Roxanne Rhoads's Blog, page 442

LIFE IS STRANGER THAN FICTION: VAMPIRES BY ANNE HOPE

Yesterday, when I logged into my Facebook account, the following headline popped onto my screen: “One Hundred Vampire Graves Found in Bulgaria.”
Needless to say, it caught my attention and, being the author of paranormal fiction, I clicked on the link. After all, it’s not every day a girl gets to read about real-life vampires!
The article discussed the 700-year-old skeletons that archaeologists discovered in June 2012, when they excavated the grounds of a monastery in Bulgaria. These corpses had apparently been stabbed through the heart with iron rods, a sure sign that people considered them vampires.
It seems the word vampire means different things to different cultures. Some subscribe to the popular belief that vampires subsist on human blood. Others accuse them of being the bringers of plague and the cause of poltergeist activity. Another school of thought promotes the idea of psychic vampires, people who drain others of energy.
This last one piqued my interest. My Dark Souls series features the Kleptopsychs, Hybrids and Rogues, immortal beings who can affect people’s thoughts, moods and actions. These descendants of the Nephilim feed not on blood, but on human souls.
Could they, in fact, be the psychic vampires of lore?
Wikipedia describes a psychic vampire as “a person or being who feeds off the life forceof other living creatures.”
Check.
The term energy vampire is used to refer to beings “whose influence leaves a person feeling exhausted, unfocused, and depressed.”
Double check.
In a way, psychic vampires are similar to the blood-sucking kind, except they drain the life force from their victims psychically instead of physically. They destroy a person’s will, steal their hope and leave them feeling listless and empty.
If we think back, I’m sure we’ve all known a person like that. Someone’s whose mere presence and negative nature sucks the joy right out of us.
Sometimes the world can be a very dark place, and its hard to understand why some people do the destructive things they do.
In my Dark Souls world, the answer is simple: psychic vampires. But there’s a twist—not all of them are evil. Imagine having the power to destroy the human psyche without actually meaning to do so. Imagine the angst, the isolation, the guilt this would cause a person who still possesses a conscience.
That’s what makes the heroes and heroines in my Dark Souls series so heroic. Every day they battle their dark nature to protect humanity. They hunt their own kind, struggle to preserve a world that’s determined to self-destruct. They fight for peace, when their very composition is one of chaos and violence. They defend what they were created to destroy. They love despite the fact that they are soulless.
Psychic vampires or not, they are the only ones who can stop the coming Apocalypse.
Whether they succeed still remains to be seen!



Soul BoundDark SoulsBook 1Anne Hope
Genre: Paranormal Romance
Publisher: Samhain Publishing
ISBN: 978-1-60928-948-5ISBN: 978-1619211391ASIN: B007HCWHAK
Number of pages: 338 e-book312 paperbackWord Count: 111 K
Cover Artist: Scott Carpenter
Samhain e-book   Samhain paperback
Amazon  e-book    Amazon paperback
Amazon.ca e-book  Amazon.ca paperback
Barnes and Noble    Kobo   iTunes
Book Description:
The one man she wants is the one man destined to destroy her.
Sooner or later we all end up dead. Jace Cutler doesn’t have the luxury of staying that way. After receiving a fatal stab wound, he awakens in a hospital room in Portland, Oregon, with no memory and a big hole where his soul used to be. Worst of all is the glow. Everyone is surrounded by a strange white aura he hungers to possess, none more compelling than the one enveloping Dr. Lia Benson.
Lia has always been ruled by reason, refusing to put stock in such nebulous things as destiny. Until Jace dies in her arms, then miraculously comes back to life. Whenever he’s near, her soul responds and her body burns. And she’s consumed by odd dreams she’s convinced are Jace’s lost memories.
When Lia is kidnapped, Jace tracks her and discovers a shocking explanation for who—and what—he is. Something no longer human, a dark legacy that until now has lain dormant within him. Something that could destroy the one woman he’d sacrifice everything to protect.

Warning: Contains bone-melting sexual tension, scary battle scenes, heartrending emotion guaranteed to keep you turning the pages well into the night, and a positively divine hero who may just steal your soul.
Soul DeepDark SoulsBook 2Anne Hope
Genre: Paranormal Romance
Publisher: Samhain Publishing
ISBN: 978-1-61921-250-3 e-bookISBN: 978-1-61921-681-5 paperbackASIN: B009ZCG07Q
Number of pages: 301 e-book304 paperbackWord Count: 100 K
Cover Artist: Kanaxa
Samhain    Amazon  Amazon.ca
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Book Description:
Save her life…or save mankind. His choice could cost him his soul.For nearly two centuries, Marcus has been the Watchers’ most faithful soldier. Sworn to protect humanity, driven by an unrelenting compulsion to atone for past sins, he has rarely found a compelling reason to question his mission, let alone defy his leader.
His partner, Regan, is his exact opposite, an enigma he longs to solve. A free spirit and reckless to a fault, Regan acts first and thinks later. Her smart mouth and tender heart have fascinated Marcus for decades, but the Watchers’ strict vow of celibacy has forced him to ignore the sizzling attraction between them. Until now.When Regan goes rogue to protect a very special little boy, Marcus is forced to make an impossible choice—commit an act of treason or watch the woman he secretly loves die.
Hunted by enemies and allies alike, Regan and Marcus run for their lives, fighting to thwart an age-old prophecy and guard a boy whose destiny may very well be to destroy the world…or save it.
Warning: Contains violent battle scenes, angels with twisted agendas, nail-biting suspense, intense emotion, burning-hot sexual tension, and a sexy, stubborn hero who would rather face death than admit what’s in his heart.
Soul ThiefDark SoulsNovella 0.5Anne Hope
Genre: Paranormal Romance
Publisher: Samhain Publishing
ISBN: 978-1-61921-836-9ASIN: B00CZ8MCFQ
Number of pages: 151Word Count: 41 K
Cover Artist: Kanaxa
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Book Description:
Born to hunt and destroy…until the light of one soul reawakens his own.Adrian knows he once possessed a soul, but it abandoned him the day he was murdered. The day he was reborn as a Rogue, shunned by humans and hunted by his own kind. By night he feeds the darkness inside him by finding and snuffing out corrupt souls, perfectly content to live as an outcast—until a random act of violence unites him with a woman who makes him feel.
Angelica Paxton believes everyone deserves a second chance. Even her rescuer, a mysterious stranger with hypnotic powers, an unsettling ability to invade her dreams, and a shocking secret. Much as her body wants to succumb to Adrian’s seductive charms, she can’t. Not without breaking his newly awakened heart.
Adrian swears to protect Angie from his kind, even if staying by her side means volunteering at the center where she works to reform the very souls he has vowed to crush. Even if it means abandoning the shadows for the light. Even if that light exposes the darkest threat he’s ever faced. One from which he is powerless to save her…
Warning: This book contains flying subway cars, a woman in jeopardy, a relentless villain who’ll stop at nothing to get what he wants, and a dark, sexy hero who could very well haunt your dreams and steal your heart.
Soul ChaseDark SoulsBook 3Anne Hope
Genre: Paranormal Romance
Publisher: Samhain Publishing
ISBN: 978-1-61921-890-1ASIN: B00DUB2554
Number of pages: 306Word Count: 90K
Cover Artist: Kanaxa
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Book Description:
A man she’d die for, a world she was born to defend… Only one can survive.For twenty-five years, Adrian has mourned the loss of his soul mate, Angie. He’s content to live as an outcast…until a series of abductions forces him out of seclusion and into the arms of the very woman he loved and lost. Angie’s reincarnation, Emma.
Emma is on the run, hunted by soulless creatures whose one goal is to possess her soul. They have taken everything: her home, her identity, her mother. Left with no other choice, she must trust her fate to Adrian, the enigmatic stranger who comes to her rescue. An immortal being whose illicit touch makes her blood burn and awakens an inexplicable desire in her heart.
Emma follows Adrian to his isolated community in Arizona, where she is assailed by visions of a past life. As passion ignites and her enemies close in, Emma is drawn into a world where nothing is what it seems and where love could prove the greatest weakness of all.
Warning: Contains a dark, tortured hero, a hunted woman who can’t remember loving him, a nasty villain hell-bent on destroying the world, and a timeless love story you won’t soon forget.
About the Author:
Anne Hope is the author of emotionally intense romances with a twist—a twist of humor, a twist of suspense, a twist of magic. All her stories, however, have a common thread. Whether they make you laugh or cry or push you to the edge of your seat, they all feature the redeeming power of love and the heart's incredible ability to heal.
Anne's passion for writing began at the age of eight. After penning countless stories about enchanted houses, alien girls with supernatural powers, and children constantly getting lost in the woods, she decided to try her hand at romance.
She lives in Montreal, Canada, with her husband, her two inexhaustible kids, a lazy cat and a rambunctious Australian Kelpie.
www.annehope.com
https://twitter.com/AnneHopeAuthor
https://www.facebook.com/annehopeauthor
https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/772411.Anne_Hope
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Cover Reveal Red the Were Hunter by Rebekah Ganiere

