Kim Fielding's Blog, page 22
February 7, 2017
Interview Roulette: Andrea Speed
Today’s Interview Roulette player is Andrea Speed!
What is the strangest food you like to eat? Candy corn. Look, I know it’s a garbage candy. I know! I still kind of like it. It’s like eating sweetened candle wax.
One of your characters has just been arrested and calls you to bail him out. Who is it and what did he get busted for? Holden. But he only got resisting arrest thrown at him, a worthless charge, because he pissed off the arresting officer with his sass mouth. He’s done much worse, but they can’t prove it, and nobody’s forcing anything out of him. Frankly, most of the other inmates would rather see him free. His reputation precedes him.
Describe an annoying habit one of your characters has. Roan used to bite his fingernails. He still does occasionally. He won’t admit it, and if you called him on it he’d probably deny it, but he does.
You’ve been invited to a party being held by your boss. Which of your characters will you take with you as your guest? Paris. He can charm everyone and be the center of attention, while I lurk in a corner, eating all their food.
What were your favorite childhood books? This is going to be weird and make no sense, but for a while when I was young, I was really into animal books – White Fang, Black Beauty, Call of the Wild, et cetera. I was also really into Edgar Allan Poe. You might think The Raven was the crossover point, but no. I can’t really explain it.
Describe one time someone surprised you. If you knew what a horrible memory I have … I think learning I won a Rainbow Award was such a surprise I actually considered that maybe it was a prank for a moment.
If you could make anything edible, what would you choose? Anything? Edible books would be great. Read them; eat them.
Book blurb: Kaede Hiyashi is sick and tired of living in the shadow of his father, supervillain Doctor Terror. Brilliant but crazy, Doctor Terror sends his son to Corwyn, California, for reasons Kaede can’t imagine. Sent to accompany and protect him is Ash, a genetically modified supersoldier raised and trained by an infamous death cult.
Corwyn is lousy with superheroes, led by the obnoxious Dark Justice. Kaede finds himself dancing around Dark Justice as he digs into his father’s mysterious business and teaches his socially awkward—but physically lethal—bodyguard to acclimate to “normal” life. Can these two wacky supervillains figure out what Doctor Terror wants them to do, solve the riddle of the villain known as Black Hand, and keep Dark Justice from raining on their bloody parade? The course of love—and world domination—never did run smooth.
Book buy links: https://www.dsppublications.com/books/hearts-of-darkness-by-andrea-speed-325-b
Author bio: Andrea Speed is a random collection of newspapers and food scraps that somehow became sentient. Perhaps this explains her fear of goats. If you see her, just nod politely as she tells you how composting is an Illuminati conspiracy, and try not to make any sudden moves.
Author contacts:
Website : http://andreaspeed.com/
Blog: http://notmanos.tumblr.com/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/aspeed
Follow
February 3, 2017
Cover Reveal: Three Hearts by Grace R. Duncan
Three Hearts
By Grace R. Duncan
Cover by Jess Small
72k words
M/M Paranormal/shifters
Pre-order available 2/3/2017
Release date: 3/3/2017
Liam Scott is sick. That’s not supposed to be possible. As a wolf shifter, he’s supposed to be able to heal. The omega gene he was born with means he’s capable of carrying shifter young and Liam is worried that whatever is wrong will mean his one-day hope of having pups will be dashed. But despite the fears keeping him away from the doctor until now, he knows he needs to go.
It turns out the sickness is temporary, but the treatment causes a whole other problem.
Mason’s alpha gene means he’s one of very few wolves who can impregnate an omega male. For two years, he’d been watching Liam, but things kept getting in the way. When Liam shows up in heat, Mason recognizes the opportunity he needs and doesn’t hesitate make to Liam his mate and the father of his pups.
But Liam has old wounds and fears to work through which the pregnancy is only making worse, and Mason isn’t sure how to get past them to show he’s serious about making a life together as loving mates. It’s not until a female wolf decides Mason should be hers that Liam makes his biggest worry known—and Mason can finally put the fears to rest.
