Friday, November 30, 2012

Christmas Books Giveaway Hop

Enter to win an e-book!

Christmas in Vampire Valley - YA paranormal Romance


A special thanks to I am a Reader, Not a Writer and Laurie Here 
for hosting this awesome Giveaway hop!

Christmas in Vampire Valley
YA paranormal romance

What happens when a fairy (dressed as a witch) wants a vampire for Christmas?
Chaos!

Monday, November 26, 2012

Dreaming of Summer Blog Hop!


Everyone that stops by receives a FREE e-book! 

2 FREE e-books if you stop by Nov. 30 - Dec.  1st!

Details at the bottom  :P

You also have a chance to win a two e-books!
Forbidden Temptation of a Vampire (Sídhí Summer Camp #1)
& Vampire's Forbidden Territory (Sídhí Summer Camp #2)
YA paranormal Romance



for hosting this awesome giveaway hop!

As an EXTRA special thanks to you, the reader, for hopping by
I'm giving everyone a copy of Beloved LifeMate!
Watch the sparks fly between a royal elf and a halfling (vampire/elf). 

Wednesday, November 21, 2012

Snippet: Beyond Parallel by Matthew Turner



The below passage is about half way through the book, as Clark sits waiting in a coffee shop on his own. It's an inner dialogue showcasing his turmoil toward his life at that moment in time. It was so hard to choose just one snippet, but I really like this passage. It might be because I love coffee a little too much :)

***

A tall, white mug sat in front of Clark, a burst of steam rising and spreading. Beneath the eruption was the darkest blend of coffee that Clark had found in New York. It wasn’t only dark, but full. Black couldn’t completely describe it. He desired to raise it to his lips and taste its bitter form. Yet he couldn’t. To push forward too soon would result in pain. Just like with a woman, he had to be patient and wait long enough to embark on a hot and passionate ride.

Clark sighed at such thoughts. The coffee was good, but it didn’t deserve such attention. Such imagination should be reserved for a woman, and not any woman, but Beckie.

He missed her touch and smell and presence. He longed for her legs and lips and kiss. She was with him, but not. They were together, but never in its fullest sense. They were a couple, by name, but he wondered if it was more through technicality than anything else.

The coffee began to cool and he felt confident taking a precautionary sip. He raised it to his lips and licked the white surface. It was hot, but not burning. Carefully, he edged it back until a few drops of black gold dropped to his tongue.

Not yet.

Beckie was back at school, as was he, and their life was back to normal. However, it had never left normal in the first place. The festive season was supposed to be for them, but it instead became about her future. A chance internship that held too many what ifs to turn down.

Clark looked at his watch. Ten minutes late.

He played with the odds in his head, wondering when the phone call would arrive…if at all.

He raised his mug of triumph once more and touched it to his tongue. It was still hot but cooler than before. This time he tipped it back further, edging into the danger zone of no turning back.

Success!

He committed and swallowed and let the fullest blend he’d found fill his throat, sighing as he did, hating how this was the most enjoyable part of his evening.



http://www.facebook.com/matthewturner.write
http://turndogmillionaire.com/beyond-parallel/
https://twitter.com/turndog_million

Beyond Parallel by Matthew Turner (coming January 2013)

Author Interview: Matthew Turner



1. What inspires you?
The world around me in general. I love to write in coffee shops and have the ambiance of what's around me fuel what I write. I always think about my past, and that's a huge driver for sure, but I let my mind wander and think of whatever it wants to.

It's amazing what sitting in a coffee shop can do. You come across some amazing folk, and although people-watching might be frowned upon, it's a writer's best friend.

2. Do you use an outline or just start writing?
I'm quite a strategic person so I do plot and plan before hand. Looking back, I didn't do this enough for Beyond Parallel. That being said, I try not to be too rigid with this. I think it's important to have a general idea where you're going, but the freedom to change things whenever you like.

It's rare for me to plan particular scenes. I have an idea about what I want to achieve, but I let me imagination at that moment in time do the rest.

3. What is your next project?
It's nameless at this moment in time, but I have already begun my second novel. It's about a young man who finds out he has a terminal illness and embarks on a journey he should have lived years ago.

I've crafted four characters, and I want it to be as much about his friends and those around him, as it is about the main character. I feel it will be a very challenging project, but I can't wait to get immersed in this world. I feel I will learn about my writing and I can't wait to push myself to the next level.

4. Do you write full time or part time?
I work for myself, so I suppose I write full time. I try to do a few other things, too, like consultancy and freelance writing, but much     of my world is surrounded by writing. I don't only write fiction, but non-fiction as well. In fact, I'm well under way with a non-fiction book called The Successful Mistake, which is a superb project; albeit very time intrusive.

If I'm not writing, I'm usually reading or planning for some sort of writing project. You don't realise how much it will take from you until you start. I can't complain though. I love it!

5. What is your favorite book?
It's a toss up between Perks Of Being A Wallflower and The Great Gatsby.

These two books changed me!



http://www.facebook.com/matthewturner.write
http://turndogmillionaire.com/beyond-parallel/
https://twitter.com/turndog_million

Beyond Parallel by Matthew Turner (coming January 2013)

Wednesday, November 14, 2012

Gratitude Giveaways

Everyone that stops by receives a FREE e-book! 

