Renee Bernard: Devil To Pay

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Renee Bernard is giving away a $50 B&N or Amazon gift card to a randomly drawn commenter and a $25 B&N or Amazon gift card to a randomly drawn host.

 

A Conversation with Lucifer

Danita: Welcome to my blog! Today we have Lucifer’s Executive Personal Assistant, Malcolm with us.  Malcolm is according to his very luxurious business card the Demonic Liaison to the Prince of Darkness and one of the original employees at Hades Enterprises, LLc or H.E.LLc.

Malcolm:  This is different.  Thank you so much for having me here today.  I know you were hoping for Lucifer to take the chair but he sent me in his place.  It’s so rare to be out of the office so I’m thrilled.

 

Danita: You aren’t kidding?  May I start off by saying you don’t look at all the way I expected you to?  Wow!  I was braced for a forked tail and horns and I just wasn’t expecting a tall, dark and handsome supermodel looking guy in an Armani suit.

Malcolm:  Thank you.  Demons have an impeccable sense of style and take great pride in our personal appearances.  Of course, angels and demons are both notoriously attractive since both Heaven, Inc. and Hades were physically tethered to this plane of existence after the Corporation restructured the organization in 1504 A.D. but—pardon me, I was rambling a bit there.  Nerves, I’m sure.

 

VBT_TourBookCoverBanner_DevilToPayDanita: You’re fine.  But am I hearing you right? Heaven and Hell are on the same corporate footing?  Isn’t there some kind of war between them?

Malcolm: We may have been rivals for a while there but we were never enemies.  I think Upper Management finally realized that we were much more productive when working cooperatively than dealing with the distractions of internal politics and backstabbing.  Not that everyone is pleased to have payroll centralized but change is inevitable.  All things evolve, even human beings.

 

Danita: What is it like at Hades Enterprises, LLc?  Sulfur and brimstone? Tortured souls?

Malcolm:  A quaint misconception but I must confess that we do not manufacture anything that pungent in Hell.  It’s all office furniture, cubicles and break rooms where admittedly the espresso machines and pastries are a divine distraction.  Hades Enterprises appears to mortal eyes as a sixty-six story skyscraper of steel and glass.  It’s a striking looking structure but easy for you to miss, I promise.  The location changes often and there’s no GPS in existence to map it.  You’ll just have to take my word for it.

As for souls, we have no interests there.  Souls are not spoons. We do not collect them, trade them, steal them, hurt them or drink them or whatever other nonsense you may have heard. Your soul is your own to keep for the long haul. Naturally, knowing that, I’d hope you’d take better care of it but it is not my business and a matter well above my pay grade.

 

Danita: What are some examples of the departments in Hell?

Malcolm: It’s all completely normal: Accounting, Demonic Resources, New Evils Patent Department, Temptations, Demonic Search and Rescue…Nothing extraordinary really.

 

Danita: Temptations?  Search and Rescue?

Malcolm:  Temptations is strictly for sanctioned Take Downs when certain human beings set themselves up in a position of influence over the population and are not what they appear to be.  It’s very strategic and limited field work but I know the DTT agents do enjoy going where no angels can tread—if only to expose hypocrisy or the occasional political scandal.

Search and Rescue is just the team that retrieves any lost Field Agents or Unfettered employees from among the human population. I don’t want to alarm you but human beings are notoriously unpredictable and dangerous so it takes a lot of skill to get a demon home safely and without anyone posting incriminating videos online. Think of it as subtle damage control to avoid any universal misunderstandings…

 

Danita: What is Lucifer like?  I heard a rumor there’s a bit of romance going on.

Malcolm: He’s an Angel to work for, pun intended.  Of all the Lucifers we’ve had, I confess I have a soft spot for this one.  It takes a lot of strength to sit in the big chair and manage global operations even if we are primarily merely observers.  Not everyone is cut out for executive management and setting a balanced tone for a notoriously difficult pool of employees can be tricky.  We do love him, though and every Boss’s Day, we do try to spoil him a bit.

At the moment though, yes, he is distracted by a mortal woman named Jayne Hamilton and the internal speculation amidst us is off the charts to see if he can win her.  I mean, let’s face it—there are some challenges involved in dating the Prince of Darkness even if he is the sweetest soul walking.  Think of it.  Angels can’t lie and telling a girl you’re the Devil really isn’t a trust building moment in a relationship.  Dating will be interesting…and this should be a courtship for the ages.

 

Danita: Ready for wild card round of questions?

Malcolm: I’m a demon.  I’m ready for anything.

 

Danita: Favorite food?  Favorite book?  Favorite movie? What do you like to do for fun? And are you single?

Malcolm: Anything from the Slanted Door restaurant in San Francisco. “The Devil’s Dictionary” by Ambrose Bierce. Karaoke. And yes.  I find I enjoy always having my options open and since demons don’t marry, I think you’ll find that’s a very standard answer.  How was that?

 

Danita:  Great!  Well, thank you so much for coming by, Malcolm!  And for…making me rethink a few things. Wow…Karaoke, really?

Malcolm: We do love a good country ballad and you should see the Maintenance Department’s rendition of “I’ve Got Friends in Low Places”.  Our office karaoke parties are legendary…

 

Cover_DevilToPay

Devil To Pay

by Renee Bernard

 

Blurb:

Workplace comedy is always fun but when the company in question in H.E.LLc (Hades Enterprises LLc) and your job is being Lucifer, let’s just say, there are some unique challenges beyond Casual Fridays and who keeps taking your lunch out of the break room. Even if Hell really is just a place where evil is tracked and analyzed in endless cubicles-no brimstone and not a human soul in sight-there’s no room for error. This Lucifer (who is the seventh unlucky archangel to get the position behind the black onyx desk) is about to have his entire world rattled when a very sweet and likable mortal woman crosses his path.

