Books Are Magic

Release Day Giveaway & Blitz ~ "In Darkness We Must Abide" ~ Rhiannon Frater

2013-05-24T03:24:00.001-04:00

Today, I am happy to be part of the release day blitz with Xpresso Book Tours. One of the most favorite author is here today and you know how excited I can be. So, read the guest post, celebrate the release and yeah, don't forget the giveaway..

In Darkness We Must Abide: The Complete First Season
Author: Rhiannon Frater
Genre: NA Modern Gothic Horror
Publication date: May 24th 2013

Buy Links: Kindle | Paperback | Kobo | Nook | Autographed Copies at Author Store

In Darkness We Must Abide is the epic saga of one young woman caught in the dangerous world of the creatures of the night.

Already living in the shadows due to her albinism, Vanora is just a little girl when her older brother inadvertently unleashes a terrible evil from the family crypt that changes their lives forever.

As she grows up in a world where beautiful deadly beings hunt by night, one captures her eye and her heart. Yet, can she trust the mysterious Armando? For there is a powerful entity plotting to claim her when she reaches adulthood in order to fulfill an ancient prophecy, and her enemy has enveloped her in a web of deceit, casting doubt on all she believes to be true. Soon, she will have to fight not only to save those she loves, but also for her very soul.

Rhiannon Frater delivers a chilling adventure once again with this multi-part epic serial with a dynamic cast, old school vampires, bloody action, a smoldering forbidden love, and a terrifying villain set against the backdrop of a modern day vampire war.

This paperback includes all five episodes of the first season of the serial.

In Darkness We Must Abide
The Origin of a Supernatural Serial

- Guest Post by Rhiannon Frater

At the end of last year, I stumbled across an old manuscript lurking in the badlands of my hard drive. I was shocked to unearth the story, having forgotten I had it converted to Word years ago from my old word processing format. For years I had considered it trunked and lost somewhere in the storage in the garage. Opening the file, I rediscovered a story I had sank most of my heart and soul into a very long time ago when I was just starting to write horror novels.

In Darkness We Must Abide was my first full-length original work. I spent hours at my old typewriter creating the first draft of the manuscript. Later, I bought a word processor and retyped the entire manuscript, saving it onto floppy discs. Yes, this was a long time ago!

As I read over my old work, I realized several things. One, I still absolutely loved the two primary leads, Armando and Vanora; and two, the story was solid, but needed some revision. I was very young when I wrote the story, inexperienced in life, love, and long lasting relationships, and this clearly showed. Also, I was under immense pressure from people in my life to write something “nice and normal,” so I struggled quite a bit with certain themes in the story. Reading over the manuscript, I saw exactly the changes I needed to implement to make it a stronger, vibrant read. I set it aside, considering reworking it into a trilogy at a later date.

At the beginning of this year, I began toying with the idea of doing a serial. As The World Dies was originally written as an online serial, and I’d missed the immediate feedback that came with the release of each new part. I had an idea for a whole new fresh work, but was intimidating by having to fit it into my already overloaded writing schedule. Then I saw an article about taking an old manuscript and converting it into a serial. Instantaneously, I knew that In Darkness We Must Abide was the perfect story to be converted into a serial. It was already divided into three distinct parts and it was huge! In fact, one of the reasons I couldn’t sell the book in its old form was that it was one massive book that far exceeded the word count limits of most publishers.

I instantly divided the first third of the story into the five episodes that make up season one. Extremely nervous, I started the revision process with the intention of each part reading like a television show in the reader’s mind. I was shocked at how easily the story fell into an episodic format, but was thrilled at the same time. Also, the voices of the characters readily reawakened in my mind, much to my relief.

In my youth, I had made several big mistakes. When atest reader had an adverse reaction to my lead character being an albino, I altered her appearance. I even changed her name to something I thought sounded fancier. When I started revising, the first thing I did was give Vanora her name back and restore her albinism. I had robbed my lead character of an important part of not only her physical appearance, but her life experience as an albino. I also embraced all the themes I had skirted around in the earlier drafts, out of fear of criticism.

Side note: Humorously, I spent a lot of time trying to avoid overt sexual themes out of fear of offending my mother. This is the same woman who would later call me up to tell me how much she loved the sex scenes in Pretty When She Dies because they were “hot.”

When I finally sent the first episode off to my beta readers, I was terrified. How would they react to a gothic horror novel I had conceived so long ago? When the rave reviews started flowing in, I was so relieved. My story had officially risen from the grave.

Since the release of the first episode of In Darkness We Must Abide, I’ve been having a great time discussing the story with readers. A serial feels much different from a trilogy or series because the installments come out much quicker and there is less waiting for the readers. As a writer, it’s a challenge to give the readers something they can enjoy in small increments, but also instills in them the desire to read the next episode. The immediate feedback is also a great way for me to gage what is working, and what’s not. Though the fan reaction will not affect the overall story arc, to some degree it does affect the presentation of it. Because of the mad love for Armando, I have expanded his role significantly in the first season.

I have enjoyed my serial experience so much. I’m already anticipating doing one next year! This time it will be a whole new writing project, but it was definitely worthwhile digging up In Darkness We Must Abide and sharing it with my readership.

AUTHOR INFO

Rhiannon Frater is the award-winning author of over a dozen books, including the As the World Dies zombie trilogy (Tor) , as well as independent works such as The Last Bastion of the Living (declared the #1 Zombie Release of 2012 by Explorations Fantasy Blog and the #1 Zombie Novel of the Decade by B&N Book Blog),and other horror novels. Her next novel for Tor, Dead Spots, will be published in 2014. She was born and raised a Texan and presently lives in Austin, Texas with her husband and furry children (a.k.a pets). She loves scary movies, sci-fi and horror shows, playing video games, cooking, dying her hair weird colors, and shopping for Betsey Johnson purses and shoes.

AUTHOR ONLINE

Website: rhiannonfrater.com & astheworlddies.com
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/astheworlddies
Twitter: twitter.com/rhiannonfrater
Blog: rhianonfrater.blogspot.com
Pinterest: http://pinterest.com/rhiannonfrater/
Email: rhiannonfrater at gmail.com

A MESSAGE FROM RHIANNON FRATER

The author wishes to pass the following message to the readers. So enjoy!

"On Friday, 5/24, I'll be doing two video Q & A's via the TinyChat application on Facebook. You'll just have to download the app and follow the link when I post it here. You'll be directed straight into the chat room.

The first chat is scheduled with Europe in mind. 1 PM Central Time will place this chat in the early evening. You'll have to check a time zone converter for the exact time in your country. This also can work for people who work in the evenings in North America.

The second one will be at 8 PM Central Time.

Basically, I'll be on live webcam and you guys and gals get to ask me questions about IN DARKNESS WE MUST ABIDE or anything else you'd like to discuss about my writing career, my books, or the horror genre."

GIVEAWAY

Enter the Rafflecopter below and win one signed copy of In Darkness We Must Abide Season 1 (Paperback) and a bookmark. Open to residents of U.S/Canada only.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Review ~ Storm by Brigid Kemmerer

2013-05-24T02:38:00.002-04:00

Elementals is one of those series I have been searching for..for a long time. One of those books which makes you get miss your household works and gives you the NEED to take the Kindle everywhere with you.

Series: Elemental #1

Author: Brigid Kemmerer

Publisher: Kensington

Release Date: April 24th 2012

Source: Bought

Genre: Fantasy, Young-adult

Becca Chandler is suddenly getting all the guys; all the ones she doesn't want. Ever since her ex-boyfriend spread those lies about her. Then she saves Chris Merrick from a beating in the school parking lot. Chris is different. Way different: he can control water just like his brothers can control fire, wind, and earth. They're powerful. Dangerous. Marked for death.

And now that she knows the truth, so is Becca.

Secrets are hard to keep when your life's at stake. When Hunter, the mysterious new kid around school, turns up with a talent for being in the wrong place at the right time, Becca thinks she can trust him. But then Hunter goes head-to-head with Chris, and Becca wonders who's hiding the most dangerous truth of all.

The storm is coming.

REVIEW

CONCEPT

Imagine a pentagram as below.

If all the humans fall under this circle, and each of these points is an element - fire, water, air, earth and spirit. The closer a human is to the point, the more he will be influenced by that element. Those who fall directly in that point will be a pure Elemental.

The protagonist, Chris, and his brothers are pure elementals. The spirit Elementals, who is called the Fifth and who can control all the remaining four elements, are chosen and trained to be a Guide. And wherever there are such elementals born and mature, the Guide will be called to kill them. Chris and his brothers are just trying to survive.

LIKES

The brothers:

What not to like in hot and sexy brothers? Michael, Gabriel, Nick and Chris are facing their own problems. Although they keep fighting with each other, they just can't live without one another. Their bantering only amused me more.

“If you want me to fix your homework, you need to leave me alone.” Then he spotted her. “You’re back.”
“Yeah.” She glanced between him and Gabriel. “You do his homework?”
“Just the math. It’s a miracle he can count to ten.”
“I can count to one.” Gabriel gave him the finger.

Can someone please tell me where these brothers live?

