Sunday, December 30, 2012

200,000 Pageview Celebration!!

Two Ends of the Pen has surpassed 200,000 page views!  I've teamed up with some awesome authors to help me celebrate.  1 lucky entrant will win the following digital books:


THE KINSHEILD LEGACY by KC May
Book 1 of The Kinshield Saga

A mysterious stone tablet with five magical gems has sat abandoned in a cave for two hundred years. The kingdom is in ruins, with only warrant knights to keep the peace. But then, the gems in the tablet, one by one, disappear. Warrant knight Gavin Kinshield is a man of many secrets. He's the one deciphering the runes in the tablet. Unless he can find a suitable replacement, he'll be Thendylath's next king. All he really wants is the letter written by his ancestor Ronor Kinshield, the last man to see King Arek alive... a letter he must earn by tracking down a common thief. But when Gavin saves a woman's life, what should have been a simple task draws him face-to-face with his nightmarish past... and the truth of King Arek's demise.


BRIDE OF FAE by LK Rigel
Book 2 of Tethers: Tales of Wyrd and Fae Series
A love more powerful than magic or time.

Beverly Bratton has a safe, mundane life. No drama. No magic. Since her parents died, she's cared for her little sister Marion and worked at the Tragic Fall Inn. When a fairy's charm sends Beverly a hundred years into the past-and into the path of a banished fairy prince-nothing will ever be mundane or safe again. The regent of the Dumnos fae is turning the court from light to dark, and there's nothing the rightful king, Prince Dandelion, can do about it. The mystical coronation cup which he needs to become king has fallen into human hands. When he meets a human woman with access to the cup, everything changes. Beverly is fascinating as well as useful-but of course Dandelion doesn't love her.  Love for a fairy is rare. Love with a human, impossible. But when Beverly and Dandelion are thrown together in a battle against both wyrd and fae, they learn that in Dumnos the impossible happens every day.


THE ALEXIS STANTON OMNIBUS by JC Phelps
Color Me Grey (Book One of the Alexis Stanton Chronicles)
...exciting, highly paid position for person with specialized training...

Recently unemployed after quitting a boring office job, Alexis Stanton finds a mysterious ad in the help wanted section that might prove to be the answer to her desire for excitement and adventure. After an intense application process, including actually fighting with her competition, she gets the job of her dreams. But is it going to kill her?

Shades of Grey (Book Two of the Alexis Stanton Chronicles)
New job. New name. New assignment. When Alexis Stanton, a.k.a. Ms. Grey, is assigned to uncover the true identity of the infamous sniper Penumbra, she's also expected to protect the business mogul next on the assassin's hit list. The one person who holds the key to the sniper's true identity warns Alex not to dig any deeper. Penumbra has never missed his mark and will take out anyone who gets in the way.

Reflections of Grey (Book Three of the Alexis Stanton Chronicles)
The past and the future merge...  Thinking she had learned all the secrets her friends and family could possibly hide, Alex realizes there are plenty more to be found out. Having never been good at telling lies, when she's asked to go undercover she's not sure she can manage the job. Plus, the job is at a strip joint owned by the Russian mafia. Will she be able to keep up the lie? Does she want to?

THE SILVER CROSS by Debra L Martin & David W Small
Book 1 in The Vampire Nightlife Series
There are two things Boston detective Lacey Gardner knows about killing vampires. Slicing off a head or a hit directly to the heart are the only surefire ways to kill one. Silver is their Achilles heel. A vampire never wears silver.

When she meets bartender extraordinaire, Damon Harte, her heart does a quickstep for the dark hunky guy. She's learned the hard way that having a love interest in her line of work can be heart-wrenching. She's kept to herself for years, but something about Damon captivates her and draws her to him. When she learns Damon's devastating secret, she knows what she has to do: kill the man who has stolen her heart.


It's easy to enter. Just complete the tasks in the Rafflecopter Giveaway! Open to US only.
a Rafflecopter giveaway

Friday, December 28, 2012

GIFT for my Readers: PATH TO DESTRUCTION

THIS PROMOTION HAS ENDED.

