Ally Shields's Blog, page 93

Coffee Chat with Author Michelle Browne

We're here for coffee again this morning. Michelle and I have ours, so grab a mug and pull up a chair.

This  is Michelle's bio in her own words:

I'm a published science fiction author with a love for talking about the end of the world, silver jewellery, nightmares, and chocolate. I'm also fluent in Shakespeare, cussing, and activism,  (passable in Spanish).
I came from a smallish town in Southern Alberta and now live in Calgary with my partner. When we're not saving the world from hipsters or riding our bear cavalry to work, we can be found on the internet or with our friends.

Ally: Lol! I'd love to have you back some time to talk about the bear cavalry, but let's stick to the script today and talk Christmas and books. Why don't you start by telling us your favorite childhood memory connected to the holidays?

MICHELLE: Hmmm. Childhood...Well, I remember one year that Mom really wanted some crystal lambs she'd seen, beautiful little ornaments. I convinced Mom that they were all sold out and not available at all anymore, and Dad and I managed to keep the secret all month long, occasionally mentioning that it had been sold out. Finally, the night before Christmas--also her birthday--we revealed our secret and showed her the mother sheep and three little lambs. There were some tears, and it's one of the best presents I've ever given.

Ally: And best for Mom too, I bet. Okay, now books.  Other than your own, what was the favorite book you read in 2012? What made it so special?

MICHELLE: Aw, shoot, I've read a LOT this year. Honestly, I'm going to go with the first one that comes to mind and then distribute runners-up. Les Liasons Dangereuses, by de Laclos, was magnificent. I couldn't believe how strong the characters were, and how well-implemented the plot was. It's a classic for a reason--sexy, well-written, morally ambivalent...I am so glad I picked it up. Chris Shields' "Fae Journals" series also really impressed me--one of the best teenage female protagonists I've ever read about. A solid third goes to JC Eggleton's "Brookhaven', for being spectacularly creepy and unputdownable. Honourable mention goes to the Game of Thrones series, but book 5 has been a disappointment thus far.

Ally: I'd have trouble just choosing one, too. Thanks for coming, Michelle. I've really enjoyed our chat, and I look forward to having you back sometime.

MICHELLE: It's been a pleasure meeting you, your readers, and I hope you'll stop by my blog! Also, "And the Stars Will Sing" is free from Dec 6 to Dec 10, and "The Stolen: Two Short Stories" will be on sale for .99. Pick them up, you won't regret it. This is your SciFiMagpie, over and out!


Book Blurb:

In the far future, travel is made possible by controlled wormholes made in the fabric of space-time. Crystal, a young woman freshly graduated from university, finds herself on her first job aboard the base-ship 'Crossing Paths'. Workplace politics and a romance make it complicated. The last thing she needs are the frightening errors beginning to crop up on her maps...

Buy Link:

http://www.amazon.com/And-Stars-Will-Sing-ebook/dp/B0075G7GEA/ref=pd_sim_sbs_kstore_1

Her second book, The Stolen: Two Short Stories, can be found here:

http://www.amazon.com/The-Stolen-Short-Stories-ebook/dp/B0094B0WFY

A new book, "The Loved, the Lost, the Dreaming" is coming soon! "
Ally: I supposed the readers are wondering about the bird. Perhaps you should explain.

MICHELLE: I generally use a magpie for my author pic. I do have my real face on the internet, but the magpie is my logo, so look for this bird and you'll find me.

Ally: If you're not into bird watching, you might try these contact links. :-D

http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/3301336.Michelle_Browne
https://www.facebook.com/SciFiMagpie
http://scifimagpie.blogspot.ca/

Character Interview at Bitten By Books

         SPECIAL EVENT TODAY ONLY (12/7/12)

Join my witch Ari & I today at Bitten By Books as I attempt to interview her about her job! You could win a $40 Amazon gift certificate just for stopping by. Ask us questions, tell us what you think about Awakening the Fire. Maybe we'll even drop a few hints about Fire Within that releases next week (Dec 14). You can ask anything you want, and we'll answer what we can without giving any spoilers.