Preorder here: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01MYFCBSE
Preorder paperback here: https://www.createspace.com/6894067
Excerpt:
CHAPTER 1
Liam
When the alarm went off, I smacked it into submission, then burrowed farther into my pillow. The last thing I wanted to do was get out of bed. Despite knowing I had to have slept, I had absolutely zero energy. I didn’t remember waking up overnight at all, and I knew I’d lain down by ten and fallen asleep pretty fast.
I gave in to a moment of self-pity. As a wolf shifter, I wasn’t supposed to be sick. I wasn’t supposed to be able to get sick with common things. And if I got sick, I was supposed to be able to recover within a day or two. Our injuries never lasted more than a day or two, and that was only if it was severe. We didn’t get diseases, especially human ones. And if we did manage to contract some kind of bug that attacked wolf immunity, our bodies killed it quickly.
There were rumors that a form of cancer had started hitting the wolf population. That scared me more than a little, especially recently, with whatever was wrong with me. It was one reason why I hadn’t yet gone to the doctor. I wasn’t sure I wanted to hear what they’d tell me.
Because I was also not a typical male shifter. I was one of a rare type the Idiots That Be named “omega.” I didn’t know if they found it ironic or what when they borrowed the name from the humans’ faulty knowledge of wild wolves. But omega was definitely a misnomer. It used to mean “weak.” The bottom of the totem pole, as it were, in a wolf pack. I was on the smaller side, but that was no more indicative of my strength than my light brown hair was.
Omegas are as strong as most other wolves, as fast as any of them. We’re not looked down on—for the most part—by other wolves, or made to be the last to do or get anything. Sure, there are always some who insist we’re inferior. I suspect it’s mostly jealousy, though that wasn’t always easy to remember when I was the one being picked on.
No, what made us unique was that omegas could carry and give birth to our young.
Like the female wolves, omegas went into heat once a month, usually for four days around the new moon. Sometimes more or less; it was as individual as human females were. We wolves, omega and female alike, took a form of birth control that suppressed our heat. I had no idea how it worked with our metabolism, but apparently the shifter scientists knew a lot more than me. So, as the new moon approached, I took a pill twice a day and voila—no heat.
Which was good because going through heat sucked.
It was the worst horniness imaginable. I could jack off constantly for that four-day period and it didn’t relieve me. I could stuff my ass full of dildos and nothing helped. The only thing that would was the one thing I hadn’t let myself do—find an alpha male to breed me.
Yes, we had alphas. It was a genetic marker in their blood, not much else. Most of them were a bit bigger than the rest of us, some a bit stronger. But it wasn’t a huge difference. And I hadn’t yet met an alpha with the kind of asshole attitude that’s so frequently portrayed in fiction. They got named alpha because they were discovered first. Alpha males were the only ones who could impregnate an omega, which was probably because of that genetic marker. And while the scientists understood it, I didn’t.
The rest of the wolf population didn’t have a specific designation. If you weren’t an alpha or omega, you were just a plain ol’ wolf.
But even though I wasn’t ready to mate yet, I did want to have pups someday. So I was scared to death of what a doctor would tell me. What if something was wrong and I couldn’t have them?
I was going to have to put aside my fear, though. It’d been going on for two months now. Despite shifting on the full moon—we had no choice; we were forced through the shift—and exercising when I could, running at other times, I hadn’t gotten better.
I was exhausted. All the time. I got cold at the drop of a hat.
And I’d been forgetting shit. Stupid little details, that were driving me crazy. It had to stop.
About Grace
Grace Duncan grew up with a wild imagination. She told stories from an early age – many
of which got her into trouble. Eventually, she learned to channel that imagination into 
less troublesome areas, including fanfiction, which is what has led her to writing male/male erotica.
A gypsy in her own right, Grace has lived all over the United States. She has currently set up camp in East Texas with her husband and children – both the human and furry kind.
As one of those rare creatures who loves research, Grace can get lost for hours on the internet, reading up on any number of strange and different topics. She can also be found writing fanfiction, reading fantasy, crime, suspense, romance and other erotica or even dabbling in art.
Find Grace here:
Website ◊ Facebook ◊ Twitter ◊ Youtube ◊ Goodreads
Follow
January 31, 2017
Interview Roulette: Lex Chase
Please welcome Lex Chase to Interview Roulette, in which your favorite authors answer randomly chosen questions!
