Roxanne Rhoads's Blog, page 340

Spotlight and Giveaway Full Moon Dating: New Moon by Julia Talbot

Full Moon Dating: New MoonFull Moon Dating Stories 1-4Julia Talbot
Genre: MM, Shifters
Publisher: All Romance eBooks
Date of Publication:  April 1, 2016
ISBN: 978-1-943576-69-2
Number of pages: 247Word Count: 58k
Cover Artist: Erin Dameron Hill
Book Description:
Together in one volume, the first four Full Moon Dating stories. This is just the beginning!
Full Moon Dating: Dating and Mating for Shifters and More!
Matchmakers Stone and Harve vow to find a mate for even the toughest to match shifter or vampire.
New Moon includes four novellas featuring werewolves, vampires, and were-kitties searching for their other halves, no matter how challenging.
Aiden and Ben: After these wolves get together, Aiden doubts he’s found his match. Ben knows better, but can he convince Aiden to stay?
Coy and Denver: City wolf Coy isn’t sure he wants to give up control. Denver is just the vamp to give Coy what he needs, but their match creates a whole new set of problems for the dating agency.
Evgeny and Feng: Tiger Evgeny worries his sheer size and strength turns off most lovers. Snow leopard Feng is an acrobat used to working without a net, but he falls hard for his tiger. When Feng disappears, Evgeny doesn’t know if he can find him soon enough to help.
Gage and Hamish: Gage is an impossible bottom. No one can tame this cat, but bear shifter and effortless Top Hamish is certainly willing to try.
Harve and Stone hope their success rate is 100%, but the path to true love is never easy.
ARe    Amazon    iTunes    Kobo
Excerpt:
“Full Moon Dating. Have you tried our online site? Yes, I’m afraid you do have to go through the screening process. Really? I’ll be sure to tell 911 when I call them, you sick fuck.” The phone in the outer office slammed down with the musical jingle only an old rotary phone could make. Very privately, Stone thought that was why Adelia had chosen that phone, and the very film noir detective office vibe she’d used to decorate her domain. It went with the pencil skirt and high-waisted blouse fashion statement she chose every day as well.She appeared at his door, her victory roll (she had informed him they were called that when he referred to them as “those curly things”) hairdo just slightly mussed, signaling agitation. “Okay, I’m going to start sending the nutbag wannabe paranormals to you, boss. That guy wanted to date a vampire, so he could be a serial killer without actually having to kill someone.”Stone sat back in his chair and raised a brow. “You’re way meaner than me, Ades. You deal with them so well.” “There are some crazy bastards out there, boss.” He could almost see her tail, white-tipped and fuzzy, twitching.“I know. That’s why this business is going to boom.” Stone grinned, tickled as hell that they had an office and a website. Now they just needed to facilitate their first couple, so they could get some testimonials. Adelia gave him the hairy eyeball and then shook her head. “So, when do you want to go over the sheets?”“Let’s look at them for an hour or so tonight. I’ve already run the points of comparison database.” They had stuff in their questionnaire that those other match and mingle sites didn’t have. Lots of stuff. Between his business and marketing savvy and Harve’s computer and psych training, they had a winner, right?“You got it, boss. I think I already have a couple of good dates in mind.” She waggled her brows. “I bet they’re gay,” he murmured. Adelia was obsessed with the idea of two men together. That was why she worked for him. “You think?” She flipped him off, playfully. “Well, put them at the top of the pile.” “Top of the pile for Mr. City Wolf and Mr. Country Wolf.”“Oh, man.” He chuckled. “Tell me why they’re a match?”“A little red wolf photographer from Dallas who’s had ‘bad luck with long-term commitment’ and a huge gray from up north looking for someone to ‘make his mate.’ It’s perfect.”“Really?” He grabbed the folders she handed him and flipped through them. “Uh, little red is not into spanking.” She snorted. “He’s stressed out and overworked. He might like it.”“Adelia.”“What?”“We have to match them based on actual interests.” Maybe he’d ask Harve. “Says who?”“We’re a dating service!” He was trying hard not to smile. Harve was the psychologist slash computer geek. Adelia was the psychic. He was pretty damned sure of it.“And we’re run by an incredibly observant business magnate.”“Indeed.” He shook his head at her. “You’re such a freak.”“Yeah, but I’m your freak and you adore me.”“I do.” He gave her a fond grin before she trotted back out front to answer the phone, her heels clicking. Stone stared at the two folders on the top of the pile. The more he thought about the cowboy wolf from Wyoming who liked to top and the fussy little red from Dallas, the more he liked it. Maybe he’d skip Harve altogether.
Stone picked up the phone and dialed the number in folder one. “Hello, Aiden Underhill? This is the Full Moon Dating site manager. You’re our grand prize winner this month. You’ve won an all-expenses paid trip to Jackson Hole.”
About the Author:
Julia Talbot lives in the great Southwest, where there is hot and cold running rodeo, cowboys, and everything from meat and potatoes to the best Tex-Mex. A full time author, Julia has been published by Samhain Publishing, Dreamspinner Press, All Romance eBooks and Changeling Press. She believes in stories that leave a mark, and that everyone deserves a happy ending, so she writes about love without limits, where boys love boys, girls love girls, and boys and girls get together to get wild, especially when her crazy paranormal characters are involved. Find Julia at @juliatalbot on Twitter.For more information on other books by Julia, please visit her official website: www.JuliaTalbot.com
https://www.facebook.com/juliatalbotauthor
https://twitter.com/juliatalbot
http://juliatalbot.blogspot.ca/
http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/283274.Julia_Talbot

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Interview and Giveaway with Catherine Stine- Witch of the Cards Tour

What inspired your story and setting?
I worship the ocean and beach and I wanted to set dark supernatural elements in a beach town I knew well. I’ve been visiting Asbury Park, NJ for years. It went from being a posh destination in the 1900s, to being a dilapidated, even dangerous town in trouble. Its gorgeous Art Deco convention center was in ruins, its boardwalk practically deserted. Despite this, or maybe because of this, I loved strolling its boardwalks and stopping into the few stores still open. One was an ancient taffy shop run by an old lady. I made the shop in my novel have taffy with very magical effects.
Did you always want to be a writer? If not what did you want to be?
I’ve written stories and illustrated them since I could read and write. That said, my first serious career was as an artist, going to art school and showing my paintings in galleries (Even though I was still writing on the side).  That’s why I love writing sensual and visual scenes so much. They play out in full color in my head.
How long did it take to get your first book published?
Since I was also an artist I figured my first book would be an illustrated picture book. Oddly, it did not turn out this way. My first published book was a ghostwriting job with American Girl for a middle grade book about kids who worked at a vet clinic (Now sold to Puffin as Vet Volunteers, book #12 – End of the Race). My next novel was a YA historical called Refugees, out with Delacorte/Random House. I gradually discovered what I liked writing best – dark fantasy, sci-fi romance and historical fantasy (like Witch of the Cards). Though I do also like to write contemporary romance. The first novel where I really focused in on my favorite genre was Fireseed One. Book two, Ruby’s Fire quickly followed it.

What have you learned about the publishing industry since you’ve signed that first contract?
I’ve learned some book projects do well as indies and others are best suited to larger publishers – and to embrace it all as a hybrid author. I’ve met so many amazing book lovers, bloggers and fellow authors, and I’ve learned that I love interacting with them! For instance, I like doing guest spots at Facebook events and I will be attending four book conferences this year: Roanoke Author Invasion (April 2), Romance Times Booklovers con in Vegas (April 13-16), Utopia in Nashville (June 22-26) and NCTE in Atlanta (Nov 17-21). So, come see me! I’d love to meet you. I’ve gotten better at promotion and learned to enjoy it. I really like doing image teasers on Photoshop. I’ve also learned I can’t do it all and need to assemble a talented team around me to help.
What genres do you normally write in?
I write a fair amount of YA and I also write romance (using the penname Kitsy Clare). Witch of the Cards is adulthistorical fantasy with romantic elements, but I kept my author name as Catherine Stine because with that name I have really focused in on writing fantasy, so it’s a branding thing.(Some exceptions exist, like my YA contemporary romance Heart in a Box)


Is there a genre you haven’t written, that one day you’d like to tackle?Straight up women’s fiction, or I guess they call it upmarket now. LOL. The genre name keeps changing. I’ve actually written a novel in this wheelhouse but I’ve never shown it around or published it.
What was the craziest thing you’ve ever done when it came to a storyline in your book?
I killed off a popular male character in a Kitsy Clare romance novel (Not telling who!). I had to do that in order that Sienna meet and fall in love with her most perfect love. Beyond that, I am always putting my characters in horrible, twisted situations! LOL.
Thanks, Fangtastic, it’s been a pleasure,
Catherine Stine


