C.A. Milson's Blog, page 216
July 13, 2015
Book Tour – The Obsidian Temple by Kelley Grant
Title: The Obsidian Temple
Author: Kelley Grant
Publisher: Harper Voyager Impulse
Genre: Science Fiction/Fantasy
Format: Kindle
After a harrowing escape to the desert, Sulis Hasifel finds her calling is not yet fulfilled. Traveling to the Obsidian Temple—the site of an ancient divine battle—Sulis is tasked with mentoring Ava, a young girl with a troubled past. Together, they join a group of magically gifted warriors to re-make the very fabric of the universe. But the fate of the world hinges on whether Ava can harness her power, and some trials cannot be overcome. Returning to Illian, Sulis’s twin Kadar finds that his lover, Farrah, has abandoned their newborn daughter for the revolutionary cause. Not willing to give up his dream of a family, Kadar vows to stay by Farrah’s side. But when he finds that Farrah is willing to anger the gods to aid the Forsaken caste’s uprising, and as she steps farther down a violent and dark path, Kadar must decide if he will help her…or let the world spin out of control. In this mesmerizing sequel to Desert Rising, Kelley Grant brings us back to the cities of Illian and Shpeth, drawing her epic fantasy tale closer to the trilogy’s stunning conclusion.
ORDER INFORMATION
The Obsidian Temple is available for purchase at
Amazon
B&N
Add to your Goodreads List.
About The Author
Kelley Grant grew up in the hills of Ohio’s Amish country. Her best friends were the books she read, stories she created and the forest and fields that inspired her. She and her husband live on a wooded hilltop and are owned by five cats, a dog and numerous uninvited critters. Besides writing, Kelley teaches yoga and meditation, sings kirtan with her husband, and designs brochures and media.
For More Information:
Visit Kelley at her website.
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Filed under: Guest Authors Tagged: @kgrantwrites, Kelley Grant, Pump Up Your Book, PUYB, The Obsidian Temple
Cover Reveal – Two to Wrangle
Title: Two to Wrangle
Author: Victoria Vane
Publisher: Lyrical Shine
A COUNTRY BOY
Maybe having a hot and heavy affair with the boss’s daughter wasn’t the smartest move. But country boy Ty Morgan didn’t regret a moment with city girl Monica Brandt…until she left Las Vegas to return to her life in New York. When devastating news sends her running back, Ty can’t help but open his arms. His heart, however, is another matter.
AND A CITY GIRL
Now that Ty has what he’s always wanted—controlling interest in Hotel Rodeo—Monica is certain their time together is at an end. Then Ty asks her to come on board as a partner. Maybe it’s just her money he needs, but the chance to stick close to the sexy wrangler sure could make work a whole lot more interesting.
GET READY TO TANGO
Their partnership doesn’t come without a heap of problems. The two can’t agree on anything—except their iron-hot attraction. As the hotel’s Grand Opening approaches, the truth is all too clear: Ty and Monica must find a way to mix business with pleasure if they have any shot at dancing off into the sunset together…
Praise for Victoria Vane
“Erotic and sexy.” —Library Journal on the Devil DeVere series
“For erotic passion and one-liners, the first book in Vane’s new series will satisfy…Vane’s latest gets a big yee-haw.”—RT Book Reviews on Slow Hand
PRE-ORDER INFORMATION
Two to Wrangle is available for pre-order at:
Amazon
B&N
GooglePlay
Kobo
Add to your Goodreads Shelf.
About The Author
Victoria Vane is an award-winning author of smart and sexy romance. Her work includes everything from wild comedic romps to emotionally compelling erotic romance. Her historical romances have received more than twenty awards and nominations to include the 2014 RONE Award for Treacherous Temptations and Library Journal Best E-Book romance of 2012 for The Devil DeVere series. She is now making waves in contemporary romance with her critically acclaimed Hot Cowboy Nights series from Sourcebooks (Slow Hand, Rough Rider, Sharp Shooter, Silver Tongue). Look for her scorching hot Hotel Rodeo series coming from Kensington early 2016.
Visit Victoria’s website
Connect with Victoria on Facebook and Twitter
Filed under: Guest Authors Tagged: @authorvictoriav, Cover Reveal, Two to Wrangle, Victoria Vane
July 12, 2015
Book Tour ~ Second Chronicles of Illumination by C.A.Pack
Title: Second Chronicles of Illumination
Author: C.A. Pack
Publisher: Antiqua Press
Pages: 480
Genre: Fantasy
Format: Kindle/Hardcover
When an alien invasion threatens the existence of all the knowledge in the universe, eighteen-year-old Johanna Charette and seventeen-year-old Jackson Roth must rely on their wits, guts, and pluck to save the fantasy-come-to-life world of the Library of Illumination. It wouldn t be so bad if Johanna and Jackson weren t the ones responsible for breaching the portals to a dozen distant worlds. Now, outside forces are causing shock waves in the space-time continuum, and if that isn t awful enough, someone from another dimension is trying to steal a book of powerful spells created by a very famous wizard. At first, traveling to other realms in a time machine seems like a fun perk. However, discovering some inhabitants want to obliterate the teens doesn’t leave them with a warm, fuzzy feeling. Instead, they find themselves forced to sacrifice their own welfare and the safety of their loved ones for the greater good.
ORDER INFORMATION
Second Chronicles of Illumination is available for purchase at Amazon and B&N. Add to your Goodreads shelf.
About The Author
C. A. Pack is the author of the Library of Illumination series of YA fantasy novelettes, along with Chronicles: The Library of Illumination (2014), and The Second Chronicles of Illumination (coming in 2015).
Pack also writes for a general audience. Her first novel, Code Name: Evangeline—is an historical spy thriller which takes place in the 1930′s. The author followed it up with Evangeline’s Ghost—a fantasy about the death of that same spy. She recently completed work on Evangeline’s Ghost: Houdini, and is currently working on Evangeline’s Ghost: The Bridge.
Pack is an award winning journalist from New York who worked as an anchor/reporter and educator (she considers herself the fairy-godmother of telvision news reporters)—and has written for WNBC, LI News Tonight and News 12 Long Island. She also worked on PBS documentaries, radio and television commercials and created and produced a pilot for a news show focusing solely on marriage and wedding trends.
