S.L. Dearing's Blog, page 6
May 20, 2014
Cover Reveal – Shelf Life by S. L. Dearing – A Post-Apocalyptic Short Story
Here it is the amazing cover for my short Shelf Life
(originally published in Apocalypse: An Anthology by Readers and Authors compiled and edited by Cynthia Shepp). and designed by Rene Folsom at Phycel Designs (http://phycel.com)
Shannon and her dog, Max, have been hiding in her shelter for three weeks. The phones are dead and the radio has been nothing but static for several weeks now. What will happen when Shannon leaves the safety of her shelter in search of food? Has the Apocalypse happened? We all have a Shelf Life.
This is a short story from the anthology Apocalypse: An Anthology by Readers & Authors – edited and compiled by Cynthia Shepp. The excerpt below is from the anthology – it started as a contest and it became a book.
What began as an idea soon set into motion a chain of events which would lead to the next APOCALYPSE…
I want you to imagine that the world as we know it has ended. Total Apocalypse. You only have yourself and one other person you can rely on. There is no power, no water, and you are armed with only a backpack of supplies. In your backpack there are matches, four bottles of water, enough food to make it three days, and one weapon. Spin a web of survival, danger, and conflict. Tell us why the world as you knew it ended, tell us your fears, make up a world in which nothing is the same and survival is hard, and the world is against you. Tell us what you would do, where you would go, how you would get food and water, how you would protect yourself, and how you would make your life over again. You could even throw in some romance and meet some new people to help you on your journey.
11 authors, 11 different stories, one main idea…welcome to the APOCALYPSE…
Available on:
Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Shelf-Life-S-L-Dearing-ebook/dp/B00KGC2OX8/
May 19, 2014
Cover Reveal – Immortal Rapture by Magen McMinimy
Title: Immortal Rapture
Series: Immortal Heart
Author: Magen McMinimy
Release Date: May 22, 2014
Synopsis:
While the Fae warriors help their people mourn the loss of Rowan, they struggle to survive the harsh, frozen lands they call home. The snow has blanketed the Middle World, leaving it a dormant wasteland. Still struggling from both the physical and emotional losses he’s suffered, Uriah, the solid, elite Light Fae warrior, has withdrawn from his brothers as he searches for answers. Uriah must find his strength before the Dark strike again.
Jelena has spent the past ten months as a prisoner. Having given birth to Uriah’s baby in her brothers’ domain, she knows the Underworld is no place to raise a child. Looking to Makyle for help, she may just give him what he needs to question all he has ever known.
Curses, secrets and the Dark Fae all loom in the fourth installment of the Immortal Heart Series. Follow your favorite warriors as they fight to save what is left of their home, the people they love, and the new additions they never saw
coming.
Add Immortal Rapture to your TBR!
Haven’t started the Immortal Heart Series? Need to get caught up before Uriah’s story? Well Immortal Blood: Book One is FREE!
Immortal Blood: An arrogant warrior and feisty human are forced together by a mischievous Luck Eater. Can Bain and Izzy find what has always been missing?
Amazon: http://amzn.com/B00AOHGJXG
Amazon UK:http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B00AOHGJXG
B&N: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/immortal-blood-magen-mcminimy/1114719650
iTunes: https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/id667505211
Smashwords: https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/405746
Immortal Craving: Sparks still fly when a bad boy warrior and a sexy Succubus come together, but can the past be forgiven, when betrayal, lies, and pain is all they’ve felt because of it?
Amazon US: http://amzn.com/B00CSCE9PU
Amazon UK: http:/amzn.co.uk/dp/B00CSCE9PU
B&N: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/immortal-craving-magen-mcminimy/1115457000
Immortal Promise: The warrior who holds them all together and a royal Fae turned vampire fight to find home and save the Middle World. Will it bring them together or does fate have something altogether different in mind?
