D.E. Haggerty's Blog, page 47
April 26, 2017
Character Interview with Ellie & Grant from My Defender #paranormalromance from @AlaneaAlder
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My Defender
Bewitched and Bewildered
Book Eight
Alanea Alder
Genre: Paranormal Romance
Publisher: Sacred Forest Publishing
Date of Publication: April 25, 2017
ISBN: 978-1-941315-18-7
ASIN: B01N18RZXY
Cover Artist: Kim Killion
Tagline: She’s been Bewitched, he’s Bewildered
Book Description:
When a mysterious illness begins to sweep through Noctem Falls affecting the children, Eleanor Kimball is called to the city to see if she can determine what is wrong. As a pediatrician Eleanor loves children and desires many of her own, however, after several dating disasters she has not only sworn off men, but has given up her dream of a family, and the promise of a destined mate.
After discovering Grant in Noctem Falls she is faced with her own insecurities and finds it hard to believe in his love.
Grant Douglas is a man of few words and doesn’t do well surrounded by others. He is scared to death of finding a mate. He believes the harshness of his past, where he struggled to survive, didn’t cultivate a gentle heart. After a series of terrifying nightmares where his mate is at risk, Grant has decided he doesn’t want a mate at all.
When he meets Ellie, he realizes there are some things worth fighting for. Even if it means putting himself out there by becoming the Alpha he was born to be and facing the power he desperately tries to hide.
As Ellie starts to believe in Grant’s love it will take every ounce their combined strength to discover why the shifter children are suddenly falling ill before it’s too late.
Grab a copy!
Amazon Amazon UK Amazon AU Amazon CA
~ Interview with Ellie and Grant ~
What would his/her idea of a perfect date be?
Grant- I would love to take Ellie to an amusement park. I love the rides, the stuffed animals and cotton candy.
What bad habit annoys this person the most?
Grant- Rambling or making too much noise.
Most embarrassing moment?
Ellie- When a date public humiliated her for ordering something other than a salad for dinner. His voice was heard throughout the entire restaurant.
What would he/she like to be remembered for?
Ellie- Curing childhood cancer
Do you have any fears or phobias?
Ellie- Hates closed in spaces due to her animal. She wouldn’t have any room to shift.
What is their most treasured possession?
Ellie- Elephant shaped paperweight for her lab desk, it was a graduation gift from her grandfather.
If he/she knew they only had 24 hours left to live, what would they do with the time they had left?
Grant- Spend every second with Ellie and Benji.
If he/she was stranded on a desert island what one item/person would they want to have with them?
Grant- Ellie
About the Author:
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USA Today Best Selling Author, Alanea loves reading almost as much as she loves writing. She began writing at a very young age, some of her first scribblings are treasured in a keepsake box and written in green marker. She started when she was still in grade school and continued on through college.
She believes that love truly conquers all and that everyone no matter what, deserves a chance at that love and a place they can call home. She absolutely loves to hear from her readers so don’t hesitate to reach out to her. As always, her promise to her readers remains, “If you keep reading, I’ll keep writing!”
Stalk the author!
Website ~ Newsletters ~ Alanea’s Asylum ~ Facebook ~ Twitter ~ Pinterest ~ Tumblr ~ YouTube ~ Goodreads ~ Amazon ~ Promotions Page ~ Blurbs and Teasers ~ Short Stories ~ FAQ
Giveaway
1 Bewitched and Bewildered mystery gift box.
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Making a paperback book out of your eBook #WriterWednesday #Createspace
I don’t sell many paperbacks. When I first started this writing gig, I’d drive up from Germany or fly over from Istanbul to the Netherlands to do book launches (the Dutch not only speak English but many also prefer to read in English leading to English books being widely available – Yeah!). Besides my family, friends, and some former colleagues hardly anyone showed up. Even though I was having tons of fun, I wasn’t increasing my reader basis with these book launches. So, I stopped doing them.[image error]
Why then do I continue to publish a paperback edition of my novels? A few reasons. First of all, I gift my books to my sisters and parents and want to continue doing that. I also buy several copies for myself so that I can donate copies to various charities. Finally, I run giveaways in which the prize is a paperback. I find these giveaways are more successful than giving away an eBook.
[image error]And not a small factor in continuing to publish a paperback edition is that – through a lot of trial and error – I can transform my eBook into a paperback in a few hours. Here’s how I do it:
Set-up. I use trim size 5×8 in Createspace. The document size is therefore index card 5×8. You’ll need to use mirrored margins with the following customization:
Top .39
Bottom .39
Inside .25
Outside .25
Gutter .35
Gutter left
Page numbers. I like centered page numbers. The header and footer margin should be at .39. To make sure page numbers begin at the start of the book (and not with the front material) and stop at the end of the book use continuous section breaks. Just make sure to not link the footer to the previous section.
Middle material. I change the paragraph spacing to 6. Otherwise, there is too much white space in the paperback. You’ll also want to get rid of widow/orphan control. These ensures that paragraphs break over pages instead of staying together, which will leave you with large empty spaces on pages.
Back material. I remove the acknowledgement section at the end and alter the author profile somewhat. It may seem silly, but I like the paperback version of my book to be somewhat serious. (I know, I know, I’m never serious.) All hyperlinks and online contact information should also be deleted.
Front material. The copyright should be changed to refer to print publications instead of electronic. You’ll also need to add the ISBN. Createspace will give you one for free. Unless you’re writing nonfiction, the table of contents can also be deleted.
That’s it! If you follow the above, your book should pass review from Createspace. Now go sell some books!
