Ariella Moon's Blog, page 38

Redefining Rayne: Amy Mullen's New Medieval Romance

Redefining Rayne by Amy Mullen
Will her most painful secret be the key to her greatest joy?Rayne de Latham, cousin to King William Rufus, should be enjoying a life of privilege. Instead, she has only known misery. Her disastrous first marriage yielded nothing but pain, suffering, and three stillborn children. She believes she is cursed and is certain another pregnancy will end in another tragedy. When the king seeks to get rid of her by sending her to marry one of his knights, she will do just about anything to get out of her betrothal.
Widower Andre de Grelle is father to two small boys who came to him by marriage. When his first wife jumps off the castle walls in a fit of madness, he keeps the boys he has grown to love as his own. When king sends him a new bride, the lovely but troubled Rayne, he vows to have more patience with her than he had with his first wife.
Once Rayne arrives at Cuxton Castle, Andre realizes there is much more to her than meets the eye. She does everything she can to force him to send her away, but nothing works. Frustration grows as Andre discovers his betrothed is hiding something from him about her past, something so devastating she cannot speak the words out loud.
In the midst of a siege on nearby Pevensey Castle, a truth comes to light that changes everything. As the real story of Rayne’s past emerges, lives change forever. Will love be enough, or will it be easier to walk away?
Teaser/Excerpt:Andre moved closer to her. His body was mere inches from hers as he lifted his other hand and slowly tilted her face toward his. Cupping her cheek, he wiped away a tear with his thumb. "You have no idea how fascinating you are," he whispered.
Involuntarily, her eyes closed and she tilted her chin up. She felt his soft lips brush hers and she started to tremble. The short, light touch of his mouth stirred something in her. A young maiden's dream of love, of being loved and cherished, welled up from a place where she had hidden her hopes a long time ago. She returned his kiss, but just for a moment.
Her eyes flew open, and she pulled her head back. This was all wrong. This was not how this was supposed to happen. In a rush to break the spell, she stammered out the first thing she thought of, "Someone will see us! Odo may come."
An expression of disbelief washed across his features and was replaced by irritation. "Odo? What has he to do with this? He is my guest but hardly has a say in what I do with you."
"You…" she stumbled over her words, "you… he is your…"
Andre stood and stepped away from her. He stared down at her, but she could no longer read his face. "Do your affections lie with Odo, Lady Rayne?"
Published by Astraea PressMedieval RomanceBuy Link:   Amazon
Author Bio and Links:Amy Mullen is a freelance writer and romance author living in Corning, NY, with her husband, Patrick, her two children, and an orange cat named Steve. She has written two medieval romances called A Stormy Knight and Redefining Rayne.Amy has been writing about love both lost and regained since she was old enough to have her first broken heart. Her love of history and her intermittent jaunts into amateur genealogy led her to a love affair with writing historical fiction. When not writing, she snaps pictures, gets nutty over football, enjoys the company of her family, and when time allows, loves to bury her nose in a good book.

She can be found online at www.authoramymullen.com or www.facebook.com/authoramymullen.

The Ruse, A New Regency Romance

Today's Spotlight is on Felicia Roger's New Release, The Ruse.
The Ruse , Andrews Brothers, Book One
The fix is in…but her heart can’t be fooled.
Luke Andrews, Baron of Stockport, is in trouble. He needs a wealthy bride to secure future funds for his financially shaky estate, but the belle of the London season is a spoiled terror with an arrogant father. They’d try the nerves of a saint and Luke can’t quite bring himself to make an offer he knows he’d regret.
Meanwhile, Luke’s half-brother Chadwick never could resist a good game of Faro, or anything else, for that matter. With the baron away, Chadwick will play — gambling the estate’s remaining funds into oblivion. He needs to devise his own scheme to replace the money he’s lost, before his brother returns.
In Stockport village, Brigitta Blackburn doesn’t have two sticks to rub together — literally. With the estate in financial distress and rents high, food and wood are scarce. When she sneaks onto the baron’s land to steal some firewood, she’s caught, hauled before the play-acting “baron,” Chadwick, and offered a solution to her plight… and his.
But Chadwick’s ruse embroils them all. How can Brigitta accept what she thinks to be true, when she really yearns to follow her heart?
--a traditional Regency novel
Buy it Now on Amazon: http://tinyurl.com/n4bw8z4


