Karilyn Bentley's Blog, page 34

Vicki Batman ~ Plotting Princesses' February News!!

  Royal News Forthcoming!      For the latest and greatest decrees from the PP gals, here's our February newsletter (info about the Cupid Comes Calling Blogtacular, too):    http://ymlp.com/zSGLOg

Welcome to Paradise by Chris Keniston

I love Paradise. Technically I love any beach with warm blue water, soft sand, and if you throw in a piña colada and a cabana boy- I’m in hog heaven.

Three years ago a dear friend invited me to join her on a vacation to Hawaii. One week in Kona. It didn’t seem right to travel that far and not go to Pearl Harbor, so I arrived a day early in Honolulu.


The first thing I remember is stepping outside the hotel door at oh dark thirty in the morning (all tours to Pearl start v-e-r-y early) and mumbling to the driver “what beautiful weather”. His response- “There’s a reason they call this Paradise.” Of course the writer in me immediately thought-- Gotta put that in a book somewhere.


Two days later, the captain of the dive boat my friend and I were on did pushups at the backend of the boat. Well of course my mind went straight to-- Oh, there has to be book in here somewhere.


With some help from my friend, Aloha Texas was born. The problem? All the fun places we went to didn’t turn up in the book. Which brings me to today’s release. Almost Paradise . Wholly set on the Big Island, I get to share fun places on the road to Hilo. Available today!



Where do you find your Paradise? The mountains, the beach, your backyard? Come share your favorite places!


You can find a daily count down of scene shots on my facebook page.

Find out more about Almost Paradise and the Aloha Series on Chris' website.

Dragon Lover is out Now! by Karilyn Bentley

Yes, you read that correctly! I'm excited to announce that Dragon Lover, the third book in the Draconia Tales series, is out NOW on Kindle only. And will be everywhere on May 7th. Excitement! If you've been wondering what's been going on with my dragons, pick up your copy. :)

Here's a blurb and excerpt for you.

Blurb:
Predicted from birth to be mates, Aryana and Fafnir spent their youth running from each other and pursuing their own dreams. Aryana sought power and magic, while Fafnir escaped to explore other lands and to find a love not dictated by cryptic prophecy.

But after Fafnir is captured and magically locked in his dragon form, he returns to Draconia. Ashamed and broken, he hides his true identity from everyone, hoping Aryana will find a spell that will return him to his human self.

The last thing Aryana needs or wants is to find out her mate still lives--for a mated female cannot be a priestess, let alone the High Priestess. Yet his dragon's presence brings out her true abilities. When opposing dreams collide, will love be the victor?

Excerpt:
     Fafnir felt one eye-ridge rise. Did she think to rummage around in his mind, to extract the memory of her presence? He’d like to see her try.
     But he’d rather speak a promise. What did I see?
     A small brush against his mind, so slight as to be almost imperceptible. Almost. He slammed mental barriers in place, watching her brow furrow as she tried to remove his memory of her. She probably could get away with reading others’ minds, but not his.
     “You saw me standing here.” The High Priestess’s voice jarred him back into the moment.
     That’s not all I saw.
     “Yes, it is. Now, are you going to give me that ride back to the Temple or not?”
     Having problems transporting?
     “I’m still here, aren’t I?”
     Fafnir chuckled. A ride then. He knelt, offering her his back.
     Her hand touched his shoulder as some of her bristle relaxed. “Thank you.” She climbed to his back and sat, her weight a pleasant feeling against his scales.
     He straightened, standing a bit taller, knowing she sat on his back, knowing she trusted him. Him. The Draconi liar, the male too afraid of his own guilt to admit his identity. But she didn’t know that, did she? No, she felt pity toward him, pity for his years of captivity, his inability to change into human form, but no outright disgust. As annoying as pity might be, he could live with it. Her disgust, though, would shatter his heart into shards of shame.
     Bloody effing sap.

Enjoy!!!
Karilyn
Dragon Lover on Amazon
After the Moon Rises on Amazon
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You MIght Be a Writer/Reader If..........

This is a post from a few years ago, and I decided to resurrect it in a new way. Here we go.
The New Year has just gotten underway, and I wanted to have a little fun. I’ve been reading “You might be a writer IF…” posts and cracking up. I’ve decided to make up a few myself and then throw it out to you great readers to come up with your own.

