Flutey Words...

Who Wants to See a Fantastic Cover?

2012-01-28T14:47:00.003-05:00

I met Tiffany Allee through our publisher, Entangled Publishing. She has a new release with them called Banshee Charmer, which you can buy here.

This awesome cover is for Tiffany Allee's upcoming release:

Once Prey, Twice Forsaken

Blurb:

Nearly two years have passed since vampires invaded the human cities and were repelled with the help of witches. David Carr is a Hunter, a witch who uses his abilities to hunt the remaining rogue bloodsuckers. Concentrating on the hunt provides escape from the ever present guilt he feels over abandoning his human lover, Blaire Slater, shortly before the war began.

Fleeing the vampires who changed her, Blaire finds herself pursued by a Hunter. When forced to face the witch who stalks her, she discovers her lost love, David, now her unwitting natural enemy.

Will Blaire prove she is still the woman he fell in love with—despite her thirst for blood? Will David come to forgive himself for his key role in her fate? Together can they prove that once prey does not mean always forsaken?

Excerpt:

Her eyes narrowed.

"You know I'd never hurt you on purpose." Hands tightly fisted at her sides, she looked like she wouldn't mind hurting him now.

"How do I know that? A vampire's word isn't worth much in this world, sweetheart."

"There was a time when you would have taken me at my word. Without question." She stared at the ground, hiding her face in the shadows.

David frowned. "A lot of things have changed since those days."

"A lot of things haven't." Blaire pushed her hair behind her ear and looked back up into his eyes. Her strength used to be beneath the surface, noticed only by those who cared enough to look for it. Now she carried it openly. Her beauty, too, was even more apparent. So hard on the outside, but so soft to the touch.

His heart ached.

He wanted to touch her, feel her lips again. Go to the moment when everything made sense in the world. But he couldn't, the risk was too great.

Vampires couldn't be trusted; his family learned that the hard way.

"Fine words coming from a vampire." He threw on his jacket and shoved his hands in the pockets.

She snorted. "You're the one who's proven he can't be trusted."

"That's not true—"

"The hell it isn't." She raised a hand and pointed at his chest. "You're the one who left, after you promised you'd never leave me. After you said you loved me. With no explanation."

Thanks for sharing this with us, Tiffany!!!

Special Guest: Stephanie Haefner, author of Karma Kameleon

2012-01-26T06:00:00.003-05:00

I'm so excited to welcome a fellow Lyrical Press author, Stephanie Haefner! I've been following her blog for a long time, and it's about time I hosted her here! She has a new release out called Karma Kameleon, and she's written a great guest post for us authors about the writing process.

Take it away, Stephanie!!!
The Process

Every writer has a process. Many start with one process and as they go alter it and figure out what works best for them. I think most writers kinda start out how I did. This kernel of a story idea was in my head and I just started writing it. I had no outline. No plan. I had a basic beginning and ending in my head. I knew I was telling a story about young love that was eventually taken away from them. They then found it again as adults. But all the specifics in between, I really had no plan.

I finished that insanely long book and went on to write another, A Bitch Named Karma, which became my first published book. By then I had joined a writers group. I remember one writer in particular who'd been plotting her novel chapter by chapter. It seemed to go against every fiber of my being. I just did not work that way. I needed space to let my imagination flow. No restrictions and trying to keep to a detailed outline I had drawn up. I completely resisted. Aside from the random notes I periodically wrote. I usually jotted down any ideas as they came to me for later in the story, but that was as much planning as I'd done.

I kept writing and after struggling with the query and synopsis of another book, I started to realize my story had some major flaws. Maybe my seat of my pants style wasn't really working out. But as I had in the past, I just kept writing. I wrote a couple novellas and I think that helped. There was only one main plotline and they were super short. They were a great exercise in keeping on track.

When I was ready to write Karma Kameleon, the sequel to A Bitch Named Karma, I decided to write an extremely basic outline. I wrote a timeline of events. I kept it simple and altered it as I went. I needed to have the freedom to go off on a different path if I so chose. Did the same thing for my next manuscript. And even though I'd had a plan, I really deviated from that one. I am very happy for how it turned out in the end. I liked it so much more than my original idea. I need the flexibility to do that in my writing.

So, now here I sit, contemplating my next project. And I'm kinda scared. My goal has always been to snag an agent. But from what I read on blogs from other writer friends with agents, after that first book....they sell your work based on a proposal. And ya know what that means??? Major outline and synopsis, maybe the first three chapters, and that's it. I'm terrified I won't be able to work that way. But I guess I have adjusted my process little by little over the years...maybe a little more adjusting will be okay? I never wanted to be a plotter, but I may just have to do it! :)

So, my advice for the day...find your own process, but be prepared to tweak it as you go!

My latest release is Karma Kameleon!

Karma is back, but this time she’s not completely to blame.

After surviving a heart- wrenching tragedy, Lexi Marshall is determined to find happiness with her wacky, new-age family. Stumbling through her first few months of motherhood, she's achieved the perfect balance living with her son, the love of her life, and her best friend and his lover. But happily-ever-after all under the same roof doesn't last long.

For one thing, Rich doesn’t exactly agree living with everyone is ideal. With their gay/straight double wedding fast approaching, he wants to find a place of their own instead of continuing to sponge off of Marcus and Kevin. But Lexi isn’t ready to give up her easy lifestyle...or the never-ending wisdom of her lifelong best friend, Marcus.

Torn between assured comfort and true happiness, Lexi has to make a choice, and fast. Will she lose everything, or can she trust karma, and have it all?

Lyrical Press link

Bio:

Stephanie Haefner is a wife, mother of two, and novelist from Buffalo, NY. Her books A Bitch Named Karma, Karma Kameleon, Paradise Cove and Soap Dreams are available from Lyrical Press, Inc. Her shorter works have been published in Nickel City Nights: Erotic Writing in Western New York, Flash Me Magazine, Chicken Soup for the Soul, and Voices from the Herd. She is a member of Romance Writers of America and the Buffalo Writers Meetup Group. When not writing, she enjoys dance, scrapbooking, and Disney World.

And my links:

Website
Facebook Author Page
Twitter

Thanks for sharing your writing journey with us, Stephanie!

Questions, comments for Stephanie, please leave below!

Cover Art Reveal!!!

2012-01-25T10:58:00.003-05:00

I was so excited when my CP, Cherie Reich, asked me to do the cover art for her novelette, Defying Gravity. I'd read it in the beginning stages, and was editing it again just thinking about how much I loved this story when she asked.

We tossed around ideas, fonts, and pictures, and finally came up with this version! What do you think?

This ebook will be coming out in Feb. Here's the description:

Defying Gravity by Cherie Reich
15,000 words
A Space Fantasy Romance Novelette

Homesick upon the SS Perseid, Linia, a young linguist, thinks she signed up for a mission of peace, but her crew members have another plan: attack the planet Medusa.

Bored with his dying planet, Alezandros, a space cruiser pilot, joins the Medusan army in his quest for adventure.

When the SS Perseid clashes with the Medusans’ army, Alezandros and Linia’s lives intertwine. Sucked through a wormhole, they crash upon a post-apocalyptic Earth and are captured by cannibals. In adjacent cells, Alezandros and Linia cast their differences aside for a common bond: escape. But when romantic feelings emerged between them, they might do the unthinkable because for a Medusan and a Persean to fall in love, it would defy gravity.

You can read Cherie's blog about her publishing journey with the story right here.

Who Wants to be a Part of My Book Tour?

2012-01-23T10:28:00.007-05:00

In February and March I'm touring blogs with guest posts, interviews, and promos for Tundra 37 and A Hero Rising. I'm looking for bloggers willing to host me and do reviews.

If you are interested, please leave a comment at the bottom of this post with your email, and I'll give you my publicist's info so she can set you up!

Guest Blog M.M. Shelley

2012-01-20T06:00:00.002-05:00

Buy on Amazon

Buy at Barnes and Noble

Hello everyone! I’m M.M. Shelley and I would like to give a BIG thanks to Aubrie, for inviting me onto her blog today so that I can share my latest book with you!

Mishap & Chaos

This is the second installment in my Mishap Trilogy which is the story of twin sisters, Grasiella and Tatiana, Latina girls who seem to be normal teenage girls, with normal teenage crushes. I said “seem to be” because in reality they are two of the most gifted and powerful girls in the world. The problem is they don’t know how special and unique they are. They also don’t realize that their heritage goes back thousands of years and spans not just continents but solar systems as well.

Music has always been important to me, and I knew I wanted to incorporate my love of music into my story.

Tatiana, the youngest twin in Mishap & Chaos loves music probably more then I do. She plays the guitar, writes the music and is the lead singer in her band, Onyx Quartz.

Being that Tatiana is magical and has a love of music; one of her powers gives her the ability to use her musical gifts as a way to defend herself.

Which unfortunately she finds herself using as she and her twin, Grasiella search the Hawaiian Islands for their missing grandmother.

Tatiana had thought that the islands would be the perfect place to find the inspiration needed while she worked out the problems she had with her lyrics.

As the young musician that she is, Tatiana has found that inspiration can come from the most unexpected of places.

Thanks again to Aubrie, for letting me share with you all today. You can find me over at my blog; mmshelley.blogspot.com or on twitter @MM_Shelley.

M.M. Shelley is a storyteller, word smith and dreamer. MISHAP AND MAYHEM, a captivating story of faerie's and magic, is her debut novel. She has traveled the world extensively in search of the magic which is often overlooked in everyday life. M.M. Shelley is a native of southern California, and a student of mythology from which she gets much inspiration.

Mishap and Chaos
By M.M. Shelley
Genre: Paranormal YA
Book 2

Deep within the Hawaiian islands is a hidden danger. An island witch who wants nothing more than to end the line of Pele, the fire goddess. Her influence has breached Pele’s inner circle.

The twins are also faced with the consequences of a freed Mnemosyne who no longer stands alone. As others from her world have traveled to earth with unclear intentions.

Grasiella and Tatiana’s only focus is to find their missing grandmother. Risking everything, not knowing if she is dead or alive.

Free Collection of Short Stories on Amazon!

2012-01-18T09:04:00.002-05:00

Once upon a time, in an Internet that is everywhere and nowhere, blogging writers joined keyboards and computer screens to create a blog of free short stories for the masses. Themes, ideas and morning coffee were plenty. A noisy Siamese cat was let outside. A flute trilled over young students’ heads. A library book was carefully placed in the proper shelf.

With an idea and a dream, Raven and the Writing Desk blog was born. Lisa Rusczyk, Cherie Reich, and Aubrie Dionne created these short stories and poetry within, now in book form.

We hope you enjoy them.

FREE on amazon

Giveaway and Guest Blog: Ami Blackwelder, The Mers

2012-01-17T06:00:00.003-05:00

I'm so excited to give away two ebook copies of The Mers by Ami Blackwelder! Just leave a comment at the end of this post with your email to be entered!

Ami also has a great guest post for us today:

Anyone else have neck pains?

Neck pain can be caused by a variety of activities. How we sit at our computers. Stress. Lifting heavy things. Car accidents.

I was asked to write a guest blog for this stop and well neck pains are on my mind. Anyone else have these? I often carry my stress in my shoulders and in my neck and when I have to go through something stressful the pain often intensifies. The initial pain was caused when I served in the military, but since then the pain is triggered on and off through-out my life.

I write a lot and have to use my computer to promote my work as well and so this also contributes to my shoulder/neck pain.

What can be done to help?

While in Asia I did try acupuncture and that temporarily alleviated the sharp knife-like pains. The needle pricking into you at first is strange, but then it feels good. Like a good pain if that makes sense. You have to find someone who really knows what they are doing and definitely check out the sanitation of the place beforehand. There are some acupuncturists in the states, but I haven't been to one here yet.

Massages are always useful, but they can be expensive. As with acupuncture, you'll probably only need one per month. I used to take Thai massages in Thailand once a month to keep my shoulders and neck in check. I worked with 35 kids per class. 2 different classrooms. That often brought a lot of stress, but it was very rewarding.

Now I'm trying a muscle relaxer before bed. My neck has gotten much better. I also suffer from some TMJ and grinding of my teeth…so the relaxer helps a lot. I still miss my Thai massages, but I guess American remedies will have to do for now.

For anyone with similar problems, if you are afraid of acupuncture…I recommend finding a massage parlor you can stick to regularly. There are some that only charge about $50-$100 per session. Once a month would help erase some of that tension and take away the stress built into your shoulders and neck.

But if you can't afford massages or acupuncture, muscle relaxers might do the trick. They are not expensive, but you do need a doctor's prescription.

I can say I am having much better sleep now, so thanks to modern medicine.

If you need a diversion from your pain or from your life, please check out my books at
http://amiblackwelder.blogspot.com

“Ami Blackwelder is a Romantic Suspense author with a Unique Voice and Unpredictable Plots.”

Synopsis:

Book 1 Mer Chronicles

What lies beneath the surface?

One hundred years from now, the world has changed and brought with it, new forms of life.

Who are the Mers? Who is Mira?

Mira always knew she was different. Growing up with Mers, she never quite fit in. When Mira breaks the rules and takes Niren across the border that divides Ellis Island and New Jersey, a border that divides two vastly different worlds, she thought the journey to find out who she really is would be an easy one.

But as the world in Jersey proves to be a convoluted mix of Aristocrats who hate the Mers, Pirates who want to sell them, and Magi who want to use them...finding her true identity will be a challenge, especially when her best friend Niren is a Mer willing to fight to the death.

About the Author:

About The Author:

Ami Blackwelder is a forbidden romance writer in the paranormal, scifi, and historical genres. Growing up in Florida, she went to UCf and in 1997 received her BA in English and teaching credentials. She travelled overseas to teach in Thailand, Nepal, Tibet, China and Korea. Thailand is considered her second home now. She has always loved writing and wrote poems and short stores since childhood; however, her novels began when she was in Thailand. She also wrote three nonfiction spiritual books at this time.

Acheivements:

In university, having won the Best Fiction Award from the University of Central Florida (Yes, The Blair Witch Project University;), her fiction From Joy We Come, Unto Joy We Return was published in the on campus literary magazine: Cypress Dome and remains to this day in University libraries around the country. Later, she achieved the Semi-Finals in a Laurel Hemingway contest and published a few poems in the Thailand’s Expat magazine, and an article in the Thailand’s People newspaper. Additionally, she has published poetry in the Korea’s AIM magazine, the American Poetic Monthly magazine and Twisted Dreams Magazine.

Buy on Amazon

Now on Goodreads: A Hero Rising

2012-01-14T14:46:00.001-05:00

A Hero Rising is now on Goodreads!

I'd love it if you marked it as "to read" for me!

Thank you!

Cover Reveal: A Hero Rising

2012-01-11T20:00:00.002-05:00

This book is a prequel to The New Dawn series, but since it's coming out third, Entangled Publishing is calling it Book 3.

Here is the blurb:

What if you were left behind...

After watching his love leave on a colony ship, James Wilfred must save those left behind from a planetary apocalypse. Their salvation lies in an unfinished ship tucked away in a secret government base, and only James can break in and pilot him and his people to freedom on a nearby space station.

Skye O’Connor’s boyfriend never returns after his gang attempts an assassination of the Governor, and the State Building is destroyed. Worse, crazed moonshiners addicted to the chemical Morpheus have stormed the city, and she must find a safe place for her and her boyfriend’s daughter. When a heroic man saves her, Skye asks to accompany him on his quest to find the last colony ship left on Earth.

As the city falls around them, James and Skye must work together to build a new future, all the while rediscovering their ability to love, before the apocalypse claims them both.

It's coming out in Feb, and you can't preorder it, yet, but you can preorder book 2, Tundra 37 here.

Winner of Ebook!

2012-01-11T08:43:00.002-05:00

The winner of yesterday's drawing is Dottie!!! Dottie, I'm giving your email to the tour host, Roxanne Rhoads of Bewitching Book Tours. She'll be in contact with your prize.

In other news...

I have a cover reveal coming up for A Hero Rising!!! I just saw a version of it last night, and once we get the exact subtitle squared away, I can schedule a reveal.

In writing news...

I'm putting the finishing touches on the third book in the New Dawn series: Haven 6, which will come out next summer.

I'm also working on a new YA sci fi book for submissions this spring.

Giveaway and Guest Blog by Author Ciara Knight

2012-01-10T06:00:00.005-05:00

I'm excited to welcome author Ciara Knight to my blog. She's agreed to give one lucky commenter an ebook of Curse of the Gremdon. So, stay tuned to leave a comment with your email at the end.

Take it away, Ciara!!!

You’re Going to Write What?!?

When I first decided to write The Curse of Gremdon, I was told by several reader and writer friends that I was crazy. You DON’T blend high fantasy with romance. It just isn’t done.

To give you an idea of some of the reactions, I thought I’d share two conversations with you.

First, a conversation via FB chat with a fantasy reader named Bob:

Bob: So tell me about this fantasy book.

Ciara: Well, I’m writing a world where a Curse falls upon the land. Elders arrive and save the people, but now they have to live locked behind the castle walls, or face murderous creatures that were once their family and friends.

Bob: So, people have to live behind the castle walls, or they’ll be Cursed, too?

Ciara: Yep

Bob: What happens once they are trapped?

Ciara: In the castle, marriage is forbidden and sex is only granted to male warriors.

Bob: Sex? What does that have to do with fantasy?

Ciara: It’s a fantasy romance.

Bob: You can’t mix a high fantasy, sword and sorcery type book, with romance!
It actually got a little more brutal as the conversation progressed, but you get the gist of it.

Second conversation with Betty Sue, a writer at a conference:

Betty Sue: So, there is forbidden love, and sex is only allowed when trained women are given as gifts to the men who protect others. Are they big strong men with lots of corded muscles? *licks lips and lifts eyebrows*

Ciara: Yes, Tardon, the hero is—”

Betty Sue: Well endowed?

Ciara: Um...sure. *blushes* Anyway, it’s a fantasy romance set in a—

Betty Sue: No dear, you mean urban fantasy romance or science fiction romance.

Ciara: No. It’s a fantasy romance.

Betty Sue: Well, that won’t sell, darling. You can’t mix those two. What romance reader will want to read about dragons?

Ciara: There are no dragons.

Betty Sue: Well, that’s just dumb. *shakes head* You HAVE to have dragons if it’s a fantasy novel.

Friend at my other side whispers in my ear, “Tell her two dragons do it and she’ll shut up.”

When I set out to write The Curse of Gremdon, I had no intention of creating something that crossed genres, or breaking ground on a new sub-genre. Heck, I still think there are other books out there like mine. But, perhaps they just haven’t made one of the cool top 100 Amazon lists yet. Maybe, The Curse of Gremdon will be the first. Hey, I can dream, right?

***Update on FB reader friend, Bob. He read and loved The Curse of Gremdon. After he finished reading his FIRST romance novel, he asked me if women really thought like that. If so, he knew why he was still single. He had no clue what women wanted.
All names have been changed to protect those who do not support high fantasy romance. We wouldn’t want any public stonings here.

Great guest post, Ciara! I write fantasy romance myself, so I totally get what you're doing. You go, girl!

Now a little about Ciara:

Ciara Knight always had a passion for storytelling. At an early age, she wrote several short stories and poems, and in college she started work on her first novel. It wasn’t until late 2008 that she returned to her true passion of writing. Over the past few years she has penned five novels and joined several professional writing organizations to better her craft.

When not writing, she enjoys reading all types of fiction. Some great literary influences in her life include Edgar Allen Poe, Shakespeare, Francine Rivers and J K Rowling.

Ciara is happily married and enjoys family time. She has learned to embrace chaos, which is a requirement when raising three boys, and utilizes the insanity to create stories not of this world including, Fantasy, Paranormal, Sci-Fi, and Young Adult Dystopian.

Her first love, besides her family, reading, and writing, is travel. She’s backpacked through Europe, visited orphanages in China, and landed in a helicopter on a glacier in Alaska.

Website
Facebook Fan Page
Twitter

Don't forget to leave a comment to win!!!

Movie Review: Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol

2012-01-08T09:41:00.004-05:00

A Well Crafted Thriller

From IMDB:
The IMF is shut down when it's implicated in the bombing of the Kremlin, causing Ethan Hunt and his new team to go rogue to clear their organization's name.

My thoughts:

This movie blew me out of the movie theater! I knew it had gotten high reviews, but I had no idea how fantastically planned the plot was, or how it would make me close my eyes at one point because it was just too suspenseful to watch. The only other movie that I've had to actually cover my face was 127 hours, when he has to saw his own arm off. -Couldn't watch it.

Beware if you have vertigo, because there are scenes that will induce a physical reaction. I felt like I was falling off the side of the building along with Tom Cruise.

Each scene is drawn out for maximum suspense. When you think it's over, there's always one more challenge that makes the last one seem like a piece of cake. The plot is just as twisty as some of the streets Tom Cruise has to navigate. The stakes couldn't be higher. My hands sweat and my adrenaline rushed through the whole movie. The dialog is witty and laugh out loud funny at times, and very serious at other times. Everyone has a secret, and it's not until the end when they all come out.

A pleasant surprise was Josh Holloway, or better known as Sawyer from LOST. Although he has a small part, he plays it well. It was nice to see him on the big screen!

From a writer's perspective, this movie taught me how to prolong each scene to create suspense, how to say something in dialog by alluding to something else, and how to tie in all threads to create the ultimate plot.

Bravo!
5 stars

"How I Got My Agent" Interview with Debbie Archer, author at Blue Ridge Literary Agency

2012-01-06T09:15:00.003-05:00

I'm very excited to welcome fellow Blue Ridge author, Debbie Archer, to my blog today to talk about how she chose Blue Ridge Literary Agency.

1. What got you interested in writing?

I became interested in junior high. My mom loved to write and my dad was a wonderful artist. My English teacher was a master storyteller. They wove a love of all things creative into my heart.

2. What is your writing about?

Life. The funny side, the darker side, and the everyday nudges we receive.

3. How did you find Dawn at Blue Ridge Literary Agency?

From the newsletter I receive from Guide to Literary Agents. I'd just returned home from a national conference where I was slated to meet with agents. By the time I left, I had three requests for proposals and I was "over the moon." The appointments were cordial, exciting, adrenaline-driven and intense, but lacking in something I couldn't define. I came home, calmed down, readied my submissions then I received the update from GLA and saw Dawns name and bio. I knew I needed to submit to HER. When she phoned I realized what had been lacking in my earlier contacts. While the others had all been professional, courteous and precious, Dawn was all those things PLUS she was interested in my vision - not just in one genre but in the diversity of my portfolio.

4. What are you currently working on?

A contemporary YA piece (realistic fiction) and a cozy series with romantic comedy elements. In addition, there's a non-fiction piece that's simmering on the back burner, but it's still in the beginning stages. :0

5. Where can we find you to keep up with your writing journey? Blog? Twitter?

My website is www.debbiearcher.com and I LOVE adding new friends to my Facebook. New Year's resolution #1 is blogging CONSISTENTLY! I'm horrible about that. I have to get it through my head that I HAVE to divide my writing time into two categories - social media and whatever my current writing project is.

6. What influences your writing?

Those daily nudges I mentioned earlier. I really do believe God places words in every writer's heart that simply MUST be written. For me, He offers situations daily that demand my attention. For most people, they see the event, acknowledge it, and move on. Writers carry it two steps further. We analyze those occurrences, then process it through our writing. If we do it well enough, it becomes a scene that readers don't just read, they remember long after they've finished the book.

7. Where do you see yourself going with writing in the future?

I'll write what's lodged in my head! As you know, those ideas tend to dig in their heels and stay there until we get them on paper or screen.

I love those books that stay with me long after I've finished them! Great answers, and thank you for introducing yourself! Good luck with finding a publishing company! Dawn is amazing, and I know she'll find the right place for your work.

Writing and Submission Update

2012-01-04T06:00:00.002-05:00

So I wrote 231K last year, and if you read my New Year's Resolution post, I'm stepping it up to 1k-2k a day for a whopping total of 365k-730K a year! A novel is 80k, so that's a lot of novels in one year.

So far, I'm doing good. I wrote 2553K on Sunday, 2019K Monday and 2102 yesterday.
And I have two tidbits of good news.

Tundra 37 received 4 stars from Romance Times Magazine!!!!

Genre: Paranormal/Urban Fantasy, Paranormal Romance
Sensuality: MILD

RT Rating: four stars

This second in the New Dawn series is a complicated yet fascinating tale, told mainly in flashbacks, of a future where the only chance for survival is to leave Earth. The multiple story threads come together nicely, leaving the reader with a hopeful impression of the future.