After all, angels can’t lie. And when Jayne Hamilton wants to know what he does for a living, all bets are off. Because “dating” isn’t exactly in the cosmic scheme of the Eternity Gambit, but Love… Well, Love is never really off the table.

Now, if Lucifer can just figure out how to win the girl and get himself fired, he’ll be one very very happy angel.

“Filled with sparkling wit and devilish charm, DEVIL TO PAY is a delightful visit to the Shangri-La of Hell!” — Erin Quinn, The Three Fates of Ryan Love, NYT Bestselling Author

“Only Renee Bernard could make dating Satan sexy as sin! Funny, fresh, irreverent and utterly adorable!” – Dakota Cassidy, National Bestselling Author

First book in the new Eternity Gambit series from USA Today bestselling author Renee Bernard. This is a romantic comedy series with an original paranormal twist that defies categorization and turns every notion of Heaven and Hell on its ear.

 

Excerpt:

“Smitten without a prayer,” Lucifer regained his focus on the present moment.  “There’s no Sanction for me.”

“Wrong,” Uriel said softly.  “How many people have walked into your building’s lobby in the last seventy-five years?”

Lucifer calculated his answer trying to remember.  “Two.  Besides her, I think it’s two.

“Invited?” Uriel asked.

“Of course! Mortals can’t even see the structure unless—“ Lucifer stopped himself.  “Oh, my God!”

Uriel smiled in triumph.  “See?  Sanctioned.”

“What did I just miss?” Raphael put the cards in the box.

“She found him without an invitation.  She walked in of her own free will and unless it was Sanctioned, Management would have never allowed it.”  Uriel smugly folded his hands like a magician revealing his best trick.  “I’d say Michael’s going to eat his own hat when he finds out.”

Lucifer was speechless as he absorbed the implications.

Sanctioned.  Was it really true that she’d been allowed to come to me?  That there’s a chance?  It’s all still human free will and the long shot of the millennia, but oh, God…thank you.  I’ll have to get Malcolm to send you a gift in the morning for this one!

Luke shoved the chips at Azrael and excused himself with a bow.  “I hate to win and run, but I have to see a Demon about a fruit basket.”

He instantly vanished and Raphael’s laughter filled the room.  “You gotta love his exit lines!”

 

Author Pic_Devil to PayAuthor Bio and Links:

What in the world is a retired Navy chaplain’s daughter doing writing scorching hot historical romances and paranormal romantic comedies and even comic books? Renee Bernard is applying a great education from traveling all over the world to story telling and doing her best to keep her father proud. Truthfully, her father is her number one fan, even though he has sworn never to read a single word of her books (a vow he has kept to this day!) Nothing stops him from telling everyone he knows that his daughter is now a USA Today Bestselling author or from handing out bookmarks on the golf course.  Love can make even a minister do strange things!

Renee Bernard is a freelance writer and host of “The Romance Bookmark” on Readers Entertainment, as well as a contributor to Romantic Times BookReviews magazine.  Renee currently lives in the foothills of the Sierra Nevada Mountains in Northern California. (Note an interesting proximity to great wineries!)

 

DEVIL TO PAY is available now online wherever books are sold and is coming soon to Audio!  The Eternity Gambit series is a fun departure from her well-known Victorian set historical romances and creates a new world for readers unlike any other.  DEVIL TO PAY is the first book in this new series and is gathering up 5-Star reviews and momentum as more readers discover that office politics can hit a whole new level of crazy when you work at Hades Enterprises, LLc (or H.E.LLc).

 

For more information, please visit her website at http://www.reneebernardauthor.com or http://www.eternitygambit.com .

 

You can also find her at:

FaceBook at Renee Bernard Fan Page

https://www.facebook.com/pages/Renee-Bernard-Fan-Page/85990572539

Twitter: @ReneeBernard

 

Buy Links for DEVIL TO PAY:

Amazon – http://tinyurl.com/qckqaza

Smashwords – http://tinyurl.com/n9l4jvf

B&N – http://tinyurl.com/lhuchbe

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P. M. Briede on Tour: Smoldering Embers

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P. M. Briede will be awarding a $15 Amazon/BN GC to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour.

 

The Charlotte Grace Series

The Charlotte Grace series, in many ways, is a love letter to New Orleans.  I am a southern girl and, while I’m not a Louisiana native, I am a graduate of Louisiana State University.  I spent four and a half glorious, formative years in Baton Rouge with many a trip into the heart of a city I love.

Now, some of you may ask why New Orleans?  Some of you may think you know why a young adult would want to live around a city of excess.  But here’s the truth.  I have family roots tied to New Orleans and LSU.  I recently learned that my family once owned one of the oldest and premiere, touring cemeteries in the city.  While Mardi Gras is quite the display of excess of all kinds, I have family in many of the Krewes.  But it’s the diverse culture of the city that drew me in.  Voodoo and witchcraft.  Vampires and ghosts.  The ultimate playground for the undead of any kind.

Which is what brings us back to what this has to do with my book.  Throughout the series you’ll follow the lives of Charlotte Grace, Wesley Breaux, Olivier Cheval, and Paige Lochs.  Yet, New Orleans is almost a fifth character.  You’ll experience a Mardi Gras Ball and Christmas.  You’ll eat at Café Du Monde, Brigsten’s, and Coop’s Place.  You’ll get the feel for modern living in a plantation and in the Garden District.  Key scenes take place at many historic locations throughout the city, from The Saenger and Fritzel’s to Southern Oaks Plantation and the Bourbon Orleans Hotel.

For me, New Orleans was the only city who could host this story and hopefully inspire your imagination to believe it.

 

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Smoldering Embers

by PM Briede

 

Blurb:

“Death is only the beginning.” You hear that all the time. Maybe it is, for the soul who passes on. But what about the ones who are left behind?

