Roxanne Rhoads's Blog, page 459

Release Day Blitz Chasing the Star Garden by Melanie Karsak

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Mom With A Kindlehttp://momwithakindle.blogspot.com/
Shut Up & Read http://shutupandreadgroup.blogspot.com/
Bibliophile Mysteryhttp://bibliophilemystery.blogspot.ro/
Sabina's Adventures In Readinghttp://sabinasadventuresinreading.blogspot.dk/
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Chasing the Star Garden
The Airship Racing ChroniclesBook IMelanie Karsak
Genre: Alternative History/Gaslamp-Steampunk
Publisher: Clockpunk Press
Date of Publication: December 4th, 2013
ISBN: 978-0615878775ISBN-10: 0615878776
Number of pages: 325Word Count:  70,000
Cover Artist: Damonza
Book Description:
An opium-addicted beauty.
An infamous poet living in self-imposed exile.
An ancient treasure about to fall into the wrong hands.
Melanie Karsak’s “Chasing the Star Garden” takes the reader on an exciting adventure from the gritty opium dens of gaslamp London to the gem-colored waters of the ancient world, introducing us Lily Stargazer, a loveable but reckless airship racer with a famous lover and a shattered past.
Lily Stargazer is having a bad day. She just lost the London leg of the 1823 Airship Grand Prix. To top it off, a harlequin fleeing from constables shoved a kaleidoscope down her pants, told her to fly to Venice, then threw himself from her airship tower.
What’s a girl to do? For Lily, the answer is easy: drink absinthe and smoke opium. 

Lily’s lover, Lord Byron, encourages her to make the trip to Venice. Lily soon finds herself at the heart of an ancient mystery which has her running from her past and chasing true love and the stars along the way.
About the Author:
Melanie Karsak grew up in rural northwestern Pennsylvania where there was an abysmal lack of entertainment, so she turned to reading and hiking. Apparently, rambling around the woods with a head full of fantasy worlds and characters will inspire you to become an author. Be warned. Melanie wrote her first novel, a gripping piece about a 1920s stage actress, when she was 12. A steampunk connoisseur, white elephant collector, and caffeine junkie, the author now resides in Florida with her husband and two children. Melanie is an Instructor of English at Eastern Florida State College.
Blog: www.melaniekarsak.blogspot.com
Twitter: twitter.com/MelanieKarsak
Facebook: www.facebook.com/AuthorMelanieKarsak
Pinterest: www.pinterest.com/melaniekarsak/
Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/6539577.Melanie_Karsak
Be sure to request an Authorgraph





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Black Widow Demon by Paula Altenburg: Guest Blog and Giveaway

What I’ve Learned From Little Boys(…about what makes a man a hero)By Paula Altenburg

I love little boys. I raised two of them, and as young men, they haven’t lost a whole lot of what it was I loved about them when they were little.
When I wrote the Demon Outlaws stories, when it came to creating my heroes, I tried to keep the following observations in mind.
Little boys are honest and tell it like it is. There’s no guessing with them. They’re completely in touch with their feelings, because they have two primary ones.  Happy and mad. If they’re mad, they usually know why. If they don’t, then they’re frustrated. And they will usually ask a parent (or other trusted adult) why they’re frustrated so they’ll know for future reference, because frustration makes little boys mad.
They do, however, like a challenge. And this explains so much about them.
Below are my top favorite observations about little boys:
1.      Everything is a competition.
Little boys are most impressed by loud body function noises. If you can win this competition, you are a hero. FWIW, grown men are equally impressed by this. They simply don’t brag about it as much.
2.      An idea doesn’t have to be smart to be test-worthy.
The outcome merely has to be uncertain and debateable. If you predict the outcome accurately, then you are a wise hero. This includes jumping off rooftops to see which hits the ground faster – a boy or a baseball. And it’s why so many physicists are guys. Boys need hard facts. Seeing is believing.
3.      Little boys like pretty girls better than regular girls.
Their definition of “pretty” is simply not what girls think.  “Pretty” is definitely the right word, but little boys don’t use it as an adjective. It’s usually followed by “…good at video games. “…Good at soccer.” “…Good at making loud body function noises.” Ask a boy what color a girl’s eyes are. They may actually know the answer to this, but be sure to question why they know it.
4.      Little boys have an instinctive fear of “high maintenance.”
If a girl is actually physically pretty and thinks this is somehow important, little boys consider her incomprehensible and frustrating, and most likely full of germs (because they need an explanation). She has to work a lot harder to be considered “pretty good” at anything that matters, thus earning their respect. As little boys get older, however, this frustration changes to challenge. But they will continue to be most impressed by pretty girls who can compete with them in their areas of interest. For them, that’s a package deal.
5.      Little boys respect physical strength.
Little boys also know the difference between right and wrong. Therefore, little boys don’t like bullies, because regardless of how the situation is portrayed in the press, on average there are more well-behaved little boys (and girls) than there are bullies. And if a boy is willing to stand up to a bully, he is considered a hero. Although possibly a stupid one. It depends on the outcome. (See #2 on this list.)
I’ve discovered that many of these observations carry over into my writing. I love creating my male characters the most, and probably for the same reason I loved raising little boys so much.
Little boys know what makes a hero.
Check out Black Widow Demon, book 2 in the Demon Outlaws series, and let me know if little boys would find Blade heroic. He’s a bit dark, and a lot tortured, and far from perfect. But above all, he has a good sense of what’s right and what’s wrong.
What do you, as readers, think makes a good hero?


