M.J. Greenway's Blog, page 10

DWELLING by Thomas S. Flowers

DWELLING by Thomas S. FlowersSubdue Series, Book 1Publisher: Limitless PublishingRelease Date: Dec. 8, 2015: : : SYNOPSIS : : :
A group of inseparable childhood friends are now adults, physically and psychologically devastated by war… 
A horrifying creature emerges from a sandstorm just before Ricky Smith dies in battle. Forced to leave base housing, his widow Maggie buys a home on Oak Lee Road in the town of Jotham. Maggie is isolated in the historic house…and disconcerted by strange clicking sounds inside the walls. 
Jonathan Steele attempts to drink the painful past away… 
Jonathan was wounded in that fateful battle and now suffers from PTSD. He wants to put the nightmare behind him, but when Ricky’s ghost appears with cryptic warnings about Maggie’s house, he begins to question his sanity. 
Bobby Weeks is a homeless veteran struggling with a lycanthropic curse… 
Afraid of bringing harm, Bobby stays far away from those he loves. But after a full moon, a mysterious woman approaches him and reveals a vision about a house with a sinister presence, and he realizes staying away might no longer be an option. 
Minister Jake Williams lost his faith on the battlefield… 
While Jake will do anything to reconnect with God, he turns to vices to fill the religious void. But a church elder urges him to take a sabbatical, and a ghost tells him to quit the ministry, and his life is more out of control than ever. 
When Maggie wakes in a strange subterranean cavern, she can’t deny her home harbors dark secrets. Desperate, she sends letters to her old friends to reunite in Jotham, and events conspire to draw them all to the house…unaware of the danger awaiting them. 
The friends have already been through hell, but can any of them survive the evil dwelling beneath the House on Oak Lee?

: : : PURCHASE YOUR COPY : : : KINDLE: http://amzn.to/1lVX86KPAPERBACK: http://amzn.to/1YFDjP5

