Sarah Ballance's Blog, page 35
May 9, 2013
Vickie Hall Talks “Journey of Promise” ($25 Blog Tour #Giveaway)
Please welcome Vickie Hall as she gives us a behind the scenes look at JOURNEY OF PROMISE.
Vickie Hall: Journey of Promise
On reasons to read the book:
Journey of Promise will uplift and inspire readers with an understanding that even our own trials can be overcome through faith.
Readers will also come to appreciate the many sacrifices many of our ancestors made in leaving country and family to come to America.
This book is based on the journals of my great-great grandparents and I wanted to give their story a voice.
On favorite character traits or quirks:
My favorite character from Journey of Promise is Leah Kenyon. She is a woman of strength, but also finds her faith wavering from time to time. She can show her temper when provoked, which often gets her into trouble. She has a sharp wit as well.
On things she learned writing or researching the book:
I studied the historical time period – what sorts of medicines were available, the type of foods that were eaten, the inventions of the day, the history of Wales and of Cardiff. I also researched the Welsh dialect when the people spoke English, as well as studying the Welsh language itself. (And let me tell you, Welsh is one tough language to learn!) I did a bit of research on the folk lore and costumes of the country so that I could incorporate some of that for authenticity.
Journey of Promise covers emigration to America, so I had to research the historical accounts of crossing the Atlantic, what types of ships were used, the food that was eaten aboard ship, and the challenges ofmaking such a crossing. Once the family arrives in New Orleans, I had to learn all about steamboats and how they work, what sort of employment was available in the city and the culture as well. My research also included the city of St. Louis. I learned a great deal about steamboats by reading a book written by Mark Twain. He gave very detailed accounts about how they work, the variations in their designs, and all of the jargon used to pilot them.
But apart from all of that, I gained a great appreciation for the hardships my ancestors faced and overcame so that I could enjoy the blessings of living in the United States!
Excerpt:
Her heart thudded in her chest as she turned and walked up the gangway. Richard paused and looked back to say something to the Saints, but she didn’t stop to listen, making her way onto the ship. She stood on the deck of the steamer as the autumn breezes blew cool and damp off Cardiff Bay. Her heart knotted as she looked out over the pier, hoping against hope that her mother might come to say good-bye. I don’t want to leave . . . I can’t . . . this is home . . .
She pressed her lips together and choked back tears as her eyes scanned the fringes of her native village. Her gaze rose to the hills, still green, to the sky awash in clouds, then down to the surging bay. The smell of briny water filled her nostrils and the call of seabirds cried overhead. Leah closed her eyes, attempting to etch the pictures in her mind, and called upon her memory to remember Wales and never forget.
Richard slid his arm around Leah’s shoulders. “ ’Tis hard, I know,” he said as if he could read her mind.
His touch gave her a sense of reassurance. She could feel his strength lending itself to her, lifting and carrying her beyond doubt. Richard kissed her temple and held her as the ropes were loosed from the moorings. She turned to him, her eyes burning into his. “Let me look at you, Richard.Let me look to you and our future. I cannot bear to watch us leave . . .”
She buried her face against his chest. Richard encircled his wife and held her as the steamer pulled away.
Journey of Promise
When converts Richard and Leah Kenyon leave Wales and heed the call to Zion, they are unprepared for the toll exacted by the journey. To face the incredible odds mounted against them they call upon the Lord’s tender mercies to see them through and strengthen their love for one another. Their story will remind you where to turn during your trials.
All That Was Promised
In 1847 Wales Methodist Minister Richard Kenyon converts to Mormonism. Richard’s newfound faith is put to the test when he faces the anger of his former congregation, his wife’s indecisiveness, his brother’s betrayal, and the murderous intentions of misinformed villagers.
Author Vickie Hall
Vickie is a native of Utah, but growing up, lived in the states of Colorado, Idaho, Montana, and Nebraska. When she’s not writing, she’s composing music, or shopping with her sister. She loves animals of all kinds and camping with her family. Her favorite pastime is watching old movies on TCM, and unashamedly has a crush on Cary Grant.
