#EggcerptExchange – Linda Nightingale

Finder's Keepers - Author Tracey Clark

Personally, I love horses… the few time I was lucky enough to ride (aka: full out run) were some of the happiest in my live… there is nothing like the feeling of flying over the land as the horse beneath you thighs cuts loose…

there are a few things in life that I think everyone should experience at least once… ride a horse; feel the release of free-falling (on a theme park ride, cliff jumping, or for the really extreme – sky diving); and find one thing in life – something beautiful – that takes your breath away, or brings a tear to your eye… now it’s time to check out Linda Nightingale and her latest novel….

Gambler’s Choice
By Linda Nightingale
A novel about people who love horses…
From The Wild Rose Press
Cover Artist:  Debbie Taylor
Editor: Mary Harmony

An English aristocrat and a Virginia socialite go head-to-head—and…

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COVER REVEAL!! – Linda Nightingale’s Morgan D’Arcy: A Vampire Rhapsody and Gylded Wings

Author Alicia Dean

Two gorgeous covers from The Wild Rose Press…

Blurb:

The greatest enemy of a vampire is boredom. Four centuries of existence have taught Lord Morgan Gabriel D’Arcy to fear nothing and no one.  Humans and their weapons have little chance against his preternatural speed and arcane powers. Vampires are viral mutations of human DNA. Still, the Vampyre code requires secrecy, and he has learned to hide his nature from the world. The lure of mortality, of a life in the sun, puts Morgan again and again at the mercy of calculating human women though they fail to consider his charm and determination into the equation. However, even grooming a future bride from infancy proves to be fraught with heartbreak. And second chances are not always what they seem unless… you are Morgan. Immortality and beauty, aren’t they grand?

Excerpt:

A fingertip traced my jaw.  “You guys play a bit fast…

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Egg-cerpt for Today! Tempered Hearts by Pamela Thibodeaux

Tags

book series, books, contemporary romance, horses, inspirational romance, new releases, ranchers, reading, veterinarians, westerns, writing

Tamera Collins / Tempered Hearts (book 1 in series)

1. Nickname: When I was very young, anytime I threw a fit for not getting my way my dad would just laugh and say, “not going to work my little Temper Tantrum” LOL! but the nickname has been shortened to Temper.
2. Job: I am a large animal Veterinarian
3. Birthplace: Greenville, Mississippi
4. Currently residing in: Bandera, TX
5. Favorite type of pet: I own an Arabian but love all horses large and small.

Blurb: Rancher Craig Harris and veterinarian Tamera Collins clash from the moment they meet.  Innocence is pitted against arrogance as tempers rise and passions ignite to form a love as pure as the finest gold, fresh from the crucible and as strong as steel.  Thrown together amid tragedy and unsated passion, Tamera and Craig share a strong attraction that neither accepts as the first stages of love.  Torn between desire and dislike, they must make peace with their pasts and God in order to open up to the love blossoming between them.  It is a love that nothing can destroy when they come to understand that only when hearts are tempered, minds are opened and wills are softened can man discern the will of God for his life.

 Excerpt: Tamera awoke in a mild state of panic and confusion. Glancing around, she realized where she was and who was beside her. A blush warmed her cheeks as she struggled to sit up. She released the filly and fumbled with the front of her gown.

“I couldn’t sleep.” she explained, glancing into the steel gray eyes. His gaze, soft and warm like liquid metal, made her blush harder as he brushed strands of hay out of her hair with a gentleness that seemed out of character.

Craig knew he was treading on dangerous ground, that people were expecting them, but couldn’t seem to get past the moment at hand. “I guess a kiss is out of the question,” he queried, his voice tender, gaze unwavering.

Emotions, raw and unfamiliar, shivered through her. Tamera attempted to scoot away from him, emitted a shaky little laugh and tried to quench the feelings escalating to frightening proportions. “A kiss? Why would you want a kiss? I didn’t think you even liked me.”

Craig wound his hand in her thick hair, stopping her movements. “Like has nothing to do with desire,” he moaned and crushed her to him as his mouth covered hers in a thorough kiss. “Absolutely nothing,”
ng to his shirt and trembled in his arms.

Purchase Links:

Amazon Print: http://amzn.to/1Elwhpx

Kindle http://amzn.to/1rdBRzW

B&N Print: http://bit.ly/1uRZMfy

Nook http://bit.ly/19C6Q5q

Smashwords: http://bit.ly/16sLHL9

About Pam: Award-winning author, Pamela S. Thibodeaux is the Co-Founder and a lifetime member of Bayou Writers Group in Lake Charles, Louisiana. Multi-published in romantic fiction as well as creative non-fiction, her writing has been tagged as, “Inspirational with an Edge!” ™ and reviewed as “steamier and grittier than the typical Christian novel without decreasing the message.”

 

 

Links:

Website address: http://www.pamelathibodeaux.com

Blog: http://pamswildroseblog.blogspot.com

Face Book: http://facebook.com/pamelasthibodeaux

Twitter: http://twitter.com/psthib @psthib

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

Egg-cerpt! Shocking Finds by Tracey Clark

Tags

amazon Kindle, book series, books, character interviews, Egg-cerpt, Fae, fantasy romance, indie authors, magic, paranormal, paranormal romance, readers, royalty, smashwords, writing

Shocking Finds (A Finder’s Keepers Novel)

Blurb:

An act of rebellion, Marin doesn’t think that running into the new store in town will hurt anything. Her aunt will never know… right? One car wreck later, her aunt is hospitalized, Marin is forced to spend her twenty-first birthday fighting for her life, and magic – the very thing her aunt has always sworn to be for fools – is real. And so is the irresistible Fae dedicated to Marin’s protection.