Witch of the CardsCatherine Stine
Genre: paranormal historical suspense
Publisher: Konjur Road Press
Date of Publication: March 16, 2016
ISBN 13: 978-0-9848282-6-5   ISBN-10: 0-9848282-6-5
ISBN 13: 978-0-9848282-7-2 ISBN 10: 0-9848282-7-3
Number of pages: 265
Word Count: 76K
Cover Artist: Mae I Designs
Book Description:
Fiera was born a sea witch with no inkling of her power. And now it might be too late.
Witch of the Cards is historical, supernatural romantic suspense set in 1932 on the Jersey shore. Twenty-two year-old Fiera has recently left the Brooklyn orphanage where she was raised, and works in Manhattan as a nanny. She gets a lucky break when her boss pays for her short vacation in Asbury Park. One evening, Fiera and her new friend Dulcie wander down the boardwalk and into Peter Dune’s Tarot & Séance, where they attend a card reading.
Fiera has always had an unsettling ability to know things before they happen and sense people’s hidden agendas. She longs to either find out the origin of her powers or else banish them because as is, they make her feel crazy. When, during the reading, her energies somehow bond with Peter Dune’s and form an undeniable ethereal force, a chain of revelations and dangerous events begin to unspool. For one, Fiera finds out she is a witch from a powerful sea clan, but that someone is out to stop her blossoming power forever. And though she is falling in love with Peter, he also has a secret side. He’s no card reader, but a private detective working to expose mediums. Despite this terrible betrayal, Fiera must make the choice to save Peter from a tragic Morro Cruise boat fire, or let him perish with his fellow investigators. Told in alternating viewpoints, we hear Fiera and Peter each struggle against their deep attraction. Secrets, lies, even murder, lace this dark fantasy.


Amazon     Amazon UK     Amazon CA     Amazon AU

iBooks      Kobo      BN      Scribd      Inktera




Excerpt:
The absinthe put me in a dreamy state. Added to the mix was the sensual comfort of sitting next to Peter, who served as a buffer between Alyse and me. Somewhere in the room, a chorus of faint voices floated around, high and sweet. Or was the sound merely in my head? How could it be? Peter asked me a question, but it took three repetitions for me to understand him over the low-slung jazz notes infused with the chorus of invisible soprano cherubs singing at me. “Have you always had a talent for the unseen?” I heard him ask.“Whatever do you mean? It was you who saw things that weren’t there.” I had to right myself because I found myself swooning so much I nearly fell into Peter’s lap. “But it was you who eked it out of me.”“Little old me?” I giggled.“Yes, you,” Alyse agreed. “I was there, too. You have some strange talent. Can you describe how it works? You must be aware of it.”Everything was turning light and frothy like a magical cake icing. The barkeep was chatting up the fellows at his counter, the card players exhaled in cheery gusts of laughter, and the waitresses flounced around like so many sunny meadow flowers. I didn’t see the harm. “I do sense things. Always have.”“What kind of things?” Peter and Alyse asked in tandem. Their unexpected accord matched the soprano voices singing harmoniously in and around my head.I giggled again. “Do you hear them?”“Hear what?” Peter looked around, spooked.“Children, little voices.”Alyse’s brows creased. “What are they saying?”“They’re singing.” But the entire mood of the room had changed in an instant. Their radiant energy soured. The children of the ether weren’t singing any more. They were starting to weep, over something very sad. Over me. How did I know this? No idea. A hard frost shot through my bones. I took a big gulp of the absinthe. Perhaps it would block out the voices, the wailing of innocents.“What is it?” Peter took my hand. His concerned touch cut through the horrible, chilling ache and melted me. “What’s the matter, Fiera?” His face paled, and right then, I knew he heard them too. “They’re crying, aren’t they?” he whispered in my ear, tickling my soft lobe. “Crying over you.”“Yes.” I leaned on him, letting the voices cry for me. We hugged and I swear I felt his sudden, hot tears melt through the shoulder fabric of my dress. It was infinitely sad, infinitely tender. The invisible cherubs whirring inside my head took translucent form and slipped out of me. They soared around the room like hardscrabble angels, flitting past Dulcie as she danced; sliding, their soft baby feet gliding over the long bar counter, and right through the man with the hookah. He glanced up for a moment as if he, too, felt the supernatural breeze. Then he bowed his head back down and took a pensive draw on his smoking device. Eyes closed, I saw green paisleys and floating leaves, the rushing of a cold stream bubbling under me, which filled me with terror. I came to with a gasp.“What is it?” Alyse asked. How could I tell her of this suffering, shot through with spectacular floating objects, and my strange, sudden affinity with Mr. Dune? “I see children weeping,” I admitted. “They’ve been hurt.”“How?” Her voice grew anxious.I silently asked them. “They’re babies. They can’t say.”When I looked over at Peter, it was obvious he was in the same deep trance he’d been in when we first met. His eyes were glazed as if whatever he was experiencing was far from this basement speakeasy. “What is it? What do you see?” I whispered.“They’re fading. They’re dying. They’re being—”“Snap out of it, Mr. Dune.” Alyse gave him a stern shaking. “You’ve had too much absinthe.” “It’s not that!” I insisted. “Then tell me what it is, Fiera,” she said.“It’s a vision. Of something real from long ago.”“How long ago?”“As long ago as there is a long ago.” I sounded ridiculous. Alyse Bone was right. The absinthe was crazy making. Or was it the taffy? I leaned into Peter’s limp shoulder, reached over and shook him, too, but with more patience than Alyse had.His eyes fluttered open, and he gazed at me with that same calm as when he awoke after the séance. As before, his expression was clear of emotion, blissfully unaware of what he’d whispered to me minutes ago.“Well, there you are,” he slurred. “You look positively ravishing. Dance?”“Thanks, don’t mind if I do.” I bumbled to my feet. “You two really drank the coffin varnish.” Alyse gave an unbecoming snort as she rose and drifted away.Perhaps I was too far-gone, but I didn’t care. Peter and I danced and danced. The speakeasy filled with the overflow from the convention hall dance—young lovers, bootleggers with wide ties and cigars, older women with twinkling earrings and heavy bosoms, even a prostitute or two. They wore too much rouge and sat brazenly up at the bar with the gin rummies.This time, I couldn’t say whether I stepped on Mr. Dune’s polished wingtips. He probably couldn’t be sure if he knocked his bony legs into mine. We had more nips of absinthe, and I wolfed down another green-swirl taffy. Before I knew it, I was leaning provocatively against Peter and laughing like a wild banshee. I remember gaping up at him to see his black hair all disheveled and him indistinctly mumbling. And thinking that he was the most gorgeous human being I’d ever seen. I remember Peter and I howling at the crescent moon over the ocean, and the shocked sideways glance of the hotel proprietor as we stumbled in. I recall pulling out the Tarot, and laying them out on my rug. I recall babbling at him—about a witch and a swindler and a boat. I can still picture his expression of shocked surprise.And I remember Peter’s lips branding my forehead—how could I ever forget that—while shocks of his lush black hair dangled deliciously on my burning cheeks. The last thing I recall before things went dark was kicking off my shoes.

About the Author:
Catherine Stine’s novels span the range from futuristic to supernatural to contemporary. Her YA sci-fi thrillers Fireseed One and Ruby’s Fire are Amazon bestsellers and indie award winners. Her YA, Dorianna won Best Horror Book in the Kindle Hub Awards. Heart in a Box, her contemporary YA was an Amazon Hot New Release in Teen and Alternative Family for over eight weeks. She also writes romance as Kitsy Clare. Her Art of Love series includes Model Position and Private Internship. Book three, Girl and the Gamer, launches this summer. She suspects her love of dark fantasy came from her father reading Edgar Allen Poe to her as a child, and her love of contemporary fiction comes from being a jubilant realist. To unwind she loves to watch “bad” reality TV and travel to offbeat places.
Catherine’s website: http://catherinestine.com/wp/
Newsletter: http://goo.gl/V7QltB
Blog: http://catherinestine.blogspot.com/
Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/kitsy84557/
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/1018139.Catherine_Stine
Catherine on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/authorcatherinestine
Twitter: https://twitter.com/crossoverwriter


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What Readers Are Saying About Secrets of Successful Book Tours

“As a book blogger, I am often surprised by the number of new authors I meet that do not really promote their books. There are a lot of inexpensive and free ways for them to do so. Roxanne Rhoads does an excellent job of laying these ideas out. The book is well-organized and easy to follow. She points out author mistakes and faux pas. She speaks from her past experiences. I have a background in marketing. Roxanne Rhoads has a strong understanding of marketing and does a great job of explaining her suggestions and ideas. I highly suggest this book to all authors. There are many great ideas in this book that can help brand you as an author as well as get your books noticed. There are so many books out there. It is absolutely necessary for an author to promote themselves.” ~ Diane Lynch, Book Blogger

“Jam-packed with useful tips that had be scrambling for my calendar. And the conciseness is frankly another selling point for a busy authorpreneur. Who has time to wade through a bunch of fluff? Not me. And Roxanne doesn't waste our time with that -- she gets straight to the business of book tours. Want to run your own tour? No problem. The book provides advice on DIY'ers as well. From lists of blog ideas to the legal in's and out's of using images, Secrets of Successful Virtual Book Tours has something for novices and old hands like myself. And I believe her branding advice was spot on.” ~ Kirsten Weiss, Author

“This is a must have for any author planning to do a virtual book tour. Most of us wouldn't even think of half this stuff. Roxanne's advice is golden.” ~ Serena Synn, Author

“This book is packed with information on how to not only promote your book but also promote yourself as an author.” ~ Bonnie Amazon Review


I have been doing blog tours with Roxanne for quite some time now and I can say her organization and skills are without a doubt top notch. If I ever actually get around to writing my novel I can assure you that I will use this as a guide. She covers everything from building your brand to what to expect on a blog tour.

