Roxanne Rhoads's Blog, page 334

Men of Machismo The Bad Decision Legacy by Morgan Kay

Men of MachismoThe Bad Decision LegacyMen of Machismo SeriesMorgan Kay
Genre: Romantic Suspense
Publisher: Sleeping Dragon Press
Date of Publication:  May 12, 2016
ISBN-10:1-944712-94-1ISBN-13: 978-1-944712-94-5         ASIN: B01E46YQ1Y
Number of pages: 280Word Count: 81,503
Cover Artist: Dawne Dominique
Book Description:
The Men of Machismo series revolves around nine friends who worked together in a male revue. Each book follows the life of a different former dancer seven years later. The Bad Decision Legacy is Will and Tonya’s story.
Tonya’s psychotic ex is stalking her. Not the best time to meet men, still her best friend begs her to show up for blind date dinner. Her plan includes the meet and greet, then heading home. Of course, she never expected a man who sent every hormone in her body into high alert. Will looked like her next bad decision.
Will’s work as a divorce lawyer included discouraging embittered women from ramming their soon to be exes with the car or setting fire to their husband’s latest girlfriend. No wonder he fell hard for Tonya. The first woman he met with no agenda, well almost none. It’s obvious Tonya is knee deep in trouble, but refuses to ask for help. Instead of running the other way, he contemplates dashing into the tornado she refers to as her life. With any luck, he might survive.
Smashwords        BN       iTunes       Amazon


Excerpt: 

Lynne merely lifted an eyebrow as she opened the front door. Her friend waited for them both to pass, before speaking.Their hostess babbled as entered. “Ah, well, we got the awkward introductions out of the way. I forgot to mention to Tonya that Marc invited you. I forgot until you arrived.” Lynne managed to deliver the words with a straight face, but winked in Tonya’s direction.Tonya sucked in her lips, controlling her laughter. Unfortunately, her friend would never be a great actress. Her words sounded as stiff as any business owner who attempted to make his own cut-rate commercial.Tonya excused herself by pointing in the direction of the bathroom, not trusting herself to resist laughing. Lynne acknowledged her signal while guiding Will to the family room, where mellow jazz music and glassware tinkling emanated. Marc must already be making his special martinis. The memory of various drinks in brilliant colors, with exotic names, made her regret her detour to the bathroom. After shutting the door with a little more energy than needed, she turned on the faucet full blast, covering her laughter.Seriously, did Lynne think she was fooling anyone? Did Will think she showed up on her own, with no hint a single man might be the lure? A quick glance in the mirror revealed a flushed face. It was hard to tell if it was from laughing or playing her part in this farce. Dampening a washcloth, she patted her face. Thank goodness, she hadn’t bothered with full makeup. Her goal was to look like she hadn’t expected to encounter an eligible male. Well, she accomplished that all right with her ponytail and jeans. Nothing she could do about it now. She stuck her tongue out at her mirrored image. Her goal was not to encourage the man, but to score a free meal. A small sigh escaped as she turned the doorknob. Remembering the spark that zipped up her arm when he touched her hand, the man had potential. Try not to think about it. The last thing she needed was the emotional roller coaster that came with dating. She never managed to exit the horror ride called Clint. It was still going, whether she wanted to be on it or not. That would be a hard thing to explain in a budding relationship.God, listen to me. Budding relationship. Get a grip, chick. Michelle pointed out the man must be a mess if his own fiancée abandoned him to become a man. Will would be smart to avoid me, because I’m a train wreck in the making, with a full-time stalker and the possibility of unemployment in the near future.

About the Author:
Morgan K Wyatt writes steamy romances with a side of laughter under the name of Morgan Kay. The wisecracking heroines and hunky heroes are similar to the ones in her mainstream novels, but in the Steamy Interludes series, the bedroom door is left open.  Real life issues, humor, dogs are also staples in Morgan Kay romances.  
http://www.morgankwyatt.com/
https://www.twitter.com/morgankwyatt
http://www.amazon.com/Morgan-Kay/e/B01C7E4NZE/
https://www.pinterest.com/morgankwyatt/
http://www.tsu.co/MorganKWyatt
https://www.facebook.com/AuthorMorganKay


