Roxanne Rhoads's Blog, page 473

Spotlight on Hand of Time

August 5 SpotlightDeb Sanderswww.debsanders.com
August 5 at 11pm EST  Live radio guest spot http://www.blogtalkradio.com/other_worlds_of_romance    
August 6 SpotlightBrooke Blogswww.brookeblogs.com
August 8 Guest blogRose & Beps Blog – http://rosebeps.blogspot.it/
August 9 ExcerptMythical Bookshttp://mythicalbooks.blogspot.ro/
August 13 Character InterviewLaurie's Paranormal Thoughts and Reviews http://lauriethoughts-reviews.blogspot.com
August 15 Spotlight Sapphyria's Book Reviewssaphsbookblog.blogspot.com
August 16 SpotlightFang-tastic Bookswww.fang-tasticbooks.blogspot.com
August 19 InterviewThe Speculative Salon – http://speculativesalon.blogspot.com/
August 20 Guest blogEbook EscapesEbookescapes.com
August 21 InterviewRoxanne’s Realmwww.roxannerealm.blogspot.com
August 22 Interviewhttp://romancewithflavor.com/
August 23 SpotlightEclipse Reviews -Book blogger and reviewer http://totaleclipsereviews.blogspot.com
August 26 SpotlightCloey's Book Reviews and Other Stuffcloeyk.blogspot.com
August 27 SpotlightReading In Twilighthttp://readingintwilight.blogspot.com
August 28 Spotlightparanormal book club www.paranormal-bookclub.com
August 29 InterviewThe Creatively Green Write at Home Momwww.creativelygreen.blogspot.com
August 29 reviewBookwormBridgette's Worldhttp://bookwormbridgette.blogspot.com
August 30 Guest blogMarsha A Moorehttp://marshaamoore.blogspot.com/
September 2 InterviewPembroke Sinclair.  pembrokesinclair.blogspot.com


Hand of Time
The Nemesis Chronicles, Volume 2H.R. Jackson
Genre: Urban Fantasy, Paranormal Romance
Publisher: Geek Treats Collective
Date of Publication: April 20th, 2013
ISBN: 1484125509ASIN: B00CFWYO3K
Number of pages: 352Word Count: 154,224
Cover Artist: Robb Lombard
Amazon Print   Kindle  Nook  Audible

Book Description: 
Morgan... Three months after the events of Vegas turned her life upside down, she's finding that getting back to normal is anything but easy.
Dirk... Trapped between juggling his new responsibilities and making Morgan understand his feelings, the former courtesan is discovering that letting go of the past is much harder when the past refuses to let go of him.
Nemesis... Still reeling from the Society's attack, they find themselves facing a familiar foe and a new menace hellbent on testing their fortitude.
Midsummer madness heats up Nemesis Island. It's a time of celebration and renewal, but the Society has other plans... with Dirk, Morgan, and the rest of Nemesis at the top of their list.
About the Author:
Once upon a time, a man and a woman looked at each other and asked, “Why aren’t we writing this down?”
Inspired by Sci-Fi and Fantasy, with a healthy appreciation of all manner of geekery, they longed to create a world where sword, sorcery, and a little sprinkling of real life could come together. With this in mind, the pair sat down and started the stories that would eventually become The Nemesis Chronicles.
When they aren’t weaving fantastical tales, they spend their time being owned by the Feline Mafia and watching the rain fall in their home city of Seattle.
Find them on the web:http://www.thenemesischronicles.com
Follow them on Goodreads:http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/2933765.H_R_Jackson
Follow them on twitter:  @hrjacksontnc
Follow them on FaceBook:https://www.facebook.com/thenemchrona Rafflecopter giveaway

August Issue Bewitching Book Tours Magazine

Join us for the Wonderfully Witchy August Issue of bewitching Book Tours Magazine.

Our theme for the month is witches- and to really make the theme really fun we have a Find the Witch Scavenger Hunt going on throughout the magazine. Winner will receive a $25 Amazon Gift Card.

This month’s issue contains an author interview with Jacqueline Paige and in depth details about her Magic Seasons Series along with features and excerpts about books by; Kimberly Frost, April Aasheim, Suzanne Johnson, Charity Parkerson, Debbie Christiana, and Roxanne Rhoads.

Readers can also enjoy poetry, book reviews, and our regular features Tarot in Fiction and La Mamma Verde’s Green Living Advice.

In the Naughty Nook you’ll find sizzling excerpt from Witch in the Middle, a short story in the Paranormal Pleasures Anthology, you discover that sex and chocolate have long been a delightful duo, and you can take a peek into Hex and the Single Witch with a short excerpt and an article about the characters creating their own story.

http://issuu.com/bewitchingbooktours/docs/magazine__14

Spotlight Training Temptation by Diana Baron

August 1 Guest blogRoxanne’s Realmwww.roxannesrealm.blogspot.com
August 2 Interview and reviewA.C. Jameshttp://acjamesbooks.blogspot.com/
August 5 spotlight and reviewMommasez...ccclubbs.com
August 6 InterviewPembroke Sinclair.  pembrokesinclair.blogspot.com
August 7 Guest blogwww.christina-mcknight.blogspot.com
August 8 Guest blogSmoldering Heathttp://smolderingheat.wordpress.com
August 9 SpotlightReader's Edynhttp://readersedyn.blogspot.com
August 12 Interview and reviewhttp://www.thatserotica.com/ 
August 13 InterviewBooks and Taleshttp://www.booksandtales.blogspot.co.uk/
August 14 Guest blogErotica For All, http://eroticaforall.co.uk
August 15 SpotlightFang-tastic Bookswww.fang-tasticbooks.blogspot.com
August 16 Guest blog and reviewHttp://erzabetsenchantments.blogspot.com
August 16 SpotlightCover Reveals http://CoverReveals.blogspot.com
August 19 Interview and reviewBuried Under Bookshttp://buriedunderbooks1.blogspot.com
August 20 InterviewThe Creatively Green Write at Home Momwww.creativelygreen.blogspot.com
August 21 Spotlight/ExcerptKelly P's Blog http://kellyatx.blogspot.com/
August 22 SpotlightLisa’s World of Bookswww.lisasworldofbooks.net
August 23 SpotlightMelissa Stevenshttp:/melissastevens.us
August 28 Guest blog and reviewErotica by Cori Vidaehttp://www.corividae.com/shiny/
August 29 reviewBex 'n' Bookshttp://bexnbooks.blogspot.com/
August 30 Spotlight and reviewFaerie Tale Bookswww.faerietalebooks.org

Training TemptationThe Stable Book One
Diana Baron
Genre: Erotic Romance
Date of Publication:  4/23/2013
ISBN: 9781301637034ASIN:  B00CIEBODI
Number of pages: 115Word Count: 28,000
Cover Artist: Melody Simmons of eBookindiecovers.com
Amazon    BN    Smashwords
Book Description:
Caught in a web of deceit, Caroline must run the race of her life to save her family home. Her reputation as the high society owner of the #1 stable for Ponygirls in the world is on the line. And, there’s only one man who can help her win.

Edward Hastings is steamy, passionate and dangerous. With molten brown eyes and a rock hard body, the notorious playboy could have any woman in the world, but he only wants her. The first time he’d seen Caroline dressed like a pony, he’d been enthralled. Now, nothing will keep him from her.

They strike a deal. He’ll train her if she sticks to his rules. But rules were made to be broken. The moment he slides the bit into her mouth, she knows she’s in trouble. As he ignites a fire in her body and her mind, will she make it through the week without losing her heart to him? Or will she be able to train temptation?
About the Author:
Diana began writing the moment she learned how to hold a pencil. By elementary school, she was writing and directing plays for kids in her afterschool program. Over the years, short stories piled up on her nightstand. At night, she could always be found holding a flashlight and a book under her blanket.

She studied writing and literature through high school and into the first two years of college. But then, her fascination with other cultures and religious practices took over. She has degrees in Cultural Anthropology and Comparative Religious Studies from San Jose State University and is published in non-fiction.

After college, her life took an unexpected turn. She's currently a project manager and technical spec writer for a Silicon Valley computer company by day and a daring novelist by night. When she's not tearing up the felt playing at the World Series of Poker, she's traveling to her favorite Caribbean islands.
Website: www.dianabaron.com
Twitter: @DianaBaronBooks
Facebook: www.facebook.com/DianaBaronAuthor
Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/17887800-training-temptation

AAD Spotlight: Kindred and Wings by Philippa Ballantine

Kindred and Wings—the cast
Dreaming of movies is something authors do in their idle moments…and though I haven’t had too many of those recently, casting the Kindred and Wings big screen adaption is something I am happy to share with readers.
Talyn- Gemma Arterton
Carrying so much pain inside her, Talyn is just learning how to be after learning the Caisah’s duplicity. Separated and all at sea, she must chose what is important, and discover if revenge is really worth it. She’s come a long way since Hunter and Fox, but there is still plenty of distance for her to cover.

Finn- David Wenham
Flying on the back of a dragon is a strange place to find a talespinner, but Finn is beginning to feel his own power. He is hunting the brother he never knew he had, and learning to forget about Talyn. What he will learn when he finds him will change Finn’s view about himself.


Byreniko- Kit Harrington
The gentle brother of Talyn, Byre has set out on a mission that is bound to be full of pain. It will take him through the past and back again, bringing lessons and secrets with him. He had never thought much on his place in the grand drama of Conhaero, but he is about to learn that fate has a role for him to play.



Pelanor- Zoe Saldana
A young blood witch, who was once full of ambition, she now finds herself caught up with the Vaerli cause, and the bonds of her own people are starting to fade. What she will become and who she will chose remain uncertain.


The Caisah- Nikolaj Coster-Waldau
Hated by all of Conhaero, the story of the Caisah and his history are beginning to become clear. His role in the end of the world starts to come to fruition.






Kelanim- Emma Stone
As the mistress of the Caisah, Kelanim has had to fight hard to keep her position and her man. The events of Kindred and Wings will test her even further.

Kindred and WingsA Shifted World Novel Book TwoPhilippa Ballantine
Genre: Epic fantasy
Paperback: 390 pages
Publisher: PyrAugust 6, 2013
ISBN-10: 1616147792ISBN-13: 978-1616147792
Book Description:
On the back of the dragon Wahirangi, Finn the Fox flees the world he has known. As he sets out to find the brother he never knew of, he still holds in his heart the memory of the Hunter. He has denied his love for her, but he cannot deny it forever. In the halls of the Last Believers, Talyn begins to uncover her own mysteries, but her lust for the death of the Caisah is still strong and clouds her vision.
She must choose her path, as the Seer of her people or as the assassin of the overlord. Meanwhile, Byre, Talyn's brother, must venture into the fiery world of the Kindred, to rebuild the pact that his ancestors made. He will risk everything he is as he forms a new pact that will change his people forever.
Dragons and myths will be reborn, as the Hunter and her Fox face each other once more.
Amazon    BN



About the Author:

Born in Wellington, New Zealand, Philippa has always had her head in a book. For this she blames her father who thought Lord of the Rings was suitable bedtime reading for an eight year old. At the age of thirteen she began writing fantasy stories for herself.

She first earned a Bachelor of Arts in English Literature and Political Science and then a Bachelor of Applied Science in Library and Information Science. So soon enough she found herself working in the magical world of libraries where she stayed for over a decade.

Her first professional sale was in 1997, and since then she has gone on to produce mostly novel length fiction. In 2006 she became New Zealand’s first podcast novelist, and she has voiced and produced Weaver’s Web, Chasing the Bard, Weather Child and Digital Magic as podiobooks. Her podcasts have won both a Parsec Award and a Sir Julius Vogel award.

