Chrystalla Thoma's Blog, page 5
September 11, 2013
Devil’s Brae blog tour – author Faith Mortimer
It is my pleasure to present to you today the best-selling British author, Faith Mortimer, who also happens to live here, in Cyprus.
She has just released a new novel called Devil’s Brae, and it promises to be an amazing ride!!
Devil’s Brae:
Imagine a warm autumn afternoon in a remote village in the Scottish Highlands. Cassandra Potter, fleeing from the memories of two traumatic deaths, goes walking alone on Devil’s Brae.
The wild country is empty, stretching for miles in every direction, it is then she sees him. A dark brooding figure, standing and watching as Cassandra climbs the brae. Apart from a lingering uneasy feeling she ignores the watcher, until the next time and it is then she realises her mistake. Someone wishes her gone from the village – at all costs.
Cassandra’s life is plunged into danger. Who is threatening her existence and her sanity? Who is the mysterious stranger? An inhabitant of the village of Inverdarroch? Or a person from her clouded past?
Above all, why is this happening to her?
Purchase links for Devil’s Brae:
I invited Faith over to answer a few questions about herself, her writing, and her new release:
What attracted you to writing in the first place?
Faith: Loving literature as I do, I’d always wanted to write – whether it was novels, plays or poetry. As a child I used to write stories for my sisters and then as I grew older, my short stories became much longer until they resembled novellas. But it wasn’t until the early 2000s that I started writing my first full-length novel
What genre are you most comfortable writing?
Faith: There’s more than one and I like to switch from one to another making sure I don’t become stale with my writing. I love crime writing; murder mystery suspense, but I don’t do real hard core violence – I prefer to let the reader’s imagination take over after I’ve laid down some hints. I love writing adventure and action mixed in with romantic suspense. Finally I’ve recently begun writing pure romance and I’m enjoying writing in an entirely different vein.
How has your upbringing influenced your writing?
Faith: I’ve lived an amazing life – and God willing I’ve got a lot of living still to do! Since the age of five I’ve been fortunate in visiting many countries and six of my tender years I spent living in Malaya and Singapore. I think living abroad and mixing with different cultures and class has enriched my life and hopefully my writing.
Where do you get your inspiration and ideas from?
Faith: From all sorts of places. It could be a simple snippet from an overheard conversation, talking with friends, reading an article in a magazine or something from the television. I have an antenna that turns towards interesting themes and I log on – especially if the subject is unusual!
Do you have any writing rituals or listen to “mood music” when you write? Where is your favorite place to write?
Faith: I try and write in the morning for a few hours, then break and do something else. If I have time and the inspiration I’ll pick up and carry on. The next day I go over the previous day’s work and edit it. I rarely listen to music – I need quiet and I write in our ‘snug’.
What’s your favorite place in the entire world?
Faith: Being with my husband and family.
Fame or fortune, which would you prefer?
Faith: Can I have both please?!!
If you couldn’t be an author, what would your ideal career be?
Faith: Either a surgeon or an actor/singer
Chocolate, vanilla, or strawberry?
Faith: Chocolate! Every time. Even when I diet I save room for a tiny piece as a reward!
If you were stranded on a desert island what 3 things would you want with you?
Faith: Unlimited supply of water and food. My reading glasses and books. My mate.
Please tell us in one sentence only, why we should read your book.
Faith: My editor is pretty excited about this book – she says I improve with each one! This is the first of a new ‘Dark Minds’ series and I enjoyed writing it – I’d love you to share the experience with me.
So what’s next for you as an author? Any last words?
Faith: I’ve finished writing a new romance this one is set around Christmas so aptly names, On Christmas Hill. I love it and made my husband cry when he first read it! On the thriller side of things, fans are demanding another Diana Rivers Mystery…so I’ve already started a new novel and this is set in Portugal.
Now let’s talk a little about, ‘Devil’s Brae’.
Faith: When asked about the inspiration for, ‘Devil’s Brae, I immediately think of my fans and followers. ‘Devil’s Brae is the first in a new psychological thriller series – the Dark Mind series.
My first series, the Diana Rivers series, currently has five books with a sixth planned. The books are: The Assassins’ Village, Children of the Plantation, The Surgeon’s Blade, and Camera Action…Murder! and Childhunt– My followers keep asking when the next book is coming out and I’m doing my best to keep up! So either last in 2013 or early 2014 there will be a sixth added to the collection!
Mystery suspense thrillers are fun to write, perhaps because there are so many little threads which need to be absolutely correct. I enjoy thinking up little clues to keep the reader guessing and a few red herring to throw them off the track. As well as pitting my wits in writing the story I have to remember that my audience is often very skilled in working through the mystery, so there has to be lots to keep everyone interested right through to the final page.
I’m so lucky in that I love what I’m doing and feel privileged because I have some amazing followers. I sincerely hope I never forget that it is my readers who have helped get me where I am today. Thank you.
About the author
Faith Mortimer is a wife & mother, dividing her time between Hampshire, UK & Cyprus. Since childhood, she dreamt of writing novels which readers would love, & spent many hours writing short stories which she read to her sisters.
Later her dreams were put on hold while she focused upon her family & careers as a nurse & later overseeing a string of travel & sport related companies.
Born in Manchester & educated in Singapore, Malaya & Hampshire, England. A Registered nurse & in later years changed careers to oversee a number of travel & sport related companies.