Her knowledge is well shared and I think every author that wants to build their brand should read this guy. Simply put this is a must read for any author that wants to exposure that can come with a blog tour. ~Jen Brooks The Cubicle Escapee


In this era of self-publishing, an author needs to do as much as they can to get themselves noticed. Enter the virtual book tour, a tour of blogs on the Internet - as opposed to visiting book stores - with the aim of increasing an author's online presence and ultimately increasing book sales. Roxanne Rhoads guides you through the dos and don'ts of virtual book tours, with great advice on providing fresh material for each tour stop. She covers both tours run by established tour companies and tours you plan yourself, and she includes a list of sites where you can find book bloggers to contact. She also gives you some great advice about setting up your online and social media presence, as well as social media mistakes to avoid.

Roxanne Rhoads is the guru behind Bewitching Book Tours, the first book tour company I ever signed up with. If you're interested in a well-organized blog tour, be sure to check out Bewitching Book Tours. As Roxanne states, "Publication is only the beginning of the process ... promotion is the road to success."

An excellent quick guide for all authors. ~ Lynda Dickson - Books Direct

Recommended reading for anyone considering a blog tour. There is information here that I didn't know and have never come across before. If you want to do-it-yourself, there is a section to help with that as well. How to write a good guest blog, do's and don'ts, even copyright information. It changed the way I think about blog tours and I will be doing things differently the next time around. ~ kmontemayor Amazon Review


This little gem was borne out of Ms. Rhoads' experiences and speaks for itself. It is a must-have reference for authors old and new. ~ AoBibliophile

Secrets of Successful Virtual Book Tours is fantastic compilation of tips, tricks, and learning tools for ensuring your book tour is to your liking. The guide is filled with do's and don'ts as you navigate your tour whether it's your first or your 10th. Learn what a book tour is all about, how to market your author brand, write guest posts, and much, much more. Highly recommended for authors and bloggers, alike. ~Amber Marr Saph’s Book Blog

available in ebook and print formats
http://www.amazon.com/Secrets-Success...

Little Flame Series Box Set by Melissa Lummis

Thank you to Fang-tastic Books for having me today! My name is Melissa Lummis and I write Paranormal Romance and Urban Fantasy. My latest project is the Little Flame Series about a magical healer who has teamed up with an EDM DJ to look for a former vampire lover who can help her fix some problems.
I want to share some of the playlists I’ve put together for the Little Flame series, but first I want you to know that I didn’t just slap these playlists together. There’s serious method to my melodious madness. If a song is in one of my playlists, it’s because I felt it belonged there.
Music and story have always been intertwined for me. From AC/DC’s killer rock anthem Who Made Who as the theme song to Stephen King’s Maximum Overdrive to the haunting rendition of White Rabbit in Sucker Punch, I’ve felt song has been as much a part of story telling as the characters or plot.
Music always played in our house, that is when we weren’t watching movies. I was immersed in rock and roll fantasies since birth: from the Beatles to the Doors to David Bowie. As I grew up, I soaked up the 80s one-hit wonders, more of the ever-changing but ever-timeless David Bowie, Toto, Tina Turner, and the Talking Heads.
The 90s brought techno and grunge: Lords of Acid and Nirvana. The 2000s burst on the scene with new fusions of rock and rap, electronica and classics, and in the current decade I find myself fascinated with EDM (electronic dance music) and Dub Step.
But throughout my musical education I was also filling my head with paranormal and fantasy novels. As I came of age, Hansel and Gretel morphed into Lord of the Rings and Piers Anthony’s Xanth series. Anne Rice and Stephen King eventually led to Laurell K. Hamilton, Angela Knight, and Charlaine Harris.
Then one day my love of paranormal romance and musical story telling collided in an eye-opening way during the HBO series, True Blood. If you’ve watched the show, you know the ending song of every episode was the source of that episode’s title. I jumped online to find out the entire song line up for each episode. I studied the lyrics while listening to the soundtrack, floored by the synergy of story and song.
I was so fascinated with how the song choices lined up with the episode’s story arc, themes, and the characters, that I had to know who was in charge of finding these absolutely perfect songs for each episode. The music supervisor was Gary Calamar. You may not have heard of him, but you definitely felt his genius if you watched True Blood.
From book #1, Nine30 to the one I’m currently writing, Head #10, I’ve put together a meaningful playlist for each book. While I don’t possess Gary Calamar’s uncanny ability to match songs to story, I aspire to achieve his greatness.
So here are the first three playlists. What do you think? How well do you think they match up to the stories and the characters?
#1 Nine30 Playlist on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/user/1224653337/playlist/13LKvAXf70KyWKtasflzPp  #2 Electric Playlist on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/user/1224653337/playlist/3UYr4bD3QOLgdyUgYPxBuh
#3 StarLand Playlist on Spotify https://open.spotify.com/user/1224653337/playlist/3IfPcl6VRsxp6EE9fjEYB7
If you’d like to listen to the other playlists, you can find them by following me on Spotify https://open.spotify.com/user/1224653337. 



Little Flame Series Box SetBooks 1 - 5Melissa Lummis
Genre: Urban Fantasy
Publisher: Peacepipe Productions
Date of Publication: September 30, 2014
ASIN: B00MY7IY00
Number of pages:  495Word Count: 155K
Cover Artist: Stephanie Nelson
Book Description:
Fiamette Jurato is on a mission: to fix her broken past. She’s teamed up with the world famous DJ, Maximillian, to search for the ex lover who can help her put all the pieces back together. There’s only one problem: he’s been dead for over two hundred years.
As a healer to the supernatural, she’s no stranger to navigating the impossible maze of magical complications. But getting lost in the magic isn’t the problem; finding her way back home is.