She’s a past president of the Press Club of Long Island and a proud member of International Thriller Writers and Sisters in Crime. Pack has been a speaker or panelist for organizations such as Women in Communications, Fair Media Council, and the Society of Professional Journalists.
The author lives with her husband and two picky parrots “on” Long Island, New York.
For More Information Visit C.A.’s website.
INTERVIEW
C.A. Thanks for being here today. Tell our readers about you
I’m the author of the Library of Illumination series, as well Evangeline’s Ghost. I’ve always been a writer with a vivid imagination, and I love to create mysterious adventures, especially young adult fantasy. The beauty of writing fantasy is it allows me to explore and share worlds that only exist in my imagination. I used to write news, but it wasn’t nearly as much fun, so I happily traded in my press pass for the opportunity to be more creative.
What inspires you to get out of bed each day?
I’m what is known as a ”pantser.” I write by the seat of my pants, rather than plot out each detail. So every day I’m excited to see where the story takes me. In Second Chronicles of Illumination, there’s a scene in Myrddin’s Memoir where Johanna breaks her ankle. I didn’t know that was going to happen when I woke up that morning, and I didn’t know how her broken ankle was going to impact the story when I went to sleep that night. I get out of bed each day, anxious to see where the story is going.
If you could hang out with one famous person for one day, who would it be and why?
I’d like to hang out with Charles Dickens. We share a birthday (February 7th). We both write episodically. And we’ve both self-published (Dickens self-published A Christmas Carol). I’d love to pick his brain about how he thought he was doing at each stage of his career, and find out if he was a plotter or a pantser.
What’s the story behind your latest book?
I write episodically and often in short form (novelettes and novellas), so my current book, Second Chronicles of Illumination, contains a novelette, a novella, and a novel, all seamlessly following the same story line in the Library of Illumination. It starts out with the discovery of libraries of illumination on different worlds—libraries that are similar‑but also quite different, as are the beings from each world. My last full-length book, Chronicles: The Library of Illumination, ended with the story Portals in which Johanna and Jackson, the curators of the Library of Illumination on Earth discover a plot by one race to invade the other libraries and take them over. That theme carries through to my current book in which they continue to fight the invasion, while also searching for whomever (or whatever) is trying to steal the spell book of a very famous sorcerer. And just to make things easier, I included Portals in the Second Chronicles of Illumination so readers unfamiliar with the storyline would have everything they need right there.
Tell us your writing process
Before I can start writing each day, I need to answer my email, or I’ll be distracted for the rest of the day knowing it’s there waiting for me. Once that’s done, I open up my manuscript and read what I wrote the previous day, editing as I go along. It refreshes my memory and allows me to pick up writing where I left off. I try to write at least 1,000 words a day. That’s not much, 3 or 4 pages, but it’s a minimum to keep the book going. I’ve been known to write full chapters in a day, but that doesn’t always come easily, so I find setting a minimum helps me keep it fresh and prevents me from losing my train of thought. Once I start writing, I refuse to answer the phone, or return to my email. I’m easily distracted, so I literally shut myself in my office to write and reject disruptions by the outside world.
What promotional efforts has worked for you that you can share with aspiring & upcoming authors?
I’ve tried “blogging” my book, which is how the Library of Illumination got its start. Blogging forced me to write a chapter a week because I had an audience waiting to read it. The first book was just supposed to be a short story, but grew into a novelette that begged a sequel. The second book was longer than the first, and cried “series.” By the third one I was going strong until members of my writers’ group told me I shouldn’t be giving the stories away on a blog if I ever wanted to publish them as a “novel.” So I stopped blogging after book three. Blogging kept me writing and allowed me to see the potential in what I was writing.
What doesn’t work for me is doing my own marketing and promotion. I find it takes a lot of time away from writing, so aside from periodic Goodread’s giveaways, I’ll give my books one big push when they first come out, but stop after a month so I can concentrate on the next book. I’m told this isn’t the best way to do it, but it’s the way “I” have to do it to get anything done.
When did you realize you wanted to be a writer?
I wrote my first story in the second grade. I don’t know if I “realized” I wanted to be a writer. I just did it because I wanted to. In the third grade I got my first library card and discovered the joys of reading. After that I knew I would be a writer.
Tell us about your main character:
My main character is Johanna Charette. She is 17-years-old in the first Library of Illumination book. That’s when she first discovers and becomes curator of the library. In book two, she hires 16-year-old Jackson Roth because she needs an assistant to help her run the place. Now, the two share equal weight as the main characters. Johanna is a bit of a loner. She’s thoughtful, intelligent and organized. Jackson is very outgoing. He’s funny, a quick thinker, and he’s willing to bend the rules. They complement each other and there’s a romance brewing between them that Jackson wants to take to the next level, but Johanna seems hesitant about.
What are you working on next?
I recently started work on the Third Chronicles of Illumination, which may, or may not, conclude the plot to invade the libraries. I try to stay true to the main premise of the library being a place where books come to life, but I also like the idea of an invasion threat running through the stories as a common thread.
Do you have any special/extraordinary talents?
I’d like to be able to say I’m a concert pianist or Academy Award winner, but I can’t. Writing is my special talent. I used to be a fairly decent artist, and sold a few painting, but I’m a better writer than artist, so now I just paint pictures with my words.
Who are your favorite authors?
Charles Dickens, as I mention above. Frances Hodgsen Burnett who wrote The Secret Garden. Catherine Coulter writes great FBI thrillers. Steve Berry and James Rollins also write great thrillers. I enjoy Anne Perry’s historical novels. And who doesn’t love J. K. Rowling?
What do you like to do with your free time?
I love to travel. I’ve been to several countries and more than three-quarters of the states in the U.S. I love the way people are so different and yet in so many ways are the same. And I believe experiencing different cultures helps round me out as a writer.
Tell us about your plans for upcoming books.
Aside from the Third Chronicles of Illumination, I’m also hoping to publish a novella that I’ve already written, but not yet published: Evangeline’s Ghost Meets Houdini.
Where can people find you on the web?
You can find me at:
www.libraryofillumination.com
www.facebook.com/libraryofillumination
@IlluminationCAP
www.youtube.com/user/ArtiquaPress
Any final thoughts?
Read. Please. If not me, someone else. If you don’t want to buy books, borrow them from the library. But read. It will set your imagination free.