Links:
Blog * Website
Facebook * Goodreads
Tour Giveaway
$25 Amazon Gift Card or Paypal Cash
Ends 5/26/13 - Click here to enter the Rafflecopter giveaway
May 8, 2013
$10 #Giveaway – Easy Entry! Share Elaina Lee’s Gorgeous Pre-Made Covers! (#Free eBook to All Participants)
You guys know I’m a huge fan of Elaina Lee, and I’ve got to be honest with you. If someone doesn’t buy one (or both) of the covers in the first row I’m going to eventually give in to temptation and own them. And I really should be writing — not obsessing about covers — and Elaina’s work is awesome and really needs to get out there, so here’s how this will work. First, admire the pretties, then join me under the images to find out how you can enter to win a $10 GC to either Amazon or Barnes & Noble (winner’s choice). And by the way, EVERYONE who promotes can request a free ecopy of A VERY SOUTHERN AFFAIR, a romantic comedy from Elaina Lee.
How to Enter the Giveaway
(1) Are you in love yet? Post a comment letting me know which cover is your very favorite and you’re already entered. Easy, right?
(2) Tweet this post. There’s a share button to make it easy for you. Please post the direct link to the tweet in the comments below. (You can get the direct link by clicking the date or time of the post in the upper right corner of your tweet, at which point the tweet will reopen by itself with a distinct URL you can copy/paste.)
(3) Share this post on Facebook. Again, there’s a share button to make it easy. Please provide the direct link to your FB share in the comment section. (For the direct link on a FB post, click the time or day under your post. It will reopen by itself with a distinct URL you can copy/paste.)
(4) Reblog this post on your own blog. (Logged in WordPress users can use the “reblog” option at the top of the screen.) If you repost this in any manner or share Elaina’s site For the Muse Design on your blog, post the direct link to the post and you’ll gain another entry.
Plus, everyone who promotes this post is eligible for a free copy of Elaina’s romantic comedy A VERY SOUTHERN AFFAIR. To request your copy, first promote then email Elaina at forthemusedesigns at gmail dot com. Be sure to let her know which format you prefer!
There you have it, folks! Lots of ways to enter and share the work of a truly talented cover artist (and an amazing author) at the same time. Feel free to comment more than once – you don’t have to fit everything into one comment.
Thanks so much for your help. Have an absolutely fantastic day!
GIVEAWAY ENDS 5/13/2013. For full giveaway rules, please click here. Please note: all entries must be made via the original post at sarahballance.wordpress.com.
May 7, 2013
Melanie Schulz Talks “The Newstead Project” ($50 #Giveaway)
On a whole, this book does not fit me. I am a wife, a mother, a nurse. But if you dig deeper you can begin to see how this warped story came from my mind. I specialize in psychiatry, first off, which explains how Nathan made it into the story. But more than that, it explains the love, the loss, the deep feelings and emotions that take place. Secondly, while I wasn’t in the military, my husband was. In a lot of ways, his stories are Joel’s stories. And lastly I live outside. If I’m not running outside, I’m nature journaling outside, or gardening outside.
Those were the bones that built this story. The rest came from research. If at all possible I physically went to the locations I wrote about. I’m a visual person, so seeing things first hand helped it be real in my mind. But there was a darker side to my research, as well. I was writing about a school that was created to gather and train monsters. I only knew of one place to go to get my arms around that. I went to the Holocaust Museum in Washington D.C. After seeing pictures of faces; some vaguely aware of the horror that awaited them, some not, I was able to write about a school like Newstead. As for the rest, a lot of it came from the Bible. I wanted to know what a Nephilim could really do, and what an Angel could do, and what a demon could do. I wrote this book knowing it could be real, and for me it had become real. I hope that for you, the reader, it becomes real as well.
The Newstead Project
the giant.
Joel Cranston shouldn’t exist. He just doesn’t know that yet. He’s lived a pretty normal life for the last sixteen years. If you consider being almost seven feet tall and good at about every sport you’ve ever played normal. Normal ends the day Newstead shows up with an invitation to come to their school.
the school.
