Tuesday 26 February 2013

Interview with Sharisse Coulter: Author of "Rock My World"


Buy Now @ AmazonBarnes & Noble & Kobo
Genre – Contemporary Women’s Fiction
Rating – PG13
More details about the book
Connect with Sharisse Coulter on Facebook & Twitter
Tell us a bit about your family. I’m originally from Lake Tahoe but went to grad school in Australia, where I met my husband (a musician). We’ve been married for eight years now and have a four-year old son.
What is your favorite quote, by whom, and why? It’s a proverb: “This too shall pass.”  My grandmother used to say it all the time and I like that it applies to every situation, good or bad.  It’s a great reminder that nothing bad lasts forever and that everything good deserves to be appreciated in the moment.
What is your favorite color? Blue
What is your favorite food? My husband’s coconut curry.  It’s amazing.
What’s your favorite place in the entire world? Ooh, that’s a tough one.  My favorite writing place is the Encinitas public library.  It has a view of the ocean, a coffee cart outside, and the perfect cozy chairs for writing. My favorite city is definitely New York, though.
How has your upbringing influenced your writing? I grew up in the mountains and spent a great deal of time outside, playing sports. I learned a lot about pushing through the difficult times in order to achieve something I was working for and I think that mentality is what got me through my first draft.
Do you recall how your interest in writing originated? I’ve loved stories and reading since I was two years old.  I can’t remember a time I wasn’t interested in writing, but for a long time I was intimidated by all the wonderful writers I admired, worried I could never be good enough to compare.
When and why did you begin writing? I really started writing in college, particularly grad school.  I’d just been through a really traumatic experience—my boyfriend at the time committed suicide—and I needed a way to work through my grief and find a way to come to terms with it.  Writing saved me.
How long have you been writing? In some form or other, since elementary school.  Writing novels? About two years.
When did you first know you could be a writer? I don’t think there was a deciding moment.  It’s been something niggling me for many years, but I only started seriously writing when I stopped thinking about myself and started thinking about my story as its own entity.

Saturday 23 February 2013

Inside the Mind of the Author: Oh The Voices in My Head


- Guest Post by Catherine Astolfo

If you heard an echo of “Gloria” in yours at that title, you are probably close to my advanced age!

I don’t want anyone to get the wrong idea, but I have to admit that I go around hearing voices. They are pretty real to me, since I gave birth to their owners.

The characters in my Emily Taylor Mystery series have birthdates, full names, height, weight, colour of eyes, hair and skin, personalities, quirks, strengths and weaknesses—all from me. Most of them live in a little village that I created too.

Emily, Langford, May, Alain, Edgar, Frances, Chief Dan and so on—are all people I can picture instantly. Like old friends whose faces you can never, ever forget. The moment you are back in one another’s company, it’s as though you’ve never been apart.

The stories and the plots are always there in my head, too. It gets very crowded sometimes and circuits do tend to overload. For instance, I could be taking a lovely, summery day ride in the car with my husband. Inside my head, it’s a different picture altogether.

Down in a dark, dank basement, a man lies slowly bleeding to death from a shotgun wound.  I am contemplating how long it would take him to die, when my husband asks me what I’m thinking.  Unfortunately for him, I tell him.  This is a scenario from The Brdigeman, Book One of The Emily Taylor Mysteries.

A large raccoon is splayed upside down in the slope of the ditch on my right.  He is stiff and awkward on his back, lips pulled back in an angry grimace.  Maggots crawl out of his mouth and flies swarm everywhere.  I can hear their frenzied delight as we stop for a red light.  I am fascinated.  Victim—Book Two!

Next we pass a burned-out shell perched forgotten on a side road.  I am thrilled to see it.  I ask my husband to stop so I can get out and breathe in the scorched wood smell and the stench of furled plastic and dead things underneath the ash.  Great experience for Legacy, Book Three.

Forensics for Dummies, Until You Are Dead, Criminal Investigative Failures – these were the books that dominated my shelves during the writing of Book Four.  Along with questions to which I find an answer through Sisters in Crime’s forensics specialist: Can you paint scenery on a dead body?

Now I’ve got 3 books on the go: one about a psychopath who betrays her best friend, a “cozy” about a retirement home, and a children’s story about a ghost I once knew. Oh the voices in my head!


You can buy the first book here: The Bridgeman or look at all of them here: Catherine Astolfo


Buy Now @ Amazon
Genre – Mystery
Rating – 18+
More details about the author & the book
Connect with Catherine Astolfo on Facebook & Twitter


Friday 22 February 2013

ARC Review: The Stone of Fire (Geronimo Stilton Cavemice #1)

Original Title: The Stone of Fire
Series: Geronimo Stilton Cavemice #1
Author: Geronimo Stilton
Publisher: Scholastic Paperbacks
Release Date: January 1st 2013
Source: Netgalley
Genre: Comics, Children's



This NEW Geronimo Stilton series spin-off is set in the Stone Age!