Author Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/FaithMortimer.Author
Author Twitter: https://twitter.com/FaithMortimer
Author Website/blog: http://www.faithmortimerauthor.com/
Goodreads author/book page: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/2967303.Faith_Mortimer
Link to Pinterest: http://pinterest.com/faithmortimer/boards/
Link to Awesome Indies: http://awesomeindies.net/
September 7, 2013
Chocolate Aftertaste by author Liz Grace Davis — Cover reveal
Chocolate Aftertaste by Liz Grace Davis
Cover Reveal • September 7th, 2013 (12am–9am EDT)
http://www.grapevinebooktours.com/2013/08/cover-reveal-signup-chocolate.html
Prize(s):
• Print copy of Chocolate Aftertaste + postcard
• $10 Amazon or B&N gift card + eBook copy of backlist novel Tangi’s Teardrops or an ARC copy of Honeysuckle and Jasmine
• eBook copy of backlist novel Tangi’s Teardrops or an ARC copy of Honeysuckle and Jasmine + keychain + postcard
• eBook copy of backlist novel Tangi’s Teardrops or an ARC copy of Honeysuckle and Jasmine + postcard + pen
TO ENTER CLICK ON THIS LINK TO USE THE RAFFLECOPTER: Rafflecopter
End date: September 14th, 2013 @11:59pm EDT
BOOK DETAILS
Title: Chocolate Aftertaste
Author: Liz Grace Davis
Series: None
Publication: April 2nd, 2012
Category: Adult
Genre: Romantic Women’s Fiction
Synopsis:
Nora Darkin’s life has never been her own, but that’s about to change, and what she finds on the other side will taste a lot like sweet freedom.
Aidan Darkin, a wealthy entrepreneur, has controlled his daughter, Nora, since the death of his wife years prior. Nora never thought to question the decisions he made for her, always believing he knew best. But trust comes with a price, and for Nora, the sacrifice is her own happiness.
On the eve of Nora’s wedding, confronted with a truth that will change everything and a betrayal that will fracture the life she’s always known, she will do the unthinkable—defy her father and make her escape.
On her own for the first time, Nora makes the quaint country town of Dreara, known for its extraordinary chocolate, her temporary home. Faced with choosing for herself for the first time in her life, Nora sets out to capture her own independence, to fall in love for the right reasons with a man of her own choosing, and embark on a journey that will fulfill her soul—even if that means risking it all, and losing more than she ever imagined.
But even a place known for its chocolate doesn’t offer Nora the sweet beginning she’d hoped for.
LINKS
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/13689608-chocolate-aftertaste
Trailer: http://youtu.be/GIGUsL75OB0
Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B007R6KYG0/
Barnes & Noble: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/chocolate-aftertaste-liz-davis/1110956904
The Book Depository: http://www.bookdepository.com/Chocolate-Aftertaste-Liz-Grace-Davis/9781475184037/
Indie Bound: http://www.indiebound.org/book/9781475184037
Kobo: http://store.kobobooks.com/en-US/ebook/chocolate-aftertaste
Smashwords: https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/148437
Sony Reader Store: https://ebookstore.sony.com/ebook/liz-grace-davis/chocolate-aftertaste/_/R-400000000000000802890
*** From September 7th to September 14th, Chocolate Aftertaste is only 99 cents! ***
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Author bio:
Liz Grace Davis grew up in Angola, Namibia, South Africa and Germany. She now lives with her husband and daughter in Vienna, Austria. Her travels had offered her the opportunity to gather useful material, from both her own experiences and those of others. She is a firm believer that memories, both good and bad, are worth cherishing. The roads travelled lead people to who they are today.
As a result, she enjoys breathing new life into some of those experiences and sprinkling them with snippets born of her imagination, to write fiction novels. Liz’s aim as a writer is to both thrill and inspire readers.
LINKS
Website: http://lizgracedavis.weebly.com/
Blog: http://www.novel-moments.blogspot.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Liz-Grace-Davis/333441076698284
Twitter: https://twitter.com/Liz_Davis1
Google+: https://plus.google.com/107799832505519736638/posts
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/5450561.Liz_Grace_Davis
September 4, 2013
Cover Reveal for Azure (Drowning In You) – New Adult romance
Morning boys and girls! Today I would like to announce the release of a new project of mine – contemporary romance with a hint of paranormal – AZURE (Drowning In You). It’s New Adult romance, meaning it has young protagonists (18-25 yr olds), quite a lot of angst – stress over past traumatic events – sounds just like my kind of story, doesn’t it? 
– and sexual discovery.
Right up my alley.
But I couldn’t write a romance without some paranormal in it, I just couldn’t… So Azure was born, which has the best of both worlds (romance – paranormal).
Only for the month of September, the novel is on sale at just 99c!!! Happy reading!
Blurb:
A terrible mistake haunts college student Olivia Spencer. To escape the past, she travels to the Mediterranean island of Crete, hoping for the courage to start anew.
By the sea, she meets sexy and enigmatic Kai. But there’s more to Kai than meets the eye — and nobody wants to talk about it. The locals shun him, accusing him of magic. Kai, apparently, belongs to the sea, no matter how crazy that sounds.
Kai isn’t free to be with her or live his own life, and this is how he will stay, unless Olivia can break his curse and save him — in doing so atoning for those she failed in the past.
Warning: It contains mature content (sex scenes are hot but not explicit). Ages 17+
August 16, 2013
Disturbed Connections Blog Tour – author Kia Zi Shiru
I am hosting today author Kia Zi Shiru as part of her Disturbed Connections Blog Tour!
![Pageflex Persona [document: PRS0000446_00058]](http://chrystallathoma.files.wordpress.com/2013/08/disturbed-connections-400px.jpg)
Blurb:
A werewolf and a vampire, forbidden love. What could go wrong?
CHRIS, a werewolf on the run from his abusive clan, hides in a vampire house. ALEC, a vampire who has comfortably lived in the house for years, has no intentions to ever leave it.
Their connection is obvious from the first time they meet. But the house rules are strict, werewolves and vampires can not date. Unable to fight their attraction and unwilling to leave, they instead choose to hide their love.
Then Chris’ old clan finds him and takes him back. Will Alec ever see Chris again?
