Monday, April 30, 2012

Exciting News!

Well, I sent Mark of the Witch of to the editor this morning and he's hopefully going to be starting on it in the next day or so. I'm so nervous/excited about it. I'm one step closer to being published, and then all of you can read it :)
I was thinking, I want to do some fun contests and giveaways in the week or two leading up to the release. I'm starting to think of fun things to have for prizes. Do you guys like bookmarks? I'm going to have some made that are out of this world amazing. I also want to do some ARC's of the book as soon as I get it formatted and whatnot. Does that sound like stuff you would be interested in????

Friday, April 27, 2012

SM Blooding interview

We're joined today by author SM Blooding, I hope you enjoy the interview as much as I did :)


1. Tell us how this story came about?

I had been telling my girls bedtime stories of my dustman, Ol’Lukoe, who was actually a
character in my favorite fairy tale. I’d been writing for years, but I never took it seriously.
However, watching them get into the Ol’Lukoe stories got me to thinking.

I should really write this story down.

I can tell you that I sucked at writing…pretty heavily, when I first started out. I might have said
this was the first book I was going to seriously write for publication, but it was like, my sixth. And
let’s not count the ones I wrote “for fun”. *shiver*

But when I sat down and really wrote this book I said, “Frankie, this is what you want to do with
the rest of your life.”

Re-reading this book was lovely. *bites lip through grin* I just remember where I was when
I wrote the graveyard scene, or recalled the house where book took place, or--*huge grin*--
all the little characters that had cameo appearances in Dreamland, and the looks on the girl’s
faces when they met Telfgar the dragon and that farting unicorn and the chitter-chatterbox fairy.
*breathing* Lovely is such a small, small word for what that book means to me.

2. Did Meg come from someone in your life, or did you invent her?

I think she came from me. Re-reading through this story, there was a lot of emotions that I
remembered, the feelings of failure, of losing hope, the sorrow. *nods* Yeah. I’m pretty sure
Meg is me.

3. Tell us something people would be surprised to find out

The little old lady who ran into the light pole after spying the naked guy in the car wash was a
real life event. The gal who drove her car into the light pole and had to dig her walker out of the
car to spy on the guy taking a shower in the car wash is no longer with us, but she was very real
and that was a real event. LOL!

4. What genre do you read?

Fantasy. I don’t care what kind, but there has to be some kind of fantasy in there.

5.Who is your favorite author?

Oh, man! Which week?! But my treasure shelves still has Mercedes Lackey, Jim Butcher and
David Eddings. So I would have to say it would be one of those.

6. How did you get started writing?

I don’t know. LOL! I’ve always just written, even when I wasn’t taking it seriously. We didn’t
watch a lot of TV and going outside of the backyard was frowned upon, so I was either
pretending with my sister, drawing, writing, playing my flute, or reading. *grins*

7. What’s next for you?

Well, Demons Are Jackasses is officially releasing next week!!! That’s book 1 of my Demon
Talker Series. I’m very excited about that. And then it’s book 1 of my YA Steampunk, The
Hands of Tarot, and then I’ll be finishing up The Nightmare, which is book 2 to the Dreamland
Stories! *grin* I have a lot going on!

Thank you so much for letting me stop by!

You are so welcome :)
Here's a blurb from The Dustman


Meg has two kids, one of which is hell bent to
land himself in jail. She’s about to lose her
house, her home, her ability to support her
children. Her aunt tells her to publish the story
of her childhood friend, her dustman, her Luk.

Dreamland is empty.

He’s watching his world shrink, his friends blinking out of existence. Children no
longer call for him. He’s watched his fellow dustmen disappear while their lands
are eaten by a ferocious void.

There is no cure.

He’s next.


Purchase links:
Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/The-Dustman-Dreamland-Story-Volume/dp/1470195895/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1333485967&sr=8-1
Kindle: http://www.amazon.com/The-Dustman-Dreamland-Stories-ebook/dp/B007QP5UTI/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1333485967&sr=8-2
B&N: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/s/the-dustman-a-dreamland-story?keyword=the+dustman+a+dreamland+story&store=allproducts

Contact links:
Twitter: https://twitter.com/
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/pages/SM-Blooding/116104038495159
WEbsite: http://www.smblooding.com/

About the author:

SM Blooding lives in Colorado with
her pet rock, Rockie, their new
addition, Mr. Bird, who’s a real bird.
She likes to hike the beautiful Rocky
Mountains, and is learning to play the
piano and guitar. Currently, she’s
trying to MURDER them both.
Friends call her Frankie.

She’s dated vampires, werewolves,
sorcerers, weapons smugglers and US
Government assassins. Yes. She has
stories.

Thursday, April 26, 2012

The amazing Tawdra Kandle

Every now and again, I like to do something fun for someone else...today it's sharing the amazing Tawdra Kandle with all of you. I had the privilege to meet her in one of my writing groups, she is such a nice person. Today, we are going to take a look at her books and then I'm giving you a link to enter her awesome contest.



Tasmyn Vaughn didn't expect much when her dad’s job moved them to a small town in Florida; it was just another new school. But there is more to King than meets the eye, and soon Tasmyn’s ability to hear other’s thoughts is the least of her worries. Entangled in a web of first love, quirky and secretive townsfolk, magic and blood rituals, she discovers the town’s secrets aren’t just bizarre, they’re deadly.









Tasmyn Vaughn is not having the senior year she expected. Her boyfriend Michael leaves for college, she's being stalked by a suspicious preacher, pursued by the hot new boy at school and blackmailed by her chemistry teacher--who just might be a witch. Tas needs all of her many talents--and a little help from unexpected sources--just to keep her head above water. . .literally.









Ok, so seriously guys, how awesome do those sound? I know I can't wait to read them :)

Contact links:
http://www.tawdrakandle.com/
Facebook: http://on.fb.me/zLQrkd
Twitter: http://bit.ly/wQqQx7

Purchase links:
http://amzn.to/HJuLU5


Now here is the fun part, go to this link and enter to win a $50 Amazon gc!!!
http://tawdrakandle.com/?p=274

Wednesday, April 25, 2012

Upcoming paranormal project

I started trying to write a book with an author friend of mine, but something else came out instead. It's going to be a vampire book, but not YA at all. I'm not entirely sure where it's going yet, but here's a sneak peak at the beginning.


Nineteen year old Bronwyn Fitzgibbons stood in the corner of a bar that she had lied her way into. Her long blond hair hung behind her like a cape, and her blue eyes sparkled in the dim light. This was definitely not the kind of place her mother would approve of, so she was more than thrilled she had gotten in. She had heard rumors that more than just tough guys came here, and was curious to see if that was true. She saw him almost immediately from across the room, and almost screamed when he materialized next to her. “Hello there, “ he said in a sexy irish accent. Bronwyn felt her knees go weak, she had always had a thing for irish accents. Her parents were from Ireland, and she had grown up around the accent. “Hi.” she said softly. “This is not the safest place for one such as yourself.” He said. Bronwyn shrugged and stuck out her chin defiantly, daring him to make her leave. He chuckled, and Bronwyn found herself enjoying the rich sound of it. “I’m old enough to be here.” “I doubt that, but I was referring to the fact that you are a human.” Her eyes widened for a fraction of a second before a smile lit her face. “So I guess the rumors about this place are true then.” He nodded, “You should not make a habit of coming here, not everyone is as civilized as I am.” Bronwyn studied him, “What’s your name?” He smiled, revealing his fangs, “my name is Ronan.” “So you’re a vampire then?” She said. “I am. How old are you young one?” Bronwyn thought for a moment before replying, “I’m nineteen” Ronan laughed again, “I knew you weren’t old enough to be in here. Would you like to take a walk with me?” She nodded yes even though her brain was screaming at her to say no. Ronan took her hand and led her through the smoky bar and out the back door. As soon as they were outside, he picked her up and ran. Bronwyn could barely breathe, they were going too fast. She wanted to scream, but the sound wouldn’t come out of her. After a few minutes he slowed down and set her down. She stumbled back a few steps and looked around, he had brought her to the beach. “Where are we?” She asked shakily. “Malibu.” He replied. “I thought a walk on the beach would be better than the grimy streets of Hollywood.” He looked sheepish. Bronwyn smiled, “This is much better thank you.” He took her hand in his and led her down to the water. They walked for what felt like hours, talking about her life and his when he would answer a question of hers. She looked down at her watch, “Oh, it’s four in the morning, my mom’s going to kill me, I need to get home.” Ronan smiled at her, “I don’t think you’ll need to worry about that anymore.” “What...?” Before she could get out the rest of her sentence, Ronan had his fangs to her neck. She felt the pinch of him breaking her skin, and then it was pure bliss. She could feel herself losing consciousness, floating along on a river of sensation. He finally pulled away, “ don’t sleep yet young Bronwyn, there will be plenty of time for that during your transition. Drink now my sweet.” He shoved something wet and sticky against her mouth. She cautiously licked it and then latched on drinking in big gulps of his essence. He finally tore his arm away from her. “That’s enough for now.” He said. Bronwyn pouted for a moment, “What happens now?” Ronan smiled, “Anything we want.” He helped her to her feet and they were off in a blur.

