A first! My first self-published novel!

Tags

amazon Kindle, ancient god, Arawak indians, indie author, Kindle Select, magic, new release, sorceress, sorcery, witch

Yesterday, I navigated the Amazon process for indie-publishing.  I didn’t encounter any troubles at all, thank goodness, in publishing The Summoning in Kindle format.  Soon, I plan to publish it in paperback.

Here’s the blurb and the dynamic cover created by the talented Debbie Taylor:

Heather Morique is a witch. The problem is she doesn’t know it. One month after losing her infant son, her husband Jahill and his mistress perish in an accident. He was a refugee from an obscure branch of the Arawak Indians, and soon after his death, mysterious whispers lure her to his homeland. She soon finds herself in a web of secrets, lies and illusions.

Jahill’s obscure branch of the Arawaks worship two gods: Eyrael, a spirit from another dimension, is their God of Wind and Sea. His brother Sofiel is the God of Fire and Earth. The powerful new Shaman has pitted brother against brother, and these two powerful spirits—one light, one dark—battle to remain the tribe’s ruling deity.

When Heather unwittingly summons Eyrael, these two unlikely soul mates face a dangerous fate.  More frightening than the buried secrets, Heather and Eyrael discover the chemistry between them almost irresistible.

For those in line to purchase (LOL), here’s the Amazon  link.

The book is only $2.99 but Prime members can read for free!

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Temptation Trials by B. Truly

Tags

adult novels, Adult urban fantasy, Amazon gift card, author blogs, author giveaways, Barnes and Noble gift card, erotic fantasy, rafflecopter giveaways

GENRE:  Erotic Urban Fantasy

*****

BLURB:

Lust Is the Epitome of Damnation

Lust, one of the seven deadly sins, was sweeping through the nation like wildfire. In its true essence, lust was leading mankind down the path to damnation. In this dystopian society, Cali and Stefani had to comply by the Regime’s strict rule of arranged marriage. But Eminence, the world dictator, doesn’t play fair.

Against all odds, they both decide to put their relationships through the ultimate test on The Temptation Trials—a reality TV show where every temptation of the flesh was set before them.

As participants on the show, they soon learn that losing may cost them more than the men they love. Cali’s torn, unsure of what her future holds with Cade. Stefani worries whether her relationship with Tobias can be salvaged.

Love can be blind. The betrayal they face from the Trials burden them. Will love be their redemption, or will it destroy them?

A million questions torment their minds.

Can you love two people at once? If a person is chosen for you, can those feelings be real?

Cali and Stefani must overcome heartbreak and pull together with their loved ones before it’s too late. The abominable truth is unveiled, which sends them on a journey that will jeopardize their lives.

The will of the weak is his for the taking. Can love save their souls?

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

EXCERPT 

Glazed, cryptic eyes pierced through me, reminding me of a strung-out junky. His face seemed vaguely familiar, right down to his golden curls. Just couldn’t put my finger on where I’d seen him before. An eerie thrill rippled my spine. The way he was staring creeped me out. I quickly skirted past him, only to have Blondie clasp my arm. Okay, now I was officially freaked.

“Let go of me!” I seethed.

“The time has come,” he blurted.

“What are you talking about?”

“The decision is made … binding.”

This dude was clearly psycho. He spoke in riddles, none of which I understood. “You’ve got me confused with someone else.”

“No, you’re the one.”

My purse, where I normally kept my Taser, was nowhere to be found. He’d better be glad or I’d light his ass up. This whole scene was turning more bizarre by the second. I couldn’t figure out where I was. My surroundings were dim and heat began to consume me. Blondie leaned closer to me. Being nearer, I got a better look at his dilated eyes. His pupils were diamond-shaped, not the usual round. His grip tightened.

“Asshole. Take your hands off me!”

“You’re chosen, and you’re coming with me.”