Philippa is the author of the Books of the Order series with Ace- Geist, Spectyr, Wrayth and Harbinger coming in July 2013.

She is also the co-author of the Ministry of Peculiar Occurrences series with Tee Morris. Phoenix Rising debuted in May 2011 and The Janus Affair came out in May 2012. Phoenix Rising won the Airship Award for best written steampunk, and was the number eight best Science Fiction book of 2011 according to Goodreads.com. The Janus Affair was the seventh most popular science fiction book of 2012 on Goodreads.com. The series continues with Dawn’s Early Light in December 2013.

In addition she is also the author of the Shifted World series with Pyr Books, with the first book Hunter and Fox released in June 2012, and the second Kindred and Wings scheduled for August 2013.

When not writing or podcasting, Philippa loves reading, gardening, and whenever possible traveling. With her husband Tee and her daughter, she is looked after by a mighty clowder of five cats in Manassas, Virginia.

Website: www.pjballantine.com

Twitter: philippajane

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/groups/pjballantine/ 

http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/1000381

http://www.facebook.com/groups/pjballantine/

http://pinterest.com/pipballantine/

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Interview with Jennifer Blackstream Author of Before Midnight: Blood Prince Series Book One

Do you have a special formula for creating characters' names? Do you try to match a name with a certain meaning to attributes of the character or do you search for names popular in certain time periods or regions?
I write paranormals, so I think of the country (or in some cases, one of the countries) where that creature originated from. Then I go online and find a name from that culture that has a meaning appropriate to the character (yes, I realize that online sources can’t be trusted so some of those names don’t mean what they say they do, but that’s okay). I do try to make sure to pick a name that I think readers will either have a good guess on how to pronounce or that can be pronounced phonetically and still sound all right. I know it can be hard for readers when authors use names that they can’t say, especially if there are a ton of characters, because it makes it harder for readers to keep track of who’s who.
Was one of your characters more challenging to write than another?
Etienne was a little tricky. At first he was supposed to be cursed too, and he was going to be searching for a way to become human. But he didn’t like that idea. That’s actually why it’s a series instead of a stand alone, he decided to be a Blood Prince and if I have a Blood Prince werewolf, then naturally I need a vampire, a demon, an angel, and a god…
Is there a character that you enjoyed writing more than any of the others?
I almost always enjoy the pixie the most. Pixies are snarky little know it alls with kind hearts, and I adore them.
What is your favorite scene from the book? Could you share a little bit of it, without spoilers of course?
            She walked out of the kitchen door into the garden. A few yards away, a pumpkin rose out of the pumpkin patch and floated in the air to land on the other side of the fence. Loupe’s breath caught in her throat as the vines and leaves curled into large circles, turning white as they spun. The pumpkin itself lightened until it was the palest orange she’d ever seen. It grew and grew until it was as large as the royal carriage. Small windows appeared in either side so Loupe could look right through it to the other side.             “Oh, Loeg,” she said softly. “It’s beautiful.”            “It is, isn’t it?”             She turned to see Loeg eyeing the wand like he’d never used it before. She opened her mouth to ask him why he was looking at it like that, but he jerked his head up and the question died on her tongue.             “Oh! One more thing.”            He whistled and a second later a tiny horse flew up from the leaves of the raspberry bush in the corner of the garden. Loupe gasped. It looked like a floating star in the shape of a horse and its whinny brought a smile to her face.             “He’ll pull your new carriage. You don’t need to harness him, the pumpkin will hold on by itself.”            Loupe raised her eyebrows at the tiny horse, then glanced over at the large carriage. “He must be much stronger than he looks.”            She tentatively reached out a hand to pet the small creature and squealed as it abruptly grew in size. It continued to grow until it stood before her—a full man-sized horse.             “Amazing,” she breathed. She gently stroked the silky fur of the horse’s nose. It whinnied and nudged harder into her hand, apparently eager to be petted. A thrill went through Loupe. It had been a long time since a horse had not shied away from her.            “What a good boy you are,” Loupe cooed. “Yes, you are. You are such a good boy.”            “It is shameful the way he’s throwing himself at you,” Loeg groused. “That miserable glue pot would as soon swallow me as give me the time of day!”            Loupe’s eyebrows shot up as the horse whipped its head around and bared its teeth at Loeg. Its eyes rolled until they were white orbs without pupils, glowing with a faint red light. Loeg growled back and it swung its head back to her, its eyes once again a watery blue. Loupe patted its nose. A fairy horse.            “You can keep the beast,” Loeg snapped. “I’ll be stomped if I’m going to keep the ungrateful creature around me.”            “Oh,” Loupe breathed, eyeing the horse again. It nudged her with its huge head, almost knocking her off her feet. “I couldn’t take your horse from you.”            “What do I need a horse for?” Loeg asked. “I’ve got wings, remember?”            “But…then why do you have a horse?”            His eyes narrowed. “What, I’m not allowed to have a horse?”            One could make a study out of how to avoid arguing with a fey, Loupe decided. She glanced down at her dress and then back to the horse. But dealing with them is still incredibly worth it.
Can you tell readers a little bit about the world building in the book/series? How does this world differ from our normal world?
I chose mythological places as the names of the kingdoms in my Blood Prince series (Sanguenay, Dacia, Nysa, Meropis, and Mu). If you’ve ever seen the show Merlin (the one where Anthony Stewart Head is the King), then it’s sort of like the “five kingdoms” he’s always mentioning. The kingdoms are the major players of the world, though there are a few outlying countries (i.e. Midguard, the country the evil stepmother and stepsisters hail from).The humans in my world are aware that fantastical creatures exist, but they don’t necessarily know who is a fantastical creature. It’s a superstitious world, much like our own world was at one time. For instance, the people of Sanguenay don’t know that the royal family are lycanthropes, but the people of Dacia know that the royals are vampires. The reason the people of Dacia are so enlightened, is because the royal family was slaughtered in a coup and then rose again as vampires. It’s a rather famous historical “oops.”
With the book being part of a series, are there any character or story arcs, that readers jumping in somewhere other than the first book, need to be aware of? Can these books be read as stand alones?
There is an overarching story that goes through the series (it deals with the five Blood Princes and the World Tree prophecy). This is mostly dealt with in the prologues and epilogues. If you read one of the books individually, it may ruin some of the series’ story arc, but the individual story would work fine as a stand-alone for the most part. A few cameos may be less meaningful, but it won’t ruin the book.
Do you write in different genres?
I write paranormal romance, fantasy romance, and sci fi romance. Some people consider those all separate genres, but I tend to look at them as different flavors of the same genre.
What are your guilty pleasures in life?
Swerving while driving to splash through large puddles, bubble wrap, and buying gargoyle and dragon statues.
Other than writing, what are some of your interests, hobbies or passions in life?
I’m a huge Alice Cooper fan, I love to cook, and I’m a D&D geek.
What can readers expect next from you?
Book two in the Blood Prince series will be One Bite, a snow white fairy tale infused with vampires.
Where can readers find you on the web?
You can find me at www.jenniferblackstream.com If you join my mailing list, you will receive an alert when a new title becomes available. You will also be automatically entered to win a free copy any time I have a new release.
Would you like to leave readers with a little teaser or excerpt from the book?
            “Ah, it seems that my mother had the servants prepare a bath,” he observed.            “Oh thank goodness!” Loupe trudged over and dunked the muddy wolf pup into the large tub, holding him with one hand while she used the other to scrub his fur. The wolf yipped and struggled, but she held him firmly. Etienne stood in the doorway, staring in frank amusement.            When he didn’t speak for a minute, Loupe looked up.            “You look like you’re trying not to laugh.” She furrowed her eyebrows and briefly halted her scrubbing. “What’s so funny?”            Etienne cleared his throat. “Ah, I believe the bath was meant for you.” He gestured to the clean nightgown lying folded on a chair.             Loupe turned red from her neck to the tips of her ears. “Oh. I see.”            Etienne couldn’t help it. He laughed, a booming sound that set the pups in his arms to barking. Loupe frowned.             “No, it’s all right, Loupe, truly,” Etienne assured her, reining in his amusement. “I’ll have the servants bring up another bath.”            “No, don’t be silly, I don’t need another bath.” She pulled the pup out of the tub and wrapped him in the large towel that had been provided. The pup’s growls were muffled as she vigorously rubbed him dry. Amusement tugged up the corner of Etienne’s mouth as the pup staggered out from under the towel and across the floor. She grabbed the sponge that had also been by the tub and dipped it in the bathwater.             Loupe looked down at her dress. The bodice wasn’t terribly low-cut, but it did give a hint of cleavage. Loupe scrubbed the mud from her skin. The smile died on his face. Etienne’s blood heated as her motions drew his attention to the smooth mounds of her breasts. Every vigorous scrub made the tempting globes of flesh bounce in the most mouthwatering display. He took a step forward.            “There,” Loupe announced. “My dress is a bit damp, but I’m sure it will be dry by morning…” she trailed off as she turned to find him staring. He took another step and her eyes widened.             Something of his less than pure thoughts must have shown on his face because her blush returned with reinforcements and her gaze bounced around the room like a bee in a field of tempting flowers.            The wolf pups hopped around on the floor, tumbling around Loupe’s skirts. An image hit Etienne so hard he swayed on his feet. Loupe sitting in a chair in his bedroom, wolf pups playing on the rug at her feet and a baby in her arms…            He shook his head, struggling to gather his thoughts. No one in his family had the gift of future-sight. The image wasn’t a premonition, it couldn’t have been. He was just tired, under too much stress from the witch’s blessing.             Without meaning to, he’d crossed the room and now stood only an inch or so away. Despite his brain’s ramblings, his body seemed to be perfectly clear in its goals. Loupe titled her face up, her wide green eyes locked on his like a frightened deer watching a predator.            And he did feel like a predator. For the first time since the witch’s blessing had cursed him, Etienne felt primal, animalistic. His body moved on instinct instead of rational thought as he raised his hands, slowly sliding them around Loupe’s waist. The desire to grab her and throw her down on the floor filled him with tension and he had just enough sense to grit his teeth against the urge. He didn’t want to scare her. He just had to taste her.




August 12 InterviewFang-tastic Bookswww.fang-tasticbooks.blogspot.com
August 12 Guest blogClaire's Book Cornerwww.clairesbookcorner.blogspot.com
August 13 Spotlight and reviewPenny For Them...http://pennyforthem1.blogspot.co.uk/search/label/Tour
August 13 Spotlight and reviewThe Insane Ramblings of a Crazed Writer www.jessekimmelfreeman.com/blog.html
August 13 reviewhappy tails and tales http://magluvsya03.wordpress.com
August 14 Guest blogA Bibliophiles Thoughts on Bookshttp://bibliophilesthoughtsonbooks.blogspot.com/
August 14 InterviewParanormal Romance Fans for Life http://paranormalromancefanforlife.blogspot.com/
August 15 Guest blogwww.christina-mcknight.blogspot.com
August 15 reviewMusings From An Addicted Readerhttp://musingsfromanaddictedreader.blogspot.com/
August 16 InterviewMythical Bookshttp://mythicalbooks.blogspot.ro/
August 16 Interview and reviewEbook EscapesEbookescapes.com
August 19 SpotlightStorm Goddess Book Reviewshttp://www.stormgoddessbookreviews.blogspot.com/
August 19 reviewForget About TV, Grab a Bookwww.forgetabouttvgrababook.com
August 20 Guest blogUrban Fantasy Investigationshttp://urbanfantasyinvestigations.blogspot.com/
August 20 reviewR.E.A.D. Read Everything and Discuss http://read-everything-and-discuss.blogspot.com/
August 21 Guest blog and reviewItara @ My midnight fantasiesWww.mymidnightfantasies.blogspot.com
August 22 Interview and reviewImagine a Worldhttp://www.thegoldenruleof666.blogspot.com
August 22 Spotlight and reviewFaerie Tale Bookswww.faerietalebooks.org
August 23 guest blogRose & Beps Blog – http://rosebeps.blogspot.it/
August 23 reviewFeed Your Fiction Addictionhttp://feedyourfictionaddiction.blogspot.com
August 26 SpotlightLiterary Nookhttp://literarynook.com/
August 26 reviewMousehead & Taleshttp://www.mouseheadandtales.weebly.com
August 26 reviewBrooke Blogsbrookeblogs.com



Before Midnight
Blood Prince SeriesBook OneJennifer Blackstream
Genre: Fantasy Romance/Paranormal Romance
Publisher: Skeleton Key Publishing
ASIN: B00DPYZZXA
Number of pages: 180Word Count: 45k
Cover Artist: Elaina of For the Muse Designs
Amazon  BN  AllRomance  Kobo Smashwords
Book Description:
Loupe always dreamed of getting married. She yearned for a caring husband who would take her away from her servant-like existence at home with her stepmother and two stepsisters, a man who would love her forever. Those dreams ended the day she was bitten by a werewolf. Now she’s a mindless beast on the night of the full moon—a condition that forever prevents her from sharing a marriage bed. Not even the attentions of a handsome and endearingly strong prince can convince her that the life she wants is still possible.

