Mandy M. Roth's Blog, page 63
March 10, 2014
The Vampire Diaries: The Talisman Chronicles (Vol One)
Early Release Surprise! The Vampire Diaries: The Talisman Chronicles (Vol One) by Mandy M. Roth writing as Mandy Balde
YA Paranormal Romance Short Story
Kindle US (This is an Amazon Exclusive)
Blurb:
The Vampire Diaries: The Talisman Chronicle (Volume One)
Talisman (Tali) never wanted to move to Mystic Falls. She’d finally managed to carve out something close to a normal life in Chicago, and that isn’t easy to do when your mother makes her living telling other people’s fortunes and communicating with long-lost loved ones. When her mother claims the spirits have warned her of danger, Tali knows it’s only a matter of time before they have to move again. She knows her mother has ties to the small, isolated town in Virginia, but she doesn’t know how deep they run. And Mystic Falls isn’t any old town. And Tali isn’t any old teenage girl.
Dedication
To Amazon KDP and Kindle Worlds, thank you for inviting me to be part of this exciting endeavor. To The CW, The Vampire Diaries TV show, its writers and its cast, and last but certainly not least—L.J. Smith, thank you for creating a fantastic world and for permitting me to play within its confines. And to my readers, thanks for accompanying me on this wild ride. I hope you enjoy this short story. To those just joining me on this project, The Talisman Chronicles are based loosely on the TV Show, The Vampire Diaries. I’ve taken certain liberties to maximize reading enjoyment. I hope fans of the show understand why I made this choice and I sincerely hope they fall in the love with the characters as I have.
Fans of the books and the show already know Elena, Caroline, Tyler, Matt and Bonnie’s stories, it’s time the generation before them had their story told. You may think you know all about them, but the truth isn’t always what it seems.
March 5, 2014
MY Book Lengths
Each of my books is the length I needed to tell that character’s story. I have never, nor will I ever, force a book to be longer just for the sake of word count. I believe this shows when an author does this. As for my Immortal Ops/ PSI Ops Series books. Not all characters within the world will have full-length books. Take for example, the existing books. Immoral Ops book one is not a full-length book. Nor is Book Four or Five. Each book is the length the character demanded I make the book–the length needed to tell their story.
This holds true for ALL my work. Not just the Ops.
I’ll admit, I’ve been second guessing my upcoming schedule because of the number emails I’m getting regarding book lengths, thinking maybe I should NOT release Colonel Brooks’s novella, maybe I should push all the releases back 6-12 mos or more to force stories to be longer. Then I stop and think… NO. I will not do this. I will stay true to who I am as an author and my readers will respect me for that because I have kickass readers! [image error]
I’d like to take a moment to thank all my readers who for the past ten years have stood by and understood the method to my madness. Who have been so good about waiting as I fought with publisher(s) and continue to fight with some for rights back to work, often leading to long delays between books. I thank you all so much for standing by me in this. I can’t thank you enough for your encouraging emails, for your show of online support, for your fantastic reviews and for buying my books. You all mean the world to me and I hope you love the characters I create as much as I do.
A general guide for my books: ( Keep in mind I started as an e-first published author, with small presses. My word count guidelines are from years of working for them.)
Short Stories: 5,ooo-14,000 words
Short Novella: 15,000-17,000 words
Novella: 18,000-25,000 words
Long Novella: 25,000 – 34,000 words
Category: 35,000- 44,000 words
Novel: 45,000 – 70,000 words
Long Novel: 71,000 – 90,000 words
Plus Sized Novel: 91,000 – 120,000 words
As a general rule of thumb, I do not like putting any of my books that are under 45,000 into print. I made an exception for Tactical Magik because of the demand for it to be in print. It is also prices much lower than my other print books.
