Lisa Bilbrey's Blog, page 71

COVER REVEAL: Maybe by Amber L. Johnson

 
PRESENTS. . .A Cover Revealfor Maybe by Amber L. Johnson
Release Date: February 12 , 2015Published by The Writers Coffee Shop Emily Portman loves her job. A writer for Breakout! Magazine, she shadows and showcases up-and-coming bands. When her next assignment takes her to Austin, Texas, she can’t wait to add the city to her map of places she’s visited. Places she’s left without looking back. Her plan is to keep moving on, and the last thing she needs is a man holding her back. She’s not going down that road again. Tyler Macy is stuck in a rut. Despite his exceptional talent as a musician, he has chosen to take a backseat with his music and let others grab the limelight. Wounded and mistrustful, he doesn’t appreciate his friends’ efforts to bring him back to center stage. Emily comes onto the scene and sees his full potential, but he fights to stay in the shadows, shutting her out before she can add to the scars another woman gave him. For Tyler to find his music again, he needs to accept the help that Emily and their friends offer. When he discovers that his muse lies underneath Emily’s skin, it is still not enough to keep her from walking away. Neither will admit what they really want until it is too late. Emily is once again thrown in Tyler’s path when she is assigned to join them on tour. Despite the pain in his past, Tyler sees that she is worth it, even if she’s stolen both his heart and peace of mind. In order for them to be together, they both must discover whether the music and their passion are enough to overcome the obstacles that separate them. Maybe finding love is worth the risk.
Goodreads * Add to Want To Read List   Amber Johnson has authored several romance novels that focus on music and the way it can touch people’s hearts. She believes that Happily Ever Afters occur every day—despite the obstacles that real life serves up on a regular basis. Always with two rubber bands on her wrist and a song in her head, Amber is a rebel who puts too much creamer in her coffee, which she drinks out of a cup that reads ‘Cocoa.’ A full-time wife and mother with a day job, she writes whenever she can. If she’s not at her desk, with her boys, or behind the computer, she’s supporting live music with her arms raised above her head and eyes closed, waiting for the drop.  
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Sneak Peek Sunday: Forbidden Awakenings

Forbidden Awakenings Book One in the Awakenings Series 
By Lisa Bilbrey


  Summary:
Elle Reid and Sadie Williams are best friends, turned lovers. Always considering themselves to be friends with benefits, they opt to let loose and celebrate after landing a high-profile project with the best architecture firm in San Francisco.

Callum Davis and Derek Flores have been the best friends since they met freshman year. While they've admitted their attraction to each other, neither have the courage to act on their feelings, both fearful of losing their friendship. At least, not until they meet Elle and Sadie at Club Venom.

Elle, Sadie, Callum, and Derek embark on a life-changing journey that defies what society tells them is normal. But when you find yourselves in love with multiple partners, how do you choose? And what will happen when their families find out about their unconventional relationship? Is their forbidden awakening worth unraveling the secrets they've been keeping?


 Excerpt:

“It’s okay to be scared. Hell so am I.”“You are?” she asked, and Sadie nodded. “What are you afraid of?”Sadie brought her hand up to Elle’s cheek. “Of losing you again.”“You never lost me in the first place,” she whispered, leaning in and pressing her lips against Sadie’s.“Jesus Christ, we can never leave them alone.” At the sound of Derek’s husky voice, they pulled apart, smiling as they turned to the men standing in the entry way of the living room. “Seriously. If you wait until we leave the room to start kissing, we’ll never get to watch.”“Is watching all you want to do?” Sadie asked, standing up and walking over to him. She placed her hand on his chest, let it slide down to the front of his pants, and gripped his noticeable bulge. “Seems like you want to do more than just watch.”“Oh, baby, you have no idea what I want to do to you,” he groaned, just before he kissed her. “Oy, not yet!” Callum laughed, pulling them apart. “Food first, sex second.”“Assuming there is sex later.” Elle smirked as she stood up. The wounded expressions on Derek and Callum’s faces had her chortling. “Wow, you two are so cute when you’re bubble has been busted.”“I didn’t mean to just assume that we’d be having sex,” Callum said, sounding flustered. Elle walked over to him, placed her hand on his chest, and leaned up on her toes so that her lips were just outside of his ear. “Never said there wouldn’t be any, either,” Elle cooed, causing him take a deep breath. “But I’m starving. So no food, no sex.”“Then we’d better eat,” he moaned, almost dragging her into the dining room with Derek and Sadie following.


Obsessive, compulsive, slightly crazed, but enough about her personality. First and foremost, Lisa Bilbrey is a mom to three and a wife to one. She loves to write, and spends the majority of everyday writing. It's who she is, and what she's meant to be doing. Words are her life, the air she breathes, and the nutrients of her soul. Finding a love in the written word, Lisa Bilbrey started writing as a way to express herself and let her voice be heard. From the first word she wrote, she'd found her heart and soul.
Always willing to learn, she's spends much of her time trying to improve as a storyteller.






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Author Interview: Lindsey Forrest

Author Interview:



As a new author, you’ve had to learn a lot. What’s been the hardest part for you and how have you overcome it?
The hardest part has been to get up the courage to go public with my writing. Working on my story for myself really took no courage at all, because I thought that only I and maybe a few close friends would ever read it. Putting your writing – your very self – out for public judgment took a lot of prodding from my husband and the determination that I needed to do this. I announced it early to my family and friends so that I would not chicken out.I don’t know that I really have overcome my fear, but too late now! It’s out there! So my next challenge is to buckle down, get the second book (already written) ready to go, and finish the third one (halfway there).The mechanics of publication were easy to learn. I did have to think like a businesswoman – setting up the publishing company, setting up an account with the Copyright Office, acquiring ISBNs, making contact with e-book formatters and book cover designers. I am lucky enough, because of where I work, to have a bevy of editors and print designers to work with.
Where’d you get the inspiration to write your book?
I’m interested in the secrets that lie within families. You may think you know a family member inside and out, but do you really know that person, or do you see him/her only in the role played within the family confines? Family secrets are the heart of the Ashmore’s Folly trilogy, as almost every character conceals his or her true self. I also wanted to explore the relationship between sisters. A sister can be your best friend or your most implacable rival – or she can be both, depending on your situation in life. In the trilogy, sisters see once close relationships fall apart, while two sisters who once had little in common form a lasting bond.
Writing is often hard for families to handle. What type of support system do you have?
My husband is very supportive; in fact, when family crises threatened to overwhelm us during this last year, he was the one who kept saying, “No, you have to do this. I insist you do this.” He has kept me from throwing in the towel. My daughter has also been encouraging, and my sister has helped me a lot with her enthusiasm. We do have a toddler at home – a very loud toddler, who thinks the universe revolves around him – and it’s a struggle to concentrate when he is in noisemaker mode. He has NO respect for the needs of a writer, but then why should he? He’s a baby. Thank heavens for headphones!
Who is your favorite character from your book?
I think picking a favorite character is like picking your favorite child (although that’s easy in my case, as I only have one). My favorite character to write is Diana Ashmore. She’s the quintessential unreliable narrator (the first thing she tells us is that she’s a liar), but she has a very strong voice and no filters. She is snarky, funny, opinionated, and passionately in hate with the hero. No one cuts Richard Ashmore down to size better than his estranged wife.
Who’s your favorite author? What’s your favorite book?
I have two. First is Ruth Rendell, under that name and as Barbara Vine. From her, I have learned a lot about writing about a past that haunts the present and blights the future. One of the best books I have ever read was Anna’s Book (called Asta’s Book in some countries), and The Brimstone Wedding and The Blood Doctor are right up there. Hands down, however, the most chilling book she ever wrote was A Judgment in Stone, where you know who done it and why from the first paragraph. My other favorite, who died recently, is Mary Stewart. A whole generation of romance and women’s fiction novelists owe her a debt of gratitude. She wrote strong, independent heroines before they came into fashion, and no one wrote description and setting better than Lady Stewart. My favorite Stewart book, and the one that inspired the creation of Richard Ashmore, is Madam, Will You Talk? It was her first – probably not her best – but it had so many Stewart trademarks: the lovers existing in their own world, the strong heroine, the vivid background. To this day, 60 years after it was published, you can use Google Earth to view many of the locations she used, including the cliff spur at Les Baux (Provence) where Charity Selborne has a terrifying encounter with her destiny.
If you could meet anyone, who would it be and why?
I had to really think about this, but I think it’s a toss-up between J.K. Rowling and Stephen King. Not because they are famous writers, but because they are passionate about their writing. I’d like to pick Jo Rowling’s brain for her world-building technique; I’ve read that she did so much preliminary planning before she began to write the first Potter book that she has back stories for all the characters and reams of material that never made it into the books. I have back stories and hidden moments for all my characters too – I think it’s a useful exercise to develop that kind of material, because it makes the characters richer.King, I would like to talk to, just to understand his creative process. He loves words; he plays with them, twists them, wrings the most out of each one. He shared a lot of his thoughts on writing on his book (appropriately titled On Writing), but what I would like to know is – what toll does writing take on him? I know I occasionally have to step away from mine because I get too emotionally involved (as in, the emotion in the story can affect my daily life).
Who’s your least favorite character from your book?
My least favorite character to write is Julie Ashmore, the daughter of hero Richard Ashmore. A damaged child who does a lot of playacting, she is by far the most difficult character to write. In real life, the character I would least like to meet for tea is Emma St. Bride, a snotty, self-important woman driven by jealousy. 
What’s your next project?
A close relative is involved in the art museum world, so I’ve long been intrigued by the contrast of the public face of a museum (dignified, quiet, cultured) and the private reality (lots of jealousy, backstabbing, and crime). I’m also fascinated by the Gardner robbery which remains unsolved to this day. So my next project is a trilogy set in the Pacific Northwest in a private art museum, revolving around an unsolved robbery and a mysterious death of a former art museum director.
How long have you been writing?
I started writing as a child, spinning stories about TV characters for my classmates. I even illustrated them with the Betsy McCall Fashion Designer Kit, which came with a lightbox you could use for tracing paper dolls. (I think one was made for Barbie as well.) I kept on writing for many years, and I have a trunkful of terrible novels that will never see the light of day. I actually started the Ashmore’s Folly trilogy over 20 years ago, but motherhood and a highly demanding career got in the way of my concentration. I do envy those women who can write under any circumstances, because I cannot.One challenge has been to shift writing gears. At work, I write about income tax – the most boring subject on earth. Then I come home and get to work writing about my characters and their emotions. I have to be careful that one writing style doesn’t bleed into the other.
Coffee or Tea?
Tea! Green tea, to be specific. I have a hard time even tolerating the smell of coffee. I suffer from weather-induced migraines, and nothing helps me recover like a cup of green tea brewed on my Keurig.
Do you write with music, and if so, what’s on your playlist?
I always write to music. Spotify and Amazon Music Player are my best friends since I can create a playlist and have access to it both at work and at home. To me, the most important attraction of a piece of music is the emotion it invokes in me. A lot of my writing is very emotional, so I listen to a lot of Sarah Brightman, Moody Blues, Evanescence, and Muse. For the last Diana chapter in the book, I put “Layla” on repeat and listened to it for hours because it invoked a lot of tension and anger that I wanted in the confrontation that ends the Ashmore marriage once and for all. I haven’t wanted to hear it since I finished!
Are you a pantsier or a planner?
Half and half. On some chapters, I write detailed outlines, down to specific pieces of dialog. Other chapters, I wing it. I always know where I am going, though. For example, even though Book 3 in the trilogy is not finished, I wrote the last chapter years ago.Strangely, in “real life,” I am a planner. I think most people would be surprised how much I do wing it in my writing.


All Who Are Lostby Lindsey Forrest
Series: Ashmore's Folly Trilogy: Book OneCover Design: Robin Ludwig of Robin Ludwig Design, Inc
Genre: Contemporary Women's Fiction (Romance) 
Expected Release Date: October 21, 2014