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Red the Were HunterFarielle SeriesBook OneRebekah Ganiere
Fantasy Romance/ Paranormal Romance
What if you were the key to an ancient prophecy that would begin to heal your lands, but fulfilling your destiny meant you had to turn your back on everything you'd been taught to believe in?
Redlynn of Volkzene, member of the Sisterhood of Red, is heartbroken to find another village girl taken and her best friend slain by werewolves. Defying the head of her order, she sets out to kill the beast she believes responsible.  The King of the Weres-- But there are worse things in Wolvenglen Forest than the wolves.
Adrian, reluctant heir to the throne of Wolvenglen, and his band of wolf brothers are bound to protect the humans; especially the Sisterhood. Finding Redlynn unconscious in his woods, awakens in him a passion he's never before experienced and a protective instinct that has him ready to turn on his own men. Problem is, a female is that last thing he wants in his life. 
But all is not as it seems in Wolvenglen Forest and when the mystery of the missing girls is solved, Redlynn and Adrian must move past their inner demons to find the happiness they both so desperately desire.

About the Author:
Rebekah grew up on both the east and west coasts and currently lives in the Los Angeles area. From the Giving Tree by Shel Silverstein to The Stand by Stephen King, Rebekah immersed herself in other people's made up worlds. She began writing in junior high and then found she liked pretending to be other people's characters in high school. Lettering in drama she went on to study theater in college as well. After college she continued acting till becoming a mom. Ultimately, she ended up going back to writing her characters down instead of acting them out, so she could stay at home with her kids.
Rebekah is a member of Romance Writers of America and is a board member of both the Fantasy, Futuristic, & Paranormal and her local Los Angeles chapters.  When she isn't spending time telling the lives of the characters constantly chattering inside her head, you can find her with her husband and four children; reading comic books, gaming, at the movies or taking care of the menagerie of pets. A dog, a rabbit, two bearded dragons, and three tortoises. Wonder woman, the escaped snake, has yet to be located.
www.RebekahGaniere.com
Twitter: @VampWereZombie
Facebook: http://www.Facebook.com/VampiresWerewolvesZombies
Good Reads: https://www.goodreads.com/VampWereZombie
Youtube: http://youtu.be/YiCqYd9UBMk

10 Things You Didn’t Know About Rising Shadows: Guest blog and Giveaway with Bridget Blackwood

1. Originally, the story was set in New Orleans, LA. I love NOLA. I was fourteen the first time I visited. My drill team was there for a Mardi Gras dance competition. Wow, talk about an eye opening experience! I found Mardi Gras to be an interesting den of iniquity that both terrified and intrigued me. As much as I New Orleans, I decided to change it in Rising Shadows to a no name location since I wanted each reader to imagine it in their own area. (I’ll be heading back to New Orleans October 2014, woo!)

2. Rachel had several name changes. I can’t remember them all but I know one was Tessa and another was Sarah. 

3. The hero’s name is Sebastien Bonvillain, he prefers to be called Bastien which is a nod to the main character in The Neverending Story. The last name Bonvillain translates to ‘good villain’. I am forever misspelling the whole families name’s wrong. 

4. I started book one and book three at the same time. I couldn’t decide which book came first for almost a year. Trying to figure out the timeline made me crackers. 

5. It took five years to finish Rising Shadows because I kept taking breaks to have kids and move houses. That’s all stopped so books are written much faster now.

6. Cleary Neil and Varian Caina are my favorite characters that you’ve met. I love how unpredictable and eccentric they are; If those guys think it, they say it. They are the easiest to write for because they don’t hide anything. 

7. Rachel had a cat! I couldn’t find a way to reunite her with her cat in a plausible way so I wrote him out. It made me sad to think she might never find out what happened to her cat. I’m an animal lover. I am owned by a pug, a boxer, four cats, and two ferrets. 

8. Winter Summersun was meant to have a small walk on role and then go away. Instead she’s a main character with a fan following. Her name is symbolic of her conflicted political status. 

9. I got the idea for Rising Shadows from a daydream. 

10. Livia and Rachel’s relationship was central to the story in every draft I wrote. I never changed their bond, it’s the catalyst for every move Rachel makes. 







Rising ShadowsWorld in ShadowsBook OneBridget Blackwood
Genre: Paranormal Romance
Date of Publication: February 1, 2014
ISBN: 1494891751ASIN: B00I6U2ARW
Number of pages: 107Word Count: 32,404
Cover Artist: The Killion Group
Amazon   Nook
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Book Description:
Rachel Ryan wakes up with no knowledge of where she is or how she got there. Thrown into a world she thought only existed in myths, she finds more questions than answers.
Shape shifters, faeries, and vampires hide in plain sight among humans. There’s a war quietly brewing in the shadows. Rachel stands between mankind and those creatures that live in the darkness.
Enhanced with power she doesn’t understand, she’ll tip the scales, but who is the real enemy?


