Jean Murray's Blog, page 10

May 15, 2013

Frederick Book Festival, May 18 ~ Featured Author Stephanie Draven

We are in the home stretch for the Frederick Book Festival – Saturday, May 18th from 9am to 6pm. There over 40 featured authors, which I personally can’t wait to meet – Children’s books, Young Adult, Steampunk, Romance, Paranormal…. the list goes on. There will be author panels, book signings, kids corner, book seller, food vendors. ALL DAY FUN!!

And, IT’S FREE to the PUBLIC!

Event Location:

E-ventplex the Home of the Great Frederick Fair

797 East Patrick Street

Frederick, MD 21075

Event Date: Saturday, May 18, 2013

Event Time: 9:00 AM – 6:00 PM

If you’re busy on Saturday, stop by Barnes & Noble at the FSK Mall on Friday, May 17, 2013 from 4:00 PM – 7:00 PM. Some of our featured authors will be there for a signing.

Let me introduce you to some of the featured authors that will be there Saturday!

*************

Click to view slideshow.
FEATURED AUTHOR

STEPHANIE DRAVEN

STEPHANIE DRAVEN is a national bestselling and award-winning author of historical, paranormal, and contemporary romance. Her newest project, IT STINGS SO SWEET is a collection of 1920s historical erotic romances that celebrate sex, women, and the Jazz Age. Stephanie is currently a denizen of Baltimore, that city of ravens and purple night skies. She lives there with her favorite nocturnal creatures–three scheming cats and a deliciously wicked husband. And when she is not busy with dark domestic rituals, she writes her books.

Buy Stephanie’s Books

Newsletter | Twitter | Website & Blog | Goodreads | Facebook

REVIEWS

“Sweet, sexy, angsty, lovely. It Stings So Sweet paints a vivid picture of twenties-era lust. Stephanie Draven is the cat’s pajamas and the bee’s knees. I loved it!” – Megan Hart, New York Times Bestselling author

“Nuanced, complex characters who are both strikingly modern and very much of their time…The balance of sin and sweetness is as perfect as a Prohibition cocktail.” – RTBookReviews, Top Pick!

BOOK BLURB

They vibrated with incendiary Jazz. They teemed with sexual abandon. The Twenties were roaring and the women–young, open, rebellious, and willing–set the pace and pushed the limits with every man they met…

In the aftermath of a wild, liquor-soaked party, three women from very different social classes are about to live out their forbidden desires.

Society girl, Nora Richardson’s passionate nature has always been a challenge to her ever-patient husband. Now he wants out of the marriage and she has just this one night to win him back. The catch? He wants to punish her for her bad behavior. Nora is offended by her husband’s increasingly depraved demands, but as the night unfolds, she discovers her own true nature and that the line between pain and pleasure is very thin indeed.

Meanwhile, Clara Cartwright, sultry siren of the silent screen, is introduced to a mysterious WWI Flying Ace. If Clara, darling of the scandal sheets, knows anything, it’s men. And she’s known plenty. But none of them push her boundaries like the aviator, who lures her into a ménage with a stranger in a darkened cinema then steals her jaded heart.

Working class girl Sophie O’Brien has more important things on her mind than pleasures of the flesh. But when her playboy boss, the wealthy heir to the Aster family fortune, confronts her with her diary of secret sex fantasies, she could die of shame. To her surprise, he doesn’t fire her; instead, he dares her to re-enact her boldest fantasies and Sophie is utterly seduced.

One party serves as a catalyst of sexual awakening. And in an age when anything goes, three women discover that anything is possible…

Buy IT STINGS SO SWEET

Barnes & Noble | Amazon | Kobo | Book Depository

Filed under: Events, Guest Author Tagged: featured authors, frederick book festival, it stings so sweet, new release, regency, stephanie draven

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Published on May 15, 2013 04:00

May 14, 2013

Frederick Book Festival, May 18 ~ Featured Author Meredith Bond

And, IT’S FREE to the PUBLIC!

Event Location:

E-ventplex the Home of the Great Frederick Fair

797 East Patrick Street

Frederick, MD 21075

Event Date: Saturday, May 18, 2013

Event Time: 9:00 AM – 6:00 PM

If you’re busy on Saturday, stop by Barnes & Noble at the FSK Mall on Friday, May 17, 2013 from 4:00 PM – 7:00 PM. Some of our featured authors will be there for a signing.

Let me introduce you to some of the featured authors that will be there Saturday!

*************

FEATURED AUTHOR
Click to view slideshow.
FEATURED AUTHOR

MEREDITH BOND

Meredith Bond is an award-winning author of a series of traditionally published Regency romances and indie-published paranormal romances. Her paranormal romances include Magic In The Storm, Storm on the Horizon, and the short story “In A Beginning”. Her traditional Regencies include The Merry Men Quartet of which An Exotic Heir was republished in March, 2013. Meredith also teaches writing. If you want a taste of her class in book form, Chapter One is available at your favorite e-retailer. Want to know more? Come visit Meredith at her website, www.meredithbond.com or chat with her on Facebook (www.facebook.com/meredithbondauthor) or Twitter (@merrybond).

LOOK FOR HER AT: “Through the Looking Glass: Reflections on the publishing industry and self-publishing” PANEL

www.meredithbond.com

www.facebook.com/meredithbondauthor

on Twitter @merrybond

Tatiana Ashurst has a secret – one that she cannot afford to be known to Georgian English society. But Kit Vallentyn discovers her hidden ability to wield infinitely powerful magic… and saves her from inadvertently revealing it to everyone. Tatiana knows it is impossible for her to marry him. But how can she help herself from becoming fascinated by this handsome man, who seems to extend a spell over her more powerful than any she can conjure?

