Isabel Roman's Blog, page 10

#Interview with @jplantern for Up the Tower

J.P. Lantern lives in the Midwestern US, though his heart and probably some essential parts of his liver and pancreas and whatnot live metaphorically in Texas. He writes speculative science fiction short stories, novellas, and novels which he has deemed "rugged," though he would also be fine with "roughhewn" because that is a terrific and wonderfully apt word.Full of adventure and discovery, these stories examine complex people in situations fraught with conflict as they search for truth in increasingly violent and complicated worlds.
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Available on Amazon!
 



1. At any given time do you work on only one story at a time and maybe plot out the next one or are there many ideas racing around your head? I am working on a lot of stories all the time. I write under some other pen names that I publish pretty consistently in. When it comes to science fiction, I write one thing at a time. If I get a good science fiction-y idea, I see if there's some way to shoehorn it in to whatever I'm working on, most of the time. And most of the time, it works!
2. Is there a genre you haven't written in but would like to? Or wish you could write in? I would really like to write a horror story one day. I haven't had any particularly good ideas for one, but I am a huge horror fan, and have been for several years. I think horror is fascinating because horror—especially in film—always seems to reflect the zeitgeist more than anything else. In the eighties, for example, everyone was up in arms about drugs and premarital sex, and you have this wave of slasher movies that (some ironically, some intentionally) murder waves of teenagers doing drugs and having premarital sex.
These days, our problems are often harder to find and fight and get rid of; we are worried about all-powerful corporations and the environment falling apart and the economy. It's no wonder, then, that so many horror movies today have landed on using demonic possession as the main thrust of their films; that is a problem that is basically unsolvable by spiritually bankrupt people (a product of our rampant materialism) and is a force that wickedly changes people, places, and things without any clear cause other than malicious randomness, which is how, say, an economic recession can feel.
3. Do you add an element of romantic suspense in your stories? I often do! This latest release, UP THE TOWER, is a little odd in that department because the main healthy relationship that is trying to be salvaged/enacted is between a character named Samson and his sister, Ore. They've been separated for more than a decade, and each thinks the other is dead, and through the events in the story they find out the other is alive, but they have to navigate through the catastrophic destruction of an earthquake to try and find one another.
The actual romantic elements in this story are all depicted as unhealthy and gross. One character, Ana, draws a lot of male attention because she's beautiful; the men who are attracted to her don't really care about much else about her, even though she's a rather complex being. So, this affects her psyche quite a lot, and she self-identifies as a pretty young woman who has to act in societally-acceptable ways, even though that is decidedly untrue. So, another main character, Gary, is hopelessly in love with her, but he's sort of like a deranged Romeo in that Ana is just the latest in a long line of fixations for him. He's very internet-stalkerish, very “white-knight.”
So the romantic suspense there is mostly just how Ana is going to somehow convince Gary he's an acting like an insane person and for her to realize she doesn't need someone like him in her life.
4. Say you have unlimited funds: What kind of writing office/cottage would you create for yourself?
My wife and I just re-organized our home, and also my office, and it's pretty close to the ideal. I got those huge thermal shades so no light gets in (DARKNESS!), which makes it more of a cliché cave but also lets me concentrate a little better, with no glares on the screen. I collect transformers, so I have a bunch of shelves all around with various plastic robots looking imposing and judgmental, so that's nice. And then I also am a big LEGO fan (I promise I am a grown adult), so I have all of those in there as well with space for projecting. 
Probably the only way it could get better is if our air conditioning worked a little better. I like it cold!
5. If you could turn your novel into a TV show, which novel or series would you do? Where would it be set? Network TV (ABC, NBC, CBS), Cable (AMC, BBC, Lifetime) or Premium Cable (HBO, Showtime, Starz)? I think there's enough backstory and texture to UP THE TOWER to make it a miniseries at least. I think that it has a wide enough appeal that it could land pretty easily on some of the basic networks; it doesn't have all the boobs and swearing necessary to land it on something like Premium Cable demands these days. Maybe AMC would like it; definitely not Lifetime. I don't think they do Sci-Fi. It would be fun to see a BBC version; that would definitely make my wife happy. She loves all things British.
6.Finally, tell us about your latest release! My latest novel is UP THE TOWER. It is a dystopian action thriller set in a futuristic St. Louis slum. It stars six strangers who all have been abandoned by those closest to them, and they have to join forces to survive a catastrophic, city-destroying earthquake. Their only way out is up an enormous, decrepid skyscraper that is full of nefarious gangsters. The cast is pretty eclectic—a boy genius, a malfunctioning copbot, a cloned assassin, a gangster with nothing to lose, and a beautiful young woman and her unbalanced stalker. 
It's got clones, robots, action, adventure, suspense, and is generally a big pulpy mess of a good time. It's less than a dollar, so pick it up!
Blurb:

Disaster brings everybody together. A cloned corporate assassin; a boy genius and his new robot; a tech-modified gangster with nothing to lose; a beautiful, damaged woman and her unbalanced stalker—these folks couldn't be more different, but somehow they must work together to save their own skin. Stranded in the epicenter of a monumental earthquake in the dystopian slum, Junktown, there is only one way to survive. These unlikely teammates must go...UP THE TOWER.