Sales links:
Excerpt:
On impulse Chris unlocked his door, opened it a fraction and sat on his bed with a book. He hoped he could catch a glimpse of Alec without seeming too obvious. He started reading the book though he kept glancing up at the door. Anything to not seem too stalkerish, because that would be a bad first impression to make. He heard the door to the bathroom open and footsteps in the hallway. Travis had told him that after taking a shower they usually didn’t use the doors directly to their own rooms since it would fill up the rooms with steam—annoying maybe on other days, but lucky for Chris today.
He caught a glimpse of Alec as he walked through his line of sight. Then the footsteps stopped. Chris quickly looked at his book, acting as if he hadn’t opened the door on purpose.
He heard Alec come over to his door and knock on it.
“Hey, you settling in okay?” Alec’s voice was light, not as deep as he expected it, but it was melodic, happy even.
“Yeah, everything is fine.” As Chris answered, Alec pushed the door open and leaned against the frame. Chris swallowed as Alec dried his long black dreadlocks and stood there, all innocent and open, in just a towel. He seemed to be unaware of his staring and Chris got enough courage to look him up and down.
Alec looked even better than the last time he had seen him. Not too bulky, a slim frame with strongly defined muscles. His chest and arm muscles moved gracefully under his tanned skin as he dried his hair. The moving stopped and Chris looked up, catching the sly smile in Alec’s eyes.
“Very well, I see.” The guy grinned. “I’m Alec.”
“I’m Chris. You’re Travis’ sparring partner, right?” Chris acted like he didn’t know much about him, though he probably knew more about Alec than he himself did.
“Yeah. How do you know him? You don’t seem like the type he normally hangs out with.” Alec walked into the room a bit further, one towel now fastened around his huge bundle of dreadlocks and the other still around his well-defined hips.
“We went to the same school.” Huge understatement, but Chris knew that there were parts of himself that Travis would rather not talk about. His past before he awoke as a vampire was one of them.
“Cool. So what do you think about the rest of the house, have you met them yet?”
“They seem nice, especially Jasper.” Chris grinned.
Alec reflected that same grin. “Nice doesn’t really cut it with him, but he is okay. He’s a good guy under all that scary muscle.”
“Good to know.” Chris looked away from Alec, trying to keep himself under control and not pull the towel off of him.
“Hey, um, I’m getting dressed. Do you wanna go to the party downstairs after? They seem to be having a great time.” Alec turned around and Chris got a good look at his back before he found his voice.
“Yeah, sure. I’ll join you.”
“Great, I’ll be back in a bit then.” Alec shot him one last glance over his shoulder before he closed the door behind him.
Chris sighed. Damn, Alec was even sexier than he remembered. Chris didn’t get why Travis didn’t want him—Alec was way hotter than that Nick Travis was dating now.
Kia Zi Shiru is a Dutch girl who did her bachelor studying English and Creative Writing in the UK but has now returned to the Netherlands to do her masters. Amongst her interests she finds writing, reading, doing research and learning different languages (including but not limited to: English, Dutch, French, German, HTML, Java, PHP and Assembly). Her writing and reading habits include books with Young Adults, gay themes, strong female or minority characters and fantasy elements (more often than not all at the same time).
You can find me:
And if you want to keep up to date you can sign up for my newsletter here: http://eepurl.com/vvShb
July 31, 2013
Chrystalla Writes: writing and publishing schedule update!
Hi girls, boys and bots. I’ll keep this brief and to the point.
This is Chrystalla’s writing and publishing schedule update, for any of you interested in my stories. 
Summer has been crazy busy with writing and it’s not like I’m taking a break or anything (not yet!) – but I’m just popping in to tell you how things are looking for the next three months:
1) Elei’s Chronicles.
Rex Aftermath has been written – most of it anyway, some scenes are missing. I will be tackling those in the second half of August, revising, and then the story will go to my editor. Planning to publish it end of September, so stay tuned.
After that, I’m planning to write Kalaes’ story – his earlier years, long before he met Elei.
2) Boreal and John Grey.
I have been toying around with ideas for Season 2. The plan is to start writing Episode 1 of Season 2 in September *fingers crossed* – which means publishing date for that is probably October.
I’m giving Finn and Ella a couple of weeks of recovery – NO MORE! – because it’s time for them to start running again. More elves might make an appearance in the series, beware. lol
3) New project!!! New mini project (probably). Romance?
Yes, I’m writing a New Adult romance, if any of you like the genre. Of course it’s a Chrystalla original, so it’s not the usual stuff. It has paranormal in it and it’s set in Crete (Greece). I will be telling you more about it soon. Really excited about this story. Why do I always fall in love with my characters? Meh.
Not sure when this one will be ready. I’m writing it like a mad woman so it will probably be done within a couple weeks, but I have to see about the edits…
So this is all for now!! Take care and talk to you soon.
July 24, 2013
Guest Author: Susan Royal
Today my guest is author Susan Royal. I know Susan from our common publisher, MuseItUp. She writes fantasy and time travel books with lots of romance. Her most recent release, In My Own Shadow, in which Laura finds out that the handsome stranger she meets during a blind date is not from this world at all…
So Susan is here to tell us about promoting books and her experiences.
Susan says:
This past year I have had the pleasure of doing presentations about writing to students in several grade levels. I’ve also spoken to a writing group made up of adults. I can ramble all day, especially when it comes to talking about something I love—telling a story. But I’m more of a one on one kind of person. Speaking in front of any group that numbers more than a handful of people is a first for me, and I was a more than little nervous about making the experience beneficial to those in the audience as well as to me.
I needn’t have worried about the students. The class had written some excellent questions to ask me about writing. Several of them were reading Hunger Games and Divergent. It didn’t hurt a bit for them to know I’d read the books and enjoyed them. We had a lively discussion about the characters, which of them were their favorites and what drew them to each of them. We discussed action and plot and what makes a story good. The writing group was interested in the process of publishing with a small press and hearing the process.