Newstead is a private high school in Central Vermont by the Green Mountains. It’s a great place to hide a few hundred people who shouldn’t exist while you train them to become tomorrow’s rulers, tomorrow’s dictators, tomorrow’s gods.
the unexpected.
Rachel Newell thinks she’s just passing through. She never stays any place more than four months and with Newstead so close to Weston, she has even more reason to make this her shortest stop ever. The last thing she expects is to have a reason to stay.
Together Rachel and Joel uncover the truth behind what is
the newstead project.
Amazon * Amazon Kindle
Book Trailer
Author Melanie Schulz
I live in Upstate New York with my husband and three children, where I’ve pretty much been planted my entire life. Which is fine, because it’s beautiful here. My only complaint is that most people assume that New York means NYC, which it doesn’t. There. I’ve done my part in exposing the truth.
Truth. The truth is I’m not a writer; storyteller maybe, but not a writer. It wasn’t something I spent years dreaming of, or even what I went to school for. I’m a nurse. I love being a nurse. So why write? I don’t know. I do know when it started, though. September 3, 2010. I know this because I nature journal, and on that day Joel made it into my notes. I guess that’s fitting. Someone like him needed to be birthed out in the woods.
If you were to meet me, and I hope someday you do, you would not connect me with this story. I’m a wife, a mother, a nurse. The person who wrote this should’ve been a guy, first off, secondly he should be some militaristic strategist; that’s who you’d expect to see if you were to come to a book signing, not me. But I’m there, in every line. So if I don’t have the good fortune to meet you in person, I hope to see you in THE NEWSTEAD PROJECT.
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Excerpt
But I’m no coward, so I stood and faced the man that had spent the better part of two minutes staring me down. He didn’t flinch as I stood up to my full height. He still had me by at least four inches.
He swallowed hard, his jaw tight. I pushed my sleeves back. My heart began to pound in my chest as I forced myself to focus on his weak points. He didn’t seem to have any.
He nodded once briefly and then turned and swung himself onto the upper bunk. The silence in the room was palpable. Marcus was the first to break it as he turned to me and started talking, but I wasn’t paying any attention to him. I was too busy staring at the broad back on the upper bunk, wondering what the hell his problem was.
Book Blast Giveaway: Amazon Gift Card or Paypal Cash
Ends 5/19/13 - CLICK HERE TO ENTER Rafflecopter giveaway
Open only to those who can legally enter, receive and use an Amazon.com Gift Code or Paypal Cash. Winning Entry will be verified prior to prize being awarded. No purchase necessary. You must be 18 or older to enter or have your parent enter for you. The winner will be chosen by rafflecopter and announced here as well as emailed and will have 48 hours to respond or a new winner will be chosen. This giveaway is in no way associated with Facebook, Twitter, Rafflecopter or any other entity unless otherwise specified. The number of eligible entries received determines the odds of winning. Giveaway was organized by Kathy from I Am A Reader, Not A Writer http://iamareader.com and sponsored by the author. VOID WHERE PROHIBITED BY LAW.
May 6, 2013
$50 Book Blast: The Tale of Mally Biddle by M.L. LeGette ($50 #Giveaway)
The Tale of Mally Biddle by M.L. LeGette
When Mally Biddle agreed to spy upon the King of Lenzar and his overbearing knights she knew she was heading into danger. She didn’t know she’d find a family unlike any other.
Posing as a servant in Bosc Castle, Mally serves tea and tends fires for the most dangerous men in the kingdom. Her goal is to learn the truth of what happened sixteen years ago, when the infant princess met her death … a death that is surrounded by more questions than answers.
Along her search for the truth, Mally meets the energized Lita Stump, the strict and matriarchal Meriyal Boyd, and the opinionated Archibald Diggleby. Then of course there are the knights: Leon Gibbs who is slicker than a greased hog, Adrian Bayard, hot tempered and violent, and the worst of the lot: Sir Illius Molick, Captain of the Knights. And then there is Maud, a mysterious woman who just might know everything…
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Praise
“To say I loved this book is an understatement. Mally is a wonderful character and she encounters so many quirky folks on her assignment. Very well written and engaging story! And an added bonus of a love triangle! I enjoyed it from beginning to end!! I will definitely be looking for more from this author!”
