Constance Phillips's Blog, page 16
April 7, 2015
Tuesday Teaser: Shawna Romkey’s Speak of the Devil
Book one in the Speak of the Devil series
After dying with her two best friends in a tragic car accident, Lily comes back to life only to wind up in the middle of a war between good and evil at a time when God has disappeared.
What happens when falling in love and falling from grace collide?
After dying in a car accident with her two best friends, Lily miraculously awakens to grief and guilt. She escapes to her dad’s to come to terms with the crash and meets some people at her new school who seem all too eager to help her heal. Sliding deeper into sorrow and trying to fight her feelings for two of them, she finds out who…what they really are and learns they are falling too.
Can she find the strength to move on from the past, reconcile her feelings for Luc, figure out a way to stop a divine war with fallen angels, and still pass the eleventh grade?
Buy Links: Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Kobo | iTunes
About Shawna Romkey
Shawna grew up around farms in the heart of Missouri but went to the University of Kansas, was raised in the US but now lives on the ocean in Nova Scotia with her husband, two sons, one rescue dog and one overgrown puppy from hell. She’s a non-conformist who follows her heart.
She’s taught English at the university and secondary levels for close to twenty years and can’t quite fathom how all of her students have grown up, yet she’s managed to stay the same. She’s a huge geek and fan of Xena, Buffy and all kick ass women, and loves to write stories that have strong female characters.
April 3, 2015
Friday Featured Author: Arlene Hittle
Today, I’m so pleased to have an interview with fellow Turquoise Morning Press author, Arlene Hittle on the blog today.
But first, a little bit about her new release: Breaking All The Rules.
Faced with compliance of a ridiculous new Arizona law, by-the-book mental health care facility administrator Allyson Cunningham must find an interpreter who speaks a made-for-TV language. Prime candidate Donovan Marshall has the language skills she so desperately needs, but shows a disturbing disregard for all rules and restrictions. While Allyson struggles to secure another perfect rating for her facility, convince Donovan to conform and control her inappropriate attraction to an employee, Donovan makes it his prime directive to persuade starchy Ally it doesn’t hurt to break a few rules.
Buy Breaking All The Rules: Turquoise Morning Press, Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Kobo, iBooks, Smashwords and All Romance eBooks
Tell us about your latest release?
I have two, actually. Breaking All the Rules came out March 19, and Just Right is releasing next week.
In Breaking All the Rules, a new state law requires by-the-book health care administrator to hire a Klingon interpreter. The only candidate is a man who’s never met a rule he didn’t want to break. My tagline: Some rules are meant to be broken. If only they could agree on which ones.
Just Right is one of Turquoise Morning Press’ “…and they lived Happily Ever After” tales — a novella reimagining of Goldilocks and the Three Bears. Goldilocks is Hollywood star Callista Gold, who escapes to an Arizona mountain town when hackers steal and release some scandalous photos of her. The cabin she buys, sight unseen, needs more than a little fixing up, and she recruits three brothers who work in construction to do the work. The brothers’ name? Behr.
Are you a plotter or pantser?
I wish I were more of a plotter, but I’m not. Invariably, I get to the middle of a story and stall out while I try to get my characters from point G to Z, their happily ever after.
What was the most difficult part of the publishing process for you?
Does the promo count? Putting myself out there, shouting “Look at me,” isn’t my favorite part of the job. It’s scary — and I worry. Am I being entertaining enough? How many tweets is too many before people stop paying attention?
How about the most fun?
Writing itself. Some days the words flow as fast as the Mississippi after a hard rain; others they come slower than politicians’ agreement on a budget. Either way, it always gives me satisfaction to put words on the page — especially when I get to add the two sweetest words: The End.
What inspired you to write your first book?
First published or first ever? Finaling in RWA’s Golden Heart contest in 2011 was what inspired me to start the story that became Diva in the Dugout, my debut novel. When Beauty and the Ballplayer finaled in the Contemporary Series category, I immediately thought “If it’s going to be my breakout book, I’d better have something to go with it.” So I took a few sentences Matt said about his teammate Dave and turned it into a prequel to Beauty.
The first manuscript that I completed — and hope to put out there someday — was inspired by the life I wish I had. Education reporter Erin Mannering desperately wants to be noticed by her coworker, sports reporter Mike James. She embarks on a campaign to “snag Mike,” but circumstances keep throwing sexy social studies teacher Brad Kingston in her path … and she quickly realizes that “life is what happens when you’re making other plans.” I was an education reporter at the time I wrote the first draft, and there is a very real basis for Mike James. Brad is pure fantasy, though.