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The Daily Planet (@TheEarthNetwork)
April 24, 2017
Missing lover. Murdered client. A dominatrix. Spotlight on #Mystery A Glitch in the System @AdamAustAuthor
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Title: A Glitch in the System
Author: Adam Aust
Genre: Mystery/Suspense/Thriller
Published: October 31, 2016
Synopsis
Angela Gianni lived a quiet, alternative life as a dominatrix on the outskirts of Los Angeles—until her closest friend and secret lover both disappeared, and a bloody corpse materialized in her beach bungalow. With no memory of the murder, and bodies piling up as fast as the incriminating evidence against her, Angela’s only hope may be F.B.I. agent John Bancroft and the potential link between his twelve-year-old cold case and her own. But with the walls closing in around her, and her circumstances turning from desperate to dire, Angela might not survive long enough to connect the dots . . .
Grab a copy now!
Amazon ~ iBooks ~ Barnes & Noble ~ Smashwords ~ Kobo
About the Author
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As a litigator in New York City and Washington D.C., and as a neurogenetics and neuropyschiatrics researcher earlier in his career, Adam Aust had more fodder for stories than he could reasonably keep to himself. So, he started writing. A Glitch in the System and Sanity’s Only Skin Deep (a novelette) are the first of his efforts, but other works are on the way. Be the first to experience them by following Adam via the links listed below!
Stalk the author!
Website ~ Facebook ~ Twitter ~ Amazon ~ Goodreads
April 23, 2017
Do you have a love for romance stories? A Love For Romance Release Blitz #Romance #Giveaway
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✰✰RELEASE BLITZ✰✰
A Love For Romance Release Blitz
By SBR Media Authors
Release Date: April 24th
#ALoveForRomance #Anthology #SBRMedia #NewRelease #Romance #PNR #ThrillerSuspense #YoungAdult #NewAdult #99cents #LimitedTime
Do you have a love for romance stories? Included in this anthology are stories that will have you intrigued; make you swoon; all the while warming your heart.
Fifteen SBR Media authors present to you: A Love for Romance.
♡A preview of Trading Yesterday by USA Today Bestselling Author Kahlen Aymes
♡ The Break (Breaking Free, Part 1) by USA Today Bestselling Author Debra Presley
♡ Always Too Late by Micalea Smeltzer
♡ Until the Stars Forget to Shine by Amber Garza
♡ The Only Chance by Magan Vernon
♡ Awakened: A Leila Marx World Novella by Amber Garr
♡ Do You Mind? by Freya Barker
♡ Cock-Blocked by W. Ferraro
♡ What Happens on Spring Break by R.C. Stephens
♡ Always There by Elizabeth Hayes
♡ Falling for Lindy by Ashlee Taylor
♡ Burning the Midnight Oil by Elison Grace
♡ Babysitting for the Biker by Sammi Starlight
♡ Chasing Love by Misha Elliott
#BuyNow
Amazon US: http://amzn.to/2oRk2As
Amazon UK: http://amzn.to/2oRKgCX
Kobo: http://bit.ly/2obQZJg
iTunes: http://apple.co/2lOLYE8
#Giveaway:
Enter here ➜ ➜ http://bit.ly/ALoveForRomanceGiveaway
Add the book to Goodreads ➜ http://bit.ly/2ksu6vd
Title of Book: Trading Yesterday
Author Name: Kahlen Aymes
Genre: Contemporary/New Adult Contemporary
About the Book:
“Professional soccer superstar, Chase (Ace) Forrester, receives a test message from the one woman who broke his heart. His life is on a fast track now, and after years of trying to forget Teagan Tesler, he can finally breathe without wanting to rip his heart from his chest.
Faced with a dilemma that threatens to screw up everything he’s worked for, Chase must decide if seeing Teagan will give him the closure he needs, or crack him open all over again. His head tells him to shut off his phone and ignore the six words screaming from the screen, but his heart tells him to get on a plane, no questions asked.
Title of Book: The Break (Breaking Free, Part 1)
Author Name: Debra Presley
Genre: Thriller/Suspense
About the Book:
“Like a best friend, you’ll root for Rachelle until the end.”– New York Times Bestselling Author Avery Aster
Rachelle wants nothing more than to be free of her husband, Dr. Trey Wellington III.
After one terrible night, she decides it’s time to break free from his abusive, controlling ways. However, her plan goes astray and she finds herself in the fight of her life.
Will Rachelle be able to break away? Or will Trey keep her captive in the hell she’s been living?
This book contains graphic scenes and very sensitive subject matter.
Title of Book: Always Too Late
Author Name: Micalea Smeltzer
Genre: Young Adult Mature
About the Book:
Mathias Wade may be the lead singer of Willow Creek, but he didn’t start out that way.
Once upon a time, he was simply a boy that loved a girl, but their story ended in tragedy.
This is the beginning.
Title of Book: Until Stars Forget To Shine
Author Name: Amber Garza
Genre: Sweet Contemporary Romance
About the Book:
Sequel to UNTIL THE SUN BURNS OUT.
Mina was only a teenager when her first love Austin died tragically. Now she’s an adult back in Inland Cove. And she’s just met the incredibly sexy man who now lives in Austin’s beach house.
Title of Book: The Only Chance
Author Name: Magan Vernon
Genre: Contemporary Romance/Fairytale
About the Book:
Nobody meets their spouse when they’re four-years-old unless they’re living a fairytale.
Veronica “Roni”Chapman and Patrick “Trigg”Chapman thought they were living the ultimate fairytale, then life happened.
