A.R. Draeger's Blog, page 2

B. Brumley's Cold Water Bridegroom is LIVE! (and I got to interview the author!)

Cold Water Bridegroom is on *SALE* now at Amazon!! ---> http://www.amazon.com/dp/B013ATMXT8 Get it today. Seriously. I LOVE this book. I love all the mermaids, but this one is one of my favorites. One of the more interesting aspects is that it's a clean read (totally outside my normal fare). Check out all the neat info below and a mini-interview with Bokerah Brumley, the amazingly talented debut author! (and awesome friend/writing buddy. Yes, I'm biased, but she is a fabulous writer. See for yourself below. ;) ) <3  I am pleased to announce that she'll be back to visit us soon with an exclusive interview, so stay tuned for that as well. ;)   Cold Water Bridegroom by B. Brumley
Blurb:
  Having grown up in San Francisco, Calder Brumen is drawn to the ocean, and he's spent his life trying to capture the beauty of the Pacific on canvas. Over time, he has become obsessed with painting the image of a dark haired mermaid named Gaire, and Calder struggles to explain his devotion to these portraits to his best friend. When Calder finds sandy footprints leading to the edge of his bed, he suspects that the haunting siren is real.
Pursuing the truth, Calder is dragged into a murderous, underwater plot that could destroy them all. And he must choose – is the possibility of a lifetime with Gaire worth risking death for himself and everyone he loves?Excerpt: She’s back. Every nerve ending pricked beneath the silk dragging across his skin. Breath left his body as he strained toward the shapely figure now standing at his bedside. He groaned, but did not move. Her bare belly button hovered at eye level nestled just above the two curves of her pale hips that sloped down behind the edge of the mattress. Shadows hid her torso, but her green eyes glowed. The limited light illuminated only her silhouette, highlighting her womanly shape. “Gaire.” He spoke her name as a command, enunciating the hard “g” sound and sighing on the “air” sound in her name. She frowned. “Stay.” Don’t make me wait again.She leaned forward so far that her ebony hair splashed across Calder’s middle. With each falling strand, Calder’s abdomen pulled tighter and tighter with anticipation. His eyes fixed on the moonbeam face, thirstily drinking in the view of her bottom lip clutched between her white teeth. When her tongue swiped across her mouth in a nervous gesture, he moaned. This is so real… This must be real. Keep her talking. Stay awake.Moonlight glinted on the scales covering her hips. “Tell me about your tattoos.”“Tattoos?” Concern crossed her features, and she asked, “How do you remember my name? You shouldn’t be able to remember.” He reached for her. “Last night, you said… You told me your name. Gaire.”She only whispered, “Hush.” Pulling the bedding from the floor, she slipped into the bed, covering them both. Her full length pressed against his side. He rolled toward her. “You’re dreaming. Go back to sleep.” The edges of the room twisted inward when Gaire’s fingers fluttered up his thigh. The scent of saltwater, coconuts, and jasmine grew stronger, lulling him and clouding his mind. His thoughts fell silent, swallowed by the warmth of her gentle lips on his. She murmured something against his mouth, but he could no longer understand the words drifting in the confusion her nearness wrought. Calder snorted and threw back his head as consciousness startled him. “Gaire,” he bellowed, already knowing. He glanced around the room through squinted eyes. The glaring sun streamed through the open sliding door. The white chiffon curtains fluttered in the wind, no other movement in the room and no response to his call. When he propped himself up on his elbows, bits of sand jumped along the edge of the king-sized bed. Real. She’s real, she’s always been real. He scrubbed a hand across his face. Small sandy footprints led toward the bed from the balcony, but none led away. Flashes of softness, warmth, bright red lips calling his name, feathery kisses on his chest, and down… Need crept across his body. I think I’ve finally gone insane.  
About the Author:

Bokerah Brumley is an award-winning freelance writer. In her spare time, Bokerah enjoys climbing trees, photographing peacocks, and writing flash fiction. Two novellas and one novel are planned for 2015. She lives with her husband, five kids, and three dogs in West Texas where she serves as the blue-haired publicity officer for the Cisco Writers Club. 
Follow Bokerah:
Instagram: https://instagram.com/bokerah (@bokerah)Twitter / Periscope: https://twitter.com/msbbrumley (@msbbrumley)Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/bokerah Ello: https://ello.co/bokerah website: www.bokerah.comblog: www.superbokerah.com


Mini-Interview:
What is your favorite mermaid story or myth?I included the Blue Men of Minch and 1830 Mermaid of Benbecula. Both are briefly mentioned in history, but they were great for my novella.
What was the inspiration for your mermaid novella? Anna Albergucci, A.R. Draeger, and I were brainstorming during a Write Day at the Albergucci estate. I joked that I might do something completely ridiculous this time.  That + My husband and I really like UFC champ Coner McGregor + I like beards = Calder was born. To be different, I decided that Cold Water Bridegroom should mostly be written from Calder Brumen's point of view.
Cast your characters. If your novella was made into a movie, who would play your main characters?Calder Brumen: Gerard Butler (think: redheaded Leonidas that paints), Gaire: Ayelet Zurer or Alexis Knapp (but, man, Jenn Proske has the hair), Mike Love: Scott Evans (Captain America's younger brother) or Brett Tucker, though they are both a bit tall for the role. Venora: To be honest, she'd be much harder to cast, but I bet Uma Thurman could pull it off. If Uma was busy that year, I'd choose Cate Blanchett. I still haven't figured out the twins.
What was most challenging thing writing about mermaids?I think the hardest part was making the characters believable, while crossing from water to land, or even into the mer-city - just how to make it all work, think of and answer all the questions.
Ursula or Ariel?Ummm.... May I pick King Triton? ;)
What else should we know about your novella?Set in San Francisco, Calder is a moody artist looking for his forever, and like in all good stories, somebody dies. (:
**Thank you for joining us today, Bokerah! Can't wait to share your interview soon. <3 <3 <3 HAPPY RELEASE DAY!!!*** ***********************************************And now..it's time for the SUPER EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW...some of which did appear in a local area newspaper. Here's the complete, unedited, unabridged version! 