Who is Geronimo Stiltonoot?
He is a cavemouse -- Geronimo Stilton's ancient ancestor. He runs the stone newspaper in the prehistoric village of Old Mouse City. From dealing with dinosaurs to dodging meteorites, his life in the Stone Age is full of adventure!

THE STONE OF FIRE
Old Mouse City is in an uproar. The most precious artifact in the mouseum -- the Stone of Fire -- has been stolen! Geronimo Stiltonoot and his cavemouse friend Hercule Poirat are on the case. It's up to them to retrieve the stone from the ferocious Tiger Khan and his band of fearsome felines!

REVIEW

*** Thanks to Scholastic Publishers for providing me the advanced review copy. ***

Well, I think one is never late for reading comics, fairy tales or children's novels.  It all depends on one's own thinking, though.  So, here I am requesting for this comic to Scholastic.  As always, whenever some new book arrives, I felt happy.

But, this is something different.  When I was in junior school, my school used to conduct this Scholastic Book Fair, which the teachers insist us on attending along with our parents.  And for every book fair, my dad used to get so many comics and children's books for me from Scholastic.  And I forgot how I used to be in those times..coming home with all those books feels to me like I am the richest and happiest person on Earth.  First, thanks to this novel - The Stone of Fire (Geronimo Stilton Cavemice #1) - for bringing back all those sweet memories.

So, to the story..

You know Geronimo Stilton from the popular "Geronimo Stilton" comic series?  Below is the picture of him.
Source: http://geronimostilton.com/

Geronimo Stilton, now, writes about the adventures his great ancestor, Geronimo Stiltonoot, a cave mice, who lived in the stone age, where mice travel in dinosaurs and news are carved in stones.  In this adventurous Old Mouse City, one of the most important artifact in the mouseum has been stolen.  Now, its up to Geronimo Stiltonoot and his detective cave mouse friend Hercules to find the stone and return them back.

Good story for a comic, isn't it?  Did I mention about the illustrations?  Its awesome people!  Just go get it and read it or give it to your kids.  The words are given different font and colors to describe the word, for example the word "TIGERS" is given in orange color with some stripe, the word "PAINTING" has different color for each letter with a cute font, etc.

This colorful novel will be fun..entertaining..exciting..and above all, will bring back your sweet memories..


SERIES ORDER:
  1. The Stone of Fire
  2. Watch Your Tail (expected publication 2013)

Thursday 21 February 2013

$25 & $10 Amazon Gift Card Giveaway: Savage Angel by Stacy Gail

Original Title: Savage Angel
Series: Earth Angels #2
Author: Stacy Gail
Publisher: Carina Press
Release Date: February 4th 2013
Genre: Paranormal Romance


Feel nothing. Sara Savitch's personal mantra has been hard to live by ever since her torrid one-night stand with army doctor Gideon Mandeville. Descended from the Seraphim, angels known as heaven's soldiers, Sara may be an expert fighter, but she's an amateur when it comes to relationships.

Physically unharmed, but still battle-scarred, Gideon has returned to Dallas in the hopes of regaining his faith in humanity—and in himself. Instead he's walked into a nightmare. His father is on a serial killer's hit list, and has hired a personal bodyguard—the very woman who has haunted Gideon's dreams for a year.

As Sara works to build an impenetrable fortress around her client, she yearns to tear down the one around Gideon's heart. With his bitter rejection of warriors, will he ever be able to accept her true nature? Sara must find a way to trust Gideon with her secret as the killer closes in

EXCERPT

“No!”

For a second he thought he imagined Sara’s scream even as the crash of the broken bottle filled his universe at the same time he hit the ground. That all-too-familiar whoosh that was the devil’s own breath erupted over him even as he did his damnedest to roll away from the wave of liquid fire that had to be reaching out to him.

Only it wasn’t.

Rolling to escape the flames, Gideon came to a stop only when he slammed up against a weedy sapling and could go no further. He waited for the insane agony of flesh burning to the bone, a scream bottled up inside his throat. Instead, his fierce grimace of anticipated hell on earth dissolved as a chaotic vortex of numb disbelief swallowed up his basic understanding of the world around him.

INTERVIEW WITH STACY GAIL

  1. Is there an inspiration behind why you chose writing?
SG: Does being a hopeless romantic count? :)  When I was a kid, I “rewrote” all the Trixie Belden books so that Trixie and Jim Frayne wound up kissing.  I think I invented fan fiction!

