Donna's Blog Home

Stuck In Books: Young Adult Giveaway Hop

2012-01-26T23:54:00.000-06:00

Stuck In Books: Young Adult Giveaway Hop: MY favorite books are YA books! Bet you can't tell, huh? Well, I love them best. So I had lots of fun looking for which YA book I...

Interview - Dawn Chartier

2012-01-15T20:00:00.000-06:00

Pleasedescribe your novel twitter style 140 characters or less.

Protector of thePoryria, Trace Stuart is called to defend his race or embrace death.Defending humans is not part of the plan but he cannot stop himselffrom saving Kira

(I cheated. Ideleted a comma and period at the end. lol)

Whatis the one thing you wish you knew before you tried to get published?

So much I wish I knew…First, thingthough is writing is not as easy as it looks. Nope. Not at all. It’snot just about characters and plots, it’s sooooooo much more.

Whatto you is the best part of being a writer and what is the part youwouldn’t mind giving up?

The best part is having a reader tellyou that your characters tugged at their heart strings, and then askwhen your next book is coming out. I heart them so.

Giving up? I guess that would be comingout of my comfort zone. I like interacting with readers on-line, butwhen I’m in front of a reader I’m a little shy, but I’m workingon that. 

Whatcity would you love to set a story in but the right one hasn’t comealong yet?

I always wanted to set my stories inFlorida on the beach, and I finally got to do that with newestcontemporary erotic romance novella, Diamonds. So, what hasn’tcome along yet? That would be Ireland. I love Ireland, and one dayI’ll go there.

Vampires,Shifters, Zombies, Angels - who wins the final ultimate battle?

I love them all. But I would have tosay it would go in order like this (sorry, Trace) Angels, Vampires,Shifters, and Zombies. If the story had them all in there, the morethe better.

Ifyou could witness any historical event past, present or future whatwould it be and why?

That’s a hard question. Hmm. Iwould’ve liked to have seen the faces of those men when Joan of Arckicked their butts. That’ll teach them not to mess with a woman ona mission. lol

Anythingelse you would like to share today?

Yes. Thanks for having me today. ;- )It’s been fun!

www.dawnchartier.com

NOTAN ANGEL

ByDawn Chartier

KiraMcCoy wants to die. Losing her husband and daughter tragically lefther without hope. Now her disturbed brother-in-law will stop atnothing to have her for himself. All she wants is to find peace, butinstead finds herself on top of a bridge ready to end her suffering.

Protectorof the Poryria, Trace Stuart is called to defend his race or embracedeath. Defending humans is not part of the plan, but he cannot stophimself from saving Kira.

Realizingthat he shares a special bond with Kira, Trace defies his Queen andrushes into the heart of darkness in order to rescue the woman heloves. Will Kira be able to reach past her own pain to pull them bothinto the light?

Amazon

Excerptfrom Not An Angel

byDawn Chartier

Ashe measured her, his gaze warmed the consuming chill that had invadedher body. She glanced down, holding the material out. Nothing shecould ever afford. Standing next to him in his stunning black suit,gave her more confidence than if she wore plain clothing.

“Iwouldn’t have picked it out for myself, but you have good taste.”

“Iknow.” Trace’s gaze traveled down her torso, to her exposed toesand slowly up to her face. “And you take my breath away.” Hekissed the inside of her wrist.

Heatshot up her inner arm overpowering any nervousness she may have feltearlier. She leaned into him and whispered, “You breathe?”

Tracehalf smiled. “Sometimes.”

Sheblinked. “Oh.” That meant sometimes he didn’t breathe either.

Tracestiffened, then glanced toward the entrance flanked with four massivecolumns. It took a moment before she heard footsteps in the foyer.Five men entered the parlor. All dressed similar to Trace, excepttheir cold penetrating eyes made her worry. Scared was more like it.One man strode toward her, eyes narrowed, mouth pulled down in afrown. She swallowed, then took a deep breath and squared hershoulders. They will not get to me. I will be strong.

“Hewon’t hurt you. Will you, Dev?” Trace stepped forward and crossedhis arms.

Devsmirked and stared through his long dark lashes. “Depends.”

Aneerie rumble vibrated the room. Kira advanced toward Trace. The soundof a wild cat drifted in the air. She tilted her head, glanced atTrace and realized the noise came from him.

“Boys.Boys. Boys. Dev won’t touch her, but I might.” A slender brunetteappeared out of thin air and stood directly in front of the othermen. Oh hell.

Aboutthe Author:

DawnChartier never knew she wanted to be a writer while growing up. Sure her parents owned a book shop, and she was surrounded bybookworms, but she wasn’t one of “those” writers who startedearly. No, Dawn was inspired by strange events in her life, onewas a bitch named, Katrina. Yes, that hur-ricane. But a few monthsbefore the storm, Dawn read an article on Marie Laveau in the NewOrleans local newspaper and it sparked an idea. She began researchingthe voodoo priestess, and then Katrina hit. Out of destruction, ideasformed, characters spoke and plots twisted. One thing lead to anotherand an author was born. (Must have been something in the air, becausea few authors were born out of Katrina’s wrath.)

DawnChartier sold her first paranormal romance book, (Not An Angel) toThe Wild Rose Press, and her second book, a contemporary eroticromance (Diamonds) to Siren BookStrand. Dawn is a member of RWA,Sola-Writers, FF&P and Savvy Authors. You can find her chattingon Twitter and Facebook when she’s not buried inside of a book orwriting her next one.

Dawnlives near New Orleans with her husband, two daughters, two goldenretrievers, and plenty of wildlife.

http://www.dawnchartier.com

http://www.facebook.com/dawn.chartier

http://dawntheauthor.blogspot.com/

https://twitter.com/#!/dawnchartier

The Qwillery: Interview with Kendra Leigh Castle and Giveaway - ...

2012-01-12T21:49:00.000-06:00

The Qwillery: Interview with Kendra Leigh Castle and Giveaway - ...: Please welcome Kendra Leigh Castle to The Qwillery. Kendra's most recent novel is Midnight Reckoning (Dark Dynasties 2), which was publishe...

Stuck In Books: YA Fantasy Giveaway Hop

2012-01-08T03:31:00.000-06:00

Stuck In Books: YA Fantasy Giveaway Hop: I couldn't pass up being a part of this hop since this is my favorite genre! I have picked 3 hot January releases for this giveaway. He...

the {EPIC} rat: Giveaway :: Win your choice in 2012 debuts!

2012-01-06T21:58:00.000-06:00

the {EPIC} rat: Giveaway :: Win your choice in 2012 debuts!: As a kickstart to the oodles of drool-worthy 2012 YA debuts coming out, I am excited to offer my 1st giveaway of the year! :) Simpl...

Kim Harrington: Perception ARC Giveaway

2012-01-03T22:36:00.000-06:00

Kim Harrington: Perception ARC Giveaway: Perception comes out in less than TWO MONTHS! To celebrate, I’m parting with my Perception ARC. She’s been to various places with me and ...

The Qwillery: Interview with E.S. Moore and Giveaway - January 3...

2012-01-03T22:11:00.000-06:00

The Qwillery: Interview with E.S. Moore and Giveaway - January 3...: Please welcome E.S. Moore to The Qwillery as the first of the 2012 Debut Author Challenge interviews. To Walk the Night (Kat Redding 1) is ...

Interview and Giveaway with Denise Townsend!

2012-01-03T21:53:00.000-06:00

Interview and Giveaway with Denise Townsend!

Mimi Valentine: Happy New Year 2012 Giveaway Hop!!

2012-01-02T02:28:00.000-06:00

Mimi Valentine: Happy New Year 2012 Giveaway Hop!!: Hi, everyone! :) This giveaway hop is hosted by the awesome Kathy @ I Am A Reader, Not A Writer . This is the very first one I've partici...

Reading Lark: Goodbye to 2011: Giveaway #6

2011-12-31T23:18:00.000-06:00

Reading Lark: Goodbye to 2011: Giveaway #6: Last year we featured our top 10 favorite reads, but this year we wanted to be a little different. So, not only are we showcasing ou...

Reading Lark: Goodbye to 2011: Giveaway #5

2011-12-31T01:35:00.000-06:00

Reading Lark: Goodbye to 2011: Giveaway #5: Last year we featured our top 10 favorite reads, but this year we wanted to be a little different. So, not only are we showcasing ou...

The Qwillery: Interview with Dani Harper and Giveaway - December...

2011-12-30T01:00:00.000-06:00

The Qwillery: Interview with Dani Harper and Giveaway - December...: Please welcome Dani Harper to The Qwillery as part of the 2011 Debut Author Challenge Interviews. Dani's debut novel, Changeling Moon (Chan...

The Qwillery: Merry and Happy Giveaway - December 25, 2011

2011-12-30T00:57:00.000-06:00

The Qwillery: Merry and Happy Giveaway - December 25, 2011: While I don't personally celebrate Christmas, we were always taught to share our friends' holidays with them. So in that spirit and in honor...

Reading Lark: Goodbye to 2011: Giveaway #4

2011-12-30T00:15:00.000-06:00

Reading Lark: Goodbye to 2011: Giveaway #4: Last year we featured our top 10 favorite reads, but this year we wanted to be a little different. So, not only are we showcasing ou...

Reading Lark: Goodbye to 2011: Giveaway #3

2011-12-29T01:13:00.000-06:00

Reading Lark: Goodbye to 2011: Giveaway #3: Last year we featured our top 10 favorite reads, but this year we wanted to be a little different. So, not only are we showcasing ou...

About A Mom: New Year's Hoppin' Eve | $25 Amazon Giveaway

2011-12-28T10:52:00.000-06:00

About A Mom: New Year's Hoppin' Eve | $25 Amazon Giveaway: Giveaway runs from 12/28 to 1/2. Our $25 Amazon Giveaway is open worldwide! Get ready for 2012 by entering to win tons of prizes! The "N...

Stuck In Books: Mid-Winters Eve Blog Hop

2011-12-26T15:16:00.000-06:00

Stuck In Books: Mid-Winters Eve Blog Hop: For this hop, I'm doing winner's choice of one of four December releases. Here's the choices: Wintertown By Steve Emond Here's...

The Qwillery: My Favorite Comics of 2011 and Giveaway - December...

2011-12-24T02:51:00.000-06:00

The Qwillery: My Favorite Comics of 2011 and Giveaway - December...: I collect a lot of comics. I probably collect too many comics if that is even possible. Three comics stand out as my favorites of 2011. They...

Spotlight - Four for Christmas

2011-12-20T23:01:00.001-06:00

Dreaming of a White Christmas led her straight into their arms…

In this holiday spin off of the bestselling novella Three For Me? Saving a man in a snowstorm leads Georgia Bale to an isolated cabin, where three men have an important promise to keep. A promise Georgia soon becomes caught up in herself.

She just wanted to survive Christmas, and her bad holiday karma. She had no idea that accepting a friend’s invitation to Colorado would lead her to her perfect man. Times three.

What does an eccentric writer do when a compassionate doctor, a dominant police officer, and a handsome adrenaline junkie only have eyes for her?

Use her imagination.

But when the storm clears, she’ll have to decide which path to take. The way back home, or the road less traveled.

Warning: A bit of heart tugging, excessive use of imagination, role playing (the dirty kind), foursomes, holiday magic, a guardian angel or two… and the kinky use of holiday themed beverages.

Find out more and check out the great contest by going here.

The Qwillery: Interview with Amanda Bonilla and Giveaway - Decem...

2011-12-18T00:57:00.000-06:00

The Qwillery: Interview with Amanda Bonilla and Giveaway - Decem...: Please welcome Amanda Bonilla to The Qwillery as part of the 2011 Debut Author Challenge interviews. Amanda's debt, Shaedes of Gray, was pub...

At The Maple Table: Christmas Event Holiday Hop~Giveaway 12/9~12/23

2011-12-18T00:11:00.000-06:00

At The Maple Table: Christmas Event Holiday Hop~Giveaway 12/9~12/23: Welcome to the Christmas Event Holiday Hop hosted by Cute-Ecakes where you don't have to jump through hoops to have a chance for some GREAT ...

Thrifty Jinxy: Walmart's “BIG Christmas Event” is Tomorrow! Dece...

2011-12-17T21:13:00.000-06:00

Thrifty Jinxy: Walmart's “BIG Christmas Event” is Tomorrow! Dece...: This is a surprising fact: According to the National Retail Federation, as of the second week in December, the average person has complet...

Spotlight - Vampire Wardens

2011-12-17T00:07:00.002-06:00

HOT VAMPIRE KISS
Read more here

Book one, Evan’s story

The werewolf population is entrenched in a century long civil war, and now they are plagued by a virus that is turning wolves into killers. The Brooks brothers pursue one such rogue werewolf to Temple, Texas. It is in Temple that Evan encounters a beautiful nurse named Marissa who instantly melts the hundred years of ice running through his veins. When she is brutally attacked by the wolf, he breaks the rules of the Vampire Council and uses his blood to save her. Now, if he doesn’t kill the wolf by the next full moon, Marissa will become a killer wolf, and he will be sentenced to death.

HOT VAMPIRE SEDUCTION
Read more here

Book two, Aiden’s story

The underground vampire population of Austin, Texas has taken to hosting orgies with human women who’ve been forced to indulge in a new aphrodisiac.The drug, Blood Red, is a mixture of a rare type of werewolf blood and that of a vampire. Blood Red creates an insatiable desire for sex in the user to the point of pain in the absence of pleasure. Sometimes that pain leads to death.

Vampire Warden, Aiden Brooks, has spent more than a hundred years enforcing the laws of his race, and life has taught him that anyone that he allows into his world ends up dead. Despite knowing this all too well, having painfully loved and lost in his past, when his search for the creator of Blood Red places coroner Kelly Riggs directly in both his path, and that of a dangerous clan of vampires, his desire for her goes well beyond offering her protection. He’s drawn to her bravery, seduced by her feisty spirit and beauty, but he is determined to resist her, fearing he will put her in harms way. But Kelly is already on the radar of the enemy, and when she gets too close to the evil vampire clan’s secrets, she is given Blood Red. Now Aiden’s hunger for her might be the only thing that can keep her alive but who will save her from him?

HOT VAMPIRE TOUCH
Read more here

Book three, Troy’s story

In blood they will find destiny and the eternal bond of passion…

A Vampire Warden betrayed by a werewolf he loved, turned into something not Vampire or Wolf. The woman – the wolf – who will heal him…if he doesn’t destroy them both first.

VISIT THE SERIES PAGE

Buy from Amazon or B&N

Spotlight - Echoes of Magic

2011-12-17T00:02:00.001-06:00

Hiding a secret so awful that his only hope for survival is to remain hidden, Grayson has lived most of his life pretending to be someone he isn’t. After years serving as a commander to his lord and friend, Grayson can no longer hold back the past. He leaves in search of answers only to find evil awaits him. Until he discovers an achingly beautiful woman who stirs his deepest passions and all-consuming need.

Adrianna knows what her future holds for her as a witch – loneliness and heartache. She has accepted that. Until she discovers Grayson near death in the forest. Saving him is her only choice, and even as she falls deeper into the attraction surrounding them, can her magic be enough to stop Fate or the evil that awaits them.

Find out more here

Read an excerpt

Buy at B&N, Amazon or Smashwords...

