Tamela Quijas's Blog, page 8
January 4, 2012
2011 in review
The WordPress.com stats helper monkeys prepared a 2011 annual report for this blog.
Here's an excerpt:
The concert hall at the Syndey Opera House holds 2,700 people. This blog was viewed about 16,000 times in 2011. If it were a concert at Sydney Opera House, it would take about 6 sold-out performances for that many people to see it.
Click here to see the complete report.
January 3, 2012
Need a FREE read this week?
I've started something new this year, and I hope you all will spread the word!
In celebration of the New Year, I've decided to occasionally list one of my novels for FREE at Amazon!
This week, from today until Friday, the luscious Dante Burroughs from my contemporary romance, MY LORD RAVEN, can slip into your home and romance you without costing you a single penny~~
I can't tell you how thrilled I am to be joining up with AMAZON in this exciting offer and do hope you stop on by!
Pick up your copy at: http://www.amazon.com/Lord-Raven-Ravensmoor-Saga-ebook/dp/B002QEC7P4/ref=sr_1_4?ie=UTF8&qid=1297804949&sr=8-4
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A Little Magic for the New Year? (cassandredayne.wordpress.com)
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January 1, 2012
My review of Progression by April Alisa Marquette
I've began 2012 with a ton of new books and some special gifts for romance readers out there. This week, I've been busy writing more than 4k on my soon to be released Tears of Blood, the exciting continuation to my paranormal vampires of The Blood Chronicles. I've re-introduced some old characters readers should remember, and have invited in a couple new ones. The new heros and heroines will be appearing in their own series soon, The Witching Scrolls, which will give all of you a bit more than a peek into their lives!
Meanwhile, I've finished reading my first book of the new year and Ihave to say that April Alisa Marquette hasn't let me down with her wonderful Cohort series!
April Alisa Marquette is a wonderful woman that amazes me with all of her wonderful accomplishments.
A native New Yorker, April Alisa Marquette, who also happens to be an editor, is the eldest of three. She garnered her love for reading from her mother, a songwriter and recording artist, who, as far back as April can remember, was always active in the arts. From her father who pastored, she learned to research and write.
While attending college, and thoroughly enjoying the Creative Writing and Literature electives offered, the path for her life was charted. However, on the journey to becoming a full time author, she worked on Wall Street, for one of Americas most recognized real estate tycoons. This author, whose women's fiction has been called 'spicy,' has worked for publishing houses as well, and in the commercial technology arena.
April is also a playwrite, editor, and motivational speaker, one who tutored middle and high school students — the very students others had given up on. She yet successfully shares her love of reading and writing with young people, and she gives precious time to a fledgling foundation that seeks to bolster students who might otherwise 'slip through the educational system cracks.'
As one who has been writing for more than twenty years, it is always her endeavor to carefully craft sagas that offer glimpses into the lives of others –the characters in each of her books. She also dispenses charm, drama, and realistic dialogue. Since family is important to her, through her writing, she ever offers readers the same: 'friends and family members' that they may not otherwise have. With her works of fiction as well as non-fiction, she would also like to cause readers to pause, and think.
Subsequently, amid all that does, or does not happen in her books, she wants to always offer … the candle of Hope. Happily married, she does not subscribe to the theory that every story should have an upbeat ending. However, while creating her unforgettable works, she never forgets that life lived without even the possibility of hope, is life not fully lived. Thus her reason for offering this beautiful candle to readers.
Find out more about April at http://www.aprilalisamarquette.com/
Progression is the continuing story of the four Cohorts, three women, and Beau, a homosexual male. In this the second story in the Cohort Trilogy, everyone is older, and supposedly wiser. The Cohorts' lives have changed in ways that they never would have imagined. One Cohort is a parent, while another tries desperately for a child. Beau's long lost abusive mother has re-surfaced, and has contacted him. She has also become involved with an ex boyfriend of Beau's–the skanky Sandal. This red-haired queen will stop at nothing to get what he wants. So he and Mommy Dearest join forces to plot against Beau. Amidst, someone attempts to kill one of Beau's female Cohorts, while a crack addicted jailie seeks revenge on another. Also, is Ronni dead, or alive? And a fragile-minded man decides he loves Beau…
Can't wait for the review? Pick up your copy at
Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Progression-Cohort-Triology-April-Marquette/dp/0981847897
Barnes & Noble: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/progression-april-alisa-marquette/1013984712?ean=9780981847894&r=1&cm_mmc=AFFILIATES-_-Linkshare-_-GwEz7vxblVU-_-10%3a1
and other fine Internet Retailers.
