Monday, March 30, 2015

Book Blast, Giveaway & Interview: The Carriage by @jenabaxterbooks

The Carriage Banner 851 x 315_thumb[1]

bookblast

 

clip_image002_thumb[1]The Carriage

Jena Baxter

Genre: YA, Paranormal Romance

Publisher: Jena Baxter Books

Date of Publication: February 16th, 15

ISBN: 978-0-9911677-2-2

ASIN: B00TOQNODQ

Number of pages: 214

Word Count: 52,313

Cover Artist: Consuelo Parra

Model: Amber Ornelas

Book Description:

A teenage girl enters a carriage in Central Park and disembarks in Victorian, England.

Cursed by her sister Brooke, Alexis Powell arrives in the Victorian Era where she meets Ezra, who was recently murdered by an assassin his brother Amos hired. Now a supernatural creature, Ezra sees into Alexis’ mind with a touch and Intrigued by her memories, offers his help only to be rebuffed for his kindness. Alexis runs away, but Ezra is unable to shake off what he saw. He follows her through the streets of London.

Vulnerable after the death of his Father, his brother’s harassment, and Alexis’ many rejections, Ezra decides to stop following her. Alexis is unable to find work or food. Facing starvation, she steals a tomato and Ezra finds her facing the local magistrate and an angry mob. He pays for her freedom.

Finally accepting the help Ezra offers, Alexis moves into the manor he shares with his brother. Romance blossoms but the bond between Ezra and Amos is worse than Alexis’ relationship with Brooke.

While Ezra and Alexis search for a way to send her home, Amos looks for a way to kill them.

Book Trailer: http://youtu.be/-2P1NTDmQww

Available at Amazon

excerpt

Somehow I was certain I was no longer in New York. The streets were cobblestone, and the buildings wood and brick. A lot of them were broken down, old and shabby. The alleys were filthy and smelled like shit. Exhausted, I looked for a place to hide but didn’t know where to go. When I couldn’t move another muscle, I hid behind a wooden staircase with my back against the wall and fought not to jump at every sound.

I hadn’t meant to fall asleep, and didn’t know how long I’d slept, but it looked close to mid-morning when I opened my eyes and looked around.

The women walking by were wearing long, full dresses, and big feathered hats. The men’s pants were more form fitting, not the jeans they usually wear. Some of the children running around were barefoot and downright filthy, looking as if they had been rolling in mud or playing with charcoal. I cringed when I saw a boy carrying a rat by the tail. Everything was straight out of a Dickens novel. I wouldn’t have been surprised to see little Dorrit, or Ebenezer Scrooge waltz by any minute now. I rubbed my nose with the palm of my hand. What the hell was I going to do?

This obviously wasn’t real, so I must have fallen in with a role playing community of some sort. My mother and father used to play dungeons and dragons. Maybe this was the same thing, but in the extreme.

Something slammed into my back. I screamed and turned at the sound of a woman yelling at me. The broom in her hand whooshed down again, just missing my face.

“Whoa. Hey, stop!”

What was wrong with these people? I couldn’t understand a word she said, so I ran. She chased me, swinging the broom until I left the alley.

I stopped to catch my breath, smoothed my clothes, and approached a woman in a long brown dress with a white bonnet and black boots. She stared at me like I was some sort of freak. Uh ... she was the freak, not me. Maybe the men would be friendlier, but not one of them would stop. Then I saw the man that crashed into me yesterday across the road. He looked a little different, wearing a brown suit, and an odd piece of material similar to a scarf around his neck, with a top hat. He was actually still attractive in the weird clothes. Dodging carts and vendors, I made a bee-line for him. At least he wouldn’t chase me with a broom.

character

Character Name: Alexis

Character Bio: Born and raised in San Francisco, Alexis is a senior at John F. Kennedy High School. She has been voted Prom Queen once and Homecoming Queen twice. Smart, pretty and thin, she was envied by fellow students and popular until she disappeared while on a vacation with her family in New York City. 

 

Describe yourself what is your worst and best quality?

“Hmmm, I have to say my best is my hair.” She lifts her hands and admires her manicured nails. “Or maybe my nails … No, definitely my hair. My worst quality is my sister, Brooke. Sometimes it seems like she follows me around and I don’t want to be seen with her.”