a Rafflecopter giveaway

Spotlight The Only Option by Megan Derr

The Only OptionMegan Derr
Genre: Gay Fantasy Shifter Romance, Dragons
Publisher: All Romance eBooks
Date of Publication:  May 1, 2016
ISBN: 978-1-943576-78-4
Word Count: 30k
Cover Artist: Erin Dameron Hill
Book Description:
A desperate dragon. A lonely necromancer. A marriage neither wants.
When he is summoned to the royal castle, Rochus anticipates nothing more than a particularly difficult assignment. The bothersome journey is almost made worthwhile when he is propositioned by a young, beautiful dragon, Tilo, who seems untroubled by the fact that Rochus is a necromancer.
When Rochus arrives at the castle he is ordered to marry the very same dragon he spent the night with. Though Rochus would rather sign papers and return home, he is helpless against Tilo's pleas for help, even if it means spending more time around a man he is desperately drawn to but who doesn’t seem to want him.
ARe    Amazon
Excerpt:
Rochus pulled off his spectacles and wiped them clean as the door of the tavern slammed shut behind him. Noise washed over him, along with the smell of cheap food and too many unwashed people, an undercurrent of smoke, and the faint tingle of magic. He stared through the large, open archway into the dining hall, the need for food warring with a need for solitude and a reluctance to endure the stares that would come when everyone realized what he was.
But he detested hiding in his room like he was something to be ashamed of, and hiding wouldn't stop the rumors or whispers. So he slipped his spectacles back on and approached the counter, pushing back the hood of his cloak. He set two worn, gleaming coins on the counter, ignoring the wide eyes and gaping mouth of the man behind it. "A room, a bath, supper, and breakfast."
"Supper and—" The man snapped his mouth shut. "Of course, magus. Um…" He picked up the coins, eyes flitting about nervously. So close to the royal castle, one would think they'd be more used to the likes of Rochus, but then again, most of his kind preferred to avoid undue attention, and the rest were spoiled brats who'd never settle at a cheap tavern when the royal castle was only a few more hours away.
Stifling a sigh, Rochus answered the question the man couldn't quite get out. "Pig or cow blood will work fine, and chicken or some other fowl if that's the best you can muster. A full pitcher of it, though merely a cup will suffice if more cannot be found. Not horse." They were far too expensive to drain, and the taste wasn't worth it.
"Y-yes, magus. Um." The man licked his lips. "Will you want to see the room first or go straight to the dining hall?"
"The room, and I'll take the bath after I've dined."
The man murmured another affirmative, tucked the coins away, and slid a key across the counter. "Up the stairs, all the way at the very end of that first hall."
"My thanks," Rochus replied and resettled his saddlebags on his shoulder before heading up the dark, creaky steps and down the long hallway. It branched off in three places, but as promised, his was the room at the very back of the first, main hallway.
It smelled of dust and disuse, with a slight tingling-tang of old, faded magic. Powerful magic, likely wards or some other cage meant to keep something in. But the inn had once been a castle in its own right, before it had been torn down and rebuilt, changed to something less expensive and more profitable than an empty fortress. It wasn't surprising remnants of the fortress remained in more than the old stones.
He dropped his saddlebags on the bed and quickly sent his heavy travel cloak after them. Removing his spectacles, he combed fingers through his short, sweat-damp hair. In the dark room, with nothing but slips of moonlight to lend visibility, his hair appeared black. Better lighting would prove it to be blue, so too his nails and teeth. It was the teeth that always made people most uncomfortable—dark blue, some more pointed than they should be, all the more stark against his too-white skin.
Rochus briefly considered changing into fresh clothes, but there was little point until after he'd had a bath—and no telling what would happen in the dining hall. It would hardly be the first time some country bumpkins or foreign nitwits wailed superstitious nonsense and tried to kill him, nevermind he reported directly to the crown.
He smoothed out his robes, frowning at a small tear in the right sleeve. He'd have to stitch it later after his bath.
For the moment, it was time for supper, and hopefully he'd get to enjoy it in peace.
Heading back downstairs, Rochus walked into and through the dining hall, keeping his head up even when the whispers started.
Necromancer.
Half-dead.
Blood-drinker.
His lips curled briefly when he heard someone ask their companion if Rochus was a vampire. As though he was one of those needle-teethed, full-dead mongrels. He drank blood and his teeth were meant for hunting, but it wasn't the same thing. His teeth were more like those of a wolf—teeth he did not use thus because he was a civilized, capable necromancer of forty-three, not some ravening monster.
Rochus sat down at a table in the corner where he wasn't too close to the fire but would still be warm and would be able to see anyone who tried to approach him.
A couple of minutes after he sat, a pale-faced young man brought him a pitcher and cup with faintly trembling hands. Rochus slid a coin across the table, nodding for him to take it. The boy took it and skittered away, and the whispers increased as Rochus poured himself a cup of blood and sipped it. Pig, which he preferred, save for those rare occasions he was able to get something as decadent as human.
He took several more sips, savored the way it warmed him through. There was nothing he hated more than being cold, but it was the one thing he would always be due to what was called his half-dead state. He wasn't actually dead, half or otherwise, but necromancy demanded a high price, drained away half his spirit, replaced it with those unique spiritual energies he needed to wield his strange magic. The physical effects—the corpse white skin, the death-black bones, the need for food replaced by a need for blood—were what earned necromancers the reputation of being half-dead.

About the Author:
Megan Derr is a long time writer of LGBTQ romance and keeps herself busy reading, writing, and publishing it. She is often accused of fluff and nonsense. When she’s not involved in writing, she likes to cook, harass her cats, or watch movies. She loves to hear from readers, and can be found all over the internet. For more information on other books by Megan, visit her website: www.maderr.com.
http://maderr.com/
https://twitter.com/amasour
http://meganderr.blogspot.com/
http://maderr.tumblr.com/

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Top Ten LGBT Characters List – The Scorpion’s Empress by Yoshiyuki Ly

My name’s Yoshiyuki Ly and I write LGBT erotic romance stories. For today’s guest blog, I made up a list of my top ten LGBT characters in film, television and video games. In no particular order:

1. Kanji Tatsumi – Persona 4He’s confused about his sexuality. As a teenager, that’s normal. It’s refreshing to explore this idea in video games. Watching Kanji grow through personal character quests throughout the game was a great experience.
2. Annalise Keating – How to Get Away With MurderI respect that she’s a strong character who takes risks. Her relationship with Eve gives Annalise a strong backstory. I enjoy seeing them together on the show no matter what they’re doing.
3. Wil – Saving Face (2004)This film has had a lasting impression on me. Wil’s relationship with Vivian is special in my eyes. How she deals with her mother’s antics all while juggling her inner struggles makes her an amazing character.
4. Dorian Pavus – Dragon Age: InquisitionWhile playing the third game in the Dragon Age series, I was drawn to Dorian right away. His wit and charm are infectious. I liked getting to know him better through his romance plot with my male protagonist.
5. Paulie – Lost and Delirious (2001)Like Saving Face, I’ll always remember this movie. I didn’t expect the snowballing intensity as the film progressed. Paulie’s powerful performance stands out to me.
6. Frankie – Lip ServiceI found this show by accident and I didn’t regret it. I assumed Frankie would be a one-dimensional, predictable character, but she proved me wrong in the best ways.
7. Ray Fiske – Damages Damages is my all-time favorite television show. I loved that this legal drama explored the facets of many of its characters, and not just the main protagonists. Fiske’s story arc moved me in a way I haven’t experienced since.
8. Alike – Pariah (2011)An underrated movie with an underrated lead. I appreciate that Pariah goes where few movies dare to tread. Alike is admirable and sympathetic all at once.
9. Ellie – The Last of Us: Left BehindI loved playing through Ellie’s story as a teenager with her best friend, goofing off and getting into trouble. The writing in The Last of Us is exceptional.
10. Ashley Davies – South of NowhereThis show was bold for its time. Ashley’s character intrigued me as I watched. I quickly grew to care about her and her relationship with Spencer. She felt like a character I wanted to get to know as a real person.
They all inspire me to create my own great characters. Is there anyone you’d add to the list?







