Melissa Snark's Blog: The Snarkology, page 107

Breathless Press's 4th Anniversary: Reawakened by Carrie Pulkinen

Breathless Press Fourth Anniversary~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Breathless Press is an e-book publisher specializing in Romance and Erotic(a) stories.
Our mission statement is simple: To provide the opportunity for readers to connect with romance authors through the purchasing of quality e-books at a low price.
Starting in the summer of 2009, Breathless Press came into existence. Since then, we have been producing top end romance and erotic stories for valued readers to enjoy.
Blurb:
Her magic has been reawakened. But will her heart let her follow her destiny?
Jules Hume lives in a world where magic is a myth and supernatural creatures are fiction. Or so she thinks. Her boyfriend Ian would have to disagree. When Jules discovers the man of her dreams is not only a vampire, but a vampire king who's tasked with saving the world from a demon attack, life as she knows it ends. Can she accept her fate and take her place by Ian's side as ruler of the paranormal world? Or will she close her mind and her heart to the chance at love and adventure?

Excerpt:
This is the night, I thought. After what just happened, he had to tell me everything. I braced myself, and walked into the bedroom. My clothes were gone. Ian must've put them in the dryer already. On the bed lay a soft, midnight blue robe. The bedroom door was closed, and I could hear the shower running down the hall. I figured it would be a while before Ian came back, so I left the towel in the bathroom and walked naked across the room to get the robe. Distracted as I was with everything that had happened, I wasn't paying attention to where I stepped, and I tripped on the rug, falling face-first on the ground. I let out a little squeal as I went down. I didn't think I was loud, but Ian was in the room in seconds.
"Are you okay, my Jewel? I heard you scream." He took me by the hand and lifted me to my feet.
"I'm fine." Heat flushed my cheeks. "And I didn't scream. I just squealed a little bit when I fell. You didn't have to stop your shower to come rescue me again."
It was then that I realized I was naked. And my eyes had been locked with his since he came through the door, so I was just beginning to realize that he was naked too. And he was wet. His muscles flowed down his body like a perfectly carved statue, firm and hard. My eyes took in his form. From his eyes, down to his chest. His muscular arms had me longing for his embrace. His perfect six-pack abs had my hands twitching with the need to touch. Down my eyes went to his...oh my! He was definitely excited. I forced my gaze back up to his eyes, and the expression I found there was one of pure need...of lust...and love. His eyes went down my body and back up to return my gaze. He licked is lips.
That did it for me. I couldn't waste the opportunity, so I threw myself into his arms, and we kissed passionately. Our tongues explored each other mouths, necks, shoulders. He embraced me, pulling our bodies together, the cool wetness of his skin sending chills down my spine. As the energy pulsed between us, I felt him...long and hard pressed against my stomach. I took him in my hand and stroked. He sucked in a sharp breath, closed his eyes, and leaned his head back, moaning in pleasure. I pressed my lips to his neck and kissed him, tasted him, as my hand stroked him to the rhythm of our pulsing energy. He pulled my leg up over his hip and pressed himself against me. Dear God! My heart raced. My hands trembled. His mouth found mine again as his hand twisted in my hair. The energy pulsed harder, faster, until my head spun, and I had to pull away to catch my breath.
When his eyes finally met mine, they were deep. Deeper than I'd ever seen them before, and I was lost in them.
"Oh Juliann!" He kissed me harder, his need growing more intense as he crushed my body against his. My hands moved up his chest and over his neck to twist into his hair, holding his face to mine. His hands worked frantically, sliding up and down my back as we kissed. I wanted him so badly, I thought I would explode.
Then he let go. He slid his hands down my arms and took both my hands in his, interlacing our fingers, but still his body was pressed to mine. "We can't do this now," he whispered against my lips.
"Why not? Don't you want me? Your body certainly does." I gave him a mischievous grin as I pressed even harder against him.
"I do. I want you so badly, it's taking all my strength to stop us now, before we go too far."
"Then why stop?" I wrapped my arms around his waist. "We're both grown-ups. We want each other. We're already naked. What's stopping us?"
He trailed his fingers up my arms and gently put his hands on my shoulders. He pushed me away from him, just far enough that he could look me in the eyes.
"There are things that must be said. Things you must understand before...This will mean more than you know."
"But I do understand, Ian. I know what you are. I know you're a vampire, and I don't care. I don't care what you are, where you came from, or what you've done. I love you, and nothing will change that." I cupped his face in my hands. "I. Love. You."
I felt the tears welling up, and I couldn't stop them. As they streamed down my face, Ian held me close.
"And I love you, Juliann." I looked up just in time to see a single tear slide down his cheek. I wiped it away with my finger.
"I didn't think vampires could cry."
"We can't," he said, and a burst of energy shot through me, rocking me to my core. From the look on his face, Ian felt it too. And he enjoyed it. He closed his eyes and raised his head, as if basking in the energy. Then he pulled me close, and I lay my head on his chest.
"What was that?"
"That, my Jewel, was the power of love." I looked at him, and he caressed my face with his fingers as he bent down to kiss me. Then he released me, walked over to the bed, and picked up the robe for me to put on. "We must talk now, Juliann, while you still have a choice." He looked at me with pain in his eyes. "It may already be too late."
I slipped into the robe and tied it tight.
"Allow me to dress. I will return."
He was gone in a blink, and I sat on the edge of the bed, trying to get a hold of myself. I was still rattled from several things—that blast of power, the power of love, as Ian had called it. How cheesy was that? And the intimate moment we just shared; how close we had come to giving in! And then there was the sudden display of strength and speed that Ian had been hiding from me all these months. I needed to get it all together in my head. Prioritize. There were so many things I needed to know. I should have written it all down. How could I have been so unorganized? I was always good at keeping things in order. Planning. But now there were so many things, I couldn't keep them all straight in my head. I took some deep breaths to try to center myself. We'd work it all out when Ian returned.
And return he did! In the sexiest pair of silk plaid pajama pants I had ever seen. That's it. He wore nothing else. He was barefoot and bare chested. His damp hair waved around his face, framing his perfect pale features. He wasn't going to make this easy on me. He caught me looking and grinned.
Buy links:Breathless PressAmazonAReBarnes and NobleBookstrand
Author Interview:
Carrie, please tell us about yourself and your writing.
I'm a 37-year-old stay at home mom living near Houston, Texas. I have two beautiful daughters, a sexy European husband, and three dogs. I write mostly paranormal romance, but I have branched out into contemporary and m/m recently.
What does your writing space look like?
At the moment, my MacBook sits on the island in my kitchen, with various notebooks, post-its, and random bills spread all around. It renders the island useless for kitchen purposes, but I have to make the best with what I've got, right? It's actually quite distracting looking at a pile of dirty dishes while trying to write sexy romance. I think I need to look into relocating…
How long have you been writing?
I started writing fiction in 2009, but I've written non-fiction for as long as I can remember. I wrote a column about my school for the local newspaper when I was in eighth grade, and I eventually went on to teach high school journalism for ten years.

