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Linda Nightingale ~*~ Musings

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Linda Nightingale ~*~ Musings

Monthly Archives: October 2014

Dragon by James Austin McCormick

30 Thursday Oct 2014

Posted by Linda Nightingale in Uncategorized

≈ 2 Comments

Tags

Amazon, Class Act Books, dragons, ebook, English authors, fantasy, fantasy novels, free book giveaways, paperback book

19219835 (2)

Author is holding a contest for a free paperback copy of the book at

https://www.facebook.com/AuthorJamesAustinMcCormick?sk=app_512541485429310

An author referred by a reviewer friend of mine would like to share an excerpt of his riveting novel, Dragon:

Chapter 1

The Legacy of Suleiman

Asmara was a small desert moon orbiting its gas giant parent at a distance just great enough to put it outside the planet’s radioactive reach. It was a cold, dusty little place, barely capable of supporting microbic life. Yet it did have one thing in its favor, its location. Asmara was in the gray zone, an area of space almost central to the six worlds. None dared lay claim to it and consequently it was free of all outside authority. That was why the crime syndicates built their Pleasure Dome there, and in the two decades after the Dark Age Wars it flourished.

It was here, at one of the casino tables, the last three players of a merciless card game studied their hands. Two of them, a human and a reptilian Tuolon, were far from happy, glaring angrily at the third player as he whistled out a tuneless melody. If Sillow had been human, he would have been judged to be no more than fourteen. He wasn’t; he was a Sylvan, and his childlike face and adolescent build were quite normal for his twenty-five years.

As he looked over his cards from beneath a shock of dark green hair, only his large eyes were visible. It was just as well, for his lips moved frantically as he mentally played through the possible scenarios.

Finally he gave a little nod and placed his cards face down. He took his cigar from the ashtray and began puffing heavily on it. The human, a skinny man with pockmarked features, ran a hand over two day’s stubble,

“Make your damn move,” he growled. “If you’ve got the goods, show them.”

Sillow shrugged. “Hey, give me a break Garrick,” he replied in his soft, musical voice. “You can’t rush something like this.”

He looked at his cards again, studying them as he blew smoke rings in the air. His little feet tapped all the while on the hard marble floor.

His fellow players regarded him with extreme irritation, and the human came to the decision the Sylvan was playing mind games with them. The truth though was far different. Sillow was scared and was trying to decide how best to safely extricate himself and the credits he needed from his present circumstances.

Although he couldn’t say why, he was certain now the Tuolon was a professional assassin here to kill him. His would be killer even blew his ship up to stop him escaping.

Since then the little Sylvan had been busy at the tables making the money he needed to get a freighter off the Dome. There was a royal summons to answer and he’d delayed too long already. The message was just one word, Suleiman.

“Okay, ready,” he finally announced. “You want to see this hand it’ll cost you…” he paused for effect, “six more credits.”

The human thought hard for a moment, shook his head then threw the chips into the pot in the middle of the table.

“Damn your pointy green ears,” he growled. “You take me on this hand and I lose the whole pay from my last haul.”

Sillow turned to the Tuolon. “What about you, En’n?” he asked, knowing his reptilian companion was more than out of his depth. The leathery area around the Tuolon’s eyes tightened and he opened his canine like jaws to reply. His physiology prevented him from forming Amalgam words, the common language used between the races. Instead he was forced to rely on the electronic collar at his neck.

“Not enough credits,” he answered in a synthesized voice, “but stay, watch.”

Sillow shook his head. “Sorry. You know the rules. You fold, you leave.” He waved his cigar towards the exit.

“Bye.”

“Stay,” the reptile hissed.

“Can’t do that,” Sillow told him.

The Tuolon thrust a clawed finger at the Sylvan. “I do not take orders from a weak creature like you,”

Sillow blew a cloud of smoke directly at the huge reptile. “I’m afraid you’re going to have to.”

The Tuolon’s lip curled away from his razor teeth. “I will…”

“What?” Sillow asked, placing a shaking hand to his cigar as he feigned a calmness he didn’t feel. “You’ll kill me?”

The Tuolon’s anger was growing, Sillow realized; now was the moment to push him past his limited self-restraint.

“Get lost!” he said.

The human gasped, pushing his chair away from the table. The Tuolon got to his feet, his powerful frame shaking with fury. “I will kill you,” he hissed.

Sillow felt his heart beating like a jack hammer. He was ready to bolt at the reptile’s slightest move. A faint hum of a sentinel though told him his plan was working. The spherical droid appeared above them.

Sensors flashed as it monitored everything in its immediate environment, heart rate, respiration, hormonal skin level. Its three red optics trained on the Tuolon.

“You have indicated a desire to commit violence,” it stated in a cold, metallic voice. “Is this assessment correct?”

The reptile stared up at the black sphere. “Not correct,” he answered, nostrils flaring. “No threat.” His chest heaved as he answered.

“No threat here,” Sillow added, reaching over and giving the assassin a pat on the arm.

“My friend though was under the impression you can remain at the table even if you aren’t playing.”

“Negative,” the sentinel replied. It positioned itself in front of the Tuolon, laser banks flashing dangerously. “State your intention,” it ordered.“Do you wish to continue with your hand or fold?”

With a huge effort the Tuolon sat down. “Play,” he replied.

Sillow looked the reptile over. “What can you bet with?” he asked.

He leaned back, tapping a finger on his cheek. “You’re almost out credits. How about jewelry?” He looked at En’n’s simple animal hide armor, “no.” He frowned, then snapped his fingers. “I know,” he announced, pretending the idea had just come to him, “your ship.” The Tuolon gave a start.

