Roxanne Rhoads's Blog, page 337

Interview and Giveaway - Dragons Among Them by Kyra Jacobs

Please tell us about your latest release.
DRAGONS AMONG THEM kicks off a series that’s akin to Game of Thrones meets Alice in Wonderland:  modern day girl finds herself in an alternate reality that seems plucked out of an era long gone. Only, this reality includes several creatures not included in her history books on the topic of medieval times:  wizards, witches, and dragonshifters.
Was one of your characters more challenging to write than another?
Yes! Quinn Blackstone was a rather hard nut to crack emotionally. He plays a bigger role in book 2, but I had to really dig deep to figure out what made him into the monster he seemed to be. His backstory proved to be more heart-breaking than I’d first imagined. ;-)
Is there a character that you enjoyed writing more than any of the others?
Ah, that’d have to be Zayne. Don’t get me wrong, Addie was a lot of fun to write, too. But getting to the heart and soul of my shifter hero was an immensely enjoyable experience. He’s not your typical spoon-fed royal, and Addie brings out a whole other side in him. He’s been a lot of fun to develop throughout the series. And book 3? Well, he has no idea what’s waiting for him there…but I’m fairly certain he’ll thank me later.

What is your favorite scene from the book? Could you share a little bit of it, without spoilers of course?
Oh,wow. There were so many! Hmm, let’s see… It might have to be the horseback ride that led to their first kiss. Zayne is trying to return Addie to what he thinks is her homeland, and by simply being authentic (and in no way trying to woo the prince) she’s inadvertently and unintentionally beginning to win him over. When it comes time for them to “part ways”, he can’t help but get one little taste of her. Of course, one taste was not nearly enough…
With the book being part of a series, are there any character or story arcs, that readers jumping in somewhere other than the first book, need to be aware of? Can these books be read as stand alones?
These books were not written stand alones. This is a series that follows Addie and Zayne as the primary characters, though the secondary characters play larger roles as the series progresses. None of the books are cliffhangers, though they may hint and what waits on the horizon in the next book. If readers jump in to book 2 or 3 without reading book 1, they will struggle with the “who” and “why” of those books.
Do any of your characters have similar characteristics of yourself in them and what are they?
Hmm, they might, but I’ll never tell. ;-)
Do you ever suffer from writer’s block? How do you deal with it?
Oh, heck yeah. I don’t know of an author who doesn’t (and if you do, don’t tell me, I’d hate to hate them! lol) I used to panic when writer’s block struck, because you read often that “thou shalt write every day with no exception”. But over time I’ve learned that if I try to push thru and write something just for the sake of writing…well, for me that “something” is usually crap and eventually gets thrown away. So instead, I’m learning to give my story a little breathing room. Move away from the keyboard and do something else. Kick a soccer ball, pull weeds from the garden—something to disengage my writing mind. When the characters are ready to move forward, they tell me. Usually, I don’t have to wait long.

Do you write in different genres?
Yes, I do. My first two novels were in a romantic suspense series. Those were followed by a sweet contemporary romance series (The Checkerberry Inn series with Entangled—Her Unexpected Detour is out now; next book in the series is due out later this year). DRAGONS is my first “spicy” series as well as my first journey into the fantasy genre. And I have to admit, it’s one helluva lotta fun. But it’s also nice being able to go between genres and following the story I’m feeling most passionate about at that particular time.
Do you find it difficult to write in multiple genres?

I worried that it might be, but so far, no. I have to remember which series I’m supposed to “fade to black” on for the sexual/physical aspects, but I look at character development in similar ways no matter the genre. Readers want a great storyline, regardless, so that’s what I strive to create.
Dragons Among ThemKingdoms of Fire and IceBook OneKyra Jacobs
Genre: PNR/Fantasy
Publisher: Samhain Publishing, LLC
Date of Publication: April 19th, 2016
ISBN: 9781619234406
Word Count: 66K
Book Description:
Prince Zayne Godfrey, heir to Edana’s throne, is betrothed to the lone princess of rival kingdom Forath. While his heart is not in the arranged marriage, he will do his royal duty.
When he finds a beautiful stranger cornered by a pack of wolves, he doesn’t hesitate to shift into his golden dragon form to save her. She thanks him by taking one look at him and fainting dead away.
Photographer Adelaide Miller is in England for a career-making shoot when a bizarre jogging mishap lands her in a dangerous, medieval-like world of royals, wizards and dragon-shifting men. Her first instinct is to find her way back, but the fire-breathing prince intent on protecting her threatens to melt her heart.
Zayne’s burning passion for Adelaide not only jeopardizes the fragile peace between two kingdoms, it uncovers a ruthless plot to destroy his family.
Remaining together may change Adelaide’s very definition of home—and expose one searing secret that could forever shift the balance of power in Zayne’s world.
Goodreads     Samhain     Amazon     BN     iTunes     Kobo

Excerpt 2 (392 words):
Zayne watched with amusement as Addie’s crystalline gaze flashed to the odd slippers dangling from his fingers, then slowly shifted to his face. Even here, in the shadows, the sight of her took his breath away. Emeline insisted the girl was nothing more than a peasant sent into the woods as bait to lure him into a Forathian snare. But no peasant he had ever encountered possessed skin so perfect or golden hair so smooth and long. She rose to stand before him, her pale skin angelic in the moonlight, and the scent of wildflowers and honey nipped at his senses. His gaze trailed uninhibited over her trim yet supple body, dressed once again in nothing but her unusual yet gloriously minimal undergarments.An angel in devil’s clothing.“What are you doing with my shoes?” Her voice was low and unsteady.Shoes? What an odd word. He held up her slippers and fought to keep a smirk from his face. “These? Why, holding them, my lady, nothing more. I feared for your safety and so removed them from your path.”“Uh-huh.” The blonde vixen’s eyes narrowed. “You knew I was awake?”“Aye. You blushed when I touched your cheek. I knew it would be but a matter of time before you magically awoke.”“And yet you let Emeline leave,” she said. “Why?”“Perhaps I wanted to have you all to myself for a moment.”Her eyes widened a fraction. Addie took a step back, sucked in a sharp breath and quickly took another. “I see.”She shifted her gaze from his and swept it across the room toward its lone window, feigning interest in the chamber’s furnishings. She was bold, this one. Perhaps that was why he felt inexplicably drawn to her. The feeling was both new and infuriating at the same time.“I wouldn’t, if I were you,” he said. “Even if you survived the fall, there are things lurking in the neighboring woods far more dangerous than I.”Her gaze shifted back to him. “Look, I don’t know who you are or how I got here, but if you’ll give me my shoes, I’ll be out of your hair in no time.”“But you are not in my hair.” He took a step forward and wished very much that she was. “Nor am I quite ready to let you go.”


About the Author:
Kyra Jacobs is an extroverted introvert who writes of love, humor and mystery in the Midwest and beyond. When this Hoosier native isn’t pounding out scenes for her next book, she’s likely outside, elbow-deep in snapdragons or spending quality time with her sports-loving family. Kyra also loves to read, tries to golf, and is an avid college football fan.
Be sure to stop by her website www.KyraJacobs.wordpress.com to learn more about her novels and ways connect with her on social media.
Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/KyraJacobsBooks  
Twitter:  https://twitter.com/KyraJacobsBooks  
Website:  http://www.KyraJacobs.wordpress.com  
Blog:  http://www.IndianaWonderer.wordpress.com   
Goodreads:  http://www.goodreads.com/Kyra_Jacobs


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Release Day Blitz Interview -The Patient Wolf by Karen Hodges Miller

1.     Can you tell readers a little bit about yourself and what inspired to write in this particular genre?
I’ve been a fan of all things paranormal since first reading fairy tales. I moved from Rapunzeland Snow White to The Haunting of Hill House, to of course, Dark Shadows. So of course, you can tell that the stories I create in my head all have a paranormal theme, from shapeshifters to witches to vampires and more.