I'm still in the giving mood and want to share the first story in our DARK FUTURE series of short stories and novellas. PATH TO DESTRUCTION invites the reader into a world in chaos, but there is still hope. Is it too late to save the US?
  Read it for FREE on Amazon.

Can a ragtag band of soldiers save what's left of the USA?

In a last ditch attempt to turn the tide in a desperate war, General Matthew Smith of the American Freedom Fighters asks Samurai Master Kenzu to make a batch of the famed memory weapons--weapons that infuse its user with the skills and memories of a samurai warrior. But, in the wrong hands, the users can become uncontrollable killing machines who don't care whom they kill - friend or foe.

When General Smith orders Commander Hurley and his unit of augmented soldiers test the weapons, he believes that he's doing the best thing for all of the men under his command. What General Smith believes, however, and what is true is entirely two different things and Smith must live with the consequences of his decision.

PATH TO DESTRUCTION is a SHORT STORY of ~10,000 words.

FREE here on Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Destruction-Apocalyptic-Novelette-Future-ebook/dp/B003FGWUG8

Thursday, December 27, 2012

Interview with Brian Hayden


Can you give us a brief overview of your latest book?
Road To Transplant is a memoir and a sequel to another book I wrote: Death: Living To Talk About It. Road To Transplant is a memoir of my struggle with congestive heart failure. The book follows my life as I deteriorate.  I take the reader through the process of getting a new heart, and share what goes on in the head of someone who is dying.

Did you try the traditional route to publishing, i.e. querying agents/publishers? 
Yes. The first book I ever wrote; a management book was picked up quickly by a specialty press. It was a great experience. They provided the editor, the promotion and a nice advance. The second book, ten years later, was a reality check. I sent more than 30 query letters.  I could not find a publisher or an agent that had any interest in working with me. Exasperated by the whole ordeal, I signed with a company that has, shall I say, a business model that I am not comfortable. But I signed the contracts, so I live with it. Road to Transplant was published almost simultaneously with a fictional book I wrote, “Five Short Stories and Twelve Poems”. Both were published through CreateSpace and Kindle Select Publishing. It was an adjustment, but I got through it fine.

Do you belong to a critique group? Have they helped improve your writing?
I don’t belong to a formal critique group, however I have developed friends – writers with whom we share our work. We critique and support each other.

Do you outline your story or just go where your muse takes you.
It depends on the type of writing I am doing.  When I write short stories, I generally have an idea of how I want the story to flow, or unfold. Nothing too formal. I want the freedom to change my mind and follow my inner muse. With non-fiction, up until now, I would outline the story through a series of blogs. Then, when I am ready, I take the blogs, develop transitions, expound on the stories, adding lots of detail until a whole book emerges. As for poems, when I get an idea for a poem, I get to my computer and write the poem.  Rough, at first. Then, over the next, oh days or weeks, I polish the poem until I am satisfied.

Did you hire an editor to review your manuscript before publishing?
I didn’t with the first memoir, and I regret it. I was fortunate to have a friend of mine who is both a writer and an editor volunteer to edit Road To Transplant. Now this book is more than 330 pages.  She painstakingly went through the manuscript. I could not believe what a difference a professional editor makes. I will always use an editor for all of my future work.

What have you’ve learned during your self-publishing journey?
Patience! Getting through the formatting issues is frustrating sometimes. I feel comfortable doing it again. Like most things, the more you do it, the easier it gets.

Besides Amazon, are there any other sites where your books are for sale?
My books are for sale at CreateSpace, Amazon and my web site. I also have a formal presence in Amazon UK, Italy, Spain, France, Germany, India and Japan.

What kinds of marketing [twitter, facebook, blog, forums] are you involved with for promoting your book(s)?
I us Twitter, Face book, I am starting a new blog in January and You Tube. I belong to about a dozen writing groups on facebook and I also belong to something called “Meet-up”. I schedule book readings for clubs. Rael grass roots stuff.

What advice would you give a new author just entering into the self-publishing arena?  Be patient. Be thorough. If you rush to press (I know it is exciting), you are apt to make mistakes. You do not want you audience’s first impression to be a or one. Also, practice! I noticed that many of the great writers all had dozens of short stories,  novels and other papers. They may have had a natural talent, but they wrote a lot. They practiced.