Tis the Season Contest

2011-12-16T23:56:00.005-06:00

Check it out here:

http://www.donnagrant.com/december-contest/

http://www.lisareneejones.com/2011/12/12/win-a-kindle-fire/

Interview - Rosalie Lario

2011-12-16T00:24:00.000-06:00

Please describeyour novel twitter style 140 characters or less. A half demon falls for a succubus, but in order to find salvation,they must bring down the madman hellbent on destroying everyone they love.

What is the onething you wish you knew before you tried to get published? That getting published is only the beginning of thebattle. Once you‘re published you have to worry about pesky little things likegetting reviews, attracting readers, and pleasing your publisher. It’s allworth it, though!

What to you isthe best part of being a writer and what is the part you wouldnt mind givingup? I absolutely love the process ofsitting down to write the story in my head. I don’t love so much when I’ve haveto edit it multiple times and yet it’s still not done. But that’s all part ofthe process, and the ultimate goal is to get an amazing story out to thereaders.

What city wouldyou love to set a story in but the right one hasnt come along yet? New Orleans! I’ve visited the city on threeseparate occasions, and I’m obsessed with it. The main characters in Bloodof the Demon, #1 in my Demonsof Infernum series, stop over briefly in New Orleans, but I’d love the chanceto feature the city more thoroughly in a future story.

Vampires,Shifters, Zombies, Angels - who wins the final ultimate battle? Wow, that’s a great question! I’d have to discountzombies right away since they lack the intellect to strategize effectively. Ithink it’d be pretty close between the other three, but angels have thedistinct advantage in that they can fly. :)

If you couldwitness any historical event past, present or future what would it be and why? I guess I should say something deep here, but I’vealways been fascinated with the history behind Storyville, the red-lightdistrict that existed in New Orleans in the late 1800s and early 1900s.Although I guess as a woman there would only be one legitimate reason for mebeing there. Huh. I’m thinking a disguise would be a must.

Anything elseyou would like to share today? If youlike stories featuring hunky, superhuman heroes and kickass heroines, thencheck out the Demons of Infernum. :)

Rosalie Lario practiced real estate law for several years before finally admitting to
herself that negotiating contracts wasn’t nearly as fun as dreaming up stories. As an
avid reader of romances and supernatural stories, she knew she wanted to write
paranormal romance.

When not writing, she enjoys spending time with her husband and son in their home
state of Florida, as well as searching out things that go bump in the night. She still
hasn’t found any proof of the supernatural, but she’s keeping her fingers crossed.

http://rosalielario.com/

BLOOD OF THE DEMON, Book One, Demons of Infernum Series
Available August 2011 from Entangled Publishing

Keegan lives to exact revenge on the evil demon who sired and abused him. When his father devises a plan to bring upon the apocalypse, he and his three half-brothers, inter-dimensional bounty-hunters for the Elden Council, are charged with capturing and delivering their father for punishment.

Art gallery owner Brynn Meyers has no idea that her abilities to read memories embedded in objects and drain people of their life force means she has demon ancestry. Unfortunately for Brynn, she’s also the key to raising an ancient zombie army, which puts her on every demon’s Most Wanted List.

And no one wants her more than Mammon.

Keegan must protect Brynn from his father by any means necessary, but he’ll have to learn to harness the other half of his genetics—the far deadlier, uncontrollable side—when he starts to fall for the one woman standing between him and the vengeance he so desperately seeks. The one woman he’ll never be able to resist.

MARK OF THE SYLPH, Book Two, Demons of Infernum Series
Available September 2011 from Entangled Publishing

Half-demon Taeg is desperate to free his pregnant sister-in-law, who is spellbound to an indestructible book that will create an army of the undead. He is convinced that an ancient sword can destroy the book and the spell forever, but this relic has been hidden for a millennia by a powerful glamour. The clock begins to run out on his search when an old rival goes after the book and Taeg’s family in his quest for revenge.

Librarian Maya Flores has a secret: she’s immune to magic and is well aware of the supernatural beings prowling the streets of New York City. Haunted by a brutal demon attack that took her family, she is on a one-woman mission to destroy the evil demons who did it—and any others who get in her way.

Maya is Taeg’s best hope for uncovering the sword. Unfortunately, she wants nothing more than to kill him. As he fights for her trust and to save his family, she is forced to face the truth that not all demons are evil. And the worst part? She might be falling in love with one, too.

TOUCH OF THE ANGEL, Book Three, Demons of Infernum Series
Available December 2011 from Entangled Publishing

After months of no work, interdimensional bounty hunter Ronin Meyers jumps at the chance to locate an incubus who’s using succubi as murder weapons. Faced with the possibility of being forced to return to hellish Infernum if he fails, Ronin and his brothers will stop at nothing to take out the incubus and anyone else involved—even the beautiful succubus who stole his heart, then nearly his life, during the most mind-blowing hour of his existence.

Night after night, Amara and her fellow succubi are forced to extract special abilities from the strongest Otherworlders for their psychotic master’s growing collection. When the gorgeous angel-demon hybrid she believed to be dead captures her, Amara is both stunned and elated. But the happily ever after she’s dreamed of will have to wait. Together, they must bring down the madman hellbent on destroying them…and become each other’s salvation in the process.

Sparkling Reviews: FALALALA Giveaway: $1000 Visa Card

2011-12-15T23:20:00.000-06:00

Sparkling Reviews: FALALALA Giveaway: $1000 Visa Card: FALALALA Giveaway! This giveaway is for a 1000.00 prepaid Visa gift card. This giveaway is possible due to a very generous sponsor who wishe...

Sparkling Reviews: FALALALA Giveaway: 60in Samsung Smart HDTV

2011-12-15T23:18:00.000-06:00

Sparkling Reviews: FALALALA Giveaway: 60in Samsung Smart HDTV: FALALALA Giveaway! This is for a 60in Samsung LED Smart HDTV The Fine Print: This is being shipped by Best Buy so please make sure that the...

Sparkling Reviews: FALALALA Giveaway: LeapFrog Learning Tablet and Ki...

2011-12-15T23:15:00.000-06:00

Sparkling Reviews: FALALALA Giveaway: LeapFrog Learning Tablet and Ki...: FALALALA Giveaway! A LeapFrog Learning Tablet! A 200.00 Value. This would make any girl or boy very happy this Christmas! Sorry about the d...

Sparkling Reviews: FALALALA Giveaway: Nikon D5100

2011-12-15T23:14:00.000-06:00

Sparkling Reviews: FALALALA Giveaway: Nikon D5100: FALALALA Giveaway! Enter Below to win a Nikon D5100 D-SLR Camera! A 849.00 Value! Creativity from any point of view. Compact and...

Sparkling Reviews: FALALALA Giveaway: Panasonic 31 Toughbook

2011-12-15T23:12:00.000-06:00

Sparkling Reviews: FALALALA Giveaway: Panasonic 31 Toughbook: FALALALA Giveaway! Enter below for a chance to win a Panasonic 31 Toughbook! A 3200.00 value! ***HINT*** I will capture all of your favor...

Sparkling Reviews: FALALALA Giveaway: 64GB iPad 2

2011-12-15T23:09:00.000-06:00

Sparkling Reviews: FALALALA Giveaway: 64GB iPad 2: FALALA Giveaway! 64GB iPad 2 Wifi Only Things come alive on the stunning 9.7-inch widescreen LED Multi-Touch display of the Apple iPad ...

Sparkling Reviews: FALALALA Giveaway: Sony Bloggie Duo

2011-12-15T23:06:00.000-06:00

Sparkling Reviews: FALALALA Giveaway: Sony Bloggie Duo: FALALA Giveaway! Enter to win a Sony Bloggie Duo in White! Bloggie Duo Camera Double trouble Sporting a 2.7-inch screen on the back and a...

Review - Matched

2011-12-11T00:34:00.001-06:00

Matched by Ally Condie

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This is not the type of book I would normally read. And so I put it off for a while. But now I wish I had read it earlier. It was a great start to a new series. Its well written with interesting characters.

Its a world that could very easily be ours in some future years. You can imagine our world becoming like this. Where everything is regulated and matched up for perfect placement and health. Most people go along with the society, and believe them when they say its all for the best. But at the same time you have people who remember what life was like before, when there were more freedoms and individual choices.

It ended up being such a good book that its one of my top reads for the year. Sometimes it does pay to read outside the norm.

View all my reviews

The Qwillery: Guest Blog by Piper Maitland - The Setting in Acqu...

2011-12-10T23:45:00.000-06:00

The Qwillery: Guest Blog by Piper Maitland - The Setting in Acqu...: Please welcome Piper Maitland to The Qwillery. The first novel in Piper's Night series, Acquainted With the Night , was published in Novembe...

Review - Airel

2011-12-10T23:30:00.000-06:00

All Airel ever wanted was to be normal, to disappear into the crowd. But bloodlines can produce surprises, like an incredible ability to heal. Then there's Michael Alexander, the new guy in school, who is impossibly gorgeous;and captivated by her. Somewhere in the back of her mind, she can hear the sound of pages turning, and another, older story being written.

It is the story of an ancient family, of great warriors, of the Sword of Light, and the struggle against an evil so terrible, so far-reaching, that it threatens everything. Airel knew change would be an inevitable part of life. But can she hold on when murder and darkness begin to close in and take away everything she loves? Will she have what it takes when the truth is finally revealed?

*-*-*-*-*
My review:

This was a great start to a new series. I was engaged from the beginning of the story and even in the flashbacks to learn about the family history I didnt get lost or confused or bored. The story is well written with good characters and a complex but ease to follow and understand history.

You have two stories within the book. That of Airel and Michael in present day and that of Kreios an ancient warrior back thousands of years in the past. Learning about these characters and how the two story lines come together is an engrossing read that I didnt want to put down.

While the book is technically classified as YA, it can easily be read and enjoyed by readers of all ages and I am looking forward to the sequel Michael to come out to find out what happens next.

What's on the Bookshelf: Gift Card Giveaway

2011-12-10T20:40:00.000-06:00

What's on the Bookshelf: Gift Card Giveaway: The Gift Card Giveaway Hop is hosted by I Am A Reader, Not A Writer and Attack of the Book The holiday season is one of my favorite times ...

Stuck In Books: Gift Card Giveaway Hop

2011-12-10T20:12:00.000-06:00

Stuck In Books: Gift Card Giveaway Hop: It's simple! It's a gift card blog hop. Follow StuckInBooks Enter to win a $12 gift card to Amazon or for the international entries $12 in b...

The Qwillery: The Immortals - Giveaway - December 2, 2011

2011-12-06T23:09:00.000-06:00

The Qwillery: The Immortals - Giveaway - December 2, 2011: I was going through my books and realized I had an entire unread extra set of the Immortals series. The books in this PNR series were writte...

Heavenly Savings: Holiday Giveaway Hop - $20 Amazon Worldwide

2011-12-04T23:50:00.000-06:00

Heavenly Savings: Holiday Giveaway Hop - $20 Amazon Worldwide: It's that time again! Holiday Giveaway Hop hosted by Kid Lit Frenzy & I Am A Reader, Not A Writer! Yippee! I love Book type giveaways...

Stuck In Books: It's aThanksgiving Giveaway

2011-12-03T22:07:00.000-06:00

Stuck In Books: It's aThanksgiving Giveaway: So I had the best thing happen this week. Check it out! With this happening so close to Thanksgiving, I just want to tell my followers ...

Paperback Dolls Giveaway

2011-12-03T02:15:00.001-06:00

For every new follower Paperback Doll’s acquires during this 17 day contest, Day has teamed up with her local Half Price Books and Dollar Tree Store and will donate 1 children’s book or toy to Operation Christmas Child or Toys for Tots charity.

Go here to be a part of this great giveaway.

The Qwillery: 2011 Blogversary Giveaways!

2011-11-30T19:59:00.000-06:00

The Qwillery: 2011 Blogversary Giveaways!: I started The Qwillery as a general blog on October 1, 2008. In the last 3 months of 2008, I posted 19 times. In 2009, the number increased ...

At The Maple Table: Christmas Treasure Train~Blog Hop & Treause Hunt 1...

2011-11-28T00:01:00.000-06:00

At The Maple Table: Christmas Treasure Train~Blog Hop & Treause Hunt 1...: All aboard… The Christmas Treasure Train is leaving the station! Anitra from The MamaZone and Angie from Laughter Does the Heart Good...

Practical Frugality: Deck the Halls

2011-11-27T23:57:00.000-06:00

Practical Frugality: Deck the Halls: Welcome to my stop on the Deck the Halls Hop! I am giving away a My Memories Suite Software Package, valued at $80, and a $25 Gift Card g...

Life Unexpected: Deck the Halls with Scentsy

2011-11-27T23:42:00.000-06:00

Life Unexpected: Deck the Halls with Scentsy: Welcome to the Deck the Halls Hop hosted by Yes I Have a Coupon, & A Giveaway Too! The Deck the Halls Hop will take place Novem...

Heavenly Savings: $25 Walmart or Paypal! Winter Wonderland Giveaway ...

2011-11-27T01:14:00.000-06:00

Heavenly Savings: $25 Walmart or Paypal! Winter Wonderland Giveaway ...: Welcome to the Winner Wonderland Giveaway Event. This event is hosted by Put A Little Umbrella In Your Drink , Seeds of Life , And The Litt...

The Book Fiend: Black Friday Book Bonanza: The Savannah Vampire Se...

2011-11-26T15:15:00.000-06:00

The Book Fiend: Black Friday Book Bonanza: The Savannah Vampire Se...: Black Friday Book Bonanza is sponsored by Book Savvy Babe , The Bawdy Book Blog , and Alive on the Shelves . Enter to win t he Savanna...

Spotlight - Echo Falls

2011-11-23T00:55:00.001-06:00

About Echo Falls

Running from a nightmare stalking her every move, Phoebe Martin arrives in Echo Falls hoping she has finally found a safe place to stop. But trouble has a way of catching up and soon the signs are there.

After a vicious attack in an alley, policeman Aidan O’Bryan is left with Phoebe as his only path to understanding why the Echo Falls werewolf pack – his pack – is being attacked. When another pack member is killed, Phoebe is forced to confront her past before she loses Aidan and everything she has come to love.

Love and duty become one as Aidan strives to prevent Phoebe from becoming the next victim. But with Phoebe just as determined to protect Aidan and her new home, secrets from her past threaten to tear them apart.

Will love give Phoebe the strength to trust Aidan and face her fears, or will her past destroy her future?

