I was tagged in the Lucky 7's game by the always awesome M.R. Polish.
1. Go to page 77 of your current MS.
2. Go to line 7.
3. Copy down the next 7 lines (sentences or paragraphs) and post them as they’re written.
I'm going to play along with Mark of the Witch....enjoy
Once the spell was complete, Jilly opened her eyes and saw the light. “I guess we should see where they go right?” They all got up quickly and followed the golden footsteps upstairs. They led towards the back of the house and stopped at what looked like a dead end. Jilly placed both hands on the wall and said a quick release spell, her hands flashing white against the wall. There was a soft click, and a door materialized where the wall had been. William opened the door, and they saw more footsteps leading back into the room. Both girls were surprised, they had never discovered this room before, and Jilly would wager no one since Mary had set foot in here, there was a layer of dust covering everything in the room.
Saturday, March 31, 2012
Friday, March 30, 2012
The ongoing saga that is my life
This has been a very non productive week for me. I know it's bad, and I know that next week will be just as bad lol. My husband and I will be going on a 4 day vacation to Vegas in a little over a week, so getting all the stuff we need has been my project. I've been trying to find some clothes for myself, but I'm having the worst luck. I've lost a ton of weight, and I'm in between sizes, so everything fits weird. But, maybe it's all in my head, I am a chick, and chick's do tend to have crappy self images. Oh well, I'm sure I'll find something eventually.......hopefully.
On a happier note, I got a glowing review of Mark of the Witch from one of my beta readers. It totally made all of the crappy rewrite days worth it. It's nice hearing that all of your hard work has made a difference. It's also fun to bounce ideas off someone and know that they really get it. I've also been trying to get all my pre edits done before I send it off to the editor in May. I'm hoping that I can still have a June release, but we may need to push it back if I can't turn it around fast enough. I'm going to be running a few contests for ARC's of Mark of the Witch in May, so keep an eye out for those.
I guess I should probably get back to editing, either my book, or the one I'm reading for a friend. So, back to work I go. Hope you all have a fantastic day and a wonderful weekend :)
On a happier note, I got a glowing review of Mark of the Witch from one of my beta readers. It totally made all of the crappy rewrite days worth it. It's nice hearing that all of your hard work has made a difference. It's also fun to bounce ideas off someone and know that they really get it. I've also been trying to get all my pre edits done before I send it off to the editor in May. I'm hoping that I can still have a June release, but we may need to push it back if I can't turn it around fast enough. I'm going to be running a few contests for ARC's of Mark of the Witch in May, so keep an eye out for those.
I guess I should probably get back to editing, either my book, or the one I'm reading for a friend. So, back to work I go. Hope you all have a fantastic day and a wonderful weekend :)
Thursday, March 29, 2012
Author Spotlight: David S. Grant
Blood: The new Red begins at an after party where Mickey, and ex-adult movie star turned supermodel, is aligning himself with one of top Designers of Seventh Avenue. While trying to land a job on the runway Mickey is thrown into the center of a scene where sex is often the motivation, the wine is served by year, and cocaine is back in full force. Juanita, Mickey’s girlfriend is having difficulties staying sober, fully clothed, and off of her famous boyfriend.
Mickey goes to work for Fashion icon Paul Johnson, one of the two top Designers in NYC. The other is Sandy Johnson, another Designer who will stop at nothing including murder to guarantee victory. A runway exhibition has been scheduled for the two to compete in and find out who truly is the best Johnson. Mickey will be Paul’s top model, and Sandy has found a homeless person nicknamed Kung Fu Master to show his line.
In addition to getting his new line in place, Paul Johnson is also buying chain saws, the louder the better, to put the special in this special event.
Did you know that you can’t be sentenced to prison if actively seeking help at a mental facility? Paul Johnson knows this.
Somewhere between the girls, counting Vicodin pills, and show preparation Mickey has grown a conscience and no longer likes what he sees. He believes (and his psychiatrist agrees) that he has the power to change what’s happening around him.
Days before the show Kung Fu Master turns up dead and there is an attempt on Mickey’s life. After a brief period of unconsciousness Mickey is back, is told that Juanita and brother Cheeks are now also dead and that he must continue with the show. After all, what would Steven Tyler do?
The night of the show is laced with celebrities and models on the runway as well as one particular popular day-time talk show host that may or may not be murdered on the runway.
In the end only one Johnson will walk away, although this is temporary as Mickey has the last word.
Right before he pops his last Vicodin.
Excerpt from the Blood: The New Red
Always look like a rock star. This is the number one secret on how to be famous. I’m wearing chains, lots of chains. Eye shadow, lots of eye shadow. I wouldn’t say my pants are tight, but then again, my balls might disagree with you at the moment.
I’m standing on the second level of the Grand Hotel, overlooking the bar area. My manager tells me this is where I need to be standing. In five minutes I will move across the room and stand next to a long mirror where one of the Hiltons will walk by and notice my reflection. A photographer will be close by and be sure to get the picture. This mirror has been placed here for this sole purpose. My manager tells me not to stare at the mirror. If you asked me to list my weaknesses, this may be my number one fault.
DJ Shingles, the newest (which means hottest) DJ, is playing on a middle level between the first and second floors. There is barely enough room for him let alone the overflowing ashtray and oversized stocking cap. Rumor has it this is his last show, despite this being his first. There is talk that he is moving into production and will be working with a major player in the hip hop industry, depending on who is hot at the time. DJ Shingles is wearing an Armani black button-down shirt with the sleeves ripped off. Very last year, but this is more a statement than a miscalculation on his part. Last season is the new season.
My manager signals for me to make my way across toward the mirror. A reporter from GQ is following me and asking me questions about who I’m going to sign with and whether or not my past will affect my future. I get her number, tell her I’ll call her later, and then blow her off as I approach the mirror. Always leak your press, never tell. This is secret number three on how to be famous.
Four widescreen televisions are fastened to the wall behind the bar. All are showing TMZ. An orange haired girl wearing a Betsey Johnson dress sees me staring at the television sets. She walks over and whispers in my ear, “It’s the new CNN.”
A waiter carrying a tray of wine from 1980 is walking by. Every 15 minutes another waiter, another tray, another year will walk by. Welcome to the world of fashion parties. Ten percent content, ninety percent presentation.
A man who goes by the name Dontay hands me a coffee cup that is full of scotch. My manager tells me to sip it and not cheers anyone. Any buzz that insinuates I’ve been in rehab and have put my porn career in the past is good press and can only help my modeling career. As scheduled, I’m approached by someone with the last name Hilton.
The Hilton is wearing a blouse that is considered the color Ocean, the new blue, but since Aquamarine blue was in fact the new blue for last season and last season is in this season, no one should be caught dead in Ocean. Unless of course she is being ironic. If so, she will have to mention this to at least three people during the course of the evening.
“Mickey, you’re back! I mean, uh…” Hilton looks at the coffee cup. “Welcome back!” She tips her coffee cup to me.
I glance around at the guest list, wondering who has the most juice at the party, but am distracted by the waiter walking through with wines from 1990.
“Good year for cabernets,” Hilton says, then grabs her blouse. “Last season is the new season, huh? Fuck that.” She laughs and looks fidgety as lights pop around us. At one point Hilton puts her arm around me and kisses me on the cheek. FLASH. Mission accomplished.
“I miss you, Mickey. We should get together sometime, you know, have a cup of coffee, fuck, or something.”
Sure, I tell her and then she leaves because she has a rule about spending over forty hours a week on the Lower East Side and this season many Fashion Week parties have been in LES, the new SoHo.
According to my manager, I need to make my way to a reserved table next to the bar where Paul Johnson is sitting. My manager also says to ignore the temptation of champagne. I have a job to do tonight.
Author BIO:
David S. Grant is the author of ten books including “Corporate Porn”, “Bleach|Blackout”, “Hollywood Ending”, and “Rock Stars”. His latest novel, “Blood: The New Red”, is now available. David lives and writes his weekly rock, travel, and NBA columns from New York City.
Websites:
Silverthought: http://www.silverthought.com/blood/
David S. Grant: http://www.davidsgrant.com
BLOOD: The New Red: http://www.bloodthenewred.com
Twitter: @david_s_grant
Purchase Links:
Paperback: http://www.amazon.com/Blood-New-David-S-Grant/dp/0984173854/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1327246788&sr=8-2
Kindle: http://www.amazon.com/Blood-The-New-Red-ebook/dp/B006NZRWLG/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1327246788&sr=8-3
Wednesday, March 28, 2012
Kassondra Leigh Character Interview
I'm so excited, today on the blog, we're having Kassondra Leigh on to do a character interview with one of the character's from her book When Copper Suns Fall. Hope you guys enjoy it :)
Character Interview Questions: Chela
1. Welcome Chela to Mother/Gamer/Writer. For those readers who are not familiar with your
story, can you give us a little background about yourself?
Thank you, Diayll. I’m so excited to be here. And I love your name, btw. It’s so cool. Okay, now
the background stuff. Well, um I’m fifteen. But I’ll turn sixteen on October 21st. I’m pretty
average, I guess. I have two best best friends: a girl named Lexa and a guy named Jalen. We
call ourselves the Bermuda Threes. I go to a third-tier school called Ashley George. It’s kind of
like what you would call high school. But I won’t get the chance to go this year because I’ve
been assigned to Minders Camp. That’s where kids who get carded for misbehaving go. Kind
of like detention, I guess. But I’ll talk about that in a bit. I live with my father, stepmother,
and her daughter, Audrina. I have a twin brother, too. But…well, he’s sick. So he hasn’t been
with us for over a year now. He has a virus that doesn’t usually affect people in Castle Hayne.
Only outcasts usually get sick, the people that live in the Dim Cities outside the Great Wall.
2. What is it like growing up in Castle Hayne? What do you like most and least about the city?
Castle Hayne is probably the strangest city you’ll ever travel to. There are no birds. The
beaches are covered in soot. The oceans have a dark red tint to the water. The clouds are
mostly gray all the time. Our governing body, the Tribunal, has these robotic spies that look
like crows. They’re always watching, waiting to see us screw up, I guess. There’s a 50-foot
fence that surrounds the city. We call it the Great Wall. Every day and night I have to take this
medicine to help keep my immune system strong enough to fight off viruses. They’re called
ale-meds. I hate that medicine. Micah hated taking it too. And now we know why, don’t we?
My house is a restored plantation called Cornice. It’s outside the city limits. Mostly gardens
and forests surround it. That’s what I love most about my life, the gardens that my mother
used to take care of. And there’s a cemetery in the backyard. For years, Micah and I played
around it. We pretended to be guardians of the monster gate. And then one day we got inside
it. But now you know what’s really behind the gate, don’t you?
3. The Tribunal, the governing body, assigns kids to different tasks once they are 15. How many
different classes are there and what are their specialties?
In Castle Hayne, kids have jobs. Yes, that’s right. We work. It’s a way the Tribunal makes sure
we can contribute to society when we turn eighteen. We have to earn our keep, be the model
citizens. You see, there’s people that live outside the Great Wall surrounding our city. They
don’t have special gifts like those of us who live inside the city. Most of them are infected,
dying, mutilated. Those of us living inside the Great Wall have gifts. Or either we live with
someone in the family who has a gift. There are five classes that match the five types of gifts:
Trackers, Healers, Thoughtmasters, Illusionists, and Historians like my father. Common names
for those groups are: ground soldiers, doctors, physical trainers, magicians, and teachers.
Most of us are born with a gene enhanced by radiation. It has been passed down throughout
the decades since the Tidal Years ended fifty-five years ago. By 16, we usually know which
gene we’ve inherited. And then we’re recommended to the appropriate leader of each class.
4. Your city is rich in history and traditions such as the Falling Lights Festival. I found Costing
Week to be the most intriguing and the most dangerous. Can you explain to our readers what
it is and why it is so important?
Yeah sure. Costing week is a time when families from all eight of Corunum’s Hill Boroughs
come to have a chance to be entered into a lottery. Good deeds mean more points, more
chances to win extra food, medicine, traveling privileges, protection from the Beast, you
name it. You can earn five slots, or five entries. On the fifth day, names are drawn and the
winners of the various prizes are identified. For kids outside the city, it means competing in a
brutal competition for one slot on their scorecard. They get one chance to change their lives
by winning citizenship in Castle Hayne. The first day of costing week always begins with a
showdown between Castle Hayne’s champion and his/her challenger. So, you know this year’s
challenger was me. I’m glad it’s over. But at the same time, I’m glad it happened too.