Kyland has searched Earth-side and all the other realms, looking for a missing Fae child. A child his Queen prophesied would be able to one day save the Fae people from the Danshue, as the evil Fae threat tries to overwhelm the entire Supernatural Community. A child that would know nothing of her blocked gifts, or her Fae heritage waiting to be claimed. A child that has grown into a curvy, delicious morsel he would love to taste

Together Marin and Kyland will fight Fae assassins, overcome betrayals, and if they’re lucky … they will find the Danshue responsible for their plight. That’s if Marin doesn’t shock him to death with her erratic new gift, and her out of control emotions.

Buy your copy today!!

 Amazon:

http://www.amazon.com/Shocking-Finds-Finders-Keepers-Novel-ebook/dp/B014UA6XV0/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1441420146&sr=8-2&keywords=shocking+finds

Barns & Noble:

http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/shocking-finds-tracey-clark/1122614922?ean=2940152332964

Kobo:

https://store.kobobooks.com/en-us/ebook/shocking-finds-a-finder-s-keepers-novel

Indigo:

https://www.chapters.indigo.ca/en-ca/books/shocking-finds-a-finders-keepers/9781310309090-item.html?ikwid=shocking+finds&ikwsec=Home&ikwidx=0

Smashwords:

http://www.smashwords.com/books/view/574301

Excerpt: (from chapter two Shocking Finds)

Marin needed answers. Like why had they been targeted? The parking lot hadn’t exactly been lacking for vehicular violence victim contenders. There had been a group of at least four women, standing by their cars, chatting. If there was a target more deserving of vehicular rage, it had definitely been that group of women. They had finished shopping, and courtesy demanded that their parking spots were to be relinquished as soon as possible. Why not them?

The man—and Marin was only guessing that the driver was a man—had bypassed those without parking lot etiquette and zeroed in on Lindal. If she had continued her slow progress through the parking lot, would Marin be in this horrible room with its beeping monitors and bleached air instead of Lindal.

Staring down at her aunt’s unmoving form, Marin tried to find a place to rest her hand. She needed to touch her. She needed to know that the only person willing to take her in, after the death of her mother, was really here and still alive.

“They will find him, Lindal. He won’t get away with this,” Marin made her vow as quietly as possible, not wanting to disturb Lindal’s recovery.

Glancing up to keep tears from falling from her eyes, Marin noticed something swinging off of Lindal’s oxygen line. “What the…” It looked like a Barbie doll with wings, perhaps six inches tall. The odd little creature wore a loin cloth and sported some overly obvious male attributes. Was it wrong to be checking out the abs of someone no larger than a child’s toy?

His arms tugged and his muscles bunched as he attempted to make a knot in Lindal’s oxygen line. His silver skin tone went beautifully with his tri-colored wings— a mix of light purple, maroon, and gold. The little man didn’t seem to realize that Marin was staring at him.

“Stop,” Marin shouted. Dammit, this was a hospital. She needed to lower her voice. She also needed to go upstairs to the psych ward. Head trauma, shock, or hallucinations¼ something wasn’t right. If she told Lindal about this, her aunt would call her every kind of fool.

Hallucination or not, she grabbed the little man by the wings, pulled him from Lindal’s oxygen line, and tried to speak more calmly. “What do you think you’re doing?”

She finally had her figment’s attention. A striking, though small, pair of lavender eyes glared at her through overly long sandy brown bangs. On closer inspection, she could see that his hair was actually multicolored. It seemed to go from crystal white sand to bronzed gold.

“Well, answer me. What do you think you’re doing?”

“Waiting for you, of course.”

“What are you?” She was losing it. The buzzing in her temples was increasing. And she was now speaking to a figment of her imagination. Yep, she needed to be medicated.

The creature put its tiny fists on narrow hips. “A Sprite, of course. Don’t you know anything? I have my work cut out for me.” Now she was being insulted by her imagination. Great.

“Nope. Too Much,” Marin said and tossed the little man with wings out of the hospital window. She needed coffee. Either that or a large dose of Thorazine. Maybe both.

All About Tracey Clark!!

I am a country-twang gal from the bluegrass state. Kentucky is a hot bed of horses, cave systems, and whiskey. And I love all three. With my pugs and bossy kitty cat, I spend my days writing and working social media. I write with the help of the voices pushing me to create worlds for them to live in. Fantasy Romance, Contemporary Romance, and eventually some cowboys (because cowboys live in a group all their own, yummmm)… These are the genres that I love best. Oil paints, crafts, dealing with Multiple Sclerosis, and writing into the dead of night… this I my life!!!

To Find out more about Tracey here are some links…

Author Page (Main):

http://traceylclark.com/

Goodreads Author Page:

https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/103301.Author_Tracey_Clark

MS Page:

https://multiplesclerosisnewsblog.wordpress.com/

Facebook Author Page:

https://www.facebook.com/traceyclark.finderskeepers/?ref=hl

Anddddd…. Twitter Page:

https://twitter.com/traceylclark11

Now… without further ado… here is Marin Yarthine…

Interviewer: You’ve had quick the introduction to the Fae world, Marin… Can I call you Marin..