Filed under: Guest Authors Tagged: @carolpack, @IlluminationCAP, author interview, C.A. Pack, Pump Up Your Book, PUYB, Second Chronicles of Illumination, writer tips
Anniversary Event – Saving Babe Ruth by Tom Swyers
About The Book
Title: Saving Babe Ruth
Author: Tom Swyers
Genre: Literary Fiction / Thriller / Sports
Based on a true story, Saving Babe Ruth is an award-winning novel about a family headed by David Thompson, a burned-out lawyer and Civil War buff. When he learns that the town’s youth baseball league is going to fold, David’s love for the sport and for his son, Christy, inspire him to try to save it for the boys in town. David puts his fading career on hold as he struggles to resurrect this dream while at the same time trying to salvage his marriage to his wife, Annie.
Though Christy and Annie want to see him save the league, David finds himself in way over his head; the more he passionately tries to save it, the more he ends up hurting Christy and Annie. It’s a catch-22 that leaves his family wounded and David lost, wedged between his desire to revive the league so he can live with himself, and the desire to heal his family so they can live with him.
When David starts to keep secrets from Annie to satisfy these desires, he weaves a web of deceit that further fractures the family. At the same time, the town wrestles to keep its own secrets under wraps while it almost bursts with people leading double lives. They want David and the league to fail, and they’ll stop at nothing to get what they want, even if they have to go through Christy and Annie to get it.
With the help of Johnny McFadden–a newfound friend who’s addicted to baseball–David concocts a plan to defend the league and his family. The pair will have to navigate through a maze of backroom politics, corruption, scandal and crime that extends to the professional sports world. David will have to call upon all of his legal and survival skills to try and turn things around.
Saving Babe Ruth is also the inspiring story about a baseball team full of teenage outcasts struggling to believe in themselves. When the time is right, they’ll face the prospect of having to fight crazy with crazy to save baseball for themselves, their town and beyond.
The novel reveals the underbelly of youth sports that’s hurting communities nationwide today, but readers and reviewers say you don’t have to be a fan of baseball or sports to enjoy the story. Its themes, including one of community responsibility, are beginning to resonate. The story is so powerful that one of the nation’s leading professional sports agents has threatened a lawsuit over the book. The novel has even caused one town to come to a standstill to hold an emergency board meeting over it. Watch this trailer video to learn more about how Saving Babe Ruth came to life.
New York Times bestselling author Margot Livesey says Swyers “has created a man for all seasons” in David Thompson and calls Saving Babe Ruth “an absorbing and compulsively readable novel.”
Saving Babe Ruth is the winner of a number of accolades including the 2015 Benjamin Franklin Book Award for “Best First Book: Fiction.”
If you like fast-paced and humor-laced stories, don’t miss this family’s fight to stay together as it confronts a youth sports underworld loaded with captivating characters.
Amazon
Barnes & Noble
Apple
Kobo
Novel Comes To Life Book Trailer
Summer Read Book Trailer
Author Bio
Award-winning author Tom Swyers first had an audience on the edge of their seat (and the girls giggling) when his play, The Great Train Robbery, made its debut in the seventh grade.
After high school, he worked his way through some of the best colleges in the country. Employed in a variety of jobs ranging from a late-night convenience store clerk to a fine jewelry salesperson, Tom eventually graduated from college and then worked his way through law school in the caverns of Wall Street.
Since then, he’s studied at the New York State Summer Writer’s Institute at Skidmore College. He’s also a member of both the Authors Guild and the Hudson Valley Writers Guild.
Along the way, he married his high school sweetheart and raised a family. With that came baseball, but that’s another story (Saving Babe Ruth). Tom is also an award-winning youth sports advocate.
When he isn’t writing or reading, Tom is usually running (literally) away from trouble on the back roads of Upstate, New York where he lives with his family and two cats (really two dogs working undercover).
Saving Babe Ruth is his first novel and these are some of the awards it has received:
Gold Winner, “Best First Book: Fiction,” 2015 Independent Book Publishers Association’s Benjamin Franklin Book Awards.
Silver Winner, “Best Popular Fiction,” 2015 Independent Book Publisher Association’s Benjamin Franklin Book Awards.
Reader Views, “Best Regional Fiction 2014/2015: Northeast.”
Finalist, “Best New Fiction,” 2014 USA Best Book Awards.
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Filed under: Guest Authors Tagged: @TomSwyers, Saving Babe Ruth, The Great Train Robbery, Tom Swyers
July 11, 2015
Book Tour ~ Island Bluffs by Alan Winter
Title: Island Buffs
Author: Alan A. Winter
Publisher: KBPublishing
Genre: Thriller/Suspense
Format: Kindle/Paperback
Island Bluffs is a story of love, forgiveness, and understanding the dark side of the human spirit. It explores the age-old question: are children accountable for the sins of their parents and grandparents? Carly Mason is a successful New York City forensic dentist. She and her widower husband, Gabe Berk, are trying to start a family. Thinking they had exhausted the options by consulting with all of Manhattan’s fertility experts, Carly and Gabe learn of an eccentric scientist who runs an exclusive clinic. The doctor commits to helping the couple conceive the baby they so desperately want, but only if they agree to what seems like an outrageous stipulation; Carly must carry twins, one biological and one that she is a surrogate for. Once the twins are born Carly has to surrender the non-biological twin to the doctor at birth, no questions asked. Further, should the old doctor die before Carly gives birth, she has to agree to give the baby the name chosen by the doctor. As required for treatment, Carly and Gabe move into a new house, which is within thirty minutes of the clinic. They soon discover that their new home and town, Island Bluffs, are far from ordinary. Carly and Gabe feel eyes spying on them at every turn. Gabe’s father, Yehuda, hears strange noises that only he can hear. Megan, Gabe’s rebellious sixteen-year-old daughter from a previous marriage, is attracted to the son of a Neo-Nazi. The mysteries continue to deepen as a scavenger ship appears on nearby waters searching for sunken treasure along with glimpses of a lone swimmer lumbering through the waves of Barnegat Bay. Island Bluffs is a present-day town bound to the past by horrible secrets and pacts made long ago. Keeping secrets buried as some had hoped was no longer an option for the Berks. Their new and some thought long-forgotten home made that impossible by putting them squarely in the middle of it all. When the truths are revealed, the shocking twists and turns will challenge the very notions of what is right and wrong.
