Melissa Snark's Blog: The Snarkology, page 28

MADISON’S SONG by Christine Amsden (Contest) @GoddessFish #Romance

Her voice is enchanting; his soul is black…

Madison Carter has been terrified of Scott Lee since the night he saved her from an evil sorcerer – then melted into a man-eating monster before her eyes. The werewolf is a slave to the moon, but Madison’s nightmares are not.

Despite her fears, when Madison’s brother, Clinton, is bitten by a werewolf, she knows there is only one man who can help. A man who frightens her all the more because even in her nightmares, he also thrills her.

Together for the first time since that terrible night, Scott and Madison drive to Clinton’s home only to discover that he’s vanished. Frantic now, Madison must overcome her fears and uncover hidden strengths if she hopes to save him. And she’s not the only one fighting inner demons. Scott’s are literal, and they have him convinced that he will never deserve the woman he loves.

*Stand-alone companion to the Cassie Scot series

 

Available from:

Amazon      Barnes and Noble

 

Excerpt:

The first police car screamed into the lot, skidding to a halt so close to the front of the truck that it was a miracle it hadn’t hit. They were caught. Madison glanced at Scott for instructions, but his eyes were closed and he was muttering something under his breath – casting a spell.

Two uniformed officers spilled from their car, but they didn’t come towards them. Instead, they went for Mick and his dad, cutting them off before they could pile into a rusty Toyota. Then another squad car screamed into the lot, ejecting two more officers who went into the building.

“Go,” Scott murmured.

She barely heard him, but she obeyed. She put the truck in reverse, carefully backed away from the police car trying to kiss their bumper, then threw the truck into drive and peeled away. Madison kept glancing at the mirrors, even though the angles were wrong, looking behind them for the cars that would surely give chase. They didn’t. The police officers acted as if they couldn’t even see them.

It wasn’t just the policemen who couldn’t see them, as Madison discovered when she pulled into traffic. She screamed and slammed on the brakes, barely missing a collision when a car changed lines directly into their side.

“Are we invisible?” Madison asked.

 

Christine Amsden is awarding a randomly drawn commenter via Rafflecopter a $10 Amazon/BN gift card.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

 

AUTHOR Bio and Links:

OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA

Christine Amsden has been writing fantasy and science fiction for as long as she can remember. She loves to write and it is her dream that others will be inspired by this love and by her stories. Speculative fiction is fun, magical, and imaginative but great speculative fiction is about real people defining themselves through extraordinary situations. Christine writes primarily about people and relationships, and it is in this way that she strives to make science fiction and fantasy meaningful for everyone.

At the age of 16, Christine was diagnosed with Stargardt’s Disease, a condition that affects the retina and causes a loss of central vision. She is now legally blind, but has not let this slow her down or get in the way of her dreams.

In addition to writing, Christine teaches workshops on writing at Savvy Authors. She also does some freelance editing work.

Christine currently lives in the Kansas City area with her husband, Austin, who has been her biggest fan and the key to her success. They have two beautiful children.

 

Website: http://christineamsden.com/wordpress/

Newsletter: https://tinyletter.com/christineamsden

Blog: http://christineamsden.com/wordpress/?page_id=200

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Christine-Amsden-Author-Page/127673027288664?ref=hl

Twitter: https://twitter.com/ChristineAmsden

Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/1030664.Christine_Amsden

Google+: https://plus.google.com/u/0/117845642477854934607/posts

 

Amazon Author Page: http://www.amazon.com/Christine-Amsden/e/B001JOXSIW/ref=sr_ntt_srch_lnk_1?qid=1434059504&sr=8-1

BN Author Page: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/s/christine-amsden?store=allproducts&keyword=christine+amsden

 

Elemental Storytelling: Tropes in A Baron for Becky by Jude Knight #amwriting #HistRom @BellesInBlue

My thanks to Melissa for inviting me to participate in a round of Elemental Storytelling. If you’ve been following these posts, you’ll know that each author creates a molecule from the tropes (the common situations and archetypes) that we all use.

 

Here’s mine for my new release, A Baron for Becky

 

 

Tropes in A Baron for Becky

Title: A Baron for Becky

Date Published: 5 August 2015

Genre: Historical romance

Word Count: 49,500 words

Becky is the envy of the courtesans of the demi-monde – the indulged mistress of the wealthy and charismatic Marquis of Aldridge. But she dreams of a normal life; one in which her daughter can have a future that does not depend on beauty, sex, and the whims of a man.

Finding herself with child, she hesitates to tell Aldridge. Will he cast her off, send her away, or keep her and condemn another child to this uncertain shadow world?

The devil-may-care face Hugh shows to the world hides a desperate sorrow; a sorrow he tries to drown with drink and riotous living. His years at war haunt him, but even more, he doesn’t want to think about the illness that robbed him of the ability to father a son. When he dies, his barony will die with him. His title will fall into abeyance, and his estate will be scooped up by the Crown.

When Aldridge surprises them both with a daring proposition, they do not expect love to be part of the bargain.