What’s next for you?
I have three more books I expect to publish in 2013. The first, tentatively called “Memories Of The Cold War” is on schedule to be released just before Memorial Day. It is a historical semi-fiction. It is based on a true cold war time line. Then, I over lay my life with some true stories, some embellished stories and some fictional stories. For the record, it is fiction – mostly …maybe. The second book is another collection of short stories and poems, and lastly, I am writing another management book, relating to the use of strategic and tactical business plans in a small business environment.

            My web site:  http://brianhayden.net/ 
My Twitter Link:  https://twitter.com/brha99 
My You Tube Channel:  http://www.youtube.com/user/Brha99

Amazon author page:


Author Bio:   
I was born in Chicago, Illinois, in 1954 into a middle-class, blue-collar, Jewish family. I am the middle child with a brother one year my senior, and a sister two years my junior. In 1961, my family moved to the suburbs of Los Angeles, California. I am the second generation, American-born son of Austrian and English grandparents on my father's side, and Polish and Russian grandparents on my mother's side. I enlisted in the United States Air Force in 1972, and was finally medically discharged in July of 1990.

I published my earliest book in 1999, entitled "Using Strategic and Tactical Planning to Make Your Veterinary Practice More Profitable." During that period, I wrote five scripts for educational videos. Then, in February of 2011, I published my memoir, "Death: Living To Talk About It." On August 20, 2012, I published my first work of fictional, "Five Short Stories and Twelve Poems." Now, after more than two years in the works, "Road To Transplant," my sequel to the memoir, is scheduled to be published November 17, 2012. I continue to write both fiction and nonfiction, maintain a weekly blog; recently, I've also began construction of a new, all inclusive website.

I married a wonderful girl, Denise, in August of 1974, and I'm happy to announce that we are still very much in love. We've been happily married for more than thirty-eight years, with two grown children. Our son, Joseph, married and has provided us with three absolutely wonderful grandsons. Our daughter, Angela, also married and has provided us with an additional three terrific step-grandsons. We currently reside in San Antonio, Texas, where we are surrounded by a support team of healthcare providers, family, and wonderful friends.
                    

Wednesday, December 26, 2012

Christmas Special Deal on ASSASSIN'S CURSE

Did you get a shiny new Kindle or Nook for Christmas? In the spirit of the holiday, ASSASSIN'S CURSE is currently on sale for only .99. Grab it while you can, the price goes back up to $3.99 soon.



Book description:
When elite assassin Jeda received his assignment to kill a witch and deliver her twin daughters to the Countess of Berkshire, he had no idea it would be his last. The witch stuns him with an elemental blast, but not before he's able to throw his knife. When Jeda regains consciousness, the dying witch is performing a compelling spell between him and her twin daughters.  Now bonded to the girls, Jeda's old life is forfeit. His only thought is to take the girls and run as far away as he can. He has no idea that the twins are the ones spoken of in the long-lost prophecy of The Witch Stone. Forces are gathering: the white witches want to teach them; the Countess wants her grandchildren back, and the guild has sent their best assassin to bring Jeda back, dead or alive.

Jeda must use all of his assassin skills to stay one step ahead of them all, but will it be enough to save himself and keep the children of prophecy alive?
 
Buy links:



Tuesday, December 25, 2012

Monday, December 24, 2012

'Twas the Night Before Christmas

'Twas the night before Christmas, when all through the house
Not a creature was stirring, not even a mouse;
The stockings were hung by the chimney with care,
In hopes that St. Nicholas soon would be there;

The children were nestled all snug in their beds,
While visions of sugar-plums danced in their heads;
And mamma in her 'kerchief, and I in my cap,
Had just settled down for a long winter's nap,

 

When out on the lawn there arose such a clatter,
I sprang from the bed to see what was the matter.
Away to the window I flew like a flash,
Tore open the shutters and threw up the sash.

The moon on the breast of the new-fallen snow
Gave the lustre of mid-day to objects below,
When, what to my wondering eyes should appear,
But a miniature sleigh, and eight tiny reindeer,

With a little old driver, so lively and quick,
I knew in a moment it must be St. Nick.
More rapid than eagles his coursers they came,
And he whistled, and shouted, and called them by name;

"Now, DASHER! now, DANCER! now, PRANCER and VIXEN!
On, COMET! on CUPID! on, DONDER and BLITZEN!
To the top of the porch! to the top of the wall!
Now dash away! dash away! dash away all!"

