Krista Ames's Blog, page 64

Heroine Character Interview from Beached by Brenda Beem

Please welcome Toni for a tell-all :)


How did you first meet your writer? My writer initially thought I would look and act like her daughter, but as time went on, I proved I was my own character. Nothing against the daughter, but I am just not her.
Did you ever think that your life would end up being in a book? I love being in a book. I can speak to the world. Sometimes it annoys me when my author tells everyone what I’m thinking, however.
What are your favorite scenes in your book: the action, the dialog or the romance? I love all the action in my book. The shark attack scene was pretty cool, except while we were fighting off sharks, I had to watch my boyfriend take off with another girl. I admit I got a little jealous.
Did you have a hard time convincing your author to write any particular scenes for you? My author isn’t a big fan of guns. But one of our shipmates smuggled one on the boat, and it has turned out to be pretty handy to have, even though the adults we meet aren’t thrilled to have a boatload of kids with a gun living on their island.
Do you infiltrate your writer’s dreams? Ha! All the time. She wakes up thinking about me. But I also love to speak to her when she’s driving. It’s funny when she ends up missing her freeway exits because she’s listening to me.
What do you like to do when you are not being actively read somewhere? I love to just hang out with Takumi, my boyfriend. Alone time is hard to find when we are on the boat, so we will sit up on the bow of the boat, and snuggle. On the island we sneak away.
Are you happy with the genre your writer has placed you in? Are you kidding? No! My world has turned upside down. I should be a normal happy highschool student, waiting to be asked to the Homecoming Dance. Instead I live on a sailboat with a lot of other kids while the world around us falls apart. We’re crowded, there are no hospitals or cities left. We depend on each other, but we also annoy each other. I’m angry my writer put me here and things just seem to keep getting worse.
If you could rewrite anything in your book, what would it be? I would make one of the characters we meet on the island, Kat, not so pretty. In one scene, Kat and my boyfriend Takumi go off kayaking. Takumi gets stung by a stingray and almost drowns. When I find them, Kat is holding him in the water. She is in her underwear. That was bad enough, but did she really have to be wearing a pink bra? Really?
Do you like the way the book ended? I’m very happy with the ending of Book Two. We still have lots to do, but the author gave us some time off. Very cool.
Would you be interested in a sequel, if your writer was so inclined? Yes. I have to find my parents, the others have to find their families, and I’m dying to know if Zoe, my brothers annoying girlfriend, really is pregnant.
What is your least favorite characteristic your writer has attributed to you? I think I already mentioned this, but I get jealous really easy. I’m not proud of it.
Do have any secret aspirations that your author doesn’t know about? Yes. I want to go back to Seattle someday. I know it’s frozen over now, but I hope someday it will thaw, and I can go back.
What is your greatest fear? My greatest fear is I won’t find my parents. And I couldn’t stand to lose any more of the crew. I fell apart when my brother died in the first book.
What do you wear when you go to sleep? Lots and lots of layers. Being chased by an ice age makes one cold.
What is your most prized possession? My parent’s sailboat is by far my most prized possession. In a world gone crazy, being able to travel with the wind, and having a home, is beyond valuable.
Who was your first boyfriend and what do you like most about them? Takumi is my first boyfriend. He is handsome, (of course) and he knows so much stuff. But the best thing about him is he is calm. All the time. He’s my rock.
What do you think your greatest weakness is?Well, this is hard. I’ve been growing. At first I was terrified to leave Seattle on our sailboat without my parents. I let my brothers make all the decisions. But now, I’m co-captain of the boat and very little scares me. I’m mostly afraid I’ll make a wrong decision and one of the crew will be hurt.
What do you think is your strongest attribute? I’m pretty good at listening and finding ways to get things done. And I diffuse conflicts pretty well.
What are you proudest of? I’m proud that we are all still alive! I think we handle ourselves pretty well. Nature has thrown everything at us. And it seems the adults we meet want to steal our boat, take our guns away, or criticize how we’re caring for the little girl on our boat. It gets exhausting.

What embarrasses you? It is hard to be with Takumi with my brother around, but I’m getting used to it.
What is something no one knows about you?  Why do you keep it a secret?  And what would happen if everyone found out about it? When I was riding my bike to the sailboat the morning we learned about the disaster coming, I passed by a black dog that was tied to a post. I should have stopped and brought it with me. It could have run alongside my bike. I was too scared I’d be left behind I didn’t stop. I keep it a secret because it’s painful, but also because I know the rest of the crew probably had similar decisions they made and probably regret.
What do you find most appealing in men? I like men that are strong enough to be gentle. Does that make sense? Takumi is big and strong, wise, and lets me be me.
What do you find most unappealing in men?I hate me, me, me, people. My brother’s girlfriend is a me, me, person. Everything revolves around her. I don’t’ know why my brother even likes her.
What is your vivid memory of your mother and father?I remember building sand castles on Alki Beach one sunny day in Seattle. My mom, dad, and brothers Cole and Dylan were there and we ate fish and chips from a take-out place. Just a simple summer day. It’s hard to think that the beach is gone and the city is covered in ice.
What word makes you the happiest? FamilyWhat is your least favorite word? Not sure here. Tsunami? Dystopian?What turns you on? Being warm and well fed.What turns you off? Cold, saltwater showers.What sound or noise do you love? The sound of gentle ways splashing the shore.What sound or noise do you hate? The voice of my brother’s girlfriend.What would you not like to do? I am anxious to find my family, but I don’t think I can go back to being the little girl, the daughter again. I probably won’t live with them. Sounds harsh, I know.
Do you believe in ghosts/evil spirits/mysticism? Would you spend the night in a remote haunted house? This is easy. Yes. I’d give anything to spend the night in a house. Any house. Haunted or otherwise. There’s nothing a ghost or evil spirit could do to us that would be worse than what nature has done.
Are you a morning person or a night owl? We don’t even notice time anymore. When we are sailing, we sleep when we can. Someone has to be on deck all the time. On the island, we kept up the schedule. You can’t let your guard down.Would you ever use a voodoo doll to hurt anyone? No.
What is your most favorite memory? It’s strange. Although it has only been a month, memories of my life before the tsunami are fading. But I still love recalling how my brother Cole kissed the top of my head, and the look on Takumi’s face when he tried to get us all to eat seaweed the first time was so funny.
If you knew a zombie apocalypse was coming in one week, what would you do? Exactly what I just did. Take off in a sailboat.
How do you react when people sing “Happy Birthday” to you in a restaurant?  A restaurant? If I could go to a restaurant again, people could sing or shout anything they wanted at me. What I’d give for a burger and fries. And smoothies. I loved smoothies. Don’t get me started on food.
Have you ever gone alone to either dinner or a movie? What about a vacation? Going anywhere alone isn’t safe anymore, but someday. And it would feel amazing.
What’s your favorite animal? We rescued a little wiener dog. He’s cute and has turned out to be a pretty good watch dog, although he also barks at every dolphin and seagulls that passes by.
Have you ever thought about getting a tattoo, what would it be and where? If not, what if you had to? Humm. Not on my list right now, but maybe someday I will get a tattoo. If there are still tattoo artists. I think I’d have an anchor. I’d like to find a home for not only me, but our boat. Yes. I’d like an anchor, but also Takumi’s name. We are going to be together forever. Do you hear me, writer!
Thanks again for visiting with us today !!!!
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BEACHED(Knockdown, book 2)by  Brenda BeemReleased: October 30, 2015YA Contemporary Suspense

Toni and the young crew of the sailboat, Whistler, have just found a safe harbor. Or so they thought...
They may have survived a tsunami, but they’re racing ahead of an ice age as they continue the frantic search for their families.
The island they’ve anchored near is anything but safe. Dangerous men lurk nearby—along with snakes, stingrays, and sharks. An island girl threatens to destroy Toni and her boyfriend’s relationship, the youngest member of the crew gets lost in a narrow dark cave, and Zoë is more annoying than ever.
Will Toni and her crew survive the island and its treacherous waters? 
14+ due to sexuality and adult situations 
The first book in the series, KNOCKDOWN, won first place at the Houston Writers Guild.

