Mandy M. Roth's Blog, page 88
April 4, 2012
MwM Author Spotlight: Candice Gilmer
Marketing with Mandy Author Spotlight: Candice Gilmer
Q: Tell us a little about your experience with Lyrical Press and Samhain Publishing.
A: Both companies really are a pleasure to work for. I've been fortunate enough to release four books with Lyrical Press, and two with Samhain, with more coming.
But, it is a job, and it is work. Just because you sell a book doesn't mean the work stops. That's actually when it begins, where your terrible habits as a writer get revealed. Me and homophones do not get along at all. Not to mention the "comma addiction" I seem to have.
And while I will admit a certain amount of protectiveness over my stories (read "babies") I have found that editors really do have the best intentions with books, and they want to see the books do well, almost as much as I do. Fortunately, I have had pretty good luck with all my editors, and they have been as passionate about my stories as I have, and that always helps.
Q: What tips/tricks do you use for marketing or promoting your own titles?
A: I do whatever I'm told, lol. No, seriously, though, I use Twitter and Facebook quite a bit, trying to post regularly from my Facebook Fan page, letting people know what I have coming out and when. I keep all my book covers and blurbs available there, as well as on my website www.candicegilmer.com.
Also, I try to do signings when and where I can—Michelle Pillow makes me, she's so bossy. J I've also done some promotions in conjunction with review sites like Bitten By Books, because they're incredibly author friendly, and are terrific about working with you to do a great release on a book.
Q: What is one thing you'd want to tell a newer author, just coming into the game?
A: Write every day. Every day. Every single day. Selling is hard work, promotion is hard work, and editing is hard work. Writing is the happy, joyous part of being in the business. Savor that.
Also, I would remind them that publishing is the SLOWEST business in the world. Even with email, it still takes forever to hear from agents and publishers. It's a hurry, hurry, hurry, wait game.
So write. Write as much as you can, every day. Set a word count or page count goal. And hit it, every day. Don't take days off. The story will just go stale if you do. Just keep at it.
Q: Could you tell us a bit about your latest release?
A: My latest release, Rescuing Rapunzel, April of 2012 from Lyrical Press, started, actually, as a request from my 9 year old daughter. We had been reading the original Grimm's fairy tales, and when we finished reading the original Rapunzel, my daughter turned and looked at me and said "Mom, you can write a better story than that." So I did. It was supposed to be a short, ten page story about Rapunzel, but it wound up stretching far bigger in scope, because I wanted to know what happened to Rapunzel when she got out of the tower. There was so much more story that needed to be told.
As I worked on the story, I found that my hero, Nick, had two best friends, Penn and Bryan, and each one of them wanted their own story as well, and poof, The Charming Nobles series was born.
Q: Can you tell us a little about your current WIP's?
A: Right now, I'm deep in my Charming Nobles series, working on both the second book, Catching Cinderella, and the sequel, Finding the Frog Prince.
Q: How did you get into writing?
A: I've always told stories. It's like a requirement in my family. Everyone tells stories. There's no short, one-liners in my family. Writing became a natural extension of that. Also, in school, I had a lot of bad grades, and I would be grounded from everything—tv, radio, books, my car, the phone, anything I enjoyed doing. So I would write my own stories to pass the time.
As I got older, I wrote fan fiction, trying to learn how to really craft a story and write dialog. Eventually, I started writing my own stories, focusing on the relationship between my hero and heroines, and a romance writer, I became.
Q: How do balance family and writing?
A: I have a really supportive family. Granted, I heard the "you better not quit your day job" a LOT before I got published, and still do, to be honest, but I wouldn't be able to do it without their understanding. Even my little three-year-old understands that "Mommy's working now." We put up the "force field" in the kitchen, blocking him access to Mommy, and that works. For now.
Also, I have probably the most awesome husband ever. He's my biggest cheerleader, and my best supporter. He's incredibly understanding when I have to work, and watches the kids when I need to hunker down and get my job done.
I wouldn't be able to do this without his amazing support. And the fact that he goes ghost hunting almost every weekend, giving me the house to myself. That's always a plus.
LINKS:
April 2, 2012
Zombies by Dr. Bob Curran, Interview by Michelle M. Pillow
Zombies by Dr. Bob Curran, Interview
By Michelle M. Pillow, www.michellepillow.com
Have you ever been curious as to how the idea of mindless zombies scouring the neighbourhood in search of human flesh began? From the walking dead of Haiti and the Caribbean that have influenced the ideas of Hollywood horror films, to the less popularized draugr of Scandinavia, Zombies: A Field Guide to the Walking Dead explores the world of the undead and the myths behind them.
Dr. Bob Curran is a writer and broadcaster living in Northern Ireland, and a cultural educator for several governmental organizations. He has approximately 38 books to his name mainly on the subjects of history and culture. His title, Zombies: A Field Guide to the Walking Dead, is currently in bookstores.
*****
Q: First off, are you now or have you ever been a zombie?
Dr. Curran: I don't think that I've ever been a zombie, at least not that I can remember. In some instances I may have worked with zombies but that's another story.
Q: In your book Zombies: A Field Guide to the Walking Dead, you delve into the world of the undead and their impact on cultures throughout history. Tell us a little bit about your book.
Dr. Curran: One of the questions which I'm always asked is – do zombies/ werewolves/ vampires actually exist? That is really not the question that intrigues me – they may or they may not –it is why should people want to believe in them? What need does such a belief answer in society? Why should they continue to fascinate us even down to today? And I suppose that's why I began to write the book. I suppose that the idea of zombies addresses certain fundamental questions about death . The underlying question is – if I die , can I come back in some form? This is, I feel, a question which appears in many cultures and it forms the basis of a number of religions . So I wanted to write a book which looked at zombies in some more depth and in some more detail than simply the slasher/zombie dawn type of way that is common in so many books.