Amber:   Thank you for joining us today, Bokerah! Cold Water Bridegroom is your first release. What made you decide to make the jump and publish?
Bokerah:  I have always wanted to publish. Late last year, I was offered an opportunity to publish alongside some successful indie authors. Their side of the publishing business looks different than the traditional side of publishing. Since my goal is to be a hybrid author (traditionally published and self-published), it seemed like the perfect time to learn.
Amber:  What are your favorite genres to write?
Bokerah:  Cold Water Bridegroom is a paranormal romance. That was fun. I am currently in a mad dash toward Twitter’s #PitchWars with a Young Adult SciFi in hand. SciFi is my favorite so far. I’m also working on a darker Noir novel that appeared in my Friday flash fiction escapades. I hope to self-pub that piece in two parts during the spring/summer of 2016 with the Blazing Indie Collective.
Amber:  Which authors and works have inspired you?
Bokerah:  I read so many different things: romance, steampunk, speculative fiction, SciFi, some horror, romantic comedy; my tastes are all over the board. I enjoy literary works, also, for the mechanics of language. To me, those stories are like watching an artist paint a work where the focus is the skill and words-as-tools, so the pacing and structure is different than in mainstream genre fiction.
Amber:  Life has a way of interfering, and we writers are notorious for procrastination and letting things stand in the way of putting words on the page. What advice would you give to others who are struggling to find the time to write?
Bokerah:  Be aware of the season in your life. I have had five babies. I couldn’t write when I was pregnant; and when I had little-littles in the house, I couldn’t keep a train of thought from derailing every few minutes. I had to learn to be okay with that. I had to embrace the belief that time would find me again, and, someday, they’d all be potty trained. I won’t always be able to kiss sticky cheeked, chubby faces. Writing was waiting for me in the next season. What do you find helps you overcome writer’s block? Music. Reading. Incredible photography from the world over. Sometimes, I have to take a few days and not write. Also, sometimes fiction will have me stumped, but I’ll be brimming with nonfiction blog post ideas. For me, it also helps to have two works in progress at one time. When the characters in one world are being sullen and won’t play with me, I’ll go play in the other world for a while.
Amber:  What inspired you to write CWB?
Bokerah:  For my first novella that I’ve taken all the way through to the public, I wanted something contemporary. I did not need the added stress of world building as I was walking through the beta readers > content edit > line edit > copy edit > proofreading  process, or even all the other things that go along with self-pub like cover design, formatting, uploading, and promotions. And I liked the idea of writing from the point of view of a bearded fellow. I needed a city with an awesome beach so I picked San Francisco because of the Glass Beach there. The waves wash multi-colored glass pebbles up on the shore. Ironically, the beach doesn’t appear in Cold Water Bridegroom, but some of the imagery was stunning.
Amber:  CWB is a romance that has it all – art, love, mermaids, underwater majesty, magic. What was the biggest hurdle for you when writing it?
Bokerah:  The biggest hurdle was not allowing my over-description to get in the way of the story flow. I over-write, so it’s a job to hack it down to essentials. After that, it was hard to write Calder Brumen in a way that made him a hero-artist without being a jerk or a wuss.
Amber:  Are you an outliner or a ‘pants’er?
Bokerah:  For Cold Water Bridegroom, I was a pantser, for sure. Throughout my twenties, I tried to learn to be an outliner, but that killed a lot of the creativity for me. I recently discovered writing to beats. It’s more free form than outlining, but less hippie pants-er than I was. I think it’s a happy middle ground that gives me freedom to dream between the important plot points and the productivity an outline can afford.
Amber:  What writing books or resources would you say have helped you grow as an author?
Bokerah:  Save the Cat by Blake Snyder. Story Trumps Structure by Steven James is on my To Read list. I’ve also read many articles on different aspects of writing. I have Bird by Bird by Anne Lamott on my Kindle, and I also plan to read Stephen King’s On Writing. I think those are my short list of writing helps.
But, really, it comes down to writing. Writing like mad, and then being brave enough to lay yourself out there for people to judge and criticize. Swallow your pride and tell them thank you for their time. If you keep all your writing to yourself, you’ll never discover what works and what doesn’t. Also, find an editor. Don’t imagine you don’t need one. That sort of arrogance has no place in the industry.
Amber:  Hindsight is always 20/20, and even though you are newly released, I’m sure you are already seeing things that you wish you would’ve done differently. What will you do differently next time you publish?
Bokerah:  I would like to have more “curing time.” I would like to write, finish, and let it sit for a few weeks. When I go back to do the next step, I’d like to give that step a few weeks to settle. I need that curing time to help distance myself from my new favorite little darlings. I can write all the time, but if I want a career and business, I have to cut the feelings I have toward my words. If a section doesn’t work, cut it. If it detracts from the pacing, cut it. Allowing myself that curing time gives me a chance to fall in love with a new idea so I weep and bleed a little less when I cut whole sections of a work in process.
Also, next time I self-publish, I plan on having my eBook ready for pre-sale months in advance. That would really cut the stress at the end. I’m already a procrastinator. If I can figure out how to procrastinate in advance of my deadline, I might add a few years to my life.
Amber:  What has been the easiest part of the publishing process? The hardest?
Bokerah:  The easiest part of the publishing process has been the promotion side of it. So far, I enjoy that part. The hardest part was the line editing and proofreading. And proofreading again. And again. By the time you get through your work that many times, you hate it. To date, that part was hardest.
Amber:  What would you recommend (resources) for anyone looking to publish their work?
Bokerah:  Read good books while reading good books about writing. A writers group that will critique your work is key. They push you. They flag things that slow the story, don’t make sense, or seem inconsistent with the characters.
Amber:  What advice would you have for anyone looking to publish?
Bokerah:  On a product note, go to the trouble to put out the best work you can – even though it is tedious and takes a lot of time. Get a good cover. 
On a personal note, don’t return ick for ick. Be a cut above, and always look for a way to help. Doors open when you least expect them, but the industry won’t let you in if you are jealous or territorial. And if you do manage to get your foot in the door, they won’t let you stay if you’re an emotional sourpuss. Yes, that means making nothing for your work for a long time or being okay with being fifth in line or not shoving your way into the limelight with a hotshot author, but I’d rather have nothing and no connections than step on people or hurt people to get those things.
When your increasing skill meets with a bit of success, and you are kind throughout the process, those connections and opportunities happen naturally.
Amber:  What many may not know is that while you are new to publishing, you are not new to writing. What advice would you have to those who are just starting to put pen to paper?
Bokerah:  You’ll never have fame. You’ll never have fortune. (Believe me, I won’t either.) Don’t set yourself up for discouragement by setting your hope on these things. Keep a firm grasp on this reality, but…
Keep writing. Don’t quit. Take a sabbatical, if you must, but always return. And, truly, if you are a writer, you’ll find that the act of writing orders your world in a way that little else can.

 ***Very well said, Bokerah! Thank you so much for taking the time out to visit with me! Be sure to check out Bokerah's awesome blog (where she interviews amazing authors all the time): www.superbokerah.com***

Eli Constant's The Water Is Sweeter - Falling in Deep Collection - is LIVE! and I am home from DFW Write Con!

Buy on Amazon for $0.99! ---> http://www.amazon.com/dp/B012QOY88C
Blurb:  When the land becomes a desert, the water will quench your soul
Orphan Lena McMillan used to think that what she shared with Truman Kent was real. Now she sees their relationship for what it really is- controlling and abusive.
She has to choose to die slowly from ‘love’ or say goodbye to the family she’s always desired. Leaving scares her though, so much so that dying seems like her only option.
But fate won’t let her quit life and Truman won’t let her quit his love. Not without a fight.
Under the layers of a lonely childhood and an adulthood romance gone wrong, a starfish holds the key to Lena’s parentage and the answer to the mesmeric ocean dreams that haunt her.
If she can find the strength to leave the only life she knows, Lena will discover the truth. And she will find a new world, one that will cleanse her of the memories of false love and abuse.
One that will finally lead her home.
Excerpt:
“I’m not crazy. I promise I’m not crazy.” I croak the words out quickly; they embarrass me.

Vera’s face melts into unassuming kindness at my words and her hand reaches up to cup my chin. She grips it firmly, making me gaze into her eyes and not look elsewhere. But I want to look away from her so badly, because what if she does not believe me now? What if she no longer thinks of me as a daydreamer? Maybe she’ll stop calling me Ocean eyes.

I am not insane…

“Listen to me, Ocean eyes. I don’t believe for a second that you’re crazy. But there’s something shimmering about you, a lightness in a dark world. It surrounds you like an amber halo. It makes you different. This world snuffs out brightness and specialness, stuffs it into a cage, and puts it behind bars. Don’t let that happen to you; don’t let evil put a barrier between your body and life.”

