Kim Iverson Headlee's Blog: Book Musings from the Maze of Twisty Passages, page 14

Spotlight on Shadows of the Past by Carmen Stefanescu @Carmen_Books

Today on The Maze please welcome returning Maze contributor Carmen Stefanescu and her novel Shadows of the Past , a touching, compelling story of tragedy, loss, and the power of endless love and good magic.

This is a rebroadcast of an earlier Eggcerpt Exchange post that, due to some Triberr glitch, did not get the love it deserves. Please click, read, and enjoy! :)

Synopsis
Anne's relationship with her boyfriend Neil has disintegrated. After a two-year separation, they pack for a week vacation in hopes of reconciling. But fate has other plans for them.

The discovery of a bejeweled cross and ancient human bones opens a door to a new and frightening world--one where the ghost of a medieval nun named Genevieve will not let Anne rest. This new world threatens not only to ruin Anne and Neil's vacation but to end all hopes of reconciliation as Anne feels compelled to help free Genevieve's soul from its torment.

Can Anne save her relationship and help Genevieve find her eternal rest?


The twists and turns in this paranormal tale keep the reader guessing up to the end and weave themselves together into a quest to rekindle love.


Buy linksWild Child Publishing | Amazon | All Romance | Barnes & Noble |

Excerpt
"Anne, Anne, wake up. Wake up, please," the insistent voice whispered next to her ear.  The touch of a hand, on her shoulder, startled Anne.

She opened her eyes, still half between sleep and reality. Her gaze stopped on a stranger, a woman, by her side.

The moon's pale face, the only light, filtered through a small gap in the tent's entrance; yet the stranger's whole body emanated a kind of soft ray, a yellowish halo making her figure and face easy to discern.

A long, dark robe, similar to those worn by nuns in monasteries centuries ago, covered her body. No traditional headdress covered the woman's red hair, which fell loosely over her shoulders in long, heavy tendrils and continued down her chest and back.

Anne stood up and studied the intruder with open curiosity. The stranger’s wax pale face looked corpse like. Anne opened her mouth to ask her who she was. She looked Anne straight in the eyes, placed her forefinger on her lips and whispered, "Hush, come. Follow me."

Anne's eyes widened.

The woman, moving away from the sleeping bag, appeared to glide above the ground. Her bare feet didn't make a sound.

As if hypnotized, Anne followed the illuminated silhouette heading into the forest, without questioning her own actions.

An onrush of sensations unfamiliar to her followed. Dizziness and a malevolent feeling of unreality suffocated her. The presence of evil, creeping up and enveloping her, became almost palpable. Her throat turned dry, and she gasped for air.


Book trailer:




Character interview of Genevieve:

Please, have a seat. Make yourself comfortable, Miss...
G: "Genevieve. My name is Genevieve, but Sister Clementa, the Abbess,  and some of her followers call me the witch."

Tell me, Genevieve, where are you living?
G: ( a small sigh escapes her lips. Then she shrugs.) "Well, for the moment I reside at St. Mary’s Abbey. On top of a mountain in Britain, in the...cursed forest."

Do you have any schooling?
G: (nods and pats an invisible crease of her dress) "Kind Old Bertha, who took care of me after my family perished, taught me to read and write. Not only English but also Latin. And, most important, she taught me how to prepare healing potions from plants and herbs. Perhaps that’s why the Abbess hates me so much. A peasant girl of the 13th century is dangerous if she knows more than her superiors, I think."

What is your worst nightmare?
G: (throws a shy look around her. She shivers and her voice is small) "I fear the cursed forest. This forest is responsible for what happened to my family. My father’s odd behavior, the death of my siblings. All the evil that lurks in it.
My nightmare - the Abbess, sister Clementa, who threatens me all the time with sending me to the stake. I can’t understand why she wants me out of the way."

Is there anything that you secretly desire?
G: (blushes and wrings her hands. Then she looks me directly in the eyes. Her voice is strong now. ) "To become Andrew’s wife and grow a family. If his family agrees....If the Abbess lets me go... If God  forgives me for giving up being a nun.....If I escape alive from the forest.... If....”

Author bio:
Carmen Stefanescu resides in Romania, the native country of the infamous vampire Count Dracula, but where, for about 50 years of communist dictatorship, just speaking about God, faith, reincarnation or paranormal phenomena could have led someone to great trouble - the psychiatric hospital if not to prison.

Teacher of English and German in her native country and mother of two daughters, Carmen Stefanescu survived the grim years of oppression, by escaping in a parallel world, that of the books.

She has dreamed all her life to become a writer, but many of the things she wrote during those years remained just drawer projects. The fall of the Ceausescu’s regime in 1989, and the opening of the country to the world meant a new beginning for her. She started publishing. Poems first, and then prose. Both in English.

Shadows of the Past , paranormal/light romance/light mystery/light horror was released at the end of 2012 by Wild Child publishing, USA.

Carmen Stefanescu's Links:Blog | Twitter | Pinterest | Facebook | Goodreads | Amazon author page |
***
All this month, you are invited to…

— Follow Kim on Twitter
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… and each action this month is good for one chance to win a copy of any of Kim's e-books. 

Please enter often, and good luck!

Eileann dances with the other virgins in Ch 11/Sc 3a of RAGING SEA by @KimHeadlee #amwriting

Overlay graphic (c)2016 by Kim Headlee. In my monthly newsletter The Dawnflier on April 1st, I reported that I had resumed work on Raging Sea—no small feat, since I've been busy with evaluating audiobook productions, conducting book promotions, and so forth. 

Much of last week, while I was on vacation, was devoted to helping my daughter shop for clothing and apartments, in that order. And of course we enjoyed several dinners and chats together.

I did, however, manage to find time to finish chapter 14 of Raging Sea and get well into chapter 15. This is a Very Good Thing, because next week I'll wrap up sharing chapter 11 with you. I'm still not ready to disclose why this book is taking me so long to write, when I'm capable of cranking out a good 80K words in a month, but progress is progress.