Describe a traumatic weather-related experience you’ve had. If you’ve never had any, make one up. I live in Florida, hence, hurricanes. By far the most traumatic was Hurricane Ivan. In case you haven’t heard of this monstrosity here’s a link . I was in college at the time and my family was very fortunate and only lost a single shingle on our roof. However, others not so much. A friend of mine lost her house. Like, her house no longer existed. The storm surge swept in and sucked her house out to sea and all that remained was the foundation. A professor lived in a wooded area, and was trapped on his property. For two weeks, he had to use a chainsaw to cut his way through the fallen trees to be able to leave for food, or even get to clean water. College was out session for over a month, and countless students were forced to withdraw because they lost everything. Ballfields were converted into debris collection fields. Piles of them, at least 70 or 80 feet high, were dunes of trash, branches, tangled wreckage of cars, scraps of businesses, and remains of homes. There was gas rationing, curfews, rumors of martial law. There was also information on where to get much needed medications and water distribution. Parking lots became pop-up FEMA trailer villages where people lived for over a year. We had Project: Blue Roof, where people covered damaged roofs with blue tarps. Those tarps remained on many for years who couldn’t afford to fix their roofs, let alone move. But a lot of good came from it. My family was one of the 1% of Pensacola who got their power back in two days. We cooked everything that hadn’t turned yet in our fridge, and got creative. We created our beloved dish “Hurricane Spaghetti” that involved every meat product in the fridge from leftover pot roast, to steak, to chicken, to pork chops, to even lunch meat. Chopped up, and stewed in pasta sauce, then served over noodles. With a side of French fries. Because they had thawed. We would arm ourselves with a car full of coolers and drive two hours to get eggs, dairy, meat, and even ice cream as a treat if we could swing it. It was the closest thing to living in a warzone that I ever experienced. But I also learned people can be pretty awesome. And then came Katrina…
What was your favorite school subject? Least favorite? In elementary school, my favorite was Art! Of course, it was. I was one of those kids who always had to be the best. (Read: The quirkiest.) In third grade, our assignment was to make our own version of the Mona Lisa. Mine was a bleach blonde leader of a biker gang. I hated Language (which is what they called English in elementary school) It was sooooo boooorrring. But I was good at it, and I ended up a storyteller…soooo…. My least favorite was Math. I struggled with it my entire life. I would even cry during timed tests because I could never finish in time. Come to find out as an adult, I have a learning disability in math. I’m only able to manage a below average third grade level.
Describe the perfect pair of socks. Super soft and fuzzy. They need to be thick and squishy to keep your feet warm and dry. Colors do not matter. But soft socks are the best!
Where’s the weirdest place you’ve ever written? My shower. While taking a shower. I have a pad of Aquanotes and they’re water resistant paper. I’ve managed to make notes and get short bits of dialogue before the water goes cold.
What is the oddest thing on your music playlist? Can’t decide. Because it’s my normal. It’s a tossup between a children’s lullaby version of “Sail” by AWOLNation or an orchestral version of the Nyan Cat song. It’s a lovely National Anthem of the Internet.
You can eat only one ice cream flavor for the rest of your life. Which is it? Baskin-Robbins Peanut Butter and Chocolate! With those ribbons of semi-hardened peanut butter? It’s amazing.
You have just been crowned leader of a small island nation. What’s your first official act? Declare kittens are sacred creatures and must be treated with care. Set up massive shrines to the precious mews. And to adopt sweet fuzzy baby is to be blessed by the gods. All IKEAs henceforth will be populated by free roaming kittens.
Paper or plastic? That’s like choosing between the Bush Twins!
Book blurb:
In Prospect Harbor, Maine, lobsterman Harper Cook has always loved the sea. He and his two brothers work the harbor waters, in a fishing village of one thousand where everybody knows everybody else’s business and nobody wants to be different.
When it’s time for the annual Men of Maine pinup calendar, Harper’s brothers eagerly volunteer him. Harper isn’t thrilled to bare it all to raise money for an elementary school playground—until he meets out-and-proud Los Angeles out-a-statah Sean Blackburn: the highly available first-grade teacher with Hollywood heartthrob looks.