We'll be there all day today from noon until midnight CST. Please stop in! I'd love to give the gift certificate to you . . . or maybe you . . . or even you! :-D 

                                                             LIVE NOW:     http://bittenbybooks.com/ a Rafflecopter giveaway

Coffee Chat with Jerrie Alexander

Morning, everyone! I'm on my second cup of coffee (it's been that kind of day), but we have a visitor who should wake me up. Welcome, Jerrie!

Jerrie describes herself as a romantic suspense author who "writes alpha males and kick-ass women who weave their way through death and fear to emerge stronger because of, and on occasion in spite of, their love for each other.  She likes to torture people, make them suffer, and if they’re strong enough, they live happily ever after."

Lol, that is quite an intro, but maybe we can talk a little about Christmas before getting into the nitty-gritty of your book.

Ally: What is the first Christmas you recall or your most memorable childhood Christmas?

JERRIE: Gosh, that's a tough one. My father led the church choir and most of my Christmas memories as a kid are around him singing. He had this clear tone and perfect pitch that mesmerized people. Every now and then, the choir and the church members would stop singing and just listen to his voice. The most memorable was probably the year he let me sing a duet with him. I was scared to death, but we sang Oh Holy Night. I remembered about half the words.

Ally: Thanks for sharing that special time. I read somewhere that you live in Texas. Is there anything unique about a Texas Christmas? Well, besides the serious lack of snow. :-D

JERRIE: We've actually had snow on occasion. Now, I'm talking an inch or two, but to a Texan that is a blizzard of epic proportions! I'll have to admit, it's easier to go caroling here in Texas than in some states.
It's not unusual to see Santa wearing a western hat or to see hundreds of pickup trucks with Christmas wreaths lashed to their grills. We go all out on decorations, string miles of outdoor lights, and play Christmas music like everyone else. Well...maybe not everyone listens to George Strait's, When It's Christmas Time In Texas. It's a great song and impossible not to bring a smile to your face!

Ally: It brought a smile to mine! I know this is a busy time of year, but thanks for chatting and sharing coffee with us.

Here is the information on Jerrie's book, The Green-Eyed Doll.
Book blurb:

Catherine McCoy is on the run. For the past year, she’s been on the move, hiding the secrets and guilt in her heart. When she lands in small-town Texas and meets Sheriff Matt Ballard, he ignites a flame she thought lost forever.

Matt has scars of his own. He left the big city after an undercover operation went bad and his partner was killed. Now, as Matt hunts for a serial killer who paints his victims’ faces like porcelain dolls, Catherine becomes a safe haven for him. Two tortured souls finding comfort in each other's arms—until he uncovers her secret, and their bond of trust is broken.

When Catherine disappears, Matt races to find her, fearing the murderer has found his next green-eyed doll. But the killer has a surprise coming. Catherine will fight to the death before she’ll be a victim again. Will her determination be enough?

Buy links:

         The Wild Rose Press

                    and

                 Amazon

You can contact Jerrie through any of the following links:

www.JerrieAlexander.com
Google Plus
http://www.facebook.com/JerrieAlexanderAuthor
http://www.twitter.com/jerriealexander

Coffee Chat with C.E. Lawrence

Good Morning!

We're having coffee with suspense author C. E. Lawrence. Welcome, Carole!

Let's take a look at her author bio first.
C.E. Lawrence is the byline of a New York-based suspense writer, performer, composer and prize-winning playwright and poet whose previous books have been praised as "lively. . ." (Publishers Weekly); "constantly absorbing. . ." (starred Kirkus Review); and "superbly crafted prose" (Boston Herald). Silent Screams, Silent Victim and Silent Kills are the first three books in her Lee Campbell thriller series.  Her other work is published under the name of Carole Bugge.  Titan Press recently reissued her first Sherlock Holmes novel, The Star of India. You can visit the author here:
Website: http://celawrence.com/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/c_e_lawrence
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/C-E-Lawrence/135013616557126?v=wall

Ally: I know the books you write are dark and scary, but I'd like to chat about something light-hearted, maybe even warm and fuzzy! What are your favorite things to do during the holidays?

