Sarah M. Cradit: Midnight Dynasty

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Character Interview: Amelia Jameson Deschanel

1. What is Amelia like? Amelia has spent her life in a powerful families of witches and warlocks, but is known for her pragmatism and level-headedness. As an empath, she is keenly in tune with the needs of others, and is always at the ready to help in any way she can. As well, she will do everything she can to protect those she loves. From her mother, she inherited her intuition and decisiveness. From her father, a soft and sensitive heart.

2. What does Amelia do best? What is the perfect location for this action? As an empath, Amelia is at her best when helping and counseling others. She has recently obtained her PhD in behavioral medicine. However, Amelia also has much greater strengths–ones she does not yet know about–which will prove even more important 😉

3. What drives Amelia to do the things she does? Her abiding love for all mankind, especially those close to her.

4. You are introduced to Amelia. Is she happy to meet you? Indeed! Amelia is quiet, and subdued, but is kind to everyone.

5. What is Amelia’s favorite guilty pleasure? German sports cars. Amelia drives like it’s her job.

6. How would Amelia describe herself? Amelia would see herself through diplomatic eyes. Someone who always tries to do the right thing, and mostly succeeds. But also a flawed individual.

7. What is Amelia’s weakness? Her empathic nature leaves her vulnerable. Too much at once can leave her in an imperiled state (much like a coma), and can even kill her. She finds herself in this situation in Midnight Dynasty.

8. Where does Amelia go to regroup/unwind? Drive like a madwoman 🙂

9. What does Amelia live for? Family.

10. What will Amelia kill for? Family. And above all Jacob, her heart.

 

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In Amelia’s words…

1. Give up three of your deepest, darkest secrets. I have a lot more dark thoughts about others than I ever voice. I fear that one day I’ll be expected to make a choice between those I love, and will choose wrong. While I try never to lie, I often soften the truth to avoid hurting others.

2. If you could have one super power in your existence, what would it be? Time travel. Ahh, to see the past! I would not wish to change it, but we have much we could learn from it.

3. A biography has been written about you. What do you think the title would be in six words or less? Couldn’t Make This Sh*t Up

4. If money were not an object, where would you most like to live? Although my family has never wanted for money, I’d still never leave my beloved New Orleans.

 

Amelia fills in the blanks…

1. I can never have children because of the Deschanel Curse.

2. The next time I am faced with a difficult decision I will not take the coward’s way out.

3. Why do I always overextend myself, knowing I could make myself sick?

4. My favorite flavor is chicory because it reminds me of the earth.

5. I love New Orleans because I know it holds more secrets than answers.

6. How much emotional pain can you take? Why? Very little, as it can kill me. But I grow stronger every day.

7. Name one thing you must do before you die, and why. Discover the meaning of the prophecy.

 

BOOK INFORMATION

TITLE – Midnight Dynasty
SERIES – The House of Crimson & Clover
AUTHOR – Sarah M. Cradit
GENRE – Paranormal Southern Gothic
PUBLICATION DATE – August 26th, 2014
LENGTH (Pages/# Words) – 482 pages
PUBLISHER – Sarah M. Cradit
COVER ARTIST – Sarah M. Cradit

Midnight Dynasty - Book Cover

 

BOOK SYNOPSIS

The Deschanel Curse, dormant for a decade, has returned with a vengeance.

Seers across the family are coming together, hopeful the Deschanel Magi Collective can solve this malediction that has plagued the family for nearly two centuries.

But how do you combat the blood oath of a grieving mother?

As the body count rises, it becomes apparent that strength, love, and ancient power provide no protection from destiny’s cruel hand.

 

 

