Karen Swart's Blog, page 69
May 5, 2014
Cover Reveal: Three Little Lies by Melissa Wolff
Presented By:
Title: Three Little Lies Author: Melissa Wolff
Audience: Young Adult
Genre: Thriller
Formats: E-book and Paperback
Publisher: Melissa Wolff
Cover by: Jeanine Fourie
Editor: Emily Hendricks
Pages: 260 pages
ISNB: 978-1499159882
It is the summer of 2012. The sky is blue, the ocean is crisp, and six young women are missing, including Madison Porter.
At the disappearance of her best friend, Amber Swanson falls into a spiral of destruction. She smokes, drinks and gets caught stealing. He parents don't know what to do with her, so she is sent to live with her half-sister, Rebecca, in Virginia.
Ethan Hunter lives by the saying ‘blood is thicker than water’; even when his mother up and left him. At sixteen, he’s torn between holding on to the only family he has left and forging his own path for the future. He secretly plans his escape from his small, southern town.
The two lives collide and, as Amber puts the pieces of her best friend’s disappearance together, she and Ethan are thrown into a whirlwind of secrets, deceit, and murder.
Goodreads
“Paige!” My eyes snapped open and I looked around wildly. Cold sweat beaded my forehead and my hands were shaking. My wooden leg wasn't next to me but my sister and Derek were. Derek held crutches and handed them to me as our eyes met. “Thanks,” I muttered, forgetting for a moment that I didn’t like him. “Why are you screaming at me?”
“Because you were screaming yourself,” Elyssa said. “You must have fallen asleep and you started crying out.” I sat up straighter. Not this again I thought. The doctor said the pills would take care of it.
“How bad?” I asked. “What did I say?”
“I couldn't understand you,” Elyssa admitted. “But it sounded pretty bad. Is everything okay?”
“It's fine,” I said sharply. There was no way that I was going to tell Elyssa about the dream. “I'm fine.”
“There's no reason to be so angry Paige,” Derek said. “Your sister is just trying to help.”
“I said I'm fine,” I snapped. “She's not trying to help as much as trying to get on our father's good side. She was always the goodie two shoes...daddy's little princess. If her perfect reputation wasn’t at stake, she wouldn’t give a damn about me.”
Melissa Wolff was born and raised on Long Island. This is her second self-published young adult novel. She is also a writer for LIB Magazine and has been featured on Patch.com as well as the Post Pioneer. 
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Book blast & Giveaway: Snowed In by @AndieDevaux
SNOWED IN
Genre: New Adult Contemporary Erotic Romance
Print Length: 28 pages
ASIN: B00J0NME70
Carrie Drummond is excited to spend a fun, relaxing weekend at a mountain cabin with her friends--a last hurrah before they all graduate college in a few months. But when the power goes out and the only other person to make it through the snowstorm is the one man in the world she hates, she thinks the weekend is ruined.
But her so-called enemy has other plans.
Bryan Grant always ends up with his foot in his mouth around Carrie, and he's determined not to let their night alone go to waste. But will the uptight, lawyer-in-training be able to convince the paint-stained artist to give him a shot?
Snowed In is a contemporary erotic romance novelette. It is not intended for younger readers due to mature content.
Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00J0NME70
All Romance: https://www.allromanceebooks.com/product-snowedin-1450385-149.html
Smashwords: https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/419167
iTunes: https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/id840642478
Barnes & Noble: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/snowed-in-andie-devaux/1118924600?ean=2940045767538
Kobo: http://store.kobobooks.com/en-US/ebook/snowed-in-24
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/21519932-snowed-in?from_search=true
“What plan? What are you talking about?” she managed, after another drink of wine to clear her throat.
“Don’t tell me you haven’t noticed. All the time the four of us have been spending together the last few months. And now the weekend away to the romantic cabin.”
“They’re trying to set us up.” It all suddenly made sense, and she burned with embarrassment that she hadn’t picked up on it already, like Bryan had.
“Yep,” he said, but to his credit he didn’t add that she was slow for not realizing sooner.
“But that’s ridiculous.”
“Is it?” he asked, but she could hear the smile in his voice.
“We’re like oil and water. If oil and water annoyed the crap out of each other in addition to not mixing well.” She drank down the rest of her wine and set the glass on the coffee table between them. “Sorry, but come on.”
“Don’t worry, the feeling is mutual.”
Something inside of her twinged at his words. It wasn’t that she expected Bryan to like her—they annoyed each other far too much for that—but her pride didn’t care to have it spoken aloud. And he was a very attractive man, well-built with a chiseled jaw and the sharp features of an old movie star. If he’d keep his mouth shut for five minutes he’d make good eye candy.
And if she was totally honest, she’d thought about him far too often. Not about being with him in any real way, but there was something about the cruel set to his mouth, the way his eyes watched her sometimes, that made her wonder what it would be like with him. Different, she was sure, than it had been with the other men—boys, really—that she’d dated in school.
“That’s not to say I haven’t fantasized about you.”
Her throat went dry when he voiced her thoughts as if he’d plucked them right out of her skull, and she wished she hadn’t drank all of her wine. She swallowed hard, but her voice still came out weak, hesitant.
“You have?”
“Oh yes.” His glass chinked as he set it on the coffee table. And even in the darkness she could feel his eyes on her. Watching. Waiting for her reaction.
Images ran through her mind. Bryan’s cruel grin replaced a look of ecstasy when she touched him. His body covering hers while he thrust into her heat. Bryan’s eyes, locking on hers as he whispered pretty words…or dirty ones.
It was a terrible idea to delve into any fantasies he’d had that she happened to star in. Terrible. But she couldn’t seem to stop herself.
“What have you fantasized about?”
“Do you really want to know?” His voice deepened, and she squirmed in her seat.
“Yes.”
“I’ve thought about how it would feel to have your wet lips wrapped around my dick while I fuck that smart mouth of yours.”
She gasped, but he didn’t pause for her reaction.
Andie writes sexy erotic romance and erotica stories that push boundaries. When she’s not writing (or reading!), she can usually be found daydreaming or attempting a new recipe. She thinks that life should require happily ever afters. And since she doesn’t make the rules of life, she instead applies this philosophy to the worlds she can control–the ones in her books.
Website: http://andiedevaux.com/
Newsletter: http://eepurl.com/MkT1X
Twitter: https://twitter.com/AndieDevaux
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Author-Andie-Devaux/1388274041440575
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/andie_devaux
May 4, 2014
Book Blast & Giveaway: Conflicted by MM Koenig
Event Organized by ❤MaE Book Tours & Promo Stars Services❤
Synopsis
Mia Ryan was on the path to make all her dreams come true. Her life was everything she wanted it to be; until one fateful night changed everything – leaving her broken and without direction. Nearly a year later, she still has little faith in anyone or anything. Desperate to reclaim her life’s ambition, she takes an unexpected offer that promises to solve all her problems. But as Mia moves forward, she’s faced with obstacles she couldn’t have foreseen. The biggest of them lies within the mystery of Ethan Fitzgerald; a man who affects her like no other, but who she should avoid pursuing, at all costs.
On a mission himself, Ethan Fitzgerald didn’t care who he pissed off on his road to fulfill his mother’s dying wish. He relied on himself, and was closed off to the world around him – until Mia Ryan walked through his door. Normally one to avoid messy emotions, Ethan’s world is turned upside down by Mia, and he can’t seem to get enough of her.
There are lines you can cross that will change the course of your life forever …
Genre Romance/ New Age
Publication Date December 19th 2013
__________________________________________________________________
Excerpt
“What the hell are you doing here? Are you stalking me now?” I snapped.
I attempted to remove his hand, but the effort behind it was marginal. Everything within me relished his hands all over me. My knees became weak with the heavy want coursing between my legs. My upper body constricted with my wayward needs. Ethan tightened his grip as he whirled me around so that my back was on his front. The music shifted to a slow, deliberate song that was fitting for my predicament. I cursed Usher underneath my breath for coming out with this song. Ethan had buried me into his body. It was impossible not to notice his hardness. He ran his hands down the front of my thighs until he hit bare skin.
“It's hard to stalk someone when they're in the club that you own,” he shot back.