Black Widow DemonThe Demon Outlaws seriesBook 2Paula Altenburg
Genre: Urban Fantasy/Paranormal Romance
Publisher: Entangled Publishing
Date of Publication: November 26th, 2013
ISBN-10: 1622660455ISBN-13: 978-1622660452
Number of pages: 400Word Count: 90,000
Cover Artist: Kim Killion
Amazon.com  Amazon.ca   Chapters-Indigo     BN   ibookstore
Book Description:
Passionate and headstrong, half-demon Raven is nearly executed on the orders of her fundamentalist stepfather. She escapes from the burning stake using the gifts of her otherworldly heritage and the help of a mortal stranger named Blade. Now she’s set on revenge, and only quiet, intense Blade stands in her way.
A retired assassin weary of the weight of his past, Blade has crossed the desert to seek out a new life. His journey is interrupted when his conscience demands he help Raven find an old friend who can help her. Saving her from her need for revenge and delivering her into the hands of loved ones means he’s one step closer to redemption.

But as Blade’s sense of duty becomes something more and threats, both mortal and immortal, stalk the woman he can’t abandon, he could very well fall back into the life he’s trying so hard to escape.
About the Author:
Paula Altenburg lives in rural Nova Scotia, Canada, with her husband and two sons. Once a manager in the aerospace industry, she now enjoys the freedom of working from home and writing fulltime. Paula currently writes paranormal romance and category romance for Entangled Publishing.  Visit her at www.paulaaltenburg.com  and follow her on Twitter @PaulaAltenburg.
www.paulaltenburg.com
http://www.paulaaltenburg.com/blog/
@PaulaAltenburg
https://www.facebook.com/PaulaAltenburgAuthor
http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/5809064.Paula_Altenburg

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December 2 Guest blogFang-tastic Bookswww.fang-tasticbooks.blogspot.com
December 2 Spotlight and reviewPenny For Them...http://pennyforthemuk.com/search/label/tour
December 3 Guest blogParanormal Romance Fans for Lifewww.paranormalromancefanforlife.blogspot.com
December 4 Guest blogPreternatura www.suzanne-johnson.blogspot.com
December 4 Spotlight Sapphyria's Book Reviewssaphsbookblog.blogspot.com
December 5 InterviewThe Divas of Desire www.DivasofDesire.blogspot.com
December 5 InterviewMythical Bookshttp://mythicalbooks.blogspot.ro/
December 6 InterviewReading in Twilighthttp://readingintwilight.blogspot.com/
December 9 InterviewButterfly-o-Meter Bookshttp://butterfly-o-meter.com/
December 9 reviewNicky Peacock Authorhttp://nickypeacockauthor.wordpress.com/
December 10 Guest blogRamblings From A Chaotic Mind – http://nikkibrandyberry.wordpress.com/
December 10 SpotlightBooks & Tales:http://booksandtales.blogspot.co.uk/
December 11 Character Interview (author created)Reviewing in Chaoshttp://reviewinginchaos.blogspot.com
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December 12 InterviewThe simple things in lifeHttps://pwrspot.blogspot.com/
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December 12 Spotlight and review
Ebook Escapes
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Growing as a writer: Guest blog with Rebekah Turner

I’ve always had loads of enthusiasm for writing. As a kid, I made up my own bed-time stories, which progressed to me relaying my tales via the medium of crayons on my bedroom wall. Every writing project after that was a progression of blind enthusiasm and a dogged determination to get published. Why, if I published a book, I would be rich! Rich, I tells you!Lunch time in school saw me holed up in the library, where I wrote my masterpieces of YA angst. I mailed my manuscripts off to publishers, and waited to be discovered. I think I ended up with two folders stuffed full of rejections. See, problem was, I just wasn’t very good at the craft of writing. Story telling? No sweat! Syntax? Um ... does it come with fries?Fast forward to 2006, when I joined a writers centre and signed up for a course called Year of the Novel. After that, everything changed. I learnt that writing a good story involves learning the beats from beginning to end. I learnt that to get published, it wasn’t enough to just have the tenacity of a salivating bulldog with a bone. It helps to learn the rules.
Year of the Novel was followed by Year of the Edit, and in 2010 I entered my manuscript into a Manuscript Development Program. When I was advised I was a finalist, I knew it was a sign my writing skills were getting better. The Development Program itself was a crazed whirlwind of awesome. I met other enthusiastic writers and we talked about our manuscripts. We met agents and publishers who chatted to us about the industry, including the realistic side of publishing, which did not involve unicorns saddled with contracts and buckets of cash.
When it came time to sit down with the publisher face-to-face, the experience was a little nerve wracking. But I listened hard and made lots of notes. It felt pretty surreal to finally talk to someone in the industry. The publisher talked to me about where my book would fit in the marketplace and then pointed out a few issues in my story that, if addressed, would make it much more appealing.
I broke my story apart and compared its arc to others in its genre. It was only then I finally saw what the publisher had really wanted to see in my story. Thanks to their feedback, I was forced to analyse my own writing and storytelling technique on a level I'd never bothered to in the past. It made me a stronger writer and last year, my novel, Chaos Born, found a publishing home. But I would never have gotten there, if not for that push in the right direction. I would recommend to anyone to join their local writers centre and taking advantage of developmental courses they have to offer, I'm know I'm glad I did!




