Xio Axelrod's Blog, page 19
December 26, 2014
The Calum is officially a best-seller!
This afternoon, I was 
informed that The Calum has hit the best-seller list over at All Romance! They even sent over this little icon to show off.
Wow. I’m shocked and amazed. Truly!
Needless to say, I’m beyond thrilled that Lovie and Duff have resonated with so many readers. As I sit here writing book two, I hope many more will join us for the ride. It’s going to be a wild one!
Thank you for your support. Couldn’t have done any of this without you. Mwah!
~Xio
December 25, 2014
December 23, 2014
Christmas Wishes with Romance Writers Weekly
Welcome to another blog hop from Romance Writers Weekly! As you know, each week we try to bring you something different. This week, Sarah Hegger prompted us to tell her “All I want for Christmas.” This can be anything: a memoir,a thought, a wish list or a 200 word Flash Fiction. Did you just wander over from reading Carolyn Spear‘s entry? What did she wish for?
All I want for Christmahanukwanzika is more peace in the world. I’m not naive enough to ask for world peace. People are people. But I think a little more kindness, a little more tolerance and a little more understanding would go a long way towards peaceful coexistence. We seem to be going backwards in a lot of ways.
So peace is what I want and what I wish for you all.
I was going to stop at a wish list, but then this little, romantic scene popped into my head. 
Enjoy!
“You said no gifts.”
“I lied.”
“So did I,” she laughed. “But I left yours at my place. So, what is it?”
He smiled. “You’ll have to wait.”
“I don’ wanna.” She batted her eyelashes in long sweeps of amber that kissed her cheeks.
“What are you, twelve?” He chuckled. “It’s almost midnight.”
“You’re really going to make me wait?” One delicate eyebrow arched in disbelief. In truth, he was even more anxious for her to open her Christmas gift than she was. Anxious. Nervous.
Freaking terrified.
“You’re mean.” One corner of her mouth lifted as she eyed the large square box. Extending one long leg, she elegantly nudged it with her toe.
“No cheating.”
“I was only stretching.”
He threw back his head and laughed. God, he loved her like this. Playful and confident. “Stretching?”
The leg swung slowly toward him and he caught her foot in his hands, rubbing it instinctively. She rewarded him with a satisfied moan.
“If you keep doing that, I can wait until New Year’s.”
I can’t.
He’d already waited long enough. If she only knew how hard it was to watch the clock tick towards the beginning of the rest of his life. The beginning, he hoped, of their life together.
The clock struck twelve and she snatched up the package. Ripped into it like a giddy child. He watched her confusion as she opened the larger box and found the small one inside.
Big brown eyes blinked up at him.
“What…?”
He met her watery gaze, his vision blurring. “All I want for Christmas is you.”
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Hope you enjoyed that. =) Stop by and see what Susan Scott-Shelley has on her wish list this year.
Have a Happy Hanukkah and very Merry Christmas!
December 19, 2014
It’s FoX Friday with Author J. R. Richardson!
Today I’m hosting the the fabulous J. R. Richardson! Her intriguing and haunting romance, Cursed be the Wicked, was released in paperback this month. In celebration, she’s holding a giveaway on Goodreads for a chance to win 1 of 3 signed copies – now through the end of December.
Here’s a bit about the book:
When Cooper Shaw is sent back to his home town of Salem, Massachusetts to cover their famous Festival of the Dead, he’s determined to avoid the ghosts from his past. Finnley Pierce is the curiously insightful woman he meets along the way who’s going to help him face those ghosts, whether he likes it or not.
Here’s a little about Jo!
A movie fanatic, a writer of stories, a lover of life.
Jo grew up in Maryland with four siblings, three parents and an endless number of cousins within the vicinity – but it was too cold up North for this thin blooded girl. So today, she lives in Florida with her two girls and a husband that shares her same sense of humor and basic take on life as we know it.
Life is too short to put dreams on the back burner.
She’s always loved writing and always will. Jo tells contemporary stories with romance, humor, the supernatural, the paranormal, suspense, mystery, action and anything else she can think up.
In 2012, she wrote Cursed be the Wicked, a character driven, paranormal mystery romance that was picked up by Soul Mate Publishing and released in March of 2014. It hit #40 in its category on amazon.com on day one. Since publishing Cursed, Jo has also written a couple of short stories and is currently editing a romantic comedy that she hopes to get out to the public soon.
December 16, 2014
Holiday romance with Romance Writers Weekly!
Hello my lovelies!