How do you name your characters?
Usually, the names just pop into my head. I have no method for my madness, so to speak. Usually, I just close my eyes, think about the character, and a fitting name appears in my mind.
Do you write with music going in the background? What are some of your favorite types/bands?
I need silence when I’m writing. Music is too distracting, because I start listening to the lyrics instead of focusing on my story. With that said, I do get tons of creative ideas while listening to Blue October. I just can't get deep into to actual writing process with music playing.Do you have a favorite character from your books? Who is it and why?Logan from To Catch a Spirit has to be my favorite. I put so much of myself into him; he was almost therapeutic to write.
Who is the sexiest man/woman alive and why?
I think Johnny Depp is the sexiest man alive. Not only is he ruggedly handsome with his dark hair and deep chocolate eyes, but he's an amazing actor. I love all the quirky characters he plays.
Quick quiz: Favorite food? Anything ItalianFavorite color? Sea Foam GreenFavorite animal? Dragon Fly Biggest pet peeve? Judgmental PeopleDream car? My jet black, 1998, 30th Anniversary Edition Camaro. I miss it.
Author Bio:
Carrie Pulkinen has always been fascinated with the paranormal. Of course, when you grow up next door to a cemetery, the dead (and the undead) are hard to ignore. Pair that with her passion for writing and her father's insatiable love for monster movies, and you've got the perfect recipe for an exciting storyteller.
Carrie spent the first part of her professional life as a high school journalism and yearbook teacher. Now she's able to channel her love of the English language into stories of amazing sex with devilishly handsome men. In her free time, Carrie likes to read, take pictures, and play with her kids. She invites you to contact her at carrie.pulkinen@hotmail.com, or visit her on Facebook at www.facebook.com/CarriePulkinen.
Find Carrie Pulkinen on the internet:Email: Carrie.Pulkinen at hotmail.comBlogFacebookTwitterGoodreadsAmazon Author Page
Breathless Press will be giving away the following prizes to randomly drawn commenters during the tour:

Grand Prize: 1 Kindle Fire
Second Prize: $25.00 Gift Card for Breathless Press
Third Prize: $10.00 Gift Card for Breathless Press
Fourth Prize: 10 x $5.00 Gift Cards for Breathless Press (individual gift cards, 1 per person)

Be sure to follow the tour and comment to better your chances of winning. The tour dates can be found here.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Melissa Snark "On Writing: GMC" -- Fight Your Write Blog

On Writing: GMC No, not the automaker. Goal, Motivation, ConflictGuest Post by Melissa Snark (That's me!) Articles on the craft of writing are challenging. So much has already been said, yet very few books really stand out as invaluable writing tools. Today, I want to talk about a book that I have found particularly valuable.

GMC: Goal, Motivation and Conflict: The Building Blocks of Good Fiction by Debra Dixon offers a roadmap for getting from the opening chapter all of the way to the conclusion. The book explains in clear, concise language how to create believable characters and story occurrences, and then how to sustain momentum through a series of plot twists. She uses popular movies such as The Wizard of Oz and Casablanca to illustrate her points.

Prior to reading GMC, I had already employed many of the principles in the book in my writing, but the guide really gave me the terms and definitions necessary for applying a practical process to good storytelling.

Instead of talking about the book in length, I’ll define GMC and outline how Dixon’s process works in broad strokes. Then I’m going to use a scene from my own book to demonstrate how I incorporated her GMC model into my story.

Goal, motivation and conflict are the basis of everything that happens in the author’s fictional world.

Read the rest here.

Goddess Fish Presents: Shadow of Perception by Kristine Mason

What happens when negligent plastic surgeons receive a taste of their own medicine…?
Chicago investigative reporter, Eden Risk, receives an unmarked envelope containing a postcard ordering her to watch the enclosed DVD…or someone else dies. No Police. After Eden watches the DVD, a gruesome, horrifying surgery, she turns to the private criminal investigation agency, CORE, for help. Only she hadn’t expected that help to come with a catch. Her former lover, Hudson Patterson, has been assigned to the case.
Hudson would rather have another CORE agent handle the investigation. Two years ago, he’d screwed things up with Eden…bad. And as more DVDs arrive, Eden and Hudson find themselves not only knee-deep in a twisted investigation, but forced to deal with their past, and the love they’d tried to deny.

