Margo Bond Collins's Blog, page 53
July 16, 2015
Writing Playlist for Krista Ames, Author of Morgan’s Mountain, + Giveaway
Happy Book Birthday to
Morgan’s Mountain!
Morgan’s Mountain
A Montana Series Novella
Author: Krista Ames
Publisher: Roane Publishing
Release Date: July 13, 2015
Keywords: Romance, Western, Contemporary, Series, Novella
Blurb:
On the proverbial run from another failed relationship, Morgan finds herself in the one place she always found solace. With every intention of being alone, she’s surprised when she comes across the one person she never expected.Luke would go to the ends of the earth to figure out why Morgan ran away five years ago and make things right with her. However, a dangerous trek up the mountains to her family’s cabin might not have been the smartest choice. To say she was happy to see him would be a huge lie. Having to rescue him, mortifying for Luke.
Toss a kidnapper into the mix and their feelings for each other are brought into perspective, revealing parts of themselves they never thought would come to light.
Purchase Links:
Roane Publishing
Amazon
Amazon (UK)
Barnes and Noble
Smashwords
Bookstrand
All Romance eBooks
Top Tens Playlist for Writing
First of all, thanks so much for having me on your blog today !!
Mine is probably not the typical playlist because I don’t listen to music when I write. I also don’t have different lists specific to each piece I write.
My little niche as I guess we can call it, is movies. When I need to be in the zone, I put in a dvd. I don’t always watch the movies, in fact I hardly ever watch anymore, but they are familiar background noise and great inspiration. They just give me the feeling I need to put me in the zone to write.
Where I sit to do my writing and other work is at the dining room table which is in an open area connected to my living room and kitchen. The TV is directly in front of where I sit (I do that on purpose). Now I actually have two different playlists I usually stick with depending on my mood for the day. I do mushy romanticy happy-ending movies most of the time which is a good background because I write romance. My second playlist is the mix genre of horror/thriller/slasher/mystery & paranormal type movies. I like scary movies almost as much as romance movies. My only wish is, the more of the other genres I use as background noise, the easier it might be for me to write them J someday
Without further ado…
Romance Movie Inspiration list
Listed in no particular order, and I don’t watch them in any order either
Pride & Prejudice
(The version with Kiera Knightly – just happens to be my favorite movie and
sometimes I do end up watching instead of it being background noise J)
The Proposal (Which is tied as my favorite, I LOVE Ryan Reynolds)
Sweet Home Alabama (Love Josh Lucas)
The Wedding Date (Love Dermot Mulroney)
The Lake House (Do like Keanu and Sandra as a couple)
Pitch Perfect
(A new favorite and when I do stop to watch it, I love the end)
50 Shades of Grey
(Another new favorite that just got added to the list)
P.S. I Love You (Even though I cry)
Simply Irresistible
While You Were Sleeping (I like a lot of Sandra Bullock movies)
Mixed Genre movies
This list could go on and on…I feel bad leaving so many good ones out
Disturbia
My Soul to Take
Van Helsing
The Underworld series
The Scream Movies
The Paranormal Activity Movies
Die Hard Movies
(Bruce Willis is a favorite)
Signs
(Or almost any Mel Gibson movie)
National Treasure movies
Hocus Pocus, Practical Magic
(Any witchy movie J)
GIVEAWAY!
An ecopy of Morgan’s Mountain and a $10 Amazon Gift Card!
Open only to those who can legally enter, receive and use an Amazon.com Gift Code. No purchase necessary, but you must be 18 or older to enter. The winner will be chosen by rafflecopter, and announced on the widget. Winner well be notified by emailed and have 48 hours to respond or a new winner will be chosen. The number of entries received determines the odds of winning. Giveaway was organized by Roane Publishing’s marketing department.
Tour Schedule
July 15, 2015
Spotlight On: Archangel’s Desire by Karen Swart
BOOK INFORMATION
Title: Archangel’s Desire
Series: Archangels’ Series # 1
Author: Karen Swart
Genre: Paranormal Romance
Audience: 18 +
Formats: E-book and Paperback
Publisher: Karen Swart
Cover By: Janine Fourie
Editor: Jasmin Petricola (Blue Butterfly Editing)
Published Date: April 30, 2015
BOOK SYNOPSISRaven Black is no martyr, but she has a secret she deems worth protecting. Placed into the care of Zadkiel, the Archangel of Mercy, Raven Black tries with all her might and main to hide her deadly secret. It’s difficult to know who to trust or who to confide in, but Raven knows she’s unwilling to be exploited to get the Archangels’ greatest enemy. She seals her lips, refusing to speak and enduring the ensuing torture in silence.