Chaos BoundChronicles of the ApplecrossBook 2
Rebekah Turner
Genre: Urban fantasy
Publisher: Escape Publishing
Date of Publication: 1 December 2013
ISBN: 9780857991072ASIN:B00G2UXCI4
Number of pages: 177Word Count: 82,000
Book Description:
The long-awaited sequel to Chaos Born takes us back into the Applecross, where Lora faces increasing threats to her survival and her chance at love.
Lora Blackgoat — mercenary and smuggler — has only just recovered from the last threat on her life and hasn’t even begun to sort out the mess of having both a nephilim warrior and a reborn hellspawn as potential lovers. Work should be a refuge, but a job finding missing persons puts her in the crosshairs of a violent gang and a merchant with a taste for blood sport.

Reluctantly, Lora turns to the two men in her life for help. Roman — the nephilim — professes to be her soul mate and turns to her when he feels the darkness of nephilim madness descending. But though Lora is drawn to Roman, it is Seth, ex-lover and reborn hellspawn, who Lora must ultimately ask to protect those she loves. Can she trust Seth to save Roman and her adoptive family, or will this be a fatal mistake?

Amazon
About the Author:
Rebekah lives in sunny Queensland and has worked in the past as a graphic designer. She now does freelance work when her kids are looking the other way. An avid writer since she could scrawl in her dad’s expensive encyclopedias, she has progressed from horsey stories to tales of dark fantasy with lashings of romance and a sprinkling of horror.
Her vices include eating overpriced ice cream, over analyzing 80s action and horror movies and buying stationery she just doesn’t need.
www.rebekahturner.net
@RbkahTurner
www.goodreads.com/author/show/6580834.Rebekah_Turner
https://www.facebook.com/rebekahturnerauthor

December 2 Guest blogFang-tastic Bookswww.fang-tasticbooks.blogspot.com
December 3 InterviewAuthor Karen Swarthttp://authorkarenswart.blogspot.com
December 3 SpotlightDiane’s Book Bloghttp://dianelynchbookreviews.blogspot.com/
December 4 SpotlightLisa’s World of Bookswww.lisasworldofbooks.net
December 5 Guest BlogPick Your Poison Book Reviewshttp://pickyourpoisonbookreviews.blogspot.com/
December 6 Guest blogCloey's Book Reviews and Other Stuffcloeyk.blogspot.com
December 6 SpotlightEclipse Reviewshttp://totaleclipsereviews.blogspot.com
December 9 InterviewPembroke Sinclair.  pembrokesinclair.blogspot.com
December 10 InterviewFantasy Book Addicthttp://www.fantasybookaddict.com/
December 11 spotlightThe Creatively Green Write at Home Momwww.creativelygreen.blogspot.com
December 12 Guest blogVictoria's Gossiphttp://victoriasgossip.com/blog/
December 13 Guest blogMythical Bookshttp://mythicalbooks.blogspot.ro/
December 16 SpotlightBook Liaison – http://www.bookliaison.net   
December 16 SpotlightBibliophile Mysteryhttp://bibliophilemystery.blogspot.ro/
December 17 SpotlightMusings of Mistress of the Dark Path http://mistressofthedarkpath.wordpress.com/
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December 18 Guest blog and reviewReading Realityhttp://www.readingreality.net
December 18 SpotlightKrystal's Enchanting Reads ... http://enchantingreads7.blogspot.com/
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December 23 InterviewBooks & Taleshttp://booksandtales.blogspot.co.uk/
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Spotlight on Alpha by Fierce Dolan

AlphaThe Scattered Dark SeriesBook TwoFierce Dolan
Genre: erotic horror, hardcore paranormal erotica, BDSM
Publisher: Fierce Desires
Date of Publication: 23 October 2013
ISBN: 978-0-9860165-6-1ASIN: B00G4V1ETU
Number of pages: 53Word Count: 15,857
Cover Artist: Fierce Dolan
Amazon
Book Description:
When domme Alaine Dunham meets beautiful, young werewolf Seth, she dreams of training him to be the perfect bottom to fill her Alpha needs. She quickly finds that gentling the wild wolf is one thing; subduing the rebellious human is another. Tensions mount as the full moon pushes them to consummate their bond before relationship concerns are soothed.