My Review:
When I read Absolution last year, Book 1 of the Cohort Series, I fell into the dramatic world of best friends that stick through the trials of life and remain friends. Their trials they endured were ones that many readers face in day-to-day life, and the author managed to capture the drama, the tension, and the true feel of absolute faith among true friends.
Progression, Book 2 in the Cohort Series, continues with the lives of characters the reader will love from the outset. The characters from the first novel are reintroduced, and I expected them all to be a bit wiser than what they had been in the past. Progression showed me otherwise, that even though the passage of time should make us wiser, there are still some moments where our heart out rules the mind.
Ms. Marquette continues to display her fantastic skill in pulling the reader into a believable word that made me laugh, cry, and feel the intense anger and unjustness that unravels around each of the characters, and I discovered myself applauding their triumphs.
5 Stars!
What's on my reading list in the New Year? Progression by April Alisa Marquette
I hope everyone had a safe and wonderful New Year and is looking forward to the fabulous things that 2012 promises to bring–minus the threat of Zombie invasions 
I've a whole new slew of novels on my reading list for this year, and I wanted to begin with a dear friend of mine's second novel in the wonderful Cohort series!
April Alisa Marquette is a wonderful woman that amazes me with all of her wonderful accomplishments.
A native New Yorker, April Alisa Marquette, who also happens to be an editor, is the eldest of three. She garnered her love for reading from her mother, a songwriter and recording artist, who, as far back as April can remember, was always active in the arts. From her father who pastored, she learned to research and write.
While attending college, and thoroughly enjoying the Creative Writing and Literature electives offered, the path for her life was charted. However, on the journey to becoming a full time author, she worked on Wall Street, for one of Americas most recognized real estate tycoons. This author, whose women's fiction has been called 'spicy,' has worked for publishing houses as well, and in the commercial technology arena.
April is also a playwrite, editor, and motivational speaker, one who tutored middle and high school students — the very students others had given up on. She yet successfully shares her love of reading and writing with young people, and she gives precious time to a fledgling foundation that seeks to bolster students who might otherwise 'slip through the educational system cracks.'
As one who has been writing for more than twenty years, it is always her endeavor to carefully craft sagas that offer glimpses into the lives of others –the characters in each of her books. She also dispenses charm, drama, and realistic dialogue. Since family is important to her, through her writing, she ever offers readers the same: 'friends and family members' that they may not otherwise have. With her works of fiction as well as non-fiction, she would also like to cause readers to pause, and think.
Subsequently, amid all that does, or does not happen in her books, she wants to always offer … the candle of Hope. Happily married, she does not subscribe to the theory that every story should have an upbeat ending. However, while creating her unforgettable works, she never forgets that life lived without even the possibility of hope, is life not fully lived. Thus her reason for offering this beautiful candle to readers.
Find out more about April at http://www.aprilalisamarquette.com/
Progression is the continuing story of the four Cohorts, three women, and Beau, a homosexual male. In this the second story in the Cohort Trilogy, everyone is older, and supposedly wiser. The Cohorts' lives have changed in ways that they never would have imagined. One Cohort is a parent, while another tries desperately for a child. Beau's long lost abusive mother has re-surfaced, and has contacted him. She has also become involved with an ex boyfriend of Beau's–the skanky Sandal. This red-haired queen will stop at nothing to get what he wants. So he and Mommy Dearest join forces to plot against Beau. Amidst, someone attempts to kill one of Beau's female Cohorts, while a crack addicted jailie seeks revenge on another. Also, is Ronni dead, or alive? And a fragile-minded man decides he loves Beau…
Can't wait for the review? Pick up your copy at
Barnes & Noble: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/progression-april-alisa-marquette/1013984712?ean=9780981847894&r=1&cm_mmc=AFFILIATES-_-Linkshare-_-GwEz7vxblVU-_-10%3a1
and other fine Internet Retailers.