  1. When you were little, what did you want to be when you "grew up"?
SG:  To be a figure skating pro AND a romance writer.  Guess what?  I’m both! *happy dance*

  1. Finish the sentence- one book I wish I had written is....
SG:  “Working For The Devil” by Lilith Saintcrow.  I love that book <3

  1. What are your current literary works?  Any sneak peaks?
SG:  While I’m focused on SAVAGE ANGEL right now, the next book in the series, WOUNDED ANGEL, is out May 27th.  Up to this point, The Earth Angels could almost be read as stand-alone stories.  But the third book is a pivotal part to the overall story arc, and I can’t wait for people to get a look at it. *is excited*

  1. If you could travel in a Time Machine would you go back to the past or into the future?
SG: I go back to the past to find out what my REAL family name is!!!!  My surname is what’s called a “gangplank” name—in other words, when my ancestors walked off the boat and gave their names to officials, it was spelled PHONETICALLY. Poof went the family history on my father’s side. :(

  1. What is your favorite scene in the book and why do you love it?
SG:  Ooh, great question!  One of my favorite scenes just has to be when the hero, Gideon Mandeville, sees Sara’s paranormal side in all its fiery glory. Sara is a descendant of the Seraphim, or heaven’s soldiers.  She can manipulate fire and even absorb it, but at a terrible physical cost to her mostly human body.  When Gideon sees her do this, all bets are off.

Thank you so much for the interview, and for letting me chat a bit about SAVAGE ANGEL!

GIVEAWAY

Stacy will be awarding a $25 Amazon GC to a randomly drawn commenter during the tour, and a second randomly drawn commenter will be awarded a $10 Amazon GC. A $25 Amazon GC will be awarded to a randomly drawn host. 

Giveaway ends March 8th 2013 and open INTERNATIONALLY!

Wednesday 20 February 2013

Why Book Covers are So Important?

- Guest Post by Lara Nance

Book covers help convey the story as much as your blurb. Those are the two things most readers have to consider when deciding to purchase a book or not. Make sure your cover relays the flavor and genre of your story and imparts some element of the tale that whets the reader’s appetite to learn more.
Don’t offer something with the cover that isn’t fulfilled in the story. For instance, don’t put half naked people on the cover in a hot embrace if the book is a sweet romance…and vice versa. Readers will be angry and they will tell you about it, too. Usually in the form of a bad review.
Buy Now @ Amazon
Genre – Paranormal Romance
Rating – R
More details about the author & the book
Connect with Lara Nance on Facebook & Twitter

Tuesday 19 February 2013

Hand blown pint glass Giveaway: Insatiable (A Sydney Rye Series #3)

Original Title: Insatiable
Series: A Sydney Rye Series #3
Author: Emily Kimelman
Release Date: December 24th 2012
Genre: Mystery


INSATIABLE is the third novel in my Sydney Rye Series of dark murder mysteries. This series feature a strong female protagonist and her canine best friend. It is recommended for the 18+ who enjoy some violence, don't mind dirty language, and are up for a dash of sex. Not to mention an awesome, rollicking good mystery!

INSATIABLE begins with private detective Sydney Rye living a simple, disciplined life in London, but when a dangerous man from her past calls, Rye finds she cannot turn him away. Robert Maxim explains that the daughter of a powerful friend has gone missing and he wants Rye to find her. In exchange he offers her something she had given up hope of ever having; freedom from her past.

With her dog, Blue, at her side, Rye meets up with her new partner, a handsome man she's not sure she can trust. Heading for Mexico City, they go undercover, posing as husband and wife. After meeting with the bereaved parents, Rye starts to sense that there is more going on than just a missing girl. But it isn't until they arrive in the Yucatan Peninsula, hot on the girl's trail in Paradise, that all hell breaks loose. Sydney has to reach out for help from old friends and deal with the consequences of her past, if she's going to find the girl and keep them all alive.


EXCERPT

Around the next bend a chicken was in the road. Jimmy saw it and swerved into a rut to avoid it. It was a wild, out-of-control move and I grabbed at the door trying to steady myself. The Jeep jerked down and then up again as Jimmy powered us out of the ditch and back onto the road. "What the fuck!" I yelled.

"There was a chicken."

"Next time fucking hit the chicken!"

That's exactly what the guy in the black Jeep did. I turned around to see the feathers exploding with a mix of blood and guts against the guy's grill. He drove through the chicken into the shade of a tree and I saw him. I saw Blane. He was wearing wrap-around sunglasses - the kind douche bags think look cool. His mouth was a straight line, his face made of stone.

I rested my new gun on the shoulder of my seat and tried to steady my aim as we raced back past the Home Depot. Jimmy swerved around other cars, at times facing oncoming traffic, to further our escape. It was impossible to get a clear shot. I turned back around as we crested a hill and we could see the town below us.