Sillow took a puff on the cigar. “Yeah, I could really do with one, you see…” He fixed the Tuolon with a meaningful look. “Some scum bag blew mine up.”

“Do you agree to this wager?” the Sentinel asked in its emotionless voice.

Sillow watched En’n’s discomfort with satisfaction. The Tuolon, he knew, could not afford to lose his ship, but he could also not afford to let his prey out of his sight either. It was, after all, frustration with his elusive quarry which forced him to the card table in the first place.

The Tuolon nodded, fury burning in his black eyes. “Okay,” he said. “I bet.”

Sillow turned to the human. “You’re a witness to this right, Garrick?”

The man sighed. “Guess so,” he replied.

“I am also a witness to the wager,” the sentinel added. “If the Sylvan wins the hand, the docking bay computer will be informed the ship has a new owner.”

There was a pause, small lights flashing as the sentinel conveyed the message.

“Proceed.”

The man gave a shrug of his bony shoulders. “What the hell,” he groaned. He threw his cards down, four of a kind. The Tuolon gave a soft grunt then threw down a superior straight. The man let out a despairing cry and slumped back in his chair.

Sillow’s childlike face was unreadable. He shrugged and scratched his cheek in an absent minded way as he regarded the cards in front of him. “Oh, well,”he said after some moments, “guess that makes me the winner.” He flashed his reptilian opponent a smile then laid down a royal flush.

En’n froze, unblinking. His chest rose and fell dangerously, and his fists clenched so tightly his claws cut into his palms. The sentinel, Sillow knew, would be monitoring all this. It was time to push his adversary over the edge. He took a long draw on his cigar and blew a stream of smoke in his direction.

“Bad luck, En’n, and so long,” he said scooping the pile of credits towards him. He put them into the leather pouch around his waist.

“How do you say it in Tuolon? Ah, yes…” he finished putting the last of the credits away and leaned forward. “Ekarak,” he hissed in a bad imitation of the warrior farewell.

To the cold logic of the sentinel there was nothing provocative in these words, but Sillow knew such familiar language from one not of the Tuolon warrior caste would infuriate the reptile.

The assassin roared in fury and, forgetting all other considerations, swung at the Sylvan’s throat with his lethal claws. Sillow, however, with the quick reflexes of his race, backed out of range. En’n, his attempt frustrated, plunged into a berserker rage and began to swing out wildly in all directions.

Sillow pushed Garrick’s chair backwards, sending its occupant sprawling to the floor. En’n now lunged for

Sillow. Before he could close the distance though, the sentinel fired an energy bolt, sending the reptile crashing unconscious to the floor.

The black metallic body turned, a large optic focused on Sillow. “State your name and when you wish to depart.”

“Silla Low,” the Sylvan answered, “and I plan on leaving right now.”

A wave flickered over the sentinel as lights flashed on and off in succession. “I have made the arrangements. Take your winnings and depart.”

Sillow needed no prompting. He was about to leave when he caught the haunted, despairing expression on Garrick’s face. He reached into his pouch and pulled out a handful of credits, far more than the man was able to count.

“Tell you what,” he said, throwing them down onto the table. “I only stopped off at the Dome to pick up a fresh supply of cigars. How about you pick me up a couple months’ supply?”

The man, still flat on his back, managed a small nod.

Sillow wiped the sweat from his brow. “That should more than cover it. Now if you’ll excuse me, I really have to be somewhere.”

~ * ~

The Tuolon ship was a sleek craft, built like a needle with a power core capable of great speed. He could make it to Sylvan in less than a day in this thing. There were, however, two big problems. The first was a good, working knowledge of the Tuolon language was necessary to operate the complex controls, as opposed to the few phrases he knew. The second was it was a two man ship, possibly three. There was no way he could pilot this thing alone.

Sillow gave a soft curse as he ran the problem through his mercurial mind. He brought a small fist down on the control panel in frustration. He had no choice but to hawk it at a low enough price to make a quick sale. Doing so, however, would mean more delay and danger too. The assassin En’n might be safely locked up, but whoever he was working with wasn’t.

Decision made, he rushed out of the craft and headed off in the direction of the barter quarters. The portcullis like doors opened automatically and Sillow rushed through. Two Tuolons were waiting for him. Smaller in stature than En’n and clearly not the fearsome killer their master was, they were nevertheless a frightening sight, especially for the diminutive Sylvan. The doors slammed shut behind him.

“The master’s ship,” one of them rasped. “Return it to us.” The reptile made a motion for him to step back inside. “Only you have access,” he went on, “give us the codes.”

Sillow realized it was all over if he did. What could he do? He’d never learned to fight and had no idea how to use the compact staff he carried on his belt. Even if he did, he seriously doubted he could have taken these two on anyway. His only advantage was his speed, but to make it work he needed to get some space between them and him.

“Computer,” he said, turning his head to speak into the voice com, “this is Silla Low,” he took a deep breath, then “…help!”

A warning siren sounded in response to his cry. The Tuolons panicked. One reached out to grab him, lunging forward. Sillow timed his move carefully. He jumped up onto his larger opponent’s outstretched leg and somersaulted over him.

Before either of the Tuolons could react, Sillow was sprinting away down the corridor. “Help!” he screamed again, this time at the top of his voice,“somebody…anybody.”

The Tuolons turned and raced after him but soon realized keeping up with their quarry amongst the labyrinthine corridors would be no easy matter.

Sillow never slowed, even as he heard his pursuers’ footsteps growing fainter behind him. Eventually though, curiosity overcame terror and he chanced a look behind him. He should have looked ahead for it was then he ran into the wall.

