Roxanne Rhoads's Blog, page 525

Release Day Blitz and Excerpt Fighting Gravity

Fighting Gravity ExcerptsPhoebus and Marissa
Hello! I’m excited to announce the release of Fighting Gravity, book two of the Gravity trilogy. Each book is a novelette-length futuristic space fantasy following two main characters in their quest for freedom and love. Today I have two excerpts for you from Phoebus (an Aresian) and Marissa’s (an Earthling) point of views.
Phoebus’s Excerpt
“You can’t stop the rage within you, son.” Phoebus’s mother’s words echoed in his head. Some days he thought she was more like a daimon than Aresian.
“I will stop it.” His voice sounded soft, weak. He’d cut into his chest too deep and still couldn’t remove the daimon’s mark. Hot blood oozed around his fingers. The injury would heal, and if his daimon—his so-called spirit guide—fixed the gash, Phoebus’s injury would be repaired in an instant. But what did he care? He would die. Sooner rather than later before he’d surrender to his daimon.
I’m not that easy to destroy.
“Get out of my head.” Phoebus screamed and clutched his hair, blood smearing on the dark strands. For a supposed executioner, he couldn’t even destroy a simple daimon.
You need me more now than ever before. You shouldn’t have left Aresia. They’re coming for you.
Marissa’s Excerpt
“We’ve spoken with Elder McGee, and he’s interested in you, sweetheart. He’s proposing a marriage agreement.” Marissa’s father’s voice pierced her mind.
She glanced at the dim lights popping over her birth town. They reminded her of stars in a pollution-hazed atmosphere. Tonight, these celestial objects gleamed brighter than in her childhood. As the electricity grew sparse, so did the pollution in the sky.
How could I leave my family behind? The thought left her mouth dry and tightened her heart.
Her parents wouldn’t know she’d left until morning.
Perhaps they’d be relieved. Her departure meant one less mouth to feed. As the oldest of six children, she should’ve had a family of her own by now. Fate didn’t work like it did a century ago before the Reckoning. The sprawling metropolises and suburban areas had been filled with eligible bachelors.
Then, the asteroid hit—the town’s folk claimed it was the size of Mr. Ranger’s farm, or about a mile in diameter —into the Atlantic Ocean. The Earth tilted. Those who didn’t die right away had to find other ways to live. Many fled south to safety. Everything had changed in that instant more than fifty years before she was born.
Now if she wanted to marry, her choice included being Elder McGee’s third wife. Although he was the town’s leader, she couldn’t stand to kiss his scratchy chin or deal with the white hair sprouting from his ears. She shuddered at the thought.
As a special treat, Defying Gravity, book one of the Gravity trilogy is free on Amazon until May 4th. Don’t have a Kindle? No problem. You can download the Kindle app for free on many devices.
Find Defying Gravity free on these sites: Amazon US  Amazon UK  Amazon DE  Amazon FR  Amazon IT  Amazon ES
For an excerpt of Defying Gravity, please click on the book cover on Amazon.
Thank you so much for having me today on your blog!


Fang-tastic Bookswww.fang-tasticbooks.blogspot.com
Roxanne’s Realmwww.roxannesrealm.blogspot.com
The Creatively Green Write at Home Momwww.creativelygreen.blogspot.com
Guest PostLisa's World of Bookswww.lisasworldofbooks.net
Sapphyria's Book Reviewssaphsbookblog.blogspot.com(afternoon post)
Guest Blog and review both booksBook Travels http://booktravels.blogspot.com.br/
Promo (review later)Read2Reviewhttp://read2review.com 
Flutey Wordshttp://authoraubrie.blogspot.com
JeanzBookReadNReview        http://jeanzbookreadnreview.blogspot.co.uk/
Writing Bellehttp://writingbelle.blogspot.com/ 











Fighting Gravity
BOOK TWOby Cherie Reich
Forthcoming May 1, 2012

Book Description:

Forced into executing Aresia’s people, Phoebus escapes the Aresian Guard by flying his spaceship through a wormhole.

The only single woman of marrying age, Marissa flees her prospects of becoming Elder McGee’s third wife for a chance at freedom upon the New Atlantic Ocean.

When Phoebus’s spacecraft crashes upon an asteroid-ravaged Earth, he is captured by a rogue Earthling youth and thrown into a cellar. Marissa stumbles upon the spacecraft, but it explodes before she can find any sign of the alien. When she awakens, she discovers the alien’s whereabouts and vows to help him. They plot his escape when they learn Phoebus’s Aresians have landed and are searching for him. Phoebus and Marissa must battle against their despair and their peoples in their quest for freedom and love. And through it all, an Earthling and an Aresian will find it easier to fight gravity than their love for each other.

Book Links: Surrounded by Books Publishing http://sbbpublishingandeditorialservices.wordpress.com/

Goodreads http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/13515812-fighting-gravity

Purchase Links will be forthcoming

Defying Gravity
by Cherie Reich
Book Description:
Homesick upon the SS Perseid, Linia, a young linguist, thinks she signed up for a mission of peace, but her crew members have another plan: attack the planet Medusa.