Though I struggled against him, it didn’t do any damn good. Bright light blazed up ahead, mixed with smoldering heat. I soon realized the light and scalding warmth was coming from giant flames. Doubling my efforts, I fought harder, to no avail. Blondie’s face became a blur, and darkness encompassed me—the scalding heat grew stronger. Time seemed to stand still—my mind swirled in a haze. The only thought that became clear, which seemed to chisel into my mind, was that I had to make the right c

 ~~~~~~~~~~~~

AUTHOR Bio and Links:

1. Truly has wanted to be an author since she was fifteen years old and is grateful to have accomplished this dream. She has very vivid dreams and a wild imagination. She likes to read, watch tons of TV shows, and movies. She’s addicted to romance and gets a thrill out of action and sci-fi. She writes New Adult and Adult, Romance. Sci-fi, Dystopian, and Paranormal genres.
2. Truly likes to explore different elements of sci-fi romance, and create various realms of reality. She also loves creating impossible situations for her characters to grow from and try to overcome.
3. Truly has three wonderful children and a husband who defines the person that she is today. She works full-time as an Ultrasound technologist in Houston, Texas.

Tweets by BrandyTruly

https://www.facebook.com/BTrulysFantasies/

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/35802806-temptation-trials-part-ii

 

Buy Link: https://www.amazon.com/Temptation-Trials-Part-II-Truly-ebook/dp/B075BLH6M7/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1504483493&sr=8-1&keywords=temptation+trials+part+ii

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

GIVEAWAY INFORMATION and RAFFLECOPTER CODE

THE AUTHOR WILL BE GIVING AWAY:  $15 Amazon/BN GC 
a Rafflecopter giveaway

For more fun and chances to win follow the author on tour:  http://goddessfishpromotions.blogspot.com/2017/09/book-blast-temptation-trials-ii-by-b.html

I wrote this post for Author Beth Trissel’s Furbaby Friday

Tags

dog posts, dogs, loving dogs

My Trip to Alabama to Get Courage

Is Alabama the only state in the union that has courage, you ask? Well, Courage started out in Tennessee and moved to Alabama.

Courage (Registered name: My Darling Dog’s Courage) is my 4-year-old Coton de Tulear and when people ask what a Coton is, I say, ‘a little white dog’.  He is the best possible canine friend I could have found.  He is very conscientious when it comes to potty breaks and in the two-and-a-half months I’ve had him hasn’t gone in the house once.  This was a very important requirement for me. He’s also loving, sweet, playful and fairly obedient though he is a consummate beggar.

Our story starts in about February. I was looking for a Coton to adopt (they are quite expensive to buy), but every one I found got away before I found and responded to the ad. Casting my net wider and wider, I finally found Courage in Mobile (about a 7-8 hour drive from Houston).  I made plans to meet the woman halfway, but then a cautious friend convinced me that I was at risk, that it was probably a scam.  Long story short, I cancelled and continued my search. To no avail.

Over the course of the next few months, I kept in sporadic contact with the woman who owned Courage, always surprised that he hadn’t been snapped up.  In May, I had plans to visit my son in Yorkshire for a month, so I asked Amber to keep him until I returned. She agreed to keep him for me and didn’t ask for any compensation though I volunteered.

While I was in England, I received a frantic message that she needed to get rid of him and that someone had offered her about half again what I’d agreed for a rehoming fee.  There was very little I could do from 3,000 miles away, and I told her to take the other person’s offer.  I knew that I’d resume my search when I got home but all along I’d just had a ‘feeling’ that Courage was the dog for me.

A few days before I was due to return, she again emailed me and said she still had him.  I agreed to pick him up on the first weekend in June, which meant that I scarcely had time to unpack before I threw a few things in a case and zoomed off to Mobile.  I was very lucky that a friend had agreed to go with me because it rained incessantly and I don’t see terribly well under those conditions.

We stopped by a casino in Louisiana on our way, stayed overnight and the next morning Amber brought Courage. He was just the cutest thing I’d ever seen with his tail flung over his back and his soft eyes ‘smiling’.  I loved him at once.

At about 11 AM, we loaded up with Courage in my lap and Kelly driving and aimed the Miata’s nose toward Houston. Except for having to sit for almost an hour to wait while traffic was cleared in an accident on I-10, we made semi-good time and arrived home around 7.