Author Bio

James Austin McCormickI’m a college lecturer from the rainy city of Manchester, England and have been writing speculative fiction for over a decade and a half, mostly science fiction, horror and a little fantasy. For me writing is all about escapism and imagination, the further a tale is from reality the more I enjoy it. Mostly I write short stories and novellas and have been fortunate enough to have had many of these published professionally. I also write short novels (40 000 to 60 000 words). My first science fiction novel and my ‘baby’ is called Dragon. I wrote the first draft of it ten or so years ago and since then it steadily evolved into the version published in October 2013 by Class Act Books. I’ve had three other works published since then with one more (another Dragon novel) to come out in November of this year.

Background to the novel:

Dragon grew out of two ill matched protagonists who’d been in my mind for a long time. One was a restless, reckless and neurotic elf and the other a taciturn, ill- tempered barbarian, think Conan without the brains or charm. Originally I planned to write a series of interlinking fantasy novellas following their adventures together. The tone was to be comedic and I intended them to be a sort of comedy double act, the elf the clownish figure and the barbarian the straight man, the foil as it were. Well, the characters developed a life of their own and survived, as did the interlinking format to follow their adventures but somehow the story seemed to work better with a science fiction spin. Because of this transition from fantasy to science fiction the novel took about a decade to fully evolve into its present manifestation. It does retain a strong fantasy element though and the two protagonists still travel around by Dragon, although a metallic one instead of the reptilian creature that existed in the original conception. The final chapter “Relics” blurs the lines completely between the world of magic and gods and science as an ancient mystery is finally answered. Although it would be next to impossible to write an actual sequel the twenty year time span the novel occupies allows me a lot of scope to write further tales around the same characters. I have a second novel, Dragon: Smuggler Tales coming out in November, a series of connected stories that take place in the year that elapses between chapters one and two of Dragon.

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The Sins of a Few by Sarah Ballance

29 Wednesday Oct 2014

Posted by Linda Nightingale in Uncategorized

≈ 5 Comments

Tags

Amazon, ebook, Entangled Publishing, Goddess Fish Promotions, Kindle, new releases, paperback, paranormal romance, romantic suspense, Salem witch trials, witches

MBB_TheSinsOfTheFew_BannerSarah will be awarding a $25 Amazon or BN gift card to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour

a Rafflecopter giveaway

 

BLURB:

Salem, 1692

The moment he steps off the boat and into his hometown of Salem, Nathanial Abbot knows the rumors about Salem are indeed true. For in the two years since he’s left Salem—disowned by his family and seeking a fortune of his own—the town has changed. It is dark with discord and suspicion… and accusations of witchcraft. Now all that remains for him is the woman he’s never forgotten.

But Faith Downing isn’t happy to see Nathanial. In his absence, his younger sisters have ignited the chain of hysteria that resulted in twenty deaths—including Faith’s aunt, to whom Nathanial owed his life. Yet through her acrimony, Faith can’t prevent herself from responding to the man Nathanial has become, handsome and kind. A man who kindles something in her that speaks of sin.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Cover_The Sins of a FewEXCERPT:

“The accused would not be in need of defense if someone had bothered to put a stop to what your sisters were doing,” she said, her jaw tight. “And if you wish to walk out of here without a limp, take heed now of your opportunity to go.”

“And if I do not?”

She lifted her hand as if she meant to contact him, but he did not allow her the chance. With undue speed, he captured her wrist and pressed her arm, gently but firmly, against the plank wall at her back. “Careful there, little one.”

“Or what? Do you mean to threaten me?”

“Not at all. In truth, my intentions are exactly the opposite.”

Her hazel eyes narrowed. “What does that mean?”

His gaze dropped to her lips. Drank in the sight of her tongue darting to moisten them. Her chest heaved, sending his heart into uncharted territory. Sending him away from her.

He released her arm and took a step back. He had been a breath away from kissing her, and the only thing that promised to be more delicious than those ripe, moist lips was the fury she would no doubt cast his way. But now was not the time, nor was it the place. “Nothing,” he said. “It means nothing.”

Leaving her staring slack-jawed after him, he turned on his heel and left.

<<<<<<<<

Sarah BallanceAUTHOR Bio and Links:

Sarah and her husband of what he calls “many long, long years” live on the mid-Atlantic coast with their six young children, all of whom are perfectly adorable when they’re asleep. She never dreamed of becoming an author, but as a homeschooling mom she often jokes she writes fiction because if she wants anyone to listen to her, she has to make them up. (As it turns out, her characters aren’t much better than the kids.) When not buried under piles of laundry, she may be found adrift in the Atlantic (preferably on a boat) or in search of that ever-elusive perfect writing spot where not even the kids can find her. To learn more about her work in contemporary, historical, and supernatural romance and romantic suspense, please stalk accordingly.

Website: http://www.sarahballance.com/

Blog: http://sarahballance.wordpress.com/

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/sarah.ballance.author.news

Twitter: https://twitter.com/SarahBallance

Pinterest: http://www.pinterest.com/SarahBallance34/

Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/4103362.Sarah_Ballance

Buy Links:

Entangled direct link not yet available / author page@ http://www.entangledpublishing.com/category/sarah-ballance/

Amazon http://www.amazon.com/Sins-Few-Entangled-Scandalous-ebook/dp/B00NS3TEC6/

Barnes & Noble http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-sins-of-a-few-sarah-ballance/1120377365?ean=9781633751026

Kobo http://store.kobobooks.com/en-US/ebook/the-sins-of-a-few

iTunes https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/the-sins-of-a-few/id921443242?mt=11

Google Books https://play.google.com/store/books/details/Sarah_Ballance_The_Sins_of_a_Few?id=77CTBAAAQBAJ

