving Jason desperate enough to hire the first qualified person who rang his doorbell.
Damsel in Distress: Runaway heiress Katie Smyth. The pampered debutante was about to take on her greatest challenge—her first job…as a nanny.
Doorstep Deal: Jason was thanking his lucky stars that Katie had shown up at his house. She was the perfect nanny for his little girl—and beautiful beyond belief, leading Jason to rethink his single status. But just wait until he discovered who this nick-of-time nanny really was!
The Single Daddy Club: Reece, Book 3
The only remaining single guy in the Single Dad Club, Reece Newton. Marriage may be the answer for his friends, but not for this contented father of one. Of course, the right woman could change his mind…
Endangered Beauty Woman in hiding, Maggie Dunlap. When someone ransacked her house and put her life in jeopardy, the lovely lady had nowhere to run—except into Reece's protective embrace.
Eventual Bride? Against his better judgment, Reece offered Maggie a safe haven in his home. Her mere presence changed the lives of father and son more than he ever dreamed possible. But would Maggie ever get the bachelor dad to the altar?
Buy Links:
Kindle US: H3IYI/ref=twoen-20Kindle UK : http://amzn.to/12KfZ8pNook: http://ow.ly/hMPVhKobo: http://ow.ly/hMPXriBook: http://ow.ly/Rm9VV

#Review: THE ART OF SINNING by Sabrina Jeffries

  5 of 5 stars
Lady Yvette Barlow is not your typical demure young woman attending events in this year's Season. She's been out in society for a number of years, but she's tall and out spoken, not exactly what young gentlemen are looking for in a wife. She's had a few offers of marriage and she's spurned them all. No man has intrigued her, that is, until American artist Jeremy Keane shows up at a friend's wedding. His reputation as a rake and a frequent visitor to London's brothels makes him an unsuitable match, but there's something about him that draws Yvette in. Perhaps, he's the perfect man to help her with a problem after all.
I loved that Yvette wasn't a simpering and demure young woman just looking to land a husband. The lively banter between Yvette and Jeremy is entertaining and the more time they spend together, the more they are attracted to one another. Be warned that there are graphic sex scenes in the book, but no one can deny the heat these two generate. The author does a great job unveiling the mystery that Yvette is trying to solve. I especially liked how Yvette's brother, Edwin, was more than the cookie-cutter older brother looking out for his sister. Fans of regency romances will absolutely love this book. Highly recommended.
I received this book from the publisher in exchange for a fair and honest review.
Amazon buy link: http://www.amazon.com/Art-Sinning-Sinful-Suitors-Book-ebook/dp/B00P42WYUS/ref=twoen-20

#Review: NOT ALWAYS A SAINT by Mary Jo Putney

  4 of 5 stars
When Dr. Daniel Herbert inherits a title and an estate, he views it more as a burden than a boon. The responsibilities of running an estate and a seat in the House of Lords, will severely interfer with his medical practice. What he needs is a wife and the first time he sees the recently widowed Jessie Kelhan, he knows she's the one for him, but is she the gorgeous dream he envisions or will her deadly secrets be the ruin of them all.
I enjoyed this story and especially liked Daniel's character. His passion for helping those in need came across well throughout the story. Jessie is more complicated and there were some actions that I found stretched believability a bit, but overall, the story moved along nicely. There was a surprising twist at the end that brought the story full circle. This was the first story I've read by Ms. Putney and I definitely plan to check out her other books in the Lost Lords series. Fans of regency romances will thoroughly enjoy this story.
Amazon buy link:http://www.amazon.com/Always-Saint-Lost-Lords-Book-ebook/dp/B00QDYVA8S/ref=twoen-20
I received this book from the publisher in exchange for a fair and honest review.

Q&A with Jennifer Anne Davis, CAGE OF DECEIT

What's the best thing that happened after your book was published?I love receiving messages from my readers telling me that my book has touched their lives. There’s nothing better than that!
Do you read reviews of your books?Always. I want to know what my readers think. If they liked the story, I want to know why so I can make sure I keep doing it!! However, if there was a problem or something they didn’t like, I want to know so I don’t make the same mistake twice!
What is your best or most unforgettable moment with a fan?I had a girl come up to me, in tears, saying that my book helped her get through some stuff she was dealing with personally. (My book deals with sexual assault, so hearing that I helped someone is beyond words.)
Share us one embarrassing moment you've had.There’s been so many . . . how to choose only one?
Favorite color?  BlueFavorite movie?  Pride and Prejudice Favorite ice cream flavor?  Mint ChipFavorite song?  Christina Perri, A Thousand Years