One hundred years after leaving Earth bound for Paradise 18, the ship Expedition, guided by twin psychic seers, unexpectedly has a run-in with some comets, forcing a 200-year-early landing on Tundra 37, a planet in the throes of an ice age. Struggling for survival, many of the passengers, including matchmaker Gemme Reiner and Lieutenant Miles Brentwood, experience dreams and hallucinations that may be attributed to a mysterious orb, picked up in the early years of the journey. Now an object has been discovered on this planet that may be connected to the orb. The seers are determined to find it and bring it to the ship, even if this costs the lives of the survivors. (ENTANGLED, Jan., 288 pp., $15.99)

Reviewed By: Susan Mobley

You can preorder it here!!!
It's actually selling pretty well considering it hasn't come out yet, so I'm excited.
The review will be posted in the Feb. issue of RT Magazine, so we'll see what that does for sales.

And...drum roll...

My short story, The Dolls of Malika Hall, was accepted in this anthology:

By Wicked East Press

This anthology will also be coming out in February. My story is inspired by my trip to Jamaica a few years ago. It's a horror story involving voodoo and ghosts. It's loosely based on a Jamaican legend: The Witch of Rose Hall. (This is the first horror story I've ever sold!!)

That's it for now. Anything exciting happening for you?

My New Year's Resolutions

2012-01-03T06:00:00.003-05:00

I always do resolutions every year and stick to them. The trick is: I don't overshoot. I have reasonable goals.

One year I vowed to call everyone back that called me within 24 hours, which is a great business policy to follow. I kept to it, and now I call everyone back to this day. It's less stress, because I don't have thoughts hanging over me like, "I have to call so-and-so." I just do it and get it done.

Another year I vowed to be better at small talk so I never got into an awkward silence. I worked on it, and now I can talk about "nothing" for quite a long time. This has proven to be more helpful than I thought.

Here are my resolutions for this year:

1. Throw out the naysayers.

You know, those people that give you bad reviews, or find a way to point out your flaws just to make themselves feel better. Well, I decided I don't have time for them. I'm going to brush it off, and focus on more productive things. This will be the hardest resolution to stick by, because every critical comment gets to me, making me mad. Why can't people focus on the positive?

Taylor swift said it all in her new song, "People throw rocks at things that shine."

2. Clean a little everyday.

I need to take breaks, get off the computer anyway. So, why not clean just a little everyday, even if it's for ten-fifteen minutes? At least I'll feel like I accomplished something.

3. Do something for other people everyday.

I do help people, but it's sporadic. I need to start thinking about what the people around me need.

4. Less procrastination, more word count. I wrote two and a half novels, one novella, and one short story in 2011 (231K), and I'd like to step up that pace this year. I'm shooting for 1-2K a day (potentially 365-730K).

What are your resolutions?

Cover Reveal: Toxic by Jus Accardo

2012-01-02T15:00:00.003-05:00

My friend, Jus Accardo, has an awesome cover reveal for her upcoming release at Entangle Publishing. I'm so excited to share this reveal with you. I'm just finishing up TOUCH, and I can't wait to read this sequel.

Here is the link on Goodreads.

And here is the fantastic blurb:

When a Six saved Kale’s life the night of Sumrun, she warned there would be consequences. A trade-off. Something taken for the life they gained. But Dez never imagined she’d lose the one thing she’d give anything to keep… And as if it’s not enough Dez finds her immunity to Kale fading, the Six brought in to help Kale learn to control his killer touch starts drooling on him the moment they meet. Worse than that? Jade can touch Kale. But bimbo Barbie is the least of Dez's problems.

After Dez and Kale got away at Sumrun, her father lost not only his most powerful weapon but an important piece of the Supremacy project. Forced by Denazen to remedy the situation, he poisons Dez and offers her a choice—surrender to Denazen for the cure…or die. Determined to find a solution that doesn’t involve being bagged and tagged—or losing someone she loves—Dez keeps the poison a secret. But when a rash of Denazen attacks hit a little too close to home, Dez is convinced there’s a traitor among them. Jade.

Sacrifices, broken promises, and secrets. Dez will have to lay it all on the line if there’s any hope of proving Jade’s guilt before they all end up Residents of Denazen. Or worse, dead...

I'd like to hear your thoughts. What do think of this awesome cover?

Guest Blog with Author Lizzy Ford

2012-01-01T15:03:00.004-05:00

I'm so excited to welcome the New Year with author, Lizzy Ford. She has a new release out, please follow the following links to support her!

Buy on Amazon
Buy on Barnes and Noble

Guest Post by Lizzy Ford:

Best new authors of 2011: My top picks

I’m running a series of blog posts on my website about my top picks for the best ebooks of 2011. I thought I’d share with you all the top authors I’ve discovered this year, and why their work interested me! There’s a good selection from across genres below.

Talia Jager, young adult (drama/paranormal)
Author of: Gifted Teen series

What intrigued me about Talia’s writing was her ability to portray teens in what I’ll call dreadful situations. She’s written about teens struggling with epilepsy, abuse, and pregnancy. These are not easy topics to discuss, and Talia was able to address them realistically in her books. I love how she chose to tackle real life issues through her characters.

Jack Wallen, thriller/horror
Author of: I, Zombie trilogy; Fringe Killer series

I never thought a zombie book could be interesting, until I read Jack’s I, Zombie trilogy. I thought of zombies as drooling idiots – really, how many books/movies can you watch with the same storyline. And then, I read Jack’s I, Zombie, I, the first book in his trilogy. What amazed me was not so much his ability to portray how one man turned into a zombie, but how the world around him reacted to his change. The sheer depth and effortless way Jack portrayed the transition of both man-into-zombie and friends-into-strangers grabbed me and wouldn’t let go.

Julia Crane, young adult (paranormal/fantasy) romance
Author of: Keegan’s Chronicles

Julia’s “Coexist” was the first young adult book I picked up this year, and she had me from the first scene. The storyline of Keegan’s Chronicles was so creative, compared to the swarms of vampire books out there. Julia chose to write about elves who live as humans, and the coming-of-age of one elf who struggled both with her obligations to her kind and her heart. I loved watching Keegan and her intended mate grow throughout the three books. There was a lot of heartache in the first two, and I’d never felt so happy about an outcome as I was about the third book in the series.

Alan Nayes, romantic and thriller fiction
Author of: Barbary Point, Smilodon, Gargoyles

Alan’s writing is simply amazing. The man has a true gift! It’s hard to describe his writing as falling into one genre, though, so if you’re looking for someone who has a little bit of everything to offer, Alan is the writer for you. His romance Barbary Point will leave you in tears, while his novel Smilodon will make you want to turn on the lights before going outside at night. I’m convinced he can write anything in the world – his writing is that strong, and his books just that good.

M. Edward McNally, epic fantasy
Author of: Norothian Cycle series

Reading Ed’s books took me back to high school, when all I read were deep fantasies with rich worlds and strong characters. I absolutely love the depth and time he put into creating this world. I felt like I could just open my front door and walk straight into what he’d created (though give what happens in the series, I probably wouldn’t want to do that!) He has the R.R. Martin style of writing: thoughtful, detailed, and makes you wonder what’ll happen next.

Shea MacLeod, paranormal/futuristic romance
Author of: Sunwalker Saga; Dragon Wars

Of Shea’s two series, I fell hard for the first book in her Dragon Wars series. I loved how she portrayed the post-apocalyptic world and the struggle between different factions of humans as well as their struggle against dragons. Her lead characters are strong and flawed, and I enjoyed watching them grow. Shea is a great storyteller, too, and her books just flow. Before you know it, you’re done and looking for the next one.

Heather Marie Adkins, paranormal romance
Author of: The Temple, Abigail

I loved Heather’s writing voice. She has a very strong one, and her storylines are some of the most unique I’ve ever read. She writes what I might call modern day fairy tales. Her stories are steeped with folklore, tragic beginnings that lead to happy endings, and characters faced with both challenges and temptations. It is no easy feat to keep me engaged long enough to sit and read a book from start to finish, but I read each of Heather’s books in one sitting.

PJ Jones, parody
Author of: Romance Novel, Driving Me Nuts, The Vampire Handbook, Naughty Little Schnitzel

PJ’s books are not for the weak! She views nothing as sacred, but she’ll definitely make you laugh, if you don’t mind the in-your-face style of humor she brings to the table. I really enjoyed reading her work this year. Her books were great to read between more serious novels, because they were written purely to entertain. She tackles the recent obsession with vampires without mercy!

Lizzy Ford is the hyper-prolific author of the "Rhyn Trilogy" and "War of Gods" series, both launched in 2011, as well as multiple single title young adult fantasy and paranormal romances. Lizzy's books have reached into the bestseller lists on both Amazon US and Amazon UK in multiple categories. Through her unconventional online marketing strategies, Lizzy has gone from selling 20 books in January 2011 to around 5000 books in September 2011 and from over 7,000 free downloads of her work in January 2011 to over 40,000 downloads in September 2011.

The Lizzy Ford team consists of: Matt, IT and search engine optimization expert; Christine LePorte, freelance book editor; Dafeenah, graphics artist; and Toni, English-Spanish translator.

Lizzy is considered by most to be the ultimate writing freak of nature for her ability to write and epublish a new book every 30-45 days. She is also a regular contributor for the Curiosity Quills website and is an active member of a small guild of nine passionate, talented writers, the Indie Eclective. Lizzy's books are available from Amazon, BN, Smashwords, iBooks/iTunes, and all other eReader libraries.

Lizzy’s links:
FB: http://www.facebook.com/Lizzy
website: http://www.guerrillawordfare.com/
Twitter: http://twitter.com/#!/LizzyFord2010
GR: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/4558309.Lizzy_Ford
Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Lizzy-Ford/e/B004XTTYOC/

My Favorite Christmas Memory

2011-12-23T21:11:00.004-05:00

Growing up, we always celebrated Christmas on Christmas Eve. My parents didn't like getting up early, and they didn't want all the pictures to be of us in our pajamas! Actually, it worked out well so we could visit our grandparents on Christmas Day.

So, my mom used to dress me and my sister up in pretty Christmas dresses, bundle us up, and my dad would take us out for a Christmas Eve walk down our street to look for Santa. While he took us out, my mom would scurry around and take out all the presents and lay them out underneath the tree. When we got back she say, "You just missed him!"

At the sight of all the presents under the tree, we wouldn't care! Some presents would be addressed from "mom and dad", and some, the really special ones, would be from "Santa."

I actually felt lucky that Santa always visited our house first, and then some people had to wait all the way until morning to get their presents. He was much better than the mail man, who always came to our street at the end of the day.

As we got older, I kind of caught on to their tactics, but I kept playing along for my younger sister's benefit, and also because I still had fun on that nightly Santa walk.

What's your favorite Christmas tradition or memory?

Wish me luck....

2011-12-20T10:35:00.002-05:00

Today I'm going where you should never go before Christmas.
Or after for that matter.

I'm going to the mall...

Why you ask?

I have all my shopping done. I don't have an sudden urge for Cinnabon. I don't like large crowds or fishing for a parking space.

I'm going to help my sister take Christmas pictures of her 16 month old son, and my favorite nephew! When your baby is that small, they don't stay small long, and this is his second Christmas. How cute is that?

Wish me luck. I'm going to need it!

Guest Blog: Shevi Arnold, author of Toren the Teller's Tale

2011-12-19T06:00:00.002-05:00

Toren changed my life.

I don’t know how old I was when I first became a storyteller, but I do know I was quite young. I remember telling my youngest cousins and my older cousins’ children stories when I was about ten. I loved the excited look on their faces, how my stories drew them in and captured their imaginations and their hearts. I also remember telling stories to the younger children on the van ride to school. I particularly remember one little girl who would ask over and over, “What happened next?” It was such a delightful question to answer.

As I was growing up, I read anything and everything I could get my hands on. I read encyclopedias and science magazines, because I was very curious, and couldn’t read enough about this world. I also read a ton of comic books, particular collections of Peanuts strips. My favorite books were funny, fantasy or science fiction. I loved the works of Peter S. Beagle, Ursula Le Guin, Anne McCaffrey, J.R.R. Tolkien, Gene Wolfe, Harlan Ellison, Douglas Adams, Isaac Asimov, Orson Scott Card, John Barth, Thomas Pynchon, and so many others.

But while I enjoyed these books, I kept looking for one about a girl like me, a girl who loved stories and loved telling them. I knew stories were magical, perhaps even the most magical thing we can experience. I couldn’t possibly be the only one who felt like this, could I? And who better to write about this particular magic than a storyteller? But the more I looked, the more I realized the book I so desperately wanted to read did not exist. No one had written it yet.

When I was seventeen, my family had moved to Jerusalem, and I had just started college. That first year I studied Hebrew and a variety of other subjects, like Advanced Algebra, Political Science, and Computer Programming. My plan was to eventually study filmmaking, because I wanted to be a director.

You see, I didn’t just love storytelling on paper: I loved it in all its forms, and I thought that movies were the best way to tell a story, because they brought so many of those forms together: with and without words, visually, and through music. I studied the movies I enjoyed, and I tried to figure out how they worked. I still read books, but I read them mostly for entertainment. These were books of my choosing, books that made me laugh and cry, think and feel.

This one night, a book had kept me up late. It was sometime after midnight that my head felt heavy, and I laid it down on the open pages. I looked out of the window of my room. The moon was big and full, far above the horizon. I stood up and walked to the window. I leaned on the windowsill and thought again about that book that didn’t exist, the one about a storytelling girl like me. I closed my eyes and made a wish.
When I turned around, a young woman was standing behind me in my room.

Although she was short, there was something about her that seemed larger than life. She was amazingly beautiful, with her long, dark, curly hair, and her olive-colored, almond-shaped eyes. She was wearing a garment the likes of which I had never seen before.

I asked her for her name.

She said something, but it wasn’t in English. I didn’t understand.

I shook my head.

She slowly reached up and touched my forehead with the tips of her fingers. She closed her eyes, and for a moment, she gave off a golden glow. It was the most amazing thing I’ve ever seen.

“Thank you,” she said, with a voice that reminded me of honey. “You have taught me your language. Both of them, in fact.”

I felt like I should apologize. “I’m still learning Hebrew.”

“And now so am I.” She smiled. “I understand you wanted to meet me.”

“I did?”

“A girl like you who understands the magic of stories?”

I was so stunned and happy and excited I couldn’t speak.

“You have taught me your language and about your world,” she said. “How should I repay you?”

Of course, there could only be one answer to that question. “Tell me your story.”
“I can do better than that.”

Again she touched my forehead. She closed her eyes, and I closed mine. Her name was Toren, and her story flashed inside my mind. I saw, heard, smelled, tasted, and felt all of it. When she pulled her hand away, I was laughing and crying.

I was in awe.

She smiled at me and bowed her head. She looked out the window, and I followed her gaze. A part of me expected to see something magical on the other side. When I turned around again, however, she was gone.

Her story remained with me, and I treasured it. I re-experienced it whenever I was lonely or bored and wanted to be reminded of the magic of stories.

But, like everyone else, I had my life to live. I couldn’t study film, because the university only offered that as an M.A., so I studied English Literature and Theater instead. By the time I had graduated, I realized I didn’t really want to direct movies. I earned a teacher’s certificate, but I didn’t enjoy teaching. Instead I first became an editorial cartoonist, and a comic-strip magazine editor; and then I became an arts-and-entertainment writer, and a consumer columnist. I got married and had two children. I was very happy.

Unfortunately, I had to leave my job and my old life behind when my family moved to New Jersey in search of a better education for my autistic son. I didn’t know what to do. If I couldn’t write, edit, or illustrate for a newspaper or magazine, who was I? What was I?

A few months passed before I realized the answers to those questions. I was still the little girl who loved telling stories to the other children in the van on the way to school. Toren’s story had given me so much joy over the years. And I had been selfish. Somewhere in the world there had to be someone just like the girl I had been, someone who desperately needed a story about the greatest magic of all. It wasn’t just Toren’s story. It was my story, too, and the story of every storyteller who’s ever lived.

Perhaps it’s your story too.
Buy on Amazon
Barnes and Noble

About Shevi Arnold:

Author Bio:

Shevi Arnold started telling stories when she was just a kid looking for a way to pass the time on the long, boring ride to school. Not long after that, she started telling herself her own stories--letting them play through her mind, like favorite TV shows--as she was about to fall asleep or whenever she was bored.

One night when she was seventeen, she encountered Toren for the very first time. The magical storyteller left quite an impression. But Shevi didn't have the time to write Toren's story down. She had degrees to earn in college, and when she was through with that, she had her work in newspapers and magazines, her marriage, and her family to keep her busy.

Then in 2001 Shevi returned to the USA in search of a better education for her autistic son, and she had to leave her job and her old life behind. She had only ever worked as a writer and an illustrator, and she couldn't work full-time for newspapers or magazines anymore. What was she going to do? She sat down and began to write Toren the Teller's Tale. Since then Shevi has written six other novels for kids and young adults, but after thirty years simmering in her mind and countless edits, she considers this novel her greatest masterpiece.

Website
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Promo: Khantara by Michelle Franklin

2011-12-16T06:00:00.001-05:00

Blurb:

Khantara tells the story of the Den Asaan Rautu's mother and father.

Khantara is a Haanta conquerer, meant to wage war and rule over the enemy nation of Thellis, but after vanquishing Thellis and occupying a construction of a Haanta outpost, he meets Anelta, a woman enslaved by her own people bearing a brand of servitude on her neck. Khantara contrives to save her from a cruel home and bring her to the refuge his people can provide, but how can he do so successfully when the eyes of Thellis are upon him?

Advance praise from Avery's Book Nook:

"After having read only a few pages of this book, I recalled how exceptional Michelle is not only at her world building, but also her character development- talents which completely draw the reader in, making them impervious to everything going on around them. I don't think it possible for the reader to not fall in love with Khantara and Anelta."

Excerpt:

Together they remained until the sun vanished over the horizon. The darkening of the skies and coming of the luminaries meant that the giant must part from the woman and return to his people for the end of the ceremony made in his honour. He stood first and offered his hand to her to assist her to her feet, but she had been too quick in rising and too eager to see him off that he missed the opportunity for courteous gestures.

She bowed to him and thanked him once more, and before he could answer the gesture, she said in a shy voice, “I hope that we will meet again, sir.”

“Khantara,” he kindly reminded her, bowing low.

She repeated his name in an inaudible whisper as though she were speaking the title in confidence, secreting it away for her own private enjoyment. The more she iterated the designation, the more partial to it she became: she had been permitted to call him by name, and not merely an indication of rank as Den Amhadhri or Odaibha might have been, but a name she could use that would not signify her lowness in comparison. It was such a gift, a name to say over and over without fear of admonishment, and she smiled at his parting with all the exuberance such a wondrous moment could afford.

Khantara, however, was not granted the same happiness when he turned to leave Anelta. In stepping away from the house and toward the lane leading to the Haanta settlement, he felt a pang of instant regret: regret for leaving her in so terrible a place, regret for not having more food to give her at present; for leaving her with no one to speak to or anyone to regard her, and the only manner in which he could quit the woman and the small unseemly home was to vow to revisit on the morrow with more to give than just his company. He did not tell her of his intended return, for he wished to see more of what she endured while he was not present in order to understand the full extent of her situation. Further intercourse with her mate, an interaction with another Marked, or even watching her alone would suffice. He inclined his head, forced a smile, and passed down the darkened lane with the birds on his shoulders all alive with excitement while his mind was employed with other concerns.

Anelta watched the mountainous shadow shamble away from her in happy agitation. She had some fears that she had little to offer the giant in the ways of conversation and hospitality due to the state of the home in which she was impelled to live, and due to her inability to convey more than what she felt, but never had she considered herself so honoured than to have spent above an hour in the giant’s shadow. To have pressed his arm, to have shared his meal, and to have spoken to him without the fear of punishment was all felicity to her. She hoped, with all that was in her power, that he would come again, and whether his coming was tomorrow or a season hence, it made little difference. She reckoned that his coming at all was worth any wait, and to say the name of Khantara while under his guard once more was more rapture than she could bear. Thought she could no longer see his form passing away down the lane, she heard the birds on his shoulders and the trees bustle with a ripple of chirps to mark his path. She wondered why the birds seemed to answer and flock to him, and in her blind curiosity, she took a step forward as though to follow him. His nature, his person, his air had attracted her. Who were his people and how did they live were questions she that began to ask herself. Were they all as generous and as tender as he seemed to be, or was he the exception? Who was he to come to her in such a manner and treat her with such equality? Was he someone who was accustomed to such charity of feeling and openhandedness, or was he one of the great conquerors come to destroy their nation through munificence and promises of liberation? Too great a mistake it was that he should have come to her, and Anelta stood at the edge of yard beside the weeping ferns blessing her good fortune, praising whatever powers were at fault for sending her someone who could abide her discourse and who seemed so much in want of her conversancy.

Where to buy this awesome book:
Amazon
Barnes and Noble

About the author:

Michelle Franklin is a woman of moderate consequence who writes many books about giants, romance and chocolate.

Twitter: @MrsDenAsaan

Promo: Hellsbane by Paige Curraco

2011-12-10T06:00:00.001-05:00

I'm excited to share a new book by another Entangled Publishing Author!

A HELLSBANE BOOK - Book One - by Paige Cuccaro

Title: Hellsbane (Hellsbane, #1)
Author: Paige Cuccaro
Genre: Urban Fantasy
Length: Novel
Release Date: December 2011
ePub ISBN: 978-1-937044-64-0
Print ISBN: 978-1-937044-65-7

Emma Jane Hellsbane just found out she’s not human—or, at least, not only human. She’s half angel, too, and now Heaven’s got a job for her: round up all the Fallen angels and their red-skinned, horned devil-demon minions and boot their butts back into the abyss. Only problem? The demons and their Fallen masters fight back…and they don’t fight fair.

Luckily for Emma, she can put a stop to the constant threat of having her head hacked off if she figures out which Fallen angel is her father—and then kill him before he kills her. Of course, in the meantime, she’ll have to avoid accidentally seducing her angelic mentor, help an old friend conquer his own Fallen sperm donor, and basically save the world from a cataclysmic divine smack down.

No one said being Heaven’s bounty hunter would be easy. But with a name like Hellsbane, Emma Jane was born for the job.

Amazon
Barnes and Noble

Excerpt:

“Perhaps you’ve mistaken my statement for a request,” he said. “It wasn’t.”
“Ah. So it’s like that, is it?”

He snaked an arm around my waist, jerked me to him so our bodies were flush against each other. I gasped, my hands going to his chest on reflex.

“Yes,” he said. “It’s like that.”

A soft wind shifted through my hair, and the world around us blurred as if in motion. But our feet hadn’t moved. The overlook, the cars, the townhouses, the sky, everything raced past us.

Then it was gone. Darkness engulfed us, with only the distant stars twinkling in the vast emptiness. My hands leached around Eli’s neck, brought us cheek to cheek.

“You’re safe in my arms, Emma Jane. Always,” he said, his lips brushing my ear. A shudder traveled straight down to my center with the sweet sound of his words. The man had an orgasmic voice. What a waste.

His embrace loosened, and I leaned back enough to see his face. A soft glow lightened the shadows from behind me, just enough to cast a silvery glow over his expression. Time and space suddenly rushed in on me, and my brain spun like I’d been twirling around on my toes for an hour.

I let go of him with one hand, pressing it to my forehead to stop the spin and to keep my brain from coming out of my ears. “What was that?”

“Your mind is struggling to match speed with your body. May I help?”

I’d told him once never to use his power to give me false rapture, but it was like asking a fish not to swim. I nodded and he rested his hand over mine, the warmth of his skin heating through me. The nauseating twirling stopped.

“I hoped moving slower would help lessen the shock, but it seems the effect allowed your vision too much time to try and compensate,” he said.

“We moved at angelic speed?” I asked, guessing.

“No. I am able to travel at the speed of thought. We moved an increment slower.”

“Um, thanks.” I tried to see over his shoulder, to get my bearings, but I couldn’t push up on my toes. I moved the muscles, and nothing happened. I looked at my feet—there was nothing beneath us. No floor, no ground, no...anything, just more blackness and millions and millions of distant twinkly lights.

An icy bolt of panic shot up my spine and I clutched at Eli. My gut twisted and a scream caught in the back of my throat. Eli hugged me tight.

“Where are we?”

“Look behind you,” he said.

It took a few seconds of internal argument, but eventually my courage rallied, and I glanced over my shoulder. “Is that...”

“Earth,” he said.

Sheer awe loosened my grip. I shifted my feet to his—I had to stand on something—and turned, holding his hands to my hips to anchor me, my back to his chest.

The world looked exactly the way it does in all the pictures...but so much more. More beautiful, more breathtaking than any picture could capture.

There was a storm swirling over one of the oceans, and night was quickly approaching for half the world. A thick line of darkness crept over land and water as the planet spun. On the other side, brilliant light ate away the darkness at exactly the same pace.

“This can’t be real. How?” I asked, my brain fighting reason and everything I knew about space and time and reality.