As dry leaves that before the wild hurricane fly,
When they meet with an obstacle, mount to the sky,
So up to the house-top the coursers they flew,
With the sleigh full of toys, and St. Nicholas too.  


 
And then, in a twinkling, I heard on the roof
The prancing and pawing of each little hoof.
As I drew in my hand, and was turning around,
Down the chimney St. Nicholas came with a bound.

He was dressed all in fur, from his head to his foot,
And his clothes were all tarnished with ashes and soot;
A bundle of toys he had flung on his back,
And he looked like a peddler just opening his pack.

 

His eyes -- how they twinkled! his dimples how merry!
His cheeks were like roses, his nose like a cherry!
His droll little mouth was drawn up like a bow,
And the beard of his chin was as white as the snow;

The stump of a pipe he held tight in his teeth,
And the smoke it encircled his head like a wreath;
He had a broad face and a little round belly,
That shook, when he laughed like a bowlful of jelly.

He was chubby and plump, a right jolly old elf,
And I laughed when I saw him, in spite of myself;
A wink of his eye and a twist of his head,
Soon gave me to know I had nothing to dread;
He spoke not a word, but went straight to his work,
And filled all the stockings; then turned with a jerk,
And laying his finger aside of his nose,
And giving a nod, up the chimney he rose;





He sprang to his sleigh, to his team gave a whistle,
And away they all flew like the down of a thistle.
But I heard him exclaim, ere he drove out of sight,
"HAPPY CHRISTMAS TO ALL, AND TO ALL A GOOD-NIGHT!"
 


Friday, December 21, 2012

Do You Believe in Love at First Sight?


You know that feeling—the one where your breath catches and you feel like your insides are fluttering when you meet that special someone.  You get that instant connection and you can’t stop thinking about that person.

Throughout history and especially in fiction, there have been plenty of instances where love at first sight holds true. Here are some instances through the ages.

Romeo and Juliet – these two star-crossed lovers are from rival feuding families and they are caught in the middle of all the chaos of the adults. They meet with a glance across a crowded dance floor and then again, behind a pillar where their hands touch. There’s something so sensual about only be allowed a mere grasp and nothing more, no long slow kisses or loving embraces. When Romeo is banished from the city, Juliet (who is now secretly his wife) cannot live without him and concocts an elaborate scheme so they can be together, but Romeo never receives the letter explaining the plan. Their brief epic romance ends in tragedy for this pair, but there’s no doubt that they found love at first sight.



Tristan and Isolde – the legend of this pair has a kernel of truth to it. Tristan was believed to be a Scottish prince named Drust, but as legends evolve with time, he became Tristan, and the champion to King Mark of Cornwall. As champion, Tristan was sent to Ireland to duel for Isolde’s hand in marriage. He won the duel and brought Isolde back to England to marry the king, but they fell madly in love with each other on the way. Like Romeo and Juliet, this pair would die rather than be separated from one another, but there was no doubt that the legend of Tristan and Isolde was one of an all-encompassing love at first sight.



Not all lovers’ pairing ends in tragedy. There is the love between Wesley and his Buttercup. For those who haven’t seen “The Princess Bride,” this is the story of Buttercup and her farm boy, Wesley. The two fall madly in love with each other, but Wesley must go off to seek his fortune so that he may provide Buttercup with a proper home. Suffice it to say, much happens between the last time these two saw each other to when they are reunited. Although the evil Prince Humperdinck tries everything he knows to keep them apart, true love wins in the end.




In THE SILVER CROSS, Damon Harte and Lacey Gardner have that “once in a lifetime” connection with each other, but will their ‘love at first sight’ endure? Can they put aside their differences? Can they enjoy a "happily ever after" or will they be another tragedy? You can check out the book here:

So what do you think? Has this happened to you? Did you fall in love at first sight or is this only for legends and fairytales?


