Zara Hoffman's Blog: Zara Hoffman's Goodreads Author Blog, page 27

Release Day Launch: A Man of Honor by Miranda Liasson

About the Book He survived combat…but will he fight for love?

Former Army Captain and venture capitalist Preston Guthrie has always had a thing for Cat Kingston, but he never felt like he could date his best friend’s sister. Plus, he’s a wrong-side-of-the-tracks guy and she’s a white-picket-fence kind of woman. Yet when they met again just before he was deployed, sparks flew. A fire ignited. And the heat was hot. For the first time, he thought a relationship with her might be possible…until an injury in the war changed everything…

Journalist Cat Kingston had a rough couple of years, surviving a broken engagement and the loss of her job. But connecting with Preston last fall seemed right. They shared steamy Skype sessions while he was overseas—until he was wounded, and cut her off without explanation. Now he’s back in town to be the Best Man for her sister’s wedding…and she wants answers.

Preston’s struggling with a leg wound, but the war scarred him on the inside, too. When Cat pays him a surprise visit and her brother catches them in a compromising position, Preston tells him they’re dating. He’s not sure how he can spend the entire wedding week fake-dating her when the chemistry between them feels anything but… Exclusive ExcerptWhoever this woman was, he was certain she was not a prostitute. His friends weren’t that tacky. But no reason he couldn’t play along for a bit. Even with his bum leg, he’d had plenty of offers from sympathetic young things pining to do their patriotic duty for a fallen soldier. He’d never been that desperate. Still wasn’t. But he’d love a distraction. Love to forget everything for just a few moments:  the pain, the hell, the woman he’d left in the dust.

The lady in black sashayed across the room to stand directly behind him, where he couldn’t easily turn to see her face. She looped cool hands over his eyes, leaning her elbows on the top of his chair. Raindrops rolled off her jacket and landed on his neck, sending a slight shiver cascading down his back. A clean, delicate fragrance he couldn’t quite place enveloped him in a cloud of scent.

“What would you like tonight, soldier?” Her voice was smooth as silk, but her hands trembled, making him think she must be young, inexperienced. She brushed her lips softly along his neck. He would put a stop to this nonsense in a minute, but God, it felt too damn good to be touched.

The image that played before his eyes, stabbing his heart with the same immutable pain as his worthless leg, was of another woman, not vampy, not sultry. Soft blond hair, a smile as sweet as homemade sugar cookies at Christmas. More slender than curvy, but just right for his tastes. There’d been a time before his injury when he’d almost believed he could make up for his shitty upbringing and be the man she needed. But not anymore. And not ever.

The war had changed all that.

That scent. Lavender, that’s what it was. Sweet and old fashioned, a huge contrast to her provocative behavior. Familiar. And that voice, too, once you peeled off the layers of that phony lilt.

His heart accelerated, his senses sharpening with suspicion. “Why are you here?” he asked as casually as he could manage while he reached up his hands and curved them around her wrists. Slender, just like hers.

“Your friends sent me to show you a good time,” she said. He ran his hands lightly up her arms, stopping just below her elbow.

His heart pumped equal parts dread and anticipation through his body. Too many coincidences had raised his spy sense. Her timidity, the disguise, the sweet smell that had permeated his dreams every bloody night in the hot, arid desert. This was no stripper. Or dancer. Or whatever masquerade she was playing at. He didn’t know how or why, but he’d recognize Catherine Kingston if he was blind and deaf.

His hands stilled at her elbows. For one moment, he stroked the soft skin, enjoying the forbidden feel of her. Then he tightened his hold, pivoted his shoulders, and sent her tumbling into his lap. The hood tipped back, and he found himself staring into a pair of angry eyes the color of a September sky.

“What the—”

She struggled against him, but he didn’t ease up. His leg might be just about useless, but everywhere else, he was lock-grip strong. He’d pinned her as easily as a judo master’s takedown.

“What the hell are you doing here?” he asked. Giveawaya Rafflecopter giveaway About the Author Miranda Liasson loves to write stories about courageous but flawed characters who find love despite themselves, because there’s nothing like a great love story. And if there are a few laughs along the way, even better! She’s a former Golden Heart winner who writes series romance for Entangled Publishing and lighthearted contemporary romance for Montlake Publishing. She lives in the Midwest with her husband, three kids, and Posey, a rescue cat with attitude. June 21st
Barbara's Book Blog        Excerpt
The Recipe Fairy              Excerpt
I Love Romance               Review
Alpha Book Club              Review
Socially Awkward Book Nerd       Review

June 22nd
Brittany's Book Blog       Playlist
Mommys naughty playground   Review
2 Chicks and a Book        Review
Reese's Reviews              Review
Romance Reviews and More       Review

June 23rd
Author Groupies             Review
EskieMama Reads           Excerpt
Zara's Scribbles (back here)  Guest Post
NightWolf Book Blog      Review
Ineffable Book Blog        Review

