All things books

Interview with Kristen James, author of The River People

2012-02-26T05:21:00.000-08:00

1. Did you always know you wanted to be a writer or was there
something else you wanted to do as a career?

I’ve always dreamed of being an author. My fourth grade teacher loved a short story I wrote, and after that I bought a typewriter and started writing novels. I began submitting to publishers in high school.

2. Is there one author that you have read every book that they have written?

I’ve read all of Kristin Hannah’s books and get the new ones as they come out.

3. In your opinion what is the best movie adaptation of a book that you'veread?

I like movie adaptions, but they just can’t fit a book into a movie! The Help seemed very close to the book. Water for Elephants was a good movie but it seemed like it had to rush the story. I really liked the Twilight movies until the last one with Bella’s wedding – I know it was Part 1, but it just wasn’t a full movie to me. I think one of my favorite all time movies, The Swiss Family Robinson, is also a book but I haven’t read it. I almost don’t want to ruin the movie!

4. When you are browsing book stores what is the first section you go to?

I love looking in women’s fiction/romance, but I actually like to walk through the entire store and check out book covers. I like looking through books even if it’s not a kind I would actually read.

5. If your book was being made into a movie do you already have actors
in mind for each role? What bands/singers would you put on the
soundtrack?

This is a bit tricky to answer…I have a few connections working on the media end of a story, and I got to put an actor’s face to a character.It was amazing! That added a whole new layer to the character and story.Hopefully I’ll be able to announce more this year.

6.. When you're creating characters do you incorporate traits from
people you know?

It’s hard to say. Each character feels real to me, with a very strong personality, likes and dislikes, and story of their own. I think they come out of my experience through my own life, my relationships and my experience of the world, so there are probably some elements that came from a real person. I don’t have any characters that seem like anyone I know, and I think that might make it harder on me as a writer. I would be thinking, “What would so-and-so really do?” In some ways, my characters are the way I’d like people to be. Even with their flaws, they want to make the world a better place.

7. If you had the chance to have a sit down with any author alive or
deceased who would it be and why?

Hmmm, where to start?! I’d love the opportunity to chat withany successful author about how they got started, their career, how they write,what keeps them going, and things they’ve learned about writing. I love to read author interviews and their blogs, guest posts and articles. Many authors are very open at their signings, too. They’ll answer your questions about writing and their books. I would want to chat with all my favorite authors and any big career author like Steven King, Nora Roberts, Kristin Hannah, Christina Dodd, Nicholas Sparks and Amanda Hocking.

Kristen James
www.writerkristenjames.com
www.facebook.com/WriterKristenJames
www.acowboyforchristmas.com
Twitter: writerkristenj

Interview with Tracey O'Hara, author of The Dark Brethren series

2012-02-25T05:11:00.000-08:00

1. Did you always know you wanted to be a writer or was there something else you wanted to do as a career?

Actually I never had any inclination to be a writer until 2004 when I discovered my passion for writing. I was researching my family history and wanted to write about it. However I started getting ideas for fictional stories and started to write my first book.

I am actually an Analyst programmer by day and have always been a logical thinking and more a maths and science geek that literary. That said I have been a reader forever.

2. Is there one author that you have read every book that they have written?

I would have said yes – a few years ago. I used to read everything written by Raymond E Feist, Stephen King, Anne McCaffry up until a few years ago. But when I published got so busy I have not had a chance to keep up with later books. I am very eclectic in my reading and I have a lot of favourite authors but not one that I could say I have read every single book.

3. In you opinion what is the best movie adaptation of a book that you've read?

Well – it’s not a movie – but I would have to say the HBO TV series adaption of the The Game of Thrones by George R.R. Martin would have to be one of my favourites. The casting of the characters was perfect, and loved the world they brought to life. I don’t think I had one disappointment except for maybe Jaime Lanister, but only in looks – I think he captures the character superbly.

I also enjoyed the movie adaption of To Kill a Mocking Bird – that could be because I saw the movie before I read the book. But in all things – I much prefer the books to the adaptations.

4. When you are browsing book stores what is the first section you go to?

The paranormal section – of course. I love looking at the titles and to see what has come out. Seeing books in real life is a lot different to seeing cover art in the internet. But I tend to read more eBooks or listen to audiobooks these days because I find them more convenient, especially ebooks as I can listen to them when I am driving and doing other things. I don’t usually read in my genre when I am working on a story.

5. If your book was being made into a movie do you already have actors in mind for each role? What bands/singers would you put on the soundtrack?

I have no actors in mind at all. The characters are so strong in my head that it would be difficult seeing anyone playing those parts. I guess every writer dreams of seeing their stories coming alive on the screen – big or small – but it is hard to image who could play the parts. As for the soundtrack – well – I am a metal head and would want a heavy thumping soundtrack for sure.

6. When you're creating characters do you incorporate traits from people you know?

Yes and no – I have created a few characters from people I know because they wanted to be written into the story. So if I could make it work – then I would put in characters based on people I know. But most of my characters are ones from my imagination so any similarities are purely coincidental.

7. If you had the chance to have a sit down with any author alive or deceased who would it be and why?

Okay – my favourite author is George R.R. Martin who writes the Song of Ice and Fire fantasy series. I was fortunate enough to meet and speak with George (albeit briefly) in 2010. I definitely got my fan girl on. I am just in total awe of his story telling, his characterisation, and his ability to totally pull me into his books. I love the fact that I can’t see what is coming and yet enjoy trying to figure what might happen next. I would love to sit down with him again and talk about the series – but would probably be a totally tongue tied geek-girl again.

Interview with C.J. Archer, author of The Witchblade Chronicles

2012-02-24T06:02:00.000-08:00

1. Did you always know you wanted to be a writer or was there something else you wanted to do as a career?

Apart from a brief time when I wanted to be a marine biologist and a princess, I always wanted to write.

2. Is there one author that you have read every book that they have written?

Harper Lee only wrote one book, so I'd say yes. Oh, and I've read all of Jane Austen's too. I've also read all the historical books written by Dorothy Dunnett but not her contemporary mysteries so I guess she doesn't count.

3. In you opinion what is the best movie adaptation of a book that you've read?

I'll say Harper Lee again for this one. To Kill A Mockingbird was a fantastic adaptation. On the Jane Austen side, the Keira Knightly version of Pride And Prejudice was a travesty but the Colin Firth version was fabulous and very true to the book.

4. When you are browsing book stores what is the first section you go to?

Historical.

5. If your book was being made into a movie do you already have actors in mind for each role?

I've always seen Cate Blanchett as Alice Croft, the heroine in my upcoming release from Montlake Romance titled SCANDAL'S MISTRESS. She's striking but not always obviously beautiful at first glance but there's definitely something about her.

6. When you're creating characters do you incorporate traits from people you know?

I take traits from myself and others and heighten them. I make them bigger, more important and integral to the story. For example, in HER SECRET DESIRE, Min is willing to take chances to make her dream of writing for an audience come true. In her case, the audience members are Elizabethan theatre-goers and in my case it's readers.

7. If you had the chance to have a sit down with any author alive or deceased who would it be and why?

William Shakespeare. Since I use him as secondary character in some of my novels, I want to know what he was really like. And did he write all those plays or did someone else? What did he get up to in those "lost years" where historians can't account for his movements? The man is an enigma.

8. What are 10 random facts about yourself?

1. I live in Australia.

2. I own a cat called Coco.

3. I hate to cook but love to eat.

4. I was brought up in a uranium mining town.

5. I won RWAustralia's Emerald Award in 2008 for the book that I self-published under the title HONOR BOUND.

6. When I started self-publishing in January 2011, the only person who knew for months was my husband.

7. I think chocolate should be eaten every day.

8. I got high distinctions for calculus and statistics at university.

9. I love all things British.

10. I can't face the day without a coffee.

Review of Return of the Runaway Bride by Donna Fasano

2012-02-23T04:07:00.000-08:00

Return of the Runaway Bride by Donna Fasano

Return of the Sweet Romance! It was a breath of fresh air to read this nice traditional romance with fun, likeable characters. Though Savanna is about to marry the man of her dreams, it’s all too much too soon. So, she does the only thing she can think of in the moment and bolts from her wedding, her groom and the town she grew up in. Daniel is left to deal with things, including his broken heart which has now turned to stone. When Savanna returns six years later for a bit of closure and some home sweet home memories, the two go through ever fluctuating emotions. What I liked the most about this book was that I did feel like I was right there in Fulton surrounded by the colorful residents. I’ll definitely try another book from this author.
Available on:
Amazon US http://ow.ly/9exp5
Amazon UK http://ow.ly/9exrz

Lia Fairchild is a writer and the author of the novel, In Search of Lucy, and the new mystery series, A Hint of Murder. Look for more on her at http://www.liafairchild.com/ or http://www.ahintofmurder.blogspot.com

WIN KRISTAL MCKERRINGTON'S BACKLIST.

2012-02-21T04:39:00.000-08:00

ON Amazon Now!

Hello All Things Books Readers,

Today I have a CONTEST that will knock your socks off. You can win the whole of my backlist if you comment on the blog. With the run up to the Print versions of my books coming out soon. I have decided to go nuts with this contest. Who said I don't love you more than anything else in the world?

Out Now On Amazon

So from my first release, which was my 'The Highlander With The Ink', The Tattoo Anthology right through to my last book 'A Different Life and Marie's Tales: I Just Want To Be Loved'.

Out On Amazon Now

SO loads for you to enjoy, Erotica to Young Adult I have tried my hand at nearly all of them.

To also help celebrating the progress of the Print books that are coming here is an exclusive snippet from the book that no one has seen outside of the publishing company. The snippet is from A Different Life: My Sacrifice and we have a page from Marie's Tales: Taming A Player. So loads of great stuff from me to you today.

Enjoy and remember to comment, with your email in the bottom of the comment.

OUT NOW

SNIPPET From A Different Life: My Sacrifice

Will picked up Edward, Karl and Shane from Shane's house. Shane had picked up Edward from the airport before swinging around to meet Karl, who had been at the gym down the road. None of them knew the hospital that Layla been taken to other then Will so they had to sit and wait for him to pick them up. For Will though, when he got out of his house fear had taunted him and now them, while they sat restlessly in Will's car. He took the free way deciding it would be too painful to see the wreckage of the car. Edward now made the call to Cameron from his seat at the back of the car.

Out Now!

Everything was running at a hundred miles per hour and it was driving Will crazy. Elaine had up and left him for good last night. He had taken everything that had been in his ability to change and Will was going to make the sacrifices that he believed that it would take to make things work with the girl of his dreams. He knew it hadn't even been a few years that he had believed that Elaine was his dream girl, but however Will knew for certain that Layla was the girl for him.

Today he had put on the Cowboy hat that he had won at the fair that he and Layla had stumbled onto when they had been on the road. He was wearing the cowboy boots that he had bought when they had been in Huston,Texas when she had asked him to show her the cowboy that she believed was in all Carolina men. Will had even put on the Levis that Layla bought him when they had been to her first Levi store. Even his t-shirt with her saying printed on it was underneath the checked shirts that they had bought when she had needed yard gear and he had started to learn to ride. Everything was an attachment to her and now Will felt like she was being ripped from his chest by the one man he had forgotten to thank for her. God.

OUT NOW

Closing his hand around the Cross on the thread made bracelet helped keep Will driving, while he let Layla's favourite Country song play in the background by 'Tim McGraw's Real Good Man'. It was a song that both Marie and Layla would sing along to when they danced around the room. Flashbacks of Layla dancing around in her small red shorts and black sports bra with her trainers on with her red military hat pulled down low on her forehead. She had pulled Will out of the sofa as they waited for Edward and she had even gotten Karl up as they danced and sang around the room.

COMING VERY SOON!

That flashback brought tears to Will's eyes at the thought he wasn't going to see her dance or sing around the room with them. He couldn't believe that she might be gone. It had been Layla, who had said the very line out of Tim's song in reference to him. Just when Will had turned everything around and made his life all about her and now it was looking like she wasn't going to be apart of it. How was he going to cope? Was one of several questions running through his head.

Finally a SNIPPET from Marie's Tales: Taming A Player.

The pain I knew that Layla would have gone through to have said that and for him to let her go was something that made me want to reach out to him. I let him cry it out on my shoulder without a word, while he cried out the one word ever so often. A word that was really a question and a question that no matter how much I wrecked my head I couldn't answer.

'Why?' It was the one question I felt that I should have the answer to and when I didn't have the answer I wanted to scream. I kept thinking that God was going to give me that answer, but only when he was good and ready. That was the one thing about him was that he did things that we didn't always understand, yet there was always a reason.

“Marie?” Edward asked entering the room and I glanced up at another man, who I knew would have the final piece of the puzzle. Another man I knew was keeping secrets from me. That was Edward's right since Layla was his girlfriend and I was just her sister. Moving away from Will I picked up my phone and retook my seat on the sofa's that were in the family room that had been more like home to us than home had been.

OUT NOW!!!

“Edward.” He came into the room where he took a seat on the sofa next to me and Will took a seat in the armchair where he wiped at his eyes again. I knew that all the wrecking my head and checking through Layla's stuff was going to end since I had a feeling that Edward was about to give me the final pieces of the puzzle.

“Everything that Will said was right. Before any of you got to her office I found her letters. She was planning on leaving America to make her life in Scotland. She never cancelled Fedlar's transport. I did. I found out on the way back home that she was leaving. I had even cancelled her tickets that day after my best friend had let it slip that she was leaving. I was going to walk into her in the airport and plead with her to stay. The drunk driver hit her before I had a chance to ask her to marry me. “ That sent silence through the room and I watched shock set into Will's face as he moved forward on his chair about to speak. I knew that I was going to have keep this going ok all by myself. It was then that I felt myself wishing that Craig would come back.

“I know all of that bare the marriage part. You see I found the letters you had tried to stash in her office. “ Going into my bag I lifted out Will's and handed it to him. I watched his eyes open when he lifted it out of the all ready torn open envelope. Inside I had all ready seen that Layla had told him that she was doing this, because she believe that he deserved better than her. That he didn't deserve a girl who would also fall in love with his brother. “Why was she leaving America?”

My question brought tears to Edward's eyes as he scratched his temple. He coughed hard and it was then that he was shifting the emotional frog that had caught itself up within his throat. Taking his time he made eye contact with me again and it was then that the words spluttered out.

“Cause she couldn't watch Will be with anyone else anymore. She thought that if she was with your dad and with me that she would forget all about Will.” The second that Edward's words were out cause Will to raise sharply to his feet. When he raise to his feet I raised too and so did Edward. I saw a whole new type of pain appear within Will's eyes and the betray was clear to see. “I'm sorry, I wanted her to myself.”

“You were just going to take her away from me?” Will spluttered out and he lunged across the room just when Kathy entered the room, but it was too late. I was sent flying where I hit my head and eye on the corner of the sofa. Pain burst through my face and I raised my hands up to my face. I tried to hold in the scream of pain. All my emotions burst through me when Kathy ran pushed the pair apart where she saw me laying on the ground.

“Marie!” Kathy screamed when she made her way towards me and Craig came back in at the same time. He saw me laying on the ground with my hands covering my face and it was then that Will shot out past him. Edward took off after Will and Craig rushed to me, setting the coffee's down onto the coffee table.

Helping me back up into the sofa, Craig took my hands away from my face that I could all ready feel swelling up. It was then that an out burst from Craig made me jump out of instinct now rather than choice. I hadn't been hurt in a long time and the last time I had been hurt it was by my ex who had been violent. He was the guy who had put me together after Robert. A man I would rather forget.

I hope that you had a great time with me today. I can't wait to read your comments. I hope that you enjoyed the blog. I will be back next week more exciting stuff for you all. We are well on the road to PRINT and we are going to have some fun with it.

Take care and remember, books are for life, not just for a weekend affair!

Kristal McKerrington

The Vampire Shrink: Kismet Knight, Vampire Psychologist by Lynda Hilburn

2012-02-19T09:28:00.000-08:00

Title: Kismet Knight Vampire Psycologist

The Vampire Shrink

Author: Lynda Hilburn

Genre: Paranormal Romance

Star Rating: 5 Stars

Synopsis:

Kismet Knight is a young psychologist with a growing clinical practice, and she's always looking for something to give her the edge in her chosen career.

When her new client turns out to be a Goth teenager who desperately wants to become a vampire, Kismet is inspired to become the vampire shrink, offering her services to people who believe they are undead. Kismet herself, as a scientist, knows it's hokum, but she's looking at it in a purely psychoanalytic light, already imagining the papers she's going to write on this strange subculture.

That's until she meets the leader of a vampire coven, a sexy, mysterious man who claims to be a powerful 800-year-old vampire, and she is pulled into a whirlwind of inexplicable events that start her questioning everything she once believed about the paranormal.

Review:

The Vampire Shrink was a great read, it really captured my imagination, When I began to read, it was like I was being sucked into the book,if you pardon the pun, I WAS Kismet!
I loved the way her thoughts were written into the book as well as what she actually said.
She had a great sense of humour considering her past.
I was disappointed that the book wasn't longer and more in depth in the end scenario although I know there is a second book so it can still progress now we know all about Kismet it leaves a lot of room for other things in the new book.
With action, romance, sex, fantasy, paranormal it made for a brilliant book and I really can't wait for the release of the next book Blood Therapy

The Vampire Shrink is available at Amazon.com, Amazon.co.uk and all good book stores

Interview with Andrew Smith, author of Stick and The Marbury Lens

2012-02-18T12:15:00.000-08:00

1. Did you always know you wanted to be a writer or was there
something else you wanted to do as a career?

I always knew I would write things down throughout my life. I do not think I ever considered the "being" a writer part of the equation, because I do not think I like "being" a writer, and I'm not very good at it, besides. My first paid jobs were writing jobs -- for newspapers and radio stations. I did not like that, either. The writing I have done has always been (and will always be) self-driven. If someone wants to pay me for it, so be it.

2. Is there one author that you have read every book that they have written?

Yes. A math professor in college. He wrote one textbook and then he died. I read the book and managed to survive.

3. In you opinion what is the best movie adaptation of a book that you've read?

Oh good God. Movies are movies and books are books. I sit through so few movies that it would be unfair for me to even attempt to answer that question. Movies almost never capture my attention for more than a few minutes. Movies are books with lobotomies.

4. When you are browsing book stores what is the first section you go to?

You're making that up. Bookstores? Where?
If I go to a bookstore and they have a "staff picks" shelf, I'll check that out. It's a good way to see if the people working there know anything about books, or if they're just collecting paychecks while waiting for their big break in movies.

5. If your book was being made into a movie do you already have actors
in mind for each role?

My third novel, The Marbury Lens, has been optioned for film. I told the producers that if they wanted to have magical unicorns that crap cupcakes in it, that was fine with me. After all, they're paying me for the right to make my novel into a movie.
I write books. I could be trapped naked in a phone booth next to the biggest Hollywood celebrities and I wouldn't even begin to know who they were. Seriously. I don't think I can name five actors.

What bands/singers would you put on the soundtrack?

All of my books have strong connections to music. If The Marbury Lens had a particular soundtrack, I think the band The Books would make an awesome and creepy soundtrack for it. The most recent book I wrote (which will be coming out in 2013 and I am not allowed to tell details about quite yet) mentions the following bands: The Felice Brothers, Modest Mouse, Bright Eyes, Wolf Parade, Titus Andronicus, and Pink Floyd. And the book is all about two specific Rolling Stones albums.
That book has a rockin' soundtrack, I think.

6.. When you're creating characters do you incorporate traits from people you know?

Of course I do. Everything I write has some connection in reality. I can't possibly write about selfishness, jealousy, love, innocence, or any other human characteristic unless I've seen it in reality. This is probably what's wrong with the vast heaping piles of uninspiring, boring nonsense that gets published these days: Authors with no real human life experiences, who sit in front of television screens all day watching shitty movies.

7. If you had the chance to have a sit down with any author alive or deceased who would it be and why?

I'm afraid of just about every author I have ever met. I can't imagine the dead ones would be any less intimidating. I suppose if I were drunk enough, I would get a kick out of spending some time with Kurt Vonnegut, who, I think, is probably the greatest American author. There are a few living authors that I really enjoy talking to. A.S. King probably gives the best conversation of anyone I know, and I am not afraid of her. Michael Grant gives great conversation, but he scares the shit out of me.

8. What are 10 random facts about yourself?

How "random" do you want?
1. I am wearing blue underwear.
2. I ran seven miles this morning.
3. I prefer vegetables to desserts.
4. I once got lost at sea on a windsurfer and was rescued by nudists.
5. Keeping with that theme, when I was a teenager I went crayfish hunting naked in a lake in Sweden in the middle of the night with three friends so we could have a traditional Swedish crayfish party and get drunk.
6. I know exactly how cold lakes in Sweden are.
7. I have lots of tattoos. Three of them have something to do with books I have written. I plan on getting more.
8. Besides writing, I also sculpt.
9. I am a good cook.
10. I do not watch television at all.
Cheers!
Andrew
Andrew Smith
http://ghostmedicine.blogspot.com

Interview with Ashlynne Laynne, author of The Progeny and an excerpt.

2012-02-18T06:16:00.000-08:00

1. Did you always know you wanted to be a writer or was there

something else you wanted to do as a career?

Ashlynne: Yes. I think the fire to write sparked in me when I placed third in an oratorical contest when I was eight. I’ve always been inclined to write poetry and have since I was a teenager. I write poetry under another pseudonym. The epilogues of The Progeny, and its sequel, are my original poetry. I don’t think I thought of writing being a way to make a living, when I was younger. It started as a type of therapy for me to get whatever I was feeling out. I never really thought myself patient enough to write a novel. I got serious about writing in October of 2010 and I never looked back.

2. Is there one author that you have read every book that they have written?

Ashlynne: I’ve read quite a bit of Stephen King but not everything he’s ever written. I really love him.

3. In your opinion what is the best movie adaptation of a book that you've read?

Ashlynne: Without a doubt, The Shining. That was some spooky stuff to read and what Stanley Kubrick, as the director, and Jack Nicholson, as an actor, did with it on the big screen was amazing. No matter how many times I watch it, I still get the chills.

4. When you are browsing book stores what is the first section you go to?

Ashlynne: romance particularly the paranormal section

5. If your book was being made into a movie do you already have actors

in mind for each role? What bands/singers would you put on the

soundtrack?