Book Trailers:
Nine30 https://youtu.be/Zqat7v5zIbsElectric https://youtu.be/CgkuKV5MVWQStarLand https://youtu.be/t052wNfyth0LimeLight https://youtu.be/og2lFXAp_8w         
Amazon
Excerpt:
The club lights blinked out, and in the humming dark an amplified voice yelled, “Give it up for Maximillian!” Laser lights flashed around the smoky stage, revealing human-shaped shadows and a DJ setup. “Make some noise,” the DJ yelled. A spotlight strobed across the scene, then snapped back to the DJ. I stopped adjusting my white go-go boots and squinted, trying to get a good look at him. The crowd roared as he leaned over to a beanie-wearing guy on his right, a cigarette dangling from his lips. Beanie-guy cupped the end of the cig and flicked a lighter. Smoke obscured the DJ’s face and I sighed. I wanted to see him, dang it. I’d been running late tonight and missed the usual meet-and-greet. Story of my life. “Yeah, yeah, yeah,” the DJ mumbled into the mic as he twisted knobs and pushed buttons, puffing smoke and music into the air.Even with the spotlights, the details of his face were buried under swirling smoke and pulsing laser beams looping the hazy club. The first high notes picked like an electric guitar sample, and words I couldn’t make out repeated in jittery bursts over a subdued bass. Black lights flipped on, turning teeth and all things white into glow-in-the-dark neon. The fog machines bellowed clouds of dry ice that burned my nose. Damn, shouldn’t I be immune to it after so many shows? Rising up from my kneeling squat, boots finally tied, I dropped my hula hoops onto the platform, then set one thigh-high boot at a time inside the circles. Jutting a white-sequined hip, I waited for the music to build to that explosion of bass and high-pitched alarms that had been driving me deaf the past two months. Yet, I couldn’t say I hated the job. I’d tried different settings, but this was definitely the best fishing spot. The catch I was after liked the nightlife and large crowds.And this club was packed to the gills. Good. Better pickins. I bent with deliberate flare, popping my ass into the air and giving it a shake as I scooped up one of the glowing hoops and spun it around my hips. I gyrated and dipped, swinging the hoop higher around my exposed midsection, my arms swaying to the music.  I didn’t have to think about my next move. It poured out of me like the music from the DJ’s hands. I turned in lazy circles, taking in the jumping crowd as one living, breathing beast. Individual faces surfaced in rare glimpses. When I completed a 360-degree turn, the bright eyes of the DJ arrested me. I sucked in a breath. He was the hottest thing in L.A. at the moment, exploding all over the music scene. His lips twisted in a sideways Popeye grin, and holding my gaze with penetrating eyes, he flipped black hair over his shoulder and winked. Damn! Heat flushed through me in a prickly flood, followed by a startling surge of disappointment when he returned his attention to the MIDI boards. He bobbed up and down, one hand constantly flickering as it tweaked the boards in front of him. Everything about him moved to the music, even the occasional finger jabbing his black-rimmed glasses back. The music decelerated as he pulled the cigarette from his mouth and raised it to the sky, granting the crowd a huge smile that said something mind-blowing was about to happen. The mass of bodies bayed in anticipation. He tucked his smoke back between his lips, and his shoulders rocked as he worked at bringing the music. He raised his palms to the crowd, encouraging them to take it up a notch, and they obliged with glee. Suddenly, he lifted his euphoric face to the sky, swaying back and forth in focused ecstasy. One arm shot up, an index finger pointing the way to heaven, as he squeezed his eyes shut.A synthesized female voice cried out, “OOOH MY GOD – god – god – god - god!”Music burst in a sizzling shower over the DJ and crowd as they leaped together to its driving beat. It got to me. He got to me. I licked the heavy gloss I’d applied preshow before I realized what I was doing, and pressed my lips together trying to fix it. Things lower clenched. Too bad he’s so young. I sighed. And not a vampire. A tingling on the back of my legs dragged my attention back to my goal for the evening. Peeking over my shoulder, I drove the hoop around my hips, the LEDs smearing white and seven-colored orbits over my mostly bare body. Turning toward a pair of crimson eyes, I dropped my Day-Glo-painted eyelids to half-mast as his burning gaze slid over my boy-shorted backside. My white halter top glowed in the black light as the strobes made the sequins flash like Christmas lights. The music paused unexpectedly and the DJ mumbled into the mic, “I just finished this song half an hour ago on the tour bus.”The horde screamed its ridiculous approval. When he turned the music back on, I kicked the second hoop into play. It was all improvised, of course. I had no idea what the DJ was going to do during the show, and he apparently hadn’t known either, considering I never got a playlist. So, to prepare, I’d practiced to all his music all week.  This song sounded familiar, but if he’d just created it, I guess it had to do with absorbing his style. The blipping sample of a laser blast penetrated my sternum, my heart tripping with it. As a quiet drum calmed the moment, I returned the hot stare of my quarry. I couldn’t make out the details of his features, but when I blurred my gaze and tapped into what most healers referred to as their “third eye”, I could see the subtle energy pulse of his aura: definitely vampire. Anticipation bubbled up my spine.


About the Author:
Melissa Lummis writes new age suspense in a fantasy setting, but her stories are also straight up, steamy adult romance. The Love and Light Series is currently available at Amazon exclusively, as well as the Little Flame Series, a spin off focusing on the character Fiamette from the Love and Light world.
Melissa considers herself a truth seeker and a peaceful warrior, in addition to a paranormal and fantasy author. With too many interests for her own good, she has rarely been content with one vocation. Her first professional life was as a high school English teacher, which led to another incarnation as a wife and an instructional designer /technical writer. After starting a family, she found herself reincarnated yet again as a mother, yoga instructor, and personal trainer.
While all her past lives have contributed to who she is today, yoga has become a part of how she gives back, maintaining her Registered Yoga Teacher status with Yoga Alliance so she can help people one-on-one to overcome physical limitations and heal themselves. But she has always been and always will be a writer. She’s authored dozens of wellness articles for various publications, as well as maintains a blog focusing on wellness, healing, and living a life on purpose.
A Yankee by birth and a Penn State graduate, she lives in rural Virginia with her husband, two children, an Alaskan Malamute, and a myriad of forest creatures. Melissa believes the universe conspires to help an adventurer, and if we live our lives as if it is a daring escapade (and it is!), then everything we need will find its way to us.
www.melissalummis.com
https://twitter.com/melissalummis
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https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/6566484.Melissa_Lummis
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Good Housekeeping with Gladys Gadberry

By D.S. AUFFENORDEExclusive to the Kensington City Examiner

I stopped by The Kensington Tailoring & Dry Cleaning Service to have a skirt altered to conform to the rising hemlines that had become the style in Britannia. It’s hardly a puzzle—a superhero (think Electromancer) exposes a lot of flesh in her platinum boots, gloves, and jumpsuit, and the women of the country follow suit by shortening their skirts and lowering their necklines. As I waited in the dressing room, I heard a mellifluous voice speaking to the owner, and despite the birdlike descant in tone, the woman was arguing with the proprietor over a stain that evidently hadn’t been properly removed from a table cloth. I peeked out from behind the curtain and saw that it was Gladys Gadberry, the mistress of household affairs for Alexa Manchester. Yes, the very Alexa Manchester who controls the world’s energy sources, the very person I’ve been investigating along with Electromancer. How fortuitous that I’d bumped into Gadberry here, because she was on my list of interviewees. I assumed my best aristocratic air—those who work for aristocrats expect as much— dressed, and went outside.
DA:     Pardon the interruption, but I’m desperately in need of an opinion of someone with a discriminating eye. And I know that you have a discriminating eye, Ms. Gadberry.
GG:     How did you know my name? Who are you?
DA:     You’re known far and wide. Everyone knows that Alexa Manchester is the best dressed, most organized woman in the country.
GG:     [Gadberry straightened.] I don’t know what you want, Miss …, but flattery will get you nowhere. You don’t really want fashion advice now do you?
DA:     Okay, you got me. I’m a reporter for the Examiner. I’m interested in fashion. [This reporter notes that this wasn’t a lie—I am interested in fashion. That Gladys Gadberry believed me to be a fashion reporter was beyond my control.]
GG:     Of course. The Examiner. You’re correct, I oversee every detail at the Manchester mansion. From Ms. Manchester’s personal shoppers, to those who vacuum up the dust, to the folding and pressing of sheets, to the flowers that are arranged in vases and strategically placed throughout the mansion to provide freshly scented air. Nothing, mind you, nothing escapes my attention. I’ll have you know that I’ve brought a touch of the old country to the new.
DA:     Being the fashion aficionado that you are, I have a hunch that if you ever had the occasion to see this superhero Electromancer’s costume, you’d know exactly what it’s made of.
GG:     Of course I would, that is, if I had. But I haven’t. Something fantastic, to be sure. From space perhaps—though it’s all speculation.
DA:     I heard a rumor that Ms. Manchester takes tea and scones with this superhero Electromancer.
GG:     I can honestly say I’ve never witnessed that, and I would know. But Electromancer has kindly announced to the public that Ms. Manchester is not to blame for the disaster at The Mick, our local power plant, or any of the other mishaps. She’s even gone so far as to fight off evil on behalf of all humanity. If you ask me, Electromancer is an incredible being. Worthy of a crown.
DA:     Are you saying that she’s not of this world? That she’s alien?
GG:     Certainly not. I would have no such knowledge. Six inches longer, your skirt, that is.
DA:     But it seems that hemlines are rising.
GG:     I’m an old fashioned woman. Heaven forbid that those Dowdy twins be allowed to traipse all over town through another season wearing those miniskirts. Leaves the men in a state, if you know what I mean, all that flesh.
DA:     Electromancer certainly shows a lot of flesh.
GG:     Well, she can’t very well fly at the speed of light in an overcoat.
DA:     There’s a rumor that Ms. Manchester is going to break off the engagement with The Mayor, Bobby Baumgartner. Is there any truth to that?
GG:     I don’t meddle in the personal affairs of my employer. Are you really a fashion reporter?
DA:     Not exactly. An investigative reporter looking into Electromancer.
GG:     [Gadberry went slack jawed.] On the record, I have nothing official to say. Off the record, you shameless hussy, taking advantage of my good graces.
With that, Gadberry once again began arguing with the proprietor about the stain in the table cloth. I took a close look at that table cloth—if that’s what it was. Because it seemed to be of a platinum color—and strangely shaped like a jumpsuit. Unfortunately, before I could follow up, the proprietor took the fabric and put it in the bin, and Gadberry walked outside and into a limousine driven by a strikingly handsome, though formal man. Was that the mysterious Sigfred Sawyer, valet, butler, and all around tip-top servant? Methinks this reporter must investigate.
Meanwhile, follow along as my investigatory column continues to provide more and more facts about Electromancer and the citizens of her community. In the meantime, you can also learn more about Electromancer and others in the romantic, thrilling, superhero novel, Electromancer.



