Carly Fall's Blog, page 10

Tangled Fates

COMING APRIL 20, 2013

“SR44 is no more.”

With those words, Cohen of the Six Saviors feels like his whole world is unraveling at the seams. Consumed by sadness, anger, and guilt for breaking his mating vows to his beloved SR44ian mate, Cohen makes a sacrificial oath to honor her in death.

Annis, a female SR44 Warrior, was sent to Earth right before SR44 was destroyed. But her new human body has restrictions—during the day she is blind, but once the sun goes down, her vision returns. As she struggles to find her place among the Six Saviors, she finds herself the target for Cohen’s unwarranted anger. An explosive argument between them ensues, changing their relationship forever.

Blake, a half-human half-Colonist, has finally discovered a place he calls home. As he and Annis grow closer, his feelings for her can’t be ignored, and he must figure out a way to stay true to his heart or risk losing her forever.

As the Six Saviors are forced into the underbelly of humanity to catch a Colonist’s offspring, and danger from The Platoon threatens to rip the Six Saviors apart, Cohen, Annis, and Blake must face the ghosts of their pasts and try to sort out the tangled web of their lives.

 

 

Lucky in Love Blog Hop

Welcome to the Lucky In Love Blog Hop!

Although I am Irish, I don’t like St. Patrick’s Day.

The dislike resides from an experience many years ago where my boyfriend was run over by a St. Patrick’s Day float.

I kid you not.

It was his own fault.

Yes, he lived.

However, today, I do consider myself very lucky in love. I have a magnificent husband and a beautiful child.

I am truly blessed, and my wishes have been granted.

My heroes also get their wishes granted. What kind of author would I be if they didn’t?

My hero Jovan of Destiny’s Shift, the fourth  book in the Six Saviors Series, gets his wish as well. But the question is, is it for love or total solitude? I mean, it’s tough hearing others thoughts and being subjected to others feelings!

Find out more HERE

TO WIN

If you were to rub the Blarney Stone of Ireland, what would your wish  be?

Leave your answer in the comments with your email address.  This will enter you in the big swag giveaway of:

 1st Grand Prize: A $100 Amazon or B&N Gift Card

 2nd Grand Prize: A Swag Pack that contains paperbacks, ebooks, 50+ bookmarks, cover flats, magnets, pens, coffee cozies, and more!

as well as the giveaway for:

a paperback of the 1st installment of the Six Saviors Series, The Light Within Me  and second prize, a  Six Saviors Pen.

Seriously, that’s it.

And don’t forget to visit the other authors and bloggers on this hop:

How much of my “real life” is in my books?

I received an email the other day asking me that very question.

As an author, I think it’s impossible to keep real life from seeping into my books, and I think most authors would agree. But just how much goes into books? Are characters based on real people? What about settings?

I can’t answer for all authors, but the more I contemplated this question, the more I realized that people who read my books actually get quite a glimpse into my “real life.”

In this post, I’ll cover the Six Saviors Series. In future posts, I’ll talk about how my life infiltrated the Dark Forces Series, and my contemporary romances.

Have I ever met any huge men with glowing eyes? No. But my husband is 6’5.

As fans of the Six Saviors know, the Saviors live in missile silos. I have been in a missile silo on a trip to Tucson, and it was where the idea for the Six Saviors took form.

The Light Within Me

Abby is someone who has never quite fit in anywhere. Guess what? Me too. I had a group of friends in college where I fit in perfectly. I was talking to one of them the other day, and she mentioned that we all got along so well because we were all a bunch of misfits. Remember the Island of Misfit Toys from Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer? That was us.

Unfortunately for me, I don’t have the cool excuse of being part SR44ian. I had another friend recently describe me as “beautifully strange.” I’ll take that

The Six Saviors Series takes place in Reno, Fernley and Phoenix. I grew up in Reno, ran a few track meets in Fernley, and live outside Phoenix today. In The Light Within Me, Noah and Abby go to a restaurant at Lake Tahoe called Gar Woods and have drinks called Wet Woodies. I got very, very drunk one wonderful afternoon many years ago with a girlfriend on Wet Woodies on that very deck. We had to call her boyfriend to come get us.