2 FREE e-books if you stop by on Saturday Nov. 17th!!

Details at the bottom  :P

You also have a chance to win two different e-books!
Forbidden Temptation of a Vampire & Christmas in Vampire Valley
YA paranormal Romance


A special thanks to I am a Reader, Not a Writer
for hosting this awesome giveaway hop!

As an EXTRA special thanks to you, the reader, for hopping by
I'm giving everyone a copy of Beloved LifeMate!
Watch the sparks fly between a royal elf and a halfling (vampire/elf). 

Tuesday, November 13, 2012

Snippet: Duty by Martin Roy Hill


The wind had stopped blowing.

Spec. Five Richard Carson heard the change rather than felt it; the light breeze made a hushed roar as it rushed past his ears, then there was nothing except the faraway cry of a bird. Carson stopped his work, laid down the entrenching tool and pulled out his canteen. The water inside made a hollow gurgle as he swirled the plastic container. It was nearly empty, and Carson cursed himself for drinking it so fast. He still had a long way to go. But the pain in his leg was drying this throat, parching it so it seemed to stick to itself.

He took a long drink, letting the bland, tepid liquid seep across his tongue and down his throat. His eyes scanned the deciduous brown of the autumn hills lining the pass, then dropped to the hole he was digging at the side of the road. His gaze slipped to the black, metal monster sitting to the left of the hole, lifted again, and settled on the man Carson had just killed.

It was the first time Carson had looked at the dead man for any length of time since shooting him. After he fired the one fatal shot, he immediately set to work digging the hole. There wasn’t much time left; he was already behind schedule and with his right ankle broken, Carson wasn’t sure he could make it to the rendezvous on time. Yet with his leg throbbing, his arms tired from digging, his breathing coming in hard gasps and his throat still parched, Carson chose to rest a minute.

His eyes would not tear away from the corpse.

Sorry, mein Herr. Nothing personal. I mean … you just happened to be in the wrong place at the wrong time. I feel bad I had to do it but, you know, it really doesn’t make much difference. Not much difference between being shot today or vaporized tomorrow. No, sir. Who knows, maybe I may you famous? The war’s first casualty, that’s you. World War III’s first victim, Herr … whatever your name is. Was. Not that it matters now. I doubt if you’ll be written up in the history books. Probably won’t be too much history left after today. What was it Williams called it? The last day of history? Well, anyway, mein Herr, for whatever is left of history, you’ll be famous as the first man killed in World War III, and I’ll be infamous as the man who killed you.


Find Duty by Martin Roy Hill at Amazon

Website: Martin Roy Hill
Twitter: https://twitter.com/martinroyhill
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/Martin.Roy.Hill
Goodreads Author: Martin Roy Hill




Author Interview: Martin Roy Hill

What genre do you write? Why?

For years I’ve been writing mystery and suspense. It was a natural genre for me. I started my journalism career as a police reporter. I was also involved in maritime law enforcement in the Coast Guard Reserve. Also, my late father-in-law was Robert Wade, the great mystery writer who – with his writing partner, H. Billy Miller – wrote under the pen names Wade Miller and Whit Masterson. If you’ve ever seen Orson Wells film noir classic “Touch of Evil,” that was Bob’s book. Bob encouraged me a great deal. Recently, however, my short fiction has been trending toward science fiction—dystopian settings and speculative fiction. I like to include social commentary in my work, and sci-fi is more open to that.

Do you use an outline or just start writing?
Both. Typically I have an opening sentence or scene in my head and write it down. Then I have to figure out where to go from there. I use a program called Plot Builder to outline the story.  By the time I finish doing that, the story is fully developed in my head and I write it down without looking much at the outline.

What is your next project?
I have a full novel coming out titled “The Killing Depths.” It’s a mystery suspense story that takes place on a submarine. It’s been completed for some time. “Duty” was a training exercise in indie publishing to prepare me for publishing “Depths.” The next project I have is a murder mystery called “Empty Places.” I’m also still writing short stories.

Do you write full time or part time?
Part-time. I still have to earn a living. I’m a research analyst for the Navy.

When did you start writing?
I wrote my first piece for publication when I was in the third grade. It was an article for the school paper. I’ve been writing ever since except for a roughly 10 year gap after 9/11. I was mobilized for Coast Guard duty for a while after the attacks, and then I went to work for the Navy just before the Iraq war started. Our op tempo was so high I didn’t have time to write. Thankfully, the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan are ending. 


Website: Martin Roy Hill
Twitter: https://twitter.com/martinroyhill
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/Martin.Roy.Hill
Goodreads Author: Martin Roy Hill


 









Find Duty by Martin Roy Hill at Amazon



Monday, November 12, 2012

Snippet: Which One Am I? by Thomas Smith & James Darrell Williams



It was a shame what Carolyn did to that man. It was bad enough that she went and fooled around on R.D., but then she listened to Bertha Merriman and named that baby of hers after that no good James Darrell Jackson! What would people say? They would think R.D. was less than a man, that’s what they’d say. That is, if they ever found out the truth. R.D. wasn’t about to let anybody know, not while he was alive and sure not while that boy was still breathing.

As far as anybody knew – as far as he knew – James Darrell Williams was the youngest of five. The Williams family always called him James, a name he came to detest as it was usually followed by an accusation of something he was supposed to have done.  After he got big enough and far enough away from his tormentors, he’d always call himself Darrell.