Excerpt #1Gates is in the center of the club. I follow behind him curious to see what happens next. I should grab Livia and run. I look up at the loft. People are lined up against the railing watching the display below. My eyes are drawn to one man in particular. From my angle and with the low lighting, I can’t tell much about his features or height. His clothes and hair are dark, he rests one arm on the top rail and holds a pool cue in the other hand. His gaze is a penetrating green and I swear they glow, I have to make myself look away.“Guns are not appreciated here, sir,” says a young woman behind the bar.Liquid courage, come to mama! Moving around Gates, I walk over and take a seat in front of her. “Can I get a drink please?” I ask politely.“What do you think you are doing?” Gates grinds out through clenched teeth. He is standing directly behind me.“You folks had me locked up playing lab rat. I just want a few minutes of me time before the shit hits the fan.”Gates doesn’t know what to say to that. Patrons watch me curiously. Let them. I am past the point of caring. The bartender grins at me. She has hair that’s a silvery lavender dancing around her shoulders. Her eyes are a mesmerizing shade of purple. She doesn’t seem real. I am spellbound. Not a shifter, what is she? I have to stop myself from reaching out and touching her.“What would you like?” She asks me breaking the trance.
Back to reality, in a room full of doom. “What would you recommend for a woman’s last drink on earth?”
About the Author:
Bridget Blackwood is a hopeless romantic and a fan of happily ever after. She grew up in East Texas where she met and married her high school sweetheart. Together they moved to Southern Illinois, it's been home for over a decade now. Bridget began telling stories at an early age, she writes in self-defense because the characters in her head are loud and bossy. A social butterfly by nature, Bridget loves to talk and laugh. When she isn't writing she enjoys watching horror movies, playing video games, and not cooking.
Facebook https://www.facebook.com/bridget.blackwood.9
Twitter  https://twitter.com/author_bridget
Blog  http://bridgetblackwood.wordpress.com/
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Pinterest  http://www.pinterest.com/bridgetblackwoo/
Goodreads  https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/7735464.Bridget_Blackwood
Booklikes  http://bridgetblackwood9.booklikes.com/

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Music Playlist for Double Alchemy by Susan MacNicol

Music seems to be the one thing that can bring people together. I think that it doesn’t matter who you are- when you listen to a song, hundreds and thousands of people are probably listening to that song too at more or less the same moment you are, and that’s quite an awesome thought. Who you are, where you live, what your beliefs are, or who you love - nothing matters. All that is important is the sound of that tune throbbing in your ears and the tapping of your fingers as you try and write that next scene in your masterpiece.
Music enthuses us, gives us inspiration, and entertains us while thoughts of angst, passion, sexy antics, men in love and family life all spiral out of our fingertips, down onto a keyboard and hopefully create a story woven by music that others will want to read. Probably while they listen to music too. It’s the gift that keeps on giving.
Plato said - Music is a moral law. It gives soul to the universe, wings to the mind, flight to the imagination, and charm and gaiety to life and to everything.
I rather liked John Lennon’s quote - Music is everybody's possession. It's only publishers who think that people own it.
When I was writing Double Alchemy, I had a yen to listen to some Celtic music so I could get a feel for the Welsh sorcerer Taliesin featured in the book. You can hear one particular rather haunting song, called Dragon Land, on the book trailer. So my playlist for Double Alchemy includes some instrumental folk music. I also love Indie Rock and some alternative rock- I’m all for loud, brash music when I write.  So I’ve got Kasabian, Muse, The Killers and IAMX, a real favourite of mine. Alex Clare is on there too, along with the great band, Imagine Dragons.  And with titles like ‘Human’, ‘Kiss and Swallow’, ‘Hear Me’ and ‘Demons’ I thought them very fitting for this book *grins* Especially the Kiss and Swallow bit.
There’s a little bit of a couple of my all time loved composers - Shostakovich and Tchaikovsky . There’s nothing Quinn likes better than relaxing to some classical music when he’s in the study saving the world and deciding what tough decision he has to make today. So he relaxes to violin concertos, the music of Swan Lake and some beautiful jazz suites.
Cade tends to enjoy the music of the moment and he’s a great fan of Nickleback and Foo Fighters so there are a couple of tunes in the mix especially for him. He also loves himself a bit of Ben Howard (if truth be told I think he’d like a little more of Ben Howard that Quinn would like him to have) so he’s on the playlist too.  I think Cade feels a bit of an affinity with Ben because as a surfer, he spends so much time in the water. My son Jason had the privilege of attending a very intimate gig with Ben (about twelve people in all) at a local venue but that was before Mr Howard became as big as he is now. But apparently he was amazing even then.
You can check out all the songs here on my Soundcloud account in the playlist for Double Alchemy.
https://soundcloud.com/sue-mac-nicol/sets/music-double-alchemy


Double AlchemySusan MacNicol
Genre: m/m paranormal romance
Publisher: Boroughs Publishing Group
ASIN: B00J7FVYRC
Book Description:
Powerful yet tormented modern warlock Quinn Fairmont must initiate the silver-eyed Cade Mairston into the world of witchfinders, Withinners, and what can happen when two men fall truly, madly, deeply in love.
THE WORLD IN SHADOW
In modern London there lurks a warlock, Quinn Fairmont. Dangerous, powerful, tortured, sharing his body with the soul of an ancient Welsh sorcerer, Quinn is never alone—and never wholly himself. He fights against all those who would exploit his kind. He takes pleasure where he can find it.
In the forest of Hampstead Heath, Quinn’s hometown, Cade Mairston appears to him like a waking dream. Lithe, lean and silver-eyed, he evokes feelings in Quinn unlike any other: lust with true affection, immediate and shocking. Cade is clearly more than he seems. And yet, if a man of the world, Cade is innocent. He knows nothing of warlocks, witchfinders or Withinners. He knows nothing of what he is, what he might be, or what he might feel. For him, the story is just beginning. Magyck, peril and passion await.
Available on Amazon

Book Trailer :  http://youtu.be/Un64l7-7P8k


About the Author:
Sue Mac Nicol was born in Leeds, Yorkshire, in the United Kingdom. At the age of eight, her family moved to Johannesburg, South Africa where she stayed for nearly thirty years before arriving back in the UK in December 2000. She has written ten novels, two novellas and a screenplay since February 2012 and clearly believes in keeping herself busy. She has found herself wanting to stay in the genre that is M/M Romance so more can definitely be expected.
Sue is a member of Romance Writers of America and Romantic Novelists Association in the UK. She is also a member of a rather unique writing group, called the Talliston Writer’s Circle, which in itself has a story all of its own to tell and lives in the rural village of Bocking, in Essex, with her family. Her plan is to keep writing as long as her muse sits upon her shoulder. Her dream is to one day make enough money to give up the day job and get that big old house in the English countryside overlooking a river, where she can write all day and continue to indulge her passion for telling stories.
website: www.susanmacnicol.com
blog: www.susanmacnicol.wordpress.com   
facebook: www.facebook.com/susiemax77
twitter: www.twitter.com/SusanMacNicol7
linkedin: http://uk.linkedin.com/pub/susanmacnicol/48/a44/602