Bored with his dying planet, Alezandros, a space cruiser pilot, joins the Medusan Army in his quest for adventure.

When the SS Perseid clashes with the Medusans’ space cruisers, Alezandros and Linia’s lives intertwine. Sucked through a wormhole, they crash upon a post-apocalyptic Earth and are captured by cannibals. In adjacent cells, Alezandros and Linia cast their differences aside for a common bond: escape. But when romantic feelings emerge between them, they might do the unthinkable because for a Medusan and a Persean to fall in love, it would defy gravity.

Book Links: Surrounded by Books Publishing http://sbbpublishingandeditorialservices.wordpress.com/

Goodreads http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/13446448-defying-gravity

Amazon http://www.amazon.com/dp/B0077DBKS4

Amazon UK https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B0077DBKS4

Amazon DE https://www.amazon.de/dp/B0077DBKS4

Amazon FR https://www.amazon.fr/dp/B0077DBKS4

Amazon IT https://www.amazon.it/dp/B0077DBKS4

Amazon ES https://www.amazon.es/dp/B0077DBKS4
Author Bio:

Cherie Reich is a writer, freelance editor and library assistant. She enjoys writing horror, fantasy, and mysteries, but she doesn’t let that stop her from trying other genres. Her short stories have appeared in magazines and anthologies, and her e-books include Once Upon a December Nightmare, The Best of Raven and the Writing Desk, and Defying Gravity. She is a member of the Virginia Writers Club and Valley Writers and placed third in Roanoke Valley’s BIG READ writing contest.

Author Links:

Website http://cheriereich.webs.com

Blog http://cheriereich.blogspot.com

Facebook https://www.facebook.com/authorcheriereich

Twitter @bookworm0753 https://twitter.com/#!/bookworm0753

Google+ https://plus.google.com/u/0/112299073711170994514/posts

From Lilith to Edward: How Early Vampire Mythos Spawned From Demonic Possession

If I had to mark a point on a timeline of pop culture, when vampires stopped being monsters and started being an aspiration, I would choose Queen of the Damned. The red-head’s plot in that film seems so secondary to the rest of the film. It’s only at the end, when Lestat’s loneliness is cured by her companionship, that we even see her plot intersecting his in any kind of meaningful way. Suddenly, the only downside to being a vampire is loneliness, which can be cured by the right generic female character. This is a big turn from the tortured existence of Louis and a giant leap away from the Nosferatu and Dracula.
Vampires are supposed to be dark. Vampirism was never something we were meant to embrace. A modern lens of tolerance has twisted the mythos, turning these creatures of the night into something that is just misunderstood. The earliest writers of vampires in fiction would tear out their hair if they could read contemporary vampire romance. Accepting any vampire protagonist who isn’t constantly struggling with his nature is completely against the point. Sure, I’ve read some darkly sexy works that have come out of the new millennium, but happily ever after and vampires were never meant to go together. This is because vampires were created as a symbol of demonic possession.
First of all, if you do a Wikipedia search, you’ll find that vampire history starts with demons and the damned. One of the earliest vampires, from Ancient Babylon, is Lilitu. Lilith. The Mesopotamians, Hebrews, and Ancient Greeks all had legends of demons who were the first vampires. Other vampires were witches, malevolent spirits, and suicide victims. If you don’t believe that these evil spirits were the ancestors of our modern, popular vampire, look at the facts. The proof is in the powers:
Drinking BloodVampires can only feed on blood. This means that they are parasites that have to suck the life out of other humans to survive. This is inherently evil: killing others for your own selfish needs.
Aversion to the SunThough this weakness didn’t enter the mythos until after Dracula, the aversion to the sun is an incredibly symbolic weakness. The sun is an archetypal symbol of light and truth, associated with divinity and God (take your pick of which God). In the Ancient Greek religion, the sun was associated with prophecy, truth, and healing. Therefore, the direct contrast of this would be lies and death.
Sleeping in a CasketDeath. Right? Vampires are DEAD.
GarlicGarlic has been used-- back before we had Phizer to make our drugs-- as a powerful antiseptic. It’s used to ward off plague and disease. Like the parasitic implications of drinking blood, warding off vampires with garlic alludes to a presence in the body that is not meant to be there. It is unhealthy and must be killed off.
Crosses and Holy WaterEver seen The Exorcist? If you’re possessed by a demon, the first person you call is a priest. It is not the power of these symbols, but the belief in them that turns vampires away. According to Christian demon lore, a demon needs permission to enter a human being. If you are armed with faith (as channeled through these symbols), a demon should not be able to harm you.
Entering Without PermissionOnce again, Christian demon lore says that a demon needs permission to enter a human being. Because a vampire attack would cause bodily harm, rather than spiritual, the home is a natural extension of the body.
SeductionThe romanticization of vampires comes from the seductive quality of those like Dracula. Like a demon, the vampire is a tempting, seductive creature that lures its victims to evil.
Traveling as MistVampires that can turn into mist would be able to follow you wherever you go. This power is a symbol. You cannot board up the door to escape a creature who can travel as black mist; there is no physical way to arm yourself for spiritual warfare.
Of course, vampire powers and weaknesses change through history and literature. Some of the oldest vampire beliefs led people to decapitate women who died before marriage so that they would not rise up as vampires. Some vampire creation myths require the exchange of blood. Some require sharing a grave.
These changes, however, left the vampire essentially unchanged. It has not been until very recently that the spirit of the vampire has shifted. Perhaps this is a sign of the change in our society; the western world has become more secular. Whatever the cause, a vampire mythology that has stayed relatively the same in meaning for thousands of years has made a sudden shift in the last decade and a half. Is this a good thing? That’s up to you to decide.