Years would pass before anybody would tell him who his father was. At the time of Darrell’s birth, R.D. was making what living he could working odd jobs for his good friend and next door neighbor Gene Merriman.  Only a teen himself, R.D. worked in the rice fields until Gene took him under his wing and taught him to drive a bulldozer. Until her accident, Darrell’s mother Carolyn worked in one of the small town’s factories making shirts.

The Williams were barely adults when they got together. Richard Williams, who always called himself R.D., was just 17. That’s him in the photos on Darrell’s bookcase, all sinew and swagger. With his father’s farm fanning out behind him, the dark-haired youth stares down the camera, daring it to show that he wouldn’t be the world’s best husband and father if given half the chance. He is every inch the proud young man.

Off his shoulder is Carolyn. She was just 14 when they hooked up, not nearly as self-assured as R.D., but still trying to portray the proper lady in a pleated skirt fashionable for its place if not its time. Change her hair from brown to blond and she’d look just like she did the day she died.

Those who knew the Colemans always said that Carolyn was the prettiest of the girls. She had the looks and figure that could attract a husband or two. A dark-headed Sandra Dee, there was something darkly mysterious hidden behind her innocent appearance.
She has clear, determined, blue eyes that stare straight out from under hair done up for the occasion in a flawless bouffant. It’s a picture of someone who doesn’t want her picture taken, doesn’t want to be frozen in time with these kids and this man. She looks past the camera, focusing on something off in the distance that no one else can see. 

Website: www.WhichOneAmI.net
Author's Amazon Page

Find Which One Am I? by Thomas Smith & James Darrell Williams at Amazon



Saturday, November 10, 2012

Christmas in Vampire Valley Cover Reveal


Fairies, vampires, and explosions create chaos!


Arriving at Amazon.com November 11, 2012


13,000 word short story set in Clan Valley

Author Interview: T.D. Wilson

T.D. Wilson was born in 1968 in Troy, Ohio and has been an avid fan of science fiction and fantasy from a very young age. His early thirst for adventure began as he explored many of the great stories of Sherlock Holmes by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. Always looking for new adventures, he turned to JRR Tolkien’s The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings series and the works of C.S. Lewis, particularly The Chronicles of Narnia series. Star Wars, Star Trek, Babylon 5, Battlestar Galactica, Doctor Who, Orson Scott Card’s Ender Series, and the works of Ray Bradbury count among his favorites for science fiction, but he can usually be found at the bookstore picking up the latest books from Margaret Weis, Tracy Hickman, R.A. Salvatore, or Jim Butcher. Today, Mr. Wilson still lives in Ohio with his wife and their two sons.

What genre do you write? Why?

Science Fiction/Fantasy. Why? Technology enthusiast, geek, former RPG gamer, you name it.

What inspires you?
My family. Wonderful wife and two great kids. Also like to use writing to promote awareness to medical conditions. This first series has references to Parkinson's, a disease my father is currently battling. Another series I am beginning for National Novel Writing Month will feature asthma, something my kids both struggle with.

Do you use an outline or just start writing?
I usually create a background, brief outline, but I use spreadsheet pages to help describe setting and character backgrounds

What is your next project? 
Urban Fantasy series called Memoirs of a Fallen Angel

What is your favorite food?
Bratwurst

Do you write full time or part time?
Part time. I work full time and have a busy family, so if part time what you call the spare minutes between kids going to sleep and me hitting the pillow, then yes, I write part time.

When did you start writing? 
I have been been writing on the technical side of things for years, including writing for technical certification blog a few years back. As for fiction writing, I created several adventures back in my old gaming days, but novel writing didn't start in earnest until a few years back.

What is your favorite book?
Tough one. Loved any Sherlock Holmes book or offshoot I could get. There are so many sci-fi/fantasy books that I love too, that it's too hard to pick just one.

The Epherium Chronicles: Embrace by T.D. Wilson
















Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/TheEpheriumChronicles
Twitter: https://twitter.com/TDWilson3
Amazon Author Page

Find The Epherium Chronicles: Embrace by T.D. Wilson at Amazon / Smashwords

Friday, November 9, 2012

Snippet: Frankenstein A Life Beyond by Pete Planisek




This excerpt follows Ernest Frankenstein as he attempts to search for answers regarding his brother Victor’s mysterious past.


The moon rode into the heavens, veiled and terrible that night. Those hallowed, lonely hours would never know the brilliance of that traveling candle, as fast moving mountains of smoking darkness denied all but the faintest trace of light from the sky. Winds made unwelcome demands upon empty branches, which in turn excited the air with their chattering. Lurking specters of the mind gave life to shadow and sound. A swirling shroud of mist fought the winds for control of the graveyard. It hung, low and thick among the stones and monuments, adding an unearthly veil between the living and the dead.

For over an hour now, he’d cast about looking at headstones and entering mausoleums, rich with the scent of decay and niter, heavy in the stale air. Here the inequalities of life were cast aside, as all were devoured by time and the elements, as they returned to the dusts of nature’s imagination.

It was upon exiting the third charnel house that two things happened: the winds subsided and the first torch appeared. It hovered up on the ridge, where the road bordered the cemetery. Ernest cursed. The last thing he wanted was a caretaker asking questions or to be brought up on charges of grave robbing or some other such nonsense. Still there was no reason to assume that the torch bearer knew he was here. The mists persisted and he carried no light to betray his location. With any luck this visitor would disappear shortly, and he could complete his task unencumbered. He waited among the dead for the living to remove themselves. But it was not to be.