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December 30, 2011
December 28, 2011
My review of The Aviator by Morgan Karpiel
I had a new author and book on my reading list this week, and I can't wait to share what I've found with my readers.
The Aviator promised to be a different twist on the slew of other novels in my TBR list, and Morgan Karpiel has given me something to read whose heroine appears to rival some of Hemingway's best. What do I like most about this author before I open the pages–her openness.
As Morgan says: Admittedly, I am free spirit. I enjoy living among other cultures (6 years in Europe now), while still taking great pride in my own Cafe Americana style. I love adventure, challenges, impossible odds and people who are misunderstood. I've had many jobs, many names, but I'm best found in a novel, either creating characters or living as one.
Find out more about this Ms. Karpiel at
http://www.morgankarpiel.com
Gilda Sinclair is known to be quite mad, a woman who drinks like a man, swears like one and takes lovers whenever she chooses, discarding her elevated standing as an aristocrat to seek her fortune as an airship pilot. After her father's death, she insists on flying for his legendary dirigible company, only to learn that he has willed the controlling interest in the business to the one man she despises.
Nathan Lanchard was Gilda's lover for one night and has endured her manipulative games ever since. In his mind, she is spoiled and reckless, intent on driving him beyond the limits of his control. As new opportunities cast doubt on his future with Sinclair Airship, and the dangers of war loom on the horizon, he will discover how ruthless her cat-and-mouse seductions can be, and what emotion truly lies at the heart of the dark lust that burns between them.
Stay tuned for my review!
Pick up your copy at :
Barnes & Nobles: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-aviator-morgan-karpiel/1104012655?ean=2940012762405&itm=2&usri=morgan+karpiel
My Review:
Steampunk is a completely new genre for me, and one that I had quite a bit of trepidation beginning. With Morgan Karpiel's The Aviator, I must say that I didn't grind my teeth, wince, and regret picking up the novel. In fact, I found that The Aviator combined all my favorite subjects in one exciting novel—adventure, other worlds, and a touch of the past.
Having nearly grown up in each other's constant company, Nathan and Gilda have always had a tough relationship. Their friendship is truly tested when Gilda's father decides Nathan is more capable of running Sinclair Airship than his own daughter. Any woman out there would understand Gilda's pain, and anger! Bitter, furious, wanting to strike out at the world, Gilda becomes known as Mad Lady Sinclair—and she can outdo any man at anything.
Their paths having gone separate ways since the blasted turning over of the company, Nathan and the Mad Lady meet again, and war (as well as lust) looms on the horizon.
I have to say first and foremost that the characters are so precisely defined in The Aviator that I was blown away. Nathan and Gilda are as real as any human, and their 'paper images' blast from the pages of this novel with a vitality that rivals many a great novel. As a reader, I could feel their pain, their anger, and the bitterness that welled up so deeply from the core of Gilda's soul. Nathan's love and his attempt to soothe the wrong done to her is believable and touching. Dare I tell you that the love scenes are delicious and steaming hot?!?!
Until this novel, I hadn't read any of the New Europa series that Ms. Karpiel has written. I have to say, I was delighted with the entire plot of the story and found the entire tale and New Europa's fantasy world thrilling!
4 stars!
Related articles
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The Girl in the Steel Corset (The Steampunk Chronicles #1) (yabookscentral.blogspot.com)
December 27, 2011
What's on my reading list this week? The Aviator by Morgan Karpiel
I've a new author and book on my reading list this week, and I can't wait to share what I've found with my readers.
The Aviator promises to be a different twist on the slew of other novels in my TBR list, and Morgan Karpiel has given me something to read whose heroine appears to rival some of Hemingway's best. What do I like most about this author before I open the pages–her openness.
As Morgan says: Admittedly, I am free spirit. I enjoy living among other cultures (6 years in Europe now), while still taking great pride in my own Cafe Americana style. I love adventure, challenges, impossible odds and people who are misunderstood. I've had many jobs, many names, but I'm best found in a novel, either creating characters or living as one.
Find out more about this Ms. Karpiel at
http://www.morgankarpiel.com
Gilda Sinclair is known to be quite mad, a woman who drinks like a man, swears like one and takes lovers whenever she chooses, discarding her elevated standing as an aristocrat to seek her fortune as an airship pilot. After her father's death, she insists on flying for his legendary dirigible company, only to learn that he has willed the controlling interest in the business to the one man she despises.
