Margo Bond Collins's Blog, page 156
November 17, 2013
Interview with Author Eric Asher
Hello, and welcome to guest author Eric Asher, who writes urban fantasy. Welcome, Eric!
Let’s start with the thing many readers most want to know: Any advice for aspiring writers?
Do not give up. Just write. Your first draft on any work will probably suck, so rewrite it. A lot. There is no better way to learn than to do.
What is your personal writing process?
I do a very rough outline of where the story is going. It’s a timeline with the large events of the story plotted out, and then I’m left to come up with interesting ways for the characters to get between the events.
Who are a few authors you look up to?
C.S. Friedman is always at, or at least near, the top of the list of authors I look up to. The Coldfire Trilogy, starting with Black Sun Rising, has been my favorite series for a rather long time now. Some other authors include Neil Gaiman, David Drake, Tad Williams, and Patricia Briggs.
What book are you reading now?
I am currently reading the serial In Darkness We Must Abide by Rhiannon Frater. It is a seriously enjoyable vampire read!
What inspired you to write your first book?
I’ve always enjoyed making up stories, which I can only guess came from my love of reading. I had some fantastic teachers in high school that always urged me to pursue writing. It wasn’t until about 2005 when I realized I really wanted to sit down and write an entire novel.
What books have most influenced your life most?
In regards to expanding my love of the fantasy genre, I will always owe thanks to Robert Asprin for his Myth Adventures series. They are such a wonderful blend of humor and adventure that I loved when I was a kid. Northworld by David Drake single handedly turned me into a huge fan of military science fiction.
If you had to do it all over again, would you change anything in your latest book?
No, I’m actually very happy with the end result of Wolves and the River of Stone.
What do you find particularly challenging about writing?
Finding my own typos. My brain is very good at hiding typos from me. Thankfully my editor has a great eye for them.
Have you ever used characteristics from someone you know in one of your books?
I’m sure there are small pieces and quirks and personality traits that have been influenced by people I know, but no character is intentionally based on any one person.
Where can readers find you and your work?
Currently you can find Days Gone Bad and Wolves and the River of Stone at the following locations:
Days Gone Bad
Amazon: http://amzn.com/B00BDUUXSA
B&N: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/days-gone-bad-eric-asher/1114587408?ean=2940044308510
iTunes: https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/days-gone-bad/id603215266?mt=11&uo=4
Kobo: http://store.kobobooks.com/en-US/ebook/days-gone-bad
Wolves and the River of Stone
Amazon: http://amzn.com/B00G13BDVA
B&N: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/wolves-and-the-river-of-stone-eric-asher/1117191316?ean=2940148559825
Spotlight On: Into the Fire, by Jodi McIsaac
Into the Fire: Book Two of the Thin Veil Series
Cedar McLeod would like nothing more than to return to Tír na nÓg, help rebuild the mythical kingdom, and start a new life for herself and her daughter, Eden. But peace is isn’t what Cedar finds after being reunited with her little girl.
Nuala—who kidnapped and terrorized Eden in her previous bid for power—has returned and is making a persuasive claim for the vacant throne. The devastation such a ruler would bring upon both the kingdom and the human world is unthinkable. With no one else to stake a convincing counter-claim, Cedar steps forward . . . but first she must prove her worth beyond a doubt.
Her opportunity comes when she is charged with finding an ancient treasure, the Stone of Destiny, and returning it to its rightful home. It is a quest that will lead her to question her beliefs, and push her loyalties to their limits. If she succeeds, Cedar could grant her new world and her new family a chance to flourish again. If not . . . destruction may be the only path ahead.
Into the Fire, the second book in the Thin Veil series, is a captivating blend of Celtic myth, mystery, and adventure that delves deeper into the ancient world first explored in Through the Door.
Goodreads Link: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/15852286-into-the-fire?ac=1
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Book 1: Through the Door
It’s been seven years since the love of Cedar McLeod’s life left with no forwarding address. All she has left of him are heart-wrenching memories of happier times and a beautiful six-year-old daughter, Eden. Then, one day, Eden opens her bedroom door and unwittingly creates a portal that leads to anywhere she imagines.
But they’re not the only ones who know of Eden’s gift, and soon the child mysteriously vanishes.
Desperate for answers, Cedar digs into the past and finds herself thrust into a magical world of Celtic myths, fantastical creatures, and bloody rivalries. Teaming up with the unlikeliest of allies, Cedar must bridge the gap between two worlds and hold tight to the love in her heart…or lose everything to an ancient evil.