Harper has no desire to ever stand out from the crowd, but Sean persists and earns Harper’s friendship. Through Sean, Harper opens up to new possibilities. Things get steamy, but Harper still protects his heart. Though the right pressure in the right place might crack even a loner lobsterman out of his shell.
States of Love: Stories of romance that span every corner of the United States.
Book buy links:
Author bio:
Lex Chase once heard Stephen King say in a commercial, “We’re all going to die, I’m just trying to make it a little more interesting.” Now she’s on a mission to make the world a hell of a lot more interesting. Weaving tales of sweeping cinematic adventure—depending on how she feels that day—Lex sprinkles in high-speed chases, shower scenes, and more explosions than a Hollywood blockbuster.
Her pride is in telling stories of men who kiss as much as they kick ass. If you’re going to march into the depths of hell, it better be beside the one you love. Lex is a pop culture diva, her DVR is constantly backlogged, she has intense emotions about Hannibal’s Hannigram, and she unapologetically loved the ending of Lost. She wouldn’t last five minutes without technology in the event of the apocalypse and has nightmares about refusing to leave her cats behind.
Author contacts:
Follow
January 28, 2017
Donations–Please help!
As some of you know, I donate all the royalties from my self-published books to Doctors Without Borders/ Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF). And I’ll continue to do so.
But now I’m going to do something extra. For every self-published book or audiobook I sell through Feb 4, I will also donate 50 cents to International Rescue Committee. (You can read here about their work: https://www.rescue.org/).
The following books are included:
The Sacrifice (ebook and print)
Festivus Miracle (ebook and audio)
Joys R Us (ebook and audio)
The Downs (ebook and audio)
Guarded (ebook and audio)
Treasure (ebook and audio)
So buy a book for yourself or a friend and you’ll help support 2 excellent organizations.
(PS–Please share this message to anyone who might be interested!)
Follow
January 17, 2017
Interview Roulette: M. A. Church
Please welcome M.A. Church to the first round of Interview Roulette, in which your favorite authors answer randomly chosen questions!
One of the characters in your latest book buys a birthday present for another. What is it?
Once Adlar found out when Varo’s birthday was, he asked Varo for permission to pierce his ear lobe, something the Yesri doesn’t do. Varo agreed, and after minimal whining from Varo, lol, the deed was done. Then Adlar told Varo he had something to give Varo keep the hole closing. It’s was stud earring and the gem is Black Phospolrock, a highly sought after crystal found on the planet Helkan.
What is the oddest thing on your music playlist?
LOL, some of the music is 70s disco. But then my playlist is kind of weird anyway. It’s a combination of 80s hard metal, 90s rock, and some rap.
What advice would you give your 17-year-old self?
Don’t wait until you’re middle-age to follow your dream.
Black licorice—yay or nay?
Nay! God, I hate the stuff. Had it once, and once was enough.
If one of your characters sent something in to PostSecret, what would it be?
Once, during an argument with his partner, he slapped him.
Two very different civilizations—one bathed in bright sunlight, and the other veiled in shadow.
Bad decisions, declining resources, and a king on the brink of madness force Prince Varo Kutchif, third son of the royal family and a starship captain, to attempt the impossible: barter for Black Phospolrock, an energy source the mysterious Helkan kingdom has in abundance. Varo opens a line of communication with Adlar, an intriguing Helkan who seems to reciprocate Varo’s interest. He hopes so, because if negotiations collapse, Varo has orders to attack.
The Helkans preside over a planet shrouded in perpetual darkness. Several species have tried to exploit its natural resources through trade with them, but all have failed. Adlar Mondur is the older brother to the Helkan ruler. An assassin of the highest order, he’ll do anything to protect his king and his people—including tracking down the Yesri prince who crash-lands on their planet, leaving an ugly scar across its untouched beauty.
Thus begins a journey where two men from disparate civilizations grow from enemies to lovers.
Book buy links:
DsP: https://www.dreamspinnerpress.com/books/in-enemy-hands-by-ma-church-7942-b
Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Enemy-Hands-M-Church-ebook/dp/B01MSXOUMK
Author bio:
M.A. Church is a true Southern belle who spent many years in the elementary education sector. Now she spends her days lost in fantasy worlds, arguing with hardheaded aliens on far-off planets, herding her numerous shifters, or trying to tempt her country boys away from their fishing poles. It’s a full time job, but hey, someone’s gotta do it!