I thought about going on hiatus in posting these excerpts for a month, since today's scene is set on May 1st, during the Caledonians' version of the May Day (Belteine, or Beltain / Beltane) festivities. But since 5/1 falls on a Sunday this year, and since my editor is nigh begging me to finish this book so she can get her crack at it, you benefit too. :D

Of course in the ancient Caledonian culture I've developed for my series The Dragon's Dove Chronicles, the annual fertility festival is quite spirited indeed.


Previous excerpts of Raging Sea 
Chapters 1–6 in Raging Sea: Reckonings  Chapter 7: Sc 1 | Sc 2 | Sc 3 | Sc 4 | Sc 5a | Sc 5b |
Chapter 8: Sc 1a | Sc 1b | Sc 2 | Sc 3a | Sc 3b |
Chapter 9: Sc 1a | Sc 1b | Sc 1c | Sc 1d | Sc 1e |
Chapter 10: Sc 1a | Sc 1b | Sc 2a | Sc 2b | Sc 3a | Sc 3b | Sc 3c |
Chapter 11: Sc 1a |  Sc 1b | Sc 1c | Sc 2 |
Raging Sea Chapter 11, Scene 3a©2016 by Kim HeadleeAll rights reserved.
Eileann danced with the other virgins around the central Belteine fire, her heart hammering in time with the relentless drum beats, and her falcon-feathered ceremonial robe conspiring with the flames to roast her from the inside out. Each glimpse of her betrothed, his broad oiled chest and torso glimmering in the flickering light and his widening grin aimed only at her, ignited flames of an altogether different sort.

She threw back her head and leaped and spun all the harder.

This was the last time she would ever dance the Ruidhle na Righinnean, and she would give a performance even the gods would remember.

A priest’s blast on the aurochs horn signaled the end of the dance. Eileann halted in front of Iomar of Clan Rioghail. Another year, this might have been considered a surprise; virgins deeming themselves ready to transition to the next phase of life at Belteine were free to choose their mate, who often had no advance warning.

No surprise registered in Iomar’s gaze, of course, only intense desire.

***
All this month, you are invited to…

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Meet Sir Rolf #Shapeshifter of ILONA'S WOLF by @LyndiLamont steamy paranormal romance

Lyndi Lamont, author of
Ilona's Wolf: A Fairy Tale Romance .
I had such a tremendous response from authors—including Lyndi—to the recently concluded Eggcerpt Exchange that I didn't have room on my blog to feature this intriguing novel until today. Enjoy! :)

Ilona's Wolf: A Fairy Tale Romance
by Lyndi Lamont
Steamy Paranormal Romance

Synopsis:

Imagine a world filled with magic, a tormented knight, a damsel in distress, an evil sorcerer...

While picking herbs in the woods, Princess Ilona is rescued from a woodsman by a wolf. When the creature licks her wounds, it is suddenly transformed into a man. A very handsome, very naked man who makes passionate love to her in a glade.

Cursed by an evil wizard, Rolf was trapped in wolf form until he tasted the blood of a royal. Now he must escort the princess on a hazardous journey back to the castle to stop an ill-fated wedding.

Passion flares between them, but both know there is no future for Ilona and her werewolf. Or is there? In a world where magic and passion combine, anything may be possible.

Buy links:
Amazon | B&N | iBooks | Smashwords |

Excerpt:

She sat frozen, her back to the tree. Oh, gods, don't let it see me. She tried to cast an invisibility spell, but to no avail. The wolf looked at her, golden eyes gleaming, mouth open, showing off large, sharp teeth. She closed her eyes and gripped her throat with both hands. Quaking with terror, she listened as the animal padded toward her. She felt its hot breath on her cheek.

Opening her eyes a slit, she stared into the face of the wolf. Sad eyes stared at her, and her fears receded. Perhaps he'd been tamed. She reached out with what was left of her powers, but sensed no immediate danger. "Good wolf," she stammered.

She held out one shaking fist, and the wolf sniffed it before licking her knuckles. It moved closer, sniffing her clothing. To her surprise, the animal hunkered down beside her and laid its head on her leg. Carefully, she touched it, stroking the soft fur.

Relief flooded through her. Saved by a wolf, of all creatures. "Thank the gods you showed up when you did. I'd no wish to be ravished by the likes of him."

The wolf lifted its head and seemed to smile up at her, mouth open, tongue lolling.

She smiled at the canine as she continued to pet it. "Grateful I am for you rescuing me, but 'tis not exactly what a girl dreams of. Where's my knight on a white steed? 'Tis he who is supposed to do the rescuing."

When the wolf lowered his head, sniffing between her legs, she laughed and pushed it away. "Rude creature."

The animal responded by sitting up and resting its head on her breast. She put both arms around it and hugged it close, dropping a kiss on its head. "Do not misunderstand, Sir Wolf, but I still wish you were a knight. A strong, handsome knight like my Werner."

The familiar sadness filled her at the memory of her husband. "I miss him so much, you know. Dagmar says another knight will come for me, a handsome knight to protect us and make sweet, passionate love to me."

The wolf whined and raised his head to lick her cheek. Laughing, she tried to push him away, but he licked her full on the mouth. She closed her eyes, stunned when her powers came rushing back, like a flood of magic coursing around her.

Turning aside, she summoned her basket to her side. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw the wolf jump up, staring at the basket. Her vision seemed to blur as the wolf's face slowly became humanlike, then shifted back. She must have hit her head harder than she'd thought if she was seeing things. She closed her eyes and shook her head, but the aching had receded.

When she peeked again, the wolf was gone, and a naked man crouched in front of her. A handsome, well-built man with shaggy brown hair and golden brown eyes.