Amazon: http://amzn.com/B00HDZB9XM
Amazon UK: http://amzn.co.uk/dp/B00HDZB9XM
B&N: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/immortal-promise-magen-mcminimy/1117740569
April 25, 2014
Convincing Constance by Tabatha Vargo – Release Day Blitz and Giveaway
Excerpt…
Turned out Gary Steele from Music Line did have a job for me. I almost lost my shit when he said Blow Hole was looking for a replacement guitarist to finish their tour with them. Fucking Blow Hole! As in some of my favorite music to play.
I knew the chords to their songs better than any other band. I liked their sound and I’d always been able to pick up their pace right away. I could hardly believe my luck. So when he told me they wanted me to come to their condo in Los Angeles to audition, I was all over that shit.
I called Shay to bring me some gas money, told her why I needed it, listened to her scream on the other line, and then I drove entirely too fast to the address Gary gave me. I pulled up around the corner and changed my clothes in the backseat of my car before going inside the massive building the boys lived in.
When I finally made it to the top floor, I stood in front of the door and convinced myself that ringing the doorbell was the best thing I could do no matter how badly my nerves were jumping around. I’d never auditioned before since I’d never played for any other reason than I loved it, and I couldn’t lie. I was scared.
When I finally worked up the nerve, I reached out and rang the doorbell. I stood there waiting for someone to answer the door, but no one came. I rang the bell once more, and the door opened quickly.
“Can I help you?” It was Finn, the lead singer.
Everyone who loved music knew who Finn was. His voice was soulful. When he sang, he put so much emotion behind it you could almost believe he was living his lyrics. He was raspy and deep, and I’d be lying if I said he wasn’t attractive.
He was taller in person, and honestly, I expected more muscles, but that didn’t take away from his eyes or those lips that girls seemed to get wet over. He leaned against the doorframe with his arms crossed. A black shirt with cut-off sleeves covered his chest yet revealed his tatted arms, and a pair of drawstring sweats hung from his hips with loose ties that brought my eyes to his crotch.Quickly, I looked back up at him and my cheeks turned red when his expression told me he’d caught me looking. Turning away, I adjusted my guitar case and shook the thoughts from my head. I wasn’t one to get star struck… ever, but Finn was the real deal.
Looking back up at him, the question in his eyes told me I needed to speak or he was going to close the door in my face.
“I’m here for the audition.” My voice cracked and I wanted to slap myself.
I needed to snap out of it.
I adjusted the guitar strap on my shoulder to show him I wasn’t messing around.
“You’re kidding, right?” His right brow popped up in challenge.
I didn’t have time for the whole females can’t play bullshit I knew was coming. So I went in for the kill.
“Do I look like I’m kidding? Is the word jokester tattooed across my forehead? Yes, I’m a chick. I have tits and a clit, but I have bigger balls than any man you know, and I can play the fuck out of a guitar. Now are you going to keep wasting my time, or are you going to invite me in to play?”
His mouth popped open in a wide, shocked smile. Then he chuckled to himself and stepped aside.
“Then by all means, come in.”
The space was sleek and clean considering it was the home of a bunch of rockers. Abstract red-and-black paintings of different instruments covered white walls, and the place smelled like pot and beer.
The place was huge. I followed behind Finn through three sets of doors until we were in a sitting room, and then I set my guitar case on the counter that split the living room from the kitchen.
A white, leather sectional filled the room. Eyes stared back at me as I entered behind Finn and instantly I recognized the drummer, Chet, and the bass player, Tiny. Finn left the room, leaving me in a silent uncomfortable moment.
Taking a seat on the edge of the couch, I kept my bitch face on. Chet grinned at me from across the room and nodded at me as he licked his lips. His tongue piercing clicked against his teeth. He was the colorful one of the group. Tattoos and piercings everywhere. I did, however, seriously dig his fauxhawk.
I’d been looking at him too long, and he was enjoying the attention. He was definitely the playboy of the group. I’d heard the rumors about him and how he stuck his cock in anything wet. I rolled my eyes and turned my head, and then my eyes connected with the bass player’s.
