Karen Swart's Blog, page 43

Just 99c!! Fractured Dream by @km_randall

Fractured Dream (The Dreamer Saga, Book 1) by K.M. Randall

Genre: Fantasy, Fairytale

Published: June 21, 2014 by Booktrope Publishing

Blurb Have you ever wondered where fairytales go once they’re created? It’s been eight years since Story Sparks last had a dream. Now they’re back, tormenting her as nightmares she can’t remember upon waking. The black waters of Lake Sandeen, where her Uncle Peter disappeared decades before, may hold the secret to Story’s hidden memories, or a truth she’d rather not know. On a bright summer afternoon, Story and her two best friends, Elliott and Adam, take a hike to the lake, where they dive into the cool water and never reemerge. What they find is beyond anything they’ve ever imagined could be possible, a world where dangers lurk in the form of Big Bad Wolves, living Nightmares and meddlesome witches and gods. Now Story must remember who she really is and somehow stop two worlds from ultimate annihilation, all while trying not to be too distracted by the inexplicable pull she feels toward a certain dark-eyed traveler who seems to have secrets of his own. The fates of the worlds are counting on her. On Sale for 99 cents through November 5th!

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Amazon | Barnes & Noble | iBooks

About the Author As a girl, K.M. always wished she’d suddenly come into magical powers or cross over into a Faerie circle. Although that has yet to happen, she instead lives vicariously through the characters she creates in writing fantasy and delving into the paranormal. When K.M. is not busy writing her next novel, she is the editor-in-chief of a blog covering the media industry, as well as an editor with Booktrope Publishing. She has a master’s degree in journalism from Syracuse University and a bachelor’s degree in English-Lit from Nazareth College of Rochester. K.M. lives in Upstate New York’s Finger Lakes region with her husband and her extremely energetic little boy. Fractured Dream is her first novel. Twitter- Twitter.com/km_randall Facebook- Facebook.com/authorkmrandall Website- Kmrandallauthor.com

Book Blast, Giveaway & Interview: In Your Dreams By John Swan

 

 

 

In Your Dreams

The Aldaya Series

Book One

John Swan

Genre: Epic Fantasy

Date of Publication: Sept. 14, 2014

ISBN:978-0-9906555-0-3

ASIN:B00NI96DC4

Number of pages: Estimated 276

Cover Artist: Natalie Spasic

Book Description:

On an ancient planet within our galaxy, a dark and fearsome terror has awoken from its long slumber. Its task is to work quietly from the unseen, spreading dissent through the vulnerable territories of the free races; weakening them for its master. By a chance meeting, it comes across a young girl in the swampy and mist choked lands of Endmoor.

Her name is Mim, and the pairing of her platinum hair and violet eyes has not been seen since the Great War 1,000 years earlier; and has attracted unwanted attention. Knowing it hunts her, Mim flees and starts on a journey that takes her far across the Great Isle of Aldaya; the only landmass that now sits above the waves.

Unbeknownst to her, she is the key to unraveling the darkness that is falling over the Great Isle; an emptiness that threatens to swallow not only Aldaya, but the Sphere as well, and all its futures to come.

Available at Amazon US Amazon UK Amazon Canada

Her words caught in her throat and she was unable to breathe. The woman at the table was the strangest looking person she had ever seen. Her body was thin and gangly, and her pale skin stuck out jaggedly in places as if it were trying to cover too many bones. Even sitting down Mim could tell she was tall, and her thin robes were midnight black and hemmed in places with dark maroon embroidery.

Then Mim took in her face, and it was paler and more terrifying than the rest of her body.

Her cheekbones were set a little too pointy and high. The mouth was nothing more than a thin slit stretched too far across the length of her face. The nose looked as if it had been removed, shrunk, and poorly placed back on. And her eyes were ghastly and titled upwards too far, and completely black with veins around the outer parts. Their color matched the hair that came down from her dark hood, which had jagged protrusions poking out at a few points near the back.

“Oh! I didn’t smell a child,” the creature said. As her black eyes met Mim’s purple ringed with blue, she stopped. “Well, what do we have here? How strange...” She got up from the table and circled her. At full height, the creature stood at least two feet taller than Mim.“I can smell the sweet scent of youth a mile away, little piglet, yet somehow I had no idea you were here.” A cold, pointy, finger ran across Mim’s cheek and up to her temples. “And what strange eyes you have.”

Mim was rooted to the ground and dared not move. Whatever stood before her seemed to be a demon that had jumped off the pages of one of Ilanya’s stories, and as she glanced towards Miss Barley and Candy for direction, the two were expressionless. They stared ahead in some sort of trance. What was wrong with them?

A lightning bolt cracked overhead and the woman let out a high-pitched laugh. When her oversized mouth opened, Mim could see two rows of sharpened teeth that filled the inside: one in the front like normal, and another jagged row sitting just behind it. The two figures that accompanied her said nothing, remaining still and hidden under their cloaks.

As she looked down at the blond girl, for the first time in over a thousand years, curiosity crept into Morra’s mind. The girl had no smell, and try as she might, Morra Losis couldn’t sense a trace of her except with her vision. But even stranger were her eyes. Purple eyes like those she had only seen many ages ago, and the bearers of them had disappeared from the sphere before the Great War in the north had begun.

But yet here in front of her one remained, and she wondered to herself whether her queen would find interest in this young human. Oh, most certainly, she thought. This revelation was the only thing keeping her from devouring the succulent girl on the spot. But if she lost her now, she would have to hunt for her like mortals did, and that was certainly not going to happen. Then the most wonderful idea came to her mind.

With the centaurs it had always been the hunt, the Dwarves their precious jewels, and the Elves their knowledge. But with humans it had always come down to their desire for freedom and independence. And although she hadn’t been awake for long, she knew in this age that true freedom could only be attained by one thing:wealth. She knew exactly what this poor little mongrel desired most just by looking at her torn outfit and dirty hands. “Well, it seems that one servant around here knows how to appease a guest of status. And I have always prided myself on paying the help.”

Morra Losis snapped her fingers and one of the tall hooded figures glided over, producing a large coin purse. She dipped her hand in and pulled out a large handful of endins and sprinkled them into the pot of meat with a smile. The taller creature then went back to standing by its twin before she drew herself closer to the girl onceagain. “That is for the meat, dear.” She then reached into a pocket from the inside of her cloak and pulled out a very small black purse. It was made of a shimmery fabric and all over it were dark maroon shapes. “And this is for you.”

As her hand placed the small pouch in the girl’s free hand, a tremor went through her. She could barely contain her appetite. She grabbed Mim’s jaw with one hand and effortlessly lifted her off of the ground, running her forked purple tongue up Mim’s cheek. The pot dropped to the ground, sending pieces of raw pork and coins spilling onto the rough floors. Her grip was so tight that she felt the girl’s jaws beginning to crack. She hadn’t had a meal this intriguing in an age, and her resistance was crumbling to the need to satisfy her hunger. What can one little bite hurt? she thought. But as she thought of her master, she quickly let go, dropping the girl back to the ground and turning back towards the table. As she bent down and picked up a raw piece of intestine and dangled it in front of her face, she said, “I just don’t think this will do. I certainly do not eat off of the floor, and when I feed I have always desired something with a little more...spunk.” She turned towards the dark greasy haired girl and let out a low gurgle, briefly revealing her jagged rows of teeth. Lifting her enchantment, the girl came out of her stupor, and after a moment began shrieking and backing away.

 

Character Name: Mim (Mikky) Hart

Character Bio:    Mim is a young girl, around the age of 15, who lived alone in an area called The Quilt until a short time ago. She was abandoned near her town of Slaidburn as an infant, and grew up in the town orphanage. Through good fortune and her wit, she found work and had settled into a mundane existence until foul events befell her small corner of the world. This has catapulted her into a journey across Aldaya, and as her adventure wears on she has begun to exhibit strange abilities that haven’t been seen since the dark ages. Without control, Mim teeters on the brink of danger, and her striking violet eyes and golden hair hearken back to a time when magic ruled over Aldaya. 

Describe yourself what is your worst and best quality?

-I’m about 5”3’, but my attitude is much bigger than my height. I work hard and don’t have much to show for it, but what I do have is enough. I don’t like frivolous things, but I’d be lying if I told you I had everything I wanted. My best quality would have to be my work ethic and positive attitude, with my worst being my sarcasm and quick judgement.