 

BB=Broken Bird: the character who copes with her dark and troubled past by being emotionally distant. My heroine Becky has had a difficult life. Forced into prostitution before she was 16, she has climbed to the top of her profession, as the mistress of a rich and generous marquess. On the surface, she is as calm as she is beautiful. But she cannot find happiness when all beneath is turmoil.

 

TbC=Troubled but cute: the hottie, usually male, whose first name is spelled t-r-o-u-b-l-e. Aldridge is rich, powerful, and a rake of the first order. He rescues Becky and her little daughter from a dreadful fate, then installs her as his mistress. He is not the hero.

 

WC=Wish child: the wish child is the longed-for child whom the characters believe will solve all their problems – in this case Aldridge’s bastard, Hugh’s longed-for heir, and Becky’s passport to respectability. Of course, things seldom work out as we might hope.

 

HFG=Hero with an ‘F’ in good: this character doesn’t have a problem with doing heroic things, but he does have trouble when it comes to other aspects of being good. Hugh is a loving, if neglectful father, a bit of a prig (though not about his own behaviour), and has a lot to learn to be the hero Becky needs.

 

The three characters are joined by plot tropes.

WGF=wrong guy first links Becky and Aldridge.

AM=Arranged marriage links Becky and Hugh (with a subplot of WC=wish child subverted).

BCF=Beleaguered childhood friend links Hugh and Aldridge

 

Excerpt:

Aldridge was early. She crossed to the sideboard where she kept his favourite brandy, and was pouring him a glass by the time she heard his steps in the hall. Two sets of steps? Who did Aldridge have with him?

The other man was as tall as Aldridge, but dark to his fair. He must once have been stunningly handsome, and one side of his face was still carved by a master; subtle curves and strong planes combining in a harmonious whole that spoke of strength and, in the almost invisible network of lines at the corners of his eyes, suffering.

On the other side, dozens of scars pitted and ridged the skin, as if it had been torn and chewed by an animal; an animal with jaws of flame by the tell-tale burn puckers. Thankfully, whatever it was had spared his eye, which, she suddenly realised, was glaring at her.

“Well,” he demanded, and she was shaken anew by his voice, rich and mellow. She had been staring. How rude. But for some reason, she didn’t apologise as she should, but instead blurted, “I was just feeling glad that what injured you spared your eye.”

He looked startled, and suddenly a lot friendlier. “Thank you. I am glad too.”

That voice! He could charm bird from the trees with it. Becky wondered if he sang.

“An unusual approach to an introduction,” Aldridge observed. Becky collected herself and smiled at her protector. “No one is more important than the man who keeps you,” a mentor had once told her. “When he is present, you notice no one else except as it reflects well on him.”

And Becky had never before had her attention so focused on a guest that she had been unaware of presenting her cheek to Aldridge for his kiss, giving him the expected squeal in return for his squeeze, and returning the kiss.

“An introduction would be polite, Aldridge,” she said.

“My dear, you have heard me speak of my friend, Baron Overton.”

Buy links

Smashwords

iBooks

Amazon

Barnes & Noble

Author bio:

Jude Knight writes strong determined heroines, heroes who can appreciate a clever capable woman, villains you’ll love to loathe, and all with a leavening of humour.

Jude is a member of the Bluestocking Belles, a group of historical romance writers with books set in the regency and an appetite for fun.

Jude Knight is the pen name of Judy Knighton. After a career in commercial writing, editing, and publishing, Jude is returning to her first love, fiction. Her novella, Candle’s Christmas Chair, was released in December 2014, and is in the top ten on several Amazon bestseller lists in the US and UK. Her first novel Farewell to Kindness, was released on 1 April, and is also sitting on a couple of bestseller lists. It is number one in a series: The Golden Redepennings.

Follow Jude on Twitter: http://twitter.com/JudeKnightBooks

Like Jude on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/JudeKnightAuthor

Subscribe to Jude’s blog: http://judeknightauthor.com

Subscribe to Jude’s newsletter: http://judeknightauthor.com/newsletter/

Follow Jude on Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/judeknight

 

Dance With Me By DeAnna Cameron (Contest) #Romance @DeAnnaMCameron

To ambitious belly dancer Melanie Drake, celebrity drummer Taz Roman is a self-absorbed playboy she prefers to avoid… until he makes her a tantalizing offer.

He needs someone to pose as his live-in girlfriend to get his meddling sister off his back. In exchange, he’ll coach her through the upcoming Belly Dance Divas’ audition.

But when Melanie’s fake feelings turn real and their secret backfires, she discovers Taz isn’t the man she thought he was. As the deception threatens to destroy her dreams and his career, she must find the courage to fight for what she truly wants.

 

Regular price: $3.99

New Release Blitz price: $0.99 (July 13-14 only!)

