Carly Fall's Blog, page 26

Shameless Blog Hop Giveway Winners Announced

I'm going to miss seeing this guy, aren't you?

I know I am a couple of days late on announcing the winners for the Blog Hop, and I apologize.

So without further ado, here they are:

Shackled to the Night:  Eva P.

Hidden in the Night:  Savannah M.

Now for The Light Within Me.  There were so many people who wanted it, I decided to give away three copies.  They will go to:

Stephanie

Liz

Ashley

All winners will be contacted via private email.  Thanks again to everyone who stopped by and participated.  Don't forget to sign up for my newsletter (the big yellow box to the right) to get notification of more promotional Blog Hops and giveaways!

Review – With This Kiss by Victoria Lynne

Review Status:  4 out of 5

The Blurb: Beauty and The Beast:   They were the talk of the town.  All eyes feasted on the beautiful flame-haired gambler in London's most infamous club. But Julia Prentisse was interested only in the rake-turned-recluse whom they now called "The Beast." She lured him out of the crowded club to a deserted warehouse, where she made her scandalous offer:  If he married her and protected her from her uncle, she would help him capture the arsonist who had ruined his life.

An act of heroism had left Morgan St. James burned, scarred for life, but Julia's bold gaze lit other fires he had long suppressed. And now this glorious stranger was his bride. But when he tried to claim his husbandly rights, she demanded three months grace—three months to know a stranger's mind, to touch a stranger's soul, to go where no woman had ever gone before. Into his heart…

Morgan St. James is an absolutely adorable smart ass that I immediately liked, and despite all he went through, I never felt any pity for him.  Julia Prentisse is an intelligent, defiant woman I would like as a friend.

This is a really well written, smart book.  The pretenses of their marriage had me smiling at its cleverness, and I enjoyed the sarcasm and  banter back and forth between Morgan and Julia to a certain point.  Just when I had grown tired of it all, the author realized they had bantered enough, and got down to the nitty gritty.

I was also surprised at who the villain turned out to be.  It wasn't until the last moment that he was revealed, and that was a real pleasure, and surprise, in the book.

Morgan and Julia are both very intelligent, likable, and sometimes very unlikable,  flawed characters who I found myself very much attached to.  I liked the way the author slowly broke down the barriers both characters  had erected, and found myself grinning at the end of the book, happy for Morgan and Julia, but sad the book had ended.

Wednesday's Words #3

Thank you for joining me for Wednesday's Words.  Again, this week I am doing a small excerpt from Finding My Faith which will be out in March.  If you've missed other Wednesday's Words, please visit the tab above to read more.

Here is the book blurb:

Growing up in a small Northern Arizona town, Faith Cloudfoot's life was spent playing in the forests surrounding her house under the protective eyes of her father, and learning about the legends of her Native American heritage. Yearning for more out of her life, she moves to Phoenix, Arizona at the age of twenty-three where two years later she is kidnapped and almost killed.

Rayner has a special ability, one that weighs on him like a curse. He can see spirits trapped in between life and their final resting place. Because he can't do much to help them, he studiously ignores them. He concentrates, instead, on working with his fellow warriors to right the wrongs caused by the evil criminals from his home planet.

 When Rayner sees Faith in her spirit form while investigating a lead in Phoenix, his attraction to her is immediate, yet he follows his own personal code and ignores her cry for attention. When he realizes that she may be a stepping stone to getting him home to his own universe, he engages Faith and begins to use her as a means to an end: going home.

As the attraction grows stronger, Rayner finds himself breaking all sorts of self-set rules, as well as the code of ethics set by him and his fellow warriors. When Faith nears death, Rayner realizes that he must do everything in his power to save her, because if he doesn't, he may just lose himself.

And now on to Wednesday's Words:

 Faith Cloudfoot locked the door the coffee house and looked around the street.  She hated the closing shift, but needed the money, so she had worked a double shift tonight. The sky above was clear, but the stars weren't exactly shining brightly.  That was what happened in the big city, though, and she found herself missing the mountains of Arizona where she grew up.