The first in the Thin Veil series, Through the Door is a pulse-pounding adventure that takes readers across the globe and deep into the hidden realms of Celtic lore.
Goodreads Link: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/17171950-through-the-door
Amazon Link: http://www.amazon.com/Through-Door-Thin-Veil-ebook/dp/B00AJXXA4G/
About the Author: Hello! I’m the author of THROUGH THE DOOR, the first book in the Celtic urban fantasy series The Thin Veil. Book #2, INTO THE FIRE, is being released November 12, 2013.
I grew up in New Brunswick, Canada. After stints as a short-track speed skater, a speechwriter, and fundraising and marketing executive in the nonprofit sector, I started a boutique copywriting agency and began writing novels in the wee hours of the morning. I currently live with my husband and two feisty daughters in Calgary, Alberta.
Links:
Website: http://www.jodimcisaac.com/
Twitter: @jodimcisaac
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/5826477.Jodi_McIsaac
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/jodimcisaac
November 16, 2013
Author Interview: Kathryn Dionne
Welcome today to Kathryn Dionne, who has graciously offered to allow us to interview her! Kathryn is the author of
What do you write about? Tell us a little about your previously published works.
I like to write action/adventure novels with a bit of the supernatural thrown in. My Eleventh Hour trilogy is a supernatural thriller that takes place in Israel and is about an archaeologist, Sophia Conrad, who uncovers a scroll thought to be the personal diary of Jesus. As she begins to translate the scroll, she discovers that this is a book of prophecy foretelling the end times, and that she has been chosen to save mankind from the next cataclysmic event. But when she finds a piece of fabric tucked inside the scroll, it propels her and her husband, a geneticist, into a life of science, secrecy and government conspiracy.
I’ve also written a children’s book called Derek The Fireless Dragon. It’s a book of humorous and hopefully touching poems suitable of children ages 5-10.
How do you handle bad reviews?
Bad reviews are like getting a shot; they sting for a moment but ultimately they will make you better. I was devastated the first time I get a bad review. The person said my books had; “brevity of character and predictable chase scenes.” It’s no secret that most of us starting out receive our first reviews from our friends and family who think we are writing geniuses. So when we do get our first negative comment, it busts a hole in our protective bubble causing us to face reality. And that is the good part about getting a bad review. It forces you to look at your work from someone’s unbiased perspective. In my case, I had to ask myself; were my characters somewhat shallow? And if so, what could I do to make them more believable?
Bad reviews are inevitable. As the old saying goes; you can’t please everyone all of the time. But if you can glean nuggets of insight from those bad reviews and use them to make your work better, then those negative comments will have served you well.
Any advice for aspiring writers?
One of my favorite authors, Richard Bach, summarizes my advise for aspiring writers so beautifully. The difference between a writer and an author is; an author is a writer who didn’t give up.
If you’re anything like me, you have had this desire to write for a very long time. I like to think that the need to tell a story was placed in my heart for a very specific reason; because someone needed to read what I had to write. If you look at it from the perspective of writing a story to touch or inspire someone else, then the path of becoming an author becomes one of service and not so much one of self-gratification. So my advice is to never give up because if you do, then you could be depriving someone of something they needed at that specific moment in their life.
What is your personal writing process?
This might seem a little strange, but before I start actually writing a new book, I have an imaginary party for all of my characters. I send them an invitation and have them bring a guest. When they introduce me to their guest, I take note of who they are, what they look like and their name. Most likely, these characters will either appear in the book that I’m working on or will appear in a future book.
I did this while I was writing The Eleventh Hour trilogy. I threw a party and invited an astrologer. I gave all of my characters birthdays and had the astrologer do an astrological chart on all of them. It gave me a tremendous insight into who my characters were, their likes, dislikes, idiosyncrasies, and so many other interesting tidbits about them. I found it to be a very fun way of building the bones of my characters and breathing life into them.
What books are you reading now?
Right now I’m reading The Strategist, by John Hardy Bell, Therapy for Ghosts, by Eric Praschan, and my mother’s North American Bird book because it has all of her handwritten notes, comments in the margins, and the dates when she saw each of the birds. It makes me feel like she’s still with me.
What inspired you to write your first book?
