Debra L. Martin's Blog, page 244

#Excerpt: LADY HENRIETTA'S DILEMMA by Katy Waters

Lady Henrietta harbours a secret, so appalling, she cannot tell even her closest friend, the Lady Isabella. As her wedding approaches, it preys on her mind, and she pleads with her fiancé Lord Vaughan Bruges, the Marquess de Courres, to delay the consummation of the marriage. They have a shocking argument, in which Lord Vaughan refuses to declare any love for her, and to her anguish is unwilling to give up his mistress. 
Henrietta wishes to call off the marriage, but knows it would ruin her family's reputation. However, Lord Vaughan too harbours a secret, one that could break Henrietta's heart, even wreck her life. There is a certain prince, who is determined to have her, married or not, but what is his true title? A romance set in 1815 as the clouds of war gather over Brussels. 
Buy on Amazon UK | Amazon US Excerpt:
‘You should never have come to my room when I stayed at Isabella’s – never.’ she said, pulling at a blond ringlet. ‘You should not have tried to anticipate our vows. I was happy Vaughan, happy, and you destroyed it all with your intentions, and that book.’   Her voice trailed away, as she fought to retain her composure.  She must not break, must not reveal her real terror. As her father would say, ‘Stop that whimpering this instant. Remember your station – daughter of a duke – you are an equestrian, archer, and an excellent shot. Yet, even now, her hands trembled if she held a pistol. She grimaced; to her mama’s horror, her father treated her in the same manner as her four brothers, and indeed, pushed her to train as hard as them.  However, that seemed to increase her fears; yes, she could ride, hunt and shoot, but she was terrified of it all. The only exertion she truly loved was swimming; which her father forbade; it was not for young ladies to disrobe outdoors, where they could be seen by the estate workers. Nevertheless, when her governess was abed, she would steal away to meet her two friends, Phillipa and Isabella, for clandestine visits to a pond on the outskirts of the estate. There they would swim free, far from prying eyes. She wished she was like Isabella or Phillipa, self-possessed, confident, outspoken, but no, she was like a lark with one wing, unable to fly with the flock. She jumped, as Vaughan bellowed. ‘All I did was kiss you, and lie beside you.  I sought only to help you. I did not realize you had no idea of love making.’‘How could I my lord?’‘Come, come,’ he expostulated, ‘The book is quite innocent. The positions only show—’‘I do not wish to pursue such an indelicate matter, especially with a man.’‘What the deuce am I to do?’ he thundered, his face reddening.‘I need time….  Is it too much to ask to delay the consummation?’ His words rang like the cracked bell of a church. ‘My decision is final; after the nuptials, you may stay at Denning Castle. You will have all the time you need to reflect.’  Spurned, Henrietta felt her heart breaking; still she could not tell him the truth. Holding her face in her hands, she sought to hide the tears streaming down her cheeks.
 

Book Tour Blast: DEVIL'S BREATH by Emily Kimelman

New Release!One of Sydney Rye’s dear friends, Hugh Defry, has been accused of a brutal murder, but even though he has no memory of the night, Sydney believes he is incapable of such violence. Called to investigate by Robert Maxim, a man she has until now, considered her greatest enemy, Sydney flies to Miami searching for the real killer. 

Rye’s suspicions are raised when she learns that Maxim not only wants to work together but also wants to build a friendship. She doesn’t begin to understand his motives until her former lover follows her to Florida to tell her a devastating secret. As more people from her past turn up, and not knowing whom to trust, Sydney sees that her personal fight for justice has become something more than she had ever imagined and she is pushed towards making a decision that will change not just her life but possibly the future of the crime fighting. 

Excerpt from The Devil's Breath is available on Emily's Website. 

Buy on Amazon and B&N!  Catch up in the series while you wait with the SYDNEY RYE (Books 1-3) **Book 1 is free** and STRINGS OF GLASS (A Sydney Rye Novel,#4) on Amazon. ************************Check out Emily on Amazon | Facebook | Twitter | Newsletter a Rafflecopter giveaway