Miss Kendall Harker, 
From the night we first met, I knew that you belonged at my side. There was something extraordinary about you, even in your most fragile moment. 

In all of my time on this earth I have never met a woman as beautiful as you who has the wit and the strength of will to match it. Feeling the pounding of your heart through your breasts, warm against my chest, as we lay together, reminds me of what it feels like to be alive. Not since my death have I felt such excitement and hope for my future. Our future.

All of my roaming through time has been for the sole purpose of finding you. I never wish to be separated from you. Never again will I have to go to my grave alone. My daily death will be a sweet respite with your body next to mine. You are mine, and either you or I or both shall perish before I ever let you go.

Forever Yours,
Rawdon Hale

Spotlight on Bandit Creek Books Devil Unknown by Steena Holmes

Bewitching Book Tours schedules promotion and review requests for Bandit Creek Books
You can see a complete list of Bandit Creek Books here: http://banditcreekbooks.com/books/

If you would like to schedule an interview with one of the authors or receive a pdf of one of the books for review please contact me at RoxanneRhoads@bewitchingbooktours.com 


Please include your blog name and url, the title of the book you would like to review, and/or name of the author you would like to interview and a couple of suggested dates you have available.

This week's spotlighted title is Devil Unknown by Steena Holmes





Devil Unknown
By Steena Holmes
Genre: Supernatural Suspense
A Bandit Creek Thriller


Blurb:

“Each generation, evil takes form and steals the soul of the most devout.”

A long forgotten myth holds the key to the evil descending upon Bandit Creek. When the town turns to their beloved former pastor for answers, little do they realize he may be the evil they fear.

Nathan Hanlin is at a crossroads. His soul is in jeopardy, and he doesn’t know it. Yet. He thought leaving the church would be easy, but when demonic crows start talking and demons reveal a secret about his past -- he realizes turning his back on God might have been a mistake. A ripped page from a journal holds the key to discovering why the supernatural are appearing in Bandit Creek but it’s too late. The myth is real and the only person who knows the answer is missing. Can Nathan save the woman he loves...or is he the reason her life is in danger?





About the Author:

Two words can describe Steena. Chocolate and passion. Passion for life. For love. For adventure. For chocolate.

Weaving stories with passion for life flows through all of Steena’s stories – whether they be erotic romance under her pen name Anya Winter, in her women’s fiction or in her thrillers.


Join her in discovering the passion for life.


Twitter @SteenaHolmes


Website: www.steenaholmes.com


Bandit Creek Books: www.banditcreekbooks.com


ExcerptHe stood motionless in the cold, sparse room. Perfect for his plans.
The rat droppings were fresh. His intended guest would have more company than first thought. The stench of mold, urine and sulfur filled the air. The aroma aroused him.
He rubbed his hands together as he viewed the room. The scorched cement blocks were a nice addition. The fingers of long ago flames licked the walls and left burn patterns snaking towards the ceiling. The little cracks in the floor crisscrossed each other until the kaleidoscope of weeds peeping through the cracks decorated the floor. Ants and other insects scurried away from his boots as he walked around the room.
Chains anchored in the walls promised torturous delight. Exactly what his guest deserved. Saliva pooled and dripped from his lips as he imagined the hell he was about to create for her.
It was all for her.
Innocent. Humble.
A gift. For him.