Finding My Faith

The hell raiser Faith was based on my brother when he was a kid – an absolute terror, always in trouble. When he was a teenager, he would tell my mom that he was going to a friends house, but would actually spend the afternoon skydiving. She just found out about this a few years ago, and my brother is now 40.

Another time when he was little, no one could find him. He was located hanging from the chain link fence in the backyard by the hood of his coat that had gotten hung up as he tried to make his great escape.

To this day, he is still an adventurer. As I write this, he is in Idaho on backwoods skiing trip. An actual day at the slopes is a bore.

Both Rayner and I love bacon

REBORN

Addiction. It’s a difficult subject to write about. I had first hand experience with it with my first husband. It’s tragic and ugly. ‘Nuff said.

Hudson and Abby have dinner at a resort named the Wigwam. I love this place. It is a couple of miles from my house, and I’ve enjoyed many meals and happy hours there.

Unfortunately for my family and anyone else who comes to dinner, I don’t share Hudson’s love for cooking. That means meals pretty much suck around here. I’m a huge fan of takeout.

 

Destiny’s Shift

Liberty reminds me of myself growing up. Obviously, I was never in servitude, but I did have a hard time finding my independence. I obviously don’t have blue hair or a diamond stud in my nose, but I did get a tattoo in college.

I sometimes wish I could hear people’s thoughts, but other times I think its best that I can’t.

 

 

 

Tangled Fates

We’ll just have to save this one for later. 

Cohen’s Playlist

When writing a book, the characters are always chattering in my head.

Cohen was particularly talkative, even putting together his own playlist. Usually, while driving, a song would come on the radio and it just “fit” the story perfectly.

So, here’s Cohen’s playlist.

Lonely is the Night – Billy Squier

It’s a high time to fight when the walls are closin’ in

Call it what you like

it’s time you got to win

Lonely, lonely, lonely

your spirit’s sinkin’ down

You find you’re not the only stranger in this town

Somebody that I Used to Know – Gotye

Now and then I think of all the times you screwed me over

But had me believing it was always something that I’d done

But I don’t wanna live that way

Reading into every word you say

You said that you could let it go

And I wouldn’t catch you hung up on somebody that you used to know-oh-oh

Bent – Matchbox Twenty

Can you help me I’m bent

I’m so scared that I’ll never

Get put back together

You’re breaking me in

And this is how we will end

With you and me bent

Breaking the Habit-  Linkin Park

I don’t know what’s worth fighting for

Or why I have to scream.

I don’t know why I instigate

And say what I don’t mean.

I don’t know how I got this way

I’ll never be alright

So I’m breaking the habit,

I’m breaking the habit

Tonight

Chasing Cars Snow Patrol

All that I am

All that I ever was

Is here in your perfect eyes, they’re all I can see

I don’t know where

Confused about how as well

Just know that these things will never change for us at all

If I lay here

If I just lay here

Would you lie with me and just forget the world?

The Sound of Silence – Simon and Garfunkel

Hello darkness, my old friend,

I’ve come to talk with you again,

Because a vision softly creeping in,

Left its seeds while I was sleeping,

And the vision that was planted in my brain

Still remains

Within the sound of silence.

Sam Bond (Jovan) interview

Although Jovan is a figment of my imagination (I can’t tell you how bad that hurts to write!), while choosing cover images, I saw this one, gave a little girlie scream and yelled, “HE IS JOVAN!”

Actually, he’s not.

When I found out who the model was, I tracked him down via Sandy at

The Reading Cafe to get an interview.

Meet Sam Bond.

Not only is this guy incredibly good looking, but he sounds like an absolute sweetheart. When I first emailed him about an interview, he and his girlfriend had just adopted two kittens, and he was almost gushing about how cute they were.

Do you remember the show Gladiator? It was one of my favorites. Sam was Atlas.