Book Tour Blast: SWEPT INTO DARKNESS by Lataeya Lane


Swept Into The Darkness 

Swept into the Darkness (Chronicles of the Celestial)

Sydney London is no ordinary twenty-four year old. Ever since she was a child she has had unique out of this world abilities. Suffering from a near death experience and surviving a deadly car crash Sydney is no stranger to death and loss. Cut off from the world around her she encounters an Angel and eventually falls for him inspired by deceitful magic. Her one true love awaits in the shadows attempting to guard and protect her by risking his immortality. Traumatized by the murder of her best friend she sets off on an unspeakable journey to bring the dead back to life. Sydney's journey of self discovery opens her up to learn of her true angelic identity. She is led in the middle of an inter dimensional war among a hybrid breed of Angel Vampires and the Hierarchy of the Angelic clan. Will her unique powers and the love she bears for her guardian be enough for her to save the Earthly Realm or will she be Swept into the Darkness?

Purchase Swept Into The Darkness Kindle | Paperback | BN | Smashwords

About Author LaTaeya Lane

Years of exposure within the writing and publishing world have made a lasting impact on Author LaTaeya Lane. Writing since she was seven years old, Lane began jotting down phrases and themes later turning them into poems and short stories. Writing became such a passion throughout her youth that she became the Junior and Senior editor of her High school newspaper. She wrote her first novel at age sixteen but was not seeking publication at that time in her life. Lane entered several creative writing contests during her early years of writing and won a few of them. Always captivated by the supernatural and elements of fantasy, Lane was inspired to write a series of books that focused on going beyond the boundaries of life and imagination. The angel vampire fantasy "Swept into the Darkness" is Lane's first published book in a series called "Chronicles of the Celestial." Lane completed a degree in social Sciences and currently works to support the education of special needs middle school students. Lane resides in the state of New Jersey with her husband Leo and is working on writing a publishing the second book in the series.
 Follow LaTaeya Lane Website | Facebook | Twitter | GoodReads

 Tour Prize is an Amazon Kindle. Open to US/ Can residents
  a Rafflecopter giveaway

Thursday, December 20, 2012

Method Acting Helped Me Become a Better Writer by Karen Cantwell

 

Like many authors I know, I took my first jab at novel writing in elementary school. I was very proud of my original manuscript titled, The Adventures of Frog and Mr. Toad. Ahem. Well, imagine my distress when I discovered a little book, The Wind in the Willows. Shattered, I gave up the goal of becoming an award-winning novelist, and set my sights on a more realistic ambition: acting.

During my first year at the University of California, San Diego, I declared myself a drama major and began taking classes to learn the craft. Unfortunately, the fact of the matter was, that I was a terrible actress. Really. I was awful. I probably turned more than one acting coach to drink. Sadly, my performances lacked that important element: talent.

Aha, but my college tuition wasn't entirely wasted. I learned something useful. Lack of acting talent aside, my theatre training those years at UCSD, has eventually proven helpful as I have resurrected the dream to write fiction. The drama department taught "The Method," also known as "Method Acting," originated by Konstantin Stanislavski, and then further developed by Lee Strasberg and employed by students of the famous Actors Studio. Per www.MethodActingStrasberg.com:  "The Method trains actors to use their imagination, senses and emotions to conceive of characters with unique and original behavior, creating performances grounded in the human truth of the moment."

Now, we're writers – we already use our imaginations! So no big epiphany there. But this process of accessing senses and emotions to create unique and original character performances can definitely be translated to the writing experience.

As I began writing in earnest, I found myself naturally applying this training. Who knows the character better than me? No one. But I've found a writer can write from afar or from within – and writing from within is much like Method Acting. To write from within, I get into each character's skin, and write directly from their viewpoints. In polishing drafts, I can always tell when I've failed to write from this approach. A character will say or do something that isn't typical – not believable for that character. Readers will pick up on such anomalies, pulling them from the story, and that's the last thing an author wants.

A great exercise to help access your characters is to spend some time (it doesn't have to be extreme, but the more specific, the better) not only creating back story for each of your characters, but to write lists that flesh them out – their favorite colors, books, songs, musical artists; their dreams, considered failures or successes. Are they home bodies or travelers? How do they react to stressful situations? Are they talkative or quietly reserved? Do they consider themselves lucky or unlucky? How do they view themselves vs. how others view them? You may never actually use any of this information in your novels, but the more you create the character with this information, the more "real" they will become for you, and the easier it will be to access your character when writing.