Q: What inspired you to write about the subject?
Dr. Curran: As you may realise if you have read some of my books, I try to do as much research as I can. Any of my books in this field starts with me asking myself a lot of questions and then trying to find the answers. So I guess that the things that inspired me to write the book on zombies was he questions I was asking myself. And the basic question is "Is there something deeper here?" And there usually is.
Q: How have cultural impressions of the zombies changed throughout history?
Dr. Curran: I don't think that cultural impressions have changed throughout history – the questions about death and resurrection still remain the same – nor even have they adapted all that much in the way that, say, werewolf impressions have but the way we look at them has. In a sense in earlier times, the walking dead returned from the grave in places like Ireland to see their loved ones and to enjoy things that they had enjoyed in life. And they often returned under God's dispensation because they were blessed. Amongst the Vikings, the dead returned simply to carry on the things that they had done when alive – there was little distinction between life and death. It was writers like William Seabrook which linked some of the walking dead with the notion of zombies and voudou. Voudou is a kind of umbrella for a number of minor religions such as shango and Mama Watti. Le Gran Zombi does not specifically refer to the walking dead but to a manifestation of Damballah Wedo, one of the gods of the voudou pantheon. However, in his book Magic Island Seabrook seemed to suggest that there were dead men being raised by local houngans and mambos and sold to plantation owners as cheap labour – there seems to have been some sort of basis for this belief as the 1835 Haitian Penal Code seems to make such employment an offence. How widespread this idea was is questionable but it did exist. This has in turn become linked with alleged acts of cannibalism and has given rise to the idea of the flesh-eating zombie with which we are so familiar in the slash and gore zombie films which we see today. In this respect maybe our cultural impressions have changed a little across the years.
Q: Do you have a favorite zombie myth or story?
Dr. Curran: I don't really have a favourite zombie story. I would guess that the most intriguing stories is that of Clairvius Narcisse who in 1980, turned up somewhat dishevelled in a Haitian village and was recognised by his sister who lived there. Nothing unusual about that, except Clairvius was supposed to have died in 1960. His story was a strange one – he had been drugged by his brother using a "poudre" and had been sold to a planter on the other side of the island. He had suddenly "come to" and made his way to the nearest village where his sister had encountered him. The story is engrossing because it suggests some sort of narcotic which might be used to induce a zombie state. The tale inspired Canadian ethnographer Wade Davis to investigate further and see if he could determine the nature of the "poudre" used by the houngans and bokors or Haiti. Although Davis's findings are questionable, his book on the subject The Serpent and the Rainbow became a best seller and later a film. Perhaps it is the idea that some sort of poudre might exist which I find appealing and which probably makes the story my favourite one.
Q: What cultures throughout history have zombie myths? Are they similar or vastly different?
Dr. Curran: As I said earlier, the fundamental questions about life and death are pretty universal ones so it is natural I suppose that they appear in all cultures – though maybe not in the form that we have become used to through the medium of books and films. In Ireland, for example, the marbh bheo or nightwalking dead might be classed as zombies – they return from their graves to the places they knew in life. Some of these are the Blest Dead, who have led good lives and are permitted by God to do so, others are raised by the Devil who travel the roads in order to do harm. Similarly the "living mummies" of areas such as Mount Yodono in Japan are monks who have deliberately "mummified" themselves in order to display their holiness – this practice is now forbidden by the Japanese government. So whilst the fundamental questions remain the same, the way in which it is achieved can be different and not all zombies may take the form that we have been led to expect.
Q: How do you think zombie myths will change in the future?
Dr. Curran: It depends on how you view zombie myths. Certainly if we look at how zombies are portrayed in literature and in the cinema, I think that will change as writers and directors search for new angles with which to shock, disgust and terrify us. I think zombie literature/cinema will possibly become more extreme and more shocking. But we must remember that this counts as entertainment and depends on our view of the walking dead – folkloric zombie stories will remain as they always have. And zombies will remain a fascinating subject.
Q: Do you believe in the supernatural? Or are you a skeptic?
Dr. Curran: Once again, it depends what you mean by "the supernatural". Let me say that I neither believe nor disbelieve. I have met some very rounded and "down to earth" people who have told me some fantastic things and I have no reason to doubt them. Also many things which were once counted as "supernatural" have their base in scientific explanation today and this may be the case in the future. What the "supernatural" may ultimately be is an interpretation of our own environment in a particular way – after all this is the basis of religion . So I keep an open mind.
Q: Why do you think readers, and society in general, are fascinated by the paranormal?
Dr. Curran: I think that the answer lies in relation to the above. People are fascinated by the supernatural because it suggests that there is something more to the world that what we can actually physically see and touch. I think that this is a very fundamental perspective and forms the basis of many religions including Christianity. I think the idea of the supernatural springs from a deep-seated curiosity, a need to explain things around us and a need for reassurance that we have some form of meaning and purpose to our lives. This perspective has taken many forms – from ghosts to werewolves, vampires, zombies but basically it all springs, I think, from the same source.
Q: What are your favorite paranormal shows, movies and books?