A second torch ignited, in the cemetery proper, much closer to him than the first. A cold shock began to course through his veins. Was someone searching for him down here? Had Jack been caught? A lone visitor he could handle, but two might be difficult. A third torch sprang to life in the dark, obscuring mist; followed shortly by a fourth, then a fifth, then sixth. There was no more time to think; every second brought a newly awakened, point of ominous light. They were all around him and closing in.

Ernest reached for his gun but quickly realized the futility of doing so. He was surrounded, and even a wild shot through the fog no longer guaranteed him an escape route, for the torches were too numerous and close together. Someone had known he was here; someone knew exactly how to ambush him. Figures now appeared, some with torches, others without, faces, obscured by shadow and flame. He spun, searching desperately for any means of escape; finally taking refuge behind a large headstone. The lights continued their steady march. Ernest clutched the pistol in his hand. If he could surprise them, he still might be able to escape. A great shadow, backlit by the oncoming torches, suddenly loomed above him, and swatted the gun away as he turned to fire. Ernest was still concentrating on the towering shadow when the blow came from behind, and the world tumbled out of existence.


Author's page on Enceladus Literary: http://www.enceladusliterary.com/?page_id=123
Twitter: https://twitter.com/peteplanisek
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pplanisekauthor
YouTube book trailer: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mPvmP6Lephs
Blog: http://www.enceladusliterary.com/?page_id=72

Find Frankenstein A Life Beyond by Pete Planisek at Amazon Enceladus Literary / Barnes & Noble


Author Interview: Pete Planisek

Pete Planisek lives in Columbus, OH, where he teaches English, runs Enceladus Literary LLC, and is co-host of an entertainment podcast called Hindsight is 20-20. He received his Masters from Ohio University where he founded a student literary arts magazine called Recently Eclipsed. He has published newspaper articles and is a member of SCBWI. He served for seven years as adviser/co-adviser to a NCTE award winning student literary arts publication. Frankenstein A Life Beyond is his debut novel.

What is the name of your book? Where can we find your it?
Pete Planisek’s debut novel is Frankenstein A Life Beyond, which is the first direct sequel to Mary Shelley’s classic work. The book is available as an ebook at Enceladus Literary.com, Amazon.com (U.S., European, and Indian markets), and Barnes & Noble.com.

Do you use an outline or just start writing?
I’ve had other shorter works such as screenplays and children’s books (which I’m working on getting published) that I didn’t always create a full outline for before I began writing but my natural tendency is to outline before I begin most projects. I like knowing where a story is going; it makes the journey of creating it more enjoyable when I actually sit down to write it all out. I also like to create character profiles before I really delve into writing; having a sense of who I’m writing about (at least initially because characters always evolve in some capacity during the writing process) enriches my storytelling and makes the characters more dynamic and interesting.

What genre do you write?
I consider Frankenstein A Life Beyond to be primarily literary fiction (with elements of horror, historical, science fiction, and romance all mixed). Some of my as yet unpublished works include a Children’s picture book, a Children’s easy reader, and screenplays of both the horror and comedy genres. I also write poetry. 


Frankenstein A Life Beyond by Pete Planisek















Author's page on Enceladus Literary: http://www.enceladusliterary.com/?page_id=123
Twitter: https://twitter.com/peteplanisek
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pplanisekauthor
YouTube book trailer: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mPvmP6Lephs
Blog: http://www.enceladusliterary.com/?page_id=72

Find Frankenstein A Life Beyond by Pete Planisek at Amazon Enceladus Literary / Barnes & Noble

Wednesday, November 7, 2012

Thankful for Books Blog Hop!

Everyone that stops by receives a FREE e-book!
FREE e-book details at the very bottom ;-)


A special thanks to I am a Reader, Not a Writer and Tristi Pinkston
for hosting this awesome Giveaway hop!

Enter to win a copy of Forbidden Temptation of a Vampire (e-book) - YA paranormal romance!





Dragon Council Proclamation:
In order to remain undetected by mundane humans on Earth, The Dragon High Council has decided peace between the Sídhí races is critical.

Therefore, all Sídhí Valleys will participate in a summer camp hosted by Dragon Valley. It is believed the unique blending of races within the summer camp will achieve the first step toward peace. Participants shall include the eldest two teenage children (or direct descendants) of each council member.

Participation in the Peace Camp is not optional. If any Sídhí Valley refuses to participate, all known gateways within that valley will be shut down immediately. Note: A copy of this proclamation has been dispatched to the governmental bodies of all known valleys.
~ ~ ~
Camp starts off with a bang when vampire hottie, Jared Andrews, becomes one of Katie's cabin mates, especially when he can't keep his eyes off her. But is he interested in her, her family's money, or her blood? Was he the answer to her prayers or her worst nightmare?

She might actually enjoy summer camp, if she can stop finding dead bodies and if people stop trying to kill her.

76,000 words - Read the first 20% at  Smashwords


As an EXTRA special thanks to you, the reader, I am giving everyone who hops by a FREE COPY of my new release, Guardian's Beloved Mate (Song of the Sídhí #4).


