The Last Collection by Jeanne Mackin

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author giveaways, author interviews, gift card giveaways, historical romance, Jeanne Mackin, rafflecopter giveaways, The Last Collection, World War II novels, WWII. book reviews

Interview with Jeanne Mackin

What is something you’ve lied about?

Liking a friend’s taste in clothes. I would never tell her that the jacket printed with huge magenta flowers looks awful on her. Clothes are such a personal choice and when I was writing The Last Collection, which is based in the fashion industry, I realized that our taste reflects our past, present and hopes for the future.  That should never be stepped on, never judged.

Who is the last person you hugged?

I’m answering this question during the lockdown period of the pandemic, and since I have asthma I’ve made my own lockdown a real marathon of solitude. I can’t remember who I last hugged. I just know who I can’t wait to hug again, soon. Wonderful friends.  My hairdresser so I can get rid of the shag.  I’m a very huggy person and doing that weird arm thing from a distance just isn’t the same, is it?

What are you reading now?

Thomas Merton’s The Wisdom of the Desert.  Perfect reading for someone much given to solitude, with or without a pandemic. And since I tend to read several books at the same time, I’m also rereading Josephine Tey’s mystery novel, Brat Farrar because I always love a good English country house mystery, and Everybody Behaves Badly, by Lesely M.M. Blume, since I can’t get enough of fictions and histories set in early twentieth century Paris. That Hemingway crowd really knew how to party!

How do you come up with the titles to your books?

Painfully, after much soul searching and struggle, and I keep changing the title as I work.  Titles are actually the hardest part of the writing, for me.  Here you have this 120,000 word novel and you must find two or three or four words that describe it or introduce it. Aieee! I’ve found this trick, though. The first three or four seconds of consciousness, when I wake up in the morning, are full of buried treasure.  If I fall asleep reminding myself of a task – think up a title – when my eyes open in the morning, before I’ve thought of anything else, the title may be there.

Share your dream cast for your book

Since I’m a fiction writer rarely based in a current timeline, this cast is going to come from all over!  For Anya the beautiful and doomed Polish woman, I would cast the young Greta Garbo. Liza Minelli would be the flamboyant Elsa Schiaparelli and Marissa Berenson would be the cool and contained and Coco Chanel – strange in itself, since Marissa Berenson is actually Elsa Schiaparelli’s granddaughter, in real life. The young American woman, Lily Sutter, would be played by Scarlett Johansson, with her marvelous expressive face, and her brother, Charlie, would be played by the devastatingly charming young Jude Law. That has Jude Law playing a romantic lead with Greta Garbo. The screen would sizzle!  Lily’s love interest would be played by the German actor, August Diehl, who like Scarlet is expressive and subtle.

Thank you for inviting me to your page. I hope your readers will enjoy my book!

 

GENRE: Historical Romance

BLURB:

An American woman becomes entangled in the intense rivalry between iconic fashion designers Coco Chanel and Elsa Schiaparelli in this captivating novel from the acclaimed author of The Beautiful American.

Paris, 1938. Coco Chanel and Elsa Schiaparelli are fighting for recognition as the most successful and influential fashion designer in France, and their rivalry is already legendary. They oppose each other at every turn, in both their politics and their designs: Chanel’s are classic, elegant, and practical; Schiaparelli’s bold, experimental, and surreal.

When Lily Sutter, a recently widowed young American teacher, visits her brother, Charlie, in Paris, he insists on buying her a couture dress—a Chanel. Lily, however, prefers a Schiaparelli. Charlie’s beautiful and socially prominent girlfriend soon begins wearing Schiaparelli’s designs as well, and much of Paris follows in her footsteps.

Schiaparelli offers budding artist Lily a job at her store, and Lily finds herself increasingly involved with Schiaparelli and Chanel’s personal war. Their fierce competition reaches new and dangerous heights as the Nazis and the looming threat of World War II bear down on Paris.

Excerpt:

At the ball that night there were people whose faces I recognized, a blur of memory from my first evening in Paris at the Ritz, and many more people whom I didn’t recognize at all, men with military posture, women covered with jewels, men in dresses, women in tuxedos, ingénues in pastel gowns. And Charlie and Ania, beautiful Charlie and Ania, so immersed in each other’s gaze they could have been alone rather than dancing through crowded rooms.

…Coco arrived around eleven, in a diaphanous green gown that looked like fern fronds moving in a breeze when she moved.  It was Coco, blending into nature, but still Coco.

Schiap arrived soon after, dressed, as she had promised, as a tree, covered in a rough brown cloth that looked like tree bark, with branches extending from her arms and the crown of her head. Several cloth and feather birds perched on her shoulders. Whimsical, humorous, always-make-it-look easy Schiap.  Schiap got the louder applause when she made her entrance, and I saw Coco’s smile fade.

Who knew what was going through Coco’s mid that evening? Perhaps she had dreamed the night before of the orphanage, the father who had abandoned her and the mother who had died.

Perhaps she wasn’t thinking at all but only reacting, the way dry wood reacts when a match is put to it.

~~<>~~

AUTHOR Bio and Links:

Jeanne Mackin ‘s latest novel, The Last Collection, A Novel of Elsa Schiaparelli and Coco Chanel takes the reader to Paris, just before world war II, and the intense, dangerous rivalry between the two queens of fashion. Her previous novels include A Lady of Good Family, the award winning The Beautiful American, The Sweet By and By, Dreams of Empire, The Queen’s War, and The Frenchwoman.

Her historical fictions explore the lives of strong women who change their worlds…because we know the world always needs a lot of change! She has worked all the traditional ‘writers’ jobs’ from waitressing to hotel maid, anything that would leave her a few hours each morning for writing. Most recently, she taught creative writing at the graduate level.  She has traveled widely, in Europe and the Middle East and can think of no happier moment than sitting in a Paris café, drinking coffee or a Pernod, and simply watching, while scribbling in a notebook.

JeanneMackin.com

Facebook.com/JeanneMackinauthor

Twitter.com/JeanneMackin1

Penguin Random House – https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/531859/the-last-collection-by-jeanne-mackin/

Amazon – https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07H71Q5FQ/ref=dp-kindle-redirect

 People are talking. What they are saying about The Last Collection:

“Sophisticated couture wars and looming world wars take center stage in Mackin’s latest, with a plot that buzzes with love triangles and political intrigue. A gorgeous meditation on art, fashion, and heartbreak. Stunning.”

–Fiona Davis, national bestselling author of The Masterpiece

“Exquisitely melding world politics and high fashion, THE LAST COLLECTION is a smart, witty, heartfelt, and riveting look at the infamous rivalry between Coco Chanel and Elsa Schiaparelli set against a gripping period in history. Mackin’s powerful novel brings these characters to life and transports the reader, juxtaposing both the gaiety and tension of Paris on the brink of war. As elegant and captivating as the designs depicted in the novel, THE LAST COLLECTION is the perfect read for both historical fiction lovers and fashion aficionados. Simply stunning.”

–Chanel Cleeton, USA Today bestselling author of Next Year in Havana

“A wonderful story of two intensely creative women, their vibrant joie de vivre, and backbiting competition played out against the increasingly ominous threat of the Nazi invasion of Paris. Seamless research makes every character leap to life and kept me totally engaged from beginning to end.

–Shelley Noble, New York Times bestselling author of Lighthouse Beach

“A vibrant portrait of two designers cut from very different cloth, Jeanne Mackin’s THE LAST COLLECTION pits bold Coco Chanel and colorful Elsa Schiaparelli against each other in a fiery feud even as the ominous clouds of World War II darken the horizon. A captivating read!”

–Stephanie Marie Thornton, author of American Princess

“As Hitler and the Nazis gather strength and the world braces for war, Elsa Schiaparelli and Coco Chanel, whose politics differ as much as their couture, wage a war of their own. Lily Sutter, the woman who finds herself in the middle of their feud, has a battle of her own as she struggles to make a new start amidst extreme grief and loss. From New York to Paris, Jeanne Mackin takes the reader on an enthralling journey, complete with such vivid descriptions of the clothing, you can practically see them on the page. Beautifully rendered and meticulously researched, THE LAST COLLECTION is a must read.”

–Renée Rosen, author of Park Avenue Summer

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GIVEAWAY INFORMATION and RAFFLECOPTER CODE

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

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For more chances to win and more excerpts follow Jeanne on tour:

Embers Drift and Interview with Simon Williams

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author interviews, dark fantasy, Embers Drift, fantasy novels, horror, horror novels, Interview with Simon Williams, Simon Willliams

INTERVIEW WITH SIMON WILLIAMS

Tell us about your new book!