Etienne is a prince in need of a werewolf. A werewolf himself from birth, Etienne and his family have protected their kingdom with tooth and claw—literally—for thousands of years. Unfortunately, the spell of a well-meaning witch is slowly turning him human. Only the bite of a cursed werewolf, one who was not born with the beast inside, can save him from becoming human. He has no time for anything that will not lead him to a cure for the cure. Not even the beautiful maiden whose gentle nature soothes his soul can take his mind from his goal.

Love cares little for the best laid plans or the impossible. A grand ball. The stroke of twelve. A magic “slipper.” All kinds of things can happen when you don’t leave the ball…Before Midnight.

 About the Author:
Jennifer Blackstream is a psychology enthusiast with both a B.A. and M.A. in Psychology. Her fascination with the human mind is most appeased through the study of mythology and folklore as well as all of Terry Pratchett’s novels.
Jennifer enjoys listening to Alice Cooper, trying new recipes (to which she will add garlic whether it calls for it or not), watching television with her family, and playing with her woefully intelligent four year old son. 
Jennifer spends most of her time drinking coffee from her X-Men mug and desperately trying to get all her ideas written down before her toddler can find that all magical button on her laptop to make all her work vanish.

Website: http://www.jenniferblackstream.com/
Mailing List: http://www.jenniferblackstream.com/contact-me.php
http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/6153605.Jennifer_Blackstream
Blog: http://thebrimstonepub.com/

Authors After Dark Spotlight: Interview with Marianne Morea

What is it about the paranormal, in particular vampires, that fascinates you so much?
My introduction into the paranormal and the world of “what if” came at a very early age. I remember sitting on the floor by my mother’s feet as she folded laundry with the original soap opera, ‘Dark Shadows” on TV in the living room. I was both enraptured and frightened at the same time to say the least, but it formed a lifelong fascination with the paranormal.
Please tell us about your latest release.
My latest release is a departure from vampires and weres, plus it is also my debut novel in the Young Adult genre. The book is called Hollow’s End, and it is a YA horror with a splash of history, romance and the paranormal. Inspired by historical events that surround the town of Sleepy Hollow and the famous legend that shares its name, this Young Adult Horror takes you on a journey full of history and suspense with a splash of romance and the paranormal. In the story, Hollow’s End, two hundred years of secrets and lies are bleeding into the present, and high school seniors, Hunter Morrissey and Rowen Corbett, find themselves linked with unseen forces shrouded in mystery and violence. Truths, buried and long forgotten, have risen at a time when the veil between the living and the dead is at its thinnest. Only Hunter and Rowen hold the key to locking the past in the past, and setting old wrongs to right.
Do you have a special formula for creating characters' names?
People ask me this quite often, and it may sound crazy but my characters seem to name themselves. A name will come to me and if it resonates with the feel and personality of the character in my head, then it’s a done deal. I have recently started using my reader’s first names for characters in my books. I put it out to my Street Team and they loved the idea! I may even extend the offer to fans that follow me on my social media sites.
Do you try to match a name with a certain meaning to attributes of the character or do you search for names popular in certain time periods or regions?
If my character is ethnic, then I will find an ethnic name that resonates with me and the character’s personality. It’s fun…like naming one of my kids all over again!
Was one of your characters more challenging to write than another?
Yes. Some were easy and straightforward, but others were much more complex with emotional baggage that needed to be worked out both in the story line and in my head. The character of Lily Saburi was one of the hardest I had to write. Book three in the Cursed by Blood saga I will be concentrating on the character of Ryan Martinez, but the French vampire, Remy, will be featured prominently. I have a strong feeling he’s going to give me a hard run. It the tortured ones that are the hardest to write, but also the most satisfying when done.
Do you have a formula for developing characters? Like do you create a character sketch or list of attributes before you start writing or do you just let the character develop as you write?
For the most part I have an idea of where I want the character to be in the story and where they are in their life that has led them there, but outlines and my original plans are never written in stone. The characters have a way of telling me what works for them and what doesn’t. When we have a standoff is when I get writer’s block. As for formulas…I have no use for them. Formulas tend to make the story rote and boring. Keeping character attributes straight in my head is sometimes a daunting task, so I enlist the help of my Street Team, and they maintain a bible of sorts which we call The Character Keeper. It’s a quick reference tool that not only keeps a character’s physical attributes current, but also notes their inner and outer motivations and my reader’s take on what makes the character tick.
What is your favorite scene from the book? Could you share a little bit of it, without spoilers of course?
In Hollow’s End, my favorite scenes are the ones where main character Rowen Corbett has her visions. The images get more intense as the story progresses and they all tie into the climax at the end of the story. I had a lot of fun writing the horror aspects and linking them to the paranormal and helping the hero and the heroine come together as a couple.
Did you find anything really interesting while researching this or another book?
Absolutely! I learned so much about the lesser known urban legends surrounding the village of Sleepy Hollow, as well as truths that could have been the inspiration behind the writing of the original Legend of Sleepy Hollow. I’m from the Hudson Valley and my husband’s family is originally from Sleepy Hollow. Our children were born there, so to learn about the histories that lie beneath what is commonly known was interesting to say the least!
What is the most interesting thing you have physically done for book related research purposes?
Walked and studied the Old Dutch Burial Ground at the Old Dutch Church and looked at genealogies and historic accountings from over 200 years ago.
Can you tell readers a little bit about the world building in the book/series? How does this world differ from our normal world?
The world building I created in my urban fantasies and paranormal romances differ from our normal world in only one way….vampires and other supernatural being exist and walk among us. What is different about my vampires lies in the way they are created. In my world, if a vampire is created with cruelty, selfish disregard and lust, those are the only emotions they retain in their new existence…BUT if a vampire is created with compassion and kindness, they retain the entire spectrum of human emotion and some of their humanity in that they can love and feel empathy for fellow beings. I wanted to show the dichotomy of the beings that inhabit my world, that vampires are predators despite their passionate allure, and for them to truly be the romantic figures we all love, they must work to earn that awe every day of their existence.
With the book being part of a series, are there any character or story arcs, that readers jumping in somewhere other than the first book, need to be aware of? Can these books be read as stand alones?
I have endeavored to make each of my books a standalone, but as with most series, the characters overlap and for readers to get the full impact of the stories they should be read in order. Blood Legacy, my vampire paranormal romance, was originally going to be book one in a separate series from my Cursed by Blood Series, but now that I am bringing the characters together through cameo appearances and through dialogue mentions, my aim is to merge the books into one Saga.
Do any of your characters have similar characteristics of yourself in them and what are they?
All my characters have me in them…especially the females. The men are always a compilation of the men in my life: what I love about them and what I don’t…plus there’s always that element of fantasy that is a must—the ideal that gets brought to life in my head and follows suit into the written word. Real is boring. The idealized is what makes the characters and the stories fun and escapist.
Do you ever suffer from writer’s block? How do you deal with it?
I step away from the story and just do other things. Sometimes I talk to my friends about where I’m stuck; sometimes I just wait for a dream to hit me with an Ah Ha moment. My writer’s block never lasts for long, thank God, and I work best under pressure. I once wrote 20,000 words in one week. When it flows, it flows…
Do you write in different genres?
Yes. I have Hollow’s End which is more YA horror, and I also have a mystery suspense outlined foe this winter as well as a contemporary romance alla Nicholas Sparks just itching to be written. When you’re a writer, you just write. I personally never want to become pigeon-holed.
When did you consider yourself a writer?
In the seventh grade I wrote a love letter to a boy in class, and true to form for a 13 year old boy, he showed it to all his friends. They were impressed. In fact I remember distinctly the words were, “Dang, that girl can write a good letter.” I knew then I had a way with words…especially romance…and I’ve been a scribbler ever since. J
What are your guilty pleasures in life?
Oooh….ice cream! Though I have lactose sensitivity and pay dearly every time I eat it. And (hangs head in shame) I watch reality TV, especially the Real Housewives. I know, I know… it’s trash television, but it’s like road kill, you are horrified yet compelled to look.
What was the last amazing book you read?
I read Kim Harrison’s Everafter and I LOVED it! I am addicted to the Rachel Morgan Hollows series. I also reread Diana Gabeldon’s Outlander Series every chance I get, and I’m so psyched they are finally making the saga into a television series…fingers crossed it follows the book and does the author justice!
What can readers expect next from you?
I have a New Adult paranormal romance due out this fall called Secrets of the Moon. The characters are fresh out of college, so it is still a coming of age/coming into one’s own story. The great thing about the New Adult genre is that characters can experience adult situations and language while still trying to find out who they are and where they fit in this world…or in the worlds I create for them. It’s more freeing in terms of writing, because I don’t have the same restrictions as when writing Young Adult. I know that high school kids these days could probably show me a thing or two about sex and language, but I chose to follow the lead set by Kami Garcia (Beautifu; Creatures), Nancy Holder (The Evil Within) and Stephenie Meyers (Twilight) in that none of them included sex and language in their YA best sellers, so neither would I. Within the first six months of 2014 I hope to have sequels out to both Blood Legacy and Twice Cursed as well as finishing up a new contemporary romance.Intrepid? You bet. Do I love it? Absolutely.
Where can readers find you on the web?
Yes, of course. I’m always around on Facebook and absolutely LOVE to interact directly with readers. My author page is https://www.facebook.com/mariannemoreaauthor  You can tweet me as well at @mariannemorea or contact me through my website at www.mariannemorea.com.
Would you like to leave readers with a little teaser or excerpt from the book?
Sure! Enjoy…
“It’s just Halloween,” I mumbled flipping my covers back, but in our house it was never just Halloween, nor was it ever just about trick-or-treating. It was the Witch’s New Year and one of the biggest sabbats on the wheel of the year. Not that I believed in that sort of junk. That was my family’s thing, not mine, even though my mother and grandmother had been trying to make it mine since the day I was born. I swung my legs over the side of the bed and sat for a moment. I’d heard it a thousand times, “We’re different, Rowen, embrace it. People would kill to be able to do what we can.” Like people needed more reasons to think I was half a freak. And as to wanting to be like me, uh… I didn’t think so. “Rowen, hurry up! I need to talk to you before you leave,” Mom’s voice called again.My room looked like a tornado hit. Clothes and shoes everywhere, and the books and math sheets I reviewed last night were still in a haphazard pile across my desk. Two empty Coke cans topped a pile of candy wrappers, and a large, half eaten bag of potato chips lay crumpled on the floor next to my backpack. Oh God, I didn’t. At the incriminating sight, my hand shifted to my stomach, and a familiar self-loathing settled onto my shoulders. I slumped a bit, cringing inwardly at what the scale would read this morning. With a sigh I pushed myself to stand and slid my gaze to the clothes I somehow remembered to set out. My lateness was reaching epic proportions, yet school was only halfway through the first semester. Most of the student body had learned to get out of the way when I came barreling in for homeroom. Mom seemed to think my tardy nature would improve once I earned my driver’s license, but of course, that didn’t happen. I was seventeen and already driving for the past year. We lived around the corner from the high school, and senior privilege or not, I didn’t relish the idea of taking my mother’s minivan. Grabbing my outfit from the back of my desk chair, I walked into the bathroom and snapped on the light. I had no problem envisioning my mother, coffee cup in hand, impatiently waiting for me to come downstairs while she planned her latest concoction for the store. When my mother says she needs to talk it usually means extra work for me, and considering how busy it’s been I’m surprised it took her this long to ask. Not that I mind helping out at the shop with all its curiosities, but I can’t seem to stomach the people who come in just to gawk. Of course, the townspeople wouldn’t dare insult my mother that way, but the tourists loved to look at the whole lot, including us.I took inventory of my face in the mirror, running fingers over the puffy skin beneath my eyes, trying to ignore the glare from the bathroom’s overhead lights. Telltale dark smudges from my late date with calculus were evident beneath my lower lids, making my hazel eyes look a little muddy. “Now, that’s attractive,” I grumbled reaching for my makeup remover. Giving each eye a quick swipe, I checked my reflection for any marked improvement. No such luck. Most of the time, I liked the way I looked. From the dark curls and high cheekbones I inherited from my dad, to winning the genetic lottery for great skin courtesy of mother’s side of the family. Most of my friends hated that I never got zits or blemishes, but Mother Nature evened the playing field, seeing to it I gained weight if I so much as looked at junk food.I muttered an expletive thinking about the bag of chips I’d massacred and pushed the bathroom scale under the vanity with my foot. One of these days I’d learn not to let the number glaring up at me dictate the kind of day I would have, but today was not that day. The Corbett’s tended to be on the fleshy side, or at least that’s what it looked like in all the family pictures. I wouldn’t know firsthand, though, my dad having died when I was little, and his parents before I was born. Then again, having a mother who leaned more toward the vegetarian line helped a lot in that department.Gathering my hair, I twisted it into a loose bun at the top of my head. There was a peculiar tension building in my stomach, and I didn’t think it was the potato chips. I was out of sorts, restless for some reason, and a dull ache throbbed behind my eyes. I grabbed my toothbrush and turned on the tap, breaking one of the cardinal rules of my house by letting the water run while I brushed my teeth.A calculus test was scheduled later this morning, but I was never one for being neurotic over grades. So why was I so edgy? I rinsed my mouth and stuck the toothbrush in its holder. The light pounding behind my eyes escalated and I winced, tilting my head down against the pain. That was when I saw it, or thought I saw it. I stood motionless with my hand frozen in place as I stared at the water in the sink. The slow drain had allowed the flow to gather in the basin and ribbons of red curled and spread like blood streaming into the water. It didn’t look like rust or red clay or anything else. It looked like blood, swirling and coating the white porcelain with streaks and tiny clots. Worse yet, it smelled like blood, with a sharp, metallic tang that lingered in my nose and throat. I gagged, squeezing my eyes shut.A wave of dizziness hit and I gripped the edge of the vanity, sucking in short shallow breaths trying to work up enough air to yell for my mother. I swallowed against the sour bile taste in my mouth and counted to ten, and when I opened my eyes, only clear water flowed in the sink.My hand shot forward turning off the tap, and I pumped the water-stopper lever behind the faucet a bunch of times. I held my breath ‘til the last of the water ran down the drain. Did I say half a freak? How about a full-fledged weirdo, complete with psychotic visions? Backing up, I grabbed hold of the towel rack and sank to the floor, the cold tile adding to my already goose-pimpled flesh. Minutes passed and though my heart rate slowed, my mind raced. Was this some leftover nightmare skewed from Chiller TV? Part of me wanted to yell for my mother, but the other part knew she’d make a huge deal about it, and I didn’t have time for a protection spell or whatever else she’d think to do.The clock was ticking, and I needed to get myself together and out the door. Afraid to tempt fate and run the water in the sink again, I wet a washcloth under the bathtub tap. “No more sleep deprived delusions for me, thank you.”The problem was this didn’t feel like a byproduct of too little sleep. Something happened, I sensed it. Gran told me the night of my birthday that my aura was bleeding. Happy birthday, darling, and by the way… Gee, thanks. Love you too, Gran.That night my mother made light of it, telling me everyone’s aura bled from time to time, it’s part of coming into your own—yet I hadn’t missed the look she shot my grandmother. And what the hell did that mean? Was I coming into my own as a strong, independent woman, or did some weird, cosmic witchiness hit me square in the face courtesy of my messed up gene pool? Right now, I didn’t want to know. I wanted to go to school and take my exams like any other normal teenager. The question was could I?