After centuries of nothing but duty, Zadkiel is tormented by the hellhound Raven. The closer he gets to her, the more he discovers about this lethal beauty. With each passing moment an uncontrollable desire is awakened, and with it an ancient evil is provoked.
When he discovers her secret, Zadkiel must choose between all of mankind and the woman he has come to love. Can he save her in time, or will his failure bring forth the end of days?
He would awaken a desire that would burn through hell.
BOOK LINKS
Amazon / Smashwords / Goodreads / Itunes / Barnes and Noble / KOBO
EXCERPT
As Raven faded away, I turn to look at Chax. Although Chax was our leader, his short temper always seemed to doom a situation. His green eyes pierced mine as he regained his footing and pulled out his sword.
“There are more ways to deal with something than just force, Chax.” I smirked at him.
“Agreed, but not in Raven’s case.” Chax brought his sword in front of him, determined to get the weapon he needed to bring down Lucifer.
“She is still a fallen, and in my care. I will not let her be harmed in any way.” I stepped a little to the left, bringing my body to a perfect counter position.
“So, you choose her side rather than our cause?” Chax accused me.
“Please, I am not one of your little fallen apprentices. I chose the right path, the one without hurting an innocent girl.” I steadied the weight of my body on the balls of my feet, and secured my position.
“I migh-“ Chax was cut off by something crashing through my office wall.
“Where is she? Where is that hellhound?” an even more intoxicated Camael yelled while trying to stay upright.
“You have got to be kidding me!” At the sound of Chax’s pained words, my eyes flew in his direction, and I lifted my eyebrows at his statement.
He blushed a little. “Too much time with my mate,” he replied.
“I see,” I replied and caught Camael before his face ended up in my chair.
“What the hell are you doing, Camael?!” Chax replaced his sword and grabbed Camael on the other side.
“That hellhound needs a lesson in respect.” Camael’s words slurred with his heavy tongue.
“He needs to be healed, Chax. Is there no one who can help?” I was worried for my old friend; he was not doing well at all.
“No, not even the visits in heaven seem to be helping, although I might have an idea we can test.” Chax grabbed Camael on the shoulder and forced him to sit down. His head hung backwards as his dark eyes looked up and tried to focus on us.
“If it might work, we need to try it. He is unable to fulfill his duties in this state.” A bitter taste was left in my mouth. I didn’t like what I was seeing at all.
“What about Raven?” Chax asked.
“I will find her, and I will let her take me to him. The moment I have him in sight, I will notify all of you.” My eyes drifted to Chax.
“And you think that you will be able to persuade her to help us trap him?” Chax frowned.
“Yes, but she will not know that she is doing it. I will steer her the way we need her to go.” Chax nodded and grabbed hold of Camael.
“Do that then, but if you fail, it will be my way, Zadkiel.” He shifted out, taking Camael with him.
GIVEAWAY
$10 Amazon GC – International
1 x E-Copy Set of The Kasadya Hellhound Series – International
a Rafflecopter giveaway
ABOUT THE AUTHORI am a complete book addict, and really proud of it. My entire world is made of books. From reading to writing to blogging to helping other authors. A day without my world of books would be impossible. I am a mother of three, two boys and a little princess. Happily married for 8 years with my high school sweetheart. I live in South Africa, just on the rims of the Kalahari Desert in a small town with one shop and friendly faces.
MEDIA LINKS
Website / Goodreads / Facebook / Twitter / Blog / Amazon / Newsletter
This tour has been organized & hosted by
July 11, 2015
Spotlight On: Inside Game, by Collette West
Inside Game by Collette WestGenre: Adult, Contemporary Romance
Expected Publication: July 10th, 2015
Third baseman Drake Schultz is the undisputed bad boy of the New York Kings. So it’s no surprise when Major League Baseball suspends him for taking performance-enhancing drugs. Furious with their superstar, the front office issues an ultimatum: either work with their sober companion or kiss the rest of his quarter-billion-dollar contract goodbye. Cocky and arrogant, Drake resists being saddled with a live-in babysitter—even one he’s insanely attracted to.
