Margo Bond Collins's Blog, page 57
June 11, 2015
On the Fun Challenges of Writing Our Very First Sequel ~ By Matt Carter ~ co-author of Shards, Book 2 in The Prospero Chronicles
On the Fun Challenges of Writing Our Very First Sequel
By Matt Carter
From the very start, Fiona and I knew that we were going to make a series out of Splinters. The world and the number of ideas of what we had to take place in it was too vast and great to just be contained within one book. So with some time and a lot of scribbled-through notebooks we wound up with a rough outline, then a pretty thorough outline of the series as it will be written. It will be big, it will be fun, it will even be heartbreaking (we hope). When we wrote Splinters, we knew we had a solid first act, a book that could stand on its own yet would still leave this door wide open to further adventures of Ben & Mina in their creepy little town of Prospero.
When it came time to jump into the second book in The Prospero Chronicles series, Shards, we were ready, but we knew that there were going to be some new challenges that we would have to face head on.
The first, and biggest problem we wanted to avoid, was preventing the book from being more of the same, which would have been easy to do. At the end of Splinters, protagonists Ben and Mina are trapped in the small town by the titular, shapeshifting aliens who mean to keep a close eye on them. Trapping everyone in a pressure cooker like this with the same characters antagonizing them would have made it easy to fall into the old traps of the first book, so we forced ourselves to go out of our way to give them newer, more difficult problems to have to work through. So we spend most of the first book with the Splinters attacking people physically? Fine, now we’ll have them try to destroy our heroes mentally, or socially; give them some problems that can’t just be fixed with brute force. Our heroes have proven themselves apt at handling and taking down this particular breed of monsters? We’ll introduce some new creepy-crawlies they haven’t seen, forcing them to stay on their toes and have to adapt as the readers no doubt will.
Tying into this was another problem we wanted to avoid, in that we didn’t want to expand too much, too fast. By necessity a sequel has to be bigger and better, but go too big and too extreme and you run the risk of being a jumbled mess that runs the risk of losing sight of everything you did right in the beginning (something I like to call The Avengers Principle). Whenever we needed to expand the story, be it through new characters, new plot twists or even just some basic new world-building, we had to make sure that everything new we introduced had a point. We couldn’t just introduce a new character because we needed an antagonist for a chapter or two; Prospero is a small town, after all. If we’re going to introduce someone new they can’t just disappear later when their current purpose is done. We have to consider what their presence will involve and require in the long haul and what part, however major or minor, they will play into the series’ overarching mythology. It sounds like a lot of work, but this has led to one of the best side-effects of our particular brand of obsessive planning, in that we’ve wound up creating new and fun characters and story directions that weren’t in the original plan because we just liked the natural flow of where they were going.
Sequels are rough, but they’re a lot of fun too. You’re more familiar with your characters and world, you don’t have to go through the awkward reintroduction of every character’s origins again (a.k.a. the Spider-Man Principle), and you can really start to cut loose in crazier, more experimental directions you may dare not consider for a first book. And if there’s anything we at Titchenell & Carter love, it’s crazy and experimental.
Win an autographed copy of Shards
Blurb
Ben Pastor and Mina Todd fight a new alien faction, Shards, who are enemies to both sides of Prospero’s precarious treaty, to let the humans live.
When autumn descends on Prospero, Ben Pastor hopes that the normality of the new school year may offer a reprieve from the town’s horrors. Mina Todd knows all too well that there are no reprieves and no normality in Prospero, especially after she starts having crippling, unexplained hallucinations of the dead, but even she couldn’t prepare for what the coming year holds.
On top of the Splinters’ brewing civil war threatening to make humanity its battleground, inside the walls of Prospero High, Ben, Mina, and their expanding Network must face a Splinter campaign to destroy their friendship, a newly human Haley Perkins struggling to readjust to life after the Warehouse, and a Splinter assassin of untold power picking off human rebels.
Ben and Mina’s one hope may rest with a mysterious figure hiding in the woods outside of town, a living legend who may know how to stop this dangerous new breed of Splinter. That is, assuming he doesn’t kill everyone first himself.
