Krista Ames's Blog, page 72

It's All About the Author...K.D. Van Brunt

Please welcome K.D. Van Brunt with an interview !



It’s All About the Author…
1)    Please tell us 5 interesting facts about yourself that readers might not know about you …     Well, I don’t know how interesting they are, but here goes:     *        I wrote my first ‘book’ when I was a teenager (mercifully, it was lost a long time ago).     *        My biggest passion outside of writing is hockey.  I’m a long-time Washington Capitals season ticketholder and I’ve been to nine different Stanley Cup finals (woot!).     *        I love to cook . . . my mac ’n cheese recipe is the best; I dare anyone to beat it.     *        I have lived in eight different states: CA, WA, ID, MA, DC, VA, MD, and AL.          *        I love fast cars, and I have the speeding tickets to prove it (currently driving a 2012 Camaro SS).
2)    What do you like to do in your spare time?          When I’m not working my day job, almost all of my time is spent reading and writing.
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’m going to use an expanded definition of ‘book’ to include a series, and I’m going to say Robert Jordan’s The Wheel of Time.  Like a lot of fans, I enjoyed re-reading the previous books while waiting for the next one in the series to come out (there are 14 books in the main series).  The characters and plots are so nuanced and deep, I always pick up on something I missed before.
4)    How did you get started writing and have you always wanted to be an author?          Always.  I’ve been publishing non-fiction, professional material almost all of my adult life, but only in recent years did I finally publish fiction stories.
5)    If you for some reason couldn’t be an author, what would your other choice be?          I think my other calling in life was to teach.
6)    Did you like school?  Were you a good student?          I hated high school and barely maintained a D average.  However, I managed to get into a four-year college based mostly on test scores (it wasn’t Harvard by any means), and I loved it, graduating with straight As and BA in philosophy/religious studies.  Go figure.
7)      When you write, is there a specific way you have to write, ie:  certain room, noise or quiet, computer or paper etc…          I’m pretty flexible about where—I write everywhere, including at Starbucks often.  I only use a computer, although when doing revisions I’ll often mark up a print out.  Probably the most distinctive aspect of my writing regimen is that I mostly write in the early morning, often as early as 4:30 am.
8)     If you could write a collaboration with another author, do you have one in mind and what would you write?          This is pure fantasy, but I’d love to team up with David Weber and write a new book for the Treecat series.  Alas, he already has a collaborator for that.  Sigh.
9)      How do you come up with your story ideas? 
It starts out with a one or two sentence theme:  e.g., what if a girl discovered evil aliens living among us and had to run for her life to escape them?  Then, I start writing and see what evolves.  The problem with this is that sometimes what evolves isn’t very good (I have seven or eight stories I abandoned after ten or fifteen thousand words because they didn’t evolve well), but when it clicks, it really clicks.
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?
I have written six books.  The title was always written after the story was done.  Sometimes it comes easy, sometimes not.  For example, the third book of the Cracked Chronicles is done and I still haven’t been able to settle on a title yet.
11)                      Do you keep a notebook near you for when new ideas pop into your head?
I have a file on my computer where I jot down my story ideas.
12)                      If you write a series, do you re-read your previous books before you begin the new one?          Yes.  I find it necessary to maintain continuity and consistency of story and character.
13)                      How does your family feel about your writing?          My wife and daughter are both writers themselves, so they’re very supportive.  I read their stuff and they read mine.

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

*********


Dance of the Pink MistThe Cracked Chronicles, Book 2K.D. Van Bruntromance/paranormal/urban fantasy  - 100KEditor's Pick
In the sequel to Win the Rings, Gray is now a prisoner at Cracked, forced to undergo combat training under the supervision of his nemesis, Jace.  He soon learns first hand why all the other kids at Cracked are scared to death of her, but he also finds a chink in her armor and they both realize they have an eerie connection to one another.   
Gradually, Gray is drawn into Jace’s dangerous world of Special Ops missions, where death waits like a shadow in every corner.  
For Jace, Gray poses a new kind of threat.  Although she’s proficient in all types of combat, Jace’s training hasn’t prepared her for him, and she is forced to confront feelings she has never experienced before.


Buy Links:     Evernight Teen    AmazonAll Romance eBooks


Excerpt:I give three raps on Jace’s door, precariously balancing an armload of her clothes in one hand and her newly pressed uniform jacket in the other.  I’ve been Jace’s personal valet and general all-around slave for over six weeks now, bustling from one task to another, while trying not to incur her prickly wrath.  And even though much of what she makes me do is demeaning, curiously I find myself stealing looks at her when she’s not paying attention to me. “Come in,” Jace says through the closed door.I try to stick my thumb on the bio-sensor pad next to her door, but the action causes me to lose my balance just enough to send the pile of clothes cascading to the floor.  There are no outside doorknobs here, just these small rectangular pads beside every door, which read your thumbprint and release the lock.“Shit!” I curse. I drop to my knees to salvage what I can and refold the rest.  The door opens behind me causing me to flinch.  I look up at Jace wondering if she’s going to give me a swift kick to the ribs for this, but she just stands in the doorway tapping her foot impatiently on the floor.  She has her arms folded across her chest looking peeved, and I see she’s dressed in old sweats and a loose-fitting camo tank top.  She doesn’t have a bra on.  For some reason I blush at this, as if I walked in on her while she was dressing. “I should make you re-wash all of this, Gray, but I’m feeling generous tonight.”“Excuse me.  Did you say Gray, sir?”  This would be the first time she’s used my first name since I got here.  Until now it’s been rookie, rook, newbie, new meat—among others terms of endearment.She shrugs.  “I suppose you’ve earned the right to be called by your first name.  Don’t let it go to your head.”“Thank you.”“Whatever,” she says with a sigh.  “Now listen up.  My bathroom needs cleaning.  So get this mess picked up and get to work on it.”Five minutes later, I’m standing in front of her dresser putting away her newly refolded clothes.  I’ve memorized by now the layout of her drawers—underwear and socks in the top drawer, shirts and pajamas in the second, pants, etc., in the third.  There’s a fourth and fifth drawer, but I’m not supposed to open those, so I don’t know what she’s hiding in there.  Finishing, I glance over at Jace, who’s sitting cross-legged on her bed flipping through a magazine—Jane’s Intelligence Review.  Gee, that looks like a fun read.   Her blonde hair is so fine and soft I feel this irrational urge to run my hands through it, even though she’d probably kick me in the groin if I tried.  She’s leaning forward to study the magazine and my eyes lock onto her tank top, which is gapping enough to almost flash her entire, braless chest at me.   I gawk for a moment, but then feeling like a perv, I advert my gaze. “Don’t stare at me, Gray.  Get to work.  The cleaning supplies are under the sink.” I nod, but I think I detect a subtle, knowing smirk on her face. Every room in the dorm is laid out the same—a main living area and a small bathroom off one end of the room.  The best that can be said about the bathrooms here is they’re functional: toilet, sink and commode, and a shower.  No bathtubs.   Sighing, I pull out a bristle brush and get to work on the stainless steel toilet bowl.“You ever been to Alaska, Gray?” Jace asks after a few minutes, when I’ve moved on to scrub the shower stall.I hesitate, puzzled by the question.  “Once.  Anchorage, sir.”I hear her sigh loudly.  “You can call me Jace from now on.  What was it like?”I hesitate, briefly surprised by the realization I don’t have to call her ‘sir’ anymore, but at this point it’s been so deeply drilled into me I’m not sure I’m capable of calling her anything else.

Book Trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vthvY3hdzwI

K.D. Van BruntDuring the eight hours of the day when I’m not writing, reading or sleeping, I’m a lawyer in Washington, DC.  I grew up in Southern California, moved to Seattle before coming east to Boston to go to school.  Now, I live in the great state of Maryland with my wife, my dog—a standard poodle named Buffy (and who do you think named her?), and my hot Camaro.  One of the few things I like better than pizza is driving fast.  So, if you happen be in the DC area and a black Camaro with a red stripe and a rear spoiler roars by and blows your doors off…thaaat could be me. 
WEBSITE


Giveaway:   $50 Amazon GC
a Rafflecopter giveaway

In Your Atmosphere by Laila Blake & L.C. Spoering

Blurb:

Six Erotic Romance Short Stories


Everybody knows the lure of what’s new and exciting, but sometimes it’s really the passion that lasts and builds in intimacy that captures the imagination.  In Your Atmosphere celebrates the sexy side of romance and commitment in six sizzling stories about love, kink and the happily ever after.