Nathan Lanchard was Gilda's lover for one night and has endured her manipulative games ever since. In his mind, she is spoiled and reckless, intent on driving him beyond the limits of his control. As new opportunities cast doubt on his future with Sinclair Airship, and the dangers of war loom on the horizon, he will discover how ruthless her cat-and-mouse seductions can be, and what emotion truly lies at the heart of the dark lust that burns between them.
Stay tuned for my review!
If you can't wait, pick up your copy at :
Barnes & Nobles: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-aviator-morgan-karpiel/1104012655?ean=2940012762405&itm=2&usri=morgan+karpiel
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December 25, 2011
My review of Satan's Mirror by Roxanne Smolen
I've been busy bee for the holidays-enjoying time with my family. I hope all of you had a wonderful Christmas and are looking forward to the New Year, I know I am!
Over the week, I took time out to read Satan's Mirror by the fabulous Roxanne Smolen.
Ms. Smolen was born in Detroit, the eldest daughter of five children. She learned to read at an early age and read voraciously, be it classic novels, comic books, or cereal boxes. As a child, her summers were spent on her aunt's farm, a devout woman who encouraged her to read the Bible. Smolen became obsessed with Revelation and the apocalypse. She turned to science in an attempt to explain the phenomenon. Along the way, she discovered science fiction. She was drawn to stories about the end of the world but soon branched off to outer space and a limitless future. She decided to become an astronaut. But reality intervened. She married right out of high school and started a family. When her children were school-aged, she enrolled in Wayne State University, intent on becoming a scientist. However, she took a course in creative writing, and it became her passion. She decided if she couldn't visit the stars in person, she would do it page by page. Yet again, life took another turn. Smolen was diagnosed with a genetic eye disease and lost her vision. Her husband gave her one year to mope and feel sorry for herself. Then he sent her to a local Lighthouse of the Blind to learn how to use a computer without looking. She has since written eight novels in the science fiction realm, ranging from sci fi romance to horror. Her underlying themes are always the same…
Believe in yourself and never give up.
Bravo, Roxanne!
You can find out more about Roxanne Smolen at: http://www.roxannesmolen.com
Now, on to that teaser that makes me shiver with anticipation!
Satan's Mirror
Satan kidnaps a young girl, forcing her vengeful mother to break into hell to get her daughter back.
Emily Goodman, host of the television show Do You Believe It, has a mission—to debunk all myths and urban legends. But when she meets Satan in a haunted house and calls him a fraud, the repercussions change her life. Satan kidnaps her six-year-old daughter, forcing Emily to re-evaluate her cynicism.
For centuries, devils have been abducting people and pulling them through wormholes to another dimension where the hapless victims are tortured for the devils' pleasure. Because humans are out of sync with time, they cannot die and must endure the sadistic revelry for eternity.
Satan picks the wrong house when he takes Emily's daughter. She'd do anything to protect April—even break into the underworld and battle the denizens of hell. If she does rescue the little girl, can they ever find their way back home?
Excerpt:
Prologue
"No, Joey. I can't."
"Come on, Vanessa," he said in a low voice. "You know you want to."
He swept back her hair to kiss the nape of her neck, and she felt the familiar tingle, felt her resolve weaken. She stepped away.
"No. It scared me last time."
"If it gets too scary, we'll stop." He grinned at her—a lopsided grin that always turned her knees to jelly. "Come on, Vanessa. You're the only one who can do it for me."
With a sigh, she looked at the abandoned house, resting her
hands on the wrought iron fence. A stray breeze chilled her cheek.
She knew the other kids were standing behind her, awaiting her
answer. "All right."
"Yes!" Joey pumped a triumphant fist. He motioned to a boy carrying a gunnysack. "They brought everything you need."
Vanessa shook her head, her stomach already sick. "Let's just go."
She led them along the fence, away from the old yellowed street lamp. She entered a hollow between the houses, slipping on damp grass, tramping toward a chain-link fence with a yawning hole. Thrill seekers used this entrance so often a path had formed. She stepped through to the yard. The fence snagged her long skirt as if to hold her back. She waited for the group to catch up. Eyes downcast, she sifted through several strands of beads to the Maltese cross she wore about her neck.