TITCHENELL & CARTER—Author Information and Useful Links
Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Shards-Prospero-Chronicles-F-Titchenell/dp/1631630180/
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/23359823-shards
You can find the authors online here:
Facebook:
https://www.facebook.com/FjrTitchenell?fref=ts
https://www.facebook.com/mattcarterauthor?fref=ts
Twitter:
@FJR_Titchenell
@MCarterAuthor
Blog:
mattcarterauthor.weebly.com
FJRTitchenell.weebly.com
Email:
fionatitchenell@yahoo.com
mattcarterauthor@gmail.com
Character Interview: Gabe Montgomery from Shades of Blue by Dana Tanaro Britt
Shades of Blue is out now!
“I can promise you one thing will stay the same—me.”
She wants to get lost in her memories.
He wants her to find her way home.
About Shades of Blue:
Heart-broken and reeling with grief, Charlie flees to a far-flung tropical island in search of a safe haven where she can let her treasured memories consume her. Hiding away from the world, she battles nightmares and fresh tragedy while trying to make sense of her new reality.
Living his island dream, firefighter-turned-fisherman Gabe Montgomery is determined to be Charlie’s port in her storm of pain and loss. Blindsided by life-changing revelations from his own past followed by the possibility of a terrifying personal loss, Gabe realizes that sometimes letting go is as much a part of love as holding on.
When Charlie and Gabe acknowledge their powerful connection and cling to one another for comfort and hope, both face a frightening dilemma: surrender to the past, or face the challenge and promise of a future together.
Will the memories and mistakes of the past consume them or can Charlie and Gabe hold fast to each other and the hope that will bring them to promising future together?
Character Interview: Gabe Montgomery
What was your childhood like? Wildly idyllic. I grew up on the New England shore– Mom, Dad, Sister, Friends. A kid’s dream.
Do you have any hobbies? I like to call my life my hobby, I love what I do. That being said, these days I’m building toys for the FDNY toy drive. It’s a lot of fun, even with all the minute details & all.
If you were at a store now, what ten items would be in your shopping cart? Before I met Charlie or after? *laughs* Before, probably less than ten items since I eat most of my meals at The Painted Parrot—things like shaving cream, toilet paper & a woodworking magazine. After? Things like scented candles, pink tissues, chocolate milk…who knows what else?
What is your favorite scent? Why? Hmmm, I’ve never thought about it, but I’d have to say the smell of the sea–for obvious reasons—followed closely by orange blossoms, because Charlie always smells like orange blossoms. *smiles*
What is your favorite beverage? I’m a bar owner, there’s probably a rule against having a favorite. *raises lemonade glass* However, lemonade is always handy around here.
Are you lucky? Oh, hell, yeah. *gestures around him at the bar, the sea*
What is your most closely guarded secret? *raises eyebrow* Wouldn’t be a secret if I told you, would it?
Do you keep your promises? Sure, I try to.
What in your past would you like to forget? *shifts in his seat & looks around then sighs* Ya know… *pauses* Let’s just move on.
Was there ever a defining moment of your life? Two big, big moments—the ones where I met those two people. *points*
You’ll have to read Shades of Blue by Dana Tanaro Britt to find out just what two people Gabe was pointing to just then! : )
Author Bio:
Once upon a time, a sassy Kentucky girl fell in love with a handsome Hoosier boy. What followed is a still-unfolding story filled with laughter, starry nights, children…and pizza–yes, pizza
When Dana Britt is not writing stories of hope, home and happily ever after, she can be found porch sitting with sweet tea and a book in hand. Dana carries three things everywhere she goes: cherry chapstick, a camera, and her phone. Her idea of a perfect day is a road trip that includes sunshine, pizza, taking pictures and spending time with her own Hero and two young adult children. Dana often shares bits about it all online at DanaBritt.com–she’d love for you to stop by!
Author links:
Website: http://danabritt.com/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/Dana_Britt
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/dtbritt1
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/DanaBritt
Amazon: http://amzn.to/1MihSwj
Book Links:
Barnes & Noble: http://bit.ly/1QieuYJ
Amazon: http://amzn.to/1MiexNH
A freebie for you!
Burnout is a short prequel to Shades of Blue. http://danabritt.com/blog/coming-soon/
June 9, 2015
Paranormal Love Wednesdays Blog Hop ~ Introducing Witch’s Kiss, coming this fall
He’s not your average Sleeping Beauty.