ORDER INFORMATION
Island Bluffs is available for purchase at Amazon, and B&N. Add to your Goodreads shelf.
About The Author
At first blush, Alan is quick to say that he never intended to be a writer. But when he thinks about it, he’s been writing in one form or another, for his entire adult life. In college, he wrote paper after paper for his history and literature courses. Professionally, he edited a dental journal and wrote more than twenty scientific papers. That still doesn’t explain how a dentist came to write fiction!
It started in 1982 when Alan made small talk with a patient about a sci-fi idea he had. She thought the idea was so terrific, she urged him to write a movie treatment about it. Alan dismissed her offhand. What did he know about writing movies?
The patient persisted. Each time she would visit his office, she would demand to see the finished movie treatment. Seeing she was serious and relentless, Alan agreed to hand her a treatment. But how? He had no clue where to start. Asking other patients for guidance, Alan was introduced to a young screenwriter who agreed – for a fee – to write the treatment. They worked together, produced a treatment, and shopped it around to a number of studios. One studio took the idea (without permission or payment) and turned Alan’s treatment into a movie.
Alan experienced two revelations at the time:
Rather than waste energy being litigious, be flattered that a studio felt Alan’s idea was worthy of turning it into a movie. Knowing a stranger valued his creativity supported all of his future projects.
Collaborating with the screenwriter gave Alan the validation he needed that if and when he chose to write a book, it wouldn’t be foolhardy…not that it really mattered what others thought!
Still, Alan had no desire to write fiction. That changed in 1985. That was the year that Alan began writing his first novel, “Someone Else’s Son,” which was eventually published by MasterMedia, Ltd.
What prompted Alan to write “Someone Else’s Son” is a story in itself. When Alan completed his periodontal training at Columbia, he joined a prestigious Fifth Avenue periodontal practice. Day after day, the well-to-do, prominent patients asked Alan if he was old enough to be a dentist. (He looked that much younger than the two senior partners). Trying to convince the patients that he was old enough to be a dentist and, therefore, experienced enough to treat them, Alan put his two sons’ pictures on the treatment room wall. When his third son was born, he added that one, too. Every few months, he updated the photos.
But a curious thing happened on a daily basis. The patients kept asking why Alan had pictures of children on the wall. When he replied, “They’re not just any children; those are my sons,” no one believed him. They claimed the boys looked too dissimilar to be brothers. They joked that he must have taken the wrong one home from the hospital. Though this was not the case (at least he didn’t think so), Alan wondered what he would’ve done had he discovered, years later, that he and his wife had brought the wrong child home from the hospital. The result was “Someone Else’s Son.”
While maintaining his periodontal practice, Alan has continued to write since he first took up pen to paper, although now he is very appreciative that his mother forced him to take typing in summer school after his sophomore year of high school. Boys just didn’t do that back in the ’60s, but it has been an invaluable skill over the years.
In 1999, “Snowflakes in the Sahara” was published by iUniverse. “Savior’s Day,” also published by iUniverse, was published in 2013 to critical acclaim. It was selected by Kirkus Reviews as a Best Book of 2013.
“Island Bluffs,” Alan’s newest novel, is published by KB Publishing to excellent reviews. He is at work on his next novel, “The Legacy of Izaak Wolf,” about an adolescent with Asperger’s Syndrome achieves the near impossible to save his family from a surefire calamity.
Alan and Lori live in his native New Jersey. They have five children and five grandchildren.
For More Information Visit Alan’s website.
Filed under: Guest Authors Tagged: @awinternovels, Alan A. Winter, Island Bluffs by Alan Winter, Island Buffs, Pump Up Your Book, PUYB, Savior’s Day, Snowflakes in the Sahara, Someone Else’s Son, The Legacy of Izaak Wolf
Book Tour – A Taste for Mystery by KD Rose
AUTHOR BIO
K.D. Rose is a poet and author who currently has published “Heavy Bags of Soul“, “Inside Sorrow“, “I AM”, “Erasing: Shadows”, “Anger’s Children: Three Shorts That Will Blow Your Mind“, “A Taste for Mystery: Two Novellas” and “The Brevity of Twit“.
Her poetry has been published in Candlelit Journal, the Voices Project, and showcased in the Tophat Raven Art and Literary Magazine. K.D.’s book, Inside Sorrow won the Readers Favorite 2013 international Silver Medal for Poetry.
K.D. has an eclectic mind and loves language, physics, philosophy, photography, design, art, writing, symbolism, semiotics, spirituality, and Dr. Who. KD Rose is an avid supporter of music, the arts, cutting edge science, technology, and creativity in all forms.
Buy Link
Blurb
Follow private detectives Carolyn Woods, Jack Heart, and friends as they try to navigate murder, mystery, and romantic entanglements. Two novellas, two detectives, two lovers….what could go wrong?
Excerpt
He had six-pack abs, and I wanted to feel the carbonation.
This one dressed like the stereotype of a construction worker, down to the handkerchief he used to wipe sweat off his forehead. I don’t know if he or the hot day brought it out, but sweat poured off of me too. He had no interest in me as a person, though. I was invading his territory. Still, I enjoyed the view. For my part, I knew my clothes looked crappy. I didn’t have to wear uniforms anymore, but my street clothes, well they were very—street. So there I stood, a turd in the sun in front of this Adonis. Oh well.
He pointed to a small trailer up a muddy hill. The supervisor I asked to see apparently stayed in there. Stayed, as in never left. Great. Mud. Now I’d be a dried turd in the sun. Adonis went back to digging and I started the trek up the hill. At least I came with boots. Steel toed.
Once I made it to the trailer, I heard an argument going on inside.
“Look, I don’t care who you are. The plans are publically filed. Go get them yourself!” yelled someone.
Then I heard a voice I knew. Calm, cool, subversive. “Is there any reason you’re being so difficult? A man did die on your watch.”
An encounter I hadn’t planned on. Well, at least not until later tonight. I knocked loudly on the door and with my sweetest voice said, “Hello, boys. Am I interrupting something?”
“Great,” groused the supervisor. “A party.” He appeared to me like another stereotype, puffing on a cigar over a fat jowl line and rotund stomach that threatened to overturn the small desk he was behind. I guess there’s a reason for stereotypes. He looked about four hamburgers away from a heart attack.