Excerpt:

“This kid comes in, okay? Starts doing all this stuff with Wallop's tech fists. Powering them up and such. You know, they can bend steel, they can punch a man so far a distance, all of that. At first, I think the kid's pretty young, but then I see his eyes—they're old enough. I seen his eyes, they're about my age, those eyes. And it’s important, okay, how old he is. Because this kid? He looks a hell of a lot like me.”
“So what? Lots of kids look like you.”
“Yeah. So do Georgeson. So do Jonesboy. So do Figueroa.”
“What are you saying?”
“I'm saying…” he palmed the side of his head. “I’m saying, it ain’t no secret that you got yourself a certain type of person that you pick up. A type of boy. I sort of thought I knew why. Last night I found out for certain.”
Konnor was right. Ore was angry.
“The hell are you saying to me? Just say it.”
“You said you had a brother. His name was Samson. He was good with tech, you said. Well this kid? The one tailoring Wallop's new fists? Samson. That's what Wallop called him. ‘Samson, touch here.’ ‘Samson, look at that, is that right.’”
Ore didn't say anything.
“He's alive. Your brother. In The Tower. He’s maybe been alive this whole time.”
Silence, then. Even the eyebots outside seemed to get quiet.
That goddamn Wallop. Her job, her Haulers, and her eye. Now he had her brother, or near enough.  Everything. Would he take everything from her?
Konnor stood up and headed to the door. The shack squeaked beneath him.
“If it was any other sort of job…if it was a job that maybe wouldn’t have gone against the Faces…”
“Shut up, Konnor. It’s all against the Faces. It’s under ‘em or it’s with ‘em. You know that.”
“All right. All right.” He opened the door. An argument had started down the street; someone lit a fire in a barrel on the balcony above her shack; an eyebot stopped, scanned the two, and then zipped away. “It’s a hell of a plan, though, Ore. A hell of a plan. And maybe I won’t get around to telling Wallop what’s what for a little while.”

The author will be awarding a backlist ebook copy to a randomly drawn winner at every stop during the tour and a Grand Prize of a $25 Amazon GC will be awarded to one randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during this tour. a Rafflecopter giveaway

Review #SleepyHollow season 1

Yes. It is that good. It's better than that good. And if you're not watching it you need to. That, and you need to follow Orlando Jones on Twitter during the actual episodes-that man is funny!

Based on The Legend of Sleepy Hollow , the show took it to the next level. Sure, the Johnny Depp movie wasn't bad, but this is just wow.

Ichabod Crane is totally lickable. Go on, look at his photo. Don't lick your computer screen, it's okay. I understand. And that British accent. Yum. Plus, the Ichabod wit on finding himself in the 21st century and his observations on (our) everyday activities is awesome.

"What's insane is a 10% levy on baked goods! You do realize the Revolutionary War began on less than 2%! How is the public not flocking to the streets in outrage? We must do something." Just one of many adorable and hysterical Ichabod quotes from the show. And that scene where he learns how to use a shower? Yes, as funny as you're now imagining.

But there is actually a plot, and much deeper than the wit and witticism of 21st century Ichabod Crane.

Thanks to his Wicca wife, he comes back from a Revolutionary War death in modern day. Katrina, his wife, is not only beautiful, but she has mad chemistry with Ichabod. I love their love story and I love what she's sacrificed to stop evil from permeating the new America.

Abby Mills, Sleepy Hollow cop, is absolutely  great. SHe's smart, tough, and an equal to Ichabod's character. She doesn't make silly "girlly" mistakes  but can own up when she is mistaken, the hallmark of a fascinating character. To use a well known quote, I think it's the beginning of a beautiful friendship.

All in all, if you haven't watched season 1, sadly only 13 episodes, you need to. This weekend. All at once because once you start you won't want to stop. If you like history, wrapped in a contemporary, with a heavy dose of the paranormal, then Sleepy Hollow is your thing.

5 stars all the way

#Interview with @LilasTaha Shadows of Damascus

Lilas Taha is a writer at heart, an electrical engineer by training, and an advocate for domestic abuse victims by choice. She was born in Kuwait to a Syrian mother and a Palestinian father, and immigrated to the U.S. as a result of the Gulf war in 1990. She earned a master’s degree in Human Factors Engineering from the University of Wisconsin- Madison. There, Lilas met her beloved husband and true friend, and moved with him to Sugar Land, Texas to establish a family. She is the proud mother of a daughter and a son. Instead of working in an industrial field, she applied herself to the field of social safety, working with victims of domestic violence.
Pursuing her true passion for creative writing, Lilas brings her professional interests, and her Middle Eastern background together in her debut fictional novel, Shadows of Damascus.
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What would I tell a new authorWrite what you want and trust your instinct. Chances are, you were drawn to this field because you had something pressing to write about, something specific to your experiences. So do it. Write what you have in mind. Write freely and with complete abandonment of censorship. Don’t think of who might be looking over your shoulder, wagging a finger or shaking a head in dismay. It is your story, your creation, and the only thing that matters is your relationship with the ink on the paper. 
There are rules to follow, and then there are rules to break and do away with. There is no formula to being creative. There are those who say you cannot start a book with a dream, or you shouldn’t jump from one point of view of a character to another, or prologues belong in the past and distract from the story line. I think if you do it right, if you weave the events of your story tight enough, no matter what style or sequence you chose, your creativity should shine through and bring forth a book that despite breaking some rules, still captures interest. 
It is important to point out that you have to determine who your audience is, or the genre you wish to delve into, before you set out on your writing adventure. There is also the business side to being an author, and if you are a novice like myself, you will have to learn about marketing and self-promotion no matter who acquires your work. There are social media strategies to think about, online presence to establish, and visibility to launch and increase. All that is meaningless if you don’t have a finished, compelling product. 
So keep writing. Be persistent and stubborn. Accept that your work will be rejected by agents many times, too many than you care to admit. But it is part of the process. Keep sending query letters, attend writers’ conferences, and meet with agents as much as you can. It’s not about luck, landing on an agent or a publisher who would acquire your work, it’s about perseverance and flexibility.
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Blurb:


Bullet wounds, torture and oppression aren’t the only things that keep a man—or a woman—from being whole.
Debt. Honor. Pain. Solitude. These are things wounded war veteran Adam Wegener knows all about. Love—now, that he is not good at. Not when love equals a closed fist, burns, and suicide attempts. But Adam is one who keeps his word. He owes the man who saved his life in Iraq. And he doesn’t question the measure of the debt, even when it is in the form of an emotionally distant, beautiful woman.
Yasmeen agreed to become the wife of an American veteran so she could flee persecution in war-torn Syria. She counted on being in the United States for a short stay until she could return home. There was one thing she did not count on: wanting more.
Is it too late for Adam and Yasmeen?


Excerpt:PROLOGUEYASMEEN
Damascus, SyriaSummer 2006
The seductive fragrance of Damascus roses drifted through the open window and flirted with fifteen-year-old Yasmeen’s olfactory senses. The potent flowers in her neighbor’s yard delivered the best awakening. She loved beginnings, especially early, mid-summer mornings like these. Stretching across the bed, her imagination raced with possibilities for the promising day.
Thursday. The day her older brother’s friends visited and stayed well into the evening. Yasmeen ticked off potential visitors in her head, dashing young university students who loved to talk politics with Fadi. Today, she would do her best to discover the name of the quietest member in the group, the thin one with round-rimmed glasses. On her nightstand, the sketch she worked on during the last visit waited for his name, and more details around the eyes.
Peeling off the covers, she tip-toed to the window. Lively noises matched her optimistic mood. Nightingales sang greetings. Clanging dishes and pots resonated from surrounding houses beyond high walls. Mothers called out for their daughters to get breakfast ready. Men’s deep voices describing fresh fruits and vegetables with tempting traditional phrases drifted above hidden alleys. One vendor claimed his cucumbers were small as baby fingers, and likened his ripe apples to a virgin bride’s cheeks. Another boasted his plum peaches shed their covers without enticement, and his shy eggplants hid well in a moonless night.
Yasmeen succumbed to the enlivening chaos spilling in from her bedroom window, her own special and personal opening to the world. Tilting her head back, she exposed her face and neck to the sun, allowing its invigorating rays to paint her cheeks.
Today, her mother told her she would be allowed to take a coffee tray into Fadi’s room once all his friends arrived. What would she wear? She should tell her best friend Zainab to stop by earlier than usual to go through her wardrobe. She could help her decide. Perhaps one of Fadi’s friends would notice her. More than one? Why not?
Draping her arms on the windowsill, she looked at the neighbor’s yard, counting the blooming roses, a ritual she performed each morning since the season started. In the north corner of the largest flowerbed, two violet buds grabbed her attention, their delicate petals about to unfold. Once they came to full bloom, their deep purple color would dominate the landscape.
A knock sounded at her door.
“I am awake.”
Her father walked in. “Good. We have work to do.” He held a hammer in one hand and a couple of boards in the other. “Move aside, Yasmeen.” He approached the window.
She stepped away and pointed at the boards. “What do you need those for?”
Her father closed the windowpanes, locked them, placed one board across the frame, and hammered it in place.
“What are you doing?”
“This window is not to be opened again, child.”
She could not believe her ears. “Why?”
“Neighbors moved out last night.” Her father nailed the second board in place. “Mukhabarat took over their house.”

#BookBlast My Life Interpreted by Wanda Octave

Wanda Octave lives with constant fascination and intrigue for life. Her amazing ability to extract spiritual messages out of everyday experiences, has kept readers captivated for years and is finally revealed in her new book My Life Interpreted. A former Marketing professional, Octave worked in the fields of banking, real estate and tourism before becoming a writer.


Hailing from the small Caribbean Island which produced two Nobel Laureates - Honorable Derek Walcott and Sir Arthur Lewis, Octave has set her sights on becoming an international best-selling author, hoping to again position Saint Lucia as a force of to be reckoned with. 
Learn more at www.wandaoctave.com or follow My Life Interpreted on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/My-Life-Interpreted/424218667598103
https://www.amazon.com/author/wandaoctave
Get your copy today! 
Connect with me:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/My-Lif...
Twitter: https://twitter.com/mylifeinterpreted
Blog: http://www.wandaoctave.com
Smashwords Interview: https://www.smashwords.com/interview/...
Smashwords profile page: https://www.smashwords.com/profile/vi...


If you’ve ever pondered how you’ve ended up where you are in life, why things happen the way they do and what your life’s purpose is, then you’ll love My Life Interpreted. It is an uplifting book of ninety-nine inspiring reflections that seeks to demystify the questions of everyday life. Through real-life examples, Wanda Octave demonstrates how you can use your own life to decipher spiritual principles begging for attention.
The answers to life’s burning questions are often right in front of you and Octave shows in a practical and down to earth manner how to access those answers and live more fully.
What started out for Octave as snippets of her own life sent weekly to her list of newsletter subscribers has now been collected into one volume of inspiration. My Life Interpreted is a delightful daily companion or the perfect gift book for anyone seeking encouragement. 