She unsnapped the clasp that held her waist length red hair in a ponytail, shook it out and wished she had brought a light jacket.  Her brown t-shirt with the company logo on the breast and her mandatory black shorts weren't really doing enough to keep her warm.  She inhaled deeply, and even though the sky was clear, it smelled a little bit like rain.  Rain in Phoenix was a treat, and she relished every blessed drop.

She exhaled slowly, trying to calm her jittering nerves.  The past few weeks she had felt as though someone were watching her.  She could never pinpoint a specific person; it was just a feeling she had.

She began her short two-block walk home, trying to keep her thoughts on happy things.  Like her upcoming trip home to her parents and the hiking and fishing they would do in the forest.  She couldn't wait to get back into the fresh air of nature.  It did something to her—it was some type of renewal for her spirit, for her soul.  She also missed her mom, and she was excited to feel her mom's arms around her in the big bear hug she knew was coming when the saw each other.  And then there was the party her and her roommate, Terry, were throwing—Boas and Baseball.  They had thrown theme parties before…Fedoras and football.  Bathrobes and basketball. Capes and Coyotes, which was the pro hockey team.  Everyone had to wear the particular clothing, and those parties were a blast.

Faith had moved to the big city of Phoenix two years ago.  She had wanted to explore how the city folks lived.  Her father often described her as a bit of a hell raiser, and he had been especially hesitant about her moving away, but eventually she wore him down.  Her mom had actually been pretty supportive in her need to experience something besides what a small town had to offer.  She loved the city life—the clubs, the parties, the concerts that came through town, but she always looked forward going home.

She felt the hairs on the back of her neck stand on end and scratched them to hopefully make the feeling go away.

Her experience in the city had been…interesting.  That was a good word.  Faith knew she was different from most women.  First, there was her upbringing.  Her parents were Navajo Indians, and kept the old legends and customs alive.  It was as though they had one foot in the past and the other in the present.  She fingered the silver necklace at her throat that her aunt had made for her.  It was a bear claw, which symbolized inner strength.  Her aunt and her mother continued the old Indian tradition of making jewlery, as well as spinning and weaving wool to make blankets.

Faith's facial features were strong and bold as those of her ancestors.  Her skin was brown, her lips full, her wide eyes a deep brown.  Her long, wavy hair, however, was something that you would see on a full-blooded Irish woman.  She smiled, thinking about the time when she had asked her mother where she had gotten her flaming red hair.

Her mother had grinned and said it meant that she was special, then told her of the legend of The Woman With Fire for Hair.

"Once every twenty-five years, there is a red-headed woman born to the tribe," her mother had said with a smile.  "One day one of these women will meet with a man who has red eyes and a warrior wolf spirit, and they will produce a child that will help heal the Earth."

Well, that was it in a nutshell.  Faith wasn't sure she believed in the legend.  She thought that perhaps one of her ancestors had met up and gotten busy with someone of pure Irish descent, and that was how she got her hair.  And really…a man with red eyes?

She exhaled again, glad she was one block away from her apartment complex.  She felt the need to put her Reeboks into use and sprint the rest of the way, but she refused to give into her fears, fears that she was certain were ridiculous.

However, she had always been one to listen to her instincts.  She had been taught to listen to her instincts, what her spirit told her, and they hadn't let her down yet.  Like the time she was at a bar with a couple of her friends, and her instincts told her to get home ASAP.  She had found out the next morning that there was a shooting at that bar.  Or the time that her instincts told her not to get on the bus, but wait for the next one.  That bus had been involved in an accident.  They hadn't failed her, as long as she listened to them.

Except this time, she was certain she was overreacting.  She had been on edge for weeks, and her nerves were frayed.  She had to be overreacting, right?

Copyright Carly Fall 2012

Shameless Giveaway Blog Hop

Thanks for visiting me for the Shameless Giveaway Hop!

I'm giving away one ebook copy of each of my books.  For more information on the books, please click the picture below.

Once you decide which one you would like to read, leave me a comment and note what book you would like!  I will post the winners here on January 28th!

Thanks again for stopping by, and don't forget to click the hot bod above to be taken back to the other participating authors!

Six Sentence Sunday – 1/15/12

Hi everyone!