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Guest Blog and Giveaway with Sidney Stone

Thank you for featuring my book on the last day of the tour and thank you Roxanne and Bewitching Books for the great job you did!  For the final post, I will be doing an author interview with the best questions I received during this month of touring. 
And writers, I highly recommend you using Bewitching Books when scheduling a tour. 
Again, the best interview questions from the book tour:
Could you tell us a bit about your latest release?
Jennifer Ainsley: The Final Demon War is the first book in a planned trilogy.  It is a tale of love and loss that uses supernatural elements to illuminate truths about the “real” world. Here is some background on each of the characters:
Jennifer Ainsley: She lost her beloved mother and sister in a mysterious car crash when she was a child, the same night billionaire Jonathon Tait had a vision she was the one to wield the Sword of Jesus (Matthew 10:34 Do not suppose that I have come to bring peace to the earth. I did not come to bring peace, but a sword) against the demons. Adopted by Jonathon and raised wiith his twins to love them like she did her sister, Jennifer knows nothing of her destiny until the night of her college graduation party. Also manipulated by Jonathon to fall for the Head of Tait Security Andrew Walker, the coming storm will engulf her and she may yet lose even more than she already has.
Jonathon Tait: 170 year old billionaire who in league with the demons, has become the richest, most powerful man in the world. The murder of his second love, plus the love of his children, begin to place Jonathon on the path of not redemption; but at least a way to save the two people he loves the most.
Mpordock: The leader of the Demons.  A fallen Angel who also had forsaken the Underworld to wage a final battle against humanity. Disdainful of Lucifer and yet craving the acceptance of the God who cast Mordock out of Heaven, Mordock thinks that if he destroys humanity (like God himself almost did with The Flood) maybe God will recognize him and maybe Mordock can become holy again.
Andrew Walker: Like Jennifer, Andrew lost his family in a tragic accident and that shared past has given them a fierce, passionate love. Their initial lovemaking scene illustrates how much they are in love with each other and how much they would protect one another. But Andrew, one of the few living men to have killed a demon, is not an experienced demon fighter and may be over his head in the coming war.
Mike Davis: The government operative most skilled in killing demons, he is known throughout the world has having the greatest luck in remaining alive when so many other soldiers like him, including a former lover, have perished. Spying on Jennifer while also attempting to protect her, he falls in love with her but realizes this will always be unrequited. Jennifer will always be in love with Andrew which causes Mike to take terrible risks yet also give him an unwavering strength as he wants to do right by Jennifer.
Andrew and Sophia Tait: Jonathon’s twins who were an unexpected surprise birth. Jonathon loves them so much he betrays his alliance with the demons. As the conflict grows though, Jonathon and others begin to realize the twins may have an even greater destiny than Jennifer. And if Mordock finds that out, all could be lost.
Do you plan everything or just let the story flow?
At the beginning of this story, and the four screenplays I previously wrote, I outline the tale from beginning to end.  However I am not a slave to the outline.  I let inspiration guide me. So while I may know where the road begins and ends, I’m not always sure how many detours I will take to get to my final destination.  
Who, or what, if anything has influenced your writing?
I grew up very poor and ended up dropping out of High School. To escape I read a lot of early Stephen King, Dean Koontz and Tolkien. Eventually I got myself together, worked myself through college twice and eventually ended up with a Masters Degree in Urban and Regional Planning. The humble upbringings, the strength to persevere and those early writers all influence my writing to some degree. I hope I was able to combine the darkness with the light, while adding in deep characters, that will enable readers to become fully invested in my stories.
How long did it take you to write?
The first draft of Jennifer Ainsley took me 8 months to write. It was absolutely terrible and no one will ever read that.  The second draft took another two months and with that version I had graduated to merely sucky.  Draft #2 I allowed three friends, who I call my Gorgeous and Intelligent Readers, to review and give me honest critical feedback.  Another draft later, I gave it to a friend who is a professional writing for editing.  Once the manuscript had reached the level of mediocre, I used the professional editing services of Createspace Publishing who gave me wonderful feedback and two more drafts later, I actually had a professionally edited book that I think, and initial reviews reflect, an outstanding and entertaining tale.
So from beginning to end, 22 months. This is not a book that took 30 days to write and it was been edited and vetted by numerous people before I decided to share it with the world (Or at least the few hundred people who have bought it so far).
Did you always wanted to be a writer? If not what did you want to be?
I have always loved to write.  As a child I was on the school newspaper and even had my own column in 7th grade (which ended when I included the quote “Love does not make the world go around, it makes it go up and down.  I guess the school administrators did not share my sense of humor).  In my 20’s I wrote 4 screenplays since in S. California they issue Final Draft software to any writer at birth. I pursued actual money making endeavors though and got away from writing although I still wrote down story ideas.  In 2012 one of those story ideas just wouldn’t go away and given that quitting your job suddenly adds more time to your life, I pursued that idea and fleshed it out to a novel.  
What can readers expect from you in the future?
My next novel is the sequel to Jennifer Ainsley: The Final Demon War.  It will be titled: Jennifer Ainsley: This Time We Really Mean It, The Final war (Just kidding). The next book is Jennifer Ainsley: The End and the Beginning.  Even more epic and encompassing, if I can pull this off it will essentially be my The Stand. Only with more humor and emotion. And maybe more severed heads…
Tell us about your book cover and how it relates to your story.
The book cover was created by the talented folks at Pencilbox Studios in Orange County. Originally I had wanted a cover of a sword lying in the forest with a mushroom cloud off in the distance. However, on a writer’s budget that was not feasible.  The artist though used one of the icons of the book – The Sword of Jesus (Matthew 10:34 “Do not suppose that I have come to bring peace to the earth. I did not come to bring peace, but a sword”) to create an unsettling cover that illustrated the mood of my book perfectly.  As the Rolling stones said: “Sometimes you don’t get what you want, but you get what you need” J
Do you have other interests that you pursue?
You mean besides writing? ;) I love to hike, that’s number one.  I’m fortunate enough to live in both Northern California and Southern California; so much natural beauty. I also dine out quite frequently and write reviews on Yelp:http://www.yelp.com/user_details?userid=NGcH1lvIvrzgzCTPca3DEQ
I enjoy my vino so winery visits and hosting wine parties are another hobby of mine.  My son knew how to open a wine bottle at age 5 J And yeah, I’m lucky enough to be the father of a great kid so hanging out with him is a total joy J He has me hooked on this town building app called Clash of Clans so we do that together, play basketball and he is great at chess.
How do you market Your book? What avenues have you found to work best for your genre?
I am pursuing the typical avenues indie writers pursue.  Kindle Countdown days still sell the most units but I do not like the discount aspect plus I question how many people actually get around to reading the book. My book blog tour has been successful and my next step will be to query agents and publishers afterwards. I am also being featured in two book clubs and hopefully that positive word of mouth will help as well. 
So your readers should buy it before it becomes the next hot new thing ;)

Are there any other authors that have grasped your interest or inspired you to write?

