Tabitha Barret's Blog

This Blog is Now Called The Throne Room and has Moved!

Hello everyone!  I wanted to let you know that I have moved my blog over to my website and it will now be called, The Throne Room.

You can check out my Fast and Fun Interviews with amazing Romance, Paranormal Romance, Fantasy, Urban Fantasy, Sci-Fi, and YA authors, as well other guest blogs.  I will also be featuring Book Reviews, Giveaways, and Book Deals!

This site will remain open for my previous posts!  Thank you!

Click here to go to The Throne Room Blog!

Author Spotlight: BK Rivers, Author of the Raining Down series

I had the pleasure of meeting BK at the Brains to Books Cyber Convention this year when she participated in my Readers' Fantasyland Event.  We chatter about her love of the country and how much she missed a green landscape.  I had the opportunity to ask her about her Raining Down series and about her upcoming book, Raining Down Redemption.  I learned who her favorite character is and why she enjoys writing Contemporary Romance novels.  Don't forget to join her Raining Down Redemption Book Launch Event on Facebook Aug 9th for prizes and teasers about her new book!

Book Genre: New Adult Contemporary Romance
Suggested Reading Audience: Adult 18+
Content Warnings: Sexual Situations
Book blurb for both books:

RAINING DOWN RULES (book 1 in the Raining Down Series)
Jemma Bowers hasn’t kissed anyone in over a thousand days. She knows—she’s counted.
For twenty-year-old Jemma, rules are not meant to be broken…even if she’s the one who created them. Friendships have boundaries, relationships mean trouble, and don’t even get her started on sex. Haunted by the death of her mother and her father’s abandonment, Jemma finds herself hungry for something meaningful and permanent, but is afraid of what may happen if she pursues it.

Jordan Capshaw can’t fight his addiction. Not even if it will cost him his career…When Jemma finds Jordan drunk and barefoot in the street, she convinces him to get in her car. Aside from the fact he’s the lead singer of her favorite band and pretty much the rock star of her dreams, she quickly realizes his addiction is a monster neither of them can control.

Who knew choosing between a rock star and a fireman could be so difficult?
Emotions run high as Jemma soon finds herself caught between the troubled rock star and her growing affections for Vic Harper, a swoon-worthy firefighter from her past. But when her grandmother passes away, leaving her with no other family, Jemma’s world falls apart.
To save herself from further heartbreak, she risks it all by breaking her own rules, and putting her heart on the line.

After all, the heart just might be the biggest rule breaker of them all.

RAINING DOWN REDEMPTION (book 2 in the Raining Down Series) Available August 2nd!
Jordan Capshaw gave up the carefree rock star lifestyle of sex, drugs, and alcohol six hundred and sixty days, five hours, and ten minutes ago…but who’s counting?
Jordan’s reckless choices were killing him day by day. That is until he met a woman who helped him see the kind of life he really wanted to live—too bad she chose another man. Almost two years later, he’s clean and sober and back in Phoenix working with his band on a new album.

Regina Velasco’s past is about to catch up with her and turn her world upside down…
Reggie works two jobs and shares an apartment with her best friend just to make ends meet. She’s loved Jordan since they were teenagers, but broke up with him after high school graduation so he could pursue his music career. Her focus has been raising her son, not giving in to distractions like old high school flames.

Jordan isn’t used to to denying himself anything. If he really wants something he goes after it, no matter the consequences…When he runs into Reggie, his buried feelings resurface and he can’t help himself. He asks her out on a whim, but when she blatantly refuses, it reignites a desire he thought faded long ago. Jordan knows Reggie is more than a trip down memory lane, and he wants it all this time around. With his band’s album nearly finished, and another tour on the horizon, is Jordan finally ready to let the rock star lifestyle go for good and prove to Reggie he’s changed?

After all, redemption won’t come without sacrifice…

Purchase Raining Down Rules at Amazon.comhttp://www.amzn.com/B01B8R1LF6

 Join BK's Raining Down Redemption Book Party on August 9th!https://www.facebook.com/events/1222844784407290/
Interview:
What made you decide to become an Author and write a book or a series?
I was not a reader growing up, in fact I pretty much stopped reading anything after the third grade. It wasn’t until the later half of my twenties that I finally realized how much I was missing out on by not reading. So, a friend introduced me to Shannon Hale’s THE GOOSE GIRL and I haven’t been able to stop reading since.

For me, writing became something I craved—I suddenly had characters popping into my mind with stories they were dying to share. The stories floating around in my head were keeping me from sleeping at times and so the only way to get the rest I needed was to write them down. Funny how once you start writing you still don’t sleep at times because you find yourself so immersed in the story that you stay up into the wee hours of the morning to get the scene just right.

Why did you choose to write in your genre and what are some of the difficulties associated with the genre?

When I first started writing, I dabbled in young adult fantasy because that’s what I loved to read. But I’d find myself getting stuck in a corner during world development. That being said, as I grew as a writer, I found myself naturally gravitating toward writing contemporary stories. I love being able to draw inspiration from places I’ve lived or visited as the setting of a story as well as imagining scenarios just to see how they’d play out.

As far as difficulties associated with the genre…I’d say this is different for every author and reader too. What one person finds difficult to write or read will be different than the person sitting next to them. As far as marketing in this genre—that’s a whole different level of difficulty. You have to find your niche and stick with it knowing you’re doing something amazing by writing and publishing a book!


What is your favorite book you have written?  What was the hardest part to write?
My favorite book I’ve written at this point has to be Raining Down Redemption. I love my MC, Jordan, and loved letting him discover who he truly wanted to be. The hardest part of writing this book was working in the secret that could shatter all Jordan thinks he’s knows.

Who is your favorite character to write and why?
Right now, I have two characters I’ve loved writing. The first was Jordan because he’s dealt with a lot in his life and when he’s handed everything he’s ever wanted after he becomes super famous as a rock star, he finds himself dealing with addiction. I loved writing his struggles after he became clean and sober. People don’t necessarily understand that just because you’ve chosen to become clean and sober, the world is all roses and sunshine. Jordan still has urges and fights against them, ultimately growing as a person into an amazing man.

My second favorite character is Ace in book 3. He’s an incredible person, a great police officer and a good friend. But when it comes to women, he’s terrified of letting his heart love again. Without going too much into the story, his previous wife died and he’s shut himself off from feeling emotion. He’s haunted by her memory and feels guilty he couldn’t save her.

I think, for me, I love writing conflicted characters who are dealing with some pretty heavy stuff. I love to see their growth throughout the story and then fall in love even when the character doesn’t think they deserve it.

What is your writing process?  Do you have the story planned out or does it surprise you as you write it?  Do you write at night, or in the morning?  Do you listen to a play list?
I’m a late night writer, meaning after all three of my kids are in bed my head is clear enough to concentrate on writing. I put in my ear buds, turn on either my favorite Pandora station or play my Spotify playlist for the novel I’m currently writing. If I don’t wear my ear buds it’s really hard for me to concentrate on the story. I’ll typically write 1 chapter a night, though sometimes it’s hard to get that much on the screen. Right now, however, I’m on a deadline and writing 2-3 chapters a night.

Do you enjoy writing a series or individual stories?
I enjoy writing standalone books because I love to have closure at the end of a book. My Raining Down series is a series of standalone books that have recurring characters though it’s not necessary to read one before the other—thus, standalone books.

What are the strangest events or advertising methods have you used to get your name and books into the public eye?
I haven’t done anything strange or unusual and due to my introverted personality, don’t think I ever will. I really enjoy participating in Author Takeovers on Facebook and interacting with readers. It’s really exciting talking about my books and finding readers who are eager to read your book and then turn around and tell you how much they loved it…it’s the greatest feeling you’ll ever feel as an author.

What would you like your readers to know about you or your books?
Two things…I won’t ever write the F-bomb. I strongly dislike the word, don’t ever say it in person and feel books can be just as good, if not better, without it. Second is that even though I write new adult contemporary romance novels, you can expect sexual situations but they won’t be in the realms of erotica. I’m not comfortable writing descriptive sexual scenes and really wouldn’t want my children reading it if they were to come across my books. I feel like you can write in sex without all the nitty gritty, save that for your own bedroom.

Looking ahead, what can we expect to see from you in the future?  What are you working on?
Let me see…You can expect book 3 in the Raining Down series some time toward the end of the year, yay! And depending on how I feel, it will probably be the end of this series. Once book 3 is submitted to my publisher, I’ll be working on a few different books that I’ve started. The first will be a college rodeo series I’m really excited about. I also may begin editing a couple young adult novels, the first being a contemporary young adult the second being a paranormal young adult.

