Roxanne Rhoads's Blog, page 494

Where The Four Winds Collide~Excerpt and Giveaway~

Where The Four Winds Collide
Adeline Buckley escapes her abusive father only to find herself in a brothel, on a stagecoach to the untamed west and married to a stranger, all in that order.  Plotting another escape becomes harder, the more she gets to know her new husband.
Jackson Pruittdidn’t expect a secretive mail order bride to show up the same week cattle rustlers absconded with a large part of his herd.  The bigger surprise was the loveliness of the woman. Why would a beauty like her need to travel so far to marry?
Jackson and Adeline learn that secrets and marriage do not go hand-in-hand when both of their pasts comes knocking and both have to come to grips with the reality, that sometimes trust comes only after you lose it all.
Purchase Now OnKindle
~Excerpt and Giveaway~

This is your home now, Adeline," Jackson told her, watching her closely for a reaction. "We were married earlier this afternoon. You are my wife."The color drained from her face and she froze, her spoon halfway to her mouth. He feared she'd faint again so he jumped up and went to her. The action startled the woman, who yelped and leaned away from him, only to topple over. Both she and the chair landed on their sides on the floor. When Jackson tried to help her up, she scrambled to her feet and moved away from his reach. "Married?" The shock in her voice made him wonder if the woman was mad. Surely she remembered signing the documents before the judge?"Yes, Adeline, the judge explained it all to you before you signed the papers at the hotel. Do you not remember?""I..." her widened eyes met his and he fought the urge to reach out to reassure her. "I thought it was a dream."
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Hildie McQueen
Hildie McQueen loves storytelling and unusual settings, pair that with humor and you’ve got an idea of what her writing is like.
She makes sure action, intrigue, and sizzling romance add up to a story, her readers won’t soon forget.  Her favorite past-times are traveling, shopping and reading. She resides in beautiful small town Georgia with her super-hero husband Kurt and two unruly Chihuahuas.
Visit her blog at www.hildiemcqueen.com

The HEART of a Heroine Guest blog and Giveaway with Jean Murray

The HEART of a Heroine
We always hear or talk about heroes in this line of work.  Large strapping men with tattoos doing battle on the streets against some untold enemy in a nice pair of black leather pants. Oh, and don’t forget the nice hair J  I’m not complaining, just ask my Gods of the Underworld.  Or my abundant love for the Black Dagger Brotherhood.  It is not hard for us to come up with words to describe a heart of a hero.  Strong, loyal, brave.
But what is at the heart of a HEROINE?  Do we simply take those same values and plant them into her heart or are heroines build differently?
No one has to tell us that men and women are different.  We are built differently.  We certainly think differently.  We process circumstances differently.  Hell, there are books that tell us Men are from Mars and Women are from Venus.  Now, I’m not going to get into male bashing or any of that (although, it might be a fun with girlfriends and a margarita in my hand), but I want to give heroines a fair appraisal. 
So let’s look at this closer.  When we think of a heroine what qualities do we think about? 
When someone says heroine, I immediately think about an Alpha female.  God, I love them.  Kicking ass and taking names females.  I have so much fun writing these heroines.
In Soul Reborn, Lilly is the leader of the Nehebkau huntresses.  She is strong, graceful and dedicated.  She’s an alpha in the female sense hands down, risking her life day in and day out to save her sisters.  She has all the qualities of our leather clad lovers.  Strength, loyalty, bravery and man can she wield a mean katana sword.  Hey, when you kill the undead you have to be unstoppable, right?
What happens when you take away the strength?  How important is that quality to a heroine?  We are talking physical strength here.  Do you think it is necessary for a heroine to have physical strength?Kendra, my heroine in book 2, is petite and has none of the physical qualities of her sisters.  Grace is certainly not one of her talents.  Where bravery comes natural to Lilly, Kendra has overwhelming fear of the dark. 
Is Kendra any less of a heroine? 
Okay, dumb question because we all know the answer is – NO.  Okay, some may say – YES, but my point is damn if these heroines aren’t harder to write.  They aren’t out slicing heads off or running down the enemy in some dark alleyway.  They are behind the scenes tapping into talents beyond strength and bruit force.  So what Kendra lacked in strength she filled the void with other heroic qualities.  Intelligence – Fortitude - Empathy – Caring.  Although Kendra was more difficult to write, I love her all the more for it.  She is me and most of the women I know.  I still dream of becoming Lilly, but heart of hearts I’m a Kendra.So, what is really at the heart of a HEROINE?  Is she different than a hero?  The answers are not as clear as we think and will be molded by our preferences, experiences, up bring, etc...  So, just for fun let’s build our own heroine’s heart.   What qualities would be at the heart of your heroine?
Below are examples of core values that will help you design your heroine’s heart.  Pick three.  If you think of a word that is not on the list, use it.  Create your own heroines’ heart.  Tell us why you picked these qualities. Peace Wisdom Status Family Fame Wealthy Power Authenticity Joyful Success Integrity Love Friendship Justice Influence Happiness Truthful Kind Spirituality (God) Loyal Passionate Trusting Knowledgeable Reliable Team Player Competitive Commitment Creative Honesty Fair Humor Honor Caring Playful Innovation Security Fun Honest Adventurous Resourceful Faithful Cooperative Dependable Order/discipline Responsible Respectful Intelligent Devoted
GIVEAWAYOne lucky winner will receive a signed copy of Soul Reborn (US/CANADA) or ecopy (US/INT) and a $10 gift certificate to Amazon (US/INT-where available).  But, that’s not all…. enter the Rafflecopter for a Kindle Fire HD giveaway + kindle version of Soul Reborn and Soul Awakened.  Follow the Soul Awakened’s Bewitching Blog Tour and increase your chances at winning the ultimate prize.  See Rafflecopter for details.          a Rafflecopter giveaway




Soul Awakened
Key to the Cursed Series Book Two Jean Murray
Genre:  Dark Paranormal
Publisher:  Crescent Moon PressDate of Publication:  January 15, 2013
ISBN:  978-1-937254-97-1                     ASIN: 978-1-937254-98-8                    
Number of pages:  292Word Count:  92,000
Cover Artist:  Taria A. Reed
Book Description:
LOVE FOR BLOOD OR HONOR
Kendra, an Egyptologist and demi-god in waiting, is the key to unlocking Bakari, the Egyptian God of Death, from his cursed slumber. Desperate to free him, she inadvertently binds herself to the god with a spell that only death will undo. To save Bakari from himself, she may have to sacrifice her innocence, and possibly her soul, before he becomes his family’s worst enemy.
HAUNTED BY SINS OF THE PAST
Bakari awakens to a world at war and a beautiful woman who has tethered his soul to hers. In the wake of his self-destruction Kendra is his only hope of salvation, but another has vowed to keep Bakari from the one thing he craves most-- his Parvana. His butterfly.
About the Author:
In her pursuit of a nursing degree, Jean Murray aspired to see the world and joined the Navy. At the end of 2011 she said a heart-breaking goodbye to her Navy family and retired after twenty years of military service. Although her dreams of writing full time have yet to come true, she continues her writing journey and draws inspiration from her travels abroad. She enjoys spending time with her family and of course, writing about the “Carrigan sisters and their mates, Gods of the Underworld,” to bring you the next installment of the Key to the Cursed series.