What is the one thing you wish other people knew about you?

-How appreciative I am for how little I’ve got and how excited I get when my hair is long.

What is your biggest secret that no one knows about?

-Well Bette knows quite a few things that I can’t tell you. But one that I will say is that I fully intended on running away from the Vale when we first arrived, but when I look back now I want to kick myself for being so stupid.

What are you most afraid of?

-Winding up back in The Quilt and having to stay there forever. I have nightmares about it.

What do you want more than anything?

-To be something big. Not just with money, but to do something other people admire and respect. I want people to look at me someday and go, “Wow. She’s really something.”

What is your relationship status?

-Very single. I don’t let people to close, it makes me uncomfortable.

How would you describe your sense of fashion?

-Eh, I wear what I’m given. If it wasn’t for Eolan’s generosity, I’d probably still be wearing my traveling get up everyday. And to be honest, I’d be fine with it.

How much of a rebel are you?

-I’m not sure. I never did much that was rebellious. But I don’t like people making me follow rules that I don’t agree with.

What do you considered to be your greatest achievement?

-Getting into the Charis Vale has been the greatest thing I’ve ever done. I still can’t believe it.

What is your idea of happiness?

-A roof over my head and a full pantry. And being warm in the winter months. Oh, and having all of my close friends around. And of course, Jessel being happy is top of the list.

What is your current state of mind?

-Hmmm. I would say happy. But mostly grateful and maybe a little overwhelmed.

What is your most treasured possession?

-The amulet given to me by Jennah. I would be dead without it.

What is your most marked characteristic?

-Probably my eyes.

What is it that you most dislike?

-People who take advantage of others.

Which living person do you most despise?

-Morra Losis, if you consider her a person. 

What is your greatest regret?

-Never knowing my parents.

What is the quality you most like in a man?

-Ha! I have no idea. Strength maybe?

What is the quality you most like in a woman?

-The nurturing and understanding part.

Which living person do you most admire?

-I really admire Lord Eolan.

If you could change one thing about yourself what would it be?

-Not a damn thing. I’m very happy with who I am, but I hope to keep becoming better.

What is your motto?

-Keep your eyes up but your head down.

 

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John Swan has been an independent fiction writer since 2003, with the Aldaya Series being his first published work to date. During that time, he attended Southern Illinois University and graduated with two degrees, both with high honors. He has an Associates in the Sciences and a Bachelors in Meteorology and Climate sciences, with emphasis on research and written dictations.

He spent several years during school helping to open and manage a French Bistro before moving to Honolulu, HI, where he worked for the local Parks and Wildlife service and was finally able to give his writing career the full attention it needed.

His love for writing began at an early age, never passing up chances to submit his works to young writers’ forums through school and his local community. He grew up on a small farm in southern Illinois, but spent his summers in an enchanted little blue cottage on the banks of the Mississippi River. In this valley is where he wandered beneath the trees along the bluffs with his best friends, and where tales of hobbits, mages, boy wizards, enchanted wardrobes and Native American folk lore shaped his writing style and drove him to create an entire universe all his own.

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Book Blast: Hers to Claim by Patricia A Knight

 

Hers to Claim

Book Four in the Verdantian Series

Patricia A Knight

Genre: Adult, Sci/Fi, Fantasy Romance 18+

Publisher: Troll River Publications

ASIN: B00MQGNQD4

Number of pages: 360

Word Count: 90,637

Cover Artist: Skylar Faith

Book Description:

A prince from the Nyth Uchel mountains … a healer from the Oshtech desert …

Scornfully rejected by her desert lover and uncertain of her place in the world, Adonia traveled a perilous road to the fabled mountain-city of Nyth Uchel. She came to heal the sick and dying, but in the arms of highborn prince, Hel, Adonia found the answer to saving herself.

Descended from nobility, once great kings of Verdantia, Hel willingly bore the burden of his dying city and its people on his shoulders. Watching helplessly as a malingering evil attacked the very soil under his feet, he crushed his pride to summon help. He’d been staggered to discover the answer to saving his city and perhaps all Verdantia might lie behind a heavy fall of chocolate hair and shy brown eyes.

As their entire planet faces an encroaching black death, two seemingly disparate individuals forge a partnership of love and sacrifice that will alter their future forever. All of Verdantia will be tested.

Stand alone. Not a cliff-hanger. HEA 360 pages. M/F, Mild D/s themes, light spanking, and an over-sexed but sensitive prince with a hero complex.

Buy it at Amazon Kobo Smashwords

Book Trailers:

http://youtu.be/n0FbdEYahV0

http://youtu.be/0qn1OdDSL4U

http://youtu.be/mji6SCxiskQ

Quotes from the book:

“Yes. I know all about soul-wraiths.” Ramsey frowned. “How did you avoid them in the past?”

“Set a perimeter of energized diaman crystal. That will keep them at bay.” Hel smiled without humor. “I have the diaman crystal in my saddle pack. I lack a sexual partner to energize them. I had intended to return with a magistra but a magister will work as well. Care to volunteer?”

“Only if I top,” Ramsey snapped.

“You’d have to kill me first,” returned Hel.

“With pleasure.”

Steffania took a breath. Ram cut her off. “No. I don’t share you, Vixen.”

 

Fear of the unknown almost froze Adonia’s tongue, but she was the obvious answer. She could do this. The opportunity would never present itself again. “I’ll be your partner.”

He would have seduced her into the erotic world his particular carnality demanded and reveled in the passionate response he knew he could draw from her. She would submit to him gladly. The Goddess had created her for it. The woman gloried in serving.

Sadly, his world was not that world any longer. Brutal practicality stripped his relationships of any niceties and turned sex into another duty performed for those who looked to him for protection.

Steffania shook her head in mock sorrow. “I’ve heard it said people never grow up. They merely learn how to behave in front of others.” She leaned over and whispered loudly, “Ramsey has done neither.”

"It’s a delicious contradiction. He is never more wholly mine than when I am under his total control, in complete service to him.”

The small track Adonia rode resembled a game trail more than a byway of commerce. Her horse lunged up the steep, rock-strewn trail. In spite of the increasing difficulty in maneuvering the grade, the constant insults and rude comments volleyed between Ramsey and Hel lifted her foul mood with a growing sense of amusement. She heard the frequent cackle of Steffania’s laughter and her taunting jabs at both men.

“Loyal to you, DeHelios? Ha! Your retainers only stay because they are frozen solid to that block of ice you inhabit. I should relieve your people of the burden of gazing on your flea-infested, hairy face,” said Ram.

“Bring it on, dickless wonder. There aren’t any trees for you to fall out of to give you an advantage. Your wife inspires more fear in me. You aren’t half the man she is.”

“Oh, your death at my hand is all but assured, DeHelios. Only the knowledge it would be pointless stays my sword. The Hound of the Seven Hells would vomit you up as an indigestible hair ball, and I’d be back at square one.”

Adonia pulled her horse up and turned to face the two men. The absurdity of their exchanges had finally pushed her over the top.

At Hel’s irritated, “What?” hilarity welled up inside Adonia until she clutched at her belly and then her horse’s neck to remain seated. She finally abandoned the attempt and simply slid down and lay on her back on the rocky ground, convulsed with laughter. Ramsey a ‘dickless wonder’? Hel an ‘indigestible hairball’?

She registered Ramsey’s, “I don’t know. Something we said?”

She flopped her arm in the air to motion them on and was aware Hel and Ramsey continued past her. When she opened her eyes, she looked up at a mounted Steffania grinning down at her.

“They’re well-matched, don’t you think?” Steffania chuckled. “One might be fooled into thinking they didn’t like each other.”

 

 

 

 

Patricia A. Knight is the pen name for an eternal romantic who lives in Dallas, Texas with her horses, Italian Greyhounds, "Gidget the Rescue Chihuahua"—and the best man on the face of the earth—oh yeah, and the most enormous bullfrogs you will ever see.

Word to the wise: don’t swim in the pool after dark.