Summary: One man.
Too many betrayals.
Three women.
One last chance.On a cold winter day, a woman calls a number halfway across the world.A man answers.After fourteen years, Laura St. Bride hears the voice she has never forgotten, the voice she will remember with her last breath…What do you do
when the love of your life
is the last person you should love?A great family estate in Virginia.Three sisters growing up in the shadow of their father’s obsessive drive to recapture his lost muse, the woman he threw into the cold Irish sea.The scion of an old family, falling in love with the wrong sister, blind to the ice at her core.A woman haunted by a moment of blood and violence, when she reached out and took a man who didn’t belong to her.A man living a life of regret and sacrifice, given a second chance to claim the woman he should have loved all along.Excerpt:Chapter 18 – Falling Off the Edge
He came back. As she toweled off, she heard his car. As she rummaged in the closet for something to wear, the front door opened. As she covered up the last ravages of the night, she heard him moving around the kitchen downstairs.She selected a pretty floral sundress from her wardrobe, all white roses and violets on a shimmery green background, and laid it carefully on the bed. Downstairs, she heard him talking. Max, that traitor, must have run downstairs to hang out for a while with another male. She wondered how long she could linger in the room, but nothing, after all, could keep him from coming upstairs to find her there hiding from him.And she was hiding. I don’t know how to face him. I don’t know how to act the morning after. I don’t know what he wants or expects.…I don’t even know what I want.Oh, but she did know. She wanted to turn back time and tide, to make the great sea of their adult lives still uncharted before them. Passion and blood, rage and adultery and the most terrible of betrayals, all still ahead, and this time the iceberg seen in time to prevent the tragedy….She wanted to wipe the slate clean, and her hands with it.You will not find absolution in this room.She stiffened then, and marched back to her dressing table. Her eyes looked better now, not so stretched-out. She said aloud, “All right now,” straightened her shoulders, and walked downstairs to meet her lover.eHe’d gone out to get breakfast. A box of bagels lay open on the island counter, and he’d left a cup of fast-food orange juice for her beside a container of cream cheese. But the room, and the house, had an empty stillness. Not even the ghosts of last evening lingered.Through the picture window, she saw an unexpected movement of a blue sleeve out near the pool.For a second, she felt disconnected from all her knowledge of him, as if time had indeed run backwards on her. He appeared as a stranger. He had a book open on the table, and the sun glinted softly off his dark hair as he lost himself in his reading. One hand absently crumbled a bagel. He seemed alone, self-contained, as if he had nothing to do with a common past, a shared afternoon of blood and lust, a past night of anguish and discovery.This was probably how he appeared to the rest of the world.Then he turned a page, and that gesture summoned up a small memory, tucked away all these years.It might have been long ago, a Saturday morning when she joined him for fishing or flying models, and they ate a light breakfast first to satisfy Peggy. So many times she had come across him like this, reading, lost in his own world, relaxed and peaceful. So many times he had looked up with an offhand smile and a “Good morning, Laurie.” Casual and careless always, dispensing the minimal attention due a bit player in his life.But it wasn’t all those years ago, and he wasn’t her secret crush anymore, and he wasn’t a boy with all his life and loves before him. And she was no longer a girl content to settle for a careless smile and the honor of cleaning his catches or watching him crash a model into the lake.The world had changed.Hands shaking, she fixed a bagel and brewed a cup of tea. He lifted his head when she opened the back door, and his eyes met hers as she came down the terrace stairs and across the flagstones to the table.He rose immediately, silently, his book forgotten. In the morning light, she saw further evidence that he was no longer a boy. She saw the remnants of their broken sleep around his eyes, she saw his eyes flare with an awareness she didn’t dare consider, and…And the world shifted again. He stood there before her, no longer Diana’s boy knight or Francie’s young demon lover. In the darkness, this man had met her equal to equal on the vast plain of desire.His voice, low, husky, “Good morning, Laurie.” And he took the bagel and tea from her, placed them on the table, and turned back to enclose her in his arms.I have wanted you across these years, I have waited to step into your arms. Now you’re here, and you’re mine, and what do I feel? What do I say?His hand rested warmly against the small of her back, stroking her. That lovely, reassuring gesture melted her body into his. She lifted her face to kiss him, and with that he too relaxed. Perhaps he had wondered too about this first meeting, perhaps for him also the world had shifted on its axis. She tasted coffee on his mouth; she felt the warmth of his body along hers, and a sudden glorious certainty glowed luminous in her blood.“Good morning to you too,” she murmured against his shirt.He smiled down at her. “I thought I was going to have to drag you out of bed. Did you get enough sleep?”“No,” she admitted, and then it was all right. He guided her to the table with his hand still warm against her back, and she knew in relief that he didn’t know, the nightmare ending hadn’t happened after all. “But I got more than you did. Richard – you look so tired.”He caught her gaze and held it as he sat down opposite her, an aware, knowing look that told her he well remembered the feeling of her body against his. “I’ll pay for it later,” he said, “but it was worth it, by God, it was worth it indeed.”She felt the blush creeping up into her face at the frank look in his eyes, and she wanted to drop her gaze. But no, that was the reaction of a girl, and she had been a woman now in this man’s arms. She had told this man that she loved him, she had confessed her heart to him, she had welcomed him into her body. And in the light of day, face to face with him, she was not sorry.She sipped her tea steadily. “Maybe you should grab a nap later today.”“Or an early night,” he returned, equally steadily. Oh, what a wonderful idea… an early night together, and forget her failure of the night before. She’d make it up to him tonight. “Actually, I wanted to talk to you about that. We need to talk, Laurie.”We need to talk… No, no, no….Dear God, was he going to tell her it had all been a horrible mistake, he’d changed his mind, had second thoughts... Let her down easy, because she was still the friend of his youth? But he was still looking at her gently, openly. It was worth it, indeed. He had meant that. He had kissed her this morning in welcome, and not as a friend.She was not going to panic.She made herself keep looking at him. “I’m here, Richard.”Now it was his turn for silence. She watched as he bought himself time and space by pushing his book away, tasting his coffee, brushing aside bagel crumbs. What was he composing in his mind as he settled forward, shifting ever so slightly to get the sun out of his eyes?“There was —” he began, and paused. “When I came back here last night, I didn’t intend,” he gestured, “what happened. That wasn’t my intention at all. I shouldn’t have left you, Laurie. No matter what had happened between us, I shouldn’t have left you alone, not after what you went through yesterday. I realized that once I got home. I just left you here, part of the debris of – this whole damnable mess, and I couldn’t let you face that by yourself.”He stopped and waited for her. She had to say something. And the honesty in him demanded the same of her. “I thought,” she moistened her lips, “I thought – when you left – I thought it was the end.”“And it nearly was,” he said. “I realized that, if I didn’t come back, we were finished. We’d never be able to survive the way we left things.”She saw the truth of that. She’d laid too heavy a burden on him, she saw now, with that desperate confession. She had made it impossible for them ever to meet again, except…Her heart was beating fast now. She took all her courage in hand. “Richard —”He looked at her, and waited.She gestured blindly, and to her horror she felt the burning of tears in her eyes. “But you came back. And you – you said that there was no going back. That sex changes things.” Oh, God, she was not going to cry! She was going to face this squarely. After everything else she’d endured, she would face this. She said desperately, “Has everything changed?”Silence. She blinked away the sting in her eyes and stared hard at him, across the table, across the whole of their lives, and waited for the answer she could not read in his eyes.He said quietly, “That’s up to you.”She drew a painful breath.Richard’s hands closed around hers, and she surrendered to the warm, firm touch of his fingers on hers. “I was wrong last night,” he said, “wrong for more years than I want to think. You were right, I never saw you. But I do know I’m doing the right thing, Laura, when I tell you that you can decide that last night changed nothing. If you want to write off last night as an experiment —”“No —”“We can, you know.” He overrode her words, ignoring the way her fingernails were digging into his hands. “We can decide that last night we laid some old ghosts, satisfied some old curiosity. We grew up together, and it’s only natural that, after all these years apart, our friendship has turned into attraction. But we can take care of that. We can sit here rationally and decide that last night changed nothing, and we put it aside and go on from there. And, I promise you, we can make that work.”Her heart sank.“Or,” he continued, “we can decide that there’s no going back, last night changed everything. We can go forward, see what we have to give to each other. Laura,” and his voice made her look at him, “it is up to you.”She wanted to look away, but couldn’t. She whispered, “What do you want to do?”“What I want,” Richard said, “is to do what you want.”“I don’t —” and now she had to look away. She couldn’t stand to keep looking at his unflinching gaze. “I don’t want last night to have been – some kind of casual sex – it wasn’t, was it?”“No,” said Richard above her bowed head. “I’ve never had casual sex in my life. I’ve never made love with a woman I didn’t care about, and last night was no exception. Laura. Look up at me, Laura. It wasn’t casual.”She regained her voice. She had to say it; she couldn’t let it languish unspoken between them. “Last night – last night I told you I loved you.”The gift so long unclaimed… and did he claim it now? Or ever?He took a deep breath, and his eyes turned grave and distant. “I know,” he said, “and of all the gifts you’ve given me, that one I deserve the least. I’ve abused your feelings for me for longer than I want to remember. But, after all that, you still love me. And – and of course you want it returned, don’t you? I wish I could say it, Laurie. But I can’t. I just don’t have it in me anymore.”The morning stood still. She didn’t breathe.“I was in love once,” he said, “you know that. I’ve been in love with one woman in my life, and what a disaster that’s been. I don’t trust being in love. I don’t trust feeling that the world is well lost for love, because I nearly lost the world for it, and it wasn’t worth it. Still —”He lifted a hand and touched her hair. She lifted her free hand and held it to his, and she felt the lifeblood in his wrist against her face.“It felt very right waking up beside you this morning.” And now the distance had dropped away from his eyes. “The world has seemed very right for the last couple of weeks, ever since you came home. Dear God, Laurie, I never realized how much I missed you, what a hole you left in my life. Maybe I’ll never be in love with you, maybe I’ll never be able to give you all that you want and deserve, but I do love you, you’re part of me and part of my life, the best part too. When I think back to the best moments of my life, you were always a part of those, you’re as interwoven into my life as the air and the sun here in Virginia, and that’s worth a lot to me, and we can build from there – if you want to.”So it was up to her, as he had said. She thought, a wisp of a thought to tuck away and take out later to ponder, that he had laid his heart in her hands, no matter that he thought he hadn’t a heart to lay.She didn’t trust her voice. She nodded vigorously, and held on hard to his hands.“Then,” and she heard him controlling his voice, “we certainly owe ourselves a chance.”Joy sparkled in her blood.She wasn’t aware of her movement, that she stood up or that he pulled her towards him, but somehow she ended up in a rush in his arms, on his lap, her arms around his neck, her cheek against his hair, his head resting warmly against her breast. And for all that he could never love her – he held her tightly against him, as if he could never let her go.
About Lindsey Forrest: Lindsey Forrest, a lead writer/editor for an international information company, writes about income tax but prefers to dream of heroes and heroines and grand romance. With the publication of her trilogy, she checks off the top entry on her bucket list. She lives in north Texas with her family and cat and has a five-year plan for becoming a full-time novelist and editor of indie fiction. When she isn’t working or writing, she amuses herself with reading, needlepointing, tramping around historical sites and houses, and outbidding everyone who gets in her way on E-bay.
Follow the Author:   Website     |     Facebook     |     Twitter      |     Amazon Author Page 
Order Now:Amazon US

BLOG TOUR, GUEST POST, and REVIEW: Black Rose by Kris Thompson

Black Rose by Kris ThompsonIt's better to die on your feet than beg on your knees.