Web: www.jean-murray.com ; www.keytothecursed.com
Blog: www.wickedromance.wordpress.com
Face Book:  http://www.facebook.com/pages/Jean-Murray-Paranormal-Romance-Author/130589967006760                      Twitter: http://twitter.com/wickedromance
Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/5103113.Jean_Murray
Book Trailer Soul Reborn: http://youtu.be/smSJsJp5o74

The Superheroes of Heels and Heroes Release Day Blitz and Giveaway with Tiffany Allee

The Superheroes of Heels and Heroes
The superheroes of Heels and Heroes are a varied lot. In fact, in the world it’s set in, the only requirement to become a superhero and join the local superhero league is that a person must have some sort of power. This means that superheroes with super strength work right alongside superheroes whose powers are pretty useless—or whose powers seem to be useless. Such is the case with the main character.
Brenda/Silencer
Brenda comes from a family of superheroes—worse, a family of useful superheroes. With the power to block sonic waves from affecting her—or, as Brenda likes to say, turn off her hearing—she views herself as very close to useless as a superhero. She shows up to parades and school events, but concentrates mainly on her outfits and appearance when in superhero mode. Outside of her superhero duties, she works as a pharmacist. And she’s rightfully proud of herself in that arena.
Since she views herself as a second-class superhero, Brenda isn’t prepared when a super villain comes to town that she is uniquely able to fight. Brenda will have to get over her fear that she isn’t a “real” superhero in order to win.
Justice
Justice is the opposite of Brenda when it comes to his superhero prowess. He possesses super strength and the ability to track supers who have used their powers recently when he is in the area. He has no doubts as to his ability to deal with villains on or off the superhero field.
But in his personal life, Justice is a bit of a mess. He has experienced a loss in his past, and is resolved avoid personal connections. A resolve that Brenda will test.
Howler
Howler is the super villain of Heels and Heroes, and while not physically imposing, he possesses a very useful power. His scream—or howl as he prefers to think of it—knocks out anyone in its path. Used for too long or against a weakened person, his scream can even kill.
Justice and Brenda are assisted by other superheroes as well, but must work in close quarters to take down Howler. But in working together, they are forced to confront more than just a villain. 

A Bibliophiles Thoughts on Bookshttp://bibliophilesthoughtsonbooks.blogspot.com/ 
Melissa Stevens  http://melissastevens.us
Books, Books The Magical Fruithttp://booksbooksthemagicalfruit.blogspot.com/
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Not Just 9 to 5www.Notjust9to5.com
A Girl and Her Kindlewww.agirlandherkindle.com 
Reviewing in Chaos    http://reviewinginchaos.blogspot.com 
Readaholic's Reviews http://www.readaholicsreviews.com/ 
Creatively Green Write at Home Momwww.creativelygreen.blogspot.com
Roxanne’s Realmwww.roxannesrealm.blogspot.com
Writing From Corsets to Bustierswww.christina-mcknight.blogspot.com
Guest blogFang-tastic Bookswww.fang-tasticbooks.blogspot.com
interview Andi’s Book Review http://andisbookreviews.blogspot.com
reviewSmitten with Readinghttp://smittenwithreading.blogspot.com/
reviewReading Realityhttp://www.readingreality.net
reviewPriestess of Hearts www.thepriestessofhearts.blogspot.com




Heels and Heroes
Tiffany Allee
Genre: SuperheroContemporary/Fantasy
Publisher: DecadentISBN: 978-1-61333-451-5
Number of pages: 79Word Count: 27,000
Cover Artist: Mina Carter
Book Description:
Brenda is a second-rate superhero, normally more concerned with uniform fashion than defeating bad guys. But when a violent, new super villain declares war against her city, she suddenly finds her specialized power to deafen sound in high demand.
As if facing the destructive force of a new enemy isn’t bad enough, she finds herself paired with the powerful, yet emotionally distant, Justice. Forced to work at the side of the only man who gets her heart pounding, Brenda is not only in danger of losing her life in battle, but also her heart to a man who might not be able to love her back.


About the Author:
CPA-turned-romance-author Tiffany Allee used to battle spreadsheets in Corporate America, and now concentrates on her characters’ battles to find love. Raised in small-town Colorado, Tiffany currently lives in Phoenix, AZ, by way of Chicago and Denver. She is happily married to a secret romantic who tolerates her crazy mutterings.

She writes about ass-kicking heroines and the strong heroes who love them. Her work includes the suspense-driven Otherworlder Enforcement Agency series which revolves around a group of paranormal cops solving crimes and finding love, and Don’t Bite the Bridesmaid, a lighthearted paranormal romance (Entangled Publishing).

Tiffany has an MBA in accounting and nearly a decade of experience in corporate finance. All super useful stuff for a writer who spends far too much time trying to figure out fun ways to keep her characters apart, and interesting ways to kill people (for her books—of course!).


Website: http://tiffanyallee.com/
Blog: http://tiffanyallee.com/blog/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/TiffanyAllee
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/authortiffanyallee
Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/5420367.Tiffany_Alleea Rafflecopter giveaway