CE: I love looking at Christmas lights and decorations all over town!  I wander through different neighborhoods as soon as Thanksgiving is over, trying not to freak people out by staring through their windows.... seriously, I LOVE decorations. 

I sing in an a Capella music quartet and we do a little concert at my building's annual party, so I enjoy practicing for that.  We do many songs from the Oxford book of Carols, as well as early music and carols from other countries.  There are a lot of great Scandinavian choirs and carols, as well as Eastern European ones that not too many Americans know.  I also love going to concerts, especially vocal music, and the more unusual, the better. 

I like to skate at the free rink at Bryant Park, and last year we saw as many Christmas trees in museums as we could - I think we did about seven or so all over town.  I like to go to the smaller tree lighting ceremonies, especially the one at Lincoln Center, which has a wonderful collection of food and entertainments as well.

And of course the parties . . . a friend of mine has been leading a caroling party in the East Village for over 25 years, and another friend in the West Village has given an annual party for over 30 years (with her mother.)  Bring on the eggnog!

  Ally: What current or recent movie would you most like to see, and why does it interest you?

CE: I am dying to see the Lincoln movie!  I'm interested in it because, let's face it, Lincoln was just a fascinating guy - the more I hear about him, the more I want to know.  And the creative team - wow.  Awesome crazy talent.  Spielberg, John Williams, Doris Kearns Goodwin, Tony Kushner, and a Who's Who of great actors - what's not to like?

+++++

Now that you've seen the friendly side of C.E. Lawrence, here is a taste of the novels she writes. Deliciously chilling!
_
THERE IS A METHOD TO HIS MADNESS
He chooses his tools with precision. Stalks his victims with cold efficiency. Plans his attack using mathematical logic. And now he is ready to play…

THERE ARE RULES TO HIS GAME
When the killer’s first letter arrives at the station, NYPD profiler Lee Campbell suspects the writer is daring him to match wits with a dangerous—and brilliant—criminal mind. But once this “Alleyway Strangler” starts leaving specially targeted messages with each surgically carved corpse, Campbell realizes it’s not just personal. It’s perfectly calculated—to destroy him…

Book Trailer on Youtube

Buy Link: Silent Slaughter at Amazon
Other buy links: Silent Stalker at Barnes & Noble  
                          Silent Kills at Amazon

December Birthday Bash!

Author Zenobia Renquist is having a birthday on December 28 and some of us are helping her celebrate all month long!

You can be the winner of great prizes by participating in her contest. Following this link: http://zenobiarenquist.com/december-2012, then follow the directions to be entered in the drawings for 2 - $50.00 gift cards and 3 - $10.00 cards! You also get to choose a free ebook just for participating. So, if you haven't read it, you can pick Awakening the Fire or one of many other choices. The entry form on her site won't be available until the contest starts on Dec. 3.

Here is the contest information I copied from her site:

Enter the contest and you receive a free ebook. Yup, a free ebook just for entering. Note: This is a Q&A contest. Answers can be found in the excerpts provided in the PDF.
 
How to Play:
Download the PDF (link in sidebar)
 Check out the titles and goodies in the PDF
 Last page of the PDF contains the link to the contest entry form. Click it.
 Choose your free ebook, answer the questions, fill out your info, and submit
 Wait for 29 December 2012 for the announcement of the winners
 
Grand Prize (2 winners):
$50 Gift Certificate to Amazon, B&N, or All Romance eBooks (winner's choice)
 
First Prize (3 winners):
$10 Gift Certificate to ChangelingPress.com

You can find this link from now through Dec. 28 by checking under Blog Hops or clicking the banner I'll be putting in the sidebar. I hope the big winners are from this blog! Good luck!

Coffee Chat with Susan Roebuck

Good Morning! Do you have your coffee?

This morning Susan Roebuck to chat with us. Hi, Sue!

