Melissa Snark's Blog: The Snarkology, page 36
May 2, 2015
#Free Wilding (Aesir Shifters BBW) by Erika Masten #Paranormal #Romance @ErikaMasten
Fear the wilding.
That’s what every werewolf learns, from the oldest alpha to the strongest Odin’s Wolf warrior and even their rival Fenris Wolves. The wilding steals the soul, the humanity, and finally the human form. A shifter lost to the wilding is a wolf, a man no more.
When natural scientist, forest ranger, and curvy girl Kimberly Ingalls finds herself forming a strangely emotional connection to the object of her observation, Wolf A217, she never dreams that her fantasies of what 217 would look like as a man would ever come true… until alpha werewolf Will finds himself called back from wolf form to claim his very human, very curvy mate.
From Amazon Top 10 Bestselling Erotic Romance and Erotica Author Erika Masten
Wilding is a standalone BBW shifter romance short in The Aesir Shifters BBW Romance Series. It is intended as a short promotional title introducing readers to the series and features a happily ever after ending, cliffhanger-free.
Wilding is an erotic paranormal romance containing strong sexual content intended for mature readers only. All characters depicted in this story are 18 years of age or older, and all sexual activities are of a consensual nature.
Bonus Material: Includes an excerpt from the first and second titles in the Aesir Shifters BBW Romance Series, Turning Wild and One Wild Night, available now.
The Aesir Shifters BBW Romance Series
Turning Wild (a standalone novella)
One Wild Night (a standalone short)
A Prowl On The Wild Side (a standalone novella, currently available only in Alphas Prefer Curves Boxed Set)
Wilding (a standalone short)
New Release: Reach for the Sky by Gwen Knight #Paranormal #Romance @GwenKnightx
Werewolf Skylar Callahan turned her back on everything she held dear in search of a career. Now a public advocate for her own kind, her political ambitions have shot her straight to the top. But amidst the glitz and glamor lurks a dark presence, one who is obsessed with claiming Skylar as his own. To survive, she must rely on Wyatt Turner—a sexy, albeit lethal, alpha who insists everything be done his way.
Wyatt is always looking to stir up trouble, and Skylar is trouble with a capital T. Not only has his wolf chosen her as his intended mate, but she also comes with her very own stalker. Consumed by his need to protect her, Wyatt doesn’t care that she’s determined to keep him at arm’s length. It’s his job to keep her safe, which means getting close to the stubborn she-wolf…just the way he wants it.
Amazon: http://amzn.to/1H6BMdG
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iBooks: http://apple.co/1bLO8MH
Google Play: http://bit.ly/1yOYqpp
Gwen Knight is a northern Canadian girl currently living in Fort St. John, British Columbia. She graduated from the University of Lethbridge with a degree in Archaeology and Geography. Her interests consist of playing in the dirt, designing elaborate snow forts, boating, and archery. She enjoys meeting new people and can be followed at facebook.com/GwenKnightx and on Twitter @GwenKnightx.
April 30, 2015
The Snarkology: Those Dastardly Villains: For the love of bad guys by Mariana Gabrielle #amwriting
I love villains. Really, really love them. While I have grown out of the bad habit of adoring them in real life, in the pages of a book, they still thrill me. A good villain can make a book for me, even if the hero and heroine aren’t very impressive, and no amount of heroic perfection will make up for a less-than-truly-evil antihero. I’m not fussed about “balance” between good and evil. Just let me fall in love with the villains, then make me root for the heroes and heroines to kill them.
Building the perfect villain is an art and science all its own, and while I would hesitate to call myself an expert, it is certainly one area of fiction writing where I have complete faith in my own abilities. So what goes into an (im)perfect villain?
Ulterior motives that stem from their own experiences. Villains can’t be bad just for the sake of it; something made them that way (besides the author). They were abused as children or sacrificed everything or live every day with unfulfilled dreams. Sure, there is some “hard-wiring” involved—Malbourne in Royal Regard was born a sadist and his mistress, Michelle, a masochist—but without indulging his tendencies as a child, losing his entire extended family to Madame la Guillotine, and cultivating a sense of entitlement as a teenaged royal duke, he might not have entirely lost his empathy. In the same vein, a villain’s motivation for attacking the hero or heroine also has to be realistic. “I don’t like her” isn’t enough.
Good and faithful hench(wo)men.
If someone loves the villain, to me, there is something just a bit creepier, and it speaks volumes to see how that person is treated in return. Malbourne is a perfect beast to Michelle, but after almost fifty years under his thumb, his domination makes her feel safe. Underneath the visible torment, he consciously chooses to provide her that emotional safety. In exchange, she will do anything for him.
Hamish LaRue, the Earl of Birchbright’s henchman in La Déesse Noire: The Black Goddess, has been doing his employer’s dirty work for twenty years, so managing the man’s political spies comes naturally, as does the intimidation required to achieve the desired result. Were he to rebel, or allow anyone else to do the same, he might lose his own lucrative position and sees no reason to take that risk.
Overt self-regard, covert vulnerability.
The villain has to believe him or herself entirely in the right and deserving of the prize, whatever it might be. Otherwise, why imperil everything and do anything to win?
For several of my characters, like Malbourne in Royal Regard and Birchbright in La Déesse Noire, this stems from proximity to nobility, but for others, like Hamish LaRue and Nigel Pate, out of self-preservation.