Release Date: November 13 , 2014Published by The Writers Coffee ShopGenre: Fiction/Romance/Suspense/Thrillers/ISBN e-book: 978-1-61213-247-1Available from: Amazon, Kobo, Barnes and Noble, and TWCS PH 
~~SUMMARY~~
Lillian Locke had the perfect life in Boulder, Colorado. She had the boyfriend of her dreams, a wonderful family, awesome friends, and a spot on the track team at a great college. There wasn’t anything life could throw at her that she couldn’t get through . . . until he found her. Lillian never could have imagined being abducted and chained up in the dark. Worse yet, being just one of many girls kidnapped and held captive by a madman. All she can do now is hope that she survives the brutality of their captor long enough to find a way to free herself and her new captive friends. When Richard Haines’ girlfriend goes missing, he makes it his personal mission to find the woman he loves and bring her home to the safety of their loved ones. Seeking the help of friends and family, Richard abandons everything except for his pursuit of Lillian. But when someone else close to Richard goes missing, and the bodies of the abducted girls start showing up in the hills outside Boulder, the only thing he can do is hope that he finds her before it is too late. 

 Guest Post

I asked:
What are the challenges you faced through the publishing process and how have you handled the stress that we all feel when releasing a new book.
And Kris Said:
"I can honestly say that the editing process was the hardest for me, but only because I was very stubborn in the beginning. I was willing to fight tooth and nail for every word in my book, and did for a little while, but I had to face the fact that I had no idea what I was doing and that my editing team was there to help me and my book. It was also a great help to have a wonderful support system within my personal life and at the publishing house, so when I did have those breaking point moments I had many people to turn to for advice."


 Review
 I was lucky enough to get an advanced copy of Black Rose, and from the moment I opened it, I was hooked. Kris Thompson weaved an amazing tale, full of raw emotion and gritty details. One of the things I loved the most was how Ms. Thompson didn't sugarcoat it. She was real. She painted a real picture of what Lillian went through. I won't give out any details, but I cannot recommend this book enough! It's amazing, and I look forward to reading more of Kris Thompson's work.



Goodreads * Add to Want To Read List 
~~ABOUT THE AUTHOR~~ Kris Thompson is a veteran of the US Navy and single mother of three. When she’s not knitting scarves, chasing her children around or baking, you’ll find her enjoying a good book or writing down notes for her own upcoming stories. Writing has been a passion for Kris for many years, and seeing those stories printed on paper is a dream come true.

~~CONNECT WITH THE AUTHOR~~Twitter * Facebook * Website
a Rafflecopter giveaway ~~Praise for Black Rose~~"There are just not enough words to describe how great I thought this book was! I completed it in one sitting, refused sleep till I was finished. 

A psychotic killer is abducting women, holding them hostage for days and days while raping and torturing and killing in a most horrendous way. Except you know this by reading the back of the book. What you dont know is the story inside...there is so much more." Goodreads Review

COVER REVEAL: Ascension by Lorenz Font

 
PRESENTS. . . A Cover Revealfor Ascension Book 3 of The Gates Legacy Seriesby Lorenz Font  
Release Date: January 8 , 2015Published by The Writers Coffee ShopBook 3: Ascension Rohnert is descended from a long line of pure-blooded vampires ruled by the Vampire Council. Quiet and principled, he is known for his combat expertise and is beloved by peers and students alike. When his former ally, Goran, becomes the Council leader and the killing starts, Rohnert strikes out on his own. The vampire race is in upheaval when he discovers a black book that contains the wisdom and history of his people. Rohnert refuses to support Goran’s tyrannical rule and has no interest in ruling himself, no matter what the book foretells. He allies with freedom fighters led by the indomitable Harrow Gates. However, the prophecies fail to prepare him to handle one passionate and determined human doctor. The last thing Shelly Anderson wanted was to fall in love. After meeting enigmatic and reclusive Rohnert, her resolve quickly crumbles. Their one night together ends in a nightmare. She is determined to carry on without him, but Rohnert’s unexpected reentry into her life derails her plans. While she teaches him how powerful a human’s love can be, Rohnert realizes the lengths he is willing to go to keep her close and safe, even if it means violating a long-standing decree among pure-blooded vampires to keep their bloodlines intact. When Goran begins to kill off the remaining Vampire Council Elders, Harrow’s rebels urge Rohnert to step in. It isn’t until harsh reality comes knocking at his door that his choice becomes clear. Rohnert must do whatever he can to save the people he loves or risk losing them forever. However, the reluctant savior may already be too late to protect the lives that matter most.  
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HAVE YOU READ BOOK 1, HUNTED OR BOOK 2, TORMENTED?Re-Release Date: November 20, 2014 
Book 1: Hunted Deep in the heart of New York City’s netherworld, a horrible disease is ravaging the vampire community. The Vampire Council is on a crusade to obliterate those infected, and Harrow Gates is target Number One. The unwitting source of the plague, he suffers from the same nightmarish symptoms as his victims. The world he'd been thrust into was cold, cruel, and intent on eradicating him, and the legions of afflicted vampires he created with his bite. A bounty hanging over his head, satisfying his hunger has become an enormous challenge for Harrow. The less he feeds, the more hideous and painful his lesions become. Constantly running for his life and learning new tricks to survive, Harrow is in no position to refuse when Pritchard Tack offers him a unique opportunity. Pritchard not only gives Harrow a new beginning, but also a purpose and a chance to rectify the chaos he created in the vampire world. However, the multi-billionaire has an agenda of his own. Jordan is a reluctant new vampire and a woman on a mission. After the demise of her family and her own transformation at the hands of Goran, the ruthless leader of the Vampire Council, her only focus is revenge. Constantly faced with one frustrating dead-end after another, a stroke of luck leads her to an underground facility that she suspects is the lair of the monster for whom she is looking. Upon learning more about the truth behind the secret bunker, Jordan must fight against her growing feelings of friendship and concern for the facility’s inhabitants. One man in particular threatens to pull her heart away from her sworn mission. There is something behind Harrow’s dark lenses that unsettles the hardened female. Once again, she trembles and hungers for something other than red-stained revenge. Is love strong enough to override her hate-fueled thirst for vengeance? [youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XRRY9...]   Book 2: Tormented Within the Tack Enterprises group of underground fighters, Tor Burns is one of the few non-infected vampires committed to saving his diseased comrades from the vicious clutches of the Vampire Council. He is the meanest, strongest and most impulsive member of the team. Having survived a vicious attack in their underground facility, he now has a new purpose: guard the irresistible daughter of their fallen leader no matter the price. Armed with an abrasive personality and fierce loyalty, Tor approaches this new responsibility with serious determination despite his reservations. Infected and hunted by the Council, Allison Tack is unable to do as she pleases. A co-heir of the Tack fortune, this beautiful and timid vampire is guarded by those loyal to her father. A walking target wherever she goes, Allison wants to learn how to protect herself, but no one is listening. Sick of being the helpless one in the company of trained fighters around her, Allison vows to prove that she can fight alongside the best of them. Meanwhile, the harem leader, Melissa, is hell-bent on unraveling any clue about her son Demetrius’ fate. He disappeared without a word, and time has made her desperate. Stepping up her efforts, she seeks the help of Demetrius’ son, Zane. With the additional manpower, Melissa finds the lair of the suspected vampires and wages war against them. Thrown together by necessity, Tor and Allison can’t continue to deny their attraction to each other. Tor wants to give in to his feelings for her, but old demons resurface. Tormented by a dark secret, Tor must confront the past to prevent losing the best thing that ever happened to him. A life must be given for a life taken. Will Tor have to sacrifice himself before Allison pays the price? [youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZU4RW...]
Lorenz Font discovered her love of writing after reading a celebrated novel that inspired one idea after another. She is currently enjoying the buzz from her vampire novels Hunted and Tormented, the first and second book of The Gates Legacy Series, Indivisible Line, a romantic thriller, Feather Light, an erotic romance and Pieces of Broken Time, a military romance. Lorenz’s perfect day consists of writing and lounging on her garage couch, aka the office, with a glass of her favorite cabernet while listening to her ever-growing music collection. She enjoys dabbling in different genres, with an intense focus on angst and the redemption of flawed characters. Her fascination with romantic twists is a mainstay in all her stories. Lorenz lives in California with her husband, children, and two demanding dogs. She divides her time between her full-time job and her busy writing schedule.
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Sneak Peak Sunday: Sandi Lane's Éire's Devil King