Rock ‘n’ Roll in Paranormal Romance Guest blog and Giveaway with Lisa Carlisle

Rock stars are hot. So are paranormal romances. That’s why I can’t get enough of either. And when they’re together in one story—ooh!

I’m Lisa Carlisle and I write erotic paranormal romance for Ellora’s Cave. I was a teenage in the late 80s and early 90s and hit just about every rock and metal show that came to town. After teasing my hair to astronomical proportions, of course! It was a fun time with catchy songs I still love and 80s nostalgia nights are still a great time for girls night out.

Loving the era of big hair and metal, I wanted to write a story with some of that vibe, but with the hot atmosphere of a club today. So I wrote Bloodlust and Metal, which not only features some of the fun rock songs of the late 80s, but with a hot, forbidden attraction between a shapeshifter and vampire – two of my favorites paranormal characters. I had so much fun writing the story. I hope you enjoy reading it!

Enter below for a chance to win a digital copy of Bloodlust and Metal.

Be sure to visit my Web site at lisacarlislebooks.com to check out the playlists and more from the books.

Bloodlust and Metal

On the run from a master vampire, young vampire Layla Black flees London to reinvent herself as the singer of an Eighties cover band in Boston. Devon St. Clair is the bounty hunter hired to track her down. As a shapeshifter with extraordinary skills, his reputation is known throughout the supernatural world. Capturing Layla should be an easy gig that will net a nice profit.

The situation doesn’t go as Devon plans. He wants Layla in his bed, but shapeshifters and vampires don’t mix. They should hate each other, but instead they’re keeping the sheets steamy. When circumstances force them on the run together, their preconceived notions are challenged. If they can evade those hunting them and convince his fellow shapeshifters to help her even though she’s a vampire, they just might have a chance to explore where all that hot, sweaty sex can take them.

A Romantica® paranormal erotic romance from Ellora’s Cave

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Buy now at:
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Also on one of my favorite themes of rock stars and paranormal romance, I had another recent release called Rock Me Tonight, featuring the brilliant, sexy rock star Nico.

Rock Me Tonight

Lily Everett wants a lover, but won’t consider a permanent relationship, because she harbors a secret she’s certain no one will understand. When she meets the singer of a rock band at an underground nightclub, she’s disarmed by his sensual voice and mischievous good looks. After an icy introduction, Lily warms up to Nico’s charms.

A computer geek by day, Nico dons a rock singer persona by night. He’s tired of women pursuing him just because he’s in a band—the sex may be handy, but he wants something more. He’s intrigued by Lily’s reticence.

Keeping her emotional distance proves difficult the more Lily uncovers the intelligent, considerate man hiding behind Nico’s bad-boy persona. Their encounters are hot-hot-hot, but Nico wants more from Lily than sex. When Lily lets down her guard and reveals her other side, Nico’s shock destroys their closeness and they both doubt they can overcome their differences.

A Romantica® paranormal/shapeshifter erotic romance from Ellora’s Cave

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Buy now at:

Ellora’s Cave
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All Romance Ebooks

Reviews

A Summer Pick by All Romance Ebooks!

A Top Pick by Night Owl Reviews

The chemistry between Lily and Nico is off the charts. The sex is hot and steamy. They are a great match together in and out of the bedroom. ~ Night Owl Reviews

The one area that never failed to excite in this story was the sex – anywhere and everywhere… Lisa Carlisle has penned a really good story here in this installment; I’m now going to search out the first two in the series.~ The Jeep Diva

Recommended by USA Today!

“The trailer for Rock Me Tonight by Lisa Carlisle might be short, but it grabs you right away with the driving beat of the soundtrack. The images are a mix of glimpses of the rock lifestyle and sexy clinches — yum — and then the script draws you in with nerds who become rock stars by night and heroines with secrets. Can we all raise a lighter to this one?”


About Lisa CarlisleI gravitate toward stories with dark, brooding, isolated characters (think Heathcliff, Dracula, Darth Vader, and Severus Snape) and tough, independent, caring heroines. My reading tastes very widely, though, and I’ll read almost anything–especially paranormal romance, mysteries, and non-fiction on any new topic of interest.

I’m feel very honored to be a multi-published, award-winning author writing in different genres since I’ve wanted to be a writer since I was in sixth grade. For much of my professional career, I’ve written non-fiction — I’ve discovered writing romance is the most fun!

Life took a strange turn when I was younger and I ended up enlisting in the Marines, where I served in Parris Island, the California desert, and Okinawa, Japan. Then I backpacked alone through Europe,  and lived in Paris. I owned a bookstore for a few years before becoming a writer as I love to read. Currently, I live in New England with my fantastic husband and kids.Fun ExtrasBe sure to visit my Web site at http://www.lisacarlislebooks.com/books and sign up for my newsletter to be the first to hear of new releases, specials, or freebies. You can also explore fun extras, like the playlists for my books.

Coming soon—A Gargoyle’s Embrace.