Read an Excerpt

CHAPTER ONEKeep running, keep running, keep running. Phoebe’s lungs burned as her mind screamed the mantra. Keep running, keep running.
How many steps can there be?
She should know. She lived in this apartment building.
Tears ran down her cheeks and her lungs burned for air. Only the random irrational thought broke through the panic keeping her feet moving down the steps. Keep running. Keep running. The light of the emergency exit came into view. Almost there…
The door to the stairwell slammed open with a hollow boom. She tripped and clung to the railing to steady herself.
Keep running.
The shock of the cool night air sent a shiver of relief through her body. She’d come out a side exit into an alley. If she could just get to the front –
Suddenly she was thrown to the ground from behind. She hit the concrete, what little breath she had knocked from her lungs. Blood began flowing from where her head hit the ground, and small sparks of light floated into her vision.
How did he catch up so fast?
Desperately she tried to gulp down as much air as she could, willing her lungs to cooperate. Instinct kicked in as the attacker slashed at her, and she curled into fetal position.
A dog. He’d turned into a dog. A big dog with vicious claws and teeth he used to tear into her exposed back, thigh and shoulder. She slowly regained her breath but could only use it to scream her throat raw.
Her vision faded, taking the small sparks of light with it. Searing pain ripped through her shoulder as a claw dug down against her bone. One last, long scream tore from her lungs before she was left gasping and sobbing, her fear slowly smoldering into rage.
Things can’t end like this.
She opened her eyes as the dog stood over her, trying to get to her throat. A paw came into her line of vision and she saw her chance. She reached out, grabbed it and squeezed with all the strength she had.
The dog yelped and tried to twist away, but she held on with all the strength she had. She knew she’d only bought herself time. She couldn’t move the dog off her and she couldn’t squeeze his paw all night. He tried uselessly to bite her, his jaws having no strength so long as she squeezed his paw. But she could already feel her strength waning.
Suddenly the weight of the dog flew off her, taking the paw out of her grip. Without thinking, she used her one cooperating arm to drag herself toward the front of the building.
She shivered, her arm giving out, and caught a glimpse of a second dog. No. A wolf… Squeezing her eyes tightly shut, she listened to the dogs fighting, the battle just a few steps away. She tried her best to curl up against the building wall and willed the growling and snapping to go away. They sounded like they were tearing each other to pieces.
The universe granted her wish, the battle ending with the sound of two bodies hitting each other and a sharp whine. She shivered and softly whined as well, dreading the approach of the winner as one of the dogs yelped and ran away.
A few moments later warm, human hand brushed the back of her head and she screamed again. If it could be called a scream. Her throat burned and rebelled at her abuse of it.
“Ssh. You’re safe now.”
She tried to scream again and move away, but her body wouldn’t obey her commands. She groaned as the full force of the pain washed over her.
He murmured and she relaxed her desperate grip on staying conscious. Sleep seemed so tempting, the black abyss singing a siren’s song to her. Her rescuer – or captor – tried to soothe her, but something dark and dangerous in his voice betrayed him. He was different. She tried to bat away his hands but gave up after a few attempts, not sure if her good hand was actually moving.
As she slipped into the darkness, she wondered if death had merely granted her a short reprieve from the inevitable.

About Jaime McDougall

Jaime McDougall is a citizen of the world, currently loving life in beautiful country Victoria in Australia. She loves eating sushi, kidnapping her husband and naming her pets in honour of science fiction authors.

She has been published in Chicken Soup for the Soul: High School: The Real Deal and Chicken Soup for the Soul: Campus Chronicles. So You Want to Write a Guest Post: An Author’s Guide to Promoting with Guest Blogging is her most recent non-fiction ebook. She has also enjoyed writing a column called ‘The New Australian’ in local newspapers as well as various articles online.
Echo Falls is her first paranormal romance novel. You can buy it now at:
Amazon ( Kindle ) | Barnes and Noble ( Nook ) | Smashwords ( Multiformat )
Amazon ( Print ) | Barnes and Noble ( Print )

You can visit her website at InkyBlots.com

Echo Falls Tour Schedule

Tuesday, November 1st
Interview at Pump Up Your Books
Wednesday, November 2nd
Guest Post at Review From Here
Thursday, November 3rd
Guest Post at Live to Read
Friday, November 4th
Review at Live to Read
Monday, November 7th
Interview at Laurie’s Thoughts and Reviews
Tuesday, November 8th
Review at Laurie’s Thoughts and Reviews
Wednesday, November 9th
Review at Inside of a Dog
Interview at Paperback Writer
Thursday, November 10th
Review at Reviews by Molly
Friday, November 11th
Interview at The Plot Thickens
Monday, November 14th
Review at Mad Moose Mama
Tuesday, November 15th
Interview at Mad Moose Mama
Guest Post at TBF Reviews
Wednesday, November 16th
Guest Post at Coffee and a Keyboard
Thursday, November 17th
Review at Coffee and a Keyboard
Friday, November 18th
Review at The Book Connection
Monday, November 21st
Review at Ohio Girl Talks
Tuesday, November 22nd
Guest Post at The Book Bin
Wednesday, November 23rd
Guest Post at Donna’s Blog Home
Monday, December 5th
Review at Words I Write Crazy
Tuesday, December 6th
Review at Review From Here
Wednesday, December 7th
Interview at The Examiner
Thursday, December 8th
Interview at Paperback Writer
Friday, December 9th
Review at Community Bookstop
Monday, December 12th
Guest Post at Sweeping Me
Tuesday, December 13th
Review at Sweeping Me
Wednesday, December 14th
Review at Reading Between the Wines
Thursday, December 15th
Guest Post and Review at Celtic Lady’s Reviews
Friday, December 16th
Review at Reading Frenzy

The Qwillery: Interview with Lisa Renee Jones and Giveaway - Nov...

2011-11-23T00:09:00.000-06:00

The Qwillery: Interview with Lisa Renee Jones and Giveaway - Nov...: Please welcome Lisa Renee Jones to The Qwillery. Lisa's most recent Zodius novel, The Storm That is Sterling , was published on November 1, ...

The Qwillery: Guest Blog by Laura Kaye - Laura Kaye is in Cover ...

2011-11-23T00:04:00.000-06:00

The Qwillery: Guest Blog by Laura Kaye - Laura Kaye is in Cover ...: Please welcome Laura Kaye to The Qwillery. Laura Kaye is in Cover Love One of the most exciting moments for me so far as an author is see...

Shannon Whitney Messenger: Win an ARC of CLOCKWORK PRINCE!!!!! (plus T-Shirts...

2011-11-22T23:57:00.000-06:00

Shannon Whitney Messenger: Win an ARC of CLOCKWORK PRINCE!!!!! (plus T-Shirts...: Okay, I promised you guys contests to thank you for bearing with me through all the crazy disappearing and sporadic blogging I've been doing...

All Things Urban Fantasy: Interview & Giveaway: Shadowlander by Theresa Meye...

2011-11-21T23:48:00.000-06:00

All Things Urban Fantasy: Interview & Giveaway: Shadowlander by Theresa Meye...: Theresa Meyers is starting a brand new fae infused paranormal romance series called Shadow Sisters . The first book is called SHADOWLANDER ...

Small Blogs, Big Giveaways!: ENTER TO WIN!

2011-11-21T23:38:00.000-06:00

Small Blogs, Big Giveaways!: ENTER TO WIN!: The Biggest International Bookish Giveaway Online 36 books split between 3 winners + 6 Gift Card Giveaways! Follow...

Review - Devil's Hand

2011-11-18T14:50:00.001-06:00

A Las Vegas poker ace with supernatural luck is swept into a world-ending conflict between fallen angels and otherworldly shades, in a thrilling debut novel for readers who enjoy Dean Koontz, Jim Butcher, and Tim Powers.

The lone survivor of a tragic plane crash, Trent Hawkins inherited a mysterious lucky streak that made him famous, and hated, in the poker circles of the City of Sin. It wasn’t long before the eyes in the sky threw him on the blacklist and chased him out of town. Now, after years away, Trent returns to Las Vegas, and walks right back into trouble.

As a serial kidnapper terrorizes the city, Trent and his wife, Susan, rescue a strange, thirteen year-old girl, only to find themselves caught in a fallen angel’s plot to cleanse Las Vegas with an unholy blizzard.

As the neon dims and the city freezes, Trent is forced to make terrible sacrifices in order to protect his new charge, and learns dark truths about himself and the creatures plotting against mankind. Poker-playing demons, fallen angels, and otherworldly shades all vie to enlist his strange luck, and Trent must choose his role in the coming War, or watch our world fall to ruin beneath a blanket of shadow and ice.

*-*-*-*-*
My review:

From the beginning you are drawn into the world he has created. If you like stories with suspense, horror, non stop action and likable heroes you will love this book. For a debut novel it is amazingly well done. You would think he had been publishing for years.

The story drew me in from the beginning and didnt let me go until it was over. Trent is a surprisingly likeable hero that has an uncanny kind of luck. However as he learn more and more, all start to question what kind of luck is it really. He ends up in the middle of a plot to start a modern day Apocalypse. You have an interesting mix of demons, angels, and mixes in between all fighting to be in control. You are pulled along as Trent tries to understand what is happening around him and what his role is in this battle among beings that are not of this world.

This is a great book for fans of all kinds of supernatural fiction, suspense or horror. And it is not one to miss. Following along on Trent's journey is an interesting adventure for all who care to join in. I highly recommend this book for those even just looking for a good story. And I am eagerly looking forward to his next book.

Guest Post - David Scott Milton

2011-11-11T00:32:00.001-06:00

ON THE CREATION OF “IRON CITY”

By David Scott Milton

Ten years ago I made the first notes on “Iron City”. It began as a stage play, became a screenplay, and eventually was written as a novel. It’s a companion work to my earlier novel, “Kabbalah”, though I hadn’t planned it that way. Both take place in Pittsburgh, Pa., the Squirrel Hill and Greenfield sections, and both involve murder. In “Kabbalah” the murder takes place at the very beginning and the reader knows who the murderer is. It is a chase novel in which two people who grew up with the murderer, a cop consumed by ineradicable envy and a rabbi obsessed with the ancient Jewish practice of Kabbalah, for their own complex reasons, set out to find him.

(You can read the preface to the reissued edition of “Kabbalah” to learn how I came to write it, not an uninteresting process. See www.dsmilton.com or www.redroom.com/author/david-scott-milton)

“Iron City” is more traditional, a dense mystery involving a string of bizarre murders that is not solved until the very end. A disgraced ex-cop, Frank Kalinyak, a Greenfield native, is on a mission to find why the victims are being killed and who the murderer is. Kalinyak, who has suffered a tragic loss in his life, seeks to redeem an existence that is drifting, splintering, by tracking the murderer who has terrorized the city he grew up in, Pittsburgh, Pa., known by people raised there as Iron City. The area that Kalinyak operates in, the area where the killer lurks, is a harsh, brutal environment of pimps, hookers, druggies, failed clergy, business hustlers, closed-down, rotting steel mills.

We follow Kalinyak on his increasingly desperate search for the murderer and to prevent further terror and slaughter, through the underbelly of Iron City. We find ourselves in a maelstrom of political and church intrigue, brutal encounters, surprising duplicities, ghosts of the past, furies of the present.

There are complex psychological elements in both novels. I have always had great respect for the mystery form. Dostoyevsky was an early influence on my work, as were the novels of the Belgian, Georges Simenon. I admired the seriousness, the complexity in their works, Dostoyevsky’s “Crime and Punishment”, “Brothers Karamazov”, “The Possessed,” Simenon, “The Man Who Watched Trains Go By”, “Belle”, “The Brothers Rico”: they were less “whodunits” as “whydunnits”, mysteries of character: they were about peeling away levels of reality to reach the core of a human being, the person’s soul.

“Iron City” is a mystery that’s not solved until the end. I’m limited in what I can reveal about what propelled me to write this story. It involves a series of murders that are connected by a horrific act that has poisoned a community. As is true of all of my novels it has relevance to my life and the complications in my life.

The texture of the neighborhoods I grew up in is a very important element in the book, as it is in many of my books. Squirrel Hill and Greenfield to the south; North of Forbes, above Squirrel Hill—these neighborhoods have become my Dublin, North and South Sides, the Hill District, my Nighttown. Squirrel Hill proper was middle-class; as you moved into Greenfield the environment became working class. North of Forbes was upper middle class with pockets of wealth. These areas form a checkerboard of class and religious tensions, envies, wounds that fester, scars that remain open.

I must warn you—the novel is dark. I recently read a review of Simenon’s “The Man Who Watched Trains Go By”, and the critic said of the book, “Despair and negation predominate in Georges Simenon's ‘The Man Who Watched Trains Go By’, a book that I considered to be darker than noir.” I’ve told you how much I admire Simenon. And it’s possible that “Iron City” is darker than noir. It’s possible that all of my novels are darker than noir. Sorry.

The book forms an intricate puzzle. I think the writing is strong. I have not condescended to the genre. It’s a serious novel, ambitious, ingenious. If you’ve liked my earlier novels, plays, and films, I think you’ll like “Iron City.” It’s a tough book, a journey through a hellish world of harsh entanglements, brutal relationships, reversals, twists, piercing insights into the dark night of the soul. To be true, also, there are bright spots and entertainment and the pleasures in what the novel illuminates, much darkness, but also explosions of light, rich characters, the way they talk and behave, their ambitions, dreams, foibles. And there is also tenderness and love and the generosity that grows from love.

I aspired, ultimately, to reveal something true and strong about our lives, about retribution, foundering dreams, guilt, love lost, and love redeemed, to tell one tale of this strange journey we all take to a dusty end.

Aboutthe Author:

DavidScott Milton (born September 15, 1934) is an American author,playwright, screenwriter, and actor. His plays are known for theirtheatricality, wild humor, and poetic realism, while his novels andfilms are darker and more naturalistic. As a novelist, he has beencompared to Graham Greene, John Steinbeck, and Nelson Algren. BenGazzara’s performance in Milton’s play, Duet, received a Tonynomination. Another play, Skin, won the Neil Simon Playwrights Award.His theater piece, Murderers Are My Life, was nominated as bestone-man show by the Valley Theater League of Los Angeles. His secondnovel, Paradise Road, was given the Mark Twain Journal award “forsignificant contribution to American literature.

http://www.dsmilton.com/

Learnmore about David at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/David_Scott_Milton

YouTube Video of David reading from Iron Cityhttp://youtu.be/U-ERnDTWhaA

IronCity

ByDavid Scott Milton

Publisher: WhiteWhisker Books Date Published: September 1, 2011

Genre:dark mystery

FrankKalinyak, disgraced ex-cop, returns to Pittsburgh, Pa., “IronCity”, his hometown, from Tucson where he has been living adesperate existence since the death of his young daughter. He hasbeen summoned home by Bobby Mack, an Assistant D.A., to find out whomurdered an old high school friend. Kalinyak is swept into awhirlpool of bizarre killings, religious fanaticism, churchduplicity, hustlers, cops, junkies, old friends gone bad. Amid thefractured landscape of Iron City, rusting mills, rotting industry, hestruggles to find sense in his life. Ultimately he must ask: who ishe and can he survive?

“DavidScott Milton can write like an angel… a writer hell bent onfulfilling the legacy of John Steinbeck, carrying on the tradition ofJames Jones and exploring his own heights.” -- Alabama Journal

Availablefor the Kindleon Amazon and on BNfor the Nook

Pimpin' Reads: November Giveaway Hop

2011-11-09T22:49:00.000-06:00

Pimpin' Reads: November Giveaway Hop: Thanks to Kathy at I am a Reader not a Writer for the November Giveaway Hop - Nov. 8th to 11th - Co-hosted by Tristi Pinkston . Each of t...

All Things Urban Fantasy: Giveaway: The Iron Knight by Julie Kagawa

2011-11-08T20:52:00.000-06:00

All Things Urban Fantasy: Giveaway: The Iron Knight by Julie Kagawa: Giveaway provided by Harlequin Teen via Media Muscle One copy of The Iron Knight by Julie Kagawa Available on November 6, 2011 b...

Once Upon a Twilight!: Blog Tour: Until There Was You by Kristan Higgins ...

2011-11-04T20:00:00.000-05:00

Once Upon a Twilight!: Blog Tour: Until There Was You by Kristan Higgins ...: Welcome to the next stop in the Kristan Higgins Blog tour for her latest book Until There Was You. OUaT loves when we get asked to take par...

