Debra L. Martin's Blog, page 269

#Review: CUSPIAN by DC Hall

3 of 5 stars


CUSPIANS: those born on the cusp between two astrological signs who have enhanced powers depending on what signs they fall between. That is who twins Kendal and Kennedi Miles are, but they have no idea what it means. When their mother is brutally murdered, they must live with their estranged Dad in Eureka, CA and that's when things start to go awry. There are plenty of family secrets, and the more the twins dig into their Mom's murder, the stranger things become for them. Enhanced powers, a mysterious family friend and a shadowy organization who wants to kidnap them force Kendal and Kennedi to mistrust everyone around them.



This was a unique and interesting idea. The story itself is inventive and the author did a good job of letting the reader get to know Kendal and Kennedi through their inner thoughts. Their powers are revealed slowly creating great suspense. Unfortunately, this book is riddled with so many typos that it jarred me out of the story continuously. And not just a few typos, there were multiple ones in almost every chapter. The book needs the eyes of a good editor. I'm also not a fan of authors who fail to wrap up any of the story line threads and just leaves everything as a cliff hanger. Cliff hangers are good, of course, but nothing is resolved in this book. 



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

Interview with A.G. Henley

What is The Scourge about? Did you have any
interesting moments while researching the book?

In The Scourge,
Sightless Fennel must face terrifying, flesh-eating creatures called the
Scourge, in order to gather water for her people, the Groundlings, as they hide
from the creatures in caves near their forest homes. Fenn’s Sightlessness is
supposed to mysteriously protect her, but she hasn’t been tested. Until now.




I did learn some interesting things while researching The Scourge. I can’t tell you the most
interesting thing I learned, because it is a big spoiler. It had to do with how
the Scourge became the way they are . . . But, I recently had the opportunity
to do some hands-on research into archery (Peree, Fenn’s Lofty Keeper and the
male protagonist of the series, is an archer.) My fingers are still red and a
little sore from releasing the arrows!




In The Scourge, it was refreshing for
Fennel, the heroine, to have a physical disability. Where did the idea to make
her Sightless come from?

I can’t remember exactly when the idea came to me, although
it was before I started writing the manuscript. I thought it would be cool to
feature a protagonist with a disability. I’d read widely in the YA genre and
couldn’t think of many books that had a disabled main character. As for making
her blind, I was influenced by Ivy in the film The Village. I love the way Ivy and her family and friends seem to
accept her blindness as just a part of who she is. It is a challenge to be
sure, but it doesn’t define her. The film often gets a bad rap, in my opinion.
I loved it—especially the setting and atmosphere.



This may be a tough one, but which
character is your favorite?

Oh, that’s not too hard. I love Fennel. She’s who I wish I
could be: strong, brave, intelligent, responsible, concerned about others,
family and community oriented, non-judgmental. And yet still fully human, I
think, with as many insecurities and small concerns as any seventeen-year-old.




I also had a blast developing Moray’s character in The Defiance. He’s an antihero—deliciously
self-centered and arrogant—while still adhering to his own code of ethics and
values. They just aren’t the values most other people share (thankfully.)




The character names
are unique and refreshing, how did you come up with them?

I wanted the character names to reflect something about the
groups they came from. In my series, there are two main groups of people—the
Groundlings, who live on the ground, and the Lofties, who live in the tops of
the trees. They are locked in an uneasy, sometimes violent, symbiotic
relationship. The male Groundlings have animal names (Bear, Eland), the female
Groundlings have plant names (Aloe, Rose), the male Lofties have bird names
(Peregrine, Petrel) . . . and then I ran out of steam for naming the female
Lofties. I eventually decided they would be named for something in their
environment (Moonbeam, Dusk). The Groundlings make fun of the female Lofty
names, which was really me making fun of myself for not being able to think of anything
better!




It occurred to me much later that by giving the characters
these types of names, I also gave readers a sense of what the characters either
look or act like. It’s a little heavy handed, but I think it’s also helpful
when you write in first-person from the perspective of a blind main character who
can’t describe the way other characters look.




If you were a
character in the series, would you choose to live on the ground or high up in
the trees?