Let’s connect:FacebookTwitterPinterest
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Interview and Giveaway with Katalina Leon author of Lord Griffin’s Prize

Can you tell readers a little bit about yourself and what inspired to write in this particular genre?
Katalina Leon: I’m primarily a visual artist so I got to the writing game a little late. When you read my work, you’ll notice I’m obsessed with color, texture and atmosphere. I try to match a color and a moral theme to each book as if I were acting as a set dresser and setting the stage for the reader to move in and have their own experience. The beauty of the digital realm is the extra lavishness cost me nothing but imagination and time. Subjects I used to struggle to paint on huge canvases, I can now share as written word. It’s a much easier way to spread magic and fun around. My new magic tools are electricity, language and light. What witch of yesteryear wouldn’t envy the simplicity of that?
What is it about the paranormal that fascinates you so much?
Katalina Leon: I love the paranormal genre because it provides a stage for the deeper mysteries in life to be played out in dramatic fashion. Lord Griffin’s Prize features an immortal griffin-shifter not a Vampire, but I’ve written Vampires in “The Strix and loved it! I’ll be returning to Vampire realms soon. As authors we can always fall back on the “it’s just entertainment” alibi but paranormal realms allow us to explore our darkest and most unacceptable fantasies in an acceptable way. Vampires are a glimpse into our fears and desires about our own mortality. There are overtones of power, domination and sexual submission. To deal with a seductive Vampire is to face the dual possibilities of annihilation or sweeping immortal bliss. It requires a leap of faith to trust another being who is so “other”, and no doubt that’s a big part of the fun as well.
What inspired you to write this book?Katalina Leon: Griffins have always had a special place in my heart. According to 9th century Irish author Stephen Scotus, griffins mate for life and are “highly monogamous.” If a mate dies the other will never re-mate, and that played a big part in my story. Griffins rule both air and land with justice and loyalty. So you see its hard to not love a griffin!
A few years ago, as an anniversary gift, my husband gave me a beautiful bronze casting of a griffin to place next to my writing desk. The Griffin is there as a symbol of eternal love and loyalty. My husband’s a griffin at heart; he’s protective, loyal and he never turns his back on his responsibilities. I brought as much of that sentiment as I possibly could to “Lord Griffin’s Prize.”
Please tell us about your latest release.
Katalina Leon; Lord Griffin’s Prize is part of the Emerald Isle Fantasies book series from Ellora’s Cave. Here’s the blurb:
When guests check into the historic Castle Tullamore Hotel they expect bucolic scenery and luxurious service. What they don't anticipate is along with the 5 star accommodations they'll also get drawn into lots of otherworldly Irish mischief and erotic enchantment.
At Tullamore there are ghostly lovers, griffin-shifters, vampires, selkies, witches and werewolves waiting to lure the lonely and the adventurous into forbidden realms. The castle grounds are riddled with time portals where the unwitting can experience vivid adventures in other timelines. For the most part the hotel appears to be just a lovely Irish castle until things get wild and reality drops from underfoot like a swinging trapdoor.
My contribution to the Emerald Isle Fantasies is “Lord Griffin’s Prize” and it’s available now.
Do you have a special formula for creating characters' names? Do you try to match a name with a certain meaning to attributes of the character or do you search for names popular in certain time periods or regions?
Katalina Leon: I do try to match deeper meaning to a character’s name and when I do it’s always part of the plot line or story. If I don’t know what to name a character I often simply take a deep breath and type a name. I ask the character to tell me who they are. It can be pretty amazing how quickly and vividly hidden parts of the personality volunteer to step forward and reveal themselves.
Is there a character that you enjoyed writing more than any of the others?
Katalina Leon: I love both Maeve and Ronan equally. They both surprised me in so many ways.  But I have to admit writing villains is my favorite thing in the world. It’s just so fun. My evil characters do all the work for me. They just show up in my head, put on a show and force me to keep with them and yes, Lord Griffin’s Prize has a wretched villain named uncle Aodhan.
Do you have a formula for developing characters? Like do you create a character sketch or list of attributes before you start writing or do you just let the character develop as you write?
Katalina Leon: I’m a visual thinker so I’ll collect photo files of potential characters. I’m sort of a hoarder of interesting men on Pinterest. I’ll start and collect files on real life historical characters and when a theme, character and setting come together voila! It off to the races typing an outline before it all disappears.

What is your favorite scene from the book? Could you share a little bit of it, without spoilers of course?
Katalina Leon: I love the opening scene between Maeve and Ronan when they meet in a semi-dream state and make love in a beautiful old bed in the O’Griofa suit of Tullamore Castle-a bed they’d shared seven hundred years ago as newlywed lovers. The whole incident feels convincingly real to Maeve and she’s left very confused by the visit from her phantom lover who morphs into a griffin and disappears through the castle walls. And that just the beginning of strange events. 
Did you find anything really interesting while researching this or another book?
Katalina Leon: I always find a ton of interesting things-far more material than I can or should include. I consider these riches my repayment. I love finding these interesting things. When you really look at the human story it always makes me proud to be human. I believe we’re all part of something very special.
What is the most interesting thing you have physically done for book related research purposes?
Katalina Leon: My husband would be very unhappy with me for being a tattletale about personal stuff, but I love to experiment and try new sensations and new things. For my upcoming paranormal romance, I used enchanted Absinthe as a plot device that throws my heroine back to an artist loft in 1903 France. A tricky enchantress and La Fée Verte—the green fairy are involved in the mischief. While I was editing “Fairy In The Flesh” when I came to the Absinthe scene, I drank real Absinthe and caught a nice little buzz. I’ll do anything for my craft!
Can you tell readers a little bit about the world building in the book/series? How does this world differ from our normal world?
Katalina Leon: The Emerald Isle Fantasies collaboration was easy and came naturally. I’ve made a lot of good friends in the group. The project was started almost eighteen months ago. We were all Ellora’s Cave authors who were reassigned to a new editor based in Ireland. Our editor’s husband worked in the hospitality industry at a real Irish castle turned hotel. Pictures of his workplace were posted and the “Oohing and Ahhing” started immediately. Brainstorming to create our own fictitious castle filled with paranormal Irish high jinx and lots of unsuspecting guests was the next logical step.
With the book being part of a series, are there any character or story arcs, that readers jumping in somewhere other than the first book, need to be aware of? Can these books be read as stand alones?
Katalina Leon: All the Emerald Isle Fantasies books are strong stand alones and can be read and enjoyed in any order. We worked hard to coordinate a few shared characters and locations that have particular properties and we hope readers will enjoy everyone’s slightly different take on a few shared themes. For instance Tullamore Castle has an enchanted “lift”— a Victorian era elevator, that on its discretion might toss a rider back in time or cause amorous behavior that gets out of control. Phantom lovers enjoy riding this elevator and doing provocative things to the living. So if you think you’re being kissed or softly touched in the lift—you might want to glance over your shoulder…
Do you ever suffer from writer’s block? How do you deal with it?
Katalina Leon: I hit blocks all the time and no amount of mental pushing or shoving seems to get the show on the road. When that happens I close that WIP for a while and open another or start a new one. Almost immediately the writing energy returns. I always have at least a dozen WIPs going at any one time.
Do you have any weird writing quirks or rituals?
Katalina Leon: I always have a vase of fresh flowers on my writing desk. It can be a simple arrangement from my yard or the farmer’s market but I really love my flowers. Today I have a vase of big beautiful golden roses from my neighbor’s yard sitting beside me.
Do you write in different genres?
Katalina Leon: I do and I consider the genre changes as necessary as a wardrobe change—if it’s cold out put on a coat! The tone of the story needs to be matched to the right genre. I currently write erotic romance in the subgenres of paranormal, historical, Sci-fi and contemporary.
Do you find it difficult to write in multiple genres?
Katalina Leon: No it would be much more difficult for me to stick to only one genre. My own interests and tastes roam all over the place. Like most women I like having favorites but I don’t want to feel pinned down.
When did you consider yourself a writer?
Katalina Leon: The day I received my first book contract, quickly followed by three more was an overwhelmingly positive event and signaled a major life refocus for me. It was official in my mind that I was a writer and not just a dreamer. I’ll never forget that feeling.
What are your guilty pleasures in life?
Katalina Leon: Mild bondage even a firm grip on my wrists works and chocolate infused red wine. Why not?
Other than writing, what are some of your interests, hobbies or passions in life?
Katalina Leon: I love a challenging group yoga class or an all out sweat-soaked workout at the gym especially if I’ve been sitting most of the day…which is typical. It so hard to get to the gym but worth it, as much for my mind and stress levels as my body. I’ve long accepted that my extra pounds are mine to keep as my consolation prize. Fit is good, skinny is not for me.
What was the last amazing book you read?
Katalina Leon: I just finished reading Robin Maxwell’s “Jane—The Woman Who Loved Tarzan” from Tor press. There was a lot to love about that book. I fell in love with Tarzan too.
Where is your favorite place to read? Do you have a cozy corner or special reading spot?
Katalina Leon: I’m a bit of a gypsy, I move around the house following the light or moving away from chatty people. I have a favorite spot on a cushy leather couch next to a reading light but if I sit there and open a book it’s a silent signal for my son, dog and husband to plop down beside me and turn on the television… Bye-bye reading time.

What can readers expect next from you?
Katalina Leon: Expect more time travel and later this fall some Cajun time-traveling wolf-shifters as well. Fairy In the Flesh is one of my personal favorite fantasies of going back to 1903 and being part of the Bohemian modernist art movement. Sexy artist and enchanted absinthe is involved.
Here’s the blurb:
Fairy In The Flesh
Katalina Leon
Maya Rousseau’s fantasy vacation in Avignon France heats up when an eccentric enchantress tricks her into drinking mojo-laced absinthe.
An unexpected encounter with the green fairy causes Maya’s reality to have a serious melt down. She travels back in time and wakes up naked in the bed of her favorite bad boy Bohemian artist, the tall, dark and mysterious André Bosco. There’s nothing wrong with that except it’s 1903.
For André it’s love at first sight. He begs Maya to become his cherished model, muse and lover. The chemistry and shared passion between them is overwhelming. André’s a generous-hearted dream man but there’s a catch. Every hour they spend together bonds them tighter and time is running out. The same powers that flung Maya back to 1903 are preparing to snatch her back.
With a hundred and ten years separating these soul-bound lovers it’s uncertain if they can find a happy ending without the help of a little magic and La Fée Verte.Note: Story contains super hot sex with an unattainable man, enchanted hallucinatory beverages, mischievous time-twisters and green fairies.