ElectromancerDaco
Genre: Romance, Fantasy,Superhero, Paranormal, Thriller/Suspense
Publisher: Crimson Romance
Date of Publication: 2-1-16
ISBN 10: 1-4405-9687-5ISBN 13: 978-1-4405-9687-2eISBN 10: 1-4405-9688-3eISBN 13: 978-1-4405-9688-9ASIN: B01AOH7BFA
Number of pages: 234Word Count: 70,000
Cover design by Fred Machuca,Illustration by Ricky Ostendi
Book Description:
With a heart as pure as platinum and electricity at her fingertips!
She soars like a falcon and travels at the speed of light!
She’s … ELECTROMANCER!
When arch villain Momo threatens to destroy the world with The Big Zapper—a weapon of mass destruction the likes of which has never been seen before—it’s up to Alexa Manchester and her new electricity-harnessing superpowers to stop him.
With a little help from her sexy chauffeur, Sigfred Sawyer, and some exciting encounters with the mysterious and handsome Blue Arrow, soon Alexa’s love life is charged up, too. And to defeat the seemingly invincible Momo, it might just take the naturally super power of love to save the day.
Offering all the Kabam! Pow! Zap! of beloved comic book sagas with the beating heart of a love story, this over-the-top, genre-blending send-up is sure to delight superhero fans and romance readers alike.
Book Trailer: https://youtu.be/5GE2uOWM_3M
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Excerpt from Chapter 6
Sigfred couldn’t be sure whether the mayor’s proposal pleased or displeased her, but it wasn’t his place to ask. He could do one thing—help her get that blasted ring off her finger. He went to the pantry and retrieved a bottle of olive oil—cold pressed extra virgin, of course, because this was Yurdlemon’s kitchen.“Let me help you get that off,” he said.“No, I’ll do it myself.” She paused suddenly, staring at the big green stone as if transfixed. “Maybe I’m not sure I want it off.” She shook her head. “But I do, I do. Oh, I don’t know what I want.” She sighed. “Wait! Yes, I do. I want to talk about last night.”“Of course, if you wish.” He waited for her to speak, but she seemed stumped.Then she said, “What did you think about last night?”He cleared his throat and said, “Yes, right. It was quite—”“Sigfred!” She slapped her hands down on the sink and looked back at him. “It was nothing like quite, it was more like Oh-My-God in the highest order. No offense.”“Yes, quite.”“Don’t keep saying quite! You could say yes, shocking or even jiminy crickets or holy ‘expletive omitted,’ but there was nothing quite about last night. I mean you were there, you saw everything.”He couldn’t think of an appropriate response—at least, not one that he could articulate to his employer.“Am I right, you did see everything?” she asked. “Yes,” he said. “It was unintentional, of course, Ms. Manchester. I found you lying on the floor next to The Magpie.”Her eyes widened, and her eyebrows arched upward in disapproval. “I didn’t mean that, Sigfred. I’m talking about my hands shooting those bolts of lightning from my fingertips—pure electricity!”He cleared his throat again. “Ah, yes. And there was that.”“It’s ridiculous. Absurd. People don’t emit electricity. Gladys says I should see a doctor. That I must have been exposed to the Electromite. Am I cursed?”“It doesn’t seem to be life-threatening. On the contrary, you’ve become stronger by it, or so it seems. If I’m not mistaken, you saved the child from drowning because of it. Perhaps it’s not a curse, but a gift.”She seemed to consider this, absentmindedly pulling at the mayor’s ring.“Just a moment,” he said. “I think I can assist you with that little problem you’re having.” He opened the bottle of olive oil and drizzled some over her ring finger. Then, very gently, he began working the ring back and forth. He thrilled when he touched her, but she didn’t seem to react.“I can fly, you know,” she said, her tone surprisingly casual.“Yes, madame. I suspected that’s how you saved the boy.”“What happens if I try to fly, and then these magical abilities suddenly vanish?”“Perhaps they won’t ever vanish.” “Yes, perhaps you’re right,” she said in a quiet, serious voice. “And that would mean I haven’t been infected at all. Instead, I’ve been inalterably changed. It would mean that there’s no cure. It means my body and spirit have been transformed into something ... alien. It means I’m not Alexa anymore.”“You’ll always be Alexa,” he said, reaching up and tipping her chin toward him with slippery fingers. His eyes locked on hers, and he spoke with hushed solemnity. “Nothing can ever change that.” He wanted to call her lovely Alexa, kind Alexa, beautiful Alexa, but of course, that was impossible.“When I was inside The Magpie, I heard my father’s voice. Is that crazy?”“Not at all, Ms. Manchester.”She studied his face. “You don’t think I’m crazy?”“Not at all.” And he meant it. Things went silent as they looked into each other’s eyes. Sigfred had just swayed imperceptibly closer to her when a sudden dull thunk interrupted them. The ring had finally fallen off, clattering into the sink. The moment was lost. He realized, with some awkwardness, that he was still touching her face and dropped his hand.She colored and looked away, speaking a bit brusquely. “My father called me Electromancer. I get the ‘electro’ part of it, but what’s a ‘mancer’? Have you any clue?” “You’ve got me there, madame.” “Mancer? It must mean something.”“Almost like Romancer.”Her jaw dropped. “Oh, Sigfred. Not you, too.” He stiffened. He wasn’t about to explore his feelings with her or to take the liberty of allowing his romantic thoughts about Alexa to go unrestrained. It was his utmost duty to remain her servant and protector, always physically near but emotionally distant. But when she’d transformed into this Electromancer, he had to admit to himself that she was absolutely and without a doubt the sexiest woman alive. Any red-blooded male would be hard pressed to deny that fact. “What are you going to do about the mayor’s proposal?” he blurted out. So much for knowing his place. “He’s not worthy of you.”“Bobby Baumgartner is the mayor of Kensington City. He might be prime minister one day.”“I don’t care if he’s prime minister, king, and president of the Americanas combined. He’s beneath you.” “And just who are you to talk about rank?”Her words stung, the pain more intense than the damage those thugs had inflicted the previous night. “Quite right, madame,” he said. “My station is lowly. But I’m one thing the mayor isn’t. I’m a man of integrity.”“I saw the way you looked at me last night. I may have been Electromancer, but I know when a man is gawking at me.”“I wasn’t gawking. I was appreciating the qualities of ... You’re a beautiful woman, madame.” “You mean, Electromancer is beautiful.”“No, madame. I mean you. Alexa Manchester.”She looked at him in surprise. “What’s the meaning of this?” Chef Yurdlemon bellowed from across the room. “Who is invading my kitchen? You are trespassers.” He pointed at Sigfred. “Especially you, Sigfred Sawyer.”Sigfred nodded slowly. He was trespassing, though not in the way Yurdlemon meant.“This mess with the olive oil is all my fault,” Alexa said. “I was using it to try to get this ring off. It was stuck on my finger. Sigfred was just trying to help me.” “You used my cold-pressed extra virgin olive oil to remove a ring?” Yurdlemon cried. “Such olive oil is not for ring removal. Such olive oil is to make a divine dinner as only I can make it. The olives for that oil come from a small orchard in Sicily that produces only two hundred cases a year! Do you know what that costs? More than a Chateau Latour Bordeaux. More than a fine Sauternes. I need it for my dinner preparations. Oh, everything is ruined now. Each and every minute of preparation is accounted for. There won’t be time enough left in the day, not now. Not when I’m forced to return to the market, where I can only get inferior olive oil.” Chef Yurdlemon grabbed the sides of his head and looked as if he were about to sob. It wouldn’t have been the first time.  About the Author:
Daco is an award-winning author of the espionage-thriller series featuring CIA operative Jordan Jakes. Her debut novel, The Libra Affair, was a 2013 #1 best seller. Of The Libra Affair, Publishers Weekly said, “The keenly sharp intelligent female characters soar in this edge-of-your-seat adventure...”
Her short story The Pisces Affair was a 2015 Global Ebook Awards double gold medalist (Best Thriller Fiction and Best Science Fiction), a 2015 Shelf Unbound Notable 100, a 2015 Royal Palm Literary Award winner, and a Publishers Weekly “PW Pick”.” In its review of The Pisces Affair, Publishers Weekly wrote, “Jakes is a lively and witty narrator with the wits and skills of James Bond, and readers will savor her fresh perspective on being a woman in the male-dominated spy world.”
Her story The Virgo Affair is part of Killer Nashville Noir: Cold-Blooded (Diversion Press, October 2015), an anthology, including numerous best-selling authors.
Electromancer (F+W Media, Inc./Crimson Romance, February 2016), is her first superhero novel, featuring Electromancer and Blue Arrow.
Upcoming works include The Scorpio Affair, a Jordan Jakes novel, and The Ophiuchus Affair, another Jordan Jakes short story.
Daco holds a B.A. and M.A.S. from The University of Alabama in Huntsville and a J.D. from the Cumberland School of Law. She is a member of the International Thriller Writers, Mystery Writers of America, Romance Writers of America, Authors Guild, Alabama Writers Forum, Florida Writers, and Alabama State Bar.
Website: http://www.authordaco.com/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/AuthorDaco
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Daco.Author/
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/6959775.Daco
Google+: https://plus.google.com/111619918307592399080
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/daco-s-auffenorde-64619039 


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Follow along as the investigatory column continues to provide more and more facts about Electromancer and the citizens of her community.

