Roxanne Rhoads's Blog, page 384

Building the Stage for a Firestarter Story Pyromancist by Charmaine Pauls

Building the stage for a firestarter storyA Gothic land of real-life castles, mysterious standing stones and an enchanted forest


We’re on holiday in France to visit my husband’s family, and this year we’re taking a detour to Brittany in the north. Today, we stop in Carnac to see the more than three thousand mysterious standing stones dating back to 4500BC. Following a path through nettle and thorns in my flip-flops, I’m awestruck by the mystery of the place. Nobody knows why the stones were erected, or what purpose the incredible construction served. They remind me of Stonehenge. The Celtic culture here is evident in the language, cuisine, music, myths and symbols.
       The next day we venture out to the enchanted forest of Brocéliande, the home of King Arthur and other magical creatures. Fairy trinkets are on display in the medieval village shop windows and tarot card readings are signposted on their doors. I buy a stunningly illustrated book of forest spirits and fantasy art before we have the traditional lunch of galette (a pancake made with buckwheat flour and served with a sweet or savory filling) and cider.
       I’m looking forward to the visit of the castles. Coming from a country of fairly young architecture (four hundred years or so), anything with a turret and a tower is like a dream to me. We wander down the cobblestone street of a village called Josselin to a castle with the same name. Just like in picture books, a moat runs along the back. Yellow, red and purple wildflowers spill over its banks. Ducks swim in the green water toward the old mill. In this part of the world, Josselin is a powerful and masculine name handed down from a long line of descendants who changed the history of the world.

       Back at the fisherman cottage where we’re staying in Larmor-Baden, I walk along the shore of the Gulf of Morbihan to the old town square and buy a kouign-amann (a crusty Breton cake made with bread dough and layers of sugar and butter) from the patisserie. On the way back, I stop at the harbor to enjoy the distant view of some of the islands that dot the Gulf. The locals say there are more islands in the Gulf than days in a year. In the nearby clearing the townsfolk is setting up for tonight’s Fest Noz, a traditional festival with Breton music, dancing and beer.
       The setting is mysterious, eerie, romantic and breathtaking. Sea, islands, Celtic standing stones, fishermen cottages, castles, myths, legends and secrets surround me. The elements are Gothic–ancient icons that survived in a modern environment. It’s the dreamscape that fairy tales are made of. It’s the perfect backdrop for a paranormal romance novel. And so it becomes the real-life stage for a fictional story about a haunted Frenchman who must find and kill the firestarter responsible for the destruction of his Breton village, Larmor-Baden. He could never know that she would turn out to be the frail Japanese girl from his childhood, or that she had grown into a beautiful, desirable woman.
For this story I’ve borrowed from fact and mixed it with fiction to create a compelling backdrop for the hot, beautiful, scary and cozy ambiences that change with the turn of every page.

Interesting facts about the Pyromancist setting

Josselin Castle (French: Château de Josselin; Breton: Kastell Josilin)·       Guéthénoc (vicomte of Porhoët), Rohan and Guéméné started to build the first castle around 1008.·       It is situated in the Oust Valley in Brittany, France.·       The castle was named after Goscelinus, the son of Guéthénoc. The name is recorded in the Cartulary of Redon Abbey (1080) as castellum et castrum Goscelini, but already by 1108 it was appearing as Castellum Joscelini.·       In the 18th century, the castle was no longer occupied as a seat of power, and during the years of the French Revolution and the First French Empire Napoleon used it as a prison and warehouse. ·       In 1822, Caroline, Duchess of Berry, persuaded the then Duke of Rohan, Louis François de Rohan-Chabot, to restore it.·       The Castle is still a residence of Josselin de Rohan, fourteenth Duke of Rohan, who was President of the region of Brittany from 1998 to 2004.·       In 2012, the Josselin castle served as the backdrop for the romantic Chinese television series, Flowers and Mist.
“Imagine a fairytale castle! Imagine soaring ramparts and three mighty towers dominating the river valley below. Imagine these things and you have Josselin castle—a fortress where the very history of Brittany was forged. And yet, within the solid castle walls, you will discover the delicate intricacy of the exquisite flamboyant Gothic facade that they conceal. The mediaeval and the Renaissance come together to create a place of legend and magic.” (http://www.chateaujosselin.com/en/)

Standing stones of Carnac·       The Stones of Carnac is a dense collection of megalithic sites around the French village of Carnac, in Brittany.·       There are more than 3000 prehistoric standing stones.·       This is the largest collection of its kind in the world.·       According to archeologists, the pre-Celtic people of Brittany erected the stones.·       They were erected during the Neolithic period with some dating back to 4500 BC.·       The largest stones are around 13 feet (4 meters) high.·       There are three major groups of stone rows–Ménec, Kermario and Kerlescan– which may have once formed a single group, but have been split up as stones were removed for other purposes.·       A dolmen is a tomb constructed of several large stones supporting a capstone, then buried under a mound of earth.·       A tumuli is a mound of earth built up over a grave, featuring a passage leading to a central chamber that once held Neolithic artifacts.·       A menhir is a stone standing upright.
“Research is going on now to try to find out if these stone markings served as sites for astronomy or whether they were aligned with the Sun or Moon in a special way. But for now, their true purpose remains elusive.” (http://www.ancient-origins.net/ancient-places-europe/mystery-carnac-stones-00827)


Gulf of Morbihan·       There are around 42 islands in the Gulf of Morbihan. ·       Many are owned by celebrities.·       The two largest, Île aux Moines and Île d’Arz, are favorite tourist destinations in summer. ·       The island of Gavrinis is home to the most impressive megalithic site in Brittany–a pyramid-shaped stone burial chamber with a long stone passageway decorated with carvings.
“In the Gulf of Morbihan, the small uninhabited island of Gavrinis is home to what is arguably Brittany’s most impressive Neolithic site –whose interior walls are covered with artwork. The island is accessible via a guided tour by boat from Larmor-Baden.” (http://www.brittanytourism.com/discover-brittany/islands-and-headlands/gavrinis)


Forest of Brocéliande·       Brocéliande is known for its legends, uncertain location, unusual weather and ties with Arthurian Romance.·       This is where the magical fountain and the tomb of the legendary figure, Merlin are said to be situated.·       This is where Vivien entrapped Merlin inside an oak tree.·       By 1240, the forest of Brocéliande was already established as part of Arthurian legend due to its appearance in multiple writings.·       Brocéliande is the location of the fantasy novel, Merlin’s Wood by Robert Holdstock.·       It is the backdrop for the movie Robin Hood (2010) as the place where Robert Loxley is ambushed by the French.·       In Bermanrd Cornwell’s Arthurian trilogy, The Warlord Chronicles, Brocéliande is one of two British (Celtic) kingdoms that form modern-day Brittany, the other being Armorica.
“About 18 miles (30km) west of Rennes, the forest of Paimpont is all that remains of the vast forest that covered ancient inland Brittany, aka Argoat. Legend has it that the 25 square miles (40km2) of woodland is also the location of mythical Brocéliande, the forest of King Arthur.”(http://www.brittanytourism.com/discov...)