Doing promo work for Not Long Ago and for In My Own Shadow has been a lot more fun than I expected. As I said before I get to talk to people about something I love to do. I’ve done blog swaps and made new friends. The camaraderie I’ve experienced with other authors has been great. They are more than willing to share experiences. I am able to relive the excitement of signing my first contract, seeing my cover for the first time and all the ups and downs in between. It gets me excited about my current projects all over again and starts my brain churning with new ideas.
It’s so encouraging to see there are readers who love to get lost in another world just like I do – especially the young ones.
Who is Susan Royal:
Born in west Texas and raised in south Texas, Susan makes her home in a 100-year-old farmhouse in a small east Texas town that comes complete with a female ghost who has been known to harmonize with her son when he plays guitar.
Susan is married, with three children and four grandchildren. Her family is rich with characters, both past and present. She spent her childhood listening to her grandmother’s stories of living on a farm in Oklahoma Territory with three sisters and three brothers and working as a telephone operator in the early 20th century. Her father shared stories of growing up in San Antonio in the depression, and through her mother’s eyes she experienced how it felt to be a teenager during WWII.
Her newest, In My Own Shadow, is a Fantasy adventure/romance. Her first book, Not Long Ago, is a time travel adventure/romance. Both ebooks are available through MuseItUp/Amazon/B&N. She is currently working on a sequel to Not Long Ago, because her daughter insisted there was still more of Erin and Griffin’s story to tell, and she was right.
LINKS
In My Own Shadow (fantasy, adventure, romance)
Not Long Ago (time travel, adventure, romance)
Both books available at MuseItUp, Amazon, B&N, Goodreads
http://susanroyal.moonfruit.com
http://susanaroyal.wordpress.com
Read an excerpt from In My Own Shadow:
A frantic sprint down the hall from my office brought me skidding to a stop in front of the elevator doors just as they whispered shut. The clock on the wall read half past five. Damn. Too much time spent in the restroom trying to make myself presentable. All because Carrie had conned me into another one of her blind dates. And with her cousin, no less. Why today of all days? I’d overslept and come to work resembling the undead from a zombie apocalypse movie. Tension knotted in my stomach. I punched the button beside the stainless steel doors and paced, remembering my conversation with her over lunch.
“I know losing your dad has been awful,” she’d said. “But, maybe it’s time you started moving on with your life.” Carrie couldn’t possibly have understood the burden of guilt that seemed to grow heavier every day. Dad and I had a terrible argument just before he died, one we never had the chance to resolve, and it still ate at me. Carrie hadn’t given up until I’d agreed to meet her cousin in the lobby after work, a decision that plagued me for the rest of the afternoon.
What was the guy’s name again? I couldn’t even remember.
When the doors finally opened to an empty elevator, I hurried inside, pulled out my cell, and stared at the screen. Carrie hadn’t returned any of my calls. She probably didn’t want to give me the chance to back out. My friend knew me only too well. Unlike her, I was no good at small talk. What if her cousin wasn’t either? My stomach twisted even tighter. If that’s all we have in common, it’s going to be a long evening. By the time I got to the ground floor, I’d chewed my bottom lip raw.
The lobby was empty, and my heels echoed against the marble tiles. Her cousin must have gotten tired of waiting and left. I squeezed my eyes shut and pinched the bridge of my nose. Carrie’s going to kill me. She’d never believe I hadn’t done this on purpose just so I wouldn’t have to go out with her cousin.
Someone coughed. I jerked my head around to see a man standing near the reception area, a canvas duffel bag at his feet. That’s got to be him.
My heart thudded with relief. “Sorry I’m late. I hope you haven’t been waiting long.” I motioned toward the rain spattering against the windows. “This weather is awful, isn’t it?”
The man watched me with a self-assured air that left me feeling like an awkward teenager.
So much for witty conversation. At least Carrie hadn’t exaggerated when she said he was good looking. His sensitive mouth held the only trace of softness in a finely chiseled face. Broad shoulders and powerful hands. He would have been right at home on the cover of a sports magazine. Was I drooling? “Umm…” His intense stare made me squirm. “I should introduce myself. I’m—”
“Lara. My name is Rhys.” We shook hands briefly while his eyes flickered over me. My height intimidated some men, but it didn’t seem to bother him. “I never imagined you’d be so—”
“Don’t bother with flattery. Surely Carrie told you I’m immune.” The grin across my face was so he would know it was a joke, but his stern expression remained unchanged.
Doesn’t this guy know how to smile? “Umm…My car’s across the street. We really should go before it starts pouring again.”
Without a word, he grabbed his bag and followed me through the big glass doors. The wind had picked up, and thunder rumbled in the distance. Streetlights flickered on, a halo of light crowning each pole. We crossed the street and hurried toward my car parked beneath one of the lights in the middle of the empty lot.
I stuck my umbrella under my arm and dug in my purse for the keys. “Do you like Italian food?”
Rhys drew his eyebrows together and frowned slightly.
Doesn’t he understand plain English? Funny how Carrie never mentioned he was the silent, brooding type. I’d get even with her for this. “Okay, what about Chinese? There’s this great little place not too far from here…”
He jerked his gaze away from mine and stared into the darkness behind me.
A finger of cold traced its way along my spine. “Did you hear something?” We were alone in an empty city parking lot after dark. Not the safest place in the world.
He grabbed my arm. “Quiet.”
I flinched in surprise and pulled away. Rhys was beginning to give me the creeps. “What is it? Did you hear something?”
He pointed toward the back of the parking lot where lightning flashed, touched the ground and disappeared. Two dark shapes burst from the shadows and advanced across the asphalt without a sound.
Rhys dropped his bag and stepped in front of me. Chills raced across my arms. I backed into my car with a thud and gripped my umbrella so tight it made my hands hurt. No time to call for help. We’d have to defend ourselves. But how?