Ok, so I know it's not much, and I do have more written, but I can't give everything away can I? What do you think?

Monday, April 23, 2012

S.B. Rogers guest post

Today we have a special guest, or maybe I should say guests. The writing duo known as S.B. Rogers is going to do a guest post. Stay tuned after the post for a blurb from their book The Guardian and a little bit about the authors.


Why angels?

We get asked this a lot, and to be honest there is no one specific answer. We were raised in a religious
household-church every Sunday-and as such, were exposed to the deep seated lore in the Christian
bible. The stories we were raised with absolutely influenced our work on Guardian and our choice to
explore the relationships between angels and demons. The idea of a universe governed by opposing
forces of good and evil brought to light the endless possibilities for stories featuring blood-thirsty
demons and all-powerful angels.

We knew that a story involving angels and demons would be an action packed one. We didn’t just
want to write the same old good vs. evil story, rehashed with a sprinkle (okay, a bucketful) of teenage
angst. No, we set out to create a rich world with an interconnected cast of characters. A new take on
the Heaven and Hell we grew up learning about. One with plenty room for fallible angels and heroic
demons.

Another reason we chose angels is the power aspect. We liked the idea of angels as warriors, wielding
power to demolish the forces of evil. When Gabe first appeared in Becky’s imagination, he was ready for
battle covered in his runes of power, wings spread and sword of flames poised to strike.

So when asked why angels we answer because angels are sexy, angels are historic and angels are
powerful. Did we mention angels are sexy?!

S.B. Rodgers


Blurb from The Guardian:


It’s been almost a year since Abby
Shepard’s once-perfect life crumbled into
little more than a nightmare. Dumped,
bullied and abused, the seventeen-year-
old has all but given up hope. Little does
she know that her father died protecting a
family secret; a secret that has the forces
of good and evil battling to claim the
power lurking just beneath her skin.



About the authors:

S.B. Rodgers is a pen name that stands for Sara & Becky Rodgers. Becky argued extensively
that in the name of humour, the letters should be listed alphabetically, but lost out to her arch
nemesis common sense. Sara and Becky met at the young ages of twenty-two months and zero
days, thrust into each other’s lives by fate and situations beyond either of their control. They
are sisters, frenemies and most importantly co-authors. It’s theorised that they were identical
twin in a past life…not really but it’d be pretty cool. Their parents taught them that a person’s
imagination is a precious gift and stories should be cherished. As a team the siblings bring very
different skills to the table, each one’s strength perfectly complimenting the others weakness.
They try not to take themselves very seriously and strive to look for the humour in life. Their
partnership is one of extreme love and respect for each other, both as family and literary artists.

Sara is the younger of the two. She lives with one cat, five dolls and her potato head man
collection in an orange room. Regrettably she is not Spiderman or Batman, but she is a card
holding Pokémon master and that’s good enough for now. She earned her Bachelor of Fine Arts
from Concordia University in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. She collects graphic novels and manga
as well as all things written by the fantastic Neil Gaiman. When she is not reading or writing she
is needle felting and posting her work on her popu-lish tumblr account: The Land of Fluff and
Needles.

Becky is the classic girly-girl. Her blond hair and pink nails served as the perfect camouflage
during school years were teachers undoubtedly took her day dreaming for air-headedness. To
the contrary, she spent that time drifting in and out of imaginary worlds filled with fantastical
creatures and memorable characters. Today she divides her time between working with animals
as a certified pet stylist and typing away at new manuscripts. Among other things she describes
herself as a Gleek, sci-fi nerd, smustle expert extraordinaire and above all she just “wants to
believe.” She lives with her two German Shepherds-Abby and Odin-and is driven by delusions
of grandeur.

Contact links:

Blog: sbrodgers.blogspot.com

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/pages/SB-Rodgers/260803420636830

You tube: http://youtu.be/DBMOkpw1vtI

Twitter: SBRodgers1

Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/5517745.S_B_Rodgers

Saturday, April 21, 2012

My life this past month...

I've been writing. When I say that, I mean really writing, like a ton of writing. I've gotten a good start on book 3 in the Boston Witches series, plus I started a new vampire book. Oh, and a friend and I are writing a book together. So yeah, I've been writing a lot. Plus, throw in working here and there on a few other books I have on the back burner, and then editing for myself and others. This has been a mentally taxing month and it's not even over with.

Everything is still totally on track for Mark of the Witch to come out in June. Hooray for that, deadlines are always stressful, even when we set them for ourselves. I just want everyone to love what I put out, so it needs to be perfect. I already put out something that was less than perfect before, so I think I might be a little paranoid about it happening again.

During this busy month, I've still found time to read some amazing books. I finally just read  The Hunger Games (yes I know I'm way behind the times) I liked it, but I think I expected more from it since everyone raved about it. I'll most likely read the rest of the series when my tbr pile gets a lot smaller.

Friday, April 20, 2012

Reid Lance Rosenthal interview

Last week we had Reid on and he gave us a peak at his 2 books Threads West, and Maps of Fate. I started the giveaway, and it's still going to be going for another week. I'm going to post the entry form below so you don't have to search for it. Today, he's giving us a peak into his head.


Describe a typical day for you. What time of day do you usually write?
A Typical day? There is no such thing. The routine flows with seasons, altered by the demands of family, writing, and ranching.

I am laughing. My preferred writing atmosphere is pacing around the kitchen and living room, digital recorder in one hand, coffee in the other. A close second is the cozy interior cab of a one ton Ford as it screams down the highway from ranch to ranch, many of those trip durations of eight to ten hours. I would estimate that at least half of Threads West and a portion of Maps of Fate, was dictated driving at 90 mph -- and if any state trooper is reading this, I meant 75! Many times I've missed the next exit or turn, so engrossed had I become in the story the characters are whispering to me. On a few occasions my startled glance in the review mirror has revealed the winking lights of a patrol car. Generally the officer has asked me why I didn't pull over for the last thirty miles. The looks I get when I explain I am writing a book are priceless. All my writing is done via dictation. I can type -- matter-of-fact, around a hundred words per minute. Unfortunately, there are at least thirty typos per line. I've become somewhat infamous for my keys pounded with big paws hieroglyphic e-mails. Spell check takes longer than the original writing!

Five to eight in the morning, and eleven PM to three AM are my two most productive periods. I am both a night owl and an early bird. Sleep is nothing more than a necessary evil. I would prefer to be catching winks three days at a time, followed by six weeks without any rest. After the writing, the reality of daily life, business and the ranches takes over. Once in a while, after I've stepped through that time portal into the pages of the story, I'm reluctant to remove myself. On those occasions I can go three or four days without any sleep whatsoever. (Woe to those around me!)

How did you make the jump from rancher to author?
This author thing is akin to taking on a second full-time career. Time, energy, and focus are needed to run and operate the ranches, particularly when spread out over long distances. Fortunately I love that business too, and if affords me the opportunity to intertwine my passions and love of the land with a vocation. Ironically, it also gives me great fodder for writing backdrop, scenes, and places in which the action of the novels transpire.

I muse at times whether I am a rancher who writes, or a writer who ranches. In the most simple terms, I am just me. As with all others who share this planet, I have my shining, and less illustrious sides. I am a Triple-A type personality and with that comes both the good and less than good, inherent to those who suffer the same 24-7 demeanor. Yes, I am driven. I believe dreams are but the precursors of reality. One has only to make them so. I love the land, its special energy, solitude, space, and soul succor. Alone and far from others, whispers of canyon breezes playin' oh so gentle ’cross my cheek, the smell of earth, sage, leaves and horse sweat might just be the only time I truly relax. It is those moments, high atop a windswept ridge, rifle nestled in the leather of the scabbard, that I am transported to ten thousand years ago where I am a native sojourner, clad in a hide loincloth and carrying a spear in quest of fresh meat for the clan. It is cleansing, and real, this time machine of earth energy. The hum of it brings me back full circle to my very roots as a human being. These are the feelings of which I write, and they are universal in their truth of any historical era, though less realized today than at any other time in man's history.