When I sit down each day, it can take me a good half-hour to hour to actually settle into the minds and souls of my characters, and during this time, the writing is slower and more arduous. But as I utilize Method Writing – a term that actually has been coined – the characters begin to write themselves as does the story.

Writers and actors do share a common goal – they both seek to entertain. And if you approach your writing from that perspective, and utilize some of the same tools, you may find your creative works will benefit greatly.

Author bio:
I have been writing plays and short stories for many years, some of which were published in various college literary magazines. In 2010, my short story “The Recollections of Rosabelle Raines,” was published in the mystery anthology Chesapeake Crimes: They Had it Comin’ available at Amazon, BarnesandNoble, or directly from the publisher, Wildside Press.

But I had always wanted to write a novel. I found that more difficult. Finally, a few years ago I became inspired to write my first novel, "Take the Monkeys and Run," a comedy-mystery, inspired, to some degree by a true monkey sighting. I followed that up with a Barbara Marr short story collection, "The Chronicles of Marr-nia," and two more mystery novels, "Citizen Insane" and "Silenced by the Yams."

Because I love to laugh as well as make other people laugh, I have the most fun imagineable writing the character Barbara Marr as well as her friends and adversaries. When I set out to write these books, I knew I wanted to write something that readers would say, “Now that was FUN.” I HOPE I have achieved that goal. And if I did, please feel free to drop me a line at and let me know! I love to hear from readers. (especially if you LIKE the book!)



Wednesday, December 19, 2012

Interview with Zrinka Jelic


Can you give us a brief overview of your latest book?
My latest release is titled “Treasured Chest”. It’s untypical pirate’s romance in which women hiding from the law are pirates.

Do you have a favorite character?
In this book, my favorite is Captain Marko, a man skilled in the art of love as he is skilled with a sword. Who wouldn’t love him?

Did you try the traditional route to publishing, i.e. querying agents/publishers? Yes, both my books are published through Black Opal Books. It is a small press, a boutique style publisher, meaning they publish paperbacks only per order.

Do you belong to a critique group? Have they helped improve your writing?
Yes, I am a member of Romance Writers of America (RWA) and its online specialty chapter Fantasy, Futuristic and Paranormal (FFnP). My debut novel “Bonded by Crimson” is a paranormal romance and my work in progress is also a paranormal.  FFnP online critique group helped me tremendously while I was working on “Bonded by Crimson” and they are of a huge help with my wip. However, “Treasured Chest” has been critiqued by my three steady critique partners.

What is your writing process?
Well, I’m a punster and I never know which way my muse will take me. I usually start with a quick synopsis and once I’ve even tried to plot the book, then I never referred back to it. So, I edit as I go, I usually don’t see past the next chapter, not in the smallest of details at least. I see the big picture, but only once I start to tackle the job, I can concentrate on the details.

Did you hire an editor to review your manuscript before publishing?
I didn’t hire them, the three editors who worked on both my books came with the publishing contract.

Besides Amazon, are there any other sites where your books are for sale?
Yes, they are available at my publisher’s site, on Barnes & Noble, Kobo Books, Smashwords, AllRomance E-books. Hope I’m not forgetting anything.

What kinds of marketing [twitter, facebook, blog, forums] are you involved with for promoting your book(s)?
You will find me on Facebook, sometimes I tweet but haven’t figured how to do this successfully. I have banner ads on The Romance Reviews and The Romance Studio. Also making as many guest blog appearances as I can possibly do. Marketing is a full time job with no pay what so ever. But in the end the best is to let the word of mouth do the job. I’m confident in my books and that people will find them page turners and the I have people stop me in the store or restaurant to tell me how much they’ve enjoyed reading my books.

Do you find it difficult to juggle your time between marketing your current book and writing your next book?
Oh yes, some days I don’t end up doing any writing at all. I’m just “out there” trying to line up the next blog appearance, the blog hop or a giveaway.

Besides writing, do you have any other passions?
Working out in the gym. All kind of ideas pop in my head on that one hour on the treadmill or elliptical trainer. And then sometimes there something interesting to look at.