I open my mouth to speak, to ask her about the shimmering light that she sees, but we are no longer alone. Truman has stepped into the room quietly. I have no idea how long he’s stood there, but he is staring at Vera, unhappiness plastered across his face like an ill wish. I wonder if he’s heard what she’s said.

I wonder if he is the world ready to snuff out my brightness.

About the Author:



Eli attended USC-L, Columbia College, Texas A&M, & George Mason University. She studied everything from Mariculture to Differential Equations. Settling on Biology, Eli participated in research fellowships in Texas and at NIH, worked a few random jobs, and finally settled into a Virginia lab where she focused on mastering diagnosis procedures and implementations of histology and pathology.
Choosing to be a dedicated homemaker after the birth of her first child, Eli rediscovered her passion for writing. She's never regretted the decision. Not only are her kids the most amazing creatures, but writing fulfills her soul the way science never did. 
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Eli is the author of Dead Trees, Dead Trees 2, Mastic, DRAG.N & Z Children: Awakening. She is a contributing author to Let’s Scare Cancer to Death, State of Horror: New Jersey, State of Horror: Illinois,& Fading Hope. Her books are available in eBook, paperback, & audio formats.

Follow Eli:
  Twitter @Author_EliC
Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/authorEliConstant
Books on Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Eli-Constant/e/B00FN2O9YS/
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/6901568.Eli_Constant
Wordpress: https://authoreliconstant.wordpress.com/


An Interview with Eli:



1.     What is your favorite mermaid story or myth? It’s funny; I mean, I grew up with the traditional Hans Christian Anderson version of the Little Mermaid and it always made me sad. Each sister before the littlest mermaid waited patiently until she was old enough to experience the world above the water. They each came back with beautiful stories, but they always came back. They returned to their home after witnessing wonderful things. The littlest mermaid was impatient, as we all are- wanting to grow up and then once we have grown up, wanting to return to the novelty of youth- and when her time comes, she’s built this amazing vision in her head of what the dry world is like.
And then she saves a prince. And she is willing to give up everything to be with him, because if he loves her enough, more than anything else in the world, she gains a soul. So she abandons her mermaid’s tail and her long life span, even though she is warned that it will bring her nothing but sadness.
But I always thought that the sea was the little mermaid’s soul. And she gave that up, devoted every ounce of her being to winning the Prince’s hand, who would never love her.
And then she’s faced with killing her Prince or dying.
She chooses death, but finds life again in the sky.
How f***ing depressing is that?
So, I hate the traditional Little Mermaid. But, wait, I was supposed to say what was my favorite mermaid story or myth?
Well, I sort of liked J.K. Rowling’s interpretation of mermaids… Yeah, they were cool. Of course, I did ascribe to the happier version of a mermaid in The Water is Sweeter to balance out Lena’s suicidal mindset.
2.     What was the inspiration for your mermaid novella? Freedom. I’ve been a certified diver since the age of 14 (thanks, Dad!) and I always found that being in the water diving helped me separate myself from things that were going wrong in my life. I took that concept and I expanded on it, which makes The Water is Sweeter a deeply personal piece. At its core, it’s about an orphaned woman who realizes her fiancé is abusive, but she desperately clings to the idea of family. When she tries to kill herself, she finds that she’s plunged into an alter-reality beneath the waves.
3.     Cast your characters. If your novella was made into a movie, who would play your main characters? An actress playing Lena would 1) have to look great with maroon hair and 2) be adept at playing ‘beautifully broken’. I think my top pick would be Rose Leslie. She has a fierce strength, but is wonderful at deep emotion. For Truman, I’d want someone who could play the pretentious, entitled asshole, but also being devilishly sexy. Maybe Tom Hiddleston. For Vera, I’d definitely want Alfre Woodard; she’s amazing.
4.     What was most challenging thing writing about mermaids? I wanted the details to feel real, to force my readers to plunge into the water and experience what Lena was experiencing. I didn’t want to be too over-the-top with shimmering green tails and other Disney-esque details. I wanted balance. That was difficult as I’ve been so inundated with the happier version of mermaids. The hardest thing though was getting into the mind of a woman who truly feels that suicide might be preferable to living. It’s a dark place. I’ve been there and it jolts the psyche.
5.     Ursula or Ariel? Ursula, hands down. I loved the most recent season of Once Upon a Time. Villains need to win every now and then. And Ursula was so wonderfully conniving in the Disney movie (she was less so in the original HCA story, actually warning the littlest mermaid of what trading in her tail would bring).

6.     What else should we know about your novella? It has a lot of ugliness in it- flashbacks to an abusive foster home, the reality of psychological/verbal abuse in a relationship. If you’re going to read it, be ready to read all of it, not just the happy bits under the sea. 
********DFW Writers Conference (www.dfwcon.org)
 Holy. Cow. I attended my first ever DFW Write Con with fellow first timer, Author Bokerah Brumley (www.superbokerah.com), and DFW Write Con veteran Author Anna Albergucci (www.facebook.com/annaalbergucci.author). It was a whirlwind of a weekend, classes, panels, meetings. One-on-one sessions. We all came away with something positive and something to consider. It was amazing, and I'm hoping that I can return next year. If you'd like to see what we were up to, hop on to my twitter feed: twitter.com/adraeger.  My goal for this conference was to up my tweeting game, and I think I did. ;) Special thanks to the organizers, members of the DFW Writers Workshop, and the special guests - the agents, editors, and authors who traveled to come speak and mingle with us. <3 
PS. If you are interested in going to the DFW Writers Conference next year (held at Fort Worth Convention Center), they have a *super* early bird price of $190 until August 18th - you can find it on Eventbrite.com.

PPS. Wish me luck and say a prayer as I work furiously on my story/manuscript. The odds are always against an author, but here's hoping for a good shot at selling it. ;)

<3 <3 <3

Melanie Karsak's The Shadow Aspect (Harvesting Series) is OUT and Paranormal Love Wed Blog Hop is BACK with a New Piece!

BUY LINK: http://amzn.com/B00WDI66K0
About The Harvesting Series:
It’s all fun and games until someone ends up undead!
When mankind fell, Layla and the residents of Hamletville fought to survive. They managed to keep the undead at bay only to be seduced by an ancient fiend: vampires. The survivors soon found themselves running for their lives. But where could they turn in a world turned to shadow?Cricket was perfectly happy working the carnival, but the flu that swept the globe took the last of what she knew and loved. Cricket and Vella, and Cricket’s loveable mutt Puck, found safety with another group of survivors…but not for long. No one can hide when death seeks them?How will they survive? 
Continue the saga in The Shadow Aspect
About The Shadow Aspect:
When Layla took the final step through the labyrinth, she thought she was saving the ones she loved. 

She couldn't have been more wrong. 

Layla and the other survivors now find themselves caught in a war for our world, the unwitting victims of a grudge seething for eons. Surviving the zombie apocalypse has become the least of their worries as they come up against vampires, shapeshifters, and fae. When she uncovers an unspeakable horror, whom can Layla trust? The carnie girl? The doctor searching for a cure? The tarot reader? The stranger with alluring gold eyes? Or the man she loves? 

The wrong choice could doom them all. 

When the world burns, mankind’s shadow side rises. Do we deserve to survive? 

Continue this award-winning zombie/dark fantasy genre mash-up series in Book 2, The Shadow Aspect.