Dr. Curran: I get very little time to sit down and watch tv or even read Most of the "supernatural" television or films that I've actually watched, I didn't really like. Everybody thinks that I should rate Buffy the Vampire Slayer but I watched about half an hour of one episode and turned it off. I went and saw The Wolf Man and liked that because it reflected the original movie. I suppose if I read supernatural literature, it's some of the classic stuff, which I enjoy. All the modern-day slash and gore does very little for me. The last film I watched was Shutter Island which I did enjoy as it was extremely well done, even though I'd guessed the ending. But I like the creepiness of the place.
Q: Have you ever had a paranormal experience?
Dr. Curran: No, I haven't had a paranormal experience. All the "uncanny experiences" I've had, I've always been able to explain. I took part in a number of radio/tv programmes on ghost-hunting and didn't see anything. There was a belief in the part of the world where I came from that only one member of a family could see ghosts and so forth and this doesn't seem to have been me. My brother though, is supposed to have seen a ghost – the spectre of an old woman who previously owned a house where he lived in England.
Q: If given the chance, would you become a zombie?
Dr. Curran: I doubt if I would want to become a zombie. I would guess that the lifestyle wouldn't appeal.
Q: How would you react if you came face to face with a zombie?
Dr. Curran: Probably run. Best form of avoidance.
Q: What does the future hold for you? Any new books in the works?
Dr. Curran: There's a lot of work still on. Two new books from Career coming out this year and next – Dark Fairies and Man Made Monsters. Also a series of books for young people coming out in England, new books coming out in both Australia and America – one on the papacy this year and one on bushrangers next Also the development of my community work which is very important to me.
Thank you for joining us, Dr. Curran!
If you're interested in checking out this, or other titles by Dr. Bob Curran, please visit the publisher website, www.newpagebooks.com. Interview by Michelle M. Pillow, www.michellepillow.com
March 31, 2012
Say Anything
Snippet from Ambient Light by Mandy M. Roth
Yates Colyer rolled onto his side, disgusted with himself as he heard the front door close. The woman leaving meant nothing to him. In fact, he hadn't even bothered to get her name. What he wanted her for had little to do with needing it so he passed. As a creature of the night, he required blood once every two months or so. At his age, blood wasn't something he was day-to-day dependent on anymore. There was a time, back when he was newly sired that he needed blood several times a day. Fortunately for him, his father had been in a position of power, giving Yates unlimited access to the town, its resources and more importantly, its warm bodies. Beggars and peasants overpopulated the area and he used to think he was doing his part to thin their numbers. They were rarely missed and on the off chance they were, no one with any kind of power paid them any heed.
Over the centuries, he learned to curb his hunger and take blood without killing the victim or donor, depending upon where and how he got it. He was a different man now, no longer killing to sate the demon within. He liked to think he had more control and more finesse. Like everything, he had to change with the times. It mattered not that he was technically still a Comte. He'd reinvented himself so many times over the course of his immortally long life that Yates no longer paid much mind to the politics of it. Throughout it all something had been missing.
It still was. What, he wasn't sure.
With his blood hunger satisfied, he thought about what else he depended upon to survive. Sex. He needed it almost daily. He craved it as much as he craved seeing the sunrise. At least with sex, he could actually obtain the goal. The sunrise would never again be. He had vague memories of his last sunset, though at the time he wasn't aware it would be his final one. He hadn't asked to be brought over as a creature of the night, another form of the many demons that inhabited the earth and beyond. He'd been sired against his will and had to learn to make the best of it.
I am far from making the best of it.
All had been well until he had found her. The mysterious woman in the magazine. The one with haunting lavender eyes and a mouth that begged to be wrapped around his cock. She haunted his every moment—awake and asleep.
Yates growled as he went onto his back, hitting his bed with his fist as he thought of how his daily sexual escapades had died almost instantly since he had seen the mystery woman's face in the magazine. Sure, he'd found beautiful women more than willing to lie with him and please him until sunrise but his cock wouldn't cooperate. It had its sights set on one woman and one woman only. She was a stranger to him. Unfortunately, Yates knew nothing more than that she was a model.
In his line of work, he met with models nonstop. Many all but beat down his door, wanting him to photograph them because he was the best. The one who had just walked out on Yates had practically thrown herself at him, offering him free rein of her body. He had tried to take advantage of the offer but his cock refused to rise to the occasion, opting instead to lie dormant as the demon within demanded to be free. If the demon couldn't fuck it or suck it, it seemed to think killing it would suffice. Thankfully, Yates had more than enough control to stop his demon from doing anything of the sort. He did, however, seem to lack the ability to kick-start his cock.
Sighing, he rolled out of bed and went to the magazine featuring the pictures of his mystery woman. It sat on a two-person table, positioned near the far end of his bedroom. He took a step toward it and scowled as he stepped on an open book. He liked his home tidy, everything in its place, and he valued his book collection greatly. The woman who had just left had insisted on leafing through various books then discarding them over her shoulder. He should have known then his dick wouldn't want to be in her. Anyone who couldn't appreciate a good read wasn't worth fucking.
He sighed.
Yates ran his hand over the edge of the circular table. It was a piece he had acquired during his time in his homeland—France. Its flame mahogany veneer had caught his eye and the tapered, fluted legs kept it. He had an eye for detail and for fine things. That was part of the reason the woman from the magazine had held his attention. The magazine was already open to the pages she graced. As his gaze skimmed over the alluring raven-haired goddess, a hollow feeling in the pit of his stomach began. She was so beautiful, unearthly so. Never before had a woman called to him as this one did. Those lavender eyes—he wanted to see them staring up at him while he rammed his body into hers.
She's my mate.