Excerpt:
Fountains bubbled and birds landed in the baths. Luke took the long trail and walked by the fishing pond and hunting grounds. A rock jutted out from the mountain and Luke paused, blocking the sun from his face.From his high perch, the ruins of Stockport Castle tumbled across the green below. He remembered being a lad and staring at the ruins while holding tightly to his father’s hand. His father’s vivid descriptions had almost made him feel as if he’d walked through the hallowed halls that lay destroyed.Reality of how things that stood the test of time could still plunge into nothingness gnawed at his innards and he wished his father was around to offer wisdom.Downhearted, he shoved his hands in his pockets and turned. Upon approaching the manse, he knitted his brows. A line of people gathered. Behind them, carriages lined the road almost as far away as the village.He strode toward the crowd and joined them. Raindrops fell and he tugged his top hat lower. The throng groaned and waved umbrellas aloft. Before them the manse doors parted and they entered the east wing of the estate.Tourists dressed in fine frocks with plumed hats filed into the main room, staring avidly about at his home. An individual Luke had never seen acted as a guide, lifting his hands and pointing at one side of the curved staircase. There a woman of refined grace descended.The guide announced, “Introducing Baroness Stockport, Brigitta Andrews.”Luke blinked rapidly as the woman turned, smiled, and waved. The crowd returned her actions. She continued to descend until she reached the landing, where she stopped.From the opposite set of stairs, his half-brother Chadwick, dressed in regal attire, descended. The red coat emphasized his broad shoulders, which he held back. His face scrunched, he didn’t look at the crowd, but instead focused a look filled with unrequited hatred toward the woman on the landing.The guide lifted his hand toward Chadwick and said, “Introducing the Baron of Stockport.”Luke covered his gasp and huddled deeper into his coat. What is the meaning of this?Before any further thoughts could drift through Luke’s mind, Chadwick stopped in the middle of the stairs and shouted, “And just what do you think you’re wearing?”The woman bristled. “I’m wearing the yellow today, my lord.”“The yellow? Blah. I’ve told you I detest yellow. Get thee upstairs and change this instant.” He pointed his finger above and the lady cocked a brow and glared.“You will not tell me what to do! I’m the baroness and I can do as I please. If I want to wear yellow, then I shall wear yellow!”Chadwick didn’t waver and Brigitta hitched her skirts and ran upstairs. Chadwick faced the crowd and apologized for his wife’s behavior before casually turning on his heel and leaving himself.Shocked, Luke blindly followed the crowd. The guide led them through the entire east wing. They studied the wall of family portraits, swooned over the ancient family heirlooms, and ended with a riding tour of the grounds.With each new sight his ire increased. While he’d been strangled initially by feelings of cold, blind rage, the trip on horseback through the grounds cooled his temper and now he was naught but confused.The event ended and the visitors left in their carriages. Discreetly, Luke sneaked into the house through a downstairs window and raced on tiptoe to his chambers. He sat at a desk and pondered until his head ached. Finally, he pulled the servant’s rope that led directly to his personal valet’s room. He paced, his mind jumbled with nonsensical thoughts. The door opened and he blurted, “Jarvis, I have a problem.”The valet entered and closed the door. A blank stare covered his face as he blurted, “My lord, we weren’t expecting you. Welcome home.”“There is something foul at play here.”Jarvis squinted, lifted his nose, and sniffed.“Not an odor, Jarvis.”He lowered his chin. “Excuse me, your lordship, but I fail to understand your meaning.”Without pretense, Luke said, “In the east wing, Chadwick is pretending to be me!”“Are you sure?” asked Jarvis, his voice lending to a squeak.He rounded on the servant. “Yes, I’m sure! They called his name as the Baron of Stockport and last I checked that was me!”