I grew up very poor and ended up dropping out of High School. To escape I read a lot of early Stephen King, Dean Koontz and Tolkien. Eventually I got myself together, worked myself through college twice and eventually ended up with a Masters Degree in Urban and Regional Planning. The humble upbringings, the strength to persevere and those early writers all influence my writing to some degree. I hope I was able to combine the darkness with the light, while adding in deep characters, that will enable readers to become fully invested in my stories.

Your favorite singer/group is?
Prince and The Replacements  Also big on alternative singer – songwriter types like Josh Ritter, Aimee Mann, Old 97’s, Lenka, Brandi Carlisle, Okkervil River and old school soul like Al Green, Otis Redding, The Temptations, Aretha Franklin, Smoky Robinson
What is the oldest thing in your fridge and how old is it?
Fridge, there is a full thing of milk about a month past its expiration date that I need to throw out.  Such a waste.
In the freezer, I think I have an 18 month old package of frozen corn.  More waste, sigh
What is your favourite food?
This is a tough one!  I eat out all of the time and I’m an avid reviewer on Yelp:
http://www.yelp.com/user_details?userid=NGcH1lvIvrzgzCTPca3DEQ
My favourite go-to food would have to be pizza, thin crust. But I also love American BBQ...baby back ribs and tri-tip.  Yet, I’m becoming a bigger fan of sushi and sake (they must be combined). Hmmmm, I’m not sure I can answer this! J 


Jennifer AinsleyThe Final Demon WarSidney Stone
Genre: Urban Fantasy/Suspense/Horror/New Adult
Date of Publication: December 2013
ISBN: 1491200960ASIN: B00HFYK99Q
Number of pages: 308Word Count: 102,400
Cover Artist: Pencilbox Studios
Book Description:
“Do not suppose that I have come to bring peace to the earth. I did not come to bring peace, but a sword” - Matthew 10:34
Demons are preparing to launch the Final War to destroy humanity. 
Can one young woman wielding the Sword of Jesus ensure our survival and redemption?
Will she lose both her love and her soul in the process?
Available at Amazon in Paperback and Kindle formats

About the Author:
Sidney Stone is a hiker, deer whisperer and non-pretentious wine connoisseur. An addicted reviewer on Yelp, he is also creator of affordable housing (although technically he is homeless part-time), thinks The Replacements are the best band of the Eighties and loves to boost his LinkedIn count with people he doesn't know.
He lives in both Northern and Southern California while constantly traveling to Orange County to visit his son, who can now beat his father at ping pong and chess rather easily (and is charmingly arrogant while doing it). A graduate of UC Irvine and Pepperdine University, Sidney wishes he chose at least one university to attend that had a college football team to root for.
The first scene Sidney thought of for Jennifer Ainsley: The Final Demon War included a rather large massacre (take that for what it is worth). However, inspired by the works of Stephen King, Dean Koontz and Clive Barker; the book's violence is offset by dark humor and deep human emotion just like in real life where Sidney's darkness is offset by creatively placed sarcasm and an overwrought romanticism. For example, while Jennifer Ainsley: The Final Demon War is a Fantasy-Horror novel, Sidney also still tears up at the end of both Field of Dreams and An Officer and a Gentleman.
Contact him at www.sidneystone.net  or https://www.facebook.com/sidneystoneauthor
https://twitter.com/SidneyStoneAuth
https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/1360070.Sidney_Stone
www.amazon.com/author/sidneystone

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Release Day Blitz Eyes Only by H.K. Sterling

Eyes OnlyH.K. Sterling
Genre: Suspense Thriller Romance 
Publisher: Breathless Press
Date of Publication: March 28, 2014
ISBN: 978-1-77101-276-8Heat Rating: 3
Number of pages: 24Word Count:  5965
Cover Artist: Fiona Jayde
Book Description:
In the shadowy world of covert operations it's hard to tell the good guys from the bad. Is there even room for romance? Sometimes romance fits in only too well. 
Read along with the twists and turns of "Eyes Only" where trust is a rare commodity and you'll never know which side to root for until the very end.


Amazon     Breathless Press    ARe

Excerpt"I dunno, maybe I had a wild hair that night or maybe I was going a little bit stir crazy. In any case, I think Charlie sensed it and that’s why he made the suggestion. So this one time, I decided I'd go to the restricted bar. What harm could it do? I'd have a few drinks with Charlie, hear some old Marine stories, and call it a night.I couldn't have been more wrong.Isla Aldon was her name. My eyes found her as soon as we stepped in the bar. A crowded bar too. And she was a short thing."




About the Author:
H.K. Sterling is an author with Breathless Press known for stories with imagination, intelligence, a kick, and twist endings. H.K. likes to focus her writing on suspense, science-fiction, shorts, and anything that is spicy and unexpected. Sometimes her books may even go dark. H.K. lives in Virginia with her husband who graciously puts up with her passion for writing. H.K. currently has a Mystery/Thriller out: A Taste For Killing; and two short stories in the Breathless Press Anthology, My Bloody Valentine. Her new book, A Taste For Danger has just been accepted for publication and Breathless Press also just published H.K.'s short-short titled Eyes Only. H.K.'s books are suitable for 18+.
Catch up with H.K. Sterling on the following media:
Amazon Author Page: https://www.amazon.com/author/hksterling
Twitter: @HKSterling
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/HK-Sterling/426989014069244
HK Sterling "Undercover Blog": http://hksterling1.blogspot.com/
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/HKSterling

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Video Guest Blog and Giveaway with Ami Blackwelder