Now on Tour The Life and Times of the Heir and the Keeper by Etta King

Can you tell readers a little bit about yourself and what inspired to write in this particular genre?Well I've always had an active imagination, but when it came to writing, I seem to have sectioned myself into certain age groups. I would create very young characters or characters in their 30s or characters in their teens. The latter being the most exciting; so much happens in our teenage years, it's ripe with possibility. So it wasn't so much choosing YA Fiction as it was choosing an age and exploring stories relevant to it.What inspired you to write this book?My freshman year in college inspired the first two books, and particularly the latest book, The Life and Times of the Heir and the Keeper. So much happened and I understood so much better what growing up was all about. Judith, Elizabeth, Jon and Francis are each exploring their youth and budding adulthood. And of course there's the drama! I love drama; it stretches out phone conversations, can be guaranteed to make you laugh (sometimes only in retrospect) and is probably the defining characteristic of being a teen. It basically exploded in college and I was inspired to put pen to paper and tell the story. It's a cross between a cautionary tale and a guide. Please tell us about your latest release.This latest book, Heir and the Keeper is told from the perspective of the guys who are introduced in the first book. Jonathan Reinhardt and Francis D'Avance are not so different but they've taken different routes to deal with their respective issues. Jon is my very special character, he's an expert at avoidance but he can't hide from everything. Francis is more so always trying to prove himself; he is always able to identify people he sees above him and then he works hard to not become them. The story starts at the beginning of the Spring semester and these two have important choices to make. Every choice has a consequence so I explore those in this book. The book also looks into the social aspects of college, from fraternities to overarching cliques to not-so-secret societies. I do believe the story is darker than the first, but I couldn't lose the sheer fun of being in college.Is there a character that you enjoyed writing more than any of the others?I think I was surprised at how quickly Franz' character came to me. Jonathan I was familiar with; he features prominently in the first book, The Life and Times of Elizabeth and the Duchess. But Franz was a surprise, he told his own story and I simply wrote. I think he epitomizes the Manhattan experience of simply taking each day as it comes. He enjoys variety and is always searching for the next thrill. Franz was fun to write, definitely and I'm glad he's in the story.Do you have a formula for developing characters?Like do you create a character sketch or list of attributes before you start writing or do you just let the character develop as you write?
I usually have an idea of something I'd like to happen and then pick a character to do it. I start with several scenes in my head and I pick the people I want in them. I think that's why a lot of my descriptions are to create an almost cinematic visual. I can see the scene and I don't like ambiguity, so I do a sort of casting and develop each character's backstory from that scene.
What is your favorite scene from the book? Could you share a little bit of it, without spoilers of course?My favorite scene I think would be Jonathan and Elizabeth's first fight and what follows right after. I think that chapter particularly showed what each character was like. Beth and Jon are feeling out their new relationship and Franz is discovering a few things about Judith. I love the dynamic, it's fluid and I honestly felt like I was there, in a little corner, writing as it happened.
What is the most interesting thing you have physically done for book related research purposes?So, writing in a guy's head for anyone woman will be a slight challenge. What I did, throughout the writing process was have polls with random guys answering equally random questions. It was hilarious and fun and it did tell me quite a bit about the guy-mentality. Guys do think the same way...well they think they do and act accordingly.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?Well I start this book with a recap of the first semester and of course I describe the characters a little, so new readers aren't thrown. I think this book could stand alone, but I suppose it's a more dramatic experience reading both.Do you have any weird writing quirks or rituals?Well it might be weird that I write out my stories before typing them out. I'm not sure why, but there's something about actually writing the words that makes them come easier to me. Do you write in different genres?For the fun of it yes, but I usually have ten different stories going so I never quite finish them. Do you find it difficult to write in multiple genres?Not really; I've written on vampires, dukes and melodramatic teens. If I can imagine it, I usually find it easy to write. When did you consider yourself a writer?When I began my first story (a historical romance) and received positive reviews onFictionPress.com. I enjoy writing and having other people enjoy what I had written was the moment for me.What are your guilty pleasures in life?Interestingly enough I've never felt guilty about my pleasures (historical romance novels, Godiva chocolate, designer purses...)...I'm usually convincing other people of the benefits of them!What was the last amazing book you read?Amazing? Hmm, I think I'd have to say mine? Haha, but seriously? The Pact by Jodi P. Absolutely amazing and I would recommend it to anyone.Where is your favorite place to read? Do you have a cozy corner or special reading spot?I actually read everywhere on everything from my phone to my Kindle. It was a habit from childhood and I think it's stuck. I suppose curled up in bed, would be the most cozy.What can readers expect next from you?Sophomore Year at Caspian University! It's in the works and should be available Winter 2013.Where can readers find you on the web?Well I'm on Twitter and Instagram: @Etta_King, but I do respond to messages on my website: http://www.ettaking.com and my blog: http://www.ettaking.blogspot.com. Of note is the fact that my website is Flash based and won't work on iPhones and iPads (thanks Apple haha). The blog will though! 

January 14 InterviewFang-tastic Bookswww.fang-tasticbooks.blogspot.com
January 15 PromoA Writer's World http://saratrimble.wordpress.com
January 16 PromoBooks and Beauty http://janieraeldridge.blogspot.com
January 16 ReviewNot Just 9 to 5 www.notjust9to5.com
January 17 Promo Divergent Gryffindor http://divergentgryffindor.blogspot.com
January 18 Guest blogRoxanne’s Realmwww.roxannesrealm.blogspot.com
January 19 Interview Books & Other Spells www.nightskydarkstar.blogspot.com
January 20 Interviewhttp://andisbookreviews.blogspot.com
January 20 Guest blogThe Bookshelf http://bookshelf.shotgunopera.net
January 27 SpotlightBooks & Taleshttp://www.booksandtales.blogspot.co.uk/
February 2 Interview Doctor's Notes http://doctorsnotes-shy.blogspot.com
February 3 Guest blog and reviewCrazy Four Bookshttp://www.crazyfourbooks.blogspot.com
February 5 ReviewImpressions of a Princesshttp://gongjumonica.wordpress.com/
February 6 InterviewBooks, Books The Magical Fruithttp://booksbooksthemagicalfruit.blogspot.com/ 
February 7 ReviewBooks, Books, and More Bookshttp://dream-reader-dreamer2229.blogspot.com/
February 8 reviewNot Now...Mommy's Readingwww.mommysreading.com
February 9 and 10 Interview FeatureKay Dee’s Bloghttp://www.kaydeeroyal.blogspot.com
February 11 Guest blogLisa’s World of  Bookswww.lisasworldofbooks.net 


The Life and Times of the Heir and the KeeperA Caspian University NovelEtta King
They say college is a lot of things; a haven, a four-year party, the place you met the girl – or guy – of your dreams. What they don’t tell you is, the best part of college is the drama YOU bring to the table! After all, that dirty little secret, that not-so-little white lie, and those texts you wish you could erase from cyberspace can’t stay hidden forever. At CU, someone’s always watching, and you better hope there isn’t a camera phone on hand when you get caught.
It’s the Spring Semester, but it’s not all fun in the budding sun for Jon and Franz. Follow them as they delve through the politics of secret societies, the inevitable drama of the F-word (that’s FAMILY, for the uninitiated), creepy Resident Advisors, creepier residents and girls who don’t always say what they mean. Who wouldn’t need two months to recuperate?
Cheers! And GL!

Amazon Paperback   Amazon Kindle      Barnes and Noble
Book One The Life and Times of Elizabeth and the Duchess   Kindle    Paperback

About the Author:
Etta King is the author of the Caspian University novels, a series chronicling the life and times of a group of wealthy teens who inevitably discover the various flavors of college drama. Etta writes from her personal experiences as a college co-ed and as the product of an all-girls prep school. Here she witnessed the very eccentricities and foibles which she depicts in her novels.
In a home filled with books, it was no surprise that Etta grew to be an avid reader, and that translated into writing when she was thirteen. She wrote simply for the fun of it, whatever would come to mind, from fantasy to thriller to romance, and shared her stories with her friends.
In 2010, at twenty-one and just as she was about to graduate from college, Etta began writing "The Life and Times of Elizabeth and the Duchess." This was a story which had first taken shape in 2008, after her freshman year, but had been put on hold. With graduation looming, Etta recalled the characters, and the events which had inspired them, and took pen to paper. Literally, as Etta enjoys writing out her stories before typing them out. Soon the first book had been completed and the series was born.
"The Life and Times of the Heir and the Keeper," comes as the sequel to "Elizabeth and the Duchess," and serves as the second semester of these teens' college saga. Etta is currently working on the third book, in what will be an eight-part series.
Etta King lives with her family in Westchester, New York.
Website: http://www.ettaking.com
Blog: http://www.ettaking.blogspot.com
Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/Etta_King
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/ElizabethandtheDuchess

Release Day Blitz Sidewalk Flower

Promowww.christina-mcknight.blogspot.com
Promo and reviewDivergent Gryfindor @ http://divergentgryffindor.blogspot.com
InterviewJodie Pierce's Ink Slinger's Blog  www.jodiepierceauthor.blogspot.com
Guest blogFangs, Wands & Fairydust http://fangswandsandfairydust.com/
Interviewhttp://andisbookreviews.blogspot.com
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Sidewalk Flower
Carlene Love Flores
Genre:  Contemporary Romance         
Publisher:  Evernight Publishing
Number of pages: 336Word Count: 106,300
Cover Artist:  Sour Cherry Designs
Evernight Publishing http://www.evernightpublishing.com/
Author website  http://carlenelove.com/
Book Description:
In Sidewalk Flower, a jaded young woman sets out on an intense road trip home to deal with her past when she is asked to allow a relative stranger to tag along.
But, she’s seen too many good guys succumb to the harsh realities of her supposed privileged life in the music business and intends on keeping her distance.
When she picks up Lucky, the southern gentleman cousin of her selfish best friend, she has absolutely no idea of how to accept a perfectly good person with good intentions.  Home has never looked so good, or felt so far away.