After a strange book falls into Alaine's hands she begins to doubt her relationship, her instincts, and the moon.
Book One,  Journal of a Lycanthrophile  , is free on Amazon starting December 2
About the Author:
Erotic mezzofiction writer, Fierce is imagination shapeshifted as a scribe taunting blank pages and carpal tunnel, neither of which are much use for deadlines. Close allies are impeccable timing and a trusty masseuse. Being a switch I/ENFP doesn’t hurt. For kicks Fierce has other personas across several genres, tends to fill in “Other” on surveys without explaining, and chooses the finality of the Japanese Tamagotchi.
www.fiercedolan.com
Facebook  http://www.facebook.com/fiercedolan
@FierceDolan  http://www.twitter.com/fiercedolan
Google+  https://plus.google.com/118302380096094683854/posts
Goodreads  http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/5236551.Fierce_Dolan
Amazon  http://www.amazon.com/-/e/B007CJS3QK
Pinterest  http://pinterest.com/fiercedolan/
Tumblr  http://www.fiercedolan.com/'http://fiercedolan.tumblr.com/


 December 2 Spotlight and reviewThat’s Erotica http://www.thatserotica.com/
December 2 SpotlightFang-tastic Bookswww.fang-tasticbooks.blogspot.com
December 3 Guest blogPembroke Sinclair.  pembrokesinclair.blogspot.com
December 4 Guest blogRoxanne’s Realmwww.roxannesrealm.blogspot.com
December 5 SpotlightAuthor Karen Swarthttp://authorkarenswart.blogspot.com/
December 6 Guest blog and reviewErzabet BishopHttp://erzabetbishop.wordpress.com
December 6 SpotlightThe Creatively Green Write at Home Momwww.creativelygreen.blogspot.com 
December 9 Guest blogMythical Bookshttp://mythicalbooks.blogspot.ro/

Kindle Freebies: Hot Erotica for Cyber Monday

Hot erotica freebies on Cyber Monday
Today and tomorrow (Dec 2 and 3) only 
FREE for your Kindle at Amazon
All three are paranormal erotica- lots of fangs- there are vampires in each book. Also a couple witches and a succubus.


An Unexpected Evening

Publisher: Bewitching Books 

October 4, 2013

ASIN: B00FNXBP8U

Genre: paranormal erotica

Samuel is a centuries-old vampire who prefers to be a recluse. He is always afraid of losing control and becoming the monster he once was. Falling in love with a young witch has pushed his boundaries and pulled him out of his comfort zone. 

Katerina always encourages Samuel to be more open, to let loose, and to really "live" instead of only existing in the shadows. 

One night, he finally grants her wish . . . in ways she never imagined. 

Get it on Amazon



No Place I'd Rather Be

Publisher: Bewitching Books 

October 4, 2013

ASIN: B00FNXBQY8

Genre: Paranormal erotica

Book Description:

Sonora is torn between a human and a vampire. How can she choose between the man who makes her feel safe and the vampire that makes her blood race? 

Sonora prays to the Goddess for guidance while harboring secret desires that her broody vampire, Brom, and her brawny human, Avery, can get past their jealousy and be willing to do more than just share the witch in the middle. 

Can the Goddess grant Sonora's wish, or will she be stuck making an impossible choice? 

warning - erotica: contains m/f/m, m/m, m/m/f and anal sex scenes

Available on Amazon


Complete Circle
Publisher: Bewitching Books 
November 4, 2013
ASIN: B00GGPLHAA
Book Description:
Lissette is a vampire who has lived with her succubus girlfriend, Cassandra, for a long time. She swore off relationships with men after being viciously raped by the vampire hunters who killed the love of her life and left her for dead. 
Lissette and Cassandra only use men to get what they need, blood for Lissette and sexual energy for Cassandra. They are completely satisfied with their lives- until a mysterious stranger comes along. 
For the first time in centuries, Lissette wants a man. Why is she so drawn to him? What is he? 
Much more than a mere mortal, Gabriel has been searching for Lissette and Cassandra for a very long time. They have what no one else can give him. 
But will they be willing? 
Warning: erotica intended for those 18 and older only. Contains m/f, f/f, f/f/m, and m/m/f scenes.
Get it on Amazon

Bewitching Book Tours Magazine Accepting Submissions for 2014 Issues

I use Grammarly's grammar check because publishing before proper edits have been done is like cooking without enough seasoning...the end result may be okay but it could have been fabulous.

Grammarly may be my new best friend. It can find up to 10 times more mistakes than your average spelling and grammar check. Plus it can give vocabulary suggestions. Not only that you can run it through a system to check text against over 8 billion web pages. Yes this site may quickly become an author's must have tool.


Submit to Bewitching Book Tours Magazine
New for 2014- Announcements and Calls for Submissions
We are going to have new sections in the monthly magazine- announcements and calls for submissions.
Do you have a new release? A Kindle Free Promotion? Send us your news and we'll publish it in the announcements. 
Publishers- do you have a new call for submissions? Send us your romance, erotica, urban fantasy, fantasy and horror calls for submissions and we'll print them
The magazine publishes on the 15th of each month so the news will have to be time frame appropriate. for instance January's issue will go live on January 15th, the news should fit into the time frame of Jan 15- Feb 15.

For every issue we accept:

Author Interviews

Featured Excerpts

Articles- topics include author/writing advice, advice for book bloggers, how writer’s do research, paranormal, vampires, publishing advice, and more

Flash Fiction- paranormal, urban fantasy and erotica (for other genres please query)

True tales of paranormal encounters

Recipes

Poetry

Book reviews

Art

Jewelry designs and creations- features or tutorials

Craft Tutorials

Cover model and photographer features for the Pin Up Files

Erotic flash fiction and poetry for the Naughty Nook

Please send submissions to RoxanneRhoads@bewitchingbooktours.com place “Bewitching Magazine Submission” in subject line

Contributors of flash fiction, articles, features and/or poetry will receive free ¼ or ½ page advertising in Bewitching Book Tours Magazine and two months of free sidebar ad space at Fang-tastic Books .


