Lynn Hubbard's Blog, page 11

Christmas is Coming! Are you Naughty or Nice?

NICE




Christmas is just around the corner. 

One of my favorite times of the year, I am getting into the Christmas Spirit early!  

I wrote a short Christmas story to share with you. If you love Americana, history or me, you will enjoy this book. 

I was inspired to write A Christmas Crossing after visiting Yorktown, VA. I have always been enamored by the Revolutionary War and wanted to share my love for history with my love for Christmas. The ebook is .99 on Amazon, or if you need  a good gift get the full color print version. Take a peek below! I hope you enjoy it.




Amazon Kindle Version

Free Preview

Special Edition Gift Copy 










Feeling a bit Naughty this year?




Then pick up a free copy of my twisted Fairy Tale. Download Free!




NAUGHTY




The Gingerbread Man 

A Scrumptious Erotic Fairy Tale

Need a quickie? 


This is an adult fairy tale. Some, sugar, some spice,

 and a pinch of lust. 


Hope you enjoy! 




Leave a comment below (Naughty or Nice) so Santa knows what to bring you!















www.lynnhubbard.com

Interview with Author Laura Yirak

Laura Yirak is here to discuss her latest book Delivered to
Eternity, An Alesta the Vampire book
Welcome Laura! I was reading your bio over at Amazon and
found it fascinating.

 A haunted boarding school,
would be a great setting for a book! Did you see any ghosts while you lived there?



St. Michaels was a fantastically old Catholic school.  It sat over on a cliff with a view of the
River Clyde.  I never saw a ghost, but
certainly imagined that they were going to get me all the time.  There was the Headless Nun that wandered the
halls of the dungeons--the dungeons being the lower levels of the school.  And then there was the Hairy Hand that might
get you while you were going to the loo. 
There were many other stories as well! 
Maybe I should do up some short stories about it J



Do you believe in ghost,
vampires or creatures of the night?



Of course I do!  I
believe in ghosts as I have had my own encounter, but that was in the U.S a few
years ago.  I stayed in a cabin out in
the lower foothills of the Cascade mountains and found out after a week there
that it was haunted.  The cabin was new,
so I was not expecting it.  I guess
ghosts have no preference.



 What inspired you to write a
vampire book?


I love vampires.  They
totally freak me out, that and I like their immortality.  I played with the idea of the 'soul' in this
book.



 Who is your target audience?



I have a wide range of ages in my book, from mid twenties to
sixties, males and females.  I would like
to capture a wide range.



 Do your vampires sparkle?



Vamps in Kilts---WOO. 
My vampires do not sparkle, they hide in dark places and follow you into
the shadows, take a nip while you are sleeping and vanish when you wake.  They are of the more traditional variety and
they are steamin HOT, especially in kilts!



 Tell me about Alesta.



Laura Yirak


 Alesta means, 'Savior of Mankind.'  The decision to be a vampire was made for her
and she struggles with this through the book. 
She works as a nurse by night and runs a Manor House.  This is where she has her supper. J



What is your next project?



I am working on three projects:  another children's book, a psycho-thriller,
and a book of poems for fun.




 Where can we get your book?



I am on Amazon, Barnes & Noble and many other online
sites. 





How can your fans contact
you?






http://dreamsofdiamondsauthor.blogspot.com/

All of my book links are here!



I'm also on Twitter: 
@laurayirak





Is there anything else you
would like to add?






I hope you enjoy, Delivered to Eternity! 







 Be sure to check out Laura's book!






























www.lynnhubbard.com

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Interview with Julian Christian - the man, the myth, the hot guy on Chase the Moon

Julian Christian

Meet Julian Christian - the man, the myth,

the hot guy on Chase the Moon

Hi Julian, it is such a pleasure to work with you again!

The pleasure is all mine Lynn.

How does it feel to be lusted after?

Lol.  I don't think I am lusted after. Maybe liked after.

Rocky


Who gets more fan mail you or Rocky?

My little French Bulldog is the ladies man alright.