His hands slipped over my belly, his embrace enveloping me. “In the arms of an angel, Emma Jane, all things are possible.”

And now about the author:

Paige Cuccaro lives in Ohio where she spends her days as a wife, mother, avid reader and obsessed writer. She loves writing everything from laugh-out-loud young adult stories to steamy hot romances with a twist of paranormal. Witches, demons, vampires, werewolves and angels, if they can fall in love, Paige will tell you their story.

Find a few of Paige's published works at Samhain Publishing and Berkley Books. You can also find novels from Paige's risqué side under her pen name, Alison Paige where she's published several erotic romances at Harlequin Spice, Samhain Publishing, and Ellora's Cave Publishing.

Excerpt: The Last Awakening by Rachel Firasek

2011-12-07T06:00:00.000-05:00

I'm excited to post an excerpt from another Entangled author's book.

Rachel Firasek grew up in the south and despite the gentle pace, she harassed life at full steam. Her curiosity about mythology, human nature, and the chemical imbalance we call love led her to writing. Her stories began with macabre war poems and shifted to enchanted fairytales, before she settled on a blending of the two.

Today you’ll find her tucked on a small parcel of land, surrounded by bleating sheep and barking dogs, with her husband and children. She entertains them all with her wacky sense of humor or animated reenactments of bad 80’s dance moves.

She’s intrigued by anything unexplained and seeks the answers to this crazy thing we call life. You can find her where the heart twists the soul and lights the shadows… or at www.rachelfirasek.com.

And now for the excerpt:

Title: The Last Awakening (Curse of the Phoenix, #2)
Author: Rachel Firasek
Genre: Paranormal Romance
Length: Novella
Launch Date: December 2011
ISBN: 978-1-937044-40-4

© 2011 Rachel Firasek
Chapter One

A snow-sleet mix pelted the flapping windshield wipers and doused the inside of the cab with a bone-freezing chill. The driver ignored any discomfort and even cracked his window to belch through the seam, then took a drag off his cigarette.

Mon Dieu, she had to pick this taxi. Arabella Durand shifted away from the smoke that mixed with the irritating atmosphere. A more perfect mood couldn’t have been staged for her pending death.

The driver belched again, filling the car with his noxious stench. Much more of him and she’d find a way to hang herself now and hope her next soul found his or her own way to survive—to hell with Osiris and his orders. But she couldn’t. She was only allowed to die for him, the Egyptian god of the Underworld, and who knew what he would test her with if she failed? Probably another three hundred years of purgatory.

She had only one option: find her mark and die. It was a cruel trick of nature, and in all the years she’d been at it, she’d never understood. No one had been there to save her people—from her. No. The god obviously hadn’t thought them worthy of a second chance. And he sure as hell didn’t think she’d learned enough to find peace in death.

The cab rolled to a stop in front of the flickering Country Store sign that highlighted the cabbie twisting in the seat. Thank the Loa for answering her prayers to end the torturous ride. Long strands of hair fell against his face as he draped a beefy arm over the back of the passenger-seat headrest. He resembled Popeye with his bulging muscles and too-tight shirt—but instead of a pretty sailor tattoo, he had a dagger piercing a skull surrounded by snakes inked into his arm. The warning didn’t go unnoticed. Ari believed in the signs the deities chose to bless on her.

The driver grunted. “Lady, are you sure?”

Sure that she’d suffer? Yes.

Sure that she’d die? Yes.

Sure that what she was about to do mattered to someone else? Yes.

What an excerpt!!! Makes me want to read more!

Where can you buy this awesome book?
Here at Amazon

Here at Barnes and Noble

Thanks for sharing, Rachel!

Promo: Excerpt from The Opera Tales

2011-12-05T06:00:00.001-05:00

Today I have a treat for you! Michelle Franklin is going to share an excerpt from her new release.

Book on Amazon

Book on Smashwords

Twitter: @MrsDenAsaan & @DenAsaan

An excerpt from The Opera Tales

The Announcement – Chapter 2

The placards and posters announcing Mad Queen Maeve’s tenth iteration were taken away and another announcement was set in its place, one for a new play of certain distinction, whose book was written by Frewyn’s champion auteur and whose songs were composed by the Triumvirate’s leading maestro. Many began to bustle about the Royal Theatre in hopes of catching a glimpse of rehearsals or hearing an early piece of music, but the surprise would be well-kept if only to excite interest, and the spectators must therefore wait until the projected opening night.

While the chief of Frewyn’s denizens were left to imagine all the wondrous machinations taking place within the auspices of the theatre walls, two of the keep’s residents were treated to an accidental and early prospect of the goings-on. Although many of the kingdom’s nobility milled about the parapets of Diras Castle, determined to see the rehearsals by leaning over the merlons of the western battlements, Teague and Mureadh were the first two to discern the character of the new play. They were engaged to spend the evening with Connors and Nerri, and after a long day of training in the keep’s yard and running his majesty’s errands, they had cleansed themselves in the barracks and were on their way back to the soldier’s mess from using the facilities when an argument taking place outside the theatre entrance caught their attention. They stopped once quitting the latrine tower, hid behind an adjacent wall to screen themselves from view, and overheard the director of the piece according someone a most stern reproof.

The remonstrance was understood well enough: something about the new poster was incorrect, someone’s name was not quite as large as it should have been, someone else’s name was far too eclipsing, the colours were too strong, the style too fanciful, the printing too plain, and upon the whole, the announcement must be entirely remade. This was of course refuted by its illustrator, but even the carefully-chosen paints and detailed illustration of the principle characters would not do; the size of the names must reflect the director’s brilliance, the art must portray a realistic genius, and nothing less would be tolerated.

When the argument had done, the assertions heated on the director’s side and the refutations muted on the artist’s, the director returned to the theatre to officiate the remainder of the day’s practice and the illustrator was left to sulk and grumble. He remarked his work, and after a moment’s consideration, humphed and placed the poster onto the billboard. Bitterness and anger were what was drove his actions, but the satisfaction in seeing his glorious work displayed on the billboard of the Royal Threatre even for a few minutes together before someone should come and take it down was all his triumph. He stood back from it after having secured it in place, folded his arms across his chest, and spied the poster with a complacent grin. The names were too small to be sure, but the images of the three main characters were the centerpiece and glory of the work.

A moment passed and the illustrator was suddenly called into the theatre. One of the sets must be repainted, and without a thought, he hastened inside, leaving the poster on the billboard for Teague and Mureadh to investigate. They crawled out from their position behind the wall of the latrine tower and before they had taken a few steps were struck with the sudden shock of what the advertisement depicted: a fair-haired and large-breasted woman dressed in little more than a few garnishings was being held by an enormous and fur-clad beast, one with terrible fangs, unforgiveable underbite, and glowing red eyes; behind the gruesome ogre and his swooning damsel was a handsome king, riding a bucking horse and waving a golden broadsword in the air. What the image had meant to suggest was clear enough by the commander’s distinguishable attributes, by the Den Asaan’s ferocious features, and by the king’s handsome aspect, but the title across the top of the piece secured all their worries. If the heading of the play was not enough to convince them of this opera being a farce, the tagline of “Two hearts, two warring nations, one forbidden love” written across the bottom certainly was. The names of the directors, writers and everyone involved were unimportant where the subject of the play was concerned, and Mureadh cringed in aversion to think of what their superior officers and the king would say while Teague only sighed and shook his head.

When the first wave of horror had done with them, Teague and Mureadh stepped closer to examine the poster, Teague carefully collecting the names of every person responsible for this nonsense -that he might relay them to the Den Asaan when they should no doubt be demanded- and Mureadh unable to do anything other than gawp in dread.

“Well,” Teague said, after a few moments of silence, “It is painted very well, even if the colours are incorrect. He’s obviously a gifted artist. It’s a shame that his talent was used for this.”

Mureadh was far too horrified to reply: his superior officer, one well-known for his intolerance of inanity, was being mocked, and his mate, over whom the giant was particularly possessive, was being debased. Such an image was certain to offend and incite the Den Asaan, and Mureadh scrambled to remove it from the billboard before anyone else should see it and laugh at its subject.

About the Author:

Michelle Franklin is a woman of moderate consequence who writes many books about giants, romance and chocolate.

Wow, I love all those three things, Michelle! Thanks for stopping by my blog today!

Brought to you by:

Tangled Tides Blog Tour

2011-12-02T06:00:00.000-05:00

Today I'm excited to welcome author Karen Amanda Hooper to my blog! I'm currently reading Tangled Tides and I LOVE it! Full of mystery, love, and adventure, this is one awesome mermaid story.

I've interviewed Karen for today. Below is a pretty picture of her and the great answers she came up with.

1. First, I'd love to hear about how your publisher came up with your amazing cover! What did you think when you first saw it?

We discussed my vision for the cover and they gave my ideas to my cover artist, Melissa Williams. She and I worked together for a couple weeks to get it to what you see today. I had input and say every step of the way which made me very happy. I actually did a whole post about it here. You can see the process from start to finish. http://yaconfidential.blogspot.com/2011/11/undercover-wednesday-tangled-tides.html

2. Have you always been interested in mermaids? What attracts you to them?

Yes, I've loved them since I was a toddler. Some of my favorite toys were Sea Wees dolls, and I loved the movie SPLASH, and of course, THE LITTLE MERMAID. I'm attracted to anything ocean related. The beach, boats, sea life, etc. Writing TANGLED TIDES gave me a chance to let my imagination run wild about what could be going on beneath the surface.

3. Have you seen Disney's Little Mermaid? What do you think of it?

Ha! See above answer. I was raised by parents who are Disney fanatics, and I inherited their love for all things Disney. I adore Ariel's story, but I always thought she was crazy for wanting to give up her underwater world for a human life. I guess the grass--or ocean--is always greener on the other side.

4. How do you find the time to keep up with your fantastic blog and write?

*sigh* I have felt like such a blog slacker lately. My posts are short and sporadic, and I feel awful because I don't have time to visit and comment on blogs. It's just been so crazy getting ready for my book release, but I hope to find balance again after my book is out. However, if you know a secret to creating more hours in the day, that would be extremely helpful.

5. How did you find Rhemalda Publishing? They look like an awesome publisher.

The fabulous Michelle Davidson Argyle referred me to them. I was talking to her about self-publishing my story, but she told me I should submit it to Rhemalda first. I didn't think I had a prayer in the world (tons of agent rejections had killed my confidence) but a few weeks later I had a book deal. It was crazy and it's still kind of surreal, but my experience with Rhemalda has been wonderful.

6. What's next for you?

I have to finish writing book 2 of The Sea Monster Memoirs. I purposefully ended the book in a way that readers would feel they had closure, but everything didn't turn out as happily-ever-after as it appeared. There's a tiny clue in one of the last chapters that hints at what book 2 will be about, but I was very ninja-like with it, so it's hard to figure out. *insert evil laugh here*
I also have a different YA series that revolves around reincarnation. It's near and dear to my heart, so eventually I hope to publish that as well. Then there's two totally different books that I started and can't wait to finish writing. See, I told you I need more hours in the day.

7. Where can we find you on the web?

http://www.KarenAmandaHooper.com
Links to my blog, all my social networking sites, and the stores where TANGLED TIDES can be purchased are also easy to find on my website.

Thanks so much for having me on your blog, Aubrie. I'm eternally grateful for the support.

Thanks for stopping by and good luck with Tangled Tides! I'll have a fabulous review for you soon!

Here's where people can buy it on Amazon.

Guest Blog: Author Michelle Beattie talks about Research

2011-11-30T06:00:00.002-05:00

Michelle is stopping by today as part of her Bewitching Book Blog Tour for her latest Release, Another Chance.

Take it away, Michelle!!!!

How do I research-let me count the ways! - a blog by Michelle Beattie

As a (mostly) historical writer, I'm often asked how I do my research. Well, since it's not possible to time travel (but wouldn't that make things so much easier) a writer must make do with what we have available.

Obviously the first is the Internet. It's easier, I don't have to warm up my van or scrape the ice off my windshield. It's fast and convenient. It can also be a huge time suck and a major distraction. You start at one site looking for information on saddles and three hours later you're on another site reading about the migration of penguins. Or maybe that's just me.

For my pirate series, I used a lot of library books, for the reason mentioned above. I was getting lost on the information superhighway and there wasn't a traffic cop anywhere in sight, so for those books the library was a huge help.

Talking to people, is, by far, my favorite way of researching. For Love By Accident, my contemporary park warden book, I traveled to Jasper, Alberta and met a park warden who was instrumental to that story. He showed me his work truck, his tools of the trade, his office. He read my scenes. Of course, that's a little easier to do with a contemporary but it's so nice to be able to have your questions answered right away, to be able to get feedback, which, inevitably, makes me ask more questions.

For Another Chance, I used the internet, but I also went and spoke to a few horse people around (no shortage where I live). I was shown wagons, saddles, etc. Yes, maybe not to the same exact detail they would have been back then, but it gave me a picture in my head. For the surgery at the beginning of the novel, I called a vet clinic. Explained it was a historical and how would it have been done and I got help that way. Is it exact? Close. As close as I could manage it.

I've saved my best method of research for last. Role playing. Oh, come on, we've all done it. For my third pirate novel, A Pirate's Possession, I had my heroine trying to punch the hero with one hand while he was holding her other one. I couldn't figure out how he'd avoid it, so I asked my husband. I explained what was happening in the book, I had him hold my arm down and I swung up with the other. He let go my hand but grabbed me so fast and lifted me off the ground I was forced to hold onto him for balance and thus saved him from the punch (I wouldn't have. Honest). But the point is, I never would have thought of that if we hadn't role played. Of course, he then threw me on the bed, but that's a whole other blog!

And so I throw it out it you. What method of research is your favorite and why?

Now for a look At Michelle's Latest Release:

Being a veterinarian in the late 1800’s is difficult enough, but for Jillian Matthews it’s impossible. Not allowed in the vet schools, she trained at her father’s side until she had the skills needed to move west. Jillian accepts an advertisement for a position in Montana, using only her initials which happen to be same as her father’s. Convinced that in the untamed west, her skills will be valued and appreciated, regardless of her gender, she’s quickly proved wrong.

Wade Parker is sure the pretty redhead claiming to be the vet he sent for is one of his ranch hands’ practical jokes but the fiery woman very quickly puts him in his place and proves him wrong. His impression, however, turns south when the animal she operated on later dies. With a ranch on the verge of bankruptcy, losing an animal was the last thing he could afford and he can’t help thinking the old vet, the male doctor, wouldn’t have let his animal die.

With Wade’s initial reaction guiding them, the town is quick to want Jillian out. But the more Wade gets to know Jillian, the more he sees her grit and compassion, the harder he falls for her. When Wade realizes he was too hasty in his judgment and urges the town to give Jillian another chance, he makes more than few enemies. Enemies that would do almost anything to get her out, and to make sure Wade doesn’t take her side again.

Soon threats turn to violence and both Wade and Jillian must make a stand. The problem is, at what cost?

Buy on Amazon

About Michelle:

Michelle Beattie has been writing for 16 years. Her first pirate novel was released in December 2008 under the title, What a Pirate Desires. Since then she added two more to her series, Romancing the Pirate and A Pirate's Possession.

Changing gears a bit, Michelle has decided to follow the growing trend of published authors independently publishing their own books. She released her first independent title, a contemporary light paranormal, Love By Accident, in October and is following it up with a historical western, Another Chance.

Her pirate books have received wonderful praise from publisher's weekly, Romantic Times and several on-line review sites as well as have been published in several languages. Love By Accident hit #14 in ghosts on Amazon's site on its release day.

Michelle lives in Alberta, Canada with her husband, two daughters and a rabbit.

twitter: https://twitter.com/#!/M_Beattie

facebook: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Michelle-Beattie-Romance-Author/100613946697175

website: http://www.michellebeattie.com/

Book Trailer: Tundra 37

2011-11-28T09:20:00.003-05:00

I'm so excited to release my book trailer for Tundra 37 today! It really captures the mood at the beginning of the book, and then when they get to Tundra 37. This book is more reflective than Paradise 21, and that really comes through in this trailer.

Here's the blurb:

Gemme is a hi-tech matchmaker who pairs the next generation of Lifers aboard the Expedition, a deep space transport vessel destined for Paradise 18. When the identity of her lifemate pops up on her screen, she’s shocked that he’s the achingly gorgeous and highly sought after Lieutenant Miles Brentwood—a man oblivious to her existence. Believing everyone will think she contrived the match, she erases it from the computer’s memory.

Just as comets pummel the ship and destroy the pairing system forever.

With the Expedition disabled, the colonists must crash land on the barren ice world of Tundra 37 where Gemme is reassigned to an exploratory mission, led by Lieutenant Brentwood. Only in the frozen tundra does she understand the shape of his heart and why the computer has entwined their destinies.

It's up for preorder on Amazon here.

Please tag it and like it for me!

Book Review: Entwined by Heather Dixon

2011-11-27T11:23:00.004-05:00

A charming retelling of the Twelve Dancing Princesses

Azalea is the eldest of eleven girls who love to dance. This all changes and her world turns upside down when her mother dies birthing the twelfth princess during the Yuletide Ball. The King demands everyone go into mourning for a full year, wearing black with curtains closed and absolutely no dancing.

This kills Azalea and her sisters, because dancing is the one thing that cheers them up and brings them together during such a hard time. To prevent everyone from getting depressed and having her family fall apart, Azalea finds a hidden passage to a magical world where they can dance the night away.

Unfortunately, there’s a catch. A handsome, yet cold man named Keeper lives in this world, and true to his name, he wants to keep things they can’t give up.

Entwined was full of rich history and folklore, and reminded me a little bit of my favorite book: Pride and Prejudice. Because of the nature of the fairytale, I had trouble keeping all the princesses straight. Their descriptions and individual personalities blended together throughout the tale. I would have liked more development of the other romantic relationships as well.

I especially liked how the princesses weren’t rich, and had to make do with porridge on most days, and how the fairytale took a dark turn in the middle.

I recommend this book to anyone that enjoys fairytale retellings and magical worlds.

3 stars

Promo and excerpt: The Chosen by Sheenah Freitas

2011-11-26T11:07:00.005-05:00

Buy Links:
Amazon
Barnes and Noble
ITunes
Smashwords

Chapter Six Excerpt

It was as if she was watching herself, or perhaps she was a ghost watching a person who looked like her. Though Kaia was here—wherever here was—she was also there, on the familiar dirt path. There, she now realized, was home. The Kaia that was home was walking along the same dirt path that she last walked on when she was on Earth. Basket in hand, her pale violet dress blew gently in the wind. The sunny apron that she wore over her simplistic dress matched the fresh dandelions growing near her. The day was perfect, the animals content; nothing, it seemed, would go wrong. But Kaia knew differently when she heard the soft tune emitting from her other self.

Kaia watched as she continued walking down the same old path that led to the same old berry patch. That’s when she noticed it again. That shadow. Last time, whatever flitted by had piqued her curiosity, but she merely brushed it off. This time, her curiosity was aroused even more. She had to know what it was. Instead of following herself, she followed the shadow. Seeing it from above made her realize that the shadow wasn’t an animal. It was moving slower than one, yet faster than anyone else she knew.

The shadows of the trees made it hard to see the person’s face. She squinted, but it didn’t help. Finally, a spotlight of sun illuminated the face. She found herself looking at Reeze. But what was he doing here? He never acknowledged her when he passed. Was he always sneaking around in the village?

She floated down from her vantage point. She wanted answers and she was going to demand them from him. Suddenly, she stopped, hesitating. If she were reliving the past, would Reeze know her?

Shaking her doubts from her head, Kaia carefully took her hand started to touch his shoulder. As her hand came into contact with his shoulder, it fazed right through him. Though she was surprised, she understood. The past was already written, and there was nothing you could do alter it.

A sudden thought crept its way into her head. Maybe she was a ghost. All of the activities she had done on Zinc would then be nonexistent. Was Zinc the place where the sinful children of God were sent? It was a rightful punishment to thrust someone into a different place and tell him or her they had the heavy burden of saving this strange place, but what sin had she committed?

On the other hand, Zinc was what Earth used to be: full of life and vitality. There was little crime, and so much good about the place. Perhaps Zinc was a place where God’s favorite children were sent. But why the heavy burden? Why not reunite her with her parents?

Fighting her inner thoughts, she heard a sound. It was faint, far-off. She knew it was somebody’s voice. For a fleeting second she thought it was Tipton, but she shook it off. He was an assassin and from their brief encounter she knew he would be discreet. There was an old folk tale a few of the villagers would tell about the whispers of the trees. Could this faint voice be the trees talking to her? To warn her of something? She shook her head again, clearing her thoughts. She definitely heard that voice from somewhere. But where?

What was she doing here? She knew this place, that faint far-off voice. Kaia just couldn’t bring herself to remember. Home. She wanted to be home. But her home was dead. She was astonished to find a tear trailing down her smooth face. Slowly and carefully, as if it would disappear at any second, she touched it. It was real. Could the dead still cry?

About the author:

A geek at heart, Sheenah Freitas has a love for the whimsical and magical. She looks to animated Disney movies and Studio Ghibli films for inspiration because of the innovative twists on fairytales, strong story structures and character studies. When not writing, you might find her in a forest where she’s yet to find any enchanted castles.

Find her online:
Website: http://sheenahfreitas.com
Twitter: @SheenahFreitas

This excerpt is brought to you by Bewitching Book Tours:

Interview with my critique partner Cher Green

2011-11-23T11:34:00.005-05:00

My critique partner, Cher Green, has a new release out this month! I'm very excited because I was a critique partner for this story, and I had the honor of watching it develop. To celebrate, I have her as a guest today to answer some questions about herself and her new release!!!!

1. How does the cover reflect the mood/setting of Seduced By Darkness?

The artist did a wonderful job with the cover. The setting of the surrounding forest reflects Geneva's home location, a cave set deep in the woods of (fictional) New Haven, Memphis. The stormy sky and Geneva's sorrowful look reflect her inner conflict of betraying her family for love.

2. Tell us about the main character: is she at all like you, or totally the opposite?

Geneva is very sexy, spunky, and determined. She's also lonely and confused by her own longings. We share a few traits, or at least at some point. I'm determined to be who I want to be and not what others expect. I've also felt the loneliness and confusion in the past. In my world, I believe love has caused the most conflict, for reasons we won't go into.

3. Where did you get the idea/inspiration for Seduced By Darkness?

The story started with a theme. eTreasures Publishing wanted a paranormal romance to set into the Dark Brides anthology. I knew I wanted a vampire story. The characters came into play before the actual story line, and I set them into action. Geneva and Lewis pulled the story together, but the supporting characters fleshed it out with conflict and interesting stories of their own.

4. What are you writing now?

I'm working on a full length novel at the moment. The story is of a woman who's forgotten her past and the ability to speak to ghosts. When she's confronted by both, her world turns to chaos and she finds herself having to fight for her life, and the lives of the ones she loves.

5. I'd love to hear about how your parents choose your name. You're the only person I know named Cher, besides the obvious singer! (My parents got my name from a song by the 70's group named Bread.)

I was named after the obvious singer, lol. My mom was a big fan of the Sonny and Cher show.

Links: www.chergreen.com, chergreen.blogspot.com, tarotbycher.blogspot.com
Purchasing Link
Also available, Escape to Love

Seduced by Darkness Blurb:

Geneva Chilton, warned against human contact, betrays her family in order to be close to the world she longs to join. Intrigued by an artist’s work and his ability to capture life on canvas, Geneva steps too close to the boundaries and discovers love, but what price will she have to pay?

Lewis Hunt, intrigued by Geneva’s beauty and determined to capture it on canvas, discovers he needs more. Lewis needs the real woman behind the beauty. His course leads him to her, but also to danger. How hard is he willing to fight for a woman of darkness, a vampire?

Cher's Bio:

Cher Green, born in Tennessee, lives in South Carolina with her significant other and her two feline companions. She writes in many genres, spanning from horror to romance, usually with a touch of paranormal. When she isn’t writing, she’s delivering mail for the United States Postal Service. Cher also works as an editor, both for various publishing companies and freelance. Her other interests include spiritual development, tarot cards, and reading.

Thanks for visiting, Cher, and good luck with your new release!

Movie Review: Thor

2011-11-21T09:55:00.003-05:00

I'd put off watching this movie because I thought it would be another one dimensional super hero adventure, but I was pleasantly surprised. Not only does it have an outstanding cast: Anthony Hopkins, Natalie Portman, and Stellan Skasgard, it has a great character arc and some meaty messages. It doesn't end all happily ever after, either.

Thor starts off as an arrogant but powerful god about to inherit kingship of his realm. Before the ceremony can be completed, dark forces invade the castle interrupting his appointment. Thinking he can rid the kingdom of the dark forces forever, Thor goes to the underworld. But all he does is start a war. The king casts him out to Earth where he meets Natalie Portman. Falling in love with her teaches him lessons that make him worthy of being King.