“You own this place?” I stammered.
“I have a vested interest, so I come in on occasion. You can imagine my surprise when I discovered you were here,” he remarked.
My concentration was dwindling with every stroke he made upon my body. Ethan continued running his hands up and down my thighs, causing my heart to beat out of my chest. I bit my lip to keep from moaning from the pleasure when his fingers lingered towards the inside. My hands took on a mind of their own as they slid down his waist and thighs. His breaths trickled across my neck. It heightened the erotic dance south of me. I was in the danger zone with him. I fought to find my rational side to avoid undressing for him right then and there. My mind grasped at the few functioning brain cells to keep him talking. It was my last line of defense to keep him from kissing me.
“Why are you so upset?”
“I'm angry because you keep denying me when it's clear you want me. To top it off, you come to my club and dance with countless men right in front of me,” Ethan growled.
He ran his nose down my neck before licking away a bead of sweat. I gasped. The hand that he had moved to my waist slipped underneath my top. He caressed my belly before running his fingers further down, making every ounce of me come to a dull ache. Against my will, my body moved in ways to encourage him to travel further south to take full advantage of me. Ethan's hands settled along my waistline, lazily trailing his fingers along it. My mind screamed one last time that this was not an option for me. In a last-ditch attempt, I paused his hands so he wouldn't go any further. Ethan whipped me around to face him. The passion in his eyes was unmistakable.
“I'm trying to do the right thing,” I moaned.
His hands drifted underneath my shirt and up my sides on their way north this time. As he progressed along my rib cage to the lower line of my bra, he moved us off the dance floor. Ethan pushed me up against a pillar at the far end of it. He brought his body right into mine. He tossed in an occasional thrust of the hips as he pinned me, just to remind me how very well he knew my body. Ethan cupped my breast with tender strokes of his hand before pressing his lips on a spot underneath my ear lobe. It was enough to melt every part of me. I was throbbing all over for him.
“You want me. I want you. I don't care what's right or wrong,” Ethan hissed.
I tilted my neck as he trailed deep kisses down my collarbone and exposed shoulder. I wanted him so much that it was close to making me burst. I moaned even louder when his teeth grazed the crook of my shoulder. He sucked along my neck with eagerness, making no effort to hold back his want for me. I slanted my head to bring my lips vigorously down on his. My tongue drifted across the top of his mouth before his tongue met mine where they danced to the beat with the music around us. My hands moved down to his hips as he pumped against me. I slid them even further down to his ass. Ethan responded by grinding harder and grabbing one of my legs to raise it around his hip.
Our bodies melded together in an erotic dance as our mouths devoured each other. I lost myself in the music, in his lips, in his body, in his hands, and in the desires he brought out in me. His hands ran up and down my body while his lips and hips brought me to the point of no return.
__________________________________________________________________
About the Author
M. M. Koenig was born and raised in Minnesota. She now lives in the Twin Cities area with her loving dog Marley. She is a graduate of the University of Minnesota with a Bachelors of Science in Sociology.
She pays the bills as a customer service representative at a major title insurance company, but writing is her true calling. She is still searching for that special someone, but isn’t worried about finding him. He’s out there somewhere. In the meantime, she finds Mr. Right in her own writing along with a variety of other authors that have inspired her.
She has written in one form or another throughout the course of her life. She began the Secrets and Lies Series in January of 2013. The first book of the series, Conflicted, is now available for purchase at Amazon and Smashwords. She is currently working on the second book of the series, Complicated, which will be available for purchase by the spring of 2014.
M. M. Koenig enjoys being active and has a variety of interests that coincide with her passion for life. Always one to try new things, she has acquired a variety of skills. Her sarcastic nature and multitude of experiences tend to find their way into her novels.
When she has free time and isn’t writing, she spends as much time as she can with friends and family. To fuel her soul, she is constantly looking for new music, movies, and books to keep the writer’s block at bay.
Connect with M.M. Koenig!
Website | Goodreads | Facebook | Twitter
May 2, 2014
Book Blast, Giveaway & Interview: Reconquest: Mother Earth by @authorcarlalves
Reconquest: Mother Earth
Carl Alves
Genre: Science Fiction
Publisher: Montag Press
Date of Publication: March 26, 2014
ISBN: 978-1-940233-02-4
ASIN: B00IKYE5WM
Number of pages: 304
Word Count: 75,000
Cover Artist: Jeremy Rathbone
Book Description:
SEAL Mitch Grace was among the first humans to see the aliens when they landed at the naval base where he was stationed, but like the rest of humanity, he was powerless to stop them.
Five years later, Mitch awakens from his coma under the care of an alien physician to find that aliens control the planet. Starting alone, as a one man army, he rallies the surviving humans to build a resistance movement to take the planet back from the alien conquerors. After his capture by the aliens, Mitch is forced into intergalactic slavery to become a gladiator, fighting as the sole representative of the human species. Against all odds and far from home, he lays the plans for the reconquest of his homeland.
Reconquest: Mother Earth is the thrilling combination of Red Dawn, Independence Day, and Gladiator.
Did you always wanted to be a writer? If not what did you want to be?
When I was in high school I dabbled in writing but I dropped it when I got to college. Majoring in Biomedical Engineering, there wasn’t a whole lot of time for ancillary activities. After graduation, my wife thought it would be a good idea if I started writing again, and I realized that it was something that I missed. That was when I got serious about learning the craft and trying to get published.
When did you first consider yourself a “writer”?
It was probably the day that I got my first short story published. The story was called “Let Us Prey”. It was based on an urban legend, and it was published by Nevermore magazine. The story came out the same day my oldest son was born, which made it especially cool.
How long did it take to get your first book published?
My first novel published, Two For Eternity, wasn’t the first novel that I had written. It was actually my third novel. From the time I started writing again, until Two For Eternity was published was around ten years. It was a long, hard process, but one that has also been rewarding in many ways. The struggle made me appreciate it all that much more.
Do you do another job except for writing and can you tell us more about it?
For my day job, I’m a Quality Engineer at a medical device company. It’s probably not as exciting as it sounds, but my role is basically to make sure the product line that I am working with, which is a surgical lighting product, meets all the demands that the FDA requires.
What is the name of your latest book, and if you had to summarize it in less than 20 words what would you say?
Reconquest: Mother Earth is a mix of Independence Day, Red Dawn, and Gladiator. A Navy SEAL has to take the planet back from alien conquerors.
Who is your publisher? Or do you self-publish?
My publisher is Montag Press. Based out of California, they are made up of a young, intelligent, eager team who trying to put their foothold in the publishing world.
How long does it usually take you to write a book, from the original idea to finishing writing it?
I don’t write a single book continuously. I’m constantly bouncing from one book to the next to a short story and then back again. I would say in average it takes me three to four years.
What can we expect from you in the future? ie More books of the same genre? Books of a different genre?
I certainly don’t hold myself to a genre. My first novel, Two For Eternity, is an historical fantasy novel that takes place of 12,000 years. I followed that up with Blood Street, a paranormal thriller featuring vampires feuding with mobsters. My latest novel, Reconquest: Mother Earth, is a post-apocalyptic sci-fi thriller. I basically find concepts that really interest and excite me and I turn it into a story. I see myself doing more of that in the future, regardless of genre.
Do you have a favorite character from your books? And why are they your favorite?
In my novel Reconquest: Mother Earth my favourite character is Mitch Grace, the lead protagonist in the story. He’s a Navy SEAL who is knocked into a coma on the first day of the alien invasion and wakes up five years later to find that aliens have taken control of the planet, and is determined to take the planet back from the aliens. I’ve always had a deep admiration for members of our military, specifically the Navy SEALs. They are almost superhuman to me. What they are capable of doing is amazing. For me Mitch Grace is the embodiment of what is good about the United States. He is intelligent, fit, strong in both mind and body, and has an uncompromising will to survive and not accept defeat.
Do you have a certain routine you have for writing? ie You listen to music, sit in a certain chair?
I work full time. I have two small children who demand my attention. My wife also works a job with long hours, so I basically write whenever I have time. Even if it is just a few minutes here and a few minutes there. I have learned to absolutely maximize my time and make the most out of it. That’s why I find the concept of writer’s block laughable. I don’t have time for writer’s block.