Traffic became congested as we got closer to town. I turned around and saw that Blane was stuck several cars behind us. There was no way he could fire off any rounds with all these people around. We stopped at a red light and I waved to Blane. He raised a gun and I dropped down in my seat as I heard a window shatter. It wasn't our car but the one right behind us.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Emily Kimelman lives on a boat in the Hudson Valley with her husband, Sean and their dog Kinsey (named after Sue Grafton's Kinsey Millhone). Kimelman has a passion for traveling and spends as much time as possible in the pursuit of adventure.

Her Sydney Rye series feature a strong female protagonist and her canine best friend. It is recommended for the 18+ who enjoy some violence, don't mind dirty language, and are up for a dash of sex. Not to mention an awesome, rollicking good mystery!
AUTHOR ONLINE: Website | Twitter | Facebook | Goodreads

GIVEAWAY

Emily will be awarding a hand blown pint glass that her husband (a third generation glassblower) made for the launch of her first novel, UNLEASHED, to a randomly drawn commenter during the tour.

Emily will also be awarding a hand blown pint glass to two randomly drawn hosts.

Sunday 17 February 2013

Review & $50 Amazon Gift Card giveaway: Road to Tomorrow by Mary Metcalfe

Original Title: Road to Tomorrow
Series: Look to the Future #3
Author: Mary Metcalfe
Publisher: Laskin Publishing
Release Date: September 30th 2012
Source: Novel Publicity Blog Tour
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Buy Links: Amazon | Barnes & Noble


Andrea Garrett is trying to escape her abusive marriage. Fearing for her life, she leaves behind her two small children and flees Newark the day before her husband is due to arrive back from a tour of duty. After falling asleep at the wheel and landing in a ditch, her life takes on a new direction when strangers step in and introduce her to a life she could only have imagined and one that could save her soul and give her children the future they deserve.

REVIEW

Andrea Garrett, along with her two children - Simon and Emily, has escaped from her abusive husband, which she has done after many failed attempts.  She leaves the children with her brother, Richard, and leaves the town to settle somewhere far far away from her husband.  She lands into an accident and from there, Andrea sees new people and enter a new life.  Carol and Devin, a happy couple help her and adopt Andrea as her own daughter.  The people soon become friendly with Andrea and help her in all ways to settle down in that town. But, Sean, Andrea's husband comes for her..  Will Andrea be able to escape him this time?  Andrea has found new love and life here..will she have to forgo everything again?

What I liked:

Friday 15 February 2013

Pet Peeves Of The Publishing Industry


- Guest Post by NS Wikarski 

Everybody knows that one of the chief benefits of hitting yourself over the head with a hammer is that it feels so good when you stop.

The hammer analogy aptly describes my experience with traditional publishing (aka legacy publishing). My first two books were published conventionally and I suffered through all the usual steps of producing a trade paperback. Editor, proof reader, formatter, cover artist, printer, distributor, publicist, book signings, fan conventions. I learned an enormous amount about the book business but, unfortunately, all the effort expended didn’t translate into much net income.

Then came Kindle ebooks and Createspace print on demand paperbacks. At first, I was hesitant to go the digital route but an author friend pointed out that since I still controlled the rights to my work, I might as well make a few pennies by selling electronic copies of what I’d written. Fortunately, my previous work experience included a few decades as a computer consultant so I was quite comfortable with formatting my own manuscripts. Given how many years I’d spent designing graphic user interfaces, I was equally comfortable with designing my own covers.

The distance from writing a novel to seeing it sold online was shortened by a couple of years. The markets that I could reach via Kindle and Createspace were global, not local. I could promote my work via cyberspace tours rather than packing a suitcase to head to yet another low turnout book signing.

Considering the months and months of work it took to create, warehouse, distribute, and market the legacy print copies, I was staggered to discover that my net royalty for each ebook or print on demand copy was exactly the same as what I was netting for the legacy print version of the same book. Best of all, in two years as a digital author, I’ve sold twice as many copies of my work as I was able to sell in nine years as a print author.

In my opinion, digital books are every writer’s dream come true. So why isn’t everybody doing this? I’ve had this conversation with several of my writer friends who are hesitant to take the plunge. For some it comes down to technical timidity. They’re afraid to format their own books much less tackle the daunting task of designing the covers. I have pointed out that they can hire knowledgeable people to help with these chores but they shrug their shoulders. They have no head for business. It’s not for them.

Other writers are extremely uncomfortable without the blessing of an agent and editor from a big six publishing house. It doesn’t occur to them that in order to receive that blessing, they are parting with their own intellectual property and the lion’s share of the income it could generate. These writers have forgotten that without the content they supply, the entire structure of legacy publishing would crumble like a house of cards. I believe the marketplace, not an agent or editor in New York, should decide the value of a writer’s work. Amazon has removed the middleman from the equation. As far as I’m concerned, Vive La Difference!


Buy Now @ Amazon
Genre – Archaeology Thriller 
Rating – PG13
More details about the author & the book
Connect with NS Wikarski on Facebook

Thursday 14 February 2013

HAPPY VALENTINE'S DAY, LOVELIES!