Where can readers find you on the web?
Katalina Leon:Website: katalinaleon.comEllora’s Cave:https://www.ellorascave.com/index.php/authors/index/author/slug/katalina-leon/Loose Id:http://www.loose-id.com/authors/a-f/amber-skyze-katalina-leon.htmlAmazon:http://www.amazon.com/-/e/B00BIXI8BQAll Romance eBooks:https://www.allromanceebooks.com/storeSearch.htmlNight Owl Reviews Author Page:http://erotica.nightowlreviews.com/V5/Authors/Katalina-LeonPinterest:http://pinterest.com/katalinaleon/Facebook:www.facebook.com/katalina.leon.142
Would you like to leave readers with a little teaser or excerpt from the book?
Katalina Leon: I sure would!
(In this scene Maeve has been in the O’Griofa suite for less than an hour, but she’s already become infatuated with Lord O’Griofa’s portrait, traveled back in time to a castle under siege, released the pain of a failed marriage and hallucinated that a griffin is walking the castle grounds. It’s been a very eventful night. She’s exhausted and jetlagged. When she climbs into the notorious O’Griofa “griffin bed” things really heat up.)
…She walked around the room, making sure the door was locked and switching off the few lights still lit. The fading red embers of the fire glowed. The fire’s soft illumination was lovely and provided just enough light to see. An errant sliver of moonlight cut across the room and lit Lord O’Griofa’s portrait.Maeve pulled the covers back and climbed into the massive bed, which could have comfortably slept several adults. She gazed up at the silk canopy. The viridian curtains surrounding the bed were woven with a subtle pattern that suggested to her tired eyes the faintest hint of feathery wings.She noticed that the bed curtains could be drawn around the bed to either block light or create an oasis of privacy. She drew the curtains in hopes of preventing the first rays of dawn from waking her too early. She allowed her head to sink deep into the lush pile of pillows and sighed with pleasure that the bed felt as good as it looked.She stretched across the crisp sheets with her eyes squeezed shut, wishing she had the energy or will to take off the bulky bathrobe, but before she could rouse herself to act she became aware of the warm weight of a solidly built man pressing down on her.As if by magic a naked man materialized beneath the bedcovers. His warm skin radiated the faint but unmistakable scent of musk. He unknotted the robe and pushed the fabric aside, baring her breasts. A soft sigh crossed his lips.She made a halfhearted attempt to stop him.With gentle but decisive action, he took hold of her wrists and slowly slid her arms above her head, pinning her beneath him.She gulped a startled breath as he parted her legs with his knee. The sensations were real. The wet tip of his heavy erection brushed between her thighs. She started to cry out in surprise.“Hush,” the man whispered. He grazed his lips against the side of her cheek. “Don’t wake, my love—this is only a dream.” The man’s comforting voice was pure reassurance. “I’ve been waiting so long for you.”“Ronan?” She relaxed.“Who else comes to your bed?” A quiet laugh crossed his lips as if it were a casual joke that often passed between them. He released his hold on her wrists. “Wrap your arms around me and make me feel loved.” He leaned close and his warm breath flooded the side of her throat. “I need you, Maeve.”A shudder of desire seized her, impossible to deny. The man’s voice was drenched with longing and coaxed myriad buried feelings to surface. She realized that every lover should plead for touch with this much conviction, yet so few did.Dream or not, it had been ages since she’d felt sensations so fiery and she couldn’t resist giving in. The dream man—Ronan or whoever he was—felt so good that she found herself wrapping her arms around his broad shoulders and drawing him close. The silky hair on his chest glided against her breasts. In a moment of uncharacteristic boldness, she reached down, took hold of his shaft and guided him between her legs. She rubbed the head of his cock against her with slow strokes, until he was slick and her clit peaked. Without further prompting she allowed him to glide inside.“Oh Maeve.” A husky groan escaped his lips as he sank deep.She arched beneath him and twined a smooth leg around his hip, wishing he’d start moving and pay out on the building excitement he’d caused. She skimmed the length of his muscular back with open palms before gripping his solid butt and pressing down with a demanding little push that said “get going”.He moved with caution.She tried to glimpse his face in the shadows but saw nothing beyond a vague silhouette. It excited her to be with a complete stranger. She’d never done such a thing and it really didn’t matter because this was just a dream. It was so freeing to give in to raw lust. “Fuck me,” she whispered.“What a salty tongue you have.” He sounded amused as he nipped her throat. His lips lingered on her skin. “You’re sweet as heaven but you talk like a devil.” He took several long strokes, pumping his hips faster. The muscles of his back coiled and his breath sped. He was big and solid and the animal strength of his graceful body took her breath away. Each movement was controlled and decisive and every inch of his body tensed. “I can’t hold back.” A moment later he bolted into action like a racehorse sprinting. “Sorry, love. This is going to be sweet and swift.” He gripped her shoulders as his body covered hers and moved with fierce strokes.The thick shaft of his cock glided against her wet clit at the perfect angle. She lifted her hips off the bed to intensify the sensation. “That’s good.” She encouraged him to move with her. She grabbed on to the hard muscles of his butt and pushed down with force. The brisk stroke of his cock brought her moaning to the edge. “I’m right there.” A beautiful rush of sensations heated her blood as the easiest, quickest climax of her life carried her away and left her limp with pleasure. “Ah...”He lifted Maeve’s thigh higher and sank deep. A quiet growl vibrated low in his throat. He tipped his head back and arched as he came hard. The man trembled and nearly collapsed against her, with a dewy sheen of sweat on his skin. He brushed his face against her cheek and she felt a gritty hint of stubble.Alarm shot through her. Those details felt all too real. She feared this couldn’t possibly be a dream. No dream was this vivid. She pushed against his shoulders and tried to get a better look at him.“Am I crushing you?” He rose on his elbows so she could move and brushed his fingertips against her cheek. “That was wonderful. I wish I could stay inside you all night, but I can’t.”A chill shivered across her skin. “Why can’t you?”
“Because it’s not night anymore, it’s morning.” The man evaporated in front of hereyes and the warm bed covers slumped on top of her with a swoosh as he exited.Maeve bolted upright and smacked the empty covers with her palm. The man had vanished. The bed curtains remained drawn and still. Her bathrobe was open and the bedding was rumpled but beyond that only the faintest scent of salty sweat betrayed that he had ever been there.She reached between her drenched thighs with caution and touched. Without doubt a man had been with her. What the hell was going on?The quiet scratch of what sounded like claws against the wooden floor made her freeze. She drew a tense breath, listened with laser focus and heard a soft snort and what sounded like the padding of heavy paws crossing the room. A noise like an animal snuffling the fire grate made her blood run cold.Now she was fully awake and certain this was no dream. Her heart hammered against her ribs. Beyond the bed curtains, someone or something was moving around the suite.She drew the bed curtain aside a crack and peered out. The room was illuminated by the faint rays of an overcast dawn.Near the fireplace beside the mantel, she saw a large animal the size of a male lion with black sweeping wings folded behind its back. The creature turned to the side, revealing the lethally curved beak of an eagle and keen, dark eyes. She gasped in awe and immediately covered her mouth with her hand.The griffin.The creature glanced over its shoulder stealthily, as if it were aware of her presence, and reached toward the wedding ring she had left as an offering. It picked up the ring with its hooked beak. The griffin tossed the ring into the air and swallowed it with a quick gulp.She bit her lip to keep from gasping aloud.The griffin turned and walked through the heavy wooden door, which posed no physical barrier. It passed through the locked door with the same ease as if it were walking through fog, and disappeared.“Oh my God!” Maeve trembled with shock. “What just happened?”She threw the bed curtains back, leaped off the mattress and ran toward the door while tying the bathrobe around her waist. She grabbed the doorknob and rattled it. The knob did not budge and she saw that the door was latched from the inside.She turned and ran toward the mantel. Her gaze went straight to the clawed feet of the stone griffin. The wedding ring was gone. She reached out and felt the empty spot with her fingertips to reassure herself that this moment of utter madness was real. “I’m losing my mind. This isn’t good.”She focused her gaze with suspicion on the disheveled bed before ricocheting like a bullet toward Lord O’Griofa’s portrait. Had all that been real too? Had she made love to a phantom?“Nope. That’s too much crazy,” she said it aloud in a calm voice. There was no way a man from the distant past had materialized in bed and fucked her breathless with tender gusto. It was a thrilling but improbable fantasy.It was more likely she’d been ignoring her true feelings and physical needs for so many months that she’d gone temporarily nuts. “Strange fantasy men in the bed” crazy was a bad development. That level of cuckoo should never happen again. It was obvious to her that dire needs must be addressed. She realized she should buy a vibrator on this vacation and start using it ASAP.Fucking hunky medieval phantoms was without doubt a sign she needed to get off more often than she had been lately—which was not at all. She was pent-up. This situation simply wasn’t acceptable. She was a loaded gun ready to explode, for God’s sake. What was next? Would she throw herself at the first interesting man who crossed her path? In her current wounded-prey state of mind she knew that would definitely be a mistake. To make sure this type of weirdness didn’t happen again, a vibrator was a must, and she promised herself she’d get one soon.Beyond the tall, narrow windowpane, the sun broke through a thick layer of cloud, lighting the morning sky in brilliant shades of blue and gold.Maeve smoothed the bed covers. There would be no pretense of going back to sleep. Besides, she didn’t dare to climb back into that bed until she’d had a sobering cup of coffee and a long talk with her love-starved libido…(Maeve dresses and heads downstairs and guess who she runs into walking the castle grounds dressed in contemporary clothing? Oh yes, it’s very awkward. How can she tell a stranger that she just finished having sex in her dreams with someone who looks and sounds just like him…Poor Maeve.)Thank you Fangtastic Books for hosting me today! I loved the visit. XXOO Katalina Leon



August 5 SpotlightQueen of the Night Reviews http://queenofthenightreviews.blogspot.com/
August 6 reviewNicky Peacock Authorhttp://nickypeacockauthor.wordpress.com/
August 6 SpotlightKelly P's Blog http://kellyatx.blogspot.com/
August 7 SpotlightCloey's Book Reviews and Other Stuffcloeyk.blogspot.com
August 8 InterviewPembroke Sinclair.  pembrokesinclair.blogspot.com
August 9 InterviewFang-tastic Bookswww.fang-tasticbooks.blogspot.com
August 12 reviewThe Book Mavenbookmaven623.wordpress.com
August 13 SpotlightSmoldering Heathttp://smolderingheat.wordpress.com
August 13 reviewSapphyria's Steamy Book Reviewssaphssteamybooks.blogspot.com
August 14 SpotlightShare My Destinyhttp://ShareMyDestiny.blogspot.com
August 14 SpotlightTraci Douglasswww.tracidouglass.net/blog
August 15 SpotlightRose & Beps Blog – http://rosebeps.blogspot.it/
August 15 SpotlightThe Rookie Romance Blog, http://rookieromance.blogspot.co.uk/
August 16 SpotlightThe Official Blog of A.C. Jameshttp://acjamesbooks.blogspot.com/
August 16 Interview and reviewhttp://romancewithflavor.com/
August 19 SpotlightMusings of Mistress of the Dark Path http://mistressofthedarkpath.wordpress.com/
August 19 Spotlight and reviewDalene’s Book Reviewshttp://dalenesbookreviews.blogspot.com/



Lord Griffin’s PrizeKatalina Leon
Genre: Paranormal romance shape-shifter
Publisher: Ellora’s CaveDate of Publication:  July 10, 2013
ISBN: 9781419945397
Number of pages: 114Word Count: 50k
Cover Artist: Syneca
http://www.ellorascave.com/lord-griff...
Book Description:
Part of the Emerald Isles Fantasies series
Tullamore Castle Ireland is an enchanted place where the unexpected happens. Phantom lovers materialize in haunted beds and a lonely griffin patrols the ramparts waiting to reclaim its mate. And that’s just the beginning.
For the adventure of a lifetime Maeve de’Burgo visits Tullamore to study genealogy. Through a magical act and time travel she becomes embroiled in a dangerous medieval romance and the unfinished life of her ancestor. Maeve gets thrown back in time to be captured, ravished and cherished as a war chief’s prize.
Ronan O’Griofa is a griffin-shifter, the most loyal of creatures. He’s been trapped in limbo as the avenging guardian of Tullamore since 1332 AD and longs to be free. When the soul of his wife returns to the castle he’s granted the privilege of becoming a man for one day to be her lover, win her heart and remind Maeve of a bond strong enough to last an eternity.


About the Author:
I’m an artist, an author, mother and wife. I write for Ellora’s Cave, Loose Id Publishing and a couple new publishers to be announced soon. I try to bring a touch of the mystical and a big sense of adventure to everything I write because I believe there’s a bold, kick-ass heroine inside all of us who wants to take a wild ride with a strong worthy hero.
Ellora’s Cave:https://www.ellorascave.com/index.php/authors/index/author/slug/katalina-leon/
Loose Id:http://www.loose-id.com/authors/a-f/amber-skyze-katalina-leon.html
Amazon:http://www.amazon.com/-/e/B00BIXI8BQ
All Romance eBooks:https://www.allromanceebooks.com/storeSearch.html
Night Owl Reviews Author Page:http://erotica.nightowlreviews.com/V5/Authors/Katalina-Leon
Pinterest:http://pinterest.com/katalinaleon/
Facebook:www.facebook.com/katalina.leon.142a Rafflecopter giveaway