Chapter 1 Sneak Peek:
I don’t like roller coasters. One summer, Ian convinced me to join Jaime and some girlfriend of his at the time on a road trip to “the best coaster park in the world.” It was one of those days that lives on in memory as a collage of color, laughter, and sketchy detail. What I do remember is that Ian wasted nearly twenty dollars trying to win me an over-sized teddy bear. He never won it. I also remember Jaime and his girlfriend making out in the backseat the entire ride home. We could hear the wet sounds of their kisses over the Nazareth tunes Ian had cranking on the radio.The old wooden coasters weren’t as bad. They rattled you hard, but you never felt like you were out of control. Ian, however, coerced me into riding a sleek, modern coaster that pulled 3Gs. Of course, he didn’t tell me that before I got on the ride. I remember opening my eyes and seeing my feet and the sky all at once. The next moment, I was staring face down at the ground while my stomach lunged toward my throat. When we got off, my hands and legs shook. Ian teased me. Jaime wandered off only to return with a five-dollar bottle of Sprite for me. I’d hated feeling like I’d momentarily allowed someone else to dictate if I lived or died.When I took the final step into the labyrinth, I felt that same massive tug, a throttling feeling like I was out of control, and an enormous heave forward. A kaleidoscope of color thundered past my eyes and a booming sound rattled in my ears. But somewhere in the middle of all that color and light, things stopped for a brief moment, and I found myself standing in a misty forest. The trees there, pink dogwoods, were in full bloom. As I inhaled, the blossoms got larger. As I exhaled, the blossoms got smaller. It was if the whole world was expanding and contracting on the command of my breath.“Layla?” a woman’s voice called.I paused and looked around. Thick, white vapor had enveloped nearly everything.“Layla?” she called again. This time, I saw a tall figure moving toward me. I recognized Peryn.“Peryn? Here! I’m here.”The mists around us began to clear. I saw Peryn clearly. The look on her face startled me. She looked horrified. “Oh, Layla,” she called, trying to reach for me, wading through the mists as if they were pushing heavily against her, “you must not trust—” she began, but her words were drowned out by screams.I turned toward the shouting to see figures moving toward me. It was strange. It was like I was seeing people walking around inside smoke. I was near them, but they remained hidden in shadow. Thin places. I was in one of the thin places that Grandma Petrovich had always spoken of. I could see my world, but I was not present in it. My world was like a shadow layer over the other world, the world of the spirit, where I now resided. I squinted hard. I thought I could see trees…and I could see Jaime’s silhouette. There were others around him—Summer, Ethel, Will. Their voices sounded muffled. Dark shadows ambled toward them.“Layla,” Peryn called, her voice barely audible.I turned to see fog engulf Peryn. She was gone. In her place, the mists began to clear. I could smell the forest. The scents of pine and the decay of earth assailed my nose. I felt that same pull again, and I was thrust forward, pitching out of the thin place with a heave. Dumped unceremoniously back into my world, I found myself lying facedown on the leaf-covered ground. The deep, loamy smell of soil filled my nose. It was dark. My head was spinning, but one thing was certain, I could hear screams.




About the author:
Melanie Karsak is the author of the Amazon best-selling steampunk series The Airship Racing Chronicles (Chasing the Star Garden and Chasing the Green Fairy) and the award-winning horror/dark fantasy Harvesting Series. She grew up in rural northwestern Pennsylvania and earned a Master's degree in English from Gannon University. A steampunk connoisseur, white elephant collector, and zombie whisperer, the author currently lives in Florida with her husband and two children. She is an Instructor of English at Eastern Florida State College.

Connect with Melanie online:
Newsletter: http://eepurl.com/OSPDH
Blog: http://melaniekarsak.blogspot.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AuthorMelanieKarsak
Pinterest: www.pinterest.com/melaniekarsak/
Rafflecopter Giveaway:


Click HERE to enter to win! -----> http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/309ef1aa95/?

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Now...... for the Paranormal Love Wednesday Blog Hop! Yay!
To check out all the authors hopping in, click---> HERE <----

 And for my part...a continuation of a *completely UNEDITED, OFF-THE-CUFF, I-HAVE-NO-IDEA piece*... Of Fire and Bone.  To read the previous part, click ---> HERE <----
 For those who are new to this, I'm throwing this out there. I'm writing a bit of this story at a time. NO idea where I'm going with it. Just flinging it out into cyberspace...and letting YOU help me decide where to take it next.  If it ends up to be a decent story, I'll clean it up, get it edited, keep the title, (already have an amazing cover) and put it up *FOR FREE* for all to enjoy.
If stinks, well, then I'll cry in a corner, probably clean it up anyway, and then charge people for it. Muahahahahaha. ;)  (joking)

Of Fire and Bone - Part Two - A Stranger in the Night
The bedding beneath me was soaked, soiled from the sweat. My hair clung to my face, matted down as though I’d bathed. I eased myself up, careful to make little noise as I placed the soles of my feet on the worn wooden floor that seemed to creak with the weight of a thought. Rhoda sat on a stool, braced against the far corner in the room, a soft snore breaking the stillness of the night.


I could remember the dreams in pieces, always in pieces.
A desert. A wide river that cut through it, with lush, fertile land along its banks. 
A towering structure made of sand and stone and brick that stood above it all. It reached for the heavens, pointed to the stars.
Dark skin, aged and cracked lips muttered a fearful warning to flee, and then I turned away to see two radiant eyes, blue and reflective like the waters of a lake. I froze in place.
Him.  In the shadows. He was always in the shadows of two great columns that supported the entrance to his dark chamber. I knew he was muscular, his build youthful as I was. His footsteps made no sound as he walked toward me in the dark.
I never saw his face. I only ever felt the heat of his lips as he touched them to the rise of my breasts and the cold metal of his blade as he traced the length of my neck with it.
He whispered things to me in a language I did not know but one I felt reverberating in my bones, rolling down my spine, sometimes terrifying me, and to my shame, exciting me.
At that point, I would wake up to find Rhoda in her corner, keeping watch over me as she had since I had turned fifteen. 
We were older now, and the years had passed uneventfully. I was on the eve of my twenty-fourth birthday, long past the age of consideration for marriage by the young men in the town, and contended with being a Healer’s apprentice. 
No sleeping demon had awakened to claim me, no monster from his perch on the mountain had demanded my flesh for his feast. We were growing comfortable with the promise of a more simple existence on the horizon.
I smiled as I watched Rhoda snore, and then draped a dry blanket around her to help shield her from the night air that poured in through the open window above my bed.
Open window.I did not recall opening it before I went to sleep, nor would Rhoda do such a thing with my night sweats. Approaching my bed cautiously, I glanced out the window, curious if it might be a mischievous youth or two seeking to play games and tricks. There was no movement outside besides a light breeze. 
With a breath of relief, I reached up to close the shutter, when I felt the rush of air behind me.
“Miriam.” 
I turned to find him, the man who haunted my dreams. He was but a shadow in this form, a black flame and that rose up from the floor, most of him concealed. His eyes were visible – bright blue and radiant.
“What a woman you have become,” his voice said in a low, sensuous tone that seemed to move through me. Although I could not see his face, I could feel the smile stretching across his lips.
I shook my head, backing away from him. 
“You are not real.”
“I am,” he said as he moved closer, the fog of him beginning to fill the room. “I am just as real as the dreams we share.”
I felt my jaw drop, and I turned to run to wake Rhoda, only to find myself unable to move, my feet secured to the floor.
Spectral arms wrapped around me, a half-sinew and half-freezing burn circling my waist and chest, and I gasped. He leaned in to me, and then ran a serpentine tongue of smoke up my neck and to my ear. 
“Oh, I think you are ready, Miriam.” A shudder ran through him as he pressed into me and pulled in my scent. 
As I labored to breathe, my vision fading fast, Rhoda appeared before me. She reached out to me, muttering incantations that I had never heard cross her lips, and then she placed her palm on my forehead.
A fire exploded within me, and the man-creature vanished as I fell to the floor. 
“Get up girl,” Rhoda said, her voice stern yet shaky. She opened a bag filled with powdered red clay that she kept beneath her stool and poured it out, forming a circle around me as she walked counter-clockwise. “He’s about to call you out.”
Now….Which way do I go????  Comment here or on Facebook with your choice.....
A.)    Omens, omens everywhere!  or    B.) The priest and the paupers

An Officer and a Mermaid by Blaire Edens is LIVE on Amazon! Join Us on FACEBOOK for a PARTY!!!