I think I’d choose to live in the trees, where I could have
a view and catch the breezes. But mostly I would want to have the choice,
unlike the characters in my books.




The
Defiance —the second
installment in the Brilliant Darkness series—released on July 29th. Did you
plan the novel before writing The Scourge,
or did you wait to see how the first installment faired?

I published The
Scourge last year without being at all sure I would write another book of
any kind. It took me months to decide to write a sequel. I am a pantser
(meaning I don’t outline or plot books before I write them) so I had only a
vague idea of where I would take the plot of a sequel. I actually had a much
better idea about what a third book would include. But usually when I let my
mind wander the ideas start to flow, and that’s what happened with The Defiance.



Speaking of The Defiance, what can fans of The
Scourge expect in this second installment?

Fennel and Peree are determined to be together in the protected
village of Koolkuna, and Fenn feels strongly that it’s their responsibility to
bring their people, the Groundlings and Lofties, back with them. When she receives
a frightening message—a pair of dead, bloody animals gutted and nailed to the
wall above her bed—she realizes that not everybody is willing to go along with
her plan.




Tell me three things
that you loved about writing The Scourge
and The Defiance.




·      
Allowing my imagination to run wild

·      
Spending time with my book children, especially Fennel and
Peree

·      
Learning about the craft of writing fiction and the business
of publishing




Post-apocalyptic and
dystopian fiction are popular sub-genres in the literature world right now. Why
do you think people enjoy them so much?

I think it’s intriguing to read about and imagine how you
would react if you were put in these kinds of dire situations. Would I make the
same decisions the heroine does? Would I feel the same way she does? Or would I
decide to do something wildly different? Reading gives us a safe (and fun) way
to explore those decisions.




Finally, what’s on your summer reading list?

Ooh, good question. I agree with the scores of other people
who have said writers should spend almost as much time reading as they do
writing. I love reading, so it’s been a treat to turn a hobby into something I have to do for “work” ; )




I recently devoured the first two books and the novella in
Tahereh Mafi’s Shatter Me series. SO good. I also read and loved Mary Robinette
Kowal’s Glamourist Histories series. I have an affinity for historical fiction
already, but write in the style of Jane Austen and throw in some magic, and I’m utterly hooked. Now I’m starting
on indie author Chelsea Fine’s The Archers of Avalon series. Her books won a
bunch of awards at the utopYA convention where I was a panelist in June. I try
to read a mix of both traditionally published and indie-published authors. I
also mix in a few classics. I re-read Oliver Twist and The Great Gatsby in the
last few months.









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.







Links:

Website | Facebook | Goodreads




































Synopsis:

Read The Defiance (Brilliant Darkness, #2), the highly anticipated
sequel to The Scourge (Brilliant
Darkness, #1), a 2013 Next Generation Indie Book Award Finalist!

Suspicion  Trust. Fear Compassion. Hate Love.

It hasn’t been long since Fennel, a
Sightless Groundling, and Peree, her Lofty Keeper, fell in love and learned the
truth: the Scourge, and their world, are not what they seem.




Fenn and Peree are determined to guide
their people to the protected village of Koolkuna, but first they must convince
them that everything they believe is a lie. An impossible task, especially when
someone seems hell-bent on trying anything—even animal sacrifice and arson—to
destroy the couple’s new bond and crush the frail truce between the Groundlings
and the Lofties. Not everyone wants to uproot their lives in the forest, and
those who stay behind will be left terribly vulnerable.




Fenn and Peree’s resolve to be
together, and the constant threat of the Scourge’s return, push both groups to
the breaking point. Unable to tell friend from foe, Fenn must again decide how
much she’s willing to sacrifice to ensure the future of the people of the
forest.

Only this time, the price of peace may
be too high to bear.




Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/18132908-the-defiance?ac=1




Purchase:

-Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/The-Defiance-Br...

#Review: THE WHITE QUEEN by Philippa Gregory

  4 of 5 stars


This is the story of Elizabeth Woodville who beguiles a young man Edward of York and marries him in secret before he goes off to war. Edward eventually defeats his enemies and becomes King Edward IV. Now queen, Elizabeth with the help of her mother, wastes no time in matching her siblings and relatives in powerful and strategic marriages that strengthen the York family. Edward's reign was never peaceful and he must defend his crown on numerous occasions, often referred as The War of the Roses. While Edward is on the battlefield, Elizabeth is waging her own war against their enemies.