On the flip side, the villain also has to face some threat to his or her security. That might be emotional coercion, like Jeremy Smithson in my upcoming novellas, Shipmate and ‘Tis Her Season, whose father has raised him as a thief and professional card sharp. Or it could be an external threat, such as a lack of funds in Malbourne’s case, or losing his status, as in Birchbright’s case.
Hidden decency.
No one is all bad, and a villain without redeeming qualities reads false. Malbourne loves Michelle and does the best he can by her, within his self-imposed personal limitations. Michelle tried unsuccessfully to save Malbourne’s sister from La Grande Terreur. Birchbright adored Kali’s mother and took excellent care of her before being forced into an unhappy marriage.
That said, the villain’s decency may only exist in backstory, not shown in the book. Hamish LaRue embezzles from his employer, in part to support the London orphanage where he was raised. Nigel Pate built his theatre by sheer force of will to create stability for his acting troupe. Jeremy Smithson is the only person concerned about the health and old age of his villainous father.
There is delicacy to creating villains. “Innately decent” is a state with which most people automatically identify. To create an inherently evil antihero who brings out emotion in a reader requires more depth. A good “good guy” isn’t so much of a stretch. A good “bad guy” is a much taller order.
LDN Title: La Déesse Noire: The Black Goddess
LDN Date Published: June 10, 2015 (available for pre-order)
LDN Word Count: 60,000
LDN Buy links:
99ȼ pre-release price until June 11.
Pre-order La Déesse Noire at:
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Sired by a British peer, born of a paramour to Indian royalty, Kali Matai has been destined from birth to enthrall England’s most powerful noblemen—though she hadn’t counted on becoming their pawn. Finding herself under the control of ruthless men, who will not be moved by her legendary allure, she has no choice but to use her beauty toward their malicious and clandestine ends.
When those she holds most dear are placed in peril by backroom political dealings, she enlists some of the most formidable lords in England to thwart her enemies. But even with the help of the prominent gentlemen she has captivated, securing Kali’s freedom, her family, and the man she loves, will require her protectors stop at nothing to fulfill her desires.
Author Bio:
Mariana Gabrielle is a pseudonym of Mari Christie, a professional writer, editor, and designer with almost twenty-five years’ experience. Published in dozens of nonfiction and poetry periodicals since 1989, she began writing mainstream historical fiction in 2009 and Regency romance in 2012. In all genres, she creates deeply scarred characters in uncommon circumstances who overcome self-imposed barriers to reach their full potential. She is a member of the Bluestocking Belles and the Rocky Mountain Fiction Writers. Her first Regency romance, Royal Regard, was released in November 2014.
Author Links:
Website and Blog: www.MarianaGabrielle.com
The Bluestocking Belles: www.BluestockingBelles.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MariChristieAuthor
Twitter: https://twitter.com/mchristieauthor
Pinterest: http://www.pinterest.com/marichristie/
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/5055425.Mari_Christie
Amazon Author page: http://www.amazon.com/author/marianagabrielle
New Release: Seizing Fate (Alpha Shifters Love series) @pt_macias #Paranormal #Romance
The FBI Director seeks intel and discovers more than he counted on. His mate is in trouble and time is running out. The mature widow is oblivious to what she has in her hands. The tall handsome stranger awakens her passions and love. She’s forced to make life changing decisions, forget her insecurities, and liberate her passions.
The young, hot, and sexy Dr. Grant is weary, jaded and skeptical at 99 years old. He’s impatient to meet his mate, start and enjoy a family, and hold his cubs. Kymberly, a young beauty, meets him on her birthday. She likes him, she wants him, and she is full of life. He tries to push her away. His mate, the one he’s been searching for and waiting for all his life! Now, finally he meets her. She’s in front of him. The problem is that he doesn’t want to touch her. Of course, he feels awful because she’s so young, but he can’t resist her. The unexpected happens. The threat of losing
her forces him to action.
A Tempest Of Love, Steamy Romance, Paranormal Intrigue, And Suspense!
Leaves You Wanting More!
Excerpt: I’m going to share a little nibble, oh yeah!
Damn it, now what? We’re here alone, darn. Grant continues to gaze into her green eyes. He’s unable to resist, and searches for her soul.
“Grant?” Kymberly falls deep into his gaze, connecting with his soul.
Grant nods at her and stands up. He towers over her and walks the few steps to stop in front of her, a couple of inches between them. “Yeah?” He shoves his hands into his jeans. I need to control the wild impulse to grab her, pull her close, and kiss her. I have to resist this pull.
“I’m really happy to meet you on my twenty-first birthday because I’m glad that you’re going to celebrate it with me.” She moves her right hand to push her hair over her shoulder, the silver bangles jingling softly.
The movement causes her right breast to move up, drawing his attention to her sweet nipple. Grant swallows hard and takes a step back. “It’s my pleasure, Kymberly.”
Kymberly watches him move back and she raises an eyebrow. “Don’t run from me, Grant. I know you feel it and it feels so right.”
He gazes into her huge green eyes and nods. “Yeah, but I can’t because you’re too young.” He clenches his jaw, closes his eyes, and shudders as her scent seeps into his body and soul.
He releases his bonding scent, his wolf ready to claim his mate, and not willing to wait. He inhales deeply and a deep growl starts to rumble deep in his chest, ready to flow out. He clenches his jaw tight to keep it in.
“Hmm….you smell delicious.” She closes her eyes, smiles a sexy small smile, and nods. She licks her lower lip and opens her eyes to gaze into his surprised eyes.
“You smell my scent?” Hell, that’s incredible. Damn it.
“Yes, you smell like spice, sandalwood, and incredible.” She nods, closing her eyes and inhaling deeply.