Kit is on the lookout for a wife. His instinct, however, is to go through the mere motions of searching, just to please his ambitious father who wants a big dowry from the marriage. But the one woman who he can’t get out of his mind is the twin sister of the one his father wants him to marry – the one who is plain, penniless, ineligible… and enchanting in more ways than one.

For Kit and Tatiana to weather the storm of their desires, they have to peel away the layers of all of their secrets, to discover the simple truth of their love.

Filed under: Events, Guest Author Tagged: featured authors, frederick book festival, magic in the storm, meredith bond, new release, regency, storm on the horizon

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Published on May 14, 2013 18:12

Frederick Book Festival, May 18 ~ Featured Author Artie Bennett

And, IT’S FREE to the PUBLIC!

Event Location:

E-ventplex the Home of the Great Frederick Fair

797 East Patrick Street

Frederick, MD 21075

Event Date: Saturday, May 18, 2013

Event Time: 9:00 AM – 6:00 PM

If you’re busy on Saturday, stop by Barnes & Noble at the FSK Mall on Friday, May 17, 2013 from 4:00 PM – 7:00 PM. Some of our featured authors will be there for a signing.

Let me introduce you to some of the featured authors that will be there Saturday!

FIRST FEATURED AUTHOR: CHILDREN’S BOOKS
Click to view slideshow.
FEATURED AUTHOR

ARTIE BENNETT

Artie Bennett is the executive copy editor for a children’s book publisher and he writes a little on the side (but not the backside!).

Artie, who would be hailed as “the Dr. Seuss of your caboose,” wrote The Butt Book, his first “mature” work, which published in 2010. The Butt Book was showered with praise and won the prestigious Reuben Award for Book Illustration. His “number two” picture book, fittingly, is entitled Poopendous! What more fertile topic could there be but poop!

Poopendous! has earned a bumper crop of great reviews, including this one in the Huffington Post: “For anyone who loved The Butt Book, you must immediately go and buy Artie Bennett’s follow-up, Poopendous! It appears there is no topic Mr. Bennett can’t make funny and educational.” The Show Me Librarian has weighed in with: “Bennett’s use of rhyme is excellent; his stanzas flow and exude joviality in a manner that few writers since Dr. Seuss have truly mastered. Simply put, these books are a joy.”

Artie was the youngest (at about age thirteen) person to originate and sell a crossword puzzle to the New York Times. He went on to sell several dailies and two large Sunday puzzles to the Times before he began college. It’s been downhill ever since.

He and his wife, Leah, live deep in the bowels of Brooklyn, New York, where he spends his spare time moving his car to satisfy the rigorous demands of alternate-side-of-the-street parking.

He is pleased to share the visionary promise of The Butt Book and Poopendous! with a wider audience.

Visit ArtieBennett.com . . . before someone else does!

Artie will be a featured children’s author and giving readings of both of his superfun picture books–Poopendous! and The Butt Book–at 11 am and 1 pm. And he’ll be signing from 2 to 4 pm. He looks forward to meeting you.

“Everyone poops—yes, it’s true—from aardvarks to the humped zebu.”

Artie Bennett, author of the award-winning and much-acclaimed The Butt Book, delivers the inside scoop on every type and use of poop in his “number two,” spanking-new picture book. In hilarious verses, with eye-popping illustrations, Poopendous! relates the many, often remarkable uses of poop throughout the world while paying homage to its prolific producers, from cats to bats to wombats! Virtuoso illustrator Mike Moran gives us a Noah’s Ark of animals doing their less-than-solemn doody. So pick up your pooper-scooper and come along for a riotously rib-tickling ride. You just may agree that poop is truly quite . . . poopendous!

Visit ArtieBennett.com . . . before someone else does!

A Smattering of Praise

*Nominated for a Cybils Award in the Non-Fiction Picture Book category

“For anyone who loved The Butt Book, you must immediately go and buy Artie Bennett’s follow-up, Poopendous! It appears there is no topic Mr. Bennett can’t make funny and educational. There aren’t many picture books that teach kids that “Monkeys fling when under stress. It helps the monkey decompress” and “Seeds inside a critter’s poop might go as far as Guadeloupe!” I’m not kidding when I say this came in handy at my son’s preschool last week.” —The Huffington Post

“Poopendous! is an awesome picture book. If you are looking for a really funny book, with great pictures, any kid will sit through, this is the book. Artie Bennett obviously knows what makes kids laugh and the former children’s librarian in me applauds him for his use of unique vocabulary and content that keeps kids engaged and talking.” —Long Days, Short Years

“Guess what?!? We already have Poopendous!, and I have even been known to give spontaneous in-store readings. What a delightful, hilarious, informative, fascinating book. Thank you for writing to us, and for writing such great books! Best of luck to you, and hip-poop-hooray!” —Tegan Tigani, children’s book buyer for Queen Anne Books

“Bennett addresses this subject with a nimble rhyme: ‘Rabbit pellets, raccoon tubes, / Owl whitewash, and wombat cubes./ Camel poop is desert-dry. / Wet poop comes from birds on high.’ There are kernels of wisdom to be found in Poopendous!, but the main point is entertainment.” —Publishers Weekly

“If Dr. Seuss decided to write about bodily functions, he probably would have come up with something as zany as Poopendous! Do you want your kids to be eager to read? I bet this book will help. Highly recommended!” Rating: —Children’s and Teens’ Book Connection

The Butt Book Summary

Make way for the butt! Tall butts, small butts, flat butts, fat butts. Butts on mummies and butts on mommies. Butts on giraffes and elephants and dogs and . . . FISH? Yes, even fish butts are celebrated in this riotous tribute to backsides, rumps, tushies, keisters, heinies, and derrieres, in all their resplendently ridiculous glory.