 Embers Drift is a standalone novel of metaphysical fantasy / mystery with elements of sci-fi and psychological horror, in an industrial / slightly dystopian setting. But although it bridges many genres it’s conceptually consistent and is really about the lives of four main characters- specifically, the parts of their lives that they’ve forgotten.

I’m happier about the result than I’ve been with any of my previous works. I reworked it a number of times until I realised that- at last- I was telling the exact story I wanted to tell. So I’m relieved to have finished it but also very satisfied.

 What inspired you to write Embers Drift?

I never really know what inspires me to write anything, other than some vague but persistent sixth sense which tells me that I have to tell a certain story, that I have to bring it into being somehow.

 Embers Drift has fewer characters than the Aona books, and a different setting- did this make the writing process different?

In terms of plot and structure, it made it a little different to the process with the Aona books, largely because they were more complex on a practical / logistical level. But at the same time the process required more effort in other ways- because there’s an overarching concept to Embers Drift which requires some explaining, and my goal was to do this through the lives of these four main characters. It wasn’t easy but in the end it was very rewarding.

Stunning artwork on the cover! Tell us about the artist.

The artwork for the cover was created by Tiffany Groves, an exceptionally talented artist who I intend to commission for further work in the future. It encapsulates everything that I wanted to show about the book.

 What projects are next on the horizon for you?

I’m part of the way through writing the first in a new dark fantasy series which will probably seen as more “traditional” fantasy but which will have a number of unique features to it. It explores the nature of magic and of conflict and there isn’t going to be a clear-cut “good vs evil” thing going on- I’m not a fan of such absolutes, I want to explore characters’ motivations, whether or not most people think of them as acceptable. What made them this way? Are they able to change- either for the better, or worse? It’s that aspect that interests me.

I also have another standalone book in progress- this is more a sort of cosmic horror about three demonic beings who have existed in a vast city for hundreds of years, weaving mischief and woe wherever they go, and a young man from an ancient family of magicians and thieves, who is the only one to suspect their existence.

Lastly, I’m also working on a somewhat leftfield YA magical realism novella- I’m not entirely certain how this one will turn out but I’m pleased with some of the concepts involved so this may see the light of day shortly.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Simon Williams is a UK-based author of dark fantasy with elements of sci-fi and horror. He has written the five-book Aona series, as well as two novels for all ages (Summer’s Dark Waters and The Light From Far Below) and Embers Drift, a standalone metaphysical fantasy work.

BLURB / BACK COVER

THE ENGINEER – defined by logic and ruled by routine, she helps keep the lights on for the teeming millions. She craves nothing but anonymity. But her quietly ordered life is about to fall apart.

THE VOICE – highest servant of the Mothers, he incarcerates and executes at will. He revels in the void eating him from the inside out. But his privileged and carefully controlled existence will change forever after an apparently chance meeting.

THE DARK RIVER – a troubled wanderer, inside whom impossible forces rage, she has seen the hidden inner life of the Citadel. She knows that another world touches this one, and the barrier grows thin.

THE FINDER – with deep insight and startling visions, he is familiar with unusual investigations. A new case will send him on a journey that unlocks a forgotten past, a revelation that will change his world forever.

In the black and winding alleyways of the Citadel, industrial metropolis and home to ten million citizens, anomalies stir. Things that should be impossible, show themselves to those few who are vessels of the Great Power.

The Mothers, immortal rulers of this vast city-state, are desperate to die. Through stirring the world into chaos, they hope beyond hope that despite the miraculous healing that condemned them to an eternity of misery, they might be granted oblivion at last.

“Things are only deities if you let them be…”

EXCERPT:

As Lena peered down the steep flight of stairs, a nameless existential fear took hold of her, as if she stood on the threshold of a void into which she might easily spiral as the ground crumbled away. She almost lost her footing and would have done had her father’s hand not steadied her.

The cellar lamps lit the way down as far as the eleventh step, beyond which the darkness appeared so absolute that the steps might have extended into space, and anyone who stepped beyond the eleventh and possibly final stair would fall forever through the nameless void that so frightened her. Lena tried to comfort herself by considering all the special properties of the number eleven, but the juxtaposition of absolutes transfixed her and made any mathematical recall impossible.

“It calls to you,” he said, and she heard a wonder and inexplicable sadness in her father’s voice. “It calls to you, but I’m not sure you can answer.”

“What is it?” she whispered plaintively. “I don’t understand. What is it?”

He placed his arm around her shoulders but didn’t answer. Did his hand tremble a little?

“I often imagined what lay behind the door.” At last Lena dared to look away from the void and up to her father. “You would never open it for me. I think you wanted to, but something always stopped you.”

“Had I shown you when you were a child, you might have rushed thoughtlessly into the gloom to be lost forever. Do you remember those headstrong days, when you embraced the unknown without thinking?”

“I remember,” Lena admitted reluctantly.

“And now you think all the time but embrace nothing. This is the right time to show you, or it should be- but maybe it’s already too late.”

“I don’t know what you mean.”

“Perhaps too much of the Citadel exists inside you now that you’re a part of its… system. I trust you, Lena- but what if I have nothing left to trust you with? What if you walk away?”

Lena stared at him and wondered if her father had asked her to solve a complex riddle or equation. “Are you ready?” he asked, and his voice sounded as if it came from far away. Momentarily cast adrift from reality, Lena felt with her other hand for reassurance that her father still held onto her, even though she knew he did.

He continued, still in that oddly distant voice, “There are places where another version of the world touches this one. Threads of that touch persist in some hidden places, and this is one such place. Men and women of science would refer to it as an anomaly. Certainly it was a cosmic embrace that can’t be readily explained. I didn’t expect to find it when we came to live here, but perhaps I should have done.”

“I don’t believe in mysteries and miracles,” Lena said with sudden, reactionary ill will. Nevertheless, she looked down again and kept her eyes fixed on the bottom stair as if it might suddenly be stolen by the blackness and wink out of existence.

“I don’t ask for belief Lena. I’m not sure what to ask for.”

Lena shook her head. “I don’t understand. Why show this to me now?”

“Because you had to be shown. What you do with it is up to you, but we must do it together. We can’t let it react. Not without taking measures to hide ourselves from discovery.” Suddenly he seemed frightened.

“Do with it?” Lena was nonplussed. “What have you done?”

“Nothing,” he admitted. “If we’re less than certain, we should go back and close the door on it.”

“Do you know what’s down there?”

“No. I’ve kept all knowledge of its existence to myself, which is the one thing that you must do. I don’t even know if I’m doing the right thing, Lena. I only know that there’s reason to this. It isn’t coincidence.”

Lena said nothing but tried to imagine how it couldn’t be anything other than simple mathematical coincidence.

“It has changed slowly over time,” he added quietly, “and I think it’s responsible for other things that have changed.” A distant smile creased his lips for a moment. “Perhaps you ought to do nothing other than be its guardian. Then you can pass on the fact of its existence, as I did…”

“No,” she said forcefully. “I won’t have anyone to pass it down to. Anyway, it’s just a dark cellar. It’s part of the house. Bricks and mortar and measurable dimensions. There’s a wall somewhere down there.” As she spoke of comfortable certainties, Lena found her confidence return and the odd sense of an indefinable other place recede swiftly. “You shouldn’t have shown it to me. Shut it away forever, like you said.”

He knew better than to argue. His fourteen-year-old daughter had vociferously denied that she might ever find someone to spend her life with. I don’t need anyone else, she had defiantly declared, more times than either of them could count.

They left the cellar without speaking. Lena felt uncomfortable and frustrated by her father’s silence, as if she had disappointed him without quite knowing why- but she couldn’t think of any questions to ask. Nor could she find any words to lessen his disappointment.

Her father locked the door to the cellar, and they never spoke of the matter again.

From time to time as the years went on, she would observe in his expression a strange yearning, as if he had wanted to fall into that blackness or walk with her hand in hand to open a world beyond their understanding. But fear and protocol kept him tethered to the ordinary, and Lena knew that nothing stood in the shadow of the stairs but a brick wall.

Even then she understood the boundaries and constraints of form, shape and structure at an intimate level- to Lena this was the mathematics of the real- and it was from that world that she would draw temporary comfort over the ensuing years.

And so she could never explain why she averted her eyes on the rare occasions when she passed by the door to the cellar.

 

Embers Drift on Amazon US: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B088WF28QN/

Embers Drift on Amazon UK: https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B088WF28QN/

Author’s website: https://www.simonwilliamsauthor.com

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

Twitter: https://twitter.com/SWilliamsAuthor

 

It’s a Trust Thing by Peggy Jaeger!

Tags

author interviews, books by independent authors, contemporary romance books, It's a Trust Thing, Peggy Jaeger, The Wild Rose Press authors

What is your greatest temptation:

In men: quick wit and a devilish smile

In food: anything with chocolate as a main ingredient

In clothes: I go for comfort, everytime. Sweat pants, wooly socks, and a scrub top are my usual attire.