Author bio:
BK Rivers grew up riding through rolling fields of grain on horseback, driving hay trucks and catching frogs in a silver creek.  She traded country life for the big city when she married the love of her life, but the heart always returns to the country.
BK, her husband and three children live in the Phoenix suburbs on their own mini farm surrounded by crowing roosters and the low nicker of horses.  When she’s not writing, she can be found baking anything sweet, in fact it’s been said her brownies are so good they save marriages.
The inspiration for her novels comes in many forms, but mostly from her Gotye channel on Pandora.  She writes young adult and new adult novels to the beat of Gotye, Snow Patrol and many others.

Contact BK Rivers:
Website: http://www.BKRivers.com
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/AuthorBKRivers
Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/WriterRivers
Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/BKRivers

Author Spotlight, Debbie Manber Kupfer, Author of P.A.W.S.

I recently starting branching out into the world of online book conventions and other author events.  In doing so, I started to see the same names popping up.  I recognized one of the covers below from Twitter and was happy to finally meet the author behind the books.  Debbie Manber Kupfer was kind enough to attend my event during the Brains to Book Cyber Con and I had the opportunity to learn more about her series P.A.W.S. and Argentum (P.A.W.S. 2).  During our interview I asked her why she had become an author and was surprised to find that she is a breast cancer survivor.  Thankfully, she is cancer-free, but it made her understand the importance of doing these things she always wanted to do.  Writing a book was one of the those things.  I admire her strength and courage, but I also admire the fact that she understood how important it is to follow your dreams.  Please see Debbie's full interview below.  This week, her books on sale for $0.99, so please check them out!

Book Genre: YA FantasySuggested Reading Audience: Teens and adults.Content Warning: Book 1, P.A.W.S. – PG, Book 2, Argentum – PG 13
Book blurbs for both books: P.A.W.S. When Miri receives a silver cat charm from her omama on the night before she dies she has no idea that the charm holds a secret, a powerful magic that saved her omama's life and is about to make Miri's a whole lot more interesting.Join Miri on a mysterious and supernatural journey with her new friends, members of an underground St. Louis society known as the Partnership for Animagi, Werewolves, and Shapeshifters, better known as P.A.W.S.Argentum (P.A.W.S. 2) Argentum is the thread that binds all magic – the silver wands, the silver scrying bowls, and the silver charms of the shapeshifters all contain the essence of Argentum.The destruction of Alistair has brought a measure of peace and calm to those at P.A.W.S., but his silver charm remains in Miri’s possession and it seems to almost have a life of its own.Nightmares and questions torment Miri until the charm mysteriously disappears and Jessamyn seeks help from Quentin, who claims to have repented his past association with Alistair. But can he be trusted?
And Jenna, the young girl once held captive by Alistair, is carrying a terrible secret - a secret that could determine the future of P.A.W.S.
Purchase P.A.W.S.
Amazon.com (US) http://amzn.com/B0129GG6YQ Amazon.UK http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B0129GG6YQBarnes and Noble http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/paws-debbie-manber-kupfer/1115689889?ean=9781514788912
Purchase Argentum (P.A.W.S. 2) Amazon.com (US) http://amzn.com/B00OVEA52E Amazon.UK  http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B00OVEA52EBarnes and Noble http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/argentum-debbie-manber-kupfer/1120655198?ean=9780990829522 
Signed copies from author website https://debbiemanberkupfer.wordpress.com/p-a-w-s/

Interview:What made you decide to become an Author and write a book or a series?I’ve been writing stories ever since I was small and always knew I wanted to write a book, but felt I had all the time in the world for that. Then in 2011 I was diagnosed with breast cancer. I went through treatment and today I’m cancer-free, but going through this made me realize my own mortality. I understood that if I really wanted to write a book I couldn’t wait as you never know how long you have.
So, in November of 2012 I started writing P.A.W.S. and quickly learned that I had a whole world waiting for me to unlock, for more than just one book. P.A.W.S. was published in 2013 followed by Argentum in 2014 and I’m currently working on books 3 and 4 in the series.
Why did you choose to write in your genre and what are some of the difficulties associated with the genre?I love fantasy both to read and to write. With magic you can go anywhere and do anything – it’s exhilarating. The genre itself gives me little problem. What is sometimes challenges is keeping all the little details of series straight. I have a huge cast and some of my characters are many centuries old. When I was writing the first book I wrote without an outline and let the story goes where it pleased. When I sat down to write the second book in the series I quickly realized that I couldn’t do it in the same way. So I took a step back and created a character list, family tree, and timeline. Now whenever a new character or event emerges as I write I add it to my documents and I helps tremendously in keeping the series consistent.

What is your favorite book you have written?  What was the hardest part to write?Argentum (book two of my series). I love the quirky places (the Welsh mountains, the tiny isle off of Ireland) that it took me too and the twists and turns of the story. But it also contains one of the hardest scenes I’ve ever written – a rape of a minor – fairly early on in the book. I knew it was necessary for the story, but that doesn’t make it easy to write and I felt a sense of dread as I was coming up to that particular chapter. (This is also the reason I would rate this book PG13 rather than PG. It’s not a particularly graphic scene, but shocking nonetheless.)
Who is your favorite character to write for and why?I have a couple. Firstly it’s always fun to write about my kangaroo animagus, Joey Marks. The character is based on my son, Joey, who shares a lot of his personality traits. Super smart, super bouncy, and getting passionate about new things!
Then there’s Gromer the Green, the last wild warlock of Wales with a fondness for pea soup and wizzlewoop hunting. The character first appeared in Argentum and has a cameo in both P.A.W.S. 3 and 4!
What is your writing process?  Do you have the story planned out or does it surprise you as you write it?  Do you write at night, or in the morning?  Do you listen to a play list?The bulk of my novels so far have started out as NaNoWriMo projects during November, April and July. During those months I set myself a daily target (usually 2K words) and write first thing each morning and don’t let myself go on the internet until I’ve finished my words for the day.
In between NaNo months I edit my novels and write short stories.
Do you enjoy writing a series or individual stories?Both – I love writing my series, but I project it to be a long series, so in between I write short stories for anthologies. It’s my way to experiment in different genres.
What are the strangest events or advertising methods have you used to get your name and books into the public eye?Haven’t done it, but this summer I plan to go to Warped Tour with my daughter and hand it bookmarks for my series to all the kids waiting in line. 
What would you like your readers to know about you or your books?I adore it when my readers reach out to me and am more than happy to answer questions about pretty much anything!
Looking ahead, what can we expect to see from you in the future?  What are you working on?Well, I have a book of silliness entitled Tea and Dark Chocolate out at the beginning of May. Then towards the end of the year Umbrae, (P.A.W.S. 3), will be out. In Umbrae we travel with Miri to Israel and discover a world beneath the shadows. I also have a couple of picture books in the works for younger readers.


Author bio: Debbie Manber Kupfer grew up in the London. She has lived in Israel, New York and North Carolina and somehow ended up in St. Louis, where she works as a writer and a freelance puzzle constructor of word puzzles and logic problems. She lives with her husband, two children and a very opinionated feline. Her first novel, P.A.W.S., was published originally in June 2013 and her second book in the series, Argentum, was released in October 2014. In addition she has stories in several anthologies including Fauxpocalypse, Shades of Fear, Winter Wishes, and Sins of The Past. In February 2015 she published a book of logic puzzles, Paws 4 Logic, with her son Joey. She believes that with enough tea and dark chocolate you can achieve anything!