PyromancistSeven Forbidden ArtsBook 1Charmaine Pauls
Genre: Paranormal Erotic Romance
Publisher: Satin Romance,an imprint of Mélange Books
Date of Publication: 19 March 2015
ISBN: 978-1680460339ASIN: B00UFW1CDW
Number of pages: 252Word Count: 101 000
Cover Artist: Caroline Andrus
Book Description:
When you play with fire, you get burned.
At the same time as mysterious fires commence to rage through Clelia d’Ambois’ home village in Brittany, France, she starts sleepwalking. Daughter of a Japanese orphan, Clelia’s heritage is riddled with dark secrets that threaten anyone she loves. In a recurring nightmare she sees Josselin, the haunted man who abandoned their village nine years earlier, come for her, but she doesn’t know why. All she knows is that she has to run. As fast as she can.
Leader of a paranormal crime taskforce, Josselin de Arradon is called back to his hometown with a mission–find and kill the firestarter responsible for Larmor-Baden’s blazing destruction. Sensing that Clelia is the key to solving the crime, Josselin kidnaps her to use her as bait. The battle doesn’t turn out quite as he expected. Nothing could have prepared him for the truth, or the depth of his desire for his prisoner.
This is Book 1 of the Seven Forbidden Arts series, but also reads as a stand-alone.This book contains adult content with explicit language and consummated love scenes. Suited for an audience of 18+.
Available at    Amazon    BN   Satin Romance    Smashwords    Lulu
Excerpt:
Josselin had only spoken to her once. It was on a summer day after school. She had wandered to the dense forest at the back of the schoolyard because she knew that was where she would find him. She stood behind a tree and watched him–studied him–the movement of his hand as he smoked a forbidden cigarette, the manner in which he pulled his fingers through his dark hair, and the way he laughed loudly into his gang of friends, even if his eyes cried, or blazed.             That day, however, he wasn’t with his friends. He was with a girl. Her name was Thiphaine and she was the most popular girl in school. She was blonde and slim and beautiful with blue eyes and red painted fingernails. Clelia watched from her hiding place as Josselin slowly backed Thiphaine up until her body pressed against the trunk of the witch tree. It was a thuja occidentalis but the townsfolk had baptized it so because of its twisted and crippled branches. The setting was eerie for a romantic adventure, and yet, it suited Josselin. He seemed right at home, while Thiphaine looked around nervously. His hand went to her cheek, his palm huge and dark and rough against the porcelain paleness of Thiphaine’s face, while his other hand slipped under her blouse. His gray eyes looked like melted steel when he lowered his head.              His shoulder-length black hair fell forward when he pressed his lips to Thiphaine’s and he moved his hand from her cheek to brush it back behind his ear. Clelia remembered the deliberate movement of his jaw, the way the muscles dimpled in his cheek, the hand under Thiphaine’s blouse, all the while maintaining his composure while Thiphaine came undone under his caress. The beautiful girl made low moaning sounds. Her knees buckled, but Josselin, without breaking the kiss, grabbed her waist, pulling her so tightly into him that her back arched, keeping her up with his arm while he made her weak with his touch and his tongue.             Watching them ignited both yearning and pain inside of Clelia. The hurt she felt speared her heart. The aching in her soul was suddenly greater than the heat in her pores and on her cheeks, but she couldn’t tear her stare away from the forbidden sight. It was Iwig, a boy from her class, who broke the painful spell when he discovered her behind the tree.            “What have we here?” he said.             His eyes darted to the distance where Josselin and Thiphaine were embracing. He knew what she had been doing. He was a tall, blond boy with a strong build, and Clelia disliked him for his habit of hunting abandoned cats with his pellet gun.            “A peeping tom,” he said, taking a step toward her.             When she tried to back away, he grabbed her long braid and tugged it painfully, causing her to yelp.            “Not so fast, witch.” He grabbed her arm and hauled her so that she stumbled into him. “You like to watch, don’t you?” He grinned. “How about a taste of the real thing?”            She opened her mouth to scream, but he had already brought his down and kissed her so hard that his teeth split her lower lip. In reflex her free hand shot up, aiming for his cheek, and collided with its target. The force of the blow shot Iwig’s head back and froze him in his action, but only for a second, before Clelia saw his arm lift. Not able to free herself from his grip, she cowered instinctively, but instead of his fist coming down on her, another pair of arms grabbed Iwig by his shoulders and flung him to the ground.             When she looked up, she stared into the face of Josselin, and what she saw was frightening. His features were twisted into a terrifying expression, and before she could say anything, Josselin bent down and lifted Iwig by his jacket lapels. Iwig’s legs dangled, flapping like fish on soil, while his arms flayed in the air as if swatting flies. Josselin let go of one side of the jacket, his fist arching and hooking under Iwig’s chin, while at the same time unknotting his other hand from the fabric of the jacket. The impact sent Iwig flying through the air. When he hit the ground, she could hear the loud thump as the air was knocked from his lungs. Josselin moved forward, his arms away from his body, his fingers flexing, his shoulders pushed forward, until he stood wide-legged over the submissive body of Iwig. Iwig lifted his hands in front of his face, mumbling pleas for mercy.             “If you ever touch a girl in that way again, I’ll hang you from a tree under a pack of wild boars and watch them eat you from your feet up to your useless dick, until they rip your stomach open and your insides fall out and you beg me to die,” Josselin said.            He spoke very softly, but the woods had suddenly gone quiet. His voice all but echoed in the absence of the sound of birds and wind. From the corner of her eye, Clelia noticed Thiphaine who stood to the side, hugging herself.            “And if you ever lift your hand to a woman again, I’ll cut off your balls and make you eat them and then I’ll feed you to the boars. Do you understand?”            Iwig tried to scurry away on his elbows, but Josselin stepped on his jacket.            “I asked if you understand.”            “Yes. Yes,” Iwig said. He had started crying.            When Josselin lifted his boot, Iwig scrambled to his feet. He didn’t look at Clelia before he ran down the path in the direction of the school. Only then did Josselin turn to her. She shook from head to toe while Josselin studied her quietly. After a moment he walked to her, took her chin in his hand and tilted her head.            “You’re bleeding,” he said, trailing his thumb over her lower lip.            And then he did something that shocked her wildly. He brought his thumb to his lips, slowly, his gray eyes holding hers prisoner while he slipped his finger into his mouth and licked it clean, tasting her blood.            Clelia couldn’t move. She stood still, unable to speak or blink.            He took a white handkerchief from his coat pocket and wiped it over her mouth before pressing it into her hand.            “He won’t bother you again, but you’d better go home.”            She only nodded. He was much taller than her, so that she had to crane her neck to look up at him. He shifted and then his face was obscured by the shadows with the sun at his back. She remembered wondering if he had forgotten about Thiphaine, who still stood to one side, silently observing, her eyes wide. Clelia looked from Thiphaine to Josselin. When life finally returned to her legs and she started to hurry down the path, he said, “What’s your name, girl?”            She stopped. “Cle … Cle…” Her teeth chattered.            He frowned. “Take a deep breath. You’re in shock.”            She did as he instructed, and found her jaw relax slightly.            “That’s better. Now, tell me again.”            “Clelia.”            His lips twitched. “The witch?”             She flinched. That was what her classmates called her.             He didn’t show any kind of emotion. Only his smile became a little bit more pronounced. “How old are you?”            “Fourteen,” she said through parched lips.            “You’re too young to wander alone in the woods.”            When he said that, his voice became soft and dark again, like when he had spoken to Iwig, and without sparing either of the lovers another glance, Clelia sprinted home and curled into a ball on her bed with his bloody handkerchief in her hand.



About the Author:
Charmaine Pauls was born in Bloemfontein, South Africa. She obtained a degree in Communication at the University of Potchestroom, and followed a diverse career path in journalism, public relations, advertising, communications, photography, graphic design, and brand marketing. Her writing has always been an integral part of her professions.
After relocating to France with her French husband, she fulfilled her passion to write creatively full-time. Charmaine has published six novels since 2011, as well as several short stories and articles.
When she is not writing, she likes to travel, read, and rescue cats. Charmaine currently lives in Chile with her husband and children. Their household is a linguistic mélange of Afrikaans, English, French and Spanish.
Read more about Charmaine’s romance novels and psychological short storieswww.charmainepauls.com
Follow on Facebookhttp://bit.ly/Charmaine-Pauls-Facebook
Follow on Amazonhttp://bit.ly/Charmaine-Pauls-Amazon
Follow on Goodreadshttp://bit.ly/Charmaine-Pauls-Goodreads
Follow on Twitterhttps://twitter.com/CharmainePauls
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25 Random Things About Kyoko M: Release Day Blitz The Holy Dark by Kyoko M

1. Blink 182 is my favorite band of all time because I don't have a single mood where at least one of their songs doesn't fit the moment.

2. I was traumatized by Jurassic Park as a kid and I still have nightmares about velociraptors breaking into my room and tearing me to pieces.

3. I'm terrified of spiders, millipedes/centipedes, and sharks, but I genuinely think snakes are cool as hell.

4. The earliest memory I have of childhood is swinging across some monkey bars with a little boy pretending that I was Catwoman and he was Batman.

5. The second earliest memory I have of childhood is watching the scene from Batman: Mask of the Phantasm where Bruce "confronts" his parents about his promise to avenge them. Every time I hit my lowest point, I rewatch that scene.

6. I've written 20 Batman Beyond fanfics, one of which is in the Top 10 Most Reviewed Fanfics in the category (It's Number Six, if you're curious.)

7. I love the sound of running water.

8. I don't have a Muse. I don't actually know the official definition of a "Muse" in the context that most authors use it.

9. I won NaNoWriMo on my first try in 2011. (Not trying to brag, I'm just floored that I managed to pull it off while I was still in college.)

10. I have the hugest crush on Harry Dresden imaginable and if he were a real guy, I'd marry him in a heartbeat.

11. The hit ABC show "Castle" has genuinely ruined any chances I have for getting into a romantic relationship because I will unconsciously expect my significant other to do all the adorable, noble stuff that Castle does for Beckett without question.

12. I am a terrible reader as of graduating from college. I read the entire Dresden Files in one summer, but if weren't for them, my reading total would've been single digits. I have the hardest time finding novels that I fall in love with. I keep reading things that are just okay, and so I'm constantly not reading because nothing captures me the way the Dresden Files does.

13. Nathan Fillion responded to me on Twitter one time in 2011 and I ran screaming around my house for fifteen minutes afterward. It was the third best moment of my entire life.

14. The second best moment of my life was at New York Comic Con 2011 at the Nikita panel. I told Maggie Q that I loved her and I asked Shane West to marry me. They both thought I was funny as hell.

15. The best moment of my life was at Dallas Comic Con 2013 when I met the Batman--Kevin Conroy--and he told me my name was pretty.

16. No one is harder on me than I am on myself.

17. I want to write novels for at least the next ten years and then I want to go into script writing and eventually filmmaking. I want The Black Parade to be a film someday because there is almost NO black female representation in fantasy/sci-fi genres in the public eye. Black women need a positive example in mass media and while my protagonist is no perfect hero, I want young women to see that black women are powerful and smart and nerdy and they aren't just the stupid bimbos they see in reality shows.

18. Nathan Fillion has stood me up twice in a row at conventions: once at Dallas Comic Con 2013 (seriously, he canceled his appearance the first day of the con WHILE I WAS ON THE PLANE) and then again at Atlanta Comic Con a year later, so I’m convinced that the universe is keeping us apart because I am his one true love. That, or I just have unbelievable bad luck.

19. I rarely post on writing forums because I'm scared I'm an annoyance and no one finds me worthwhile.

20. Every single day, I ask myself why I bother writing when no one buys my books and every single day, I tell myself, "Because I love it" and keep writing anyway.

21. I think Tumblr is the best worst thing that ever happened to me.

22. I don't expect to ever make money as an author. The only reason I do this for a living is because I love writing and I want to write someone's favorite book. I don't care who it is. I just want one person on this planet of seven billion to say, "The Black Parade? Yeah, that's my favorite book!" I will literally die happy if that ever happens.

23. Watching the movie Matilda almost always makes me want to cry because I was that lonely, inquisitive kid for most of my childhood. (Minus the abusive parents, of course. My parents are quite lovely.)

24. Kyoko is not my legal name, but I consider it to be my real name. It's what I call myself in my head, after all.

25. I have massive social anxiety problems, but I force myself to talk to people in hopes that it will someday get better and I can learn how to connect with others enough to have friends and colleagues. 



The Holy DarkThe Black Parade SeriesBook 3Kyoko M
Genre: Urban Fantasy/Paranormal Romance
Date of Publication: April 24, 2015
ISBN 10: 1511543736ISBN 13: 978-1511543736ASIN: B00VULGGBK

Number of pages: 346 (eBook)460 (paperback)
Word Count: 147,000
Cover Artist: Gunjan Kumarand Christopher Cold
Book Description:
Sarcastic demon-slayer extraordinaire Jordan Amador has been locked in a year-long struggle to hunt down the thirty silver coins paid to Judas Iscariot. The mere touch of these coins is enough to kill any angel.
Jordan's demonic opposition grows more desperate with each coin found, so they call on the ultimate reinforcement: Moloch, the Archdemon of War. Moloch puts out a contract on Jordan as well as her estranged husband, the Archangel Michael. Now Jordan and Michael will have to find a way to work together to survive against impossible odds and stop Moloch's plan, or else he’ll wage a war that will wipe out the human race.