She loves to hear from readers and can be reached online

http://www.trollriverpub.com/

http://www.patriciaaknight.com

https://www.facebook.com/patricia.knight.71619

https://twitter.com/patriciaaknight

http://www.pinterest.com/patriciak4394/

https://www.amazon.com/author/patriciaknight

https://www.rebelmouse.com/patriciaknight/#

https://plus.google.com/u/0/+PatriciaKnightauthor/about

Book Blast: Man on the Run by Gail Hamilton

 


Lydia Marshall needs to round up the last samples of an unpredictable "relationship enhancer" created by her employer, NuGenn Pharmaceuticals. The last batch of the so-called potion is in the hands of a test subject, Damone Reid. But when Lydia finally tracks him down she's in for a shock. He is no longer the shy, awkward programmer she interviewed months before. Suddenly, she finds herself swept up in Damone's potion-fueled quest to live life to the fullest. They go kite flying.  They go whale watching. They go dancing in the moonlight.

Even though Lydia tries to keep things professional the former nerd's enthusiasm--and kisses--are infectious. As the tall, sexy adventurer takes her on a wild ride, Lydia finds herself falling for him. But is it the love potion that is igniting her feelings? And what will Damone do if he finds out her secret mission is to destroy the very thing that is changing his life? The discovery could destroy their blossoming romance.
 
Lydia asked to see Damone right away but Mrs. Benson shook her head.  "He's gone.  Packed a bag this morning and told me he was going on a trip to have some fun. Didn't know when he'd be back.  Whistling show tunes, he was, and said he meant to start at some place called Barrel-o-Thrills.  Took off before I could get another word out of him." Hastily, Lydia thanked Mrs. Benson and rushed out to her car.  A quick search on her cell phone found Barrel-o-Thrills out on the edge of the city. It was a club specializing in bungee jumping. The website announced: Give yourself the thrill of a lifetime.  Your molecules will never be the same.   Lydia remembered the 50-foot railing and tore out of the driveway.  What if Damone came to real harm because of NuGenn!  What if he'd used too much of the potion and it had morphed into a thrill enhancer instead of a relationship enhancer! Oh, the lawsuit!  Oh, the bad publicity! By the time Lydia got to Barrel-o-Thrills, parked and paid admission, her heart was pounding.  She raced over to bungee towers just in time to see a long, gangling body flying through the air, arms and legs wind-milling, yelling with delight.  When she finally got to where the crew were slipping the harness from Damone, she could see what his grandmother meant. He was grinning even though, wobbling and whooping, he could barely stand upright. Could the potion have done this? Lydia wondered again. Or had he just discovered common recreational drugs? Moving swiftly and decisively, she rushed over and grabbed Damone by the elbow.          "Let him go.  I'll take care of him from here," she told the crew chief. Unclipping the last of the harness, the man shrugged and handed Damone over.  Reeling from the wild plunge, Damone staggered straight into Lydia.  Hanging on to stay upright, he blinked at her in disoriented, astonished surprise. "Volta..." he gasped. The next second, he flung both his arms around Lydia and started kissing her with a passion that curled her toes and shocked her at the same time. In fact, Lydia was so shocked that she just stood there while Damone tightened his embrace even more.  His mouth feasted on hers with such total delight, and such complete abandon that the sensation swept away any resistance Lydia tried to muster.  The fellow was kissing her as though he hadn’t kissed a woman in ages--kissing as though he meant to claim every delicious pleasure he had missed living like a hermit in a basement.   Lydia could actually feel the determination rushing through him.

Gail Hamilton has been creating novels since the great romance boom of the eighties, writing for Harlequin and other publishers. She has been a farm hand, English teacher, ad copywriter, and once rode a British Bedford truck across the Sahara and back to see Timbuctu. All of it is fodder for her fiction. She is drawn to action, romance, adventure and characters with a distinctly odd twist. These show up in her many romance novels and her fast-moving historical novel, The Tomorrow Country.   After trying urban life in Europe and Toronto, Gail returned to live on the family farm where she grew up. In this rural corner hugging the north shore of Lake Ontario, Gail digs into the rich, raucous local history. She cherishes a secret passion for animated movies and loves snapping photos of nature all around her, reading the constant changes like a newspaper every morning. What better place to hatch brand new tales for everyone’s enjoyment.   Visit Gail’s website at www.gailhamiltonwriter.com.

Book Blast & Interview: Stranger In Paradise by @barbarabretton

 

 

 

Stranger In Paradise

Home Front

Book Two

Barbara Bretton

Genre: Post -World War 2 Romance

Publisher: Free Spirit Press

Date of Publication: October 15, 2014

ISBN: 9781940665085

ASIN: B00MTC0RBY

Number of pages: 347

Word Count: approx. 70,000

Cover Artist: Tammy Seidick

Blurb/Book Description:

Before they became The Greatest Generation, they were young men and women in love . . .

The year is 1953 and London is throwing the party of the century. Even though the ravages of World War II are still visible throughout the kingdom, the world is gathering on the Mall to celebrate the coronation of England's beautiful young queen.

For almost ten years, journalist Mac Weaver has been far from his New York home. America has changed since the war ended and he wonders if there's still a place for him in the land of backyard barbecues and a new Ford in every driveway.

However a chance encounter with beautiful English reporter Jane Townsend is about to change his life forever. As the new monarch waves from the window of her fairy-tale glass coach, a homesick Yank and a lonely Brit fall in love.

One week later, Mr. and Mrs. Mac Weaver board the Queen Mary for New York and a guaranteed happily ever after future in the land where dreams come true.

But there are dark shadows on the horizon that threaten Mac and Jane's happiness and family scandals that just might tear them apart . . .

"This generation of Americans has a rendezvous with destiny."

--Franklin Delano Roosevelt

Available at Amazon Kobo Smashwords BN iTunes

Read a sneak peek at http://www.barbarabretton.com/sip.shtml

 

Did you always wanted to be a writer? If not what did you want to be?

Yes, I’m one of those people who knew from the first instant that writing was my destiny. There was never any doubt this was what I was meant to do, what I truly had to do.

When did you first consider yourself a “writer”?

From the first moment I put pencil to paper.

How long did it take to get your first book published?

 I sat down to write LOVE CHANGES on February 1, 1982 and sold it on February 22, 1982. I know that sounds crazy and impossible, but it happened to me. Vivian Stephens had just joined Harlequin and was beginning to put together American Romance. In January 1982, I sent her a proposal and heard back within days. “That’s what I’m looking for,” she said. “Can you write fast?” “Sure,” I said, even though I’d never written an entire book in my life. “Very fast!”

And I did. I sat down at the kitchen table and poured my heart and soul onto the pages. (Yes, pages. This was pre-computer, back in the days of typewriters and carbon paper and Liquid Paper!) I finished on Thursday and received the phone call ever writers dreams about on the following Monday.

Do you do another job except for writing and can you tell us more about it?

I’ve never held a decent job (other than writing) in my life. I dusted buttons in the notions department at W. T. Grant’s. I typed envelopes and index cards. I worked part-time for a fiber artist. I even did some computer programming. But I never held a meaningful full-time job with benefits or a future because I was “saving” myself for what really mattered: writing.

What is the name of your latest book, and if you had to summarize it in less than 20 words what would you say?

 My Home Front series, SENTIMENTAL JOURNEY and STRANGER IN PARADISE were just released for the first time in digital format.

“Before they became the Greatest Generation, they were young men and women in love.”

Who is your publisher? Or do you self-publish?

 They were originally published in print by Harlequin. I was able to get back the rights and have self-published them in digital and print format

How long does it usually take you to write a book, from the original idea to finishing writing it?

 I’ve written books in three weeks and I’ve written books in three months plus. It all depends on the phase of the moon, the type of book, what’s going on in my life at the moment. Of course, we’re talking three weeks of actual writing which usually follows three or four months of thinking, planning, and researching the project.

What can we expect from you in the future?  ie More books of the same genre? Books of a different genre?

 Stay tuned!

What genre would you place your books into?

Romance.

What made you decide to write that genre of book?

 It was a natural pairing. A definite no-brainer.

How long have you been writing?, and who or what inspired you to write?

 Since childhood. Seriously, from the first moment I put pencil to paper I was creating stories. I “sold” my first story when I was nine. No money changed hands, but Katy Keene Fashion Queen comic books published “Debbie’s Diary” and I was off and running.

Do you have a certain routine you have for writing? ie You listen to music, sit in a certain chair?