Buy Links:

Amazon | B&N | Kobo | Smashwords | AllRomance 


About the Authors:

Laila Blake

Laila Blake (lailablake.com) is an author, linguist and translator. She writes character-driven love stories, co-hosts the podcast Lilt and blogs about writing, feminism and society.Her work has been featured in numerous anthologies. Keeping a balance between her different interests, Laila Blake’s body of work encompasses literary erotica, romance, and various fields in speculative fiction (dystopian/post-apocalypse, fantasy, paranormal romance and urban fantasy) and she adores finding ways to mix and match.A self-proclaimed nerd, she lives in Cologne/Germany with her cat Nookie, harbors a deep fondness for obscure folk singers and plays the guitar. She loves photography, science documentaries and classic literature, as well as Doctor Who, Game of Thrones and The Big Bang Theory.You can find her across the web. To stay up to date with her most recent publications, please consider signing up for her spam-free newsletter.
Author Links:
Twitter | Facebook | Google+ | Goodreads
 Pinterest | Instagram | Tumblr
***
L.C Spoering

L.C. Spoering has a degree in English writing from University of Colorado, and a lesser degree in sarcasm earned from the days of yore on AOL. A storyteller since she started talking, she now spends her days writing, reading and contemplating the universe through various pop culture lenses.
Her work has appeared in The Dying Goose, as well as several anthologies released with Cleis Press, LadyLit Publishing, and Seal Press. Her story, “Closing Time” placed third in the 2013 Better Sex Erotic Fiction Contest: Female Fantasies.
A native of Denver, she lives with her husband, 2 children and entirely too many pets. Her favorite writers include Jeffery Eugenides, Margaret Atwood, Michael Chabon, and Jane Austen; her musical tastes run the gamut from John Mayer to Ingrid Michaelson, Radiohead to Death Cab for Cutie. She has a weakness for repeated viewings of The Office and cheap red wine.

Rise of the Lost Prince: Book 1 of the Lost Boys series by London Saint James plus a #giveaway

Today we have the LOVELY London Saint James to tell us all about her new release ~~




It’s All About the Book…
*Please tell us about your current or upcoming release.
Rise of the Lost Prince (Lost Boys)
Blurb:They fight to protect those who would never welcome them into the human world... 
Petúr always knew he and his brothers-in-arms were different. Something more. Something not human. Yet, he never expected to find out the truth of their origins, nor fall for a human woman whose father was set to destroy Neverland. 
Ever since she was a child, Wyndi dreamed of an angel with eyes of the purest gold, although she never really believed such a man existed until she met the hauntingly beautiful Petúr of the lost boys. 
With a prophecy to fulfill, a woman to protect, a portal to find, and evil darklings out for blood, will Petúr be strong enough to rise up and claim what’s rightfully his, or lose everything to a long-time nemesis, Grapple the Dark?


*What is this book’s genre?  Is this the genre you usually write in?  Are there any genre’s you haven’t written that you’d like to try?
The Genre for Rise of the Lost Prince is: Erotic Paranormal Romance, Fairytale, Fantasy, Action/Adventure, Gothic
To date, most of my work falls within the contemporary erotic romance genre, BDSM, with a few paranormal romances, and a western romance.
I haven’t written in the historical romance genre’s, but I’m working on one. As far as other genre’s, I’m always ready to give them a try. *Smiles*


*What inspired you to write this book?
Well, I suppose my muse had been pondering a story based loosely on Peter Pan, only with sexy warrior types and a badass version of Peter, which is named Petúr. FYI, my muse is a bit crazy, because I was in the middle of writing another story, when the muse said stop and write about Neverland. (Neverland is an abandoned seaside amusement park) So, I listen to my muse, as I always do, sat the story I was writing aside for the moment, and brought Neverland and the Lost Boys to life. Problem was, the characters had much more to say. Maybe that’s not really a problem. *Smiles* But, we’ll see the rest of the cast of characters again, since Rise of the Lost Prince is the first in the Lost Boy series.



*How did you pick its title?  Did it come first or did you have to write the story first?
I had the story first, and was wavering back and forth on the title, so I went to my FB group and gave them a synopsis of the book, mostly about the characters and genre, and several of my FB group members suggested titles. Every Title was fantastic, but the one that really spoke to me the most for this first Lost Boys book was Rise of the Lost Prince. So, we can all thank the lovely Ursula Avery, who gave me the winning title.



*How did you create your characters?  Did you use any real life people in their making?
When my muse tugged at me to write about Neverland and the Lost Boys, the first thing that popped into my mind was all the Lost Boys, and the hero Petúr. They had to be sexy and badass. So warriors came. Then from there,I just let my imagination flow and gave each of them some cool abilities.
No. No real life people in their making I’m afraid. *Smiles*




*Who is your favorite character of this book and why?
I love them all. They are all different, but while I love my heroine, and my hero. I think spunky and sassy Bell, whose one of the integral cast of characters, is probably going to end up being my favoriteas the series continues.
What is your favorite part of this book?  Can you share an excerpt from that part?
This is after Petúr has saved Wyndi from an evil darkling attack, and he notices more about her than he wants to notice about a human woman.
“Ma’am?”
 Her long lashes fluttered, causing spiky shadows to stipple the tops of her cheeks. “I forgot my laptop. I need to get it from my office,” she said. “That’s where I was going when I got mugged.”
“Here you go,” said Dash. He’d gathered up the woman’s things and tucked them back into her purse. “I don’t think he got anything.” He handed the tan bag over to her. “I think we interrupted the mugger. Petúr tried to catch him, but he got away.”
“Thank you,” she said, taking her scuffed-up purse.
“It’s a good thing we were walking past this alley,” said Vibe. “We heard you scream and—”
“Yes,” she said in a robotic voice, nodding. “You scared off the mugger.” She was looking at Petúr in that unseeing, vacant way, the pupils in her eyes large and pulsing.
He inclined his head. “Here,” he said. “Let me help you up.” He gave her his hand. She took hold, and he couldn’t stop himself from noticing the petal softness of her skin. After she was steady on her feet, he thought to introduce himself. No need to be uncivilized. “I’m Petúr.” He pointed to his right. “That’s Vibe.” Vibe gave her a two finger salute. Petúr tilted his head to his left. “And that’s Dash.”
“I’m Wyndi,” she said, her voice becoming less animated. “Wyndi Darlingheart.”
“Of Darlingheart Incorporated?” Petúr asked.
She brushed a few strands of hair from her face. “In a roundabout way.”
What did that mean?
“Roundabout?” Dash asked the question he himself was dying to know.
She glanced at Dash and kept her gaze trained on him for a long moment. A too long moment. Something hot and possessive twisted in Petúr’s gut. He wanted to reach out and turn her pointed little chin back in his direction, away from the other warrior.
“Cromwell Darlingheart is my father,” she said.
That piece of information got the muscle in Petúr’s jaw to working and quickly stamped out the unusual possessiveness he’d been experiencing.
“Father?” he asked, needing the confirmation one more time.
She nodded and looked up. Her sky-blue gaze went to his mouth then flitted up to his eyes, locking with him. She gasped.
“What?”
The woman welded her beautiful eyes shut and muttered, “Nothing.”
Could she be afraid of him? No. He didn’t think it was fear he saw swimming in the depths of those liquid blue pools. More like realization of him, mixed with feminine lust. 
His golden gaze meandered over her, catching on her cleavage a moment, before moving on to the shape of her hips. Curvaceous. He cleared his throat. Her long lashes fluttered open. Unable to help himself, he was staring at her spectacular face once again. She worked her bottom lip over with her teeth.
She was an oddly captivating, deliciously sweet smelling, eye sparkling female with a mouth he wanted to taste. Taste? Really? He mulled that over for a moment. Yes. He wanted... No. What he was experiencing was more than mere want. He needed to taste her. All of her, he realized taken aback.
He’d been with numerous women before in a quick, rough coupling just to satisfy his animalistic desires, however he was having thoughts he’d never had. Animalistic, yes, but….
He studied her, the arch of her brows, the way strands of her hair framed her face. How delicate she was compared to him. Wyndi Darlinghart. He allowed her name—the daughter of the rich scum-sucking asshole who’d purchased Neverland, intent on clearing the land, as well as him and the lost boys out of their home—to simmer.
Her sweet cotton candy scent assaulted his nose once more. His dick stirred beneath the leather of his D-ring jeans. Would she melt in his mouth like the candy would? His brow furrowed. What was wrong with him? He took in another deep breath, allowing her bouquet to linger. Maybe the ache would go away if he just tasted those full lips. No. He shook his head in an attempt to shake away the urge.
Seconds ticked by. Damn it. He couldn’t shake off what he was feeling. His eyes narrowed. Of all the women in the world, why did it have to be this woman he seriously wanted to thoroughly enjoy in a slow, lingering manner?
Because fate is a cruel bitch. That’s why.
 “She’s a Darlingheart,”he heard Vibe say.
No. Not say, but project inside his head.
“Right,” he mumbled, but when Wyndi’s eyelids fluttered open, and she locked gazes with him once more, all the hardened steel he’d erected around himself, as well his common sense, fell away.
Crazy though it might well be, Petúr found himself, for the first time in his long life, wishing for more. More time with her. He wanted to talk, and touch, and kiss. Shit. He wanted to kiss her so bad he physically hurt.
He broke the eye contact this time, and turned away. Who was he kidding? He might want more than fast, anonymous, no strings attached sex, but he wasn’t a choirboy either. For what he had in mind, there would be strings. Maybe even ropes.
“We’ll walk you to your office,” Petúr said, unwilling to let her out of his sight, as he tried to tell himself the over-protectiveness was necessary, even though darklings never attacked the same person twice.
“Um…” Wyndi muttered.
He watched her out of the corner of his eye. “That’s where you said you were headed, right?”
“Yes.” She straightened her shoulders and took the lead.
Petúr homed in on the sway of those hips as she walked in front of him. Oh yeah. He might want more. More than he’d ever given or received from any other woman, yet he also wanted to strip this little human, go to his knees, and map her feminine folds with his mouth, listening to her call out his name in a breathy entreaty as he tasted her pleasure upon his tongue.