Contact Debbie: 
Website: Paws4Thought: http://debbiemanberkupfer.wordpress.com/
Facebook Author page: https://www.facebook.com/DebbieManberKupferAuthor
Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/@CiciCat42
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/7142164.Debbie_Manber_Kupfer
Amazon Author Page - Check out Debbie’s other books!  http://www.amazon.com/Debbie-Manber-Kupfer/e/B00DHPNJ5I

Author Spotlight: Renee Scattergood, author of the "Shadow Stalker" series

I had the pleasure of meeting Renee Scattergood when I wrote a character interview for her blog.  Curious about her, I took at look at her books and immediately became interested in her Shadow Stalker series.  I liked that she had a female lead with a dark destiny since I have a similar theme in my series.  I didn't know what to expect when I started reading, but I was pleasantly surprised to find an intriguing story that drew me in.  After finishing Part 1 and 2 of her serial, I decided to get to know Renee a little better and ask the questions that were burning in my mind while reading her serial.
Book Genre: Dark Fantasy Suggested Reading Audience: Young Adult 15+ and Adult Content Warning: Adult themes and moderately graphic content
Book blubs: Shadow Stalker Part 1 (Episodes 1 – 6): Auren learns she is destined to enslave the people of her world, and Drevin, emperor of the Galvadi Empire is determined to end her life before it happens. Her foster father, Kado, has sworn to protect her and trains her as a shadow stalker. But her training is cut short, when their people are overrun by the Galvadi Empire. Now she has to find a way to help her people without succumbing to the prophecy.  Click here for my review of Shadow Stalker Part 1 and 2

Shadow Stalker Part 2 (Episodes 7 – 12): Auren is captured by the Galvadi trying to rescue her friend, Jade, and tortured by the man who is supposed to love and protect her. When Makari finally realizes she's not the delohi-saqu as his father claims, he helps her escape, but their plans don't go as expected. Click here for my review of Shadow Stalker Part 1 and 2 
What made you decide to become an Author and write a Dark Fantasy series?I decided to become an author after being told in college I should seriously consider publishing my work by my English instructor. Of course, it took a while to build up my courage enough to show my work to others.
Why did you choose to write Dark Fantasy and what are some of the difficulties associated with the genre?When I started writing my serial, I wasn't planning on writing dark fantasy. It just turned out that it's what I have in me to write. Mostly because I have this innate need to torture my characters. Not sure if that's a good thing or not. ;)
The difficulty for me is keeping the stories from being too gory or scary. I like them to be dark, but I don't want to limit my readership either. I like to make it dark enough to be dark, but not so dark it freaks out the majority of readers.
What is your favorite book (or episode) that you have written?  What was the hardest part to write?Wow, this is a good question. My favorite episode would have to be Episode 8: Broken. I loved writing about the change in Makari. It was challenging, but fun at the same time.The hardest part to write was Cali's death in Part 3. She is one of my favorite characters in the series and killing her was difficult. Unfortunately, her death drove the plot so I had no choice. :(
Who is your favorite character to write for and why?Cali was definitely one. I'm considering writing a novella about her sometime in the future just so I can write about her again. I also love writing for Makari and I'm planning a novella series about him as well.
What is your writing process?  Do you have the story planned out or does it surprise you as you write it?  Do you write at night, or in the morning?  Do you listen to a play list?I have a pretty meticulous process. I start with planning out the story, beginning with an overall plot outline and working in steps towards a detailed outline of each scene/chapter. Then I write the rough draft and do my edits before sending it to my editor.
I write any time of the day really. It depends on when I have time. My daughter has ASD and ADHD, and she's homeschooled because of sleep issues and her inability to cope with being in a classroom, so I mostly work around her schedule.
Sometimes I listen to music. It depends on my mood. When I'm not feeling very creative, it helps get me in the writing mood. It also helps filter out distracting noises. But then other times it becomes a distraction. The type of music depends on my mood as well. It varies from orchestral music to symphonic rock.
Having read your Shadow Stalkers series Part 1 & Part 2, I wanted to know how you came up with Auren.  Is she anything like you, or is she based on someone you know?Believe it or not, Auren was originally a boy (though his name wasn't Auren). He was also older with kids of his own. The story changed a great deal from the original version. Auren came after a friend (who is a published author) read my first draft and suggested I change the main character to a girl since there are not enough female heroes. I liked her suggestion, so I scrapped the whole thing and started from scratch. There is some of me in Auren, but mostly she is a completely fictional creation. My characters develop and grow with the story. I think they seem more real that way.
What was it like creating this extremely vivid and detailed world of the Dark Isle and the Shadow Stalker culture in Part 1? This is another thing that developed as I wrote the story. When I create the setting and culture, I let the story play out in my mind like a movie and I write what I see and feel (or at least I try to). I wanted the Dark Isle to be a beautiful but harsh environment to reflect the shadow stalkers' rigid way of life.
In Part 2, Auren decides to search for her father, which is very dangerous because of the dark prophesy.  What was it like writing the scenes when she finally meets her father?   My parents divorced when I was about 11 years old, and when we moved to Florida I didn't see my father for many years. I was definitely a daddy's girl, so I missed my father a lot. When I saw him again, it was very emotional for me. I drew on that when I wrote about Auren meeting her father for the first time.
In Part 2, Auren is forced to endure reconditioning treatments while being held in the reconciliation centers.  How hard was it for you to write the scenes between Auren and Makari?  I personally cried when I read those parts of the book.  What was going through your mind when you wrote these dark, emotional scenes? I cried too. Don't feel bad. My husband actually stopped what he was doing to check on me, and when he realized why I was crying he had a chuckle over it. Those scenes were very difficult to write. I had to start with just telling the action and slowly add the "showing" in over many rewrites to get through it.
At the end of Part 2, I found it interesting that you summarized some of the final events of the book.  It was a very different writing style since Auren’s journey was captured in “real time” and we experienced her life moment-to-moment.  What was the reason behind the change in writing style from 1st person to 3rd person?I decided to write the prologues and epilogues in 3rdperson to take it out of Auren's point of view and give a hint of what's going on in the rest of the world during that time. Eventually I'd like to write novellas or other serials from other characters' points of view. A lot of people really love Makari, so I'm focusing on him next.
The biggest question of all...when is Part 3 coming out!  What should we expect to see from Auren?  Well I have been publishing individual episodes for Part 3 already. Episodes 13 through 15 are available for purchase direct from me, and the other episodes are released about every 6 weeks. The 6 episode bundle for Part 3 will be released in November of this year.
I don't want to ruin anything, so to find out what's going on with Auren, you'll have to read the newest episodes.
What would you like your readers to know about you or your books?I decided to write the serials because I wanted to publish shorter pieces of fiction as a way of getting a feel for the self-publishing industry. At first I wanted to write novels based on the Shadow Stalker world, but I've since decided to stick to writing serials and novellas.
Looking ahead, what can we expect to see from you in the future?  What are you working on?I've begun work on a new novel series called, A God's Deception. The first book is Defender of the Chosen. I haven't shared any details about this series yet, but if you're interested, you can check out my website and blog.


Author bio: Renee Scattergood lives in Australia with her husband, Nathan, and daughter, Taiya. She has always been a fan of fantasy and was inspired to become a story-teller by George Lucas, but didn't start considering writing down her stories until she reached her late twenties. Now she enjoys writing dark fantasy. She is currently publishing her monthly Shadow Stalker serial, and she has published a prequel novella to the series called, Demon Hunt. She is also working on a new series of novels, A God's Deception. Aside from writing, she loves reading (Fantasy, of course), watching movies with her family, and doing crafts and science experiments with her homeschooled daughter. Visit her site for more information and a free copy of Shadow Stalker Part 1 (Episodes 1 – 6): http://reneescattergood.com

Interested in Renee's Shadow Stalker serial, here's how to get them:
Shadow Stalker Part 1 (Episodes 1 – 6):  (free to download) Shadow Stalker Part 2 (Episodes 7 – 12): ($2.99 or free for newsletter signups)
 Contact Renee:
Website/Blog: http://reneescattergood.com/Renee's Author Spotlight: http://reneesauthorspotlight.blogspot.com.au/- a blog where I feature indie and small press authors.Amazon Author Page: http://www.amazon.com/-/e/B00NTJY1W2Smashwords Author Page: https://www.smashwords.com/profile/view/rscatts 
Social Media Links:
Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/reneescattsRenee's Shadow Stalkers: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/16rTPYCAwDq5cpyxHfphx0-x6ka9C7DWoJsdgYa2CyAw/viewformTwitter: https://twitter.com/ReneeScattsGoogle+: https://plus.google.com/u/0/100671337443224225702/postsLinkedIn: https://au.linkedin.com/pub/renee-scattergood/56/963/3Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/rscatts/ 

Author Spotlight: Michael Dellert, author of, "The Matter of Manred" series

I had the opportunity to make the acquaintance of Fantasy author, Michael Dellert, at a recent book signing.  When his vivid book covers caught my attention, I had to know more about his novels, Hedge King in Winter and A Merchant's Tale.  He was featured at the Readers' Fantasyland event at the Brains to Books Cyber Convention and presented his books to new fantasy readers.  He is a writer, editor, and writing coach, but today we are going to discuss what motivated him to create these wonderful books.
Book Genre:Fantasy.Suggested Reading Audience:13 and up.Content Warning:Some graphic violence, some strong language.Book blurb: Hedge King in Winter: The King has been crippled! Can the King’s brother Eowain defend the realm against the machinations of their rival cousin?When his brother is dangerously wounded, young Lord Eowain is faced with a desperate choice between the law, his family, and the good of his kingdom. And when the mysterious Order of the Drymyn, sorcerer-priests with their own occult agenda, pressure him to take the throne, Eowain has to wonder whether there isn’t something darker and more dangerous a-foot. Why should kings far and wide suddenly take an interest in him? What dark powers have awakened in the Kingdom of Droma? How will they threaten the future of his kingdom, the destiny of things yet to come, and even his own soul?
Purchase the Hedge King in Winter! http://getBook.at/HedgeKingInWinter



A Merchant’s Tale: Corentin, a young foreign trader of the House Pelan arrives in the uncertain lands of Droma, tasked to deliver a mysterious chest to a far-away sage in a remote corner of the kingdom. Accompanied by his mercenary bodyguard, a native scout, and the young local priest named Adarc, he sets out on a journey that will change his life forever.