My routine is a lack of routine. I’m allergic to schedules and punching metaphorical time clocks. Mostly I’d say I work best after dark. I’m most definitely not a morning person. And strangely I seem to write best in the midst of noise and chaos. A quiet, calm room with a neat desk would send me into a tailspin.

Do you read all the reviews of your book/books?

 NO!

Do you choose a title first, or write the book then choose the title?

Usually the title comes first and provides a roadmap for the story but those titles rarely saw the light of day. Traditional publishers tend to prefer choosing their own.

Are character names and place names decided after their creation? Or do you pick a character/place name and then invent them?

I wish I could answer that question, but I can’t. it all comes to me as a unified whole.

Do you decide on character traits (ie shy, quiet, tomboy girl) before writing the whole book or as you go along?

  I have a strong sense of who the character is when I start but the characterization deepens and even changes as I get to know the character better.

Are there any hidden messages or morals contained in your books? (Morals as in like Aesops Fables type of "The moral of this story is..")

 It always comes back to what Dorothy said at the end of the Wizard of Oz: “There’s no place like home.”

Which format of book do you prefer, eBook, hardback, or paperback?

 I was an early ebook adopter. Can’t imagine life without my Kindle.

What is your favorite book and Why?  Have you read it more than once?

 I keep returning to Larry McMurtry’s Moving On and re-read it every year or two. I must be up to fifteen or twenty re-reads by now. It touches my reader’s heart and dazzles my writer’s brain every single time. (It’s the forerunner to Terms of Endearment.)

Your favorite food is?

Anything Sichuan, Hunan or southern Italian.

Your favorite singer/group is?

I don’t really have one but there will always be a soft spot in my heart for the Temptations, Marvin Gaye, Luciano Pavarotti, and Simon & Garfunkel.

Your favorite color is?

Sometimes it’s red, sometimes it’s lemon yellow.

Your favorite Author is?

The late Laurie Colwin. Her books will be released (finally) in digital format in a few weeks and I can’t wait.

 

 

A full-fledged Baby Boomer, Barbara Bretton grew up in New York City during the Post-World War II 1950s with the music of the Big Bands as the soundtrack to her childhood. Her father and grandfather served in the navy during the war. Her uncles served in the army. None of them shared their stories.

But her mother, who had enjoyed a brief stint as Rosie the Riveter, brought the era to life with tales of the Home Front that were better than any fairy tale. It wasn’t until much later that Barbara learned the rest of the story about the fiancé who had been lost in the war, sending her mother down a different path that ultimately led to a second chance at love . . . and to the daughter who would one day tell a little part of that story.

There is always one book that’s very special to an author, one book or series that lives deep inside her heart. SENTIMENTAL JOURNEY and STRANGER IN PARADISE, books 1 and 2 of the Home Front series, are Barbara’s. She hopes they’ll find a place in your heart too.

www.barbarabretton.com

www.barbarabretton.net

Facebook: www.facebook.com/authorbarbarabretton

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Book Blast, Giveaway & Interview: Whisper the Dead by @AlyxandraH

 

Whisper the Dead

The Lovegrove Legacy

Book Two

Alyxandra Harvey

Genre: YA, YA historical paranormal, witches

Publisher: Bloomsbury

Date of Publication: Oct 7,2014

Word Count: 100 000

Book Description:

Gretchen is struggling with her newfound gift as a Whisperer; the constant buzzing in her ears from detecting spells is more frustrating than fun, especially when she is spending time with one of the Order of Iron Nail’s Keepers, the icy but strikingly handsome Tobias Lawless.

But while Gretchen tries to hide the truth and resolve her feelings for him, London fades from beautiful and bustling to deathly silent …Something evil is once again menacing Mayfair, and Gretchen and her cousins must use their powers to prevent a horrible sacrifice

Available at Amazon

The contrast between fighting off the Rovers and pasting a polite smile on her face for the single sons of earls was too stark. Residual magic burned through her. She was surprised the air around her didn’t crackle. Her mother shouldn’t begrudge her a stolen moment in the library, not if the alternative involved magic shooting off the ends of her hair. Hardly subtle.

Not to mention hardly marriageable material.

On second thought….

Better not. She’d already pushed her luck by going off with Godric.

Egyptian onion farming it was then. She walked along the book shelves, reading titles and glancing into the glass-fronted cabinets that held Lord Worthing’s collection of painted globes. It was dull and dusty and soothing. Her witch knot stopped aching.

Until someone grabbed her arm, yanking it behind her back and spinning her around. Her check pressed to the cold glass of a curio cabinet. Pain shot up to her elbow when she tried to move. “Who are you?” a man’s asked, his voice quiet and cold in her ear.

“Who am I?” she barked back. “Who the hell are you?” He evaded the kick she aimed at his most sensitive parts. Her skirts wrapped around her knees, hobbling and infuriating her. He turned her roughly around.

Tobias Lawless.

She wasn’t sure which of the two of them was more surprised.

Someone so chilly and perfect and wearing such a flawless cravat shouldn’t be mauling ladies in dark libraries. He also shouldn’t have several short iron daggers tucked inside his cutaway coat. It probably said something unsavory about her character that the sight of those daggers made her like him a bit more. But only a little bit.

“Let me go,” she yanked savagely down, breaking his hold. He didn’t move back, and his body continued to block her against the cabinets. The glass rattled.

“What are you doing?” he stepped closer still. She had to tilt her chin up.

“I am currently being accosted,” she snapped, driving the heel of her shoe into the top of his foot. He fell back a step, growling in his throat. Growling. He really didn’t seem the type.

She made a proper fist, not like the ones girls made when they hadn’t practiced before. She’d already punched a Rover tonight. She was very comfortable punching Tobias, Lord Killingsworth. Eager, in fact.

“What is wrong with you?” she asked finally. “Are you drunk?”

“Certainly not.”

She raised an eyebrow. “I’m the one being mauled and yet you take offense?”

“I can smell it on you,” he answered which was no answer at all. “There’s no use prevaricating.”

“I don’t usually bother lying about perfume,” she replied, now more bewildered than concerned.

“Not perfume,” he ground out, as if she was the frustrating one. “Dark magic.”

Her eyes narrowed to angry slits. “I beg your pardon.”

“As you should.”

She aimed for his head. It was big and fat and so perfectly groomed, how could she miss? He caught her wrist and squeezed. Hard. He shouldn’t have been fast enough.

An iron-nail pendant in the shape of a wheel slipped out from under his collar. Gretchen stared at it, then transferred her glare to his haughty, unkindly beautiful face. “I knew it.” She gave him a smile better suited to one of the animals in the zoological gardens. “You’re a bloody Keeper.”

Did you always wanted to be a writer? If not what did you want to be?

I’ve always wanted to be a writer. And, a mytho-archaeologist, even though I only saw it listed once on a movie credit and I’m not even sure what exactly it is. Also, Maid Marian.

When did you first consider yourself a “writer”?

Probably in high school. I wrote everything by hand (it was pre-computer after all) and I was very proud of my writer’s callus!

How long did it take to get your first book published?

I started sending stories out when I was 15 years to get used to the process. I had poetry published in my 20’s and my first book when I was 30. I’m on book 13 as of this month!

What is the name of your latest book, and if you had to summarize it in less than 20 words what would you say?

Whisper the Dead is the second book of The Lovegrove Legacy. It’s about Gretchen and her cousins Emma and Penelope and their secret family history of witchcraft. It’s got magic, secrets, goblin markets, familiars, and girls in corsets who kick ass.

Who is your publisher? Or do you self-publish?

Bloomsbury has been my publisher for the last 10 books. I also have an Ebook coming out through Entangled.

How long does it usually take you to write a book, from the original idea to finishing writing it?

Definitely depends on the book and the length. I’d say anywhere from 3 months to about a year.

What genre would you place your books into?

Paranormal YA. I do love my beasties and creatures of the night!

Do you read all the reviews of your book/books?

I used to read reviews but I cut myself off when it started to make me second guess too much of my process. Reviews are about someone else’s personal relationship with my book, but it actually has nothing to do with me. That said, if every review mentioned that Chapter 11 made no sense, or something concrete like that, I’d pay attention to that.

Do you choose a title first, or write the book then choose the title?

 I don’t actually get to choose the title! That’s up to the publisher. So far, Whisper the Dead (my newest) and Blood Feud have been my only titles that they have kept. And the UK version of Hearts at Stake uses my working title of My Love Lies Bleeding.