 

What is the one thing you wish other people knew about you?

“That I’m smart. So many people think you’re stupid or something just because you’re pretty.”

 

What is your biggest secret something no one knows about?

Alexis looks around. “You’re sure nobody else is here? … I had chicken pox last year and ditched school until the red spots went away.”

What are you most afraid of?

“Gaining weight. I don’t want to look like my sister.”

 

What do you want more than anything?

“I’d love to be a famous model.”

 

What is your relationship status?

“I’m single right now.”

 

How would you describe your sense of fashion?

“Oh, girl, I’m a Fashionista.”

 

How much of a rebel are you?

“I’m not really a rebel at all. The only person I fight with is my sister.”

 

What do you consider to be your greatest achievement?

“Becoming Prom Queen junior year.”

 

What is your idea of happiness?

“Having what you want by obtaining it yourself.”

 

What is your current state of mind?

“What kind of question is that? Are you asking if I’m insane or something?”

 

What is your most treasured possession?

“A locket my dad gave me for Christmas when I was little. Brooke got one too.”

 

What is your most marked characteristic?

“It’s all good here.”

 

What is it that you, most dislike?

“Brooke”

 

Which living person do you, most despise?

“Brooke”

 

What is your greatest regret?

“Brooke”

 

What is the quality you most like in a man?

“Cute butt, gorgeous eyes and he has to take what I say seriously.”

 

What is the quality you most like in a woman?

“The girls I hang out with take themselves seriously. Make-up and hair is done, they work out, dress well, and pay attention in class.”

 

Who is your favorite hero in fiction?

“Mulan.”

 

Which living person do you most admire?

“My Dad”

 

If you could change one thing about yourself what would it be?

“Nothing. I’m good with the way I am.”

 

 

  giveaway

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  abouttheauthor

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Jena Baxter has always loved history and time travel. She liked to read, and often wrote poetry as a stress inhibitor while growing up. But like other writers, she dreamed of writing a novel. So she enrolled at the UCLA Writer's Extension, to gain the confidence and skill to move forward.

Today Jena has a YA Fantasy novel, as well as a YA Paranormal Romance novel online and in print.

www.jenabaxter.com

http://jenabaxterbooks.blogspot.com/

https://www.tumblr.com/blog/jenabaxterbooks

https://www.facebook.com/jenabaxterbooks

https://twitter.com/@jenabaxterbooks

https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/8103907.Jena_Baxter

http://www.amazon.com/Jena-Baxter/e/B00M4YF352

Book Blast, Giveaway & Interview: Bite Me by @RobynBachar

Bite Me Banner 851 x 315_thumb[1]

 

bookblast

 

clip_image002_thumb[1]Bite Me

Robyn Bachar

Genre: Erotic paranormal romance

Publisher: Samhain Publishing

Date of Publication: March 17, 2015

ISBN: 978-1-61922-457-5

ASIN:

Number of pages: 211

Word Count: 80k

Cover Artist: Kanaxa

Book Description:

Consumed by the need to feed…

After an out-of-control spell triggers the zombie apocalypse, Lizzy Addams is left in the ruins of Chicago with only the slightly unhinged commentary—and endless erotic appetites—of her inner demon for company. Her blood supply dwindling, she is forced to find survivors to feed from, or die trying.

Officer Angela Kinney was on duty when hungry corpses overwhelmed the city. The survivors look to her for leadership, but nothing prepared her for a beautiful monster who offers safety in exchange for blood.

Sean MacMillan never expected to see Lizzy again after she rejected his attempts to lure her back to the vampire fold. But with his flock threatened by the horde and his murderous vampire brother, Lizzy is the only one he can trust to keep them safe.

The veil of secrecy shrouding the supernatural world torn apart, humanity’s only hope is to forge an alliance with vampires, werewolves, and things that go bump in the night. Though accepting their aid could be a devil’s bargain that puts humans at the bottom of the food chain.

Warning: Contains vampire orgies, angsty demon sex, a frisky lesbian werewolf, light kink, and enough sex toys to start a store.

Available at Amazon BN iTunes Kobo Samhain Publishing

  excerpt

I opened my mouth to ask for a volunteer, and noticed just a fraction too late that a priest’s collar peeked out from under Manuel’s overcoat and that he was eyeing me in an unfriendly manner. He spat at me in Latin and pulled a cross that exploded with blinding light. The image seared into my retinas as holy fire hit me full blast.