The movie starts with a bunch of CGI graphics so fantastic it made my eyeballs hurt. But then, when Thor gets to Earth, all of the show gets put away, and some great characterization develops. It was hilarious to see the mighty Thor suffer the same problems as a human, and be brought to his knees by something as simple as a taser. Natalie Portman is great as a meteorologist on a quest to find answers. Her sharp tongue is just what Thor needs to realize he's not all that. Anthony Hopkins as the mighty King of Asgard, was wonderful, as always.

What will stay with me is the end (which I won't mention here).

I recommend this movie to anyone wanting to see a great super hero flick with outstanding actors and more depth that the average CGI adventure.

Interview with Entangled Publishing Author Natalie Damschroder

2011-11-20T06:00:00.001-05:00

Thanks so much, Aubrie, for having me as a guest today!

Your Welcome, Natalie! I'm so excited about your upcoming release! Now for some questions:

1. First, tell us about what you thought when you first saw your fantastic cover!!!

I fell instantly in love with the fonts. LOL Isn't that silly? But I LOVE all the little details, the brilliant white of the moon behind the title, the fonts used for my name and the series box, even the scrollwork on the box itself and the details on the spine and back for the paperback. All of those are great contrast to the colors, and very eye-catching.

2. How is your heroine like you, or not like you?

She's very take charge and bossy, which is very much like me. I had to tone her down some, but even in the first draft, she wasn't as bossy as I am. First-born child with a little brother. Can't help it! LOL But she's not like me in other ways—I'm blessed with a large, loving, close family, while Quinn is adrift, with no parents or siblings. She also has two guys who love her. I don't need that, my husband is plenty, but I'd take these two in a heartbeat! LOL

3. Tell us about the hunk riding the motorcycle!

Nick doesn't actually ride one in the book! But that's okay, because he totally would if it were practical. He's a protector, traveling the country to protect goddesses who are at risk and without access to their power sources. His job is a family legacy that he upholds by himself, so he'll never allow a relationship with the heroine beyond being at her side one week a month.

4. Where/how did you come up with the idea of goddesses and how someone can drain their power?

I love writing paranormal, and I'd had an idea for a different kind of goddess story, something more chick-lit-y. But I wanted to write about these two guys I had in my head, and put the two ideas together in a kind of creative big bang right before NaNoWriMo a few years ago.

Goddesses are descended from the ancients, through the maternal line, and there are no gods. But in the right circumstances, a goddess can bestow a bit of her power onto a male. The problem is that he can't hold on to it. Once he uses it, it's gone. But he's already addicted, and feeds that by stealing from other goddesses. More details on this come up in Heavy Metal, the second book in the Goddesses Rising series.

5. How did you find Entangled Publishing and why did you choose to go with them?

I heard about them through the grapevine when they first announced themselves, but I've seen so many small publishers come and go, I dismissed them at first. Then I found out the owner started Savvy Authors, which had impressed me a great deal. Research told me there was a solid business foundation to Entangled, and the staff was impressive, too. I liked the publicity factor, which was unique, and I talked to some already-successful, agented authors who were impressed and had already signed contracts. They seemed to be the perfect home for this series, and everything I've seen since has impressed me more.

6. Any advice for writers out there?

I usually say "if you can quit, do it," because this business is so hard, but it's also in such upheaval right now. I have to change my standard advice to "learn everything you can, and then learn some more." Not just about craft, but more importantly, about business. There are so many options for us now, and so much out there that seems spectacular but is really not in an author's best interest. What's right for someone else may not be right for you, and vice versa. You have to make well-informed decisions, and manage your expectations. Always keep your eyes open, and then you can't regret any choice you make, no matter what the result.

7. What's up next for you?

Working hard on Heavy Metal and Sunroper, the other two books in the trilogy, are at the top of my list. I also have a book coming out in April called Acceptable Risks, a non-paranormal romantic adventure featuring a guy who died but wasn't able to attend his funeral. ;)

Thanks, Aubrie!

You're Welcome!!!

Under the Moon, GODDESSES RISING - Book One - by Natalie J. Damschroder will be available in December. You can preorder it on Amazon or Barnes and Noble.

Good luck with your fantastic upcoming release!!!

How I Conquered Fruit Flies and the Winners of Diamonds and Toads

2011-11-19T08:48:00.003-05:00

First of all, the Winners of Diamonds and Toads are Cherie and Trish! Thank you for commenting on my blog! You'll be getting an email shortly.

Now, my rant on fruit flies!

I love bananas. I eat them with my cereal, as a snack on the go, or with strawberries. But, whenever I buy them and take them home, I get fruit flies: those little bugs that like to come out when I'm making food, or hang out near my sink.

They gross me out!

I even find them on my toothbrush sometimes. Yuck.

So, I asked around and learned fruit flies lay their eggs on the bananas. So, when you bring them home, you bring home the fruit flies as well.

Double yuck.

I didn't even want to eat bananas again.

Were the eggs on the outside of the banana or inside it?

I did some research online. Someone on yahoo said if you wash your bananas when you come home form the grocery store, you won't have fruit flies.

So I tried it, feeling kind of silly.

I sprayed and rinsed the bananas for a good three minutes and guess what?

No fruit flies.

The eggs must be on the outside. (Thank goodness- because if they were inside I don't think I'd eat bananas again.)

So, if you have fruit flies at home, wash your produce, especially bananas when you get home from the grocery store. It doesn't take long, and it will save you the grossness of having the little bugs sit all over your food.

Giveaway: 2 ebooks for Diamond And Toads

2011-11-17T06:00:00.002-05:00

Diamonds and Toads: A Modern Fairy Tale
By K.E. Saxon

Blurb:

Once upon a time, there were two sisters, one blessed,and one cursed by fairy magic...

So each sister's story begins.

Delilah Perrault is blessed with riches beyond her wildest dreams and the man she's had her eye on for ages--even though he secretly has designs on her newfound wealth instead. Delilah's half-sister, Isadora, is cursed with having her every utterance come out as an obscene and humiliating quip, just when the gorgeous hunk she dumped years before under pressure from mama swaggers back into her life.

If you like Bewitched, Sex and the City and Gossip Girl, try out this modern girl's fairy tale.

Get it Amazon for the Kindle or on Smashwords and at BN for the Nook

And now for a guest post by K. E. Saxon!!!

Good morning, readers! Today I thought I’d share my top ten romance movies that employ magic in them. But first, let me give you a short description of the story:

Inspired by the Gordon Laite illustrations in my childhood book, My Little Golden Book of Fairy Tales, and with a nod to the 17th century author of the fairy tale, Charles Perrault, DIAMONDS & TOADS is a modern take on the tale of the same name, but with more emphasis on the love story. Crossing genres between hot/steamy contemporary, comedy, and fantasy romance, it is written in two parts, the first concentrating on the "good" Perrault sister, who is blessed by the family fairy with a fortune from diamonds and an engagement to the man of her dreams, while the second concentrates on the "bad" Perrault sister, her curse (her every utterance an obscene and humiliating quip), and her “frogman” ex-lover. In both parts, the fairy’s often comical appearances and maneuverings serve to further the plots to their “happily-ever-after” conclusions.

And now, on to my movies list!

Top Ten Romance Movies that employ magic:

1. Simply Irresistible
2. Stardust
3. Chocolat
4. The Lake House
5. The Mistress of Spices
6. Miracle on 34th Street
7. Ella Enchanted
8. A Midsummer Night’s Dream
9. Like Water For Chocolate
10. Splash!

And here’s an extra one that you may not be familiar with (it’s from 1958): Bell, Book, and Candle.

So, what are your favorite romance movies that employ magic?

Thank you, Aubrie, for having me here today!

You're Welcome!!!

Author Bio:

Author Bio: K.E. Saxon is a third-generation Texan and has been a lover of romance fiction since her first (sneaked) read of her older sister's copy of "The Flame and the Flower" by Kathleen E. Woodiwiss. She is a member of the West Houston Chapter of Romance Writer's of America and is a devoted subscriber to the Romance Divas online forum. She has two cats, a 24-year-old cockatiel, a funny, supportive husband, and a garden that's been fried by the recent drought. When she isn't in her writer's cave writing, you can find her puttering in her organic vegetable garden or in her kitchen trying out a new recipe. An animal (and bug) lover since before she could speak, she made pets of all kinds of critters when she was a kid growing up. Her mother even swears that she made a pet of a cockroach one time (but K.E. doesn't believe her). She likes to write funny, sexy romances.

Website | Blog | Twitter | Facebook

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Interview with Author Jennifer Synder

2011-11-16T08:52:00.003-05:00

Now that I'm feeling better from that nasty flu, (and am probably not contagious anymore!) I'm here to welcome author Jennifer Synder to my blog! She has a new short story out, and she's answered some of my questions for us today!

1) Where did you get the idea for "Choice"?

While writing Touch (A Hereafter Novella) I just had to know what happened to Jet during a life-altering moment I briefly mention.

2) I love your cover! What does it represent in your story?

Thank you! The river on the cover actually represents a main place in the short story.

3) Tell us about the first book, Hereafter.

Hereafter will be a full length novel released in the second half of 2012. It will be about a seventeen year old girl named Rowan Harper who is forced into a high ranking position on the Reapers Council and what happens after. Touch (which is available now) is Rowan’s story of how she came to be in this position. And Choice is Jet’s story of how he came to be Reaper number 142 of the east physical realm.

4) What's next for you in the world of writing?

I’ll be releasing another young adult paranormal romance, titled Marked, in the spring that will (as of now) be a duology.

5) Where can people find you on the web?

On my blog: http://jennifersnydersblog.blogspot.com I’m also on Twitter: @JennSnyder04

6) Where can they buy "Choice"?

Amazon

Smashwords

Here is the Blurb:

People often say everything happens for a reason. Seventeen-year-old Jet Donavan Mathews is about to find out that statement is not always true. Jet will learn that sometimes there are moments which were never meant to occur, moments where you are left with a choice.

Choice is a Hereafter (coming late 2012) short story of approx. 2,500 words.

Thanks again, Aubrie for having me on your blog!

Flu

2011-11-14T09:12:00.002-05:00

I have the flu today, so everyone should stay away from me. I'll try to return emails if it's important, but I'll be slow getting back to you.

Pictures from B&N Book Signing

2011-11-12T18:53:00.004-05:00

The book signing went so well today! I had serious anxiety in the car on the way there. It was such a good idea all the way up until I'm driving to B&N, then, it wasn't such a good idea any more. Good idea, good idea, good idea....bad idea...

Now, I realize it was a great idea, and I had nothing to worry about. (I'm such a worry wart.) I didn't even have to read my book out loud. The manager said we'd sell more if we stood out front and talked about our books instead. And we did. I watched the stack of books go down slowly.

Total strangers came by to ask us questions about our books, and they bought them! Of course, my entire family showed up, and that helped to create more buzz. I need to thank my parents, Brianne, James, Evan, Austin, Danielle, and of course Chris for being there for me today.

Sarah Gilman is so much fun to be with. We had a blast talking about flute (Get two flutists together and there's always conversation), writing, family, all sorts of topics. We even had another local author invite us to another book signing event at a local winery. How cool is that?

At the end of the day, I'm glad I did it. Thank you, Barnes and Noble Manchester for making my dream come true!

Gearing up for B&N Signing!!!

2011-11-11T10:43:00.002-05:00

First of all, I'd like to say Happy Veterans Day to all of the veterans out there! Thank you for serving. I watch war movies on Veterans Day and I'm always impressed by how much people have sacrificed for us to sit here and have book signings. Thank you.

Tomorrow is my first ever Barnes and Noble signing! I'm so excited I can't even put it into words. I've driven by this Barnes and Noble store for years saying, "I wish my book was in there." I can't believe this dream is coming true. And on my birthday weekend, no less! What a wonderful birthday present.

But I'm also nervous.

What if no one shows up? I've already bugged my family about it a million times, so at least they'll come and talk the book up. But, I'm also wondering if anyone else will take an interest, or if I'll be sitting at the table with Sarah Gilman- who's also signing- just the two of us....alone with cricket sounds around us. The store manager said I have to be outgoing-even agressive. And that's just not me. I actually avoid those people in the grocery store trying to get me to taste something. And I block my face with my hand when I walk by those kiosks in the mall. I don't want to be one of those people.

What if someone doesn't like my book? That one I can't do anything about. Some people just don't like science fiction. It isn't for them, just like nonfiction isn't for me. I can't imagine sitting down to read a history book- but my dad loves history, so that's all he reads. Last Saturday at my book signing at the Weare Winter Festival I told this woman about my book, "It's like Star Wars and Star Trek with a little bit of Pirates of the Caribbean." I asked her if she liked any of those movies. Her response- No. (Someone doesn't like Star Wars? Isn't that illegal?)

What if I sound dumb reading my excerpt out loud? I need to practice tonight. And I need to talk slowly. I tend to rush right through it, and then no one will understand what I'm saying. The scary part is that they said they'd turn off all of the music in the store so everyone can hear me. *shakes in my boots*

I'll let you all know how it turns out for me, and I'll post pictures!!! Let's hope people show up, like my book, and that I can talk like a normal person and not freak out!

Interview with GSP author, Lee-Ann Vinson

2011-11-09T20:15:00.004-05:00

1. How did you find Gypsy Shadow Publishing? (My publisher as well!) Why did you decide to go with them?

I believe I was on Duotrope’s when I found Gypsy. I scrolled through, reading the names of the publishers and what they were looking. I stopped when I got to Gypsy. The name intrigued me. At the time, I thought it sounded sexy and exciting. I’m sure Charlotte and Denise will laugh at that one. It just seemed to be a name that fit. In other words, it felt right. I submitted and the rest is, well . . . published.

2. Tell us about your new release with GSP!!!

‘Callie’s Fate’ is an erotic romance. When I first thought about what was important to me in my writing, erotic and romance was far from my list of “needs to be written”.

Erotica happened to be a section in my writing course, so I gave it a whirl. When it was finished, it was not a piece I was particularly happy with, nor was my publisher. Thankfully, it got accepted with a note to “rewrite it”. I did and ‘Callie’ was reborn.

As a writer, you need to have the ability to become your characters -- to feel, think and respond the way they would. It was difficult for me to let go and write such intimate scenes. I blushed many times during the process, but I managed to come up with something worth publishing.

3. What are some common themes in your writing?

Military/Romance, Military/Suspense, Military/Erotica. I hold an extreme fascination for those who enter into a life of service to others. The fact is these people give up their life for us -- for freedom.

Sure, you can (or could) get your education paid for, and that option is one that definitely gets young people to enlist. The fact is, once you enlist, you no longer belong to yourself.

There are many downsides to military life that don’t include getting shot at or firing upon another human. It takes a special type of person to be able to live that kind of life, and so often the hardships go unnoticed by those of us who live the civilian life.

There will be other genres that will be enticed onto the screen by my worn keyboard. However, at the moment, this is the subject that is closest to my heart.

4. How do you balance writing with two kids? (I have zero kids, and I still have to cram writing time in sometimes.)

Oh, wow! There’s supposed to be a balance? I keep telling myself that one day it will get easier (I’m not sure if I’m referring to the writing or my children). It’s almost humorous the amount of times I say “I worked less when I had a full-time job.”

There are a few perks to being able to stay at home and do what I love. Oh, wait! I get to stay at home and do what I love! As long as I work at home, there never will be a balance. I’ve accepted that fact.

What I try to do now, is organize my home as I would an office. The whiteboard is up, it has what I need to accomplish every day of the current month written across it. So it is written, so it shall be done (in theory anyway).

I also review books for Great Minds Think Aloud. My time is divided between the kids, the four month old puppy, writing and reading. Some days, I think a partial balance is reached once I’ve done an hour or so of kickboxing. After that, my brain is sufficiently cleared. Heck, I’ve come up with some of my best story lines while sparring. I find it takes away the overwhelming desire to run away and get a “real” job.

5. Tell us about your favorite character in your new release! Do you picture anyone in particular to play him/her?

Well, there are only three characters in it. And two of them are incredibly matched between the sheets. All of my female characters so far are strong-minded, physical, no-nonsense, and sexy-as-hell. Weakness has never been a trait I’ve cared for. My female leads, though flawed somehow, are never in need of a man -- they are in want.

I would say my favourite in ‘Callie’s Fate’ would have to be Christian. It’s not often (if ever) you would find a man as yummy as him. Who would play him? Antonio Banderas, perhaps?

6. What did you read as a kid? How has that influenced your writing today?

I read a lot of fables when I was young. I must confess, I don’t remember being particularly taken with a series or author. However, there is one book that will forever remain in my memory. My sister had a copy of ‘The Peculiar Miss Picket’. The main character is an old woman who shows up to babysit two children. What they don’t know is that she has special powers. When she takes off her glasses she can make things move and transport them to places. Talk about the best babysitter ever!

I must have read that book a thousand times. I now read it to my daughter. The pages are falling out and the cover is worn, but it still holds the same magic when I open it up.

7. Any advice for writers?

Fall in love with your story. Then walk away. Do something else. Write something else, anything else. When you can’t remember what that first story was about, go back to it. If you’re still in love with every word, you’re a better writer than I will ever be! Send it out and wait for your millions. If you rip it apart and curse yourself for ever believing it was good enough to be published in the firs place, welcome to the fold, my friend.

The power of time gives us greater clarity. Walk away. Take a breath. Come back. Start again. Now you’re a writer.

Thank you for doing the interview!

It has been my extreme pleasure, Aubrie. Thank you so much for hosting me!

And now for her new release!!!

Buy at Gypsy Shadow Publishing.
Buy on Amazon

Glowing Review for Paradise 21

2011-11-08T08:22:00.002-05:00

Two Lips reviews gave Paradise 21 five lips!! This is the type of review that keeps me writing. Thank you, Merrylee, for taking the time to read it and for writing such a great, inspirational review for me!!!

My favorite quote, "If Paradise 21 doesn't get made into a movie, I'll eat my laptop!" Sometimes I drive by the movie theater and daydream about it being made into a movie...

Here's the whole review:

Centuries ago, with Earth left a barren waste, those chosen for their perfect DNA set out on the colony ship New Dawn, bound for Paradise 21, a habitable planet many light years away. Their descendants remain humanity's best hope for survival.

Aries will be long dead, never having seen more than the inside walls of the New Dawn, by the time the enormous ship finally reaches Paradise 21. She has been chosen by a computer to marry the detestable Lieutenant Astor Barliss. Even her job as a technical engineer has been chosen for her. She wants neither, any more than she wants to spend the rest of her life onboard the New Dawn, where she will never smell fresh air or see anything more than the vast darkness of space. Her only hope of fleeing her stifling existence is to steal an escape pod and fly it to the nearest habitable planet. Although Sahara 354 is a bleak ball of sand orbiting two blistering hot suns, it at least has a breathable atmosphere. And it offered her freedom.

Marooned five years ago by his mutinous crew, Striker has made the most of his time on Sahara 354, repairing the ancient alien craft he discovered buried beneath the sand. Descended from genetically imperfect humans who've set up housekeeping on a decaying space station called Outpost Omega, he' s determined to fly his people to Refuge, a moon much like Earth was before its demise. Enamored with the handsome pirate and his promise of green fields and blue skies, Aries is able to provide the location of the final piece of equipment they need to power up the alien ship.

But Aries is hunted by her ruthless and single-minded intended. The planet's native lizard people, not to mention the local wildlife, aren't what you'd call friendly. And then there's Striker's crew who return for him for their own nefarious purposes. When Aries discovers that her freedom may come at a price she isn't willing to pay, she will save the life of the man she loves...even at the cost of her own.

If Paradise 21 doesn't get made into a movie, I'll eat my laptop! Wait a minute; I don't have a laptop. Oh, well...who cares! With its perfect blend of fast-paced action-adventure, a sweet love story and a theme that resonates with all of us – that of freedom of choice – Paradise 21 hits on all cylinders from page one to the very end. In it, Aubrie Dionne does an amazing job of keeping the suspense and character emotions at a soaring intensity. The essential need-for-freedom vibe rolls off Aries when she finds, to her horror, that she's been paired with Barliss – a slick, calculative, and often vicious man who's out for his own gain – Aries knows she has to make a run for it. She would rather die on an inhospitable planet like Sahara 354 than spend her entire life imprisoned onboard the New Dawn with such a partner.

When her miscalculations drop her dead center into a dangerous world she's never had any experience with, she's fortunate that Striker's there to rescue her. Striker's a multi-layered and complex character, a white knight in a black cape. Hurt by a former love, Striker's hesitant to ever open his heart again, but as he works side by side with Aries to repair the alien spaceship, his desire for her takes root and begins to grow. For him, Aries is a second chance at love, while he symbolizes her fondest desire for freedom and each is the other's hope for the future.

Paradise 21 is populated with some extremely interesting supporting characters. Aries has several flashbacks to before her best friend Tria managed to escape the New Dawn only to be found dead. I have a sneaking hunch Tria just might have engineered her death to cover up her escape. There's Tiff, Striker's old love, who vacillates between her own selfish wants and what she knows to be right. There's orphaned Loot who's just coming into his own as a bright, brave young man. And then there's Barliss, who changes his dastardly ways at the end. Or does he? Paradise 21 leaves enough dangling threads for several installments to this promising new series. I for one can’t wait for the next release. In the meantime, read and enjoy this one!

Thanks again, Merrylee!!!

Book Tour and Giveaway Demonsoul

2011-11-07T06:00:00.000-05:00

I'm pleased to welcome author Amy Lunderman. She's here to promote her new release, Demonsoul. She has a great character profile for us, and there's a giveaway!!

About the Author…

Amy Lunderman is a stay at home mom, with a passion to write paranormal romantic thriller's whether they be adult or young adult. She lives in Rhode Island with her fiancé and their beautiful daughter. She enjoys writing, reading, being a mom, watching movies and television, having dance party, youtube, and status updates on facebook.

Blog | Twitter | Facebook

Buy on Amazon, Smashwords, Barnes and Noble

Character Profile: Daria Pigwidgeon

In Demonsoul (The Misadventures of Daria Pigwidgeon), Daria is not only the main character by also the narrator. Here is a character profile, to help understand her better and where she is coming from:

NAME: Daria Pigwidgeon
AGE: 16
HEIGHT: 5’
WEIGHT: 100 pounds
BIRTH DATE: November 1st, 1995
HAIR: Black
EYES: Brown
BIRTHPLACE: Bakersfield, Ca

DRESS (Style, colors): Used to hand-me-downs that never fit, she prefers anything that does; namely hoodies of the pink variety.

DESCRIPTION OF HOME: She ran away from home, and now has her own apartment in that of an in-law garage loft. It’s the first real space that she has ever considered her own.

DOMINANT CHARACTER TRAIT: She is skittish and nervous around people, mostly because she has only ever been around her family her whole life.
SECONDARY CHARACTER TRAIT: She basically takes everything that happens to her in stride and when she is used to certain things, she becomes more forward with how she feels.

BEST FRIEND: Ashley Harris (though against her better judgment at first) kind of grew on her.

OTHER FRIENDS: Chance Harris (Ashley’s older brother), Toby Reed (her co-worker), and maybe Jane (Ashley’s friend).

ENEMIES and WHY: Her family. Ever since she was younger they would always torment her and would very likely try to kill her in not for her abilities.

FAMILY: Has never been close with her parents or with her older brothers and sister. They only somewhat tolerate one another, meaning Daria does her best to keep under the radar until she couldn’t anymore.

What kind of person is character with others (name persons and describe interaction): With her family growing up, she has always been on the offense making sure she is relatively safe. With everyone else, she is trying to become someone new, but it’s making her a nervous rec. She stumbles over her words and sometimes even over her feet, and everywhere she looks she expects there to be a threat.
Sees self as: She is mostly ashamed of whom she is and would give anything to be normal. Being a demon is something she never wanted, and her soul reminds her of that. Of course, her soul just gives her something of a conscious, which other demons lack. Therefore, she works hard to keep herself in check and her abilities reined in.

Is seen by others as: A nervous twitchy frail girl that is in need of saving, at least to everyone that isn’t her family.

Sense of humor: Her humor is kind of bland, and takes some getting used to. Mostly, she uses anger as a natural defense, so her funnies are somewhat lacking. To everyone but herself anyway. She finds her humor hilarious.

Temper: She is used to taking a lot of grief over the years, but is through taking it now. Trying to be normal takes its toll while living in the open and she finds herself slipping at the worst times. Then there is the fact of her abilities, they feed on her moods. She isn’t someone to sneak up on and expect no retaliation.