With divorce papers served, they thought their relationship was over.
But a tragedy brings them back together.
The only chance they may have to get back together may just happen once upon a dream.
Title of Book: Awakened: A Leila Marx World Novella
Author Name: Amber Garr
Genre: Paranormal Romance / Urban Fantasy
About the Book:
The backstory highlighting the unusual romance between a medium (Elise) and a vampire (Gallus) who are key characters in TOUCHING EVIL.
Title of Book: Do You Mind?
Author Name: Freya Barker
Genre: Erotic Romance
About the Book:
A chance meeting during a routine airport layover holds a hint of excitement.
A casual lunch hints at the promise of unexplored fantasies.
A leap into the unknown has life changing consequences.
Title of Book: Cock-Blocked
Author Name: W. Ferraro
Genre: New Adult
About the Book:
“She’s gorgeous.”
“She’s perfect.”
“She’s so damn sexy.”
She’s my best friend’s little sister.
Title of Book: What Happens on Spring Break
Author Name: R.C. Stephens
Genre: New Adult
About the Book:
Prequel to upcoming release
Uptight Princeton student Sasha Landstone doesn’t mean to fall in love with the laid-back bartender Chris while vacationing in Florida on Spring Break. He’s completely not her type. He’s covered in tattoos, piercings, a man bun, and has an arrogant, condescending personality. But once they kiss it’s electric and all reason escapes them like the waves crashing along the Floridian shore. Too bad she’s his future stepsister…
Title of Book: Always There
Author Name: Elizabeth Hayes
Genre: Contemporary Romance
About the Book:
Taylor and Gabe were best friends. When Taylor and her fiance get into a fight it’s Gabe who she calls. Gabe is tired of seeing Taylor hurt, he decides that it’s time to tell her how he really feels. But will Taylor feel the same way or will she run back to her fiance.
Title of Book: Falling for Lindy
Author Name: Ashlee Taylor
Genre: Y/A – high school
About the Book:
Bad boy Clinton Delaney falls for a girl he’s never noticed before, Rosalind Flannery’s newfound attention from the hottest guy in school leaves a lot to be desired. Although it feels good to have the popular jock making a fool of himself for her attention, is it worth the hassle dealing with the girls who think she’ll never be good enough for him.
Title of Book: Burning the Midnight Oil
Author Name: Elison Grace
Genre: Contemporary Romance
About the Book:
The first four chapter in Burning the Midnight Oil follow me on Wattpad for the rest of the story.
Title of Book: Babysitting for the Biker
Author Name: Sammi Starlight
Genre: Erotic Romance
About the Book:
Willow thought this was just another babysitting job. She gets a big surprise when she finds out it’s for one of the most notorious and sexy bikers in town.
Title of Book: Chasing Love
Author Name: Misha Elliott
Genre: New Adult
About the Book:
Dylan Hevel felt that love was only something that tied and bound you to another person. After the disaster of his parent’s marriage he vowed to never make the same mistake.
After losing everything that mattered most Abigail Love picked up and started life over in the middle of nowhere Alabama vowing to never let her heart be hurt again.
When Dylan needed help for his grandmother he enlists the help of Abigail. As the two spend time together they are forced to face the undeniable spark between them.
As Dylan’s feelings for Abigail come to light, he realizes he has to let go of his skewed view of love in order to take a chance on this woman.
Will Dylan continue to believe that love isn’t in the cards for him-or will he take the leap and chase after love?
Title of Book: Spellbound
Author Name: Ashlee Sinn
Genre: Paranormal Romance
About the Book:
Bo Callaghan has finally met his mate in Kenzie. As a witch in a clan of grizzlies, she can certainly hold her own. But when a particular problem requires her special skills, she quickly realizes just how much they all need each other.
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April 21, 2017
Living in Holland ~ King’s Day and my personal experiences #ExpatLife #Holland
Last week, on Good Friday no less, I talked about how Dutch holidays are centered around religious holidays. There are two exceptions and one of those is about to take place – King’s Day. King’s Day started out over one hundred years ago (1890 to be exact for the history geeks amongst you) as Princess’s Day to celebrate the fifth birthday of (Crown) Princess Wilhelmina and became Queen’s Day when she ascended to the throne. When Wilhelmina’s daughter, Juliana, ascended to the throne in 1948, the holiday was moved to her birthday which was April 30th. When Beatrix ascended to the throne, she kept the April 30th date as her birthday is on January 31st and who wants to have a huge outside party in January?
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King Willem-Alexander, aka Willy but NOT Willem IV
Beatrix abdicated in 2013 and Willem-Alexander ascended to the throne. (He then proceeded to anger the stuffy historians by refusing to take the name Willem IV. His response? I’m not a number!) The holiday then became known as King’s Day and the date changed to Willem-Alexander’s birthday, which is April 27th.
I just have to point out – for those who might have missed it – that the reigning monarch of the Netherlands for over one hundred years was a queen – a woman. And, unlike the United Kingdom where hoops had to be jumped through for the ascension of Queen Elizabeth, the Dutch accepted the eldest daughter of the monarch as the crown princess without reservation. In fact, when Willem-Alexander became King and his wife, Maxima, was crowned as queen next to him many protested that she should not have the title queen.
[image error]I seriously love this country sometimes. Getting upset that the former monarch might be offended by her son’s wife gaining the title of queen? That’s pretty much the definition of girl power right there. And having a century of queens ruling the country? And the 20th Century wasn’t exactly an easy one to maneuver. Oh yeah, I love this country.