Do you have any writing rituals? (Time of day to write, must have beverages? Etc?)
I write best at Starbucks, with a drink beside my laptop. The beverage changes with my mood — and whether I’m seriously trying to lose weight that day. If so, it’s a venti iced tea — black with three pumps of sugar-free vanilla syrup or green with a packet or two of Splenda. If not, I’ll have a fully loaded Frappuccino or latte.
Who is your go-to author, the one you know you can always count on to deliver a great story?
Susan Elizabeth Phillips and Kristan Higgins. I’ve only recently started reading Jill Shalvis’ stories, and I love her sense of humor, too.
What projects are you working on at the present?
Nothing under contract yet, but I’ve been working on another All Is Fair in Love & Baseball book — pitcher Luis’ story. I’m also hoping to self-publish Trouble in Paradise, the follow-up to Blind Date Bride. It’s the second (and last) of my “Reality (TV) Bites” books.
What do your plans for future projects include?
As Tom Petty says, “The future is wide open.”
About Arlene Hittle:
Arlene Hittle is a Midwestern transplant who now makes her home in northern Arizona. She has her father to thank for her love of all things sci-fi. He took her to see Star Wars when she was six. She immediately fell in love with R2-D2, C3PO and Luke Skywalker. (Only with the Star Wars re-release in the ’90s did she succumb to the bad-boy appeal of Han Solo.) When she’s not writing, reading, spending time with her boyfriend or slurping down Starbucks drinks, she works as a page designer/reporter for the Daily Courier in Prescott. Find her at arlenehittle.com, on Twitter or on Facebook.
(Friday Featured Author is a new feature I’m running here at blog.constancephillips.com. If you would like to be a guest. please email me through the contact page at my site.)
April 2, 2015
Courtney Farrell’s New Release: Enhanced
Check out the new release from Courtney Farrell: Enhanced.
At the Institute, they breed people like livestock. One powerful doctor decides which children get to grow up, and which will die. Losers are dumped in the savage slum outside Institute walls. Those kids never come back.
Sixteen-year-old Michelle is a perfect specimen, destined for a luxurious life as a breeder. When her brother and her boyfriend are both mysteriously culled from the breeding program, she jumps the wall to find them. Alone in the ghetto, she’s in trouble until handsome, streetwise Dillon stakes a claim to her.
She’s mortified by her attraction to a Normal. But the doctor is using the missing boys in a twisted experiment, and she needs Dillon’s help to stop him. Michelle must rescue the boys, but a plague is spreading, the doctor is after her, and Dillon isn’t thrilled to help find her lost boyfriend.
BUY: Amazon
A giveway to celebrate the book launch. Enter here!
Excerpt
“The game is every man for himself,” Salomon announced. “Your objective is to be the first to push the large black button on the south wall of the gym. You will be timed. Certain, eh-hmm, difficulties may impede your progress. That is all. You may begin.”
Younger boys surged forward, but stopped when they saw that none of the older ones were rushing in. “Difficulties!” Brian reminded them, putting a hand on Nick’s chest to keep him from charging in there like an idiot. “That means a trap. There’s always a trap.”
“More than one, usually,” Seth added grimly. “These tests aren’t all physical, they test your problem-solving capacity too.”
The boys fidgeted uncertainly at the boundary, peering in but carefully staying outside the white painted line on the floor. The smallest ones looked sick with apprehension. Tests turned nasty once kids turned thirteen, and this would be their first hard one. Deaths during tests were rare, but they did happen, especially among the youngsters.
“Who wants to run in there and spring it for us?” Brian grinned. No one did. He bent to yank his shoes off, muttering to himself, “He had his off.” A few other kids followed suit.
“Where’s the big black button?” Nick demanded, hopping up and down to get a better look. “I don’t see it!”
“Neither do we.” Brian grabbed the wiry kid and hoisted him up for a better view. Nick grabbed a wad of Brian’s hair and nimbly stood up on the bigger boy’s shoulders. He hadn’t taken off his shoes.
“Ow, Nick, that hurts.”
“I see the button!” Nick shouted, leaning dangerously to one side to look between poles. “It’s way up high! Too high, and too far from the next pole.” The kid swayed and deftly hopped down before falling. “I don’t see how anyone’s going to reach it.”
The doctor touched a finger to his glowing bracelet and his platform rose, carrying him up and away. His high laugh echoed back from somewhere near the ceiling. “Bonus points to Nicholas Arnold, for being the first person to pose the right question. And the clock is ticking.”