How do you come up with characters names and place names in your books?

Whisper the Dead takes place in Regency London so the place was easy. I collect names and use sites like nameberry.

Do you decide on character traits (ie shy, quiet, tomboy girl) before writing the whole book or as you go along?

Both! I generally start with a character and a vague idea and then I find out more about them as I write the story.

Are there any hidden messages or morals contained in your books? (Morals as in like Aesops Fables type of "The moral of this story is..")

No specific morals--- the story always comes first!

Which format of book do you prefer, eBook, hardback, or paperback?

All books, all the time!

What is your favorite book and Why?  Have you read it more than once?

I have so many favourites and I definitely reread them. Some include The Wood Wife by Terri Windling, Pride and Prejudice, and The Daughter of Smoke and Bone by Laini Taylor.

Your favorite food is?

Apple pie. Mashed potatoes. Not together. Also, hummus. Olives. I’m very hungry now.

Your favorite color is?

Purple.

 

 

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Alyxandra Harvey lives in a stone Victorian house in Ontario, Canada with a few resident ghosts who are allowed to stay as long as they keep company manners. She loves medieval dresses, used to be able to recite all of The Lady of Shalott by Tennyson, and has been accused, more than once, of being born in the wrong century. She believes this to be mostly true except for the fact that she really likes running water, women’s rights, and ice cream.

www.alyxandraharvey.com

www.twitter.com/AlyxandraH

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Book Blast: ABE–Ties of Steel #1 by @mjfieldsbooks

 


Twenty-six-year-old Abraham O’Donnell is the CFO of Steel Inc. After working tirelessly for over a year, he takes a week off to enjoy the sand, surf, and bikini-clad women of Ft. Lauderdale, Florida. After all, he's earned it.

When a brief interlude with a flight attendant in her hotel room goes awry, Abe heads to a rental home with a private beach. While floating naked in the pool, he learns a guest house on the property is also occupied. So much for rest and relaxation. Ever the gentleman, Abe tries to make the most of his misfortune, and offers to make the beauties staying on the property some dinner.

It's senior year and Nikolette (Nikki) Bassett is a few days late for her last college Spring Break with her four best girlfriends. When she arrives, all these ladies can talk about is the guy next door. And once Nikki gets a look at him, she knows what they mean. Fresh from an afternoon of surfing, Nikki can hardly believe her eyes when Abe approaches. The sexual tension and banter between the two of them leads to steamy hot sex on the Atlantic shore.

It's only a Spring Break fling, and both Abe and Nikki know better than to make it out to be more than that. Or do they? Abe’s calm demeanor changes once he has a taste of Nikki. That night, no location is safe. He takes her on the beach and ravages her in his bed. But despite their mind-blowing sex, Abe's taste for ultimate control in the bedroom makes Nikki uneasy. Nikki's just getting over a heartbreak and she can't afford to let Abe in. So, she pushes aside her budding feelings, and leaves Florida and Abe behind without a backwards glance.

Not used to being dumped and afraid to admit how much it hurts, Abe cuts his loses and heads back to Steel Inc., resume his role at the top of Steel Inc., pouring his heart and soul into his work. But Nikki Moore won't be forgotten so easily. Her taste, scent, voice, the noises she made when he brought her to ecstasy, the way she tasted on his tongue, and felt under his touch haunts him. Always fighting for control, Abe tries to push Nikki far into the back of his mind, as he fucks the rented women he had grown accustom to.

But Karma is a bitch, and Abe blames her for Nikki leaving him the way she did. So when Nikki shows up unexpectedly, Abe welcomes Karma with open arms. Control has left the building and safety of one's heart is no longer strong enough to stop what happens next.

ABE, is the first in the TIES OF STEEL series from bestselling erotica author MJ Fields. It is a spin-off of the bestselling MEN OF STEEL series featuring the Steel brothers: Jase, Cyrus, Zandor and Xavier.

          MJ Fields's love of writing was in full swing by age eight. Together with her cousins, she wrote a newsletter and they sold it to family members. She self-published her first New Adult romance in January 2013. Today, she has completed four self-published series, The Love series, The Wrapped series, The Burning Souls series, and The Men of Steel series. The Norfolk series has one title self-published so far and Ties of Steel, which was acquired by Swoon Romance in June 2014. Book 1 ABE releases October 28, 2014. MJ is a bestselling romance erotica author and former small business owner, who recently closed the business so she could write full time.
MJ lives in central New York, surrounded by family and friends. Her house is full of pets, friends, and noise ninety percent of the time, and she would have it no other way.
  Facebook ☆ Website ☆ Twitter ☆ Instagram ☆ Pinterest ☆ Goodreads ☆ YouTube     This complete collection of MJ Fields Men of Steel series together has over 600 5 star reviews.   Men of Steel Tattooed, pierced, alpha, New Jersey brothers Jase, Cyrus, Zandor, and Xavier Steel work side by side at their families tattoo shop Forever Steel. These sexy and confident young men vow to never fall in love. They show no restraint when it comes to living life the way they want, and enjoy the simple pleasures in abundance. They have an unbreakable family bond and stand by each other through all of lives ups and downs.      

Book Blast & Giveaway: The Legends Saga by @rourkewrites

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Title: Crane
Series: Legends Saga # 1
Author: Stacey Rourke
Genre: NA paranormal 
Date Published: May 26, 2014



The Horseman is unending,
his presence shan’t lessen.
If you break the curse,
you become the legend.

Washington Irving and Rip Van Winkle had no choice but to cover up the deadly truth behind Ichabod Crane’s disappearance. Centuries later, a Crane returns to Sleepy Hollow awakening macabre secrets once believed to be buried deep.

What if the monster that spawned the legend lived within you?

Now, Ireland Crane, reeling from a break-up and seeking a fresh start, must rely on the newly awakened Rip Van Winkle to discover the key to channeling the darkness swirling within her. Bodies are piling high and Ireland is the only one that can save Sleepy Hollow by embracing her own damning curse.
But is anyone truly safe when the Horseman rides?
Goodreads / Smashwords / Barnes & Noble / Amazon   “Tonight was meant to be the Harvest Ball,” Katrina said as she slid between the folds of her crimson and taupe gown. “Now the town is meeting, trying to concoct a plan to stop a being that death itself couldn’t tame.”
Ichabod sat on the edge of the bed with his back, respectfully, to Katrina while she changed. His loaded musket lay across his lap. In the reflection of the window in front of him he could see the soft curve of her hips as they tapered into her narrow waist. He cleared his throat and shifted his gaze to the floor. His chin tipped to the side, ever so slightly, to ask, “Are you secure in our plan?”
“I am to attend the summit on the arm of Brom Van Brunt,” she reaffirmed as she pulled her long, blonde locks out from the back of her gown and began tightening the laces of her bodice. “Then speak with as many people as I can, searching for anyone that may have motives leading to the Horseman.”
Ichabod nodded. Mostly to himself, he muttered the remaining details they were depending upon, “Rip will be inside as well. That man can finesse a crowd with a skill that truly baffles. If there are secrets to be found, he will uncover them. Irv will be outside with me, primarily because the Horseman isn’t the only one in this town that would like to see his head on a spike. We will be on horseback, patrolling the grounds with a few other men that have volunteered. You will have nothing to fear.”
Her elegant gown in place, Katrina turned to Ichabod wearing an expression equal parts timidity and fear. “What of Brom?”
The bed squeaked as Ichabod shifted his weight to face her. “Boorish as his ways may be, he cares for you. If you adopt the guise that you have interest in him, he will do all he can to protect you inside the gathering, while I provide you the same service outside.”
“And,” her long lashes brushed the tops of her cheeks as she cast her gaze to the floor, “you aren’t bothered by me being on his arm?”
In the midst of the plotting and planning, Ichabod had slipped into the role he knew well of military strategist. He had detached himself from the emotional aspects—until that very moment. The reality of his request sank in like a heavy stone. He had asked her to take another man’s arm, asserting her place beside him. The implications of that dug into his gut like a dull blade, churning and twisting deep.
“The mere idea of that makes me ache,” he stated, forcing the words through his suddenly parched throat. “Yet I would endure this hardship, and countless others, to keep you safe.”
She moistened her lips with a flick of her tongue, seemingly wrestling with words that gave her pause. “Ichabod, when this is over … w-would you call yourself mine?”
Ichabod closed his eyes. The euphoria of that question washed over him, cleansing him of all his sins with the promise of tomorrow. Rising to his feet, he took her velvet soft hand in his. A love he hadn’t known possible illuminated her striking face. “From the moment I saw you, my heart belonged to you alone. If by some miracle you were to give me your love in return, I would need nothing else to sustain me the rest of my days.”
Katrina’s palm tenderly brushed his cheek. “You have already claimed that.”
Allowing no further hesitation, Ichabod gathered her in his arms. Katrina tipped her head back, the soft curves of her body molding to his. Full lips parted in an alluring invitation it would take a stronger man than him to resist.