Excerpt Sidewalk Flower
Her two insistent hands pressed against the back of his neck like she was forcing him to do this.  It was cute.  Yeah, she was dead wrong.  He’d wanted to kiss her since he’d first seen her, hopping down out of that girly silver Jeep.  But he knew better.  Earning something you wanted took more than a few hours.  And if he’d gathered anything from her hot and cold responses so far, it was that Jaxon’s vague but deliberate warning that he take good care of her hadn’t been just puffed up, ego talk.             This girl was in trouble.            He should have stepped away for both their sakes.  He knew he didn’t deserve this kind of kiss, not yet.  But California was glued to him on full speed and didn’t appear to have a pause, let alone a rewind button.  On second thought, he’d let her get this out of her system and then they’d start over. Her hand had to be killing her, so he managed to pull it down and keep it tucked at her side.  But the other one was petting those hairs at the back of his neck, leaving him seconds away from coming undone.  If he clenched his jaw any tighter, those painful yet ticklish sensations shooting throughout his upper body would without a doubt get him into trouble down below.  Heck, if he squeezed her in his arms like he wanted to, she’d feel how aroused he’d let himself get.  He worked his jaw to ease away from the pain, wishing he could let go entirely and enjoy her touch. Yep, their fresh start was gonna have to wait until she was done proving her point.  Cute girl though.
* * *
His lips were soft and salty like he’d worked up a sweat at some point during the day.  Crap, again she cursed his damn tempting bloodline.  This would only complicate their pending trip even more.  So naturally, when he smartly pulled her one hand away, she found a sweet spot of baby hairs with the other and went for more.  Her rules—that was the only way to play with the boys and stay safe. Lucky’s hands eventually cupped the sides of her face, which was fine because she had made her point.“Are we okay?” he asked.Well, hell if she knew.  “Yes,” she said.  They could figure the truth out later.  There would be an endless amount of open road ahead of them come Sunday to think.  Tonight was desperate Friday.  “We’re good.”  But she hesitated because he looked for a moment like he may have regretted things. When he coughed and cleared his throat, she was sure of it. “Come on, Miss ‘We’re Good’,” he said, as he urged her the rest of the way to the back door.  “I’d like to keep that promise I made Jaxon.  You could go a little easier on me from here on out.”  The inside of her mouth remained warm from their kiss as she swallowed a cool breath of air.  The contrasting temperatures left her with a chill and a memory—the taste of the last kiss she’d had.  Cigarettes and beer.  No hand holding.  No talking.  No first, second or third date.  As badly as her sour heart warned her to throw Lucky in with that lot, she just couldn’t do it.  He’d already taken more care of her than any other guy she’d known. “You shouldn’t take things so personally.”  At his wince, she splintered and added, “I know you didn’t sign up for this; I’ll try to be…better.”  No promises though.“Okay.”  He hesitated, and shifted on the steps.  “Ready to go inside?”“No, you should go in though.  I need to be alone.”  A tingle traveled around her wounded hand and she made the mistake of squeezing it into a fist.   Lucky dipped his head then and ran his hand up along the back of his neck, rubbing it in his obvious confusion.  “Trista. I’m kind of at a loss here.  You’re obviously in pain.  Just come inside and let me help you.”She tried to warn him, hoping he’d listen.  “Lucky, you’re a nice guy.  Okay, I get it.  You want to help, but I didn’t ask for that and you have no idea what you’d be signing up for anyway.  Assholes can barely handle my world; a good guy like you doesn’t stand a chance.  Jaxon had no right doing this.”“Hmmm.”  He scratched at his sideburn.  “You don’t know what I can and can’t handle.”  He looked down but she had caught his every word. 


About the Author:
Carlene Love Flores is a big fan of the stars (especially Orion), honest music (especially Depeche Mode), and her traveling family (no favorites there-she loves them all). These things have always inspired her to think up edgy, intimate love stories and continue to do so. If she could touch someone’s heart with her writing the way others have done for her, she’d say truly there never lived a luckier girl.
Website & Blog: http://carlenelove.com/
Group Blog: http://waterworldmermaids.com/
Publisher:  http://www.evernightpublishing.com/
Twitter:  https://twitter.com/cloveflores  or @cloveflores
Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/#!/carlene.l.floresor Carlene Love Flores
Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/user/show/6729923-carlene-love-flores

Interview with Brian Tashima Author of Secret of the Songshell

Can you tell readers a little bit about yourself and what inspired to write in this particular genre?
I’ve been a huge fan of fantasy and science fiction my whole life. As a kid, I loved all of the books by Tolkein, Piers Anthony, David Eddings, Katherine Kurtz, and so on.

What inspired you to write this book?
My son approached me a few years ago and asked me to write him a book. At the time, he was into Harry Potter and Percy Jackson, and he wanted something along those lines. When I was thinking about ideas for the main character, I thought about how my son — who has Asperger’s Syndrome — can do a lot of amazing things that almost seem like superpowers to me. So that was where the original idea and inspiration came from.
Please tell us about your latest release.
Secret of the Songshell is about a teenage guitarist with Asperger’s Syndrome who travels to another world where his unique brain waves can be combined with the sound waves of music to create magical effects.
In the beginning of the story, the protagonist, Joel Suzuki, struggles with the usual sources of teen angst as well as the challenges that his Asperger’s presents. Being a gifted musician and songwriter, he thinks that if he can become a rock star, all of his problems will be solved and he’ll be happy. He gets what seems like his big chance when his rock star idol shows up one day and tells Joel that the secret to success lies in an alternate world called Spectraland. But once Joel arrives there, he finds himself trapped by an evil warlord who threatens to take over both Spectraland as well as the Earth. So Joel has to embark on a journey to find the Songshell, an artifact that will help him defeat the warlord, and in the process he discovers the true meaning of happiness.
With this book, I wanted to provide kids on the autism spectrum with a literary hero that could serve as a positive and empowering role model — someone that saved the day with his special qualities, not despite them. I’m donating a portion of proceeds from the book to Autism Empowerment, a non-profit organization based in my town that works to promote autism awareness and education.
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?
My main characters have “regular” names (Joel, Felicity, Marshall), but the locals of Spectraland have names that start with a descriptive word and end with a part of the body or a plant — for example: Greenseed, Suntooth, Fourfoot. There were two reasons behind this: one, Spectraland’s natives are kind of a combination of human and plant, and two, they name everything very literally, which is kind of how some people with Asperger’s approach the idea of naming things — when my son was young, he won a fish at a county fair. He named it “Fish.”
Was one of your characters more challenging to write than another?
Felicity Smith, another “earthling” brought over to Spectraland to learn the secrets of stardom, was challenging to write in that she’s a girl with Asperger’s. Autism spectrum disorders like Asperger’s tend to manifest differently in females, and while I could model Joel after my son, I had no real-life example to use for Felicity. So her character required a bit more research. Fortunately, I was able to get feedback from Karen Krejcha, the executive director of Autism Empowerment, who herself is a woman with Asperger’s.
Is there a character that you enjoyed writing more than any of the others?
Even though she required more research, Felicity was very fun to write. She uses sarcasm as a defense mechanism, which made for some pretty entertaining dialogue.
Do you have a formula for developing characters? Like do you create a character sketch or list of attributes before you start writing or do you just let the character develop as you write?
I did create sketches for all of my characters beforehand. For the most part I stuck to them, but as the book progressed, at times the characters developed minds of their own and digressed a bit from the original sketch. It actually turned out for the better that way, as their actions seemed more natural and consistent.
What is your favorite scene from the book? Could you share a little bit of it, without spoilers of course?
My favorite scene is probably the climax. I had written a draft of that scene before I even finished my outline — it just played out in my head like a movie. It’s the scene where Joel confronts the bad guy (you probably could have guessed that) and discovers the true meaning of happiness.