Which leads me to my embarrassing moment of the day. When I was researching Buried Appearances, we were living in Germany. I planned a trip to the Netherlands to do some onsite research (and okay maybe visit friends and relatives and have a good time as well). Anyway, I was checking opening times of the Jewish History Museum in the Amsterdam and saw they were closed on King’s Day. I assumed this was some Jewish holiday of which I was unaware and proceeded to spend an hour researching Jewish holidays before I remembered that Beatrix had abdicated the thrown to her son who therefore became king. Major head slap.
So, what’s King’s Day all about anyway? Having a good time and selling crap, preferably while wearing orange. Yes, you read that right. The day is a free market during which anyone can sell their crap … er … gently used goods. This is serious business folks. In neighborhoods, kids will get up hours before the crack of dawn to get a good location. In city centers, it’s a more professional endeavor and taken very seriously. In addition to gently used goods, college students will raise money for their fraternities (these are not just men by the way) by setting up games that usually involve drinking and some form of dare devilness.
Onto my second somewhat embarrassing moment of the day. My first year in the Netherlands, I insisted the hubby take me to Amsterdam for Queen’s Day. It’s The Place to be on Queen’s Day. In addition to the free market, there are concerts, boat rides, food stalls, and all kinds of events. But that’s not all there is because millions of Dutch and tourists descend on Amsterdam for the festivities. I hadn’t counted on that. The early hours were fine except that slowly but surely it was getting more and more crowded. I’m not good in crowds. Not. At. All. At some point, I told the hubby I wanted to go home (it was not a suggestion).
[image error]The train station in Amsterdam is smack dab in the center. Getting there was not fun. We ended up on the Damrak – the main street leading to the station from the palace – and we literally could not move. It was that crowded. I was in full-on panic mode trying to crawl under tables of wares. Fortunately, I spotted a Dutch policeman – thank god the Dutch are so tall – and started trailing him. Apparently people will move out of the way for a police officer with a weapon but not a woman screaming and carrying on. Whatever. We eventually made it to the square in front of the station with a trail of people behind us – all of us following the policeman as he made his way through the street! Needless to say, I haven’t been back to the city for Queen’s or King’s day.
If I manage to get over my fear of crowds, I’ll post some pictures of King’s Day over on my Instagram account. Stay tuned.
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April 20, 2017
Read an excerpt of No End to Trouble, a #mystery from author Marianna Heusler
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NO END TO TROUBLE
Series: A St. Polycarp School Mystery, 3rd in the Series
Prior books in the series: Murder at St. Polycarp, Cappuccino and the Crypt
Author: Marianna Heusler
Genre: Mystery
Published: 2015, Paperback March, 2017
Synopsis
Father Felix, principal of St. Polycarp School, has been called to serve in the Vatican. Although a great honor for Father Felix, it has less than happy consequences for his loyal teachers. The new principal, Mrs. Logan, is a severe, no nonsense administrator, who has a strict code of conduct for the staff. Sensible shoes, conservative clothing, hair in a ponytail (to avoid head lice) and no chocolate. She and her fellow teacher, Mrs. Johnson, are full of dread. For Mrs. Hopwood, a flashy dresser, stiletto heel fan and a chocolate lover, this news is devastating. Making matters worse, Mrs. Hopwood is assigned to a new grade level. The two friends and amateur detectives, or busy bodies in Father Felix’s opinion, have already solved two murders. So when a cafeteria lady dies mysteriously during Parents’ Night, Mrs. Hopwood and Mrs. Johnson have a duel mission, to find a sadistic murderer without getting fired – or killed.
Grab a copy!
Except
To: JuliaHopwood13@gmail.com
From:AJohnson333@aol.com
Re: New Information
Found out a few things through the grapevine –
Mrs. Logan decided to raise the tuition. She wants St. Polycarp to be the most expensive Catholic School in town. That’s all fine and dandy, but what about the families who can’t afford it?
She is going to be calling us on the phone to arrange for a one to one meeting before school starts in September. If I were you, I wouldn’t wear your neon green dress with your hot pink spike heels. You know the outfit I mean? The one you wore to Edith Edleman’s funeral. And all that Jennifer Lopez jewelry you’ve been collecting from Kohls? Not for the interview.
And just so you know –
She is banning all chocolate, so you can forget bribing your students with Hershey kisses. I know that they don’t have nuts in them, but she is going to argue that even chocolate that has no nuts is made on the premises with machines that come in contact with nuts.. Actually all candy and sweets are frowned upon and we’re not supposed to feed the students at all.
There is going to be a hair code. So you can wear your hair curly, but make sure it’s in a ponytail. Head lice.
We have to be very careful of facebooking or twittering, or pinning, because I understand she will check all that.
Now on the interview, we both have to emphasize that we love children and want what’s best for them.
We shouldn’t talk too much about our personal lives. Maybe you shouldn’t talk much at all. You are liable to say the wrong thing. Evidently, she has a strong moral code, doesn’t approve of living together or having affairs. Luckily, for us we are clear on that front (darn it).
So just dress in black, nod your head a lot, smile, (but not too much, she might think you’re an idiot) and repeat over and over that you were born to be a teacher.
I will let you know when I have with more details.
To:AJohnson333@aol.com
From: JuliaHYPERLINK “mailto:HildaHopwood13@gmail.com”Hopwood13@gmail.com
She’s trying to get rid of us.
About the Author
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Marianna Heusler is an Edgar nominated author of nine novels and hundreds of short stories. A former elementary school teacher, she makes her home on the upper eastside of Manhattan, with her husband, Joel, her son, Maximilian and her dog, Dolce.