A Merchant’s Taleis the second installment in The Matter of Manred series, a new cycle of medieval romances, action adventures, heroic fantasies, mysterious priests, and their dark and forgetful gods.
  Purchase A Merchant's Tale! http://getBook.at/A-Merchants-Tale

What made you decide to become an Author and write a book series?I’ve wanted to be a writer since I was a teenager: I took writing classes, served on the board of school literary magazines, studied literature, and practiced, practiced, practiced. I worked in the traditional publishing industry for twenty years so that I could understand the cradle-to-grave process from manuscript to bound book and digital formats. When I was asked during a job interview in 2006 what I really wanted to do with my life, I said, “Start my own publishing company and publish my own books.” (I didn’t get that job, by the way.)
Then about three years ago, some challenges came up in my life and I couldn’t work full-time for about six months. But I needed something to fill my time. I’ve always wanted to be a published writer, but traditional publishing takes too long and there are no guarantees. And here was this world I’d been using as a story sandbox since time out of mind. So I decided to do something meaningful with those stories and started laying the foundation for that little publishing empire I’d dreamed off. I’ve been investing my retirement savings into it ever since.
Why did you choose to write Fantasy and what are some of the difficulties associated with the genre?I grew up on sci-fi/fantasy stories from Tolkien, CJ Cherryh, Terry Brooks, Stephen R. Donaldson, Andre Norton, Ursula K. LeGuin and many others, as well as Greek and Roman myths. From a very early age, the genre has always fascinated and enthralled me.
But no doubt, it presents some unique challenges, especially when one’s stories are set on an alternate world, as mine are. The time-period in which the story is set as well as fundamental things like the length of the year, the constellations, the political history, and the social structure, all these have to be taken into consideration. 
More than that, once one knows these things, one has to consider how knowing these things and only these things influences the thoughts, behaviors, and attitudes of the characters.
For example: To a modern person, a case of the flu is a fairly low-impact event: a few days in bed at the mercy of an impersonal virus, with some chicken soup and some TheraFlu, and that’s that. But to the average citizen of my fantasy world, there’s no TheraFlu, no antibiotics, no modern germ theory. A flu is a potentially deadly assault by other-worldly forces, calling into question one’s life-choices and running the risk of exile from one’s family and friends. It’s a very different kind of mind-set, and this kind of world-building and research can take up a lot of time and energy. One can easily wander off into a rabbit-hole of procrastination, and that’s the real struggle. Keeping oneself focused on the story, and not on the history behindthe story.
What is your favorite book you have written?  What was the hardest part to write?You’re going to make me pick favorites?! But they’re all special little darlings. At least, that’s what I tell them. 
Between us, though, I like A Merchant’s Tale better (of those I’ve published so far). It’s a smaller story than Hedge King in Winter, and a little more intimate in some ways. Hedge King has a lot of great stuff that I like, battles and politics and possibly sinister religious figures, but I feel like I overreached myself for the shorter novella format and sacrificed a bit on character development.
In A Merchant’s Tale, however, I feel like I mixed character and action more successfully. I also featured the setting much more strongly, dramatizing bits of the world-building without overloading the reader with exposition. But the hardest thing about writing it was the pacing of the scenes. I actually flip-flopped several major moments in the story during the last draft because the pacing just wasn’t quite right, and that led to some heavy-duty rewriting.
Who is your favorite character to write for and why?As much as I love my main characters, sometimes it’s the minor characters that steal my heart. In A Merchant’s Tale, the heroes encounter a young tinker-girl and her dog on their travels. She came out of my head as bold, brash, proud, and plucky, and I just loved her from the minute she opened her mouth. As one of my beta-readers put it, that girl and her dog are a force to be reckoned with. She outdid herself and may have bought herself a larger role in the series.
What is your writing process?  Do you have the story planned out or does it surprise you as you write it?  Do you write at night, or in the morning?  Do you listen to a play list?I know there’s this whole “plotter vs. pantser” debate, but honestly, I’m a bit of both. I do a lot of planning: number of chapters, overall structure, number of words per scene, number of scenes per character, the timeline, the weather, the terrain, the effects of terrain and weather on character movement and timeline, which damned things and unfortunate events will happen, and on and on.
But what I don’t plan out in advance is how the characters will develop through the story. I know they willdevelop, but how they handle their personal problems in relation to the story I’ve planned out is always a mystery. And yes, it often surprises me, like how my tinker-girl developed from this early note, “characters meet lone trader on the road,” to become the little scene- and heart-stealer that she is. Or how Corentin’s voice and thoughts developed once I started writing his dialogue in French and then translated it into English, to get the “foreigner” aspect of his character just the way I wanted it.
I like to write in the morning. I’m a creature of habit: rise, coffee, walk with dog, oatmeal over email, then more coffee as I dive into the writing. Developing a habit like this was the best thing I ever did for my writing, because I miss it when it’s not there. And getting my work in before my kids get up and start their day helps me keep the howling monkeys of life from interfering with my work.
I do have a playlist. It’s a very eclectic mix, but Celtic folk rock features heavily, from the Pogues to the Waterboys to the Chieftains and beyond.
I’ve actually been sharing my process on my blog recently, under the tag #13WeekNovel. I have two completed novels waiting in the wings that I wrote using this method, and I’m currently writing another one. The process doesn’t lead to a “good” novel, but it’s great for a first, dirty draft and feeds into the sausage grinder of my thirteen week rewriting process really well. So to complete a first and second draft, my process takes about six months per novel.
Looking ahead, what can we expect to see from you in the future?  What are you working on?I’m currently re-writing The Romance of Eowain, my third book and the first full-length novel that I’ll be publishing. It continues the story of Hedge King in Winter, but the full-length novel format gives me the space to include both the character development that I felt Hedge King missed, as well as retain the elements of action and adventure that I enjoy. It’s also a stretch for me as a writer, because the primary story line is the romance between the Hedge King and the foreign, head-strong bride that’s been arranged for him. We see the first hint of that relationship at the end of Hedge King, but in Romance of Eowain, I take that hint and crank it up to eleven. On my calendar, the rewrite will be completed in the next few weeks, and then it goes into Production and should hit the shelves in early July.
Beyond that, the novel I’m currently writing is another stretch goal for myself: another romance, but with a female protagonist, and a third person point of view limited to her. It’s a big stretch: Can I write “like a woman”? I don’t know yet, but I think it’s coming along pretty well so far. A beta-reader of the early chapters did tell me, “she sounds like a dude,” so I’ll have to go back and polish that dude-ness out of it, but it’s on my calendar to hit shelves sometime in Autumn 2016.Still further in the future, I have a completed novel that will publish in early 2017 called Heron’s Cry. It’s the fifth story in my Matter of Manred series, and will finally pull together all the threads that I’ve been introducing in the first four books. It’s already finished, but I’m going to give it one last major rewrite later this year to really fine-tune the interconnected story-lines from the earlier books. All of the major characters will be involved, some new ones will be introduced, some mysteries will be revealed, and we’ll finally have our first major glance at the ultimate villain of the series. And there’s a dragon! I’m reallyexcited for that one.After that, we’ll have to see. If this writing thing takes off, who knows? Maybe 2-3 more novels per year until the series is finished. I know what stories I want to tell, but we’ll see how the readers respond. Reader feedback makes a huge difference: I love hearing it and trying to imagine how to work ideas from readers into the series.  What would you like your readers to know about you or your books?I created a big world for the Matter of Manred series, and I have several books planned that are set in this universe. But it’s not a traditional series like, for example, Lord of the Rings. In many ways, the overall structure of the series owes its inspiration to medieval Irish romances: there will be a main “cycle” of stories that follow the major characters through a developing and increasingly malevolent throughline of action, but there will also be a handful of subsidiary stories in the orbit of that main cycle. These subsidiary stories (called remscela in Irish) will follow some secondary characters along subplots that at first seem unrelated, but serve to expand on the setting, introduce secondary characters who will grow in importance through the series, and develop the fundamental threat that is facing this world of mine. Despite the changes that arise as the series progresses, the “ultimate villain” (whom my readers haven’t yet met) will always remain the same and his role will grow and grow. 
To give just one example of how this is already at work in the series: In Hedge King in Winter, some of the main characters are involved in a complicated strategy board game similar to chess. To dramatize that game, the character of Medyr explained its rules and symbolism to his unnamed acolyte. The acolyte’s name was unimportant to the story of Hedge King, but that character was Adarc the Acolyte, one of the main characters in A Merchant’s Tale. The story of Adarc and Corentin in A Merchant’s Tale is set in the Hedge King’s kingdom, but their story is seemingly unrelated to the Hedge King’s troubles except at some key points. These two threads begin to braid together in the forthcoming Romance of Eowain, and we’ll start to see the emergence of a deeper, more sinister threat whose time is yet to come. 
I think it’s really exciting to write like this. While each story is satisfying in its own way, I think the real pay-off is in seeing how all these stories come together over time and what becomes of all my favorite characters. I want to jump in a time-machine and skip to the end to see how it all turns out!