Courage settled in quickly and now owns the house. My neighbors love him, but he does have one serious fault.  He can be very aggressive when meeting new people.  He did bite one of my neighbors (she doesn’t love him I dare say).  We need to enroll in some quality dog training for this personality faux pas.

A Coton de Tulear is the Royal Dog of Madagascar and once upon a time could only be owned by the nobility.  The breed’s name derives from the fact that their coat is soft as cotton and silky.  For show dogs, the coat is worn long.  I’m letting Courage’s coat grow but I doubt I’ll ever show him.  I spent enough time in show rings with my Andalusian horses years ago.

“Courage is a love affair with the unknown.” Osho, and so it was for me and my little white dog, but I always felt that this one was just right.

My latest book will be released by The Wild Rose Press on 9/13, but is available now for preorder. http://a.co/aELockF

Here is the blurb for my dark fantasy about the many faces of love:

Angels in slavery? Brit Montgomery cannot believe it, until she is sent on a rescue mission to another dimension and witnesses the cruel practice first hand. The angel, Gyldan, is the most beautiful being she’s ever seen. She is drawn to him but sometimes beauty disguises wicked secrets. This man who rocks her world seems more demon than angel.

Gyldan, born into slavery, has one desire—fly free. When he escapes to Earth, he faces an alternate self-realization full of dark glory…and disbelief. Gyldan is bent on experiencing his newfound powers unmindful of the harm to Brit or others.

Confused and hurt by Gyldan’s erratic evil actions, Brit turns away. While Gyldan’s journey of self-discovery pulls him further distant, Brit finds acceptance in a solitary, comfortable life of her own until she realizes the day of reckoning has come. Will Gyldan be her final ruin or has he come back to her with a gift more precious than life itself?

Excerpt:

The lady flipped her hood back, and I stopped breathing.  In her olive wool cape, she looked like a wood nymph, at once young and innocent but wise.  Dark hair curled around an oval face.  Without a trace of fear, big, beautiful eyes held my gaze.  She didn’t belong to this dim, cruel world, and I ached merely to touch her.

Her lips parted on a soft exhalation. “You’re an ang—Malak.”

If only I could return her smile, but Ragnor would slice me in half.   I was forbidden to glance at her, but couldn’t take my eyes off a vision so perfect I might have conjured her, even to the scent of the forest and rain.  A memory of Miriam assaulted me, but I was helpless to control my feelings.  Never had a woman affected me as this one did.  I felt awkward, terribly aware of my worn clothes and the wings arched behind me, yet giddy and aroused.

My eyes offered the smile my lips were forbidden.  “Yes, My Lady.”

She tilted her head to look up at me.  Her gaze drifted over my wings, my face, flicked lower.  “In the North, we have heard of the Malak singers.  What’s your name?”

I was too shocked to answer.  Like an addle-pated fool, I gaped at her, and she laughed.

“Stand aside, Gyldan.”  The giant slammed his paw against my shoulder, throwing the weight of my wings to the left, and I lost my balance.

The lady’s hand shot out to steady me.  Ragnor wedged his body between us.  I stumbled into the wall.  As I righted myself, I glimpsed an angry expression on Lady Hamlin’s face.

She stepped past Ragnor and touched my arm.  “Are you all right?”

Excitement trembled over my entire body.  “Yes, My Lady.”

“You’ll see the freaks perform tonight.”  Ragnor shot me a dark frown, gesturing for her to follow.  “Come, Lady Hamlin, I’ll guide you to your chambers.”

“Gyldan.”  The sprite grinned as she smoothed a dark curl back from her face.  “Do you know the way?”

“No, My Lady.”  I was forced to lie to save my hide.  “I have never been in this part of the castle before.”

“Off with you then.”  A graceful hand shooed me along.  “Be about your business, and I shall go about mine.”

She had brushed me off like an insect on her sleeve.   What had I expected?  That she would feel the same overwhelming attraction I felt?

Courage is a great companion, yet to become an inspiration, but constant.

Four by Moonlight – a Blog with Beverly Bateman

Tags

alien, angel, anthology, author giveaway, Ghost, paranormal, paranormal romance, vampire

REBLOGGED FROM BEVERLY BATEMAN; comment for a chance to win eBook!

 

Linda Nightingale on Secondary Characters