Tiny’s name was a joke considering there was nothing small about the man. He was huge. His thick tattooed arms were crossed. A look of absolutely no tolerance was plastered on his face. Quiet and mysterious was his game. Every band had one, and I usually dealt best with them, but something about the way he looked at me made me feel nervous.
His dark-brown hair was buzzed short and faded into a set a sideburns that melted into his light mustache and goatee. My eyes shifted to his lips and again, I wanted to slap myself. It was unlike me to even notice the things I’d noticed since I stepped into the den of sin, also known as the home of Blow Hole, and I wasn’t about to let the disgusting pheromones that lingered in the air get to me.
Tiny’s dark, angry eyes dug into mine and I suddenly felt exposed. I sat up and ran my fingers through my hair to make sure I had no strays poking out, and then I turned away from him. Even without looking at him, I could feel his gaze in the side of my face. I didn’t like it.
Just when I was close to telling him off, Finn came back into the room and crashed onto the couch. Behind him, Zeke, the lead guitarist, came limping in. A cast covered his picking hand and instantly I felt for him. I couldn’t imagine what it would be like to not be able to play. He looked at me in confusion as he sat down.
As far as I was concerned, Zeke was one of the best guitarists I’d ever heard. His technique was unusual, but the sounds that came from his strings were amazing. I’d practiced his sound since the first time I’d heard them play on the radio. I’d once see them from afar in concert at a bar in Los Angeles, but the boys were playing bigger venues these days.
“So where’s the replacement guitarist? Zeke asked in aggravation.
The room filled with laughter like I was a joke, and it pissed me off. I stood and crossed my arms to show them I wasn’t dicking around.
“That would be me,” I said sternly.
Zeke looked me up and down without a drop of sexual awareness in his gaze, and I appreciated the fact that he was simply sizing me up, not checking me out. It probably had something to do with the petite blond that had followed him into the room.
“Is that so?” he asked.
He was acting cocky, and honestly, he had every right to be.
“Yep. Want me to play or what?” I asked.
Everything depended on this job and while I knew some would call me stupid for being such a bitch, I knew the boys would appreciate it. I’d been a part of their world before. I knew all about the girls that chased rockers around with their legs open. I was sure it was refreshing to have a woman in their presence who didn’t drool all over them. I’d definitely checked them out, but I wasn’t the drooling type. Not to mention, I knew band boys weren’t for me—at all.
Zeke looked around the room at the rest of the guys. “Is this some kind of joke?” he asked.
Again, the boys burst out in laughter, which did nothing but make me madder.
“It’s not a fucking joke. Quit being a chauvinistic asshole. Either you want me to fucking play or not. Say something and quit wasting my goddamn time,” I snapped.
His stern expression cracked into an appreciative smile. “Then play,” he said with a careless shrug.
Stepping over to my guitar case, I flipped it open and pulled out my baby. It was a candy apple-red Les Paul from my dad. I barely played it, but I thought of this audition as a special occasion. The boys of Blow Hole didn’t need to see my normal guitar.
I strapped it on, took a deep breath, and began to play. My fingers dug into the strings and I closed my eyes and let go of everything. Rips and grinds filled the condo, bouncing off the walls and shaking the windows. I mimicked Zeke’s playing perfectly. I even ripped through his unique chords that other guitarist seemed to have a hard time with.
I played an entire song and no one stopped me. When I was done, I unhooked my strap and set my guitar back in its case. The room around me was silent, and when I looked up, looks of shock stared back at me.
The only girl in the room, the tiny blonde with ice-blue eyes, began to clap.
“That was amazing!” she said with a smile.
I nodded at her compliment and turned my attention back to Zeke. He stared at me with angry eyes. That was his thing. I don’t think I’d ever seen a real smile from him ever.
“What did you say your name was again?” he asked.
“I didn’t. No one bothered to ask. My name’s Constance,” I responded.
He looked around the room and then back at me. The side of his mouth lifted in an almost grin. “Well, Constance, welcome to Blow Hole.”
Blow Hole Lyrics
“The Addict”
The addiction you bring
It’s more than I can stand
Feeling your soulful depth
Why can’t you understand?