Interview with Claudia Burgoa

Can you give us a brief overview of your latest book? Is it part of a series?Getting By is the first book of the Knight’s Tales series. They tell the story of three handsome successful brothers that rather get a root canal than getting serious with a girl.
GB introduces us to Jake, Mitch and Liam; while telling us the story between Jake and Emma; two people that like to have a light relationship but are afraid of something more.
Do you have a favorite character?Yes, Mitch.
What factors influenced your decision to self-publish your book(s)?As I worked on my first manuscript, I also researched my publishing options. For now, I think self-publishing is the way to go for me. I am able to create my own team and be involved through the entire process. Perhaps in the future that will change though.
What is your writing process? Do you listen to music or do you like silence?For the first draft, I let the juices flow from my mind to the keyboard while listening to music—generally Indie, alt rock and everything that has an upbeat rhythm and angsty lyrics.
Do you outline your story or just go where your muse takes you?I let the muse guide me, I’m Claudia and I’m a Pantser.
Besides Amazon, are there any other sites where your books are for sale?Barnes & Noble, Kobo and iTunes.
Do you find it difficult to juggle your time between marketing your current book and writing your next book?It is tricky to try both of them but like everything in life, you have to juggle all the balls and hope not to drop any during the act. *crosses fingers*
What advice would you give a new author just entering into the self-publishing arena?Though writing is a one person show, publishing isn’t such. You need to find a support team to help you achieve your goal. Editor, cover artist, beta readers and find the marketing tools to get your work to be known. Furthermost, never forget it’s a marathon, not a sprint.
Some fun facts about you, which do you prefer – dogs or cats? Chocolate or vanilla? Coffee or Tea? Talk or Text? Day or Night?Dogs, chocolate, tea, text, night.
What’s next for you?Next to You, the sequel to Where Life Takes You; my first novel. It should be published on June. And Standing By, the second book of the Knight’s Tale series. This has Mitch’s story and I’m planning on publishing it by the end of summer.
Book & Author details:Getting by ~ A Knight’s Tale I by Claudia Y. Burgoa Publication date: February 18th 2014
Genres: Contemporary, New Adult
Synopsis:When Emma Anderson arrived at San Francisco International Airport, she regretted accepting the distinction of being the maid of honor to Gaby’s—her childhood friend—wedding. It had been years since the last time she set foot in Menlo Park, where her parents had been killed. The rug where she had been shoving her feelings since that day looked bumpier than a camel’s hump. Who could blame her; if she hadn’t been selfish they’d still be around. Ever since that fateful day, Emma has been perfecting the knack of Getting By.

Cade’s wedding in Menlo Park—a city close to San Francisco—might be the perfect place for Jake Knight to shake the memories of his ex, Emma Anderson for good. Single, available women galore for an entire week was the perfect medication, one he intended to take three times a day for an entire week to return to his player days. It was a plan the former spy thought flawless until he came face to face with the maid of honor. Jake’s perfect retreat turns into a flight, fight or hide week of celebrations.
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/19305020-getting-by-a-knight-s-tale-i
Purchase:--Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Getting-Knights-Tale-Claudia-Burgoa-ebook/dp/B00II6IKLO/ref=twoen-20
--B&N: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/getting-by-claudia-y-burgoa/1118637452
AUTHOR BIO:Claudia lives in Colorado with her family and three dogs. Two beagles who believe they are human, and a bichon who thinks she’s a beagle. While managing life, she works as a CFO at a small IT Company. She’s a dreamer who enjoys music, laughter and a good story.
Author Links: Website: http://www.claudiayburgoa.com/Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/7202946.Claudia_Y_BurgoaFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/ClaudiaYBurgoaTwitter: https://twitter.com/yuribeans


Tour wide giveaway--A Kindle HD (US/CAN only)
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#Excerpt: DUTY BOUND by Noelle Adams and Samantha Chase

Book & Author Details:Duty Bound by Noelle Adams, Samantha Chase
(The Protectors #1)
Publication date: April 10th 2014
Genres: Adult, Contemporary, Romance
Synopsis:I used to think I could be a hero, but one deadly night destroyed that delusion. So I’ve come home defeated. My military career, my best friend, my purpose—all of it is lost.

What I find is her.

She’s my best friend’s sister, and she’s everything I shouldn’t want. She’s on a hopeless quest for answers about her brother’s death, but those are secrets that can never come to light. She’s always been a fighter, and she desperately wants the truth.

I desperately want her.

Someone is trying to kill her now, and she won’t let me keep her safe. I have to do it anyway, even if she doesn’t trust me, even if she hates me for it. A man protects what’s precious to him, whether or not he can ever claim her for his own. So she becomes my purpose.