March 3, 2014
JUST RELEASED! Act of Mercy (PSI/Immortal Ops) by Mandy M. Roth
Part of the Bestselling Series World The Immortal Ops by Mandy M. Roth
Paranormal Shifter Military Special Ops Romance
Paranormal Security and Intelligence Operative Duke Marlow has a new mission: find, interrogate and possibly eliminate the target–Mercy Deluca. He knows looks can be deceiving, but it’s hard to believe the beautifully quirky woman running around in a superhero t-shirt is a viable threat. The sexy little biomedical engineer quickly proves she is more than he bargained for and Intel has it all wrong–she’s not the enemy. Far from it. Intel also forgot to mention one vital piece of information–she’s Duke’s mate. This immortal alpha werewolf doesn’t take kindly to her being in danger.
When Mercy accepted a position within Donavon Dynamics Corporation, she thought it was to help cure disease and to make a difference for mankind. She had no idea what her new career path truly entailed–monsters masquerading under the guise of scientific research. Unable to stomach the atrocities she’s uncovered, she reaches out through what she hopes is the proper channels, asking for help. Mercy gets more than she bargained for when a team of paranormal hotties show up on her doorstep ready to take down the Corporation. One in particular is able to get under her skin, both aggravating and exciting her in ways she can’t explain.
Books with Amazon ASIN #
PSI-Ops/Immortal Ops
Act of Mercy (B00I4BXYXC)
Act of Surrender (coming July/Aug 2014)
Act of Submission
Act of Security
Act of Command
Act of Passion
Immortal Ops Series Books in order
Immortal Ops (B003WEAJ3O)
Critical Intelligence (B003WEAJ4S)
Radar Deception (B003WEAJ5C)
Strategic Vulnerability (B003VS0F76)
Tactical Magik (B00HNYRHSE)
Administrative Control (coming June/July 2014)
Separation Zone (coming Nov/Dec 2014)
February 26, 2014
Excerpt from Act of Mercy (PSI/Immortal Ops) by Mandy M. Roth
Excerpt from Act of Mercy (PSI/Immortal Ops) by Mandy M. Roth (c) 2014 Mandy M. Roth
Order your copy today on Amazon!
Ebook ASIN: B00I4BXYXC
Paranormal Security and Intelligence Division B Headquarters, classified location…
Duke Marlow stretched the two typing fingers he used because he wasn’t exactly gifted in the way of a keyboard, and hunted and pecked the last of the reports that’d been due in to his handler—who also happened to be captain of his ops team—several days prior. With Duke’s reluctance to do any type of recordkeeping, let alone the kind that involved a computer, his handler would be happy to see the files this quickly. Duke was actually at least one month early if anyone went off his past turn-in dates, or the fact that occasionally he never turned in a report at all. The idea of leaving the damn things to sit for a few more weeks had crossed his mind.
That would piss Corbin off for sure.
Corbin Jones headed one of the many Paranormal Security and Intelligence Operative Teams (PSI-Op) and Duke already knew he was Corbin’s most trying team member. He wore the badge with honor. What could he say? After knowing the guy well over a hundred years, he had to do all he could to keep their working relationship interesting. Plus, Duke was set in his ways. He didn’t embrace change.
Never had.
Besides, he enjoyed getting under Corbin’s skin. Corbin was a lion shifter, and everyone knew cats and dogs didn’t mix well together. As a full-blooded, born werewolf, Duke tended to get a kick out of giving Corbin as hard a time as possible.
Came pretty easy to him and that nearly took the fun out of it.
Nearly, but not quite.
And Corbin looked like a blond underwear model. That alone was grounds to be given a hard time.
The phone on his desk rang, drawing him from his thoughts. He sighed. He disliked the phones at PSI. Too many buttons. Too many options. It was never just answer and be done. They had people who normally handled routing the calls. Without them, Duke would be totally and completely lost. It was way after hours and he knew there was still a group who worked somewhere in the building, handling these types of things. What he couldn’t figure out was why they’d send a call his way. Corbin had taken Duke’s phone privileges away when he’d told a conference call full of people to get bent. He’d then followed that up with the suggestion they lick his balls.
Corbin hadn’t been amused and said Duke lacked anything in the way of phone etiquette. Duke could have told him that to start with.
He answered the phone. Hell, the apocalypse could be starting and Duke suspected Corbin wouldn’t want him getting called over it. “What?”
There was silence on the other end. Duke waited a fraction of a second and hung up the phone. He wasn’t in the mood for bullshit. If it was important, they’d call back.
