Debra L. Martin's Blog, page 254

Interview with R.S. McCoy

Can you give us a brief overview of your latest book? Is it part of a series?Sparks tells the story of Lark, a young man from a desperate life who has somehow managed to be able to read minds and sense emotions. The trouble is that he has no control over whose thoughts he can read and when those thoughts come crashing into his mind. Lark ends up at a school that trains students in their abilities, or ‘sparks’, but his mentor is determined to see him fail and he struggles to progress despite his rare ability. Currently, Sparks is a standalone novel but I hope to have the sequel Spirits out next year.
Do you have a favorite character?Oh yea. Avis mentors Lark at school, but hates him and loves him at the same time. He’s mysterious and moody but somehow still brutally honest. In my mind he’s also devastatingly handsome.
Have you ever had a minor character evolve into a major one? Did that change the direction of the novel at all?Yes and yes! When I wrote Sparks I knew I wanted to introduce Micha, a character who was essentially the opposite of the main character Lark. Micha grew up without struggle; he wanted success to keep his family honor rather than for survival. Somehow I fell in love with Micha despite his easy life and he wriggled his way into the rest of the book.
Did you try the traditional route to publishing, i.e. querying agents/publishers?Only for a day or two and then I thought better of it. I sent out two query letters to agents after doing massive amounts of research. While researching how to put together the perfect query letter, I came across a lot of information comparing trade publishing and self-publishing. In the end, I decided self-publishing was the better route for me, and I haven’t looked back.
What factors influenced your decision to self-publish your book?My friends and family will tell you that I am a totally nutty hyper-organized control freak, so I think self-publishing suits my personality. I wanted to have complete control over the cover art, content, marketing plan, publication date and all the other little things that publishers might try to change. I’m way too stubborn to let someone else tell me how I need to write or what I should write about it.
Do you belong to a critique group? Have they helped improve your writing?I participate in critique groups and forums, specifically Writer’s Beat, Mythic Scribes and Scribophile. Overall, the forums and critiques provided invaluable feedback about inconsistencies and weaknesses in my writing style, which helped to strengthen my writing style and voice. I even met a few people who became important to the progress of Sparks, including the editor JK Loveless.
What have you’ve learned during your self-publishing journey?Amazingly, this process is not impossible. Even more unbelievable is the fact that I can do it. I did do it! A year ago, publishing a book would have seemed like an insurmountable task, something for the Stephen Kings and JK Rowlings of the world. A lot of time, research and hard work have gone into it, but publishing and marketing a book is completely possible and a lot more fun than I would have ever expected!
What kinds of marketing [twitter, facebook, blog, forums] are you involved with for promoting your book?I started out with just the Big Fish Blog to document my journey from total inexperience to self-publication, and hopefully pass along my hard earned lessons to the next authors looking to try it. The forums came in somewhere and are a lot of fun to participate in. Mythic Scribes caters to fantasy writers, and those guys have some wild ideas! More recently I have opened up a Facebook page, Twitter and Tumblr to connect with other authors and bloggers. And what girl doesn’t love Pinterest? Getting to know everyone has been a really great experience!
Besides writing, do you have any other passions?
No. Ha! Joking… I will always love science, specifically the life sciences. Animals are a big part of my life. I love baking despite my husband’s disinterest in anything sweet. And I love being a mom! My kids are addicted to anything with books, fish, trains, dinosaurs or music and we spend a lot of time catering to their interests. I can’t wait until they are old enough to appreciate the Natural History Museum!
What’s next for you?The sequel of Sparks! Lark still has a lot to learn and some unresolved issues with certain villainous types. Hopefully Spirits will be released sometime in 2014. I’m so excited!
Contact Links:Facebook            https://www.facebook.com/rs.mccoy.3Twitter            https://twitter.com/RSMcCoy1Tumblr            http://rsmccoyauthorblog.tumblr.com/Blogger             http://rsmccoy.blogspot.comGoodreads            https://www.goodreads.com/RSMcCoyGoogle +            https://plus.google.com/u/0/101910429485592020844/postsPinterest            http://www.pinterest.com/mccoy2672/