I’ll become a hero for her.
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/21495806-duty-bound
Purchase:Will be found here come release day:Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_noss?url=search-alias%3Daps&field-keywords=duty%20bound%20noelle%20samantha
Book Trailer: 
YouTube Link: http://youtu.be/mi_tuUuwS1M


Author Bio:Noelle Adams handwrote her first romance novel in a spiral-bound notebook when she was twelve, and she hasn’t stopped writing since. She has lived in eight different states and currently resides in Virginia, where she teaches English, reads any book she can get her hands on, and offers tribute to a very spoiled cocker spaniel.

Excerpt:As soon as I put weight on my ankle, my leg buckled, and Levi had to catch me around the waist.I should have objected to the arrangement, but I couldn’t help but like the feel of his strong arm around me, the way I had to lean against his big, hard body.“What’s the matter?” he asked.“Twisted my ankle. It’s probably not too bad.”“Can you walk?”“I think so.” I put weight on the ankle again, and it hurt like hell, but I didn’t flinch this time.All my life, I never liked for other people to see when I was hurt.He sighed loudly and reached out to support me once more. “Why do you have to be so damn stubborn?”“And why do you have to be so damn arrogant?” I bit out, immediately riling up at his exasperated tone. I tried to pull away from it, but it wasn’t a smart maneuver, since I put too much weight on my twisted ankle. The shot of pain ran through me, stealing my breath.Down I almost went again.Levi caught me before I did, and I manfully resisted the desire to jerk away from his arm.“Can I at least help you get home?” The words were polite and conciliatory, but his tone was not. “Do you think you could put aside your dislike of me at least long enough for me to do that?”So my first instinct was to snap his head off, but he did have a very small point. It was going to be very hard for me to hobble to my car and then drive home in my current condition. I could probably have done it, but it would take a lot longer and be rather painful.“Fine,” I muttered. “Thanks.”“Try not to sound so grateful.” Despite his sarcasm, he was actually being quite helpful, in that he’d already managed to get me moving toward my car. He was supporting quite a bit of my weight, and I was hopping one-legged to make myself feel like I was doing some of the walking myself.He brought me around to the passenger side of my car and helped me in. As he was leaning over, I felt another sudden surge of attraction.His face was so close, and his body was right there in front of me. His hands were strong and gentle at the same time as he arranged me in the seat.I didn’t need quite so much help in getting situated in the seat, but I didn’t really want him to pull away either.Clearly, my mind was hopelessly disarranged by the fall and near disaster.He didn’t pull away when I expected, and I started to feel flustered again by his closeness and my response to it. So I said, “I think I’ll be okay just sitting here.”His eyes lifted to my face, and the dark brown of his looked like melting chocolate. “You think?”There was irony in his tone, but he still wasn’t pulling away. “Yeah. I’m sure I could drive home if you’d—““I’m not going to leave you to drive home with a sprained ankle.”“I don’t think it’s really sprained.” When he started to move down to examine my ankle, I added, “You don’t have to mess with that here. Just get me home.”His eyes moved back up to my face.“Sorry,” I mumbled. “I appreciate your help.”I’d appreciate it more if he’d back off a little so I didn’t feel so much like grabbing and kissing him.He reached up toward my face, and my breath hitched, since it seemed like he was going to cup my cheek. Instead, he stroked a hand down my hair, which had messily slipped out of the clip I’d twisted it up with.I stared at him like an idiot.“You had dirt in your hair,” he explained, his eyes still warm and sweet like before, but also with a flicker of humor.
Blitz-wide giveawayPrizes - open INTL:-3x signed copy of Duty Bound -25$ Amazon/B&N gift card
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Book Tour Blast: LADY HENRIETTA'S DILEMMA by Katy Walters

Lady Henrietta harbours a secret, so appalling, she cannot tell even her closest friend, the Lady Isabella. As her wedding approaches, it preys on her mind, and she pleads with her fiancé Lord Vaughan Bruges, the Marquess de Courres, to delay the consummation of the marriage. They have a shocking argument, in which Lord Vaughan refuses to declare any love for her, and to her anguish is unwilling to give up his mistress. Henrietta wishes to call off the marriage, but knows it would ruin her family's reputation. However, Lord Vaughan too harbours a secret, one that could break Henrietta's heart, even wreck her life. There is a certain prince, who is determined to have her, married or not, but what is his true title? A romance set in 1815 as the clouds of war gather over Brussels. 