On a wooden chair in front of the supervisor sat Jack. A fellow independent detective, an ally at times, a competitor…and my on and off lover.
“Well, well, well,” he said smiling, but I could tell he wasn’t happy to see me. Not here. It meant we were both working the same case. “Hello, Carolyn. Who hired you?”
“Parents.”
“Girlfriend,” he answered back.
We stared at each other. Complications.
KD Rose’s Social Media Links
KD Roses Blog: https://authorkdrose.wordpress.com/
Website: http://authorkdrose.com
Twitter: https://twitter.com/KDRose1
Networked Blogs: http://www.networkedblogs.com/user/100002817280090
Tumbler: http://kdrose1.tumblr.com/
Google+: https://plus.google.com/u/0/102870988804959230001/about/p/pub
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/authorkdrose?ref=hl
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/profile/preview?vpa=pub&locale=en_US
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/6038789.K_D_Rose
Instagram: https://instagram.com/kdroseauthor/
Author Interview
K.D., thanks for being here today. Tell our readers about you
Belle of the pithy, acerbic ball. Eclectic. Harmless.
What inspires you to get out of bed each day?
Writing or something to do with it usually inspires me. Seriously. Sometimes it’s breakfast.
If you could hang out with one famous person for one day, who would it be and why?
I’d say Jared Leto but I’m not sure I could keep up with his super spastic, intelligent, dramatic, player mind. So maybe Harlan Ellison, who I also probably couldn’t keep up with and since he’s known for drama too, I might get my ass beat, so maybe I’ll stick with Neil Gaiman. He’s a kind person.
What’s the story behind your latest book?
Mystery, suspense, romance…two novellas that relate to each other in time and whose characters cross over. The story is I wrote about two detectives who are on and off lovers and I’d like to write more installments. They each have a life and flair of their own.
Tell us your writing process
It goes something like this:
Get a fabulous idea.
Procrastinate
Write some poetry instead.
Write an unrelated article.
Write a bunch of ideas down for other stories.
Think a lot about how the actual book will go.
Start on book.
Throw out everything I thought about how the book will go.
Write the book in spurts.
Finish the book and never want to see it again.
Edit, etc, publish, publicize.
Wonder how the hell I can go through this process again.
What tips can you give other authors who are looking to get the word out about their book?
I’ve found some writers are receptive to reviewing books, especially if yours sounds intriguing (after all, we are readers too!). Sometimes this helps since review blogs, magazines and other places that specialize in reviews are usually swamped.
When did you realize you wanted to be a writer?
I started trying to write books when I was five (didnt get very far), loved creative writing in elementary school and English in High School and took as many writing courses as I could in college. So basically, since birth.
Tell us about your main character:
There are two main characters, Carolyn Woods and Jack Heart. Each novella features one more than the other though. They are on and off lovers, fellow detectives and both tough and weak at the same time. They like to spar but underneath they really care about each other.
What are you working on next?
Actually my “latest, latest” book is on Storyshift. It’s an adventure paranormal written on a platform that allows readers to vote on the choices at the end of each chapter. Then I have to write based on the outcome. That sounded like an exciting challenge and I’m writing it in a very different style. I wanted to do something different and this platform is a hybrid between gamers and writers. Readers can find that story (Kill Chain) here: http://www.newgrounds.com/portal/view/634402
Do you have any special/extraordinary talents?
I’m stoic when everyone else would be freaking out. I freak out afterwards. By then of course no one understands and everyone’s like, “What the hell is wrong with you?”
Who are your favorite authors?
Old favorites. I can’t help it, I grew up with them and they continue to resonate with me. Madeline L’Engel for one, who was a children’s author. She was brilliant. Robert Heinlein, Harlan Ellison, Philip K. Dick. Many poets also because I am very much into poetry as well. I do find some new ones that I like. Malcolm Gladwell comes to mind and I enjoyed Leslie Jamison’s book of essays. I love groundbreaking books.
What do you like to do with your free time?
That goes to husband and family. Then free me time usually ends up back related to books somehow.
Tell us about your plans for upcoming books.
I’m procrastinating writing a poetry book again because I want it to be so good. That perfectionist streak is really an idea killer. Next will probably be a book of short stories. Or essays.
Any final thoughts?
Imagination is more important than knowledge – Albert Einstein
Thanks for being here today K.D.
Filed under: Guest Authors Tagged: @KDRose1, A Taste for Mystery, Anger's Children: Three Shorts That Will Blow Your Mind, author interview, Book Excerpt, book promotion tips, Erasing: Shadows, Heavy Bags of Soul, Imagination is more important than knowledge, KD Rose, Kill Chain, The Brevity of Twit, writing tips
July 10, 2015
Book Tour ~ Nightlife: Night Terrors
Title: Nightlife: Night Terrors
Author: Matthew Quinn Martin
Genre: Horror
Release Date: July 7, 2015
“Doesn’t get any darker than this; you can actually feel the blood spatter…” –Hugo & Nebula winner James Patrick Kelly
Enter the world of Nightlife, where the streets crawl with unimaginable demons, and a monster can lurk behind every friendly face…
Matthew Quinn Martin first terrified horror fans with Nightlife, the captivating story of two unlikely monster hunters determined to save the city of New Harbor from the Night Angels—bloodthirsty creatures that feed on the forgotten. Jack Jackson and Beth Becker are among the few who can see these creatures for what they really are, but as they hunt the creatures, a mysterious organization known only as The Division is hunting them.
In the novella Hazardous Material, we get a glimpse of The Division’s origins and aims, when a young man stumbles onto a long-abandoned video arcade—which three decades ago was the site of the largest mass shooting in New York history—and unwittingly uncovers a relic of unimaginable power and mind-altering terror.
And in the never-before-released As the Worm Turns, Jack and Beth are back, along with their faithful dog, Blood. For months they’ve been keeping just one step ahead of The Division, whose enigmatic leader has been pursuing them with the single-minded obsession to capture them by any means necessary. But as Jack and Beth continue their quest to rid the world of the creatures once and for all they find themselves facing off against something even more terrifying than the Night Angels––something that could hold the key to humanity’s salvation…or its doom.
Three amazing horror stories in one chilling bundle…the only thing you won’t fear is the price!