June 24th
Best Book Boyfriends     Review
Romance Book Nerd      Excerpt
E-Reading After Midnight     Review
Jen's Reading Obsession    Excerpt
T&L Book Reviews    Excerpt

June 25th
Love Affair With Fiction    Excerpt
Southern Yankee Book Reviews    Review
I'm A Sweet And Sassy Book Whore    Review
Novel Addiction     Review
Readers Retreats     Review

June 26th
Home.Love.Books          Review
2 girls who love books   Excerpt
Liz's Reading Life             Excerpt
Evermore Books              Excerpt
Ebook Indulgence           Review

June 27th
HOOKED ON BOOKS       Review
G & T's Indie Café           Excerpt
Books2blog        Review
Short and Sassy Book Blurbs       Review
Alphas Do It Better Book Blog     Review
Brittany's Book Blog       Playlist

Release Day Launch: Entangled & Tryst by Alex Rosa

About Entangled ​In the emotional and dramatic sequel to Tryst, Skyler and Blake’s relationship is finally out in the open. But as new challenges open up old wounds, their love is put to the ultimate test...

Blake is desperate to be the kind of man that Skyler deserves, but with his latest film putting him on the verge of superstardom, being there for her is growing harder and harder. As his filming schedule takes him on the road and away from the woman he loves, he discovers that being in a public, committed relationship is no easy task—especially from two thousand miles away.

​Skyler wants Blake to pursue his dreams, but his constant absence weighs on her more than she admits. Even as she throws herself into new distractions, she finds herself facing uncertainties and jealousies that could tear apart everything they’ve built. And when disaster strikes while Blake is away, she’ll have to decide if their passion is worth the pain...
Exclusive ExcerptHe grabs for the cork, and pauses to look at me with a serious look. “I would finish off that glass of wine if I were you.”

​I go wide-eyed as I do as I’m told, bringing the freshly filled glass to my lips. It tastes bitter, but the warmth that follows as it runs down my throat helps the flavor. The heat of the wine bottoms out in my stomach and courses through my insides like a rising tide.

​​Blake watches me take my first gulp before continuing his mission as he pops the cork back into the fancy bottle of wine and grabs it by the neck.

He waits for me to take my final sip, smugly smiling as he does until the last drop is gone.

My nerves are bunched up tight in anticipation of what the hell is going on. I place the glass on the table, and shamefully wipe at the corners of my mouth, knowing in that instant that being a lady is not my forte, and that this restaurant doesn’t suit me, or us, at all.

Blake extends his hand to me again. “Ready?”

I rise from the table, noting he still has the bottle in his other hand. His firm grip around mine shoots a thrum of electricity up my bare arm.

“What are we doing?” I ask, confused but thrilled.

“You said you prefer spontaneous.”

“You want to be spontaneous right now?” I don’t try to hide my sarcasm.

“You were right about this place. It’s not our style.” The word ‘our’ rings wonderfully in my ears as he says it. “I say we take this night out onto the streets.”

I laugh, covering my mouth, definitely taking note that we are gathering stares. “What are we? Some run of the mill L.A. hooligans now?”

He grins. “Well, we can at least enjoy this bottle of wine.”

Without letting me respond he’s already trotting back in the direction of the elevator with me in tow, and my giggles are relentless.

As we reach the shiny metal doors once again, he pulls me into a far too brief of a kiss. “I love you.”

I lick my lips, staring up into the wondrous boy who managed to steal my heart. “I love you, too.” About Tryst In this sensational New Adult debut by Alex Rosa, boyfriends are too much trouble. So what’s the harm in a little fun?

With an abusive relationship behind her, Skyler moves out of her Orange County apartment, changes her phone number, cuts ties with her friends, and moves in with her brother Josh, a talent agent with a spare room in his incredible house in Hollywood.

Josh is happy to take Skyler under his wing, but he has one rule: she can’t sleep with his roommate, Blake. That’s fine by Skyler. She doesn’t want a man in her life right now—and certainly not cocky Blake who’s with a different girl every night. But his all-American boy charm and his ripped model physique are difficult to refuse. Josh will never know if no one ever tells him. And a little secret now and then never hurt anyone… About the Author Alex Rosa lives in San Diego, California. When she isn't scouring city parks or cafe's to write she is more than likely trying to convince her friends to join her on her next adventure. A sufferer of wanderlust, she is always looking for a new mountain to climb, a canyon to hike, or a plane to board. Her resume consists of coroner, to working at a zoo, and most recently as an executive assistant, but finds her home amongst words, whether it be in books, or in film. Her obsessions are on the brink of bizarre, but that's just the way she likes it.
a Rafflecopter giveaway ​June 14th
Maari Loves Her Indies  Excerpt
My fictional escape        Excerpt
SBB Reviews      Review

June 15th
My midnight fantasies   Excerpt
Zara's Scribbles (you are here)  Playlist
Barbara's Book Blog        Excerpt

June 16th
Cruising Susan Book Reviews      Review
The Recipe Fairy              Excerpt
Socially Awkward Book Nerd       Excerpt