I’d rescued a damn priest. What a fucking way to die.

My inner demon shrieked, and I hissed like a pissed-off alley cat and bolted. I slammed against the roof ’s edge and toppled over it like a drunk after the bars close, then crashed through the plastic top of a Dumpster in the alley. For a moment I was relieved to be out of the burning, but it was quickly followed by the sudden onset of the what-the-fuck pain of my landing.

The world had ended before garbage day, so I was up to my ass in trash bags that stank like rancid vomit. Mobs descended on my Dumpster in a sea of arms outstretched to grab and devour me. Like sharks in a feeding frenzy, they were programmed to bite first and ask questions later. My pink Chucks had no traction as I tried to climb atop the Dumpster, and I slipped and struggled. Ugh. Death by fashion. I should’ve gone for the Doc Martens.

Mobs weren’t good at ladders, but they could handle climbing short distances, and two toppled over the edge and into the garbage. I tried to kick myself into flight, but my magic fizzled and refused to cooperate. No fuel, no magic. One of the trash zombies’ rotted teeth sank through my jeans and into my leg, and I screamed at the top of my lungs.

I ripped my leg away, losing a chunk of flesh and muscle in the process, and with a rush of pure terror I vaulted out of the garbage and into the alley. When I hit the ground my wounded leg buckled and I collapsed. The dead closed over me like an ocean wave and clawed at my cashmere coat with frostbitten fingers until I wriggled out of it and broke free. I booked it as best I could, ducking and weaving through the crowd.

Despite my fear, I had enough sense left to run down the alley away from the spot the humans had been. I emerged into the street opposite, found it likewise occupied by mobs, and cursed as I headed into the next alley. A metal fire escape clung to the side of the building to my right, and I leapt, pulled the ladder down and hustled up it as my wounded leg fought me the whole way. When I reached the roof I sighed with relief and lay flat, staring up at the full moon as hunger raged through me like a slavering, rabid dog.

I needed to feed, and the only living humans in Chicago were traveling with a priest with a grudge. I wouldn’t make it home without blood—hell, I wouldn’t make it off this rooftop. In a few hours the sun would rise and I’d be Lizzy Addams flambĂ©.

It sucked to be a vampire at the end of the world.

authorinterview

Do you do another job except for writing and can you tell us more about it?

I work in a bakery. I love it, because I get paid to bake cookies. :) You can make someone’s day by giving them a free cookie.

What is the name of your latest book, and if you had to summarize it in less than 20 words what would you say?

Bite Me is an erotic paranormal romance with a f/f/m ménage and gratuitous violence against zombies.

Who is your publisher? Or do you self-publish?

This is my ninth book with Samhain Publishing.

How long does it usually take you to write a book, from the original idea to finishing writing it?

Many of my books start as National Novel Writing Month projects, and I usually get the first draft done in a month. After that it takes a month or two to go through revisions and edits, and to wrangle my beta readers into giving their feedback. I have awesome beta readers.

What can we expect from you in the future?  (i.e. More books of the same genre? Books of a different genre?)

More action, magic, mayhem and swords. I love the paranormal so much that even my sci-fi has vampires in it.

Do you have a favorite character from your books? And why are they your favorite?

I have a favorite in every book. I loved writing Lizzy in Bite Me. She’s very snarky, and her back-and-forth with her inner demon was a lot of fun to write.

Do you have a certain routine you have for writing? i.e. You listen to music, sit in a certain chair?

I usually write on my laptop while relaxing on the couch and watching TV. If I’m working at my desk I listen to my film score station on Pandora. I can’t write if it’s quiet.

Do you read all the reviews of your book/books?

All, no. I usually read reviews if they’re posted by professional review sites, but I leave regular reader reviews alone.

Do you choose a title first, or write the book then choose the title?

The title is almost always my last step before I submit, and sometimes even then it ends up changed. Titles are the hardest part of writing for me.

How do you come up with character names and place names in your books?

I tend to name minor characters after whatever I’m watching at the time. I may have named a few characters in Bite Me after author friends of mine.

Do you decide on character traits (i.e. shy, quiet, tomboy/girl) before writing the whole book or as you go along?