I lost my husband unexpectedly in a tragic accident and now have to move back to my childhood home in New Orleans. Thank God for my friends Wesley and Paige. I’d be absolutely lost without them. As I pick up the pieces of what is left of my life, we settle back into our old routines. That is until I hire Olivier to work for me. Now my world is once again turning upside down as the people I’m closest to, old and new, shed the skin of what is familiar and ultimately redefine the nature of our relationships. Couple all of this with the return of my debilitating headaches and ominous dreams of green fire, and well, I’m just at a loss.

What do you do when what you thought you knew turns out to be wrong? What do you do when you find out you can’t trust the people closest to you? What do you do when you keep trying to move forward but life keeps getting in the way? And given all of this, how am I supposed to figure out who Charlotte Grace is now?

 

Excerpt:

PAIN!  It was the only thought I had.  There were voices but they were muffled even though they were loud and angry.  It was as if their volume kept me from being able to understand anything other than that someone was present.  But they didn’t matter.  All that mattered was the pain.

It surrounded me.  It crushed me from the outside.  It pushed on me from the inside.  The muscles in my body were so tense I thought they’d shred my bones.  My head felt as though it was going to explode.  I wanted it to explode!  If it was gone I couldn’t experience this pain.

Something hit me, knocking my eyes open.  Through the fog I could make out the carpet of my bedroom.  I must have fallen out of bed.  I haven’t had that dream since college.  That eerie green fire that engulfed me.  It’s the only thing I ever remembered about those dreams.  But I was more than familiar with the aftermath.  The throbbing headache that no pill could cure.  The only remedy?  Sleep.

But this time it was different.  This time my entire body was throbbing as if I’d run a marathon I hadn’t prepared for.  There was a pain in my chest that turned my stomach.  I crawled into the bathroom and made it to the toilet just in time.

I don’t know how long I laid in my bathroom.  After losing my stomach I didn’t have the energy to move.  Normally after the dreams I’d roll over and find sleep quickly.  The next time I woke up I would be good as new.  But the effects of this dream lingered.  That was until a voice pulled me out of my misery.  “Charlotte!” my mother-in-law called.  I couldn’t answer.  She found me quickly.  “Dear God!  They said no one reached you yet!”

I opened my eyes and saw her panicked, tear-stained face.  Something wasn’t right.  I tried to ask after my nieces.  No words passed my open mouth.

She helped me sit up.  Once she was done talking I wished she’d never found me.  “Charlotte, he’s gone.”  I didn’t need clarification even though she gave it to me.  The truth was written all over her.  My chest suddenly felt empty.  The facts didn’t matter.  I knew it in my soul.  “Giles is dead.”

 

MediaKit_AuthorPhoto_NEWAuthor Bio and Links:

I am a lover of all things artistic. I grew up surrounded by the performing arts both as a spectator and performer. That love of creation and design is the fuel for my writing now. Being able to create and entertain is a dream come true.

The imagination is a powerful thing, able to take you places you never dreamed. I write realistic fantasy. The idea of the possible having impossible explanations fascinates me. That idea is the driving force behind the Charlotte Grace series.

If you are interested in receiving updates when I release new books, please visit me on Facebook at http://facebook.com/pm.briede or follow me on Twitter @PMBriede.

 

 

 

Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Smoldering-Embers-P-M-Briede-ebook/dp/B00HG2M15C/ref=tmm_kin_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&sr=8-1&qid=1411275148

Smashwords: http://www.smashwords.com/books/view/474276

Barnes & Noble: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/smoldering-embers-p-m-briede/1120182625?ean=9781500784133

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/21238032-smoldering-embers

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Danita’s B-Day Giveaway Jan 22-25

Bday

It’s my birthday, help me celebrate!

 

Here’s how to enter my giveaway: Read the Mother Goose poem below and share what day of the week you were born. How accurate is Mother Goose’s description of you and your special day? Remember, leave your email address for the rafflecopter and let’s have fun all weekend long!

 

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                 I’m giving away a Cardiff Novel. Your choice, they both read as stand-alone novels. Click the books above to learn more about the Cardiff Novels, which tell tales of one family’s trials with vengeful demons, a legacy of ghosts and mysterious blood jewels.

 

I was born on Tuesday, January 22nd. Full of grace? I can hear my sister laughing in the background. You see, it all depends on what we’re talking about. I love to dance. Sure, I’ve got rhythm, but stairs and me just don’t get along. When I lived at home with my mother if you heard a boom, boom, boom above your head it was most likely me falling up the stairs, not down. I’m special that way. What about you?

 

Mother Goose Poem

Monday’s child is fair of face,

Tuesday’s child is full of grace, (yeah right)

Wednesday’s child is full of woe,

Thursday’s child has far to go,

Friday’s child is loving and giving,

Saturday’s child has to work for its living,

But a child that’s born on the Sabbath day

Is fair and wise and good and gay.

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Andrea Drew: Gypsy Hunted

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 Andrea will be awarding a $20 Amazon gift card to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour.

 

Blurb:

Reluctant psychic Gypsy Shields—she prefers the term “intuition consultant”—finds herself in trouble when, on her way home from a blind date, she interrupts a kidnapping in progress. She attempts to intervene, and her heroics are repaid with a collision between the attacker’s van and a brick wall. She awakens in the hospital, paralyzed on her left side and unable to speak. This also means she’s unable to share her vital information as a witness. Fortunately, she is able to use her telepathic connection with her niece to throw a line out to a police detective she knows: Connor Reardon, her blind date.

Connor will do anything to protect Gypsy, and he listens to her claims of psychic power willingly, as he’s concealing certain powers of his own. Nor are they all he’s concealing. Gypsy senses a part of her new ally’s mind is closed to her—what she cannot know is that Connor suspects the kidnapper is someone close to him, and the kidnapping victim holds secrets that will tear through Connor’s department, putting careers and lives at risk. Including Gypsy, still in hospital and vulnerable as the attacker turns his sights on her once again.

Can Gypsy use her powers to track down the perpetrator and prevent her own murder?