Six hundred years ago, Alaric sacrificed himself to save his lakeside village from the encroaching Black Death. Having given his heart and his life-force to protect those he loved, he has since slumbered in a crystal tomb at the bottom of the lake, never waking, always watching over the town as the world moved past him.
Now his centuries-long dreams have turned dark, and the magic spell safeguarding the village has begun to cast a shadow across the land and people he vowed to protect.
She’s not much of a witch.
Raina has never been a particularly good witch. Her spells go awry and her control over elemental forces is tenuous, at best. But she’s certain that her powers could flourish—and she has just the spellbook to prove it … if only someone would translate it for her. Her plans to travel to her family’s ancestral home are thrown into disarray when a magical mishap dumps her into the freezing lake, and right into the arms of a most unusual kind of sleeping beauty.
High in the German Alps, beneath the shining waters of a deep lake, lies a secret an entire town will kill to protect, and questions that only one woman can answer: can a witch’s kiss save the handsome prince from the forces he unleashed long ago—and can she keep her own unruly power from destroying the fragile bond between them?
Witch’s Kiss
Forthcoming Fall 2015
Sign up here to be notified of this and other releases!
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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
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Spotlight On: Of Ocean and Ash by A. R. Draeger
Of Ocean and Ash
by A.R. Draeger
Series: Falling In Deep, #3
Genre: Paranormal Romance
Cover Designer: Quirky-Bird
Release Date: June 9, 2015
Of Ocean…
Cast into the sea at birth, human-born Ia found her adoptive family among the merfolk. While her underwater upbringing was peaceful, Ia’s blood-heritage and the strict societal rules of the merpeople lead her to wonder of the world above the waves.
And Ash…
When a storm lands Ia ashore, she discovers her body has transformed into the human she would have been. Taken in as property by a callous plantation owner, Ia works alongside the slaves until she can make her way back to the water. There is nothing Ia wants more than to go home, that is, until she meets a handsome, troubled man named Matthias, who has a touch that can be as kind as his tongue is harsh.
Torn between two very different lives, Ia must choose – stay in his world and risk her life for a love untested, or return to the familiar arms of the underwater world that raised her and risk losing what may be the greatest love she will ever know.
Will Ia’s choice lead to happiness or her destruction?
Summer was waning when I was born, marked by the heat leaving the waters and the nights growing longer. My family wanted to migrate with the rest of their people, but they waited for me in the stillness of the waves, keeping an ever-watchful eye.
Mother heard the wails of the fisherman’s wife the night the woman discovered she carried me in her womb. The fisherman and his wife lived next to the water in a small, dilapidated shack made of rotten wood and leaky thatch. They had six children before me, although Mother knew not in what mixture their genders numbered. All but two were taken away at birth. The couple had too many as it were for a meager fisherman and his wife, and I was yet another mouth to feed.
The fisherman’s cries of mercy woke my family the night I was born. My arrival was sooner than expected, his wife not having carried me nine months in her womb. I was tiny, frail. My left leg was misshapen, my head oblong.
Mother watched him from beneath the surface, saw his tanned sailor’s skin, ebony and white streaked hair, and grey-whiskered face. He looked down at me, the fragile bundle cradled in his arms, and cried out through parched lips and crooked, black teeth:
“Forgive me, O God! Have mercy on her. I leave her to your care.”
He dropped me in the water with a small plop.
My sister, Liliana, caught me before I plunged too far into the depths. My family crowded around me, anxious and excited. My uncles debated eating me, seeing my size and stature, convinced I would not survive. Mother waved them off and took me from my sister’s arms, cradling me as my still-human lips turned blue.
It was an enormous challenge for a human to come into the fold. Not many of us were capable of such a change, but Mother knew my lineage had been on and in the water. She had watched my father and his father before him.
She lowered her lips to my nose and mouth, and she breathed into me the life of the sea dwellers, the merfolk. I sputtered a bit, and my body shivered, unsure of the transformation. Mother held me tight, sang me lullabies of the whales, and when all my family had lost hope that I’d survive, I woke.
My scream was shrill, she said. Loud, piercing. She was proud, surprised at the pushing force of the water I had generated. She knew I would be a good Caller.