Book & Author Details:Cage of Deceit by Jennifer Anne Davis
(Reign of Secrets #1)
Published by: Clean Teen Publishing
Publication date: August 25th 2015
Genres: Fantasy, Young Adult
Synopsis:Jennifer Anne Davis’ best-selling True Reign series captivated readers from the very first page. Now, get ready to become entangled in the follow-up series, Reign of Secrets. In this new series, follow Allyssa, the daughter of the beloved Emperor Darmik and Empress Rema— and find out what happens after happily ever after.Seventeen-year-old Allyssa appears to be the ideal princess of Emperion—she’s beautiful, elegant, and refined. She spends her days locked in a suffocating cage, otherwise known as royal court. But at night, Allyssa uses her secret persona—that of a vigilante—to hunt down criminals and help her people firsthand.
Unfortunately, her nightly escapades will have to wait because the citizens of Emperion may need saving from something much bigger than common criminals.
War is encroaching on their country and in order to protect her people, Allyssa may have to sacrifice her heart. Forced to entertain an alliance through marriage with a handsome prince from a neighboring kingdom, she finds herself feeling even more stifled than before. To make matters worse, the prince has stuck his nosy squire, Jarvik, to watch her every move.
Jarvik is infuriating, bossy and unfortunately, the only person she can turn to when she unveils a heinous plot. Together, the unlikely pair will have to work together to stop an enemy that everyone thought was long gone, one with the power to destroy her family and the people of Emperion. Now the cage Allyssa so longed to break free from might just be the one thing she has to fight to keep intact. In order to save her kingdom, she will have to sacrifice her freedom, her heart, and maybe even her life.
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/23688106-cage-of-deceit?ac=1
Purchase:Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Cage-Deceit-Reign-Secrets-Book/dp/1634220986/ref=twoen-20
 Barnes and Noble: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/cage-of-deceit-jennifer-anne-davis/1121983469?ean=2940151928984
AUTHOR BIO:Jennifer graduated from the University of San Diego with a degree in English and a teaching credential. Afterwards, she married her best friend and high school sweetheart. Jennifer is currently a full-time writer and mother of three young children. Her days are spent living in imaginary worlds and fueling her own kids’ creativity.

Author links:http://jenniferannedavis.com/https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/6466369.Jennifer_Anne_Davishttps://www.facebook.com/AuthorJenniferAnneDavishttps://twitter.com/AuthorJennifer

a Rafflecopter giveaway
 

New #Romance Release: THE PATH by Tawdra Kandle

Summer's almost over, but there's still time for #OneLastBeachRead. And you're in luck because the perfect way to end the summer is now live and available everywhere! THE PATH Abby Donavan came to the small beach community of Crystal Cove to start over. After a painful affair broke her heart and derailed her burgeoning career, taking over management for the just-opened bed-and-breakfast was the safe choice. In this sleepy town, Abby figured she could bury her memories and forget the pain. When the chance to have her own hotel falls into her lap, though, she can’t resist the temptation. 

Making the old Riverside Inn into the showplace she’s always dreamed of running offers the second chance she never expected. Abby didn’t expect another kind of second chance to land on her doorstep at the same time. Ryland Kent wants to help her bring the Riverside back to life, and his passion for restoration is irresistible. But as much as she wants to ignore it, she can’t help seeing another spark in his eyes . . . one that offers to reignite her own flame. Sometimes the path to a happily-ever-after is anything but smooth.

Buy it now! iBooks/Amazon/All Romance Ebooks/Nook/Google Play/Kobo/Smashwords

  And join us here today at the HUGE release party, featuring both Tawdra and author Olivia Hardin!


 If you haven't read the first two Crystal Cove Romances . . . now is the perfect time.  THE POSSE is free for a limited time only!iBooks/Amazon/Google Play/Nook/Kobo

"It is rare for characters to stay with me for weeks or months, but these are etched in my mind and heart." Amazon review    
  And don't miss THE PLAN. Emmy and Cooper's story has both sizzle and heart. iBooks/Amazon/Nook/Google Play/Kobo

"Real. That's all I can feel for this story. Real. Real life. Real love. Real emotion. Real characters. They stick with you from the first book, to this second one in the series." Amazon review 


 
Tawdra Kandle writes romance, in just about all its forms. She loves unlikely pairings, strong women, sexy guys, hot love scenes and just enough conflict to make it interesting. Her books include YA paranormal romance, NA paranormal and contemporary romance, and adult contemporary and paramystery romance. 