Now that we have the background questions out of the way, let’s talk boys.
5. Seth and Faris, night and day. Tell me how you could even decide?
Well, um, hm. They are the poster boys for opposites, right? Until my brother got sick, I never
thought I’d care about anyone, least of all another guy. With my other half being gone, my
twin brother, Micah, I felt like only part of me had been living. Enter Faris, the guy who
appeals to my hopeful side, my girl-in-floppy-stomach-love side. And then there’s Seth, the
guy who I never saw coming. The one who makes me feel powerful. But in the end, I know I’ll
make the right decision. I hope I make the right decision.
6. What is it like to be bonded with Faris?
In a few letters…asdfghkl;!!! No, but seriously, I don’t want to go all puppy-girl in the
interview here. The bond thing is amazing. It’s incredible to be tied with someone who can
understand how I feel inside without me saying a word. Someone odd like me. Someone who
can protect me from this storm called life.
7. I had a sneaking suspicion that your BFF, Jalen, wanted to be more than just friends. Could you
ever see yourself falling for him?
Jalen is like a big brother to me. I know, I know. I hear you saying that’s what all girls say
about the good guy hiding his huge crush. Things are already pretty complicated as you know.
I think it would ruin our friendship if we tried to go there. Only time will tell. And time is like a
ferris wheel. You never know where it’ll stop or which couple will get to hop off first.
8. Why did you decide to take Jalen to your secret spot you shared with Faris?
Well, partly because he kind of already knew about it. But mostly because I didn’t want to
go back there alone. I had to go back, though. To remember that what I saw was real. And
I wanted somebody I cared about to share it with me. It couldn’t be Micah, so it had to be
Jalen.
9. If you can, can you give us a tiny hint about what adventures and/or trouble you will be
getting into in the next book? Will there still be a steamy…man triangle?
Sure, I can give you a few hints. What’s even better? You’ll get the chance to hear from Faris
more often. I’ll be anxious to make up for lost time with my brother. He’s still recovering, but
the doctors think he’ll be fine once he gets his strength back up. I can tell you all one exciting
thing, though. I will be traveling to Cairona in what used to be old Egypt. I get to learn more
about my mother’s history. But we have to be careful. The Tribunal suspects something is
odd about me, and they don’t trust Micah’s sudden recovery. They think there has to be
something supernatural going on with us. A very bad thing. That’s going to be a huge problem
in book 2. As for the steamy triangle, or maybe even quadrangle…lol, you’ll have to come see
for yourself. :-D
10. Lastly, what side do you think you will chose? Or are you any closer to making a decision?
I don’t know. It’s hard to say. I know that probably sounds awful, but I’m just being real. I
have this power now. It’ll get stronger by the time I turn 16. I get scared when it happens.
Not because I’m afraid of it, but because I like how it makes me feel. I hear there’s a powerful
priestess in Cairona. I’ll be going to see her. I guess I’m a bit confused.
So much fun:) Makes me really excited to read the book. Here is the blurb for the book
When Copper Suns Fall
YA Dark Urban Fantasy
By KaSonndra Leigh
In fifteen-year-old Chela Prizeon’s city,
alchemy is forbidden, and angels hide
among the mortal. With a deadly virus
ravaging the globe, Chela’s nightmarish
memories compels her to experience a
past riddled with gloom, and now her
brother is infected. Chela’s only hope is
the Caduceans, slayers sworn to protect
the last seven Light Keepers and the
ancient memories they share. A group
led by the sometimes elusive, sometimes
infuriating boy who intrigues Chela. But
can she trust this boy with the
mysterious past, someone who can influence her memories? With the Caduceans
aid, Chela races to defeat her rivals, to unearth dark family secrets, desperate to
find a cure…only to discover the glutovirus is far more than a simple disease. In
this haunting debut, KaSonndra Leigh offers an escape into a world as intriguing
as The Mortal Instruments and a story as chilling as Enclave. Full of celestial
creatures, fascinating villainy, high-stake choices, and a secret romance, When
Copper Suns Fall, is a fresh and original urban fantasy—with a dystopian twist—
that will take readers on an unforgettable adventure.
Here is an excerpt from the book
Forcing my eyes to open, I found myself outside the Cradlehack. I was standing in
Faris’s arms, my head against his chest, my fingers entwined in his black vest. It was a smooth
fabric that felt like silk. A cloth no one had worn outside of ceremonies since before the Tidal
Years. This boy was no common citizen. His earthy-sweet smell made me feel hypnotically safe,
as we stood among the crowd fleeing down the hillside. He lifted my chin, stared in my eyes.
But this wasn’t some dumb player’s move.
No, a mysterious thing stirred behind his silvery-gray eyes.
“Feel better, Chela?” he asked. I nodded.
“Thanks for helping me,” I said, still fighting a light head. Still afraid the dreaded black
blobs lingered somewhere around us. Somewhat ashamed I’d spoken so horribly to him
moments ago.
“You probably shouldn’t do that,” he said.
“Do what?”
“Thank me.”
“Why? Because I caught you using alchemy? That’s what your kind does. Make magic in
the shadows, right?” I said.
His left eye ticked. The girl in the hoodie had called him a Caducean. Could it be
possible? Father told me Caduceans were a mythical group—demon slayers from a time long
gone. Yet, here I stood with a boy who didn’t deny my claim.
Around us, fewer people were leaving the Shack. They paid no attention to the two idiots
standing and staring at each other. Did Jalen and Lexa make it out safely? They were taking
forever to reach me.
Did I really want them to find me?
“They’ll call me, now, and make me a witness against you. I’m sorry, but I already have
too many problems. So I—I have to tell the truth,” I said.
“That won’t be a problem.” Faris smiled, a catchy one that lit his face up. I couldn’t
decide whether it was angelic or downright wicked. Just like I couldn’t remember where I’d ever
heard an accent like his. What kind was it? Old southern? Old English? Irish? It sounded like a
mix of all three, but with a deep timbre, making him sound god like. “In a few minutes, you
won’t remember me or any of this.”
“Really? How do you figure that?” I asked, heart racing.
“Because my gift to you…” He moved his face closer to mine, pulling me into whatever
was happening in his head. “My gift is to remove memories that cause you pain.”
“Okay, um, right.” Had I lost my mind? It probably wouldn’t have hurt to scream.
He held my gaze, locking me into something I couldn’t explain. A tear puckered up in his
left eye, and slid down his cheek where it stopped on his top lip. Then he blinked, snapping us
out of whatever place he’d taken us to, and glanced behind my head. “Here comes your dark
knight,” he said, easing his arms away from me.
He strolled off into the last group of stragglers hanging around the Shack. How did he
know my nickname for Jalen?
I wiped away a tear rolling down my right cheek.
“Chela, there you are. You scared me, girl.” Jalen’s voice cut into the moment. He spun
me around to face him. I blinked, clearing my eyes. “What’s wrong? Did you get hurt?”
I glanced around us. The boy was gone. A dull headache joined the fuzziness in my head.
Lost inside a clouded mind, I forgot what I wanted to say. The entire night’s events were hazy.
I fumbled with my thoughts.
What happened to me in there?
About the Author:
KaSonndra Leigh lives in the City of
Alchemy and Medicine, North Carolina.
She likes to write about teens doing
fantastical things in magical worlds. Her
two sons have made her promise to
write a boy book next.
She holds the MFA in creative writing,
and loves to play CLUE, Monopoly (the
Indiana Jones version), and Pandora’s
Box (good writer’s block therapy). She
lives in an L-shaped house with a
garden dedicated to her grandmother. It
has a secret library complete with
fairies, Venetian plastered walls, and a
desk made out of clear blue glass. When
Copper Suns Fall is her debut novel.
www.kasonndraleigh.com
http://twitter.com/#!/kasonndraleigh
http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/5137209.KaSonndra_Leigh
http://www.facebook.com/pages/When-Copper-Suns-Fall-by-KaSonndra-Leigh/111665822268673
Character Interview Questions: Chela
1. Welcome Chela to Mother/Gamer/Writer. For those readers who are not familiar with your
story, can you give us a little background about yourself?
Thank you, Diayll. I’m so excited to be here. And I love your name, btw. It’s so cool. Okay, now
the background stuff. Well, um I’m fifteen. But I’ll turn sixteen on October 21st. I’m pretty
average, I guess. I have two best best friends: a girl named Lexa and a guy named Jalen. We
call ourselves the Bermuda Threes. I go to a third-tier school called Ashley George. It’s kind of
like what you would call high school. But I won’t get the chance to go this year because I’ve
been assigned to Minders Camp. That’s where kids who get carded for misbehaving go. Kind
of like detention, I guess. But I’ll talk about that in a bit. I live with my father, stepmother,
and her daughter, Audrina. I have a twin brother, too. But…well, he’s sick. So he hasn’t been
with us for over a year now. He has a virus that doesn’t usually affect people in Castle Hayne.
Only outcasts usually get sick, the people that live in the Dim Cities outside the Great Wall.
2. What is it like growing up in Castle Hayne? What do you like most and least about the city?
Castle Hayne is probably the strangest city you’ll ever travel to. There are no birds. The
beaches are covered in soot. The oceans have a dark red tint to the water. The clouds are
mostly gray all the time. Our governing body, the Tribunal, has these robotic spies that look
like crows. They’re always watching, waiting to see us screw up, I guess. There’s a 50-foot
fence that surrounds the city. We call it the Great Wall. Every day and night I have to take this
medicine to help keep my immune system strong enough to fight off viruses. They’re called
ale-meds. I hate that medicine. Micah hated taking it too. And now we know why, don’t we?
My house is a restored plantation called Cornice. It’s outside the city limits. Mostly gardens
and forests surround it. That’s what I love most about my life, the gardens that my mother
used to take care of. And there’s a cemetery in the backyard. For years, Micah and I played
around it. We pretended to be guardians of the monster gate. And then one day we got inside
it. But now you know what’s really behind the gate, don’t you?
3. The Tribunal, the governing body, assigns kids to different tasks once they are 15. How many
different classes are there and what are their specialties?
In Castle Hayne, kids have jobs. Yes, that’s right. We work. It’s a way the Tribunal makes sure
we can contribute to society when we turn eighteen. We have to earn our keep, be the model
citizens. You see, there’s people that live outside the Great Wall surrounding our city. They
don’t have special gifts like those of us who live inside the city. Most of them are infected,
dying, mutilated. Those of us living inside the Great Wall have gifts. Or either we live with
someone in the family who has a gift. There are five classes that match the five types of gifts:
Trackers, Healers, Thoughtmasters, Illusionists, and Historians like my father. Common names
for those groups are: ground soldiers, doctors, physical trainers, magicians, and teachers.
Most of us are born with a gene enhanced by radiation. It has been passed down throughout
the decades since the Tidal Years ended fifty-five years ago. By 16, we usually know which
gene we’ve inherited. And then we’re recommended to the appropriate leader of each class.
4. Your city is rich in history and traditions such as the Falling Lights Festival. I found Costing
Week to be the most intriguing and the most dangerous. Can you explain to our readers what
it is and why it is so important?
Yeah sure. Costing week is a time when families from all eight of Corunum’s Hill Boroughs
come to have a chance to be entered into a lottery. Good deeds mean more points, more
chances to win extra food, medicine, traveling privileges, protection from the Beast, you
name it. You can earn five slots, or five entries. On the fifth day, names are drawn and the
winners of the various prizes are identified. For kids outside the city, it means competing in a
brutal competition for one slot on their scorecard. They get one chance to change their lives
by winning citizenship in Castle Hayne. The first day of costing week always begins with a
showdown between Castle Hayne’s champion and his/her challenger. So, you know this year’s
challenger was me. I’m glad it’s over. But at the same time, I’m glad it happened too.
Now that we have the background questions out of the way, let’s talk boys.
5. Seth and Faris, night and day. Tell me how you could even decide?
Well, um, hm. They are the poster boys for opposites, right? Until my brother got sick, I never
thought I’d care about anyone, least of all another guy. With my other half being gone, my
twin brother, Micah, I felt like only part of me had been living. Enter Faris, the guy who
appeals to my hopeful side, my girl-in-floppy-stomach-love side. And then there’s Seth, the
guy who I never saw coming. The one who makes me feel powerful. But in the end, I know I’ll
make the right decision. I hope I make the right decision.