I start with an overall idea for a character’s personality, and small details like Lizzy being a gamer tend to happen as the story progresses.

Which format of book do you prefer, eBook, hardback, or paperback?

All of the above. It depends on the book. When I broke my hand I was very grateful for my ereader, because I could prop it up on my lap and only needed one good hand to swipe the pages. Books are awesome in all their formats.

What is your favorite book and Why?  Have you read it more than once?

I’m an English major, so I could never pick just one book. I’ve read Dance Upon the Air by Nora Roberts several times. You never forget your first Nora.

Your favorite food is?

Coffee. Coffee is a food, right? If beverages don’t count, I’d have to go with a yellow cake donut topped with white icing and shredded coconut.

Your favorite color is?

Pink is my signature color.

  giveaway

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  abouttheauthor

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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.

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Saturday, March 28, 2015

5 * Review - A Highland Knight’s Desire by Amy Jarecki @amyjarecki

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A Highland Knight’s Desire by Amy Jarecki

Highland Dynasty Series Book 2

to read

Blurb-

In 15th century Scotland, Sir Duncan finds himself rescuing Lady Meg from the clutches of the Earl of Northumberland, and he is knocked off guard by the sassy, redheaded lass. And aye, the tall, dark, and rugged Highlander challenges Meg’s piety with his every stare.
Sir Duncan focuses on returning Lady Meg to her family and collecting his bounty before the lass can further sink her wiles into his heart. Lady Meg’s kidnapper, Northumberland, is plotting his revenge and is out to ruin them both. If Northumberland’s ruse is not exposed, Meg may end up becoming a nun, and Duncan a pawn in a deadly game. Join us on this passionate adventure as Lady Meg discovers herself – and her desires. Book two in the Highland Dynasty Series; stay tuned for book three!

Book Links-

Goodreads / Amazon

review

 

A Highland Knight's Desire (Highland Dynasty, #2)A Highland Knight's Desire by Amy Jarecki
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Duncan Campbell, son of the famous black night, accepts the call for assistance as the Earl of Angus sister is kidnapped by a vengeful English earl. But Duncan never envisioned finding a beautiful woman inside a church, no not at all, even worse her enchanting nature.

As they make a run for freedom Duncan is forced to split up his forces in an effort to draw the English off their trail and away from Lady Meg Douglas. With no other option he takes a detour to her home, and is forced to pass her off as his wife many times. But as the days past Duncan fights an even graver battle, trying to resist this fiery lass.

If he claims her, he would bring wrath upon his family and start a war. But his resolve around her is slipping with each passing moment. Can he do his duty as a knight, or would this battle be his first to lose?

If there is one thing Amy Jarecki provides with each book, it’s a never ending craving for more. Once again I was swept away so quickly that I didn’t even notice the day have past, still I clung to my reader eager to find out how Duncan and Meg would survive it all. Amy have a splendid talent to bring her characters to live and have them crawl into your heart and just stay there. I fell in love with Duncan and Meg instantly, and as more characters was introduced wanted to know even more about each one. I was a bit sad in one part of the book, it’s never easy saying goodbye to one of Amy’s characters, especially if they have already conquered your heart.

The emotional impact reading her novels are always breath taking. Amy have a talent to bring it all… love, anger, hatred, sadness, fear, angst… utter torture and ambrosia, all laced together in one spellbinding read. As for plots, Amy knows exactly how to drive a reader to the brink of insanity and then have us crashing back to that satisfied sigh. It was one hell of read and I am so delighted to know she has even more planned for us. A salute to the magnificent Author Amy Jarecki, and a very well deserved 5 stars.


View all my reviews

 

abouttheauthor

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Amy adores Scotland. Though she now resides in southwest Utah, she received her MBA from Heriot-Watt University in Edinburgh. Winning multiple writing awards, she is now focused on the genre of Scottish historical romance. Amy loves to write steamy edge-of-your-seat action adventures with rugged men and fascinating women who weave their paths through the brutal eras of the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries.

Media Links -

Website / Blog / Twitter / Facebook / Goodreads

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Friday, March 27, 2015

Cover Reveal: Six Years by Stephanie Witter

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clip_image004Title: Six Years

Author: Stephanie Witter

Category/Genre: New Adult Contemporary Romance

Standalone novel

Cover Designer: Jo Raven

Release Date: June 9th

Add SIX YEARS to Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/24932168-six-years

Blurb:

They hadnt seen each other in six years.