Ashlynne: I wrote The Progeny knowing that Ascher would resemble one of my favorite young actors, Thomas Dekker, so I always knew he’d be the one if it ever got a movie option. As for Shauna, I never had a clear view of who’d play her until my very talented artist, Faleasha, suggested Zoe Kravitz as a Shauna reference, for the beautiful cover she created for me. As for the soundtrack, Paramore, Evanescence, Rob Zombie and White Zombie, Muse, Maroon 5, John Mayer, Lady Gaga, Rihanna, One Republic and Adele are among my favorite artists and it would be unbelievable to have them on a soundtrack for The Progeny.

6. When you're creating characters do you incorporate traits from

people you know?

Ashlynne: Shauna is a lot like me. She’s afraid of heights, loves the color pink and has a stubborn streak that clearly mirrors my own.

7. If you had the chance to have a sit down with any author alive or

deceased who would it be and why?

Ashlynne: It would have to be Kresley Cole. I read a lot of her stuff, too. I love the way she blends the dark and paranormal while weaving in romance and erotic story lines. Her books keep you interested from the beginning to the end. She’s quite a master at her craft.

The Progeny by Ashlynne Laynne (Book One of The Progeny Series)

Publisher: Novel Concept Publishing

Release Date: February 15, 2012

The Progeny Blurb

“No fate other than the one I choose.” The timeless creed, and tattoo, bore by the Rousseau’s— a vampire clan with the purest bloodline of any vampire family. Out of this clandestine group came one who was different, yet the same: Ascher - a half-bloodling— half- human, half vampire.

Ascher questions the purpose for his existence and which world he truly belongs to: the human world or the vampire world. Two months from sealing to Ursula— a prearranged union to a woman he abhors — he’s at his wit’s end. He knows if he calls off the sealing, the Romanian clan will strike with deadly force, but he cannot see eternity with a cold empty shell of a woman like Ursula.

Just when he thought life was complicated enough, he meets Shauna— a beautiful, bi-racial human Wiccan — and immediately develops an unshakable attraction to her. She makes him feel alive and vital despite his origins and Ascher makes a decision that turns his immortal world upside down.

About Ashlynne:

Ashlynne Laynne has always had a soft spot in her heart for vampires but grew tired of the garlic fearing, sun loathing creatures of old. An avid horror movie fan, she tends to enjoy media and music that is of a younger, more eclectic nature. This was the catalyst for her writing The Progeny. The vampire/witch pairing is unique and different when most books pair vampires with werewolves.

The infinite possibilities, for such a wickedly unique couple, intrigued her. There is no shortage of romance, steam and surprises in The Progeny. These books are for adults and contain adult sensuality and themes, but minimal profanity. She loves writing on the edge and teetering between the erotica and romance genres. She thinks of Ascher and Shauna as the damned version of Romeo and Juliet.

She’s currently working on book two of the series entitled Blood Bonds. In her spare time, Ashlynne enjoys cooking, reading and spending time with her family. Ashlynne juggles the hats of wife, mother, full time employee and part-time writer, hoping to write full time one day soon.

Ashlynne lives in North Carolina with her husband and teenage son.

About The Progeny

At its core, The Progeny is simply a story about a man and woman who fall in love, and the fact that he’s a half-blood (half-human, half vampire) and she’s a Wiccan human are secondary factors. It started as research about the Salem witch trials, some rough sketches of a special family heirloom that my guys would wear and two names—Ascher and Shauna. In the beginning, of the book, Ascher is grumpy. Frankly, who could blame him? He’s engaged to seal to Ursula—a cold and careless vampire who wants nothing more than to get her hands on a bloodstone— and he feels conflicted about his existence. All of that changes when he meets Shawnette McCutchin. She’s beautiful, intriguing and possesses some of the most potent blood that he’s ever smelled. A war immediately begins inside Ascher. He craves Shauna’s blood just as much as he craves her body and the closer they get, the harder it is for him to control his urges. After Ascher calls off the sealing to Ursula, the trouble begins. His family’s peaceful period ends when Ursula’s army attacks the Rousseaus. Kidnapping, some steamy love scenes between our hero and heroine and Wiccan rage complete the plot.

Excerpt from The Progeny

Ascher pulled Shauna behind him, his stance clearly a protective one. But why-? Surely, she didn’t need protection from her. His grip tightened around her arm, his knuckles straining with tension. Her mind finally registered his firm hold and sent messages to her heart and eyes.

She wiggled away from him. “Let go of me, Ash! What’s wrong with you? Who is she?”

“I’m fine and she’s nobody. Ursula was just leaving.” He spoke with little conviction.

“The hell I am…” the stranger mumbled, an unsavory smirk turning up the corners of her mouth. “Tell her, Ascher. Tell her who I really am!”

“Yeah, Ascher,” Shauna spoke in a mocking tone, her eyes becoming pieces of wet coal in narrow sockets. “Why don’t you tell me the truth…who is she?”

He froze, his youthful face chiseled with a mixture of shock, horror and anger. “There’s something you need to know.”

“Spit it out, Ascher. Tell her! Or I will!” Ursula growled, her hands flicking the shades away from her face.

Terror, worse than any horror movie Shauna had ever seen. More ghastly than any monster a mind could conjure.

Shauna clutched her chest, stepping away from both of them. “Her eyes!” she screamed. “Ascher…what’s wrong with her eyes?”

The stranger giggled and continued piercing her demonized stare into Shauna.

Ascher struggled to control his mounting anger. He clutched Shauna closer. “Do you trust me?”

The floor vibrated underneath their feet. Shauna’s eyes became cold, the glare of distrust swimming in them.

“No. I don’t! Why are you so nervous?”

“You left Katy alone. You should go back up with her. I’ll be up there in a little while. Okay?”

“No. I want to know who she is. Right now, Ascher! Who…is…she?”

“Please, Shauna,”— he huffed with impatience— “just do it.”

“For cryin’ out loud…” Ursula groaned.

“I warned you, Ursula,” he growled, every part of him aching to rip her to shreds. She had nerve. Were he not a gentleman, he’d finish her and be done with it.

“You don’t warn me. Looks like you’ve been keeping a lot from her. Afraid she might not want you if she knows the real you?”

His lips strained against clenched teeth, begging to curl up and release a menacing snarl. Control— He had to stay in control. Push the anger back down. Stem the raging desire to lash out at Ursula.

Her red eyes narrowed, the smirk taunting him, daring him to expose himself. He was strong in his gifts, but rage made her stronger. Her mind turned, fighting off the subliminals he hurled at her.

She cackled, “That won’t work, dearest. It’s time she knows everything.”

“Dearest?” Shauna questioned, her tiny fists balling.

Ascher reached for Shauna but she moved away from him.

“Don’t touch me!”

“Ursula, doing this won’t change things between us,” he uttered, knowing she’d never listen to reason.

“No! She deserves to know the truth, Ascher,” Ursula responded.

“Ursula, please—” He couldn’t believe he was begging her for anything.

Ignoring his pleading, she continued, “My name is Ursula. Ascher and I are to seal in two days.”

Shauna drew in a staggered breath. “Seal— as in marriage?”

Ascher sighed.

“Is this true?” Shauna demanded.

His head dropped in shame. “Yes, but…”

“So she is your fiancée? And let me guess, she’s the first.”

“Shauna, I can explain.”

Shauna clutched her head with both hands screaming, “No!” The window, behind her, cracked. She ran towards the door, fresh tears flooding her face. Ascher grabbed at her, missing. “No!” she shouted again. The ceiling rumbled, water raining down from the sprinklers. “Move!” she shouted, pointing towards the door. It flew open, nearly ripping off its hinges. Ascher appeared in front of her. She scowled then pushed him back. “Go away!” she yelled then watched as an unseen force moved him from her path. She turned, backing away from both of them, her eyes fixated on the two. Her finger twirled then pointed at each of them. “Stay!”

“I hope you’re happy now,” he growled at Ursula then sprinted after Shauna, catching her before she hit the stairs. He clutched her, turning her to him. Distress blanketed her face. “Shauna please, just let me explain.”

A strange burn started in her legs. What’s happening to me? She’d had rage issues all her life but never anything like this. Her normally clear eyesight was now blurry and grey. The hall—she’d seen for three months and knew like the back of her hand—became an unfamiliar maze, veiled by her fuzzy vision.

She took a step, stumbled then regained her balance against the wall.

“I told you how important honesty was to me and you’ve been keeping this from me the whole time. You told me she was nobody… that it was only physical curiosity. It doesn’t look that way to me. She talks like she owns you. You told me it was over between the two of you. How were you going to cover up getting married to someone else?”

“I wasn’t, just listen to me...”

She shook her head. “I’ve listened enough. I can’t trust you. Without trust, we have nothing. All you’ve done is feed me lies. You’re a liar! I despise liars! I can’t believe I was going to sleep with you—allow you to be my first.” She gripped her stomach and doubled over. “I’m going to be sick…”

He reached for her, again.

“Don’t touch me!” Every ounce of restraint left her body. Chaos now flooded her brain. She wanted to lash out. No, she needed to lash out.

“Shauna. Just let me take you home. I promise I’ll explain things to you.”

“What part of, ‘I don’t want to hear your lies’— don’t you understand?” she seethed through clenched teeth, her anger blazing directly into him. “Back…!” she barked, pushing her hands away from her body, towards him. He flew back against the wall. “I don’t want to hear it! Don’t touch me, Ascher,” she sobbed into her hands, “I hate you. I wish I’d never met you!”

“Shauna…?” he whispered, pain and disbelief creasing his face.

“Just leave me alone. I never want to see you again.”

“Shauna you don’t….”

“Oh yes I do— I mean it and I quit! I can’t work here anymore.”

She ran out the emergency exit, setting off the door alarm, sprinting—into the night.

Ashlynne appreciates and loves to hear from her readers. Contact her:

Twitter: @qlane

Facebook: Book Page- http://www.facebook.com/pages/The-Progeny-Series-by-author- Ashlynne-Laynne/129418917161599

Author Page- http://www.facebook.com/pages/Author-Ashlynne-Laynne/118945981513261

Author Blog: http://authoraslane.blogspot.com/

Email: ashlynnelaynne@aol.com

Interview with Gregory Marshall Smith, author of Hunters

2012-02-17T06:20:00.000-08:00

1. Did you always know you wanted to be a writer or was there something else you wanted to do as a career?

             I think I ran the gamut of cop, firefighter, doctor et al, but I got the writing bug early in my childhood (partly from watching TV, partly from reading Newbery Medal books and partly from my mom telling me to put up or shut up).


2. Is there one author that you have read every book that they have written?

             Amazingly, I have to say no. The closest would probably be David Weber. I've read all of his books in the Honor Harrington series (with the next volume due March 6), but the man is a      prolific writer with several series and several collaborations.


3. In your opinion what is the best movie adaptation of a book that you've read?

             Lord of the Rings trilogy. Yes, I know Peter Jackson took some liberties with the book but Ian McKellen was on hand to keep everyone mostly honest. I also have to acknowledge Frankenstein: The True Story, a made-for-TV movie that was very faithful to Mary Shelley's work. Honorable mention should go to Donovan's Brain, which heeds very close to Curt Siodmak's book.
             And I hope that, one day, someone corrects Paul Verhoeven's bastardization of Robert Heinlein's classic Starship Troopers.


4. When you are browsing book stores what is the first section you go to?


             Science fiction, of course, but, lately, I've been looking for older titles, specifically Cyborg by Martin Caidin. Cyborg was the inspiration for The Six Million Dollar Man. Next, I hit the discount book section, then the magazine section. Finally (and discreetly), I check the store's computer to see if my novel Hunters is in stock.

5. If your book was being made into a movie do you already have actors in mind for each role? What bands/singers would you put on the soundtrack?

             I'd better handle each of those questions separately. And I'll probably answer the next question, at least partially. I often incorporate actors and actresses into my characters. It makes it easier to visualize them in my head. Fear not. I use celebs who will fit the character and not just be eye candy for the hero. Now, if a character happens to emulate Angela Bassett or Michelle Rodriguez or Jody Leigh Miller or Lucy Liu, well, so be it. So, for my movie adaption of Hunters, I envision the following cast:
      Jesus Montoya..........A Martinez
      Dolores Montoya.......Elizabeth Pena
      Louis Riordan............Tcheky Karyo
      Lin Tang....................Zhang Ziyi
      Det. Hernandez.........Alanna Ubach
      Travis Pratt...............Triple H
      Jessie Coombs.........Jody Leigh Miller
      Angelica Morales.......Karina Nascimento
      Marcus Van Niekirk...Sharlto Copley
      Ian Henderson...........David Wenham
      Tesino Giancarlo........Ray Liotta
      Jewel Waterston........Vickie Gates
      Edge Ringgold...........John Glover
      Tsukiko Matsutaka.....Aya Ueno
      Cantrell Ryker............??????? (see question 6)
      As for the bands or singers on the soundtrack, I'd borrow "Thirsty" by Black Keith and ODB from Blade and also "Follow Me" by Demis Roussos from Ghost in the Shell: Innocence. I would want Blind Willie Johnson's "Dark Was the Night (Cold Was the Ground)" and "Lay Me Down Low" from The Relatives. Finally, I'd like to use "Innerverse" by Vitek from the soundtrack for Ghost in the Shell: 1st Gig, along with a ballad from Jana Mashonee and Carrie Moore Marshall. I'll let the producers audition groups for the rest or just leave it in the hands of Kenji Kawai.


6. When you're creating characters do you incorporate traits from people you know?

             Yes, I do, but I make it subtle in case it all goes wrong. Now, believe it or not, there's an inside joke where when I say I sometimes put a bit of myself into my characters, my fellow      writers fall down and roll around on the floor laughing their backsides off. So, maybe I put a lot of myself into my characters.This is why I'd have a complete newcomer play Cantrell Ryker or      Devereaux Marshall Fox (from Land of the Blind) or Pegram Kimble (from Slow Boat to China). I'd be too old to play those characters effectively. It would be better for producers to check out the Jubilee Theater or other black stage companies for a veteran actor whose face is not known on screen.

7. If you had the chance to have a sit down with any author alive or deceased who would it be            and why?

           It would be the Schuylers -- George and his daughter Philippa    Duke. I never knew of him until a few years ago. Also, Philippa was killed in a helicopter crash while helping rescue orphans in Vietnam May 9, 1967, two weeks after I was born. She was a child prodigy who    wowed the world with her piano and music composing skills. Later, she was a well-known journalist. Her father, George, was a black journalism pioneer.
          I can only imagine all the journalism and writing skills I could have learned from those two.

Guest post by Jamie Sue Wilsoncroft, author of Remembering Zane

2012-02-16T08:56:00.000-08:00

My name is Jamie Sue Wilsoncroft. I live in Pennsylvania with my husband, two children and 3 yappy dogs. I have been a professional dog groomer for over 16 years. It wasn’t until 5 years ago that I started writing stories. I was writing short stories and entering them into contests on a Stephanie Meyer’s fan page on Facebook. The support that I got from the readers was overwhelming and soon I started my own short story page on Facebook.

My first story, Roller Coaster Love was a hit. I never tried to get it published, but I went on to write many other stories. One day, while grooming a dog, an idea for a new story came to my mind. This is the much anticipated, The Unfaithful Widow. People laugh when I tell them that I could never quit my day job. New story ideas always seem to surface while I am shaving the dogs. lol

After spending months, grooming during the day and taking care of my family and writing at nights, I finally finished The Unfaithful Widow and emailed it to Firefly and Wisp Publishing. Within a month, Fourth of July weekend to be exact, I got an email saying that I got a contract. It has been one hell of a fantastic roller coaster ride since. Not only has my brain been brewing up more stories, Firefly and Wisp has loved them and published them.

“Toothless” was my first short story to get published. It’s with the paranormal anthology, 13 Tales of the Paranormal. Soon after its release, another publishing company asked me to submit a story for their anthology. My story, “Dorothy” was published by A Cuppa and an Armchair. Firefly and Wisp also released a holiday anthology, A Home for the Holidays. This features my story, “Jingle Bells and Puppy dog tails.”

Not long after I wrote “Jingle Bells and Puppy dog tails” my brain began brewing another story, Remembering Zane. I didn’t have intentions of writing another story at the moment. I wanted to focus on getting The Unfaithful Widow ready, but this story kept popping back into my head.

Remembering Zane is a bittersweet romance story, that made me cry. I actually had to stop a few times and walk away to gain my composure. How sad is that? Lol How Remembering Zane came about? I kept having visions of this woman walking into a funeral home, smelling an eucalyptus plant. Tears were streaming down her cheeks as she faced the man she once loved.

Believe it or not, I usually only get ideas of just the beginning of a story and when I sit down and start typing everything else just kind of flows out and onto the screen of my laptop. I never know how the story is going to end until I get there. I truly love the ending of Remembering Zane. It brought me tears of joy as I typed the last paragraph, which was unusual because I always hate writing the last chapter of a book. I never want my stories to end. I feel lost, like I lost a friend when I no longer write about my characters.

Blurb for Remembering Zane

At ten years old, Bonnie Reese knew the minute she laid eyes on Zane Withers, that he would forever have a place in her heart. After years of dating, then finally going their separate ways, Bonnie always dreamed that eventually they would get back together.

But those dreams were shattered as so was her heart, when she got the devastating news that her beloved Zane had been killed. As she faced her worse nightmare of going to his funeral, Bonnie runs into Zane’s best friend Jonathan Wood. Little did she know, Jonathan has had deep feelings for her since the 7th grade. Now that his best friend is gone, will Jonathan have the guts to tell her that he’s loved her since high school? Or will he keep his secret to himself forever?

Author Links

https://www.facebook.com/loveisdeaf72

https://www.facebook.com/pages/Jamie-Wilsoncrofts-Short-Story-Page/133965579992782

www.jswilsoncroft.com

http://jswilsoncroft.blogspot.com

http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/13389374-remembering-zane

Book Links

http://www.amazon.com/Remembering-Zane-ebook/dp/B006UK4LGS/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1325898414&sr=8-1

http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/remembering-zane-js-wilsoncroft/1108162068

https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/120432

Rating’s on Amazon

#97 in Short stories

#13234 overall

Interview with Kristin Cast, author of the House of Night series

2012-02-16T07:07:00.001-08:00

1. Did you always know you wanted to be a writer or was there something else you wanted to do as a career?
Actually, I used to want to be a marine biologist or work for the US Army Medical Research Institute of Infectious Diseases – kind of weird, but I would love it!
2. Is there one author that you have read every book that they have written?
I have read all of John Verdon’s books, but he only has two out right now. Does that count? Haha! There are so many authors I love, and I tend to skip around. For example, one day I might be reading a Jane Austin novel and the next day I’ll read a Bubbles mystery by Sarah Strohmeyer or a crazy thriller by Scott Sigler. I always read more than one book at a time. I think it gives my brain a workout!
3. In you opinion what is the best movie adaptation of a book that you've read?
Oh my goodness this is hard. I try to either watch the movie or read the book. I’ve found that if I read the book first, I end up hating the movie. On the other hand, if I watch the movie first I don’t like the book. So, I haven’t really found one, but only because I try not to watch and read or read and watch.
4. When you are browsing book stores what is the first section you go to?
Mystery/Suspense. Love them!
5. If your book was being made into a movie do you already have actors
in mind for each role?
No, not really. I would want it to be like the Harry Potters and discover new actors and actresses.
What bands/singers would you put on the soundtrack?
The Gaga for sure! And Adele, Alanis Morissette, Incubus, Jeremih, Ludacris, Rasheeda, and Tim McGraw. I just went through my playlist and pick out some of my favs!
6.. When you're creating characters do you incorporate traits from people you know?
Always! It’s a lot easier to base a character on someone who is in your life. That way, you don’t have to make up an entire person. It’s also really funny because people often don’t recognize themselves as they’re reading and they stop and ask who that crazy person is and you just want to shout “That’s totally you!”
7. If you had the chance to have a sit down with any author alive or deceased who would it be and why?
Probably Bram Stoker because Dracula is my favorite book of all time.

Happy Valentines Day love: Dominique Weldon

2012-02-15T16:52:00.000-08:00

I know it's late: but my days are Wednesday XD Anyway, I hope everyone had a Happy Valentines Day (even if it's an overrated holiday lols!)

When I think of you my heart starts to flutter
Within my chest, leaving all these feelings such a clutter
To be with you is all I need
A kiss, a kiss I plead
For its Valentines, we cannot be alone
Your arms need to hold
So let’s celebrate the unity of us
Celebrate the strength of our love and lust
The day of pink of red has come to a close
Ending with the pedals of a rose

Interview with Dakota Banks, author of Deliverance and a giveaway

2012-02-15T06:03:00.000-08:00

First, I’d like to say how much I appreciate the chance to visit All Things Books. Thanks for having me here, Tanya! Now, on to the questions.

1. Did you always know you wanted to be a writer or was there
something else you wanted to do as a career?

I knew I wanted to be a writer since I was in elementary school. I wrote short stories (mostly science fiction) and almost but not quite got them published. What that means is that I received encouraging letters from editors rather than form letter rejections. Then a new love burst into my life—computers. I got an engineering degree and started a rewarding career that covered different areas of the computer field. I climbed the corporate ladder but ended up with a driving need to work independently, as a consultant. Writing was always there in the back of my mind, though, and I thought I could be a published author. The consulting gave me time at home not only to start a family, but to get engaged with writing again. Once I published my first book, a suspense novel based on virtual reality, there was no turning back. It was scary. In the computing field, if you’re out of work for six months or a year, things change so fast that your knowledge gets outdated. If my writing didn’t work out, I’d need some serious retraining, plus all of my clients would have moved on to someone else. Agghhh! I stepped over the cliff anyway. The writing’s been great. The business of writing isn’t always great, but the sheer joy of writing makes up for it.:-)

2. Is there one author that you have read every book that they have written?

Just one? For a long while it would have been Dean Koontz, but lately I can’t say that I’ve read every new book. I have kept up with Orson Scott Card, author of the Ender series, its companion the Shadow saga, and the wonderful Tales of Alvin Maker series. Ender’s Game is coming out as a movie next year. About time! My latest book obsession is Sherrilyn Kenyon’s Dark-Hunter series. I’m playing catch-up on these books and loving every one of them.

3. In your opinion what is the best movie adaptation of a book that you've read?

Without a doubt, it’s the Lord of the Rings trilogy. I’ve read the books over and over and thoroughly enjoyed seeing the movies. Not superior to the books, just a different way to enjoy the stories.