“Go!” Guys in the back began to push. “We’re being timed!”
“Fine, go.” Brian stepped aside and let an eager eighteen-year-old shove his way in. The muscular black boy put one tennis shoe over the line and the green lights on his bracelet began to move in a swirling pattern around and around his wrist.
“Look!” The boy held up his arm.
“Dhorian, you’re on!” Seth bellowed. “Go!”
Dhorian hesitated for a moment, and then grabbed the line that hung off the nearest pole. He began to climb. Boys held their breath, leaning in to see what would happen. Nothing did. For a long moment everything was still, and then a shout came from above. “I made it! I’m up!”
A stampede began as boys surged across the line. Some became entangled in the foam bushes. Those turned out to be horribly sticky, and getting through them was nearly impossible. A few guys made it to poles and began to climb. Seth, Brian, and Todd waited behind the white line. “Let ‘em trigger it for us,” Todd breathed, but nothing happened.
Simultaneously, their three bracelets made warning beeps and the lights turned orange. “Aw, hell, we’re out of time!” Brian exclaimed, and waded into the foam forest with his friends. Behind them, the wall slid shut, leaving the room in sudden darkness.
April 1, 2015
Finding You by Jennifer Anderson, A Peak Inside
(This in the inaugural edition of what will become a regular Tuesday feature taking a look at new releases and books that I would like to share with you.)
Today, I’m so pleased to be able to share Finding You by Jennifer Anderson with you.
Jessica Crispin sets out to find her mom but discovers more than she planned.
****
A long-lost grandfather dies, leaving Jessica Crispin a sizable inheritance. The only catch? She has to find her mom, whom she hasn’t seen since she was two, and she only has thirty days to do it.
Enlisting her best friend Violet, Jessica sets out on a road trip determined to solve a mystery fed by deceit and misinformation from people she thought she could trust.
On the way, she meets Jackson, whose kindness and sexy pale blue eyes make her wish he would come along for the ride.
Clues from her mother lead her far from home and to a secret Jessica never imagined. And as the deadline looms, Jessica must make peace with the ghosts of her past and risk dreaming of a future pursuing her secret passion with Jackson by her side.
BUY: IBOOKS | AMAZON | BARNES & NOBLE | KOBO | SMASHWORDS | ALL ROMANCE EBOOKS | PAPERBACK
Jennifer was our Friday Featured Author just this past week. If you missed it the first time around, you can read the interview here.
About Jennifer Anderson
Ref, chauffer, master chef and booboo kisser. When I’m not wielding my super mom powers, I like to weave sentences together and offer a little escape to my readers. You can usually find me sitting in the dark in front of my computer, falling in love with my characters. Send chocolate!
March 31, 2015
Cover Reveal: Resurrecting Harry
As I announced yesterday, I will be releasing Resurrecting Harry again, with a new cover. I hope to bring you two sequels to this book in the next year. I decided for this new life, the book needed a new shiny look.
Without further ado, here it is:
Resurrecting Harry
The cover was designed by Kim Jacobs of calliope-designs. She is currently working on a new cover for Fairyproof, which I will be sharing with all of you soon.
Devastated by Harry Houdini’s unexpected death, his widow, Bess, clings to his promise to deliver a coded message from beyond the grave. She’s determined to provide the bridge for him to cross, just like she assisted him on the stage, even if that means befriending her husband’s sworn enemy.
In order to save the only woman he’s every loved from self-destruction, Harry puts his afterlife on the line by entering a wager with purgatory’s keeper, Jaden. He gives Harry a younger face and body, and a new name: Erich Welch. Even with Harry’s soul and memories, Erich feel out-of-place and disconnected from everything once his.
Will Erich be able to help Bess over her loss and will any good come from resurrecting Harry?
Reviews
“ ” M. E. Wilson
“Theirs was a love story that Ms. Phillips delves into in her novel. ” R. Trogne
“Great story, new idea. All in all. Worth a read.” The Eternal Scribe
For the next few weeks, the book will be unavailable in e-format. There are still some print versions available at various vendors. I hope to have the new version on shelves by April 30.