*What was the hardest part of this book to write? Can you share an excerpt from that part?
Really, I was lucky when I sat down to write this story because the story just flowed. I love when that flow happens! So, honestly I can’t say there was any part that was hard to do.

*Did you have any special rhythm or quirks while writing this?
I don’t think so. The only rhythm was to keep the pace as I flipped between the different characters POVs and work toward interesting and exciting areas to break and start those different POVs.


*Is this a stand-alone book or is it part of a series?  If so, we want to hear about it and what’s next in the series.  If not a series, what comes next to be released? 





Yes. Rise of the Lost Prince is the first in a series called Lost Boys. What will come next in the series is more action/adventure, paranormal, fantasy, and romance as the story of each of the lost boys unfold, and they work at defeating Grapple, and finding the portal into the world of the Fae.

*****

Rise of the Lost PrinceLOST BOYS BOOK 1London Saint JamesEvernight Publishing
M/F Erotic Romance, Fairy Tale,Paranormal, Fantasy, Action/Adventure, Gothic

They fight to protect those who would never welcome them into the human world... 
Petúr always knew he and his brothers-in-arms were different. Something more. Something not human. Yet, he never expected to find out the truth of their origins, nor fall for a human woman whose father was set to destroy Neverland. 
Ever since she was a child, Wyndi dreamed of an angel with eyes of the purest gold, although she never really believed such a man existed until she met the hauntingly beautiful Petúr of the lost boys. 
With a prophecy to fulfill, a woman to protect, a portal to find, and evil darklings out for blood, will Petúr be strong enough to rise up and claim what’s rightfully his, or lose everything to a long-time nemesis, Grapple the Dark?

Buy Links:     Evernight Publishing      All Romance eBooks      Amazon







YouTube Link for Book Trailer: http://youtu.be/NUAx126pzIw

Excerpt: 
“Ma’am?”
 Her long lashes fluttered, causing spiky shadows to stipple the tops of her cheeks. “I forgot my laptop. I need to get it from my office,” she said. “That’s where I was going when I got mugged.”“Here you go,” said Dash. He’d gathered up the woman’s things and tucked them back into her purse. “I don’t think he got anything.” He handed the tan bag over to her. “I think we interrupted the mugger. Petúr tried to catch him, but he got away.”“Thank you,” she said, taking her scuffed-up purse. “It’s a good thing we were walking past this alley,” said Vibe. “We heard you scream and—”“Yes,” she said in a robotic voice, nodding. “You scared off the mugger.” She was looking at Petúr in that unseeing, vacant way, the pupils in her eyes large and pulsing.He inclined his head. “Here,” he said. “Let me help you up.” He gave her his hand. She took hold, and he couldn’t stop himself from noticing the petal softness of her skin. After she was steady on her feet, he thought to introduce himself. No need to be uncivilized. “I’m Petúr.” He pointed to his right. “That’s Vibe.” Vibe gave her a two finger salute. Petúr tilted his head to his left. “And that’s Dash.” “I’m Wyndi,” she said, her voice becoming less animated. “Wyndi Darlingheart.”“Of Darlingheart Incorporated?” Petúr asked.She brushed a few strands of hair from her face. “In a roundabout way.”What did that mean?“Roundabout?” Dash asked the question he himself was dying to know.She glanced at Dash and kept her gaze trained on him for a long moment. A too long moment. Something hot and possessive twisted in Petúr’s gut. He wanted to reach out and turn her pointed little chin back in his direction, away from the other warrior. “Cromwell Darlingheart is my father,” she said.That piece of information got the muscle in Petúr’s jaw to working and quickly stamped out the unusual possessiveness he’d been experiencing.“Father?” he asked, needing the confirmation one more time.She nodded and looked up. Her sky-blue gaze went to his mouth then flitted up to his eyes, locking with him. She gasped.“What?”The woman welded her beautiful eyes shut and muttered, “Nothing.”Could she be afraid of him? No. He didn’t think it was fear he saw swimming in the depths of those liquid blue pools. More like realization of him, mixed with feminine lust.  His golden gaze meandered over her, catching on her cleavage a moment, before moving on to the shape of her hips. Curvaceous. He cleared his throat. Her long lashes fluttered open. Unable to help himself, he was staring at her spectacular face once again. She worked her bottom lip over with her teeth.She was an oddly captivating, deliciously sweet smelling, eye sparkling female with a mouth he wanted to taste. Taste? Really? He mulled that over for a moment. Yes. He wanted... No. What he was experiencing was more than mere want. He needed to taste her. All of her, he realized taken aback.He’d been with numerous women before in a quick, rough coupling just to satisfy his animalistic desires, however he was having thoughts he’d never had. Animalistic, yes, but….He studied her, the arch of her brows, the way strands of her hair framed her face. How delicate she was compared to him. Wyndi Darlinghart. He allowed her name—the daughter of the rich scum-sucking asshole who’d purchased Neverland, intent on clearing the land, as well as him and the lost boys out of their home—to simmer. Her sweet cotton candy scent assaulted his nose once more. His dick stirred beneath the leather of his D-ring jeans. Would she melt in his mouth like the candy would? His brow furrowed. What was wrong with him? He took in another deep breath, allowing her bouquet to linger. Maybe the ache would go away if he just tasted those full lips. No. He shook his head in an attempt to shake away the urge. Seconds ticked by. Damn it. He couldn’t shake off what he was feeling. His eyes narrowed. Of all the women in the world, why did it have to be this woman he seriously wanted to thoroughly enjoy in a slow, lingering manner? Because fate is a cruel bitch. That’s why. “She’s a Darlingheart,”he heard Vibe say. No. Not say, but project inside his head.“Right,” he mumbled, but when Wyndi’s eyelids fluttered open, and she locked gazes with him once more, all the hardened steel he’d erected around himself, as well his common sense, fell away. Crazy though it might well be, Petúr found himself, for the first time in his long life, wishing for more. More time with her. He wanted to talk, and touch, and kiss. Shit. He wanted to kiss her so bad he physically hurt. He broke the eye contact this time, and turned away. Who was he kidding? He might want more than fast, anonymous, no strings attached sex, but he wasn’t a choirboy either. For what he had in mind, there would be strings. Maybe even ropes.“We’ll walk you to your office,” Petúr said, unwilling to let her out of his sight, as he tried to tell himself the over-protectiveness was necessary, even though darklings never attacked the same person twice.“Um…” Wyndi muttered.He watched her out of the corner of his eye. “That’s where you said you were headed, right?”“Yes.” She straightened her shoulders and took the lead.Petúr homed in on the sway of those hips as she walked in front of him. Oh yeah. He might want more. More than he’d ever given or received from any other woman, yet he also wanted to strip this little human, go to his knees, and map her feminine folds with his mouth, listening to her call out his name in a breathy entreaty as he tasted her pleasure upon his tongue. 

About the Author:London Saint James has lived in many places, but never felt “at home” until she met the real-life man of her dreams and settled down in the beautiful Smoky Mountains of Tennessee. London lives with her husband and their fat cat who thinks he owns them. As an award-winning, bestselling, multi-published author, London is living her childhood dream. She knew all the scribbling she did, that big imagination of hers, and all those clamoring characters running around in her head would pay off someday.
Web: http://www.londonsaintjames.comBlog: http://londonsj.blogspot.comTwitter: http://twitter.com/LSJRomanceFB Author Page: http://www.facebook.com/pages/London-Saint-James/154331444626603TSU: https://www.tsu.co/Londonsjgoogle.com/+LondonSaintJamesGoodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/LSJRomance
You can also e-mail London with any questions or comments at London@londonsaintjames.com. She loves to hear from her readers. Would you like to know more? Join her mailing list for her monthly newsletter http://eepurl.com/6P2on. Or, join her book group on Facebook, Slip Between the Pages with London https://www.facebook.com/groups/SlipBetweenthePageswithLondon/

Giveaway:   $10 Amazon Gift Card
 

a Rafflecopter giveaway

It's All About the Book: Chasing Gold by Alexa Bourne w/a #giveaway

It’s All About the Book…
Please tell us about your current or upcoming release. 
 My current book is Chasing Gold. 
Grace McKay spends most of her time alone trying to convince the world she’s strong enough and smart enough to become one of the best treasure hunters. According to the media, though, all she’s managed to proveis she’s a frigid, narrow-minded woman who doesn’t have a chance to succeed in her current hunt.Simon Andrews is tired of being a glorified secretary for his family’s treasure hunting business.  As the youngest brother, he’s never had the chance to prove himself in the field, where his true interests lie. When Grace’s uncle hires Simon on a whim to assist her with the search for an ancient family heirloom, he comes up against a woman determined to accomplish her goal without his—or anyone’s—help. But Simon, although captivated by her passion for her quest and her beauty, will not relinquish his chance to prove both to the client and his brothers that he has the family gift for finding valuables where others have failed. Grace, frigid? Simon is sure the media met the wrong woman. He’s in danger of bursting into flames every time they are alone together. As they get closer to finding the heirloom, though, their growing passion for one another may distract them from the very real danger that threatens their lives and their possible future together. Whatever that might mean.