Thanks for stopping by!  I'm continuing with my still untitled, unedited WIP.  My last two posts have had my hero Hudson's suicide plans derailed, and instead he finds himself tied to a chair being slowly killed by his enemy from his world.   This is a back flash of when he was about to commit suicide.

Time to eat the gun.

He got out of bed and pulled on his boxers.  He found it somewhat amusing that he cared if he died with his junk hanging out.  Hell, he was about to blow his brains all over the wall—he guessed the least of the worries should be if his cock was exposed.  He went to his Louis Vitton duffel bag and pulled out his suicide note and gun he had brought with him.

He looked over his final letter.

 

Please stop by and visit the other amazing authors of Six Sentence Sunday!

 

 

Wednesday's Words #2

 

On Wednesdays I'm posting a little snippet from my upcoming book.  Finding My Faith, the sequel to The Light Within Me, will be out at the beginning of March.   I think you will really like the story of Rayner and Faith

***

They got out of the Hummer and stretched.  Rayner popped the back open and they each grabbed their duffle bags again, and headed toward the five metal steps that led up to the first door of the silo.  Hudson put in the code, and the three-foot metal door hissed, then popped open.  They went in, the lights coming on automatically.  They pounded down ten metal steps to the second door.  It was a repeat action on the door, and then they were inside the silo.

Rayner had to admit, since they had been on Earth, the silos were by far the smartest, not to mention the coolest thing they had done.  Noah had made a fortune in the stock market, and just after the cold war when Russia and the United States were promising they wouldn't obliterate each other with nuclear weapons, the government had decommissioned missile silos all over the country.  Noah had gone in and bought six of them.  The government took the missiles, and Noah had the silos made in to very plush, very habitable places for the warriors to live.

The silos sat nine stories deep into the ground.  In all the silos, the top two floors were the communal living space, and then each warrior could pick which floor he preferred.  The silos were circular in nature and Noah had installed an elevator going down the middle of the silo where the missile used to be that stopped at each floor.

They entered through the kitchen and went for the fridge.

Hudson took a brief inventory of the food that had been stocked in there for their visit.

"Looks like we got some Heinies.  Anyone?"  Cohen and Rayner both agreed it was a fabulous idea and Hudson tossed them each one.

"So, based on what we have in the fridge, how about some steaks and baked potatoes for dinner?"  Hudson asked.

Cohen and Rayner again agreed.  Hudson loved to cook, and got busy in the kitchen.  Cohen made his way to the game room for a little Xbox 360, and Rayner got on the elevator, shut his eyes and pushed a button.  He heard the door close, and felt the elevator making its way downward.  He didn't open his eyes until he felt it stop.  The doors opened and he looked at what floor he was on.

Okay.  Floor five was his.

He made his way into the quarters, dropped his duffel bag on the floor and sucked down the rest of his beer in three large swallows.

He had never stayed on the fifth floor in Arizona.  It was nice.  There was no doubt Noah hadn't spared any expense when it came to the decorating and comfort of the warriors.

The room was done in a couple different shades of brown with black accents. The carpeting was plush dark brown, the walls a lighter brown.  The huge California King bed with its brown and black comforter and black silk sheets called to him, promising him comfort while he watched the sixty inch flat screen mounted on the wall.  There was a large black Jacuzzi tub in the bathroom, and a brown leather couch next to the small end table.  Definitely a nice, comfortable place.

The first thing he needed was a shower.  Then he would go upstairs, eat, and they would get a game plan together.  He was exhausted, but a game plan was necessary.

As he showered in the black marble stall, he began forming strategies to talk to Hudson and Cohen about.  He was always working, always planning one step ahead.  Yeah, he was the workhorse.  He always volunteered to travel when it was needed, was the one who stayed up studying the maps and murder scenes they received long after the others had gone to bed.  He knew why he put so much effort into the hunt of the Colonists.  He wanted to go home, and when he was idle, he felt he wasn't taking steps in that direction.  Sure, every now and then he allowed himself some downtime, but nothing like the other warriors.

He got out of the shower and pulled out some sweats and a sweatshirt, slipped them on and then proceeded to do a little Tai-chi to get the kinks worked out of doing a whole lot of nothing all day.

Fifteen minutes later his phone rang.

"Dinner's ready, my man," Hudson's low voice came through the receiver.