My Favorite Books by Anthony Karakai Author of The End of Athens

The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho:
This book changed my life, as I’m sure it has many others around the world. Its simplicity is powerful, the story courageous. The Alchemist should be compulsory reading for all school students. Magical realism is a brilliant genre that does not receive enough recognition nor input from authors; this novel is the reason I write in this genre, and seek to bring hope and inspiration to my readers. My brother gave me this book.
The Beach by Alex Garland:
If you haven’t read this book I implore you to. The backpacking adventure is now legendary on both beaten and unbeaten paths around the world- if you have a son or daughter about to graduate, give them The Beach as a present, and encourage them to get out and see the world. I found this at a second-hand bookstore in Airlie Beach, Australia.
Maximum City: Bombay Lost and Found by Suketu Mehta:
A Pulitzer Prize finalist in 2005, the travel memoir and social analysis of Mumbai’s underworld is breathtaking. It stands out above most other travel memoirs, for unless you have lived it, you truly wouldn’t understand this type of travel. I bought this in Milan, Italy.
The Zahir by Paulo Coelho:
The Zahir is a work about the power of love, and its absolution as we journey through life. This book is food for the soul, and will bring contentment to even the most hectic of minds. I bought this in Santorini, Greece.
The Wind-Up Bird Chronicle by Haruki Murakami:
Murakami is a writer’s writer. His style, approach and ability to tell meaningful stories with surrealism is masterful. This is just one of many books by the Japanese author which should be read by every aspiring writer. I was given this as a present by my brother.
The Little Prince by Antoine de Saint-Exupéry:
A timeless classic. A philosophical tale about life in the disguise of a children’s book. I picked this book up originally as I was once called ‘The Little Prince’ on my travels. I only discovered five years later that it was in reference to this fable. 
Twelve Days: The Story of the 1956 Hungarian Revolution by Victor Sebestyen:
For anybody who has grown up in a culture they haven’t identified with, and wanted to trace their roots to help discover who they are, I highly recommend this book. For me, it showed what life was like for my parents and grandparents in beautiful Hungary at the time- atrocity, murder, corruption and cruelty. I bought this at the House of Terror, in Budapest, Hungary. 
The Quiet American by Graham Greene:
I studied this book in high school. The Quiet American is a great book which can teach the world many lessons about the wars we find ourselves in- war with other countries, and war with ourselves. 
Dracula by Bram Stoker:
An absolute masterpiece, what more can I say? The fact that mainstream media has portrayed Dracula as a bloodsucking vampire who terrifies people is a grave injustice. This book really deserves more than that. The depth in the story, the descriptive nature of the text and the rich territory it unfolds in deserves the highest praise.
The Motorcycle Diaries by Che Guevara:
This travel memoir truly is exceptional, despite what you think of the man. Is Guevara a murderer or a liberator? An angel or a savage? Before he became a revolutionary, he embarked on a travel adventure with his best friend- this is his story. The reason this book is so well received is because it resonates deeply with those who travel for the first time- the things we see, the people we encounter- it all makes up an experience which helps shape our view of the world. Ultimately, this shows Guevara in a non-mythical light that any young man or woman can relate to- somebody who so, so desperately wanted to change the world. For those who do not like Guevara, you should give this a read as you will find it particularly interesting. You will see a young, bright physician with the whole world before him
July 22 SpotlightKelly P's Blog http://kellyatx.blogspot.com/
July 22 Spotlightaobibliosphere™http://aobibliosphere.blogspot.com/
July 23 InterviewPembroke Sinclair.  pembrokesinclair.blogspot.com
July 24 InterviewSimply Infatuatedhttp://www.simplyinfatuated.com/
July 25 SpotlightLisa’s World of Bookswww.lisasworldofbooks.net 
July 26 InterviewThe Little But Awesome Things In lifehttp://bianca-s-blog.blogspot.ro/
July 29 Guest blog and reviewNicole Hewitt @ Feed Your Fiction Addictionhttp://feedyourfictionaddiction.blogspot.com
July 30 Spotlight and reviewBookwormBridgette's Worldhttp://bookwormbridgette/blogspot.com
July 31 InterviewA.C. James acjamesbooks.blogspot.com
August 1 InterviewThe Creatively Green Write at Home Momwww.creativelygreen.blogspot.com
August 2 InterviewMusings of Mistress of the Dark Path http://mistressofthedarkpath.wordpress.com/
August 5 InterviewInto the Land of Bookshttp://etherealistic-reader.blogspot.com/
August 6 InterviewRoxanne’s Realmwww.roxannesrealm.blogspot.com
August 7 Spotlight Wicca Witch Book Bloghttp://wiccawitch4.blogspot.ca/
August 8 Guest blogFang-tastic Bookswww.fang-tasticbooks.blogspot.com
August 9 reviewThe Avid Readerhttp://the-avidreader.blogspot.com/
August 9 reviewaobibliosphere™http://aobibliosphere.blogspot.com/
August 12 SpotlightElfie Books http://elfie-books.blogspot.co.uk 
August 13 SpotlightItara @ my midnight fantasiesWww.mymidnightfantasies.blogspot.com
August 14 spotlight/excerpt Books & Taleshttp://www.booksandtales.blogspot.co.uk/
August 15 Spotlight and reviewA_TiffyFit's Reading Cornerhttp://tiffyfit.blogspot.com
August 16 SpotlightBuried Under Bookshttp://buriedunderbooks1.wordpress.com
August 19 SpotlightMommasez...bloghttp://ccclubbs.com/




The End of Athens
Anthony Karakai
Genre: Dystopian Thriller/Urban Fantasy
ASIN: B00CLXM6WY
Number of pages: 320Word Count: 70,000
Cover Artist: Anthony Karakai
Amazon
Book Description:
In the year 2091, humans have lost the ability to dream. After decades of financial and social depression, dreams and aspirations have become a recessive gene—an impossibility of the modern mind. 
Greece is one of the worst social and economic disaster zones, and all hope of a better future has been lost. One young man, Nikos, discovers that he is not like everybody else—there is something different about him.

Believing that he may be going crazy, he soon discovers that he is the only person in Greece who has inherited the ability to dream. Time is running out as the government continues its tirade of corruption and suppression against the people, and Nikos must find a way to teach others how to dream so that once more society can free itself from the shackles of mental slavery.
About the Author:
Anthony Michael Karakai was born in Melbourne, Australia, and is a dual citizen of Hungary. Holding an International Business degree, he is also a qualified percussionist and music producer, having studied music extensively since the age of seven. Working in journalism, his work has been published in various magazines and websites. With an insatiable appetite for travel and an eagerness to explore off the beaten path, Karakai travels at every opportunity- his travels and ongoing commitment to exploring the world are what inspires him to write.
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/karakaibooks
Twitter: @AnthonyKarakai
Website: http://www.anthonykarakai.com
Good Reads: Anthony Karakai