* What is this book’s genre?  Is this the genre you usually write in?  Are there any genres you haven’t written that you’d like to try?
Chasing Gold is a combination of suspense and adventure. I usually write in suspense, but this book has a few more funny moments than I usually write. There aren’t as many questions about who is involved or how.

* What inspired you to write this book?
My friend Rebecca Royce told me about the Decadent Publishing Beyond Fairytales series and she suggested I contact them for a fairy tale to “rewrite”.

* How did you pick its title?  Did it come first or did you have to write the story first?
I had a really, really, REALLY hard time coming up with this title. I wanted something similar to the original fairy tale, but I couldn’t come up with one I liked. I asked A LOT of others for input. I think the book was completed and ready to be submitted when I finally decided on Chasing Gold.

* How did you create your characters?  Did you use any real life people in their making?
I always start out with who would play the character in a TV movie. As I write the rough draft, the character begins to take his or her own shape.

* Who is your favorite character of this book and why?
How can I choose between Simon and Grace, the main characters? I love them both. I love them both because they want desperately to prove how competent they are in the work world, but it takes their interaction with each other for them to realize how wonderful they are as people.

* What is your favorite part of this book?  Can you share an excerpt from that part?
My favorite part of the book? I love it all! BUT I will share a section. 
She lifted her chin. “What if it’s not in either one of those places?” Unable to stop himself, he reached out and brushed his thumb along her jawline. He wanted to promise her she’d win the prize, but the words stuck in his throat. Lying to her wasn’t an option. “We’ll reexamine the notes, review the data, make another educated guess.” When she nibbled on her bottom lip, his groin tightened. How could such a simple gesture fill him with lust? Every part of him ached to take that plump lip between his teeth and nip it. What would she taste of? The blueberry scones they ate for breakfast? The three cups of coffee? Or sweet, warm woman? He leaned forward, hoping she wouldn’t slap him. Hell, if he got a chance to feel her mouth on his, who cared about a smack across the cheek? Her gaze softened as though she longed to be kissed. Zing! Something slammed into the tree trunk behind him. Grace yelped. “Someone’s shooting at us!” A second shot echoed through the woods. His heart rate skyrocketed. Who the hell would want us dead? He shoved her back in the direction they’d come from. “Go, go!” 

* What was the hardest part of this book to write? Can you share an excerpt from that part?
I actually didn’t have a hard time with it, but I can share another snippet.
He tugged the brush from her hand then began running it through her hair. “Why didn’t you tell me you were hurt?” “What would be the point? You couldn’t have done anything about it.” “Maybe not, but I would’ve tried.” Grace closed her eyes while the brush moved against her scalp. When he skimmed his fingers along the skin of her neck, a shiver ran along her spine. He pulled her strands over her shoulders and gathered it together. “What are you doing?” “I’m braiding it for you.” “How did you know what I wanted?” “You’ve had it braided most of the days I’ve been with you.” He chuckled, the sound releasing warmth within her. “Besides, you’re not as difficult to read as you wish you were.” She tensed. “What do you mean?” “You want everyone to see this tough, determined, no-nonsense woman, but I know better. You have a gentle side, too. One you hate to share for some reason.” She gritted her teeth. He stopped braiding to massage her shoulders, his thumbs gently kneading out a layer of tension from her neck. “Relax. It’s just me, your partner. I won’t spill your secret.” “Promise?” His hands stopped, and the silence in the room unnerved her. She held her breath. When he leaned forward, a wisp of breath tickled her skin. “Absolutely.” She had spent so much time that day making sure to hold up the wall she’d built around herself, but he’d found her anyway. The thought frightened her and…felt refreshing. Why? Because a large part of her wanted to be the woman he spoke of.


* Did you have any special rhythm or quirks while writing this?
I used the same music to write it. When I first started, I scanned Celtic music on youtube.com until I found Adrian von Ziegler (http://youtu.be/jiwuQ6UHMQg). It fit perfectly as I wrote through each draft of the book.

* Is this a stand-alone book or is it part of a series?  If so, we want to hear about it and what’s next in the series.  If not a series, what comes next to be released?
Chasing Gold is part of Decadent Publishing’s Beyond Fairytales series, but it stands alone. I honestly thought about writing another fairy tale, but I don’t think I can capture the excitement, beauty and…specialness of Chasing Gold. And I’m not really sure I’d want to try.

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       Chasing Gold                      Alexa Bourne
                                 A Beyond Fairytales Adventure                      Suspense, Contemporary Scottish Romance                                       24,656 words, heat level 3
Grace McKay spends most of her time alone trying to convince the world she’s strong enough and smart enough to become one of the best treasure hunters. According to the media, though, all she’s managed to prove is she’s a frigid, narrow-minded woman who doesn’t have a chance to succeed in her current hunt.Simon Andrews is tired of being a glorified secretary for his family’s treasure hunting business.  As the youngest brother, he’s never had the chance to prove himself in the field, where his true interests lie.
When Grace’s uncle hires Simon on a whim to assist her with the search for an ancient family heirloom, he comes up against a woman determined to accomplish her goal without his—or anyone’s—help. But Simon, although captivated by her passion for her quest and her beauty, will not relinquish his chance to prove both to the client and his brothers that he has the family gift for finding valuables where others have failed. Grace, frigid? Simon is sure the media met the wrong woman. He’s in danger of bursting into flames every time they are alone together. As they get closer to finding the heirloom, though, their growing passion for one another may distract them from the very real danger that threatens their lives and their possible future together. Whatever that might mean.

Buy Links:     Amazon     Decadent Publishing     B&N ARe     Smashwords      Kobo Books




Excerpt:After sipping her tea, she picked up another piece of pastry. Midway to her mouth, she stopped. A tall, thin man, glasses clinging to the end of his nose, strode through the doorway and scanned the room. A loose-fitting, faded T-shirt covered his chest, and khaki shorts hung on his hips. Kind of thin and bony for her liking, although the soft shade of ginger hair with a hint of blond in it grabbed her attention. It reminded her of her favorite movie star. Both hands were inside his pockets.With a crooked grin, he walked straight up to her table. “Grace McKay?”“Yes. Can I help you?”  He held out his long fingers. “I’m Simon Andrews.” He waited as if his name was supposed to mean something.She didn’t shake his hand. “What can I do for you, Mr. Andrews?”He lowered his arm. “Your uncle said you’d be helping me on my expedition here.” From his New England accent, he could only be American.Uncle Thomas sent him? Of all the crappy things he’d done, this had to be the worst. Did he not believe in her enough to allow her to handle the job? She stood, gathering her papers. “My uncle was wrong. I don’t need any help with my expedition. Good-bye.” She shifted around him and started for the lobby. Studying her paperwork in her own room would suit her better.“Ms. McKay, wait.” He grabbed her arm.She froze. Every muscle tensed.“I realize you want to help in the search, but your uncle hired me to—”She tugged herself free. “I know what he hired you for, but I’m telling you, you’re fired.” As she stalked across the pub, many pairs of eyes stared at her, some wide in question, some narrowed. Who cared? She hadn’t done anything wrong.“That’s not your call, sweetheart,” he said.She jerked to a stop just inside the door and spun around, gritting her teeth. Andrews stood waiting, as cocky as could be, with his hands on his hips.“First, I am not your sweetheart. Second, I don’t need a partner.”





Bio: Alexa Bourne is a teacher by day and a romance writer by nights, weekends, and all school holidays. She also teaches online classes for writers throughout the year. She writes romantic suspense and contemporary romance and is thrilled to have the chance to share her stories with readers everywhere.When she’s not concocting sinister plots and steamy love scenes or traveling and exploring new cultures, Alexa spends her time reading, watching brainless TV, and thinking about exercising. Okay, she also spends way too much time interacting with readers and writers on social media sites. But don’t tell her editors! Find out more about her and her books on her website, www.alexabourne.com.
Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/5818611.Alexa_BourneFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/AuthorAlexaBourneTwitter: https://twitter.com/AlexaBourne Website: www.alexabourne.comBlog: http://alexabourne.com/cuan-macdougall-pub/Email: alexa@alexabourne.com

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Grand Prize Giveaway:  Scottish Prize Pack + mini prize giveaways(make sure to leave a comment) a Rafflecopter giveaway

Interview with Cadi Sinclair from Gray Island plus a #giveaway

Welcome readers & please give a warm welcome to Cadi Sinclair! 
She's joined us today to answer a few questions.
Don't forget she's also giving away a gift certificate to her favorite publisher Evernight Teen.  You can enter below !!

*****




What word best describes true love? Scary!

© Finish this sentence: Then I think of love, I think of _______ Something I need to find on my own, rather have someone arrange it for me.

© What’s your ideal romantic evening?
I’d love to have a nice dinner in a restaurant (with my boyfriend Sage of course) and then maybe see a movie in a theater—two things I’ve never done since we don’t have restaurants or theaters on Gray Island! I’m hoping that one day Sage and I can catch the ferry to the mainland and he can show me what the outside world is like. That would be amazing as far as I am concerned.