The phone rang again.
“What?” he practically shouted as he answered it again.
“Hello?” came a voice that was soft and sweet, extremely feminine and hot as hell, making his loins stir, surprising him. “I was told to call. Did you get the information I sent?”
As much as the voice moved him, its owner was making no sense. “What?”
“Do you know how to say anything else?” she asked, sounding annoyed with him. Most people tended to after short bursts.
He stiffened. “You called to give me crap? Striker put you up to this, didn’t he?”
“Striker?” There was beeping on her end. “I can’t talk long. They’ll hear me.”
“Woman, you’re not making any sense.” But damn if her voice wasn’t making him hot and bothered. He was nearly ashamed of his reaction to her. It wasn’t like he made a habit of getting a hard-on for random callers. The idea of phone sex had held little appeal to him before but now, hearing this woman’s voice, he was fast changing his outlook on it.
“I need to know if you’re them,” she said.
“Them who?” As turned on as he was, he had reports to get done and the conversation wasn’t going the route of phone sex so it needed to end sooner rather than later.
“Them. The one Test Subject 87P told me to send the information to,” she insisted.
Great.
Sexy voice and bat-shit crazy. Just his luck. He hung up on her. Whatever game Striker was playing wouldn’t work. Duke was busy. Too busy even for hot voices with riddles.
Duke rotated his neck, running his hands through his shoulder-length dark hair, working out a kink as he sniffed the air, the wolf in him catching the scent of pending rain.
Good.
The area needed some rain. He grinned, knowing he’d be running free in it soon enough. Well, as soon as he finished this damn paperwork. He didn’t understand the point of it. It wasn’t like the organization existed to anyone who asked about it—not that anyone even would. They were ghosts. Operatives who never were and never would be, at least on paper.
What the fuck did they want with a paper trail then? Did they enjoy redacting crap later? Maybe the guys who sat around drawing black lines through important information had blackmail photos of people in high positions and threatened to expose them if they didn’t get enough papers passing across their desk.
Made no sense to him.
Not much involving the people running the PSI show did.
February 17, 2014
Strange Facts About Me:
I will spend an hour finding the perfect song to write to. Without the perfect song (which changes on a whim and is never the same perfect song regardless if it was the day before the scene) I can’t find my concentration zone. Yes, I have playlists for each of my series. They have hundreds upon hundreds of hours of music in each.
I love nearly all kinds of music.
I cannot write with the TV on.
I cannot write with people behind me.
I sort of shut off while I write. I see it playing out like a movie in my head. When I “come back” to reality, it is to words on the screen. I don’t “see” words when I write. I see the characters and what they’re doing.
I’m an author who requires an editor. I know this. I value my editors, proofers and final line editors. I think authors who believe they are above this line of “defense” are kidding themselves. A book can always be made better.
If someone comes in and out of the room while I’m writing it will rip me from the scene.
If someone calls me, I’m ripped out of the scene. This is why I will often shut off my phones when I’m working.
I dance in my chair. (Sometimes, I fall out of my chair while dancing in it.)
I stand and dance at random moments throughout my writing day.
I have well over 3,000 works in progress (WIPS)–these are manuscripts in various stages of completion–some just starts, others halfway done, some totally done. Yes, I have WELL over 100 books that are totally done (not counting the 100 plus I have published). Why don’t I release them all? Because existing series and bestsellers take first release priority. Also, I like knowing that later, when I’m no longer able to produce at the same pace, I have a stockpile of books to be released still
I have the strange ability to joke about nearly anything. No matter what it is. I have always felt life is short, live it laughing. Or mock heavily, whatever works for you.
I’m a big believer in cutting toxic people out of my life.
I have Morphea Scleroderma
I have always struggled with my weight. I’m open about this struggle online.
Also, if there is someone who takes from me (emotionally) more than they give, they are not welcome with me.
Writing sex scenes does not leave me hot and bothered. (Yeah, I have been asked this many times. I’ve had one person be kind of a gross perv while asking me, like what I do entitled him to be a pig. Its okay, I made him wish he’d never met me. Yeah, I can make grown men cry.)