What’s next for you?
I’m working on two projects at the time, though I’m concentrating on my current wip “Love Remains” which is almost done. My second project is a prequel to “Bonded by Crimson”, but progress on that one is slow since somehow always seems to end up on the back burner. 

Author bio:
Zrinka Jelic lives in Ontario, Canada, with her husband and two children. A member of the Romance Writers of America and its chapter Fantasy Futuristic &Paranormal, as well as Savvy Authors, she writes contemporary fiction—which leans toward the paranormal—and adds a pinch of history. Her characters come from all walks of life, and although she prefers red, romance comes in many colors. Given Jelic’s love for her native Croatia and the Adriatic Sea, her characters usually find themselves dealing with a fair amount of sunshine, but that’s about the only break they get. “Alas,” Jelic says, with a grin. “Some rain must fall in everyone’s life.”

Tuesday, December 18, 2012

Book Tour Blast: LOVE AND LUST by Jessica Gibson


 

Love and Blood

Bronwyn Fitzgibbons was young and reckless. It was easy for Ronan to steal her human life and make her a vampire. She ran, but she never forgot him--or how he made her feel. Rider saved Bronwyn from the new life she loathed and the new self she detested. His love restored her sanity. Now Ronan is back to claim her. She struggles like hell against him, but she cannot deny the overwhelming power of her maker. Will Bronwyn surrender to the one who could possess her utterly? Or can she find the strength to choose the one who loves her as she is?  
  Join the Love and Blood release event!

Purchase on Amazon Facebook/Twitter/Goodreads
 
Jessica lives in California with her husband and young son. She loves to read, and that love helped her to branch out into writing. Aside from writing, she runs an online event planning business called the Release Day Diva. In addition to novels, Jessica writes and maintains the blog Book on the Bright Side. Keep up with Jessica and her latest releases and events on her blog This Author's Life.

Blood Lust (Prequel to Love and Blood) is available for free on Smashwords.  

Blood and Sacrifice will be available March 2013

Prizes: 3 ebooks $15 Amazon card

Fill out the form below to enter. Open Internationally!
 a Rafflecopter giveaway

Book Tour Blast: CLOSURE by Kim Carmichael

Closure 

Closure

There's always the one… He's one person throughout life you think about every so often, the one who leaves his unique indelible mark on you, the person with whom you need closure. For Margaret Collins that person was Mike Taylor. After he broke her heart seventeen years ago, she left everything she knew and reinvented herself. With a new home, a new look and a new name, Riley Williams is now an up and coming journalist given the assignment to interview a Mike Taylor. She never suspected he would be her Mike Taylor. With Mike having no hint of Riley's true identity, she must decide if she will make him pay for sins he doesn't remember committing, or if she can wipe away the past and be with the one man who she has always wanted?

About Kim Carmichael

Kim Carmichael Kim Carmichael began writing eight years ago when her love of happy endings inspired her to create her own. She has a weakness for bad boys and techno geeks, and married her own computer whiz after he proved he could keep all her gadgets running. When not writing, she can usually be found slathered in sunscreen trolling Los Angeles and helping top doctors build their practices. Follow Kim Carmichael Website | Facebook | Twitter

Purchase on Amazon

Follow the Tour:

Kim Carmichael is offering two HUGE Prize packs.



 
Open to US residents 18+ Fill out the form below to Enter!
a Rafflecopter giveaway

Monday, December 17, 2012

Twelve Days of Christmas: NO GOLDEN RINGS

 
By Rebecca Forster

I love the idea of celebrating the twelve days before Christmas, but I never much liked the idea of waking up to find maids-a-milking in my living room. So I thought I would make up my own list of countdown gifts that are guaranteed to make someone smile.

1) Hold someone’s hand when they least expect it.

2) Write a letter in real handwriting on real paper, and mail it with a real stamp.

3) Tell a joke.

4) Kiss someone with or without mistletoe. Lips, cheek, head, hand all are very nice.

5) Invite someone to your favorite place and tell them why they are there with you .

6) Add an extra ribbon, bell, sprig of holly, or lottery ticket to a package you wrap.