Life Coaching
About ten years ago, I met a woman who confessed that the key to controlling her weight and staying healthy was her weekly appointment with her nutritionist. “Surely, if you have the tools, you don’t have to go every week,” I argued. “Perhaps once a month to make sure you stay on track…” But she insisted that weekly visits were essential and that her nutritionist had one of the highest success rates. Her clients had been with her for years.
I can’t remember what the fee was, but I remember it being high enough that my rough calculations had her nutritionist earning over a hundred thousand dollars a year. At the time, I seriously believed that the nutritionist was brainwashing her clients. Who needs to see a nutritionist every week?
Well, after a series of life improvements where I had direct assistance from a mentor, I realized that we all do. Anyone, who is committed to achieving anything in life, needs a mentor, a trainer, a coach, an expert…a qualified and experienced authority. You will find that you excel in all the areas of your life where you have a consistent coach. To stay in shape, follow the advice of a fitness trainer. To maintain a healthy lifestyle, subscribe to healthy eating newsletters and listen to food tips or get a nutritionist (I bow in shame). To achieve financial freedom, talk to a financial advisor, subscribe to money newsletters, listen to financial programs. To achieve spiritual clarity, feed your soul. Read insightful material. Learn about the laws of the universe, the theories and wisdoms that have been practiced for centuries. Search the web, watch documentaries, join groups, keep exploring, keep learning! You can find mentors and resources for every area of your life. Latch on; use them.
If you want to further your career, you upgrade your skills. Why should it be different with other areas of your life? I challenge you: If you want to be better at something, find a mentor, someone who will hold your hand and ensure you keep on learning. But be willing to reward them with payment for this assistance. Make it part of your soul budgeting. It’ll be worth every cent. 
Life is short…you need a coach!


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#Interview with @JessePearle for Second Skin

Jesse Pearle grew up in the mountains of Western North Carolina in a place where there was no danger in dancing naked in the moonlight at the top of a mountain. Always possessed of a creative mind, but never quite the right amount of focus, she wandered for decades. She received a degree in fine art which she put to poor use working an uneventful desk job for an engineering company when she started writing her first really ambitious piece of fiction. She lives in sunny Southern California with her ever supportive husband and four attention-whoring cats.

Links:WebsiteFacebookTwitter  

1. At any given time do you work on only one story at a time and maybe plot out the next one or are there many ideas racing around your head?
At any given time I’m an ADD mess, and it isn’t just the bajillion stories running through my head, either. Among all the varying story ideas, character ideas, scene ideas that are bumping around my brain like a wild carnival ride, I also have marketing strategies, sales data, blog ideas, website plans, and cats.
2. Is there a genre you haven't written in but would like to? Or wish you could write in? I feel like my writing stretches the boundaries of romance a bit much. If anything, I’d like to rein it in so I could write a true traditional romance, just once. I also wish I was better at writing intrigue. I’m not very good at it, but I keep trying anyway—there’s a bit of an intrigue subplot in Second Skin, but it’s pretty light. It gets more complex through the next three books in the series, though.
3. Do you add an element of romantic suspense in your stories?It’s a romantic suspense novel, so yeah, but I didn’t write it that way on purpose. I just tend to enjoy a bit of suspense in most of what I write. If I’m not writing sex scenes on every page, I need something more engaging to keep me interested in what I’m writing. The threat of death works just as well, I think.
4. Say you have unlimited funds: What kind of writing office/cottage would you create for yourself? It would be an airy cabin in the mountains, with lots of high windows, and would absolutely have to have a view of the Blue Ridge Mountain range, or some similar mountain range, like this one: http://i.imgur.com/aldusDc.jpg
5. If you could turn your novel into a TV show, which novel or series would you do? Where would it be set? Network TV (ABC, NBC, CBS), Cable (AMC, BBC, Lifetime) or Premium Cable (HBO, Showtime, Starz)?Second Skin is pretty racey in content, it features gang violence and steamy sex with light BDSM elements, so it’d likely have to be on cable TV. The setting is Los Angeles. I have a Pinterest board where I collect photos that have inspired me, including actors who I think would fill the roles of my characters best. Alex O’Loughlin would be Sam. http://www.pinterest.com/jessepearle/second-skin/
6. Finally, tell us about your latest release!Second Skin is part love story and part coming-of-age story. It’s a love triangle, so there are three main characters. Pilar Flores is the daughter of a drug lord, eighteen at the beginning of the story and trying to find her place in her father’s business. Leo Reyes is one of her father’s employees and the leader of an LA street gang who becomes her father’s right hand later in the story. Sam Blanco is a boy in the neighborhood Leo’s gang holds dominion over, whose goal is to make enough money selling tattoos after high school to get himself and his younger sister the hell out of dodge and away from their abusive father. The three characters’ worlds collide in unexpected ways, from Pilar’s first encounter with the tragic hero, Leo, to the complicated entanglements that occur when the young tattoo artist, Sam, comes into the picture. While the love story is most definitely between Pilar and Leo, every love story has its obstacles to overcome. Sam is one of those obstacles for Pilar and Leo, but in truth he may be the catalyst that allows the two lovers to understand each other more. However, at its heart, the entire series is Sam’s story, even though the “happily ever after” isn’t his in this particular book. Sam’s Happily Ever After comes later.
Where to Buy:
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All Romance