 Right now we are dead even but I see him pulling away from me real soon.  

What do you think is the hardest part about being in the beauty and fashion industry?

Well it's not really that hard because I have other ventures going on in my life. I run 2 clinics for special needs children and I am starting to venture into big wave surfing. 

What projects are you currently working on?

I am currently working on a short film called "Hostile Foreclosure"  as well as a TV commercial.

How is life on the beach?

Do you really have to ask, lol. It's my favorite place to be. 

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What is an average day like in your life?

Wake up at 5 am, go for a few sets of surfing with the sun rise.

 Then off to work, and the gym, and rehearsals in the evening. 

What is the happiest you have ever been?

I always try to stay happy and live in the moment. 

What was the most difficult decision you have ever had to make?

Paper or plastic. 

Who are your role models or mentors? Why?

The Reverend Martin Luther King. That man was a leader and my personal hero. To stay so focused in the face of such adversity, wow. 

What kind of people do you enjoy being around the most? 

Positive, accepting people who are progressive and intelligent.  

What is one of your favorite songs?

In a Big Country by the Scottish band Big Country. 

What are the 5 things you can't live without?

Oxygen, H2O, Vitamins, Minerals and sushi. 

What's your motto or life advice that you life by?

It's all good. 

How can your fans keep in touch?

Facebook is the best way to reach me. 

I have a fan page and a personal page. 

Like Julian? 




Thanks Julian! 

Julian Christian Fantechi has graced the cover of two of my books. The first was Desperado and the latest Chase the Moon. For more info please visit my website. 

www.lynnhubbard.com 

www.lynnhubbard.com

Happy Halloween! Thanks for Visiti...

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Happy Halloween! 

Thanks for Visiting! I would love to have some new Followers! 

What is your favorite Scary Book or Movie?

What are you wearing for Halloween?

Please leave your comments below! 




I'm also hosting a Halloween Web Hunt! If you have time, please visit my website!




Happy Haunting!
www.lynnhubbard.com[image error]

Happy Halloween! Thanks for Visiting! I ...

Happy Halloween! 

Thanks for Visiting! I would love to have some new Followers! 

What is your favorite Scary Book or Movie?

What are you wearing for Halloween?

Please leave your comments below! 




I'm also hosting a Halloween Web Hunt! If you have time, please visit my website!




Happy Haunting!
www.lynnhubbard.com

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Interview with Steampunk Author Tim C.Taylor

Tim Taylor is in the house! (No, not the wacky sitcom fixer upper.) Tim C. Taylor is a fantasy Author. 

He creates new worlds and is inviting us in! 

So grab a ticket and enjoy the ride!




Hi Tim, I was looking at your newest project Last Man Through the Gate. I love the name Codrin. How do you choose a name for your characters?





 Hi Lynn, thanks for having me. Where do the names come from, eh? Well, an old technique for creating fantasy worlds is to take one or more real historical societies, and then steal the bits you want for your story, such as names. The idea is that because they are based on real life, these stolen names and concepts will have a consistency that the reader picks up on, and so transfers a sense of believability to your fictional world. After all, one of the thrills for readers of fantasy and science fiction is to be immersed in another world. They must be able to convince themselves that world is real, or the book collapses.




I'm sure it's the same for your readers, Lynn, who enjoy being transported to the Mississippi of the 1880s. Even the wackiest conspiracy nuts will believe that Mississippi in the 1880s really did exist (I think). I have to work harder to give the reader reasons to believe my world could exist. On the other hand, I get the advantage that I don't have to check for historical accuracy, and I can change the world to suit my story.




JK Rowling used this technique of plundering the real historical world with her Harry Potter books. Many of her spell incantations borrow loosely from Latin: expecto patronus, and that sort of thing. I'm certain that a better Latin scholar than me would explain how Rowling's Latin is grammatically wrong, but that's not the point. Readers pick up on the consistency — and a sense that this is archaic language — and that adds another nugget of believability to the world of Harry Potter.