~April Holgate
Author Melissa LeGette
Melissa LeGette lives in Georgia where she helps run a family farm, so her nails are a fright. The Tale of Mally Biddle is her second novel.
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Book Blast Giveaway
$50 Amazon Gift Card or Paypal Cash
Ends 6/2/13 Click here to enter a Rafflecopter giveaway
May 5, 2013
Ann Tatlock: What Prompted a Story Set During the Prohibition Era (Sweet Mercy Blog Tour and #Giveaway)
“What Prompted a Story Set During the Prohibition Era?”
Ann Tatlock
Author of Sweet Mercy
As the saying goes, The forbidden fruit is the sweetest. America definitely saw the truth of that during the 13 years of Prohibition (1920-1933). This was the era when alcohol was banned and the entire country was considered dry.
As soon as the federal government made drinking illegal, everyone started to drink. Well, that may be an exaggeration, but only a slight one. Liquor consumption skyrocketed and everyone got busy turning their bathtubs into gin distilleries. Saloons went underground and became speakeasies, where business was booming every night of the week.
In addition, Prohibition proved fertile ground for a whole new kind of criminal industry. Bootlegging became a lucrative business for gangsters like Al Capone (who has a cameo appearance in Sweet Mercy), George “Bugs” Moran, and Charles “Lucky” Luciano. At the same time, many law enforcement agents made a few extra dollars themselves by taking bribes to look the other way.
The Prohibition Era isn’t something we as a nation talk or write very much about—not the way we do with, say, World War II or the Antebellum South. It seems as though we’ve almost tried to block out that disastrous experiment from our collective memory. And as an attempt to “regulate morality,” it was definitely a disaster.
Instead of making people “good,” the laws of Prohibition only served to expose human nature’s propensity for doing exactly what we’re not supposed to do.
I’ve always found this era intriguing, and so decided to use it as a backdrop for one of my stories. I’ve also wanted for a long time to set a story on Hoppe’s Island, which became Marryat Island in Sweet Mercy.
I grew up hearing about Hoppe’s Island, a recreational spot owned by my great-grandfather Edward Augustus Hoppe in the 1920s and 30s. Situated in the Little Miami River near Foster, Ohio, the island was a popular place for swimming, boating, picnicking, and dancing to the bands that played in the pavilion.
As a child, my father spent many summer days enjoying the island and the nearby lodge, and his memories of the place stayed with him long after the island itself no longer existed. Some of my last conversations with my dad before he died in January were of Hoppe’s Island, as I wanted to portray the place as accurately as I could.
With one possible exception, of course. While I never knew my great-grandfather (he died an untimely death in 1944 when he was caught in the waterwheel of his flour mill—the very mill that formed the millrace that created the island), I can say with a fair degree of certainty that he wasn’t a bootlegger and the lodge was not a liquor transport station.
That idea, though, was just too good to pass up! Since Great-grandfather Hoppe owned the island during the very years of Prohibition, the island and the era fit together nicely.
I hope you’ll join me on Marryat Island and discover how our lives can be changed by something known as Sweet Mercy.
Sweet Mercy
Stunning coming-of-age drama set during the Great Depression and Prohibition
When Eve Marryat’s father is laid off from the Ford Motor Company in 1931, he is forced to support his family by leaving St. Paul, Minnesota, and moving back to his Ohio roots. Eve’s uncle Cyrus has invited the family to live and work at his Marryat Island Ballroom and Lodge.
Eve can’t wait to leave St. Paul, a notorious haven for gangsters. At seventeen, she considers her family to be “good people,” not lawbreakers like so many in her neighborhood. Thrilled to be moving to a “safe haven,” Eve soon forms an unlikely friendship with a strange young man named Link, blissfully unaware that her uncle’s lodge is anything but what it seems.
When the reality of her situation finally becomes clear, Eve is faced with a dilemma. Does she dare risk everything by exposing the man whose love and generosity is keeping her family from ruin? And when things turn dangerous, can she trust Link in spite of appearances?