Stalk the author!
April 19, 2017
Cover reveal ~ Undaunted Debutantes from @CMcKnightWriter #historicalromance #giveaway
Three innocent debutantes must work to solve the mysterious death of their childhood friend. With undaunted determination, they pledge to not only expose the man responsible for their friend’s tragic death on her wedding night, but to also uncover other unscrupulous men of the ton who would jeopardize the future of other young women.
Follow the reveal and enter to #win a $10.00 Amazon Gift Card
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Title: The Disappearance of Lady Edith
Series: The Undaunted Debutantes Series (Book One)
Author: Christina McKnight
Genre: Historical Romance, Regency England
Release Date: May 23, 2017
Word Count: 45,000
Synopsis
One tragic night changed sensible, proper Lady Edith Pelton’s life: when her best friend fell to her death, pushed down a flight of stairs by a nefarious lord. Now, Edith dedicates her time watching the man she thinks is responsible, while gathering other information to expose other scoundrels posing as gentlemen of honor about London. But when her spying is noticed by a perfect stranger, Edith finds herself with two mysteries—what happened to her friend, and how to win the heart of a brilliantly handsome lord.
Pre-order now!
Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Kobo | iBooks
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Title: The Misfortune of Lady Lucianna
Series: The Undaunted Debutantes Series (Book Two)
Author: Christina McKnight
Genre: Historical Romance, Regency England
Release Date: June 13, 2017
Word Count: 45,000
Synopsis
Lady Lucianna Constantine, a quick-witted hellion, has no doubt who is responsible for the murder of her dear friend—and she will stop at nothing from exposing his transgressions, and those of every despicable man in London. Though her two dearest friends were unwilling to point a finger at the dastardly man, Lucianna has witnessed the cruelty of London’s Beau Monde her entire life…starting with her own father. She is more than willing to singlehandedly take down every vile man that crosses her path. However, what happens when a most honorable man discovers Luci is the abhorrent woman who ruined both his life and stripped him of his rightful future?
Pre-order now!
Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Kobo | iBooks
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Title: The Misadventures of Lady Ophelia
Series: The Undaunted Debutantes Series (Book Three)
Author: Christina McKnight
Genre: Historical Romance, Regency England
Release Date: July 11, 2017
Word Count: 45,000
Synopsis
If only Lady Ophelia Fletcher—quiet, reserved, with her nose always stuck in a book—had witnessed the death of her friend that fateful night. Now she writes a column, Mayfair Confidential, that she uses to expose men with unsavory pasts to make amends for holding her tongue the night her dear friend was murdered. She is more than willing to never call attention to herself. But when a handsome stranger arrives to meet with her father, Ophelia can’t help but do a little investigating for her own benefit. At last, Ophelia has stumbled upon an adventure of her own—but does she possess the skills necessary to solve the mystery without the assistance of her friends?
Pre-Order now!
Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Kobo | iBooks
About the author
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Christina McKnight is a book lover turned writer. From a young age, her mother encouraged her to tell her own stories. She’s been writing ever since.
Christina enjoys a quiet life in Northern California with her family, her wine, and lots of coffee. Oh, and her books…don’t forget her books! Most days she can be found writing, reading, or traveling the great state of California.
Stalk her!
Website | Facebook | Twitter | Goodreads | Amazon
Easy Formatting for Smashwords #WriterWednesday #Selfpublishing #Smashwords
Like most self-published authors, I use two platforms to publish my works: Amazon and Smashwords. Like it or not, if you want to sell books, you need to be on Amazon. And truth be told, their platform is the most user-friendly of the bunch. But Amazon is not the end all be all. If you also use the Smashwords platform, your book will be distributed to all the remaining major booksellers: Barnes & Noble, iTunes, Kobo, etc.
A lot of writers have trouble with formatting. As a lawyer, I’m intimately acquainted with Microsoft Word. Not what you expect, but it’s true. Lawyers are always writing documents, and we use a lot of formatting in those contracts you hate. My former law firm once had one of our clients (we specialized in IT) come and give us a class in Word. I’m not exaggerating when I say we knew more about Word functions than the so-called expert.
[image error]Today’s blog is not about my stellar Word capabilities. Nope. This blog is a down and dirty guide to formatting for Smashwords. I always write my manuscripts in a Word template that is set up to Amazon standards. This guide will show you in just a few steps how to format that Amazon template into a Smashwords document. It’s easy. Annoying, time consuming, and boring but easy. Here are the only five steps you need to take:
Spacing between paragraphs. Smashwords doesn’t allow spacing between paragraphs. (If you want to get nitpicky, you can have spacing in Smashwords but not if you indent the first sentence of each paragraph.) You’ll need to go chapter by chapter and remove the spacing. Like I said – time consuming.
Copyright page. Smashwords requires you to include the fact that this version is the Smashwords edition in the copyright page.
Hyperlinks. You probably have links to all of your books at the end of your book. You’ll need to change these to Smashwords links. In fact, check to make sure any and all links in your manuscript do not link to any competitor to Smashwords. Linking to a competitor is an automatic rejection of premium catalog status.
Table of contents. Frankly, this is a bitch. I don’t care what Mark Coker says. The standard table of contents in Word is super easy – unlike making a table of contents for Smashwords. This will take several steps:
Delete the table of contents you’ve made for Amazon
Make (and title) a new table of contents page. Type out the chapter titles. Yes, by hand.