This book is told from Elizabeth's viewpoint and she doesn't always come across as a benevolent queen. Her main focus seems to be mostly about power and gaining more wealth. I understand that in the 1400s, wealth and power solidified their hold on the crown, but she used her children as pawns to achieve that end and it makes her an unlikeable character. That did not dampen my enjoyment of the book though. And, of course, there was the mystery of what happened to her sons "the princes in the tower." Ms. Gregory puts forth her own explanation for that and it's certainly plausible, but that mystery has never been solved. I enjoyed the history she wove into the story although it can get confusing keeping everyone straight because so many of the characters had the same names. I love historical stories so I'll be reading the next volume in this series, The Red Queen.

 

Book Tour Blast: BARELY ALIVE Book Series by Bonnie R Paulson

 

Barely Alive (book #1)
In twelve weeks, seventeen-year-old Paul Ledger will be dead. At least he hopes so.
Paul is trapped in the worst cult the United States has ever seen. Infected with a zombie virus, symptoms culminate in a dead body but thriving mind over a course of twelve weeks. If he doesn’t earn the final death he longs for, he’ll be chained in a basement facility, moaning for human flesh for eternity.

Sent out to kidnap girls for food, toys, or whatever the boss wants, Paul nabs Heather McCain. He’s not a fan of humans as a general rule, but even his graying skin and insatiable hunger for her flesh don’t stop her from reaching out to him. Give him the second chance he doesn’t know he needs.

Overcome by his cravings, Paul bites her delectable skin. Amazingly, she doesn’t develop the zombie-like side effects. When the boss discovers Heather’s immunity, he gives Paul an ultimatum – deliver up Heather and her family to continue the research or watch as Paul’s brother suffers the zombie fate.

Paul has a chance to endure his short zombie existence knowing his brother is safe. But he’ll have to sacrifice Heather to do it.



Buy on Amazon | B&N

 
 





Falling Apart (book #2)
Days slip through Paul’s graying fingers. Humanity faces the end. His brother has the virus and is dying, too.
Paul’s hopes ride on Heather’s genetic code. Her immunity leaves her unchanged and untouchable. What would she see in the zombie he was becoming anyway?

Dominic’s army of infected grows, capturing the south and leaving little alive in its wake.

While Paul and his friends work on the vaccine, protecting the north becomes protecting the world. Heather is taken hostage and Paul races toward Dominic to save his heart.

With his time “alive” shortened, Paul must do more than protect the uninfected. He has to get his brother and Heather back to Sandpoint before the zombies find them. Paul needs to survive the upcoming war before he finds himself defecting to the other side and leaving Heather to Dominic’s mercy.

He has three days to get the cure or he might as well find a fire to call home.

*This has mature themes and language. Not for young or pre-teens.*



Buy on Amazon | B&N

 
 





Mostly Dead (book #3)
Time is running out and Paul’s original wish for death looms.
As his skin grays and hunger becomes uncontrollable, the world burns.
Heather and Paul have fallen for each other, but with life and death barricading them apart, and the potential cure disappearing into time, they have no hope.

Paul’s hunger is all-consuming. He has to walk into the flames, join Dominic, or eat everyone he loves.

Can he save anyone, if not himself?



Buy on Amazon | B&N

 

 

 

 
 



 

Viral Intent (Prequel short)
Dominic has no remorse, no guilt, and his righteous justification swells as his research goes unchecked. There’s someone Dominic wants to save, and he may have the cure. But now he needs test subjects.
He creates a virus that brings about the zombie apocalypse. There’s no excuse for how he treats Paul and humanity itself, but understanding the man might shed light on the evolution of the virus that brings Paul and Heather together.

Discover the how and why behind Dominic’s evil actions. Are you brave enough to see how a Zombie Master is born?