What inspired you to write this book?The characters in this book have been living in my head for a long time. I’ve lived in a number of small towns, and been a news reporter in several of them. I quickly learned that there was the town the “average person” knew and then there was the real power. So I invented my own small town where instead of just a little politics and scandal, you never know if your neighbor is a werewolf, or a witch, or a vampire. The map of the town is loosely based on Evansville, IN, one of the favorite places I have lived. If you’ve ever been to Evansville, you might recognize some of the settings. The main characters live down the block from my old home. I won’t say exactly which street, but I did go to Google maps and picked out exactly which houses Ana and Leslie live in.
Please tell us about your latest release.The small town of Rivelou is hiding secrets, and they are about to claw their way to the surface.
Ana Dugan used to enjoy her nighttime walks through her quaint college town, but all of that changes when a handsome stranger rescues her from an attack. She’s not sure who she should be more afraid of the four legged beast who attacked her or the two legged one who saved her. She narrowly escapes, but soon learns that others weren’t so lucky. When another man enters her life claiming he’s there to protect her she’s not sure who she should trust, the wolf or the hunter.
Do you have a special formula for creating characters' names? Do you try to match a name with a certain meaning to attributes of the character or do you search for names popular in certain time periods or regions?I have a few different techniques for choosing names. I have found a great website, fantasynamegenerator.com, which gives me ideas. I just cruise the site until I find a name that suits the particular character. Also, since several of my characters have a French background, I researched French names. Many of my characters also have names that have special meaning for me. “Fontaine,” for example, is the last name of a great-great-great grandmother, and Bertrand is a variation of my grandfather’s name, Bertram. 
What is your favorite scene from the book? Could you share a little bit of it, without spoilers of course?As Ana crossed Roosevelt Avenue and headed into her own neighborhood, the streetlights ended and the sidewalk became lighted only by an occasional porch light or walk light. She loved walking home from her night classes at this time of the year. The air, while it could not yet be called crisp, had lost its summer sultriness, a welcome change from the blistering heat of a Midwest summer.And these walks home after her night classes were one of the few times during her week when she could be truly alone. No bosses, no teachers, not even Sophie chattering away in her ear. She’d been a mom long enough not to feel guilty at enjoying a a little time alone without her child. Her thirteen-year-old daughter was the light of her life, but that didn’t mean she couldn’t enjoy a little time by herself, too.As she headed down Harlan Street, farther from the more heavily trafficked avenue, the street became even darker. It was too soon for most of the leaves to have fallen, they were just beginning to turn red on this last week in September and they were so thick on the trees that they hid the full moon. Part of the charm of the old neighborhood was the beautiful, large old maples and oaks, but their roots also tore up the sidewalks. Ana tripped on one of those cracks, and shook her head in disgust. How could she always trip in the same spot, night after night? It wasn’t as if she hadn’t memorized the bad spots in the sidewalk after years of walking this way. She smiled; only one more year of classes and, with luck, she wouldn’t be taking this same walk anymore. She would have her teaching degree, be able to quit her job as an admin at the university, and start a new life with her daughter, maybe somewhere else. She would enjoy teaching, preferably high school, but she’d take whatever grade she could get to start. Sophie would miss her friends; they would both miss their family. They’d come back a lot to visit. She was sure of that—her family, particularly her grandfather, would certainly insist on it. But it would be nice to start over. Of course, Jonathan, her ex, would probably object if she moved even to the next county. The one good thing she could say for the man was he always fulfilled his obligations to their daughter, even if it was only because he thought about running for political office someday and didn’t want to ruin his reputation with the other lawyers and judges in Rivelou. She shook her head as if to change the direction her daydreams had taken her and sidestepped another large crack in the sidewalk. She wasn’t going to let thoughts of Jonathan ruin a lovely evening. Maybe after Sophie was in bed she’d have a chance to get outside again and enjoy the full moon and beautiful weather. She wouldn’t indulge herself in a run; she couldn’t leave Sophie alone, but some time out in her backyard to appreciate the full moon would be good. She stopped and looked around, working to regain her pleasure in the evening, when she heard a low growl nearby.A dog? No one on this block had a dog big enough to make that sort of sound. That growl had definitely come from something larger than Mrs. Ahearn’s yappy little Pomeranian. She began to walk more quickly. Only a half block until she turned onto Sycamore, then another half block until she arrived at her own home.The growl came again. She tucked her purse more securely on her left shoulder, her computer bag on her right, and doubled her pace. There were no lights on at any of the houses on that part of the block, and of course, the moon took that moment to hide behind a cloud. She took a deep breath and tried to walk at a steady pace. She wouldn’t run, even though she could hear the animal behind her as she rounded the corner. She breathed a sigh of relief when she saw her own porch light on, as well as that of her neighbors, Joe and Lindsey, who kept Sophie evenings when Ana had class. Only a few more steps to safety.She was almost in front of her own door when she heard the rush of paws with nails clicking on the sidewalk. With a howl, the animal knocked her down.
Can you tell readers a little bit about the world building in the book/series? How does this world differ from our normal world?As I mentioned before, Rivelou, the town where my books take place, is a typical Midwestern small city…but when you scratch that ordinary surface something strange is going on. Many of the residents are leading a double life. Who is a werewolf? Who is a witch? Who knows the secrets that some very important people in town are keeping? In Rivelou, you never know just who…or what… you neighbor is.
With the book being part of a series, are there any character or story arcs, that readers jumping in somewhere other than the first book, need to be aware of? Can these books be read as stand alones?While all of the books stand alone, there are several recurring characters. You will find that people who are minor characters in The Patient Wolf become central in my second book, The Artificial Witch.
Do you have any weird writing quirks or rituals?Chocolate and Coca Cola. I have a firm believe that chocolate increases creativity. And Coca Cola, well, that’s my favorite form of caffeine.
9.    Do you write in different genres?
I have written non-fiction for many years. I have published four books on the art of writing, publishing and marketing books.
10.   What are your guilty pleasures in life?
I’ve already mentioned chocolate and Coca Cola. My third guilty pleasure is reading any type of romance, particularly paranormal romance.
11. What was the last amazing book you read?
As an editor and publisher I have the pleasure of reading great books before anyone else. Rise of the Red Harbinger by Khalid Uddin will be published on June 6. It’s a great traditional fantasy. It’s a first book by an unknown author and I’m so proud to be bringing it to the public. And yes, you can pre-order it on Amazon.  http://www.amazon.com/Rise-Harbinger-Drowned-Realm-Book-ebook/dp/B01DZ63YPI/ref
12.Where is your favorite place to read? Do you have a cozy corner or special reading spot?
Maybe I should list this with guilty pleasures. My favorite place to read is in bed. That’s why prefer my e-reader. I can read late at night and not wake up my husband.
13. What can readers expect next from you?
The second book in my series is titled The Artificial Witch. It features one of the minor characters in The Patient Wolf, Shannon Kelly. She’s a cop and a young widow. I liked her so much I decided she deserved her own story. I’ve completed the first chapter, and I hope to have it finished before the end of the year.
14.Where can readers find you on the web?
I’m all over the web! I can’t believe I have so many websites. My personal website is KarenHodgesMiller.com. But as a publisher, I have several other websites, OpenDoorPublications.com is where I talk about my editing, publishing and marketing services. CantPutItDownBooks.com is the site for my fiction imprint. It features lots of fun books and several authors who are starting to make names for themselves. And finally, there is WinterWritersWeekend.com, which is our annual bootcamp for authors.
You can find me on Facebook, and on Twitter at @Publisher_KHM.
15.  Would you like to leave readers with a little teaser or excerpt from the book?
Here’s a little piece I like that won’t give too much away…
It had been a long time since Ana had been dropped at the door by a date. She felt awkward. Should she shake his hand? Give him a kiss on the cheek?Apparently Chris had the same doubts. He laughed nervously. “How come I feel like a teenager leaving his date in front of her parents’ house, wondering if her dad is going to come out on the porch with a shotgun?”“Well, Joe and Lindsey are a bit overprotective of me, as I said, but I don’t think you’re in any real danger,” she smiled.“That’s good to know. Because I’ve been wanting to do this since yesterday.” He leaned in and touched his lips to hers in a soft, slow kiss, as if he had all the time in the world; as if Mrs. Andres wasn’t peeking out her curtain to see what was going on, as if Ana didn’t have a curious eighth grader and two over-protective friends waiting just on the other side of the door.She let go of all those thoughts, enjoying the kiss, and let her body relax. Chris must have felt the change because he deepened the kiss as she gave in and just enjoyed it. Her body dissolved against him, every thought leaving her mind as she surrendered to sensation: He tasted like coffee and mints, he felt strong and solid, and he smelled delightfully of soap and, well, man. Her knees wouldn’t hold her and she leaned against him even more, so he had to catch her when the front door suddenly opened and Sophie’s voice called out, “Hi, Mom. I got an A on my algebra test today.”“Sophie! Come inside! Give your mother a few minutes of privacy,” Lindsey’s voice rang out.Chris backed away a step, still holding her waist as she got her balance. “Well, now I really do feel like a teenager caught kissing his date. How come it is turns out to be just as embarrassing to be caught by the girl’s daughter as it is to be caught by her father?”“And you have lots of experience with that?” Ana asked, laughing.“A little bit.”“You’ll have to tell me all about it on Saturday then.”“I’m sure we can find something more interesting to talk about than my teenage romances. But right now I think you’d better go in. I see the curtains twitching. And I don’t think it is just Sophie watching.”He gave her another quick kiss on the cheek and turned her toward the door. He watched as she walked up the steps and into Joe and Lindsey’s house, then turned away, humming to himself. He hadn’t expected to enjoy his time in Rivelou so much. Coming here had been an obligation to his sister more than any real belief he would find out something useful in this small town. It had been a few years since he’d had any romantic interests in his life. Chris hadn’t, exactly, given up on romance, he had just not pursued it. Once women found out what he did they either ran from him, figuring he was a crackpot, or they were too interested because they were more than a little cracked themselves. He wasn’t interested in women who thought he was a real life ComicCon hero. What he did was serious business. Yes, Ana Dugan had definitely sparked his interest with her combination of guts and insecurity. She covered up her sense of humor and wit. She’d been unappreciated for far too long, he thought.As Chris walked away, his thoughts moving from Ana to his business in Rivelou and back again, he forgot to be vigilant. He didn’t notice a dark shape growled softly to itself in the bushes beside her house as it watched him with glowing eyes.


The Patient WolfWicked Urban FantasyBook OneKaren Hodges Miller
Genre: paranormal romance
Publisher: Can’t Put it Down Books
Date of Publication: May 2, 2016
ISBN: 978-0-9972024-2-7
Number of pages: 160Word Count: 42,225
Cover Artist: Genevieve Cosdon
Book Description:
The small town of Rivelou is hiding secrets, and they are about to claw their way to the surface.
Ana Dugan used to enjoy her nighttime walks through her quaint college town, but all of that changes when a handsome stranger rescues her from an attack. She’s not sure who she should be more afraid of the four legged beast who attacked her or the two legged one who saved her. She narrowly escapes, but soon learns that others weren’t so lucky.
When another man enters her life claiming he’s there to protect her she’s not sure who she should trust, the wolf or the hunter.
Amazon 

About the Author:
Karen Hodges Miller’s fascination with werewolves, vampires, witches, ghosts, and all things supernatural began with the childhood classics. She gobbled up everything from The Haunting of Hill House to the Narnia series, from Dracula to Rebecca. As a writer, however, she stuck to non-fiction; working as a newspaper and magazine reporter and editor and in 2004 opening her own publishing company.
She has written several books for authors on the subject of writing and publishing. The Patient Wolf is her first fiction novel and of course, it features a very sexy werewolf.
https://www.facebook.com/karen.h.miller.31
http://www.opendoorpublications.com/
http://cantputitdownbooks.com/
https://twitter.com/Publisher_KHM
https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/14357203-karen-miller

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Release Day Blitz Witch’s Cursed Cabin by Marsha A. Moore

Which man or ghost will win her heart? by Marsha A. Moore
Three males vie for the attention of Aggie Anders in Witch’s Cursed Cabin , the second book in my series of Coon Hollow Coven Tales .
All three are mesmerized by Aggie’s fiery spirit which matches her elemental sun energy.Logan Dennehy is hot, single, and twenty-six, with a lot on his plate. He’s brand new to his job as Coven High Priest and proud of his new position earned through years of hard work learning become a powerful witch. After he helped overthrow the previous wicked high priestess, everyone looks to him for strong, impartial leadership.
Logan meets Aggie when she moves into a deserted homestead log cabin. He’s there working at the property’s carriage house used for the coven’s annual charity Halloween haunted house. He delegates a host of interesting tasks, like enchanting real spiders to drop onto guests’ faces and bespelling live rats to run the length of the halls without stopping for human feet, legs, or other body parts. Yes, Logan’s busy! He also heads the coven’s eldercare program. In exchange for his help, those old ladies teach him powerful ancient magic. In spite of his work load, Logan can’t resist making time for Aggie, and she can’t resist his blonde curls.
Dark-haired and handsome Eric Beck meets Aggie when she joins her cousin’s family for dinner at the local pizzeria in the village of Bentbone where he works. Bored with his routine job, Aggie catches and captivates his attention. Finding out she’s a witch makes her even more intriguing. From a sheltered upbringing in the tiny coven of New Wish, Indiana, Aggie is fascinated with every new experience. Even pizza is a surprise! And so is a city-boy like Eric. Especially when he claims to have seen zombies walking around her new home!
Ghostly Fenton O’Mara turns out to be quite an unusual house-mate for Aggie in the homestead everyone thought was deserted. He’s old enough to be Aggie’s grandfather. But the dapper lady-killer sure doesn’t look or act like a grandpa! As a ghost, he glides through cracked doors and pops up at inopportune moments when Aggie tries to change clothes. She writes those encounters off as accidents and his hilarious flirty charm as “just be his normal personality…” until he and Logan come face to face, squared off and glaring with magic flying.
You’ll have to read Witch’s Cursed Cabin to find out which man or ghost wins Aggie’s heart!