The thought nearly knocked him over. For four centuries he had lived in darkness, refusing to believe any such person existed. Could it be that by merely opening a magazine, he had finally located her?
There is only one way to find out.
More Authors:
Megan Hart:Read in bed!
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Lissa Matthews
Mandy M Roth
Mari Carr
McKenna Jeffries
Myla Jackson
Taige Crenshaw
HelenKay Dimon
Lauren Dane
Leah Braemel
Shiloh Walker
Shelli Stevens
March 28, 2012
MwM Author Spotlight: Allie Boniface
Marketing with Mandy Author Spotlight: Allie Boniface
Q: Tell us a little about your experience with Samhain Publishing.
A: I've published four contemporary romance novels with Samhain, my first in 2007. I've had really positive experiences with them, from the editors to the cover artists to the owner, the author liaison, the business personnel and everyone in-between. They are a very professional organization and they treat their authors well. I was a brand new author coming to them, and I definitely learned my way around the publishing business thanks to Samhain.
Q: What tips/tricks do you use for marketing or promoting your own titles?
A: I try to maintain a regular online presence (Facebook, Goodreads, publishing my own blog, guest blogging, giving interviews at romance websites, donating giveaways to various online contests) and I try to combine that with participating in events that will draw readers as well. I do in-person author events when I can (bookstore signings, craft and/or book fairs, readings, conference presentations) and publish online articles or give online workshops when the opportunity presents itself.
Q: What is one thing you'd want to tell a newer author, just coming into the game?
A: If you're in it for the long haul, be prepared to grow a thick skin and devote a lot of your own time to promoting yourself. Writing for publication is not easy; not everyone will like your work, and trends and publishers will change. Be prepared to change with them while remaining true to your own vision. Be your own biggest advocate; believe in yourself and your work. Don't let the negative experiences bring you down.
Q: Could you tell us a bit about your latest release?
A: Summer's Song is a sensual contemporary romance set in a small town in upstate New York. The heroine, Summer Thompson, returns to her hometown after her father dies to put his affairs in order – but then she meets super-hunky handyman Damian Knight, who's been hired to work on her newly inherited estate. That's not her central problem, though: Summer begins having flashbacks about the night her brother died – a night she has no memory of and no explanation for.
Meanwhile, Damian is in town to protect his mother and little sister from a crazed ex-husband, so falling for a woman who's only there temporarily poses more than a few complications. And when said ex-husband tracks the family down, the crazy man will stop at nothing to seek revenge.
Ultimately, both Summer and Damian have to deal with their past demons before they can find happiness together. Several readers have called Summer's Song "inspiring" and "touching" because it really deals with finding peace with the past so you can move on and find new love in the future.
Q: Can you tell us a little about your current WIP's?
A: I'm currently working on another small town contemporary romance (they're my favorite!) as well as a series of novellas. I have three of my print books releasing in audio book this summer as well, and I have a YA novel on the back burner, needing attention before too long!
Q: How did you get into writing?
A: I've always loved to write. I'm a full-time English teacher by day, so reading and writing is in my blood!
Q: How do balance family and writing?
A: I do most of my writing on the weekends and sometimes in the evenings. I also try to do big chunks of writing during the summer, when I'm not teaching. It's tough, no doubt, but I've found that doing something related to my writing every day (whether it's actual writing or promoting my books) helps keep me focused and motivated.
LINKS:
March 26, 2012
Dave Galvan, Interview by Michelle M. Pillow
Dave Galvan, Interview
Michelle M. Pillow, www.michellepillow.com
Founder of the Paranormal League of America (PLA), Dave Galvan, has been studying the paranormal since an unseen hand threw a book at him back in 2002. Since day one he's been enthusiastically devouring all he can on the field, and furthering his knowledge in pursuit of the truth. Since starting PLA, he's focused on investigating the paranormal in Oregon where he's "battled a demon at the Oregon Coast, faced laughing ghosts in Central Oregon, chased obscure energy signals in a house in Portland, was stalked by a full figured apparition at a local cemetery and sat in the mud while waiting for the ghost of an Native American chief."
Dave recently released his first book, Paranormal League of America Presents: Researching America's Most Haunted Locations; A Paranormal History, which details the top twenty haunted locations in the US. It can be purchased on Amazon.com.
* * * * *
Q: What inspired you to write your latest book, Paranormal League of America Presents: Researching America's Haunted Locations?
Dave:To be honest, I was getting tired of all those 'Most Haunted Places in America' lists that you see in every newspaper every Halloween. These lists are written by young journalists moving up the ladder who just get their ideas off the internet. This is similar to me writing a book about heart surgery. I know nothing about heart surgery, why should I write anything about it? It goes the same way with ghost hunting. Why should someone who has never hunted ghosts be writing about the subject? It seems to me that someone who actually has experience in the field should be the one who writes these lists
Q: What is the Paranormal League of America?
Dave: The PLA is a ghost hunting/paranormal group I co-founded in 2008
Q: Do you believe in the supernatural? Or are you a skeptic?
Dave: I walk the fine line between both. What we perceive as the supernatural is all around us all the time. However, just because someone experiences something doesn't mean it belongs in that category.
Q: Which of the locations/stories in your book are your favorites? Can you tempt us with the highlights?
Dave:There are a number of places that I found fascinating. I think the 'Old Slave shack on Hickory Hill' really piqued my interest. Here is a place where slavery was illegal, and the owner of the location was running a reverse underground railroad kidnapping humans and selling them into slavery. It is a very sad story that I hadn't heard about until I did some research in to it. When one reads up on stories like this, one realizes there are so many stories that people didn't hear about in history class.