Interview with Sir Rolf of Klosterlupe:

The Maze (TM): Thanks for sitting down with me, Sir Rolf. I just have a few questions for you. What can you tell us about your birthplace?

ROLF: All I know is that I was born somewhere in the Kingdom of Velosia. When I was but a small cub, er, lad, my parents dropped me at Klosterlupe where the monks took me in. Apparently small werewolves are unable to control their shifts. People without magic have no idea how to deal with a situation like that. Still, I would like to learn who my people are some day.

TM: What schooling did you have?

ROLF: I was educated at Klosterlupe, home to the Brotherhood of the wolf, a chivalric order, where I was  trained in the knightly arts.

TM: What is your job?

ROLF: I am a knight in the King’s Guard.

TM: What is your most important goal?

ROLF: Protecting my princess and her family, of course. I owe her a great debt, not to mention she is the love of my life.

TM: What is your worst fear or nightmare?

ROLF: Being trapped again in animal form and unable to shift. That was most disconcerting!

TM: Let's hope that doesn't happen to you again, Sir Rolf. Thanks so much for the chat today!

Author Bio:

Lyndi Lamont is the racy alter ego of romance author Linda McLaughlin. Writing sexy stories gives her a license to be naughty, at least between the pages of her books! She has written several full-length novels plus numerous short stories and novellas, ranging from historical to futuristic. She believes that love is unending and universal, and enjoys transporting her readers into a different world where her characters learn that, in the journey of life, love is the sweetest reward.

Find her online at:
Website | Blog | Facebook | Google+ | Twitter: @LyndiLamont |


***
All this month, you are invited to…

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The Business of Writing: Personal Income Tax Reporting for Authors

Venice, Italy-February 26th, 2011.
Person wearing Venetian Carnival mask,
c2011 by razvanphoto.
Depositphotos ID 9047805, Editorial license.
I'm sporting my pretty mask again to discuss an ugly subject: income tax reporting for authors. 
I make no apologies for today's topic; it's one of those disgusting but necessary chores, like spring cleaning, that must be done every year. Unless you happen to be like my late father-in-law, who left three years' worth of unfiled income taxes for his executor and assistant executor (*user waves and smiles only because all that unpleasantness is over, thank God*) to deal with.

All my tax reporting is done for the year, including the requisite state filings. If you cannot make a similar claim, then I suggest you get cracking: you have no more than 9 calendar days to make the deadline. Since April 15 falls on a Friday this year, there's no temporary reprieve either.

Furthermore, if you have incorporated your writing business but haven't yet filed your 2015 corporate taxes, you're at least three weeks late. Before you panic, I invite you to head over to this blog post, where I talk about corporate tax filing.

What to do about that overflowing shoebox of expense receipts? Again, don't panic. Check out this blog post from August 2015, wherein I offer suggestions about how to record and classify expenses.

On the income side of the paperwork pile, by now you should have received one or more 1099-MISC paper or electronic royalty statements from every company who paid you for the books you sold in 2015. These all get reported to the IRS, so if you mislaid or didn't happen to receive one for a particular income source, but you recorded the deposit in your checkbook or ledger, then you need to factor it into your total royalty income.

What I did a year ago, in terms of income tax reporting, is a blur because of having to file the last of my late father-in-law's estate income taxes, but I surely don't recall Amazon as having sent out password-protected 1099-MISC PDF files for all the various business units around the world where I sold copies of my books.  And a mind-numbingly cryptic password, at that.

Do I care if anyone hacks my computer to learn that I got a $5 refund in VAT from the European Union last year? Not particularly, but there you have it. Annoyance on the half shell, courtesy of Big Brother Amazon. :-P

By the way, if you got paid in US dollars by an e-tailer (Amazon, Nook Press, Draft2Digital, etc.) for book sales made in foreign countries, then you don't have to report it as "foreign income," and thank God for that minuscule mercy. My husband inherited a few foreign stocks from his father, which we dumped as soon as humanly possible so we wouldn't have to worry about that tax rathole.

Also, if you have incorporated your writing business and filed corporate taxes, then the data reported on the subsequent K-1 should flow into your IRS 1040 form in the appropriate areas. Don't ask me offhand which specific areas those are—I've been using TurboTax for more than 20 years, and I pay good money for the software to remember those bazillion details for me so that I don't have to. :D

It's never too late to establish a system of business income/expense organization and tax reporting that works for you. The good news is that once you've invested the thought, time, and effort to set it up, maintaining it on a regular basis is much easier.

Good luck, and may you earn enough from your refund to finance your next writing project!
***
All this month, you are invited to…

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Would you give your heart to your enemy? The Du Lac Chronicles by @maryanneyarde

Today I welcome to The Maze British author Mary Anne Yarde and her debut novel based on the Arthurian legends, The Du Lac Chronicles,
Book 1 !

Synopsis

If all you had left was your heart, would you give it to your enemy?

AD 495, Wessex, Briton.

A generation after Arthur Pendragon ruled, Briton lies fragmented into warring kingdoms and principalities.

The powerful Saxon King, Cerdic of Wessex, has spent the last twenty years hunting down Arthur’s noble knights. He is determined to secure his kingdom against any reprisals for killing their legendary leader. The knights who have survived the genocide are destined to spend the rest of their lives in hiding, never revealing who they really are.

The only knight who refused to be intimidated by this Saxon invader was Lancelot du Lac. Lancelot and Cerdic formed a fragile truce, but Lancelot has been dead these past eight years and it has fallen to his sons to protect Briton from the ambitions of the Saxon King.

Alden du Lac, the once king of Cerniw and son of Lancelot, has nothing. Betrayed by Cerdic, Alden’s kingdom lies in rubble, his fort razed to the ground and his brother Merton missing, presumably dead. Cerdic has had Alden tied to a post and ordered his skin to be lashed from his back. In the morning, if Alden is still alive, he is to be executed.