I love you not only for what you are, but for what I am when I am with you.
I love you not only for what you have made of yourself, but for what you are making of me.
I love you for that part of me you bring out.
- Roy Croft


HAPPY VALENTINE'S DAY, LOVELIES!!!





Wednesday 13 February 2013

Interview & Giveaway: Roses in Ecuador by

Original Title: Roses in Ecuador
Author: Heather Huffman
Publisher: Booktrope Editions
Release Date: February 1st 2013
Genre: Romance


Unknown to each other, they each escaped to the heart of Ecuador to make the world a better place, having sworn off the possibility of love… but disaster pulls them together.

Jane Russell is certain she’s had enough heartbreak for one lifetime, and love is the last thing on her mind when she arrives in Ecuador. Focused and determined, she settles in to write a book on the local jaguar preservation.

Devon McAllister, the wealthy and handsome son of a corporate mogul in the U.S., has broken his share of hearts despite his best intentions. He moved to Ecuador to escape his father’s destructive greed and pursue his passion to do good in the world, opening a fair trade rose plantation.

When the jaguar preservation comes under attack by what appears to be a group of angry locals, Devon jumps in to help Jane fight for the animals they love. As the danger grows, the motives of the attackers are revealed to be much more sinister than either could have ever imagined.

Unsure of whether they’re more frightened by the prospect of love or the danger to the jaguars, they must decide whether they can open their minds–and their hearts–to trust again.

EXCERPT


Tree limbs smacked her in the face. Thorns and underbrush clawed at her skin and clothes. Her legs screamed from the exertion.  Still she pressed on, keeping Devon well in sight. When she burst out of the trees into a clearing, he reached out and grabbed hold of her, pulling Jane to him just before she ran straight off the edge of a cliff.
“Oh, dear Lord,” she gasped, clinging to his shoulders and burying her face against his chest. His heart was hammering as hard as hers. The thunder of a waterfall filled her ears. She couldn’t hear anything else; she had no way of knowing if their pursuers were still behind them.
“I think we should jump.”
“I think you’re crazy.”
“Probably, but I still think we should jump,” he persisted.
Jane peeked over the edge. The water seemed pretty darn far below to her. “Holy crap. I still think you’re crazy.”
He spun her back around and cupped her chin in his hands. “Trust me, Janey. Please.”
She paused for a beat, searching his eyes. “Okay. On three?”
Their pursuers were closer now; Jane could hear them above the roar of water.
“Three.” Devon grabbed her hand and pulled her with him over the edge of the cliff.
The freefall to water lasted just long enough for Devon to wonder if he’d killed them both – and to think he liked the way her hand felt in his, even as they plummeted through the air. The crash into the water knocked the wind out of him, but he was happy to be alive—and happier still when he felt Jane struggling to resurface.
They popped out of the water, sputtering for air. Without a word, Devon tucked Jane to his side and kicked his strong legs, propelling them to shore. He’d lived in the basin long enough to know they hadn’t survived the jump yet, not until they were out of reach of the myriad of predators who called this river home.
Their pursuers fired at them in vain. Devon wasn’t sure whether it was divine providence or the fact that the distance was too great for the bullets to find their target, but he wasn’t willing to stick around to see if their luck would hold. The pair crawled out of the water, still gasping for air, and stumbled into the protection of the jungle.
Devon cast a worried glance at Jane when she stopped to lean against a nearby tree with her eyes closed. “Do you have a little bit more in you?”
“Yeah, I’m fine.” She shoved away from the tree. “Just point me where you want me to go, boss.”
“Are you sure?”
She replied with a look that adequately conveyed her irritation.
“Okay then.” He took her by the shoulders and turned her to face north. “That way.”
Devon knew he needed to take the lead since he was the one who knew where they were going, but he was loath to let Jane out of his field of vision. She looked pale and shaky. And tired.
As they trudged through the dense vegetation, Devon wondered what kind of trouble his pretty little neighbor had landed herself in the middle of. Neither spoke much; they were both too tired and unsettled.
When Devon finally broke the silence, it was to let her know they didn’t have much farther to go before reaching a cabin where they could take a break and get a drink of water. “Can you make it a little longer?”
“Would you stop asking me that? It’s patronizing.”
“How is concern for your welfare patronizing?” He stopped and turned to her. “You look like you could collapse at any moment.”
“I told you before, I don’t collapse.”
Those were the last words to leave her mouth before she crumpled like an old marionette at his feet. He felt a little bad for not catching her, but it had taken him by such surprise he hadn’t reacted quickly enough. Jane had been so adamant about not collapsing, he’d believed her.
“Well, this sucks,” he told no one in particular before kneeling to scoop her unconscious form into his arms. She wasn’t a large woman and he considered himself to generally be a strong man, but the added weight made his already tired muscles protest. Suddenly the cabin felt much farther away than it had five minutes ago – not that he’d ever tell Jane that. Of course, it was probably best if he didn’t tell her he hadn’t caught her, either.
Devon resolutely set out toward the cabin. By the time the building came into view, he was happier to see it than he ever had been before. Once there, he laid her on the bed and gently tugged her wet boots and socks off. Then he hesitated. If it were anyone else in the world, he’d strip them down to their skivvies and put a warm blanket around them.
But this was Jane, and that posed a whole new set of problems. For one, he wasn’t entirely sure he wanted the first time he saw her in her underwear to be while she was unconscious. That just seemed too creepy. For another, there was a very distinct possibility she would be really pissed at him if she woke up in her underwear.
Still, she looked miserable in her soaked clothes. He reminded himself he was a grown man and the head of several corporations. Surely he could be adult about helping a friend in need and weather any fallout from that decision.
“Okay then,” he told himself aloud, feeling a little silly as he reached down to tug her T-shirt up. It was an awkward process, disrobing a woman who was completely passed out. This certainly wasn’t how he’d been envisioning undressing her for the past several days. He was fairly proud of himself by the time he finally had Jane’s clothes in a sopping heap on the floor and a warm blanket tucked around her.
He looked down at her on the bed; she looked so fragile. He couldn’t resist reaching down to brush aside the blond ringlets that clung to her cheek. Then he surprised himself by leaning over and kissing her tenderly on the forehead. She murmured in response. He froze, wondering if he’d been caught in his impetuous gesture of affection. She sighed and settled deeper into her pillow.
He straightened and took a step back. He didn’t understand what it was about her that brought about such a tumult of unfamiliar emotions. It irritated him not being able to sort it all out. Absolutely, she was beautiful, but he was accustomed to beautiful women. What magic power did she have that held him so captive? Was it her apathy – was he truly that shallow?
Thunder rumbled in the distance, telling him they would be waiting out a storm in the little cabin.  He scowled. That’s just what he needed, to be confined in a small space with a stunning, nearly naked woman he couldn’t touch.