Behind her, Joey said, "Wait until you see. It's like looking into hell itself. You can even smell the smoke."
His words made her wince. Vanessa climbed through a broken casement window into a dining room. The others clambered after her. She walked through the dark with her hands stretched ahead as she felt for psychic vibrations.
"We have to go upstairs," she whispered around the lump in her throat.
"Why?" asked Joey, sounding nervous. "Last time you did it down here."
"This time is different." She looked at him, willing him to argue so she could refuse and leave. The presence was strong. She didn't want to go up there.
He grinned his best grin. "Lead the way."
They followed her through what was once a living room. Large, empty windows looked out upon the front porch. The street lamp spilled amber light over the bare floor. Vanessa walked as if condemned, her limbs stiff, her gait low. Dust kicked up, tainting the stale air, and she wondered if he stench of brimstone would soon replace such mundane odors.
She paused at the staircase, listening, gazing upward, drawn like a dog to a harsh master. As if her sandals were mired in muck, she climbed the stairs. No one spoke, but she heard quick breathing and knew the group was excited, anticipating a great show. She shuddered with an unwelcome thought—not all of them would be leaving tonight. The devil was hungry.
At the upstairs landing, she hesitated. Joey slipped his arm about her as if to keep her from running. She shrugged him off. "This way," she said, entering a room on the right. She glanced
about. Yes, this was the place. "Do you have the powder?"
The boy rummaged inside his sack, pulling out a pouch of pickling alum.
Vanessa took a penknife from her pocket and punched a hole in the burlap wrapper. She drew a large pentagram on the floor with the powder.
Shoulders slumped, she held out her hand. "Candles."
"Here." The boy brought out a thick red candle. "I brought a lighter."
"It has to be wooden matches," she told him.
"I've got some." Joey rattled the box as he handed them to her.
She lit the candle. In its glow, she saw the rapt expressions of the four newcomers—three boys and one girl, their hair held back by beaded headbands, their clothing laced, not buttoned. She didn't know them. They were probably part of the multitude of college kids who flocked to Saint Augustine each spring. She wondered how much they'd paid to witness the ritual.
With the candle held sideways, she dribbled a puddle of wax onto the floor and set the candle upon a point of the pentagram. As the boy held out more candles, she set one at each of the other four points. At last, she stood back to appraise her work.
"Hand me the offering plate," she said.
He gave an excited giggle, and then pulled out an ornate brass dish on a pedestal. The discolored center boasted of service many times before. He offered it to her along with a final candle.
Vanessa knelt in the center of the pentagram. She lit the candle and set the dish over it, allowing the meager flame to heat the brass. Smoke rose, drawing leftover scents of incense and soot and blood.
From his sack, the boy drew out a baby rabbit. She cradled it in her hands, stroking it, feeling its tiny heart race in terror. She looked up with a last plea—did they really want her to do this?
The boy tossed the sack behind him and lit a joint.
Vanessa closed her eyes, wishing she were anywhere but there. She was innocent. Just doing as she was told.
The rabbit squirmed within her fingers. Nose wrinkled, she cupped the animal on its back in one hand and grasped her penknife with the other. She felt a pop as the point pierced its flesh— then she opened the rabbit from groin to gullet. Blood dripped down her wrist.
She held the creature over the offering plate and scooped out its innards with her fingers, careful to include its heart so the legs would stop kicking. The intestines sizzled as they hit the plate. Silence filled the room.
After a moment, the boy who was passing around the joint said, "Shouldn't you say some special words?"
"Yes," Vanessa whispered. A familiar coldness coursed through her. "Be ready to run."
The wall before her shimmered as if a portion had turned to water. The patch solidified into an oval, shining like a silvery mirror—Satan's Mirror. A face grew within. Brimstone overpowered the smoke of marijuana and entrails.
Someone gasped. "Wow."
Lightheaded, Vanessa sat on her haunches. She felt both exhilarated and disgusted. She had done it—she had called forth the devil once again.
The face observed them malevolently. It looked like a caricature from a comic book—red skin, yellow eyes. Its lips parted in a sneer or a grin, showing sharp, needle-like teeth. Vanessa froze as its gaze passed over her. Maybe if she held perfectly still, it wouldn't see her, wouldn't know she was responsible.