7) Cook something you’ve never cooked before; share it with someone you’ve never shared with before.

8) Choose one person who is not expecting a gift and give them one. Give it too late for them to reciprocate. 

9) Hold a door for someone when you’re the one in a hurry.

10) Talk to someone who lives alone. Not just hello, but a real conversation.

11) Hum a Christmas song close enough so other people can hear  you and then smile when they look your way.

12) Let your spouse sleep late and your kids get up early.


Do you have a gift to give on the 13th day of Christmas? Visit me at www.rebeccaforster.com, tell me about your gift, and choose the book you’d like my Christmas Elves to send you.

Have a wonderful and blessed holiday.







Sunday, December 16, 2012

Review: ROGUE GENTLEMAN by Brian Drake


4 of 5 stars

I've been a fan of Mr. Drake's since I read his story "Justified Sins" so I was very excited to read his latest novel, ROGUE GENTLEMAN. The story revolves around Steve Dane, ex-military, ex-CIA operative who is out there on his own righting wrongs when he sees them along with his partner, ex-Russian spy Nina Talikova. After being unwittingly drawn into a global conspiracy while trying to save a kidnapped girl, Steve finds himself on a path to take down the most wanted terrorist known only as The Duchess.  The Duchess wants to buy a nuclear weapon and sell it to the highest bidder and Steve has vowed to stop her even if it means sacrificing his own life.

I absolutely loved the banter between Steve and Nina. The characters come alive and draw you into their story. There is true affection between these two and dare I say even love, but Nina is used to living high and when she doesn't get it, she can be a very unhappy girl. This was such a fun part of the book especially with all the seriousness of their situation. Good ole Steve is happy to accommodate her whenever he can. They are not only partners in love, but out in the field. They have each others' back every step of the way. I was intrigued as the author introduced these two past's associates as they tried to uncover the whereabouts of The Duchess. Snippets of both Steve and Nina's past are also sprinkled throughout the book and that made me want to know more about them. Steve has a unconventional relationship with the President of the United States, but if that is so, why is he no longer working at the CIA?

The story moves along at a fast clip. There's plenty of action to keep you reading to the end. Will Steve and Nina finally unmask the elusive Duchess and stop the sale of the nuke in time? How many will die in the hunt? Can Steve and Nina pool their resources to pull off the biggest terrorist take-down the world has ever seen? These are just some of the questions the author throws at you. Fans of spy thrillers will definitely enjoy this one. Recommended.


Friday, December 14, 2012

New Release: SATURDAY NIGHT CLEAVER by Karen Cantwell


Book description:
Poor Barb. She just can't stay out of trouble, no matter how hard she tries. But this time she has a good reason: family friend Colt Baron has gone missing. When soccer mom, Barbara Marr, and her ex-FBI husband, Howard, begin following clues in a search for their treasured pal, they find themselves crashing a rather racy sort of party – a soiree for swinging couples. Awkward. What they learn there is...interesting. But the question is, does the information lead them to Colt?

This fourth book in the Barbara Marr Murder Mystery Series teams Barb with her handsome husband Howard in yet another rollicking and hilarious suburban fiasco...


Buy Links:

Author bio:
I have been writing plays and short stories for many years, some of which were published in various college literary magazines. In 2010, my short story “The Recollections of Rosabelle Raines,” was published in the mystery anthology Chesapeake Crimes: They Had it Comin’ available at Amazon, BarnesandNoble, or directly from the publisher, Wildside Press.

But I had always wanted to write a novel. I found that more difficult. Finally, a few years ago I became inspired to write my first novel, "Take the Monkeys and Run," a comedy-mystery, inspired, to some degree by a true monkey sighting. I followed that up with a Barbara Marr short story collection, "The Chronicles of Marr-nia," and two more mystery novels, "Citizen Insane" and "Silenced by the Yams."

Because I love to laugh as well as make other people laugh, I have the most fun imagineable writing the character Barbara Marr as well as her friends and adversaries. When I set out to write these books, I knew I wanted to write something that readers would say, “Now that was FUN.” I HOPE I have achieved that goal. And if I did, please feel free to drop me a line at and let me know! I love to hear from readers. (especially if you LIKE the book!)