Reviews for the first book
“Thrilling, edgy, and scary as hell, Nightlife is an outstanding debut and one of the most original takes on the vampire novel I’ve ever read.” – Jason Starr, International Bestselling Author of The Pack
“Nightlife completely creeped me out. Martin is a master of suspense. Keep me up all night again soon!” –Nancy Holder, New York Times Bestselling Author, The Wicked Saga
“Doesn’t get any darker than this; you can actually feel the blood spatter. Nightlife is the gutsiest debut I’ve read in a long time.” – James Patrick Kelly, Hugo and Nebula Award winning author of Think Like a Dinosaur.
“An incredibly riveting, edge of your seat plot that was equal parts spooky mystery and gruesomely tragic horror novel.” – All Things Urban Fantasy
“Whoa! This is like the ultimate Vampire book! No fluff here. This is not your modern, sexy, ‘I wanna get laid by a vampire’ book – this was some scary stuff.” – Wall to Wall Books
“I don’t think I’ve actually read anything like it!” – Bibliosanctum
“If you like your fantasy urban and dark, give this book a try. If you want to see vampires restored to a fearsome glory, give this book a try. If you just want a creepy good story for the Halloween month, give this book a try!” – Badass Book Reviews
“Nightlife is the perfect story to read if you like to get a good scare on!” – Jersey Girl Book Reviews
“Have you been wanting vampires that are mean, nasty, eating machines? Tired of the glitter and sparkle and angst? Well, check this book out….a perfect blend of action and pathos that most readers of horror should enjoy.” – Now is Gone
“The vampires Matthew created are nothing like I ever read before. They are scary and creepy!” – Yummy Men and Kick Ass Chicks
Author Bio
Born in Allentown, Pennsylvania and raised in New Haven, Connecticut, it wasn’t until Matthew moved to Manhattan that he realized he was a writer. These days, he lives on a small island off the North Atlantic coast of the United States where it gets quiet in the winter…perhaps too quiet.
Links
http://www.matthewquinnmartin.com/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/matthewqmartin
Buy the book:
Buy the Book on S&S Publishing
Buy the Book on B&N
Buy the Book on Amazon
Buy the Book on iTunes
Buy the Book on GooglePlay
NIGHTLIFE: AS THE WORM TURNS excerpt
The bank dominated the center of the block. The letters that had once been fastened above the entrance were gone—no doubt stripped long ago and pawned as scrap—but watery gray ghosts of the name, Empire Bank and Trust, remained, staining the lintel just beneath the crumbling cornice.
The bank was a relic from the days when money was kept on-site, when buildings like this needed to project an aura of safety and power. Power it had in spades, even if that power was a dark, haunted one. Safety, however, had long since taken the last train out of Camden.
Blood’s growl grew to a timber-sawing buzz. Jack knelt by him, resting one heavy hand on the dog’s neck. “Stay here, boy.” Beth fought the urge to do the same, to share in the bond between them. However, as close as she’d grown to Blood these past ten months, she knew he answered to but one master.
The boarded-up door gave way. The bottom edge ground against the sidewalk, leaving just enough room for them to slip through. Blood took his place just outside, standing sentry.
The place reeked of stale air and piss. Their own tentative footfalls echoed like timpani in the hollow structure. Each of them clicked on a flashlight, and the beams pierced the gloom, presenting a patchwork picture of the interior. Above them, the vaulted ceiling stretched past the reach of their beams. The curved sides were covered in a ruin of torn silk bunting that hung in shreds like funerary wrappings. In the center of the cracked tile floor were the remains of a mosaic. It might have once depicted an eagle clutching a shield, but half of it had cratered away. Many holes gaped in the floor, any one of them an invitation to a turned ankle.
Directly ahead of them was a row of iron portcullis windows, behind which a battalion of tellers had once stood. The shelves beneath each pass-through sported an uneven divot at the center, worn smooth by decades of deposits and withdrawals.
At the far wall, just past the bars, Beth could spot the shadow of an open vault. And between the two, the shadow of something else. Something that was moving toward the only door separating them. A door that was open.
“Don’t look at it.” Jack was already reaching for a snap vial. “Cover the door. Let me know if you see anything. Shadows, movement, anything.”
Beth drew her pistol and trained it on the narrow slit of night just past the entrance. She fought constantly to keep her eyes from flicking over to where that thing was. “What’s it doing?
“It’s waiting.”
“Waiting for what?”
“An opportunity.”
Beth clamped her jaw tight, gripped her pistol tighter. She backed up until she could see Jack in her peripheral vision. There was a quick cracking sound as Jack activated the vial. He breathed in deeply, and she watched his entire body begin to vibrate as the chemicals took hold. “What do you see?”
Jack took another step closer. He leaned in. And then he shook his head and coughed out the vapor. “Too dark to see much. It’s pacing. I’m pretty sure it knows we’re here. But every time it comes close to the door, it pulls back. I think it wants to attack but is afraid to come too close.”
“Is it wounded? Like the other one?”
“Yes. No. I’m not sure.” He coughed again, and when he spoke, his voice was little more than a gravel whisper. “Wounded, yes. But not in the same way. And . . .” Jack’s voice trailed thin into the musty air.
“And what?”
“And this is a trap.”
AUTHOR INTERVIEW
Matthew. What inspires you to get out of bed each day?
Usually, it’s the sun. I know that might sound flip, but I have a hard time sleeping after the sun comes up. I don’t always get out of bed right away. I might lie there for a bit thinking over some plot or character issues (or worrying about something unrelated to writing). But except for rare days, when the sun’s up, so am I. I am very much a morning person (once the coffee kicks in)…I know this goes against the “horror writer” stereotype, but there you have it.
If you could hang out with one famous person for one day, who would it be and why?
You know…I want to try to sound deep with this one and say Neil deGrasse Tyson or Jaron Laneir or Ralph Nader––but I’m just going to go with Matthew McConaughey. I mean, this is a guy who thanked himself during his own Oscar acceptance speech. He called himself his own biggest hero. And for some strange reason, it never came off as arrogant, narcissistic or tone-deaf. That balance of unwavering confidence and charisma is something a lot of writers wish they could pull off. Plus I’d imagine we’d be driving around in one of those Lincoln commercials…and there are worse ways to kill a day than cruising down the PCH with the guy who played Mickey Haller.
What’s the story behind your latest book?