4. When you are browsing book stores what is the first section you go to?

I do what most authors do, which is check to see if any of my books are on the shelf before I start browsing. If so, I wait until no one’s around (except that camera overhead—grrr!) and make sure my books are face out, not just spine out. Once past that little expedition, I look in the New Release section to keep generally informed, and maybe to pick up something intriguing. After that, I go through paranormals and thrillers. I rarely leave the store without stopping in the café. There’s just something so soothing about the smells of coffee and books.

5. If your book was being made into a movie do you already have actors
in mind for each role? What bands/singers would you put on the
soundtrack?

Have I got a cast for you! Sparing no expense, naturally, here’s what I’ve put together. I’ve gone a little beyond the major characters for the Total Package.
Maliha – Milla Jovovich (The “perfect woman” in The Fifth Element, Resident Evil, Ultraviolet)
Jake – Tom Cruise (Daniel Craig came in second)
Hound – Denzel Washington
Amaro – Edgar Ramirez (in the soon-to-be-released Wrath of the Titans)
Yanmeng - Chow Yun Fat (The Bulletproof Monk, Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon)
Mickey – Wes Studi (The Last of the Mohicans)
Abiyram – Ben Kingsley (Gandhi, Schindler’s List)
The Villainess – Charlize Theron (Hancock, The Italian Job)
As far as the soundtrack, I’d be looking for something alternative, hard rock, or metal. Suggestions:
Disturbed
Linkin Park
Marilyn Manson
Avenged Sevenfold
Mettalica
These aren’t my personal favorites, but we’re talking movie here!

6.. When you're creating characters do you incorporate traits from
people you know?

Of course. Any author who says otherwise is probably not very self-aware. For me this seems to work best with negative or positive traits, nothing neutral. Take one trait from person A, another from person B, another from person C, and stir them up to create the basis for a character. There’s still a lot of fleshing out to do, but this method is like the starter dough for sourdough bread. An author’s brain doesn’t disengage from her stories even if she’s eating lunch with friends, watching TV, or reading before bedtime. Gears are grinding in there, taking in the rich experiences and setting them up as ideas for the next chapter or the next book. That man nervously tapping his fingers at the next table or the well-dressed woman who stoops to pick up a penny from the sidewalk or the teenager who stops traffic until the baby ducklings are out of the street and back into the park—all bits and pieces on the shelves of the character warehouse.

7. If you had the chance to have a sit down with any author alive or
deceased who would it be and why?

I’m going with the first answer that came to mind, even though if I thought about it more, I could come up with James Joyce or Hemmingway or Plato or someone. My answer is my sister, who passed away last year. She wanted to be a writer, and had a story to tell that came to her in a dream. Although she was a teacher with a Master’s degree, she had no particular experience writing fiction, and couldn’t seem to get started with page one. I wrote a two page opener for her. She loved it but didn’t add any words. She talked to me a lot about it, hinting strongly that I should write the story as she explained it to me. I declined, explaining that she should get something down in her own words first and then we could work together to edit Ice Princess if needed. I was so sure she could do it. She passed away with that story still inside her. If I could visit with her now, I’d write Ice Princess and put her name on the front in letters about six feet high.

Contact Dakota here:
Website: http://dakota-banks.com
Blog: http://dbanks.me/mortalblog
Facebook: http://dbanks.me/DBwelcome
Twitter: @dakotabanks or http://dbanks.me/DBtwit

Dakota Banks has generously offered up 1 swag bag and 1 copy of Deliverance to a lucky person. To have a shot at winning leave a comment with your favorite character from any of Dakota's books, why they are your favorite character, and your email address. Following this blog isn't a requirement but is always appreciated.

Best Friends Forever

2012-02-14T11:08:00.000-08:00

A little Valentine's Day gift for all of you. A free-write short story. (Sorry, I didn't have time to write and edit it today.) I hope you all enjoy it. :) (Special thanks to Julieanne Lynch for the m/c's first name!)

"I don't have the time, or patience to be the butt of your childish pranks, Cal." The tears were coming, no matter how hard I fought to hold them back. I couldn't believe I'd fallen for his stupid joke. It was beyond cruel! Of all the people I knew, Calvin was the last one I'd have expected to do something like this.

We'd been friends since public school. I was the new kid, and smaller than all the others in our class. Being an military brat meant I'd almost always been the new kid. Moving from town to town, and school to school was just a part of life I'd grown used to.

Well, sort of. I guess it had a bigger effect on my developing personality than I'd realized until recently. Having two military parents meant I was left to my own resources much of the time. Daddy was away a lot, overseas with his fellow Marines. Mama was a clerk, but for some reason, she seemed to be expected to invest an inordinate amount of time in various causes and charities in the community as well. That didn't leave a lot of time to spend with me. Having no siblings, I suppose I was a bit desperate for companionship.

The other children must have sensed that neediness, the way a wild animal senses fear. I was overeager, over bright, too friendly and tenacious about making new friends. I guess, deep down, I felt that if I didn't make friends quickly, I'd be moving again before I had the chance. I talked too much, shared to much, and formed deep attachments far too quickly. It was off putting. By the time I started Grade five at Black Creek Elementary, I'd already been to eight elementary schools and three preschools. The habits were deeply ingrained.

Mama had promised it would be the last move. She'd done her best for me since Daddy was killed in Lebanon. She'd bought a house off base and enrolled me in a public school. She'd even talked about giving up her commission and getting a civilian job. I couldn't image it really happening. Mama was a military brat, herself, the Marines were in her blood.

Public school was a completely new world for me. I'd always gone to school on base with other Marine's kids. We understood each other in a way civilian children couldn't. So, when the kids at Black Creek stared, pointed and generally avoided me, it hurt. The harder I tried to breach the "inner circle" the farther I was pushed to the fringes. If it hadn't been for Calvin, I don't know what I'd have done.

Calvin Bradshaw was one of the popular boys at school. He was active in sports, had a great sense of humour, and I guess he was handsome as far as ten year old boys go. Most of the other kids, if they thought about it at all, would have said he was loud, daring, a bit silly, "sort of" smart, and a practical joker. They didn't know Cal the way I grew to know him.

Cal was far more perceptive than most people thought. While I struggled to fit in, Calvin was observing. When the ostracism began to convert to derision, he quietly stepped in and became my champion. Some of the other boys teased Cal a little for taking on the "ugly duckling". I never knew what he said to them, but the hurtful words stopped as quickly as they started.

All through public school and on to high-school, Cal was my best friend, confidante and big brother. We made a pact, from the beginning, to always be there for each other. We even agreed to be each other's Valentines forever, if neither of us was married before we got old at twenty-five. Whenever I felt sad, lonely or frightened, I knew I could turn to him. He, in turn, came to confide in me. I was the only person outside of his family, who knew Calvin was adopted, the only one who knew how much he wanted to find his real mother, and learn why she'd given him up. And I was the only person who knew about his nightmares, and his battles with depression.

We shared everything with each other, in that way best friends do. At least, we did until romance got in the way. Our friendship started to unravel the year I turned sixteen. We were both to blame, in our ways, for how it happened, I suppose.

Calvin had already had a string of short-lived girlfriends by grade eleven. I knew that our friendship was part of the reason none of them had lasted. Jealousy was something Cal wouldn't bide. I was in an awfully confused state over the whole thing. I felt guilty for causing him so much grief in his budding love life, but I was relieved and grateful he'd chosen our friendship over the empty-headed cats he seemed to attract. There was more to it than that, though. I realize now that I had a crush on Calvin, too, and I harboured the shame of feeling attracted to someone I considered a brother. It was the first time I'd kept anything secret from Cal since I'd known him.

When he asked me to the school Valentine's dance, I acted reflexively. The jolt of elation gave way, quickly, to the guilt and fear I'd built up in my heart. He was asking out of pity, I told myself. Cal could have any girl he wanted with a snap of his fingers. I was just a little prettier than plain and a little plainer than pretty. I hadn't been on more than a handful of dates before, and none of them second dates. He'd just split with his latest bit of fluff and he was feeling sorry for me. An obstinate pride I didn't know I possessed surfaced. I turned him down, maybe a little to vehemently. He didn't speak to me for a week. I wanted to die.

When he relented, it was just as if nothing had happened. For a while we were right back to being the best of friends. Stephanie changed all that.

Stephanie Timmons was the prettiest, most popular girl in school, and she knew it. When she set her sights on something, Stephanie got it, no matter what stood in her way. A month after the Valentine's dance, Stephanie set her sights on Calvin Bradshaw, and she had no qualms about running over me to get him.

It didn't take a genius to predict my defeat. Calvin, however, for the first time in his life, appeared to have missed the hidden tension. He carried on as though nothing at all had changed.

It was a full two months before Stephanie cornered me in the girl's washrooms.

"If you really care about Callie," her nickname for him made me cringe, "you'll back off and give him some room to live his life. Every time he hangs out with you, he gets all sad and messed up. You bring him down, Jessica. Why don't you leave him alone, and let him be happy?"

I may have hated the girl, but I was smart enough to know when I was beaten. She had a point, too. As long as Calvin had me clinging needily to him, he was going to keep burning through girlfriends like a brush fire.

Cal wasn't pleased with my sudden reluctance to spend time with him. In fact, it brought about our first real fight , one of those life changing moments of fate you don't recognize until years later.

"Did I do something to piss you off?" The question was completely unexpected, when he blurted it out in the cafeteria.

"No." I mumbled.

"Then what the hell is wrong with you, Jess? You hardly ever talk to me anymore!"
I don't remember what I was going to answer. Stephanie had chosen that moment to join us at the table.

"Maybe I just need some space to do my own thing for a change!" I snapped. " I can't spend every waking moment holding your hand, Cal. That's what your girlfriend is for."

He stared at me like I'd stabbed him. I cried in the bathroom for an hour, and snuck home before classes let out for the day. My social life became surprisingly busy after that. Maybe the boys at school had felt intimidated by my friendship with Cal, because I suddenly had all kinds of offers for dates. I wasn't really in the mood for romance yet, though.

For the next six months Cal and I barely looked at each other. Stephanie made a point of gushing about their "love life" whenever I was in earshot. When rumours started to circulate that an engagement was in the cards, I buried myself in schoolwork to avoid hearing any more. I took a part-time job to fill the evenings, but eventually I relented and started dating.

Billy Truman was possibly the worst mistake I've ever made. He was handsome and charming, maybe too charming. When we first started dating, he treated me like a princess. Anything I wanted was mine for the asking, with Billy. Hell, sometimes all I had to do was admire something in passing and he'd hand it to me, gift-wrapped, on our next date. I'd never been overly concerned with material things, another throwback to the days of constantly packing and moving, but I was carried away by Billy's generosity and thoughtfulness.

When Stephanie dumped Cal for some other guy, Billy and I had been a couple for nearly a year. It didn't matter that we hadn't spoken in over a year and a half; I was on Cal's doorstep less than an hour after I heard. As before, all was forgiven in minutes. We were back to being best friends within a week, though with an undercurrent of cautious distance we hadn't had before. This time there was no Stephanie Timmons to undermine our friendship. But there was a William Truman.

Billy and Calvin hated each other from the start. It wasn't easy keeping the two most important men in my life balanced, but somehow I muddled through for a while. I made it very clear to each of them that the other was going to remain a part of my life, whether they liked it or not. They even made peace long enough for Calvin to give me away at the wedding

The first time Billy hit me, it was all I could do to Calvin from killing him. I swore it was an accident. Yes, Billy'd been mad. Yes, he'd been drunk and ranting. Yes, he'd been swinging his fists, but he'd been punching the wall and I'd stepped into his line of fire, so really...

The second time he hit me, I had him arrested. It had taken two restraining orders and two more beatings before Billy Truman was out of my life for good. Calvin was there for me, through it all, silently raging, but allowing me to deal with it my way. When Billy turned himself in the last time he was covered in cuts and bruises. So many, the police took photos to prove he'd shown up in such rough shape. Calvin didn't volunteer an opinion on that, and I didn't ask.

Cal had been bugging me to start dating again. It had been two years since Billy had gone to jail, after all. When he called a week before Valentine's Day to tell me he'd set me up on a blind date, I was in no mood to be indulgent.

"No, no, no, no, no! Absolutely not, Cal! I don't have any desire to be trapped in a car, or theatre, or restaurant, with some strange guy, no matter how "nice" he is. Why can't you just accept the fact that I'm happy being alone?"

"Well, I'll admit this guy's a little stranger than most, but he really is a great guy, Jess. I think so anyway. Besides, you're not happy, and you can't even begin to bullshit me enough to believe you are. C'mon, Jess, take a chance for once."

"I took a chance once, remember? I rolled the dice and came up with "Snake Eyes" Truman. I'm not really in a gambling mood, Cal. Give up!"

In the end, he hadn't given me a choice. He told me I'd better be ready at seven o'clock on Valentine's Eve, or he'd come over and dress me himself.

So I spent two hours agonizing over something to wear that would suit any occasion. I spent half an hour trying to tame my curly hair, and another fifteen minutes putting on enough makeup to make myself look presentable, without looking needy. After another half hour of trying to think of an easy way out of this fiasco, the doorbell rang. When I opened it there was a man holding a bouquet of red roses so huge it hid the entire top half of his body, including his face.

The bouquet shook a little and then lowered to reveal... Calvin Bradshaw, grinning like a little boy who's just won a bag of candy. I was not nearly so amused.

"What the hell are you doing here, Cal?"

"I'm your date. I told you he was stranger than most!"

"This isn't funny, Cal! You got me all flipped out over a joke? Do you know how nervous I've been all day? I've been stressing about this all week!"

"Don't you remember, Jess. We made a pact, once." He was trying hard to look earnest, but he couldn't keep the grin down. "If neither of us was married by the time we turned twenty-five, we would be each other's Valentines."

"Good God, Calvin, we were ten years old! Besides, I've been married..."

"That doesn't count!" he interrupted, frowning for the first time since I opened the door. "You're not married now." He smiled again, full of mischief.

"I don't have the time, or patience to be the butt of your childish pranks, Cal." My voice was flat. The tears were coming.

The roses scattered all over the porch as he dropped them. Several were crushed as he stepped on them, to get to me before I could turn away. The smell of roses permeated the hallway, as he wrapped his arms around me, and put his lips to mine for the first time.

"So you see, Sweetheart," I told our baby daughter this morning, with a wistful smile, "you should never make a Valentine's Day promise, unless you're prepared to keep it." When I looked up, Cal was standing in the doorway. He was smiling too.

The Art of Covering Up

2012-02-13T08:01:00.000-08:00

Today we're going to chat a little with Dave J. Ford, artist/photographer/graphic designer and book jacket genius, (my personal opinion creeping in there, lol).

Seriously, though, Dave designs book covers. He creates the kind of artwork that brings a book to life, makes it jump into our hands when we're shopping, and begs us to take a peek inside at the words the author has poured into their work.

When a cover is released, it's often the author who gets the kudos, but the artist should not be forgotten...

Hi, Dave! Thank you for taking the time to answer a few questions and share some of your work with us.

Have you always been drawn, (pardon the pun), to the visual arts?
As far back as I can remember, I have done some form of drawing or visual art. I remember distinctly drawing Snoopy cartoons on my school notebooks at the age of five.

What type of artwork did you start with?

I started with simple pencil drawings. It was always reassuring to be able to use an eraser when needed, and believe me; I used the eraser a LOT! :)

I recall at the tender age of six, I drew this incredibly detailed underground city with vehicles and roadways and caverns, etc. I am blessed (or cursed depending on one’s viewpoint) with having a brain that uses both hemispheres on overdrive, so the logical met the artistic in creating these virtual worlds in my head and on paper.

I also recall drawing a lot of airplanes as a kid and I even had a professional artist critique them! I am sure they were rubbish as I was only seven, but I know his kind words encouraged me to continue.

I moved on to charcoal portraits and photography and from that background, I started working with colour and finally found the joy in painting. Then about ten years ago, thanks to a good friend, who has sadly passed away, I was introduced to abstract work and created many pieces using recycled computer parts. My most recent passion has been clay sculpting, and now I am completely absorbed by Photoshop!

Your photography always leaves me awestruck. What's your secret to getting such beautiful photos?
Pure luck! It took me a lot of time and many failed trips to reach a point where I could take a photo I was pleased with. I have approximately 30,000 images hidden away and the public has seen maybe 600 of those. In truth, one good shot out of every fifty shots is a terrible average.

Early on, I seemed to develop a sense for the aesthetic in life. I can see shapes and patterns in everything. I think this leads back to my ability to see things artistically while also viewing things from a mathematical standpoint.

I have to admit that my location has a LOT to do with the end result. I spent several years living in North Wales and was extremely inspired by the scenery there. I am also lucky enough to have done some travelling in my lifetime and have found these foreign locations very visually compelling too.

How did you become interested in digital imaging?
I started taking holiday photos at the age of 11. Over time, I graduated from holiday snaps to people photography and ended up doing weddings by the time I was 19. After about 7 years of this, I sort of burned out and gave up on photography for a while.

Almost ten years later, one Christmas, just as a new chapter was starting in my life, I decided to buy a digital camera. I rediscovered photography at this point. The best thing to me about digital imaging is the fact that you can see your results right away and it allows the freedom to experiment so much more!

This leads me to comment on Photoshop; a tool that has become my best friend in recent years. I started using it to correct the mistakes I made with exposures in my photography but soon learned that it allowed me to add and subtract elements within an image. I saw the potential for a HUGE level of creativity never before achieved with my photography!

My imaging skills have now moved forward into the realm of fantasy. I create purely fictional worlds and places using many small pieces of my photos and create brand new compositions. Some images have as many as 60 or 70 layers!

Did you take any formal artistic training?

Until recently, I had never taken any kind of formal training. I tend to have a short attention span, so I find teaching myself the easiest method of learning. However, about 4 years ago, I did start studying for a BA in Fine Art at a university in the UK. I was unable to finish this course because I had to return to Canada to care for my father who had been taken ill... One day, I hope to return to it.

What finished piece have you gotten the most enjoyment out of creating?
The fantasy cover I recently created for Ressa Empbra has probably been the most fun so far! I cannot share this image with you just now because it has not been revealed yet! I made a promise that I would keep it under wraps until the book release, but I can tell you it includes dragons!

Another piece I really enjoyed creating was a sculpture of the head of a famous Star Trek personality, but it became a somewhat surreal piece as during the firing process the top of his skull caved in. I actually liked it this way even better, so it remained in this condition.

Is there one piece that drove you crazy?
EVERY piece drives me crazy for a little while at least, but there’s an image I painted a few years ago that made me the craziest. It was just a random landscape I made of an alien world. I had it perfect except for one area which was driving me completely batty. So I tried to fix the area and ended up getting carried away which ultimately ruined the painting. I still have it hidden away somewhere in my ‘closet of crap that I cannot bear to part with’.

These types of experiences propelled me into using Photoshopas a creative tool. At least there’s an UNDO button for my crazy moments!

You've won awards for some of your work. Were you nervous entering the competitions?
I was never nervous ENTERING the competitions but I was always a bag of nerves WAITING to hear if I had won! :)

Can you tell us a bit about what competing was like, for you?
I was often surprised that I had won and quite often confused by which images won. However shocked I might have been, I won’t ever look a gift award in the mouth. It’s fun to compete but I discovered I was tailoring my art to appeal to the judges. This isn’t my reason for creating art, so I have not felt much like competing lately.

How did you get started designing custom covers for books?
I seem to recall a very enterprising and enthusiastic author/friend of mine asked me to create a cover for her. I was both excited and terrified at the prospect, but I went ahead and ‘did my own thing’ based on the little bit of her book that I had read and her own synopsis. Luckily she was very pleased with the result despite it being nothing like her suggestions!

You're a rather excellent writer as well. Does this help when you're designing book covers?
Thank you! The little amount of writing I have accomplished took me a hell of a long time and a LOT of editing! As I am inherently lazy, I tend to stick to the artwork because it is easier for my brain to create images than words. I don’t think my ability to write has much bearing on my cover art.

What's your process for designing covers?
I think the process tends to follow these steps:

1. Panic – Well wasn’t that smart? I said I would do this cover but I haven’t a clue what to do now!

2. Denial - Just because I have no ideas and no clue HOW to create this cover, all will be fine!

3. Anger - Why I am I such a hack? What was I thinking? I am crap artist with crap talents..I might as well go and work at McDonalds.

4. Confusion - What the hell am I doing now? I have 16 different ideas and 25 different images that I’ve started. Am I ever going to get this done?

5. Acceptance - Okay, I have to do this and I might as well stay up and see how it turns out..

6. Forgiveness - OMG! I did it! It actually looks okay and the author is happy too! Thank God!

Do you require specific information about a book before you begin?
Yes..I like to have a synopsis..and an idea of the main characters, settings, etc. before starting. I seldom have time to read the book beforehand but, ironically, I am always anxious to read it AFTER I’ve worked on the cover.

Do you prefer it when the author has a clear idea of what they want, or do you enjoy having "carte blanche" more?
I think it’s easier to have free reign over the cover design, but I am always happy for input and feedback from the author during the design process.

About how long does a detailed cover take, start to finish?
The simpler images and covers take me around a day or 8 to 10 hours to complete. However, I recently created a fantasy cover for a lovely lady and for her project, I built this entire fantasy world from the ground up. I would estimate I invested 45 to 50 hours into it but I LOVED every minute of it! She paid me well for my work, but I did it mostly because I LOVE it! I only wish more authors would realize the value of a professional cover as it is the first thing people see!

You give writers this one little extra that makes us want to cry. You send a "virtual book" picture after the cover is done, so we can see what our printed book might look like. Where did that idea come from?
This idea stems back to about 20 years ago when I did a lot of 3D rendering and artwork. I always loved to see a ‘real’ object created out of digital elements and I thought it would just be a nice touch to give my clients a ‘real’ book to aim towards. I like to think it gives them further inspiration and encouragement!

I must interrupt here to assure Dave that those 3D cover shots certainly do offer inspiration and encouragement. I strongly suggest any Independent Author have their cover designed, and get one of these 3D renderings prior to editing. Whenever I get discouraged, during the beta reading and editing process, a glance at my 3D cover gives me all the encouragement I need to keep going.

Here's your chance at a little self-promotion, lol. You have a book of medical humour cartoons. Can you tell us a little more about them?
An unfortunate affliction called Crohn's Disease has placed me in the hospital on MANY occasions, sometimes for several months at a time. During one of my hospital stays, a friend very kindly brought me a sketchpad and some pencils. With considerable effort and many wasted pages, I discovered I could draw cartoons!

