Ellie Potts's Blog, page 65

Book trailers

The wonderful awesome Author Melissa Darby has created my book trailers and she does a damn good job with them. You can find her page here: https://www.facebook.com/LissasBookTrailers

So here are the book trailers:

Snippet Sunday!

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Here is a snippet from my The Unicorn and The Serpent. Out Now:

She ran from the castle, the idea of sitting through any more complaints made her head ache. The green gown moved with her as the summer breeze hit her as she rounded the side of the castle. She decided to go out to the pond and sit for a while in quite. She stopped, her eyes watching as Grady broke the surface of the water. He flung back his raven black hair, the water running down his very impressive muscled chest.

She had seen him this way before, but it had never truly made her breathless as it did now. The sight of the water glistening down his chest made her shiver and break out in gooseflesh. She shook her head. He had always affected her more than the others in one way or another.

“Great day, Morgan,” he said with a huge friendly smile as he walked out of the pond. Her first reaction was to look away, make an excuse and leave quickly.

“Hi, Grady.”

He stopped beside her in his soaking wet cut breaches. “Hiding from court?”

She nodded frowning. “I could not stand another bit of business when the day is so nice. You will not tell, will you?”

He reached over. His moist hand touched her shoulder as his fingers caught the loose shoulder of the bodice straightening it. She fought the warmth that dared to spread to her face. “I shall not tell,” he said. “If you wish we can go riding.”

She looked up into his grey eyes. “You want to race to the stable?”

“Now why would I want to do that?” He said with a smile and before she could reply, he started running for the stable. She cursed and ran after him. He beat her, barely. She punched him playfully in the arm, and before she could hit him again, he grabbed her hand gently and pulled her close to him.

“I figured if we play dirty we can almost whip you,” he said, his lips brushing her ear. Again, she felt the need to hide from the heat that threatened to pop her head off her shoulders.

“Cheat,” she said and he released her. “Come on we do not have all day.”

She got away with some riding, but a servant finally found them and told her Agnes demanded she go back to attend court. She sighed, and after giving her horse over to a stableman, gave in to leaving.

Blurb: Princess Morgan, wild and fiery, heir to her father’s throne, can best any man with a sword. Now a woman she is fearful of being Queen and marriage. But when visitors from a different kingdom show up Morgan is faced with big changes. Faced with loss, love and some touches of magic Morgan has to become the Queen she is meant to be or succumb to a life worse than death.

Buy it at No Boundaries Press:
http://noboundariespressstore.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=63_72&products_id=230
Amazon:
http://www.amazon.com/The-Unicorn-Serpent-ebook/dp/B0097BB9SU/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1368975009&sr=8-2&keywords=ellie+potts
Barnes & Noble:
http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-unicorn-and-the-serpent-ellie-potts/1112814943?ean=2940015464849

Give me the beat boys and free my soul!

Give me the beat boys and free my soul
I wanna get lost in your rock and roll and drift away
Give me the beat boys and free my soul
I wanna get lost in your rock and roll and drift away

 Since I can remember music has been around me. My dad's huge vinyl collection, my parents weekend friends hanging out, one year my mom bought my dad the biggest radio/speaker set I have ever seen. Again I was young so of course it was big. My mom liked country, Fleetwood Mac, and more mellowy stuff like that. I have great memories of stories of my mom, The Doors and Big Sur. She saw Fleetwood Mac as well as Lynyrd Synyrd in concert.  My dad loved rock, heavy to regular. Van Halen, Guns and Roses and so on. I grew up knowing about Gethro Tull's Aqualung or Iron Butterfly's In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida. Dad has told us about going with his older sisters to see the Beetles and how loud the girls were you could not hear anything, and even stories of Altamont *Woodstock West*

So of course I would be fond of music when it is around me from birth. I have incorporated some of their likes and added my own. Oh I love the classic rock, regular rock, hard rock and heavy rock. I love other forms of music as well it just depends on my mood. I think music makes some times better. When sad there is music to cheer you up, when happy there is music that makes you dance, and sing and get lost in thoughts.

I really like to listen to music while I write, clean and even read sometimes. Depending on moods of writing I have different tastes. Heavy rock for high action scene or more intense scenes. Classic rock for smooth writing and all the rest for everything else. You can find me on Spotify I have a bunch of "soundtracks" and playlists.

So what do you listen too?

Awaken the Elements teaser- and I mean tease :)

She looked over the boxes of soil. “My own greenhouse I don’t know where to start.” But she was already moving. He had unpacked the seeds separating herbs and vegetables. She ripped open a packet and went to the closest box. Her hands dug into the soil and something in her relaxed. She smiled as she planted her seeds. Hours went by as they chatted and she finished with her last bag of seeds.