BUY & TBR LINKS

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EXCERPT

Colleen observed her younger sister’s ranting with an overwhelming urge to let out a long sigh. Histrionics had always been Elizabeth’s specialty, and she was in top form today.
“Liz, it has been nearly a decade,” Colleen attempted reasonably, knowing it would do little to quell her sister’s tirade. And truthfully, Colleen was wary herself. In spite of her dramatics, Elizabeth’s visions were often accurate, especially when they came to her in the form of a dream. But it would do no good to indulge her, or Elizabeth would quickly slip into one of her episodes, and she would be lost for days, if not weeks.
“That doesn’t concern you?” Elizabeth cried, pacing before Colleen’s marble mantle at The Gardens. “The Curse hasn’t had its fill in almost ten years! It’s hungry!”
“Psh,” Colleen replied, but looked away. Ten years. Ten years since their brother, Charles, and most of his family, perished in a bayou car accident. Ten years since Elizabeth’s daughter, Danielle, was struck by a car in front of their home. Ten years since Colleen’s son, Ben, and his young family, died in that horrible house fire.
Had Colleen worried the Deschanel Curse would strike again? Of course. That fear floated in the back of all her thoughts. But she also knew dwelling on something you could not change benefitted no one.
Secretly, and with some hope, she also wondered if the Curse was beginning to slow, or dilute itself. The potency had dulled over the last hundred and fifty years. Previously, generations were wiped out; the family lived in fear of the entire line dying off. But August Deschanel’s brood had thrived. Seven children, with children and grandchildren of their own. And aside from the horrible cluster of events a decade prior, there’d been no other tragedies to speak of.
And now… well, now they had bigger things to worry about. Revelations the Deschanel abilities were not merely coincidence, but instead a product of mingling with another race of beings. Empyreans. She thought daily of her niece, Anasofiya, who was somewhere in Wales, with her Empyrean mate and human husband. Their child would be born any day, the new Deschanel heir.
Setting aside her own worries, she knew she must deal with her sister’s current concerns, which would not go away by ignoring them.
“Colleen, we are fighting a power we have no weapons against,” Elizabeth pressed, lowering her voice as she stood before her older sister. “There’s not a single ability any of us have that can stop this horror. How are we supposed to live with that?”
“We just do,” Colleen said wisely, leaning against the marble hearth. Elizabeth’s outbursts were physically exhausting, as well as emotionally. “As we’ve discussed in the Council, we’ve already taken cautionary steps. We’ve gently encouraged our children to reconsider starting families of their own.”
Elizabeth snorted. “Yes, a lot of good that did! Your son Ashley has three kids! Maureen’s offspring are starting on grandbabies now, and Adrienne has two. And now, Anasofiya! We are flaunting our children before Brigitte, begging her to take them from us!”
Colleen eyed her levelly. “Some of the children have listened. My Amelia. Your Tristan. Nicolas. Alain. Evangeline’s kids…”
“Yes,” Elizabeth agreed, thoughtfully. “Thank God for that. And now, we are flirting with danger, with all this business about Aidrik, and these Empyreans. I still can’t believe you sent my son to consort with one, though I suppose he did come back safely from Wales… but that’s beside the point! We already had enough to contend with, we didn’t need one more thing!”
“It wasn’t as though we had much choice. Whether we ignore or address our Empyrean ancestry, it remains a fact. Aidrik’s protection will keep us safe, for now,” Colleen soothed. “As for your visions…”
Elizabeth shook her head, staring off vacantly. “Colleen, soon there will be more pain for us. I am going to be ill.”
“I wish you would tell me who you saw in your vision. It’s really counterintuitive to barge in here and tell me of a problem, but refuse to give me any details,” Colleen accused.
“What would telling you the names do? You can’t save them!”
“What is telling me this doing, Liz! Now I know we have more tragedy ahead, and for all I know, it involves one of my own babies.”
Elizabeth dropped her head at this, and Colleen’s heart sank. It did. It involved one of her brood. “Tell me, Elizabeth,” she ordered in a low, stern voice. “Tell me now.”
But Elizabeth was already lost to herself, crying and gazing off into the corner again. Once she slipped into her episodes, there were no words strong enough to pull her out.
Colleen wished she could disregard her sister’s warning as dramatics, but she couldn’t. The visions were the one thing you could not wade through for the truth; they were truth. More Deschanels were going to die to the Curse. At least one of the victims would strike close to Colleen.
And there was nothing anyone could do.

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Haunted Old House

 

AUTHOR BIO

Sarah is the author of the Paranormal Southern Gothic series, The House of Crimson & Clover, born of her combined passion for New Orleans, and the mysterious complexity of human nature. Her work has been described as rich, emotive, and highly dimensional.

An unabashed geek, Sarah enjoys studying obscure subjects like the Plantagenet and Ptolemaic dynasties, and settling debates on provocative Tolkien topics such as why the Great Eagles are not Gandalf’s personal taxi service. Passionate about travel, Sarah has visited over twenty countries collecting sparks of inspiration (though New Orleans is where her heart rests). She’s a self-professed expert at crafting original songs to sing to her very patient pets, and a seasoned professional at finding ways to humiliate herself (bonus points if it happens in public). When at home in Oregon, her husband and best friend, James, is very kind about indulging her love of fast German cars and expensive lattes.