The Scorpion’s EmpressYoshiyuki Ly
Genre: Erotic romance
Publisher: Solstice Publishing
Date of Publication: June 1st, 2016
Number of pages: 185Word Count: 60,900
Cover Artist: Michelle Crocker
Book Description:
After years of serving a corrupt government, Ser Videl, an idealistic paladin, learns that her younger sister is tangled in a dark scheme against Raj Mangala, the compassionate yet troubled empress of the city’s oppressed lowtown; the two women meet and are deeply drawn to one another, finding a shared sanctuary in their violently-divided city. The Scorpion’s Empress is intimately written through the eyes of both twenty-seven year old women.
Videl’s loving devotion is just what Raj craves, but Raj is wary of letting her guard down while protecting her throne. Determined to prove her worth, Videl chases after Raj and works to unravel the mystery of the plots against the empress. Raj wants Videl to serve her emotional and sexual needs, and the two explore a meaningful relationship of dominance and submission that delves fully into their deepest wants. When the conspiracy against Raj comes to a head, Videl’s loyalties are tested when she is forced to choose between her past and her empress.
Excerpt: Her stare trailed down to my neck. She kept her eyes there. I watched her pupils widen as she took in my shoulders from her periphery. She watched me breathe, watched my pulse through my skin. When she looked in my eyes again, she held her hand out.“Will you dance with me first, Empress?” she asked. My breath hitched in surprise. No one dared to be this forward with me. I'd always hoped someone would. I didn't know what her intentions were, and yet… “I know. I'm surprising myself by asking this. We've only just met. But I believe you when you say my sister's all right. I want to thank you. This is the best I can come up with for right now.”I stared at her in disbelief. This woman was too fucking perfect. Smart, resourceful, determined, influential up in her part of the city, and she had a pair? There was no way this was real.“…is that a no?” she wondered, still holding her hand out to me.“Just as a thank you?” I asked, brow raised.Ser Videl smiled like in her picture. “For now,” she said. Her voice deepened just enough to make me hold back a reaction. She saw enough. She saw just enough to feel me and shed a little more light over her meaning: “I can make it more than that if you'd like. If you'd allow it.”I laughed softly. “Ser Videl, you're attractin' attention,” I pointed out. It was true—people stared, whispering; trying to figure out what this was all about. “I'm the Empress of this place. You don't just ask me to dance like this. Especially when you don't know me. You ain't from here. I'll give you that much. But you've gotta know some kinda rules from guessin'.”“I assumed you wouldn't let me into your headquarters,” she reminded me. “Then you told me you would have. I guessed you wouldn't dance with me if I asked. I'm asking you in the hopes that you'll make another exception for me.” She stared down at my neck again, breathing harder. When she moved her eyes back to mine, hers darkened, sharpened in deep, lustful focus. “Or is that too much to ask?”


About the Author:
Yoshiyuki Ly was born in San Diego, CA. She lived there until moving away to college. In high school, she began writing fanfiction as a serious hobby. Her pen name is representative of her multiracial heritage and a unique, diverse outlook that is reflective in her work. While pursuing an undergraduate degree in philosophy, she spent her free time reading the works of Virginia Woolf, Soren Kierkegaard and Simone de Beauvoir. She then spent the next years honing her craft to become a published author.
http://yoshiyuki-ly.livejournal.com/
https://twitter.com/LyLikeLee
https://www.facebook.com/yoshiyukily/
https://www.fanfiction.net/~yoshiyukily

Guest Blog with Carmen Fox

THE LIFE OF A WRITER
I often get asked the question, “Why does it take writers so long to release new books?”It takes me, personally, about nine months to write/edit/publish a new book of between 90,000 and 100,000 words. This may seem long to some, but there are different factors involved, many out of the writer’s control. Waiting on editors and cover design is just one example where writers have to take the backseat. So let’s look at what is in the writer’s control: writing the book.
A Day in the Life…
Here’s a breakdown of a typical day for me:
5:30 a.m.- get up, shower, breakfast, commute to work
8:00 a.m. – 12:30 p.m.- day job
12:30 p.m. – 1:00 p.m.- writing novel or blog post or editing
1:00 p.m.- 4:30 p.m.- day job
4:30 p.m. – 5:20 p.m.- commute home
5:20 p.m. – 6:00 p.m.- chores, dinner
6:00 p.m. – 7:30 p.m.- writing/editing
7:30 p.m. – 8:30 p.m.- promoting/book-related activities: social media (Twitter, Facebook, Pinterest); planning promotional activities with other authors; submitting review requests; answering readers’ emails; website maintenance; etc.
8:30 p.m. – 10:30 p.m.- catching up with family, watching TV, required reading or voluntary reading, or doing coursework
10:30 p.m. – 11:00 p.m.-  getting ready for bed
11:00 p.m. – 5:30 p.m.- sleeping
I feel blessed to have the time I do have to write. I imagine writers with children have even less time for writing, sneaking snippets of time here and there, which can lead to insanely late or early hours. And like me, most authors have full-time jobs, which allow very little time for what we love doing most.
Is It Worth It?
I’m also often asked about money. “How much do authors earn on each copy sold, advances, publicity costs, etc.? Is it worth it?”
The time of the big advance is over. If you get a contract with one of the big five publishers, you might get lucky, but smaller publishers don’t pay advances.
Every ebook sold brings in between $1 and $3 for the author, provided that book is sold at a price of between than $2.99 and $4.99. Every time the price drops to below that threshold, the writer will only make about $0.10 to $0.70 per copy sold. The income from print books is about the same as or minimally more than that from full-price ebooks.
Many new authors sell about 50-150 copies of their first book, and with that money they have to pay for blog tours, swag, advertising, entries for book awards, membership fees to writing organizations, offer giveaways…
In other words, most authors initially lose money on their books. This loss might be higher still if you’re a self-published author, because in addition to more work, you’ll also have higher outgoings.
The situation improves slightly the more books you write and publish. But if that is the case, why not write more?
Unless you’ve ‘made it’ as an author, you don’t actually have a lot of time for, well, writing. As you can see in my daily routine, I total roughly 1-2 hours writing or editing a book a day—unless life gets in the way. If I’m lucky, I can fit in another couple of hours at the weekends. That doesn’t leave much time for a social life.
And when you see your book appear on piracy websites, or slated by harsh reviews, it’s tough to keep going.
The true reality is, when you’re a writer, you have to love your ‘hobby’ with all your heart,because the other rewards are not as great as one would imagine.


