Brenda Sparks's Blog, page 58
July 1, 2013
Book Blitz: An Untimely Romance by J & L Wells
Title: An Untimely Romance
Author: J & L Wells
Genre: New Adult, Time Travel Romance
Blitz Host: Lady Amber's Tours
Synopsis:
Heather Richardson is a seventeen-year-old British girl whose life quickly becomes an emotional roller coaster when she meets Ruben Brown, a controlling twenty-four-year-old man who works for her father at Freesdon Manor. As much as Heather wants to love Ruben, the cracks in their relationship begin to show as her eighteenth birthday draws nigh.
In a surprising turn of events Heather is confronted by Frank, an intriguing man from a past that dates back to the nineteenth century. His untimely presence changes everything.
When she’s thrown back in time by an unrelenting force, Heather realizes that her life is not what it appears to be. Her future has already been written, and it seems she cannot escape her fate, a fate determined by a love lost long ago. In her struggle to find herself, Heather must chose her destiny amidst a dangerous love triangle, vengeful lovers, and passions controlled by the hands of time.
Author Bio:
About J & L Wells: J & L Wells is a UK based mother daughter team, consisting of Laura and her mother Judith. Together, they write compelling fiction and are currently working on book 2 of the Untimely Romance series.
Author Links
http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/17832082-untimely
http://fantasy-author1.blogspot.co.uk/
https://www.facebook.com/AnUntimelyRomance?ref=hl
Buy Links (If Available)
Amazon Link: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00D0WZ57S
Amazon UK: https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B00D0WZ57S
Excerpt:
Chapter One Ye Olde England
“Oh, Mr Boswel,” Anna sighed awkwardly, biting her bottom lip as he gazed seductively into her eyes. She placed her small-gloved hand into his and he smiled, but no words passed between them. The heady concerto played by the musicians faded into insignificance, the guests and all their formalities forgotten in the moment. He led her into an open hallway towards the larger of two grand staircases. She could hardly breathe. His dark-brown eyes were hypnotic and with every gaze they burned into hers. His jet-black hair fell in soft waves around his shoulders, while small curls drifted onto his forehead, which he had a habit of flicking back to reveal his face. And oh, what a face, with his chiselled jawline, high cheekbones and overly full lips, perfect traits complemented by a rich olive skin tone and pretty, near perfect complexion.
Anna had waited so long for this moment. She felt her legs trembling beneath her, hoping upon hope that they wouldn’t give way. Upon reaching the first floor, guilt descended upon her. She knew what she was about to embark on was wrong and that she’d be judged, but on second glance down the stairs, across the hall and through the arched doorway, she saw that those in attendance at the masquerade ball danced on and drank merrily, oblivious to their departure.
She wasn’t allowed to linger for long, as Mr Boswel’s firm grip pulled her slightly off balance and she stumbled wearily. Aware that the hour was late, her gaze wandered briefly before coming to rest on the ornate grandfather clock in its regal attire, situated equidistantly between the two staircases, both hands sitting comfortably on the number one.
Mr Boswel’s eyes held a warm reassurance as he led her across the landing towards a large oak door. “After you, madam,” he gestured, opening the door.
“Thank y’ sir,” she uttered nervously.
Why me? Anna thought to herself as her conscience juggled with reality, still questioning why he had given her the time of day. With his good looks and his status, he really could have anybody he desired. On close inspection, Anna knew she was anything but beautiful; even as a child, her mother referred to her as plain. It wasn’t that she had a bad face, just not an overly pretty one; her eyes perhaps too small, their colour quite insignificant – somewhere between light blue and grey – and strawberry-blonde hair scraped back rather severely in a bun. There wasn’t anything dynamic about her features either; even her nose had a slight tilt to the left – a flaw nobody else would have picked up on.
Then the door closed behind them and they were alone at last, away from unwanted roving eyes. It was a moment she’d longed for, for what seemed like an eternity.
She found herself in a large bedchamber, a four-poster bed made from a deep rich wood taking centre stage, its precise carvings inlaid with gold leaf in large spirals. Warm red silk drapes, not quite scarlet, perhaps a shade or two deeper complemented the bed. The room exuded wealth, with its deep-mahogany furnishings, high walls and numerous gilt edged portraits.
Anna felt lost in her new surroundings.
“Well, Anna…”
She jumped, and her eyes were drawn once again towards the handsome Mr Boswel, who had already removed his shoes and was now reclined on the bed, propped up by two thick cotton bolsters. His long taupe waistcoat was draped untidily over a padded-back chair, and she watched tentatively as he started unbuttoning his linen shirt to reveal a toned physique.
“Join me,” he murmured, his voice soft and inviting.
Her heart was beating so heavily in her chest as she made her way over to the bed that she was sure he’d be able to hear. She was even tempted to hold her breath. He leaned his body forward towards hers as she sat nervously on the edge of the bed. She knew he was going to take her, and although she felt way out of her depth, she wanted him so very badly. He smelt so fine, his broad chest brushing against her arm; she could feel the soft hairs between his nipples, and then their hardness.
She was burning inside as he ran his fingers longingly over her body. She felt his breath, then his lips, tenderly at first as they began caressing the nape of her neck, and then with an urgency, a hunger, the tenderness turned to lust. Their lips met for the first time and he pulled her body roughly onto his, quickly loosening the bodice of her gown and starting to untie the lacings of her corset…
~•••~
“Anna,” he whispered, a husky lilt to his voice.
“Mr Boswel…” were the only words to leave her lips as they lay lost in the moment, wrapped in each other’s arms.
“Stay here with me tonight.”
“Sir, I’ll be tellin’ y’, I’m betrothed to another,” Anna replied, shedding tears of guilt while darting around the room, recovering her garments.
Mr Boswel sighed. “An unfortunate predicament in which you find yourself, my dear,” he said, lifting himself slightly and leaning the weight of his body on his elbows, looking at her earnestly while she dressed.
“Mr Boswel, yer reputation precedes ye.”
“Perhaps, Anna, but they are just empty conquests.”
“All but one, sir.” Anna paused, awaiting his response, but the words she longed for were not forthcoming.
“This I cannot deny, but I would be grateful if you were not to mention her name. She is now but a ghost from my past.”
“I must take yer leave, sir. I’ll be missed.” Fear grew in her voice. “Mr Boswel, I ain’t gonna live a life with ye as me guilty secret.”
“Well, Anna, that’s all I have to offer you. At this present time you must be patient… I…”
Anna interrupted him before he could continue. “Please, sir, I beg of ye, say no more. I think it best I bid ye farewell.”
With that, she walked out of the room and out of his life, sure that he was watching until she closed the door.
Judy graciously agreed to share a little of herself by doing an interview. Please get to know this author a little more by reading her responses below. :) When did you first realize you wanted to be a writer?
Judy- I always wrote poetry, and I guess it just moved on to novels. We got our inspiration on each other, and everything fell into place, and the writing was so natural.
How long did it take you to write your book?
Our first book took a year-
An untimely romance took 4/5 months
What genre is your book? What made you choose to write in that category?
Time travel romance with a paranormal twist –
But it is classed as time travel romance as we take our audience back to the nineteenth century.
What was your work schedule like when you were writing?
We just spent as much time as we could writing.
What would you say is your interesting writing quirk?
We like to experiment with different genres
Where do you get your information or ideas for your books?
We had to research the 19th century online, we had book also, and went to a few manor houses to get a feel of how Freesdon manor might look.
How many books have you written? Which is your favorite?
two… and half way through book2 of untimely
An untimely romance is my favorite
Are you currently working on another book? If so, is it part of a series or something different?
We are half way through the second installment of An untimely romance
What do you like to do when you're not writing?
Spending time with our animals and each other.
What does your family think of your writing?
Just leave us to it really.
What was one of the most surprising things you learned about yourself in creating your books?
That we were able to travel back into the nineteenth century, we thought we’d struggle.
Do you have any suggestions to help others become a better writer? If so, what are they?
Keep writing, the more you write, the better you become, read reviews, good and bad.
Do you hear from your readers much? What kinds of things do they say?
apart from review, No not really, we have a few that email us regularly and can’t wait for our sequel.
What do you think makes a good story?
Something that is slightly different, no straight forward, so has many facets to it, keeping the readers interest.
As a child, what did you want to do when you grew up?
Be an Olympic swimmer, I was the 6th fastest in the country at 200m breaststroke at 14years of age.
Are you self published or do you have a publisher? If self published, what made you decide to go that route?
We have a small press in America.
Do you have a website, fan page, blog or twitter we can pass on to your fans?
https://www.facebook.com/AnUntimelyRomance?ref=hl
http://fantasy-author1.blogspot.co.uk/p/about-us.html
http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/17832082-untimely
Author: J & L Wells
Genre: New Adult, Time Travel Romance
Blitz Host: Lady Amber's Tours
Synopsis:Heather Richardson is a seventeen-year-old British girl whose life quickly becomes an emotional roller coaster when she meets Ruben Brown, a controlling twenty-four-year-old man who works for her father at Freesdon Manor. As much as Heather wants to love Ruben, the cracks in their relationship begin to show as her eighteenth birthday draws nigh.
In a surprising turn of events Heather is confronted by Frank, an intriguing man from a past that dates back to the nineteenth century. His untimely presence changes everything.
When she’s thrown back in time by an unrelenting force, Heather realizes that her life is not what it appears to be. Her future has already been written, and it seems she cannot escape her fate, a fate determined by a love lost long ago. In her struggle to find herself, Heather must chose her destiny amidst a dangerous love triangle, vengeful lovers, and passions controlled by the hands of time.
Author Bio:
About J & L Wells: J & L Wells is a UK based mother daughter team, consisting of Laura and her mother Judith. Together, they write compelling fiction and are currently working on book 2 of the Untimely Romance series.
Author Links
http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/17832082-untimely
http://fantasy-author1.blogspot.co.uk/
https://www.facebook.com/AnUntimelyRomance?ref=hl
Buy Links (If Available)
Amazon Link: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00D0WZ57S
Amazon UK: https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B00D0WZ57S
Excerpt:
Chapter One Ye Olde England
“Oh, Mr Boswel,” Anna sighed awkwardly, biting her bottom lip as he gazed seductively into her eyes. She placed her small-gloved hand into his and he smiled, but no words passed between them. The heady concerto played by the musicians faded into insignificance, the guests and all their formalities forgotten in the moment. He led her into an open hallway towards the larger of two grand staircases. She could hardly breathe. His dark-brown eyes were hypnotic and with every gaze they burned into hers. His jet-black hair fell in soft waves around his shoulders, while small curls drifted onto his forehead, which he had a habit of flicking back to reveal his face. And oh, what a face, with his chiselled jawline, high cheekbones and overly full lips, perfect traits complemented by a rich olive skin tone and pretty, near perfect complexion.
Anna had waited so long for this moment. She felt her legs trembling beneath her, hoping upon hope that they wouldn’t give way. Upon reaching the first floor, guilt descended upon her. She knew what she was about to embark on was wrong and that she’d be judged, but on second glance down the stairs, across the hall and through the arched doorway, she saw that those in attendance at the masquerade ball danced on and drank merrily, oblivious to their departure.