Dumah’s Demon’sAngelFire ChroniclesAmi Blackwelder
Genre: YA Paranormal Thriller
Publisher: Eloquent Enraptures Publishing
Date of Publication: March 1st, 2014
ASIN: B00IR60GKS
Number of pages: 40 on kindleWord Count: 12, 260
Cover Artist: Ami Blackwelder
Book Description:
Dumah ran away from the orphanage with her brother Kian, but what they found on the streets separated them forever. Follow the life of Dumah and find out the motivation behind Dameon's advancements for Ali Maney.
This is an accompaniment novella to She Speaks to Angels and Falling Angels, and Angel Codes from the AngelFire Chronicles
Free for the Kindle April 15, 16, 17 at Amazon
Book Trailer: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rIHbEtwTvLc
About the Author:            
Ami Blackwelder is a Paranormal and SciFi author. Her stories range from Tween & YA to Adult. Growing up in Florida, she graduated UCF and in 1997 received her BA in English and additional teaching credentials. Then she packed her bags and travelled overseas to teach in Thailand, Nepal, Tibet, China and Korea. She has always loved writing and wrote poems and short stores since childhood; however, her novels began when she was in Thailand in her thirties.
Having won the Best Fiction Award from the University of Central Florida (Yes, The Blair Witch Project University), her short fiction From Joy We Come, Unto Joy We Return was published in the on campus literary magazine: Cypress Dome and remains to this day in University libraries around the USA. Later, she achieved the semi-finals in a Laurel Hemingway contest and published a few poems in the Thailand’s Expat magazine, and an article in the Thailand’s People newspaper. Additionally, she has published poetry in the Korea’s AIM magazine, the American Poetic Monthly magazine and Twisted Dreams Magazine.
http://amiblackwelder.blogspot.com
http://amiblackwelder.blogspot.com/p/purchasing-ebook.html
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rIHbEtwTvLc
http://Twitter.com/amiblackwelder
https://www.facebook.com/amis.bookpage
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Angel-Fire-Chronicles/262738260422879
http://www.scribd.com/doc/95769515/AngelFire-Chronicles-Media-Kit


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April 14 Guest blogMythical Bookshttp://mythicalbooks.blogspot.ro/
April 15 Interview and FeatureBewitching Book Tours Magazinewww.issuu.com/bewitchingbooktours
April 16 Spotlight3 Partners in Shopping, Nana, Mommy, & Sissy, Too!  http://3partnersinshopping.blogspot.com
April 17 InterviewPembroke Sinclair  pembrokesinclair.blogspot.com
April 18 Guest blog Fang-tastic Bookswww.fang-tasticbooks.blogspot.com
April 21 Guest blogRoxanne’s Realmwww.roxannesrealm.blogspot.com

Guest Blog- HE: A Sexual Odyssey by Stephan Morsk

Many thanks to Fang-tastic Books for letting me introduce you to my new novella “HE:A Sexual Odyssey”.  I’m Stephan Morsk, a mental health professional who’s been writing daily for about fifteen years.  “HE” explores the cravings of a thirty-ish law student in Manhattan to break his routine detachment by finding Ms. Right.  His search brings him into contact with a mellifluous menagerie of oddball women, a coterie of thugs, more than one attempt on his life, sexual exploitation, etc.  He’s cursed with a heinous karmic vortex that plunges him into situations that are more than a little intolerable.  He stumbles along with an indomitable black humor and an overarching need to find the perfect soul mate. 
            Take his reunification with one such candidate, Eve. 
            “I’ll be staying a while,” she said.  He nodded excitedly at the news.  Not that he had invited her.  She’d brought her bosoms, and that was enough to engage his endorsement.  “I’m in a bit of a mess,” she said, cutely as ever.  She kept tossing off phrases, warnings really, puntos de informacion by way of explication.  “I’m not who you think I am,” she said.  Then finally, “I carry a gun.”              Ignoring all this data momentarily, he asked, “Can I get you anything?”  p. 37.
            His desperate ‘lustoration’ for these angels blinds him to their glaring flaws.  Eve vanishes a day later.  His adoration of her, however, persists.  These flawed characters make up the bulk of my writing, while they attempt in various delineations of crippled reserve to connect with an irascible universe.  The power of women is another theme in my work.  Here’s an excerpt in which our protagonist is contemplating the elusively sensuous and irate Misha...
            “She’d succeeded in tempting, luring him, and, be it said, dominating his soulless desire.  She was terminally cute, emasculatingly sensuous.  Misha had wormed her way into his mind’s core with two pubic detonations.  Yet there was no modus operandi with which to gratify himself of her.  Her mouth, twisted cutely in remonstrance of her charge, Sisco, was enough to engage his senses.  Her breasts, punching their way through her top, were addictive.  He longed to cradle them in a death-squeeze-inducing syncope.  He was infused with her cute-essence, no longer furtive in its agenda.  She’d cooked his cajones in a no-stick fryer and watched them simmer in an aromatic Spanish mole, made him her bitch in two easy pieces.”  p. 9. 
            My protagonist is a lover of women, far from misogynistic, he’s bound and tethered to their essence, a pussy whipped pushover although that certainly doesn’t stop him from having sex with them.  “HE” pushes ahead, despite all odds, in his quest for salvation. 
            “She stated her name was Eve, then retracted that.  She was a mysterious, bullet-breasted chanteuse.  She was diaphoretic and passed out.  Pure beneficence, he expected no payoff from this femme ruse.  Yet, if true, if she really was the one woman with whom he could on some level connect, his generosity would be gratified by her presumptive consanguinity.  Yet all he saw was a mass of malaise under a sheet.”  p. 38.
            “HE” attempts connection, more often than not finding sex, sadism, exploitation or overt homicide. 
            Collapsing more than sitting onto the back seat, he said, “Mount...”            “What?” the man asked.  “Can’t hear ya’, brother.”              “Mount,” he said again, the words sticking on his lips.  He was getting daffier by the moment.              “Mount... what?” the cabby said.              “Cy... an... ide...”            “Mount Cyanide?”            Shaking his head no, he said, “Sigh... nigh...”             “Oh, Mount Sinai hospital?” the guy asked.  He nodded.  “You all right, brother?”  He shook is head no.              “Mer... gen... see...”            “You ain’t gonna die on me in my cab are you?”  He shook his head no.  “Okay, then I’m movin’.  Otherwise I call you a ambulance man.  Got no dyin’ in my cab, brother.  Uh, uh.”  p. 65. 
            Even after near death experiences, soul haunting humiliations, penile exploitations and more he’s still invested in his quixotic quest for ‘the one’.  His absurd faith unbroken, he persists in this folly.  One evening in law class he spots a woman whose breasts match those of the ill-fated Eve.  Although he knows it’s impossible, he follows her in desperation.
            She was a few feet away; her small, compact body about the height he remembered.  He got up the nerve and called out, “Eve?”  The woman froze then slowly turned around.             “Why did you call me that?” she asked.  Same voice, same cuteness, delivered in disguise.              “That’s your name then isn’t it?”             She shook her head no and kept walking.              “Adrienne?” he asked.              She froze again.              “That’s your name isn’t it?” he asked.              She just kept walking.  He watched her disappear into the engulfing crowd for the last time.  p. 71.
            Blind adoration of the female entity.  Blitzkriegs of gonzo karma, and tactile exploitations cannot demur my hero from his quest.  He knows she is out there.  It is just a matter of finding her. 
            Thanks again for the opportunity to uncover a small shred of “HE: A Sexual Odyssey.”  I’ve won some awards, published short stories and maintain my own website morsklitmonthly.com.  I hope you’ll give this quick read a try.  It’s on Amazon and e formats Nook and Kindle.              All feedback is welcome. 
~Stephan Morsk