Marin (reddened cheeks): Uhh… sure… I mean, that’s what most people call me… Kyland has been call me, Minzet, but I’m pretty sure that’s something just between us since it means Sweet One… but…yeah… Marin would be best.

Interviewer (light chuckle): Great. Well, I nice to finally get to sit down with us… and as the new Princess to the Fae people, with such an odd upbringing… the Fae would love to know a little pit about you… Tell us a little bit about day to day life in the royal world…

Marin: Pfft… Most of the time I think they have the wrong girl… I mean… I was home schooled, and have worked at Finder’s Keepers since I turned 17… for the past four years I have been slipping into Finder’s Trances in order to locate everything from pets to abduction victims… from car keys to family heirlooms… it sounds like important work but really, I mostly had to pull a bunch of information together so that other Finder’s could go out on Mission to locate whatever the client had misplaced…

Interviewer: That sounds like important work to me… also, something that would take a toll on your emotions… do you have someone to cuddle up to at night to help you get through the day???

Marin (Cheeks now flaming red): Kyland… he came out of nowhere and changed my life… and he doesn’t even mind when I accidentally shock him with this new power that has a tendency to get out of control when I’m upset…

Interview: …. (shuffles through questions) … (scoots chair back and grits her teeth)… What goals and hardships do you face… what do you want for the Fae?? I mean… what are your plans to keep the Fae community safe?? (scoots back a little further…)

Marin (head cocked to the side): I’m still learning about the Fae world.. but I would say my goal is to keep as many people safe as I can… (fists clench) … if the evil Fae, those Danshue ********… sorry for my language, but if they would just stop getting in the way, I could learn a little faster… someone needs to stop the Danshue before this community I’m just getting to know dies out…

Sparks light up on Marin’s hands, but Interviewer merely gets a white

Knuckled grip on her set and continues…

Interviewer: One final questions and we will let you get back to your new duties as Princess… Can you tell us what fears you are facing in this new chapter of your life???

Marin: … (Deep Breath…) Lindal… that the woman that pretended to be my only family, that kidnapped me as a child (sparks on her fingertips) … that she will find a way to finish what she started… (more sparks) … that she will find a way to hurt the people I am coming to care about… that she will hurt KYLAND … (small explosion blowing out all the lights)

Interview warily pulls herself up out of the floor, where she dove to avoid flying glass…

Interview(voice shaky) : Alright… I think that’s all we have time for… thanks for stopping by Princess…

Today’s Egg-cerpt: Shadows of the Past by Carmen Stefanescu!

Tags

books, forbidden love, light historical, light horror, light romance, nuns, paranormal, priests, reading. Amazon, second chance love, Wild Child Publishing, writing

Carmen is joining us today from the shores on the Danube in Romania!  Welcome Carmen…

 

                       Blurb

Anne’s relationship with her boyfriend Neil has disintegrated. After a two-year separation, they pack for a week vacation in hopes of reconciling. But fate has other plans for them.

The discovery of a bejeweled cross and ancient human bones opens a door to a new and frightening world–one where the ghost of a medieval nun named Genevieve will not let Anne rest. This new world threatens not only to ruin Anne and Neil’s vacation but to end all hopes of reconciliation as Anne feels compelled to help free Genevieve’s soul from its torment.

Can Anne save her relationship and help Genevieve find her eternal rest?

A touching, compelling story of tragedy, loss and the power of endless love and good magic.

The twists and turns in this paranormal tale keep the reader guessing up to the end and weave themselves together into a quest to rekindle love.

Before we proceed to an interesting egg-cerpt, let’s meet Genevieve:

1. Please, have a seat. Make yourself comfortable Miss…

“Genevieve. My name is Genevieve, but Sister Clementa, the Abbess,  and some of her followers call me The witch.”

2. Tell me, Genevieve, where are you living?

Genevieve ( a small sigh escapes her lips. Then she shrugs) “Well, for the moment I reside at St. Mary’s Abbey. On top of a mountain in Britain, in the…cursed forest.”

3. Do you have any schooling?

Genevieve  (nods and pats and invisible crease of her dress) “Kind  Old Bertha, who took care of me after my family perished, taught me to read and write. Not only English but also Latin. And, most important, she taught me how to prepare healing potions from plants and herbs. Perhaps that’s why the Abbess hates me so much. A peasant girl of the 13th century is dangerous if she knows more than her superiors, I think.“

4. What are your worst fears or nightmare?

Genevieve (throws a shy look around her. She shivers and her voice is small) “I fear the cursed forest. This forest is responsible for what happened to my family. My father’s odd behavior, the death of my siblings. All the evil that lurks in it.

My nightmare – the Abbess, sister Clementa, who threatens me all the time with sending me to the stake. I can’t understand why she wants me out of the way.”

5. Is it anything that you secretly desire?

Genevieve (blushes and wrings her hands. Then she looks me directly in the eyes. Her voice is strong now. ) “To become Andrew’s wife and grow a family. If his family agrees….If the Abbess lets me go… If God  forgives me for giving up being a nun…..If I escape alive from the forest…. If….”

Excerpt:

The peal of the church bells from the abbey tower startled Genevieve. The sound added to her mounting anxiety.

The massive abbey loomed over the stone paved path.  All the nuns were at evening mass.  With a bit of luck her disappearance would go unnoticed for a few more hours. The Abbess would assume she was cleaning the toilets as ordered.