Casper:

“Casper, she said someone has to hold your leash.”
The dog barked.
Then he dipped his head, picked up the end of the leash in his mouth, and trotted after his master.”

:-) Well, see how cute can he be! I love that dog..so smart!

Quinn:

Quinn is the perfect annoying friend one can have. It's nice to see someone not-so-perfect-and-your-ordinary-girl in a novel.

“She spilled your secrets,” said Quinn
“Yeah?” He sliced off a piece of chicken and glanced across the table. “What’s my name Becca?”
Busted. Becca wanted to melt into a puddle.
Quinn grinned. “You mean it’s not really New Kid?”

COMMENTS

There is only one thing that made me knock off that one star. I can't connect with Becca. Yeah, she is nice, kind and good. But, I can't get why she goes with those untrustworthy idiots during the prom. And I also can't get why she chose Hunter, why she doesn't want Chris and why she suddenly reacts opposite. And there are so many whys.. And there are many reasons for those whys too. The problem is I just can't agree with all of them. That's it! Other than that, this book and premise rocked.

VERDICT

Despite my problems with Becca, I still loved it more. Because that one small flaw didn't ruin the fun of the novel. This is a promising series and fulfilling novel! I already starting reading the third novel and its awesome! I wish I had known this series sooner. I recommend this series for all YA fantasy fans.

SERIES ORDER

Freebies & Deals! Here we go.. (24th May 2013)

2013-05-24T02:06:00.000-04:00

The Right Wrong Number
Author: Barbara Delinsky
Price: FREE
Buy: Barnes & Noble | Not available in Amazon

Carly Kelly has just been presented with a life-changing business opportunity for tiny nursery and flower store, Plant People. But she only has four days to decide, which means she will most likely have to cancel her weekend trip away. She dials her friends to let them know, and excitedly launches into a speech about the opportunity. But when she pauses, a sexy, inquisitive stranger is on the other end, and he’s eager to hear about her store, her passions and her life. She’s dialed the wrong number--- and the man on the other end, with his deep voice, his charming jokes and his excellent advice, is a surprise she never expected…

Will this wrong number turn out to be right man for Carly?

Featuring an excerpt from Barbara Delinsky’s upcoming novel, Sweet Salt Air.

Dark Wolf Rising
Author: Rhyannon Byrd
Price: FREE
Buy: Amazon US | Barnes & Noble

Eric Drake, a powerful Dark Wolf, has never trusted himself around human females-preferring to mate only within his pack. That is, until he encounters Chelsea Smart snooping around Silvercrest pack land in search of her missing sister. Secretly, Chelsea thinks Eric is the sexiest man she's ever seen, though she is wary of his potent Alpha energy. Then it's discovered that Chelsea's sister is being held by a pack of vicious Lycans, and Eric heroically leaps into action. Now, Chelsea will risk everything-her body and soul-to surrender to the passion that will mark her as Eric's woman for all eternity...if they survive.

Legally Wed
Author: Ciara O'Neill
Price: FREE
Buy: Amazon US | Amazon UK

Business professional Mia Lombard is faced with the ultimate test: marry her boss to save his employees’ jobs or risk losing her own job and much loved home. Max Dylan isn't exactly Frankenstein and when he discovers his UK work permit has expired, the wealthy American financier could call on any number of models or starlets to marry him so he can stay in the country. Knowing that a marriage to a greedy social climber could bleed him dry, he agrees to his colleague’s suggestion to get married for appearances only.

Mia and Max invent a convincing cover story for their supposed secret romance and sudden marriage which leaves no one with any trouble believing they’re love birds. Initially, Mia has no difficulty with the pretense as she’s had a crush on Max for years but after discovering they have to stay hitched for three years wonders if she can commit that much of her life. It would mean shelving any chance of meeting someone else and having a family.

Then the unexpected happens. Max, who’s always kept his work relationships professional, seems to fancy her.

Can Mia commit to three years, living with Max on a platonic basis? Or is she brave enough to jump in and enjoy a ‘no strings’ sizzling fling with while she can?

Dancing in the Moonlight
Author: RaeAnne Thayne
Price: FREE
Buy: Amazon US | Barnes & Noble

Lieutenant Magdalena Cruz had come home…but it wasn't the way she'd envisioned her return. And though all she wanted was to be alone, infuriatingly handsome Dr. Jake Dalton—of the enemy Daltons—wouldn't cooperate. And she needed him to, because the walls around her heart were dangerously close to crumbling every time he came near….

Jake had spent most of his life trying to get closer to Maggie, with little to show for it. But she was the woman he'd always wanted, and no injury in the world could change that. Now if only he could convince her that the woman who stood before him was beautiful, desirable, whole…and meant to be his….

This edition was also available as a free download from www.eharlequin.com

For more freebies, please refer my Facebook page.

*** The posted books were FREE at the time of posting. (24th May 2013) ***

Feature & Follow #29 ~ #FF is 150 weeks old!

2013-05-24T01:22:00.001-04:00

RULES

To join the fun and make new book blogger friends, just follow these simple rules:
(Required) Follow the Follow My Book Blog Friday Hosts {Parajunkee and Alison Can Read}
(Required) Follow our Featured Bloggers
Put your Blog name and URL in the Linky thing. You can also grab the code if you would like to insert it into your posts.
Grab the button up there and place it in a post, this post is for people to find a place to say “hi” in your comments and that they are now following you.
Follow Follow Follow as many as you can, as many as you want, or just follow a few. The whole point is to make new friends and find new blogs. Also, don’t just follow, comment and say hi. Another blogger might not know you are a new follower if you don’t say “HI”
If someone comments and says they are following you, be a dear and follow back. Spread the Love…and the followers.

If you’re new to the follow friday hop, comment and let me know, so I can stop by and check out your blog!

Question:

The #FF is 150 weeks old! And we want to hear from you! What would you change about the hop? What do you like about it? Or just suggest a question to be used for next week!

Answer:

First, congratulations! 150 weeks of running a meme is definitely not an easy task. Great work, Rachel and Allison!

And I love the meme because of its simplistic questions and I get to know new followers each week. Tell you what, if you are a new blogger, this meme is a great way to gain followers..trust me, I have a first hand experience on this.

What to change about the hop?

Well, I think there can be more interactive questions that can be useful to the other bloggers. But anyway, just because you asked "what to change", I am saying something. I actually like it the way it is now.

Some suggestions for the question, huh?

Hmm.. (**thinking**)

How about some blogger tips by every blogger? I know I learnt a lot through blogging. Those who are new to blogging can ask something they want to know about blogging. And those who know can answer them. Both sides will get some interaction, followers and knowledge sharing.

Wow, I can think! (** tapping myself on the shoulder **) :-)

So, what is your answer?

Follow me and comment below, so that I can follow you back! Thanks for stopping by and happy weekend to everyone!

The One Thing

2013-05-24T00:00:00.000-04:00

- Guest Post by Delia Colvin

Two years ago I had a freak reaction to minor surgery when my blood began to coagulate at an abnormal rate creating numerous blood clots that raced through my veins, into my heart—nearly stopping it and then splattered onto the wall of my lungs in what the technician said was more blood clots than they had ever seen in a living person’s lungs.

Remember that great line from City Slickers:

Curly: Do you know what the secret of life is? One thing. Just one thing.

Mitch: But, what is the “one thing”?

Curly: That’s what you have to find out.

In that moment with my heart pounding wildly, knowing I had only moments left of consciousness, to be honest there was more than one thing. There were three things.

First, believe it or not, I had run into the bathroom for some odd reason and I immediately thought of Elvis and realized that I did not want to die in a bathroom. Yes, really. I returned to the living room.

Then I looked at my husband, Randy. It had been a very difficult couple years for him and I worried about how he would deal with this.

Randy and I have this amazing communication. Later, when they carried me to the back of the ambulance he was instructed to follow us.

As the doors to the ambulance were closed I thought, I don’t believe Randy knows that he will never see me again. A moment later the back of the ambulance opened and he smiled and said, “See? You thought you wouldn’t see me again.” He doesn’t remember saying that to me.

The third thing that I thought was that I was a storyteller yet nobody had ever read any of my stories. I had files and files of unfinished novels and screenplays. But I had never had the courage to allow anyone to read them and I had come to doubt my ability to complete a novel.

One year later I was still thinking about previous novels and how I would finish them “one day” when suddenly a new concept for a story flashed into my head in a matter of seconds. It was a storyline so odd to me in a genre I would never have considered and yet I was absolutely compelled to write.

I was working twelve hour days in D.C. in an intense job and truly no time to write. So I pulled out my iPhone and wrote on the notepad while walking the mile to and from my car, during lunch and other breaks and then in the evening when I got home.

In three weeks I had completed my first novel.

Seeing me writing on my computer was not an oddity at our home. What was odd, was when I took my laptop over to my husband’s desk and in a very small voice said, “I’ve just finished my first novel. Do you think you could take a look at it?”

Randy is not a fiction reader and it was absolutely terrifying for me to open my story to him. After reading for a few hours Randy turned to me and shook his head. I thought he didn’t like it. Then he said the words that forged our lives in a whole new direction:

“Forget air traffic control. This is what you were born to do!”