Obviously, the guy is a fitness fanatic, and absolutely drug-free, which seems to be hard to find in these days.

Sam was kind enough to answer a few questions for me, so on to the interview …

 Which do you like better: Modelling or being a Gladiator? Why? 

Tough I did bits of everything, I never really considered myself a model, actor or presenter or anything like that really. It was just a chapter in my life where I was having a lot of fun. Doing the Gladiators show was absolutely terrific; you can’t buy experiences like being a Gladiator. I feel very privileged to have been involved. I’d say certainly that chapter has been over for a couple of years now but truth be told I’m training very hard and plan to train even harder next year to get back into shape. It’s my hope that I can start a new chapter and do some more fun stuff like that. TV commercials as an example.

(Note from Carly:  Um..back into shape??? Oh, my.)

 

If you could have the perfect date night, what would it be?

I would have loved my girlfriend to turn up on a motorbike one sunny afternoon and us both have ridden out to the cinema to watch a Marvel Action hero film. This would naturally have been followed by good food, good wine and good times.

 

 If you were to survive the zombie apocalypse with five other people, who would they be and why?

I love this kind of question. I’m going to have to make the assumption that they have to be alive today since we’re “survived”. I’ll choose famous people for the most part too otherwise it’s just not fun.

1 – My girlfriend Emily, as life without her would be less interesting and nowhere near as fun

2 – Jamie Oliver, a UK celebrity chef. We’re going to need to learn how to cook with what we’re left with

3 – Dara O’Briain, a UK stand up comic. We’re going to need to laugh at more than my poor “Dad jokes” and he’s a fairly smart man too so it makes good sense

4 – Arnold Schwarzenegger. I’d love to meet him (how predictable) and this might be a good opportunity to spend some time meeting an idol

5 – Stephen Fry, another UK TV personality and an extremely funny man. Let’s face it, with 5 of us we’re not going to last long so why fight it? Let’s go out laughing.

(Note from Carly – He’s totally going to kick ass during the apocalypse!)

Have you ever read any of the books where you are featured on a cover?

I haven’t no. I keep promising myself that I will as I have a few at home but I just haven’t got round to really getting stuck into one.

Describe a day in the life of Sam Bond.

This is always changing so I can only give you a snapshot. It’s not very fancy but I’m a creature of habit and really happy right now. Today I awoke to a bang and a thud. Em and I bought two kittens a couple of weeks ago and they’re absolute terrors. They’re incredibly cute though. I get up, get ready for work, play with the kittens for a few moments, then off to work. I do a standard day’s office work. I head straight to the gym, lift some heavy metal then return home. I eat as much as I can place my hands on then sit with Em and the cats generally playing around and having some laughs. At some point during the evening I’ll need to tidy up the Christmas tree which the cats will have inevitably destroyed in our absence.

Many thanks to Sam for giving me permission to use these photos for this post!

See? I told you. A sweetheart.

I wish Sam much success in his career, no matter what path he chooses, and I hope to see his image on many covers in the future!

Leave a comment to win some Six Saviors swag!

To find out more about Sam, go HERE

Time or Money – It’s release day!

I’m very happy to announce that today Time or Money is being release out into the world, and you have your chance to win a copy!

This is being released in conjunction with three other short stories to make up Bottom Drawer Publications Valentine’s Day Romance Collection. Each day they will release one book from the collection.

Of course, if you would just rather pony up and buy it directly from the Bottom Drawer Publication’s  hot little hands, you can go HERE. The publisher has been kind enough to provide a 25% discount code for you as well, so head on over and get it! The discount code is bdpvdttommw01

It is also available through Amazon and Smashwords, but the only way to get the discount is through the publisher.

In case you missed what the book is about, here you go. I’ve also included a brief description of the other books.

So read on, and then you can then enter to win in the Rafflecopter below.