And so back to Codrin. His world is a rough analog of the Balkans in 1914. His people —the Shrebs — are a composite of Serbs, Jews, and the wider Slav peoples. For the Shreb characters, such as Codrin, I've picked real Balkan names, mostly Bulgarian and (as with Codrin) Romanian. I hope that gives a sense of consistency.








I might be out of the loop but what exactly is steampunk?





 It's one of those dreaded things: a sub-genre. Normally that term means books that no one actually wants to read other than a clique of rather strange people, the kind you wouldn't want your son or daughter to bring home as their new best friend.




The publisher, Tor, has a three word definition: Victorian science fiction, though they take pains to point out that Victorian is to be taken very loosely. In other words, it's a fictional setting that uses often wildly imagined inventions and anachronistic technology, and then revels in punkishly mixing them together. Steampunk is beginning to influence wider culture. At the moment, the bus I get into Bedford has an advert for a new film: The Three Musketeers. In the background of the advert are airships. That's steampunk.




Codrin's world in Last Man Through the Gate is set approximately in 1914, on the eve of the First World War. Politically it is similar but technologically very different. For example, there is no coal in Codrin's world. The industrial revolution is taking a very different path, using as its power source a strange substance called 'flek'. Flek is powerful enough to punch a hole between dimensions and we get to see an abandoned American space craft at one point. On the other hand, the soldiers carry muskets and underwater diving involves upturned, weighted barrels and holding your breath. Very dangerous!


  

With your novels not only do you create fantastic characters, but complete worlds! Tell us about Codrin's home.





 Codrin is a professor of linguistics at Sruno University, the principle place of learning in the Dual Kingdom. The book describes it as follows:




Sruno University was situated in the Vengrian half of the Dual Kingdom. That crazy, ramshackle kingdom was still staggering into modernity out of a much earlier age. The complexity of a country with fourteen official nationalities was addressed by a simple relationship: the Celips dominated the Vengrians who, in turn, bullied the Shrebs. The other nationalities defined themselves in relation to the three main peoples of the Dual Kingdom.




Codrin is a Shreb, and his position as a university professor means that his family is about as far up the social hierarchy as they can go.




Except he loses his post. Nothing that he has done, just political bickering and he is caught in the crossfire. Suddenly things don't look so rosy for him. It's a long way down to the bottom of the social order for his two young daughters who have never known hardship. So he uses the last of his money to pay for passage through the dimensional gateway to the colony on the other side. He goes first to establish a job and lodgings; his wife and daughters will follow.











How does it differ from Earth?





I'll pick one aspect, though it has many consequences. The polar regions of Codrin's planet are covered in poison clouds that grow in winter and recede each summer. Codrin's people call these clouds the Stain. Every year, the extent of the Stain grows a little. In hundreds, maybe thousands of years, a day will come when the entire planet will be engulfed in poison. Already, some regions have been abandoned, and great seasonal migrations of people have begun.




The Stain is not all bad, though. It precipitates flek, a powder that combusts in clean air. This flek (which is Yiddish for stain) is fuelling an industrial revolution and boosts psychic powers in people.











As you know, I write Romance, does Codrin have a love interest?





His love is for his wife, Anita, and his two young daughters. Codrin is separated early on from his family. He is driven to extraordinary actions by a compulsion to find them, and is haunted by the question of whether he did the right thing by them to gamble everything on starting a new life in the colony across the Gate.








What is the most asked question you get from fans?





 That's easy! How do I come up with ideas?




The answer is that I like to write the kind of stories that I enjoy reading. I like fantasy and science fiction where there are some big ideas behind the story, and I get the sense that the world where the characters act out their story joins-up behind the scenes.The Lord of the Rings is a good example of this, though perhaps an extreme one.




So I enjoy coming up with world-building ideas, and that's why I have far more ideas than I have years in which to write them.





Thanks Tim it was great talking to you again! I love Harry Potter and LOTR! 'Til next time!