I'm fourth-generation land and cattle. I own interests in a number of ranches in several Western states. I've always been enthralled by the land, its energy, moods, preservation, and the way it involves and shapes the lives that play upon its stage.

My interest in writing stems from long ago, when I was nine. We were taking a family vacation to the Virgin Islands. St. John had just been declared a National Park and we planned a week of camping on the beach in part to celebrate my sisters third birthday. A mongoose ate her birthday cake, but that is yet another tale. As penance for my playing hooky, my fourth grade teacher assigned me the task of keeping a daily journal with the admonition that I would have to read it to the class upon return.

My journal was written on the wide blue lines of a tablet with the ancient thick blue ink of the old octagon pens. On my first day back in class, hands trembling, I read to my classmates and Mrs. Darling, my teacher. I had convinced myself that no one really wanted to hear a tale of our vacation. Much to my surprise when I looked up there was complete silence, mouths were gaped, eyes were riveted on me, and my teacher clapped. It was then I realized I could tell a story and people wanted to hear it. It was on that day long ago that I promised myself I would write books. I was later blessed with teachers that exhorted me to do so, helped me hone my skills, and with insistent prodding built my confidence level in my prose. I had a double major in college – Forestry and Journalism, with a specialty in editorial writing. Some of my short story compositions did well in competitions, such as the Hartford Courant. That was as far as my early writing progressed.


In an odd way the plight of the country and need to reach back to the touchstone of our history, along my fascinations with landscape photography eased me, finally, back into the writing. I have found new purpose and energy (not that I have ever lacked either) in my prose and photographic expression now that I have become cognizant of their synergy. They are both of the land, that unique American experience of property, and the stage upon which we and the characters in my novels line dance in a fleeting moment of existence, to then be replaced by the shoulder taps of successive generations. Now I write to share my mind's image and my love of and respect for the land, my heart convictions, and my sense of passion, universal energies, the American spirit, and principle with others.

The camera and the beginning of my Threads West manuscript side by side on the desk back in 2010 brought home a sudden realization several years ago. I am also a landscape writer as well as a landscape photographer. The land is as much a character in my books as it is the predominate image of my photos. It is my touchstone, and the foundation of our country.

When you read, what genre do you read? Do you have a favorite author?
My taste in genres is wide and varied. The magic of Harry Potter, the action and history of Mila 18, Exodus, Battle Cry, and The Young Lions by Leon Uris. The Old Man and the Sea, and For Whom the Bell Tolls by Ernest Hemingway. The Red Badge of Courage by Stephen Crane. These would be some of the works that I draw from stylistically. I have read each and every one of Louis L'Amour's Westerns; I have his entire collection. So, too, I devoured Larry McMurtry's stunning Lonesome Dove and Max McCoy's two Spur award winners, one of which is Hellfire Canyon, and his Indiana Jones novels (and movies). I am stunned, and thrilled to have his very rare endorsement on the cover of Maps of Fate.

Each book and author has contributed to my own craft of words and story, style and structure, some—like Uris and Hemingway—more than others. I read many of these books for the first time of a dozen re-readings in elementary school. Many is the night I would huddle under the blankets, dim light of the flashlight I had snatched from the kitchen tool bag, fading and flickering as morning approached. I eagerly turned pages of the books, once in a while poking my head out to study the approaching light from the East, filled with youthful resentment that my reading time was coming to an end for another night. After my previously recounted experience in class, I vowed to myself that, I, too would write novels, spin stories, furrow the brows of readers with empathy for the characters, and transport them into the arc of the tale.

You could say the genres of Romance, Historical Fiction, and Western chose me, and I chose them. A mutual love affair, no pun intended. I muse at times about this tremendous gift these men have given me without ever knowing it. I wonder —should I be so lucky as to enjoy even a modicum of their great and well deserved success—if readers of the Threads West series will read these books and make promises to themselves about writing their own novels. I surely hope that kind of energy springs from my novels. And so, threads will once again converge. There is a symmetry to it all that appeals to me. Writers inspire each other. No doubt about it!

Do you have any advice for aspiring authors?
I am intrigued by universal energies. As a rancher, I am drawn by the power of the land. As a man, I am intrigued by the energy of steamy passions and the enveloping flow of heart-felt romance. As an American, I am enamored of the unique spirit of America and her people, and the evolution of all these energies through the relatively short span of American History. Each author needs to choose those energies which call to them.

Yes, my novels are stories. But they have a message – about universal truths, about romance, the difference between sex and making love, the synchrony of true feelings, loyalties and passions, and the juxtaposing coldness of just the physical, the forced, or the ulterior motive.
I have an advantage when it comes to setting. Being a rancher and a cowboy affords me great familiarity with the varying landscapes of the West, many of which I’ve walked or ridden across. The setting, the physical environment and specific era, of a western, or any story, is all-important. For aspiring writers of any genre I would say, know your locations. Go there. Breathe it, smell it, see it, feel it, let the energy of the place speak to you, and then translate that energy into the written word. Create the theater in which your characters will act and interact. Build it and they will come. Most importantly – write! Get it on paper. Don’t get bogged down on sentences or paragraphs. Edit the forest, not the trees – leave “the commas” to a third set of eyes – your invaluable editor.

Was it easy for you to find a publisher?
Ah, the world of Publishers! From what these relatively new author eyes see, it is in a state of flux – rapid change – unparalleled opportunity.

I was approached early on by two large publishers all via contacts at conferences. I was gratified to get the interest, but not thrilled with the deal structure.

The end result, as the books have gained momentum is a joint-venture affiliation between one small, one medium and one huge publisher/distributor out of Wyoming, Texas and New York City, respectively. Each does what they do best – print, e-book, graphics, editing, “reach and penetration,” but a better deal for the books, and the author – though undoubtedly more coordination time and effort on the part of me and my direct author team. I believe hybrid deals of this nature involving several publishers with different “muscle” might well be the future. Time tells all tales!

6. Tell us about your books
I'm astounded by the success of the Threads West, An American Saga series. I am excited about the second book, Maps of Fate, just releasing on April 17th, because I think, and hope, that I've met my goal of surpassing the high bar set by the first novel. The readers will determine that!

Maps of Fate examines slavery, from the viewpoint of the slave—a race yearning to be fully American, totally free and self-determining. This is a theme which will carry over into Book Three, Uncompagrhe – where water turns rock red, releasing in late 2012. Through their eyes, of the Indians, the tragic story that is a sad, dark blotch on the pages of American history begins to unfold and will carry forward in the series.

And, of course, Maps of Fate follows the evolving life threads, passions, loves, disappointments, tragedies, romances, and in some cases the pathos filled, lethal experience of the characters which the readers of Book One seemed to have thoroughly enjoyed and bonded with. Their life threads hurtle through American history towards the cloth of their destinies and still subsequent generations of the series.

Maps of Fate releases nationally on April 17, at Barnes & Noble dot com, Amazon, Hastings, Barnes and Noble, and many fine independent bookstores around the country, plus a number of international locations. It will also be available on that date in Nook, and Kindle – iTunes to follow a few days later.

We are having a great Release Branding Day and contest, with terrific prizes beginning at 3am Pacific, ending at 12 midnight Pacific on the 17th. Everyone who has reserved a copy of the book on our sites (www.threadswestseries.com) or purchases a book that day may enter.

Then we have a special military release April 24 and 25 with a dollar a book going to veterans organizations. Lots more info coming on that after the 17th!

I hope these musings, albeit from a newbie author who freely admits he knows little and has much to learn, have been of some help or stirred some thought.

Thank you, Jessica, for this great opportunity to blog here on your site!

You are so very welcome Reid! It was so much fun having you on the blog today:)

Here's a little bit about Reid


Reid is fourth generation land and cattle. He owns
interests in nine ranches in the western states. His
long-standing devotion to wild and remote places,
fierce respect for the American Spirit and values, and
reverence for the people – both past and present—
who leave their legend and footprint upon America and
the West is the inspiration and descriptive
underpinning of all of his writing. Perhaps he says it
best:

“If your mind and spirit are seduced by images of
windswept ridge tops, flutters of aspen leaves
caressed by a canyon breeze, and the crimson tendrils
of dying sun…if your fingers feel the silken pulse of a
lover and your lips taste the deep kisses of building
passion…if nostrils flare with the conjured scents of
gunpowder and perfume, sage brush and pine, and
your ears delight in the murmur of river current…if
pride fills you at the snap of the stars and stripes in a
stiff breeze…if your heart pounds at the clash of good
and evil and with each twist and turn of interwoven
lives you feel a primal throb, then I have accomplished my mission.”—Reid Lance Rosenthal,
author of Threads West, An American Saga.