#Symbols Hidden in Fairytale: 12 Dancing Princesses by Michelle Snyder

Fairy tales are vehicles for the transmission of history from ages lost in the mist of time. Clues to the lives and traditions of our ancestors are embedded in layers of characters, symbols, and story. Numbers are symbolic in fairy tales, hinting at astronomical awareness of the culture originating the tales. The story of the Twelve Dancing Princesses has its roots in the astronomical knowledge of pre-history. Twelve is a particularly significant number, associated with the ancient division of the sky into 12 constellations. It is common also to describe the movement of heavenly bodies, which move forward and back – as “the dance.” Each planet’s dance is different. In this story, there are 12 princesses who sneak out of their room every night, and when they return, their shoes are worn out from dancing. The king, beside himself, finally finds a hero to find out what the girls were up to. Twelve beautiful princesses slept in twelve beds in the same room, with doors locked securely. Each morning their shoes were discovered to be worn out as if they had been dancing all night. The king, desperate to discover their secret, offers a prize to the one who did, but failure meant death. Several princes fail, but a soldier tricks the twelve girls and follows them through a trap door in the floor, into twelve boats, down a river to a castle where, sure enough, the girls dance all night with twelve princes. The soldier retrieves a branch from each of three trees; one of silver, one of gold, and one of diamonds, and a golden cup, which he gives the king as proof.  
With roots in the astronomical knowledge of pre-history – some goes back 77,000 years – this tale tells of keeping of secrets (represented by the mysteriously worn out shoes, which represent a year) and getting to know the twelve zodiacal constellations (the princes they dance with). Together the princes and princesses make twenty-four, the number of hours in a day. A wonderfully enchanting story, it is filled with symbols and allegory. Time is illustrated by the river and boats and the twenty-four characters “dance” with the mathematics necessary to measure time using the stars. It is one of many tales referring to “stories written in the sky,” which allude to ancient knowledge of seasons and natural cycles – stories embodied in the zodiac. The locked room holds the secrets of the ancient navigators. The garden of trees with gold, silver, and diamond leaves is similar to a garden in the epic of Gilgamesh. The golden symbolizes the golden ball of sun, or the grail.
This wondrous tale is one of thousands that carry secrets and buried history from the world of once upon a time. All we need do is look, and we will see. 


Remember: Our perception of today rests upon our knowledge of yesterday. And our understanding of today determines our future. Learn about the past – build a better tomorrow.About Symbologist Michelle Snyder, M. Phil.  Michelle earned her post-graduate degree at the University of Wales. She is an author, speaker, publisher, artist, and teacher. Her artwork, inspired by her love of symbolism and folklore, has appeared in galleries from Massachusetts to California. Michelle is co-owner of White Knight Studio with her husband Jay Robert.Other books by Michelle, available at Amazon:
Art and Symbols Once Upon a Time – a collection of my artwork, with brief explanation of symbols  

Fairy Tales Uncovered – identifies historic elements in fairy tales, tracing their roots (also eBook)
Buy link: http://amzn.to/1fqtNIs 
Reviewer Comment:“Fairy Tales Uncovered is a rare combination of easy to read and beautifully illustrated prose which brings extensive research of Humanity’s prehistory into today’s unwavering fascination with stories and story-telling.  The author’s erudition is cloaked in stories about stories, illuminating continuities in human development over millennia, while outlining parameters of cultural change which emphasize our progress and nurture our eternal hope.”  --  Zoe Wallis  Symbology: Decoding Classic Images – presents unique information about antiquity and prehistory
The Lost Unicorn – an original fairy tale with wizards, damsels in distress, and heroes of course (also eBook)
World of Symbols – eBook format of most of the information in Symbology
World of Symbols, Secrets of the Mermaids – an eBook introduction to the symbols of a lost civilization
And coming soon! Hidden in Plain Sight: The Secret Life of Symbols Look for this extraordinary volume packed full of history, symbolism, mythology, folklore, and magic. Includes glossary, timelines, and bibliography.
 