With that, they gathered to me – my mother, sister, uncles, aunts, and cousins – and in a ritual almost lost in the passage of time, sang as my mother fed me two drops of her blood.
My legs lengthened and molded together, as her nourishment pulsed through my body, changing me inch by inch. Where my feet had once been, two fins took shape, overlaid with iridescent blue scales.
The process was beautiful, my family told me, rare, and yet there I was, the adopted, healthy and changing. Born human, and through the grace and love of the one I would know as Mother, turned into a creature of the deep, a daughter of the ocean, a mermaid.
A.R. (Amber) Draeger resides in rural Texas with her husband, Josh, and son, Logan. When not writing or reading, she is watching reality TV shows or tromping through the nearby woods.
Enter the giveaway for a chance to win one of three great prizes Amber is offering:
* A beautiful shell necklace and matching earrings (see picture)
* $10 Amazon Gift Card
* $25 Amazon Gift Card
Passionate Pen Conference, Aug. 26-30, Arlington VA
This comprehensive weekend event is open
to any unpublished, aspiring writer, blogger, jotter, dotter
and published authors in any genre.
Blushing Books and Lazy Day Publishing are hosting a writer’s conference in the nation’s capital this summer. Come mingle at the Marriott Gateway for four(ish) days of social events and workshop sessions that will surely add something to your arsenal.
Workshop sessions are being developed with your response in mind and will guarantee to be led by one third Blushing Books staff, one third experienced authors, and one third outside professionals.
Registering is easy! Individual registration forms are required from every writer, author, staff, fans, friends, family or otherwise implied interested party for any and all parts of the conference.
Head over to the Passionate Pen website for the itinerary, lodging or other information.
Contact Bella for questions you still have after perusing the site.
http://www.blushingconference.com/
The conference is not only for the authors.
COME ONE, COME ALL
You’ve been reading them for months, maybe even years.
The Passionate Pen is offering readers and fans the opportunity to meet Blushing Books and Lazy Day authors!
You may also book your room at the Marriott Gateway (if you aren’t their slumber party buddy) and stay the whole weekend at the same rate as the authors, with access to the events below.
THURSDAY, WELCOME RECEPTION @ 7:00 PM
Be part of the conference opening and welcome reception.
Tickets are $40 and include nibbles and a drink. Registration is required.
SUNDAY, BREAKFAST WITH THE AUTHORS @ 9:00 AM
Sit at a table and eat breakfast with your favourite author, or visit a few tables. Either way, you can be up close and personal. They’ll have some pretty lovely bits of swag, too.
Ticket are $40 and includes buffet breakfast. Registration required.
Happy Release Day! Z Children: Awakening, by Eli Constant and B. V. Barr
Humanity’s advancements in medicine, meant to eliminate disease and extend life, have led to a macabre reality of childhood vaccinations gone terribly wrong.
Kids have transformed, changed into ravenous beasts that are nightmarishly quick, disproportionally strong, and void of empathy.
No amount of planning or preparation could have saved the human race against this unexpected attack, centralized in the heart of every human home, and the U.S. is quickly thrown into a chaos of Z Children. By the end of the first day, the entire world is jolted into a veritable hell on earth. Yet, there are survivors- individuals who, by luck, skill, or circumstance, lived through the initial wave of destruction. These ‘lucky’ ones will join together, bonded in their quest for survival. They will try to maintain their humanity in a world where children have graduated from bubble baths to blood baths.
And they will try to find an answer to the only question that matters now: What will tomorrow bring?
Z CHILDREN PURCHASE LINKS:
Amazon.com: http://bit.ly/ZOMBIE_KIDS_ATTACK
Amazon.co.uk: http://bit.ly/Zombie_Kids_Attack_The_UK
Z Children: Awakening on Goodreads: http://bit.ly/ZChildren_Goodreads
About the Authors
ELI CONSTANT:
Eli attended USC-L, Columbia College, Texas A&M, & George Mason University. She studied everything from Mariculture to Differential Equations. Settling on Biology, Eli participated in research fellowships in Texas and at NIH, worked a few random jobs, and finally settled into a Virginia lab where she focused on mastering diagnosis procedures and implementations of histology and pathology.