ROMANCE AUTHORFelicia Rogers Felicia Rogers is an author of six novels and three novellas. When she's not writing, Felicia volunteers with the Girl Scouts of America, teaches at a local homeschooling group, hikes, and spends time with her family.
To find out more information about Felicia Rogers visit the sites below. She loves hearing from readers.

Website:  http://www.feliciarogersauthor.weebly.com Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/FeliciaRogersAuthorEmail: feliciarogersauthor@yahoo.com
Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/4412925.Felicia_Rogers

Creating Your Author Brand

Well before you sell your first book, consider how you want to market yourself. I have a dual career, Young Adult Fiction author and shamanic healer. Before I sold Spell Check (The Teen Wytche Saga #1), I waffled between maintaining two separate websites or finding a way to present both careers on one site. The latter was preferable, but seemed impossible until I realized that the heart of my work was to be a story catcher. Authors catch and translate the stories delivered to them through dreams, inspiration, muses, and observations. Shamans journey between worlds to capture the stories hidden in chakras, past lives, and childhoods. These stories, often flashes or visions, guide the shaman  to the source of their client's emotional and/or physical wounds. Thus Story Catcher became part of my brand.Color is another way to signify your brand. Purple is both a healing color and a color favored by many tweens and teens, readers of my Teen Wytche Saga. Also, I wear a lot of purple. So purple became the signature color of my brand. Themes of karma and empowerment play out in my books and in my healing practice. What initially seemed impossible, a single brand for two diverse careers, blossomed once I concentrated on the similarities between my two careers instead of the differences. You can glimpse the result on http://www.AriellaMoon.comAuthor Kristin Wallace, Marry Me, has written an excellent How-To article, "Brand Smart - Your Guide to Creating Your Author Brand." http://savvyauthors.com/blog/index.php/brand-smart-your-guide-to-creating-your-author-brand-by-kristin-wallace/Happy writing!

Marry Me Spotlight

Kristin Wallace explores matters of the heart, faith, and family in her new release from Astraea Press. 
 
Julia Richardson is no fan of weddings. A lifetime of watching her parents treat relationships like the flavor of the month has taught her that love is for fools and faith is for naïve. She’s always put her faith in her career. Then her life is thrown into a tailspin. First, she loses her job. Then she gets a panicked call and learns her former stepsister is having a crisis with her pregnancy. The crisis has Julia returning to the small Southern town – and the family – she’s been avoiding for years. Before she knows it, Julia’s been pressed into service running her stepsister’s wedding planning business.
Julia doesn’t know a garter from a garden hose, but now she must navigate couples along the bumpy path down the aisle - despite wardrobe malfunctions, killer bees, and plenty of near disasters. In the midst of it all, Julia makes the most unexpected discovery of all…Love, with Seth Graham, the widowed local minister! Julia’s been running from love and everything spiritual for most of her life. It’s not until she finds the courage to stop running and learns to believe in the power of love, faith and family that she finds her own “I Do” moment.

Kristin Wallace Bio
Growing up Kristin devoured books like bags of Dove Dark Chocolate. Her first Golden Book led to Laura Ingalls Wilder, Nancy Drew, Encyclopedia Brown, C.S. Lewis and the Sweet Valley High series. Later, she discovered romance novels and fell in love all over again. It’s no surprise then that Kristin would one day try her hand at writing them. She writes inspirational romance and women’s fiction filled with love, laughter and a leap of faith. When she’s not writing her next novel, Kristin works as an advertising copywriter. Over the 15-year career in the ad industry, she has worked on clients that have included the Miami Marlins, Discovery Networks, Radisson Seven Seas Cruises, The Peabody Hotel and Sea World. She also enjoys singing in the church choir and worship team and playing flute in a community orchestra.