Add a bookmark to each actual chapter. I just use chapter1, chapter2, etc. There are no spaces allowed when adding a bookmark name.
Go back to the table of contents and add an internal hyperlink to each chapter title to each bookmark.
You can add a return to TOC link under each chapter, but I don’t. I find it disruptive as a reader.
MS 97-2003 doc. Once you’ve done the above, save the document as an MS 97-2003 doc.
I’m not an expert or anything (despite the above bragging), but if you follow the above steps, you’ll find your manuscript is accepted by Smashwords for the premium catalog without issue.
Next week, I’ll tell you how to alter your ebook Word document into a paperback version for CreateSpace. Exciting stuff. Sarcasm intended.
April 18, 2017
Take a First Look at Forbidden Promises by @katee_robert #romance #giveaway
New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Katee Robert delivers the next book in her sizzling O’Malleys family series, hailed as “The Godfather meets Romeo & Juliet.” FORBIDDEN PROMISES features Sloan O’Malley and her mysterious new next-door neighbor, Jude MacNamara.
Meet Jude!
Pre-order FORBIDDEN PROMISES and add it to your TBR pile on Goodreads! Then keep reading to get a sneak peek at FORBIDDEN PROMISES and to enter the giveaway for a $15 Amazon gift card!
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Title: Forbidden Promises
Author: Katee Robert
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Release Date: May 30, 2017
Publisher: Grand Central/Forever
Series: The O’Malleys
Page Count: 336 pages
Format: Digitial and Print
ASIN: B01KT7YSJM
ISBN-13: 9781455597031
Synopsis
Some lines should never be crossed . . . not even for love.
Sloan O’Malley just left her entire world behind-her family, her wealth, and even her real name. For the first time in her life, she’s free. She can live the “normal” life she’s always wanted. A life without fear. But there’s nothing safe about her intensely sexy next-door neighbor.
Jude MacNamara has no room for innocence in his life. Only revenge. Still, he’s never been able to walk away from the forbidden, and Sloan-who is every inch of pure, mouthwatering temptation-has forbidden written all over her. Only after it’s way too late does he discover the real danger: claiming Sloan as his puts a target on her back. To protect her, Jude is willing risk everything . . . and to hell with the consequences.
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Giveaway
Enter to win a $15 Amazon Gift Card from Katee Robert!
Excerpt
Copyright © 2017 Katee Robert
She nearly tripped over Jude when she opened the door, and that was the last straw. “What is your problem?”
He raised a single eyebrow, not looking perturbed in the least. “Sorry?”
“No, you’re not. You’re not sorry that you turned me down last night, or that you left in a hurry, or that you were an…an insufferable jackass this morning.”
If anything, his eyebrow inched higher. “You’re in a mood.”
“Are you kidding me?” She pushed at his chest, but he didn’t even pretend she had the strength to move him. “You weren’t interested last night, so you don’t get to waltz into the diner and order me to go out with you. I’ve taken orders my entire life, and I’ll be damned before I take one from you.” The outburst left her feeling deflated, but she clamped her mouth shut and refused to apologize. Maybe she was being the slightest bit dramatic, but that didn’t mean she was wrong.
Jude took a step closer, towering over her, his shoulders so broad, they filled the doorway. “Are you done?”
Just like that, she had a whole lot more to say. “Actually—”
“That was a rhetorical question, sunshine.” His big hand cupped the back of her neck, his thumb tracing over her jaw and up to drag against her bottom lip.
The touch shocked her into silence.
For a moment. “Jude—”
Apparently he wasn’t finished. “I didn’t say no last night because I wasn’t interested. I wouldn’t have apologized—twice—if I wasn’t interested.”
“But—”
“You want to know the truth? The truth is that I can’t look at you without wanting to strip you down, to run my hands over that tight little body of yours, to spread those sweet thighs and fuck you with my tongue until you’re screaming my name and begging for mercy.”
She swayed, her anger, her ability to think or move or talk or do anything except stare helplessly at him, all gone. She licked her lips, forgetting that his thumb was there, and stroked him with her tongue instead. His chocolate eyes went even darker, and he suddenly seemed larger.
Say something.
“You shouldn’t say things like that.”
“It’s the fucking truth, sunshine.” He stroked her bottom lip with his thumb, his hand gentle yet holding her in place easily. “You’re a good girl. I don’t have to spend any time with you to know that. You deserve better than the likes of me, even for a fuck. But that’s the difference between us. I’m not good. I might as well be the goddamn devil as far as you’re concerned, but I’ve never been good at walking away when I have my mind set on something. And, sunshine, I have my mind set on you.”
She couldn’t speak, couldn’t take a step, though she was at a loss if she’d move away from or toward him. It was like he held her captive with only a single hand, stalling out any and all reasoning ability.
Jude’s grip tightened, ever so slightly. “I was going to take you out. It’s not my scene, but I was willing to give it a shot. I changed my mind.” He stepped into her, his chest lightly pressed against her breasts, his thighs bracketing hers, his…Oh my good lord. His hard length pressed against her stomach, and it felt perfectly in proportion with the rest of his massive body, not that she was an expert on these matters.
His other hand came to rest on her hip, fingers bunching the fabric of her dress as he kneaded her. “Tell me to stop, and it’s done. I’ll walk away, and I’ll do my damnedest to leave you alone. Tell me to walk away, sunshine. Just say the words.”
She knew he was right. He was no good for her, and this would only end in tears on her part. The man wasn’t asking to date her. He didn’t want to get to know her. He was telling her all the things he’d do to her body.
But she couldn’t say the words to make him leave.