What an extraordinary gift! Followed by another…the story was a trilogy. Within 10 weeks I had completed the first draft of a paranormal romance, The Sibylline Trilogy. This was followed by the arduous task of rewriting, editing and learning the book business in a world that is changing rapidly.

For the past year and three months I’ve been a full-time novelist and I now spend a glorious 10-14 hours a day mostly writing but also learning and working the book business. I’ve been blessed to have stumbled upon the most extraordinary of teachers—first and foremost the amazing Melissa Foster, bestselling author and best friend to authors around the world with her various author groups—primarily Fostering Success.

I’ve seen the first two novels of the trilogy, The Sibylline Oracle and The Symbolon hit Amazon’s bestsellers lists with extraordinary reception. I’ve made money (yes, it is possible). But mostly I am living a life that reflects my one thing—okay two things, my passions, my husband and my writing and it is a beautiful life!

Buy Now @ Amazon

Genre – Paranormal

Rating – PG

More details about the author & the book

Connect with Delia Colvin on Facebook & Twitter

Website http://www.deliacolvin.com/

Freebies & Deals!!! Here we go.. (23rd May 2013)

2013-05-23T02:14:00.004-04:00

How to Talk to Girls at Parties
Author: Neil Gaiman
Price: FREE
Buy: Amazon US | Amazon UK | Barnes & Noble

A short story from New York Times bestselling author, Neil Gaiman. Plus an excerpt from his new novel, The Ocean at the End of the Lane.

Irresistible Forces
Author: Brenda Jackson
Price: FREE
Buy: Amazon US | Barnes & Noble

One week of mind-blowing sex on a beautiful Caribbean island. Of all the business proposals financial tycoon Dominic Saxon has heard, Taylor Steele's is definitely the most tempting. All Taylor wants in return is for Dominic to father her baby. No strings, no commitments...just a mutually satisfying arrangement. Make that very satisfying. For a man with no intention of marrying again, it sounds ideal.Taylor wan
ts a baby, not a relationship. And sexy, intelligent Dominic seems like a man with perfect genes. Turns out, Dominic has perfect everything. Their "procreation vacation" is a whirlwind of sensual ecstasy. But when it's over, will either of them be able to say goodbye?

Hide in Plain Sight
Author: Marta Perry
Price: FREE
Buy: Amazon US | Amazon UK | Barnes & Noble

She couldn't turn her back on her family in their time of need. So when her sister was injured, financial expert Andrea Hampton traded the big city for Amish country to help turn her grandmother's house into an inn.

But life with the Plain People took a treacherous turn when a string of accidents and pranks threatened her family. Someone didn't want the secrets the old house harbored to come to light. Trusting anyone-- even the handsome carpenter who seemed so genuine--was a battle for Andrea, but her life depended on her ability to find the truth.

Temporary Arrangement
Author: Karen Erickson
Price: FREE
Buy: Amazon US | Amazon UK | Barnes & Noble

Look, but don’t touch…

The Renaldis

Alone and broke, Paige Stewart can’t believe her good luck. Who hires a virtual stranger out of a New York City coffee shop to care for their adorable grandson? Apparently Claudia Renaldi does.

Widower Matteo Renaldi isn’t pleased that his mother found a replacement nanny so soon after he fired the last one. Yet little Matty takes to Paige like no other nanny before. And Matteo can’t deny he’s quite taken with her as well. She’s beautiful. Sweet. And far, far too young for him.

There’s something about the gorgeously sexy Matteo that fills Paige with longing to break through his wall of formality and touch his softer side. But no one knows better than she that crushing on her boss is one thing. Acting on those feelings is forbidden. Foolish.

Inevitable…

Warning: Sexy, grumpy Italian hero who is determined to keep his walls up. No matter how much his son’s sweetly beautiful nanny drives him to distraction…

Glamour
Author: Penelope Fletcher
Price: FREE
Buy: Amazon US | Amazon UK | Barnes & Noble

Rae Wilder has problems. Supernatural creatures swarm the earth, and humanity is on the brink of extinction. Stalked by a handsome fairy who claims she is like him, demonkind, Rae thinks maybe it was a mistake breaking the rules by going over the Wall into demon territory. Plunged into a world of dark magics, fierce creatures, and ritual sacrifice, she is charged with a guarding a magical amulet. The changes to her mind and body are startling, but rather than accept her purpose she struggles against who she is destined to be. Throw in a big lust for a vampire who can't keep his hands off her, and life starts to get complicated. Rae is forced to make the ultimate choice: to live and die human, or embrace her birth-right and wield magics that could turn her into something wicked, a force of nature nothing can control.

Harlequin Holiday Collection: Four Classic Seasonal Novellas: And a Dead Guy in a Pear Tree\Seduced by the Season\Evidence of Desire\Season of Wonder
Author: Leslie Kelly, Merline Lovelace, Debra Webb, Marta Perry
Price: $0.97 / FREE
Buy: Amazon US ($0.97) | Barnes & Noble (FREE)

A struggling B&B owner scrambles to hide the dead body wrapped in her Christmas tree from a visiting camera crew—and from her still-irresistible reporter ex. A waitress and a sexy FBI agent mix business with pleasure while investigating a crime over the holidays. A crime lab worker finds herself in danger six days before Christmas...and only her off-limits but oh-so-attractive coworker can help. And two childhood friends rediscover their sense of wonder—and love—when reunited for the holidays.

Discover these four classic seasonal novellas:

And a Dead Guy in a Pear Tree by Leslie Kelly
Seduced by the Season by Merline Lovelace
Evidence of Desire by Debra Webb
Season of Wonder by Marta Perry

For more freebies, please refer my Facebook page.

*** The posted books were FREE at the time of posting. (23rd May 2013) ***

Inside the Mind of the Author

2013-05-23T00:30:00.000-04:00

- Guest Post by Rebecca Ethington

All authors have one thing in common; inside our minds are webs of mystery, hallways of giggles, and so much imagination it’s bound to seep out of ears in ribbons of glittery magic. It’s all jumbled up with words, hundred upon thousands of words that somehow, miraculously, blend themselves together into perfectly descriptive bits that drag our readers into our stories with such finesse that they can never hope to escape.

Authors are storytellers.

At least that is what I would like to view myself as. After all, my life begins in a theatre; a place where simple stories are blended with stage lights, costumes, and glitter to create something far more the simple. It’s magic. That’s what my life is, magic. I think it was my life in the theatre that kept my imagination so close to the front of my brain and never let it delve back into that cobwebbed filled closet that houses so many dreams.

Authors keep their imagination right in front; we let it turn flexed fingers into crackling energies of magic, eerie mountains into heroic quests, dresses into ball gowns, and give voice to inanimate objects.

While this may sound like a beautiful, magical place, it can also be a curse. After all, there are only so many hours in a day, so many keys on a keyboard. Dreams become fuel to whimsical tales, and nightmares as villains create themselves. And, who wants to be driving down the street when a song puts the perfect story in your head and you have to pull over to write it down before you forget it. (The kids still don’t forgive me for that one)

If you had to put the workings of an authors brain into a movie comparison I would have to say, for me, it’s a very even mix between ‘What Dreams May Come’ and ‘The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus’. There is whimsy, terror, magic, impossible things, fear. I mean, I could go on and on. Without the ability to process it all, I would likely go insane. Which is probably what all good authors are right on the brink of being.

It’s our filter that allows us to see the truth from the amazing story; it’s our talent that allows us to put that story on paper. To create worlds that only exist in our minds and share them in a way that allows them to infiltrate yours. It is writing that allows us to share our imagination, without sharing we would probably all die for a brain to full of awesomeness, and that would be a tragedy. What would this life be without Middle Earth, Harry Potter, old fashioned love, forgotten children, and epic battles.

It would be boring.

And that is why authors share their imagination, and why I am glad to let you into my head – my crazy, scary, and possibly amazing mind.

‘Cause if I didn’t – the world would be short of one amazing story. And that, is a shame.

Buy Now @ Amazon

Genre – YA Paranormal

Rating – PG

More details about the author & the book

Connect with Rebecca Ethington on Facebook & Twitter & GoodReads

Author Interview ~ Marc Schiller

2013-05-23T00:00:00.000-04:00

Tell us a bit about your family.

Most of my family has passed on. I have a brother. My son and daughter live with their mother of whom I’m divorced.

What is your favorite quality about yourself?

My mental tenacity and ability to handle whatever life throws at me. Learn its lessons and catapult myself into being a better person and new directions.

What is your least favorite quality about yourself?

That I can’t let things go, I’m relentless and never give up. It can be good but it can it also be detrimental.

What is your favorite quote, by whom, and why?

Nietzsche-“What doesn’t kill you makes you stronger”

Because I find out too well to be true.

What are you most proud of accomplishing so far in your life?

That I have been able to pick-up the pieces of my shattered life after what occurred to me, and move on. Lead a normal life without thinking or allowing those events to haunt me.

What is your favorite color?

Blue is my favorite color

What is your favorite food?