Chapter One of Little Red and a Giveaway

CHAPTER ONERed
            This is it. This has to be it! My entire life has been spent with someone holding me back. Alwaysholding my life in their hands and controlling my every move. Not now, not anymore. I’m taking mylife in my own hands. This is my new beginning, my long awaited, well-deserved fresh start.I kick back a little more on the throttle of my motorcycle as the wind whips into my helmet andleather jacket. It’s not quite the January weather I’m used to. The weather is milder and the wind ismuch warmer down here in Louisiana. It’s nice and kind of comforting. My surroundings havecompletely changed. I’m miles away from Kentucky. I take a quick peek around. The road has beenquiet for a few hours. It’s nearing dark. This also means I risk bigger animals coming out. Surely, theyhave deer down here in Louisiana. I’ll have to find a place to lay my head anyways.            I’ve been riding for hours. It becomes uncomfortable on a motorcycle and I have to be nearing theend of this tank of gas. Not to mention, my ass just so happens to be killing me. I peer at a few roadsigns and see the few upcoming towns, nothing more than a local diner or two and a handful of gasstations. Not even your typical cheap motel. I really am in the middle of nowhere. The tent in mysaddlebags will certainly come in handy tonight. At least, it’ll do until morning. Another 20 miles untilthe next town, that doesn’t seem bad if I keep my 75 mile an hour pace. I relax and begin to lookforward to a peaceful night’s sleep. Until the loud sputtering from my motorcycle jolts me back to fullawareness.            “Son-of-a-bitch!” I cry out from underneath my helmet. I’d misjudged my mileage and with no gas gauge, I had no way of telling when I’d run out of gas. I’m luckily able to roll my bike to a slow andsteady stop off on the shoulder of the road. I shake my head, wanting to give myself a good hard kickfor not being more careful. I glance around as I hop off. Figures, I am surrounded by nothing but woodsand my guess, swamps and nearly 20 miles away from any town. This isn’t exactly what I had in mindwhen I said I would make use of the tent in my saddlebags. I let out an exasperated sigh as I undo thechinstrap to my helmet, yanking it off my head and let my hair fall around my shoulders. I bite downon my lip and contemplate. I can’t leave my bike here on the side of the road. I can’t walk 20 miles andback just for gas with it already so dark either. I have no choice. I’ll walk my bike into the woods andset up camp. People do this all the time, right? No big deal. It’s not like the big bad wolf will jump outand get me. I peer into the woods. Darkness has already fallen over the trees. They stand quiet and stillas even the animals, it seems, have all gone quiet for the night. I laugh off the thought of the big badwolf. I guess it’s alligators I have to watch fordown here. Or, is it crocodiles? I shiver, put on a braveface and straddle my bike once more. It’ll take all my strength to waddle it down the ditch and into thewoods over the uneven terrain. I figure a short way off the side of the road and into the woods and Ishould be fine. Enough to be out of the line of traffic but not enough to get myself terribly lost. As Iwiggle the bike down the small slope I begin to exert myself on the flat but rough terrain as I push thebike forward, throwing my petite body into it as much as I can. I grunt as I give one more strong pushforward. The bike lurches along slowly as my helmet clangs against the already scratched black paint. Igroan, aggravated with myself more than ever for letting the gas tank get bone dry.            “What in the hell are you doing?” I stop dead in my tracks. I hadn’t heard a single footstep, not even a twig. I swallow hard and throw myself off the bike, flipping out the kickstand as I do.I turn slowly to see a rugged looking man staring hard at me. His dark washed jeans are splatteredwith dirt and debris at the bottom, suggesting that he has been romping in the woods beyond. His heavyboots are caked in a layer of thick mud that’s starting to dry in certain spots. He places his hands on hiships, making his leather jacket open to display a well-fitted tee shirt that I can see defined chestmuscles, visible even under the moonlight. His gray eyes shine and shimmer under the light of the fullmoon as they glare at me in an almost threatening way. No, not threatening. Warning me of somethingand somehow worried. His brown hair is styled fairly nice, which is surprising considering the 5o’clock shadow on his face. He’s much larger than me. Well, almost everyone is larger than me, but hemust be over 6 foot tall. Huge compared to my tiny 5’5” frame. “You shouldn’t be out here alone.”I glare at him and swallow, not quite sure of what to say. “I don’t have a choice.” I tell him, “I ranout of gas.”            His eyes shift to my motorcycle. He lets out an almost mocking chuckle, “You ride that?”            I nod, “How else do you think I got here?” I shoot, now just feeling annoyed with him. I turn back to my bike as I kick the stand up and start on my way.            “I wouldn’t go in there if I were you,” He hollers.            “Good thing I’m not you,” I yell back. This time, the footsteps are unmistakable. They’re loud andpounding on the earth. I have a sudden urge to drop my bike and run, but where? I feel his hands on thehandlebars of my bike and I feel myself sigh out of relief. I look over at him and for the first time, Ithink I catch a smile.            “I can’t let you go into these woods alone.” He tells me as he helps guide the bike forward.            “And just why not?” I ask. “I’m in the middle of nowhere. I don’t have much of a choice and I’mnot staying on the side of the road.”            His gray eyes suddenly turn on me. I stop dead in my tracks and stare back. They’re bright, silvery glow almost matches the full moon. I gasp, shocked and almost frightened by their beauty. “The big bad wolf might get you, Red,” He winks. I let out an unsure chuckle. By big bad wolf, he could mean himself or an actual animal. I feel myheart rate quicken as he shoots me another smile, “Don’t worry, I won’t hurt you.”            “And, just how do I know that?” I ask, now letting him take on the full weight of the motorcycle.            He glances over at me, almost unsure himself. He stops and seems to think about something for amoment, “You just have to trust me, Red.”            “Trust you? A man I just met in the woods.” I say, crossing my arms in front of me.            “I did just meet you in the woods,” He declares.            I think for a moment, lick my lips and give him a nod. “But, I’m half your size. You could take me out in a second,” I tell him. I snap my mouth shut realizing what I’ve just said.            He laughs. “Relax Red, you’re safe. I won’t let the big bad wolf get you,” He winks.            “Red?” I ask, finally.            He takes a moment to nod toward my red leather jacket and helmet. Both are a brighter red. I’mstupid. I feel myself laugh for a moment as he starts pushing the bike forward again, “Where exactly doyou want this thing?” He questions.            “Just off the road, where someone passing by can’t see my bike,” I tell him.            “Someone passing by, huh,” He says, coming to a row of trees that he hides the bike behind.            “Would that someone passing by be anyone in particular?” He plops the kickstand down and stands the bike carefully. His silvery-gray eyes meet mine again.            “Just,” I pause. “Just some old ex, he’s sort of a pain in my ass.”            “Ahh,” he breathes out, “Running from the ex.”            I stop and think for a second, “Something like that.”            “That must mean you’re not from around here,” He says.            I shake my head. “Kentucky,” I mumble as I shove my hands into my pockets.            “So, Red, you have a name?” He questions.            “Samantha Wentworth,” I mumble softly. “Everyone calls me Sam.”            “Well, I’m not everyone,” he states matter-a-factly, “I’ll call you Red.”            I stare at him, almost confused for a few moments. “Just who exactly are you?”            “Ethan Parker,” He tells me. “Just call me the keeper of these woods.”            “Am I on your land?” I ask, knowing that back home a few people I know have their land stretching for miles. Some so far that they reach county roads.            He gives his head a slight shake, “Not exactly.”            “Going for a walk?” I ask, glancing again at his simple jeans, tee shirt and leather jacket.            “You could call it that.” His expression changes, he glances at me in a nearly pitiful way, as though he feels sorry for me. I quickly look down at my feet and kick a small stick out of the way. “You really should find your way into town, somewhere safe.”            “I’m not walking twenty miles just to get to some run down motel,” I say. “Besides, that’d be thefirst place.” I stop myself suddenly and bite hard on my tongue. I refuse to tell him anything toopersonal.            “That would be the first place he would look.” Ethan finishes suddenly.            I look up and into those gray eyes. They soften as he turns his head slightly to the side. I open mymouth to speak but for some reason not a single sound comes out.            “I’m sorry,” He tells me. “I shouldn’t pry. It’s none of my business.” He looks me up and down,taking me in. His eyes stop on mine and his lips curl up and into a slight smile. Finally, he releases asoft sigh, “Well, I can’t just leave you out here alone.”            “You can’t?” I ask, taking a few steps back.            He laughs, holding up his hands, “Look, Red, I’m not going to hurt you.”            “And, just how in the hell do I know that?” I shoot as I take one more step back.            He laughs again, bringing his hand up to rub the back of his neck, “You just have to trust me. You remind me of someone I knew, someone that I would never hurt.”            “Your girlfriend?” I ask, now finding myself giving him the once over. His dark hair, his silveryeyes that I now feel are beginning to glow under the fast rising full moon. His frame is built, he’sstrong. His chest muscles seem to pop from underneath his simple tee shirt. His body tenses for a briefmoment and relaxes as he shakes his head.            “I’m sorry.” Now I feel as though I’ve invaded his privacy.            “It’s okay,” He says softly. “She was my sister.”            Was, he’s speaking in past tense. I suddenly get a feeling she’s not among the living and clench my teeth, begging myself not to say another word about it. I fight through my mind for something to say. I don’t have many conversations with people, especially strangers. To my relief, he’s the first to speak.            “How long have you been riding?” He asks.            I feel my jaw relax, “About six years. This is just some old bike that I helped fix up.” I look down at it with it’s now empty gas tank. “Guess I should work harder at judging the mileage on the gas tank.” Ilet out an annoyed laugh.            “What exactly was your plan once you got it here in the woods?” He questions, staring down at the two meager saddlebags.            “Camp out,” I say, wrapping my arms tightly in front of me. “My whole life is pretty much wrapped up in those two bags.”            His glittery eyes flit down to the bags again and the corners of his lips curl down into a small frown, “Seems sad to have your whole life in just those two little things.”            “Yeah, well,” I start kicking another stick, “I don’t have much.”            “No family?” He looks up at me; his eyes now take on a sad expression. The corners of them crease slightly as he blinks.            I shake my head, “It’s a long story.”            “I’m sorry.” He tells me, “I’m not trying to be.”            “Invasive? Nosey?”            He laughs. “I’m just trying to make conversation. I did just find you in the woods, alone, trying topush a bike twice your size behind the trees.” His eyes finally meet mine, “You are in my territory.”            “I didn’t know you had a territory,” I tell him. “What are you, some dog marking his territory?”He turns his head up and goes into a fit of laughter. “Look, you’re certainly not in your comfortzone. You’re not from here. You’re in the woods with a complete stranger.”            “Look, I get it,” I say, “I’m in your territory, all alone in the middle of nowhere. How many timescan you say it?” I roll my eyes, now annoyed with both my bike and him.            “It’s a full moon, you know.” He says.            I look at him a little confused but finally nod in agreement.            “You look cold.” He says, “I know this place. I could take you there.”            “A place,” I begin, “In the middle of some woods?” I stare hard into him as though I can read histhoughts. He seems sincere enough. He doesn’t have the face of a serial killer. But, then again, neitherdid Ted Bundy.            “There are lots of places hidden back in the woods,” He tells me, pointing around him. “Would you believe people live in the woods out here?”            Now I just feel like he’s mocking me. “I guess I don’t have much of a choice. It’s either with you in the woods or without you in the woods. And, you at least know where you’re going.”            His eyes turn on me again and his expression changes. He seems to tense and then slowly relaxes. He gives me a silent nod.            I shake my own feeling of uneasiness. “So, that place, it’s warm?” I say, looking up at the night sky.            “I’m going to bet it gets a little colder out here at night.”            He shakes something off as he glances at the ground briefly, “Not much, but you probably will get chilly in just the leather.”            I look at my old and faded leather jacket. The red leather is soft and worn from years of use but I’ll be the first to admit, it’s not to warmest thing on Earth. “So, you lead the way?” I ask.            He quickly looks away from me and nods, “This way.” He trails quietly deeper into the woods. Iglance back at my bike and my helmet before heading after him.            “We’ll be able to find my bike again, right?” I call after him, now sprinting to keep up. He givesme a quick nod. “Hey!” I cry out, “Since when are we in a hurry?”            He stops dead in his tracks to look up at the moon. “Can’t keep up?”            I shoot him a dirty look, “Yes, but I just figured we didn’t have to be in such a hurry.”            He turns to look at me and laughs. I can’t keep the uneasy feeling from tying a knot in my stomach.            I feel somewhat ridiculous to even trust him. I feel as though I’m breaking one of the cardinal rules of ‘stranger danger.’ Here I am following some man I don’t know into woods that I’m completely clueless about. I have got to be stupid. Not only am I going willingly but now my guide is laughing like some crazed lunatic. What in the hell is he laughing at? I find myself laughing nervously, “You know, if you’re busy, we don’t,” I stop. “You don’t have to.”            His expression changes once more to a soft, sad and sincere one, “It’s okay, I’ve got time.”            I draw in a long breath and release it slowly. His expression softens again and he shakes his head,“Don’t worry about your bike. I know this place a little too well.”            I finally nod as he begins walking in a slower pace. I catch up to him easily this time and keep asteady pace by his side.            “How old are you, Red?” Now I can hear a smile in his voice.            “Twenty-four,” I glance over at him, “How old are you?” He doesn’t look any more than 25 to behonest. No fine lines, no wrinkles. Just perfectly flawless skin buried under the scruff of facial hair.            “Thirty.” He says, keeping his eyes forward.            I bury my hands in my pockets and send a breath outward, “What exactly do you do?”            “I’m a mechanic,” He tells me. “I work on cars. I have my own business for restoration,” Heexplains.            “I’m not an idiot,” I tell him. “I know what a mechanic does.” I shoot, now annoyed.            He laughs, “And just what do you do?”            I peer at my feet and lick my lips, “I don’t really have a job. Not a steady one any ways. I workwhere I can and save what I can.”            I see him nod from the corner of my eyes. “Do you always ride the bike everywhere?”            I give him a nod. Other than my red leather jacket, my bike is my most valued possession. It’s acomplete luxury for me, despite its age and I’m very lucky to have it in the first place. “It’s all I have.Besides, gas is cheap.”            He finally turns his head to look at me, “What do you do in the winter?”            I stop and kick a large clump of hardening mud over my boots, “Migrate south.”            This makes him laugh again as he gives me a genuine smile, one that gives me a little pang ofexcitement somewhere deep inside. I smile back, “It’s supposed to be warm down here, right?”            “Something like that.” He says, as his feet start moving. “So, how long do you plan on stayinghere?”            I shrug, “As long as my ex doesn’t find me.”            “Is he that bad?” He asks.            I keep my eyes forward and give him a little nod. I suddenly feel something on my back. I peer next to me and realize his hand has gently landed on the small of my back giving me a soft pat. I fight theurge to walk faster, to pull myself way. I swallow hard and feel my heart rate quicken. I look up andinto his gray eyes again and I can’t help but to notice that as he moves they seem to bounce light off inthe way an animal’s would. I shake out of my thoughts but can’t seem to manage to pull my eyes awayfrom him.            He pulls his hand away and shyly looks away, “Sorry.” He shakes his head, “I get the impressionhe’s hurt you.”            “He wasn’t nice.” I say, putting a good width of distance between us.            “Sorry,” He says softly. He glances over at me again, “You just remind me a lot of her.”            “Of your sister?” I ask.            He gives me another nod and looks down. I can tell he’s struggling with something. His body tenses and relaxes a few more times. He glares at his feet and shoves his fists into his pockets.            “Sure is light out here.” I say, making a quick attempt to change the subject.            He laughs and looks up, “The full moon will do that, Red.”            I suddenly feel silly and half-stupid. “I just didn’t think it would light up the woods.” Even in total darkness, I can feel the heat beginning to rise off my cheeks.            “What. You mean to tell me you don’t go playing in the woods alone back in Kentucky, Red?” He asks.            I let out a soft chuckle, “Not exactly.”            “It’s just a little bit further.” He states as we both step over a large, fallen tree log. “It’s not too farfrom your bike, like I said, and we can easily find it.”            I nod as I begin trailing behind him. If I feel a threat, I can at least put distance between us,strategically place him in front of me to easily watch his moves. I’m smaller and may be quick enoughto, at the very least, outrun him if needed. It’s getting out of the woods in the right direction I need toworry about if worse comes to worse. I keep my eyes forward and there in a small clearing of trees
with the bright moonlight highlighting it, is a small and run down cabin.



Little Red
Believe Series, Book OneTrista Jaszczak
Genre: romance/fantasy
Publisher: Front Porch RomanceeBook released June 18, 2013 and paperback fall 2013
ASIN: B00DHRYKDG
Number of pages: 207 estimated eBookWord Count: 62,921
Cover Artist: Charisma Knight: Designs by Charisma
Book Trailer: http://youtu.be/WW-os9YuHx8
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Book Description:
Follow Sam Wentworth through the winding back roads of Louisiana, on a desperate escape from her past, where she falls into the arms of the unlikely and sometimes unwilling hero, Ethan Parker.
When circumstances and fate seal the two together, entangling them with his six older brothers, Sam finds her life changing in ways that she never imagined. Filled with feuding families and a little old bayou magic, can Ethan put aside everything he has ever known to keep Sam safe from the dangers that their lives and their love possess.
About the Author:
Trista Jaszczak (pronounced Jazz-ick) is a writer, military spouse and a mother. She is originally from Hamilton, Ohio but calls home where ever the military sends her and her family, which is currently Anchorage, Alaska. She has a great love for writing, the outdoors, fitness, guitar and the arts. 
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