Do you read all the reviews of your book/books?
Absolutely. I have been fortunate enough to have predominately very positive reviews for each of my novels. I have yet to experience the pain of gut wrenching overly negative review.
Do you choose a title first, or write the book then choose the title?
Titles are so tricky. Occassionally, I come up with a title early on in the process, but more often than not it comes later. In the case of Reconquest: Mother Earth, Brett Talley, who is a fantastic, up and coming horror writer, suggested the title.
How do you come up with characters names and place names in your books?
I have no set strategy. Sometimes the name comes to me and feels right for the character. Sometimes, I randomly come up with names by looking up character names and it feels right. Sometimes, I will go with a name because of the meaning behind it.
Are character names and place names decided after their creation? Or do you pick a character/place name and then invent them?
The naming of characters and places always comes first. I just think it would get to awkward to continue to refer to a character or a place by something generic like character X until I come up with the name.
Do you decide on character traits (ie shy, quiet, tomboy girl) before writing the whole book or as you go along?
Much like the plots in my stories, I have a rough idea of what the character is going to be like, but I let them evolve as the story matures. The main character is generally fleshed out more than the side characters, but I try not to be too rigid in my approach and give room for the characters to breathe and let the story dictate who they are.
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..")
Not consciously. Occasionally a moral will develop, but it’s not something I set out to do. I am more about the story than the moral.
Which format of book do you prefer, eBook, hardback, or paperback?
I still enjoy the print format, regardless of whether it is in hardback or paperback. I have a Nook and I enjoy reading on it, but it’s not quite the same as a book that you can hold in your hands and turn the pages of it.
What is your favorite book and Why? Have you read it more than once?
My favorite book is most definitely The Stand by Stephen King. The Stand is the best novel I've ever read. I tackled this post apocalyptic epic fantasy when I was thirteen. It had a profound effect on me then and made me want to write. There is so much going on in the novel, but if you want to boil it down to its fundamentals, it's ultimately about good vs. evil. The personification of evil, and the best written villain I've encountered this side of Hannibal Lecter is represented in Randall Flagg, who is kind of like the devil incarnate and the one who started this super flu.
Do you think books transfer to movies well? Which is you favorite/worst book to movie transfer?
Most certainly. In fact I think Hollywood screen writing has become so predictable and cliché. There are so many movies that I watch that make me groan. I can tell you everything that is going to happen before it happens. I think the best movies and television shows in recent years have started off as books. You look at The Silence of the Lambs, Harry Potter, Game of Thrones, True Blood, The Walking Dead, and many others, and they are clearly of higher quality.
Your favorite food is?
As far as an ethic food good goes, I love Thai food. You also can’t go wrong with a nice steak that’s cooked well.
Your favorite singer/group is?
I have a number, but if I had to narrow it down, I would say old school Motley Crue and Metallica.
Your favorite color is?
Red
Your favorite Author is?
Stephen King. Especially his early work, which is nothing short of brilliant.
Carl went to Boston University majoring in Biomedical Engineering. Carl graduated with a BS degree, and has since worked in the pharmaceutical and medical devices industries. He later graduated from Lehigh University with an MBA degree. His debut novel Two For Eternity was released in 2011 by Weaving Dreams Publishing. His novel Blood Street was released in 2012 by True Grit Publishing. His novel Reconquest: Mother Earth is scheduled to be released in 2014 by Montag Press. His short fiction has appeared in various publications such as Blood Reign Lit, Alien Skin, and Dark Eclipse. He is a member of the Horror Writers Association and has attended the Penn Writers Conference.
You can visit his website at www.carlalves.com
Guest Post, Giveaway & More: @NieceyRoy and her What’s Love??? Series
Presented by:
Title: Another Shot At Love
Series: What’s Love??? #1
Author : Niecey Roy
Genre: NA Romantic Comedy, Humorous Contemporary Romance
Audience: 17 +
Formats: E-book and Paperback
Publisher: River Mist Media
Cover By: Christina Leigh Designs
Pages: 362
ISBN-10: 0615908098
ISBN-13: 978-0615908090
ASIN: B00G2CNJF8
Date Published: October 21, 2013
Imogen Gorecki has a problem—her twin sister just got engaged, and guess who’s the best man? That’s right, her scum-of-an-ex-boyfriend whom she caught cheating with a bottle-blonde, with fake breasts and a stripper’s flexibility. There’s a disturbing possibility her eyes will never recover. Gen needs a date for the engagement party, but finding Mr. Perfect in a time crunch is proving impossible. Just when she’s about to give up, she face-plants into the crotch of the sexiest guy she’s ever met.
Matt Sesnick is everything Gen wants in a man —except he’s not interested in a relationship. Can she convince Matt to take another shot at love, or will Gen’s pregnant, hormonal older sister, her bridezilla twin, and all of her past Mr. Wrongs get in the way of their happily-ever-after?
Amazon / Goodreads /Smashwords / Barnes and Noble
"All the elements for a fun, sassy romance: a sexy hero and the unbreakable bond of sisterhood. Delightful!" ~Bestselling Author Kate Perry "Funny, sassy, sexy and brilliant book...Absolute Must Read!!!" ~Amy from Schmexy Girls Book Blog "Crazy sisters, best friends, a slimy ex, and a gorgeously sexy sweet man. Who wouldn't want Another Shot at Love?" ~Stacy Nickelson, It Started With A Book Blog
“You really should change that light bulb,” Matt said, glancing around us. “I know.” I pushed aside my wallet to dig to the bottom of my oversized purse. “I kind of take for granted that this is supposed to be a safe neighborhood.”
“Until an alien abducts you off your poorly lit porch.”
“Very funny.” I glanced up from my purse with a smile. “But really, it’s late. You could have been home by now.”
“Gen, I’m glad to walk you to your door. I would have worried about you if I hadn’t.”
I considered him as we stood there on my porch, the light flickering above us. I didn’t want him to leave, but I didn’t know how to ask him to stay. Maybe I could ask him in for a drink, though I’d already had enough.
But I have those cupcakes…
Yeah. I could offer him cupcakes. They weren’t his favorite, chocolate with sprinkles, but yellow cake with milk chocolate frosting had to be a close second, right? Hadn’t he said a cupcake will fix everything?
“I’m really glad we went out tonight.” His voice made me jump and I dropped the keys. We both bent to pick them up at the same time and bumped foreheads.
“Sorry,” he said.
“It’s okay, I’m fine.” I clasped my forehead and laughed. Probably, I sounded hysterical. Like a rabid hyena. I couldn’t even look him in the eye when I took the keys from him. “Thanks for inviting me. I had a lot of fun tonight.”
“Me too,” he said.
I put the key into the lock, turning it slowly as I struggled with what to do about him and my out of control libido. Unlocking my door hadn’t given me enough time to figure things out, though, so I tried to prolong sliding the patio door open. That didn’t take long either, and I hesitated in the doorway, still unsure. I opened my mouth to ask him in, but nothing came out. So I stepped backward through the doorway, my gaze glued to his. After a moment, he followed me inside, part of his face lost in shadows.
Time stood still. My tongue darted out to lick my lips, and I lifted up onto my toes as he lowered his head to meet me halfway. The smell of his cologne surrounded me and my eyes drifted shut. He grasped me loosely around my back, pulling me close, sending shivers coursing through my body. His breath caressed my skin, his lips just a whisper away from mine, and my lips parted…
Title: Done With Love
Series: What’s Love??? #2
Author : Niecey Roy
Genre: NA Romantic Comedy, Humorous Contemporary Romance
Audience: 17 +
Formats: E-book and Paperback
Publisher: River Mist Media
Cover By: Christina Leigh Designs
Date Published: 28 April,2014
Once upon a time… Bridal boutique owner, Alexis Gorecki, used to believe in happily-ever-afters—until prince charming turned into a toad.
Months after being blindsided by her own horrific wedding scandal, Lexie is desperately trying to keep her boutique afloat in the wake of all the bad publicity. Waging war against her evil almost-in-laws—the people who will stop at nothing to ruin her reputation—sounded much better in her head. Lexie's strawberries and cream personality really isn’t cut out for taser guns and blackmail.