I love all type of pasta and anything Italian. I enjoy cooking as well.

What’s your favorite place in the entire world?

Machu Pichu – because I think it’s a magical place.

How has your upbringing influenced your writing?

Since very young I enjoyed books and reading. I find them to be magical and a place to immerse myself in. The natural progression was to create my own.

How long have you been writing?

I have always loved writing and have written many articles on financial matters. But this is the first time I decided to write a book.

When did you first know you could be a writer?

Writing has always come easy for me. It was just a matter of pushing myself to it and getting the right mindset.

What inspires you to write and why?

To me my inspiration is life, our experiences and people.

What genre are you most comfortable writing?

I can almost write anything, but the subject that I know about, such as financial matters, come easier.

What inspired you to write your first book?

Michael Bay and Paramount Pictures, by making the movie it moved to write the true accounts.

Who or what influenced your writing once you began?

It was a solitary project that I need to do on my own. I needed to confront the ghost and demons contained in my manuscript.

Buy Now @ Amazon

Genre – True Crime

Rating – PG

More details about the author & the book

Connect with Marc Schiller on Facebook & Twitter

Freebies & Deals!!! Here we go..

2013-05-22T07:44:00.001-04:00

If you are not already aware of my FB page, here is the link: Books Are Magic FB page

And usually I post a lot of freebies there. And, the response in the page is great. And I want to share some of those Kindle free books here too, so that the followers of this blog also can load up some books in their Kindle.

Click on the cover or the title to go the Amazon link.

Chasing Justice (Piper Anderson #1)

Piper Anderson has been given a fresh start in the picturesque town of Edenville, North Carolina. But her plans of settling into a normal life are derailed when she witnesses a prominent judge in her community committing a violent assault. Running from her own past and fueled by a passion to make the judge answer for his crimes, Piper is forced to decide if she’ll play by the rules or achieve justice in her own way.

Complicating things further, Piper finds herself fighting a powerful attraction to rookie cop, Bobby Wright. Although she’s increasingly enamored with Bobby, his staunch belief in the justice system is in stark contrast to her own. She may not share his opinions about the effectiveness of the law, but she certainly can’t deny how safe she feels when she’s in his arms or how every kiss leaves her desperate for more.

For Piper, the idea of finally living an ordinary life with a man to love is tempting. However, fate keeps placing the judge, quite literally, in her path. Will she decide the only way to win is to be as wicked as the judge, but with righteous intentions? And more importantly, will Bobby choose to let her go, or follow her as she crosses the line and takes justice into her own hands?

Heartbreak, Tennessee

Amber DeWitt knows she won’t be able to avoid Mac entirely when her job brings her back to Heartbreak, Tennessee, her home town.

But she is determined to try.

Their love affair ended fourteen years ago, when she was just eighteen. She begged Mac to run away with her after she learned a terrible secret about their two families. When Mac refused, Amber vowed to disappear forever.

But now, Amber has been forced to return to help her employer plan a theme park to be set in Heartbreak. She intends to get the trip over with as quickly as possible and return to her life in Nashville, a life that includes a relationship with aspiring singer Dean Hamilton.

Unfortunately, negotiating the theme park isn’t as easy as Amber had hoped. The park’s number one opponent is Heartbreak’s mayor—none other than Mac. And when he’s not shooting down her proposal, he’s proposing the kind of collaboration that ignites long-buried passions.

The Job Offer

Unemployed Dr. Anne Conner is returning to Seattle to interview for her dream job with Stanford Enterprises. While there, she decides to combine her trip with a trip home to Orcas Island where she meets Ben Carlson. She never planned on having a vacation romance with Ben or agreeing to end it after the vacation was over. But she did. She also never knew that Ben was her new boss. But he is.

Before The Moon Rises (Ritter Werewolves #1)

After a twelve-hour shift in a busy emergency room, Janet O’Brien is beat. Her last patient arrives unconscious and naked. She’s lead to believe he’s a psyche patient off his meds. However, once he awakens, Janet is charmed by his million-dollar smile and agrees to give him a ride home.

Werewolf, Max Ritter notices the sassy nurse when he wakes after a night under the full moon. Unfortunately, his archrival is drawn to Janet as well. In order to keep her out of harm's way, he opts to keep her close. When the chemistry between them sparks, Max discovers a completely new reason to keep Janet safe.

For more freebies, please refer my Facebook page.

*** The posted books were FREE at the time of posting. (22nd May 2013) ***
*** Some of them have asked for Nook freebies too. I am working on gathering that information too and it will soon be done. ***
*** Also, I know most of you needs UK freebies and deals. Working on that too. Time became a major constraint for me these days, lovelies! Working on it, anyway! :-) ***

A funny thing happened on the way to getting published….

2013-05-22T01:56:00.002-04:00

- Guest Post by LeRon Barton

I have always wanted to be a writer and one of my biggest goals was to be published. I always dreamed about my project being on the shelf next to writers I admired such as Langston Hughes, James Joyce, F.Scott Fitzgerald, and John Steinbeck. Just think about it: Your book at Barnes & Noble and Borders!! Doing book signings, appearing on Today, and just talking about your creation. That was my goal. So after I finished Straight Dope, I started researching how to create a query letter. Reading different examples and strategies, I sent the first one off. No answer, hey it is okay. I knew that this was a numbers game. I browsed different publishing websites with databases of literary agents and started sending more letters off. Then the rejections came. No big deal right? Michael Jordan has missed some game winning shots. So I send more off and more rejection letters came. Again, rejection is to be expected. No one is signed off of their first attempt. There was this Cindy Crawford story that I always tell myself: When she was starting off attempting to get into modeling, Cindy was turned down by 24 modeling agencies. The 25th agency then gave her a shot. After emailing 39 query letters, I finally received a positive response from the 40th. The agent liked my idea, but wanted me to build up my social presence in the thousands. I thought about that, but then realized that I would be doing all the work, so why don’t I reap all the benefits. So I decided to stop contacting agents, and do this on my own. I then started Mainline Publications and released, “Straight Dope: A 360 degree look into American drug culture.” Today I am a published author because I did it on my own and I didn’t let anything stop me or deter me from my goal. Never give up, because success is out there.

Buy Now @ Amazon

Genre – NonFiction / Sociology

Rating – PG

More details about the author & the book

Connect with LeRon Barton on Twitter

Author Interview ~ Lynn Osterkamp

2013-05-21T01:54:00.000-04:00

Tell us a bit about your family.

My family is full of quirky people. As my eight-year-old grandson, Eli, says, “They show up as the nuts on the family tree.” I probably shouldn’t give specific information here about my relatives’ odd behaviors, but I can say that they give me plenty of inspiration for creating unusual characters.

What is your favorite quality about yourself?

Enthusiasm. I love to learn new things, try new things, do new things. That’s one reason I love writing fiction. I can go off in any direction that looks interesting. I can try out different personas, lifestyles, careers, activities, and so on, without investing money or changing my own life.

What is your least favorite quality about yourself?

Perfectionism. I can’t just do something part way. Sometimes I spend hours researching a tiny detail for one of my books. For example, one of the characters in my second novel, Too Far Under, is a computer geek who spends most of his time interacting in an online virtual world. I spent hours reading about avatars, chat rooms and activities in Second Life, even though it was a minor part of my story. It was interesting though, and I want to have my details as accurate as possible.

What is your favorite quote, by whom, and why?

My favorite quote is a poem by Stephen Crane:

“I saw a man pursuing the horizon;

Round and round they sped.

I was disturbed at this;

I accosted the man.

‘It is futile,’ I said,

‘You can never — ‘

‘You lie,’ he cried,

And ran on.”

I love this poem because it speaks to how resolute and indomitable humans are, how we continue on unwavering despite discouraging advice. This spirit can get us to our goals, even though we have many mountains to climb. On the other hand—as in the case of some of my characters—blind dogged determination can lead to disaster.

What are you most proud of accomplishing so far in your life?

It changes from day to day, because I’m always looking ahead, rather than behind. As soon as I accomplish something I’ve been working toward, I feel proud of getting there. But then, by the next day, I’m off down another path and yesterday’s accomplishment has faded into the background.

What is your favorite color?

My favorite color is turquoise. Now that I think of that, I wonder why I didn’t choose that color for my book covers. Would they look better with a turquoise background?

What is your favorite food?

Potato chips. I really shouldn’t admit that. It makes me sound like a junk food queen. But actually I eat a very healthy diet, with not nearly as many potato chips as I’d like. The tricky thing about potato chips was captured very well in an ad campaign years ago with the slogan, “Bet you can’t eat one.” It’s very hard to eat only one. Try it.

What’s your favorite place in the entire world?

I love Boulder, Colorado. That’s why I live there and why I set my novels there. Boulder has gorgeous mountain scenery and hiking trails, a fun downtown with a pedestrian mall and great restaurants, and an active population focused on physical fitness. I went to college there years ago and lived there for a few years after, but then moved away for many years. My husband and I feel very lucky that we found a way to get back and live there.

How has your upbringing influenced your writing?