On Writing Tear Jerkers by FOREVER LOVED author Deanna Roy

For my first 27 years, I was considered something of a Pollyanna — one of those bubbly ultra-optimistic people who spout platitudes about silver linings.
The first chink in my happy-armor becomes evident in the pictures from Christmas 1997. My then-husband and I had been trying to get pregnant since April, and I had envisioned that holiday as very different with a baby’s imminent arrival. But I had not made any progress at all, only a pile of negative home tests collecting in the bin.
I don’t even fake a smile. I’m just sort of there, my hair all twisted up in a knot, standing by a tree I felt forced to decorate.
I didn’t know that in this picture, I am actually a few days pregnant, and that I had no idea — really, no clue — what sorrow really was.
In the next five years I would see three babies die in various stages of pregnancy. I would also give birth to two daughters, both under stressful conditions that were a far cry from the happy moon-belly experiences we are sold in maternity magazines.
I was a writer long before I was a mother, and it was a natural fit to chronicle my experiences. As I became more involved in the baby loss community, I heard many more stories, and so often I would think — I could not have survived that.
But survive we do, and I think when choosing a tear-jerker book, it’s that same catharsis at the end. If you have endured a lot in your life, you can think to yourself — I understand what this character went through. You feel camaraderie, a connection with a fellow traveler. If the book takes you someplace darker than you’ve ever been, you can feel as though you have been lucky, that life has smiled on you. Either way, you leave the book feeling a little differently about your own existence.
I knew that the first book in my series, Forever Innocent, was going to wreck people. It’s hard to imagine how it feels to disconnect the ventilator from a seven-day-old baby, but this book takes you right there.
With the second book, Forever Loved, I hope to step a little bit away from the tragedy and focus on the healing. Early readers say you cry just as much, but for a different reason. Watching two people take a bad situation and turn it around is a different form of emotional release.
I am so grateful to have had so many companions on my journey. If you are a baby loss mom, you can meet them at A Place for Our Angels. Book fans can chatter at the Facebook Page for the series or on Goodreads. If you want to read excerpts as I write my books, join the mailing list.
I know now all our lives will include some sorrow. I hope that yours finds joy in equal measure.
Deanna
Forever Innocent, the first book of the series, is 99 cents through Jan. 24. The conclusion to the heart-wrenching story, Forever Loved, just arrived Jan. 10.
Book & Author Details:
Forever Loved by Deanna Roy(The Forever Series #2)Publication date: January 10th, 2014Genres: Contemporary, New Adult, Romance
Synopsis: The much-anticipated sequel to the bestselling new adult romance Forever Innocent.

When Gavin saves Corabelle from her plunge into the frigid waters of the Pacific, he knows her recovery from pneumonia is only the beginning of their journey. They share a difficult history — a teen pregnancy, a seven-day-old baby who died of a heart condition, and his decision four years ago to leave Corabelle behind and not look back.

But there are no secrets between them now. As Gavin and Corabelle build a new future together, they learn to trust each other again, falling back on that love they have shared since they were children.

But their past has one last shocking surprise, a revelation that will shake their tender bond and pierce the heart of Corabelle, who has just begun to believe that she truly is Gavin’s only forever love.

Forever Loved is the heart-wrenching conclusion to Corabelle and Gavin’s passionate story.
HEA, 250 print pages
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/18759240-forever-loved
Purchase:Book One -- Forever Innocent
On sale for 99 cents Jan. 12-24
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/B00FGHY0YO
http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/forev...

Book Two -- Forever Loved
Release Date, Jan. 10
On sale for $2.99 through January 31
(Buy links will go up Jan. 10)http://www.amazon.com/Deanna-Roy/e/B005IXVMOM/ref=ntt_athr_dp_pel_1

AUTHOR BIO Deanna Roy is a passionate advocate for women who have lost babies. She founded PregnancyLoss.Info in 1998 and runs many online and in-person support groups. She is the author of several two-hankie reads, including Forever Innocent, Stella & Dane, and Baby Dust.
Author links: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/4999150.Deanna_Roywww.deannaroy.comhttps://twitter.com/deannaroy

(Open internationally):
--A $50 gift card and a butterfly box full of books and swag.

 a Rafflecopter giveaway

 

 

Interview with Jack Rosenbaum

What is your favorite kind of music?My favorite music can be found in the love songs of Sinatra and women singers of his generation.
You have traveled a lot, what place stands out in your mind the most? The place I am most fond of is Florence, Italy.
What inspired you to write a book? After my wife died, I needed something to fill my days. Writing seemed a creative way to occupy myself.
You are also an accomplished artist, do you find your art training helpful in the writing process?Art taught me the importance of visual details. I try to get the reader to see what I am describing.
Do you have a favorite time or place to write? have no favorite time or place in which to write. I write when time and place present themselves. Unfortunately, this is not every day.
This is a book of stories from your life – how did you pick them?I did not pick the stories.They simply arose out of my experiences with people and events.
What is the significance of the title?The title refers to the fact that my father died from a sudden heart attack one day after I had spent an afternoon with him. It is in the nature of things that he never informed me that he was about to die.
Who is the target audience?I hope the readers of this book are men and women who have had similar experiences in their lives and will nod their heads in recognition of the situations and events I describe.
Now that you have published your first book, do you have plans for another?I currently have plans for three more books: two children’s books and a memoir about my most magical wife.
Buy links:Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Fathers-Dont-Good-bye-Jack-Rosenbaum-ebook/dp/B00FEA4FN4