June 17th
My Book Filled Life         Review
An Aussie Girls WILD Book Addiction!     Dreamcast

June 18th
MJ's Book Blog and Reviews       Excerpt
Liz's Reading Life             Excerpt

June 19th
Southern Yankee Book Reviews Review

June 20th
Best Book Boyfriends     Excerpt
Princess Reads                 Review

June 21st
Wicked Babes Blog Reviews        Review
Oh My, Darling Reads                   Excerpt
KinkyGirlsBookObsessions           Excerpt

June 22nd
Love Affair With Fiction                Excerpt
Home Love Books           Review

June 23rd
Romance Book Nerd      Excerpt
EskieMama Reads           Excerpt

June 24th
Southern Vixens Book Obsessions           Excerpt

June 25th
My Slanted Bookish Ramblings  Review

June 26th
Four Chicks Flipping Pages           Review
nerd girl official               Excerpt
2 girls who love books   Excerpt

June 27th
Sexy Bibliophiles             Review
G & T's Indie Café           Excerpt

June 28th
Fictional Rendezvous Book Blog                Guest Post
Alpha Book Club              Excerpt

Blog Tour: Entangled & Tryst by Alex Rosa

About Entangled In the emotional and dramatic sequel to Tryst, Skyler and Blake’s relationship is finally out in the open. But as new challenges open up old wounds, their love is put to the ultimate test...
​
Blake is desperate to be the kind of man that Skyler deserves, but with his latest film putting him on the verge of superstardom, being there for her is growing harder and harder. As his filming schedule takes him on the road and away from the woman he loves, he discovers that being in a public, committed relationship is no easy task—especially from two thousand miles away.

Skyler wants Blake to pursue his dreams, but his constant absence weighs on her more than she admits. Even as she throws herself into new distractions, she finds herself facing uncertainties and jealousies that could tear apart everything they’ve built. And when disaster strikes while Blake is away, she’ll have to decide if their passion is worth the pain... PlaylistColdplay – Sky Full of StarsYears & Years – WorshipNico Yaryan – Just Tell MeSpoon – I Turn My Camera OnNick Jonas, feat. Tove Lo – CloseTove Lo – Thousand MilesHalsey – DriveRooney – All the Beautiful PeopleMinus the Bear –My TimeLuxley – Camera LensDJ Snake, Feat. Bipolar Sunshine – MiddleBen Phipps, feat. Ashe – AliveLipstick Gypsy – The Cure
ASTR – Hold On We’re Going Home About Tryst In this sensational New Adult debut by Alex Rosa, boyfriends are too much trouble. So what’s the harm in a little fun?

With an abusive relationship behind her, Skyler moves out of her Orange County apartment, changes her phone number, cuts ties with her friends, and moves in with her brother Josh, a talent agent with a spare room in his incredible house in Hollywood.

Josh is happy to take Skyler under his wing, but he has one rule: she can’t sleep with his roommate, Blake. That’s fine by Skyler. She doesn’t want a man in her life right now—and certainly not cocky Blake who’s with a different girl every night. But his all-American boy charm and his ripped model physique are difficult to refuse. Josh will never know if no one ever tells him. And a little secret now and then never hurt anyone…
Alex Rosa lives in San Diego, California. When she isn't scouring city parks or cafe's to write she is more than likely trying to convince her friends to join her on her next adventure. A sufferer of wanderlust, she is always looking for a new mountain to climb, a canyon to hike, or a plane to board. Her resume consists of coroner, to working at a zoo, and most recently as an executive assistant, but finds her home amongst words, whether it be in books, or in film. Her obsessions are on the brink of bizarre, but that's just the way she likes it. a Rafflecopter giveaway Blog Tour ScheduleJune 14th
Maari Loves Her Indies  Excerpt
My fictional escape        Excerpt
SBB Reviews      Review

June 15th
My midnight fantasies   Excerpt
Zara's Scribbles (you are here)  Playlist
Barbara's Book Blog        Excerpt

June 16th
Cruising Susan Book Reviews      Review
The Recipe Fairy              Excerpt
Socially Awkward Book Nerd       Excerpt

June 17th
My Book Filled Life         Review
An Aussie Girls WILD Book Addiction!     Dreamcast

June 18th
MJ's Book Blog and Reviews       Excerpt
Liz's Reading Life             Excerpt

June 19th
Southern Yankee Book Reviews Review

June 20th
Best Book Boyfriends     Excerpt
Princess Reads                 Review

June 21st
Wicked Babes Blog Reviews        Review
Oh My, Darling Reads                   Excerpt
KinkyGirlsBookObsessions           Excerpt

June 22nd
Love Affair With Fiction                Excerpt
Home Love Books           Review

June 23rd
Romance Book Nerd      Excerpt
EskieMama Reads           Excerpt

June 24th
Southern Vixens Book Obsessions           Excerpt

June 25th
My Slanted Bookish Ramblings  Review

June 26th
Four Chicks Flipping Pages           Review
nerd girl official               Excerpt
2 girls who love books   Excerpt

June 27th
Sexy Bibliophiles             Review
G & T's Indie Café           Excerpt

June 28th
Fictional Rendezvous Book Blog                Guest Post
Alpha Book Club              Excerpt

What Penny Dreadful Teaches Us About Writing Complex Characters

You may recall me writing a blog post on "Evil" Characters and now I will add another to the collection of TV-inspired character tips. I'll start with Penny Dreadful since I'm positively obsessed with the show. I mean, it combines Eva Green, Frankenstein by Mary Shelley, Dracula by Bram Stoker, and The Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde, places them in Victorian London, and has them all interact together.