His body releases more of his bonding scent and he trembles. No, no I need to control this because I can’t scare her off. Hell, I’m not sure how to deal with her, a human mate? Damn it.
She opens her eyes and searches his eyes for his thoughts. “You’re going to spend the evening with me, right?” I don’t know why I feel that he wants to run. I know that he feels this connection.
Grant nods and smiles a small smile. “Yes.”
“Promise?”
“Yes, I promise.”
Don’t miss book 1 in the series…
Sugar’s Fate
Sexy Alpha Shifters Love Big Beautiful Women (BBW Book 1)
Alpha Shifters Love
Dr. Easton is new in town and new at the clinic. The sexy alpha shifter has the young women in town fawning over him. He’s always enjoyed sexy petite woman until he examines BBW, Artemis. The strong unexpected mating attraction baffles and intrigues him. The delectable thought of mating crosses his mind for first time.
Senator Graystone, her boss, sends her on a special assignment that places her in danger and risks her life. Dr. Easton is forced to make hard decision to save her.
Artemis is confident and accepts her BBW curves until she gets hurt. The unexpected feelings that she encounters when she meets the doctor confuse her. Can she overcome her doubts, accept his invitation for a date, and win his love?
Available from:
Excerpt –
Artemis turns to slide onto the bed and waits for the Doctor to show. She clasps her hands tightly, closes her eyes, and nods. “Yes, I have to ask him to run some tests.”
Dr. McKenzie walks down the hall to the last room. He knocks on the door, waiting for admittance.
“Come in.”
He opens the door and walks into the small room. The overpowering sensual spicy scent knocks him off balance. His wolf glows brightly, burning, and flashing red. He shudders, grinds his jaw tight to control the growl that threatens to escape, and turns quickly to look at Artemis. His golden brown eyes glow. Fucking hell, she’s my mate! She’s the one in my dreams and fuck, she’s sexy as hell. Now I’m totally out of control.
Artemis looks at him. Her eyes looks at his shiny black leather shoes, then move up his expensive, perfectly pressed navy blue wool slacks, and his white shirt under the white doctor coat. She inhales deeply, and her body explodes into a burning shiver. She shudders, her eyes moves up to his sexy jawline, and stops at his full luscious red lips. She trembles, her eyes widen. Shit, he looks and smells delicious. How embarrassing is this? The doctor is the sexist guy ever!
He smiles, slowly gazing into her beautiful green eyes. He closes the door gradually, as if in a trance, looking her over slowly, and nods. “Hello, I’m Dr. McKenzie.” He walks over to her, clenching his jaw to control his emotions.
She blushes, nods at him, moving her hands up to push her hair back from her flushed face. “Hi Dr. McKenzie.” She moves her hands back to her lap and clenches them tightly together in an effort to control her emotions. A burning shiver runs through her body, the intense feelings run rampant, setting her on fire. Her nipples are sensitive and aching, protruding under the gown, so ready for his attention.
Easton’s eyes narrow. They moves down the gown to her breasts, and he swallows his growl. Fucking hell, I’m dying. This is excruciatingly painful. Hell, my mate’s nipples are mouthwatering, even more than in my dreams. I wonder if they’re as beautiful.
He moves his gaze up, he looks into her amazing eyes searching for her recognition. She’s the one in my dreams, my mate. I know it like I know that I’m going to claim her, soon. The sooner the better because I can’t control my wolf for long.
He stops in front of her and inhales deeply, closing his eyes. Hell, I have to act like a professional. I don’t smell a lot of wolf but she’s my mate. She’s only half wolf, damn it. Yeah, in my dreams that’s been a factor that I haven’t wanted to accept as true. She’s doesn’t know that she’s my mate, a wolf, or else she would be all over me. Just my fucking luck. Her scent is causing chaos to my body and my cock is anxious to bury deep inside her sweet fiery pussy. I’m totally ready to fuck until we get our fill of each other because she’s been teasing me and my wolf for a long time.
Artemis bites her lower lip to prevent her moan. Shit, I’m so turned on by Dr. McKenzie, like I’ve never been turned on by any man before. This is painful and, embarrassing, and he’s totally out of my league.
She closes her eyes, the images of the man in her dreams instantly surface. She blushes and inhales, then shudders as his scent arouses her senses.
Shit, oh shit! He’s the guy in my dreams. But I don’t know him. How in the world could this be? Does he know me? No, no I’m crazy, he can’t know me because it’s only in my dreams that I see him. He doesn’t have a clue who I am.
Dr. McKenzie grinds his molars, clenches his fists, and walks over to the sink. He washes his hands. I really want to throw cold water on my face to see if I can cool down this fucking need. Hell! This isn’t the right place to meet your mate for the first time and especially to perform a medical evaluation when I only want to love her, but cannot. I can learn all about her later.
He turns around, forces a small smile on his lips, his feverish eyes glow. I hope that I’m not scaring her because in my dreams she’s always scared of what and who I am.
“Ms. Evans, is there a particular concern that you have?” He walks slowly over to her, trying to gaze into her eyes to stay grounded.
Artemis nods, blushing. “Yes, Dr. McKenzie I would like a prescription for birth control and I would like to have some tests run.”
His eyes open wide, almost a glare. Fucking hell! She wants birth control. What the fuck for? Yeah, hell not going to happen because she’s mine.
He nods and turns to grab some gloves furiously out of the box on the wall. Fucking hell! I don’t want to even think about that! What the fuck!
He turns around and pulls out the table’s extension. “Ms. Evans, please lay back and put your heels on the stirrups. I need to examine you.”