What is your greatest weakness (example: buying shoes)? Resisting the urge to meddle, or give advice to loved ones.

If you could have any kind of car, what would it be? The flying kind in The Jetsons. I hatehatehate traffic. Going vertical during a traffic jam would be nirvana.

Your dream home – mountains or ocean? Mountains, for the solitude. I’ve seen too many disaster films where a tsunami takes out everyone who lives on a beach.

What inspires you as a writer? Music? Movies? TV? Books? Life inspires me. And people. I am a huge people watcher and can be extremely nosy. In a good way. Hee hee

What is your favorite pet:  Dog? Cat? Reptiles? Horses? I love dogs and cats equally and have had one of each at the same time. They were besties to the grave.

Do you have a pet? Please share. Not anymore. After my dog, then my cat died, I felt I needed a break for my heart to heal. Soon, though. I will be 60 years old in 2020 and the only thing on my birthday wish list is a pet. ( hopefully, one of each again.)

What  is your #1 item on your bucket list, and which are you most likely to achieve? I want to go to the Vatican and attend Mass said by the Pope.

What is your favorite book of all time? The Little Engine that could. Best book about self -motivation and actualization every written for children and adults. Hands down.

Do you prefer a day alone to write or a day with friends? Since I write full time, a day away from writing to spend with friends would be a gift.

Who is your favorite historical figure? Mary of Nazarath

In your books, who is your favorite hero and please introduce him? Pat Cleary in FIRST IMPRESSIONS. Pat was the first hero I ever wrote who came to me fully formed. He’s so misunderstood. People think he’s a playa, but he’s really just looking for “the one.” He has to date a lot of women to find her. What’s that old saying about kissing frogs to find a prince? Goes for the Prince as well.

Who is your favorite heroine and please introduce her?  Gemma Laine from my WILL COOK FOR LOVE SERIES. Gemma got her own HEA in book 2, A Shot At Love. Smart, talented, sassy and possessed of a take-no-prisoners personality, Gemma is my first and only alpha-female. She needed a strong, caring, total alpha male to tame her, and she found him in FBI Special Agent Ky Pappandreous.

What do you have out now?  It’s a Trust Thing releases on 11.1.19 and is up for preorder right now. It’s exclusive to KINDLE and KU: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07Y7LMJNR

Blurb:

*** this book is a digital offering only

Nell Newbery has trust issues. It’s hard to trust when you’re the daughter of a fallenfinancial scion who bilked people out of billions. Nell’s done everything in her power to keep away from men who see her as their ticket to fortune and fame. All she wants to do is run her ultra-successful business, HELPFUL HUNKS, in peace.

But it wouldn’t hurt to find a guy who doesn’t know a thing about her father’s felonious past; one she can give her heart to and trust it won’t come back to her battered, bruised, and broken.

Is Charlie Churchill that guy? On the surface he seems perfect, all polished manners and quiet mirth. Nell’s convinced he knows nothing about her, other than she likes superhero movies and views junk food as a food group.

Can she trust him to be what he appears to be? Or is he just pretending?

For Nell, trust is everything in life…and in love.
***Readers who like romances set in New York City, have strong, independent and sassy heroines and hot beta heroes, and happy endings will enjoy this book.

***This is the second book in the DotComGirls series, but can be read as a standalone novel.

excerpt:

Listen.” He took my hand in his and my nerves instantly ebbed away. “I enjoyed spending time with you this evening and I’d like to do it again.”

“Really?”

“Why do you sound shocked?”

I lifted a shoulder and pulled a corner of my mouth between my teeth. “Raincloud, remember? Plus—”

When I didn’t continue he squeezed my hand. “Did you not have a good time?”

“No. I mean, yes I did, not no, I didn’t. I did. It was fun.”

Lord, when had I turned into such a babbler?

He grinned down at me.

“It’s just, well…I don’t date much.”

“Neither do I.”

My head slammed back up. “I find that hard to believe. I caught some of the looks those women tossed you when they were leaving my lecture tonight.”

“I don’t date students. Ever. That’s a line that never gets crossed. Not by me.”

“Oh. Well.” I swallowed. “I’m sure you know other women who aren’t students.”

He nodded. “None of them, though, know Dr. Strange isn’t a rapper or confuse Stan Lee with a famous martial artist from the sixties.”

My pulse rate jumped a half dozen beats when he tossed me a cheeky grin, laughter in his eyes.

“I do have some talents,” I said.

He lifted his chin to something behind me. “I think this is your ride.”

With his hand still wrapped around mine, he walked me to the curb. Habit had me checking the license with the one I’d been texted.

“It is.”

He opened the passenger door for me and I got in.

“You never answered me,” he said when I was seated. “Would you like to do this again?”

I’d lived my entire adult life taking chances in my professional life but shying away from them in my personal one. The reasons to avoid becoming involved were valid ones, in my mind, and they’d served me well.

But there was something so different about this man, something that wanted me to finally give in and take a chance that he wouldn’t be like all the other men I’d gotten close to. He wouldn’t use me to his own end; he wouldn’t betray me; he wouldn’t lie to me about who and what he was.

And dammit, I deserved to have some fun.

All this ran through my head as he stood, patiently waiting for my answer.

It really didn’t take much effort on my part to make a decision. With a half grin and my gaze staying zeroed in on his, I reached into my briefcase and pulled out one of my business cards. While the driver waited, I wrote my private cell number on the back of it. There were only five people on the planet who had this number.

Now, Charlie did as well.

As I handed it to him, I cocked my head and said, “Maybe next time we can get through an evening without me needing first aid or being mugged.”

His jaw wide smile made my stomach muscles flutter. He leaned in, gave me a quick peck on the cheek and said, “Where would the fun be in that?”

New releases anytime soon? December 4, the second book in my MATCH MADE IN HEAVEN series from Wild Rose Press will be released. The title is TODAY, TOMORROW, ALWAYS. I’ll be doing a cover reveal on my blog as soon as it’s finalized. I love this story – it’s about oldest O’Dowd sister, Cathleen, and biographer Mac Frayne. Spark fly, shenanigans ensue, and love wins. Just my kind of story! Hee hee

Buy Links:

Exclusive to KU  and Kindle only:

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07Y7LMJNR

Tell us a bit about yourself. Where can eager fans find you?

About me:  Peggy Jaeger is a contemporary romance writer who writes Romantic Comedies about strong women, the families who support them, and the men who can’t live without them. If she can make you cry on one page and bring you out of tears rolling with laughter the next, she’s done her job as a writer!

Family and food play huge roles in Peggy’s stories because she believes there is nothing that holds a family structure together like sharing a meal…or two…or ten. Dotted with humor and characters that are as real as they are loving, she brings all topics of daily life into her stories: life, death, sibling rivalry, illness and the desire for everyone to find their own happily ever after. Growing up the only child of divorced parents she longed for sisters, brothers and a family that vowed to stick together no matter what came their way. Through her books, she’s created the families she wanted as that lonely child.

When she’s not writing Peggy is usually painting, crafting, scrapbooking or decoupaging old steamer trunks she finds at rummage stores and garage sales.

A lifelong and avid romance reader and writer, Peggy is a member of RWA and her local New Hampshire RWA Chapter.

As a lifelong diarist, she caught the blogging bug early on, and you can visit her at peggyjaeger.com where she blogs daily about life, writing, and stuff that makes her go “What??!”

Social Media links:

Website/Blog: http://peggyjaeger.com/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/peggy_jaeger

Amazon Author page: http://www.amazon.com/-/e/B00T8E5LN0

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Peggy-Jaeger-Author/825914814095072?ref=bookmarks

Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/peggyjaeger/

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/13478796.Peggy_Jaeger

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/peggyjaeger_author/

BookBub: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/peggy-jaeger

You-Tube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCDR8RRIlssIyS0FYZWeGqsg/videos?view_as=subscriber

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Thanks, Peg, for sharing a bit about yourself with us. Best of l luck with your new release!!

 

If Wishes Were Horses By Jayne York

Tags

author interviews, Contemporary Women's Fiction, Jayne York, The Wild Rose Press

The horse has nothing to do with this book. I just like them! Linda

Jayne has agreed to an interview today, and I’d like to introduce her and her new book, If Wishes were Horses, a Contemporary Women’s Fiction from The Wild Rose Press. Jayne, you have the stage (and the microphone).

Let me take a moment to thank you, Linda, for hosting me. The support and encouragement of my fellow authors is one of the most wonderful things I’ve ever experienced. You’re the best.