BOUNDThe Silverton Chronicles
Book TwoCarmen Fox
Date of Publication: April 30, 2016
Genre: Urban Fantasy Romance
Publisher: Smart Heart Publishing
Cover Designer: Ana Grigoriu
epub ISBN :  9780993199233
Book Description:
Bound by blood. Bound by loyalty. Bound by love.
Florian has it all: excellent fashion sense, a kickass job with his best friend, and a hard-won place among Silverton’s werewolves. When a pack of females pads into their territory, Flo’s alpha dispatches him to handle a merger. Total cakewalk. Except Keely, their alpha, has no intention of submitting her wolves to Flo's larger pack. Worse, a single glance from her baby blues sends his eloquence on vacation and his heartbeat into overdrive. His flirtations seem welcome too, but there's a snag. She doesn’t know he’s a vampire.

While Flo struggles with his conflicts—obey his alpha, or win over Keely—his estranged sire blasts into town with a catalog of radical ideas. And hanging out with unsophisticated werewolves didn't make the list.
With violence in the air and all sides testing his loyalties, Florian must bite back, even if showing his fangs costs him the girl.

Excerpt (action-based)
With the ceiling spinning above me, I spat out his taste. Even that took effort. My body was a mess of floppy appendages without the muscles to shift. But I’d done it. I’d pushed my sire out of my mind. Did that mean I was free of him now?
Gino shot to his feet. “Get up.”
He turned his back to me and stared through a gap in the curtains.
I tightened my jaw, scrambled up, and had to lean on the armchair. No strength. Lack of blood. Total head rush.
“You are not to see your friends again, is that understood?” The sharpness of his voice didn't ease the thudding in my head.
I hitched my shoulders to restart my suffering circulation.
“Ali?” I called with my mind.
He would give me strength.
“Ali?”
Nothing. My knees trembled. The hollow Ali had carved out and filled with his bothersome emotions lay empty.
Memories of when we first met streamed into the void. We’d laughed, and we’d argued, and gotten piss-drunk at the local bar more than twice, but we’d always, always been like brothers inside that hollow.
I touched my pockets, felt my jacket for…for what? This was crazy.
He could be busy, or he simply hadn’t heard me.
“Ali? Where are you?”
“Florian.” Gino’s pitch tightened. “I need you to listen.”
I’d ejected Gino from my mind too late. Ali was gone. My sire’s remaking of me had snapped our link like a brittle twig.



About The Author
Carmen lives in the south of England with her beloved tea maker and a stuffed sheep called Fergus. An avid reader since childhood, she caught the writing bug when her Nana asked her to write a story. She also has a law degree, studied physics for a few years, dabbled in marketing and human resources, and speaks native-level German and fluent Geek. Her preferred niches of geekdom are tabletop games, comics, sci-fi and fantasy.
She writes about smart women with sassitude, about pretty cool guys too, and will chase that plot twist, no matter how elusive.
Guarded (The Silverton Chronicles – Bk. 1) became a no. 1 bestseller in the vampire and werewolf mystery categories.
For details on this or Carmen's other work, visit her website atwww.carmen-fox.com

Character Interview with Malachi Keen, hero of Ambushing Malachi

Question: How old are you?Answer: I am thirty-five years old.
Question: What was your childhood like?Answer: I had a happy childhood. I am very close with my father, mother and three brothers and one sister. We all still live in the same house together and can get crazy at times with all our different personalities, but we love and would do anything for each other.
Question: How has a past or present relationship affected you?Answer: Not much of a relationship kind of male. I might go out once in a while and have a few drinks and spend some time with a female, but I guess you could say the lack of a relationship is what kept me in the lab creating my own love affair with my inventions. Until I met my mate, Jez.
Question: What is most important to you?Answer: There is nothing more important than my mate and family, they are my pack.  But other than the obvious, my inventions are right behind them. The imagination, countless hours and hard work to make them a reality is a piece of me and who I am.
Question: What are you obsessed with?Answer: With winning! I love to compete, and I am also a sore loser. If I lose at something, I’ll attack it with a vengeance until I win.
Question: Biggest fear?Answer:  Leapers, their soft little bodies, long ears and those big black eyes staring at you, looking so cute and innocent, waiting for you to pet them, and then bam, your fingers and even your hand is gone.  There’s no attaching your fingers back on, once they bite you with their three rows of sharp pointy teeth. I need my fingers for my inventions.
Question: What was the worst thing that ever happened to you?Answer: Almost losing my sister Kiara to depression! It spreads like a virus that sucks the life out of everyone. As you watch your love one disappear, it takes you along with them. There is nothing you can say or do to bring that person back to their original self, so you stress and become sick yourself with worry, causing another type of depression.
Question: What is the most embarrassing thing to ever happen to you?Answering: When Jez drugged me and I woke up from being past out on a restaurant floor, and prying eyes looking at you, shaking their heads as if you’re a drunken lush.
Question: Biggest secret?Answer:  I love the color pink, I find it to be a peaceful and aggravating color all at the same time.
Question: What is one word that defines you?Answer: Fractious. I am never afraid of a fight, no matter how big the army is.