NIGHTLIFE: NIGHT TERRORS is an omnibus edition of my first novel NIGHTLIFE, a related novella HAZARDOUS MATERIAL and a full sequel AS THE WORM TURNS. Together they are threads woven into what I hope will turn out to be a much larger story tapestry as time goes on.
The main players in NIGHTLIFE and AS THE WORM TURNS are: Jack Jackson, a monster hunter with a dark past. Beth Becker, the bartender who reluctantly joins forces with him in the first book. Blood, Jack’s mongrel dog who possesses the ability to see the creatures as they are. Agent Ross, leader of a secretive covert strike team tasked with recovering Jackson. And of course, there are the monsters…of which there are a few different types…and I wouldn’t want to spoil the surprise there.
HAZARDOUS MATERIAL on the other hand, tells a quieter story about a 20-something graphic designer whose reached a dead end in his life and is working in HazMat removal…all that changes when he discovers an abandoned video arcade that was once the site of the largest mass shooting in New York history. Again…I don’t want to spoil anything, but a few of the characters from AS THE WORM TURNS make an appearance here as well.
Tell us your writing process.
My process is evolving. I used to be a compulsive outliner. I think this comes from starting out as a screenwriter. In screenplays all have to be a specific length (dictated by genre and budget), and certain markers need to be hit by certain pages. In this arena, outlining is a necessity. When I made the switch to writing novels, the habit migrated with me. I used to think of it as a part of my identity…but now I realize it’s more like “Dumbo’s Feather”…I’ve decided to let go of it while writing my current WIP, and am curious to see if I can really fly.
Do you have any tips on what promotions have worked that you can share with aspiring & upcoming authors?
The publishing landscape is in such a state of flux that I really hesitate to offer any “blanket” advice. What works for one genre might not for another. Heck, what works for one writer might not work for another in the exact same genre. Sometimes it just comes down to timing and persistence. The most helpful advice I’ve ever gotten on this front came from Donald Maass (and I’m paraphrasing)…”The best PR for your new book is between the covers of your last one.”
When did you realize you wanted to be a writer?
The desire to tell stories has always been hardwired in me, I think. Although the nascent manifestations of it were different (ex. musician, actor, clown). Although I did dabble, writing seriously came later to me than it seems to have for most of my colleagues. I know one writer who claims that she started drafting her first stories with blocks. I was nearly 30 before I wrote (and sold) my first screenplay, and then started in on novels half a decade later.
Tell us about your main character:
Beth is the protagonist of NIGHTLIFE. She’s the one who has the strongest arc…moving from world-weary cynic to protector of the innocent. But AS THE WORM TURNS is Jack’s story…his arc is darker and involves making hard choices that affect not only him, but those who care about him. But at the end of the day, they are both heroes in a 21st century mold…beaten at times, but never broken, and all too human.
What are you working on next?
Although AS THE WORM TURNS certainly ends on a note that there’s more to tell. I’m taking a vacation from the NIGHTLIFE universe for a bit. There are other imaginative landscapes I’m itching to explore. My next solo outings are still to raw to talk about. My Muse would get really pissed if I blabbed at this point and when she’s angry…trust me…it’s not pretty.
However, my writing partner, Libby Cudmore (whose own amazing debut novel THE BIG REWIND is coming out in February from William Morrow) and I are putting the finishing touches on a young adult novel we hope to take to market soon.
Do you have any special/extraordinary talents?
I play the bagpipes…not as well as I did when I was younger, but I’m trying to get back into “parade shape.”
Who are your favorite authors?
I read widely, and there are far too many “favorites” to name them all. Harlan Ellison is a big influence (probably my biggest). Every horror writer (whether they want to admit it or not) stands somewhat in the shadows of their predecessors (originators like Poe and Lovecraft, as well as those who elevated the genre during the late 20th century…Stephen King, Anne Rice, Dean Koontz, Richard Matheson, Clive Barker and so on). I started out as a screenwriter, so I still love to watch a well-crafted screenplay unfold. Joe Eszterhas and James Cameron are both frighteningly good writers that don’t get their fair share of acclaim if you ask me (although, I’m sure the money they’ve made helps soften the blow).
What do you like to do with your free time?
I play music to relax, usually bass…some guitar. I’m competent on both, but not obsessed enough to worry about the occasional flubbed note or passage like I would with the pipes.
Tell us about your plans for upcoming books.
I guess the Muse wouldn’t beat me up if I mentioned that all three books I’m working on in rotation are stand-alines. Or that one of them is a high-end literary horror/fantasy mashup in the vein of Neil Gaiman or Charles de Lint. Or that another is psychological horror that centers around the time I lived at Zuccotti Park with the OWS protestors. Or that the third one is shaping up to be a supernatural Jungian mind-f***.
Where can people find you on the web?
www.matthewquinnmartin.com
and my twitter handle is @matthewqmartin
I don’t do Facebook…I used to, but it was eating up too much of my daily word count.
Any final thoughts?
I always like to end with a quote from my mentor Doctor Buckaroo Banzai, “Don’t be mean; we don’t have to be mean. ‘Cuz, remember, no matter where you go, there you are.“
Filed under: Guest Authors Tagged: @matthewqmartin, Enchanted book promotions, Matthew Quinn Martin, Nightlife: Night Terrors, writing tips
July 9, 2015
Wildflower by Alexandra Forry
Title: WILDFLOWER
Author Name: ALEXANDRA FORRY
Book Genre: Contemporary Romance
Publisher: CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform
Release Date: March 4, 2014
Author Bio: Alexandra Forry has an incredible talent for living vicariously through the colorful and intriguing escapades of her strong female characters and successful leading men. Her first book, “Omerta Affair,” based on the true story of mafia boss Tony Torino and his paramour Evelyn Rosenberg has recently been adapted and re-released as “Timeless Endings”–romance fiction. Her latest book, “Wildflower,” is an adventure in coming of age for both a young orphan and her repressed aunt who is trapped in a destructive marriage. It is a beautiful story of life, hope, growth, and triumph and deals with many of the traumas of youth, such as bullying.
Alexandra Forry is familiar with life’s challenges. She was born and raised in Las Vegas, Nevada, where she lives with her loving grandparents. Alexandra has conquered the limitations of Cerebral Palsy to write exciting and engaging novels. She has completed a number of talks and internet book tours and is a member of the Las Vegas Romance Writers and RWA.