One of the men threw a punch at Rhys, who caught it with his open hand. He used the momentum to throw his attacker off balance and slammed him against the car beside me. Before the guy hit the ground, Rhys whirled to face ninja number two, who charged. With his left forearm, Rhys blocked and returned his kick. The man sidestepped, and Rhys’ foot missed the mark.
By this time the first guy had stumbled to his feet. He staggered over to Rhys and grabbed him from behind, pinning his arms to his sides. The other guy slammed his fists into Rhys’ stomach, making him double over and gasp for breath.
It was up to me to do something fast, or Rhys was going down. With my heart pounding in my ears, I darted behind the guy holding him and kicked him in the back of the knees. He buckled and released his grip on Rhys. Before his attacker realized what had happened, Rhys had grabbed him by his collar and head butted him with a sickening crunch. The man howled, blood spurting from his nose.
Both men turned and fled back into the darkness. My umbrella slipped from my shaking hands and clattered to the pavement. Who were these men with strange tattoos covering their faces? Gang members? Muggers?
This time it was me that grabbed Rhys’ arm. “Are you all right?”
“Don’t worry about me. Let’s go.”
After I fumbled with the keys and unlocked the car, he yanked the passenger door open, threw his bag in the back seat and jumped inside. The automatic locks clicked while the engine coughed and sputtered to a start. With my hands in a death grip on the steering wheel, I drove through the entrance and made a hard right, my rear tire rolling over the curb.
A few blocks away I tried to hand Rhys my cell phone, but he wouldn’t take it. “Didn’t you see those guys?” They had eyes like sharks, their pupils almost completely dilated. “They must have been on something. We need to call the police.”
He shook his head.
“What, then? Have you got a better idea?”
“Drive to your place.”
He didn’t get any argument −something totally out of character for me. Shock, maybe? Everything had happened so fast, it almost didn’t seem real. Accelerating, I switched lanes to pass a slow driver and watched my passenger from the corner of my eye. He should have been breathing hard after being punched in the stomach, but he wasn’t even winded. And he didn’t seem upset or surprised by anything that had happened. He only stared through the car windows, focusing on the darkness around us.
Carrie, you’ve got one strange cousin.
* * * *
We rushed inside my apartment. I slammed the front door and twisted the deadbolt, listening to its comforting click. The shadowy apartment was filled with normal noises like the hum of the refrigerator, water dripping from a faucet and the furnace running. I flattened a hand against my chest as my thudding heartbeat slowed to normal.
Home safe. Everything’s okay.
Someone pounded the front door three times, rattling the hinges. Every nerve in my body hummed with electricity. I tiptoed closer, placing a cautious eye against the peephole. A man well over six feet tall stared back, his pale skin a contrast to the wild, dark hair falling past his shoulders. Wide shoulders under black leather gave the man a lean look. He had classic features and a narrow face. Very handsome, except for eyes that glittered with something cold and unyielding. Shivers began at the nape of my neck and traveled over my entire body.
“Lara, let me in. I must speak with you,” he said, but the words didn’t come from his mouth. They came from within my own mind.
I gasped and turned to Rhys. “H-he’s talking to me…from inside my head.”
“Block him.” Rhys dug his fingers into my shoulder. “The longer you allow him access to your mind, the more dangerous it becomes.”
“Is that you, Guardian?” The man’s mouth split into an evil grin, revealing blinding, white teeth. “Are you taking up new duties these days?”
“Leave her alone.” Muscles bunched along Rhys’ jaw. “She doesn’t know anything.”
The man’s chuckle seemed to vibrate from somewhere deep inside his chest. “If that is true, then why are you protecting her?”
I narrowed my eyes at Rhys. “What the hell’s he talking about? Is he high on something?”
“Ignore him.” Rhys grabbed my arm and pulled me into the kitchen.
Inside my head, the oily voice took on a coaxing tone. “Rhys is being overprotective. He takes things far too seriously. I mean you no harm, Lara. All I need is a little information.”
Rhys stretched out his hand. An orange dot appeared and hovered above his palm. In an instant, it became a streaking light, burning into my refrigerator and creating a jagged hole. “My God, this can’t be real.” I gasped and moved closer, staring. “W-what’s going on?”
My visitor hammered at the door once again, so loud my temples throbbed with the sound. This time, the distraction was welcome, because it helped drive the sound of his voice from my mind and served another purpose as well. I lived in a quiet, respectable part of town. Surely one of my neighbors had already called the police. All we had to do was hold off a little longer.
Only Rhys had other ideas. He shouldered his bag and made his way toward the gaping hole he’d somehow created. Just before he passed through, he turned. “Give me your hand.”
I hesitated and raised my eyes to his. Let’s face it. Just the idea of stepping through my refrigerator made my heart bounce like a yo-yo.
“Come on. He isn’t going to leave until he gets what he wants.”
“What does he want?”
Rhys clamped his fingers around my wrist. He bent his head as though moving against a hurricane force wind and dragged me through the opening. I struggled for air, but none of it reached my lungs. This must be what it feels like to drown. My heart accelerated, one beat at a time, and my vision clouded with spots.
No more than a few seconds could have passed before we burst through to the other side and stumbled across a thick carpet of leaves. Behind me, my kitchen wavered like a mirage, its familiar colors fading to gray. The tear Rhys had made grew smaller, shrinking until it disappeared and left me staring at a dense wall of foliage.
With my first few gasps, my lungs had felt like they were on fire, but at least I could breathe again. After being deprived of oxygen, the fresh air made my vision swim. My knees buckled and I would have fallen if Rhys hadn’t grabbed my arm.
“Relax. It only makes things worse if you fight it.”
“You’ve done this before?”
“Yes.”
“Do you ever get used to it?”
“Sooner or later.”
Unsure whether to puke or pass out, I leaned over and braced my hands on my legs, waiting for the nausea to subside. After a few breaths, the dizziness cleared enough for me to raise my head. We were standing in a grassy clearing alongside a meandering gravel path that disappeared into shadows in both directions. Dense woods shrouded in darkness crowded the other side of the path.