"Is it real?" the girl asked, her words slurred as if she were stoned.
The face in the mirror laughed and said in a voice that sounded far away, "You are so weak, yet you come so willingly."
Its words did not match its lips, and Vanessa wondered whether it was speaking English or she was merely hearing English.
The others moved as if entranced, stepping to either side of the
pentagram. Vanessa looked up just as a second mirror formed in
mid-air behind the boy with the joint. A bright red demon leaned
out as if through an open window. It grabbed the boy before he
could turn and pulled him through. The window vanished.
The girl screamed. Vanessa covered her ears. The remaining two boys scrambled around.
"What happened?" one of them yelled. "Where is he?"
In the mirror, the devil laughed.
Pick up your copy at:
Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Satans-Mirror-ebook/dp/B004IAS096/ref=tmm_kin_title_0?ie=UTF8&m=AG56TWVU5XWC2
MY REVIEW:
Emily is as hard as nails as they come—and, in her mind, there is an explanation for every unexplained, abnormal, mystical belief that haunts the world. She's made it a point to debunk every horror that haunts a person's dreams, and every legend that can send a chill up the human spine, all with the ease of a proven skeptic. As host of "Do You Believe It?" Emily has the world confined to an organized little nutshell. There are drawbacks to her life though—she doesn't appear to have enough time for her daughter and, when you mess with the unknown, something will always follow you back….
I found Satan's Mirror entertaining and Ms. Smolen places Hell into an entirely new dimension, rivaling that of Dante's Inferno. As a YA read, this is a terrifying novel that will keep the reader in suspense, take chills, and root for the good guys at every twist and turn.
4 frightening stars!
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December 14, 2011
A Week of Vampires, Warlocks, and Radio Appearances
Even though finals are done, I've been one busy bee this week. My Christmas cards are in the mail, my baking is half-finished, and I'm reading and reviewing as fast as I can. The holidays are around the corner and I still have presents to wrap and a meal to plan. I have to send kudos out to anyone that has all this done by now!
In the past few days, I've managed to dabble out 10K on Tears of Blood, the paranormal romance I've promised my publisher for early next year. I'm on the last 50 pages but, as any author knows, changes and new events are always slipping into my thoughts!
Over the few pages, I've done some rewrites. I've introduced Chesca Pagliatti into the story, as well as her mysterious friend, Andre. Chesca is a darling–she loves men, dabbles in tarot cards, and has drawn the eye of one despicable vampire. She appears in Tears of Blood as the heroine's best friend, and has stuck with her through thick and thin. I won't say much more, since the fourth installment of The Blood Chronicles will settle around her. I'm still working on a title, and this redheaded vixen promises to rattle the vampire community as no one has done before!
Andre, however, I've promised to allow his own tale of romance and the unknown. There's another series in the works…one that involves an ageless warlock who revels at shaking up the quiet city of Bentham, New Jersey. Just a teaser—vampires and warlocks don't mix well!
Speaking of Christmas, I've a special treat for my readers.
One of my romance novels, Angel's Fire, Demon's Blood, centers around Luke Angeles, lead paranormal investigator with NADGEL. Anyone that watches the programs that involve this particular group of individuals knows that ghost hunters experience a life that exists beyond human imagination. When you're century's old, and cursed with the ability to see the spirit world, it takes a special woman to draw you into the realm of the living. Eva Keyes has that power, and she'll make Christmas unbearable for a man who can see the dead.
Tomorrow, I'll be appearing LIVE at http://www.edinroad.com at 6:30 pm Eastern Time. I'll be reading an excerpt from Angel's Fire, Demon's Blood, and speaking to the great people there!
Interested in Luke's story? You can pick up at copy at: http://www.amazon.com/Angels-Fire-Demons-Blood-ebook/dp/B001RCTE6Q/ref=ntt_at_ep_edition_2_3?ie=UTF8&m=AG56TWVU5XWC2
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December 13, 2011
What's on my reading list this week? Satan's Mirror by Roxanne Smolen
Finals are complete and my TBR reading list is starting to look more delicious by the moment!
On my reading list this week is a return author, the fabulous Roxanne Smolen.