BEACHED  Buy Links:   Evernight Teen     Amazon
All Romance eBooks


Excerpt:
Makala struggled in Jeremy’s arms and whimpered.A young couple standing at the edge of camp stepped forward. “We came here to make sure the gun didn’t fall into the wrong hands.” The young woman stared at Jeremy. “You’re the wrong hands. Put the gun down before someone gets hurt.”“Enough!” Jeremy turned in a slow circle, the pistol still pointed at Makala. “Listen up! I’m going down to the beach and tell the kids on that boat that if they want their friends back, they’ll have to give us the sailboat. Anyone who helps me can come with us. If you try and stop me, the girl gets hurt.”The young couple shook their heads and backed away.“Help us!” I pleaded.A man with a beer belly shook his finger at me. “This is your fault. You brought the gun to our island.”My mouth dropped open. “The convicts brought a gun here. If we hadn’t shown up, they would have made your lives miserable.”A young man with a beard stepped toward Jeremy. “Come on, bro. Hand over the gun.”Jeremy aimed at the sand in front of the young man and pulled the trigger.I held my hands over my ears.Makala and Sophia screamed.Jeremy turned the gun on the young man. “If you aren’t with me, you should leave.”  The young man raised his hands in the air. Most of the group gathered on the beach followed his example. After a few minutes, one by one they left.Kat, her father, and six of the younger guys stayed. The young guys shifted from one foot to another. I wanted to scream. We’d saved these people from the convicts. We’d risked our lives for them.Jeremy signaled for us to start moving. “Head to the beach. I’ll follow with Makala… Anyone makes a wrong move, the girl gets a bullet.” Kat and her father started down the path. Four island guys followed after them. Two held tightly onto Nick’s arms. Angelina stayed close to Jeremy and Makala.Sophia clung to her father’s leg.“You!” Jeremy pointed the gun at me. “Take my daughter’s hand and make sure she doesn’t fall.”I reached for Sophia. She screamed, “Mommy!” and darted off into the woods before I could grab her.“Stop her!” Jeremy yelled at me.“No!” Sophia’s mother arrived back in the clearing. “I heard the gunshot. I’ll find her. We’ll meet you on the beach.”Jeremy stared at his wife. “If you don’t show up, I’ll come looking for you. Don’t let that happen.”She took off after her daughter. “Sophia, it’s Mommy. Where are you?” Her cries grew faint as she moved farther and farther away.While we hiked down the steep path, we peeked through openings in the trees and brush, and watched Whistler’s progress. I kept shaking my head. How had my plan failed so badly?When we got to the beach, I couldn’t take my eyes off Whistler. It was sailing too fast. It should have lowered its sails and needed to drop anchor.I limped faster. “Kat, they aren’t slowing down. Something’s wrong.” Kat and I began to run. The others followed close behind.“Slow down!” Jeremy yelled. I didn’t know if he was talking to me or to the boat. I ignored him and moved as fast as my ankle would allow. When we got to the shore, I stared in horror. The sails were still up. The boat was headed straight for the beach.Without thinking, I limped into the water and headed to the spot where Whistler would crash. Kat and her dad pulled me back. “You can’t stop the boat!”“It’s going to hit the beach! We have to do something.” I screamed. “Dylan! Takumi! Drop the sails!”No one answered. I could see people on deck, but it was so dark, I couldn’t tell who.Whistler was only a few yards off the beach.A shot rang out from the boat.Loud voices began arguing.Dylan yelled, “Grab the day anchor!”Whistler kept coming.The sails were still up.The hull of the boat hit the rocky shore.There was a terrible crunching sound. The bow was held fast.Whistler was beached.


Author bio:

Brenda has always lived in the shadow of Mt. Rainer, a rumbling volcano, and the many waters of the Pacific Northwest.  Her idea of heaven is a book in one hand and a glass of wine in the other.  She now lives on Lake Washington, close to Seattle, with her husband. She loves to kayak and watch the resident eagles soar. Her sailboat, Whistler, is in a marina a short ways away. Summers are spent sailing the inland seas of Washington and Canada.
Website: http://www.brendabeem.com


Giveaway:   $25 Amazon Gift Card


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Happy Release Day to The Rift and S.D. Wasley @SDWasleyAuthor @evernightteen

THE RIFTThe Seventh series, book 2
S.D. Wasley
Released: November 6, 2015Published by Evernight TeenYA Urban Fantasy

“I longed for normality. Even our own, off-the-wall brand of normality.”

She’s finally got things together. Mimi’s dating a hot guy and has a place in the school’s Gifted Program with her awesome friends. Yes, she still attracts the dead. But there’s only one ghost these days, and he doesn’t seem to have an awful lot to say.

Just when Mimi’s life is looking pretty good for the first time in years, the unthinkable happens ... one of the seven gifted teens is torn from their close-knit group. The unity of their circle shattered, things begin to go terribly wrong. It’s ruining their focus—and with the threat of the Astarion cult growing stronger each day, the gifted seven need all the focus they can muster.

In The Seventh, Mimi found her place in a circle of seven extraordinary teenagers. In The Rift, she must face what happens when the circle of seven is broken.


Buy Link:    Amazon




About the author:
S.D. Wasley was born and raised in Perth, Western Australia.She has been composing literary works since before she could write – at five years of age she announced her first poem in the kitchen, improv-style. 
Today, she lives in the Swan Valley wine region with her two daughters, surrounded by dogs, cats and chickens. 

Character Interview: Rise of a Queen by @ChantaRand

Character Interview

How did you first meet your writer?First, allow me introduce myself. My name is Rafan. I’m the commander of the Sanhaja army in medieval Africa. My clan is considered one of the largest Berber confederations of North Africa. There are some who call us savages, but we are merely protecting our territory. Our fierce military enables us to control the trade routes traveled by Muslim merchants carrying valuable salt and gold. I first met my author while she was researching a historical romance she’d begun writing about the Moors (African Berbers) in ancient Spain. Between you and I, she is a female who is easily distracted. One day, she got off on a tangent while reading about Timbuktu. That led her to discover the three most powerful kingdoms in Africa at the time, Ghana, Mali, and Songhay. I am certain she plans to finish her Moorish book later, but my personality was too strong to stay behind. I demanded she bring me to life! And she did. 

What are your favorite scenes in your book: the action, the dialog or the romance?Surely, you jest. I am a virile, hot-blooded male. So of course, my favorite scenes are those filled with passion, arousal, and lovemaking. I am a skilled lover, not afraid to show the heroine, Nabeela, precisely how much pleasure I can bring her. Yet I will confess, the scenes featuring my exemplary fighting skills are also certain to create a few heart-stopping moments for any reader. If you want to know more, you’ll have to secure a copy for yourself. 


Did you have a hard time convincing your author to write any particular scenes for you?Yes. I am a warrior by nature. Battle is in my blood. Time and time again, my author tried to unearth my compassion. I have been hardened by too much death and destruction. I was not willing to show the weaker side of myself. We struggled at the beginning when I wanted to kill the heroine’s grandfather, but my author wisely stopped me from doing so. However, I did get my hands bloody in other chapters—she could not stop me from decapitating my enemy. So, I suppose I cannot complain. 

Do you infiltrate your writer’s dreams?No. However, I did infiltrate Nabeela’s dreams on many occasions. I haunted her with memories of the passion we shared. Once she had a taste of me, she could not forget about me. Eventually, I wore her resolve down. I’ve bested many enemies in battle, but she was my toughest conquest yet. 

Would you be interested in a sequel, if your writer was so inclined?Indeed, I leap at the chance to be part of a sequel. There are some loose ends I’d like tied up. Marriage has made me softer than old leather. I am eager for more action.  Thankfully, my author has already begun work on a sequel. 

What is your greatest fear?Fear? Your impudence is astounding. I am a blood-thirsty warrior-turned-king. I fear no one and nothing. My first duty is to my wife, and then my child, and then my people. I am a fair and honorable ruler, but those who cross me shall see the dark monster unleashed. 