She wasn’t allowed to linger for long, as Mr Boswel’s firm grip pulled her slightly off balance and she stumbled wearily. Aware that the hour was late, her gaze wandered briefly before coming to rest on the ornate grandfather clock in its regal attire, situated equidistantly between the two staircases, both hands sitting comfortably on the number one.
Mr Boswel’s eyes held a warm reassurance as he led her across the landing towards a large oak door. “After you, madam,” he gestured, opening the door.
“Thank y’ sir,” she uttered nervously.
Why me? Anna thought to herself as her conscience juggled with reality, still questioning why he had given her the time of day. With his good looks and his status, he really could have anybody he desired. On close inspection, Anna knew she was anything but beautiful; even as a child, her mother referred to her as plain. It wasn’t that she had a bad face, just not an overly pretty one; her eyes perhaps too small, their colour quite insignificant – somewhere between light blue and grey – and strawberry-blonde hair scraped back rather severely in a bun. There wasn’t anything dynamic about her features either; even her nose had a slight tilt to the left – a flaw nobody else would have picked up on.
Then the door closed behind them and they were alone at last, away from unwanted roving eyes. It was a moment she’d longed for, for what seemed like an eternity.
She found herself in a large bedchamber, a four-poster bed made from a deep rich wood taking centre stage, its precise carvings inlaid with gold leaf in large spirals. Warm red silk drapes, not quite scarlet, perhaps a shade or two deeper complemented the bed. The room exuded wealth, with its deep-mahogany furnishings, high walls and numerous gilt edged portraits.
Anna felt lost in her new surroundings.
“Well, Anna…”
She jumped, and her eyes were drawn once again towards the handsome Mr Boswel, who had already removed his shoes and was now reclined on the bed, propped up by two thick cotton bolsters. His long taupe waistcoat was draped untidily over a padded-back chair, and she watched tentatively as he started unbuttoning his linen shirt to reveal a toned physique.
“Join me,” he murmured, his voice soft and inviting.
Her heart was beating so heavily in her chest as she made her way over to the bed that she was sure he’d be able to hear. She was even tempted to hold her breath. He leaned his body forward towards hers as she sat nervously on the edge of the bed. She knew he was going to take her, and although she felt way out of her depth, she wanted him so very badly. He smelt so fine, his broad chest brushing against her arm; she could feel the soft hairs between his nipples, and then their hardness.
She was burning inside as he ran his fingers longingly over her body. She felt his breath, then his lips, tenderly at first as they began caressing the nape of her neck, and then with an urgency, a hunger, the tenderness turned to lust. Their lips met for the first time and he pulled her body roughly onto his, quickly loosening the bodice of her gown and starting to untie the lacings of her corset…
~•••~
“Anna,” he whispered, a husky lilt to his voice.
“Mr Boswel…” were the only words to leave her lips as they lay lost in the moment, wrapped in each other’s arms.
“Stay here with me tonight.”
“Sir, I’ll be tellin’ y’, I’m betrothed to another,” Anna replied, shedding tears of guilt while darting around the room, recovering her garments.
Mr Boswel sighed. “An unfortunate predicament in which you find yourself, my dear,” he said, lifting himself slightly and leaning the weight of his body on his elbows, looking at her earnestly while she dressed.
“Mr Boswel, yer reputation precedes ye.”
“Perhaps, Anna, but they are just empty conquests.”
“All but one, sir.” Anna paused, awaiting his response, but the words she longed for were not forthcoming.
“This I cannot deny, but I would be grateful if you were not to mention her name. She is now but a ghost from my past.”
“I must take yer leave, sir. I’ll be missed.” Fear grew in her voice. “Mr Boswel, I ain’t gonna live a life with ye as me guilty secret.”
“Well, Anna, that’s all I have to offer you. At this present time you must be patient… I…”
Anna interrupted him before he could continue. “Please, sir, I beg of ye, say no more. I think it best I bid ye farewell.”
With that, she walked out of the room and out of his life, sure that he was watching until she closed the door.
Judy graciously agreed to share a little of herself by doing an interview. Please get to know this author a little more by reading her responses below. :) When did you first realize you wanted to be a writer?
Judy- I always wrote poetry, and I guess it just moved on to novels. We got our inspiration on each other, and everything fell into place, and the writing was so natural.
How long did it take you to write your book?
Our first book took a year-
An untimely romance took 4/5 months
What genre is your book? What made you choose to write in that category?
Time travel romance with a paranormal twist –
But it is classed as time travel romance as we take our audience back to the nineteenth century.
What was your work schedule like when you were writing?
We just spent as much time as we could writing.
What would you say is your interesting writing quirk?
We like to experiment with different genres
Where do you get your information or ideas for your books?
We had to research the 19th century online, we had book also, and went to a few manor houses to get a feel of how Freesdon manor might look.
How many books have you written? Which is your favorite?
two… and half way through book2 of untimely
An untimely romance is my favorite
Are you currently working on another book? If so, is it part of a series or something different?
We are half way through the second installment of An untimely romance
What do you like to do when you're not writing?
Spending time with our animals and each other.
What does your family think of your writing?
Just leave us to it really.
What was one of the most surprising things you learned about yourself in creating your books?
That we were able to travel back into the nineteenth century, we thought we’d struggle.
Do you have any suggestions to help others become a better writer? If so, what are they?
Keep writing, the more you write, the better you become, read reviews, good and bad.
Do you hear from your readers much? What kinds of things do they say?
apart from review, No not really, we have a few that email us regularly and can’t wait for our sequel.
What do you think makes a good story?
Something that is slightly different, no straight forward, so has many facets to it, keeping the readers interest.
As a child, what did you want to do when you grew up?
Be an Olympic swimmer, I was the 6th fastest in the country at 200m breaststroke at 14years of age.
Are you self published or do you have a publisher? If self published, what made you decide to go that route?
We have a small press in America.
Do you have a website, fan page, blog or twitter we can pass on to your fans?
https://www.facebook.com/AnUntimelyRomance?ref=hl
http://fantasy-author1.blogspot.co.uk/p/about-us.html
http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/17832082-untimely
June 30, 2013
Book Blitz: Broken Prince by Jen Wylie
Title: Broken Prince (Book 2 of The Broken Ones)
Author: Jen Wylie
Genre: New Adult, Fantasy
Tour Host:Lady Amber's Tours
Synopsis:
Sometimes, when you're broken, you can heal on your own. Sometimes, you need the help of your friends, your family, and the people you love. Keeping those pieces together when the world seems intent on ripping you apart is the greatest challenge of all. Especially when the ones you love, the ones who hold you together, start falling apart themselves.
Arowyn and her family continue on their journey to return the Elven Prince, Shael, to his homeland before he fades and dies. A journey full of triumph and horror, love and sorrow, rips them apart with every fighting moment, and yet brings them together as a family. They don’t allow the prophecy to rule their lives. Some don’t believe, some don’t care. Prophecies aren’t written in stone. Events can change. People can change. They are only words. From besieged cites, to the elusive Were and wild Fey, nothing quite prepares them to face their deadliest of enemies, one they didn't know existed.
Excerpt:
Damon knelt before them.
"Will she get better? Will she…" Prince’s voice trailed off.
Her eyes locked on Damon’s face as he regarded her thoughtfully. His hand came up and she flinched as it rested on the top of her head. No pain came. She felt…nothing. If he tried to speak to her, she couldn’t hear him.
"No," he said finally. "There has been damage to the brain. There is bleeding and swelling inside."
Prince’s cry startled her, almost as much as the sudden clutching of his arms around her. "Can you do anything," he choked out. "Please, I am responsible. I can not…I will pay–"
Damon chuckled. "It is not your life that needs saving." He stared at Prince for a long moment. "I see." He shook his head. "Perhaps I was wrong and she isn’t the one. I read so few pages of the book." He turned to Kei.
"No," the Fey said. "I don’t remember."
"Pity."
"Dragos, I beg of you," Prince began again.
"The Elven prince begs, and for a human. How very far you have fallen." He looked down at her again.
Blinking up at him, she tried to get her scattered thoughts to work. She’d barely comprehended what he’d said past the inference she was dying. The words sent an icy chill through her body. Terror crawled through her, speeding her heart. Sweat broke out on her forehead and all she could hear was her increasingly frantic breathing.
Kei startled her, leaning forward over her to press a kiss to her forehead. She tilted her head back, trying to see him.
"I’m with you."
Damon’s fingers brushes her cheek, drawing her attention back to him. "Do you wish to live, young Arowyn?"
Words refused to pass her lips. Somehow she managed to nod. She didn’t know what the cost would be, certainly there would be one. Right then, she didn’t care. Rot it all, she wanted to live!
"Very well." He regarded her thoughtfully for a moment. "Dragos rarely heal others. I do know the magic, but it is difficult. Your story has barely begun. I find I would actually attempt it, just to see what you might become and how it will unfold."
He sat back and gestured to the pile of furs next to him. "Lay her down. This will take some time and I’ll need no distractions."
Prince carefully set her amongst the furs, arranging her arms so her hands rested on her chest, tucking stray locks of hair behind her ears. Leaning forward, he rested his forehead for a moment against hers.
"Get well, Arowyn."
Bo appeared next, smoothing the hair back on the top of her head and squeezing one of her hands. "You can do this, pup."
Garen pressed his wet nose against her temple. If he spoke, she didn’t hear him.
Kei pushed the wolf aside and took her face in his hands. His eyes glowed with that strange orange inner light. Tears streaked down his cheeks. Despite the awkward position he leaned down and held her close for a moment. "Remember our promises," he whispered in her. "I’m always with you." He choked on a sob and squeezed her tightly again. "I love you," he whispered fiercely before quickly pulling away.
She wished she could speak. More than anything, she wanted to tell him she loved him, too. She wanted to tell all of them she did. Tears filled her eyes and slid down her face.
Damon knelt beside her and turned her head to look at him. "I will do what I can," he said. "However I can’t guarantee it will work. I have never tried to heal a human before. Understand?"
She managed a faint nod and pressed her quivering lips together.
He glanced up and gestured the others away. "Stand back and be silent." His eyes found hers again. "Don’t fight me this time, little one. Fall into my eyes…"
Blinking once more to clear the tears away, she tried to do as he asked. Damon’s eyes were strange enough she found it not difficult to stare. They had vertical slits and no whites at all. The iridescent color was a wash of blue-green with streaks of gold and red. The colors began to swirl, making her dizzy as she tried to watch them. A comforting thrum emanated from his chest, soothing her as his power wrapped around her. Her thoughts drifted into nothing.
Author Bio:
Jen Wylie resides in rural Ontario, Canada with her two boys, Australian shepherd and a disagreeable amount of wildlife. In a cosmic twist of fate she dislikes the snow and cold.
Before settling down to raise a family, she attained a BA from Queens University and worked in retail and sales.
Thanks to her mother she acquired a love of books at an early age and began writing in public school. She constantly has stories floating around in her head, and finds it amazing most people don’t. Jennifer writes various forms of fantasy, both novels and short stories.