Drake is Eva Sloane’s first celebrity client as a substance abuse counselor, and she knows she’s in trouble when he starts tempting her at every turn. The way he looks at her is as hot as sin, but she refuses to become his new drug of choice. Slowly, she helps him realize he has to face the demons from his past and heal his tortured spirit before he can even think about satisfying any craving he has for her.
Purchase
Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Kobo | Smashwords | iTunes
________________________________________________________
Excerpt
But she doesn’t turn the light on. Instead, she shoves the covers aside and crawls into bed next to me. I don’t move because she’s not here for anything more. I’m on top of the comforter, and she’s underneath it. There’s a barrier separating us from doing something I’d later regret. Not that I don’t want to be with her again. It’s just that I feel so unworthy of even touching her right now.
She rolls over onto her side, and I’m still sprawled out on my stomach. We’re facing each other, but we don’t say anything. We just lie here together in the silence, her hair spread out across my pillow. My bandaged arm is between us, a reminder of the tragic turn of events of the last few days. We stare into each other’s eyes until I see the worry lines around her mouth begin to relax.
“Will you go somewhere with me tomorrow?” she asks on the verge of sleep, her eyes half closed.
“Where?” I mumble.
“Somewhere that feels like home.”
________________________________________________________
About the Author
Collette West grew up as somewhat of a jock-nerd hybrid. Entering the world three weeks premature, her dad nearly missed her birth because he had seats behind the dugout for a sold-out, highly-anticipated match-up between two of baseball’s biggest rivals. Not to be outdone, her book-loving mom taught her how to read by the time she was three. A love of the game coupled with an appreciation for the written word were instilled in Collette’s impressionable brain from a young age. No wonder her characters believe in the philosophy: sports + romance = a little slice of heaven.
Splitting her time between the Pocono Mountains and Manhattan, Collette indulges her inner fangirl by going to as many games as she can from hockey to baseball and downloading every sports romance novel in existence onto her iPad. When she’s not clicking away on her laptop, she enjoys walking her dog in Central Park, satisfying her caffeine craving at the Starbucks on Broadway and keeping an eye out for Mr. Right. But above all, she loves dishing with her readers. Email her at collette_west@yahoo.com.
She is the author of NIGHT GAMES, GAME CHANGER and GAME ON.
Facebook | Twitter | Goodreads | Newsletter sign-up
Amazon | Purchase official New York Kings Fan Gear
________________________________________________________
Giveaway
July 7, 2015
Sanguinary Re-Release ~ Coming Soon ~ Paranormal Love Wednesdays Blog Hop
Welcome to this week’s Paranormal Love Wednesday Blog Hop, where we feature snippets from authors of paranormal romance–and some authors who simply love the paranormal!
This week, I’m featuring a new teaser from my re-release of Sanguinary, due out from Boroughs Publishing this month! Check it out below, then sign up for my newsletter to get information on new releases. When you’re done, HOP over to check out the rest of the participating blogs!
Forthcoming July, 2015
Only fifty years left before vampires rule the world.
When Dallas police detective Cami Davis joined the city’s vampire unit, she planned to use the job as a stepping-stone to a better position in the department.
But she didn’t know then what she knows now: there’s a silent war raging between humans and vampires, and the vampires are winning.
So with the help of a disaffected vampire and an ex-cop addict, Cami is going undercover, determined to solve a series of recent murders, discover a way to overthrow the local Sanguinary government, and, in the process, help win the war for the human race.
But can she maintain her own humanity in the process? Or will Cami find herself, along with the rest of the world, pulled under a darkness she cannot oppose?
_____________________________________________
About the Author
Margo Bond Collins is the author of urban fantasy, contemporary romance, and paranormal mysteries. She lives in Texas with her daughter and several spoiled pets. Although writing fiction is her first love, she also teaches college-level English courses online. She enjoys reading romance and paranormal fiction of any genre and spends most of her free time daydreaming about heroes, monsters, cowboys, and villains, and the strong women who love them—and sometimes fight them.