"Sounds good, Hudson.  After dinner, I want to sit down in the War Room and get a game plan.  I'm hitting it first thing in the morning."

"You got it," Hudson said.

Copyright Carly Fall 2012

Finding My Faith – Exerpt

Coming March 2012
Growing up in a small Northern Arizona town, Faith Cloudfoot's life was spent playing in the forests surrounding her house under the protective eyes of her father, and learning about the legends of her Native American heritage. Yearning for more out of her life, she moves to Phoenix, Arizona at the age of twenty-three where she is kidnapped and almost killed.

Rayner has a special ability, one that weighs on him like a curse. He can see spirits trapped in between life and their final resting place. Because he can't do much to help them, he studiously ignores them. He concentrates, instead, on working with his fellow warriors to right the wrongs caused by the evil criminals from his home planet.

 When Rayner sees Faith in her spirit form while investigating a lead in Phoenix, his attraction to her is immediate, yet he follows his own personal code and ignores her cry for attention. When he realizes that she may be a stepping stone to getting him home to his own universe, he engages Faith and begins to use her as a means to an end: going home.

As the attraction grows stronger, Rayner finds himself breaking all sorts of self-set rules, as well as the code of ethics set by him and his fellow warriors. When Faith nears death, Rayner realizes that he must do everything in his power to save her, because if he doesn't, he may just lose himself.


Excerpt to come soon!

Six Sentence Sunday 1/8/12

Hi everyone,

Thanks again for stopping by this week.  I'm continuing with my untitled WIP from last week.  To see last weeks, please go here.

Just to remind you:  My hero, Hudson, had planned to commit suicide, but his plans were derailed, and instead he finds himself tied to a chair being slowly killed by his attacker.

Why, if he was so close to death, wasn't he numb?  He sure as shit felt like the grim reaper was knocking on the door, so why was he feeling everything?  He had heard that was the way that it went.  You got close to death, and your brain shut down, causing your body to go numb so that you didn't feel the pain.

But Hudson's pain radiated from the inside out.  No matter what was done to his physical form, it couldn't compare to the absolutely agony that he had held in his soul for the past twenty-six years, when he lost the only woman he had ever loved.

I'm also look for guest bloggers, author interviews and character interviews to feature on my blog and promote to my list.  If you're interested, please email me at Carlyfall@gmail.com.  And don't forget to visit the other awesomeness of Six Sentence Sunday!

Happy New Year,and the December winner!

Happy New Year to YOU! I've never been to New York for New Years, but this looks like a blast!

 

2011 was a great year for me, and I'm so excited by 2012!  In March, the sequel to The Light Within Me,  will be out.  It's title is Finding My Faith.  I'll be holding contests with my readers, participating in promotional activities where you guys win stuff, and I have a few other ideas I'm tossing around to make 2012 a great year for you!  Thank you for your support!

So who won the book in December?

Karen K

Karen will be emailed privately to collect her goodies.

Thank you for helping me make 2011 such a fabulous year.   I can't wait to see what 2012 brings!

 

Guest interview with a Prince

A couple of days ago I had the pleasure of sitting down with Damien from The Third Son by Elise Marion.  Needless to say, I was a bit nervous.  I mean, how often does one get to interview a prince?  Let alone a really, really good looking prince who is charming in a bad boy way?  It's not an everyday ocurrence for me!
Damien and I met at his castle, which is a lovely place filled with all the best furnishings and doting servants.  Damien was terribly charming.  He gave me the special smile I have read about, offered me a brandy which I gladly accepted, and took me out to see his beautiful horse in the stables.  We finally sat down over lunch by a roaring fire in the fireplace.

Carly:  Damien, thank you so much for taking the time to meet with me.

Damien:  Of course.  It's my pleasure. 

Carly:  Damien, I'm currently reading your story, which I am really liking a lot, but I'm not all the way through it.  Can you give me a brief synopsis of your story?