Inspired by Dr. Seuss’s body books (The Foot Book, etc.)—and compared favorably with them!—The Butt Book, which won the coveted Reuben Award for Book Illustration, pays homage to an unsung body part that keeps both kids and grown-ups giggling giddily with glee. Bottoms up!

“An astounding tour de force!” —The Brooklyn Paper

“Hilarious!” —Midwest Book Review

“The Butt Book is going to become the most-read thing in your house!” —Tri-State Defender

“Clever rhymes and cute illustrations make this book so much fun to read. Humorous and informative—really a pure delight.” —www.firrkids.com (children’s books’ website)

“If you’re looking for a way to lift your child’s spirits, The Butt Book is the perfect antidote to a foul mood. This book has easily become one of my personal favorites and I suggest it to anyone who enjoys a bit of silly humor now and then.” —Children’s Book Nook

“As I flipped through the pages of The Butt Book, I just couldn’t stop myself from smiling! It absolutely brought out the child in me—and I can just imagine what joy it will bring to children when they have the opportunity to read and experience a book that’s filled with such whimsical, lighthearted language and charming illustrations. Your book is fun for fun’s sake . . . and that’s what reading should always be about.” —Brooklyn Borough President Marty Markowitz

Filed under: Events, Guest Author Tagged: childrens books, featured authors, frederick book festival, new release

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Published on May 14, 2013 17:42

May 6, 2013

Where am I? Cynthia Woolf’s Blog ~ Soul Reborn GIVEAWAY

HI Folks!! I’m over at Cythnia Woolf’s blog today.
If you could live anywhere in the world, where would it be?
Share your dream world and enter to win a copy of Soul Reborn.

http://cynthiawoolf.com/blog/an-interview-with-jean-murray/

Jean

Filed under: Giveaway, Uncategorized Tagged: giveaway, interview, Jean Murray, key to the cursed, paranormal, paranormal romance, soul awakened, soul reborn, wicked romance

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Published on May 06, 2013 17:34

May 1, 2013

New Urban Fantasy Release: Relics by Maer Wilson

BOOK INFO

Most of Thulu and La Fi’s clients are dead. Which is perfect since their detective agency caters to the supernatural. So, a job finding relics for an ancient daemon should be simple.

The daemon needs the relics to keep a dangerous portal closed. His enemy, Gabriel, wants the relics to open the portal and give his people access to a new feeding ground – Earth.

Stunning humanity with their existence, portals to other worlds begin to open and the creatures of magic return to Earth.

When Gabriel threatens their family, Thulu and La Fi’s search becomes personal. The couple will need powerful allies in the race to find the relics before Gabriel does. But maybe that’s what grateful dead, magical allies and daemonic clients are for.

When the creatures of myth and magic return to Earth, they’re nothing like your mother’s fairy tales.

BOOK TRAILER

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Maer Wilson

After a successful career being other people, and later teaching others the many tricks of that trade, Maer Wilson has decided to be herself for a while. Turns out she’s a writer. She’s always loved stories, especially fantasy, mystery and sci fi. Maer was born in the Year of the Dragon and has a dragon-themed room in her home, but sadly no dragons in the back yard. When she’s not writing, Maer plays online video games, teaches college and reads. She also co-hosts the literary podcast, “MythBehaving” and writes for two gaming fansites. She lives in the high desert of Southern Nevada with her two dogs, a chihuahua and a poodle. Relics is her first novel and will be released by Crescent Moon Press on May 1, 2013. You can visit her website at http://maerwilson.com

Website MythBehaving – Podcast Buy Relics Facebook Twitter Goodreads

Relics will be available in the very near future on Kindle and Nook! And Maer has a Super Secret Surprise Giveaway for one winner. It’s something very special and only a limited number are even available. For details on the Giveaway, go to her website! http://maerwilson.com/2013/04/30/relics-on-ebooks/

Filed under: Cover Reveal Tagged: debut novel, maer wilson, new release, relics, thulukan chronicles

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Published on May 01, 2013 04:00

April 29, 2013

Where am I? Over at Highlighted Author…

Hey, folks. Come join me over at Highlighted Author. They are featuring my Key to the Cursed Series ~ Soul Reborn & Soul Awakened – both NOR reviewer’s TOP PICKS!!
http://highlightedauthor.com/2013/04/welcome-jean-murray/

Filed under: Events Tagged: highlighted author, Jean Murray, key to the cursed series, paranormal romance, soul awakened, soul reborn, urban fantasy

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Published on April 29, 2013 04:32

April 22, 2013

Author Open MIC: Welcomes Jody Kessler + Giveaway

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Welcome to AUTHOR OPEN MIC!

There are many benefits of being published by a small press publisher. One of the things I am most grateful for is meeting so many talented and supportive authors. I am always amazed at the camaraderie and friendship that has blossomed from our small authors’ loop. It is always a joy when I get to highlight my fellow CMP authors and today is one of those days.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Jody Kessler

Jody A. Kessler enjoys writing paranormal novels and is a member of Pikes Peak Writers. She is a yoga instructor, Reiki Master, and a graduate from the Colorado Institute of Massage Therapy. When she took an extended leave from her massage practice to stay at home with her newborn she returned to her first true passion —writing. She spends most of her time being a mother, writing, and teaching yoga, but also likes going to concerts, hiking, practicing herbal medicine, and reading anything that catches her interest. Jody lives in the mountains of Colorado with her family.