You can connect with Kristin online at:Website: www.KristinWallaceAuthor.comBlog: http://kristinwallaceauthor.blogspot.com/Facebook: http://facebook.com/KristinWallaceAuthor  Twitter: https://twitter.com/KWallaceAuthorAmazon Author Page: http://www.amazon.com/Kristin-Wallace/e/B00G5KX80I









Excerpt:
(Lead up to Julia and Seth’s first kiss)
Seth gave a frustrated groan.“What now?” Julia asked.“You are a dangerous lady.”“Me?”“God, she doesn’t even see it!” he called out to the heavens.“Are you praying?” she asked in bemusement.“For strength. You tempt me, and it’s making me crazy.”“Are you talking about the other night in the kitchen?”“It goes way beyond last night,” he said, hands gripping the railing. “Did you know I had a wild crush on you when you used to live here?”Julia’s mouth dropped open. “What?”“I helped you build a fort.”“You pounded nails so you could be near me?” she asked, batting her eyelashes at him. “What a way to court a girl.”“It wasn’t like I could talk to you,” Seth said, shuffling his feet. “Not without sounding like an idiot.”“I didn’t think you even liked me.”A dry chuckle escaped from his chest. “Like and lust are two different things. You were every teenage boy’s fantasy. Everything about you fascinated me. The way you walked, the way you tossed your hair, even the way you smelled. It drove me nuts for two years.”“I was your fantasy?”“The problem is now you’re back, standing there looking like some kind of screen goddess, and you get me like no one ever has,” he said, as if she hadn’t spoken.Her skin started tingling. “You think I’m beautiful?”“You’re so much more than beautiful.”Jumping him right now would be bad… Right? “This is a little complicated.”“You think?” he asked, drifting closer. “You’re a guest in Grace’s house and living about a hundred feet away. Plus, I am a minister, and it wouldn’t look good if I grabbed you right now and kissed you senseless.”“Not in the job description?”“Definitely not.”
Buy Links:
Amazon:http://www.amazon.com/Marry-Me-Kristin-Wallace-ebook/dp/B00G4UN1UQ/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1382632992&sr=8-1&keywords=marry+me+kristin+wallace
Barnes & Noble:http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/marry-me-kristin-wallace/1117237787?ean=2940148391678
Astraea Press: http://astraeapress.com/#!/~/product/category=662245&id=29172320

Book Series: Characters and Worlds You Want to Revisit

Book Series for Children and TeensHave you ever fallen in love with a character or fictional setting and didn't want the book to end?

I spent my childhood solving clues with Nancy Drew and shadowing Peter, Susan, Edmund, and Lucy as they saved and then ruled Narnia. As an adult, I watched my daughter embody Hermoine Granger as she became immersed in Harry Potter's world.

Later, I despaired, then raged against the Capitol with Katniss Everdeen in the Hunger Games. Gail Carriger drew me into steampunk London and the wilds of Scotland with her Alexia Tarbotti novels. My current favorite series include Carriger's Parasol Protectorate, Shelley Adina's Magnificent Devices, and Jasmine Haynes's Max Starr novels.


Book series enable us to revisit characters who have become like old friends or family members. We enter worlds far more interesting than our own. Book series for children and teens empower youth by giving them young role models. Often set in paranormal or dystopian worlds, the heroes and heroines are about the same age as their readers. Adults serve as mentors, but it is up to Harry, Ron, and Hermoine to save Hogwarts. Katniss and Peeta appear to have a terrible mentor, yet they ignite the rebellion to save the Districts.

Settings for book series need not be too different from our own world. Many romance writers have succeeded with series set in contemporary Every Town, U.S.A. My Teen Wytche Saga is a contemporary young adult series set in the fictional town of Lamorinda, which strongly resembles the towns I used to live in. I fashioned fictional Jefferson High after Stanley Intermediate School, and Athenian Academy resembles my daughter's former high school.


Every series author strives to write compelling characters and settings readers will want to revisit.