She turned to the guys. “I don’t want to freak you out,” she said unsure of herself.

“What?” River asked having been watching her as Rowan shook himself awake from the nap he had fallen into.

“My thing-“ she said holding her hands out and making fist.

“You’re magic,” he said.

She nodded. “I don’t know what will happen.”

“Go on,” Rowan said and River nodded.

She closed her eyes and reached that magic center in her. Her eyes flared with magic when she opened them. She turned in a circle creating a power circle and it flared easily to life. She did not know if it would or not but her magic seemed to know more than she did. She took in an unsteady breath and walked over to the closest soil box and shoved her hand in the dirt. She could feel her power push through her body, to her arm, through her fingers, and before it left she envisioned weaving her intent. Autumn felt the spell leave her and she could sense the seeds. Her magic attacked them and in her mind she saw them come to life. The seeds in this box began to root. She walked to each box and did the same thing.

But the power continued to build even after the last box. She blinked out the window and her magic went to the dead trees in the orchard and her magic reached out and brought them back to life. Dormant, but alive awaiting on spring. But her magic wasn’t done. She turned and looked at the guys. Her small spell in the pumpkin bread lingered and she could feel everyone in the mall. She could feel their sensations their needs. It all made perfect sense to her they were all creatures of earth, and she could feel it all.

“Adair,” she asked the monkey. The guys looked around trying to see what she was talking too. “I can’t turn it off.”

“Release the circle and you need to release the power,” Adair asked.

“How?”

He whispered something and she frowned. She closed her eyes and released the circle. The magic pressure released like a bubble. She felt a little better after her ears popped. But the magic build up was still flaring inside her body. She walked over to Rowan and leaned over and kissed him. It started soft, but the magic rode her and she fell into the kiss her hands grabbed his hair as she thought he would crawl into her mouth. She broke away.

“Fuck,” he whispered.

She laughed and latched her throbbing lips to Rivers. He kissed her back with the need of the magic. His hands grabbed her pulling her to his lap. He stopped the kiss much to her frustration and Rowan helped him remove her shirt. His mouth ravished hers. She secondly felt as Rowan unhooked her bra. He kissed a shoulder as he slid a strap off. When it had fell away his hands greedily grabbed her breasts. His lips kissed along her neck. Her skin tingled with each touch, making her ache with inner longing for more. She could feel the magic lesson as her body shivered with need. She wiggled on River’s lap making him moan in her mouth.

Comes hopefully soon!

How about some salad!

No one likes to cook on hot days but there are some yummy salads that you can have that are quick and easy. Here is one I really like.


Chinese Chicken Salad with Sesame Dressing

Ingredients

12 3-inch wonton skins, sliced into 1/4″ strips
1/4 cup canola or corn oil for frying
4 cups chopped romaine lettuce
1 chicken breast, shredded
2 green onions, chopped
1/4 cup sliced almonds, toasted lightly
1 tablespoon sesame seeds
2 cups cooked fusilli pasta noodles, cooled

dressing
1 1/2 tablespoons vegetable or grapeseed oil
6 tablespoons seasoned rice vinegar
1 teaspoon sesame oil (add more to taste if you prefer a strong sesame taste)
1 1/2 teaspoons sugar
2 teaspoons light soy sauce
2 tablespoon sesame seeds
1/2 teaspoon fresh ground pepper
1/8 teaspoon salt

Instructions

Heat canola or corn oil in a skillet over medium-high heat. When oil starts to shimmer, fry wonton skins in batches of 5-7 strips for 30 seconds each side or until lightly browned, working quickly so they don’t burn. Remove from oil and drain on paper towels until cooled.
In a large bowl, combine lettuce, chicken breast, green onion, almonds and pasta.
Combine dressing ingredients in a small bowl. Whisk well until sugar dissolves. Dress lettuce mixture with 2-3 tablespoons of sesame dressing and top with sesame seeds and wonton strips and serve.

Chicken, green onions and almonds are the link between the salads below, and of course their simplicity. A twist to the dressing and you have a whole new taste.

Source- http://www.foodiecrush.com/2012/03/cr...

Do You Get What I Mean? *Guest Blogger* Author Maggie Thom!