Buy on Amazon UK | Amazon US About the author: Thank you for having me here today. My main loves are writing, painting and singing. I began work as a PA but to my joy was spotted by an agent in London and had an exciting career as a singer, meeting and singing with some wonderful people. Singing meant a lot of travelling both in the UK and abroad. At one time, I toured Germany and Turkey singing for the American troops, which was a fantastic experience. But then, my husband and I wanted a family, so I said good-bye to the singing career, although I did the occasional gig. Having children is such a precious time, and I would say to anyone, treasure it, it goes so quickly and before you know it, you’re waving them off to Uni or pursuing their own dreams and their own homes. I have always had a deep interest in psychology for various reasons, and especially the area of neurosis arising from abuse. Later, I was to study how we could use our body, mind and spirit to relieve pain and overcome some life-threatening diseases. 

One important thing here is, I always told my patients to continue with medical treatment along with the complementary and spiritual methods, for I believe medical research and medication is also a gift from God, Spirit or the Universe, as each of us wishes to name it. I have loved writing from a child and during the years of study, research and treating some wonderful people, whom I called my friends, I would write at night, mainly short stories, and reams of poetry. I wanted to learn how to write self-help books for my clients, so I took creative writing courses at university, which led to writing a novel. So self-help novels turned to fiction but even so, I hope the novels help the reader through their own challenges, as the characters experience love, loss, passion, jealousy, illness, joy and conflict, even the threat of death. At present, I am writing the third book in the series ‘Lady Phillipa’s Peril’ and also putting together some ideas for the self-help book. This has been so enjoyable thank you.
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#New Release: TIDDLY JINX by Liz Schulte

 


  Tiddly Jinx Selene Warren’s life is plagued by disaster. To fix the trouble her good intentions caused, she needs to rescue the necromancer who tried to help her, find and return the Pole of Charon, and win over the Elfish people. However, nothing ever goes as planned. The necromancer reappears in the Abyss, but is determined to be an enemy rather than a friend. The Pole of Charon can’t be tracked, yet small tears between worlds pop up and let in monsters that threaten to expose what Selene brought back. Tensions between elves and the other fae could erupt into violence at any moment, tearing apart the race once and for all. To mend the rips in the veil, Selene’s coven will have to use black magic, but that comes at a cost. Every time a spell is cast their souls are at stake. Forced to make a deal with an enemy or let the world be destroyed, all of her the lies and double crosses start to add up. The line between good and evil blurs until Selene doesn’t know which side she is fighting for.
Amazon / Barnes and Noble


   


Start the Series for FREE - Easy Bake Coven  

For Selene Warren being a witch is no big deal. She dabbles in harmless magic with her friends and never thinks much about it. However, when a stranger who seems to know her shows up at her studio and her grandmother is brutally attacked, her simple life becomes complicated. A world of elves, half-elves, fae—and one peculiar Sekhmet named Femi open up to her. She will discover that fairy tales are real, politics are ugly in any world, and there is a lot more to her life than she ever dreamed possible. This new reality threatens swallow Selene whole, but with a forgotten past beating down her door, she will have to dive in to save her future. 
  
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 About Author Liz SchulteMany authors claim to have known their calling from a young age. Liz Schulte, however, didn’t always want to be an author. In fact, she had no clue. Liz wanted to be a veterinarian, then she wanted to be a lawyer, then she wanted to be a criminal profiler. In a valiant effort to keep from becoming Walter Mitty, Liz put pen to paper and began writing her first novel. It was at that moment she realized this is what she was meant to do. As a scribe she could be all of those things and so much more. When Liz isn’t writing or on social networks she is inflicting movie quotes and trivia on people, reading, traveling, and hanging out with friends and family. Liz is a Midwest girl through and through, though she would be perfectly happy never having to shovel her driveway again. She has a love for all things spooky, supernatural, and snarky. Her favorite authors range from Edgar Allen Poe to Joseph Heller to Jane Austen to Jim Butcher and everything in between.  