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Connect with Margo
Newsletter: https://confirmsubscription.com/h/d/03A21E5E161401F0
Amazon Author Page: http://www.amazon.com/author/margobondcollins
Email: MargoBondCollins@gmail.com
Website: http://www.MargoBondCollins.net
Blog: http://www.MargoBondCollins.com
Twitter: https://twitter.com/MargoBondCollin @MargoBondCollin
Google+: https://plus.google.com/116484555448104519902
Goodreads Author Page: http://www.goodreads.com/vampirarchy
Facebook Author Page: https://www.facebook.com/MargoBondCollins
Pinterest: http://www.pinterest.com/mbondcollins/
Tsu: http://www.tsu.co/MargoBondCollins
Opposing the Cowboy ~ Available for Pre-Order
Never trust a good kisser…
Yoga teacher LeeAnn Walker has no desire to see the unspoilt beauty of her grandmother’s ranch violated by a greedy oil company. But unless she finds the paperwork confirming she owns the mineral rights, that’s exactly what could happen. The worst part? The guy spearheading the whole mess is none other than the hot and sexy stranger LeeAnn just kissed to make her ex jealous.
Jonah Hamilton thought his day was looking up until he found out the gorgeous blonde who kissed the hell out of him is the same stubborn woman he came to town for. And she’s not too happy to find out she might be forced to allow drilling on her land.
But Jonah has a job to do, even if LeeAnn tempts him to turn his professionalism into something much more personal…
Pre-Order Now
Release Date: July 28
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About the Author
Margo Bond Collins writes urban fantasy, contemporary romance, and paranormal mysteries. She lives in Texas with her daughter and several spoiled pets. Although writing fiction is her first love, she also teaches college-level English courses online. She enjoys reading romance and paranormal fiction of any genre and spends most of her free time daydreaming about heroes, monsters, cowboys, and villains, and the strong women who love them—and sometimes fight them.
_____________________________________________
Connect with Margo
Newsletter: https://confirmsubscription.com/h/d/03A21E5E161401F0
Amazon Author Page: http://www.amazon.com/author/margobondcollins
Email: MargoBondCollins@gmail.com
Website: http://www.MargoBondCollins.net
Blog: http://www.MargoBondCollins.com
Twitter: https://twitter.com/MargoBondCollin @MargoBondCollin
Google+: https://plus.google.com/116484555448104519902
Goodreads Author Page: http://www.goodreads.com/vampirarchy
Facebook Author Page: https://www.facebook.com/MargoBondCollins
Pinterest: http://www.pinterest.com/mbondcollins/
Tsu: http://www.tsu.co/MargoBondCollins
SF Author Guy T Martland’s 10 Favourite SF Novels ~ A Guest Post
Guy T Martland’s 10 favourite SF novels
When compiling this list I thought about the books which have left enduring impressions on me, whether these be images, atmospheres, ideas or characters. My imagination tends to be cinematic – as I read the images roll over the screen of my mind, and the more striking the better. In my novel ‘The Scion’, I tried my best to write what I was seeing, which gave the book a visual feel. My hope was that some of the images I’ve created would have the same kind of long-lasting effect as the books I most admire.
1. Red Dust – Paul J. McAuley
This is a book I return to again and again. It was the first McAuley I read and one of the books that kickstarted my interest in SF. The descriptions of a terraformed Mars jolted my imagination awake, the settings lingering in my mind. I had the pleasure of meeting the author at Worldcon last year, when he told me (as he signed my first edition hardback) this was one of his favourites. I just smiled, being a bit starstruck.
2. Against A Dark Background – Iain M. Banks
Where would we be without the late, great Iain M? This book has it all – some wonderful set pieces, epic landscapes and a seriously cool female lead to boot. An antiquity hunter, Sharrow is a strong and believable character. The Lazy Guns are without comparison and possibly one of the coolest inventions in SF. Added to which there are monowheels (a kind of supercharged motorbike), cable cars, glass-bottomed swimming pools, hovercraft… Dark, as the title suggests, humorous and a book which grows on second, third and fourth reads.
3. Oryx and Crake – Margaret Atwood
The author of this novel may not consider this to be SF, but I do. Science has effectively destroyed Earth, after the release of Crake’s monster virus (SF, right?). The grim post-apocalyptic tone of this book takes hold from the outset and doesn’t let go. But there is a lesson here for humanity – about what could happen if science’s advances are allowed to progress unchecked. This is Frankenstein for our times. It could really happen one day.