6. What is it like to be bonded with Faris?
In a few letters…asdfghkl;!!! No, but seriously, I don’t want to go all puppy-girl in the
interview here. The bond thing is amazing. It’s incredible to be tied with someone who can
understand how I feel inside without me saying a word. Someone odd like me. Someone who
can protect me from this storm called life.
7. I had a sneaking suspicion that your BFF, Jalen, wanted to be more than just friends. Could you
ever see yourself falling for him?
Jalen is like a big brother to me. I know, I know. I hear you saying that’s what all girls say
about the good guy hiding his huge crush. Things are already pretty complicated as you know.
I think it would ruin our friendship if we tried to go there. Only time will tell. And time is like a
ferris wheel. You never know where it’ll stop or which couple will get to hop off first.
8. Why did you decide to take Jalen to your secret spot you shared with Faris?
Well, partly because he kind of already knew about it. But mostly because I didn’t want to
go back there alone. I had to go back, though. To remember that what I saw was real. And
I wanted somebody I cared about to share it with me. It couldn’t be Micah, so it had to be
Jalen.
9. If you can, can you give us a tiny hint about what adventures and/or trouble you will be
getting into in the next book? Will there still be a steamy…man triangle?
Sure, I can give you a few hints. What’s even better? You’ll get the chance to hear from Faris
more often. I’ll be anxious to make up for lost time with my brother. He’s still recovering, but
the doctors think he’ll be fine once he gets his strength back up. I can tell you all one exciting
thing, though. I will be traveling to Cairona in what used to be old Egypt. I get to learn more
about my mother’s history. But we have to be careful. The Tribunal suspects something is
odd about me, and they don’t trust Micah’s sudden recovery. They think there has to be
something supernatural going on with us. A very bad thing. That’s going to be a huge problem
in book 2. As for the steamy triangle, or maybe even quadrangle…lol, you’ll have to come see
for yourself. :-D
10. Lastly, what side do you think you will chose? Or are you any closer to making a decision?
I don’t know. It’s hard to say. I know that probably sounds awful, but I’m just being real. I
have this power now. It’ll get stronger by the time I turn 16. I get scared when it happens.
Not because I’m afraid of it, but because I like how it makes me feel. I hear there’s a powerful
priestess in Cairona. I’ll be going to see her. I guess I’m a bit confused.
So much fun:) Makes me really excited to read the book. Here is the blurb for the book
When Copper Suns Fall
YA Dark Urban Fantasy
By KaSonndra Leigh
In fifteen-year-old Chela Prizeon’s city,
alchemy is forbidden, and angels hide
among the mortal. With a deadly virus
ravaging the globe, Chela’s nightmarish
memories compels her to experience a
past riddled with gloom, and now her
brother is infected. Chela’s only hope is
the Caduceans, slayers sworn to protect
the last seven Light Keepers and the
ancient memories they share. A group
led by the sometimes elusive, sometimes
infuriating boy who intrigues Chela. But
can she trust this boy with the
mysterious past, someone who can influence her memories? With the Caduceans
aid, Chela races to defeat her rivals, to unearth dark family secrets, desperate to
find a cure…only to discover the glutovirus is far more than a simple disease. In
this haunting debut, KaSonndra Leigh offers an escape into a world as intriguing
as The Mortal Instruments and a story as chilling as Enclave. Full of celestial
creatures, fascinating villainy, high-stake choices, and a secret romance, When
Copper Suns Fall, is a fresh and original urban fantasy—with a dystopian twist—
that will take readers on an unforgettable adventure.
Here is an excerpt from the book
Forcing my eyes to open, I found myself outside the Cradlehack. I was standing in
Faris’s arms, my head against his chest, my fingers entwined in his black vest. It was a smooth
fabric that felt like silk. A cloth no one had worn outside of ceremonies since before the Tidal
Years. This boy was no common citizen. His earthy-sweet smell made me feel hypnotically safe,
as we stood among the crowd fleeing down the hillside. He lifted my chin, stared in my eyes.
But this wasn’t some dumb player’s move.
No, a mysterious thing stirred behind his silvery-gray eyes.
“Feel better, Chela?” he asked. I nodded.
“Thanks for helping me,” I said, still fighting a light head. Still afraid the dreaded black
blobs lingered somewhere around us. Somewhat ashamed I’d spoken so horribly to him
moments ago.
“You probably shouldn’t do that,” he said.
“Do what?”
“Thank me.”
“Why? Because I caught you using alchemy? That’s what your kind does. Make magic in
the shadows, right?” I said.
His left eye ticked. The girl in the hoodie had called him a Caducean. Could it be
possible? Father told me Caduceans were a mythical group—demon slayers from a time long
gone. Yet, here I stood with a boy who didn’t deny my claim.
Around us, fewer people were leaving the Shack. They paid no attention to the two idiots
standing and staring at each other. Did Jalen and Lexa make it out safely? They were taking
forever to reach me.
Did I really want them to find me?
“They’ll call me, now, and make me a witness against you. I’m sorry, but I already have
too many problems. So I—I have to tell the truth,” I said.
“That won’t be a problem.” Faris smiled, a catchy one that lit his face up. I couldn’t
decide whether it was angelic or downright wicked. Just like I couldn’t remember where I’d ever
heard an accent like his. What kind was it? Old southern? Old English? Irish? It sounded like a
mix of all three, but with a deep timbre, making him sound god like. “In a few minutes, you
won’t remember me or any of this.”
“Really? How do you figure that?” I asked, heart racing.
“Because my gift to you…” He moved his face closer to mine, pulling me into whatever
was happening in his head. “My gift is to remove memories that cause you pain.”
“Okay, um, right.” Had I lost my mind? It probably wouldn’t have hurt to scream.
He held my gaze, locking me into something I couldn’t explain. A tear puckered up in his
left eye, and slid down his cheek where it stopped on his top lip. Then he blinked, snapping us
out of whatever place he’d taken us to, and glanced behind my head. “Here comes your dark
knight,” he said, easing his arms away from me.
He strolled off into the last group of stragglers hanging around the Shack. How did he
know my nickname for Jalen?
I wiped away a tear rolling down my right cheek.
“Chela, there you are. You scared me, girl.” Jalen’s voice cut into the moment. He spun
me around to face him. I blinked, clearing my eyes. “What’s wrong? Did you get hurt?”
I glanced around us. The boy was gone. A dull headache joined the fuzziness in my head.
Lost inside a clouded mind, I forgot what I wanted to say. The entire night’s events were hazy.
I fumbled with my thoughts.
What happened to me in there?
About the Author:
KaSonndra Leigh lives in the City of
Alchemy and Medicine, North Carolina.
She likes to write about teens doing
fantastical things in magical worlds. Her
two sons have made her promise to
write a boy book next.
She holds the MFA in creative writing,
and loves to play CLUE, Monopoly (the
Indiana Jones version), and Pandora’s
Box (good writer’s block therapy). She
lives in an L-shaped house with a
garden dedicated to her grandmother. It
has a secret library complete with
fairies, Venetian plastered walls, and a
desk made out of clear blue glass. When
Copper Suns Fall is her debut novel.
www.kasonndraleigh.com
http://twitter.com/#!/kasonndraleigh
http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/5137209.KaSonndra_Leigh
http://www.facebook.com/pages/When-Copper-Suns-Fall-by-KaSonndra-Leigh/111665822268673
Tuesday, March 27, 2012
The Emerald City by J.A. Beard
When her aunt and uncle ship her off to an elite Seattle boarding school, Osland Academy, she spends her first day making enemies, including the school's most powerful clique, the Winged, and their leader, the ruthless Diana.
Social war and the school's uptight teachers are only mild annoyances. Mysterious phone outages, bizarre behavioral blocks, and strange incidents suggest Osland is focused on something much more sinister than education.
Now Gail has to survive at Osland with a pretty pathetic assortment of potential allies: her airhead roommate, a cowardly victim of the Winged, and Diana's cold but handsome boyfriend, Nick.
The first book series that introduced me to the amazing world of fantasy was the Wizard of Oz series by Frank Baum. So, when I saw this in my email, I jumped at the chance to read it. I loved the author's re imagination of the classic story, the old characters were easily picked out. I really enjoyed reading this book, it a was new and different take on an old story.
Gail is edgy, which I loved, I'm so sick of all the Dorothy character's being helpless. I like my main character to have fire, and she totally did. She reacted way better than I would have to being dumped in a boarding school where she knew no one. I loved that the popular clique at school was called the Winged, they were everyone you went to high school with lol.
J.A. Beard kept me guessing until the end, just when I thought I had everyone figured out, he would throw a curve ball at me. Great job! I look forward to reading more from him in the future.
Here's an excerpt from the book......enjoy:)
A “network not found” message greeted me when I flipped open my phone. Annoying, sure, but I really didn’t want to talk to my uncle. I doubted he would care anyway. His insolent niece, now thousands of miles away in a different state, wasn’t in his hair now.
“Oh, those don’t work here,” Lydia said. “There’s a phone in the common room in the dorm, but it’s broken right now. Miss Norris said they’ll get it fixed soon. If you need to make a call, maybe you could go to the administrative office.”
“What’re you talking about? How can cell phones not work here?” Outside, in the middle of a major city, there was no way I shouldn’t have been able to get a signal.
She scrunched her forehead. “Well, Miss Norris said it has something to do with metals in the ground. But there’s a rumor a hundred years ago some Indians killed these striking union guys, so now the union guys are ghosts and haunt the school blocking cell phones.” She sighed. “Not Indians. I mean not like Leandra. I mean Native Americans.”
I stared at her. How could I even respond to something like that? I didn’t care that much about political correctness, but cell phone blocking ghosts bordered on crazy.
After a few seconds of thinking of a ghost dodge, I said, “Miss Norris? That’s the dorm manager, right? I remember my uncle mentioning her.”
He loved reminding me if I got in trouble, Miss Norris and the security guards would make sure I wouldn’t leave campus. That’s what sucks about a boarding school, or Osland at least. I was trapped and couldn’t escape at night even if I wasn’t in trouble. Just like prison. Yeah, a prison complete with a gang who called themselves the Winged. They were even led by a sociopath. Perfect.
Excerpt 2:
The sound of shattering glass filled the air. I spun around. Miss Higashi’s glass was strewn across her desk, broken into dozens of shards. Her blouse was soaked and her face contorted in rage. She lifted her gaze from the remains of the glass and glared at me. Okay, now that was unexpected.
I put up both of my hands up in front of me. “You can’t blame me for some weird accident.” If Higashi tripped, would she blame that on me too?
“I see. It makes more sense now.” Miss Higashi sprang to her feet. “Get out. I’m through with you for today, Miss Dorjee. If you’re involved in anymore incidents, you’ll be very, very sorry.”
Startled, I spun back around and hurried out of the office. I slammed the door behind me and took several deep breaths. What the heck was going on? The cell phones were easy enough to explain but the fountain and the glass? Was someone messing with me? Glasses didn’t shatter on their own.
I walked down the hallway as various bizarre scenarios passed through my mind. Diana and her cold boyfriend might have set me up somehow. It would be easy to anger a tightly wound teacher like Miss Higashi and make my life even more miserable than it’d be at the hands of the Winged. I didn’t know. That was a lot of effort to mess with one new transfer student, but Diana probably wasn’t used to someone being so defiant.
A sudden realization smashed into my mind. Diana wouldn’t soak and humiliate herself in front of Leandra. Someone might be setting up both of us.
Monday, March 26, 2012
Fate's Design by Lola James Review and Excerpt
Fate Series Book One
A summer vacation in Italy with her twin sister, Morgan, is just what Megan Romano
needs. But instead of fun, wine, and relaxation, she finds unexpected romance.
Alexandros DiPiero, a sexy and mysterious Italian businessman, falls for Megan the
minute he lays eyes on her, but Megan knows it’s too good to be true.
Increasingly haunting dreams that warn of danger and destiny plague Megan’s every
sleeping moment. As her nightmares become deadly and her love life heats up, Megan
will come face to face with her worst fear.