The final book of Sandi Layne's Éire's Viking Trilogy will be out in the spring!
Éire's Devil KingSummary: An ambitious man, Tuirgeis Erlingrson has nurtured the desire to carve a place of leadership on Éire. Having connections with his adopted brother, Cowan, and Agnarr, his former countryman, Tuirgeis feels he has the support he needs to make his claims strong. Agnarr and Aislinn—though she is heavy with child—sail with Cowan and Charis to join Tuirgeis as he battles one final summer to seek the High Kingship. Charis finds that her Otherworldly gifts are needed by a man she considers her enemy. In addition, Tuirgeis wants to establish his father-line. He has one son; he wants another to be born of Éire. Will the woman he desires accept him? Tuirgeis knows his time is limited; the Danes are coming in greater numbers than before. If he wants to be the High King, he’s going to have to prove that he is more than a Viking.  

Excerpt: Though still leery of bodies of water, Charis never forgot that they bore life and that was precious to her. The water crept gently up the slope with careful fingers, as if knowing she was hesitant to approach such a large amount of it. When there was a stiff wind the waves furled whitely, rows upon rows of them; just then, however, there was peace and calm. She stared out over the lough, about to bend down to dig the roots from the rushes there, when a stirring within her kept her upright. There, to the northwest, something moved above the water. A small flock of grebes were nearby, their stuttering caws high pitched and active before they splashed out of the water. Scowling at them, she focused again on the distant object and, with a sudden start, she realized she knew exactly what it was. “Cowan . . .” Her whisper traveled no farther than her own ear. They shouldn’t be coming this way. The Northmen came by sea, not through a lake. Of course, there would be tributaries, but surely . . . “Ide? We have to go. Right now. Back to the rath.” The younger woman ran to her, her feet slipping on the muddy grass near the water. “What is it, Charis?” Pointing, Charis didn’t have to say a word. Ide knew. “Northmen. From the Danes? King, King Horik?” The names were familiar now, after seasons of stories and preparations. All color drained from her face, leaving freckles to stand in sharp relief. “I don’t know,” Charis said, backing away while keeping an eye on the longship that was growing closer every few moments. “But the men must ready themselves. As I must.” She wondered, as they hurried back to the safety of the village, if the one safety tunnel was yet deep enough to hide all the children of Tuaim Rithe.
Praise for the Éire's Viking Trilogy:

Compelling, three-dimensional characters who are interesting, imperfect, and very intriguing make the story pop and grab the reader’s interest as they each journey through their own adversities towards their ultimate destinies. – Great Historicals

…a wonderfully written story of war, love, loss and dealing with emotions and learning forgiveness. – Fire & Ice

Prepare for the invasion and read the rest of the trilogy: Find Éire's Captive Moon at any of the links from Sandi's website here. Find Éire's Viking here and read the first chapter of this romance on her site here.

BLOG TOUR: All Who Are Lost by Lindsey Forrest

All Who Are Lostby Lindsey Forrest
Series: Ashmore's Folly Trilogy: Book OneCover Design: Robin Ludwig of Robin Ludwig Design, Inc
Genre: Contemporary Women's Fiction (Romance) 
Expected Release Date: October 21, 2014

Summary: One man.
Too many betrayals.
Three women.
One last chance.On a cold winter day, a woman calls a number halfway across the world.A man answers.After fourteen years, Laura St. Bride hears the voice she has never forgotten, the voice she will remember with her last breath…What do you do
when the love of your life
is the last person you should love?A great family estate in Virginia.Three sisters growing up in the shadow of their father’s obsessive drive to recapture his lost muse, the woman he threw into the cold Irish sea.The scion of an old family, falling in love with the wrong sister, blind to the ice at her core.A woman haunted by a moment of blood and violence, when she reached out and took a man who didn’t belong to her.A man living a life of regret and sacrifice, given a second chance to claim the woman he should have loved all along.