Ms. Smolen was born in Detroit, the eldest daughter of five children. She learned to read at an early age and read voraciously, be it classic novels, comic books, or cereal boxes. As a child, her summers were spent on her aunt's farm, a devout woman who encouraged her to read the Bible. Smolen became obsessed with Revelation and the apocalypse. She turned to science in an attempt to explain the phenomenon. Along the way, she discovered science fiction. She was drawn to stories about the end of the world but soon branched off to outer space and a limitless future. She decided to become an astronaut. But reality intervened. She married right out of high school and started a family. When her children were school-aged, she enrolled in Wayne State University, intent on becoming a scientist. However, she took a course in creative writing, and it became her passion. She decided if she couldn't visit the stars in person, she would do it page by page. Yet again, life took another turn. Smolen was diagnosed with a genetic eye disease and lost her vision. Her husband gave her one year to mope and feel sorry for herself. Then he sent her to a local Lighthouse of the Blind to learn how to use a computer without looking. She has since written eight novels in the science fiction realm, ranging from sci fi romance to horror. Her underlying themes are always the same…
Believe in yourself and never give up.
Bravo, Roxanne!
You can find out more about Roxanne Smolen at: http://www.roxannesmolen.com
Now, on to that teaser that makes me shiver with anticipation!
Satan's Mirror
Satan kidnaps a young girl, forcing her vengeful mother to break into hell to get her daughter back.
Emily Goodman, host of the television show Do You Believe It, has a mission—to debunk all myths and urban legends. But when she meets Satan in a haunted house and calls him a fraud, the repercussions change her life. Satan kidnaps her six-year-old daughter, forcing Emily to re-evaluate her cynicism.
For centuries, devils have been abducting people and pulling them through wormholes to another dimension where the hapless victims are tortured for the devils' pleasure. Because humans are out of sync with time, they cannot die and must endure the sadistic revelry for eternity.
Satan picks the wrong house when he takes Emily's daughter. She'd do anything to protect April—even break into the underworld and battle the denizens of hell. If she does rescue the little girl, can they ever find their way back home?
Excerpt:
Prologue
"No, Joey. I can't."
"Come on, Vanessa," he said in a low voice. "You know you want to."
He swept back her hair to kiss the nape of her neck, and she felt the familiar tingle, felt her resolve weaken. She stepped away.
"No. It scared me last time."
"If it gets too scary, we'll stop." He grinned at her—a lopsided grin that always turned her knees to jelly. "Come on, Vanessa. You're the only one who can do it for me."
With a sigh, she looked at the abandoned house, resting her
hands on the wrought iron fence. A stray breeze chilled her cheek.
She knew the other kids were standing behind her, awaiting her
answer. "All right."
"Yes!" Joey pumped a triumphant fist. He motioned to a boy carrying a gunnysack. "They brought everything you need."
Vanessa shook her head, her stomach already sick. "Let's just go."
She led them along the fence, away from the old yellowed street lamp. She entered a hollow between the houses, slipping on damp grass, tramping toward a chain-link fence with a yawning hole. Thrill seekers used this entrance so often a path had formed. She stepped through to the yard. The fence snagged her long skirt as if to hold her back. She waited for the group to catch up. Eyes downcast, she sifted through several strands of beads to the Maltese cross she wore about her neck.
Behind her, Joey said, "Wait until you see. It's like looking into hell itself. You can even smell the smoke."
His words made her wince. Vanessa climbed through a broken casement window into a dining room. The others clambered after her. She walked through the dark with her hands stretched ahead as she felt for psychic vibrations.
"We have to go upstairs," she whispered around the lump in her throat.
"Why?" asked Joey, sounding nervous. "Last time you did it down here."
"This time is different." She looked at him, willing him to argue so she could refuse and leave. The presence was strong. She didn't want to go up there.
He grinned his best grin. "Lead the way."
They followed her through what was once a living room. Large, empty windows looked out upon the front porch. The street lamp spilled amber light over the bare floor. Vanessa walked as if condemned, her limbs stiff, her gait low. Dust kicked up, tainting the stale air, and she wondered if he stench of brimstone would soon replace such mundane odors.