What do you wear when you go to sleep?During the day (when not in my armor), I wear sumptuous fabrics of silks and velvet. Gold jewelry drips from my neck, wrists and ears. There is no doubt I am royalty. Yet in the privacy of my bedchambers, when I lay my head upon my goose down feather pillow each night, I sleep naked—like every other citizen. Not only am I most comfortable that way, but this also affords me unencumbered access to my lovely wife, who is also sleeping naked beside me. Nothing stems my hunger from wanting to ravish her body—not even sleep. 

What do you find most appealing in women?I have sampled women of all shapes and sizes, but I am most attracted to flawless skin, ample curves, and breasts the size of cassava melons. I’m accustomed to willing females who eagerly rush to accommodate me. In the past, I’ve been satisfied with that power. But Nabeela, with her smooth mahogany skin and dark, penetrating eyes refuses to submit to me. I admit I am fascinated by her fiery spirit and stunning looks. She’s captured my attention and held my passions hostage. Now, I think of nothing but burying myself inside her. 

What do you like most about where you live?I like everything about the Kingdom of Ghana, from the abundant gold and spicy foods to the lush landscapes and powerful military. The only thorns in my side are the greedy and corrupt Soninke. They took control of our stronghold in the city of Awdaghust, going behind our backs to cut off our source of income.  But soon, the Sanhaja will join forces with the mighty Almoravids and we will take back control of our city once and for all.  

Have you ever thought about getting a tattoo, what would it be and where? If not, what if you had to? What is this thing called a tattoo? The tribes of ancient Ghana practice ritual scarifcation. For men, scars are marks of courage, a testament to their bravery. I have several cut into intricate designs on my back and shoulders. The artist used sharp rocks and blade tips to create the desired effect. 


Thanks again for visiting with us today !!!!Good. I must take my leave. I have tarried far too long here. My duties as king require me to preside over the citizen’s daily disputes now. Perhaps you will see me again soon in a sequel. Inshallah (God willing).


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Rise of a QueenBy Chanta RandPre Order your copy now for only $.99. This price is only for Pre Orders and will end on November 22nd. So hurry and pre order your copy now for this amazing price. 

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A dead husband. An unconsummated marriage. She needs an heir. Any man will do.1061 AD. A sprawling empire rich in gold, resources, and military might dominates West Africa. It’s The Kingdom of Ghana, and it’s at the height of its power.Twenty-year old Nabeela is grappling with her own power struggle. In order to save her younger sister from their step-brother’s clutches, Nabeela agrees to marry a repulsive African prince and bear him an heir. However, her plans are waylaid when tragedy strikes on her wedding night—her new husband dies—without consummating their marriage.She must find a replacement to impregnate her immediately. Any man will do—including a drunken soldier her servants find naked taking a bath in a neighboring village. Nabeela holds him captive and coerces him into having sex with her—stealing the one thing he can never get back—his seed.What she doesn’t know is the soldier is Rafan, Commander of a warring tribe’s royal army, and one of her family’s arch enemies. Eager for revenge, Rafan tracks her down once he’s released. But when these two reunite, they realize their lust for each other is far greater than their disdain.Enamored by Nabeela’s beauty and bravery, Rafan makes her an offer of marriage, and the promise to help her become queen. He convinces her that they are stronger allies than enemies. Even though they share a commitment to unite, there are others who are determined to destroy them and their plans, including the one person Nabeela would have never suspected. In the end, she’s is forced to choose between her passion and her ambition.

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Buy Link:   Amazon |   

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 Author Info: Chanta Jefferson Rand is an Emma Award winning Debut Author of the Year, a multi-published, best-selling author of sizzling-hot romance, and the former host of The Chanta Rand Show. An avid reader of all genres, she stepped onto the scene in 2010 with her first published historical romance, Pharaoh's Desire. 

Chanta is a history junkie, a Walking Dead fan, and a recovering shoe addict. She never met a stiletto she didn't like! If you still want more, check her out at www.ChantaRand.com or email her at Chanta@chantarand.com.
 

Remember: You can't expect any sizzle...if you don't turn up the heat!  

Chanta's Social Links: Website | Facebook | Twitter | Mailing List  

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Book Blitz - Great Month eBook Long Sale !!!

 Matronly DutiesMelissa Kendall
Published by The Writers Coffee Shop Genre:  FICTION / Romance / General / Science FictionEBook available from: Amazon and ITunes



Hundreds of years after an asteroid slammed into Earth and sent it into a new ice age, what remains of the human race lives on in underground sanctuaries. Now, as the bicentennial anniversary of the impact approaches, a new leader prepares to take her place at the head of the government. At least, that’s what she thinks.

Bethanie Greene’s life has been planned out for her since the age of thirteen. Beautiful and intelligent, she’s spent the last twelve years training to become the next Matron of the underground nation of Oceania. But when Bethanie is kidnapped by rogue extremists just six weeks shy of taking office, her world is turned upside down by the handsome stranger who rescues her. Howard James’ life has been the polar opposite of Bethanie’s. Struggling to survive in a world where those in power wished he didn’t exist, he harbors a deep-seated resentment of the government and all its representatives. Together with his unconventional family, he shows Bethanie a life she never knew was possible, while at the same time, opening her eyes to the injustices of the government she is meant to lead.But can she trust a stranger? And can a few days change everything she believes and desires? Against all odds, Bethanie must decide if her heart and her duties can coexist.


EXCERPT
My body shakes at the thought of what could have happened to me yet again. I’ve heard stories about the slums, and I have to take a few deep breaths to calm myself.
“I was silly running away, I get it. I just couldn’t stay in your home any longer.”Howard sighs. “Just because my parents raised us with traditionalist values doesn’t mean we are anything like the Trads. You accused us of being a drain on society, but you don’t even know us.”“You’re right, I don’t. But you don’t know me either. If you did, you would understand why it’s hard for me to understand your way of life. It goes against every law, moral, and convention I’ve been taught. So I can’t be sorry for what I said, even if I’m sorry I ran out of the house.”Howard takes a deep breath, then exhales long and slow. The expression on his face looks a bit like pity but with a dash of guilt mixed in. “Look, maybe I’ve judged you unfairly based on preconceived notions, but—”A loud bang echoes outside. Howard glances at me with a panicked look on his face, and then pulls me off the crate onto the floor behind. I sit up, and turn to yell at him, but male voices outside keep my mouth closed. I instead huddle closer to Howard as he puts his hand around my shoulders. He pulls me in until I’m tucked against him.“Did you see where she went?” a man’s voice asks.“Nah, she just vanished.” The voice of this one sounds young.“Damn, the boss isn’t going to be pleased about this.”The crunch of shoes against pavement indicates they are on the move again. The sounds trail off until they’re no longer audible. I sigh in relief, all the tension fleeing my body.“Are you okay?’ Howard asks, rubbing my shoulder.I glance up, only then noticing how little space is between us. His blue eyes have flecks of grey in them, and there’s a smattering of freckles covering his nose and cheeks. His warm breath tickles my cheek almost like a caress, and his jaw has the barest hint of a five o’clock shadow. He really is captivating.“I’m fine,” I eventually say, the words a mere whisper.The butterflies in my stomach return with a vengeance. Howard licks his lips as they turn up ever so slightly in a smile.“Good.”I can’t stop the sigh that slips past my own lips. Howard leans forward a little, then moves closer still until his mouth is pressed against mine. I don’t dare move. A zing of something, I’m not sure whether it’s pleasure or fear, shoots through me. His lips are soft and wet, and the sensation is unlike anything I’ve felt before. I can’t even decide if I want him to continue or stop. When he pulls away though, a feeling of disappointment bubbles up inside me.My first kiss.Goosebumps cover me from head to toe, and unbidden, my fingers move to my lips. Glancing at Howard, he stares at me for a minute, then moves to sit further away.“I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have done that.”I shrug. “It’s okay.”Howard frowns and then looks across the room.Part of Matron training is learning not to form close relationships. It doesn’t mean it never happens. I’ve heard the odd story here and there from the other women, and I realise that’s probably what Gail was trying to tell me at breakfast the other day. But in all honesty, I can’t remember the last time I had real physical contact with anyone, above all with a man.We sit in uncomfortable silence for a few minutes. Tension rolls off Howard in waves.“What’s wrong?”“Nothing. Come on,” Howard whispers. “We need to get to the house before those guys come back.”