Practical Advice for Beginning Fiction WritersBy Maggie Thom
The key to any good story is the plot, the characters and the setting. It is so important to make sure that you are clear on where you want your story to go, where it takes place and when and who all the people are that you're including. And then you need to make sure that you have conveyed that to your readers. The easiest mistake that writer's make is that they have a very clear idea of their story and what they want to happen but they don't convey all that information that the reader needs to understand the story. They forget that their readers aren't in their head and don't have all the information that the writer does.
So for the plot, map it out. Put down all of the information as to what you want to happen in the story. Why is it happening? Who is it happening to? When does it occur? What is the reason for it? How does it all unfold? Who, what, when, where and how really are your best friends when plotting out your story. There are several ways you can do this but choose a way that makes sense for you. When you have it done, step back and think about it. Ask yourself, does it make sense? Is it believable? Are people going to understand why certain things are happening?
As for the characters it is so important to know them well. You need to know not only who they are but what makes them who they are. What is their life been like - where did they grow up, were they popular, what was there family life like, what's their career, etc? What is their role in your story? How are they coming in to the story? When are they being introduced? What is their purpose?
The setting is also important but the degree that you explain the setting really depends on the type of book that you are writing. If it is a place that is familiar to people, than certain words can convey a very clear image - the pews were overturned, the delicate, brightly colored stained glass windows smashed... Most people would have a clear image of a church. However if it is someplace new, someplace different (i.e. a fantasy world) than you will have to include more information to help the reader be able to 'see' the place that you clearly imagine.
The next time you read a good book, one that you really like and it is the type that you are trying to write, look at what makes the book good. Look at the plot, the characters and the setting. It will help you to discover what the author did that made that story work so well.
The best thing you can do is to write. And write some more. And then share it with others. Get some feedback. Find out what is working and what isn't. There is so much information out there, search it out. The only advice that you really need is to be open to learning and to keep writing.
What have you found has helped you the most on your writing journey? 
You can visit Maggie here:http://www.maggiethom.com/

Cover reveal for The Loneliest Alpha by T. A. Grey

Title: The Loneliest AlphaAuthor: T. A. GreySeries: The MacKellen AlphasGenre:  Paranormal Erotic RomancePublisher: T. A. GreyRelease Date:  June 14th, 2013Synopsis: One look will change their lives forever.Lingerie designer Alicia Clarkson just had to open her stupid mouth. Now thanks to trying to defend a fellow pack mate, Alicia’s been blindfolded, tied up, and carted off to the new alpha of the Oregon pack—Gavin MacKellen.
However, the blindfold doesn’t come off so soon as Gavin reveals he’s searching for a mate. But Alicia’s curiosity gets fired up when Gavin refuses to reveal his face to her. Just what happened to him? He talks to her from shadowy corners and behind closed doors. The man is as allusive as a squirrely fox. But Alicia doesn’t play games and the quiet spoken, hoarse voiced alpha doesn’t stand a chance against her. They settle on an agreement, thirty days for them to get to know each other because that’s the only way this cowboy alpha will have it.
Gavin MacKellen needs a mate. But he knows no good woman would ever want to look at his face after the incident he suffered. After one look at Alicia Clarkson all his plans fly out the window. The woman’s beauty has stunned him damn near speechless. She torments his thoughts and Gavin finds himself yearning to know everything about her. He admires her creativity and intelligence, the cool way she handles herself in stressful situations. Most of all, he aches deep in his chest to taste her lips. Those beautiful sweet lips, but in order to kiss her without showing her what a monster he was, he has to get creative.
A relationship forms and as love threatens to grow between them Gavin struggles to cope with his physical appearance in the face of the beautiful Alicia. Will she be the one to stand in the face of a monster and accept or will she turn her back on him as everyone else has?
Author Information I love to write the kind of stories that will keep you up late at night and make your heart pound. It’s my goal in writing to make each new book better, more exciting, more action-packed, not only to test myself as a writer but to keep thrilling you. I’m always trying to push the boundaries with my imagination, and yours, to create something new and different.If you’re a fan of paranormal romance novels then you’ll love my Bellum Sisters Trilogy. This isn’t your typical romance story, so be prepared for a kick of heat and tons of action. The Bellum Sisters Trilogy has received excellent reviews from paranormal bloggers and two of the three books are Top Picks from Night Owl Reviews.
Now, if you like shorter books with quite a bit of heat, humor, and action then I’d recommend the Kategan Alphas series. This erotic series features the sexy Kategan family and all the lucky men and women who get to meet them and complete their lives.
Visit my website to learn more about me and my books at www.tagrey.com.Social Media LinksBlogFacebookGoodreadsTwitterWebsite

Just a few things.

I hope everyone has a great week. It started off HOT here in southern central California. When I say hot I am talking about 99 degree weather. So HOT. I do hope everyone else is thawing out after the weird spring.