Each day, I created a new cartoon and taped it on the wall next to my bed. Whenever I could, I coaxed a nurse into making photocopies of my cartoons so I could color them with pencils and post them in the hospital halls. Pretty soon, other patients started to seek me out to see what I had created each day. It actually turned my hospital experience into an almost pleasurable one!

These cartoons and other doodles coalesced into a collection, which I have compiled into a book. I have sold quite a few copies from my website and through word of mouth. I keep meaning to send a copy to a few publishers but never seem to get around to it. I think I need an agent..lol

Where can everyone find you, online?
You can currently find me online at:
www.facebook.com/printsbydave (My facebook page showcasing my latest photography and photoshop images)
http://www.printsbydave.deviantart.com/
(Fledgling Deviant Art page..still working on this!)
http://www.davidjohnford.com/ (an old but still fairly decent representation of my photographic work)
http://www.cartoonsbydave.com/ (an older site focussing on my cartoons)
http://www.printsbydave.com/ (coming soon! I'm not a good website builder so this one is still in the works)

Thank you, Dave, for taking the time with us, and giving us a little peek into the art of book jacket design.

*********************************

All images used in this post are courtesy of, and property of, Dave J. Ford.

Rue Who?

2012-02-12T12:42:00.001-08:00

Now I hope I'm not overstepping here, but I really want to call your attention to an amazing woman . If you're a part of the Indie art scene, and you haven't heard of Rue Volley yet, you're really missing out. Not only is Ms. Volley a prolific author, and a fantastic photographer, but you'll never meet another person who gives so much of themselves to promote the Indie arts.

Where should I start?

Well, let's begin with Volley View, the Facebook group she founded, to give Indie artists a community to connect and share with each other. We members affectionately call Volley View "The Circus" and Rue is our well-loved ringmaster. Photographers, jewellers, musicians, writers, sculptors...even bakers, convene in "The Circus" to share and promote each other, offer advice, commiserate, and just plain cut loose and enjoy each other's company.

Now, you'd think founding and administrating Volley View, on top of publishing twelve books in a year, and her Volley View Photography, would be enough for one woman, but not Rue!

No, Rue also founded an eZine, Rue View, to promote Indie artists in the online community. If you have a chance, take a look at Rue View. The magazine is gorgeous! Rich images, and an inside peek at the up and coming artists in literature, music and visual arts; this is a magazine worth a look! And there are no advertisers. That's right! She isn't producing this magazine for the advertising dollars it generates, because there aren't any. The featured artists pay nothing to be included in the magazine. Rue makes no income from its production at all. She does it because she loves art, in all its forms.

Now that must be it, right? No. That's not it.

On top of Rue View and Volley View, there is now RV Radio. A podcast radio program where Rue...you guessed it, brings us more independent artists. This is Rue's latest venture, and another she does with her own time and money! Give one of her first broadcasts a listen HERE. She is truly enjoying herself!

Why in the world would one woman work herself half to death for no money? Well, it's not about the money. It's about love, and Rue Volley loves the arts. She loves being an author, and she loves being a photographer. Rue loves art in every form and she wants to share that love with the world.

Frankly, I have no idea how she does it. It's something many of us want to know. Where in the world does she get the time and energy? So I asked her, an interview question she didn't know she was answering. lol (See, Rue won't know I'm writing all of this until after it's posted. Hopefully, when she sees this, Rue won't sue. Alright it was a bad joke, but I couldn't resist. :P).

I asked her: "How do you do it all, Rue? I can barely get one book done and a couple of blogs written. :S You really are a vampire, aren't you? lol"

Her answer: "Yes I am, I will bite you anytime you want me to. wink wink" And that's the Rue Volley so many of us know, and love. Always ready with a wink, a laugh and a smile, despite what must be 20 hour days, making sure the online world hears about us, the new and unknown Indie artists.

So, if you haven't heard of Rue Volley before today, you've definitely missed out on someone very special. Go find her online. Give her a shout and a virtual hug. Tell her thank you from all of us, writers, artists, musicians and those who love their work! I'll even tell you how to find her.

Click any of these links to find her on her FB Fanpage, Twitter, Google +, her Webpage and Vamptasy Publishing.

Look for her books everywhere online!

Pseudonym Me!

2012-02-11T20:37:00.000-08:00

Please welcome guest blogger Joseph Eastwood, who has generously allowed us to borrow a popular post from September, 2011, on his blog. I found this article informative and entertaining. I'm sure you will too. At the end of his kind contribution, I've added a little introduction to Joseph, and his writing. Enjoy!

Pseudonym Me!

Do you have a pen name? Nom de plume? Pseudonym? In fact, do you need one?

I've never considering changing my name because I wanted to take full credit for my writing, and I've always wondered why some people do change there names--actors, singers, writers, authors, just people in general.

Okay, well I'm not sure why other people may change their name, probably because it just doesn't suit them--or they're in love with another name. So this might be a little bit the same with artists; singers, authors etc. and I've been wondering whether or not I need a pen name, and although I love my name, I've just been thinking, what if I was change it.

I read an article, a few months ago now and it was about an author who wrote erotica under a pen name and she also taught at a high school, but when the parents of her students found out about her other name and published books, she was marred a disgrace--I'm not sure what happened to her, but she is still writing, and in the article, she said she wouldn't give up that. Of course I see how a pseudonym was relevant here.

And here are some of the other reasons people may change their names:
• Their last name is unpronounceable, this is very common with recording artists (so I've found).
• because they are named after someone who is already famous, I know this is what Katy Perry did, formally Katy "Kate" Hudson--so you can see the confusion here.
• There name is common i.e. John Smith, and an exotic sounding name might stick better--and separate you from everyone else in Google search ;)
• because they've already published in a genre under one name.

Now that last point is where I am. I'm currently only working on my YA fantasy novels, and each of them will be under my name, 'Joseph Eastwood' but I also want to write gory horror and some gay romance novels, and hey, I might even give erotica a go, I sure know I have the mind for it--but I can't stick them with my name as well, right.

I don't want to change my name at all--my full name is Joseph Thomas James Eastwood, and I'd like to work with that, maybe move things around, take things out, shorten the names etc. and I was thinking for horrors, I could be J. T. James or something and for romance I could be Thomas Jay.
What do you think? And do you have a pseudonym?

I'd love to hear how you came to it.

-Joseph

Joseph Eastwood was raised in Lancaster, England, the eldest of five children. He presently attends the University of Cumbria, as a student of English Literature and Creative Writing.

He has always been drawn to creativity, particularly drawing, reading, music and writing, (including some brilliant poetry, if I may insert my opinion here, lol). His taste in the arts is broad and diverse and it definitely comes through in his work.

Joseph has a penchant for sci-fi, supernatural, fantasy and dramatic films and television shows. You'll often find him discussing his favourites on his Personal Blog, along with giving tons of excellent advice on writing.

An advocate of the LGBT community, freedom of sexuality and equal rights are causes Joseph is very passionate about.

He's hoping to release his novel, Lumen, a YA fantasy/thriller, before March 1, 2012. It will be available on Amazon and Smashwords. He has already started two new projects, as well, Salem Gates and Clandestine.

Keep an eye on Joseph's Goodreads page, so you don't miss the release date for Lumen. Here's a little intro to the book, Joseph has provided us...

"Daniel, like all other adolescents on Templar Island is going through the final transition that will allow him to manipulate the bonds of energy and do more than just tamper with his own biological form.

After a near-death experience he is accepted into Croft's Academy, the only private school on the island and for someone like Daniel to gain access to such teaching is a privilege, and they won’t let him forget it. He tries to fit in, but that’s when things take a turn for the worst, and everything he once knew can’t be possible any more. He doesn't know who to trust or what to believe."

You'll also find Joseph on Facebook, and Twitter, among other places. He's quite friendly. Stop by and say hello!

Self Publishing and Editing

2012-02-10T15:41:00.000-08:00

Guest Post by Jennifer Wright

Ok, so this is a subject that can be touchy, but I’m going there.

There is a huge stigma surrounding self publishing regarding editing. As a self published author I am well aware of this and everyone considering self publishing should also be aware of this. So, in this blog post I want to talk about the importance of editing and solutions for authors who can’t afford to hire an editor.

I think the hardest thing about being an indie author is that you are fighting against the stigma that self published work is crap. I consider it my responsibility to make sure that my work rises above that stigma and is as polished as I can get it when it goes into the world. In order to do this, editing is an issue that must be addressed. I don’t want my work to be crap.

The very first thing you should do after you finish a novel is put it up for at least a week and then go look it over again. Then, you want to get beta readers. The reason behind this is that you have probably read over the manuscript so many times that you have the whole thing memorized, which will cause you to skip over mistakes.

I have had this problem, and even after the beta readers there were still missing words, wrong words, and inconsistencies. But, it was my first novel and I didn’t know then, what I know now.

So, after the beta readers catch as many errors as they can you will want to get someone to edit for you.

Here is where the tricky part comes in…most people can’t afford to pay someone to edit their manuscript and the ones they can afford might be questionable.

I paid a lot for my first editing job, because I wanted to make sure it was quality work. Now, that being said, even editors miss stuff sometimes, and since my first book ever released has a few mistakes, I am now in the process of doing a revised version. My newest works do not go into the world until they have been beta read several times and developmentally edited.

The thing is, if you look around you can always find an editor who will work with you on a payment plan. Good places to look for editors might be writing forums, Facebook writing groups, and Twitter.

Then after you have the book edited, have a different set of beta readers go at it.

If you cannot afford to get an editor at all, my best suggestion is to wait until you have networked with other writers and find beta readers who will help you with the editing process. Just try and get the most quality work you can. I know that my impatience played a major role in the publication of The Birth of Jaiden. I didn’t want to wait for all that, it was done and I wanted people to know the story. If I had, had more patience I would have had another set of readers and noticed more errors.

Now, let’s talk about the difference between developmental editing, copy editing and line editing.

Line editing is where the manuscript is edited line by line and in my opinion deals more with punctuation and sentence structure.

Developmental editing is a lot more extensive, it includes the line editing but also deals with structure, style, grammar and the like.

Knowing the difference between the types of editing will help when you’re looking for someone to edit your work. I prefer the developmental editing because it helps me learn what I am doing wrong and perhaps I will keep that in mind when writing in the future.

Ok…so, I just want you all to know that this blog post is not to specify that my work is perfect. I want it to be. This blog post is more along the lines of helping others for their work to be polished and well written, so that we, as a collective can overcome the stigma and rise above the stereotype given to self published authors.

I hope this blog post has helped someone in one way or another. Please leave comments if you choose to. We love comments!

About Jennifer

Jennifer Malone Wright is a mother of five, military wife, author, and lover of photography. She lives in the beautiful Northern Idaho mountains with her family.

Find her on Twitter: @jennichad217

Her Facebook fanpage http://www.facebook.com/thevampirehuntersdaughter and http://www.facebook.com/JenniferMaloneWright

Jennifer's website is www.jenniferwrightauthor.com

Review of Second Chances by Dannye Williamsen

2012-02-10T07:01:00.001-08:00

Second Chances by Dannye Williamsen

This paranormal romance painted a very unique picture of goodvs. evil. Freddie, a seemingly normal financial analyst, is suddenly beinghaunted and tormented by a dark presence with unexplained intentions. Theauthor does a nice job of creating this villain from the beginning of hisexistence and actually has the reader torn between hate and pity for him. Goodvs. Evil progresses the story and in the end you’ll find yourself with a newunderstanding of that very concept. My interest was kept throughout this book,following Freddie trying to uncover the mystery and wondering what would happennext.

Available on Amazon for kindle and in paperback http://www.amazon.com/Second-Chances-Dannye-Williamsen/dp/097260586X/ref=cm_cr_pr_product_top

Lia Fairchild is a writer and the author of the novel, In Search of Lucy, and the new mysteryseries, A Hint of Murder. Look formore on her at http://www.liafairchild.com/ or http://www.ahintofmurder.blogspot.com

Transitory Existence, Fighting Spirit

2012-02-09T16:49:00.000-08:00

How do you live your own life, when it was never truly yours to begin with?

After the untimely death of her mother, 18 year old Rose Blakely spent the past two months of her life in the dark, living recklessly, and bringing everyone around her grief. Now that the storm has passed, Rose is hoping to find the light, and live a normal life. But when a mysterious new guy named Birch Balman enters the picture, along with a crazed woman hell-bent on killing her, things take a drastic turn for the worst.

Keeping up appearances in front of her friends at Halfmoon Bay High and also her father will serve to be a difficult task for Rose, but it’s a small price to pay—when death is now in the equation.
{Introductory Blurb for Everlife, Book One of the Nyx Series}

Please welcome Kyani Swanigan, YA author of the Nyx Series...

Kyani was always passionate about writing. Even as a child she loved creating characters and writing stories although she considered it more a pastime rather than something that she would make a career out of especially through high school, when Kyani aspired to be a stylist and go to FIDM (The Fashion Institute of Design and Merchandizing). It wasn't until a year after graduation that the memory of two fictional characters she had thought up six years earlier resurfaced and began buzzing around in her mind. From there a story just had to be written.

Now, one year after completing her first novel, Kyani is still hard at work telling her character’s story by finishing the rest of the series. She lives in Tustin, California with her mom and fat Blue Russian cat, Pouncer.

Kyani agreed to participate in a "rapid-fire" type of interview, to help us learn a little more about her.

Hot drinks or cold?
Cold, like I could really go for a smoothie right now.

Your worst bad habit?
I have a few, but the worst is messiness. And my room reflects on that!

Favorite "big" word to use in conversation?
Actually I don’t really use them, keep it simple :)

For sudden inspirations: pen and paper, or keyboard?
Blackberry

Revisions: enjoy them or loathe them?
I enjoy it the first time around; don’t mind it the second, after that it gets tedious.

Favorite almost-cuss-word?
Nucking futs (See Dickie Roberts, lol)

Which character from your book would you most want to be best friends with?
Besides the main character, it would definitely be Ayame, the ocelot hybrid. She is just way too awesome.

Which one would you get in the most trouble with?
Probably my heroine’s “frenemy”, Pilar Cummings.

What's the first thing you notice about a person you've just met, in person?
Style, only because I’m a huge Fashionista, and gestures.

What's the first thing you notice about a person you've just met online?
Personality, I do think that it can reflect in the way that someone types. Or it can just be masked by professionalism :)

A food you've never tried, but want to?
Sushi!

The emotion you most want your readers to feel when reading in the middle of your book?
Amongst the other emotions that they may feel, curiosity is definitely first.

Your favorite sentence from your novel?
It’s hard to choose just one sentence, lol! But this is one that I like:

“A Nyx is nature’s best kept secret—I would honestly be shocked if you have heard of any record of one in existence." Sparrow began.

Did anything you wrote make you laugh out loud as you wrote it?
One of my favorite parts is in Chapter Eleven, when the main character, Rose, is in class along with her love interest, and some friends. Pilar is just being too catty for words, and it is pissing Rose off.

If your main protagonist was an animal, which one would she be?
I would say a tiger, because throughout the book she has to be strong in a way that she never expected.

If your antagonist was an animal, which would they be?
I actually think that she would be a python. Although that is a reptile, I just
feel like it fits my antagonist perfectly.

What song had the most powerful impact on the writing in this novel?
“Cosmic Love” by Florence and the Machine. I listen to her music a lot, and that song helped me write a few key scenes in book 1.

One actor or actress you'd love to cast, if your book were to go to film?
Ha! It’s kind of ironic that this question is being asked, because since day one of writing this book I’ve constantly cast and re-cast people in my mind (although I do love the idea of new talent). But one person I would love to cast possibly as my antagonist would be Evan Rachel Wood. She would play her perfectly.

Who would you want to direct it?
Could it be a joint project? Lol Because I’d love for Sofia Coppola and Zach Snyder to make a genius collaboration. Looking at their film history the two of them together would be perfect.

Famous author you'd love to have read your book?
Suzanne Collins, since she is my author of choice right now.

If you could live anywhere, any time: where and when?
Right now I’d like to live in Seattle. I really enjoy the cold, grey weather.

Biggest fear?
I really dislike Barbie dolls.

If you could have any one supernatural ability or superpower, which would you choose?
Mind reading, I think that would be fun!

Before we let Kyani get away, she generously provided us with a peek into her novel, Everlife, with the following excerpt:

He began dragging me by the root of hair effortlessly, and I decided to scream. I screamed as loudly as I could, not even recognizing my own uneven voice. My throat stung badly, and it was hard for me to catch my breath, but I needed help. Suddenly we stopped, and I heard a man’s yell join mine. I twisted around to look up, and there was Birch. His hand was wrapped firmly around Luke’s fist. His face was strained with anger; I had never seen someone look so threatening.

“Let go.” Birch growled in a low and steady voice.

Luke was sweating heavily, and he was shaking, but he wouldn’t let go of my hair. He just let out a maniacal laugh, and tugged my hair harder. A small cry slipped through my lips. Birch blew out a hard breath and tightened his grip. He repeated his demand one last time; his tone was still subdued, but threatening. I even felt a chill race through my body, thinking that Luke would be crazy not to let go. But he was proving to be just that as he once again yanked my hair.

That was the last straw for Birch Balman. His face tightened, and then I heard the disgusting crackle of Birch crushing Luke’s hand. He released my hair and recoiled, staring horrifically at his now mangled fingers. He tried to run the other way, but it was too late, and this time I was able to see what was going to happen.

You can watch for the release of Everlife on February Twenty-ninth, from Crushing Hearts and Black Butterfly Publishing!

Find Kyani on her Facebook Fan Page and Twitter.

A Very Different Interview

2012-02-08T22:01:00.000-08:00

Every day, avid readers are logging in to read interviews with authors and aspiring authors.

You peruse the posts for interesting questions, thought provoking answers, and hints to what's between the covers of our books. You want to know what goes on inside our unusual writer's minds. Well, this isn't going to be that kind of interview. This interview is with someone I've always wanted to know more about...You!

I'm going to ask you some questions, as a reader, for a change. I want to know what's going on inside your unusual mind. Believe me, every writer I know is going to want to read your answers, because YOU...ARE...FACINATING, and don't you ever forget it!

Don't worry about your grammar, or punctuation. Don't panic about your spelling or phrasing. Don't agonize over having to explain yourself in detail. Just have fun with it! It's time for you to be famous, (or semi-famous if you prefer). So, get comfy, pick five or more of the following questions and comment with your answers...

1. Do you cheat? (Do you peek at the ending before you're finished reading?)

2. Which genre do you read most?

3. Do book reviews make a difference in what you choose to read?

4. What part of a novel are you most likely to skim over?

5. What is the best book you've ever read?

6. Who's your favourite author?

7. Who is your favourite fictional female character?

8. Who is your favourite fictional male character?

9. Did your favourite book make you laugh, or cry, more?

10. Do you judge a book by its cover?

11. Have you ever read a book you actually wanted to throw in a fire?

12. Have you ever fallen in love with a fictional character?

13. What book made you want to climb into the story and shake someone?

14. Have you ever shouted at a character, out loud, while you're reading?

15. If you could decide which book the next big-budget movie would be based on, which would it be?

16. Is it important to you to see an author's picture?

17. What book did you have to read in one sitting, because you just couldn't put it down?

18. Do you prefer a first person narration? Third person? Omniscient?

19. What storyline has been done to death?

20. Do you try to pronounce long and difficult names when you read, or do you just make up something easier and shorter in your head?

21. What would you rename the hero/heroine of a favourite book, if you could?

22. Your biggest pet peeve re: reading is?

23. If you could ask every author one question, (the same one every time), in person, what would you ask?

24. Name a great writer you've read, whom hardly anyone has heard of.

25. Have you ever wanted to rewrite the ending of a book, because you loved the book, but hated the ending?

I can't wait to read your answers!

Smother me: Dominique Weldon

2012-02-08T17:32:00.000-08:00

How you cannot see, what I need
You're suffocating,
Breaths become gasps,
So quick, so fast,
They leave me,
Hands caress and hold,
And nowhere to go,
The darkness flows in,
It licks and it grins
Wanting to see, how desperate is me,
I need it so low, I want it to go,
How can you not see that you're killing me,
Drips of the red that shed down my head,
Nothing to comfort, nothing to hold,
How I wish for the day you turn cold

Death Metal and Crimson Shadow

2012-02-07T18:02:00.000-08:00

What do I know about author Nathan Squiers? I have to admit, I can only be confident of five facts. 1) Nathan loves Megan. 2) He loves bacon, (nearly as much as Megan). 3) Nathan has a wicked sense of humour. 4) His fans really love him...and 5) Don't even try to classify this man, because he will continually surprise you.

Nathan has come to visit, bringing us a beginners guide to Nathan Squiers and an excerpt of his self published novel Death Metal. He's also brought us a peek at his Crimson Shadow Series, scheduled for release this summer. It's important to note: Crimson Shadow is more than just a book. At the end of this post, you'll find out how this book impacts more than just the readers who buy it.

The Beginners Guide to Nathan Squiers, Literary Dark Prince

Born in Massachusetts in 1986, Nathan grew up in Andover where his affinity for story-telling flourished due to a love of books and movies as well as an overactive imagination. At the age of 13, Nathan and his mother moved to upstate New York to be closer to their family.

After surviving public school, where he spent most of his days locked away in the AV room watching old 80s movies on Laserdisc and planning out his next video project, Nathan began a shaky college career. A love of inventing and telling stories was motivation enough to pursue an education in English, and, as luck would have it, a series of phenomenal professors were presented to get him pointed in the right direction. It was in his first years of college that Nathan began to actively pursue a writing career, starting his first literary journey with a piece that would become Crimson Shadow (due for release summer of 2012 by Crushing Hearts and Black Butterfly Publishing).

Like any good story, a chaotic turn of events brought Nathan from the very brink of insanity and loneliness to the warm, comforting embrace of Megan, his best friend, lover, kindred spirit, and--more often than not--personal handler. It was with Megan at his side that Nathan was able to continue his writing (sometimes solely motivated by the young lady's threats of dismemberment if he tried to stop). With Megan's help, Nathan was able to see Death Metal, his fourth manuscript, through the publication process.

Nearly ten years later, Nathan continues to invent stories and put them into a literary sequence that he hopes will be somehow decipherable by other readers. As a lover of all things creative, he works in both novels, novellas, short stories, as well as comic book scripts (just don't ask him to draw something if you don't like stick figures and poorly-executed shapes).

Death Metal

Life was good and the future was bright for up-and-coming heavy metal band, Bloodtones. With a steadily-growing fan-base, the five members looked forward to a promising career in the music industry.