~ABOUT THE AUTHOR~
Melissa Kendall is an almost forty-year-old mother of two from Perth, Western Australia, the second-most isolated capital city in the world. Predominantly a stay-at-home mum, she works a few hours a week as a software support consultant. She has always loved to read and write, and spent most of her teens writing poetry and short stories. Over the years, daily life got in the way and she lost the passion for it, but after the birth of her first child, Melissa discovered e-books and her interest in writing rekindled. She is now the author of two published short stories. Matronly Duties is her first full-length novel.



~CONNECT WITH THE AUTHOR~
Twitter * Facebook * Goodreads * Website

Cover/Blurb Reveal: The Lock by KT Grant @Katiebabs

The LockBook 3, Dark Paths SeriesKT GrantErotic Romance, 105,000k
The dark path continues for Erika and Max as secrets unfold and threaten to destroy all they hold dear…
Erika Walsh’s every dream has come true. She’s received both critical and public acclaim for her best-selling erotic romance, and has chosen the magnetic millionaire and BDSM club owner Maxwell Crawford as the keeper of her heart. Although, her former crush Chris Milton still refuses to accept her decision. As she plans her wedding to Max, she’s confronted with his past and the many secrets he’s kept under lock and key –for good reason.
When Max’s older brother, Daniel, a big Hollywood producer falls ill, Erika and Max rush to Los Angeles to help him recover. Max is shocked to find Daniel has become the victim of a blackmailer who seeks revenge against the brothers. Max must confront the loathsome Abraham Rovner, a former classmate from high school, who has never forgiven him for breaking off their relationship.
Abraham brings out Max’s lurking deviant nature, which sends him to a dark place in his mind. Erika must find the strength to help her lover purge his demons, even though it may come at a major cost for them both.

Releasing December 14th, 2015!!

You may also want the first two books in this series !!
 Book 1  -  The Gate A chance encounter between a successful author and a billionaire owner of an underground BDSM club, leads to the most pivotal relationship of their lives…

Erika Walsh has carried a torch for Christopher Milton, heir to her father’s publishing empire for years. After one steamy make out session she begins to wonder if it might develop into something more. But when M. L. Crawford, better known as Max, her father’s publishing rival, seeks her out at a society event, she’s drawn to his magnetic charisma and powerful demeanor. Their verbal bantering and innuendo laced overtones stir feelings she never knew existed, and soon Erika is consumed with knowing the real man under Max’s restrained public façade.

Erika’s sweet nature and naivety excites Max to near madness. He wants to train her in the art of seduction and make her succumb to his every wish and command…as his perfect submissive. Yet, Christopher is determined to keep Erika from becoming the latest victim of Max’s sinister sexual hungers. He knows all too well what Max hides in his black soul and will stop at nothing to reveal all of Max’s secrets in order to protect the one thing he holds dear above all else- Erika.

Max’s dark desires scare yet arouse Erika, as he opens her eyes to a new bold world full of passion and ecstasy she never imagined until him. But the biggest question remains: Is Erika’s craving for Max just an illusion that transpires behind the walls of The Gate?Available now…  Amazon

Book 2  -  The Key The seductive world of The Gate continues with The Key...

Erika has reinvented herself as an author of erotic romance under the pseudonym, Lily Fredericks. After her eight month sabbatical in New Orleans, she’s returning to Manhattan to promote her new book. Chris is handling her book tour and wants Erika to give him another chance. She’s forgiven Chris, but Max is always in her thoughts. Sick of waiting for Erika to come to her senses, Max takes matters into his own hands. He’ll go to New Orleans to claim her before it’s too late.

With Erika back in Manhattan, both Chris and Max try to seduce her in the hopes she’ll choose one of them. As both men battle for her heart, a woman from Max’s past reappears, bent on revenge. Chris will ruin Max anyway he can in order to make Erika his own. However, Max has something up his sleeve to insure he’s the victor, but not without a price—Erika’s soul.

Can Erika choose between a man who seeks to possess and a man who can’t live without her?Available now… Amazon

About the Author: KT Grant is a self-proclaimed eccentric redhead who not only loves to read a wide variety of romances, but also loves writing it. Under her alter-ego, she is a well-known book blogger who doesn’t shy away from voicing her opinion. A proud native of New Jersey, KT is multi-published and writes Gay, Lesbian and Straight romance. KT has been a top ten best-selling author at Amazon, as well as being a multiple All Romance Ebooks best seller and a Night Owl Reviews Top Author Pick. KT is also About.com’s Romance Novel Expert and Columnist.
KT loves to hear from readers. You can drop KT an email at ktgrnt@gmail.com .
You can also find KT at these fun places:
Blog: Babbling About Books, and More!
Twitter: @Katiebabs
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Discovering Young Adult Books with Bridie Blake and A Distant Voice

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    Discovering Young Adult Books, a Guest Post by Bridie Blake

I’ve loved reading for as long as I can remember. Hours of my childhood were spent with a book in hand, devouring stories like The Babysitters Club and The Magic Faraway Tree series. I couldn’t get enough. I wanted to be reading all the time. And when I wasn’t reading I wrote my own stories and plays. I was obsessed with the written word. Reading went to a new level for me when I was introduced to YA books. My older sister was reading Looking For Alibrandiby Melina Marchetta and one night she wanted to read it aloud. This was back in the day when I shared a room with my three sisters so even if I hadn’t wanted to listen I had nowhere else to go, and looking back now I’m glad I didn’t. I was in primary school at the time, and felt very grownup reading from a book aimed at teenagers. I was hooked from the first word and from that point it was all about YA for me. One of the key relationships in A Distant Voiceis between sisters, Violet and Rose. There are scenes where I had Violet read aloud to Rose while they’re just hanging out in their room and I really wanted to include those as a small tribute to my sister. I doubt she even remembers reading Looking For Alibrandi to me, but it’s one of those moments from my childhood that stuck. And Melina Marchetta is now one of my favourite authors. Having two older sisters it was easy for me to get my hands on YA books and I quickly devoured them. I fell in love with stories like Just As Long As We’re Together by Judy Blume, You Take The High Roadby Mary K. Pershall and Tomorrow, When The War Began by John Marsden. Reading YA was a different experience. It was the first time I truly felt drawn to the characters and worlds on the pages. I not only wanted to read these stories, I wanted to belong to them. They took me through every emotion possible. I laughed out loud, and sobbed until I had no tears left. I was on the edge of my seat, anxious to find out what happened next, but also wanting to savour every word. I thought I’d move on from YA books when I reached adulthood, but I didn’t. In fact, I think my obsession only increased. Especially when I discovered a new genre of YA. Fantasy. I read every book in Tamora Pierce’s Tortall series, I waited eagerly for each book in Callie Kanno’s The Threshold Trilogy, and am dying with anticipation for the next book in Morgan Rhodes‘ Falling Kingdoms series. It’s safe to say that not only is YA never disappearing from my reading list, but it’ll forever be on my writing list too. I love writing the genre. I love trying to create a story that will hopefully have the same impact on someone out there that other YA books had on me. My name is Bridie Blake, I’m thirty-two years old and I love YA. 