This week we’re going to find out a little about author Linda Nightingale. Linda will be talking about secondary characters. She’ll also tell us a little about herself and her writing, and answer some fun questions.

Linda Nightingale is a native-born South Carolinian who has lived in England and Canada, and now resides in Texas.  Before turning to writing, she bred, trained and showed Andalusian horses for thirteen years.

In 2012, her novel, Gemini Rising, was voted Best Mainstream Novel in the Preditors & Editors Readers Poll. Her vampire romance,Cardinal Desires won the Georgia Romance Writers Magnolia Award in 2013, and that was followed by her science fiction romance,Love for Sale, being awarded Best SF/Fantasy novel of 2015 by the Paranormal Romance Guild’s Reviewer’s Choice, and also voted one of the Top Ten Romance Novels of 2015 by the Preditors & Editors Readers Poll for that year.

Beverley: Are secondary characters important in a story?
Linda: Secondary characters are supporting actors and even have their own Oscar category. Secondary characters can help show traits of the hero and heroine, cement the plot and reveal information unknown to the hero and heroine.  In my current WIP, I give a secondary character his own scenes told from his POV but I’m not sure I’ll get by with that one!
Beverley: How many secondary characters should be in a story? Can you have too many?
Linda: I think you should have a sufficient number to tell your story.  I’ve never heard no hard and fast rule at any rate. That said, I doubt I’d parade ten or more secondary characters onto the stage.  A couple of well-developed secondary characters can easily help flesh out the story and the other characters.
Beverley: Do secondary characters need to have or be involved in conflict? If yes – inner or outer conflicts, or both?
Linda: I think so.  The more they are involved in the story, the more real they become, and convincing a reader that our characters are real is the primary objective, isn’t it?
Beverley: How detailed do you need to know your secondary characters?
Linda: In a more concise way, I try to make them as round and real as the main characters within the limits of space and time (not nebulous universal terms)
Beverley: How do you use secondary characters in your books?
Linda: To support the main characters, to add a subplot, to add interest in a lagging middle.
Beverley: Do you have any favorite secondary characters – yours or other?
Linda: My favorite of my secondary characters in Four by Moonlight is the anti-heroine in “Night Before Doomsday.” Ruth is lush, sensual and alluring. She knows what she wants and uses all her charms to get it.  She doesn’t come across as a nice person, more as conniving, but if you think about her actions, it’s clear that she’s in love with the hero even if she also wants to possess him like a trophy.
~*~ Disclaimer: I don’t feel like I’m qualified to pontificate on the craft of writing.  I’m purely a pantster and completely write without any outline or mainboard.
Beverley: Any last comments on secondary characters?
Linda: To me, the best part of a story is how the characters interact. So giving the main character someone to interact with, even if it’s a minor exchange, can add depth to the story. 
Beverley: How long have you been writing?
Linda: I wrote as a young girl but put my pen away as a teenager when a newspaper editor was rather brutally critical of my angsty poetry.  I didn’t pick up my pen again until 1992 (I’m older than dirt) when I wrote my first novel—a vampire story called Sinners’ Opera. Shortly, I won the Georgia Romance Writers  Magnolia Award for Excellence (Maggie) with another vampire book called Cardinal Desires. I was now a writer, but it took me until 2012 to become a publishedwriter.
Beverley: Which genre or genres do you write or prefer to write?
Linda: I like to play fast and loose with the boundaries of genre.  I have published a sci-fi romance, a contemporary romantic suspense, paranormal romance.  In October, Class Act will re-release my first published novel, a controversial dark fantasy, titled Anointing: Gemini Factor.
Beverley: Who influenced you the most in deciding to become a writer?
Linda: Anne Rice.  I thought if she could do it, I could do it. And I must give credit to all the wonderful writers I’ve met along the way.
Beverley: What obstacles did you have to overcome to begin creating your work?
Linda: When I began writing, I had two young children, an Andalusian horse breeding farm and brokerage, and a full-time job as an Executive Assistant for a Circuit Judge in South Carolina.
Beverley: What gets your creative juices flowing?
Linda: Music
Beverley: What will stop your creative muse the quickest?
Linda: Duty and deadline.
Beverley: What do you have for breakfast?