She welcomes visitors to her website www.jodyakessler.com

Buy a copy on Amazon Barnes and Noble

Or connect with her here: Facebook Goodreads Twitter Pinterest

INTERVIEW

How did you get into writing? Was it something you were born with or did you discover your hidden talent?

Writing is something that I was born with. Although I didn’t realize it until I was in my early thirties. It was after I returned to the craft and started writing novels that everything seemed to click into place. I began to remember how much time I spent writing as a child and into my teens. It is hard to believe that I pretty much stopped writing all through my twenties. Writing is the most natural thing I have ever done and has brought a completely serendipitous feeling to my daily life.

Tell us a little about the genre/s you write. What attracted you to write about them?

I write new adult paranormal, with a little romance thrown in. Honestly, I didn’t even know that I was writing new adult until after my first manuscript was complete. My characters were more mature than the young adult (YA) genre, but they were still young and dealing with the challenges of younger people. Figuring out what they want from life, transitioning from high school to being more independent, and experiencing new relationships on a deeper level. All of this appealed to me and it’s what I like to write about. The paranormal influence happened because I have always had a deep interest in the supernatural, metaphysical, and the paranormal. And the romance is because I am a hopeless romantic and I like a happy ending.

What is the single, most important element in your writing or life as an author?

It is the complete and total freedom of expression. Writing relaxes me, but it also exhilarates me. It is infused in every part of my being.

What is the most difficult hurdle you have encountered (personal or professional)? What advice would you give other authors who face the same challenges?

Finding time to work is the largest hurdle in my writing life. I know this is a challenge for many busy people. We work multiple jobs, have families, or any other number of countless obstacles that keep us from sitting down and creating a great story. I spend most of my time taking care of my family. This is, and always will be my first priority even as I lust for one quiet hour a day to sit down and write. It doesn’t always happen. Somehow over the last few years I have managed to write two manuscripts, edit, submit queries, and finally get published. For me, I have to constantly push myself to stay committed even when I’m tired or have a laundry list of other things to do. My advice to anyone who struggles to find time is to ask yourself, how bad do you want it? I wanted to finish writing a book more than I wanted anything else. If you want something bad enough, you’ll make the time to see it through.

You have built up quite an array of books. If you can pick 2-3 favorites and tell us a little bit about each and why they stand out in your mind.

One: The dictionary. Okay, I know this is probably not what you were thinking would be at the top of my list. I should have known from this fact alone that I was born a writer. I have always owned a dictionary, or three. Even when I was eighteen and living in my first place — renting a room in my older sister’s tiny cabin, my torn up copy of Webster’s came with me. I’ve always enjoyed reading the dictionary just to learn something new. To this day I keep an enormous dictionary on the bookcase in my bedroom, even though I use the internet 99% of the time.

Two: Alice in Wonderland and Through the Looking Glass by Lewis Carroll. I found a collector’s leather bound version on my mother’s bookshelf when I was very young and I promptly pilfered it. I still have it. This is the first book I fell in love with. The creativity, the poetry, and the dark twisted-ness of the story instantly sang to me. It is still a favorite.

Three: Ann Rice’s vampire series. First series of books that I was obsessed with. I probably still am. Just the other night, Interview with a Vampire was on T.V. My husband made some comment about one of the actors in the film and I was instantly telling him a long narrative about the character, where he was from, and how the movie got it wrong. It’s been about twenty years since I read Interview and I still remember. Some books leave an impression, and some stay with you forever. Reading Ann Rice’s novels changed my life.

What are you cooking up next? What can readers expect?

The second book in the An Angel Falls series is already written. It is a wild ride of the paranormal with Angels of Death, demons, spiritual possession, Native American ceremonies, and bitter sweet young love. I am currently working on the third novel.

OPEN MIC FAV 5

1. Favorite hero or heroine I really don’t do hero’s or heroine’s very much, but I do like Eric Draven from The Crow, and I love Jamie Fraser from the Outlander series.

2. Favorite author Currently (and for about the last seven years) Diana Gabaldon, author of the Outlander series.

3. Favorite music to write by Indie Alternative, latest faves are The Twilight Sad, Sigur Ros, The National, and Beach House. I love music, maybe even more than books.

4. Favorite inspiration Nature. I always feel better after spending some time outdoors. When I am centered and grounded the writing comes with ease.

5. Most memorable writing moment There have been many memorable moments for me but receiving the first offer for a contract from a publisher tops the list! How could it not?

Thank you for having me over!

BOOK REVEAL & EXCERPT

BLURB

Saving the life of someone you love should not be the worst thing you have ever done, unless you are an Angel of Death.

Disgruntled with his position in the afterlife and conflicted by his feelings toward his new client, Nathaniel Evans forgoes the rules and saves nineteen year old Juliana Crowson from being hopelessly stuck in Forge Creek. This alters Juliana’s destiny and she finds herself in a series of near death accidents.

In the mountains of Colorado, Nathaniel comforts Juliana as she struggles to understand her paranormal abilities while coping with her brother’s drug addiction. When an ill-tempered Native American Shaman teaches her the difference between ghosts and place memories, she decides she wants nothing to do with the supernatural world. Too bad she doesn’t know that Nathaniel is part of it.

Will fate bring these two together, or has Nathaniel made the biggest mistake of his afterlife?