Ambushing MalachiWolvens, Eastern ProvinceBook OneElectra Gajdos
Genre: Paranormal Sci-Fi Romance
Publisher: Electra Gajdos
Date of Publication: December 29, 2015
ASIN: B019YRTR94
Number of pages: 118 pagesWord Count: 35,640 words
Cover Artist: Jay Aheer
Book Description:
An unexpected kiss starts a chain of events that will change his life…
Malachi Keen’s frustration grows as he hunts for his sister, Kiara. The search leads him to more trouble than just an irritating sibling when he finds himself in the embrace of a tantalizing stranger. What turns out to be a chance encounter will change his life forever.
Jez Baldovino owes a life debt to an influential Wolven. To pay up, she must complete what she thought would be a simple task – retrieve some stolen data. The situation quickly becomes complicated and she is forced to use a handsome, unsuspecting stranger.
Malachi realizes that not everything is what it seems; unknown enemies and a beautiful female determined to escape him was not in his plans for the day. His plans change when danger surrounds Jez. There is only one male that is allowed to hunt the woman who ambushed him with a kiss – him!
Book Trailer: https://youtu.be/dY-W2L4Vlms
Amazon    Amazon UK      Amazon Canada
Amazon Australia    iBooks      BN      Kobo     Goodreads 



Excerpt 1
Malachi twisted the dial on his wristband and stood outside the mouth of the cave in the rocky canyon. The jagged gold mountains, dry hot air, and burning sun of the Southern Province were a sharp contrast to the uncultivated wildwood’s cool shade of his home environment in the Eastern Province.
While he made it his business to know what was going on in each province, he didn’t usually get involved. But the Southern Province, one of the more sizable provinces located on the central and largest of the three continents of Valkas, was having problems with human women getting snatched for large ransoms.
Ordinarily, the gammas, who were the protectors, soldiers of each province, would be ordered by the alpha or by the alpha’s second, the commander, to handle the situation with an arsenal of weapons designed by Malachi.
Unfortunately, the abductors had wised up after Malachi’s blackout balls—which had the ability to knock out power to all electronics nearby—came out on the market. By going deep inside a mountain, the kidnappers limited the firearm choices of the gammas; any explosives used could bury the hostage alive.
In order to maintain his reputation as inventor, weapons dealer, and the most dangerous Wolven on the planet, Malachi couldn't back down from this challenge.

With a slight ripple in the air like a mirage, the device on his wrist concealed him from any onlookers. As he entered the shaft, specs of dirt fell on his face and in his thick shoulder-length hair from the loose earth above him. The rickety framework the kidnappers had built barely stabilized the cavern.
About the Author:
Electra Gajdos is from Winnemucca, Nevada and currently lives in West Michigan. She is a wife and the mother of two beautiful genius children. (Maybe not true geniuses, but a mother is always partial to her kids.) She won’t bore you with her childhood love of all things sci-fi and the game of chess. But she will let you know she once called the police to save a man from jumping off a three-story building. What she didn’t know was the man was a mannequin and part of an advertisement. No lie! Thankfully, it gave the police officer a good laugh for the night. This is just one her many good deeds gone wonky, and she looks forward to sharing more of them with you.
Chat with http://Electra at www.electragajdos.com
FB:  https://www.facebook.com/electra.gajdos
Goodreads:  http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/14816293.Electra_Gajdos
Amazon Author Page: http://www.amazon.com/Electra-Gajdos/e/B01A2985CS/
Twitter:  https://twitter.com/ElectraGajdos
@ElectraGajdos

a Rafflecopter giveaway

From Horror to Paranormal Romance - Kevin James Breaux

I was asked how I went from writing horror to the paranormal romance. I didn’t know how to answer that at first, because I never saw myself as only a horror writer, and I am not sure what I am writing now is solely paranormal romance. I’m a multi-genre author. Always have been and always will be.
That being said, here is what I came up with.
Long ago I started writing novels. I only knew how to write novel length stories and the idea of short stories terrified me.
But that was a long time ago…
Back in 2007-2008, I had joined a local writer’s group that was chaired by Jonathan Maberry and affiliated with the Horror Writers Association (HWA).
Upon joining, Jonathan encouraged me to write a horror short story that was good enough to be published so I could officially join the HWA. Shortly afterwards, I had my first officially published work. My early works were in the horror and erotic genres. Sex and scares. Fun stuff for a writer. But that’s not all I wrote. I wrote epic and dark fantasy too.A few years later, when my first novels were being published in the fantasy genre, I kept writing horror short stories. I did so for several reasons. Basically, I wanted to keep honing my skills. I also wanted to have a lot of work published, and the short stories I was writing were being printed in anthologies and as e-books. Some by request (nothing like being asked to write for an anthology).
Jonathan said something to me back when we first met, he said never allow yourself to be forced into one corner as an author. Never allow yourself to be labeled as one thing. So I didn’t.
In all my queries to agents, I referred to myself as a “multi-genre author”. It’s the most realistic way of describing myself, I feel.
At the moment, I’m trying to rebrand myself away from a strictly fantasy novel writing author. It seemed like my fantasy novels, which were sub-par by my own perfectionist standards, were given more weight by readers than all the horror shorts and novelettes I had done and even won awards for. 
I have written other novels, ones that are in other genres, and they are being represented by my agent… but have not found publishers yet. Why? Not sure. But I don’t want it to be based on people thinking I can or only will write one genre.
So I decided it was time one of my newer, and more representative of my style, books came out. One way or another! And it turned out self publishing it would be the best step in beginning my rebranding.
ONE SMOKING HOT FAIRY TAIL is an urban fantasy, paranormal romance, action-adventure thriller with elements of horror and straight up fantasy. How’s that for multi-genre?
It’s one of the books I’m most proud of because I really feel it shows off my style best. And it also shows how I truly love and respect these genres.
See description below: 
Sabrina, a lovely fairy has it all: fame, fortune, and beauty—until her boyfriend Cade, a rebel vampire, films their involvement in a crime as well as the passionate lovemaking that follows.