Linda: I don’t eat breakfast and only sometimes lunch.  I snack during the day and have a nice meal with wine in the evening.
Beverley: What do you wear when you are writing?
Linda: Whatever I dress in for the day quite frequently leggings and some manner of top: t-shirt, tunic or such.
Beverley: Where do you do most of your writing?
Linda: In my office, overlooking my backyard.  I do almost all of my writing on my laptop.
Beverley: Do you have a favorite cartoon character? Why?
Linda: Sorry, no.  Unless you’d count Alucard fromCastlevania!
Beverley: Who would you love most to meet ‘in person’ and why?
Linda: I’d love to meet the Duke of Windsor (Edward VIII of England) who abdicated the throne to marry the American divorcee Wallis Simpson.  I’ve always been very attracted to his life and times and would like to meet the man who gave up a crown for love.
Beverley: If you had an unexpected free day what would you do with it?
Linda: Search for something to do or jump into my car and drive to the Hill Country, perhaps, the twisty 3 Twisted Sisters, for a fun day behind the wheel.  I have always been a car nut and age hasn’t cured that addiction.  Wings says hello.
Beverley: What are you working on now?
Linda: I’ve just submitted a controversial dark fantasy to Lot’s Cave Publishing to be released soon.  Her Brother’s Wife isn’t for everyone, but it is a love story played out in a fantasy setting.  My WIP is an angel story which will be a companion to Gylded Wings and a part of the Golden Wings Series.

Blurb for Four by Midnight:

 
An anthology of love in the moonlight…in the paranormal universe.

Gypsy Ribbons – A moonlight ride on the moors and meeting a notorious highwayman will forever change Lady Virginia Darby’s life.

Star Angel – Lucy was stuck in a rut and in an Idaho potato patch. She’d seen him in the corner of her eye—a fleeting glimpse of beauty—now he stood before her in the flesh.

The Night Before Doomsday – All his brothers had succumbed to lust, but Azazel resisted temptation until the wrong woman came along.

The Gate Keeper’s Cottage – Newlywed Meggie Richelieu’s mysterious, phantom lover may be more than anyone, except the plantation housekeeper, suspects.

Buy Link:                                                                         

Publisher’s website at http://www.classactbooks.com
Amazon:https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01M3Q9J8B/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1

You can find Linda at:

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/linda.nightingale.52?hc_ref=SEARCH&fref=nf
Website: http://www.lindanightingale.com
Blog: https://lindanightingale.wordpress.com/
Goodreads:https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/4839311.Linda_Nightingale
Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/lbnightingale1/?etslf=10520&eq=LInda%20Nightingale
Twitter: @LNightingale

Dark Genius by H. Peter Alesso

Tags

author giveaways, fantasy, general fiction, new releases, virtual book tours

GENRE:  Fiction

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

BLURB:

To the insatiably curious—science is the greatest adventure. So, when scientists at CERN announced the discovery of the ‘God’ particle in 2012, all the world wondered, “How did they find it?”

A decade later, despite his past academic failures and egregious family circumstance, Andrew Lawrence embarked on a journey of discovery, competing against rival scientists to be the first to solve the greatest unsolved mystery of the universe—dark matter—and win the ultimate prize; the Nobel.

Emma Franklin, a PhD candidate at Harvard, developed software for detecting particle reactions using a quantum computer. To the amazement and excitement of the scientific community, her work revealed two possible bumps in the energy curve that were not predicted by any established theory.

At MIT, Lawrence created a model that predicted the scattering processes of a dark matter supersymmetry particle. Though his early work was disparaged, he improved his theory and found that it predicted the data Emma had discovered. Their professional collaboration deepened into a personal relationship, but when critical data was stolen, Emma found evidence that incriminated Lawrence. Though she withheld the impeaching material from the authorities, she felt she could no longer trust him.

Despite their troubled partnership, and notwithstanding the complexities of nature, Lawrence and Emma persevered against the egos, jealousy, and envy of rivals, on their exhilarating quest to find the ‘Holy Grail’ of physics

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

EXCERPT

I thought all was lost—now I have a second chance.