Available at AmazonExcerpt:
Chattanooga had been a nice place to live for the past ten months, a fact proven by my utter disapproval of the hotel we checked in the following night we left. The safe house was in Montpelier, Vermont and by car it was an eighteen-hour drive. However, the two of us were exhausted from the recent fights we’d had and needed some sleep so we stopped in Newburgh, Connecticut. We’d camp out here for the night and then leave first thing in the morning. Myra worked at an office supplies store back in Tennessee, which paid alright, but neither of us were exactly swimming in cash. The hotel we chose was not of the highest caliber. The only benefits it boasted were cable television and air conditioning. I missed my thin pillows and slightly lumpy mattress back home.   We were behind schedule, but only slightly. Myra went to buy some dinner while I opted for a long, hot shower. It wasn’t a nice place to stay, but it had one admittedly awesome amenity—a handheld sprayer with plenty of settings. I stayed in until my fingertips were pruny, mulling over recent events and hoping that a clear solution would arise. No such luck. We were still on defense. I didn’t like it, not one bit. The weight hanging off my soul was starting to make my knees buckle. I had to fix this. I had to save the angels. I owed them. They had shed blood for me more than once. I wasn’t going to disappoint them, not again. Never again. I finished rinsing out my hair and groped for the towel with my eyes closed to avoid getting any residual shampoo in them. Weirdly, my fingers hit nothing but the moist air near the rack. Frowning, I reached out farther. It wasn’t there. Had it fallen onto the floor?“Lose something?”I froze. A deep, mocking, dry-as-sandpaper voice. No. Please, God, let it just be my imagination.I pried my eyes open and ducked my head around the shower curtain. There, in front of the sink, stood a tall, pale-skinned man with shoulder-length hair as black as soot and a smile as sinister as the devil himself. His eyes were the lightest hue of blue that existed and the pupils were thin and diamond-like rather than round. His features were vaguely European—small forehead, narrow nose, thin but sensual lips, arched eyebrows—but I knew he didn’t have an accent. He clutched my towel in his long-fingered hand, the other tucked in the pocket of his easily seven-hundred-dollar black suit pants. I recognized his favorite dark color scheme—a charcoal grey button up shirt, black silk tie, and Gucci dress shoes. “Looking good, my pet.”The archdemon Belial was standing in my bathroom.Shit.


About the Author:
Kyoko M is an author, a fangirl, and an avid book reader. Her debut novel, The Black Parade, has been on Amazon's Bestseller List at #5 in the Occult Horror category. She has a Bachelor of Arts in English Lit degree from the University of Georgia, which gave her every valid excuse to devour book after book with a concentration in Greek mythology and Christian mythology. When not working feverishly on a manuscript (or two), she can be found buried under her Dashboard on Tumblr, or chatting with fellow nerds on Twitter, or curled up with a good Harry Dresden novel on a warm central Florida night. Like any author, she wants nothing more than to contribute something great to the best profession in the world, no matter how small.
Website/Blog: http://www.shewhowritesmonsters.com
Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/misskyokom
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/She-Who-Writes-Monsters/161227150647087 
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/7189997.Kyoko_M_
Tumblr: http://www.minaminokyoko.tumblr.com   
Goodreads giveaway: https://www.goodreads.com/giveaway/show/132562-the-holy-dark

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Guest Blog Chaos Broken by Rebekah Turner

Why I Love my Female Anti-Hero, Lora Blackgoat
Hello! Thanks for hosting me as I talk about my new release, Chaos Broken! This is the third book in the Chronicles of Applecross, a story set in a fantasy realm beyond our world, where modern machinery clogs with magic, hybrid mythical species thrive and Witch Hunters stalk the night.
Chaos Broken follows more misadventures of the morally ambiguous smuggler and mercenary Lora Blackgoat, and I'd like to explain about why I love writing the anti-hero troupe so much.
Personally, I find writing a capable female hero enabled me to connect with the strongest parts of me. In the fantasy realm where Chaos Broken is set, I can unleash parts of my personality that get lost in the real world. Lora always managed to bring me back in touch with my true wild side and carving out her character afforded me a true sense of freedom. After all, many of us want to rattle the cage, but who can afford the insurance? Not to mention the hassle of organising the babysitter. She's a blast to write, the best kind of drinking buddy.
The one thing I tried to steer clear of when creating Lora, was the ‘victim past’ I sometimes read in the genre. You know, where the heroine has traumatic childhood or event that justifies her being the prickly so-and-so she is now (not that there’s anything wrong with that). Instead, I wanted to write a woman who owned her inner bitch. I wanted to portray a woman brimming with confidence, even when it wasn’t justified. And despite a physical handicap, Lora is nobody’s victim. I need three drafts and endless cups of coffee to save the world from an oncoming apocalypse. Lora only ever gets the one. That’s all I give her and it’s all she ever needs!