 
Title: Raven
Series: Legends Saga # 2
Author: Stacey Rourke
Audience: NA Paranormal
Genre: Thriller/Suspense
Date Published: Sept 22, 2014



An infamous love, destined nevermore,
For death could not claim, the enchanting Lenore.


Cursed by the malevolent spirit of the Headless Horseman, Ireland Crane ventures to Manhattan in search of a way to break her soul crushing bond. Instead, she discovers the lines between fact and fiction are blurring once more. Croaking ravens. Telltale hearts. Could the works of Poe be coming to pass with handsome Wall Street Midas Ridley Peolte as their unwilling target?

She walks the Earth, a plague on mankind,
searching for he, her rotted heart doth pine.

Together, the two unknowingly release a dark force death itself could not tame. Surrounded by the unrelenting violence and mayhem they’ve unleashed, Ireland feels her control over the Horseman slipping. Before the beast within consumes her, she and her crew must follow the clues of the dead to right a centuries’ old wrong. Will it be enough to sate the Horseman’s appetite?

Hell hath no fury like a ghoul scorned.


Goodreads / Amazon / Smashwords / Barnes & Noble Clamping her eyes on the wash of tears that threatened, Ireland ignored the wailing of her heart … and laid a palm to each of their cheeks. One lone tear snuck between her lashes at the cascade of tingles seeping up her arms.
“You can’t blame them for not understanding,” a familiar voice drawled behind her.
She spun as he neared, leaving Rip and Noah wheezing for breath—or, more likely, completion of her task.
Techno-colored flowers bloomed in a colorless world each time the sole of Ridley’s shoes met the earth. The crisp cut of his white, tailored suit was accented by a burst of color from the button-down shirt beneath that changed in hue to match the species of flowers that sprung to life. Hydrangeas blue. Orchid purple. Lily fuchsia. Rose coral. As he neared, Ireland noticed his eyes morphed to match as well. The result hypnotic.
His haggard and troubled façade was a thing of the past. The man before her exuded confidence and a zest for life from every pore. The draw of which was so magnetic Ireland had to fight to keep her feet planted while her body insisted she close the distance between them.
“To them this is a thrill, a game of chicken against the Reaper himself.” Ridley paused beside her, his shoulder skimming hers. Even then he didn’t grace her with a glance, his attention fixed on Rip and Noah. Tipping his head toward her, the warmth of his breath teased over her breast bone. “For us, it’s destiny.”
The moment he stepped away from her, the chill of solitude lashed at Ireland’s soul and cut deep. Bending eye-level with her withering subjects, Ridley pursed his rose petal lips to blow a soft, healing breath over both of them. Wan complexions of the dying were ripened to plump apricot. Both men blinked away their disappointment before dipping in a low bow—foreheads to the ground in a show of respect.
“No need for that, boys.” Ridley smoothed the front of his suit coat, a self-depreciating chuckle playing over his lips.
Neither humbled servant budged.
“You’re like me?” Pacing in a slow circle around him, Ireland’s eye narrowed.
He matched her steps, leading them in an intimate waltz normally reserved for predators—or lovers.
“Like you?” He tsked. “Oh no, my darling flower. There is no other like you. Our only similarity is being pawns in a game that began centuries before either of our fathers got an amorous gleam in their eyes.”
Ireland’s gaze lingered over the soft curve of his mouth, wondering if his lips could possibly taste as delectable as they looked. “How do we play?”
Curling one finger into a ruffled tuft of her skirt, Ridley pulled her to him. Bowing his head, he brushed his cheek over the delicate curve of her collarbone. “The game is already in motion,” he murmured. “The rule sheet not meant for our eyes. All we can do now is stay alive.” 
Ireland weaved her fingers into his hair, yanking his head back with a passion driven force that bordered on violent. “I’ve taken lives. I’m a monster,” she snarled against his lips, tormenting them both with the agonizing veil of energy that denied their touch.
His hand snaked up her arm to find her fingers and loosen her grasp. Palm to palm. Fingers entwined with fingers. “Does granting it make me any better?”
Ridley didn’t give her time to answer. With one hand pressed to the small of her back he crushed her to him.  Their lips met with a desperate urgency that caused Heaven and Earth to quake in nervous anticipation of what was coming … 







1.) Sleepy Hollow Soundtrack Track 1- composed by Danny Elfman 2.) Ready to Run by the Dixie Chicks 3.) I’m on Fire by Mumford and Sons 4.) Monster by Skillet 5.) Crazy by Kat Dahlia 6.) Red Right Hand by Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds 7.) Voices in My Head by Randy Orton 8.) Animal I Have Become by Three Days Grace 9.) Counting Flowers on the Wall by Eric Heatherly 10.) The Monster by Eminem & Rihanna  
 
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The Gryphon Series is written by Stacey Rourke. She lives in Michigan with her husband, two beautiful daughters, and two giant, drooly dogs. Stacey loves to travel, has an unhealthy shoe addiction and considers herself blessed to make a career out of talking to the imaginary people that live in her head. She is currently hard at work on the continuations of this series as well as other literary projects. The Gryphon Series is available wherever fine books are sold.
Contact Info: Visit the author at www.staceyrourke.com
Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/staceyrourkeauthor
Twitter @Rourkewrites
Email anchorgrouppublishing@gmail.com


Tour Schedule - Series Blog Tour for The Legends Saga by Stacey Rourke from Oct 23 to Oct 31, 2014 Oct 23 Coffee Books & Art - Promo, Top Ten, Dream Cast http://sarityahalomi.blogspot.com/ Crazy Beautiful Reviews - Promo http://www.crazybeautifulreviews.blogspot.com Bound 2 Escape - Promo http://www.bound2escape.com 2 Girls & A Book - Promo, Book Soundtrack & Dream Cast http://2girlsandabook.weebly.com/ Oct 24 V's Reads - Review - Raven #2 http://vsreads.com 3 Partners in Shopping, Nana, Mommy, & Sissy, Too! - Promo http://3partnersinshopping.blogspot.com Angels with Attitude Book Reviews - Promo, Book Soundtrack & Dream Cast http://angelswithattitudebookreviews-joelle.blogspot.com Oct 27 Say What? Savannah Mae - Promo http://saywhatsavannahmae.com/ The Phantom Paragrapher - Review - Raven #2 http://www.thephantomparagrapher.blogspot.com The Avid Reader - Promo, Book Soundtrack & Dream Cast http://the-avidreader.blogspot.com Cajun Book Lover - Promo http://www.cajunbooklover.blogspot.com Word to Dreams - Promo & Book Soundtrack http://wordtodreams.blogspot.com/ Oct 28 Shayna Varadeaux Books & Reviews - Promo, Review - Crane #1 , Review - Raven #2 http://www.shaynavaradeauxbooks.blogspot.com The Idle Musings Of A Writer's Mind - Promo, Top Ten, Dream Cast http://theidlemusingsofawritersmind.blogspot.com Eclipse Reviews - Promo, Book Soundtrack & Dream Cast http://www.eclipsereviews.weebly.com Portals to New Worlds - Promo, Book Soundtrack & Dream Cast http://authorkarenswart.blogspot.com Oct 29 Paranormal Book Club (PBC) - Promo http://www.paranormal-bookclub.com Deal Sharing Aunt - Promo & Author Interview http://www.dealsharingaunt.blogspot.com Booky Ramblings of a Neurotic Mom - Promo, Book Soundtrack & Dream Cast http://bookyramblingsofaneuroticmom.blogspot.co.uk/ Hope To Read - Promo http://hopetoread.com Oct 30 Kelly P's Blog - Promo http://kellyatx.blogspot.com/ Fictional Rendezvous Book Blog - Promo http://fictionalrendezvousbookblog.blogspot.com/ Angee's After Thoughts - Promo, Book Soundtrack & Dream Cast http://www.angeesafterthoughts.com Book Nook Nuts - Promo http://booknooknuts.blogspot.com/ Oct 31 Movies, Shows & Books - Promo, Dream Cast, Book Soundtrack http://moviesshowsnbooks.blogspot.com/ Darkest Cravings - Promo, Book Soundtrack & Dream Cast http://www.darkestcravings.weebly.com A Cauldron of Books - Promo, Book Soundtrack & Dream Cast http://acauldronofbooks.info What Shall We Blog About Today? - Promo, Book Soundtrack & Dream Cast