 

Mason Jackson knows his marriage to Bridget is in trouble. He’s been putting in exhausting hours for months to try to make partner in his accounting firm. He knows that it is putting a strain on his marriage, but he has trouble escaping the memory of the poverty of his childhood. He never wants his wife, or the children they yearn for, t o know the struggle that he endured when he can provide a

better life for them. But things are reaching breaking point; he and Bridget are more like roommates than a married couple. He needs to think of a way to get their marriage back on track and what better way than to make Valentine’s Day, Bridget’s favorite holiday of the year, a new start for their marriage? Mason puts in place plans for an elaborate evening designed to surprise Bridget.

Bridget is miserable in her marriage, and often longs for the days when they were dirt poor. They may have struggled financially, but at least she had her husband around. Mason is always working, and Bridget feels that he has chosen his work over her. She’s tried to talk to him about the way she feels, but he doesn’t seem to hear her. He just keeps telling her that once he makes partner then

everything will be all right. But Bridget is sick of Mason forgetting the things that are important to her … like their anniversary a few months ago. She is at the end of her tether and decides that if he forgets Valentine’s Day, her favorite day of the year, then divorce just might be on the cards.

At the end of the day, this couple has only one decision to make: Time or Money?

 

And more information about the other books:

February 12 – A New Dream by C. J. Baty

 C.J. Baty with her first published work, A New Dream, gives us a glimpse into the world of competitive skiing and what happens when one man’s Olympic dreams are shattered. Can Walt find something new to dream about in Curt, the latest act playing at the ski resort? (m/m romance)

 

 

 

February 13 – The Gift by Elise Marion

Elise Marion brings us back into the glittering world of Avery & Dom from The Secret Life of Avery O’Dea in The Gift. Avery has always thought that Dom knew her better than anyone else. Does the gift he buys her this Valentine’s Day show that he really has no idea at all?

 

 

 

February 14 – An Unexpected Party by Henrietta Clarke

 Henrietta Clarke introduces us to a tale of misconceptions, a mother in denial, and some serious baggage in An Unexpected Party. Meet Peregrine and Merry, two unlikely souls who meet at a speed-dating event. Problem: Peregrine is very much in demand with the ladies, although he seems to be having trouble tearing his attention away from a certain gorgeous waiter for the night. (m/m romance)

 

About the Publisher:

 Bottom Drawer Publications is a new publishing house that specialises in romantic and erotic romance fiction across a range of genres, with both het and gay characters. Our genres include: Contemporary, Historical, Literary/Drama, Alternative Lifestyles, Paranormal/Sci-fi/Fantasy, Mystery/Thriller and Steampunk.

Our books are available for sale on our website as well as over 8 booksellers, including: Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Apple iBookstore, All Romance, Rainbow eBooks, and a range of others. All reading devices are catered for with a comprehensive range of formats.

We are always on the lookout for fresh and interesting manuscripts within these genres, and from time to time will put out calls for anthology submissions.

Visit our website: http://www.bottomdrawerpublications.net for our new release information and our writing submission guidelines.

And now to enter for the goodies:

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Heartbreaker Blog Hop

Welcome to the Heartbreaker Blog Hop!

I think we’ve all been exposed to a heartbreaker at one point, whether it was many years ago, or sometimes those we currently love can break our hearts the hardest.

My biggest heartbreak happened when I was eighteen, a long distance relationship that went awry. My heart was broken for many years after. Yes, years. It was a beautiful relationship while it lasted, but as they say, people who are in your past are there for a reason!

On February 11, I have a contemporary romance coming out titled Time or Money through Bottom Drawer Publications in conjunction with their four-book short story Valentine’s Day collection.

Mason is a man who grew up in poverty. He is driven to make partner in his firm, however, this comes at a price to his marriage.

Bridget, his wife, is miserable in the marriage. She feels that he is married to the job, and not her. She sometimes longs for the days when they were dirt poor, but happy.

Mason is determined to get their relationship back on track, and picks Valentine’s Day to make that happen with a surprise for Bridget. Through a set of circumstances beyond her control, Bridget doesn’t get Mason’s messages, and decides that divorce is in their future.

At the end of the day when they both arrive at home, anger and passions flare, and they both need to decide what is more important:

Time or Money?