Annis, daughter of King Cerdic of Wessex, has been secretly in love with Alden for what seems like forever. She will not stand by and see him die. She defies father, king, and country to save the man she loves from her father’s dungeons. Alden and Annis flee Wessex together.

To the horror of Alden’s few remaining allies, he has given his heart to the daughter of his enemy. Alden’s allies see Annis, at best, as a bargaining chip to avoid war with her powerful father. At worst, they see a Saxon whore with her claws in a broken, wounded king.

Alden has one hope: When you war with one du Lac, you war with them all. His brother Budic, King of Brittany, could offer the deposed young king sanctuary—but whether he will offer the same courtesy to Annis is far less certain.

Extract
“Cerdic came about an hour ago and rounded up all the men. They are all out searching for you. You are a very popular man at the moment.” She paused and looked at Annis. “You cannot travel with Cerdic’s daughter. Bors will not allow you to.”

“It is not up to him.”

Jess’s eyes narrowed into tight slits and Annis wondered if the old woman could still see out of them. She wished she understood what they said.

“You sound just like your father, may God rest his soul. And look what happened to him.”

Alden looked away from the old woman.

“Do not travel in his footsteps. He is the reason the Saxons came in the first place.”

“You know that is not true,” Alden said.

“He broke faith.” Jess stated a fact.

“Never.” He scowled at her, his pain momentarily forgotten as his beloved late father’s reputation was being sullied. “Arthur broke faith with him. He murdered my mother’s first husband in front of my father. Do not think to teach me my father’s history, for I already know it.”

“Not all.” Jess said with the arrogant confidence one often finds in the very old.

“All.” Alden confirmed. “All of it,” he said again, daring her to contradict him.

In Mary's words:
My Inspiration behind The Du Lac Chronicles.

The stories of Arthur and his knights were a part of my childhood – growing up very near Glastonbury, I guess that is not really surprising. Out of interest I started to research the era Arthur’s story is set, but I became distracted by a Saxon called Cerdic. By AD 519, Cerdic became the first West-Saxon king of Britain. His journey to being crowned is quite extraordinary. Cerdic and his son raged war across the Southern kingdoms of England – conquered most of them, and brought a sort of unity to the south that had not been seen since the Roman era.

Cerdic’s exploits and Arthur’s legendary legacy somehow became entwined. Some say that their armies once met at Badon Hill. I wanted to explore this possibility some more, and this is where my inspiration for The Du Lac Chronicles came from.

The Du Lac Chronicles is set a generation after the fall of King Arthur. I wanted to write about the changing ‘Saxon’ world that Arthur’s knights now found themselves in.

The Du Lac Chronicles follows - through the eyes of Lancelot du Lac’s sons - Cerdic of Wessex’s campaign to become High King. The world the du Lac’s had known was to be changed forever by this one man’s determination to enslave the kingdoms under the Saxon yolk. In my story these men, these knights, are courageous, honourable and they do not die easily.

Buy Links
Kindle UK | Kindle US |
Print UK | Print US |


About the Author
Born in Bath, England, Mary Anne Yarde grew up in the southwest of England, surrounded and influenced by centuries of history and mythology. Glastonbury—the fabled Isle of Avalon—was a mere fifteen-minute drive from her home, and tales of King Arthur and his knights were part of her childhood.

At nineteen, Yarde married her childhood sweetheart and began a bachelor of arts in history at Cardiff University, only to have her studies interrupted by the arrival of her first child. She would later return to higher education, studying equine science at Warwickshire College. Horses and history remain two of her major passions.

Yarde keeps busy raising four children and helping run a successful family business. She has many skills but has never mastered cooking—so if you ever drop by, she (and her family) would appreciate some tasty treats or a meal out!

Contact her via
Email: author "at" maryanneyarde "dot" com
Web site | Twitter @maryanneyarde | Facebook |  Blog | Amazon Author’s page |

***
All this month, you are invited to…

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Gawain rescues Angusel from himself in Ch 11/Sc 2 of RAGING SEA by @KimHeadlee #amwriting

Graphic overlay c2016 by Kim Headlee. One of the hallmarks I developed for my Dragon's Dove Chronicles series was the invention of a proto-Gaelic language for my Pictish characters, such as Angusel (Lancelot), complete with grammar and spelling rules. 

I chose this challenging but satisfying route because I found it was a great trick for getting into a character's mindset. And with more than two dozen viewpoint characters to manage in a single novel, I (and my readers) can use all the tricks I can lay my hands upon!

Several such terms crop up in today's excerpt from Raging Sea .

Three of them relate to cultural identifications:  Caledonach ("Caledonian;" i.e., Pictish), Ròmanach ("Roman"), and Breatanaich ("the Brytons;" i.e., Britons). The "-ach" suffix indicates group membership of an individual or serves as the generic group representation, and the "-aich" suffix is the plural form.

The "-aiche" suffix in Caledonaiche turns the group term "Caledonaich" into the word for the Caledonian language. I apply the same suffix elsewhere in the series to create Ròmanaiche (Latin) and Breatanaiche ("Brytonic;" i.e., the P-Celtic form of Gaelic, also known as Old Welsh).

Belteine is my invented Caledonaiche term for the more commonly known Beltain or Beltane (May Day) holiday, inspired by Scottish Gaelic boil (“passion”) and teine (“fire”). In this case I elected to modify boil to put "Belteine" in line with its Breatanaiche equivalent. The word Criòsdail, the adjectival form of "Christian" that's applied to objects rather than people, I lifted straight from Scottish Gaelic without modification.

In every case I try to make these terms be obvious to the reader from the context, but I do include a glossary at the back of each book for reference!