The small plane touched down on the runway of the airfield outside Los Angeles. After taxiing to the hangar, Leo powered down the engines and pulled off his headset. He felt like a weight had been lifted, but anxiety twisted in his gut as he worked through his explanation to the old man.
Gustavo had needed to be taken care of, that fact had been clear to him for months. The only reason he hadn’t gone to Arturo Flores about Gustavo’s consistent series of fuckups was because of his promise to Pilar to leave her father out of it.
The deed was done, the memory of the corpse he’d left behind in the little shack in the Sonoran desert still left him ice cold to his core. He’d had to ignore the spark of memory of another pair of eyes whose light the same gun had extinguished two years earlier. Two years to the day, he thought.
Leo no longer regretted any of those bullets, starting with the very first one from his brother’s gun that had pierced his own chest. Each had brought him closer to her. Now all he had to do was claim what was his.
The phone at his hip buzzed as he made his way across the tarmac to the parking lot. He settled in his car and started the engine, turning the AC on full blast while he checked his messages.
911! Call me when you land!
It was from Pilar. Goosebumps rose up on his arms in spite of the hot August air that baked the interior of his car.

Jesse will be awarding a $25 Amazon GC to two randomly drawn winners via rafflecopter during the tour  
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Tour for Make Me Crazy by Codi Gary

An obsessive bookworm for twenty years, Codi Gary likes to write sexy small-town contemporary romances with humor, grand gestures, and blush-worthy moments. When she’s not writing, she can be found reading her favorite authors, squealing over her must-watch shows and playing with her children. She lives in Idaho with her family. Visit her website www.codigarysbooks.com for latest news, social media, or just to say hi!
Author links: Website  FacebookTwitterGoodreads


1. At any given time do you work on only one story at a time and maybe plot out the next one or are there many ideas racing around your head? I work on only one story at a time, but if I get a good idea, I write down some notes, usually about a paragraph long and save it. There are tons of ideas, but I have to work on them singularly or they would never get finished.

2. Is there a genre you haven't written in but would like to? Or wish you could write in? NA and Historical, although historical scares me because of how many experts read the genre and I’d hate to write inaccurately.

3. Do you add an element of romantic suspense in your stories? Not usually, unless it calls for it, like with my Halloween Novella, One Crazy Night.

4. Say you have unlimited funds: What kind of writing office/cottage would you create for yourself? It would be a one bedroom with a bathroom and kitchen. My office would have wall to wall book shelves except for where my desk sits, I’d have a giant tub and shower for thinking and relaxing, and a fully stocked kitchen for snacking and brain fuel! J

5. If you could turn your novel into a TV show, which novel or series would you do? Where would it be set? Network TV (ABC, NBC, CBS), Cable (AMC, BBC, Lifetime) or Premium Cable (HBO, Showtime, Starz)? I would like my Loco, Texas series on the CW, because it’s one of my favorite channels (still not over them cancelling Ringer and Emily Owens, but I am trying to get over it).

6. Finally, tell us about your latest release! I Want Crazy is a follow up to Make Me Crazy, and is about Red Calhoun. Red is best friends with the hero/heroine from Make Me Crazy and he is in a bit of a slump, made worse when he finds out his favorite bar is closed for renovations. When he bangs on the door and demands to talk to the new owner, he meets Jessie, the feisty blond from California that doesn’t take his guff. These two were a lot of fun to write and I hope you enjoy them.
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Blurb:

Miranda “Rand” Coleman has seen the way love can wreck a person and wants absolutely no part of it. When her granddaddy dies suddenly, he leaves a clause in his will that has her married in three months or she loses her inheritance. Unwilling to give up the Double C Ranch, she starts to set her eyes towards the eligible men in town, with little luck in finding a man she can stand for a minute let alone a year. Until she sets eyes on the new veterinarian and enlists the help of her womanizing best friend, Jake, to help. 

Jake Hansen is a single guy who likes his women pretty and uncomplicated, with no plans to settle down anytime soon. When he decides to help Rand hook her man, he has no idea the effect watching Rand change would have on him. Especially when she starts letting her gorgeous brown hair down and showing off a body he didn’t even know she had. Before too long, Jake isn’t just lusting after his best friend, he’s feeling downright possessive. But when it comes down to the wire, will he get over his issues and step up to the alter…or lose the only woman he was ever meant to love?