4. The Skinner – Neal Asher
A brilliant Banksian rollercoaster ride on the ridiculously named planet of Spatterjay, where a plethora of bizarre creatures grow with abandon. The drones in this are seriously sophisticated, kick-ass machines. And the transformed Hoopers, infected by the Spatterjay virus, are a nice touch. Asher’s finest moment.
5. The Dramaturges of Yan – John Brunner
An alien world filled with ancient artefacts, a galaxy known artist who creates on a celestial scale, the strange effects of the Shrimashey drug: Brunner manages to summon a world which is fascinating and truly strange. There is even a kind of internet (written before this existed). At the same time, there is something very Seventies about this book, which doesn’t seem to date it, but instead gives it a retro feel.
6. Gateway – Frederick Pohl
More artefacts, this time a mysterious eponymous space hub created by a vanished race called the Heechee. Travelling on the alien craft located in the hub to different worlds is a kind of Russian roulette, with the accompanying financial rewards making this a space race on a different scale. The analysis sessions through which the protagonist reveals the secrets of Gateway lend a humanising context. I read this for the first time in one sitting, spellbound, each new world visited as thrilling as the last.
7. The Drought (aka The Burning World) – J. G. Ballard
No best SF list would be complete without some Ballard. This was one of a series of apocalyptic novels, although they are otherwise unrelated. His writing is clinical, detached and paradoxically completely submerges the reader in a world without water. Reading this is like being transported into a surrealist landscape, where nothing quite makes sense. There is a mirage-like touch to the prose that sticks, like your tongue to the back of your dry mouth.
8. Rendezvous with Rama – Arthur C. Clarke
This book opened my mind to the unbelievable depth of space. That hundreds of civilisations could have lived and died before humans even emerged from the cat’s cradle of evolution on Earth. Of course, in Rama itself, there is an alien artefact which requires exploration (you detecting a theme here?). And, yes, space really is that big.
9. The Day of the Triffids – John Wyndham
I was brought up with the Triffids. They were there on the television creaking around through 80s TV sets and devouring people. For a while I thought they were real. Later I consumed the book like the voracious Triffid reader I am. The idea of the meteor show blinding Earth’s inhabitants, rendering them powerless to the Triffids’ advances is haunting and I still have a mild panic attack any time I hear of (or even witness) a meteor shower.
10. Stone – Adam Roberts
Roberts turns his hand to many different tropes in SF, his books diverse and fascinating. Here he does space opera on a grand scale, whizzing through many different exotic planets with an assured prose. And for his third outing, this feels like a book from a much more experienced writer. High concepts abound: faster than light travel, quantum physics and intelligent nanotechnology (dotTech) which has created a kind of human utopia (or has it?). On reading this, I almost shouted with joy, revelling in the fact that modern SF has so much to offer. Simply breathtaking.
In the comments, I’d love to hear about your favorite SF novels!
About the Author
Guy T Martland is a British writer whose debut SF novel ‘The Scion’ was published by Safkhet Fantasy on July 1st, 2015. He has also published short stories in various magazines, including Perihelion SF, Shoreline of Infinity, Encounters, Albedo One and Fiction Vortex. You can find more information about him on guytmartland.co.uk or visit his Facebook Page.
The Scion by Guy T Martland
The aliens from your nightmares are coming. The colonies of Earth are next. And it looks like nothing can stop them.
A blue star, a dying friend, a kidnap and the dusty contents of an old room: Septimus Esterhazy’s life is about to change. As he blows cobwebs from the manual of an old spacecraft, hidden for decades, a Pandora’s box creaks open.
Little does he know that the universe’s very nature is being threatened by a powerful alien race. Nor does he know that he is somehow involved with why the Wraith, destroyers of worlds, are coming.
The self-proclaimed ‘Protectors of the Known Universe’, the Sassrit, are trying to do everything they can to thwart a Wraith attack. But time is running out and resources are stretched.
A Sassrit agent, one of the shapeshifting Jarthiala, is recruited to help. The path he follows leads to the doorstep of a planet called D, an Earth colony, above which a blue star hangs, its light reflected in the eyes of Septimus below.