But Cade loses his camera and the video is posted online, ruining Sabrina’s life. After a year of nursing her wounds, she resurfaces only to find herself hunted for her wings.

The lives of all unearthly beings are at stake—fairies, windigos, mummies, and elemental spirits, caught up in a frightening flood of events that threaten their discovery. Sabrina and Moselle, a sex-starved mummy and the daughter of a wealthy businessman, find themselves in the middle of the conflict, forced to take drastic action to protect their identities and lives.

In trying to save themselves can they also prevent the United States from falling into the hands of an evil mind with horrible intentions?

Amazon       Createspace      Kindle 




Another book, which my agent is pitching, is a Dark Fantasy, Viking-Age, Historical Fiction with strong elements of romance and horror. See, multi-genre.
When I wrote that book I was challenged to go all out. To not hold back. I didn’t….well maybe I held back 5-10%. :-)
So I sincerely hope all who are reading this give my new work a chance. So far it has been received well, and getting good reviews. But as an artist, I live for feedback. If you read my work, email me, let me know what you think.
As always...
Write Makes Might! ~Kevin James Breaux



About the Author:

Kevin James Breaux is an award-winning author and artist. He has over eight years of professional writing credit, including short stories and novels and has completed seven books.

He is a member of the Horror Writers Association, Science Fiction & Fantasy Writers of America, and the Erotic Authors Association.

Breaux has a growing fan base, including foreign markets in Great Britain and other parts of Europe, and has never stopped striving to better himself as an author as well as to encourage his fellow writers. His motto is Write Makes Might! He is passionate about his craft, while understanding that writing is his business.

Breaux is represented by Marisa A. Corvisiero, the founder of the Corvisiero Literary Agency.

http://www.kevinbreaux.com/

https://www.facebook.com/KevinJamesBreauxAuthor

https://twitter.com/kevinbreaux

http://kevinjamesbreaux.blogspot.com/





"Kevin Breaux takes no prisoners! This is raw, funny, edgy, unapologetic and highly weird. Buckle up." 
-Jonathan Maberry, New York Times best-selling author of Patient Zero and Kill Switch.

Top Ten Summertime Goddess Indulgences

Hello, I’m Victoria C. Johnson! My latest book, Skin of a Goddess, is about goddess that have no boundaries. 
I would like to discuss some of the top ten things my goddesses will be doing over the summer. 
1. Inviting every merman they know to a bathing suit optional pool party.
2. Drinking margaritas before noon, because they’re rebels.
3. Karaoke. Goddesses love karaoke.
4. Eating a sick amount of ice cream. Probably with cookies.
5. Wearing shorts that are way too short. With heels.
6. Not getting any tan lines. 
7. Pretending BBQs are invite optional.
8. Painting their nails pastel everything.
9. Wearing sunglasses instead of makeup.
10. Refusing to think they’re too old for glitter. 
What do you plan on indulging in this summer? 


Skin of a GoddessGoddess AscensionBook OneVictoria C. Johnson
Genre: Paranormal Romance
Date of Publication: April 18, 2016
ISBN: 978-0-9973433-0-4
Number of pages: 253Word Count: 78,311
Cover Artist: Deranged Doctor Design
Book Description:
Goddesses just want to have fun, right?
Peitho’s first job as an Immortal Representative means slumming it at the Shifter Convention, where shifters and supernaturals will be meeting to discuss concerns and build relations. She’s sure it’s going to be boring—all they have to complain about is fleas and territory.
Wait . . . is that a dragon?
Obsessive is a strong word.
Hunter thinks Peitho would make a great addition to his hoard of treasure. Dragons are famously acquisitive; how is he supposed to ignore her? Everyone always says it’s bad to fight your nature.
When shifters begin disappearing from the convention, and bodies quickly appearing, Peitho and Hunter have no choice but to investigate. Will Hunter and Peitho manage to solve the crime while still keeping their hearts intact?
Available at Amazon






About the Author:
Victoria C. Johnson lives in Michigan with her supportive husband and amazing family. She became serious about her passion for writing shortly after having her daughter. As someone who strongly believes in doing what makes you happy, she decided to follow her own advice. She loves writing almost as much as she loves reading. Victoria adores happy endings, heartfelt characters, and extraordinary situations. She hopes to bring a little more of that to life every day.
www.victoriacjohnson.com
https://twitter.com/V_C_Johnson
https://www.facebook.com/victoria.c.johnson.author/

The Vampire’s Rival by S.J. Wright

The Vampire’s RivalUndead in Brown CountyBook SixS.J. Wright
Genre: Paranormal romance
Publisher:  Read and Wright Publishing LLC
ASIN: B01E05LNK6
Number of pages: 107Word Count: 32,000
Cover Artist: S.J. Wright
Book Description: 
A surprise visitor shows up at Sarah and Michael's lake house in Indiana. His story is one that intrigues and frightens Sarah. What frightens her more is the growing attraction she begins to feel for this new vampire.
Can she choose between Michael and a vampire she barely knows? Or will that choice be taken from her?
Amazon

Excerpt: “He’s been killing humans. Four since this late this morning, as far as we can tell,” Kate told me. I could nearly detect a note of panic in her voice, but I knew better than to address it.“Does anyone know where he is right now?”“No. One of the members of the Council was interviewed by Homeland Security and positively identified Michael in a security video.”“They caught him on camera?”“Yeah. A convenience store in Chicago.  He killed the cashier and one bystander there, then an hour later got a taxi driver and his passenger. It’s not like him to be so reckless, Alex. You know that. Especially now that he’s king,” she said.“What is he trying to do?”Kate didn’t know either.