Be sure to send properly edited materials for submission. I suggest running it through Grammarly's grammar check.


Parts of this post are a paid sponsorship by Grammarly

They Always Say Truth is Stranger Than Fiction...The Life of Author Marty Young

When people ask what I do for a living, I’d love to say I write fiction. But unfortunately, that doesn’t pay the bills.

What does pay the bills is my job as a palynologist. And when I say that’s what I do, I’m often met with a blank stare, a frown, or the question, “A what?”

I look at microscopic fossils found in rocks and use them to work out how old those rocks are. 

To do this, we get a piece of rock and dissolve it in hydrochloric acid and then hydrofluoric acid (which can also be used to dissolve bodies, so I’ve been told...). What’re left behind are plant fragments, spores and pollen, and marine fossils like dinoflagellate cysts. 

Those are the things we study in detail. 

Right now, I’m on a rig site in the deep dark jungles of Papua New Guinea, at an elevation of just under 8,000 ft. I spend 4 weeks at a time here, living in a converted shipping container with 3 other men. It gets smelly in there. Real smelly.

The other day, we were in a storm, actually in the storm cloud. The thunder was so incredibly loud, and the lightning blinding. All work had to shut down until we were out of the cloud. It was pretty spectacular. 

Rugged mountain peaks surround us, covered in a dense, imposing jungle. Even in the middle of the day, it’s pitch black a meter into those trees. There are supposedly hundreds of WWII planes still lost in these jungles, and you can believe that. 

I’ve done fieldwork that saw me being dropped off by helicopter at our starting point (a small helipad nestled among the trees, only just big enough for the helicopter to land on), and then we hiked in a designated direction, collecting rocks for analysis along the way. The most we covered in any one day was 3km, because the terrain was so rough; we had to climb limestone cliffs, descend hundreds of meters down old wooden jungle ladders, and hack our way through creepers that were strangling the trees. Wooden bridges were strung across raging rivers, and if you fell in, you would be swept away to the underworld; I’ve seen one of these rivers fall into a huge cave and vanish from sight. We had to reach our destination by a specific time each day so the chopper could pick us up before the heavy clouds and rain rolled in, otherwise we would have to sleep out in the jungle. 

There are a lot of sounds in the jungle at night. A lot of things creep and crawl over you, too. Things bite, and sting. It’s not a pleasant place to be, and you don’t get much sleep. 

And there are many spirits. The locals have a mix of pagan and Christian beliefs, so their Gods are all around us. When the wind rages, the spirits are angry, and we have to appease them through a sacrifice. When the ground rumbles through an earthquake (and there are a lot of earthquakes here), it is the spirits again, warning us about our actions. The locals carry small chunks of sulphur or chew ginger to ward off evil spirits. They have arrows with arrowheads made out of the bones of birds of paradise, which they use to exorcise a possessed person (although I’m not sure what their success rate is). 

There is black magic here. A lot of it. 

And just to add to the excitement, we sometimes get caught in gunfights. The local tribes fight one another using guns they buy from a black market (the bigger the bag of marijuana, the bigger the gun you can get). Several months ago, I was woken by the sound of automatic gunfire; the police were trying to hold back a warring tribe that wanted revenge for the death of one of its members.

They ended up getting it, too. 

We were in lockdown the whole time. The tribe managed to get the woman who had committed the murder, and drag her off into the jungles, where her screams rang out for an hour before falling silent. It was terrifying, horrible, and barbaric, but there was nothing we could do. 

And once the tribe had extracted their revenge, everything settled down. Jungle justice. It is brutal and harsh, but once meted out, it is over. It can escalate to full on tribal wars, but fortunately this time, that didn’t happen. 

Another time one of the local men attacked us, jumping out from the jungle to fire his M15 into our compound. Again, we went into lockdown. The army came in and there were gun shots all around us – but how do you fight jungle shadows? After two days of this, a truce was called so peace talks could begin, and we used that time to helicopter out to safety. 

I’d made the mistake of emailing my wife when it began, telling her how exciting it was. But then we had no outside communication for two days after that, so she was terrified something bad had happened to me. Instead, I was there with my trusty notebook, jotting down everything that was going on, planning on using it in a later story. I won’t do that again (I can still feel the wound where my wife hit me). 

I tried to settle her down by saying one of the local men told us that we wouldn’t be murdered if anything bad happened. We’d only be kidnapped, and held for ransom. They would look after us but wouldn’t release us until the ransom was paid. The nutty writer in me is curious about this. It sure would be an experience, a great conversation starter. “Oh yes, I was kidnapped the other day, and held for ransom in the jungles. It was quite neat.”

It’s not this exciting all of the time, though. Often, I just sit in an office and stare down a microscope at things ~50-100 microns in size (there are 1,000 microns to 1mm) and often 150 million years old or more (I work in the age of dinosaurs), while the company man demands the answers. There are tens of millions of dollars resting on my results, so no pressure...

But it’s a true life experience, and I love it.  

Not to mention the material it gives me for future stories. There will be a series of books one day, starring an Indiana Jones kind of hero, a palynologist who battles to save the world from the forces of evil, his trusty microscope at his side. Can’t you just picture it?  