[image error] If someone with a cold tells you he's blocked and you suggest he read a good book until his muse returns...you might be a writer.

If you have a special gadget on your night stand that lights up when you pull out the pen for writing down great dialogue that comes to you at two AM….you might be a writer.

If for two solid weeks, you eat bologna sandwiches and Hostess HoHOs because that’s what your heroine likes…..you might be a writer.

If you’re convinced your writing sucks one day, then dream about how brilliant you are the next….you might be a writer.

If you love finding unusual ways of killing people…you might be a writer.

[image error] If your TBR pile is higher than a crackhead neighbor…you might be a writer.

If when you read a book, you wonder why they’re published and you’re not…you might be a writer.

If when you read a book you are ready to give up your dream because you’ll never be as good as XXX…you might be a writer.

If someone tells you they got a request for a full and you don’t say full what?...you might be a writer.

If your idea of romance is keeping two people apart for a long time and making them as miserable as you can, you might be a writer.

If someone mentions your voice is weak when you have laryngitis and you rush home to hone up on your craft….you might be a writer.

If you think every herring is red…you might be a writer. (I stole this one!!)
[image error]
If you start crying because of something you’ve done to a fictitious character….you might be a writer.

And my favorite one:

If you are on the watch list for Homeland Security because you researched weapons of mass destruction and terrorism,,,.you might be a writer.

I do or have done all of the above. Oh hell! I’m a writer.

I decided to do a you might be a reader if… A lot of the writer ones would fit as well.
If you believe you actually know the characters in a book personally…you might be a reader.

If you keep on buying books despite the fact that you have absolutely no more room on the bookshelves, you might be a reader.

If you get the shakes when you pass by a bookstore and not go in, you might be a reader.
If you are still weepy hours after you’ve finished a book, you are definitely a reader!!!
And my favorite—If you base your relationships on whether a man reads or not, you might be a reader. Now let me hear yours/ writer or reader ones. The Princesses will pick the winner for a $10 Amazon gift card. You can enter as many times as you like, but put each one in a different comment. They have to be original. No cheating, people. 
And check out my new Clueless  Cook cozy, CHICKEN CACCIA-KILLER available at online bookstores everywhere.  http://www.amazon.com/Chicken-Caccia-Killer-Jordan-McAllister-Mystery-ebook/dp/B00H2DZLHA/ref=sr_1_1?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1387638340&sr=1-1&keywords=chicken+caccia+killer
 

Barb Han: Release Day for Rancher Rescue

I remember the day I got 'the call' vividly. It was the first Monday of Spring Break, March 11, 2013. I spent the day working while my children enjoyed their day off. My college son was home for the week and brought his girlfriend, so the house was full of games, running, and laughter. And nervous energy, too. My agent had told me the Friday before that an editor had good news about my manuscript. I hoped for a sale but decided it was most likely a friendly Revise and Resubmit invitation.

As the day wore on and the phone remained silent, tension grew. By two thirty, I was a bundle of nerves. My oldest suggested we get out of the house and go to an arcade to get my mind off the clock, which felt like it was ticking louder with each passing minute. We piled in the car. Halfway to our destination, my cell phone rang. I made an immediate right turn into a parking lot, and then answered.

My agent delivered the news, I'd sold to Harlequin Intrigue! I don't remember much else about our conversation, except that there was total silence inside the car while we spoke. Until I ended the call. Then, shouts erupted and tears slid down my face.

Just as they did yesterday when I walked into Barnes and Noble and saw that very book on the shelf. My book. There were tears on that day, too. And lots of joy.

Blurb:
When a little boy goes missing, rancher Caleb Snow steps in to help…and winds up falling for the child’s beautiful—but mysterious—aunt in Barb Han’s Rancher Rescue

Getting tangled up with another woman in crisis is the last thing rancher Caleb Snow needs. The handsome cowboy has been badly burned too many times. But this one feels different—Katherine Harper is injured and reeling after an ambush in which her nephew was kidnapped. Caleb wants nothing more than to protect the beautiful, headstrong woman and help her find the missing child. If only he could ignore the feelings she stirs in him.

But as they search together, it’s clear someone wants Katherine dead. Soon the two are running for their lives, dodging bullets, not knowing who to trust…or if they’ll survive long enough to bring a little boy home.