This passion fuels each novel in the widely acclaimed, #1 Best-Selling, multiple award winning
historical western romance series, Threads West, An American Saga. The sixteen-part saga
has been compared to McMurty’s Lonesome Dove, Michener’s Centennial and L’Amour (with
steam!) by reviewing authors and readers alike. Each ensuing book unfolds the riveting tale of
an emerging nation, an evolving west, and the land forged lives of the driven men and women
whose American spirit built and defended the nation. The western landscape, building of the
country, danger and passions weave personalities from uncommon origins into generational
tapestries of lust, duplicity, enmity, love and triumph. Threads West is the tale of the romance
and adventure of America, her people, her spirit and the West. “It is our story,” Reid whispers.
Then, raising his voice to match his passion, deep tones booming, he reminds us, “This is the
ongoing story of us.”

Drawing on his forty-year career in land and all types of locations, Reid has also written the
three volume narrative nonfiction book, Land For Love and Money, heralded as the first and
only book of its kind. Volume I releases on June 5, 2012. “Land, from the ground up,” Reid says,
“Love it, and let it grow your life.” For owners of land, and those who dream of owning land, this
book is filled with anecdotes from Reid’s own wealth of experiences which he employs to shows
us that if we love the land, that energy will flow back to us on many levels, including financial
abundance. Food for the soul – filler for the wallet.


Wednesday, April 18, 2012

Gift by Andrea J. Buchanan


High school sophomore Daisy Jones is just trying to get by unnoticed. It doesn’t help that she’s the new girl at school, lives in a trailer park, and doesn’t even own a cell phone. But there’s a good reason for all that: Daisy has a secret, unpredictable power—one only her best friend, Danielle, knows about.

Despite her “gift” (or is it a curse?), Daisy’s doing a good job of fitting in—and a cute senior named Kevin even seems interested in her! But when Daisy tries to help Vivi, a mysterious classmate in a crisis, she soon discovers that her new friend has a secret of her own. Now Daisy and her friends must deal with chilling dreams and messages from the beyond. Can Daisy channel the power she’s always tried to hide—before it’s too late?



My thoughts:
I had a really hard time getting into this book. It's been a few weeks of me reading it to finally finish it. The story itself was pretty cool. It had a bit of everything in it, paranormal, a bit of Greek mythology, and a splash of sci-fi.
For me it felt really repetitive, I was always waiting for something new to happen, but they all still wanted to talk about what had already happened. I also found it kind of annoying that things about Daisy were never really explained. It was said that she could read aura colors, but never really why or how she could do it.

That being said, when I finally did get into the story I really liked it, and I will most likely read more from this author. She definitely has talent.

Tuesday, April 17, 2012

Julie Rowe Guest post

Author Julie Rowe has been kind enough to join us today for a guest post. Hope you guys enjoy it as much as I did :)


Confessions of a Quote Addict
By Julie Rowe

I love quotes. I’ve been acquiring books of quotes for a few years now and doubt I’ll ever tire of it, because I’ve found great insight and wisdom in some of the most unexpected phrases spoken by some of the most unexpected of people.

But why is that important?

It’s important because writing is, by its very nature, a solitary business. No one can make us write when obstacles appear in the way, when time is short or when we grow weary. The strength to continue comes solely from within. But when I read a good quote, like the ones below, I know I’m not alone, that others have dealt with the same insecurities, the same fears and the same problems.

I’m in good company.

My all time favourite quote is attributed to retired Brigadier General Chuck Yeager. What would a military man and Air-force test pilot have to say that could inspire a writer? Lots. Because the courage required to finish a difficult job, be that writing a book or flying an experimental plane, is the same. Both require focus, commitment and faith in ourselves…

You don’t concentrate on risks. You concentrate on results. No risk is too great to prevent the necessary job from getting done. – Brig. Gen. Chuck Yeager.


Along with Gen. Yeager’s quote, I have three others posted on the wall above my computer:

We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence is not an act, but a habit. – Aristotle.


Only those that risk going to far can possibly find out how far one can go. – T.S. Eliot.


This thing we call failure is not the falling down; it’s the staying down. – Mary Pickford.



All three keep telling me to keep writing, to never give up, to continually strive to write better and better.

When the going gets tough, the tough get writing…

You can’t wait for inspiration. You have to go after it with a club. – Jack London.


Fill the unforgiving minute with sixty seconds worth of distance run. – Rudyard Kipling.


Wake up with a smile and go after life…live it, enjoy it, taste it, smell it, feel it. – Joe Knapp.


The most essential gift for a good writer is a built-in shockproof shit-detector. – Ernest Hemingway.


Don’t ever write a novel unless is hurts like a hot turd coming out. – Charles Bukowski.


For me, writing something down is the only road out. – Anne Tyler.


My recipe for life is not being afraid of myself, afraid of what I think or of my opinions. – Eartha Kitt.


I don’t wait for moods. You accomplish nothing if you do that. Your mind must know it has got to get down to earth. – Pearl S. Buck.


You have to surrender to the act of writing, give up to it, and trust that if you have anything, it will discover it for you. – E.L. Doctorow.


All the resources we need are in the mind. – Theodore Roosevelt.


Remember, if you ever need a helping hand, you’ll find one at the end of your arm. – Audrey Hepburn.


Every worthwhile accomplishment, big or little, has its stages of drudgery or triumph; a beginning, a struggle and a victory. - Gandhi


Manuscripts that sell are written with words that speak to the reader, touch them emotionally and leave them with something undefinable, but powerful…

The best and most beautiful things in the world cannot be seen or even touched. They must be felt by the heart. - Helen Keller.

Life should not be a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in a pretty and well preserved body, but rather to skid in broadside, thoroughly used up, totally worn out, and loudly proclaiming WOW! WHAT A RIDE.
- Unknown.

The idea is to write it so that people hear it and it slides through the brain and goes straight to the heart. – Maya Angelou.


Each of us makes a difference. It is from numberless acts of courage and belief that human history is shaped. – John F. Kennedy.


I am in earnest; I will not equivocate; I will not excuse; I will not retreat a single inch; and I will be heard. – William Lloyd Garrison.


There is no one right way to write, and don’t let anyone tell you different…


There’s no right way of writing. There’s only your way. – Milton Lomask.


You see things; and you say, “Why?” But I dream of things that never were; and I say, “Why not?” – George Bernard Shaw.


When you sit down to write, tell the truth from one moment to the next and see where it takes you. – David Mamet.


Best advice on writing I’ve ever received: Finish. – Peter Mayle.


Best advice on writing I’ve ever received: Don’t answer the phone. – Patsy Garlan.


Don’t think then write it down. Think on paper. – Harry Kemelman.


There is nothing at all to writing; all you do is sit down at a typewriter and open a vein. – Red smith.


The best rule for writing – as well as for speaking – is to use always the simplest words to convey your thought. – David Lambuth.


Either it sounds right or it doesn’t sound right. – Isaac Asimov.


The one great rule of composition is to speak the truth. – Henry David Thoreau.


One of the great rules of art: do not linger. – Andre Gide.


Don’t get it right, get it written. – James Thurber.


We will either find a way, or make one! – Hannibal.


Do not pay any attention to the rules other people make…they make them for their own protection, and to hell with them. – William Saroyan.


Never belittle the value of writing. Creating a new written work is a huge deal, and starting a new manuscript, no matter how many you’ve already written, takes courage. Just as it would take courage to step off cliff while wearing a blindfold…

Begin at the beginning,” the King said gravely, ”and go on till you come to the end; then stop. Lewis Carroll, Alice in Wonderland and Through the Looking Glass.

And the trouble is, if you don’t risk anything, you risk even more. – Erica Jong.


Take that first step in faith. You don’t have to see the whole staircase. Just take the first step. – Martin Luther King Jr.


Press on. Nothing in the world can take the place of persistence. Talent will not; nothing is more common that unsuccessful men with talent. Genius will not; unrewarded genius is almost a proverb. Education alone will not; the world is full of educated derelicts. Persistence and determination alone are omnipotent. – Calvin Coolidge.


Start by doing what is necessary; then do what’s possible; and suddenly you are doing the impossible. – St. Francis of Assisi.

What lies behind us and what lies before us are tiny matters compared to what lies within us. – Ralph Waldo Emerson.