Jayne York

Thank you!

~~~~~~~~~

What is your greatest temptation:

In men: Honey, a smooth line and a pretty face. Me, too!

In food: I’m an equal opportunity grazer. About the only things I’ll turn down flat is uncooked seafood of any type. Blech.

In clothes: Comfort. I’ve gotten attached to sweatpants.

Your dream home – mountains or ocean?

Since I’m dreaming, I’d like both please; a cozy warm log arrangement on a remote mountain and a cool breezy beach cottage with a sea glass mobile on the porch.

What inspires you as a writer? Music? Movies? TV? Books?

It’s easier to list those things that don’t inspire me. Rap music – it makes me anxious. War movies – they make me sad. Car commercial deluges drive me nuts. I can’t read slasher novels, but that doesn’t keep me from admiring the craft that goes into their making.

Do you have a pet? Please share.

My cat George, a gray and white tuxedo marked short hair is my lap warmer on cold days and quiet comfort in the middle of the night when I should be sleeping but can’t.

In your books, who is your favorite hero and please introduce him?

“If Wishes Were Horses” is my first book, so the choice is automatic. Michael McCandlis is a wounded, Navy SEAL forced into retirement. A looker with a killer smile and a good heart. He’s adrift in civilian life and looking for a reason to stick around on this planet. Attraction to my heroine, Emily Converse, blindsides him. Unsure of himself for the first time, he stumbles a bit but finally gets it right.

Who is your favorite heroine, and please introduce her?

Emily Converse is a newly minted forty-year-old independent woman on a mission. She raised her little brother and rescued him countless times. Like countless other people who have lived through the warzone that comes hand in glove with loving an addicted person, she balances precariously on the line between helping and enabling. And, she thinks she has it handled till she’s forced into one last rescue. Along the way she crosses paths and trajectories with Michael. She doesn’t care to admit her need for help, but with a man like Mike it’s tempting to let down her guard. Sparks of all different varieties ensue.

Got to admit, I love them together.

What do you have out now?

As I mentioned before, “If Wishes Were Horses” is my debut novel. It’s a labor of love, and I hope you’ll all do me the honor of reading it.

New releases anytime soon?

My WIP is a heist tale that I hope will be out next summer. It’s tentatively entitled “Midnight Acquisition.” I’m editing it now and then it’s on to submission. Wish me luck.

Where can eager fans find you?

Website: jayneyork.com (subscribe to get on my mailing list)

Email: jayne@jayneyork.com

Twitter: @YorkAuthor

FaceBook: JayneYorkAuthor

ABOUT IF WISHES WERE HORSES!:

BLURB:
Emily Converse never expected to return to Tamarack, Colorado. But she’s determined to rescue her drug-addicted brother and start a new life. Standing in her way, she finds her stepfather, a powerful US senator, looming over her future like the ever-present monster he’d been during their childhood. Meeting wounded retired Navy SEAL, Michael McCandlis, is a steamy surprise in her homecoming, though he’s adrift in civilian life. Together can they find a way to transform from victims to survivors?

 ~~~~~

EXCERPT:
Once upon a time, she’d run away from Tamarack like her heels were on fire, and now here she was volunteering to step back into the furnace. What was the definition of insanity? Doing the same things over and over, expecting a different outcome. Like if she managed to change, be stronger, be smarter, things would turn out better—different. It wouldn’t be that simple. She downshifted the Jeep to slow for the last of the S-shaped turns on the narrow ribbon of asphalt. The road led her past the pretentious granite columns that marked her stepfather’s compound. She wasn’t consciously holding her breath, but a trickle of fear dribbled down her spine just the same. Her molars ground together in determination. The past wouldn’t decide her present, not ever again. In spite of herself, images of her last day on his estate flashed through her mind like the herky-jerky frames of a child’s flip deck animation. Fear sharpened every visual, clarified every word, enhanced every touch. She’d run down the steps, racing for her car. He’d charged after her, smelling of alcohol and fury when he tried to stop her headlong rush toward an unknown future. They’d screamed out their mutual hatred, all the bitter dregs of their time together. She smirked when she remembered getting in the lucky shove that had landed him in a heap on the ground. It had been her first glimpse that Senator Ray Domenico was not the invincible, all-powerful monster she’d known him to be.

PURCHASE LINK:

Amazon:  https://www.amazon.com/Wishes-Were-Horses-Jayne-York-ebook/dp/B07TVW54GQ

Barnes and Noble: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/if-wishes-were-horses-jayne-york/1132549195?ean=9781509227259

Google Books: https://play.google.com/store/books/details/Jayne_York_If_Wishes_Were_Horses?id=gt6oDwAAQBAJ

Kobo: https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/if-wishes-were-horses-35

ABOUT JAYNE:

I’ve been an avid reader and sometime writer all of my life. I’ve never been able to resist the draw of a good story, and that has been true in my professional life as well. I was raised as the third of three children in the Colorado high country. Early on I discovered the joy of creating handcrafted jewelry, which led to a forty-five-year career as a professional jeweler. Every customer, every piece has its own story. I’ve collected them like pearls in a strand, and I often use them as a jumping-off point for the tales I tell. If you’re looking for me, you’ll find me on the shores of a northern lake, hammering away on my latest story of love and life in the modern world. ~*~ Find Jayne online at: http://www.JayneYork.com

 

The Renaissance Club by Rachel Dacus

Tags

author giveaways, author interviews, rafflecopter giveaways, Time Travel, Women's Speculative Fiction

The Renaissance Club

Rachel Dacus will be awarding a $20 Amazon or Barnes and Noble GC to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour.

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

I’d like to welcome Rachel to The Chateau. She has agreed to answer a few questions, so let’s get to know Rachel a little better and check out her new book, The Renaissance Club.

1. Tell me three words that describe yourself starting with A, B, and C

Arabesque = My early life as a dancer and the title of my current poetry book

Ballerina = See A

Craftsman/Concentration = My approach to writing stories

2. Which genre or genres do you write or prefer to write? And why?

I’m most interested in writing women’s fiction with fantasy elements. Time travel, ghost stories, and historical elements and settings. Also, I write books set in Italy. Long story.

3. What gets your creative juices flowing?

Reading often inspires me, also nature. I’m big on forest bathing and long walks.

4. Who would you love most to meet ‘in person’ and why?

The person I’d love to meet isn’t a novelist but screenwriter Aaron Sorkin, creator of The West Wing.

5. Do you have a favorite snack that you like to munch on while writing?

Tortilla chips. The saltier the better!

6. Do you have a hobby?

Walking, petting, and grooming my Silky Terrier.

7. Do you read your reviews on your books? Do they influence your story at all?

I do read them and the thoughtful reviews absolutely influence me. Writing is a form of communication, and hearing what readers take from your story is an education.

8. What would you say is your interesting writing quirk?

I often start a whole book by writing the title. It’s an arrow pointing me in the right direction. Often those first titles don’t change, as is the case with The Renaissance Club. No matter how many editors (and there were many) wanted changes, no one suggested changing the title.

9. Do you have another profession besides writing?

I raise funds for nonprofit organizations, which often involves writing.

10. If you could go back in time, where would you go?

I’d go so many places! The first one would be the Italian Renaissance, as a male painter. I wouldn’t want to go back as a woman, because they didn’t get a very good deal in those times!

11. What’s the one thing you would do if you could be your character for a day?

I’d make out with Gianlorenzo Bernini!

12. What was the inspiration for The Renaissance Club?

I took an art history course on the Italian Renaissance, followed by a sumptuous, first-class tour of Renaissance art in Northern Italy. One of the most amazing things I’ve ever experienced. Everyone should go to Italy.

13. Will there be more books in your series, or can you tell us about any previous books?

I’m working on a prequel, a sequel, and planning out another sequel beyond those two. The prequel will tell the story of time travel tour guide George St. James, and how he learned to use his time travel ability to benefit others and assist them in growing as people through short jaunts in time and history.

14. What is your favorite part of this book and why?

My favorite is when May tries to let go of her connection to Bernini, as it seems in his best interest that she do so. That scene stays vivid in my mind.

15. What are you currently working on?

My second novel, The Invisibles, a story of two half-sisters whose sisterhood is undermined by their clash over inheriting a cottage on the coast of Italy, along with its resident ghost, the poet Percy Bysshe Shelley.

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

BLURB:

Would you give up everything, even the time in which you live, to be with your soul mate? That’s what young art historian and teacher May Gold must decide when she slips through time’s folds to meet the man of her dreams and the subject of her master’s thesis — fiery 17th century genius artist Gianlorenzo Bernini.

In her fantasies May is in his arms, the wildly adored partner of the man who steered Renaissance art into the Baroque. In reality, she has just landed in Rome with her stodgy boyfriend and teaching colleagues for a tour of Italy. She yearns to unleash her passion and creative spirit.