Have you ever had a dream seem so real that when you woke up, you didn’t know if it was a horrible nightmare or a premonition of things to come? The Eleventh Hour Trilogy is based on a horrifying end-of-the-world dream I had over 15 years ago that still haunts me to this day. I cried for weeks afterwards because the images were so devastating to me. So I took that dream and incorporated it into the story, making it the potential cause for mankind’s demise. I even gave one of my characters that exact vision in book 2 of the trilogy.
If you had to do it all over again, would you change anything in your latest book?
The good news is having an ebook allows you to change the content at will and reload it. I have tweaked all three books many times, changing bits and pieces to help make the story better. But at some point an author needs to quit revamping their work and just let it go so that they can work on their next project. I think I’m finally at that point.
If there was one message you could send to everybody who reads your books, what would it be?
The message would be that I believe we are all connected, and what we say and do truly does matter. We have the power to move mountains or destroy them based on our words and actions. The choice is ours.
What inspires you to write?
That would have to be my mother, Helen. She always encouraged me to follow my dreams of being a writer. When I was young, I would write something, give it to her and then forget about it. I had no idea she kept all of them. But on my 50th birthday she presented me a photo album chronologically documenting my life. The album not only contained photos of me growing up, but it had all of the original hand-written poems that I’d ever written. (It was a very full album.) I had no idea she had kept them all these years. Now that she is no long with me, I miss handing her the poems and stories for her to read. But I can still hear her voice whispering in my ear to; just keep writing!
Where can readers find you and your work?
I would love to have your viewers connect with me via my website, twitter, Facebook or Amazon.
https://twitter.com/1KathrynDionne?refsrc=email
https://www.facebook.com/kathryn.dionne.9
http://www.amazon.com/Kathryn-Dionne/e/B00B0NU650/
Thank you so much for this opportunity to chat with you and your viewers.
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About the Author
Kathryn Dionne, the author of The Eleventh Hour trilogy and Derek The Fireless Dragon, lives in Southern California with her husband, Jeff, and their two Shar Peis, Bogey and Gracie.
From an early age, Kathryn’s love of treasure hunting sparked an interest in archaeology. As an amateur archaeologist, she’s been fortunate enough to uncover some very unique artifacts in different parts of the globe. However, she’s still searching for that very special scroll.
In addition to writing, she manages their five-acre property and their grove of Italian olive trees. Her husband has lovingly named their business Saint Kathryn’s Olive Oil.
In her spare time, she makes cookie jars and throws pottery in her studio. She also creates mosaics from discarded objects and sells them under the category of Found Art.
She is currently writing a new series called Chasing Time, which she hopes to have published some time in 2013.
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November 15, 2013
Spotlight On: Melissa Foster
Synopsis
Danica and Kaylie Snow are about to celebrate the biggest day of their lives—their double wedding—on an island in the Bahamas. But no wedding is complete without a little family drama. The two sisters aren’t ready to face the father they haven’t seen since he divorced their mother and moved away to marry his mistress, and live with Lacy, the half sister they’ve never met.
While Danica has exchanged letters and phone calls with Lacy, Kaylie has fervently tried to pretend she doesn’t exist. Lacy is sweet, fun, and nearly a mirror image of Kaylie. To make matters worse, not only is Lacy looking forward to meeting her sisters, but she idolizes them, too. As the countdown to the wedding date ticks on, their parents are playing a devious game of revenge, and there’s a storm brewing over the island, threatening to cancel their perfect wedding. The sisters are about to find out if the bond of sisterhood really trumps all.
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Book Links
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/18242157-sisters-in-white?from_search=true
B&N: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/sisters-in-white-melissa-foster/1117118587?ean=2940148419204
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About the Author, Melissa Foster
Melissa Foster is the award-winning author of four International bestselling novels. Her books have been recommended by USA Today’s book blog, Hagerstown Magazine, The Patriot, and several other print venues. She is the founder of the Women’s Nest, a social and support community for women, the World Literary Café. When she’s not writing, Melissa helps authors navigate the publishing industry through her author training programs on Fostering Success. Melissa is also a community builder for the Alliance for Independent Authors. She has been published in Calgary’s Child Magazine, the Huffington Post, and Women Business Owners magazine.
Melissa hosts an annual Aspiring Authors contest for children and has painted and donated several murals to The Hospital for Sick Children in Washington, DC. Melissa lives in Maryland with her family.