Author Links
Website
Facebook
Twitter
Linkedin
Goodreads
Amazon
Giveaway– Autographed paperback with a personal message to the winner.
Book Blurb: In this beautiful and moving story of love, growth, and redemption among the stunning red rocks of Sedona, Arizona, Sydney—a teenaged Army orphan—discovers that love knows no bounds and life has many twists and turns of fate. After she is forced to move in with her late mother’s sister Blanche and Blanche’s abusive alcoholic husband Dean, Sidney finds purpose and friendship in Lexy, the daughter of Max Heller the City’s most prominent widower and business magnate. Unknowingly, the girls’ antics awaken Blanche’s lost and suppressed passions and stirs Max’s long-thwarted drive to build a loving and complete family. What emerges is the wonderfully successful Epicurian Café, the brainchild of Blanche and Sydney actively encouraged by Max and Lexy. The Café quickly becomes a center of the community, the start of a new life for Blanche and Sydney, and a chance for Max and Lexy to discover true love and the meaning of commitment. An emotional roller-coaster with its exciting twists and turns, Wildflower is an exhilarating and satisfying read.
Excerpt
“Why don’t we open a business? Like a simple sandwich and coffee shop,” Sydney announced with a glimmer of hope in her eyes.
“A sandwich shop?” Blanche asked, looking surprised and a bit taken aback.
“Yeah, why not?”
While Sydney waited for an answer, Blanche just looked at her, dumbfounded.
“Sydney, I would love to open a sandwich shop, but it takes a lot of money–money that we just don’t have.”
“Oh please, Aunt Blanche! I bet you can get a loan from the bank. It will be exciting!” Sydney pleaded.
“I don’t think that your uncle will approve. Sydney I love your idea, truly do! I was taken aback at first, because it has always been a dream of mine to open a little shop of some kind on Main Street,” Blanche said wistfully. ”It costs a lot of money to open up a business, besides I have an offer for a job in Prescott.”
“Pooh on Uncle Dean, and turn down that job. For me, please? You can ask Annette how to open a business–she will know, since she owns her own business.” Sydney said begging her aunt.
“I will think about it, okay, Sydney?” Blanche said making her way to her closet and picking out a dress.
Filed under: Guest Authors Tagged: #forryalexandra, Alexandra Forry, coming of age, Contemporary Romance, Giveaway, Omerta Affair, Rafflecopter giveaway, romance writers, RWA, Timeless Endings, virtual book tour café, Wildflower 
Book Tour – The Blind World by M.C. Rohweder
About the Book
Title: The Blind World
Author: M.C. Rohweder
Genre: New Adult Urban Fantasy
Miranda Schaffer just wants a little freedom for the start of college. Having convinced her parents to let her live in the house left to them by her great-aunt Janine, she’s excited. That is, until her classmate, Cole, tries to convince her that the house is one of the tools needed by the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse to raise Hell.
Cole identifies himself as a Guardian, whose sole purpose in life is to prevent the gateway to Hell—supposedly Miranda’s basement—from falling into the wrong hands. Miranda brushes off his concerns, thinking he’s crazy.
On top of that, the cute real estate agent interested in the house is, according to Cole, one of the Four Horsemen, and she should stay away from him at all costs. That’s easier said than done when she can’t get him out of her head.
Will her indecision leave her with Hell to pay?
Author Bio
M.C. Rohweder is from Sin City, where The Brimstone Series takes place. She has been writing for as long as she can remember, and hopes her readers love her stories as much as she loves writing them.
Twitter: @mcrohweder
Facebook: Facebook.com/MCRohweder
Website: www.MCRohweder.com
Links
Pre-order
Filed under: Guest Authors Tagged: @mcrohweder, Adult Urban Fantasy, Enchanted book promotions, M.C. Rohweder, The Blind World, The Brimstone Series
July 8, 2015
Book Tour ~ The Shiva Syndrome by Alan Joshua
Title: The Shiva Syndrome
Author: Alan Joshua
Publisher: Champagne Books
Genre: Science Fiction
Format: Kindle
A secret Russian mind research laboratory in Podol’sk erupts, annihilating thousands and leaving a monstrous, one-mile deep crater in its wake. Beau Walker, parapsychologist and reluctant empath, is coerced into joining a research team, code-named SHIVA, to investigate the enigmatic event. Walker must fight his way past political and military deceptions and a host of deadly adversaries to unlock the riddle of the SHIVA syndrome. Will he have the physical, emotional, and spiritual strength to defy the dangers he faces…or will they destroy him before he can come to a new, challenging understanding of the nature of reality?
Purchase The Shiva Syndrome:
Amazon
B&N
About The Author
As a native Philadelphian, Alan Joshua (pen name) has the appropriate fondness for soft pretzels and cheesesteaks. He is married, has two grown children, and lives in the suburbs. He is currently a practicing Clinical Psychologist with a background in Forensic Psychology.
His diverse background includes working in a State penitentiary and mental institution, a sleep laboratory, and a pain management center.
Joshua has published many nonfiction journal articles. The Shiva syndrome, his debut fiction novel, is a science fiction/paranormal mystery and thriller.
Always curious about the unknowns of human experience, he is fascinated with creativity and paranormal abilities. This led to his involvement with Psychology and research into Parapsychology.
He has explored paranormal abilities using hypnosis and in-depth interviewing of a wide range of practitioners. Among his prized possessions are a shriveled, mummified banana (a product of one healer’s biopsychokinesis) and a small, curled Austrian teaspoon produced by a German healer while six people sat around him. (see http://alanjoshua.com/biopsychokinesis)
The Shiva Syndrome incorporates his knowledge of Parapsychology and experiences with healers, intuitives, “psychic” sensitives, etc.
Unsurprisingly, he is a science fiction fan and has been influenced by such writers as Asimov, Bradbury, Crichton, Heinlein, Serling, and the extraordinary genius of Phillip Dick.
As an avid Star Trek fan, he is fond of contradicting Gene Roddenberry, believing that human consciousness and its potentials are “the final frontier.”
If you have questions for the author, he would be glad to answer them–time permitting. He would like to hear from anyone who has had any paranormal experiences.
For More Information Visit Alan at his website.
Filed under: Guest Authors Tagged: Alan Joshua, Pump Up Your Book, PUYB, The Shiva Syndrome, The Shiva Syndrome by Alan Joshua