When the floor under the gilded dome of St Peter’s basilica rocks under her feet, she finds herself in the year 1624, staring straight into Bernini’s eyes. Their immediate and powerful attraction grows every time she meets him during the tour. Passion blossoms, but history says they have no future. Can May thread her way through time, and will she take a perilous risk to begin a magical, exciting new life?

This time travel romance is perfect for lovers of Italy, art, and love stories.

Excerpt:

May changed her mind about going into the church and decided instead to climb the tall hill of Assisi and find a shop or two. She passed a small shop tucked under the overhanging, geranium-strewn balcony. Its window bore a sign: “Farmacia.” Pharmacy. She stopped. A morning-after pill was an over-the-counter item in Europe, probably here in Assisi too.

She ventured inside. It was a small place, a new shop built inside the ancient stone walls. She looked around at displays of mementos, purses, and perfumes. A small counter had a sign that said “Farmacia.”

She was about to call for the proprietor, when the light inside the shop changed. Glass bottles rattled on their shelves. She looked around and saw the shopkeeper emerge. Their gazes held. Earthquakes were familiar in Assisi, and could be frightening after their huge quake. The ground settled again, and he smiled and shrugged in that very Italian way.

George called them folds in time. She didn’t feel them any differently than normal quakes, but they made her unsteady. She touched the counter. Her mind raced somewhere else. Could he possibly appear here? She felt the doorway appearing at her sides and overhead.

A glimmer all around. Just step through.

Bernini came out of the shadows looking different than last time. He had circles under his eyes, and his skin was paler. He wore a flowing white shirt and a black jacket, as he often did, but the slashes in the sleeves were frayed, and the jacket was dusty, as if it had been through many  travels.

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

AUTHOR Bio and Links:

Rachel Dacus is a poet, essayist, and novelist who writes about love and relationships, with a touch of the supernatural. Love and history are the themes of her debut novel, The Renaissance Club, a tale of romance between a young art historian and her hero, the fiery 17th century Italian sculptor Gianlorenzo Bernini. Praise for her novel — “enchanting, rich, and romantic” — describes the kinds of love and adventure stories Rachel enjoys, preferably set in exotic places. She has traveled to Italy and India and plans to expand her journeys beyond countries that start with the letter “I”.

She’s the daughter of a bipolar rocket engineer who worked on missiles during the race-to-space 1950’s. He was also an accomplished painter.

Her interest in Italy was ignited by a course in Renaissance art history that culminated in tour of northern Italy. She’s been hooked on Italy ever since. Her essay on Italy, motherhood, and infertility was anthologized in Italy, a Love Story: Women Write About the Italian Experience.

 Dacus shows off her versatility in four poetry collections. Her newest is Arabesque. Three other collections are: Gods of Water and Air, Femme au Chapeau, and Earth Lessons. She raises funds for arts, human service, and healthcare organizations and takes walks with her way-too-smart Silky Terrier.

Find out more about Rachel Dacus  and The Renaissance Club:

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07832TVWN

Website: http://racheldacus.net

Twitter: https://twitter.com/Rachel_Dacus

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Rachel-Dacus-Poet-Writer-514837478526919/

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

GIVEAWAY INFORMATION and RAFFLECOPTER CODE:

Rachel Dacus will be awarding a $20 Amazon or Barnes and Noble GC to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Follow the tour and comment; the more they comment, the better their chances of winning. The tour dates can be found here:

http://goddessfishpromotions.blogspot.com/2018/09/nbtm-renaissance-club-by-rachel-dacus.html

Hanami by V.C. Buckley

Tags

author giveaways, author interviews, New Adult romantic suspense, rafflecopter, rafflecopter giveaways, romance, romantic suspense

What is your greatest temptation:

In men: Humility. Nothing is sexier than a guy who doesn’t really know how awesome he is.
In food: Sweets…in all forms and all kinds!
In clothes: I’m not very particular with fashion. I have practical taste, but I do seem to lean more towards anything bohemian and I love native fabric and exotic prints and embroidery.

What is your greatest weakness (example: buying shoes)?
Sweets! Especially pastries. I can probably be bribed with it. I just find it very hard to say no when it’s in front of me. Life’s too short to be denied such pleasure!

If you could have any kind of car, what would it be? A black hummer!

Your dream home – mountains or ocean? Ocean. I’m an Island girl. I love everything about it.

What inspired you to become a writer?

Life. My father was an amazing storyteller, and he had a unique view of the world. He taught me to look at the world from another perspective, and he encouraged a healthy imagination.

Do you have a daily writing routine? If so, please share.

Yes, I do. I set a target word count that I try to break everyday. Although there are days that can become more challenging than usual, like when errands start to pile up and other matters require my attention. I try to get some words in, or try to make up for it when I don’t.

What is your favorite book?

There is quite a lot. It’s hard to pick only one when there is so much variety in the world. So I’d rather say that I love the classics, like Black Beauty and The Little Princess. But I also enjoy contemporary and regency romance stories, and just about anything that is well told.

What is your favorite movie?

I loved Erin Brockovich. The story of her life was very inspiring and in many ways, I could relate to her.

Who is your favorite historical figure?

Jesus.  Regardless of what you believe, he DID exist. And he is my favorite historical figure, because all the stories told about him, and the messages conveyed in them can be life altering.

In your books, who is your favorite hero and please introduce him?

Kenjin Kiyohara is the hero in my book HANAMI. He is the sole heir to the Kiyohara Empire, Asia’s largest Oil and Steel Company. He is arrogant… but who can blame him when every woman in the world would kill to be the object of his affection? The problem is…nobody is good enough for Kenjin…until he met the mysterious Sakura.

Who is your favorite heroine and please introduce her?

The heroine of my debut romance novel is Sakura Shintani. She is next in line to succeed her grandfather, the leader to the most notorious crime family of Japan. She is dangerous, with a legendary temper…but now she has to complete a program in some fancy school upon the request of her grandfather while hiding her true identity. But having the face of an angel proves to make this quest quite a challenge.

What do you have out now? Excerpt, blurb, book trailers

You can view the book trailer of HANAMI in: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mhONdkI9y64

New releases anytime soon?

The Sequel to HANAMI will be released sometime in 2018. I also have another contemporary romance in the works schedule for late 2018.

Where can eager fans find you?

You can find me on my website www.vcbuckley.com. Subscribers to my newsletter are entered into a raffle draw ever quarter.

You can also find me in facebook (www.facebook.com/vcccbuckley) and Twitter (www.twitter.com/vccbuckley)
THANK YOU FOR YOUR CANDOR, NOW FOR HANAMI!!

GENRE:   New Adult romantic suspense

BLURB:

 SAKURA SHINTANI is the Dragon Clan heir-Japan’s most notorious crime dynasty. But can she keep this fact a secret from the prying brats of Oniyuri Academy?
She tries to stay out of their radar while mastering her demons and keeping her murderous temper under control, but having the face of an angel only attracts everyone’s attention… including the arrogant heir to Asia’s most powerful tycoon, KENJIN KIYOHARA.

He senses the danger, but Sakura is too interesting to be left alone.

EXCERPT:

Jin rolled his eyes, settling his gaze back on the girl. He wasn’t surprised with their reaction.

The new girl was hot, but so what? It took more than a pretty face to get his attention. He wasn’t that easy to impress, and he was certain she’d be throwing herself at him anyway. Just like everybody else. He was sure this girl wasn’t any different from the love-crazed hyenas that stalked him.

Jin pushed back his shoulders, seeing her start towards him with her eyes still trailing on the ground.

Already? Jin thought, suppressing a laugh. He crossed his arms, waiting for her to get closer, and sure enough she stopped right in front of him. She was even prettier up close. Asian but with a hint of Caucasian mixed in.

“What?” he asked, smirking. He already knew what she might say: whether he was Kenjin Kiyohara, the sole heir to Kiyohara Industries? The questions were all the same. He thought she would have at least waited until class was over like the rest of them.

“Move your feet. You’re blocking my way,” the girl said in a sharp tone.  She shifted her gaze up at him like a threatening knife. Her topaz-colored eyes darkened, sending icy tremors down his back. He felt as if he’d been hit by a curse as his mind turned blank.

When she finally looked away, Jin was able to regain his senses. He tucked his legs out of her way, and she passed, leaving goosebumps in her wake. His eyes followed her, waiting to see if she’d look back, but she never did. Jin’s hands were trembling. His thoughts became jumbled while he struggled not to look anymore.

What was that? What just happened? This was a first for him. He couldn’t contain himself. His presence had no impact whatsoever. Instead she looked like she wanted to kill him!

Jin took a deep breath, replaying the moment in his head. Who was this girl? She sure got his attention, all right—and it left him in pieces. He fought the urge to look back again.