As a new author, what challenges did you face on your path to publishing? How did you overcome them?Biggest challenge? Two words: SHEER TERROR.It’s a terrifying thing to publish a book. You are putting yourself on the line. With characters that you’ve created and cherished and nurtured, you are also putting your children out there. And the fears are plentiful. Will people love them? Hate them? Love me? Think that I have no business thinking I can write? Proclaim that I have wasted years of my life writing the worst book in the history of forever?Will this be the biggest mistake of my life?Truth is, I don’t know yet. I can only describe some of the challenges I have faced since I decided last November to publish the book I had been working on for years.First, I had to accept that my story, 85% complete and already over half a million words, was not commercially viable with a traditional publisher. No new author will get such a long book published these days. I knew that at least one long fanfic had been broken up and published – the Fifty Shades books. I knew of another long favorite where the first third was about to be published as the first book of three, so I decided to try that approach.So how to slice up my story? I’ll spare you the gory details about spreadsheets and word counts and number balancing. (What can I say? I work around accountants.) I decided where I wanted my characters to be at the end of Book 1 to set up the events of Book 2, and I divided the story into three books and then three acts within each book.I am lucky enough, as I am an editor myself, to have access to world-class editing services. To shorten Book 1 (if 195K words can be called “short”), I and a couple of my fellow editors went through the book, line by line, and took out anything we felt was unnecessary for the story. I also compiled the e-book and sent it to some beta readers. One of those turned out to be a hard critic – exactly what I needed! Over a six-hour lunch, she and I discussed many facets of it, and I made notes of her ideas. Most of them I ended up integrating into the book.She also told me to stop picking at it.Writing/editing, for me, was a comfort zone. I had to learn the business of self-publishing. Through my job, I have access to a lot of high-end tools that many writers don’t have because they are so expensive. I and my fellow editors are skilled at print design; one of the editors worked for a book printer and advised me on fonts and feathering. I sent my interior design around for review and discussion and reaped the benefit of the expertise of people who, like me, do this for a living.I needed a great cover, and I could not do it myself. I am graphically challenged! First, I turned to a relative who is a professional artist, but we soon discovered that knowing how to create art is not the same as knowing how to create a book cover that grabs readers and makes them want to buy. From a Google search and email inquiry, I found my designer, Robin Ludwig. From the initial concept she sent me, I knew that she had the rare ability to read my mind and figure out what I really wanted and what really worked.I tried to do everything else myself, but I finally threw in the towel to concentrate on what I know best – writing and editing and formatting. I knew I could handle the web sites as well, but that was my limit. My husband took over the “business” end – working on the blog tour and organizing all the steps to bring this to market. My daughter asked to manage the social media. I tried to compile the e-book myself, but when I couldn’t get rid of the “rivers of white,” I shipped the file to an expert, who turned it around in a day.I had to clamp down on my tendency to pick, pick, pick – changing this phrase or inserting another paragraph. “Let It Go” from Frozen became my theme song! I was terrified to let go, to let my baby stand on its own. So I fussed with the mechanics, proofreading and copy-editing through FIVE rounds of print proofs. I kept finding one more thing to change. Ridiculous!Before I could talk myself into reformatting the entire book, my family told me, “Enough. Let it go.”And so I have.Now I am the proud, nervous mama, hoping that my kid gets accepted by the other kids and brings home a good report card. I was a Velcro mom – I’m going to try not to be a Velcro author.Now for Book 2! I’ve learned a lot and hope that this second adventure will not be as nerve-wracking as the first. Most of the mechanics are now in place, and I’ve got a great team.So will this prove to be my biggest mistake? I don’t know. In the end, it all comes down to faith. Faith in yourself. Faith in your art and craft. Faith that, if you love your characters, other people might love them too. Faith to let go.Excerpt:Chapter 18 – Falling Off the Edge
He came back. As she toweled off, she heard his car. As she rummaged in the closet for something to wear, the front door opened. As she covered up the last ravages of the night, she heard him moving around the kitchen downstairs.She selected a pretty floral sundress from her wardrobe, all white roses and violets on a shimmery green background, and laid it carefully on the bed. Downstairs, she heard him talking. Max, that traitor, must have run downstairs to hang out for a while with another male. She wondered how long she could linger in the room, but nothing, after all, could keep him from coming upstairs to find her there hiding from him.And she was hiding. I don’t know how to face him. I don’t know how to act the morning after. I don’t know what he wants or expects.…I don’t even know what I want.Oh, but she did know. She wanted to turn back time and tide, to make the great sea of their adult lives still uncharted before them. Passion and blood, rage and adultery and the most terrible of betrayals, all still ahead, and this time the iceberg seen in time to prevent the tragedy….She wanted to wipe the slate clean, and her hands with it.You will not find absolution in this room.She stiffened then, and marched back to her dressing table. Her eyes looked better now, not so stretched-out. She said aloud, “All right now,” straightened her shoulders, and walked downstairs to meet her lover.eHe’d gone out to get breakfast. A box of bagels lay open on the island counter, and he’d left a cup of fast-food orange juice for her beside a container of cream cheese. But the room, and the house, had an empty stillness. Not even the ghosts of last evening lingered.Through the picture window, she saw an unexpected movement of a blue sleeve out near the pool.For a second, she felt disconnected from all her knowledge of him, as if time had indeed run backwards on her. He appeared as a stranger. He had a book open on the table, and the sun glinted softly off his dark hair as he lost himself in his reading. One hand absently crumbled a bagel. He seemed alone, self-contained, as if he had nothing to do with a common past, a shared afternoon of blood and lust, a past night of anguish and discovery.This was probably how he appeared to the rest of the world.Then he turned a page, and that gesture summoned up a small memory, tucked away all these years.It might have been long ago, a Saturday morning when she joined him for fishing or flying models, and they ate a light breakfast first to satisfy Peggy. So many times she had come across him like this, reading, lost in his own world, relaxed and peaceful. So many times he had looked up with an offhand smile and a “Good morning, Laurie.” Casual and careless always, dispensing the minimal attention due a bit player in his life.But it wasn’t all those years ago, and he wasn’t her secret crush anymore, and he wasn’t a boy with all his life and loves before him. And she was no longer a girl content to settle for a careless smile and the honor of cleaning his catches or watching him crash a model into the lake.The world had changed.Hands shaking, she fixed a bagel and brewed a cup of tea. He lifted his head when she opened the back door, and his eyes met hers as she came down the terrace stairs and across the flagstones to the table.He rose immediately, silently, his book forgotten. In the morning light, she saw further evidence that he was no longer a boy. She saw the remnants of their broken sleep around his eyes, she saw his eyes flare with an awareness she didn’t dare consider, and…And the world shifted again. He stood there before her, no longer Diana’s boy knight or Francie’s young demon lover. In the darkness, this man had met her equal to equal on the vast plain of desire.His voice, low, husky, “Good morning, Laurie.” And he took the bagel and tea from her, placed them on the table, and turned back to enclose her in his arms.I have wanted you across these years, I have waited to step into your arms. Now you’re here, and you’re mine, and what do I feel? What do I say?His hand rested warmly against the small of her back, stroking her. That lovely, reassuring gesture melted her body into his. She lifted her face to kiss him, and with that he too relaxed. Perhaps he had wondered too about this first meeting, perhaps for him also the world had shifted on its axis. She tasted coffee on his mouth; she felt the warmth of his body along hers, and a sudden glorious certainty glowed luminous in her blood.“Good morning to you too,” she murmured against his shirt.He smiled down at her. “I thought I was going to have to drag you out of bed. Did you get enough sleep?”“No,” she admitted, and then it was all right. He guided her to the table with his hand still warm against her back, and she knew in relief that he didn’t know, the nightmare ending hadn’t happened after all. “But I got more than you did. Richard – you look so tired.”He caught her gaze and held it as he sat down opposite her, an aware, knowing look that told her he well remembered the feeling of her body against his. “I’ll pay for it later,” he said, “but it was worth it, by God, it was worth it indeed.”She felt the blush creeping up into her face at the frank look in his eyes, and she wanted to drop her gaze. But no, that was the reaction of a girl, and she had been a woman now in this man’s arms. She had told this man that she loved him, she had confessed her heart to him, she had welcomed him into her body. And in the light of day, face to face with him, she was not sorry.She sipped her tea steadily. “Maybe you should grab a nap later today.”“Or an early night,” he returned, equally steadily. Oh, what a wonderful idea… an early night together, and forget her failure of the night before. She’d make it up to him tonight. “Actually, I wanted to talk to you about that. We need to talk, Laurie.”We need to talk… No, no, no….Dear God, was he going to tell her it had all been a horrible mistake, he’d changed his mind, had second thoughts... Let her down easy, because she was still the friend of his youth? But he was still looking at her gently, openly. It was worth it, indeed. He had meant that. He had kissed her this morning in welcome, and not as a friend.She was not going to panic.She made herself keep looking at him. “I’m here, Richard.”Now it was his turn for silence. She watched as he bought himself time and space by pushing his book away, tasting his coffee, brushing aside bagel crumbs. What was he composing in his mind as he settled forward, shifting ever so slightly to get the sun out of his eyes?“There was —” he began, and paused. “When I came back here last night, I didn’t intend,” he gestured, “what happened. That wasn’t my intention at all. I shouldn’t have left you, Laurie. No matter what had happened between us, I shouldn’t have left you alone, not after what you went through yesterday. I realized that once I got home. I just left you here, part of the debris of – this whole damnable mess, and I couldn’t let you face that by yourself.”He stopped and waited for her. She had to say something. And the honesty in him demanded the same of her. “I thought,” she moistened her lips, “I thought – when you left – I thought it was the end.”“And it nearly was,” he said. “I realized that, if I didn’t come back, we were finished. We’d never be able to survive the way we left things.”She saw the truth of that. She’d laid too heavy a burden on him, she saw now, with that desperate confession. She had made it impossible for them ever to meet again, except…Her heart was beating fast now. She took all her courage in hand. “Richard —”He looked at her, and waited.She gestured blindly, and to her horror she felt the burning of tears in her eyes. “But you came back. And you – you said that there was no going back. That sex changes things.” Oh, God, she was not going to cry! She was going to face this squarely. After everything else she’d endured, she would face this. She said desperately, “Has everything changed?”Silence. She blinked away the sting in her eyes and stared hard at him, across the table, across the whole of their lives, and waited for the answer she could not read in his eyes.He said quietly, “That’s up to you.”She drew a painful breath.Richard’s hands closed around hers, and she surrendered to the warm, firm touch of his fingers on hers. “I was wrong last night,” he said, “wrong for more years than I want to think. You were right, I never saw you. But I do know I’m doing the right thing, Laura, when I tell you that you can decide that last night changed nothing. If you want to write off last night as an experiment —”“No —”“We can, you know.” He overrode her words, ignoring the way her fingernails were digging into his hands. “We can decide that last night we laid some old ghosts, satisfied some old curiosity. We grew up together, and it’s only natural that, after all these years apart, our friendship has turned into attraction. But we can take care of that. We can sit here rationally and decide that last night changed nothing, and we put it aside and go on from there. And, I promise you, we can make that work.”Her heart sank.“Or,” he continued, “we can decide that there’s no going back, last night changed everything. We can go forward, see what we have to give to each other. Laura,” and his voice made her look at him, “it is up to you.”She wanted to look away, but couldn’t. She whispered, “What do you want to do?”“What I want,” Richard said, “is to do what you want.”“I don’t —” and now she had to look away. She couldn’t stand to keep looking at his unflinching gaze. “I don’t want last night to have been – some kind of casual sex – it wasn’t, was it?”“No,” said Richard above her bowed head. “I’ve never had casual sex in my life. I’ve never made love with a woman I didn’t care about, and last night was no exception. Laura. Look up at me, Laura. It wasn’t casual.”She regained her voice. She had to say it; she couldn’t let it languish unspoken between them. “Last night – last night I told you I loved you.”The gift so long unclaimed… and did he claim it now? Or ever?He took a deep breath, and his eyes turned grave and distant. “I know,” he said, “and of all the gifts you’ve given me, that one I deserve the least. I’ve abused your feelings for me for longer than I want to remember. But, after all that, you still love me. And – and of course you want it returned, don’t you? I wish I could say it, Laurie. But I can’t. I just don’t have it in me anymore.”The morning stood still. She didn’t breathe.“I was in love once,” he said, “you know that. I’ve been in love with one woman in my life, and what a disaster that’s been. I don’t trust being in love. I don’t trust feeling that the world is well lost for love, because I nearly lost the world for it, and it wasn’t worth it. Still —”He lifted a hand and touched her hair. She lifted her free hand and held it to his, and she felt the lifeblood in his wrist against her face.“It felt very right waking up beside you this morning.” And now the distance had dropped away from his eyes. “The world has seemed very right for the last couple of weeks, ever since you came home. Dear God, Laurie, I never realized how much I missed you, what a hole you left in my life. Maybe I’ll never be in love with you, maybe I’ll never be able to give you all that you want and deserve, but I do love you, you’re part of me and part of my life, the best part too. When I think back to the best moments of my life, you were always a part of those, you’re as interwoven into my life as the air and the sun here in Virginia, and that’s worth a lot to me, and we can build from there – if you want to.”So it was up to her, as he had said. She thought, a wisp of a thought to tuck away and take out later to ponder, that he had laid his heart in her hands, no matter that he thought he hadn’t a heart to lay.She didn’t trust her voice. She nodded vigorously, and held on hard to his hands.“Then,” and she heard him controlling his voice, “we certainly owe ourselves a chance.”Joy sparkled in her blood.She wasn’t aware of her movement, that she stood up or that he pulled her towards him, but somehow she ended up in a rush in his arms, on his lap, her arms around his neck, her cheek against his hair, his head resting warmly against her breast. And for all that he could never love her – he held her tightly against him, as if he could never let her go.
About Lindsey Forrest: Lindsey Forrest, a lead writer/editor for an international information company, writes about income tax but prefers to dream of heroes and heroines and grand romance. With the publication of her trilogy, she checks off the top entry on her bucket list. She lives in north Texas with her family and cat and has a five-year plan for becoming a full-time novelist and editor of indie fiction. When she isn’t working or writing, she amuses herself with reading, needlepointing, tramping around historical sites and houses, and outbidding everyone who gets in her way on E-bay.
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Order Now:Amazon US