My father continually challenged me to think outside the box. My mother loved poetry and read me poems when I was very young. Both of my parents were active in theater groups, and encouraged me to do the same. Their focus on creativity and self-expression gave me the courage to pursue my dream of creative writing.

Do you recall how your interest in writing originated?

I was the oldest of five children. My harried mother used to get me to entertain the younger ones by telling them stories. They wouldn’t accept the same story over and over, so I had to be creative, inventing new characters and plots that they would find entertaining.

Buy Now @ Amazon & Smashwords

Genre - Mystery

Rating – PG

More details about the author & the book

Connect with Lynn Osterkamp on Twitter

10 Things You Didn’t Know About Anastasia Faith

2013-05-21T00:30:00.000-04:00

- Guest Post by Anastasia Faith

1. I enjoy lists.

2. My name isn’t really Anastasia Faith. If I told you my real name, it would defeat the purpose of the pseudonym, so it’s for me to know.

3. I’m hoping to attend MTSU this fall for journalism, then get a job as a professional blogger or freelance writer, rent an apartment, and go to Nashville State for sign language interpreting.

4. I love Skillet, Thousand Foot Krutch, Red, and the Trans-Siberian Orchestra.

5. I want to adopt—at least ten kids, but no more than twenty—both internationally and locally, including a set of twins (preferably a boy and a girl), and a set of Irish twins. That’s the family in my fantasy anyway. I’ll be happy with any, really.

6. I love Doctor Who, Sherlock, Monk, and Psych.

7. I learned to read when I was four.

8. I take pictures of grammatically incorrect signs.

9. My favorite candy bars are Butterfinger and Reese’s (any kind but the bars or the whipped Reese’s).

10. I’d love to be a screenwriter one day.

Buy Now @ Amazon

Genre - Christian YA Fiction

Rating – PG

More details about the author & the book

Connect with Anastasia Faith on Facebook & Twitter

Goodnight, Sweetheart ~ Guest Post by Alicia Renee Kline

2013-05-20T05:23:00.003-04:00

- Guest Post by Alicia Renee Kline

One of my absolute favorite scenes to write for Intoxicated was where Matthew comforts Lauren after Eric stands her up. At this point the Snyder family secret has been spilled, and they now realize how much they have in common – even though they appear to be on opposite sides of the issue. This is the first time they’ve seen each other since Matthew walked out on her, too ashamed of his past to face her. Lauren openly wonders the next morning what happened after she fell asleep. Here it is, from Matthew’s point of view…

She was asleep. At least he was pretty sure of it. Her sobs had diminished to mere sniffles, then given way to the slow, deep breathing associated with slumber. He called her name once, twice, just to check and wasn’t graced with a response.

He should leave.

But something kept him there, stroking her cropped brunette hair even as she slept. She looked so beautiful, so peaceful, so fragile. She needed someone tonight and he was her only option.

Her boyfriend was a bastard. An idiot at the very least. If he wasn’t miles away, Matthew would have had the notion to chew him out on her behalf. Never mind he wasn’t any better. He was probably worse. But he sure as hell wouldn’t have stood her up and made her cry.

If she was his, he’d give her the world.

It was better not to think like that, to push the absurd thought down to the dark recesses of his mind and never visit it again. But it was difficult not to with her sprawled across his chest, her ear pressed against the heart he would gladly give her if she would ever ask. She had it anyway, even if she didn’t know it.

He shifted his weight, partially to get more comfortable and partially to hide his arousal. She moaned and clung to him.

“Don’t leave,” she whispered.

He held her tighter, shushing her. She quieted again, her muscles relaxing against him. As the room darkened, he fought off sleep as long as possible just so that he could enjoy this moment, the period of time that occurred before she hated him again like she should.

The next thing he knew, his sister was shaking him awake, standing above him with her hand on his shoulder.

“Good night?” Blake asked in a hushed tone. From her tousled hair and wrinkled clothing, he should ask her the same.

“Her boyfriend’s a jerk. He stood her up tonight.”

She nodded, stifling a yawn. “I’m going to bed. If you want to stay, be my guest.”

Oh, he wanted to stay. But he knew it wouldn’t be the wise decision. Now that Blake was home, she was better suited to deal with the aftermath. He couldn’t trust himself to see things rationally. Reluctantly, he maneuvered himself into a sitting position. Lauren was so out of it, she didn’t move this time. He lifted her in his arms, grabbed her cell phone and made his way to the stairs, again tripping over her shoes. As an afterthought, he scooped up the heels and took them with them.

Once she was tucked in bed fully clothed due to massive self-restraint on his part, he set her cell on the nightstand. He knew she would look for it when she woke up, probably with a killer headache from crying so much. He went into her bathroom and rummaged around until he found where she kept the aspirin and carried it back into her room along with a glass of water from the tap.

That task complete, he set about placing her shoes in her closet. In the darkness, he could make out a lump of something on the floor, which closer investigation proved to be a dress. He picked it up, smoothing out the fabric as he draped it over his arm. No matter how mad she had been when she had taken it off, she’d regret it later if it wrinkled beyond recognition. One didn’t live with a sister like Blake for twenty-five years without knowing that much.

He gave her one last look before retreating back downstairs. She had rolled over onto her side, cuddling deep into the comforter. Damn, he wished he was that bedspread.

He was almost out the front door before he remembered the roses in the kitchen. She had gone on and on about hating them before this whole thing had happened. He couldn’t imagine what she would think of them now. Without hesitation, he grabbed them and tossed them in the trash.

He was nothing if not thoughtful.

And right now, his only thoughts were of her.

Buy Now @ Amazon & Smashwords

Genre – Romance / Chick Lit

Rating – PG13

More details about the book

Connect with Alicia Renee Kline on Twitter

Website http://aliciareneekline.com/

Book Feature: The Passion of the Christoph by Christoph Paul

2013-05-20T00:30:00.000-04:00

With a biting sense of humor, sarcasm, and a unique worldview, Christoph Paul’s “The Passion of the Christoph” exposes readers to an unprecedented commentary on every topic. Paul’s take on sex, religion, politics, sports, to name a few, will leave you transformed as you absorb this insightful compilation of satiric and hysterical essays.

Buy Now @ Amazon

Genre – Humor / NonFiction

Rating – NC17

Connect with Christoph Paul on Facebook & Twitter

Website http://christophpaulauthor.com/

Author Interview ~ Maj. Ray Gleason Ph.D.

2013-05-18T01:00:00.000-04:00

Tell us a bit about your family.

Irish… very, very Irish.

What is your favorite quality about yourself?

Brevity.

What is your least favorite quality about yourself?

Brevity.

What is your favorite quote, by whom, and why?

“Liars, Damn Liars and Statistics,” Mark Twain. Pick any media-broadcast, political poll… any of them.

What are you most proud of accomplishing so far in your life?

Mike, Diana, KC and Mallory… my children.

What is your favorite color?

Blue (not politically).

What is your favorite food?

The four basic food groups: Pizza, Beer, Red Wine and Chocolate.

What’s your favorite place in the entire world?

Innisfree (as long as Maureen O’Hara’s living there.

How has your upbringing influenced your writing?

Hmmm… let’s see… New York City, Irish-catholic, working class…

Do you recall how your interest in writing originated?

A nun standing over my with a ruler.

When and why did you begin writing?

See above!

How long have you been writing?

Since I learned cursive in the third grade… boys weren’t taught to type back in the day.

When did you first know you could be a writer?

When my spelling and grammar began to normalize.

What inspires you to write and why?

Saying something that needs to be heard… or just lightening things up a bit.

What genre are you most comfortable writing?

Prose fiction, poetry, historical-cultural, blogging, graffiti and men’s room walls…

What inspired you to write your first book?

Graduating… my first book was my dissertation.

Who or what influenced your writing once you began?

Other writers and personal experiences… the Vietnam War, writ large.

Who or what influenced your writing over the years?

Personal experience and other writers… getting over the Vietnam War, writ large.

Buy Now @ Amazon

Genre – Literary / Historical Fiction

Rating – PG13

More details about the author & the book

Connect with Raymond Gleason on Facebook & Twitter & Linked In

Feature & Follow #28 ~ My Favorite Summer Reading Book!

2013-05-17T02:03:00.000-04:00

RULES

To join the fun and make new book blogger friends, just follow these simple rules:
(Required) Follow the Follow My Book Blog Friday Hosts {Parajunkee and Alison Can Read}
(Required) Follow our Featured Bloggers
Put your Blog name and URL in the Linky thing. You can also grab the code if you would like to insert it into your posts.
Grab the button up there and place it in a post, this post is for people to find a place to say “hi” in your comments and that they are now following you.
Follow Follow Follow as many as you can, as many as you want, or just follow a few. The whole point is to make new friends and find new blogs. Also, don’t just follow, comment and say hi. Another blogger might not know you are a new follower if you don’t say “HI”
If someone comments and says they are following you, be a dear and follow back. Spread the Love…and the followers.

If you’re new to the follow friday hop, comment and let me know, so I can stop by and check out your blog!

Question:

School is out! What is your favorite Summer Reading book??