Buy on Amazon | B&N

 

 

 

 

 


Bonnie R. Paulson mixes her science and medical background with reality and possibilities to make even myths seem likely and give every romance the genetic strength to survive. Bonnie has discovered a dark and twisty turn in her writing that she hopes you enjoy as much as she has enjoyed uncovering it. Dirt biking with her family in the Northwest keeps her sane.



Follow on:

Facebook / Blog / Twitter / Goodreads / Newsletter / Literary Addicts / Amazon





Follow the Book Tour




The author is giving away a Zombie Survival Kit! ARV $50



Zombie Apocalypse survival kit in a sardine can

A zombie hunting permit bumper sticker (for the state you live in)

The Zombie Survival Guide Manual

Emergency Mylar Blanket.


a Rafflecopter giveaway

Interview with Matthew Keith

Can you
give us a brief overview of your latest book? Is it part of a series?

My latest book is currently my debut, Watchers of the Night. It is the first in a series (the Watchers
series). I’m about 3/4 of the way through Book two now. I expect it will be
ready for release late 2013/early 2014.




Watchers
of the Night is a story about Paul, a high school senior who roams the
night free of his body from sunset to sunrise. Because his ability causes him
to fall sleep each night when the sun goes down, he is isolated from friends
and family. When he is approached by Astralis, an organization that uses people
with his talent to gather information for the greater good, he agrees to become
a member of their agency.




He finds inclusion and friendship on a level he’d never
before had, but soon finds out that Astralis is an agency under siege from
within, a siege in which Paul soon finds himself a centerpiece.




Watchers
of the Night is Jumper meets X-Men.




Do you
have a favorite character?

By far, my favorite character in Watchers is Steven. He is Paul’s sidekick and confidant. He is
loyal beyond question with a heart of gold. He is also a proud, born and bred
Kentucky redneck with a smart mouth, quick temper, and a love for all women.
Steven always says the wrong thing, but always does the right thing. He’s the
kind of pain in the ass friend you always bring to the party because even
though he’ll either end the night in jail or beat up, it’ll be a wild ride.




Have you
ever had a minor character evolve into a major one? Did that change the
direction of the novel at all?

That is happening in Book Two already. I won’t say who it
is, because anyone who hasn’t read Book One yet will be disappointed that I’ve
given up a spoiler.




In this instance, it didn’t change the direction of the
novel. I’ve already mapped out the entire three-book series in a very detailed
outline, so the emergence of this character as a major player has been planned
for over a year. I’m a planner. I plan.




What
factors influenced your decision to self-publish your book(s)?

I have a friend who works with someone whose wife is a successful
self published author. Through that connection, I was encouraged to use
Smashwords.




Self publishing has been made so easy and so affordable that
I had to try, and I have to say; I haven’t been disappointed. I haven’t sold
thousands of copies (yet!) but I have done moderately well.




The most challenging aspect of self publishing has
definitely been marketing. For that reason alone, I feel like it might be worth
it to try landing on agent for my next project.






What is
your writing process? Do you listen to music or do you like silence?

I need silence. Always silence. When I write, it’s almost
like a daydream. I need to stay in that daydream to keep myself “in the moment”
of each scene. When I don’t do that, like the times when I’ve tried to write in
a coffee shop, my writing turns to crap.




My process starts with the good-old-fashioned legal pad and
a pen at first. I take general concept and start free associating anything that
seems interesting. When I have a page full of thoughts, I organize them. Then I
free-associate again, but include the parts of the first page that I liked. I
repeat that process again and again until I have a beginning, middle, and end.
Then I commit it to a spreadsheet, print that spreadsheet, and start writing.




From the first page of free-association to the printing of
the spreadsheet, it’s usually about a month. That may seem like a long time,
but when I’m done I have a very clear plan for the story. When I’m feeling lost
in any way through the actual writing, I can go to that spreadsheet and see
what I’m supposed to be leading toward. It always puts me back on track.




Did you
hire an editor to review your manuscript before publishing?

Yes, I did. I’m somewhat of a grammar Nazi and spell-check
generally takes good care of me, so I was shocked at how many mistakes I made.
Every writer needs an editor.