 Reviewer Comments: “Jack Rosenbaum's stories summon a lost world: mid-20th century America, an age of boundless optimism and touching innocence, as well as war, bigotry and other not so nice things. Mr. Rosenbaum suffuses his tales of young men coming of age during this time with the golden glow of nostalgia, while rendering them with a bracing, unaffected honesty and overflowing heart.”  Larry Katz, writer and former Arts Editor of the Boston Herald  Author Bio:Born in Chicago, Jack Rosenbaum served three years in the Army Air Force during WWII, graduated from N.Y.U., and taught English in the New York public high schools for 30 years. He also taught Educational Psychology and Methodology at Brooklyn College and wrote and edited curricula for the New York City Board of Education. He currently lives in Arlington, Massachusetts, has three sons, two grandchildren, and is at work on a memoir of his wife titled "Livia's Way."

Fantastic #Sale at $.99 for #Regency #Romance: LOVE BY DECEPTION

Here's a great opportunity to grab my latest romance, LOVE BY DECEPTION, at a great price. It's normally $2.99, but will be on sale for $.99 for only a few days. The sale is happening at 3 outlets: Amazon, Barnes & Noble and the ibookstore.



Book synopsis:
Content with her life as a lady's maid, Isabel Knott learns the father she never knew has left her a fortune. The news comes with one restriction--she can never reveal his name. Isabel falls in love with Colby Tisbury, but with her nonexistent pedigree his father, Lord Tisbury, will never accept her as his daughter-in-law.

Colby Tisbury must marry, and soon. If he doesn't find a bride before the end of the Season, his father will supply one. Then Colby meets sassy Isabel Knott, and everything changes--but can he go against his father's wishes and marry a girl utterly lacking in family and connections? Isabel is forced to make an impossible choice - reveal her secret identity and bring shame to her true father or lose Colby forever.

Reviewer comments:
"If you enjoy historical romance, or have ever dreamed of a Season in London, don't miss this lovely story."

"There is a shocker or two in store when it comes to Isabel. Twists in the story that I never saw coming. Another fun read and great follow-up to its predecessor."

Buy links:
Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Love-Deception-Innocence-Debra-Elizabeth-ebook/dp/B00G4DSLYO/ref=twoen-20

BN: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/love-by-deception-debra-elizabeth/1117228672

ibookstore: https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/love-by-deception/id731403707?mt=11

If you want to read the first book in the series, LOVE BY SECRETS, just click on the icon below.

Book Tour Blast: WANDERLUST Series by Bella Rose

 
Wanderlust Series From glamorous capitals to exotic playgrounds...couples are swept up in desire passion & lust. Genre: Erotic Romance
by Bella RossBuy onAmazon | Amazon UK | Amazon AU | ARe | Kobo 
***********************About the author:Bella Ross is a writer with many passions, two of which are writing and travelling. She wrote her first book (a novel) at eighteen a la Jackie Collins. But back then, unbeknownst to her, life was about to take her on a detour. As she set off on her new course, her dream of writing took a backseat and her entrepreneurial spirit flourished instead. But after many years of worldly pursuits, the urge to write returned and the time was right to follow her bliss.

She believes its never too late to follow your dreams/bliss. Her books/stories are her first attempt at erotic romance. She loves the genre and its endless creative possibilities. She likes pairing bold and dynamic (Alpha) men with sexy and strong women - which in her opinion - make for a hot and sizzling combination. With her love of travel, it is no surprise that her 'Wanderlust Series' take place in glamorous capitals or exotic locales around the world. Its the perfect backdrop/setting for her characters to explore and indulge their lusts and passions, loves and desires. When she's not writing, she's reading, or gallivanting all over seeking new inspiration, or people watching while enjoying a latte at Starbucks and jotting down ideas. She loves to hear from readers, and looks forward to interacting through her social media channels. You can also sign up for her mailing list to be notified about new releases and promotional offers.
Follow Bella:Twitter | Facebook | Goodreads
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Book Tour Blast: MEANT FOR ME by L.P. Dover

Book SynopsisAfter a night of raw passion with the man Claire O’Briene had been secretly admiring for years, she thought their time together had come once and for all. Fate had finally brought them back to each other, but unfortunately nothing had changed. He was still the same man who ran away from relationships. Against his better judgment, Mason Bradley gave in to the temptation and allowed himself one night with the one woman he’d been too afraid to want … too afraid to need.