Artemis blushes, nods, and lays slowly back, closing her eyes. Oh shit, this is totally embarrassing. He’s going to see my thighs and my pussy. The first man to ever see my pussy.
Easton angrily gets the speculum, he carefully slides it inside to hold the walls of the vagina apart for a clear view of the vagina. He grabs the swab to take a swab of the cervix to get an example of the cells. “Please try to relax, this will take only a few minutes.”
Artemis eyes are closed tight and she inhales slowly, shuddering. Hell, this is too much. I have too many different emotions exploding in my body and mind.
He turns to look inside the vagina and notices that she’s still a virgin. Hell yes! Damn it, I didn’t expect this. What the fucking hell does she want the birth control if she’s not sexually active?
“Ms. Evans, you’re still a virgin.”
Artemis tightens her eyes, nodding. “Yes.” Her face turns a deeper red, almost the shade of a tomato.
Easton looks over at her, he observes her deep blush and shallow breathing. Hell, she’s so embarrassed.
“Why do you want birth control?”
Artemis blushes deepens a darker red. “I don’t want to get pregnant and you never know.”
Hell, she can’t get pregnant without me! Yeah, she doesn’t know this.
He gathers the sample and carefully takes out the speculum. He then pulls the gown back down slowly, trying not to look at her beautiful pussy. Yeah, I’m a doctor, don’t look at her like that. Hell, but she’s my mate. She looks so delicious. Hell I want to claim her, I want my mate, my wolf wants her, and I want to get her pregnant.
He walks over to the side of the bed to look down at her. He watches her beautiful breasts rise and fall with each breath. He closes his feverish golden brown eyes. He inhales deeply, burning up at her spicy scent.
A Tempest Of Love, Steamy Romance, Paranormal Intrigue, And Suspense!
Leaves You Wanting More!
Check out the Review!
“Suspense,action, humor, and super red hot sex scenes! P.T Macias is an amazing writer and this is a must read shape shifter Romance!”
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/1228005854
P.T. Macias (Patricia), resides in Sacramento, California with her loving husband, children, and family. She adores her four beautiful grandchildren. She was born and raised in San Jose, California.
Patricia loves going on cruises, concerts, white peaches, pistachio ice cream, and margaritas. She’s an avid reader and enjoys reading romance paranormal intrigue suspense thrillers.
She loves writing about drama, suspense, and intrigue. She throws in a dash of love and passion. Patricia is intrigued with the different types and depths of love. Love is powerful and motivates an individual. She’s fascinated with the physiological, spiritual, and psychological process that love creates. The range and facets of love an individual is capable of feeling is what she strives to illustrate in her stories.
Patricia loves the paranormal genre. She finds this genre an exciting challenge and enjoys writing about the sexy vhampiers, werewolves, dragons, and other entities. Her greatest thrill in writing the paranormal genre is the limitless range of characteristics, powers, and weaknesses available to develop my characters’ and entities’ realms.
Her champions are amazing, strong men. They’re intelligent, sexy, and passionate men that love with their entire beings.
The lovely ladies in my stories capture the men’s hearts. They’re smart, sexy, and full of love. The ladies blossom, mature, and complete my heroes.
Enjoy P.T. Macias signature theme of intense passion, organized crime, and military paranormal mystery thrillers. These series are addictive! They will take you on an incredible journey of love, passion, and surrender!
Genre ~ Steamy Romance Paranormal Mysteries Intrigue Suspense Thriller
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April 29, 2015
The Snarkology: Those Dastardly Villain: Why am I a villain? (Ty Sheldon) by Andrea Downing #TWRP #Romance
Well. What the heck should I be tellin’ y’all? When that good for nothin’ author, Andrea Downing, sashayed in here like she owned the place, and said, “Ty, you’re looking well. Orange suits you” with that nasty laugh of hers, then pulled out the chair and said we had to talk, I knew I was in for something. “Look here,” she said in that godawful accent she has, from England or somewhere up north or something, “I created you, so I figure you owe me.”
“What now?” I asked. “I might be able to arrange a delivery—”
“No deliveries, Ty! Listen, you’re just looking at four walls all day and sewing up a few mail bags. Well, three walls and some iron bars or something, so why not make yourself useful? I’m up to my ears in work but I have this blog due—”
“This what?” I asked.
“A blog. A piece of writing that goes on the internet. Anyway, I haven’t really got the time, and time is something you seem to have plenty of, so, as it’s about you, I figure you can write it.”
Geesh. I know when I’m being fiddled but I thought I’d show her I was just as smart as she was, could’ve probably written the dang novel a helluva lot better than what she wrote. I mean, she’s got two heroes—that’s a laugh! Heroes? What did Jake and Ray ever do to become heroes? You ask me, I shoulda been the hero of the piece. After all, I was running what y’all might call a public service: risking the law to obtain a product that was in high demand and supplying it to the public at large. ’Course, she made me look like a villain; that was one thing. She painted me with my scar and an unpleasant face, while Jake turned into this tall, handsome bastard with deep blue eyes. Funny how that happens. You never get a really good-looking villain in books, do you? I mean, if you did, the girls would be dropping their pants for the villains, which I suppose, I have to admit, wouldn’t work.
Come to think of it, though, Jake was employed with me for a while. And Robbie had been, too. Lapped it up, the both of them. Robbie loved the money, Jake loved the excitement—couldn’t get enough of it. So tell me why they’re heroes and I’m a villain?