AUTHOR FOLLOW LINKS

AMAZON AUTHOR PAGE WEBSITE FACEBOOKTWITTER
GOOGLE+ PINTEREST GOODREADS BLOG

 

GIVEAWAY PRIZES

5 ecopies of The Storm and the Darkness (Book 1)

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Midnight Dynasty - Full Series Covers

THE ENTIRE HO– USE OF CRIMSON & CLOVER SERIES – AMAZON KINDLE LINKS

St. Charles At Dusk: PrequelBeyond Dusk: Anne: Book 0.5

The Storm & The Darkness: Book 1Beyond Darkness: Shattered: Book 1.5

The Illusions of Eventide: Book 2Beyond Eventide: Bound: Book 2.5

Midnight Dynasty: Book 3Midnight Dynasty: Act 1: Malediction

Midnight Dynasty: Act 2: Convocation Midnight Dynasty: Act 3: Omega

Beyond Midnight: Surrender Beyond Midnight: Asunder (Coming in Oct)

 

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Writerly Things: No Words?

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Ever get tired of using the same words over and over?

This week I felt like paying good money for someone to create new words because the old ones are, well, old. I’m at a crucial point in my WIP where my hero and heroine are ready to admit their love for each other and I’m looking for words other than ‘I love you.’

It’s not that I don’t like those words. If you write romance you spend a lot of time thinking about them. Maybe that’s why I’m tired of them. It’s me; too much thinking.

So, I started writing down all the ways I could think of to declare Amour and you know what happened? It became personal. That is, I had to ask my hero for help. How would a rogue MI6 agent admit love when the only thing he has ever enjoyed is killing for a living? He wouldn’t enjoy being in love. He’d feel vulnerable like one of his targets. My experiment, the expressions of love fell away in the face of my MI6 rogue. However, something else took it’s place. My MI6 rogue’s personality is such that he would never admit love for the heroine but at the very least he wouldn’t kill her. He’d protect the object of his affection or die trying.

Problem solved and in this case, actions speak louder than words. My MI6 rogue will handle his declaration of love his way. If he uses any words in the frozen wilderness in which they are being stalked, it will probably be something like, ‘you don’t go out there without me, understood?’

Anyone else with no words? Writer or a reader, how do you deal with it?

J. L. Sheppard: Heavenly Desire

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J. L. Sheppard will be awarding a $10 Amazon Gift Card to one randomly drawn winner and a bookmark to 20 additional winners via rafflecopter during the tour.

 

Cover_HeavenlyDesire

HEAVENLY DESIRE

by J. L. Sheppard

Blurb:

Will he sacrifice his wings for a woman he loves but can never keep?

Jade Ashley has a past she’d like to forget and a destiny she isn’t aware of. A stranger, Clyde, saves her from an attack and demonstrates extraordinary abilities she believed only she possessed. She soon realizes he’s her guardian angel sent to reunite her with her long lost sisters, who like her are part of a new breed of immortals, Elementals, prophesied to determine the outcome of the upcoming war.

Clyde, an angel, battles the one thing he believes will lead to his fall from heaven—his new found emotions, forbidden among his kind. Nonetheless, the Angel Lords promise to promote him to warrior when he completes his last assignment—to find Jade. When he does, emotions he never knew possible arise. For the first time in two thousand years, he curses his existence, knowing she can never be his. Will he sacrifice his wings for a woman he loves but can’t keep?

 

Excerpt:

He bent toward her, wrapped one arm around her waist, the other around her back, then buried his face in the crook of her neck and inhaled.

Relishing the feel of her body melded against his, he forgot the worries consuming him. She soothed his ache with a mere touch, with a mere embrace.

Exactly what he’d wanted, exactly what he needed.

She then pressed her full lips against his cheek, kissing him lightly.

An innocent kiss. There was no passion behind it, but an unconscious consuming need, one he’d never felt, swelled inside him—desire. It was exciting, overwhelming and terrifying, blocking logic and reason.

All he wanted now was a single kiss. All he could think about was how her soft lips would feel pressed against his.

Marvelous, he concluded.

It was absurd to want what he did and feel what he felt, for he was an angel. Carnal desires even as insignificant as kisses were for others, for all others except his breed, and yet he felt it so deeply it seared him.

The desire that gripped him didn’t release him even after she unhooked her arms from around his neck, and the warmth of her body melted away.

There he stood, immobile, battling the desire she’d sparked. He didn’t want to leave yet knew he had to before he’d acted out his longing.

He willed his body to move. Finally, he placed one foot behind the other, stepped back and strode away praying the yearning he had no right to feel for a woman who would never be his would soon subside.

 

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Author Bio and Links:

J.L. Sheppard was born and raised in Miami, Florida where she still lives with her husband.

As a child, her greatest aspiration was to become a writer. She read often, kept a journal and wrote countless poems. She attended Florida International University and graduated in 2008 with a Bachelors in Communications. During her senior year, she interned at NBC Miami, WTVJ. Following the internship, she was hired and worked in the News Department for three years.