Visit Melissa on The Women’s Nest, Fostering Success, or World Lit Cafe. Join Melissa and the YaYa Writer Girls at their annual in-person event. Melissa enjoys discussing her books with book clubs and reader groups, and welcomes an invitation to your event.
Twitter: https://twitter.com/Melissa_Foster
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MelissaFosterAuthor
Website: http://www.melissafoster.com/
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Giveaway
November 14, 2013
Spotlight On: Dreams of the Cursed, by Allie Jean
![Pageflex Persona [document: PRS0000038_00074]](https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/hostedimages/1384554978i/6901710.jpg)
Dreams of the Cursed
Dreamers #2
By: Allie Jean
Blurb
A secret war has waged underneath the notice of humanity since the beginning. The Warriors inherited this fight and are honor bound to rid the world of an ancient evil by guarding the most precious, piercing light against the darkness – their female kin known as the Oracles.
Chantal Breelan has suffered from horrific nightmares for most of her life, believing something to be wrong with her to have such visions of destruction. But when creatures of darkness came crawling out of the shadows to hunt her down, her dreams became reality.
Now, Chantal has picked up the reigns of her birthright and stood by her Warrior kin. She’s on a mission to rescue others like herself. Yet in this challenge a battle of wits is exposed. New players are discovered, throwing strategies into question. When the truth comes to light, can Chantal hold her band of brothers together, or will they crumble under the weight of betrayal.
Link to Follow the Tour: http://tastybooktours.blogspot.com/2013/08/now-booking-tasty-review-tour-for_4562.html
Trailer: http://youtu.be/13CqOx-s3oY
Buy Links
Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Dreams-Cursed-Allie-Jean/dp/1612131670/ref=sr_1_cc_1?s=aps&ie=UTF8&qid=1380683333&sr=1-1-catcorr&keywords=Dreams+of+the+cursed
B&N: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/dreams-of-the-cursed-allie-jean/1116891760?ean=9781612131672
Author Info
Allie Jean was born with an overactive imagination. She spent her childhood inventing stories and telling tales. Her mind never shut down, even while she slept. Vivid dreams containing extensive, elaborate plot lines of good overcoming evil villains captured her nightly visions, lingering into her waking hours and filling the pages of her well-loved bounded diaries. She was encouraged by her parents, even at a young age, to write down her tales, and it has remained a somewhat secret hobby. As a busy wife, mother and critical care nurse, Allie’s love of storytelling has been reborn through the adventures of her unforgettable characters.
Author Links
Website: http://alliejean.net
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/authoralliejean
Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/alliejeands
Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/5836035.Allie_Jean
Rafflecopter Giveaway (TWO $5.00 Amazon Gift Cards, TWO Autographed Poster and Paperback Set, ONE Autographed Set of DREAMERS SERIES)
a Rafflecopter giveaway
Spotlight On: The Trust Me Trilogy, by KE Osborn
Trust Me
The Trust Me Trilogy
Book 1
KE Osborn
Genre: Adult Contemporary Romance
ISBN: 9780992333805
ASIN: B00F0G6JRW
Number of pages: 283 pages
Word Count: approx 89,000
Book Description:
When Jenifer Taylor, a young woman from the big City of Mornington Vale California starts her day, it turns from bad to worse, when on her way to work she’s involved in a chain collision.
Jeni is content with her life, dull and boring as it is, because being absent from the dating scene, means she doesn’t have to deal with the major trust issues she has with men. Her trust issues stem from a controlling and aggressive ex-boyfriend, and an absentee father. She’s happy being alone, sharing her life with her friends and family.
Her world changes forever when she meets Aiden O’Connell, the billionaire son of Alistair O’Connell, who owns Mornington Vale’s largest financial incorporation. Aiden is an up and coming young businessman, who’s ready to take on the Vice Presidency in his father’s incorporation. He’s focused on the business, and life for Aiden involves working hard and not much else. Aiden is the good son, and Alistair wants nothing more than for Aiden to succeed and follow in his footsteps, it’s imperative to him.
After the accident Aiden finds Jeni irresistible, and pursues her instantly, and with some coaxing she eventually agrees to a date. It becomes apparent that they are very attracted to one another.
Jeni finds love quickly with Aiden, but trusting him is another issue. Trust is a major factor, and the question of when to give it can be asked of us in many different ways. Jeni is asked this question, when she finds out that Aiden is being investigated for a serious crime. Jeni’s trust issues spark, as she goes through a journey of self-discovery.
She must decide once and for all whether she trusts the man she loves, when she’s asked the ultimate question:
“Do you trust me?”