Fear skittered through Genevieve when she turned away from the abbey towards the path leading to town. Nothing stirred.  She hesitated.  Evil emanated from the forest surrounding the abbey. With a shiver, she leaned against the solid oak gates that flanked the abbey’s main path. They had hidden her from detection for the past couple of hours, but how much longer would she be safe?

The mountain shadows grew thicker and closer.

She moved her weight from one leg to the other. They ached from so much standing, but she lacked the strength to return to the gardener’s cottage and wait for Andrew’s arrival as planned. Genevieve closed her tired eyes. The image of old Ryan, slumped dead in his chair in his cubicle, caught life in her mind and made her whole body ripple with fear.

She’d rather wait for Andrew here, outside.

Had he forgotten his promise? What if something terrible befell him during the last three days, or he had changed his mind? Why should he risk all for an ordinary nun?

Had his folks talked him into giving her up, made him see reason? Helping her out of her predicament meant a huge risk for him — losing his family, his friends and his position among his peers. His words echoed in her mind. “I will risk everything for you, even life, if necessary.”

* * * *

“Anne, Anne, wake up. Wake up, please,” the insistent voice whispered next to her ear.  The touch of a hand, on her shoulder, startled Anne.

She opened her eyes, still half between sleep and reality. Her gaze stopped on a stranger, a woman, by her side.

The moon’s pale face, the only light, filtered through a small gap in the tent’s entrance; yet the stranger’s whole body emanated a kind of soft ray, a yellowish halo making her figure and face easy to discern.

A long, dark robe, similar to those worn by nuns in monasteries centuries ago, covered her body. No traditional headdress covered the woman’s red hair, which fell loosely over her shoulders in long, heavy tendrils and continued down her chest and back.

Anne stood up and studied the intruder with open curiosity. The stranger’s wax pale face looked corpse like. Anne opened her mouth to ask her who she was. She looked Anne straight in the eyes, placed her forefinger on her lips and whispered, “Hush, come. Follow me.”

Anne’s eyes widened.

The woman, moving away from the sleeping bag, appeared to glide above the ground. Her bare feet didn’t make a sound.

As if hypnotized, Anne followed the illuminated silhouette heading into the forest, without questioning her own actions.

An onrush of sensations unfamiliar to her followed. Dizziness and a malevolent feeling of unreality suffocated her. The presence of evil, creeping up and enveloping her, became almost palpable. Her throat turned dry, and she gasped for air.

Buy Links:

Wild Child Publishing

http://www.wildchildpublishing.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=84&products_id=410

Amazon

http://www.amazon.com/Shadows-of-the-Past-ebook/dp/B00AK2D9I8/ref=sr_1_15?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1354874514&sr=1-15&keywords=shadows+of+the+past

All Romance

https://www.allromanceebooks.com/product-shadowsofthepast-1013184-140.html

Barnes & Noble

http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/shadows-of-the-past-carmen-stefanescu/1113910162?ean=2940015715026

About Carmen:

Carmen Stefanescu resides in Romania, the native country of the infamous vampire Count Dracula, but where, for about 50 years of communist dictatorship, just speaking about God, faith, reincarnation or paranormal phenomena could have led someone to great trouble – the psychiatric hospital if not to prison.

Teacher of English and German in her native country and mother of two daughters, Carmen Stefanescu survived the grim years of oppression, by escaping in a parallel world, that of the books.

She has dreamed all her life to become a writer, but many of the things she wrote during those years remained just drawer projects. The fall of the Ceausescu’s regime in 1989, and the opening of the country to the world meant a new beginning for her. She started publishing. Poems first, and then prose. Both in English.

Shadows of the Past, paranormal/light romance/light mystery/light horror was released at the end of 2012 by Wild Child publishing, USA.

Carmen Stefanescu’s Links:

http://shadowspastmystery.blogspot.ro/

https://twitter.com/Carmen_Books

http://www.pinterest.com/carmens007/

http://www.facebook.com/pages/Carmen-Stefanescu-Books/499245716760283

http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/6624397.Carmen_Stefanescu

https://plus.google.com/117216040843648957646/posts

http://www.amazon.com/Carmen-Stefanescu/e/B00APVDGAA/ref=ntt_athr_dp_pel_pop_1

 

House of the Rising Son by Trevann Rogers — Eggs-cerpts!

Tags

Amazon, books, M/M romance, paranormal romance, reading, Samhain Publishing, urban fantasy, writing

Today I have the talented Trevann Rogers as my Eggs-cerpt guest.  Let’s discover a bit about her characters:

 Cheyenne Constantine

1. Nickname ~ Chey

2. Job~ Musician

3. Level of schooling, or self-taught: I graduated high school. But I taught myself guitar and piano

4. Birthdate ~June 2

5. Birthplace ~Unakite City

6. Currently residing in ~Unakite City

7. Favorite type of pet ~ Tiger but don’t tell Zander. I’d be in the doghouse for sure.

8. Favorite place to visit~ Las Vegas

9. Significant other ~Zander

10. Most important goal ~I’m going to be a rock star.

11. Worst fear or nightmare ~Failing my kids somehow.

12. Favorite food ~Zander

13. Wealthy, poor, or somewhere in between? ~Poor but not for much longer.

14. Secret desire or fantasy ~I want my father to be proud of me.

15. What would you do if you won the lottery? ~Buy a big house, get my kids every thing they want, and get a custom made guitar.

Blurb

Sex. Rebellion. Rock and roll.