But writing fight scenes fire me up. To the point I’d probably punch people who annoyed me if they were close during this writing process.
Yes, I go to gun ranges and fire various weapons so that I can accurately describe the use of these in my books.
I write books with sex in them.
I write books with violence in them.
I’m an acquired taste. Not everyone loves what I do.
Yes, I really did go out back with a broom handle and practice using it like a fighting staff to get a feel for the weight and movement to be able to better describe this in my books.
Sometimes I cry while writing when I’m so far into a character that I’m emotionally tied. I do NOT, however, cry at moments others would–you know, the crying moments. I’m strange. I know.
After ten years of being a published author and after having over 100 stories of various lengths published, I STILL get nervous on release days. I STILL want the best book possible released to my readers. I STILL want to please them while staying true to the characters in my head.
Fan mail STILL excites me… it NEVER GETS OLD!
My family is very supportive of what I do. Grandparents, parents, spouse, children… all are.
I make mistakes. I often share said mistakes online with my readers.
I have the best readers.
I have the best author friends.
I have a hot temper.
I’m a great cook but I don’t like cooking.
I have OCD.
I have 12 bookshelves stocked with reference books.
I’m a tech geek.
I have degrees in Art/Business. My background is in marketing.
I do cover art under the brush name Natalie Winters.
Readers can email me at mandy AT mandyroth DOT com. I get a LOT of email so it sometimes takes me a bit to write back.
Readers can write to me (snail mail)
Mandy M. Roth
1739 University Ave #132
Oxford, MS 38655
USA
February 12, 2014
Tactical Magik (Immortal Ops)
JUST RELEASED!
*Note: Tactical Magik was originally only intended to be 18,000 words. It is nearly double its original planned length.
Tactical Magik (Immortal Ops Series)
Book Five in the Bestselling Immortal Ops Series.
Eadan Daly has thrown himself into the role as the sixth I-Ops team member and has forged a brotherhood of sorts with the other men. When he’s asked to go on a solo mission for the PSI Branch (Paranormal Security and Intelligence) he’s not so sure he wants his old job back.
Inara Nash is a survivor, doing what she must to get by. On the run for years, from an organization she doesn’t fully understand, she tries to stay below the radar. When a blond hunk arrives and claims he’s her savoir, she suspects her luck might have finally run out. Sure, he’s hot and looks like he’d be good in bed but there is something almost magical about him that defies reality. And if there is one thing she’s learned in her life in the paranormal underground it’s you never trust a magik.
Immortal Ops Series Books in order
Immortal Ops (B003WEAJ3O)
Critical Intelligence (B003WEAJ4S)
Radar Deception (B003WEAJ5C)
Strategic Vulnerability (B003VS0F76)
Tactical Magik (B00HNYRHSE)
Administrative Control (coming June 2014)
Separation Zone (coming Nov 2014)
The spin-off series PSI-Ops launches March 3, 2014. The first book is Act of Mercy.
PSI-Ops/Immortal Ops
Act of Mercy (B00I4BXYXC) pre-order today!
Act of Surrender
Act of Submission
Act of Security
Act of Command
This book is intended for adults only.
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00HNYRHSE
February 10, 2014
One Day Left! Tactical Magik (Immortal Ops Series)
Guess what releases tomorrow? That is right! Tactical Magik (Immortal Ops)
Tactical Magik (Immortal Ops Series)
Book Five in the Bestselling Immortal Ops Series.
Eadan Daly has thrown himself into the role as the sixth I-Ops team member and has forged a brotherhood of sorts with the other men. When he’s asked to go on a solo mission for the PSI Branch (Paranormal Security and Intelligence) he’s not so sure he wants his old job back.
Inara Nash is a survivor, doing what she must to get by. On the run for years, from an organization she doesn’t fully understand, she tries to stay below the radar. When a blond hunk arrives and claims he’s her savoir, she suspects her luck might have finally run out. Sure, he’s hot and looks like he’d be good in bed but there is something almost magical about him that defies reality. And if there is one thing she’s learned in her life in the paranormal underground it’s you never trust a magik.