 

Cover_Gypsy Hunted

Excerpt: 

As a telepath, I pick up on feelings and instinct more than most. Other people like to call me a psychic medium, but I’m not really comfortable with the label. Apart from the fact that I do it for love, not money, I’m sure once someone learns I’m a telepath they conjure up images of dodgy fraudsters on stage at mass events, feeding grieving families what they desperately need. I’d rather not expose myself to more ridicule than necessary. My abilities happened almost by accident—apparently my grandmother was ‘fey,’ as my mother enjoyed mentioning.

I was sure the pinging, nagging doubt had something to do with Aaron’s home life. “What about you, Gypsy? What do you do?” Connor relaxed his posture, the glass poised before his mouth. He had taken on a different look, probably from the wine, or even better, from unfulfilled lust.

“I write business plans. I’ve also been told I have pretty damn good intuition.”

That seemed to spark Connor’s interest. He pulled at the other earlobe.

“Oh yeah? What does your intuition tell you about me, then?”

“That you seem like a nice enough guy.”

Connor moistened his lips, which quivered with what I suspected was amusement as he sat legs wide apart

“And?”

“And you’re fishing for compliments that I’m not going to give you just yet.”

Connor threw his head back, indulging in a belly laugh. The rich, throaty sound filled me with pleasure. A smile I couldn’t suppress burst through.

“That’s a fair call, Gypsy, fair call.”

The silence was a comfortable one, our shared joke establishing the early threads of friendship.

 

AuthorPicAuthor Bio:
Andrea Drew has been a commercial copy writer and resume writer for over a decade.

She’s written for celebrity stylists, assisted business coaches and start-ups, written grants for not for profits, delivered marketing presentations to business owners, and attends Australian writing conventions.

Her self-published book “Pro Resumes Made Easy” has been downloaded over 40,000 times.

Andrea has one husband (more than enough), three kids, a pet rock (her daughters not hers), and a house in the suburbs, where she’s hard at work on the second novel in the Gypsy series.

Email her at andrea@andrea-drew.com.

Gypsy Hunted her first fiction novel (her first suspense thriller set in her home town of Melbourne Australia) is available for pre-order on Amazon prior to release on October 28, 2014.

 

To connect with the Andrea Drew online:

Blog | Facebook | Twitter | Goodreads

 

Buy Link:

Amazon

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Jody Kessler on Tour: Angel Dreams

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New Release from Jody A. Kessler – Blog Tour & Giveaway! Both novels in this award-winning series will be on sale for only .99 cents for a limited time.

 

Author Interview

  1. Woohoo! You are a published author. Describe a strong character trait you possess, good or bad, and how it helped you become a published author. I’ve always been able to play devil’s advocate. I find it interesting that people in any given situation can usually defend their actions whether they are right or wrong. I’m very curious and sympathetic toward people of every age, gender, race and I find that most human beings are fascinating. My sympathy and empathy for people has given me a very broad perspective when making up new characters. I love putting myself in other people’s shoes and imagining what their motivations are.                           I’m also an extremely detail oriented person. If I’m immersed in a project, job, or hobby, I have to know everything about it. I love to study and learn about new things. These personality traits and hopefully many others help me craft detailed plots, scenes, and intriguing, relatable characters. I also have a great sense of humor and I like to say surprising things. I hope this comes across well in my fiction.

 

  1. Sometimes an author begins writing a story before they are aware of its genre. Did you choose your genre, or did it choose you? No doubt about it, paranormal chose me. When I first started writing this series, my main character – an angel of death named Nathaniel – came to me when I was half asleep and lying in bed. That’s where it started and four books later, I am now writing a short story about a family of witches.

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  1. The plot thickens, or does it? Which one are you, a pantser or a plotter?Overall, I’d say I’m a plotter. I’ve written novels from the seat of my pants and I’ve outlined other novels from start to finish. I like to let the story guide me and if I can visualize the entire plot ahead of time, then I’ll write it down so I don’t forget it. But, I’m also a yoga teacher and one of the basic lessons in Hatha yoga is staying flexible, not just physically, but also mentally. One of the greatest thrills in writing fiction is when one of my characters surprises me and does or says something totally unexpected and fantastic. Then I go with the new twist or turn and see where it leads.

 

  1. Fear 101: As writers it is our duty to make our characters face their fears. Have you ever included one of your own fears in a storyline? I write about losing the people you love most in the world. So, yes, I definitely write about my own personal fears. Besides writing about the great unknown of life after death, I also write about the more immediate apprehensions and struggles in daily life. In Angel Dreams, my main characters face some brutal realities like suicide, drug abuse, and what it’s like to be suddenly forgotten by the love of your life. Juliana conquers enormous personal hurdles and then she helps others do the same.                                                                                                                                                     Fiction is inventive, but there are grains of truth hidden in the lies. I think for most authors, the writing is always very personal on some level.

 

  1. Fear 102: Yes, deadlines are terrifying. Have you conquered the juggling act between writing and the rest of your life? What do you do when it feels like the balls are dropping all around you? Another yoga lesson is balance — this may be a life lesson in general — but I use it in my classes. Balance is the key to staying sane and not letting one aspect of your life take control. Sometimes I succeed in finding a healthy balance between family, work, recreation, and the daily business of life and other times I don’t. Organizational skills are a weak point for me. I have to continually work at it so my life doesn’t turn into total chaos while I continue to stare at my computer screen – something I can easily do for months at time. Honestly, I probably need to hire a professional for advice on time management and how to keep my house respectable, but in the meantime, I try to remember to stay balanced.

 

  1. Switch positions with one of your main characters in a scene. What is the outcome, disaster or divine intervention? At the beginning of Angel Dreams, Juliana makes a hasty decision to help an innocent girl that she sees in the forest. The girl is moaning and being carried away by a man that scares Juliana, but she thinks she recognizes the teen-aged girl and follows them anyway.                                                           If I could switch places with Juliana at this moment and avoid the whole terrifying blood-letting ritual in the forest with a warlock and demons, then Juliana and Nathaniel could have had a sweet young romance instead of a supernatural adventure.