Contact Tim at:

 www.timctaylor.com | Twitter: @TimCTaylor




Get one today at: 




http://greyhartpress.com/our-science-fiction-stories/last-man-through-the-gate/







www.lynnhubbard.com

Interview with Musician D.B. Patterson

I'm very pleased to introduce you guys to D.B. Patterson. D.B. just released his first album and was kind enough to  stop in for a spell.




D.B. when did your love for music develop?



My love for music started at a young age.  I enjoyed elementary school music class.  I took violin lessons and stuck with that until the 7th grade.  I think though that classical music, as beautiful as it is, was not really my cup of tea.  I have always liked songs, especially songs with memorable lyrics.  Lyrics that tell a story, lyrics that are poetic, or ones that evoke vivid imagery.   I started to get into rock music in junior high school, not playing anything, just listening.  My parents liked country music, Hank Williams, Nat King Cole, Marty Robbins, and I think they listened to Bing Crosby and that genre of music.  My sister liked The Beatles, Roberta Flack, Joni Mitchell, Harry Chapin, Simon and Garfunkel, and John Denver.  I think the first albums I bought were ones by the Eagles, Elton John, Boston, and Led Zeppelin.  When I was eighteen, I joined the Air Force, and it was there that I was exposed to lots of new music and was really hooked.  I loved just about all Rock and Roll, including lots of new wave bands because I thought "wow, this doesn't sound commercial and smooth, these bands have the guts to break out of the mold."  I bought my first guitar at that time and taught myself to play.  During this time I also started listening to jazz and blues.  In college I took a mini-course on the blues harmonica and that helped me secure a spot as lead vocalist and harp player in my first band, The Dharma Bums.  I am the one who came up with the band's name, it is the title of a book that was written by Jack Kerouac. 














I think writing a song is like writing a really short book, every one tells a story. Where do your song ideas come from?







My song ideas come from lyrical hooks usually. I almost always start with the lyrics before I start trying to write the music. Sometimes I also decide I'd like to write a topical song or song that tells a story.




















What inspired you to create a CD?



My inspiration to make my CD, Walking in the Morning Rain , was the need to have something tangible to promote myself as a musician.  It also gave me a goal to work towards and the opportunity to work with another musician, Donny C. Hammonds, and to share ideas regarding composition. Donny is very talented and he contributed lead guitar, bass, mandolin, back-up vocals, and percussion. It was recorded at Donny's studio, The Afterdark Studio. His facebook page for the studio is www.facebook.com/theafterdarkstudio.





















Do you have any upcoming Gigs?



I don't have any immediate gigs lined up, but I am sure I will be playing in the Cartersville area with the Cartersville Songwriters Exchange in the near future. I owe a lot to my friends Randy and Patricia Owens, who really help promote local musicians and who organize so many fun events.












Where can we get a copy?



You can buy my music online at www.Reverbnation.com/davidpatterson. I also sell Walking in the Morning Rain whenever I play out at a gig. $5 for ten songs, a pretty decent bargain!  You can also email me for more information about buying the CD if you'd like that instead of the digital files.










For more info visit: D.B.'s Facebook Fan Page

Or send him an email: db.patterson@gmail.com





www.lynnhubbard.com

Interview with Author Julia Crane:

Visit: www.lynnhubbard.com
www.lemonpresspublishing.com



Interview with Author Julia Crane:





I am thrilled to have fantasy 

Author Julia Crane with us today!





When did you first consider yourself a writer?









Honestly, it still surprises me. It's something I always dreamed of as a child. 




What inspired you to write your first book?




My family has strong Irish roots, and my grandmother often told tales that involved elves. I also took a lot of inspiration from my teen daughter and her friends.




Tell me about your book series.




Coexist is a tale of elves and destiny, the struggle between light and dark, and the consequences of war. The sequel, Conflicted, is Keegan's battle to recover her lost identity after the events of the first book, while Rourk struggles to survive without her.




What are you currently working on?




I'm currently working on Consumed the third book in Keegan's Chronicles. I'm also working on a short story for a Christmas anthology. I have many projects in mind it's just finding the time to get to them. 