 *    *    *    *    * A DistantVoiceBridie BlakeEvernight TeenContemporary Young Adult72,000 words

In life you don’t find your voice. It finds you. 
Violet Hayes knows how to survive the year living with her grandmother in the small town of Wandorah, Tennessee. 
• Make Rose happy • Don’t sing or play guitar • Avoid Sally Shaw • Ignore Carter Jenkins 
It seems simple enough, right? Wrong. 
• How do you keep a depressed sister happy? • How do you deny yourself your dream? • How do you avoid a friendship? • And how do you ignore a boy when he’s everywhere you turn? 
Violet’s to-do list just became a whole lot harder.  14+ due to adult situations

Buy Links:       Evernight Teen     Amazon    ARe     Bookstrand Add A Distant Voice to your Goodreads page HERE
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book trailer: http://youtu.be/AVn3Bb4EQEo

Excerpt:He smiled and reached out to pull the guitar toward him. He strummed his fingers over the strings and played a few chords before glancing over at me proudly.
“Impressive.”
He offered me the guitar. “Your turn.”
“And what makes you think I can play?”
“Your bloodlines.”
I snorted out a laugh and clapped my hand over my mouth in horror.“Play away,” he said, ignoring my snort, and pushed the guitar into my hands.
I stared down at it with my mouth hanging open. The way my heart raced you’d think he’d pulled the pin on a grenade and handed it to me. Relax Violet. It’s an instrument. It can’t hurt you. Unless I tripped over it and broke my neck. And that could happen. Probably not entirely realistic while I’m holding it, but if I dropped it and then got up and tripped, it … oh dear god, what is wrong with me?
His mom called out his name and he gave me an apologetic shrug. “I’ll be right back.”
He left the room and I remained where I was, the guitar still burning my hands. It had been months since I’d played. Months since I’d felt that wave of joy I got whenever my fingers ran over the strings.
A yearning, so strong it sent butterflies fluttering in my stomach, washed over me and my fingers moved. They ran over the strings, playing whatever came to mind. I closed my eyes and let myself be swallowed up by it all. I allowed myself to forget and be something else. Someone else.
I didn’t know how long I stayed like that but a shuffle behind me forced me back to reality. I opened my eyes and twisted around. Carter stood in the doorway, a look of wonder on his face and it made me squirm. I dropped my hands, rested the guitar on his bed, and scrambled to my feet. “I should go.”
He moved toward me slowly, as though scared a sudden movement would startle me. “What’s wrong?”
“Nothing,” I mumbled and folded my arms across my chest, tucking my hands into my armpits where they’d be safe and wouldn’t stray towards anymore strings.
His brow creased and I saw him trying to work out what had happened but I didn’t want to talk about it. I tried to duck out of his room before he asked me anything. He gripped my arm, stopping my quick exit. “It’s okay,” he said. “You’re allowed to enjoy things. You’re not betraying your sister by having fun or doing the things you want to do.” His voice, filled with sincerity and kindness, caused a lump to take up residence in my throat.
His hand ran along my arm and towards my hidden hand. He tugged on it until he freed it and he squeezed my fingers gently. I shook my head because he’s right, but he’s wrong at the same time. It was guilt over Rose that stopped me doing things but when it came to music, there was so much more to it.
Music destroyed Gran’s life. It ruined Mom’s childhood. I couldn’t love something like that because if I did, I’d open myself up to the same hurt. And I’m not anywhere near as strong as Gran. It would destroy me. It would be my trigger.
I wanted to tell him that. I wanted him to understand. But the words wouldn’t come out of me.

Author Bio: Bridie lives, daydreams and writes in Melbourne, Australia. She’s happiest at her computer, coffee in hand, Tim Tams on standby and her furry companion Poppy at her feet. When not writing she’s usually found with a book in her hand or playing with her tribe of nieces and nephews.
Discover more about her at www.bridieblake.com, https://www.facebook.com/AuthorBridieBlake or @BridieBlake on Twitter!

Giveaway:  $25 Amazon GC
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It's All About the Author with Maria Grazia Swan @scrittrice

It’s All About the Author…
1)  Please tell us 5 interesting facts about yourself that readers might not know about you … I have dual citizenship, that means that I have 2 passports, Italian and US.
I lived in 5 different countries, that’s countries, not states. Italy, Belgium, Germany, France and United States.
I spent a very special, long evening at a private Geisha club in Tokyo. I was the only non working girl there.
I wrote my first full length mystery while going through my divorce. That was my way of killing people without going to jail. The book was eventually published and became the first book of the Mina’s adventures series. Love Thy Sister.
I have a background in fashion design. Started in Italy and had my own business in the states with branches in Arizona and California.


2)  What do you like to do in your spare time? I like to work out, love yoga and hiking. But I also volunteer at a no kill animal shelter.
3)  Is there one book that you love to read over and over again?  If so, what is it and what is it that keeps you coming back to it? The Horse Whisperer by Nicholas Evans…love the sense of pending doom that creeps through the book…
4)  How did you get started writing and have you always wanted to be an author? Yes, I was telling stories before I could write. Won my first literary award at the age of fourteen, that’s the old fourteen…before I even owned a typewriter…I’m aging myself…
5)  If you for some reason couldn’t be an author, what would your other choice be? I like creative things, decorating, making clothes, painting walls…anything that involves imagination.
6)  Did you like school?  Were you a good student? Loved school. I grew up in a chaotic household. School was my refuge and yes, I was a good student.
7)    When you write, is there a specific way you have to write, ie:  certain room, noise or quiet, computer or paper etc…No noise, complete silence, I tend to write on my laptop, without internet connection. I have a regular computer I use for daily social life. And yes, I create best from my desk, by the window.
8)   If you could write a collaboration with another author, do you have one in mind and what would you write? Would love to collaborate with another author because my English is sometime limiting, however, I don’t do any planning, I sit and write and that’s not conductive to collaboration.
9)    How do you come up with your story ideas?  Mostly from something that actually happened and left a big impression on me, I create the rest. But all my stories have a % of truth.
10)                   Do titles stump you or do they come easy?  When do you pick a title, before the story is written or when it’s done? Ah, funny you should ask. Yes, I need a title before I write the story.
11)                   Do you keep a notebook near you for when new ideas pop into your head? No.
12)                   If you write a series, do you re-read your previous books before you begin the new one? Not always. Unless I need something very specific, I know my characters pretty well, don’t forget they are usually based on people I know..
13)                   How does your family feel about your writing? They don’t much care. I know..I only have boys and they think I write chick stuff and the rest of my family is in Italy and none of them understand English…

Thanks for sharing “you as an author” with us !  We hope you’ll come back and visit again soon!
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BEST IN SHOWMina’s Adventures Series, Book 6Maria Grazia SwanCozy Romantic Suspense, 188 pages
Mina Calvi, Italian transplant to Southern California, thinks her love life might finally come together, just as her professional life has. Her Furry Friends Foundation, a no-kill shelter for rescued cats and dogs, is a success, and Mina hopes she may find a loving forever home for herself, in the arms of Diego Moran, her elusive, frustratingly mysterious, on again-off again, lover.
When a seemingly innocent night out with friends lands Mina in a hospital bed and Diego undercover, and not the covers Mina wants him to be under, Mina has to draw on all her new-found maturity, and all her supportive friends for strength.
Meanwhile, a Best in Show cat takes up residence at the Ritzy Cats B&B, Mina’s other venture, setting Mina on the trail of a suspicious character who might not have the cat's best interests at heart. 
Add a Matchmaker to the Stars, a temperamental Italian chef and the usual menagerie of people and pets, stir it all up and you have an entertaining, hard to put down romantic tale of suspense.

Buy Links:      Amazon ebook    Amazon Print


Excerpt:Did he love her? In the heat of the night, love was a given. But as daylight unfolded, her insecurities found their path to her heart. Mina didn’t move, afraid the slightest shifting might wake him. His chest rose and fell against her back as he breathed peacefully. Their bodies touched, connected in a perfect fit. A match made in heaven she repeated to herself, in heaven but not on earth? The longing she felt for him transcended sex and lust. Eyes closed, she revisited their good-bye two years ago in the cemetery in Italy, and that sense of unconditional love he’d brought into her life. It was the kind of love Mina assumed girls customarily expected from a father, a brother, a kin. But that was only a guess, a yearning, since she’d grown up without parents or siblings, so she had never experienced such love, until then, during that magical Italian summer. Diego stirred and brushed his lips up and down the nap of her neck. “Missed you,” he whispered. Now wide-awake, Mina quipped, “You missed me? How?” “How?” In one fluid motion he spun her around, her body pressed against his. “How did I miss you?’ He paused, his eyes burning from a surge of passion she hadn’t seen coming. “For the last two years I carried with me the image of you in your red dress. The way you looked the last time I was near you. It’s branded in my soul. I couldn’t rid myself of it. Even now a glimpse of a red dress would arouse me. I’d be aroused not by the woman wearing it, but by the memory of you in that red dress.”