 

  1. Where is your favorite place to write? Add that one comfort food that you can’t do without. I can write anywhere there isn’t distraction. So basically I don’t have a favorite spot. Distractions are everywhere — family, pets, phone, internet, they all keep me from getting into the writing zone. Late at night after everyone is asleep is when I am the most productive.                                                                                                     Comfort food: Whatever my current favorite hot beverage is – usually coffee or tea. And I admit, I love chocolate and have a stash in the kitchen cabinet.

 

  1. Writing inspirations? I find inspiration from other authors all the time. A gorgeous phrase, metaphor, or paragraph can spark my imagination and get me writing. I also listen to a lot of music.

 

  1. You are introduced to your favorite author. Who is it, and what is that one burning question you must ask them? I seriously couldn’t pick only one and since you didn’t specify whether the author had to be alive, here is a list of a few favorites: Henry David Thoreau, Edgar Allan Poe, Sylvia Plath, Diana Gabaldon, and Charles Frazier.                                                                                                                                   I have two questions for them:                                                                                               What are five of your all time favorite books?                                                                             What would you tell your younger self about pursuing a writing career?
  1. I’ve gone mad – why don’t you come with me? Some people just don’t understand us writers. Name a quirky, writer-thing you do that friends wish you didn’t. There have been times when I have made plans to go out, or run errands in town, and then at the last minute when everyone is ready to go, I’ll ask my husband if he minds going alone so I can stay home and write. The look he gives me in those moments is precious to say the least. Other than that, I have to wonder if my friends get tired of me talking about my books. If you’re a friend of mine reading this right now, leave a comment so I know what weird thing I’m doing and not aware of. Go ahead and be candid about it, that way I can use it in a future book! *wink*

 

 

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Available in Paperback & Ebook on Amazon

 

Supernatural boundaries will be crossed as Angel of Death, Nathaniel Evans, risks his eternal soul to save the one he loves, the paranormally gifted and nature-loving, Juliana Crowson.

While working with a new client, Nathaniel finds out that pissing off a demon-wielding warlock in order to help a suicidal teen with misplaced sexual tendencies may be the last thing he ever does as an angel. Unable to stand aside, Juliana’s involvement in Nathaniel’s new case quickly develops into a misadventure with gun-toting bikers, table dancing, and a shamanic exorcism performed by her temperamental Native American friend, Chris Abeyta.

Can Nathaniel and Juliana’s love endure blood-letting rituals in the forest while helping a terrified teen find the will to live, or will fate and the rules of the afterlife tear them eternally apart?

 

Read an Excerpt from the Novel

The melting butter sensation had made its way to my back and is creeping north and south simultaneously. In another minute I’m going to be a warm puddle. “An Irish Dullahan is a being that comes at night, he’s headless, and forewarns of death.”

“Ah, maybe that is what I used to be, but definitely not anymore.”

His velvet rich voice caresses me from the inside out. I can feel his strength pulsing through his fingertips as he strokes my palm. His clean scent lingers in the air and I let myself drift away with the symphony of sensation.

“Sweet vixen, are you all right?”

“Hmmm?”

“Are you falling asleep?”

“No, why?”

“Your eyes are closed, love.”

“It’s fine. Please don’t stop, Nathaniel.” There it is again, a part of my brain notes, speaking without my permission.

He raises my hand to his lips and kisses the heel of my palm, then the inside of my wrist and up my forearm to the inside of my elbow. The top of my shoulder becomes his next destination and then along the edge of my collarbone. I want to protest — remember, taking things slow — but the jelly which my insides have turned into must include my voice box because recognizable sounds are no longer possible. Feather soft tickling on the side of my neck leaves me breathless, and all reason has now left the building. Somehow my hands have joined my betraying mouth and are doing things without my consent, like they have a separate mind of their own, even though I can still feel what they feel. Strong cords run up the back of his neck. The thick waves of his hair are soft and scrumptious between my fingers. My hand wraps around the base of his skull as he teases the underside of my jaw with his too warm mouth. My other hand moves over his muscular shoulder and down his back. He’s so strong and so solid.

At some point I must have pulled him on top of me because I’m suddenly aware of the smell and feel of crushed grass beneath me. My ear is being nibbled and I can hardly breathe, not because of the weight of him, but because of the sheer excitement and the rush of blood pounding through me. It’s taken my breath away. Turning my face to find his mouth, he’s all too agreeable to meet me. My self-control has become as distant as yesterday’s breeze.

“You have the most kissable mouth I’ve ever seen,” he whispers and then proceeds to prove his statement.

Nathaniel is strong and gentle and urgent and tender. I send out a silent prayer to Father Time to let this perfect moment last forever. How did I not know kissing could be like this?

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About the Author

When Jody isn’t navigating the terrain of her imagination and writing it down, she can be found exploring the wilderness of Colorado with her family, or in the kitchen baking 032cookies & brownies – and then trying not to eat them all. She’s passionate about continuing to learn and reads anything and everything that catches her interest. Jody is a full time mom, a Reiki Master, and has taught Hatha yoga for over a decade.

Jody’s debut novel, Death Lies Between Us, is the winner of RomCon’s Readers’ Crown award for best Paranormal Romance in 2014. She is currently working on a historical time travel series set in Montana in the 1860’s. The first book in the series, The Night Medicine, will be published in March 2015.

Jody A. Kessler invites you to visit with her at: www.JodyAKessler.com, or on Facebook & Twitter

For a chance to win a $10 amazon gift card or a signed paperback of the Death Lies Between Us (An Angel Falls, #1) please enter the rafflecopter!