Book Blast & Giveaway: Loving the Wild Wolf by @lynnrichardsrom

 

 

Loving the Wild Wolf

Wild Wolves of Montana

Book 1

Lynn Richards

Genre: paranormal, romantic erotica,

bbw romance, werewolves, shifters

Publisher: Wolf Publishing

Date of Publication: August 28, 2014

ASIN: B00N3GZ62A

Number of pages: 98

Word Count: 34,000

Book Description:

Roark Grayhawk’s past haunted the lone wolf. He’d become an enforcer to protect those weaker but had failed to protect his sister and she had paid the ultimate price.

Now, another woman needed his help. A woman Roark had tried desperately to ignore. He didn’t want the love of a mate. He didn’t deserve the love of a mate.

Curvy she-wolf Emma Jones has tried her whole life to make herself invisible to her powerful father—the alpha of the Blue Pine Pack. Now, he was forcing her into a marriage with a man who wasn’t her mate. Her mate was Roark Grayhawk, the wild wolf who protected the pack from danger. Would he protect her?

Available at Amazon

Tonight’s run had been about saying goodbye. She’d visited her favorite places, planning to end the night watching Roark’s cabin until sunrise. She didn’t know exactly what her father had planned, but she knew she had to be prepared to leave at a moment’s notice. Because she knew, whatever her father had decided, it would not be in her best interest to go along with his plan. She had a little money stashed away and she could start over someplace else. Despite what her father thought, she was a hard worker, she could make it. She was going to be forced to mate and leave the pack anyway; forced to say goodbye to Roark, why not do it on her own terms. Maybe some other pack would take her in. It was difficult for a wolf to make it alone. Roark was living proof that even the most reckless of wolves needed the structure of a pack in order to survive.

For so long, her hope had been that Roark would recognize her as his mate and claim her. Get past whatever it was that had made him withdraw from life. She’d fixated on that dream so much that she’d never considered what to do if it never happened. And certainly had never imagined the ultimatum that her father had thrown down. Perhaps if she were a more passionate woman, her wolf a stronger animal, she could seduce Roark, garnering, if not his love, then his protection.

But she wasn’t that woman. Never would be. She had no confidence in her value as a wolf. No confidence in her desirability as a woman. She’d grown up hearing the fairytale version of wolf mating where the male would risk everything for the love of his mate. Vanquish any demon. Fight any foe.

She sighed. Her life wasn’t a fairy tale. She’d wished for her own prince for too many years. Being a romantic was dangerous, Emma had discovered. She felt like she was now fighting a wicked stepmother and a nasty frog whose name was Brad. She shuddered. The man that her father had given her to in marriage was worse than any toad.

It was archaic. But it was still within his rights as her father and her alpha.

 

 

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Lynn Richards is the writing team of two best friends. The only thing they argue about is who is going to stop writing and get the next chocolate bar. The two women love to share their writing with others who enjoy reading a romance with a happy-ever-after (always), sexual tension (you know the kind that make you want to squeeze your legs together), and a sexy alpha male, Whether he’s an ex-military man, firefighter, wolf, lion or dragon, all their male characters have one several things in common—they are delicious to look at, built like a brick outhouse, and fall instantly in love with the woman meant to be theirs.

http://www.lynnrichardsromance.com/

http://lynnrichardsromance.blogspot.com/

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http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/4972911.Lynn_Richards

Book Blast, Giveaway & Interview: Words That Bind by @ashkrafton

 

 

Words That Bind

Ash Krafton

Genre: paranormal romance

Publisher: The Wild Rose Press

Date of Publication: Oct. 10, 2014

ISBN: 978-1-62830-560-9

ISBN: 978-1-62830-561-6

Number of pages: 314

Word Count: 75000

Cover Artist: Debbie Taylor

Book Description:

Social worker Tam Kerish can’t keep her cool professionalism when steamy client Mr. Burns kindles a desire for more than a client-therapist relationship—so she drops him. However, they discover she’s the talisman to which Burns, an immortal djinn, has been bound since the days of King Solomon…and that makes it difficult.

Ethical guidelines are unequivocal when it comes to personal relationships with clients. However, the djinn has a thawing effect on the usually non-emotive Tam, who begins to feel true emotion whenever he is near. Tam has to make a difficult choice: to stay on the outside, forever looking in…or to turn her back on her entire world, just for the chance to finally experience what it means to fall in love.

Available at Amazon and Wild Rose Publishing

Damn, but this was a miserable city.

A miserable city, in a miserable season, with a miserable chilly dampness oppressive enough to put out the hottest of fires. If he didn’t have to be here, he’d be reclining on a low couch surrounded by silken-clad women and the open sands of the high desert.

If he didn’t have to be here, he wouldn’t be standing in a cramped parking lot in an East Coast city (really. East Coast. The very thought made him curl his lips in disdain) staring up at a balcony three floors up.

If he didn’t have to be here, he wouldn’t. But it was here, and it was close, and he wouldn’t have to put up with this permeating on-again off-again rain much longer.

The thought of it being so close made him dizzy enough to sway on his feet. Ah, well. Wearing a human form had so many limitations. Take skin, for instance. And this ridiculous human obsession with trousers.

A loud argument erupted on the balcony above, catching his attention.

Women. Of course. Emotional, volatile, dangerous, loud…sometimes, good qualities. Especially where low couches could be found.

On balconies, peppered with vulgar language…just annoying.

Still. It was here, its presence burning like a dull itch in the back of his brain. That particular sensation, too, was annoying, but after so many decades of not feeling it all, it was a good kind of annoying. One that soon would be quenched.

Forever.

Suddenly, the sensation brightened, became sharper, clearer, like the full moon sliding free of the clouds. The argument stopped.

Ah. Finally. He turned up the collar of his overcoat against the nip of a sudden breeze and tilted his head, scanning the balcony, watching. Waiting.

A young female with tousled purple hair hunched over the railing, resting on her elbows, trying to light a cigarette. Repulsive things, cigarettes. Lacked elegance. Why not a hookah, or even a slender golden pipe? This modern age was all substance. No style.

He unfocused his gaze and looked through the girl. Nothing remarkable about that female whatsoever. She had nothing to do with the object of his desire and so was of no consequence to him. He disregarded her completely.

Another figure appeared at the rail. Another female. This one seized his notice, snapping his spine ram-rod straight.

Long chestnut hair swept in waves over her shoulder, hiding her face. He zoomed in on her and almost fell flat backwards, buckling under the smacking impact upon his heart.

Her. She had it.

Suddenly, the low gray clouds burned off in a blaze of summer brilliance, so great was the feeling in his chest. Hope. Hope eclipsed centuries of despair in that single moment.

She had it!

He side-stepped the BMW behind him, wanting a better angle, wishing to see her face. So intent was he upon the other woman that he nearly missed the cigarette that sailed past his cheek to land on the car. He curled his fists, an oath on his lips. He should be used to the crude behaviors of mortals, but still, how it bristled against his insides. Obviously, they’d been raised by very different mothers.

But then woman turned, and his scowl melted from his face. Her dark eyes met his, a split-second connection that felt like the bite of an electric current. His heart tripped on a beat and he gaped.

Remarkable. This noisy, chaotic city where all was a tangle of technology and confusion and those odd diagonal streets—she stood out: a straight line, a calm constancy, the eye within the storm. He was confounded by the impression of her psyche. Unique was too commonplace a word.

A place to sit. He rubbed his mouth, staring up at her. To sit would be good right now. He didn’t want to end up on his knees, not here amidst the puddles and wet leaves.