What is your favorite book series?

The Teen Wytche Saga is currently featured on Highlighted Author.  http://highlightedauthor.com/2013/11/ 

Amy Mullen Interviews Ariella Moon

I'm so excited to be interviewed by author Amy Mullen! (Love her cover photo!)
You'll find the interview and an excerpt from Spell Fire (The Teen Wytche Saga #3) at  http://tinyurl.com/lyce6xe Fans of historical romances will enjoy Amy Mullen's book, A Stormy Knight. For more information, use the above link. 
Happy reading!
~Ariella Moon

Spell Struck Receives Crowned Heart For Excellence

Spell Struck (The Teen Wytche Saga #2)By Ariella Moon

 5 Star Review and Crowned Heart for Excellence 


"A fantastic YA paranormal read, reminiscent of the film "Practical Magic"! "Spell Struck" combines quirky but fun teen characters dealing with new schools, romance, and family problems, with magic, and more serious topics like suicide and kidnapping."

"...Readers who haven't read the first book "Spell Check" will want to go back and read it, just to enjoy more of Salem and her fun friends. Any reader who enjoys YA paranormal should definitely add "Spell Struck" to their list!"

Sarah E. Bradley
InD'Tale Magazine
November 2013

Open Call For Submissions on Prom, Regency, and More

Any writers trying to break into publishing? Astraea Press only publishes clean fiction - no erotica.
Check out their website for more information.

Happy writing!
~Ariella Moon
http://www.AriellaMoon.com

Writing YA and the Importance of Reader Engagement

Hooked
Have you ever become so engaged in a book, movie, or television show that you dreamed about its characters? This happened to me during college when I allowed myself a one-hour study break each weekday to watch a soap opera. The show’s villains, heroes, and star-crossed lovers penetrated my psyche and took up residence. I became emotionally invested in their fates. I plucked the characters and twisting storylines and wove them into my own mental narrative. Successful YA novels inspire similar devotion and emotional involvement. Teens especially embrace trilogies and book series. They love returning to familiar worlds and journeying along as new truths are revealed, and more difficult obstacles must be overcome.
Intense Emotions and Reader Engagement
Do you remember the heightened emotions connected to high school? Developing brains and raging hormones amplified feelings about friendship, love, family, and peer approval. Beliefs and thoughts grew to epic proportions. There were no shades of gray. A well told YA novel will inspire similarly intense emotional engagement, and may inspire fan fiction, Street Teams, and reader/blogger loyalty.
In her Romance Writers of America University class, “Romancing YA,” author Nancy Holder asked students to “Describe how reader engagement is built into your story idea.” Since I write series YA (The Teen Wytche Saga), I applied the question not only to my individual books, but also to the overall series. I discovered I had employed the characteristics outlined in an article Holder referenced, “Fiction Writing: What Makes Your Readers Care About Your Characters?” http://menwithpens.ca/fiction-writing-what-makes-readers-care-about-your-characters/ and had strengthened them with each subsequent book. Ask yourself the same question about your work-in- progress and then read the Men With Pens article.
Your World As a Reader's SpringboardImagine the world you have created in your YA novel, be it a contemporary high school, a dystopian setting, steam punk, Fairy, between worlds, or a mental institute. How would a reader react if he or she were plopped into your setting? Whether your characters are aliens, vampires, lunatics, or Every Girl and Boy, would the reader identify with their humanity enough to want to aid and befriend them, help them overcome their obstacles, and destroy their enemies? As an author, my visceral reaction to the characters I write is a good predictor of how my readers will react. (I so wanted a happy ending for Aidan in Spell Struck!) Like the soap opera characters of my college days, I want my characters to be so relatable and compelling that they get inside a reader’s head and enter his or her dreams. I’d consider that level of reader engagement an epic success.