The first season of the show had beautiful character portraits that had the tagline: "there is some thing within us all." The whole concept of the show, apart from its literary roots, is that humans are as monstrous, if not more so, than the monsters we all know from books, plays, movies, and TV. And, as you watch the show, you'll very quickly learn that while there are some "villains" and maybe one or two "heroes," almost everyone is an anti-hero with enough sins to paint the walls of Sir Malcolm Murray's London home with blood—something like this actually happens in Season 2.

For the sake of efficiency, though, I'll only be talking about the 5 characters shown above: Vanessa Ives played by Eva Green (center), Ethan Chandler played by Josh Hartnett (front right), Sir Malcolm Murray played by Timothy Dalton (front left)—who are all original characters (although Sir Malcolm is tied to Mina from Dracula)—Victor Frankenstein played by Harry Treadaway (back right), and Dorian Gray played by Reeve Carney (back left). The last two are obviously from books, and are in fact, the titular characters of their respective novels. ​Let's start with Eva Green's character, Vanessa Ives, who is the true heart of the show. Season 1 has a definite mission, but it is Vanessa's character arc & plot line that drives the series. Anyway, when we first meet her, she is a mysterious tarot-reading woman. She is gifted, but we're not sure how. If you want to be like her, you can buy Vanessa Ives' tarot cards from Amazon.

She is the only woman in the team assembled by Sir Malcolm to recover his daughter Mina (from Dracula) from a creature (vampire—kind of). You learn in S01E05, "Closer Than Sisters," that she has had a really sordid and difficult past. Honestly, what character set in Victorian London doesn't? Back in 2014, Julie Miller of Vanity Fair said "[Vanessa] encompasses the duality of good and evil under a veil of secrets" (read that interview after seeing Season 1).

Without giving too much away (and I really wish I could... but then I'd probably end up writing a whole blog post about her, and her alone), Vanessa is a very flawed woman and what makes her stand out is her constant "fight to get to the light" as Eva Green said in this video about her character in Season 3 (careful, it spoils the end of Season 2).

​Side note: don't subscribe to the Youtube channel until you are caught up with all 3 seasons as it has a number of spoilers. But, this one video sums her up very nicely: Moving on to Ethan Chandler, played by Josh Hartnett, who is an American sharpshooter with a mysterious past. In a lot of the first season's interviews, show creators and Hartnett said that Ethan is the audience's way in because he is new to London and the dark Demimonde that Vanessa & Malcolm are searching.

But... maybe he's not such a stranger to the supernatural, after all. He certainly has his fair share of secrets (which are painstakingly revealed giving viewers a slow burn) and has "such sins at my back it would kill me to turn around." (S01E04, "Demimonde") Similarly with Vanessa (who, as I've said, is the main driver of the story), I can't say anymore about his arc without spoiling the main subplot of every season.
​
As much as I believe the show belongs to Vanessa Ives, Season 3 seems to be more about Ethan than either of the previous 2. That statement does not include the main series plot of a mysterious dark force/creature hunting Vanessa since before the series started. The reason I even say it is because after Season 2, I thought I had Mr. Chandler's number, but I was so wrong. A certain revelation happens in Season 3 that had me gasping in shock.

He is definitely as complicated as Vanessa and is her match in almost every way. Next is Timothy Dalton's Sir Malcolm Murray, an well-known explorer or Africa and father of Mina Harker. A fun thing to note is that Dalton played James Bond and Eva Green was a Bond girl in the 2006 Casino Royale film with Daniel Craig.

As the third and final original character, Sir Malcolm Murray completes the main trio introduced in the Pilot of Season 1, but unlike his two companions, Sir Malcolm is created as the father of the well-known literary character Mina Harker (née Murray) from Bram Stoker's Dracula).

An explorer of Africa (for some reason "African explorer" always makes me think the person being described is African and an explorer, not someone exploring Africa), Malcolm starts out the show as a cold and harsh man who is spearheading the hunt for his daughter. He is determined to save her no matter what, and disregards his servant Sembene's comment: "Say you find her. But say she cannot be saved." (S01E06, "What Death Can Join Together") it is unclear until S01E05, "Closer Than Sisters," what all of the taunting in S02E02, "Séance," was referring to. And what a revelation it is.