Any writers reading this, I say again - you need an
editor!!! I know a lot of writers are so confident in their ability, they think
they can push through without one. They’re wrong. And anyone that knows me
knows that’s a fairly big leap for me: I’m a cheap, cheap bastard. I hate
paying for anything that isn’t necessary, especially expensive things. Editors are absolutely a necessity.




And no, your mom doesn’t count.




Unless she’s a professional editor.




And then only maybe. :)




Besides
Amazon, are there any other sites where your books are for sale?

I am available exclusively on Amazon. I was listed through
Smashwords at a half dozen other sites, but Amazon’s KDP Select program is
pretty amazing and they require that you publish exclusively with Amazon to be
a part of it.




What kinds
of marketing [twitter, facebook, blog, forums] are you involved with for
promoting your book(s)?

I use Facebook https://www.facebook.com/authormatthewkeith
and my blog http://matthewkeithreviews.blogspot.com, primarily. I am on Twitter
@AuthorMatthewK and am a member of a few forums. Generally, Facebook has been
best for me to make in-roads with other authors and reach fans. My blog has
been a lot of fun and has allowed me to try a few marketing techniques that I
couldn’t do anywhere else, but it’s hard to judge whether it has actually
created any sales for me.




I’d like to try a few paid marketing services, but they’re
all pretty pricey. It’s a tough business, promoting a book, because so many
other books are out there and many of them are great books. It makes it hard to
substantiate any serious investment, because you wonder if you’d ever see a
solid ROI. I’m still looking for the kind of advertising for my book that will
track actual sales it creates.




Do you
find it difficult to juggle your time between marketing your current book and
writing your next book?

Very. There
have been times when I’ve set aside a two hour block for writing, get
side-tracked by a Facebook post or a reply to a blog post, and that two-hour
block gets swallowed up. I could easily spend all day, every day, marketing
myself and my book. I see now why publicists cost so much.




What’s
next for you?

My next project after the Watchers series is Sway, a story about a man who’s arrived
back in a recurring nightmare he used to have as a child. It is very dark,
definitely a horror story. I’ve begun working on it in small bits when I feel like
I need a moment to find clarity for Book Two of Watchers. Although I’m only
about 10,000 words into it, I feel great about where it is going. I think it
could my breakthrough novel.










AUTHOR BIO:



Having been born in
Pontiac, Michigan in 1972, I am as much a product of the 80's as anyone from
that era can be. Back in high school, I was a 6'3" bean pole with long
scraggly hair, a jean jacket that I wore nearly every day of my life. I drove
around in a loud, busted-up '76 Cutlass that I bought from my big brother and
thought it was the greatest thing on four wheels. Guns 'n' Roses, ripped up
jeans, radio way too loud - I was that guy.




Back then I didn't
have many ambitions except to get out of high school as quickly as I could. I'd
always envisioned myself one day becoming a teacher, but the road that led to
that career included a minimum of four years additional school and I wanted
nothing to do with that kind of commitment.




I'm older now, not
much wiser, with a lot less hair and more around the middle. I've been a
partner in a pizza business for over fifteen years. I live in Kentucky now and
have two wonderful children, one who will be starting college in August (2013)
at the University of Kentucky on a music scholarship and one who will be a
sophomore in high school. I have been married to the same beautiful red head
for the last sixteen years and from the way it's going I'll be happily stuck
with her until the day I die. Truly, without her I would never have finished my
first novel let alone been able to be halfway through a second and third. She
has supported me in every aspect of my life - it is that support that gave me
the belief that I could write something worth reading.




As far as my writing,
it is something I'd always wanted to do but never allowed myself to find the
time for. As any writer will tell you; it's a discipline and what starts out as
'fun' or 'romantic' turns into actual work at some point. Compound that with
the fact that most writers, like myself, work 'real' jobs to pay the bills and
it becomes ever harder to do. For me, it can sometimes be next to impossible
because there are twelve pizzerias that I operate and they always comes first,
leaving little time in the day for writing. My first novel, Watchers of the
Night, took over two years to write - an hour here, 30 minutes there. Sometimes
I would go for weeks or even months without writing a word simply because I was
just too busy with life. That's beauty of working without an agent or
publishing contract. Until I'm offered that six-figure advance, I see no reason
to sign with anyone or hurry my writing along. I would prefer to keep it a
labor of love instead of ... just a labor. I hope you'll all be patient with
the pace I set.