Follow Liz Schulte:Website | Facebook | Twitter | GoodReads

Guest Post: Write What You Know? by Freya Robertson

One of the first things we’re told as writers is to “write about what you know”. (Interestingly, just hours after I’d written this post, I found thisarticle on io9.com which summarises a pair of essays on this subject over at the New York Times Book Review. We come to some similar conclusions, which gives me hope that maybe I’m not as much of an idiot as I tend to think I am.) 
Anyway. As a writer of fantasy or science fiction, writing about what you know poses a bit of a problem. How on earth can we write about dragons or what it would be like to live on Mars when we’ve obviously never experienced these things? (Probably). And who would want to read a story about a secretary who does cross-stitch in her spare time? :-) 
Perhaps the better way to phrase the advice would be to “know about what you write”. Writers should be encouraged to plunder their imaginations the way children rifle through dressing up boxes, searching deep and making sure they check in all the corners for anything that may be hiding there. But the key is to make these strange and fanciful ideas believable, and that means relating the fantastic to the everyday things we do know about. 
I have a degree in history and archaeology, and although I didn’t want to write straight historical fiction, it felt natural to set the fantasy I was writing in the periods I felt most comfortable with, namely the high medieval period of Europe. I love reading about monasticism, the Templar knights, battles, armour and weaponry, so writing a story featuring elements similar to these also made sense.
Because part of a being a historian is studying how and why things change over time—how societies emerge and develop, how civilizations rise and fall—it was important for me to bring this into my stories. There’s a section in C S Lewis’s Prince Caspian in which the four children who have previously visited Narnia return only to find it is 1300 years later, and the table on which Aslan the Lion was sacrificed now lies under a mound filled with “ancient” writings that are actually younger than them! This perfectly illustrated the passage of time that I wanted in my novels. I also loved this piece in The Fellowship of the Ring (Chapter 7: In the House of Tom Bombadil) where Tom is describing the landscape to the Hobbits: 
They heard of the Great Barrows, and the green mounds, and the stone-rings upon the hills and in the hollows among the hills. Sheep were bleating in flocks. Green walls and white walls rose. There were fortresses on the heights. Kings of little kingdoms fought together, and the young Sun shone like fire on the red metal of their new and greedy swords. There was victory and defeat; and towers fell, and fortresses were burned, and flames went up into the sky. Gold was piled on the biers of dead kings and queens; and mounds covered them, and the stone doors were shut; and the grass grew over all. Sheep walked for a while biting the grass, but soon the hills were empty again. A shadow came out of dark places far away, and the bones were stirred in the mounds. Barrow-wights walked in the hollow places with a clink of rings on cold fingers, and gold chains in the wind. Stone rings grinned out of the ground like broken teeth in the moonlight. 
I love the way Tolkien summarizes the passing of time in this one paragraph—you can see the civilizations rising and falling before your eyes like a movie on fast-forward. The way these two writers handled time was a big influence on Heartwood (Book 1 of The Elemental Wars), and an even bigger one on its sequel, Sunstone. 
There are three separate stories in Sunstone set in three different time periods; one just 22 years after Heartwood, one five hundred years later, and one a thousand years after that. The stories are told concurrently, though, and they interweave throughout, meeting up occasionally, including at the end in the “Apex”, an event that connects and concludes all three timelines. The characters in the novel are all “alive” at the same time, but I hope the story gives a sense of the way time ebbs and flows, and how societies rise, peak and fall, only for the next one to begin to rise again. Everything is a cycle, and the theme of birth, death and rebirth is also very strong in Sunstone. 
If you enjoy epic fantasy, grand tales about adventure across time and space, nature religions, battles and a touch of romance, then Sunstonemay be for you :-)
Author bio:Freya is a lifelong fan of science fiction and fantasy, as well as a dedicated gamer. She has a deep and abiding fascination for the history and archaeology of the middle ages and spent many hours as a teenager writing out notecards detailing the battles of the Wars of the Roses, or moping around museums looking at ancient skeletons, bits of rusted iron and broken pots.
She has published over twenty romance novels under other pseudonyms and won prizes in fifteen short story and poetry competitions.
Freya lives in the glorious country of New Zealand Aotearoa, where the countryside was made to inspire fantasy writers and filmmakers, and where they brew the best coffee in the world.
You can find her online at her website as well as on Twitter and Facebook.
Amazon Author Link:  http://www.amazon.com/author/freyarobertson

Amazon buy links:
Heartwood buy link: http://www.amazon.com/Heartwood-Elemental-Wars-Freya-Robertson-ebook/dp/B00CNOSNE6/ref=twoen-20

Sunstone buy link:  http://www.amazon.com/Sunstone-Heartwood-Freya-Robertson-ebook/dp/B00FIMWF2G/ref=twoen-20
 

#Excerpt: MINE TO CLAIM by A. C. Arthur

 
Book & Author Details:Mine to Claim by A.C. Arthur
(Damaged Hearts #1)
Published by: St. Martin’s Griffin
Publication date: April 8th 2014
Genres: New Adult, Paranormal Romance
Synopsis:Shadow Shifters: Damaged Hearts—a deeply emotional, unforgettable New Adult paranormal romance series by A.C. Arthur about the men who are sworn to protect the females—human or otherwise—from the savage fury of his own nature…