Choosing to be a dedicated homemaker after the birth of her first child, Eli rediscovered her passion for writing. She’s never regretted the decision; not only are her kids the most amazing creatures, but writing fulfills her soul in a way science never did.
***
Eli is the author of Dead Trees, Dead Trees 2, Mastic, DRAG.N & Z Children: Awakening. She is a contributing author to Let’s Scare Cancer to Death, State of Horror: New Jersey, State of Horror: Illinois, & Fading Hope. Her books are available in eBook, paperback, & audio formats.
Stalk Eli on social media:
Twitter @Author_EliC
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/authorEliConstant
Books on Amazon: http://bit.ly/Author_EliConstant_AmazonBooks
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/6901568.Eli_Constant
WordPress: http://authoreliconstant.wordpress.com/
BV BARR:
Ben has been teaching Survival, Evasion, Resistance, and Escape (SERE) continually since 1981 when he joined the USAF as a “Survival Instructor”. In that Thirty+ year period, he has taught all aspects of SERE, trained at both domestic and international schools, written SERE doctrine and instruction, researched and developed cutting edge programs for dealing with both the psychological and physical challenges of survival, tested new equipment, written numerous papers on equipment and SERE-related disorders, and taught thousands of classes. Ben’s research and program development is the basis for many of the national and international survival schools in operation today. He is a USAF Master SERE Instructor.
Members of the Rangers, Green Berets, Para-rescue, Combat Control, Navy SEALs, Air Force Crew Members and MARSOC have all been his students. Outside the military, he has taught people from the DEA, Local Law Enforcement, Department of Natural Resources, the FBI, and other Federal Agencies. With over 12 years in the disaster mitigation and security fields, his advice on the development of advanced survival systems is irreplaceable and his knowledge of the physical and psychological aspects of both manmade and natural disasters is unparalleled in the survival world.
Z Children: Awakening, written with Eli Constant, is Ben’s first official foray into fictional writing. His technical expertise has proven a valuable asset in the development of plausible situations, appropriate survival responses, and how the world would really operate at the ‘awakening’ of an apocalypse.
Check out Ben’s survival company:
Spotlight On: Drawn, by Chris Ledbetter
Drawn
Chris Ledbetter
YA Paranormal Interracial Romance
Released: June 5, 2015
215 pages
Caught between the sweltering fall landscape of Wilmington, NC beaches and southern illusions and expectations, all sixteen year-old Cameron Shade thinks about is art. That, and for Farrah Spangled to view him as more than just a friend. Cameron longs to win her heart through art.
After several warm interactions with Farrah, including painting together at the beach, Cameron discovers just how complex Farrah’s life is with her boyfriend and her family. Following a tense run-in with Farrah’s father, she forbids Cameron to ever speak to her again, but Cameron’s convinced there’s more behind
the request.
To impress Farrah with a last-ditch effort, Cameron sketches her portrait. But the sketchbook he uses hides a dark secret. Farrah’s now in grave danger because the sketch he drew of her siphons her real-life’s soul into the sketchbook.
Cameron now has twenty days to extract Farrah. To save her, he must draw himself into the book.
If he fails… they both die.
Buy Links: Evernight Teen
Amazon
ARe
Excerpt:
Jameson catches my arm as we leave class. “Talk to her… or don’t talk. There is no
drooling.”
“Wait… What?” I fit my books under my arm. “I may do a lot of things. Drooling is not one of them.”
“Wanna bet?”
I wipe my mouth. “I was totally not drooling.”
“Maybe not, but just like dogs can smell fear… girls can smell desperate.”
“Whatev.”
“The time is now, soldier. I’m giving you ‘til homecoming to score a date.”
“She’s got a boyfriend. You gotta give me more time than that.” Cassisi’s words sweep through my ears. That means you have to fight a little harder, yes? And not with your fists. The pencil is mightier than the fist.
“Pffft, there are other fish in the sea. You know that, right?”
“Were there for Captain Ahab?”
He flashes an incredulous frown and sticks a pick in the top of his hair like Questlove from The Roots. “Uhh, yeah the greatest stalker of all time? Pick a new hero, wouldya? And anyway, that story was about revenge, not love.” He laughs.
“Fine. Bad example.”