Damien: My story is quite intricate and complicated, but I'll try my best to be brief. My name is Damien Largess, and I am a prince, the third of three sons. Even though I am a prince, no one seems to expect much from me. They're all too busy fawning over my brother Lionus, the crowned prince. One day he will be king, and if at all possible, become even more annoying than he is now. He accuses me of being a disgrace, a stain on an otherwise pristine aristocratic family. Because I am third in line, and very unlikely to take the throne, no one cares what I do. And so, I fill my days with the things that tickle my fancy: cards, women, and drink. I suppose you could call me a bit of a rake, although I do endeavor not to break too many hearts if I can help it.

My entire world was changed, however, when Esmeralda came into my life. Like something out of a dream, she appeared from out of nowhere and turned my world upside down. I loved her, more than any man could a woman I think. It wasn't until after I was so madly in love with her, that all hell broke loose. Suffice it to say that someone is killing off members of my family one by one in an attempt to gain the throne. They will not rest until we are all dead, as they intend to claim the throne when we are. At this point, I am faced with the possibility of having to claim the throne and I must confess, I am less than thrilled at the idea. If I must take the throne, I risk losing the single brightest spot in my life.

Carly:  Wow.  It seems you have quite a road ahead of you.  I wish you the best of luck, whether you claim the throne or not.  Damien, what is your favorite part about being the son of a king?

Damien: My favorite part of being a prince is being the youngest. No responsibility, no pressure; I am free to do as I please. Not to mention the fact that I have an entire wing of the palace to myself, and never run out of fine brandy or cigars.

Carly:  What is your least favorite part?

My least favorite part of being a prince is the scrutiny that comes along with the position. While I have gotten used to living in the public eye, I often wonder what it would be to not have everyones eyes on me all of the time. I crave solitude, and revel in those moments alone when I can find them.

Carly: What was the most challenging thing about telling your story that you and your creator faced?

Damien: There were several challenges in the telling of our story. I wanted Elise to properly convey just how much I love my Esmeralda, just how far I was willing to go to make her mine. I believe she accomplished this. Though, for the record, we spent many a sleepless night arguing over just how the sensual scenes should be written. We wanted people to feel the connection as if they are really there.

Another challenge for Elise was keeping up an air of mystery and surprise. There are several moments that may take the reader by surprise. One of those moments is the revelation of the villian toward the end. It was difficult for her to leave little clues as to who it might be without making it to obvious. I think readers will be pleasantly surprised; the ones who had no idea will be shocked, the ones who suspected or had an inkling will be pleased.

Carly:  Is there any part of your story that you wish your creator had told? Are there parts of the story you wish hadn't been told?

Damien: There is a part of the book where it seems as though all hope is lost for Esmeralda and me. Elise may leave the reader with the impression that we are doomed to loneliness and despair the rest of our lives. I do not regret the telling of this chapter in my life, but I do not remember the time with much fondness. It was quite possibly the darkest chapter in my existence. I wish that part of the story didn't have to be told, but in the end, Elise and I both agreed that it needed to be there. It makes the ending so much sweeter. The conclusion is well worth any suffer the reader might face wondering if we're ever going to be together.

Carly:  Will your creator feature you in another book? If so, when will that be out?

Damien: The story of Esmeralda and I continues on as Elise continues to tell the story of both my and Esmeralda's families. You will see glimpses of us in our happily ever after as you continue on a journey that began with us falling in love. I almost feel as though our joining was the catalyst for the things that have followed.

The second installment 'The Second Son' is about another member of my family finding love. It will be released January 1, 2012. If you have read my story and enjoyed it, then I hope that you will read this one as well. It has all of the passion, intrigue, and danger that was present in my story. You won't be disappointed!

Carly:  Do you have anything to add that you think the readers should know?

Damien: If I could leave readers with one thing, it would be simply that love conquers all. Look at me, a man once labeled a rogue and a libertine. I was once thought incapable of love; I even thought this of myself. It just serves as an example of how strange love can be. One moment you're walking alone, and in a single instant, your world can collide with someone else's. When that happens….well let's just say that once you give yourself up to it, it's the single most important thing that can ever happen in your life. At least, it was for me.

Carly:  Damien, thank you once again for meeting with me and your generous hospitality.  It was an honor to meet a prince.  Your story is beautiful, and I wish you and Esmeralda the best in your future together!
To get the The Third Son, please visit:
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The Second Son is also available on Kindle