Links:
My website: www.jenwylie.com
My blog: http://jlwylie.wordpress.com/
Twitter: @jen_wylie
Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/4499919.Jen_Wylie
Facebook fan page: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Jennifer-Wylie/151266004895266
Amazon Author page: http://www.amazon.com/Jen-Wylie/e/B004HQ9XD8/ref=ntt_athr_dp_pel_1
Buy Links:
Amazon US http://www.amazon.com/Broken-Prince-Ones-ebook/dp/B00D3ULYPO
Amazon UK http://www.amazon.co.uk/Broken-Prince-Ones-ebook/dp/B00D3ULYPO
Goodreads
http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/17875919-broken-prince
Book One Broken Aro is on sale for 0.99
http://www.amazon.com/Broken-Aro-The-Ones-ebook/dp/B009B37VQS
Author: Jen Wylie
Genre: New Adult, Fantasy
Tour Host:Lady Amber's Tours
Synopsis:Sometimes, when you're broken, you can heal on your own. Sometimes, you need the help of your friends, your family, and the people you love. Keeping those pieces together when the world seems intent on ripping you apart is the greatest challenge of all. Especially when the ones you love, the ones who hold you together, start falling apart themselves.
Arowyn and her family continue on their journey to return the Elven Prince, Shael, to his homeland before he fades and dies. A journey full of triumph and horror, love and sorrow, rips them apart with every fighting moment, and yet brings them together as a family. They don’t allow the prophecy to rule their lives. Some don’t believe, some don’t care. Prophecies aren’t written in stone. Events can change. People can change. They are only words. From besieged cites, to the elusive Were and wild Fey, nothing quite prepares them to face their deadliest of enemies, one they didn't know existed.
Excerpt:
Damon knelt before them.
"Will she get better? Will she…" Prince’s voice trailed off.
Her eyes locked on Damon’s face as he regarded her thoughtfully. His hand came up and she flinched as it rested on the top of her head. No pain came. She felt…nothing. If he tried to speak to her, she couldn’t hear him.
"No," he said finally. "There has been damage to the brain. There is bleeding and swelling inside."
Prince’s cry startled her, almost as much as the sudden clutching of his arms around her. "Can you do anything," he choked out. "Please, I am responsible. I can not…I will pay–"
Damon chuckled. "It is not your life that needs saving." He stared at Prince for a long moment. "I see." He shook his head. "Perhaps I was wrong and she isn’t the one. I read so few pages of the book." He turned to Kei.
"No," the Fey said. "I don’t remember."
"Pity."
"Dragos, I beg of you," Prince began again.
"The Elven prince begs, and for a human. How very far you have fallen." He looked down at her again.
Blinking up at him, she tried to get her scattered thoughts to work. She’d barely comprehended what he’d said past the inference she was dying. The words sent an icy chill through her body. Terror crawled through her, speeding her heart. Sweat broke out on her forehead and all she could hear was her increasingly frantic breathing.
Kei startled her, leaning forward over her to press a kiss to her forehead. She tilted her head back, trying to see him.
"I’m with you."
Damon’s fingers brushes her cheek, drawing her attention back to him. "Do you wish to live, young Arowyn?"
Words refused to pass her lips. Somehow she managed to nod. She didn’t know what the cost would be, certainly there would be one. Right then, she didn’t care. Rot it all, she wanted to live!
"Very well." He regarded her thoughtfully for a moment. "Dragos rarely heal others. I do know the magic, but it is difficult. Your story has barely begun. I find I would actually attempt it, just to see what you might become and how it will unfold."
He sat back and gestured to the pile of furs next to him. "Lay her down. This will take some time and I’ll need no distractions."
Prince carefully set her amongst the furs, arranging her arms so her hands rested on her chest, tucking stray locks of hair behind her ears. Leaning forward, he rested his forehead for a moment against hers.
"Get well, Arowyn."
Bo appeared next, smoothing the hair back on the top of her head and squeezing one of her hands. "You can do this, pup."
Garen pressed his wet nose against her temple. If he spoke, she didn’t hear him.
Kei pushed the wolf aside and took her face in his hands. His eyes glowed with that strange orange inner light. Tears streaked down his cheeks. Despite the awkward position he leaned down and held her close for a moment. "Remember our promises," he whispered in her. "I’m always with you." He choked on a sob and squeezed her tightly again. "I love you," he whispered fiercely before quickly pulling away.
She wished she could speak. More than anything, she wanted to tell him she loved him, too. She wanted to tell all of them she did. Tears filled her eyes and slid down her face.
Damon knelt beside her and turned her head to look at him. "I will do what I can," he said. "However I can’t guarantee it will work. I have never tried to heal a human before. Understand?"
She managed a faint nod and pressed her quivering lips together.
He glanced up and gestured the others away. "Stand back and be silent." His eyes found hers again. "Don’t fight me this time, little one. Fall into my eyes…"
Blinking once more to clear the tears away, she tried to do as he asked. Damon’s eyes were strange enough she found it not difficult to stare. They had vertical slits and no whites at all. The iridescent color was a wash of blue-green with streaks of gold and red. The colors began to swirl, making her dizzy as she tried to watch them. A comforting thrum emanated from his chest, soothing her as his power wrapped around her. Her thoughts drifted into nothing.
Author Bio:Jen Wylie resides in rural Ontario, Canada with her two boys, Australian shepherd and a disagreeable amount of wildlife. In a cosmic twist of fate she dislikes the snow and cold.
Before settling down to raise a family, she attained a BA from Queens University and worked in retail and sales.
Thanks to her mother she acquired a love of books at an early age and began writing in public school. She constantly has stories floating around in her head, and finds it amazing most people don’t. Jennifer writes various forms of fantasy, both novels and short stories.
Links:
My website: www.jenwylie.com
My blog: http://jlwylie.wordpress.com/
Twitter: @jen_wylie
Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/4499919.Jen_Wylie
Facebook fan page: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Jennifer-Wylie/151266004895266
Amazon Author page: http://www.amazon.com/Jen-Wylie/e/B004HQ9XD8/ref=ntt_athr_dp_pel_1
Buy Links:
Amazon US http://www.amazon.com/Broken-Prince-Ones-ebook/dp/B00D3ULYPO
Amazon UK http://www.amazon.co.uk/Broken-Prince-Ones-ebook/dp/B00D3ULYPO
Goodreads
http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/17875919-broken-prince
Book One Broken Aro is on sale for 0.99
http://www.amazon.com/Broken-Aro-The-Ones-ebook/dp/B009B37VQS
June 28, 2013
The Writers Voice Tour:
Tour Co-hosts: Lady Amber’s Book Tours| The Writers Voice Blog The Writers Voice is a multi author blog where prominent authors from around the web come together and share their thoughts on all things literary or otherwise. Here is a peek at our team of authors! What is your biggest pet peeve in fiction writing?
“I love to write. It is my me-time, stress release, creative outlet. If I had to choose a writing related pet peeve it would probably be the fact that the average person doesn’t know what goes into writing and publishing a story. If they did there would not be so much digital piracy. Seeing your book uploaded to some site where people can grab it for free is like a huge slap in the face or being flipped off the number of times it’s been downloaded without your consent. It makes me really sad.” –Amy Maurer Jones
“Love triangles. There is something inherently unromantic about them to me. How much “in love” can you be with someone when you’re so tempted by someone else?” –Raine Thomas
“Insta-love!! I hate, hate, HATE it. I’ll never write an insta-love. I know it’s a quick and easy way to get to the good stuff (hot and heavy make outs and the like), but readers don’t know the characters that early on in a book. They can’t empathize, and so the action is exactly that—just action. There’s no emotion invested in the hero and the heroine. Not only that, it’s just so incredibly unrealistic. I could be reading about aliens taking over the world alongside a guy and a girl falling instantly in love, and I would be more likely to believe in the alien invasion.” –Frankie Rose
“Trying to create believable things in an unbelievable world. So very difficult.” –Quinn Loftis 
“Characters without ample reason for their actions. I am a firm believer in cause and effect being as much of a rule in novels as it is in life.”
–Emma Michaels
“My biggest pet peeves are poorly developed characters and/or storyline as well as poorly edited books.” –Tanya Contois
“I have none.”
–Carlyle Labuschagne
“I tend to over edit my work. I still have to figure out how to deal with it, lol.” –Victoria Simcox
“Cliffhangers. If an author doesn’t end a book with somewhat of a happily ever after, just to segue into book two, I’m done with that series. The Hunger Games was my only exception and that was because I had book two already.”
–Brenda Pandos
“I think my biggest pet peeve would have to be when the narrative addresses the reader. Like say the POV is first person, and the main character addresses the reader nonchalantly like, “Would YOU want to do something like that?” or, “Wouldn’t YOU do the same thing?” I don’t know why but that irritates me. It kind of makes me realize that indeed I’m reading a book, rather than losing myself completely to the story. Kind of ruins it for me.”
–Michael Loring“In books I read, I wish there was more of a ‘rise and fall’ to stories. I love intensity and would like to see more depth or action in books.”
–Devyn Dawson
Thank you for reading! We hope you will join us soon at The Writers Voicehttp://OurBooksOurVoice.Blogspot.com
Book Blitz: Branded by Abi Ketner & Missy Kalicicki
Title: Branded
Author: Abi Ketner & Missy Kalicicki
Release Date: June 28, 2013
Genre: Mature Young Adult/New Adult, Dystopian
Reveal Host: Lady Amber's Tours
Book Description:
Twenty years ago the Commander came into power and murdered all who opposed him. In his warped mind, the seven deadly sins were the downfall of society. He created the Hole where sinners are branded according to their sins and might survive a few years. At best.
Now LUST wraps around my neck like blue fingers strangling me. I’ve been accused of a crime I didn’t commit and now the Hole is my new home.
Darkness. Death. Violence. Pain.
Now every day is a fight for survival. But I won’t die. I won’t let them win.
The Hole can’t keep me. The Hole can’t break me.
I am more than my brand. I’m a fighter.
My name is Lexi Hamilton, and this is my story.
(Don't miss out. Chapter one of this amazing story is below.)
Author Bios:
Abi Ketner Is a registered nurse with a passion for novels, the beaches of St. John, and her Philadelphia Phillies. A talented singer, Abi loves to go running and spend lots of time with her family. She currently resides in Lancaster, Pennsylvania with her husband, triplet daughters and two very spoiled dogs.
Melissa Kalicicki received her bachelor’s degree from Millersville University in 2003. She married, had two boys and currently lives in Lancaster, Pennsylvania. Aside from reading and writing, her interests include running and mixed martial arts. She also remains an avid Cleveland sports fan.
Abi and Missy met in the summer of 1999 at college orientation and have been best friends ever since. After college, they added jobs, husbands and kids to their lives, but they still found time for their friendship. Instead of hanging out on weekends, they went to dinner once a month and reviewed books. What started out as an enjoyable hobby has now become an incredible adventure.
Links:
twitter @abiandmiss.com
website and blog www.abiandmissy.com
Facebook https://www.facebook.com/AbiandMissy
goodreads http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/17402117-branded
Book Trailer: http://video214.com/play/PlssJogkXB4H85hKKomnOA/s/dark
NOW FOR THE EXCERPT:
Chapter One
I’m buried six feet under, and no one hears my screams.
The rope chafes as I loop it around my neck. I pull down, making sure the knot is secure. It seems sturdy enough. My legs shake. My heart beats heavy in my throat. Sweat pours down my back.
Death and I glare at each other through my tears.
I take one last look at the crystal chandelier, the foyer outlined with mirrors, and the flawless decorations. No photographs adorn the walls. No happy memories here.
I’m ready to go. On the count of three.