This is a journey which will change Septimus Esterhazy forever. It will make him question his nature. He will uncover secrets about his family that have lain dormant for years. And it will test the loyalty of those closest to him.
But first he has to watch his best friend die.
The Scion by Guy T Martland is available on Amazon:
www.amazon.com/The-Scion-Guy-T-Martland-ebook/dp/B0100U7ROG/
www.amazon.co.uk/Scion-Guy-T-Martland-ebook/dp/B0100U7ROG/
More about the author:
Website: http://guytmartland.co.uk/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/guytmartland
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Guy-T-Martland/1663769490518239
Safkhet Publishing: http://safkhetpublishing.com/
July 6, 2015
Spotlight On: How to Be a Mermaid by Erin
How to be a Mermaid by Erin Hayes
(Falling in Deep Collection, #10)
Publication date: July 7th 2015
Genres: Fantasy, Young Adult
All Tara ever wanted was to be a mermaid.
So she takes a year off between high school and college to don a fake tail and tour aquariums across the country in a professional mermaid troupe.
Everything’s great until she meets a gorgeous real-life merman named Finn. Suddenly, what she thought was a dream turns out to be a nightmare — she’s turning into a mermaid herself. For real.
Yet when she returns to the sea to seek out Finn and reverse her transformation, she finds herself in the middle of an impending war between the land and sea. Tara may have always wanted to be a mermaid, but now it’s sink or swim. In order to survive, she has to learn how to be one, too.
***
Excerpt
“What is this?” a rough, intense voice demanded.
I swam out of unconsciousness, an uncomfortable experience that revealed my entire body aching, my head most of all. It was so dark, and a strange feeling had overtaken my body. Like I was floating. I tried touching a hand to my head, only to find that I couldn’t.
What the-?
My hands were tied behind my back with what felt like…kelp?
The realization hit me and I thrashed about trying to free myself, and I finally opened my eyes.
I paused for a moment, unable to grasp exactly where I was.
I was…underwater?
Air bubbles popped out of my mouth in a flurry when a scream escaped my throat. A thousand thoughts filled my head, none of them making sense except for the overwhelming dread that I was somehow underwater with my hands tied behind my back. From what I could tell, there was no way I could get air to breathe. I’d lost a lot of air when I screamed.
Oh my god, I was going to drown.
My mermaid necklace was thrust in front of my vision, momentarily disorienting me.
“What is this? I demand you to tell me now!”
“What?” I asked out loud. A sharp pain zigzagged across my head from where I’d hit it on the rock. I was trapped underwater and this man wanted to know…what exactly? What my necklace was?
The necklace came even closer to my face, so much that I’d have to go cross-eyed in order to focus on it.
“Where did you get this? What is it?” the man demanded.
“It’s my…” I was unsure and still terrified of my situation. “It’s my necklace.”
***
Summer 2015, award-winning, and best-selling authors will bring you romantic tales of mermaids, sirens, sprites, and other creatures of the deep! Keep in touch as we reveal each title in our collection!
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/24585761-how-to-be-a-mermaid?ac=1
Purchase:
Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/How-Mermaid-Falling-Collection-Novella-ebook/dp/B010IB0LFO/
B&N: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/how-to-be-a-mermaid-erin-hayes/1122247442?ean=9781514264904
AUTHOR BIO:
Sci-fi junkie, video game nerd, and wannabe manga artist Erin Hayes writes a lot of things. Sometimes she writes books, like the fantasy mystery novel Death is but a Dream, the sci-fi middle grade book Jacob Smith is Incredibly Average, and the Her Wolf paranormal series.
She works as an advertising copywriter during the day, and she moonlights as an author. She has lived in New Zealand, Texas, and now in Birmingham, Alabama with her husband, cat, and a growing collection of geek paraphernalia.
You can reach her at erinhayesbooks@gmail.com and she’ll be happy to chat. Especially if you want to debate Star Wars.
Author links:
https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/5335865.Erin_Hayes
http://www.erinhayesbooks.com/
https://www.facebook.com/erinhayesbooks
https://twitter.com/erinhayes5399
Blitz-Wide Giveaway
Blog Giveaway
To enter to win an e-book copy of How to be a Mermaid, leave a comment and let us know what you love most about mermaid stories!