It wasn’t until 2011 that she set her heart and mind into writing her first completed novel, Demon King’s Desire, which was published in January of 2013.

Besides reading and writing, she enjoys traveling and spending quality time with family and friends.

 

Previous Releases:

Demon King’s Desire, Elemental Sisters I: January 2013

Burdened by Desire, Elemental Sisters II: January 2014

 

Contact:

www.JLSheppard.com

www.facebook.com/JLSheppardAuthor

https://twitter.com/JL_Sheppard

http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/6894176.J_L_Sheppard

http://pinterest.com/jlsheppard5/

 

Buy Links:

http://www.wildrosepublishing.com/maincatalog_v151/index.php?main_page=index&manufacturers_id=1105

http://www.amazon.com/J.L.-Sheppard/e/B00CXDFEIK/ref=sr_ntt_srch_lnk_1?qid=1406594271&sr=8-1

http://www.barnesandnoble.com/c/j.-l.-sheppard

 

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Danita Minnis Interviews Alex Bledsoe – BTS Goes Hollywood

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He Drank and Saw The Spider…

alexauthorWhile Alex Bledsoe’s fans come in droves for the sword and sorcery tales he spins, they stay for the realistic worlds he creates in his novels. Read one of Alex’s urban fantasies and commune with gritty characters in a world that very much seems like home…

 

 

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Check out the BTS Goes Hollywood interview here:

http://issuu.com/btsemag/docs/sept-oct-2014/160

 

 

Melissa MacKinnon: Return to Me

This post is part of a virtual book tour organized by Goddess Fish Promotions. Melissa will be awarding $25 Amazon GC to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour, and a $10 Amazon GC to a randomly drawn host. Please click the banner to see additional stops on the tour.

Archaean bounty hunter Marek Coinnich isn’t particularly fond of Engels. In fact, he prefers them dead. But to save his injured brother, he must enter the manor of an Engel enemy. Marek finds himself enthralled by the slave girl nursing his brother back to health. When his enchantment with her lands them in a compromising position, he refuses to let the young beauty pay for the misunderstanding with her life.

Brynn of Galhaven prefers to keep to the shadows. When she is ruined by an outsider, she barely escapes with her life and finds herself left alone in an unforgiving land. Through her struggles to survive, Brynn discovers a world she never imagined and never forgets the enemy Archaean who stole her heart.

Marek can’t deny his desire for Brynn, but these are wartimes, and she is the enemy. And though love knows no prejudice, the world in which he lives isn’t nearly as forgiving.

Now enjoy an excerpt:

Three black ravens circled above her, eagerly awaiting her death.

Crimson spilled from her nose and mouth, cascading to the powdery blanket of snow below. It pooled around her toes, congealing into pale red clumps on her boots and carelessly staining the front of her pretty gown. Her breath crystallized in the air before her, but yet, she felt no cold.

A great sense of foreboding overtook her body then, paining her insides, and she reached up toward the ravens, searching the heavens for strength. She had been there before. She paused to twirl her palm in the air and watched it intensely as it slowly rotated. It felt disjointed from her body, as if it didn’t belong to her. She felt no immediate pain from the deep laceration on her palm. She gaped at the gash as it wept bloody tears — watched as they dripped in steady rhythmic beats to the perfect white earth.

There were others surrounding her — faceless, lifeless beings standing where hearts once beat to the tune of life. Blood trickled from their burning eyes and spouted from their fingers as if some strange death spell had been cast over their unmoving bodies. It kept them erect but frozen in time as swirls of white and crimson danced around their corpses in victory.

So much death.

Had she caused this?

No, the death swirl surrounded her as well.

It wanted her.

It took her.

 

Buy Links:

AMAZON BARNES & NOBLE | GOODREADS ESKAPE PRESS

SMASHWORDS  | KOBO | ITUNES

BOOKSTRAND GOOGLE PLAY | ALL ROMANCE EBOOKS

 

Author Bio and Links:

Melissa grew up surrounded by dragons, fearsome creatures, and damsels in distress from the wonderful world of make believe. She soon found her ideas on paper, littering her desk with world maps and character biographies. Study hall was used not for homework but for writing. Although she pursued a career in theater, the written word never left her. Melissa now leads a full life with her husband and children (five amazingly adorable clones to be exact), though she still finds time to write in her “spare time”. She sports a Military Wife badge of honor, and is lucky enough to have her own knight in camo armor.

Melissa enjoys writing everything from sexy, sword-toting heroes to spit-out-your coffee funny romantic comedies. Her passion lies within the ancient walls of fantasy and historical romance, where anything is possible.