But what I really don’t understand is this: why don’t all you readers feel sorry for me? I mean, I had this lousy childhood with my dad leaving us and all, while good ol’ Jake and my pal Robbie had Ray for their daddy and this idyllic life on a ranch. Shouldn’t that bring in a little sympathy for me? Shouldn’t all the gals be going, “Ahhhhh, poor Ty”? Manipulative! Damn it! That’s what she was—Andrea. Damned manipulative. She just created me real unsympathetic-like so that y’all would dislike me and I’d be the villain of the piece. And what did I do to land myself here? I didn’t kill any cute little bunny rabbits or nothing. I didn’t kill any…
Well. I’ve had enough of this garbage. If you wanna find out jus’ what it is I did do, go on ahead and read the dang book. Then you can decide if I’m a villain.
Author: Andrea Downing
Genre: contemporary women’s fiction/romance
Publisher: The Wild Rose Press
Blurb: Successful, workaholic author Carrie Bennett lives through her writing, but can’t succeed at writing a man into her life. Furthermore, her equally successful but cynical daughter, Paige, proves inconsolable after the death of her fiancé.
Hard-drinking rancher Ray Ryder can find humor in just about anything—except the loss of his oldest son. His younger son, Jake, recently returned from Iraq, now keeps a secret that could shatter his deceased brother’s good name.
On one sultry night in Texas, relationships blossom when the four meet, starting a series of events that move from the dancehalls of Hill Country to the beach parties of East Hampton, and from the penthouses of New York to the backstreets of a Mexican border town. But the hurts of the past are hard to leave behind, especially when old adversaries threaten the fragile ties that bind family to family…and lover to lover.
Buy Links:
Excerpt :
“You know how to Texas Two-Step?” he asked.
“No,” she said, laughter just below the surface.
“Well, sweetheart, you have come to the right place. Or at least got yourself the right man. By the time I finish with you, you’ll be the best dang stepper on the floor.”
Carrie looked around. “There isn’t anyone else on the floor at the moment, Ray.”
“Well, heck, I know that. That’s perfect for learning.”
As soon as his hand closed around hers, the leather of his palm a strange glove over her own fingers, a sudden frisson of connection ran through her she hadn’t known in a very long while. He moved her to face him squarely on, a small smile tipping the edges of his mouth, the dark, impenetrable eyes shining with his captured prize.
“Just follow me,” he said as his right hand went to her back. A cover of a Vince Gill ballad started, the mournful tune setting a moderate tempo. “Perfect.” He held her right hand high and applied slight pressure to move her backwards. “Fast fast slow slow, fast fast slow slow.”
Carrie felt a light bulb go on. She got it. It was good. It was fun. And she relaxed in his embrace. He was an excellent teacher, a fabulous leader on the dance floor. Would wonders never cease?
“You’re doing well. You’re doing fine,” he assured her. “We’re gonna try a little promenade now, and then a twirl, so get ready.”
Carrie couldn’t stop herself from smiling, anticipation bubbling for just a second. And then out of the corner of her eye she caught Ty watching them, beer half-raised in salute and a smirk plastered on his face. A moment’s hesitation and she missed the step.
“What happened there?” asked Ray, oblivious to the effect the on-looker had on her.
Other couples were finally joining them on the dance floor, but despite the company, Carrie’s discomfort increased. “That boy, that Ty,” she told him. “He was watching us. It made me feel…uneasy.”
Ray scanned the sidelines, but Ty had gone, nowhere to be seen. “Oh, don’t pay him any mind. He’s harmless enough.”
Bio:
Andrea Downing likes to say that when she decided to do a Masters Degree, she made the mistake of turning left out of New York, where she was born, instead of right to the west, and ended up in the UK. She eventually married there, raising a beautiful daughter and staying for longer than she cares to admit. Teaching, editing a poetry magazine, writing travel articles, and a short stint in Nigeria filled those years until in 2008 she returned to NYC. She now divides her time between the city and the shore, and often trades the canyons of New York for the wide open spaces of Wyoming. Family vacations are often out west and, to date, she and her daughter have been to some 24 ranches throughout the west. Loveland, her first book, was a finalist for Best American Historical at the 2013 RONE Awards. Lawless Love, a short story, part of The Wild Rose Press ‘Lawmen and Outlaws’ series, was a finalist for Best Historical Novella at the RONE Awards and placed in the 2014 International Digital Awards Historical Short contest. Dearest Darling, a novella, is part of The Wild Rose Press Love Letters series, and came out Oct. 8th, 2014, and Dances of the Heart, her first contemporary novel, came out in February, 2015.
Links to Social Media:
WEBSITE AND BLOG: http://andreadowning.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/writerAndreaDowning
Twitter: @andidowning https://twitter.com/AndiDowning
Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/6446229.Andrea_Downing
Linkedin: http://www.linkedin.com/profile/view?id=124888740&trk=nav_responsive_tab_profile_pic
AMAZON AUTHOR PAGE: http://www.amazon.com/Andrea-Downing/e/B008MQ0NXS/ref=ntt_dp_epwbk_0
ABOUT ME: http://about.me/Andi1948
Reviews:
“DANCES OF THE HEART by Andrea Downing is an entertaining, contemporary romance. Carrie and Ray have both had disastrous relationships in the past, but it was interesting to watch their different ways of dealing with their new feelings. Learning the backstory of Ray and Jake’s life added an emotional element to the novel, and gives the reader an understanding of the dynamics of their relationship. The main love story of the novel is Carrie and Ray’s, but I enjoyed the snippets that we see of Paige and Jake’s situation. DANCES OF THE HEART by Andrea Downing is a fabulous Texan romance with plenty of action to keep you entertained.”