MBB_TheSinsOfTheFew_CoverBannerFOR MORE OPPORTUNITIES TO WIN THE $25 GIFT CARD, FOLLOW SARAH ON HER TOUR:

http://goddessfishpromotions.blogspot.com/2014/09/book-blast-sins-of-few-by-sarah-ballance.html

 

 

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Shadows of Ghosts by Stefan Haucke

27 Monday Oct 2014

Posted by Linda Nightingale in Uncategorized

≈ 7 Comments

Tags

Amazon, centaurs, fantasy novel, giveaways, Goddess Fish Promotions, independent authors, independent publishing, indie author, Kindle, Stefan Haucke, young adult novels

VBT Shadows of Ghosts Tour Banner copyStefan will be awarding one randomly chosen winner via rafflecopter a $50 Amazon/BN.com gift card.   a Rafflecopter giveaway

MEDIA KIT Author1Stefan agreed to a fun interview.  Here’s your chance to learn more about him before you read the excerpt of his fascinating and imaginative Shadows of Ghosts.  Just the title captured my interest, and I love centaurs, being a horsewoman.  Without further ado:

  1. Can you describe your dream home?

My dream home would have a huge indoor swimming pool. It would be amazing to be able to go for a swim anytime, no matter what the weather is doing.

  1. If you could be any character, from any literary work, who would you choose to be? Why?

Maybe Huckleberry Finn. He led an adventurous life during a turbulent time in United States history. Otherwise, Ishmael from Moby Dick. I would pick him because he also led an adventurous life.

  1. What is the first curse word that comes to mind?

I use different curse words for different situations. There’s the lighter words used for situations such as coming home from grocery shopping and realizing that I’ve forgotten to purchase an important item. Then there’s the more powerful string of curse words hurled at the computer when it locks up. The most powerful curse words are reserved for injuries such as accidentally hitting my finger with a hammer or stubbing my toe. I worked one summer as a deckhand and I learned from the crew that it’s not the curse words that you use, but the way that you string them together. The best cursing comes from creative ways of stringing together four letter words.

4.  How would you spend ten thousand bucks?

If I was given ten thousand bucks and had to spend it all, I would immediately start planning a trip to South Africa. I would use the money for a photographic safari. I would also use the money to spend some time on a boat watching the waters where great white sharks feed.

5.  What are five things within touching distance?

A stack of books, shelves filled with classic rock CDs, a Bose stereo, a file, and a group of interesting sea shells that I’ve collected from various beaches.

BLURB:

Shadows of Ghosts carries readers to Enara, a kingdom at war with itself, where for VBT Shadows of Ghosts Tour Book Cover Banner copycenturies centaurs have been treated like animals because of their horse-like lower bodies; they’ve been forced to work as slaves in the southern agricultural provinces, and have been bought and sold like livestock. But a strong abolitionist faction has convinced many that centaurs’ human torsos, heads, and intellectual abilities make them humans, who should be liberated from slavery and granted the same rights as any other person.

After four years of being forced to live in a remote village and having to keep his real identity a secret, Cal Lanshire, days away from his thirteenth birthday, is given the best birthday present he can imagine. He is told the war is almost over and he will soon be allowed to return home.

But then an old acquaintance unexpectedly arrives with news that changes everything. Cal’s father, the king, has been assassinated.

Suddenly the outcome of the war and the very fate of the kingdom depend upon Cal being able to reach the capital where he will take his father’s place.

With only his crafty best friend by his side and an escaped centaur slave to guide him, can Cal make it through an enchanted, hostile wilderness, past the assassins sent to kill him, and back to the capital before it’s too late?

MEDIA KIT Shadows of Ghosts_Front CoverExcerpt:

Suddenly, Grintar shouted something, but Cal couldn’t understand the words. Grintar’s men spread out, and there was a tension that Cal could sense, like the way it felt seconds before a bolt of lightning was about to strike nearby. Grintar raised his sword over his head, held it there for several seconds, and then he swooped it down, slashing it through the air, and shouted, “Advance!”

Chaos exploded. Crossbow bolts and arrows whistled through the air, and men on both sides charged forward, yelling battle cries, and the ringing sounds of metal striking metal pierced the air as the opposing troops crashed into each other. Soon the agonized screams of the wounded and dying joined the other sounds.

The men who were guarding Cal moved him back, and they tightened their circle around him so that their shields were almost touching; Cal strained to see out through the thin slits in between the shields. All he saw was an occasional flash from the sun reflecting off metal, and at one point he saw a streak of red, which he was certain was blood pouring out of a wounded man.

It was difficult to estimate how long the battle lasted. The agonized screams and the ringing of metal striking metal seemed interminable, and it took all of Cal’s willpower not to clasp his hands over his ears, but the battle stopped so abruptly Cal had a sense that it hadn’t lasted more than three or four minutes. There came a brief span of absolute silence which, after the battle’s cacophony, seemed eerie, as if the dead had suddenly demanded the payment of silent respect.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

AUTHOR Bio and Links:

Stefan Haucke, driven by the desire to learn about other cultures and the need for adventure, has traveled to over twenty nations. He rode a camel near the pyramids in Egypt, swam with sea lions in the waters of the Galapagos Islands, climbed the Great Wall of China, hiked near the Acropolis in Athens, went dog sledding in northern Michigan, and photographed polar bears in Canada.

Along his many travels, Stefan has successfully worked as a deckhand, a shepherd, a dispatcher for an emergency services unit, an electric meter reader, and an office manger. He has also found the time to study the literature and history of ancient Greece, Russia, and the United States, and loves reading folktales, fairytales, and urban legends. He also enjoys astronomy, and on clear nights can be found gazing at the stars and planets with his telescope.