Chapter 1
Rotting carcasses littered the path to home.
Nathan Hanlin entered the twilight zone as he drove along the curving mountain road towards home. The remnants of ominous music played in his mind. If he didn’t know better, from the dark swelling clouds filling his rearview mirrors to the dust swirls up ahead, Nathan would think he’d entered his own private hell.
Sentries of large black crows faced him on either side of the highway.
His worst nightmares come true.
For the past week his dreams were filled with the disgusting birds circling over a car wreck. Nathan shuddered at the memory. He’d heard that crows were once used as messengers from the spirits, but if they were trying to tell him something, he wasn’t sure he wanted to hear it.
He rolled his shoulders, trying to ease a kink that had set in more than an hour ago. The highway from the city to Bandit Creek stretched on forever. Ahead was the pass but at the rate he was going, it would be night before he reached it.
Swerving to miss another dead animal, Nathan’s grip tightened on the steering wheel. The crows’ beady eyes followed him as he drove past. It was unreal how they perched there, their black wings tucked tight against their slick bodies.
Only their eyes moved, as if tracking him.
He could have sworn they were looking directly at him. Not his vehicle. Him. As if they knew him.
The archway to the Pass approached in the distance. Nathan pushed his foot until the speedometer inched higher.  Thirty feet ahead a barricade of large black crows were positioned beneath the large metal sign with the aged black letters - Crow Mountain Pass. 
Swirling clouds of dust sheathed the birds’ movements, creating an illusion of a huge black dust storm. Hundreds of eyes stared at him.
You need us.
Nathan jerked his foot off the pedal. What the…?
He must be more tired than he thought. Not a good thing to be on this road. He’d conducted too many funerals from late night driving accidents on this windy road.
His vehicle inched its way along, coming to a full stop right before the crows as their deafening caws filled the air. The side windows and windshield cracked as the multitude of crows flew at him, their screams filling the air. Nathan ducked his head to his steering wheel, hands over his ears. The glass shook from the impact. Nathan was sure his windows would break. He didn’t understand what was happening. His skin rippled from the onslaught of the invisible beaks poking at his skin. Fingers of dread tunneled through his brain. Nathan cried out in anguish, begging God for help.
Raising his head, he jammed his foot on the gas and accelerated until he drove past the swirling cascade. Gasping, Nathan struggled to regulate his breathing, failing with each inhale. Once he made it beneath the archway, he glanced in his rearview mirror. Nothing.No crows, no swirling dust, nothing. The chaos had vanished.
He hit the brake, his toes cramping from the quick movement. He leaned forward and rested his arms on the steering wheel.  Scratch marks ran along the hood.
Nicked, dented and littered with stray feathers, his truck looked like it had been dragged into hell. Nathan reached for the door handle then stopped. His arms collapsed and chafed against the leather edge of the wheel before they fell onto his legs. His body shook as if an earthquake erupted beneath his feet and there was nothing he could do to stop it. Pools of sweat poured down his face as they mingled with his tears.
What just happened?

Why Paranormal and Fantasy make the YA world go ‘round

I don’t know about you, but I have always read books to get away from reality. Let’s face it--reality sometimes sucks!! What better way to get away than to immerse oneself in someone else’s head? Their life, their adventures, their romances are all a welcome change from the everyday drudgery, and sometimes you learn a little something about yourself along the way, which is always a cool bonus.
 There’s a reason why fantasy and paranormal YA novels are hot right now--they’re a total change from the norm! The world can be the same, or completely different; a post-apocalyptic nightmare, a flawed utopian society, a magical fantasy land or an alien dreamscape. With paranormal, the different and uncanny becomes, if not commonplace, then at least feasible! Life suddenly brims with magic and romance and wonder, everything felt in extremes through the characters’ eyes--you can be anything at any moment, and you can meet anyone while you’re at it.
I mean, why settle for the boring, average guys in your school when you could have the sexy new transfer student who just happens to have fangs, feathers or claws? You say he has a brother?! Excellent.
The romantic heroes are a huge draw of YA for a lot of people, and no wonder! Romance is always a welcome distraction, and the love triangle, tale old as time as it may be, refuses to be played off. Two boys vying for your affections? Yeah, I think you can handle that, especially since they aren’t quitelike the dudes you grew up with.  There’s something a little different about them--not bad different! Good different, you think…well, you hope.
The sense of mystery that surrounds these boys only adds to the intrigue; they’re definitely not the kind of people you meet every day on the street! They’re suave, protective, instinctive, more than a little bit dangerous, and they’re waiting to take you on out-of-this-world adventures. It doesn’t really get much better than that.


Guardian
The first book in the trilogy Guardian, Thief, HumanBy S.B. Rodgers
Paranormal YA

Blurb

It’s been almost a year since Abby Shepard’s once-perfect life crumbled into little more than a nightmare. Dumped, bullied and abused, the seventeen-year-old has all but given up hope. Little does she know that her father died protecting a family secret; a secret that has the forces of good and evil battling to claim the power lurking just beneath her skin.


About the Author:


S.B. Rodgers is a pen name that stands for Sara & Becky Rodgers. Becky argued extensively that in the name of humour, the letters should be listed alphabetically, but lost out to her arch nemesis common sense.

Sara and Becky met at the young ages of twenty-two months and zero days, thrust into each other’s lives by fate and situations beyond either of their control. They are sisters, frenemies and most importantly co-authors. It’s theorised that they were identical twin in a past life…not really but it’d be pretty cool. Their parents taught them that a person’s imagination is a precious gift and stories should be cherished. As a team the siblings bring very different skills to the table, each one’s strength perfectly complimenting the others weakness. They try not to take themselves very seriously and strive to look for the humour in life. Their partnership is one of extreme love and respect for each other, both as family and literary artists.

Sara is the younger of the two. She lives with one cat, five dolls and her potato head man collection in an orange room. Regrettably she is not Spiderman or Batman, but she is a card holding Pokémon master and that’s good enough for now. She earned her Bachelor of Fine Arts from Concordia University in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. She collects graphic novels and manga as well as all things written by the fantastic Neil Gaiman. When she is not reading or writing she is needle felting and posting her work on her popu-lish tumblr account: The Land of Fluff and Needles.