Q: The book is dedicated to your wife. Is ghost hunting a family affair?
Dave:Not at all. My wife is a supporter of what I do, but is the ultimate skeptic. I consider myself fortunate that I married someone who supports me in such a way that I am able to take time away from my family life to research these things.
Q: Why do you think readers, and society in general, are fascinated by the paranormal?
Dave:It's the great unknown! Humans are basically explorers, if we are not trying to find answers to what we don't know, they why would we bother living our lives.
Q: What are your favorite paranormal shows, movies and books?
Dave: Karen Frazier's book, Avalanche of Spirits: The Ghosts of Wellington, is a fantastic read. I must admit I enjoy reading about anything local to me, like Jefferson Davis' The Haunted Tour Guide to the Pacific Northwest. There are haunted locations all around us, so I do enjoy reading about the ones closest to me. A great book is Will Storr vrs. The Supernatural.
Q: If given the chance to decide, would you become a ghost?
Dave:Of course!! First place I would haunt would be the Playboy Mansion!!!!
Q: How would you react if you came face to face with a full bodied apparition?
Dave:I have seen one, and what I did was freeze in my tracks, drop my jaw and stand there for about 15 minutes.
Q: What does the future hold for your writing?
Dave: I am currently working on my second book, Paranormal league of America Presents: Satan and Demons; A History of the Modern Exorcism, which I hope to have completed by April.
Q: What are your thoughts on the use of sensitives in the field?
Dave: I do believe that there are people who have an ability that I don't. On the other hand, I do believe there is a scientific theory and mathematical formula for everything in the Universe. We may not know that formula as of now, but we will. Until then, we call it 'supernatural' and 'paranormal'.
Thank you, Dave, for joining us.
To learn more about Dave, PLA, or his book, please visit him on the web at www.paranormalleagueofamerica.org. Interview by Michelle M. Pillow, www.michellepillow.com
March 25, 2012
Denise A. Agnew, Interview by Michelle M. Pillow
Denise A. Agnew, Interview
By Michelle M. Pillow
Denise A. Agnew, fiction author of over thirty titles, loves to write about a diverse range of subjects, from paranormal to time travel, romantic comedy to romantic suspense, contemporary to historical. She attributes the fact that she has lived in Colorado, Hawaii, Arizona and the United Kingdom to giving her a lifetime of ideas. Her newest idea, an erotic paranormal romance/suspense novella, Meltdown, released in ebook this November from Liquid Silver Books.
* * * * *
Q: In your book, Meltdown, you delve into the world of psychic abilities. What inspired you to write about this?
Denise:Some of my books, but not all of them, have a grain of psychic truth in them. I'd heard of more than one person who can predict earthquakes because something physical happens to them. In my story, the heroine works in Earth Sciences and seismology, so she's grounded in science. She has headaches that come a couple of minutes before a quake hits. I wanted to explore the conflict that would create. Her colleagues probably wouldn't believe her. She doesn't have enough time to really warn anyone about a quake. She knows it's going to happen but she's helpless. How does she react? How would the hero, who is a firefighter, react to this?
Q: Why do you think readers, and society in general, are fascinated by the paranormal?
Denise:Humans want to explore mysteries or they want answers to strange things they've experienced or read about. Mystery is a part of life.
Q: What are your favorite paranormal shows, movies and books?
Denise:Fringe, old X-Files, old Millennium episodes, loved Journeyman. Movies include The Shining, The Exorcist, and so many others. As for books, there are way too many to list.
Q: Do you believe in the supernatural? Or are you a skeptic?
Denise:I believe in the supernatural. I've had things happen to me and other people I know. I have one foot in the practical world and one in the supernatural. I balance healthy skepticism with that belief.
Q: Have you ever had a paranormal experience?
Denise:My most vivid experience was on New Year's Eve back in the 90's. We were in Edinburgh, Scotland and took a tour of the South Bridge vaults. I'm not claustrophobic but in one room I was instantly terrified. I was sweating, heart going two hundred, and I wanted out of there. I kept my anxiety to myself. When we left the relief was instant. I was compelled to research the experience and discovered that many other people had the same freak out in the same room. To this day I wonder what happened. When I toured other underground/basement type areas in Britain while I lived there, I never felt that way again.
Q: What does the future hold for your paranormal writing?
Denise:I'm writing a werewolf trilogy as well as a historical series that has heavy-duty paranormal elements. While I love to write about a variety of things, the paranormal is always going to be there, lurking in the background, ready to jump out. Maybe, if I do my job, I'll scare the beejeebers out of the reader. It's what I do.
Thanks for joining us, Denise!
You can learn more about Denise and her books at her website, www.deniseagnew.com or at her publisher, www.liquidsilverbooks.com.
Interviewer Michelle M. Pillow is an award winning author of over sixty published books. She writes in many romance fiction genres and can be found at www.michellepillow.com.
March 24, 2012
Freaks come out at Night (bad boys of the night)
Snippet from Gypsy Nights by Mandy M Roth
Gitana divided the mint rhizomes out carefully on the countertop. She glanced at the parent plant and bent down to take in a deep breath. The scent of peppermint never got old. She concentrated on cutting the runners into the sizes needed to replant them. She was just about to make another snip when the bell dinged, signaling a customer was in the shop. Dusting her hands off, she exhaled and gave them a quick swipe across her smock before reaching up to adjust her falling hair.
Hours had been dedicated to trying to unlock the secrets of keeping her unruly hair up, but after twenty-nine years it was still a mystery. It was hard to fight the gift Mother Nature had given her—hair that seemed to grow faster than a weed. She shrugged and gave up.