Author bio: Michael Dellert lives in the Greater New York City area. Following a traditional publishing career spanning nearly two decades, he now works as a freelance writer, editor, publishing consultant, and writing coach. He is also the sole writer, editor, and publisher of the blog MDellertDotCom: Adventures in Indie Publishing. He holds a Master’s Degree in English Language & Literature from Drew University, and a certificate from the Cornell University School of Criticism & Theory (2009). He is the author of two fantasy fiction novellas: Hedge King in Winter and A Merchant’s Tale.
Contact Michael:
Amazon Author Page: http://Author.to/MichaelEDellertGoodreads Author Page: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/14849380.Michael_E_DellertFacebook: http://FB.me/mdellert.editorTwitter: http://www.twitter.com/MDellertDotComInstagram: http://www.instagram.com/mdellert99Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/michaeldellert/ 

Author Spotlight: AK Michaels Author of Highland Wolf Clan, Book #1 The Reluctant Alpha

I recently had the opportunity to make the acquaintance of NY Times Best Selling Author AK Michaels at my book release party.  After chatting with her briefly, I knew that I wanted to get to know her better. She is the creator of the  Paranormal/Urban Fantasy series, Highland Wolf Clan, as well as several other series, The Witch, The Wolf and the Vampire, Supernatural Enforcement Bureau, Defender's Blood, Sabrina's Vampire, The Black Rose Chronicles, together with Lori's Wolf Pack.

I was fascinated when I saw her Guild of Dragon Warriors novel.  I have heard of dragon shifters, but I wanted to know more.  Thankfully, she took some out from her busy schedule to answer my questions about her writing style, her obstacles in becoming a writer, and of course, how to turn a fight a dragon.  Along with some teasers, I also have details about her Highland Wolf Clan series!  Please welcome AK Michaels!

Book Genre: Paranormal Romance with Dystopian Overtones 
Suggested Reading Audience: All my stories have romance and bedroom scenes, so probably adult/ya 
Content Advisement: There are usually fight scenes, so some violence, sexual situations

What is your newest release or work in progress?  What inspired you to write this book?
My newest release is Guild of Dragon Warriors, Jaxon’s Sanctuary and I wrote it as the characters came to me while finishing The Black Rose Chronicles series. They are featured in the last of that series and I soon realized they needed an entire series for themselves. I’m now working on book two in that series and I have not decided, yet, how many there will be. There are so many Dragon Warriors that it could be quite a few stories that emerge from it.

What made you decide to become an Author and write this kind of series?I started writing as part of my therapy, I’m OCD and have anxiety issues. Once I started I just couldn’t stop as every time I finish a story, another pops into my head! I write Paranormal beings as it allows me to let my imagination go totally wild, plus, I love Vamps, Shifters, Witches, and a host of other beings. 

What types of paranormal creatures do you write about, and what draws you to these creatures?
I have everything from Shifters to Vamps, Demons to Gods, and everything in between. I love the freedom these beings give me to write and I just plain love ‘em!

What is the favorite book you have written?  What was the hardest part to write?Oh gosh, I don’t think I have a favorite, but I do have some characters I particularly love. I adore Josef, Peri, and Gabe from The Witch, The Wolf and The Vampire series. Peri is seriously a lucky woman lol! I’m also a tad jealous of Rose from The Black Rose Chronicles! She’s a kickass female who relies on nobody and can take care of herself against just about anything, including Vamps, Shifters etc.
Hardest, hmm, I had a difficult time in The Witch, The Wolf and The Vampire, Book 3, as there’s a part in the book where a loved character dies while trying to protect Peri. Yes, I hate killing off characters, but sometimes the story requires it. I do, however, love when the baddies get their comeuppance!

What challenges have you faced in becoming an author and promoting your books to readers?I’m naturally shy, and ‘putting myself out there’ was a huge obstacle for me, but I’m getting better at it as time goes on. As for the promoting side, it’s the same for all authors, finding the balance between promo and writing. Difficult but not impossible.

Tell your readers something about your series that they might not know about.
Highland Wolf Clan series is full of Highlanders who’ve had to go to the US to help Cameron Sinclair’s uncle. On dealing with the initial threat though, they end up staying and making new lives for themselves. However, one of the resident US Wolves, ends up doing the opposite and heading to the Highlands to forge out a new life with her mate, and the transition isn’t easy, or completely safe for her.

On a personal note, I want to know about dragon shifters.  As a fan and writer of paranormal romance / urban fantasy, I have a hard time wrapping my head around such an enormous shifter.  How do you write for a character that is so large and imposing?  How does one battle a dragon?I love my Dragon Warriors and yes it was difficult in some respects, but I just let my imagination soar and it seems to have worked. They do have their own unique Dragon magic which shields them from sight of others and they also have their Goddess, Zeeandra, who helps from time to time. As the Guild of Dragon Warriors is set in a post-apocalyptic world, after an inter-species war, it does help that Supernatural beings are known to all. Although Dragons are still a relative secret society, they will become known to all with the endeavors and tasks they have to deal with.
As for taking on a Dragon, they are definitely formidable creatures, and not exactly easy to take out, but they are susceptible to Demon magic. The Warriors absolutely hate Demons but in the new world they live in, they may have to come to the realization that all Demons are not evil. Something they definitely have a problem with. In their human form, they are just as tough, but can be injured and hurt, like any other creature.  
Book Blub:
Cameron Sinclair is a successful businessman, with world-wide offices. He’s a multi-billionaire with all the trappings, private jet included. But Cameron has a secret – he’s also a Wolf. A Wolf who vowed never to return to Pack life, or his birthright as Alpha.
With no choice but to answer his father’s summons, he reluctantly returns to his Highland Pack. However, two Alphas in one Pack will never do and things do not go smoothly. Cameron again leaves his Pack to aid his Uncle in the US, with several of his friends in tow.What awaits is heartache, sorrow and the chance for a new life as Alpha of a large Pack. A life with love in it, his first sight of the white She-Wolf affecting him in ways he can’t even understand.A deadly threat is uncovered and he and his Wolves must defend the Pack by all means necessary. When the threat is a corrupt and depraved Alpha and a horde of immortal guards, can Cameron save the Pack? And, if he does, will he want a part of it?Or, will he do what he always does – walk away?   Get your copy today!Amazon Multi-Region LinkiTunesKoboB & N