Guardian's Beloved Mate is a stand alone short story, but it also continues the underlying story line in the Sídhí Summer Camp series.

To receive your FREE e-book, go to Smashwords and enter coupon code BT22T (not case-sensitive) and update the price to $0.00
Don't delay! The coupon will only be good through November 13, 2012!


Snippet: Nik's List by K.C. Steward



PROLOGUE


I froze in place as I walked into the school auditorium. There he was. The moment I saw him I knew he was the one. Number three on my list. I expected my first day of high school to be pretty exciting, but I didn’t think I would be able to attach a name to number three on my list so quickly. But I was. And I did. Todd. His name was Todd. I found this out by running up behind him in line to get our class schedules. He said his name so quietly that I almost missed it, but luckily the woman behind the table seemed like she was near her last nerve so she yelled, “What?” and he had to repeat his name louder.

While the woman searched through the schedules, I took out the journal that held my list and scanned it:

1.  Take 1st place at state in the hundred meters.

2.  Maintain an A average to have the best choice of colleges.

3.  Kiss a boy.

I had several more items on my list, but I put an asterisk by number three. Although I knew it wasn’t supposed to be, it had just that quickly become the most important and seemingly only item on my list as soon as I wrote Todd, as cutely as I could, in parenthesis. I know that in this day and age, it’s supposed to be easy--you just walk around with a brooding, tough girl exterior and you’ll catch the attention of an Edward or Jacob or Peeta and have your first kiss in no time. Well that’s not the case for most of us, who aren’t quite sure who we are and haven’t mastered the “brood” or “I don’t care” or “damsel in distress” attitude. It’s scary and nerve wrecking!  So why is it on my list? Because it’s only one of the most important milestones in a teen girl’s life! It’s like the race of the training bra—you don’t want to be the last to get one!

What’s my plan? Well, a long time ago my aunt Trina taught me that your goals seem more real when you write them down. You know, “if you can believe it, you can…” Some people keep bucket lists, others keep “to-do” lists; I just keep a simple old “Nik’s List.” Anyway, I have been keeping a list of my goals for years. Most of them I was able to accomplish. I finally beat Louise Stefani in the spelling bee after three years of coming in second place. I got my revenge on Amari Jones for putting something on my sandwich during a field trip (he said it was pickle relish, but…). So I figured kissing Todd smack dead on the lips before the end of my freshman year of high school wasn’t out of reach. Was it? Really, how hard could it be to get a boy to kiss you? I was about to find out.


Blog: http://kcsteward.wordpress.com/

Find Nik's List by K.C. Steward at Amazon Smashwords




Author Interview: K.C. Steward

What genre do you write?
I am a children's and YA writer. I also write family friendly screenplays.

Do you use an outline or just start writing?
I always know the beginning and ending of my story before I write, but I outline to fill in the middle.

What is the name of your book(s)?
My book is called Nik's List.

Where can we find your books?
 Nik's List is available on Smashwords and Amazon.com.

What was your favorite book growing up?
My favorite book growing up was "Otherwise Known as Sheila the Great." I still read it once in a while when I need to be reminded of why I write. It's the pure enjoyment of creating a world and characters in a way that they are universally relatable. The writing process is a solitary one, but to know the effect that the end result can have makes it all worth it.

Nik's List by K.C. Steward















Blog: http://kcsteward.wordpress.com/

Find Nik's List by K.C. Steward at Amazon / Smashwords

Tuesday, November 6, 2012

Snippet: Khe by Alexes Razevich





Shun the sweetly fragranced flower of desire, for the fruit is poisoned.
--The Rules of a Good Life

Behind me, the beasts whistle—three short, low-pitched notes—the pack members on the hunt, calling to each other. There are seven of them, each one half again as tall as me. They run faster than I can, moving with a cruel grace on feathered, thickly muscled legs, a blur of red and white, like two-legged flames. If they’d seen me earlier, before I’d made it down the hills and this close to the gate, I’d be in their bellies.

I know the stench of the beasts’ foul breath. The calculating looks in their large black eyes. I’ve seen the damage their barbed teeth and pincher-clawed hands do to flesh. Beasts like these hunted me when I first came to the wilderness and thought it would be my sanctuary. I know better now.

My breath, harsh and ragged, makes white puffs in the air. Thin sheets of ice crackle beneath my feet. I spread my toes as wide as they will go, for balance. My cloak flares behind me as I run across the plain.

The city is tantalizingly near, agonizingly far. Chimbalay rises straight up from the plain, its black-glass towers protected by a massive stonewall and a silver-metal gate, ten-levels high at least. The gate is closed. I have to get inside. For safety from the beasts. To find the orindles, who are my only hope.

The beasts whistle again, their call changed, a sound so low, it’s almost a rumble. They’re spreading out. All twenty-four emotion spots on my neck tingle. I run, my heart knocking against my chest.

A sound, like a great rising storm, tears across the plain. I’m both afraid to look and afraid not to. I slow a little and glance toward the sound. Down the plain, something hard-edged and solid is moving in my direction. I can’t tell its speed or what it might be. I focus on the gate, on running fast and faster, concentrating on my goal.

Beasts whistle to the right and left. Two run past me, to get in front and press me back to their companions.
The sound of the wind grows louder, the moving thing coming nearer. The whistles of the beasts change, rising in pitch and coming closer together. The calls come so quickly that they are almost a continuous sound—one voice springing from seven points, fighting to be heard over the wail of the raging wind in the still air.