Can you tell readers a little bit about the world building in the book/series? How does this world differ from our normal world?
Spectraland is an island with a tropical climate where electrical particles in the air are visible to the naked eye. Certain individuals are able to manipulate those particles through the use of a guitar-like musical instrument called a wavebow. Basically, they channel their brain waves through the instrument, and when combined with the sound waves of the wavebow, magic-like effects are achieved — levitation, healing, and so forth.
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?
Secret of the Songshell is the first book of a planned seven-book series called The Spectraland Saga, and it can be read as a stand-alone. The future books will probably function fine as stand-alone stories, although the reader will be a little less confused if they had read the previous books in the series.
Do any of your characters have similar characteristics of yourself in them and what are they?
Joel is a combination of me and my son — the rock guitarist part is me. Also, the fact that Joel can’t swim, even though he’s from Hawaii, is also me.
Do you ever suffer from writer’s block? How do you deal with it?
The hardest thing for me is getting started. So what I’ll do is I’ll read what I’ve written up until that point, and that usually gets me going. Or sometimes I’ll read someone else’s book, and derive inspiration from that. Once I get into the flow I normally don’t have any trouble with writer’s block.

 What are your guilty pleasures in life?
Good beer and the Star Wars prequels.
Other than writing, what are some of your interests, hobbies or passions in life?
Music is the big one — I’ve been a guitarist and songwriter since high school. I also like to get in a round of golf whenever I can, which is about once a year.
What was the last amazing book you read?
My favorite books are the ones that force you to postpone real life while you read just one more chapter. The most recent books to have that effect on me were the first book of The Hunger Games trilogy and Room by Emma Donoghue.
Where is your favorite place to read? Do you have a cozy corner or special reading spot?
Recently, I’ve been doing most of my reading in the car — parked, of course, while I wait to pick up my daughter from school.
What can readers expect next from you?
I’m currently hard at work on the follow-up to Secret of the Songshell. My goal is to have it out by the fall of 2013, but we’ll see how that turns out. People are already asking me “where’s the second book?” so the pressure is on.
Where can readers find you on the web?
Website: www.thespectralandsaga.com
Facebook: www.facebook.com/thespectralandsaga
Twitter: @SpectralandSaga
Goodreads: www.goodreads.com/book/show/15770775-secret-of-the-songshell
Blog: www.briantashima.blogspot.com
Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_noss_1?url=search-alias%3Daps&field-keywords=secret+of+the+songshell
Smashwords: https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/180939
Would you like to leave readers with a little teaser or excerpt from the book?
Here’s a short excerpt from Chapter 2:
WEEEoooWEEEoooWEEEoooJoel winced as the weird sound blared painfully in his ears once again. “Um, did you hear that?”“Hear what?” Art asked as he tried to piece together two sections of Joel’s broken guitar.“Uh — nothing,” Joel said. That was the fourth time today, and Joel was getting worried. He started a search for “hearing loss symptoms” on the computer when suddenly, out of the corner of his eye, he thought he saw movement on the far wall of the store. He looked around. His eyes gravitated towards an old Biledriver poster that showed all of the band members in full scowl. He blinked several times. Did Marshall just . . . smile?Two minutes passed. Joel took another bite out of his sandwich as he continued staring at the poster. He could have sworn that he saw Marshall smile for a fraction of a second. But that’s crazy, right? It’s just a poster. . . .

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Secret of the Songshell was just named a finalist in the 2012 USA Best Book Awards for fantasy fiction


Secret of the SongshellThe Spectraland Saga, Book One
Brian Tashima
Genre: YA sci-fi/fantasy
Publisher: Prism Valley Press
ISBN: 978-0615648156ASIN: 0615648150
Number of pages: 318Word Count: 79000
Cover Artist: Purnima Prasad
Amazon   Smashwords
Book Description:
Joel Suzuki is a gifted teenage guitarist with Asperger's Syndrome who gets transported to a world where his unique brain waves can be combined with the sound waves of music to create magical effects. Once there, he must use his newfound abilities to locate the Songshell, a powerful artifact that will help him stop a mysterious evil entity from destroying the alternate world as well as the Earth.
About the Author:
Brian Tashima was born and raised in Hawaii and has been a resident of Vancouver, Washington since 2000. In addition to being an author, he is a singer, songwriter and guitarist who has won a Hoku award (Hawaii’s version of the Grammys) and has had his music featured in short films, international compilations, and numerous other forms of media. He is currently a member of SCBWI (Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators), Willamette Writers, Northwest Independent Writers Association, and three Vancouver/Portland-based rock bands.
Website: www.thespectralandsaga.com
Author Blog: www.briantashima.blogspot.com
Twitter: @SpectralandSaga
Facebook: www.facebook.com/TheSpectralandSaga
Goodreads: www.goodreads.com/book/show/15770775-secret-of-the-songshell
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The Newfoundland Vampire by Charles O’Keefe: Guest blog

Music is a big part of my life, I go to many concerts every year, I play piano, I listen to music whenever I’m driving and so when I wrote a book music had to be a big part of it. Aside from weaving songs into the text I also tried hard to have the song mean something to the scene it’s used in and to the character who hears it. So with all that in mind I give you the soundtrack to my first novel, The Newfoundland Vampire. If these songs mean something to you, let me know! I always enjoy hearing from like-minded people.
1.     The First Cut is the deepest – Rod Stewart2.     Rose Colored Glasses – Blue Rodeo3.     Piano Man – Billy Joel4.     Sonny’s Dream – Ron Hynes5.     The Heart of the Matter – Don Henley6.     Forever Young – Alphaville7.     What am I doing here – Blue Rodeo8.     Lost Together – Blue Rodeo9.     Don’t dream it’s over – Crowded House10.  Salisbury Hill – Peter Gabriel11.  The Sound of Silence – Simon and Garfunkel12.  Sympathy for the Devil – The Rolling Stones
Plus while the next few didn’t make the final version of the book, they were in earlier drafts and always make me think of my book.
13.  Better be home soon – Crowded House14.  Come Undone – Duran Duran15.  Vampire – Pet Shop Boys
In particular, I think “The Heart of the Matter” has some of the most meaningful and practical lyrics I’ve ever heard while “Forever Young” sums up one of the reasons Joseph (the main character) wants to be a vampire and how I feel about life and getting older. Thanks Roxanne for hosting, you rule! J