For all of the beautiful character arcs in this show, I think that Malcolm's may be the most tumultuous. You may disagree, especially after I talk about Frankenstein's plot line, but I believe Sir Malcolm's transition from the Pilot (S01E01, "Night Work") to the end of the first season, through the 2nd season, and what we've seen of him in the 3rd season speaks volumes about how much a man can change because of hard times. Vanessa Ives even says one time, "We here have been brutalized with loss. It has made us brutal in return." (S01E03, "Resurrection") and it has. But maybe it can also help characters change for the better. It certainly did for Malcolm, even if it took a bit of time. The second-to-last character I'm going to talk about is Victor Frankenstein played by the brilliantly talented Harry Treadaway. His character isn't my favorite in the show, but I think his performance is my second-favorite in the series (only Eva Green's tops it in my mind).

I will say that I hated the novel. (*cue affronted gasps*) I'm not saying I didn't like the story. I think it's actually one of the most beautiful ones I've ever read. I loved the play version with Benedict Cumberbatch and Jonny Lee Miller, who switched every night between playing the roles of the Monster and the doctor—and incidentally both play Sherlock Holmes on two different TV shows: BBC's Sherlock and CBS' Elementary, respectively (you can read my post on "The Sherlock Phenomenon" here). It was the writing style (more the irregularity of the storyline with which it was told) that made reading the novel a kind of miserable experience for me.

But I'm here to talk about the show's character development, not how I feel about the literary works that inspired it. Let me get right down to it, then: Dr. Victor Frankenstein is a narcissistic prick. Grant you, he's a brilliant jerk, but one none the less. Though, if I had successfully resurrected someone (spoiler alert? The book has been out for 194 years at this point)—and in such a dirty, unscientific time as Victorian London—I suppose I'd be pretty damned pleased with myself too.

But Victor lets it go to his head. He looks down on all other forms of achievement, and tells Sir Malcolm this in S01E01. And, as a scientist, he also doesn't believe anything to do with the supernatural (although why he scoffs at it when he has literally created life from death—technically, realistically speaking his feats are impossible and he would have only been able to reanimate muscles, not create an alive person from a corpse—confuses me)... until he's forced to believe what he witnesses with his own eyes while working with Sir Malcolm's group of Victorian misfits.

And, without giving too much away, Victor's arc has a very steep rise, and then an even sharper fall, humbling the dear doctor and rendering him in quite a state by the end of the 2nd season. It's actually kind of devastating to see how such a confident man is completely broken down by certain bad choices and loss. Season 3 hasn't shown much promise of him recovering yet, but as of S03E07, "Ebb Tide," there is hope that a (hopefully good) change is coming for him.
Last, but not least is Reeve Carney's Dorian Gray. Definitely my favorite of the literary characters in the show, and definitely a spot on portrayal, this devil-may-care man with a face of an angel is anything but innocent. Unlike Frankenstein, but similar to the show's treatment of Mina Murray, Dorian exists in this world outside of his source novel (where most of those originating events have supposedly already happened—but not the end... for obvious reasons).

Dorian's home and outfits are also something out of time, as is his character. Show creator John Logan has gone on record saying that Dorian's wardrobe is inspired by the actor Reeve Carney's own rocker clothing repertoire.

What I perhaps like most about Dorian Gray's character in Penny Dreadful is how assimilated he is into the main story. Relegated to a more minor subplot than Frankenstein until the end of Season 2 & onward, it's a little ironic to see such a self-centered character stuck in the background.

I'm getting off track again. Sorry. I applaud John Logan for giving an interesting arc to a character who's defining quality is that he doesn't change. But we see his infatuation in Season 1, loss, (spoiler), and portrait in Season 2. But it's really Season 3 that we finally get to see some "cracks in the placid surface, emotionally," as Reeve Carney puts it in this interview (don't watch until you're caught up with Season 3 because... Spoilers). As a final note, kudos to Carney and Logan for making me care for a suave, but pretty heartless man who was first introduced in 1890, who has been played by multiple actors with multiple portraits. The Penny Dreadful portrait is my favorite (don't click until you've seen S02E08, "Memento Mori"). ​So, what can writers learn from this long and apologetically vague collection of character case studies? We can learn that layers and subtlety are our friends. That a character's past and secrets shape them, and the reader's perception of said character. We can also learn the art of a slow reveal because sometimes the anticipation is the best part. A note of warning: characters should act in surprising ways, but never break character. You don't want a reader to stop enjoying your story and characters because they suddenly think, "That would never happen" even in your fantasy world where dragons, mermaids, and magic exists. Suspension of disbelief is not just about world-building, but characters. After all, how else could I relate to the characters in so many supernatural shows? As I write this, S03E07, "Ebb Tide," just aired and fans only have two more (as a 2-part finale on 6/19/16). "Penny Dreadfuls" are waiting on pins and needles to know if there will be a Season 4). If you like this post and/or the show, please share this tweet:

"Character Arcs in @SHO_Penny" by @AuthZH #writetip #RenewPennyDreadful http://bit.ly/PDCharacters CLICK TO TWEET

And that's it! If you liked this post, please comment below. If you disagreed with me, I welcome your criticisms too. And if you are a fan of the show and would like me to maybe do companion blog post including the characters Sembene, Mina, the Creature, and maybe a few others (like Joan Clayton), please tell me that, too.