She lives in central Florida with a husband, kids, sweet pup and too many cats. And yeah, she rocks purple hair.

Follow Tawdra: Facebook/Twitter/Tsu/Pinterest/Instagram/Website/Newsletter/Amazon

Interview with S. A. Bolich, IN HEAVEN'S SHADOW

Can you give us a brief overview of your latest book? Is it part of a series? “In Heaven’s Shadow” is one of the few standalone novels I’ve written. It is, at heart, a love story wrapped in magic and heartbreak, a rediscovery of what binds two people together rather than a swirling, passionate fall-in-love romance. When Joab Stark comes home from Gettysburg a ghost, all he wants is to be with his wife, Lilith. He has traded Heaven to be with her, so eager to get home that it’s not until he gets there that he realizes how big an inconvenience being a ghost is going to be. As for Lilith, well, she can make rainbows when she laughs and her pa always had a shaft of light following him around, so seeing ghosts is nothing either new or strange to her. She is willing to seize whatever they can for as long as they can. But of course the neighbors think she’s crazy, or trying to grab attention, or both, and her status in the local society was already shaky even before this. Poor Lilith never had anyone to teach her “real” manners or what is proper or not, so she is constantly butting up against the really rigid mores of the time in ways that seem outright silly to her but scandalize her neighbors. I’ve lived with my foot in my mouth a few times so I can really empathize with her bewilderment! Things only get worse when she tries to share her pa’s magic elixir that he made from sunshine and pure mountain water. And she really puts her foot in it when she gently tells the most respectable woman in town that her dead son is hanging around the farm trying to get his mother’s attention. Who knew that trying to be “respectable” could be so hard?

Do you have a favorite character?I like all my characters, but I have a real fondness for young Luke Martin in this book, the ghostly neighbor boy. He has a desperate crush on Lilith, the only woman who can actually see him, and he’s just 18. He’s still a kid, a bit gauche at times but unexpectedly wise at others, and so full of laughter and passion that he, even more than Lilith and Joab, reminds us of how much death steals from us, and how important it is to remember to live. And, of course, Joab is sort of a composite of all the best men in my life, the steady, unassuming kind that nevertheless will always be there for you.

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 finally reached the end of series contracts and am free to write what I want for a while. I find that incredibly liberating. I have always been more about the writing than the selling, though of course I want to do both! But I love the writing process, and I found writing to a contract to be somewhat restrictive. On the one hand it keeps you focused; on the other these ideas come bouncing in wanting attention and you have to tell them “No! Go away for now. I don’t have time.” I’ve always found that ideas forced to the back shelf are never as bright and shiny when you drag them out again as they were when they were fresh and knocking at your brain, pouring plotlines and characters all over you and demanding to be written. I do have stuff in the drawer I might try to clean up and bounce out to a trad publisher, but I experimented in publishing an anthology of fun stories this spring. “Out of the Vaults” taught me a lot about self-pubbing, and I might go that route instead. I haven’t decided. Mostly I want to finish the book that’s been whimpering in my drawer for almost four years now while I worked through all this other stuff.

Do you belong to a critique group? Have they helped improve your writing?I am one of the co-founders and moderators of the Other Worlds Writers’ Workshop at www.otherworlds.net, one of the oldest genre fiction workshops on the Internet. In 1997 my co-founder and I “met” at a different online workshop that was a lot more mainstream, and decided that we needed a genre workshop filled with people who don’t ask questions like, “I don’t get what a wyrm is.” While a lot of the critiques we got were valuable from the overall perspective of pointing out pacing issues, purple prose, and writing tics, writers also need the perspective of people who read your genre and understand its tropes. Readers in every genre have certain expectations and if you fail to meet them you will likely not attract them back. Ever. So fresh eyes are essential, not just to evaluate the writing and storyline, but to tell you whether it’s been done to death or doesn’t satisfy in some way.
Members of OWWW encouraged me to finish “In Heaven’s Shadow” after I subbed the first couple of chapters. I thought people would think I was trying to imitate “Ghost” or something, but they uniformly said, “Hunh-uh, I haven’t see this ghost story before.” That pleased and encouraged me a lot, because in actuality my intent was to get as far from “Ghost” (though I like the movie) and the standard endings for ghost stories as possible.