 

AMAZON LINK:

http://www.amazon.com/Romance-Dance-California-Belly-Book-ebook/dp/B00ZGZ9QK4

 

a Rafflecopter giveaway

 

AUTHOR BIO:

DeAnna Cameron writes about feisty heroines transformed by true love and belly dance—one of the oldest and most exciting dance forms in the world. Her novels have been translated into Japanese, Polish, and Serbian, and her work has been praised for its “deft prose, energetic characters and . . . colorful images” by RT Book Reviews. Before turning to fiction, DeAnna worked as a journalist, writing and editing for several Southern California newspapers and magazines. When she isn’t writing, she shepherds a local writing community called O.C Writers and edits LitCentraOC.com, an online resource and showcase for local authors. She lives with her family in Orange County, Calif.

For more info, find her online here:

Author site: www.DeAnnaCameron.com

Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/DeAnnaCameronAuthor

Twitter: https://twitter.com/DeAnnaMCameron

 

Center of Gravity by Laura McNeill (Contest) @Goddessfish

Her whole life, Ava Carson has been sure of one thing: she doesn’t measure up to her mother’s expectations. So when Mitchell Carson sweeps into her life with his adorable son, the ready-made family seems like a dream come true.

In the blink of an eye, she’s married, has a new baby, and life is grand.

Or is it?

When her picture-perfect marriage begins unraveling at the seams, Ava convinces herself she can fix it. It’s temporary. It’s the stress. It’s Mitchell’s tragic history of loss.

If only Ava could believe her own excuses.

Mitchell is no longer the charming, thoughtful man she married. He grows more controlling by the day, revealing a violent jealous streak. His behavior is recklessly erratic, and the unanswered questions about his past now hint at something far more sinister than Ava can stomach. Before she can fit the pieces together, Mitchell files for divorce and demands full custody of their boys.

Fueled by fierce love for her children and aided by Graham Thomas, a new attorney in town —Ava takes matters into her own hands, digging deep into the past. But will finding the truth be enough to beat Mitchell at his own game?

Center of Gravity weaves a chilling tale, revealing the unfailing and dangerous truth that things—and people—are not always what they seem.

 

Available from:  Amazon

 

Excerpt:

Every day, somebody, somewhere, needs a hero.

Think about it. The mom lifting a two-ton truck to save her son after a car crash. The dad who can’t swim—who jumps in the water anyway—to pull out his drowning daughter. The guy who kicks down a door of a burning house because his friend’s kid is trapped inside.

All of a sudden, getting hurt doesn’t matter. There’s no thinking twice. Just a gut pumping, jump-off-the-cliff, no turning back.

For these regular people thrown into crazy life or death situations, there’s one big hero moment. Then, they go back to work, their jobs, or school.

And it’s someone else’s turn.

I’m only in the third grade, but I’ve been waiting for my chance to be a hero my whole life.

An ear-piercing shriek yanks me back to the school playground.

“Emma Dunlop’s stuck up in the oak tree.” My best friend Mo runs up, breathless. He bends over, chest heaving in the humidity, and puts both hands on his knees. “She’s freaking out.”

Shielding my eyes, I grit my teeth. The tree’s as big as a monster, with twisted brown branches that extend like arms, thick emerald leaves at the fingertips. Spanish moss hangs from the lowest limbs, the ends curling like a snake’s tail.

Though I can’t see her through the tangle of limbs, I picture Emma hanging on tight to the rough bark. Shaking. Really scared. Trying not to look down at the brick-red clay.

I run a hand through my hair.

She’s in trouble. And I know why.

Legend says a man’s head—a genie—is hidden in the leaves and branches. Weird, rough pieces of wood make up his face. He has knots for eyes. A bump for his chin. It’s for real. I’ve seen it.

All the kids know the story. If you touch the genie’s nose, your wish will come true. Of course, my dad doesn’t believe in stuff like that and says I shouldn’t either. He’s a Ph.D. And does an important job at the college. So I guess he knows what he’s talking about.

But that’s not going to save Emma now. I start to jog, then full-out sprint. At the base of the tree, I push through a crowd of my classmates. Third and fourth graders, gaping, heads tilted, mouths open like baby birds. When I reach the trunk, I squint up and find Emma’s brand-new saddle shoes dangling high above me. I see pale, thin legs, and the crisp edges of her plaid jumper. And despite everyone talking and whispering, I hear Emma crying. It’s a whimpering wail, like a hurt animal.

“Y’all go on back inside now. Go back to class,” my teacher says, pushing the group back an inch or two. I end up jostled next to the school librarian, who’s holding her hands like she’s praying.

Our eyes meet. Mine flicker away.

“Don’t even think about it, Jack,” she warns.

But I kick off my shoes anyway and grab hold of the trunk. Deep down in my belly, I make myself act like I’m not scared. I don’t like heights or even hanging upside down from monkey bars. But Emma needs me.

 

Laura McNeill will be awarding a $10 Amazon/BN GC to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour, and a $10 Amazon/BN GC to a randomly drawn host. 

a Rafflecopter giveaway

AUTHOR Bio and Links:

After six years behind the anchor desk at two CBS affiliates, Laura moved to the Alabama Gulf Coast to raise her family. Her accolades in broadcasting include awards from the Associated Press, including Best News Anchor and Best Specialized Reporter.