Website:

http://www.stefanhaucke.com/

GoodReads page:

http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/7567224.Stefan_Haucke

Book can be purchased on:

Amazon

http://www.amazon.com/Shadows-Ghosts-Stefan-Haucke/dp/0615902502

Kindle Edition

http://www.amazon.com/Shadows-Ghosts-Stefan-Haucke-ebook/dp/B00H9XIJX6/ref=tmm_kin_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&sr=&qid=

Barnes & Noble

http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/shadows-of-ghosts-stefan-haucke/1117690625?ean=9780615902500

Indie Bound – Independent Bookstores

http://www.indiebound.org/book/9780615902500

VBT Shadows of Ghosts Tour Book Cover Banner copyFOR MORE CHANCES TO WIN THE $50 GIFT CARD, FOLLOW STEFAN ON TOUR AT:

http://goddessfishpromotions.blogspot.com/2014/09/vbt-shadows-of-ghosts-by-stefan-haucke.html

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Second Opinion by Lisa Suzanne

24 Friday Oct 2014

Posted by Linda Nightingale in Uncategorized

≈ 1 Comment

Tags

alpha heroes, Amazon, book series, Hype PR, Kindle, Lisa Suzanne, male POV, romance novels, Side Effects

Synopsis 
What do you do when the person you love most in the world breaks your heart… twice? Grant’s solution is avoiding relationships. Four years since the last time he saw Rachelle, his heart still can’t take another break. 

“You’re not marriage material.” From the time he’d first heard those words spoken by the woman he loved, Grant Carpenter believed them.

When a woman he’s known for years shows an interest in him, he starts to question Rachelle’s words about marriage material, wondering if he might need a second opinion. Someone in the present, someone who has always been in the periphery but who he never gave a second glance, starts to take over his every thought. 

Grant is armed with plenty of reasons to ignore what he’s feeling, but someone who should remain off-limits is suddenly overshadowing his obsession with his past. She’s making him want a future that he thought he’d written off, but he isn’t sure that she wants a future with him.

Ultimately, he has to decide what to do when the past makes her way back into his present.

This is a standalone novel that is a spin-off of SIDE EFFECTS and is told from the point of view of Quinn’s brother, Grant.

 

Excerpt


I had a fairly good idea of what women wanted.
It wasn’t some magic formula like most men thought. They just wanted a little attention paid their way.
Some wanted the bad boy. Others wanted the nice guy.
I’d spent so much time playing the roles they wanted that I’d started to lose sight of who I actually was. I tended toward the cocky asshole more often than not, but one thing was clear: Women wanted me, and I did everything I could to make myself available to them.
I had only three requirements when it came to women.
First, they had to drink. (Drinking lowers inhibitions.) I never trusted people who didn’t drink.
Second, they had to be hot.
Finally, they had to be single.
I preferred blondes with long legs, but I was never one to limit myself to one type.

Buy Now 

AMAZON
 
Review
(if not reviewing please delete)
Celebrity Casting



About
the Author

Lisa
Suzanne started handwriting her books on yellow legal pads after she took a
creative writing class in high school. She still has those legal pads full of
stories, but now one of them is published under the title How He Really Feels.
She currently works as a full time high school English teacher, and her
favorite part of the year is summer. She has been blessed with the world’s best
dog, a supportive family, and a husband who encouraged her to publish after
reading one of her novels. She likes the advice of Ernest Hemingway’s famous
quote, “Write drunk. Edit sober.”
http://www.authorlisasuzanne.com
https://www.facebook.com/AuthorLisaSuzanne
@LisaSuzanne24

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Project Firebird by Nick Green

23 Thursday Oct 2014

Posted by Linda Nightingale in Uncategorized

≈ 3 Comments

Tags

apocalyptic thrillers, dark fantasy, giveaways, Phoenix, sci-fi thrillers, thrillers, UK authors

 

This post is part of a virtual book tour organized by Goddess Fish Promotions. Nick will be awarding a $20 Amazon GC to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour. Click on the tour banner to see the other stops on the tour.

Don’t ask Leo Lloyd-Jones. Ask him how to steal a car, or why he got excluded from every school in Salford, but don’t come to him for help. This whole thing must be a daft mistake – and if anyone finds out, he’s done for.

Earth is on a deadly collision course that nothing can prevent. The only real hope is Project Firebird, deep inside a blast-proof bunker that shelters the brightest and bravest young people. Leo has got mixed up with the likes of Rhys Carnarvon, the celebrated teenage polar explorer, and other child prodigies chosen to keep the flame of civilisation.

Among them is the streetwise Paige Harris, a girl Leo likes a lot (but not in that way). Paige is desperate to rescue her little sister from London before the catastrophe strikes. But no-one is crazy enough to try that. Almost no-one.

Enjoy an excerpt:

‘Some of the brightest young people on the planet. Yet not one of you can make a cup of tea.’

Paige twitched into life.

‘That ain’t true! We’re not all useless around the house. I’ll do it.’

‘Thank you,’ said David. ‘One cup of tea, please. But you must make it all by yourself. No-one can help.’

Paige rolled her eyes – as if! David called after her.

‘I do mean no-one, Paige. No-one at all. Anywhere or anywhen.’

She turned. ‘You what?’

‘Tea,’ said David. ‘Let’s go. First you’ll need water. Clean water. I don’t want to get diarrhoea. So find some. Remember, no help. Not from water companies, or plumbers, or bottle manufacturers. Just you. There’s a lake a few miles away, but streams might be safer. Either way, you’d better start walking now. Maybe take some food along.’

A few uneasy sniggers trailed off. Paige stopped halfway to the door, her face daring David to make fun of her. He continued, counting on his fingers.