With a profound sense of relief, Andrew Lawrence slide his tablet into his shoulder holster and walked briskly along the Boston sidewalk. His past academic failures and egregious family circumstances were behind him. He was ready for a fresh start.

Tall, slender, and dark-haired, he listened to the clicking and clacking of shuffling shoes on the pavement as students jostled alongside him. The hint of autumn from the cool morning air brought a frenzy of activity to the sprawling campuses of both MIT and Harvard which nurtured a flourishing rivalry among their ambitious students. He could feel the undercurrent of tension for the start of the fall term.

By the time he crossed Longfellow Bridge, his adrenaline was pumping. He noticed several eight-man sculls already rowing down the Charles River, their school colors plainly visible. Squinting his eyes against the glare, he could make out the MIT and Harvard boats vying for the lead, stroke by stroke.

Striding across the rambling campus, his lips concealed a secret smile as he contemplated a revolutionary solution to a problem he had been daydreaming about. When he swung around a corner, he ran smack-dab into a young woman. Her armload of books, papers, and assorted technology flew into the air and scattered across the walkway.

“Sor . . . sorry.”

“You should be,” the woman said, her face screwed into a tight scowl. “Your head was in the clouds.”

Lawrence opened his mouth, but before he could speak, she pointed down and said, “See what you’ve done?”

She stooped and frantically tried to corral her absconding belongings.

“Let me help,” said Lawrence, grasping some loose papers about to blow away.

Spying her tablet on the grass, she exclaimed, “Oh no! All my work.”

Carefully, she picked up the device and turned it on, tapping her fingers impatiently until the screen lit up. She heaved a sigh and looked Lawrence directly in the eyes. “You’re lucky. Sooo . . . lucky.”

Lawrence mumbled another apology and helped her pick up the last few books.

As she struggled to reorganize her treasures, Lawrence brushed a strand of hair away from his eyes and for the first time cast an appraising glance at the young woman.

She was attractive.

It wasn’t that she was a striking beauty—though her smooth white skin, olive green eyes, and classic profile complemented the hazelnut hair that cascaded over her shoulders. Nor was her carriage especially eye-catching, though she displayed an appealing youthful vitality. No, what seemed most appealing was her confident determined poise, as if she possessed a special hidden talent.

“You really should use a backpack.”

“The lining ripped,” she retorted.

Seeing the logos on her tablet’s screen, Lawrence asked, “Harvard? Math?”

“I can tell by your tone that you’re MIT,” she said, her eyes flashing.

Lawrence grinned, “Physics.” As an afterthought, he asked, “What are you doing on this campus?”

“Well, Mr. Physics, that’s none of your concern.”

Something in the way she said it, caused him to laugh.

They faced each other in a stand-off for a long moment—saying nothing.

Then the young woman heaved a sigh, gathered her possessions to her chest, and brushed past him.

Lawrence watched her figure disappear into the crowd.

Damn. I didn’t get her name.

As he turned to leave, something shiny on the ground caught his eye. It was a flash drive.

Picking it up, he spun around and called, “Wait!”

But she was gone.

He looked at the memory stick, thinking . . .

I’ll have to crack her password, if I’m going to see her again.

 

BUY LINK:  https://www.amazon.com/dp/B075HVG2Z9

 

About the Author:

As a scientist and author specializing in technology innovation, H. Peter Alesso has over twenty years research experience at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL). As Engineering Group Leader at LLNL he led a team of scientists and engineers in innovative applications across a wide range of supercomputers, workstations, and networks. He graduated from the United States Naval Academy with a B.S. and served in the U.S. Navy on nuclear submarines before completing an M.S. and an advanced Engineering Degree at M.I.T. He has published several software titles and numerous scientific journal and conference articles, and he is the author/co-author of ten books.

Email: h.alessocomcast.net

Website: http://www.hpeteralesso.com/Default.aspx
https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/413852.H_Peter_Alesso

Tweets by hpeteralesso

https://www.amazon.com/H.-Peter-Alesso/e/B001HCY45M/ref=sr_ntt_srch_lnk_3?qid=1482982330&sr=1-3

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

GIVEAWAY INFORMATION and RAFFLECOPTER CODE

Peter will be awarding a $25 Amazon or B/N GC to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