Witch’s Cursed CabinCoon Hollow Coven TalesBook TwoMarsha A. Moore
Genre: Paranormal romance
Date of Publication: 4-27-16
Number of pages: 380Word Count: 111,000
Cover Artist: Marsha A. Moore
Book Description:
Eager to be on her own away from home, twenty-year-old Aggie Anders accepts a relative’s invitation to live in Coon Hollow Coven. Although she’s a witch from a different coven, what locals say about the Hollow confuses her. How can witchcraft there live and breathe through souls of the dead?
Aggie’s new residence in this strange southern Indiana world is a deserted homestead cabin. The property’s carriage house serves as the coven’s haunted Halloween fundraiser. It’s a great opportunity for her to make new friends, especially with the coven’s sexy new High Priest Logan.
But living in the homestead also brings Aggie enemies. Outsiders aren’t welcome. A cantankerous, old neighbor tries to frighten her off by warning her that the homestead is cursed. Local witches who practice black magic attempt to use their evil to drive Aggie away and rid their coven of her unusual powers as a sun witch.Determined to stay and fit in, Aggie discovers not only that the cabin is cursed, but she alone is destined to break the curse before moonrise on Samhain. If she fails, neither the living nor the dead will be safe.
Amazon     Goodreads

About the Coon Hollow Coven Tales Series
The series is about a coven of witches in a fictitious southern Indiana community, south of Bloomington, the neck of the woods where I spent my favorite childhood years surrounded by the love of a big family. The books are rich with a warm Hoosier down-home feel. There are interesting interactions between coven members and locals from the nearby small town of Bentbone. If magic wasn’t enough of a difference between the two groups, the coven folk adhere to the 1930s lifestyle that existed when the coven formed.



Excerpt from Chapter One: The Homestead
A shove of my shoulder pried the rusty hinges on the heavy log cabin door loose. I flung my blond braid to my back and peered inside. Beings and critters, alive and furry as well as undead and translucent, flew, crawled, or slithered across dark recesses of the hallway, sitting room, and stairwell.
“You weren’t kidding. This place is haunted.” I shuddered and looked over my shoulder at Cerise. She looked perky as always with her dark bobbed hair and lively brown eyes beneath horn-rimmed eyeglasses. “Were those things relations or varmints?” I took a cautious step over the threshold to escape the blustery weather and unbuttoned my corduroy jacket.“Oh, both, Aggie. Ghosts of witch kin and their talking animal familiars,” she said and moved past me to lift sheets off the sitting room furniture.
I raised a brow, curious about what talking familiars were but was too afraid to ask. She didn’t seem to think they were bad, and I needed a place to stay.
Cerise dropped the sheets in a pile and wiped her dusty hands on her skirt. “Those sorts of ghosts are in all the homes here in Coon Hollow Coven. Maybe some animal spirits, too, from the surrounding woods. This property has at least fifty acres of forest. The ghosts are harmless, part of the family. At least no neighbors have complained, that I’ve heard.”
Eyeing corners of the parlor and the length of the hall, I wondered if I could ever get used to living with ghosts of people who’d lived here before. In New Wish, Indiana, where I’d spent my entire twenty years, we only had an occasional ghost. Usually lost souls who, for some reason, hadn’t found their peace before death took them. Most times, those folks had been tormented by darkness and experimented with black magic while they’d lived. Or so Mom told me, but I always thought that was just her way of keeping me in line.
I pushed those thoughts out of my head. I wanted a place of my own more than anything else, and not in the tiny town of New Wish where everyone knew me…or thought they did. They all said I was the spitting image of my Aunt Faye, with the same light blond straight hair, deep blue eyes, dark brows, and quiet personality. Everyone thought I’d grow up to be like her with a houseful of kids, seven or more. Fact was, they didn’t know me. I wasn’t sure I even knew myself. There was so much I wanted to learn and do that wouldn’t happen if I stayed at my parents’ home.
Cerise struggled to open the stuck window. “Aggie, can you help me here? Some fresh air might tempt a few spirits outside. This place has been vacant since my mother passed in 2009. We might find just about anything in here after five years.”






About the Author:

Marsha A. Moore loves to write fantasy and paranormal romance. Much of her life feeds the creative flow she uses to weave highly imaginative tales.
The magic of art and nature spark life into her writing, as well as other pursuits of watercolor painting and drawing. She’s been a yoga enthusiast for over a decade and is a registered yoga teacher. Her practice helps weave the mystical into her writing. After a move from Toledo to Tampa in 2008, she’s happily transformed into a Floridian, in love with the outdoors where she’s always on the lookout for portals to other worlds. Marsha is crazy about cycling. She lives with her husband on a large saltwater lagoon, where taking her kayak out is a real treat. She never has enough days spent at the beach, usually scribbling away at stories with toes wiggling in the sand. Every day at the beach is magical!
Website: http://MarshaAMoore.com
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/marshaamooreauthorpage
Twitter: http://twitter.com/MarshaAMoore
Google +: http://google.com/+MarshaAMoore
Pinterest:  http://pinterest.com/marshaamoore/
Amazon author page: www.amazon.com/author/marshaamoore
Goodreads author page  http://www.goodreads.com/marshaamoore

Cover Reveal End of Church Street by Gregory L. Hall

End of Church Street
Gregory L. Hall
Publisher: Fiery Seas Publishing
Genre: YA Dark Fantasy/Horror
Release Date: October 2016

Homeless and with nowhere to turn, Rebecca De Rosa finds a family of lost souls just like her—the vampires of Orlando. Reborn, she revels in her new lifestyle of 'no rules'. Love whoever you want. Seek whatever high you wish. Live forever young. Every night's an adventure—hunting down tourists, challenging local police, screaming to the world vampires really do exist! It's Neverland and every dream Rebecca has comes true.
Until the first murder.

Someone else lurks in the shadows. Goths are found beheaded, with wooden stakes pounded into their chests. The hunters have become the hunted. As the bodies pile up, Rebecca and the Family are forced to ask who can you trust when the only person who believes you're an actual vampire is a vampire killer?
About the Author:
Gregory L Hall has a long history in comedy, theatre and improv. He is a national Telly Award winner and creator of the Baltimore Comedy Fest, which supported Autism Awareness. Many fans know Greg best as the host/producer of the popular live radio show The Funky Werepig.
As a writer his work has appeared over the decade in various publications, anthologies and a short story collection. His novels rarely stick to one genre, ranging from comedy and romance to intense thrillers and horror. His biggest claim to fame is he was once hugged by Pat Morita, Mr. Miyagi of The Karate Kid. We should pause an extra moment to realize how awesome that is.