And an excerpt:

Desperation had the muscles in her face rigid as she stood in front of him, moving closer. A red heat climbed up her neck.

“I can’t let you lie.” He smiled. “Besides, you’re no good at it. And the evidence will clear us.”

Defiance shot from her glare. Her stubborn streak reared its head again. “You don’t get to decide.”

Her gaze was fiery hot. Her body vibrated with intensity as she stalked toward him.

He readied himself for the argument that was sure to come, but she pressed a kiss to his lips instead, shocking the hell out of him.

“There’s been enough fighting for one day. I need something else from you.”

He locked onto her gaze. “Are you sure this is a good idea?”

“No. Not at all. But I need to do it anyway.”

Now it's your turn. Tell me about one of your special life moments...

Michelle Miles: Bring on the Olympics!

Now that 2014 is in full swing, the holiday food comas have passed, we’re getting used to the back-to-normal traffic and back to school…I’m here to tell you this:

I AM EXCITED FOR THE OLYMPICS!

I LUUUUUUUUUUUUURVE the Olympics – especially the winter games. They are probably my favorite. Why, you ask? Because they are made of awesome sauce, people.

One of my favorite sports is the ski jump. Let’s examine that, shall we? I am not afraid of heights but THIS…this would make me queasy. They are riding down a giant ramp on two sticks and then LEAPING from the edge (puke) and landing as far out as they possibly can. When I was a kid, we had this Commodore-64 computer and the Winter Olympics was one of those games on FLOPPY disk (geeze, I’m old) and we would play it all the time. And my favorite game was the ski jump because if you didn’t do the joystick just right and jump off the edge in time then the jumper would go SPLAT at which point I would laugh hysterically and then do it all again.

And that doesn’t happen in real life. I don’t think I’ve ever seen a ski jumper go SPLAT (thank goodness).

The other sport I think is cool is the biathlon. Because SKIS and GUNS are AWESOME. I don’t think I need to explain further.

Hockey. Please, do I even NEED to go there? Go Team USA!

Other things I like: the luge, the skeleton, the bobsled. I would TOTALLY do these things. Okay maybe not the skeleton because head first is kind of a no. But the LUGE! Slap me on a little board and shove me down the luge! How fun is that?

And the bobsled. The closest I’ve ever come to a bobsled is the ride at Six Flags where you get in with three of your best pals. Somehow it’s not the same in 100-degree heat.

Also the speed skating, figure skating and pretty much ALL the skating is awesome.

The only downfall about the winter Olympics is there is no water polo and hot guys diving.

What’s your favorite Olympic sport?

Michelle Miles writes fantasy, paranormal and contemporary romance. In her imaginary world, she's a world-famous Couch Olympiad. Follow her on Twitter, Facebook and check out her website for all the latest on her books.

Vicki Batman ~ Who is an Everyday Hero?

Who is an Everyday Hero?
Last December, my girlfriends and I went on our annual Christmas getaway. We ate a great food and checked out historical homes decorated for the holidays.
After we returned to our rooms and put on our comfy jammies, we exchanged gifts and then, chatted about stuff. All kinds of stuff. This time, the topic turned to handsome hunky heroes.
Yeah, we went through all the normal attributes heroes are perceived to be, like firefighters and policemen, military, etc. Out of nowhere, I added, "My heroes are handymen--plumbers, carpenters, and fixer-uppers like the guys on HGTV."   
Needless to say, hysterics took over us.
But it's the truth. Nowadays, we'd rather have someone who could clean the pipes, patch a hole in the wall, fix a light fixture, and keep our computer running. Those are realmen.
The giggles continued on when we began discussing the HGTV hosts that rock our world. And we did wonder if they were as helpful at home as they appear to be on television. LOL
I tend to write about everyday heroes in my sweet meet stories. Chances are we encounter them in real life over a Navy Seal or Army Ranger. The lawyer who volunteers to run a Christmas tree stand. The accountant who helps someone figure out how to fund a business. The restaurateur who provides jobs and helps the local animal shelter. The store owner who wants to help his sick dad have a wonderful, last Christmas. The architect taking over his mom's business when she retires. The schoolteacher who coaches a team. The pilot donating a kidney.   These people don't--usually--risk life and limb; they are the unsung guys and gals who keep us going every day. Just normal average Joes and Josiephines. Those small things they do are truly heroic.
BTW, did I mention the electrician is a fireman? LOLOL

What kind of hero do you like to read about? Who are your heroes?   Coming February 1, Bug Stuff...and other stories. Not all heroes are guys, you know.Amazon  Website

Michelle Miles: Release Day for A Knight to Remember

It’s here! It’s here! IT’S HERE!