REVIEWS: WHAT ARE READERS SAYING?

“This story was very well paced. The characters were engaging, showed depth, character growth, and a lot of emotions. The conflict was well written, had some good plot twists, and a good amount of information to fill in any questions you might have about the Native American mythology and beliefs. I really, really enjoyed this first book by Jody A. Kessler. Personally I’d suggest it for anyone that’s a fan of Amy Plum’s Revenant series or Kelley Armstrong’s Darkness Rising series. I’m anxiously awaiting the next book in the series!” Paranormal Reads

“The author has managed to write a story which pulls the reader in very quickly. There are so many different elements within its pages but they all work well together. I couldn’t wait to see how she would pull it off, or if these 2 two were destined to forever be apart. The ending will surprise some, but it is perfect in my opinion. I look forward to seeing what comes next from this author.” F.W. at I heart Books

“Death Lies Between Us is a fascinating paranormal romance that has twists and turns that can’t be predicted. I was on the edge of my seat, flipping pages furiously through most of the book. Jody A. Kessler has created the beginning of a series that keeps you wanting more. The story is tightly woven and flows beautifully from beginning to end. The supporting characters are just as well written as the main characters. There are those you love, those you hate, and some you just can’t quite wrap your head around. This is definitely an author, and a series, to keep your eyes on!” My Book Addiction

Book and purchase information:

Buy a copy on Amazon Barnes and Noble

BOOK EXCERPT

Excerpt DEATH LIES BETWEEN US, by Jody Kessler

“Juliana?” I don’t respond. I can’t face anyone.

“Can I sit with you?”

I hug my knees into my chest with my face buried in my folded arms. I mumble into the pit of my lap. “Are you here to end my misery?”

“Not yet.”

It’s an odd answer but then again so was the question. “Then, please leave.”

“I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have come, but neither can I go.”

I turn my face, taking in the crisp air and digest his unusual answers. There are so many things that have happened tonight that don’t make any sense. Why would one more confusing sentiment make any difference?

Loneliness wraps around me, holding me in a cool embrace. I break its grip by saying, “It goes on the list, you know?” I speak into the dark. No movement or sound gives away his location but I can feel him close by. The low thumping of Blue Nouveau’s drums is the only sound breaking the stillness of the forest.

The caress of his voice brushes my ear. “Which list are you referring to?”

“Our list — things that are inexplicable.”

“Which deficiency of mankind are we adding tonight?”

“Lying to someone you love.” My voice is flat but the tear leaking from my eye gives away my true feelings.

“We can put that one on the top of the list,” he says.

A gentle hand surprises me as it wraps gently around my swollen ankle and finds a comfortable hold. The warmth penetrates through the sore muscles like a mild current of electricity.

~~*~~

To find out more about Jody and her work, please pay her a visit at any one of the following online hot spots:

COPY OF DEATH LIES BETWEEN US

TODAY’s QUESTION
Do you believe in the afterlife?
Your answer will be entered to win an ecopy of Death Lies Between Us.
Plus, click on this Rafflecopter link for more ways to enter contest.
Don’t forget to include your email!

Filed under: Author Open Mic, Giveaway, Guest Author Tagged: author-open-mic, crescent moon press, death lies between us, free book, giveaway, jody kessler, new adult, paranormal romance, wicked romance

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Published on April 22, 2013 04:00

April 19, 2013

Author Open MIC: Welcomes Mimi Sebastian + Demon Ewan

Click to view slideshow.
Welcome to AUTHOR OPEN MIC!

I love that this next author writes about NECROMANCERS. There is just something about the dark masters of magic that stalk the realm between life and death. It really gets your heart racing.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Mimi Sebastian

Noemi Ghirghi writes as Mimi Sebastian and raised herself on books and the strange and unusual with an unhealthy dose of comics and Saturday morning cartoons. Loving angst-filled romance thrown in the mix, she decided to blend all those elements in a steamy mix in her first Urban Fantasy series, the Necromancer Books. The first book, The Necromancer’s Seduction, debuts July 15, 2013, with ImaJinn Books.

Noemi spent two years in the Ivory Coast with the Peace Corps and loves to introduce tid-bits from her experiences in her writing. She’s a member of Romance Writers of America and the Fantasy, Futuristic and Paranormal chapter of RWA. A transplant from the beaches of Florida, Noemi now wanders the desert in Phoenix, AZ, and attempts to balance writing with a day career, fantastic family, and household diva: her Amazon parrot.

BOOK REVEAL

The Necromancer’s Seduction

The Necromancer Series, Book One

Mimi Sebastian

Genre: Urban Fantasy

Publisher: ImaJinn Books

Cover Artist: Patricia Lazarus

BLURB

She has never feared the walking dead. It’s the power required to reanimate the dead that startles her, seduces her. The power that dwells inside her…and is growing.

For Professor Ruby Montagne, being a necromancer has brought her nothing but heartache, and she walked away from that part of her life long ago. However, her quiet existence in San Francisco is shattered when she stumbles upon the body of a slain witch, and the supernatural community insists she transform him into a revenant to track the killer. But his murder was just the beginning, and Ruby soon realizes that the stakes are higher than anyone can imagine—and that revenants have nasty minds of their own.

Now demonic creatures have escaped into the human world, and zombies once again walk the streets. For humanity’s sake, Ruby forms an unlikely alliance with a witch, a zombie, and Ewan March, a demon warrior who sets her senses on fire.

She’s always distrusted demons and Ewan is no exception, but circumstances push them closer together, and Ruby not only finds it harder to resist him, she isn’t sure she even wants to. But she suspects his job of patrolling the portal separating humans and demons conceals a dark and deadly past that may consume them both.