© What’s the perfect Valentine’s Day gift? 
We don’t celebrate Valentine’s Day on Gray Island, so I have to admit I’m not really sure. I think it should be about showing your commitment to the other person, though. Maybe jewelry or some kind of handmade craft—something that comes from the heart.

© Did you ever think you’d found that perfect love? What happened? 
Ever since I was a little girl, my parents have been telling me that Ivar Ragnor, our community leader’s son, was destined to be my friend, then my boyfriend, and finally my husband as soon as we were both old enough. For years, I tried to convince myself that I wanted that, too, and that Ivar was someone I could love easily because I knew him so well. For a while I got myself to believe it. Then I met Sage Murdock and everything changed in a heartbeat. I knew what love really felt like—and I knew I’d never experienced anything close to it with Ivar.


© What song title best describes your relationship track record: “Nothing but a Good Time,” “Turn Me Loose,” “Shot Through the Heart (You Give Love a Bad Name)”, “Money Talks/Material Girl”, “Looking for Love in All The Wrong Places”? 
I’d have to say “Mad World”—if you had to spend even a day either on Gray Island or in the compound where I grew up, you’d know why!


© Why are you still single? 
Believe me, if it were up to my parents I would be engaged to Ivar right now—even though I’m only 17! Just being Sage’s girlfriend—no pressure to even think about marriage—is a huge relief. Even better, it feels right. Hopefully Ivar will find someone else and forget about me, though I’ll be his friend if it’s possible. Right now I’m not sure.

© What was your first opinion of each other? 
The first evening Sage arrived on Gray Island, I saw him getting off the ferry and into the car with his father. His father doesn’t have the best reputation in my community, for various reasons I won’t go into here. I was still too naïve about a lot of things to question that, though now I know we were all being unfair to Jeremy, Sage’s father. Anyway, I figured Sage would be a lot like him—wild, unpredictable, and a little on the barbaric side. What I didn’t expect was that I would find all that kind of appealing. Sage was so different from everyone else I had ever been friends with, and that made me want to know more about him right away.As for what he thought of me, I don’t really know—but I figure his father had the same bad impression of me that I had of him. So probably he didn’t know what to make of me, either, and I doubted he trusted me much in the beginning.

© What kept you from acting on that attraction? 
One word—Ivar. He sensed that Sage and I were drawn to each other and it made him angry. As our leader’s son, he’s used to getting his own way. But this time, as it turned out, he didn’t.

© Who made the first move and what was it? 
I would have to say I did. I had a feeling Sage would be a little out of place when he first arrived on Gray Island, so I decided to help him adjust. I made it a point to seek him out in places where I knew he’d be—the town library, the wharf, even the woods around his cabin. Every time, I found him waiting for me.  It was like we were already thinking with one mind—though now I know why that was the case. It was intense. He was new to the island, so I knew he’d need someone to talk to—and of course, I did too.  In the end, it worked out perfectly. We fit.


© What are you most looking forward to as a couple? 
Because of some stuff I recently found out—stuff my family kept from me but shouldn’t have—I’m in a position now where I have to rebuild my whole life and look at my future in a whole new way. In some ways, that’s amazing and awesome, and in some ways it’s really terrifying. I’m so glad Sage is there to help me find my way again. I want him to be part of the new identity I’m about to take on.

© What could stand in your way?Frankly, I’m a little afraid Ivar and my parents can’t let past expectations go. Even though a lot has changed recently, and some old secrets have finally come out into the open and made everything different, I can’t help think they’re going to try and prevent me from being happy with Sage. It’s just a feeling I have. I hope I’m wrong.

*****

Gray Island
J.C. AsterEvernight Teen/69kTeen Romance/Paranormal/Shifters


Sage Murdock has always felt different from the other students at his high school in Boston, and being bullied and ostracized has become a way of life he accepts…but at the same time, he worries that the whispers are true and that he is, in fact, mentally abnormal.
After a bullying incident at school provokes Sage to violence, his mother and stepfather tell him he is being sent to live with his biological father on Gray Island, a small weather-beaten island off the coast of Maine. There, Sage encounters many strange people who all seem to be hiding something.
A single bright spot is Cadi, a free-spirited girl about his own age. Unfortunately, Cadi is a member of a strange cult-like group that lives on the opposite side of Gray Island. Before long, Sage learns that his relationship with Cadi must end or the consequences will be catastrophic.
 Buy Links:   Evernight Teen    Amazon    All Romance eBooks
 
Excerpt: “I was out walking,” she answered, to his relief. She shook her head, sending a cascade of glistening raindrops from her honey-brown hair. The droplets seemed to descend in slow motion, twinkling like stardust. “In the rain?”“It isn’t raining anymore. Besides, I don’t mind. Rain is part of nature. We’re part of nature. It all fits, right?” “I guess. I prefer to stay dry.”“Oh? I can’t help but notice you’re out here, same as I am.”“I…uh, yeah. I couldn’t sleep. And then I spotted you from my window.” He paused, fumbling for his next few words. “I…um…I saw Ivar tonight.”Her rosy lips thinned. “I heard. I’m sorry he tormented you.” Sage shrugged self-consciously. “It’s a public place. I guess he had a right to be there, same as I did.”“Stuff like that happens because we have only one restaurant on the island. I know he goes there with his friends once in a while.”“Do you ever go with him?” Sage asked hopefully.“No. My parents won’t let me go anywhere that serves alcohol… besides, that place is a little noisy for my tastes.” “I know what you mean.”They fell into step together as they trudged through the sodden forest. The water dripping on her skin didn’t seem to bother her at all, nor did the chilly air. She was used to it, Sage supposed. Maybe he’d get used to it one day, too. But, no—he had no idea of staying that long.Cadi did make it tempting to stick around a while, though. “What’s the deal with you and Ivar, anyway?” he finally asked, unable to keep a note of strain from his voice. “You said once he wasn’t your boyfriend. But is he…I mean, are you and he…?” She didn’t wait for him to finish. “I don’t like labels, personally. Do you?” “I don’t know. It’s kind of hard to tell what’s inside the can without one.” She laughed, a genuine and easy sort of laugh that banished the cold from his body. He smiled too. They walked on, side by side, not touching but enjoying the moment. At least, he was. And she seemed happy enough to stay beside him. “I’m glad you have a sense of humor,” Cadi said. “Not many people around here do.” “The weather makes them that way, maybe. No sun. I’ve been feeling kind of strange myself.” “Not because of the weather. Haven’t you figured that out yet?” She stopped and looked at him intently. “No. What do you mean? Figured what out?” “Sage…you don’t know your father very well, do you? Or much about his life here?” “Nah. Why would I? My parents split up and he took off when I was less than a year old. I haven’t had much contact with him since. Then, all of a sudden, my mother got this bright idea to send me out here to live with him.” “She didn’t tell you why?” Cadi seemed genuinely concerned. “Not in so many words. I figure she couldn’t handle me anymore. You know, hormones, bad temper, the usual teenage stuff.” “No, Sage. It wasn’t the normal teenaged stuff. Trust me.” “What do you mean?” He scowled and started walking again. “Are you trying to tell me my father is a serial killer or something?” “No! No, Jeremy’s all right. I admit, my parents aren’t crazy about him, but they live on the other side of the island, so that’s to be expected.” Sage scowled. “Don’t you come over to this side for school?” “No. We have private lessons in the compound. Ivar’s father, Laurent—he’s sort of like our governor—appoints teachers for us. Sometimes he lectures to us, too. We can study at our own pace. I kind of like it that way. I don’t think I’d do well in your kind of school.” “You’re kidding. That sounds like something from another century!” “No, it’s modern enough. We have electricity and everything.” Her sardonic laugh ended in a sigh. “There’s a lot about this place you don’t understand, Sage.” “I’ll be the first to admit that.” She took his hand. He squeezed back. “You’ll find out a lot, soon enough. Too soon, and I hate thinking about it. I want to remember you like this: just a normal guy from Boston, taking an innocent walk with me through the forest. I wish it could stay like that.” “What are you talking about? What do you mean? I’m lost.” He looked around at the dark trees that hemmed them in on all sides. Nothing looked familiar. “In more ways than one.” “Don’t worry. You won’t be for long. Don’t try to answer these questions too soon. Let some things be a mystery. Once you look for answers, everything gets complicated.” “I guess so. But I’d still like to know the truth.” “And I like mystery. Maybe we’re not so compatible after all.” “Don’t say that.” “Then let some things stay unsaid. Don’t ask me things. Let’s just spend time together and enjoy it.” “Okay. If that’s what you want.” “I do, and I want things between us to be special. Like magic.” She grasped his hand, pulling him to a stop. Then she leaned up and kissed him on the mouth. Startled, Sage responded awkwardly at first. Despite what he’d seen in movies and TV shows, he wasn’t quite sure which way to tilt his lips, and at one point his front teeth knocked against hers. When she didn’t move away, though, he decided to let instinct guide him. That worked out better, as their mouths began to slide together in a balanced and highly enjoyable rhythm. Magic was an understatement.