Fighting For the Edge Book Blast

Fighting for the EdgeTwo friends. Two dreams. One night that changes everything… Ice dancer Aubrey London scoffs at romance. She’s focused on winning a medal at the upcoming Olympics and uses that as her excuse to avoid serious relationships. But when she and longtime friend Chris Grayden are thrown together by unforeseen circumstances, Aubrey finds herself questioning everything she's ever known about love, complicating her life both on and off the ice. Pairs skater Emily Petrov embraces romance. She and her husband Sergei still act like honeymooners two years after their wedding. As Emily’s coach, Sergei provides constant support while she prepares to challenge for gold at the Olympics. But Sergei’s support might not be enough to help Emily overcome the one challenge she never saw coming. With the Games only weeks away, Emily and Aubrey are on the verge of realizing their dreams. But one snowy, stormy night sets in motion a series of events that will test them in ways they never imagined, giving them more to fight for than Olympic medals.  

Amazon * Barnes & Noble

Praise for Fighting for the Edge "Emily and Aubrey's final challenge is Jennifer Comeaux's greatest victory. Both touching and suspenseful, Fighting for the Edge is a game changer that will have fans of the series giving both the characters and the author a standing ovation once they've turned the last page. If I could pass out medals, Jennifer would earn gold for writing my favorite romance of all time." - Jenna at Jenna Does Books "Jennifer Comeaux puts you in the action, makes you smell the ice and hear the roar of the crowd during the nail-biting competitions, and she's a master at creating first love jitters in your stomach from the steamy scenes that are so hot without being explicit." - Christina Jean Michaels, author of Epiphany   Life on the Edge (Book 1) Nineteen-year-old Emily is new to pairs skating, but she and her partner Chris have a big dream–to be the first American team to win Olympic gold. Their young coach Sergei, who left Russia after a mysterious end to his skating career, believes they can break through and make history. Emily and Chris are on track to be top contenders at the 2002 Winter Games. But when forbidden feelings spark between Emily and Sergei, broken trust and an unexpected enemy threaten to derail Emily’s dreams of gold.

Amazon * Barnes & Noble

  Edge of the Past (Book 2) Summary:Emily's skating career and personal life have never been more golden. She and her partner Chris have won every competition they've entered this season, and she's found the man of her dreams in her coach Sergei. But when one of the biggest competitions of the year takes Emily and Sergei to Russia, Sergei's past explodes into the present and makes Emily doubt everything in their future.  

Amazon * Barnes & Noble

  Author Jennifer Comeaux Jennifer Comeaux is a tax accountant by day, writer by night. There aren't any ice rinks near her home in south Louisiana, but she's a diehard figure skating fan and loves to write stories of romance set in the world of competitive skating. One of her favorite pastimes is travelling to competitions, where she can experience all the glitz and drama that inspire her writing.When not working or writing, she is an avid follower of the sport of figure skating, travelling to competitions around the country. Those experiences allow her to see another side of the sport and serve as an inspiration for her writing. Jennifer is blessed with a wonderful family and many friends who have encouraged her to pursue her dream of being a published author.Website * Twitter * Facebook * Goodreads * Pinterest   

Tour Schedule

  Book Blast Giveaway$50 Amazon Gift Card or Paypal Cash Ends 11/28/13 Open only to those who can legally enter, receive and use an Amazon.com Gift Code or Paypal Cash. Winning Entry will be verified prior to prize being awarded. No purchase necessary. You must be 18 or older to enter or have your parent enter for you. The winner will be chosen by rafflecopter and announced here as well as emailed and will have 48 hours to respond or a new winner will be chosen. This giveaway is in no way associated with Facebook, Twitter, Rafflecopter or any other entity unless otherwise specified. The number of eligible entries received determines the odds of winning. Giveaway was organized by Kathy from I Am A Reader, Not A Writer and sponsored by the author. VOID WHERE PROHIBITED BY LAW. a Rafflecopter giveaway -- ~Inspired Kathy~ I Am A Reader, Not A Writer Book Blasts & Blog Tours Feed Your Reader - Kindle Ebook Freebies & Deals Like a Broken Vessel