Basic nature: She is a demon since birth, but is an abomination of her kind because of her soul. Luckily, her abilities are more for defense which she is in great need of, since her family is her threat. Her main ability is something she calls a memory block, which is what it sounds like. She can block herself from someone’s memory as long as she keeps it up; this allows her to avoid many confrontations. Her second ability is more of a reflex warning system. She calls this her inner-Taser, which again is what it sounds like. If threatened or afraid, a shock emits from her hands and zaps who or whatever is the object of her fear. It has known to have the strength of that of a lightning bolt, but she avoids any and all confrontations.

Ambitions: Her main goal is to be just a normal girl and free of her past. This is made easy by running away and starting over somewhere new.

Educational background: She never went to school growing up, and taught herself everything she knows. It helps that she has a photographic (literally) memory courtesy of her abilities. Going to school for the first time is something she is excited about, but it’s not what she expected.

Work experience: Her first job is at a sandwich shop, working with a new acquaintance Toby Reed. He welcomes her with open arms and shows her the ropes. She values this experience, since it’s her only source of income and the only thing allowing her to stay where she is; without using her abilities that is.
Philosophy of life: “Under all my soft girl exterior, and inner demon, turns out I’m more girl than demon.”

Habits: She likes her independence and is sure to not accept too much help from others, and doesn’t talk unless talked to first that is until she is comfortable. She prefers solitude to groups, as it’s something she grew up doing and is used to it.

Talents (when character looks good): Her memory block and inner Taser.
Hobbies/pastimes: Sleeping in a bed, chocolate, walking, working, being around Chance.

Choice of entertainments: Chance Harris.

What trait will make character come alive? Being around Chance (he makes her nervous in a good way), threats (makes her abilities come forward) her family (they make her feel like an actual demon and not in a good way).

Why is character likeable? She is shy and helpless looking, and those around her can’t help wanting to offer support. Her moods are kind of hostile, but she values kindness and offers it in return.

Why is character loveable? It takes a lot of strength to accept that her family won’t change and to finally leave. She is trying to overcome her past and start over, while at the same time trying to suppress her dark side.

Thank you for hosting me today Aubrie! 

You're Welcome! And now for the Giveaway!!!

Demonsoul Tour Giveaways

5 ebook copies of DemonSoul are being given away tour wide

5 winners will randomly be chosen from all entries

No purchase necessary to win

Open internationally, void where prohibited

Link to form
https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet/viewform?formkey=dHU3T3VSLXBiRFJRWWR2WGh1TGxBOFE6MQ

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Tour provided by:

Guest Post by Wanita May

2011-11-05T06:00:00.000-04:00

Today I'm excited to welcome author Wanita May. I met Wanita through the Blue Ridge Literary Agency. We have the same agent! Wanita's here to talk about reading and how to find a book worth your time.

To Read Or What To Read

I’m an avid reader. Have been -- ever since I learned how. As a kid, I read when I woke, after school, before bed, and even when I was told to go to sleep (little dollar-store flashlight came in handy). I read any and everything I could get my hands on – I wanted to be pulled into someone else’s world and save the day, or fall in love, or hurt so bad my tears covered the pages. I loved it. All of it. Still do.

Except now I’ve grown up, finished school, finished university, got married, had babies. I still want to be pulled into a make-believe world or, for just a little bit, be pulled into someone’s mind and try to figure out how it ticks. I love it that my kids want it too. It must be innate, inside all of us but probably at different levels. I think mine is turned up to full volume.

The problems is: Life is way busier now so I don’t have as much time to read. I don’t have the time to grab anything and fall in love with the story. I’ve grown more selective with what I read. I’m awful, but I do judge a book by its cover, but at least I need the back blurb to confirm the front. I’m still pulled into YA – who doesn’t love some form of young adult? I also want some fantasy or mystery or a good sci-fi that seems surreal and so believable at the same time.

So how do I know a book is worth my precious time? Besides basing it on the cover and back flap? The publishing world has changed… a book store isn’t like it used to be (oh, that makes my heart bleed a little bit). But there is a positive: the internet now lets you check out the cover, the back flap, a sample and get this added tidbit – reviews. The views of people like you and me saying the book is yeah or ney. It does help and if you read something you enjoy (or lack there of) let other readers know. It helps.

There are also cool Book Trailers (let me raise my hand here as an author, I’ve made one… or two… okay, three). But they’re fun to make and awesome to watch. It’s like a movie premier to a book. And I love movies (though they’re never as good as the book imo).

So now when I want to choose a book, I’ve got the cover, the back blurb, reviews, samples, book trailers… and all at the click of a button. Did I mention the hubby just bought me a kindle for my last birthday? And not the tiny one, I got the big “book” size one.

Now all I need to find is that handy little flashlight I used to have…

Thanks for letting me stop by Aubrie! Rae of Hope, the first book in the Chronicles of Kerrigan, comes out November 15th in print. It’s currently available in eBook at all the regular stopping sites.

You're welcome, Wanita! Now here's where to find Wanita and her new release on the internet:

W.J. May
Website
Blog
Facebook: Author Wanita May
Twitter: @wanitajump
Book Trailer

Book Blurb:

Fifteen year-old Rae Kerrigan is used to being invisible. Living in New York with her Aunt and Uncle after having been orphaned at a young age by a terrible fire, her life has been quiet, filled with excellent grades and not much else. Then came the letter from Guilder Boarding School, a mysterious place Rae had never heard of which will change her life. She crosses the ocean to enter a world she's never known existed, one where she's center stage and has a very important role to play.

Will the sins of a father choose her path? Or will she have the courage to change her fate? The decision will be made, by fate or teen, in the Rae of Hope.

The question is, as hero or villain? It seems most of Guilder is voting the later, and it's up to Rae to prove everyone wrong and bring hope to her world. But will she succeed, or will the shadows draw her in and swallow her whole?

Barbara Kyle talks about the Writing Process

2011-11-04T06:00:00.005-04:00

I'm excited to welcome author Barbara Kyle to my blog today! I've asked her to talk about the writing process because so many of my followers are fellow writers, and we're all in this together, right?

So take it away, Barbara!!!!

I was an actor for twenty years before I became an author, and that was excellent experience for writing. It gave me a bone-deep sense of dramatic structure, which is fundamental to creating compelling stories. And, of course, speaking dialogue in dozens of scripts was ideal for honing the skill of writing dynamic dialogue.

However, acting is an interpretive art – you re-create what the screenwriter or playwright made – whereas writing is a creative art. So I had to learn the creation the hard way, just like any beginning writer, by throwing out draft after draft, cutting the flab, until I’d distilled just the people and their story.

Nevertheless, writing is a lot like acting. You create each character to be as individual as possible, but each one will always be filtered through one’s own life experience and world view, one’s own heart and soul. I think that’s why very young writers often are rather one-note: they haven’t lived enough, seen enough of the human condition, witnessed the astonishing variety of people in our world to convey that variety authentically. Personally, I find it’s a treat to inhabit different people’s skins via writing. I must say, I love writing male characters for this very reason.

Perhaps paradoxically, I read more non-fiction than fiction, and on any topic as long as it’s well done. I recently read Adam Hochschild’s “To End All Wars,” a stunning and heartbreaking book about World War I and the brave Brits who refused to fight and went to prison for it. He’s such a fine writer, I then searched out his “Bury the Chains” about the English anti-slavery movement in the 18th century. I think today’s writers of narrative non-fiction do some of the best writing of our time, because they immerse the reader in morally ambiguous situations, and that’s exhilarating for the reader. I hope I’ve accomplished some of that with Entrapped.

And now for Barbara's New Release!!!

Taken from Amazon:

Entrapped is a thriller of high stakes: life and death, love, and oil.

Set in Alberta, Entrapped is the story of Liv Gardner, an ambitious young oil executive intent on stopping farmer Tom Wainwright who is sabotaging her rigs after a spill of lethal “sour” gas poisoned his wife. Desperate to save the company she built, Liv plants evidence to frame Tom. But when the evidence is used to indict him for a murder he didn't commit, Liv alone can save him.

"Kyle has peopled a landscape of smoke and poison and vast natural beauty with a cast of vivid characters, and none of them, from the slick oil baron to the vengeful radical to the not-quite-professional investigator are quite what they seem ... many jolts and twists and turns that will leave no one unsatisfied." Giles Blunt, internationally acclaimed author of "Crime Machine"

You can buy Entrapped on Amazon, and Barnes and Noble.

You can find and visit Barbara Kyle at:
Website
Facebook
Twitter
Goodreads

Writing Update

2011-11-03T09:13:00.003-04:00

The best news from October is that Entangled Publishing accepted my Novella tentatively titled A Hero Rising for publication early next spring! This novella ties into the New Dawn series, telling James Wilfred's story. (Striker's great great great grandfather), and chronicles the fall of Old Earth.

In A Hero Rising, Earth is covered in skyscrapers due to over population, and we've exhausted the mineral source on the moon. Gangs run the lower levels, while the rich live in luxury at the very top where the last greenhouses are.

I can't tell you much more, but it's going to have zombies! (Not the traditional kind, but with a sci fi twist to it.)

Other than that, I'm currently writing Haven 6, the third book in the New Dawn series, due at the end of January. I'm clocking in 2k a day to get it done! (So no NaNoWriMo this year).

Colonization, the YA tie in to The New Dawn series is still in submission. I've had two full requests from big time publishers, so my fingers are crossed!

I have two book signings coming up:
November 5th at the Weare Winter Festival from 1-3
November 12th at the Manchester Barnes and Noble (my dream come true!) from 2-4

What's new with you? Any good writing news to share?

Guest Post with Entangled Author, Jus Accardo

2011-11-02T06:00:00.000-04:00

I'd like to Welcome Jus Accardo to the blog today! Jus has a new release with Entangled Publishing. (My Publisher- woohoo!)

She's come here today to talk about her grandest wishes. (She already has a literary agent, so let's rule that wish out right away.-Way to go, Jus!)

Take it away, Jus!!!!

I wish, I wish, I wish I was a fish…

No, not really. I have no desire to be a fishie. But I do have a few wishes. Completely random, and somewhat crazysauce wishes that will give you a peek into my twisted and overly caffeinated brain…

1. Llamas in a smaller, more manageable size. Llamas kick butt. If you don’t believe me, go take a look at one. Really look. They’re adorable and they make funny noises. WinWin! I wish they came in smaller sizes so we could keep one in the house. I’d name him Floyd and tie a bright green ribbon around his neck. Why green? Duh. Floyd is a dude. He wouldn’t go for any of that pink ribbon crap.

2. Joss Whedon, my neighbor. I wish Joss Whedon lived next door and threw house parties (that he’d invite me to, of course) for all of his characters (which were, of course, real). Quite possibly the coolest man alive, Joss would be my bff. I’d get to hang with Spike and Mal and play drinking games with Buffy.

3. Animals could talk. This is probably one of those Be careful what you wish for wishes—something I’d probably regret in the end—but I can’t help it. I love my dogs and I’d love to know what’s on their mind at any given moment. Plus, I wouldn’t mind chatting with Oswald—my bear—or having wordswith the ground hog who keeps digging craters in my strawberry patch…

If you could make a wish, what would it be?

Great thoughts Jus!

Now a little about Jus Accardo:

Author Bio:

Jus Accardo is the author of YA paranormal romance and urban fantasy
fiction. A native New Yorker, she lives in the middle of nowhere with her
husband, three dogs, and sometimes guard bear, Oswald. Her first book,
Touch, is due out in November 2011 from Entangled Publishing. She is
represented by Kevan Lyon of Marsal Lyon Literary Agency.

And her New Release, Touch:

Touch Blurb:

"When a strange boy tumbles down a river embankment and lands at her feet,
seventeen-year-old adrenaline junkie Deznee Cross snatches the opportunity
to piss off her father by bringing the mysterious hottie with ice blue
eyes home.

Except there's something off with Kale. He wears her shoes in the shower,
is overly fascinated with things like DVDs and vases, and acts like she'll
turn to dust if he touches her. It's not until Dez's father shows up,
wielding a gun and knowing more about Kale than he should, that Dez
realizes there's more to this boy - and her father's "law firm" - than she
realized.

Kale has been a prisoner of Denazen Corporation - an organization devoted
to collecting "special" kids known as Sixes and using them as weapons -
his entire life. And, oh yeah, his touch? It kills. Dez and Kale team up
with a group of rogue Sixes hellbent on taking down Denazen before they're
caught and her father discovers the biggest secret of all. A secret Dez
has spent her life keeping safe.

A secret Kale will kill to protect."

Title: Touch by Jus Accardo
Genre: YA Paranormal Romance
ePub ISBN: 978-1-937044-44-2
Print ISBN: 978-1-937044-45-9
Release Date: November 1, 2011

Buy Links:
Amazon

Barnes & Noble

Website

Blog

Thanks for visiting today, Jus!

Book Tour and Guest Post: Denise Tompkins

2011-11-01T06:00:00.004-04:00

Today I asked Denise to write about writing and music, and here's her thoughts:

Thank you, Aubrie, for having me on your blog today! I appreciate the opportunity to chat about music and writing, and how the two are so blended for me.

I didn’t start out writing to music. In fact, when I first started Legacy, my debut novel (October 18, 2011, Samhain Publishing), I couldn’t stand any background noise at all. Silence was my companion during the day and into the evening, the tap, tap, tap of my fingers on the keyboard the only sound I heard. It likely would have stayed that way if it wasn’t for a steamy scene in a dragon’s lair that demanded more than silence.

The first half of the novel had gone well—and fast—and I was approaching a scene that made me nervous. I’m not sure why. I’d written sex scenes before, but this felt different, more important maybe. It was a turning point for the two main characters in Legacy, and I wanted to do the scene justice. I don’t know how many false starts I had or how many words I threw away. I cringe to think of it even now. Taking a break from my computer, I was on my way to the kitchen when the distinctly Scottish voice of my hero said, “Ye need music, a mhuirnín. Find something and set the mood for me, would ye?” I giggled a little hysterically. It was the first time a character had invaded my thoughts and spoken to me so directly.

I need a holiday, I thought.

But Bahlin wouldn’t leave me be. He pushed and pushed that afternoon, refusing to come onto the page until I relented. I set up an iTunes account, downloaded some music and glared defiantly at the screen. I distinctly remember saying aloud, “There’s your music. Now what?”

The first song by Halestorm played through and I waited. Closing my eyes, I let the music carry me away. My fingers found the keyboard and Bahlin strolled onto the screen, sexy as hell and fully intent on seducing Maddy, the heroine. The scene wrote itself. I was the physical manifestation necessary to make it happen—hey, someone had to type—but the characters needed little from me. They found their motivation in the music, and I found my muse’s weak spot: epic classical.

I can’t write in silence anymore. Instead, I have a pair of wireless headphones and I slap them on my head every morning (I’m wearing them now) and crank up the volume on whatever music suits the day’s mood. At some point, though, I guarantee you I’ll turn on Two Steps from Hell and listen to Dragon Rider. No writing day is complete without that song.

Music drives me, helps me set the mood for the scene, motivates me to take things up or cool them down, puts words in my characters’ mouths, and generally makes the story come alive for me. If you compare my writing with music to that without, it’s easy to see the difference. Music literally changes my literary voice for the better.

What about you? Does music play a role in your writing? Do you develop playlist for each manuscript? I’d love to hear how you use music to overcome your obstacles, whether in writing, work or life.

Thank you again, Aubrie, for having me. I’ve really enjoyed it!

And now for her new release,

Legacy: The Niteclif Evolutions, Book 1
Author: Denise Tompkins
Genre: Fiction – Urban Fantasy/Paranormal Romance
Published by: Samhain Publishing, Ltd. (October 18, 2011)
Age Recommendation: 18+ For Mature Content & Explicit Sexuality
Format: eBook
ASIN: B005IZUXZE
Number of pages: N/A

Find and follow Denise Tompkins:

Author Website
Author Blog
Twitter
Goodreads
Facebook Page

Buy the eBOOK at:

Amazon.com
Amazon.ca – coming soon
Amazon.co.uk
Barnes & Noble
Samhain Publishing, Ltd.
All Romance – coming soon

Tour courtesy of Nurture Book Tours

Pictures from October Snow Storm

2011-10-30T15:53:00.004-04:00

I taught flute lessons until 5pm yesterday, so we didn't get to the grocery store until after it had started snowing. I'm glad we went when we did! I stocked up on pancakes and eggs for breakfast. My sister, who lost power, spent the morning driving to every Dunkin Doughnuts still open. She said the lines went all the way outside. Even the closed stores had people going through the drive through.

My poor dog, Jedi, had no idea what happened. He doesn't like walking in the snow with his little legs.

Over 200,000 houses in NH lost power, and 93 percent of our home town. We lucked out and had power the whole time. BUT- no internet all day until now. I almost went crazy. Almost.

Instead I did all the laundry and pressed nine shirts for the week ahead. Imagine what I could do if I didn't have the internet all the time, huh?

I felt bad pressing all those shirts, using up power while so many people sat in their cold, dark houses. My dad, who works at Home Depot, said the store was a madhouse yesterday with people buying shovels to prepare for the storm. At least it was good for Home Depot's business.

I read on WMUR that the local scary house theme park had to shut down, losing potentially $100,000 in revenue. They are opening back up tonight, but who's going to go to a scary house in the freezing snow?

Anyone else out of power or stuck?

Interview with GSP author, Janet French

2011-10-29T06:00:00.001-04:00

I'm excited to welcome another fellow Gypsy Shadow Publishing author, Janet French. She writes epic fantasy, one of my all time favorite genres!

1. How did you find Gypsy Shadow Publishing (my publisher, too!), and why did you decide to use them?

I spent years getting nowhere in the Catch 22 situation of traditional publishing. Publishers don't want submissions except from agents, agents like a track record, neither of them want fantasy as a genre despite the massive market. My son said he was reading mostly ebooks, why didn't I look at that? So I Googled (other search engines are available) and started down the list. Once I pruned out the vanity publishers and the wrong genre ones, Gypsy Shadow was the first I tried. When Denise said yes and by the way the contract would be for the series, I nearly mailed back and asked if she was sure.

2. Tell us about your new release, The Cardanon Chronicles:

The Silver House is the first of the Cardanon Chronicles. It starts when the Zashran invaders overrun the City of Cardanon. The Mothers of the Silver House hide the city's children and the House in the strands of the Power that weave this world together. Our group of young adventurers are thrown together in their flight from the city. They have to grow up fast as they travel and find they are not just saving their own lives, the Silver House depends on them for its safety and the rest of the world has to be alerted to the threat of the Zashran.

3. What inspired you to write about dragons and magic? (Two of my very favorite things!)

What else is there to write about? If I was being serious I would say I was exploring the problems of a religious authority working alongside a secular power, but really! Dragons are cool and magic is real.

4. Who is your favorite character in the book, and who do you picture when you write about him/her?

Difficult choice. I wouldn't want any of them to think I had favourites so don't tell! Marka and Genya were my rocks through The Silver House but the quirkier characters call me to write more about them. Bertran, Agbani and Leroc make me laugh and I am so in love with Organt (hopelessly of course). I adore Mutt. I keep a book of dog breeds by me to be sure my dogs are right. Mutt looks like a brindle cairn terrier.

5. What is the picture on your cover of?

The picture is an old carving of oriental dragons. The dragons are not quite right for mine, a bit too snaky, but the stained stone and cracked tile behind set the atmosphere for the fall of Cardanon perfectly.

6. What are you currently working on?

Book 2 of the Chronicles of course! It will be called The Ruby Princess. Each book is complete in itself but there is an awfully long way to go before we sort these Zashran out.

7. This question is really important: What do you think about unicorns? I'd love to write about them, but I'm not sure anyone wants to read about unicorns anymore.

Who have you been listening to? Unicorns are tops at just about everything. Come to think of it, maybe you should leave them alone, I am sure I could fit one in.

8. Any advice for writers?

Advice? From me? Wow! I just wrote a story and dumb luck took it from there.
Thank you for doing the interview!!!
It is an honour and a pleasure to be asked. Thank you!

You're welcome, Janet!

If you'd like to purchase The Silver House. You can do so here.

Janet also has a website.

You can follow @cardachronicles on Twitter for updates!

Interview with GSP Author, Liz Newman

2011-10-27T06:00:00.004-04:00

Today I'm excited to welcome a fellow Gypsy Shadow Publishing author, Liz Newman!

Why did you decide to become a novelist?

There's a saying that goes "No one become an artist unless they have to." I believe this saying was coined by Janet Fitch, the author of White Oleander and several other amazing reads, and that saying resonated with me. I've been a clinical psychologist, broadcast journalist intern, and an executive administrative assistant, and each of these careers helped me hone a skill related to becoming a novelist. Clinical psychology gave me insight on the drives and disorders we have which cause us to act/feel/think in certain ways, being a broadcast journalist was like living in a jungle where creatures would smile at you and the moment you turned your back they would move in to devour you any way they could, but if you made it up to the top of the tree you'd be treated like a king or queen, and being an executive administrative assistant gave me the desire to be the person who used my mind instead of being the one to fetch coffee and schedule the conference room. That latter job was something I was trained to aspire for by my parents. For some reason, the idea of being an executive administrative assistant dazzled them with glamor. There's nothing wrong with that; it is an honest living and as far as office staff go, you're pretty high up on the food chain, but... not for me. I'd spend most of the time behind my desk reading anyhow, while the rest of the office surfed the net.

Tell us about your debut novel, An Affinity for Shadows.

This novel tells the tale of an ambitious broadcast journalist caught amidst the tragedy of the World Trade Center attacks.

Award-winning broadcast journalist Kate Theodore has it all under control, until she rushes to the scene of one of the greatest tragedies in American history in pursuit of the perfect story. Pressuring her cameraman into accompanying her, she feels responsible for his untimely death. Her guilt opens the door to transformation in a desperate attempt to rediscover her soul. Brushing aside a chance meeting with a handsome Italian stranger, Kate soon becomes captivated by his charms, but he is a man whose heart is shrouded in secrets.

An Affinity For Shadows is a story of love, friendship, and transformation, and is one of the first mainstream romances so far in history to utilize the incident of the 9/11 attacks as a romantic heroine’s major catalyst for change.

Why did you choose to write this novel?

I suffered from Post Traumatic Stress Disorder myself, and it took years to recover. I'm a strong believer in support systems, and I believe that the more solid a support system a sufferer of PTSD has, the easier it will be to recover. Regarding PTSD in children, it is important to note that adult children who suffer from this disorder tend to create an environment around them that fosters the same type of trauma they experienced as a child. Also, there are certain flaws in what appears to be a "normal" support system, and these are addressed with our heroine, Kate Theodore, as we find out in the novel what might make her predisposed to developing PTSD.

The main theme of An Affinity for Shadows is to shed light, pun intended, upon the bittersweet fact that unless we experience the darkness, we cannot truly appreciate the light. That is where the romance comes in, and the tale of friendship. However flawed, however unexpected, however rife with imperfections, love makes life worth living for. Our challenge is to find these glimpses of light and truth, and as we find them they join together and make brilliance in our existence, when at one point we may have only had darkness. That is Kate Theodore's journey throughout the book.

The book is not about tragedy. The tragedy is simply a beginning. I've peppered the story with a lot of humor, and I fancy myself to be a somewhat funny gal. I was watching a documentary of some comedians on television, and they hit it right in the head when they said a lot of people in their line of work get their ass kicked in life and learn to laugh about it. Learn to make a joke about it. So Kate gets caught up in some pretty funny situations after 9/11, and she processes those situations by learning to rise above her mistakes, and live life for the moment. These happenings carry over to her arrival in Italy, where she meets the enigmatic love interest Sal Olivieri again, in another humorous situation, and teach her to live in the moment. How can you not live in the moment, surrounded by the cacophony of sights, sounds, tastes and visual stimulation that Rome has to offer? Such an amazing city!

Where can readers purchase the book?

Check out my website for links to Amazon, Barnes and Noble, Gypsy Shadow, etc. www.lizrnewman.net

The book is available as an eBook and in mass market paperback. It is now on sale at Books on Board for $4.64, what a deal! International purchases for the Kindle and paperback can be made here or at the Gypsy Shadow website.

Thanks so much for having me as a guest, Aubrie!

You're welcome! Thanks for having me as a guest. Everyone can check out my guest post on her blog today!

Cover Reveal!!!

2011-10-26T13:10:00.003-04:00

I'm so excited to reveal Entangled Publishing's cover for Tundra 37, coming out in January, 2012!!!

A big thank you to Heather Howland, for spending time to make it perfect. Thank you, Heather!

You can read the first chapters here.

Guest Blog by author, Emlyn Chand

2011-10-25T06:00:00.001-04:00

When did you have enough confidence in your abilities to officially call yourself a writer?

For me, it was when I first received money for my work as a freelance columnist. For you, it may have been when you finished the first chapter of your first novel or won a prize for a short story. Maybe you never had any qualms about saddling yourself with this label. Maybe you still don’t consider yourself a “real writer.”

Me? Now I know enough to see that I was a writer long before someone handed me that first paycheck. It’s kind of something you’re born with—like it or not.