<3 Happy Release Day to the lovely, super talented Blaire Edens! <3
I had the pleasure of being a beta reader for An Officer and a Mermaid, and I *LOVED* it. 
JOIN US on Facebook - 7PM Eastern / 6PM Central! There will be fun, prizes, and all sorts of mayhem (good mayhem, that is). ;) 
Click below to join in on the fun:  https://www.facebook.com/events/492536270897216/ 
Tentative Host Schedule- All Times EDT (Eastern)7:00-7:20 Blaire Edens7:20-7:40 Poppy Lawless7:40-8:00 Erin Hayes8:00-8:20 Melanie Karsack8:20-8:40 Ella Sheridan8:40-9:00 Margo Bond Collins9:00-9:20 Carmen Falcone9:20-9:40 A.R. Draeger  (*<---that name looks familiar, huh? ;) )9:40-10:00 Emily GoodwinBlaire Edens Closing Post




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An Officer and a Mermaid by Blaire Edens
Blurb:
When a slave uprising threatens the life of Syreena, the daughter of an eighteenth century plantation owner, a servant uses voodoo to transform her into a mermaid. The spell will be only broken when she returns to the beach where it was cast. After three hundred years of swimming, she’s ready to trade fins for legs.
  The only problem is she can’t find her way.
Dylan, a twenty-first century Coast Guard Officer, has sworn off love for the sea. When a wave throws him overboard, Syreena uses her amulet to ward off the sharks and save his life. 
With Syreena and Dylan stranded on a remote cay, Dylan has the know-how to build a raft and navigate but his near-drowning has made him terrified of the water. Syrenna will use every charm she has to convince Dylan to take her home. 
Even if it means falling in love. . .
Excerpt:  
It was a small amulet, about the size of a small Manonsillo fruit, painted with the image of Mami Wata, a mermaid-like deity venerated by the slaves. She was carefully painted, from the curls in her ebony hair to the scales of the snake wrapped around her neck.             Guilliame said, “Mami will show you the way.” He held up a leather pouch and threaded onto the thin leather strap that held the amulet. “Do not lose be without these until you are sure you don’t need them.”            “How will I know?”            “There will be no question. You will be safe.” The lyrical sounds of West Africa were heavy in his voice. “Do not be afraid, mademoiselle. Your papa and I are doing this because it is all we can do. When it is time,” Guilliame said, “you must return here, to this very spot. Do you understand?” His eyes were serious. “You must complete the circle.”            “I understand,” she replied in a whisper.            Guilliame stood behind her. He placed the necklace over her head. The leather pouch hung right above her breasts. She touched it with her finger. It felt warm, alive.            “Keep your fingers on it,” Guilliame said. He touched her shoulders, a familiarity unimagined only minutes ago.  “Good luck.”            His bass voice was hypnotic, drifting between the patois of the island and the stranger, foreign sounds of West Africa. Her eyelids became heavy; she was falling into a deep sleep.            The sounds of the beach became louder and Guilliame’s voice became more distant.            The last thing she heard was, “She will swim alone until the man who is her true equal comes to her.”            She whirled into a vortex of color, sound and wind. Her body felt lighter and lighter, weightless.Then there was nothing but blue.
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www.blaireedens.com  
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About Blaire:
Blaire Edens lives in the mountains of North Carolina on a farm that’s been in her family since 1790. When she’s not plotting, she’s busy knitting, running, or listening to the Blues. Blaire loves iced tea with mint, hand-stitched quilts, and yarn stores. She refuses to eat anything that mixes chocolate and peanut butter or apple and cinnamon. She’s generally nice to her mother, tries to remember not to smack her bubble gum, and only speeds when no one’s looking.
INTERVIEW QUESTIONS:1.     What is your favorite mermaid story or myth?I love the Afro-Caribbean myth of Mami Wata. Until I started researching this book, I had no idea there were so many different myths from around the world that featured mermaids. I had a mental image that all mermaids were blond and fair. I loved the idea that there were mermaids of all sizes and colors and both male and female. Since I’m neither blonde, nor fair-skinnned, Mami Wata was a mermaid I could identify with more easily. 2.     What was the inspiration for your mermaid novella?This novella really came to me in one big chunk. I’d been watching Deadliest Catch on Hulu and I thought if anyone comes into contact with mermaids, it would probably be the Coast Guard. What happens if a logical Coast Guard Officer has to accept that there really are mermaids? How does he square that with everything he’s learned in the military? I also liked the idea of an eighteenth century mermaid dealing with a modern man. It’s sort of Outlander meets Splash.3.     Cast your characters. If your novella was made into a movie, who would play your main characters?For Syrenna, I think I’d pick Melissa Benoist from Glee. I think she’d make a beautiful mermaid. I also liked her work on Homeland. For Dylan, I’d chose Gerard Butler. Mainly because he’s way hot. 4.     What was most challenging thing writing about mermaids?Figuring out how Syrenna could operate outside the water. Also, physical affection. How does that work?5.     Ursula or Ariel?Ariel 6.     What else should we know about your novella?An Officer and a Mermaid had all the elements I love in a mermaid stories:  beaches and sailors and age-old legends. It also, hopefully, explores the truth that just because two people are very different, they can make it work and find love along the way.
************

With a Twist by Staci Hart is LIVE!

Love is somewhere near the bottom of Lily Thomas’ list of life goals, right next to competitive eating and underwater cave diving. She’s spent six years pirouetting and pliéing her way up the ranks of the New York Ballet with her eye on the prize and love in the back seat. But now that Blane Baker -- Lily’s long time crush -- is finally single, she’ll throw her rules out the window without thinking twice.
Reality with Blane isn’t as epic as the fantasy she imagined, and the truth sends her spinning straight into the arms of the man she never knew she’d always wanted.
West Williams has been friends with Lily since the day she moved into their building and he saved her armoire from a swift, sudden death by staircase. Their friendship has always been easy, the boundaries clearly defined. With neither of them willing to risk their relationship, they’ve drifted happily through the years as companions, never considering more.
That is, until they do. And that realization changes everything.  
***** FIVE STARS *****
 OH WOW.

I DID NOT PUT THIS BOOK DOWN. (Well, except to go pee. And even then I considered bringing my kindle along b/c I hated the interruption.)