Book Review: I Am Sleepless: Sim 299 by Johan Twiss

About the BookThe planet Ethos is at war with a mysterious enemy known as the Splicers. Their only successful defense is the Prime Initiative. All newborns with the compatible genetic code are taken from their families and injected with the Prime Stimulus. Each child that survives the stimulus develops an extraordinary ability and is conscripted into the military for training.

After turning twelve, Aidan is moved to the upper-class at the Mount Fegorio training complex. His special gifts allow him unprecedented success in the virtual training simulations, advancing him further than any prime cadet in history. No one knows what lies after sim 299, not even Director Tuskin, the ruthless and reclusive ruler of their planet. But something, or someone, has been guiding Aidan there. If he can pass the final tests, he may discover the key to ending the Splicer War.

From the imaginative mind of debut author Johan Twiss, I Am Sleepless: Sim 299 is an extraordinary space fiction adventure series that will delight readers of all ages. I Am Sleepless has a clean read rating with the perfect mix of adventure, humor, and mystery in a SciFi Fantasy world that will keep you turning pages through the night. My ReviewFirst and foremost, what I really love about this book is that it immediately immerses you in the world. Even the epigraphs before each chapter are from an essay (or maybe book) titled Man's Quest for Destruction: A Case for the Prime Initiative by Doctor T.M. Omori, the creator of the Prime Initiative.

I will admit, I read this book rather slowly. It took me almost a whole week to read the first half, not because it was uninteresting, but just because my life has been recently crazy. Truly, it was a page-turner, But, due to an unexpected  change in plans, I was able to finally plow through the final 50% of the novel. It ended way too soon. I can't wait to read the next book in the I Am Sleepless series.

The technology and the rules of the world were well-explained while also maintaining many mysteries of the world's history from both the protagonist, Aidan, and the reader. I would like to vaguely point out an amazing reveal of a certain character's identity that not even I picked up on until it was explicitly revealed in the novel (and I'm normally really good at that).

I definitely would recommend this to fans of the SciFi sub-genres of space and/or cyberpunk.
About the Author My name is Johan Twiss. It's a pleasure to meet you and thank you for your interest in my books. Besides being an author, I'm also a husband, a father, a church volunteer, and a business owner. As such, I am sleepless (along with much of the human race.)

I am passionate about writing clean science fiction and fantasy stories that are not only exciting, but suitable for tweens, teens and adults alike.

Currently, I live outside Dallas, Texas with my sweetheart and our 5 crazy kids. We enjoy playing games, watching movies, having jam sessions on a variety of instruments and throwing the gauntlet down for Family Fight Night. Yes, you read that correctly-- Family Fight Night. We suit up in the sparring gear and my kids attack me, practicing their blocks and strikes from martial arts class. Basically, they get to beat-up dad and have a great time. 

Have a question? Complaint? Want to send me a gift card to the Cheesecake Factory? Simply reach out to me. (I can also tell your future at no extra cost, although gift cards to Cheesecake Factory tend to make the predictions more accurate.)

Excerpt Reveal: Hitched by Kendall Ryan

About the BookMarry the girl I’ve had a crush on my whole life? Check.

Inherit a hundred-billion-dollar company? Check.

Produce an heir… Wait, what?

I have ninety days to knock up my brand-new fake wife. There’s only one problem—she hates my guts.

And in the fine print of the contract? The requirement that we produce an heir.

She can’t stand to be in the same room with me. Says she’ll never be in my bed.

But I’ve never backed down from a challenge and I’m not about to start now.

Mark my words—I’ll have her begging for me, and it won’t take ninety days.

On the heels of her smash hit and New York Times bestselling Screwed series, Kendall Ryan brings you Hitched, a romantic comedy that delivers heart and heat. The Excerpt​I give him a skeptical look. “You want to show me your dick?”

“If it’ll help convince you.” He drains the last drops of his Scotch and stands up. “Come on, let’s go.”

I stare after him as he walks away.

Is he serious? He’s just going to whip it out? I look around to see if anyone is watching me, then I get up and follow him to the bar’s back hallway, near the restrooms, unable to comprehend why the hell I’m humoring him. This is ridiculous.

Once we’re safely in a private corner, Noah undoes his belt, opens his fly . . . and pulls out a fucking fire hose.

Holy mother of God. My hands fly to my mouth. I want to gasp in shock, but there’s no way I’m giving him the upper hand.

He was right. His cock is nothing short of massive, and it’s not even fully erect right now. Nine inches may actually be a conservative estimate of what it might look like hard. He must destroy men’s egos every time he walks into a locker room. And I don’t even want to think about what he destroys with women . . .

“Meh. I’ve seen bigger,” I force out, fighting to maintain my composure.