To complicate matters, Lexie's first love is back in town with his sexy green eyes and out-of-control abs. He already broke her heart once before, the beast. Leo Moss has always been her weakness and he's made it perfectly clear what he wants. Can he convince Lexie she's not done with love just yet?
Goodreads
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Amazon
“Damn it, Lex, you keep pushing me away and it’s pissing me off.” He ran his hands through his hair. “I’m not going to fight over you with some guy who’s already gone.” “Me pushing you away has nothing to do with Jeremy,” I said and crossed my arms. What I didn’t say was that it had everything to do with Leo, with our past, with me not wanting to get my heart broken again. Why couldn’t he understand that? Why couldn’t he read my mind and know all the questions I had about why he’d broken up with me the way he had, and why he was suddenly here, again, in my life, torturing me with feelings I didn’t want to have. Feelings that scared the hell out of me?
His face lowered, and suddenly his lips were near my ear lobe. I sucked in a breath. “Did he make you feel like this?” he whispered, and then his lips pressed softly against the sensitive skin of my neck. “Or this?” His lips captured my earlobe, a flicker of wet heat, and then it was gone, replaced by a draft of cold air seeping through the crack under the door. “Or this.”
His lips captured mine and stars exploded behind my closed eyes. Everything was warm, my entire body weightless and fuzzy. The kiss was slow; the heat of it felt all the way down to my toes. His tongue slid against mine in a silken kiss of passion that erupted inside of me.
Kate Voegele - Gravity Happens album Miranda Lambert - Four the Record album Taylor Swift radio ~ Pandora
You Can’t Break A Broken Heart ~ Kate Voegele Kindly Unspoken - Kate Voegele Ready to Run - Dixie Chicks You Lie - The Band Perry (running out of church) Before We Ever Heard Goodbye - Deanna Carter Look at Miss Ohio - Miranda Lambert (beach) Sweet Silver Lining - Kate Voegele (beach scene maybe?) Are You Gonna Kiss Me Or Not - Thompson Square (leaving her at the villa door) Beautiful Disaster - Jon McLaughlin Collide - Howie Day Fine Tune - Miranda Lambert I Won’t Disagree - Kate Voegele Broken ~ Lifehouse Far More - The Honorary Title Inside Out - Kate Voegele Stolen - Dashboard Confessional
Sixteen Candles
One of my favorite Romantic Comedy movies!!!
I love romantic comedy. Movies, books, you name it, this girl wants to read it, to watch it, to lose myself in all it’s silliness, the butterflies in the tummy, breathless first kisses, the laughter, the drama—I love, love, love it. I suppose you can see why I choose to write humorous contemporary romance . I just can’t get enough of it!
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0088128/
One of my favorite romantic comedies is 16 Candles. I remember when I was a kid I wanted to be just like Samantha when I grew up. Ha! I was also going to score me a totally hot boyfriend who looked just like Jake-y. My high school days would be filled with romance and drama and I was going to end up sitting Indian-style on a glass coffee table across from my Jake-y on my 16th birthday. There was no other way life could possibly turn out. Nope.
Of course, my life didn't quite play out that way. Not only did my hair not turn red, but I didn’t get freckles, either. And, since I have dark black hair and naturally tan skin (I’m half Filipino, half Polish, what-a mix!) I’ll never be able to color my hair red. I would look ridiculous as a redhead. However, I did fall in love with a dark haired hunk who I met in high school. Unfortunately, he was kinda already taken so I spent most of my high school years daydreaming about him. So no, I didn’t end up Indian-style on a glass coffee table with him on my 16th birthday, but been lucky enough to spend every birthday since my 22nd birthday with him. I'd say that’s pretty good :)
Though I can't ever be and won't ever be a redhead, in my romantic comedy, Fender Bender Blues , the female protagonist, Rach, is a sassy REDHEAD who doesn't drive so well :)
So I'm curious, were you as obsessed with 16 Candles as I was? Did you swear to your best friends, your journal, to your reflection in the mirror that your first romance would be just like in the movie? And if 16 Candles isn’t your favorite romantic comedy flick, what is?
Thanks for having me today! 
1 x $5 Amazon/ Itunes Gift Card
1 x E-Copy of Another Shot At Love by Niecey Roy
1 x E-Copy of Fender Bender Blues by Niecey Roy
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Niecey Roy knew she wanted to be a writer from a very young age, but her moment of enlightenment came after watching the movie You’ve Got Mail. It was then she realized her place in life, and happily parked her butt on writing romance. Her dream was to create sexy vixens, hunky, half-naked heroes, and above all, romance; lots and lots of butterflies in the belly, breathless first kisses and happily-ever-afters.
Most days she can be found at home at a cluttered desk, pounding her tired little fingers away on a keyboard with nothing but black pepper flavored sunflower seeds and Visine as her weapons for mass-romance-novel-creation. When her fingers need a break, you’ll find her at a table with friends, drinking a few martinis and showing off a new pair of (sometimes ridiculous) high heels. She’s usually the loudest at the table and most often the one snorting with laughter.
Niecey is the author of Fender Bender Blues, a contemporary romantic comedy published by The Wild Rose Press. Her new romantic comedy series, What’s Love??? includes Another Shot At Love, and Done With Love releasing April 2014.
Email / Website /Blog /Goodreads / Facebook / Twitter / Tumblr 
Books by Niecey 
Fender Bender Blues http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00B5L71YQ/ref=as_li_qf_sp_asin_il_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=B00B5L71YQ&linkCode=as2&tag=nieroy-20
Tour Schedule - Niecey Roy and her What’s Love??? Series Blog Tour from May 1 to May 10, 2014 May 1 Book Freak - Guest Post http://reviewsofabookmaniac.blogspot.com Ramblings of a Book Lunatic - Top Ten http://booklunaticramblings.blogspot.com Nerd Girl - Top Ten http://nerdgirlofficial.com/ May 2 Author Karen Swart - Guest Post http://authorkarenswart.blogspot.com May 3 Read That - Author Interview http://www.sookie72.wordpress.com Have Book Will Read - Guest Post http://havebookwillread.com May 4 Eclipse Reviews - Guest Post and Author Interview. http://totaleclipsereviews.blogspot.com May 5 Kim's Book Blog - Guest Post/ Top Ten http://mom5taz.wodpress.com Bookoholic Anom - Guest Post http://www.bookoholicanom.com Pretty Little Pages - Top Ten http://prettylittlepages.blogspot.com May 6 The Phantom Paragrapher - Guest Post www.thephantomparagrapher.blogspot.com Carver's Book Cravings - Guest Post http://carversbookcravings.blogspot.com/ May 7 Vampy And Racey - Top Ten http://vampyandracey.com May 8 Darkest Cravings - Author Interview http://darkestcravings.blogspot.com May 9 Broadway Girl Book Reviews - Top ten http://broadwaygirlbookreviews.blogspot.com May 10 Becca Anne's Book Reviews - Top Ten http://beccaannesbookreviews.blogspot.com Clarissa Wild's Blog - Top Ten http://clarissawild.blogspot.com
May 1, 2014
New Release!! A Warlock’s Dance A Cursed Princes Novella by @marinaauthor
![A Warlock's Dance Banner - RDB 450 x 169_thumb[1]](http://lh5.ggpht.com/-R-cjQO3jU5U/U2ACk_BpHhI/AAAAAAAAH70/V2F06vwms-g/s1600-h/A-Warlocks-Dance-Banner---RDB-450-x-%25255B2%25255D.png)
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A Warlock’s Dance
A Cursed Princes Novella
Marina Myles
Genre: Historical/Paranormal Romance
Publisher: Kensington
Date of Publication: May 1, 2014
ISBN: 9781601832856
ASIN: B00GYLVWA6
Word Count: 17,000
Book Description:
Encore, Please
Giselle Swenov is a radiant opera star whose beauty is second only to her voice. That is, until a jealous enchantress strips away her talent and looks, transforms her into a mute and haggard old woman, and forces her to leave the man of her dreams at the altar on their wedding day. Now there’s only one person able to reverse the spell: Giselle’s warlock ex-fiancé, Lucian Ivanu.