INTERVIEW WITH HEATHER HUFFMAN

Is there an inspiration behind why you chose writing?

I’ve loved to write for as long as I can remember. It’s such a part of me that I almost don’t feel comfortable in my own skin if I’m not at some stage of working on a book.

When I was 18, my boyfriend told me he thought I should be a writer. I looked at him like he was crazy – even though I was constantly working on a book.

It wasn’t until I hit 31 and had drifted from job to job because I couldn’t find anything that fit that I decided to get serious about writing. I think I’d always been looking for something more “practical.” I realized it was passed time to decide what I wanted to be when I grew up and the only reason I hadn’t pursued writing was fear. My degree was in marketing communication; I used it get a job writing for a corporation and started really cleaning up a manuscript for submission. Two years after that decision, I signed with Booktrope, my publisher.

When you were little, what did you want to be when you "grew up"?

Even though I’ve loved to write for as long as I can remember, I had no idea I wanted to be a writer until I was an adult. For most of my childhood and into young adulthood, I wanted to be an actress. Fallback careers included being a veterinarian or marine biologist. (Eclectic mix of career choices, I know!)

Finish the sentence- one book I wish I had written is....

Chronicles of Narnia. I love that series and all the layers to it!

What are your current literary works? Any sneak peeks?

My currently published novels include: Throwaway, Tumbleweed, Jailbird, Suddenly a Spy, Ties That Bind, Ring of Fire, Devil in Disguise and Roses in Ecuador.

Readers should look for Fool’s Game to be released also in 2013. The main character in that novel is Cody Kingsley, who first appeared in Ring of Fire and we got to know better in Roses in Ecuador. Some of the questions that were left unanswered in Roses in Ecuador will play out in this novel.

I’m really excited about releasing Fool’s Game because I originally wrote the manuscript when I was seventeen years old. I’m really enjoying working with my editor on this one and I can’t wait to share it with my readers!

If you could travel in a Time Machine would you go back to the past or into the future?

Back to the past. I’m all about living a simpler life, although I’d miss indoor plumbing.

What is your favorite scene in the book and why do you love it?

There are three or four that come to mind right away that I really loved to write, but if I had to pick just one, it would be when Jane and Devon are running from the bad guys and jump off a cliff together through the point when they wind up waiting out a storm in the cabin together. Those handful of pages are packed with humor, suspense and sparks between the two main characters. They’re just at the beginning of their journey together and neither of them have any way of knowing what’s about to unfold.

GIVEAWAY

Booktrope Editions is happy to give away one copy of Roses in Ecuador - epub, mobi or pdf format.  Enter the giveaway through the Rafflecopter below.