But being an author, that’s different.

The term writer focuses more on the craft—engaging in the actual activity of writing. The term author encompasses not only the craft but also the business aspect of it.

So when are you worthy of the label author? Why, when you publish your first book of course!

I write this post just days before I make the transition from writer to author. My first novel Farsighted releases on October 24, which means my 26-year-long (AKA life-long) dream is finally coming true. When I look back at the journey that brought me to the peak of this beautiful achievement, I can’t help but think of what I wish I’d have known before starting on my path.

I’ve identified 10 lessons I’ve learned along the way. Maybe you already know these things. Maybe you don’t. I’m gonna share ‘em anyway...

1. Something’s gotta give. Writing is not something you can do with just a little bit of effort. To get through the first draft, editing, what-have-you, you'll have to work hard! Yes, you could space it out over several years, but if you want to finish anytime this year, you’re going to have to make sacrifices. For me, this was less time with friends and family, less television, and less attention to my health (eating right and exercising). Oops.

2. Write what you want to write—not what you think you should be writing. Boy, this was a hard one to learn. I’ve always fallen back on being “that smart girl.” When things didn’t go right in my personal life or when I was picked last in gym class, I took pride in my intellect. Therefore, I’ve always done what I can to improve my wit and make my best trait the best it can be. That being said, I spent a long time forcing myself to read classic literature. I did enjoy it, and I still do, but it’s definitely not what I find most entertaining (YA is). Still I kept at the classic literature because it was important to me that others respect my intelligence (damaged by high school much? :-P). Naturally when I decided to write a novel, it came out as literary fiction. That’s the me I wanted to portray to the world. I wanted people to salivate over my talent and proclaim my literary merit... Except the novel wasn’t that good, because it wasn’t a piece of who I really am. Now that I’ve cozied into YA, I couldn’t be happier. And the larger facade of who I once pretended to be has lifted. I. AM. FREE. Now this lesson doesn’t just mean: don’t put on a false front. It also means: don’t chase trends. Write what your heart wants to write, and it’ll all be good in the end.

3. You’re going to make mistakes. LOTS of mistakes. Practice makes perfect. Well, it makes it better than before. You may be an excellent writer, but if you’ve never written a novel before, you’re a newbie. That’s okay too! When writing that all-important first novel, you’re pretty much going to make every mistake in the book. In my first novel, I really struggled with keeping a consistent point-of-view and writing authentic dialogue. The POV problem was very difficult to fix, but in trying, I learned an important lesson—one I couldn’t have learned if I hadn’t made such huge blunders. Now that I do know how to correct and avoid these problems, dialogue and POV are two of my strongest areas (at least that’s what readers tell me).

4. Writer’s detour is a bigger problem than writer’s block. Writer’s block gets all the PR, but it’s not as dangerous as writer’s detour. When you’re blocked you’re not moving forward. When you take a detour, you’re moving in the wrong direction. Will you get to California quicker by taking a small rest in Boise, or will you get there quicker by following a pretty red car to Ontario first? (My advice, drive straight-on through to Cali if you can). Don’t get so caught up with a minor character (or a theme you want to convey) that you stray all over the place. Which brings me to my next point...

5. Structure is important. We writers fall into two camps: pantsers and plotters. Some pantsers consider themselves superior, because their writing leads their plots—not the other way around. I used to think like that too. Even if you want to keep your plotline fluid, you need some form of structure. Shudder at the thought of outlining? Then mapping your characters is crucial. You need to know where you’re going and/or who's taking you there. Otherwise you’re just groping about in the dark. Yes, writing is absolutely a creative process, but don’t under-estimate the value of good planning.

6. Novel #1 may never leave the drawer. Or it may leave the drawer, journey around the query circuit, and then come right back to where it started. My first novel DID get me an agent, but 9 drafts later, it still wasn’t good enough to publish. When my agent suggested I change 2/3 of it for draft 10, I decided to move onto my next project. I just wasn’t enjoying the process anymore. I’m so glad I finally called it quits on novel #1, because novel #2 is so much better, and now I get to put it out there into the world. If I would’ve kept agonizing over the inferior manuscript, novel #2 may have never happened!

7. When you’re done, you’re not done. I’m just a big ball of sunshine today, aren’t I? But it’s important to understand just how much work follows being “done.” Anne Lamott said it best in Bird by Bird, you’re going to write “shitty first drafts.” I can guarantee it! Don’t let that stop you, just be prepared for it.

8. Writing is a business just as much as it’s an art. Getting a novel published and promoting it once it’s out there is infinitely more work than writing a novel in the first place. That’s not to under-value the writing process, but it’s true. Sure, you can finish your novel, self-publish it, and then do virtually nothing to promote it. Fine. But if you actually want to sell copies of your book, you’ve gotta handle the business side of things. Finding an agent is an extremely formal business interaction—you even have to write fancy business (AKA query) letters. Marketing your book is a TON of work. It’s pretty fun (at least, I think so, but I moonlight as a book publicist, so I realize I might not be normal). However, being fun is not equivalent to being easy. Not even close. Expect lots of work and lots of stress and not very much sleep. The good news: you get out what you put in, so give it all you can!

9. Querying will destroy your soul. My unhappy place is remembering query letter Hell. I honestly can’t remember anything harder in my life. Ever. Make sure you have a good support system in place. Because even if you’re brilliant, you can pretty much expect a slew of rejections. I ultimately got an agent but had to suffer through 60 “not for us”s first. Of course, it hurts. As writers, we pour our hearts and souls into our manuscript. Our words are a part of who we are. Having a faceless stranger tell you it’s not good enough is pure torture. End of argument.

10. You will sustain injuries. Gosh, my neck is killing me while I’m writing this post. You’re probably going to get neck and back pain too. Headaches from staring at the computer too long. Possible eye problems. Definite poor posture. Maybe even carpal tunnel syndrome. That’s just the way it goes, so be prepared.

Seems pretty cynical, doesn’t it? I <3 the craft and would never abandon it (like I even have a choice), but I find that those who are starting out with visions of Stephen King or JK Rowling-esque fame already see the pretty side of writing—the glamor. Having a balanced picture is so important. Even still, all the practical knowledge just can’t compare to experiential knowledge. Follow YOUR path to author-hood, make your own mistakes, learn lessons from them, and then share with the rest of us.

Blog Tour Notes

THE BOOK: Alex Kosmitoras may be blind, but he can still “see” things others can’t. When his unwanted visions of the future begin to suggest that the girl he likes could be in danger, he has no choice but to take on destiny and demand it reconsider. Get your copy today by visiting Amazon.com’s Kindle store or the eBook retailer of your choice. The paperback edition will be available on November 24 (for the author’s birthday).

THE AUTHOR: Emlyn Chand has always loved to hear and tell stories, having emerged from the womb with a fountain pen grasped firmly in her left hand (true story). When she’s not writing, she runs a large book club in Ann Arbor and is the president of author PR firm, Novel Publicity. Emlyn loves to connect with readers and is available throughout the social media interweb. Visit www.emlynchand.com for more info. Don’t forget to say “hi” to her sun conure Ducky!

MORE FUN: There's more fun below. Watch the live action Farsighted book trailer and take the quiz to find out which character is most like you!

Some Links to Writing Classes

2011-10-22T16:58:00.002-04:00

If anyone is interested in writing classes, one of my CP's Kathleen S. Allen (the one who just got an agent) is teaching a class called Writing the Young Adult Novel.

Description:
This class will guide writers who want to start writing a young adult (YA) novel but aren’t sure how to start or what age range to gear their writing to. The instructor will lead the students through a series of pre-writing exercises designed to help them brainstorm ideas for their YA novel and write the first chapter (up to 25 pages) by the end of the class. The class will help workshop the chapter (along with the instructor) so that by the end of the class the writer will have a clear idea where they are going with their novel with a plot and outline for the remainder of their novel. This class is appropriate for beginning writers, writers who have started a novel but are stuck or anyone who wants to hone their writing skills.

BREAKDOWN OF EACH WEEK:
Week One: We will look at what YA is, the age range it covers, what makes a book YA, some examples of YA writing. The students will brainstorm ideas for their novel or narrow down their topic if they already have one.

Week Two: What is a protagonist? What is an antagonist? What is your main character’s favorite color? You will write a character study for your main two characters. Good examples of fleshed out characters will be given. Using the journalists tools of who, what, where, when, why to flesh out your novel.

Week Three: What makes a good YA plot? Does it need vampires to be successful? By this week the students will have written the first five pages of their chapter with feedback given.

Week Four: Theme of novel is important. What is a hook? Do you need one? What makes your novel different? Description and dialogue in a YA novel. Continue to work on your 25 pages.

Week Five: Revising and editing how to keep the ball rolling, what to do about writer’s block, continuing to work on 25 pages with feedback. Diagramming the rest of your novel, writing an outline.

Week Six: The world of publishing. What’s the difference between POD, self-publishing, eBooks, vanity publishing, traditional publishing? Should you get an agent? How do you find one? We will explore the different avenues and help identify the ones right for you and your novel (once you finish it.) What are your next steps?

Also, The senior editor at Entangled Publishing, Heather Howland, is teaching a class called Edit Like a Pro- YA Edition.

Who should take Edit Like a Pro – YA Edition?

· Authors with shiny new YA manuscripts in need of edits.
· Authors who have gotten requests from agents/editors, but have yet to land a contract.
· Adult romance authors trying to break into the YA market.

Young adult fiction is hotter than ever, but penning a successful book for teens (and teens-at-heart) is more than plugging young protagonists into your story. With the YA market in mind, Heather will walk you through the standard “three pass” editing method used by most publishing houses, teaching you to spot weaknesses and showing you how to fix them. By the end of the class, you will have everything you need to submit your book to a publisher or agent.

OBJECTIVES:

· Learn how to assess and edit your manuscript on a macro level, ensuring your plot fits commercially successful parameters, your stakes and conflict are compelling, YA-appropriate, and “high-concept,” and that your characters develop organically.

· Learn how to assess and edit your manuscript on a micro level, analyzing the GMC of individual scenes and sequences, the effectiveness of your point of view, pacing issues, and the voice of the piece.

· Learn how to line edit like a pro, which includes tightening prose without over editing, empowering your language, and effectively managing white space.

· Have fun while developing new writing skills!

Anyone interested?

Giveaway and Guest Blog by Author Devyn Dawson

2011-10-21T06:00:00.007-04:00

Hi Aubrey! Thank you so much for having me guest post today.

Every time I’m invited to do a guest post, I always wonder to myself what to talk about. Should I talk about my book? I could talk about me, but you’d die of boredom. I can tell you my writing process, it isn’t all that interesting. Should I be funny? Should I be serious? The answer to that is h to the e to the double l no. How about every single mistake I made after I finished my book? I think that shall be our subject - how Devyn screwed up. Grab a cup of coffee, pen, and paper and doodle….no don’t doodle, learn from my mistakes.

1. You’ve finished your manuscript of 130K words (mine was 98K) and you want to send query letters. No, no, no little love….now is the time to go through it and edit it down. Honestly if you have intentions of going the agent route, they pretty much hate anything over 100K . Yes, I know, every single word came from your imagination and you love those scenes. That is wonderful if you’re JK Rowling but as no-name wet behind the ears writer they will put you in the dreaded slush pile. Trust me, your editor won’t fix all those mistakes and we all make mistakes. Make sure your tense is correct. Are you writing from first person? Make sure you keep it that way throughout the story. Tense is my enemy, we all have something that is our nemesis….recognize it and conquer it.

2. If you haven’t let people read it, you are asking for trouble. I have a group of people that I call my Lovies. The group started out with closest friends, it expanded to a couple of people online. And yes, we all are worried someone will steal our MS - honestly, yes there are crooked people out there. Ask other writers if their critique group would be interested in looking over a few chapters. I was in Petsmart talking with the manager and she loves Twilight, I asked her if she would be interested in reading my story. She did! I made a new friend and got great feedback. Don’t query without testing out your genre. If your book is YA supernatural, don’t give it to grandma that reads Amish fiction. My son is 17 and his friends that are girls read my story - they loved it. You can’t trust that though, some are overly excited to read a MS that may one day be a book. Ask them about the plot, did they get it? Facebook has a lot of groups for writers - join them. I did not use FB as a tool - I should have. I would have had a greater understanding.

3. Social Network - SOCIAL NETWORK. I did not do as much as I should have. Get on Goodreads and join some groups - see what people are saying about the market. I only have experience with YA books so they are my go to genre. I had a Twitter account but found it stupid. I didn’t have guidance from another writer at the time, which was dumb on my part. Find a new author that recently got published in your genre, now follow them on Twitter. If they don’t have a lot of followers, find another author to follow. Now go follow their people. Yes, a little stalker-ish, but that is the way to learn what is going on. Look at their profile before you follow - if you’re writing a nice sweet Christian fiction story you want to find people that say things like - Love church with my kids - or their favorite books are in your genre. You might not get too far if you’re following IhateLifeandallthingsgood . Twitter has a jail though, if you add too many people (google the amount you can friend in a day) - I think 300 people a day, you go to Twitter Jail for a few days. I didn’t know the rule and went to jail for 24 hours. Boo hiss!

4. Your story is finished, your friends and critique group has read it and think it is good…now it is time to seriously edit it. Edit - Edit - Edit. Revisions are necessary. Hire an editor - there are a lot of freelance editors. Ask to see a sample of their work. When you get it back - time to edit some more.

5. Time to write a query letter. I was very lucky that a brand new author that just got picked up and her book came out this summer; she sent me a copy of hers. She also sent me the most important tool anyone could ask for. She made a spreadsheet with the following information.
AGENT AGENCY EMAIL SAMPLE YES OR NO RESPONSE TIME REQUIREMENT MAILED OR EMAILED DATE ACCEPT OR REQUEST FULL OR PARTIAL REJECT

She had done all of the hard work, luckily for me, she wrote the same genre as I do and the query information would be the same. Some agents require a synopsis, which was incredibly hard for me. Before you query an agent - study them. What books do they rep? Do they hate supernatural? Are they burned out on a certain subject. Do they require you to do 17 cartwheels first? Do they have a ‘tips’ tab on their site? If they do, I highly recommend you to check it out BEFORE sending a query. I was rejected, my MS was requested either a partial or full MS 5 times.

6. How I ended up going Indie. My rejections that were personalized, told me that it wasn’t the quality of my work, it was the market is overwhelmed with werewolf stories. I agree. I also know that teen books about supernatural beings are in high demand (I work in a bookstore). I felt my book was relevant right now. I researched E-books until I decided to publish it myself. Honestly, I’ve never been so scared in my life. What if everyone hates it? What if my story sucks and no one wants to hurt my feelings. I bit the bullet and I’m astonishingly humbled by the reviews and response.

7. Before I hock my book to you, I need to give you one more piece of advice. If you decide to go Indie, make sure your cover is relevant. Go to bookstores and take a look at what books catch your eyes. If you’re writing a book about ice-skating, you might want to avoid a bloody massacre on the cover. People DO JUDGE A BOOK BY ITS COVER! Sorry, it is true. My first cover, though gorgeous with tons of talent, it wasn’t quite right. I changed the cover and sales sky rocketed. So I don’t have to do a number 8, here are some more pointers. Make friends with book bloggers - they are the root of Indie books. Without people blogging and telling their followers about your book and writing reviews it is a tough market. Don’t even begin to think you put it online and it magically sells - it doesn’t. Make a book trailer and tweet about it. Do blog tours, get followers and most of all - be thankful for their time. I can’t tell you how thankful I am to be able to share with you my walk to the Indie side.

If you are interested in my spreadsheet with all the agent information - email me devyndawson (at) yahoo (dot) com and I’ll email it to you.

And now for Devyn's awesome book:

Hock my book time.
If you’d like to hear more about The Legacy of Kilkenny, please visit www.devyndawson.com and like me of Facebook
The Legacy of Kilkenny book trailer
My blog
GIVEAWAY TIME!! WOO HOO!
1st place The Raven by Edgar Allen Poe & 1 e-copy of The Legacy of Kilkenny
2nd place 1 e-copy of The Legacy of Kilkenny

Use this form to enter.

Book Tour and Guest Post by Author LK Rigel

2011-10-19T06:00:00.003-04:00

I'm so excited to welcome author LK Rigel to my blog. Not only does she have a flute her book, a character's name is Aubrey. How neat is that?

Take it away LK!

Aubrie, thank you so much for having me here at Flutey Words for the second day of the Give Me, A Fairy Tale blog tour. Here is the second scene of Piccadilly Woo, a story from the world of Give Me. You might notice that a flute plays a heroic part in this scene! (It’s only a coincidence that a character is named Aubrey …)

Piccadilly Woo – scene 2

Beverly might have heard Dan say something about taking her picture, but she really couldn’t be sure. The voices all around were running into each other. They blended into a chattering chorus like a cross of human voices and birdsong.

She wandered away from Cissa’s stall into the crowd, eager to see everything in the square. London itself had a personality, and it had welcomed her. She felt connected to every person and every thing in the universe. Even poor Lord Dumnos.

After all, what was his crime? The earl wanted to marry her and make her a countess. Her life would switch in an instant from overwhelmingly difficult to easy. She could do anything she wanted – and take better care of Marion. Did it matter that the earl was more than twice her age? That he’d told her he could never love her?

Yes, dammit. It mattered. It must be a crime against some natural law to marry knowing that you would never, could never love your wife.

There is more to marriage than love, he had said. There is duty. My duty to my estate and the people dependent on it for their living. Your duty to your sister.

He was right, as old-fashioned as it sounded. The earl knew she’d become guardian to her little sister two years ago when their parents were killed in a car crash. She’d had to leave university, and he’d given her a job at The Tragic Fall in the village.

She should be there now, getting ready for tonight’s pub crowd, but she’d had to get away from Dumnos completely to think. Now she was more confused. London was big, with the promise of endless possibilities. Marrying Lord Dumnos couldn’t be the only way.

The colors in the square were intense, even the grays and browns of the stone buildings and concrete sidewalks. Music filled the air. A beautiful flute solo came from near the fountain. The notes were like hot honey that spread over her skin and soaked into her with relaxing vibrations. As sudden rush of good feeling overtook her. She loved everyone in the world. She laughed out loud.

“Far out, baby.” A rather large hand gripped her shoulder, and she looked up into the sexiest pair of eyes she’d ever seen. They were light purple, the color of lilacs. The guy was dressed like an eighteenth century highwayman, down to the tri-corner hat and scraggly yellow hair, the color of straw. His open silk shirt exposed a sumptuous chest. He took in her costume, and his smile had a touch of mischief. “Or should I say groovy?”

An alarm went off in some part of Beverly’s brain. Something about this guy was off, dangerous. But the larger part of her mind, the part that was in love with the world, didn’t listen. She put her hand flat against his chest and answered, “Groovy.”

It was so funny. He was so funny. But what was this around his neck?

“Where are they selling these?” He had one of those necklaces woven of brown cords. This one was fancier than Cissa’s. It was a choker, but it extended down over his sternum in an elaborate macramé of beads and glass and small jewels. Garnets and emeralds and sapphires, if she weren’t mistaken.

As she reached toward the necklace, his expression took on a satisfaction that she didn’t like. She pulled her hand away and stepped backwards.

“My name is Aubrey. What’s yours?” He didn’t move. He kept smiling, holding her in his gaze. The crowd filled in between them, but she felt bound to him. This made no sense. He wasn’t a highwayman at all. A chill went through her, and she wondered if he was a wyrder.

But the wyrders had all been gone for hundreds of years.

Still, there was something other about him. Something magical. It took all her strength to break away from his gaze. She focused on the beautiful sounds of the flute. It was like a lifeline. She turned and moved on, to the fountain and the music.

Wow, what a great excerpt!!!

Now, here's where to buy Give me:

Amazon

Barnes and Noble

Smashwords

Thanks for visiting today, LK!

Book tour scheduled by:

My Agent's Interview in GLA!

2011-10-18T08:31:00.003-04:00

Guide to Literary Agents, or GLA for short, is such a great resource for writers. They have blog with agent question and answers, and this week they posted an interview with my agent, Dawn Dowdle of Blue Ridge Literary Agency.

Not only that, but she was kind enough to mention Paradise 21! Thanks, Dawn!

Go check out the interview. Dawn offers great advice on what she's looking for, and how to catch someone in the first few pages.

Interview with Entangled Author, Rayka Mennen

2011-10-17T06:00:00.000-04:00

Hi Aubrie, Thanks so much for hosting me here today.

You're Welcome, Rakya! I loved Enchanted Destiny! It's a pleasure to have you here today.

How much do you believe in destiny?

Were you destined to be an author?

I come from a cultural background that believes strongly in destiny so I think that’s hard-wired into my DNA. My love of books and fiction and literature started very early on, and yes, I think there may have been a teensy bit of destiny involved :o).

Your main character takes out a loan to run her own beauty salon, which I love about her! She's independent and driven to succeed (Which makes it all the more difficult to accept her soulmate once he comes into her life!). Do you run your own business? Have you ever wanted to run your own business?

Egads! I did co-own a software consulting company years ago, while I was still working at another job. It’s very hard work and there can be real satisfaction in making outcomes happen for oneself, but I wouldn’t want to do it again.

I love the idea of a family "curse", and how it ties into finding your soulmate. Where did you get the idea for Enchanted Destiny?

LOL – this is the hardest question I get asked. Something will occur to me based on a snippet of an article or news item or conversation, and I take off from there with a series of ‘what if’ questions. And many times, I don’t eventually remember what set off the idea. I developed the idea for Enchanted Destiny several years ago, so I don’t remember the thread of thought anymore. I do remember walking along the streets in Chicago one evening (where I set the book), and seeing all the Halloween decorations and wondering if Kat might live in one of those townhomes.

Your cover is gorgeous and so perfect for the book! It has magic, whimsy, and sexiness all over it! What did you think when you saw it for the first time?

I absobloominlootely loved it. I was dancing around the house, alternately emailing every one I knew, bouncing some more. My first thought was.. “ Heather got it. She captured Kat exactly.” I love the colors and like you said, the whimsy and sexiness.

What's next on the horizon for you as a writer?

I am editing Enchanted Desire, the sequel to Enchanted Destiny. Wait till you see that cover (http://www.raykamennen.com/?page_id=92) . Once again, cover artist, Heather Howland, captured my heroine exactly. There was even a scene written in with those boots before I saw the cover and before Heather read any part of the book. How destined is that? . My other work in progress is a lavish paranormal romance saga with an eagle shape-shifter and a witch.

Thanks so much, Aubrie. And I can’t wait to read your own book – it’s on my TBR list but I can’t read anything by anyone until I finish edits. I love to chat with folks on my website www.RaykaMennen.com or via email at raykamennen@gmail.com, so drop me a line.

Enchanted Destiny by Rayka Mennen
Destiny’s never looked so good.

Kat never believed she’d fall victim to her family’s stories about destined soul mates—she makes her own fate, thank you very much. When she walks by a construction site and admires the same sexy architect for the zillionth time in a week, the last thing she expects is to be slammed by a vision of his death.

Which activates the spell that will change their lives forever.

Jake is a single dad with a singular focus—create a stable life for him and his son. His ex-wife cured him of any desire to fall in love, but when an intriguing woman saves him from what should’ve been a deadly accident, he can’t shake his fascination. Too bad she’s crazy, claiming she’s a witch and that they’re soul mates—not exactly the “stable life” he had in mind.

Kat’s destiny comes with a deadline. If they don’t fall in love by her twenty-fifth birthday—a mere three weeks away—Jake will never find the peace he seeks and Kat will lose her magic forever.

Buy from:
Amazon
Barnes & Noble
Diesel
Books on Board
Powell’s Books

Why I Became a Blog Tour Host- (And if it's right for your blog!)

2011-10-16T09:39:00.003-04:00

After Paradise 21 came out, I decided to do a bunch of blog tours for promotion. I used a lot of different tour sites, including Bewitching Book Tours through my publicist, Enchanted Book Tours, and Kismet Book touring. All great companies to tour with. (Or to host with)

I noticed how many followers these tour hosts had, and how much traffic it drove to their blog. And, I loved the whole process. I got to meet a lot of new readers, and the tour hosts were very nice.

I thought about making my blog into a hosting blog for book tours for a long time. I didn't want it to turn into an advertisement everyday, and I didn't want to promote books that I didn't like, or that didn't fit with the theme of my blog. I was also afraid of losing followers.

When you sign up with a touring company, you get to choose which books you host on your blog, and you even get to choose a range of dates. You can have a guest post, which is always nice because you don't have to post that day, do a interview, or do a review. If you do decide to review the book, you get it for free! -Another bonus. You don't have to host every week. Some sites ask if you'd like to host once a month, once a week, or more frequently.