Interview with Ashley Robertson

Can you give us a brief overview of your latest book? Is it
part of a series?



Death Dealer—A Death Angel Novella Book 1

Death: a word Mia Baron was all
too familiar with since the murder of her parents when she was a young girl.
Her drive for vengeance was the reason she became a Death Dealer—a soul guide
through the spirit realm—signing her life away in her own blood. Pain forged a
concrete wall around her heart and no one or nothing would ever penetrate it…until
she got what she desired most—revenge.




Deacon Gage craves justice for
his own horrific tragedy that forced him into the same life Mia chose, with the
same promise of vengeance dangling just out of reach. His expert training makes
him an Elite—one of the few Death Dealers to ever achieve such a status—and no
one can shift his focus from the blood he seeks.




But when the two are partnered
for yet another job and a heart-shattering case rips open Mia’s heart, Deacon
realizes he’s the only one who can save her…at a price that might be too much
to pay: opening his heart to her. The clock is ticking and her life hangs on
the balance of whether he can truly let go or will hold onto his desire for
blood.




What
factors influenced your decision to self-publish your book(s)?

At first, I hated the idea of self-pubbing—absolutely hated
it. I mean come on, who would love being rejected by countless literary agencies?
But it was the few personal rejections I received that actually motivated me to
self-publish. Apparently a lot of agents are sick of vampires, and anything to
do with them is an automatic “no,” so when a few of the agents responded with, “I
like your writing style, do you have something else you can submit to me?” I
knew I couldn’t just put my book to the side and abandon it; there had to be
others out there just like me that still loved the mysterious, sexy, and
sometimes malicious undead. So I moved forward to publish Crimson Groves, learning everything I could about the indie
industry along the way. By the time I had my second book, UnGuarded, ready to
publish, the whole process was a LOT easier. Thankfully I’ve formed a system to
the madness of self-pubbing, and so far, it seems to be working. I have a
wonderful editor (Stephen Delaney with Close Reader Editing Services) and
graphic designers who do my book covers. Yes, these are additional expenses to
your book—but they are essential to your success as an author.




If you
used a graphic designer/publisher’s designer, how involved were you during the
creative process for your cover?

I’m a team player and I feel like our combined ideas
resulted in four fantastic covers. I worked with Stephanie at Once Upon A Time
Covers for my newest release—Death Dealer
(which came out fabulous!) And Phatpuppy Art created both UnGuarded and Crimson Flames.
Before that, I’d hired an artist from Crowdspring to assist me with Crimson Groves.






What is
your writing process?

Do you listen to music or do you like silence? Usually I
need absolute silence when editing, but when I’m working on first drafts I
enjoy listening to house music.




Do you
outline your story or just go where your muse takes you?

I’m a freestyler for sure—I actually wrote an article for
another guest post about this called “Freestylin’.” I’ve never done an outline,
and whenever a synopsis is asked of me, I totally cringe. Basically, I just
write what’s in my head and that gives me freedom to flow with the characters.
However, I do have profiles of places and people so I don’t confuse those
details during the story.




Did you
hire an editor to review your manuscript before publishing?

In my opinion, this is one of the most important steps of
the publishing process. I have used Stephen Delaney with Close Reader Editing
Services on all of my books and he’s amazing to work with.




Besides
Amazon, are there any other sites where your books are for sale?

Yes: Smashwords. Barnes & Noble. iBookStore. Books-a-Million.
Shelfari.




What kinds
of marketing [twitter, facebook, blog, forums] are you involved with for
promoting your book(s)?




https://www.facebook.com/pages/Ashley-Robertson-Books/189402414415555




https://twitter.com/#!/AshleyR0bertson




http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/4323952.Ashley_Robertson




http://www.amazon.com/-/e/B006J929RI




http://www.ashleyrobertsonbooks.com/blog/




http://www.linkedin.com/profile/view?id=106311624&trk=nav_responsive_tab_profile








Do you
find it difficult to juggle your time between marketing your current book and
writing your next book?