Barnes & Noble * Amazon * Bethany House
Ann Tatlock
Ann Tatlock is the author of the Christy-Award winning novel Promises to Keep. She has also won the Midwest Independent Publishers Association “Book of the Year” in fiction for both All the Way Home and I’ll Watch the Moon. Her novel Things We Once Held Dear received a starred review from Library Journal and Publishers Weekly calls her “one of Christian fiction’s better wordsmiths, and her lovely prose reminds readers why it is a joy to savor her stories.” Ann lives with her husband and daughter in Asheville, North Carolina.
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Tour Giveaway
1 winner will receive a copy of 3 of Ann’s Books
Sweet Mercy, Travelers Rest and Promises to Keep
Open to US & Canada Only
Ends 5/21/13 - Click here to enter via Rafflecopter giveaway
Excerpt (Chapter 14)
My old life drifted farther and farther away until one Tuesday morning, June 23, the memories came rushing back. The news came over the radio that Al Capone had been arrested. He’d been indicted ten days earlier but was now in custody, along with 68 other members of an alleged beer syndicate. They were charged with 5,000 offenses against the Prohibition law. Five thousand! Capone himself was accused of conspiracy dating all the way back to 1922.
As I stood by the front desk listening to the radio with Uncle Cy, I was surprised at the feelings welling up inside me. Al Capone was a terrible, evil man and he deserved prison for all that he had done, and yet….
Hey, kid, you all right?
His face was vivid in my mind, that fleshy moon with the gray eyes and bushy brows. I bit my lower lip remembering the sting as he touched my tattered knees with a handkerchief.
You gotta be more careful, little lady.
He didn’t have to stop and help me. I was just one more clumsy kid who hit a buckled sidewalk and skinned her knees, a rite of childhood. Other grown-ups might have clicked their tongues and walked on by, but he didn’t. He squatted down and looked at me the way a father looks at his own child and asked me if I was all right. And then he’d wiped away the blood and given me a handkerchief for my tears.
Say, you like elephants?
And he’s given me too a piece of carved ivory that I’d kept in my treasure box for eight years.
“Looks like old Scarface is really in hot water this time,” Uncle Cy said as he turned off the radio. “I guess it’s bound to catch up with you sooner or later.”
Uncle Cy sighed.
So did I.
May 4, 2013
May.5.2013 #WeWriWa #8Sunday #SnipSun with Last Call
Welcome readers! And for my fellow authors, whether you’re here from Weekend Writing Warriors (WeWriWa, also known as the new 8 Sentence Sunday) or from the Snippet Sunday FB group, I’m thrilled you’ve joined me. Today I’m sharing sentences from my romantic suspense LAST CALL, which is available now for just 99 cents. Only a few more snippets coming from this one!
Now Available: romantic suspense for only 99 cents!
Back in Rhys’s POV, Nick has just gone after one bad guy while Rhys stands guard over two men — one wounded, and one dead.
By the time she became aware of the slight noise at the rear of the room, it was too late to turn around. Something hard cracked against her skull, sending blinding pain railing through her. She stumbled as the gun was wrenched from her hands, then watched in horror as blood spilled from a neat hole in the center of the driver’s forehead.
Thick arms grabbed her from behind. Rhys twisted in time to see BadGuy leering, his fowl breath hot on her face. BadGuy wasn’t dead.
L AST CALL is now available for just 99 cents from For the Muse Publishing, Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and Smashwords (formats: .mobi, .epub, HTML, PDF, RTF, LRF, PalmDoc, and Plain Text). Click here to add to Goodreads or here for reviews.
For more 8 Sentence Sunday Snippets, please click the image below.
April #Blogger #Giveaway Results: Last Call Promotion
Way back in February I posted a giveaway for bloggers willing to host a promotion for LAST CALL. The first giveaway took place April 1, and today I’m announcing the winning host for my April dates. (To see the original post updated with participating tour dates, please click here.)