March 7 Guest blogMythical Bookshttp://www.mythicalbooks.blogspot.ro/
March 8 Spotlightsexy siren book blogwww.sexysiren-bookblog.blogspot.com
March 9 Guest blogRamblings of a book nerdhttp://booknerdramblings.com/
March 10 SpotlightSapphyria's Book Reviewshttp://saphsbookblog.blogspot.com/
March 11 Interview Brayton’s Briefs www.stephenbrayton.wordpress.com
March 14 Spotlight
Penny Writes   
www.pennybrojacquie.blogspot.com

March 15 SpotlightQueen of All She Reads  http://queenofallshereads.blogspot.com
March 16 Guest BlogBooks and Tales:http://booksandtales.blogspot.co.uk/
March 17 SpotlightZenny's Awesome Book Reviewshttps://zennysawesomebookreviews.wordpress.com/
March 18 

March 21 ReviewMusings and Ramblings http://www.musingsandramblings.net
March 22 Spotlight3 Partners in Shopping, Nana, Mommy, and Sissy, Too!http://3partnersinshopping.blogspot.com/
March 23 SpotlightShare My Destinyhttp://sharemydestiny.blogspot.com
March 24 Guest blogThe Creatively Green Write at Home Momwww.creativelygreen.blogspot.com 
March 25 InterviewDeal Sharing Auntwww.dealsharingaunt.blogspot.com
March 28 Guest blogI Smell Sheephttp://www.ismellsheep.com/
March 29 SpotlightLisa’s World of Bookswww.lisasworldofbooks.net
March 30 Guest BlogRoxanne’s Realmwww.roxannerhoads.com

March 30 Live Radio Interview
Bewitching Radio at 1pm CST
http://www.blogtalkradio.com/bewitching-book-tours
March 31 ReviewRose Shababyhttp://roseshababy.com/category/roses-brain/
April 1 Guest BlogFang-tastic Bookswww.fang-tasticbooks.blogspot.com
April 4 Guest blogParaYourNormalhttps://parayournormal.wordpress.com/
April 4 ReviewFantatical Paranormal Romanticalhttp://fanaticalparanormalromantical.com/

Spotlight In Her Eyes by Wesley Banks

In Her EyesWesley Banks
Genre: Sports Romance
Publisher: Chasing Pace Publishing
Date of Publication: 3/14/16
ISBN: 978-0-9861934-2-2ASIN: TBA
Number of pages: 264Word Count: 57,000
Cover Artist: Dane at eBook Launch
Book Description:
When Ben Wilder is given a second chance he focuses on the one thing he's always been good at: running. After walking on to the University of Florida he begins to quickly move up the national rankings, paving a path towards the NCAA Track and Field Championships. Everything is going the way he planned, until the day he bumps into Casey Taylor.
New to Gainesville, and focused on her first year out of medical school, Casey is initially hesitant to let Ben into her life. But the truth is she's worried about letting a guy near the one thing she loves most: her daughter, Emma. After one fun and fateful night Casey can no long bury her feelings behind these excuses, and takes a chance on a guy she is slowly falling for.
Casey's relationship with Ben starts to gradually build into a love that she has never felt. But more importantly Emma has taken a particular liking to Ben. As they all spend more time together Ben is forced to confront painful memories when he starts to notice something hauntingly familiar in Emma's eyes.
After a local journalist uncovers the secret of Ben's past their lives begin to converge on a single promise that Ben Wilder has long since made: to never give up...no matter what.
Excerpt:Ben was tired, but he was excited when he woke up on Monday morning. It was Casey’s day off and Coach had given the team the week off, minus a team meeting this afternoon, since they had another month until the NCAA Championships.Emma’s school started at seven forty-five which meant if he got to Casey’s around eight, they could spend the whole day just relaxing.When he arrived the garage was shut, so he walked up to the front door. Before he could knock, though, the door swung open and Casey jumped on him, wrapping her arms around his neck and her legs around his waist.“My hero,” she said in a terrible southern accent. Then she started giving him little pecks all over his head and face.He walked inside with her still wrapped around him and kicked the door shut. Laughing, he said, “Who is this strange girl, and what did you do with Casey?”She continued on in the southern accent. “You won the race for your beloved and claimed victory.”Ben sat her on the backside of the couch and looked down at her. “What on earth has gotten into you?”“You, Sir Runner. Now, take me, take me now.” Casey puckered up her lips playfully and Ben laughed.Ben leaned in to give her a quick kiss, thinking she might taste or smell like alcohol, because right now that was the only explanation he could come up with. She tasted like…cookies.He looked around the room and to his right, sitting on the kitchen counter, he found his answer. He let go of Casey and she fell backwards onto the couch.“Hey!” she said as she hit the couch cushion.Ben walked over to the kitchen and picked up a small tub of Cookies ’n Cream ice cream and a bag of Fudge Filled Chewy Chips Ahoy. He held up both and looked over at Casey who was half-hiding, half-peering over the top of the couch. “Please tell me you are not eating cookies and ice cream at eight o’clock in the morning.”Casey jumped over the couch and came running at Ben, a ball of sugar filled energy. She wrapped her arms around his waist, her legs around the back of his calves, and inched her way up his body. When she reached the top she bombarded his neck with kisses. “My hero,” she said. She stopped for a moment and looked at him with the most devious, sensual grin. She leaned in closer until there was almost no space between her lips and his. Then like a cheetah springing on a gazelle, she grabbed the ice cream with her left hand and the cookies with her right, hit the ground and took cover on the couch.“You have serious problems,” Ben said.Casey pulled out a cookie and dipped it in the ice cream and held it up for him to see. Then she started humming and dancing the cookie around like she was taunting him.Ben took two steps, dove across the couch, snatched the cookie from her hand and shoved it in his mouth before she could barely move. She looked at him wide eyed and in complete silence and then jumped on him. They wrestled and tickled each other like five-year-olds, stopping every now and then for a quick cookie break.This went on for about thirty more minutes and then she crashed on the floor next to him. Her head lay across his chest as he played with her hair until eventually he crashed too.



About the Author:
Wesley Banks was born in 1983 and grew up on the west coast of Florida. He graduated from the University of Florida with a Bachelor’s and Master’s degree in Civil Engineering.  After spending over 7 years building movable bridges from Florida to Washington he decided to focus on his true passion: writing.
Wesley recently moved from Florida to Oregon to get back to the great outdoors that he loves so much. He lives with his wife Lindsey, and his two dogs Linkin and Story. Most of his time these days is spent writing, with as much rock climbing, hiking, or skiing as they can fit in.
Wesley’s debut novel, Hope In Every Raindrop, was released May of 2015.
Website: http://wesleybanksauthor.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/wesleybanksauthor/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/wesleybanksauthor/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/wbauthor
Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/wbauthor/
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/13825271.Wesley_Banks

$20 Amazon Gift Card Giveaway- Spies R Us by Amber Malloy

Spy movies leave the audience on the edge of their seats wanting more. This genre will always hold a classical feel that stands the test of time. Anything can happen and anything usually does. The formula can be different each time—or the same tried and true. Can you guess which franchise I’m talking about?
Since we all would love to save the world from imminent danger without super powers, this task would probably be impossible. However, spy movies allow mere mortals extraordinary skills in the worst of situation. 

10. Mission Impossible and 007—These two franchise are old throw backs that were almost left off. Sometimes the series hits it out of the park, like Sky Fall and Casino Royal, or falls flat like MI-2. These oldie but goodies are a tie since we know exactly what we are getting into when we sit down to watch them.

9. Haywire (2011)—Not the best acting but the fight scenes are worth it. I’m all for girl power and Haywire definitely provides that. 

8. Bourne Identity —Also a franchise, but the modern ‘flip’ shakes things up a bit more then Mission Impossible and 007.

6. Salt (2010)—Angelina Jolie revisit her spy roots in this movie with grit. It was good enough to watch a sequel.

7. All the President’s Men (1976)—The only movie on the list that doesn’t have spies but is about spying. I couldn’t resist adding this to the list, because the acting is awesome and there still a whole lot of intrigue.

5. Mr. and Mrs. Smith (2005)—This movie has action, romance, and humor. It even has Vince Vaughn in his first ‘not that annoying but still kind of annoying’ role. 

4. Three days of the Condor (1975)—Another Robert Redford throwback that doesn’t end the way a spy movie should … or maybe it does. Trust me and put it on your Netflix list to find out. 