Laura works at Spring Hill College as the school’s web content and social media manager and​ is active in her community—participating in fundraisers for the American Cancer Society, Ronald McDonald House, and Providence Hospital’s Festival of Flowers.

Laura was recently awarded a 2-book deal with Thomas Nelson Publishing, a division of HarperCollins. Her novel, Center of Gravity, set in Mobile, Ala., will be published in July of 2015. Laura is represented by Elizabeth Winick Rubenstein, president of McIntosh and Otis literary agency in New York.​ Her writing awards include those from William Faulkner-Wisdom Creative Writing Competition, Writer’s Digest, RWA, and the Eric Hoffer competition.

She holds a master’s degree in journalism from The Ohio State University and a bachelor’s degree in English from Clarion University of Pennsylvania. She is currently pursuing a second master’s degree in interactive technology from the University of Alabama. She is a native of Upstate New York and currently resides near the Alabama Gulf Coast with her two children.

Author’s Website: http://lauramcneill.com/

Author’s Blog: http://lauramcneill.com/layouts/blog/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/lauramcneillauthor?ref=hl

Twitter: https://twitter.com/LauraMcNeillBks

Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/lauram052

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/5280308.Lauren_Clark

Instagram: https://instagram.com/dixiegirlwriter/

Elemental Storytelling: Tropes in Dangerous Secrets by Caroline Warfield #amreading #Rome #Regencyromance

Caroline Warfield would like to offer any reader who comments an opportunity to be  included in a random drawing for a Kindle copy of  Dangerous Secrets.

Introducing the tropes of Dangerous Secrets

Title: Dangerous Secrets

Publisher: Soul Mate Publishing

Date Published: March 18, 2015

Genre: Historical Romance, Set in the Regency Era

Word Count: 73,000

When a little brown wren of an Englishwoman bursts into Jamie Heyworth’s private Hell and asks for help he mistakes her for the black crow of death.  Why not? He fled to Rome and sits in despair with nothing left to sell and no reason to get up in the morning. Behind him lie disgrace, shame, and secrets he is desperate to keep.

Nora Haley comes to Rome at the bidding of her dying brother who has an unexpected legacy. Never in her sunniest dreams did Nora expect Robert to leave her a treasure, a tiny black-eyed niece with curly hair and warm hugs. Nora will do anything to keep her, even hire a shabby, drunken major as an interpreter.

Jamie can’t let Nora know the secrets he has hidden from everyone, even his closest friends. Nora can’t trust any man who drinks. She had enough of that in her marriage. Either one, however, will dare anything for the little imp that keeps them together, even enter a sham marriage to protect her.

Jhg-Jerk with a Heart of Gold

Th-Subtype Tragic Hero

Fh-Subtype Fallen Hero

Jamie Heyworth fought heroically under Wellington throughout the Peninsular War, a courageous, if reckless, cavalry officer. His personal life, however, sank into drink, poverty, and dependence on his friends. He hit bottom when he made one horrible mistake. He sits in self-imposed exile, drunk, depressed, and too ashamed to tell his friends what he has done. However, he just can’t resist an intrepid widow and her charming niece.

 

Pg-Plucky Girl

Nora Haley traveled to Rome over her father’s objections when her brother wrote asking for help. She braves a foreign country where she knows no one, doesn’t speak the language, and doesn’t understand the dangers in order to love and protect her brother’s child.

Ria-Refuge in Audacity

When outside forces attempt to take the child, Nora and Jamie embark on a sham marriage in an effort to fool a powerful Italian count and protect the little girl from threats.

 

Dbd-Eccentric Mentor

A supportive Mother Superior sees the personal and political dangers even more clearly than Jamie. She suggests the Audacity and abets them in their efforts.

 

Mol-Mole

Imbedded among their associates is an unknown menace, a person who threatens to expose the audacious plan and physically threatens the little girl.

 

Bad-Big Bad

Behind the mole is the true instrument of evil, the one who threatens everyone, right down to the last shred of conflict.

 

Short excerpt (300 words):

He moved with deliberate slowness around the room, picking up clothing discarded the night before and searching his brain for promises discarded just as easily.

“You agreed to speak with the nuns, to interpret for me,” the woman said.

That was it. The wren needs an interpreter, needs one so badly that she let some excitable waiter drag her into a seedy tavern she had no business entering to meet an English “gentleman.” More fool she.

“I should not be surprised you don’t remember. You were much the worse for drink last night,” she complained.

She has me there.

“You’re acquainted with the effects of drink?” he asked. Intriguing.

“More than I wish. My husband—oh, do hurry up!” She stomped her foot and, much to his regret, let go of her skirts.

Husband? Pity, he thought. Inevitable though.

“Are you ready?” she demanded.

“You might wait until I’m finished with my trousers. Your husband will—”

“Do nothing!” She sounded furious.