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Love Me
The Trust Me Trilogy
Book 2
KE Osborn
Genre: Adult Contemporary Romance
ISBN: 9780992333812
ASIN: TBA
Number of pages: TBA
Word Count: TBA
Book Description:
Jenifer Taylor thought she was content with her life, being absent from the dating scene due to her major trust issues with men. After a controlling and aggressive exboyfriend, and an absentee father, she was happy being alone. It wasn’t until she met Aiden O’Connell, in a three car pileup, that her world changed for the better. The billionaire son of Alistair O’Connell, who owns Mornington Vale’s largest financial incorporation, pursued her instantly. Jeni found love, but trusting someone was another issue.
The story continues as Jeni finds herself lost, without the love of her life Aiden, who’s been wrongly accused and incarcerated. She must find the strength within, to help prove that he’s innocent of the embezzlement crime against him. Aiden’s father Alistair still taunts her, making life between Jeni and Aiden more difficult. An unexpected visitor enters their lives, creating havoc, and turning it upside down. Jeni’s trust issues return in a major way, after an incident leaves her fragile and broken. Aiden and Jeni find themselves going through more trials and tribulations than ever before, in this second installment of the Trust Me? Trilogy. In the end Jeni will be asked the ultimate question:
Do you still love me?
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About the Author
K E Osborn is the Adelaide based Author of the Trust me? Trilogy, a romance series with love, laughter and plenty of lust!
K E Osborn was born in September 1984 and raised in Adelaide South Australia. She had a love of writing throughout High School but went down a different path to Design instead. It wasn’t until she had a vivid dream about a three car pileup that the characters of her first book came to life.
Aiden and Jeni are the amazing couple from the Trust me? Trilogy and they were born into the world through the imagination of K E Osborn in 2012.
https://www.facebook.com/KEOsborn
https://www.facebook.com/trustmetrilogy
http://www.goodreads.com/KEOsbornAuthor
http://www.smashwords.com/profile/view/KEOsbornauthor
http://www.keosbornauthor.com/
November 13, 2013
Spotlight On: The Wedding by Lorhainne Eckhart
The Wedding by Lorhainne Eckhart
Genre: Adult Romance
A man who’s always planned everything, and a woman who’s struggled alone—The Wedding will change their lives forever.
Candy McCrae has everything she could ever want, and she’s about to marry the one man she’s always loved. He has money, he’s powerful, he’s drop-dead gorgeous, and he has a very close, attentive family with babies, nieces, and nephews running everywhere. For the first time, Candy has someone making decisions for her. So why is she so nervous?
Candy is the one woman Neil has always wanted, a woman who doesn’t care about flash and glitter and status, and he can’t get her to the altar fast enough. He has plans for his bride-to-be. He wants a family, lots of children, and for her to be a part of his world, with all its money, power, and million-dollar deals. He’ll look after her so she’ll never have to struggle again, and he’s planned and organized everything.
She goes along with it until the wedding, when she takes Neil’s hand to be his wife, and what she’s refused to share will change their lives forever.…
Purchase on Amazon
2012 was an amazing year in the publishing world for me, and it started with The Forgotten Child, which landed on the Amazon bestseller list for western romance and romance series. 2013 has seen me posted in the top 100 authors on Amazon for romantic suspense, mystery/thrillers, and police procedurals.
Where did it all begin? In 2008, I published my first novel, The Captain’s Lady, a contemporary military romance, through The Wild Rose Press. I’ve since received the rights back from my publisher, and I rewrote the book and republished it with a brand new title, Saved.
I write edgy romantic suspense (Walk the Right Road Series), western romance (Finding Love ~ The Outsider Series), and young adult mystery, and I warn my readers to expect the unexpected. I’m a mother of three children and we live on a small island in the Pacific Northwest. I encourage you to contact me by email; I do answer every email I receive.
Stay tuned. There is more to come from the Walk the Right Road Series and Finding Love ~ The Outsider Series, as well as a brand new western romance series coming later this fall, The One.
And to my readers and all of you who have shared my stories with your family and friends, a big, heartfelt thank-you.
Hosted by Good Choice Reading Blog Tours
Guest Author Emma Right on Character Development
Welcome today to Emma Right, author of Dead Dreams, on the importance of character development in stories.
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This issue really depends on the type of story and who it’s written for. Some fiction are more plot-based, whilst others focus more on characters; and this has a lot to do with the target audience the books are aiming at.