My review:
I lucked out an got an ARC copy of this to read from the lovely Lola James. I was hooked right away, the story was so compelling. Megan and Morgan are total polar opposites, but that really works for their relationship. They embark on the summer trip of a lifetime to Italy so Morgan can go to fashion school. They get to meet some long lost relatives, and of course some hunky new guys.
Enter Alex,*sighs* Alex is everything you want in a man. Rich, good looking, caring, I mean really, what more could you ask for? He and Megan are pretty much smitten with each other the second they meet. I'm not going to give anything away, because I hate that when people give away things in reviews. I will say, go and read this as soon as possible!
This book has something for everyone, action, romance, mystery. It's everything you want all rolled into one amazing book. This is the second book I've read by Lola, and it won't be my last.
Excerpt from the book
I should have been studying, but I needed rest more than I needed to understand the Romance era
in Europe. I had no clue why I chose such an intense class for my spring course schedule. It was
tough enough with all of my business courses, and I decided to add that one for fun.
As the sun set to close out an already long week, I reclined on my bed and put my ear buds
in as Katy Perry sang about a teenage dream. It’s ironic that my iPod shuffled to that song since I
hate my dreams, but the melody and Katy’s voice relaxed me enough not to think about them.
The door slammed louder than usual and startled me from my rest; then Morgan, my twin
sister, started yelling.
“Megan, Megan, you home?” Her annoying high-pitched voice sent my name throughout the
house. I exhaled, knowing that my rest was over. I loved Morgan, but sometimes she drove me
crazy, and I knew she would occupy the rest of my evening.
“Here I come,” I grumbled as I sat on the edge of my bed. I stood up, stretched, and started
toward the doorway, then stopped. I could feel someone looking at me. I peered over my
shoulder at the window and the half-opened blinds, then went to shut them. I sighed with relief
as the feeling dissipated.
Purchase links:
Smashwords : http://www.smashwords.com/books/view/145239
Amazon:http://www.amazon.com/Design-Paranormal-Romance-Series-ebook/dp/B007OWG93Y/ref=sr_1_13?ie=UTF8&qid=1332819433&sr=8-13
You need to check out this book, it's really very good. And, while you're at it, check out her other book Bound to Remember as well:) Happy reading
My love affair with all things Vampire
I've been trying to think back on how my love affair with all things Vampire got started. I think it was Interview with a Vampire that really started it off for me. I burned through as many of the books as I could, and then not so patiently waited for each new one to be released. I watched the movies, although I will say that the first one was far better than the second one.
Then, I think it was Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Angel that fueled the Vampire fire in me. They were both so fun, and they had hot Vampire boys in them, what's not to love? I think it also inspired my crush on David Boreanez lol
I'm so not ashamed to say that I've read and enjoyed the Twilight series. I've even watched all the movies, and I know I'll watch the last one when it comes out. I love them for what they are. Although, I've never been a fan of Kristin Stewert as Bella.
>
The Vampire Diaries came next, and I will say that I like these books and the show a lot better than Twilight. The character's are more developed, and the story lines are a bit deeper. Love the books, and the show is awesome, and different enough from the books to enjoy and be surprised.
Finally, the True Blood series, both books and tv. I loved the books before I ever saw the show, Eric was always my favorite, even in the books. The stories are always fun, and always keep me guessing
These are my favorites so far, I look forward to discovering more Vampire books and tv shows. If I forgot any, leave me a comment so I can be sure to check it out:)
Then, I think it was Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Angel that fueled the Vampire fire in me. They were both so fun, and they had hot Vampire boys in them, what's not to love? I think it also inspired my crush on David Boreanez lol
I'm so not ashamed to say that I've read and enjoyed the Twilight series. I've even watched all the movies, and I know I'll watch the last one when it comes out. I love them for what they are. Although, I've never been a fan of Kristin Stewert as Bella.
>
The Vampire Diaries came next, and I will say that I like these books and the show a lot better than Twilight. The character's are more developed, and the story lines are a bit deeper. Love the books, and the show is awesome, and different enough from the books to enjoy and be surprised.
Finally, the True Blood series, both books and tv. I loved the books before I ever saw the show, Eric was always my favorite, even in the books. The stories are always fun, and always keep me guessing
These are my favorites so far, I look forward to discovering more Vampire books and tv shows. If I forgot any, leave me a comment so I can be sure to check it out:)
Sunday, March 25, 2012
Of Poseidon Review
Galen is the prince of the Syrena, sent to land to find a girl he’s heard can communicate with fish. Emma is on vacation at the beach. When she runs into Galen—literally, ouch!—both teens sense a connection. But it will take several encounters, including a deadly one with a shark, for Galen to be convinced of Emma’s gifts. Now, if he can only convince Emma that she holds the key to his kingdom . . .
Told from both Emma and Galen’s points of view, here is a fish-out-of-water story that sparkles with intrigue, humor, and waves of romance.
I liked this book a lot. It was the third mermaid book I've read in the last month, and very different from the other two. The story was a little hard for me to get into at first, I felt like I was forcing myself to read it. That totally changed once I really got to know the characters.
Emma is both strong and fragile. She's been through a lot in the past few years, the death of her father, and the traumatic death of her best friend which she witnessed. That alone would be enough to crush me, but Emma perseveres and tries to get on with her life. Enter Galen.... She literally bumps into him, and that moment will change her life forever.
Galen is kind of a mystery at first, you don't really find out a lot about him for a while, which I think was sort of irritating to me. He and his sister Rayna, move to New Jersey so he can be closer to Emma. He and Rayna are Syrena royalty, and not used to living on land for long periods of time. With the help of his assistant Rachel, he assimilates pretty well into human life.
I'm not one to give a bunch of spoilers, so I'm not going to really get into the meat of the book. This was definitely a fun read once I really got into it. The story was strong, and the character's were likable. I would give it a 4 out of 5.
Friday, March 23, 2012
What do you do when you get a bad review?
Now, I'm not an expert at all of this. I'm very new to being an indie author. But, I have gotten my fair share of bad reviews before I pulled my book from Amazon. When I first started in August, I thought all I needed to do was write the book and do some basic editing and I would be set. Boy was I wrong. After getting a few bad reviews, and a ton of comments about the lack of editing and flow in the book, I pulled it.
With every bad review, I allow myself 5 minutes to wallow in self pity. Once my time is up, I go back and reread the review a few times to see if what the person is saying has merit or not. I've learned a lot from my bad reviews, I've taken the criticism for what it is. It's a way to make my story better, and why wouldn't I want to do that? I think for me, with grammar and all the crap that goes along with that, I'm terrible. I know I'm terrible, which is why I like to have a bunch of critique partners read my book before I'm going to send it to the editor.
With every bad review you get, you have to take in consideration personal opinion. Not everyone is going to love what you write. Some people might even hate it. But, that's ok, you don't have to please everyone. So, to all my fellow author's out there, keep your chin up, this too shall pass. Happy reading and writing guys :)
With every bad review, I allow myself 5 minutes to wallow in self pity. Once my time is up, I go back and reread the review a few times to see if what the person is saying has merit or not. I've learned a lot from my bad reviews, I've taken the criticism for what it is. It's a way to make my story better, and why wouldn't I want to do that? I think for me, with grammar and all the crap that goes along with that, I'm terrible. I know I'm terrible, which is why I like to have a bunch of critique partners read my book before I'm going to send it to the editor.
With every bad review you get, you have to take in consideration personal opinion. Not everyone is going to love what you write. Some people might even hate it. But, that's ok, you don't have to please everyone. So, to all my fellow author's out there, keep your chin up, this too shall pass. Happy reading and writing guys :)
Wednesday, March 21, 2012
Wow, can you believe it??
I was actually productive yesterday and wrote a little over 900 words in Chasing the Witch. I know, I know, I almost couldn't believe it either. A lot of times I'm way too ADD to actually sit down at my computer and write for an extended period of time. But, I guess I was feeling creative :) I think my chat with Belinda yesterday really played a big part in me feeling like that. Sometimes you just need the encouragement of someone not in your family to really get you motivated to write.
I'm really dangerously close to finishing the book. I have a very clear idea of where it's ending, and where the next book will pick up. I'm so excited. In Mark of the Witch news, I'm hoping to get the feedback from my crit partners back within the week so I can begin making changes before I send it off to my editor. Still really happy with how it turned out, and I can't wait for everyone to read it. As soon as I get it back from the editor, I'll run a contest to get an ARC copy of it. Actually, I'll probably run a few contests, one here, and one most likely on Goodreads.
Here is a little taste of what I was working on last night :)
“Again, you don’t answer my question. You, are trying my patience today.” Patrick said as he took a step towards her. Her outwardly calm expression cracked a little and she shrank back against the wall. “I will take you to him” He shook his head, “just tell us where he is.” “No, either I go with you, or you’ll never find him.” Her courage was back, and she stuck out her chin. “Talk it over with them, I’ve heard all I need to hear.” Patrick said as he stalked out the door. Liam followed Patrick out and stopped him in the corridor. “Will you help me get my Maggie?” Patrick looked at him disdainfully, “why should I do a thing like that? Isn’t that what my white knight of a brother is for? Take it up with him. I only desire to find and destroy Valdus.” Liam grabbed his arm, but Patrick shook it off and continued walking.
Hope you enjoyed the little taste of Chasing the Witch :)
I'm really dangerously close to finishing the book. I have a very clear idea of where it's ending, and where the next book will pick up. I'm so excited. In Mark of the Witch news, I'm hoping to get the feedback from my crit partners back within the week so I can begin making changes before I send it off to my editor. Still really happy with how it turned out, and I can't wait for everyone to read it. As soon as I get it back from the editor, I'll run a contest to get an ARC copy of it. Actually, I'll probably run a few contests, one here, and one most likely on Goodreads.
Here is a little taste of what I was working on last night :)
“Again, you don’t answer my question. You, are trying my patience today.” Patrick said as he took a step towards her. Her outwardly calm expression cracked a little and she shrank back against the wall. “I will take you to him” He shook his head, “just tell us where he is.” “No, either I go with you, or you’ll never find him.” Her courage was back, and she stuck out her chin. “Talk it over with them, I’ve heard all I need to hear.” Patrick said as he stalked out the door. Liam followed Patrick out and stopped him in the corridor. “Will you help me get my Maggie?” Patrick looked at him disdainfully, “why should I do a thing like that? Isn’t that what my white knight of a brother is for? Take it up with him. I only desire to find and destroy Valdus.” Liam grabbed his arm, but Patrick shook it off and continued walking.
Hope you enjoyed the little taste of Chasing the Witch :)
Tuesday, March 20, 2012
Awesomeness/ The Mystic Wolves review
So, today I had the chance to talk with a fellow author. It was so nice to actually hear that someone else struggles with the same crap that I do with writing and publishing. Sometimes as an indie author you feel so alone, so when you get a chance to talk to someone in the same boat it's really nice. I'm going to do an impromptu book review of her book The Mystic Wolves below. I just have to say that Belinda Boring is such an amazing person, so nice, and she has that sarcastic streak that I just love in a person. So thank you Belinda for being such an awesome person :)
What would you do if a simple errand takes a deadly twist, turning you from cautious prey to dangerous predator?
Someone is trying to send a deadly message to Mason, arranging the deaths of those he loves and it puts the entire pack and Alpha on high alert. Darcy understands the primal instincts driving her beloved Mason's commands. With the help of those he sets as protectors, she learns about herself and the things she'll need to help support her Alpha and pack. When events turn dire however, one truth offers her strength - once given, oaths are unbreakable ... even if it means risking it all.
This was such a fun easy read. Originally it was put out as 3 novellas, but this was them combined into 1 book. I'm officially hooked now.
Darcy is such a strong female lead, the things that she's put through would make a lesser woman crumble. She takes it all in stride and it makes her stronger. Don't even get me started on Mason, *sighs* he is every inch the Alpha. He's dealt a few crushing blows, but he takes it all on his shoulders and still offers comfort to Darcy and his pack. What a man.
I think one of my characters in the book is Devlin, the vampire Enforcer. I loved his sense of duty and honor. I also really enjoyed the softer side of him.
Belinda Boring really has put together a book, and you will not be disappointed if you read it. I cannot wait until the next book comes out! I know that I'll be bugging her nonstop until I get to read it.