Do you have to travel much concerning your book(s)?




I'm lucky living in Dubai it's pretty cheap to travel. We have visited many countries and I love to incorporate the locations into my books. 











Who designed the covers?



I got extremely lucky with the covers. I found Kadri Umbleja on deviantart.com. I can't speak highly enough about her skills. I told her about the book and in minutes she came up with the idea for the design. I had as much say as I wanted, but I didn't need it because what she came up with was perfect. Christine DeMaio-Rice found the perfect font to pull it all together. 



















What is your favorite scene in the book?




I really enjoyed the scenes in Conflicted between Thaddeus and Anna. It was fun to see their personalities come out more. 




Do you have anything specific that you want to say to your readers?





Thank You!! I know there are countless books out there. I am honored that you would take your time to read mine. 




www.juliacraneauthor.com




http://www.amazon.com/Coexist-Keegans-Chronicles-1-ebook/dp/B0055HFZ3A/ref=sr_1_4?ie=UTF8&qid=1319055530&sr=8-4

http://www.amazon.com/Conflicted-Keegans-Chronicles-2-ebook/dp/B005N8WN5Y/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1319055530&sr=8-1






www.lynnhubbard.com

Visit: www.lynnhubbard.comwww.lemonpresspublishing.com...

Visit: www.lynnhubbard.com
www.lemonpresspublishing.com



Interview with Author Julia Crane:





I am thrilled to have fantasy 

Author Julia Crane with us today!





When did you first consider yourself a writer?









Honestly, it still surprises me. It's something I always dreamed of as a child. 




What inspired you to write your first book?




My family has strong Irish roots, and my grandmother often told tales that involved elves. I also took a lot of inspiration from my teen daughter and her friends.




Tell me about your book series.




Coexist is a tale of elves and destiny, the struggle between light and dark, and the consequences of war. The sequel, Conflicted, is Keegan's battle to recover her lost identity after the events of the first book, while Rourk struggles to survive without her.




What are you currently working on?




I'm currently working on Consumed the third book in Keegan's Chronicles. I'm also working on a short story for a Christmas anthology. I have many projects in mind it's just finding the time to get to them. 






Do you have to travel much concerning your book(s)?




I'm lucky living in Dubai it's pretty cheap to travel. We have visited many countries and I love to incorporate the locations into my books. 











Who designed the covers?



I got extremely lucky with the covers. I found Kadri Umbleja on deviantart.com. I can't speak highly enough about her skills. I told her about the book and in minutes she came up with the idea for the design. I had as much say as I wanted, but I didn't need it because what she came up with was perfect. Christine DeMaio-Rice found the perfect font to pull it all together. 



















What is your favorite scene in the book?




I really enjoyed the scenes in Conflicted between Thaddeus and Anna. It was fun to see their personalities come out more. 




Do you have anything specific that you want to say to your readers?





Thank You!! I know there are countless books out there. I am honored that you would take your time to read mine. 




www.juliacraneauthor.com




http://www.amazon.com/Coexist-Keegans-Chronicles-1-ebook/dp/B0055HFZ3A/ref=sr_1_4?ie=UTF8&qid=1319055530&sr=8-4

http://www.amazon.com/Conflicted-Keegans-Chronicles-2-ebook/dp/B005N8WN5Y/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1319055530&sr=8-1






www.lynnhubbard.com

Guest Blogger: Mike Cooley - The Crystal Warrior...

Guest Blogger: Mike Cooley - The Crystal Warrior






I would  like to welcome, Mike Cooley and his new book

 "The Crystal Warrior" to my Blog. Have a seat anywhere.



Halloween is here which means CANDY, CANDY, CANDY and tales of evil. 

Well, I am keeping my candy but I'll share with you a wonderful story in which the characters are quilted together to form an Odyssey. 













The Triad Of Evil




In my dark fantasy novel, The Crystal
Warrior, the primary villains are known as the Triad. They are all very
different from each other, and start out widely scattered on the world of
Agorai.