Excerpt: Rand pulled her hand away from him and he covered his smile with his hand as she looked surprised by the compliment. “I don’t remember.”            Tandy leaned on the table and the woman’s look was downright sultry. “Well it looks awesome on you.”            Jake blinked. The girl wasn’t being friendly. She was flirting...with Rand.            Rand seemed oblivious to Tandy’s interest. “I got it as a present for my birthday, and was going to take it back, but my granddaddy couldn’t find the receipt.”            Tandy actually batted her lashes. “Well that would have been a damn shame.”            Alright, it was funny at first but that was too much. “I’ll have the chicken enchiladas with two tacos.” Both women turned to stare at him and he focused all of his attention on Rand, “Honey, what do you want to eat?”            Rand looked back up at Tandy when she answered. “I’ll have a bean and cheese burrito with rice and beans.”            “Coming right up.” Tandy said.           Her smiled faded when her gaze shifted to him, her expression downright hostile. This time he watched her walk away and turned back to Rand with wide eyes. “Did you see that?”            “You checking out our waitress?” Rand asked with false sweetness.           It was his turn to be angry. “No, the glare she sent me.” “Right because women usually glare at you.”            Jake said very patiently, “Rand honey, I have no interest in that woman and I’m telling you, I am not her type.”           “How do you know that?” He leaned back in his seat and grinned. “Because it wasn’t me she was checking out.” 
Codi will be awarding a signed copy of Make Me Crazy to a randomly drawn commenter at every stop (US ONLY) during the tour; and a Grand Prize of a $25 Amazon/BN GC plus a signed copy of Make Me Crazy (US ONLY) will be awarded to one randomly drawn commenter during the tour.

#BookBlast: Anger: How to Control It So It Won't Control You by @DrTiffanyBrown

This post is part of a virtual book tour organized by Goddess Fish Promotions. Dr. Brown will be awarding an ebook copy of Anger: How to Control It So It Won't Control You to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour. Click on the tour banner to see the other stops on the tour.

Everyone has experienced it at least once in their life. Some have experienced it at least every day.

I have traveled all over the world and have seen it in every place. I have struggled with it as well. It’s a family problem for generations. It can be your greatest motivator or worst enemy.

Anger. Anger is defined by the Webster Dictionary as a strong feeling of displeasure and belligerence aroused by a wrong; wrath; ire.

I will show you not only how to control your anger from a Christian perspective but also have manage it until it motivates you; not hinders you. Get Ready. Anger is nothing more than manifestation of fear. Once you eliminate fear, the anger will be gone. Become Fearless.

Read an excerpt:

Section 2 - What is Fear and its connection to anger?

Fear is defined as a perceived threat of some type. It can be emotional or physical. When you feel that you’re in some form of danger. This activates your fight or flight response. Most animals respond to threat by either fighting or fleeing. However, we don't always have the option to fight what threatens us. Instead, we have anger. Words are the civilized way that we get to fight threat.

Some of my biggest blowups often involved a fear of being alone. When I have depended on people to reciprocate support for me on various levels, (new venue, in a relationship, or just life) they have disappointed me. I have never felt more rage in my life. It wasn't the disappointment that I was feeling or the feeling of being used. It was the thought that all my hard work wasn't good enough. I was unworthy, not loved, and alone.

Anger is just a manifestation of fear. For some people, when you are fearful of something, the first response that comes up is usually anger. Anger is a mask of fear.

I have learned that despite it all, I must be able to rely on myself and God. People, situations, and organization will fail you time and time again. When God is with you, nothing is against you.

You can do all in Christ that strengthens us (which is my current Church's motto).

Through my personal evolution of how to handle my anger, I have become fearless. I think before I move, I think instead of becoming angry. I am also slow to anger. I have now begun to think about the motivations behind people's actions. Sometimes, the only answer is indifference. Never fight anger with anger. It causes long reaching effects in ways you cannot even possibly imagine.

Fear is nothing more than an illusion of a possible threat. If you can control your response to your fears, then the anger will melt away.

Buy the book at Amazon or Barnes and Noble.

About the Author:
Dr. Tiffany Brown is a native of Atlanta has taken great pride in her education and strives to continue broadening her knowledge. Graduating with a degree in Political Science from the prestigious Spelman College in 2001, a Master's degree in Public Administration from Clark Atlanta in 2004 and also a Doctorate in Public Policy from Walden University in 2009, she earned these achievements through determination and the desire to achieve her goals. She has held positions with the United States Government Accountability Office, Fulton County District Attorney's Office, Georgia Law Center for the Homeless, Georgia Conservation Voters, Supreme Court of Georgia, Equifax, Coca-Cola Enterprises, and Atlanta Bar Association. Upon Graduation from Walden University, she has truly impacted change as an academic and practitioner. She is former 2009 Write-in Atlanta Mayoral Candidate and owner of 3 companies: Tribute Contracting LLC, a minority owned government consulting firm TB LLC; Tiffany Brown Design House; Tiffany Brown Holdings Inc. - Consulting firm that has five divisions: entertainment, vending, radio, food, nonprofit management and book publishing. She is an author of several books: Daily Reflections of Life: A Book of Affirmations for the Ambitious and Prayers of a Faithful Woman. In 2010, She is honored as a Influencer by BOSS Network. The BOSS Network is a women's empowerment alliance dedicated to highlighting women and creating opportunities for growth through networking beyond events. BOSS was named among the top 100 websites and one of the top 10 career sites for women in 2010 by Forbes.com

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#Interview for Three Black Boys by @ZangbaThomson

Zangba Thomson is the Creative Director at BME LLC, the author of Three Black Boys: Tomorrow After Supper, co-author of Do Right Do Good (a self-help guide book towards vision fulfillment and entrepreneurship), a recording artist, and New York Life Coach Examiner. Zangba balances his career and family time on the scale of hard work and dedication, and his main areas of focus include his real life experiences, metaphysics, and spirituality. Zangba's work reinforces the basic idea that goals are fulfilled when right decisions are made. Please visit his website.Blog Twitter Facebook