This girl…Jin thought. There was something about her. He couldn’t shake off the feeling. She seemed dangerous.

AUTHOR Bio and Links:

V.C. Buckley was born in an isolated government facility and shipped off to an Island in Southeast Asia where she grew up braving tropical thunderstorms and warding off evil villains. At sixteen she was discovered by an agent and jetted off all over the world. Her stories come from gritty moments of her childhood to the glitz of her travels. She now lives in Manila with her husband, two kids and an herb garden that has hijacked her balcony.

Other information:

Website: www.vcbuckley.com

Twitter:

@vccbuckley

or www.twitter.com/vccbuckley

Facebook:

@vcccbuckley

or www.facebook.com/vcccbuckley

Goodreads:

https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/17167092.V_C_Buckley

Buy links:

Amazon:

https://www.amazon.com/Hanami-Book-1-V-C-Buckley-ebook/dp/B075P5JGNJ/ref=asap_bc?ie=UTF8

B&N:

https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/hanami-vc-buckley/1127115319?ean=2940154552964

Kobo:

https://www.kobo.com/ph/en/ebook/hanami-6

Book Trailer link:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mhONdkI9y64

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

GIVEAWAY INFORMATION and RAFFLECOPTER CODE:

V.C. Buckley will be awarding a $10 Amazon or Barnes and Noble GC to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Meet Author Simon Williams!

Tags

author interviews, fantasy novels, new releases

What is your greatest temptation:

In women:

Not really sure how to answer that. Personal stuff isn’t something I really think about much anymore- bit old for that kind of thing and it’s not healthy to contemplate pointless distractions that don’t lead anywhere!

In food:

I love most foods so it’s difficult to say. I’ll eat most things apart from offal and anything overly sweet. That said, I seem to mostly live on hastily made sandwiches and lots of Coke.

In clothes:

I’m one of those people who think of clothes as a bit of a chore- something one has to wear living in a cold country at a relatively high latitude. I have a few pairs of jeans and several t-shirts and that’s pretty much what I wear day in day out- that way I don’t have to think too much about clothes, just grab something and put it on.

What is your greatest weakness (example: like mine cars)?

Probably food. Oh and daydreaming when I should be doing something meaningful.

 

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

I’d have a very expensive one, so I could sell it and get some decent money. I’ve never owned a car nor had the spare money for driving lessons so if I did miraculously acquire one I would (a) be very very suspicious, and (b) try and sell it immediately. I’m used to public transport for longer journeys, and if it’s less than around 10 miles I generally walk.

 

Your dream home – mountains or ocean?

Probably somewhere near the sea, as long as the town has decent train or bus services

 

What inspired you to become a writer?  To write this book?

I’ve always written stories, pretty much from as soon as I could string words together. It’s the one thing I felt that I could do reasonably well, and that was borne out by my school qualifications, which were not great. I wasn’t really cut out for the world of being a corporate drone and the daily grind, although oddly that’s what writing does sometimes feel like- a bit of a grind- when the inspiration isn’t there. But it turns up eventually.

 

Do you have a daily writing routine?  If so, please share.

I just try to do as much as I can- whether that’s number of new words written or pages edited or a mixture of the two. I try not to set unrealistic targets but at the same time I do try to push myself to do a reasonable amount. I’ll never be one of these people who take part in these “Nanowrimo” competitions to see who can churn out a hundred thousand words in a month. I know I’ll get there eventually so I try not to stress about the time it takes.

 

I have no particular method. I write, I write some more, I keep writing, some of it’s good and I keep it, some of it’s bad and I scrap it, some of it’s ok and I edit it. Sometimes it’s a struggle to wade through the “creative mire” as I call it, and at other times I just sit down and it kind if happens without my really knowing.

That messy, chaotic way of working won’t work for everyone, so I can’t necessarily recommend it. It works for me though.

What is your favorite book?

That’s a difficult one as I have several that really moved me or affected me in some way.

Alan Garner’s “The Weirdstone of Brisingamen” is the one that, when I read it as a child, made me realise that yes, I would be an author. It kind of made that decision for me. Others that had a profound effect include Clive Barker’s “Weaveworld”, C J Cherryh’s “Chronicles of Morgaine”, and everything that Cecilia Dart-Thornton has ever written.

 What is your favorite movie?

Much easier. Blade Runner. The idea of what it truly means to be human is of endless fascination to me, and Blade Runner is a stunning piece of work for that and many other reasons.

 

Who is your favorite historical figure?

Difficult to pick one, but I’d probably pick a classical author- George Orwell or Aldous Huxley. I also admire the works of philosopher Bertrand Russell so he might be a good choice as well.

 In your books, who is your favorite hero and please introduce him?

Heroes are pretty think on the ground in the Aona books, but let’s pick Vornen- a failure of a man, a drug addict, a self-pitying loner… who despite all his own attempts to do otherwise, helps to make a stand against the twin evils that threaten the world.

 

Who is your favorite heroine and please introduce her?

Again, she’s not really a heroine, but Nia is a multi-faceted, complex young lady and far more than she initially appears to be. Despite spending much of the story across the five books frightened out of her wits, she still has an acid tongue (not literally, although that would also be useful) and a sharp wit. You may or may not warm to her- but she’s my favourite of all my characters.

 

What do you have out now?  Excerpt, blurb, book trailers

The complete Aona series (five novels), Summer’s Dark Waters (YA fantasy / sci-fi adventure) and Disintegration (collection of short stories I’ve written over the years)

My Amazon page has links to the individual books and reviews: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Simon-Williams/e/B00P0ZZYS8/

 

What’s coming?

My main two at the moment are the sequel to Summer’s Dark Waters (my YA fantasy / sci-fi adventure) – currently titled The Light From Far Below- and a standalone novel for adults which I just *know* I’m going to have trouble with in terms of putting it into a genre. But I’m quite excited about it so far (36,000 words in) – as it doesn’t feel like anything else I’ve ever written or indeed that anyone else has (to my knowledge). So I’m enjoying crafting this one.
The Light from far Below will be illustrated by the same artist I collaborated with on Summer’s Dark Waters. I’m fortunate to have someone who seems to share my vision for the characters and scenes in my work!

 

Where can we find you?  (Social media, web site, etc.)

Website – www.simonwilliamsauthor.com

Amazon page: http://www.amazon.co.uk/-/e/B00P0ZZYS8

Facebook fan page: https://www.facebook.com/simonwilliamsauthor

Twitter: @SWilliamsAuthor

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/6094097.Simon_Williams

 

Summer’s Dark Waters:

Amazon UK:

Amazon US:

Oblivion’s Forge (Book I in the Aona series):

Amazon UK:

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Oblivions-Forge-Aona-Book-1-ebook/dp/B0082XW04G/

Amazon US:

 

 

 

 

 

Surprise Me Again – New Release by Anita Kidescu!

Tags

author interviews, book series, Candy Hearts Romance Series, erotic romance, new releases, TWRP

I’m fortunate to have as my guest today erotic romance writer Anita Kidescu and she has agreed to subject herself to an interview!  So, here’s Anita:

 What is your greatest temptation:

            In men: A man with a dark beard – not a shaggy one, though

            In food: Chocolate, chocolate, chocolate.

            In clothes: Jogging pants and sweatshirts

 What is your greatest weakness (example: buying shoes)? Buying books

 If you could have any kind of car, what would it be? An old 57 Chevy – light blue and white

 Your dream home – mountains or ocean? A log home in the mountains in the summer, Beach house in the winter (I live in Northern Wisconsin)

 What inspired you to become a writer? My grandmother loved to write. She was never published, but she encouraged me.

Do you have a daily writing routine?  If so, please share. I get my best writing done in the afternoons. Mornings (when I’m home) are spent with promo stuff.

What is your favorite book? That is a tough one. I have so many. My keeper shelf is filled with Jude Deveraux, LaVyrle Spencer, and Kathleen Woodiwiss’ books.

 What is your favorite movie? I don’t watch a lot of movies. My latest, though, would be “A Dog’s Purpose.”

Who is your favorite historical figure? Abraham Lincoln

 In your books, who is your favorite hero and please introduce him? It’s a toss up between Jack in South Seas Seduction and Eric in Surprise Again. Jack, a pilot acts like a tough guy, but is a real softie. His flaws make me laugh. I think I’m in love with him. Eric, has been wounded by his ex-wife, yet still longs to find the right one to love and love him.

Who is your favorite heroine and please introduce her? My favorite female character would be Emma in South Seas Seduction. In the book, she went from a sheltered, shy woman, to a feisty, take no prisoners woman.