Living After Midnight, Book 1

Cheyenne is a half-human incubus whose star is on the rise in the Unakite City rock scene. His father, the leader of the supernatural races, would prefer he keep a “low profile”, but screw that. Cheyenne has as much music in his veins as royal incubi blood.

Alexander’s future is all set—finish law school, join the family firm, and marry someone who’d be good for business. Not that he has a say in any of it. He’s barely met the woman his father expects him to marry.

As Cheyenne’s musical career takes off, his carefully constructed life begins to unravel, exacerbated by an ex-lover who can’t let go, a crotchety barkeeper with a dirty mind and a pure heart, a drag queen who moonlights as a nanny, and Alexander—who’s not sure if he’s falling for the incubus or the rocker.

Cheyenne denies who he is, while Alexander hides what he wants.  Together, they learn that getting what they truly want means being who they truly are.

Excerpt

The blue-gray glow of the synthesizer’s lights increased with the music’s crescendo and tugged him to the edge of his seat. The beginning of a show was one of his favorite parts. He was also partial to the middle and the end.

But Alexander didn’t applaud and stomp and scream in anticipation like the rest of the crowd. He was grateful to be able to keep his composure, but the truth was, it was all he could do to remember to breathe.

With a burst of light and a thunderous chord, Cheyenne appeared at center stage, arms out from his sides. An ethereal white light illuminated him. A rock and roll messiah.

To purchase:

Amazon

Barnes and Noble

https://www.samhainpublishing.com/book/5575/house-of-the-rising-son

Trevann Rogers writes urban fantasy and LGBT paranormal romances. Her stories incorporate an unquenchable addiction to music and her love for vampires, Weres, incubi and rock stars. Like these elusive creatures, Trevann learned long ago that sometimes being yourself means Living After Midnight.

Author links

www.trevannrogers.com

www.facebook.com/trevannr

www.pinterest.com/trevannr

www.twitter.com/trevannrogers

The Easter Bunny is in the House: Egg-cerpt from In the Context of Love by Linda K. Sienkiewicz

Tags

amazon Kindle, authors, books, contemporary romance, debut novels, Egg-cerpt, new releases, readers, Women's Fiction, writers, writing

 

Multi-published author Linda K. Sienkiewicz writes women’s fiction/contemporary romance. Her debut novel is titled In the Context of Love:

What makes us step back to examine the events and people that have shaped our lives? And what happens when what we discover leads to more questions? In the Context of Love revolves around the journey of Angelica Schirrick as she reevaluates her life, and its direction.

Returning with her children from their first visit with her now imprisoned husband, she tries to figure out where it all went so wrong. Can she face the failures and secrets of her past and move forward? Can she find love and purpose again? Her future, which once held so much promise, crumbled like dust after the mysterious disappearance of her first love, and the shattering revelation that derailed her life, and divided her parents. Only when she finally learns to accept the violence of her beginning can she be open to life again, and maybe to a second chance at love.

Jacquelyn Mitchard, author of #1 NYTimes Bestseller, DEEP END OF THE OCEAN, says: “With humor and tenderness, but without blinking, Linda K. Sienkiewicz turns her eye on the predator-prey savannah of the young and still somehow hopeful.”

Bonnie Jo Campbell, author of Michigan Notable Book MOTHERS TELL YOUR DAUGHTERS, says “Sienkiewicz’s powerful and richly detailed debut novel is at once a love story, a cautionary tale, and an inspirational journey. It should be required reading for all wayward daughters, and their mothers, too.”

Excerpt from In the Context of Love:

I lay, stomach down, on my bed with my head hanging off the edge. I was an analytical person, a conscientious honor roll student, a quick learner. I’d studied literature, ancient history, read Shakespeare and Salinger, yet none of it, nothing, had given me the skills or words to make sense of this.

The following morning, I wouldn’t have been surprised if I had opened my curtains to an ash-filled sky, charred houses, trees burnt to stubs, the ground still smoking. Instead, the sun had risen like a relentless machine, and the sky wafted like a freshly-washed blue sheet above us. My house was the same house, with the same eggshell white ceilings, dark wooden floors and braided rugs. The only difference: I understood reality was a dark beast, capable of shifting under my feet.

I fingered the silk edge of my blanket, trying to reframe my past in light of what I now understood to be the truth. Everything I’d thought about myself had been a falsehood. In many ways, our family operated like any other family. Dad paid the bills, fertilized the lawn, and kept us free from foot pain. Mom knitted and purled, chased after flesh-eating germs, and smothered me until the sound of my own name made me cringe. We played Uncle Wiggly and Chutes and Ladders. I went trick-or-treating on Halloween. I had a sandbox. I pushed my plastic baby doll in her flimsy buggy back and forth along the sidewalk while squirrels scolded me from the trees. We had two cars, one and a half baths, and a color television. Hot and cold water. Electricity. We ate pot roast on Sunday, spaghetti on Wednesday, and tuna casserole every Friday and we weren’t even Catholic.

My friend Becca was terrified to stay in the house alone with her addled grandfather because he would forget who she was and try to kick her out. Lizzy was ashamed to be seen with her mother, who was so obese she couldn’t walk to their mailbox without wheezing. Jessica’s father owned a motel where a man was found shot in the head in room thirty-six. Paige suspected her parents were swingers who went to sex parties. Skip seemed to have been deserted by his folks…

Yet, I was certain no one’s family had a secret as hideous as mine.