I inhale, preparing myself for the finality of it all. Dropping my hands, a glimmer catches my eye. It’s my ring, the last precious gift my father gave me. I twist it around to read the inscription. Picturing his face forces me to reconsider my choice. He’d be heartbroken if he could see me now.
A door slams in the hallway, almost causing me to lose my balance. My thoughts already muddled, I stand waiting with the rope hanging around my neck. Voices I don’t recognize creep through the walls.
Curiosity overshadows my current thoughts. It’s late at night, and this is a secure building in High Society. No one disturbs the peace here—ever. I tug on the noose and pull it back over my head.
Peering through the eyehole in our doorway, I see a large group of armed guards banging on my neighbors’ door. A heated conversation ensues, and my neighbors point toward my family’s home.
It hits me. I’ve been accused and they’re here to arrest me.
My father would want me to run, and in that split second, I decide to listen to his voice within me. Flinging myself forward in fear, I scramble up the marble staircase and into my brother’s old bedroom. The door is partially covered, but it exists. Pushing his dresser aside, my fingers claw at the opening. Breathing hard, I lodge myself against it. Nothing. I step back and kick it with all my strength. The wood splinters open, and my foot gets caught. I wrench it backward, scraping my calf, but adrenaline pushes me forward. The voices at the front door shout my name.
On hands and knees, I squeeze through the jagged opening. My brother left through this passage, and now it’s my escape too. Cobwebs entangle my face, hands, and hair. At the end, I feel for the knob, twisting it clockwise. It swings open, creaking from disuse. I sprint into the hallway and smash through the large fire escape doors at the end. A burst of cool air strikes me in the face as I jump down the ladder.
Reaching the fifth floor, I knock on a friend’s window. The lights flicker on, and I see the curtains move, but no one answers. I bang on the window harder.
“Let me in! Please!” I say, but the lights darken. They know I’ve been accused and refuse to help me. Fear and adrenaline rush through my veins as I keep running, knocking on more windows along the way. No one has mercy. They all know what happens to sinners.
Another flight of stairs passes in a blur when I hear the guards’ heavy footfalls from above. I can’t hide, but I don’t want to go without trying.
Help me, Daddy. I need your strength now.
My previous desolation evolves into a will to survive. I have to keep running, but I tremble and gasp for air. I steel my nerves and force my body to keep moving. In a matter of minutes, my legs cramp and my chest burns. I plunge to the ground, scraping my knee and elbow. A moan escapes from my chest.
Gotta keep going.
“Stop!” Their voices bounce off the buildings. “Lexi Hamilton, surrender yourself,” they command. They’re gaining on me.
I resist the urge to glance back, running into what I assume is an alley. I’m far from our high-rise in High Society as I plunge into a poorer section of the city where the streets all look the same and the darkness prevents me from recognizing anything. I’m lost.
My first instinct is to leap into a dumpster, but I retain enough sense to stay still. I crouch and peek around it, watching them dash by. The abhorrent smell leaves me vomiting until nothing remains in my stomach. Desperation overtakes me, as I know my retching was anything but silent. My last few seconds tick away before they find me. Everyone knows about their special means of tracking sinners.
I push myself to my feet and look left, right, and left again. Their batons click against their black leather belts, and their boots stomp the cement on both sides of me. I shrink into myself. Their heavy steps mock my fear, growing closer and closer until I know I’m trapped.
Never did I imagine they’d come for me. Never did I imagine all those nights I heard them dragging someone else away that I’d join them.
“You’re a sinner,” they say. “Time to leave our society.”
I stand defiant. I refuse to bend or break before them, even as I shiver with fear.
“There’s no reason to make this difficult. The more you cooperate, the smoother this will be for everyone,” a guard says.
I cringe into the blackness along the wall. I’m innocent, but they won’t believe me or care.
The next instant, my face slams into the pavement as one guard plants a knee in my back and another handcuffs me. A warm liquid trails into my mouth. Blood. Their fingers grip my arms like steel traps as they peel me off the cement. The tops of my shoes scrape along the ground as I’m dragged behind them until they discard me into the back of a black vehicle. The doors slam in unison with one guard stationed on each side of me, my shoulders digging into their arms.
Swallowing hard, I stare ahead to avoid their eyes. My dignity is all I have left. The handcuffs dig into my wrists, so I clasp them together hard behind me and press my back into the seat, unwilling to admit how much it hurts.
Did they need so many guards to capture me?
I’m not carrying any weapons, nor do I own any. I don’t even know self-defense. High Society frowns on activities like that.
The driver jerks the vehicle around and I try to keep my bearings, but it’s dark and the scenery changes too fast. Hours pass, and the air grows warmer, more humid the farther we drive. The landscape mutates from city to rolling hills. They don’t bother blindfolding me because they escort all the sinners to the same place—the Hole. Twenty-foot cement walls encase the chaos within. There’s no way out and no way in unless they transport you. They say the Hole is a prison with no rules. We learned about it last year in twelfth grade.
To the outside, I’m filth now. I’ll never be allowed to return to the life I knew. No one ever does.
“All sinners go through a transformation,” one of the guards says to me. His smirk infuriates me. “I’m sure you’ve heard all kinds of stories.” I don’t respond. I don’t want to think about the things I’ve been told.
“You won’t last too long, though. Young girls like you get eaten alive.” He pulls a strand of my hair up to his face.
Get your hands off me, you pig. I want to lash out, but resist. The punishment for disobeying authority is severe, and I’m not positioned to defy him.
They’re the Guards of the Commander. They’re chosen from a young age and trained in combat. They keep the order of society by using violent methods of intimidation. No one befriends a guard. Relationships with them are forbidden inside the Hole.
Few have seen the commander. His identity stays under lock and key. His own paranoia and desire to stay pure drove him to live this way. He controls our depraved society and believes sinners make the human race unforgivable. His power is a crushing fist, rendering all beneath him helpless. So much so, even family members turn on each other when an accusation surfaces. Just an accusation. No trial, no evidence, nothing but an accusation.
I lose myself in thoughts of my father.
“Never show fear, Lexi,” my father said to me before he was taken. “They’ll use it against you.” His compassionate eyes filled with warning as he commanded me to be strong. That was many years ago, but I remember it clearly. My father. My rock. The one person in my life who provided unconditional love.
“Get out,” the guard says while pulling me to my feet. The vehicle stops, and I’m jerked back to reality. The doors slide open and the two guards lift me up and out into the night. A windowless cement building looms in front of us, looking barren in the darkness.
The coolness of the air sends a shiver up my spine. This is really happening. I’ve been labeled a sinner. My lip starts to quiver, but I bite it before anyone sees. They shove me in line, and I realize I’m not alone. Women and men stand with faces frozen white with fear. A guard grabs my finger, pricks it, and dabs my blood on a tiny microchip.
I follow the man in front of me into the next room where we’re lined up facing the wall. Glancing right, I see one of the men crying.
“Spread your legs,” one of the guards says.
They remove my outer layers and their hands roam up and down my body.
What do they think I can possibly be hiding? I press my head into the wall, trying to block out what they’re doing to me.
“MOVE!” a guard commands. So I shuffle across the room, trying to cover up.
One
Two
Three
Four
Five of us sit in the holding room. One by one, they pull people into the next room, forcing the rest of us to wonder what torture we’ll endure. An agonizing amount of time passes. I lean my head back and try to imagine a place far away. The door opens.
“Lexi Hamilton.”
A guard escorts me out of the room, and I don’t have time to look back. As soon as the door closes, they pick me up and place me on a table. It’s cold and my skin sticks to it slightly, like wet fingers on an ice cube. Then they exit in procession, and I lie on the table with a doctor standing over me. His hands are busy as he speaks.
“Don’t move. This will only take a few minutes. It’s time for you to be branded.”
A wet cloth that smells like rubbing alcohol is used to clean my skin. Then he places a metal collar around my neck.
Click. Click. Click.
The collar locks into place, and I struggle to breathe. The doctor loosens it some as I focus on the painted black words above me.
The Seven Deadly Sins:
Lust ¾ Blue
Gluttony ¾ Orange
Greed ¾ Yellow
Sloth ¾ Black
Wrath ¾ Red
Envy ¾ Green
Pride ¾ Purple
“Memorize it. Might keep you alive longer if you know who to stay away from.” He opens my mouth, placing a bit inside. “Bite this.”
Within seconds, the collar heats from hot to scorching. The smell of flesh sizzling makes my head spin. I bite down so hard a tooth cracks.
“GRRRRRRRRR,” escapes from deep within my chest. Just when I’m about to pass out, the temperature drops, and the doctor loosens the collar.
He removes it and sits me up. Excruciating pain rips through me, and I’m on the verge of a mental and physical breakdown. Focus. Don’t pass out.
Stainless steel counters and boring white walls press in on me. A guard laughs at me from an observation room above and yells, “Blue. It’s a great color for a pretty young thing like yourself.” His eyes dance with suggestion. The others meander around like it’s business as usual.
I finally find my voice and turn to the doctor.
“Are you going to give me clothes?” A burning pain spreads like fire up from my neck to my jaw, making me wince.
He points to a set of folded grey scrubs on a chair. I cover myself as much as I can and scurry sideways. Grabbing my clothes and pulling the shirt over my head, I try to avoid the raw meat around my throat. I quickly knot the cord of my pants around my waist and slide my feet into the hospital-issue slippers as the doctor observes. He hands me a bag labeled with my name.
“Nothing is allowed through the door but what we’ve given you,” he says.
I hide my right hand behind me, hoping no one notices. A guard scans my body and opens his hand.
“Give it to me,” he says. “Don’t make me rip off your finger.” He crouches down and I turn to stone. I don’t know what to do, so I beg.
“My father gave this to me. Please, let me keep it.” I smash my eyes shut and think of the moment my father handed the golden ring to me.
“It was my mother’s ring,” he’d said. “She’s the strongest woman I ever knew.” With tears in his eyes, he reached for my hand and said, “Lexi, you’re exactly like her. She’d want you to wear this. No matter how this world changes, you can survive.” I turned the gold band over in my palm and read the engraving.
You can overcome anything… short of death .
“You’re going to take the one thing that matters the most to me?” I say, glaring into the guard’s emotionless eyes. “Isn’t it enough taking my life, dignity, and respect?”
A hard blow falls upon my back. As I fall, my hands shoot out to stop me from smashing into the wall in front of me. The guard bends down and grabs my chin with his meaty fist.
“Look at me,” he commands. I look up and he smiles with arrogance.
“What the hell?” He staggers a step backward. “What’s wrong with you? What’s wrong with your eyes?”
“Nothing,” I respond, confused.
“What color are they?”
“Turquoise.” I glower at him.
“Interesting,” he says, regaining his composure. “Now those’ll get you in trouble.”
Reality slaps me across the face. I have my father’s eyes. They can't take them from me. I twist the ring off my finger and drop it in his hand.
“Take the damn ring,” I say. I walk to the door. He swipes a card and the massive door slides open to the outside.
“You have to wear your hair back at all times, so everyone knows what you are.” He hands me a tie, so I pull my frizzy hair away from my face and secure it into a ponytail. My neck burns and itches as my hand traces the scabs that have already begun to form. Squinting ahead in the darkness, I almost run into a guard standing on the sidewalk.