Excerpt:
“Hey, Eden,” Hudson Patterson said as he shrugged out of his leather coat and pierced her with his steely blue gaze. “I see you got yourself into another mess.”
The room shrank and her sole focus remained on the one man who had stirred more emotions in her than all the other men before and after him combined. Two years ago, he’d lit a fire inside her, and within months, he’d smothered the flames with his arrogance and bullheaded attitude.
Based on the condescending remark he’d just made, she doubted his opinion of her had changed. His appearance had, though. Harder, darker, more dangerous. His brown, wavy hair now reached his shoulders and he needed a shave. Even without the worn, black leather jacket, which now hung on the coat rack, he looked thuggish in a tattered charcoal gray thermal shirt, low-riding jeans and black Doc Marten boots. The whole badass biker look shouldn’t have appealed to her, but Hudson owned it and wore it well.
She glanced at his mouth, then immediately regretted it. Lust slammed into her belly as wicked memories of what his firm lips had done to her surfaced. Those unwanted memories collided into a kaleidoscope of naked skin, harsh moans and multiple orgasms. Even now, she swore she could still feel his rough hands urging her hips, spreading her legs, gripping her bottom. Could imagine his mouth on hers, or better yet, between her thighs.
Hudson smiled. A smug, satisfying smile that snapped her out of her sexual spell and reminded her exactly why breaking things off with him had been the right decision. Her body might not have thought so at the time, and those urges to have him in her bed right now might still be strong, but her head knew better. Hudson was an arrogant jerk who exuded less emotion than she did.
Author Bio:
I didn’t pick up my first romance novel until I was in my late twenties. Immediately hooked, I read a bazillion books before deciding to write one of my own. After the birth of my first son I needed something to keep my mind from turning to mush, and Sesame Street wasn’t cutting it. While that first book will never see the light of day, something good had come from writing it. I realized my passion, and had found a career that I love.
When I’m not writing contemporary romances and dark, romantic suspense novels (or reading them!) I’m chasing after my four kids and two neurotic dogs.
Find Kristine Mason on:FacebookTwitter Website
Books available for purchase on:AmazonBarnes & NobleKobo

Kristine will be awarding $5 Amazon gift cards to four randomly drawn commenters during the tour as well as print books to six other randomly drawn commenters during the tour (3 of Pick Me, a contemporary romance, and 3 of Shadow of Danger, book one of the suspense series. [US ONLY on the books]).
Follow the tour and comment to better your chances of winning. The tour dates can be found here. 

Goddess Fish Presents: Bama Bride by Joan Chandler

Bama Brideby Joan Chandler~~~~~~~~~~~~~  BLURB:
Neal Sinclair meets David Bankston in a college town bar. He’s tall, dark, and handsome, and wears a Stetson like nobody’s business.
When they dance, inner passion heats up while inhibitions melt away. Neal quickly discovers David’s not a Southerner at all. He’s a Boston architect, in Tuscaloosa for only one night. The next morning, they struggle to walk away from something that caught them both by surprise.
Time doesn’t diminish the ache they feel in each other’s absence. Unable to stay apart, David arranges to take Neal to watch her beloved Crimson Tide play in a football bowl game. Reunited, they’re determined to make it work. When separated, they perfect the art of open communication. They each know that true love is a long shot.
But distance isn’t the only thing standing in their way. Unbeknownst to her, Neal’s overprotective father is, too. With so much conspiring against them, can a natural disaster turn the odds in their favor? ~~~~~~~~~~~~~EXCERPT:
He trailed his mouth up toward hers and then covered it with a delicious kiss. “Mmm, you taste so good on my tongue.”
Neal melted into him and wrapped her arms around his neck. “I could say the same thing, David.”
They kissed until the room seemed noticeably hotter. Finally, David broke their embrace and said, “If we want to see the outside of this room, perhaps we should take a breather and go exploring. Much more of this and I won’t be responsible for what happens next.” He winked at her and then walked to the window. He pulled the curtains back to reveal an excellent view of the city. “What do you want to do first?”
“I need to hang up a few things,” she told him as she began to unlatch her suitcase.
“Take your time. I’m in no hurry.”
He sat on the side of the bed while she began to pull garments out one by one. By the time she’d hung up three dresses and pulled out two pairs of boots and a pair of high-heeled pumps, his mouth was hanging. And she still had a few items still to go.
“Okay, first of all, how did you get all of that in one piece of luggage? And secondly, we’re here for two nights. How can you possibly need that many outfits?”
“Don’t rain on my parade. You have no idea how tough it is to decide what to wear to the football game. I had to bring extras in case I change my mind.”
“It’s a no-brainer, Neal. Blue jeans and a sweater,” he said with a smug expression.
“You’re way off base. I want to look my best at a game this important. I’m perfectly happy to wear sweatpants to class, but ball games are held to a higher standard.” It occurred to her that David might not have brought any nice clothes with him. She quickly added, “But you should wear whatever is most comfortable to you. Sweats, jeans, a hoodie…whatever.”
He shook his head but told her, ‘It’s all right. I think I’ll manage to scrounge up something that doesn’t look like I’m a vagrant.”
“I’m sorry if it makes me seem prissy. I’m really not. But it’s a tradition at games. We always dress to the nines. Hey, if you think we’re bad, you should walk through The Grove at Ole Miss at any home game. Those girls are absolutely breathtaking. They give me Venus envy.”
He did a double take. “Venus envy? What does that mean, dare I ask?”
“It’s just something my friends and I made up. You know what penis envy is right? Of course you do. Well, this is the equivalent for sorority sisters. Some chapters are just so perfect and the girls are all so exquisite, that they achieve a level of perfection no one else comes close to. Since Venus is the goddess of beauty, we started saying they gave us Venus envy.”
David threw his head back and laughed. “I guess I missed out on a lot by having only brothers. When I was in college, the toughest decision I had to make was how many times I could wear my jeans before I absolutely had to wash them. I had no idea you girls have it so rough.”
“Tease me all you want. I’m still going to do my best to look like a model as I make my way to our seats in row quadruple N, or wherever they are.”
He pulled her into his embrace. “Neal, you’re beautiful no matter what you wear. I’ll be so proud to have you on my arm these few days.”
They kissed again, the experience still new and heady. They had talked for hours on end over the last month, getting to know each other and cementing their friendship. But being able to share physical contact was a privilege they didn’t take lightly. Their time together was very limited, due to the distance between them. And when David skimmed his hand along Neal’s skin, his touch made her tremble.
“Mmm,” she whispered. “I have so missed breathing the same air as you.” She ran her fingers down his arm, gently squeezing his bicep before trailing down to his wrist and then lacing her fingers with his. She looked up into his eyes.
“You shouldn’t look at me that way while we’re standing in a hotel room with a bed only a few feet away.”
“How am I looking at you?”
“With adoration. And trust me, it’s a fucking great aphrodisiac. I want to do so many things with you, Neal. And we never have to leave this room to accomplish most of them.” ~~~~~~~~~~~~~AUTHOR Bio and Links:
Joan Chandler is a Florida native who has lived in the Deep South all of her life. She is married with two children who are her pride and joy. She lives a double life of sorts, holding down a nine-to-five job during the day, and writing steamy romance at night—often with her black cat curled up in her arms as she types.
When she’s not spending her spare time working on her next novel, she loves to go camping, sharing girls’ night out with her friends, walking her two dogs, and watching college football.
BUY Links: AmazonBookstrand Publishing
 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Where to find Joan Chander on the Web:BLOG:  www.joanchandler.wordpress.comtwitter account: @joanchandler1Facebook:  Joan Chandleremail:  joanchandler13@gmail.com
Joan will be awarding a $25 Amazon gift card to a randomly drawn commenter during the tour. Be sure to follow the tour and comment often in order to better your chances of winning. The tour dates can be found here.