: : : EXCERPT : : : Chapter One
THE BATTLE OF AL-HURRIYAH
Johnathan
Iraq, 2004

Something caught his eye. A glimmer. A shadow in the dark yellow fog.
The fuck? He reached for his binos in the turret. Across the street, Johnathan spied through the dust scratched lens vendors hastily tucking and clutching whatever goods they could get their hands on. Only the most meager of items remained on the street. Even the sound of the Humvees seemed to fade, as if the entire world was holding its breath.
What’s going on? Johnathan shook, his nerves pricked. Hairs stood on-end. His knees locked. He watched, hands resting on the M2 .50-cal. He searched for someone, anyone to put the tightening in his stomach at ease. Where are they going? Shadows snaked in between the empty spaces and seemed to grow larger. The yellow dust whipped the air. Al-Hurriyah was being consumed by it.
Johnathan could feel the lump in his heart become heavy. He pulled his scarf off. He choked on the dust, tasting all the nastiness of the Baghdad ghetto, but paid little heed. The soldier scanned his field of fire. Anticipation boiled in his veins. Then the yellow sand darkened again.
The glimmer returned, taking shape, forming in the dust. His mouth fell agape. “What the fuck is that?” He screamed inside, his mind rattled and confused and terrified.
From the alley across the road the shadows dissolved, giving form to some massive Thing with skin covered in bristle-like hair as black as tar. The bulking torso hissed, and swelled, hissed and swelled. Its thin, but otherwise muscular, fragile-looking legs twitched in the sand, protruding and stretching out, pulling down the tarps of the vender huts near it.
How many legs does this thing have? What is this? I’m dreaming, have to be. This can’t be…
In the dust-whipped wind what looked to be mandibles where its mouth should have been opened and then snapped shut. It was hissing, but the hissing sounded like clicking, the rattle of teeth in a glass jar or a snake poised to strike. On its head was an unmistakable shape, as frightening as it was. Bulging from its head, two swollen red eyes taking up nearly all of the creature’s face glared in the dust, compound, like the eye of a fly, gazing directly at him.
Its antenna drooped low, and then it began talking to him with a wild rush of clicks in its throat. The sound was terrible, reminding him of spring months back home, the swarms of cicadas that blanketed the canopy in his parents’ backyard every few years or so and the eerie sound they made, the clicking, horrible hissing, just like in that one movie Ricky loved to watch when they were kids around the same part of the year, the 1950s atomic-age science fiction flick, the one with the giant ants.
Partially hidden in the dust, the height of the hideous Thing was hard to guess, but whatever is was, it wasn’t possible. None of this was possible. It couldn’t be real, yet there it was all the same, hulking out from across the street, large and hungry looking.
“Are you seeing this?” Johnathan croaked, his voice pained with fear and doubt.
“What?” asked Ricky. He turned in his seat, looking out the driver’s side window. Searching. “I don’t see anything.”
“Are you fucking kidding me!” Johnathan yelled, panic stained in his voice. He kicked the driver’s seat.
“Dude, we’re about to dibby out. Stop being so jumpy,” Ricky scolded. “I don’t see anything, man.”
“Look, you asshole!” Johnathan kicked the driver’s seat again with his boot.
“Dude!” Smith turned fully around and peered in the direction Steele was gesturing. He fell silent for only a moment and then he yelled, “Get down!”
“We need to do more than—” Johnathan had started to say, but was cut short. He looked back to the alley where the Thing had been, but the monster was gone, replaced by a man with a shaved head shouting something terribly familiar and propping an equally terrifying object across his shoulder.
Is that?
“RPG!” Ricky screamed on the radio.
The air sucked back. Johnathan thought he was going to puke as he watched a plume of white smoke rocket toward him. The world was motionless for a second, perhaps less. In that moment he thought of Karen and Tabitha, he thought of his childhood and his friends that filled it. Then the explosion hit, lifting his Humvee upward into the air.
The large metal behemoth came crashing back to earth with a thunderous moan. He fell inside. His head smashed against the gunner’s platform below. He saw nothing, only white, burning light. Outside, he could hear the crackle of gunfire faintly against the ringing in his ears, like fireworks in a neighborhood a block away.
People were shouting. His squad mates, maybe. Language seemed beyond him at the moment. He could smell sulfur and the awful hint of something else…like overcooked meat on the grill, he imagined, dazed and numb. Through the broken window he watched the battle of Al-Hurriyah with disbelieving eyes.
Another explosion struck somewhere nearby. Pebbles or chunks of the police station perhaps rained down on his truck. The radio was abuzz with noise, fire direction, casualties. Someone yelled through the mike, “Death Blossom.” Death Blossom…? Are we under attack…? Yes…Ricky called it out, didn’t he? His head rung with the battle cry.
Johnathan shifted his weight. One of his legs fell from the strap he used as a seat, the other felt strangely dead. He looked. Among the yellow dust and stars that filled his eyes, he could see, though blurred, the gnarled remains of what was once his right leg.
“Shit!” he screamed, clinching at his thigh. I can’t look. I can’t look. Ricky. Ricky? “Smith? Ricky? Are you okay, man?” he winced, straining to get a look at his friend.
No answer.
More rattling pinged off his truck. Someone nearby yelled, “Got you, you fucking bastard!” Another voice screamed in language not entirely unfamiliar.
Must be some of the Iraqi police, he thought vaguely caring. Death Blossom…those assholes are going to ping someone in the back…

Something was pinching his neck. He reached and felt warmth and something hard. He dug whatever it was out and pulled his hand to see. He glared dumbfounded at what looked like a tooth.
Not mine, he thought, testing his teeth with his tongue. He looked at Ricky, but his form was covered in haze.
Gunfire continued to crackle outside, but in the broken and torn Humvee, the world felt like a tomb.
He could see Ricky now, lying awkwardly in his seat, one hand still clutching the radio receiver. Smoke wafted from his body. He didn’t move. And the smell…the smell was terrible.
Johnathan blinked. Not real. Not real. “Ricky, you son of a bitch, answer me! Are you okay?” he yelled. Hot adrenaline coursed through him like a drug, pooling in a venomous sundry of dreadful sorrow and hate, lumping together in his heart, stealing his breath. Maggie’s face flashed in front of him and then Karen’s, but he pushed them away.
Please, God. No.
“Ricky!”