And then things went to hell.

Soon after a strange sighting, the Bloodtones' lead singer, Bekka, finds herself capable of the impossible and in mortal danger from otherworldly forces that catch even the non-human members of the band off guard. With their rock-solid future rapidly crumbling before their eyes, the Bloodtones find themselves struggling for not only their music...

but their very lives.

Excerpt from Death Metal

Brian came in heavy at that moment on his guitar, the rapid, high-pitched squeal ranging back and forth as his fingers flew along the frets. As the intro's tempo grew more rapid, Bekka heard Derek's subtle bass line as it worked its way in. After another few seconds Will came in, slow at first, but racing along to match the others' pace. When their combined efforts seemed unable to get any heavier, David jumped into the mix.

As the sound got nice and heavy, Bekka began to rock back-and-forth onstage. In front of her, hundreds of metal-lovers began to jump and gyrate to their music. She matched their movements for a moment, enjoying the connection that was being made, before stepping over to the keyboard that had been set up behind her. Sliding her microphone into an attached cradle, she assumed her position and got ready. Right on cue, all the others stopped playing, throwing the auditorium into an abrupt silence. Before the crowd could react, however, Bekka's fingers began to work the keys, issuing a rhythm that was much softer and slower than what had been built up. The audience's violent thrash-dance calmed at that moment and they began to sway in response.

Bekka smiled to herself.

This is what she lived for.

Crimson Shadow

After losing his mother to a vicious assault committed by his stepfather, young Xander Stryker is sent to live with his widowed grandmother. With no hope in sight, Xander trudges through life on a day-to-day basis, loosely relying on his knowledge of magic and driven by the hope that he won't live to see the next. Every night he attempts to take his life with a single bullet in his late grandfather's revolvers. But every night he's denied escape.

Nearing his 18th birthday, however, Xander's tortured existence begins to take a turn towards the otherworldly. As strange sightings, loss of control over his powers, and a growing paranoia threaten the sanity that he's managed to maintain through the years, Xander is nearing his breaking-point. When, at the peak of chaos, his grandmother turns up murdered and surrounded by the bodies of her killers, the world--a supernatural world filled with vampires and werewolves that he was unknowingly born into--comes crashing down, and he has to choose between living as a human in a world that hates him or taking on a vampiric legacy that he's always been meant for.

Is Xander prepared for what's coming? And what happens when his horrific past--a past that he's long-since believed to be dead and buried--turns up even more deadly than before? Is Xander strong enough to survive the downward spiral of the truth, or will the revolver's hammer finally land on the lone bullet he's been waiting for all these years?

Excerpt from Crimson Shadow

"My name is Ronen," the newcomer said, bowing his head as he took a step towards him, "and it will be my pleasure to guide you through the change." he stopped for a moment, smiling warmly, before carefully lifting Xander’s left arm. Before continuing, he locked his gaze on Xander's, "You are sure that this is what you want?"

Xander nodded.

There was a sharp sting then as Ronen bit into his wrist and Xander flinched before a warm rush made the pain subside and the room began to spin. Thrown off kilter, Xander felt himself start to fall as the poison seeped into the veins of his arm and, after a long, lingering moment, crawled past his shoulder and into his chest--into his heart--where it suddenly exploded into a full-body inferno.

He was burning to death!

There is something very special about Nathan's Crimson Shadow Series that, I believe, every reader should know.

Xander Stryker, the protagonist of the Crimson Shadow series, was created nearly ten years ago after several years of extensive research prior to the piece. Nathan wanted to approach the vampire/werewolf lore from a new direction that would make the creatures believable. He didn't, however, want to alter the legends to the point of no longer being recognizable. After creating the world that Xander would inhabit, Nathan went about telling the story of a deeply troubled young man and his struggles with himself and his place in the world.

When Nathan first approached the project, it was a means of overcoming some of his own inner demons--a way of doing on paper what he knew could not be done in life--and, as Xander's story unfolded, it continued to be a piece dedicated to inspiring hope, but it rapidly became less about Nathan and his own hope and more about providing inspiration for others that were in similar situations.

Xander quickly became a symbol for Nathan of strength and perseverance (the number one reason that he got the character tattooed to his right forearm). When book #1 was completed, Nathan moved on to the second, and then the third. To date, seven books are planned for Xander and his tortured adventures (Nathan's currently in the middle of book #4). More than anything, he's happy that he's created a series that will not only delight and entertain fans of the genre, but bring hope to readers as well.

A short while ago, Nathan--along with Crushing Hearts and Black Butterfly Publishing--decided to donate a portion of the book's proceeds to the To Write Love On Her Arms cause, a non-profit group dedicated to providing support to those suffering from depression, anxiety, and suicidal or self-destructive tendencies.

For more information about the cause, please visit http://www.twloha.com/

**********

You can find Nathan nearly everywhere online, if you look. Here are a few links...

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Nathan.Squiers
Google+: "Nathan Squiers" (NSquiers0615@gmail.com)
Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/visceral_vices
Twitter: https://twitter.com/Visceral_vices
Personal author page: http://www.nathansquiers.com/
and Crushing Hearts and Black Butterfly Publishing

Introducing Jenna Kay

2012-02-06T21:10:00.000-08:00

Our guest blogger today is the lovely Jenna Kay. Providing a sneak peek at her upcoming book, Mark of the Seer, due for release, through Crushing Hearts and Black Butterfly Publishing on Feb. 29th, 2011. She's provided us with an exerpt, a peek at the cover, and the back cover blurb.

First, let's meet Jenna...

Jenna Kay has always had a vivid imagination and decided at 30 years old that it was time to bring the real supernatural to life. Jenna's heart is to impact the lives of young adults that are going through the hardships of this life with a hope that there is way more out there than just the pains of the world.

Jenna grew up with three older brothers which made her one tough cookie. She was blessed with two loving parents, both that encouraged her to follow her dreams and always made sure that she was in Church.

Jenna graduated from high school in Georgia, where she played varsity basketball. Later, she obtained a cosmetology license from the State of Georgia and practiced cosmetology for 8 years before becoming a full time author.

Jenna currently resides in North Georgia where, when not writing, she spends time with her three young children and her loving husband.

Jenna works to help those who need guidance and love that is far greater than we can provide. There IS hope.

So what is Mark of the Seer all about? Here's what you'll find on the back cover...

Clarity Miller always thought of her life as semi-normal. She had friends that would do anything for her, a boyfriend madly in love with her, and a roof over her head that she shared with her aunt.

Everything seemed to be falling into place. That is, until the day she met Sam.

When Sam informs her that he's her guardian angel and that she has been given the gifts of a Seer, her life starts spiraling out of control. She wants nothing to do with the spiritual realm.

All she wants is to have a normal life as a teenager, but when a tragedy occurs that causes the whole town of Garlandton to fall to its knees she realizes that she has a very important decision to make.

Should she embrace the life of a Seer?

Only time will tell...

Now, for that promised peek inside!

“What do they mean, Sam?” I asked urgently. “Why do I have tattoos on my hands?”

“His eyes fell to my hands. He flipped them over, lovingly stroking the crosses. I winced at the sight of them.

They are not tattoos,” he answered in a bare whisper, still admiring them. “They are marks that have appeared on millions since the fall.”

Why do I have them?” I asked again.

His gaze eventually drifted back to me. “They are the marks of the Seer. You are a Seer, Clarity.”

I stared at him in paralyzed shock. “That's what Lukus called me! But I. . .I don't. . .”

I was totally floored and speechless. His proclamation had hit me like a thunderbolt falling from the sky, striking me and then leaving me numb from the top of my head to the tips of my toes.

Seer. Lukus's voice echoed in my head—the demons had called me a Seer. The problem was that I had no idea what a Seer was.

As if reading my mind Sam leaned closer to me, just inches away from my face, his eyes burning with fired-up serenity. The smell of lavender circulated around us with a calming intoxication of pure love.

“You can see into the spirit realm. Not only can you see what's in front of you, but you can also see what other humans can't. As your gift matures you'll be able to fight the forces of the wicked alongside me.”

“How is that even possible?” I challenged. “Out of all the billions of people on the planet, why am I the only one who can see supernatural. . .things?”

“You're not the only one,” he confessed. “In Garlandton you are, but not the only one in the world.”

I looked at him, blatantly puzzled. My head pounded as I tried to grasp his words that sounded like they had been blended together in a glass of absolute disarray. I was still trying to wrap my mind around angels and demons existing, and to add Seer to the whole mix was just plain irritating.

“What does Ra'ah and Chozeh mean?” I inquired, knowing very well I was butchering the pronunciations of the strange words. The way they came from my mouth didn't sound at all like how the demons had sounded them.

Sam chose not to point out my brutal massacre of the words. “Those are just
other ways to say Seer. Ra'ah basically means that you are able to see. Chozeh means you're an observer of visions.”

“Visions?”

He nodded. “Most visions come to you through dreams, but sometimes they can happen while you're wide awake. Being a Seer you may be able to see something that will happen years down the road, or you will be able to see something just moments before they happen.”

Stupefied I asked, “I'll be able to see the future? How crazy is that?!”

“No, no, no,” he replied ruefully. “Don't get your gift from above confused with fortune telling—those are two very different subjects. Your visions will come directly from the Father, whenever and wherever you are.”

Amazement infused my nerves as I digested everything he was saying, and I tried really hard to keep an opened mind. Just sixty some-odd days ago my life had presumably been normal, but now I was sitting in my room having a conversation with my guardian angel about me being a Seer who not only could see into the spiritual world, but also could receive visions from God.

My life was so far from normal it was pathetic.

********

Look for Jenna on her Facebook Author Page
and Crushing Hearts And Black Butterfly Publishing on their Website

What a Writer Should Never Do

2012-02-06T17:56:00.000-08:00

I stole this picture from one of my Facebook Friends, hope they don't mind! *I take noooo credit for the posts/picture, just my rambling on them XD*

Anyhoo, so I'm here on All Things Books... on a Monday! Yes, a Monday, and not a Wednesday! Crazy, right? I bet no one really notices, but I'll pretend like you guys do, haha. I was asked to basically write a little something on here everyday or whenever I can for the next two weeks. I'm not sure I can write a poem everyday, but I can ramble about writing-related stuff.

Which leads me to this picture I found today. These are a few points that any artist (and writing is a form of art just so you know!) needs to avoid. I completely agree with everything on this list!

1) Comparing yourself to other artists: STOP! Don't even think about that! How can you expect to improve yourself if you're constantly knocking yourself down all because Joseph Eastwood wrote an insane piece of work that drives you crazy with jealously? (And yes Joe, I threw your name out there! haha) Run your own race, no one else's.

2)Talk to your family about what you do and expect them to cheer you on: Yeah, that doesn't happen so much. Art sometimes is labeled as a 'joke career' so some people won't take you seriously. My some of my own family isn't tooooo supportive-I mean they are, but aren't much for reading. If you need emotional support then I think you need to change careers, because it's not going to happen all the time.

3)Base the success of your entire career on one project: Okay, basically every author was rejected a million-bajillion times before they 'made it big.' It's your first work, it's not supposed to be great, you're supposed to improve as time goes on! Rejection is normal and guess what? It's okay!

4)Stick with what you know: You're writing will be much more believable if you write what you know. Sure you can write about aliens taking over the world and what not... But just saying, it doesn't have the same emotion as a piece from 'what you know' does.

5)Undervalue your expertise: Why would you want to do that??? You're talented-believe in yourself! If you don't, then how do you expect anyone else to?

6)Let money dictate what you do: HAH! Uhhh, yeah, money doesn't happen so much. If you're in this for the money let me suggest a career change again. I cannot not express how hard it is for writers to become multimillionaires. It's not impossible, but I'm sorry to say it's rare:(

7)Bow to societal pressures: Basically it's saying take risks and don't let anyone hold you back! Who knows, maybe someone could write the best next thing based on a topic that's 'taboo' here. It's creativity, you're not supposed to hold back!

8)Only do work your family would love: That's kinda close to the last one. Don't write to please others. You need to remember that you come first! It's your work, make yourself happy before anyone else!

9)Do whatever the publisher wants: (Yeah I changed it, but I feel like this fits better XD) Once again, make yourself happy! YOU-YOU-YOU! If you have a publisher that wants you to change your plot from fighting vampires to twinkling fairies then maybe it's time for a change. Remember, there are plenty of publishers out there, find the one that works best with you.

And last but not least!!!

10)Set unachievable/overwhelming goals to be reached by tomorrow: Because you're just asking for failure. Don't get me wrong, goals are great! We love goals, they keep you in line with your work, and help you from straying off that deadline. The problem with this is that if you set crazy goals you'll never finish anything! Instead you'll just get stressed and end up worse than you were before. It's best to have longer-more realistic goals

And there you go-things you should neverrrrr do! Hopefully this helps at least someone out there:D

You Might Be A Writer

2012-02-05T19:45:00.000-08:00

As Tanya is experiencing some unfortunate technical difficulties, I'll be bringing a few guest bloggers in to help her along over the next few days. Some of these talented people will be new to you. Others you may have encountered in your journeys around Facebook, Twitter, Blogger etc. I hope you'll help me make them all welcome and I hope, even more, we can entertain you in the interim.

My laptop caught a virus on Thursday. I was not amused. While I ran anti-virus, anti-malware and anti-spyware programs, I used my hubby's laptop to keep up with social networking, checking email etc. It took all day. Since all my writing is on my hard-drive, I didn't write a word until after dinner.

Hubby made a crack about how maniacally I pounced on the laptop before I'd finished chewing. He was right, though. "What can I say?" I shot back. "I'm a writer."

Still being a smart...uh...tee-pants, he asked, "Are you sure?"

It reminded me of something I'd seen in the blog of a fellow author some months back. His name is Thomas Pryce, and he's generously permitted me to share the blog in question with you today...

********

You might be a writer…

(To be read like Jeff Foxworthy’s – “You might be a Redneck”)

If Wikipedia is higher up on your favorites list than your go to porn website…you might be a writer

If you stare at clouds in search of inspiration far too long…you might be a writer

If you think that Scrabble should be an Olympic event…you might be a writer

If you read your Facebook page merely to study human behavior…you might be a writer

If you have a stack of old scribble filled notebooks taller than the health care bill…you might be a writer

If you catch your girlfriend having sex with Cormac McCarthy and all you can think is, "when’s he gonna finish so I can get his autograph"…you might be a writer

If you ride the bus or subway just so you can study weird characters…you might be a writer

If you’ve ever searched thru the phone book to find the perfect name for a fictional character…you might be a writer

If you have an old thesaurus that looks like it’s been thru a John Deere threshing machine…you might be a writer

If you’ve put off sex because you needed to finish reading one more chapter of that new novel…you might be a writer

If you get genuine withdrawal DT’s when your laptop is in the shop for more than a day…you might be a writer

If you’d do more to learn a neat new word than you would for a Klondike bar…you might be a writer

If the word rewrite brings you a tinge of panic…you might be a writer

If you’d rather be writing even more than you’d rather be fishing right now…you might be a writer

If you can wallpaper a small cathedral with your rejection letters…you might be a writer

If you’ve ever stalked a literary agent…you might be a writer

If you sometimes dream in words instead of pictures…you might be a writer

If you’d rather be in Barnes and Noble then in Vegas…you might be a writer

If you are genuinely perplexed why network television has yet to come out with a show called American Idol Writer…you might be a writer

If you feel that Hallmark should make a sympathy card to send to friends suffering from writers block…you might be a writer

If you consider Starbucks coffee to be one of the four main food groups…you might be a writer

If you’ve just stayed at a Holiday Inn Express…you might be a writer

If you see a chick with long beautiful legs and all you can think about is how you can cleverly describe them in poetry or prose…you might be a writer.

If you’ve ever scribbled a great idea down on the dashboard of your car while driving on the freeway…you might be a writer

If you’ve asked a cop to toss you in jail for a few days because you want that prison scene in your new novel to be perfectly genuine…you might be a writer (but if you’re in jail for incest, poaching, or stealing a pack of Chicklets to fill in your missing teeth before that date with your cousin…you might be a red-neck)

If you are on the NSA’s watch list due to all the unusual Google searches you’ve done…you might be a writer

If the phrase "yes…I’m very excited, send it in" turns you on more coming from a publisher than your wife…you might be a writer

If you are over thirty and you still live in your parent’s basement…you might be a writer

If you’ve ever dreamt that you could change the world…you might be a writer

If you take vacations to areas you think would be a great setting for a future novel…you might be a writer

If you’ve ever referred to a west coast sunset as a red-hot ingot meting thru an infinite blue block of Pacific paraffin…you might be a writer

If you can think of at least 3 more of these without even thinking…you might be a writer

If your words have ever brought someone joy, tears, rage, or a smile…you might be a writer

If you wasted your time reading this entire thread…you might be a writer. Or you might just be insane! (which in and of itself would mean…you might be a writer!)

********

Please feel free to add your own, You might be a writer... or You might be a book addict... in the comments. Have fun with it!

Here's my contribution: "When your hubby comes home, and the house is clean, dinner is ready, you're dressed up, and the kids are in bed; if the first thing he says is, "Did your laptop crash?"...you might be a writer.

Thanks for the funnies, Thomas! :D

********
Thomas Pryce is a former NY high school science teacher. He now lives in south Florida where he runs a small business and writes. The Post-Apocalyptic Thriller Unnatural Selection is his debut publication.
You can find him here: http://cenozoicpublishing.com/

Cover Madness

2012-02-05T01:00:00.000-08:00

Hello All Things Books Readers,

Today I have a wonderful surprise, as many of you know. There is print versions to certain books coming to XoXo Publishing INC this year. With that news comes the knowledge that there is two of my biggest series that will be taking a dip in that big pool.

So for you today, here is the wonderful covers that my cover artist, editor and PR assistant created for us. I have also included the blurbs to these books for your reading leisure. Enjoy and I would love to hear your thoughts on these particular books.

We start with the wonderful A Different Life: From The Beginning. The book that contains the first three ebooks and bonus chapters. This is a coming soon Print book.

From unknown writer and dancer comes Layla or author Midnight as she bursts onto the scenes of the world of Professional Wrestling. Ripping the curtain down, she takes over their world. Her books stir mayhem as love blooms between herself and the men she has idealised since she was a teenager. What would you do if you fell in love with two brothers and still had a boyfriend sitting at home? Well Layla faces that and much more in this twist and turning three part story. Are you ready for sweaty, muscularly men and a modern romance that will leave your knees weak? Your heart beating fast and you asking yourself the question Will or Edward or Cameron?

Moving onto to the wonderful Paranormal world of magic, sword fighting, prophecy, we have The Shetland Immortals Collection that will contain the first four books of the Shetland Immortals series.

Have you ever wondered what it's like to be Immortal? Would you want to be the girl connected to a prophecy that can give centuries old Immortals the one thing they either want or would kill to stop? Carla knows what that feeling is like and she is on a rollercoster that is all about life and death. Her, her mentor Oscar, The Immortal Chief, Krystal-Marie, Mark McHarrison and Daryl are about to know exactly what its like to be in the middle of a prophecy that is older than King Arthur. From King Arthur's time till the year 2013. This book follows this group as they all play apart in an prophecy that the Norse Gods themselves planned out!

These are proving to be the best books I have ever had the pleasure on working on. I will make a side note in each of the blogs leading up to their release. I will also be holding a contest to win these print books when they come out. So please make sure that you stay tuned for them.

We are really about to release some of the hottest creations on the world. So please let me know what you think of the covers.

Thank you for having me All Things Books, see you next week for a CONTEST to WIN the Shetlands Immortals Collection!

Kristal McKerrington

Step Right Up!

2012-02-03T12:24:00.000-08:00

Facebook, Twitter, Google +. I have accounts on all three. As a reader, social networking is a bit like walking down the midway at a huge fair. All the author carnies) are shouting at once, "Hey, hey, over here. You got a couple'a dollars? You're gonna love this. Check it out. Here! No, here! Look, I'll throw in an extra prize!" And like a kid at the carnival, I'm racing from place to place, trying to decide where to spend my allowance, and how to get the most for my money.

As an Indie author, it's sometimes more like trying to be the thirty-third caller on a radio show, for a pair of backstage passes, at that concert everyone wants to go to. If I don't dial in at just the right second, I have to wait an hour and try again. My speed dial is all set and my finger is hovering over the button, (in this case, the enter key), waiting for the perfect opportunity.

Sometimes it's similar to attempting a conversation with my hubby while he's watching T.V. If I'm really lucky I can catch that commercial break, and get in a sentence or two, before he flips the channel.

Most often it feels like I'm twenty years old again, at the bar, trying to connect with some hotty on the dance floor. The music is blaring, the lights are flashing, and there's a pair of girls grinding on each other a foot away. I'm winking, flipping my hair and showing off my moves, and it takes me a while to realize he hasn't been looking at me for the last five minutes. His attention has already been taken by the blonde behind me, with the short skirt and the long legs.

It's easy to get drawn into a cycle of spamming, as a writer. We are the carnies at the fair, each trying to get your attention. I suppose there are some writers who just want you to buy their book. Those are the "sales link spammers". You've all seen them. Once or twice a day, they post their sales links, and then sign out. Most of us, though, really just want to share our words with you.

Sure, I'd love to sell a thousand books and be able to write for a living! It's not a very likely scenario, but it's a nice dream. My first book has cost me approximately four hundred dollars to publish. Every penny of that money came out of my pocket. I'd have to sell eight hundred copies to recoup that money. To date, I've sold one. I've given away over one hundred and sixty copies, via contests, ARC's, free downloads, reviewer copies and just plain gifts. If I sell eight hundred copies in five years, I think I'll have a heart attack. I certainly don't expect some publishing company will pick me up on a big, fat contract anytime soon. I really just want to share my words. I'm beginning to think, though, that social networking isn't such a great way to do that anymore.

With the switch to a ticker feed on Facebook, the speed at which Twitter operates, and the 'hit and miss' postings on Google +, I find myself, more often than not, feeling lost in the crowd. I'm just one voice of many shouting into crowded rooms, hoping someone can hear me over the noise. "Hello?"

There must be a better way...