Melissa MacKinnon: http://melissamackinnon.com/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MelissaMacKinnon602?fref=ts

Facebook Fan Page: http://www.facebook.com/melissa.mackinnon.author

Twitter: https://twitter.com/M_MacKinnon

 

 

 

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Fall Into Love with Amelie – TRR Partay!

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Welcome to The Romance Reviews Fall Into Love party! Celebrate Autumn with over 250 participating authors and publishers in this month-long party.

Check out the prize list here. There are more than 200 prizes up for grabs the whole month of September. I’m giving away a copy of Love Entwined to one lucky winner. Hang with us til the end of the month when we hand out the grand prize – a $100 gift certificate. Come on and play with us and win!

Click the TRRparty button to the left to register at TRR and log on so we can keep track of your points.

 

 

Now, are you ready to play my game? Read the following excerpt for a clue and then answer the question below. Good luck and have fun!

 

loveentwined final cover

“Amelie Laurent, may I introduce you to Roman Cardiff.” Harold gestured toward the Burberry divan in the corner.

She closed her mouth and turned, hand extended. The apology died on her lips.

He was a Greek god in a dark tailored suit. Very tall. Different in reality. Cooler than she expected. There was arrogance in his square jaw. His aquiline nose and thick, black brows made him look like a predator.

His expression would have seemed harsh except for the warmth of the sky blue gaze traveling slowly up her body. The eyes gave his features a seraphim quality. They leisurely toured the peachy-pink lacquered toenails peeking through the front of her navy pumps, and then moved up the curve of her hips. She felt those eyes like a puff of warm breath when they grazed the swell of her breasts above the white silk blouse.

She was an innocent doe being circled by a panther that was higher up on the food chain and more resourceful.

Clearly, he wanted to take a bite out of her. His imperial stance said it was his due.

His nostrils flared as he inhaled her scent.

Amelie looked down at the large hand holding hers. Warm, like a glove.

Finally, his gaze met hers.

She did not move, but something sinful shivered inside her. It was the part of her who knew this man. But these feelings weren’t hers—they belonged to that other woman. The one who waited for him at night in her bedroom.

He is real. But he could not be her dream lover.

With an unholy smile, Mr. Cardiff lifted her hand. Full lips moved over her skin in a warm caress, and she was filled with craving.

She jolted out of her reverie, tried to pull away, but he held her there. Her hand relaxed in his.

Stop this, you don’t know him!

 

 TRR Q&A

In Love Entwined, where does Amelie first see Roman Cardiff?

  1. In Yorkshire, England
  2. In Rouen, France
  3. On the subway
  4. In her dreams

 

Kat Loveland: Honor Bound Series

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 http://goddessfishpromotions.blogspot.com/2014/06/name-before-masses-honor-bound.html

Kat will be awarding a $40 Amazon gift card to a randomly drawn commenter 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.  I can get lost in a story for hours, whether I am reading it or writing it. That helps a great deal when you’re pushing to finish a chapter at 11 at night.

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? I don’t genre when I start a story. Why restrict what it is you’re writing to one particular style? I think characters, then plot, then the rest is what it is.

3. The plot thickens, or does it? Which one are you, a pantser or a plotter? I’m a pantser that stops along the way to plot. I think in scenes, not really plots. I don’t start thinking about a book as “Well let’s write a story about such and such” usually. Scenes for something just pop into my head and I write the story around those.

4. 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?  Not yet.

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 am self published so my own deadlines are self imposed. I was trying to get Sacrifices out before my blog tour started so I basically just came home from work and wrote every night. One day I did about 10000 words, my editor was impressed.

6. Switch positions with one of your main characters in a scene. What is the outcome, disaster or divine intervention? Since I am neither a fighter nor have special abilities I think in most cases if I switched placed with one of my characters it would not bode well for me. 🙂

7. Where is your favorite place to write? Add that one comfort food that you can’t do without. I have my computer on a coffee table and my chair is a recliner, that’s the only place I write. I live in a small apartment by myself. As far as comfort food, I would have to say I need Chai Tea, which technically is not a food but I’m a writer so I can make my own rules up as I go.

8. Writing inspirations? Butcher, Brust, Briggs, Eddings, Joss Whedon, the writers of the TV Shows Supernatural and Arrow, Orson Scott Card and just good writing in any form in general. I don’t read as much as most authors do. I used to but I’ve become more interested in shows and movies. In some ways I think it is much harder to write a TV show and keep it interesting than a book as there are so many other factors involved in producing it.