–Linda Green, Fresh Fiction
“…Trusting relationships between these characters do not come easily, making their effort a compelling journey for the reader. Author Andrea Downing serves up a buffet of emotions: anger, sorrow, romance and the type of love that is real, raw and captivating. … Carrie in her judgment is as real as it gets and Ray’s honesty speaks volumes. When a few mysterious incidents that have everyone on the ranch walking on eggshells and the plot begins to twist, the reader will have a hard time putting it down!”
–Margaret Faria, InD’Tale Magazine
Moonlight Serenade by MJ Compton #Romance @Comptonplations
Title: Moonlight Serenade
Author: MJ Compton
Release Date: March 26, 2014
Price: $2.99
Format: Kindle
ISBN-13: 978-1-61935-388-8
ASIN: B00J9000T8
Available at: Amazon
Title: Moonlight Serenade
Release Date: January 9, 2015
Price: $14.99
Format: Trade Paperback
ISBN-10 1619357240
ISBN-13 978-1619357242
Product Dimensions: 5 x 0.8 x 8 inches
Shipping Weight: 12.9 ounces
Publisher: Soul Mate Publishing
Available at: Amazon
Available at Barnes & Noble
Werewolves working for the government? Reporter Delilah Tenney must choose: the story of a lifetime or a lifetime of love.
Alpha male werewolf Tokarz de Lobo Garnier will do anything for his headstrong human bride . . . except trust her. She’s a reporter, and she’s on the trail of a story that could destroy the sanctuary his pack has enjoyed since the American Revolution. But she’s in danger, and risking her safety goes against everything he believes. When the villain turns his sights on him, Tokarz must make a decision: the safety of his mate or the security of the pack he leads.
“Compton’s debut is a gripping, sexy as hell, page turner of a werewolf novel not for the faint hearted!” ~ NY Times Bestselling Author Maggie Shayne
Author Bio:
MJ Compton grew up near Cardiff, New York, a place best known for its giant.
Although her 30-year career in local television included such highlights as being bitten by a lion, preempting a US President for a college basketball game, giving a three-time world champion boxer a few black eyes, a mention in the Drudge Report, and meeting her husband, MJ’s urge to create her own stories never went away.
MJ still lives in upstate New York with her husband. She’s a member of Romance Writers of America and Central New York Romance Writers. Music and cooking are two of her passions, and she enjoys baseball and college basketball, but she’s primarily focused on wine . . . and writing.
MJ COMPTON LINKS
Website & Blog www.comptonplations.com
Twitter https://twitter.com/Comptonplations
Facebook https://www.facebook.com/AuthorMJCompton
Tsu http://www.tsu.co/mj_compton
Goodreads https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/8075221.M_J_Compton
Amazon Author Page: http://www.amazon.com/MJ-Compton/e/B00J9DFFIG/ref=ntt_athr_dp_pel_1
April 27, 2015
The Snarkology: Those Dastardly Villains: An Elected Official with a Vendetta by Augustina Van Hoven #amwriting
Government is not reason, it is not eloquence — it is force! Like fire, it is a dangerous servant and a fearful master. Never for a moment should it be left to irresponsible action. – George Washington.
Have you ever been the victim of an overzealous governmental agency or a vengeful politician? We’ve all read horror stories in the newspapers or heard them on the evening news, some poor citizen who has run afoul with government and has his property confiscated, been subjected to tax audits, have liens placed on his home, bank accounts confiscated, business licenses revoked, or construction projects halted. Some occurrences are due to bureaucratic errors, others because the person, somewhere along the line, crossed the wrong official.
Now imagine you are an up and coming state legislator who is challenging the establishment, what kind of opposition could you face? This is the question I asked myself when choosing the villain for my debut novel, The Kiss of a Rose. I created a powerful and corrupt Governor who desperately wants to hang onto his power and secure his political legacy.
“I want him stopped. No, not stopped—I want to break him. I want to make an example of him so every other hotshot legislator who comes along knows he can’t mess with me.” – Governor Russell James Bartlett, The Kiss of a Rose.
It takes a man with strong character and principles to withstand the kind of political and personal attacks that a tyrannical leader can bring down upon his enemies. My hero, Stephen Winship does stand and survive in the face of lies, ineuendo, and made up scandals.
Many people have heard the old Chinese curse, “May you live in interesting times,” but not many know the second part of that curse, “and may you come to the attention of important people.” I hope I never end up in the cross hairs of a politician with an axe to grind.
A DISTANT PAST
In 1882, Rose Van Buren loved the wrong man and paid for it with her life. Now, more than a century later, the angel Gabriel has granted her another shot at living. In exchange, she must convince a smart, handsome, up-and-coming lawyer to set aside his lofty ambitions.
A FUTURE PRESENT
Stephen Winship is headed straight for the governor’s chair. He has a brilliant career, solid allies, and a seemingly perfect girlfriend. But night after night he finds himself dreaming of a heavenly beauty, a luminous but long-dead girl. Like some altered Ghost of Christmas Past, she shows him her own tragic tale in order to “save him.” And he’s beginning to see Rose is risking her heart as much as baring her soul. Yet falling for her will cost him everything—and open him up to a happiness he never imagined.
Buy links:
Excerpt:
The scent of roses filled the air. Stephen frowned. Something seemed off. One moment Senator Hampton was yammering on about taxing the peasants, and the next moment Stephen found himself standing at an altar in a small wooden church decorated for a wedding.