Telling Sarah about that conversation wasn’t easy. It reopened her emotional wounds. But I couldn’t see how hiding it from her would help anyone. We climbed back into her truck. I drove this time.She was too quiet. I wasn’t sure if talking would help or not. Maybe she needed to process everything that had happened on her own. I didn’t really know what to say anyway. It was a nightmare for her and I didn’t want to rehash everything and end up making it all worse.“Alex, where should I go?” she asked. Her voice reminded me of a little girl’s.“I don’t know. Is there anywhere you would be safe?”We both knew the answer. She would not be safe until Michael was locked up again. And the only place that could happen would be…“The farm,” she said.
Getting in touch with the lumber company wasn’t as difficult as we thought. They had bought the property after the explosion and were ready to have someone take it off their hands. The profit in the lumber wasn’t as good as they imagined it would be.So Sarah wrote them a check from the joint account she’d opened with Michael and signed the deed the next day. She had tears in her eyes when they gave her the keys to the front gate. Whether they were tears of sadness or nostalgia, I wasn’t sure. Maybe it was a combination of the two.The problem was that Sarah had been turned outside of the farm property. I had changed her into a vampire at the cabin. So she couldn’t go onto the property herself until she was invited, just like other vampires. It was different with me. I had been turned at the farm by Michael and Victoria.We needed Kate.So Sarah called and requested that her sister come out there to let her onto her own property. Sarah’s friend from school, Kara, let us borrow her family’s large camping trailer and we towed it out the farm entrance with Sarah’s truck.It didn’t take Kate very long at all to get back to Indiana.She pulled up in a fiery red Camaro convertible. She wasn’t alone. Her mentor from the clinic in Brazil was in the passenger seat. Marco. I’d met him once before and had been impressed with his knowledge.Before Kate even got out of the car, she was cussing. “I can’t believe I have to fucking do this.”“Don’t even bother to say hi, Kate?” Sarah asked.Kate gave her a withering look and shook her head. “I’m sorry. Hi. It’s been a long couple of months hunting that bastard Mahdi. I’ve followed him through seven different states and two Caribbean islands.”“No luck catching him, though?” I asked.“Exactly, Alex,” she retorted with spirit. “No luck on that score, Mr. Obvious. Trust me. Once I get this guy, I will lose this attitude I’ve got going on right now.”Sarah walked over to the gate and Kate followed. Kate put the key in the lock and pulled the chain off the aluminum frame. She sighed deeply and stood inside the property line.“Sarah, you are invited,” Kate said.And that was all we needed Kate for, but it didn’t take a genius to see that her sister’s safety meant a great deal to her. “I think I’ll stick around town for a while. Marco, you good with that?”He nodded and then punched up a few numbers on his cell phone. “I’ll get a reservation somewhere.”Sarah began walking up the hill towards the spot where the house had stood for so many decades. The house and barn had both been completely demolished in the explosion, but a few things had remained.“The stones are still there,” Kate said as we followed Sarah up the hill. “The cowshed is partially burnt, but still standing. Alex, how can coming back here help m sister? This doesn’t make much sense.”I glanced over at her. Her long dark curls were pulled up into a ponytail and she was wearing a pair of tight jeans and a snug sweater. I probably shouldn’t have looked at all.“Kate, if Michael has done what they are accusing him of, the Council will catch him. And when they do, where do you think they will send him?”She laughed without a hint of humor, “Not Arizona, I hope. That place is a wreck.”“It will be here. But he can’t get in without your invitation. We need Michael to be put in here and then Sarah can leave and be safe. Do you understand? Their relationship is over. She has to move on with her life.”“But they don’t want Michael locked up.” She looked at me with those dark eyes and I didn’t want to turn away.“They want him dead,” she finished quietly.

About the Author:
S.J. Wright first began writing stories when she was twelve years old. She has been a cashier, a receptionist, a factory worker and has served a multitude of other roles over the years. Her favorite role has been that of a mother to her two sons.
The Undead in Brown County series takes place in Brown County, Indiana. She began writing the series in October of 2010. In February of 2011, she published her first novel The Vampire's Warden as an ebook on Amazon and Barnes and Noble. Since then, she has released five more books in the series.
https://www.facebook.com/SJ-Wright-Author-112757705475522/
https://twitter.com/SJWrightAuthor
http://www.amazon.com/S.J.-Wright/e/B004O36Z0S
https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/520196.S_J_Wright