Becky is the classic girly-girl. Her blond hair and pink nails served as the perfect camouflage during school years were teachers undoubtedly took her day dreaming for air-headedness. To the contrary, she spent that time drifting in and out of imaginary worlds filled with fantastical creatures and memorable characters. Today she divides her time between working with animals as a certified pet stylist and typing away at new manuscripts. Among other things she describes herself as a Gleek, sci-fi nerd, smustle expert extraordinaire and above all she just “wants to believe.” She lives with her two German Shepherds-Abby and Odin-and is driven by delusions of grandeur.


Links:

Blog: sbrodgers.blogspot.com

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/pages/SB-Rodgers/260803420636830

You tube: http://youtu.be/DBMOkpw1vtI

Twitter: SBRodgers1

Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/5517745.S_B_Rodgers

Bittersweet by Brooke Moss Love Knows No Bounds Charity Anthology for Autism Speaks

The third author in the Love No Bounds anthology, is Brooke Moss. Her connection to Autism is deeply personal.In a single sentence, what will sales of the anthology for the supported cause mean to you?Frankly, every single sale of this book is a personal donation made towards my son, Sam’s, success and well being; and there is nothing that a reader can do that will touch my heart more than building a world for Sam that is more accepting and understanding.



Bittersweet Blurb: Anna Kirkpatrick isn't looking for love. Being a single mom to Bowan, her eight-year-old autistic son, takes up all of her time...leaving no room for romance. Willing to do anything to help her son come out of his shell, Anna agrees to take Bowan to cooking classes with a world class chef.Motorcycle-riding pastry chef Leo Mancini isn't exactly searching for "the one", either. After losing every penny he had, his business, and his girlfriend, he's moved to northern Idaho to sulk, restart his career, and pay his sister back for a loan that no amount of money could ever really suffice.When Anna and Leo discover that Bowan's fondness for the kitchen extends beyond his peculiar cookbook collection, Leo quickly becomes the one person who can break through his barriers. But will Leo and Anna's attraction lead to more than just a weekly cooking lesson? 

Tweet by Boone Brux: Love Knows No Bounds Anthology for Autism Speaks

I’m so thrilled to be part of Entangled Publishing’s project to raise money for Autism Speaks.
My novella, Tweet, was inspired by a real life event. As my husband drove around looking for a restaurant, I pulled out my iPad to search for the address. After finding it, I popped onto Twitter and began surfing. I don’t know how, but I stumbled upon Satan’s Twitter account. Seriously, the profile said, By clicking follow you agree to bind your soul to Satan. Or something like that in 140 characters or less.
My husband and I laughed and I said, “Wouldn’t it be funny if that was true?”
I froze with one of those wide-eyed expressions a writer gets when a great idea pops into their head. From that moment Tweet was born. Though there are more Satan and social networking stories in my near future, I had to offer this one up when Liz P. when she put out a call for the Autism Project. 
100% of profits go to Autism Speaks, an organization that helps families by providing resources and information. It’s amazing to me how many people are touched by autism and I’m so happy to Tweet Blurb:
When one time ultra-shy girl, Faye Albert, decides to live a little, she inadvertently binds her soul to Satan by following the Dark Prince on Twitter.
Now she needs to break the contract or face eternal damnation. With time running out and her desperation growing, Faye enlists the help of Christopher White, a gorgeous photographer from work and her secret crush.
To sweeten the deal Satan’s minion tempts her every step, offering her things she’s only dreamed of. Will Faye be able to say no to a lifetime of earthly treasures and possibly lose the only man she’s ever loved or will her leap of faith finally deliver exactly what her heart has yearned for?

Love Knows No Bounds Anthology for Autism Speaks

April is Autism awareness month.

It is also now a month I'll remember as my youngest son was recently diagnosed with Aspergers (and ADHD).

His high functioning Aspergers isn't Autism but it is an ASD (Autism Spectrum Disorder) and I now have a deeper connection to and understanding of Autism as I research and learn everything I can about Aspergers and the sensory issues my son  has so I can work to make his life better through understanding.

I haven't been reading much fiction lately (hence the lack of reviews here at Fang-tastic) because my stack of books all relate to Aspergers, sensory sensitivity, and gluten free diets (apparently there's a connection between gluten and a lot of disorders so it's worth trying if it can make my son healthier and happier).

However tomorrow (April 28) a new fiction anthology is being released by Entangled Publishing- Love Knows No Bounds and 100% net profits from the sales go to Autism Speaks and I know I'll be purchasing a copy.


The stories will be available individually and in the anthology. I believe you can download them individually as ebooks and the anthology will be available as an ebook and in print (don't quote me on this I'm not 100% sure). All I know is that I want a print copy added to my bookshelf.

Today the three authors of the anthology will be sharing a little bit of info about their stories.

Thanks to Boone, Nina and Brooke for being part of this charity anthology for Autism.