So, here's the advantages to being a tour host:

-Increased traffic to your site
-Meet new authors
-Free books
-New Followers

The work that comes with it it relatively easy. But you do need to be organized.

The big question is: have my hits gone up since being a blog tour host?

The answer: YES. Even though the comments don't show it, my hits went up on tour host days by about 50-100 visitors.

There you have it! Now, who else is thinking about being a book blog tour host?

Book Tour Gossip Ghouls

2011-10-14T06:00:00.002-04:00

Download for Free:
Smashwords
Kindle on Amazon

Zombies and Lipstick
By Z
Gossip Ghouls Book One

Blurb:

Zombie punk Z wakes up in her designer coffin to learn that Vampie, the undead Paris Hilton wannabe, killed her. At first, Z believes this attack stems from Vampie’s jealousy over Z’s boyfriend. Soon, Z learns Vampie's master plan: stealing Z's boyfriend while eliminating werewolves and zombies altogether. Z decides to pose as Gossip Ghoul to get revenge on the billionaire vampress. Impersonating Vampie’s party girl cousin, Z enters the world of the super wealthy, of birka bags and designer fangs, of Parisian shopping sprees and lavish parties. Will Z be exposed before she texts Vampie's scandalous secrets to the undead world? Or will Z vanquish Vampie to once again make the high school of the living and the undead a safe and fashionable place for all?

Undead Hollywood
By Z
Gossip Ghouls Book Two

Blurb:

In this sequel to The Gossip Ghouls: Zombies and Lipstick, Z finds herself heading for the Hollywood A-list. There's just one problem—to get there, she has to join The Club, a studio system run by the vampires who rule Undead Hollywood. During a wild party, Z learns that the entire film industry is truly run by the undead, some of whom plan to stage a war against the living to reclaim their old Hollywood status. Z must fight against parodies of Hollywood stars of the past in TV's Undead Idol to save her new husband's life and to reclaim her status as the zombie it girl.

Get Book 2 on your Kindle for Only .99

This is a Bewitching Book Tours Blog Tour:

Guest Blog by Author S. J. Davis

2011-10-13T06:00:00.004-04:00

S.J Davis is visiting today on her book blog tour to promote her new release, Ink.

Vamptasy Publishing
September 1, 2011 - Kindle
ASIN: B005KUP3ZC
October 1, 2011 - Paperback
ISBN-10: 1908505877
ISBN-13: 978-1908505873

“It’s a good day to die.” My mother holds my arm fiercely. “But as you grieve for me, listen for the voices. Then, you must get the ink.”

***

Sparrow stumbles between two worlds – light and dark, love and hate, what is real and what is in her mind. When her mother dies on the Reservation, Sparrow’s world is shadowed with anger and narrowed by pain. The voices arrive, but are they real? And how can a tattoo make her stronger?

Mateo arrives to guard Sparrow, but from whom? Layne holds on to Sparrow, but why? As the voices grow stronger and her pain expands, Sparrow finds that the shadows in the corner and the voices we fear most are the ones inside ourselves.

Genre: Paranormal Young Adult

This book looks fantastic! I think the cover is lovely and eye catching.

And now for S. J. Davis' guest post!

Creating Characters

When characters begin to reside “in my head,” I usually discover that they are actually based on someone I know or someone I care for in my real life. I suppose I am an unrepentant thief. I steal all kinds of qualities, quirks, and habits from people close to me and even from total strangers. Although there is no one character in my novellas who matches up perfectly with someone from my real world, I couldn’t ever say that my characters wouldn’t be recognizable – though I do create horrible, but fictional, circumstances for them to muddle through.

For me, everything starts with the story – usually a dilemma or obstacle set in a certain time is how I start. The plot usually spins around in my head for a bit and then the characters arrive to take their place. Soon they sort of evolve on their own. As they are “born,” their backstory becomes very real to me, even if those details aren’t part of the narrative for the reader. For example, my main character Sparrow lost her mother and begins to hear voices. On the outside, she seems to cope and plod through school and life in a relatively controlled manner. But only as I wrote more about her could see why. I swear it was as if Sparrow suddenly told me what she was doing. In the dark, behind everyone’s back, she would cut herself. This is how she dealt with her pain, and was ultimately something she would overcome as she moved into a more self-confident place.

I get some questions about who is Layne or who is Mateo, and do they exist. And, of course, can you introduce me? Layne is very closely based on Layne Staley, his mannerisms and appearance is really how he existed, to me anyway. And Mateo is like many men I have known (my husband, my father, my nephews Ben and Jordan) who are just as beautiful, handsome, kind, and self-effacing. But mostly, Mateo is just Mateo.

Thanks for the guest post, S. J. !!

Here's where to find her:

Find Sarah on the web:
Blog: Steampunk Sarah
FaceBook: Fan Page
Twitter: Steampunk Sarah
Vamptasy Publishing: Author Page
GoodReads: Author Page

This is part of a Bewitching Book Tour

Pictures from wedding at Wentworth By The Sea

2011-10-12T06:00:00.001-04:00

Wentworth By the Sea is a beautiful place to get married. It's located on the island of New Castle, NH's oldest settlement, next to the Distinctive Destination of Portsmouth, overlooking the Atlantic Ocean. Over a century old, it's been restored with glamorous results.

They asked for flute and harp, a lovely combination! I play with my friend who I work at the music school with. She's my harp soul mate. :)

We played Andante in C by Mozart, Jesu Joy of Man's Desire, Pachelbel's Canon, and other classics.

The gazebo where we played made the music ring out. Although, it was infested with bees from the surrounding bushes. I had to duck a couple of times, and once a bee hovered over the end of my flute. I'm not sure what I would have done if it had gone up it!

Afterward, we ate at Latitudes, the bay side restaurant on the property. :)

Guest Blog and Giveaway by Author Tonya Macalino

2011-10-11T06:00:00.005-04:00

I'm excited to welcome Tonya Macalino to my blog today! She's visiting as part of her Bewitching Book Tour for Spectre of Intention.

Tonya is also giving away two different prize packages. All you need do is fill out the form to enter.

Check out the details of the prizes here.
2 prize packs are being given away to 2 lucky winners Open to US and Canada Shipping Only Please

The Space Elevator Gift Pack includes:
SPECTRE OF INTENTION
Liftport Retro Print
Clarke City Retro Print
LIFTPORT: OPENING SPACE TO EVERYONE – an anthology of science fiction short stories and technical articles on space elevator technology
Liftport products Courtesy of Liftport Group

The Spa Gift Pack includes:
SPECTRE OF INTENTION
Chamomile Soap
Rose Lip Dew Wand
Cornflower Petals in Honeyed Oats Bath Bomb
Rouge of Last Light Shimmer Bar
Grapefruit Sea Breeze Bath Salts
Spa products courtesy of Rustling Sage

All you need to do to enter is click on the form below and fill it out.
Link to form

Here's the blurb:
“Secrets, Kaitlin. Secrets.”

Kaitlin Osgood has a stowaway.

Underneath the glossy shell of the Senior VP for Countermeasures International lurks the tattered remains of the girl she once was: street rat and thief, Ashley Porter. Every day, every decision is brittle with the fear of discovery.

In the middle of the Pacific Ocean on the cruise ship acting as the platform for the latest space elevator, she should finally be safe…

…safe from the sexy, enigmatic eyes of Director of Port Security Camden Glaswell who seems to see through Kaitlin’s ruse.

…safe from the relentless, burning pursuit of master thief, Stephan Chen, the chief architect of Kaitlin’s former life of crime—the onetime lover who haunts her still.

But Kaitlin has another secret: her talent for security comes not from the latest technology, but from her ability to sense people’s emotions, to see the ghosts of their intentions.

It’s a talent she must learn to wield as a weapon before the mistakes of her past cost Kaitlin her life…

And here's where you can buy it!

Amazon

Barnes & Noble

Now for her fantastic guest post!
Take it away Tonya!!!!!

Baggage Handling Fees: The Price of Folklore Addiction

My poor husband sighs whenever we travel anywhere. It’s not like I do it to torture him! It’s just, well, “Look here it says that building across from the school used to be the town brothel.” “And did you know there were grave markers every 50 yards along the trail?” “Look out! That ropey rock over there was considered to be the remains of a serpent god by the local natives!”

And I just HAVE to read more about that!

And pretty soon our suitcases with plenty of room left in them are over the weight limit, because I’ve purchased a book on every square inch of local history we walked past. Whoops!

But it is research, dear!

I mean after all, you never know when I might need a juicy tidbit about what motivated the Pilgrims to finally pack up and leave. Or a segment about rocket science in ancient cultures. Or a dramatic passage about early sailors to the Galapagos Islands and their encounter with a volcano.

My latest book, SPECTRE OF INTENTION, a paranormal thriller set on a space elevator platform in the middle of the Pacific Ocean obviously didn’t share any geography with any of those places (except for a few minutes on the Galapagos).

But could my main character, Kaitlin Osgood, share a space on the same emotional landscape as the Pilgrims when she finally commits to facing her criminal past? Could the possible outcomes of her decision look as dangerous and foolhardy as those first lunatics who tried to reach the stars? Could she use the distraction of a volcanic tale when her attempts to right the wrongs of so many years of deception blow up in her face?

Absolutely. So here’s to folklore/folk history addiction and the overweight baggage handling fees that come with it!

And if you decide to take pity on my husband, please feel free to mosey on over Amazon or Barnes & Noble and pick up a copy of SPECTRE OF INTENTION. He can always use a little extra convincing!

Thanks so much for having me over, Aubrie!

PS – And if you are a fellow folklore/folk history addict, save yourself the handling fees and drop by The Story of Place blog on my website at www.tonyamacalino.com where I use up leftover material that doesn’t make it into the book!

Here's where you can find Tonya:

Website: www.tonyamacalino.com

The Story of Place Blog: www.tonyamacalino.com/page10.php

Facebook: www.facebook.com/TonyaMacalino

Amazon Author Page: http://www.amazon.com/Tonya-Macalino/e/B0058U4TJA/ref=ntt_athr_dp_pel_1

Shelfari: www.shelfari.com/tonyamacalino

Goodreads: www.goodreads.com/tonyamacalino

Thanks for visiting today, Tonya!!!

Fangtales Book Tour

2011-10-08T06:00:00.000-04:00

My critique partner, Theresa Milstein, had a vampire story accepted in Fangtales, the anthology published by one of my publishers, Wyvern Publications. Her story is called "Allured". I was lucky enough to be a CP for it, and it's a tantalizing story! I can see why Wyvern Publications accepted it!

FANGTALES

Edited by Berni Stevens

Fangtales is the third anthology in the popular ‘tales’ collections published for the YA market by Wyvern Publications. It joins Dragontales, published in 2009, and Mertales, published in 2010.

Fangtales visits the terrifying realms of the most popular creature ever to grace the pages of fantasy fiction. The vampire. The tales are fresh, original and scary enough to send delicious shivers down the spine of every reader. Each tale brings something new to the genre, and will be a welcome addition to any fantasy fan’s bookshelf. Vampires will always be a hugely popular theme – there’s a very good reason why Bram Stoker’s Dracula has never been out of print since it was first published in 1897.

Lose yourself in the blood-soaked pages of Fangtales, where a best friend mysteriously disappears; wonder why a small child roams the woods alone at midnight, and how a terrified girl can get help when her house is surrounded by hungry vampires.

Fangtales • ISBN 978-0-9560363-6-0 • Published by Wyvern Publications • October 2011
Buy it here on Amazon.

Wyvern Publications began in 2009 as a small press dedicated to bringing quality teen fiction into the mainstream. Its first publication, The Faerie Conspiracies by Holly Stacey, received rave reviews on Amazon. www.wyvernpublications.com

Congrats, Theresa for your short story acceptance into Fangtales!!! I wish you many, many more...

Interview with my CP about how she got her AGENT!

2011-10-05T20:20:00.006-04:00

Kathleen S. Allen is one of my CP's and a great writer friend of mine. She helped me with Paradise 21, and Tundra 37. I'm lucky enough to get one of her very first interviews after the momentous event of getting her AGENT! Woohoo, go Kathleen!

She's got some great advice for all you writers out there still battling the query field. Without further ado, here's the interview:

1. How did you hear about this particular agent? Tell us about her!

Her name is Nancy Knight and she is an agent at Sullivan Maxx Literary Agency (www.sullivanmaxx.com)
I found her by reading the acknowledgements of a book I was reading. I always look to see who authors are thanking in their acknowledgements and I usually check them out online. I saw that Nancy was open to submissions, especially Young Adult (which I write) so I sent my latest book to her and she loved it! She is going to be sending it out to publishers/editors soon.

2. Do you have any advice for authors still looking for an agent?

I use Predators and Editors, Piers Anthony’s website, Absolute Write Water Cooler and Writer Beware to check out agents. I also use Querytracker.com. My biggest piece of advice is to REVISE, REVISE, REVISE before you send your queries out. I made the mistake of sending a query on a different novel before it was edited and every single agent rejected it. Join organizations that will help you revise your queries/synopsis. I belong to SCBWI, YALITCHAT and ABSOLUTE WRITE but there are others out there. Get some beta readers and listen to their comments. Don’t be so “married” to your words that you aren’t able to edit your work.

3. Tell us about your book she contracted.

The novel is a YA contemporary about a senior high school girl who feels invisible and she goes on a mission to be noticed with the help her best friend, often with humorous consequences! I wanted to write a humorous book that would give hope to all the young adults out there who don’t feel like they have a voice. Although the book is humorous, there are dramatic elements, too.

4. Was there a time when you felt like giving up, but kept going?

Oh, yes, who hasn’t? But, each book I write has helped me to become a better writer and each time I publish something I “like” it more than the last one. I published my first YA novel in 2006 called WITCH HUNTER and it’s still one of my favourite books. One friend of mine calls me tenacious and I guess I am. If you want to be a writer, then write! If you want an agent, keep sending your queries out but make sure you do research, don’t blanket agents with a million queries and be sure to follow the submissions guidelines. Get a social network going and not just to plug your books, get the word out however you can but, most of all, KEEP WRITING. Once I send out queries on one book, I’m on to the next one. Don’t let rejections deter you. If you need to get an English degree or that MFA to improve your writing, do it! Join organizations and critique groups. Network with other writers. Learn your craft. If you are persistent, it will come!

5. What do you think she liked about your query?

I sent her the first three chapters along with the query (as per her agency’s guidelines---it’s important to follow the guidelines on the agency’s website). I think she liked the main character, Cassie. Although Cassie feels invisible she finds out that she really does have a voice and that it’s a powerful one. I think that part of the experience of high school is to find your identity among the hundreds of other students and to be yourself, whoever that is.

6. Where are some links where we can buy the books you have published now?
I have links on my website: www.gaelicfairie.webs.com Most of my books are online and in print. Here is the information on them:

IF IT’S MONDAY, IT MUST BE MURDER!

Mel, a former cop shot in the back now lives in constant pain. When her best friend's daughter is missing, Mel is asked to help find her. When the girl is found dead at the bottom of a tall building, the cops believe she jumped. Did she? Or is it murder?

Book Trailer: http://animoto.com/play/BqOWt9Xj1HYrSOoOWGAsOw
Buy it here: http://www.gypsyshadow.com/KathleenAllen.html#Monday
Buy it here: http://www.amazon.com/Its-Monday-Must-Murder-ebook/dp/B005PFTW8Q/ref=sr_1_8?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1317139464&sr=1-8

FITZROY: THE BOY WHO WOULD BE KING(210 pages)-YA historical.

The life and tragic death of the bastard son of Henry VIII of England.

Book Trailer: http://animoto.com/play/axS9ZYCkWed5q053scL2RA

Buy it here: http://www.amazon.com/Fitzroy-Boy-Would-King-ebook/dp/B005HXXUFC/ref=sr_1_22?ie=UTF8&qid=1314027448&sr=8-22

THE CRAZY NURSE

Molly, a new nurse on the psychiatric unit, falls in love with her manager John Whitefeather. His heart has been broken and he resists his attraction to her...at first. Afraid of getting hurt again after letting his guard down John leaves without a word. Molly quits her job and moves to San Francisco to take care of her brother who has AIDS. When they unexpectantly run in to each other again can they make their relationship work or is it too late for them?

Book Trailer: http://animoto.com/play/UBCXfV0Ll4RzukRKZ8EGJA
Buy it here: http://www.xoxopublishing.com

WITCH HUNTER-(136 pages)

When 15 year old Molly visits her eccentric Tarot card reading aunt in Salem, MA who just happens to be a witch; her aunt takes her to Wiccan coven meetings, festivals and occult bookstores. Her aunt predicts fun. But, even her aunt doesn't predict murder. When Molly discovers a link to the Salem Witch Trials, her own ancestry and the murders, Molly is scared. Is she the next one to die?

Book Trailer: http://animoto.com/play/eU8fygcRnZm4Rz2r5b1OIw
Buy it here: http://www.amazon.com/Witch-Hunter-ebook/dp/B0053TGGVK/ref=sr_1_7?ie=UTF8&qid=1314027104&sr=8-7

And for more, check out her website!

Able to “sign” most of them on www.kindlegraph.com
FIND KATHLEEN HERE:
Website: www.gaelicfairie.webs.com
On Twitter: @kathleea
On Facebook: Witch Hunter https://www.facebook.com/#!/pages/Witch-Hunter/142372955812353
Guest blogger every Wednesday on www.downtownya.blogspot.com
Book Trailers on You Tube

Entangled Publishing's Wish List and Call for Submissions

2011-10-03T22:14:00.005-04:00

Here's what Entangled Publishing is looking for.

Besides the regular submissions, they are looking to fill two anthologies:

A Superhero Anthology

We love superheroes. Whether they’re fighting crime, saving wayward heroines (and heroes!), or just fighting to stay alive in a world where superpowers aren’t tolerated, people with extraordinary abilities are hot. And with the onslaught of movies like Thor, X-Men, Captain America, Ironman, Green Lantern, Batman, and Spiderman, and TV shows like Smallville and Heroes propelling reader interest, superhero books have rocketed to the top of many Must Read lists. Ours included.

Entangled Publishing is seeking submissions for an early Spring 2012 Superhero anthology. Submissions must:

* Be 20,000 to 30,000 words in length
* Contain strong romantic elements
* Revolve around characters with superpowers

All heat levels will be accepted, but erotic elements must not be the main focus of the story.

Previously published material will not be considered, nor will manuscripts that have already been rejected by Entangled at an earlier date.

Manuscripts that have been chosen for the anthology will be released as ebooks in early Spring 2012, but will be combined for a Fall 2012 print release.

To submit a manuscript for consideration, please send the full manuscript (RTF format) and a on-page query letter briefly describing the premise, heat level, and word count to submissions(at)entangledpublishing(dot)com. Please include “Superhero Anthology” and your title in the subject line. Query letters should be addressed to Liz Pelletier.

Submissions are open until November 1st and final decision will be made by November 15th. Standard Entangled Publishing royalty rates apply.

And

A Steampunk Anthology

Will Smith, Jude Law, Robert Downey Jr., Hugh Jackman, and Sean Connery have done fabulous things for the sexiness of steampunk. Even when quirky technology is merely hinted at in alternate, historical-feeling world, moviegoers have clamored for more. Whether they’re donning brass goggles, lacing up steel corsets, or hopping onto the nearest airship, the heroes and heroines in steampunk fiction have captured the minds of readers.

Entangled Publishing is seeking submissions for a Summer 2012 Steampunk anthology. Submissions must:

* Be 20,000 to 30,000 words in length
* Contain strong romantic elements
* Heavily feature steampunk technology and the alternate world it exists in

All heat levels will be accepted, but erotic elements must not be the main focus of the story.

Previously published material will not be considered, nor will manuscripts that have already been rejected by Entangled at an earlier date.

Manuscripts that have been chosen for the anthology will be released as ebooks in early Summer 2012, but will be combined for a Winter 2012 print release.

To submit a manuscript for consideration, please send the full manuscript (RTF format) and a on-page query letter briefly describing the premise, heat level, and word count to submissions(at)entangledpublishing(dot)com. Please include “Steampunk Anthology” and your title in the subject line. Query letters should be addressed to Liz Pelletier.

Submissions are open until December 1st and final decision will be made by December 15th. Standard Entangled Publishing royalty rates apply.

Anyone going to submit?

Guest Post by GSP Author Sheila Deeth

2011-10-01T06:00:00.001-04:00

Shelia Deeth is a fellow author at Gypsy Shadow Publishing, and one of my very supportive blogger friends. She has a new release out:

Which you can buy here!

She's written a great guest post on how she got the idea for Flower Child and her writer's group. Enjoy!

Take it away Sheila...

They say you can’t write entirely on your own—you need support, readers, someone to make sure what you’re writing keeps making sense. I don’t know if it’s true. But a few years ago I joined a local writing group. We meet in the library once a month, all sitting at tables laid out in a square. Sometimes a local author will come and speak to us. Sometimes one of the group shares lessons learned—how not to self-publish, where ideas come from, have pen and paper will travel, etc… We eat snacks (an important part of every meeting) and do group critiques of work submitted by willing (or mostly willing) volunteers. And we run monthly competitions. A prompt is shared, then everyone tries to write a story or poem which gets posted on our private website where only members can read them. When the competition closes we leave comments and vote for our favorite three.

A while ago the prompt was to write a story based on music. I don’t listen to music when I’m writing—there’s no point since I’m typically dead to the world and wouldn’t notice if the music stopped. But I like to enter every competition, so I took the first song that came to mind—John Denver’s Rhymes and Reasons—tied it together with a slightly weird childhood memory and started to write. Half an hour later I had around 500 words—enough for my entry—and a feeling that maybe this story could go further.

I didn’t write any more at the time; just typed “to be continued” as my excuse for the lack of ending, then emailed the file to the contest host. It didn’t win—I don’t think it even placed. But another member of the group came up and asked me, “So, have you continued it? Can I read the rest?”

You probably can write entirely on your own, but sometimes it takes someone telling you this is good enough, someone wanting more, someone believing you’re capable of writing more, to keep you going. My slightly odd few paragraphs on children and flowers (with hints of sisters and brothers) grew into Flower Child, and now it’s a newly released ebook from Gypsy Shadow. The weirdest thing is my previous two releases from Gypsy Shadow grew out of prompts from the same writers’ group. I think they must be good for me.

For my sins, I now have the post of “fearless leader” in our little group, but that’s the least I can do in thanks for all the inspiration they’ve given me. Meanwhile my internet friends remind me, even when the local group’s not in session I still don’t have to write alone.

I’m really grateful to Aubrie for inviting me to her blog—she’s definitely one of my friends who inspires me to write. Aubrie inspired me to send my first submission to Gypsy Shadow; she inspired me to take a greater part in other people’s blog tours; and now she’s inspired me to go on a tour with my own book. Thank you, Aubrie.

About Flower Child: When Megan miscarries her first pregnancy it feels like the end of everything; instead it’s the start of a curious relationship between the grieving mother and an unborn child who hovers somewhere between ghost and angel. Angela, Megan’s “little angel,” has character and dreams all her own, friends who may or may not be real angels, and a little brother who brings hope to her mother’s world. But Angela’s dream-world has a secret and one day Angela might learn how to be real.

Where to find Flower Child: http://gypsyshadow.com/SheilaDeeth.html#Flower

About the author: Sheila Deeth grew up in the UK and has a Bachelors and Masters in mathematics from Cambridge University, England. Now living in the States with her husband and sons, she enjoys reading, writing, drawing, telling stories, running a local writers' group, and meeting her neighbors’ dogs on the green.

Sheila describes herself as a Mongrel Christian Mathematician. Her short stories, book reviews and articles can be found in VoiceCatcher 4, Murder on the Wind, Poetic Monthly, Nights and Weekends, the Shine Journal and Joyful Online. Besides her Gypsy Shadow ebooks, Sheila has several self-published works available from Amazon and Lulu, and a full-length novel under contract to come out next year.

Find her on her website: http://www.sheiladeeth.com
or find her books at: http://sheiladeeth.weebly.com

Thanks, Sheila for visiting today!

I'm in the News!

2011-09-29T22:00:00.001-04:00

Remember the blog post where I freaked out over having an interview with the local paper?

Well, here's the link.

In other news, I passed in third round edits for Tundra 37! Woot!!! And I'm currently writing the third book in the series: Haven 6. Due date Dec 15th. (creeping up on me really fast)

I have two Paradise 21 signings coming up:

Weare Winter Festival Nov 5th from 1-3
Manchester Barnes and Noble Nov 12th from 2-4

Anyone call their Barnes and Noble yet for a signing? Or their local paper?

You can still vote for Paradise 21 in the AAD Bookie Awards until Oct 1st:

Just click on the word HERE. I'm around entry #30.

Thanks!