I recently reread The Hunger Games Tril. I forgot just how dark this set is. How dark and depressing. But I can tell you I love Peeta. Maybe it is just me but the third book was rather disappointing and boring and I really hope when they do the movie the change it around a little bit. But I do have to say that the books do stick with me afterwards, and after that I need something light hearted and upbeat. I do have four books I just got for an honest interview. I love independent authors. They all bring a little different to the world. More on those as I read :)

So some quick news!
This weekend I hit the 100 top authors at AUTHORSdB.



http://www.authorsdb.com/index.php/component/content/article/8-authors/328-ellie-potts

[image error] Over the next days NBP will be spotlighting our individual genres of the authors and books we have published. Today, THE begin with Horror.
http://noboundariespress.com/
It is worth checking out because I am in a few different ones, which includes horror :o)



I have a few author interviews this week.
Tomorrow I have one at Ray Sostre's website: http://www.afterdark-online.com/
And on Wednesday I have one over at Author Maggie Thom's website: http://maggiethom.wordpress.com/2013/05/15/interview-with-author-ellie-potts/
Wednesday Author Maggie Thom does drop in here with some writing advice.
Tomorrow we have a cover reveal to share from Author T.A. Grey!

Snippet Sunday Flights of Delusion

This is a piece of a short story from my short story book out now Flights of Delusion.

[image error] The Demon in Me

They say when you get married you share everything fifty-fifty. So when I went into the agreement, that’s what I was thinking. I would get prestige and wealth, and he would share in the joys he couldn’t down in hell. But as I stood there covered in blood that wasn’t mine and felt him slither through my head enjoying the fear I felt as I looked around at the mess he had created, I started to question myself. And then a thought came to me; why did it take me so long to realize what he was he doing?

I made the markings on the ground with the blood of the cat I had caught in my backyard. I had taken the wild, mangy thing inside. It squirmed, and I was thinking what I wanted at that moment. But is there any other way? No. This was it. I held the wild thing down as it scratched and tried to bite at my gloved hand, and with my eyes closed, slit its neck. I pulled it up by its tail as the thing wiggled and squirmed, its life flowing from the wound in its neck.

With the blood collected in the bowl, I set to making this circle the book talked about. When all was done, I placed some candles in the circle and stood in the middle, the dead cat at my feet. I opened the book and started to chant in Latin.  I had no idea what it meant, but I spoke loud and even. The candles around me blew out. My vision turned red, as the taste of sulfur filled my mouth, and the smell threatened to suffocate me.

“Why do you call me?” The voice shook my skull.

“I wish to bargain,” I said as the book told me to.

And we came to an agreement. Sure, I should have known something was wrong when the demon took over briefly to finish eating the dead cat. But I was happy it had worked, and I was finally gonna get what I always wanted.

Again, I really should have seriously thought it over. Having a demon share your body wasn’t fun. First it was food; it had to try things I would normally never eat. And then there was the sex; I was no prude, but it had no boundaries. It didn’t care what gender or what they wanted as long as it got the release it needed.

When the demon was in charge, I went to sleep. And I felt what it felt, but I wasn’t really there. So when he started to get mean towards the sexual partners, I didn’t notice. I didn’t notice until it was too late. I should have noticed, and then I wouldn’t be here covered in blood.

The room, which had been tidy and colored in beiges and light browns, was now a mess covered with smears of blood. Like me. There was a cardboard box over beside the bed, and my curiosity got the best of me as I walked over to it. Sure, this must be a dream. I peeked inside, and stumbled backwards at what I saw. He had been a pretty thing, and so had she. The two decapitated heads stared up at the ceiling. Their eyes had bled tears. We had found them on the internet, and the couple was so willing to play. I guess they didn’t see this coming either.

“What did you do?” I asked out loud, my voice shook and sounded on the edge of fear.

His voice rattled. “Do not fear, my pet. You woke up too soon.” But I knew he was wrong. I knew he finally wanted me to see what he did when he took over. And I could tell through him that this wasn’t the first time. But I started to fade, and the world around me turned black. He was taking over once more. “Sleep, and all will be fine.”

What can I say? I killed and got away with it. He had fixed everything.  I went to work, fearing the police would come in at any moment and arrest me, but the killings never made the paper. And there I was in full charge of myself. He was still there asleep and satisfied. But I started to fear what would happen when he awoke again.



Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_noss?url=search-alias%3Daps&field-keywords=flights%20of%20delusion
Barnes & Noble: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/flights-of-delusion-ellie-potts/1113871785?ean=2940015822281

Books Reviews

Dead Ever After- Charlaine Harris
** spoiler alert **
 I don't see where all the crazy threatening comes in with who Sookie gets with. But I am glad she did. 1st off I was never a fan of the vampires, other then Pam. Sookie is a person of sun and warmth she doesn't need to be in the night world. I was very stunned Eric had thought of turning her. Think how bitter and sad she would be. How heartbreaking an ending that would have been. Clearly I enjoyed the book, and even though it was sad to say goodbye to a friend after 11 years. I am glad she called it quits instead of struggling and forcing it out. I will of course get the next one which is an ever after book telling us an A-Z characters happy ever after.