“I beg your pardon?” He buttoned the fall of his trousers.

“My husband will do nothing. He died three years ago.”

“Ah, then there is no one to be concerned about your presence in a man’s room in a foreign city in which you speak not a word of the native language. What’s the hurry?”

“The hurry, Major,” she almost spat out his rank, “is that I am only permitted to visit Isabella during very strictly set hours.”

“Isabella?”

“My niece!”

Of course. The niece.

“Do pay attention. Sister Amelia Maria will be at the hospital, but I am told the others will allow me a visit, only the briefest visit, in their common room,” she went on.

Ah. No tower. The niece is imprisoned in a—Good Lord!

“You are taking me to a convent?” he gasped.

“Of course.”

“I must have been ‘much the worse for drink’ indeed, if I agreed to that.”

 

Buy links:

Amazon US http://tinyurl.com/ph56vnb

Amazon UK http://amzn.to/1Gd9Im9

Amazon Canada http://amzn.to/1bbDxde

Amazon Euro http://amzn.to/1LrSLru

 

Author Bio:

Carol Roddy – Author

Caroline Warfield has at various times been an army brat, a librarian, a poet, a raiser of children, a nun, a bird watcher, a network services manager, a conference speaker, a tech writer, a genealogist, and, of course, a romantic. She is ever a traveler, adventurer, and writer of historical romance, enamored of owls, books, history, and beautiful gardens (but not the act of gardening). She has before retired to the urban wilds of Eastern Pennsylvania to write and is married to a prince among men.

 

Author Links:

Web http://www.carolinewarfield.com/

FB  https://www.facebook.com/carolinewarfield7

Twitter https://twitter.com/CaroWarfield

Email warfieldcaro@gmail.com

LibraryThing http://www.librarything.com/profile/CaroWarfield

Amazon Author http://www.amazon.com/Caroline-Warfield/e/B00N9PZZZS/

Good Reads http://bit.ly/1C5blTm

Bluestocking Belles http://bluestockingbelles.com/who-we-are/caroline-warfield/

Pinterest Board http://bit.ly/1GfRHE3

Why Did Jamie Run:  http://tinyurl.com/l5cm7ns

The Snarkology: Dance With Me (Book 2 in the California Belly Dance #Romance series) @DeAnnaMCameron

DANCE WITH ME

Book 2 in the California Belly Dance Romance series

by DeAnna Cameron

reg. $3.99

on sale for 99c, July 13-14

Amazon.com

 

[image error]

To ambitious belly dancer Melanie Drake, celebrity drummer Taz Roman is a self-absorbed playboy she prefers to avoid… until he makes her a tantalizing offer.

He needs someone to pose as his live-in girlfriend to get his meddling sister off his back. In exchange, he’ll coach her through the upcoming Belly Dance Divas’ audition.

But when Melanie’s fake feelings turn real and their secret backfires, she discovers Taz isn’t the man she thought he was. As the deception threatens to destroy her dreams and his career, she must find the courage to fight for what she truly wants.

 

 

DeAnna Cameron writes about feisty heroines transformed by true love and belly dance—one of the oldest and most exciting dance forms in the world. Her novels have been translated into Japanese, Polish, and Serbian, and her work has been praised for its “deft prose, energetic characters and . . . colorful images” by RT Book Reviews. Before turning to fiction, DeAnna worked as a journalist, writing and editing for several Southern California newspapers and magazines. When she isn’t writing, she shepherds a local writing community called O.C Writers and edits LitCentraOC.com, an online resource and showcase for local authors. She lives with her family in Orange County, Calif.

For more info, find her online here:

Author site: www.DeAnnaCameron.com

Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/DeAnnaCameronAuthor

Twitter: https://twitter.com/DeAnnaMCameron

Murder and mayhem beneath HUNGER MOON @MelissaSnark #Fantasy #amreading

99 cents Sale! Limited Time Only!

4.7 out of 5 stars / 3 Amazon Norse & Viking Mytholog best seller lists

 

Hunger Moon by Melissa Snark

Book #1 in the Loki’s Wolves series

Genre: Urban Fantasy /Folklore Fantasy

Published April 25, 2013

ISBN (ebook):  978-1-942193-06-7

ISBN (print):  978-1-942193-01-2

ASIN:  B00CJ1D1BI

Victoria Storm faces seemingly insurmountable odds to keep her dwindling pack of werewolves alive and together. She fights hunters- including the brother and father of her deceased lover-and the pack takes another devastating loss. When they seek sanctuary in a small town near Lake Tahoe, high in the secluded Sierra Nevada Mountains, Victoria discovers they are infringing on the territory of a vastly more powerful Alpha wolf. To save her pack, she uses her feminine wiles to seduce the Alpha. Nothing comes easily for Victoria. Her plans are complicated by the Alpha’s erratic son, a ghostly wife, and a vengeful witch. Not even her status as a Valkyrie or the favor of the Goddess Freya can change the course of destiny for Victoria or her packmates.