Keeping a good balance between work and other
responsibilities is extremely important. For me, I’ve found that creating—and
sticking to—a schedule helps.




What advice would you give a new author just entering into
the self-publishing arena? 

I could go on forever here and totally make this
question a guest blog post. But in an effort to keep things short, here are a
few important bullet points that are a MUST:




Finish your manuscript! Whether you want to publish
traditionally or self-pub, you’ve got to have a completed book on your hands
before you can do anything else.




Hire a professional
editor! Not your friend! You want someone that will shoot straight with you and
not give a damn if they hurt your feelings because at the end of the day, you
want your book as good as it can be for your readers, right? I use Stephen
Delaney with Close Reader Editing Services and he’s pretty badass. 




If you’re
not a graphic designer and can’t manipulate artwork on a computer, then hire a
cover designer! People really do judge a book by its cover, so you need it to
look as good on the outside as it is on the inside. I use Stephanie with Once
Upon A Time Covers or Claudia with Phatpuppyart.com.




What’s
next for you?

I’m working on the sequel to Death Dealer and hope to have
it published fall/winter 2013. The title is Blood Promise—A Death Angel Novella
Book 2 and it is packed full of action and sizzling romance.




Author Bio:



ASHLEY ROBERTSON - 2013 NATIONAL INDIE EXCELLENCE AWARDS FINALIST

Ashley Robertson resides in sunny Orlando, Florida, and loves writing about anything paranormal. She also composes poems and songs, though she learned long ago she doesn't have a singing voice. When she isn't writing you'll find her spending time with family and friends, sharing personal training and nutrition advice via ExtremeMakeovers.com, traveling and exploring new places, and drinking fine wines and gourmet coffees from her Nespresso machine.

Visit her website to learn about her upcoming releases, guest blog posts, and featured giveaways at: AshleyRobertsonBooks.com

Book Tour Blast: DEATH DEALER by Ashley Robertson

Death Dealer
by Ashley Robertson







 Death: a word Mia Baron was all too familiar with since the murder of her parents when she was a young girl. Her drive for vengeance was the reason she became a Death Dealer—a soul guide through the spirit realm—signing her life away in her own blood. Pain forged a concrete wall around her heart and no one or nothing would ever penetrate it…until she got what she desired most—revenge. 



Deacon Gage craves justice for his own horrific tragedy that forced him into the same life Mia chose, with the same promise of vengeance dangling just out of reach. His expert training makes him an Elite—one of the few Death Dealers to ever achieve such a status—and no one can shift his focus from the blood he seeks.

But when the two are partnered for yet another job and a heart-shattering case rips open Mia’s heart, Deacon realizes he’s the only one who can save her…at a price that might be too much to pay: opening his heart to her. The clock is ticking and her life hangs on the balance of whether he can truly let go or will hold onto his desire for blood. 



Buy on Amazon | Smashwords | Goodreads



 

About the Author:
Ashley Robertson resides in sunny Orlando, Florida, and loves writing about anything paranormal. She also composes poems and songs, though she learned long ago she doesn’t have a singing voice. When she isn’t writing you’ll find her spending time with family and friends, sharing personal training and nutrition advice via ExtremeMakeovers.com, traveling and exploring new places, and drinking fine wines and gourmet coffees from her Nespresso machine.
*2013 NATIONAL INDIE EXCELLENCE AWARDS FINALIST in the Fantasy genre for her book UNGUARDED* 



Visit her website to learn about her upcoming releases, guest blog posts, and featured giveaways at: AshleyRobertsonBooks.com 



Follow Ashley: FaceBook | Twitter | Goodreads | Blog | LinkedIn | Literary Addicts 



Follow the Book Tour 


 

Ashley Robertson is giving away One: Signed Books Swag Bag (includes Crimson Groves, Unguarded, and Death Dealer. Plus graphic custom bookmark and custom made swag from The Book Swag Shop) Two: $30 Gift Card to either Amazon or B&N (winner can choose). Fill out the form below to Enter 



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#Review: THE LEMON ORCHARD by Luanne Rice

5 of 5 stars


A woman heartbroken by the tragic death of her daughter. An illegal immigrant worker haunted by the decision he made in the desert. These two people, Julia and Roberto, find themselves both tending to the lemon orchard. Julia is house sitting for her aunt and uncle and Roberto manages the orchard. Their interactions and budding friendship throws these two unlikely people together. Can these two fractures souls find some peace and healing in the arms of each other?