We weren’t outside my apartment.
July 20, 2013
Guest author E. H. Howard – Dwarves in Urban Fantasy
Today I have a guest author, E. H. Howard, who writes fantasy and has published the fascinating Amara’s Daughter.
I now give the floor to E. H. Howard to tell us What ever happened to the dwarves?
Urban fantasy, a good deal of steam punk and I suppose most of the vampire genre borrow heavily from the oldest fantasy style, now described as “High Fantasy” (a term I hate, loath and detest by the way …)
Noticeably, the species that have successfully made the leap across the years are Werewolves, Elves and Vampires. Even the lowly Pixie puts in an appearance.
Leaping into the 21st (at least) century, they carry mobile phones, drink, work and generally fit in with modern living. I’ve even come across dragons making the break into urban living, but I’ve yet to encounter the urban dwarf.
Is it a lack of sex appeal?
The slinky, leaf-shaped elven face of either gender is appealing. Add to that the inner strength, physical prowess and sensitivity to Gaia, the elf has a lot of charm.
Lurking in the shadows, the brooding nature of the vampire holds a dark attraction. In all the books I’ve read, I’ve never come across a chubby vampire. I guess most blood is low-fat, low sugar. The nosferatau bald head and fingernails quickly gave way to slick hair and charm. Again, these characteristics cross genders, and, after all, who doesn’t appreciate having their neck chewed under the right circumstances?
Offering their own hirsute brand of danger, we also have the werewolves. I’ve not encountered this in a form to appeal to men, but the rugged, wolverine, outdoor type is certainly on the edge of town, if not truly urban.
What does the lowly dwarf have to offer?
An unkempt beard is rarely attractive. A stare set at chest height is always a turn off.
The dwarf is a practical creature, even with the height and the beard issues. These aggressive, irritable guys often have their own gold mine. There are too many small, ugly men with good looking women on their arms to say these aren’t attractive qualities. Therefore why have they not made the shift?
Creating the urban dwarf presents challenges.
How will he travel? Seated on a motorcycle with swept back bars, our hero could sit proud. Sadly, the “mean and moody” look would be marred at the stop lights by the crunch of half a tonne of chrome hitting the floor.
The big four by four is out. He can’t get in. So, we’ll go with a lowrider. There’ll be a cushion on the seat, but we can get away with that can’t we?
And dressing him? Short and wide rarely looks good in a leather trench-coat. More like a dalek dressed for fetish, than a brooding hero.
Lycra – no!
Tee-shirt or vest and jeans. Too much hair. The mini-me ZZ top surely doesn’t work.
With his beard trimmed to stubble, his hair in a ponytail and a single-breasted dinner jacket stretched across broad shoulders, I think we have a formula. Add to this a lowrider muscle car and I believe we have a true urban dwarf.
Hang on … no wonder they dropped out of fiction. They’re all got a better gig working the doors at night clubs.
About Amara’s Daughter:
Carved from ice with blades of fire, the rigidly feminist state of Serenia breeds heroes. Unimaginably perfect, Amara the Magnificent, the legendary Ultimate Warrior is their greatest.
Five years since Amara’s mysterious disappearance, her daughter, Maryan, struggles to escape her mother’s formidable shadow. Shunned by most, her only friends are oddball characters from the edge of society.
The Queen sees Maryan as an asset to the nation, a pawn to play with and a pretty bauble to appease the neighbouring king, but lurking beneath the surface, an ancient terror plots to wipe out Maryan’s bloodline.
Friend, lover, and more, Amara’s Daughter is a turbulent, rite of passage story tracing Maryan’s growth from naive schoolgirl to the woman destiny needs her to be.
Excerpt:
On the arena floor, Asti dropped her full weight through her knee on Barag’s windpipe. A short stab wedged her tiny scissors deep into the man’s left eye. She stood up and pounded them into his brain with her heel.
In the silence that followed, she pointed at the Queen. “If you won’t honour our traditions, maybe it’s time for us to change the leader of our nation.” Keeping her back rigidly straight, she marched purposefully across to the shadow of the tunnel.
Nobody moved and nobody cheered. The body of the fallen man twitched in a growing pool of blood.
About the author:
Living in Cheshire with my wife and our two dogs (Milly and Molly,) I’ve run a successful computer consultancy for many years. The business continues to thrive and I feel blessed that people pay me to solve complex problems for them.
One day, we hope to spend a portion of our year on the Greek islands, where I would love to spend most days writing, but for now, I’m content that with three adult children, I’m being presented with grandchildren at a fabulous rate.
I split my writing time between short stories and novels. I love to take the challenge of creating a viable story in a reduced number of words for flash competitions.
At the top of my list of all-time favourites are CS Lewis and JRR Tolkien. Following them are Robert Jordan and Trudi Canavan, with a whole host of modern writers cramming up behind, including Kim Harrison (Hollows series), Margaret Stohl/ kami Garcia (Caster Chronicles) and Ben Aaaronovitch (Rivers of London.)
July 15, 2013
Magik & Mayhem Blog Hop and giveaway 15-19 July
Do you like fantasy, urban or epic? Are you fond of elves, fairies, pixies and kobolds? Do you enjoy stories with magic?
Welcome to our blog hop! Here is a chance to read about such creatures, find out about fantasy stories, and win books and gift cards! Summer is more magical already.
The list of ebooks you can win:
Yseult by Ruth Nestvold
Bundle Season 1 Boreal and John Grey by Chrystalla Thoma
Bundle Dark Elf by Willo Nonea Rea
Caitlin’s Book of Shadows by Juli D. Revezzo
Print book Raingun by John Blackport
Aundes Aura by Ryan Sullivan
Seeking a Scribe by Marsha A. Moore
Her Master’s Madness by J.E. & M. Keep
Wings of Shadow by Anna Kyss
Rune Breaker by Landon Porter
Judgement Rising by Tracy Falbe
The Chosen by Annette Gisby
New Zealand with a Hobbit Botherer by John & Annette Gisby
Now, let me tell you about my brand of elves, my take and my story. Let me tell you about the Nordic epics…
Because if you leave a comment, you will enter my own personal raffle and can win a copy of my boxset (ebook) containing the whole first season of Boreal and John Grey – plus a copy of my short fantasy story Dreamdancer (ebook)!!!