Perhaps I can get Johnny Depp to star in the movie version. 



809 Jacob Street 
Welcome to Parkton
Marty Young

Black Beacon Books

Book Description:

Fourteen year old Byron James wishes he’d never been dragged to Parkton.

It’s a crazy sideshow of a town in the middle of damn nowhere, and he’s stranded there. To make matters worse, his two new friends – his only friends – turn out to be class rejects with an unhealthy interest in monsters. They want to discover the truth to the infamous monster house at number 809 Jacob Street.

Joey Blue is an old bluesman who fell into his songs and couldn’t find his way out again. Now he’s a Gutterbreed, one of the slinking shifting shadows haunting the town’s alleys. When an old dead friend comes begging for help, Joey’s world is torn apart. He is forced to stare down the man he has become in order to rescue the man he once was – and there is only one place he can do that.

The house on Jacob Street calls to them all, but what will they find when they open its door?

You can find the book at Amazon 

Want to hear the blues song that goes with the book? click here

About the Author:

Marty Young is a Bram Stoker nominated and Australian Shadows award winning editor, writer, and sometimes ghost hunter. He was the founding President of the Australian Horror Writers Association from 2005-2010, and one of the creative minds behind the internationally acclaimed Midnight Echo magazine, for which he also served as Executive Editor until mid-2013.

Marty’s first novel, 809 Jacob Street, will be published in late October by Black Beacon Books.

His short horror fiction has been nominated for both the Australian Shadows and Ditmar awards, reprinted in Australian Dark Fantasy and Horror (‘the best of 2008’), and repeatedly included in year’s best recommended reading lists. Marty’s essays on horror literature have been published in journals and university textbooks in Australia and India, and he is also co-editor of the award winning Macabre; a Journey through Australia’s Darkest Fears, a landmark anthology showcasing the best Australian horror stories from 1836 to the present.

His website is www.martyyoung.com

Giving the Holiday Season Bite: A Vampire's Christmas Carol by Cynthia Eden

 Giving the Holiday Season Bite
Tis the Season…To Be Undead.
Vampires and Christmas.  They go together—just like chocolate and marshmallows (and a really good graham cracker!).  One is dark and dangerous (that would be the chocolate AND the vampires), and the other is good and soft (Christmas! Happiness! And marshmallows!).  Ahem, okay, maybe that comparison is a little off, but you can see where I was going…
When I wrote A VAMPIRE’S CHRISTMAS CAROL, I wanted to create one very dark and troubled hero. After all, the original Scrooge wasn’t exactly a barrel of sunshine.  My vamp, Ben Prescott, is on the edge of a very dangerous precipice. If he can’t change this holiday season, more than just his undead life is on the line.
The paranormal visitors that Ben receives on Christmas Eve are fighting to save him, but Ben also has to fight to save himself.  And isn’t that the case for all of us?  In the end, we have to fight for the things that we want most in life.
Ben is a fighter…and he doesn’t intend to lose the most important battle of his life.
So, yes…vampires and Christmas do go together. Darkness and light. Determination and hope…ah, it’s what makes the holidays bright!
Happy holidays! (And thank you to Fang-tastic Books for having me over!)
Best,
Cynthia Edenwww.cynthiaeden.comA VAMPIRE’S CHRISTMAS CAROL - Available now!



A Vampire's Christmas Carol 
A Novella
Cynthia Eden

Book Description:


This holiday season has bite.

Ben Prescott hates Christmas—he’s a vampire, and to him, there’s certainly nothing jolly about the holiday season. While the humans are running around being merry, he’s hunting in the shadows. Ben plans to spend the holidays his way…by stalking deadly prey.

But fate has other plans for Ben.

Three visitors are coming Ben’s way…A demon who will force Ben to face his past, a ghost who will show Ben the present he could have, and a shifter who will reveal the darkness that waits in Ben’s future. Unless Ben can change his ways, he may just turn into a real monster, one who can’t be saved by anyone or anything.

‘Tis the season…to be undead.

Ben’s redemption rests in the hands of the one woman he loved and lost—Simone Laurent. If Ben is going to have a chance at being more than just the beast in the darkness, he has to prove himself to the lovely Simone. A very hard task, considering that, once upon a Christmas Eve, Simone died in Ben’s arms…

Warning:
This book features one very tortured vampire, a sexy ghost from his past, and hot scenes designed to melt the winter snow. Plenty of action, adult situations, and steamy times are ahead. Happy holidays! 



Available for purchase at 






Excerpt
Lust clawed through him. The need, the red-hot desire, seemed to burn Ben from the inside.  He grabbed Simone, yanked her flush against him. His mouth locked on hers. He’d always tried to be so careful with her in the past. Played the gentleman because she mattered.He wasn't a gentleman any longer. Ben wasn't even sure what he was. He just knew he needed Simone naked, and he had to be in her.He carried her back to his bedroom. He ignored the glittering New York skyline. She was the only thing he could see. Desire pounded through him. His cock was so swollen that he hurt and—His teeth were extending. Stretching in his mouth. Ben dropped Simone on the bed and stepped back, horrified.“Ben?”  Simone sat up on the bed and pushed back the blonde hair that had tumbled forward. “What’s wrong?”
            She was so gorgeous and sexy staring up at him.  Looking at him with those wide, dark eyes.
I’m going to hurt her. He grabbed for the control that he’d always held so easily in the past. Only that control was broken. Shattered. “You need to leave.”