Spotlight - Antique Charming

2011-11-03T00:30:00.000-05:00

AntiqueCharming

ByNatalie-Nicole Bates

Thenight he came home…forever

Third-generationfuneral director Lizzie Morton is about to have her dream realized.She has purchased the long abandoned Nichols Funeral Home and itsupstairs flat, determined to restore the funeral home to its onceformer glory.

Buta late night visitor, Adam Nichols, claims the funeral home stillbelongs to his family. Lizzie scoffs at his odd behaviour andoutlandish claims, but when a vintage photograph appears, she soonrealizes, to her horror, that Adam Nichols did once own the funeralhome—more than one hundred years ago—and now she has allowed thisentity to pass into her home.

http://www.bookstogonow.com/antiquecharming.html

AmazonKindle

BookTrailer on YouTube http://youtu.be/Z1U7hlZ0koQ

AntiqueCharming Excerpt

Sheheard it again.

Thesame time as last Friday night.

Threetaps at her front door.

Lizziemuted the television, tossed the blanket off of her body and scurriedout of bed. She slipped her robe over her shoulders and tied itsecurely, determined to find out who in the world would knock at herdoor at three in the morning. By the time she had reached the doorthe week previous, no one was there. The street had been dark andstill.

Ithad to be a mistake. She had only recently closed sale on the longabandoned funeral home, determined to restore it to its once formerglory. She had only been living in the upstairs flat for a few weeks.

Asshe hurried down the staircase, each step beneath her feet creaked inprotest. There was no one visible through the peephole. She unchainedthe door and opened it just enough to peek around it.

Noone was there, just like the previous week.

Thestreet was dark and quiet. Not even the whisper of a wind could bedetected. Only the cold dampness of the October night raised a chillon her skin.

Whowas playing this weekly joke on her? Could it be the ghosts of somedeparted soul who had passed through the halls of Nichols FuneralHome sometime during the past century? A small smile crossed her lipsas she prepared to close and lock the door. She was a thirdgeneration Funeral Director. Did she now believe in ghosts?

Beforethe door could close, a hand poked into the slight space and seizedher wrist. A cry rose in her throat and she jerked backward, but thehand held tight and the door flung open.

Theman emerged, shrouded in darkness. He was an ethereal creature, tall,and dressed in anonymous black. Only a streetlight glowed behind him.

“I’mhome,” he announced.

Aboutthe Author:

NatalieNicole-Bates is a book reviewer and author.

Hershort paranormal romance, Antique Charming, waspublished by Books To Go Now Publishing in October 2011 and hercontemporary romance, Change of Address, is scheduledto be published by Secret Cravings in January 2012.

Herpassions in life include books and hockey along with Victorian andEdwardian era photography. Natalie contributes her uncharacteristiclove of hockey to being born in Russia.

Shecurrently resides in the UK where she is working on her next book andadding to her collection of 19^th century post-mortemphotos.

VisitNatalie online at http://natalienicolebates.blogspot.com/

Short and Sweet: 300 Follower Giveaway!

2011-11-02T22:46:00.000-05:00

Short and Sweet: 300 Follower Giveaway!: <img alt="Short and Sweet" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-g0lxK9LX15c/...

Interview - Shannon K Butcher

2011-11-01T00:21:00.004-05:00

Please describe your novel twitter style 140 characters orless.

Mercenary chick and her hot partner uncover plot to hijacksoldiers for nefarious purposes.

What is the one thing you wishyou knew before you tried to get published?

I had the advantage of knowingquite a lot about the world of publishing before I decided to dive in. Myhusband had already been published for years, so I had a good idea of whathappened behind the scenes. I was a little surprised by the advent of socialmedia, since that wasn't really around when I first started writing. But sincethen, I've learned to enjoy interacting with fans online, so that's a positivething for me. I think the biggest surprise has been the sheer amount of workthat has to get done which has nothing to do with actually writing the book.

What to you is the best part of being a writer and what isthe part you wouldn’t mind giving up?

The best part of being a writer is actually writing. Thestories, the characters, and all the things that go into getting words on thepage, and knowing how excited fans will be when they read what I've written –those are the things that keep me going every day. It’s also nice to get to spendmost days in my jammies with hot men and kick-ass women.

My least favorite part of writing is revision. While anecessary evil, I wish I was a good enough writer to never have to reviseanything. But I'm not, so I revise. :-)

What city would you love to set a story in but the right onehasn’t come along yet?

I try not to use too many real cities. I like to blow thingsup and have gunfights and plenty of illegal activity. I find that people getupset when you blow up their cities and break their laws, so I prefer to createmy own for the most part. That way I don’t have to hold back. I think that thefact that I’ve lived in several different states and traveled a lot gives me anidea of the flavor of different areas of the country.

Vampires, Shifters, Zombies, Angels - who wins the finalultimate battle?

I saw the season finale of Deadliest Warrior, so I know theanswer to this is vampires. They had scientific proof. :)

If you could witness anyhistorical event past, present or future what would it be and why?

I would like to be standing next to the researcher when s/hediscovers the cure for cancer. I've lost too many people that I love to thisdisease, and would like to be there to witness when the villain is ultimatelydefeated.

Thanks Shannon for taking the time to do this interview.

Everyone else. Check out her new release Razor's Edge. You wont be sorry.

Roxanne "Razor" Haught is an expert in stealth security for corporate espionage cases. But now she's a target. Tanner O'Connell has no intentions of leaving Razor's side. Despite her objections to having a "babysitter", his orders as the newest member of the Edge are to watch her back. With a brainwashed assassin after his partner, Tanner cannot afford to let his desire for Razor interfere with his duty. His special ops skills may be all that stand between saving Razor-or losing her forever.

Readaholic: Giveaway: Destined by P.C and Kristin Cast

2011-10-31T12:34:00.000-05:00

Readaholic: Giveaway: Destined by P.C and Kristin Cast: ...Zoey is finally home where she belongs, safe with her Guardian Warrior, Stark, by her side, and preparing to face off against Neferet ...

The Last Word: Interview With Jacquelyn Frank

2011-10-30T23:51:00.000-05:00

The Last Word: Interview With Jacquelyn Frank: In the mood for a little sultry paranormal romance? Jacquelyn Frank has you covered! Her Nightwalker series combines sexy supernatural al...

Lost in the View: Spooktacular Giveaway Hop: Stop #345

2011-10-30T20:09:00.000-05:00

Lost in the View: Spooktacular Giveaway Hop: Stop #345: Welcome to stop number 345 of the Spooktacular Giveaway Hop ! There are over 400 stops in this week's hop and you can find the full...

Portrait of a Book: Spooktacular Giveaway Hop

2011-10-30T01:37:00.000-05:00

Portrait of a Book: Spooktacular Giveaway Hop: Welcome to this stop of the Spooktacular Giveaway Hop, hosted by I am a reader, not a writer and The Diary of a Bookworm . With so man...

Review - Blood Eternal

2011-10-29T00:00:00.000-05:00

BloodEternal

ByMarie Treanor

Awakenedby Blood, Book 3

SignetEclipse

MassMarket Paperback

4thOctober 2011

Secretsdon't disappear after seduction...

ElizabethSilk is struggling to reconcile her passion for the vampire overlordSaloman and her allegiance to the vampire hunters. When a shockingvampire revolt calls Saloman away from her, she refuses to followhim.

Tomake matters worse, Saloman’s beloved cousin Luk has been found andawakened by one of his greatest enemies. Frenzied with bloodlust, Lukembarks on a killing spree and prepares to expose Saloman’s biggestvulnerability: Elizabeth.

Butunder Saloman’s regime, vampires have become less concerned withsecrecy, no longer willing to hide their power. Rumors are swirlingabout attacks on humans. After Saloman joins forces with the vampirehunters to consolidate his power, Elizabeth begins to understand herrole in the inevitable collision of the two worlds. She could bringresolution between vampires and humans—if she can manage to stayalive long enough to play both sides….

*-*-*-*-*

My review:

This is a great book. Its a worthy conclusion to the trilogy. I can only hope we get to meet these characters again soon. I have been hooked since I read the first book. They are well-written and fast paced with great characters that you really get to know and enjoy.

Elizabeth and Saloman have an unusual relationship. Both have the power to really hurt or kill the other, even know Elizabeth is human. By this point we have watched their relationship evolve over the course of the first 2 books. But even here neither really feels like they deserve the other or can keep them for as long as they have together. And this combined with the fact that Elizabeth's hunter friends dont trust him not to hurt her are the background story revolving around the bigger story of the vampire war and Saloman's cousin Luk.

This war could really be the turning point both Saloman and Elizabeth are hoping for in the ongoing relationship between vampires and humans. Saloman wants to initiate change in vampire behavior so that the two can learn to live together and help each other. And he spends a lot of time trying to prove how this could happen. But he is up against his cousin, Luk, and a group of vampires that dont want to change. If the hunters can not learn to work with him to get this matter under control, what chance does the rest of the world who is still in the dark have.

Both stories intertwine themselves perfectly throughout the book. Leading to stunning conclusion and hope for all. I am really looking forward to reading more from the author soon and I am extremely glad I started this series.

Interview - Marie Treanor - Blood Eternal

2011-10-28T00:34:00.002-05:00

Please describe your novel twitter style 140 characters or less.

Finale of vampire romance/urban fantasy trilogy. Doomed love, angst, rebellion, prophecy, fighting, biting, & immortal, sensual temptation: Blood Eternal

(Well, it's under 140 if you don't count the spaces. Or this explanation :)).

What is the one thing you wish you knew before you tried to get published?

That I was good enough :)

What to you is the best part of being a writer and what is the part you wouldn't mind giving up?

The best part is being justified in living in my imagination! And hearing from readers who've enjoyed my books makes it all worth while. I'm not sure I would give up any of it, to be honest... except maybe the self-promotion, although you do meet readers that way and I wouldn't like to give that up either!

What city would you love to set a story in but the right one hasn't come along yet?

Hmmm... Maybe Moscow. I've never been there, but it always looks so exotic, and it has such an amazing history, I'm sure I'd be inspired if I just spent a few days there!

Vampires, Shifters, Zombies, Angels - who wins the final ultimate battle?

Got to be vampires! Too easy for shifters to get caught without their clothes :). Zombies rot and they have no brains. Angels are hampered by goodness. Vampires are just stronger, meaner, more intelligent, and don't mind at all being badder - or at least mine don't!

If you could witness any historical event past, present or future what would it be and why?

Hmmm... I'd go for historical, but I'd struggle to pick just one event! I don't think I'd care for the up-close and personal view of the brutal battles that litter the important events of history. It's the personalities and the minor side-issues that interest me, like what did Scottish heroes Wallace and Bruce REALLLY think of each other? :).

Anything else you would like to share today?

I'd like to say thank you, Donna, for interviewing me! And to your readers: I'm always very happy to answer questions, either here or by email, Facebook etc, so please feel free to get in touch! Oh, and have a bewitching Halloween :)

Thanks Marie for taking the time for this interview.

*-*-*-*-*

BloodEternal

ByMarie Treanor

Awakenedby Blood, Book 3

SignetEclipse

MassMarket Paperback

4thOctober 2011

Secretsdon't disappear after seduction...

Excerptfrom Blood Eternal:

Setup: An Ancient vampire, believed to be Saloman’s newly awakenedcousin Luk, has gone on the rampage in the Turkish hills. ElizabethSilk is helping the hunters to track Luk and his allies…

Lukbegan to run, and as his limbs stretched out, he remembered theirstrength and what they could do. A surge of excitement urged him tospeed up, to run around the entire world and never stop. But herscent was close and sweet, and as he leapt down the final fifty feetto land right in front of her, he grew dizzy.

Startled,the woman fell back, her dark hazel eyes huge in her beautiful face.Hair the color of a long-forgotten sunrise whipped against her softcheeks in the breeze. Blood pumped through her delicate veins. Thesound and smell of it drove him to new hunger, but this was one humanhe’d never kill.

“Tsigana,”he whispered.

Thename held Elizabeth frozen. She’d had an instant’s warning fromthe Ancient detector, which suddenly, after indicating his slow plodaway from her, went nuts, the readings obviously failing to keep upwith the speed of the vampire who leapt out in front of her a bareinstant after she’d known he would.

She’dhad time to press her buzzer, at the same moment it had gone off inwarning. The others knew. So she backed off, giving them time to gethere, holding the stake poised for the vampire’s attack that didn’tcome. He stood unmoving, staring at her.

Theordinary vampire detector in her pocket was still and silent. So theAncient was alone. She prepared to attack, targeting the spot in hischest that she needed, but before she could fly at him, he said,“Tsigana.”

Ifhe’d said her own name, if he’d called her Jane or Esmeralda orBuffy the Vampire Slayer, she wouldn’t have hesitated in theslightest. But he said Tsigana, as if he’d seen straight to her oneweakness, a jealousy that amounted almost to fear of the long-deadhuman woman who had once held Saloman’s heart.

Herfingers curled convulsively on the stake, altering its aim byaccident, and she had to readjust it. The Ancient who was Saloman’scousin, his onetime friend and his betrayer, one of Tsigana’s threevampire lovers, continued to stare at her. She had the impressionthat if he breathed he’d have been panting, but weirdly, she sensedno threat from him. He lifted his arms slowly, reaching out to herwith intense, weirdly unfocused longing. Understanding slammed intoher like a blow.

“I’mnot Tsigana,” she said between her teeth. “I’m Elizabeth, theAwakener.” And she flew at him, aware her aim was true. Shesummoned every ounce of strength, every ounce of power she believedin. Because she didn’t know how long the hunters would take to gethere, she had to try to do it alone, as she’d once tried to killSaloman alone. She still believed she could have slain him, using herpower as his Awakener, but she’d never found out for sure, becauseher heart, not her body, had prevented it. There was no suchprevention here; Luk was the cause of most of the unbearable pain that had haunted Saloman for centuries. He was as good as dead, andshe couldn’t even regret her lack of compassion.

Buthe didn’t wait for her. He leapt back so fast she didn’t even seehim move. Her stake sliced through air, almost overbalancing her.

“NotTsigana,” Luk repeated. He sniffed the air.

“Tsiganais dead.” Again she leapt, this time before she finished speaking,but again he evaded her. A howl rent the air, like a dog or a wolf inagony. It had to be coming from Luk, as his distant figure leapt backup the hillside at impossible speed, the bloodcurdling wail fadingwith him into the night. Not because he’d stopped crying, butbecause he was too far away to be heard.

“Shit,”Elizabeth whispered. With shaking hand she retrieved the Ancientdetector from her pocket. The pointer indicated the hill up which Lukhad vanished, the display counting madly as the distance increased.Then it went dead. Elizabeth delved for her phone, just as the needleswung rapidly several degrees to the west, and the display gallopedforward.

Oh,hell, he’s doubling back. He’s gotten over Tsigana and now I’mdinner.

BloodSin

Awakenedby Blood, Book 2

Evenif you walk in the light, you can dwell in the dark.

Monthsafter her dangerous encounter with vampire overlord Saloman, Scottishacademic Elizabeth Silk is still trying to cope with both the demandsof her ancestral bloodline—which marks her as a vampire hunter —and the overpowering desire she feels for the immortal she broughtback from the grave. But she is not alone in her fascination withSaloman.