Thank you for inviting me today. I’d love a bica if possible. That’s what all the Portuguese drink, it’s part of their culture to start the day with a bica which is really an expresso but comes in all kinds of varieties: short (half a cup, same amount of coffee), or filled to the top (bica cheia), or in a boiling hot cup, or diluted with more water… Just a normal bica for me please (LOL).

Ally: Before we get started, I wanted to tell our readers a little bit about you without spoiling our chat. :)

Susan Roebuck was a English teacher before she began writing novels. She says her first love is her husband, her second writing and her third painting, and her life now gives her time to indulge all three.

Ally: I was careful not to mention where you live, so can you tell us now? And living where you do, how will you celebrate Christmas?

SUE:  I think from all that about coffee you get the idea that I live in Portugal, even though I’m British. I married a Portuguese and we live near Lisbon.
Nowadays Portugal’s becoming like the rest of the world with its Christmas customs. But there are still some differences.
For the children, Santa Claus falls into second place. Here, Baby Jesus brings the presents. Everyone has a crib (or nativity scene)--presépio in Portuguese--set up in their homes. Here’s one in the street:
Christmas Eve is the most important part of the holiday. Everyone goes to Midnight Mass, then comes home and eats traditionally cooked Codfish with plenty of vegetables, and follows this with tons of sugary sweets and desserts such as rabanadas which are like very sweet French toast. After this late dinner, the children unwrap their presents that Baby Jesus brought them, and might go to bed—or not.

Ally: That 's fascinating, Sue, and I love the emphasis on the Baby Jesus. I think I know the answer to this next question, but I'm going to ask it anyway. If you could live anywhere else, where would it be and why?

SUE: I’m very happy here to tell you the truth. The only other place would be in a thick forest in the UK in a warm log-cabin near a lake or a river. But I’m very lucky to be here in Portugal. Not many people are within a stone’s throw of a major city—and a beautiful one at that—like Lisbon, and beaches, and historical attractions:


Sue Roebuck has two published novels.  Both books are Finalists in the annual EPIC E-Book Awards.

Hewhay Hall was published by Etopia Press in 2012.

An unsung hero’s destiny–Slater’s house of horrors.
Fire-fighter Jude Elliott loses part of his leg trying to rescue a family held hostage during a terrorist attack. He journeys to mysterious Hewhey Hall, where it is told there are wondrous, magical cures. Little does Jude know that his destination is Slater, The Prince of Envy’s lair, where demons reside and courageous souls are tormented… Can Jude escape Slater’s house of horrors, or will he suffer for all of eternity?

Buy Hewhay Hall online at these sites:

Amazon
Barnes and Noble
Kobo
OmniLit



Sue's second novel, Perfect Score, was published by Awe-Struck Publishing in 2010.

Struggling to make sense of the divergent lives they have been dealt, two young men, Alex and Sam, find their way to one another through a journey full of boundless love and compassion, growth, and strength.
Author's note: This is non-erotic.
For more information on this title, visit the author's website: www.susanroebuck.com.

If you'd like to contact Sue, you can find her here:

Twitter: http://twitter.com/suemonte
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/SuRoebuck

Coffee Chat with Keith Pyeatt

Good Morning!

This is the first of a new series of mini interviews with authors. Our visitor today is Keith Pyeatt!

Keith is a mechanical engineer turned award-winning novelist. His novels blend different genres in different proportions, but they all have a paranormal element, psychological and physical tension, and lots of heart. Welcome, Keith!
While we enjoy our coffee, I know our readers would love to know a bit more about you. So, my first question for you is where and when was your best ever winter holiday?

Keith: My favorite winter holidays were late December/early January trips to Angel Fire, New Mexico with family, several years in a row in the early 90s. We were scattered around at that point, but we’d converge there (same rental house each year) for ten days or so to ski, play, eat, and catch up. I’d spend mornings teaching nieces and nephews to snow ski by grabbing the ends of their ski poles and, huffing and puffing, dragging them up a slight incline on the road leading to our rental house. Then I’d run back down the road to yell encouragement and to be prepared to catch them if they got out of control. In the afternoons, I’d go ski the mountain and return to a blazing fire and amazing dinners with family I didn’t get to see often enough. We were always too beat to stay up until midnight on New Year’s Eve, so we’d set up the video recorder and yell and hoot and pretend it was midnight sometime around 9:00 PM each year. Oh wait—I was supposed to keep that part a secret. Ah well...