He looked around. The pews were filled with strangers dressed in clothes that belonged in an old Western movie. A cool breeze blew in from the open windows. He could see horses tied to a post outside and an old buggy. Red and white roses were attached to the end of each pew and mixed flowers draped along the windowsills.
In spite of the breeze, the church was warm. A drop of sweat slid down his forehead. He reached for the buttons of his shirt collar, only to find hooks. His shirt clung to his body, stiff with starch. He quickly glanced down. The coat he wore hung to his knees. His fingers played with the ends of a bow tie. A pain in his toes drew his attention downward. His feet and legs were encased in knee-high leather boots. He shifted his position to ease the pressure on his toes.
A man started speaking and Stephen turned his head to see who it was.
An odd little man stood close to him, holding a book. Stephen wrinkled his forehead—the man looked like a minister. Soft fingers touched his hands and gently pulled his arms. He turned to look directly in front of him. A woman dressed in an old- fashioned, cream-colored dress held his hands. A heavy veil covered her hair and face.
The minister stopped speaking and the woman released Stephen’s right hand, taking his left hand in both of hers. She carefully slipped a small gold band on his ring finger.
“By the power invested in me by the state of Idaho,” the man said, “I now pronounce you man and wife. You may kiss the bride.”
“What?”
“It’s okay, son,” the man told him. “Every new bridegroom is nervous. Go ahead and kiss your lovely bride.”
Stephen’s eyes went wide. He didn’t have a bride. He glanced around the room. All the wedding guest stared back at him. A shiver ran down his spine. He turned to his supposed bride and wondered what to do next. Curiosity won out in the end, and he reached for the edges of the veil, lifted it over the woman’s face. His breath caught. He stared into a pair of captivating green eyes. Long, honey-colored hair framed the woman’s angelic face.
He tried to speak but found he couldn’t utter a sound. His breathing became labored. The scent of roses was so overwhelming he thought he’d choke. With great effort he whispered, “Who are you?”
Bio
Augustina Van Hoven was born in The Netherlands and currently resides in the Pacific Northwest with her husband, two dogs and three cats. She is an avid reader of romance, science fiction and fantasy. When she’s not writing she likes to work in her garden or in the winter months crochet and knit on her knitting machines.
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Augustina-Van-Hoven-Author/336028986575129
Twitter: @augustinavhoven
Moccasin Trace by Hawk MacKinney (Contest) @Goddessfish #Historical #Romance
… it was about the land…a tale of love and loss and hope…
“The most engaging and brilliantly crafted historical work since Margaret Mitchell’s great classic.”
Barbara Casey
Author, The Gospel According to Prissy
Hamilton Ingram looked out across the fertile Georgia bottomlands that were Moccasin Hollows, seeing holdings it had taken generations of Ingrams to build. No drop of slave sweat ever shed in its creation. It was about the land…his trust, his duty to preserve it for the generation of Ingrams to come…
It is July of 1859, a month of sweltering dog days and feverish emotional bombast. Life is good for widower Rundell Ingram and his Hazel-eyed, roan-haired son, Hamilton. Between the two of them, they take care of Moccasin Hollows, their rustic dogtrot ancestral home, a sprawling non-slave plantation in the rolling farming country outside Queensborough Towne in east Georgia. Adjoining Ingram lands is Wisteria Bend, the vast slave-holding plantation of Andrew and Corinthia Greer, their daughter Sarah, and son Benjamin.
Both families share generations of long-accepted traditions, and childhood playmates are no longer children. The rangy, even-tempered Norman-Scottish young Hamilton is smitten with Sarah, who has become an enticing capricious beauty—the young lovers more in love with each passing day, and only pleasant times ahead of them.
But a blood tide of war is sweeping across the South, a tide that might be impossible to stand before.
Available from:
Excerpt:
Bessie’s head jerked around, “…them gun shots.”
A stooped-over Sarah looked up, “What?”
“Gun shots…” Bessie put down the box of jars and headed toward the cellar door. “From the direction where the men be. We gittin’ upstairs, an’ gittin’ now.”
Sarah’s heart pounded as they came up out of the cellar and looked in the direction of more shots.
“Come on…” Bessie hurried into the pantry where she reached down the powder horn from the top shelf, then the rifle and pistols. “Git ’em ready with all that shootin’. Till we know different, we make sure two-legged low-downs don’t sneak to the house.”
Sarah rushed to the window and murmured, “Hamilton…” She feared for him, for their child, for all of them. “Surely you don’t suppose it’s Federals?”
“Might be better if’n it is ‘stead of what else be skulkin’ in them woods. Stay away from the winder, an’ finish rammin’ this powder.”
Sarah poured the ball and powder firm, rammed it, pulled the rammer out, and whispered, “Bessie listen…birds stopped singing.”
“Except that cawin’ crow seein’ somethin’ what don’t belong.”
Sarah took another quick peek, “There’s several horses, but I don’t see any riders. Mules are still hitched. I don’t see anyone at the plow, but there’s men on among the trees.”
“You watch the front door.” Bessie snugged the pistol in her apron pocket. “I cover the back. Anybody tries comin’ through the dogtrot door or through the parlor, we back into here, keep ’em from circlin’ us.”
“What about Papa Rundell?” Sarah’s stomach was queasy.
“He keep his rifle ready. Anyone bust in his room be dead ‘fore they twitch a hair.”
With a crash the kitchen door flew open. Sarah brought her rifle up and fired, the shot splintering door and jamb. The sound thundered through the house. Bessie’s rifle steadied dead-on.