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A Day in the Life of RW Peake

- GUEST POST BY RW PEAKE

All in all, it’s good to be me. I’m at a point where I’m selling books at a rate of three figures a day, so I can now say that I’m an author who does this full time. My normal day consists of checking my sales, then checking my email. At this point, I’m averaging 3 to 4 pieces of correspondence from fans a day, and I will continue to answer each and every one of them personally as long as I can. I have some truly great fans who have responded to my books with such an overwhelming and positive enthusiasm that I feel very strongly that it’s incumbent on me to take time to communicate with them. I’ve heard and actually debated with other indie authors who believe that this is beneath them, that there should be some sort of invisible barrier between themselves and their great, unwashed fans. For lack of a better term, I think this is utter bullshit. Long before I became an author of my genre, I was a fan, and I love nothing more than talking about Ancient Rome with fellow enthusiasts. One day this may change, or the rate of correspondence might become too much to handle, but that’s a problem I’ll deal with when it gets here, and it’s a really good problem to have in the first place.

After that, I scan the Internet looking for anything that pertains to my books that I can put on my Facebook fan page and Tweet about. For example, I’ve been the #1 best seller in the Ancient Rome genre for quite some time now, so once a week I inform the world of that fact, and how long the streak has continued. Also, I’ve been fortunate to receive a very high number of reviews, and the vast majority of them are in the 4 or 5 star range, and I’m not shy about letting the world know. I would refer back to Ted Turner’s adage.

Next, I spend a significant portion of my day adding to a blog that I’ve created called Caesar Triumphant, a suppositional history of a Caesar that survived the Ides of March and in fact goes on his campaign to Parthia as he had planned. My story actually picks up 10 years later, when he and his army invades Japan, the final land to be conquered by the greatest conqueror of all time. It’s more for fun than anything, and is based on a simple idea; if the Legions of Rome faced the samurai of Japan, who would win? Of course the eras that are the classical periods for both civilization don’t match up, and I wasn’t willing to introduce time travel, so what Caesar and his men (the central characters are from the Marching With Caesar series, just 10 years older) have to face are proto-samurai.

Finally, I am working on the final edit of my next book, Marching With Caesar-Antony and Cleopatra, which will be out on February 24th.

Oh, and I also play a lot of video games, watch enormous amounts of daytime TV, and pretty much do what I want, when I want. Yes, it’s good to be me.

Buy Now @ Amazon
Genre – Historical Fiction
Rating – PG13
More details about the book
Connect with RW Peake on Facebook & Twitter
Blog http://blog.rwpeake.com/

Tuesday 12 February 2013

If I Could Jump Into A Book…


- GUEST POST BY OLIVIA HARDIN

If I could jump into a book, I’d live in a world of twenty known universes.   A world where a bit of magic… er complex mathematics, can open doorways between the planets and the galaxies.  A world where lesser villains may be forced to eat themselves while the “eater of souls” duels in riposte.

If I could jump into a book, I’d have journeys of adventure on a road less travelled.  I’d battle blood kites and horned ghosts and dragons, all with a tough gnome-like side-kick.  I’d have a little black box that could hold an almost infinite amount of provisions and I’d remind my fellow cohorts to be careful lest it get lost in the swamp.  I’d have a champion to lead the way with his “bump” of direction never failing.

If I could jump into a book I’d be a Princess with a strong and brave Hero at my side.  We’d jump a sword to seal a vow even as we search for a lost egg.  My Hero would fight for his Princess to the death if necessary and after all that, forgive her almost anything, even when she forces him to take her over his knee.  I’d have at my disposal an arsenal of wisdom to resolve any problem.  I’d be strong enough to use that wisdom even when my heart says no.

If I could jump into a book, I’d live in the world of Robert Heinlein’s creation.  I’d travel the Glory Road again and again, living the adventure, falling in love and roaming the twenty known universes.  And the best thing about living in that world, would be that I could “retell” the ending so that the glorious quest could continue with ever-changing, new roads to be traveled…

Buy Now @ Amazon & Smashwords
Genre – Paranormal Romance
Rating – PG
More details about the author & the book
Connect with Olivia Hardin on Facebook & Twitter & Google Plus

Monday 11 February 2013

Guest Post: Procrastination Demons? An Exorcism Guide

Original Title: Never Give in to Fear: Laughing All the Way Up From Rock Bottom
Author: Marti MacGibbon
Publisher: Stay Strong Publishing
Release Date: October 8th 2012
Genre: Memoir


Never Give in to Fear: Laughing All the Way Up from Rock Bottom, the enhanced edition of this darkly funny, dramatic memoir, describes an emerging standup comic’s drug-fueled descent into the underworld, escape from human traffickers, homelessness, and ultimate redemption. With brutal honesty, humor, and clarity, the author vividly describes her experiences as she rides her downward spiral: a near-miss with a notorious serial killer, a series of tragically hilarious misadventures in the California drug world, and a terrifying account of imprisonment at the hands of Japanese organized crime, to name a few. This revised and re-edited version contains three additional chapters that introduce readers to quirky characters, insights into standup comedy, resilience and recovery, and deliver an inspiring message about healing, hope, and courage to change.