Cover Reveal: Nora & Kettle by Lauren Nicolle Taylor
Nora
and Kettle
by Lauren
Nicolle Taylor
Release
Date: 02/29/16
Clean
Teen Reads
Summary
from Goodreads:
What if Peter Pan was a homeless kid
just trying to survive, and Wendy flew away for a really good reason?
Seventeen-year-old Kettle has had his share of adversity. As an orphaned
Japanese American struggling to make a life in the aftermath of an event in
history not often referred to—the internment of Japanese Americans during World
War II and the removal of children from orphanages for having “one drop of
Japanese blood in them”—things are finally looking up. He has his hideout in an
abandoned subway tunnel, a job, and his gang of Lost Boys.
Desperate to run away, the world outside her oppressive brownstone calls to
naïve, eighteen-year-old Nora—the privileged daughter of a controlling and
violent civil rights lawyer who is building a compensation case for the
interned Japanese Americans. But she is trapped, enduring abuse to protect her
younger sister Frankie and wishing on the stars every night for things to
change.
For months, they’ve lived side by side, their paths crossing yet never meeting.
But when Nora is nearly killed and her sister taken away, their worlds collide
as Kettle, grief stricken at the loss of a friend, angrily pulls Nora from her
window.
In her honeyed eyes, Kettle sees sadness and suffering. In his, Nora sees the
chance to take to the window and fly away.
Set in 1953, NORA AND KETTLE explores
the collision of two teenagers facing extraordinary hardship. Their meeting is
inevitable, devastating, and ultimately healing. Their stories, a collection of
events, are each on their own harmless. But together, one after the other, they
change the world.
About the Author
Lauren Nicolle
Taylor lives in the lush Adelaide Hills. The daughter of a Malaysian nuclear
physicist and an Australian scientist, she was expected to follow a science
career path, attending Adelaide University and completing a Health Science
degree with Honours in obstetrics and gynaecology.
She then worked in health research for a short time before having her first
child. Due to their extensive health issues, Lauren spent her twenties as a
full-time mother/carer to her three children. When her family life settled
down, she turned to writing.
She is a 2014 Kindle Book Awards Semi-finalist and a USA Best Book Awards
Finalist.
Author Links:
July 5, 2015
Spotlight On: I Think I Love You, by Iris Blobel
I THINK I LOVE YOU by Iris Blobel
Series: Australian Sports Series #3
Publisher: Limitless Publishing
★★★ NOW LIVE ★★★
AMAZON US: http://amzn.to/1R9v4KS
AMAZON UK: http://amzn.to/1KvQY73
AMAZON AU: http://bit.ly/1NzVfEn
★★★ SYNOPSIS ★★★
Markus DeLeon and Sarah Winter’s lives couldn’t be more different…
After three years away as the goalkeeper for an English soccer club, Markus has been happy to be back in Australia. He’d missed his family and friends, including Sarah. He’s known her since childhood, and often protected her from the teasing of other children and the troubling consequences of a broken home.
When they attend their friends’ wedding, a new light is cast on their friendship…
Sarah is fresh out of a bad relationship, and Markus has always been the one she can confide in. Maybe it’s the magic of the wedding—or how stunning he looks in a tux—but the attraction between them intensifies in ways they’d never imagined.
But sometimes when risking what you have, you might lose everything…
Following a passionate encounter, Markus isn’t sure how to handle this new aspect of his relationship with Sarah, and literally flees the scene for the coast. Sarah is unsure how to react to his sudden departure, but is soon knocked off course by misunderstandings and a frightening family emergency.
Markus realises his mistake and wants to make things right, but he also faces obstacles. He’s been offered an exciting new job, and an attractive newcomer to the neighbourhood is eager to claim his attention, though the last thing Markus needs is another confusing relationship.
Can Sarah and Markus face the fear and doubt—and the potential loss of their lifelong friendship—to give their love a chance?
★★★ PURCHASE LINKS ★★★
AMAZON US: http://amzn.to/1R9v4KS
AMAZON UK: http://amzn.to/1KvQY73
AMAZON AU: http://bit.ly/1NzVfEn
★ AUSTRALIAN SPORTS STARS SERIES ★
Book 1: LOVE WILL FIND YOU: http://amzn.to/1f5Eqq7 – Currently FREE!