Immortal Ops Series Books in order
Immortal Ops (B003WEAJ3O)
Critical Intelligence (B003WEAJ4S)
Radar Deception (B003WEAJ5C)
Strategic Vulnerability (B003VS0F76)
Tactical Magik (B00HNYRHSE)
Administrative Control (coming June 2014)
Separation Zone (coming Nov 2014)
The spin-off series PSI-Ops launches March 3, 2014. The first book is Act of Mercy.
PSI-Ops/Immortal Ops
Act of Mercy (B00I4BXYXC) pre-order today!
Act of Surrender
Act of Submission
Act of Security
Act of Command
This book is intended for adults only.
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00HNYRHSE
February 6, 2014
HELP! I want to buy your ebooks but I need some help!
HELP! I want to buy your ebooks but I need some help!
Ebooks: What format goes with what?
LINK
How I do buy things Amazon?
LINK
I don’t an a kindle but want to read your ebooks that are available through Amazon. What can I do?
LINK
I won an ebook from you and don’t know how to get it loaded on to my Kindle Amazon Kindle
LINK
Vid on doing it wired:LINK
I want to leave a review on Amazon but I don’t know how
Link
Vid of how to: LINK
I have a Kindle Fire HD but I don’t know how to work it. Can you help?
Vid: LINK
Immortal Ops Series and PSI-Ops Series Helper
Immortal Ops Series and PSI-Ops Series Helper(This will be updated in each upcoming book as new characters are introduced.)
Immortal Ops (I-Ops) Team Members
Lukian Vlakhusha: Alpha-Dog-One. Team captain, werewolf, King of the Lycans, mated to Peren Matthews (Daughter of Dr. Lakeland Matthews). Book: Immortal Ops.
Geoffroi (Roi) Majors: Alpha-Dog-Two. Second in command, werewolf, blood-bound brother to Lukian, mated to Melissa “Missy” Carter-Majors. Book: Critical Intelligence.
Doctor Thaddeus Green: Bravo-Dog-One. Scientist, tech guru, werepanther, mated to Melanie Daly-Green (sister of Eadan Daly). Book: Radar Deception.
Jonathon (Jon) Reynell: Bravo-Dog-Two. Sniper, weretiger. As of this book, not currently mated. Book: Separation Zone.
Wilson Rousseau: Bravo-Dog-Three. Resident smart-ass, wererat, mated to Kimberly (Daughter of Culann of the Council). Book: Strategic Vulnerability.
Eadan Daly: Alpha-Dog-Three. PSI-Op and handler on loan to the I-Ops to round out the team, Fae. Brother of Melanie Daly-Green. Book: Tactical Magik.
Colonel Brooks: Chief of Operations and point person for the Immoral Ops Team. Book: Administrative Control.
Paranormal Security and Intelligence (PSI) Operatives
General Jack C. Newman: Director of Operations for PSI, werelion. Adoptive father of Missy Carter-Majors.
Duke Marlow: PSI-Operative, werewolf. Book: Act of Mercy (PSI-Ops).
James (Jimmy) Hagen: Werelion, left the organization on questionable terms ten years ago.
Miscellaneous
Culann of the Council: Father to Kimberly (who is mated to Wilson). Badass Fae.
Pierre Molyneux: Master vampire bent on creating a race of super soldiers. Hides behind being a famous art dealer in order to launder money.
Gisbert Krauss: Mad scientist who wants to create a master race of supernaturals.
Walter Helmuth: Head of Seattle’s paranormal underground.
Dr. Lakeland Matthews: Scientist, vital role in the creation of a successful Immortal Ops Team. Father to Peren Matthews.
Jinx: Magik, succubus, well-known, well-connected madam to the underground paranormal community.
February 5, 2014
Too MUCH Sex in Books!
1. “There is too much sex in this book(s).” YOU ARE WELCOME!
2. “There is far too much violence, sex and curse words in this/these books.” Challenge F-ING accepted! I can do more.
I do often see these types of emails/comments as a challenge. I think because often I revert to a child in my mind and am like…oh wait, was that a double dog dare? LOOK OUT! LOL