9. You are introduced to your favorite author. Who is it, and what is that one burning question you must ask them? I have actually met Jim Butcher and I didn’t have a particular burning question. I went to Comic Con because I saw he was going and made a point to go to every panel he was on. I learned a lot that weekend.

10. Ive 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.  I’m pretty solitary but when my friends and I discuss movies or shows we tent to dissect them as far as continuity and loopholes for fun. Some other people don’t quite understand how that is amusing. We get a lot of laughs out of it though.

 

MEDIA KIT Awakening Book Cover

HONOR BOUND: Awakenings By Kat Loveland

Blurb

X-Men meets the Real World. “This was an amazing book while steeped in fantasy it tackles a huge subject , the subject of human trafficking. Instead of a bland preachy PSA against it, this story uses amazing imagery, action, intensity, and heart to keep you reading well into the night.”

Children and teens with unique abilities are being sold on the black market. When twins John and Clara made a vow several years ago to help children that had abilities, they never thought they would be forced to fight hardened criminals. Honor Bound Awakenings shows the beginning of the journey they and their friends from idealism to reality and what sacrifices they will be forced to make to keep their vow.

 

Awakenings Excerpt

She heard gunfire in the halls and several guards ran by her door.

“Don’t move!” The guard that had been assigned to watch her said, waving his gun at her.

For the first time in weeks she felt a glimmer of hope but she didn’t let it show as she went back to focusing on the white powder on the table in front of her. Her vision shifted, she focused on the geometric patterns of the substances and with a simple thought turned something harmless into something deadly.

The door to her cell burst open, a masked figure in a black tactical suit burst in moving so fast she could barely see what it was doing. The guard turned to look at the door, brought up his gun to shoot but it was too late, the black figure struck him across the face with a metal rod, stepped closer, grabbed and spun the guard around, wrapping his arms around the guard’s throat and holding him until the guard collapsed.  The figure in black looked at her and seemed about to speak.

“Behind you!” She shouted.

The figure’s head whipped around as something landed in her cell. The next thing she knew the figure in black was rushing towards her, picking her up and throwing her onto the ground near the wall of her cell while covering her body with their own as an explosion shattered her hearing and caused the walls to shake.

“You ok?” The figure asked. His voice was not too deep and was genuinely concerned.

“Yes, I think so.”

He moved, faster than anything she had ever seen. The guards that had been waiting for the smoke from the explosion to clear never saw what hit them. Within seconds both guards were laying unmoving on the ground.

She sat up, still stunned by the explosion and noticed the piles of rubble all around her. The walls of her cell had been ripped apart by the explosion. Another masked figure in black walked into the cell and stood by the man that had thrown himself on top of her. The newcomer was obviously a woman, no baggy vest or shirt could completely hide her curves.

 

MEDIA KIT Sacrifices Book Cover

Honor Bound: Sacrifices By Kat Loveland

Blurb:

Picking up the moment Awakenings end – John and Clara are forced to choose which of them will continue to put themselves in the line of fire, Cesco has to make peace with what he may have to become to keep the others safe, Min-Ji confronts her painful past head on, Sarah and her family must learn to adapt to the results of her Awakening and Jessie has to struggle to keep the group emotionally stable.

 

 

Sacrifices Excerpt:

He couldn’t move, Min-Ji was screaming, he felt searing heat and smelled burning flesh, pain raged through his shoulder. Min-Ji, she couldn’t!

“Min-Ji! Don’t!” Cesco screamed. His eyes flew open, harsh light blinded him. Someone was holding him down. His right arm wasn’t moving, his left arm shot full speed at the face hovering over him, the punch connected, flinging the man across the room where he landed against the wall. Cesco tried to get up, as soon as he moved the intense pain in his shoulder and face floored him causing him to curl into a tight ball. “Min-Ji! Holy crap! What happened?” The phrases coming between waves of pain.

“Cesco! Stop!” John’s voice barely cut through the pain.

“John?”

“Yes, I’m here. Lay back, you’re hurt.”

“Where are we? Is everyone ok?”

John’s hands pushed against his chest easing him onto his back.

“My shoulder, I can’t move it.”

“You were shot. The bullet shattered your collarbone and put a hole in your shoulder blade. You just punched Dr. Rothstein. He was sewing you up. Clara was shot too but she’s all right. Doctor, are you ok? Sorry about that.” Continue reading Kat Loveland: Honor Bound Series

Rose Shababy: The Blue Effect

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 Rose will be awarding a $25 Amazon gift card to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour.