Noah chuckles. “I don’t think so, sweetheart.”

“Well, th-that monster is not coming anywhere near my uterus. No, thank you. I prefer to keep my organs intact.”

Noah’s grin widens. “I doubt that, but just to be on the safe side, I’ll ease it in nice and slow. Piece of cake. Plus, you’ve got good health insurance, right?”

“That is not funny, Noah. Now, put that thing away or I’ll remove it.”

I try to sound stern, but my shaking voice and bright red cheeks surely give me away. Why the hell can’t I stop staring?

He chuckles—yeah, the jerk can definitely see right through me—but he obliges, tucking the beast back into its lair.
A New York Times, Wall Street Journal, and USA Today bestselling author of more than a dozen titles, Kendall Ryan has sold over 1.5 million books and her books have been translated into several languages in countries around the world.

She's a traditionally published author with Simon & Schuster and Harper Collins UK, as well as an independently published author. Since she first began self-publishing in 2012, she appeared #1 on Barnes & Noble and iBooks charts around the world.

​Ryan has been featured in such publications as USA Today, Newsweek, and InTouch Magazine.

Visit her website for the latest book news and fun extras.

Blog Tour: Artificial by Jadah McCoy

click for full blog scheduleAbout the Bookcover art by Regina Wamba of Mae I DesignTitle: Artificial
Author: Jadah McCoy
Publisher: Curiosity Quills Press
Publication Date: April 4th 2016
Genre: New Adult SciFi

She struggles to feel human.

In 2256, the only remnants of civilization on Earth’s first colonized planet, Kepler, are the plant-covered buildings and the nocturnal, genetically spliced bug-people nesting within them: the Cull. During the day, Syl leaves her home in the sewers beneath Elite City to scavenge for food, but at night the Cull come looking for a meal of their own. Syl thought gene splicing died with the Android War a century ago. She thought the bugs could be exterminated, Elite city rebuilt, and the population replenished. She’s wrong.

Whoever engineered the Cull isn’t done playing God. Syl is abducted and tortured in horrific experiments which result in her own DNA being spliced, slowly turning her into one of the bugs. Now she must find a cure and stop the person responsible before every remaining man, woman, and child on Kepler is transformed into the abomination they fear.

He struggles not to.

For Bastion, being an android in the sex industry isn’t so bad. Clubbing beneath the streets of New Elite by day and seducing the rich by night isn’t an altogether undesirable occupation. But every day a new android cadaver appears in the slum gutters, and each caved in metal skull and heap of mangled wires whittles away at him.

Glitches—androids with empathy—are being murdered, their models discontinued and strung up as a warning. Show emotion, you die. Good thing Bastion can keep a secret, or he would be the next body lining the street.
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He can almost live with hiding his emotions. That is, until a girl shows up in the slums—a human girl, who claims she was an experiment. And in New Elite, being a human is even worse than being a Glitch. Now Bastion must help the girl escape before he becomes victim to his too-human emotions, one way or another. Guest Post: Top 10 SciFi Movie Robots/AndroidsI asked Jadah to list her 10 favorite robots/androids from SciFi movies, and here is her list: 1. Gigolo Joe from A.I. 2. Roy from Blade Runner 3. Ava from Ex Machina 4. Samantha from Her 5. Sunny from I, Robot 6. David from Prometheus 7. C3PO from Star Wars 8. T-800 Model 101 9. RoboCop from RoboCop 10. David from UncannyAbout the Author Jadah currently lives in Nashville, TN and works in law. When not babysitting attorneys, she can be found juicing her brain for creative ideas or fantasizing about her next trip out of the country (or about Tom Hiddleston as Loki - it’s always a toss up when she fantasizes).

She grew up in rural Arkansas, yet can still write good and sometimes even wears shoes! She did date her first cousin for a while but they decided against marriage for the sake of the gene pool.

Her true loves are elephants, cursing, and sangria - in that order. If you find an elephant that curses like a sailor whilst drinking sangria, you’re dangerously close to becoming her next romantic victim - er, partner.

She cut her writing teeth on badly written, hormone-driven fanfiction (be glad that’s out of her system), and her one true dream is to have wildly erotic fanfiction with dubious grammar written about her own novels. Please make her dreams come true. Teasers Giveawaya Rafflecopter giveaway

Why I Still Use Microsoft Word to Write My Novels

I downloaded Scrivener back in 2013, after I won my second year of NaNoWriMo. I thought it was an amazing tool that would multiply my writing productivity and cut out the distractions. I am very good at learning new programs and this was no exception. At first, I was completely in love with the new system. I think I still am, in a way, because I keep it on my computer even though deleting it would definitely free up a lot of space on myhard drive.

I had finished drafting Tears of an Angel (originally the sequel to The Belgrave Daughter and second book of The Belgrave Legacy back when it was going to be a trilogy) and was revising the first "book" all in Microsoft Word in a specially formatted file for a CreateSpace paperback and was unwilling to transfer all my writing into the new software. But I did put the partial beginning I had to my Cinderella retelling Shattered Glass (then called Glowing Embers) into Scrivener's novel template and began fiddling around. But I didn't really like the layout, and the organizing system didn't compensate for me.