Ally: Those are great memories. Now on to something much more mundane, but I'm warning you, you're choices can be very revealing. ;-) What do you watch on tv? If you have a favorite program or programs, what keeps you coming back?

Keith: I don’t watch network tv as it airs (can’t stand 1/3 of it being commercials), but I do watch series on Netflix. I watch Mad Men, The Big Bang Theory, 30 Rock, The Beverly Hillbillies (yes, that OLD series), Bob Newhart (yes again), Dexter, 3rd Rock from the Sun, Modern Family, Seinfeld.... Great writing and interesting characters keep me coming back, whether it’s sitcoms or more dramatic series. And I like cornball comedy too. I just do. (Many years ago, I watched Hee Haw. The shame.)

Ally: You are full of surprises, Keith! :) I see our time's up, but thanks for stopping by. I enjoyed our chat!

                                      Please check below for Keith's books and links.
                                                Buy links: http://amazon.com/author/keithpyeatt

You can reach Keith by the following:

Author links:
Webpage: http://keithpyeatt.com
Blog: http://keithpyeatt.blogspot.com
Newsletter: http://tinyurl.com/hwh-news11
Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/keithpyeatt

Coffee Chats

I imagine by now it's obvious to regular readers that my heroine Ari and I share one thing --  an addiction to coffee. Hence the idea for my latest blog feature, the Coffee Chats.

Here's how it works. Once or twice a week I will be having coffee with another author, involving a mini interview of only two questions and introducing you to one of their books. All chats will be PG-13, and you won't want to miss any of them! I have a great line-up of interesting writers to carry us well into 2013. You might even find some good ideas for your holiday shopping! :-D

The first Chat will occur this Sunday, Nov. 25, so share your morning coffee with us!!

Interview with YA Author Sara Hubbard

I'm very pleased to have Sara Hubbard visiting with us today. Welcome, Sara!

She is the author of young adult books. Her debut novel BLOOD, SHE READ is a NEORWA Cleveland Rocks winner and a RCRW Duel on the Delta finalist.
Sara was born in Australia to British parents, but has lived in Nova Scotia for the majority of her life. In addition to being an author, Sara is a wife, a mother, and a registered nurse with the military.

Take it away, Sara . . .


                            Real or Fake?

I am so happy to be on Ally’s blog today talking about my recent release, Blood, She Read. Today, I’ll share an exclusive excerpt from my book, but first I’m going to ramble on about nothing because that’s how I roll. That’s right. And my topic: Christmas trees (Ally is probably wishing she never asked me over here now! Ha!)

A few years ago, my tree would already have been up by now and it would have been decorated. In fact, it would have been up twenty-one days ago because I used to put it up the day after Halloween. No joke. I know a lot of people get upset about seeing Christmas stuff everywhere the moment Halloween is over, but I feel the complete opposite. I think the sooner the better! Christmas is awesome so let’s build up to it and then let it linger.

So why isn’t my tree up yet? We always had a wonderful artificial tree. I could have left it up and shining all year if I wanted to, but a couple of years ago my husband put his foot down. I tried to rhyme off all the reasons why we needed a fake one—I may have even embellished a little bit, saying it would bother our daughter’s allergies. (For the record, my daughter is not allergic to trees. Ahem.) I pulled out all the stops. Since I’d won this battle for the eight years we’d been together, I had to give in. So now as I sit in my living room I dream of a fake tree sitting in the corner, because Christmas trees aren’t on sale yet! What is wrong with this world? Yes, it would be drier than stale bread by Christmas time, but guess what? I would just buy another one every few weeks if they sold them earlier. That’s right.
    
So if you haven’t guess what my preference is, I’ll put it simply. Fake trees are better because they last longer and Christmas is a holiday that deserves a good two months of celebration. Don’t judge me. 
    