Thank you to the following blogs for also sharing the cover today:
-Ebooks Galore
-Amanda’s Blog
-Book Review & Take Overs
-Author Sandra Love
-2 Bibliophiles Guide
-Dreamer Talks Books
-Ebook Addicts
-Indy Book Fairy
-Panty Dropping Book Blog
-A Book Addicts Delight
-Literary Nook
-Dowie’s Place
-Traci Hayden
-Literature Litehouse
-Cu’s Ebook Giveaways
-Room With Books
-One Book Boyfriend at A Time
March 30, 2015
A New Life for Fairyproof and Resurrecting Harry
As of tomorrow, the rights to my two romantic fantasy releases, Fairyproof and Resurrecting Harry will be coming back to me. But, what does this really mean?
Well, in the short-term, both books are not available in e-formats. You will be able to find a few of the print books available at many of the online retails, however. However, this is only a short-term issue.
I will be releasing both books again! The current release date for both books is April 30, and I hope to be able to bring you the long-awaited sequel to Fairyproof sometime this fall.
Tune in tomorrow to see the brand new, redesigned cover for Resurrecting Harry (Unless you a newsletter subscriber — then you will be getting a peak at it later today!)
March 27, 2015
Friday Featured Author: Jennifer Anderson
I am so happy to have fellow Turquoise Morning Press Author, Jennifer Anderson, here today to tell you a little bit about herself and her new release Finding You.
Finding You
Jessica Crispin sets out to find her mom but discovers more than she planned.
****
A long-lost grandfather dies, leaving Jessica Crispin a sizable inheritance. The only catch? She has to find her mom, whom she hasn’t seen since she was two, and she only has thirty days to do it.
Enlisting her best friend Violet, Jessica sets out on a road trip determined to solve a mystery fed by deceit and misinformation from people she thought she could trust.
On the way, she meets Jackson, whose kindness and sexy pale blue eyes make her wish he would come along for the ride.
Clues from her mother lead her far from home and to a secret Jessica never imagined. And as the deadline looms, Jessica must make peace with the ghosts of her past and risk dreaming of a future pursuing her secret passion with Jackson by her side.
BUY: IBOOKS | AMAZON | BARNES & NOBLE | KOBO | SMASHWORDS | ALL ROMANCE EBOOKS | PAPERBACK
The Interview
Tell us about your latest release?
Finding You holds a special place in my heart. It was a story that sat with me for a few years and begged to be shared.
Jessica Crispin learns about the death of a grandfather she’s never met and an inheritance that will help fulfill her dreams of attending art school, a secret she hasn’t shared with anyone. The only catch to receiving the money is she has to find her mother. Easy? Nope. She hasn’t seen her mother since she was little when she left her alone with her grandmother and criminal father.
On her search, she stumbles across Jackson King, who’s dark hair and green eyes can cause a girl to forget her own name. He wants Jessica and sticks with her through the lies and deception her search leads to.
In the end, Jessica discovers more than she’d expected. Was the journey worth the reward?
Are you a plotter or pantser?
Mostly a pantser but I’ve learned to be a sorta-plotter! I guess a pantser plotter???
What was the most difficult part of the publishing process for you?
The amount of information to weed through. Most of it says the same thing but everybody offers you something a little different than the first.
How about the most fun?
Getting the opportunity to meet some awesome people, either in-person at events or on-line. I’ve made some long, lasting friendships where these people feel more like family.
What inspired you to write your first book?
My first book, which will never see the light of day, was brought on by years of sharing my life story and people telling me I needed to write a book. But the problem was my story would only be one book. What would I write next? Then I decided to write a paranormal YA based, loosely, on my life. It was a great start and pushed me to write another paranormal YA that I shared with a girl I met in Twitter who convinced me to write a book based on Honey Creek, Ohio and submit to Turquoise Morning Press, who published my first book, Ice Princess.
Do you have any writing rituals? (Time of day to write, must have beverages? Etc?)
I used to only write at night and when I have the time I do, but being a stay-at-home mom with a 2 year old running around, I write when I have the time. (I’ve got 2 more kids and a husband, so time is very limited.)
Who is your go-to author, the one you know you can always count on to deliver a great story?
There are so many but my fave is Katie McGarry. My heart will always belong to YA and she can tell a story full of grit, feeling, love, desperation and tie it all up in a HEA bow. Love her and had the opportunity to meet her a few years back and she is the sweetest person, too! She always tries to answer fans when they tweet her, too.
What projects are you working on at the present?
I’m finishing up my edits on another YA Honey Creek due to release in November 2015 and then I need to start on a sequel to Finding You that will release in 2016.
What do your plans for future projects include?
It is always funny when inspiration strikes and while I have a notebook full of story ideas, I hope to end the year relaxing a bit, allowing more ideas to stir. I haven’t decided what genre I want to focus my attention on.