 

Interview with Blue Brennan

The main character of The Blue Effect, A Renegade Heroes Novel by Rose Shababy

1)      How did it feel when you realized you had “super powers?” I didn’t believe it at first. I figured I was in some f***ed up dream and I kept waiting to wake up. Then I started to realize that I’d felt different for most of my life, like I didn’t quite fit in with everyone else and it was like bam! All of a sudden, I finally knew why. It was kind of scary at first, but mostly it was a relief.

2)      If you could go back to the way you were before you had powers, would you? Is that a serious question? Of course I wouldn’t! I didn’t have any kind of life before. There may be some scary sh** that happens now, but everything is different. I’m different. And I like it.

3)      Who has inspired you the most in life? I don’t think anyone inspired me until I met Kasey. He’s the kind of person you can’t help but look up to, although sometimes I want to smack him he’s so good.

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4)      What do you do for fun? I spend a lot of time training and honing my abilities. I have things pretty much under control, but you can always be better, you know? Besides, it’s totally fun. Kasey likes to go watch all those superhero movies, so whenever a new one comes out we’re like first in line. I wouldn’t mind playing cards or even Monopoly once in a while but Kasey and Avery are total  f***ing cheaters. I mean, how do you play against someone who can read your mind and see every move you’re going to make? I stopped trying after they massacred me the first couple times.

5)      This is a pretty common question (but we think pretty applicable here since you actually have the ability to move through time), if you could go back in time and kill Hitler before he came to power, would you? Oh, crap on a cracker… you’re seriously asking me this? I’ve watched enough Star Trek to know that the answer should be no, you’d pollute the time line, blah blah blah. I’m sure Kasey would agree. But truth be told, if I thought I could pull it off, I might do it. The problem is that I’ve never attempted such a huge jump through time. It takes a lot of energy for me to jump even 5 minutes so there’s no way of knowing if I could survive a jump that big. I guess we’ll have to stick with the theoretical answers and say yes, I would kill Hitler if I could.

6)      If you had to pick your theme song, what would it be? I totally love that new song Chandelier by Sia. That would have been my anthem before I met Kasey.

7)      Follow up question. What about now? What would your theme song be now that you’ve met Kasey? Oh god, you’re going to make me get all sappy and sh**, aren’t you? Crazy Love by Aaron Neville. I could gag on it, it’s so sweet.

8)     One final question. Are you excited for your story to be told? I never thought of myself as someone who had a story to tell. And the truth is, this isn’t just my story. It was all of us, Kasey, Avery, Valentina, Esme and Ash. In hero-speak, we saved the day, although no one else will ever really know. Kasey would say that just because no one knows what you did doesn’t mean you’re not a hero. I guess that’s true. I’ve never thought of myself as anything but a rebel but sometimes it doesn’t matter who you think you are. Sometimes you just have to kick ass.

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Writerly Things: Writers, got your reader hat on?

Reading

 

I recently gave a friend a chapter of my WIP to read for feedback. This friend is a reader, not a writer and doesn’t usually read paranormal romance, or fiction, for that matter. Why did I do it? I wanted a brutally honest critique of my work. If you knew my friend, you’d know she’s not the warm and fuzzy yay-my-friend-is-a-writer-type. Why did she read it? After all, romance and fiction are not her usual self-help and how-to reads. Well, she’s a great friend and wanted to help. And help she did.

I didn’t get the lashing I expected from her on the sex scenes. They didn’t bother her. She even had a few suggestions, which I must admit made me re-examine my opinion of her scholarly life. What did bother her was a vision I presented to the reader. In her words, it was like ‘putting the cart before the horse.’ Let me explain.

black roseRead this sentence:  On the bedside table lay a black rose, dripping blood.

There isn’t anything grammatically wrong with the sentence but what do you ‘see’ first? The bedside table. My intent is to impact the reader with the rose which signifies my heroine isn’t alone in the house when she should be. There is someone or some presence with her. I decided to fine-tune the vision: A black rose lay on the bedside table, dripping blood down the side and onto the carpet.

 

There were other things my nit-picking friend pointed out, reminding me that beauty is in the eye of the beholder. I love the color blue and can’t fathom how someone might dislike such a peaceful color. I have to make a conscious effort not to use blue often in my descriptors of landscaping or clothing. You guessed it; my friend doesn’t like blue. For all you blue-haters out there, my heroine is now enjoying the clear waters of the Mediterranean Sea. All kidding aside, I’d forgotten to let the reader’s imagination have full reign. What if the reader prefers emerald waters? You don’t want to ‘tell’ the reader how to see a vision, you want to ‘show’ the reader their vision.