Bound by sick desires
Reaching for your sin
Body breathing fire
And I can’t let you in
Chorus:
Drugs don’t fail me now
For she’s forever gone
Despising all her strength
Against all that I’ve done wrong
Numb my aching heart
I’ll never be brand new
Finding who I am
In the high that comes from you
I’m addicted to your smile
Withdrawals and frowns are me
Knocked down and I am vile
While you’re forever free
Needing you right here
Jonesing for a dose
Panic turns to fear
Longing for your ghost
Chorus:
Drugs don’t fail me now
For she’s forever gone
Despising her strength
Against all that I’ve done wrong
Numb my aching heart
I’ll never be brand new
Finding who I am
In the high that comes from you
Links to everything…
Amazon US: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00JX8FVKO
Amazon UK: http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B00JX8FVKO?*Version*=1&*entries*=0
Link to FB page - https://www.facebook.com/TabathaDVargo
Twitter – @tabathavargo
Webpage - http://tabathavargo.blogspot.com/
Google+ - https://plus.google.com/u/0/+TabathaVargo/posts
Event page link - https://www.facebook.com/events/753811541317337/
US Only - a Rafflecopter giveaway
International Only - a Rafflecopter giveaway
April 23, 2014
A Touch by S.L. Dearing – Now Available
A Touch: A Lia Fail Short Story 1.2
It’s February in Lia Fail. The chilly winter air is making ready for spring, and more changes are in store for the Stark family, when a wagon train from Old Idaho arrives.
As a relationship dissolves, one is born, and another is rediscovered. The magic of the new world is making itself more prevalent in the form of the tiny pixies, while the untapped powers of those who have invoked the goddess are beginning to surface. Darkness once again walks the edge of the tiny village and it all begins with… A Touch.
This is the second in a series of short stories based on the Lia Fail Chronicles. This is NOT a stand-alone short story. It is a continuation of the novel The Gathering. This story will eventually be compiled with several others to form a volume one omnibus of shorts that will fill the time between book one and book two in the Lia Fail Chronicles.
Links for A Touch – A Lia Fail Short Story (1.2)
Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Touch-Fail-Short-Story-Chronicles-ebook/dp/B00JPHFTBE/
Amazon.co.uk: http://www.amazon.co.uk/Touch-Fail-Short-Story-Chronicles-ebook/dp/B00JPHFTBE/
Barnes&Noble: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/a-touch-a-lia-fail-short-story-12-sl-dearing/1119231242?ean=2940149201181
Kobo: http://store.kobobooks.com/en-US/ebook/a-touch-a-lia-fail-short-story-1-2
Itunes: https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/id862970437
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/21929659-a-touch
April 18, 2014
Say My Name by Michael Loring
Say My Name is a thrilling short story in the horror vein written by author, Michael Loring. It was first published in an anthology STALKERS: A Collection of Thriller Stories
that was complied and edited by Cynthia Shepp and Rene Folsom, (I also had a short story in this anthology, but alas, I must admit I have been lax in ready my fellow brethren, thus my beginning to embark on the Stalker journey to review all the stories in this anthology, much as I did when I read Twist). So, please find below, my opinion of Say My Name by Michael Loring.
REVIEW
I have enjoyed Michael Loring’s other shorts, and I can add this one to the list. Loring has the ability to create likable characters that pull you in immediately without knowing much about them, thus creating a need in the reader to root for said character as they go on whatever journey Loring sends them.
Say My Name is no different. Loring creates a scenario that we are immediately drawn into and builds tension that grows with each turn of the page. I thought this story, which was originally published in the anthology Stalkers, was a different and interesting take on the Stalkers idea.
Truly great read… Fantastic ending.
March 29, 2014
Horses that can stab people…
I wrote this back in January, 2012, thought I would share again :)
Originally posted on ...And Everything in Between...:
So this Christmas, one of my new presents is a shirt that states, “I believe in horses that can stab people.” Ok, so I asked for it, because I love unicorns and I love that they can stab people. Maybe there are unicorns in my book…maybe… and maybe they kick butt… maybe… but I digress.