WhenElizabeth tracks down a distant cousin from America, she learns hepossesses an antique sword that has caught the interest of the GrandMaster of the American hunters. It is the ancient and mystical swordof Saloman — a treasure of vast occult powers and a prize beyondmeasure to both vampires and humans. Now the race is on forpossession of the sword.

Evenas her enemies and allies shift their allegiances and battle forsupremacy, Elizabeth must decide which will rule her own perilousfate: unwanted loyalty or unholy love.

Reviews:

"Anaction-packed sensual read, filled with danger, romance, vampires,humor and seduction, BLOOD SIN is an unforgettable story... adelightful read and a welcome addition to the keeper shelf... thisamazing series..." - 4.5 Blue Ribbons, Dottie, RomanceJunkies

"Beautifullyworded... Unique plot twists... Steamy chemistry and passion-filledromance... an altogether spicy read." - 4 cups. Virginia,Coffee Time Romance

"Thefantastic sequel to Blood on Silk... delicious... I truly cannot getenough of...Saloman... a fascinating character, free from cliche...truly an amazing series..." - 5 Tombstones, Jennifer,Bitten by Books.

Bloodon Silk

Awakenedby Blood, Book 1

Thedebut of a seductive new series of vampires, lust, and revenge.

Scottishacademic Elizabeth Silk is spending the summer in Romania researchinghistorical superstitions for her PhD. While she is tracing localfolktales, one subject in particular sparks her imagination. His nameis Saloman, legend's most powerful vampire, a seductive prince stakedcenturies ago. Now, in the ruins of a castle crypt, Elizabethdiscovers the legends are real. Her blood has awakened him. Herinnocence has aroused him. But Elizabeth unleashes more thanSaloman's hunger.

Anarmy of vampire hunters has amassed to send Saloman back to hell.Sworn to help - yet fearing Saloman's deadly blood lust - Elizabethseeks to entrap him, offering her body as bait. But somethingstronger than dread, more powerful than revenge, is uniting Elizabethto her prey. Caught between desire and rage, Elizabeth must decidewhere her loyalties lie...and what the limits are to a yearning shecan no longer control.

Reviews:

"BLOODON SILK is sensual and thrilling, a wonderful combination of vampiremyths old and new. Saloman and Elizabeth's relationship is bothamazingly hot and terrifyingly complicated. Readers will fallinstantly in love with the world that Marie Treanor has created. Youcannot miss this novel!" --Michele Bardsley, nationalbestselling author of the Broken Heart series.

"Aprovocative read... witty, sensual and, sometimes, dark... Brimmingwith complex and compelling characters, sexual tension, danger,betrayal, emotional turmoil, witty banter, a thrilling plot, anenigmatic hero who is at times an anti-hero, a captivating heroineand plenty of vampires, this erotic, gothic story grabs yourattention and holds it right up to the very last page." ~Dottie,Romance Junkies, 4.5 Blue Ribbons

"Praisesfor Marie Treanor; this book has found a permanent place alongsidethe likes of Anne Rice and Laurell K Hamilton." - Rating5, Jillean, Once Upon a Romance.

AuthorBio:

MarieTreanor lives in Scotland with her eccentric husband and threemuch-too-smart children. Having grown bored with city life, sheresides these days in a picturesque village by the sea where she islucky enough to enjoy herself avoiding housework and writing sensualstories of paranormal romance and fantasy.

MarieTreanor has published more than twenty ebooks with small presses,(Samhain Publishing, Ellora’s Cave, Changeling Press and The WildRose Press), including a former Kindle bestseller, KillingJoe. Bloodon Silk: an Awakened by Blood novel, was her New York debutwith NAL.

Inthe Awakened byBlood series,Marie is delighted to be able to bring together her long-standingloves of vampire stories and Gothic romance.

Website:www.MarieTreanor.com

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Marie-Treanor-Paranormal-Romance/105866982782360.

Newsletter: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/marietreanornewsletter.

Blog:Marie Treanor's Romantic Theme Party:

http://romanticthemeparty.blogspot.com/

Review - Spectre of Intention

2011-10-27T23:44:00.003-05:00

Spectreof Intention

By Tonya Macalino

“Secrets, Kaitlin.Secrets.”

Kaitlin Osgood has astowaway.

Underneath the glossyshell of the Senior VP for Countermeasures International lurks thetattered remains of the girl she once was: street rat and thief,Ashley Porter. Every day, every decision is brittle with the fear ofdiscovery.

In the middle of thePacific Ocean on the cruise ship acting as the platform for thelatest space elevator, she should finally be safe…

…safe from the sexy,enigmatic eyes of Director of Port Security Camden Glaswell who seemsto see through Kaitlin’s ruse.

…safe from therelentless, burning pursuit of master thief, Stephan Chen, the chiefarchitect of Kaitlin’s former life of crime—the onetime lover whohaunts her still.

But Kaitlin has anothersecret: her talent for security comes not from the latest technology,but from her ability to sense people’s emotions, to see the ghostsof their intentions.

It’s a talent shemust learn to wield as a weapon before the mistakes of her past costKaitlin her life…

Amazon:http://www.amazon.com/Spectre-Intention-Tonya-Macalino/dp/0983630305/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1312914650&sr=8-1

Barnes & Noble:http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/spectre-of-intention-tonya-macalino/1100481815?ean=9780983630302&itm=1&usri=macalino

*-*-*-*-*

My review:

This book took me a little bit to get into the story. At first I was confused about Kaitlin's talent and what the intentions she could sense were. And I had to figure out what was up with Ashley, the character that seems to exist mainly in her head. Of course if I had re-read the blurb above before starting the book I wouldnt have had those issues. However since I didnt, I was able to discover what they all meant on my own. And I think it shows the talent and skill of the author that I was able to make sense of it though the story and what happened instead of having to be told beforehand.

Kaitlin is a very interesting character. We get to watch her as she tries to pretend to be someone that was created to hide a former identity. And identity that haunts her still to this day. Jesse. her boss, who helped her recreate herself and who she feels she owes her life too is also a strong character that seems to have an interesting history, although we really dont get a lot about it. Same with her other 2 co-workers. We learn a little bit more about Cam, and what we know and learn lets us know that Cam and Kaitlin are good for each other. He alone can help her accept who she is and who she was and how they can coexist with each other and her talent.

The setting is futuristic as it all takes place on a cruise ship that is the platform for a new space elevator. A unique and interesting backdrop. There are a lot of different stories that can come out of such a backdrop. And this is definitely one of them not to miss. In the midst and helping along Kaitlin's transformation you also have a potential crime and mystery to solve. And while all items and people are contained on one vessel. That doesnt make it easier to track down when its as big as a ship with as many different hiding places.

I really ended up enjoying the story. And couldnt want to see what was going to happen next to Kaitlin, her co-workers and Cam. It was well-written and took place at a good pace so there were not downtimes or boring spots in the story. Im looking forward to reading more from this author in the future.

Guest Post and Giveaway - Tonya Macalino - Spectre of Intention

2011-10-27T00:12:00.000-05:00

Where Thumbscrews Fail

In my novel, SPECTRE OF INTENTION, themain character, Kaitlin Osgood has built a highly successful careerfor herself as an international security consultant. When she’s notflirting with the sexy, but suspicious client or dodging aknife-wielding psychopath from her past, Kaitlin’s job is tocoordinate the installation of the high-tech mass-transit securitysystem on the ocean-bound platform for the world’s latest spaceelevator.

The lives of thousands are in herhands.

So how do she and her team at CounterMeasures International do it? A strip-down-to-your-socks system won’twork when you are granting entry to enough people to fill a cruiseship the size of a small city. Once onboard, they’ll have access toall the butter knives they could possibly need to bring about thedestruction of the multi-billion dollar transportation system.

No, Kaitlin doesn’t use“non-invasive” scans to check out what you are hiding beneathyour underwear. Like any Israeli airport security professional willtell you, it’s not the weapon that kills, but the person. Kaitlindetects intentions. It is her job to call out the bad guys—beforethey have the chance to turn the contents of the cleaning supplycloset into something lethal.

The system her team sets up includessoftware that watches your face for what is known as “leakage ofdeceptive behavior” as you answer the security questions, littlemicro-expressions and other bits of body language that slip past yourpoker face. Other portions of their systems watch the way you movethrough the crowd, how you hold your body as you wait in line.

And if Kaitlin’s team decides theyare just too suspicious of your suspicious behavior, they ask you tostep into Big Blue. And then good luck to you.

Big Blue is Counter MeasuresInternational’s ultimate weapon: the interview booth. You knowyou’re lying. Kaitlin’s team knows you’re lying. And they knowthat thumbscrews will just make you lie louder and more creativelyand that eventually lawyers will get involved. So they ask politelythat you please step into Big Blue. And then they sit back and waitfor you to do what the whole room knows you are going to do…whileBig Blue reads the sweat on your palms, the shifting of your weighton your feet, the pattern of your gaze, your response to variouspictures of criminals you claim not to know, the way your brainlights up as you rearrange the truth in your head.

And let’s say you’ve mastered allthe cheats for all of that.

You are still screwed.

Because Counter Measures Internationalis cheating, too. Behind all that technological smoke and mirrorssits little ol’ Kaitlin Osgood who can see and feel with her bodyand mind everything you intend before you even have a chance to acton it.

Again, I say, good luck.

A Little Glimpse Behind The Smokeand Mirrors: The World as Kaitlin Sees It

Out of the corner of my eye I saw thesweep of a flashlight in the dimly lit hall. How small an action tochange the comfort of solitude into the chill of isolation. I reachedinto my bag and palmed a small spritzer of perfume, then turned mypurposeful stride up the ramp. I could feel the hot anger comingtoward me, knew it would hit me full on once the bearer of all thatgood will rounded the corner.

The guard and I saw each other at thesame time. He lowered his flashlight and for a second I thought I sawsomething I hadn’t seen in a half a decade: the energy of hisintention become corporeal. Ghosting ahead of his own body, a ragingimage of the man raised his transparent fist and took a swing at me.

I couldn’t stop myself from dodging.His intention scrambled as he stared at me like I was crazy. Theghost image vanished. Probably never even there.

I kept my face blank, kept walkingright past him, listened for his footsteps behind me. Didn’t hearthem.

Maybe crazy was right.

*-*-*-*-*

Spectreof Intention

By Tonya Macalino

“Secrets, Kaitlin.Secrets.”

Kaitlin Osgood has astowaway.

In the middle of thePacific Ocean on the cruise ship acting as the platform for thelatest space elevator, she should finally be safe…

…safe from the sexy,enigmatic eyes of Director of Port Security Camden Glaswell who seemsto see through Kaitlin’s ruse.

…safe from therelentless, burning pursuit of master thief, Stephan Chen, the chiefarchitect of Kaitlin’s former life of crime—the onetime lover whohaunts her still.

But Kaitlin has anothersecret: her talent for security comes not from the latest technology,but from her ability to sense people’s emotions, to see the ghostsof their intentions.

It’s a talent shemust learn to wield as a weapon before the mistakes of her past costKaitlin her life…

Amazon:http://www.amazon.com/Spectre-Intention-Tonya-Macalino/dp/0983630305/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1312914650&sr=8-1

Barnes & Noble:http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/spectre-of-intention-tonya-macalino/1100481815?ean=9780983630302&itm=1&usri=macalino

TeaserExcerpt:

If I couldjust try a door, get into a cabin. Were they all locked?

If I stopped longenough to try one, they’d be on me. Ahead I heard a bright,feminine laugh. I looked, a crack of light. Apologize later. I shovedmy way into the room. I reached back to slam the door.

My head shattered.

Shards of pain explodedlike so much glass, leaving behind a tender, exposed emptiness. Myshrill gasp echoed through it.

Silence.

The footsteps from thehall followed me in. Someone grabbed my arm from behind as I stumbledforward into the over-bright room. A voice in front of me raised indisgust.

“Mak, what the fuck?!Who the hell is this chick? Are you trying to blow everything?”

I raised my head. Theman perched on the arm of the sitting room couch continued to rage atthe man gripping me, not giving me a second look. But I saw him, sawthe changes wrought both by time and man. Hair once a tousledfuchsia, now hung straight, black to his jaw. A once slender framefilled in with muscle under that crisp white shirt. The face fuller,more sensual; the eyes still cocky as hell.

Then I felt it, thewarmth of his mind touching mine. Him, sliding in, taking over myvery being without meeting defense, without facing a moment’sresistance.

And he must have feltit, too, because at that instant, Stephan Chen turned to look at mefor the first time in five long, terrifying years. A smile of triumphspread across his face.

“Hello, Ashley.”

*-*-*-*-*

TonyaMacalino lives in Hillsboro, Oregon with her husband and twochildren. She is an avid collector of folklore and folk history, fartoo many to fit comfortably within the pages of any given book. Whennot working on her latest novel, she runs a handcrafted lotion,cosmetics, and bath company. To read more of the little gems sheunearthed during her research, please visit her blog atwww.tonyamacalino.com.

For news andevents, drop by her Facebook page at

www.facebook.com/TonyaMacalino.com

Tonya Macalino - AuthorLinks:

Website:www.tonyamacalino.com

The Story of Place Blog:www.tonyamacalino.com/page10.php

Facebook:www.facebook.com/TonyaMacalino

Amazon Author Page:http://www.amazon.com/Tonya-Macalino/e/B0058U4TJA/ref=ntt_athr_dp_pel_1

Shelfari:www.shelfari.com/tonyamacalino

Goodreads:www.goodreads.com/tonyamacalino

GIVEAWAY

2 prize packs are being given away to 2 lucky winners Open to US and Canada Shipping Only Please

The Space Elevator Gift Pak includes:

SPECTRE OF INTENTION

Liftport Retro Print

Clarke City Retro Print

LIFTPORT: OPENING SPACE TO EVERYONE - an anthology of science fiction short stories and technical articles on space elevator technology

Liftport products Courtesy of Liftport Group

The Spa Gift Pak includes:

SPECTRE OF INTENTION

Chamomile Soap

Rose Lip Dew Wand

Cornflower Petals in Honeyed Oats Bath Bomb

Rouge of Last Light Shimmer Bar

Grapefruit Sea Breeze Bath Salts

Spa products courtesy of Rustling Sage

IceyBooks: Random Giveaway! Win DESTINED!

2011-10-26T21:44:00.000-05:00

IceyBooks: Random Giveaway! Win DESTINED!: Want to win this pretty? I think its time for another RANDOM giveaway! "...Zoey is finally home where she belongs, safe with her Gu...

Stuck In Books: Spooktacular Giveaway Hop

2011-10-25T22:34:00.000-05:00

Stuck In Books: Spooktacular Giveaway Hop: I love blog hops! Here's mine . I'm giving away a choice of some hot October releases. Here are the choices. Carrier of the Mark ...

Beautiful Chaos, a Beautiful Creatures Novel, is up for grabs!

2011-10-24T23:22:00.000-05:00

Beautiful Chaos, a Beautiful Creatures Novel, is up for grabs!

Recovering Potter Addict: Clockwork Prince ARC Giveaway

2011-10-24T23:18:00.000-05:00

Recovering Potter Addict: Clockwork Prince ARC Giveaway: I was extremely fortunate to have received an ARC of Clockwork Prince by Cassandra Clare for review given how few ARCs of this book were...