Goddess Fish Presents: The Hourglass by Sharon Struth

 The Hourglassby Sharon Struth~~~~~~~~~~~~~ BLURB:
Can forgiveness survive lies and unspoken truths?
Until Brenda McAllister’s husband committed suicide, she appeared to have the ideal life: a thriving psychology practice, success as a self-help author, and a model family. But her guilt over her affair with Jack’s best friend prevents her from moving on. Did Jack learn of her infidelity? Was she the cause of his death?
The release of Brenda’s second book forces her into an unexpected assignment with arrogant celebrity author CJ Morrison, whose irritating and edgy exterior hides the torment of his own mistakes. But as she grows closer to CJ, Brenda learns she wasn’t the only one with secrets—Jack had secrets of his own, unsavory ones that may have led to his death. While CJ helps Brenda uncover the truth about her husband, she finds the path to forgiveness isn’t always on the map. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~ EXCERPT:
She’d jabbed him a little, but wasn’t sure why, since this type of egging on was usually reserved for those closer to her. She rose from the sofa and followed him to the kitchen. Leaning against the doorjamb, she crossed her arms.
He reached into the refrigerator.
“CJ?”
He pulled out the bottles and glanced over. “I would have brought it to you.”
“I know. Listen, I’ve never done anything like this before. My role in this project is a little unclear to me.”
“We’ll figure this out.”
“What if we can’t? I tend to be direct. Maybe you’d rather find someone more accommodating. I sure don’t want to be added to your list of challenges.”
He moved toward her and stopped, just a little too close. Brenda couldn’t move, trapped by dark chestnut irises that silently commanded her attention. The room seemed to pulse around them. Brenda’s breath bottlenecked at her throat.
“You won’t.” His answer carried quiet confidence. The smooth baritone timbre of his voice grew soft. “Something tells me you’ll be on a list all your own. The way you are is fine. I’d like it if you’d stay.”
Brenda’s breath vanished. Who was this man? It certainly wasn’t the same CJ she had met at the conference. “All right,” she mumbled.
“Besides,” CJ continued, sporting a grin capable of making a nun reconsider her vows, “I climbed Mount Everest. I’m pretty sure I can handle you.”
He handed over a bottle of water. She wanted to twist off the cap and splash some on her face, just to be certain this new and improved version of CJ wasn’t a dream.
THE HOURGLASS Webpage and Trailer
Available for purchase: AmazonBarnes &NobleAll Romance EbooksKobo  ~~~~~~~~~~~~~AUTHOR Bio:
Novelist Sharon Struth believes you’re never too old to pursue a dream. The Hourglass, her debut novel, received first place in the Dixie Cane Memorial Contest and second place in the Golden Heart. She writes from the friendliest place she’s ever lived, Bethel, Connecticut, along with her husband, two daughters and canine companions. For more information, including where to find her published essays, please visit http://www.sharonstruth.com.
Sharon, how long have you been writing?
About five years. One year part-time, then I lost my job and began to write full-time. I devoured every morsel of information about the craft, took tons of on-line classes and wrote every single day (maybe a few days off but not many). For me, writing is more than a vocation…it’s an obsession!
What inspired your current book?
I wanted to write a woman’s story, one with some romance and a bit of intrigue, for females over the age of thirty-five. I love any story with romance, but I often find the youngish heroines in many books are not relatable or even realistic to my age group. These characters came to me almost immediately. Some of the issues faced by the main character in her past — alcoholism and suicide — are things I’ve dealt with in my own life. Everything seemed to fit.
Do you write with music going in the background? What are some of your favorite types/bands?
Never! I couldn’t concentrate. I was like that when I had to study in college, too.