When not writing, she’s on the back porch tending to the demanding wildlife around the pond in the backyard. The ducks are very outspoken. She’s married to her high school sweetheart, and they have two grown children.
Author contacts:
Blog: http://machurch00.blogspot.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/machurch00
Twitter: https://twitter.com/nomoretears00
Email: nomoretears00@hotmail.com
Goodreads: www.goodreads.com/author/show/5141393.M_A_Church
Amazon: amazon.com/author/machurch
Follow
January 13, 2017
Release Day for Love Is Heartless
Who says Friday the 13th is unlucky? In case you’ve missed the ten zillion times I’ve mentioned it already, today is release day for Love Is Heartless. This is the second book in the Love Can’t series but can easily be read as a standalone. The events take place more or less at the same time as those in Love Can’t Conquer, and this second book focuses on prickly cop Nevin Ng and starry-eyed Colin Westwood. The two of them together were enormously fun to write, so I hope you enjoy reading about them. (If you’ve read the first book, this one has less angst and a lot more swearing.)
I don’t usually have real people in mind when I describe how my characters look. In this case, though, I can point you to two people who closely resemble Nevin and Colin (in looks–not character or actions). Nevin looks a good bit like model Chris Tianssen, although Nevin is shorter and has darker skin. Colin resembles actor Jonathan Groff. So now you know.
I’m doing a book tour with giveaways, so make sure to visit the stops!
Here’s the book blurb:
Small but mighty—that could be Detective Nevin Ng’s motto. Now a dedicated member of the Portland Police Bureau, he didn’t let a tough start in life stop him from protecting those in need. He doesn’t take crap from anyone, and he doesn’t do relationships. Until he responds to the severe beating of a senior citizen and meets the victim’s wealthy, bow-tied landlord.
Property manager and developer Colin Westwood grew up with all the things Nevin never had, like plenty of money and a supportive, loving family. Too supportive, perhaps, since his childhood illness has left his parents unwilling to admit he’s a strong, grown man. Colin does do relationships, but they never work out. Now he’s thinking maybe he won’t just go with the flow. Maybe it’s time to try something more exciting. But being a witness to a terrible crime—or two—was more than he bargained for.
Despite their differences, Colin and Nevin discover that the sparks fly when they’re together. But sparks are short-lived, dampened by the advent of brutal crimes, and Colin and Nevin have seemingly little in common. The question is whether they have the heart to build something lasting.
You can buy it at Dreamspinner, Amazon, or your favorite bookstore. And if you read it, I’d really appreciate reviews!
Follow
January 5, 2017
Chatting in January
Okay, so Love Is Heartless releases in just over a week and I have a lot of things going on!
I’m excited to announce my blog tour. Each blog has exclusive content, plus there’s a giveaway, so make sure to visit all the stops. Here’s the schedule:
January 6 – MM Good Book Reviews
January 12 – On Top Down Under
January 14 – Boy Meets Boy
January 16 – Gay Book Reviews
January 16 – The Novel Approach
January 17 – Love Bytes
January 18 – Scattered Thoughts and Rogue Words
January 19 – Alpha Book Reviews
I’m also thrilled to announce that this month, my new monthly column debuts at Love Bytes! I’ll be posting on January 8–please come join the conversation.
On January 23, I have a really fun interview with C.S. Poe. Come learn all my secrets!
So now I’m off to hide from reality and spend a couple days in a cottage the woods with friends, eating and talking.
Follow
January 2, 2017
Happy New Year!
It was a close thing, but we survived 2016. Let’s hope 2017 treats us more nicely.
Did you have good holidays? Mine were pretty quiet. My kids spent a week at theme parks with relatives, then a few days with my husband and in-laws in Palm Desert. The cat and I remained home, enjoying 4 glorious days of solitude. I was able to get a lot of work done and some writing.
We’ve spent the past few days looking mostly like this. The older one is completing her college applications. The younger one is probably planning world domination. The cat is helping.
This week I have jury duty, then a couple days with friends along the Russian River in Sonoma County. I’m also hoping to make good headway on my WIP, a novel involving vampires in Vegas. Its working title is Ante Up.