Remember Me by Nina Croft: Love Knows No Bounds Anthology for Autism Speaks

Autism is a condition that affects so many families, and consequently, I’m really excited to be part of the Entangled Publishing’s charity anthology, Love Knows No Bounds.
The novellas are all love stories and mine, Remember Me, is a paranormal romance. It’s a redemption story and tells of the love between an angel and the woman who will love him for eternity.
Long ago, Cade betrayed his own people to give his human wife eternal life. In doing so lost her, and wAnd here’s the blurb for Remember Me:
Unable to bear the thought of losing his mortal wife, Caden Wolfe steals the Elixir of Life and offers her eternity. But the theft is discovered, his wife is slain, and Caden is stripped of his angel’s wings and cast down into the Abyss.
Having drunk of the Elixir of Life, Phoebe Little’s soul is tied to the earth in a perpetual cycle of death and rebirth. Unaware that she has lived countless lives, Phoebe is haunted by the loss of a love she has no memory of.
Caden has spent a thousand years searching for his wife. Now he has found her, and only Phoebe’s love can redeem them both. But Phoebe fell in love with an angel, and Caden is now a demon of the Abyss. Can she see past what he has become, remember the love they once shared, and have a second chance at forever?
And a little excerpt from Remember Me to whet your appetites:
Cade kissed her mouth, her cheek, her eyes…small biting kisses, as though he wanted to devour her.
“Eleni…”
He whispered the name through the kisses. Phoebe went instantly still as the word broke through the fog of desire engulfing her, dousing her in a deluge of icy cold. Her hands moved to his shoulders, and she pushed him away. For a moment, his grip tightened, then he loosened his hold lowered her so she stood on her own feet again. Pulling free of him, she took a shaky step forward, then another. She came up against the desk and put out a hand to the cool steel to steady herself, trying to clear her brain of the haze of lust and desire.Eleni.
The name from her dream. And now, as her brain slowly began to function again, she remembered where she had heard it before. Cade had spoken it in the compound in Afghanistan, just before the world had exploded.
She glanced at him. He was watching her, his expression wary, though his dark eyes still glowed with residual desire. Regret nudged at her mind, but she forced it down. She needed to understand what was happening here. “Who’s Eleni?”
He didn’t answer the question. Instead, he crossed the room and poured them both a whisky, placing the glasses on the coffee table before sinking onto the sofa.
“Sit down,” he said.
She gritted her teeth. “I don’t want to sit down. I want to know who Eleni is.”
“Sit down, and I’ll tell you.” When she didn’t move he continued, a faint thread of impatience lacing his voice. “Sit down, Phoebe. I won’t touch you again…unless you want me to.”

Guest Blog and Giveaway with Ron Voigts

Anyone who wants to be a writer has to be a reader.  I cannot imagine a wannabe writer who never reads. Do composers never listen to music? Do artists not look at paintings?
Surprising for someone who writes mysteries, my own reading taste is all over the place.  I go more by the voice or how it sounds. Typically I can tell within the first paragraph if I’m going to like the book.
And it’s books that got me interested in writing—the promise of adventure, the chance to be somewhere I could never go and do things beyond my limitations. Books are what hooked me into spending my evenings and weekends plunking at the keyboard and weaving mysteries.  I give you here a list of ten books that influenced my writing.
1.       The Time Machine by H.G. Wells 2.       The Sorcerer’s Stone by J.K. Rowling3.       In the Electric Mist with Confederate Dead by James Lee Burke4.       The Bad Beginning or, Orphans!by Lemony Snicket5.       Casino Royale by Ian Fleming6.       Interview with the Vampire by Ann Rice7.       Hound of the Baskervilles by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle8.       1984 by George Orwell9.       The Poisonwood Bible by Barbara Kingsolver1.   The Shining by Stephen King
Some of the books listed here I read as a teenager, including the James Bond thrillers. While some may argue that Bond doesn’t fit in with fine literature, the books are still selling well on Amazon. Also, I give credit to Ann Rice who reintroduced the vampire with fresh material back in the 80’s. Anyone wanting to learn the art of suspense needs to read King. He can spend pages slowly ratcheting up a terrifying moment. I mention The Poisonwood Bible because Kingsolver did such a wonder job writing multiple first person point-of-views. And I include Burke because of his excellent Dave Robicheaux murder mysteries.
I saved talking about Lemony Snicket until last. While writing the first two Penelope mysteries, his books were top on my reading list.  First he did what most writers were told not to do.  He would make aside comments to reader and do it quite well. Second, the things I loved about his books were the over-the-top quirky characters.  Probably that influenced the Penelope series the most.  The characters you’ll run into in Penelope and The Movie Star and the other books are a bit different, bigger than life, but always fun.