Shed always had a crush on him.

He'd only ever seen her like a little sister.

And now...hes back.

Brooklyn

I thought that he was a part of a distant past. I thought I didn’t feel anything for him now, but I was not so sure anymore. Having him back in my life, for however long it was, was making me see things differently. So many things had changed in the last six years and somehow I’d lost myself and forgotten all about my dreams.

My home life was still a mess, my personal life was nothing to boast about and when I see how successful he is, how everything he’d always wanted came true, I couldn't help but feel lacking in a lot of ways. But he’s back and he needed me. I knew I was the only one who understood that part of his life, the only one he’s willing to share it with. My heart is still beating too hard and too fast for him and this time around, I was as much an adult as he was.

Having a six year age gap didn't mean shit.

Nolan

Being back in Riverdale was harder than I thought. I’d turned my back on that life, but there had always been that one girl in my head. Little B. Now she’s nothing like the twelve year old girl I’d last seen. She’s a young woman, gorgeous and sexy. I couldn't stay away. There’s something drawing me to her and it goes beyond my need to reconnect with her, to have her back in my life and fill the hollow part of my chest. But I couldn't forget the little girl she had been; I shouldn’t forget the little girl she used to be.

Growing up with a junkie mother and nobody else, my neighbor, Brooklyn, had been my only happy place. I had taken care of her, and when I had left, I had to leave behind a huge part of me. I couldn't do it again. I needed her. Once again, she’s the only person I want in my life, but I wasn’t sure if it was for all the right reasons.

Were there too many obstacles in the way?

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About the author:

Stephanie Witter is a French dreamer. She started learning English at three, and fell in love with the language. Always with a book, or two close by, she started reading in English when she couldn’t wait any longer for Harry Potter to be translated in French. After a while, reading wasn’t enough. She started writing Young Adult and New Adult Contemporary novels and PATCH UP is her first New Adult Contemporary novel.

* Website * Blog * Goodreads * Twitter * Facebook Page * Tsu * Instagram * Pinterest *

Would you like to receive an email to let you know when SIX YEARS is available? If you do, fill out this form: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1yyTW2thg6BKkkZf-V8EUx_bhInddU3sibkwXCR0haV8/viewform

 

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Thursday, March 26, 2015

Book Blast, Giveaway & Interview: Shadowed Horizons by @wolff_shyla

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bookblast

 

clip_image002Shadowed Horizons

Anath

Book 1

Shyla Wolff

Genre: paranormal romance

Publisher: Extasy Books

Date of Publication: 12-15-14

ISBN: 978-1-4874-0162-7

ASIN: B00RC7QOIQ

Number of pages: 275

Word Count: 72,000

Cover Artist: Latrisha Waters

Book Description:

Love should never be a choice between family and the man who’s claimed your heart.

A warrior’s life is the only one Kiera’s known since her psychic brethren adopted her from the streets as a child. Though she possesses equal preternatural ability and fighting skills, they will always see her as their youngest and in need of protection.

According to their leader’s psychic vision, her twofold destiny includes saving a computer prodigy’s life and a mate who pulls her from death’s clutches. Carlin, an electronics genius, develops software/hardware which could destroy any government. Without malicious intent, he seeks to prove possibilities beyond his current reality. Bored with the aspects of his social life, he yearns for a family.

When Kiera saves Carlin from the clutches of a psychic terrorist who stalks him for his program and skills, neither is prepared for the immediate connection formed. From the first skirmish, both their lives are caught up in a maelstrom of danger and desire. Kiera struggles to keep Carlin and his work from the terrorist who wants to destroy the U.S. while resisting the extraordinary attraction between them.

Can Carlin convince her they were meant for each other and survive her warrior brethren?

Add it to Your Goodreads Shelf

Available at Amazon

excerpt

Carlin strode beside his bodyguard through the dimly lit parking garage fidgeting with his keys. “Adam, this does not make it to my top five favorite places to visit.”