THIS BOOK.
To date, my opinion, is Staci's best. I FREAKING LOVED IT. It was absolutely hilarious, heart-warming, sexy. The characters were amazing. Lovable. You could relate and yet, h.o.t.

Five stars easy. I'd give it more if there were the option.

Go read it. :))))))  <3  - Amber 
PS. I was given an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review, but heck, I <3 this book so much (and it's only $0.99), I went and bought it anyway. Go get it. Seriously.   AMAZON * AMAZON UK
Staci has been a lot of things up to this point in her life -- a graphic designer, an entrepreneur, a seamstress, a clothing and handbag designer, a waitress. Can't forget that. She's also been a mom; she has three little girls who are sure to grow up to break a number of hearts. She's been a wife; even though she's certainly not the cleanest, or the best cook. She's also super, duper fun at a party, especially if she's been drinking whiskey. Her favorite word starts with f and ends with k.
From roots in Houston, to a seven year stint in Southern California, Staci and her family ended up settling somewhere in between and equally north, in Denver. They are new enough that snow is still magical. When she's not writing, she's sleeping, gaming, or designing graphics.
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Hosted By:   Thanks for visiting! <3

The Glass Mermaid by Poppy Lawless RELEASES TODAY! GIVEAWAY! FREE? ON AMAZON? AWESOME!

About the Author:

Romance author. Cupcake connoisseur. Certified herbalist. Beach bum. Fan of all things Starbucks. Holistic healing advocate. Surfer girl wanna-be. Lost guru. Maker of dandelion wine. Counselor. Paranormal buff. Etsy addict. Secretly Jedi. So not a geek girl. Gifted in sarcasm. Hot wife. Ninja mom. And now, I'm ready to share a whole head full of witty, mouthy, smart, lovely, heart-warming, and hot characters with the world. Are you ready?
Poppy Lawless is the author of The Glass Mermaid and the forthcoming The Cupcake Witch releasing in 2015. Poppy holds degrees in English and Psychology. She is a counselor in the field of mental health and is a trained herbalist. 

Connect with the author online:

Blog: http://www.poppylawless.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/authorpoppylawless
Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/lovepotionbooks/
Newsletter: Subscribe to Poppy's newsletter and receive her exclusive shorts, "Poppy's Quickies," feature tales of love and delicious recipes! http://eepurl.com/bbaeo9

The Glass Mermaid by Poppy Lawless:

Kate 

I'm the last mermaid. 

I’m back on shores of Lake Erie, but the cold waters are silent. There is nothing here for me but ghosts and the beach glass that litters the rocky shore. Long ago, I lived below the waves. Now, I am the sole survivor, and at long last, my mermaid glamour is leaving me. 

Every day, I walk the beach. Every day, I wonder what happened to my people. The little pieces of colored glass that wash ashore give me simple pleasure. They are gifts from the lake, reminders of home. I fashion them into trinkets: necklaces, earrings, bracelets. They are beautiful things. The humans seem love them. 

Every day, I walk the beach. Nothing ever changes, until the day he says hello. 

Cooper 

I’m dying. 

It’s not a question, it’s a fact. The cancer is eating me alive. They told me I have six months to live, maybe less. I came home, back to Chancellor on Lake Erie, to die. The sunsets are vivid there, and I will relish every one. 

I've never seen anything more beautiful than a Lake Erie sunset until I see her. 

All life is as fragile as glass. 

What would you sacrifice to save the one you love?
Purchase link:  http://amzn.com/B0112KSTUY  

Excerpt: Chapter 1: Kate
The surf lapped over my feet, sea foam tickling my toes. It was early summer, but the lake water was still icy. I closed my eyes and felt the cool waves. In the deep of winter, when the lake would freeze, we always sheltered on one of the small islands that dotted Lake Erie. The humans in those days had called us lumpeguin. Sighing deeply, I opened my eyes and looked down at the rocky shoreline.
“There you are,” I whispered, bending to pick up a piece of green beach glass. I lifted it and looked at it in the diming sunlight. It was tear-shaped and worn smooth from its time in the water. A soft white sheen coated the green glass. That made seven green pieces, five light blue pieces, eight white pieces, and seven amber pieces. Not a bad haul. Alas, no red. I rarely found red anymore. The lake had stopped giving up her most beautiful treasures. If I wanted, I could swim down deep to the troves of wave-kissed glass. But I hadn’t been below the surface in nearly three hundred years, and I certainly wasn’t going to ruin that stretch over some sparkly bauble, even if all my customers begged for red beach glass.
I tucked the green beach glass into my satchel, pulled my long, straw-colored hair back, and then bent to pick up my sandals. I looked out at the lake. The sun was dipping below the horizon. There was nothing more glorious than a Lake Erie sunset. Shimmering shades of rosy pink, orange, and magenta illuminated the sky and reflected on the waves. Breathing in deeply, I tried to inhale the scene. The briny scent of the fresh lake water was perfumed with the lingering smell of snow and flowers. Not for the first time, I wondered what my old home looked like now. Forgotten under the waves, the eerie sea kingdom had been left to be ruled by ghosts and memories.
I sucked in a breath and turned to go. I wouldn’t cry. Mermaids’ tears were, after all, a special and rare commodity. They carried life itself, and I didn’t have much of that magical spark left in me. A single tear could spell my end, sapping out the last of the gift from the deep. No, I’d managed to live for over three hundred years. It wouldn’t do to weep over an amazing sunset, a nearly-forgotten past, nor the realization that I was truly alone. It was what it was. I couldn’t change the fact that I was the last mermaid.

I dipped my brush into the purple paint. Not quite the right shade. Swiping my brush in the red, I fattened the color then spread it across the canvas. The sunset was particularly striking tonight. It was a perfect summer sunset, except for the fact that the wind still thought it was early spring. A breeze blew across the lake. It had an icy edge, like it had swept down from some far-off glacier. It chilled my fingers.
I dropped my brush into the jar of water and blew on my hands. For the love of God, would I have to wear gloves in May? I didn’t remember Mays in Chancellor being so cold. Maybe all my years in Pensacola, stretched out along those sugar-white beaches, had spoiled me. I loved the water. That’s how I’d ended up in Florida in the first place. Marrying my love of people and the sea, my degrees in marine biology and psychology had landed me at the Dolphin Key Sanctuary. I’d made my career doing research on the therapeutic relationship between dolphins and children with disabilities. I’d spent every day in the water until…well, now I was home, back in Chancellor. Lake Erie had been my first love, but she’d grown so cold in my absence.
I blew on my fingers again, picked up the brush, and looked at the fading sunset. I tried to take a mental picture, knowing the colors were about to fade. Too bad, it had been an amazing view. I played the last bit of paint across the canvas then picked up a smaller brush, dipped it in black, and scrawled a number in the bottom: forty-three. This was the forty-third sunset I’d painted. One-hundred forty, give or take, to go.
I leaned back and zipped my coat up to my chin. I told myself I was just taking in the last of the sunset, or letting the pain dry, or stretching my back, then I’d go. But the truth was, I was waiting for her. I shouldn’t have been, but I was.
She was strolling up the beach toward me. I’d seen her head out earlier. Like every night, she set off down the beach with her little satchel strung bandolier-style across her curvy body. At first I’d thought she was hunting for shells. It took me almost a week to remember that beach glass washed up on the shores of Lake Erie. She was hunting glass. Every night, she would head down the beach, returning just after sunset. I loved to watch her. It was almost like she melted into the surroundings, her yellow hair the same color as the dried grass, her eyes—the one and only time I’d yet had the courage to look into them—the same dark blue as the waves. Today she was wearing khaki cargo pants, a white T-shirt, and an aquamarine-colored scarf. She was, without a doubt, the most beautiful woman I’d ever seen. But she seemed a little sad, and her sadness helped me stay away. I had no business flirting with women, at least not now, but it was still nice to look at her. And sometimes, when I felt bold, more than look.
Today, I felt bold.
Today, I had something more to say.
While I knew I had no business with her, I couldn’t quite get myself to stop looking for ways to break the ice. Today, I found one.
As she neared me, I rose, took a deep breath, and stepped down the beach toward her. “Good evening,” I called gently, hoping like hell I wasn’t going to annoy her.
She startled a little, like she’d been lost in her thoughts.
Great, scare her to death, moron.
She looked at me with those deep-blue eyes and smiled. “Hello,” she said in a voice as soothing as the deep.
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Click the link to enter to win! -----> https://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/309ef1aa94/

Paranormal Love Wednesday Blog Hop - Of Fire and Bone - WRITE WITH ME!