Chaos BrokenChronicles of ApplecrossBook 3Rebekah Turner
Genre: Fantasy
Publisher: Escape PublishingDate of Publication: 22 April 2015
ISBN: 9780857992413ASIN: B00TQIML3G
Number of pages: 225Word Count: 80,000
Book Description:
The final installment of the Chronicles of Applecross trilogy finds Lora left in charge – and quickly losing control.
Lora Blackgoat is in charge. But after losing a lucrative contract, it looks like she’s also running her beloved benefactor's mercenary company into the ground while he's away on holidays. Her problems double when she discovers Roman, exiled nephilim warrior and current confusing love interest, is brokering a dangerous peace agreement.
When a new enemy emerges from across the ocean, threatening to tear the city apart, Lora finds herself taking on new and surprising allies, finally acknowledging the prophecy that haunts her and using it to her advantage.
Available at    Amazon     iTunes   ARe   Google Play
Excerpt Chapter 1:
Headmistress Poulter hadn’t changed. She scared the crap out of me when I was ten and she scared the crap out of me now, even though I was a mature, genuine grown up and sitting in Blackgoat Watch’s big boss chair. Poulter’s body was all sharp angles under a shapeless dress, her iron-grey hair scraped into a tight bun. I was trying to pay attention, I was, but Poulter had been talking for a good ten minutes about her missing cat, Blinky, and I was finding it hard to focus.Not for the first time I mentally cursed Gideon, my benefactor and boss of Blackgoat Watch, for ducking out of the city with my adoptive mother, Orella. They’d left Harken a month ago on a holiday to the sunny continent of Eral and Gideon had left me in charge of Blackgoat’s stable of Runners for hire. This meant I had to meet clients and smile and be nice. Which was hard. Especially when Poulter kept referring to Blinky as her missing pussy. Harder still was not fidgeting when Poulter fixed me with that look, the one that suggested she could see every sin I’d ever committed. And if I was being honest, there’d been a few since I’d last seen her at the age of 14, when I’d decided my academic career was over and my Runner career was about to start.Reuben Crowhurst, a fellow Runner, sat beside Poulter wearing a suitably concerned expression that I suspected he’d been practising. In fact, his support for me in my temporary role as boss had been so efficient, I was suspicious that he was going to hit me up for a raise while Gideon was out of the country. He was also a griorwolf, not that he readily advertised the fact he could go all beast-monster if he lost control of himself.‘Of course we understand how difficult this is,’ Crowhurst was saying. ‘Not only was he your pet, but the school mascot.’ He smiled at Poulter, giving her the full, charming Reuben Crowhurst treatment. I had to admit, he looked pretty smart today. His blond hair was brushed neatly, beard freshly trimmed, and he wore crisp charcoal pants and a snappy, velvet-trimmed vest. A ruby earring winked from one ear and he smelled of a very manly cologne.One corner of my mouth curled up. If Crowhurst thought he could hit me up for a raise while Gideon was away, he was going to get an education. I tried to focus on the conversation, mentally calculating how much I could bill for searching for a cat. Unfortunately, it wasn’t going to be enough to see us out of the financial hole Blackgoat had recently fallen into, which wasn’t really my fault.‘Lora Blackgoat. Are you paying attention?’ Poulter’s voice was a cane-crack across my thoughts and I gave a guilty jump.‘Ah…yes. Pussy. I mean, cat. Missing. Blinky.’ I glanced down at my notes, which consisted of curly doodles and a couple of hex symbols. ‘That about sums it up, right?’‘I can tell she’s not listening to a word I’ve said.’ Poulter shifted her glare to Crowhurst.‘She always used to get that look, like nothing else mattered but her.’‘I’m listening, I’m listening,’ I protested. ‘I’ll send someone over first thing tomorrow to start asking around. See if the neighbours have seen him.’Poulter’s eyebrows pinched. ‘I’d rather you saw to this personally, Lora.’Crowhurst gave me a significant look, which I knew meant I was supposed to agree with the client.‘Of course,’ I said through clenched teeth. ‘I’ll look after this personally, Lady Poulter. First thing tomorrow.’‘You couldn’t start today?’‘Unfortunately, I’ve got another appointment this afternoon. But I can assure you, I’ll be there tomorrow, very first thing.’ I made a show of checking my notes. ‘Can you tell me if there’s anyone who’d want to do your pussy mischief?’ I kept my face straight, but a flush crept up Crowhurst’s neck. He shot me a warning look.Poulter sniffed. ‘There have been a few troublesome students of late. One in particular. His name was Kalin and he led a rotten pack of them. I expelled him last term for stabbing a teacher with a pencil.’‘What’s Kalin’s family name?’ I asked.‘He had none. He was from the orphanage.’‘Was?’‘I heard he disappeared last month. I don’t know the particulars.’‘Rest assured, we’ll have answers for you soon enough about Blinky.’ Crowhurst stood, letting me know this would probably be a good place to end the interview. I stood as well, grateful that Crowhurst was around. If I had to be honest, he’d really stepped up and helped smooth over my rough edges when talking to clients. Maybe the bastard did deserve a raise.‘Thank you for calling Blackgoat Watch, Lady Poulter,’ I said.Poulter’s eyes narrowed. ‘Did Gideon really leave you in charge of this organisation?’My chest burned and I realised I was holding my breath, trying to dazzle her with my dimpled smile. But Poulter didn’t look particularly charmed by it, so I exhaled and rubbed my cheeks with a scowl. ‘Yes. I was left in charge. Why?’Poulter glanced at Crowhurst. ‘You are helping her, aren’t you?’Crowhurst gave Poulter a noncommittal shrug, then manoeuvred her gracefully out of the office, filling the air with easy small talk. I slumped back into Gideon’s chair, the leather squeaking. Opening the top drawer, I pulled out Gideon’s vodka stash and picked a glass that wasn’t too dirty. I poured myself half a shot. I was still staring at it when Crowhurst walked back in and frowned at the glass. I hesitated briefly before topping it up.‘That doesn’t look like a great idea,’ Crowhurst said.My eyes rose to his meet his steady gaze. ‘Were we in the same meeting? Come on. A missing cat?’Crowhurst sat with a sigh. ‘Business is slow. We have to take any job we can for now.’‘Business is more than slow.’ I nudged the full shot with a finger, watching the clear liquid slop over the edges. Blackgoat Watch had recently been slapped with a bill for back taxes. Gideon hadn’t been too worried, since I’d been offered a profitable contract by the Order of Guides, a militant organisation associated with the powerful Church of Higher Path. The Order had mistakenly taken my white hair to mean I was a Witch Hunter, despite my assurances that I wasn’t. I couldn’t sniff out a witch or warlock if my life depended on it. But the Grigori priest who ran the Order in Harken still wanted me to work with their Regulators for a season in a Witch Hunter capacity, hunting heretics, keeping the peace and generally poo-pooing all things fun.With the earnings of my contract, Blackgoat should have been fine. But two things had happened in the last year to change that. Firstly, raiding pirates had affected sea trade routes and it was bad enough that the city was dragged into a recession. And the second reason? My contract with the Order was terminated after only three weeks. I was cited as being uncontrollable. Unpredictable. Not a team player. Of course, if anyone was to blame for this mess it was Gideon for green-lighting the idea in the first place. As if I was going to fit in with a militant religious order. Don’t wear skirts. Don’t wear heels. Don’t wear your hair down. Don’t show up drunk. All those rules had made my head hurt. Still, it had been quite unfair when everyone suspected me of starting the fire in the sacred library.‘What do you think we should do?’ I pushed the shot glass aside. My moment of weakness had passed and now I just wanted to sulk in a dark room.‘We’ll do our job,’ Crowhurst said. ‘Because we’re professionals.’A crashing sound came from the ground floor, where Blackgoat’s reception and kitchen were located, and muffled shouts sounded through the floorboards. Crowhurst and I exchanged a startled glance, then sprinted for the door. Crowhurst yanked a dagger from his sleeve and I grabbed my goat-headed duelling cane. Downstairs, we followed the noise to the back courtyard, where a group of Runners shouted encouragement at two grappling men.‘Break it up!’My shout was drowned in a chorus of cheers and no one paid me any attention. Crowhurst tried to pull the brawling men apart and copped a jarring knock to his chin for his trouble. The Runners cheered louder and Crowhurst retreated, rubbing his jaw with a pained expression. I clicked the button on my arm-rig and a three-shot derringer snapped from my sleeve. I lifted an arm and fired once in the air, the sharp crack bouncing off the courtyard’s tall brick walls. The Runners fell silent and the fighting men drew apart, chests heaving and clothes dishevelled.‘Everybody out.’ I shoved the gun back up my sleeve, then pointed at the two Runners who had been fighting. ‘Everyone but you two.’No one argued. Stories about me had circulated around the city, to the point that they had entered a kind of urban legend status. Stories about the female Witch Hunter who could wield Outland weapons, guns that were a vast improvement on the flintlocks and wheellocks that operated within The Weald. Whatever mojo kept the realm hidden from the modern world also prevented modern machinery from working here. City philosophers had often cited this as a ‘state of grace’ and a sign of The Weald’s purity. I took it as a sign the city philosophers didn’t get out much. The fact that I’d never had trouble with modern machinery stalling inside The Weald was a little secret I’d tried to keep to myself. Being able to blend into the background was what kept you alive in the Runner industry.The two fighters glared at each other, fists clenched by their sides. One was a slender man called Bone, while the other looked like a shaved gorilla and called himself Grubber. From his giant size I was pretty sure he was otherkin, but he hid it well enough I never asked. After all, it was common enough for otherkin to hide their unusual features, a result of their mixed blood of mystical races, especially with the prejudice that still existed in the city against them.Crowhurst loitered, obviously thinking I wanted him to stay. Like I couldn’t bust balls on my own.I served up a stern frown, channelling my inner Gideon. ‘What in hellfires is wrong with you two? What if a client had walked in and seen this pathetic excuse for professionalism?’Grubber scowled. ‘He insulted my wife.’‘What’d he say?’ I asked‘He said my wife is so fat, I’d have to roll twice to get off her.’Bone rubbed the back of his neck. ‘I meant it nicely. She’s just a lot of woman.’I pinched the bridge of my nose and sighed. I was at a loss as to how to proceed, but when in doubt, I knew to start yelling at someone. I fixed Bone with a glare and raised my voice.‘What’s wrong with you, making jokes about a co-worker’s wife?’‘You know she’s sensitive about her weight,’ Grubber muttered.‘Easy now.’ Crowhurst stepped forward, hands raised. ‘I’m sure it was just a misunderstanding. I’m sure she’s a real lovely woman.’‘You making fun?’ Grubber bristled at him. ‘You got something to say about my wife as well?’‘Nobody wants to crack any more jokes about your wife,’ I told Grubber. ‘And this isn’t the place for you two to be fighting and breaking furniture.’ I stabbed a finger at Grubber.‘Don’t be so sensitive.’ My finger shifted to Bone. ‘And you…keep your opinions to yourself. Now, both of you get the hell out of my sight.’Grubber and Bone scowled at me, but I just planted my hands on my hips and glowered back. Just because they looked tough didn’t mean I couldn’t plant my velvet brocade boots between their legs and fell them like trees. Plus, right now I paid the bills and that pretty much ensured I got my way. Grubber and Bone righted the chairs and shuffled out of the courtyard, glaring at each other. Crowhurst bought his hands together in a slow clap.‘Well done, boss. Saying things like you mean it. You’ll have this place ship-shape before Gideon gets back, no problems.’‘Yeah, yeah,’ I sighed. ‘Except the best job we have on the books is searching for my old headmistress’s missing cat.’‘You mean, her pussy?’ Crowhurst shook his head. ‘I nearly swallowed my tongue when you asked who’d want to do it mischief. You shouldn’t make fun of our clients.’I snorted. ‘She did bring out the juvenile in me. But if we don’t pick up some jobs soon, Gideon will be coming back to a bankrupt company. Maybe I should turn this place into a bar and dice joint.’‘You’d just drink and gamble the profits away,’ Crowhurst pointed out. ‘Maybe you should write and let Gideon know how bad things have gotten.’‘No way.’ I righted a chair and sat down. My bad leg ached from the sudden rush downstairs and I ran a practised hand over the knotted muscles. A horse accident at sixteen had put me in a hospital with a fractured pelvis and cracked spine. My recovery had been long and painful, leaving me with a limp and an incurable fear of horses.‘I can handle this,’ I said. ‘I told Gideon I’d pick up new work after losing the Order contract and I can’t let him down.’Crowhurst folded his arms and gave me a slightly bemused smile. ‘You mind telling me how you lost the contract, exactly? You never did tell anyone, and Gideon wouldn’t say.’‘It happened. Let’s leave it at that. But it really wasn’t my fault.’‘I heard it was because you slept with a Grigori priest.’‘Ewww.’ I make a gagging noise. ‘Really?’‘Did it have anything to do with that big fire they had in their library?’‘Just let it go,’ I snapped.‘Whatever you say, boss.’Tension rode up my neck and I rubbed it with a groan. ‘I really screwed things up.’‘I’m sure you tried your hardest.’I didn’t answer, because a small part of me wondered if I really did try hard enough. The fire had been an accident, but it had also been in a long list of infractions I’d committed while contracting with the Order. Fraternising with darkcraft users. Not adhering to the dress code. Illegal consumption of alcohol while on duty. Sacrilegious games of dice with the cooks inside the Order compound. The list was crowded. It had been a busy three weeks and I probably hadn’t been that rebellious since I was at school. Gideon had always said I had a problem with authority. Fortunately, his own vices were worse than mine, so we always got along just fine.Crowhurst cleared his throat. I realised he was working up to saying something, but he looked worried about how I’d react.‘What is it?’ I asked. ‘If you’ve got an idea, spit it out.’He scratched his close cropped beard. ‘Someone approached me with a proposition. Initially I told them there was no way you’d be interested.’ He shrugged. ‘But now, seeing as we’ve got our backs to the wall, maybe you’ll consider it.’‘What kind of proposition and from who?’ I eyed him suspiciously.‘From whom,’ Crowhurst corrected absently. ‘And let me get more details. Make sure the money’s worth it.’‘Sounds like something I don’t want to know about.’ I rolled my shoulders, trying to disperse my building tension. ‘So when you want to talk about it, bring beer to cushion the blow.’In the distance, the city clock rang out to announce mid-afternoon and I knew had to get moving if I wanted to reach my destination in the Outlands that night. It wasn’t a paying job, but rather a chance to see Roman, an exiled nephilim warrior I was sort of involved with. Sort of. Gideon and Orella hadn’t been happy with my role in sneaking Roman to the Outlands, where he could recover from the madness some nephilim were cursed with. They were equally displeased with me shooting out every chance I got to see him.‘I’ve got to go,’ I told Crowhurst. ‘I have that meeting tonight I told you about.’His face darkened. ‘I should go with you.’‘I don’t need a babysitter, thanks,’ I said. ‘And I wouldn’t go if it wasn’t important.’Crowhurst made a disgusted sound. ‘Meeting up with your ex-Regulator lover boy isn’t more important than sticking around to keep Blackgoat running.’‘I’ll only be gone the night. And it’s not just to see Roman. There’s an important sit-down happening and I was asked to attend.’‘What kind of important sit-down?’ Crowhurst asked, eyeing me suspiciously.I threw my hands up. ‘Just relax, will you? I told you, I’ll be back here tomorrow morning, bright and early to look for this freaking cat.’‘Fine. But if you’re not here, I’m coming to get you.’‘I can take care of myself.’ I stood and grabbed my cane. ‘I’m not kidding. And this job you mentioned? By all means, look into it. I’m desperate enough to try anything.’
A sly look slid over Crowhurst’s face. ‘I won’t forget you said that.’
About the Author:
Rebekah lives in sunny Queensland, Australia. An avid writer since she could scrawl on her bedroom walls, she has progressed from rainbow unicorn tales to stories of dark fantasy with lashings of romance and a sprinkling of horror.
Her vices include in-depth critiques of B grade action and horror movies and buying stationery she doesn’t need.
Web: www.rebekahturner.net
Facebook: www.facebook.com/rebekahturnerauthor
Goodreads: www.goodreads.com/book/show/24983636-chaos-broken
Twitter: @RbkahTurner