A rat skittered across the floor in the shadows, and he imagined it turning a gimlet-eyed stare on its intruders. Filth, gas, and pizza from a nearby restaurant thickened the air, reminiscent of the alley apartment he occupied during college. Small pools of dingy light challenged macabre shadows for dominance—and lost. Clashing of the bleak rays and murky silhouettes added an ominous, prophetic feeling he couldn’t shake. Water stains mingled with the shadows to create fleeting two dimensional monsters. Carlin was not a fan of Rorschach. Crap, I haven’t been spooked like this in years.

Adam shrugged. “Sir, as your bodyguard, I admit this isn’t my idea of a secure location either, but it is the closest enclosed parking available to meet with your client. The open street leaves you too vulnerable. As much as you cherish your privacy, I’m surprised you agreed to help at all.”

“He’s a college buddy, needed help with a simple, high-tech security task. Seems twenty-first century technology left him in the dust.”

“Next time, why don’t you at least suggest meeting during the daytime?” Adam’s narrowed eyes and tilted head as if listening to a far-off sound—usually spelled trouble.

“Next time, remind me a proctologist’s exam would be more enjoyable, okay?” Sweat beaded his forehead despite the cool December breeze drifting over the graffiti-covered knee wall.

“Yeah, I’m feeling it too. Let’s get the hell out of here.”

Carlin’s skidding on a badly patched piece of concrete prompted his bodyguard to scan the area around them. Dirt and crumbles skittered, their audio report echoed off the walls.

"Watch your step, sir, we don’t need to broadcast our location." Adam murmured as he reached out to steady him.

“You know…” Carlin muttered, “Folks generally think of me as a good analytical and concrete thinker. Perhaps whatever higher power gifted me with intuitive abilities for logistics and computers decided on a mental tariff—common sense.”

"My sixth sense says trouble’s GPS has already locked on. Stay close.”

The gentle slide of Adam’s gun from its shoulder rig compelled Carlin to suck in the cool night air, searing his lungs.

“Sir, instincts are the best survival tool we have. They’re rarely wrong. Better safe than sorry.”

Sharp chirps split the silence, Carlin’s cell threw his heart rate into overdrive. Hair on his nape prickled as he fumbled in his pocket. With an all-thumbs equivalent, he extracted the nuisance and hit ignore.

Massive pillars supported the five-story concrete structure. Rounding one to his left, his foot stalled mid-step when Adam snatched him sideways. The colossal thug he almost plowed into blended into the shadows.

“Jesus!" The man personified hulkish features with abject malice in his gaze. The split-second observation brought Carlin a rush of adrenaline. "You're huge!" Brown hair pulled back in a ponytail swept his shoulder giving the look of a mob enforcer. A bulge of pitted, tanned skin separated a straight line of bushy eyebrows. Dark eyes appeared to hold a terrible knowledge and gave his hard stare a cold calculating look.

The brute’s gaze raked Carlin's body head to toe. Chipped yellow teeth appeared as his thin lips pulled back in a wide grin. "Time to meet your maker, prodigy." He mimicked Carlin's sidestep in a lightning-fast move and knocked Adam's gun from his right hand. Its ricocheting underneath a nearby Toyota produced multiple tin-like clinks.

Time seemed to fracture. Adam's left arm shoved Carlin to the side. His assailant took wily advantage in that flash of time. He watched his bodyguard go down hard from his attacker's leg sweep.

One blink and a dagger appeared in the thug's hand. Its arc and swift speed toward his belly made it little more than a glimmer in the weak light. His neurons couldn't fire fast enough to follow its passage. Two feet stood between Carlin and a trip to his maker, complements of this walking nightmare.

authorinterview

Did you always wanted to be a writer? If not what did you want to be?

   I’ve always enjoyed creative writing. It wasn’t until I retired that I’ve had the time. Through the years I’ve done many things, but nothing as enjoyable or fulfilling as writing.

When did you first consider yourself a “writer”?

    Actually, I still find it wildly fantastic that I’m published. It’s been quite a learning curve as far as editing, promoting, etc. After I received my first contract – my other half thought it might have been a fluke. When I got my second – it seemed more real to us both.

How long did it take to get your first book published?

Do you do another job except for writing and can you tell us more about it?

I’m retired from working in the medical field. I’ve also been a professional photographer, private investigator, and military police officer. (My life has never been boring.)

What is the name of your latest book, and if you had to summarize it in less than 20 words what would you say?