Previous excerpts of Raging Sea 
Chapters 1–6 in Raging Sea: Reckonings  Chapter 7: Sc 1 | Sc 2 | Sc 3 | Sc 4 | Sc 5a | Sc 5b |
Chapter 8: Sc 1a | Sc 1b | Sc 2 | Sc 3a | Sc 3b |
Chapter 9: Sc 1a | Sc 1b | Sc 1c | Sc 1d | Sc 1e |
Chapter 10: Sc 1a | Sc 1b | Sc 2a | Sc 2b | Sc 3a | Sc 3b | Sc 3c |
Chapter 11: Sc 1a |  Sc 1b | Sc 1c |
Raging Sea Chapter 11, Scene 2©2016 by Kim HeadleeAll rights reserved.
Angusel stood staring at the rack of swords in First Ala’s section of the armory, trying to recall where he had paused in the inspection when the realization that this was the day of Eileann’s bonding ceremony had overwhelmed his thoughts.

Truth be told, nary a day had passed since their meeting in the Caledonach ward of the Manx field hospital when her sweet face hadn’t shimmered into his mind’s eye. And he could never forget that heavenly voice. In fact he dwelled upon Eileann almost as often as he dwelled upon… another woman.

He glanced at Gawain, who pointed with his stylus to one of the swords. “That one’s next.”

“Right.” Angusel lifted it from its peg, ran a gloved fingertip down its blade, and replaced it on the rack. “Two small nicks, but it’s still serviceable.”

Gawain made a tick in the appropriate column on his clay tablet. “Is something ailing you? This task is taking far longer than the spears did yesterday.”

The tolling of the bell at the Criòsdail temple, muted by distance and stone but undiminished in meaning, proved Gawain’s observation correct. Farther down the line, other optios were finishing the last of their notations in preparation for departing the armory. “Go worship your god, if you must. I’ll get Drustanus to help me finish here.” The newest member of First Ala might not be able to translate a Ròmanach military treatise, but he could be taught to tally weapons easily enough.

Gawain uttered a low whistle. “Your mind really is someplace else. Today’s the day we’ve all been excused to attend the Beltain festivities, remember?”

Aye, now that Gawain had mentioned it. Belteine—which the Breatanaich called Beltain, and it meant “passion fire” in their tongue as well as in Caledonaiche—was the last rite in which Angusel ever wished to participate, especially today of all days when the kindest lady in two realms would forever become lost to him. He gave his head a short shake. “I’ll finish the inspection by myself, then.” He reached for the tablet.

His assistant raised it overhead. “No, you won’t. Sir. You might not be welcome to celebrate among your people, but nobody said you can’t celebrate with mine.” Gawain covered the tablet with its thin wooden slab to preserve the marks, stowed it and the stylus in his knapsack, and crossed his arms through the straps. “Come. I’ve already made arrangements with a pair of lusty lasses, so there will be no trouble. For either of us.”

Angusel surrendered with a small, forced grin, hoping with all his heart that the Breatanach passion-fire activities would prove sufficient to purge his mind of… the other women.

***
Enter this Amazon giveaway for your chance to win
an e-copy of Kings , while supplies last!
All this month, you are invited to…

— Follow Kim on Twitter
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— Leave a comment on any page of The Maze, especially if you have done the Twitter, Pinterest, and/or YouTube follow

… and each action this month is good for one chance to win a copy of any of Kim's e-books. 

Please enter often, and good luck!

Annual April #amwriting at the beach! Or am I April Fooling? (The Dawnflier, Apr. 2016)

I love this meme, which I saw today via the feed of a recent Twitter follower. 
Whoever dreamed it up is no April Fool!
Move away: Check. I relocated from the metro Washington, DC area in 2005 to our farm in southwestern Virginia, some 300 miles distant but close enough that it isn't too much of a hassle to return for conventions and other such doses of civilization.

Find a new job: Check. I'm writing and publishing full time now, with the occasional substitute-teaching job on the side.

On a beach: Check—but only two weeks plus the odd long weekend here and there throughout the year, this week being one of them.

With rum: Double check—rum is not my preferred recreational beverage; does sangria or sake count? :D


This week I'm helping my daughter look for an apartment, in addition to the following #amwriting activities:
Updated the print edition of The Challenge to match more closely with its e-book and audiobook structure. Fifty copies will be given away to lucky attendants of the annual Washington Romance Writers Retreat at the end of this month, and I hope you're one of them!Published the Spanish edition of The Challenge, titled El Reto . It will be available via Kindle Unlimited for the first three months, and then I will release it to other sales channels.Evaluated more chapters of the forthcoming audiobook production of King Arthur's Sister in Washington's Court . Producer Danielle Cohen is doing a fantastic job of voicing Queen Morgan and the other characters. She's about halfway done, and I cannot wait to share this production with you!Continued working on Raging Sea. Part one, Raging Sea: Reckonings , is free on Kindle Unlimited or with an Amazon Prime membership.
In other news:
King Arthur's Sister in Washington's Court has been shortlisted for the 2016 IBPA Benjamin Franklin Award in Fantasy and Science Fiction. This entitles the book to silver-medal status already; winners will be announced on April 8. KASIWC also has been entered in the 2016 IPPY Awards, and those finalists will be announced April 7; the winners will be revealed at the 2016 Book ExpoAmerica in mid-May. Kings , the sword & sorcery crossover novella I cowrote with longtime author-friend Patricia Duffy Novak, is now a free download via Kindle Unlimited or with an Amazon Prime subscription. Enter this giveaway for your chance to win an e-copy, while supplies last!And the first book published under the Pendragon Cove Press imprint which I did not write, Faith, Family, Film: A Teacher's Trek by Fred Eichelman, is a free download via Kindle Unlimited or with an Amazon Prime subscription. Discover a heartwarming side of Hollywood and politics that you never knew existed!My next confirmed appearance will be Saturday, April 9, Bluefield College, VA, for the annual Celebration of Appalachia event, where I will be selling and signing my books. Paperback editions of The Challenge and The Color of Vengeance will be free!
The rowboat in the "I need a vacation" meme seems rather small, but if you can squeeze in, I invite you to come along for the ride!
***
Enter this Amazon giveaway for your chance to win
an e-copy of Kings , while supplies last!
All this month, you are invited to…

— Follow Kim on Twitter
— Follow Kim on Pinterest
— Subscribe to Kim's YouTube channel
— Leave a comment on any page of The Maze, especially if you have done the Twitter, Pinterest, and/or YouTube follow

… and each action this month is good for one chance to win a copy of any of Kim's e-books. 