https://www.facebook.com/greglovesu/

The Top Ten Greatest Things About Being A Writer…. E.B. Black

10.  I can work even when I’m sick. I may not be able to sit up or type, but authors spend a lot of time just thinking about and planning books in their head. It entertains me sometimes when I am not feeling well.
9. I can work in my pajamas. In fact, I do this most of the time. There’s something about writing in relaxing clothing that makes the work more enjoyable than it would otherwise be.
8. I can make my daydreams into something real. I can’t actually live out a lot of the random scenarios I think up in my head, but writing them out makes them into a real thing.
7. It allows me to procrastinate on housework. It’s a good excuse to have a messy house when you have a deadline coming up.
6. It’s always challenging. For as long as I write, I will be learning more about writing. There is no end to improving. It keeps me from getting bored with it.
5. Reading for fun counts as work. I have to know what’s popular in fiction, right? I have to read a lot of books, so I can learn a lot. It keeps me a batter author.
4. Social media counts as work. Feel terrible because you spent hours on facebook? I do that, too, sometimes, but for me, it technically counts as marketing!
3. I can pay attention to my pets while I’m working. There’s nothing more enjoyable than typing out a story while your dog’s head is resting in your lap.
2. I get to do my work from home. I hate leaving the house. I made the place I live comfortable for a reason. Writing allows me to hang out here more often.
1. It helps me cope. When something terrible happens, it can be very therapeutic to write parts of it into a story. Even just coming up with a story for it in my head that I never write out can help. Sometimes when I am going through something bad, knowing that I can later take horrible events in my life and turn them into beautiful words, helps me get through the experience.
Pandora’s MistakeFate Of ErosE.B. Black
Genre: Fantasy Romance
Date of Publication: March 10, 2013
ISBN: 9781301905348ASIN: B00BRQINMI
Number of pages: 100 pagesWord Count: About 30,000
Cover Artist: Calista Taylor
Book Description:
Pandora was created to be the perfect woman. She has the beauty of Aphrodite, the intelligence of Athena, and the gentleness of Hera.
As the first and only woman to exist, Pandora is the center of attention everywhere. Men lust after her, even vow to start wars over her. She's a good girl, so she keeps her distance.
The problem is Prometheus. He's Pandora's box. He's ripped to shreds and killed every day as punishment from Zeus, but he never repents for being a bad boy.
Zeus has warned everyone to stay away from Prometheus, but she's curious. He's handsome and she desires him.
If she opens the box of her desire, it will unleash Prometheus' inner demons.
Should she risking losing everything she cares about for one night of lust?
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Excerpt:
As they neared the top, a shape came together in front of her. A man laid spread eagle and strapped in chains. His face was pleasing to her eyes, even scrunched up. His beard wasn't scraggly like Epimetheus' was and his muscles contorted with barely restrained power. She imagined what he would have looked like if he wasn't covered in blood. Her stomach somersaulted at the beautiful image.Every time he screamed, the fireball above their heads grew for a moment and illuminated his shadow. A giant raven sat upon his chest, pecking away at bare intestines. She had seen birds, but never a black one that was almost as large as she was.It glanced over at Pandora. Its unfeeling eyes glowed white as if it had captured a tiny bit of sun inside its pupils. Green liquid leaked out the side of the raven's mouth. It foamed at the mouth like it was rabid. Pandora bit her finger nails.A river of blood pooled from Prometheus' stomach where his intestines had been ripped to shreds. The raven bent down to peck more inside his belly. He devoured little bits of pink innards. Prometheus was dying or being eaten alive at least.Pandora tugged on Epimetheus' arm. "We should help him."Tears formed in Epimetheus' eyes. "I've tried; we can't.""Why not? He'll die if we don't do something."Pandora could barely breathe. She felt helpless and afraid.The man screamed and Epimetheus wrapped his arms around Pandora, pinning her to the ground. Fire exploded around them and Epimetheus' eyes rolled back in pain. The storm of fire above them had gotten so large that a piece of it had escaped and struck Epimetheus' body.They both stood when it was over. Blisters covered Epimetheus' back where his clothes had burned away. She touched the damaged skin gently. He roared in response and she jumped back. The skin sewed itself together before her widened eyes.She had seen Epimetheus attacked by a bear once. It had entered their cavern in the middle of the night. It had ripped his chest open, but he had regenerated in the same way."His name is Prometheus," Epimetheus said. "He's already died many times. Titans like us regenerate, but that doesn't stop us from feeling pain."Their eyes met."Why is this man important to you?" Pandora asked."He's my brother," Epimetheus said. "Zeus chained him here to punish him."Pandora crossed her arms. "And you want me to feel sorry for him? He must have done something terrible if Zeus thought he deserved this."Epimetheus shook his head. "You have a lot to learn."He grabbed her hand and she clutched it tightly. Although Prometheus was restrained, the fire bursting from him was not. Pandora was scared her skin would melt. The crackling of the fire above their heads was deafening and the heat made her eyes feel dry.Epimetheus read her mind. "It's not as bad when he's further from death.""I thought gods couldn't die," Pandora whispered."We can't. Our souls do not travel to the Underworld like they do with humans. But our bodies can become so damaged that we black out for hours and lose our heartbeats until we are able to regenerate again. It's a type of death, but not a permanent one."They were near the edge of the cliff, next to Prometheus. It overlooked the places they had traveled since they left the cave. Bright specks from campfires decorated the path. They glowed against the darkness like grounded stars."Prometheus suffers because of all those people who live down there," Epimetheus said. "The reason they have warmth and food is why he's being tortured, but none of them care anymore."Pandora's chest constricted painfully. This couldn't be true. Zeus had been such a kind god, explaining things to her slowly when she didn't understand them. He wasn't capable of this."Some of them cared at first," Epimetheus said. "But when they tried to loosen his bonds, the crow would devour them instead. Unlike Prometheus, they wouldn't be able to rise from the dead the next day. He begged them to stop, insisting that he could handle it, but I don't like the way they flaunt their fires in front of him. They should be ashamed of what they have, rather than callous."Every time someone lights a fire, Prometheus dies a little faster that day. It's why he usually dies at night-people light their campfires and the raven pecks harder. Prometheus gets upset from the pain and those bad feelings make the raven peck harder as well. He dies."If all of the humans were to put out their fires and vow to never use them again, Zeus might let him go, but they won't. Prometheus says it's because they die without fire, but I think it's because they're selfish."This is why, as my wife, you are never to light a fire. Fire is his curse, not our blessing."Pandora nodded her head, chewing her lip.The raggedy pile of a Titan lying in front of them moaned. He had also shrunk himself. It was strange that he should care about making humans more comfortable when he was being tortured like this.He spoke and his voice was hoarse. "Epimetheus, is that you?"Prometheus cried out and the fire above their heads grew larger. Epimetheus pushed Pandora close to the ground just in case.The fire died down and Epimetheus knelt next to his brother. The bitterness melted from his face and gentleness took its place as if he were gazing at a beloved pet or baby. He stroked Prometheus' cheek and the fireballs burning above them calmed. "Shh! Don't speak! You need to save your strength!""Please don't be angry." Prometheus' eyes glowed with love in the light. "To see humanity, my creation, at peace, makes this suffering worth it. I'm glad Zeus chained me here. It allows me to witness all the good I've done.""Don't speak that way," Epimetheus said. "Nothing is worth seeing you like this.""Humanity is worth it," Prometheus said. "The way their skin glows in the sun is the envy of the gods. They're beautiful."Pandora looked down at her arms; the silver flecks in her skin shone in the firelight. Most of the time they weren't visible, except when the sun was bright or she was near a campfire. She had heard once that humans had specks of gold in their skin, during a time when they could tell the future and walked among gods. Pandora wished she was from that time, rather than from the age of silver, where the wealth and gifts of Mount Olympus dwelled just beyond her reach. But humans had sunk to a new low ever since Zeus took over, which was why their skin had silver in it now. If only she knew the future, maybe she'd be able to understand her world a little better."Humans give the gods something to live for and take care of," Prometheus continued. "They create and love like we do. They are not evil. It's Zeus that is. Never trust anything Zeus gives you. It will lead to your downfall."Pandora's forehead wrinkled in confusion. She had been a gift from Zeus to Epimetheus. Was he insinuating that she was untrustworthy? How dare he! He didn't even know her!Prometheus was sweating. His breathing grew heavier and he went into a seizure."It's time! He's dying again," Epimetheus shouted.Prometheus passed out and the inferno above their heads swirled like a tornado. Pandora shielded her face as ashes rained on her. She could feel her arm hair singeing.
"It's getting dangerous-we need to go." Epimetheus' expression hardened as he wrapped his arms around Pandora. She clutched his chest and let him lead the way.

About the Author:
E.B. Black is the annoying author who lives in the head of a nerdy housewife named Elizabeth. Elizabeth tries to live out her days by walking her dog, spending time with her husband, doing housework, and watching television, but E.B. Black makes her drop everything to type out weird fantasy stories. Elizabeth is asking anyone who read this to please send help.
Web-site: http://www.ebblack.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ebblackauthor/
Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/writerblack/
Blog: http://deathauthor.blogspot.com/  


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Why I Write Sex Scenes - Guest Blog and Giveaway - His Wolf's Desire by Shannon Nydia

I love romance. I love romantic movies. I love romantic books. I love creating romantic stories. I am an adult. I'm not a pervert, I'm not writing about inappropriate things, and I'm not advocating indecency.

So let me break it down for you. Those R rated movies that are acceptable to go and watch, you know, the same ones that have sex scenes in them. Yah those. A writer, writes those scenes and then the actors, act them out. Now just because you don't see the word "penis" or "sex" or "vagina" or *gasp* "cock", you understand exactly what the character is touching, or kissing or rubbing. I find it laughable that there is a stigma around being a romance/erotica writer. Why? What's the difference between watching an R rated sex scene or reading about one? Why isn't a movie director or actor given the "turn my nose up at what you do" treatment?

When you go to a movie, you go to watch the story. The action, the suspense, the violence, the heart warming moments, the shocking moments, the love scenes, the fight scenes and the conclusion. If you choose to only focus on the sex scenes, I feel sorry for you. I simply take a PG-13 story and make it rated R. What's the difference of watching an R rated movie that is rated that way because of the sexual content and reading an erotica book, which has sexual content.

I'm proud of what I write. I'm proud of my story arcs, I'm proud of my characters, I'm proud of their journey. And yah, I'm proud of the sex scenes I've written.

So it's okay for you to go watch a movie that has sex scenes and have no problem with it? But I can't write a book that has sex scenes in it?

I don't understand the logic in that. But what do I know, I write sex scenes....

His Wolf's DesireShannon Nydia
Genre: Contemporary, Multicultural,Paranormal, Shifters
Publisher: Loose Id Publishing
Date of Publication: April 12, 2016
Cover artist: Syneca Featherstone
ISBN: 978-1-68252-093-2
Word count: 52,383Page count (PDF): 189
Book Description:
Bradford Dalton and Jayla Stanton are both shifters. Each has their own reason for not wanting to be in a relationship with their own kind. Suddenly finding out that they are mates is a shock to both of them. There’s no way in hell these work enemies will ever be together.
Brad and Jayla are desperate to find a way to coexist with their shifter sides. They just have to contend with the fact they have sexual chemistry that is off the charts. Jayla can turn his body to steel with just a smoldering look. Brad can make Jayla quiver in anticipation with just one touch. You won’t hear either one of them complaining about succumbing to their insatiable need for the other. Sure they can have hot sex which knocks them on their ass, but that doesn’t mean they’ll ever fall for the other. Right?