Interview with Author Catherine Cavendish

2011-09-28T06:00:00.003-04:00

Catherine is a fellow author at Gypsy Shadow Publishing, the publisher that's published a lot of my short stories. She's visiting today to talk about her new story Say A Little Prayer.

Thank you for taking the time to visit us, Catherine!

1.What got you started in writing?

It’s so long ago now, I can’t remember! Ever since I was a small child, I have made up stories and invented characters. I was an only child so I probably had more time on my own than if I had had siblings. It just seemed the most natural thing in the world to put those stories racing around my head onto paper as soon as I was able to. I remember wanting a typewriter so much, I sold my dolls’ house, dolls’ pram and anything else I could lay my hands on and bought a little portable Smith Corona when I was nine years old.

2. Your book is about dead celebrities. Who are your favorite dead celebrities and why?

Jim Morrison – what a sexy man and highly intelligent too. For all his wild reputation, he was also a gentleman and had a great sense of humor. And he made great music with The Doors. Marilyn Monroe – much more than the dumb blonde roles she so often portrayed. I find her a fascinating character. Oscar Wilde – his writing is sublime and his witticisms were so far ahead of his time. In fact the man himself would be far more appreciated nowadays – and far less troubled.

3. Have you ever met a celebrity in person?

I once met the Duchess of Kent when she came to visit a newspaper I was working for. Somehow she managed to appear genuinely interested in the finder points of Classified Advertising. Now there’s class for you!

4. Your cover is wonderful and my favorite color blue! What did you think when you saw it? Did you have any input in designing it?

Thank you. I love it too. When I first saw it, I thought it was stunning and captured some of the essence of the story really well. We would have got into copyright problems with any iconic photos of Jim Morrison or Marilyn Monroe so that was never going to work. Unusually for a publisher, Gypsy Shadow do involve their writers in the cover art and I am very grateful to them for that.

5. Tell us about your future works!

I have a novella (just under 30,000 words) coming out in October called ‘Cold Revenge’. This is a paranormal horror about 4 people who get a lot more than they were expecting when they and their partners accept an invitation to dinner…

In a departure from my usual genre, ‘The Dust Storm’ is a futuristic short story which will be published later this year by Gypsy Shadow. It takes place in the 24th century, when the world is choking to death from global warming and is a savage and inhospitable place. My two main characters have the chance of escape, but can they escape the lethal Dust Storm?

6. Where can we find out more about you?
I can be found in all sorts of places but these are the most usual:

On my blog/website www.catherinecavendish.com
Twitter
Facebook
Goodreads: www.goodreads.com as Catherine Cavendish

‘Say A Little Prayer’ is available from Gypsy Shadow Publishing.
And from major online booksellers including Amazon.

Pictures from Boat Wedding

2011-09-27T12:25:00.004-04:00

Thanks to the amazing Stephanie Wales I have these fantastic pictures of a wedding I played on the Winnipesaukee Belle on Lake Winnipesaukee.

As we played, the boat drove to a secluded spot on the lake. We stopped for the ceremony, and then drove back. You can see the sun change throughout the pictures. It was a gorgeous wedding.

Stephanie Wales, the photographer, has been featured in the following magazines:

GRACE ORMONDE WEDDING STYLE
NH MAGAZINE BRIDE
NH WEDDING MAGAZINE
LAKES REGION BRIDE MAGAZINE
CAPITOL BRIDE MAGAZINE

You can learn more about her here on her website.

Guest Post: Entangled Author Cate Lord

2011-09-26T06:00:00.000-04:00

Today I'm excited to host another Entangled Author: Cate Lord! I love this picture of her. She looks like she could be my sister. :) She's got some great advice for us writers, too.

Cate has a new book out with Entangled Publishing:

Click here to buy it.

She's written a guest post for us, so take it away, Cate....

Thanks so much, Aubrie, for inviting me to be a guest on your blog! I was very flattered to be asked and am thrilled to be here.

Today, I’m going to talk my Chick Lit romantic comedy Lucky Girl, a September release from Entangled Publishing. My book’s heroine, twenty-nine-year-old Jessica Devlin, is the beauty editor of Orlando’s O Tart magazine and she takes a long overdue vacation to be maid-of-honor in her English cousin’s wedding.

Jess is nervous about the trip, after recently being dumped by her fiancé and an embarrassing episode two years ago after her grandfather’s funeral that involved an English pub, too many drinks, and a handsome Brit who held her in his arms and soothed her while she cried. Of course, Jess believes there’s little chance of her running into James Bond gorgeous Nick Mondinello again—but guess who’s at the wedding? Jess firmly believes marketing exec Nick isn’t right for her, since he’s a playboy like her dad who left when she was twelve. Fate, though, keeps throwing her and Nick together in ways she never expected.

When I wrote Lucky Girl, I was never alone. Jess and Nick were always with me. I sensed them standing behind my chair, peering over my shoulder while I typed. They offered a nudge or whisper of advice if they felt the plot, dialogue, or emotional focus of the scene should go in a different direction than what I’d decided.
However, I also had another character keeping watch on me: my cat.

Kai, our fluffy gold and white male kitty, isn’t happy unless he can be an active part of my writing schedule. Note the word ‘active.’ He has always been a rambunctious feline. We adopted him close to three years ago from the local animal services, unable to resist him, a skinny, wide-eyed, three-month-old cutie who squirmed in my daughter’s arms from the moment she asked to hold him. Our household has never been the same. Neither has my writing routine.

Each day, the very instant I booted up my net book to work on Lucky Girl, Kai was beside me, rubbing his face against mine, demanding attention. I nudged him away and opened my file. He walked between me and the computer screen and stopped there, giving me a face full of silky, fluffy fur. I gently shoved him away again. He repeated the ‘walk and stop’ distraction. I put him on the floor. He returned to sprawl behind my net book, bat at my mouse cable, and chew on my net book. Argh! Finally, once he got bored, he curled up in his cat bed I’d placed on the table by my computer and napped, while peeking at me now and again to check on my progress.
Kai continues to ‘help’ me write every day now. Is it any wonder I worked an attention-hogging male cat into Lucky Girl?

All that said, I’ve learned a few things about writing from Kai:

1. In a pinch, resort to cute humor.
In Lucky Girl, I put Jess in a few awkward situations and embarrassed her more than once—but only because her giggle-worthy dilemmas helped her to finally trust and fall in love with Nick. They were important to her character arc. How did Kai help me with the funny stuff? Just when I thought I couldn’t stand any more of his antics, he’d do something adorable, like fetch his fuzzy mouse with the rattle inside, drop it on the floor, and meow as though asking me to play. Or, he’d squish himself flat on the laminate floor, scoot under the china cabinet, and peek out at me. He reminded me that when the tension is rising between my characters, a fun way to keep the Chick Lit tone intact and keep the story moving was to throw in a laugh or two.

2. When stuck, take a break.
Some days, I just couldn’t get the words right, either because I was tired or I still hadn’t mentally worked out the roadmap of the scene I was writing. What I learned from Kai? A break works wonders (for him, that means taking a long nap). Sometimes I went for a walk or did Yoga; I returned to my computer with a fresh perspective and usually, a solution to what wasn’t working before.

3. Sometimes, your muse has to run wild.
There are times in the day when Kai tears around the house like he’s possessed. He leaps over the furniture, then sails down the stairs, airborne for at least five of the fourteen steps. He has no specific plan in mind, he’s simply surrendered to his animal instincts. For a writer, this means letting the creative muse take charge—and it’s exciting. When I wrote the nightclub scene in Lucky Girl, when Jess and Nick end up “dirty dancing,” I felt the intense sexual charge between Jess and Nick, and let my muse take hold of that sizzling emotion and run wild with it. My fingers flew, and the results were pretty darned hot! It’s one of my favorite scenes in the book, and required little editing.

Could I write without Kai? I might get more done, without his distractions. But for the inspiration he’s provided me, and the purring, snuggling, kitty-kissing love he shows me every day, I consider myself to be a very lucky girl.

Thanks for visiting today, Cate!

Pictures from RWA Signing

2011-09-24T20:59:00.006-04:00

The NH chapter of the RWA convention was fantastic! I got to meet a fellow Entangled Author, Sarah Gilman (pictured above on the left), and we had a blast. Turns out our personalities work very well together. Being both flutists, we had a lot to talk about!

The guest speaker at the luncheon was NY Times Bestseller Carla Neggers. She had a lot of great advice and I took extensive notes. I'll share what I learned in a bunch of future posts, but here's a sample from her speech at lunch:

Three Things You Need to be a Successful Author:
Focus, Vision, Dedication

Focus:
Clarity of purpose (What you're doing/Why you're doing it) becomes the foundation of a positive focus. To achieve this you must set realistic targets and milestones. You must adopt practices that will make you a more effective creator. Prune everything that doesn't contribute to your creative process. (For example: creative vampires like the internet).

Vision:
Take the time for "Vision work". Give yourself a blank space where you can have inspirational thought and get away from all of the conventions like: synopsis writing, plot arcs, submissions, rejections etc.)
Go with the unpredictability of the creative process.

Dedication:
Dedicate yourself to your own creative journey. A lot of people don't want to do the work if they don't know it will have a positive outcome or if it will sell. You have to embrace the uncertainty and unpredictability of writing.

Lots of great stuff, huh?

How I got a Book Signing at Barnes and Noble

2011-09-22T06:00:00.001-04:00

That's right! My dream has come true! I will be signing books at the Manchester Barnes and Noble on November 12th from 2-4.

All I needed was a lot of courage, persistence, a charged battery for my cell phone, and for Paradise 21 to be labeled as "returnable" in the Ingrams book catalog. They won't book you if it isn't returnable. (At least all the stores in my area won't)

To find out if your book is returnable, give them your ISBN number, and they'll look it up and let you know.

Then, you need to find the person in charge of book signings. At one point someone in the Manchester store didn't recognize the name I was given during a previous phone call and gave me a totally different name, so be careful who you talk to. You may need to call back numerous times to get the right person. Be persistent. I must have called ten times.

Barnes and Noble stalker = me. *hides face*

How does a book get labeled as "returnable"? You have to ask your publisher about that one. Entangled Publishing took care of that part for me.

So, get out fellow authors!!! If little old me can do it, then you can, too!

Anyone have a book signing at Barnes and Noble before? Any advice?
Anyone going to call their local Barnes and Noble after reading my post?

Guest Post: Two Brothers Metz talk about being Lawyers and Reading Wills

2011-09-21T08:20:00.000-04:00

Hi Aubrie! Thanks so much for inviting the Two Brothers Metz (Lafe and Rhett) to share your blog for the day :)

We’re in the process of plotting the follow up to Gypsy Knights, and it feels like GKII (as we refer to it) occupies our whole lives. So, we thought we’d share our daily madness with you and your readers.

Up this week in our book writing lives is a dastardly Last Will and Testament.

It’s a funny thing: both Lafe and I (I being Rhett, who is at the helm for this blog) are attorneys (sadly, writing doesn’t pay the bills…yet!). In fact, we work at the same firm (Yes, Lafe could be my boss if he wanted to be. Fortunately for me, he leaves that to others). But despite six collective years of law school and over a decade of legal practice between us, neither of us knows much about wills.

But, they’re such great fodder for fiction! Who doesn’t love a good ‘reading of the will’ scene?

We had no choice but to consult the Great Barrister – our Dad!

So GKII’s by line is quickly becoming something more like “The Metzes” than Two Brothers Metz.

What we’ve learned is both disappointing and door opening. Turns out, there is absolutely no legal requirement that a will be read aloud to its potential beneficiaries. No ancient, dignified attorney presides. No monocle wearing fat cats listen in. No gold digging trophy husbands/wives await eagerly. No alcoholic divorcee in oversized sunglasses and a giant hat sips on a bloody Mary in a lavishly appointed office.

Which of course begs the question: what’s left for the writer? Well, accuracy for one. On aspect we particularly fret over in the Gypsy Knights series is the blending of real world accuracy with fantasy. For us, it’s more immediate if the book is realistic, with splashes of fantasy so the leaps the reader must take are shorter.

One element of a will that particularly lends itself to a great piece of plotting is a will’s potential to be challenged. There are a number of technical legal challenges a slighted, would be beneficiary can bring, but the substantive, factual challenges are the juiciest: fraud, undue influence and mental state immediately jump out. Additionally, if the will uses general terms, such as, “I leave all my worldly possessions along with the rest, residue and remainder to my lawful heir(s) at law…” then anyone who can prove they are a lawful heir might win a challenge.

And there you have it. That’s how we dream up and research a plot element. While we might change our minds once we get it on paper, for the time being GKII includes a wild Will and a challenger for our hero – Durriken Brishen.

Thanks for writing this post today!

You can buy Gypsy Knights at these locations:

Amazon

Barnes and Noble

Goodreads

This tour is organized by:

Gypsy Knights Blog Tour

2011-09-20T09:00:00.000-04:00

I'm excited to host this new release today!

Gypsy Knights
by Two Brothers Metz
Genre Paranormal YA

Fourteen-year-old Durriken Brishen has lost his parents, his grandfather, and though he doesn't know it, his Gypsy culture's dangerous gift.

Taken in and raised on the rails by the first woman to pilot a freight train, Durriken has one remaining connection to his Romani roots: a small wooden box that hangs from the hammer loop of his overalls.

The last gift he received from his grandfather, the box contains the world's first chess set. But a piece is missing: the Red Queen. According to Durriken’s family lore, the complete set awakens the power of Tărie, a mercurial gift that confers unique abilities on each new Master.

When a suspicious fire erupts in the Chicago rail yard, Durriken's escape produces an uneasy alliance, though not without its silver lining. Dilia is a few inches taller, several degrees cleverer, and oh yes – very pretty. While Durriken is uneasy allying with a girl whose parents were convicted of sedition, there's no doubt she is a powerful partner. And while it's not immediately clear to either, her own Guatemalan culture and family history are deeply entwined with the ancient Romani mystery.

Jumping box cars, escaping riverboats, deciphering clues, crossing swords with the brilliant madman Radu Pinch – with great American cities as its backdrop – Gypsy Knights is the page-turning saga of Durriken Brishen and his quest to rediscover his past.

Amazon

Barnes and Noble:

Goodreads

This tour is organized by Bewitching Book Tours:

Click here to see all of the stops along the tour!

Paradise 21 up for the AAD Bookie Award

2011-09-17T20:53:00.001-04:00

Please click on the link and vote for Paradise 21 as the best sci fi novel of the year on the ballet for me!

I'm around #30

Thank you!!

My First Newspaper Interview is Tomorrow!

2011-09-14T13:44:00.000-04:00

Two days ago I summoned my courage and called my hometown newspaper. Thinking they'd hang up on me, I told them about how I lived in Derry and I had a new release out.

The woman on the phone asked what it was about and I stumbled all over my words. It's sci fi, but it's not hard sci fi. It's romance, but also action and adventure...

Whatever I managed to get out worked, because I'm going in tomorrow for an interview. And she's going to take my picture! (I'm already sifting through my closet for something nice to wear!)

This goes to show that all you have to do is put yourself out there and ask. You never know when people will say yes.

Everyone with a book released this year, google your hometown newspaper and ask.

Hopefully later on I'll have a link to the article if they put it online!

Guest Post by Lucianne Rivers from Entangled Publishing

2011-09-12T08:49:00.000-04:00

Thanks for having me at your blog, Aubrie! I'm half-way through your book, PARADISE 21, and loving the character of Aries.

Hi everyone! I've been doing a lot of guest blogging recently as my trilogy about three sisters, HOLD ME, THRILL ME, ENTICE ME, releases back to back from Entangled Publishing.

Today I'm here to share THRILL ME with all of you. This is book #2, and Margo Caldwell's story. She's the second sibling, and a total baddie. Shhh, she's my favorite out of my three heroines--Jane, Margo and Allison.

Why?

Because not only is she an Olympic style weightlifter (as am I), a crack-shot, and totally gorgeous, she's just made Detective at the Santa Fe Police Department after five years as a beat cop. Strong women rock. I aspire to be one.

I did actually think about joining the force here in Santa Fe--my adopted hometown (I'm originally from Ireland)--but it would require my living at the Academy for five months, and I have a twenty-two month old toddler called Lily, so being away from her just isn't an option. I have to settle for writing about cops.

One of my good friends has been a Detective for several years, and another is about to test for Detective. He recently taught me to shoot, which was the realization of a life-long fantasy. I also went on a “ride-along” a couple of months back with a lady-cop. We mostly picked up drunks and answered alarm calls that turned out to be nothing, but at one point she switched on her siren and I felt such a rush of adrenalin...I can see why people do it.

Margo is a bit of an adrenalin junkie, although, like me, she has a fear of open water, which she has to overcome in order to save the man who's been helping her find her long-lost father in the Virgin Islands. Captain Adrian Prince is, obviously, extremely hot, and an excellent navigator on the water. However, when he is shot by a criminal, Margo has to save the day. Out of the three sisters, she's the most prepared to get in the thick of the action. As I think about future plot-lines and characters, I am determined that ALL my heroines will be well-equipped to save the world alongside their male counterparts.

I hope you enjoy Margo's love-story and foul-mouthed wit as much as I do...

Lucy

The story sounds fantastic, Lucy! Thanks for stopping by today to share it with us.

You can buy Hold Me on Amazon, or Barnes and Noble.

You can buy Thrill me on Amazon and Barnes and Noble.

Review of Black Swan

2011-09-10T22:40:00.000-04:00

Excellent Portrayal of a Complex Character: Innocent, passive aggressive, and insecure

So I finally watched Black Swan all the way through with my sister tonight. I knew Natalie Portman would be fantastic, and I can see how she won so many awards with this role.

Black Swan shows the highly competitive world of professional ballet, and how it can get to someone who is shooting past her prime, and someone else who's following in the same footsteps. (or ballet steps I should say).

As a professional musician, I totally identified with the pressures of rising above such a cut throat world. You can't let it get to you, but because it's so competitive and you work so hard, it's the only thing you have because you've sacrificed so much. Every little success and failure mean EVERYTHING. That's why I draw my line with flute sometimes, because if I really wanted to play at the top, I'd have to give up my sanity. I'd have to practice six to eight hours a day.

Nina does. She doesn't have any friends, or any semblance of a normal life. All she knows is dancing, and she covets the role of the black swan. She practices until her toe nails break and bleed. Ironically, she lacks the social experience to fully realize the part of the black swan. Her dancing is frigid, and she's too uptight to reach her potential.

Artful, both ugly and beautiful at times, and shocking, I was glued to the screen the entire time. I don't recommend this movie to anyone underage. If you're in the mood for a Disney movie or a comedy, then this one's not for you. If you're a writer like me, then this movie is an excellent example of a complex, compelling character.

Escape to Love by Cher Green

2011-09-06T19:00:00.000-04:00

Besides having a really cool name, (I've never known anyone named Cher, expect well, you know, the singer Cher.) Cher Green is one of my awesome critique partners, and she has a new ebook out, one that I beta read for her! I'm so excited to be included in this project.

Cher is a content editor at eTreasures Publishing, and has published short stories and poetry. She has a knack for writing about witches and spooky, paranormal topics.

Here is her website.

And here's my review of Escape to Love:
Reminiscent of the Salem Witch Trials

Constance Spencer thinks she’s a failure, both as a witch and in love. Living with her cat, she practices magic that never works and still thinks of her breakup five years ago. But that all changes the day her fingers slip during a ritual and she drops the match into the water bowl. Her incantation is a success! A portal forms in her backyard, sucking her in.

Constance falls into a world where magic abounds, but only council members can practice it, and witches are persecuted. By interrupting their council and demonstrating her own magic, she is persecuted as well.

But one man fights for her. Captivated by her glowing beauty, Lawrence recognizes her from his dreams. Only with his help can she make it back to her world.

Escape to Love is action packed with a sweet romance at its core. Cher’s writing is very smooth and calming to read. I enjoyed watching Constance fall in love and find her own way in the twisted new world she’s fallen into. I love how Cher incorporates wiccan rituals and incantations. This story reminded me of the Salem witch trials, and how we all must work at accepting different cultures.

Congrats, Cher, on your new release!!!

Guest Post: Sarah Gilman

2011-09-05T07:23:00.000-04:00

I'm so excited to welcome another Entangled Publishing author to my blog today! Sarah and I will be attending the RWA conference together on September 24th! I'm so excited to meet her and spend the day together. At the end of the conference, we'll be signing our books from 4:30-5:30 if anyone wants to come!

Here's her new book:

She has a great guest post written for today:

Tick tock, tick tock…

A huge thank you to Aubrie for hosting today! Aubrie and I each have a first book in a new series available from Entangled Publishing. Speaking of writing a series…

Writing can be a full-time job…with relentless overtime. Some authors work full-time jobs other than writing. Some have part-time jobs. Some get to stay home, but that doesn’t necessarily mean they have more time to write. Regardless of individual circumstances, writers write. We write a lot.

I can be impatient. When I fall in love with a new story or characters, I can’t wait to get the project drafted and revised so I can share it. But no matter how many hours a writer has in a day to commit to a project, a novel does not get written overnight. My debut novel, Out in Blue, took me a year from rough beginnings to the draft I submitted. I learned a lot from critique readers about craft, so rewriting took up the bulk of that time.

The second novel in my Return to Sanctuary series is nearly ready to submit to Entangled, and I started it in the beginning of March, six months ago. While I’m making much better time than I did with Out in Blue, it doesn’t feel that way. During the development of Out in Blue, I only had to answer to myself and my critique readers. Now, I have readers who enjoyed the first book and, of course, the publisher waiting on this manuscript. I have an unprecedented case of nerves that have me writing, deleting, writing, deleting, deleting, deleting…

But I’m getting there. :)

I never imagined that as I writer I would have to deal with stage fright! Writers, how long does it take you to write a submission-ready, novel-length work? Readers, how much (or how little) time do you like to see between books in a series?

Thanks for stopping by today, Sarah!
Everyone can buy her book here.

Here's my review:
Out in Blue
By Sarah Gilman

An intriguing new world of angel and demon mythology…

Ginger’s life changes the day she overhears a poacher boast of pursing an archangel in Vermont. She’s the adopted daughter of a demon, the guardians of archangels, and she knows how rare and pure they are. She rushes to warn him, placing herself in great danger. Her actions make her and the archangel, Wren, runaways, and they seek shelter in a place called the Sanctuary.

Wren has lived a cursed life. His parents were murdered by a guardian betrayer, and he’s fled from safe houses to barns, to abandoned buildings his whole life. Lark, the guardian that killed his parents is after him, and has sworn to kill any family Wren produces. For this reason, Wren can never fall in love. But he’s drawn to Ginger, the woman who’s risked everything to save him. He knows being with her could lead to her death.

Out in Blue is a fantastic paranormal romance, and much more. This book puts a face to the harm caused by poachers, and it hits home when the slaughtered innocents resemble humans. The people who buy the archangels feathers are enablers, giving the poachers reason to murder. The same is going on today with elephants, and as a society we must stop it.

The romance between Wren and Ginger simmers nicely into a fiery flame, and I love the way Wren is described: so masculine and exotic. Their pasts explain so much of the reasons why they are drawn to one another, and their romance delves deeper than mere attraction, although the physical magnetism is definitely there. They are truly made for one another, and that fact makes the romance delicious. I ate it up.

Continuous action kept me on the edge of my seat, making it hard to put down with the end of each chapter. The world that Gilman creates is a well thought out and fully realized mythology, complex and enthralling with twist and turns throughout.

Review from my Critique Partner!

2011-08-12T09:46:00.000-04:00

Today I'm a guest on Theresa Milstein's blog!

She is a fellow New Englander, and was one of the main critique givers for Paradise 21. Her shrewd eye coached me on making Tiff tougher, and making Striker more of a man. She's honest, and her advice always lead me to better places with my characters.

We've shared in each other's successes, and I got to critique her story that made it into Fangtales by Wyvern Publications, and the story chosen for a young dancers anthology. Go, Theresa! I can't wait until one of her own YA novels make it into print.

Thank you, Theresa! You're a fantastic writing partner and I'm lucky to have you.

Weekend Update

2011-08-07T09:50:00.000-04:00

Yesterday I played a wedding at the Mount Washington Hotel, way up in northern NH. It was beautiful. The bride chose Canon in D by Pachelbel for the wedding party, and the traditional bridal march for herself.

Rumor has it this hotel is haunted. I've taken photos of orbs on their stairway before, but this time nothing happened out of the ordinary.

Today I'm going to see Cowboys and Aliens! I'm so excited!

I know the movie got mixed reviews, but I'm not expecting anything really Oscar-worthy or the answer to world peace. I just want to have some fun.

I'm also working on a tie in novella to the New Dawn series called A Hero Rising. Novellas are usually 30-45k and I'm at 20k, so I'm getting close. My goal is to finish it in the next week or so and start the final book in the series, which is due in December. (AHHH! Don't want to think about that now!)

What's everyone else doing this weekend?