I have always been in love with elves – well, since I was fourteen and read Tolkien. Elves always seemed inextricably linked to epic fantasy – the Lord of the Rings variety. The wise, vegan, tree-hugging type, usually disgusted by humankind’s barbaric ways and wars.
I wanted to see a different kind of elves.
Besides, I had a feeling elves were an underrepresented minority in fantasy.
Urban fantasy tends to focus on vampires and witches and werewolves. Oh, there is UF with elves and fairies, though what I’ve seen is mainly Young Adult, but I wanted elves not only with magic but also technology, elves not wise and bonded to nature but wicked and bent on world domination.
And I also wanted them to be sexy. Legolas is okay, I guess, but let me tell you, my elves are much hotter.
I wanted there to be a reason for their differences from us humans, too, an explanation, a history.
During the 13th century In Iceland, epic poems and tales called Edda were written down. These spoke of many gods and magical creatures, among them the aelfar – the elves. Tall and pale – their name means ‘white’ – these trickster beings brought misfortune and illness, and exchanged healthy children with sickly changelings. They lived in Aelfheim – literally “elf home” – one of the nine worlds hanging on the world tree Ygdrasil.
We also know from the Edda that there were Light Elves living on the surface of their world, and Dark Elves living underground. There is a lot more about these beings, information Tolkien drew upon for his creation of the elves of Middle Earth.
Thus I went back to the source. I read what the Edda said about elves and dwarves and their world, and started again. Decided there would be a Veil, a Grey space, between the worlds, and that sometimes beings could cross. Decided the elves had crossed before, bent on conquering. The Dark Elves managed to stop them, locked the Gates. But the Light elves found a way to cross once more and take over our world.
Enter Ella Benson, Paranormal Bureau agent, who fights all that comes through the Veil – dangerous Shades crossing into our world.
But something has changed: increasingly dangerous creatures are slipping into her city, her work partner has just gone missing, and a mysterious – and, frankly, quite hot — guy saves her life. His name is Finn and, as it turns out, he’s a natural when it comes to fighting the Shades.
With the Gates opening and her partner gone, Ella needs a new ally. Enlisting the mysterious Finn is her first thought and seems to work quite well, until she realizes Finn has some dangerous secrets of his own.
Together with Finn, and the fate of the world on her shoulders, what’s Ella to do but grab her weapons and figure it all out, one way or another.
July 12, 2013
12 -14 July ~A Mark of Excellence ~Phenomenal Books promotion!
Who doesn’t love an excellent book? Let’s face it, we all love excellence…we all love excellent books…some can even be called phenomenal books for one reason or another. It might be because of the story, a unique idea, the style, prose, descriptions or amazing and believable characters. For the weekend of the 12-14th July inclusive Faith Mortimer has selected some excellent books to spotlight. Most of them are on sale for only a couple of dollars – including my boxset of the complete Season 1 of Boreal and John Grey (it will revert to its usual higher price on monday).
So if you’re looking for an excellent book or two, head on over to Faith’s blog and check them out.
Happy Reading!
List of books to give you an idea of the offer – click on the image above or the link to Faith’s blog for the prices and other links:
DERRICK ~ Donna Fasano
Fourteen Days Later ~ Sibel Hodge
An Eternity of Roses ~ Natalie G Owens
Inescapable ~ Natalie G Owens & Zee Monodee
Wild Water ~ Jan Ruth
The Assassins’ Village ~ Faith Mortimer
The Time Baroness ~ Georgine Young-Ellis
Aphrodisiac ~ Alicia and Roy Street
Wendy & The Lost Boys ~ Barbara Silkstone
Fast Movin’ Train ~ Pam Howes
The Rock n’ Roll Romance Box Set ~ Pam Howes
Regret No More ~ Seb Kirby
The Seeds of Time ~ Faith Mortimer
She Belongs to Me ~ Carmen DeSousa
Boreal and John Grey ~ Chrystalla Thoma
July 10, 2013
Disturbed Fate Tour – author Kia Zi Shiru
Today I am participating in the Disturbed Fate Tour by a wonderful author I’ve showcased before: Kia Zi Shiru. I love her work not only because it’s beautifully written, but also because it deals with themes that interest me very much. It’s paranormal and fantasy but with LGBT characters, who, in my opinion, are not represented near often enough in the speculative genre.
Her new book Disturbed Fate (Otherkin #1) has just been released and I can’t wait to read it!!!
Blurb:
Marc, a small pet shop owner and seer, needs help with his store, but his new employee, Galen, brings with him more trouble than expected. Marc tries to keep their relationship professional even if Galen seems insistent on taking it to the next level. And then there is the problem of Galen’s past.
Keiran, a hard working medical student and Marc’s best friend, has a small problem, a stalker. One night he confronts the guy and finds in his stalker vampire, Devlan, is too alluring to turn down. But Devlan isn’t who he seems to be.
When the four men meet up for a night out their lives fall apart. Marc’s premonitions are wrong and everything points towards one autumn night a couple of years ago. Now they need to figure out what happened that night, before someone dies, again.
Time is running out. The visions might be false, but they don’t paint a pretty picture, not about their futures and, especially, not about their pasts. They need to reverse the change before it is too late.
Where to find it!!
So I asked Kia a few questions about her writing, and she kindly replied to them. Here you go!
Hi dear Kia, welcome. Can you tell us a few words about yourself and your writing?