Loose Id Excerpt: Chapter One
Holding a stick of gum between his thumb and index finger, Brad vigorously tapped it against his thigh as if he were snuffing out a cigarette. Aware of his neurotic action, he shifted in his seat and braced his elbows on the conference table. He resisted the urge to pound his fists on it. With deliberate care he removed the gum from the wrapper. While his gaze darted back and forth, scanning the scene before him, he crinkled the thin scrap of shiny aluminum foil in his large hand. He squeezed until his forearm started to cramp, then popped the gum in his mouth and shoved the tiny piece of trash into his pocket.Brad felt it would be best today to distance himself from his colleagues. Secluded inside the glass conference room, he found it easier to control his inner animal. He could feel the urge to shift coursing through his veins. He needed to stay calm.So while his team members were eager to welcome the arrival of the faction from the Seattle office, he kept a safe distance from the chaos erupting. Chewing his gum, he analyzed everyone coming together, shaking hands, behaving in a cordial fashion.Fuck cordial.He wanted to strangle Jayla Stanton with his bare hands. She’d succeeded in administering a major blow to the momentum of his career. He’d worked too damn hard, made too many damn sacrifices, for it all to come to a screeching halt because she chose to be a conniving witch. He didn’t like her, didn’t trust her, and didn’t want anything to do with her.To add insult to injury, he had a front-row seat to witness her invade his territory. One would think a goddess had descended upon them. The pageantry that surrounded her arrival in Albuquerque left a bitter taste in his mouth. He couldn’t care less that they were colleagues. They were no more teammates than they were friends. Everyone else might kiss her ass, but not him.He’d been able to avoid Jayla for almost two years by finagling his way out of corporate event after corporate event when he knew she’d be in attendance. Truth be told, he couldn’t trust his control over his anger enough to be anywhere near her.Unfortunately, Mr. Graybar, the CEO of the firm, let it be known he wanted Brad and Jayla working together for the next week, ensuring the smooth transition of the Maldonado account. This happened to be the very account which began their bitter feud.Years of research, planning, development, building business relationships, it all went down the drain when she swooped in, breaking every rule in business ethics and etiquette. She’d snatched the account right from under his nose. Landing the Maldonado account would have been his golden ticket straight to the executive office. Instead, he would have to endure playing second fiddle to her.Brad’s alpha-male nature, too stubborn and prideful to even consider defeat, obliterated from his mind any inkling of leaving the firm. Besides, he loved a good fight, and Jayla had just started a war. He refused to let her ride off into the sunset with his account. If she thought he would play nice, she was in for one hell of a week.Brad eyeballed a few female colleagues; his hunt came to a spellbinding halt when he zeroed in on a breathtaking beauty. He was finally seeing Jayla in person, and she wasn’t at all what he’d prepared for.Her rounded nose was balanced perfectly above her supple, pouty lips. Prominent cheekbones and a long slender neck made for a stunning combination. Her rich mocha skin color radiated warmth. Angling her head away from him, she unleashed a striking smile while talking with and charming the pants off members of his team.His jaw and chest tightened as awareness settled over him. He’d spent so much time abhorring her from afar, and her looks had never mattered to him. Since Jayla started working for his firm, Brad had observed her photos printed in the company newsletters. He’d viewed her profile page on the company website on numerous occasions. But in no way did either of those publications capture the essence of her beauty.She was absolutely stunning, and he couldn’t take his eyes off her. He watched in an angry trance as she swept her fingers across her forehead, feathering a loose strand of hair into place. Then his mouth went bone dry when she faced in the opposite direction. Her full, round, candy-apple bottom came into view, and a noise sounding an awful lot like a groan scratched out from the pit of his belly. His cock thickened with arousal, annoying the hell out of him.His instant attraction confused him, and he tried to shame his excited loins into calming down. It would be a cold day in hell before he let her beauty distract him. What was wrong with him? To hell with attraction; she was the enemy.JAYLA FELT SOMEONE’S eyes boring into her and stiffened in response. She turned in the direction her wolf’s instincts guided her. Sweeping her fingers across her brow, she smoothed the tendrils framing her face.She found and locked gazes with a fine-ass man sitting alone in a conference room. The blatant hostility in his glare sent goose bumps traveling up and down her arms. If she didn’t already know what he looked like, being the only person in the office who hadn’t greeted her and her team would have been all the evidence she needed. She’d just made eye contact with Bradford Dalton, her adversary.Gunmetal-blue eyes glued her to where she stood, so exceptional in color she felt hypnotized. She could barely breathe. The intensity of his stare made her hands tremble. She pressed her palms into her skirt in an attempt to steady them, mortified by her reaction to him. There was no love lost between them, but the fact that she literally shook in her high heels just by locking gazes with the man gave her cause for concern.She’d prepared herself for a plethora of emotions spanning across the anger spectrum but not for the instant attraction she felt for the man the second she laid eyes on him. What was wrong with her?Brad could spin the facts all he wanted, but the truth of the matter was she’d landed the Maldonado account fair and square. He’d dismissed her as nothing more than a joke when she joined the Seattle office of their firm. For almost two years she’d tried in vain to be a part of his team in Albuquerque.While Brad plotted his course of action for the Maldonado account, Jayla plotted her course of action to try to get Brad’s professional attention. Ironically, she’d never wanted the account for herself. She’d wanted to work with Brad. Learn from Brad. Be mentored by Brad. Having the chance to work with him was the sole reason she’d wanted to join Graybar and Associates. In the end he’d stayed full of himself, letting the opportunity slip through his fingers. She’d landed the coveted account on her own merit.Breaking eye contact, Brad’s gaze traveled the scope of her body. Tingles prickled her skin, making her suit’s thick tweed material cumbersome and uncomfortable. His gaze crawled along her curves, making her feel exposed. It irritated her how sensitive and receptive her body seemed to be to his fixation. Just because Brad turned out to be easy on the eyes didn’t change one damn thing between them. No matter how handsome the face glaring at her was, he hated her, and the feeling was mutual.She chastised herself for behaving as if she’d never been given the once-over by a man before. But Brad’s raw gaze unnerved her, fracturing her renowned poise.She swallowed hard as she willed her hands to stay stuck to her sides and not sweep across her face again. Trying to gain control of the situation, Jayla decided two could play this game. She wouldn’t let him intimidate her. Waiting until his eyes found hers, she tightened her jaw, tilted her head and, with defiance, inspected him right back.Since he was sitting, she could only appraise his upper half. But boy oh boy… What an upper half to assess. His nose, a straight line from the top of the bridge to the slightly aquiline tip, appeared almost regal. She studied his full bottom lip, larger than the slimmer top half. Short, dark-brown hair, styled as if he combed his fingers through it in the shower, completed his model good looks.She bit the inside of her mouth to keep from gaping. Never in a million years had Jayla imagined Brad looked like that in person. His online depictions were a travesty compared to his real-life appearance. Now she didn’t know what she found more disappointing: the fact that someone she once admired turned out to be a chauvinistic ass, or the fact that seeing him in person made her wish she possessed naked pictures of his chauvinistic ass.Brad personified the self-centered ambition she detested about the business world. Men like him made her blood boil. It didn’t matter one iota that he was too fine for his own damn good. On an exhalation, she made herself refocus on the melee at hand.Team members from both sides began filing into the conference room Brad ruminated in, putting an end to Brad and Jayla’s rubbernecking. Taking advantage of every extra second to collect herself, Jayla lingered and waited to join the meeting last of all. Blowing out a long, shaky breath, she felt her nerves kick into high gear.Two quick vibrations from her cell phone, indicating she’d just received an e-mail, gave her a valid reason to delay her grand entrance. Grateful for the interruption, she pulled the thin phone from the front pocket of her jacket, opened the e-mail app, and proceeded to read.The meeting should be getting underway soon. Sorry I’m not there. I have both my phone and computer on the ready if you need anything. Attached in this e-mail is a copy of your presentation notes in case you misplaced them. This is your show. Don’t let Dalton intimidate you. I’ll be in bright and early tomorrow. Remember, when it comes to Brad…it’s on like Donkey Kong!Holding back a smile, Jayla wanted to thank Monica for e-mailing her, giving her the distraction she needed to help settle her nerves. Monica was a brilliant corporate lawyer and one hell of a colleague. The two of them were sisters in arms in the male-dominated business world. Although they didn’t get to work together as much as they would have liked, they always had each other’s back. Once Jayla knew for sure she’d secured her transfer to the Albuquerque office, she’d done everything in her power to ensure Monica would be part of her team. She’d gotten her wish, but Monica had been bumped from their flight to Albuquerque. Due to the airline error, she wouldn’t be arriving until very late that evening.Knowing she couldn’t delay any longer, Jayla pushed her phone back into her pocket and headed toward the lion’s den. She stepped into the conference room and took the one seat available to her. Either by sheer coincidence or by intended design, the seat across from Brad remained the lone chair left unoccupied. Person after person passed it up, not even daring to look in its direction. As colleagues intentionally avoided the hot seat, the tension in the room became so thick Jayla thought they would become blinded by it. On-edge associates on both sides of the fence exchanged anxious glances.Noticing everyone focusing on her, she set her briefcase on the table and offered Brad a tight smile paired with a curt nod. The man had the audacity to arch one eyebrow in response. The lights dimmed, and a video presentation began, directing attention to the large projection screen. Camouflaged as she was by the darkness, no one noticed her grip on her briefcase tighten and her plastered fake smile slip a fraction. She fought the urge to lunge across the table and choke him. Instead, she pulled her phone out of her pocket, turned off the ringer, and placed it inside her briefcase. Once seated, she directed her attention to the screen.IT DIDN’T TAKE long for Jayla’s subtle vanilla-orchid scent to settle upon Brad. His nose flared the second her delicate and sensual fragrance hit him. He wasn’t one to react to a woman’s perfume, yet her aroma caressed his attention away from the video. Unable to help himself, he peeked out the corners of his eyes in her direction. Once again she swept her fingers across her face, smoothing her hair. Suspecting the action a nervous habit, he felt himself wanting to smirk in satisfaction, knowing she wasn’t as confident as she tried to appear. She crossed her arms on top of the table, and her hands captivated him as she scraped her delicate fingertips across her jacket. Surprising himself, he imagined what it would feel like to have her scoring her nails across his back while she wrapped her legs around his waist, taking him to the hilt.Without warning, his canines lengthened. Flinching from the shock of his sexual fantasy and his physical reaction to her, he drew unwanted attention to himself. A few of his team members gave him concerned glances, peering at him through squinted eyes in the darkened room. Placing his elbows on the table, he crossed one hand on top of the other, hiding his mouth in his palms as he nodded, trying like hell to appear normal.Never in his life had his teeth elongated around a group of nonshifters. He could recall a handful of times in his youth when his canines had come out while in the presence of shifters, but always in reaction to being provoked to fight. Now, in his adulthood, once in a while his teeth had a mind of their own when he was alone, but they knew better than to come out of hiding here. No one at his job knew he was a shifter. In fact, no one he acquainted himself with knew he was a shifter. He didn’t have anything against shifters; he just didn’t like living as one. In his opinion, the disadvantages far outweighed the advantages. Although the existence of shifters was a known fact, the misguided perceptions were at times annoying. There were parts of his life Brad didn’t want to have to explain.His self-control over his inner animal, something he prided himself on, approached a point of no return. It would serve her right if he let her witness the beast inside him. He’d be fired for sure, but at least he’d get to give her the scare of her life. Growing angry that she continued to affect him, he turned his head, giving the evil apparition sitting in front of him his full attention.JAYLA’S PULSE SPIKED the second she got her first whiff of the manly musk radiating off Brad. The man smelled of carnal sin. His spicy scent delighted her nose, wreaking havoc on her libido. Her thick jacket hid her pebbling nipples and swelling breasts. She clamped her legs together underneath the table, trying to ward off the twinges of lust tickling her pussy. Feeling Brad’s gaze on her, Jayla’s mouth began to water as her canines extended. Panicking, she leaned back in her chair, crossed one arm over her midsection, and rested the elbow of the other on her fist; she covered her mouth with her free hand, trying to pretend to be deep in thought. No one at her job knew she was a shifter. If she shifted into her wolf, it’d be a hell of a way to out herself and probably get fired in the process. The thought of Brad pissing his pants in terror when he found out the person he’d been trying to bully was a she-wolf consoled her for a split second. But she knew she couldn’t let that happen now. Unable to help herself, she turned her head toward him, and their gazes locked.Unexpected images of the two of them making love flashed through her mind like a silent movie: She imagined her naked curves draped over Brad’s body as she rode him. Depictions of Brad pounding into her doggy style swamped her consciousness. The erotic visualizations caused her animalistic nature to surface.Deep from within the inner intricacies of their wolves, she heard them both growl. To their human colleagues sitting around them, it sounded like hungry stomachs calling for food. But the low, distinctive sound vibrating from the heart and soul of one wolf to another… Shifters knew this sonance—their bodies calling out to their…Mate.Brad’s startled gaze met hers, and their eyes widened as the reality of the situation became obvious to both of them. Jayla’s canines retracted once her human side understood what her wolf had known from the second she’d made eye contact with Brad: they were mates.Jayla felt her control over her wolf return, so she rose, grabbing her briefcase. Trancelike, she headed out of the conference room, needing to get away from him. Once out of sight she quickened her pace, speed-walking to safety.Rounding the corner, Jayla passed the elevators, seeking the heavy metal door leading to the stairwell. She burst through, needing solitude to compose herself. The thunderous sound of the heavy door clanking shut gave her a sense of relief. Her gasps heaved in and out of her chest. Bending over, she dropped her briefcase and clutched at her heart in desperation.This…cannot…be…happening…
Of all the shifters in the world…he was her mate? A man she despised. Dread tore through her body at the thought of Brad Dalton being the supposed keeper of her heart. No effing way. Not on her watch.
About the Author:
Shannon Nydia grew up in a military family. Her father served in the U.S. Air Force and she was fortunate enough to be stationed all over the United States. Her love of travel and experiencing new places only encouraged her overactive imagination. Shannon is a self-described dreamer and hopeless romantic. She thoroughly enjoys getting swept up in a good story. Shannon loves reading, watching romantic movies and food… not necessarily in that order! She adores strong but feminine female characters and has a soft spot for hunky alpha males.Shannon is a married mother of two, and loves spending time with her family.
She loves hearing from her readers!
Website: http://www.shannonnydia.com/
Blog: http://shannonnydia.weebly.com/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/shannonnydia001
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Shannon-Nydia-1122941931073679/