New York Times Bestselling Author, A K Michaels, Ava, was born in Scotland quite a number of years ago and was married at a young age, and is mother to three much loved children. After the birth of her last child she went back to higher education to study, before gaining employment within the banking industry. She worked in that role for a number of years before leaving; both the job and the country.She lived abroad for a few years before returning to Scotland and finally taking up her dream - writing. She is the author of the Highland Wolf Clan series of books and several other series, The Witch, The Wolf and the Vampire, Supernatural Enforcement Bureau, Defender's Blood, Sabrina's Vampire, The Black Rose Chronicles, together with Lori's Wolf Pack. Her books fall into the Paranormal/Urban Fantasy genre, with The Black Rose Chronicles being Dystopian with Paranormal beings in abundance. She loves writing those particular kinds of stories where she can let her imagination run wild.She now spends her time reading - everything from Sci Fi to Crime, Erotica to Fantasy, Thrillers to Paranormal Romance. She loves spending time with her family and, of course, writing. She also loves chocolate, her German Shepherd, Luna, and Rose Wine! She has twitter and a Facebook page where she loves chatting to folks. 
Contact AK Michaels:
Website           http://www.akmichaels.com 
Mailing List    http://akmichaels.com/sassy-lassies-vip-clan/
Facebook        https://www.facebook.com/pages/AKMichaelsauthor
Amazon          http://www.amazon.com/A-K-Michaels/e/B00GVPA8PA
Twitter            https://twitter.com/AvaKMichaels
Bookbub         https://www.bookbub.com/authors/a-k-michaels
Goodreads       https://www.goodreads.com/akmicaels

Excerpt from "The Third Throne: Angel of Death", by Tabitha Barret

I'm excited to announce that my third book in the Third Throne series, "Angel of Vengeance" is almost finished!  To celebrate, I wanted to release an excerpt from my second book "The Third Throne: Angel of Death" to introduce the series to new lovers of steamy Paranormal Romance / Urban Fantasy.


"The Third Throne: Angel of Death" is where Anjali's journey beings to find her ten angels who are meant to tempt the mortals and gage how far they have fallen into sin.  She decides to search for Alazar, the Angel of Death, in Romania.  Unfortunately, a group of paranormal investigators have come to explore the Romanian castle that Alazar is hiding in.  Anjali befriends the mortals to keep them safe from her dangerous angel.

Complications arise when Alazar vows to kill her and attacks the mortals.  Anjali must face another difficult challenge when she falls in love with one of the mortals, who has no idea who she really is.  Can she save the Spirit Experts? Can she stay away from the handsome mortal?

In this excerpt, Alazar has tempted Pete, the co-founder of the Spirit Experts, and Derick's best friend, to kill himself.  Anjali, using the mortal alias "Annie" desperately tries to save Pete from taking a swan dive off the tower.  Can she save him from a horrific death?


**Please note that this text is copyrighted and may not to be reproduced in any way. 
Anjali slowly moved closer to Pete realizing that Alazar was determined to win.  “Your problem is with me.  Let the boy go.  He means nothing to you,” Anjali replied calmly.  She tried not to let Alazar see her concern for Pete.              “Yes, but he means something to you.  That’s good enough for me,” Alazar replied darkly.     “Why do you still want to hurt me?” she sneered, trying to understand where his head was at.               Rayan’s final words to Alazar came back to him as he watched her body become rigid and distant.  “If you kill her, you will be damned forever.  You will never know peace.  Regret will be your only friend.”  After experiencing peace, however briefly, by her side, it was entirely possible that Rayan’s prophecy was correct.  Could he live without peace?  He had thus far and he was still standing.  As tempting as her power had been, he would rather live with regret and be free from her tyranny.               “I would rather live out my final days cold and alone, than have to beg for your forgiveness to receive one moment of compassion.  I refuse to give myself to you.  You willingly went to Lucifer to ease his pain, yet you rebuff me when I need you,” Alazar snapped.               “You just tried to kill me,” she replied bluntly.                “Lucifer did kill you, yet I have no doubt that forgave him,” Alazar hissed.  With that, Alazar waved his hand like a magician performing a slight of hand trick, and bowed.                Anjali watched Pete climb up the window ledge with renewed purpose.                “No,” she whispered.               "Good luck picking up the pieces, Destroyer,” Alazar nodded to her and disappeared from the room.

Pete mindlessly pulled himself up onto the windowsill.  “I have to.  I have to tell them,” he muttered as he lumbered to the opening.               Anjali quickly became Annie and lunged forward to grab Pete.  He was about to step over the edge when she snagged the back of his jacket and kept him from moving.               “Pete, no, you have to stop.  You can’t end your life like this,” she yelled, snatching his arm and tugging at him.               She was about to forcefully pull him back from the ledge when she heard Derick’s voice over the walkie-talkie.  She had ignored it while dealing with Alazar, but now his voice was louder.  She swore when she realized Derick was in the hallway.               “Derick, help me,” she had little choice but to ask for his help.  She wasn’t sure if she could break Alazar’s hold on him once she got Pete off the ledge.  Having felt his temptation first hand, she knew how alluring it was.                Pete was agitated and didn’t want to be pulled away from his objective.  He kicked wildly at Annie, forcing her to let go of him.                “I have to do this.  They need to know,” Pete growled.  His eyes were vacant.               Derick came rushing into the room as Annie grabbed Pete around the hips and pulled him from the window.  Pete tumbled to the ground but immediately jumped to his feet.  He retaliated by swinging his forearm into Annie’s face.  She recoiled, but leaped forward to throw her arms against his chest and hold him back.  Derick’s flashlight blinded her and ruined her night vision, but she managed to keep Pete from climbing back up.               “What the hell is going on?  Why weren’t you answering me?  Did you feel that storm shake the castle?” Derick yelled.  He was trying to figure out what was happening.  He stopped when he saw Pete swinging wildly at Annie.  Despite Annie being nearly a foot shorter than he was, she was actively blocking him.                “I found him talking nonsense, saying that he had to end his life, and that he needed to tell them.  I have no idea what he’s talking about, but he’s trying to jump from the ledge.  He smacked my walkie-talkie away.  Now help me, or he’s going to jump to his death,” she shouted and ducked Pete’s flailing arms.                Pete spun to his right and sidestepped Annie’s outstretch hands.  He jumped forward and threw himself onto the ledge, dangling halfway over the edge.  He scrambled to his feet on the narrow windowsill and prepared for his swan dive.                Derick couldn’t believe what he was seeing.  His best friend was pushing Annie away and trying to throw himself from the tower.                Derick quickly propped the flashlight on the opposite windowsill so that he could see them and ran to help Annie.  He reached out for Pete’s arm, but he had to duck twice to avoid Pete’s elbow connecting with his face.                “Grab his arm and I’ll get his legs,” Annie said, frustrated that she couldn’t contain him.  She calmed herself and focused, not wanting to break Pete by grabbing him too harshly.  She hoped to get him out of this in one piece.               “Okay,” Derick grunted.  Pete twisted from his grasp and nearly toppled over into the night air.               They simultaneously grabbed Pete and hefted him off the ledge and down onto his back.  The second Pete hit the ground, he roared and threw them off.  Scrambling to his feet, he tried to get back to the ledge.                “Pete, you have to stop!  What’s wrong with you?” Derick yelled, terrified that his friend would make it to the ledge.               “This is the only way.  I have to see them.  They have to know!” Pete threw Derick aside and barreled toward the window.                Annie had to get through to Pete or he would never stop.  She tackled him and threw him back to the ground.  Her hands came down on his shoulders and she mounted his hips.  Using her full strength, she controlled his thrashing with her arms and knees.  He snarled at her, spraying her with spit.  He was deranged.  Jumping from the ledge and dying was now his sole purpose in this world.  He no longer cared about finding spirits or filming a documentary.  The compulsion had complete control of him and he would go through her to achieve his goal.               “Pete.  Stop this.  You aren’t thinking.  You don’t want to do this.  Think about everything you will lose if you do this.  Death isn’t the answer.  Think about your friends and family.  They are more important than the answers you’re looking for,” she pleaded.               Derick knelt next to her, unsure of what to do.  He watched helplessly as his friend lost his mind.  He was snapping his teeth at Annie, trying to throw her off.  Pete was crazed and nearly unrecognizable.               “I have to see them.  I have to tell them.  They need to know!” Pete ranted, not speaking to anyone in particular.                “Who is he talking about?” Annie yelled, trying to hold down his forearms.                “His parents.  They’re dead,” Derick whispered.  He finally understood Pete’s motivation to die.                “Pete, listen to me.  You will never see your parents, not like this.  There is nothing waiting for you on the other side, but pain and misery if you throw yourself from the window.  Don’t destroy your life like this, please.  You need to stay here with Derick, Josilyn, Morgan, Wedge, and all of your friends.  You have to show the world what you have found out about spirits.  You can’t do that if you become one of them!” Annie shouted, not wanting to see his face day after day in the Realms of Torture.               “I have to see them one last time!” Pete howled and shook his head violently in frustration.                Annie debated if she should take off her ring and use her power to reach out to Pete, but she had nearly killed him when she’d lost control earlier.  She knew that she could wield death, but she didn’t know if she could bring someone back from the brink of suicide.  The Destroyer was meant to kill, not to save people from death.  It was a long shot, but she had to try.               “Derick, grab his head, and hold him still.  I don’t want him hurting himself accidentally.  He’s having some kind of episode or fit.  He doesn’t know what he’s doing.  I’m going to try to get through to him, but I don’t want him flailing around,” she winced when Pete kicked her back with his knees.                Derick was staring at Pete, trying to figure out why this was happening.  Annie had to yell at him to snap him out of his trance.  He blinked at her and nodded his head, comprehending her orders.  Shuffling around to Pete’s head, he looked at Annie, one last time, hoping that she knew what she was doing.  He was clueless about how to fix this, but was amazed that she had somehow taken control of the situation.  He did as she asked and gripped Pete’s thrashing head, holding it so that Pete had no choice but to look up at the ceiling.               Annie leaned down and stared into Pete’s eyes, searching for some rational part that she could appeal to.                She let her power rise as close to the surface as the ring would allow.  She spoke quietly, but authoritatively to make him understand that this was a threat, not a bedtime story.  “Listen to me Pete, there is nothing but pain if you continue in this pursuit.  You will feel like you’re flying as you fall from this height, until you hit the ground.  Agony will explode throughout your entire body, and then you will feel cold and numb.  After that comes the darkness, but it’s brief, ever so brief before you see the red glow of Hell.  Everyone who kills themselves ends up in Hell.  You will have the pleasure of experiencing every single torture that Hell has to offer.  Suicides suffer more than anyone else, because they threw away their precious gift of life.  God hates when people don’t live their lives to the fullest.  You will be drowned, burned, beaten, starved, frozen, poisoned, and ripped to pieces for what seems like a thousand years, only to start the process again.  The worst part is just when you think you can’t endure it anymore, Lucifer himself will tempt you to become his servant for eternity.  That is something you don’t want.  If you deny him, you go back into the realms until you have served your time.  Whatever you need to tell your parents isn’t worth all of that,” her eyes bore into his, trying to make him understand the truth. 