Review - Dreams

2011-10-23T23:53:00.001-05:00

DREAMS

ByJacqueline Paige

ADream series - three steamy tales of romance, suspense withunexpected paranormal flares

ISBN/EAN13:9781463685331

PageCount: 326

BindingType: US Trade Paper 5" x 8"

Genre:Fiction / Romance / Paranormal

Amazon

INOUR DREAM

She’sa small town cop. He’s an inmate undercover. They meet in adream.

BlurbIN OUR DREAM:

JennahBest left the adrenaline packed life of being a cop on the edge for amore peaceful place. She escaped a marriage that almost destroyedher and now lives her life working for a small police station in thetown of Ridge. At her age, she’s accepted that it’s too late andtoo much work to start all over again, until she meets a man in adream...

Whileyoung, Dominic Palmer has always proven he can get the job done. Orat least, that was the case before he accepted a job and agreed to goundercover as an inmate.When months go by and there’s no word from his outside contact hewonders if he’s been left on the inside for good. He’s fightingto stay alive and keep his sanity, but finds himself completelydistracted by a mysterious woman he met in a dream...

FROMA DREAM

Shewakes up in a dark hole, alone. He’ll stop at nothing to find her.

BlurbFROM A DREAM:

Jennah hasfound happiness. She wasn’t looking for it but isn’t about togive it up now that she has it. Everything she craved for years wasnow right in front of her--a man that makes her feel cherished, apeaceful life, and a job she enjoys. It all changes when she wakes upin a dark hole, alone, unarmed and unable to connect with the one manshe’s grown to need.

Dominic realizes he is one ofthose men that wants the whole package of marriage and a family, andhe’s found the woman to have that with. He’s going stir crazyhaving to stay hidden until the leader of a criminal organization iscaught, but he’s more than willing to stay right here withher.

All of his plans evaporate when a vindictivecriminal takes her from him as a hostage. He won’t rest until she’sin his arms again.

AFTERTHE DREAM

Brodybelieves he’s a normal man. Tess has felt like a freak most of herlife- except when she’s around one man.

BlurbAFTER THE DREAM

Feelingless then worthy as a normal man surrounded by a team with specialskills, Brody has to wonder why he’s a part of it. If it weren’tfor one team mate being there, he’d transfer back to normalcy.

Tesshas always felt like a freak, even surrounded by others that aredifferent she still feels like an outsider. Only one of her teammates make her feel like an everyday person.

*-*-*-*-*

My review:

This is a great collection of stories that all begin with a dream. And what a dream it was. Its in their dreams that Jennah and Dominic meet. For Dom this is something he has experienced before but for Jennah this is completely new. When she realizes that this is not a dream and that he is real she will do whatever it takes to help him in his mission.

Which leads perfectly into the next story. What happens when Dom's past case continue to be a threat. In From A Dream this idea is a main cause of the current situation. But we also get to really meet some great new characters - Tess and Brody. While Dom has almost always worked solo Brody has always been there as a friend and to back him up. Tess is new to the guys and has her own unique talent that comes into play in a very important way to finally close the case for good.

And a few months later we get After the Dream. Theres a new task force around and everyone is unique in their own way. But Brody doesnt understand why he is part of this team since he believes he is normal. And Tess is fighting to understand her talents better hoping that she will eventually feel normal. The two of them have had explosive chemistry since the beginning. And we get to see how they come to terms with themselves and each other while working with their new team to stop the threat.

This collection is all connected but each story is unique and has its own ending. None of them are really long so its really 3 interconnected novellas. I really enjoyed them and it was great since I always want to know what happens next. And with short stories you dont always get the sense of continuation with the characters you meet. Also while the stories are short, you get plenty of detail and background on the characters that you really can form a connection that you want to see what happens to them and hope that it all turns out for the best.

Guest Post - Jacqueline Paige

2011-10-23T00:30:00.000-05:00

Characters pick their own power

By Jacqueline Paige

Everyone thinks whena paranormal author sits down and plots out a story they plan whichcharacter is going to be able to do what. While that may be true inthe beginning it never seems to stay that way for me, once thecharacters are finally free on the pages (and out of the writershead) they seem to pick their own power.

This is whathappened when I started writing In Our Dream. Dominic andJennah were supposed to only possess the ability to dream walk. Theyweren’t happy with just being able to communicate in their sleep,so they changed the rules and what they could do. It seemed by theend of the story they also established the rules for their abilities.

I was able tocontrol these two characters for the most part in the first part ofthe short series, but once they came back in the sequel From ADream they brought with them another character that hadabilities. At first Tess was supposed to be an average femaleofficer with a little attitude. When she first demonstrated what shecould, I stopped and sat back reading over the last scene andcouldn’t have been more surprised. Not to mention that what shecan do it just plain cool and if I could do that my life would besimplified.

The third part ofthe series After The Dream I did actually set out to haveseveral characters with different abilities or powers to go alongwith Dominic, Jennah and Tess— what I didn’t know until Iactually typed it out was what power they would have. I decided tolet them tell me what they could do.

Here are a fewrandom scenes from the three stories that make up Dreams togive you a little example of what my characters decided they weredoing.

Excerpt 1

Jennahmotioned toward the warden’s SUV. “I’m going to disable thatso we can go get the car and go help.”

Heshook his head and cursed under his breath as he felt for the mic onhis collar. “Tess, are you still on the west side.” He lookedback toward the cabin. “Move in and cover me. I’m going to putthe SUV out of commission.” He took two steps toward the cabin andthen stopped and turned to glare at her. He pulled off his glove andhit the collar again. “She won’t, Dom! We’re well back justkeeping an eye out.”

Shesmirked at the pleading look on the man’s face. “Dominic?”

“Whyaren’t you sitting back at the house drinking tea?” Hesounded out of breath.

Sheshrugged. “I’m not thirsty. I feel bad for almost cripplingBrody and slicing him up. I wanted to stay and help in case theydouble back.” She kept her voice soft and pleading.

“I’mfine, just a little battered.” She heard Brody mumble. “I will.I’m going to go disable the SUV and then head for the cars.” Heturned back to her. “Cover me.” She nodded and knelt down andstarted skimming for movement in the trees along the cabin.

“Babe,you watch his ass and then get yours back to the car.”

“Yes,dear.” She heard his exasperated sigh.

Shesaw a movement in the trees and it wasn’t in the direction Tess wassupposed to be in. “Dom, tell Brody to get down.” Assoon as she’d said it, a shot rang out. She looked quickly towardthe direction Brody had gone in. “Someone doubled back. Brody’sbeen hit.” She moved as fast as she could while staying low tothe ground.

“Tessis on it.”

“Soam I. Tell her they’re in the trees to the southeast. I’mheading to cover Brody.” She cleared the trees as she said itand ran as fast as she could toward the snow bank between her andwhere she’d seen the movement.

“Shit!” was the reply she got back inside her head.

“IsBrody all right?”

“He’spissed, but will live. He says he sees you coming and you’recovered.” He growled. “I am going to kick someone’s asswhen this is over!”

Shesmirked, but decided she’d better not comment. “Does Tesshave him?”

“No. I’m heading back that way. I’ll be coming out of the bush on thenortheast side.” She ducked down behind a mound of snow andlooked to where Brody was laying flat and with his gun aimed at thetrees across from him. “First I beat him and try to slice him,and then I let him get shot!”

Dom’schuckle filled her mind. “He needed to be taken down a fewpegs, babe. Don’t let it concern you.”

Shecarefully scanned the trees. “Tell Tess I’m going for him.”

“Dammit!”

Shejumped up and headed straight for Brody. Sliding in beside him, sheflipped and aimed her gun at the trees. “You looked like youneeded company.”

Hesnorted and moved his weapon down the line of trees. “I could usea beer, too. Did you bring any?”

Shesighed. “Sorry, small pockets.”

“Figures.”

Excerpt 2

“Theyhad to have the things shut off, right? Wouldn’t that mess with thetrucks electrical system or something?” Her eyes looked hopeful.

“Idon’t know.” Motioning to Joslee, he waited for the other man tomove over closer. “Get on the mic with Gray and see if whateverthey made would screw up the truck if they were still on.” Josleenodded and began talking quietly.

Tessmoved over beside him and knelt down. “If those containers aremoved, we may never get another.”

Shewas right and he didn’t like to think what would happen if theylost them and couldn’t track them down again. The idea of what theperson in charge of them could do was too vast to even figure outwhere they might start with them. Turning he looked over at Joslee. “What’s he say?”

Lookingskeptical Joslee moved back over beside them. “He seems to thinkthe truck would be protected by the boxes of foam and copper they’dhave to have lined the containers with.”

“Soit shouldn’t affect me.” Tess added quietly.

Lookingaround for the hundredth time, Brody hoped to spot a way of gettingdown to the truck and back without being seen. It was impossible andhe knew it. Sighing loudly, he put the mic piece back in his ear anddepressed the switch. “Dom. They’re going to move out and wecan’t follow from this point without being seen. Tess wants toflash down and disable the truck to slow them down.” He studiedthe pale skin on her face as he listened. “I don’t like iteither, but unless you have the Calvary rounded up we’re out ofoptions.” Her soft eyes pleading with him wasn’t helping him tofocus on the situation. “If we lose track of this shit we’rescrewed.” Clenching his jaw he nodded. “Got it.” Pulling outthe ear piece, he leaned closer to her. “You go down, cut the bluehose between the truck and trailer and then get your ass back up hereand clear.”

Avoidingthe look of doubt on Joslee’s face, he watched her pull the cuttersfrom the bag and secure them on the side of her belt. She checkedthe clip in her gun. Her special gun, that wasn’t metal or steeland would transport with her. He still didn’t like it. When shenodded at him, he turned and looked towards the truck. “Try to aimfor just behind the cab.” He picked up the binoculars she’d setdown and scanned all doors in the building. “Be fast, Tess.”

“I’llbe right back.”

Whenhe turned to remind her to put her mic piece in, she was alreadygone. Shit. Grasping the binoculars tightly he looked at the truck. He checked in front and behind the cab, she wasn’t there. “Doyou see her?”

“Yeah,she came out between the two containers.”

Hishead snapping in that direction he spotted the red hair. “This isthe stupidest idea yet.”

“She’sokay,” Joslee reassured. “There’s no one around. She’ll getin and out before you know it.”

Raisingthe binoculars, he zoomed in on her. She knelt between thecontainers, with her eyes closed. Shit, this wasn’t the time tohave the side effects that went with her jumping location. Sheopened her eyes and it seemed like she looked right at him. Puttingin the ear piece he watched her reach for the mic switch. Shaking herhead, she pulled it back out quickly and turned and looked at thecontainer. “I don’t think she meant to land there.”

“YeahI was just thinking the same thing.”

“Hermic doesn’t work.” Brody, scanned the building again. “Hurryit up Tess,” he muttered under his breath.

DREAMS

ByJacqueline Paige

ADream series - three steamy tales of romance, suspense withunexpected paranormal flares

ISBN/EAN13:9781463685331

PageCount: 326

BindingType: US Trade Paper 5" x 8"

Genre:Fiction / Romance / Paranormal

Amazon

Reviewof 5 delightful diva’s for In Our Dream

INOUR DREAM

She’sa small town cop. He’s an inmate undercover. They meet in adream.

BlurbIN OUR DREAM:

FROMA DREAM

Shewakes up in a dark hole, alone. He’ll stop at nothing to find her.

BlurbFROM A DREAM:

AFTERTHE DREAM

Brodybelieves he’s a normal man. Tess has felt like a freak most of herlife- except when she’s around one man.

BlurbAFTER THE DREAM

Tesshas always felt like a freak, even surrounded by others that aredifferent she still feels like an outsider. Only one of her teammates make her feel like an everyday person.

Aboutthe Author:

JacquelinePaige is a world class multi-tasker being a mother to fiveadventurous and unpredictable children, a cafe manager and having acolossal imagination that allows her to step outside of reality intoa world of paranormal romance —with just a touch of suspense.

Jacquelinelives in Ontario, Canada and avoids the ever changing weather of theregion she lives in by creating other worlds to fall into in herstories of all things paranormal.

Herfirst book was published in 2009 and since then has published ten. She is always writing and currently has more than a dozen stories inone stage or another of the writing process.

Youcan find all of Jacqueline’s books at: www.jacqpaige.webs.com

Review - Forged In Fire

2011-10-22T23:35:00.001-05:00

Forgedin Fire

ByTrish McCallan

Genre: paranormal romanticsuspense

BethBrown doesn’t believe in premonitions until she dreams a sexystranger is gunned down during the brutal hijacking of a commercialairliner. When events in her dream start coming true, she heads tothe flight’s departure gate. To her shock, she recognizes the manshe’d watched die the night before.

LieutenantCommander Zane Winters comes from a bloodline of elite warriors withpsychic abilities. When Zane and two of his platoon buddies arrive atSea-Tac Airport, he has a vision of his teammates’ corpses. Thenshe arrives—a leggy blonde who sets off a different kind of alarm.

AsBeth teams up with Zane, they discover the hijacking is the firststep in a secret cartel’s deadly global agenda and that keypersonnel within the FBI are compromised. To survive the forcesmobilizing against them, Beth will need to open herself to a psychicconnection with the sexy SEAL who claims to be her soul mate.

*-*-*-*-*

My review:

Another excellent romantic suspense novel. This is the first I have read by Trish and I am already looking forward to more. She creates a great world for her characters with believable situations that you dont want to put the book down once you start.

Beth and Zane are practically combustible together from the beginning. And you can see the sparks fly on the page. And while Zane immediately believes they are meant to be together. You get to see how Beth deals with and adjusts to this new event in her life. All while they are racing against time to find out who the terrorists are and trying to save innocent victims in this global war being fought.

The supporting characters are great too. We get to meet 2 of Zane's crew along with their superior officer with enough detail to draw you in and want to know more of their stories as well. You really get to see how they work together and how they do function as a group but are not just colleagues but family as well.

I highly recommend this one to anyone looking for a good romantic suspense. It is carrying the paranormal label not because you will find vampires and shifter but for the psychic aspect that leads Beth and Zane together. Which really adds to the story as Zane and his buddies are complete believes and Beth is very much a skeptic. Its great to watch them all come together and work with each to find out the truth about what is going on and stop the terriorists from accomplishing their mission.

Excerpt - Forged in Fire

2011-10-22T01:00:00.000-05:00

Excerpt:ChapterOne

LieutenantCommander Zane Winters shifted uneasily against the grungy white wallacross from gate C18’s ticket counter. He felt naked without hisGlock. Exposed. An itchy, irritating prickle of vulnerabilitytightened his skin and cramped his muscles. Which was fuckingridiculous. They were on leave, for Christ’s sake, booked on acivilian flight. Yeah, he and Cosky and Rawls had to check theirweapons with their luggage, but so what? They weren’t goingwheels-up, facing deployment to some godforsaken foreign jungle orburning swath of sand.

“Didthey have to pick Hawaii? We have the same blue sky and warm weatherin Coronado. And without the tourists.”

Zanebarely heard Cosky’s disgusted mutter through the drone of excitedvoices surrounding them. With a grunt, he massaged the back of hisneck and surveyed the growing crowd. More passengers were arriving bythe minute. Shit, there were already too many people to keep an eyeon. Too many jackets and pockets and purses. Too many places toconceal a weapon.

Astacked brunette across the gate area caught his gaze and offered asultry smile. Zane turned away.