So, I'm a little bit late on my post today. Holding a sick toddler does not make for easy blog post writings. Bear with me. Or bare with me? (Whichever you prefer. Just don't send photos of the latter, please. LOL) I was supposed to be writing a witch novella for the fall, but couldn't swing it. Thought I'd throw it up here a piece at a time, let YOU (if there's anyone out there) tell me where to go next. Comment here which option you'd choose, and I'll run with it next week.
Buckle up. Prepare your eyeballs. This sh*t's unedited and raw, and you can say you were there when I was building it. ;)  When you're finished, check out the other amazing blog posts at the Paranormal Love Wednesday Blog Hop! Click HERE!<3   Of Fire and Bone
 The woods beckoned me, calling my name.
"Miriam," they'd say. "Awaken. Save us."
Their bark would shift with a groan into perfect ovals, a fake pair of hard lips moving with their whispers. 
"Please."
I never told Rhoda they spoke to me, but a part of me suspected she knew. We would walk among them in the summer, when the light poured through the foliage. She would tell me of the herbs that grew in the other seasons, but the only ones I'd ever come to recognize were the summer ones.  
I wasn't permitted outside the town walls in any other season. Nor was any female. We women they kept locked away behind the gates. Except Rhoda. She was the healer, the one they kept around, the one that maintained tradition. Even she was limited in her means to leave.
The men would venture out at all times, hunt and fish and rough about. Then again, they had nothing to fear. Sometimes one would not return, pieces of him strewn about, never eaten - just simply torn apart. They would gather him up, burn him in a bonfire, and life would resume as though there were nothing to be done. Rhoda would warn them, cleanse their hands with smoke from burning sage, yet they went on with their work and play outside the safety of the wall. He just kills the men. And the men didn't fear death. That was merely a bridge to another existence. Therefore, all year was for the men and the boys. The summer was mine, or so I thought.  The rest of the year - and the woods - could be, too, if they would let me have the freedom. I didn't fear him.
He eats the women. There was something... special about me that the sleepy town under the shadow of his mountain didn't know. Something Rhoda had kept secret since she took me in.
He. Will. Eat. You.  True, he could eat my flesh, might tear me limb-from-limb. He could have my body served on any platter of his choosing. But I?  I will devour his soul.  I was born a witch, and on the night his creatures tore the throat out of my laboring mother, I was born to eradicate him.

Now it's YOUR TURN! Choose one for me to run with next week:
A.) A stranger in the night  or  B.) A power awakens...too soon.

How to be a Mermaid by Erin Hayes RELEASES TODAY! $0.99 on Amazon! Also - an *Amazing* GIVEAWAY!

Purchase Link: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B010IB0LFO Price: $0.99Available on Kindle Unlimited
Synopsis:
All Tara ever wanted was to be a mermaid.

So she takes a year off between high school and college to don a fake tail and tour aquariums across the country in a professional mermaid troupe.

Everything's great until she meets a gorgeous real-life merman named Finn. Suddenly, what she thought was a dream turns out to be a nightmare -- she's turning into a mermaid herself. For real.

Yet when she returns to the sea to seek out Finn and reverse her transformation, she finds herself in the middle of an impending war between the land and sea. Tara may have always wanted to be a mermaid, but now it's sink or swim. In order to survive, she has to learn how to be one, too.

Blitz-Wide Giveaway:
A mermaid care package to help you be the best mermaid:A signed copy of How to be a MermaidTara's necklaceTwo Mermaid Mix soaksA mermaid mirror compactSix starfish hairpinsA mermaid walletMermaid perfumeMermaid Tail Nail PolishA mermaid makeup bagFour Little Mermaid ButtonsAnd one mermaid handbag to carry all your dinglehoppers

 Click HERE to enter the GIVEAWAY!
 Excerpt:
Out of the corner of my eye, I saw a man pulling himself up and over the fence by me. At least, I thought it was a man—he was hidden by the shadows and I couldn't be sure. Curiosity overtook fear and I straightened from my kneeling position to get a closer look. Maybe it was a cleaner. Or a trespasser, in which case, I should be running.
I walked towards the figure as it began crawling across the ground, recovered from its climb.
It was dark, so I could barely see the outline of a man's body stop and look at me. Then I saw the impossible, long, single fin on his lower half instead of two feet, and the scales cascading down from the man's waist.
A mer tail. Not like the silicon kind I used for my performances. Even in the dark, I could see that it writhed and moved with a mind of its own, fully an extension of his body.
Reflexes and survival instinct took over before my mind could react. I backpedaled, trying to get away from the mysterious figure, only I misjudged how far I was from the edge of the water. And how wet the ground was.
My foot slipped and I fell head-over-heels backwards, plunging over the side of the fence and onto the rocky crags below. I screamed for help, but when my head struck solid rock and the rest of my body impacted with the ground, I fell into an unyielding darkness, one that was haunted by merman-shaped shadows emerging from the ocean.

 
 About the Author:

Sci-fi junkie, video game nerd, and wannabe manga artist Erin Hayes writes a lot of things. Sometimes she writes books, like the fantasy mystery novel Death is but a Dream, the sci-fi middle grade book Jacob Smith is Incredibly Average, and the Her Wolf paranormal series.
She works as an advertising copywriter during the day, and she moonlights as an author. She has lived in New Zealand, Texas, and now in Birmingham, Alabama with her husband, cat, and a growing collection of geek paraphernalia.
You can reach her at erinhayesbooks@gmail.com and she’ll be happy to chat. Especially if you want to debate Star Wars.
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/erinhayesbooksTwitter: https://twitter.com/erinhayes5399Instagram: https://instagram.com/erinhayes5399/Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/5335865.Erin_HayesAmazon: http://www.amazon.com/Erin-Hayes/e/B009W8D29W
Guest Post from Erin:
When I first started writing How to be a Mermaid, I knew next to nothing about professional mermaiding. I looked online, watched videos, and kept an eye on forums, but I didn’t think I’d get a chance to see a mermaid in real life. And if it wasn’t for the Georgia Aquarium’s Festival of the SEAson, I probably still wouldn’t have been able to.As part of the Georgia Aquarium’s Christmas celebrations, the famous Weeki Wachee Mermaids did a special performance at the aquarium. I went to a meet and greet with one of the mermaids and watched them do a live show.It was one of those defining moments in my life. Watching these mermaids perform was like watching fantasies come true. Up until that point, mermaids were a thing of myth. The mermaids of Weeki Wachee brought them to life for me.While I was there, I also did a behind-the-scenes tour of the aquarium. My wonderful guide took me to areas where a lot of aquarium goers don’t venture. I got to see my favorite animals, the whale sharks, from a whole new perspective. I learned that they ship in food everyday from New Zealand for a particular animal’s diet. And I saw the inner workings of one of the world’s biggest aquariums.The mermaids were enchanting, but I found that the living, breathing aquarium was just as magical. There are far too many things on this earth that we take for granted. The beauty of the sea is one of them.The entire experience was eye-opening. A lot of conservation efforts are going on taking care of the animals and our oceans.If we don’t take care of our environment, there will be less opportunities for future generations to see the beautiful ocean and its creatures. Finn, Tara, King Oceanus, and King Leviathan may take care of the oceans in this book, but it is our responsibility to do more.We have a fantastical, magical world around us. We need to take care of it, too.