Books 1 thru 5 Available at Amazon


About the Author Best selling author Maria Grazia Swan was born in Italy, but this rolling stone has definitely gathered no moss. She lived in Belgium, France, Germany, in beautiful Orange County, California where she raised her family, and is currently at home in Phoenix, Arizona--but stay tuned for weekly updates of Where in the World is Maria Grazia Swan?

As a young girl, her vivid imagination predestined her to be a writer. She won her first literary award at the age of fourteen while living in Belgium. As a young woman Maria returned to Italy to design for--ooh-la-la--haute couture. Once in the U.S. and after years of concentrating on family, she tackled real estate. These days her time is devoted to her deepest passions: writing and helping people and pets find the perfect home.

Maria loves travel, opera, good books, hiking, and intelligent movies (if she can find one, that is). When asked about her idea of a perfect evening, she favors stimulating conversation, Northern Italian food and perfectly chilled Prosecco--but then, who doesn't? 
Find Me Here–Maria Grazia Swanmariagswan@gmail.com, personal   mgsweb1@gmail.com readers/websiteWebpage      Blog     Twitter         Facebook      Goodreads     Amazon Author Page    Linkedin

Giveaway:I Love My Cat locket (US only)Paperback copy of any of Maria’s Books, winner’s choice (US only)Ebook copy of any of Maria’s Books, winner’s choice (Intl)


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Spotlight: Miss Merton's Last Hope by @Heather_Boyd #giveaway

Spotlight and Giveaway: MISS MERTON'S LAST HOPE by Heather Boyd Book Three, Miss Mayhem Series Release Date: October 13, 2015 Genre: Regency Historical Romance Length: 40,000 words novella Heat Rating: Sizzling  

Over the years, Melanie Merton has used every trick and ruse to repel overeager gentlemen callers without ever revealing the real reason she won’t say yes to an offer of marriage. When neighbor Walter George jumps to her defense against slurs cast by suitor number twelve, he also pries into her past—uncovering the circumstances around a tragic loss in her childhood and her aversion to being touched by anyone. But even protective Walter must be kept at a distance for his own good, because despite a growing attraction between them, Melanie must deny him too.  

Unlike other men his age in Brighton, Walter George hadn’t considered Melanie Merton for a wife because he was convinced he’d never have a chance to impress his haughty neighbor. But that was before he understood her better, before he uncovered why she kept friends and suitors alike at bay. The right husband could restore the woman he sees into some semblance of the fun-loving child of his memory, but would Walter stand a chance or become just another unlucky suitor?  


Links Amazon | iBooks | Kobo | Nook | Add to Goodreads Shelf 

Read an Excerpt

Melanie Merton hated her life. She hated the clothes she wore. The house she lived in that was no longer hers to manage. The smiles she had to bestow upon her brother’s friends while overlooking their scowls. Even without the responsibilities she’d always enjoyed, and the hours on her own, she never had a moment’s peace. She just wanted a quiet morning, and that never seemed to happen lately unless she confined herself to her bedchamber. Today, she was entertaining Mr. Linus Radley until his sister, Julia, her new sister-in-law, came down that morning. The forms of proper behavior that had been drilled into her head since she was a young girl made it impossible for her to say what was really on her mind, even when she wanted to. She was too polite to ask Mr. Radley to go away until a more reasonable hour of the day, and had ordered tea and cake to fill the endless minutes until Julia relieved her of this duty. “It looks to be a lovely day for a stroll,” Mr. Radley said suddenly. “Might I entice you to venture out with me to look upon the sea? With your maid, of course.” Melanie sighed with what she hoped sounded like regret and not irritation. She would not go out walking with Linus Radley, with or without a suitable chaperone. She had seen enough of him in the past weeks not to want anything more to do with him than she absolutely had to. He was a bully. “Unfortunately, I am otherwise engaged today.” “Oh?” Dear God, the man wants particulars.

***Enter the $25 Amazon.com Giveaway a Rafflecopter giveaway    

About Heather BoydBestselling historical author Heather Boyd believes every character she creates deserves their own happily-ever-after, no matter how much trouble she puts them through. With that goal in mind, she writes sizzling regency romance stories that skirt the boundaries of propriety to keep readers enthralled until the wee hours of the morning.

Heather has published over twenty novels and shorter works. Catch her latest news www.heather-boyd.com. She lives north of Sydney, Australia, and does her best to wrangle her testosterone-fuelled family (including cat Morpheus) into submission.

Connect with Heather: Website | Twitter | Facebook Page | Mailing list

It's All About the Author with Peggy Rothschild @pegrothschild

It’s All About the Author…
1)  Please tell us 5 interesting facts about yourself that readers might not know about you …I have no sense of direction. I won a local ‘Extreme Lawn Makeover’ contest by tearing out all the grass in our yard and replacing it with drought-tolerant plantsI hate to cook. I’m adopted, but learned I have two biological brothers whom I’ve never met.I don’t eat meat (considering all the hunting in PUNISHMENT SUMMER that might come as a surprise!). 

2)  What do you like to do in your spare time?
I love to garden, so it’s not uncommon to find me out digging in the dirt. I’ve discovered carrots grow really well in our yard as do all sorts of peppers. I also love to draw and paint. I recently finished a series of illustrations for another author’s as-yet-unpublished book (it’s in final edits and I’m eagerly waiting to see the final product!).

3)  Is there one book that you love to read over and over again?  If so, what is it and what is it that keeps you coming back to it?

I regularly re-read the Harry Potter series. I love the way the story transports me to a different world. And it’s fun watching Harry, Hermione and Ron grow up over and over again.

4)  How did you get started writing and have you always wanted to be an author?
I was an English major in high school and had always enjoyed writing, but years of composing ads, articles and promotional materials pretty much leached out the fun. Then I took a newsletter design class and, as a part of an assignment, the instructor had us write an essay on whatever we wanted. I had so much fun! I’d forgotten how much I enjoyed creative writing. As a lifelong mystery and thriller fan, they seemed like natural genres for me to try. I managed to connect with a great critique group and started honing my craft. But it took a number of years before I felt like I had something I could send out into the world.

5)  If you for some reason couldn’t be an author, what would your other choice be? 
There’s a part of me that thinks, if I could’ve been a pretty decent house painter!

6)  Did you like school?  Were you a good student? 
I was a good student, but didn’t want to be in school. We were fortunate to have an open campus and had undeveloped fields across the street. Free periods were spent out there. Almost all my friends were involved in extracurricular activities like cheerleading, drill team and flag, and I was like, huh? Why would I want to spend more time here? I DID love my art classes and had some fabulous teachers.

7)    When you write, is there a specific way you have to write, ie:  certain room, noise or quiet, computer or paper etc…
I do most of my writing at my desk, but not all. I usually start drafting on the computer, as well as do initial edits that way. But, at some point, I need to print out pages and edit. When the pages are in my hand, I see my writing differently. I prefer writing in silence except when starting a new manuscript. I’ll frequently have a song that resonates with either the story’s theme or character, and will play it over and over when I’m getting going. PUNISHMENT SUMMER was an exception, but maybe because it’s set in the woods, having the window open and hearing chirping birds made the perfect soundtrack.


8)   If you could write a collaboration with another author, do you have one in mind and what would you write?
I don’t think I could collaborate as a writer. I suspect I’d be so overwhelmed by the idea of working with one of my heroes that I’d wind up contributing nothing.

9)    How do you come up with your story ideas?  
It varies. I’ve had story ideas come from listening to a song, from hearing a news story, and from sitting around ‘what if-ing’. Sometimes stories start with an idea for a character, other times from a situation. Much of the time, the ideas come when I’m working on something else, so I write them down for later consideration. 

10)                   Do titles stump you or do they come easy?  When do you pick a title, before the story is written or when it’s done?
Titles usually come pretty early on in the draft, though I sometimes change them. For a while PUNISHMENT SUMMER was called The Lilith Express – based on the subplot which originally sparked the story idea. But, by the time I was halfway through the draft, I’d changed the title to PUNISHMENT SUMMER.