In the Context of Love won an Honorable Mention in the Great Midwest Book Festival. The book can be purchased in paperback or ebook on Amazon http://amzn.to/1IiVWEs and Barnes and Noble http://bit.ly/1QFs340

Here’s an interview with Angelica Schirrick, the heroine from In the Context of Love:

1. Do you have a nickname?
   I’ve been called troublemaker, short stuff, hot stuff, cupcake, angel, andhure(by my German grandmother — don’t ask why), but most people call me Angie.
2. What do you do for a living?
   I’m pleased to say I’m the marketing and community service director for Safe Harbor, a non-profit women’s domestic violence shelter in Cleveland, Ohio. I love the work I do.
3. What’s your most important goal?
   To see my two children grow up to be happy and well-adjusted, despite having an activist for a mother and a felon for a father.
4. What’s your worst fear or nightmare?
   That my two children do not grow up to be happy and well-adjusted.
5. What’s your most embarrassing moment?
   When I was a teen, I was furious with my parents and had this need to get away from them, so I snatched the keys to my dad’s Lincoln and took off. I don’t know what I was thinking because I didn’t have a license or much driving experience. I lost control and drove the car into a fir tree in the Brecksville Metropark. I was okay but the Lincoln was not.

Author Linda K. Sienkiewicz attributes her creative drive to her artistic mother, who taught her to sew, and her father, who let her monkey around with the gadgets in his workshop. Her short stories and poetry have been published in more than fifty literary journals in print and online. She has a poetry chapbook award from Bottom Dog Press, a Pushcart Prize nomination, and an MFA from The University of Southern Maine.

Website http://lindaksienkiewicz.com
Twitter https://twitter.com/LindaKSienkwicz
Pinterest https://www.pinterest.com/lindaksienkwicz/
Instagram https://www.instagram.com/lindaksienkiewicz/
Facebook https://www.facebook.com/linda.k.sienkiewicz

Demon Kissed by Karilyn Bentley

Tags

book series, demon hunters, demons, new book releases, paranormal romance, romance, The Wild Rose Press, TWRP

What is your greatest temptation:

In men: Tall and dark haired (kind of like my husband)

In food: Sweets. Although I’m REALLY trying not to eat them.

In clothes: Do earrings count??

What is your greatest weakness (example: buying shoes)? Buying kitchen stuff. I don’t cook but I collect anything that has to do with cooking.

If you could have any kind of car, what would it be? Tesla

Your dream home – mountains or ocean? Mountains! I’m not a beach person.

What inspired you to become a writer? I grew tired of working in a cube farm years ago and tried to think of a job where I could stay home. Writing came to mind. At the time I thought all writers were rich and every book was a runaway best seller (stop laughing!!!). Yep, that was a rude awakening! I moved out of the cube farm and into a nice office, honed my writing craft, and continued to submit to publishers until The Wild Rose Press picked me up. I’ve been writing ever since!

Do you have a daily writing routine?  If so, please share. Since I work a day job, I try to write between 8 and 9PM. Drinking hot herbal tea while sitting in front of the computer helps me write.

What is your favorite book? At the moment the Game of Thrones series. I also enjoy books by JR Ward and Karen Marie Moning. There are too many good books to pick just one!

What is your favorite movie? Star Wars

What do you have out now?  Demon Kissed, the second book in the Demon Huntress series, released on 2/17. Excitement! Here’s a little blurb and excerpt for you:

Blurb:

Gin Crawford, the world’s latest demon huntress, has no time to mourn her dead lover as she’s called in to determine why a demon attack occurred at the local medical school. And not just any demon, but the one demon that gives her demon-killing bracelet the shivers. A dead professor, a lab full of missing anthrax, and a demon who turns good people into minions complicate her life. Can Gin and her mentor Aidan Smythe solve the mystery of the missing anthrax and the identity of the demon before someone else dies?

Excerpt:

The scent of sulfur hangs in the air like a demonic stink bomb. I want to slap a hand over my nose, but no one else seems affected by the stench. Must be a demon huntress thing.

“Justitian,” Smythe mutters. “Not demon huntress.”

“If you don’t like my new title, then stay out of my mind.”

He glares. I swallow. Cross my arms. Refuse to take a step back. I’m learning not to be intimidated by his anger. Go me.

My justitia vibrates, throwing me out of my internal battle, pulling me back to the land of death and minions. The blob of colors pulsates, a glowing reminder of a moment of terror. The moment the demon appeared to the grad student.

Granted, I’m still taking Demons 101, but I thought demons formed minions in private.  Usually after the human committed a crime, not before. A tryout, so to speak. And maybe that happened, but it sure seems to me like the black blob of demon force appeared to the grad student smack in the middle of the hallway.

Or maybe that always happens, and I just now noticed it.

The justitia’s vibration grows stronger, trembling my arm, my veins. Not its normal excited tremor upon seeing a minion or demon. A rush of images spikes through my mind, scenes of terror coupled with blood and death, memories of the justitia’s former wearers captured in time by the entity in the bracelet.

I’m not the only one freaked out by the colored blob. How bad was this demon to scare a justitia?

New releases anytime soon? I’m still working on the 3^rd book in the series, but hope to have it to my editor soon.