For more chances to win and more intriguing excerpts, follow Peter on tour:

https://goddessfishpromotions.blogspot.com/2017/09/book-blast-dark-genius-by-h-peter-alesso.html

 

Release Day!! Break out the Champagne!! Here’s to Gylded Wings

Tags

99 cent sales, Amazon, angels, author giveaways, blogs, dark fantasy, demons, fallen angels, Lucifer, new releases, rafflecopter giveaways

Today, my 5th The Wild Rose Press novel, Gylded Wings, released on a sale of only 99 cents at Amazon.  I thought I’d tell you a little about the birth of this dark fantasy and share the book video created by author Toni V. Sweeney:

Here is the prologue, which I believe is the best bit of writing I’ve ever done:

My restoration to Grace plunged Heaven and Hell into civil war.  The day the earth stood still, I watched from a rock ledge above a field choked with the great armies.  Sunlight glinted on the golden helms of the Righteous and the silver helmets of the Damned.  Prophecy echoed in the thud of mortal feet and the beat of a thousand wings.  I folded my wings around me.  This slight movement drew an immediate reaction.  As one, the winged combatants turned to stare at me.

Winter wind ruffled the holy raiment draped about my shoulders and blew on me the scent of bitterness.  I could taste their disgust and distrust.  But I would not bow my head, unless or until I was forced to do so.  If I’d possessed a soul, it would have shrunk inside me, but like my celestial brothers, I am soulless.

Let me introduce myself.

I am Ha-Satan, the Adversary, once Heaven’s Prosecuting Attorney.  I have been called the Father of Lies, the Master of Temptation, Lord of Hell.  I am the one you’ve been taught to fear, who hides beneath your bed to steal your soul.  I am the most fearsome and the most beautiful angel.

My existence began as the first light emanating from the Thought.  He said to me on the day of my creation, “I make you closest to me, of all the powers, Master and Mirror of my might.  I create you beautiful in bliss and name you Lucifer, Bringer of Light.”

And so, my friends, I, Lucifer, would like to set the record straight.  If ever I did Fall, I have been forgiven.

Many of the angelic host, who remained loyal during my rebellion, were incensed that the prodigal son had asked for forgiveness and angry that it had been granted.  Thus, the Second War in Heaven, the only war I’d ever unintentionally caused, began and the airy corridors ran red with blood.  Finally, the conflict had spilled down to Earth.  The brave soldiers I’d once led in a bid to regain Heaven were now poised to fight Michael and his formidable army.

I, the mightiest of the Host, was forbidden to lift a finger in this battle, and my brothers were waiting to see what I would do.  A tremor of anger coursed through me.  I smiled and spread my wings to their full, resplendent span.

Look then, Fallen and Righteous, and take courage or be discouraged by the very sight of me.

Here and there amongst the gathered host, I met a gaze.  Gabriel, Uriel, Michael and Rafael guarded the Four Corners.  It was a done deal, over before the first blow was struck.

The wail of bagpipes shattered the tension.  Peacock wings arched proudly, Paimon, regal in a Royal Stuart tartan kilt, piped the Legions of Hell into battle.  He reached the end of the line of soldiers, wings shadowing Men in modern regimental dress, turned and snapped me a smart salute.

Paimon, ah my Paimon, do your eyes accuse or invite?

I bowed low, my hair sweeping the ground.  Whether this gesture pleased or angered my old friend, sadly enough, I couldn’t sense.  All Hell broke loose, so to speak, when the mortal troops saw me.  Their knees knocked.  Horror contorted their faces.  Swords forged in Hell’s own fires clattered against supernatural shields.  The blare of Gabriel’s golden trumpet shook the ground.  A silver-voiced trumpet answered the challenge.

Paimon unfurled his wings and bent to his pipes.  Amazing Grace, how sweet the sound. How fitting, how ironic that the Fallen—the stubborn, the proud, the doomed—would march into battle to that beautiful old hymn!

On the horizon black clouds coagulated as if the spilt blood of angels had leaked through Heaven’s floor.  Daggers of lightning stabbed the sky.  A pall of total darkness fell.  In one breath, the entire earth went dark.  Absolute silence gripped the universe.  Then, as it had happened on the First Day, Heaven parted the Darkness with Radiance, a spotlight on the Final Act.

Nice touch, Father.  I couldn’t resist a wry smile.