With the help of random.org, I’m pleased to announce the winner of April’s $10 gift card to Amazon or Barnes & Noble is …
Marie Sexton
Congratulations, Marie! And thanks so much to everyone for hosting LAST CALL. I know how time consuming hosting can be, so I hope you all know how much I appreciate your generosity with your time and blog space. My blog is always open to anyone who wants a spot, so please feel free to contact me if you would like to promote!
May 2, 2013
Helen Johnston Talks “Innocence Lost”
Helen Johnston joins us today to tell us about the book behind that amazing cover to your right, which I seriously cannot stop looking at. Talk about a smokin’ way to kick off the weekend! (No, really, we’re going to talk about it. Right now. LOL.)
Welcome, Helen, and congratulations on your debut release! Can you introduce us to the story?
Innocence Lost is the first of a set of three books. The series is called the Journeys of Innocence. It’s basically a love story, the corny saying “love can conquer all.” You are taken on a journey with twists in it. There are characters to fall in love with, to hate, and everything in between. Vampires that have fangs, and do bite, but not necessarily on the neck… Plenty of hot steamy sex that will tease your senses and leave you craving more…
Why, yes, I can see how that would spark a craving, LOL. What might readers be surprised to learn about the plot or characters?
You think it’s going to be the same love story that you’ve e read many, many times before, but a major twist will keep people enthralled.
Oh, I do love twists! Let’s have some fun with INNOCENCE LOST. What’s the first sentence?
They had been told to meet her at this specific time and place.
That’s a great line! What’s your favorite line in the book?
“Hello Si, come in, you’re in the right place.” It was a softly spoken voice, a very masculine voice, a man’s voice that she instantly recognized.
Intriguing! I’d love to read some more – how about a brief excerpt?
“Welcome Siobhan, may I say that you and your party are looking quite decadent tonight.” Trey told her as he slowly lifted her hand up and kissed her knuckles. Siobhan found that she couldn’t take her eyes off him and could feel the girls looking on in interest.
They all knew that she was still in love with Blake but didn’t bring it up very often. Just by still wearing his locket and watch, was obviously enough evidence that her heart still hadn’t recovered from that loss.
But they all kept their fingers crossed that one day soon she would find a man that could unlock her heart from the deep freezer that she seemed to have it locked in.
“Thank you Trey.” Siobhan finally managed to mumble, blushing furiously; whilst sinking into his brown eyes and biting on her bottom lip, a habit she still had left over from school. She only did it when she was unhappy or under stress or just confused. Which she felt a little of now, her body fancied Trey, it would have been difficult not to, but was she ready to take a step in that direction, she didn’t think so.
So, she sighed and followed him up the five steps into the impressive foyer that they continued through, following Trey right into the Club.
That’s a really great glimpse into her character. Which scene of INNOCENCE LOST was most difficult for you to write? Why?
I think the scenes involving Blake’s brother, Anthony was the most difficult, he’s pure evil, twisted, dead inside. He made my skin cruel.
Oooh, that’s so enticing. I’ve got to get to know this guy, lol! Which scene would you most like to experience for yourself? From whose POV?
I would love to experience when Siobhan glances around in the bar, early on in the book and she first spots Blake. He’d been watching her all night, but when she firsts spots him, it’s all the clichés. Stomach dropping, palms sweaty, and heart pumping faster. It must be a heady feeling to have someone like him stalk towards you and you know he’s coming, for you…
Oh, WOW. Yes, that’s an awesome feeling — in fact, one of my favorites to experience in a book. What inspired the book’s title?
I have no idea, I’d love to have a witty answer for you, or a deep and meaningful one, but the truth is I just came up with them, they popped into my head.
LOL! Fair enough. 
Before we let you go, can you tell us what you’re working on now?
I’m writing a new set of books I’m very excited about. You meet the character who is the main male lead in book two of the Journeys of Innocence, Innocence Reclaimed. Lexi, he’s quite a character and I’m sure lots of ladies will fall in love with him.
I’m also busy editing book three Innocence Reborn getting it ready for when it’s published.
Innocence LostGet sucked into the Journey that is Innocence Lost. Impossibilities and heartaches, wonder if love prevails all. Join us as we follow the story of Siobhan and Blake as they battle through the trials and tribulations of two very different worlds.