Charles Dickens’s books, for instance are more about character development, and I love the intensity of how he builds his characters in Bleak House, for example. But truly, most kids these days would probably yawn their jaws off till they unhinged if they had to go through this classic. So, perhaps in this day and age, with the internet and everything moving at the press of a button, such a deliberate manner of character development might not sell to its audience as it did a hundred years ago–not that I am a hundred years old, mind you.
When I wrote my debut book, an adventure fantasy, Keeper of Reign, I had to cut out much of the world building and focus more on action as my target audience was of the younger age group–ten to fourteen-year-olds, and I figured they would not sit through a book if nothing much was happening by way of action and something always lurking around a dark corner.
That’s not to say the characters in Keeper of Reign were static, but only that even though the children in the story learned some important lessons, (being young they still had more to grow,) their character development is not as pronounced as, say, a protagonist who would have to re-evaluate all she held as truth at the beginning of the book by the time the end is reached–as the character Brie O’Mara had to go through in my latest book, Dead Dreams.
Things got a little different with this young adult psychological thriller.
Brie O’Mara, the main protagonist, and Sarah McIntyre, the anti-hero, began with certain tendencies and motivations and as the story unfolds the reader gets a sense of how their desires shaped their decisions and their actions. Behind the mask of clean living and having led a sheltered life, Brie O’Mara hid a dream to become something bigger than what her present circumstance allowed her. By the end of the novel she’d come to realize things she’d never considered at the beginning, or even in the middle of the book and this would impact her future in ways she’d never imagined. So, there’s huge character development in Dead Dreams, and it was necessary, given it’s theme and the plot. How much did Brie O’Mara grow at the end? I’d say a lot and yet, not so much, too. Because she hasn’t really found out why things led to the street she found herself on–the dead-end street, so to speak.
So, back to the issue of character development in a story—would it make or break a novel? Lovers of Sherlock Holmes, or Agatha Christie’s books will say, not much, since Sherlock was very much the same intelligent being at the beginning as he was at the end, because the movement of the story depended on the plot. Same with Miss Marple and Hercules Poirot.
What is more important than character development, is to start off with rounded characters–with the propensity to choose good or evil, having endearing and also annoying traits, not unlike us real people– in the first place. How much the character matures depends a lot on who the book is for, and how much there is to learn from the circumstances each personality in the novel faces in the plot.
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Dead Dreams
Eighteen-year-old Brie O’Mara has so much going for her: a loving family in the sidelines, an heiress for a roommate, and dreams that might just come true. Big dreams–of going to acting school, finishing college and making a name for herself. She is about to be the envy of everyone she knew. What more could she hope for? Except her dreams are about to lead her down the road to nightmares. Nightmares that could turn into a deadly reality.
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Excerpt
Chapter One
It started on a warm April afternoon. Gusts of wind blew against the oak tree right outside my kitchen balcony, in my tiny apartment in Atherton, California. Sometimes the branches that touched the side of the building made scraping noises. The yellow huckleberry flowers twining their way across my apartment balcony infused the air with sweetness.
My mother had insisted, as was her tendency on most things, I take the pot of wild huckleberry, her housewarming gift, to my new two-bedroom apartment. It wasn’t really new, just new to me, as was the entire experience of living separately, away from my family, and the prospect of having a roommate, someone who could be a best friend, something I’d dreamed of since I finished high school and debuted into adulthood.
“Wait for me by the curb,” my mother said, her voice blaring from the phone even though I didn’t set her on speaker. “You need to eat better.” Her usual punctuation at the end of her orders.
So, I skipped down three flights of steps and headed toward the side of the apartment building to await my mother’s gift of the evening, salad in an á la chicken style, her insistent recipe to cure me of bad eating habits. At least it wasn’t chicken soup double-boiled till the bones melted, I consoled myself.
I hadn’t waited long when a vehicle careened round the corner. I heard it first, that high-pitched screech of brakes wearing thin when the driver rammed his foot against it. From the corner of my eye, even before I turned to face it, I saw the blue truck. It rounded the bend where Emerson Street met Ravenswood, tottered before it righted itself and headed straight at me.
I took three steps back, fell and scrambled to get back up as the vehicle like a giant bullet struck the sidewalk I had only seconds ago stood on. The driver must have lost control, but when he hit the sidewalk it slowed the vehicle enough so he could bridle his speed and manage the truck as he continued to careen down the street.