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To see a complete list of tour stops, please click here: http://jodyakessler.com/newsevents/

Robyn Bachar on Tour: Sunsinger

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http://goddessfishpromotions.blogspot.com/2014/10/vbt-sunsinger-by-robyn-bachar.html

Robyn will be awarding a $25 Amazon or B/N GC to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour, and a $10 Amazon or B/N GC to a randomly drawn host.

 

Ruining Sci-Fi, One Smutty Story at a Time

As much as I adore the romance genre, sci-fi was my first love. In seventh grade I won second place in an All-American Boy and Girl competition. The finalists were interviewed by a panel of judges, and I’m convinced that the answer that got me into the top three was my response to the question, “If you could meet anyone in history, living or dead, who would you pick and why?”

I picked Gene Roddenberry, because I was fascinated by the diverse, positive vision of the future that he created in Star Trek.

I feel like that is a good example of how much sci-fi has influenced my life. My dad introduced me to classic Star Trek. Our father-daughter bonding time was spent watching Star Wars, Aliens, and The X-Files. It never occurred to me that “girls don’t read sci-fi” until I was informed of it in high school. By a guy who loved sci-fi. I’ve been battling that stereotype ever since.

VBT_Sunsinger_CoverBannerSci-fi, and particularly the space opera sub-genre, seems like it would pair well with romance—save the galaxy and live happily ever after, right? But as much as I want sci-fi and romance to be BFFs, getting these two genres into a room together can sometimes be a messy, problematic business that devolves into shouting, name calling and finger pointing drama worthy of daytime television. The “hard sci-fi” audience doesn’t want anything to do with plotlines that aren’t completely science-focused. The romance audience wants character-driven plot, where the romantic conflict plays a major story role.

But conflict occurs within the sci-fi romance genre itself. I’ve had negative interactions with other SFR authors who are of the opinion that erotic SFR is detrimental to the sci-fi romance genre. That unsuspecting readers are “tricked” by deceiving blurbs and covers into buying stories that promised to be sci-fi romance but instead are only “sex in space”, and the abundance of erotic content ruins the experience for said readers who then swear off reading any other sci-fi romance.

Yup. That’s me. Ruining sci-fi romance, one ménage at a time. And proud of it. Because I don’t see a dang thing wrong with sex in space—or sex at all, really. Writing the Cy’ren Rising trilogy has allowed me to discuss issues of gender equality and sexual identity, mixed with epic space battles and galactic political intrigue.

My books aren’t for everybody, and that’s okay too. I think there’s room enough for all kinds of stories—from sweet to spicy romance, and “hard” to “soft” sci-fi. After all, the universe is a big place, with plenty of opportunities for authors and readers to boldly go where their imaginations have never gone before.

 

Cover_Sunsinger

Sunsinger

by Robyn Bachar

 

Blurb:

Her desire unites them. Her secret could destroy them all.

The lord.

The sole survivor of the Sunsinger massacre, Lord Degalen Fairren spends his days reading tales of the family he never knew. When a rival house threatens to enslave Cyprena, Galen is forced to pull his nose out of his books and enter into an alliance with House Morningstar, and a dangerous mission to save his world.

The assassin.

Lady Andelynn Harrow isn’t House Morningstar’s eldest or prettiest daughter, but she is the deadliest. After her father’s murder, Andee must defend her new house and mate—the shy, reluctant Galen—but every battle risks revealing her terrible secret.

The slave.

Malcolm gets his first taste of freedom when the Cy’ren recruit him to locate the cure to a deadly virus—and feels the burn of desire for Galen, the lord he can never have, and for Andee, who awakens memories of a long-lost first love.

The danger they face fuels the heat between them, but with Cyprena’s fate hanging in the balance, the race to find the cure could come with devastating costs.

Warning: Contains a blushing, virgin lord, a sexy geek, and an empathic assassin who always brings lube on a mission.

 

Excerpt:

“Outer door open,” Loren announced.

The ship’s thrusters kicked into full power and the Talon II shot through the portal, spurring the ship’s song from a steady adagio to an allegro. The Talon II turned and accelerated into the nearby ruins for cover as their sensors scanned the ships in orbit. Twenty large ships, and three squadrons of one-man fighters.

“Malcolm,” Galen said, his voice calm but stern.

“Right, right. Infiltrating Syndicate communications network.” Malcolm pinged the orbiting ships, searching for ways past their security. They identified as mercenary ships, each with variations on Syndicate programming. Piece of cake. Malcolm had been cracking Syndicate codes since he was ten years old, even before he’d become a data miner with an uplink jack planted at the base of his skull.

“Enemy fighters have scrambled and are moving on our position,” Loren warned.

“Acknowledged, Lieutenant,” Captain Hawke said. “I’m keeping the weapons’ power diverted to shields and engines. We’ll try to outrun them as long as possible.”

“Morningstar squadron is holding in escort formation,” Andee said. The captain had allowed her on the bridge to monitor the fighters, but Malcolm wished she could have sat with him. Andee had a knack for keeping him calm.

Closing his eyes, Malcolm filtered their conversation out, trusting the crew to their business as he focused on his. He zeroed in on the lead ship as his entry point to their network, and then began picking at its security code like plucking at the strings of a harp, trying to find the right melody.

 

AuthorPic_Robyn_BacharAuthor Bio and Links:

Robyn Bachar enjoys writing stories with soul mates, swords, spaceships, vampires, and gratuitous violence against the kitchen sink. Her paranormal romance Bad Witch series, historical paranormal romance series Bad Witch: The Emily Chronicles, and spicy space opera romance trilogy Cy’ren Rising are available from Samhain Publishing. Her books have finaled in PRISM Contest for Published Authors, the Passionate Plume Contest, and twice in the EPIC eBook Awards.

As a gamer, Robyn has spent many hours rolling dice, playing rock-paper-scissors, and slaying creatures in mmorpgs.