“Watch where you’re going,” he says, shoving me backward. His stiff figure stands tall and I cringe at the sharpness of his voice.
“Cole, this is your new assignment, Lexi Hamilton. See to it she feels welcome in her new home.” The guard departs with a salute.
“Let’s move,” Cole says.
I take two steps and collapse, my knees giving out. The unforgiving pavement reopens the scrapes from earlier and I struggle to stand. A powerful arm snatches me up, and I see his face for the first time.
Author: Abi Ketner & Missy Kalicicki
Release Date: June 28, 2013
Genre: Mature Young Adult/New Adult, Dystopian
Reveal Host: Lady Amber's Tours
Book Description:Twenty years ago the Commander came into power and murdered all who opposed him. In his warped mind, the seven deadly sins were the downfall of society. He created the Hole where sinners are branded according to their sins and might survive a few years. At best.
Now LUST wraps around my neck like blue fingers strangling me. I’ve been accused of a crime I didn’t commit and now the Hole is my new home.
Darkness. Death. Violence. Pain.
Now every day is a fight for survival. But I won’t die. I won’t let them win.
The Hole can’t keep me. The Hole can’t break me.
I am more than my brand. I’m a fighter.
My name is Lexi Hamilton, and this is my story.
(Don't miss out. Chapter one of this amazing story is below.)
Author Bios:
Abi Ketner Is a registered nurse with a passion for novels, the beaches of St. John, and her Philadelphia Phillies. A talented singer, Abi loves to go running and spend lots of time with her family. She currently resides in Lancaster, Pennsylvania with her husband, triplet daughters and two very spoiled dogs.
Melissa Kalicicki received her bachelor’s degree from Millersville University in 2003. She married, had two boys and currently lives in Lancaster, Pennsylvania. Aside from reading and writing, her interests include running and mixed martial arts. She also remains an avid Cleveland sports fan.
Abi and Missy met in the summer of 1999 at college orientation and have been best friends ever since. After college, they added jobs, husbands and kids to their lives, but they still found time for their friendship. Instead of hanging out on weekends, they went to dinner once a month and reviewed books. What started out as an enjoyable hobby has now become an incredible adventure.
Links:
twitter @abiandmiss.com
website and blog www.abiandmissy.com
Facebook https://www.facebook.com/AbiandMissy
goodreads http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/17402117-branded
Book Trailer: http://video214.com/play/PlssJogkXB4H85hKKomnOA/s/dark
NOW FOR THE EXCERPT:
Chapter One
I’m buried six feet under, and no one hears my screams.
The rope chafes as I loop it around my neck. I pull down, making sure the knot is secure. It seems sturdy enough. My legs shake. My heart beats heavy in my throat. Sweat pours down my back.
Death and I glare at each other through my tears.
I take one last look at the crystal chandelier, the foyer outlined with mirrors, and the flawless decorations. No photographs adorn the walls. No happy memories here.
I’m ready to go. On the count of three.
I inhale, preparing myself for the finality of it all. Dropping my hands, a glimmer catches my eye. It’s my ring, the last precious gift my father gave me. I twist it around to read the inscription. Picturing his face forces me to reconsider my choice. He’d be heartbroken if he could see me now.
A door slams in the hallway, almost causing me to lose my balance. My thoughts already muddled, I stand waiting with the rope hanging around my neck. Voices I don’t recognize creep through the walls.
Curiosity overshadows my current thoughts. It’s late at night, and this is a secure building in High Society. No one disturbs the peace here—ever. I tug on the noose and pull it back over my head.
Peering through the eyehole in our doorway, I see a large group of armed guards banging on my neighbors’ door. A heated conversation ensues, and my neighbors point toward my family’s home.
It hits me. I’ve been accused and they’re here to arrest me.
My father would want me to run, and in that split second, I decide to listen to his voice within me. Flinging myself forward in fear, I scramble up the marble staircase and into my brother’s old bedroom. The door is partially covered, but it exists. Pushing his dresser aside, my fingers claw at the opening. Breathing hard, I lodge myself against it. Nothing. I step back and kick it with all my strength. The wood splinters open, and my foot gets caught. I wrench it backward, scraping my calf, but adrenaline pushes me forward. The voices at the front door shout my name.
On hands and knees, I squeeze through the jagged opening. My brother left through this passage, and now it’s my escape too. Cobwebs entangle my face, hands, and hair. At the end, I feel for the knob, twisting it clockwise. It swings open, creaking from disuse. I sprint into the hallway and smash through the large fire escape doors at the end. A burst of cool air strikes me in the face as I jump down the ladder.
Reaching the fifth floor, I knock on a friend’s window. The lights flicker on, and I see the curtains move, but no one answers. I bang on the window harder.
“Let me in! Please!” I say, but the lights darken. They know I’ve been accused and refuse to help me. Fear and adrenaline rush through my veins as I keep running, knocking on more windows along the way. No one has mercy. They all know what happens to sinners.
Another flight of stairs passes in a blur when I hear the guards’ heavy footfalls from above. I can’t hide, but I don’t want to go without trying.
Help me, Daddy. I need your strength now.
My previous desolation evolves into a will to survive. I have to keep running, but I tremble and gasp for air. I steel my nerves and force my body to keep moving. In a matter of minutes, my legs cramp and my chest burns. I plunge to the ground, scraping my knee and elbow. A moan escapes from my chest.
Gotta keep going.
“Stop!” Their voices bounce off the buildings. “Lexi Hamilton, surrender yourself,” they command. They’re gaining on me.
I resist the urge to glance back, running into what I assume is an alley. I’m far from our high-rise in High Society as I plunge into a poorer section of the city where the streets all look the same and the darkness prevents me from recognizing anything. I’m lost.
My first instinct is to leap into a dumpster, but I retain enough sense to stay still. I crouch and peek around it, watching them dash by. The abhorrent smell leaves me vomiting until nothing remains in my stomach. Desperation overtakes me, as I know my retching was anything but silent. My last few seconds tick away before they find me. Everyone knows about their special means of tracking sinners.
I push myself to my feet and look left, right, and left again. Their batons click against their black leather belts, and their boots stomp the cement on both sides of me. I shrink into myself. Their heavy steps mock my fear, growing closer and closer until I know I’m trapped.
Never did I imagine they’d come for me. Never did I imagine all those nights I heard them dragging someone else away that I’d join them.
“You’re a sinner,” they say. “Time to leave our society.”
I stand defiant. I refuse to bend or break before them, even as I shiver with fear.
“There’s no reason to make this difficult. The more you cooperate, the smoother this will be for everyone,” a guard says.
I cringe into the blackness along the wall. I’m innocent, but they won’t believe me or care.
The next instant, my face slams into the pavement as one guard plants a knee in my back and another handcuffs me. A warm liquid trails into my mouth. Blood. Their fingers grip my arms like steel traps as they peel me off the cement. The tops of my shoes scrape along the ground as I’m dragged behind them until they discard me into the back of a black vehicle. The doors slam in unison with one guard stationed on each side of me, my shoulders digging into their arms.
Swallowing hard, I stare ahead to avoid their eyes. My dignity is all I have left. The handcuffs dig into my wrists, so I clasp them together hard behind me and press my back into the seat, unwilling to admit how much it hurts.
Did they need so many guards to capture me?
I’m not carrying any weapons, nor do I own any. I don’t even know self-defense. High Society frowns on activities like that.
The driver jerks the vehicle around and I try to keep my bearings, but it’s dark and the scenery changes too fast. Hours pass, and the air grows warmer, more humid the farther we drive. The landscape mutates from city to rolling hills. They don’t bother blindfolding me because they escort all the sinners to the same place—the Hole. Twenty-foot cement walls encase the chaos within. There’s no way out and no way in unless they transport you. They say the Hole is a prison with no rules. We learned about it last year in twelfth grade.
To the outside, I’m filth now. I’ll never be allowed to return to the life I knew. No one ever does.
“All sinners go through a transformation,” one of the guards says to me. His smirk infuriates me. “I’m sure you’ve heard all kinds of stories.” I don’t respond. I don’t want to think about the things I’ve been told.
“You won’t last too long, though. Young girls like you get eaten alive.” He pulls a strand of my hair up to his face.
Get your hands off me, you pig. I want to lash out, but resist. The punishment for disobeying authority is severe, and I’m not positioned to defy him.
They’re the Guards of the Commander. They’re chosen from a young age and trained in combat. They keep the order of society by using violent methods of intimidation. No one befriends a guard. Relationships with them are forbidden inside the Hole.
Few have seen the commander. His identity stays under lock and key. His own paranoia and desire to stay pure drove him to live this way. He controls our depraved society and believes sinners make the human race unforgivable. His power is a crushing fist, rendering all beneath him helpless. So much so, even family members turn on each other when an accusation surfaces. Just an accusation. No trial, no evidence, nothing but an accusation.
I lose myself in thoughts of my father.
“Never show fear, Lexi,” my father said to me before he was taken. “They’ll use it against you.” His compassionate eyes filled with warning as he commanded me to be strong. That was many years ago, but I remember it clearly. My father. My rock. The one person in my life who provided unconditional love.
“Get out,” the guard says while pulling me to my feet. The vehicle stops, and I’m jerked back to reality. The doors slide open and the two guards lift me up and out into the night. A windowless cement building looms in front of us, looking barren in the darkness.
The coolness of the air sends a shiver up my spine. This is really happening. I’ve been labeled a sinner. My lip starts to quiver, but I bite it before anyone sees. They shove me in line, and I realize I’m not alone. Women and men stand with faces frozen white with fear. A guard grabs my finger, pricks it, and dabs my blood on a tiny microchip.
I follow the man in front of me into the next room where we’re lined up facing the wall. Glancing right, I see one of the men crying.
“Spread your legs,” one of the guards says.
They remove my outer layers and their hands roam up and down my body.
What do they think I can possibly be hiding? I press my head into the wall, trying to block out what they’re doing to me.
“MOVE!” a guard commands. So I shuffle across the room, trying to cover up.
One
Two
Three
Four
Five of us sit in the holding room. One by one, they pull people into the next room, forcing the rest of us to wonder what torture we’ll endure. An agonizing amount of time passes. I lean my head back and try to imagine a place far away. The door opens.
“Lexi Hamilton.”
A guard escorts me out of the room, and I don’t have time to look back. As soon as the door closes, they pick me up and place me on a table. It’s cold and my skin sticks to it slightly, like wet fingers on an ice cube. Then they exit in procession, and I lie on the table with a doctor standing over me. His hands are busy as he speaks.
“Don’t move. This will only take a few minutes. It’s time for you to be branded.”
A wet cloth that smells like rubbing alcohol is used to clean my skin. Then he places a metal collar around my neck.
Click. Click. Click.
The collar locks into place, and I struggle to breathe. The doctor loosens it some as I focus on the painted black words above me.
The Seven Deadly Sins:
Lust ¾ Blue
Gluttony ¾ Orange
Greed ¾ Yellow
Sloth ¾ Black
Wrath ¾ Red
Envy ¾ Green
Pride ¾ Purple
“Memorize it. Might keep you alive longer if you know who to stay away from.” He opens my mouth, placing a bit inside. “Bite this.”
Within seconds, the collar heats from hot to scorching. The smell of flesh sizzling makes my head spin. I bite down so hard a tooth cracks.