The young girl twisted around and hopped up on the rail. Odd. The railing didn’t look wide enough to make a comfortable seat. Well. Considering her choice of hair color, he wasn’t surprised by her action. Obviously, she was a little off.

He thumbed the edge of the business card in his hand, one that bore the address and the name of the counselling center to which the balcony belonged. Of course, she was. Why else would she be visiting a therapist?

Apparently, the bird reconsidered her perch, because she disappeared in the next moment. A piercing shriek sounded, loud enough that he had to cover his ears. It only lasted a few seconds, however, followed by a few more desperate shouts.

And then there came no sound at all, except for the traffic and the sparrows making a racket in the hedges bordering the parking lot. The women and the mental itch had retreated back into the building.

He stood a few moments longer, watching the balcony, hoping for another glimpse of her. But the remarkable woman and that wonderful sensation did not return.

He brushed his fingers together and tugged his suit jacket straight. No matter. She may have that which he sought, but she did not need to come back out.

Because he was going in after it.

And this time, he was going to get it.

Did you always wanted to be a writer? If not what did you want to be?

I did, actually. And I think my mom still has newspaper clippings of my earliest attempts at poetry, somewhere in one of her scrapbooks. I’d always been a voracious reader, and at one point planned to become an English teacher. Somehow, though, I got drawn into the sciences, and my pursuits of literary happiness would have to wait until their own time came.

I’m a lucky one—I pursued my degrees in pharmacy and came back to writing about ten years ago. I have the best of both worlds with a day job I love and a writing vocation that I adore.

When did you first consider yourself a “writer”?

I’d started writing my first novel in complete secret, with no experience, no planning, and with no skill whatsoever. (That manuscript is still unfinished.) When I switched to writing the book that became BLEEDING HEARTS, I began to study the craft of writing. I think I first considered my writing the very first time I let someone read it. Until that moment, I was still just a daydreamer with a pen.

How long did it take to get your first book published?

I started writing BLEEDING HEARTS in 2005 and finished the first draft in 2007. I was represented by an agent for a time in 2009 or 2010, and sold the novel on my own in 2011 to a small press called Pink Narcissus Press. BLEEDING HEARTS was published in 2012. So to answer the question—too long. J

Do you do another job except for writing and can you tell us more about it?

I work in retail pharmacy, which is like being a policeman and a researcher and a stock boy and a counsellor and an insurance agent and a hundred other professions all in one. Plus, I give flu shots. I LOVE giving flu shots!

What is the name of your latest book, and if you had to summarize it in less than 20 words what would you say?

My latest book is WORDS THAT BIND. This paranormal romance is a love story about a genie and his therapist. Twenty words? That’s tough. Try…

Never fall for a client—especially when he’s an immortal djinn and you’re the talisman to which he is bound.

Who is your publisher? Or do you self-publish?

WORDS THAT BIND is published with The Wild Rose Press

How long does it usually take you to write a book, from the original idea to finishing writing it?

Every book is different. I also tend to work on more than one book at a time, so they overlap. Last year, I finished two novels and started a third. However, I’ve worked on each of them over the space of two or three years. I really envy writers who can sit down and plug their stories out in months. One day, if I retire from the day job, I might get a chance to see what the other side is like.

What can we expect from you in the future? ie More books of the same genre? Books of a different genre?

My next project is going to be a lot different, in that it will be for YA/NA as well as adult audiences.

THE HEARTBEAT THIEF is a paranormal tale about the flip side of immortality. It’s a cross between Jane Austen and Edgar Allen Poe and I love writing every gothic inch of it. Since it will be pitched toward a different audience, it will be released under the pen name AJ Krafton. While the book is not yet in its final stages, the cover design is complete and can be seen on www.ashkrafton.com I’m hoping for a release by spring 2015.

What genre would you place your books into?

Speculative fiction, all the way. What a wonderful umbrella term for every type of writing—fantasy, horror, sci-fi—that asks the question “What if--?” While my previous ventures have all been in the realm of urban fantasy, WORDS THAT BIND is my first paranormal romance.

What made you decide to write that genre of book?

Honestly, from the first lines I’d written in that manuscript, I knew it could be no other. At times, I was tempted to allow my urban fantasy tendencies to take over, but the characters deserved much more than simple romantic elements. They were destined to enjoy all the sorrows and joys that a true romance brings.

How long have you been writing?, and who or what inspired you to write?

I wrote as a kid, but didn’t really get into serious writing as a possible career until 2005. I published a lot of poetry and short stories while I was shopping my first novel. BLEEDING HEARTS, the first book in the Demimonde series, was published by Pink Narcissus Press in 2012.

Do you have a certain routine you have for writing? ie You listen to music, sit in a certain chair?

I can write anywhere, anytime, as long as no one is standing behind me. That just skeeves me out.

Do you read all the reviews of your book/books?

I do. I even share clips of them occasionally.

Sometimes, I get a bad review and I rant to my kids about it or write the reviewer into a brief but horrifying story. J However,I get over my tantrum pretty fast and go back to read it again, to see if there is anything I can take away from it.

I appreciate each and every reader who takes the time to read my work, and I doubly appreciate the ones who review it, too. If anything, they encourage me to write another book, one that they would absolutely love reading, so I can’t say a single negative thing about bad reviews.

Do you choose a title first, or write the book then choose the title?

Depends. Sometimes I’m happy with the original title, like WORDS THAT BIND or THE HEARTBEAT THIEF. Other times, the title comes after the book, like with WOLF’S BANE. (The original title was “Fur and Feathers”. Can you blame me for rethinking it?)

Are there any hidden messages or morals contained in your books? (Morals as in like Aesops Fables type of "The moral of this story is..")

In The Books of the Demimonde, I used vampires as a metaphor for spiritual redemption. The story is about a woman who will do anything to save the man she loves, and that theme of redemption is woven throughout each of the books. I think each of us is worth redeeming, in all sorts of ways, and that you have to work pretty hard at being damned. I have an unwavering faith in the strength of humanity, even if my characters spend a lot of time with supernatural creatures.

Which format of book do you prefer, eBook, hardback, or paperback?

Paperback, because I can stuff one anywhere and take it with me, and still get the tactile pleasure of holding a book in my hands.

What is your favorite book and Why? Have you read it more than once?

The Golden Key by Melanie Rawn. I’ve read it more times than I can count and I own several copies of it. Although the cover art has changed over the years, my favorite is the original by Michael Whelan—because he painted himself in as the Master artist and focus of the story, Sario.

Do you think books transfer to movies well? Which is you favorite/worst book to movie transfer?

Sometimes. If I haven’t read a book before a movie comes out, I wait until after seeing the movie to read it. A movie can portray only so many aspects of a book. Reading the book, then, allows me to discover all the depths and nuances and extra bits so it’s like a bonus for me.

I most enjoyed The Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit movies. Though not exact to the books, you can tell the films were crafted carefully who dearly loved reading those stories.

Your favorite food is?

A vegetarian dish called Navratan Korma, or “Nine Jewels”. It’s sweet and spicy and creamy and full of chunky vegetables. Hmm. I think I just decided what’s for dinner tonight!

Your favorite singer/group is?

RUSH. When I grow up, I want to be just like Geddy Lee.

Your favorite color is?

Depends on the day. Today, it’s green. Funny, it was green on Thursday, too.

 

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Ash Krafton is a speculative fiction author from northeastern Pennsylvania. Krafton’s first novel, Bleeding Hearts was published in 2012 as part of a three-book urban fantasy series The Books of the Demimonde (Pink Narcissus Press).

An urban fantasy novella, Strangers at the Hell Gate, was published by Wild Rose Press in 2013. Her latest project, Words That Bind, won first place in the HeRA RWA “Show Me the Spark” 2013 competition; it is also available through Wild Rose Press as an October 2014 release.

Krafton also writes New Adult speculative fiction novels under the pen name AJ Krafton. Upcoming titles include The Heartbeat Thief, Face of the Enemy, and the award-winning Takin’ It Back. She is part of a YA/NA collective known as the Infinite Ink Authors.

In addition to novel-length fiction, Krafton enjoys writing poetry and short prose, some of which earned distinctions in various writing competitions. One of her poems was also nominated for the Pushcart Prize. She’s a proud member of Pennwriters, Romance Writers of America, and Pikes Peak Writers. Krafton is also a staff blogger for the Query Tracker Blog.

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