How to be a Mermaid Soundtrack: Below is a list of songs that I listened to while writing How to be a Mermaid. Each of these songs helped to get me into the right mindset in order to pretend that I was a mermaid! 1.      Go – Grimes featuring Blood Diamonds2.      Can’t Hold Us – Macklemore & Ryan Lewis3.      Never Let Me Go – Florence and the Machine4.      What the Water Gave Me – Florence and the Machine5.      Start a Riot – Jetta6.      Believe – Mumford and Sons7.      I Will Wait – Mumford and Sons8.      Dirty Paws – Of Monsters and Men9.      Anything Could Happen – Ellie Goulding10.   Part of Your World – Jodi Benson from The Little Mermaid ß No mermaid soundtrack would be complete without that song!  *****
Go grab it today, folks! I can't wait to read this amazing story! <3 <3 <3  

Cover Reveal - With a Twist - Staci Hart!

Introducing....With a Twist by the lovely and talented Staci Hart!******* Check it out on Goodreads!
Love is somewhere near the bottom of Lily Thomas’ list of life goals, right next to competitive eating and underwater cave diving. She’s spent six years pirouetting and pliéing her way up the ranks of the New York Ballet with her eye on the prize and love in the back seat. But now that Blane Baker -- Lily’s long time crush -- is finally single, she’ll throw her rules out the window without thinking twice. 

Reality with Blane isn’t as epic as the fantasy she imagined, and the truth sends her spinning straight into the arms of the man she never knew she’d always wanted.

West Williams has been friends with Lily since the day she moved into their building and he saved her armoire from a swift, sudden death by staircase. Their friendship has always been easy, the boundaries clearly defined. With neither of them willing to risk their relationship, they’ve drifted happily through the years as companions, never considering more.

That is, until they do. And that realization changes everything.


Click HERE for a chance to win a goodie in a GIVEAWAY!



About the Author:
Staci has been a lot of things up to this point in her life -- a graphic designer, an entrepreneur, a seamstress, a clothing and handbag designer, a waitress. Can't forget that. She's also been a mom; she has three little girls who are sure to grow up to break a number of hearts. She's been a wife; even though she's certainly not the cleanest, or the best cook. She's also super, duper fun at a party, especially if she's been drinking whiskey. Her favorite word starts with f and ends with k. 

From roots in Houston, to a seven year stint in Southern California, Staci and her family ended up settling somewhere in between and equally north, in Denver. They are new enough that snow is still magical. When she's not writing, she's sleeping, gaming, or designing graphics.

www.stacihartnovels.com
https://www.facebook.com/stacihartnovels/timeline
https://twitter.com/imaquirkybird
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This cover reveal blog hop was brought to you by the awesome team at:
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I am ABSOLUTELY thrilled to bring you the cover reveal for Staci Hart's latest - With a Twist! I think it may be my favorite of her covers yet. Beautiful! And the story? I wish I had time to sign up for an ARC/review copy :(. Darn deadlines. :( :(  :( :(  Can't *wait* to read this one. Staci's books are wonderful. Her writing pulls me in, tugs on my heartstrings, keeps me turning pages, and I have a feeling that this may be her best yet. Get ready, folks! Something tells me Staci's star might be ready to skyrocket..... ;)   
<3 Amber

Ella Malone's The Mermaid's Den RELEASES TODAY!!!!

Ella Malone
The Mermaid’s Den

Buy NOW on Amazon for only $0.99! 
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B010MZG5OM  

Blurb:
 
Laura and Tom Flynn married after she fell for him hook, line, and sinker — literally. Finding Laura in his fishing net had been a shock for Tom, but one he came to embrace as they quickly fell in love. For fifteen years, they have lived and worked by the sea, and Laura hasn’t thought once of what she left behind when she chose to marry Tom. She doesn’t regret giving up her mermaid form. It wasn’t a sacrifice. It was a good decision, and one she had to make to survive. 

Now, with Tom missing at sea, Laura faces a decision she swore she’d never consider. In order to search for Tom and his crew, she must become a mermaid again and face the demons of the deep that she eagerly dodged when trading in her tail. Or she can stay on land and continue her life, but without Tom?

Does she enjoy her future alone, without the man she loves, or face her fears and her past in the ocean? Either way, nothing will be the same for her again. 

Excerpt:
I stood ankle deep in the tidal pools of Southern Point Beach, the spot where Tom proposed.

The waves lapped at my legs, cold against the humid air. The rain slapped the water and bounced back, stinging my face and arms. I felt awake, alive.
As I walked deeper into the dark water, looking at the horizon, the ocean and sky merged into a blue-black mat, calling me, daring me to find where they met.  I continued deeper, feeling the sea embrace me, rolling around my waist before I dove to meet it.

Stretching my arms in front of me, I leaned into the next wave. Its white crest engulfed me. Moving further from the shore, deeper into my one-time home, I kicked hard to propel myself against the incoming tide.

Fighting with the sea, against the sea really, had once been second nature. Now I challenged my human instincts to turn to the surface, to fill my lungs with air, to return to the beach. I dove beneath the crashing waves, unable to feel the rain anymore. Instead, the ocean sent forth sharp tendrils of numbing sea water to greet me and welcome me home.


About the Author:
An avid believer of the saying "YES", Ella Malone works to make the most of life in every way. She is a lover of all wonderful things: cherry blossoms, red lipstick, city skylines, snow covered country sides, the finest chocolate, a man's hands, a woman's back, vodka, and high heels. She has worked in public relations, advertising, and restaurants and recently decided to make her way doing what she loves, capturing the passionate moments of life on a page.

Ella Malone is the author of “The Mermaid’s Den” and the "Hot in the City Series" releasing in 2015. 
Connect with the author online:
Blog: http://www.ellamalone.blogspot.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ellamalonewriter
Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/ellamalone/
Newsletter: https://www.pinterest.com/ellamalonewrite/

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Good morning (afternoon?) all!  The family and I made it back from our trip to visit Josh's family in Wisconsin. I'm slowly getting my brain back. Slowly. Some big things are in store. I am polishing a sci-fi partial that is (way late, sorry dude - family health issues and bad weather) set to be sent out ASAP, in talks to potentially write for a video game, working on cleaning up this blog to better suit my form of writing (thanks to Lori at Contagious Covers), and working on getting video blogging/even Periscope set up.

Hang in there! <3  In the meantime, if you've read Of Ocean and Ash, please tell me what you think! Leave a review on Amazon for me. ;)