Adan is a boy, white-haired and
blue-eyed. He's looks like he's twelve, but controls great magic which he
forces from the myrric worm, Ishak, that he has imprisoned. 




The shirtless boy walked along the
sand, occasionally stopping to draw glyphs and intricate diagrams below the
high water line on the beach. The ocean of Yrt rolled in from the north,
emerald waves breaking on the white sand. He was short and tan, with piercing
blue eyes and white hair. From time to time he would stop, face the ocean
spray, and observe the breakers with great interest.




Roate is a beggar, deceptive in his
guise as a drunkard.




The drunk leaned against the wall in
the far corner of the Scabbard Bar, then slid to the floor. His dirty lips
moved silently beneath his mop of greasy, black hair. In his left hand was a
bottle of cheap ale. The back of his hand was tattooed with intertwined snakes
in the shape of a triangle. Roate drooled, his dark eyes sparkling.




And Ulon is a farmer, until Larissya
gets the first crystal from her dying Grandmother.




The tall, gaunt farmer finished feeding
the Siltogs and closed the barn door. He slid a rough-hewn branch through the
door handles to keep the animals from jostling free. He walked along a dirt
path, around the corral, past the water trough, and toward his house. It was a
quiet night on the outskirts of Tyali, near the Sathos River. The moons were
both visible, although Selav was brighter than Athas—as usual.

He opened the wooden door, and walked
into the large, dim room. Taking his flint from his belt, he lit the single
candle in the middle of the table and sat heavily in the only chair. As the
candle flickered to life, his dull eyes focused and steadied; as he watched,
things began to clear, and shadows danced deep in the flames, telling him
things he needed to hear.




All three of them have been around for
a very long time. They have been waiting for something.Waiting and watching for
the signs that the Warrior has been awakened.  




Adan, the boy, gazed deep into the surf
at dusk that night, and spoke. "The danger—"

Ulon, the farmer, continued: "—as
foretold four hundred years ago—"

Roate, the beggar, finished, "—has
arisen."







All three of them have a past shrouded
in mystery. All three of them are deadly.



Ulon woke up on the morning after Adan
had forced Ishak to augment his powers, and went into the kitchen to get a
knife. He sat at the heavy wooden table in the middle of the room, and placed
his right hand, palm down and fingers spread, on the table. With his left hand,
he sparked a flint and lit the tawny candle in the center of the table. He
watched the flame burst to life with great interest, and sat staring into it
for several minutes, motionless. 

Abruptly, he picked up the blade with
his left hand and--







Adan stood at the edge of the
precipice, gazing down serenely at the creature. An intricate web of wire kept
the beast from escaping its prison. "You will tell me more," the boy said
quietly. "I want the possession power when they meet. I must be there to
retrieve the power." 

Ishak made a keening sound with most of
its mouths, and tested the guard wires with five gnarled legs; the wires held,
and he let go quickly, as they burned him. The fluid of its body raced around
and around inside the translucent shell, like fireflies in amber. 




Roate had been walking south toward the
Sathos River for several hours when the old man made his last mistake. He
appeared over the horizon from the south, riding a dirty polgna along the dirt
road, with saddlebags tied behind him. The old merchant urged the shaggy beast
to the side of the road to skirt the dirty beggar, and averted his eyes.

"Three are one," said Roate
cryptically, as he shook his left sleeve, releasing a triangular coin into his
palm. He waited until the old man had passed by, and then turned to face him.
He grinned, revealing rotten teeth, and said, "If only I were sorry about
this." As the merchant turned his head to look back, Roate flicked his wrist,
and the triangular shard shot down the road, stopping with a sickening thunk in
the old man's head.




The Triad work together to try to stop
Larissya from gathering the crystals she needs to save her life, the lives of
her friends, and the world itself. It's a complex world and a dangerous one.
Read all about it, here:




Click here to Get 

The Crystal Warrior by Mike Cooley

 at Amazon! 
www.lynnhubbard.com