Please enter often, and good luck!

Final 2016 #EggcerptExchange spotlight: The Sheriff Meets His Match by @JacqBiggar

Welcome to the final 2016 Eggcerpt Exchange on The Maze! Today I am pleased to feature fellow Twitter/Triberr author-friend Jacquie Biggar and her Wounded Hearts novella
The Sheriff Meets His Match .

Synopsis
When a jaded sheriff is drawn to an exasperating woman in trouble, anything can happen.

Laurel Thomas has always experienced life from the outside looking in. She likes the warm welcome she's received in Tidal Falls and wants to make a home in this friendly little town, far away from her egocentric family. But then her uncle arrives and she learns the past has a way of catching up to her.

Jack Garrett is satisfied with his uncomplicated life. He has a good job as the sheriff of his hometown, a nice home, and a beautiful teenage daughter. So why is he struggling against his attraction for the disorganized new hire at the department, Laurel Thomas? She threatens everything he's worked so hard to avoid—like falling in love.

Can two people with enough emotional baggage to sink a ship find a way to give each other a chance, or is this match doomed to drown?

Excerpt
“This isn’t a good idea,” she whispered as his head lowered.

“Probably not,” he agreed just before he consumed her, there was no other word for it. She’d been kissed before, but never like this. There was nothing but Jack. From the faint spicy scent of his cologne paired with the impossible width of his shoulders, to the exquisite firmness of his mouth upon hers.

Laurel grabbed his forearms and held on for dear life, caught up in a maelstrom of desire. He tasted like the finest chocolate, wickedly delicious and bad for her health. This couldn’t end well for either of them, but she couldn’t bring herself to step back.

Soon.

Just a little more.

Buy Link (Amazon worldwide): http://authl.it/3qq 

About the Author
Jacquie lives in paradise along the west coast of Canada with her family. She loves reading, writing, and flower gardening. She spoils her German Shepherd, Annie, Calico cat, Harley, and swears she can't function without coffee.

Learn about upcoming news, contests, recipes, and more from her newsletter.

You can follow Jacquie via: Website | Facebook | Twitter |

And don’t forget to check out her blog.
She has many giveaways that run every month sponsored by herself, The Authors’ Billboard, and Sisters of Suspense, so you don’t want to miss out!

Author Interview

The Maze (TM): What inspired your latest book?
Jacquie Biggar (JB): I’ve wanted to write a holiday romance for some time now and with the Christmas season fast approaching within my series, Wounded Hearts, it seemed like a perfect fit.

TM: What is your typical day like?
JB: First things, first; Coffee.

Then I usually open my blog, check for comments that need answering, do the SM trail, and end with my emails. That takes up most of my day, then it’s family time. Around nine or ten at night the house gets quiet and I can work on my newest project, a paranormal romance. I do that until midnight or so, go to bed, read a couple of chapters, and start the whole process over the next day. I know, exciting hey?

TM: Sounds a lot like my typical cycle. How much time do you spend promoting your books?  What works best for you?
JB: Probably not as much as I should be, it’s hard to promote without making people tune you out. You need to be inventive. Meme’s are great and easy to set up; I use Canva.com for mine. Paying for ads can help, just don’t let it eat up all of your budget; a couple that I’ve found good are Choosy Bookworm and The Ereader Cafe.

Other than that I think it’s key to make friends with likeminded writers. There’s nothing better than having a large group of supporters guarding your back.

TM: Indeed; as with the Eggcerpt Exchange! How has your experience with self-publishing been?
JB: I’m happy I decided to go the self-publishing route. It’s enabled me to be my own boss. That being said, there’s no one else to blame if I don’t succeed. There’s a lot of work involved in becoming an indie author. And that’s after writing the best novel the world’s ever seen. You need to be willing to take on all aspects of the business, because that is what being self-pubbed is; a business. From cover design, to formatting and uploading, to book-keeping and promoting. Writing is a full-time job.

TM: Do you have critique partners?
JB: Yes, I do. Critique partners are crucial to the writing process. They are your beta readers, editors, critics, and biggest supporters all rolled up into one neat package. I belong to a fantastic group called Lethal Ladies, which is a part of RWA’s Kiss of Death chapter, specializing in the romantic suspense genre. I also belong to a group of four wonderful ladies from my local group, Vancouver Island Romance Writers, who I cherish for their kindness and generosity.

TM: What genres are you drawn to as a reader?
JB: I generally look to romantic suspense novels for my reading pleasure. I like the tension and the fight to overcome evil that is the mark of a good suspense book. The hero/heroine have to fight tremendous odds to get their happy ever after. It makes the reader gain empathy and keeps those pages turning.

Thank you for having me as a guest today, and remember—it’s all about the romance. ~Jacquie Biggar
***
Enter this Amazon giveaway for your chance to win
an e-copy of Kings , while supplies last!
All this month, you are invited to…

— Follow Kim on Twitter
— Follow Kim on Pinterest
— Subscribe to Kim's YouTube channel
— Leave a comment on any page of The Maze, especially if you have done the Twitter, Pinterest, and/or YouTube follow

… and each action this month is good for one chance to win a copy of any of Kim's e-books. 

Please enter often, and good luck!