‘Something to carry the water in, you’ll need that. A sturdy vessel to boil it in. Pottery is good. Hunt for some clay while you’re out. Enough for a water pot, a teapot and a cup. Plus fuel of course. Wood for the fire. A bow-and-drill, or some other way of lighting it –’

‘This ain’t fair!’ Paige exploded. David held up a hand. Now his smile was kind.

‘It’s all right, Paige. You can sit down. Sorry to put you on the spot.’

About the Author: Nick Green lives in the UK. He is the author of seven fiction books to date, including the middle-grade CAT KIN trilogy published by Strident. His other books include THE STORM BOTTLE, a fantasy adventure about the dolphins of Bermuda, and most recently the FIREBIRD trilogy, a YA science fiction epic.

www.nickgreenbooks.com

https://www.goodreads.com/nickgreen_catkin

Buy the book at Amazon.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

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Bar V5 Dude Ranch Series by Melissa McClone

22 Wednesday Oct 2014

Posted by Linda Nightingale in Uncategorized

≈ 5 Comments

Tags

99 cents novellas, Amazon, Christmas stories, Cowboys, dude ranch, free story, giveaways, Goddess Fish Promotions, independent author, independent publishing, Kindle, rafflecopter giveaways, romance, smashwords, sweet romance, wedding planner, weddings

SBB-Bar-V5-Tour-BannerMelissa will award a $25 Amazon Gift card and a Mini Swag Goodie Bag to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour (international giveaway)

a Rafflecopter giveaway

BLURBS:

Three couples. Three stories, where you can follow one pair from meeting to wedding day!

  1. Mistletoe Magic – short story – $0.99 for Kindle and Nook, FREE at Smashwords
  2. Kiss Me, Cowboy – eBook novella — $0.99 on Kindle Oct 17 – 22
  3. Mistletoe Wedding — eBook novella — New Release! Only $2.99

Cover_Mistletoe MagicMistletoe Magic

Spending a quiet Christmas housesitting and reading novels about hot cowboys sounds perfect to Caitlin Butler. Until a stray kitten brings her face-to-face with Noah, her crush from college. Watching the handsome vet in action melts Caitlin’s heart and brings back long forgotten emotion. She would be safer back at the house lost in the pages of a book. But a toe-curling mistletoe kiss tempts her to stay. Maybe she won’t be spending this Christmas… alone.

Veterinarian Noah Sullivan isn’t a Scrooge, but the Christmas Eve tradition of hanging mistletoe in the clinic’s waiting room annoys him. Kissing doesn’t belong at the Copper Mountain Animal Hospital. Noah rethinks his position when Caitlin arrives with a stray kitten she found freezing in the snow. All he wants now is to maneuver the pretty preschool teacher under the mistletoe. If he’s not careful, he’ll wind up on Santa’s naughty list.

Cover_Kiss Me CowboyKiss Me, Cowboy

She didn’t mean to kiss him…

When dude ranch wrangler Charlotte – aka Charlie – Randall kisses Zack Harris in an act of empathy, she falls hat over spurs for the handsome military veteran turned cowboy. Zack has too many demons, however, and refuses to get involved. A year later, he’s still stonewalling, and Charlie needs to move on with her life so she can find a fulfilling relationship, not frustrating unrequited love. Putting distance between them seems the best way to get Zack out of her head and heart…but that means quitting the job she loves and accepting a position in Colorado.

He didn’t mean to kiss her back…

Growing up, Zack longed for a real family, and had one with his squad while deployed in Afghanistan. Now, he’s back in the States and doesn’t want anything messing up his new ranch family, no matter how much he’s attracted to the sexy, hard-working Charlie. She could break his heart and ruin the comfortable working relationship they and the other wranglers enjoy. Besides, her friends claim she’s looking for the perfect guy, and perfect he’s not.

A kiss is just a kiss…or is it?

When Zack learns Charlie’s thinking about leaving the ranch, he decides to find her a boyfriend — someone so good, so perfect, she has a reason to stay in Montana. Until he realizes too late that the only cowboy he wants her kissing is him. Can he commit to love and convince Charlie not to leave? Or has she made up her mind to put the past, and the kiss that started it all, behind her and move on without him?

Cover_MistletoeWeddingMistletoe Wedding

Longer: Event planner at the Bar V5 Dude Ranch, Meg Redstone is dreaming of a white Christmas with twinkling lights, sparkly decorations and strategically placed mistletoe. She loves making dreams come true for others, whether planning a holiday wedding or giving her young daughter the best Christmas ever.

Ranch foreman Tyler Murphy loves the holidays, but his newest employee has taken over his barn with her over-the-top decorations. He admires Meg’s desire to give her daughter the perfect Christmas while planning a winter wonderland wedding, but he wants to show her that a Montana Christmas is more than glitter and lights.

After raising his younger sister, an instant family is not on Ty’s Christmas wish list. But he finds himself falling hard for the single mom and her little girl. Meg, however, is not interested in a romance with a cowboy like Ty, or any man. Getting her under the mistletoe is going to take a Christmas miracle . . . or a little help from Santa.

EXCERPT:

MISTLETOE WEDDING

Her gaze kept straying back to the man walking next to her.

And she knew with pulse-pounding certainty.

All the rationalizations of why romantic feelings didn’t matter and why she was better off alone than in a relationship disappeared like a snowflake being caught on a tongue. They mattered, and she wanted those things badly.

With Ty.

She hadn’t meant to fall for him, but she had. Hard.

A shiver raced down her spine. The realization was unexpected, scary.

He shot her a sideways glance, which she knew because she couldn’t drag her attention off him. “You, okay?”