Contact links for Belinda:
http://www.facebook.com/l.php?u=http%3A%2F%2Fthebookishsnob.blogspot.com%2F&h=lAQGuB4mq
http://thebookishsnobpromotions.blogspot.com/
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Belinda-Boring-Author/200626723318915
Purchase links for The Mystic Wolves
http://www.amazon.com/The-Mystic-Wolves-ebook/dp/B006ZR04LC/ref=sr_1_1?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1332287143&sr=1-1
What would you do if a simple errand takes a deadly twist, turning you from cautious prey to dangerous predator?
Someone is trying to send a deadly message to Mason, arranging the deaths of those he loves and it puts the entire pack and Alpha on high alert. Darcy understands the primal instincts driving her beloved Mason's commands. With the help of those he sets as protectors, she learns about herself and the things she'll need to help support her Alpha and pack. When events turn dire however, one truth offers her strength - once given, oaths are unbreakable ... even if it means risking it all.
This was such a fun easy read. Originally it was put out as 3 novellas, but this was them combined into 1 book. I'm officially hooked now.
Darcy is such a strong female lead, the things that she's put through would make a lesser woman crumble. She takes it all in stride and it makes her stronger. Don't even get me started on Mason, *sighs* he is every inch the Alpha. He's dealt a few crushing blows, but he takes it all on his shoulders and still offers comfort to Darcy and his pack. What a man.
I think one of my characters in the book is Devlin, the vampire Enforcer. I loved his sense of duty and honor. I also really enjoyed the softer side of him.
Belinda Boring really has put together a book, and you will not be disappointed if you read it. I cannot wait until the next book comes out! I know that I'll be bugging her nonstop until I get to read it.
Contact links for Belinda:
http://www.facebook.com/l.php?u=http%3A%2F%2Fthebookishsnob.blogspot.com%2F&h=lAQGuB4mq
http://thebookishsnobpromotions.blogspot.com/
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Belinda-Boring-Author/200626723318915
Purchase links for The Mystic Wolves
http://www.amazon.com/The-Mystic-Wolves-ebook/dp/B006ZR04LC/ref=sr_1_1?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1332287143&sr=1-1
Monday, March 19, 2012
Familial Witch by Bri Clark Review and Interview
We are joined by author Bri Clark, she's going to talk to us for a bit today.
1.How did you come up with the idea for The Familial Witch?
I actually began another novel and was doing a character building exercise for it. The funny thing is I pulled off that idea and just continued with this series. Funny thing is Aisleen originally was a banshee.
2.Do you have a favorite genre you normally read? Favorite author?
I'm a huge Stephanie Lauren's, Regency Romance, & Hannah Howell, Highland Romance, fan. They influence my paranormals a lot. In building Slavatia in Familial Witch I pull from 15th century Scotland.
3.What is your stance on love at first sight?
It's a great part of plot.
4.Do you have a writing routine?
No, I've tried it doesn't work. Although I'll go on writing binges.
5.Do you have any advice for aspiring author’s?
Determine if you're in it for art, business or both. If its art write your heart out. If its business then learn all you can and apply. If its both good don't let one over rule the other.
6.What’s up next for you?
The Eternal Witch releases end of April. This is the sequel to The Familial Witch and I'm just thrilled with the series so far.
Thanks so much for talking to us today Bri:) Read on for my review of her book The Familial Witch
Lucien Lemione the clan leader of the feared and revered Eternals is faced with the ultimate betrayal. His second in command for two centuries has not only created the most grievous of offenses but also commissioned the creation of liquid silver. When poisoned by this toxin, an immortal suffers a fate much worse than death, frozen in an internal prison. After being wounded when found spying, he hides deep within the eerie woods that encircle the Triad Mountains. Desperate and in pain, he prays to an offended mother goddess for help. Her answer: a woman, but not just any woman. A witch.
After losing her entire coven at the hands of the Eternals, Aisleen is the last of her kind. She retreats from the world to Trinity Forest where she is giving the opportunity of a lifetime, or perhaps a test of principles. It’s there she discovers the man she heals is the Eternal that wiped out her people. Although she is bound as a healer, she could be creative in her revenge. Aisleen knows who and what Lucien his…but does not speak of it. There can be no future with Lucien for she can only be with a mortal man. Even if she wanted to be with him, can she forgive the man that caused the genocide of her people?
Lucien must act quickly for the survival of his clan is at stake. However, Aisleen’s ethereal beauty and emerald eyes keep pushing those thoughts far from his mind. Determined to find out what secret she hides, he prolongs his time with her. When his people need him most what will he choose…duty, desire, or will he make his own fate?
You can choose love but you can’t choose destiny.
Ok, let me start by saying, the cover alone had my interest piqued, so I was excited to read this book. I would really call it more of a short story, just when I thought the story was going to get going, it ended. I was left feeling sort of let down, I'm really hoping there's going to be a sequel so I can see what's going to happen next.
I did enjoy the story, I loved the two main characters. Aisleen is such a strong woman, to be able to help a man who was responsible for the death of her entire family. I would be interested in her back story, like when the genocide happened. Lucien of course was amazing, I mean, what's not to like? He's got it all, brains, and looks, plus a conscience, and a sense of duty.
I think Bri Clark has real promise, if the book was longer, I would have really liked it. The story needs to be developed a little more, so it's easier on the reader. I'm interested enough to read the next book in this series when it comes out. She did a great job developing the characters, now I just want to see where the story will take them. If I rated books traditionally, I would give this a book a strong 3 1/2 out of 5.
Buy links
http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-familial-witch-bri-clark/1029729039?ean=2940012255587&itm=3&usri=bri+clark
http://www.amazon.com/The-Familial-Witch-ebook/dp/B004LROQG2/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1326244830&sr=8-1
http://astraeapress.com/#ecwid:category=662254&mode=product&product=2626120
Bri's Contact Links
Twitter, Facebook, G+, Goodreads, Blog
1.How did you come up with the idea for The Familial Witch?
I actually began another novel and was doing a character building exercise for it. The funny thing is I pulled off that idea and just continued with this series. Funny thing is Aisleen originally was a banshee.
2.Do you have a favorite genre you normally read? Favorite author?
I'm a huge Stephanie Lauren's, Regency Romance, & Hannah Howell, Highland Romance, fan. They influence my paranormals a lot. In building Slavatia in Familial Witch I pull from 15th century Scotland.
3.What is your stance on love at first sight?
It's a great part of plot.
4.Do you have a writing routine?
No, I've tried it doesn't work. Although I'll go on writing binges.
5.Do you have any advice for aspiring author’s?
Determine if you're in it for art, business or both. If its art write your heart out. If its business then learn all you can and apply. If its both good don't let one over rule the other.
6.What’s up next for you?
The Eternal Witch releases end of April. This is the sequel to The Familial Witch and I'm just thrilled with the series so far.
Thanks so much for talking to us today Bri:) Read on for my review of her book The Familial Witch
Lucien Lemione the clan leader of the feared and revered Eternals is faced with the ultimate betrayal. His second in command for two centuries has not only created the most grievous of offenses but also commissioned the creation of liquid silver. When poisoned by this toxin, an immortal suffers a fate much worse than death, frozen in an internal prison. After being wounded when found spying, he hides deep within the eerie woods that encircle the Triad Mountains. Desperate and in pain, he prays to an offended mother goddess for help. Her answer: a woman, but not just any woman. A witch. After losing her entire coven at the hands of the Eternals, Aisleen is the last of her kind. She retreats from the world to Trinity Forest where she is giving the opportunity of a lifetime, or perhaps a test of principles. It’s there she discovers the man she heals is the Eternal that wiped out her people. Although she is bound as a healer, she could be creative in her revenge. Aisleen knows who and what Lucien his…but does not speak of it. There can be no future with Lucien for she can only be with a mortal man. Even if she wanted to be with him, can she forgive the man that caused the genocide of her people?
Lucien must act quickly for the survival of his clan is at stake. However, Aisleen’s ethereal beauty and emerald eyes keep pushing those thoughts far from his mind. Determined to find out what secret she hides, he prolongs his time with her. When his people need him most what will he choose…duty, desire, or will he make his own fate?
You can choose love but you can’t choose destiny.
Ok, let me start by saying, the cover alone had my interest piqued, so I was excited to read this book. I would really call it more of a short story, just when I thought the story was going to get going, it ended. I was left feeling sort of let down, I'm really hoping there's going to be a sequel so I can see what's going to happen next.
I did enjoy the story, I loved the two main characters. Aisleen is such a strong woman, to be able to help a man who was responsible for the death of her entire family. I would be interested in her back story, like when the genocide happened. Lucien of course was amazing, I mean, what's not to like? He's got it all, brains, and looks, plus a conscience, and a sense of duty.
I think Bri Clark has real promise, if the book was longer, I would have really liked it. The story needs to be developed a little more, so it's easier on the reader. I'm interested enough to read the next book in this series when it comes out. She did a great job developing the characters, now I just want to see where the story will take them. If I rated books traditionally, I would give this a book a strong 3 1/2 out of 5.
Buy links
http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-familial-witch-bri-clark/1029729039?ean=2940012255587&itm=3&usri=bri+clark
http://www.amazon.com/The-Familial-Witch-ebook/dp/B004LROQG2/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1326244830&sr=8-1
http://astraeapress.com/#ecwid:category=662254&mode=product&product=2626120
Bri's Contact Links
Twitter, Facebook, G+, Goodreads, Blog
Friday, March 16, 2012
Sibelle Stone interview
We are joined today by Sibelle Stone, author of Whistle Down the Wind. She was kind enough to answer a few questions for me
How did you come up with the idea for your book?
I’ve always loved paranormal books about magic, fairies, wizards and witches.I was
reading about the European witch craze, a time between the 14th and 17th centuries
when many women were accused, prosecuted and executed for practicing witchcraft.
My “what if” moment was, “what if a woman was accused of being a witch, and she
really did possess magical abilities? How different would things turn out? Then as I
thought about the story, I realized if I set it in the 17th century, when England was
establishing their colonies in America, I could use one of my favorite time periods. I’m a
former American History teacher, so I love writing about the founding of our Republic.
There used to be so many different settings in romance, including Colonial America and
the Civil War era. I hope with the growth of the digital market that we see a blossoming
of new settings for romance.
Did you always know you wanted to be a writer?
When I was a child, I preferred drawing and art to writing. I illustrated very short stories
about princesses, dragons, ballerinas and castles, but the story was secondary to the
art. Then when I was in High School I took an art class, and realized that my style was
pretty limited. So, I started writing and filled notebooks with short stories.
Are you a hopeless romantic, or are you more pragmatic?
Since I fell in love with my husband at first sight, I’d have to say I’m a romantic. I love
antique furniture, lace, shiny jewelry, feathers and bows. But, I also have a pragmatic
side when I’m running my business. I can switch the sides of my brain pretty quickly.
What is your writing routine?
I work for several hours, several times each week n the evening, but that is usually for
research and editing. Since I work full-time, weekends are for the bulk of new writing.
I only had two hours to write (nap time for my day care children) when I wrote my first
book, so I trained myself to write a chapter in that amount of time. I can produce pages
pretty quickly. But, they are pages that need a lot of editing. Dialogue flows very easily
for me, but then I need to go back and add in the details and the emotions. My critique
partner puts, “what are they feeling?’ on a lot of pages. My editor reminds me to “show
don’t tell”. But -- I’m getting better.
What advice would you give to an aspiring author?
Never give up. I’ve quit writing many times, but never seriously. It’s a tough business,
with a lot of rejection. You can be a very good writer, but won’t find a publisher because
you set the story in the wrong era, or setting. There’s been a lot of “readers won’t buy
books set in XX” in the publishing world. But just ignore that if you believe in your
characters and story. And with the rise in Indie publishing, you might be able to prove
those folks wrong. Publish your hard to sell book and see if it sells.
What’s up next for you?
My next book is nearly done, “Prudence and the Professor” is a steampunk romance
set in the West. My Professor is an inventor, so I get to create some really interesting
machines for him. My heroine is a secretary, one of the few women trained to operate
a “typewriting machine” -- which was an amazing tool that changed women’s lives. For
the first time more careers opened up to single women. It’s much lighter in tone than my
last few books, so it’s been good for me to get back to comedic situations like in my first
published book, “Beneath A Silver Moon”. Then I have Aelwyd to contend with, the older
sister in “Whistle Down the Wind” -- her story is next in the Mystic Moon series.