: : : TEASERS : : : 



: : : THOMAS S. FLOWERS : : : 
Thomas S. Flowers is the published author of several character driven stories of fright. He resides in Houston, Texas, with his wife and daughter. His first novel, Reinheit, was published by Forsaken. He also has a short story, “Lanmò,” in The Sinister Horror Company’s horror anthology The Black Room Manuscripts. In 2008, he was honorably discharged from the U.S. Army where he served for seven years, with three tours serving in Operation Iraqi Freedom. In 2014, Thomas graduated from University of Houston Clear Lake with a BA in History. He blogs at machinemean[dot]org, where he does author interviews and reviews on a wide range of strange yet oddly related topics.
LIMITLESS PUBLISHING: http://www.limitlesspublishing.net/authors/thomas-flowers/FACEBOOK: https://www.facebook.com/ThomasSFlowersTWITTER: https://twitter.com/machinemeannowWEBSITE: http://machinemean.org/

Giveaway on Apryl Baker's Blog

There are 18 days to enter to win an e-book of Dating Maggie .  Check out USA Today Bestselling Author Apryl Baker's Blog (My Crazy Corner) to enter. Apryl is the author of The Ghost Files Series with a new installment recently released. She's also authored three other series'. I hope to one day become as prolific as she has been! 

There will be other authors featured on her blog during the month of December with other amazing give-aways. Feel free to check her blog again for a chance to win a gift for you or someone else who loves to read.

Chocolate Chip Blondies

If you want to make something home-made, not from a box, this is a great recipe. I just love a recipe that is super fast, with little cleanup and calls for only a few ingredients that I always have on hand. You can also do your own add-ins, depending on what you like. The Smitten Kitchen Blog has a lot of other great recipes too. Click on the link below for the recipe. Happy baking!

Smitten Kitchen Blondies

Excerpt from Sarah's Second Chance (My Work in Progress)

Sarah's Second Chance, the new book I've been working on, is a romantic mystery. 

Here's the premise:

Sarah’s husband dies mysteriously. Was it murder or suicide? She searches for answers while raising her young son alone in Siletz Bay.

To make ends meet, she's working in a donut shop where she encounters Greyson. He's a hot, black PI with a prosthetic leg. A friendship blossoms with potential for more. Ultimately, he helps her find answers and hope.

Here's an excerpt:

Milo napped and my eyes glazed over as I looked out my living room window. I could see sail boats lining the cloudy, mist-filled harbor off in the distance.

Now home, this place seemed like a world away from Portland, where Brandon and I had met, although it was just a two hour drive away. There was nothing urban or city like about Siletz Bay. Sometimes it felt too small. But whenever I mentally entertained the idea of leaving, it was like my feet were stuck in the sand.

I sat at the kitchen table and opened an old journal, jotted the date at the top and began to write: It’s been twelve months, two weeks, one day and three hours since the moment my life changed forever.

Last year I stood in a cold church with a crinkled piece of paper in my shaking hand. I read a line from a poem I’d written. Love is like a tulip. It’s beautiful and blooming in spring. But it’s just a memory by summer.  

I put the pen down and flipped to the first pages of the journal. I discovered a wedding photo I’d stuck in there. In it, Brandon was holding me in front of the Eiffel Tower. The one in Vegas, not Paris. Memories from the start of our lives together began to flood me.