Guest Blog and Giveaway- Ashes:The Divided Kingdom Series by Sophie H. Morgan

Rising from the Ashes
I sometimes think of writers as being in a proverbial boxing ring, gloves up, bobbing, on our toes as we take punch after punch of rejection. I used to get it daily with my morning cup of tea, like some kind of tooth-breaking biscuit that I had to swallow. It’s a fact that unless you’re really lucky – and by lucky, I’m talking trip-over-a-gold-ingot-and-land-on-the-winning-lottery-ticket lucky – you’re going to get hit over and over with the usual bland not for me but keep trying. I still dream of those achingly polite emails. *shudders* We’re no strangers to hitting bottom, where you stare at your words until they begin to form a fuzzy question mark of doubt.
Neither is the heroine in my book, Ashes. Ana is a phoenix, the last of the royal line, and as such is scrutinized growing up for every part of her that doesn’t fit in – and sadly for her, that’s everything. The only person who allows her to be herself is her adored bodyguard, Cade, a shifter runaway. When even he rejects her love, Ana flounders, desperate for a safe place. Her parents are murdered, suspicion cast on her, so she flees her home to the broken city where nobody will expect to find phoenix royalty. Forget bottom, she’s hit hell.
But a phoenix was born to rise again, and it doesn’t take long before her true self comes out swinging. And then Cade returns to fan the flames…
It’s easy to curl into a ball and listen to the doubt, that nagging whisper that never seems to offer praise, only criticism. The hard part is pushing that aside and standing back up, rising from the ashes of self-doubt and triumphing. Cue trumpets. We all get knocked back, and like Ana, run from rejection. But like Ana, we all have to push aside the negatives and search for a way to thrive.
Before AshesI’d written five books which were all rejected in various emails from agents and publishers. Seven years on from when I’d finished my first book, I wrote in my diary: Got another rejection. Struck with unbelievable self-doubt.
The very next day, I got a contract offer for Ashes.
Have you ever hit bottom only to soar to greater heights?









AshesThe Divided KingdomBook OneSophie H. Morgan
Genre: Paranormal Romance
Publisher: Samhain Publishing, Ltd
Date of Publication: 21 April 2015
ISBN: 9781619225756ASIN: B00U3M5Z96
Number of pages: 318Word Count: approx. 99540
Cover Artist: Kanaxa
Book Description:
Secrets can burn.
Reared from birth to rule the Phoenix territory, Ana fled her future and her past when her parents were murdered. Now she secretly leads a rebellion to stop the human ruler, Edward, from experimenting on supernaturals.
When she finds herself cornered by an assassin, she knows just what to do: Roast him and toast him. Then recognition sends blue-tipped flames licking through her veins. It’s Cade, the royal bodyguard who once rejected her youthful confession of love.
When Cade regains consciousness from the force of Ana’s punch, he’s still reeling from shock—and fury. He’d loved the princess, and for ten years he thought her dead. Though his inner jackal growls with desire for her, she is the key to completing his mission for Edward—hunt down the rebel known as Liberty.
Ana can’t believe Cade doesn’t know the truth about Edward. If she can convince him of it, his blade could turn the tide of the rebellion. But first they must get beyond their past, or the whole kingdom could go up in smoke.
Product Warnings
Contains incendiary sex between a phoenix princess with a secret identity, and a jackal shifter who can take a lot of heat. Boys from the “hood”, a king jacked up on enhanced DNA, and killer heels. Anybody got a match?


Available at   Samhain     Amazon   Amazon UK


Excerpt:
A smile played over his lips, a knowing one. “You were mine, once.”
When his thumb brushed her cheekbone, dipping down to rub her bottom lip, it was all she could do not to purr. For whatever reasons, this man could get beneath her barriers. He could make her lose control.
But he made her remember the past, something that threatened the foundation of the life she’d built for herself.
The door swinging into darkness. Cold, oozing puddles that cling stickily to bare feet. A young voice, wavering as she called out for her parents. Her locket a dull gold, mottled with red where it lay.
With effort, Ana jerked her chin away from his touch. “Get your hands off me, Cade.” With a thin smile, she added, “Only the vampire has those rights.”
That flash of anger. For some reason, the man in front still viewed her as partly his—the jackal, maybe, claiming her. Except jackals were solitary animals.
A growl rumbled through his chest. Keeping eye contact, he stood. When he leaned forward, she flinched, unable to help herself. Whether she was afraid of being touched or tortured, she didn’t know.
His arms flexed with muscle as he worked at something about her head. Something clunked, and the chains fell away from her with a heavy jangle. They lay on the bedspread, innocent and coiled like a false snake.
Grasping she was free, Ana slid from the bed. “Son of a bitch,” she spat, putting out a hand to help steady her. “Iron?”
She lunged at him, confused when her body refused to cooperate. Her biker boots hit the floor as she landed, tottering, two feet away from her intended target.
Focusing inward, she registered how cold her embers were. They barely glittered, a few halfhearted sparks at her prompting. A breath hissed from her.
Phoenixes radiated at around one hundred and twenty degrees; she’d wager she was operating on about human temperature. The lack of heat in the room and lack of food and water equaled her core running on empty. Even as she thought it, the sparks began to disintegrate, sucking inward to preserve the embers at her core.
Determined, she fought through the weakness, charging Cade.
He allowed himself to be thrust backward. “You’re too cold,” he commented. “Hungry. You can’t hurt me.”
“You wanna bet?”
Her knee jerked upward, narrowly blocked by Cade’s hand.
“Don’t even try it.” He pushed her away, making her stagger from weak knees. “You’ll be on your back quicker than an eager whore. Then again,” he continued, the jackal’s obvious pleasure at the verbal sparring spinning through his wicked smile, “maybe you’d enjoy that.”
With a vengeful shriek, Ana went for him. She jabbed with her fists, using her elbows when that didn’t work. He avoided all her blows, laughing with a gut-deep amusement.
When she used her scissor-kick, she saw her mistake too late as he caught her legs and flipped her to the dirty gray carpet. He was on top of her before she could curse, lazy amusement swirling like phoenix smoke.
His arms caged her as an old dimple flashed. “What did I say?”
His weight suddenly pressed down on her abdomen slashes. A wince tugged at her face before she could stop it, a hiss pouring from between her teeth.
His face changed immediately. “Fires above, Alana, you should have said something.”
“I thought you’d hurt me if it was necessary.” She shoved him off her. He let her, a hunter tracking her as she stumbled away. She dropped into the chair he’d claimed earlier, unwilling to admit her jelly limbs. “You’re all mouth.”
A slow smile spread over his face while his eyes altered to a dark velvet. Damn. She’d always been a sucker for the shadow-drenched eyes.
He stalked nearer, the jackal’s satisfied rumble curling out of his mouth as strong hands came down over hers on the chair’s arms.
She couldn’t dislodge him. Curses spilled from her as panic, not for her life but for something more prized, surged up her throat. “Don’t you come near me, Cade Lorin.”
“All mouth?” he repeated, his voice that dark drawl he’d once whispered her name with. “I’ll show you all mouth.”

About the Author:
Sophie H. Morgan is a paranormal romance author with a love for hot guys, sassy heroines and HEAs that seem impossible. Currently residing in England, Sophie divides her time between her two crazy spaniels and plotting how best to drive her characters into each other’s arms. Ashes is her first book.
@SophieHMorgan
www.walkinginawriterswonderland.blogspot.co.uk
 https://www.facebook.com/pages/Sophie-H-Morgan/1564129027164597




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3 in 1 Cover Reveal-Stone Legacy Series by Theresa DaLayne

IshelStone Legacy SeriesPrequelTheresa DaLayne
Genre: YA/NA paranormal romance.
Publisher:  Itza PublishingDate of Publication:  July 20th, 2015
Number of pages:  62 pagesWord Count:  15,000 words
Cover Artist:  Nadica En VonTand Elle J Rossi
Book Description:

Trapped between duty and desire, even a goddess is forced to choose.

When Ishel falls madly in love, the Mayan goddess is left with a choice. Fulfill her royal obligation and marry the god of war, or follow her heart and elope wit the deity who has true claim over her heart—Kinich, ruler of the sun.

Determined to have Ishel as his wife, the god of war will stop at nothing to ensure their betrothal. Left with no other choice, she flees the heavens. But there is more at stake than even a goddess can foresee. An unexpected surprise awaits...One destined to challenge her immortality.

Without the goddess to tend to mankind’s plants and flowers, the middle world will surely perish. And how will she live on to protect the single person who needs her most?


Available at Amazon



Stone GuardianStone Legacy SeriesBook 1Theresa DaLayne
Genre: Ya/NA paranormal romance
Publisher: Itza PublishingDate of Publication: July 20th, 2015 
Number of pages:  300Word Count:  81,000
Cover Artist:  Nadica En VonTand Elle J Rossi
Book Description: 

Zanya Coreandero is a seventeen-year-old orphan with only a single friend and no hope for a normal life. Diagnosed with anxiety and night terrors, no one believes her cuts and bruises are a result of the dark entity that dreams, and not a brutal case of self-harm.
When Zanya is kidnapped, she meets a group of gifted Maya descendants, each with a unique ability. Gone from a nameless castaway to the only hope of mankind, Zanya is forced to make a grueling decision. Bond with an enchanted stone and save mankind from rising underworld forces, or watch helplessly as Earth falls victim to a familiar dark deity from her dreams. This time, he’s playing for keeps.
When a dark-eyed timebender takes interest in Zanya's mission, it's unclear if his intention is to help, or if he's on a hell-bent mission for revenge. Wary of falling for a man with a major secret and a tainted past, Zanya fights to keep her distance. If only her heart gave her a choice.