“Ya think?” He snorts. His girlfriend, Morgan, saunters up behind him in a tight-fitting Seaview Vikings girls’ lacrosse t-shirt. She waves at me and then slips an arm through
Jameson’s. “I gotta run,” Jameson says. We pound fists, and with our hands, we flash the DEVGRU move out hand signal before going our separate ways.
If I could take Journalism for four periods a day, I would. As long as Farrah Spangled were in each class. I scoff at Jameson’s desperate comment. Psssht. Drooling. That’s a completely false interpretation. See, desperate leads to stalker. And I’m nobody’s stalker. Admirer is a far better term. Even if in secret and from afar.
The only class I’m ever extra early for is Journalism. I take that back––sometimes I’m early for Advanced Art, too. But generally, as in every single day, I’m in my Journalism assigned seat with full minutes to spare. This is because Farrah’s entrance into class is red
carpet-worthy. I almost want to sit back with a bag of kettle corn and a strawberry Yoo-Hoo. Another whole different side of me wants to grab a camera and blind her with flash snaps. But yeah, that does cross the line into stalker-ville.
As the orange second hand sweeps past the six on the clock with exactly thirty seconds until the bell blares, Farrah strides in like a soft, Sunday afternoon breeze. She tosses her head back at some joke she must’ve heard. Her soft red spirals bounce in the
ponytail between her shoulder blades. The rest of the class is unaffected. And yet, tingles sprinkle through me like confectioners sugar over pastries.
Her laughter is musical, if only to me. Well, not only me. I’m sure her boyfriend likes her laugh too. He has nothing on me, though. He can’t shade a sphere using four different techniques. Of course, I can’t sack the opposing quarterback six times in a single football
game either. Guess we’re even?
Farrah leans over Mrs. Vandersloot’s desk to get our marching orders for the day. Even the wrinkles on her white button-down shirt are beautifully random. She flips a glance over her shoulder toward the door. For half a second I think it’s going to land on me.
See, Farrah is a third-year journalism wunderkind and school newspaper editor. She
basically runs the show. Ol’ Vandy doesn’t even have to lift a finger with the newspaper.
Farrah steps to the front of the room and claps her hands. “Listen up, my little rat-tails… our Homecoming Edition goes to press next Monday, so I’m coming by to check everyone’s projects.”
Author Bio:
Christopher S. Ledbetter grew up in Durham, NC before moving to Charlottesville, VA in 11th grade. After graduating high school, he attended Hampton University, where he promptly joined the best marching band on the east coast, without having one shred of experience.
He taught high school and coached football for six years in Culpeper, VA. He enjoys the occasional Spartan Race, and is working toward a triathlon.
As a self-described, young reluctant reader, he writes young adult stories specifically to reach other reluctant readers. As a participant in the prestigious Nevada SCBWI Mentor Program, he was blessed to be mentored by Suzanne Morgan Williams, 2012 SCBWI member of the year.
He now lives in Wilmington, NC with his family.
Website: http://www.csledbetter.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ChrisLedbetter.Author
Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Drawn-Chris-Ledbetter-ebook/dp/B00UGRG8SK/ref=asap_bc?ie=UTF8
Giveaway: $30 Amazon Gift Card
June 7, 2015
Spotlight On: Secret of the Sevens, by Lynn Lindquist
Secret of the Sevensby Lynn Lindquist
Release Date: 06/2015
Flux Publishing
Summary from Goodreads:
Everyone at Singer, a boarding school for underprivileged kids, knows the urban legend of the Society of Seven. Decades ago, the original members of the secret guild for elite students murdered the school’s founder and then perished in the fire they lit to hide the evidence. Or so the story goes.
Talan Michaels doesn’t care about Singer’s past. He’s too focused on his future and the fact that he’ll be homeless after he graduates in May. To take his mind off it, he accepts a mysterious invitation to join a group calling itself the Sevens.
He expects pranks, parties, and perks. Instead, he finds himself neck-deep in a conspiracy involving secret passages and cryptic riddles about the school’s history. Even worse, he’s now tangled in web of lies someone will kill to keep hidden.
“At the end of the day, it’s Talan and his endearing combination of bravado and vulnerability, coupled with the crackling chemistry he shares with Laney, that will keep readers turning the pages. A satisfying read for secret-society fanatics and romantics alike.” – Kirkus Reviews
Buy Links:
Amazon│Barnes
& Noble
Excerpt
I cut across the quad toward the oldest building on campus. Why would they want to see me here? Except for the Pillar thing, I can’t think of anything I’ve done wrong recently. That they know of, anyhow.