Of Wood, Graphite, and Rubber: by Dominique Weldon

2012-02-01T18:20:00.000-08:00

The pencil,
Such a marvelous contraption;
Simple to say the least,
But that adds to it's wonder,
Its length isn't comparable to the massive structure of a skyscraper,
Or as extraordinary as the microscopic world,
Its only a mere five inches,
Those five inches of wood, graphite and rubber is the bridge to a world of possibilities;
The dark, yet correctable tip makes way for learning, creativity and imagination,
To put it simply,
This tool is one made of magic,
A magic marveled for ages

Interview with Amber Kizer, author of Wildcat Fireflies

2012-01-31T09:12:00.000-08:00

1. Did you always know you wanted to be a writer or was there
something else you wanted to do as a career?

No, I did not want to be a writer. I didn't have artistic leanings or aspirations at all. But my freshman year of college I was diagnosed with a rare nerve condition/disease that changed my world completely. In short, I deal with significant pain 24/7, other weird symptoms, and my legs don't always work. So I needed a career that I could do at 3AM when I was still awake because of my legs, or that I can do in spite of the restrictions my legs impose at a whim. I knew I loved books and writing could fit around bad days and doctor visits. So I began to learn the craft and the business. I’m blessed to have enough talent that the hard work paid off. I am definitely where I should be, doing what I was supposed to do!

2. Is there one author that you have read every book that they have written?

Just one? Laughing there are lots! Nora Roberts, Suzanne Brockmann, Jude Deveraux, Gabriel Garcia Marquez, Margaret Atwood, Chuck Palahniuk, Neal Shusterman, Julie Anne Peters, Lurlene McDaniel, Scott Westerfeld, Maya Angelou, James Whitcomb Riley, Katherine Stone…those are just the ones off the top of my head.

3. In you opinion what is the best movie adaptation of a book that you've read?

There are two movies that come to mind of books that I loved and read first—1) THE ROAD by Cormac McCarthy starring Vigo Mortenson. I think one of the hardest things to connect with movies and books is the tone of the language—the emotion evoked in the reader by the word and story. This one was fantastic—it’s dreary and gray and felt completely authentic to me. 2) THE HELP by Kathryn Stockett. I think movies can make characters into caricatures very quickly and lose the complexity that lives in the book. I was pleasantly surprised that I enjoyed this movie and much as the book. I’ve also heard great things about HUGO and look forward to seeing that!

4. When you are browsing book stores what is the first section you go to?

New releases usually. Then romance. Then young adult. Then new nonfiction. Biographies. Then cookbooks. Then sexuality and relationships. Then magazines. Then sale stuff. Then greeting cards. The only sections I avoid are accounting/mathematics and computer programming—but I’m sure one of these days I’ll have a character who loves one or the other and I’ll be spending time learning that too.

5. If your book was being made into a movie do you already have actors
in mind for each role? What bands/singers would you put on the
soundtrack?

No, I don’t cast characters based on actors and actresses—so in my head the characters look like themselves—like you or me or the guy drinking coffee over in the second booth. It would be easier for me to tell you who SHOULDN’T be cast in the movie, lol! I work with the music soundtrack while I’m writing and each is different for the books—for WILDCAT FIREFLIES I’d start with B-52s, Owl City, Within Temptation, The Band Perry, Angels and Airwaves, Celtic Women, Josh Groban.

6.. When you're creating characters do you incorporate traits from
people you know?

Yes, but not in the way you think. Everything about my life goes into the creative well and that includes the people in it, but how it comes out doesn’t necessarily look like anything or anyone recognizable to a reader. No one is going to say “Oh, that’s totally so and so.” It doesn’t work that way.

7. If you had the chance to have a sit down with any author alive or
deceased who would it be and why?

Just one? Lol! Eudora Welty, Louisa May Alcott, Edgar Allen Poe, James Whitcomb Riley, Nora Roberts, Chuck Palahniuk, Suzanne Brockmann, Gabriel Garcia Marquez…why—because they all do something with story or words that I admire and would love to learn how to do. But with any of these authors I’d probably just sit and stare at them blankly and say things like “Oh my god, you’re Eudora. I’m talking to Eudora. Do you know how brilliant you are?” Over and over and over again. Really classy with drooling too. And I’d probably spill something hideous down the front of myself like tomato soup.

Thanks for having me! Readers can find more online at Facebook, my sites www.AmberKizer.com and www.MeridianSozu.com. Readers who would like personalized, signed bookplates (mailed anywhere in the world!) just need to email their request along with their mailing address to me at: Amber@AmberKizer.com

Jill Scribbles: Veronica Mars + SLIDE giveaway!

2012-01-29T09:21:00.000-08:00

Jill Scribbles: Veronica Mars + SLIDE giveaway!: Sadly, I did not see VERONICA MARS until 2009, when I was on maternity leave with Munchkin. It was a few months before I wrote SLIDE, and...

Hitler's Silver Box book trailer and excerpt by Allen Malnak

2012-01-26T11:04:00.000-08:00

HITLER’S SILVER BOX-A Novel

Allen Malnak

They didn’t give me silver. They gave me people. The silver had been in their mouths. And—some were children. Just children.

Max Bloomberg’s journal

We lived in a maze of walls, barbed wire, fear, and cruelty. And a landscape of screams.

Max Bloomberg’s journal

PROLOGUE

Moscow: Wednesday, October 12, 1994

Daylight was fading on the late autumn day as Vasilevich made his way up from the subway and plodded the five blocks to his modest apartment in the Petrovka district.

The file clerk took the rattling elevator to the tenth floor, unlocked the heavy door, and began peeling off his coat. He momentarily wondered why there was no pleasant odor of shchi, his wife’s delicious cabbage soup, when out of the corner of his eye he noticed a tall stranger holding a handgun.

He carefully raised his hands and turned to face the man, forcing himself to move slowly and keep his breathing even. It was probably just a robbery, not unusual with the soaring number of drug addicts in Moscow. He’d give the man what money he had, and probably be fine.

But the intruder was too well dressed, too clean to be an addict. He waved his weapon and placed a finger over his lips. “Put down your hands and sit.” Passable Russian, but with a heavy German accent.

Vasilevich sank slowly into a large armchair in a corner.

“I’m not here to harm you,” the man said, “but don’t provoke me. You are Danislav Vasilevich, and you work for Rudolph Pikhoia?”

Vasilevich’s mouth became dry, and he had trouble forming the words. “Who are you? Where’s my wife? What do you want?”

The intruder waved his hand in a calming manner and spoke softly. “It’ll be better if you just listen and answer my questions. Then, perhaps, I’ll answer yours.”

Vasilevich took a deep breath to try to calm himself. Something strange and deep was going on here, but it left him with no choice but to obey. He lifted his chin. “Director Pikhoia is the chairman of the State Archival Service of the Russian Federation. While I work in the archives office, I’ve only met the director once. I’m just a clerk … a clerk. You must need someone higher up.” Knots formed in his stomach, and a wave of nausea hit. “Please, where’s my wife?”

The stranger smiled. “Svetlana is a lovely young woman. Don’t worry. No harm will come to her. Not if you pay attention to what I want.”

The gunman knew her name. And his. And where he worked. What were they doing to her? Vasilevich stood and took a step toward the armed man. “If you harm her … .”

The intruder waved the automatic again and said in an almost-kindly manner, “Sit back down and listen. My needs are simple. We know you have access to many German documents from what you Russians still call the Great Patriotic War.” The man pulled out a small notebook. “They are kept in the … Central State Special Archive, division 14B, room 2.” He returned the notebook to a pocket. “We need a small amount of information. If you obtain it without letting anyone know what you have done and deliver it to me, you’ll have enough rubles to enjoy a nice seaside vacation. With your wife.”

“My Sveta. You’ve not harmed her? Please don’t. She’s … very sensitive.” He heard a quiver in his voice but was beyond embarrassment.

“The Soviets captured a camp in the Czech Republic called Theresienstadt.”

“I mostly file old documents. I’m able to read some German, but I usually only read enough to get an idea of the contents, so the papers can be properly classified. Our great Soviet armies liberated a number of concentration camps. I can’t remember hearing that name before. Frankly, I’ve never paid much attention to what happened such a long time ago.”

“That’s not important. The Soviet NKVD grabbed many records from the camps, and we’ve discovered these documents are now in your Archives of the Russian Federation. We need you to find certain information and bring it to us. Quickly. You must start your search tomorrow.”

The Russian shook his head and was on the verge of tears. “Not easy. We need special permission to enter areas we aren’t assigned to.”

The German’s face registered no emotion. “I’m sure you can deal with that. I don’t want to spell out what will happen if you fail. Listen carefully now. No notes. Nothing ever in writing, except copies of the information I need. Back in 1945 an SS Colonel Steinhauser had a prisoner make a silver box while in Theresienstadt. I must know the name of that silversmith. It has to be in the archives here. My countrymen kept excellent records. I need any and all information about this prisoner. Everything. Understand?”

“But, what if—?”

The German speaker didn’t allow Vasilevich to finish. “Better you should not think of that.”

The man reached into his pocket and handed the Russian a cellular phone. “Tomorrow at this time, I’ll call you. Let the phone ring without answering. Then go at once to the Cafe Gallery. You know the place?”

“I know where it is. Not far from here.” He frowned and shook his head. “Never been there. Too expensive a restaurant for people like us.”

The intruder handed the young Russian a small stack of rubles. “Order a meal and start to eat. Sit near a window. While you’re eating, I’ll call you again. If you have the information, simply say ‘I’m busy.’ Otherwise, just say, ‘You have the wrong number.’ Better that you be busy. Understand?”

Still shaking and still sick to his stomach, Vasilevich simply nodded.

“I’ll give you instructions about delivery tomorrow. Remember, not a word to anyone if you want your lovely Sveta back home unharmed. Now sit on the floor and face away from the door.”

Unable to think of any other response, Vasilevich obeyed.

As the German opened the door, he murmured, “Remember, your wife’s life is in your hands. We have informers everywhere, so don’t do anything you’ll regret.”

And he was gone.

A few minutes later, just as he calmly exited the building, a shiny black Mercedes pulled up alongside. He jumped in before the car came to a full stop, and was whisked away.

“And so, Gerhard, did it work out?” the driver asked in German. “Can he do it?”

Gerhard nodded. “Your information on the archivist was correct. I think it’ll work.”

“Suppose he does obtain what we need to know about that Jew,” the driver went on, “how do we handle him and his woman, after we get it?”

“No question about Herr Vasilevich. He has to be erased. An accident. Can you arrange it?” His contact had better be able to, or of what use was he?

“Shouldn’t be a problem. And the lady?”

“That depends. Did she see or hear anything? Has she been touched by your people? You know what I mean.”

“Absolutely not. She was blindfolded and kept isolated. Given food and water. No one has spoken to her, except a few whispers. We even made her wear earplugs. She has a little bell she can ring with her fingers if she needs to use the facilities.”

Gerhard’s expression conveyed indifference. “In that case, no matter how this turns out, just take her somewhere, give her a few thousand rubles, and turn her loose. She’s young and pretty. She can still have a life.”

You’ve entered a different world from the one you knew. At home, we planted gardens. Here we only plant the dead.

Max Bloomberg’s journal

CHAPTER ONE

“I trust these ruffians didn’t harm you, Herr Bloomberg, and the bindings aren’t too tight?”

The tall, well-dressed man projected civility, even benevolence. He was perhaps thirty and handsome in a craggy-faced, broad-shouldered, athletic sort of way. Unlike the cracked and dirty fingernails of the others, the smiling man’s nails were professionally manicured. Speaking in fluent German, he seemed sincerely apologetic that his prisoner, whose arms were securely bound to his leather armchair with clothesline, was being inconvenienced.

Max Bloomberg understood every word, though he hadn’t used his native language in decades. If only he could get a grasp on what was happening here. The men must have crept in during the middle of the night and deftly disconnected the security system. They seemed well-armed, although Max understood little concerning firearms—except the ones that had been pointed at him by guards herding him and his fellow Jews into boxcars, herding them off boxcars, herding them through “processing” at the camp.

But that had been eons ago. Max closed his eyes, squeezing them tight to push away the memories. He opened them, blinked a few times, and glanced around. The home invaders had drawn the drapes before turning on the table lamp. Not amateurs, any of them, he supposed. It occurred to Max that the two rough men who accompanied the well-spoken, well-groomed, well-dressed man relished their work. He’d seen too much brutality not to recognize when someone enjoyed delivering pain.

Glancing toward his accomplices, the elegant interloper continued, “I told them not to gag you, but if you cry out, well, as they say in America, all bets will be off.” The stranger switched to English with only the faintest hint of a German accent. The man almost sounded Jewish, with a few Yiddish phrases thrown in, though Max considered that was probably an act, an attempt to ingratiate himself.

The intruder still spoke softly, but his almost coal-black eyes bore into Max Bloomberg’s own like steel daggers. There was something familiar about the man’s manner, something Max couldn’t help but recognize. He’d seen eyes such as these before—the color was of no importance. He’d heard voices such as this one long ago—the words didn’t matter. The words soothed and the lips smiled, while the hands choked the very life from your throat.

But, how could this fellow possibly know Max? Though he’d encountered the type, Max had never seen this particular man before. And this incident couldn’t be connected to what had happened so long ago. Not possible.

Since Winston, Max’s companion cocker spaniel, had recently died, Max lived alone in this two-story Georgian in River Forest, an affluent western Chicago suburb. Head throbbing, Max found concentration difficult. He’d been having trouble sleeping since finding Winston’s small body sprawled lifeless in the backyard. How long ago was it that his beloved Winnie had died? A week? Two? Max had taken a Seconal only an hour before the rough men, on the German’s orders, had dragged him—an old bookseller, not a rich man—out of bed and down to the small den that served as his library. Now they sat or stood among his treasured books, books Max had accumulated throughout his career and cared for like dear friends, though they had little monetary value. Were these devils here just to rob him? Could he be that lucky?

The other two men were each shorter and not nearly as well dressed as the German. They’d held handguns of some kind when they’d stormed into the bedroom, but the weapons were now out of sight. Standing almost like soldiers at attention on either side of Max, they stared at their leader as if awaiting orders.

A hint of a smile once again crossed the tall intruder’s face. “Bitter cold and snowing tonight. Mind if we light a fire in your beautiful fireplace? Make the room cozy, yes?”

Max didn’t answer.

The heavyset man standing to his left, wearing an old Navy peacoat, said, “Come on, we don’t have time for fuckin’ around. Let’s get on with this shit.”

An American with a hint of a Southern accent. Unusual here in Chicago. As he spoke, “Peacoat” played with a roll of quarters, tossing them from one hand to the other, sometimes grasping the roll tightly in his massive right fist.

The German held his left hand up, palm outstretched. “Now, now. Let’s be civilized, shall we?” He crossed his arms and nodded. “Perhaps—hmm—perhaps, we can even put the heat to some good use. Very good use. Verstehen?”

A pile of dry kindling was stacked in the fireplace.

The man on Max’s right, wearing a worn sheepskin bomber jacket, moved to the fireplace and nodded as well. “Yeah, Ich verstehen.” No southern accent, but not a German speaker, either. “I’ll need some newspaper to light the fire. Or something.”

The leader glanced at Max. “Our good friend won’t mind if we take a few of his old Jew books to use. That’s what they were made for, don’t you think?” Without waiting for a response, he continued, “Remember those good old days when the Führer burned all the Jew books, old man?” The tall stranger’s voice deepened, the tone no longer benevolent.

“Sheepskin” snatched several of the oldest books with Hebrew on the covers and ripped them into chunks, tossing the pieces onto the fireplace with the tinder and the wood. Although he couldn’t make out the titles, Max had placed each book in its slot so often he knew exactly the ones chosen. One was a siddur, a prayer book considered holy to Orthodox Jews. If such a sacred book accidentally fell to the floor during a religious service, the owner would instantly retrieve it, treating it as gently as one would an injured child, and plant a kiss on the cover. Tears filled Max’s eyes.

Soon, they had a blazing fire. The leader nodded to his henchmen. “Bring him closer. Careful not to mark this beautiful floor.”

With Max still bound securely, Peacoat and Sheepskin dragged the chair across the waxed parquet floor, only stopping when the well-spoken German motioned for them to do so. Now Max was so close to the fireplace his bare feet began to feel uncomfortably warm, although he didn’t yet feel any pain.

The German stared hard into Max’s eyes. “You know what we want. So, tell me where the box is. Hmm? Then, we go. We know all about you. You’ve hidden long enough, old man. Too long.”

Max shook his head. “No idea what you’re talking about.”

His aching head began to clear. He kept the rest of his words inside himself. He wasn’t crazy. Something had been going on around him in recent weeks. My God, after all these years. How? How’d they find him?

Max tried to lift his right arm, but was only able to raise his index finger. Pointing it as best he could. “Get out of my home! Now!”

He felt like screaming for help, but knew no one could possibly hear him. The closest house was perhaps fifty yards away, and the windows would be shut during the freezing weather. His house was modest—one of the least expensive on the block—but it occupied a quarter-acre corner lot, carefully landscaped with Northern Accents rose bushes as well as tall red oaks and American elm trees.

He tried to study the men, so he could describe them to the police, but they had handled him roughly when they’d forced him out of bed, and he had difficulty focusing. His heart was pounding. Did that mean the drugged feeling from the sleeping pill was wearing off, or was he becoming even more frightened?

The German simply stood there, allowing Max’s helplessness to sink in. “Oh, you’ll tell me whatever I want to know. Perhaps time has caused you to forget the methods we can use on you Jew bastards? You’ve forgotten the camps?”

Heaven forbid, the camps. That was going back over fifty years. Before these evil men were even born. What could they know about the camps? Only stories they’d read. Max knew—really knew. And, sometimes in the dark, alone at night, his flesh bathed in a cold sweat, he only wished he could forget.

In the next instant, it came to him. His dog, Winston. That was what had happened to his sweet little friend.

“You, you rotten, filthy Nazis. You killed my beautiful little Winnie.”

Now, for the first time, Max began to sob. He became even more short of breath as his chest tightened, and he began to wheeze. Prayers came automatically to his mind. Please, dear God, no time for my emphysema to act up. I’m choking.

He tried to take in deeper breaths, but it didn’t seem to help. If only he had the inhaler with him. But that was still atop his bedside table.

Ignoring Max’s comment and grief, Peacoat lit a Camel, flicking the old-fashioned kitchen match with his thumbnail near his prisoner’s face. The sulfur smell caused Max to cough, and the tightness in his chest increased. The room began to spin as his breathing became ever more labored.

“Go in the kitchen,” the German said. “Get a dish for those ashes, so you don’t leave a mess. No cigarette butts left behind. Verstehen?”

The leader had just confirmed what Max already suspected, since the men wore neither masks nor disguises. When they left, there would be no evidence of their crimes. Alive, Max would be evidence.

Resigned to his fate, Max turned his thoughts to his nephew, Bruce. If Bruce were half as smart as Max knew him to be, he’d find what Max had left for him.

Max silently thanked God he’d been suspicious. And that he’d carefully shredded his notes after finishing the detailed review of exactly what had happened to him so long ago. He had never spoken of it, even to his closest friends or family. But when he finished the journal, he’d hidden the document and left a clue for Bruce, should Max’s worst fears be somehow realized.

The German put his hands on Max’s shoulders and shook him, almost gently. “You haven’t answered. Where’s our box?”

Shortness of breath made speaking nearly impossible “Why … why are you here? Take what you want … leave. I just sell … a few old books.”

Peacoat laughed. “Look who’s asking questions now.” He turned toward the leader. “Better let this Jew vermin know who’s running the show. Before you know it, he’ll be ordering us around. And you’ll probably click your heels and say, ‘Yes, sir, your honor!’ That’s what guys like you are trained to do.”

The leader ignored Peacoat and tapped his right index finger on Max’s head. “Pay attention. I’m running out of patience, and, as you see, my friends here are not as pleasant as I. I must have that box and its contents. Then we’ll leave, and you can get on with your miserable life. You mean nothing, the box everything.”

At that second, the fire crackled and flared, and Max felt a burning sensation in his feet. He did his best to pull them back. His eyes closed for an instant, and he silently prayed. Please, dear God, let me be strong. This may be the last favor I ask.

Max leaned forward as if to whisper something. The German leaned in toward him.

Max spat into his interrogator’s face.

The German straightened, snatched a silk handkerchief from his pocket, and without uttering a sound, carefully wiped the sputum from his cheek. At almost the same moment, with the rolled coins clutched in his right fist, Peacoat punched Max on the left side of the head, knocking him and the chair onto the floor. Max let himself go limp. The pain in his head was excruciating, but he didn’t cry out.

“Pick him up and cut out that kind of thing!” the tall German shouted. “Leave that to me. You’ll kill the old Jew before we get him to tell us what we need to know.”

As the two men lifted the chair along with the apparently semiconscious Max, the German carefully removed three fluid-filled syringes from the side pocket of his cashmere topcoat and laid them on a little table. Max began to groan. The German strolled to a nearby armchair, removed his coat, and folded it over the chair back. He dragged the chair close to Max, who was thinking desperately, trying to dream up some way out of this. Through half-open eyes, Max watched the German sit down and cross his legs.

After a moment, Max slowly opened his eyes and blinked a few times. He shook his head, acting as if he were still trying to clear his mind. His whole body throbbing, he needed a few minutes to figure out if he had any options. From previous experience though, he knew these types wanted people to grovel, to be frightened out of their wits.

Max took a deep breath, sucking in as much air as possible. “Please, don’t hit me again,” he whispered. “I’ll tell you.”

“Speak up,” the German urged.

“Those papers. Burned ’em. In the woods. Didn’t … didn’t make any sense to me. That’s the truth.” Max looked the interrogator in the eyes without blinking. “They important?”

The German nodded. “Sure. And the silver box? What did you do with that?”

“Box? Oh, the box.”

“You know exactly what I mean. You made it. Called yourself a silversmith back then. Where is it?”

Max didn’t hesitate. “Melted … melted it down. Sold the silver.”

Peacoat stepped up to Max and waved his clenched fist, the roll of coins still in it. “You’re a filthy, fucking liar.” He turned toward the leader. “You going to let this piece of shit get away with this nonsense? Look! Let me at him. Leave the room, if you need to. Just give me ten minutes. Probably won’t take that long.”

“Patience, patience.” The German waved his hand. “Now, do me a favor. Take a deep breath and sit down.” Then the German whispered just loudly enough for Max to hear, “We do only what we have to in order to get what we need. Yah? After all, we are not animals. So.”

Peacoat stared hard at his leader, shook his head, and frowned. “Talk. Talk and experiment! That’s what you’re best at. The way you’re going at it, we’ll be here all fuckin’ night. My way will be lots faster. You’re too damned smart. And you know what? That makes you too damned soft.”