Oh well, you can't flaunt what you don't have.
Leaving the greenhouse, she headed into her tiny herb shop. It provided her with enough income to pay her bills and she enjoyed it. "Be right with you," she called out, hurrying to hang her smock on a hook and adjust her hair—again.
"Take your time," a deep male voice replied, rolling over her, through her, before finally settling in the apex of her thighs. Never before had a man's voice caused such a reaction in her. It caught her by surprise to say the least.
Gitana glanced up and drew in a deep breath. Every now and then she'd get a health-conscious hot guy who wanted to jump on the homeopathic bandwagon, but never had she had a man as stunning as this one walk in before. The tall stranger stood smiling at her just inside the doorway. His onyx hair hung in loose curls over his shoulders and blended in with his black leather jacket.
He slid a pair of leather gloves off his pale hands. His long fingers seemed to caress the shell they'd been enclosed in. Whoever he was, he'd managed to turn the simple task of removing a glove into an erotic moment. She'd never wished to be a pair of Italian gloves before in her life, but now she did. The thought of having his long fingers sheathed inside her was almost too much. Her pussy practically ached at the imagery.
"Umm, hello? Is there anything I can do to you—I mean, for you? Can I help you?" Gitana rolled her eyes, slightly embarrassed by her slip of the tongue. A slow, devilish smile crept onto his handsome face and she reddened.
Great, blush a little more, why don't you?
He took a step toward her. "Oui, I was told you were the woman to see if I wanted to start my own herb garden." His voice was laced with a heavy French accent that seemed very fitting to him. There was a certain aristocratic edge about him, as if he descended from a long line of powerful, influential men.
She gave him a sideways glance. He didn't seem like the gardening type. No, he seemed more like the millionaire, international-playboy type. Jet-setting and yachts came to mind when looking at him—not herb gardens. But if he really wanted one, she'd help.
"Sure, what size garden do you have in mind…?" She didn't have a name to address him by, so she let her question just fade away.
"Je m'appelle," he said, stopping and shaking his head slightly. "Pardon, I did not mean to be rude. My name is Sebastian Rolle. I purchased the house across the way." He pointed out toward the woods. "I am thinking of having several gardens put in."
Yep, just as she thought, he wasn't the gardening type. He probably already had a crew of twenty men waiting for him to tell them where to dig. "You can have your landscaper call me. I'd be happy to help him out with what he needs."
His brow furrowed. "Je ne comprends pas—I do not understand. I have no landscaper. I will be handling all of this on my own."
She let out a tiny laugh and covered her mouth, hoping he wouldn't notice. Much to her dismay, he did. "Do you find that amusing, Madame…?"
"Gitana," she corrected, walking out from behind her counter and extending her hand to him. "Sorry, no, I don't find it funny. It's just that you don't strike me as the type who'd want to get dirty."
"Getting dirty is one of my many specialties." He slid his cool hand over hers and cupped it gently. For having had gloves on, Sebastian's hands were like ice. She knew just the place to warm them but refrained from commenting. Already it was difficult not to let on what effect he was having on her. Acting a fool over men who visited her shop wasn't something she was prone to, yet Sebastian seemed to bring that out in her.
Her gaze remained glued on him, memorizing his pale skin, the ridges in his body and the way his ink-black hair looked against his shirt collar. The man was delicious and out of her league. He'd make for something good to think about later, when she ran her fingers over her clit, trying to bring pleasure back into her absentee sex life. It would be easy to picture him above her as his hard body rode her. Her nipples ached for his touch, to know what it would be like to truly have those hands skimming her body, those fingers dipping into her tight cunt. Goddess, she wanted him in ways she'd not remembered wanting another man. Even just thinking of him in such a manner embarrassed her. She wasn't a woman to fantasize about men she didn't know. Okay, any man for that matter. Mostly, she just did what needed to be done in order to give herself an orgasm and then was done with it. No muss. No fuss.
It took her a moment to focus, her thoughts still running wild with a vision of the newcomer sliding his fingers into her before making room to dip his cock in. Pulling away slowly, she noticed she'd left dirt on his hand. She waited for him to try to find a place on his designer shirt to wipe it but he just glanced down and smiled.
"Looks like I am well on my way to being an avid gardener," he offered, his lips curving up just enough to show only the faintest hint of pearly white teeth. Men weren't supposed to come like him. No. They weren't supposed to be walking temptation.
Not only had he been built that way, he was, apparently, her new neighbor. "You bought the old McGregor estate?"
Sebastian nodded. "Oui, it needs quite a bit of work but what can I say? I fell in love with it." He brushed his hair back and exposed the most striking pair of celestial blue eyes she'd ever seen. Long, thick lashes that had been kissed by midnight framed them, holding her attention. He winked at her and made her jump. A nervous laugh escaped her. "Would you mind if I use your restroom? They will not have my water on for some time yet. I attempted to find other accommodations for the night, however, it seems this quaint little town has none."
"Sure, umm, you'll have to use the one in my house. The one here in the shop has been acting up for weeks now. I've been meaning to call someone. With spring just around the corner, I've been too busy." Gitana led him into her home, thinking it odd the way he hesitated before passing the threshold, waiting for her to invite him in. He came and she showed him to the restroom, leaving and giving him privacy as she headed to the kitchen.
It was strange having a man in her home again. Since her divorce, men frequented her shop, but none had been in her home. And no man had caught her attention the way Sebastian had. The urge to head toward the bathroom door was great but she resisted, concentrating instead on preparing hot water for tea for her guest.