Name one person, living or dead, you'd most like to meet.
Abraham Lincoln. I enjoy history and the more I learn about him, I see his strong character and ability as a politician. With many people against him, he stood his ground on the issue of slavery. It took some true courage to stand up and fight in light of the opposition back then.
What is your favorite book genre? Who are your favorite authors?
 I love Jodi Piccoult’s style because she knows how to make a reader step right into a character’s world and feel familiar. I read Jennifer Weiner’s stories because she always makes me laugh. I love Harlan Coben because he sure knows how to write a fabulous mystery and his Myron Boliter character always cracks me up.
Do you have a favorite character from your books? Who is it and why?
In The Hourglass, it’s CJ Morrison. On the surface, CJ can come across as arrogant and even a little gruff...unless he chooses not to. Yet deeper forces drive him. He’s really a pussycat when you get to know him. I believe that the surface view of people isn’t what they are really all about. Look deep within a person who might not seem nice or seems angry;  you may learn they are that way for a reason.
Quick quiz: Favorite food?  Cheese. Almost any kind will do.Favorite color?  Rich red.Favorite animal?  Dogs. I have two.Biggest pet peeve?  Slow driversDream car?  A 1966 convertible mustang. Sweet ride
 Discover more about Sharon Struth here:
Blogs at "Life in the Middle Ages”  Website Facebook Author Page

Sharon will be awarding a $25 Amazon GC to two randomly drawn commenters during the tour. Be sure to follow the tour and comment in order to better your chances of winning. The tour dates can be found here. 

Bewitching Book Tours Presents: Gargoyle Addition by Livia Olteano

Livia is hosting a tour wide Rafflecopter giveaway for 10 ecopies of Gargoyle Addiction. Be sure to enter below!




Gargoyle AddictionOtherworlds Summons Book One Livia Olteano
Genre: New Adult (Spicy!) Paranormal Romance
Expected Publication: July 15 2013
Book Description:
Summonari don’t trust. Under their command, they summon any number of creatures from the Otherwolds—but never trust them outside of the summoning.
Gargoyles don’t love. Fierce descendants of dragons, they function on power and fear—never love.
Karla isn’t the happily-ever-after type of girl. No territory-hungry guy is going to stick flags all over her unclaimed grounds.
Kann’s world is death and betrayal. As Dar Primus of Haus Varis, he’s expected to follow tradition but he’s not your regular gargoyle. In fact, he’s anything but. One fateful Friday night, Otherworlds collide. Stuck together in one world or another, Karla and Kann face everything from Awakenings and turbulent love to Festnavals and bloodthirsty scorned suitors.
If there’s one thing they can’t escape, it’s the addiction to each other. And they’ve got it bad.
Excerpt:

A soul-shuddering sensation of cold woke me up. My nose dug into the book but the reading lamp was off. I frowned staring at the clock on the dresser. Clearly reading in bed hadn’t been a good plan under the circumstances. Odd, it was just 3:03 a.m. I must’ve had just dosed off. Odder still, I couldn’t remember shutting off my lamp. I sighed and got up from the book, hoping really hard I hadn’t drooled on it or anything. Apparently, a paper cut was part of the sleeping-on-books routine. A bit of blood was smudged right on top of Kann’s name. Sort of ironic since he was a bloody being. My face had a bad case of book-sleep, itchy lines imprinted in many funny places and a paper cut somewhere in there. I got up rubbing a cheek and froze. My eyes darted toward the reading chair now bathed in long shadows. Moonlight didn’t quite reach it but even in the darkness it was clear something was there. My heart twitched. I rubbed at my eyes hoping it was just sleep playing tricks. Another stare toward the chair confirmed a thing was there all right. It leaned forward catching some stray beams of light in its eyes and they shone glassy, chilling silver that made my skin crawl. I fell back on my butt and scrambled away from the foot of the bed, pressing my back into the headboard. Going through the wall seemed like a good plan too, but it resisted my attempts.The thing leaned forward a bit more, its head poking out into the cascading beams of moonlight. Those eyes seemed to shine even brighter as light hit its…his…face. I wanted to scream but I was so beyond panicked my voice didn’t work anymore. The plan was to get my cell phone and call 911, but before I could even end the thought, he did a blurry motion and suddenly my phone wasn’t there anymore. Eyebrows raced toward the top of my head and I opened eyes so wide they stung.“So, what do you want, witch?”I almost screamed. His voice had the jarring quality of a whisper though I heard it too well for it to have been simply whispered. My skin burst in prickly points and my legs clattered. He sounded off and in a very bad mood.“Well? What do you want?” he snarled.Want? To place a call to 911 is what I wanted. Hell, a SWAT team, the thing…creature looked dangerous! He drew in a gulp of air, releasing it with a whoosh. “I don’t have a lot of patience, I warn you.”He seated his tall—very tall—and ferocious-looking body on the edge of the bed with uncanny grace. I tried to scoot away, frantically looking for my phone again. He placed one hand on the other side of me effectively restricting any escape route. Okay. Okay. It had to be a dream. A dream, simple as that. I took deep, hopefully calming breaths, but my heart twitched like it was possessed.He wrinkled his nose. “You smell.”“Excuse me?” I screeched.“You stink, in fact. Like…bodies, writhing bodies, sweaty, horny. And plenty of them.” He snorted, and it was perhaps the complete stillness he exuded that put something of a damper on my panic. I was seething instead.“What. The. Hell. Are you doing in my room? Who are you?” He cocked his head to the side. His eyes caught light and shined that ominous silver again. A shudder emerged from someplace deep inside me, a primal place. I wanted to bolt so bad my feet itched.“You’ve summoned me and I suggest you be quick about your request. Your smell is appalling. Enjoy an orgy tonight?”“WHAT? Listen, you maniac, I don’t know where you get off…”Before I could blink, I was lifted from the bed, my back pressed against the wall. Mean hands fitted snuggly around my arms. Those silver eyes scared the living days out of me from barely a breath away. He certainly put the F in feral.“You won’t speak like that to me again. Or those will be your last words, are we clear?”His eyes came even closer to mine, chilly flashes, and tears clouded my vision.He retreated to the other corner of the room as fast as he’d jumped me. Facing away, he sighed like you’d sigh when a kid is driving you insane. I plopped down on the bed panting air in, regardless of how infuriating it was to give him the satisfaction. I had to make an effort to gather my wits.“Look, I’m not rich, but whatever money I have I’ll give it to you. Just leave, just…just…”Well yeah, stuttering was really going to convince him. Gah! He turned around slowly, stared me down from his impressive height. I couldn’t be sure, but it seemed he was…sneering?“You’re wasting my time. If you have no use for me, undo the summoning.”I stared up and up at him, too puzzled to remember my fear for a few seconds. Summoning?“Are you on drugs or something?” I regretted asking as soon as the words were out. It probably showed on my face because he seemed to contemplate choking me for a few seconds and then let it go. Clearly, he was a maniac. Maybe a serial killer. Most likely both. I shuddered.“I only had a light meal before you so rudely interrupted me. I’ll get cranky in a short while, so stalling won’t do you good.”Oh, so this was him not being cranky yet? Jesus Christ! His unnerving level sort-of-whispered voice shocked me more than the words. It had that monotone you hear in movies, the psycho type. What really drove it home was his lopsided toothy grin. Those teeth were a bit too long, a bit too sharp and ominous looking to be human. Had he gotten implants? So he was a psycho with some weird king-of-the-jungle-meets-piranha fetish thing, fabulous. I only ever met the wonky specimens; obviously my karma sucks toads.