Sneak Peek Sunday: Sydney Logan's relaunch of Lesson's Learned

On October 17, Amazon best selling author Sydney Logan is relaunching her debut novel with a brand new cover! She's celebrating by offering a giveaway filled with signed paperbacks and Lessons Learned swag! English teacher Sarah Bray never thought she’d return to Sycamore Falls, but a traumatic event at her inner-city school leaves her desperate for the sanctuary of home. By returning to her roots, an older and wiser Sarah hopes to deal with the demons of her present and confront the ghosts of her past. 

She discovers a kindred spirit in Lucas Miller, a teacher from New York with demons of his own. As the newest faculty members at Sycamore High School, they quickly become friends – bonding through Lucas’s culture shock and their mutual desire to build new lives. When they open their wounded hearts to each other, their friendship effortlessly evolves into romance. 

Their love is put to the test when Matt, the quarterback of the football team, shares his deepest secret with Sarah. When the conservative community finds out, Sarah and Lucas – along with the town of Sycamore Falls – are schooled in the lessons of acceptance, tolerance, and love.   a Rafflecopter giveaway
Amazon best selling author Sydney Logan holds a Master's degree in Elementary Education. She is the author of three novels - Lessons Learned, Mountain Charm, and Soldier On. Sydney has also penned four short stories and is a contributor to Chicken Soup for the Soul.  A native of East Tennessee, Sydney enjoys playing piano and relaxing on her porch with her wonderful husband and their very spoiled cat. Visit her website at www.sydneylogan.com.
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Sneak Peek Sunday: T.M. Franklin

Today, we get a DOUBLE Sneak Peek at TWO upcoming releases from T.M. Franklin Frequent FlyersComing November 1, 2014!Romance flies the friendly skies in this diverse collection of short stories from a talented group of best-selling and up-and-coming authors.

There’s something for everyone in this mile-high compilation – from a love story born in a blizzard to a steamy encounter spawned by a series of crazy events. For supernatural fiction fans, how about the tale of an airport that’s also a portal to another world… or a scheduled flight that takes a detour into an alternate reality?

From an unexpected trip that reignites a twenty year old flame, to a quirky liaison between a ticketing agent and an adorable doctor, Frequent Flyers takes you on a journey that will touch your heart and leave you flying high!