About Jennifer Anderson
Ref, chauffer, master chef and booboo kisser. When I’m not wielding my super mom powers, I like to weave sentences together and offer a little escape to my readers. You can usually find me sitting in the dark in front of my computer, falling in love with my characters. Send chocolate!
Additional Books by Jennifer Anderson:
Ice Princess
Prince Charming
Queen Mean
King of the Lake
Death Sat Beside Her
My Brother’s Wedding
(Friday Featured Author is a new feature I’m running here at blog.constancephillips.com. If you would like to be a guest. please email me through the contact page at my site.)
March 26, 2015
Daytona Bike Week – A View From Main Street
If you follow any of my social media accounts, you know that I was on vacation with my husband for the past two weeks. The first weekend of the trip (after a few short days at my parents) was to Daytona Bike Week.
The hubby and I have been riding a motorcycle off and on throughout the years, but now that the kids our older have really been able to enjoy the one he purchased last year.
Even though, we sort of had an idea as to what to expect, I don’t think either of us were completely ready for the sheer number of people in Daytona.
Before heading to the coast, we decided to join 2015 and picked up a GoPro–hoping to chronicle some of our trips this year. After seeing Main Street the first evening we were in Daytona, I knew we had to record a ride down Bike Week central. There is just no other way to explain the sheer number of people, bikes, and enthusiasts.
This was taken Saturday March 14, at about 7:00 pm.
I hope you enjoyed my view of Main Street, Daytona Beach.
Watch these pages over the next couple of weeks for more pictures and stories from Bike Week.
March 25, 2015
Resurrecting Harry Cover Reveal – Coming March 31
Recently, I learned that the rights to two of paranormal releases would be coming back to me at the end of this month.
What this means is that for the next few months e-versions of Resurrecting Harry and Fairyproof will be unavailable. The good news is that I will be re-releasing both of these books in April and hope to bring you full length sequels to both of them this year.
I already have in my possession the brand new cover to Resurrecting Harry and will share that on March 31. If you have a blog of your own and would like to help share the new cover with your readers, please fill out the form below:
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Newsletter subscribers will receive the cover in the in-boxes on March 30. If you are not yet a subscriber to my newsletter, you can sign up here: http://eepurl.com/o_c6f
March 15, 2015
Lucky Week! One Lucky Night On Sale!
To Celebrate St. Patrick’s Day, the kindle version of the anthology I’m a part of – One Lucky Night – will be on sale for .99 from March 15 – March 21!
BUY: Kindle
One night can change everything…
The crew at Boston’s Brazen Head Pub hasn’t been very lucky in love. Can a mysterious visitor inspire them to look past old hurts and misconceptions and give romance a chance?
One Lucky Night is a collection of five sexy interwoven novelettes by Aria Kane, Grace Teague, Ana Blaze, Constance Phillips, and Melinda Dozier.
Lucky Break by Aria Kane
Four years ago, chef Derek Chase walked out of Andrea Rivera’s life after a tragedy neither of them were prepared to deal with. When she’s called to the Brazen Head to repair a dishwasher, old sparks ignite buried feelings.
Lucky Star by Grace Teague
When her life is threatened by a mugger, Charlotte Price realizes she’s in love with her best friend, Tommy Leung. The Brazen Head seems like the perfect neutral place to confess her feelings, but nothing goes according to plan.
A New Tune by Ana Blaze
When it comes to dating, Holly Hall has one unbreakable rule: no musicians. Not even gorgeous ones. Especially not gorgeous ones. Dating them only leads to heartbreak. So why did she let singer-songwriter Cian O’Neill kiss her? And why is she thinking about doing it again?
Lexi’s Chance by Constance Phillips
As a bartender, Sean Whalen meets all kinds of women every night, but none turn his head the way that Lexi has. She’s been playing cat and mouse with him for weeks. Tonight, Sean’s determined to get Lexi to quit teasing and take a real chance on him.
Drink or Dare by Melinda Dozier
A bachelorette party Drink or Dare game pairs paramedic students, Rachel Robertson and Killian Whelan, in a flirting match. Soon, the dares threaten to turn their academic rivalry into something much more.
Reviews
“It’s like watching a pub from five different camera angles…they are all HEA, no cliffhangers, with some sexy scenes.” – The Snarky Mom Reads
”It truly is a sweet story about moving on and learning to live each day to the fullest.” — Charity Foster
“I felt the authors did a great job of telling their own stories, but making them all relate to the bar.” — Short and Sexy Book Blurbs