But three years have passed, and the ever-dashing Lucian seems to have moved on―he’s inherited a vast fortune, forsaken his scandalous powers, and is even set to marry again. Will he recognize his former flame when she shows up at his engagement party and begs for help? Can she recover the powerful magic ring needed to break the curse before it’s too late? Giselle’s plight has a darker twist as she discovers just how far the enchantress’s grasp reaches…
PROLOGUE
Giselle Swenov adjusted her bridal veil with a smile. At the thought of marrying the most wonderful man in the world, her heart beat melodiously—and as Bucharest’s leading operatic protégé, she nearly belted out a glass-shattering note, too.
Restraining herself, she cracked open the dressing room door and stare into the chapel. She knew her family members wouldn’t be in attendance, but she scoured the pews for them anyway. From day one, her mother and father had disapproved of her groom. What was they’d said? “Are you mad, Giselle? Lucian Ivanu is socially inferior—and his connection to the Dark Arts means he isn’t right for you.”
Giselle’s pulse leapt as she glimpsed Lucian at the altar. Ironically, he looked nothing like a warlock. With flowing white-blond hair, gray eyes that reminded her of storm clouds over the Black Sea, and a knee-buckling grin, he resembled a prince ready to sweep her off her feet.
Although Giselle wanted to stare at him all day, she shut the door before he saw her in her bridal gown. She refused to let bad luck seep into their wedding ceremony.
“You look beautiful, my dear,” Ileana Zǎpǎda, Bucharest National Opera’s premier patron, called out behind her.
“Thank you Doamna Zǎpǎda,” she replied anxiously. At least Ileana was here to help, unlike her mother.
“Come,” the elegant woman urged. “Take a final look at yourself as an unmarried woman.”
Giselle swiveled around to survey her appearance in the mirror. Cascading golden-brown curls framed her carefully made-up face and a sense of optimism lit her eyes. She had become the bride she’d envisioned as a girl and she could hardly contain her excitement.
“You look a stunning.” Ileana Zǎpǎda stepped in beside her and met her gaze in the mirror. “But
you are a little pale.”
“Nerves, I suppose.” Letting out a self-conscious laugh, Giselle studied Doamna Zǎpǎda. Her refinement spoke of the lofty social standing Giselle’s family wished she would reach. She winced.
“Sit with me and have some tea,” the socialite proposed. “Tea studied my nerves before I married my second husband.”
Giselle swept her train off the floor and settled into a chair at a small table. While she laid her bridal bouquet in her lap, Ileana poured two steaming cups.
“Why are you being so nice to me, Doamna Zǎpǎda?” Giselle asked as she accepted the tea cup.
The woman sighed. “It broke my heart to learn that your parents disowned you. Word spreads quickly through the opera house—and because I’m a mother hen to all my celebrated singers, I knew you’d need some moral support on your wedding day.”
“You must be a loving mother to your own children,” Giselle said gently.
Ileana’s expression turned icy. “I never had children of my own. I have a stepdaughter, but we aren’t particularly close.”
“Well, I sincerely appreciate your help.” Giselle smiled. “Clasping the buttons on the back of my dress would have been impossible on my own.”
As she sipped her tea, her entire body warmed instantly and she began to perspire. I must be more nervous than I thought…
Ileana went on. “I greatly admire your vocal talent, Giselle. I also admire your extraordinary beauty. Unfortunately, I’m about to sabotage both of those exceptional attributes.”
Alarm pierced through Giselle. She tried to protest but before she could speak a word, her throat burned as if she’d ingested hot coals. She clawed at it while Ileana studied her the way a snake zeroes in on its prey. Giselle tried to extend her hand, but her limbs prickled with pain. In an instant, her skin shriveled dramatically and her knuckles became hideously gnarled.
“Poor, unknowing girl.” Ileana stood over her. “I’m an enchantress of the Dark Arts and I slipped
an accursed potion into the tea pot when you weren’t looking.”
Giselle opened her mouth to scream, but no sound escaped her lips. With great effort, she crawled to the mirror like an invalid and stared at her reflection. My God! I’m a mute, old woman!
Heart stuttering, she managed to pull herself to her feet. She flung open the door and entered the chapel. All heads jerked in her direction. When she locked eyes with Lucian, he stared at her in astonishment yet without an ounce of recognition.
All hope evaporated from her body as he thundered, “Is that woman wearing my bride’s dress? Somebody find Giselle!”
“The hag must be playing a cruel joke!” a guest accused.
“Escort her outside,” Lucian roared to an usher.
A burly man took Giselle by the arm and dragged her out the front door. Once he disappeared back into the church, another strong arm grabbed her unexpectedly and thrust her inside an awaiting carriage.
Giselle quaked with terror as she stared at the enormous man hovering over her.
“I work for Ileana.” He grunted. “She commands that you become her servant woman—until she grows tired of you and decides to turn you back into your normal self.”
Giselle made another futile attempt to cry out.
The henchman crossed his arms and shook his head. “You won’t be talking, singing, or screaming for a very long time, Miss Swenov. That should make for a quiet ride to Dantel House.”
Although Marina Myles lives under the sunny skies of Arizona, she would reside in a historic manor house in foggy England if she had her way. Her love of books began as soon as she read her first fairy tale, and grew by leaps and bounds when she discovered Nancy Drew/Agatha Christie mysteries and rich, historical romances.
Dreaming of becoming a published author, she wrote her first ‘gothic’ story at age eleven. She went on to study creative writing at Southern Methodist University— where she received degrees in Communications and English Literature. During her time in Dallas, she had the unique experience of being a Dallas Cowboys Cheerleader.
Now with her loyal Maltese close by, she relishes the hours she gets to escape into worlds filled with tortured heroes, strong heroines, and their fiery—but not easily attained—love affairs. She’s busy being a wife (to her Italian-born husband) and a mother (to her two beautiful daughters), but she is never too busy to hear from her amazing readers.
Represented by Louise Fury of The Bent Agency
http://www.marinamyles.blogspot.com/
www.facebook.com/marinamylesauthor
New Release!! The Exchange Part 1 by @nyddi
Event Organized by ❤MaE Book Tours & Promo Stars Services❤
Only $0.99
Synopsis Project Sapphire: The World’s first AI. A top-secret project exposed to a select group of scientists. Lei Heaton, a man desperate to save his daughter, is at the top of the bionics empire. He not only hired the team to repair his daughter’s damaged body, he plans to reanimate her dead mind using the Sapphire AI.
A dangerous man—a killer that is no regular human…
Maxwell Landon—codename: Deimos—is the Adelphi Organization’s top agent. His M.O is simple: Never fail. He's used to annihilating anyone that gets in his way. But this time, he's being called to protect and deliver. Deimos is aware that this mission won't be like any other. Then he lays eyes on the resurrected Ms. Heaton, and instantly he knows: That is not Magdalena Heaton. And he will never be the same again.
Control, his most prized possession, is ripped from him with a single glance...
The violent attraction he feels for the girl complicates matters immediately. But what Deimos doesn't know is that things are about to get much worse. Sapphire isn't just a completely different person than the dead Ms. Heaton—she's the AI miracle of the century. An advancement that many would kill to own. Including himself, no matter how hard he fights against it.
A girl determined to protect her creator. A man determined to protect her...