The Business of Writing: Paid Email Marketing for Authors #MFRWOrg #ASMSG

Smiling girl with dandelions
c2015 by AndrOleksiienko
Depositphotos ID 74345911. If you have been following my Marketing for Authors 101 series of posts under the umbrella of The Business of Writing, you know that so far I have written about…
Dos and don'ts of Twitter marketing,Giveaways, "99c is the new Free",The BookBub "Roller Coaster," andFree Email Marketing for authors. Today I'm here to discuss paid email marketing options, and I have to admit I've been kicking this particular can down the virtual road for more than six months.

Why?

Because until now I wasn't entirely convinced that paid options were worth it.

I'm here to tell you that they are.

Since April 2015, I have been experimenting with paid advertising—Twitter, Facebook, and web site promos in addition to email lists—for most of my books, even my perma-free and limited free offerings. General findings:
Twitter-only packages are not worth it. Period. It's like dropping leaflets about your book from 100,000 feet above the planet and hoping they will land where readers will find them and act upon them. In reality, most of the leaflets will land in the ocean. And we all know what sorts of readers fish are. :D

Same with Facebook-only and website-only packages. Maybe not quite as bad as broadcasting to the Twitterverse, but close. These two options do carry the advantage of having a bit more permanence than Twitter, where your tweets get flushed off users' screens within mere nanoseconds. Though the feed-flushing happens with Facebook too, you do have the option of curating posts to preserve them on your author page.
This left paid email advertising, and for the six months of my experiment (April–October, 2015), I was beginning to believe those weren't worth it either.

In those days, had yet to realize that marketing is not about landing sales. Marketing is about increasing public awareness about you and your product so that, eventually, customers will gain the confidence to make those purchases.

There are a bunch of paid email services out there, but the ones I've had the best experiences with are:

Book Barbarian . Science Fiction and Fantasy genres only; this includes paranormal romance, fantasy romance, and so forth. It's primarily an email advertising service, but pricing ($15-$30, depending on book's price) includes a permanent link on their web site, and promotions via Facebook, Google , and Twitter. Their email subscriber list is only 15K, but they are dedicated science fiction and fantasy readers, so the clickthrough rate is much higher. They will waive their "first book of a series only" rule if you want to pay extra to promote the first two books, but in general I have found that paying to promote subsequent books in a series is not worth it. Your best advertising is always the first book itself.

Books Butterfly. Paid advertising for permafree, limited free, and $1 or less titles only. Pricing is based around "guaranteed" download numbers, which seems a bit iffy since it's tough to guarantee book sales/downloads. However, this is a great option to use in combination with ENT or BookBub promos because of the link they provide for rank tracking and other statistics. Rank-tracking link for Dawnflight is HERE. Note that the tracking did not start until the day after Dawnflight 's BookBub promotion; the novel got as high as #286 of all paid Kindle books on the morning of 3/4/2016. Next time I'll schedule the Books Butterfly promo to run at the same time as the BookBub promo to capture the ranking highwater mark.

eBook Soda . Flat fee of $15 regardless of genre or sale price, making it a good value, especially when used in conjunction with other promotions. Limitations: minimum length restrictions (20K for novellas, 50K for novels), rated at least 3.5 with at least 8 reviews unless the book is a new release.

Ereader News Today . This site used to be the be-all, end-all of ebook marketing until BookBub dethroned it, but it still packs quite a wallop. IF you can get your book selected for promotion; submissions are juried. Cost varies by genre and book's promotional pricing ($30-$135). Main restrictions are that the book must be at least 125 pages, listed on Amazon, and not promoted on ENT in the past 90 days. More information is given here.

Genre Pulse . Your book must be 99 cents or free. The full promo is $40, and they now have genre-specific ($16-$19) promo options. They give coupons to repeat advertisers that are good for the full promo option. The biggest thing I like about Genre Pulse is the campaign link they give you, which allows you to see your clickthrough stats.

The Fussy Librarian . Another site where the cost varies by genre ($10-$16 as of this writing), but they don't charge you more if your promo price is higher than 99 cents. They offer a rerun discount coupon, good for 25% off, which is nice if you are running your promotion for a long time. They encourage you to add on genres at half off the regular advertising rate, but I've found that to be not worth it even with the discount. Your book must have at least 10 reviews on Amazon with an average 4.0 rating, unless it's a new release and you have at least one other book in your backlist that has the minimum 10 reviews/4.0 rating. It must be priced at $5.99 or less, and there are no length restrictions.
Paid email services I may try again at some point:
Betty BookFreak . This used to be a free site; they now charge $12-$15 for placement depending on what type of listing you want (Daily Pick, New Release, or Daily Underdog), rather than by genre. They also have an interesting option I have not seen with any other paid email service: $30 will get you placement on their welcome newsletter to new subscribers for 30 days. You may capitalize on this if your book is free, and if you are willing to commit your title to that long of a promotion period.

BookGorilla . It still costs only $50 to feature one 99-cent novel, regardless of its length or genre, which is not bad for an email list that's now more than 350K subscribers. Click HERE to view their spreadsheet of % reach for their subscriber list broken down by genre and subgenre. "Starred" title promotion (first page of their daily email) is a $100 add-on charge, and that's not worth it unless you are promoting a genuine bestseller (87% subscriber reach) or your book falls into one of the most popular genres among subscribers (mysteries enjoy 55% subscriber reach; most romance subgenres are in the mid-30-percent range). A distinct drawback is that their lead time for scheduling promotions is too far out (minimum 6 weeks) to coordinate with a BookBub deal.