 

Buy links:

Amazon: http://goo.gl/0WrDVQ

B&N: http://goo.gl/bhrTxu

All Romance: http://goo.gl/PRV8C8

Google Play: http://goo.gl/K9x271

Kobo: http://goo.gl/SRNPHE

iTunes: http://goo.gl/SPMwat

 

Excerpt:

“You killed my brother, bitch.”

“Worry about your own life, Sawyer. Daniel is dead.”

Victoria held the blade of her dagger even with his jawline, against the strong column of his throat. Cold steel kissed flesh, but she lacked the will to make the final thrust to sever his carotid artery.

“Because of you.” His brown eyes blazed with hatred, more intense and consuming than the inferno raging around them.

Every part of the warehouse was on fire, and there was no way to know how much longer the structure would stand. Cinder and smoke swirled everywhere.

Red-hot embers dusted the bare skin of her face and arms faster than her enhanced healing could repair the damage, but she didn’t feel the burn. Fury consumed her heart and protected her from the wrath of flames, but the pain of her loss, the weight of her guilt, crippled her.

“Yes, because of me,” she said. She blinked back tears. She should kill him. There was no other choice, because the survival of her pack depended upon stopping the hunters who pursued them, the hunters he led. Doubt stilled her hand. The man’s life hung in fragile balance between her desire for revenge and uncertainty.

“Do it,” Sawyer said with a sneer, as if he sensed her hesitation. She straddled his chest, keeping one of his arms pinned against his side with her knee. His free hand groped for the shotgun on the ground, just out of reach.

“Has your death wish gotten so strong you’re committed to joining him?” She sniffed, attempting to scent his fear, but inhaled a lungful of thick smoke that scalded her throat. Tears filled her eyes and a cough racked her chest.

“I’m going to rip you to shreds.” Teeth bared, Sawyer’s upper body heaved while he attempted to unseat her. The hunter had plenty of fight in him. Her wolf’s strength far exceeded that of any human, even a skilled hunter such as a Barrett man.  He gave up obtaining the shotgun and grabbed for her throat with his free hand.

Victoria placed her palm flat on his breastbone and shoved him back.

“Yeah, yeah, I’ve heard it all before, and yet I’m still here. I’m starting to think you’re incompetent, Sawyer.”

“Give me a knife. I’ll show you incompetent!”

“Now, why would I do something stupid like that?” Despite her taunting tone, doubt twisted her gut into knots. Her hand remained rock steady. The dagger never wavered; the fine edge of the blade bit into his flesh and drew a thin line of blood across the side of his throat.

He’s Daniel’s brother.

He was also the man who had helped murder her parents and most of her packmates.

The pain of the cut caused Sawyer to grunt; his throat worked while he swallowed, a convulsive clench that betrayed his fear, though his features remained set in a stoic mask.

A hand brushed her wrist, confident and intimate, cool to the touch. Victoria glanced up to stare into a face she knew by heart, every plane and angle committed to memory, although he was far more handsome than her imperfect recollection.

She stiffened.

Impossible! It can’t be.

She gazed into the man’s familiar face, and the entire world beyond his warm brown eyes ceased to exist: the fire, her pack, the man at the business end of her knife—all of it simply stopped.

She blinked, and her surprise faded. Her mind made the logical leap: it was possible.

He’s a ghost.

A strangled snarl emerged from Sawyer’s throat, but Victoria did not look at him. The hunter shouldn’t have been able to see his brother’s ghost. He lacked her gift of spirit sight. She kept a steady grip on the hilt, discouraging him from moving lest he slit his own throat on the blade.

“Daniel?” she whispered. The roar of the inferno engulfed her voice.

A faint smile fluttered across his lips but the expression remained deadly serious. His hand locked tightly about her wrist. Daniel leaned forward. His lips feathered a soft kiss upon the shell of her ear. His honeyed voice murmured as sweet as her memories, causing her excruciating pain, soul deep. She missed him so damned much.

“Not my brother, lover. You can’t kill Sawyer.”

Victoria’s fingers relaxed. The knife fell from her hand. “I won’t, for you.”

Daniel turned his head and looked his brother in the eye. “There’s been enough killing.”

Sawyer’s features contorted in agony and his hand rose, reaching for his brother. “Danny, I—”

Before Sawyer’s hand touched his brother’s face, Daniel’s body lost substance. Energy crackled in the air, and his form shimmered about the edges. His firm grip grew weaker with each passing second until his hand opened, and he released her wrist.

Her eyes filled with tears. “Please, don’t go.”

Daniel looked at her; a sad smile touched his lips. “I’ve got to go, baby.”

She closed her eyes, and tears slid down her cheeks. The hot air of the burning warehouse sucked moisture from her skin. Her aching heart pounded, full and heavy, ready to burst. She opened her eyes and forced a brave smile. She extended her arm and brushed his fingertips. “I miss you.”

His hand closed on her fingers, and he squeezed. A smiled played on his lips.

“I miss you, too,” he said. Then he was gone.