About the Author
USA Today Best-selling author Cynthia Eden has written over twenty-five novels and novellas. She was named as a 2013 RITA® finalist for her paranormal romance, ANGEL IN CHAINS, and, in 2011, Cynthia Eden was a RITA finalist for her romantic suspense, DEADLY FEAR.Cynthia is a southern girl who loves horror movies, chocolate, and happy endings.  She has always wanted to write (don’t most authors say that?), and particularly enjoys creating stories about monsters–vampires, werewolves, and even the real-life monsters that populate her romantic suspense stories.
Cynthia’s foreign sales for her books include translations to Japan, Germany, Thailand, Greece, and Brazil.(Back in the day…) Cynthia graduated summa cum laude from the University of South Alabama where she studied Sociology (because people interest her) and Communication (because she likes to write about said people).  Cynthia has worked as a college admissions counselor, a teacher, and as an editor. But now, Cynthia is thrilled to be spending her days making up stories.


            



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Penguin Group USA and Nora Roberts Help Tackle Hunger in Maryland

The “Be Thankful” initiative urges support of our less fortunate neighbors
Thanksgiving is a time to gather with family around an extravagant meal and be thankful for all the security and stability in our lives.  But it’s also a reminder that a cold winter is ahead, and it is therefore important to acknowledge our less fortunate neighbors, which is why Penguin is proud to support The Maryland Food Bank, with Penguin’s first ever “Be Thankful” initiative.
#1 New York Times bestselling Penguin author, Nora Roberts was born in Silver Spring, Maryland and has a deep affinity for her home state, having set many of her more than 200 novels in Maryland.  Her recent NY Times bestseller, “Thankless in Death” is a suspense thriller which centers around loved ones coming together for Thanksgiving.  The brutal reality of hunger in Maryland sadly has its own frightening narrative. “I was shocked to discover that the Maryland Food Bank distributes more than 34.6 million pounds of food - the equivalent of almost 29 million meals each year - and despite that significant effort, families still go hungry in our region,” stated Nora Roberts.  “I am proud to help raise awareness of this issue and to applaud the incredible work that local food banks do daily to eradicate hunger in Maryland.  The holiday season is a great reminder to capture the spirit of giving thanks and helping those in need.”
Penguin would also like to acknowledge the efforts of Governor Martin O’Malley, who is committed to ending childhood hunger in Maryland by 2015.  “One hungry child is one too many," said Governor O’Malley. “Because of its connection to student achievement, workforce strength, physical health, and behavioral health, we’ve made eradicating childhood hunger a priority in our State.”
“We are delighted to support The Maryland Food Bank for the first time.  The negative cascading effect that food insecurity can have on a person, a child or a family, is devastating. Penguin is proud to recognize the tireless efforts of The Maryland Food Bank and its commitment to lead the fight against food insecurity and hunger,” said Leslie Gelbman, President of Mass Market Publishing, Penguin Group (USA). To mark the occasion, Penguin Group (USA) is making a $10,000 donation to The Maryland Food Bank.  “There are more than 457,000 people in our service area who don’t know where their next meal is coming from, and more than a third are children,” says Maryland Food Bank President & CEO Deborah Flateman.  “The emotional toll of hunger is especially high during the holidays.  Families are struggling to put food on the table, heat their home, and at the same time keep traditions alive, so their children feel normal – at least for one day.  This gift will go a long way, and help many, many families in need.”  The donation ensures that over 20,000 meals will be made available to the citizens of Maryland who are in dire need of food assistance.
You too can become involved in the “Be Thankful” initiative by donating food or volunteering; to view a complete list of the affiliated food banks and or participate in a Virtual Food Drive, please visit Feeding America’s national Food Bank Locator at .###
About the Maryland Food Bank
The Maryland Food Bank is a nonprofit hunger-relief organization, leading the movement to end hunger throughout Maryland. For more than thirty years, the Maryland Food Bank has partnered with communities across the state to distribute food to individuals and families in need. Through carefully-crafted programs, the food bank aims to meet the immediate needs of Marylanders while simultaneously working to find long term ways to reduce hunger statewide. Currently distributing 79,000 meals per day – nearly 29 million meals annually – the Maryland Food Bank will continue to expand its efforts until hunger ends.
The Maryland Food Bank  operates from three facilities: one in Baltimore, one in Salisbury, and one in Hagerstown. Through an extensive network of soup kitchens, pantries, schools and other community-based organizations, food is distributed throughout 22 counties, including Baltimore City, and Somerset, Wicomico, and Washington counties – some of the most food-insecure regions in Maryland.
About Penguin Group (USA) 
Penguin Group (USA) Inc. is the U.S. member of the internationally renowned Penguin Group.  Penguin Group (USA) is one of the leading U.S. adult and children's trade book publishers, owning a wide range of imprints and trademarks, including Viking, G. P. Putnam’s Sons, The Penguin Press, Riverhead Books, Dutton, Penguin Books, Berkley Books, Gotham Books, Portfolio, New American Library, Plume, Tarcher, Philomel, Grosset & Dunlap, Puffin, and Frederick Warne, among others. The Penguin Group () is part of Penguin Random House plc, the international media company.
###