Procrastination Demons? An Exorcism Guide

- Guest Post by Marti MacGibbon

Are you wrestling with the demon of procrastination? When it comes to writing, procrastination can be a formidable adversary. Do not allow yourself to fall for any

of the fearful, negative thoughts that enable procrastination. Some procrastination-powered thoughts disguise themselves as cautions regarding preparation, or demands that the atmosphere in the office, your personal mood and other factors to be “just right.” The desire to be perfect, to have the perfect situation, to craft the perfect paragraph, to enjoy “the perfect writing career,” creates a pitfall that should be avoided at all costs. Perfectionism lies at the root of missed deadlines, low productivity, high stress, self-doubt and procrastination.

Writing, or any other worthwhile pursuit in life, calls for fluidity, an adventurous spirit, and the courage to push beyond the comfort zone. This leaves no room for perfectionism. Anyone who arrives at the pinnacle of success has already experienced numerous failures along the way. We learn by trial and error, and if we don’t take chances, we don’t grow. Don’t let perfectionism hold you back from discovering your greatest potential. Here are some strategies for exorcizing these twin demons. They are progress-oriented strategies you can use which will free you from excessive self-criticism and increase your creativity, satisfaction, and confidence:

Go ahead and do it. Yes this is ridiculously simple, but it works. Arrange a time each day, if your lifestyle permits, and commit to writing during that time period. If you can’t think of anything “brilliant,” then write anything…. just write until you hit your flow. You may not hit your flow that day, but you can be sure that if you stay the course, you will eventually hit it. If your schedule is erratic, for instance, if you are a mother with young children you may not be able to commit to a sacrosanct period of time each day, no sweat! You can grab your opportunities as they come. The main thing is that you do it every day, even if it’s only ten minutes at a time. Baby steps often complete the journey more consistently than leaps and bounds. Focus on progress.

Perfection is not an oasis, it’s only a mirage. You’ll never arrive, because it simply isn’t there. Once you realize that everything in this universe is flawed, you can relax and focus on improvement, or progress. You will find that as your confidence builds, your freedom of thought increases. You now have lots of “elbow room” to take on new challenges. Perfectionism can throw you into a cycle of procrastination. There is real reward in accepting your work without judgment, simply enjoying the beauty and fun of creativity and discovery.

Set workable goals and celebrate each accomplishment. Determine your ultimate goal. Then set do-able, measurable goals, at definite intervals on the journey, that you know you can reach. At each of these intervals you can measure progress, adjust your sights, and make changes if necessary. It’s easy to slip into a self-defeating pattern by setting stratospheric standards. If you tell yourself you can only celebrate once you scale the highest peak, you rob yourself of the joy that comes from celebrating each and every small accomplishment regardless of the result.

At the end of each day, take an account of all you’ve achieved. Remember that progress is not exclusively linear. Be sure to give yourself credit for plucky attitude, positive thought process, generous thoughts, and acts of kindness. On any given day, you likely have gained character strengths, personal insights, and improved writing skills. As you daily celebrate these small accomplishments, you increase your joy in the process, and that joy will motivate you to crash through the procrastination barrier each and every day.

Embrace your mistakes as learning opportunities. Some of history’s greatest discoveries were a result of blunders, or were learned by trial and error. If you stop making mistakes, you stop growing and learning. Loosen up—have fun. You’ll find your creative output, skill set, and personal satisfaction will increase exponentially.

Never minimize your achievements. Dismiss self-talk such as, “Well, it was okay, but anybody could’ve done that.” That sort of thinking, discounting the positive, can lead to anhedonia, the technical term for diminished ability to find joy and satisfaction in life. Instead, constantly cheer yourself on with inner pep talks.

Try putting these strategies into play on a daily basis and you’ll be amazed at your progress. Do the exorcism. Cast out excessive self-criticism and inappropriately high standards. Celebrate each tiny baby step. Pat yourself on the back: turn on the self-approval faucet and let the feeling of accomplishment wash over you. This isn’t complacency, this is stamina building. Writing is like a long-distance run. Procrastination and perfectionism are fear-related. If you fill yourself with positive emotion and buoy your spirits with positive self-talk, you’ll find that self-discipline is fun and comes naturally. Focus on progress instead of perfection and before you know it, procrastination melts away, you’re up off the couch and in front of the computer. Or better still, while we’re visualizing, let’s say you’re off the couch and onto the NYT Bestsellers List. Anything is possible, one day at a time.

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