Action conquers fear. – Peter Nivio Zarlenga.


A journey of a thousand miles begins and ends with one step. – Lao-Tsu.

Satisfaction comes from action. If you look up the origin of the word ‘satisfaction’ you will find that it comes from two Latin words--satis, which means ‘enough’ and facere, which means ‘to make’. Facere is also the root of the words ‘factory’ and ‘manufacture’. So enough making--or enough action--is what produces satisfaction. – Jack Canfield and Mark Victor Hansen – excerpted from “Chicken Soup for the Soul, Living Your Dreams”.

If one advances confidently in the direction of his dreams and endeavours to live the life which he has imagined, he will meet with success unexpected in common hours. – Henry David Thoreau


Every accomplishment large and small begins with the same decision: I’ll try. – Ted Key


Go! Go! Go! It makes no difference where just so you go! Go! Go! Remember at the first opportunity--go! – Jeanette Rankin.


A professional writer is an amateur who didn’t quit. – Richard Bach.


Before you begin a thing remind yourself that difficulties and delays quite impossible to foresee are ahead… You can only see one thing clearly, and that is your goal. Form a mental vision of that and cling to it through thick and thin. – Kathleen Norris.


The distance is nothing, it is only the first step that is difficult. – Madam du Deffand.


If my doctor told me I had only six months to live, I wouldn’t brood. I’d type faster. – Isaac Asimov.


Victory is not won in miles but in inches. – Louis L’amour


According to the theory of aerodynamics, the bumble bee is unable to fly. This is because the size, weight and shape of its body in relation to its total wing span makes flying impossible. But the bumble bee, being ignorant of these scientific truths, goes ahead and flies anyway. – Unknown.


Let me tell you the secret that has led me to my goal. My strength lies solely in my tenacity. – Louis Pasteur.




Making a mistake, error or doing it wrong has always been an issue for me. What I forgot is that some of the most useful and successful things ever invented came into the world as the result of a mistake…

Mistakes and errors are the discipline through which we advance. – Channing.


It is often failure who is the pioneer in new lands, new undertakings and new forms of expression. – Eric Hoffer.


I have yet to see any problem, however complicated, when looked at in the right way, did not become still more complicated. – Paul Anderson.


Failure is, in a sense, the highway to success, since every discovery of what is false leads us to seek earnestly after what is true. – John Keats.


The man who makes no mistakes does not usually make anything. – Edward Phelps.


I have learned throughout my life as a composer chiefly through my mistakes and pursuits of false assumptions, not by my exposure to founts of wisdom and knowledge. – Igor Stravinsky.




This thing we call failure is not the falling down; it’s the staying down. – Mary Pickford.


Inside of a ring or out, ain’t nothing wrong with going down. It’s staying down that’s wrong.” – Muhammad Ali.


How do you know what you’re writing is any good? You don’t. It’s not your job to know that. Your job is to write…

Type. Your job is to get it on paper. Ours is to decide if it’s any good. Just keep typing. – Robert Gottlieb (literary agent).


If there is no dull determined effort, there will be no brilliant achievement. – Hsun-tzu.


Write even when you don’t want to, don’t much like what you’re writing, and aren’t writing particularly well. – Agatha Christie.


If you work out with weights for fifteen minutes a day over a course of 10 years, you're gonna get muscles. If you write for an hour and a half a day for 10 years, you're gonna turn into a good writer. - Stephen King, ON WRITING.


The best advice on writing was given to me by my first editor, Michael Korda, of Simon and Schuster, while writing my first book. “Finish your first draft and then we’ll talk,” he said. It took me a long time to realize how good the advice was. Even if you write it wrong, write and finish your first draft. Only then, when you have a flawed whole, do you know what you have to fix. – Dominick Dunne.

Writers are courageous people. We labor in isolation to produce something that is greater than the sum of its parts. It’s how we string those parts, or words, together that transforms what we’ve created into a novel that will entertain, comfort and inspire others.

I salute you all.


Here's a blurb from the book


Since her divorce, Willa Hayes has thrown
herself into her work as a nurse practitioner
in the remote town of Stony Creek, Alaska.
She's regained her self-confidence and her
heart is almost healed. Then her newfound
peace is shaken by the arrival of sexy
flyboy Liam Reynolds. Willa can't deny
she's instantly, intensely attracted to him—
even if she's convinced he's yet another Mr.
Wrong.

Liam has his own reasons for fleeing to the
isolation of the north, and a relationship is
the last thing he wants. He wasn't counting
on being drawn to the pretty nurse who
accompanies patients on his flights to
southern hospitals.

Fortunately, the temptation—and the desire
to avoid anything serious—is mutual. So
the pair comes up with an arrangement: sensual, steamy, no-strings fun. But when
things heat up on a cold Alaskan night, the rules of the game may change forever...


About the author


Julie Rowe’s first career as a medical lab
technologist in Canada took her to the
North West Territories and northern
Alberta, where she still resides. She loves
to include medical details in her romance
novels, but admits she’ll never be able to
write about all her medical experiences
because, “No one would believe them!”

A double Golden Heart finalist 2006, Julie
has two books out with Carina Press:
ICEBOUND and NORTH OF
HEARTBREAK. Her writing has also
appeared in several magazines such as
Today’s Parent, Reader’s Digest (Canada), and Canadian Living. She currently
facilitates communication workshops for her local city college. You can reach her
at www.julieroweauthor.com or on Twitter @julieroweauthor .

Purchase links:
Amazon- http://amzn.to/zSrqOW
B&N- http://bit.ly/zAuLQT

Monday, April 16, 2012

Georgia Cates author interview

We are joined today by author Georgia Cates, she's going to answer a few questions for us and give us an excerpt from her book Going Under


1.Where did the idea for your book come from?

I obviously didn’t develop the story of the bad boy falling for the perfect girl,
but that doesn’t mean it can’t be retold well and in a different way. I write
about things I like as a reader. With Going Under, I thought a lot about what
high school was like for me. (And no...I won’t say how long ago that has
been.) The brainstorming process involved remembering what life was like
in high school. What can I say? I was into a bad boy. I had experiences
quite similar to Claire’s in Going Under, but my bad boy didn’t turn out the
way Jessie did. (And he wasn’t as hot.) Basically, I used my experiences
and modernized them with a happy outcome.



2.Tell us something people would find surprising about you.

I’m a huge music head and I love to stalk musicians after concerts. I find
their tour buses and wait for them so I can get autographs and pictures. I’m
always shocked at how easy it is.


3.What is your favorite genre to read?

Simple. I will read basically anything that falls under the YA Romance
Category. I’m not limited to Independent authors, but I tend to gravitate
toward them because there are so many fabulous writers that are
publishing their own works and are simply undiscovered.


4.How did you get into writing?

Initially, I began writing when I was in High School. I had a very interesting
teacher, much like Mrs. Tanner in Going Under, that encouraged our
Advanced Placement class to be creative with writing.

I always though about writing, but I didn’t become serious about it until
about 3 years ago. I brainstormed for about 18 months, jotting ideas down
as they came to me. Almost 2 years in, I decided I had to make myself
sit down and commit to characters and plot if I was ever going to make a
go with writing. I threw away a dozen drafts before I finally started rolling
with my first book, Blood of Anteros, Book 1 in The Vampire Agápe Series.
I published it in September of 2011 and I haven’t looked back. I’m only
looking forward to the things ahead of me as a writer.

5.What has been the most challenging part of writing for you?

Time Management. I’m a wife, mother and Registered Nurse. I’m trying
to do away with the nurse part, but the wife and mother part aren’t going
anywhere. I try to squeeze in writing every opportunity I can, but it’s not
easy because I have so many people depending on me for something.


6.What’s next for you?

My current project is Blood Jewel. It’s tentative release date will be some
time in late May. (Fingers crossed.) It’s Book 2 in The Vampire Agápe
Series.

I’m beginning to see that there are no limits. I’m an Indie author and I
don’t answer to an editor or a publisher. I have the ability to make my own
decisions and I work when I want to. (I do answer to my readers and they
seem to want me writing all of the time.) I’m good with that.

I began writing in the paranormal genre, then tried my hand at non-
paranormal teen romance. I have enjoyed both and I’m quite open to trying
a different genre in the future. Simply put? I’m willing to go anywhere my
writing and readers lead me.

Thanks so much for sharing with us today Georgia! As promised, here is a blurb and then an excerpt for Going Under. The cover for this book is so beautiful don't you think?