Available for purchase at: Amazon  Smashwords   ARe  OmniLit

About the Author:Livia lives in Europe where she listens to obscene amounts of music and devours every reading material in sight. When she’s not doing either of the two, she fiddles with anything remotely customizable within reach.
She spamificates the world online via:WebsiteBlogTwitter FacebookGoodreads

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Goddess Fish Presents: How You Leave Texas by Alana Cash

BLURB:  


How You Leave Texas is a volume of three short stories and a novella about four young women who leave Midland, Austin, Fort Worth and Mayville, Texas for New York, California, Jakarta, and in one instance, jail.  They seek escape from boredom and sorrow and find it.  The stories are hilarious, tragic, revelatory.

How You Leave Texas placed First in the Short Story category of the GLOBAL BOOK CONTEST 2013.


BUY LINKS:Amazon Print / Amazon Kindle

EXCERPT:  


She was late to work at Fastbinder’s Mortgage Company, and when she arrived, the atmosphere in the office felt charged. Something was up. The top managers were in an unscheduled conference call and no one knew why. No one was working, so Camille called her mother to thank her for the flowers that were already sitting on her desk.


“What do you and Walker have planned for tonight?” Elaine Morgan asked her daughter.


Camille explained about the dinner.


“What is he getting you as a gift?”


“I don’t know, Mom. I’ve looked everywhere.”


“Well, have a wonderful time, honey,” her mom said.


It was ten o’clock when Camille got off the phone. The accounting department surprised her with a birthday cake, sang to her, and gave her the card they had all signed. Five minutes later, the managers were out of their meeting and everyone got canned by one loud announcement from the District Manager.


“We’re sorry to have to tell you that you are all let go.”  That is all that Camille would ever clearly remember.


The mortgage company was belly-up. Those few employees who were retained were being transferred to the Las Vegas branch. Everyone was in shock and had no time to express outrage or disappointment because they were told to pack up all of their personal belongings and exit the building immediately. Camille took the elevator down the four floors, amid grumblings from secretaries and mortgage brokers. What about our benefits?  I didn’t take all my vacation this year. Someone ought to blow up the building. I stole a printer.
AUTHOR Bio:

Alana Cash is an adventurer.  She’s trekked alone through war-torn Serbia and has slept in a KGB interrogation room in Prague.  She’s been to a gypsy fair in rural England, a bullfight in Laredo, and parasailing in Acapulco.  She’s been inside the New York Stock Exchange and eaten in J. Pierpont Morgan’s home dining room.  She's gone on a ride-along in a New York City patrol car and kissed a man inside the Norman Bates Psycho house at Universal Studios.  She’s been a lifeguard, legal secretary, accountant, writer, teacher, filmmaker and artist.


Her experiences are inspiration for her work as an acclaimed writer and filmmaker. She was one of 60 US teachers profiled on the PBS series, "A Writer's Exchange," for her talent as a teacher at the University of Texas Informal Classes  - many of her students published and won writing awards. Her feature film, "Tom's Wife," based on her novel of the same name, won awards all over the world. Her documentary "Anna Freud: Under Analysis," part of documentary trilogy on women in science, was translated into German for broadcast in Austria, Germany & Switzerland. 

Alana will be awarding a screen printed camisole (What Happens in the Bedroom Stays in the Bedroom) to a randomly drawn commenter during the tour as well as a screen printed Brass Nuts t-shirt to another commenter.