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The Dead Walk ! Guest Blog with Rich Restucci

The Dead Walk!
How many times have you seen that headline in a movie or a book? Every post-apocalyptic scene containing a wind-blown newspaper has that line in big, bold letters across the top of the front page. It is extremely fortunate that we, as viewers/readers get to see this paper. Good thing the elements didn’t destroy it or we may be lost. But you jumped into the book or film looking for the undead anyway, so that headline is more than insightful on what’s to come.
I love zombie stories and films. Always have. My first introduction to the undead was when I was quite young, and I snuck up behind my dad while he was watching Night of the Living Dead on our Volkswagen sized console television. I was five years old, and I was hooked. Over the years I devoured anything I could concerning zombies. Be they fast or slow, dead or alive, these creatures all had two things in common: They wanted to eat or kill humans, and there were always more of them than us.
Being outnumbered is one of the scariest parts of any zombie tale. The other scary thing is who these things used to be. The kid on the corner, the policeman who pulled you over last week, your mom. They were once good (or bad) people but now they are something inherently evil, Something looking either to eat you, straight up kill you, or at the very least, make you like them.
With all the movies and books I consumed throughout several decades, I realized that most of them were crap. Fabricated purely in the pursuit of the almighty dollar. Write a book, make a movie, and cha-ching! instant payout. That’s what most these authors were in it for, the money. Eventually, it dawned on me that I could probably write something that at least I thought was great. Bring my own disturbing thoughts to the table. It only took me four decades.
I had written a story (written, with a pen) when I was in middle school. I found it in some of my (very) old stuff, added to it and published it to a website, homepageofthedead.com. People loved it. To be fair, most people loved it, and others thought it was crap. I was used to crap, and didn’t like the thought of people thinking my stuff was crap, so I wrote another story. And another and another, posting them all to the same website. The stories were very well received, and one day a publisher contacted me and asked me if I wanted to get a short story published. I jumped at the chance. Me? Published? Hah!
So I kept writing stories, and they got longer and longer. Eventually I wrote a book. It was called Run! and it was extremely well received on Homepage of the Dead. One of the reviewers said: (and I will never forget this) Dude, become a writer. I got in touch with Severed Press, they liked my stuff, and in no time I had my first published book on Amazon.
Let me tell you, reviewers on Amazon are very different from those on a smaller website. They can be downright cruel. Overall Run is a 70% success on Amazon, with about 15% of the reviews saying it was meh, and another 15% telling me I should gargle with broken glass.
A bit more than two thirds of the reviews being good was unacceptable, so I began writing another story Chaos Theory. I wrote it as a series of blog posts over about three months, which were eventually combined into a book. I describe this book as a comedic romp through an apocalyptic nightmare.  My main character is something of a taboo in zombie literature: he’s immune. He gets bitten in the first chapter, gets really sick, expects to die, and then does something nobody else has since the onset of the plague: he survives.
I know, you’re thinking WTF? You can’t do that! The very basis of every zombie tale is that nobody lives after being bitten. Well guess what? It worked! My readers absolutely love it. They love the way I develop the main character. He starts out as a prison convict that has no idea how to survive. He learns along the way with the help of a mute genius and a teenage girl. The characters make dozens of blunders but survive while everyone else is being eaten. Of course if they didn’t make it, there would be no book, so it makes sense really to tell a story about someone who lives through the ZPOC.
Unfortunately for our hero and his group, they run afoul of a competent but fanatical super-spy who figures out the main character is immune. This guy truly believes that killing anyone who gets in the way of him acquiring the main character is not only necessary, it’s his duty to do so. Oh, and it’s fun. He loves to kill folks.
The small group of survivors escapes the clutches of the evil operative, making their way toward the Gulf of Mexico to seek refuge on an oil rig. The agent harries them the whole way, our guys needing to avoid him, the inevitable bad guys who are now unfettered by the law, and of course the undead. Meeting both good folks and bad, and losing many on both sides, the journey brings them to a conclusion and a cliff hanger, which primes for the second book, Conspiracy Theory.
The book is told in journal style, which I generally dislike, but I felt that omniscience would have helped our hero too much. He can only tell you what he sees and feels, without knowing what’s around each corner. He can’t tell you what someone else is thinking or feeling unless they tell him, so he has to figure it out. He has to figure out a lot, and that’s what many reviewers are telling me they like.
If you would like to check out Chaos Theory, Conspiracy Theory, or my other books, Run! and Run II the Crossing, head over to Amazon and search for Rich Restucci.
You can read my short stories here: http://fiction.homepageofthedead.com/
If you would like to contact me, come on over to http://www.zombiefiend.com/I’m there most days in the chatroom, or you could friend me on Facebook.
I would like to thank Roxanne Rhoads, Owner/Book Publicist, Bewitching Book Tours for allowing me to blog as a guest on Fang-tastic books. It’s folks like Roxanne who help the little guy like me get my stories to you guys. Thanks Roxanne, for all you do!
Thanks as well to you for reading this blog. Now go read some great horror stories!
Rich Restucci




Chaos Theory 
The Zombie Theories 
Book 1
Rich Restucci 

The world has fallen to a relentless enemy beyond reason or mercy. With no remorse they rend the planet with tooth and nail. 

One man stands against the scourge of death that consumes all. 

Teamed with a genius survivalist and a teenage girl, he must flee the teeming dead, the evils of humans left unchecked, and those that would seek to use him. His best weapon to stave off the horrors of this new world? His wit. 



Amazon
About the Author:
Rich Restucci is a practicing chemist living in Pembroke Massachusetts. He resides with his lovely wife, three children, and a permanent hangover. He enjoys drinking beer, stocking up on weapons and supplies, playing with explosives and reading/writing anything zombie related. An up and coming writer, Rich has been fortunate to have a few stories published, one in the anthology Dead Worlds 7, two in the anthology Feast or Famine: A Banquet of Tales for the Zombie Prepper. His first novel, Run, is still available, and his second novel, Chaos Theory, has been released. Rich is currently working on publishing several other stories and a few novels. Rich's work can be found on the fiction section of Homepage of the dead.com, or you could check out his blog on Zombie Fiend.com

Song Titles and Elementals- Guest Blog and Giveaway with Jillian Jacobs

Late one night Nodin, the Air Elemental and Flint, the Fire Elemental made a bet. Whoever could come up with the most songs with their element in the title them would win. 
Here are their lists.
“The Air That I breathe” The Hollies“In The Air Tonight” Phil Collins“Glitter in the Air” Pink“No Air” Chris Brown & Jordan Sparks
Unfortunately that was all Nodin could come up with before Flint started spouting off title after title.
“Ring of Fire” Johnny Cash“Fire” Jimi Hendrix“Light my fire” The Doors“We didn’t start the fire” Billy Joel“Great Balls of Fire” Jerry Lee Lewis“Fire Woman” The Cult“The Fire Down Below” Bob Seger“I’m on Fire” Bruce Springsteen“Fire and Rain” James Taylor“Play with Fire” The Rolling Stones
Nodin acceded victory to Flint. Way more songs about fire than air!

What songs can you come up with that have an element in the title?

