Giveaway!!! Perpetual Light by Jordon K. Rose

Take it away, Jordan!

Character Development

Hi Aubrie. Thanks so much for hosting me. I’m very happy to be on Flutey Words today as part of the Perpetual Light Blog Tour. I thought I’d talk a little bit about my writing process.

For me the story is all about the characters. What happens in the story is defined entirely by who is in the story. I have not yet had a plot idea come to me before a character idea. And in fact, I’ve got well-defined characters waiting to tell me their stories. What in the world they’re waiting for is beyond me!

In Perpetual Light Lucia was the first character to develop. The very first trait I learned about her was that she was a woman repeatedly being reincarnated to find her soul mate. Of course, this idea has been written before so I wondered what would be different about her.

I didn’t wonder long. The idea that she was reincarnated and her soul mate was a husband who’d been stolen from her and made vampire came very quickly. Then the easy details came—like her long, curly hair and green eyes, and her job as a buyer of women’s accessories for a large upscale store.

Vittorio came next and was more difficult to write because he was (as my husband points out) typical of the type of men I find attractive—tall, dark, wavy hair, hazel eyes, muscular with chest hair, Italian. Well, what can you expect? They lived on a vineyard in Italy in the 1600’s. He was more difficult because I found myself sort of daydreaming about him, which made it very challenging to focus.

Character development is the crux of the story for me. My current work in progress is an Eva Prim story. Eva is entirely different from Lucia and if faced with the same conflicts, she would respond in a completely different, if not the exact opposite way.

For example, Lucia is a divine vampire slayer who is fated to kill her husband. She so desperately wants to avoid this outcome that she has refused her destiny, run from it, thus putting herself in a weakened position. Eva, on the other hand, in spite of being a vampire would be more than happy to harness her powers and dispose of a few vampires. She might even consider taking down Stefan, her master and husband, though she’d regret it in the end. But, she’s hot-headed and emotional so she’d get the job done one way or another, if that was her task.

Thank God it’s Lucia with these powers. Otherwise, if I know Eva, I’d be writing about her reactions to getting kicked out of Grief Support Groups as she lamented the loss of her husband and blamed everyone else for it. She’s a pip and keeps me guessing.

All my characters keep me guessing to some extent, and I love that. I love that I didn’t know right away that Lucia was a Pharo of Redemption, a soul destined to bring lost souls back to The Light. With that knowledge I might have tried to work the story in a different direction. Instead, I fell in love with each of the characters, well, all of them except the bad ones. Now, I hate the thought of losing any of the supporting characters, but I know full and well some of them will leave us. I just hope it’s not too soon!

I’d love to hear about the little details that make you love characters. A phrase or relationship that showcases a particular character. What is it that endears a character to you, whether you’re writing the story or reading it?

I’d like to offer a $10 gift certificate to Harvard Sweet Boutique to one random commenter. All you have to do is comment on the post to be entered to win. To increase your chances of winning connect with me via one or more of the social networks listed below.

Twitter: https://twitter.com/#!/JordanKRose

Like me on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Jordan-K-Rose/307285709309992

Friend me on Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/5751865.Jordan_K_Rose

Follow my blog via the networked blog button on my site. http://www.jordankrose.com/blog/

Everyone who comments is entered into the grand prize drawing for an eReader- Kindle Touch or Nook Simple Touch.


a Rafflecopter giveaway







Fate is cruel. Especially when the one you’ve sworn to love for all eternity, the very soul who changed your destiny is the last person you should trust.

After more than three hundred years of running, Lucia Dicomano must make a choice.

Forced to take her place as a Pharo of Redemption, the divine slayer needs to master her forgotten powers. Lucia turns to Vittorio, the one vampire she’s failed to deliver from eternal damnation. But overcoming smoldering remnants of love, lust and anger aren’t their only obstacles.

Samuel, who may know Lucia better than she knows herself, hunts her with a fervor stoked by a thousand years of vengeful hatred. His plan—capture and enslave the weakened Pharo then take control of her elusive power.

Can Lucia trust Vittorio long enough to reclaim her powers? Or will she have no choice but to kill him and battle Samuel alone?




After trying her hand at many, many things- from crafting and art classes to cooking and sewing classes to running her own handbag business, Jordan finally figured out how to channel her creativity. With an active imagination and a little encouragement from her husband she sat down and began to write, each night clicking away at the keys with her black Labrador, Dino curled up under the desk.

A few short years later she’s entered the publishing arena with no plans to ever turn back.

Jordan’s a member of Rhode Island Romance Writers, as well as RWA National, and the New England (NEC), Connecticut, and Fantasy, Futuristic and Paranormal (FFnP) Chapters.

Her first book, Perpetual Light, releases in February of 2012 from Crescent Moon Press.

Find Jordan on her website at www.jordankrose.com
Follow her tweets on https://twitter.com/#!/jordankrose
Friend her on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/jordankrose

Guest Blog M.M. Shelley

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.

Giveaway and Guest Blog by Author Ciara Knight

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!!!

Promo: Excerpt from The Opera Tales

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:

Guest Post by Wanita May

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?

Guest Post with Entangled Author, Jus Accardo

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 by Author LK Rigel

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:

Guest Blog by Author S. J. Davis

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

Guest Blog and Giveaway by Author Tonya Macalino

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!!!

Guest Post by GSP Author Sheila Deeth

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!

Guest Post: Entangled Author Cate Lord

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!