Available at Amazon


InterludeStone Legacy SeriesBook 2Theresa DaLayne
Genre: YA/NA paranormal romance
Publisher: Itza PublishingDate of Publication: August 20th, 2015
Number of pages: 150Word Count: 35,000
Cover Artist:  Nadica En VonTand Elle J Rossi
Book Description:
She may have spent years in an asylum, but that didn’t make her crazy–just fearless.
Dropped in Moscow with her friends on an impossible mission against underworld forces, Tara is left to her feelings of overwhelming inadequacy. Her boyfriend is a healer, her best friend is “the Guardian,” and everyone else is a powerhouse of awesome strengths. The only thing she has been able to contribute are her memories, which has left her with nightmares of her time spent at the mercy of the evil Sarian–who everyone has gone to fight.
Alone with her emotions, Tara finds herself falling into a city of depravity and corruption. And amidst all this evil is a young man with an agenda of his own, who leads her down a road that will either prove she is a hero at heart, or drag her into a world she’s always feared.
He wants revenge, she wants redemption. And in an underground rings of missing girls and bloody sacrifices, only the fearless can survive…
 About the Author:
A long time enthusiast of things that go bump in the night, Theresa began her writing career as a journalism intern—possibly the least creative writing field out there. After her first semester at a local newspaper, she washed her hands of press releases and features articles to delve into the whimsical world of young adult paranormal romance.
Since then, Theresa has gotten married, had three terrific kids, moved to central Ohio, and was repeatedly guilt tripped into adopting a menagerie of animals that are now members of the family. But don’t be fooled by her domesticated appearance. Her greatest love is travel. Having stepped foot on the soil of over a dozen countries, traveled to dozens of U.S. states—including an extended seven-year stay in Kodiak, Alaska—she is anything but settled down. But wherever life brings her, she will continue to weave tales of adventure and love with the hope her stories will bring joy and inspiration to her readers.
www.theresadalayne.com
https://www.facebook.com/theresa.dalayne
https://twitter.com/TheresaDaLayne
https://www.pinterest.com/tdalayne/
http://theresadalayne.tumblr.com
https://www.goodreads.com/TheresaDaLayne

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Interview and Giveaway A Devilish Slumber by Shereen Vedam

Can you tell readers a little bit about yourself and what inspired to write in this particular genre?
Hi there, my name is Shereen Vedam. I write paranormal/fantasy romances. Since I love fairytales, I decided to do a series of historical romance novels inspired by popular fairytales and set in my favorite time period, the Regency era. This current series involves shape shifters who can make themselves look like anyone they want. They call themselves The Rue Alliance.
Please tell us about your latest release.
A Devilish Slumber is inspired by the fairytale, Sleeping Beauty.
What is your favorite scene from the book? Could you share a little bit of it, without spoilers of course?
I have several, this one is when the heroine, Lady Roselyn Ravenstock, disguised as Ben Turner, meets the fastidious Sir Phillip Jones, who has agreed to work with Ben (Rose) to solve a murder. 
            EXCERPT from A Devilish Slumber:“When we last spoke, you intended to visit Lady Roselyn Ravenstock. How did that fare?”“Not well. The lady insists on keeping secrets. She refused to admit that she had received an invitation from Mrs. Beaumont on the night of the murder.”“Perhaps she did not.”“Of course she did. We saw the remnants of that invitation in the wastebasket.”“It is possible that Mrs. Beaumont never sent such a note. Lady Roselyn may not be involved in this at all.”“Hmm.”The barmaid returned with their drinks.Rose took a mouthful and choked on the bitter taste, spurting some over the table. Embarrassed, she swallowed what remained in her mouth in one big gulp and immediately coughed again. Once recovered, she said, “Sorry, sir.”“I take it you have never had gin and water?” Phillip wore an unpitying grin. “You will get used to the taste soon. Take small sips and do not become castaway. We have work to do.”“What work?” She sipped and managed to keep the fiery liquid down.“You do wish to help with the investigation?”Her throat and insides warmed nicely and she had another taste. She rather liked this drink.With a raised eyebrow, he seemed to be awaiting an answer. What had they been talking about? “Yes.”“Yes, what?”“Um, what was the question?”He sighed. “Do you still wish to assist me with the investigation?”She nodded. “Yes. I must know who killed Mrs. Beaumont.” She held up her glass and searched for the barmaid.Phillip brought her hand down until the glass thunked against the scarred wooden table. “One is sufficient for a first try.” He waved away the server. “I suggest we start by checking the docks where Mrs. Beaumont’s body was discovered.”Rose licked the last drop of her drink. Her head felt lightened. Could excess alcohol make her face revert back to normal? Not only would Phillip be surprised, but the tavern’s patrons would wonder why a man suddenly looked like a woman. She pushed away her glass.“Perhaps you have had too much.” Phillip eyed her empty glass now resting at the very edge of the table.She wanted to lean forward and kiss his smirk.“Some fresh air might do you good.” He stood.Rose tried to stand and the room swayed. She grabbed hold of the table and her glass tipped over.Phillip caught it and placed it back on the table. His laughter was clear now. “Come along, young Ben.”
Did you find anything really interesting while researching this or another book?
Always find interesting info during research.  I take a lot of Regency history courses and my favorite one, which I used extensively for this series, was called Regency Servants, given by Sally Roberts.
Did you know that in the richest households, it is the groom of the chambers (not the butler) who answers the main door, opening it for members of the household?
What is the most interesting thing you have physically done for book related research purposes?
I travelled a few years ago to take a look at the Doñana region of Spain, where the last book in the Rue Alliance series is set. I thought it might also be fun to go horseback riding while there, in the Andalucian region. So I took riding lessons and made it to cantor (which was the required level for this horseback riding holiday package). I also took a few Spanish language classes so I would be able to communicate with the guides and others in the group. What I didn’t realize until I was on the back of a crazy horse named Hermosa who loved to gallop along those flat sandy trails, was that the guides and the rest of the people in my group mainly spoke German (and I suspect so did Hermosa). She loved to race and had no concept of what “stop” meant in English or Spanish. I plan to write a blog about that trip when that last book in the series is released. For now, I’ve included a picture of Hermosa.  She looks mild-mannered, doesn’t she? She wasn’t!
Can you tell readers a little bit about the world building in the book/series? How does this world differ from our normal world?
The Regency world, especially among the highest of London society, is itself quite different from our world. Add to that the fantasy elements of shape shifting and you have a world that is vastly different from our contemporary day to day lives. Stepping into the Rue Alliance world takes us not only back in time, but into a realm where magic is real.
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?
Each novel can be read as a stand alone, but you’ll get the most enjoyment reading them in order. Subsequent stories do have repercussions for characters as a result of the challenges they faced and conquered, or failed at, in previous books.
Do you ever suffer from writer’s block? How do you deal with it?
I attended a fantasy workshop once that helped me resolve this issue. Whenever I’m blocked, I write down (with pen and paper) a short paragraph outline of the scene I’m struggling with, what I hope to accomplish, and then I play a game. I pick 3 random words from the dictionary and give myself 5 minutes to come up with a solution and that solution MUST use those 3 words. Works 90% of the time.
Where is your favorite place to read? Do you have a cozy corner or special reading spot?
I love reading on the bus, if I can find a seat. It’s peaceful and I can tune everything and everyone out and focus on the story at hand.
Would you like to leave readers with a little teaser or excerpt from the book?
This is a bit more of the scene shown earlier:
EXCERPT from A Devilish Slumber:Once outside, she leaned against the wall and waited for the world to right itself while he attempted to hail a hackney. Not finding a cab, he returned and suggested they walk the short distance.She agreed. “If only the street would stop swaying.”“That might have more to do with your wavering steps.”She glared at him but did not argue when he wrapped a supporting arm around her shoulders.They reached the shoreline by the Thames River where the salty air was laden with odors of fish and rotting timber. Her stomach began to turn in unpleasant ways, adding discomfort to her already nauseous state. They continued on, turning onto a lane called Wapping New Stairs. This was where Helen’s body was found! If she had been lightheaded before, the sea air stench and the reminder that Helen had died here made her double up as her lunch threatened to erupt. She clutched her side and leaning over the far side of a barrel, she heaved, praying for the stitch in her side to subside.“Not a seafaring youth, I see,” Phillip said. “Can you hold your own while I speak to those lads by the docks?”She grunted her affirmative.With another soft chuckle, he sauntered off.Rose slithered to the ground, resting her back against the barrel, and lowered her spinning head between her legs, an action that Hannah had said helped her papa when in this state. After a while, she found she could breathe without choking on each breath.Up the road, Phillip spoke to a couple of sailors who shook their heads. He walked toward the pier where a group of men were crouched, playing some dice game. They were probably from that merchant ship anchored far off shore. She squinted to read the name. Lady Tourville.Her attention wandered back up the road from where they had come, and she spotted a figure emerge from the shadow of a building. Was that Trenton? It was! He tipped his hat to her.
How could he recognize her? She touched her face and gasped. Her features had slipped back to normal.

A Devilish SlumberThe Rue AllianceBook 1Shereen Vedam
Genre: Regency paranormal romance
Publisher: ImaJinn Books/Belle BooksDate of Publication:  Feb. 19, 2015
ISBN: 978-1-61194-609-3 (ebook)ISBN: 978-1-61194-592-8 (print)ASIN: B00TT7UGR2
Number of pages: 224Word Count:  85,000
Cover Artist:  Debra Dixon
Book Description:
Beauty awoke, and then the trouble began . . .
Since dealing with the death of her sister and her abandonment by Sir Phillip Jones, the man who professed to love her, Lady Roselyn Ravenstock has lived as if sleepwalking. Mired in grief, she sequestered herself in her home, avoiding all callers. Then she meets Mrs. Helen Beaumont, and Rose starts to come to life . . . until Helen is murdered. But this time, Rose isn't going back to sleep. Vowing to avenge her friend, Rose dons a costume and goes out into the night looking for a killer.
Sir Phillip, the Regent's favored spy, returns from war determined to win back the woman he was forced to leave three years ago. But when he witnesses Rose covered in blood, racing from a brutal scene while gripping the murder weapon, he goes on a desperate mission to unravel what he hopes is a case of mistaken identity.
The investigation leads Rose into a world of enchantment, where people can re-shape their features, fires are begun with a snap of fingers and objects move of their own accord. But the real magic is the blazing attraction that is re-awakened between her and Phillip.
Will Rose ever get her happily-ever-after? Possibly. But first, she'll have to convince Phillip of her innocence-before the killer strikes again. . . .
Available at   Amazon   Google Books   BN   Chapters



About the Author:
Once upon a time, Shereen Vedam read fantasy and romance novels to entertain herself. Now she writes heartwarming tales braided with threads of magic and love and mystery elements woven in for good measure. She’s a fan of resourceful women, intriguing men, and happily-ever-after endings. If her stories whisk you away to a different realm for a few hours, then Shereen will have achieved one of her life goals.
Website:  http://www.shereenvedam.com/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/ShereenVedam
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Google+: https://plus.google.com/u/0/101842144538025992079
Blog (A step beyond the ordinary): http://shereentwo.livejournal.com/