11)                   Do you keep a notebook near you for when new ideas pop into your head? 
I keep pencil and paper by the bed in the event I wake with a story or plot idea. Often those ideas turn out to be not quite as great in the morning as they seem in the middle of the night, but I have gotten some plot help that way. During the day, I have a pad of paper I scribble notes on except when I take my morning walk. It’s a great time to work out knotty problems with the writing, but I don’t want to tote a pen or paper. But I’m rarely gone more than an hour, so I write down the idea when I get home.

12)                   If you write a series, do you re-read your previous books before you begin the new one?
I haven’t yet written a series, but am planning one! And re-reading the previous books seems like a wonderful idea. Character sheets are great, but I think I’d want to see the character ‘in action’ before writing him or her again.

13)                   How does your family feel about your writing?
My husband’s enormously supportive and proud, always cheering me on!

Thanks for sharing “you as an author” with us !   We hope you’ll come back and visit again soon!


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Punishment SummerPeggy RothschildEvernight Teen PublishingContemporary/Suspense70K

Sixteen-year-old Nicki is sent to stay at her grandfather’s cabin near the town of Punishment in the Mendocino Forest. As always, she hides her burn scars and keeps quiet about the mother who ran out on her. But soon after arriving, she begins to suspect Grandpa is also keeping secrets. Her exile brings an unexpected bright spot—Grandpa’s German shepherd, Queenie. The hunky neighbor boy’s another plus, though she quickly starts to doubt his honesty.
From secret pot farms to human trafficking, Nicki discovers nothing in the ‘Mendo’ is what it seems. When Grandpa takes off and the lives of new friends are endangered, Nicki must decide how far she’s willing to go to protect those she cares about. Before summer ends, Nicki will learn there are some choices she can’t undo.
It’s a good thing Grandpa taught her how to shoot.

Buy Links:    Evernight Teen    AmazonFollow the tour HERE

Excerpt:The hill climb seemed endless. Up, up, up we went, keeping beneath the cover of trees and shrubs. Other than the fact that Queenie periodically growled at Ben, the dog seemed to enjoy the journey. Though the pine-scented air felt cooler under the trees, my T-shirt soon became soaked with sweat. I wanted to take a drink from my canteen and pour some water into my palm for Queenie, but worried about the etiquette. Would I have to offer Ben a drink? I wasn’t sure I wanted to swap germs with the guy. I longed to ask how much farther we had to go, but held off. He sounded pissed enough the last time I asked. Instead, I kept my mouth shut and continued climbing.Ben stopped, held up his hand. He leaned in, his body heat adding to the day’s warmth as he whispered in my ear. “We gotta keep real quiet now. Watch where you step. Try to make as little noise as possible.” He moved off, walking in a strange semi-crouch.I tried to mimic his stance as I followed. He stopped at the hill’s crest and knelt behind a tree. I hunkered down in his shadow, my arm around Queenie. Below us stretched rows and rows of bright green plants. Slender pines edged the field. Two men walked between the rows, the height of the crop almost to their knees. The large buds on the branches of the closest plants were easy to spot. Each man carried a plastic jug, dribbling liquid on the crop rows as they passed. The nearer of the two wore khakis plus a dirt-and sweat-stained undershirt. The distant man looked more pulled together: short-sleeved shirt tucked into his pants, hair tidy.From what I could see, other people had spent time in the clearing, too. Maybe even lived there. Hammocks hung between half a dozen trees. Empty food cans rusted in a pile. The remains of an old campfire sat surrounded by cooking pans, food wrappers, and discarded cigarette packs. On the far side of the field sat a trash heap. Two men didn’t make a mess this size.Black hoses ran between the rows of plants into the woods beyond. Now that we had settled in our spot for a couple minutes, the odor hit me. The place smelled like an outhouse.Queenie’s body tensed, but she stayed silent. I leaned down and rubbed my cheek against the top of her head.Gemma once tried growing a couple pot plants behind her garage. A gardening crew took care of their property and her parents never went behind that building. But none of the plants I’d seen before looked like this. Star-shaped clusters rose toward the sky, the glossy leaves reflecting back the sun’s rays. I stared at the sheer size of the growing area and tried to calculate the number of trees someone had chopped down. This was no home patch. This was a huge commercial operation. Ben warned me, but I hadn’t believed him.Now I knew. We were in way over our heads.


About the Author A native Californian, Peggy Rothschild grew up in Los Angeles. Always a mystery-lover, she embraced the tales of Nancy Drew and the Hardy Boys before moving on to the adult section of the library. An English major in high school, she switched to art – her other passion – in college. Peggy has authored two adult mysteries, CLEMENTINE’S SHADOW and ERASING RAMONA. PUNISHMENT SUMMER is her first young adult novel.
At present, Peggy and her husband live in the beach community of Ventura with their cats – who are always willing to rip apart any pages they feel aren’t up to snuff. In her spare time she can be found drawing and painting, or out in the yard weeding, pruning, and generally getting messy.
Contact info:Website: www.peggyrothschild.netTwitter: @pegrothschildFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/peggyrothschildauthorPinterest: http://www.pinterest.com/peggyrothschild/punishment-summerGoodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/7079283.Peggy_Rothschild

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Getting Into Character with Christine Potter and Time Runs Away With Her @evernightteen @chrispygal

Getting Into Character
            One of the really scary things about publishing a novel is having friends and family read it.  My worst fear: that my nearest and dearest are looking at Time Runs Away With Her like a high school yearbook, searching for that cool shot of themselves in the 11thgrade.  After all, the main setting is 1970.  And we’re all prone to nostalgia.  I keep writing emails and Facebook postings: No, dear high school friend! The heroine’s BFF is NOT YOU. You were MUCH cooler (and my high school BFF totally was). Or no, we were buddies in college and I did use your first name, but the male romantic lead is NOT YOU.  (He does get lucky, though.  Oh, so you like that.  Thought you would.)             I worry that they all think I doth protest too much.            I doth not, though.  I know just how the story came to be.  Time travel because I wanted to be able to do it.  Who wouldn’t?  1970 because it was an amazing year: the Woman’s Movement gathering steam, a bloody war in Vietnam, and all-out-nuclear-heck still pretty darn possible. The world was dark and glittering.  Stephen King has said that he knows he’s onto a good narrative when he finds himself putting himself to sleep thinking about it.  I did that while I was drafting Time Runs Away With Her, so I really hope he’s right!            But the characters.  Yeah, Juuulia, the heroine’s mother, shares some stuff with my own mom.  She’s smart and strong and frustrated.  She should have had a music career.  Juuulia was a tiger mother before the term existed—and my mom was, too.  My mom gave me her best and her best was fierce.  But when I see Juuulia sitting in her mid-century modern furniture in her drafty Victorian house with all the woodwork painted a severe charcoal grey, that’s not the woman who bore and raised me.  That’s Juuulia.  Juuulia showed up when I was writing the book.  Oh—the extra “u’s” in her name?  That’s because you have to say it like Julia Child would have.  Read the book.  You’ll find out why.            Likewise my heroine, Bean Donohue.  Her hair’s red as a shout-out to Anne of Green Gables, but she finds herself at a Grateful Dead Concert in February of 1970.  OK, so I WAS at that show, but I didn’t attempt to time travel out of the Fillmore East ladies’ room that night.  And I did (still do) sing and play guitar, but Bean’s better than I was.  Like, a LOT.  And I think she’s a bunch cooler than I would have been about developing what amounts to a super power at age 16.  Thing is, I believe in Bean maybe more than I believe in me.  That’s what kept me revising and workshopping and submitting until I found Time Runs Away With Her a home at Evernight Teen.  Bean is real.  She’s just not Christine Potter.            There’s a setting that’s so powerful in my book that’s it’s almost a character itself: The too-gothic-for-words-and-very- haunted Deerwood Main.  It’s a huge mansion built by an 19th century industrialist for his family and his second wife in a mish-mash of crazy architecture and Hudson River views.  The place has a real-world inspiration: Estherwood at Master’s School in Dobbs Ferry, NY.  But I’ll tell you a secret.  I don’t think I’ve ever been inside Estherwood.  Like Bean, I was a townie and went to public school.  The interiors just kind of showed up when I was writing.  Like Juuulia.  And Bean.  I don’t know much about Master’s School, outside of the fact that some of us swore it was haunted back in my high school years.   But Deerwood?  I’ve spent tons of time there, both in 1970 and the late 19th century.            That’s because writing about time travel is about as good as actually getting to do it. And I hope like crazy that holds true for READING about time travel in Time Runs Away With Her.  You’ll be the judge of that! So why not find out right now?            **  **  **  **  **


Time Runs Away with HerChristine Potter
Time Travel Romantic Suspense, 74kEvernight Teen Publishing
It’s not easy being Bean. Bean Donohue lives for her guitar, but her mom threw her out of the house during a snowstorm for singing. No way she’s going to get permission to go see The Grateful Dead at the Fillmore East. 