The din of the great armies’ embrace arose, a choir of broken bones, slashed flesh and death rattling in the throats of Man.  Into this symphony of chaos as had been foretold, the Sons of Light took flight against the Sons of Darkness.  When I, Lucifer, fell two-thirds of Heaven’s Legions followed me into exile.  I found myself weeping—hot tears on cold cheeks—as friends so recently become enemies clashed with enemies now compelled into a fragile friendship.  I suffered as I was meant to suffer.  Even angels are sometimes blind to the shape of things to come.

~*~

Gylded Wings began life as I, Lucifer.  I started writing the book years ago in Miami and used to read the Prologue at open mics.  By the second line, people had stopped talking to listen. I’m grateful to editor Callie Lynn Wolfe of The Wild Rose Press for helping me bring it to life.

Help me celebrate today at:  https://princessofthelight.wordpress.com/2017/09/13/happy-release-day-to-gylded-wings-by-lnightingale-romance-paranormal-wrpbks/   There’s a rafflecopter giveaway!!

And here and now:  I’ll give one commenter an ebook from my back list (your choice) for helping me to celebrate here.  Pass the champers!

Uncharted Waters by Micah Persell

Tags

author giveaways, contemporary romance, Rafflecopter giveaway, romance, spicy novels

GENRE: Contemporary Romance (spicy)

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BLURB:

When a hermit and a scientist are snowbound in a cabin in the woods, the sparks they generate just might melt it all down in this scorching and sensual romance.

Scientist Bethany Morgan discovers the schematics to a world-changing recycling system that will help her realize her greatest dream: providing clean water to the world. The only problem? She must track down the creator, a Dr. Anderson, to help her complete the prototype, and he’s been missing for decades.

James Anderson has clung to the quiet, pain-free existence he’s made in the mountains since his father’s death years ago. But when the determined scientist he rescued gets snowed in at his cabin for an undetermined time, his world is turned upside down…

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Excerpt:

Her pillow would not stop wiggling. She gritted her teeth, furrowing her brow. Cracking one eye, she found herself staring at flannel. A short distance away, her hand lay sprawled across a row of buttons. As she watched, her hand rose and fell.

Ah, not a pillow, then. James.

She opened her other eye and raised her head a bit, gazing down at their bodies. She was all over him, plastered against his side with her arm across his chest and her leg across his thighs.

She didn’t know what had happened to James’s fastidious blanket wall, but she’d probably had something to do with its demise. She craned around enough to look over her shoulder without relinquishing her hold on her lumberjack pillow.

The blanket was on the floor beside the bed.

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AUTHOR Bio and Links:

Micah Persell lives in Southern California with her husband, 1.7 children, and menagerie of pets. She writes romance with strong women, smart minds, and scorching love. Visit her online at http://www.micahpersell.com, on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/MicahPersell, and on Twitter @MicahPersell.

Buy Links:
Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Uncharted-Waters-Micah-Persell-ebook/dp/B073BMXKTR
Simon & Schuster: http://www.simonandschuster.com/books/Uncharted-Waters/Micah-Persell/9781507206119
Kobo: https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/uncharted-waters-10

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GIVEAWAY INFORMATION and RAFFLECOPTER CODE

Micah will be awarding a $15 Amazon or B/N GC to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

As I Get Older, I…

Don’t care as much about what people think, and do things to please myself.  I guess those of you who know me well know that the last statement has always been true.

I’m going with three of my dear friends on a birthday (our treat to ourselves) cruise in October.  The ship has a formal Captain’s Night but…

I’m thinking of going formal or semi-formal every night simply because I love beautiful dresses and wearing them.  I must be reincarnated from a more graceful age when women dressed in beautiful gowns all the time.  I’ve asked the others if they’d like to join me in this but have received 2 ‘nos.’  I suspect a 3rd when the other friend returns from a vacation with her hubby. Should I do it anyway? Just me when everyone else looks like a refugee from Margaritaville? I can do that too!  Will I will or will I won’t?

HeWre’s the gown for Captain’s Night:  

Angelic #Fantasy with dark undertones — Gylded Wings by @LNightingale #Romance #99c #books