Answer:

Well, I don't know why summer always reminds of children's books. Especially Enid Blyton's books.. I love to read them when I need some cool and just-fun time. I am a fan of her "Five Find-Outers and Dog" series. I know many of them have great collections for their summer..but I am happy with these (of course, along with some of the new releases). :-)

So, what is your answer?

Follow me and comment below, so that I can follow you back! Thanks for stopping by and happy weekend to everyone!

Mini-Reviews: The Spindlers by Lauren Oliver and My Unfair Godmother by Janette Rallison

2013-05-16T06:34:00.001-04:00

Due to time constraints and piling up review copies, I thought I would post some reviews short. Because these are the books, which already has many reviews for you to choose from in Goodreads and Amazon.

THE SPINDLERS

Series: (Standalone)

Author: Lauren Oliver

Publisher: HarperCollins

Release Date: October 2nd 2012

Source: Review copy from publisher

Genre: Fantasy, Middle Grade

One night when Liza went to bed, Patrick was her chubby, stubby, candy-grubbing and pancake-loving younger brother, who irritated and amused her both, and the next morning, when she woke up, he was not. In fact, he was quite, quite different.

When Liza's brother, Patrick, changes overnight, Liza knows exactly what has happened: The spindlers have gotten to him and stolen his soul.

She knows, too, that she is the only one who can save him.

To rescue Patrick, Liza must go Below, armed with little more than her wits and a broom. There, she uncovers a vast world populated with talking rats, music-loving moles, greedy troglods, and overexcitable nids . . . as well as terrible dangers. But she will face her greatest challenge at the spindlers' nests, where she encounters the evil queen and must pass a series of deadly tests--or else her soul, too, will remain Below forever.

From New York Times best-selling author Lauren Oliver comes a bewitching story about the reaches of loyalty, the meaning of love, and the enduring power of hope.

REVIEW

A nice fantasy world which reminded me of Alice's wonderland, although this is more like terror world. I liked the second half of the novel much better than the first.

I read this long ago, but its like I have nothing to say about it. I had this "its neither good nor bad" feel. Don't get me wrong..I like Lauren Oliver's writing, but I am not able to enjoy this one well. Maybe because its slow, maybe I didn't expect such a plot, maybe its the boring first half.. Well, whatever!

A simple but a good children's story! So, I recommend this for children..as for the adults, this would not be 'my' recommendation. But I still know many who will.. So, give it a try and see for yourself! :)

MY UNFAIR GODMOTHER

Series: My Fair Godmother #2

Author: Janette Rallison

Publisher: Walker Books for Young Readers

Release Date: April 12th 2011

Source: Bought

Genre: Fairy tale retelling, Fantasy, Young-adult

Tansy Miller has always felt that her divorced father has never had enough time for her. But mistakenly getting caught on the wrong side of the law wasn't exactly how she wanted to get his attention. Enter Chrysanthemum "Chrissy" Everstar, Tansy's fairy in shining, er, high heels. Chrissy is only a fair godmother, of course, so Tansy's three wishes don't exactly go according to plan. And if bringing Robin Hood to the twenty-first century isn't bad enough for Tansy, being transported back to the Middle Ages to deal with Rumpelstiltskin certainly is. She'll need the help of her blended family, her wits, and especially the cute police chief's son to stop the gold-spinning story from spinning wildly out of control. Janette Rallison pulls out all the stops in this fresh, fun-filled follow-up to the popular My Fair Godmother.

REVIEW

As its predecessor, this novel is also fun, fairy-tale-ish and adorable. People need these kind of books once in a while. It makes reading more light and safe from emotions.

This novel is about Tansy whose life is about messed up in the fairy tales of Robinhood and Rumpelstiltskin. As much as I liked this novel, I loved "My Fair Godmother" more!

Loved it and recommending both the books in the "My Fair Godmother" series!

So readers, have you read or heard about any of the above two books? What do you think about them?

Writing and Receiving Reviews as a Writer

2013-05-14T05:58:00.000-04:00

- Guest Post by Brad Convissar

I’ll make the first part easy: I don’t write reviews anymore. As a writer, I’ve been burned writing bad reviews or giving bad ratings, honest as they may have been. Writers and fans can be a little unstable. A year ago, a fan of a certain book on Goodreads went through all the 1-star ratings that book received. There were five of them. He went to the profiles of the other four, who weren’t writers, and left nasty, ignorant comments. As for me, he gave all 18 of my books 1-star ratings, which killed my overall rating. Goodreads refused to delete the ratings, even though it was obvious they were bogus; who reads 18 books by an author if he hates the first one or two? So, for the sake of not pissing off other writers or crazy fans, I’ve sworn off reviewing books. It sucks, but it needed to be done.

As for receiving reviews, as an author, you need to have a thick skin. Because some people will hate what you write. And some of their points may even be valid. When it came to Blood, Smoke and Ashes, most of the reviews were positive. But whether you, as a reader, enjoy a book depends on what you are looking for. The positive reviews were really positive: the characters were great, very real; the story was fast paced; the topic was engaging and disturbing; it kept me hooked; I couldn’t stop thinking about it once I was done.

The negative reviews, they tended to the more technical. Yes, the first draft I released had several grammar/spelling errors, and because of the bad receives, I was forced to edit it again. I was embarrassed that so many errors slipped through. So I recently went back and fixed most, if not all, of them. Other complaints? The story was too far-fetched. Too unbelievable. And you know what? It was in some respects. For some, it stretched disbelief too far. And that’s all right. But the majority of readers enjoyed the book, errors aside, because they were more interested in the characters and their interactions and plights than how far I pushed the boundaries of reality.

Some people will write reviews for the worst reasons, and there is nothing you can do but suck it up. It really pisses me off when I give away a book, a horror book in most cases, and someone picks it up, reads it and gives it 1-star. Their review? “I don’t like horror. The book was too gruesome and scary. Gave me nightmares. I wouldn’t recommend it.” Huh? You don’t like horror but you read it anyway? And then you pan it for being exactly what I wanted it to be? Gruesome? Scary? Nightmarish? That’s the freaking point! Some people. I also released a short story called Blink several years ago. It is ten pages or so, a creepy, almost Twilight Zonish story about a dentist and what he discovers in a patient’s mouth one day. Plenty of 1- and 2-star reviews. Why? Not because the readers didn’t like it, but because they felt they were being teased. They wanted more. They felt like it was a prologue to a book, not just a short story, even though the description clearly labels it as a short story. They wanted a whole book. Again, there is nothing you can do about the poor ratings. Just got to suck it up.

You can’t make everyone happy. And when you only charge $.99 or $2.99 for a book, or it’s free, you don’t feel too guilty when someone doesn’t love it. And if they read it all the way through, they got their money’s worth.

As long as the good reviews outnumber the bad reviews, and as long as the good reviews are more engaging than the bad reviews, you’re good to go and you can count yourself a success.

Buy Now @ Amazon

Genre – Thriller / Horror

Rating – PG13 bordering on R

(Horror with some violence / Some sex, not overly graphic)

More details about the author & the book

Connect with Bradley Convissar on Facebook & Twitter

Blog http://bradleyconvissar.blogspot.com/

How to Make Your Characters Believable

2013-05-13T07:01:00.003-04:00

- Guest Post by Gaelen VanDenbergh

Your characters are crucial to a good story. Yes, there must be a plot. Things have to happen to these people. But in my opinion, if the characters are not believable, the most riveting story will fall flat.

You have to know your characters. What do they like to eat? If they had a day entirely to themselves, alone, what would they choose to do? Do they have secret dreams or desires that no one knows about? How do they react in various situations? If you think about a close friend of yours, think of all that you know of that person’s idiosyncrasies. Carefully consider your characters in the same way.

Consider personal history. Where did they grow up? What was their family situation? Do they have brothers and sisters? Were they nurtured or neglected or something in-between? What turning points occurred in their life? What were their relationships like with partners over the years?

If I find myself struggling with the process of getting to know one of my characters, and this has happened many times, I pretend we are meeting for a drink, and I ask them questions. As the conversation in my head progresses, I begin to sort out who this person is and what made them who they are, what brought them to this point in their lives, what they are going through in the present. I can be very nosy.

Once your characters become real to you, your writing will portray them honestly, and they will therefore be believable to your readers.

Finally, pay attention to the details. For me, once I have truly gotten to know a character the way I would know a close friend, I can hear them talk, I see their body language, and I often think I know how they would react in certain situations. Though, as I write, they sometimes surprise me, and then we have to go back to the bar to discuss it. Why did they do that? What made them say that? Don’t let them try to change the subject. This may be their story but it’s your book. Find out what’s really going on.

If this seems like a lot of work, consider your friendships in real life. Did they just come about, or did you spend time getting to know these people? It wasn’t really work, was it? Well, with some people it’s work. But with people you have created, it should fascinate and engross you. For me, it’s the absolute best part of the writing process.

Buy Now @ Amazon & Amazon UK

For a limited time only, $2.99

Genre – Contemporary Fiction

Rating – PG13

More details about the author & the book

Connect with Gaelen VanDenbergh on Facebook & Twitter

Website http://gaelenvandenbergh.com/home/

10 Things I Wish I Knew About Being an Author I Didn’t Know Before

2013-05-09T10:08:00.003-04:00

- Guest Post by Benjamin Wallace

I’ve just recently shed the day job and the “writer-by-night” title and become a full-time stay-at-home author and there are a few things I wish I’d known before hand.