Zak, her almost-boyfriend, will get drafted if he doesn’t get into art school, pot makes Bean paranoid, and her best friend can’t stop talking about sex. 1970’s not for wimps—but neither was 1885...or 1945. So why does Bean keep sliding backwards in time?

Buy Links:   Evernight Teen     Amazon


Excerpt:             …Suzanne’s black turtleneck was pulled all the way up to her nose, and her shoulders were hunched.  She was memorizing French vocabulary words and twirling a strand of her stick-straight, chestnut-colored hair around a finger.   Bean began to fold the corner of a loose-leaf page back and forth so that she could tear it off without making any noise: a note.              That’s when the library’s double doors banged open hard enough to bounce on the wall behind them.  Bean heard Miss Webber draw her breath in––not quite a gasp, but almost––all the way across the room.                It was Zak.   Bean put a hand over her mouth to hide an instant grin.  Miss Webber, maybe a little embarrassed at being startled, set down the paperwork she had been doing and looked over her gold-rimmed glasses at him.              On Zak’s head was an old-fashioned fedora, an index card with the word PRESS handwritten in big letters in its hatband: a press pass, like a black and white movie’s newspaper reporter. His long hair looked silly and wonderful underneath it.               “Mr. Grant,” said Miss Webber. “Do you have a pass?”  That’s when the laughing started. Not hard, nasty laughter, like when a dumb teacher gets taken in by a prank, but happy laughter.  Kids liked Miss Webber, even though she was so old that no one could guess her real age.  She wore a bun at the back of her neck the way you’d expect a librarian to.  Her hair was a brownish, grayish no-color.  But Bean bet it went all the way down her back when she brushed it out at night.               “Touché, Madame,” said Zak. Then, without speaking, he took the fedora off his head, and set it before her on the desk.  He pointed at the hand-lettered PRESS card in the hatband, and pantomimed taking pictures of Miss Webber with an imaginary camera.  Miss Webber laughed, which was not something that happened incredibly often.                “A hall pass, Mr. Grant,” she said.  He pulled a small pink piece of paper out of his army jacket.  She examined it.  She still looked amused. She stretched her arm out before her, the hall pass between two fingers, and Zak retrieved it, bowing deeply. Instead of putting it back in his jacket, he tucked it into his hatband with the PRESS pass, and put the hat back on his head, adjusting its brim low on his forehead.               He spun around dramatically and scanned the library.  Bean put her head down and stared at her book to protect herself from disappointment if she was wrong, but she suspected he was looking for her. She held her breath for a minute, looked up, and Zak was halfway to her table.              “Grant,” said someone in a low voice as he walked by.  Zak ignored it and dropped into the chair next to Bean. Suzanne snuck a quick glance at Bean over the top of her French book. Zak’s army jacket smelled like the outdoors: winter air and fireplace smoke.              “Hi,” he whispered to Bean.              “Hi,” she whispered back. She wanted to giggle so much that her face hurt.  She turned a few pages, looking for another Scarlet Letterquotation.   When she’d finished writing one down, she peeked back at Zak.  His Algebra Two book was in front of him, and he was unfolding a piece of paper.  He produced a Rapidograph, used it to jot down an equation, and began to solve it.             Bean felt giddy.  She reread what she’d just written in her notebook, but then a shadow fell across the page: Zak’s arm.             “Was stuff at home okay?” he wrote on the page across from her English notes.  He began to doodle a shining sun face wearing a fedora next to what he had written.              “Sort of,” wrote Bean.  “My mother is a...”              “Big Mamma!” wrote Zak, and drew a plump woman in a bikini reclining under the sun face. Bean’s mom wasn’t especially fat, but the picture was funny. Bean laughed silently and glanced up at Zak, not meaning to stare straight into his eyes.  How had she not noticed the color of his eyes before? They were steely blue.  Suzanne closed her French book to watch.  Bean felt herself blush, and tried to go back to The Scarlet Letter.              A few minutes later, Bean heard more fine-point pen scratching. She pretended not to notice.  On the back of his algebra homework, Zak had dashed off a sketch of a girl (Bean? Hard to say) with a guitar (Okay, so maybe it wasBean).            He showed Bean the sketch, and flipped the page back over.  Then, he was scribbling numbers again, quickly enough that it surprised her.  At the edge of her vision, the light over the river brightened, and the water sparkled.  Bean looked up.               
              That’s when she saw the dinosaurs.  Brontosaurus, and Tyrannosaurus rex. What were the names of the others? Was that a steg ... a stegosaurus, maybe?  She couldn’t remember.               The dinosaurs were huge, at least life-sized, and on a barge in the river, being towed by a tugboat.  The playground of the elementary school next door to Stormkill High was filling with children in double rows, walking toward the riverbank, led by their teachers.              Bean remembered her third grade teacher’s explanation: “The dinosaur models are for the Sinclair Oil Exhibit, at the World’s Fair they’re building in The City.  The whole school’s going outside to watch the dinosaurs sail down the River.”               Bean stared out the library window.  She remembered how she’d put on her itchy blue mohair sweater and lined up with her class.  She hadn’t wanted to be Alice Turton’s partner, but she’d had to hold someone’s hand when they walked outside the building together: the buddy rule.  The hall had been echoing with the sound of everyone in it all at once and then they were out on the playground.              Eleventh-grade Bean got up from the table, leaned her arms on the windowsill, and looked down.  Outside, the elementary school classes walked toward the Hudson.  And there: there was a little girl toward the front of one line of children with a blue sweater and long, red hair.               What Bean saw was herself, in the past, and so she pushed the window up and leaned out. The dinosaur barge was right in the middle of the mercury-colored river...
              ...And then it wasn’t. It had blinked out––gone.  There was nothing, nothing but the glitter of sun on water and the rough cliffs on the other side of the Hudson.  The playground next door was empty, unless you counted a couple of squirrels and a few canvas-seat swings, moving in the wind.   Bean pulled her head back inside.  Zak was at her side, looking either concerned or amused. She couldn’t tell.  Mrs. Webber was on her way across the room.                “Heavens! You’ll freeze all of us, Rebecca!  Next time, just tell me if you’re too warm!” Mrs. Webber said, as soon as she got close enough so she didn’t have to raise her voice.   Kids from the tables near Bean stared. There was a little laughter, a buzz of whispered conversations. She managed to shrug her shoulders, and heard Zak chuckle.               The pages of Bean’s open notebook were moving in the cold breeze, but then Mrs. Webber closed the window and they were still. There was a bit more laughter, then it was quiet again.

Author Bio: Christine Potter lives in a small town not far from the setting of Time Runs Away With Her, near the mighty Hudson River, in a very old (1740) house with two ghosts.  According to a local ghost investigator, the ghosts are harmless, “just very old spirits who don’t want to leave.” She doesn’t want them to.
Christine’s house contains two pipe organs (her husband is a choir director/organist), two spoiled tom cats, and too many books.  She’s also a poet, and the author of two collections of verse, Zero Degrees at First Light, and Sheltering in Place.  Christine taught English and Creative Writing for years in the Clarkstown Schools.  She DJ’s free form rock and roll weekly on Area24radio.com, and plays guitar, dulcimer, and tower chimes. 
Website: http://chrispygal.weebly.com/Facebook book page for Time Runs Away: * https://www.facebook.com/beanstravels?fref=tsTwitter: @chrispygal

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