What do you think?

                                                                       * * * * *
Book Blurb:

Keeping secrets from a psychic can be murder.

Petra Maras lives a charmed life, but only in the magical sense. Her absentee father is a criminal, her mother is emotionally dead, and everyone at her new school knows she comes from a family of witches. All she wants is to be normal, but that’s impossible, given her family. And given that she’s psychic. When the police request help with a murder investigation, Petra reluctantly agrees. Which isn’t such a good idea since the prime suspect wants to date her, and she really wants to say yes. Her gut says he’s innocent, but since she can’t get a read on him, she can’t know for sure. And when she discovers he’s been keeping secrets, she wonders if maybe she’s been following her heart instead of her head…

Exclusive excerpt:

Finnigan Harris stepped into the doorway and paused to scan the room. He ran a hand through his dark hair and then our gazes met. Before I could look away, he smiled. Not a big smile, just a little one, it was shy, hesitant. I looked away. His brother had smiled at me too, right before he’d threatened to hurt me. Jerk.
I tipped my head. My curls fell forward to hide my face, but I could still see him from beneath my brows. With his hands dug deep in his jean pockets, he thumped toward me, one heavy hiking boot at a time. Would he go away if I ignored him? I focused on my book, the words on the page blurring and connecting into a big, fat splotch of black.

Finnigan pulled out the chair beside me, sliding the legs across the floor with a sharp squeak. I glared at him; I wouldn’t take an ounce of crap. He didn’t
scare me, not like his brother had. And it wasn’t because he wasn’t fit or muscular, because he was, but because he had these big, hooded eyes that made him seem vulnerable.

“Can I sit?” he asked.

Through my hair, I saw him motion to the seat beside me. I didn’t respond, but after a minute, he sat down anyway. I don’t know why he’d asked me in the first place. He pulled his seat over, closer to mine, so close I could almost feel the heat radiating from his body. I rounded my shoulders and tightened my muscles, steeling myself. Staring at the hands on my watch, the next sixty seconds felt like an hour as we sat through an uncomfortable silence. Losing patience, I slammed my book shut, met his gaze, and waited for him to tell me what the hell he wanted. The scowl on my face felt ugly, but I didn’t care. After he and his brother and cousin had threatened me, he didn’t look so hot either. So when he tossed his head and his wispy brown hair feathered backward, I didn’t react. And I didn’t feel a single butterfly when I looked deep into his sparkling, black eyes.

Not one.

                                                        You can purchase Blood, She Read here:

                                                                               Amazon 

                                                                         Barnes & Noble

                                                                Omnilit/ All Romance eBooks

                                                                                  Kobo


If you want to find about more about Sara and her books, here are her links:

www.sara-hubbard.com
http://twitter.com/SaraLouHubbard/
http://pinterest.com/saralouhubbard/ 
http://www.facebook.com/sarahubbardauthor


Thanks so much for reading this! And thanks again, Ally, for having me!

Music to Plot By

Someone asked me the other day if I listen to music when I write, and I don't. But if I get stuck on the next point in the plot or a scene just isn't coming out right, I grab the headphones to my MP3 player and jump on the treadmill. Here's some of the music that helps me set the scene.

If I'm in the middle of or starting to write a dark scene, there's nothing like Bon Jovi's rendition of Hallelujah to get the right atmosphere. Have you seen the Criminal Minds episode that used this song in the background or listened to the words? They're chilling.
http://youtu.be/RSJbYWPEaxw


More often I'm working on an action scene. I have several songs I turn to for this, but lately the theme from Covert Affrairs has been a favorite. This gets my blood pumping!
http://youtu.be/F0YyfMULO8g


And, we can't forget those romantic moments! When I begin to wonder if Ari and Andreas will ever find a way to be together, I turn to the theme song from The Mask of Zorro, I Want to Spend My LIfetime Loving You. Sigh. Yes, I'm a hopeless romantic.
http://youtu.be/E7yEfVINqbk


Do you ever use "mood" music? Anything you'd like to share? And remember, this is a PG-13 rated site! :-D