Where can eager fans find you? I’m out and about, especially on the weekends. Stop by one of the following to say hi:

Website:          http://www.karilynbentley.com

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

Twitter:            http://www.twitter.com/karilynbentley1

Blog:                http://plottingprincesses.blogspot.com

Goodreads:     http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/4051943.Karilyn_Bentley

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

Newsletter:   http://eepurl.com/ba_0Rf

Hunters of the Dream by Ingrid Koivukangas

Tags

Amazon, book series, books, fantasy, Kindle, reading, writing, YA Fantasy, Young Adult adventure books, Young Adult Fantasy, young adult novels

Ingrid will be awarding an Eco Heart Oracle Deck valued at $28 US, (the Eco Heart Oracle is an integral part of the Hunters of the Dream trilogy) to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour (International Giveaway)!! Read on!

GENRE: YA Fantasy

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

Ingrid agreed to let me ask her a few questions!!

What is your greatest weakness?

Getting sidetracked outdoors taking photographs of nature, when I should be writing.
If you could have any kind of car, what would it be?

For as long as I can remember I’ve wanted a vintage VW Volkswagen camper van.
Your dream home – mountains or ocean?

I’m fortunate that I live in my dream home. We have a small farm a few miles from the ocean, at the base of a mountain, on a beautiful gem of an island set in the Salish Sea, on the west coast of Canada.
What inspired you to become a writer?

My earliest inspiration came from my primary school teachers. Their excitement at sharing books, many times read out loud over the course of a few months, impacted me deeply. I was a captive audience. I was mesmerized by the power of stories and in awe of the author’s choice of words. I wanted to create and share that kind of magic through writing.
Do you have a daily writing routine? If so, please share.

I like writing first thing in the morning and then again late at night. I don’t have a set routine everyday, but I do try to write every day.
What is your favorite book?

J.R.R. Tolkien’s, Lord of the Rings Trilogy
What is your favorite movie?

I have a few including, Lord of the Rings; Star Wars; The Matrix; Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon.
Who is your favorite historical figure?

Henry David Thoreau, the American author and naturalist. His work and writings were prophetic and far-reaching. I would love to have been able to spend a day with him at, Walden Pond discussing our deep connections to nature.
In your books, who is your favorite hero/heroine and please introduce him?

I don’t have one favorite hero or heroine. I like all of them for different reasons, even the ‘bad’ guys.

I like Aurora for her honesty and bravery; Beaumont Seabring for his chivalry; Ronan Havelock for his grit; Eirwen for her, seemingly, naive cheerfulness; Nana Brin for her wisdom; Vaadin for her healer’s sensibility; Nodin for his bumbling goofiness, and Thanatos for having a glimmer of light at the center of his dark, dark, heart.

New releases anytime soon?

Hunters of the Dream, Book One: The Gathering was released in January 2016. I’m currently writing Book Two: Darkness Approaching and plan to have it released in a year.

BLURB:

When the summer holidays begin, Aurora thinks she’s just a normal teenager about to have another boring summer. Then, for her seventeenth birthday, Nana Brin gives her a long-silent Oracle that has been passed down through their family for generations. The mysterious Oracle soon awakens in response to the creeping Darkness that is escaping and destroying all worlds. Aurora must quickly find the courage to come to terms with her calling as the Huntress of the Dream.

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

Excerpt:

Sails snapped in the wind, ropes creaked and strained, and the Flora de la Mar moved through the thick fog bank. She was a fifteenth century three-masted square sail warship under the command of Beaumont Seabring, adventurer and time dimension traveler.

Seabring muttered under his breath. This fog was not natural. He was having a hard time keeping his bearings. The compass tattooed onto his forearm glowed and pulsed, but he could not get a clear reading. He removed his wide-brimmed leather hat and scratched his head before putting it back on again. Then he tugged at his beard and twirled the ends of his moustache, deep in thought. The warning system that encircled the compass was not flashing an alert, so the fog held no danger. At least, not any kind of danger he and the compass had encountered before. And yet they were powerless, being led to some unknown destination.

AUTHOR Bio and Links:

Ingrid Koivukangas, BFA, MFA, is an award winning environmental artist, writer, designer, Reiki Master and educator.

As an artist Ingrid works intuitively at sites creating new works in response to sites and their energies and histories both natural and human. Her work encompasses many media including site specific ephemeral, large scale public works, writing, video, photography, sound, web, sculpture, painting, drawing and printmaking.

Ingrid’s artworks have been exhibited in Canada, the USA, Europe and Asia. She’s been featured as an artist in residence on CBC-TV; has had numerous gallery exhibitions; has many site specific ephemeral works left in situ and large scale permanent public art projects.

Ingrid’s artworks have been included in many publications and books including: Art in Action: Nature, Creativity and Our Collective Future, published by the Natural World Museum and the United Nations Environmental Programme and Art + Science Now: How scientific research and technological innovation are becoming key to 21st-century aesthetics by Stephen Wilson, Professor of Conceptual and Information Arts at San Francisco State University. One of her favourite publications to be included in is Scholastic Book’s Now See This! Art That Influences.

Ingrid has a Bachelor of Fine Arts, with Distinction, from the University of British Columbia Okanagan and a Master of Fine Arts, Environmental Sculpture, from the University of Calgary. You can view her work at: http://www.ingridkoivukangas.com

Ingrid lives on Salt Spring Island with her husband Robin, two dogs, Lucy and Scout, and a fierce cat named Hunter.