Hi, I’m Kia, I love reading and writing. My favourite genres are contemporary and fantasy. I like stories that talk about social norms and just over all are interesting, this usually means that I read LGBT books but also other things that don’t take an easy route when it comes to characters or story.
Why Urban fantasy and not epic?
I’m slightly scared of epic stories. Well, that is part of the truth. Epic requires a lot of world building, more than I’ve done for Otherkin Spirits. On the other hand, I’ve had some ideas for possibly writing an epic story, but I don’t think my skills are good enough yet. Plus, there are quite a few stories that I want to finish before I start the epic quest for the epic story.
Can you recommend me any good urban fantasy series?
Hmmm, Boreal and John Grey, have you heard of that one? Okay, kidding kidding. Some that come to mind are Cassandra Palmer by Karen Chance (though I’ve only read the first book, but I loved that) and Bite and Bitten by Sean Michael (gay werewolf story). Also for the more magic loving people, either the Sweep or the Balefire series by Cate Tiernan.
What makes your urban fantasy different?
I don’t just use regular types of creatures. Well, we’ve heard that before the past couple of years, I know. What I mean with it is that mine are based on the Otherkin community, an underground community of people who believe they are non-human. I didn’t fully use their information though, the people in my story are a bit more magical. What I did take from them are things like awakening, how to safely drink blood, the idea of psychic vampires, vampires don’t have super strength and aren’t ageless or anything like that. Otherkin in that world means those who are not the same. Kin (as in kindred spirits) means those who are the same. Vampires are a different kin from werewolves or humans. I chose to title the series Otherkin Spirits since the characters are all of different types.
At the same time I also use things like different worlds, seers and things like that. Things that people will remember as more common ideas of the Urban Fantasy genre.
What is your current project/most recent release ?
My current project is the Otherkin Spirits series. The first book Disturbed Fate about a seer who finds out that the fate he has always seen has been altered and he and 3 others need to figure out how to fix it is out already. The second book, Disturbed Connections about a werewolf and a psychic vampire in love but kept apart because of werewolf clan and vampire coven rules is planned to come out next month.
What is your next planned project?
After these first two books of Otherkin Spirits I’ll be working on a trilogy that hasn’t got a real name yet, for the moment it’s named Sean, after my main character. It’s a more traditional vampire story and has enstranged twins, of who one is a vampire (and my MC’s boyfriend) and the other isn’t a vampire. But I’m not saying any more since I’m still planning some of it and I don’t want to spoil any fun.
Links to your work and yourself??
You can find me:
And if you want to keep up to date you can sign up for my newsletter!
Author pestering session!
Favorite color?
Black, but since black is not a real colour (rather the absence of colour) I’m choosing toxic green
Place of residence?
My birth town again since a few months, Groningen.
Native language?
Dutch
Favorite food?
Steak or Dutch pancakes
Favorite movie?
Moonchild, it’s a Japanese vampire movie with music stars Gackt and Hyde in it.
What’s in your fridge right now?
Milk, aloe vera mango juice, beer, cheese, ham, ketjap ans spareribs.
What book are you reading now?
Broken: Secrets in Madison Falls by Rachel Hanna
What is your favorite word at the moment?
Guys, not sure why, an interesting leftover from living in the UK. My latest writing is full of the word guys.
Who is KIA:
Kia Zi Shiru is a Dutch girl who did her bachelor studying English and Creative Writing in the UK but has now returned to the Netherlands to do her masters. Amongst her interests she finds writing, reading, doing research and learning different languages (including but not limited to: English, Dutch, French, German, HTML, Java, PHP and Assembly). Her writing and reading habits include books with Young Adults, gay themes, strong female or minority characters and fantasy elements (more often than not all at the same time).
And finally - an excerpt from Kia’s newly released book: Disturbed Fate (Otherkin #1):
Keiran walked on, taking the same route as always. Past the high buildings, past the park. Wait. Keiran stopped. The man was close, closer than before. Keiran turned around. No one. The man was still there somewhere, he could sense him, but he wasn’t visible. Keiran turned to the side, back into the park, into the open. He wanted to see this guy who made his knees go weak and his heart race.
Keiran stood still, his back to where he knew the other man was, slowly taking off his jacket. The cold cooled his skin, fading the blush that had started to form. He felt the power of the energy intensify. The man was coming closer. He became engulfed in the energy, in the pressure of it on his senses.
Warm lips touched his neck from above, soft in contrast with the hard body pressed against him. The whisper was clear in the silent park. “Oh, how intoxicating you are from this close, even more than the first time I found you.”
Keiran stilled and then he felt it, low, pounding—want, need, blood lust. He gasped. Oh, this was nice, this feeling of undiluted craving. A sanguine vampire. He pressed against the body behind him, moving his body, enjoying the sensations. He would be able to fly if he could actually tap into the energy of this guy.
“Stop.” The voice was rough, stern, went to his groin immediately, but it made him still. “I should have guessed, you’re one of them. That is how you knew I was here. Hmm.”
Keiran could not stay still with this guy so close to him: he needed to move, to feel. He needed. They stood still for a couple of minutes before he could no longer hold himself and started to move again. This guy was built like a wall, a smooth wall but definitely a wall, tall, broad, hard. Two rough hands gripped his hips and kept him in place.
“If you don’t stand still I will leave.” The words were spoken so close to his ear that the man’s lips tickled the shell of it. Keiran held his breath, not daring to make any movement at all, apart from the involuntary bulging of his pants. This guy was intense. Not only did he emit power, he knew how to use it, and Keiran hadn’t even seen him yet.
“You know what I am and what I want. Can you deal with that?” The hands on his hips eased their grip, making his hips move back into the guy. “Well?”
Keiran nodded. He was not sure what the man was asking, or offering, he was too caught up in the experience. But he didn’t care, just to be close to this guy was worth a lot.
“Turn around.”
Keiran complied, cold air hitting his back now it was no longer covered, and he arched forward.
The man chuckled low.