“Just thinking.” Of course, he would sense something was up. That was part of his appeal. He got her. The way he understood her daughter, too. If there was one man out there who was what she needed and Brooklyn needed, that was Ty Murphy.

Feelings and desires long buried rose to the surface. She was ready to stop saying she didn’t want more, want him.

“Know what you want?” he asked.

Meg swallowed around the lump in her throat. “Excuse me.”

“What chocolates you’re going to get?”

She sighed with relief. She thought he’d read her mind. “Salted caramels for the guys. I’ll have to see what Sage has in the display case before I decide what I want.”

Besides him.

“You can have more than one,” Ty said.

“I might want only one.”

“It’s Christmas. Don’t be so cautious. Live it up.”

If only she knew where he stood . . . Dare she ask?

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

AUTHOR Bio and Links:

With a degree in mechanical engineering from Stanford University, Melissa McClone AuthorPicworked for a major airline where she traveled the globe and met her husband. But analyzing jet engine performance couldn’t compete with her love of writing happily ever afters. Her first full-time writing endeavor was her first sale when she was pregnant with her first child! Since then, she has published over thirty romance novels with Harlequin and Tule Publishing Group. She’s also been nominated for Romance Writers of America’s RITA® award. When she isn’t writing, you can usually find her driving her minivan to/from her children’s swim practices and other activities. She also sends care packages to deployed service members and fosters cats through a local no-kill animal shelter. Melissa lives in the Pacific Northwest with her husband, three school-aged children, two spoiled Norwegian Elkhounds and cats who think they rule the house. They do!

Website: http://www.melissamcclone.com

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MelissaMcCloneBooks

Twitter: @melissamcclone

Buy links:

  1. Mistletoe Magic

Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Mistletoe-Magic-Copper-Mountain-Christmas-ebook/dp/B00GUZ195O

Smashwords:

Mistletoe Magic is FREE on Smashwords: https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/380641

  1. Kiss Me, Cowboy

http://www.amazon.com/Kiss-Cowboy-Montana-Born-Rodeo-ebook/dp/B00NF0LNFI/

Mistletoe Wedding

http://www.amazon.com/Mistletoe-Wedding-Montana-Born-Christmas-ebook/dp/B00NPMPNE8/

SBB-Bar-V5-Tour-Book-Cover-BannerFOR MORE CHANCES TO WIN AND MORE INTERESTING EXCERPTS, FOLLOW MELISSA ON HER TOUR:

http://goddessfishpromotions.blogspot.com/2014/10/sbb-bar-v5-dude-ranch-series-by-melissa.html

 

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Cover Reveal!! Beautiful Outlaw by Emily Minton

20 Monday Oct 2014

Posted by Linda Nightingale in Uncategorized

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

alpha heroes, bad boys, Born to be Wild Bestselling authors, cover reveal, Emily Minton, erotic romance, Hype PR, motorcycles, outlaws, romance, USA Today Best Selling Authors

Synopsis
After the last fourteen years of
surviving as a walking, talking, living doll, Laura feels dead inside.
She has sacrificed everything for
her family, marrying a man she could never love. Her husband doesn’t beat her,
doesn’t berate her. He transforms her, forcing her to live as a stand-in for
his long dead wife. She stays silent as piece after piece of herself
disappears, willing to do anything to protect the people she loves.
When his demands go too far, she
finally tells her brother the ugly truth.
Wanting to protect her without
putting the rest of their family at risk, he sends her to the one place he
knows she’ll be safe. He places her into the hands of his best friend, Vice
President of the Savage Outlaws MC.
Once again, she is transformed into
someone new; Shay.
Bowie has spent many nights
dreaming about his best friend’s little sister. The reality is so much sweeter
than his dreams. He wants to be more for Shay, needs to protect her, but he’s
not sure if he knows how.

 

Can an Outlaw show her how
beautiful life should be?



About the Author

USA Today Best Selling Author,
Emily Minton is a Kentucky native. She claims she bleeds blue–Wildcat Blue!
Emily loves to read, and this love of the written word led to her writing
career.


Social Media Links
Facebook-
http://www.facebook.com/AuthorEmilyMinton
Twitter-
http://www.twitter.com/emilymintonbks
Pintrest-
http://www.pinterest.com/EmilyMintonBks1/
Website-
http://www.emilyminton.com/
Goodreads-
https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/7171978.Emily_Minton
Amazon- http://www.amazon.com/Emily-Minton/e/B00FHIMV3O/
Giveaway
a Rafflecopter giveaway

Hosted By:

 

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A True Halloween Story

17 Friday Oct 2014

Posted by Linda Nightingale in Uncategorized

≈ 2 Comments

Tags

cleansing rituals, ghost stories, halloween, horror, Linda Nightingale, true stories

dark-stormy-skyIt began three nights ago.   Since then, I have felt the shivery feeling of someone watching me, day and night.

That first night, I was standing in the bathroom getting ready for bed. There came a loud thunk like a body dropping in the attic. That was the beginning of three days of being frightened of the dark, which I never was before.

The episodes occurred at night.   The second night, I was awakened by lights flashing in the living room. I leapt from bed, ran into the room bordering my bedroom and skidded to a halt. The hair at my nape prickled. The lights in the entertainment unit were blinking on and off.   I knew there was a short in the system that required a new power box. I fumbled behind the unit, unplugged the wrong box (the modem for my Uverse services) and finally found the right one. I turned to go back to bed.

The tall metal sculpture, each branch like a tall flower, started ringing as the pieces quivered. Another eerie shiver crawled over me.   My cat Spencer could possibly have skidded on the wooden floor and crashed into the sculpture but he sat several feet away, staring at the vibrating limbs. The thing shook until I placed my hand on it to quiet the awful noise. Totally creeped out, I returned to bed but slept fitfully, waking early with the unwanted feeling of being watched.