Blake is an Elder Vampire, over four hundred years old, dark, mysterious, bold, tall, and extremely gorgeous, as only a vampire as he could be. Centuries of feeling incomplete, knowing there’s a part of him that is missing, a part he yearns to be complete. Never knowing he would find this in the oddest way. A chance meeting with a gypsy fortune teller has him intrigued when she foretold of when and where he could find his Queen.
But he is warned there would be many brutal obstacles to be overcome before any kind of happy ever after could be accomplished, before his Queen, the missing link to his soul, the woman whom would complete him, would be safe in his arms.
Siobhan, pronounced (Ser-bi-on) is a beautiful young woman, an innocent, on holiday with her friends when she unexpectedly meets a tall charismatic man who completely and utterly sweeps her off her feet. She is drawn to him like a moth to a flame. He’s so sexually dominant, taking his time to initiate her, step by slow step, patiently and completely too all the carnal pleasures, her body could endure. What he made her feel…
But unbeknown to either of them, a dark and evil presence from Blake’s past has been observing them, planning to shred their worlds apart, and sooner rather than later. Siobhan is cruelly ripped from his embrace and is thrust into a world beyond anything she has ever dreamt of or could ever have imagined existed.
Follow us as Blake has to battle with forces he’s not sure he can defeat all to bring home the one and only woman he would ever have, love and desire with all that he is.
Welcome to Innocence Lost.
Find it @ GMTA Publishing | Amazon
Helen JohnstonI grew up in my family’s home in the county of Hampshire, England. My childhood dreams were filled with the desire to become a dancer. An only child, but I was never alone, my years were spent entertained with my vivid imagination. I met and married my husband not long after leaving school and soon after our son was born. My family is made complete with my two cats that are spoiled rotten, which results in them often thinking they rule the home.
My life consisted of home life and a few jobs in the retail industry and my vivid imagination refused to stay quiet. So combined with my love of erotica and all things vampire I decided to try my hand at writing and have never looked back.
Learn more @ Website/Blog | Facebook | Twitter | Goodreads | Pinterest | LinkedIn
Thank you all so much for joining us – do say hello and let us know you were here. ;c) Helen, I’ve enjoyed getting to know you and your book. Wishing you many happy sales!
May 1, 2013
David’s Song: Hardest Scenes ($50 #Giveaway)
Please welcome author A.R. Talley as she discusses which scenes of DAVID’S SONG were most difficult for her to write.
A.R. Talley: Hardest Scenes of “David’s Song”
Since David’s Song is told in first person, the hardest scenes to write were when I wanted to hint at what other characters might be thinking or feeling without spoiling the first person perspective or spelling out to much for the reader.
The scene in the school library between David and Annie was probably the most difficult. I wanted the readers to intuit or realize what David was thinking and at the same time make sure that Annie was totally oblivious, to wrapped up in her own thoughts and emotions, to have any inkling of David’s perspective. I had her note body language and expression in his eyes but not realize that they might suggest a conflict in his thinking. I wanted readers to second guess David without having Annie do it. I’m still not sure I pulled it off.
I also found it difficult to develop Annie’s suspicions about Emily without going overboard. There is a fine line between leading a reader and hitting them on the head. It took me awhile to find the balance. First drafts of the novel were horrible in that regard. I spelled out everything . With the help of some really astute alpha readers, I hopefully was able to suggest plot, like Emily’s meddling, without screaming it from the rooftops.
And in truth, it took me a while to decide how I wanted to the story to end – what decision Annie would ultimately make. I really like both Jeremy and David. And in the end, although I think she made the right decision, I have heard from some of my readers that they weren’t sure she did. I guess that’s a question for everyone to answer for themselves.
David’s Song
Taken from the book cover: Annie only ever really loved two men in her life. One broke her heart, the other married her. Four children and fifteen years later, Annie’s marriage is in jeopardy. Money is tight and her husband questions the very foundation of their relationship. When Annie is unexpectedly given the opportunity to see the young man who broke her heart — a man who is now a megastar in the music industry — Annie is faced with choices. Choices that will determine what is of more value — a second chance at lost love and unfulfilled dreams or commitment, trust, and love built on years of experience.