With events spiraling out of control, Ruby unravels a plot that not only threatens the human and demon realms, but puts Ruby’s very soul in jeopardy. Because when the dead walk, no one is safe. Especially Ruby.

CHARACTER INTERVIEW

Our interview today is with Ewan March, a demon from a realm parallel to ours. He lives here now and patrols the portals that connect both realms, making sure demons behave and preventing nasty creatures from crossing over.

What do you think makes a good story?

Good characters with plenty of reason to disagree with each other. (He smiles.) We demons disagree more than we agree, so I guess I can identify with that.

Tell us about your family.

(A shadow crosses his eyes.) My family wanted me to understand the human realm. I think they wanted to get rid of me and used this realm as demon boarding school. My brother and I…(His eyes darkened.) We had a good relationship. My father was very traditional. My brother and I butt heads with him often.

Is your brother in the human realm as well?

He’s dead. (I express my condolences and he shakes his head.) Thank you. That happened a long time ago. Next question.

As a child, what did you want to be when you grew up?

(He gives me a broad, beautiful smile that completely transforms his face from the moment of sadness.) I used to help my mother cook. I loved it. We don’t have restaurants like you have here, but families serve food from their homes, and some are known for their particular type of cuisine they offer. I wanted to have “family restaurant.” But my family or, clan, if you will, were warriors, and that was my destiny. I enjoy being a warrior, but sometimes I shop for exotic ingredients and cook. Maybe I should cook for, Ruby. You think that would get me in her good graces?

What was the scariest moment of your life?

Probably the first time I met Ruby, the necromancer. Christ, she was so beautiful, but I knew she had issues with demons. (He laughs.) I guess I can’t resist a challenge, even if it scares me.

What books have most influenced your life?

A book written by a man, now considered a heretic among our people. His books are rare. I hid mine in the human realm. He wrote about changing the hierarchical structure of our society. (He pauses.) I guess you could say that it inspired and destroyed my life at the same time.

What songs are most played on your Ipod?

I’m kind of going through a retro phase right now, listening to lots of Soundgarden, Creedence Clearwater Revival, and I just discovered Ray LaMontagne and Timber Timbre. Great stuff.

If you could apologize to someone in your past, who would it be?

My brother.

Do you have any special routines or rituals?

I have a Japanese katana given to me by a Samurai warrior in the Nineteenth Century. He taught me how to wield it, and how to do katas, the choreographed movements you see martial artists practice. In the mornings, I like to do my katas with the sword. This ritual, well, it keeps me going sometimes.

So when do readers get to meet you and Ruby?

The Necromancer’s Seduction comes out July 15, 2013 with ImaJinn Books. Join Mimi’s release notification mailing list by e-mailing her at mimi@mimisebastian.com

BOOK TRAILER

To find out more about MIMI and her work, please pay her a visit at any one of the following online hot spots:

~~*~~

Filed under: Author Open Mic, Giveaway, Guest Author Tagged: author-open-mic, imajinn books, mimi sebastian, necromancer series, new release, the necromancer's seduction, urban fantasy, wicked romance

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Published on April 19, 2013 04:00

April 15, 2013

Author Open MIC: Welcomes Sam Cheever + Giveaway

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Welcome to AUTHOR OPEN MIC!

It has been an exciting few weeks worth of giveaways from some fantastic authors. Thank you all who have been participating. I’m working on May’s line up as we speak. I hope to keep the variety coming. Today, we have another special guest, Sam Cheever. She is the author of over 40 books. Yes, folks I said 40 books! Stick around and find out how she does it and read an excerpt from her most recent book, Hexually Obsessed for readers with HEX-appeal!!!

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

My published work includes 40+ books of romantic suspense and fantasy/paranormal. My books have won the Dream Realm Award for fantasy, have been nominated and/or won several CAPAs, were nominated for “Best of” with LRC and The Romance Reviews, and have won eCataromance’s Reviewer’s Choice award. I am published with Ellora’s Cave, both Romantica and Blush; Changeling Press; Musa Publishing; and Red Rose Publishing. I also publish as Declan Sands, writing m/m fiction, and under my own imprint, Electric Prose Publications.

In my real life, I live on a hobby farm in Indiana with 11 dogs, 2 horses, and one husband. Not necessarily in that order. Yeah…11 dogs…what can I say, I’m a dog-aholic!

INTERVIEW

In Hexually Obsessed’s blurb, it mentions that Ardith and Draigh really hate each other. What fuels this rivalry in the beginning?

Their hostilities are based upon a long-time rivalry between the Sorceri Bounty Hunters and the Epoch Mages. It can pretty much be summed up in this exchange between Draigh and Ardith in a recent interview:

What exactly is the problem between you two…I mean…erm…your two organizations?

Ardith: It’s simple. Epoch Mages believe everyone has a right to have their side of the story heard. The Sorceri believe everybody has a right to do things the Sorceri way, or die.

Draigh: (Shrugs) I actually agree with the witch on that one. Except I’d add that the Epochs are incredibly naïve and hopelessly inefficient.

How about the two of you? I’m sensing real tension between you. Can you tell me why you dislike each other so much?

Ardith: How much time do you have? The man’s a beast. He’s massive and bulging and overbearing…

Draigh: She dresses like a whore and she’s bossy…

Ardith: As you can see, he’s uppity and judgmental…

Draigh: She thinks she knows everything…

Ardith: He doesn’t listen…

Draigh: She charges blindly into situations with no care at all for her own safety…

Ardith: He hogs the shower…

Tell us a little about the world in your book? What “rules” of magic do your characters or world follow?