“Jesus.”Rawls’ lazy grin was a slash of white in his sun-bronzed face. “Youtwo need to get off base more often. You’re as hinky as a pair ofhounds during tick season. Those are civilians y’all are glaringat, not a room full of tangos.” Bright blue eyes zeroed in on thebrunette across the room. “What you need is some of that.Sun, sand and sex. All the fixin’s for a memorable vacation.”

Coskyshot his teammate a derisive glance. “When did you become so fondof sand and sun? Sure as hell not last month, judging by your nonstopbitching.”

Rawlsflipped him the finger. “It’s that third “s”, Cos. Makes allthe difference. You should try it sometime, but without that blow-upBarbie you keep stashed beneath your bunk.”

Shrilllaughter erupted across the room. Zane tracked the sound, skimming anabandoned stroller and clusters of luggage. When the brunette triedto catch his eye again, he swore beneath his breath. Shifting againstthe wall, he gave her his back.

“See?This is why I like hanging with you, skipper,” Rawls drawled, agrin twitching the edges of his mouth. “You attract the littledarlin’s over, and when you turn that cold shoulder on ‘em, theystart buzzin’ round Cosky and me.”

“Leaveme out of it,” Cosky said. “Unlike you, I don’t need to surfZane’s wake for a hookup.”

“Ahookup?” Rawls shook his head and smirked. “Is that any way totalk about your hand?” Bracing his elbows against the wall behindthem, he tilted his head and studied Zane’s face. “Seriously,skipper, you should take her up on that offer. It’s not like—”He broke off to scan Zane’s face more intently. Suddenly hefrowned. “You’re shittin’ me. That’s some prime real estateover there, and you don’t have any interest in her? None at all?That just ain’t… natural.”

Hell,Rawls was right. She was prime time. A real looker. Long,thick mahogany hair. A tight, curvy ass. Stacked across the chest.Enough flare through the hips to hold onto. She was the kind of womanwho’d give wet dreams to any straight male between puberty anddeath.

Whichmust mean he was dead. Because he was way past puberty, yet he didn’tfeel even a twitch of interest. No chills. No thrills. No goosebumps.

Shecould be his great-grandmother, for all the attraction he felt.

Everyyear the numbness dug a little deeper, spread a little further. He’dbeen warned about this particular side effect of the family gift—orcurse, depending on who was talking. But knowing about it, and livingwith it, were completely different animals.

“Let’shope that woman of yours shows up ASAP. Much more of this drought andyou won’t remember what to do with her.” With a flash of whiteteeth, Rawls reached over to punch Zane’s shoulder.

Themoment Rawls’ fist made contact, every muscle in Zane’s bodyclenched. He froze, his breath locked in his throat. His visionblurred.

Click.

Itwas a subtle sound. A switch flipping inside his head. An imageflashed through his mind. Quick. Brutal. Ugly.

Rawlssprawled across a bank of narrow seats. His blue t-shirt splotchedwith black. Blood dripping from limp fingers. A fixed stare glazinghis blue eyes.

Thevision vanished.

“Sonof a bitch.” Sheer disgust vibrated in Cosky’s gritty voice.“We’re on stand-down. This is a civilian flight. Regardless ofthat all-too-familiar look on your face, we cannot be in any goddamndanger.”

Buthe didn’t dislodge the hand Zane clamped around his bicep.

Thistime Zane was expecting the vision. He tensed anyway, his bodycontracting into one giant charley horse.

Click.

Hestrained to capture as many details as possible as the new visionflashed through his mind.

Grayeyes locked and empty, already filming with the unmistakable haze ofdeath. Black hair saturated with blood. Hands clenched. He wassplayed across a narrow aisle, dark blue upholstered seats rising oneither side of his head.

Whenthe image vanished, he released Cosky’s arm and wrestled air backinto his lungs.

“Tellme this is a joke,” Cosky demanded.

Zaneshook his head and gripped the back of his neck with both hands.

“Whatdid you see?” Rawls finally asked.

Zanedrew a shallow breath. “You dead. Cosky dead.”

“Fromboredom?” Cosky asked dryly, one black-as-sin eyebrow arching. “Weare going to a wedding.” A quick glance at Zane’s face,and a glint of steel darkened his gray eyes. “Where’s this goingdown?”

“Onthe bird.” Zane frowned. “Couldn’t tell whether she was inflight. Didn’t get a good enough look.”

Coskyturned to study the boisterous crowd. “When do you ever?”

Zanescrubbed his palms down his face and forced back a surge offrustration. The flashes never lasted long. No more than two or threeseconds. Just enough to warn, without giving details. Just enough toraise guards, but not enough to mitigate the danger.

“Whichbird? Over or back?” Cosky braced his hands on his hips and studiedZane’s face. “Either fits the three-day window for those flashesof yours.”

“Today.”Zane nodded toward Rawls’ blue-clad chest. “Same clothes.”

Coskygrunted. “I don’t suppose you saw who killed us?”

“Whenhave these damn things ever been that accommodating?”

“Fuck.”With a disgusted shake of his head, Cosky dropped his chin andscowled at the worn carpet. “What about the wounds?”

“Lotsof blood. Could be a gun. Or a knife.”

“Acrash?” Rawls broke in quietly.

“Doubtful.Neither of you were burned. We’re looking at some kind of weapon.”

Coskyfrowned. “It would be easier to smuggle a blade through security,but few people are good enough to take us on with a knife. Chancesare it’s a gun.”

Zanepushed away from the wall. “Whatever’s going to happen is badenough to take the three of us out.” The flashes never centered onhim, but if Cosky and Rawls were in danger, he was as well. “Weneed to get hold of Mac.”

Asthe OIC of SEAL Team 7, Commander Jace Mackenzie had the pull to getthe plane grounded and the passengers searched.

“Question.”Cosky’s attention zeroed in on Zane’s face. “What are we goingto tell him? We don’t know what’s going to happen, who’s behindit, or what kind of weapons will be used. If Mac gets this birdgrounded, only to have nothing show during the search, the backlashis gonna be a bitch.”

“Whatare you suggesting?” Zane cocked an eyebrow. “That we skip thewedding, keep our mouths shut and let events play out?”

“Don’tbe an ass. I’m saying it would be handy to have some solidintel to pass on for a change. Why can’t you ever pick up moreinformation if you touch us again?”

Zaneshrugged. Just because he suffered through the visions didn’t meanhe understood their properties. “We’ve got some time beforeboarding. Maybe one of the passengers will jump out at us.”

Awave of heat suddenly rolled through him. It started at his scalp andflowed down—a tide of molten fire that left chills in its wake. Atingling, numbing sensation followed, as though he’d been hit witha high-voltage electrical shock.

“What’swrong?” Cosky’s question came from a distance. Muted and warped.

Zaneturned, searching for… something. The gate area spun in slowmotion. That strange, electrical tingling raised the hair on his armsand down the back of his neck.

Hefound her in the mouth of the waiting room. She was blond, slender.Perfect. Her cream-colored slacks and ivory blouse glowed beneath theharsh fluorescent lights, as though she stood squarely in aspotlight—lit up to catch his attention.

Herchin lifted, their eyes connected and that strange, pulsating currentshot straight to his cock. Electrified him. His libido, numb foryears, reared up and howled. He took one long step toward her.

Coskygrabbed his arm and hauled him back. “Goddamn it, Zane. What’swrong?”

Zaneshook his head, tried to clear the fog from his mind. The tug towardher was incredibly strong, like she was a magnet and his bones weremetal. He took another step forward, his body vibrating at somestrange frequency.

Cosky’shand tightened with brutal force around his forearm, piercing theprimal urge to claim her.

Zanefroze and drew a shaky breath. His muscles were rigid. A vicious achehad seized his groin. His skin must have shrunk at least three sizes.

Holyshit.

Ithad to be her.

Afterall these years of searching, of waiting… this had to be her.

Togo from nada to nuclear in the blink of an eye… yeah. He drew aslow, burning breath, grappling to drag his body back under control.This had to be her.

Fromlistening to his brothers’ stories about meeting their mates, he’dexpected a strong reaction, but nothing like this whirlpool ofhunger.

Andhe hadn’t even touched her yet.

“Whois she?” Cosky demanded. “Did you see her in one of yourflashes?”

Thequestion snapped the world back into focus. The memory of those damnvisions flooded his brain.

Hewatched, frozen, while she headed toward one of the plastic benchesstrewn throughout the waiting room. She was apparently booked on hisflight.

Amarked flight.

Hischest seized. His skin started to crawl. Christ, he couldn’tbreathe.

Ofall the bad timing.

He’dfinally found her. His soul mate. At a time when he couldn’t affordthe distraction. When the slightest mistake could get her killed.

Guest Post and Giveaway - Trish McCallan - Forged in Fire

2011-10-22T00:30:00.000-05:00

When Secondary Heroes TakeOver

In every series I’ve read, in thevery first book a secondary hero steps up and grabs my attention.Sometimes this secondary hero is even more interesting than theprimary one. Often this secondary character had a troubled past, andhe’s an outsider to the group at the beginning of the series—likewith Z in The Black Dagger Brotherhood, or Teegan in the MidnightBreed series—and part of this character’s growth arc is how hefinds love and through that love reaches out to the group at large.

Z is a perfect example of this. In thebeginning of The Black Dagger series he avoids his fellow warriors,he fights alone, he doesn’t take part in any of the strategymeetings, or any of the training sessions, nor does he teach therecruits at the compound. And then he hooks up with Bella and findslove. At the end of the book, when he offers to teach a class at thecompound, we know he is going find his way into the heart of thebrotherhood too, so the satisfaction is doubled when that last pageis turned.

When I started writing the first bookin my Forged series, I expected a secondary hero to step up like thistoo. In fact, I thought I knew who this character was going to be. Hewasn’t an outsider, he didn’t have any serious issues, (or so Ithought at the time, although to my surprise I have since discoveredthat this character hides 99% of himself behind a mask of Southerncharm) but he was so vibrant in the scenes I envisioned, I was surehe was going to capture my readers’ imaginations too. When I sentthe first scene he appeared in to my critique partners, I sat backand waiting for them to rave about how much they loved him. Only theydidn’t. Oh, they liked him well enough, but he didn’t grab theirattention. He wasn’t a Zadist or a Teegan.

By chapter four of Forged in Fire, I’dgive up on the possibility of having a Zadist or Teegan in theseries. And then Commander Jace (Mac) Mackenzie showed up.

From the start Mac was a handful. Forone thing, he wasn’t supposed to have a reoccurring point of view(POV) or even play a major role in the book. He was there for onereason only. I needed to foreshadow something, something that Zaneand Beth weren’t in a position to witness. The only person in theposition to witness this event was the Commander of ST7. But thatmeant giving him a short scene with his own POV. I don’t likegiving a character a POV scene if he/she isn’t going to be areoccurring character. But I needed that scene, so I decided to makean exception, and that’s when Mac took over, and there was no wayhe was letting himself get boxed. It was immediately apparent heintended to play a major role through the entire series.

He burst onto the scene so full oflife, so full of vitality, and so full of prejudices he stunned me. Ihesitated to send his first scene to my critique partners because Iwas afraid they were going to hate him. Which most of them did. Allfour of my critique partners told me they hoped I didn’t plan onturning this asshole into a hero later in the series, because therewas no way any woman, in her right mind, would want to hook up with aguy like him. Yeah—Mac pushed buttons from the get go. He didn’thold back, and he was the most politically incorrect character I’veever written. I’d get comments back from my critique partners onhis scenes that said things like; “What is this asshole’sproblem?” or “Someone needs to whack this jackass upside thehead!” Oh yeah, Mac had grabbed my readers’ attentions, only notquite in the way I’d envisioned, or wanted.

And then about midway through the book,he does something that’s truly horrific. Something I thought wasgoing to rain the OH MY GOD, WHAT THE HELL WERE YOU THINKINGs????down on my head. Instead, not only did my critique partners acceptwhat he did, they saluted him for doing it. All the sudden their viewof Mac did a complete 180. He became heroic. They might not havealways liked what came out of his mouth, but they still liked him,and they wanted him to get his happy ever after. (but only after somewoman brought him to his knees, walked all over him and made himgrovel first!)

After I published Forged in Fire, Iwaited for the reviews to roll it with bated breath, certain that Macwas going to get hammered. Instead, 98% of the reviews and the emailsI’ve received mention Mac and ask when I’ll be publishing hisbook. Everyone wants Mac’s story.

Somehow, (and I’m still not sure howthis happened) this brusque asshole with a distrust of women and aking-sized chip on his shoulder, became the secondary character thateveryone wants to know more about. He became the character,the one who grabs everyone’s imagination and almost takes over thebook.

Something I had never expected allthose months ago, when he first barged onto the scene and got mycritique partners all riled up.

Aboutthe Author:

TrishMcCallan has been writing for as long as she can remember.

Ingrade school she wrote children’s stories, illustrating them withcrayons and binding the sheets together with pencil-punched holes andred yarn. She used to sell these masterpieces at her lemonade standfor a nickel a book. Surprisingly, people actually bought them. Like,all of them. Every night she would have to write a new batch for herbasket.

Asshe got older her interest changed to boys and horses. The focus ofher literary masterpieces followed this shift. Her first full lengthnovel was written in seventh grade by pencil in a notebook andfeatured a girl, a horse and a boy. At the end of the book theteenage heroine rode off into the sunset . . . with the horse.

Thesedays she sticks to romantic suspense with hot alpha heroes androller-coaster plots. Since she is a fan of all things bizarre,paranormal elements always seem to find a way into her fiction. Hercurrent release, Forged in Fire, was the result of a Black DaggerBrotherhood reading binge, a cold, a bottle of NyQuil and a vividdream.

FindTrish Online:

www.trishmccallan.com

http://www.facebook.com/?ref=home#!/profile.php?id=100001292925346

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

Forgedin Fire

ByTrish McCallanGenre: paranormal romanticsuspense

"ForgedIn Fire is a smoking hot adventure with an irresistible alpha hero.Danger, action, suspense, and a steamy romance make a story that'simpossible to put down!" ~Patti O'Shea, NationalBestselling Author of Through a Crimson Veil

Availableat Amazon B&N Smashwords

Giveaway:

Thanks to Trish, I have one ebook copy of Forged in Fire to giveaway. Please leave a comment with your email to be entered. The giveaway will end on 10/29.

Review - Expendable

2011-10-21T22:13:00.004-05:00

After a bitter fight, Jenna Mosier's pregnant sister ran away. Now, ten years later, Tanya is dead, murdered. A bloody note clutched in her hand pleads for someone to rescue her baby;a child Jenna must find to make up for not saving her sister.

Former Marine Reed Adler thought he left danger behind when he retired from Special Ops command. But faced with a dead body and a terrified ten-year-old boy in his backyard; and a mesmerizing woman who;s tied to both; Reed finds himself pulled into his most complex mission yet.

Ensnared in a dangerous mystery involving biogenetics research and children with no identities, Jenna and Reed must rely on each other for survival. Yet the closer they get to danger, the more intense their feelings for each other become. The cost of saving her nephew may be their hearts; and their lives

*-*-*-*-*
My review:

Romantic suspense is one of my favorite genres. So when I first heard about this book I was immediately drawn to it. And once I started it, I didnt want to put it down.

As the main characters Reed and Jenna both have complex pasts that they have to work though and overcome while trying to figure out what happened to Jenna's sister and her unknown child. The characters are great and have such good histories that you really get a sense of who they are. And you are following along hoping it works out and they figure out what is going on.