Goddess Fish Presents: Burn on the Western Slope by Angela Smith

 
On the ski slopes of Montana, deception turns deadly and seduction becomes more hypnotic than jewels.
Reagan McKinney is on a mission to discover more about a deceased uncle who mysteriously left her a sizable inheritance, a condo in the mountains, and a stash of stolen jewels.  With both her graphic design career and her love life in shambles, the opportunity to begin a new life couldn’t have come at a better time.  When she becomes involved with the sexy FBI agent next door, she finds her struggle is not only to keep her heart intact, but her life.          Grief stricken after an undercover investigation ends in the tragic death of his partner, FBI Agent Garret Chambers goes home to find solace in the arms of his mountain home.  That is, until his boss assigns him to investigate the spirited brunette staying in the condo next door.  He is assigned to investigate Reagan’s involvement with a large jewel fencing organization, but his investigation becomes comprised when his attraction to her heats up.  Will his discovery destroy everything he has come to love, including Reagan?~~~~~~~~~~~~~Excerpt:
Garret blinked, slowly, and she watched his chest rise and fall. “Did you know something about Kyle?”
She threw her boot at him. He caught it. She cursed.
“I knew he was a dirty cheating slime ball. Just like you.” Reagan tugged on her socks and her knee-high boot, tightening the lace in record speed. Standing, she marched to him and seized the other from his grasp, refusing to look at him. Her balance teetered as she tried to slip it on, but she wouldn't give him the satisfaction of seeing her helplessness. She braced one hand on the wall as she loosened the lace and lugged on the boot, refusing to sit. Refusing to reveal any kind of vulnerability or regret.
Garret remained in the doorway, watching. Unmoving. She pushed past him, his woodsy scent all the more reason to hate him, or at least hate the effect he had on her. She donned her jacket, slipped on her gloves, and tore out the front door.
“It’s too far to walk,” Garret called behind her.
“I’ll take my chances.”
Garret pulled on her arm and whipped her around. Eye level with his chest, she didn’t fail to notice the tension streaming out of every pore of his body. The cords in his neck bulged with each breath. His eyes, a deep, dark, abysmal dye, wouldn’t let her inside his head. Which was a good thing, now that she knew the psychosis of his mental state. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Author Bio: During my senior year in high school, I was dubbed most likely to write a novel because I always had my nose stuck in a book.   I would hide my romance novels under my history book until my teacher called me out on it.  Writing has been my dream ever since my mother read Brer Rabbit to my sister and me so often that we were able to recite it back to each other before actually learning to read.  I love reading about the adventure of love, and getting involved in the legal field developed my love of suspense. I believe love is a mystery that most people have trouble resolving.  While I don’t expect we’ll ever solve that mystery, I love to read and write about characters who work to solve their love’s mystery.  See more about me at my website www.loveisamystery.com or tweet me @angelaswriter.Publisher Website: www.crimsonromance.com
Angela will be awarding one of three prizes: a car mirror hanger or key chain (a seashell as a tie-in to her book), an mp3 album by Pretty Little Blisters, a $10 Amazon gift card, to three randomly drawn commenters during the tour. Please follow the tour and comment to better your chances of winning.  The tour dates can be found here. 

Book Review: Hero's Redemption by Georgie Lee

Hero’s Redemption by Georgie Lee
London, 1817
Devon, the Earl of Malton, is a hero for his deeds at the Battle of Waterloo. But he suffers terrible nightmares, and drinks himself to sleep most nights. A habit he vows to break when he awakes one morning to find a woman sharing his bed, no memory of how she got there, and her angry brother at his door.
Cathleen is mortified when her wastrel brother and his greedy wife propose a blackmail scheme involving the earl, but as a penniless war widow she's at their mercy. She goes along with the plan and sneaks into Devon's bed one night, and ends up comforting him through a night terror.
Charmed by her beauty and kindness, Devon determines that rather than pay the blackmail, he will offer his hand in marriage to Cathleen. Although she is deeply attracted to the stoic earl, Cathleen cannot understand why Devon would want to marry her. What she doesn't know is that Devon owes her a debt that can never fully be repaid…
Review:
Regencies aren't my typical cup 'o tea but I had more free time than usual last week thanks to a family camping trip so I decided to go ahead and give Hero's Redemption by Georgie Lee a shot. The story immediately sucked me in and at thirty-four thousand words, it made for some great summer reading beside the fire. I finished the story over the course of a day and never had any difficulty staying involved in Cathleen and Devon's story.

Cathleen is wonderfully strong-willed and assertive. As a destitute widow, she has the unfortunate circumstance of living with her dastardly brother, Lucien, and his wife, Martha. The story starts off with Devon waking up in Cathleen's bed as part of a contrived blackmail scheme cooked up by Lucien.

A hero of Waterloo, Devon suffers from terrible PTSD, including traumatic nightmares. He is smart and courageous, but also deeply wounded. Cathleen happens to comfort him during such an episode and he finds solace within her presence. The pair share an immediate attraction to one another. An unfortunate past event involving Cathleen's deceased husband also binds them together.

I loved how Devon rushed to rescue Cathleen from her greedy relatives and wanted to protect and shelter her despite his initial trust issues. As a couple, their scenes together are sweet and tender, and the reader really wants for them to overcome their differences and fall in love. I'll admit to harboring some preconceived notions about what to expect from sex scenes in Regency romance (I thought it was all closed-doors). But I was pleasantly surprised to discover sensual-to-spicy lovemaking scenes.

There wasn't a whole lot of action but the author managed to keep events moving right along to the very end. The characters are well developed and secondary characters contribute to the story, although I found the occasional scenes involving Lucien and Martha to be less enjoyable. The story is well written and editing is professional.

It's easy to recommend Hero's Redemption to anyone looking for an easy-to-read summer romance set in the British Regency period.