I open the front door and flash my pass at the security guard. He reads the note over a couple times as I sign in. “Room 07? I don’t see a lot of passes for rooms in the basement.” He hands it back and points to a doorway. “Take that stairwell there.”
The muscles in my shoulders stiffen as I ramble down the rickety steps into a dark corridor. The air is humid and musty. There’s a single dim bulb hanging from the ceiling in the center of the long hallway.
Unnerved, I squint to read the faded numbers on the old wood doors. The darkness in the narrow hall is starting to trigger my claustrophobia. When my shoes squeak like a bad speaker, I twist around, thinking someone’s behind me. What am I freaking out about? There’s no one else here. I’m alone.
Alone.
In a strange building.
For a meeting I knew nothing about.
In an empty hallway… in a dimly-lit basement… that no one ever uses.
The hairs on my arm stand up. My eyes shift around, searching the walls for anything familiar.
“Hello?”
No answer.
All the classroom lights are off except for one at the very end of the hall. A strip of light glows from under the door. I drift toward it like an insect to a bug zapper.
The door to room 07 creaks as I open it and wander inside. The room is empty, except for a chalkboard on one wall with a message:
Yes, Talan. The letter is for you. And it’s real.
My breath catches in my throat. What letter? What’s going on? I look around the room and then peer out into the hallway, but there’s still no one around.
Scanning the room again, I spot a black velvet envelope with a red wax seal sitting on the ledge of the chalkboard. I go over and grab it, just as a cold sweat starts to collect under my shirt.
Inside is a card printed with fancy writing:
Master Talan Michaels,
You have been chosen for membership in the resurrected Society of Seven. Participation in The Society requires absolute loyalty, a lifelong oath of silence, and a commitment of sacrificial service to the true purposes of our brotherhood. In return, pledges are bestowed the secrets of The Society, including access to fraternal wealth and wisdom. Upon final initiation into The Society, each member is assigned the Great Responsibility and awarded the Great Reward—the use of society resources to fulfill your greatest desire.
Choose or refuse, you will have until midnight tonight to decide. If refusing, destroy this card and speak of it never, lest ye choose to invite misery upon yourself. Be warned: Do not take this vow lightly.
If accepting, return this invitation by way of the mausoleum of Mary Harper Singer, behind the Chapel ruins in the cemetery off Rucker Road. Slide this card under the palm of the weeping angel that watches over our beloved matriarch.
Noblesse Oblige: “To whom much is given, much is expected.”
About the Author
Lynn Lindquist lives in a suburb of Chicago with two overly-social sons and a mutt named Slugger who wisely hides under the bed most days. The hordes of teenagers that regularly frequent her house (think Panama City Beach during spring break) provide fodder for her young adult novels and growing anxiety disorder. Ever since her sons broke the Guinness Record for Largest-Rager-Thrown-While-a-Parent-Was-Out-for-the-Night, she enjoys spending her free time at home entertaining friends, cooking, reading, and writing. Thankfully, her favorite things in life are her sons, words, and kids, so she wouldn’t have it any other way. She is represented by Katherine Boyle at Veritas Literary Agency.
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Happy Release Day! Palace Secrets, by Ravyn Rayne
Palace Secrets by Ravyn Rayne
Series: Palace Secrets #1
Publisher: Blushing Books
Released:June 5th, 2015
Genre: Historical Romantic Erotica
Love comes in many forms and always at a price.
At twenty-three, Princess Isabella must settle down for the sake of her kingdom. Caught up in a secret affair with her lady-in-waiting, Hannah, the princess knows it can only last for so long.
When Prince Alexander arrives to court her, he confides that his father is on his death bed, and he will be crowned king soon. Isabella hastily agrees to the proposal, desiring to be queen, knowing little about her soon to be husband.
Murder, secrets, and lies combine with menage, spanking, and erotic encounters in this steamy medieval romance.
Amazon | Barnes and Noble | Blushing Books
Excerpt
“Make a sound and you’ll get another spanking,” Alexander says. His tone is firm but light. Unlike the last time, he doesn’t sound angry or disappointed with me. Is this how our lovemaking will be?