About the Author:J.C. Aster is a teacher and freelance writer who is a huge fan of young adult fiction, especially stories with a paranormal twist (they sure didn’t have cool books like that when she was a kid or she might have had a more exciting childhood!).  GRAY ISLAND started as a National Novel Writing Month (Nanowrimo) project and quickly took on a life of its own.  She is currently at work on new projects and hopes to visit the magical shores of Gray Island again soon.

Giveaway:    $10 Evernight Teen Gift Card
 

Thoughts About Love and Romance by @starla_kaye

 I write romance in many sub-genres because I’m a softy. I’m a romantic at heart and want to give my characters Happily Ever Afters or at least Happily For Nows. I’ve been married what seems like forever and have experienced many of the phases of love and romance. Everything from the falling in love stage, to the lusty stage of first married, to the sharing lives and raising a child. I’m in the empty nest, just husband-and-me-again stage. I wouldn’t have wanted to miss any of it.
How exactly do my characters from For Ruby’s Love think about “love and romance”?
Calhoun: I’ve never been what women would see as overly “romantic.” I’m more of a show the person I’m with how I feel in a straight-out manner. I don’t like games. I want honesty in every aspect of my life, and I give it as well. It has been a struggle for me to completely admit that I’m in love with another man: Daniel. But now that I’ve done it, I can’t imagine my life without him in it. Now Ruby… well, she has shaken up my life yet again.
Daniel: I’ve never been a give candy and flowers kind of man, but then I’ve been gay for most of my life. Could you see me giving Cal flowers? Or candy? Could you see him accepting them? (Chuckles) We have our romantic moments, though. He just doesn’t recognize them. And I love him, with all of his many faults. It’s a good thing I’m perfect. (Chuckles again) But Ruby… I could see myself giving her chocolate or flowers, and she would treasure them.
Ruby: I’m completely new to the whole dating thing. I’ve devoured romance novels and have fantasized about love and romance. I’ve dreamed of the kind of man who would sweep me off my feet and show me his undying love. Not once did I see that man as a big, stubborn cowboy. Or as a fancy, wealthy businessman far away from any man I’ve ever known. But, dang it, that’s who has won my cowgirl heart…both of them.

For Ruby’s Love Published by: Decadent PublishingGenre: Contemporary, erotic romance, LGBT/gay, western, ménageHeat Level: 5Word Count: 33,000

Blurb  Calhoun’s a simple cowboy with more problems in his life than he can handle at the moment. After nearly two years, he struggles to hang onto a relationship with Daniel, his first male lover. Daniel is worried about him because of the fire, his concern for his prized breeding mare, and because he is determined to buy the neighboring ranch to expand. But Daniel isn’t a businessman without goals of his own for expansion, a fact that frustrates Calhoun as well. He doesn’t want to lose Daniel, but will their differences finally be too much?
Daniel considers himself a lucky man to have met the rancher, someone almost his opposite and someone who he doesn’t want to live without. Standing beside the moody Calhoun has been difficult since the fire that burned down a horse barn, took the lives of two valuable horses, and traumatized a favored mare. Along with all of that, his harried friend is determined to expand his ranch holdings. Daniel is against the purchase and would prefer to find a way to slow the man down. Lately, he’s also begun worrying if maybe he isn’t enough to satisfy his lover’s needs.
Complicating everything even more, Ruby shows up later than expected at Calhoun’s ranch to honor a job as a horse therapist that her father had agreed to before his sudden death. She knows what happened to the mare and is certain she can help her, if given the chance. But the stubborn rancher can’t get past the idea of her being a woman, someone not strong enough to work with such a damaged horse. They butt heads over the matter until she finds an ally in Daniel. He is concerned and yet believes in her abilities. Another problem arises, though. She and Calhoun have been skirting around an unwanted attraction, and then she discovers another surprising interest between her and Daniel.
Buy Links:
Decadent PublishingAmazonKoboiBooks
About the Author:
Starla Kaye wears many hats professionally and as a writer. She is the community coordinator for a Midwestern accounting firm, a gerontologist who volunteers with an active group of senior adults, a mentor/teacher of writing, and a multi-published author. She dabbles in writing romances of many sub-genres: contemporary, historical Western, medieval, sci-fi, fantasy, paranormal, and Regency. To date she has published 20 novels, 38 novellas, 8 anthologies, and 18 short stories.
Starla writes for Decadent Publishing, Black Velvet Seductions, and Blushing Books.
WebsiteTwitterFacebookPinterestAmazon Author Page

It's All About the Book with Marcus Damanda

It’s All About the Book…
 Please tell us about your current or upcoming release.
My current book is THE DEVIL AT PLAY, which is the final book in THE DEVIL IN MISS DRAKE’S CLASS trilogy. Here’s the blurb:“Everyone loves the devil until they know him. Until they see him for what he really is.”Nobody ever did, even as the bodies started to pile up.But now, too late for it to matter, Audrey understands at last. The devil of Fairview has been courting her for days, and watching her for much longer than that. The murderer is her boyfriend, and he’s been killing on her behalf.His name is Jack Maddox, but everyone calls him Mad Jack. He’s planning a party, where everyone is invited, especially Audrey’s tormentors. Especially the Facebook 15.Audrey will have her revenge, whether she wants it or not.Because, in Miss Drake’s class, the devil will have his due.


What is this book’s genre?  Is this the genre you usually write in?  Are there any genre’s you haven’t written that you’d like to try?
It’s a horror book, with a splash of teen drama and romance. Horror is definitely my comfort zone. Creatively, my mind defaults to the dark, although I’m a pretty nice and normal guy in real life. I’ve been developing a dystopian future idea for an upcoming series, though, and I hope it flies.



What inspired you to write this book?
I’ve been writing anti-bullying fables for ten years or so, going back to my vampire book Teeth: The Forever Show Book 2. I really enjoy telling stories about young people finding their hidden power, whatever that may be. In this case, however, our hero does not find her power in the dark, but in herself. The question is, will it be enough?


 How did you pick its title?  Did it come first or did you have to write the story first?I had the title for the series before I’d written a single word. Originally, it was a very large single book, which my publisher Evernight Teen asked me to cut into three smaller books. Thankfully, the one book was originally divided into three “parts,” each of which had a title. The acquisitions editor at Evernight Teen, Christine Klocek-Lim, suggested using those as the book titles, and I went with that.


 How did you create your characters?  Did you use any real life people in their making?None of the characters are exactly “real,” nor are any of them exactly made up. They had to serve the story, and yet they were all taken (at least to some degree) from my experiences as a high school student and as a teacher. The best teacher I ever had, Mrs. Drake, is the namesake for this book—although she became a much younger “Miss” for this book, and the dark secrets I applied to her definitely don’t apply to the real person.


 Who is your favorite character of this book and why?Audrey Bales, the protagonist, no question. I gave myself a very daunting task with her: create a hero out of a girl who tries to kill herself in Chapter 1. She had to be both vulnerable and strong, and eventually triumphant. She needed to be both flawed and likeable. I’m really proud of that character. On the other end of the spectrum, I’m also really happy with her nemesis, Maggie Lassiter. People will so, so hate her. As I intend to demonstrate …


 What was the hardest part of this book to write? Can you share an excerpt from that part?

 The hardest part was an entire chapter, late in the book, entitled “Torment.” Here’s a sample:You look like you’re already gone, Maggie thought. Poor thing.The first thing she showed Audrey was the pair of black spandex pants. She held them up, grinning.I will get a reaction from you, emo princess. Just wait.Audrey blinked, expressionless.Reaching back into the box, Maggie came out with a pair ofblack leather boots with pentagram buckles. She shook the boots to make them jingle.Still, nothing.Maggie sighed. Reaching into her back pocket, she pulled out a small pad and a pen. She flipped past the pages with the prescripted messages, scribbled on the first blank page, then held it in front of Audrey’s face. Benny shone his flashlight on it.When Audrey’s eyes remained on the floor, unfocused, Maggie reached over and smacked her, lightly but repeatedly, until she looked.How about these? They were expensive. You should be grateful.“Nice,” Audrey whispered, as though from far, far away.Maggie nodded and almost said the words “good girl” aloud, but caught herself.Going back into the box, she produced a leather belt, three skull rings, and two ear studs in the likeness of bloody staples before revealing the final item.Obediently, Audrey looked at them all, repeating “nice” with each fresh display.The final item was a T-shirt for the gothic rock band Matchbook Romance. The title of one of their biggest songs graced its front: “You Can Run, But We’ll Find You.”“Nice,” Audrey said.It was all laid out in front of her.Inspired by the moment, Maggie scribbled on her pad again: I was going to buy you some lingerie, but then I thought, no, there will be boys present. Sooo indiscreet. 

Don’t want to give everything away. Have to leave something to the imagination. She got up, backed away, and stood next to Celine, who looked on, expectantly.Audrey’s eyes returned to the floor.Maggie snapped her fingers, and the boys stepped forward.