Despite the fact that she is not Magdalena, Sapphire is bent on taking her place as Mr. Heaton's daughter in order to keep her creator safe. Deimos knows that he has to honor her wish. But the thing inside him is demanding more. More than a touch. A lot more than a taste. It responds to everything about her...every stuttered breath that lets him know she wants him as much as he wants her. How does he walk away when he knows that no matter how far he is from her, she’ll always be in danger and he'll always hunger for her? Genre Erotica/ Sci Fi
Publication Date May 1st 2014
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Excerpt #1
As well-known as the plant is, it’s only known for its processing of MSW. The perfect cover. No one suspects that a lab is situated three levels below ground. Or that a body was brought back to life with a computer program down there. It bothers me. It's rare that anything bothers me when it comes to a mission. Or life in general. But this one is pricking at me. Curiosity rides me. Gage leans into the car to speak to his team right as one of the back doors of the facility opens. Several Japanese men and women in lab coats exit first. They stop, forming a semi-circle around the entrance and talking amongst themselves. Another black haired man in a lab coat, one that is not Japanese, exits last. I know who he is based on his file. That is Dr. Gordon Allen, the creator of the Sapphire AI. Brilliant, thirty-four years old, and almost no one knows that he’s recently defied God. Whatever the hell it is. He turns back to the door. For a few seconds, all I see is his back. Then, he shifts, enough for me to catch a glimpse of the smaller figure exiting the facility. My feet start moving the moment I do. The fuck if I know why. I’m supposed to wait by the vehicles along with the rest of my team until they lead the “cargo” to us. Gage calls out my name in a low tone. He’s clearly as surprised as I fucking am. I don’t do impulsive moves. Don’t do total loss of body control. I’m doing both right now. My feet eat up the distance in a matter of seconds. The Japanese doctors tense as I storm closer, but none of them try to stop me. For some damn reason, the only thing that matters at the moment is getting close enough to truly see the resurrected Ms. Heaton. I am man on a fucking mission. “When did you do this?” Dr. Allen asks her in a hushed, strained tone. He’s pointing at her long, dark brown hair. The ends were dyed a deep, navy blue. “How did you get the dye?” “I asked for it.” Her voice hits me. God, does it hit me. And I’m sure my reaction is due to the fact that I am ninety-nine percent sure who is talking, and my mind is too fixated on the oddness, the novelty of the situation. I stop right behind Dr. Allen. There’s a pounding rush of adrenaline coursing through me as my pulse fills my ears. “This… this…” Dr. Allen pauses in his stuttering, the movement of his head telling me he’s looking up and down at her. “You should have worn the other outfit.” “I… liked this one better,” she says in a small voice that mounts me, takes over, and reawakens a series of emotions that spring to life like rusty gears. I am not an unfeeling man. Not completely. Fuck no. But the emotions going through me make me feel like I’ve been in an emotional coma the majority of my life. She’s wearing a black button-down sweater, a navy blue school-girl skirt, black-and-white striped knee-highs, and light-brown commando boots that start right below her knee. She’s hugging a messenger bag to her chest, one with a pink-teddy bear on the front and the phrases Reality is a Prison and Sucker Punch beneath it. “This is all too different.” She doesn’t respond to Dr. Allen’s worried statement—she’s staring into my eyes. Looking right at me. That rush—that god damn rush hits me again, and I’m almost dizzy. Years of training are the only thing keeping me somewhat steady.Those big, duo-colored, gold-tinted eyes are wide, curious, and they’ve stolen every bit of processing power within my mind. Her pale skin turns pink and her lips fall open with a shuddering inhale. I can’t blink. I don’t move. Am I even fucking breathing?__________________________________________________________________
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About the Author
Connect with N. Isabelle Blanco!
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April 30, 2014
Malfunction Erotica is Now Open for Submissions!
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As a marketing platform, we offer any authors that are part of our team full support when it comes to marketing and growing their brand.
Below is a list of all the benefits authors working with us receive:
50% discount on all tour packages (cover reveals, release day blitz, promo, tours, etc.) through MaE Book Tours and Promo Stars Services. Cover Designs starting at $25.00 (prices based on the author's vision of their cover and difficulty of putting it together.) To view our cover portfolio click here. Discounted Editing services through MaE, Write Divas, and Promo Stars Services.*As a self-publish author, you are not obligated to use all of the services mentioned above. You are more than welcome to use your own editing team or have your cover designed elsewhere, if you wish.
Interested? Check out the link to our Submissions page below the giveaway :D {MaE Open for Submissions Giveaway}This is our largest giveaway yet and we have to take the time to thank everyone that signed up to be a part of it. Please make sure you take the time to stop by each author's/blogger's page and show them some love ^_~
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❤Join the MaE Team❤Book Blast, Interview & Giveaway: Make Me Wet by @nara_malone
Make Me Wet Passions Portal
Book 2
Nara Malone
Genre: Paranormal
Publisher: Ellora’s Cave
ISBN: 9781419948081
ASIN: B00GGMWAGI
Number of pages: 77
Word Count: 23,500
Cover Artist: Syneca
Ellora’s Cave ARe Amazon BN
Book Description:
Seven tears cast upon the water summon the selkie, summon seal across the ocean, summon man from beast—liquid keys to break the curse. Freed one night every seven years, Ronin is doomed to repeat that cycle into eternity. Unless he can find a woman powerful enough to resist a selkie’s irresistible pheromones and sex magick.
Maille believes she lost reality between Maine and New Mexico. Between where she is now and where she should be. She believes in facts, not magick. But facts can’t explain how she wound up naked on a beach with the sexiest man she’s ever laid eyes on. Or how she knows in her bones that losing herself in the passion Ronin offers is a path to disaster.
It’s going to be a long, hot, wet night. Caught between sex magick and a sexy selkie, disaster is inevitable for Maille. To break the enchantment she has to rely on the oldest magick of all—the power of love-drenched hearts.
Book Trailer: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yO2moGX-IhU
Copyright © NARA MALONE, 2013
All Rights Reserved, Ellora's Cave Publishing, Inc.
A piercing cry rose above the thunder of surf. Human? A seal could sound so human it was hard to tell the difference. Whichever, Maille recognized it as a wail of mortal distress. She couldn’t say how she understood that, no more than she could say how she wound up on the beach. One fact she was certain of—she couldn’t ignore it.
Without thought for consequences she plunged into the surf, diving under swells, power-stroking through roiling water.
Once past the breakers Maille paused, treading water as she turned in circles, searching in the inky swells for the curve of a human head. Impossible with the waves breaking moonlight into sequined facets and the rise and fall of swells tall as houses. She’d never find him. She needed him to cry out once more.
“Come on. Give me a hint.”
An irregular shape, not seal-like or wavelike, caught her attention. As she paddled closer, she made out a man waving, heard his hoarse cry before his head disappeared below a wave. He resurfaced choking.
She dove under the water, swimming straight for where she’d seen him last. She resurfaced as he went under again, but she was close enough now to reach his long hair, swirling like dark kelp in the water. She grabbed a handful.
It was surprisingly easy to pull him along, as if he had managed to overcome his instinctive terror and submit to her rescue. He might not have been so submissive had he realized, as she did now, that they weren’t making progress.
Riptide. Crap.
Maille fought down a sudden kick of panic in her chest, struggling to swim parallel to the shore, caught by swells that tossed them dangerously close to jagged rocks. She had to concentrate her energy on swimming north until they were beyond the rip where she was free to swim shoreward.
When her feet finally found ground, a wave slammed her, flinging them both onto the sand. Depositing them in a tangle of limbs. Maille on top.
A small wave washed over them, and the sensation was that of a liquid blanket settling around her shoulders and then melting away. Panting, draped over his body, Maille was too spent to lift her head from a pillow of seaweed.
Another wave swept up, warm liquid fingers caressing her thighs.
She needed to move him higher up the beach, away from the rising tide, see to his needs. With a groan she pushed up to hands and knees, still straddling his body.
Damn! She’d hauled in one hell of a wet dream. Jet-black hair fanned out on the sand. His body lean, long and lusciously muscled. She started to lick her lips, caught herself, and forced her tongue back in her mouth. She was supposed to be saving his life, not jumping his bones.
Something was wrong. That realization drowned attraction in a wave of adrenaline.
His chest didn’t seem to be moving. Her breath caught and her heartbeat kicked up to double time. Maille thought there’d been a slight rise and fall of his chest beneath her breasts when they’d first washed ashore. His lips looked blue. But when she put her ear to his chest, the beat of his heart was strong and quick.
She scraped her mind for facts.
Fact—a heart could beat for several minutes after breathing stopped.
Would his lips still be blue?
Fact—in the moonlight everything looked blue.
Fact—his eyelids were at half-mast, and there was a barely perceptible gleam aimed at her. He probably didn’t need to be resuscitated.