Do you outline your story or just go where your muse takes you?If I had to outline I’d never write anything. It just kills my creativity. I love staring at a blank page and wondering what will show up. In the case of “In Heaven’s Shadow,” I was in a writing and personal slump after my dad died a few years ago—just could not summon enthusiasm enough to finish anything. Finally I seized upon the National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo) to challenge myself to write, as it requires at least 50k words be written on a new project in a month. I sat down on the first day and stared at the blank screen, and eventually “They brought her the news just at sunset” emerged as a first line. By the end of the page I had a new-made widow and a ghost and a raft of characters who started talking to me and didn’t stop. The Civil War setting, with all of its grief and change, really matched my mood. I have to hand it to my muse that she usually dredges up just what I need at the moment.

Did you hire an editor to review your manuscript before publishing?I do have a couple of professional editors I can call upon, but I usually run things through the workshop. I too, edit professionally, so the mechanics of the writing: the spelling, grammar, etc., are not an issue for me. It’s the story itself I always want looked at. Fresh eyes can find the plot holes, the whiny characters, the wandering plotlines and unnecessary scenes, and beta readers can be quite ruthless in saying “you don’t need that” about scenes you know you should cut but can’t bring yourself to kill. I did have an editor friend go through “In Heaven’s Shadow,” and then had to laugh when I sold it and my new editor put everything back the way I had it. She and I are exactly the same age, raised to a particular standard of grammar, and the first editor is much younger, with a different background. All of us are correct, but grammar does evolve to a degree. Standards change and get updated, so fighting over commas is pointless unless the offending punctuation really changes the meaning or makes your prose sound either stilted or sloppy.

Besides Amazon, are there any other sites where your books are for sale?Oh, everywhere. Putting them up on Smashwords and Amazon automatically gives you access to much wider distribution, including overseas, so you never quite know where your book will show up. Mine are available through literally hundreds of booksellers and distributors, and you can order them at Barnes & Noble or your local bookstore via Ingram or direct from the publisher.

What kinds of marketing [twitter, facebook, blog, forums] are you involved with for promoting your book(s)?I am active on Facebook, and occasionally drop in at Twitter, but time is always the cruncher for writers. It is a challenge to write several hours a day and have anything left to say on social media. I do blog but it’s usually on horse-related topics, as I write a “Horses in Fiction” series aimed at helping writers get their fictional equines right. Nothing makes me throw a book across the room faster than a scene with horses where it’s obvious the writer has never been near one, or has gotten all of his/her “knowledge” from Hollywood. I suppose I live a bit in social media envy of those writers who can effortlessly chatter away about themselves all day long. I’m not one of them, but I do always answer when fans reach out, and I try to connect often enough on social media that people know a) I’m still alive and b) haven’t forgotten about them. Science fiction and fantasy conventions are a big venue for me. I love meeting fans face to face and sharing knowledge with new writers on panels and workshops.

Besides writing, do you have any other passions?Horses. Riding in the back country. Dressage. Calligraphy. Cats! You can’t have too many cats. I currently have four. And two horses. As I write this I am sitting here with a gloriously purple leg from mid-thigh to instep (and all the way around) where a horse fell on me. But...it was in a great cause, hauling materials in for the Forest Service in Idaho to rebuild some of the trail system in the panhandle. I grew up on a farm and therefore love the land deeply, both “tamed” fields and wildlands. You will always find a strong element of wild country in any of my books, or a visceral connection to the land. And opinionated horses. There’s a reason I don’t write urban fantasy!

What’s next for you?
I’m going to finally be able to get back to a project called “By Blade Bound” that has been sidetracked for several years by contracts I needed to fulfill first. It’s a bit darker than what I usually write; in fact, it starts with the hero murdering someone seemingly for fun. Then at the end of the chapter you find out why, and you’re like, “Ohhh,” because it’s heartbreaking and you realize that nothing you thought at the beginning of the chapter is what it seems to be. That opening really captured me into wanting to know more about this world and this poor guy’s dilemma.
The story centers around a sudden and inexplicable conflict between a people who have never known war and a race of mutes they did not even know existed in their world. Being mute, with no apparent written language, they have no way to say why they have suddenly taken exception to my hero’s people. Discovering that answer will be a big part of my hero’s journey. Wound all through it is the Reaper magic of knowing the essence of a thing and what lies along the life/deathlines of any living thing. Colors are a big part of it, because the antagonists are colorless in themselves and the hero’s people are all various blends of four primary colors. The contrasts are interesting, as is the magic, and I’m enjoying exploring this culture. I love creating new worlds and making them believable.
I’m also working on overhauling a couple of books in the alternate history series I wrote that uses a lot of the research I did for “In Heaven’s Shadow.”