My friend didn’t have any complaints about the tone of my characters (language, postures, attitudes) – something I specifically asked her to pay attention to – but tone is worth talking about. Sometimes when I read a book I stumble over a phrase that feels off. Maybe it doesn’t seem right for the character to say. Maybe it’s a sentence that isn’t pleasing to my ear. The wrong tone can turn off your reader. If your character isn’t speaking/acting within the tone you’ve set for your world, the reader will not believe in your world.

pen-ink

I’ve been writing for seven years and somewhere along the way I learned these things. When you’re wrangling with a manuscript, taking your hundredth view of it, spell-check, scene-check, character continuity and world-building…you can forget some things. Actually, you can forget a lot of things.

One of the ways I remind myself of the rules of writing is to read. As a writer, I can’t help but have my editor hat on when I read another writer’s work. It’s easy to spot mistakes in a story you didn’t write, isn’t it? Might even be entertaining. It’s not so entertaining when it’s your story. When a mistake interrupts the flow of a story I’m reading, I journey down a mental roadmap of my own story and check for similar errors. That’s why writers have to be readers also.

Writers, what tips do you use to remember the rules of writing?

Readers, have anything to add to the list of what pulls you out of a good story? We writers want to know. 🙂

 

 

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Tera Shanley: Silver Wolf Clan

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Tera will be awarding a $10 Amazon Gift Card to THREE randomly drawn winners via rafflecopter during the tour.

 MEDIA KIT SWC Cover

Silver Wolf Clan

by Tera Shanley

Blurb:

What happens when monsters turn out to be real? One summer night while camping in the woods, Morgan Carter finds out in a big way. A tall mysterious stranger, Greyson Crawford, risks his life to try and save her sister from the vicious wolf attacking their camp. When he’s bitten and disappears into the night, Morgan can only assume the worst.

Greyson shows up a year later, and he’s a different animal altogether. His eye color shifts constantly and the rumble in his throat sounds more animal than human. She hasn’t any idea where he’s been all this time, but a good guess as to what he’s become.

Grey is determined not to let the darkness of his new existence affect Morgan and the little girl in her care. He hasn’t been able to stop thinking about Morgan but knows he should stay away and let her live a normal life. That’s easier said than done, though. A new danger pulls him from the shadows to keep her safe, and he’s no wolf in sheep’s clothing.

Can she accept what lurks just below his surface? More importantly, can she survive him?

 

 BBT Silver Wolf Clan Tour Book Cover Banner copyExcerpt:

Greyson’s muscles quivered under Morgan’s hand but it likely had nothing to do with the cool rain. He opened his eyes slowly and the brilliance of the golden color pooled there was almost too dazzling to look directly at. Like staring at the sun. No one would mistake those for human eyes.

If she’d had any doubt before about the brand of monster he’d become, those liquid amber eyes put them to rest. He pulled his hood back and the chin-length dark blond hair from her memory fell forward into his face. She moved a strand to the side. He’d lost weight in the past year. He hadn’t had an ounce to lose in the first place, but it looked as if he’d struggled to stay healthy. His eyebrows, just a shade darker than his hair, were furrowed but he let her drink him in. He was playing fair. For all she knew, he’d been watching her the entire year. It was her turn now.

His nose was straight and his jaw line masculine. From the brief moments she’d known him out in those woods, she’d seen how intoxicating he was. He’d been a fearless warrior bent on that murdering wolf’s destruction, no matter the cost. Here, in the dirty alley under the relentless clouds, with those glorious feral eyes and a snarl in his chest, Greyson Crawford was utterly consuming.

Softly, she said, “You’re beautiful.”

His shaky whisper tore at her. “I’m a monster.”

 

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Author Bio:

Tera Shanley writes in sub-genres that stretch from Paranormal Romance, to Historic Western Romance, to Apocalyptic (zombie) Romance. The common theme? She loves love. A self-proclaimed bookworm, she was raised in small town Texas and could often be found decorating a table at the local library. She currently lives in Dallas with her husband and two young children and when she isn’t busy running around after her family, she’s writing a new story or devouring a good book. Any spare time is dedicated to chocolate licking, rifle slinging, friend hugging, and the great outdoors. For more information about Tera and her work, visit www.terashanley.com.

 

Author Links:

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/terashanley.author

Blog: http://www.terashanley.blogspot.com/

Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/terashanley

Website: http://terashanley.wordpress.com/

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/7212904.Tera_Shanley

 

Buy Links:

Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Silver-Wolf-Clan-Tera-Shanley-ebook/dp/B00KYUNENG/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1403281510&sr=8-1&keywords=Silver+Wolf+Clan

B&N: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/silver-wolf-clan-tera-shanley/1119847720?ean=9781616505424

Kobo: http://store.kobobooks.com/en-US/ebook/silver-wolf-clan

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