Love Is Heartless releases January 13. I can’t wait! The blog tour begins January 6 with all sorts of goodies, including a giveaway. Check back here later this week for a complete schedule.
In the meantime, here’s wishing you a happy, healthy, and peaceful New Year–with plenty of time to read!
Follow
December 27, 2016
Student Bloopers
As a bit of a holiday season gift to you, here are some verbatim quotes from my students’ term papers and exams. If you enjoy these, I have some additional illustrated ones on YouTube; links below.
At 19 years old, Bronson’s son Michael was born.
At the age of 15 Marco’s father filed for custody once again.
Like a spirally plane Ted crashed and burned from the break up.
As serial killers have been around for a while, Andrei Chikatilo was born on October 16, 1936 in Yablochnoye, Ukraine state of the USSR.
Sellers came to notarization not because he had become another serial killer but because he was the youngest individual to be put to death by the government for a crime that he committed as a minor.
As to the reasons to how and which ones depend on how they are defined and interpreted.
In March 1985, he attacked Angela Barrios, who eventually escaped him and killed her roommate, Dayle Okazaki.
Hitler had an influence on the birth of the Klan. The KKK peaked in during WWII after imigrants and slavery was active.
Name a time of hate group: Anti-semantic.
Christian Identity is a racist church that believe jewish people are a seed of satin.
The KKK was the first organized hate crime group in England. This was founded during the Civil War. During the Hippi era.
KKK birth was in England during Civil War as a protest, tired of seeing other groups. Died in 1968 due to the great depression, investigating jarnalist and their own social conflicts. The re-birth was never died off, but they came back 2x stronger in 2005, when the elections came near.
Schizophrenics are dilutional.
A female serial killer may be an angle of mercy.
Female serial killers tend to use poison as their main weapon, so they do not have to use their arms.
A syndrome is something a person experiences for a period of time, and is usually a direct effect after something happens to them.
The wife left him with 6 children and cleaned the apartment clean she did not leave anything.
Name and describe one syndrome: A syndrome you can take can be sleeping pills. Sleeping pills can be used to help you fall asleep, if you are having trouble sleeping. Taking pills can also help you if you are having a killer hangover & were drunk the night before. Taking pills can help with waking you up as well too.
Follow
December 26, 2016
Between Holidays
I hope whichever holidays you celebrate, you’ve been enjoying them!
Today is the last day to get Staged from Riptide Publishing for only $3.99.
And through December 30, you can get everything at Dreamspinner and DSP Publications at 30% off. You can even preorder Love Is Heartless with the discount!
My daughters spent all last week at theme parks with 4 other kids and their very brave aunt. And my husband drove down Friday to join them at my in-laws’ in Pal Desert. This means I’ve had the house to myself for almost four days. Lest you feel sorry for me for spending the holiday alone, I’ll point out that we celebrate Hanukkah, which is still in progress. Plus I really, really enjoyed my solitude. I never left the house (except to carry things out to the garbage bins and check the mail). It was wonderful.
Here’s what I did do:
I tackled a long overdue cleaning project in my study. How overdue? I filled our recycle bin completely with things like a 2001 appointment calendar.
I wrote 4000 words of my 20th novel. Vampires!
I dealt via email with several students who realized on Christmas that they’re not graduating this semester. It took many emails to get a straight story from them about what their issues really are. I’ve been teaching criminal justice for 24 years and have two teenagers–I will get to the truth of your BS story eventually, kids.
I made parmesan black pepper bread and ate it.
I watched 7 episodes of Yuri on Ice.
I took a really long bath.
I ate foods nobody except me likes.
I let the cat–who’s supposed to be banned from our bedroom–sleep with me.
I looked over some university admissions essays for a good friend’s son.
I consoled, long-distance, my older daughter, who didn’t get into her top choice university.
I alphabetized our neglected CD collection. Yes, we still have CDs.
I chatted with friends via text, phone, and email.
I did several loads of laundry. The cat fell asleep on one load (towels) before I folded it, so I guess I’ll be doing that one again.
I read part of a book.
My family should return home within an hour or two, and chaos will resume. I miss them. But it was a very good weekend. 