a Rafflecopter giveaway

The Wolf of Kaliningrad by Sara Wylde

The Wolf of KaliningradSara Wylde
Genre: Contemporary romance
Publisher: All Romance eBooks
Date of Publication:  May 1, 2016
ISBN: 978-1-943576-77-7
Word Count: 19k
Cover Artist: Erin Dameron Hill
Book Description:
How far will she go for her family?
Lola Carter’s addict brother stole from the wrong man: the legendary Wolf of Kaliningrad, a scarred beast of a man who shows no pity and no mercy. When her brother is taken captive by the Wolf, Lola will do anything to save him. The Wolf offers to trade her life for her brother’s…if she’ll marry the monster.
Only this is no beauty and the beast tale. The Wolf is about to learn that Lola is a fierce adversary who can be just as beastly when it comes to saving herself and claiming something she wants more than anything else: her monster’s black heart.
ARe    Amazon
Excerpt:
His suit was Valentino. She could tell by the texture of the decadent fabric against her naked skin when he grabbed her from behind. The leather of the gloved hand across her mouth was finely made, butter-soft. Lola Carter didn’t even think of screaming. She knew who held her, and no amount of screaming, begging, or crying could save her now. Nothing, except maybe the money she’d hidden in her dressing room. “Do you know who I am?” His voice was rough, like great boulders grinding against each other. She nodded her head as much as she was able. The man who held her, naked after her turn on stage at the Pink Lagoon, was the mighty Wolf of Kaliningrad. He was a stone cold killer with no heart, no mercy. His only god was power, and his communion was money. Money her brother had stolen from him. “Good.” His harsh whisper sent shivers down her spine. “I take my hand away from your mouth, you won’t scream.” He slowly removed his hand from her mouth. She didn’t scream. Didn’t so much as breathe deeply. Lola knew her life was in his hands.“Lo. Hey, Lo?” a voice called out. “You okay?”She didn’t hesitate. “Everything’s fine. Just taking a break in my dressing room.”“Dressing room.” A snort sounded. “Girl, you putting on airs.”“It is my dressing room. It locks. I have the key. It’s mine. But I’ll give it to you when I move on to bigger and greener pastures,” she teased. “Lola La Bang, moving on to better things than the Pink Lagoon? Girl, I know you will. If only so I get that dressing room. Don’t take too long,” Peaches Crème said as she peeked around the corner. “Oh, you busy. I see.” Peaches flashed her a grin and went out for her set on the stage. “Dressing room. Now.”She shivered again, suddenly hyperaware of the texture of his suit against her bare skin, the sound of his voice like a touch itself. Christ, what was wrong with her? She was hot for this guy just because of the feel of his suit. No, if she was honest, it was the leather gloves. Her utter vulnerability—had to be the female version of a fear boner. It just had to be. Lola led him through the darkened hallways until they came to a couple of doors in the back. It wasn’t really a dressing room, it was more like a large closet she’d co-opted for herself. She didn’t have anywhere else to hide the money, so she’d made a big show of requiring a dressing room. With the money she brought in to the Pink Lagoon, Carl would let her do just about anything, as long as it made him money instead of costing him. And her little closet she called a dressing room? Well, it didn’t cost him shit. As soon as the door closed, she reached to turn on the light, but his gloved hand closed over hers. “No lights.”



About the Author:
Sara Wylde is the crackfic contemporary pen name for PNR/UF author Saranna DeWylde. She rather imagines that all the pen names live in the same dorm in her head and frequently have discussions that look and sound something like an episode of Herman's Head. For more information on other books by Sara, visit her website: www.sarawylde.com
http://www.facebook.com/SarannaDeWylde
http://www.twitter.com/SarannaDeWylde


a Rafflecopter giveaway

Giveaway Scarlet Rain and Amber Smoke by Kristin Cast

Scarlet Rain
The Escaped
Book Two 
by Kristin Cast 

$14.99 | 266 pages
ISBN: 978-1626818958
On Sale: May 17, 2016

The co-author of the New York Times bestselling House of Night series returns with the mesmerizing second book in The Escaped series. 

In Amber Smoke, Kristin Cast introduced her legions of readers to Alek and Eva. Alek, immortal son of the Furies, has been charged to save his home and recapture the souls of the damned, evil creatures who escaped Tartarus into the Mortal Realm. He can't, however, do it alone... 

Eva has discovered that she has been both blessed and cursed with powers beyond her comprehension. With a destiny to fulfill, she cannot escape the beings who will stop at nothing to destroy her. 

Now, in Scarlet Rain, the Nosoi—spirits of plague—have been unleashed on the Mortal Realm, releasing a pandemic as clever and adaptable as it is insidious. Alek and Eva must capture and banish the Nosoi back to their Underworld prison—but Eva has yet to harness the abilities needed to defeat such a powerful enemy, and Alek sustains catastrophic wounds in the attempt. They must rely on detective James Graham, and Eva’s best friend Bridget, if they are to even slow down the plague. But can mere mortals come through in the face of such overwhelming peril? 


Amazon

Amber Smoke
The Escaped 
Book One 
by Kristin Cast 

The door to the massive New York Times bestselling HOUSE OF NIGHT series has closed. Now, Kristin Cast kicks down a new door to welcome her millions of fans to her latest sizzling series.

There is a world that runs parallel to our own, a world in which the souls of the damned are caged, where they are looked over by the Furies, and where they spend eternity in torment, mirroring the devastation and mayhem they created when alive.

Someone has opened the cage.

The worst of terrors has crossed the barrier that separates our world from theirs, and the Furies send a great, albeit untested warrior―their only son, Alek―to try to bring those souls back. He is young and handsome, headstrong and impulsive, and he won't be able to do it alone.

Eva has grown up, beautiful and beloved, but surrounded by secrets. First, she will be hunted in an ancient feud that will threaten her life. Then, she will become the hunter.

With the police closing in and two worlds on the verge of crumbling around them, Alek and Eva must find each other, discover the limits of their powers, and work together to save everything they hold dear, including one another. Blending elements of mythology with the dazzling storytelling that her fans have devoured through the HOUSE OF NIGHT series, Kristin Cast weaves a spellbinding and passionate tale that starts a thrilling new series with an explosive charge.
Amazon


ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Kristin Cast is a #1 New York Times and USA Today bestselling author who teamed with her mother to write the wildly successful House of Night series. She has editorial credits, a thriving t-shirt line, and a passion for all things paranormal. When away from her writing desk, Kristin loves going on adventures with her friends, family, and significant other, as well as playing with her French bulldogs, and discovering new hobbies. 

Visit her online at www.kcastauthor.com

a Rafflecopter giveaway