Air’s VisionThe Elementals SeriesBook ThreeJillian Jacobs
Genre: Paranormal romance
Publisher: Green Moose Productions
Date of Publication:  March 15th, 2016
E-Book ISBN: 978-1-942313-09-0
Word Count:  81,219
Cover Artist: Alexandria Corza
Book Description:
A sightless woman.
A man who has seen everything.
A new vision of the future.
Duty
For over four centuries the Air Elemental, Nodin Osi, has protected the very air we breathe. Yet when he returns to his ancestral homelands to recruit a beautiful ally, he’s literally set adrift when someone else takes control of his gifts.
Vision
Blind since birth, Kamali Kiwidinok can only see the vibrant auras surrounding each human. She blusters into Nodin’s world armed with her special vision only to discover that Nodin is the one person she can actually see.
Obscurity
Quint, an insidious creature composed of dark matter, returns with strong adversaries and stolen magic, holding nothing back in his pursuit of the most powerful witch in history. Unaware the Elementals have developed a spell to banish him from this plane, he relentlessly pursues his goals.
Sacrifice
Plunged back into darkness, Kamali must stand against her enemies before helping the Elementals in their fight against Quint. Will Nodin make the ultimate sacrifice for Kamali? Or is the future between a human and a peri-mortal lost in the wind?
With vision there is hope. With hope there is love. – Nodin Osi
On sale for 99 cents through April 24th, 2016

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Excerpt:
As an Empath, Kamali Kiwidinok could detect through colored auras a person’s physical, emotional, mental, and spiritual being. This gift was the only way she’d ever seen color. With her cousin Waya’s help, she’d had to learn what lay behind each hue. Her blindness had kept her world dark, yet when meeting new people, these vibrant glimpses gave her a clearer perception of their character. Until Nodin.She could actually see him. Twenty-three years had passed without any true concept of the human form, so when he’d come to the diner and she’d finally seen…she’d had no words. Kamali doubted people actually walked around with bright auras outlining their bodies, but his did. There he’d stood—a beautiful vision. Afraid to blink, to move, she’d taken in as much of his form as she could. Her entire body shivering with fear and joy—so much joy. In that moment, everything in the diner had gone silent. Until Maize, her guide dog, growled, and then the air stirred with something. A negative energy.Suddenly, Nodin’s aura had changed from bluish-purple to orange before fading from her vision. Darkness had once more descended before her eyes…and in her heart. And in that moment, she’d decided she would see him again. She had to know if she would once more receive the gift of sight, even if she only saw him. Even if…So she’d come to Colorado, because she never backed down from a challenge. And now, standing at this door with a deep brown aura blocking her vision of Nodin, she bit her lip to keep from crying. She’d done enough of that after he’d left, but then she’d received a visitor. One who’d taken her hand and explained where she was needed, if only she were brave enough.She was.


About the Author:
In the spring of 2013, Jillian Jacobs changed her career path and became a romance writer. After reading for years, she figured writing a romance would be quick and easy. Nope! With the guidance of the Indiana Romance Writers of America chapter, she’s learned there are many "rules" to writing a proper romance. Being re-schooled has been an interesting journey, and she hopes the best trails are yet to be traveled.
Water’s Threshold, the first in Jillian’s Elementals series, was a finalist in Chicago-North’s 2014 Fire and Ice contest in the Women’s Fiction category.
Jillian is a: Tea Guzzler, Polish Pottery Hoarder, and lover of all things Moose.The genres she writes under are: Paranormal and Contemporary with suspenseful elements.
Website: www.jillianjacobs.com
Twitter: https://twitter.com/GreenMooseProd
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Jillian-Jacobs/737689872920933

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Guest Post: The Afterlife- Whereafter by Terri Bruce

I’m really excited to be here today to celebrate the release of my third book, Whereafter. Whereafter is the third book in the Afterlife series, which tells the story of a woman named Irene Dunphy who dies and has to learn to navigate the afterlife as a ghost.
One of the key features of the series is that it features afterlife mythology from every religion and culture—both past and present. For every book, the landscape is usually drawn from one or two cultures and then additional elements are layered in. In the first book, Hereafter, Irene is stuck on Earth as a ghost. The way that ghosts behave and interact with the world is built on modern American ghost folklore. The world is also populated with creatures called “The Uglies,” which are modeled on Navajo “Chindi” and Chinese “Yuan gui.”
The second book of the series, Thereafter, is set in the afterlife or land of the dead. The world here is dark and gray—the sky is gray, the trees are black, the ground is gray and washed out. This is modeled on the Sumerian afterlife, kur-nu-gi-a, which was described as a gray, washed out place, where the food is “as ash.” Lilith (from Jewish mythology), who some historian argue is also the same person as Inanna from Sumer-Akkadian mythology, makes an appearance as well. The book also pulls heavily from Greek mythology—Irene has to pay a ferryman a coin to cross the river Acheron and continue on her journey—and Chinse and Japanese mythology—the land is filled with “hungry ghosts” modeled on Chinese Nu gui and Japanese Gaki.
The third book, Whereafter, is modeled heavily on the Egyptian afterlife. The landscape that Irene and Andras travel through is an endless wheat field (in ancient Egypt, the realm of the dead was called Duat, which was also called the Field of Rushes or the Wheat Fields of Osiris). The Egyptians believed that people were made up of five separate parts: the body, the heart, the life spark, the shadow, and the spirit or mind. The Egyptians believed that after death, the shadow gathered food for the spirit (once it left the body) and fed it. Then, the spirit joined with the shadow to form a ghost. In Whereafter, this belief is directly translated into free-roaming shadows that attack any ghosts and steal their shadow/ghost body. Layered into this Sumerian/Egyptian hybrid world is some modern Christianity in the form of a giant mansion, the rooms of which are various other versions of Heaven/paradise (Valhalla, the Garden of Eden, the Aztec “Garden of the Rain God,” etc.). In addition, Irene and Andras have to cross a bridge the width of a hair, which is taken from Zoroastrian afterlife mythology, and Irene burns a paper effigy of a cow, which turns into the real thing, which is taken from Chinese mythology. There are many other small touches like that throughout all three books. For anyone who likes afterlife mythology, the books pose a fun challenge of trying to identify all the afterlife mythology that the various elements are pulled from.
It’s been fun and interesting—and very challenging combining all of these elements together. For the remaining three books of the series, I will be pulling in more ancient Greek and ancient Roman mythology, as well as mythology from India, various regions of Africa, and various Native American tribes. What’s been most interesting about writing these books is how the various myths reveal that no matter where or when we lived, we all have more in common than we think. Most afterlife beliefs have many elements in common, and, in many cases, it’s been easier than I expected to be able to piece all these various stories together to make a coherent whole!

For anyone that loves afterlife mythology or wants to learn more about the Afterlife series, during the month of April I will be participating in the “A to Z Blogging Challenge,” and every day, I will be posting a video blog (at http://www.terribruce.net) in which I reveal all of the hidden references to afterlife mythology and “Easter Eggs” in the series. I encourage everyone to stop by each day and check out the videos! You can also sign up for my newsletter to stay up to date with all my latest news. In addition, I love interacting with readers, so please feel free to email me or connect with me on Twitter! 

WhereafterAfterlifeBook 3Terri Bruce
Genre: Contemporary fantasy/paranormal
Publisher: Mictlan Press
Date of Publication: March 15, 2016
ISBN: 9780991303649
Number of pages: 345Word Count: 100,000
Formats available:Paperback and all ebook formats
Cover Artist: Shelby Robinson – artworkJennifer Stolzer – layout and design
Book Description:
How Far Would You Go To Get Your Life Back?
Stuck in the afterlife on an island encircled by fire and hunted by shadows bent on trapping them there forever, Irene and Andras struggle to hold onto the last vestiges of their physical selves, without which they can never return to the land of the living. But it’s not just external forces they’ll have to fight as the pair grow to realize they have different goals. Irene still clings to the hope that she can somehow return to her old life—the one she had before she died—while Andras would be only too glad to embrace oblivion.
Meanwhile, Jonah desperately searches for a way to cross over to the other side, even if doing so means his death. His crossing over, however, is the one thing that could destroy Irene’s chances of returning home.
Too many obstacles, too many people to save, and the thing Irene most desperately wants—to return to her old life—seems farther away than ever. Only one thing is clear: moving on will require making a terrible sacrifice.
Excerpt #2They crossed into the previous room, navigating carefully between the jostling throng. Jonah barely paid attention as his mind worked furiously. “What do you mean, someplace else? Where else do the dead go when they cross over if not here?”Jonah’s scowl deepened. As usual, Char wasn’t getting the hint that he didn’t really want to talk anymore. “Lots of places.”“Like where?”A pang went through him as the ever-present image of a burning lake of fire burned in the forefront of his mind. “In one of her letters, Irene said she was in a city and then in a forest—a dark, creepy forest. Based on the description, I think she was in the place where the Restless Dead go.”“Sounds charming.”Grimly, he said, “Exactly.”And then she took a boat to Hell.“Look, I’m sure she’s fine,” Char said hurriedly, in an obvious, though fruitless, attempt to reassure him. He stared straight ahead as they wove through the crowd, trying to block out the nagging worry growing inside of him.They crossed back into the Norse room and then into one of the gardens and then into an unfamiliar room. Jonah paused for a second, trying to get his bearings. “Did we come through here before?” he asked.Char shook her head. “I think you took a wrong turn out of the garden.”There had been only one way out of the garden—Jonah was sure of it. A feeling of unease started to take hold of him as he turned around and headed back through the doorway they had just come through. He stopped short the second they stepped across the threshold. Instead of passing back into the garden where they had just been, they now stood in the white room with the harps. “What the…” Jonah looked around, his unease growing. “Wasn’t this just Tlalocan?”Char stared at him, her eyes wide, and nodded.“Come on,” Jonah grabbed her hand, a sinking feeling spreading upwards from the pit of his stomach, and headed for the far end of the hall. In all the stories, getting into the Underworld was easy; it was getting out that was hard. He recalled Persephone’s warning, and his stomach lurched. He sped up and they passed through the doorway into another unfamiliar room.“Wasn’t this where Valhalla was?” Char asked, but Jonah didn’t pause—he just strode resolutely forward, his jaw set, dragging Char with him. They passed straight through the room and in the next instant found themselves back in the blue ballroom.“I don’t understand,” Char said. “How could we possibly be here again?”The sinking feeling was getting worse, giving way to an uneasy sense of inevitability. However, he refused to admit defeat just yet.“Maybe it’s a different room that just looks like the room we were in before?” Char said, clearly grasping at straws.They turned around and headed back through the doorway they had just come through. It should have led to the room they were just in—the white room—but instead, they found themselves back in the blue ballroom. “But… but… this is impossible!” Char cried, stopping dead in her tracks. Jonah tried to tug her forward, but she yanked her hand from his grasp. “What the hell is going on?”Jonah tried to keep his face and voice perfectly neutral as he spoke—to keep both Char and himself from panicking. Panic wouldn’t do either of them any good. “The rooms move. Nothing’s fixed.”Char stared at him, the color draining from her face. “You say that like it’s no big deal.”Jonah bit his lip and didn’t meet her eyes, hoping that she couldn’t hear the hammering of his heart. “It’s a big deal,” he said, his voice tight.“How are we going to get out of here if we can’t find our way back to the entrance?”He didn’t answer—couldn’t answer; he didn’t know. More forcefully, Char said, “Jonah?”But he didn’t have to say anything—he knew she could see it in his face.
They were stuck.
About the Author:
Terri Bruce has been making up adventure stories for as long as she can remember and won her first writing award when she was twelve. Like Anne Shirley, she prefers to make people cry rather than laugh, but is happy if she can do either. She produces fantasy and adventure stories from a haunted house in New England where she lives with her husband and three cats. She is the author of the Afterlife Series, which includes Hereafter (Afterlife #1) and Thereafter (Afterlife #2) and several short stories including “Welcome to OASIS” (“Dear Robot” anthology, Kelly Jacobson publisher) and “The Well” (“Scratching the Surface” anthology, Third Flatiron Press).
Website/Blog: www.terribruce.net
Goodreads: www.goodreads.com/TerriBruce
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/authorterribruce
Twitter: @_TerriBruce