1. Kids have a lot of laundry – Even accounting for school clothes, after school clothes, he got spit on this shirts clothes and pajamas, there is no way my three kids can wear and dirty this many clothes each. They have to have help. I’m thinking some kind of fashion goblin that sneaks in at night, drops a few skid marks and leaves unnoticed.

2. There is no normal – A sick kid, an errand to run, haircut day—there is no normal day. You do your best to set a schedule and stick to it but things are going to happen. You have to learn to write on the fly.

3. Dogs sleep a lot – I always assumed, based on how much they sleep in the evening, that they spent every other moment wagging their tails fast enough to open portal in time. Not the case. They sleep just as much during the day as they do at night. The only difference is now my feet are there to be under.

4. There’s a train that runs by my house – I knew the tracks were there because they’re bumpy. But, I’d never seen a train on the weekend or at night. Or if I happened to be home with the kids … oh, I get it. They’re louder than a train.

5. I forget to feed myself – I’ve heard this described as a special kind of stupid. So be it. I’ll get to writing and go right through breakfast and lunch. However, I never forget the coffee.

6. Kids’ homework is hard – Okay the actual homework isn’t hard. Resisting the urge to say, “Yeah, you’re never going to need to know that” is near impossible.

7. I miss meetings – But I can take naps now. So it’s kind of the same thing.

8. The potlucks suck – When you’re an author you’re working for yourself. So when you have a potluck supper, you’re the only person bringing anything. And since I was the guy that never brought anything, it’s a really sad spread.

9. You have to do the dishes every day – or they will really pile up and possibly hurt someone.

10. It’s as awesome as it sounds – Although being an author, for me, ended up including being a stay at home dad, I’m enjoying every minute of it. Except the dishes. And the laundry. And the homework.

Buy Now @ Amazon

Genre – Comedy / Humour

Rating – PG

More details about the author & the book

Connect with Benjamin Wallace on Facebook & Twitter

Website 1 http://benjaminwallacebooks.com/

Website 2 http://www.dumbwhitehusband.com/

What Inspired Me to Write the Sister Nun Psychosocial Mysteries

2013-05-07T02:23:00.001-04:00

- Guest Post by Deborah Plummer Bussey

In 1964, when our nine member family outgrew the three-bedroom home in Cleveland, Ohio my Dad decided to build a home on a six acre lot he owned about thirty miles outside of the city in Huntsburg, Ohio. Our split-level home was erected a half acre back on the property. My Dad made and proudly displayed a sign that read “Plummer’s Half Dozen” at the end of our long driveway. It was in this home on that six acre lot that I spent my high school years, bumbling my way through adolescence with my sisters and young brother. After high school, at only seventeen years old, I entered the convent and lived in the religious order’s Motherhouse only ten miles away from my family home. On “home visits” coming back to the “Plummer’s Half Dozen” was always very, very special.

Half Dozen Publications publishes the Sister Nun cozy mystery series inspired by my family, my life as a nun, and my life as a psychologist after I left the convent. In Sister Nun psycho-social mysteries, psychologist and former nun, Kathy Carpenter always finds out something in her clinical practice that she must bring to light without breaking confidentiality. Her gregarious sister, Tina, helps her to uncover the truth. Together these amateur sister sleuths uncover suicides and accidental deaths as murders. In They Still Call Me Sister, Kathy and Tina find themselves caught up in political intrigue and a sex scandal to uncover the truth about one of Kathy’s patient death that is claimed to be a suicide. In The Family That Stays Together, Kathy and Tina work relentlessly to clear charges brought against their close friend and television personality for murdering her ex-fiancé.

The Sister Nun psycho-social mysteries include a great deal of pop culture. Pop culture provides the context for what influences the characters in the story. As a psychologist, understanding the psyche and motivations of the characters is important to me as a writer; thus, the stories have more background and character development than typical mysteries that are more driven by plot. Sister Nun series are cozy mysteries. In cozy mysteries violence and sex are downplayed or treated humorously. I am squeamish about blood and gut stuff and I can’t imagine crime scenes let alone write about them realistically. As you can imagine being a former nun, writing great sex scenes would not be my strong suit; although, who knows, I may make that a stretch goal as a writer. In the meantime, I do hope you enjoy the series.

Please follow Kathy Carpenter on twitter KathyCarpenter@SisterNun and the series on Facebook www.facebook.com/Deborah Plummer Bussey.

READ MY REVIEW OF DEBORAH'S NOVEL HERE!

Buy Now @ Amazon

Genre – Cozy Mystery

Rating – PG13

More details about the author & the book

Connect with Deborah Plummer Bussey on Facebook & Twitter

Website http://halfdozenpublications.com/

Review: Scent of Magic (Healer #2) by Maria V. Snyder

2013-05-05T03:24:00.000-04:00

I can't believe one year went by after I read the first book. You know, "Touch of Power" (Healer #1) is the first review copy that I received and wrote review for, in this blog. So, this series is something I can't forget that easily.

Series: Healer #2

Author: Maria V. Snyder

Publisher: Harlequin

Release Date: December 18th 2012

Source: Review copy from publisher

Genre: Fantasy, Young adult

Hunted, Killed—Survived?

As the last Healer in the Fifteen Realms, Avry of Kazan is in a unique position: in the minds of her friends and foes alike, she no longer exists. Despite her need to prevent the megalomanical King Tohon from winning control of the Realms, Avry is also determined to find her sister and repair their estrangement. And she must do it alone, as Kerrick, her partner and sole confident, returns to Alga to summon his country into battle.

Though she should be in hiding, Avry will do whatever she can to support Tohon’s opponents. Including infiltrating a holy army, evading magic sniffers, teaching forest skills to soldiers and figuring out how to stop Tohon’s most horrible creations yet; an army of the walking dead—human and animal alike and nearly impossible to defeat.

War is coming and Avry is alone. Unless she figures out how to do the impossible ... again.

REVIEW

*** Thanks to Harlequin and Netgalley for the review copy. ***

I don't remember much of "Touch of Power", only Avry and Kerrick got together after Avry was healed by the lily (umm, death or peace???) and Avry healed Prince Ryne. But, I don't have to worry much about it. Scent of magic covers the basics and refreshes the readers' memory about its predecessor.

"Scent of Magic" covers the journey of Kerrick through the woods as a slave and adventures of Avry (ah, I like this name so much) in Estrid's army. After some initial dissatisfaction, Estrid's troops trusts Avry. And Avry helps the army to learn how to move in the forest without making any disturbances. And Avry does this all with a disguise. After some chapters, the disguise was worn off, and Avry is sent back to heal the injured in the infirmary. In between all this drama in Avry's life, there are some friendship, losses and recovery, that makes the read more interesting.

Kerrick - oh, Kerrick! Why do you have to be so boring? His side of the story just drags on and on, without any much progress or action. This is one major part I didn't like in the novel. However, Avry's PoV and the climax made up for it.

The action and drama in Avry's world is very exciting to read. Maria's writing is great as always. We see more about Prince Ryne in this novel. And the plot where the Estrid's army is totally surrounded is astounding. Although evil, the plans by Tohon are really something to look after to. And I really am surprised to see how the mind of such a evil guy works.

As much as I wish to say I enjoyed this novel, this is not as good as "Touch of Power". But I still love it. And I will definitely look forward to reading the final installment.

SERIES ORDER

1. Touch of Power - Review | Amazon | Goodreads

2. Scent of Magic - Review | Amazon | Goodreads

3. Taste of Death - Expected publication 2013 | Goodreads

Giveaway & Guest Post ~ Let me frighten you! ~ By Rhiannon Frater

2013-05-03T08:34:00.002-04:00

Today, in our blog, we have Rhiannon Frater (yeah, the same author, who writes bad-ass stories and who I am a total fan of) celebrating her paperback release of "Siege".

Don't miss out the impressive guest post and giveaway, that follows!

Series: As the World Dies, #3

Author: Rhiannon Frater

Publisher: Tor Books

Release Date: April 30th 2013

Genre: Adult Horror

Buy Links: Amazon | B&N

Siege is the conclusion to Rhiannon Frater’s As the World Dies trilogy, which should appeal to fans of The Walking Dead. Both The First Days and Fighting to Survive won the Dead Letter Award from Mail Order Zombie. The First Days was named one of the Best Zombie Books of the Decade by the Harrisburg Book Examiner.

The zombie illness has shattered civilization. The survivors who have found tenuous safety in Texas defend their fort against the walking dead and living bandits.

Katie has made peace with the death of her wife and is pregnant and married to Travis, who has been elected Mayor. Jenni, her stepson, Jason; and Juan—Travis’s righthand man—are a happy family, though Jenni suffers from PTSD. Both women are deadly zombie killers. In Siege, the people of Ashley Oaks are stunned to discover that the vice president of the United States is alive and commanding the remnants of the US military. What’s left of the US government has plans for this group of determined survivors

LET ME FRIGHTEN YOU!