BLURB:Lilith Stark knows from experience that dead doesn't necessarily mean gone. Gettysburg took Joab's life, but her husband struck a bargain with Heaven to come home instead. She’s not about to turn away whatever the Yankees have left to her of their all-too-brief marriage. But when she inadvertently lets slip to the neighbors that not only Joab has come home, but one of the neighbor boys as well, she ignites a town already rubbed raw by the endless sorrows of civil war. Joab’s insistence on trying to “do” for her as though he were still alive, and Lilith's happy penchant for creating unexpected rainbows, only make things worse. A private little war between Lilith and the unrelentingly proper Reverend Fisk leads to a very public confrontation in which Lilith will either get the town to accept her--magic, ghosts, and all--or find herself locked away as a madwoman, deprived of everything that makes her life worthwhile.
Buy linksAmazon: http://www.amazon.com/In-Heavens-Shadow-S-Bolich-ebook/dp/B00I9Q2UJQ/ref=sr_1_1B&N: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/in-heavens-shadow-s-a-bolich/1118583673Smashwords: http://www.smashwords.com/books/view/405759
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
AUTHOR Bio and Links:S. A. Bolich's books often open quietly—but don’t be fooled. By page 10 you may be hooked so thoroughly you’ll forget to get off at your bus stop. Her worlds are lived-in, magical, sometimes mind-bendingly exotic, always historically accurate, and inhabited by people who reach out and grab us by the throat and make us care about their problems. An historian, former military intelligence officer, and lifelong horsewoman, she brings a deep love of wild places and a degree in history to her work, creating enchanting and believable worlds with a sideways slant on reality. She writes everything from “straight” and alternate history to fantasy and science fiction, filled with characters who remain in your heart long after the book is closed. 
She is also an accomplished rider who helps aspiring writers get their fictional equines right through her “Horses in Fiction” series on her blog. Learn more and find the complete list of her works at www.sabolichbooks.com
Social media links
website: www.sabolichbooks.comblog: http://blog.sabolichbooks.comemail: author@sabolichbooks.comFB page: https://www.facebook.com/sue.bolich or https://www.facebook.com/s.a.bolich Twitter handle: sabolichwritesAuthor page, Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/S.-A.-Bolich/e/B005J7VTWM Author page, Barnes and Noble: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/c/s.-a.-bolich

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THE GATHERER by A.G. Henley

Excerpt:Not long now, the child will come—the one I will Gather.Crouched in the living embrace of a greenheart tree, one arm around the trunk for stability, I stare down at the water hole on which the girl's village relies, waiting for her. My hair, painted white, hangs stiffly down my back. My dress, made of fine leather and adorned with a single colorful feather threaded into the seam at my waist, pulls up my thigh, revealing the smooth muscles there.I admire my body the way I would a well-made weapon. It is strong, efficient, deadly, tightened by years of daily training with staff and spear. My muscles, my mind, my blade—the tools I use to do what I must for my people, the Fire Sisters.Nascent rays of sun sweep the treetops around me at a sharp angle. They strike the waterfall that feeds the pool, shattering it into a million shards of blue and white. A rolling ridge of hills cradles both the water hole and the girl’s village beyond, which I cannot see but know is there. My nostrils flare. The air is thick with the sharp tang of sap, the decay of the slick foliage around the water pool, the smoky hints of cooking fires starting up.The trees in this remote part of the forest are crowded and close. Bursting with leaves at full summer, they are simple to move through without being detected. Over the last few days I have crept among them, around the village called Koolkuna, observing the people, cataloging their daughters.They live well. They have more food than others I've seen, and they seem peaceable, with well-maintained homes and enough families to spread out their work. If it weren't for the presence of men, it might be perfect.This group must have few enemies, and they do not seem to fear the wailers. There are no walls or other protective barriers against the rabid flesh-eating creatures. No adults accompany the children who collect water in the early mornings. How they are not consumed when the wailers come, I do not know. Do they have some unknown power or protection? I must be cautious.My body stills as the girl meanders into the clearing from the path to the village, swinging her bucket. I think she sings to herself; it is hard to know for sure over the crushing noise of the waterfall.I look her over one last time. She is the right age: not very young, but not yet old enough to be entirely set in her people's ways. She seems healthy, and she is built sturdily, the way the Teachers like our girls to be. I chose her for all of these qualities, but also because she has a boldness in her posture and movements that promises physical prowess and athleticism.She kneels at the edge of the water hole, back to me, filling the bucket. Her black hair, cut shorter than some of the other girls her age, sticks out in sleepy tufts from her head.Quietly, I inch down the trunk of the tree, landing softly on the ground. I am ready, but I listen and watch a little longer. I am here by myself. If her people catch me, my life will be forfeit.The girl is alone. Vulnerable. It is time.I dip the point of my knife into the small sack of jewel wasp venom at my waist, and run toward her.