I don’t want to slow again to look, but anxiety makes me. I must know what the beasts are doing. Glancing over my shoulder, I see one and then another beast stopped, staring at the thing coming down the plain. The thing hovers a hands-breath above the land, streaming toward the open space between Chimbalay and me, the way vehicles move. But this is no vehicle. It’s close enough now that I can make out the protective outer mud wall and some of the buildings behind it.

A corenta.


Find Khe by Alexes Razevich at Amazon US / Amazon UK

Twitter: https://twitter.com/lxsraz

Khe cover art by Tony Honkawa of THD

Author Interview: Alexes Razevich

What genre do you write?
My first novel, Khe, is a dystopian science fantasy, which is a mouthful, but the only way to describe it.  I was interested in exploring topics that aren’t the usual for this kind of fiction and not at all interested in obeying the “rules” of any particular genre.  I’m afraid I have a bit of an authority problem, and it comes through in my work.

Do you use an outline or just start writing?
I’ve written both with and without outlining first.  For me, outlining is definitely better.  I tend to either get stuck or stray all over the place without having mapped things out first. On the other hand, when I was writing Khe, the last line came to me about halfway through the actual writing and never was in the outline.  It made all the difference in where the story went.

When did you start writing?
I had a wonderful fourth grade teacher named Mrs. Hoffman who assigned the class to write a poem.  I wrote a blatant rip-off of Carl Sandburg’s “The Fog,” but Mrs. Hoffman praised the imagery.  Later that year, she had us write a play.  I jumped at the opportunity to tell a whole story.  My play was one of three chosen to be performed by the class.  There was no going back after that.   From that first poem to my first published novel, fifty years passed, but I wrote through all of them—poems, short stories, unpublished novels, promotional literature, press releases, sales brochures, you name it.  As long as I’m putting words on a page, I’m happy.

Where can we find your book?
Khe is an Amazon exclusive.  You can find it here in the US: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00987OLVU and here, in the UK: http://www.amazon.co.uk/Khe-ebook/dp/B00987OLVU.  You can also find me on Twitter @lxsraz.


Khe by Alexes Razevich















Twitter: https://twitter.com/lxsraz

Amazon US

Monday, November 5, 2012

Snippet: Mer Si Raen Ambush by Kimberley Anglesey




Snippet from inside Chapter 2:

While the mysterious visitor trundled the numeric wheels of the combination, Gillian studied his face. What was a captivating specimen like this doing here on her boat instead of gracing the cover of GQ? Her pulse gave a little pitter patter. He had a strong, clean shaven jaw, the sexy five o'clock shadow eminent. His eyes were a startling steel-blue, fringed by long dark lashes. Sensual, tempting lips were just the right amount of full. Straight nose, so nicely proportioned. Cheek bones and forehead were high, and thick black hair, regulation cut, beckoned a touch. To call him tall, dark and handsome just wouldn't do him justice.

She gave a mental sigh. Jesus girl, get a grip, you're a taken woman!

The tumblers released and Commander Reeves retrieved the file. He passed it across the small table. Gillian tilted forward to accept the thin manila folder labeled: ‘Project Mer.'

“Mer?” Her brows furrowed, guilty prurience forgotten as she flipped opened the file. A small gasp escaped her lips, and her hand slightly trembled, as she lifted the 8x10 photograph from the contents. “Is this some kind of a joke?” Gillian’s nostrils flared as her head jerked up, “Did Martin put you up to this?” Clapping the file shut, she thrust it towards him. “I am very busy Commander Reeves, and I don’t find this even a little amusing.”

Martin, her boyfriend of the last few years, was a commercial airline pilot, but still had friends in the military; it would be easy enough for him to coerce one of them into playing a practical joke on her. Gillian stared resentfully at the man seated across the table, cheeks flushing with anger, the file hanging in the air between them. She was fed up with Martin poking fun at her “mermaid mania,” as he liked to call it.

“I can assure you, Ms. Keller—this is not a prank, and I don’t know anyone named Martin,” he said, ignoring her outstretched hand.

Unconvinced, yet unable to resist, Gillian returned the file to her lap, thoughtfully opening it again. She glowered at the shocking image, until the photo began to blur, her tired eyes stinging. She squeezed her eyelids closed for a few seconds; hoping to clear her vision and her mind.

I must still be dreaming.

When she opened them, the picture remained, but she couldn’t accept it as fact. It's ridiculous! Shaking her head in silent denial, she finally muttered, “That's impossible.”

Reeves was unconcerned: her reaction had been anticipated. “The enclosed report contains the details I am currently authorized to divulge.”

While she read the information, the commander took a moment to survey the cozy little cabin. A diorama of mermaids, in one form or another, were scattered about; these representing a minute portion of her total collection according to her dossier. The woman's obsession with the creatures had not been exaggerated, he mused, eyeing the buxom mermaid embracing the cup Gillian drank from, its tail forming the handle. He wondered briefly how the intelligence recruiter had hit upon Ms. Keller. Clearly, the man had her pegged.

Reeves had never seen so many mermaids in one place; obsession was putting it mildly. Her dossier had also mentioned a siren tattoo, if it was true, the nymph was hidden beneath her clothes. Her boat was even named The Ceasg, which apparently meant Maid of the Wave. Unquestionably, ONI had chosen the right woman for the job.