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Why are Dystopian Themes So Popular? Guest Blog with Renee Meland

For some reason, we as human beings seem to enjoy seeing our familiar world in turmoil. There’s something exciting about society crumbling around us, and having to learn a new way of living in order to survive.  For some, like Carol in The Walking Dead, that means rising from the ashes of an already broken life, and becoming a leader, someone who can be counted on when the stuff that nightmares are made of comes to life.  In other cases, leaders become followers, and the strong become unable to adjust their moral code to adapt to a new world, facing dire consequences because of their decisions.
There’s a magic in wondering if we as readers were in a humanity-ending situation, would we be a Carol, or would we be something else. As we turn the pages, we search for the answers of what we could become in the direst circumstances. Maybe we wonder if we’d be able to make the hard choices required to survive and to protect those around us. 
What would The Hunger Games be like if Katniss Everdeen had stayed home? If Connor Lassiter hadn’t run away and refused to be unwound in the Unwind Series, where would that have left Risa and Lev? We’d all like to think we would be the hero, save the girl, and live happily ever after, but would we? Dystopian tales give us the chance to find out…or at least pretend.
In my new book, The Extraction List, a parent’s worst nightmare comes to fruition. Children are being systematically ripped from their parents’ arms, never to be seen again. And what’s worse? They cannot call the government or the police for help, because THEY are the ones doing the ripping. Riley Crane has a mother willing to do whatever it takes to keep her child. What would you do? Would you go on the run, facing possible death in order to keep your family together? Or would you stand idly by and hope the situation fixes itself? Hopefully, most readers will never have to face a situation such as this. But as they read the novel, they can pretend.
And they can see how (and if) they come through it on the other side…



The Extraction ListBook 1Renee N. Meland
Genre: Dystopian, SciFi Thriller
Publisher: Limitless Publishing
Date of Publication: April 7th, 2015
Number of pages: 216Word Count: 54,000
Cover Artist: Redbird Designs
Book Description:
When fifteen-year-old Riley Crane finds out her best friend Olivia is being abused at home, she knows just who to turn to: her mother Claire, writer and spokesperson for President Gray's Parental Morality Law. Under this law, Task Force Officers remove children from their homes if their parents do not meet certain guidelines, taking them to government-run boarding schools. Once they arrive, supervisors rehabilitate them, turning them into productive members of society. Or at least that was how it was supposed to work...

Now, after a government official threatens to make Riley the law's latest victim, Riley and Claire must rely on Cain Foley, a gifted killer with a tongue as sharp as the knives he carries, to get them out of America alive. Though he slices through men's necks as if they are warm butter, Riley can't seem to keep her cheeks from flushing every time he speaks. But when they stumble upon a deserted boarding school, Riley sees that escaping the country is only part of their problem. Together, Riley and Cain figure out that a killer can save a life, and a mother can damn a nation
Available at Amazon


Excerpt:
Sometimes a killer can save a life. In this case that life happened to be mine. I wish I had met him before the whole mess started. Maybe he could have saved more of us.Maybe he could have saved us all.I met the man who saved my life exactly one month after he killed his twentieth person. Of course he didn’t call it “murder,” he called it surviving, though sometimes I thought he should try to explain the difference to the people buried in the ground. To me, one label didn’t necessarily cancel out the other.
***
One of my teachers used to say the road to hell is paved with good intentions. Trust me, I knew all about it; I called that road “mother.” That teacher never mentioned what the road back was made with. I figured it was because nobody’d ever found one. Hell sort of struck me as a one-way-ticket kind of thing.The night the Taskforce showed up on our doorstep, my mom screamed. After my brother Aidan’s death, then Dad leaving, hearing her carrying on like a crazy person wasn’t exactly new and different. I didn’t even flinch at first. I figured maybe she was missing my dad all the way to the bottom of a tequila bottle—again.After a couple minutes though I slammed my copy of Crime and Punishment shut and left my room. I took my sweet time going downstairs to see her, hoping to hold on to the little bit of normal I’d had just seconds earlier. I stopped by the bathroom and grabbed a giant bottle of aspirin. Just in case.Then I decided I was kidding myself. I knew better. There was no way she wouldn’t need aspirin.“Riley! Get your stuff! We have to leave right now!” I ducked as Mom greeted me with a scene full of flying paper, jackets, and a few photo albums. They seemed to spin like a paper and plastic tornado, twirling through the air and landing unevenly in a giant duffel bag spread open at her feet. Even in the chaos I paused for a second to wonder how Mom’s hair managed to stay fastened perfectly in place. The image in front of me looked almost ordinary, a beautiful blonde woman in a fitted black skirt, white blouse, and hair pinned back in a bun, with a briefcase resting just inside the door.Except this woman had thrown half our living room into orbit.“Mom, what’s going on? What happened?”Mom grabbed me by the shoulders and stared right into my eyes. “We need to leave right now, okay? I need you to not ask questions and just go pack a bag. You need to just trust me and do what I tell you, okay? And do NOT come downstairs until I say so.” Mom didn’t blink. I remembered the last time she didn’t blink during a whole conversation: When she told me that she and Dad needed to “work on their communication.” I found out later that was Mom-speak for “Dad’s about to abandon us and slam the door for the last time.”I suddenly wished for the empty tequila bottle.“You are my life.” Mom kissed my forehead, and I ran up the stairs. I didn’t come down again until I heard the gunshots. At fifteen, I was all too familiar with the sound. A person was never too young to know the snap of a gun anymore. But it was different coming from our house, like a firecracker going off inside my brain.When I got to the entryway, a pool of blood belonging to a man in a gray suit tried to hold my shoes to the floor. The sticky mess grabbed the soles of my sneakers and smelled like raw steak fresh out of the plastic wrap. I winced as I stepped through it toward my mom. A pink piece of paper rested on top of the pool, slowly flooding with the dark red liquid. Bo, my mom’s best friend, had appeared too. Pistol smoke swirled gently from the tip of his weapon.It wasn’t the blood, but the paper that made me scream. I felt the color drain from my cheeks, and I wondered if I looked as white as the dead man lying on our floor. “What the hell is going on? Is that pink paper what I think it is?”Mom ignored my question. I hated being ignored more than anything, especially by her. But since there was a dead body involved, I figured I’d make an exception.“Oh my GOD—you KILLED him!” Mom screamed, and in all her stick-thin glory started flailing her arms, hitting Bo with the strength of a flightless bird. Her bony fists bounced off his body as if his chest were made of rubber. If it hadn’t been a murder scene, it would have been kind of funny.“Are you SURE? I saw him push you and I panicked. Maybe he’s just wounded.”Thank God Bo didn’t panic more often.Mom took a deep breath and stepped through the blood. She gently picked up the man’s hand and placed two fingers on his wrist. When she released it, her fingertips were stained red. “Yes. He’s dead.” She made a grand gesture, starting at his head and finishing toward his feet. “That’s what dead people look like. What are we going to do?”My hands shook, partially from fright and partially because no one would tell me why there was a dead guy in the entryway.Or why he had the pink slip of paper.Bo grabbed Mom by the shoulders and held her still. “Claire, we’re going to grab Riley and we’re going to get out of here before more people come looking for this guy. I’ll tell you the plan on the way.”Mom scoffed at him with wide eyes. “Plan? I don’t need your plan. I’m going to go straight to President Gray about this and he’s going to fix it. He has to.”A twinge of hope rose inside me, working its way up from the tips of my toes to the top of my head. Maybe we wouldn’t have to leave our home after all. Maybe our little visit was just a really complicated, really messy misunderstanding. “Yeah, Mom’s right. I’m sure he’ll fix this. I can’t actually be on the Extraction List, right, Mom?”“Of course not. There’s no way.”Mom started toward the door, but Bo stepped in front of her.“Claire, you saw the paperwork with your own eyes. Gray knows all about this. His signature is there.” He pointed to the guy on the floor. “This guy was going to grab your daughter. We need to go right now.” Bo took Mom by the hand and dragged her out the door.I hesitated, frozen in the growing pool of red. Sweat broke out on my forehead, and it wasn’t because of the crippling D.C. heat. If I was on the Extraction List, I was supposed to end up like all those other people from my class, the ones who the Taskforce grabbed right from their desks. Those were the ones who disappeared. Since Mom had written the law that the Taskforce was responsible for enforcing, I never thought that I would ever be a target. Politics was all about protecting its stars, and there was no bigger star than my mother.But that little pink piece of paper could only mean one thing. I forced myself to look down at it. I searched the document, eyes falling on the bottom right corner. It was faded, stretched by the blood into an unnatural shape, but it was there—the President of the United States’ signature.I grabbed the bag Mom had been trying to pack and zipped it shut. I swung my own bag over my shoulder and followed Mom and Bo out of our house, hoping that I would someday be able to come back. But deep down, I knew we were about to drive away forever.