The Mages travel back and forth through time to manage altercations between magic users with the hopes of avoiding another Salem Witch Trials sort of event. The Sorceri are like magical police. They hunt down and extinguish rogue magic users. In addition to being able to travel through time portals, Ardith can use witch fire and scry on mercury and glass. She has a powerful canine familiar named Sirius who resides in the stars until she calls on him for help. Sirius has healing powers in addition to his ability to fight monsters and travel through the stars.

Draigh mostly uses brute strength to fight but he also has location magic—his “guide”—to help him find the people he’s tracking. His weapon of choice is a long knife.

What of these elders? How do they influence your characters’ world?

The two organizations don’t usually work together, but in this story they need to join forces to stop a rogue witch from creating an army of advanced zombies that will overrun the human population and start a war between humans and magic users. The elders from both organizations force Draigh and Ardith to work together to fix the problem. The elders also put considerable pressure on the pair when they have some capturing the rogue and hold the fate of their relationship in their hands.

The evil rogue witch – what has she done and what will be her punishment, if Ardith and Draigh catch her?

She’s using death magic to create an army of zombies and plans to use it against the human population so she can gain control over them. What will be done with her once they capture her is a bone of contention between our h/h. #:0) Ardith would imprison and interrogate her and Draigh, left to his own devices, would just execute her.

There is always a back story to be had that we can’t quite fit in a short blurb. I have revens (flesh-eating undead ), but tell us about the zombies in your book. How are they created – curse, spell or other. How can they be killed?

The rogue is using powerful death magic to create them. She’s created thousands of traditional zombies with basic spells, but she’s got a terrifying secret up her sleeve that our heroes don’t uncover until it’s almost too late. The zombies can be killed in the usual way, by destroying or removing their heads.

You have over 40 published books. Can I just say, WOW! How do you do it?

#:0) I’m a tortoise. Slow and steady. Some writers sit down and write 10k a day…I write 2k to 3k a day but I rarely miss a day so it adds up. I’m usually working on two stories at a time. There are just so many stories that I want to write. My writing plan for 2013 started out with 11 novels/novellas. I think it’s currently up to around 14. Sigh…

What are you cooking up next? What can readers expect?

I’m currently working on two very different books.

The Demon’s Mate is Book 1 of a brand new erotic paranormal series that will come out through Changeling Press. The first book will release in June:

What if real love began in the pages of a paranormal novel? And what if that love leapt off those pages, and into an avid reader’s arms?

Terra fell in love with Jacobin when he was the hero in a sexy paranormal novel, but when he showed up at her door she thought she was losing her mind. Imagine how she felt to learn her fate had been scribed onto magic pages and could just as easily be erased. Would she be willing to give up everything, just to hold onto a love she never dreamed she’d have?

The second book I’m currently working on is entitled Threads of Yesterday. It’s Book 2 of my Yesterday’s Mysteries series. This is a cozy paranormal mystery and it will release in late April:

A deadly secret is tangled up in Yesterday’s Threads, and Anna is racing the clock to get it unraveled.

In 1859, Elisabeth Margaret Nelson travelled to Crocker, Indiana to meet her new husband and start a new life. Her family never saw her again. The story of her death and a heartbroken husband who grieves his entire life is a sad tale for sure. But is it true?

When Anna Yesterday receives some vintage dresses from the local museum, she’s excited about highlighting them at Crocker’s annual Apple Blossom Festival. But someone wants the dresses back, and they’ll apparently stop at nothing to get them—leaving a trail of murder and destruction in their wake.

As Anna and Pratt work to uncover the deadly intrigue behind the vintage dresses, interference of another kind is working its way to the surface. All too soon, Anna and Pratt find themselves neck-deep in trouble from more than one dimension—and wondering which will get them first!

Where can readers find you and your books?

I’m generally all over the Web, doing guest posts and participating in Reader Contest Events. You can keep track of my appearances by Liking my Facebook Author Page, which is linked below, along with my other online homes:

BOOK REVEAL & EXCERPT

BLURB

If lust were flames, there’d be scorch marks across the ages!

Ardith is a time traveling witch, a member of the Epoch Mages. Draigh is a Sorceri Bounty Hunter. They H-A-T-E each other. When they’re thrown together by the elders to chase an evil rogue witch through time and save the world from flesh-eating zombies, they quickly discover that, while their minds may tell them they don’t like being together, their bodies don’t quite agree. In fact, if lust were flames, there would be a lot of scorch marks across the ages!

REVIEWS: WHAT ARE READERS SAYING?

~ 5 Stars from Sniffer Walk “I don’t hand out a ton of 5 Star ratings for books. Like my Ratings Guide says, they have to be practically life changing. But if I read a book and I just cannot seem to forget it, it has to be a 5.”

~ 4 Pack Howl/Hot! “I couldn’t put it down. It had some humor in it and a wonderful, creative storyline and plot. There is ALOT of action in this book and it is very fast paced.” ~ Cerridwen, Bitten By Paranormal Romance

~ 5 Stars from My Cozie Corner Book Reviews “A hard to put down novel that will captivate you from the beginning.”

Book and purchase information:

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BOOK EXCERPT

Excerpt Hexually Obsessed, by Sam Cheevers

The council had situated the portal for a protected escape in the case of another anti-witch uprising. It was in the dungeons, separated from the upper floors by several barred wooden doors to keep even the most rabid pursuers at bay long enough for the mages to make it through. In addition, the doors were covered by enchantments tied to the almost non-existent electrical signatures given off by non-magical beings.