3. Safe House (2012)—This movie, with Denzel Washington and Ryan Reynolds, is a tricky spy movie in which the audience couldn’t care less who they should root for. Usually we want the good guy to win, but that bad guy seems to be all right, too. 

2. Confessions of a Dangerous Mind (2002)—This one is a hoot. Sam Rockwell knocks this mind-blowing ride out of the park. In fact, this movie was so good that many people had to ask if the dude from the Gong Show really was a spy or not. 

1. Argo (2012)—Another must see, this Ben Affleck film was good from beginning to end. This one is even based off of a true story. 

Spies R UsAmber Malloy
Genre: Erotic Action Adventure. 
Publisher: Totally Bound
Book Description:
The top African American spy, Eden Morgan, was living the good life…
Days away from permanently leaving the spy game, Eden Morgan plan of being a stay at home mom goes up in smoke. Number one on the Russian hit list, Eden must leave her beautiful family and figure out who’s trying to kill her.
Unfortunately, her agency burns her status, so what should have been only weeks on the run turned into years. Instead of accepting her fate, Eden claws her way from the dead to save the next people on the Russian’s hit list… her kids. However, after three years missing, her homecoming isn’t well received. She finds that her awesome husband has moved on with a perky school teacher; not to mention her twins barely remember her. With a good idea who’s behind the plot to kill them, Eden must navigate car pool lanes, bitchy moms, and one angry, sexy husband.
By definition, Vann Morgan was charmed. One gorgeous wife and twins, and the most difficult thing in his life was reconstruction of his Chicago brownstone. Unfortunately everything changes when his lovely wife disappears and no one but him seems to care. After some years, Vann makes a new normal as a single dad, but his routine is blown apart when his long lost wife comes back. Unable to trust Eden with his heart, he soon uncovers that everything surrounding her disappearance was all his fault.

About the Author
Amber Malloy dreamed of being a double agent but couldn't pass the psyche evaluation. Crushed by despair that she couldn't legally shoot things, Amber pursued her second career choice as pastry chef. When she's not writing or whipping up a mean Snickers Cheesecake, she occasionally spies on her sommelier. Amber is convinced he's faking his French accent.
Website www.ambermalloy.com
Twitter @ambermalloy










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I Wish I'd Never Met You by Tanith Davenport

I Wish I'd Never Met YouTanith Davenport
Genre: Erotic romance
Publisher: Pride PublishingDate of Publication: 23 February 2016
ISBN: 978-1-78651-377-9
Number of pages: 37Word Count: 10184
Cover Artist: Posh Gosh
Book Description:
Flick Lindenwood, fresh from college, has returned home to the suburban haven of Green Valley, back to society…and the source of her heartbreak. Four years ago Elodie Hamilton savagely broke her heart, and Flick has no intention of letting her pretty ex get back under her skin. As far as she’s concerned, she and Elodie never happened.
But Elodie has other ideas.
Afraid to come out, Elodie chose to destroy her relationship with Flick rather than let her family know who she was. But now she wants to right the wrong she did—if she can only find the nerve, and if she can convince Flick to see past the pain she caused.
Pride Publishing


Excerpt: The door of the Dodge Charger slammed behind her as Flick Lindenwood walked up the driveway to the house, dragging her wheeled suitcase after her.It was exactly as she remembered. Pansies and tulips bloomed in the borders of the front garden, edging an elegantly mown lawn. In front of her stood the house, two stories rising behind a large veranda, a curtain twitching in one of the windows.Before she reached the front door, it opened to reveal her mother. Flick let the handle of the case go and stepped forward to meet her in a hug.“Felicity, darling! We’ve been waiting all morning.”“Sorry, Mom. Traffic.”Her mother stepped back, smiling, and looked her up and down. Flick bore the scrutiny patiently. She had a new haircut and outfit which had yet to receive maternal approval.Apparently they did. Her mother pulled her back in for another hug. “You look lovely, darling. Oh, it’s so good to see you. I’ve got so many things to tell you—I’ve been organizing your graduation party, and then there’s the Saulters’ barbecue tomorrow, and—”“All right, all right!” Flick broke in, laughing. “Let me get in first!”She followed her mother into the entrance hall, noticing that the lounge door was open on her left. Through the doorway she could see her graduation photograph taking pride of place on the marble mantelpiece, blocking off part of the gold-edged mirror.
“Don’t be long,” Mrs. Lindenwood added airily as Flick made her way toward the staircase. “I want to hear everything. Have you met any nice girls?”
About the Author:
Tanith Davenport began writing erotica at the age of 27 by way of the Romantic Novelists' Association New Writers' Scheme. Her debut novel "The Hand He Dealt" was released by Total-e-Bound in June 2011 and was shortlisted for the Joan Hessayon Award for 2012.
Tanith has had short stories published by Naughty Nights Press and House of Erotica. She loves to travel and dreams of one day taking a driving tour of the United States, preferably in a classic 1950s pink Cadillac Eldorado.
Tanith's idea of heaven is an Indian head massage with a Mojito at her side.
www.facebook.com/TanithDavenport
www.tanithdavenport.com
www.twitter.com/TanithDavenport

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In the Blood’s Origin Story by R. L. Martínez

Years ago I bought a story collection called, The Maid of the North: Feminist Folk Tales from Around the World. One of the stories in this collection, “The Twelve Huntsman”, captured something in my mind and would not let go. It was filled with such vivid action and compelling themes that my imagination fired into full roar. So, I began writing a novel-length retelling of it.
But I soon saw that a literal retelling would become incredibly difficult given that there are twelve female characters, who all look almost identical. I decided to take a more figurative take and reduced the number of women down to three – two sisters and a cousin. And then the story kept taking very dark turns – turns into child abuse, neglect, suicide, abandonment, and public shaming. From this quagmire of material, one of the characters emerged and outshone the rest. Ottilde. From then on, I wrote just Ottilde’s story.
It might surprise some who have already In the Blood, that Ottilde began life as a very different character. She was, in fact, the product of her mother’s rape. As such, she was hated and shunned by her mother’s husband, who Ottilde believed was her father.
Anyone given access to that early material might say I hated Ottilde because I piled crap on her that would have made Job finally throw in the towel. But out of all her suffering came greatness. She, in her own tragic story, was a central figure in the world I created, a mythic warrior crippled by her own humanity. One could have called her an anti-hero since, despite her many gifts and the fact that she was much sought after by those in power, she hated people in general and wanted nothing to do with serving her god or country.
I made her into a bitter loner, tormented by her past. The only people she allowed near her were her adopted family, people who took her in after her birth family and community cast her out – and they had to work damn hard to gain even the most rudimentary trust from her.I actually had a complete novel out of that story. But I put it aside because it was an incredibly dark book and I wasn’t sure anyone would want to read such a depressing story (although it did have a really triumphant ending).
Then, I did National Novel Writing Month for the first time and completed a 50,000 novel (that I’ve yet to do anything with). The following January, my husband challenged me to write ANOTHER novel in a month in exchange for a prize. I just love people bribing me! So, I did it. I wrote a novel called The Witch’s Bargain about a young woman who is thrust into a perilous situation when a new overlord takes over her family’s ancestral estate. This was Oriabel’s story. She and her story have remained very similar to this original prototype, though I gave Oriabel a stiffer spine and a lower tolerance for hanky-panky from certain disreputable persons. In this version, Oriabel is forced into becoming the new lord’s concubine by her scheming stepmother in exchange for keeping the secret of her witchbreed nature.

I put this novel aside for over half a year. When I opened the document at last and read through it, I fell in love with the characters once more and decided to make something of it. But I felt that a novel confined to just one location might drag a little, so I tried to think of a way to introduce new locations into the plot. It was then I struck on Ottilde’s story, or at least part of it. I changed Ottilde to a tough but loving and loyal person rather than my embittered anti-hero. The rest… you’ll have to read the novel to find that out.
In the BloodThe WitchbreedBook OneR. L. Martínez
Genre: Fantasy
Publisher: Lakewater Press
Date of Publication: March 21, 2016
ISBN: 978-0-9944511-0-1ISBN: 978-0-9944511-1-8ASIN: B019X8WCWI
Number of pages: 370Word Count: app. 122,000
Cover Artist: E. L. Wicker
Book Description:
The Warrior
The war between Dosalyn and Roanaan has ended, but a new battle begins for prisoner-of-war, Ottilde Dominax. Dreams of her witchbreed twin sister are visions of death and betrayal. Driven by their grim warning, she escapes her captors and races across nations to save her sister.
But she may arrive too late…
The Witch
Oriabel Dominax has kept her healing magic secret while she cares for her family's struggling estate. But the arrival of a new lord with secrets of his own, the discovery of a dark and addictive magic, and threats from a cruel blackmailer push Oriabel closer to disaster.
Through it all, the Witch’s Tree calls…