April 20 Guest Blog The Creatively Green Write at Home Mom www.creativelygreen.blogspot.com 
April 21 Character Guest Blog Butterfly-o-Meter Books http://butterflyometerbooks.blogspot.com/ 
April 23 Guest blog and review Lissette E. Manning http://www.simplistik.org/lissetteemanning 
April 24 Promo and review Storm Goddess Book Reviews & More- www.stormgoddessbookreviews.blogspot.com  April 25 Promo and Interview JeanzBookReadNReview http://jeanzbookreadnreview.blogspot.com/ 
April 26 Guest Blog Fang-tastic Books www.fang-tasticbooks.blogspot.com 
April 27 Guest blog and review Reviews By Molly  http://reviewsbymolly.com

PENELOPE AND THE MOVIE STAR
By Ron D Voigts
Age Level: Mid Grade Mystery (tween)
Blurb
Marvel Movies comes to Tiffin Preparatory School to shoot a motion picture against the backdrop of the old Windorf Hotel that now houses the school. Penelope sneaks onto the set and watches them film a scene. Famous actors Priscilla Young and Clarence Dodd star in the movie and Penelope gets to see them up close. Regrettably, she also sees a spotlight fall on the director and kill him. Penelope claims she had her eyes shut when it happened, but the police think she may remember something. Unfortunately for her, the killer also thinks she may recall something.

To complicate matters, the school has a new cook, and Penelope’s friend Raddy thinks Chef Judy is trying to poison them. The new girl at school steals away everyone’s friends. As always Principal Merriweather keeps finding new ways to expel her. Between trying to get her friends back, starving and keeping away from the killer, she has her hands full in this next Penelope Mystery.


Penelope and The Birthday Curse http://www.amazon.com/dp/B005561FZI 


Penelope and The Ghost's Treasure http://www.amazon.com/dp/B005P94IGI 


Penelope and The Movie Star http://www.amazon.com/dp/B0077UX7LU


Biography

Ron D. Voigts lives in Raleigh, NC and sometimes somewhere else. When back in Raleigh, he enjoys time with his family, watches old movies and shoots lots of pool. He has his own private writer's retreat in La Vale, MD where he spends lots of time working on his next novel while enjoying the mountains and eating ice cream.

Media Links
Twitter: @RonDVoigts
http://rondvoigts.blogspot.com
http://www.penelopemystery.com
http://www.facebook.com/penelopemystery



Giveaway is a Smashwords code for Penelope and The Ghost’s Treasure

(Ron will later send a coupon for Penelope and The Movie Star once it becomes available on Smashwords)
If you would like to win these two books please leave a comment with your email address I love this banner Beckie from Bittersweet Enchantment made (she also happens to be Ron's daughter :-)