 

Twitter – http://twitter.com/RobynBachar

Blog – http://therobyn.blogspot.com/

Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/AuthorRobynBachar

Google+ – http://google.com/+RobynBachar

Goodreads – http://www.goodreads.com/iamtherobyn

LibraryThing – http://www.librarything.com/profile/RobynBachar

Shelfari – http://www.shelfari.com/robynbachar

Amazon – https://www.amazon.com/author/robynbachar

 

Sunsinger is available at:

Amazon – http://www.amazon.com/Sunsinger-Cyren-Rising-Robyn-Bachar-ebook/dp/B00MO9WJ9U/ref=la_B00A5T83WI_1_8?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1409152947&sr=1-8

Barnes and Noble – http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/sunsinger-robyn-bachar/1120137852?ean=9781619222861

iTunes – https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/sunsinger/id908934666?mt=11

Kobo – http://store.kobobooks.com/en-US/ebook/sunsinger

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Christelle Comby: Danse Macarbre

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http://goddessfishpromotions.blogspot.com/2014/10/vbtdanse-macabre-by-cristelle-comby.html

 Cristelle Comby is giving away a signed copy of book titled Danse Macabre.

 

Author Interview

  1. Woohoo! You are a published author. Describe a strong character trait you possess, good or bad, and how it helped you become a published author. I’m very determined, and I don’t give up easily. Once I have decided something, I stick to it.

 

  1. Sometimes an author begins writing a story before they are aware of its genre. Did you choose your genre, or did it choose you? I chose the genre first. I knew I wanted to do a PI story. Then I created the characters, and then came up with ideas for their first case.

 

  1. The plot thickens, or does it? Which one are you, a pantser or a plotter? Plotter definitely. I start each book by writing a long detailed outline. I have to know where the story is going, before I start writing the first word.

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  1. Fear 101: As writers it is our duty to make our characters face their fears. Have you ever included one of your own fears in a storyline? No, not yet. I don’t have any irrational fear though. I don’t really like snakes, or heights, but I’d still jump out of a plane with a parachute if I had to, or pet a snake.

 

  1. Fear 102: Yes, deadlines are terrifying. Have you conquered the juggling act between writing and the rest of your life? What do you do when it feels like the balls are dropping all around you? I’m one of these people who work very well under pressure. I’m well organized and good at prioritizing. The rush of adrenaline induced by a deadline gets me working faster.

 

  1. Switch positions with one of your main characters in a scene. What is the outcome, disaster or divine intervention? It so depends on the scene, and the character. I think I’d have a hard time being in Egan’s shoes any day of the year. I’d bump into every furniture and probably break something within the first ten minutes. Handling Neve’s life would be easier, I guess. I wouldn’t mind doing a bit of sleuthing. I think I could be good at it.

 

  1. Where is your favorite place to write? Add that one comfort food that you can’t do without. I love writing in bed. It’s all warm and cozy. I don’t really eat while writing — because I need my fingers — but, I often start a writing session with a bottle of Coke, for the caffeine boost.

 

  1. Writing inspirations?All the many TV Shows, movies and books I’ve seen/read in my life. I’m a sucker for a good detective story.

 

  1. You are introduced to your favorite author. Who is it, and what is that one burning question you must ask them? Well, that would be Mister Jim Butcher, and I’d want to know the plot to his next ten books. And also maybe, if he has James Marster’s phone number (he’s the one who narrates Butcher’s audiobooks).

 

10. I’ve gone mad – why don’t you come with me? Some people just don’t understand us writers. Name a quirky, writer-thing you do that friends wish you didn’t. They don’t always get it when you’re in “writing-mode” and you just have to stay inside, one your own, and write, write, write all afternoon.

 

Cover_Danse Macabre

Danse Macabre

by Cristelle Comby

 

Blurb:

Private investigators Alexandra Neve and Ashford Egan are hired to succeed where the police have failed, to safely return home a missing ballerina. With no lead to pursue and no idea who could be behind the young woman’s kidnapping, they soon find themselves at a loss as to what to do.

To make matters worse, the heart of England seems to be caught in the middle of a little Ice Age. With snow endlessly falling and Tube lines either too cramped up to use or out of service, it is a pain to do any legwork in the huge metropolis.

Oh, and because trouble never comes alone, there may also be a serial killer on the loose in the streets of East London…

 

Excerpt:

Mrs Doughton called the agency this morning, with urgency in her voice, and asked for a meeting that very afternoon. She requested Egan and I come as soon as we could, for a job of the utmost importance. She refused to divulge more information over the phone, but my curiosity was piqued. I promised her we would honour the appointment — besides, we didn’t have any other clients banging down our door.

We stop at the front door of a typical Victorian terrace house and I press the doorbell. The door swings open, before I have a chance to remove my finger from the button, revealing a slim woman in her forties with short curly hair, high cheekbones and tired eyes. I note in passing she’s long overdue for a root touch-up to hide the silver strands eating their way down her brown hair.

She’s wearing a wrinkled blouse and a pair of jeans. She beckons us in, with a quick, nervous gesture. ‘Ms Neve, Mr Egan, please come in.’ She leads us to the living room of the small house and has to remove papers from the settee to make room for my colleague and I to sit down.

My stomach clenches as I catch sight of the documents: missing person posters. I only catch a glimpse of the documents, but the word MISSING printed in bold and capitals is impossible to ignore and they show a picture of a young girl with dark wavy hair.

Mrs Doughton drops the leaflets on a nearby table, already filled to the brim, and turns back to face us. I nod at the notices she just put away. ‘Your daughter, I presume.’

‘Yes,’ the woman says in a tired voice. She sits down, looking both exhausted and distressed.

‘She disappeared last weekend. I… I have no idea where she is.’

Egan frowns and asks, ‘Have you contacted the police?’

‘Of course I have. It was the first thing I did, Sunday morning, when I couldn’t reach her,’ she replies, her hands twisting in her lap. ‘I called all of Isa’s friends, the other dancers, her teachers, everyone in our family… everyone I could think of.’