“GRRRRRRRRR,” escapes from deep within my chest. Just when I’m about to pass out, the temperature drops, and the doctor loosens the collar.
He removes it and sits me up. Excruciating pain rips through me, and I’m on the verge of a mental and physical breakdown. Focus. Don’t pass out.
Stainless steel counters and boring white walls press in on me. A guard laughs at me from an observation room above and yells, “Blue. It’s a great color for a pretty young thing like yourself.” His eyes dance with suggestion. The others meander around like it’s business as usual.
I finally find my voice and turn to the doctor.
“Are you going to give me clothes?” A burning pain spreads like fire up from my neck to my jaw, making me wince.
He points to a set of folded grey scrubs on a chair. I cover myself as much as I can and scurry sideways. Grabbing my clothes and pulling the shirt over my head, I try to avoid the raw meat around my throat. I quickly knot the cord of my pants around my waist and slide my feet into the hospital-issue slippers as the doctor observes. He hands me a bag labeled with my name.
“Nothing is allowed through the door but what we’ve given you,” he says.
I hide my right hand behind me, hoping no one notices. A guard scans my body and opens his hand.
“Give it to me,” he says. “Don’t make me rip off your finger.” He crouches down and I turn to stone. I don’t know what to do, so I beg.
“My father gave this to me. Please, let me keep it.” I smash my eyes shut and think of the moment my father handed the golden ring to me.
“It was my mother’s ring,” he’d said. “She’s the strongest woman I ever knew.” With tears in his eyes, he reached for my hand and said, “Lexi, you’re exactly like her. She’d want you to wear this. No matter how this world changes, you can survive.” I turned the gold band over in my palm and read the engraving.
You can overcome anything… short of death .
“You’re going to take the one thing that matters the most to me?” I say, glaring into the guard’s emotionless eyes. “Isn’t it enough taking my life, dignity, and respect?”
A hard blow falls upon my back. As I fall, my hands shoot out to stop me from smashing into the wall in front of me. The guard bends down and grabs my chin with his meaty fist.
“Look at me,” he commands. I look up and he smiles with arrogance.
“What the hell?” He staggers a step backward. “What’s wrong with you? What’s wrong with your eyes?”
“Nothing,” I respond, confused.
“What color are they?”
“Turquoise.” I glower at him.
“Interesting,” he says, regaining his composure. “Now those’ll get you in trouble.”
Reality slaps me across the face. I have my father’s eyes. They can't take them from me. I twist the ring off my finger and drop it in his hand.
“Take the damn ring,” I say. I walk to the door. He swipes a card and the massive door slides open to the outside.
“You have to wear your hair back at all times, so everyone knows what you are.” He hands me a tie, so I pull my frizzy hair away from my face and secure it into a ponytail. My neck burns and itches as my hand traces the scabs that have already begun to form. Squinting ahead in the darkness, I almost run into a guard standing on the sidewalk.
“Watch where you’re going,” he says, shoving me backward. His stiff figure stands tall and I cringe at the sharpness of his voice.
“Cole, this is your new assignment, Lexi Hamilton. See to it she feels welcome in her new home.” The guard departs with a salute.
“Let’s move,” Cole says.
I take two steps and collapse, my knees giving out. The unforgiving pavement reopens the scrapes from earlier and I struggle to stand. A powerful arm snatches me up, and I see his face for the first time.
June 26, 2013
Wacky Wednesday: Those D@mned Deadlines
What I want to do from my writing deadlines. 
June 24, 2013
Book Blitz: Shadow of Hope
Shadow of Hope
By
Elizabeth Rose & Tina Pollick
A secret passed from generation to generation. A line of heirs destined to protect those they once persecuted. One god who seeks to destroy humanity's last Hope...
Zoe is an ordinary woman who talks to her spirit, was raised by her coven, and doesn’t speak to her father. Until one day she finds out that the necklace left to her by her mom, holds humanities last hope
Evan is her reluctant protector, the last of the Templar Knights, who's watched her from the shadows since she was a teenage girl. When an assailant from the past emerges and steals the key to keeping the rest of the world safe, Evan and Zoe must form a tenuous alliance to get it back.
Up against a mysterious enemy older than time, and a really pissed off God of War, Zoe and Evan have the odds stacked against them as they try to reclaim the Hope of all humanity. That's if they can avoid killing each other.
Excerpt:
There wasn’t any way she was going to eat anything he had to offer again.
“I figured you were hungry. You were out for a bit.”
Zoe glared daggers at him. “Good guess. Now you know why I won’t eat your food.”
“What’s that supposed to mean?” He flopped down on his chair, lifted the footrest and kicked back.
“Are you serious?”
His face remained blank.
“You know what. Thanks for the water and the couch to crash on. Nice meeting you, but I hope we never meet again.” She stood, grabbed her purse and went to the door. She turned the handle, but it didn’t move. Her stomach tightened, but not from nausea this time. Without turning, she asked the question she wasn’t sure she wanted an answer to. “Why is the door locked?”
“Because I locked it.”
“Why would you do that?” She stalked toward him, stopping inches from the chair.
He turned and smiled. “Because you were being chased remember?”
“Ummm, you thought I was crazy yesterday. What’s changed?” She folded her arm and tapped her foot. When he didn’t answer, she kicked the chair. “Answer me!”
“Nothing has changed. I still think you’re crazy. I called someone to come and get you as soon as they arrive, you’re free to go.”
“You don’t know anyone I do.”
“I don’t?” He glanced down at her purse.
“You went into my purse?”
“It’s not like you could talk.” He closed his eyes.
“Because you drugged me!” She kicked the chair again. “I’m talking to you. Don’t close your eyes like I’m not here.”
“If only I were that lucky,” he muttered.
“You have me here against my will…open the door and you’re problems are solved.”
His eyes remained shut. “He’ll be here within the next few hours. Eat your breakfast before it gets cold.”
She threw the bag at him and he caught it, setting it to the side of the chair. Her stomach let out a rumble in protest. “Where’s the bathroom?”
He opened one eye. “Through that door.” He motioned to the left with his head. “And if you’re thinking about trying to get out…don’t. You’ll never fit through the window, and if you do manage to get part of the way out and get stuck, I’m going to leave you there until your ride comes.” A smile slid across his lips. “On the other hand it’ll be quiet in here, so go ahead and try.”
She stomped out of the room and slammed the bathroom door shut behind her. She glanced around. A stand up shower stall, a sink and toilet. She looked up and saw the small window near the ceiling. She sucked in her gut and let it out with disgust. There was no way she was going to fit through it. She reached under her shirt and rubbed the mirror that hung from the chain. A nervous habit, but that one piece of jewelry always brought her comfort. She called out to her other source of reassurance.
“Gran? Gran are you here?” she whispered.
A silhouette of a young woman appeared before her, just as it had every day since her grandmother passed away. “Merry meet my darling.”
“Merry meet Gran.” Zoe watched as her grandmother’s spirit floated around the room. “Do you notice anything different?”
Gran’s spirit continued to roam the small space as if she were in a mansion. She turned and faced Zoe. “You remodeled your bathroom…it’s very nice dear.”
Zoe sighed. “I didn’t remodel. A man named Evan is keeping me here.”
“You have a man! That’s great news indeed.”
“He’s not my man.”
“Oh, well that’s too bad.” Her spirit floated up to the window. The morning light streamed through her nearly transparent form.
“I met him last night. Someone was chasing me and Evan grabbed me and pulled me inside.” Zoe paced the small area, still trying to sort out what happened. It was easier now that the fog from her brain had lifted.
Her grandmother’s spirit turned to Zoe, her expression grave. “Someone was chasing you?”
“Yes.” She went on to tell her grandmother what happened and how she became Evan’s guest.
“Where is he now?”
Zoe pointed to the door and her grandmother went through it. She returned a few minutes later.
“Listen to me Zoe. If there is one person in this world you can trust, it’s the man sitting on the other side of that door.”
Shadow of Hope is a fast paced, thrilling paranormal romance novella.
Author Elizabeth Rose grew up in a household where reading was a favorite pastime. Having been encouraged by her parents as a young child to pursue the greats (Dr. Seuss and Amilia Bedilla) she quickly found herself wanting more than to just read stories of Charming Princes in far off lands; she wanted to write them as well.
Having been a follower of Gabriel, Elizabeth found a strong bond of friendship with author Tina Pollick. Having many common interests, Tina and Elizabeth decided to attempt co-writing a novel together. The end process was both enjoyable and enlightening.
Elizabeth currently resides in Wyoming with her two dogs, Bard and Blade. She is graciously allowed to attend the needs of her tomcat Tinker. Shadow of Hope is her first book. Stop by and say hi!
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/elizabeth.rose.58323431?fref=ts
When Tina Pollick isn’t writing paranormal romance about Heavenly hunks, and smart, sassy women, this RN enjoys a quiet home life with her husband, children, two horses, two dogs, cat, chickens, guineas, well sort of quiet.
Tina’s first paranormal romance novel, GABRIEL, A Kematian Hunter Series was published in January 2013 by Evernight Publishing. The first in a three novella series, SOUL BROKER, will be published by Moon Rose Publishing in August 2013. Stop by and say hello!
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/tinapollickauthor
www.tinapollick.com
Twitter: @Tinapollick
GABRIEL is available on Amazon, Smashwords, Barnes and Noble and Evernight publishing.
June 22, 2013
Book Blitz:The Tyrant King by Cherie Chesley
Title: The Tyrant King (The Peasant Queen 2)
Author: Cherie Chesley
Genre: Fantasy
Tour Host: Lady Amber's Tours
Book Description:
Krystal's peaceful life as queen of Fayterra is shattered when a stranger arrives with a connection to Jareth that threatens to change everything. Soon her loved ones are threatened, her people are under attack, and Krystal must face a devastating loss. As the future becomes bleaker and the mystery continues to unravel, Krystal's enemies will learn just how far she will go to defend the people she loves.
Excerpt
The Wild Queen:
“Look at that.” Aiden motioned needlessly. She’d already caught Lucien’s eye.
They’d broken through the trees near King Robert’s castle. Below them a single rider raced across the green field. They watched as she pulled the drawstring of her bow and fired into the thick grass, catching a rabbit in the chest. She slowed her horse and slid off its back in one fluid motion, and bent to pick up her prize. A second rider came up behind her and she tossed it to him.
She shouldered her bow and regained the saddle, but before she could turn the horse away, she stopped and looked in their direction. Lucien couldn’t see how she sensed their presence. They sat on the rise overlooking the valley, and were still shaded by the forest behind them.
He felt her gaze pierce him to the core, but she didn’t linger. She shared something with her companion, who also glanced their way, and then they both shot off in the direction of the castle.
Lucien suddenly became aware of the men behind him, waiting patiently for their king to give the order to proceed. He looked at Aiden. “Let’s go. I’m suddenly weary to reach our destination.”
“Yes, Sire.” Aiden smiled at him.
They met a large group of Norvallen soldiers outside the village. The leader stopped in front of Lucien. “I am Corvall, Norvallen Master of Arms.”
“I am Lucien Gildresleve, King of Demarde,” he said. “King Robert is expecting me.”
Corvall frowned. “Not for another five days.”
Lucien smiled thinly. “We made good time.”
This explanation evidently didn’t appease the soldier. He grunted and said, “Very well. We will escort you to the castle.”