...and appearing in Frequent Flyers...
Unscheduled Departure by T.M. FranklinRowan Elliott is devastated when her boyfriend, Finn, tells her he’s moving across the country to take over the family business, and thrilled when he changes his mind at the last minute and gets off the plane.
But then things get . . . weird. Finn’s acting strange, and Ro’s getting mysterious phone calls that have her questioning if her boyfriend’s really who she thinks he is. As Ro races to figure out what’s going on, she discovers it’s more complicated than she could have ever imagined.
And if she’s not careful, she could lose her Finn forever.
Add Frequent Flyers to Your Goodreads Shelf!
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Join Us for the Frequent Flyers RELEASE PARTY on November 1st! And ENTER NOW to Win One of Six Amazon Gift Cards - or One of Six ARCs of Frequent Flyers!
a Rafflecopter giveawayBut wait...there's MORE!
The action-packed conclusion to the MORE Trilogy is here!
Ava Michaels is gifted, powerful, and — whether she likes it or not — part of a plot to take over the world.

It’s only been a few months since Ava Michaels discovered she has ties to an ancient people living in the shadows of the human world, despite their superior gifts and abilities. A select few don’t like hiding, however, and think it’s time to take control.

Now Ava’s caught up in a conspiracy in the works before she was even born. In fact, her birth was an integral part of the plan. She’s one of the Twelve, the most powerful Race ever created, and they were created for a purpose.

Turns out, Ava doesn’t like being told what to do.

All she wants is to start a new life with her boyfriend, Caleb Foster, but before they can even think about that, they must join forces with former enemies, seek out some powerful new friends, and figure out what exactly the Twelve, and their power-hungry leader, are up to.

Then, they have to find a way to stop them.
Add TWELVE to your Goodreads Shelf! ExcerptOutside a nondescript brick building housing a nondescript high school in a nondescript town in the middle of nowhere, North Dakota, Tiernan Ross leaned against a scraggly elm tree and cursed his life.
He could have done anything, really—moved to Europe, spent some time on a quiet beach, and ignored anything and everything that stank of politics and power plays and the ridiculous mess he’d gotten himself involved in.
Katherine had said he was getting soft, and although he’d greeted the statement with his trademark glower, deep down he had feared she was right. He felt a strange sense of responsibility to the band of outlaws hiding out in the Canadian wilderness, and to the girl who pushed all his buttons, but still managed to get under his skin.
Tiernan let out a heavy sigh and checked his watch again. School would be out in three minutes.
Finally.
It had been almost a month, and he didn’t know what he had been thinking, offering to be an ambassador to the Council on behalf of the Guardians. It was a delicate proposition, and Tiernan, as a rule, didn’t do delicate. Still, he’d been meeting with Council leaders, first Rafe and Naomi, to help ease the way, then Kaeden, for what good it did him. It was slow going, and Tiernan was going insane with the waiting, so he’d taken an assignment, in no small part to get on Madeleine’s good side, as Kaeden had suggested, which was what led to standing outside a high school, cooling his heels, and waiting for a Half-Breed. It was strange. A few months ago, it would have been business as usual, but now . . .
A feeling of unease combined with a strange twist in his stomach he couldn’t identify left him antsy and riddled with—
Okay, maybe I can identify it. Guilt. It’s guilt.
Tiernan, as a rule, didn’t do guilt either.
He’d been fine—doing his duty, living his life—until Ava came along and started to break down the walls that kept out irritating things like guilt and compassion and . . .
Well—
The bell rang, driving away the unsettling thoughts, and Tiernan straightened, eyes zeroing in on the door of the school and the blue Honda he’d already identified as belonging to one Isaiah Bennett.
He scanned the uniformed teenagers streaming out of the building for the face he’d committed to memory from a series of recon images he’d received earlier.
Tall, thin, dark-skinned with hair trimmed close to his scalp . . . there.
Of course, it was the middle of the afternoon, so he couldn’t just grab the kid and make a run for it. Instead, Tiernan started the motorcycle he’d liberated from a Walmart parking lot in Bismarck and waited as Isaiah waved to his friends and tossed his backpack into the car before climbing in. He knew where the boy lived but tailed him anyway, hoping for a detour along the way that would make it easier to apprehend him.
Take him. Kidnap him.
Tiernan’s jaw clenched, and his fists tightened on the handlebars, the motorcycle engine revving in protest. He took a deep breath to steady his nerves.
It’s just an assignment. Another job. Grab the kid. Take him to the Council. Let them deal with the rest. Like dozens before.
It was all part of maintaining the peace. Rafe had said it would be a show of goodwill to the Council.
Tiernan wasn’t convinced.

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If you haven't read the first two books, now is the time - all three books are ON SALE for a LIMITED TIME on select platforms! MORE - Amazon | Amazon UK | Amazon Canada | iTunes | Kobo | TWCSThe Guardians - Amazon | Amazon UK | Amazon Canada | iTunes | Kobo | TWCSTWELVE - Amazon | Amazon UK | Amazon Canada | iTunes | TWCS
T.M. Franklin started out her career writing non-fiction in a television newsroom. Graduating with a B.A. in Communications specializing in broadcast journalism and production, she worked for nine years as a major market television news producer, and garnered two regional Emmy Awards, before she resigned to be a full-time mom and part-time freelance writer. Her first published novel, MORE, was born during National Novel Writing month, a challenge to write a novel in thirty days. MORE was well-received, being selected as a finalist in the 2013 Kindle Book Review Best Indie Book Awards, as well as winning the Suspense/Thriller division of the Blogger Book Fair Reader’s Choice Awards.
In addition to MORE and its sequel, The Guardians, Franklin penned the Amazon best-selling short stories A Piece of Cake and Window, which also won a Blogger Book Fair Reader’s Choice Award for Short Story/Fantasy. Her new YA romance, How to Get Ainsley Bishop to Fall in Love with You, is Franklin’s first love story without a paranormal or fantasy element, although she believes love is the best kind of magic.
TWELVE, the final installment in the MORE Trilogy will be released October 9, 2014.
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Sneak Peek Sunday: April Emerson's Out of the Dark

Coming December 4th from The Writer's Coffee Shop....



Out of the Dark by April Emerson
You can view the book trailer here.
Excerpt: 
He pulls a grape from the bunch, and his gaze is glued to mine. “Come here.” I walk toward him. My will to do anything else is nonexistent. I stand just a breath away. “Close your eyes,” he says. My heart rate increases and beads of sweat begin to drip down my back—possibly from the sun, but most likely from Stefan—as I obey. “Open your mouth.” He commands me, and with my eyes closed, his voice sounds so haunting, so suave. Again, I do as he says. The flesh of the fruit is pressed against my lips, and he runs it around my mouth but doesn’t place it inside. Then, he removes it. “Lick your lips.” I do as he says. The flavor is sharp and tart, but there’s a lingering sweetness. I say nothing, but with eyes closed, I await further instructions and am not disappointed. This time his voice is even closer, and I feel his hand on my hip. “Open again.” I part my lips, and the small fruit is placed inside. I let it roll around my tongue before puncturing its flesh, and the sweet, tart flavor overwhelms my taste buds. It’s heaven. As I chew and swallow the fruit, I’m aware of his hand on my body, and though my eyes are closed, I can feel his gaze all over me. His grip tightens momentarily, and he slides his hands up my back and into my hair. “Open your eyes.” As soon as I do, he tugs my head back and touches his lips to mine, sharing in the sweet flavor of the grape. His kiss is slow at first, then our tongues touch, and I taste only him. I slide my arms around his shoulders and pull him into me. I want him to know that I want this. I want him. My neck sways to the side as he forces my mouth open further, and he lets out a moan. It’s a guttural sound filled with desire. His hand slides down my back, over the curve of my ass . . . He stops. “Please,” I beg, but he shakes his head. “I’m finding it very difficult to remain a gentleman around you.” I raise my eyebrow. “So, don’t.”