Jessie Boone is a self proclaimed bad boy and
doesn’t march to the beat of anyone’s drum,
but his own. Growing up in less than
desirable circumstances has made him no
stranger to the hard knock life and his
determination to leave it behind is fierce.
When he finds himself transferred to East
Franklin High School, he sees his opportunity
to use his athletic ability to snag a college
football scholarship, but Forbes Henderson, the player Jessie means to replace
isn’t giving up his spot willingly. In fact, Forbes is willing to go to extreme
measures to retain his place as first string quarterback. When Forbes’ malicious
plan to injure his replacement fails, Jessie is furious and determined to show him
he messed with the wrong person; not only is he going to take the position of first
string quarterback, he’s going to take his girl, too.

Claire Deveraux is perfection at it’s best. She is beautiful, intelligent and unaware
she just became Jessie Boone’s conquest as revenge against her boyfriend, Forbes
Henderson. Like her flawless performance as the perfect daughter and student,
Claire’s production of being the perfect girlfriend has everyone fooled, except
Jessie Boone, and she fears this tattooed bad boy will see her secret desire to
explore his crude threats and promises to rock her perfect world. If she decides to
give in to one uninhibited moment with Jessie, will she learn too late that it was all
an act of vengeance or will Jessie learn the taste of first love is sweeter than that of
revenge?


Here's the excerpt :)

I watched a cigarette butt fly out of the new guy’s driver’s side window, then his door swung

open in front of me, preventing my escape. He stepped out of his truck, looked down at me and

grinned as he said, “Pardon me, Princess. I didn’t mean to block your way.”

His voice was velvety smooth, but I didn’t mistake it’s coolness as his tone conveyed his

contempt for me. His unmistakable dislike of me immediately raised my hellcat flag because he

had nothing to base his aversion on since he didn’t know me.

This was our first time face to face and up close. The other times I saw him was when I stole

a few glances during cheerleading practice over the last two weeks during the times I was certain

Forbes wasn’t watching me.

I realized he was so much more handsome than I originally thought now that his face mask

wasn’t obstructing my view. His hair was as black as I expected, and spikey, and his pale blue

eyes were piercing. The contrast of their paleness against his dark hair was almost shocking and I

had to force myself to not become lost.

I was angry with him for making assumptions about me, but I was furious with myself for

finding him so captivating. I tasted my bitter reaction as it formed on my tongue, but couldn’t

stop myself from blurting out, “Asshole.”

He placed his hand over the left side of his chest where his heart would be and said, “I felt

that straight through my heart. That’s definitely going to leave a mark.”

I watched him shut his door while he waited for my counterattack and I pushed past him as I

said, “Screw you and my name is not Princess. It’s Claire, so if you’re going to insult me, at least

have the decency to get my name right.”

“Hmm, I think I’ll stick with Princess. It seems to suit you better,” he said to my back as I

walked away.

I couldn’t be certain there weren’t flames coming off the heels of my boots as I practically

ran away, but Payton managed to catch up with me and said, “I’m totally disgusted by you,

Claire.”

“And why would that be?” I almost yelled.

“That was one of the best displays of underthinking I’ve ever seen. He bested you and I know

I taught you better than that. You basically rolled over. How can I call you my best friend when

you caved so easily? And by the way, you’ve got something on your ass.”

I spun around to look at the back of my dress as I pulled the skirt part around to look and

said, “What is it?”

“Hot New Guy’s eyes.” She died out laughing and said, “Sorry, Claire, but you walked right

into that one.”

I narrowed my eyes and pursed my lips as I said, “Maybe you’re the bigger asshole of the

two of you. You should definitely be a couple.”

“That lacked creativity and it’s insulting to me as your slander master. We have to work on

your comebacks because you are seriously letting me down,” she said, then added, “I wish you

could see your face right now. Whatever he just did to you has you clueless. You can’t decide if

you should be pissed off at him or hot for him.”

I turned to look at this crazy person I called a bestie standing next to me. “I’m jealous of

whatever are you smoking because it has you completely reality challenged.”

“He got it all wrong when he called you Princess. He should have called you Queen of

Denial because you’ll never admit what’s going on here,” she accused.

It was just like Payton to draw a conclusion with no real evidence to support her theory. “I

have no idea what kind of nonsense you’re talking about.”

“I hope he got plenty of rest last night because his legs are gonna be really tired after he runs

through your mind all day,” she laughed and joked, making me livid.

“You must have taken your sleeping pill this morning instead of last night because you are

dreaming.”

“When you look back on this moment months from now, don’t forget the one word I’m about

to say to you, Claire Deveraux. Foreplay.”




About the author:


I reside in rural Mississippi with my wonderful husband, Jeff, and our two beautiful
daughters.

I spent thirteen years as a labor and delivery nurse before I decided to pursue
my dream of becoming an author.

Blood of Anteros, Book One in The Vampire Agápe Series, was my first novel and it was
released in September 2011.

I decided to step away from the paranormal genre to try my hand at a young adult romance and I loved
it. It was so much fun, I plan to do it again in the near future.

Links


http://georgiacates.com/

http://www.facebook.com/pages/Georgia-Cates/213130102082500

http://twitter.com/#!/GeorgiaCates

Friday, April 13, 2012

Reid Lance Rosenthal giveaway!

I'm so happy to say that we have a really cool special guest today. We're joined by author Reid Lance Rosenthal! He's been kind enough to give me 4 books to giveaway on the blog!!! 2 of each book. He'll be back on with us next week, we'll announce the winners and he'll answer some questions for us.



Threads West is the namesake and first of the SIXTEEN novel epic series, Threads West, an American Saga. It is the adventurous, passionate tale of multi generational threads of lives of unforgettable, driven men and women from diverse origin. It is the saga of their pathos and triumph, romance and conflict, and the gripping weave of their land forged personalities into the tapestry of an emerging nation.

Threads West--the romance of America, her spirit, her people and the West. The ongoing story of us. This is our story!




Set in 1855, Book Two, continues the page turning tale of four richly-textured, complex generations of unforgettable personalities. Suspense builds as they hurtle towards unknown destinies, propelled by one adventure, danger, romantic twist and encounter to the next.

Forged in the crucible of history, shaped on the dangerous anvil of the land, the threads of their lives and torrid loves interweave with the evolution of the West. Indian conflicts, the rancor of slavery, and the discovery of gold, all create lethal surprises when the characters are forced to defend their lands, their loved ones, and their honor. The tragic end of the First Nations begins to unfold. New characters with dark hearts, lost souls, and hopeful innocence, color the tapestry of this epic saga. Others, in search of place rightful freedom, and catapult into the story.

An unexpected convergence of events sets in motion the thrilling, yet heartrending Conclusion of Book Two, setting the stage for the passionate tumult of the next Maps of Fate era novel; Book Three of the Threads West saga.



First printing Maps of Fate books may be reserved (no cost--takes seconds) until Sunday night at www.threadswestseries.com (click on reserve), then be sure to get in on Reid's great Branding Day Release contest (great prizes!!) , affiliate specials and fun with a purchase of the either book one or book two, including e-books, on Tuesday. The release starts at 3 AM Pacific April 17 ONLY! www.threadswestseries.com







Connect with Reid
www.ReidLanceRosenthal.com
www.threadswestseries.com
www.mapsoffate.com
www.threadswestamericansaga.com
www.facebook.com/romancingthewest




Author MK McClintock Alaina Clairborne free day



MK McClintock is celebrating this Friday the 13th by offering Alaina Claiborne
for free! Are you feeling lucky? 
Get your copy
today!




How far would you go to avenge your family and save the one you love?

In
19th century England, Alaina Claiborne had a loving family, a cherished
friend, and devoted servants. She spent her days riding across the
grassy hills of the English countryside, joyful and at peace. Then
tragedy strikes in the worst possible way and her world is forever
changed, childhood gone and a new course set. Searching for a killer is
her only focus, that is until she meets Tristan.

Tristan
Sheffield is a man of many talents, among them searching out those who
don't want to be found. His past is filled with secrets and deeds he
would rather leave deeply buried. However, when his life is unexpectedly
entwined with Alaina's, he soon discovers they share more than a mutual
desire to catch a murderer.

On their hunt for a man driven by
greed, Tristan and Alaina find that love is the greatest weapon against
evil and they'll stop at nothing to survive.