What do you have out now?  Surprise Me Again:

Buy Links: The Wild Rose Press: http://wildcatalog.thewildrosepress.com/all-erotic/4932-surprise-me-again.html

Amazon: http://a.co/gMls8RO

Barnes & Noble: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/surprise-me-again-anita-kidesu/1125549612?ean=2940157556693

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

Blurb: Charged with trespassing and indecent exposure on Erik Stenson’s private beach, Carson and Josie Sandberg return to South Padre Island to take care of the ticket. However, their reunion with Erik is not what they expected. An invitation for a drink turns into a weekend of passion that fulfills fantasies and leaves all parties wanting to explore a threesome outside the bedroom. Will time, distance, and family issues stand in the way, or will they be surprised again?

Excerpt: “What about you?” Josie said. “Have you ever been married?”

“I was. Years ago. It didn’t last.”

A flicker of sorrow passed over Josie’s eyes. “Can you tell us what happened?” She frowned into her drink. “That is, if you want to.”

“It’s okay. I married Jessica about…” Hell how long had it been? Where had the time gone? “I guess nearly twenty years ago. Like you, we met in college, fell in love, married. Things were good for a few years.”

Josie leaned to her side, allowing the waiter to place a plate before her. Ignoring her food, she folded her hands under chin and kept her attention on him. “What happened?”

“We wanted children. Jessica ached for children. It became an obsession.” Eric took one of the large shrimp from the platter in the middle of the table and began peeling it with trembling fingers, giving him a chance to get his emotions under control. Lord, how he’d wanted children, but not enough to end his marriage.

“After a few years when we didn’t conceive, we looked for answers. By that time Jessica was convinced she was the problem and fell into a deep depression. Nothing I did helped. She wouldn’t agree to see a counselor. My mother finally convinced us to seek a fertilization doctor.” Eric threw the shrimp on his plate and took a long swallow of beer. “Turns out I was the problem, not her. Seems those mumps I’d had as a kid did a number on my little swimmers. Killed them all.”

“Hell, that’s awful, man,” Carson said while Josie placed her hand on Eric’s.

Their sympathy nearly did him in. He swallowed around the lump in his throat and squeezed his damp eyes.

After all these years, the pain was still buried under his heart only to surface on dark, lonely nights and like now as he recounted the story. They were the first ones he’d opened up to. None of the other people in his threesomes had even cared to ask.

Carson took a sip of his beer. “What happened then?”

“I wanted to adopt. Wanted to create a family with Jessica. It didn’t matter if the children were of our blood or not. The doctors had talked about in-vitro. Turns out Jessica didn’t feel the same way.” He took deep breath and tried to calm his pounding heart. He wiped his palms on his shorts.

“I came home one day with information on adoption and some on in-vitro fertilization only to find her and her stuff gone. She had left me a note, telling me she wanted children from her own body. Wanted to create them naturally. Didn’t want to be married to a man who wasn’t a man.”

“The bitch,” Josie said, her eyes filling with tears. “Oops, sorry. I shouldn’t have called her that.”

“Don’t worry. I’ve called her that and worse.”

“How the hell did you handle it?” Carson asked. “I would have been devastated if Josie had done that to me.”

“I drank and buried myself in my writing. I wrote my first novel during this time.”

“If I recall, that book was rather cutting against women,” Carson said.

Eric shook his head and chuckled. “Yeah. I enjoyed killing off my heroine. Coincidentally, she closely resembled my ex.”

“Did you get in trouble for it?” Josie asked, peeling her third shrimp.

“Since I use a pen name, I don’t think she even knows I write. Besides, she was too busy finding another husband to father her eight children.”

Carson choked on his beer. “Eight?”

“Yeah. She really did want kids, but I’m not sure I would have agreed to that many. I was also told she’s gained about a hundred pounds.” Under Josie’s quiet scrutiny, he dropped his gaze to his plate.

“It still hurts, though, doesn’t it?” Josie asked.

Eric shrugged. “It’s not as bad as it was. I sometimes think about how I could have kids in college or be a grandfather by now.”

 New releases anytime soon? Surprise Me Again, just came out on Feb. 10^th. It’s the continuing story of Josie and Carson from Surprise Me. I just sent their sons’ story to my editor. We have to come up with a title, and I have no idea when it will be released.

Where can eager fans find you?

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

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

Blog: http://anitakidesu.wordpress.com/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/AnitaKidesu

Website: www.anitakidesu.com

Newsletter: : http://anitakidesu.us15.list-manage.com/subscribe…

 

It’s September 24! Greet Kim McMahill and Her Latest Release, Taste of Tragedy!!

Tags

Amazon, author blogs, author interviews, books, contemporary romance, independent publishing, Kindle, romantic suspense

Kim has graciously agreed to be our victim….I mean guest! and be interviewed for posterity.  Kim–

What is your greatest temptation:

            In men: firefighters

            In food:  Chocolate

            In clothes: Blue Jeans

What is your greatest weakness (example: buying shoes)? avoiding chocolate

If you could have any kind of car, what would it be? For my lifestyle it has to be a rugged SUV

Your dream home – mountains or ocean? Mountains

What inspired you to become a writer?  An overactive imagination and long summers alone in a cabin with no phone or television while my husband was out fighting forest fires.

Do you have a daily writing routine?  If so, please share.  I don’t really have a daily writing routine. The mood has to strike me. I’ve never been one that can set aside a specific slot and force creativity.

 What is your favorite book? Amazonia by James Rollins

 What is your favorite movie? Sahara

 Who is your favorite historical figure?  Amelia Earhart

 In your books, who is your favorite hero and please introduce him? That’s a tough one, but I’ll have to go with Deuce from Big Horn Storm. What woman can resist a tall handsome cowboy, who refuses to give up on the woman who stole his heart?

Who is your favorite heroine and please introduce her? It would have to be Devyn Nash from my Risky Research series. She was introduced in the first book, A Dose of Danger, but we start getting to know her better in A Taste of Tragedy. Devyn is a socially challenged, tough and gritty FBI agent, who isn’t all that good at playing by the rules, yet has a tender heart buried under layers of insecurity.

 

What do you have out now? My latest release is a Taste of Tragedy. Here’s a short blurb and excerpt.

 ~~~~~~~

Blurb:

Morgan Hunter sacrificed everything for her career. She had yet to encounter anything she wasn’t willing to do to succeed . . . until now. When she uncovers evidence that the healthy foods she’s been hired to promote may be dangerous, she must reevaluate her priorities. As questions mount and the body count rises, she finds herself caught in the crosshairs of an organization that will stop at nothing to hide its secrets and protect its profits. With no one else to trust, Morgan is forced to seek help from the man she drove away, but whom she never stopped loving.

Excerpt:

“Here, let me help you,” Morgan said as she draped Devyn’s arm around her shoulders.

Morgan tried to relieve as much weight as she could from Devyn as she helped her hobble to the waiting vehicle. Once Devyn was seated in the cramped back seat, Morgan dug out her emergency supply bag. She handed Devyn a blanket and a bottle of water. “I have a first aid kit, but I think you need something a little more than a bandage.”

“It’s just a few scratches. I’ll live.”

Morgan could see why Nick trusted Devyn with his back. As she looked at the battered and bruised woman, who had taken off into the desert in the middle of the night in bare feet to prevent a criminal from getting away, she had to admire her. Devyn had to be in extreme pain, yet not a complaint escaped her lips.

“Make room in the back,” Nick huffed.

Morgan looked up to see Nick trudging toward her with an inert Aaron slung over his shoulder. She raced to the tiny back cargo area and moved a few items around so Nick could squeeze the body in the vehicle.

“Is he dead?” Morgan whispered.

“Not quite, but we need to get him medical help A.S.A.P. The bullet didn’t hit any vital organs, but I’m not sure how much damage he suffered from the knock to the head”

Morgan watched as Nick set the man down in the vehicle, and then she joined Devyn in the back seat. Turning around and kneeling, she was able to lean over the seat and assess Aaron’s injuries. She folded up a handkerchief and placed it over Aaron’s gunshot wound and applied pressure. She wasn’t sure which was bleeding more, the bullet hole or the bump and cut to the head, but she had to try and slow the blood loss any way she could.

“That’s all we can do for now,” Nick said. “Just keep the pressure on the best you can.”

Morgan nodded as Nick secured the back and then got behind the wheel.

“You okay?” Nick asked as he turned to face Devyn.

“I’ve had better days, but sadly, I’ve had worse.”

New releases anytime soon? I’m working on my third novel in the Risky Research series titled, A Foundation of Fear. In this novel, we get to know the criminals and those trying to bring them to justice much more intimately, and learn that even the most ruthless assassin may have something to fear.

Where can eager fans find you?

Website:          http://KimMcMahill.com

Blog:               http://KimMcMahill.blogspot.com

Twitter:           https://twitter.com/kimmcmahill

Goodreads author page: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/849945.Kim_McMahill

Amazon Author Page: http://www.amazon.com/Kim-McMahill/e/B007IK0EJW/

~~~~~~

Bio:

Kim McMahill grew up in Wyoming, which is where she developed her sense of adventure and love of the outdoors. Kim started out writing non-fiction, but her passionfor exotic world travel, outrageous adventures, stories of survival, and happily-ever-after endings soon drew her into a world of adventure and romantic suspense. Along with writing novels, Kim has also published over eighty travel and geographic articles, and contributed to a travel anthology and cookbook. Kim currently resides in Colorado, and when not writing, she enjoys gardening, traveling, hiking, and spending time with family

 

 

Dragon: The Tower of Tamerlane by James Austin McCormick

Tags

author interviews, books, Class Act Books, Dune, fantasy, horror, mostly science fiction, reading, sword and sorcery fantasy, writing speculative fiction

Hi James, tell us a little about yourself:

I’m a college lecturer from Manchester, England and in my free time enjoy writing speculative fiction, mostly science fiction, horror and a little sword and sorcery fantasy.