****Ally had to stay on her toes to make sure she got only Audrey in the video. Getting the others when their backs were turned, or when they weren’t in the light, was safe—but the less she caught of them, even with masks and makeup, the better. Less editing for later.She couldn’t believe how unbelievably calm Audrey was. She didn’t do anything, didn’t make a sound, as the boys converged on her.Benny yanked off her cute little felt boots, leaving her socks on. They forced her back on her feet to do the rest. And she just stood there.If that were me, Ally thought, I’d be screaming bloody murder. I’d fight.Her hat and coat were tossed on the floor. She’d get those back, later.Everything else, Maggie and Celine cut apart with heavy duty scissors—even the boots, to the extent that was possible. The boots were a real shame. If she were allowed to talk, Ally might have said she wanted those.Why doesn’t she fight?They left her standing in her underwear and socks while they destroyed her things. They were especially thorough with her Battlefield volleyball shirt, reducing it to red-and-gold cotton confetti by the time they were done.No tears. Nothing. Maggie must be furious.God, Ally thought. What a total slut.


****


The Devil at PlayMarcus DamandaThe Devil in Miss Drake's Class, 3
“Everyone loves the devil until they know him. Until they see him for what he really is.” 

Nobody ever did, even as the bodies started to pile up. 

But now, too late for it to matter, Audrey understands at last. The devil of Fairview has been courting her for days, and watching her for much longer than that. The murderer is her boyfriend—and he’s been killing on her behalf. 

His name is Jack Maddox, but everyone calls him Mad Jack. He’s planning a party, where everyone is invited, especially Audrey’s tormentors—especially the Facebook Fifteen. 

Audrey will have her revenge, whether she wants it or not. 

Because, in Miss Drake’s class, the devil will have his due.


14+ due to violence and adult situations
Buy Links:    Evernight Teen     Amazon
*****

About the Author:  Marcus Damanda lives in Woodbridge, Virginia with his cat, Shazam. At various times throughout his life, he played bass guitar for the garage heavy metal band
Mother’s Day, wrote for The Dale City Messenger, and published editorials in The Potomac News and The Freelance Star. Currently, while not plotting his next foray into fictitious suburban mayhem, he spoils his nieces and nephews and teaches middle school English.

Find Marcus Damanda here:Website: http://www.marcusdamanda.com/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MarcusDamandaAuthor?ref=hl Twitter: https://twitter.com/MarcusDamanda




Giveaway:   $10 Evernight Teen Gift Card

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Accidental Valentine ~ A Romance Anthology + #giveaway

Roane Publishing is giving away 3 eARCs of Accidental Valentine, a Romance Anthology! Accidental Valentine a Romance Anthologyby Various AuthorsPublisher: Roane PublishingRelease Date: February 13, 2015

Guiding Hearts by Claire GillianDescription: Is a lonely woman's GPS sentient or is her subconscious taking her by the hand to help heal a scarred heart?When Jemma Ernst's GPS malfunctions and sends her to the home of handsome and engaging Gabriel Nash, she writes it off as a fluke. But she can't seem to reprogram him out of her thoughts nor her GPS.



Better Latte Than Never by Katrina SizemoreDescription: Single and cold on Valentine’s Day, Hailey Merritt is not looking forward to working all day at the coffee shop while everyone around her is cheery with romance and she’s stuck trying to figure out her next step in life.But, when a special bouquet arrives for her from a secret admirer, she decides to reserve judgment on this holiday and find whomever sent the flowers.Maybe Cupid has a plan to make this her favorite Valentine’s Day ever.





Dream Architect by S.L. HughsonDescription: Taylor and Sons Custom Design keeps ASHLIN TAYLOR at arm’s length from her dream job. If only she were a son, she could follow her architectural dream. In the Taylor creed, girls get married and boys have careers. DYLAN CUTRIGHT focuses on finishing college and landing an architectural engineering job in a large firm. Minus emotional ties.After their accidental encounter, their attraction is amplified during their work interaction. Unlike her family, Dylan encourages Ashlin to pursue her dream by enrolling in college. He even argues her case with Uncle Mike. All of this support confuses Ashlin because when she moves closer to him, he rebuffs her for reasons she can only speculate about.Valentine’s Day might be the perfect opportunity for Ashlin to make him notice her. They are working together - alone - on the most romantic day of the year. Dylan builds her dream of career, but will he ever lower his walls and become more than just the man IN her dreams?


One Hot Angel by Jaylee AustinDescription: Oblivious to Tiffany Jenkins in three short weeks her life will end—unless she makes the perfect choice. Will she chose revenge and expose her ex-husband? Or chose love and surrender her heart to the only man who can save her?