“And you never learn how to follow orders. So, shut up and maybe we’ll all learn something besides how strong you are and how brave when your victim is an old man, tied up and helpless, hmm?”

The German picked up one of the syringes. “So. Let us begin.”

We were branded like cattle, only they fed the cattle better.

Max Bloomberg’s journal

CHAPTER TWO

Dr. Bruce Starkman was watching a mix of rain and sleet out the window of their suite at the Grand Geneva Resort in southern Wisconsin when he became aware of Sari standing nearby, smelling of Opium perfume and cigarettes. He turned slowly.

Standing before him in a form-fitting teddy was perhaps the sexiest social worker at Cook County Hospital—tall, trim, athletic, and with great legs. Short blonde hair framed a perfectly made-up oval face. The only faults Bruce could find with her were her smoking and a tendency to be outrageously flirtatious.

“So,” she said. “We can’t go out and play. What do you want to do instead?”

He smiled. Flirtatious could be good. Strangely, what had first caught his attention about Sari wasn’t her looks, but the efficient method she had of problem solving. She seemed able to get patients evaluated and given necessary advice or transferred appropriately before others even had a handle on the situation. It was a very handy skill on the wards as well as in the emergency room.

Aside from medicine and sex, however, their only other shared interest happened to be tennis. During the previous days at the resort—his first vacation in more than a year from his all-consuming job of chief ER resident at Chicago’s Cook County Hospital—Bruce awoke before her each morning to work out at the health club. Then, after breakfast, the couple played singles for two hours at a nearby indoor tennis court. Sari was damned good, and many of her serves and ground strokes zipped by him. Actually, this little trip was intended to give their fading relationship a shot in the arm—or, perhaps, in the genitals. In either case, the plan didn’t seem to be working.

But he was willing to give it one more try.

Before he could respond to her demand for his attention, the telephone rang.

“Hold that thought,” he said, then walked to the bedside table and picked up the call.

“Doctor Starkman,” a tired voice said, “this is Alan Goldstein, your Uncle Max’s attorney.”

What in the world…? “Yes. What’s wrong? My uncle okay?”

“I’m sorry to tell you, he passed away a few days ago.”

Bruce’s legs tingled and almost gave way. He grabbed on to the bed for support. “What? No. You sure?”

“Positive. No question.”

“But, but I’m—I was—his nearest relative. Why didn’t someone tell me before?”

“Doctor, I’m sorry, but I just got a call about it late yesterday afternoon, and it took my staff quite a while to track you down.”

As an ER doctor, dealing with death was an omnipresent part of his profession, but Bruce found that his training didn’t help him now. The blood seemed to drain from his head, and he almost dropped the phone. “My God. What happened?”

“According to the death certificate, he had a massive coronary.”

Bruce took a deep breath and fought to maintain his composure. “Then—then, I’ve got to make funeral arrangements. His body. Where’s his body?”

“There won’t be a funeral.”

“What the hell are you talking about?” By now, Bruce was practically shouting into the phone.

“I’m sorry. According to his written instructions, there was no funeral. He was cremated yesterday at a . . .” There was a rustle of paper in the background. “Murphy’s Funeral Home.”

“Murphy’s Funeral Home?”

Bruce plopped on the edge of the bed, shoved the phone between his shoulder and right ear and buried his face in his right hand. He and Uncle Max were the only survivors of what had been a small family to begin with. Max’s sister, Bruce’s mother Rachel, had died in an auto accident when Bruce was a boy, and his uncle had helped bring him up. After Bruce’s dad died three years before, the two had become even closer.

“But none of this makes any sense,” Bruce said. “Max was Orthodox, for heaven’s sake. Orthodox Jews don’t allow cremation. Not only that, but there are rituals one has to follow. Actually, you probably know more about that than I do. I’ve never been very observant.”

Goldstein sighed. “I only know what I just told you. I wouldn’t have even found out myself if a friend who works at City Hall hadn’t called me.”

“Damn it, you’ve been his lawyer for a hundred years, and I’m his closest relative. Between us, we must have had lots of discussions with him concerning end-of-life issues. We knew his wishes. How did this happen?”

“I don’t know. I agree, he’d have wanted to be taken to an Orthodox Jewish funeral home. Not like there aren’t any number of them in the area. What can I say? It’s what happened.”

Bruce recognized the tone that doctors and lawyers often employed to calm someone down in the midst of unpleasantness. Bruce was usually pretty good at that, himself. “Look, Bruce, I know this is a terrible shock and very confusing. Come down to my office tomorrow morning, and let’s see if we can figure this out.”

Bruce placed a hand over the mouthpiece. “My uncle’s dead.”

“Uncle Max?”

“Yeah.” The enormity of it was beginning to hit him. Uncle Max, dead? And cremated? No funeral, no ritual of grief, nothing?

“You’d better let me deal with this.” Sari took the phone from his weakened grasp and spoke to Goldstein for several minutes. Then she turned to Bruce. “He wants to know if you could come to his office at ten tomorrow morning. I told him you’d be there.”

“No, Bruce snapped back quickly. No, tell him I’ve got to see him today.” Bruce’s heart was pounding with grief and anger, and he needed to do something to relieve it. “Can’t wait till tomorrow. No, give me the damn phone.”

He reached for the phone, but she kept a grip on it. Then no doubt sensing the urgency in his voice, she passed on the message.

“He’ll wait for you after hours,” she said, “if you can be there by five-thirty.”

Bruce nodded, and Sari hung up.

She exhaled through her mouth and said, “I guess that finishes our fun.” She put a hand over her mouth. “Oh, I’m sorry. I never should have said that.” She reached over and gave Bruce a hug. “Poor baby.”

Bruce just stared at the wall. A moment later, they began to dress and started to pack without further talk, both occupied with their own thoughts.

As they were about to go out the door, Sari said, “Damn it. Can’t find my Clinique bag.”

“What’s it look like?”

“Small, peach-colored plastic clutch. I have all my daily cosmetics in it. I never go anywhere without the thing.”

Bruce thought for a moment. He’d last seen it on the bathroom floor, where it had fallen under the sink. He went in and got it for her.

Sari, looking around again. “Oh, I can’t forget Sammy.”

She walked back to the bedside table and retrieved a green turtle figurine, about three inches high. Stuffing the little statue into her purse, she returned to the door. “Can’t leave my Sammy behind. Now, I’m ready.”

Sari talked a blue streak as they drove back to her apartment on Chicago’s Near North Side. Bruce didn’t mind the constant chatter—he didn’t feel like talking himself, but it was nice to feel another human nearby. In fact, she probably guessed how he felt and thought the small talk was the best thing for him. She did have good social worker instincts. The sky was gloomy, and rain clouds hung low, periodically letting loose their contents. As they drove, and as Sari chatted about the great dinner they’d had the night before and how she’d enjoyed the mini vacation, his mind drifted to his uncle.

Bruce had spent many childhood hours in his uncle’s small bookstore, stocking the shelves, carefully handling old books with wonder, talking about the world’s classics. Max had seldom spoken about his past life, but Bruce’s father told him Max had been a concentration camp survivor. “He never mentions that period of his life. It must have been a terrible experience. I know he still has some scars on his legs that I think came from the camp.” Bruce’s dad also told him that Bruce’s grandparents and an aunt on that side of the family had been killed by the Nazis.

He noticed that Sari looked behind them and realized she’d done that several times in the last half hour. “What’s so interesting back there?”

Sari spun her head back and forth and said, “I know you’ll think I’m screwy, but I swear a black Chevy’s been following us since we left Lake Geneva. The car doesn’t have its lights on, even though it’s pouring. Come to think of it, I saw a similar car twice when we drove into town to check out the stores and restaurants.”

Bruce still wasn’t concentrating fully. “Lots of people who stay in that resort are from Chicago, and just about everyone visits downtown Lake Geneva.”

“Yeah, that must be it.”

They passed restaurants and shops specializing in Wisconsin cheese and bratwurst. By the time they reached the Kennedy Expressway, which led directly into downtown Chicago, the freezing rain had stopped and the sun broke through. Bruce checked the rearview mirror occasionally, but he never saw evidence of any car following them.

Exiting at Fullerton Parkway, they had a short drive east toward Lake Michigan. Sari lived on the second floor of a three-unit condo building in the 2600 block of North Hampton Court, near Lincoln Park.

When they pulled up in front, she pointed at the car clock. “It’s too early for the attorney. Why don’t you come inside for a cup of coffee?”

“Sure, thanks.”

Sari took her Clinique bag and a handful of her magazines and hurried up the stairs, while Bruce grabbed her suitcase out of the trunk and quickly followed. At other times, the door would have hardly shut before they would have been tearing at each other’s clothes. This time, he strode directly into the bedroom, but only to drop her suitcase on the bed. When he came out, she was holding Amigo, her chubby orange tabby cat. He reached over to stroke Amigo’s ears, but the cat arched his back, hissed, and took a swipe at Bruce’s hand. Bruce felt the sting, and a tiny drop of blood rolled down his palm.

He put pressure on the scratch. “Never understood why you named the little critter Amigo. He’s the unfriendliest cat I ever saw. You know, I must have been here five or six times before I even knew you had a cat.”

Sari put Amigo down, and he immediately slinked into the bedroom. “Sorry. Actually, Bruce, he’s mostly just shy and afraid. He almost always hides until he gets to know a visitor. I think he was abused before he got to the shelter I rescued him from. Mary, downstairs, is about the only person Amigo’s really taken to, and he’s become very important in her life. Poor Mary’s getting so deaf, she can no longer even hear the radio or TV, but she’s been feeding and playing with him while we were in Wisconsin.”

Bruce could barely concentrate, but Sari was putting in the effort so he tried to come up with something to say. “What’s going on with the upstairs unit? I see the `For Sale’ sign is down.”

“They sold it to a young couple who’ll be moving here from Denver next month. Painters and decorators come and go up there all the time now.”

Sari’s condo was as sleek in its way as Sari herself, the furniture color-coordinated and contemporary. Everything was shiny and new except her collection of turtle figurines. She’d become fascinated with turtles as a child and still collected images of them in all sizes and shapes, in everything from whimsical ceramic to jade. A dozen or so turtle statues covered the living room fireplace mantle, and Sammy was already back in his place of honor. Bruce noted that despite the elegant furniture and decoration, the apartment was also in considerable disarray, as Sari’s personal items were scattered about. He thought the place could use some organizing.

While Sari made the coffee and toasted English muffins in the kitchen, Bruce wandered into the second bedroom, which held Sari’s computer. He thought of checking his email, but the computer was turned off, and Sari called out, “Coffee’s ready.”

They sat on the sofa in her living room drinking strong coffee and making small talk for half an hour before he said goodbye and left for the attorney’s office. They avoided speaking about their relationship as well as his uncle’s death, until just before he was ready to leave.

Sari went to her bathroom, and when she returned a few minutes later, it was apparent she’d applied a fresh layer of make-up. She looked refreshed and beautiful.

She smiled. “Sweetie, I guess I was a little out of line yesterday afternoon when you went up to study and I stayed at the indoor pool.”

He realized that was as close to an apology as he’d ever received from her. “I’d been down there two hours and couldn’t take much more lounging.”

Bruce had pushed the incident out of his mind, but now that she’d said something, it came rushing back. The door to their hotel room had opened and Sari, wearing one of her skimpy Bikinis, had strolled in. The ruby-red Victoria’s Secret suit covered her breasts and butt, but just enough to be legal. A frown creased her pretty face as she looked down at Bruce lying on the bed, head propped on two pillows, the latest issue of The American Journal of Emergency Medicine open in his hands.

She shook her head, causing her light-blonde hair to partly cover her blue eyes. “You missed a lot of fun at the pool. Great looking bunch of guys and gals—all while you were reading another boring medical journal.”

“You know I need to prepare for boards. Time’s running out.” He was ready to be angry, but hadn’t quite gotten there, yet.

“We only have these few days. If you don’t have time for me, well … .”

He tried to swallow back a sharp response. “Well?”

“Well ... three handsome guys just asked for my phone number.”

After that, the silence between them reigned until dinner time.

The incident didn’t seem so important now.

“Forget it,” Bruce said as he started toward her door to head to his appointment.

Sari accompanied him, and as he began to walk out, she gave him a hug. But when she tried to kiss him, he turned away. He felt like a jerk, but he needed to sort things out. Their romance, already deeply wounded, seemed pushed further aside by everything else going on.

Interview with Amber Argyle, author of Witch Song

2012-01-26T10:44:00.000-08:00

1. Did you always know you wanted to be a writer or was there
something else you wanted to do as a career?

I wanted to be a ballerina or an author. Thankfully for you, it didn't take me long to figure out that I have the grace of a one legged zombie. Plus I hate performing in public. All in all, I think I made a good choice.

2. Is there one author that you have read every book that they have written?

I've read all of Shannon Hale's books besides her Actor and the Housewife--just didn't appeal to me at all. I've read most of Jennifer Roberson's books too.

3. In you opinion what is the best movie adaptation of a book that you've read?

Lord of the Rings. Fantastic from the first scene to the last.

4. When you are browsing book stores what is the first section you go to?

Young Adult fantasy.
5. If your book was being made into a movie do you already have actors
in mind for each role? What bands/singers would you put on the
soundtrack?

Gah! I hate this question. I've never been very good with actors, especially their names. BUT I just found out Chris Hemsworth (who I have a not so secret crush on) has a younger brother. Liam Hemsworth. Oh. My. Goodness. Senna is harder. Maybe Molly Quinn or Brooke Nevin.
Senna's voice is a lot like Haley Wesentra's--classica crossover with Celtic undertones. Very haunting, beautiful music.

6.. When you're creating characters do you incorporate traits from
people you know?

Sometimes, but more often I use the Hartman Personality colors and I choose an animal avatar. I also choose a personality that conflicts with their role. For instance, Senna is shy, but in the book she has to be a leader.

7. If you had the chance to have a sit down with any author alive or
deceased who would it be and why?

Oh! Tough question. Authors are kind of my rock stars. I just read Eon by Alison Goodman. We write very similiar kinds of things, so I'd like to talk shop with her.

Excerpt of Cowboy Shuffle by Cat Johnson

2012-01-26T09:51:00.000-08:00

Hello all and thank you for inviting me to be a guest here today. My next release is Texas Two-Step: Cowboy Shuffle, an erotic contemporary western romance full of hot cowboys, horses, and secrets. It releases exclusively from All Romance Ebooks on February 2nd and is the sequel to last year’s Texas Two-Step. Please, enjoy the excerpt below.

Cat Johnson

www.CatJohnson.net

Texas Two-Step: Cowboy Shuffle

Cat Johnson

What’s a cowboy to do?

When the woman he wants, wants nothing to do with him, Shooter Welles pretends to be someone else. That’s how he finds himself hiding behind a fake profile on an online matchmaking site to woo the girl of his dreams—literally. Erotic, hot and sticky dreams that make him see his best friend’s sister, Ellen, in a whole new light.

Ellen Griffin wants a steady man in her life, but she’s had enough of both rodeo cowboys and doctors. Unfortunately since she’s a busy nurse and a barrel racer, those are the only men she’s around, until she meets a mysterious guy online.

Can this seemingly perfect stranger be the perfect man for her? And what will happen when he reveals his true identity?

EXCERPT

“Take off that big-ass showy buckle of yours so I can finally see what’s behind it.”

The sound of her soft, husky voice in combination with the feel of her hands on the very buckle she spoke of sent a thrill straight through him. Particularly through the part of his anatomy located just below his belt.

Shooter Welles swallowed hard. He glanced down at the sky-blue eyes gazing up into his, and then lower at the swell of the tops of her breasts showing above the neckline of her low-cut T-shirt. He tried to yank his gaze up and away from that danger zone. This was Ellen Griffin—the sister of his best friend Wes—and there was no way he should be thinking about doing what his cock, already hard enough to drive nails, was already anticipating.

“Ellen—” Her name came out sounding like a plea, though he wasn’t sure if he was begging her to stop, or to keep going.

“Come on. You know you want to.” She practically purred it in a tone he’d never heard come out of her in all the years they’d known each other. Well, perhaps when she spoke to her horse before a barrel racing competition, but certainly never when she talked to him. Usually Shooter got the annoyed Ellen voice, not the soft, sweet and totally sexy one. He wasn’t sure he could resist it, or her.

Fuck it. Why even try?

“Hell yeah, I want to.” He scooped her into his arms as she squealed in surprise.

He carried her from the living room of the apartment she shared with Wes, directly into her bedroom, angling both their bodies sideways through the narrow doorway just like a groom carries his bride.

And why the hell were thoughts even remotely related to marriage crossing his mind at a time like this? Now, when he was about to take her every way he could imagine, plus maybe a few ways he hadn’t even thought of yet.

Putting her down next to the bed, he squelched the bride-and-groom image right quick and concentrated on planning how best to strip her for the quickest access to the parts of her he’d never even dreamed he’d ever get to see. But before he could get to work on Ellen, she was making short work of him, conquering his buckle quick as a wink. With the two ends of the heavy leather and brass belt hanging open wide, she unfastened his jeans, and then her hands were upon him. With her help, his hard-on sprang free of his boxer briefs.

“Mm. I’ve waited a long time to do this.” She glanced down while stroking him.

Shooter shuddered at the sensation of her hand grasping his cock. They’d both been waiting a long time for this. In spite of the fact she was Wes’s sister, and that she had an attitude at times that could put a man in his place with a single glare, she was still all woman and Shooter had never failed to notice that.

He watched in fascination as she dropped to sit on the edge of the mattress, pulled him closer to her and slid his cock, ramrod straight and hard, between her lips. Glancing over at the mirror above the dresser, he saw their reflection. It was a tantalizing image, her golden head bouncing over his erection. His suntanned arms braced on her shoulders as she worked him hard. He felt the resulting tingling shoot from his balls, straight up his spine.

Trembling and trying to hang on just a little bit longer, he grabbed her head to hold her still before it was too late. She resisted, sucking harder, and then it was too late. He shot off into her mouth after what felt like barely a minute.

Ellen raised golden brows above those so-blue eyes as she pulled back and looked up. “Well, now I know why they call you Shooter.”

Shooter woke with a start, tangled in the sheets in his own bed. The boxer shorts he’d fallen asleep in were warm and wet, soaked through and clinging to his rapidly deflating hard-on.

What the fuck? He pressed his head back against the pillow and scrubbed his hands over his face.

Why was he dreaming about having sex with Ellen? More importantly, since it was his dream, why the hell had his own subconscious made him perform so badly?

http://catjohnson.net/cowboy-shuffle/

Interview with Marie Lamba, author of Drawn

2012-01-26T05:11:00.000-08:00

Did you always know you wanted to be a writer or was there
something else you wanted to do as a career?

Always, always wanted to be a writer. Since I was in 5^th grade and read Edward Eager’s novel HALF MAGIC. Well, actually, I wanted to be magical, and have wishes and things like that. Being a writer was second choice to that.

2. Is there one author that you have read every book that they have written?

Anne Tyler. I discovered her in college and fell in love with her prose. I’m pretty sure I’ve also read everything by John Steinbeck. That was a high school fling!

3. In your opinion what is the best movie adaptation of a book that you've read?

I recently saw the movie “Flipped” and fell head over heels for it (to abuse a pun). Then I read the book it was based on by Wendelin Van Draanen and I saw just how closely it matched the book, down to the pacing and the dialog. And how perfectly cast the movie was. Both are brilliant and touching. I highly recommend them.

The worst adaptation? The most recent Three Musketeers. I love the classic novel and even the older version of the movie, but this new adaptation was a mess. They threw in laser beams and blimps! Blech.

4. When you are browsing book stores what is the first section you go to?

I’m always drawn directly to the YA section. (No huge surprise, right?) I keep my eyes peeled for the newest releases, for the hottest looking covers, for the next thing to catch my eye. It’s especially fun now that I have come to know many of these authors in person. I’m always excited when they have something new because that means success.

5. If your book was being made into a movie do you already have actors
in mind for each role? What bands/singers would you put on the
soundtrack?

The actors? Not so much. Well, maybe the late Heath Ledger when he was a younger, for Christopher the ghost.

But the music? Oh yeah. Coldplay, all the way. The soundtrack of their Viva La Vida or Death and all his Friends album played in my mind the entire time I was writing DRAWN. The haunting “Cemeteries of London,” the romantic “Strawberry Hill,” the triumphant “Life in Technicolor.” Battle scenes, Christopher in the dungeon, Christopher and Michelle embracing… they all have a Coldplay song as accompaniment. Also, I’d weave in the Calling’s “Wherever You will Go,” and “Soul Meets Body” by Death Cab for Cutie.

6. When you're creating characters do you incorporate traits from
people you know?

Definitely. Christopher has these light green eyes, which look like a glowstick just as it starts to fade. I know a woman who has these eyes. They’re absolutely haunting. Other characters are a mix of people I’ve known, from the gossipy British neighbor, to the bumbling father. And the main character Michelle is a Jersey girl and a teen artist just like I once was. Although I never did get to meet a hot medieval ghost… Sigh.

7. If you had the chance to have a sit down with any author alive or
deceased who would it be and why?

I’d love to hang out with Jane Austin for a while. She’s the author who really started romances for women. Smart books that are not just about matters of the heart, but matters of the mind. I bet she’d have a thing or two to say about today’s world, the current dating scene, and our modern heroes. And I’d love to sit through a showing of “Bridget Jones Diary” with her. Wouldn’t that be a trip?

http://www.amazon.com/Drawn-ebook/dp/B006UITXVI/ref=tmm_kin_title_0?ie=UTF8&m=AG56TWVU5XWC2

www.marielamba.com

Review of Driving me Nuts

2012-01-26T04:07:00.000-08:00

Driving me Nuts is quirky, fun, and full of unexpected scenarios. Ruckus and Fred have their routine at the Shady Grove mental hospital and they like it that way. But when they head out for their traditional joyride to get books and ice cream an unexpected visitor turns their trip into one mishap after another. Apple has a broken past and revenge on her mind which doesn’t sit well with Ruckus and Fred. The characters are likeable if you don’t mind a tiny little habit of publicly peeing on things,and that pesky breaking the law stuff. If you are looking for something different with creative writing, then Driving Me Nuts is for you.

http://www.amazon.com/Driving-Me-Nuts-ebook/dp/B005WOQJ9K/ref=cm_cr_pr_product_top

Lia Fairchild is a writer and the author of the novel, In Search of Lucy, and the new mystery series, A Hint of Murder. Look for more on her at http://www.liafairchild.com/ or http://www.ahintofmurder.blogspot.com

'Poem' by Dominique Weldon

2012-01-25T20:24:00.000-08:00

Too many things in a day,
Not enough time to accomplish them all,
Busy, busy, busy,
Work, work, work,
Apparently I'm supposed to write a poem tonight,
Hah!
I laugh at the thought,
It makes me chuckle with glee,
What should I write about,
I'll tell you what; nothing, nothing at all,
Too many things to do in a day,
Can't write a poem, not this way,
I think I should hit the books,
Leave this for some other time,
Writing this was fun,
But I think this 'Poem' is done

Interview with Tish Thawer, author of Scent of a White Rose and review of Scent of a White Rose

2012-01-25T03:56:00.000-08:00

1. Did you always know you wanted to be a writer or was there
something else you wanted to do as a career?

Well, even though I feel like I've always written in one way or another, I never considered that "Writer" would be my actual job title until it just happened. So thinking back, my one true passions was dancing. I taught modern dance when I was 15 and I still love to shake my booty whenever I get the chance, so I think professional dancer would definitely be my second career choice.