I have found that the mythology of mythical beasts and monsters is often up for debate. For me, as long as you hold the fundamental truths as true, then it’s fine to change the rest of it. For instance, I wrote a screenplay about vampires… they aren’t glittery, but they aren’t Vlad Dracul either. They still feed on blood, they are still super strong, but sunlight doesn’t kill them and they aren’t afraid of crosses or holy water. They are a super species of human, so you can kill them with a gun or a…
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March 19, 2014
Five Book Facts and A Game of Tag – The Saga Continues…
Five Book Facts and A Game of Tag
A while back my friend Magen McMinimy tagged me to do a post about my dream cast for my book The Gathering: Book One of the Lia Fail Chronicles and then tag 5 authors to do the same, and in typical “Shannon Fashion”, I dropped the ball. So now Author Michael Loring has come up with something similar, but instead of with a dream cast you have to share FIVE facts about your book that no one else would know, followed by tagging four other authors to do the same with their book of choice!
A very simple game, but nonetheless fun!
Let’s get started!
1) All about your most recent or current release:
All Our Love: A Collection of Stories That Speak to the Heart
Anthology
Synopsis:
Love stories.
Moments that make your heart flutter. Scenes that have you holding your breath. Coveted admissions of love that you just can’t wait to be confessed.
This is a collection of stories that center on matters of the heart, overwhelming feelings of love, and stories that make you stop to re-read those breathtaking moments between your favorite characters. Be it the angst, the turmoil, or the first kiss, these are stories that speak to your soul and warm you to your core.
Eleven authors, eleven stories, eleven special moments—brought to you with ALL OUR LOVE.
Stories included in this anthology:
- All Roads Lead to Jackson by Juli Valenti
- Bad Girlfriend by Brooke Cumberland
- Coming Home by Melissa Collins
- Cora’s Plantation by Jettie Woodruff
- Fated Love by Brandy L. Rivers
- Have My Heart by Rene Folsom
- Home Again by Vicki Green
- Masked Encounters by Felicia Tatum
- No Details by Marie Wathen
- Surrender by Sarah M. Cradit
- The One by S.L. Dearing
2) Share FIVE facts about your book: Since my book is The Gathering, I’ll answer questions about that ;)
1. It took eight and a half years to write and publish The Gathering.
2. The Merganser family was originally named the Mortaver, Madison was originally Tuner, Brian was originally Grant (named after his godfather) and Paul was originally named Ian.
3. Vance and Stephan were originally slated for death.
4. I had no idea how it was going to end when I began writing it.
5. The Gathering was originally slated to be 3 individual books, now it’s the first in a series of a minimum of 4 novels and so far 3 compendiums and a Diary full or prequel.
3) Tag FOUR other Authors:
Jennifer Bull
Nikki Marie Clark
Penelope Anne Bartoto
M.L. Stephens
Ok, now go forth and let’s learn and tag… you’re it!!!
March 14, 2014
March 8, 2014
All Our Love: A Collection of Love Stories That Speak to the Heart
All Our Love
Compiled by
Novel Grounds
Release: March 11th, 2014
Genre: Romance
Goodreads
Amazon
Authors:
Rene Folsom, Brooke Cumberland, Juli Valenti, Melissa Collins, Felicia Tatum, S. L. Dearing, Jettie Woodruff, Marie DeStafino-Wathen, Brandy L Rivers, Sarah M.Cradit, Vicki Green
Synopsis:
Love stories.
Moments that make your heart flutter. Scenes that have you holding your breath. Coveted admissions of love that you just can’t wait to be confessed.
This is a collection of stories that center on matters of the heart, overwhelming feelings of love, and stories that make you stop to re-read those breathtaking moments between your favorite characters. Be it the angst, the turmoil, or the first kiss, these are stories that speak to your soul and warm you to your core.
Eleven authors, eleven stories, eleven special moments—brought to you with ALL OUR LOVE.