Shadowed Passage is set to release 5-15-15. Kyley’s and Kiera’s story continues to evolve as they find another member of their family. More espionage, paranormal abilities and of course – hot romance.

Who is your publisher? Or do you self-publish?

I publish through Extasy Books. The group of folks there are absolutely wonderful. I think most folks (non-writers), don’t realize the tremendous learning curve (aside from the actual writing), that takes place behind the scenes.  I’ve met some incredible writers and staff members that go above and beyond to teach you things like formatting, coding for blogs, etc.

How long does it usually take you to write a book, from the original idea to finishing writing it?

If nothing distracts me, I’d say between two and three months. Though life is what’s happening while I make my plans…

What can we expect from you in the future?  ie More books of the same genre? Books of a different genre?

I love writing erotic, paranormal romance. In the future – I’ll continue with what I’m currently writing and probably add more suspense.

What genre would you place your books into?

Erotic, paranormal romance, though I always try to include enough action and suspense to keep folks turning the pages.

What made you decide to write that genre of book?

I’m a romantic at heart. The paranormal fascinates me. Action and romance keep me riveted. Combining these seemed to make sense.

Do you have a favorite character from your books? And why are they your favorite?

I think my favorite character would be Taylor. The emotional/physical strength is just sexy. The paranormal talent is fascinating.

How long have you been writing?, and who or what inspired you to write?

I’ve enjoyed writing since high school. I didn’t have the time to write a book until the later part of 2013. My family though it was a nice hobby. I think my inspiration comes mostly from Dean Koontz. I would love to spend a day in his mind…lol

Do you have a certain routine you have for writing? ie You listen to music, sit in a certain chair?

When I finally convinced my spouse that I’d be a real writer. He bought me a special chair. I generally write in the mornings with my dogs curled at my feet and my desk facing the windows.

Do you read all the reviews of your book/books?

Absolutely! I believe you have to read them and remember that you’re getting someone’s opinion about what they like. Most importantly—you have to remember – different strokes for different folks.  I always pay attention to constructive criticism. How else do we improve? Sometimes they pick up things you don’t.

Do you choose a title first, or write the book then choose the title?

I write the book first, then try and fashion a title that encompasses the book.

How do you come up with characters names and place names in your books?

Sometimes it’s just a given. When I think about a character’s personality, I try and pin a name that fits. As far as places, I figure out my character’s strengths and weaknesses, then develop the surroundings accordingly.

Are character names and place names decided after their creation? Or do you pick a character/place name and then invent them?

First comes character traits, quirks, etc. Then I place them.

Do you decide on character traits (ie shy, quiet, tomboy girl) before writing the whole book or as you go along?

I try and develop the character in my mind first, then put it on paper. When I’m writing, I often find that I add/change/tweak this a bit. Unfortunately, I’m a bit of a pantzer, and let the characters lead the way, (as long as they don’t get out of hand).

Are there any hidden messages or morals contained in your books? (Morals as in like Aesops Fables type of "The moral of this story is..")

Absolutely. Sometimes they’re more subtle than others. But my goal is to entertain.

Which format of book do you prefer, eBook, hardback, or paperback?

Usually I’ll be reading ebooks. When I find a keeper, I buy hardback to put on my shelves.

What is your favorite book and Why?  Have you read it more than once?

The Odd Thomas series by Dean Koontz will always be my favorite. He’s a terrific word smith, with an incredible mind. I’ll read any book twice that makes me think. And yes, I’ve read his books several times. I usually end up discovering something I missed before.

Do you think books transfer to movies well? Which is you favorite/worst book to movie transfer?

Generally, I think you lose some of the flavor in translation. Words have a way of bringing out a character that the movies just can’t do.  Watchers, by Dean Koontz was good.

Your favorite food is?

Pecans or chocolate when I’m writing.

Your favorite singer/group is?

Owen Richards, pianist

Your favorite color is?

Black – when I write THE END… lol

Your favorite Author is?

Dean Koontz, though Jeanine Frost is also incredible.

 

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Life teaches us many lessons. One of the most important ones Shyla’s learned is to take the time to enjoy family and friends. Our circumstances change on a daily basis. However small the differences may seem, they add up over time. Through a lifetime of various trials and tribulations, she’s discovered the enjoyment of sharing her stories with those that would relish participating in the journey of extraordinary people through their everyday lives.

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