My mother arrived a half minute later but she had seen it all. Like superwoman, she leaped out of her twenty-year-old Mercedes and rushed toward me, all breathless and blonde hair disheveled.
“Are you all right?” She reached out to help me up.
“Yes, yes,” I said, brushing the dirt off my yoga pants.
“Crazy driver. Brie, I just don’t know about this business of you staying alone here like this.” She walked back to her white Mercedes, leaned in the open window, and brought out a casserole dish piled high with something green. Make that several shades of green.
I followed her, admittedly winded.“Seriously, Mom. It’s just one of those things. Mad drivers could happen anywhere I live.”
She gave me no end of grief as to what a bad idea it was for me to live alone like this even though she knew I was going to get a roommate.
“Mom, stop worrying,” I said.
“You’re asking me to stop being your mother, I hope you realize this.”
“I’ll find someone dependable by the end of the week, I promise.” No way I was going back to live at home. Not that I came from a bad home environment. But I had my reasons.
I had advertised on Craig’s List, despite my mother’s protests that only scum would answer “those kinds of ads.”
Perhaps there was some truth to Mother’s biases, but I wouldn’t exactly call Sarah McIntyre scum. If she was, what would that make me?
Sarah’s father had inherited the family “coal” money. Their ancestors had emigrated from Scotland (where else, with a name like McIntyre, right?) in the early 1800s and bought an entire mountain (I kid you not) in West Virginia. It was a one-hit wonder in that the mountain hid a coal fortune under it, and hence the McIntyre Coal Rights Company was born. This was the McIntyre claim to wealth, and also a source of remorse and guilt for Sarah, for supposedly dozens of miners working for them had lost their lives due to the business, most to lung cancer or black lung, as it was commonly called. Hazards of the occupation.
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About the Author
Emma Right is a happy wife and homeschool mother of five living in the Pacific West Coast. Besides running a busy home, and looking after too many pets, she also enjoys reading aloud to her children and often has her nose in a book. Right was a copywriter for a major advertising agency during her B.C. years. B.C.meaning “Before Children,” which may as well have been in the B.C.era, as she always says.
http://www.emmaright.com | twitter.com/emmbeliever | facebook.com/DeadDreamsEmmaRight
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Book Trailer
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Giveaway
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Spotlight On: Where U @, by K.C. Sprayberry
Book Release – Where U @ by K.C. Sprayberry
Trea Jones has always known the bitterness of bigotry and abject poverty. Her half-Cherokee daddy disappeared thirteen years ago on the pretense of getting milk. Mama has done nothing but mourn his loss, and she blames Trea for that. Now that she’s starting her senior year of high school, Trea hopes for something better, but she doesn’t hold out much hope.
Until …
She loosens up on some of her rules. Her guy, Dave, proves to her that she is worthy of everything the others have. The last day of classes prior to the winter break, she’s ready to share some stupendous news with Dave, but tragedy intervenes when her daddy texts while driving a bus. Trea is left wondering if she can ever be free of a curse that heaps a lot of bad luck on her whenever good things happen to her.
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Book Trailer
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Excerpt
Where U @
The text is from my guy, Dave Woods. It’s a code, a way for him to help me feel better about everything. Mostly, it’s his way of showing me that he cares.
Kitchen. I roll my eyes. Cleaning.
Want to come do mine?
His return text sends me into a fit of giggles. That’s something only he can accomplish.
RFS?
More code, and this one sends fear shivers up and down my spine. I am in no way ready for school, but I’ll have to go tomorrow, no matter what.
I text him back, slide my phone into a pocket, and open the door to a floor to ceiling pantry. To put away the last of the dishes, I have to step into a room that is narrower than a shoebox.
The same reaction overtakes me that I experience every single night, as soon as my foot moves through the doorway. Cold sweat rolls down my back. I can’t catch my breath, and the walls feel like they’re squeezing the life out of me.
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Like all teens, Trea has her favorite songs. Here are just a few she uses to get through the day!
Playlist
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About the Author
KC Sprayberry started writing young, first as a diarist, and later through an interest in English and creative writing. Her first experience with publication came when she placed third in The Freedoms Foundation at Valley Forge contest while in the Air Force, but her dedication to writing came after she had her youngest child, now in his senior year of high school.