Lindsay Detwiler Discusses Without You, Her New Release

Linsday Detwiler's New Adult Romance Without You releases today. She was kind enough to share her thoughts about the writing process and a bit about her new book. Look at the bottom of this post for a chance to enter to win an e-book copy of Without You. Following is my Q & A with her.
What is your process for plotting out your novel? For me, the characters typically come first. I get an idea for my protagonists, and the conflict usually comes from there. The title also comes very early on in the process. From there, I will usually do a very simple, loose outline of the major events. Sometimes, I will jot down an idea for a major event for each chapter. Mostly though, I find myself just writing. I typically just let the characters take over the story, their personalities and character traits dictating the plotline. For Voice of Innocence and Without You, I wrote the last chapter when I was about halfway through. By the middle of the novel, I have a pretty clear idea of where I will end up at the end.
What is your greatest challenge as a writer?I think finding time to write is my biggest challenge, but it is probably the challenge for many! I am an English teacher as well as a writer, and I am taking graduate school courses. It can get pretty tricky to balance everything. Luckily, with summers off, I have time to catch up on my various writing projects.
What was your path to publication like?Getting a book published was always a pipe dream. It was something I would daydream about, but I felt like it would never happen for me. In college, I took a class called “The Literature of Health & Healing.” In this class, we talked about going after your dreams and how you never know how much time you have left. Thus, I went home from class one night and started thinking about the novel I always wanted to write. I’d always been interested in wrongful convictions. I started thinking about what a moving love story this could be, and the characters of Emma and Corbin quickly emerged. I started writing that summer but would put the draft away when classes started back up in the fall. For several years, I kept coming back to the story. Once it was finished, my husband convinced me to try to get it published. After many rejections and even an acceptance by a publisher who went bankrupt, I signed a contract with Melange Books. Voice of Innocence was released in February of 2015.
While I was waiting for Voice of Innocence to release, I got the idea for Without You and started writing it. This past summer, I came across Limitless Publishing. I was impressed by their beautiful covers, their dedication to creating a ‘family’ of authors, and their professional team. I was so excited when I signed with them in August. It’s amazing to see my dream come true a second time, and I’m so blessed to have found such an amazing publisher.
What advice do you have for someone who dreams of writing and having a book published?My advice is to worry only about writing a genuine, honest story you are passionate about. For me, I never really thought my work would be published. Thus, I wasn’t worried about how it would be received or how easy or hard it would be to market. Instead, I focused on the storytelling. I wrote the story because I wanted to tell my characters’ stories, not because I wanted to be rich or famous. I think if you write from a place of honesty, if you write like no one’s going to read it, your story becomes much more powerful. I think people can sense the genuine quality to it and will respond to that.

Do you write in one genre or multiple genres? Why?So far, I’ve been sticking with the romance genre just because this is the genre I like the most. I read a lot of romance, and I watch movies in the genre. It’s just always been my favorite, so I guess it makes sense that this is what I’m drawn to as a writer. I would eventually like to branch out to young adult romance. My work as a high school teacher lets me see what they like in a book and what interests them, so I think it could be a good genre for me eventually. 
What was the theme you wanted to convey?Both women struggle with doing what’s right and figuring out what they want. Overall, I wanted to portray the realistic side of marriage and love, showing that nothing in life is simple. On the surface, Jenna Landsen has it all…She’s smart, beautiful, confident, and married to Camden Landsen, who happens to be drop dead sexy and just as successful. But after five long years, all the success in the world hasn’t brought the romantic spark back into her marriage. Jenna fears it never will.When life gives you lemons, open a bakery and name it Vi’s…
Violet Streiff made the exact mistake her mother warned against—she fell in love with Liam Coffman, a charming finance major. When he left her heartbroken to further his career, Violet drowned her sorrows by opening a bakery, and now relies on Bob, her eighteen-pound cat, for warmth at night instead of a sexy man.
To find love, sometimes you first have to discover yourself…
When Jenna’s job offers an extended trip to New York, she packs her bags and takes a two-month vacation from life. The chance of her marriage surviving looks grim, until the surprise of a lifetime throws a wrench in her plans to stay in the Big Apple for good.
You can bend the rules—but sooner or later they’ll break…
When Violet meets a gloomy but totally drool-worthy guy named Camden in her shop, she’s sure her luck has changed. There’s no denying the chemistry, but he’s married, and that’s a major problem. Violet isn’t a homewrecker. Still, staying away from Camden proves nearly impossible. That is, until his wife comes home.
Two women. Two men. Double the chance to find love in the most unexpected places—or double the chance for disaster. Amazon ~ FREE on Kindle Unlimited I am a high school English teacher, an author, and a fan of anything pink. I am truly the English teacher cliché; I love cats, reading, Shakespeare, and Poe. I currently live in my hometown with my husband Chad; our cats Arya, Amelia, Alice, Bob, and Marjorie; and our Mastiff Henry.