Four months after leaving Claire and regretting every minute of it, Mason gets called in for an undercover mission that’s not only dangerous, but brings back a past he spent years trying to forget. A past of fighting … of getting in the ring and using his fists to get what he wanted: money, women, and drugs. Now there are fighters turning up dead, and it’s Mason’s job to find out the truth.Knowing he might not come out of the mission alive, Mason seeks out Claire to tell her how he truly feels, only to find another man competing for her love as well. Fighting is what he’s good at, and for once he will be fighting not only for justice … but for love.
Put Meant For Me on your TBR list Buy on Amazon 
Meet the author L.P. Dover is the author of the Forever Fae series, as well as the Adult contemporary standalone series called Second Chances, and her NA romantic suspense standalone called Love, Lies, and Deception. She lives in the beautiful state of North Carolina with her husband, her two wild girls, and her rambunctious kitten called Katrina. Before she began her career in the literary world, L.P. Dover spent her years going to college and then graduated to cleaning teeth, which she loved doing. At least until the characters in her head called her away. She has never been the same since.
 Follow LPWebsite | Facebook | Twitter | Literary Addicts | Goodreads | Pinterest | Newsletter



Follow the Book Tour  
 
LP is giving one reader a $25 Amazon Gift Card and a MEGA signed swag pack. The swag pack includes bookmarks, magnets, and bracelets.

 a Rafflecopter giveaway

Fantasy #Review: THE FOREVER KNIGHT by John Marco

5 of 5 stars
I've been a fan of John Marco's writing since his Tyrants & Kings series. His previous sweeping epic fantasies have delighted fantasy fans with their complexity. In FOREVER KNIGHT, he has taken a step back and written Lukien's latest adventure in the first person point of view. This is a difficult task for a lot of authors being confined to only one character's POV, but from the opening pages, I loved this book. The author brings the main character closer to the reader. We hear Lukien's thoughts, share his anguish and it makes this story a compelling read.

Lukien is a complicated character who doesn't seem to be able to reconcile with his immortality and employs every conceivable method he can to try and die. He's restless and spends days in the desert hunting and fighting the dreaded rass snake. With his Sword of Angels that houses the Akari spirit Malator, Lukien is always healed of his injuries. The fact that Lukien has such a contentious relationship with Malator makes this book even more interesting. Our hero is neither all good nor all bad, but definitely adrift in the world. When he volunteers to help a 14-year old girl, Cricket, try to retrieve her lost memories, Lukien must travel to the Bitter Kingdoms, a place that holds nothing but horror for its inhabitants. What he discovers is even shocking to this battle-scarred knight and he sets out to right as many wrongs as he can, but he is only one man. Even being immortal sometimes may not be enough.

It took me awhile to get to this book in my TBR file, but I highly recommend it. Fans of epic fantasy should definitely add this story to their reading list.

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

Amazon buy link: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B007P7HRG6?tag=twoen-20&camp=0&creative=0&linkCode=as1&creativeASIN=B007P7HRG6&adid=1619660A66VW8HWZXXX1

#Review: WORLD AFTER (Penryn & the End of Days, Book 2) by Susan Ee

5 of 5 stars
I was eagerly awaiting this sequel and I wasn't disappointed. Ms. Ee is a talented writer that walks that fine line between reality, horror, fantasy and a touch of romance. I was pulled back into the story from the first page when Penryn awakens from her paralysis from the stinger bite. The story barrels forward as Penryn and the survivors of the angel wars try to organize into some sort of resistance against future attacks, but the humans have no idea the horrors that are coming. The author's imagination is absolutely amazing with this aspect of the story.

My only complaint was that it was so long between books that I forgot some of the details in book 1, but I didn't want to take the time away from this story to re-read it again. I only hope it's not as long before the 3rd book in the series comes out. Fans of fantasy and horror will devour this latest story. Highly Recommended.

 

ON MEDICAL HIATUS

Two Ends of the Pen will be on hiatus while I deal with a serious medical issue. There's lots to read on the blog while I'm gone - author interviews, guest posts and book reviews.

You can find all my books from epic fantasy to regency romance under the tabs in the menu bar. 

I'll be back as soon as I can. Happy Reading!