Her family lives in Northwest Georgia where she spends her days creating stories about life in the south, and far beyond. More than a dozen of her short stories have appeared in several magazines. Five anthologies feature other short stories. She has four books that are Amazon best sellers: Softly Say Goodbye, Who Am I?, Mama’s Advice, and Canoples Investigations Tackles Space Pirates. Her other novels available are: Take Chances, The Ghost Catcher, Family Curse … Times Two, Secret From The Flames, and Canoples Investigations Versus Spacers Rule.
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Links
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/pages/KC-Sprayberry/331150236901202
Twitter: https://twitter.com/kcsowriter
Blog: http://outofcontrolcharacters.blogspot.com/
Website: http://www.kcsprayberry.com
Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/5011219.K_C_Sprayberry
JacketFlap: http://www.jacketflap.com/profile.asp?member=kathispray
Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/-/e/B005DI1YOU
Google +: https://plus.google.com/u/0/+KcSprayberry
Pinterest: http://pinterest.com/kcsprayberry/boards/
Authorgraph: http://www.authorgraph.com/authors/kcsowriter
AUTHORSdB: http://www.authorsdb.com/authors-directory/5230-k-c-sprayberry
November 11, 2013
Khet Chronicles: Blood Ties, by Marcus Twyman
![Pageflex Persona [document: PRS0000446_00069]](https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/hostedimages/1384310594i/6845934.jpg)
Khet Chronicles: Blood Ties
Marcus Twyman
Genre: Urban Fantasy
ISBN: 978-1461108184
ASIN: B007IDQP42
Number of pages: 394
Word Count: 76,206
Cover Artist: Marcus Twyman
Book Trailer: http://bit.ly/14WArWj
Book Description:
Kalin Moshire and his stepbrother, Shane, struggle to survive the race of people known as the Nebu Khet, which they also happen to belong to. They are hunted because of Shane’s heredity. He’s half Homo Sapiens (sape) and Half Nebu Khet (khet). Kalin swore to protect him on the night his mother sacrificed herself to save their lives, but will he keep that promise or will unseen threats destroy them first.
From the cozy suburbs of Montgomery County, Maryland, to the busy streets of New York City, across the desert sands of Egypt, to the rocky cliffs of Ireland. Kalin must unravel the truths that have been hidden to him since childhood and fight for the right to live.
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Excerpt:
Prologue
I know my limits have been reached tonight. As I stare at the angry pale face snarling at me from across the darkened room, I can feel the last of my strength dwindling down to nothing. My body keeps bleeding out its life’s blood and I can feel it gathering in pools around the spread fingers of my bruised and battered hands where I’m crouching on the concrete floor. I feel the weight of the power-laced air increase as my assailant hunches down into position for one last lunge and my gut tells me that this cold dark cellar may become my eternal resting place. In this moment there is an overwhelming sense that my life has become forfeit.
In this place where all odds are against me, I
envision her face one last time. Lifting my head slowly from the floor, I stare through the blood soaked strands of my hair at my opponent. His face is contorted into a mask of rage. His teeth glisten in the darkness and there is no mistaking the bloodlust in those ancient, glowing, yellow eyes.
I go back to picturing her face again – the image is so vivid I can practically reach out and touch her. I remember her sweet scent and the sound of her voice. I can feel her soft skin as I reach up to place a hand on her cheek.
I can’t die here, I can’t leave her to fend for herself against my kind. I must survive this. Focusing on my body, I concentrate
The moment that he decides to attack, I know it. As
if in slow motion, his muscles begin to flex beneath the skin of his forearms and shoulders. He rocks forward onto the balls of his feet like a cobra ready for the strike.
For a split second all I can register is the sound of my own heart beating…that’s when he launches himself from his side of the room towards me. I propel myself forward with my own teeth bared and my claws fully extended. A low vibration rocks through my chest and explodes from my mouth. The awesome power of the roar is like no other on this planet. It’s the Nebu Khet‘s cry, and it always means death.
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About the Author:
Marcus Twyman has lived most of his life in Montgomery County, Maryland. Since he was a child he’s enjoyed writing stories, songs, and poetry – using the power of words as a therapeutic release for his feelings and emotions.
Now living in New York City, Marcus has been slowly adapting to the bustling concrete jungle and is incorporating his new experiences into his writing.
Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/khetchronicles
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/khetchronicles
Youtube Book Trailer: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=udtuoEJp7fo
Website: http://www.khetchronicles.com
Amazon Buy-Link: http://amzn.to/1azxoFS