*throws confetti*
I’m so excited that today is the release day for book 3 in my fantasy romance series, Realm of Honor. A KNIGHT TO REMEMBER hits e-store shelves today and already has two good reviews to go along with it.
“The way Henry longed for Maeve is heart-felt and very deep. Their romance is a testament of the unexpectedness of falling-in-love and staying in love.” – Francine (Goodreads)
“I loved this story and will recommend it to anyone. It is full of action, suspense and romance.” –Cindy (Goodreads)
This was one of my favorite books to write and follows the story of Henry and Queen Maeve. Henry is looking for his missing daughter in Scotland (Maggie from ONE KNIGHT ONLY) when he’s transported to the Otherworld. He is instantly smitten with the Fae queen, Maeve, and does everything in his power to seduce her. There are two problems with that: she dislikes humans AND the Goddess of War is out to kill her. Henry takes it upon himself to protect her from the goddess’s wrath. But can he, really?
Here’s the BLURB:
Henry Chase is desperate to find his daughter lost in the Highlands. When he steps through a stone circle, he's transported to the Otherworld. With his human form hidden by glamour, he masquerades as a Fae knight. He's instantly besotted by Queen Maeve and determined to break down the walls she's erected around her heart.
In the aftermath of war, Queen Maeve's kingdom has been destroyed. She must close the portals to the human realm and restore her lost magic. But before she can set things straight, her archenemy, the Goddess of War, attacks, seeking revenge.
When the goddess captures the queen, Henry offers his life for Maeve's in the hope his bravery will earn the queen's love. Discovering Henry is human and knowing she must send him back to his world, Maeve tries to fight her feelings for him. Now she must choose--life at court or life with Henry--before she loses him forever.
If you missed the first two books in the series, don’t worry. You can read this as a stand-alone. But if you’re looking for the other two (One Knight Only and Only for a Knight) you can find them at Barnes & Noble and Amazon.
And if you’re absolutely hooked on these books? Book 4, A KNIGHT LIKE NO OTHER, releases March 13, 2014!
Want to win a copy? Head on over to my blog, comment on today’s post and ENTER to WIN!
Buy links: Amazon| B&N | Kobo 

Plotting Princesses ~ Who is our guest today?? MaryAnn Kempher!!!

The PP girls welcome guest author MaryAnn Kempher to our blog. Let's check her out: 
How did you get from your day job to writing romance and mystery?   I was in the military for 20 years. I retired in 2007 and was lucky to have to luxury of staying home vs going back to work. For the first year I relished the role of stay-at-home wife and mother, but soon needed more. Finally after a lot of thought, I decided to write my first book; Mocha, Moonlight, and Murder—a romantic mystery set in Reno.

Three favorite books of all time? That’s a hard question. Pride and Prejudice, Gone With the Wind, and Light a Penny Candle. But honesty, I love to read, so those were just off the top of my head.

Morning, afternoon, or evening person? I’m a morning person, once I’ve had my coffee. ;)

Music--with or without? What kind? Do I listen to music when I write? Nope, ideally I have complete quiet.

First or third POV? Oh, third all the time. 

How's tricks? Do you juggle multiple projects? I don’t juggle multiple books, but my plate is full. I’m trying to finish my bachelor’s degree, so soon I be writing book three, taking two classes, and reading five books for a contest I’m helping to judge.


What's harder: beginning, middle, or the end? For me, hands down the middle. 

Revisions: Love 'em or hate 'em?  Hate them. Doesn’t matter how many times I look at my own work, I always see room for improvement. 

How did you come up with that title? Best advice anybody every gave you? For Mocha, Moonlight, and Murder—the main character, Katherine O’Brian, is a huge Starbucks drinker, so that’s where the Mocha comes in. The books murder happens near midnight, under the full moon. For my second book, Forever Doomed—the story takes place on a cruise ship named Forever.