Here's a blurb from the book
Escaping from the persecution of the European witch hunts, a beautiful witch with the power to control the wind joins forces with a handsome Cavalier on a mission to save the King of England and the colony of Virginia.
Catlin Glyndwr is a tenth generation Mistress of Elements -- a hereditary witch who can call upon her elemental spirits for assistance in casting spells.
Accused of witchcraft in seventeenth century England, she faces the hangman. Even though she took a vow never to hurt anyone with her magic, if her true powers are revealed, she’ll be executed.
Sir Griffin Reynolds is on his way to the colony of Virginia, on a secret mission to locate Puritan rebels intent upon seizing the throne of King Charles II. When his best friend becomes deathly ill while interrogating a beautiful Welsh maiden accused of using magic to attack a local official – Griffin is forced to strike a bargain with her in order to save his friend’s life.
When Catlin and Griffin travel together on a voyage to the American colonies, they try to resist the pull of erotic sensuality that flares between them. It is a temptation they both soon crave. But danger lurks aboard ship and evil haunts Catlin. She must learn how her destiny is linked with that of the man who has vowed to protect her.
In a dangerous and unexplored world, where superstition exists along side the new discoveries of science, powerful elemental spirits are capable of assisting the magical adepts. But there is always danger in harnessing magic and a price to pay when one calls to the spirit world for help.
While Griffin tries to deny his attraction to Catlin, she works her own special magic on his heart and he discovers he cannot resist falling under her sensual spell.
Together, Catlin and Griffin learn that a journey of the heart requires courage, trust and the ability to believe in the astonishing gift of love.
Sounds like an awesome book right?? I'm excited to read it
Here's a little bit about the author:
Sibelle Stone is the pseudonym for award winning historical romance author Deborah Schneider. Sibelle writes sexy steampunk and paranormal stories, filled with magic, mad scientists, dirigibles, automatons, and creatures that would scare the panties off Deborah. In her spare time Sibelle enjoys dressing up in Victorian ensembles, modding play guns into something that looks a bit more sinister and wearing hats.
How did you come up with the idea for your book?
I’ve always loved paranormal books about magic, fairies, wizards and witches.I was
reading about the European witch craze, a time between the 14th and 17th centuries
when many women were accused, prosecuted and executed for practicing witchcraft.
My “what if” moment was, “what if a woman was accused of being a witch, and she
really did possess magical abilities? How different would things turn out? Then as I
thought about the story, I realized if I set it in the 17th century, when England was
establishing their colonies in America, I could use one of my favorite time periods. I’m a
former American History teacher, so I love writing about the founding of our Republic.
There used to be so many different settings in romance, including Colonial America and
the Civil War era. I hope with the growth of the digital market that we see a blossoming
of new settings for romance.
Did you always know you wanted to be a writer?
When I was a child, I preferred drawing and art to writing. I illustrated very short stories
about princesses, dragons, ballerinas and castles, but the story was secondary to the
art. Then when I was in High School I took an art class, and realized that my style was
pretty limited. So, I started writing and filled notebooks with short stories.
Are you a hopeless romantic, or are you more pragmatic?
Since I fell in love with my husband at first sight, I’d have to say I’m a romantic. I love
antique furniture, lace, shiny jewelry, feathers and bows. But, I also have a pragmatic
side when I’m running my business. I can switch the sides of my brain pretty quickly.
What is your writing routine?
I work for several hours, several times each week n the evening, but that is usually for
research and editing. Since I work full-time, weekends are for the bulk of new writing.
I only had two hours to write (nap time for my day care children) when I wrote my first
book, so I trained myself to write a chapter in that amount of time. I can produce pages
pretty quickly. But, they are pages that need a lot of editing. Dialogue flows very easily
for me, but then I need to go back and add in the details and the emotions. My critique
partner puts, “what are they feeling?’ on a lot of pages. My editor reminds me to “show
don’t tell”. But -- I’m getting better.
What advice would you give to an aspiring author?
Never give up. I’ve quit writing many times, but never seriously. It’s a tough business,
with a lot of rejection. You can be a very good writer, but won’t find a publisher because
you set the story in the wrong era, or setting. There’s been a lot of “readers won’t buy
books set in XX” in the publishing world. But just ignore that if you believe in your
characters and story. And with the rise in Indie publishing, you might be able to prove
those folks wrong. Publish your hard to sell book and see if it sells.
What’s up next for you?
My next book is nearly done, “Prudence and the Professor” is a steampunk romance
set in the West. My Professor is an inventor, so I get to create some really interesting
machines for him. My heroine is a secretary, one of the few women trained to operate
a “typewriting machine” -- which was an amazing tool that changed women’s lives. For
the first time more careers opened up to single women. It’s much lighter in tone than my
last few books, so it’s been good for me to get back to comedic situations like in my first
published book, “Beneath A Silver Moon”. Then I have Aelwyd to contend with, the older
sister in “Whistle Down the Wind” -- her story is next in the Mystic Moon series.
Here's a blurb from the book
Escaping from the persecution of the European witch hunts, a beautiful witch with the power to control the wind joins forces with a handsome Cavalier on a mission to save the King of England and the colony of Virginia.
Catlin Glyndwr is a tenth generation Mistress of Elements -- a hereditary witch who can call upon her elemental spirits for assistance in casting spells.
Accused of witchcraft in seventeenth century England, she faces the hangman. Even though she took a vow never to hurt anyone with her magic, if her true powers are revealed, she’ll be executed.
Sir Griffin Reynolds is on his way to the colony of Virginia, on a secret mission to locate Puritan rebels intent upon seizing the throne of King Charles II. When his best friend becomes deathly ill while interrogating a beautiful Welsh maiden accused of using magic to attack a local official – Griffin is forced to strike a bargain with her in order to save his friend’s life.
When Catlin and Griffin travel together on a voyage to the American colonies, they try to resist the pull of erotic sensuality that flares between them. It is a temptation they both soon crave. But danger lurks aboard ship and evil haunts Catlin. She must learn how her destiny is linked with that of the man who has vowed to protect her.
In a dangerous and unexplored world, where superstition exists along side the new discoveries of science, powerful elemental spirits are capable of assisting the magical adepts. But there is always danger in harnessing magic and a price to pay when one calls to the spirit world for help.
While Griffin tries to deny his attraction to Catlin, she works her own special magic on his heart and he discovers he cannot resist falling under her sensual spell.
Together, Catlin and Griffin learn that a journey of the heart requires courage, trust and the ability to believe in the astonishing gift of love.
Sounds like an awesome book right?? I'm excited to read it
Sibelle Stone is the pseudonym for award winning historical romance author Deborah Schneider. Sibelle writes sexy steampunk and paranormal stories, filled with magic, mad scientists, dirigibles, automatons, and creatures that would scare the panties off Deborah. In her spare time Sibelle enjoys dressing up in Victorian ensembles, modding play guns into something that looks a bit more sinister and wearing hats.
Wednesday, March 14, 2012
I wish....
Some days I wish that there were more hours in the day to get everything I need to accomplish done. Today, I may have failed as an author, but I won as a mommy. I'm calling it a win for the day lol. I took my little monster to Legoland for the afternoon, which I do almost every week, but today it was just the two of us. We had so much fun going on all the rides, and playing in the toddler area. So, I totally won at being a mommy today, score one for me!!
I had so many plans to get at least a chapter written, plus a few chapters of my friend's book that I'm beta reading read. I got the chapters read, totally never a problem, Lola is a genius, but I didn't really do much writing. I think I may have gotten like a half of a paragraph written. *sighs* Oh well, tomorrow is another day right?
I had so many plans to get at least a chapter written, plus a few chapters of my friend's book that I'm beta reading read. I got the chapters read, totally never a problem, Lola is a genius, but I didn't really do much writing. I think I may have gotten like a half of a paragraph written. *sighs* Oh well, tomorrow is another day right?
Guest post from the awesome MK McClintock
We are joined today by the very talented MK McClintock, author of Gallaghers Pride. Let's see what she had to say.
It’s a pleasure to be here at This Author’s Life. Thank you for having me!
The History Behind the Story: 10 Things You Didn’t Know About Gallagher’s Pride
By MK McClintock
Gallagher’s Pride is a complete work of fiction and though very few real places or events are
mentioned, there is still a history behind the story. These are tidbits I came across from my
research and where they may not all have a place in the book, the events are still a part of
the story’s foundation, even where I took some liberties. Not to mention history it was fun
to learn something new.
1.
The fictional town of Briarwood, Montana is actually set in an area north of the real
city of Bozeman, originally platted in 1864, though mentioned in journals by William
Clark from his 1806 travels.
2. On the evening of December 26, 1881, the first Utah and Northern Union Pacific train
entered Butte, Montana; however in Gallagher’s Pride, the train doesn’t enter into
Butte, but rather it’s implied that the train went into Bozeman.
3. The Umbria and her sister ship the Etruria were the last two liners of the period to be
fitted with auxiliary sails. Umbria was built by John Elder & Co of Glasgow, Scotland
in 1884. They were the largest liners then in service and they plied the Liverpool to
New York route. Though a specific ship was not mentioned in Gallagher’s Pride for
Brenna’s crossing to America, it is possible she would have travelled on one of these
vessels.
4. The first cattle operation in Montana was likely in or around 1850 and operated by
Johnny and James Grant whose ranch was sold to Conrad Kohrs in 1866 and later
sold and is now The Grant-Kohrs Ranch National Historic Site near Deer Lodge,
Montana. The Gallagher’s ranch of the fictional Hawk’s Peak would have been
established in the 1860’s making them some of the earliest ranchers.
5. September 2, 1883 marked the last stagecoach run in Montana, but I took some
liberties with that in having the stagecoach run through October of 1883.
6. Brenna’s tutor mentioned early in the book was from London and she most likely
would have traveled from London to Edinburgh on the Flying Scotsman, an express
passenger train that ran between the two cities since 1862.
7. A couple of events in Gallagher’s Pride take the characters into some wilderness
areas of Montana. Geographically, those areas would now fall into modern day
Helena National Forest and Lolo National Forest, established in 1907 and 1906
respectively.
8. In the story, the Gallagher’s used wood fencing on some of their borders though it
would have been more likely they would have run wire to cover such a great expanse
of acreage. Since I could find no evidence to suggest that wood fencing would have
been impossible or unheard of, I opted for that over wire. Overgrazing, drought and
the harsh winter of 1886-1887 helped to end the practice of open range in Montana.
9. The telegraph is an often used form of communication in Gallagher’s Pride.
November 2, 1866, the telegraph came to Montana. "Montana is no longer an
unknown Territory, hidden from the view of the country and the world by the Rocky
and Wind River Mountains, but is united with civilization," editor Henry Blake's of the
Montana Post. The telegraph survived 150 years.
10. What’s in a name? The surname Gallagher has a long Gaelic heritage and is the
anglicisation of the Irish surname Ó Gallchobhair meaning ‘foreign helper’. It is the
most common surname in Donegal, though the family was born in America.
Wow, such a fun post! It's always neat to get a peak into a fellow author's brain. Thanks again for sharing with us MK:)
Here's an excerpt from Gallaghers Pride
Are you out of your mind?” The words tumbled from her mouth before she could stop them,
but he had gone and truly shocked her.
“No actually I’m not. It’s your safety I’m thinking of,” replied Ethan, more to himself than
her. He loosened the hold on her arm.
Brenna let out an exasperated sigh, something her mother had always tried to
discourage, and said, “I do appreciate your kindness, Mr. Gallagher...”
“Ethan.”
“…Ethan, but I’m certainly not the type of woman to just go home with two men whether I
know them or not. It would be highly inappropriate, not to mention stupid.”
“And you’re not stupid.”
“Not as far as I can tell,” Brenna said with fire in her eyes. She rarely ever took offense at
what people said, too comfortable in her own skin to care, but this man riled her and he did it
effortlessly.
Amazon print: http://www.amazon.com/Gallaghers-Pride-First-Gallagher-Novels/dp/1456346814/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1329260704&sr=8-1
Amazon ebook: http://www.amazon.com/Gallaghers-Pride-Gallagher-Series-ebook/dp/B006ZOSVFG/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1329260704&sr=8-2
It’s a pleasure to be here at This Author’s Life. Thank you for having me!