NOW FOR SOME QUESTIONS

What is your favorite book?

My favorite novel of all time is probably Dune (and the Dune series up to book 4, God Emperor of Dune) but I also have to mention William Hope Hodgson’s Adrift on the Haunted Seas, which is best short story collection I’ve ever read.

What is your favorite movie?

The City of Lost Children (La cité des enfants perdus), a dark, surreal fairy tale set in a steampunk SF world. It’s unique and the cinematography is hypnotic.

Who is your favorite historical figure?

Alfred the Great, a late ninth century king of Wessex who united and defended

his country against Viking invasions. He was never meant to be king, didn’t receive an education and his health was poor but through determination he overcame all these limitations, teaching himself to read and write in adulthood and becoming one of the most enlightened rulers of the time. To me, he is the perfect example of never giving up.

 What is your greatest temptation:

In women: I’ve always really liked strong women (but not bossy, I hasten to add).

In food: Ice cream, especially chocolate mint.

In clothes: T-shirts, I have hundreds of them.

What is your greatest weakness (example: Mine is cars)?

DVD’s, I’m always buying them wherever I go.

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

I’d really like a Concorde Carver 742L, a type of minivan. For me it’s the perfect vehicle for driving holidays.

 Your dream home – mountains or ocean? Mountains, definitely, but somewhere heavily forested.

 ABOUT YOUR NEW NOVEL

What inspired you to become a writer?  To write this book?

For me writing is pure escapism and the more I can create my own worlds, settings and characters the more I enjoy it. After the publication of my first SF novel, Dragon (which you were kind enough to feature in October 2014) I realized that I wanted to keep exploring this universe I’d created. So far I’ve written two more Dragon books, Dragon: Smuggler Tales and the most recent, Dragon: The Tower of Tamerlane. They’re not sequels exactly but rather fill in some of the missing periods in the first book.

 Do you have a daily writing routine?  Please share.

I tend to write for short periods throughout the day. I don’t stick to a regular time. I never think in terms of a daily word count either. What’s more important to me is keeping the ideas flowing and progressing the story I’m working on.

 Tell us about your hero.

Sillow, the main protagonist in the Dragon stories, is a semi-comic character, a restless, neurotic and somewhat cowardly elf who constantly finds himself in dangerous situations. Originally I intended him to be a fantasy character but as my novel developed I decided it would work better as a science fiction with a fantasy flavor.

Is there a heroine in your novel? Tell us about her.

In the third book, Dragon: The Tower of Tamerlane, Sillow joins forces with Titania, a beautiful and fearless pirate queen, who is more than match for the cowardly elf.

What do you have out now?

To date I have six novels/ novellas out, all published by Class Act Books, which cover science fiction, horror and fantasy. I also have several short stories included in various anthologies. My most recent, longer work is Dragon: The Tower of Tamerlane, the third book in the Dragon series.

What else do you have planned, writing-wise?

I’ve almost finished a steampunk -horror- fantasy novella but there are so many ideas in it, it will take some reworking before I have a final draft ready.

I’ve also started writing another Dragon story but this time around I want to focus on Sillow’s character. There’s a lot of back story and some psychological issues I want to explore. My intention is to make it funnier but also much deeper than before.

Where can we find you?  (Social media, web site, etc.)

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

Twitter https://twitter.com/jimbomcc69

Goodreads http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/9860555.James_Austin_McCormick

Amazon https://www.amazon.com/James-McCormick/e/B00F3F9SGY

Class Act Books http://www.classactbooks.com/index.php/our-authors/manufacturers/james-austin-mccormick

 Please give an excerpt from your novel. (cover, trailer, links, etc.)
BUY LINKS:

Publisher’s website: http://www.classactbooks.com/index.php/component/virtuemart/science-fiction/dragon-the-tower-of-tamerlane-593-detail?Itemid=0

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Dragon-Tamerlane-James-Austin-McCormick-ebook/dp/B011MNZQ52/ref=la_B00F3F9SGY_1_7?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1470566864&sr=1-7

Amazon UK: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Dragon-Tamerlane-James-Austin-McCormick/dp/1938703634/ref=sr_1_7?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1470585322&sr=1-7&keywords=James+Austin+McCormick

~~~~~~~~~

BLURB:

After the death of the Tuolon Ambassador Lagua and the failure to bring the non-humanoid worlds into the Alliance, Sillow and Brok’s long partnership is finally at an end. Now a reluctant solo agent, Sillow is called upon to undertake his first mission, investigate the Tower, a high-tech prison complex along with the oligarch who runs it, a mysterious nobleman who calls himself Tamerlane.
Seeking evidence to prove Tamerlane is responsible for a series of terrorist attacks, Sillow quickly uncovers the sheer scale of his plans, a lethal military strike on all four humanoid home worlds.
Caught and imprisoned however, the Sylvan finds himself helpless to warn the Alliance of the coming danger.
All the while, something has been evolving, growing stronger inside the Tower, something intangible yet far more dangerous than Tamerlane ever could be, a being implacably opposed to all life in the galaxy.
And only Sillow has any chance of stopping it.

EXTRACT:

“Take a good look Drake,” the guard said as the craft closed on the gigantic, ornate structure resting between frozen mountains. “This is the end of the line for you. I hear Tamerlane wanted you personally.” The man grinned, splitting his ugly face in half. “Which ain’t good for your scrawny ass, believe me.”

The prisoner remained indifferent to the mocking tones or indeed the attempt to scare him, but then Darius Drake was a most unusual figure. Small and malformed, his owlish eyes nevertheless exuded an absolute, unshakable confidence, a haughty detachment that often unnerved those around him. The guard was one of them. It was partly for this reason he felt compelled to say something to the perfectly silent prisoner who’d got so deep under his skin.

Drake regarded the structure below. The closer they came, the more like some bizarre, oriental tower it appeared. After some moments he turned his watery gaze back to the guard. There was no aggression, no challenge, just a cool contempt.

The smirk crumbled from the other man’s lips. “You be taking those psycho eyes off me freak,” he warned, lifting his rifle.

Drake blinked impassively back, his wrinkled, wizened features unreadable.

Those damned eyes, the man thought. He couldn’t stand them anymore. He moved forward, stopping the rifle butt an inch or so in front of Drake’s face.

The little man didn’t flinch.

The guard’s knuckles whitened around the weapon and for a moment he looked as if he might use it. Then he sneered. “You ain’t worth it. Little cripple like you.” He shook his head, sitting back down. He made a point of avoiding the prisoner’s eyes.

A derisive snort made him whirl round, a large blue vein bulging in his neck. The guard stared at a powerfully built, buxom woman with long auburn curls that fell to her shoulders. She was a striking sight, and as he was aware, she’d caught him more than once ogling her during their half day’s journey to Tamerlane’s prison complex. One of her shoulders and arm was completely cybernetic yet the metal was so smooth, so perfectly formed it seemed almost like a bodily adornment rather than an artificial appendage. A thin silver line ran across one of her cheeks whilst above it the eye glowed with an artificial soft ruby light. That eye was mocking him.

“You got a problem?” he snarled.

The woman sneered. “Real tough guy, aren’t you Kerry? Bet all the ladies are real impressed by you.”

The guard’s nostrils flared. “Shut your bitch mouth.” Narrowed eyes swept over her. “Look at you, Titanya, the Pirate Queen. Least that’s what they call you, ain’t it?” He slid along his bench, moving towards her. “Well, you don’t look so noble to me. More like a slattern.” He placed a gloved hand to her throat. “Don’t look so damn tough, neither.”

Thank you James for being with us today and sharing some things about you and one of your books.  I’ve sprinkled your covers randomly through the post.