HE: A Sexual OdysseyStephan Morsk
ASIN: B00E3GZPTIISBN: 0-7414-8224-X
Genre: erotica
Book Description:
In HE the unnamed protagonist, a law student, is involved with a series of women who either loathe him, try to poison him, save his life or exploit him sexually. The first is the nanny of his ex boss’ kid. She sends him a hateful letter, enclosing a pubic hair and rubbed with pheromones. After observing a woman in a coffee shop whose breasts are ‘freaks of nature’ she leaves a briefcase and departs. He’s unsuccessful in returning it to her, but this karmic event exposes him to a bevy of dangerous and seductive paramours.
Available at  Buy Books on the Web and at Amazon
Book Trailer: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qiZA1Ps10F8

About the Author:
Stephan Morsk is a mental health professional who writes daily.  He won a 7th and an 8th place in the Writer’s Digest competition 2001 out of a field of 19,000 writers.  He has published a short story and won honorable mentions in other years.  His web site morsklitmonthly.com offers a new short story each month.  He is interested in novellas and recently submitted “Parrot Moon” to the Paris Literary Prize.  He’s finished several other short books, part of a four part series including “HE”, “Trashy Novel-A Love Story”, “She” and “I”.  He lives in rural Minnesota with his family.  Favorite novelist, Normal Mailer.  He enjoys exercise and is a reasonable amateur magician.   
http://morsklitmonthly.blogspot.com/
http://www.morsklitmonthly.com/
http://www.amazon.com/Stephan-Morsk/e/B00C41SIM0/

Spotlight and Excerpt: Night Moves by Kristen Strassel

Night MovesThe Night Songs CollectionBook 2Kristen Strassel
Genre: NA Paranormal Romance
Publisher: Foreword Literary
Date of Publication: 3.26.14
ISBN: coming soonASIN:coming soon
Number of pages: 294
Book Description:
We bonded in darkness, over darkness.

Melanie Vaughn’s job ruined everything. Her social life, nonexistent. Her relationship with her boyfriend, a hostile roommate situation. She resolves to fix everything one snowy afternoon, but instead comes home to discover her boyfriend is already exploring other options. Blonder, bustier options. Rage drives Melanie to do the unthinkable.

When Soul Divider was on the top of the world, so was Ryder Maddox. When the band faded into obscurity, Ryder’s luck plummeted with it. In a last ditch effort to rekindle the band’s heyday, Soul Divider teams up with powerful vampire clan leader, Talis de Rancourt. In return for her services, the band pays the ultimate price for never ending fame.

Now on the run, Melanie meets Ryder in a middle of nowhere hotel. She never expected her teenage rock star crush to be as lost and as in need of a companion as she is. Their connection is all consuming, even before they find they share another kinship: murder.

The newly turned vampires in Soul Divider still have a lot to learn. The police and public begin to connect the girls that go missing or die in sync with the band’s tour schedule. Back at home, clues are also adding up against Melanie as well. Between constant media coverage and unrelenting attention from the authorities, Melanie and Ryder find themselves in uncharted territory.

Excerpt:“What the hell is she doing here?” Drake Bonham’s words alarmed me, waking me up better than any cup of coffee could at four in the morning. I tried to hide my shock and act as nonchalant as possible. Did I really want to explain what I was doing here? As much as I wanted a hole in the head.  I let Ryder take the lead.“She’s coming with us.” Ryder didn’t look at Drake when he spoke, unaffected by the tone of his inquisition. His eyes lost in the shadow of the bill of his baseball cap, he continued playing with his phone. I stood nervously next to him as he perched on his suitcase. I wanted desperately to reach out to him for some sort of comfort. I didn’t, in fear that Drake would swat my hand like an old nun with a ruler.“No. Maddox, you know the rules. You double bag it and forget about the chicks when you leave town.” In Drake’s eyes, I was less important than luggage. I wondered about all the girls who followed the band around, hoping for a second of Drake’s attention would feel listening to him right now, talking about me like I was some cheap souvenir.Ryder sighed and shoved his phone in the pocket of his motorcycle jacket. “I’ve had enough of the rules. They’ve already cost me my kids and marriage. How much more do you expect me to give up for your band? She’s coming with us.”“That’s right. My band. As your boss, I’m telling you we don’t need to be transporting groupies all over the country.”“Don’t worry, she won’t cost you a cent. I’ll take care of her out of my per diem.”“She’s not coming.”“Either she comes with us, or I stay here with her.” The tension in the room was electric as Ryder and Drake glared at each other, almost willing each other into a full blown fist fight. The other members of the band hardly reacted, like this was a regular occurrence. Great.Was I willing to destroy any more lives to enter some sort of parallel witness protection plan universe? I was still recovering from the shock of learning that Drake regarded the other members of the band like bad children who couldn’t think for themselves. If it wasn’t for Ryder, Drake wouldn’t have ever written all of those songs, or had the success he had enjoyed. No wonder I always liked Ryder better. I always thought Drake was a pompous ass. What had Erin seen in him? Even a pretty face couldn’t excuse all that ugly.I put my hand on Ryder’s shoulder. “Listen, I don’t want to cause any trouble. I can meet you there instead.” It might have been a good idea anyway. Otherwise, my car would be left in the parking lot and I’d have no way to get home from wherever they left me. Like I could ever go home again.“No. It’s no trouble at all. I want you to come with me.” He looked up at me but didn’t smile.I could feel the steam rolling off of Drake as he crossed his arms in front of his chest from the corner of my eye. I didn’t dare make eye contact with him, lest he incinerate me with his glare. “It’s cool, I don’t want to cost you your job or anything.”Drake scoffed, but we both ignored him. “You won’t. If you’re going to hang around with me, baby, you need to get used to Drake’s outbursts.” Finally the corners of Ryder’s mouth turned upward. I nodded and smiled, sneaking a look at Drake. He rolled his eyes and shook his head.An awkward silence spread over the lobby as we waited to board the bus. I tried to distract myself by looking at my phone. Friends back home were wondering how Jamie and I were faring during the storm, with some even asking if we needed anything. A friend with electricity and heat offered her house if the cold was too much to handle. All the kindness overwhelmed me. I could probably still feign being a power outage victim; it bought me some time before I had to start answering their questions. How long would it take before someone started looking for us because we didn’t answer them? How long before Angela’s family started searching for her, if not already? I attempted to focus, hard, on how excited I should be to be going on tour with my favorite band. But all I could see was Angela’s two little girls. I focused my thoughts again. I’d never been on a tour bus before, and I wasn’t sure what to expect. We boarded a small kitchen area first, and rows of bunks eerily stacked like coffins, filled the middle. “This is home.” Ryder stopped at the top bunk off to the right side. He graciously took my bag and slung it up on the bed. “The lounge area is in back, and the bathroom is right here.” He pointed to a door at the entrance to the living area. “You know the rules of the bus, right?”“No. What rules?” What I thought would be a party bus was turning into a boarding school on wheels.Ryder chuckled and blushed. “I can’t believe I’m saying this to a lady. Serious business, if you know what I mean, goes in a bag and gets thrown out the window.”I burst out laughing. “Why on earth would you do that?”“You don’t want to be traveling on a rolling cow patty.”“Oh my God.” I pictured myself throwing a bag of crap out of the window onto the side of the road. “That’s so gross. Funny, but gross.”“That’s kind of what life is like on the road.” Adam, the drummer, piped in as he put his stuff in the bunk below us. “Funny, but gross.”“I wouldn’t expect much else from five guys living on a bus.” I smiled at him. He winked at me and headed back toward the lounge.Speaking of Drake, where was he? “There are only four bunks and there are five of you.” I did a head count while looking at Ryder. “Where does Drake sleep?”“He has his own bus.”“What? Are you kidding? He’s too good to travel with you guys?” And he was concerned about me costing too much money? Little did he know I could more than pay my own way. And the bastard had his own bus. “Something like that.” Ryder shrugged. Drake was obviously a sore subject. I needed to stop pouring salt on the wound. Time to switch gears. “So what happens on this bus?” “Oh you know, a little of this, a little of that.” Ryder smiled, leaning against the bunks, making his black T shirt ride up a little on his stomach, and exposing the line of hair that started at his belly button disappeared into his jeans. I forced myself to tear my eyes away.“Do the mice play while the cat is away?” I traced my finger along his jawbone.“They do.” He grabbed my hand, putting my finger into his mouth to suck on it. He had some crazy sharp teeth. I thought I had imagined it while we were in bed together, but now it felt like he practically had fangs. I’d never noticed that before. And believe me, I’d spent a lot of time looking at Ryder Maddox in my life. “Even if it’s against the rules?” I could barely manage the words as Ryder’s lips made their way down my arm, his eyes never leaving mine.“Especially if it’s against the rules.” He pulled me in close, nuzzling my neck.“Jesus, if you two are going to fuck, at least come to the common area so we can enjoy the show!” A thick Scottish accent jeered from the couch. Thomas, the bassist who replaced Chaz, had already cracked into a beer and had a game controller in his lap. “I’d rather watch you, lovie, than fight these bloody dragons for the thousandth time.”“She’s not that kind of girl, Tommy.” Ryder pulled away, looking annoyed.“They’re all that kind of girl, mate.” Ryder rolled his eyes and smiled at me, shaking his head. “That’s why your credit card is maxed out on porn. You need to treat a girl like a lady to get them to stick around.” He turned back at me and pulled my face towards his. “I’m ready for a private viewing.”