Reed and Jenna's friends also make great supporting characters and add to the story. You also get a sense they have their own histories that would make them interesting characters for their own story in the future.

This book is highly recommended for any fan of romantic suspense or for anyone who is new to the genre but is looking for a good story. I am looking forward to reading more from the author soon.

The Qwillery: A Vampire For Christmas Blog Tour - October 19, 20...

2011-10-20T23:15:00.000-05:00

The Qwillery: A Vampire For Christmas Blog Tour - October 19, 20...: Thanks, Sally, for hosting the #VampXmas blog tour! It’s always fun to visit with you and your readers. The anthology, A VAMPIRE FOR CHR...

The Qwillery: Interview with Sandy Williams and Giveaway - Octob...

2011-10-20T23:14:00.000-05:00

The Qwillery: Interview with Sandy Williams and Giveaway - Octob...: Please welcome Sandy Williams to The Qwillery as part of the 2011 Debut Author Challenge interviews. The Shadow Reader , Sandy's debut novel...

Interview - Maggie Jaimeson - Expendable

2011-10-18T00:30:00.000-05:00

Please describe your novel twitter style 140 characters or less.

Ensnared in a dangerous mystery involving biogenetics research and children with no identities, Jenna and Reed must fight to survive & thrive.

What is the one thing you wish you knew before you tried to get published?

How quickly the world changes. When I began my journey seven years ago, traditional publishing--primarily paperbacks was the rule. Just in the last three years ebooks and self-publishing have taken over. Exciting but it definitely shakes up all the planning I did.

What to you is the best part of being a writer and what is the part you wouldnt mind giving up?

The best part IS the writing. I love getting to know my characters and I'm always so proud of them and how they get through life. I also love having ultimate control over my worlds and making sure the bad guys loose and the good guys win. The next best part is meeting the readers. I love hearing from readers, what they liked and even what they didn't like in my stories. Most readers I've met are smart, caring, and absolutely love books in general. I've always been a great reader, so I completely identify with them and want to deliver the best possible story I can.

The part I wouldn't mind giving up is the selling part. I was raised to never call a lot of attention to myself, definitely never brag about my accomplishments. If someone else did it that was fine. Say thank you and move on. Unfortunately, a big part of publishing is also selling. If I could pay someone else to do all the selling for me, I would--but so far I'm not able to afford to do that.

What city would you love to set a story in but the right one hasn't come along yet?

Well it's not a city, but a place -- Snæfellsjökull National Park in Iceland. Iceland has called to me for at least a decade now. The combination of waterfalls and lava fields, active volcanoes and geisers, and the largest hot springs in Europe seems at once romantic and challenging. Fortunately, my husband wants to go there too. So, I'm sure we'll make it eventually. Once I've gone, there is no doubt a book will come out of the trip.

Vampires, Shifters, Zombies, Angels - who wins the final ultimate battle?

Definitely Shifters will win because they have learned to adapt, and tend to come from at least two disparate backgrounds or cultures. The others are stuck in one form and generally one culture. Hmmm...sounds like a great series. Humans must agree to breed with shifters in order to change and save humanity. I'll put that in my to-be-developed idea pile. :)

If you could witness any historical event past, present or future what would it be and why?

I would love to be part of the first colonization off earth--whether that be as close as our own moon or as far away as another earth-like planet. I've always envied the pioneers, but rather than go backward in time I want to be a future pioneer.

Anything else you would like to share today?

I would just like to thank all the readers who still believe in true love and in the concept that good triumphs over evil--not only in fiction but in real life. I think that believing is more than half the battle of making it a reality. So keep it going, and keep reading lots of fiction and non-fiction that supports that belief. Thanks for having me on your blog. Shall we give away a copy of Expendable to a lucky reader?

Thanks Maggie for taking the time to answer some questions for today's post.

About the book:

After a bitter fight, Jenna Mosier's pregnant sister ran away. Now, ten years later, Tanya is dead—murdered. A bloody note clutched in her hand pleads for someone to rescue her baby—a child Jenna must find to make up for not saving her sister.

Former Marine Reed Adler thought he left danger behind when he retired from Special Ops command. But faced with a dead body and a terrified ten-year-old boy in his backyard—and a mesmerizing woman who’s tied to both—Reed finds himself pulled into his most complex mission yet.

Ensnared in a dangerous mystery involving biogenetics research and children with no identities, Jenna and Reed must rely on each other for survival. Yet the closer they get to danger, the more intense their feelings for each other become. The cost of saving her nephew may be their hearts…and their lives.

About the author:

Duringthe week, Maggie’s days are spent assisting colleges anduniversities with technology, distance education, open sourcesoftware, and open education resources. At night and on the weekends, she journeys into the world of her imagination and writes novelsthat reflect her passions and her belief that the good guys win inthe end and that love will conquer all.

Maggiehas published several short stories in romance and science fiction,but since 2004 she has focused on publishing novels. Expendableis her first romantic suspense novel and she promises there will bemore. Also currently available is Eternity, an SF withromantic elements; and Undertones, a contemporary romancewhich is the first in a four book series about the women of theSweetwater Canyon Band. All of her full length novels are madeavailable in ebook and print by her publishers.

Connectwith Maggie online at:

Website:http://maggiejaimeson.com
Twitter:@maggiejaimeson
Facebook:http://www.facebook.com/pages/Maggie-Jaimeson/118916694787820
Behind the Book blog where she interviews other authors:http://author-secrets.blogspot.com

· Pick up a copy here – Amazon and Barnes & Noble
· The next blog stop: Oct 19 – The Bookish Snob http://thebookishsnob.blogspot.com

My World of Books: Pitch Dark: Dark Day Fall '11 Giveaway

2011-10-17T23:58:00.000-05:00

My World of Books: Pitch Dark: Dark Day Fall '11 Giveaway: Pitch Dark Dark Days Fall 2011 Giveaway Kicking Off the 1st Day of the Tour I am hosting a giveaway for all 5 of the books Fateful Super...

The Qwillery: Interview with Rayka Mennen and Giveaway - October...

2011-10-12T21:32:00.000-05:00

The Qwillery: Interview with Rayka Mennen and Giveaway - October...: Please welcome Rayka Mennen to The Qwillery. Rayka is the author of the Enchanted Destiny series from Entangled Publishing. TQ : What wo...

The Qwillery: Interview with Kristen Painter and Giveaway - Octo...

2011-10-10T22:51:00.000-05:00

The Qwillery: Interview with Kristen Painter and Giveaway - Octo...: Please welcome Kristen Painter to The Qwillery. TQ : What would you say is your most interesting writing quirk? Kristen : I have to h...

I Just Wanna Sit Here And Read!: Lost In Time by Melissa de la Cruz: Giveaway

2011-10-10T20:05:00.000-05:00

I Just Wanna Sit Here And Read!: Lost In Time by Melissa de la Cruz: Giveaway: I have the great pleasure of offering a spectacular giveaway today! The sixth book in the Blue Bloods Series, Lost In Time , is now availabl...

The Qwillery: Interview with Linda Poitevin and Giveaway - Octob...

2011-10-10T19:47:00.000-05:00

The Qwillery: Interview with Linda Poitevin and Giveaway - Octob...: Please welcome Linda Poitevin to The Qwillery as part of the 2011 Debut Author Challenge interviews and Linda's Angels Gather Here Blog Tou...

Guest Post and Giveaway - Nancy Holzner

2011-10-10T00:09:00.000-05:00

Thanks to Nancy and Bewitching Book Tours for the great tour and guest post and dont forget the tour wide giveaway at the end of the post.

WritingWhat You Know for Fantasy Authors

Writewhat you know. It's one of the most ubiquitous pieces of writingadvice. Writers hear those words from the time they first pick up apen (or even before). It’s great advice—if you take some time tothink about what it means.

Atthe most basic level, “write what you know” explains the appealof legal thrillers written by practicing lawyers or murder mysterieswritten by real-life medical examiners. It explains why some novelsand films brag that they’re “based on a true story” and why welove to read the memoirs of people who’ve triumphed over adversityor achieved something significant.

Ifyou’ve lived an exciting life or you can give readers a glimpseinto an interesting profession, writing what you know—taking yourexperiences and knowledge and turning them into a story—makessense.

Butwhat does “write what you know” mean to a fantasy author? Whenthe world you write about exists only in your imagination—whenyou’ve thought about that world but you could never actually livethere—should you just forget about writing what you know?

Ofcourse not. Instead, writing fantasy means expanding the definitionof what it means to “know” something.

Oneway to know something well enough to write about it is throughresearch. I don’t believe in demons, for example, but I’ve gotpages and pages of notes about them. Understanding what demons havemeant throughout history, how they’ve been portrayed and perceived,helps me write about them as though they’re real.

VickyVaughn, the protagonist of my Deadtown series, kills demons for aliving. Her friends are zombies and vampires, and she dates apolitically correct werewolf. Vicky herself is one of the Cerddorion,a race of shapeshifters who trace their lineage back to the Welshgoddess Ceridwen. Vicky’s life is way more exciting than anythingI’ve ever lived. I’ve never gone out with a werewolf. I’venever fought a demon. I’ve never tried to talk sense to a zombie orsat down to drink a Bloody Mary with a vampire. And changing my shapemeans gaining or losing a few pounds, not sprouting wings or fur andbecoming an entirely different creature.

Imay not have had the same experiences as Vicky, but I connect withher on a number of levels. One level of connection is physical. Vickyworks long hours and doesn’t always get enough sleep. I know how itfeels to keep pushing when you’re tired because you need to finishsomething. In fact, all of Vicky’s physical feelings, from chillyOctober air on a flushed face to deep, toe-tingling kisses, arefeelings I know well.

Anotherlevel of connection is dealing with people. I’ve never dated awerewolf with a passion for justice, but I do know how it feels tobutt heads with a strong-willed partner. I know how it feels to lovea sibling or friend even when you don’t agree with every decisionthat person makes. I know how it feels to deal with colleagues whoseem to go out of their way to give you a hard time. We’ve all hadto deal with a variety of people, and conflict is conflict—whetheryou’re experiencing it with a neighbor, a lover, or a demon.

Thedeepest level of connection, of course, is emotional. Although Ihaven’t lived the specific situations that Vicky encounters, I doknow the emotions they arouse: love, hate, fear, anger, grief. As awriter, I try to call up those feelings and weave them into thefabric of my story. I’ve got my own stories, personal experiencesthat I’ll never write about directly, but I mine them for how theymade me feel. And if I’m feeling the emotion while I write—tearsrunning down my face, out-loud laughter, a racing heart—I know I’mdoing my job.

Writingfiction—any kind of fiction, but especially fantasy—combineswriting what you know with writing what you can imagine. Create afantastical setting and populate it with fantastical creatures, butknow what those characters feel on a physical, interpersonal, andemotional level, based on your own emotions and experience of theworld. That’s the kind of knowing that brings characters to life.If you can connect with your characters in those ways—if you canmake their feelings true and real according to what you know—thenreaders will connect with them, too. And the most fantastical storywill feel true, because it came from what you know.

________________________________________________________

Bloodstone,the third novel in Nancy Holzner's Deadtown series, is now available.For information on Nancy and her books, visit her website.You can also find Nancy on Facebookand Twitter,and blogging with other fantasy authors at DarkCentral Station.

BLOODSTONE

By Nancy Holzner

Book3 Deadtown Series

Paperback: 336pages

Publisher: Ace

Releasedate: September 27, 2011

ISBN-10: 044102100X

ISBN-13: 978-0441021000

Boston’sdiverse South End is known for its architecture and greatrestaurants, not its body count. So when mutilated human corpsesbegin turning up in the area, the entire city takes notice. Thekiller—dubbed the South End Reaper—uses a curved blade for hisgrisly work. And even though there’s no real evidence pointing to aparanormal culprit, the deaths are straining the already-tenserelations between Boston’s human and inhuman residents.

As the bodiespile up, Vicky, her formidable aunt Mab, and her werewolf boyfriendKane investigate, only to find that the creature behind the carnageis after something much more than blood…

About Nancy

NancyHolzner grew up in western Massachusetts with her nose stuck in abook. This meant that she tended to walk into things, wore glassesbefore she was out of elementary school, and forced her parents toinstitute a “no reading at the dinner table” rule. It wasprobably inevitable that she majored in English in college and then,because there were still a lot of books she wanted to read, continuedher studies long enough to earn a masters degree and a PhD.

She began her career as a medievalist, then jumped off the tenuretrack to try some other things. Besides teaching English andphilosophy, she’s worked as a technical writer, freelance editorand instructional designer, college admissions counselor, andcorporate trainer. Most of her nonfiction books are published underthe name Nancy Conner.

Nancy lives in upstate New York with her husband Steve, where theyboth work from home without getting on each other’s nerves. Sheenjoys visiting local wineries and listening obsessively to opera.There are still a lot of books she wants to read.

http://nancyholzner.wordpress.com/

http://www.facebook.com/pages/Nancy-Holzner/163746834500

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

GIVEAWAY

Nancy is offering a tour-wide giveaway- readers can enter at each stop.

Nancy is offering 5 book giveaways- 5 winners.

Each of five winners gets his/her choice of a signed copy of Deadtown, Hellforged, or Bloodstone.

This giveaway is open to US only

Please follow Nancy and Bewitching Book Tours:

http://www.facebook.com/pages/Nancy-Holzner/163746834500

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

http://www.facebook.com/BewitchingBooktours

Simon's Cat in "Double Trouble"

2011-10-07T13:26:00.001-05:00

Review - Nephilim

2011-10-07T00:30:00.000-05:00

Tattoo artist Nathan Ink is more than he seems. An angel living in secret on earth, he forces his clients to face their flaws by tattooing images of their sins on their bodies, but this glimpse into the soul often results in his clients’ deaths. Although Nathan avoids the other angels, when they ask him to keep an eye on Faye, a nephilim being stalked by another of her kind, he reluctantly agrees.

The angels have kept Faye in the dark about her stalker, but to keep her close to Nathan, they’ve tasked her with investigating the high mortality rate of Nathan’s clients. Despite her distaste for his methods, she finds herself fighting a growing attraction to Nathan, and discovering he’s not a rogue after all forces her to question her own mission. When Faye learns her stalker is another nephilim who intends to use her to breed a new race of hellish beings, teaming up with Nathan may be the only way to prevent a genocide.

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My review:

This was really a great book. I really enjoyed reading it. It was well written and you are drawn into the story right away. It is an urban fantasy that takes place in a world just like ours. But angels when they need a break spend time on earth living among humans. This though provides them with a lot of temptation and when they give in, you end up with a nephilim.

Faye is one of the nephilim, a half human/half angel. Her father was an angel who fell in love with her mother after a chance meeting that led to them becoming friends. After a horrible accident Faye wants nothing more to do with angels or their problems. However, her guardian angel knows she has a stalked that she needs to be protected from. This is where he arranges for her to meet and "investigate" Nathan and the methods he uses in his mission on earth.

All the characters were interesting and well developed and you really root for Faye to discover what everyone around her knows and is keeping from her to try and keep her safe. You also really want Nathan to be friendly and try to help influence people more towards happiness than the usual despair and anger his tattoos bring out.

Its easy and enjoyable to follow them on their journey and see how they change and grow as characters. It has a good ending, pretty much what you would expect from an urban fantasy. Not everyone gets their happily ever after but most things work out for the best. I am really looking forward to reading more of her books and hope we revisit this world and characters again.