Self Confidence: The motivational force behind Zangba Thomson’s success
Every author by now knows what a difference a boost of self-confidence can make to one’s career. With it, you can succeed abundantly, but without it, you can fail miserably before completing a single book project.
Self-confidence is defined as a realistic assurance in one’s own power, ability or better judgment. But to me, self-confidence is that unseen motivator—an attitude booster that has enabled me, and countless amounts of other authors—to overcome many fears and obstacles—on our long journeys towards vision fulfillment.
But how is self-confidence obtained, and most importantly—where can it be acquired? According to Napoleon Hill, widely considered one of the greatest writers on success—stated that the law of autosuggestion, when applied every day, could aid anyone in acquiring self-confidence. If you continuously repeat to yourself that you have confidence in your ability to succeed—you will gradually influence your subconscious mind to think successfully.
“All impulses of thought have a tendency to clothe themselves in their physical equivalent,” Hill stated in Think and Grow Rich, one of the best-selling books of all time. “The subconscious mind will translate into reality a thought driven by fear—just as readily as it will translate into reality a thought driven by courage.”
So, according to Hill—what we think—we become, and it’s not unusual for a person with self-confidence to think decisively. In their mind, they will never doubt their ability to succeed. But a person who doesn’t have self-confidence, he or she will think indecisively because subconsciously—they do not believe in their ability to prosper.
“The moment you doubt whether you can fly, you cease forever to be able to do it.” ~ J.M. Barrie, the creator of Peter Pan
So every waking moment, while writing my debut novel, “Three Black Boys: Tomorrow After Supper,” I thought, spoke and believed that I was—a published and well-respected author. Many distractions came and many distractions went, but through it all—I remained focused by tricking my subconscious mind into believing that I was again—a published and well-respected author, and in doing so—I became extremely determine to finish writing the book that I had started writing months prior, and through my hard work and dedication—I became a published and well-respected author, but one important fact stuck out like a sore thumb—my self-confidence was at an all-time high when I prevailed against all odds. I used autosuggestion—to get me to start believing in myself, and once I had enough self-confidence, I succeeded in being a published and well-respected author—and you can too.
In conclusion, I want to end this motivational/testimonial article with Mel Blanc’s famous catchphrase, “That’s All Folks!” And I want to thank Isabel Roman’s Sexy Adventures—Passionate Tales for hosting this wonderful blogging event, and also I want to thank Goddess Fish Promotions for the hard work that they are doing—in regards to organizing this magnificent “Virtual Name Before the Masses Tour” for Three Black Boys: Tomorrow After Supper . (PEACE) and always remember that (P) Positive, (E) Energy, (A) Always, (C) Creates, (E) Elevation.  

Blurb:


Teenagers spring into dangerous action to obtain financial aid for a woman who has only a month to live. The setting is Queens, N.Y., home to Babita Harris, an Indian immigrant plagued with the deadly black fever disease. With a couple of months to live, Babita only hope of survival is a costly liver transplant. But with no health insurance, the chance of a surgery is slim. What she needs is a quarter of a million dollars in cash. Barnes, her only son, along with his two friends, Demus and Baker, spring into dangerous action to get the money. Although their road is paved with good intentions, the brothers in arms will experience more than they have ever experienced before.
Where to Buy: AmazonBarnes and Noble

Excerpt:

Thousands of light years away from the Devil’s Lair, between Earth and the fourth dimension, is Barnes, standing inside a dark passageway to the afterlife. With both of his hands folded before him, he is ushered into the Great Balance Chamber by an unimaginable creature. Barnes is frightened when he sees the Chief God of Justice and other anciently dressed high official gods. He sits in a chair designed with Aramaic letterings, and out the corner of his eye, towards his left hand side, he sees the Scale of Truth and Deceit. The Chief God of Justice, ready to perform the weighing of the heart ceremony, bangs his Staff of Life into an oval shaped instrument, and an indescribable sound echoes throughout the Great Balance Chamber.
“The Scale of Truth and Deceit will decide if your heart is pure or not,” says the Chief God of Justice in a thunderous tone of voice. “If you are innocent and speak the truth, you will be set free to prepare for your great journey through the Valley of the Shadow of Death. But if you are found guilty, of an abundance of lies and deceit, you will be sentenced to a second death, which means your soul and your spirit will be destroyed!”


Zangda will be awarding a digital copy of Three Black Boys: Tomorrow After Supper or a Bong Mines Clothing T-shirt (winner's choice) to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour. (US ONLY)
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#BookBlast for Luck of the Draw by @CheriAllan

This post is part of a virtual book tour organized by Goddess Fish Promotions. Cheri will be awarding a $25 Amazon or Barnes and Noble gift card to a randomly drawn winner and a $15 Amazon or Barnes and Noble gift card to another randomly drawn winner via the rafflecopter at the end of this post.

If only life had a refresh button...

Kate Mitchell never planned to be a 31 year-old widowed single mom, but when her soon-to-be-EX husband up and dies, her dreams of finishing college and starting over are thrown in the air like a game of 52 pick-up. When she’s given a leave of absence from work and told to “quit or recommit,” Kate retreats to idyllic Sugar Falls, New Hampshire, to figure out whether she can discover her passion and pay the bills. Cue the fresh air, summer sunshine and one sexy local contractor.