Interview and Giveaway with Alex Owens Author of Kill Me

What is it about the paranormal, in particular vampires, that fascinates you so much?
If I have to get all Freudian on myself, I suppose it’s because Vampires aren’t cursed with mortality like the rest of us. They get more time to spend doing the things that they want, time to learn and experience new places and ideas. Vampires get to live without time constraints or the daily reminders of aging. For normal humans one lifetime is just not enough, so it’s nice to lose myself in a world where the characters are timeless. And smoking-hot J
What inspired you to write this book?
I was trying to think of something new for a Vampire novel.  Sparkly vamps –done. Vampire Hunters –done.  Blood-suckers in period dress, also done. Vampire Mom—not done. It was my “ah-ha!” moment for coming up with a unique and unexplored story arc. I wrote the kind of novel I’d like to read. And now that my baby is leaving home, I can finally get cracking on book two of the Blood Chord Series. (I now realize there is another series out there featuring a vampire mom. I haven’t read the books, even though I want to now that I’ve discovered them. I’ll have to wait until I’m done writing this series first though.)
Please tell us about your latest release.
My latest release is Kill Me. It’s the story of Claire, a hard working Mom with bills to pay and a slacker husband. While at a music industry convention for work, Claire meets Bette, a sultry Italian woman in possession of a haunted violin that can only be played by the supernaturally gifted. Bette, a vampire with an eye on Claire's untapped talents, tries to turn her into one of the undead. Only it doesn't appear to have worked, at least not one-hundred percent.
While figuring out what fate has planned for her, Claire creates a marketing campaign for a Girl-centric guitar company, survives her first strip club visit, and fakes being a violin virtuoso in front of thousands.  She turns to Bette and her Vampy-friends for help, but trusting them with her life may not be the smartest decision she’s ever made. 
Is there a character that you enjoyed writing more than any of the others?
Oh, yes… that would be Clive (a.k.a. Dark). He’s an arrogant big-bad kind of dude and it was deliciously fun to work with him. I can’t wait to see what he has in store for the readers in book two of the series.
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?
Not so far. I just started writing the novel and the characters appeared and fleshed themselves out. Sometimes I ask myself, “what actor would play this character in the movie?” That gives me a down-and-dirty place to start building the individual characters. For this novel, I have characters that physically resemble, Javier Bardem, Clive Owen and Monica Bellucci.
What is your favorite scene from the book? Could you share a little bit of it, without spoilers of course?
That would have to be the chapter in which Claire finds herself inside a strip club for the first time. The setting, for a conservative wife and mother, is jarring. But for Claire, it’s even worse because one of her “abilities” decides to show itself for the first time.
Do any of your characters have similar characteristics of yourself in them and what are they?
Oh, yes. The main character, Claire, is a busy working mother. She has a list of things she wants to do just for herself, like learn a second language or take violin lessons, but she never seems to find the time. In that regard, Claire is me, but she’s also a lot of other women too.
Do you ever suffer from writer’s block? How do you deal with it?
Not block, per say… it’s more like writer’s procrastination. If and when I can ever get myself started, things flow pretty smoothly. It’s the getting started that kills me. Television, internet, children, laundry—I will use any excuse to avoid writing. When that happens usually a bribe works. (No Nutella until you write at least 500 words!)
Do you write in different genres?
 Yes, in addition to paranormal and horror, I write mainstream fiction under another name.  Rumor has it that there’s a third methat writes romance and erotica, but so far it’s not been proven.
Do you find it difficult to write in multiple genres?
Not really. I’m an eclectic soul by nature. Books on my virtual shelf range from Orwell and Flaubert to Laurell K. Hamilton and Steven King. My iPod is chock-full of Joan Jett, Miranda Lambert, LMFAO, Veruca Salt, and so much more.  So why should I stick to writing just one genre?  Plus, genre-hopping helps to give my creativity a regular work out.
When did you consider yourself a writer?
That’s a tough one. Some days I still wonder if I’m “there” yet, but each positive review or sale brings additional validation from complete strangers.   Gradually I’m feeling less and less like a fraud and more like a real writer. Writing every day helps with that too. As does a nice glass of Moscato.
What are your guilty pleasures in life?
I have a bad habit of staying up late at night to finish a book. While I’m reading and snacking, the television is playing something along the lines of The Walking Dead, Californication or True Blood. That’s my “me time” and I love every minute of it!
Other than writing, what are some of your interests, hobbies or passions in life?
I love the idea of gardening and crafting (Pinterest addict here) but my execution is lacking. To give myself a break from the written word, I also work as a graphic designer and photographer, so I get to focus on the visually creative for a while. 
What can readers expect next from you?
The second book in the series, Kiss Me, is schedule for release by the end of this summer. In the mean-time I’m considering the possibility of writing stand-alone novellas focusing on some of the peripheral characters.
Where can readers find you on the web?
Information and updates for the Blood Chord Series can be seen on the publisher’s website (QuirkyGurl.com) or on the series site (bloodchordseries.wordpress.com). I’m also on Goodreads and on Twitter as @imaquirkygurl and I’d love to hook up with more readers.
Would you like to leave readers with a little teaser or excerpt from the book?
Cassidy put her face to mine, touching our foreheads together, effectively blocking my view of everything else in the room."Breathe," she said. "Just focus on me."I felt myself returning to normal after a few seconds of staring at Cassidy. Her focus on me was intense, like she trying to needle around in my brain. Never one to back down, I kept the weird pose and tried to emulate Cassidy's determined look. She smelled like spring rain and I could see her kneeling in a garden, hands turning rich dark earth, caressing tender stalks of green. When I pictured Cassidy biting into a fresh picked tomato, I tasted it myself. I backed away quickly, whacking my elbow on the bar and stepping on a stripper’s toe. I turned to mumble my apologies, but the young brunette with doe-eyes and cleavage up to her chin totally ignored me, choosing instead to focus on her round, sweaty sugar daddy. "Was that the first time that’s happened to you?" Cassidy said quietly, turning me back towards her."Yes...no...I don't know." I gulped down the nearest drink on the bar, not caring who it belonged to, or what it was for that matter. I would have downed motor oil to get the taste out of my mouth. To me, the only good tomato was a cooked one. I let the fire spread down my throat as I thought about what had just happened. Chances are, that had happened to me before and I just hadn't recognize it for what it was. Just because I couldn't recall anything that obvious didn't mean more subtle instances hadn't occurred without my notice. Heck, maybe that was why I was so good at my job. Maybe I'd been using the little bits of information I absorbed to win over clients.  "Hey you, where did you go just now?" Cassidy asked.I snapped out of my own head and signaled the statuesque bartender that I wanted another drink. "Just thinking. Trying to make some sense, you know." I took the amber colored shot placed in front of me and gulped it greedily. I was just so damned thirsty all the time. ***************Thanks for having me!




  Three days ago, Claire was a wife, a mother, and very much alive…
…then the music called for her. Claire has one goal for the conference— to land a few whales so that her boss will give her a badly needed raise. She pitches and prays while courting the music industry elite until her plans are derailed by hotness-in-high-heels.Bette is at the conference on a mission—to find a human with untapped talents that she can mold and control.  Bette uses her cursed violin to lure Claire in with a haunting song, which unravels Claire’s life as her new talents emerge. To make matters worse, Claire is attracted to two unlikely people— Bette and her hunky associate, Gregor.  Both can light Claire’s fire, but is either of them the only one?Unfortunately for Claire, life isn’t all song lyrics and seduction. Tied to darkness by blood and power, Claire must harness her abilities if she has any hope of returning home to her daughter and regaining her former life… if that’s what she really wants.Kill Me, the debut novel from author Alex Owens, is a quirky paranormal fantasy complete with music, magic, fangs and freaks. It is also the first in a planned series, with the second book due out by the Fall of 2012. Be forewarned, this is not your daughter’s paranormal.


Would you like to win an ecopy of Kill Me?

leave a comment on this spot to be entered to win