Fill in this blank: My ideal fictional hero would think me gorgeous no matter…how much weight I’d gained. 

What's your favorite dessert?  Ice cream.

Do you write at home or someplace else? We have a home office that I write in, sometimes though I’ll take my computer to a local bookstore, or a Panera Bread, and write there.


BLURB from FOREVER DOOMED:

It's not wise to wander the cruise ship Forever alone at night. You might not live to see daylight. 

Detective Jack Harney agrees to do an old Army buddy a favor. Curt Noble had some personal business to attend to, he didn’t say what. What he did say was he needed someone to temporarily take over his duties as head of security on the struggling cruise ship Forever. Jack hesitates, but he owes Curt his life so agrees. He’s told the worst mischief he can expect to encounter will be the occasional shoplifter, or drunk. Instead, one week into the cruise, a beautiful red head and a member of the crew are ruthlessly murdered. Are the two murders connected? It’s up to Jack to find out. He must find the killer before the ship returns to Tampa’s port, or worse, before another dead body is found. This won't be easy. The ship is old, it's security systems outdated, and clues are few, or so it seems at first
It’s not just a sense of obligation that motivates Jack to agree to Curt's request; Jack moved thousands of miles, started over, and still can't get Amy O'Brian out of his heart or mind. When she shows up on the ship, as part of a large wedding party, Jack must fight to stay focused. To make matters worse, Amy isn't his only distraction; a sexy and mysterious woman has made it her mission to seduce Jack.

As the body count rises, and time slips away, Jack has to ask himself, “Did someone commit the perfect crime?” 

For more about MaryAnn Kempher: Facebook  Website
Purchase MaryAnn’s books at: Amazon Barnes and Noble Amazon UK Amazon CA

Thank you MaryAnn for being with us today!

Summer Sweat or Winter Chill?

Yeah, I know it’s winter, and we’ve just survived ice apocalypse 2013 where I live and now we’re experiencing the Polar Express. But we don’t have it as bad as many parts of the country. I thought the picture of the Dallas Arboretum in summer would maybe warm everyone up today.  I’ve always considered myself more of a winter person than a summer girl just because the temperature in Texas gets so freaking hot. When the temperature climbs, higher than 98 I’m indoors. The heat makes me cranky, irritable and I hate to sweat. The feel of sweat trickling down your back and your hair sticking to your head makes me want to shower again. In the summer, I’ve been known to take more than one shower a day, just to get the sweat off.
Being an outdoor person, when the temperature climbs so high it’s miserable, I have to stay indoors, and that’s when I stop liking summer. In the winter, I’ve always felt like you can add more clothes. Yes, it can be bundle some, but still you can get comfortable once you have enough layers. Before I hurt my ankle, I loved to ski. There is something about being outdoors, in the pines, gliding through the snow. My husband and I like to hike in the winter, even when there’s snow. It’s fun to walk the back country and spend time outdoors.

Once when I was skiing up at Wolf Creek, which is in southern Colorado, it was almost blizzard conditions. The snow was almost blinding when I got to the top of the mountain, and the powder was deep. When my lips started to freeze to my scarf, I decided it was time to give it up and go drink hot chocolate in the lounge. The beauty of the pine trees, the white powder and the empty slopes were hard to resist.
Camping has always been one of my favorite activities. There is nothing like sitting around a campfire, no television, no stereo, no phones, just you the stars and the fire. But if it’s over one hundred degrees, it’s not fun.  I'm a girl who needs air conditioning.
With Ice Apocalypse, I didn’t get out of the house for five days, and I cooked more food than I can remember. We didn’t eat out for over a week, and that’s unusual for us. It wasn’t bad, but by the fifth day I was ready to get out and go to a Yoga class or the grocery store. Cabin fever had set in.
While I consider myself a winter person, just because I don’t like extreme heat, most of my books take place during the summer. There is nothing like curling up with a good book on a stormy winter night.
So what is your favorite time of year? Are you a winter or a summer person? 
Sylvia has sixteen books on Amazon, B&N and Kobo. She’s working on a new series and finishing up a new book.  Look for her at www.sylviamcdaniel.com or on facebook at SylviamcdanielAuthor.