Book & Author Details:The Gatherer by A.G. Henley
(Brilliant Darkness, #2.5)
Publication date: August 21st 2015
Genres: Fantasy, Young Adult
Synopsis:Alev is proud to be a Fire Sister, one of a fierce group of women who live on their own terms in a flaming mountain compound called the Cloister. The Sisters live without men, so Alev Gathers young girls to replenish their numbers. After she plucks young Kaiya from the remote village of Koolkuna, the girl’s father follows them into the wilderness. Alev keeps him at bay, but over time she suspects that this man, at least, isn’t the monster she was taught all men are.
When Kaiya’s father manages to reach the Cloister, the Sisters want to put him to death. Alev can look the other way, or she can heed the growing whispers of her heart to help the girl and her father escape. But to defy the Fire Sisters is to revoke the only life and family Alev has ever known—and to face certain death herself.
THE GATHERER is an exciting 50-page prequel novella in the bestselling young adult fantasy Brilliant Darkness series. The first novel, THE SCOURGE, was a finalist for the 2013 Next Generation Indie Book Award. Two novels and two short stories are currently available, and the final novel in the series, THE FIRE SISTERS, is coming September 25, 2015.
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/25723168-the-gatherer?ac=1
Purchase:Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Gatherer-Brilliant-Darkness-Story-ebook/dp/B0134GW6SU/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1439925362&sr=8-1&keywords=The+Gatherer+henley
AUTHOR BIO:A.G. Henley is the author of the BRILLIANT DARKNESS series. The first book in the series, THE SCOURGE, was a finalist for the 2013 Next Generation Indie Book Award.

A.G. is also a clinical psychologist, which means people either tell her their life stories on airplanes, or avoid her at parties when they've had too much to drink. Neither of which she minds. When she's not writing fiction or shrinking heads, she can be found herding her children and their scruffy dog, Guapo, to various activities while trying to remember whatever she's inevitably forgotten to tell her husband. She lives in Denver, Colorado. Learn more at aghenley.com
Author links:
http://www.amazon.com/A.G.-Henley/e/B0073XCFG4http://www.aghenley.com/https://www.facebook.com/AuthorAGHenleyhttps://www.goodreads.com/author/show/5622429.A_G_Henleyhttps://twitter.com/AG_Henley


 