About the Author:
Renee N. Meland lives in the Pacific Northwest with her husband and two dogs. Her favorite obsessions are Rome, learning new recipes, and exploring the world around her. She is an avid reader of speculative fiction, and believes that telling stories is the best job in the world.
https://reneenmeland.wordpress.com/
Twitter @reneenmeland
Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/8194285.Renee_N_Meland
Facebook:https://www.facebook.com/pages/Renee-N-Melands-Books/311899338826241   



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Interview and Giveaway Piercing the Darkness by Angela Dennis

Can you tell readers a little bit about yourself and what inspired to write in this particular genre?
I’m a lot of things. A mom, a wife, a writer, and most of all a reader. I love all types of genres and read everything from horror to romance. And I think that’s what I love the most about Urban Fantasy. It combines elements from horror, fantasy, romance, and melds them together. I mainly chose to write Urban Fantasy because I love to read it, that, and I had this crazy world building idea for a story that wouldn’t really fit anywhere else.
What is it about the paranormal, in particular vampires, that fascinates you so much?
I’m not sure. Maybe it was all the Ann Rice books I read as a teenager, or the fact Dracula is one of my favorite literary characters. I, personally, am fascinated by vampires because by their very essence they span a wide range of emotional depths. When you think of vampires, you immediately think of sex, violence, power, death, and intrigue.  I think that makes them fascinating.
What inspired you to write this book?
I have a huge soft spot for the characters in this book. The main character, Hilda, is a secondary character in the other Shadow Born books, and she has always fascinated me.  Because of her past, she’s a little off kilter, but fiercely protective of the one’s she loves. I couldn’t resist the opportunity to tell her story.
Please tell us about your latest release.
Piercing the Darkness is a tie-in novella to the Shadow Born series. It stands completely on its own, so there’s no need to read the other two books first. It tells the story of Hilda, a character I absolutely adore. This book has a lot more romance than the other books. It’s a story of two star-crossed lovers, with a love so strong, it conquers even death.
 Was one of your characters more challenging to write than another?
Hilda was a challenge to write. She goes through such a tremendous change throughout the course of this book, both emotionally and physically, I wanted to make sure that it felt authentic.
Is there a character that you enjoyed writing more than any of the others?
I love all of my characters. But I probably like writing Keegan the most. He’s the trouble-making dragon who first appeared in Fading Light. He has a small role to play in Piercing the Darkness, but he certainly know how to make an impression.
Do you have a formula for developing characters? Like do you create a character sketch or list of attributes before you start writing or do you just let the character develop as you write?
I do both. I usually sketch out a list of characteristics, an outline of who I intend the characters to be, but they usually take on a mind of their own once I start writing. The characters I end up with at the end of the book are usually nothing like what I originally envisioned.
What is your favorite scene from the book? Could you share a little bit of it, without spoilers of course?
It’s a short book, so it’s hard to do without spoilers, but let me think. There’s a scene where Hilda and Keegan are in the kitchen of the boarding house and they’re eating ice cream. It’s a humorous scene, but it’s also the first time we really see Hilda let down her guard and admit how much she is struggling to come to terms with what has happened to her. That’s definitely one of my favorites.
Can you tell readers a little bit about the world building in the book/series? How does this world differ from our normal world?
Years before the Shadow Born books take place, a human war ripped the Veil that separated the planes of reality. The force of the tear pulled supernatural creatures the humans call deviants onto the Earthly plane, trapping them there.  Humans and deviants alike were forced underground, away from the toxic atmosphere. As a result, human survival depended on the assistance of the sympathetic deviants who had protected them. When the atmosphere became livable, the species struck a tentative truce while they rebuilt. However, the truce made the humans complacent. They became too comfortable with their deviant counterparts. So much so that they were unable to defend themselves when a fast growing deviant faction rose up against them. The Interspecies Relationship Taskforce or the IRT police the deviants and protect the humans, but their reach is limited. The main characters in the Shadow Born books are members of that Taskforce, some willingly, some not.
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?
All the books in the series can be read separately. There is an over-arching storyline, but each book has a complete story line as well.
Do you write in different genres?
I do. I actually have a sexy paranormal romance coming out from Samhain Publishing in the fall called Dance with the Devil that I’m really excited about.
What are your guilty pleasures in life?
Let’s see. Probably when my husband wakes up with our son and lets me sleep in on Saturdays. Ice cream. Definitely ice cream. And a hot bubble bath with a very large glass of red wine (preferably Shiraz).
Where can readers find you on the web?
They can definitely come find me on Twitter @angeladennis or on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/angela.dennis.7798.  Also on my blog www.angeladennisauthor.blogspot.com




Piercing the Darkness     Shadow Born SeriesBook 2.5Angela Dennis
Genre: Urban Fantasy
Publisher: Samhain Publishing, Ltd.Date of Publication: April 7, 2015
ISBN: 978-1-61922-626-5ASIN: B00TLIGBB4
Number of pages: 86Word Count: 27,000
Cover Artist: Kanaxa
Book Description:
Love knows no bounds.
Cursed by the dark mage who killed her, Hilda Janssen has wandered the Earthly plane as a ghost for fifty years, finally finding her place as an IRT hunter, policing supernatural misfits trapped on Earth after a brutal war.
When a demon attacks, putting her team in mortal danger, Hilda sacrifices herself to save her friends. She’s already died once; what difference will doing it again make? But instead of meeting a final death, Hilda is cast into the Void, a magical prison from which there is no escape.
Her only hope is Cade Kerrigan, the lover she left behind after her first death. Their bond and his magic are the only things strong enough to pull her through the Veil. But Cade has no idea his soulmate came back as a ghost, and he isn’t too happy to have been left in the dark.
They must put aside the baggage of the past to save Hilda from a fate worse than death.
Warning: Contains star-crossed lovers destined for a second chance, a whirlwind of powerful magic, and a love so strong it defies even death.
Available at Amazon   BN    Samhain   iTunes  Kobo
Excerpt:
Everything hurt, even her teeth. Hilda eased to her hands and knees, spitting dirt from her mouth. She had no idea how much time had passed, and she didn’t really care. All she wanted to know was where the hell she was.
She tried to stand, but pain brought her back to her knees on the damp ground. Rubbing at her burning eyes, she shook her head. Her vision was blurry at best, and all she could see for miles was dirt and darkness. The air was thick with humidity and stank of wood smoke, burning her lungs each time she inhaled.
Wait. She was breathing. Ghosts didn’t breathe. And they didn’t hurt.
Her legs gave out and she collapsed onto the ground. She ran her fingers through the soggy earth at her side, realizing she could feel it. Fighting back her growing alarm, she brushed her fingertips across her face. She could feel that too, and it felt solid.
Holy shit, she still had a body. She had no idea how that was possible, but she was going with it. This time when she stood, she was prepared for the instant pain and weakness, so she managed to stay on her feet. She spun around, searching for something, anything, other than the endless darkness.
She definitely was not still on the Earthly plane. This place felt different. The air was gritty, felt dirty against her skin. And something about it seemed…wrong.
As her eyes adjusted, she realized there were globe-like fixtures scattered beneath the ground. They shimmered with pale blue light that barely penetrated the dense atmosphere.But it was bright enough she could make out the outline of a hillside in the distance. Maybe if she climbed to the top she could get a better look around.
She wrapped her arms around her chest to try and get warm, realizing she was naked.How she had missed that was anyone’s guess, but it was irrelevant. It wasn’t as if she could pull a pair of pants and a sweater out of thin air. She’d figure it out later, once she got her bearings.
Bare feet dancing across the rough, pebbled landscape, she kept her eyes focused on the hill in front of her, confident her salvation lay on the other side. The farther she walked, the more confused she became. This plane didn’t fit the description of any plane she’d heard of, and the education Brenna had given her had been fairly extensive. There was a tingle of doubt in the back of her mind, a part of her that was convinced she was finally completely dead and this was her afterlife. But she refused to believe that.
So she moved forward, step by painful step, against the wind’s resistance, through the thick layers of fog, until she was only a few yards from the hillside. Now that she was close, she realized the hill was made of a series of jagged stones, jutting out at various dangerous looking angles. It would take a miracle for her to reach the top, but she was known for beating the odds. She’d never know if she didn’t try.
Her hand was clutching the first notch in the rock when she heard it. A mix between a growl and a hiss echoed through the night. It was so loud, she unconsciously released the rock, pressing both palms over her ears to block it out. The ground shook with the force of whatever was coming and the wind stopped abruptly as if it too was running away.






About the Author:
Angela Dennis lives outside Cincinnati, Ohio, with her husband, son and a sheltie with a hero complex. When she is not at her computer crafting stories, she can be found feeding her coffee addiction, playing peek-a-boo, or teaching her son about the great adventures found only in books.
You can visit Angela at her blog www.angeladennisauthor.blogspot.com.
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A Review of BEAUTY’S KINGDOM By Anne Rice writing as A.N. Roquelaure

My Review:

Lush, sexy, erotic. 

Anne Rice's writing is always so haunting...a unique style all her own that transports you to the setting and immerses you in the world. Whether it's vampires, witches or naughty fairy tales you feel yourself in the story and have no desire to leave.

If you loved the previous Beauty books you will adore this one.


BEAUTY’S KINGDOM
By Anne Rice writing as A.N. Roquelaure


Viking 
ISBN: 978-0-525-42799-5  
On-sale: April 21, 2015  
$27.95

ABOUT THE BOOK: 

It is twenty years since the fabled Sleeping Beauty and her prince, Laurent, left the mysterious kingdom of Queen Eleanor, where they had known voluptuous erotic slavery together.  Suddenly the great queen is reported dead and the survival of the kingdom is in peril.

Beauty and Laurent are implored to take the throne and to uphold the ways of complete sensual surrender that have made Eleanor’s realm a legend.  Beauty agrees, but she insists that all erotic servitude be voluntary.  She and Laurent strive to rebuild Eleanor’s land as a newer paradise of luscious abandonment and never-ending sensual pleasure.

Countless eager princes, princesses, lords, ladies, and commoners journey to Beauty’s new kingdom, where she and her husband awaken their domain, ushering in a new era of desire, longing, and sexual ecstasy.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR: 

Anne Rice is the author of many bestselling novels, including the hugely successful Vampire Chronicles. Her first novel, Interview with a Vampire, was made into a film in 1994 starring Tom Cruise and Brad Pitt.  Her other books include the Mayfair Witches series, the novels The Mummy or Ramses the Damned, Violin Angel Time, the Sleeping Beauty trilogy, and, most recently, Prince Lestat: The Vampire Chronicles.  Born and raised in New Orleans, Louisiana, she now lives in Southern California. 







“[A] thumbs-up…. BEAUTY’S KINGDOM is a delightful, immersive read, all at once playful, campy, explicit, erotic, and provocative.”— Publisher’s Weekly
“Voluptuous imagery and graphic scenes of mostly BDSM sex. Roquelaure pulls no punches (or holds back no spankings). The fairy-tale setting provides an apt stage, and the magical world clearly marks the erotic action as fantasy.” — Kirkus
PRAISE FOR THE SLEEPING BEAUTY TRILOGY“Articulate, baroque, and fashionably pornographic.” — Playboy
“Something very special . . . at once so light and yet so haunting.” — The Advocate

Kindle Freebie April 16-20 Insatiable by Roxanne Rhoads

Insatiable
Roxanne Rhoads 

Scarlett’s need for sex is insatiable but in her small town such appetites are frowned upon. 

She packs up and moves to the big city so she can quench her desires and satisfy her hunger. She never expected to find a man who is her equal. 

Marcello’s appetites for pleasures of the flesh match her own. Scarlett has never known love, only desire, yet Marcello leaves her wanting more than just sex. 


Can true love and unquenchable desire exist together in a non- monogamous relationship? 



Available at  Amazon