This book starts out with a shocking event and pulls the reader into the story. I could feel Julia's pain as she tries to cope with her daughter's death. Their interactions are told in flashbacks throughout the book and with each new revelation, their relationship becomes clear. When Julia meets Roberto, there is something about his quiet ways that begins to break through her grief and bring her back to life. Roberto's story is equally traumatizing, but he has no choice. He must shoulder on so that he can send money back home to Mexico to take care of his ailing mother. This could be any illegal immigrant's story. How many die in the desert before reaching the border? It opens up the all sorts of questions about the depths people will go through to make it to the US. Whatever you feel about the larger issues, the story of Julia and Roberto is haunting and one of tenderness, love, loyalty and bittersweet memories. The ending was a bit disappointing and left me wanting more of Julia and Roberto's story.



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



 

Book Tour Blast: CUSPIAN by DC Hall

 

Twins, Kendal and Kennedi Myles are the envy of their peers with: a second string spot on the varsity football team, smartass but loyal teammates, miniature pores, and a killer spray tan. They had big plans for sophomore year, until their mother is slaughtered during a botched robbery.

Forced to move with their estranged father, Kendal becomes fixated with finding their mother’s killer, while Kennedi tries to settle into life with their dad. After the discovering a trail of unsettling clues, the pair to believe their mother’s death was part of a conspiracy. 

 

As the teens’ investigation digs deeper into their mom’s enigmatic past, a mysterious agency stumbles upon them, and the twosome learns they are Cuspians—individuals gifted with supernatural abilities. Kendal and Kennedi are soon faced with the challenge of staying concealed from the shadowy organization hell-bent on enslaving powerful Cuspians while trying to solve a murder.

Family secrets, bloody breadcrumbs, and deadly obsessions guide the twins through tough decisions and awful mistakes. Desperate for their lives to return to normal, the pair found normal is not written in the stars for either one of them.


Purchase on Amazon / Barnes and Noble

 
ABOUT THE AUTHOR 



DC Hall is obsessed with argyle socks, the smell of books and believes he is the smartest person in the room. Granted he’s usually alone when he thinks this but it still feels good. When his nose isn’t stuck in a book, DC is usually writing or trying to teach his dog, Brooklyn, how to wash dishes (success remains elusive.) DC is from the south where the teas are sweet, distance is measured in minutes—not miles, and the skies are always Carolina blue. 



If you are interested in learning more about DC: 

Email: dchallauthor@gmail.com 

Twitter | Blog | Facebook 





Follow the Book Tour

 



Prize - Summer themed with nail polish, zodiac jewelry, and some other favorites of the main character  



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#Review: THE MARRIAGE FIX by Sandra Edwards

5 of 5 stars


This story focuses on the only girl in the French de Laurent family. Lecie inherited the bulk of her late uncle's estate including a fabulous ocean front house in California. Now that she's independently wealthy in her own right, she's thrilled that she can finally stretch her wings a bit and get out from under her controlling father's influence. She takes to living in California like bird to water and is having the time of her life. She has even developed a crush on a local hunky bartender, Nick Matthews. The only bad part in the equation is that Nick is set to marry within days. When Nick learns that his so-called "love" has embezzled all his money, he calls off the wedding, but is now in serious peril of losing the one thing he treasures - his restaurant. A young woman with plenty of money and a young man who needs lots of it is the perfect set-up for THE MARRIAGE FIX.
 

I adore Ms. Edward's writing and her latest novel does not disappoint. Nick oozes sex appeal and Lecie can't help but fall for him, but make no mistake, Nick is a good guy. I even fell for him - that's how real his character became for me. The author is masterful at creating sexual tension between these two as well as misunderstandings and longing. The secondary characters were rich and added so much to the story. You can't go wrong reading the Billionaire Games series. Each book is a treat in their own right, but put them all together and you've got swoon worthy characters. Highly Recommended.