There are many people who hate Word for drafting novels with a burning passion. Lots of self-publishing experts and gurus who I follow hold this opinion. Here's a brief list of what comes up on the first page of a Google Search for "Word vs Scrivener" and a lot of them are scathing:"Why I Will Never Use Microsoft Word Again" by Jeff Goins​"5 Reasons I Switched to Scrivener for All My Writing" by Michael Hyatt"Scrivener: A Better Word Processor for Writers" by The Write Practice"Microsoft Word vs. Scrivener: Interview with Joanna Penn" on Scrivener SuperpowersAnd maybe I should give Scrivener another chance soon, but as I can now format my own paperbacks and eBooks in Word, converting the former into PDF through Word's export feature and the latter into multiple formats through Calibre (which is fast becoming my favorite self-publishing tool).

I've been using Word since 2003, and maybe it is that familiarity that makes me love the program so much. I love that it looks like a document, that I can see many pages at once when reviewing for formatting, and that though some call the menus tiresome, they are thorough and well-labeled. And, for the few occasions I don't know where something is, I use the help menu and just search what I want to do. Most times, it pulls open the menus I need just like in Photoshop, and sometimes it is necessary to go to the Office Help site. I like that I have the power to control margins, fonts, all formatting, and that what I see is what I get as I'm writing my novels (I usually use this so that I can be sure to not have any widow words).

If you're still on the fence about whether Word or Scrivener is the best software for you, then you can take a look at the infographic I made below and make your own decision. If you have already made your decision, please sound off in the comments below with which one you use and why. It might help others reading this make up their mind. click the image to see it bigger

Blog Tour: Halendor: First Light by Lloydd Marshall

​Author: Lloyd Marshal
Title: Halendor: First Light
Genre: Urban/Sci-Fi/Fantasy
Release Date: 4/25/16

Aurora is the only daughter of two of Fredan’s most influential figures, but all of the money in the world can’t help her feel as if she belongs in that world. Gifted, or cursed, with telekinetic abilities that she hasn’t told her two best friends about, let alone her family, Aurora soon learns that she isn’t as unique, or out of place, as she had once believed.

The Elements have been hidden where no one would think to look, so Lisa has come to the backwater of the galaxy, Earth, to find them. She has a very specific mission: locate and inform five extraordinarily powered people that their lives are not what they thought. In fact, they have the ability to access vast planes of elemental magic and are known throughout the universe as the Elements.
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Together they will have to overcome seemingly insurmountable forces possessing potent abilities and even more dangerous goals. Throw in two federal agents tasked with keeping Earth from ever knowing anything about supernatural events, and Aurora is in for a wild ride. About the AuthorI grew up all over southern California and Washington state, with a smattering of locations about Oregon, Nevada, and Hawaii, and with each move I learned about new cultures and ideas.Many people have interests in literature and fiction, but few people have ever thought themselves so ambitious that they would chose to write and publish a book every single week. This is the promise of Lloydd Marshall and BLGM Reserve Estates, with a new trilogy dropping weekly, while a new Halendor Arc will drop on the last Monday of each month.Writing has been a passion, and through my life moving has always been a constant which has exposed me to various people and ideas about the United States and has only increased my love of writing. With each book, I hope to reach new people who will enjoy what I create.

Cover Reveal: Bedmates by Nichole Chase

Title: Bedmates
Author: Nichole Chase
Genre: Contemporary NA Romance
Publisher: William Morrow Paperbacks
Publication Date: Coming October 4, 2016

​Everyone makes mistakes, especially in college. But when you're the daughter of the President of the United States, any little slip up is a huge embarrassment. Maddie McGuire's latest error in judgment lands her in police custody, giving the press a field day. Agreeing to do community service as penance and to restore her tattered reputation, Maddie never dreams incredibly good looking but extremely annoying vice president's son, Jake Simmon, will be along for the ride.

Recently returning from Afghanistan with a life-altering injury, Jake is wrestling with his own demons. He doesn't have the time or patience to deal with the likes of Maddie. They're like oil and water and every time they're together, it's combustible. But there's a thin line between love and hate, and it's not long before their fiery arguments give way to infinitely sexier encounters.

When Jake receives devastating news about the last remaining member of his unit, the darkness he's resisted for so long begins to overwhelm him. Scared to let anyone close, he pushes Maddie away. But she isn't about to give up on Jake that easily. Maddie's fallen for him, and she'll do anything to keep him from the edge as they both discover that love is a battlefield and there are some fights you just can't lose. About Nichole ChaseNichole Chase is the New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of Suddenly Royal and Recklessly Royal. She lives in Georgia with her husband, toddler, superhero dog, Sulcata tortoise, and two cats. When not devouring novels by the dozens, you can find her writing, painting, crafting, or chasing her daughter around the house while making monster noises.