I’m both aroused and craving more of Alexander’s affection. I bury my face into the pillow, trying my best not to make any noise. I moan quietly as his lashings grow harder, burning against my skin, making me wet. I’m glad Alexander’s attention is on me. There’s something about his power and control that fires me up inside. Is he doing this to teach me a lesson for being naughty or to arouse me?
“No, Hannah.” Alexander’s answer is both quick and abrupt. “I’m the only one in charge. Maybe I should spank you both regularly for sneaking around the castle, behind my back. Would that make sure it doesn’t happen again?” Alexander lets his hand land hard on my bottom. The sting grows fierce and I whimper in protest. When will his spankings turn to sex? He offered it to me the last time and I rejected him. It had been the only amount of control that I’d been given. Tonight, I would give him everything, and if he asked me to beg, I would.
Author Interview
What inspired you to write a historical romance?
This is actually my second time writing a historical piece. My first was a young adult series under the name Ruth Silver. It includes Dead Girl Walking and Forget Me Knot (available June 23rd). Both of those are part of the Royal Reaper saga. Those novels took place in the 14th century and with all the research I had previously done on the Black Plague, the clothing, language, and world building, I thought it would be fun to write another story that focused more on the royal side of things, with mischief, murder, and mayhem mixed in.
What time period does Palace Secrets take place?
Palace Secrets takes place in the late 14th century.
How many books are planned for the Palace Secrets series?
Two stories are already written and I’m currently working on the third book, which is still untitled. The second book is Maiden Claimed due for release in early August. Each book can be read as a standalone novel, as they’re written from a different character’s point of view.
Can you give us a hint as to the second book and who’s point of view we might see?
Hannah gets to tell her story. It follows after the events of Palace Secrets, so there’s no retelling of the same story. It’s an entirely new adventure with a character you will hopefully come to know and love.
About the Author
Ravyn is a sassy, fun-loving, and adventure-seeking young woman. She loves to travel and can’t wait for her next vacation, wherever it might be.
Ravyn writes romantic erotica. She began writing romance novels in college, spending her down time either reading a book or writing fiction. Please don’t make her choose between the two, she loves them equally.
She has been published professionally since 2013. Prefer less steamy novels? Try her out here.
June 5, 2015
Jumpin’ Genres in June! Featuring the Crossing Death Series by Rick Chiantaretto
Welcome to the Jumping Genres in June Hop! In this hop, we are featuring books we love in genres that we rarely read. I tend to read a little bit of everything, so for this stop, I’m featuring Rick Chiantaretto’s Crossing Death Series. Although I often read fantasy and horror, I rarely read books could be called “Occult Horror.” But I’ve read both of these books, and I love them!
So check them out below, pick up a FREE copy of Death of the Body, then enter to win Death of the Soul–be sure to tell me about a book you’ve read that’s outside your normal genre preferences before you go (it’s an entry in the giveaway!). Once you’ve done all that, HOP to the rest of the blogs, and have a great June!
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I grew up in a world of magic. By the time I was ten I understood nature, talked to the trees, and listened to the wind. When the kingdom of men conquered my town, I was murdered by one of my own—the betrayer of my kind. But I didn’t stay dead.
I woke to find myself in a strange new world called Los Angeles. The only keys to the life I remembered were my father’s ring, my unique abilities, and the onslaught of demons that seemed hell-bent on finding me. Now I must learn who I really am, protect my friends, get the girl, and find my way back to my beloved hometown of Orenda.
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I have no idea who I am anymore.
In Los Angeles, I would have given anything to go home to Orenda, my world where magic was alive and nature spoke to me. Now that I’m back I feel out of place, burdened with responsibility. The human part of me misses the simplicity of Earth, the mage part begs for connection with magic, and the demon part? I don’t want to admit that exists.
As the darkness inside me grows, I’ll learn to sacrifice for the greater good, as my people have always done. In order to save my family (both mage and human alike), I must face my nightmare, embrace the demon, and descend into the shadowy world of my enemy—the Hell of the Damned.
Once there, I will have nothing left to fear but myself: Edmund Gavel, human, mage, demon… maybe monster.
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ENTER TO WIN
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