She paused at the staircase, listening, gazing upward, drawn like a dog to a harsh master. As if her sandals were mired in muck, she climbed the stairs. No one spoke, but she heard quick breathing and knew the group was excited, anticipating a great show. She shuddered with an unwelcome thought—not all of them would be leaving tonight. The devil was hungry.
At the upstairs landing, she hesitated. Joey slipped his arm about her as if to keep her from running. She shrugged him off. "This way," she said, entering a room on the right. She glanced
about. Yes, this was the place. "Do you have the powder?"
The boy rummaged inside his sack, pulling out a pouch of pickling alum.
Vanessa took a penknife from her pocket and punched a hole in the burlap wrapper. She drew a large pentagram on the floor with the powder.
Shoulders slumped, she held out her hand. "Candles."
"Here." The boy brought out a thick red candle. "I brought a lighter."
"It has to be wooden matches," she told him.
"I've got some." Joey rattled the box as he handed them to her.
She lit the candle. In its glow, she saw the rapt expressions of the four newcomers—three boys and one girl, their hair held back by beaded headbands, their clothing laced, not buttoned. She didn't know them. They were probably part of the multitude of college kids who flocked to Saint Augustine each spring. She wondered how much they'd paid to witness the ritual.
With the candle held sideways, she dribbled a puddle of wax onto the floor and set the candle upon a point of the pentagram. As the boy held out more candles, she set one at each of the other four points. At last, she stood back to appraise her work.
"Hand me the offering plate," she said.
He gave an excited giggle, and then pulled out an ornate brass dish on a pedestal. The discolored center boasted of service many times before. He offered it to her along with a final candle.
Vanessa knelt in the center of the pentagram. She lit the candle and set the dish over it, allowing the meager flame to heat the brass. Smoke rose, drawing leftover scents of incense and soot and blood.
From his sack, the boy drew out a baby rabbit. She cradled it in her hands, stroking it, feeling its tiny heart race in terror. She looked up with a last plea—did they really want her to do this?
The boy tossed the sack behind him and lit a joint.
Vanessa closed her eyes, wishing she were anywhere but there. She was innocent. Just doing as she was told.
The rabbit squirmed within her fingers. Nose wrinkled, she cupped the animal on its back in one hand and grasped her penknife with the other. She felt a pop as the point pierced its flesh— then she opened the rabbit from groin to gullet. Blood dripped down her wrist.
She held the creature over the offering plate and scooped out its innards with her fingers, careful to include its heart so the legs would stop kicking. The intestines sizzled as they hit the plate. Silence filled the room.
After a moment, the boy who was passing around the joint said, "Shouldn't you say some special words?"
"Yes," Vanessa whispered. A familiar coldness coursed through her. "Be ready to run."
The wall before her shimmered as if a portion had turned to water. The patch solidified into an oval, shining like a silvery mirror—Satan's Mirror. A face grew within. Brimstone overpowered the smoke of marijuana and entrails.
Someone gasped. "Wow."
Lightheaded, Vanessa sat on her haunches. She felt both exhilarated and disgusted. She had done it—she had called forth the devil once again.
The face observed them malevolently. It looked like a caricature from a comic book—red skin, yellow eyes. Its lips parted in a sneer or a grin, showing sharp, needle-like teeth. Vanessa froze as its gaze passed over her. Maybe if she held perfectly still, it wouldn't see her, wouldn't know she was responsible.
"Is it real?" the girl asked, her words slurred as if she were stoned.
The face in the mirror laughed and said in a voice that sounded far away, "You are so weak, yet you come so willingly."
Its words did not match its lips, and Vanessa wondered whether it was speaking English or she was merely hearing English.
The others moved as if entranced, stepping to either side of the
pentagram. Vanessa looked up just as a second mirror formed in
mid-air behind the boy with the joint. A bright red demon leaned
out as if through an open window. It grabbed the boy before he
could turn and pulled him through. The window vanished.
The girl screamed. Vanessa covered her ears. The remaining two boys scrambled around.
"What happened?" one of them yelled. "Where is he?"
In the mirror, the devil laughed.
Stay tuned for my review soon and pick up your copy at:
Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Satans-Mirror-ebook/dp/B004IAS096/ref=tmm_kin_title_0?ie=UTF8&m=AG56TWVU5XWC2
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