In Mine to Claim by A.C. Arthur, Grace Kincaid has been trapped her whole life. Controlled in every way by her domineering parents, she has never had any moment of excitement or passion in all her eighteen years. When a rare night out with a friend ends in violence, Grace believes that perhaps her parents are right to keep her under lock and key. There’s just one problem—she can’t get the irresistibly sexy, mysterious man who saved her from danger out of her head. She knows she should go back to her safe world, but her newfound passion for life—and for her enigmatic protector—are making that impossible…Despite his strength and power, Aidan Sanchez cannot escape. 
Bound by his Shifter bloodline, he is repulsed by the very attributes his family wishes him to embrace. His main goal is to keep his more dangerous…hungers… under wraps. But when a fight at a club forces Aidan to protect the most alluring woman he’s ever seen, there’s no turning back. He knows he shouldn’t drag her into his world, but she’s awakened a fire within him, and for once, he’s willing to lose control if it means having Grace…

Don’t miss Part of Me coming in May 13, 2014 and Hunger for You coming June 10, 2014.
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/19079945-mine-to-claim?ac=1
Purchase:--Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Mine-Claim-Shadow-Shifters-Damaged-ebook/dp/B00H0V04EY/ref=twoen-20--B&N: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/mine-to-claim-ac-arthur/1117539153?ean=9781466857087
AUTHOR BIO: A.C. Arthur was born and raised in Baltimore, Maryland where she currently resides with her husband and three children. An active imagination and a love for reading encouraged her to begin writing in high school and she hasn't stopped since.

Working in the legal field she's seen lots of horrific things and longs for the safe haven reading a romance novel brings. Her debut novel Object of His Desire was written when a picture of an Italian villa sparked the idea of an African-American/Italian hero. Determined to bring a new edge to romance, she continues to develop intriguing plots, sensual love scenes, racy characters and fresh dialogue--thus keeping the readers on their toes!

In the young adult arena, A.C. also writes under the name Artist Arthur. Visit her Amazon Author Page for details about available YA books. amazon.com/author/artistarthurbooks
Contact links: http://www.acarthur.net/https://www.facebook.com/pages/AC-Arthurs-Book-Lounge/140199625996114https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/100764.A_C_Arthur
Excerpt:
I thought he was going to kiss me.Then I thought, no way!But yes and yes.His lips touched mine in a quick heated moment, so fast I almost choked on the air that was trapped in my lungs. My hands went to his chest but not of their own free will. I felt captured and taken and I wasn’t doing anything to stop it.The pressure of his mouth pressed against mine was intense, so much so that my eyes fluttered closed just as the butterflies that had been dancing around in my stomach since seeing him walk into that apartment, circled swiftly then plummeted completely. The anticipatory feeling rested in my center where it grew to a persistent throb just as his tongue swiped a warm path over my still closed lips.Open your mouth. Kiss him back.My body roared for my mind to hear and take note. It clearly wanted more.My mind, on the other hand, was wondering what I was doing here—how did I get here and how did I end up in his arms? Wasn’t this wrong on some common sense level? Or was it just a natural attraction, one that I’d been waiting all my life to act on?To hell with the Q&A, I opened my mouth and let him inside. It was sweet and intoxicating all at once, the touch of his tongue against mine in that first deep plunge. My head spun, my knees buckled, and I was thankful for his arms wrapped tightly around me. He tilted his head, I tilted mine in the opposite direction. He pulled his tongue out and I wanted to scream for more. My eyes opened and I was shocked to see him staring back at me. As if he heard that plea he plunged again and I drank it all in like the thirst I’d had for this type of physical connection had lasted a lifetime. Suddenly my fingers were clenching his shirt, turning the material over and over, pulling on it as if I wanted the shirt off, out of the way. Then there would be skin, the skin of his muscled chest where I now felt the incessant beat of his heart. I pushed my body closer to his, thinking that maybe this heat he emanated would soothe the tingles rippling through me. It worked and then again it didn’t. I wanted more. I needed more, from him, from this guy named Aidan Sanchez who nobody on campus knew a damned thing about. Nobody, including me.
***

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Book Tour Blast: KNIGHT IN THE FOREST OF PONS by Joshua Heights

BLURB:   Prepare yourself for a magnificent journey… Nassor Wickem, leader of the Knights of Sperenza, has been in many battles, with two headed dragons, with beasts that creep and crawl, and with fierce lions who have pierced his flesh in death brawls.  But after learning that his beautiful daughter has been stricken by a terrible brain syndrome, his body trembled and his nerves shook like never before.  
The brave Knight, hell-bent on slaying and saving the day, tries everything he can to cure his daughter.  However, with the help of a mysterious Shaman, he quickly comes to terms that in this battle, love, not the sword, is the weapon of choice.