When he emerged, he nearly scared the daylights out of her because of how quiet his entrance had been. She'd never heard a peep. One second she was alone in the kitchen and the next, Sebastian was there.
Her fingers danced over her collarbone as her heart beat madly in her chest. "Some tea?"
"Merci," he responded, taking a seat at the table. He seemed too big for it, which was surprising since it wasn't exactly small. Then again, Sebastian Rolle was a large man. Everything about him demanded attention.
More Authors:
Megan Hart:Read in bed!
Rhian Cahill
Jody Wallace
Eliza Gayle
Mandy M Roth
Mari Carr
McKenna Jeffries
Myla Jackson
Taige Crenshaw
Delilah Devlin
HelenKay Dimon
Lauren Dane
Leah Braemel
Shiloh Walker
TJ Michaels
Zoë Archer
March 21, 2012
MwM Author Spotlight: Cynthia D'Alba
Marketing with Mandy Author Spotlight: Cynthia D'Alba
Q: Tell us a little about your experience with Samhain Publishing
A: Texas Two Step my debut book. I feel so fortunate to be with Samhain Publishing. Solid reputation in the industry, wonderful comments from their authors. My editor is Heidi Moore. She has been a dream to work with. Smart. Clever. Supportive. Could not have asked for better. And my cover? OMG! What a dream cover by Scott Carpenter. My experience has been what I wish for every new author.
Q: What tips/tricks do you use for marketing or promoting your own titles?
A: I wish I had a fountain of promotional tricks that I knew worked. I've put a lot of time getting ready for my debut blog tour; although I'm told they rarely sell books. I'm trying something I hope stimulates interest in the tour and the book. I have quite a few friends who donated books for my tour (so I could give them away since I don't have a backlist), jewelry to give away, gift certificates, etc. Also, I'm writing a prequel to Texas Two Step that will be blogged in segments as I go through the tour. I'm hoping the prequel will made people want to read more about my couple.
Q: What is one thing you'd want to tell a newer author, just coming into the game?
A: Make sure you really want to do this! If so, grow rhino hide as this business can be tough. Contest judges, critique partners, book reviewers, reader reviews. Not everybody will love your characters as much as you do. And write what you love to read!
Q: Could you tell us a bit about your latest release?
A: It's book one of a proposed trilogy – Texas Montgomery Mavericks
Book 1 is Texas Two Step, which comes out on Feb. 28, 2012.
Here's the book blurb: After six years and too much self-recrimination, rancher Mitch Landry is ready to admit he was wrong. He'd loved Olivia Montgomery but commitment wasn't high on his list back then. That was his first mistake. He's just divorced his second, and he's set to do whatever it takes to convince Olivia to give him another try.
Through hard work, determination and more than a few tears, Olivia survived the break-up with Mitch. She's rebuilt her life around her business and the son she loves more than life itself. She's not proud of the mistakes she's made—particularly the secrets she's kept—but when life hands you manure, you use it to make something better of yourself…lest you get stuck in it.
At a hot, muggy Dallas wedding, they reconnect. Olivia's first instinct is to play it cool, but after one devastating kiss things flare out of control, real fast. Maybe a quick roll in the hay will get him out of her system once and for all. Funny thing about hay though, once it's tangled in your hair, getting it out risks revealing things that were never meant to see the light of day.
Q: Can you tell us a little about your current WIP's?
A: Working on Book Two of Texas Montgomery Mavericks. The working title is Texas Tango Tangle. (Kind of a tongue twister, isn't it!)
Here is the quick blurb: Travis Montgomery thinks Caroline Graham's idea to stage a fake wedding to appease her dying grandmother is nuts. But Caroline holds the deed to a piece of land Travis has coveted for years. The only way to get his hands on the land is to go along with this crazy plan. After all, Caroline will only be in town another six months and she's promised to quick claim the land to him when she leaves.
Neither of them is expecting to be attracted to the other. Caroline doesn't want to put down roots and Travis doesn't want another wife. Unfortunately, an obscure state law throws their perfect plan out the window. Can they confess their love before it's too late?
Q: How did you get into writing?
A: I retired in 2003. I read over 1000 romances that year. My husband said he was tired of watching me read. He suggested I try my hand at writing. I thought, why not! How hard could it be? Yes, I can hear all the authors reading this laughing! SO FREAKING hard. So much tougher than I ever dreamed.
Q: How do balance family and writing?
A: I have no children so I don't have to balance that aspect of family. I am lucky to have a husband who fully supports me in my writing. And my dogs? I boot them into the backyard when they become too pesky. But don't feel too sorry for them. We have a huge fenced yard and live on a lake. They have it good.
LINKS:
March 20, 2012
MwM Spotlight on Reviewers: Limecello
Marketing with Mandy Spotlight on Reviewers: Limecello
Q: Please take a minute to tell us a little about yourself.
A: Well, on my profile(s) it says "Reader, Reviewer, Lawyer, Foodie, Blogger, and Discusser of all things random." and that really does sum me up. Well, other than the ranting. I feel like I'm a crazy angry bitchy ranter a lot. I think it's something of a divide though. There are those people who think I'm really nice. There are those who I think if they could get away with stabbing me in the back – literally – would. Or possibly even the front. You know, win some, lose some.
At the least (or most?) though – I will say that what you see is what you get. How I am online on twitter, my blog, emails and so forth, is how I am in real life. No dissembling, no bullshit. I do, however, know how to be civil and observe social niceties. Oh, and I swear, I'm actually not a blithering idiot. I would say "I just come across that way sometimes" but… that rather negates my previous statement, doesn't it. Dammit. (You did see that "random" part of the bio, yes?)