Did you wander over from Leslie Hachtel‘s blog? It’s so nice to hear from her. She’s a super busy lady! We all love a bit of romance at Christmastime! This week, Carrie Elks has us talking about our favorite holiday love story—whether it’s from a book, a movie or a true-life romance.
I’m going to go with a shameless plug for my debut novella, The Calum.
My heroine, Lovie, thought that she would escape the cold Philadelphia winter and spend the holidays on a warm, sunny beach. Instead, she finds herself traveling with her roommate to the Scottish Highlands. Not exactly a tropical paradise.
As Lovie put it, “it was going to be cold and damp. And damp. And fucking cold.”
Don’t worry, she soon finds someone to help keep her warm.
Black leather jacket, scarf wrapped around his neck up to his ears, threadbare jeans, and motorcycle boots. His hair, an unruly shock of black waves, was being mercilessly tortured by breeze blowing across the river. He was tall and lean…
She pretended not to see him as he walked by her, even though the pull to solve the mystery was strong. After he had passed, she turned to get a look at the view from behind. In those jeans, it was well worth a look, especially since his fine ass was heading right into the pub. Sweet cheeks stopped and turned as he opened the door.
Wait, was he checking her out?
She whipped her head back around to face the river, grinning like a mad woman. The sounds from the pub faded, and she dared a look over her shoulder. He’d gone inside. Seems a little more observation was in order. At a discreet distance of course.
There’s something about the possibility of finding love during this festive season that pulls at the heartstrings. Am I right? Lovie is no exception. From the twinkling lights to the crisp clean air, not to mention the tall, dark, mysterious man with a killer smile, she finds herself under a sort of Highland Christmas spell.
I can’t really blame her.
One of my favourite wintry, second-chance love stories is Snowbound by Kim Golden.
Mia Wilkinson has just found out her married boyfriend has no intention of leaving his wife, something that her friends have been trying to tell her all along. Heartbroken, she heads to her late-grandmother’s house in a small town in Vermont, intent on spending the holidays alone. Her plans change when a gorgeous South African photographer named Jake shows up on her doorstep. Jake is there to get over losing his best friend and colleague to the atrocities of war. Mia and her “Rules of Cohabitation” throw him for a loop. What happens when they’re stuck together? Let it snow, let it snow, let it snow!
Well, that’s it from me this week. Head over to see what Carrie has under the mistletoe. See you soon!
~Xio
The Calum is here!
I’m beyond excited to share my first release with you! It’s been an interesting 14-month journey to get from “aspiring author” to “published author.” I’m grateful to each and every one of you that has taken the ride with me.
About The Calum:
Twenty-six is too old to believe in fairytales, but tell that to Lovie’s roommate. Convinced she’ll find a real life version of her ultimate book boyfriend, Calum MacKenzie, Jo drags Lovie to the Scottish Highlands. Lovie’s no cynic *ahem* but she knows The Calum is a myth. A construct. A freaking unicorn! And there are warmer places to spend Christmas vacation.
If Duff had his way, he’d never step foot in Inverness again. Only his best friend’s wedding, and his ailing grandmother, could bring him home. Duff’s plan is keep his head down and stay out of trouble. Hard to do when the groom targets a pretty blond tourist for one last conquest.
When Duff and Lovie meet, stones, sparks and insults fly. He’s instantly attracted to the sexy, sharp-tongued American. She’s just glad to have someone to hang out with, especially the bad boy with a mysterious past. Lovie is determined to learn his secrets, but as they grow closer, Duff is forced to choose between his best friend and his heart.
Here’s an excerpt:
Lovie Grant wished like hell that she had paid the five dollars for the airline headphones. But that balloon had popped, and now she was stuck listening – again – to Joana’s latest “brilliant” plan. She hunched her shoulders and buried her face in the in-flight magazine. Anything to avoid one more word about their freaking trip.
“Are you even listening to me?” Her shrill tone bounced off the airplane window and directly into the oh-my-God-let-me-off-this-sky-bus-before-I-kill-her section of Lovie’s brain.
“What is it now, Jo?”
“You’re not paying attention. And you keep sighing like you’ve been left home on prom night.”
“I’m just tired, and I can’t sleep on planes.” And I should be relaxing on a beach instead of chasing after you.
Flip. Flip. Flip.
Page after page taunted her with one photo of crystal blue waters and palm trees after another. There would be no palm trees where they were headed.
Which asshole decided to put that magazine in her seat-back pocket?
“You’re upset.”
How very astute. “It’s a scientific fact that a lack of sleep causes a decrease in the neurotransmitters that regulate mood.” Flip. “Otherwise, I’m fine, Jo. Let it go.”