Balance – The Myth: Guest blog and Giveaway with LS Murphy

Balance – The Myth
As a mother, wife, office manager, and an author, I spent years dreaming about finding the right balance between each of my worlds. Guess what? It’s a myth. If you keep looking for balance, you will never find it.
You have to MAKE it happen.
Yep, totally two different things.
We’re lured into a sense of balance when we’re kids. We get up, go to school, do whatever we do afterwards. Rinse repeat. Once we got our driver’s license, it was still the same routine, except adding later nights into the mix. We had balance.
Somewhere after high school, or even college, balance disappears. We become shufflers. Moving things around, reprioritizing as life changes, organizing things one way only to have them change the next week. That’s reality of adulthood. Sometimes it just sucks.
So, as writers, what can we do to make balance?
1.     Schedule time. Even if you can only slip in half an hour to write, do it. I figure that’s about 500 words. By the end of the week, you have 3500 words. You’re ahead. See, easy, right?
2.     If you miss a day, don’t worry about it. It’s not that big of a deal. Relax and get back on the horse the next day.
3.     Take time off. This is hard for me. I took a week off this summer. My family took a vacation this summer and I promised my husband that I wouldn’t touch my laptop unless it was necessary. I ignored my email for the most part and relaxed. It was oddly nice.
4.     Utilize every minute. How is this possible? Well, it’s not easy. I use a voice recorder when I get inspired in the car while I’m driving. If I’m the passenger, I use the note function on my phone. I always have a notebook and pen with me as well. If you have five minutes of downtime, use it. Unless you’re in the middle of #3.
5.     Don’t forget what’s important. When you start feeling overwhelmed, take a step back and ask yourself what really matters? That will help you create balance in your life.
Regardless of your lifestyle, balance is necessary to be successful and to stay sane. Create it and, remember, it will always change. ALWAYS. Adjust, move forward. You’ll be fine.




November 11 InterviewThe Creatively Green Write at Home Momwww.creativelygreen.blogspot.com
November 11 Spotlight and reviewRamblings of a Book Lunatichttp://booklunaticramblings.blogspot.com
November 12 Spotlight3 Partners in Shopping, Nana, Mommy, & Sissy, Too!    http://3partnersinshopping.blogspot.com
November 13 InterviewRoxanne’s Realmwww.roxannesrealm.blogspot.com
November 14 InterviewPembroke Sinclair. pembrokesinclair.blogspot.com
November 15 Guest blogMusings and Ramblings http://judy-ree.blogspot.com
November 15 SpotlightReviewing in Chaoshttp://reviewinginchaos.blogspot.com
November 18 Character InterviewManga Maniac Caféhttp://www.mangamaniaccafe.com/
November 19 Guest blog (review later)JeanzBookReadNReview      http://jeanzbookreadnreview.blogspot.co.uk/
November 19 SpotlightAC Jameswww.acjames.com
November 20 Interview and reviewStorm Goddess Book Reviewshttp://www.stormgoddessbookreviews.blogspot.com/
November 20 review/spotlightBooklover Suehttp://bookloversue.blogspot.com/
November 21 SpotlightMila Ramoswww.jademystique.blogspot.com
November 21 SpotlightBook Liaisonhttp://www.bookliaison.net 
November 22 SpotlightCover Revealshttp://CoverReveals.blogspot.com
November 22 reviewBrooke Blogswww.brookeblogs.com
November 25 Guest blogFang-tastic Bookswww.fang-tasticbooks.blogspot.com
November 25 reviewRookie Romance,http://rookieromance.blogspot.co.uk/


NeighborsL.S. Murphy
Publisher: Entangled Flirt
Genre: contemporay romance
ISBN:  9781622663743
Rena Woods has a great life. She recently landed the contract to decorate the home of basketball wife, Cecilia Hood, her business is growing, and this contract could make her the elite decorator in St. Louis. Rena’s sacrificed her personal life for her company without a single regret. When Staff Sergeant C.J. Riker moves in across the hall, Rena can’t stand to be around him. He may be on the volcanic side of hot, but his attitude sucks. Riker does whatever he can to get under Rena’s skin.
After a massive blow to her business sends Rena on a self-destructive binge, Riker is there to save her from doing something she might regret. Could there be more to Riker than meets the eye? And will he open up enough to Rena to tell her how he lost his leg or shut out love forever?
Amazon   BN  Goodreads
 About the Author:
L.S. Murphy lives in the Greater St. Louis area where she watches Cardinals baseball, reads every book she can find, and weaves tales for teens and adults. When not doing all of the above, she tends to The Bean (aka her daughter), her husband and a menagerie of pets. “A Reason to Stay”, a contemporary romance novella, is available as of November 2, 2012. Reaper is her debut young adult novel and is available as of January 7th, 2013.
She is a member of Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators (SCBWI) and the St. Louis Writer’s Guild.
Website: http://lsmurphy.com
Twitter: https://twitter.com/LSMurphy
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/LSMurphyAuthor
Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/5046440.L_S_Murphy
Tumblr: http://lsmurphybooks.tumblr.com/
Linkedin: http://www.linkedin.com/pub/l-s-murphy/12/218/140








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