2. Is there one author that you have read every book that they have written?

No. I have read a lot from some specific authors, but not all. Oh wait...yes, Stephenie Meyers.

3. In your opinion what is the best movie adaptation of a book that you've read?

Harry Potter

4. When you are browsing book stores what is the first section you go to?

Romance

5. If your book was being made into a movie do you already have actors
in mind for each role? What bands/singers would you put on the
soundtrack?

Oh man. I have been asked this before and I tried my hardest to cast the characters, but honestly– it's super hard for me. Especially since the people I see in their roles are not actors, but models.

As for the soundtrack I recently did a post where you can watch the videos that helped me maintain inspiration while writing Scent of a White Rose. You can check it out here:

http://cambriahebert.com/2012/01/scent-of-a-white-rose-blog-tour/

6.. When you're creating characters do you incorporate traits from
people you know?

Nope. All my characters are straight from my imagination.

7. If you had the chance to have a sit down with any author alive or
deceased who would it be and why?

Well, as much as I want to say Hemmingway to sound all intelligent and deep, I honestly don't know. I think that being an author today means something different than it did, let's say even...five years ago. So I would love the chance to pick someone's brain who's been there and is still going strong, and see what adjustments, if any, they've had to make in their careers in order to adapt to the changes within the industry. Who that is...I'm not sure.

To see the full list of blogs participating in Tish Thawers blog tour/treasure hunt click on the picture below.

Scent of a White Rose by Tish Thawer brought a fresh idea to the world of books about vampires. I enjoyed it far more than some of the other novels featuring vampires because of how the characters interacted with one another and because of the big twists that happen midway through the book. The character of Meredith was a great addition to the story character-wise because she made the book all the more exciting to read. The characters of Rose and Christian were easy to relate to but I did feel somewhat sorry for everything the character of Terrance unknowingly goes through. I'm so excited for the next book in the series so that I can see what else Tish Thawer has in store for her characters

Guest post by Jaye Frances, author of The Kure

2012-01-24T07:10:00.000-08:00

Thank you, Tanya, for hosting me on All Things Books today. I really appreciate the opportunity to talk about The Kure, and to let your readers know about my “Resolve To Read” promotion on Amazon through the month of January.

While The Kure fits nicely into the paranormal occult genre—full of mystical secrets and demonic influences—it is first and foremost a love story. As the unexpected romance between the main characters, John Tyler and Sarah Sheridan, begins to evolve, it becomes the catalyst that drives them to explore an ancient but forbidden book called the Kure. Not realizing their decision will challenge their sanity—and their souls—they call upon its power, hoping to heal John of a devastating disease that is ravaging his body.

In the following excerpt, John Tyler realizes how strong his feelings are for Sarah Sheridan. As Sarah tries to convince John to let her help him use the wicked remedy to cure him, John remembers his promise to protect her, and to keep the evil from destroying them both.

Here is an excerpt:

She started from the beginning, reading the identical passage the doctor had recited three days earlier.

He watched her intently as she spoke, her lips parting to form each word, an occasional flick of tongue extending just beyond sparkling white teeth, her chest rising with each breath. He was never more certain of anything in his life: Sarah belonged with him, here at his table, inside his house. And even beyond his ache to reach for her, beyond his desire to bring his mouth to hers—he had to protect her.

“No!” John interrupted. “No more. The text you’re reading, it could be the very thing that—” He stopped, not sure how to finish.

The disease, the black-hearted ceremony, the very way in which they met, had all but eliminated the possibility of a traditional courtship. And although he was far from having earned the right to declare his feelings, Sarah’s arrival on his doorstep had given him new hope. It meant she had set aside her anger and mistrust, and even more important, she had come without hesitation, despite his previous attempts to deceive her.

For John, it was enough. He would tell her. Tell her straight out.

He dropped his eyes to the table, as if the right words could be found within the knotted grain of the wood. “I know it’s only been a day since we met, but I think we need a chance, to find out . . . about us.” He looked up, wondering if it made any sense.

Sarah brought her eyes up full and wide to meet his, the tiniest quiver in her smile giving him the confidence to continue.
“But I’m afraid this sorcery, these witching remedies, could take it all away.”

Sarah folded her hands over the ragged parchment. “And what if you’re wrong? What if it’s your only chance? Yesterday, you were willing to consider it, otherwise, you wouldn’t have come to my door, wanting to meet me.”

He winced at Sarah’s logic, the shameful truth obvious even to her.

Here is a brief synopsis:

The story takes place in 1860’s Kentucky, when John Tyler, a young man in his early twenties, discovers he has contracted a ghastly affliction affecting a most sensitive part of his body. When the village doctor offers the conventional, and potentially disfiguring, treatment as the only cure, John tenaciously convinces the doctor to reveal an alternative remedy—a forbidden ritual contained within an ancient manuscript called the Kure.

Although initially rejecting the vile and unholy rite, John realizes, too late, that the ritual is more than a faded promise scrawled on a page of crumbling paper. And as cure quickly becomes curse, the unholy text unleashes a dark power that drives him to consider the unthinkable—a depraved and wicked act requiring the corruption of an innocent soul.

Ultimately, John must choose between his desperate need to arrest the plague that is destroying his body, and the virtue of the woman he loves, knowing the wrong decision could cost him his life.

For a limited time, read “The Kure” for only $.99 (kindle version)

I always spend the last few days of December reviewing my writing plan for the coming year—to determine what’s going to receive priority and how I will budget my time to make sure I get it done. During one of those planning sessions, I noticed my husband was also putting a few goals together for the new year. When I asked him to tell me about his “resolutions,” he said that one of them was to read more, especially books that fall outside his favorite genres, “just to see what else is out there.” We began to talk about how many more people are now reading books of all kinds, primarily due to increased availability and choice of low-cost eBooks for the kindle and nook. I’m constantly reading comments from readers who decided to try a particular author’s work because it was ninety-nine cents, or in some cases, free. Then my husband asked an interesting question: “Why don’t you offer some kind of promotion to encourage more people to read The Kure, with the idea that they’ll be more inclined to read the book if you temporarily lower the price?” I really had to think about this one, but after realizing it might motivate a few more folks who are not familiar with The Kure to take a look, I decided to do it. I’m calling it “Resolve To Read”, and it’s going on right now. Effective for the month of January, the kindle version of The Kure can be purchased for ninety-nine cents on Amazon. So if you were planning on buying a kindle version anyway, why not take advantage of the “Resolve To Read” promotion and save two bucks?

I’d like to conclude by sharing a few details about myself. I was born in the Midwest and grew up surrounded by traditional values and conservative attitudes (which I quickly discarded). I’ll readily admit that my life’s destination has been the result of an open mind and a curiosity about all things irreverent, and I invite visitors to my website with a friendly caveat: “Be forewarned, my life has not followed the traditional path of homemaker, wife, and mother.” When I’m not consumed by my writing, I enjoy cooking, traveling to all places tropical and “beachy” and taking pictures—lots of pictures—many of which wind up on my website. I live on the central gulf coast of Florida, sharing my home with one husband, six computers, four cameras, and several hundred pairs of shoes.

Where you can find Jaye on the net:

http://www.jayefrances.com
http://blog.jayefrances.com
http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/12718447-the-kure
https://www.facebook.com/#!/pages/Jaye-Frances-writer/171415992923563
http://www.amazon.com/Kure-Jaye-Frances/dp/1466262966/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1317073140&sr=1-1
http://www.barnesandnoble.com/s/the-kure-by-jaye-frances?keyword=the+kure+by+jaye+frances&store=ebook

There is 1 kindle copy of The Kure up for grabs. For a chance to win leave a comment with your favorite genre and don't forget to include your email address!

A Taste Of You by Jennifer Stevenson

2012-01-21T04:18:00.000-08:00

Hel was turned into an energy vampire at seventeen, forty years ago, by a magic coin. She turned her first boyfriend to ashes as she sucked all of his ‘Prana’ or energy from him. so has stayed celebate for a long time in fear that she will fall in love and then turn them to dust again.

Hel teaches hyperactive boys, of which she sips prana from them, feeding herself and yet calming the boys down . Shes plays in the roller derby which is another source of prana, she can tell just by tasting someones energy if they are bad a guy or not, and she has a sick mother who has liver cancer, she worries if she can even pay the ever increasing hospital bills.

She meets a Federal Agent, Nick Jones, he’s an anti-magic cop and magic turns him on, which he doesn’t like. He is assigned to recruit Hel, to find the magic coin.

Little did he know that they would fall in love with each other.
Will it work out? Will Hel turn Nick Jones into dust?

A Taste of You was very slow to get started, but once it got to the action it had me hooked. I loved that the book was based on a vampire that is Vegan, doesn’t suck blood, just sucks energy from people instead. Not like all the other vampire books it was different. Hel has a conscience and tries not to sip energy from the vulnerable only taking from people that can regenerate it quickly. Even being in her late fifties she still looked seventeen so to make herself look older and not like a school girl she has crows feet tattooed on her face, which made me laugh, considering how many women will themselves to look younger.

Its worth a read as it is quite humorous

You can purchase this http://www.bookviewcafe.com/index.php/A-Taste-of-You-by-Jennifer-Stevenson

It is available on DRM-free formats: epub, mobi, pdf
You can also purchase it for your Kindle on Amazon for £1.92

Try Before You Buy

2012-01-20T18:39:00.000-08:00

When do you become invested in a book?

Do you dive in the moment you see a fabulous cover? As soon as you've read the back cover, or insert synopsis? Are you usually sucked into the story in the first few paragraphs? The first chapter? Or do you immerse yourself slowly?

I usually know whether I'll finish a book the moment I meet the main character, in books told from any point of view other than first person. If the story is written in first person, I know within the first two or three paragraphs. If I don't immediately connect to the main character, there's no way I'm going to invest my time in reading the whole book.

With so many book sites offering free samples of books, I wonder how many other readers are determining their purchases based on those samples. While some readers count on recommendations, reviews, or just gut instinct, when choosing something to read, others rely on those freebies to save them time and money.

I must admit. Getting my Kindle sent me into a purchasing and downloading frenzy. I bought my first twenty books without so much as glancing at the cover or title. My first purchases were those books published by Indie authors I've met online. In many cases, I'd never read a sentence put together by them, other than tweets, Facebook status updates and Google + posts. I've just begun dipping into that T.B.R. pile and, luckily, I've only had one disappointment so far.

Part of that might have to do with the fact that I'm very widely read. I don't hunker down in a single genre when I read, though some are preferable to others. I'll read just about any type of book, other than instruction manuals, and books on economics or pure politics. (ZZZzzzzzzzzzzz!) . What I look for most in a book is a well-turned phrase, an unusual perspective, and/or a main character I can relate to, or admire. I plan to avoid further disappointment by employing the free samples from now on. I'm curious as to whether it will make a difference, being able to read ten or twenty percent of the book before I actually have it in my hand.

See there's an odd little trick almost every retailer used to employ, yet few knew why. When you used to price a retail product, the sticker always went on the bottom or the back of the product. Print books still do it. The price is always on the back of the book at the bottom. The theory behind the practice is, once the consumer has the item in their hand, it already feels like it's theirs. It's supposed to make it harder to put the product back on the shelf without purchasing it.

So I'm wondering if it will be easier to refrain from buying a book I can sample without having to hold it in my hands. Or maybe it will be more difficult to stop reading once I've read past those first few paragraphs, or the first character introduction. Now that I'm back to reading again, I'll have to see. What's your take on the free sample? Do you use it to pick your books? Do you think it's made a significant difference in the number of books you purchase?

******

Sinead MacDughlas is the author of The Unscheduled Stops Anthology and the upcoming Mystery-Lit. Learn To Love Me. Preview both books on their webpages at www.theunscheduledstops.weebly.com and www.learntolovemenovel.weebly.com

Guest post by Donna Grant, author of the Highlanders series

2012-01-20T13:12:00.000-08:00

Highlanders
Thanks to Tanya for inviting me to her blog.
Hmm…Highlanders. Just saying the word makes me envision muscular, alpha men who are bold and daring. Seductive and tempting. Rugged and roguish.
What makes Highlanders so very. . . enticing? For me, its part of the people they were/are. They are one with their land as few are. Their love of Scotland runs deep in their blood as is seen by their bloody and violent history defending it.
Yet it’s also because there is something amazingly appealing about a man in a kilt. Maybe it’s a getting to see those muscular legs or knowing what they are – or aren’t, as the case goes – wearing beneath those tartans. J
But I think its because there’s a look a Highlander has that says he’s tough enough and strong enough for whatever comes his way.
There’s nothing I love more than a brawny man in a kilt with a sword ready to defend what is his.
What is it that appeals to you about Highlanders?
I’ll be giving away a copy of the fifth book in my Dark Sword series, SHADOW HIGHLANDER to a commenter. So talk to me. J
Look for my upcoming release on January 31^st , the six book, DARKEST HIGHLANDER.

HE IS HER SALVATION

For years Broc has watched over her, protected her – and hidden his love for her. But when his beautiful Sonya finds herself in a hopeless situation, the Highlander flies to her side to save her. Unfortunately, before the Druidess can thank him, Broc is captured by his enemy and destined for eternal pain...

SHE IS HIS DESTINY

Sonya vows to help her noble Warrior, though he is imprisoned in a mountain of pure evil – bound in the chains of darkest magic. With Sonya’s own magic fading, she must summon the greatest power of all to save the man she loves. But even if these two hearts are united, will they be strong enough to defeat the heart of darkness? Or will undying love doom them for all eternity...

To find out more about me, read excerpts, see pictures of the Warriors, search characters, or watch book trailers please visit my website at www.DonnaGrant.com.
Hugs,
D

Review of Darkspell by Elizabeth Mueller

2012-01-19T07:04:00.000-08:00

Darkspell by Elizabeth Mueller is her debut novel and it was perfectly crafted with an intriguing plot and characters. There was a good amount of action as well as plenty of romantic tension between Alex, Winter, and Jareth. Through Elizabeth's writing I was able to feel the emotions of each character. The scenes with Winter and Alex were sweet and I was rooting for them to get together through the entire book. I'm very much looking forward to reading the next book that Elizabeth Mueller creates. If you enjoy YA and Paranormal than this is a book you need to read.

Guest post by Michelle L. Olson of Literal Addiction

2012-01-18T06:57:00.000-08:00

My name is Michelle L. Olson, Chelle to my friends. I’m the creator and administrator of LITERAL ADDICTION where my Literal Addicts fondly call me their Pack Alpha. J I want to thank Tanya for inviting me to All Things Books to talk about LITERAL ADDICTION and our mission, which we share with an entire network of other book blogs and websites including hers.
LITERAL ADDICTION Paranormal Book Club actually started back in February of 2010 as the brainchild of my BFF and P.I.C (partner in crime) Jen and I, and was exactly that... a restricted genre bookclub.
We had 3 active members, assigned Reading Events, scheduled book discussions, etc - basically everything a good little book club should have. :)
Given my creative OCD and the need to run as fast and as far as I can with everything I do though, even with only those few members and not a whole lot going on, I still built a 2 tab website, created a GoodReads group, designed business cards, apparel, etc, and decided, on a whim, to reach out to the author of the series the club was reading to see if we might be able to do an Interview.
The next March, we were up to 8 active members, on our 2nd assigned reading series, had 1 official Author Event under our belts, a 2nd in the books for our new Reading Event series, and a sparkly new Facebook Group and embedded website chatroom.
In May 2011 our 2nd official Author Appearance was held, and things went better than this booklover and preturnatural enthusiast could have ever hoped! Our little group of 8 climbed to 32 in a matter of days, I reached out to a brand new blog admin to possibly collaborate on a True Blood Season 4 Contest, and through some stroke of good fortune actually had Charlaine Harris agree to sign books for the Contest if I sent them as well, and was over-all giddy with excitement!
Once mid June 2011 hit, things became a bit of a blur... Book Monster Reviews and LITERAL ADDICTION flawlessly became 'sister sites', tons of work and countless hours were being put in, membership had tripled, our brand new Facebook Fanpage had 500 'Likes' in just 5 days time, and we had some truly amazing authors on the books for the months to come.
It's now January of 2012 - just shy of 2 years since the birth of LITERAL ADDICTION, but only 8 short months since things really got going - and LITERAL ADDICTION and Book Monster Reviews have become household names (girls in Barnes & Noble have been all a buzz when they saw Jen wearing a Chelly Belle Designs Fangear hoodie I had designed for her with the LITERAL ADDICTION name and logo on it).
It's no longer a hunt to find us online via search engine because the sites are mentioned or linked on websites all over the place. We've been dubbed 'Go To' sites for some amazing award winning & bestselling authors, and our reviews can even be found in print in some pretty incredible books.
Only 8 members strong on the eve of 5/4/11, we now have 377 members (255 on the Facebook Group page), 1,062 Fans on Facebook, have hosted 142 official Author Appearances as well as countless other contests and things since May, average 3,500 site views a month with over 350 unique visitors, are booked well into October of 2012, and have become SO much more than a little bookclub (and so far beyond anything I could have ever imagined)!
Throughout all of this, LITERAL ADDICTION’s mission never changed. We wanted to bring fellow paranormal junkies and book addicts together to read and then discuss some great books by some great authors. Bottom Line – We just wanted to share some of the contentment and joy that we found in reading and talking about these things, and give our members the opportunity to meet some new people with common interests, hopefully leading to some new and meaningful friendships. At the beginning I never thought that those new and meaningful friendships would include the authors I so loved, but like I said… more than I could have ever imagined. J
Since we’re no longer just a bookclub, the focus has changed a bit. We still strive to bring together people with like interests and support each other like a family, but we also do everything we can to promote for authors – both new and established – and get the word out about their books, series, and especially any new releases. We’ve been told on more than 1 occasion that the authors have seen spikes in sales after an Event with us, and that right there is enough to induce permagrin. We’re doing our job, and the thanks that we get is amazing.
Social media is incredibly important to sites like us though. We’ve slowly built a web on the web of authors, other book blogs and websites, etc and try to support one another as much as possible. This journey of ours is an interesting one, but if we keep sticking together, I think that book blogs and websites could be the turning point of the literary industry.
Speaking of which, make sure to check out Tanya’s book, Wicked Little Lies from Trestle Press. J
Tanya, thanks again for having me today and for helping me spread the word about LITERAL ADDICTION and what we have to offer. Good luck with everything!

Review of The Hermetica of Elysium by Ann Marie Banks

2012-01-18T06:17:00.000-08:00

When I first read the synopsis for The Hermetica of Elysium I was excited to read it being a fan of both fantasy and historical fiction genres. Unfortunately the book didn't live up to my expectations. I found it hard to really lose myself in the story because of underdeveloped characters and the slow pace of the story itself. The saving grace of the book was the amount of action which managed to keep me interested enough to want to finish reading it. That being said, there is a good chance that I would read future books by Ann Marie Banks because had the characters and the plot been better developed I would loved this book.

Interview with Deena Remiel, author of Relic

2012-01-18T05:56:00.000-08:00

1. Did you always know you wanted to be a writer or was there something else you wanted to do as a career?

I’ve wanted to be so many things growing up, but I honestly never thought I’d be an author! I thought I’d be a psychologist, maybe. I find a lot of my time is taken up with counseling kids anyway. But once I decided to write, it’s all I want to do.

2. Is there one author that you have read every book that they have written?

I could have said Judy Blume when I was younger. I ate her books up. Still have the books I’d gotten as a kid. Now, I’ve read most of Nora Roberts, and most of Sherrilyn Kenyon and Heather Graham. Now Jayne Ann Krentz, I’ve read all of hers under this name, but not the others because I’m not into the other genres.

3. In your opinion what is the best movie adaptation of a book that you've read?

I would have to say there isn’t one. I’ve found that I either have to watch the movie first before reading or not see it at all. I get too easily disappointed because what I envision is so different from what the director has done. I do hear that The Help is a great adaptation, though.

4. When you are browsing book stores what is the first section you go to?

I go straight for ROMANCE, baby! Woohoo! Then, I go to the fantasy/sci-fi section.

5. If your book was being made into a movie do you already have actors
in mind for each role? What bands/singers would you put on the
soundtrack?

Great question. I think I’d like my readers to decide who they’d like to see as Raphael and Serena. The funny thing is, for me, I see them as the models on my cover! As for music, we need a lot of hard rock and mystical/celtic type music.

6.. When you're creating characters do you incorporate traits from
people you know?

I certainly do, but I also incorporate traits from movie characters and other books I’ve loved.

7. If you had the chance to have a sit down with any author alive or
deceased who would it be and why?

I would love to sit down with Sherrilyn Kenyon. I idolize the woman’s masterful world-building and character development, so an afternoon sit-down with her, talking shop, would be a definite Bucket List item.

To all those who comment and leave their email address, I have a special gift to send you! A sensual poem written by me, inspired by Raphael and Serena!

Review of Purpose by Kristie Cook

2012-01-17T14:06:00.001-08:00

Purpose by Kristie Cook is the continuation of Alexis' and Tristan's story. The pace started off somewhat slow but picked up fairly quickly. I loved the scenes between Alexis, her family, and Owen during Tristan's absence. As the reader I was able to feel each and every emotion felt by Alexis; anger, sadness, and hurt. When Alexis and Tristan were finally reunited after being apart for so long I cheered because I was so happy they found each other again. I am eager to read Devotion so I can see if the predictions in Purpose come true and what Kristie Cook has in store for all of the characters.