Graphics and cover design sale @FEversDesigns

Farah Evers Designs offers articles and tutorials for authors and editors.

For new clients, we have a great starters coupon for you in this issue. Just sign up with a new account and keep that code handy for checkout. You can use it for your next book cover order, website design, banners, logo, or any product you purchase from the FED shop.

HEARTS AKILTER By Catherine E. McLean #Romance #TWRP #SciFi

Applicable genres: fantasy/sci-fi romance, romance, humor (lighthearted)

Length: Novella

Coming soon from The Wild Rose Press

Visit her website (http://www.catherineemclean.com/) to enter to win a $25 gift card as part of the book launch.

Love, vengeance, attempted murder, and a bomb…No reason to panic.

When a medical robot insists he’s having a heart attack, Marlee Evans, a pragmatic maintenance technician, has every reason to panic. There’s a bomb inside him. Since Marlee can’t risk the bomber discovering she’s found the device, her only option is to kidnap Deacon Black, an unflappable bomb expert, and secretly convince him to disarm it. Things go slightly awry when Deacon sets a trap for someone who is trying to kill him, and inadvertently captures Marlee instead. Instantly intrigued by her refreshingly forthright and gutsy attitude, he’s smitten. Unfortunately for Deacon, Marlee recently hardened her heart and swore off men, especially handsome ones with boy-next-door grins. But as Marlee and Deacon attempt to identify and prevent the bomber from detonating the device, they discover that love may be the most explosive force of all.

 

Excerpt —  HEARTS AKILTER

By Catherine E. McLean @ 2015

 

The bomb. Right. Dismantle the bomb. In this lift? No, that was insane. “Marlene, if the bomb goes off accidentally—”

“It’ll blow the station to kingdom come?”

He nodded.

“Not to worry.”

She said that with such nonchalance that he found himself speechless. He cleared his throat. “Why not? Did you snatch the portable Bomb Disposal Unit, too?”

“Better.”

“What’s better than a BDU?”

“Garbage incinerators.”

“What?” He glanced out into the darkness beyond the lift.

Giant machinery stood silhouetted and veiled in shadows. “Where are we?”

“Deck forty-three, Ring D zero three. Relax. Don’t panic. They once accidentally incinerated a torpedo in number four, over yonder.”

She pointed to the left. “Nobody heard or felt it explode, and there wasn’t even a drail’s worth of damage done to the incinerator, or anything else.”

“I don’t believe you.”

“It happened three years ago. I was there, a deck above.

Never mind.”

Henry manipulated his finger appendage, grabbing and briefly tugging the shirt sleeve of Deacon’s good arm. “Marlee would never lie about anything so important.”

“Does she lie about unimportant things?” He instantly regretted his caustic remark.

“I do not know.” Henry spun sideways, facing Marlee. “Do you lie about unimportant things, Marlee?”

“I have been known to tell a white lie now and then to spare someone’s feelings, but on the whole—” She looked away from Henry.

As her blacker than black eyes met his gaze, Deacon felt pinned to the wall.

 

 

About Catherine E. McLean

Besides Catherine being a wife and mother, she has ridden and exhibited Morgan Sport Horses. She’s an avid clothing and costume designer, an award-winning amateur photographer, a 4-H leader, and a Red Hatter who loves bling.

She lives on a farm nestled in the foothills of the Allegheny Mountains of Western Pennsylvania. In the quiet of the countryside, she writes fantasy, futuristic, and paranormal stories where a reader can escape to other worlds for adventure and romance.

Her short stories have appeared in hard-copy and online anthologies and magazines. Besides having two novels published, soon to be released is her lighthearted fantasy/sci-fi romance HEARTS AKILTER. Catherine also gives writing workshops, both online and in-person. A schedule is posted at http://www.writerscheatsheets.com/workshops.html

Catherine’s website for writers is http://www.WritersCheatSheets.com and she blogs at http://writerscheatsheets.blogspot.com/

 

Hub Website: http://www.CatherineEmclean.com

 

Connect with Catherine at: http://www.catherineemclean.com/contact-me.html

Elemental Storytelling: Tropes in Sinful Surrender by Houston Havens #Sci-Fi #Dystopian #ASMSG

 

 

 

Introducing the Tropes of Sinful Surrender

Sinful Surrender book 1 of the Psychic Ménage Series

E-book ~ LSB Publisher

Print Book ~ H.A.W.K. Publishing

E-book and Print released 2014

Series Genre: Sci-Fi, Romance, Dystopian, Futuristic, Fae, Ménage, Paranormal, Fantasy, Suspense, Post-Apocalyptic, Mystery.

Word Count: about 100,000

Tag Line: Why be tempted by one man’s seduction when you can be loved by three?

 

Top psychic spy Fay Avalon saw too much on her latest mind traveling mission and is now on the run from her post-catastrophic dystopian government, searching for the truth and proof. She escapes but is shot down, landing in the arms of the enemy.