Excerpt:

Tristan ignored the pain in his shoulder

from busting down the back door as he made his way frantically through the old
house. It was dark, dank, and an unpleasant odor wafted from the skeleton of
every room. It looked as though someone had been there on and off for a while. The floors were
covered in an inch of dirt except through the kitchen and the
back hallways, both of which appeared to be well trodden paths through the
house. Tristan swore that he could hear rats scuffling along the upper floors
and there was the distinct smell of death lingering in the air. Whoever had
made their temporary home in that debilitated old structure was probably shoved
away in a closet somewhere.
He
continued his search, finding nothing. The screams had stopped the moment he broke through the back
door and he
was now looking everywhere for a basement door. The sounds had been too muffled
to have come from upstairs. Charles met him halfway through the search,
revealing that he too had found nothing; until they happened upon a door in the
kitchen floor.
Charles
placed a hand on Tristan, holding him off, wanting to go first, but Tristan
shook him off and pulled up on the heavy door. The corridor leading down was
darker than the rest of the house and smelled much worse.  Feeling their way along the wall, both
men
carefully felt their way down the steps. Up ahead a dim light cast shadows and
the glowed a little brighter with each step. Picking up his pace, Tristan moved
towards the light and came to another door. This one was bolted shut and on the
other side came the moans-barely audible, but they were there.
“Alaina?”
Tristan yelled through the bars in the door.
No answer; a small moan. Charles studied
the lock for a moment.
“We
won’t be getting through this one easily,” he offered.
“Like
hell we won’t,” Tristan replied and pushed Charles back.









Tuesday, April 10, 2012

Beth Aldrich book blitz

We're celebrating! It's Spring and Summer will soon be here. What better time to start shedding pounds and living a healthier life? Now's the time, and I'm right there with you.
 
Purchase Real Moms Love To Eat by Beth Aldrich today, and you will get the following
 
Peace Love and Snacks by Stan Starks at 50% off – $4.50
 
Speed: A How-To Guide to Quick & Permanent Fat Loss – pay just shipping 2.75 paperback edition
 
A Proper Charlie by Louise Wise – FREE Ebook
Death Upon Me by BK Walker – FREE Ebook
 
About Real Moms Love To Eat:
 
Beth Aldrich, author of, Real Moms Love to Eat wants you to conduct a love affair with food and still look fabulous by simply working through her easy-to-follow 10-part plan of making over your entire outlook and relationship with food. You have to eat at least three times a day, so why not love what you're eating and feed yourself food that will love you back? Discover new and interesting ways to prepare and "get involved" with food; complete with 21-days of satisfying and delicious meal suggestions, this funny book will find a permanent spot on your bedside table or kitchen counter. Real Moms really DO love to eat!
 
Excerpt from the book:
“Oh, food—how we love you, and how we fear you. How we desire you, and how we push you away. Food, you shameless flirt, you player, you tease. You could almost seduce us into an illicit affair. . . . Maybe because moms are so concerned with setting a good example or guiding their kids down the right path, we sometimes make ourselves feel guilty. We deny ourselves pleasure. But when it comes to food, this is a big, Oh, no, you don’t! Denial leads to obsession—the nasty kind where you can’t get that bad boy out of your head and then you binge. Instead, when you give yourself the license to love a variety of foods, experiment with an array of flavors, and lighten up on your self-righteous have-to-eat-100-percent-healthy-and-be-perfect-all-the-time side, then you can give yourself permission to love—food and anything or anyone else. You find a new balance. You find your own personal way of healthy eating. Fear leads only to ruin. Denial leads to deprivation. Controlled indulgence, on the other hand, leads to freedom.”

Just a few of the many busy-mom-friendly tips readers of REAL MOMS LOVE TO EAT will learn include:
 
· Make it All About YOU: Remembering the pleasure inherent in early food experiences can make food seem like a friend, not an enemy. Beth teaches readers how to have a loving relationship with food and recapture the pleasure, showing them how to change their perspective on food-for good. Out with the guilt and in with the happy-tasty-delicious! This book will provide the tools needed for moms to feel more energetic and still look great in those skinny jeans!
· Get Naked with Raw Foods: Every bite of fresh, scrumptious, whole foods can increase vitality, energy and contribute to the health of the planet. Raw foods are easy to prepare and make your mouth sing. You’ll be asking the sales clerk, “May I get a smaller size, please?” in no time, when you get on the whole-food wagon.
· Tame your Cravings Dragon: If you’re yearning for sweets and processed baked goods, odds are your cravings dragon needs to be tamed. By consuming nutrient-dense whole grains, such as quinoa, whole-grain toast with sesame butter, and oatmeal, that dragon of yours will turn into a pussycat in no time.
· Hungry for More Lovin’?: In addition to the easy-to-follow steps outlined in Beth’s 10-part plan, there’s 21 days of lick-the-back-of-the-spoon, sample menu suggestions, complete with lifestyle recommendations and recipes including, Balsamic Broccoli Salad, Harvest Pumpkin and Black Bean Soup, Lime-Crusted Spiced Salmon, Cocoon Chicken and Apple Cobbler Du Barbi—and yes, you can have a piece of chocolate every day—Beth insists upon it! Find out why.
 
Beth  Aldrich, Certified Healthy Lifestyle Counselor and Nutrition Expert, engaging speaker, media personality and author of the book, Real Moms Love to Eat (New American Library-Penguin Books imprint, January,2012), delivers health, nutrition and environmental fundamentals through keynote addresses, lectures and as a media spokesperson. As an expert health and nutrition columnist for Diet.com, SocialMoms.com, Hotmomsclub.com and RealMomsLovetoEat.com, Beth shares her wisdom, experience and knowledge about all things eco and health. From food coaching, and living a balanced life to, the energetics of food and finding your passion, Beth delivers her message in a charismatic yet compassionate way.
 
She is the founder of For Her Information Media, LLC (FHI) established in 2003, with productions such as the PBS TV series, For Her Information (aired in Turkey, Israel and 60 cities, nationwide), the radio shows, A Balanced Life with Beth Aldrich, and Real Moms Love to Eat with Beth Aldrich, and the online magazine and newsletter, FHI Online. Her company's mission is to be a life guide for conscious-minded women. Beth is also the founder of Restoring Essence Nutrition, LLC and a Certified Holistic Health and Nutritional Counselor through the American Association of Drugless Practitioners (AADP). Beth received her education from Columbia University's Teachers College and The Institute for Integrative Nutrition in New York City.

http://www.realmomslovetoeat.com
 
S.P.E.E.D. which stands for Sleep, Psychology, Environment, Exercise, Diet, is the comprehensive approach based on the Bio-Psycho-Social Model. What all that really means is that this book digs deep into how to reduce your body-fat and finally debunking some of the common weight loss myths. Jeff and Matt cover why proper sleep is vital to weight loss, why your mindset matters the most, why exercise is overrated and much more.
 
 
 
Look and feel great deliciously...
Would you like your family to eat more wholesome foods and get more vitamins, micro-nutrients, fiber and minerals while avoiding processed sugar, gluten without taking supplements?  Wouldn’t it be nice to find an exciting and interesting way to eat more healthy?

If you answered yes to the above then my promise to you is that eating healthy snacks can be interesting, fun and easy. I present to you the “Peace Love and Snacks” healthy snack cookbook. And this not just about sneaking in a few vegetables into a cookie recipe – which actually is a great strategy. This goes a little deeper than that. 

All of the recipes are are gluten free and contain no processed sugar and no white flour. Sometimes honey is used as a sweetener, however, there is also a granola process that utilizes no honey at all – only fruit, oats and nuts and it has tested very well.

Imagine feeling great about what you have made, using wholesome ingredients. Time to take revenge against junk food and enjoy delicious easy to make snack food recipes. You will find some truly unique and new recipes that your family will enjoy.




a Rafflecopter giveaway

Sunday, April 8, 2012

Author interview with Imogen Rose

We are incredibly lucky to be joined by the totally talented Imogen Rose today. She's going to answer some questions for us, and give us a blurb from her book Portal.


1. How did you come up with the idea for your book Portal?

The initial idea came from a dream—Arizona waking up in the back seat of her mom’s car—
but the story then morphed, inspired by everything around me, including my mom’s passing
and the fantasy of being able to see her again.

2. You’ve lived quite a few places over the years, which one feels most like home to you?

London feels most like home. That’s where most of my closest friends live.

3. Tell us something most people would find surprising about you.

I am very, very naughty. Just ask my close friends

4. What kind of books do you read when you have time?

I used to love medical thrillers, but now I mostly read YA books.

5. Do you have a writing routine you follow?

No, routines sound like work, I write for fun.

6. What’s next for you?

I am writing the sequel to Initiation at the moment. Then, next up will be Fusion, the fifth
book in the Portal Chronicles.