Ardith hated the subterranean portal, which was the reason she’d returned via the one in the village earlier that day. She’d been abandoned to die in a deep hole in the earth as a child, by a non-magic stepmother who was terrified of the things she could do with her magics and thought she was a monster. With years and perspective, Ardith now understood who the real monster had been in that scenario and she’d learned to overlook the hatred her differences engendered in some.

Blackthorne had pulled her out of that hole a dozen years earlier, saving her life. Though he’d never explained how he’d found her. He’d only say that the council kept tabs on its own, and that they’d known she was theirs from the moment of her birth.

The scars caused by the terror of being buried alive had never lessened. Ardith was finding it harder to breathe with every step toward the dark, dank caverns below the building.

Sirius licked her hand, whimpering. She forced her fingers to unclench long enough to scratch him reassuringly above the glistening crystal collar she used to keep track of him.

The sorceri clomped down the stairs behind her, seemingly unaware of her plight.

Not that he’d care.

By the time she descended from the last slimy, concrete step, a fine sheen of sweat coated her body and tremors shook her hands. Her breath wheezed in and out of her lungs.

Sirius nibbled her fingers in warning. “I’m okay, boy.”

“What is it, woman? The stench of your fear has been choking me for the last five minutes.”

She glanced over her shoulder, working hard to still the tremors rolling through her body. “It’s nothing. I’m not fond of underground spaces. I’ll be fine.”

He stared at her for a moment and then inclined his head. She was shocked he didn’t offer some cutting remark about her weakness.

“It’s not that much farther now.”

She started off again, her footsteps dragging forward with dread. Sweat ran in rivulets down her brow and between her shoulder blades. The walls seemed to pulse inward, threatening to clasp her in a slimy embrace. Shudders racked her terror-chilled body.

Without warning, the floor tilted, whirled and rushed toward her.

A hard pair of arms scooped her up before she crashed into the slime-covered stones.

“Good lord above, woman. You nearly broke your rock-encased head on the floor.”

Ardith’s vision darkened and churned with shapes. Despite the muzziness that tried to claim her, she was vaguely aware of the hunter’s delectable scent surrounding her, as well as the enticing heat of his big body. She had an overwhelming need to burrow into that heat. It promised to chase away the shuddering cold infusing her body. Despite this need however, Ardith shoved against his chest. “Put me down.”

“So you can kiss the rocks beneath my feet. I think not. Lie still. I can get us out of here more quickly if you’ll stop fighting me.”

Ardith went limp. She told herself it was because of his promise to get her out of the hellish dungeons. Deep down she knew his heat and delicious hardness were just too pleasant to escape.

Not when the alternative was the bowels of hell.

She stared straight ahead. Her hands clenched his shirt so tightly her fingers ached. Cool air washed over her skin and she realized he was running. The rhythmic clicking of Sirius’ nails alongside soothed her and she closed her eyes so she couldn’t see the walls rushing by. He covered the remaining distance to the portal effortlessly, as if her weight were no more than a feather resting on his hands.

Moments later she heard the whoosh of air that told her they’d entered the portal and the world thickened, spinning flecks of minute matter across her skin as they defied time and space.

Suddenly they stood in the bright sunshine. Flowers scented the air.

Ardith took a deep breath, cleansing her lungs of the moldy, subterranean air, and opened her eyes. She looked into his cool, silver-blue gaze and gasped.

For just a beat of her heart, she’d caught him looking down at her with something less than pure hatred.

It must have surprised him as much as it surprised her, for he all but dropped her to her feet.

They frowned at each other for a moment and then Ardith turned away, striding across the meadows surrounding Devil’s Glen, the largest habitation of humankind in the continent once known as America. “Come along, dog. You too, Sirius.”

A massive hand dropped onto her shoulder and yanked her around, dragging her up against a massive, granite-like chest. Ardith gasped in surprise. She hadn’t heard him move, hadn’t sensed him. Despite his size, he’d moved like a wraith—silent, quick and deadly.

Silver-blue intensity seared through her. “Don’t. Ever. Call me that again. Clear?”

Ardith glared back at him, swallowed harder than she would have liked, and her mouth opened to snap something back.

A massive finger pressed against her lips. “Do not speak. You and I both know only poison comes from between those lips. I’m trying very hard not to kill you at this moment.”

Their gazes held, collided. Ardith swore she could smell smoke from the explosive clash of their wills. She refused to look away. Refused to back down. He was her inferior and she would be damned if she’d let him intimidate her as he did his fugitives.

The air thickened with leaking magic. His heat and scent infused his energy, making her traitorous body tighten with need. His finger remained pressed against her lips.

Sirius whimpered.

Finally Ardith opened her mouth and sucked the thick finger inside, pulling it deep. His icy glare widened in shock. A beat later she pulled away. “Not everything that comes out of my mouth is poison, hunter.” Turning away, she stalked toward the squat environs ahead. Smiling.

Ardith one, hunter zero.

~~*~~

To find out more about Sam and her work, please pay her a visit at any one of the following online hot spots:

COPY OF HEXUALLY OBSESSED

TODAY’s QUESTION
Tell me in a comment what you think makes a post-apocalyptic world/romance interesting and I’ll add you to a drawing to win a copy of Hexually Obsessed. Don’t forget to include your email!

Filed under: Author Open Mic, Giveaway, Guest Author Tagged: author-open-mic, free book, giveaway, Hexually Obsessed, sam cheevers, wicked romance