As the author of two novels, Voice of Innocence and Without You, I have many inspirations in my life as a writer. My parents instilled in me a value for education and reading from the time I could talk. One of my earliest memories is sitting with my parents as they taught me to sound out words. My husband has also inspired me to pursue my dream of writing. I met Chad in an art class when we were only twelve. He has shown me that love is real, is enduring, and is our most important ally in this sometimes harsh world. He has supported me through this entire process, believing in my writing even before I believed in it myself.
My hope is that by becoming a published author, I can inspire some of my students and other aspiring writers to pursue their own passions. I want them to see that any dream can be attained, and publishing a novel isn't out of the realm of possibility.
Facebook ~ Pinterest ~ Twitter ~ Instagram ~ Webpage ~ Google+  Voice of Innocence Amazon ~ Goodreads Without You Release Blitz Giveaway

MJ's Review of Without You

I enjoyed author Lindsay Detwiler's authentic story-telling voice. Her realistic portrayal of a marriage gone stale was told in a way that any married woman would likely relate to.

The story is told from the point of view of two women who are seemingly unconnected. What they have in common is steeping in the dramatic turmoil of trying to figure out what's not working in their love lives.

I wasn't sure how Cam, Jenna, Violet and Liam's worlds would collide so the curiosity about that kept me turning pages. There were certainly some interesting plot surprises that I didn't see coming.

Cam was the character I liked the most and wanted a good outcome for. I also appreciated the comic relief provided by Henry, his wiley mastiff. There were a few wince-worthy moments where I wanted to reprimand the women for making bad choices. But I was relieved that there was a happy resolution for the characters.

***An ARC of this book was provided by the author in exchange for an honest review.***

Buy it on Amazon 

A Review of Without You by Lindsay Detwiler

I enjoyed the author's authentic story-telling voice. Her realistic portrayal of a marriage gone stale was told in a way that any married woman would likely relate to.

The story is told from the point of view of two women who are seemingly unconnected. What they have in common is steeping in the dramatic turmoil of trying to figure out what's not working in their love lives.

I wasn't sure how Cam, Jenna, Violet and Liam's worlds would collide so the curiosity about that kept me turning pages. There were certainly some interesting plot surprises that I didn't see coming.

Cam was the character I liked the most and wanted a good outcome for. I also appreciated the comic relief provided by Henry, his wiley mastiff. There were a few wince-worthy moments where I wanted to reprimand the women for making bad choices. But I was relieved that there was a happy resolution for the characters.


***An ARC of this book was provided by the author in exchange for an honest review.***

Buy it on Amazon 

The Dating Maggie e-book is .99 for Black Friday (Today only)

Also, I've just been told if you enter the code Holiday30 you can get 30 percent off of paperbacks on Amazon on Black Friday. Happy shopping:)