Sloan had never taken anything for herself in her entire life. She’d stayed in the background and gone with the flow and done everything in her power to play least in sight. Her brothers ran off any boy remotely interested in her, and she’d allowed it to happen. If her father had decided to move forward on his plans to marry her off, she would have walked down the aisle to a man of his choosing.
She’d never done a single selfish thing in her life until she asked Teague to help her escape.
Until she tentatively ran her hands up Jude’s chest, sucking in her breath at the way his muscles tensed beneath her fingers. Until she looked up into his stormy dark eyes and said the word that would damn them both. “Stay.”
Praise for The O’Malleys Series
“It can be hard to make a ruthless assassin into a sympathetic character, but Robert handles the task with ease. She also deftly shows Sloan’s transformation from a pampered and protected naïf to a strong woman with a backbone of pure steel. A tension-filled plot full of deceit, betrayal, and sizzling love scenes will make it impossible for readers to set the book down.”—Publishers Weekly on FORBIDDEN PROMISES
“You will finish it in one sitting and die after you’re done because the next book isn’t out yet. This was one sexy ride!”—Reviewer Top Pick, Night Owl Reviews on FORBIDDEN PROMISES
“Two story lines end up converging into one explosive finale at the end. A great read from the talented Robert!” —RT Book Reviews
“Katee Robert’s has created a fictional underworld of such veracity, that one almost expects the characters to turn up on the front-page news. It never feels over the top or implausible; the author writes extremely well-crafted stories… The romance between Cillian and Olivia is very beautiful, tender and real.”—Fresh Fiction on AN INDECENT PROPOSAL
“Will keep you turning pages.”—RT Book Reviews on THE WEDDING PACT
“If you like angsty reads, this book is right up your wheelhouse.”—Heroes & Heartbreakers on THE WEDDING PACT
“Dark, dirty, and dead sexy.”—Tiffany Reisz, bestselling author of The Original Sinners series, on THE MARRIAGE CONTRACT
Other Books in The O’Malleys Series
THE MARRIAGE CONTRACT
THE WEDDING PACT
AN INDECENT PROPOSAL
UNDERCOVER ATTRACTION (Coming soon!)
About Katee Robert
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New York Times and USA TODAY bestselling author Katee Robert learned to tell her stories at her grandpa’s knee. Her 2015 title, The Marriage Contract, was a RITA finalist, and RT Book Reviews named it ‘a compulsively readable book with just the right amount of suspense and tension.” When not writing sexy contemporary and romantic suspense, she spends her time playing imaginary games with her children, driving her husband batty with what-if questions, and planning for the inevitable zombie apocalypse.
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April 17, 2017
Read an excerpt & my review of The Unlikeable Demon, #urbanfantasy from @wildeauthor #giveaway
[image error]The Unlikeable Demon Hunter
Nava Katz
Book One
Deborah Wilde
Genre: Urban Fantasy Romance
Publisher: Te Da Media
Date of Publication: April 18, 2017
ISBN: 978-0-9920709-8-4
ISBN: 978-0-9920709-9-1
ASIN: B01MR8GI6B
Number of pages: 420
Word Count: 87,400
Cover Artist: Damonza
Synopsis
Bridesmaids meets Buffy with a dash of the seven deadly sins.
The age-old story of what happens when a foul-mouthed, romance impaired heroine with no edit button and a predilection for hot sex is faced with her worst nightmare–a purpose
Ari Katz is intelligent, driven, and will make an excellent demon hunter once initiated into the Brotherhood of David. However, this book is about his twin Nava: a smart-ass, self-cultivated hot mess, who is thrilled her brother is stuck with all the chosen one crap.
When Nava half-drunkenly interrupts Ari’s induction ceremony, she expects to be chastised. What she doesn’t expect is to take her brother’s place among the–until now–all-male demon hunters. Even worse? Her infuriating leader is former rock star Rohan Mitra.
Too bad Rohan’s exactly what Nava’s always wanted: the perfect bad boy fling with no strings attached, because he may also be the one to bring down her carefully erected emotional shields. That’s as dangerous as all the evil fiends vying for the bragging rights of killing the only female ever chosen for Demon Club.
Odds of survival: eh.
Odds of having a very good time with Rohan before she bites it: much better.
Grab a copy now!
My Review
This novel has such a fun premise – Jewish demon hunters with a female protagonist? Who doesn’t love a female bada$$? I totally had to give it a try. Wilde was not joking when she titled the book The Unlikeable Demon Hunter. Nava is definitely not likeable and I tried really, really hard to like her. I don’t mind a foul mouth. I have one of those myself. But I found her sexual references crude and her obsession with sex was more than a bit out of hand. It made her seem less lost girl and more wanton woman.
Aside from Nava’s ‘issues’, the story was good. I was definitely flipping pages wondering where this was all going. To my disappointment (and a whole lot of swearing on my part), the book just ended. Of course, I knew this was book one but the narrative stopped at a strange point. It didn’t feel like a natural place to stop and more like the author hit her word count goal and stopped.
Excerpt
Mornings after sucked.
Walks of shame were a necessary evil, but that didn’t mean I enjoyed shimmying back into the same trollop togs twice. I picked glitter out of my hair, then straightened my sequined top. I was officially decommissioning it. Multiple washings never quite managed to remove the lingering aura of bad decisions I made while wearing party clothes. My philosophy? Cross my fingers and hope for the most bang for the bucks spent later on new outfits.
The surly cabbie evil-eyed me to hurry up.