Amazon


Second Excerpt
Blood slid down Oriabel Dominax’s arm and dripped into the three brass dishes set on the floor. When each was a quarter full, she knotted a strip of cotton around the cut above her elbow. She gripped the counter next to her as a wave of dizziness swept over her. She closed her eyes and sucked in an unsteady breath.“You take too much, little apple.” Oriabel opened her eyes and grimaced at the old woman crouched by her side. “It’s nothing, Jacind.” In answer, the old woman slapped her on the shoulder. Oriabel made a face but did not protest the reproof. Instead, she refocused on the Seeing spell. After sprinkling each pool of blood with purplish-grey powder consisting of diamiana, jasmine, and mugwort, she touched a lit candle to the center of the dishes. She squinted as bright blue flames sparked and spat in response. Once the flames died, Oriabel bit her lip and inspected the patterns left on the surface of the blood, Jacind peering over her shoulder. In the first dish, the powder had melted into a swirling black mass that solidified into a long wavy line. The snake. Her eyes moved to the next dish, where the powder had formed a pinwheel with a line running through its middle. She pulled back sharply. A return? She leaned closer to the dish but it remained the same. Ottilde.
About the Author:
R. L. Martinez writes fantasy and science fiction with dark edges and corners. She began writing when she was in the seventh grade when her teacher assigned a creative writing project. She lives in Norman, OK with her husband, two young sons, a mouse-killing cat, and two naughty pooches.
Website - http://robinlmartinez.com/
Twitter - https://twitter.com/RobinLMartinez 
Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/robin.l.martinez400
Goodreads - https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/8121315.R_L_Martinez
Pinterest - https://www.pinterest.com/robinlm488/    

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Creating Teasers that Make Your Readers Want More-Traveller by Abigail Drake

“I can’t look at another half-naked man.”

I never thought I’d say those words to my husband. He gave me sympathetic pat, refilled my glass of wine, and sat next to me on the couch.

“You can do it,” he said.

I shook my head and took a long sip of wine that was more like a chug. “No. I can’t. I’ve been doing this for hours and I just can’t do it anymore.”

Then he said the words I most wanted to hear. “Let me help.”

My brave seventeen-year-old son sat on my other side.  They both knew I was a woman on the edge.

“I can help, too, Mom.”

Looking at photos of gorgeous, partially clad men had sounded like fun at first, but soon I became sort of blind to all the abs and pecs and muscly muscle-ness. I had to choose a photo for my promo company to use as a “teaser” – something to entice my readers to want to know more about my book. I had a beautiful cover, and a great book to offer, but I was stuck on finding just the right photo of my character, Michael Nightingale. Michael, my very hot and tattooed mercenary gypsy warrior, had a specific “look” – and I couldn’t find anything that came even close to matching what I’d imagined. I started to wonder if I’d ever find my Michael.

I’d started with the easier teasers. My book takes place in an area of York, England called The Shambles. It’s an old, higgly-piggly part of the city with narrow streets and buildings jutting out at odd angles. Finding a photo of The Shambles was easy, and locating an excerpt to match it wasn’t hard either.



Next I had a lovely romantic excerpt about the first time Michael touched my heroine, Emerson Shaw. I decided to let the words be the powerful part of this teaser, and found a perfect image to accompany them.



Finding someone who looked like Emerson, a former Junior Miss Kentucky who won pageants using martial arts as her talent, was a bit trickier. I needed the right mix of pretty with a touch of southern sassiness. As soon as I saw this photo, I knew it would work.



Now I was down to Michael. Beautiful, strong, amazing Michael. Monster hunter, Traveller leader, and leather-clad bad boy extraordinaire. But I couldn’t find him, or anyone even remotely like him.

“How about this one?” asked my husband, pointing to a photo of a bare-chested man.

“No. His nipples are wrong.”

He gave me a long look. “You know what his nipples look like?”

“Well, yeah. I wrote his nipples. Of course I know what they look like.”

A few minutes later, after trying several search words chosen by my son (“Try ‘hot, tattooed, sexy, and bare-chested,’ Mom.”), we finally found it. The perfect photo. The swoon-worthy, exactly right image of Michael Nightingale’s chest.

“That’s it,” I said.

My husband enlarged the photo. “Are you sure?”

I nodded. “Oh, yeah.”

I grinned as my husband and son did a high-five over my head. We were quite a team. And here is the Michael Nightingale teaser. 



Pretty darned swoon-worthy, right?


Happy reading!

Abigail Drake


TravellerAbigail Drake
Genre: Paranormal Romance
Publisher: The Wild Rose Press
Date of Publication: February 26, 2016
ISBN: 978-1-5092-0569-1 PaperbackISBN: 978-1-5092-0570-7 DigitalASIN: B01APJZR12
Number of pages: 250Word Count: 80,000
Cover Artist: Debbie Taylor
Book Description:
Former Junior Miss Kentucky Emerson Shaw won pageants using martial arts as her talent and Sun Tzu’s “The Art of War” as her guide, but a painful secret leads her to the University of York, and puts her in the path of tattooed and pierced bad boy, Michael Nightingale.
Michael is a Traveller, part of an ancient line of mercenary gypsies who protect the world from vicious monsters called the Moktar. When Emerson gets attacked, she has no choice but accept Michael’s offer of protection or face certain death.
Traveller society, full of outdated rules and ridiculous superstitions, isn’t a good fit for the headstrong Emerson. Traveller women aren’t allowed to fight. Traveller women aren’t allowed to win. Traveller women aren’t allowed to leave. But Emerson will do what she must, even if it means losing the one person who matters most.
Amazon     Barnes and Noble     Kobo     The Wild Rose Press


Excerpt:“Who are you and what do you want from me?”I took a deep breath. It probably wouldn’t be a good start to tell him he occupied my every waking thought and most of my dreams, too. I decided to go with a more conventional approach.“You’re here every morning, and I thought I’d say hello.” I stuck out my hand. “Emerson Jane Shaw.”He surprised me by reaching for my extended hand and holding it firmly. His hand, large, warm and rough, had cuts and bruises all over the knuckles. He had faint bruises on his face, too, and some small wounds still in the process of healing. He’d been in some kind of fight recently.It didn’t surprise me. He had the look of a warrior about him, the lean strength and watchful eyes of a predator, and he was lethal. Sun Tzu would have seen it, too. He would have recruited him without a moment’s hesitation.“Michael Nightingale.” He stared at me with those hypnotic eyes as he continued to hold my hand, using it to pull me nearer to him.“I know. Mrs. Burke told me.” I couldn’t focus on what I was saying while he touched me, not that I’d done such a great job up until now with my witty repartee.        He tilted his head to one side, studying me the way a lion studies a gazelle before he eats it. His face was only inches away from mine. “Do you like to flirt with danger, Emerson Jane Shaw?”“Not usually, but today I can make an exception.”The touch of his hand sent an electric current through my body that made my heart speed up and my brain slow down. He was intoxicating. I almost had to fan myself.Abruptly, Michael let go of me and stood up, shoving his books into his backpack. I stood up, too.“What’s wrong?”Michael glared at me, threw some bills on the table and stomped out of the shop. Like an idiot, I grabbed my backpack and followed him.He walked quickly through The Shambles, dodging pedestrians and umbrellas with ease. I wasn’t quite as lucky. The rain poured down, filling the street with puddles. Michael wore combat boots and jeans. I had on a useless pair of flats and no jacket. It only took seconds for me to be soaked to the skin and miserable. In minutes, I looked like a little blonde drowned rat.I’m pretty fast, even in slippery shoes, and I was motivated. I kept him in my sights until he reached a side street at the end of The Shambles that led down a narrow lane. I was only half a block away when he turned and looked at me, his eyes locking with mine, and disappeared.He hadn’t walked away. He hadn’t moved. He’d been there one second, and gone the next. Running as fast as I could, I reached the spot where I’d last seen him and looked down the lane and on either side of the street. My ribbon flew out of my hair, blowing away in the wind as I slid on the wet cobblestones and nearly fell. I skidded to a halt, realizing I hadn’t been fast enough. It was a dead end, and he was gone.


About the Author:
Abigail Drake has spent her life traveling the world, and collecting stories wherever she visited. She majored in Japanese and International Economics in college and worked in import/export and as an ESL teacher before she committed herself full time to writing. She writes in several romance genres, and her books are quirky, light, fun, and sexy. Abigail is a trekkie, a book hoarder, the master of the Nespresso machine, a red wine addict, and the mother of three boys (probably the main reason for her red wine addiction). A puppy named Capone is the most recent addition to her family, and she blogs about him as a way of maintaining what little sanity she has left.
https://www.abigaildrake.com
https://www.facebook.com/abigail.drake.14
https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/51072845-abigail-drake
https://twitter.com/DrakeAbigail
https://www.pinterest.com/abigail7026/

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