In Drakker and Arlo’s world, women are so rare the men have accepted a polyandrous lifestyle. When the brothers stumble upon Fay unconscious in the wreckage of an aircraft, they are immediately attracted to her. Arlo wants to keep her, but Drakker knows they can’t. They must take her to their brother Logan Abán, leader of their people.

Logan struggles with trusting anyone, even himself. When a beautiful, intelligent, and intriguing woman falls into their laps, his denied desires for intimacy challenge his need to trust the spy. He’s frustrated by romantic Arlo’s claims of her innocence. Even when pragmatic and dominating Drakker defends her as well, Logan refuses to trust his gut.

Can one woman satisfy the diverse desires of three men? Will Logan’s fears be realized by betrayal? Is Fay to be sentenced to death as a spy, suffer a fate worse than death by being returned to her government as a traitor, or will she find a new life and love as the wife of three sexy brothers?

 

Rad-Getting Crap Past the Radar

TvTropes says this is when a writer sneaks inappropriate material past the censors…I say, sometimes it’s an author trying to share secrets or little know information that those in power don’t want the mainstream to see.  Sinful Surrender, book one of the Psychic Ménage series is a romantic read and my way to reach readers in an entertaining way that would intrigue yet inform them about things and situation that are very REAL in our world today but they know little about. Things like HAARP, Mind Control, Torsion Fields, Orgone Energy, Underground cities for the chosen ones, Remote Viewers, and hints of a possible future ~ based on a history that has been kept from us.

 

3as-Three Act Structure

The stories we love most and find hard to forget are 3as stories because they have three acts holding its structure, giving you a full 3-D view of the tale. Sinful Surrender and the other six books in this series are 3as books. Each carries three plots within their covers. Like a braid, I’ve weaved a series plot of a wicked government’s plan to destroy mankind. This series plot comes to its conclusion with the last book. As I run this series plot through each book, I mix it into each book’s two main plots. One of a sexy and sizzling romance happening mostly between enemies, with each book’s individual storyline plot. Tah, Dah! And you have a 5 star review 3as story that keeps the readers turning the pages and buying the next book in the series.

 

STW-Saving the World

Yes, the Psychic Ménage series is a ‘saving the world’ dystopian kind of series.

Rar: Love makes the world go round so it’s hard to write a story without romance. Each book in the Psychic Ménage series has its own love story to tell.

 

Arc-Story Arc

As I said above, there are a total of seven books in this series.

 

H-The Hero

Logan Abán is the main hero in this tale. Though he’s a reluctant hero at the start, he’s exactly as the TVTropes say…Logan has his issues but he overcomes them to reveal his true self and find love.

 

Det-The Determinator

Drakker Abán is Logan’s brother, leader of the Abán Army…he’ll never give up. He’s the kind of guy who would rather die for what he believes in (right or wrong) than to live his life under the thumb of anyone.

 

Kni-Knight in Shining Armor

Arlo, the youngest of the Abán brothers…maybe it’s because he’s young or maybe it’s because he’s a romantic man at heart, he tends to get under his two older brothers’ skin with his quick to judge and faster to fall in love. Unlike his brothers, Arlo trust too easily and it give his brothers’ a lot of troubles, but once he sees his mistakes, he’ll take responsibility for his errors and correct it, even if it means he’ll risk his life to do it.

 

5ma-Five Man Band

No matter their differences, when you combine these three brothers they make a perfect man; the brave, the leader, and the romantic.

 

Ag-Action Girl

Fay, she is the heroine of the story. In Sinful Surrender, you see this side of her. She is a Mind Traveler (Remote Viewer) who decides to take matters into her own hands and set the record straight when she’s discovered evidence that leads her to believe her Underworld Government has been deceiving the people of her world. Perhaps the enemy isn’t the Airbornes but her own government.

 

Om-Omnicidal Maniac

Reto is the ruler of the Underworld and he is the perfect Omnicidal Maniac in this Psychic Ménage series. You couldn’t hate him more until you find out who stands behind him.

 

 

Ebooks Buy Links:

Amazon – http://amzn.to/1iPwEv7

LSB – http://bit.ly/1n0MZjt

 

Print Buy Links:

Amazon – http://bit.ly/SSPrintAmazon

Createspace – http://bit.ly/SScreatespace

 

Author Bio:

Houston Havens retired from a successful modeling career and an adventurous jet-set lifestyle to set the world on fire with her erotic romance books. A tenacious Irish lass, she strives to entertain with seductive stories created from her decadent imagination and traces of a provocative lifestyle she may or may not admit to.

Her interest in the paranormal, fascination with quantum science, passion with myths, and the lure of her mysterious Celtic Irish-Druid bloodlines are combined with generally unknown truths, strange facts, and questionable fiction. Her novels reflect a mix of the past, present, and future, with sexy blends of futuristic science fiction, paranormal fantasy, western romance, and always love everlasting. An author of six romances, a seven book erotic romance series and numerous articles in literary magazines.

Stop by for a visit and leave a comment at http://houstonhavens.wordpress.com

 

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