BookSends , but only if they ever reactivate their partnership with advertising on Pixel of Ink, which is currently still closed to author-submitted advertising. BookSends charges different rates by genre and book's price. Unless you enjoy flushing your money down the crapper, DO NOT pay them an extra $35 to put your Amazon affiliate tag on a free book!! I would not pay an extra $10 for Facebook, or $10-$30 extra for EReaderIQ promotion, either.If you have a favorite site for paid (or free, for that matter) email advertising of books, please leave a comment and the link so we can all check it out. :)
Happy promoting, whatever options you choose!
***
All this month, you are invited to…

— Follow Kim on Twitter
— Follow Kim on Pinterest
— Subscribe to Kim's YouTube channel
— Leave a comment on any page of The Maze, especially if you have done the Twitter, Pinterest, and/or YouTube follow

… and each action this month is good for one chance to win a copy of any of Kim's e-books. 

Please enter often, and good luck!

Jem gets real in JEM by @MichelleAbbott4 for #EggcerptExchange

Today I welcome another new-to-The-Maze author for the 2016 Eggcerpt Exchange, Michelle Abbott. Give her a hand, folks, she's British! (Bonus points if you correctly identify 
the movie reference. :D)
Michelle writes New Adult romance and has four books to her credit.

Jem Synopsis
Two injured, stubborn souls meet unexpectedly. Will they save each other from their demons or have they been too damaged for too long to see past the pain?

Growing up, all Jem knew was hatred and the pain from his father's fists. Taunted by the kids at school, he was alone, until a girl with carrot coloured hair sat next to him.

She smiled.
She listened.
She cared.

She was his angel, and he knew he’d love her forever. But Jem’s father hurts him in a way he never expected by taking him away from her.

Now eighteen, scarred inside and out, Jem trusts no one and has worked hard to ensure he'll never be helpless again. But then he runs into his angel. The only problem is she doesn’t recognize him. Jem needs her to remember him, to show him that their time together meant to her what it did to him. For once in his life he wants to have mattered to someone, to her.

Devon is attracted to the muscular, tattooed, pierced hottie standing by the pub quiz machine. That is, until he punches a guy clean across the bar for daring to touch him. She’s had her fill of violent men and intends to avoid this one at all costs.

Excerpt
She’s walking beside me and I can’t keep my eyes off her. Back when we were kids she was taller than me. Now I tower over her by about eight inches. I can’t believe I’m getting to spend time with her, even if it is to apologize to her friend. In fact, I think I should thank him. She hugs herself and rubs her arms.

“Are you cold?”

“Yes. I left in a hurry and didn’t bring my jacket.”

I tug off my sweatshirt and put it over her head. She pushes her arms through the armholes. I run my fingers through her long hair to loosen it from the neck of my sweatshirt. Her hair is soft against my fingers. I’ve always loved her hair. The color is darker; it used to be carrot colored, now it’s a deep copper red. I feel her body tense. Too much touching. I reluctantly step back out of her space. She looks cute in my sweatshirt. The hem reaches her knees and the sleeves cover her hands. She’s looking straight ahead and she’s not speaking. There’s so much I want to say to her. I want to know what’s been happening in her life all these years. Has she had a good life? What kind of things does she like doing these days? Did she ever think of me? I frown as her words come back to me. She said Quinn is her neighbor. Which means she not here on vacation. She lives here.

“Are you okay?”

At the sound of her voice I realize I’ve stopped walking. “How long have you been living here?” I ask. Her hair hangs over her eyes and my fingers itch to sweep it away from her face so I can look at her green eyes.

“A month. I used to live in London.”

I know. “So, if Quinn isn’t your boyfriend, who is?” Tell me so I can hate him.

She turns and continues walking. “No one. It’s just me and my son.”

I fight to keep the stupid grin off my face. I tap my fingers against my leg. I’m full of nervous energy. “It must be hard raising him on your own.”

“It’s not so bad, he’s a good kid.”

I nudge her. “He’s got a good mum.” She smiles at me for the first time and it makes me feel like I’m four years old again. I want to skip. I slide my phone out of my jean’s pocket. “Let me give you my number so you can call me if you ever need any help, or a babysitter.” She hesitates and bites her lip, a frown forms between her eyes. Oh come on. I want a way to keep in touch with you.

“I already have a babysitter. Quinn.”

I smile at her. “You should never put all your eggs in one basket.”

She unlocks her phone. “Okay, give me your number.”

I watch her slim fingers as she keys my number into her phone. I stop her before she can put her phone away. “Call me, I want to make sure you’ve got my number right.” And that way I’ll have your number.

Buy Links:
Amazon US | Amazon UK | Amazon AU |


Book trailer:


Interview with Jem
 
Job?
I work at an amusement arcade, fixing the machines when they go wrong, handing out change and that kind of thing. It pays my bills, it’s local and the hours suit me.

Currently residing in...?
Hemsby in Norfolk. I’ve got a trailer right by the sea. There’s nothing like walking along the beach every morning. It keeps me calm.

Level of schooling, or self-taught?
I had to quit school when I was small because my father moved us all at the last minute after someone reported him to social services for child cruelty. He never enrolled me in another school. I taught myself all I need to know.

Favorite food?
Don’t have one. I eat to live, I don’t live to eat.

Most important goal?
To get Devon to remember me and love me again. To take care of her and show her that I never forgot her and never stopped loving her.

About the Author
Michelle Abbott lives in the UK and hates describing herself in 3rd person.

She  loves to write new adult romance about heroes who begin as the underdog and are protective of their girl.

She's an avid reader of romance, is addicted to coffee and loves wine and chocolate, so yeah, not the most healthy eating and drinking habits. :-) She spends way too much time online when she should be writing. She collects teddy bears and occasionally knits a couple of rows on a sweater she started years ago, which she may eventually finish in time to wear for her funeral. :-)

Follow Michelle via:
Website | Twitter | Facebook | Goodreads |
***
All this month, you are invited to…

— Follow Kim on Twitter
— Follow Kim on Pinterest
— Subscribe to Kim's YouTube channel
— Leave a comment on any page of The Maze, especially if you have done the Twitter, Pinterest, and/or YouTube follow

… and each action this month is good for one chance to win a copy of any of Kim's e-books. 

Please enter often, and good luck!