I complied, rooting around in my clutch for some crumpled bills before handing them over and stumbling out of the taxi onto the sidewalk.
Fresh air was a godsend after the stale bitter coffee smell I’d been trapped with during the ride. I pressed a finger to my temple, a persistent dull throb stabbing me behind my eyeballs. My residual feel good haze clashed big-time with the glaring sun screaming at me to wake up, and the buzz of a neighbor’s lawnmower cutting through the Sunday morning quiet didn’t help matters. Best get inside.
Smoothing out my mini skirt, I readied myself for my tame-my-happy-slut-self-to-boring-PG-rating body check when a wave of dizziness crashed through me. Whoa. I brought my gaze back to horizon level, swallowing hard. That sea-sickness technique was doing dick-all so I rummaged in my bag for my ginger chews.
No puking in the bushes, I chided myself, letting the spicy smooth and sweet candy fight my nausea. My mother would toss my bubble ass out if I defiled her precious rhodos.
Again.
The rise and fall of my chest as I took a few deep breaths spotlit a slight problem. My spangly blouse was missing two buttons. And I was missing a bra. Hook-up Dude had been worth the loss of a pair of socks, maybe a bargain bin thong. But the latest in purple push-up technology? No. I allowed myself a second to mourn. It had been a good and loyal bra.
The sex, on the other hand? Total crap. The girls, who were normally perky C cups, seemed a bit subdued. I couldn’t blame them. What’s-his-name had started out with all the promise of a wild stallion gallop, but he’d ended up more of a gentle trot. I didn’t know if the fault lay with the jockey or the ride, but it had been a long time since I’d seen a finish line.
Since I couldn’t keep examining my tits on the front walk with Mrs. Jepson side-eyeing me from behind her living room curtains, I thrust my chin up and clacked a staccato rhythm toward my front door on those mini torture chambers that had seemed such a good idea yesterday.
Every step made our precisely manicured lawn undulate. I clamped my lips shut, willing the ginger chews to kick in while fumbling my key into the lock. Dad had screwed up the measurements on our striking cedar and stained glass front door and, being a touch too big for the frame, it needed to be shouldered open.
I crashed into the door like a linebacker. Once I’d extricated myself and my keys from the lock, I brushed myself off, and stepped inside. Our house itself was comfortably upper middle class but not huge, since my parents preferred to spend money on trips and books instead of the overpriced real estate found in here in Vancouver. A quick glance to my left showed that the TV room was empty. I crossed my fingers that Mom and Dad were out at their squash game, my main reason for picking this specific time to sneak back in.
Really, a twenty-year-old shouldn’t have had to sneak. But then again, a twenty-year-old probably should have kept her last menial job for longer than two weeks, so I wasn’t in a position to argue rights.
I kicked off my shoes, sighing in delight at the feel of cool tile under my bare feet as I padded through the house to our homey kitchen. No one was in there either. Someone, probably Mom, had tacked the envelope with my final–and only–pay stub from the call center that I’d left lying around onto our small “miscellaneous” cork board. The gleaming quartz counters were now free of their usual clutter of papers, books, and latest gourmet food find. That meant company. Come to think of it, I did hear someone in the living room.
A study in tasteful shades of white, the large formal room was off-limits unless we had special guests. Mom had set that rule when my twin brother Ari and I were little tornados running around the place and while there was no longer a baby gate baring our way, conditioning and several memorable scoldings kept us out.
Hmmm. Could Ari be entertaining an actual human boy? Le gasp.
I beelined for the back of the house, past the row of identically framed family photos hanging in a neat grid, my head cocked. Listening for more voices, but all was quiet. Maybe I’d been wrong? I hoped not. Both finding my brother with a crush–blackmail dirt–and helping myself to the liquor cabinet were positive prospects. What better way to lose that hangover headache than get drunk again? Oh, the joys of being Canadian with socialized health care and legal drinking age of nineteen. After a year (officially) honing that skill, I imbibed at an Olympic level.
The red wine on the modular coffee table gleamed in a shaft of sunlight like its position had been ordained by the gods. I snatched up the crystal decanter, sloshing the liquid into the glass conveniently placed next to it. Once in a while, a girl could actually catch a break.
I fanned myself with one hand. The myriad of lit candles seemed a bit much for Ari’s romantic encounter, but wine drinking trumped curiosity so I chugged the booze back. My entire body cheered as the cloyingly-sweet alcohol hit my system, though I hoped it wasn’t Manischewitz because hangovers on that were a bitch. I’d slugged back half the contents when I saw my mom on the far side of the room clutch her throat, eyes wide with horror. Not her usual, “you need an intervention” horror. No, her expression indicated I’d reached a whole new level of fuck-up.
“Nava Liron Katz,” she gasped in full name outrage.
My cheeks still bulging with wine, I properly scoped out the room. Mom? Check. Dad? Check. Ari? Check? Rabbi Abrams, here to perform the ceremony to induct my brother as the latest member in the Brotherhood of David, the chosen demon hunters?
Check.
I spit the wine back into what I now realized was a silver chalice and handed it to the elderly bearded rabbi. “Carry on,” I told him. Then I threw up on his shoes.
About the Author
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A global wanderer, hopeless romantic, and total cynic with a broken edit button, Deborah writes adult urban fantasy to satisfy her love of smexy romances and tales of chicks who kick ass. She is all about the happily-ever-after, with a huge dose of hilarity along the way. “It takes a bad girl to fight evil. Go Wilde.”
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Tour giveaway
1 signed paperback copy The Unlikeable Demon Hunter
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