The Newfoundland Vampire
Book OneCharles O’Keefe
Genre: Horror/Paranormal/Vampire
Publisher: Penumbra Publishing
ISBN: 978-1935563853ASIN: B007TRWUCS
Number of pages: 224Word Count: 86,737
Amazon US    Amazon UK     Amazon Canada    Amazon Kindle
Amazon UK          Chapters
Book Description:
Like every other geek alive, Newfoundland native Joseph O’Reily secretly wants to be a superhero. At thirteen he fantasized about being a vampire, and ten years later he’s still fantasizing – but mostly about a beautiful redheaded woman who has eyes only for him. The one thing different about Joseph’s adult fantasy is that, amazingly, it comes true one night when he goes to a local university pub. Cassandra Snow, literally the woman of his dreams, invites him to her place for an evening of personal pleasure. Of course he’s not going to say no. But when strange things start happening afterward, Joseph quickly learns that not all dreams should come true.
About the Author :
Charles O’Keefe lives in the beautiful province of Newfoundland, Canada, with his wife and two feline ‘children,’ Jude and Esther. He works as an inventory manager and enjoys many hobbies and activities that include writing, reading, watching fantasy/science-fiction movies and television shows, gaming, poker, walking, acting, and of course fantasizing about vampires.

www.charlesokeefe.com
http://p45crok.wordpress.com/  
http://twitter.com/#!/TheNLVampire   
http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=826155483  






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Spotlight on Sonata by Blair McDowell

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SonataBlair McDowell
Genre: Romantic mystery
Publisher: Rebel Ink Press
ISBN:  9781937265670
Number of pages: 258Word Count:   56,500
Book Trailer: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xVAhOqelyEE
Purchase Link: http://www.blairmcdowell.com/Sonata.html
Book Description:
A jewel heist…
When renowned concert artist, Sayuri McAllister, returns to the west coast of Canada after an absence of five years, she discovers her family home has been a broken into and jewelry worth two million dollars is missing. Michael Donovan, Sayuri’s old high school flame, now a detective with the Vancouver Police Department, is the officer in charge of the case.
What chance can he have…
Michael takes one look at Sayuri and falls in love with her all over again. But they parted in anger years ago and Sayuri is no longer the innocent girl he once knew. What chance can there be for a Vancouver cop with someone as famous as Sayuri McAllister?  Especially when that cop is investigating her family and friends?An unexpected marriage…
Then Sayuri’s widowed father, Sean, marries Alyssa James, a woman Sayuri has never even met. The three live uneasily together in the Point Grey mansion until the unexpected arrival of Alyssa’s brother, Hugh James, a devastatingly handsome, charming Irishman who immediately begins a campaign to bed and wed the delicious and wealthy Sayuri.
Things take a dangerous turn…
Accidents begin to happen. Or are they accidents?  Nothing is as it seems. Michael distrusts Hugh James and fears that Sayuri’s life may be in danger.


Short Excerpt: 

The following excerpt takes place the first time that Sayuri goes to Michael’s apartment.

As they went down in the elevator and across to the park, Michael spoke to the dog, “So far so good. We’ve got her in my apartment. I expect your full cooperation tonight. Whatever happens you are not to climb on the bed, should I get so lucky, or slobber all over Sayuri. If there’s any slobbering to be done, I’ll do it. Got it, buddy?”

 Buttercup wagged her tail furiously, nearly knocking over a passing pedestrian. 

“Sorry, mam.”

Michael thought about how Sayuri had looked when she answered the door. So cool and composed. Delectable. Good enough to eat. Down boy, he reminded himself. Don’t blow it now. You’ve got her this far. 

Taking a deep breath he muttered, “Keep it cool.” Then he looked at his dog. “Okay, Buttercup, do your thing so we can get back up there.”

****

She heard the key in the lock and a moment later man and dog were back in the room. Buttercup trotted over to Sayuri and leaned against her, looking up at her adoringly with one blue and one brown eye.

“That was quick,” Sayuri commented as she scratched the dog behind her ears.

“She was anxious to get back to you. We don’t often have visitors. Actually, I’m surprised at her reaction to you. She usually hides under the bed when there’s anyone she doesn’t know in the apartment.”

“Under the bed? I can’t believe she can get all that bulk under a bed. Just what kind of dog is she? I’ve never seen anything like her. She’s huge. And those eyes are amazing.”

Sayuri moved to the armchair and sat down. Buttercup followed her and put her massive head in Sayuri’s lap.

“Clearly she’s fallen in love with you. The vet thought she was probably half Malamute and half Newfoundland, but I’m pretty sure there’s some wolf in the mixture. And the two different color eyes are unusual, but they do happen, particularly in those breeds.”

“Did you say wolf?”

“Watch.” Michael came over to the dog, knelt down beside her and put his arm around her. 

He lifted his head back and started to howl. The dog threw her head straight back and joined him. The sound was at one and the same time musical and eerie.

“Wow.” Sayuri stared at the dog. “I haven’t heard anything like that since I was twelve years old and went on a canoeing trip up Desolation Sound with my father. We could hear the wolves from our campsite every night. I loved the sound.”

“Don’t let her howl give you any ideas about Buttercup’s personality. Her wolf genes begin and end with her howl. She’s a complete wimp.”

“She’s a big dog for an apartment dweller.”

“Yes, well, I didn’t exactly choose her. She just sort of happened.” Michael paused. You see, I’m in the R.A.A. Unit.”

“R.A.A.?”

“Robbery, Assault, Arson. We got an anonymous call that there was a break and enter in progress at an apartment house on the east side. When my partner and I answered the call, we didn’t find a robbery in progress. What we found was found a room full of people cutting and bagging cocaine. We called immediately for backup, but before it could come, gun fire was exchanged and people got hurt. It wasn’t supposed to have happened that way.”

Michael paused and frowned. Sayuri wondered if he was going to say anything more.

Then he sighed. “When it was all sorted out, as we were to leaving the scene I heard whimpering. I pulled this small scrawny shivering mass of matted fur out from under the bed. I was supposed to take her to the SPCA, but I didn’t. I took her home with me. She couldn’t have been more than two months old and she was half starved and filthy. I fed her and bathed her and the next day I took her to the vet for a checkup. He said there was nothing wrong with her that food and love wouldn’t cure.”

“So you had a dog.”

“I had a dog. I had no idea at the time she was going to grow into a giant hairy mammoth.” This was spoken with obvious affection as he ruffled the dog’s head. 

“But her name?”

“Just look at her.”

Sayuri studied the dog. She had fur as thick as a bear’s, only longer. Her underbelly was white and everywhere else she was brown and black and white in large splotches. “I don’t get it.”

“Look under her chin.”