Will Pete survive?  Will Derick blame Annie for this friend's sudden madness?  Will he figure out who she really is based on what she said to Pete?  Find out in "The Third Throne: Angel of Death", available for Kindle and in Paperback.  If you have Kindle Unlimited or Amazon Prime, you can read the book for free!


Purchase The Third Throne: Angel of Death at Amazon.com
Read for free with Kindle Unlimited and Amazon Prime!

For more information about the Third Throne series, you can go to www.thethirdthrone.com or follow me, Tabitha Barret, on: 

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Author Spotlight Heather Dahlgren, author of "Behind the Book"

Title: Behind the Book, Book Two in the Sexy Series
Author: Author Heather DahlgrenGenre: Contemporary Romance
Release Date: 9/4/15


















Synopsis:
London Tweed is a well-known author. She keeps to herself, and doesn’t get involved with men. She is doing what she loves – writing. She has a past, one that no one knows about and she isn’t willing to share.


Blake Foster is a model who loves the ladies as much as they love him. He is always out for a good time, always the life of the party. He never thought he’d find someone that would change him.


After having Blake on the cover of her book, London invites him to attend a signing – a signing that will change both of their worlds. It may take time for Blake to break down London’s walls, but when he does it transforms them both. Making London remember the person she used to be and Blake the man he wants to be.


But can the past stay in the past? Can the love they have for each other be stronger than the world around them?


Judging a book by its cover may not be fair, when you don’t know what’s going on behind the book.


* Though this is book two in a series it's okay to read this without reading book one first but be warned characters from book one do appear as secondary characters*
Be sure to check out Behind the Lens, Book One in the Sexy Series. 9/4 is the last day to grab this amazing kick off to the series at only .99cents
Buy it now on Amazon: http://amzn.com/B014V1A8DM
Enter the Giveaway here: 


Click here to add Behind the Book to your Goodreads List


About The Author:
I am 36 years old.  I am married to my high school sweet heart.  We have been married for almost 12 years and have 3 amazing kids.  I’m a stay at home mom and my kids definitely keep me busy.  I live at the Jersey Shore and love all there is to do here.  I love nature, birds especially.  I enjoy hiking and fishing with my family. 

I have always loved to write.  In high school I used to write stories, poems and a lot of love notes!  I absolutely love to read.  I love the way I can get lost in a book and forget about the world around me.  Now that I am writing books, I feel the same way, only it’s my book I’m getting lost in.   

As for now, I am loving this journey of becoming an author.  It has been more then I dreamed it would be.   

You can always find me online.  I love social media, so please feel free to interact with me.
Website: http://heatherdahlgren.wix.com/heatherdahlgren
Twitter: https://twitter.com/HeatherDahlgren
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AuthorHeatherDahlgren

Author Spotlight: Margaret Locke "A Man of Character (Matters of Love)"

I recently had the pleasure of reading Margaret Locke's paranormal romance, "A Man of Character" and wanted to learn more about the book and the woman behind it.  I spoke with Margaret and asked her the questions that I was dying to know after reading this charming romance.  I fell in love with her Catherine and Eliza and hoped to gain more insight into how this gem came to be.Book Title:  A Man of Character (Matters of Love)Book Genre: Light Paranormal Romantic ComedyBook Audience:  Adult 18+ (2 sex scenes, 1 detailed scene "sweet  heat") Book Description:  What would you do if you discovered the men you were dating were fictional characters you'd created long ago?
Thirty-five-year-old Catherine Schreiber has shelved love for good. Keeping her ailing bookstore afloat takes all her time, and she’s perfectly fine with that. So when several men ask her out in short order, she’s not sure what to do…especially since something about them seems eerily familiar.

A startling revelation - that these men are fictional characters she’d created and forgotten years ago - forces Cat to reevaluate her world and the people in it. Because these characters are alive. Here. Now. And most definitely in the flesh.

Her best friend, Eliza, a romance novel junkie craving her own Happily Ever After, is thrilled by the possibilities. The power to create Mr. Perfect - who could pass that up? But can a relationship be real if it’s fiction? Caught between fantasy and reality, Cat must decide which - or whom - she wants more.

Blending humor with unusual twists, including a magical manuscript, a computer scientist in shining armor, and even a Regency ball, A Man of Character tells a story not only of love, but also of the lengths we'll go for friendship, self-discovery, and second chances. 

What made you decide to become an Author and write a book series?
 
I’d pledged to write romances in my teen years—partly in defiance of the flak I received over my reading genre of choice, and partly because I just love stories about love. It took me a very, very long time, however, not to mention a career change or two, to do it.

After a stint as a doctoral student in medieval history, in which I did everything but write the dissertation, I then took on being a stay-at-home-mom. Both of those periods in my life were intense; both I loved. 

As the kids have gotten older, though, it was time to figure out what I really wanted to do when I grew up—and it came right back to what I’d declared I’d do as a kid: write romance.
I wanted to see if I could emulate the authors I admired, craft those oh-so-alluring heroes, those flawed-but-loveable heroines, that sizzling sexual chemistry, those witty, seductive verbal exchanges. I’m not claiming to have succeeded on the level of, say, Julia Quinn, but I’m having so much fun trying. 

As for writing a series? That’s because I fell in love with so many series written by authors like Eloisa James, Sabrina Jeffries, and the like. It’s fun to follow characters from one story to another, to see minor figures go to major heroes and heroines, to get glimpses into the lives of earlier couples long after they’ve found their own Happily Ever Afters. It just seemed the thing to do. 

Plus, well, that’s what “they” say readers want. Hook ‘em if you can and they’ll keep coming back, because they know what they’re getting and are likewise invested in the characters already. (Is that true? It is for me.)

What inspired you to write a story about fictional characters coming to life?  Which fictional characters would you like to interact with?
 
The short answer is, it’s the first idea I thought of. The longer answer is, I was mulling over what to write after finally fessing up to husband this was what I wanted to do. But if I was going to do it, I needed an idea! 

While I always assumed I’d write historical romance, it being my first and forever love, the idea that popped into my head involved not dukes and débutantes, but wondering what a woman would do if she figured out the guys pursuing her were characters she’d made up. I just couldn’t let go of it.
 