Tall, dark, and handy…

Volunteer fireman and all-around hunky guy in a toolbelt, Jim Pearson has sworn off complicated women with messy baggage. They cling to his nice-guy stability and skills with a power saw just long enough to straighten out their lives and move on… but then he meets the cute single mom staying at Grams’ lake house for the summer.

While a sizzling attraction draws them together, Jim's distrust of complicated women and Kate's incredibly complicated life threaten to pull them apart. But forces beyond their control--match-making grandmothers, the lazy backdrop of summer, and their own reckoning with the past--conspire to make them risk it all... and bet on love.

Now enjoy and excerpt:

She could hear their breathing in the quiet room, the air a bit close from the heat of the day. She smiled.

He grimaced.

“Kate, I—”

She put her finger to his lips. “Please, don’t. I know this must seem crazy. We hardly know each other, but… I don’t want to analyze it. Not now.”

She didn’t want to talk. Didn’t want to admit her behavior was so far removed from her usual comfort zone it was like observing someone else. But Jim made her feel safe in a way she couldn’t put her finger on. Safe… and alive. No, that wasn’t right. He made her feel… hopeful. There was something about his eyes. So gentle, so kind. When she looked into his eyes, all the sad, lonely years melted away, and her heart felt light again, like a butterfly in her breast. She hadn’t felt that feeling in so very, very long. She couldn’t bear to turn it away. Not now. Not yet.

He nodded, his gaze boring into hers as he grasped her hand and pressed a kiss to her palm. His thumb brushed over her fingers as he looked at her hand. “You took off your ring,” he whispered.

She nodded, and he brought her hand to his lips again, looked her in the eyes. “Tell me what you want,” he said.

“For you to,” she managed a shaky breath, “do that again?”

He grinned against her wrist…

Cheri Allan lives in a charming fixer-upper in rural New Hampshire with her husband, two children, one dog, four cats and an excessive amount of optimism. She’s a firm believer in do-it-yourself, new beginnings and happily-ever-afters, so after years of wearing suits, she’s grateful to finally put her English degree to good use writing romance. When not writing, you might find her whizzing down the slopes of a nearby mountain or inadvertently killing perennials in her garden.

Cheri loves to hear from readers! E-mail her at cheri@cheriallan.com, friend her at facebook.com/cheriallanauthor, or visit her website and blog at www.cheriallan.com. Luck of the Draw, Book 1 in the ‘Betting on Romance’ series is available now from Amazon and Smashwords. Smashwords:

https://www.facebook.com/pages/Cheri-Allan-Books/143131549193624

https://twitter.com/CheriAllan

http://www.cheriallan.com/

Cheri will be awarding a $25 Amazon or Barnes and Noble gift card to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during this tour and the Super Book Blast Tour , and a $15 Amazon or BN gift card will be awarded to another randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during both tours.a Rafflecopter giveaway

#BookBlast: Hidden Shadows by Lauren Hope

Lauren Hope is the author of the bestselling mystery Screaming To Be Solved, and her first published work, The Shadow Series (Hidden Shadows, Chasing Shadows). Lauren creates a modern twist on the classic 'whodunit,' combining suspense, romance, even comedy, for intriguing, heartfelt stories.
With a background in Communication and Journalism, Lauren has sat behind the anchor's desk and worked in the corporate world, finding her ultimate love in writing. Screaming To Be Solved was named a 'Hot New Release' by Amazon in 2013 and charted in the top 10 on Amazon's international bestseller list.
She lives with her husband, daughter, and floppy-eared rescue pup in Tennessee.
Visit her at laurenhope.net.Facebook Goodreads
Blurb: Jenna Gregor is a busy, single mom of two, successfully overseeing a Perinatal Wing in a downtown Nashville clinic. On the surface, Jenna’s achievements are many, her future bright and promising. But in her past are secrets, sins she doesn’t want exposed. Sins someone else doesn’t want to forget, or forgive.

Just as Jenna’s life finally seems to be falling back into place after her bitter divorce—Bennett Aston can handle her sarcasm and stubbornness quite nicely—it all begins to unravel. Someone is lurking, hiding in theshadows, slowly and meticulously ruining Jenna’s well-crafted world. As threats evolve, suspicions grow, and death becomes a vivid reality, Jenna must decide whom she can trust and find her allies, before her secrets become her undoing.  
Excerpt: All a child needed was its mother. That’s what her own mom had yelled to her over the booze and music one night when Desiree asked the simple question—where’s my Daddy?
At any rate, she thought lazily, as her mind began to lag with the memories, today was my last attempt.
Her spiraling depression made her unsure if she could even make it to the hospital the next day, much less go unnoticed—especially after being escorted out today by the burly security guard for her suspicious behavior.
The self-pitying thoughts turned to anger again, a hot, boiling, lava-like rage that burned under her skin. She felt as though her head would explode with the pain.
She jumped up, screamed the wrath, and ran to the bathroom’s small stretch of counter. Her thin, pallid face reflected back at her in the mirror above the sink. Breaths puffed out raggedly from her tight lungs as she looked around blankly at the numerous infant outfits scattered throughout the room. She balled her hand in a firm fist, punched the mirror with force, and watched numbly as bits of bloody glass shattered over the sink.
It was freeing in a way, a sense of relief and release to watch her veins spew their red anger. It calmed her some, settled her thoughts.
Control, control, she ordered herself. “You are a bright woman who deserves what she wants. You will not be outsmarted.”

Lauren will be awarding a $25 Amazon GC to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour.

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