#Excerpt: BODY CHECKED by Katherine Stark

Excerpt:“It happens all the time on the ice. Guys will say anything to get inside your head. You don’t want to know what they say about me.” Sergei shrugs, though his smile has faded. “That’s why I don’t like to let them see the real me. Because then, no matter what they say, it’s like it’s not even really me they’re attacking. It’s someone else entirely.”In spite of myself, I’m reaching for his face, brushing my fingers against his still-swollen lower lip. I’d heard what he said in the interview—that he got injured in practice. Yet he hadn’t explained it any further than that. None of his teammates had said a word about it. Sergei’s eyes lid as I touch his lip, and his breath gusts over my fingertips as he exhales, slow.“What really happened?” I ask. I try to keep the question light, but I can’t shake the feeling that it has something to do with his brother.Sergei sighs, and closes a hand around mine. He kisses my fingertips, sending a thrill through my arm, then lowers both our hands to my lap. “I can’t lie to you, Jael.”My shoulders tense. This is it. Part of me hopes desperately he’s speaking loudly enough for my phone to record it, but the rest of me? It wants to keep this moment for myself.“But there are some things I can’t discuss. With you, or—or with anyone.” His fingers loosen around mine. “Please trust me when I say it’s for the best.”I can already imagine Frederica and Chief Ha shouting at me to push him harder, to try and coax out whatever secret he’s locked away behind those cold Siberian eyes. It’s not like it’s completely unknown—a few of the news outlets have made vague whispers about his family being mixed up in some bad shit along the Eastern seaboard, though everyone knows better than to name names. To utter that which shall not be uttered. Bratva. The Slavic mafia boogeyman lurking in the night.But this is more than some titillating crime drama to be gobbled up in the news. This is personal for Sergei—a private pain. He’d told me what it was like to grow up with nothing in Moscow; how his brother took the first chance he could to make something of himself. Sergei could have followed him into the mafia back then, but he chose not to—he chose to pursue his real passion of hockey. To do honest work. He deserves some respect for that.I lick my lips. My throat feels impossibly dry. “Well,” I force myself to say, “if you ever change your mind, I promise I’ll listen.”Sergei smiles again, so bright it lights me up inside. “Milaya devushka.” My darling one.


Book & Author Details:Body Checked by Katherine Stark
Publication date: August 18th 2015
Genres: New Adult, Romance, Suspense
Synopsis:SERGEI DRAKONOV. The newest left wing for the Washington Eagles hockey team is a triple threat: muscle, roughed-up good looks, and a dangerous tabloid reputation. Not the kind of guy who fits into Jael Pereira’s five-year plan. Jael doesn’t have time for a relationship, between her challenging senior-year course load and her stiflingly dull internship at the FBI. But for one steamy night, she gives in to Sergei and his smooth-talking ways.
Sergei wants more than just another one-night stand. But his brother—a high-ranking member of the Russian mob—wants him to help the family business. He can use Sergei as an easy way to launder money, or to smuggle drugs on the Eagles team plane. And if Sergei doesn’t agree, he can kiss his skating career goodbye.
The FBI’s been watching Sergei. When they learn about Jael’s fling, they want her to persuade him to inform on his brother. But the more Jael sees the real Sergei, beyond the role he plays on the ice and in front of the cameras, the more she wants him in her life. How can she win his trust, though, when she’s playing a role of her own? And how can she protect him from his mobster brother when she can’t even protect her own heart?
Body Checked is a standalone HEA sports romance (m/f) in the Center Ice series of interconnected hockey athlete stories. It contains explicit language and sexual content between consenting adults.
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/26030074-body-checked?ac=1
Purchase:Amazon: http://amzn.to/1HDW8Xs
AUTHOR BIO:Katherine Stark is the pseudonym for an author of novels in a variety of genres for children and adults. She can nearly always be found buried underneath a pile of story notes. If she isn't writing, she's probably reading, playing video games with her husband, watching hockey, or eating her way across the East Coast.

Author links:http://kstarkbooks.com/https://www.facebook.com/KStarkBooks?_rdr=phttps://twitter.com/KStarkBookshttps://www.goodreads.com/author/show/14197849.Katherine_StarkNewsletter (sends out whenever there's a new Katherine Stark release): http://eepurl.com/buzIf9
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#Review: HEARTBEAT THIEF by A.J. Krafton

  4 of 5 stars
 Senza Fyne is the belle of the ball, but she has an irrational fear of Death. It haunts her waking hours and strolls through her dreams. When she meets Mr. Knell, her heart is lost to the devastating handsome man who teases her that there is a way to cheat Death. With each fleeting meeting they have, Senza is drawn to him until she can stand it no longer and asks him for the secret. What she doesn't realize is that the wish she wants may not be what she thinks it is.

The is an wonderful and intriguing book. The author writes very well and I was drawn into the story one heartbeat at a time. Senza's emotions are painted with such vibrancy that I felt I knew her well. The middle of the book dragged a bit as Senza gives much exposition without much action, but it didn't stop me from reading although that is the reason why I've rated it a 4 star instead of a 5 star book. There was an unexpected ending which I really enjoyed and felt was perfect for the story. Fans of young adult stories will definitely enjoy this book. Recommended.

I received this book in exchange for a fair and honest review.

Amazon link:
http://www.amazon.com/Heartbeat-Thief-AJ-Krafton-ebook/dp/B00UZC9W7U/ref=twoen-20