Sayuri laughed. “Of course.” There was a large spot of bright yellow there.

The dog, tired of being the object of so much attention, moved to the fireplace, circled three times and plopped down in front of it.


 About the Author:
I started to write soon after I found my first pencil. But I began to write for publication about 30 years ago -- professional books. I wrote six of them, all still in print and still in use. Only lately have I turned to fiction. I'd have done it a lot sooner if I'd had any idea how much fun it was!
I’ve lived in many different places. The US -- Certain cities call to me. I love San Francisco and Seattle and the wonderful Oregon Coast. Australia -- among the most open welcoming people in the world, and a wide open young country with incredible land and sea scapes, with amazing animal and bird life right out of science fiction. Canada -- HOME. The place where I belong.
I travel a lot. I usually spend the month of October in Europe, Greece or Italy, and the winter in a little house I built many years ago on a small non-touristy Caribbean Island. I have worked and studied in many places -- Hungary, Australia the US and Canada, and have spoken in most of the States and Provinces as well as Taiwan and various cities in Europe.  I enjoy being surrounded by cultures other than my own. I enjoy my own as well -- but variety is indeed the spice of my life.
I keep busy -- and I love my life. I love meeting the people who come here to the west coast of Canada and stay in my B&B. I love traveling after the tourist season is over. And I love writing. My interests?? Music, especially opera, reading everything in print, and Writing.  And walking on the beach and swimming. At one point I had hoped to swim in every major sea and ocean. I've realized that may not be possible in one lifetime -- but trying has been fun!
Website:    http://www.blairmcdowell.com
Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/BlairMcDowellWriter
Google+:    https://plus.google.com/u/0/111235595606875813906/posts
Blog:            http://blairmcdowellauthor.blogspot.ca/
Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/5807790.Blair_McDowell

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Seven Point Eight: The Second Chronicle Epic Winter Giveaway

Seven Point Eight: The Second ChronicleEpic Winter Giveaway
Eternal Island (Book 1 in the Eternal Series)
K. S. Haigwood & Ella Medler

A place where vampires rule, witches play, danger lurks and dreams really do come true.

Human girl Ariana Lochalan finds herself transported from the relative calm of her ‘Nowhere, Arkansas’ life into a diametrically opposite existence when she discovers she is a powerful witch and meant to wed High Vampire of Eternal Island, Abe Cambridge. Despite first-sight magnetism, the two protagonists are being pushed apart, obstacles tripping them at every step, outside forces interfering and threatening their peace, and ultimately their lives. 

Would courage, resilience and love be enough to bring together two soul mates?

How much would you sacrifice to save the one who owns your heart?



Blood is Heavier
Ella Medler

Nick Hunter used to be a contract killer. Now he’s cut all links to his former lifestyle and can at last relax and live a normal life. He settles down to married life. He has a son. He adores his little family. Unbeknown to him, shadows from his past step forward to shatter his short-lived peace. His wife is dead, his four-year old son kidnapped and it looks like someone is trying to frame him for murder. Under pressure, broken, is there anything Nick wouldn’t do to rescue his son? Would he kill the villains, despite the promise to himself to stop his life of crime? Would he kill innocents? Would he hurt the people he loves most in his need to protect his son? A fast-paced, edge-of-your-seat read that will keep you turning the pages to the very end.



The Transient
M.W. Russell

She never believed. Not in ghosts, not in friendship, and especially not in love.

When Melodie Gibson moves half way around the world to upstate New York, her entire world turns upside down. Living in a quirky castle turned bed and breakfast, she finds herself confronted with someone watching her every move. That someone is Joseph, who captivates Melodie's heart, fulfilling her dreams and drawing her into his world—a world that is beautiful, magical… and treacherous. It will take all the courage Melodie has to face those who will stop at nothing to rip them apart.

From the pages of a Victorian gothic novel transplanted into modern times, The Transient is the first in The Castle Trilogy, a powerful fantasy romance series for teens.


Betwixt
Melissa Pearl

Beautiful, wild-child Nicole Tepper is hit by a car and left for dead. But when she wakes the next morning, Nicole finds herself in bed without a scratch. Perhaps she was more intoxicated than usual, as her mother is giving her the silent treatment and her friends are ignoring her as well. 

Things take a turn for the weird when Nicole soon discovers she is actually hovering between life and death. Her body is lying in the forest while her spirit is searching for anyone who can hear her. Unfortunately the only person who can is Dale Finnigan, the guy she publicly humiliated with a sharp-tongued insult that has left him branded.

Desperate, Nicole has no choice but to haunt Dale and convince the freaked-out senior to help her. Will he find her body before it's too late? Or will the guy who tried to kill her with his car, beat him there and finish her off before anyone finds out?



Foundling Wizard
James Eggebeen

For over a hundred years the priests of Ran have been killing young wizards to take their power. When Lorit learns that he has the Wizard’s Power he becomes targeted for special attention by the Temple.

Lorit must learn magic in time to save the sister he infused with his own power to save her life. He must find a way to overcome their stolen magic without resorting to their tactics.

Together he and the Sorceress Chihon battle to make the land safe for magicians everywhere. Can they defeat the Temple or will they succumb to the plot that would turn them into the most powerful of their enemies?


Paradox: The Angels Are Here
Patti Roberts

Paradox Series: A story within a story — a world within a world.

A little girl trapped between the Ancient world and the new is forced to deal with tragedy and death.
When your destiny has been written in blood, and you are left with one burning question… Do Guardian Angels come from Heaven or Hell?


Paradox: Progeny of Innocence
Patti Roberts

Two Worlds. One Ancient...  A World where powerful Beings from Ancient Civilizations still rule. A Realm Where Gods, Angels, Myths and Magic still exists.

And One New... Grace is not a little girl anymore! And as a teenager, Grace’s visions become more frequent, urgent, torturing her life further still. The answers she hopes to find in her visions only leave her asking more questions... Who is Juliette?

When the charismatic Damon Draco begins to take an interest in Grace, it doesn’t take long before Grace falls for his alluring charm. A charm she doesn't quite understand.

However, when Riley Rivers turns up in Grace's class one day, she starts to question the feelings she has for Damon.

When death comes knocking...and three of Grace’s school friends are found burned to death, and their parents die in a fatal car accident that same weekend, some start to wonder if it really was just a coincidence, or a contrived plan to wipe out an entire family?

And if so, why, and by whom? And more importantly, will evil strike again?

You can bet your soul on it!


Accountable to None
Ashley Fontainne

What if the unspeakable happened to you? Would you fantasize about seeking personal vengeance? How far would you go...and how much would you sacrifice to hold those responsible that believe they are accountable to none?

Welcome to the prestigious accounting firm of Winscott & Associates. Welcome to Audra Tanner's personal hell. She had heard the rumors about her employer. The whispered secrets. But she had thrown herself into work to escape the pain of her miscarriage and demise of her marriage. Idealistic, she thought if she worked hard she would be rewarded. She thought wrong.

Savagely initiated into the brutal underbelly of the firm, Audra learns too late that the rumors are true. Now after five years of careful plotting, Audra is ready to push the wheels of justice in motion. Her goal of retribution has turned into an obsession and she will stop at nothing until everyone responsible pays. Will revenge set her free or is Audra's quest for personal justice only beginning?