Aiden moved alongside Lucien as they followed Corvall. “He seems friendly.”
“Don’t antagonize him,” Lucien said. “We’re on a diplomatic mission, remember?”
“I remember we were invited,” said Aiden. “We don’t treat guests like this.”
“We’re not constantly attacked.”
Aiden slid his hand to his sword. “Perhaps he needs a lesson in manners.”
Lucien spoke softly. “I forbid you to brain the Master of Arms.”
“Then perhaps I’ll just take him behind the stables and nicely request he treat my king with more deference,” Aiden said just as softly.
Buy Links:
Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Tyrant-King-Seq...
Smashwords: https://www.smashwords.com/books/view...
B&N: https://www.smashwords.com/books/view...
Author Bio:
Currently blissful working mother of 5. Married to a fantastic, amazing, supportive man. I love to read, I love to write and I love taking pictures (though my skill is debatable lol).
Links:
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show...
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Cheri-...
Twitter: https://twitter.com/Cheriwrites
Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Cheri-Chesley/e...QOSS/ref=sr_ntt_srch_lnk_4?qid=1369789035&sr=8-4
Blog: http://www.cheri-chesley.com/
Author Interview: How many books have you written? Which is your favorite?
I've finished 3 novels, but it's hard to pick a favorite. Rather like choosing a "favorite" child. I love The Peasant Queen because it's the story that started it all. I love The Wild Queen because the characters and story are dear to my heart. I love The Tyrant King because it represents the best of my writing so far, and was quite a journey both as an author and a human being. :)
Are you currently working on another book? If so, is it part of a series or something different?
I'm currently working on 3 separate books, actually. All of them are playing catch with my mind at the moment.
What do you like to do when you're not writing?
I've learned in recent years that I'm a creative person. My "off-writing" pursuits are also creative in nature. Cooking, baking, sewing, raising children--it's all in there.
What does your family think of your writing?
I've been so blessed to have a family that's incredibly supportive. When I first started writing I kept it secret from my family because I didn't want to be laughed at or made fun of--but I was 14 at the time. When my first book came out my oldest brother showed up at a signing and bought 10 copies. My grandmother also bought 10 copies. Another brother bought 3 copies from my stash at home and I don't even think he's ever read the book. :)
What was one of the most surprising things you learned about yourself in creating your books?
Wow, you do ask the tough questions. One thing I learned recently is I'm a terrible ghost writer. That was the most challenging thing I've experienced to date, and I'm not looking forward to a repeat. But, in my own writing, I think one of the most surprising things is how closely a fictional character can touch my heart.
Do you have any suggestions to help others become a better writer? If so, what are they?
I have the textbook responses to this--read, read, read, and write, write, write. Also be open to constructive criticism. That's not to say that you only share your book with people who like you so your feedback will all be positive. Challenge yourself. Be better than you were yesterday. Find a good critique group of other writers who can catch the things you missed when writing and rewriting. Because if you don't catch it before the book is published, rest assured your readers will.
Do you hear from your readers much? What kinds of things do they say
When my first book came out, I received some wonderful feedback and praise from preteen and teen girls. They loved the book, the characters, and wanted to know what happened next. I have a young reader fan/friend I still correspond with to this day. She wants to be a writer too, and I may be naming a character after her in a future project.
What do you think makes a good story?
Conflict. Lots of it, and on varying levels--physical, emotional, mental, etc. This is something I struggle with because at my core I want my characters to be happy. But in reality a story with no conflict is not a compelling read. Even I would be bored with it. I'm a character-driven writer--I want to tell their story.
As a child, what did you want to do when you grew up?
This question makes me laugh because I always wanted to write, but as a kid knew I needed to do something to make money. So I decided I would be a teacher until I found out how many research papers a teacher had to write in college. But, at my core, I wanted to be a mom to my kids and write on the side.
Are you self published or do you have a publisher? If self published, what made you decide to go that route?
I've done both. My first book came out through a small publisher and did fairly well but not as well as I would have liked. They turned down the sequel for that reason so I self published that one, and also The Wild Queen. For some of my future projects I will probably seek traditional publication, but I have to say the overall experience self publishing is much more satisfying to me.
Do you have a website, fan page, blog or twitter we can pass on to your fans?
Absolutely. I'm @Cheriwrites on Twitter, and my website/blog is combined at www.cheri-chesley.com. My site is full of fun goodies like the first chapters of some of my books, an alternate ending for The Peasant Queen, and some sneak peeks at other projects.
Where can your books be found? Please list Your author page from amazon and links to your books anywhere else they can be purchased. thank you
Barnes and Noble has The Peasant Queen for Nook and in print form. Amazon.com has all of my books in Kindle and print form. And I've also added my self published works to Smashwords.
The best way to connect on Amazon is through my Author page because it has links to all of my books in both formats--http://www.amazon.com/Cheri-Chesley/e/B004J1QOSS/ref=sr_ntt_srch_lnk_1?qid=1370918742&sr=8-1
The Tyrant King on Smashwords--https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/207131
The Wild Queen on Smashwords--https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/59031
All my books on Barnes and Noble's website--http://www.barnesandnoble.com/s?store=book&keyword=cheri+chesley
Thanks for the interview! It was awesome :)
Author: Cherie Chesley
Genre: Fantasy
Tour Host: Lady Amber's Tours
Book Description:
Krystal's peaceful life as queen of Fayterra is shattered when a stranger arrives with a connection to Jareth that threatens to change everything. Soon her loved ones are threatened, her people are under attack, and Krystal must face a devastating loss. As the future becomes bleaker and the mystery continues to unravel, Krystal's enemies will learn just how far she will go to defend the people she loves.
Excerpt
The Wild Queen:
“Look at that.” Aiden motioned needlessly. She’d already caught Lucien’s eye.
They’d broken through the trees near King Robert’s castle. Below them a single rider raced across the green field. They watched as she pulled the drawstring of her bow and fired into the thick grass, catching a rabbit in the chest. She slowed her horse and slid off its back in one fluid motion, and bent to pick up her prize. A second rider came up behind her and she tossed it to him.
She shouldered her bow and regained the saddle, but before she could turn the horse away, she stopped and looked in their direction. Lucien couldn’t see how she sensed their presence. They sat on the rise overlooking the valley, and were still shaded by the forest behind them.
He felt her gaze pierce him to the core, but she didn’t linger. She shared something with her companion, who also glanced their way, and then they both shot off in the direction of the castle.
Lucien suddenly became aware of the men behind him, waiting patiently for their king to give the order to proceed. He looked at Aiden. “Let’s go. I’m suddenly weary to reach our destination.”
“Yes, Sire.” Aiden smiled at him.
They met a large group of Norvallen soldiers outside the village. The leader stopped in front of Lucien. “I am Corvall, Norvallen Master of Arms.”
“I am Lucien Gildresleve, King of Demarde,” he said. “King Robert is expecting me.”
Corvall frowned. “Not for another five days.”
Lucien smiled thinly. “We made good time.”
This explanation evidently didn’t appease the soldier. He grunted and said, “Very well. We will escort you to the castle.”
Aiden moved alongside Lucien as they followed Corvall. “He seems friendly.”
“Don’t antagonize him,” Lucien said. “We’re on a diplomatic mission, remember?”
“I remember we were invited,” said Aiden. “We don’t treat guests like this.”
“We’re not constantly attacked.”
Aiden slid his hand to his sword. “Perhaps he needs a lesson in manners.”
Lucien spoke softly. “I forbid you to brain the Master of Arms.”
“Then perhaps I’ll just take him behind the stables and nicely request he treat my king with more deference,” Aiden said just as softly.
Buy Links:
Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Tyrant-King-Seq...
Smashwords: https://www.smashwords.com/books/view...
B&N: https://www.smashwords.com/books/view...
Author Bio:
Currently blissful working mother of 5. Married to a fantastic, amazing, supportive man. I love to read, I love to write and I love taking pictures (though my skill is debatable lol).
Links:
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show...
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Cheri-...
Twitter: https://twitter.com/Cheriwrites
Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Cheri-Chesley/e...QOSS/ref=sr_ntt_srch_lnk_4?qid=1369789035&sr=8-4
Blog: http://www.cheri-chesley.com/
Author Interview: How many books have you written? Which is your favorite?
I've finished 3 novels, but it's hard to pick a favorite. Rather like choosing a "favorite" child. I love The Peasant Queen because it's the story that started it all. I love The Wild Queen because the characters and story are dear to my heart. I love The Tyrant King because it represents the best of my writing so far, and was quite a journey both as an author and a human being. :)
Are you currently working on another book? If so, is it part of a series or something different?
I'm currently working on 3 separate books, actually. All of them are playing catch with my mind at the moment.
What do you like to do when you're not writing?
I've learned in recent years that I'm a creative person. My "off-writing" pursuits are also creative in nature. Cooking, baking, sewing, raising children--it's all in there.
What does your family think of your writing?
I've been so blessed to have a family that's incredibly supportive. When I first started writing I kept it secret from my family because I didn't want to be laughed at or made fun of--but I was 14 at the time. When my first book came out my oldest brother showed up at a signing and bought 10 copies. My grandmother also bought 10 copies. Another brother bought 3 copies from my stash at home and I don't even think he's ever read the book. :)
What was one of the most surprising things you learned about yourself in creating your books?
Wow, you do ask the tough questions. One thing I learned recently is I'm a terrible ghost writer. That was the most challenging thing I've experienced to date, and I'm not looking forward to a repeat. But, in my own writing, I think one of the most surprising things is how closely a fictional character can touch my heart.
Do you have any suggestions to help others become a better writer? If so, what are they?
I have the textbook responses to this--read, read, read, and write, write, write. Also be open to constructive criticism. That's not to say that you only share your book with people who like you so your feedback will all be positive. Challenge yourself. Be better than you were yesterday. Find a good critique group of other writers who can catch the things you missed when writing and rewriting. Because if you don't catch it before the book is published, rest assured your readers will.
Do you hear from your readers much? What kinds of things do they say
When my first book came out, I received some wonderful feedback and praise from preteen and teen girls. They loved the book, the characters, and wanted to know what happened next. I have a young reader fan/friend I still correspond with to this day. She wants to be a writer too, and I may be naming a character after her in a future project.
What do you think makes a good story?
Conflict. Lots of it, and on varying levels--physical, emotional, mental, etc. This is something I struggle with because at my core I want my characters to be happy. But in reality a story with no conflict is not a compelling read. Even I would be bored with it. I'm a character-driven writer--I want to tell their story.
As a child, what did you want to do when you grew up?
This question makes me laugh because I always wanted to write, but as a kid knew I needed to do something to make money. So I decided I would be a teacher until I found out how many research papers a teacher had to write in college. But, at my core, I wanted to be a mom to my kids and write on the side.
Are you self published or do you have a publisher? If self published, what made you decide to go that route?
I've done both. My first book came out through a small publisher and did fairly well but not as well as I would have liked. They turned down the sequel for that reason so I self published that one, and also The Wild Queen. For some of my future projects I will probably seek traditional publication, but I have to say the overall experience self publishing is much more satisfying to me.
Do you have a website, fan page, blog or twitter we can pass on to your fans?