The History Behind the Story: 10 Things You Didn’t Know About Gallagher’s Pride
By MK McClintock
Gallagher’s Pride is a complete work of fiction and though very few real places or events are
mentioned, there is still a history behind the story. These are tidbits I came across from my
research and where they may not all have a place in the book, the events are still a part of
the story’s foundation, even where I took some liberties. Not to mention history it was fun
to learn something new.
1.
The fictional town of Briarwood, Montana is actually set in an area north of the real
city of Bozeman, originally platted in 1864, though mentioned in journals by William
Clark from his 1806 travels.
2. On the evening of December 26, 1881, the first Utah and Northern Union Pacific train
entered Butte, Montana; however in Gallagher’s Pride, the train doesn’t enter into
Butte, but rather it’s implied that the train went into Bozeman.
3. The Umbria and her sister ship the Etruria were the last two liners of the period to be
fitted with auxiliary sails. Umbria was built by John Elder & Co of Glasgow, Scotland
in 1884. They were the largest liners then in service and they plied the Liverpool to
New York route. Though a specific ship was not mentioned in Gallagher’s Pride for
Brenna’s crossing to America, it is possible she would have travelled on one of these
vessels.
4. The first cattle operation in Montana was likely in or around 1850 and operated by
Johnny and James Grant whose ranch was sold to Conrad Kohrs in 1866 and later
sold and is now The Grant-Kohrs Ranch National Historic Site near Deer Lodge,
Montana. The Gallagher’s ranch of the fictional Hawk’s Peak would have been
established in the 1860’s making them some of the earliest ranchers.
5. September 2, 1883 marked the last stagecoach run in Montana, but I took some
liberties with that in having the stagecoach run through October of 1883.
6. Brenna’s tutor mentioned early in the book was from London and she most likely
would have traveled from London to Edinburgh on the Flying Scotsman, an express
passenger train that ran between the two cities since 1862.
7. A couple of events in Gallagher’s Pride take the characters into some wilderness
areas of Montana. Geographically, those areas would now fall into modern day
Helena National Forest and Lolo National Forest, established in 1907 and 1906
respectively.
8. In the story, the Gallagher’s used wood fencing on some of their borders though it
would have been more likely they would have run wire to cover such a great expanse
of acreage. Since I could find no evidence to suggest that wood fencing would have
been impossible or unheard of, I opted for that over wire. Overgrazing, drought and
the harsh winter of 1886-1887 helped to end the practice of open range in Montana.
9. The telegraph is an often used form of communication in Gallagher’s Pride.
November 2, 1866, the telegraph came to Montana. "Montana is no longer an
unknown Territory, hidden from the view of the country and the world by the Rocky
and Wind River Mountains, but is united with civilization," editor Henry Blake's of the
Montana Post. The telegraph survived 150 years.
10. What’s in a name? The surname Gallagher has a long Gaelic heritage and is the
anglicisation of the Irish surname Ó Gallchobhair meaning ‘foreign helper’. It is the
most common surname in Donegal, though the family was born in America.
Wow, such a fun post! It's always neat to get a peak into a fellow author's brain. Thanks again for sharing with us MK:)
Here's an excerpt from Gallaghers Pride
Are you out of your mind?” The words tumbled from her mouth before she could stop them,
but he had gone and truly shocked her.
“No actually I’m not. It’s your safety I’m thinking of,” replied Ethan, more to himself than
her. He loosened the hold on her arm.
Brenna let out an exasperated sigh, something her mother had always tried to
discourage, and said, “I do appreciate your kindness, Mr. Gallagher...”
“Ethan.”
“…Ethan, but I’m certainly not the type of woman to just go home with two men whether I
know them or not. It would be highly inappropriate, not to mention stupid.”
“And you’re not stupid.”
“Not as far as I can tell,” Brenna said with fire in her eyes. She rarely ever took offense at
what people said, too comfortable in her own skin to care, but this man riled her and he did it
effortlessly.
Amazon ebook: http://www.amazon.com/Gallaghers-Pride-Gallagher-Series-ebook/dp/B006ZOSVFG/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1329260704&sr=8-2
Tuesday, March 13, 2012
H.P. Mallory is doing another contest
Head on over to H.P. Mallory's blog http://urbanfantasyauthor.blogspot.com/2012/03/become-character-in-my-next-book.html and enter her contest to get a character in her new Duclie O'neil book named after you. How much fun would that be? I'm so totally going to enter, just to get to read the book before it's out. I'm such a huge fan of hers. Have you guys read both of her series? I love them both, Dulcie and Jolie are both such strong female leads.
Monday, March 12, 2012
Thinking....
So guys, I've been thinking, do you all enjoy swag? I want to make some, but is swag stuff that author's just think people like, or do you really like it? I'm trying to go about things differently this time around, and swag would maybe be a way to do it.
I've also been wondering if I should have print books available, or just ebooks. What do you guys prefer when you read? I like ebooks, just because my Kindle is my best friend. I want to have my book appeal to everyone, so any help you can offer:)
I've also been wondering if I should have print books available, or just ebooks. What do you guys prefer when you read? I like ebooks, just because my Kindle is my best friend. I want to have my book appeal to everyone, so any help you can offer:)
Thursday, March 8, 2012
Finally writing again!
I've been doing a lot of hosting and reviewing lately which has been so much fun. After I finished Mark of the Witch, I kind of needed a brain vacation or I may have gone insane. Last night and today, I read through what I had of book 2, which was a lot, and made a lot of revisions as I went along. I'm finished with the revisions, and I'm now on to writing new stuff. I'm currently at 57k, which is 5k over Mark of the Witch, and I'm nowhere near done. I'm not entirely sure if I'll stop soon, and leave a lot for the next book, or continue on with this momentum. I'm leaning towards continuing for now, and kind of seeing where the story takes me.
I felt like book 2 needed a name change, book 1 got a fancy new name, so why not book 2? With some help from the lovely and Talented Stephanie Nelson, author of the Gwen Sparks series, I decided on Chasing the Witch. It totally fits with the book, and the series. I also changed the name of the novella to Witches in Paris, it was a hard decision, because I loved the previous title From Paris with Hate. But, I wanted there to be continuity between the books, and I didn't want people to be confused.
I'm now starting to think about cover ideas for book 2 lol. Book one hasn't even been published yet, but my brain won't leave me alone about cover ideas. I'm way too excited about it for my own good lol.
I felt like book 2 needed a name change, book 1 got a fancy new name, so why not book 2? With some help from the lovely and Talented Stephanie Nelson, author of the Gwen Sparks series, I decided on Chasing the Witch. It totally fits with the book, and the series. I also changed the name of the novella to Witches in Paris, it was a hard decision, because I loved the previous title From Paris with Hate. But, I wanted there to be continuity between the books, and I didn't want people to be confused.
I'm now starting to think about cover ideas for book 2 lol. Book one hasn't even been published yet, but my brain won't leave me alone about cover ideas. I'm way too excited about it for my own good lol.
Wednesday, March 7, 2012
Witchful Thinking by H.P. Mallory
From H. P. Mallory-the exciting author of FireBurn and Cauldron Bubble-comes her new paranormal romance featuring thesassy, self-deprecating witch Jolie Wilkins.
Jolie thinks she's seen it all, but lifecontinues to spring surprises. The latest shocker? She's just been crownedQueen of the Underworld. Jolie may possess a rare gift for reanimating thedead, but she doesn't know the first thing about governing disparate factionsof supernatural creatures. She can barely maintain order in her own chaotic personal life, which is heading into a romantic tailspin.
First there's sexy warlock Rand, the love ofher life, from whom Jolie is hiding a devastating secret. Then there's Sinjin,a darkly seductive vampire and Jolie's sworn protector-though others suspect heharbors ulterior motives. As the two polar opposite yet magnetic men vie forJolie's affection, she must keep her wits about her to balance affairs of stateand affairs of her heart. Overwhelmed, under pressure, and longing for love, Jolie decides it's time to take charge-and show everyone that this queen won't take jack.
Ok, let me start off by saying, I love this series. H.P. Mallory has such a way with words, she has created a unique world filled with amazing characters. That being said, this was my least favorite in the series. The flash backs between the previous stories and this story were really irritating. I know why she did it, and I don't blame her, but for those of us who have read the previous books, it was not fun to get a history lesson constantly. I also didn't really enjoy the journal entries, it felt like we missed big chunks of the story, and then were told about it in a rushed sort of way.
Ok. my negative comments are done, now on to saying what I did like about the story. The Jolie/Rand/Sinjin love triangle is fun, I kept second guessing myself about who I wanted Jolie to be with more. Either choice would be fine, they're both total hotties lol. I felt bad for Jolie, being forced into a life that she didn't chose for herself. I still don't completely trust Mercedes, especially after the end of the book. I can't wait for the next book to be out so I can find out what happened, the little taste of it I got at the end of the book wasn't nearly enough for me.
Monday, March 5, 2012
Monstrous Beauty by Elizabeth Fama
Fierce, seductive mermaid Syrenka falls in love with Ezra, a young naturalist. When she abandons her life underwater for a chance at happiness on land, she is unaware that this decision comes with horrific and deadly consequences.
Almost one hundred forty years later, seventeen-year-old Hester meets a mysterious stranger named Ezra and feels overwhelmingly, inexplicably drawn to him. For generations, love has resulted in death for the women in her family. Is it an undiagnosed genetic defect . . . or a curse?
With Ezra's help, Hester investigates her family's strange, sad history. The answers she seeks are waiting in the graveyard, the crypt, and at the bottom of the ocean-but powerful forces will do anything to keep her from uncovering her connection to Syrenka and to the tragedy of so long ago.
The cover for this book caught my attention immediately, the mermaid is so beautiful. The one thing about this book I wasn't super excited about at first was the jumps between time. It was kind of hard for me to really get into the story when it constantly jumped back and forth. Once I was involved with the characters, it didn't bother me as much.
Hester is both naive and smart at the same time. There were times when I was reading that I wanted to yell at her because she was doing something stupid. I guess that's a good thing right? That means the author has gotten me so invested in the story and characters I feel like I know them.
Syrenka and Ezra are so sad to me. They had such love for each other, but it seemed as though fate would never let them just be. She did everything in her power to be with the man she loved, but sometimes that just isn't enough. I wish the book spent more time under the water with Syrenka and her sisters, the relationship between them was interesting.
I would definitely recommend this book to anyone who like's ghost stories, and mermaid stories.
Author interview with Kenya Carlton/ Guest blog with Kenya's co-author Shon Bacon
We are joined today by two author's instead of just one, how lucky is that? Let's start off with an author interview with Kenya Carlton.
1. Do you ever find it hard writing the steamy scenes in your books?
Steamy scenes are actually the easiest for me to write. I recently read on Facebook where a
writer said she hated to write love scenes. A lot of creative energy goes into crafting a good sex
scene. I understand what she meant, but for me it’s a new location that’s the hardest part. A
bed is almost never an option.
2. Do you believe in love at first sight, or do you think people mistake it for lust?
Love at first sight. If you really knew me, you wouldn’t believe that’s what I thought, but when
your insides go to mush in zero to sixty, there’s a reason for it.
3. Do you have a certain routine you follow when you write?
No routine or schedule to my writing, I just put my head down and get to it. I do a Meer Kat
peek around every once in a while, but for the most part I have to scrap out some free time and
pound out the pages. Believe me plotting helps a lot.
4. What are your favorite genres to read when you have downtime?
My book fav’s are mysteries, paranormals, ghost stories, and romance. I’m starting to get into
chick-lit; some come off as corny, but with the right author they are really cute.
5. How did you get your start as an author? Was it something you always knew you wanted
to do?
I’m a Gemini. I want to do everything.
6. In your book, your main character isn’t looking forward to seeing people from high
school, do you feel the same?
In high school I hung with the quirky clique. We were this patchwork quilt of different races and
personalities. If someone from another clique had a falling out with their group, they would end
up at our lunch table until everything was cool again.
Our clique consisted of the closeted gay guy, the sarcastic girl with the family-owned funeral
home business, the edgy girl, the compassionate girl everyone went to with their problems, and
the aloof cheerleader.