“I call bull. You’ve already convinced yourself that this is going to suck.” Jo’s bottom lip poked out in her signature pout. With her blonde locks twisted into two braids, and her bright pink Juicy sweatpants, the picture of a bratty twelve-year-old was nearly complete.
Lovie’s best friend, roommate and constant damsel-in-distress had a plan. A good plan, she’d said. A sound plan, if you dared to believe her. Lovie didn’t, but the plan was this:
Go to Scotland
Find “The Calum”
Marry him
Jo had been saving up for this particular trip for three years – ever since Lovie picked up a dog-eared copy of A Laird to Love at a used book store. It was a great read, sure, but why the hell did that one have to fall out of the stack?
Like millions of other women around the globe, Jo had fallen in love with its hero, Calum MacKenzie.
Unlike most of those other women, Jo believed that someone like him was just across the ocean, waiting for her.
“The Calum,” Jo explained to anyone that stopped long enough to listen, was the perfect man. A lover and a fighter, he was a chivalrous, six-foot-four redhead with a six-pack and a penchant for languages. You could find variations of him in the pages of Jo’s vast collection of romance novels.
Campbell. Covington. Cage. Colton.
She had shelves filled with ideal men, but somehow The Calum stood out to her from the rest. Enough to convince Jo that she needed to go to Scotland and find him.
Each year since college, they’d flipped a coin to see who would pick their Christmas vacation destination. This year, Lovie lost. So there they were, thirty-five thousand feet above the Atlantic, on their way from Philadelphia to Brigadoon…er…Inverness.
Lovie couldn’t believe she’d agreed to spend her measly handful of vacation days tailing Jo through the Scottish Highlands. It was going to be cold and damp.
And damp.
And fucking cold.
There was a beach somewhere with her name on it, and that name was getting washed out to sea. Or sat upon by German tourists. Her lungs deflated in a heavy sigh as her dream of endless mojitos drifted away on the clouds below.
“You didn’t have to come with me, you know.”
Yeah right. Lovie laughed. “You get lost in Chinatown. I can’t even imagine you on your own in another country. Of course, I had to come with you.”
“Your confidence is inspiring,” Jo deadpanned. “I am perfectly capable of looking after myself.” She drew her tiny feet up into the seat and hugged her knees to her chest. “I don’t need a babysitter.”
“Okay, how about a bodyguard?”
Jo snorted. “You’re not much of one.”
Lovie turned, her brow arched. “I’ve got four inches and twenty-five pounds on you. Put on your seatbelt.”
“Yes mom,” Jo said. “I’ve got it all worked out.” She fumbled with her seatbelt. “When I meet The Calum, and I will meet him, I’ll just play it cool and casual. Like I’m not into him at all. Show just enough of the girls to make him pant after me.” Jo smacked the ends together like she was trying to force a size ten foot into a size six shoe. “What’s wrong with this thing?”
“Oh, for the love of…” Lovie reached over and untwisted the contraption, closing it with a snap.
“I had it.”
“Sure.”
“Anyway, as I was saying, I’ll be like a piece of candy that he can’t wait to unwrap.” Throwing her blonde locks over her shoulder, she batted her eyelashes in demonstration.
“So your plan is to lustrate him until he falls in love with you?”
“Good word, lustrate.” Jo grinned. “I’ll have him eating out of my hand. You’ll see.”
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Pick up your copy of The Calum on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, iBooks and Kobo and don’t forget to leave a review!
December 14, 2014
The Calum – Blog tour!
I’m so excited to take The Calum on the road! Follow along with my blog tour as I celebrate my debut release.
December 15th:
December 16th:
December 17th:
December 18th:
December 19th:
December 22nd:
December 9, 2014
Favourite Holiday Ditties with Romance Writers Weekly
Hey there! Did you jingle all the way over here from the lovely and talented Jo Richardson‘s page? If so, thanks for stopping by!
I’m excited because it’s my first time choosing a topic for the blog hop. Naturally, I chose music. I asked everyone to tell me their favourite holiday song. They’re lucky I didn’t ask them to sing it, lol!
Of course, I didn’t think this through. Asking me to tell you my favourite song, in any genre, is…well…impossible. And since this is my party, I’ve decided to cheat. =)
The easiest thing for me to do is tell you my least favourite song. That would be A Christmas Song (Chestnuts Roasting on and Open Fire.) Why? I dunno. Every time I hear it, I become violent. Seriously, it makes my teeth itch. Maybe I’ve been programmed by some secret government agency and that’s my trigger, who knows? I know it’s sacrilege but there you have it.