***

Links:
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/13548228.Ingrid_Koivukangas
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/IKoivukangas
Twitter: https://twitter.com/HuntersTheDream
Website: http://www.IngridKoivukangas.com
Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Hunters-Dream-Book-One-Gathering-ebook/dp/B0194J80JA
Chapters / Indigo: https://www.chapters.indigo.ca/en-ca/books/hunters-of-the-dream-book/9780973632767-item.html

NOTE: Hunters of the Dream will be available at Amazon from February 22 to March 20 for only $0.99

Get a free online Eco Heart Oracle reading. http://bit.ly/FreeEcoHeartOracleReading

Visit the World of Wonder membership site. This site is for Hunters of the Dream readers. Continue exploring the world of Hunters of the Dream: http://bit.ly/EnterAWorldofWonder

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

GIVEAWAY INFORMATION and RAFFLECOPTER CODE

Ingrid will be awarding an Eco Heart Oracle Deck valued at $28 US, (the Eco Heart Oracle is an integral part of the Hunters of the Dream trilogy) to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour (International Giveaway). a Rafflecopter giveawayhttps://widget-prime.rafflecopter.com/launch.js

Thank you for inviting me to your blog, Linda!

 

Luck of the Irish by Liz Gavin

Tags

books, erotic romance, fantasy romance, Ireland, Irish legends, paranormal romance, romance

 

One randomly chosen winner via rafflecopter will win a $50 Amazon/BN.com gift card.

GENRE: Contemporary Paranormal Romance

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

BLURB:

Keira Ashe’s parents are great but her mother has overprotected her for years. Now, this twenty-two-year-old Bostonian has graduated from college and can go on a trip she has been planning for years. She fears her shyness may get in the way of her enjoying what could be a life-altering adventure. However, Keira feels her luck is about to change when she meets gorgeous bartender Declan Slane.

Declan Slane is twenty-six and works at a hotel bar in Dublin. He hasn’t been very lucky in his love life so far. Also, he has got a troubled past he has chosen not to revisit in order to keep his sanity. Because he isn’t looking for a girlfriend, Declan isn’t very pleased to meet a certain breathtaking American who walks into his bar one afternoon.

Get a taste of adventure and heartache as Keira spreads her wings and matures while she gets to know her great-grandparents’ home country – Ireland. Hold your breath when she faces tough decisions and dangers. Root for Keira while she weighs up the consequences of making love for the first time. Bite your nails when she comes across unforeseen threats.

Liz Gavin’s second full-length novel is hard to put down just as it is hard to pinpoint its genre. She has woven an intricate web around her characters that will leave readers breathless. In the sizzling concoction, this talented new author poured heart-warming romance, heart-stopping suspense, and a dash of heart-searching paranormal. Take your pick. Regardless of the literary genre you might favor, Liz Gavin’s writing will take you to a whole different side of it.

Excerpt:

When Declan opened his eyes again, he didn’t know how much time had passed. The house was deadly quiet. O’Hallon was nowhere to be seen. Sluggish, Declan crawled forward and sat up beside Keira. He could barely breathe, due to the effort to move and the loss of blood, but he pulled her lifeless body onto his lap and held her close. He hugged her tight against his chest. He buried his face in her hair, which was covered in blood, and cried like he hadn’t cried since he was a little boy. He felt like he was six again.

“Please, please, don’t leave me, Keira.”

His sobs filled the air. He balled his hands into fists, frustrated because Keira didn’t respond. He couldn’t face the evidence that she wasn’t able to answer him.

“This is my fault, too. He wouldn’t have killed you, if I had let you go with him.”

He sat there, rocking back and forth for a long time, hanging on to her as if he could bring her back by sheer power of will. The thought that she was gone forever caused such burning pain in his chest, much stronger than the one from the bullet. He couldn’t breathe.

“Please, don’t go. I can’t bear it if you leave me, too.”

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

AUTHOR Bio and Links:

When Liz Gavin was in Second Grade – just a couple of years ago, really – her teacher told her mother the little girl should start a diary because she needed an outlet for her

active and vivid imagination. She was a talkative child who would disrupt the class by engaging her colleagues in endless conversations. She loved telling them the stories her grandfather used to tell her.

Apparently, the teacher wasn’t a big fan of those stories, and Liz’s mother bought her a diary. She happily wrote on it for a couple of months. Unable to see the appeal of writing for her own enjoyment only, she gave up on it. She missed the audience her friends provided her in class. She went back to disturbing her dear teacher’s class.

Since then, she has become a hungry reader. She will read anything and everything she could get her hands on – from the classics to erotica. That’s how she has become a writer of erotica and romance, as well.

As a young adult, she participated in a student exchange program and lived in New Orleans for six months. She fell in love with the city and its wonderful inhabitants. NOLA will always hold a special spot in Liz Gavin’s heart. Nowadays, living in Brazil, Liz’s creativity has improved many times because it’s such a vibrant, gorgeous and sexy country.

Welcome to her world of hot Alpha males and naughty, independent women. Add a touch of the paranormal in the presence of some wicked souls and you’ll get the picture.

AUTHOR LINKS

Blog – http://lizgavin.wordpress.com

Facebook Page – https://www.facebook.com/lizgavinauthor

Twitter – @LizGavin_author

Goodreads – https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/7360069.Liz_Gavin

Amazon Author Page – http://www.amazon.com/-/e/B00F5BJC7Q

B&N Author Page – http://www.barnesandnoble.com/s/liz+gavin?_requestid=513766

Email – lizgavin@elessarbooks.com

BUYING LINK

AMAZON – http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00MS48JO0

Prizes for the tour are as follows:

• One randomly chosen winner via rafflecopter will win a $50 Amazon/BN.com gift card.

a Rafflecopter giveaway
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