Our one common thread was the need to get the hell out of high school. On graduation day
instead of crying and hugging everyone goodbye,we were deliriously happy that our prison
sentence was over and we had been sprung. These people I wouldn’t mind seeing again;
everyone else are beautiful just the way they are and even more beautiful staying exactly how I
remember them.
Thanks so much for answering my questions, it's fun to pick someone's brain. Now let's join Shon Bacon for her guest post.
It's common for an erotic, a sensual writer to get a question like the following: what does SEXY mean to
you?
I thought it would be cool to highlight what I think is sexy—basingthat sexiness off of songs that I love and
that ooze their own particular brands of sexy.
The song I want to talk about in this post is, for me, one of the sexiest songs out there, and if you are a
woman, the words just burn on you, sizzling their love and sexiness and heat.
What song is this?
"Have You Ever Really Loved a Woman" – a1995 song written by Bryan Adams, Michael Kamen, and
Robert John "Mutt" Lange. (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hq2KgzKETBw)
Why does this song ooze sexiness?
Let's go to the lyrics (provided by Sing365.com - http://goo.gl/Ur5RT).
To really love a woman
To understand her - you gotta know her deep inside
Hear every thought - see every dream
N' give her wings - if she wants to fly
Then when you find yourself lyin' helpless in her arms
You know you really love a woman
Sighs heavily
To really love a woman
Let her hold you -
till you know how she needs to be touched
You'vegotta breathe her - really taste her
Till you can feel her in your blood
N' when you can see your unborn children in her eyes
You know you really love a woman
Releases a few tears as a sob builds in
her chest
You got to give her some faith - hold her tight
A little tenderness - you gotta treat her right
She will be there for you, takin' good care of you
Ya really gotta love your woman...
I really do have to pull myself together to finish this post. I could easily rattle off body parts and attractive
qualities that might be sexy, but there is something muy sexy in UNDERSTANDING and using that
understanding to love a woman. It's nice to have someone be interested in you because you're beautiful.
It's a whole other level when the person is trying to understand what makes your entire being tick, what
makes you breathe, smile, cry, move. This song resonates that kind of sexiness for me. It makes me want
the man who understands and agrees with these lyrics. How can you not find sexy the loving of a woman
being equaled to holding her so that you can learn how to touch her in the way that she wants? How can
you not find sexy the seeing of unborn children in a woman's eyes? This is a pure wooing song. It is a
make you want to drop your panties and say, "Yes, it is YOU I want...Right.Now."
When I listen to this song, I feel it in my marrow. It's not just about swaying and saying at its
conclusion, "This is a good song." No, the sounds, the words, the rhythms all culminate into this soft,
sexy, passionate cocoon that smolders of sensuality. Listening to this song, I want to stand, dance, run my
fingers through my hair and imagine, imagine, imagine until that man arrives...for me. And for that man
to arrive and see me, "get" me, understand me and still want to stay and illustrate all the myriad of ways
in which he loves me and wants me forever. Yeah. That's sexy. That's the ultimate sexy.
Holds off even more tears
I couldn't embed the song, so unfortunately, you have to head to YouTube (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hq2KgzKETBw) to watch and listen, and I know many of you have already seen this video and
listen to this song, but I tell you what, just in writing this post, I listened to the song about five times
before I began writing, then listened while I wrote this, and will probably listen a few more times after
this is posted. It's a beautiful song, and I think it taps into the very heart of what women want. Having
someone understand that And want to fulfill that? SEXY--all day, every day.
You know what ELSE is SEXY?
UNDRESSED INC. featuring four strong, independent, beautiful women who have been through some
things but have not lost all hope in finding love. Authors Samara King, Embue, K. Carlton, and moi offer
you love affairs that are often dangerous, often scary, but always daring and sexy. Pick up your copy of
UNDRESSED INC. today!
Wow! Thanks so much ladies!
1. Do you ever find it hard writing the steamy scenes in your books?
Steamy scenes are actually the easiest for me to write. I recently read on Facebook where a
writer said she hated to write love scenes. A lot of creative energy goes into crafting a good sex
scene. I understand what she meant, but for me it’s a new location that’s the hardest part. A
bed is almost never an option.
2. Do you believe in love at first sight, or do you think people mistake it for lust?
Love at first sight. If you really knew me, you wouldn’t believe that’s what I thought, but when
your insides go to mush in zero to sixty, there’s a reason for it.
3. Do you have a certain routine you follow when you write?
No routine or schedule to my writing, I just put my head down and get to it. I do a Meer Kat
peek around every once in a while, but for the most part I have to scrap out some free time and
pound out the pages. Believe me plotting helps a lot.
4. What are your favorite genres to read when you have downtime?
My book fav’s are mysteries, paranormals, ghost stories, and romance. I’m starting to get into
chick-lit; some come off as corny, but with the right author they are really cute.
5. How did you get your start as an author? Was it something you always knew you wanted
to do?
I’m a Gemini. I want to do everything.
6. In your book, your main character isn’t looking forward to seeing people from high
school, do you feel the same?
In high school I hung with the quirky clique. We were this patchwork quilt of different races and
personalities. If someone from another clique had a falling out with their group, they would end
up at our lunch table until everything was cool again.
Our clique consisted of the closeted gay guy, the sarcastic girl with the family-owned funeral
home business, the edgy girl, the compassionate girl everyone went to with their problems, and
the aloof cheerleader.
Our one common thread was the need to get the hell out of high school. On graduation day
instead of crying and hugging everyone goodbye,we were deliriously happy that our prison
sentence was over and we had been sprung. These people I wouldn’t mind seeing again;
everyone else are beautiful just the way they are and even more beautiful staying exactly how I
remember them.
Thanks so much for answering my questions, it's fun to pick someone's brain. Now let's join Shon Bacon for her guest post.
It's common for an erotic, a sensual writer to get a question like the following: what does SEXY mean to
you?
I thought it would be cool to highlight what I think is sexy—basingthat sexiness off of songs that I love and
that ooze their own particular brands of sexy.
The song I want to talk about in this post is, for me, one of the sexiest songs out there, and if you are a
woman, the words just burn on you, sizzling their love and sexiness and heat.
What song is this?
"Have You Ever Really Loved a Woman" – a1995 song written by Bryan Adams, Michael Kamen, and
Robert John "Mutt" Lange. (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hq2KgzKETBw)
Why does this song ooze sexiness?
Let's go to the lyrics (provided by Sing365.com - http://goo.gl/Ur5RT).
To really love a woman
To understand her - you gotta know her deep inside
Hear every thought - see every dream
N' give her wings - if she wants to fly
Then when you find yourself lyin' helpless in her arms
You know you really love a woman
Sighs heavily
To really love a woman
Let her hold you -
till you know how she needs to be touched
You'vegotta breathe her - really taste her
Till you can feel her in your blood
N' when you can see your unborn children in her eyes
You know you really love a woman
Releases a few tears as a sob builds in
her chest
You got to give her some faith - hold her tight
A little tenderness - you gotta treat her right
She will be there for you, takin' good care of you
Ya really gotta love your woman...
I really do have to pull myself together to finish this post. I could easily rattle off body parts and attractive
qualities that might be sexy, but there is something muy sexy in UNDERSTANDING and using that
understanding to love a woman. It's nice to have someone be interested in you because you're beautiful.
It's a whole other level when the person is trying to understand what makes your entire being tick, what
makes you breathe, smile, cry, move. This song resonates that kind of sexiness for me. It makes me want
the man who understands and agrees with these lyrics. How can you not find sexy the loving of a woman
being equaled to holding her so that you can learn how to touch her in the way that she wants? How can
you not find sexy the seeing of unborn children in a woman's eyes? This is a pure wooing song. It is a
make you want to drop your panties and say, "Yes, it is YOU I want...Right.Now."
When I listen to this song, I feel it in my marrow. It's not just about swaying and saying at its
conclusion, "This is a good song." No, the sounds, the words, the rhythms all culminate into this soft,
sexy, passionate cocoon that smolders of sensuality. Listening to this song, I want to stand, dance, run my
fingers through my hair and imagine, imagine, imagine until that man arrives...for me. And for that man
to arrive and see me, "get" me, understand me and still want to stay and illustrate all the myriad of ways
in which he loves me and wants me forever. Yeah. That's sexy. That's the ultimate sexy.
Holds off even more tears
I couldn't embed the song, so unfortunately, you have to head to YouTube (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hq2KgzKETBw) to watch and listen, and I know many of you have already seen this video and
listen to this song, but I tell you what, just in writing this post, I listened to the song about five times
before I began writing, then listened while I wrote this, and will probably listen a few more times after
this is posted. It's a beautiful song, and I think it taps into the very heart of what women want. Having
someone understand that And want to fulfill that? SEXY--all day, every day.
You know what ELSE is SEXY?
UNDRESSED INC. featuring four strong, independent, beautiful women who have been through some
things but have not lost all hope in finding love. Authors Samara King, Embue, K. Carlton, and moi offer
you love affairs that are often dangerous, often scary, but always daring and sexy. Pick up your copy of
UNDRESSED INC. today!
 |
| http://www.amazon.com/UNDRESSED-INC-SK-MINIS-ebook/dp/B00677KE24/ref=sr_1_1?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1330756671&sr=1-1 |
Wow! Thanks so much ladies!
Sunday, March 4, 2012
Bound to Remember by Lola James
Bound to Remember
Book One of the Spellbound Series
Vampires and Witches and Myths, oh my!
Toni is a young doctor with a past she can't remember and a deadly reason for forgetting it.
Ben is a nurse who has his own tragic past and transfers hospitals after an act of heroism forces his secluded life public.
Ben can’t believe his eyes when he meets Toni, she has an uncanny resemblance to an old friend of his, and Toni can’t help but find Ben irresistible.
Enter Kevin, Toni’s sexy but arrogant Ex. Kevin’s jealousy of Ben blinds him from his main objective, Toni.
A dangerous secret is revealed and a magic spell seems to be a quick remedy, but the witch that helps has a little more than magic up her sleeve…
Excerpt from Bound to Remeber
His lips were cold but the kiss sent warmth throughout my whole body and had a flavor to
it, something that was sweet, like honey but also metallic. Either I had not been kissed in a long
time or he was the best kisser. We kissed for what seemed like minutes before his lips released
mine.
I felt feverish as I pulled back and looked at him, suddenly remembering we had an audience
of nurses. I straightened up as he released the embrace he had wrapped me in during the kiss. I
saw Kevin’s frown and Dawn’s grin, when did she get there? I looked around the break room at
the awe struck on lookers.
“I’m sorry; I just couldn’t resist it anymore,” Ben said with a suggestive smile. He never took
his eyes off mine, and I knew that true. I couldn’t help that he happen to pick the perfect time to
kiss me, in front of Kevin. I did something completely out of character: I put my hand around
Ben’s neck and pulled him down into another kiss — my kiss. Kevin stormed out. Somehow,
my 5’7” self- pulled Ben’s 6’ foot self-down into a kiss that was even better than the first it was
more hungry than the first.
I totally enjoyed this book, it was such a fun read. I love Toni, she is so my kind of girl, she's sassy and feisty. Don't even get me started on Ben lol, he's such a dreamboat. The characters are all really well thought out, they all have such a great dynamic in relation to each other. I love Toni's best friend Dawn, she's totally the girl next door, you want to just hug her all the time. Kevin is your typical ass of an ex boyfriend, but Lola wasn't stereotypical with him, he has depth.
The story really sucked me in, I kind of forgot to do anything else until I finished the book. It was everything a first book in a series should be. It developed each character, and made you want to know more about them. Plus, it left you dying to read the next book in the series. I wanted to beg Lola to write faster. She has such a talent, you will not be disappointed if you buy a book with her name on it.
Purchase Links:
Amazon - http://www.amazon.com/Remember-Paranormal-Romance-Spellbound-ebook/dp/B00608Q37A/ref=pd_rhf_cr_p_t_2
Barnes and Noble - http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/bound-to-remeber-a-paranormal-romance-novella-lola-james/1106980747
Website – www.lolajames.com and http://www.lolajames-author.blogspot.com
Email – lola@lolajames.com
I'm tickled pink tot ell you guys, I get to do a giveaway!! Enter below to win an ebook copy of Bound to Remember.
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