AUTHOR Bio:Joshua Heights is a professional chef and a passionate writer. His first work TEAR AVENGER soon went to number one in the thriller genre of the e-book world. Next, a burst of heartfelt poems filled the pages of LOVE , MARRIAGE,FRIENDSHIP, HATE. His latest release , a super novella entitled, KNIGHT IN THE FOREST OF THE PONS is an epic journey into spirituality , oneness and love. In the creative stage is a screenplay , bearing the name NANO TATTOO, a nail-biting sci-fi thriller. It comes to life soon and is currently charming the curators of JUNTOBOX FILMS. http://joshuaheights.comhttps://www.facebook.com/officialjoshuaheightspage?ref=hl https://twitter.com/joshuaheights http://www.pinterest.com/joshuaheights/

Joshua will be awarding a $25 Amazon gift card and a digital copy of the book to a randomly drawn commenter during the tour.

Follow the tour and comment; the more you comment, the better your chances of winning. The tour dates can be found here:  
 http://goddessfishpromotions.blogspot.com/2014/02/book-blast-night-in-forest-of-pons-by.html
 

Interview with Cameron McVey

Tell us about your latest book.It takes place in a post-apocalyptic setting and people live very constrained, limited lives. So, how does one find joy or hope in that setting? What is there to look forward to? How do people create lives worth living? That's what intrigued me about these characters, this world.
I published "Hold Still the Sky" as a series of short stories over the course of several months. I originally wanted to have each story deal with a different character or set of characters that all fit loosely together in the same world. But I kept getting drawn back a few core characters. Kara, Gus, Dido and some others. In the end, the novel is Kara's story. Not solely hers but mainly hers. And I had to do her justice.
Where did the idea for the book come from?I saw an announcement online a while back for a short story contest. The parameters were something like "describe humans meeting an alien life form." This sparked an idea for me and I started writing the story with the intent of submitting it to the contest. The contest rules required the story to be fairly short. However, as I got more and more into the world I was creating I realized that there was more I needed to write. So the short story turned into a longer story and the longer story turned into two stories then three and so on until I had a full novel.
Who and what inspire you to write?My mother is a published poet, although modest as she is she'd hesitate to describe herself that way. My father, a teacher for thirty-nine years, has always stressed the importance of writing well and has written a political history book. So, that's the easy and obvious and true answer. But there have been so many other influences from Ray Bradbury to Stephen. R. Donaldson to David Wingrove in terms of books. Stan Lee, Ditko, Kirby, Byrne, Miller, Claremont and a slew of others in terms of comics and graphic novels. I'm probably dating myself a bit with those references. Then there are other creative influences from co-workers, television shows, movies, myths, fairy tales and so on.
Each author has his own inspiring journey. How did you begin writing?Short answer: I quit my job, moved to a small town on the coast of Oregon and locked myself in a room for four hours a day. Did that for fifteen months and ended up with my trilogy.
Long answer: I have been scribbling away for decades. When I was younger I never thought about actually getting published. My writing was just for myself, something I played around with. Then as I grew older I made a few submissions to agents back in the early days of the internet long before self-publishing was a solid option. I got some encouraging responses but no offers. Life went on and I threw myself into my job for a number of years. Then after a particularly stressful stretch I went out with a couple of friends and co-workers to let off some steam. We ended up asking each other what we wanted to do in the next ten years of our lives. Without hesitation I said I wanted to write. I went home that night and wrote about twenty pages. That was the longest piece I'd written in about five years. A couple of years later, I dove into self-publishing.
What has been the most pleasant surprise about writing? How about an unexpected downside?The most pleasant surprise - out of the many - is how natural it feels for me. When I was growing up I always thought of writers as being a breed apart, somehow different. That they were a different ilk. So different that for years I had that little voice in the back of my head saying, "You'll never do it. You're not like that." But when I made the leap and dedicated myself to writing, made it part of my daily life it turned out that it is the most natural thing in the world. There's nothing like the experience of writing. The flow of ideas drawing me on from one story moment for the next. The "coming through" of the story takes place in an altered state of mind that is both energizing and focusing unlike anything else in my life.
An unexpected downside? Well, like any creative endeavor or long-term commitment there are sacrifices to be made. Sacrifices may not be the best word. Choices. You have to obey the muse. You have to be rigorous. There's no room for half-measures in terms of the creative process. Yet you have to find a way to accommodate it in your life with all its other parts and people. Striking the balance that lets you create and keeps you engaged with the world around you is the hardest part. It would be really easy for me to crawl into a hole and write and write and write (see above, Oregon). But then I would burn out and miss out on the juice of life, which, in the end, is what fuels the creative process.
Do you have any writing rituals?Lots of coffee. My wife calls it "magic writing juice."
Do you write your books in order?When I start I have a general sense of the timeline and narrative flow but I wouldn't say I write the books in order. I work on one scene or set of characters and that leads to the next scene and so on. Sometimes the scenes stay in order, sometimes I jump around.
What is on your writing playlist for this book?I've recently discovered a band called "Tape Five" and a genre of music called electro-swing. It's a mixture of old school jazz instrumentation and sensibilities with modern, audio production influences. That description doesn't do it justice. As with all music, you gotta hear it. I put Pandora on the "Tape Five" station and listen to whatever it plays.
Any favorite writing snacks?Chips. Always chips. Can't get enough of them
What advice would you give to writers who aspire to be published?To steal a phrase from the 70s: "Keep on Truckin'." It's simple. It's cliché. And it's also true. Keep writing, keep writing, keep writing. Throw in a little faith, a little trust, and a little blind luck. But, always keep writing.
Are you working on anything new right now?I am. My goal is to have another book ready by the beginning of June. A time travel-ish story. A different twist on time travel. Plus artificial intelligence and genetic manipulation. All mixed with an odd romance.
Who is your favorite character in your current book?That's a tough choice. They all speak to me in their own ways. Gun to my head, I'd go with Gus, Kara's supervisor. The old guy, the veteran. He wants to help the youg'uns but also has to make some tough choices of his own.
What is your favorite book of all time?The Aeneid. I took Latin in high school and college and translating the story myself from the Latin to English under the watchful and sometimes tasking eyes of my teachers gave me a distinct appreciation for Aeneas and his journey.
Tell us in one sentence why we should read your bookOne sentence? I've never held myself to one sentence. Let's say this: "Hold Still the Sky" will show you a unique world with memorable characters. And a robot dog. 