About the Author:
Kristen shares a birthday with Steven Tyler and Diana Ross.  She spends each day striving to be half as fabulous as they are.  She’s worn many hats, none as flattering as her cowboy hat: banker, retail manager, fledgling web designer, world’s worst cocktail waitress, panty slinger, now makeup artist and aspiring author.  She loves sunshine, live music, the middle of nowhere, and finding new things to put in her house.  Kristen is represented by Pam van Hylckama Vlieg of Foreword Literary.
Blog: www.deadlyeverafter.com
Twitter: @kristenstrassel
www.Facebook.com/deadlyeverafterblog
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/7267647.Kristen_Strassel
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April 7 SpotlightBibliophile Mystery  http://bibliophilemystery.blogspot.ro/
April 8 SpotlightThe Library Mistresshttp://www.librarymistress.com/
April 9 InterviewPembroke Sinclair.  pembrokesinclair.blogspot.com
April 10 Guest blogRoxanne’s Realmwww.roxannesrealm.blogspot.com
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April 21 SpotlightLisa’s World of Bookswww.lisasworldofbooks.net

Aliens: Guest blog and Giveaway with Annie Nicholas

Aliens

Nothing grabs my imagination more than aliens. 

Anything goes!

The person who influenced my opinion of aliens the most is Larry Niven, science fiction author. His were the first sci-fi stories I read growing up. He took the environment that the aliens evolved and let that effect their shape and culture. So say the gravity of their planet is stronger than ours then the alien would be stockier, thicker of muscle and much stronger. 
CJ Cherryh does the same thing. She can immerse you in an alien culture and you don’t feel lost. I love this. 

This is what I strive to achieve. I believe in realistic science fiction where the future can be depicted as being believable and where the technology doesn’t seem so advanced that it’s almost magical. I don’t think the aliens we’ll meet will have two legs and two arms or to even breath oxygen. I can’t explore my whole universe in one book though so we’ll take a journey through it in novellas. 

No Refuge introduces the main oxygen breathing species. It explores some of the technologies I see as possible and most importantly, I wanted to focus on the strength of the human spirit. 

No Refuge Known UniverseBook 1Annie Nicholas
Genre: Space Opera/Science Fiction Romance
Publisher: Lyrical Press/Kensington
Date of Publication:  April 7, 2014
ISBN: 9781616505295
Number of pages: 94Word Count: 24,000
Cover Artist: Renee Rocco
Book Description:
Hunted to near extinction by an alien race called the Ko, my people have run from Earth and drifted so far among the stars we can’t remember the way back. We live everywhere, but call nowhere home. The Ko want us erased from existence and memory. They don’t even want our DNA in the space dust. Humans disguise themselves as other alien species and hide in plain sight. It’s the only way we can survive.
I believe in the myth of Earth. I’ve even discovered a bona fide book written in the dead language of my people. My man, Brody, dreams of a secret human colony. He’s searched for years, hunting any rumor we’ve run across, and finally he’s made contact. Usually, he’s the one grounding me to station and keeping my head out of the atmosphere. Time for me to return the favor…that is, if I can ditch the Ko who’ve discovered me, thanks to my incessant artifact-hunting. If we don’t make our rendezvous, and the Ko don’t kill me, Brody just might…
CONTENT WARNING: Aliens, cargo ships, and a fast paced race against all odds.


About the Author:
Annie Nicholas writes paranormal romance with a twist. She has courted vampires, hunted with shifters, and slain a dragon’s ego all with the might of her pen. Riding the wind of her imagination, she travels beyond the restraints of reality and shares them with anyone wanting to read her stories. Mother, daughter, and wife are some of the other hats she wears while hiking through the hills and dales of her adopted state of Vermont.
Annie writes for Samhain Publishing, Carina Press, and Lyrical Press.
Website: www.annienicholas.com  
Blog:  www.annienicholas.blogspot.com
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Annie-Nicholas#!/pages/Annie-Nicholas/162716537103705
Twitter: https://twitter.com/annienicholas  Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/3132972.Annie_Nicholas
Pinterest: http://pinterest.com/annienicholas/    
Newsletter: http://eepurl.com/yt8Kv


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