Bottom Drawer Publications has been kind enough to offer up two ebooks of this brand new release due out February 11.

To enter, fill out the Rafflecopter below.

The Grand Prizes for the blog hop are:

1st Grand Prize: A Kindle Fire or Nook Tablet

 2nd Grand Prize: A $100 Amazon or B&N Gift Card

 3rd Grand Prize: A Swag Pack that contains paperbacks, ebooks, 50+ bookmarks, cover flats, magnets, pens, coffee cozies, and more!

The swag pack – there is some Six Saviors stuff buried in there too!

 To get entered to win these prizes, you need to leave a comment with your email address answering this question:

Who was your biggest heartbreak?

 

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Be sure to visit the other awesome bloggers and authors!

 

Time or Money

Coming February 11

Mason Jackson knows his marriage to Bridget is in trouble. He’s been putting in exhausting hours for months to try to make partner in his accounting firm. He knows that it is putting a strain on his marriage, but he has trouble escaping the memory of the poverty of his childhood. He never wants his wife, or the children they yearn for, to know the struggle that he endured when he can provide a

better life for them. But things are reaching breaking point; he and Bridget are more like roommates than a married couple. He needs to think of a way to get their marriage back on track and what better way than to make Valentine’s Day, Bridget’s favorite holiday of the year, a new start for their marriage? Mason puts in place plans for an elaborate evening designed to surprise Bridget.

Bridget is miserable in her marriage, and often longs for the days when they were dirt poor. They may have struggled financially, but at least she had her husband around. Mason is always working, and Bridget feels that he has chosen his work over her. She’s tried to talk to him about the way she feels, but he doesn’t seem to hear her. He just keeps telling her that once he makes partner then

everything will be all right. But Bridget is sick of Mason forgetting the things that are important to her … like their anniversary a few months ago. She is at the end of her tether and decides that if he forgets Valentine’s Day, her favorite day of the year, then divorce just might be on the cards.

At the end of the day, this couple has only one decision to make: Time or Money?

February Tour Dates

February Schedule

Red – tour for Destiny’s Shift

Pink – tour for Time or Money

Feb 4: Coffee Beans & Love Scenes 

Feb 5: Love In a Book

Feb 5: Veiled Secrets Reviews

Feb 6: My Reading Obsession (Review)

Feb 6: Victoria Danann and Paranormal Romance News

Feb 7: Sweet n’ Sassi (Review)

Feb 8: Brianna’s Bookshelf

Feb 11: Danita Minnis

Feb 12: Musings of a Writing Reader

Feb 12: Riverina Romantics

Feb 13: Janna Shay’s Fair Play

Feb 13: The Avid Reader

Feb 13: Elizabeth Morgan’s Blog

Feb 15: Readaholic’s Reviews (Review)

Feb 15: Kacey’s Kreations

Feb 18: The Reading Cafe

Fatal Intent – Ryshia Kennie

I’m very happy to have Ryshia Kennie here with her book, Fatal Intent. I asked Ryshia if she did research to get the setting/details/feeling of the jungle right, or has she been there?

She’s going to answer my question, and then we get a peek at the book.

Ryshia will award one commenter an ebook copy of From the Dust, a historical romance set in Depression Era Saskatchewan. The grand prize for the tour will be an autographed copy of From the Dust, a book unique bookmark, and a Region 1 DVD of East of Borneo, a 1931 B&W movie.

Take it away, Ryshia!

My trip to Borneo inspired Fatal Intent rather than the other way around.  Now, I can’t imagine writing Fatal Intent without having been to Borneo for being there gave me a sense of the jungle.   I was surprised by the noise, how the insects sawed and screeched.  And sometimes, too – it was silent.  I remember how the grass whipped into the shape of an S as one of the many large lizards slipped through an area, and how the foliage was wet and thick, and the humidity felt slick against your skin.  Hot, damp and humid and there we were wearing long pants that were tucked into our socks on treks to keep out the leeches!  Yes there were a lot of bugs in Borneo and most of them were oversized.  Thank goodness, not the leeches.