Book 2: LET ME LOVE YOU: http://amzn.to/1GRPZbc
★★★ MEET THE AUTHOR ★★★
IRIS BLOBEL
Iris Blobel was born and raised in Germany and only immigrated to Australia in the late 1990s. Having had the travel bug most of her life, Iris spent quite some time living in Scotland, London as well as Canada where she her husband. Her love for putting her stories onto paper has only emerged recently, but now her laptop is a constant companion.
Iris resides west of Melbourne with her husband and her two beautiful daughters.
Next to her job at a private school, she also presents a German Program at the local Community Radio.
CONNECT WITH IRIS BLOBEL:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/IrisBlobel
Twitter: https://twitter.com/_iris_b
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/4067254.Iris_Blobel
Interview with Michelle Bellon, author of The Fire Inside + Giveaway
Author Interview
Give us an insight into your main character. What do you like best about them?
There are actually three key characters in this story and each new chapter is told from their point of view, however, out if those three, Aiden is the most essential character to the story. He is the one who brings the other two together. He is the fulcrum. What I like most about him is the way he makes you feel every spectrum of emotion along his journey. You don’t just watch his struggle, you accompany him through it. He’s a genuinely good and kind person who was dealt a very distressing situation. Yet, he not only faces that heartache head-on, he rises above it and teaches those around him many lessons along the way.
Which actor/actress would you like to see playing the lead character from The Fire Inside?
Jesse Williams, an actor from Grey’s Anatomy. He looks exactly how I imagine Aiden right down to those haunting eyes.
When writing your novel did you aim for a set amount of words/pages per day?
Let me first say that I’ve been working on this particular book for the past five years. I wrote and rewrote it multiple times because every time I went back and read it, it just didn’t feel ready. I experienced more joy, relief, and even pride, when I finally finished this book more than with any other story I’ve written in the past.
That said, the first draft took me approximately four months to write. At that time in my life I was writing full time so my goal was to write at least twenty minutes per day. With four children, that goal obviously wasn’t met every day, but there were also many instances where twenty minutes easily turned into two to three hours during the day. I also lost a lot of sleep at night trying to get the whole story out, so it was very time consuming.
These days, I’m working full time as a registered nurse, too, so my time for writing has dwindled down quite a lot. I look forward to the day when my writing is more successful and I can devote more time to it again.
Do you write on a typewriter, computer, or longhand?
I write on my laptop only. I can’t begin to imagine writing longhand. Patience is a virtue that continues to elude me, and writing longhand takes quite a bit of it. Do typewriters still exist? Is that a thing?
Do you work to an outline or plot or do you prefer just see where an idea takes you?
So typically what happens is a scene and the two main characters will come to me, either in a dream, or while I’m driving (random, I know). At that point my brain explodes with ideas and I zone out for an entire day. I mean like completely go comatose. I’m useless for the rest of the day. Then hours later, I snap back and rejoin life determined to write this new story down. From there, the story unfolds around those key scenes. I sit down and start writing. It’s a very organic process. The only regimented tactic I use is a timeline. Making a very basic timeline of events keeps the story linear and helps me avoid continuity issues.
This whole process is what I love the most about writing. That surge of creative energy that flows through me, feeds me.
The Fire Inside
By Michelle Bellon
Genre: Literary Fiction
Aiden had the perfect life. A job he loved, a beautiful son and loving wife. In an instant everything is taken from him and Aiden assumes his life is over. Falling into a deep depression Aiden has all but given up on his job, his friends and himself. But when a mysterious force gives him the power to heal those around him, Aiden is forced to pull himself out of his depression in favor of the greater good. When he meets Ryan, a young woman living on the streets, and Norma, a woman whose marriage is crumbling around her, Aiden acknowledges that maybe his life still has a purpose and his ability to heal maybe more powerful then he may ever imagined.
Buy Link: http://www.amazon.com/Fire-Inside-Mic...
Author Bio:
Michelle Bellon lives in the Pacific Northwest with her four children and boyfriend, Seth. She loves coffee and has an addiction to chapstick. She works at a surgery center as a registered nurse and in her spare time writes novels. She writes in the genres of romance suspense, young adult, women’s fiction, and literary fiction. She has won three literary awards.
Social links:
http://www.michellebellon.com/
https://www.facebook.com/michelle.authorpage
https://twitter.com/MichelleBellon