Q: Where can your reviews be found (what sites)?
A: Reviews. About that. And me being a reviewer. I actually asked Mandy and was like "um, what if I'm more a blogger?" But she was all awesome and said "you're legit! I consider bloggers to be the same as journal reviewers" But it (me asking) was more like… what if I just spout shit and don't actually post reviews all that often, but I figured I wouldn't bother Mandy any more than I had. So maybe I snuck in here and I'm cheating the system. GO ME!
Anyway since um… '07? I was a reviewer/blogger at TGTBTU. I'm not in the "roll" now but I think if you search for me my tags are still there? (Not my icon though *sniffles*) Anyway we parted ways in 2010. I'm also a blogger at Heroes and Heartbreakers, and then I have my own blog, which nobody knows what to call/refers to it as Limecello. Personally I think of it as "A Little Bit Tart, A Little Bit Sweet" but what do I know.
ETA: Since I first wrote out these answers back in January… my blog has changed! I now post a review a week! Progress! (And I'm still looking for reviewers to join in…)
Q: What prompted you to get into reviewing books?
A: Actually, I won something at TGTBTU O_o gosh maybe in early 07? 06? And then Sybil was all "would you like to do a guest review?" And at the time I was all like "zomg! Reviews! Fun!" I was also young and stupid. I posted something like 175? Something? reviews my first calendar year there. Never again. (So for all of you getting excited, sorry. You can leave now if you want – but hey – I try to make up for it by featuring authors at my blog.) And readers. Because I think readers don't actually get enough love in this community. Anyway. That's another discussion for another day.
The point is – I was going to do a single guest review. And possibly see how that went. But then Sybil was all "Hey! Where are all your reviews? Give them to me! I want reviews!" And well, if you've ever interacted with Sybil, you know she's crazy. And scary. (She threatened to kill me countless of times within like the first month of my talking to her.) It wasn't a benevolent dictatorship. But I loved her and feared her. [image error] So anyway, that's how I got started.
Q: How has the experience been to date?
A: Uhhhh well, considering I personally didn't do reviews for about a year … am I allowed to say it's self explanatory? I just don't know that anyone cares about my reviews. And that's totally cool. No really. Honest. I like having reviews, and asking other people to do them, because I know – and it seems – people care about them. Well, that an this EPIC reading slump. It was killer.
But! I'm starting reviews again. I now have some lovely, intelligent people who post guest reviews at my blog, and am looking for more people. (I think it's just people are sick of hearing what I have to say, you know? ;P)
Also, it's just… well, I find reviewing can sometimes take the fun out of reading. You have to worry about remembering it all, and doing it in a timely manner. And then even though you say you don't care what others think there's are a lot of potentially dangerous pitfalls.
I never really got into review dust ups, thankfully, although I did have one slight kerfluffle. But it's just… bleh. I think what really also killed it was the demand for them making it like work – HARD thankless unpaid work.
And then I'm totally not someone who only posts positive reviews. In fact general consensus is that I'm a rather tough grader.
So yeah. For those people who review regularly? Give them a candy bar. Or maybe I just need to get out of my head. I very much enjoy reading whatever the hell I like, whenever I like.
And I might post a "formal review" on it, or I might just discuss it lightly. Or talk about a group of books. Does that count as a review? To me personally, the latter? Not so much. But I still talk about books and what I thought. That part I like.
Of course, if I read a book and have a strong reaction to it – positive or negative, I do still write about it if I'm at all possible.
I'm as I said also actually looking for reviewers to join the blog. (Those innocent, clueless little lambs… kidding!) But if someone is going to be reviewing at ALBTALBS I want thoughtful, insightful reviews. Not just a book blurb and a sentence. So at least I've got the substance thing going on…
Q: If you could change one thing about reviewing, what would it be?
A: The drama. Dear God and the "rules" and the "this is how it should be" and… ugh. I mean – just look around the web for the January 2012 dust ups. That's… yeah. Do not want. See why I generally want to avoid this stuff?
I'm extremely gifted at annoying and offending people all on my own without even posting reviews. It'd be like… using a blowtorch as a fireplace poker. >.> Not that that's speaking from personal experience.
Q: If an author would like to submit their book to you for review, how should they go about doing it?
A: Very, very nicely. Possibly with a box of chocolates. Or a bottle of wine. [image error] Actually, there's a contact form on my blog anyone is welcome to use. I may or may not respond, and that's the way this sort of thing goes.
If the message asks for some sort of response, I generally do, but I get a number of WTF message with nothing but book information. No review request, nothing of substance/nothing that tells me what the hell I'm supposed to do with it. Those I ignore. … Or email to friends to mock.
I'm kidding. Maybe. No really. O_o
So yeah. Now that I've scared everyone away, I'd love for you to visit me at my blog and sign up for a guest spot!
LINKS:
My posts at Heroes & Heartbreakers
Twitter – where I talk a lot about anything and everything
March 18, 2012
Weight Loss: Sunday Check In
WW Sunday check in: -1lb for week! Total in 10 days on WW -2lbs, -.5″ arm, -.5″ waist, -1″ bust, +1″ thigh, no change hips. I had 40 activity pts for the week. 33 were remaining. So, again -2lbs since starting WW 10 days ago. Dear body, I have nothing to spare in the bust area. Please stop taking from there and donating to my thighs. Okay, thanks, bye.