Rock My Bones by Wendy SparrowDescription: Jared has been eyeing the sexy mural painter from inside the museum’s paleontology lab, but she’s way out of his league. He can’t let her paint that obviously misplaced fern, though…even if it means initiating contact.
You could call her a paleontology groupie, but Shay Meyers is interested in a more modern specimen. An adult male Homo Sapien to be exact—one who needs to be dragged out of his lab for a practical course in mating rituals. If she’s lucky, this will be the Valentine’s Day she rocks his bones.







~~~oOo~~~
Roane Publishing is giving away THREE ARC copies to three lucky winners!

You don’t even have to be a blogger.
If you are willing to leave an honest review between the dates of February 13th and February 27th, you are eligible to enter. How? Simply fill out the form!
You have until Midnight of January 24th when three winners will be chosen by random drawing.

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Murder Is Our Mascot by Tracy D. Comstock with/a #giveaway

How I Got My Start in Publishing
Tracy Comstock, Murder Is Our Mascot


My success story is a dream-come-true one.  All my life, I have dreamed of being published.  But I was so afraid of failing that I never really tried.  While I was in graduate school, pursing my Masters degree in literature, I wrote a journal entry that one of my professors hit on. She pulled me aside and said it was obvious that I wanted to write. She wanted to see something I had written, but I didn’t really have anything finished that I wanted to show her.  She wouldn’t take no for an answer, however, so she reconfigured one of our assignments to be a creative piece. I had to write a short piece in the style of Flannery O’Connor.  When my professor read it, she took it to one of the creative writing instructors and got me enrolled in her course.  I thoroughly enjoyed that creative writing class, the first one I had ever taken.  I had one short story that won a women’s fiction contest and one that was published in the school’s literary magazine.  But I didn’t continue with the creative writing courses because I didn’t want to change my course of study that late in the game.  But my friends and family weren’t ready to let me forget about my dream again. 
            I had subscribed to Gemma Halliday’s newsletter and I was reading it aloud to my commuting buddy when she announced a writing contest for both published and unpublished writers.  My buddy insisted I enter.  I went home and dug out an idea for a novel I had noodled around with in 2002.  I wrote out the prologue and first chapter, but before I submitted it to the contest, I sent it to my professor who had first encouraged me to write.  She got back to me almost immediately and told me to scrap the whole thing and try again.  I was ready to give up, but my grandma, who had always told me to pursue my dream of writing, wouldn’t let it drop.  I had stopped by to see her before picking my boys up from summer school and she forced me to sit at the kitchen table with a notebook and pencil, telling me I couldn’t leave until I wrote something.  I tried again, and this time, my professor told me to submit it.  So I did.  Unfortunately, my grandma passed away around the time that contest winners were to be announced.  It wasn’t until I got the newsletter announcing the winner that I even gave the contest another thought, too mired in grief to think of much else.  The announcement said we could email for our score on our entry. There would be no feedback given, but a number from 1-10.  Not wanting to let Grandma down, I asked for my score. 
            A couple of days passed, and then I got an email from Gemma Halliday herself.  I was in awe, as she has always been one of my favorite authors.  But she said she couldn’t find my entry.  I figured that was answer enough, so I was ready to let it drop.  But Gemma kindly said she would look at my entry again.  I sent it to her, still in awe I was communicating with one of my favorite authors.  The day of Grandma’s final interment, I came home and was lost in sorrow.  Trying to distract myself, I checked my email.  Gemma told me that she had found my entry; it had been placed in a folder by her assistant, who thought Gemma might be interested in reading more of it since she had just started her own publishing company with a couple of other authors. I was over the moon, but the problem was, I didn’t have any more to show her.  With this encouragement, I got to work and finished the novel. The day I started back to teaching at two of our local colleges, I got a response from Gemma saying she wanted to publish my book. And that was the beginning! I know that this dream would never have come true if not for my guardian angel, my beloved grandma.
*****

Murder Is Our Mascot
Schooled in Murder Book 1Tracy D. ComstockCozy Mystery/Light Romantic SuspenseGemma Halliday Publishing/65k



Murder is the new mascot at Ellington High...

A murdered coach and a missing counselor has thrown the school into a foreign curriculum of anger, fear, and suspicion. English teacher Emily Taylor is determined to prove that her missing friend is not a murderer. But if she's not, then who is? And where could her friend be? Against the advice of fellow math teacher and former crush Tad, Emily and her best friend Gabby dig into the dead coach's past. But someone doesn't want Emily unearthing their secrets and is determined to see that she gets a failing grade in the sleuthing department. Soon, Emily finds herself scrambling for a new lesson plan to solve the murder...before the killer sets his own deadline! 





Available now !! Amazon   Nook    ibook    Kobo    Smashwords   Print


Excerpt:The clack of Emily Taylor's high heels echoed hollowly in the deserted high school hallway. Normally, she loved the sound her heels made on the tile floor. Her obsession with high heels began when her height topped off at a gargantuan five foot one inch, and their authoritative tapping sound typically made her feel confident and in charge. But not this morning. The click-clack reverberating off the rows of metal lockers seemed ominous, a warning of some kind.Letting herself into her classroom, she decided that the school seemed somewhat sinister because she was unused to being there that early. Her great love affair with her snooze button meant that getting to school before it was filled with a mass of hormone-fueled teenagers was a rarity for her, but she had needed to get in early today in order to prep for a special before-school meeting with a student's mother. Stevie Davis was new to Ellington High and was really struggling in Emily's junior-level English class.Something about Stevie tugged at Emily. He usually hid his eyes behind his fringe of bangs, causing Emily to fight the urge to grab her scissors and hack away at his curtain of hair so that she could see what was going on behind it. The few times he had tossed his hair back with the irritated shrug that was his typical answer to any question, his eyes had seemed sad, lost, or…something. Emily wasn't sure what that something was, but she was hoping that this meeting with his mother would shed some light on his issues.Her cantankerous old computer whined to life as Emily flipped on her desk light. Dark, swollen clouds crowded the sky, swallowing her early morning classroom in shadows. Emily felt jumpy and spooked, as if those dark clouds were pressing down on her, enshrouding her in their gloom. Must be an allergy medicine-induced hangover making her feel strange this morning. Nothing like fall to get her sinuses going. As soon as she got her notes together for her meeting, she'd grab a cold shot of caffeine from the stash of sodas she kept in the teachers' lounge fridge. That would help clear her head. Or at least it would if Tad, the conference-hour-sharing, next-door math teacher and fellow soda junkie, hadn't depleted her supply.As she pulled out samples of Stevie's writing and wrestled her computer into spitting out a copy of his grade report, the lights flickered. Glancing out the back wall of windows, Emily watched the increasing wind whip the trees into a frenzy. Multicolored fall leaves rained down like confetti. She usually loved the electric feel in the air before a good thunderstorm, but a loss of power would ruin her day's plans. Figuring she better make her copies before the ancient, temperamental copy machine went on the fritz, she began sorting through the piles on her desk for the paper she needed. They were organized piles, of course. Oh, who was she kidding? Trying to find the one thing she needed on her messy desk was like trying to isolate a single snowflake during a blizzard. Shuffling papers and files, Emily jumped at the first boom of thunder. The accompanying flash of lightning happened to spotlight the copy of the quiz for which she was searching. Hoping to entice Stevie into becoming more involved in class discussions, she was starting a unit on mythology since he had shown some interest in legends. Today's quiz was over the gods and goddesses of Mount Olympus, or it would be if she got her copies made in time.Tucking all of her information for the meeting with Stevie's mother into a stray file folder, Emily grabbed up a fresh legal pad and pen and headed out the door. Halfway there, she turned on her heel to go back for the quiz she needed to copy. Yep, she definitely needed that soda. A glance at her vintage Strawberry Shortcake watch showed she was, as usual, cutting it close on time. But first things first. Popping the top on the last soda in the fridge, Emily silently thanked whoever was the God of caffeine for their nectar as she took her first icy sip of the sugar-laden soda. No diet drinks for her, no sir, as the extra ten pounds on her hips could attest. Tad had tried to hide the last can behind a pitcher of green tea, knowing Emily would never touch that, even if it might benefit her hips. She, however, was on to his nefarious ways. Practicing her evil victory laugh, she click-clacked her way to the copy room to get her copies started before the meeting. Another crashing boom of thunder rattled the windows as Emily threw the door wide, propping it open with those cursed hips while she flipped the light switch. Nothing. Scanning the hallway confirmed her suspicions. The power was out. She took a step backward, thinking she would head downstairs to consult with Principal Matthews. Rain began to lash the windows over the stairwell, making the darkness of the hall seem even more complete. She fumbled her way a few feet down the hallway until the lights flickered back on again. Not wanting to waste a second in case the power decided to blink off again, Emily dashed back to the partially open copy room door. Hitting the light switch again with one hand, she rushed toward the hulking machine on the far wall. That was when papers went flying and sticky, syrupy soda sprayed everything in its path. Emily went airborne. Throwing her hands out in front of her to break her fall, Emily winced as they skidded through sticky wetness. The picture of grace she was not, so finding herself flat on her face was actually not uncommon for Emily. She could trip on a completely flat surface. The lights flickered again as she clambered to her feet, worrying about getting the sticky mess cleaned up before someone else slipped. Glancing down at her hands, she was busy cursing her lost lifeline, her last caffeine hit, when she realized that the sticky substance covering her hands was not soda. It was something thicker, and redder. Finally looking back to see what she had tripped over, Emily saw what appeared to be a head protruding from behind an office chair. Taking a cautious step closer, she could see that the head was surrounded by what looked like a puddle of congealing blood and was, thankfully, attached to a body. Unfortunately, it appeared to be a dead body. And that's when Emily began to scream and scream.

About the Author: Tracy Comstock is a small-town girl from Missouri. She lives in a home where she is outnumbered 3:1 by the males in her life: her husband and their two extremely adorable, but terrifyingly ornery sons. She has no pets as all living things, besides humans, of course, come to her house to die, including the victims in her books. All her life Tracy devoured books. Her parents' most effective punishment was grounding her from reading. Although she has a B.S. in Education and a Masters in Literature, she was nudged down the path to publication by encouraging (and sometimes threatening!) family, friends, professors, and students. When not working on Emily's adventures, Tracy is an adjunct instructor for several local colleges, where she gets to teach others about her greatest passion: writing.
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Giveaway:   $20 Amazon Gift Card 
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EXCLUSIVE #giveaway ~ BLACK HILLS DESPERADO by D.L. Jackson

Black Hills Desperado

 by D.L. Jackson

Bonnie Parker, aka the other half of Bonnie and Clyde, glorified a scary and violent crime in the 30’s—bank robbery. After meeting Clyde Barrow at the age of 19, Bonnie sank into the criminal world, robbing banks and small business, leaving a trail of bodies in her wake.
In Black Hills Desperado, you get to meet another female bank robber. But Xio Davis has one thing the infamous Bonnie Parker didn’t, a conscience. Forced to flee from a mentally unhinged alpha, Xio Davis rides out of town of the back of a stranger’s motorcycle and into the bowels of a criminal enterprise, where she robs banks to stay in her boss/boyfriend’s, favor.
When she comes face-to-face with FBI agent Marcus Cazador, Xio must make some decisions if she’s to survive. The next few months will see her free or dead. She knows if she messes up again, even her mate won’t be able to get her out.
And he is her mate. She can no longer ignore the pull, but question is, can she have love and freedom both, something she believes impossible. Xio will answer to no wolf.



Blurb:
She’s a bad girlfriend.
Nothing Xio Davis does is right. When she abandons her pack, riding out of town on the back of a stranger’s motorcycle, she finds she’s bitten off more than she can chew. First, it’s small-time crimes, then bank robbery. As Xio sinks into the criminal underworld, the FBI catches up with her. Now, she’s got one way out: snitch.

When Xio turns state's evidence against a Mexican drug lord, Agent Marcus Cazador steps up to take her home, giving up his career, his place in the El Paso pack, and all he knows to protect her.

Xio claims she’s not the same wolf who left ten years before, but can she convince Marcus she’s changed her wicked ways? Or will the Black Hills be the end of the road on her long journey to redemption?


Excerpt: “Good morning, Miss Davis. Let me introduce myself. I’m Special Agent Marcus Cazador of the FBI. Didn’t anyone ever tell you banks are most often robbed within the first few minutes of opening? We figured you’d be here, after the invitation we’d extended. Safest bank in Texas. I can see you liked the billboard at the port of entry. You and I have a lot to talk about, but business first.”
He’d used her real name, one she hadn’t heard in ten years. It sounded strange coming from his mouth, but also right, as though he’d been born to say it. Not good. This man was dangerous in so many ways. “Bite me.”
“You have no idea how much I’d like to.” A knee pressed down into the center of her back, and he yanked her arms behind her and slapped cuffs around her wrists. He rolled her to her back, sat her up, and tugged the mask from her face. 
“At last we meet.” And then he spoke the words she’d hoped never to hear. “You have the right to remain silent.”


Author Bio:
D. L. Jackson is an award-winning author of urban fantasy, science fiction, military romance and erotic romance. She loves to incorporate crazy plot twists, comedy and the unexpected into her worlds. As a U.S. Army veteran, she naturally adores men in uniform and feels the world could always use more. She does her part by incorporating as many sexy soldiers in her novels as she can. When she isn't writing or running the roads, you can often find her online chatting with her peers and readers. Grab a cup of iced coffee, pull up your virtual chair and say hi. She loves emails and blog visits from her readers. www.authordljackson.com/
Want to read Black Hills Desperado, book 3 in the Black Hills Wolves series? You can preorder a copy now: Preorder Black Hills Desperado


************** Giveaway**************
Thanks for stopping by. I will be giving away an ARC, advanced reading copy to one lucky reader of this post. 
*This is the only copy I am  giving away before release*
 so if you want to be the first to read it, leave your name &  email to toss your name in the hat. You have until midnight of this post to enter. I will draw a winner on Sunday, January 18th. 
Good luck.
Best, D L Jackson