Twitter: https://twitter.com/KAnglesey
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Galateia-Press/164825606957521
Author: http://www.galateiapress.com/home/meet-the-author.html
Novel: http://mersiraenambush.com/

Find Mer Si Raen Ambush by Kimberley Anglesey at: Amazon & Barnes & Noble




Author Interview: Kimberley Anglesey

Do you use an outline or just start writing?
I don't use an outline but I do a significant amount of research during the writing process and then I ferment the story ideas in my head. This process of imagining the arch of the story brings together a general plan in my mind. Then I start writing and the story guides itself. It may end up taking a completely different path than I originally envisioned. I allow my characters to take on a life of their own and they often surprise me in the things they do and say.

What is your favorite website and why? My favorite website is Faerytale Magic.com The site is an ever growing collection of books, articles, reviews and authors that includes all fiction. It's a site designed to help authors reach out to their readers in a fun way. It also is a resource for readers looking to find new authors and a great story.

What was your favorite book growing up? I had many books that I loved growing up. I always had my nose in a book. I couldn't get enough of reading. I don't have a single favorite, but one that made an emotional connection growing up was S.E. Hinton's book, The Outsiders.

What is your favorite book? I don't have a favorite book as an adult, but I have favorite authors. They include James Rollins, Steven Berry, Dean Koontz, Anne Rice, Michael Crichton, Douglas Preston and Lincoln Child. If I see a book from one of them, I want it! I also love the JK Rolling Harry Potter books.

Has a review ever made you cry? No. All of the reviews I have gotten have been positive. The worst review I have ever received said the book was well written, but not the reader's kind of story. You can't blame people for not being into the kind of story you wrote. I had no hard feelings about that comment.

Mer Si Raen Ambush by Kimberley Anglesey















Twitter: https://twitter.com/KAnglesey
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Galateia-Press/164825606957521
Author: http://www.galateiapress.com/home/meet-the-author.html
Novel: http://mersiraenambush.com/

Find Mer Si Raen Ambush by Kimberley Anglesey at: Amazon & Barnes & Noble



Saturday, November 3, 2012

Snippet: Wander Home by Karen A. Wyle



PREFACE

This book is set in an afterlife: what sort of afterlife, the reader may decide.

Chapter One

Cassidy stood tall and watched the wave approaching. Fifteen was a good age for confronting the ocean. That morning she had been five years old, playing happily in her sandbox; from sand to beach, from beach to ocean waves, seemed a natural progression.
The wave loomed above her, glowing turquoise and green. She dove under the crest, through the surging water, and popped up behind the swell, bobbing in the follower waves. The water held her and rocked her; over the hiss and roar of the waves, she could hear the distant squawk of seagulls. All around was the smell of seaweed and salt and sunshine.
Once, her mother had held her, carried her, rocked her, surrounded her with love and safety. She had no idea how long it had been, but she remembered. Remembering, she let herself slip younger as she floated on the swells. But larger waves were coming, so she grew again, six, ten, sixteen; then caught a wave and rode it into shore.
Her grandparents and her great-grandmother were waiting for her. Great-Grandma was young today, slim and blonde and straight, standing like a dancer just before the music starts. Grandma Sarah and Grandpa Jack had chosen to be older, gray-haired, with the comfortable look of a couple who for years have weathered each other’s moods and followed each other’s thoughts.
Cassidy ran up the beach toward them. She slipped to eight years old as she reached them, so Grandpa Jack could pick her up and toss her in the air. The sun flashed in her eyes as she flew up, and again as she fell back toward his hands. He set her down again and flopped onto the sand, patting the space next to him. She sat, folding her legs tailor fashion; Great-Grandma flowed gracefully down to sit on her other side. Only Grandma Sarah remained standing, younger now, her hair in a long red braid.
Grandpa Jack and Great-Grandma both put their arms around her. Cassidy looked at Grandpa Jack. He was blinking as if he had something in both his eyes. She swiveled around toward Great-Grandma; Great-Grandma nodded toward Grandma Sarah.
Cassidy threw her head back, looking up at Grandma Sarah and squinting in the sun. Grandma Sarah squatted down in front of her. "Cassie, love, we have some news for you. Good, important news."
The seabirds were calling as if they wanted to be first with the message, whatever it was. Grandma Sarah leaned forward to kneel in the sand, reached out and took Cassidy's hands.
"It's your mother, sweetheart. She's coming. She'll be here soon. We'll all be seeing her again."
Cassidy felt herself getting smaller, small. She was two years old. She scrambled to her feet. "Mommy!" Her own shrill voice frightened her, and she called even louder, twisting from side to side, searching the beach and the water. "Mommy! MOMMY!" . . . .


Find Wander Home by Karen A. Wyle at Smashwords / Amazon

Friday, November 2, 2012

Feature & Follow - Deal Breaker?



A special thanks to Feature & Follow's hosts Parajunkee's View and Alison Can Read.

Congrats to Fiction Predictions & Love, Literature, Art, & Reason


Q: What is a deal breaker for you in a book? For example, do you abhor love triangles? Or can’t deal with bad editing? 