She takes in a breath, bites at her lower lip. ‘No one’s seen her, not since Friday afternoon. At first I assumed she’d spent the night at a friend’s, but when I still couldn’t reach her on Sunday… She’s never been gone so long, and she always calls me back.’

She shakes her head, and worries her lip again. ‘The detectives think she ran away. I tried to tell them she wouldn’t—’ she clenches and unclenches her hands nervously, ‘—I tried and tried to tell them my daughter isn’t like that. No matter how it looks, she wouldn’t leave me. It’s been just the two of us since my husband died three years ago. Isa wouldn’t leave. She just… she wouldn’t.’ Tears fill Mrs Doughton’s eyes and she seems ready to fall to pieces.

Damn it, I hate jobs like this one. I force an amiable smile, lean forward, and try to get the poor woman’s full attention, to draw her away from the brink before she falls apart on us. ‘Tell us more about your daughter. How old is she?’

In response, Mrs Doughton reaches for one of the missing person posters and places it in my hand, while she dabs at her eyes with a tissue.

I find my answer underneath the smiling face of a young brunette with a cheery smile and her mother’s dark eyes. I read the words aloud, for Egan’s benefit: ‘Isabella Doughton, age 24.’

 

AuthorPic_Danse MacabreAuthor Bio and Links:

Cristelle Comby was born and raised in the French-speaking area of Switzerland, in Greater Geneva, where she still resides.

Thanks to her insatiable thirst for American and British action films and television dramas, her English is fluent.

She attributes to her origins her ever-peaceful nature and her undying love for chocolate. She has a passion for art, which also includes an interest in drawing and acting.

Danse Macabre is her third new-adult novel, and she’s hard at work on the next titles in the Neve & Egan series.

 

Links:

Website: http://cristelle-comby.com

Twitter: http://twitter.com/Cristelle

Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=ntt_athr_dp_sr_1?_encoding=UTF8&field-author=Cristelle%20Comby&search-alias=digital-text&sort=relevancerank

Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/CristelleComby

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Joy Frawley on Tour: Two Worlds Two Men

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http://goddessfishpromotions.blogspot.com/2014/11/vbt-two-worlds-two-men-by-joy-frawley.html

 Joy Frawley is giving away a $25 Amazon/Barnes and Noble gift card to one randomly selected winner during the tour.

 

Author Interview

1. Woohoo! You are a published author. Describe a strong character trait you possess, good or bad, and how it helped you become a published author. When I first starting writing my lack of patience was definitely a character trait that I had to address. As time went by I needed to develop the understanding that things didn’t move at Joys desired pace! On the contrary, there is a perfect time for everything so once I accepted this concept it made the process of writing easier for me. It took off some of the pressure I was putting on myself with unrealistic expectations. This led to focusing my attention where it belonged; on my book and not berating myself.

2. Sometimes an author begins writing a story before they are aware of its genre. Did you choose your genre, or did it choose you? It completely chose me. Two Worlds Two Men came out of nowhere and took over my life while I was writing it.

3. The plot thickens, or does it? Which one are you, a pantser or a plotter? I am a combination of both. I did start out writing by the seat of my pants, however, I occasionally had to write a light outline of things to keep them straight in my head.

VBT_TourBookCoverBanner_TwoWorldsTwoMen4. Fear 101: As writers it is our duty to make our characters face their fears. Have you ever included one of your own fears in a storyline? Yes, but it was not intentional. Initially the character, Jocelyn, was just that… a character. But one day I was typing a chapter and realized I was relating to Jocelyn’s fear of the unknown. It was sort of funny and creepy at the same time!

5. Fear 102: Yes, deadlines are terrifying. Have you conquered the juggling act between writing and the rest of your life? What do you do when it feels like the balls are dropping all around you? I have not had a major difficulty at this point in juggling work and pleasure. Right now I make it a priority to write or market a few hours a day and that seems to be working for me.

6. Switch positions with one of your main characters in a scene. What is the outcome, disaster or divine intervention? Two Worlds Two Men is a time travel romance so I would probably say the scene that jumps out at me is the one where Jocelyn is lying in bed with Colin, the clan leader from medieval Scotland, and she knows it will be her last night with him in that world. In the book Jocelyn returns to present day Scotland to be with Neely, however, if I was faced with such a choice I may have sought out another outcome to be with Colin. Maybe it’s the fact I seek adventure or maybe I am just crazy!

7. Where is your favorite place to write? Add that one comfort food that you can’t do without. When I was writing Two Worlds Two Men I sat cross legged in an old velvet antique chair. It was draped with the most luscious striped colors of gold, sapphire blue and several shades of green. I had a small drop leaf table in front of the chair where I placed my laptop and plugged away writing. I recall gummy bears being a short distance away at all times.

8. Writing inspirations? There does not seem to be a pattern, but my crazy life seems to offer me plenty of inspiration as I keep writing anyways.

9. You are introduced to your favorite author. Who is it, and what is that one burning question you must ask them? Well, that is a hard one to answer as I have several favorite authors and many are non-fiction writers too. But I think Frances Mayes comes to my mind as I write this. She is the author of Under the Tuscan Sun which also happens to be my favorite movie. It has lots of inspirational woman power which I love! And I would ask her to explain to me how she can eat so much delicious Italian food and not get big as a house. I want that secret as I love food. A lot. Continue reading Joy Frawley on Tour: Two Worlds Two Men

Christmas is here: Bring on Good Cheer!

ChristmasRadioCityI’m thinking of you this Christmas:

The corner grocer who smiles even though I can count on one hand the number of teeth in his mouth.

The energetic paperboy who makes sure not to break the glass with his missile because I smile at him.

The saxophone players on the A Train who missed their stop to play Carol of the Bells for us. To all who laughed because we missed our stop and rode across the bridge to Far Rockaway – again.

Strangers smiling, sharing with each other and laughing together. I’m thinking of you this Christmas. Bring on good cheer.