A psychologically subtle, yet compelling tale about how the instinct and need for love overcomes self-doubt and personal inadequacy.
Author A.R. Talley
April R Talley was born and raised in the Rubber City, Akron, Ohio in 1959. She is the youngest of six children. She attended Brigham Young University for a time, but withdrew to work fulltime for Osmond Productions in Orem, Utah as a member of The Osmond production staff. After a brief stint working in television, she returned to Akron to finish her education. She graduated with a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Mass Media Communications in 1981. April later worked as vice president and part owner of a dance and sportswear boutique. Married in 1982, she is the proud mother of seven children and is deeply involved in volunteer work for her church. April spends her time working on future projects, caring for home and family, and traveling. David’s Song is her debut novel and the first of a trilogy.
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Praise from reviews on Goodreads.com
“Not just your typical romance novel” – Tracy Williams
“David’s Song is great read that leaves you thinking about the story and pondering your own relationships”. – Anna Pavkov
“Sucked me in from the 1st page” – Jill Walker
“Loved this book . . . could not put it down!” – Dana Vieira
Book Blast Giveaway
$50 Amazon Gift Card or Paypal Cash
Ends 5/12/13 Click to enter: a Rafflecopter giveaway
April 30, 2013
$50 Book Blast: The Newstead Project ($50 #Giveaway)
The Newstead Project
the giant.
Joel Cranston shouldn’t exist. He just doesn’t know that yet. He’s lived a pretty normal life for the last sixteen years. If you consider being almost seven feet tall and good at about every sport you’ve ever played normal. Normal ends the day Newstead shows up with an invitation to come to their school.
the school.
Newstead is a private high school in Central Vermont by the Green Mountains. It’s a great place to hide a few hundred people who shouldn’t exist while you train them to become tomorrow’s rulers, tomorrow’s dictators, tomorrow’s gods.
the unexpected.
Rachel Newell thinks she’s just passing through. She never stays any place more than four months and with Newstead so close to Weston, she has even more reason to make this her shortest stop ever. The last thing she expects is to have a reason to stay.
Together Rachel and Joel uncover the truth behind what is
the newstead project.
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Book Trailer
Author Melanie Schulz
I live in Upstate New York with my husband and three children, where I’ve pretty much been planted my entire life. Which is fine, because it’s beautiful here. My only complaint is that most people assume that New York means NYC, which it doesn’t. There. I’ve done my part in exposing the truth.
Truth. The truth is I’m not a writer; storyteller maybe, but not a writer. It wasn’t something I spent years dreaming of, or even what I went to school for. I’m a nurse. I love being a nurse. So why write? I don’t know. I do know when it started, though. September 3, 2010. I know this because I nature journal, and on that day Joel made it into my notes. I guess that’s fitting. Someone like him needed to be birthed out in the woods.
If you were to meet me, and I hope someday you do, you would not connect me with this story. I’m a wife, a mother, a nurse. The person who wrote this should’ve been a guy, first off, secondly he should be some militaristic strategist; that’s who you’d expect to see if you were to come to a book signing, not me. But I’m there, in every line. So if I don’t have the good fortune to meet you in person, I hope to see you in THE NEWSTEAD PROJECT.
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Book Blast Giveaway: Amazon Gift Card or Paypal Cash
Ends 5/19/13 - CLICK HERE TO ENTER Rafflecopter giveaway
Open only to those who can legally enter, receive and use an Amazon.com Gift Code or Paypal Cash. Winning Entry will be verified prior to prize being awarded. No purchase necessary. You must be 18 or older to enter or have your parent enter for you. The winner will be chosen by rafflecopter and announced here as well as emailed and will have 48 hours to respond or a new winner will be chosen. This giveaway is in no way associated with Facebook, Twitter, Rafflecopter or any other entity unless otherwise specified. The number of eligible entries received determines the odds of winning. Giveaway was organized by Kathy from I Am A Reader, Not A Writer http://iamareader.com and sponsored by the author. VOID WHERE PROHIBITED BY LAW.