Thanks again for stopping by today Imogen:) Here's a look at Portal.






Come Find Me Two Years Ago...

Six words that propelled ice hockey playing
tomboy, Arizona, into an alternate
dimension.
She suddenly found herself in the past. In
one moment she went from being an ice
hockey playing teenager in New Jersey to a
glamorous cheerleader in California. She
found herself transported from a happy life
with her dad, Dillard, to a new, strange one
living with her mother whom she hates.
Apparently it's a life she's always lived in.
Everyone knows her as Arizona Darley, but
she isn't. She is Arizona Stevens. As she struggles to find answers she is certain of
one thing- that her mother Olivia, a brilliant physicist, is somehow responsible...
PORTAL is the story of the repercussions of Olivia Darley's attempt at creating a
perfect world for herself and her children. Arizona's quest for answers threatens
to undermine the seemingly perfect world that her mother has so carefully
constructed.

PORTAL is the first book of the Portal Chronicles. Fans of time travel, romance,
and the supernatural will enjoy Arizona's quest for answers.



A little bit about the author.

Imogen Rose is the author of the bestselling YA
series, the Portal Chronicles. She was born in a small
town in Sweden and moved to London in her
twenties. After obtaining a PhD in immunology from
Imperial College, she moved with her family to
New Jersey, where she’s been based for the past ten
years.

For as long as she can remember, Imogen has dreamt
stories. Stories that continued from night to night,
from dream to dream. So, even as a child, going to bed was never an issue, just an
anticipation of the story to come.

PORTAL, Imogen’s first novel, would have remained in her imagination, to be
shared only with her daughter, Lauren, had her eight-year-old not insisted that she
write it down. In the course of a month, Imogen typed while Lauren waited eagerly
by the printer for the pages to appear, and a novel took shape.

The warm reception PORTAL received encouraged her to continue with the
story and the Portal Chronicles. The Bonfire Chronicles is Imogen’s new YA
paranormal series.

Imogen is a self-confessed Hermès addict who enjoys shopping, traveling,
watching movies and playing with her dog, Tallulah.

Purchase links:
Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0035RPGOK/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=enchantyourse-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B0035RPGOK
Smashwords: http://www.smashwords.com/books/view/12792?ref=fangtasticbooks

Thursday, April 5, 2012

Veronica Blade author interivew

We are joined today by author Veronica Blade. Thanks so much for stopping by:)


1. I love the idea for your book, how did you come up with it?
I’ve had a long-time love of all things Cinderella and an obsession with werewolves and vampires. It was only natural that the two should meet.
2. Tell us something most people don’t know about you?
 I’m pretty much a let-it-all-hang-out kinda girl, so not a lot of secrets there. But very few people know about a dating show I was on years and years ago. Three guys interviewed three girls on behalf of their friend
who sat behind a wall (only the audience could see the guy). I think I won his friends
over when I started talking about my motorcycle (which I’ve since sold).
3. Do you believe that love conquers all?
That concept definitely makes for better fiction! I do believe it happens for some people though. For others, no. Humans are weird. We have baggage and we don’t always behave rationally. We’re too good at screwing everything up or sometimes we’re too foolish to know a good thing when we see it (like
me in my youth!). Thankfully, we have romance novels and fairy tales to fill the void.
4. What can you absolutely not live without?
My laptop. Seriously, I would go bonkers if I couldn’t do something on my writing every single day. Yes, even Christmas.
5. How did you start your career as an author?
I’d always wanted to write a real novel, but it just never happened. I think when I began writing and illustrating children’s phonics books about five years ago, my creative juices went wild. Now I can’t stop.
6. Any advice for aspiring author’s?
1. Writing isn’t as easy as it looks. If you read a book where the story line makes sense and the sentences are smooth, I guarantee that the author put a ton of effort into it. 2. You need to know the essential elements to story-telling and the writing rules, so you know when to break them. 3. I think every newbie
author fantasizes that someone will fall madly in love with their masterpiece and the
author will be instantly rich. Sure, it happens to some people, but it’s very very rare. Be
prepared for the long haul. If you truly love story telling, it will be the ride of your life.
7. What’s next for you?
On St. Patrick’s day, another novella was released called FromFame to Shame. Here is the blurb:

When good-girl Maddie switches places with her famous bad-girl twin Jackie,
she has some pretty high stilettos to fill.

Despite the danger of tabloid drama if their identity swap is discovered,
Maddie has to save her sister's butt. When Jackie’s ex-boyfriend shows up
with a rekindled spark for “Jackie,” his deep gray eyes and sweet kisses
make Maddie's heart thumpety thump. But dating the guy who dumped
her sister is a no-no. Too bad Dallas isn’t used to girls saying no. What will
happen when he discovers Maddie’s deception?

Thanks so much for having me, Jessica!

You are so very welcome Veronica, this was such a fun interview. Below is the blurb and an excerpt from Veronica's book A Bite's Tale.



A Bite’s Tale: A Furry Fable
By Veronica Blade
A sweet romantic tale with a Cinderella spin featuring vampires, witches and werewolves

Blurb:
A Cinderella who spends her nights as a wolf. A prince with a taste for blood.
Seventeen year old Cydney struggles against her werewolf nature, trying to keep everyone around her safe. No way will she risk exposing the beast at the prince’s ball, no matter how her two cousins try to persuade her. Even as she attempts to get on with her life, Cydney can’t forget the boy she loved three summers ago — or what she did to him after losing control.
Turned into a vampire to save his life, the prince refuses to live up to his royal duties. He just wants to find the girl he loved and lost...the werewolf girl who bit him. But his father, the king, commands him to attend a ball where he must choose a wife. Can he find his Cinderella before he's forced to marry another? He doesn’t even have her real name, much less a glass slipper.

Excerpt:


If I’d known it could be like this and that she’d wanted it too, I would’ve kissed her ages ago. I
mentally kicked myself for wasting all those weeks when we could’ve been doing this the entire
time.

Her hand crept up under my shirt and her fingers trailed along my back. Goosebumps danced on
my skin. She pressed closer against me and I took the kiss deeper, letting loose my weeks of pent
up craving for her.

I didn’t think life could get any more perfect than being with Cindy. And I no longer yearned for
a normal life. I wanted things to stay exactly as they were at that moment. With my Cinderella.

Forever.

A soft moan erupted from my throat when she angled her face to take the kiss still deeper. I slid
my arms around her waist and the tips of my fingers inched up underneath her tank top.

She shivered.

But it wasn’t a usual shiver. Her whole body began to tremble and I nearly lost my hold on her. I
pulled back. Cindy’s eyes grew huge and her pupils dilated.

She threw her head back, her limbs vibrating as she growled. No, not a growl. It was more like a
dull roar, full of pain and anguish. Was she… was my Cindy about to turn into a werewolf? Or
was it something else? Maybe if I held her again, whatever was happening to her might stop. I
lunged for her.

“Get away from me!” Sobbing, she shoved me back, but in the process, one of her claws raked
across my chest.

I flinched, as blood beaded on my skin. A little scratch wasn’t going to stop me though. Not
when Cindy needed my help. I stepped forward again.

Her lips curled up, exposing long, growing teeth and she shrieked. Yeah, she’d hit werewolf
maturity all right. But she hadn’t completely morphed. Just her teeth and nails. Maybe if I
calmed her, she could prevent it from progressing. I wrapped my arms around her waist, as I’d
done just moments ago, and pulled her close.

She shrieked again, then searing pain shot through my arm.

Werewolf bite. Oh, crap. My dad was going to kill me… unless the werewolf virus beat him to it.

The forest spun around me and I couldn’t keep my eyelids up. My muscles went lax and when
the ground rose to slam against me, I didn’t feel a thing.



About the author:

Veronica Blade lives in Southern California with her husband and whichever of their kids — or someone else’s kid — decides to drop in. By day she runs the family business, but each night she slips away to spin her tales. She writes stories about young adults to relive her own childhood and to live vicariously through her characters. Except her heroes and heroines lead far more interesting lives — and they are always way hotter.

You can visit Veronica Blade on FaceBook, check out her website
at www.VeronicaBlade.com or follow her on Twitter @VeronicaBlade. She loves hearing from readers!

FaceBook: http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100000174247353
Twitter: @VeronicaBlade
Website: VeronicaBlade.com

Purchase links:
Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Bites-Tale-Furry-Fable-ebook/dp/B006U0DCO0/ref=sr_1_1?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1332964461&sr=1-1
B&N: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/a-bites-tale-veronica-blade/1037601624