Book blurb:Worldwide eruptions have clouded Earth's atmosphere. The remnants of humankind live inside domed cities. Biomass guidelines strictly regulate births, copulation and food rations. Amputation of "unnecessary limbs" is viewed as a noble sacrifice. Power is generated by massive solar energy-collecting sails. Hangers are those chosen to maintain the sails at great risk to life and limb. This is the story of Kara, one of the hangers. She's trying to have a baby.
Follow Kara, her fellow hangers and others as they deal with the stresses of life in the domes and discover the truth of the transformed Earth. By the end of the story, the world presented in "Hold Still the Sky" will be transformed. You will know the large-scale reasons behind the transformation and experience the upheaval from a personal point of view as the characters uncover the truth.  Buy on Kindle | Paperback | Smashwords | B&N  Meet the Author:
I have been a fan of fantasy and science fiction ever since I can remember. Growing up I used to fall asleep listening to CBS Radio Mystery Theater and spent Saturday afternoons watching Creature Double Feature on WLVI, channel 56. Also, I collected comics and ended up doing my master's thesis ("How Green Is Your Power Ring?") on the structure of the modern, American, superhero comic book.
My mother is a published poet and my father a world-class educator. I caught the "writing bug" from them at a very early age. I can remember scrawling short stories on scraps of paper in my bedroom late at night when I was supposed to be asleep. My old job allowed me to travel the world. I have been to the Great Wall of China, Angkor Wat, the Taj Mahal, the Sahara Desert, Machu Picchu and countless other spots in Asia, Africa and South America. I have also traveled extensively throughout the United States and am, once again, living in the Colorado Rockies.
 I have been inspired by both my travels and all the people I've met and worked with along the way. My family and friends have encouraged me over the years to make a living as a writer. I am now taking on the challenge of following my bliss. And enjoying every minute of it!  Keep up with Cameron on:Literary Addicts | Website | Twitter