Fact—she could discover the state of his respiration in other ways than this slow descent of her head and the pressing of lips to his. He tasted like sin and secrets.
His lips were warm and firm under hers, and they parted in a humid mingling of breath. Goddess, he smelled wonderful. She inhaled the scent of male and mystery laced with magick. Worries over what was real, what wasn’t, where she was, trickled away like so many grains of sand.
Fact…
Fuck a bunch of facts.
Did you always wanted to be a writer? If not what did you want to be?
I wanted to have my own horse ranch. Then I wanted to be a forest ranger. I wound up a biomedical engineer. Yet, through it all, I have always been a writer, from the first hit short story in second grade to the first novel in seventh grade, to my first published works in college and finally my first published novel in 2010.
How long did it take to get your first book published?
I started writing my first romance as a challenge with my sister. We were both going to write the first three chapters and submit to a contest. I won and an agent requested a partial. While I waited to hear from her I finished the novel. The partial sat on the agent’s desk about nine months before a publisher saw a sample in a writer’s forum and invited me to submit. I notified the agent I was withdrawing my submission and the novel was contracted. All total, it took a little over a year.
Do you do another job except for writing and can you tell us more about it?
I had my own computer repair shop for many years before my book was published but writing takes most of my time now and I only kept a few of my favorite customers.
What is the name of your latest book, and if you had to summarize it in less than 20 words what would you say?
Make Me Wet is a selkie tale. Selkie males are irresistible to human women, but to save Ronin from his curse, Maille has to tell him no all night long.
Who is your publisher?
I have six romances published with Ellora’s Cave and one video game with Orchid Games.
How long does it usually take you to write a book, from the original idea to finishing writing it?
It depends on the story. Sometimes a story will take over my life and I can write it pretty fast. Other stories unwrap themselves slowly. So it can take anywhere from two months to a year.
What can we expect from you in the future? ie More books of the same genre? Books of a different genre?
I’m negotiating some interesting projects that are a blend of both game and book, interactive fiction. These will be choose-your-path style stories, romantic fiction but with the reader making choices that influence how the story ends. I’m excited because I love reading and writing this style of fiction. My tagline is taking romance into the next dimension. What I mean by that is finding new ways to tell and experience romance stories. All of my traditional novels have a little bit of interactivity or game included in the story. Make Me Wet has a virtual World linked from the front matter in the novel and on my author website where you can explore the world of the story in virtual reality.
What genre would you place your books into?
Paranormal romance and cyber romance.
What made you decide to write that genre of book?
These are the stories that push me as a writer. In pushing my characters to examine their primal selves and step out of their comfort zones I have to step out of mine.
Do you have a certain routine you have for writing? ie You listen to music, sit in a certain chair?
I like to write in a virtual world. One of my favorite spots is on the deck of a beach house in my Nara’s Nook Grid. I go there early in the morning and I sit by the water as the sun starts to rise and birds start to sing. There are mermen frolicking beneath the water and dragons perched on rocks and in trees. Unicorns and plot bunnies hang out in the front yard. In world you hear the surf and see the branches of trees move when the wind blows. There’s usually a purring kitten or pet tiger trying to get my attention. It’s hard to understand, I know, but within about five minutes the real world fades away and the fantasy world feels real. That’s the place where I can make my fantastic tales feel real. Luckily, there are virtual computers inside that world where I can write my stories and they get saved to my computer.
Do you choose a title first, or write the book then choose the title?
I generally have a working title and I am superstitious about sharing more than the initials while I am writing a story. I don’t know why, because usually it takes two or three tries at a title before I get one the publisher approves.
How do you come up with characters names and place names in your books?
The characters seem to name themselves. Places too now that I think about it. I try to stay away from using names of places except the most crucial ones. I like for readers to feel that what is happening could be going on in their town.
Are character names and place names decided after their creation? Or do you pick a character/place name and then invent them?
Names tend to be organic. They sometimes come attached to a character right at the start or sometimes I don’t get a name until I’ve learned more about a character through the story. I’m writing a story now about a young woman headed out on a road trip. I drafted the whole thing before she had a name. When I wrote The Dungeon Gourmet, I knew Bond’s name and that he was a kinky French chef before I knew anything else.
Do you decide on character traits (ie shy, quiet, tomboy girl) before writing the whole book or as you go along?
Some characters come to me fully formed, usually the main character. I’ll choose the traits for supporting characters to facilitate conflict and the major character change.
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..")
I generally have a lesson I’ll want a character to learn. For instance, in a story I am developing for a game I want the lesson to be that life is not something you can horde. Life should be lived as a fearless adventure. For my Pantherian Passions series, as much as I want to entertain readers, I want to make them aware of parahuman research and to inspire them to learn more and form opinions about it. I’m not trying to push one agenda over another but I think everyone should be aware it happens and know whether they approve or not.
Which format of book do you prefer, eBook, hardback, or paperback?
I prefer eBook. There are just so many reasons that eBooks are the greener choice. I know some people say that they love the smell of a book, the feel of it in their hands. I understand that. I just love the smell of a forest more, the movement and sound of wildlife around me.
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Nara Malone is an award winning novelist and poet. As a freelance journalist and writer, her feature profiles on women entrepreneurs and her romantic short stories have been published in newspapers, magazines, and digital publications.
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April 29, 2014
Book Blast, Interview & Giveaway: The Lost and Broken by Chris M. Arnone
The Lost and Broken Realm
Things Forgotten
Book 1
Chris M. Arnone
Genre: Contemporary Fantasy
ISBN: 9780991397907
ISBN: 9781311266194
ASIN: B00HEOMU6M
Number of pages: 325 print
approx 299 ebook
Word Count: 103,000
Cover Artist: Cassandra Whitney
Smashwords, Amazon, Barnes & Noble
Book Description:
Gabriel Drake had royally fouled up his life. Before his wife died, he was wealthy, respected, and loved. He pissed away the small fortune he and his wife built, drove away his friends, alienated his family, and even took a few precarious steps on the wrong side of the law. He lost his way. The world had forgotten the man he was, and then a head-on collision between his Jeep and a tree changed everything.
Death would have been easier. Instead, he’s woken up in a strange place where all the lost and forgotten things and people of our world go to rest. The laws of physics seem to be driven more by magic than logic. Cats fly and talk into his mind. He’s in a place where real power has been trampled under the foot of a maniacal emperor, and Gabriel alone has the power to free these forgotten people from the emperor’s iron grip. Which will Gabriel save: these lost and broken people, or his own shattered life?
The expansive cave was filled with statues. Gabriel was immediately reminded of the terracotta army in China, row after row of warriors guarding the tombs of ancient Chinese emperors, but these weren’t warriors. They weren’t distinctly Chinese, either. They were cyclopean; that was the first thing Gabriel noticed. Rather than two equally distanced eyes, each statue had one large eye right above the nose.
Unlike those Chinese statues, these weren’t uniform, either. Different bodies, faces, attire, genders, and ages of Cyclops made up the horde of stone figures. Dread began to creep back up Gabriel’s spine as he saw something they all had in common other than their lack of depth perception: every carved face was locked eternally in an expression of fear. Stout warriors crouched, hiding their faces. Women with horrified looks stood guarding their children. Gabriel wondered what foul mind could have sculpted such horrors over and over again.
“What is this?” Gabriel asked in a hush, frightened voice.
“I don’t know. I’ve never even heard of this place,” Anansi responded. For the first time since Gabriel had met the manticore, he heard and felt doubt and fear coming from the creature. Zhiyan kept staring at the ground, impassive, as Finkle Prime led him along.
“Who is here?” said a voice from the darkness. It sounded like a young woman, with a bright, luscious voice. Something was amiss with it, though Gabriel couldn’t figure out exactly what.
“Who is that?” Gabriel asked Anansi.
“I asked you first, mortal,” The voice said playfully. Gabriel realized what was wrong. The ‘s’ sounds were extended, like Cobra Commander in G.I. Joe, or like a snake using a human voice. Gabriel couldn’t figure out where it was coming from. It wasn’t in his head. He’d heard enough telepathy to know the difference, but this woman’s voice seemed to bounce and echo around the cave and off the statues that filled it.