On to some favourites!
I’ll start with the Carol of the Bells. I love this classic tune, particularly this version by The Bird and the Bee.
And since I am alternagirl, I have to throw in one of my absolute favourite songs of all time – What’s This? from The Nightmare Before Christmas.
Between Halloween and Christmas, this is on repeat on my house for the final months of every year. Next up is an old Basque folk song called Gabriel’s Message. My favourite version was performed by Sting. So haunting…
Finally, I have to post my absolute favourite Hanukkah song of all time. It’s Matishayu‘s Happy Hanukkah and it is ridiculously catchy. Love his music!
So I hope you enjoyed my little musical journey. Hopefully you’ll find some new (or old) songs for your holiday playlist as you hop along our blog tour. Next up is the marvelously gifted A. S. Fenichel. Let’s see what she fa-la-la-likes to hear this time of year! Til next time. =)
December 8, 2014
Cover reveal – The Calum
I was going to wait until tomorrow, but Goodreads beat me to it ehehe. Here it is, the cover for my very first release!
What do you think? Yay, or nay?
December 5, 2014
FoX Friday with S. C. Mitchell! #FriendOfXio
Welcome to another awesome FoX Friday, folks. This week we have my friend S. C. Mitchell and his new release, The Blarmling Dilemma. First of all, this is a gorgeous cover. Love it!
Volume 1 of Steve’s Hearts in Orbit series, The Blarmling Dilemma is a science fiction romance set in the far-flung space traveling future, and sets a new course across the galaxy that leads to love and adventure. Sounds amazing! Here’s a bit more about the book.
“They’re not animals. They’re people!”
Phoebe Callista’s pleas fall on deaf ears and she’s forced to rescue two helpless Blarmlings from certain death. Fleeing across a backwater sector of the galaxy, with Galactic Marshals in hot pursuit, Phoebe falls into the hands of a handsome but determined bounty hunter.
Rigel Antares has captured wanted criminals throughout the galaxy rim, but he’s never come across anything like Phoebe Callista. The gorgeous blonde is playing the innocent, and something deep inside wants to believe her, but Rigel has problems of his own—a ship that’s falling apart and an unscrupulous Galactic Marshal looking for any excuse to send him back to the prison planets of the Theiler System.
An intergalactic circus, vicious space pirates, and a planet full of backtechers cross their paths as two hearts go into orbit to save a pair of adorable Blarmlings.
Sounds like a truly unique and heartwarming story. I’m 1-clicking it now! You can grab a copy on Amazon.
S. C. Mitchell grew up an avid reader of comic books, science fiction and fantasy literature. He’s been writing stories for over thirty years. In 2010 he left his job as a computer desktop support specialist to pursue his passion for writing full time. He is a member of the Romance Writers of America as well as the Wisconsin chapter.
As a writer of paranormal and sci-fi romance, fantasy, and science fiction, Steve crafts unique and wondrous worlds where his characters explore, romp, and fall in love. Whether traveling through dark, demon filled dimensions, the edge of wild space, or ancient mythological heavens, his heroes and heroines, guided by their adventurous hearts, discover hidden strengths on their pathway to enduring love. You can find Steve on his blog, Facebook, Twitter and on his Amazon Author Page.
Also check out Steve’s other books:
Swiftly Beats the Heart (February 2012)
Kindle: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B0077T6F06
Print: http://www.amazon.com/Swiftly-Beats-Heart-S-Mitchell/dp/1470068729/
There’s no such thing as Werewolves (March 2012)
Kindle: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B007KAE45A
Print: http://www.amazon.com/Theres-such-thing-Werewolves-Demons/dp/1475042841/
Video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AIYCHBjxGsw
The Forsaken Templar (May 2012)
Kindle: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B0081S8LPO
Print: http://www.amazon.com/The-Forsaken-Templar-Demons-Rising/dp/1477444599/
Video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QPX0RzpQB7Q
Seeds of Immortality (December 2012)
Kindle: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00AU5OZS8
Print: http://www.amazon.com/Seeds-Immortality-Demons-Rising-Volume/dp/1481862758/
Son of Thunder (February 2013)
Kindle: http://www.amazon.com/Son-Thunder-Heavenly-Series-ebook/dp/B00BJ64GPY
Print: http://www.amazon.com/Son-Thunder-S-C-Mitchell/dp/1619352818/
reGenesis: Dark Awakening (September 2014)
Kindle: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00NRBFJXC
Print: http://www.amazon.com/reGenesis-Dark-Awakening-Volume-1/dp/1502437570/