As for part two of the question, I want to hang out with Elizabeth Bennet and Fitzwilliam D’Arcy (would I like them in real life?), chill with Harry and Hermione (Ron can go drink butterbeer elsewhere; he never was my favorite), and have tea with too many romance heroes and heroines to name (though I don’t like tea, and they’d think I was weird). And, well, if I got the chance to hang out with the two very real actors who played the two fictional characters of King Arthur and Merlin (Bradley James and Colin Morgan) on the BBC show Merlin, I wouldn’t turn that down. No, sirree.

The main character Catherine has three different types of men that come into her life: the popular guy, the passionate lover, and loyal and devoted caring boyfriend.  What made you choose these particular types of men for Cat to interact with?  Were there other types of men that you considered sending in her direction?

I tried to think which kind of man would have been desirable to most women at those specific life stages—and yes, I intentionally sought out stereotypes. 

In our teens, don’t we all dream of dating the most popular guy in high school, who often happened to be the star football player? 

In college, at least among a lot of the people I knew, flings were the thing, and it was fun figuring out what kind of guy might make the coeds sigh (also, I, er, have a thing for intelligent men.)
And the Prince Charming idea, the fantasy of the rich, hot guy falling for the slightly-less-than-stellar woman, is ubiquitous in our culture. I happen to dig that (hello? It’s why I read romance!). 

Regardless of how we feel about said fantasy, it’s one with which I think most women are familiar, culturally speaking. Pretty Woman, anyone? 

As for other possibilities—if I thought them up at one point, I’ve since forgotten. These three guys came so quickly and easily to mind, I didn’t need others.  

There are elements of magic or fantasy in the book that Catherine has a hard time believing in and accepting.  Why did you decide to create this genre of book instead of a Contemporary Romance where Catherine finds these men by chance?  What made you decided to write a book with elements of fantasy?

The premise itself, of characters coming to life, necessitated, of course, some form of magic, of suspension of disbelief. 

I suppose it could have worked that she ran into each type of man and summarily dismissed them without anything supernatural being involved, if that is what you are suggesting—but that’s not how the story wrote itself in my head! 

And I particularly like that Cat must analyze her own ideal fantasies, these men crafted just for her. It’s a tantalizing idea, that you could create your Perfect Man. But it also begs the question of whether what (and whom) you think is perfect for you, really is.

Catherine’s best friend Eliza seems to have the most amazing journey of anyone in the book.  I won’t spoil the surprise, but was it a difficult decision to craft Eliza’s storyline knowing that it might surprise readers?

Eliza’s storyline wrote itself! I kid you not. Eliza popped up when I decided Cat needed something else going on besides just weird guys coming out of the woodwork at her. She needed a friend, a bestie, her opposite in many ways, but someone who’d help Cat figure out what she needed. Sure, I made her a Jane Austen fan on purpose, because I love Austen and the Regency period, but I was undecided as to where Eliza’s story was going for quite a while – and didn’t expect it to take over as much as it did. I love it, though.
 
Looking ahead to the next book, “A Matter of Time - Eliza and Deveric’s story,” what should your fans expect to see since you will most likely need to change genres slightly?  Was this book planned when you started writing A Man of Character, or did it develop as you wrote about Eliza?  

Wow, you ask great questions. And this probably does get minorly spoiler-y, but I’ll answer it anyway. 

Was A Matter of Time planned? Yes and no. Yes, in that I’ve always intended to write Regency romance. I’d even decided to center them on a family with the family name of Mattersley, so that most of my book’s titles could have the word “Matter” in them, to immediately bring the family to mind and as a kind of cool little (geeky) trick. (In fact, it was five years ago, before I even began writing A Man of Character, that I sat around with my sister-in-law one night, giggling over potential romance titles. I hit upon the Matter thing and ran with it, and now have at least twenty to thirty potential titles utilizing that single word!)

But no, A Matter of Time wasn’t planned, in that I didn’t expect those Regencies to tie themselves to my first book, originally. In fact, I knew I was in trouble when my first book turned out to be a contemporary romantic comedy. How was I going to get from there to the nineteenth century in England? Would readers come with me?

Mulling over that question definitely influenced some of the events and outcome in A Man of Character, and in fact is why I said Eliza’s storyline rather wrote itself—I knew where I needed her to end up. 

I’m hoping readers of my first book will take a chance my future books, but I know I run the risk of that not working. 

A Matter of Time definitely is a more traditional romance, in plot and story structure. My third book, The Demon Duke, is also a Regency romance in the vein (I hope) of my Quadrumvirate—those Regency authors I simple adore: Eloisa James, Sabrina Jeffries, Sarah MacLean, and Julia Quinn (and there are many more, of course). Book number four, A Matter of Scandal, returns us to twenty-first century Charlottesville. We will see Cat again, and some other familiar characters, though each novel stands on its own.  

Still, whether I write more chick-lit-esque romance in the vein of A Man of Character remains to be seen; my guess is, if the readers want it, it will come.  


"A Man of Character (Matters of Love)", Margaret Locke can be purchased  exclusively at Amazon.com
Check out my 5 Star review of "A Man of Character (Matters of Love)"
Author Biography:  As a teen, Margaret Locke pledged to write romances when she grew up. Once an adult, however, she figured she ought to be doing grown-up things, not penning steamy love stories. Yeah, whatever. Turning forty cured her of that silly notion. Margaret is now happily ensconced back in the clutches of her first love, this time as an author as well as a reader. Margaret lives in the beautiful Shenandoah Valley in Virginia with her fantastic husband, two fab kids, and two fat cats. You can usually find her in front of some sort of screen (electronic or window; she’s come to terms with the fact that she’s not an outdoors person). Please visit her at margaretlocke.com.

To learn more about Margaret Locke, check out these sites:

Website: http://margaretlocke.comFacebook: http://www.facebook.com/AuthorMargaretLockeGoodReads: http://www.goodreads.com/MargaretLockePinterest: http://www.pinterest.com/Margaret_LockeTwitter: http://www.twitter.com/Margaret_Locke
 

Will You Be Tempted by The Third Throne: Angel of Death?

The Paranormal Romance / Urban Fantasy book, “The Third Throne: Angel of Death” by author Tabitha Barret has been released in Paperback and for Kindle on Amazon.com.  This is the second book in the Third Throne series and takes place in Romania as Alazar, the Angel of Death, is close to succumbing to the darkness growing inside of him and becoming a Rogue Angel.  He has been tasked with tempting the mortals to choose between the sins of committing murder or suicide, or choosing Heaven.  Sadly, he has lost his way and is pushing the mortals past their limits, condemning them to Hell.  His Master, Anjali, is the only one who can stop him.

A group of paranormal investigators will be used as pawns in their fight.  Anjali must protect the mortals while trying to gain control over her deadly angel.  Anjali has more to lose then she thinks when she starts to fall for one of the Spirit Experts.  Who will survive this dangerous game? 
The Third Throne Series is a planned twelve book series that will follow Anjali as she tries to locate and contain her Harbingers, known as the Predznak, before she can complete her mission of destroying the world.  She must find the Angels of Death, Vengeance, Fear, Distrust, Illness, Desire, Anger, Agony, Deception, and Hunger.  Each angel will bring her closer to fulfilling her destiny as the Bringer of the Apocalypse.
Tabitha Barret is a local New Jersey author and mom who tries to find the time to write her books while taking care of her two children, with the love and support of her husband.  A graduate of Rutgers University, she is living out her dream of writing about the fantastic characters that have occupied her mind for decades. 
The Third Throne: Angel of Death can be purchased at Amazon.com and BarnesandNoble.com.  More information about the book and the series can be found at www.thethirdthrone.com.  Tabitha can be found on Facebook, Twitter, Pintrest, Goodreads, and on her blog, “Holy Crap I Wrote a Book, Now What?”, dedicated to helping new authors navigate the world of book publishing while highlighting authors with her “Author Spotlights” and book reviews.  Check out the book trailer for The Third Throne: Angel of Death on YouTube!   Interesting in starting the series?  The Third Throne: Angel of Darkness can be found on Amazon.com in Paperback and for Kindle.  Read both books for Free if you are an Amazon Prime or Kindle Unlimited Member!  
The Paranormal Romance Guild gave it 5 stars saying, "The Third Throne: Angel of Darkness has to be one of the most detailed and well-planned books I have read in a very long time. I kept expecting the book to end and it kept going (in a good way). All of the characters were complex, had depth, and meshed with one another. The background story was presented intelligently. The pace remained steady throughout, which is amazing considering the amount of material covered. If this book were a movie, it would be well over 2hrs and a wonderful experience from beginning to end." 
Click here for The Third Throne: Angel of Darkness book trailer and see how it all begins!