“Gabriel. My name is Gabriel. Who are you?” He asked, trying to keep his voice steady.
“Gabriel. So kind of you to visit. No one comes to visit anymore. Zhiyan, he keeps them from me. Now here he is, marching to his death, how fitting,” She said happily.
“Prime, halt,” Gabriel said. The big clockwork man stopped and Gabriel saw Zhiyan with his head still bowed, but his eyes were closed tightly and a small smile crept over his face.
“Oh, shit,” Anansi said, suddenly angry. “Zhiyan, if we live through this, I hope the council draws and quarters your giant ass.”
“What is it?” Gabriel asked nervously.
“Ptolema. Eldest and most vicious of the Gorgon sisters,” Zhiyan finally said, still holding his eyes closed tightly and smiling wryly.
“Gorgons? Monsters like Medusa?” Gabriel asked, half in disbelief, half in growing panic. His mind raced. He tried to think of Medusa’s sisters, but the monster didn’t give him time to remember them.
“What do you know of my sister? She was no monster. She was a sweet, innocent girl. Raped and then villainized. No, she was no monster,” Ptolema said, her voice smooth as silk.
“Don’t look her in the eyes!” Anansi suddenly screamed telepathically. He almost didn’t say it in time.
“I am the monster,” She said, her voice dripping with venom. Out of the corner of his eye, Gabriel saw a woman come out of the shadows and into view. One moment later, and he would have looked at her squarely. Instead, he looked several feet to the side of her, taking in her form using his peripheral vision. She was tall as a man, a bit taller than Gabriel from what he could tell, and she wore a ragged red dress that came almost to the ground. Rather than legs, Gabriel saw a mass of writhing snakes skimming along the ground. She tried to dart directly into Gabriel’s view, faster than he expected, but he dropped his eyes fully to the ground. Her arms gleamed a brilliant, shining gold color, and reflected light from Prime’s shoulder lamps all around the cave. Gabriel wondered if her hair was made of venomous snakes like the stories told, but he didn’t chance looking up near her face.
“Why do you look away, Gabriel? Why do you not meet my gaze? Am I not beautiful?” Ptolema asked, almost pouting.
“No thanks. I’d rather not turn to stone today,” Gabriel said, his voice shaking. He remembered the stories of Medusa, how she turned men to stone with her gaze, and how Perseus destroyed her with a mirrored shield.
“There are worse ways to die,” Ptolema said, all the playfulness, seduction, and beauty suddenly gone from her voice. She was deadly serious. And then she was moving. She was fast, so much faster than Gabriel could have imagined. He leapt out of her way, but only just in time. He felt the wind move past him and smelled her, a waft of rotting flesh and dry snakeskin.
Gabriel scrabbled along the cave floor to get away from the horrifying woman. Tiny snake heads snapped at the air behind his heels. He looked all around for something, anything to fight with, to hide behind, anything.
“Oh, get up, little man. Die on your feet,” Ptolema balked, and then laughed at him, but only briefly. A massive shadow suddenly came over Gabriel, blocking out the light from Prime’s lamps. Fearful of looking up, he looked around and saw a massive paw, like one belonging to a lion that was three times larger than it should have been. A deafening roar filled his ears and Gabriel crawled out from under the creature, seemingly unnoticed. It was almost a giant lion, except it had two equally huge red feathered wings and the tail of a scorpion, its stinger poised to strike some thirty feet up in the air.
Did you always wanted to be a writer? If not what did you want to be?
Not really. I was pretty sure I’d be a performer for a long time. In school, I was in choir, band, and theater. I majored in Theatre in college.
When did you first consider yourself a “writer”?
2009. I landed a freelance writing gig with the now-defunct Wizard Magazine. That first time I saw my name in print, for a piece I’d been paid for, that was golden. It was an interview with writer Matt Fraction about an upcoming X-Men story.
Do you do another job except for writing and can you tell us more about it?
I’m a Senior Technical Writer for an unnamed Pharmacy Benefits Administrator by day. I’m also the host of the YouTube show, BlizzPro Weekly and I occasionally emcee some shows around Kansas City.
What is the name of your latest book, and if you had to summarize it in less than 20 words what would you say?
The Lost and Broken Realm.
The world forgot Gabriel Drake and now he’s in a world of magic and myth. Can he find redemption?
Who is your publisher? Or do you self-publish?
I self-published.
How long does it usually take you to write a book, from the original idea to finishing writing it?
I wrote this book over the course of about a year, with a big push toward the end. There was a time where I wrote 15k words in four days. That was a big help. It took another 3-4 months to edit, then alpha reading (my wife) for a month, beta readers took another three months. After formatting and getting the cover art lined up, the whole process probably took over two years.
What can we expect from you in the future? ie More books of the same genre? Books of a different genre?
All of the above! Right now, I’m writing the second book in the Things Forgotten Trilogy. I have so many ideas, though. Superhero fiction, dystopian cyberpunk, space opera, speculative fiction. Pretty much anything geeky, I’ve got ideas.
What genre would you place your books into?
The Lost and Broken Realm is contemporary or cross-realm fantasy. The sequel, however, will be urban fantasy.
What made you decide to write that genre of book?
I went where the story took me. That’s part of why I’m self-published. The traditional publishing industry puts a high priority on the genre and sub-genre. I’m just telling the story the way it needs to be told.
Do you have a favorite character from your books? And why are they your favorite?
To me, characters are all aspects of the writer’s soul. Choosing a favorite? I actually don’t have one from The Lost and Broken Realm, but my deuteroganist for the next book, Lorelei, she’s a bad-ass, street-smart, magical, burlesque dancer. She’s a lot of fun.
Do you read all the reviews of your book/books?
Absolutely. Take the good with the bad. The only truly bad reviews are the ones that are personal attacks.
Do you choose a title first, or write the book then choose the title?
Yes. I always choose a working title, but then I re-examine it before publication. The working title for the second Things Forgotten book is currently, Reclaiming the Lost.
How do you come up with characters names and place names in your books?
That really depends on the character. I decided early on that all of the characters born in the lost and broken realm wouldn’t have normal, human names. Anansi is named after one of my cats, which is actually a gray and white tux, though he isn’t telepathic and doesn’t fly. Finkle and Finkle Prime are named after a character from Neal Stephenson’s The Diamond Age. I honestly can’t recall how I came up with Gabriel Drake and he’s my protagonist.
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 chance. I believe it’s the writer’s job to ask the questions, to make the readers think while entertaining them. It’s not my job to come up with the answers.
Which format of book do you prefer, eBook, hardback, or paperback?
Not paperback, bleh. I collect first-edition hardcovers of books I really love. I also get a lot of use from my Kindle Paperwhite, particularly borrowing eBooks from the library.
What is your favorite book and Why? Have you read it more than once?
The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier & Clay by Michael Chabon. Chabon is one of those writers that can put a paragraph on the page that will make me think, “wow, I’ll never be that good and that’s okay.” This particular book is a brilliant, poignant story that is set in New York City in the Golden Age of comics, when they were as much about anti-Nazi propaganda as they were about entertainment. I’ve only read it once, but I’m sure I’ll come back around to it one day.
Do you think books transfer to movies well? Which is you favorite/worst book to movie transfer?
I have a strange answer to this, possibly from my theater background. Theater is a collaborative art form. It takes dozens of people to make one theatrical production. Movies are even bigger. While a book is one person’s story with a little help, a movie is a collaborative creation. I think people need to separate books from movies, take them as their own creations with their own merits. That said, the Battlefield Earth movie is horrendous.
Your favorite food is?
Ice cream
Your favorite singer/group is?
Tool
Your favorite color is?
Orange
Your favorite Author is?
Ray Bradbury
Chris grew up in Independence, MO. He attended college at Truman State University where he pursued his loves of theater, music, and the written word. Now, he makes his home in Kansas City, MO with his wife Christy and their four cats.
Aside from writing feverishly, he is an avid supporter of the Kansas City burlesque, performance, and arts communities. He is an occasional emcee, outspoken supporter of LGBTQ equality, and King of the Nerds. No, you didn't vote for him; that's why he's king, not president.