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Rhea Rhodan's Top 10 Old TV Shows with Paranormal Fantasy and SciFi Twists

Thank you for having me on Fang-tastic Books, Roxanne. I’m excited to meet your readers.
I’m Rhea Rhodan, and I write romance with a touch of magic or paranormal twist. If you share some of my tastes—and I’m guessing you do because you’re here :>)—you love paranormal, fantasy, and maybe sci-fi TV shows too. I watched a lot of TV as a kid. Those old shows fueled my already-vivid imagination and offered great fodder for the stories I began telling myself even before I learned to read.
I thought it might be fun to make a list of my vintage favorites both for those of you who remember them, and those who missed them.
My Top 10 Old TV Shows with Paranormal Fantasy and SciFi Twists
10. Outer Limits. At my single-digit age when this show aired, I was way too young to watch anything that scary. I still am. Nonetheless, this one started it all for me.
9. Casper (The Friendly Ghost). Even though it leaned heavily on the saccharine side and I was a cynical child, I felt sorry for Casper, and definitely wanted to offer him my friendship. The stupid kids who were scared of him didn’t deserve his kindness.
8. I Dream of Jeanie. Another protagonist I felt sorry for. Poor Jeanie was on the slow side, but sweet, and the Major was kind of a jerk. I liked her costume and still wish I could travel by her cross-arms-and-nod method.
7. The Addams Family. I watched The Munsters too, but couldn’t shake the idea it was a dumb knock-off. Feel free to mock me in the Comments section below.
6. The Ghost and Mrs. Muir. Loved the romantic aspect, even then.
5. Bewitched. I wanted to be Samantha SO bad, even if she was married to that putz, Darrin (I never liked either one of them). I admired her mother, Endora, but Tabatha (her daughter) never really worked for me once she was no longer a baby.
4. The Immortal. My first-ever celebrity crush was on Christopher George. He was a REAL man, and as you can probably tell by now, I was picky.
3. Time Tunnel. I couldn’t wait for this one every week and was heartbroken when it got cancelled. I didn’t care that it was cheesy or each show’s plot was an awful lot like last week’s. I still have a thing for time travel. Outlander anyone? I was a fan of the somewhat more recent (and much better) Quantum Leap, too. 
2. Star Trek. I’ve seen every one of the original and Next Generation episodes, most many times (wasn’t a big fan of its other incarnations). Gene Roddenberry’s imagination and gift for storytelling easily made up for the show’s limited production budget.
1. Twilight Zone. When I watch these now, they upset me because there’s seldom justice. Good people are punished willy-nilly. I’d dump an author who left me so dissatisfied. Yet this show took me past Outer Limits and into the great What If. For that, Rod Serling, all is forgiven.
These old shows continue to influence me. While writing and editing Melting Shadows, my new release, I occasionally thought I heard the theme music from The Twilight Zone—with good reason. And in the story, Max gets Prudence to watch some episodes of Star Trek with him.

Any dissenters? Shows you’d like to add to the list? New favorites? 

Melting ShadowsRhea Rhodan
Genre: Romantic Suspense, with a Fantasy twist
Publisher: Rhea Rhodan
Date of Publication: March 4, 2016
ISBN: 978-1523859375ASIN: B01CEYVHGU
Page Count: 259 (Kindle)Page Count: 342 (pb)Word Count: 80K
Cover Artist: Fiona Jayde
Book Description:
When fantasy and reality collide, only love can be believed.
Shattered by a brutal attack and forced to flee, painfully withdrawn Dr. Prudence Marsh buries her emotions under numbing logic. For years, her escapes to a fantasy world created to survive her hellish past have been nothing more than a guilty pleasure. But when the host of the safe house turns out to be a dead ringer for her dream warrior, she fears she’s lost her precious mind along with everything else.
Ex-SEAL Max Delaney has been known to dabble in a hot, delicious mess—or two, or three. He has no idea how to handle a cold, sour one. Blackmailed into babysitting Dr. Marsh in his hidden bunker while she finishes a top-secret project sucks. Until he falls for her. Then it blows. Every clue Max unravels buys him more questions. Every step forward lands him two steps back, flat on his ass.
Demons past, present, and future haunt Max and Prudence as they stumble along the twisting path to love. Merciless enemies and shifting alliances drive both to desperate measures, tumbling them over the border between shadow and substance—where each must choose what, and whom, to believe.
Amazon     BN     iBooks     Kobo     Amazon U.K.     ARe
Excerpt: He whispered praise in her ear, “That’s it. Now don’t you feel better?” She shivered in response, though her hands at his back had warmed. He smiled into the fresh scent of her hair and wrapped her more tightly in his arms. She was his now; even if she didn’t know it yet. With firm, subtle pressure, he brought her head to rest on his shoulder. Her hands tightened around him, then, finally, her body relaxed fully into his. Her sigh was what did him in, what scrambled his brain and sent the jolt to his heart, then racing lower, hotter. He swallowed hard. Patience was suddenly a whole lot scarcer than it had been a minute ago. The Balconies. Any one of the half dozen private patios facing the ocean would do. Each of the double doors was chaperoned by a broad back discreetly turned from the couples enjoying the seclusion they offered. It was one of the unique and best features of the club. With experienced ease, he guided his plunder across the dance floor to the nearest unoccupied one. “You’re a bit flushed. Would you like some ocean air? The view is great.”She blushed and murmured something indistinct he chose to take as assent. Another covert tip and nod to the bouncer—the same one who’d been at the VIP gate, still wearing the frown—and their path was clear. The moon cast a diamond-strewn path across the water and glimmered in her depths of her eyes. He wanted to climb into that fire and stay there until Judgment Day. After a few gulps of the salty night air, she said, “Thank you, Mr. Delane. I’m afraid the effects of the alcohol may have—”“It’s Delaney." He squeezed her hand. “Calling me Max would solve the problem, you know." “I’m still not certain I’m comfortable—”“We can’t have that. I want you very comfortable.” He kept his voice low and soothing, ran his hands up her tantalizingly bare arms to cup her face. She gasped at his touch, her eyes widened and her lips parted.He’d meant the kiss to be subdued, a simple brushing of mouths, and that’s how it started. But he couldn’t stop what followed. Couldn’t keep his hand from gripping the back of her head; holding it at the best angle for his access; from tracing her lips with his tongue and gently opening her mouth to accept it; prevent his other hand from roaming between the cool satin of her hair and the warm silk of her dress to the swell of her sweet, tight ass; squeezing it, and pulling her close. Close enough for her to feel the rock hard extent of his hunger. Close enough for him to feel the moist heat of hers—God help him with what control he had left. Her arms circled his waist, her delicate, surprisingly strong hands pressed into his back, stroked, pulled at him in helpless, inexperienced little tugs that made him want to push up her dress and set her on the railing, wrap those long legs around his waist, and—“Please, Delane.”  The desperate ache in her plea squeezed him like a fist and echoed all the way to his toes. He shook with the effort to clamp down on his lust. “‘Max.’ Say it, Prue. Say it and I’ll take you to paradise, sweetheart. C’mon,” he whispered it into her ear, then nipped it tenderly. Understanding why he needed that particular surrender wasn’t important, winning it was. He slipped the hand on her ass under her dress, ran his finger under the lace of her panties, reached to stroke the hot velvet, teasing her, driving himself to the knife edge of desire. “Oh…ah…M-M-Ma—”A warning rush of overused air boxed his ears a few seconds before a shrill voice pierced them. “There you are, Max, darling! I thought this was our balcony. Remember? A couple of weeks ago we…”
Bam. Just like that, Prue froze in his arms. He opened his eyes and saw the shutters slam over hers, dousing the lighthouse, leaving him at sea in empty darkness. 
About the Author:
Award-winning author Rhea Rhodan resides in Minnetonka, Minnesota. She’s been telling herself stories since long before she learned to write. She attended the University of Minnesota with a focus on Journalism, then Brown Institute for Broadcast Journalism. After many adventures, misadventures, and a couple of short marriages, she found the love of her life in Regensburg, Germany, and has been living happily ever after since.
She journaled those adventures extensively (some might say rabidly) beginning in middle school, but didn't combine her writing and story-telling until several years ago, when one of the stories grabbed her by the throat and shook her like a rag doll until she gave in and wrote it. Having tasted freedom, her muse refuses to return to the confines of her head, and has successfully turned the tables, keeping her at the keyboard to appease it.
She welcomes feedback and fan mail :>). You can join her on Facebook and Goodreads, too. Rhea is always happy to meet new friends.
http://www.rhearhodan.com
http://www.facebook.com/rhearhodan
https://twitter.com/RheaRhodan
https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/6152084.Rhea_Rhodan
For (very) occasional updates with great contests, subscribe to Rhea's newsletter on her website.

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