I received an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Available for purchase at: 
Amazon Barnes and Noble
All Romance Ebooks
Author's Bio:A dedicated history and film buff, Georgie Lee loves combining her passion for Hollywood, history and storytelling through romantic fiction. She began writing professionally at a small TV station in San Diego before moving to Las Angeles to work in the interesting but strange world of the entertainment industry.
Her first novel, Lady’s Wager, and her contemporary novella, Rock ‘n’ Roll Reunion are both available from Ellora’s Cave Blush. Labor Relations, a contemporary romance of Hollywood, and Studio Relations, a love story set in 1935 Hollywood, are currently available from Montlake Romance. Look for her Regency novella, Hero’s Redemption from Carina Press on July 29, 2013, and her Regency novel, Engagement of Convenience, from Harlequin Historical on October 1, 2013.  
When not writing, Georgie enjoys reading non-fiction history and watching any movie with a costume and an accent. Please visit  www.georgie-lee.com for more information about Georgie and her novels.

Where can readers find you on the internet?FacebookTwitter: @GeorgieLeeBooksGoodreadsBlog: Website 

A Survivor's Story by Heather McCollum

“I’m pregnant?” “Will you marry me?” “There’s been an accident.” “You have cancer.”
Words strung together into phrases like these steal your breath, twist your stomach, and could possibly make you pee your pants. They are the waving flags that signal a “before and after” moment in your life. Like before you met the love of your life and after you met him. Before you were a mom (or dad) and after you held your first child in your arms. We all have them, some wonderful and some terrifying.
Good morning, everyone! I’m Heather McCollum: author, mom of 3, dog-mom of 1, married to my Highland hero, and teal warrior. It has become one of my passions to share my most recent “before and after” moment. I call it “Shouting Against the Whisper.”
Two years ago I had just turned 40 years old. I was busy writing, carting my kids around to school, and working hard to keep my 39-year-old body. I was playing soccer with my husband’s co-ed indoor team and running my dog every day. I wasn’t tired beyond the normal late nights. I had just published my first two historical romance novels and was awaiting the release of my third. Life was good.
I first noticed that my skinny jeans, the ones I could wear easily three days into my period, didn’t zip quickly. I had to suck in. Then I got a pain in my right side. It felt like an ovulation pain, but it continued throughout the month. Odd. I had just been at my GYN to check something five months earlier and everything was normal, so I ignored the twinge.
In the soccer play offs, a man weighing a hundred more pounds than me, kicked the ball toward my face. I managed to fend it off with my hand. I thought for sure the side of my hand was broken and went to see my nurse practitioner. While checking out my wrist I mentioned the bloating and pain. She did a quick feel of my abdomen.
Her brows wrinkled. “I need to do a pelvic exam.”
“For a broken hand,” I teased.
“Something’s not right.”
“I’m seeing my GYN next month for my annual. It can wait.”
“No, it can’t.” She wouldn’t let me leave. She saved my life.
Her exam and then follow-up scans and surgery a week later found Ovarian Cancer spreading rapidly through my abdomen. Because of her, because of that soccer kick, because the doctors moved fast, we caught it at Stage IIc. If I had waited until my annual, it could easily have been Stage III which would have given me only a 20% chance of surviving five years.
The day we met with my oncologist a week after the surgery and she told me my prognosis and all the terrible things I would be undergoing to save my life . . . God, I was lost. After the debulking surgery which removed all my girlie parts, I underwent 5 months of weekly chemo treatments and then 10 more months of chemo every three weeks. I lost my long thick hair, eyelashes, brows, GI health, taste buds, and for awhile my hope. I gained 40 pounds on the steroids and could hardly walk. It then took another 6 months after the last chemo of taking pain killers to be able to walk, eat, and move without wincing as all my nerves grew back.
Yeah…it was beyond rough, but love like I’ve never seen before flooded in: food, cards, notes, e-mails, child care, dog walking, etc. My kids stepped up to help. My 4-yr-old tucked me in on the couch after each 6-hour chemo session. My 12-yr-old designed sea glass jewelry to raise money for research. My 10-yr-old called periodically from the front office at school to check on me. And I had certainly loved my husband before, but after he carried me (sometimes literally) through those long months, I love him a thousand times more.
I learned a hell of a lot during that time. I learned to stare fear in the eye until it blinked long enough for me to catch my breath and I learned that I’m tougher than I thought. I’m convinced that one of the keys to survival is not to give up on our passions. Not just survival from cancer, but survival from all sorts of tragedy. We all have terrible “before and after” moments in our lives. How many of you are surviving divorce, loss, pain in some form or another?
I am a writer. It has always been my passion. Even though I couldn’t write about happy endings (my fiction) during that time, I still wrote about all the lessons that came with my scars. It gave me a way to bleed out my pain and fear. If you too are going through difficulty, I urge you to look for an outlet, perhaps even try a new art or hobby, a way to express yourself and what you are going through.
Life is loud, loud, LOUD, and ovarian cancer whispers. So my husband and I started the “Shout Against the Whisper” campaign to educate women on those whispers. Doing so gave what I was going through some purpose.
The main symptoms of OC are bloating, pelvic or abdominal pain, difficulty eating or feeling full quickly, urinary symptoms (urgency or frequency). You should see your gynecologist if you have any of these symptoms almost daily for more than a few weeks. Your doctor should perform a pelvic exam and if anything feels abnormal with your ovaries he/she should follow up with a trans-vaginal ultrasound and a CA-125 blood test.
As for me, I’m in remission! It’s a lovely place to live and I hope never to leave. I’m checked every 3 months for the next few years and will be considered cured when I reach my 10-year anniversary.

Love to all of you out there dealing with your own crises, pain, or struggles. I’d like to hear your ideas for tapping into a passion when life feels like torture. Please also pass along “Shout against the Whisper” to your friends and family, and let woman-kind know about this silent killer. Kiss your kids, smell the flowers, hug your pets, and truly live!
For more information about Heather McCollum, check out her web site at www.HeatherMcCollum.com . She can be found on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/HeatherMcCollumAuthorand https://www.facebook.com/SHOUTagainsttheWhisper.