Card Tricks
Jon Messenger

Joey isn't a Super, at least not in same league as Superheroes like Inferno or Strong Man, or even Supervillians like Razor or The Puppet Master. His power "activates" cards, bringing the printed word to life. It's a great power for a card shark, which fits perfectly into his unmotivated lifestyle. When his girlfriend gets kidnapped by The Puppet Master, however, Joey has to face a life-changing decision: run away from his responsibility, or become the unlikeliest of heroes.


Struglend Tales
Jan Jacob Mekes

Follow Edward, the ugliest and probably most haphazard king Struglend has ever had, and his herald Fred, as they go on a quest to restore order to the universe. Well, maybe not the universe, but at least the little piece of land they call home – Struglend. In their journey to remove the evil knight who has invaded the kingdom, they meet several hilarious characters.


Book of Curses
L.D. Hutchinson

When teenage twins, Raine and Thomas Renning are pulled into the world within a book their whole lives are turned upside down. A prophecy, a war and a hell of a ride lie wait in the pages of Book of Curses.


Soul Sisters
Janiera Eldridge

Soul Sisters is an urban fantasy novel about African-American twin sisters Ani and Dana who have a rather unique secret: one sister is human while the other is a vampire.


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Guest blog with Alison Beightol

It’s that time of year again. The holidays are winding down and we’re getting ready to ring in another new year. And after all the celebrations and rocking in 2013, millions of people will be making New Year’s resolutions. New Year’s resolutions are common for humans. We make them with the best of intentions. Then, usually, we break them. Sometimes we break them before the first week of January is up. It’s just too hard to keep up with good intentions, especially if they are unrealistic.  After all, we’re only human.But as a writer of paranormal novels, it’s interesting and also fun to wonder about if supernatural creatures would make New Year’s resolutions. Specifically, I wonder if vampires would make them and if they did, what would they be. Let’s just say vampires did make New Year’s resolutions.  Let’s say despite living forever, they continued to embrace this holiday tradition because it gave them a taste of human life. Let’s say that at midnight of each December 31st, they took a moment and made a solemn promise to themselves to do something new or improve themselves in the coming year. They might not all make the same kind of resolution. The kind of resolution would depend on the personality of vampire, just like with humans. So let’s look at a few vampires.Now in my main character’s case it would be easy. My MC is Eamon Rutherford, the world’s oldest vampire. He’s a man who is used to getting what he wants in life, although in my novel Blood Betrayal, that doesn’t always happen. But if Eamon made a resolution tonight at midnight, I think he would resolve to be a more giving and available Primigenio(Great Elder) to his line of vampires. I think he would continue to make the same resolution tonight and every December 31stbecause one of his flaws is he usually loses sight of that goal. Even though it tends to cost him dearly. Let’s take another vampire. Say Jean- Claude, from the Anita Blake series by Laurell K. Hamilton. I think his New Year’s resolution would be to try and keep things a bit less dangerous for his lover Anita and keep her closer to him. That sounds more like a wish though. I’m just guessing here.How about Eric Northman, the epic Viking Vampire and Sheriff of area 5 in Charlaine Harris’ Southern Vampire Mysteries. I’d like to think he would resolve to be more honest with himself and Sookie. (again sounds like a wish) I also think he would resolve to make the world Bill Compton free. Sorry members of Team Bill.The Morganville Vampires might resolve to have more community spirit and less take over the world type ambitions. It might save a lot of people A LOT of problems and it might just bring more people to town!A blast from the past is Angel from Buffy the Vampire Slayer. I hope that he would resolve to be less angsty. This could apply to a lot of vampires. Aidan from Being Human, Edward Cullen and the whole Twilight clan, but I digress. My final vampire New Year’s resolution is Count Dracula. I think he would resolve to stay home and not go to London. Or better said, resolve to stay home, stay safe and take care of his three wives. I could go on and on but it’s getting close to the time when I make my New Year’s resolutions. I usually only make one; to read more! I hope your resolutions are ones you are able to keep, should you make any. You can always make the same one I do. It’s not only easy to keep but it is a heck of a lot more fun keeping than dieting or going to the gym more. Happy New Year to all!



December 17 InterviewRoxanne’s Realmwww.roxannesrealm.blogspot.com
December 19 FeatureVictoria Danann http://victoriadanann.me
December 23 PromoLisa's World of Bookswww.lisasworldofbooks.net
December 27 Interview Books & Other Spells. nightskydarkstar.blogspot.com
December 29 InterviewCreatively Greenwww.creativelygreen.blogspot.com
December 31 Guest blogFang-tastic Bookswww.fang-tasticbooks.blogspot.com
January 2 Interview and reviewParanormal Book Club !!!http://paranormal-bookclub.com/
January 6 Guest blogReading Between the Wineshttp://readingbetweenthewinesbookclub.blogspot.com/
January 7 Guest blog and reviewThe Book Nymphohttp://thebooknympho.blogspot.com/
January 8 Promo and reviewParanormal Opinionhttp://paranormalopinion.blogspot.com
January 9 Interview and reviewLittle Read Riding Hoodhttp://littlereadridinghood.com
January 10 Guest blog and reviewWords of Wisdom from The Scarf Princesshttp://wowfromthescarfprincess.blogspot.com
January 11 PromoSMARTMOUTHTEXANwww.smartmouthtexan.wordpress.com
January 12 Promowww.christina-mcknight.blogspot.com
January 12 reviewFor The Love Of Film And Novelshttp://www.fortheloveoffilmandnovels.com/
January 13 Guest blogReginamayross's Bloghttp://reginamayross.blogspot.com
January 14 reviewCloey's Book Reviews and Other Stuffcloeyk.blogspot.com
January 15 Interview and FeatureBewitching Book Tours Magazinehttp://www.issuu.com/bewitchingbooktours




Blood Betrayal
Book 1 in The Primigenio TalesAlison Beightol
Genre: Paranormal Romance/Dark fantasy
Publisher: Charles River Press/ Cambridge Press US
EBook ISBN 13: 978-1-936185-83-2Paperback ISBN 13: 978-1-936185-82-5
Number of pages: 384Word Count: 98,000
Cover Artist: Laurie Mc Adams
Book Description:
Being the world’s oldest vampire, Eamon Rutherford has enjoyed women throughout the ages as beautiful meals and one night stands. That is until Eamon decides to find a mate and settle down. His less-than-perfect choice is temperamental ballerina Lauryl Mellis. When Lauryl escapes from him in London, Eamon discovers that true commitment requires him to love another more than himself. As he struggles with his inner awakening and Lauryl’s rejection, Lauryl is busy planning her own special event, which might include the death of Eamon Rutherford.
About the Author: Alison Beightol works as a registered nurse but also studied history and theatre at the University of Florida. For as long as she can remember, she has had an affinity for vampire stories, romance, and gothic tales that keep her up at night.  Blood Betrayal: Book One of the Primigenio Tales is her first novel. Alison lives in a haunted house in rural north Florida where she is putting the final touches on book two of the Primigenio Tales: Blood of New Beginnings.
https://facebook.com/pages/Alison-Beightol-Author/121442071246963
http://www.adventuresofthecautionarytale.blogspot.com
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