Bugs aside, there was a lot of inspiration on that trip and really one moment when I knew Fatal Intent had to be written.  The moment when as I felt the jungle press in around me, I could visualize the discovery of the headless guide that begins the story.  It was on a day trip down river to see one of the local longhouses.

I remember standing at the foot of those rickety wooden stairs, the sun beating down and the jungle alive with a cacophony of sound and the roar of the river only a few feet away, and heading upward and trying not to think of how old that worn, steep staircase was or how frail the railing might be.  And when I reached the top there was the longhouse.  It looked rather like a retro motel, with woven reed mats drying rice in the sun and old women looking at us with a combination of curiosity and disdain.  And as we followed our guide he was quick to point out the human skull that dangled from the rafters in the common area.  A human skull – over a hundred years old and all that remained of their headhunting tradition, or so he said.  Maybe it was just  a good story for the tourists but it definitely was the catalyst of a story.

Having the opportunity to be on site for research gave the jungle a dimension I would never have attained from a book.  And, of course, when I came home I researched using books and online sites to get more details on tribal customs and current practices.  And even the books were addictive.  Borneo is an amazing place with a culture every bit as fascinating as the natural world that surrounds it.

 

BLURB:

In the heart of the jungle lies more than just the hint of death.

Leading a scientific excursion into the Borneo rain forest is a life long dream for entomologist, Garrett Cole.  But when her guide turns up dead and headless, her abilities are tested.  As the dense foliage pushes her team further from the river, they are lost.  Every shimmer of sound is a threat, and when a blonde haired, half-naked giant emerges from nowhere, she wants to run.   But there are no

options – she needs help.

Raised in the lush cradle of the Borneo jungle, Aidan is as unconventional as the fact that he has no last name.  While the city is home, he returns to the jungle for peace and solitude.  As a PI, how can he ignore the mystery this group and their dead guide poses?  Leading them in a convoluted trek in a bid for answers he soon finds himself in a clash of wills with their alluring leader and answers that slide dangerously close to the tribe he loves.

In the jungle’s torrid heat they find unexpected solace in each others arms.  But faced with death and betrayal, in a battle of wits that puts lives on the edge, can anyone be trusted?

EXCERPT

Aidan moved vines back, exposing his face. They only had to look in his direction.

He was so close he could have reached out and touched her. She was delicate, out of place here in the midst of this wilderness. Her skin, even beneath the sweat and exertion-stained flush, was fair. She wasn’t built to be here, she was too slight to survive, too weak, too . . .

She glanced up. A frown immediately seared her face.

“Who the hell are you?” she snarled.

He bit back a smile. She should have screamed. She hadn’t. All tiny limbs and fragile beauty, and yet she attacked first.

He let his gaze rove over the group, refusing to be corralled by her attack.

One of the men looked panicked, the others seriously stressed. He shifted his spear to his other hand and waited, taking the warrior advantage of time and observation. The silent often learned much about their enemy.

“Put that down.” She gestured to his spear.

His fingers loosened for a millisecond before gripping the spear tighter. Was she out of her mind? Green, innocent, and totally forest-illiterate, but she was feisty.

Feisty? She was seething, hot, absolutely pissed—about what, he wasn’t sure. Her anger didn’t make much sense. Nothing about this afternoon made much sense.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Ryshia Kennie is the author of two published romances.  From the Dust, is a romance set during the Great Depression.  Her second book, Ring of Desire, was set against a backdrop of magic and mystery, in medieval England.  An award winning author, her recent novels now focus on  suspense and women’s fiction – always with a hint or even a dollop, of romance. The Canadian prairies are home where she lives with her husband and one opinionated Irish Terrier.

Visit her website at http://www.ryshiakennie.com.

Author blog:  ryshia.blogspot.com

Author on Facebook:  www.facebook.com/ryshia.kennie

Author on Twitter:  twitter.com/ryshia

Author at Goodreads:  www.goodreads.com/author/show/1400598...

For other stops on the  tour, please go HERE