Jennifer Weiser: Author Spotlight + Recipe

[image error]Jennifer Weiser, author of the YA paranormal dystopian novel, The Touched shares her insights on writing. In the spirit of Thanksgiving, she's also shared a festive pie recipe. I'm thrilled to host this delightful writer on my blog today!    What is your process for plotting out your novel?I actually don’t have one. As much as I’ve tried to plot before writing, I just can’t seem to do it. I tend to take an idea and run with it, allowing the story and plot to unfold as I type.
What is your greatest challenge as a writer?Greatest challenge…hmm, that’s a great question! I suppose my greatest challenge as a writer would be not being able to plot out a story before I sit down to write it. I imagine if I could, I would be able to write more and faster.
Do you write in one genre or multiple genres? Why? I’ve only ever written one book that wasn’t YA. And even then it felt off and odd to me to write a genre that was out of my element. To me, writing YA is fresh and exciting. It’s the time in a young person's life where they experience so many firsts. Love, heartache, loss, revenge…drama. It never gets stale to me. I know they say that college is the best time of a person's life, but I tend to disagree. For me, high school days held some of my favorite memories and I wouldn’t trade them or my experiences for anything. It’s because of those memories, I write YA. I don’t think I will ever truly grow tired of YA or write outside of it… but I suppose you should never say never. ;)
What was your path to publication like?My path to publication was filled with a lot of ups and downs and filled with the dreaded grossness of self-doubt. I never set out to publish a book when I fully started writing full time. Writing had always been something I loved doing, but I never saw it becoming more then me writing fun stories and keeping them to myself…but out of the blue one day, I found myself writing “End of Book One” and feeling this amazing feeling over accomplishment. I’ve written tons of short stories but never a full length novel. I was besides myself. It wasn’t until a friend and fellow author persuaded me to pitch to literary agents that I actually thought about publishing. From there it was two years of rejections and full manuscript requests that never lead anywhere. In May of this year, I made the decision to pitch one final time…and that was to Limitless Publishing. I expected it to go no where…except it did. :)
What advice do you have for someone who dreams of writing and having a book published?My biggest advice would be not to give up, even in those moments of utter weakness when you just can’t handle another rejection letter. There are going to be days where this advice will make you want to scream, but trust me, keep pushing to make your dream a reality because it will happen. And when it does, there isn’t a true word that will describes the feelings you get  that moment when you see your book in print and your name on its cover. 
THE TOUCHED in a nutshell:The first sixteen years of Arabella Penthallow’s life have been a lie… In a world where deception is the key to survival, Ara has kept up the charade of being a perfect Legion Leader’s daughter. But a darkness stirs, and she discovers she is Touched, a mortal gifted by the Gods. The Touched are as rare as they are feared, and Ara is forced to leave Union City for neighboring Midnight City to protect herself and those she loves, leaving Tove Thorn, the boy who has always known her heart, behind. 
Buy The Touched on Amazon
Author Bio:
[image error] Jennifer Weiser is a young adult author who has always been a book nerd and a bit chocolate obsessed. Writing has always been a favorite escape, but quickly became a passion not long after the birth of her daughter. When she isn't combing the shelves of her local book stores or blogging about newest book obsessions, you can find her nestled in her nook creating worlds she hopes that one day will inspire her daughter, who not only has given her the courage to follow her dreams--but offers the inspirations that help color their worlds together. Website: http://www.jenniferweiser.comTwitter: http://www.twitter.com/jenniferweiserFacebook: http://www.facebook.com/authorjenniferweiser
Double Layer Pumpkin Pie
In the tradition of Thanksgiving being upon us, I thought I would share my favorite, yet festive pumpkin treat that will keep them coming back for more. My husband isn’t a fan of pie. It’s a travesty, I know. What person out there doesn’t like pie? Okay, correction, he doesn’t like pies with flaky crusts or that are filled with fruit. Give him a chocolate silk pie or a cream pie of any sort and he’ll eat it the entire thing before you can blink. But Thanksgiving is all about the pumpkin pie for me. Thanksgiving just isn’t the same without it. So with my husbands dislike for flaky pies that are so awesome, he misses out and my love for pumpkin, a few years ago I found a solution. A cream pumpkin pie! This bad boy has the works…cream cheese, pumpkin, graham cracker crust and the yumminess of that traditional favorite—with no baking time at all! *Note, I can’t take credit for this recipe. But I will take credit for stumbling upon it’s awesomeness. Thanks Keebler Recipes!
Prep Time: 15 minutes ( I know! That’s it! Now you can get back to those cyber deals!)Total Time: 4 hours and 15 minutesServings: 8
Ingredients 4 Ounces of Cream Cheese, softened1 tablespoon of milk1 tablespoon of sugar1 1/2 cups frozen non-dairy whipped topping, thawed 1 Ready Made Graham pie crust3/4 cups cold milk2 packages (4-serving size) vanilla flavor instant pudding2 teaspoons of pumpkin pie spice1 can (15 oz) Pumpkin
Directions:In a medium bowl whisk together cream cheese, tablespoons of milk and sugar. Gently stir in whipped topping. Carefully spread in crust. In a large bowl beat 3/4 cup of milk, pudding mix and spice with wire whisk for 1 minute. Whisk in pumpkin. (Mixture will be thick) Carefully spread over cream cheese layer. Refrigerate at least 4 hours or until set.
Garnish as desired. Enjoy! :) Store in refrigerator.
*Note: May substitute 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon, 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger and 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves in place of pumpkin pie spice.

E-Book of Dating Maggie will be .99 on Black Friday