The silhouetted head and shoulders ducked into a hunch and Hamilton yelled, “Sarah!” His hand smeared at stinging blood-speckled splinters of wood along his cheek.
AUTHOR Bio and Links: With postgraduate degrees and faculty appointments in several medical universities, Hawk MacKinney has taught graduate courses in both the United States and Jerusalem. In addition to professional articles and texts on chordate neuroembryology, Hawk has authored several works of fiction. Hawk began writing mysteries for his school newspaper. His works of fiction, historical love stories, science fiction and mystery-thrillers are not genre-centered, but plot-character driven, and reflect his southwest upbringing in Arkansas, Texas and Oklahoma. Moccasin Trace, a historical novel nominated for the prestigious Michael Shaara Award for Excellence in Civil War Fiction and the Writers Notes Book Award, details the family bloodlines of his serial protagonist in the Craige Ingram Mystery Series… murder and mayhem with a touch of romance. Vault of Secrets, the first book in the Ingram series, was followed by Nymrod Resurrection, Blood and Gold, and The Lady of Corpsewood Manor. All have received national attention. Hawk’s latest release in the Ingram series is due out this fall with another mystery-thriller work out in 2014. The Bleikovat Event, the first volume in The Cairns of Sainctuarie science fiction series, was released in 2012. “Without question, Hawk is one of the most gifted and imaginative writers I have had the pleasure to represent. His reading fans have something special to look forward to in the Craige Ingram Mystery Series. Intrigue, murder, deception and conspiracy–these are the things that take Hawk’s main character, Navy ex-SEAL/part-time private investigator Craige Ingram, from his South Carolina ancestral home of Moccasin Hollow to the dirty backrooms of the nation’s capital and across Europe and the Middle East.” Barbara Casey, President Barbara Casey Literary Agency www.hawkmackinney.net
April 26, 2015
INHUMAN INTEREST by Eric Turowski (Contest) @Goddessfish #Occult
Thirteen words in a want-ad turn Tess Cooper’s world upside down after she signs on as a paranormal research assistant to the mysterious Davin Egypt. He reveals a world of grave robbing, clockworks artifacts in blue amber, antique revolvers that fire strange ammo, and powerful forces beyond human comprehension.
As ancient occult energies threaten to destroy her city, Tess must use her journalistic instincts to stay one step ahead of the public works director, Drew Dawson, whose agenda seems bent on destruction rather than maintenance. And possibly murder, but will anyone believe her?
Yeah, right. When garbage trucks fly.
If Tess teams up with the hunky police lieutenant, Kirk Gunther, and the pale, oddball Mr. Egypt, they might be able to save the city in time. That is, if Egypt even wants to. And if Tess overcomes her phobias long enough to do battle in Granddad’s 1983 Subaru Brat.
Things are about to get icky.
Available at:
Excerpt:
Egypt sat behind the desk, leaving me to stand. He switched on the light. “Nearly all of my work is done at night. I trust that won’t be a problem.”
I generally had no plans at night. But that wasn’t my primary concern. “What exactly is the job?”
His brows squeezed together in mild confusion. “I thought I made that clear. I am an occult researcher, you will be my research assistant.”
“So, what, we look things up in books, cite them for papers?”
Egypt leaned back in his chair. “Hardly. Do you know what the word occult means, Miss Cooper?”
I couldn’t recall actually introducing myself to him. But I must have, right? “It means ‘hidden,’ or ‘covered.’ From the Latin. Same root word as occlude. Synonyms would be, oh, arcane or esoteric.”
“And do you believe we could research the hidden, the arcane, by browsing published media?”
Well, put it that way. “I suppose not.”
“Not, indeed.”
“So, what, you go out hunting for ghosts and that?”
His mouth made a little moue. Not, indeed. “We will seek out events caused by apparently hidden means, examine them, study them, and place them into context with other apparent occult phenomenon.”
I suddenly recalled Lieutenant Gunther’s reaction.
“You’re looking into the grave robberies for the police.” I carefully worded it so it wasn’t a question, the way Egypt did.
The moue spread out into almost a smile. “It seems that even if we are not on the same page, we’re in the same chapter. At midnight, we need to examine the graves at the City Cemetery.
Frankly, I had developed an aversion to City Cemetery. All I needed was to fall in another loose grave, which seemed far more likely in the dark. “At midnight? Why not right now? It’s forty-six degrees and sunny. We’re supposed to get six inches of snow tonight.”
Egypt leaned forward, clasping his hands on the antique desk. “That forecast is incorrect. And as for midnight, it is a most important hour in occult research, as you will learn.”
GIVEAWAY INFORMATION and RAFFLECOPTER CODE
Eric will award one randomly drawn commenter a signed copy of the book, plus a $25 Amazon gift card (US/Canada only) and a second randomly drawn commenter a signed copy of the book (US/Canada only).
AUTHOR Bio and Links:
Newspaper founder, bookstore owner, artist, musician, and man-about-town Eric Turowski writes lots of mixed-genre books when he’s not too busy playing laser tag with Tiger the Cat and his fiancée Mimi deep in the Central Valley of California.
You can learn more about Eric at www.ericturowski.com.
Connect with Eric online
Twitter: https://twitter.com/eric_turowski
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Turowski.Books
#Free on Amazon for 1st time! Valkyrie’s Vengeance @Melissa Snark
Valkyrie’s Vengeance is FREE for the first time on Amazon and most ebook retailers.
Download your copy today.
The Snarkology
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