Snippet: Milligan and Murphy by Jim Murdoch



Murphy was the first to wake. It was dawn and old habits are hard to break; besides he felt a strong urge to urinate. Somehow his body had found its way onto the stone floor without breaking and was wrapped around the dog. Milligan was also on the floor and similarly arranged. The dog had no objection. The fire had long died down and he had no pride; not where there was heat, nourishment or sex involved.
        Murphy made to move but found some resistance at work against him.
        “Milligan. Milligan, are you awake?”
        He hadn’t been, but the sound of Murphy’s voice jarred him to consciousness.
        “Murphy? Is that you?”
        “Of course it bloody well is.”
        “What?”
        “Can you move?”
        “I don’t know. Can’t you?”
        “I think my head’s been nailed to the floor.”
        “Don’t be daft, man. Who’d do a thing like that?”
        “That I have no idea. Will you have a look?”
        “I don’t think I can, Murphy.”
        “Why not?”
        “I think they did the same to me.”
        “You’re just saying that. Try.”
        Milligan tried and to his great relief found that his head had not been nailed to the floor. That said, his head felt as if it had all the whiskey he had swallowed the previous night swilling around in it. It took a minute to settle, exactly the length of Murphy’s patience.
        “Well?”
        “I’m looking.”
        “And?”
        “There’s no blood.”
        “Good. I’d hate for there to be blood. Especially mine.”
        “Me too, Murphy. I think I’d be sick.”
        “So why can’t I move my head?”
        “Chair.”
        “What?”
        “Chair leg. On your hood.” Milligan shoved the chair from off Murphy’s cowl. “Try now.”
        With that Murphy sat bolt upright, far too quickly.
        “Oh, Jaysus, Mary and all the saints—my head! What were we drinking last night?”
        The bottle lay beside the hearth. Milligan picked it up and read off the label to himself.
        “To be sure it was a drop of the good stuff.”
        “Milligan.”
        “What?”
        “Do you think you could make it onto your feet?”
        “If my life depended upon it.”
        “We should get dressed and be away from here.”
        “If you say so, Murphy, but I’m not so sure where we’d want to get to in a hurry.”
        Murphy didn’t answer. He was involved trying to work himself into a standing position with the aid of the chair; it was a comical sight if you found that kind of thing amusing. Megan McCullough, who was standing in the doorway, did not. She found it nigh on hysterical and by the time Murphy was as vertical as he was likely to get in the short term, Megan was bent double with laughter herself, and by the time she’d recovered from that she caught sight of Milligan who had managed to get himself entangled in his cassock and was standing there naked from the waist down and was off again. Thankfully only the man’s buttocks were exposed to her. Tears were streaming down her face by the time the barman made his entrance.
        “Megan! Gentlemen! For the love of God!”


Blog: http://jim-murdoch.blogspot.co.uk/
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/Jimmy4559
Twitter: http://twitter.com/#!/jim_murdoch
Website: http://www.jimmurdoch.co.uk/


Milligan and Murphy by Jim Murdoch

FV Books
Amazon - UK

Smashwords 


Jim Murdoch - Blogger Interview


1. What three words best describe you?

Serious. Thoughtful. Orderly.

2. What three words best describe your blog?

Well-researched. Comprehensive. Literary.

3. What inspires you?

I don't subscribe to any romantic notion of inspiration. I don't think I've ever had a muse although I've wished I had. Inspiration is a good idea; if you don't have a good idea then any ol' idea can usually be pressganged into service. I write mostly about people. I can wander around in the natural world all day long and come up blank but stick a guy on a park bench then there's something worth watching.

Thursday, November 1, 2012

Blogger Interview


Would you like to do an interview?

If so, please answer three (or more) of the following questions.

1. What three words best describe you?
2. What three words best describe your blog?
3. What inspires you?
4. What is the name of your blog?
5. How many visitors and/or members does your blog have?
6. Are you searching for new books to review? If so, what genre do you prefer?
7. What is your favorite website and why?
8. What made you start a blog?
9. When did you start your first blog?
10. Have you ever deleted post? Why?
11. Has a comment ever made you cry?
12. Do you make the same points in every book review (other type of post) or just start writing?


Please send your answers to: jodie(at)jodiebcooper(dot)com
In the e-mail, include: Your name and the address of your blog, Facebook, and/or Twitter page

Snippets Wanted!


Would you like a snippet from your book posted on my blog?

Send a snippet from your published (or soon to be released) book and I'll post it!

If you write erotica, make the snippet clean enough to post in a family friendly environment.  ;-)

Please send your 500 word snippet to: jodie(at)jodiebcooper(dot)com

In the e-mail, include: Your name and the address of your blog, Facebook, and/or Twitter page

Calling all authors!

Calling all authors!


Would you like to do an interview?

If so, please answer three (or more) of the following questions.

1. What genre do you write?
2. What inspires you?
3. Do you use an outline or just start writing?
4. What is the name of your book(s)?
5. Where can we find your books?
6. 500 word snippet from your book. If you have more than one book, please provide a single snippet for this review.
7. What is your favorite website and why?
8. Do you write full time or part time?
9. When did you start writing?
10. What is your favorite book?
11. What was your favorite book growing up?
12. Has a review ever made you cry?

Please send your answers to: jodie(at)jodiebcooper(dot)com
In the e-mail, include: Your name and the address of your blog/website, Facebook, and/or Twitter page

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