Last night after I came home from having Buffalo wings with friends at a bar, I was reluctant to come in the house.   I only moved into this house on September 9th, living here for a little over a month. When I first moved in, I didn’t feel this way. I loved my new house. During washing my face and brushing my teeth, I kept glancing over my shoulder to see if anyone was behind me.   No one, of course. Or at least no one in human form.

Exhausted from several sleepless nights, I fell into a deep sleep immediately. Later in the night, I heard strains of music in the living room when there should have been only silence. Frightened now, I stayed in bed, calling my cat when he began to meow like a soft cry.

Today, I drove about 50 miles roundtrip to Whole Foods to buy a white sage smudge stick. Being part Cherokee, my first thought was white sage. I saged the entire house, chanting, Leave, you are not welcome here. I was going to say that I don’t feel shivery or watched, but as I typed it, the feeling came back.   We’ll see what tonight brings. Peace I hope.

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A Bit of the Dark World by Toni V. Sweeney

16 Thursday Oct 2014

Posted by Linda Nightingale in Uncategorized

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

Class Act Books, Edgar Allen Poe, fantasy, fantasy romance, horror, horror fiction, Lovecraft, Toni V. Sweeney

I had the pleasure of beta reading this novel and thoroughly enjoyed it!

IMG_0393 copy (2)

Almost everyone is familiar with Edgar Allan Poe. At one time or another, we’ve probably read one of his short stories, even if it was in tenth-grade English where “The Pit and the Pendulum” was required reading. How many, however, are familiar with HP Lovecraft, a man who was influenced by Poe and in the Twentieth Century, became his equal in writing tales of mystery and imagination?

Lovecraft was a New Englander, a sickly child who grew into an introspective man. He wasn’t breathtakingly handsome but neither was he unattractive, just fairly ordinary in appearance. He married, did well as a husband, but eventually divorced, seeming to flourish more in a single-household, more isolated and less social atmosphere. During his lifetime, he kept up a correspondence with several aspiring teenaged authors, most of whom, because of his mentoring, later became well-known themselves. (Do the names Robert Bloch and Robert E. Howard ring bells?)

HPL, as he’s general referred to, authored stories often set in the harsh surrounds of his native habitat. They centered around a group of beings older than Time, tossed out of their own dimension into ours where they were bested by enemies and imprisoned on our world. The setting was in and around the towns of Providence, RI, and Arkham—which some readers may recognize as the name of the Asylum where the Joker and many another criminal pursued by Batman eventually ended incarcerated. With the aid of human servants, these “Great Old Ones” occasionally escape their bonds and wreak havoc on the unsuspecting New England countryside.

I was introduced to Lovecraft during my teenage years through a single story “The Dunwich Horror” in an anthology entitled Tales of Terror and the Supernatural, which I received as a gift for my twelfth birthday. This story was later made into a movie tsarring Sandra Dee and Dean Stockwell but like the screen adaptations of most of Poe’s stories, Lovecraft’s tales don’t translate well, since they rely on a good bit of atmosphere and description of the characters’ mental states rather than physical action.

Later in life, I had the privilege of living next door to a Lovecraft scholar. He had a library consisting of hundreds of books on Lovecraft as well as translations of his stories, in German, French, even Japanese. He graciously allowed me to borrow some and read them. Initially, I didn’t know what a honor I was being given until his wife commented, “You really rate. He doesn’t let anyone touch those books.”

untitledOf course, I, being who I am, immediately began to weave my own pseudo-Lovecraft tale, thinking along the lines of…why did the Great Old Ones center themselves only around New England in our part of the world? In other stories, they exist in England, the Middle and Far East, in abandoned cities, deep jungle valleys, or high, frozen mountain peaks. Why couldn’t some of them have traveled further South on our continent and found disciples among the southern population?

New Orleans would seem the ideal spot. I decided to make my haven for Cthulu and his ilk the islands off the coast of Georgia.

And thus I came up with the idea for A Bit of the Dark World…

…of a young man fighting his heritage while ambiguously accepting it…a foolish young woman reveling in the attention she receives from him…and a doctor genetically imbued with the truth about the island off the Georgia coast, fighting to prevent the disaster he envisions…

There’s sex in it so I doubt if HPL would wholeheartedly approve, but perhaps he might at least give me an agreeable nod for the general tone of the novel as well as the way I’ve portrayed his creations.

A Bit of the Dark World—the title is a quote from Rudyard Kipling’s The Phantom Rickshaw—is now available from Act Books.

http://www.classactbooks.com/index.php/component/virtuemart/cat-general-fiction/cat-genfic-fantasy/a-bit-of-the-dark-world-513-detail?Itemid=0

Visit with Toni at:  http://www.tonivsweeney.com

 

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GoodReads Giveaway – Sinners’ Obsession

07 Tuesday Oct 2014

Posted by Linda Nightingale in Uncategorized

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

Amazon, book series, Double Dragon Publishing, ebooks, GoodRead Giveaways, Kindle, Linda Nightingale, paperbacks, paranormal, paranormal romance, Sinners' Obsession, Sinners' Opera, vampires

SinnersObssession-510Midnight, October 6 through October 18 – Enter to win an autographed print copy of Sinners’ Obsession, the sequel to Sinners’ Opera.  US only.  Check out both pages on this blog for more information!
Hope you will enter and win!
Best!
Linda
https://www.goodreads.com/giveaway/show/110515-sinners-obsession?utm_medium=email&utm_source=giveaway_approved

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