Absolutely. I'm @Cheriwrites on Twitter, and my website/blog is combined at www.cheri-chesley.com. My site is full of fun goodies like the first chapters of some of my books, an alternate ending for The Peasant Queen, and some sneak peeks at other projects.
Where can your books be found? Please list Your author page from amazon and links to your books anywhere else they can be purchased. thank you
Barnes and Noble has The Peasant Queen for Nook and in print form. Amazon.com has all of my books in Kindle and print form. And I've also added my self published works to Smashwords.
The best way to connect on Amazon is through my Author page because it has links to all of my books in both formats--http://www.amazon.com/Cheri-Chesley/e/B004J1QOSS/ref=sr_ntt_srch_lnk_1?qid=1370918742&sr=8-1
The Tyrant King on Smashwords--https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/207131
The Wild Queen on Smashwords--https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/59031
All my books on Barnes and Noble's website--http://www.barnesandnoble.com/s?store=book&keyword=cheri+chesley
Thanks for the interview! It was awesome :)
June 21, 2013
You’re invited to the party! - Summer Solstice Recipes and Reads
(RECIPE FOR EASY FRUIT COMPOTE LISTED BELOW)
How about a menu of summer food and fabulous summer reads? Some author friends and I are sharing our favorite dishes, and we’ve posted the recipes on our individual blogs so you can give them a try. As an added bonus, while the food is simmering, you can lose yourself in a great book.
We offer a variety of flavors to satisfy your taste buds and your reading tastes (with a few non-fiction reads in addition to romance in sub-genres from historical to erotica to paranormal to young adult)
Check out the menu and click on each book title so you can see what all of our authors have cooking…both in the kitchen and on your Kindle, Nook, or whatever reading device you favor.
For an entire list of ingredients and an entire list of our books, you can visit:
Linda Joyce Contemplates
MENU
Cocktails
Blackberry Gin and Tonic by J.K. O’Hanlon ~ Three Ingredient Cocktails
Pomegranate Martini by Kathy L Wheeler ~ Quotable
Appetizers
Japanese Chicken Wings by Jan Morrill ~ The Red Kimono
Sweet & Sour Hawaiian Meatballs by Vonnie Davis ~ Rain Is A Love Song
Easy Stuffed Mushrooms by Alicia Dean ~ Liberty Awakened (Isle of Fangs, Book 1)
Salads
7 Layer Salad by AJ Nuest ~ She’s Got Dibs
Mandarin orange & spinach salad by Barbara Barrett ~ And He Cooks Too
Entrées
Pesto Chicken by Nancy Parra ~ Gluten for Punishment
Taquitos by Calisa Rhose ~ Risk Factors
Linda’s Summer Shrimp Boil by Linda Joyce ~ Bayou Born
Oven Fried peach chicken Juli D. Revezzo ~ The Artist’s Inheritance
Betty’s Nutty Pork Chops by Betty Bolte ~ Hometown Heroines
Desserts
Kolaches by Gina Hooten Popp ~ The Storm After
Chocolate-Cherry-Coconut Cupcakes by Luna Zega ~ Tokyo Tease
Fruit Compote (see recipe below) by Brenda Sparks ~ A Midsummer Night’s Demon
After Dinner Drinks
After Dinner Iced Coffee by Sandra Sookoo – Winging It ~
My Recipe:
Fruit Compote
Blend together
½ cup water
2 tablespoons of Marigold petals
½ cup of sugar
1 teaspoon grated lemon rind
Boil, stirring until sugar dissolves. Let cool.
In a bowl combine
1 ½ cups each of orange, lime, and tangerine slices
2 cups blueberries.
Pour water mixture over fruit and chill overnight. Serve over lemon angel food cake.
A Midsummer Night’s Demon: Adult Vampire NovellaBlurb:
Shielded from the world by her over-protective brother, Daelyn Torres mostly stays with her kind. So when the female Demon naively agrees to go on a blind date with a charismatic man she met on the internet, she didn’t expect her world to forever change. Gravely injured by the man that is supposed to be courting her, Daelyn is rescued by a handsome stranger who ignites her passion, making it burn out of control.
He is the dark guardian of his people. Sent to investigate a series of missing person cases, Vampire Ky Robinson is ready for anything, expect the insatiable hunger that strikes him when he meets Daelyn. Realizing the beautiful, curvy, colorful woman is his mate, he vows to do anything necessary to keep her safe as he pulls her deeper into his dangerous world with each thirsty kiss
Excerpt:
Tonight it was just him against the rogue, and he preferred it that way. He wanted to be the one to take this monster down. He had been tracking him for months, since he began noticing a pattern of missing person cases in his city. He had been spending most of his nights casing the bar. Watching. Waiting for a lucky break and it looked like he got it tonight.
He ghosted behind the couple. Following them on silent feet, he stayed deep in the shadows of the buildings. As they made their way down the sidewalk, Ky noted the way the woman walked. Her legs seemed unsteady, most of her weight supported by the male arm around her waist. It was strange because she had not consumed all that much alcohol at the bar. Only two glasses of wine—Ky had counted. The agent had heard her speaking throughout the night. She had seemed fine, yet now she seemed unsteady, words slurring as they left her pouty lips.
She stumbled. Catching on a bit of raised sidewalk, her shoe flew off behind her in Ky’s direction. She turned to look over her shoulder, her eyes meeting his. His heart hitched in his chest, time seemed to stop.
The bronzed skin on her heart-shaped face was flawless. Long dark haired flowed around her shoulders with the turn of her head. Her chocolate eyes captured his, holding his eyes to her until he felt himself falling into her gaze. The fall of her lashes broke the spell, creating dark crescents on her delicate cheekbones. Her petite nose led to full, luscious lips that sent a surge of desire through his body. His sure strides faltered slightly under the weight of her beauty. She was a goddess.
She was in grave danger.
Buy Links:
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Itunes Wild Rose Press
June 20, 2013
The Summer Solstice, Litha and a Yummy Recipe Too.
When I wrote A Midsummer Night’s Demon, I knew I wanted the story to center around the Pagan festival of Litha. Litha generally falls in the third week of June, during the Summer Solstice, as the midsummer heat creates a fiery passion that leaves people breathless. The more I learned about the festival, the more the holiday intrigued me.
Litha celebrates not only the Summer Solstice, but abundance, fertility, virility, and nature. During the celebration it is customary to wear garland and crowns of flowers made from the yellow blossoms of St. John’s Wort. Litha rites include dancing, singing, storytelling and feasting centered around a bonfire. Often courting couples will join hands and jump over the Litha fire three times to ensure a happy marriage, many children, and financial prosperity. Those who celebrate Litha believe it is a time when the Sun God reaches the peak of His power, bringing the heat of summer. Just as the power of the sun at Midsummer is at its most potent so too is the Sun God. He takes His Goddess as His wife and, like the earth in June, she becomes fertile with the bounty of growing life. His marriage with the Goddess makes Him not only Her lover, but her protector as well.
In some traditions, Litha is a time light battles with dark. The Sun God’s potency ensures the continuity of life during the oncoming darkness of winter. For contemporary Wiccans and Pagans, it is a time to meditate on both the light and darkness in not only the world, but in their personal lives as well.
This concept intrigued me, for I knew the characters in my story had a similar dichotomy. Ky is a vampire—the night his domain. He is a dark warrior, a protector of his kind. And Daelyn is a demon. The day belongs to her. She is sweet and slightly naïve about things that go bump in the night. She is the goodness to his devilish impulses. The light to his darkness.
Faeries are said to abound in great numbers on Midsummer’s Eve. As part of the Litha celebration people will commune with the faeries and leave them sweet offerings outdoors. Upon discovering part of the Litha rituals involved sprinkling an offering to faeries, I had to find out what might be given. It is widely believed that faeries enjoy milk, cheese, bread, and sweets and therefore those items are generally scattered in offering. While doing research for my story, I came across a yummy recipe I’d like to share.Faery Fruit Compote
Blend together
½ cup water
2 tablespoons of Marigold petals
½ cup of sugar
1 teaspoon grated lemon rind
Boil, stirring until sugar dissolves. Let cool.
In a bowl combine
1 ½ cups each of orange, lime, and tangerine slices
2 cups blueberries.
Pour water mixture over fruit and chill overnight. Serve over lemon angel food cake.
So make yourself some Faery Fruit Compote and if you get a chance please check out my book, A Midsummer Night’s Demon. Thank you for reading!
Buy Links:
Amazon US Amazon UK Kobo
Itunes Wild Rose Press
June 19, 2013
Book Blitz: Long Road, Full Speed Ahead is FREE
Free June 19-21!!
Title: Long Road, Full Speed Ahead
Author: Emily Walker
Genre: New Adult Drama
Reveal Host: Lady Amber's Tours
Blurb – A young girl struggles with abuse, addiction, and abortion all while trying to go to school. Somehow she hits rock bottom and finds an unlikely love story.
Synopsis- Grace finds herself with a toxic friend and a brand new hobby when she discovers meth. She had a promising future before Grayson came into the picture. A wolf in sheep’s clothing he soon shows his true colors and they are painted with black and blue.
The drugs cause more problems than they fix, but lost in the intoxicating world of numbness she must find herself through abuse, addiction, and abortion. Will she let the drugs take her out of the world, and be forever numb, or will an unlikely love pull her out and make her feel again?
Amazon link
Website – {Read the First Chapter Here!}
Paperback – coming at a later date
Author Bio:
Emily Walker loves creating worlds and stumbling around in them. She is constantly losing her chap-stick, and has an obsession with the color pink. Currently a resident of the mountains and loving the view she writes mostly paranormal fiction, and horror. Her small family consists of her red bearded other half, a rat terrier named Rebel, and a cat called Mr. Creepy.
Links:
Website – http://www.authoremilywalker.com
Blog – http://www.selfpublishordie.com
Review site – http://www.reviewsfrombeyondthebook.blogspot.com
Facebook – http://www.facebook.com/authoremilywalker
Twitter- http://www.twitter.com/authorewalker
Title: Long Road, Full Speed Ahead
Author: Emily Walker
Genre: New Adult Drama
Reveal Host: Lady Amber's Tours
Blurb – A young girl struggles with abuse, addiction, and abortion all while trying to go to school. Somehow she hits rock bottom and finds an unlikely love story.
Synopsis- Grace finds herself with a toxic friend and a brand new hobby when she discovers meth. She had a promising future before Grayson came into the picture. A wolf in sheep’s clothing he soon shows his true colors and they are painted with black and blue.
The drugs cause more problems than they fix, but lost in the intoxicating world of numbness she must find herself through abuse, addiction, and abortion. Will she let the drugs take her out of the world, and be forever numb, or will an unlikely love pull her out and make her feel again?
Amazon link
Website – {Read the First Chapter Here!}
Paperback – coming at a later date
Author Bio:
Emily Walker loves creating worlds and stumbling around in them. She is constantly losing her chap-stick, and has an obsession with the color pink. Currently a resident of the mountains and loving the view she writes mostly paranormal fiction, and horror. Her small family consists of her red bearded other half, a rat terrier named Rebel, and a cat called Mr. Creepy.
Links:
Website – http://www.authoremilywalker.com
Blog – http://www.selfpublishordie.com
Review site – http://www.reviewsfrombeyondthebook.blogspot.com
Facebook – http://www.facebook.com/authoremilywalker
Twitter- http://www.twitter.com/authorewalker