- Guest Post by Rhiannon Frater

I am inspired and intrigued by what frightens me. Writing about what I fear compels me to step outside my comfort zone and forces me to confront issues and themes that are not always easy to discuss. Creating an imaginary world where terrible things happen to fictional characters is an easier (and safer) way to deal with issues we must all face at some time in our lives such as loss of loved ones, overcoming adversity, and evolving in the face of hardship. But it also allows me as a writer to also delve into much more frightening and rare occurrences such as war, natural disasters, and apocalyptic scenarios.

When I sat down to write the AS THE WORLD DIES zombie trilogy, I wanted to address the zombie apocalypse in a realistic manner. Though the scenario of the dead wandering the earth and eating the living is highly unrealistic, I wanted the characters of the story to be everyday people who somehow manage to live past the first terrifying days of the plague. I didn’t want any Rambos or Ripleys in the mix. I wanted people who would resemble me and the reader.

Within each character in AS THE WORLD DIES there is familiarity. The characters are people we know or maybe even aspect of ourselves. They all have different strengths and weaknesses, personality flaws, and issues to overcome. Because I wanted my characters to be everyday folks, their reactions to their terrible circumstances are grounded in reality.

For example, Jenni is a battered housewife/trophy wife at the beginning of the first book in the trilogy, THE FIRST DAYS.After the devastating death of her children, Jenni is rescued by Katie. At first she is in shock, but slowly evolves throughout the series into a much stronger (yet not always stable) person. To make Jenni realistic, I drew on the coping mechanisms victims in abusive situations develop. The mind is amazing in its capacity to adapt to dire circumstances in order to ensure survival. Jenni’s ability to basically cut off her emotions and compartmentalize allows her to survive better than people who have yet to develop these coping skills. Also, Jenni is extremely used to living in a life-threatening situation on a daily basis, so the zombocalypse is not much different in some respects. Though sometimes readers get mad at Jenni for her immaturity (she was married at 17 and isolated from the world by her husband) and her bizarre actions, she remains one of the most popular, if not the most popular, character in the series.

Oftentimes readers of the series tell me how the characters in the book feel like friends. They worry about them, fear for them, and sometimes mourn them. I have also been told how readers feel so attached to the world and the characters they feel like they are in the action. I contribute this to the fact that they characters feel like people we know in our everyday lives, it is easy to slip into the dangerous world of AS THE WORLD DIES with them.

Though I love superheroes and magical/supernatural characters, in the end they are far removed from me with their abilities. I know I can’t do the things they can do. But I can easily imagine myself on a rescue run with Jenni and Katie, clutching a gun, sweating with anxiety, and feeling sick to my stomach with fear. Somehow this translates to the reader as well. I’ve heard so many stories of people having to put the book aside so their wildly beating heart could calm down. Honestly, I’ve stopped typing for the same reason.

There is a certain magic that sometimes happens in books that is hard for the author to explain to the reader, but after a lot of thought I do believe the reason why my books can be so terrifying is because the characters are not so far removed from you and me.

So when a zombie is moving relentlessly toward a character in SIEGE, the fast beating of your heart and the tremor of fear flitting through your mind is probablybecause you could be character facing uncertain outcome.

Now the question is…do you survive?

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Rhiannon Frater is the award-winning author of the As the World Dies trilogy (The First Days, Fighting to Survive, Siege,) and the author of three other books: the vampire novels Pretty When She Dies and The Tale of the Vampire Bride and the young-adult zombie novel The Living Dead Boy and the Zombie Hunters. Inspired to independently produce her work from the urging of her fans, she published The First Days in late 2008 and quickly gathered a cult following. She won the Dead Letter Award back-to-back for both The First Days and Fighting to Survive, the former of which the Harrisburg Book Examiner called ‘one of the best zombie books of the decade.’ Rhiannon is currently represented by Hannah Gordon of the Foundry + Literary Media agency. You may contact her by sending an email to rhiannonfrater@gmail.com.

AUTHOR ONLINE: Website | Goodreads | Facebook | Twitter

GIVEAWAY

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Why Book Covers are So Important

2013-05-03T08:10:00.001-04:00

- Guest Post by Henry Mosquera

A lot of self-published writers confuse aesthetics with effectiveness. A good book cover is not meant to please our eyes but to garner attention. Your cover should stand out from those around it, it should stay in people’s minds, and it should generate interest. Let’s say you see a bunch of novels and one stands out because you hate the cover. You may comment about it to a friend, make fun of it and bring it up whenever an example is appropriate. Well, guess what? That hateful image is living happily inside your head, when better-executed covers have failed to make an impression. An extreme case, perhaps, but it illustrates the difference between “pretty” versus “attractive.”

A book cover has more in common with a billboard than a painting. You want to grab a potential reader’s attention; they don’t have to fall in love with the artwork. The publishing industry knows that awards, blurbs from famous authors, and reputable reviews sell novels not covers.

Of course, a cover is the first impression a reader gets of your book. So you want it to be professional, which is one of the problems most indie novels face. Just as Microsoft Word doesn’t necessarily breed good writers, Adobe’s Photoshop doesn’t make you a professional artist. These are just tools take make the work easier for the initiated. You can cut and paste all you want and play with fonts and filters, but a computer program will not transfer you the skills of a trained designer. No matter how simple it may look to you.

If you don’t have the skills, hire someone who does. The last thing you want is for a reader to look at your novel and go, “Meh, it looks amateurish and cheap,” and walk away (click away?) from your novel. You may have spent all of this money on editors, manuscript annalists and proofreaders to shape up your novel to a professional quality, but if no one picks it up, who cares? If you are self-published the odds are already against you. The stigma of unprofessionalism already mires your work, whether it’s true or not. So why position yourself on a lesser light? Invest on a professional cover. That’s right, it’s not an expense, but an investment towards your books success. As independent authors, we have to strive to do everything in our power to present our work in the highest quality possible. Otherwise we will never shake off the image of the raggedy horde of untalented creators.

If you truly posses the skill set to design your covers, here are a few tips you may find useful: artwork doesn’t have to be overtly elaborate to fulfill its purpose. Most covers out there are busy, cliché and forgettable. Spend some time thinking about your book’s cover, go to a bookstore and see what pops out from the shelves and analyze why. Search the Internet for lists of the best covers and study how the designers approached their task. Keep in mind that the artwork of your book will most likely be used in other ways like banners, social media sites, tie-in merchandising i.e. T-shirts, etc. You want your design to be able to transfer easily to whatever suits your marketing and advertising needs. Think branding. Remember, your book is not only what lies between the covers, but what is on them as well. It deserves the same kind of care and attention.

Buy Now @ Amazon

Genre – Political Thriller

Rating – R

More details about the author & the book

Connect with Henry Mosquera on Facebook & Twitter

Website http://redroom.com/member/henry-mosquera

Practical Advice for Beginning Fiction Writers

2013-05-03T08:08:00.003-04:00

- Guest Post by Sarah Martinez

I am all about energy. Finding it, sustaining it and communicating it.

Read, absorb what you read, read more, question what you read. Read for fun, decide what pulls you in and try to make your reader’s experience with your work the same.

Read poetry and study the images, word choices, and any other aspects of the work that grab you. Poets are masters of making huge statements or painting vivid images with just a few words. This is an important skill.

Write often. Write daily. Write up your experiences in the most detailed way possible. Include all the senses, even what it feels like to have an intuition or worry.

Be honest.

Be specific.

Be detailed.

Believe in yourself, because nobody else will, at least not in the beginning. Not at the level necessary to keep you going through rejections, bad advice, job loss, illness, grief and everything else life lobs at us. There is something about you as an individual that nobody else has. It takes work to articulate this, to show it off and to make it interesting to others. The world needs new voices, so believe in that if this is all you can do in the beginning. Keep music, quotes, movies, pictures, anything you can around you to remind you what you are working towards.

The best teacher I have ever had is Priscilla Long. She wrote a book called The Writer’s Portable Mentor which covers just about everything from productivity and writing groups to where to submit and how to analyze and choose structures. She spends a lot of time on sentences, especially the compound sentence and explains why having many tools at our disposal is important. Get this book and study it.

I make mentors out of my favorite authors. I listen to their interviews when I am driving in the car. I learn a lot just taking my kids to preschool and feel more like a part of the larger community that way. I also go see them when they come to town. I get pictures with them and post them on my website. This reminds me that they are just people, and it also makes me feel like what they have might possibly be something I can attain, and I am not talking about the prizes either. They talk about commitment and putting in the time. These messages I don’t think I can ever hear enough.

Also, get involved in your own writing community. This has been very important to me. I’ve met everyone from future critique partners, conference roommates, sources of research material, and marketing opportunities just by being involved. Further to this, be the best part of this community you can be, always offer a person something before you ask them to do something for you. You’ll be amazed at what you are able to contribute, even early on.

Buy Now @ Amazon

Genre – Literary Erotica

Rating – X

More details about the author & the book

Connect with Sarah Martinez on Facebook & Twitter

Website http://www.mywildskies.com/