Wednesday, October 17, 2012

Halloween - The Best Holiday of the Year

Halloween is questionably the best holiday of the year. As a paranormal romance author, this time of year is a great time for inspiration to create steaming hot romances involving the sexiest vampires, were persons (to be politically correct, even in fiction) demons and the latest craze; the fae.
To celebrate Halloween, I'm posting the first chapter of Betrayal Bites, the 2nd full-length, paranormal romance in the Tales of Sydney Sedrick Series. Fanged Fury, Book 3, is set for release in 2013. Hope you enjoy and have a fun and safe holiday!


Excerpt:


Chapter 1

Sighing while I dusted the stone and glass figurines throughout the store, I had hoped the mundane tasks would help distract me from the anticipation of the mailman. Kieran, leader of the local vampire coven, was sending out his invitation to the Blood Rites Ball. The purpose in having the ball was to see who would next be elected to watch over the Selected. Since I am the Selected, there was a lot at stake, considering my life and overall well-being hung in the balance. It was possible whoever my new babysitter was might decide to imprison me.
Not everyone believed the Selected should be allowed to walk around of her own free will. Actually, there were a lot of people, vampires, werewolves, demons, and rogues who felt the Selected should be kept in a gilded cage her entire life, or to be executed. They felt the potential threat of the Selected’s powers was too high.
Needless to say, the upcoming events of the Blood Rites Ball had me on pins and needles. The thought of not being invited had me feeling like a furry lump had taken up permanent residence in my gut. If someone else was going to make decisions with such an impact on my future, I thought it would be nice to have them do it in my presence. Kieran said the ball was planned for tomorrow night. He hadn’t mentioned if he put me on the invite list.
While debating which would be better, to go or not to go, the door chimes jingled, signaling the arrival of either a customer or Dale, the mailman. I turned around with a smile on my face to see who it was. The moment reality struck at what my eyes saw, the smile dropped off my face and pain set into my chest like an icy hand had wrapped itself around my heart and had given it a good squeeze.
Blake, the sexiest man to ever have walked the earth, stood in front of me holding his right arm with his left hand. His chest heaved as he struggled for air. Blake was a werewolf who had extra speedy healing abilities, so whoever or whatever hurt him had to be very strong and very dangerous. The dark red blood staining the front of his shirt and caking the right side of his neck made me nauseous and light-headed.
“Blake!” Running past him to the front door, I threw the deadbolt lock into place. It would be very hard to try and explain it if one of my customers walked in and spotted Blake with blood smeared all over him. I raced back to inspect his wounds. He must have lost a lot of blood. My Selected senses hadn’t alerted me to his presence before he walked through the door as it should have. Usually, they kicked in when a vampire or a werewolf entered a five hundred foot radius around me. That included outside the walls of buildings, and my senses seemed to be growing stronger every day.
Even though Blake bore such serious wounds, I couldn’t help but appreciate his wild dark-brown hair that hung just past his shoulders. Typically Blake didn’t look so disheveled like he did at that moment. Looking toward him from the door, his amber-gold eyes bore into mine. He was in a lot of pain. I could tell by the way he winced as he moved. Sighing in dismay, I watched his backside as he stumbled over to the couch on the far side of the store next to the fireplace. He dropped down, groaning in pain as he landed on the cushion.
It didn’t bother me that his boots had dragged in remnants of the slushy snow covering the streets outside.
Blake had a fine backside.
My center throbbed to by caressed by him.
Where did that come from?
“Sydney, I was attacked by a demon, and not just any demon. She was a Judge.”
“Judge? What’s a Judge?” Could my life get any more bizarre? Not long ago, I discovered that vampires and werewolves existed. Oh, and I found out I was the Selected, which meant everyone wanted me to be on their side because according to some old prophecies, I was destined to be some kind of savior.
Blake groaned in pain, bringing me back to the present. My life was a little overwhelming at times. Blake resituated himself on the couch in such a way to avoid putting pressure on his injured arm and shoulder.
“Please explain to me what you meant by ‘Judge’. I’ve never heard you use that term before.” A chill ran down my back as I gently put my fingertips on the pulse point near his wrist. His heart rate was beating a bit fast, but not too fast.
“Judges are demons assigned to the king of the vampires. They do his bidding, uphold vampire law, and execute punishment to misbehaving bloodsuckers when Kieran and his Knights can’t. Someone owed the vampire king big, so they negotiated the Judges’ contract to be servants of the king.” Blake closed his eyes and took a guarded deep breath.
My mouth dropped open. There were royal vampires? No one ever mentioned that fun fact before, not even Aunt Judith. In all the discussions we’ve had, neither Blake nor Kieran had mentioned them either.
A knocking came from the front door, startling me. If the Judges came after Blake at the store, there was little I could do to protect him. I highly doubted if they followed Blake that they’d bother with the consideration to knock. After seeing Blake injured and hearing about demon assassins, I was on edge.
A shadowed figure passed the window.
Dale’s face peered through the glass. He looked around to see if anyone was in the store.
I cracked the door open to keep Dale from seeing Blake, drenched in blood, on the couch. Dale’s knit hat was dusted in fluffy white snowflakes and his cheeks were bright red from the chill in the air.
“Dale, now’s not really a good time, the stock delivery guy just dumped a huge order off, and I have to deal with that before opening the store. You can just give me my mail from here, okay?” I squeezed two fingers through the door and waited.
“Miss Sydney, is everything all right?” He repositioned his big mail carrier’s bag to sit more on his side to allow him to get closer to the door and a better peek inside.
I put a friendly smile on my face to reassure him that everything was on the up and up, but from his expression, he wasn’t buying it.
“Everything’s just fine. I’m busy, that’s all.” I didn’t want to be rude, but I really needed to go hold pressure on Blake’s wounds. He hadn’t stopped bleeding yet.
“Miss Sydney, I think it would be best if you let me in to take a look around and make sure for myself that you’re all right.” Dale wasn’t budging. What was with this town? The people that lived here in Kenosha all seemed to have taken the same medication that made them super bossy.
A little more sternly, I said, “Everything’s fine, Dale. Really, I’m just busy. That’s all, now give me my mail, and you can be on your way.”
Dale was a really nice guy, and it was clear he was just worried. He didn’t deserve the harshness in my tone of voice, but Blake really needed me. Hopefully, Dale would get over my rudeness, but it wasn’t like I’d ever be able to explain to him the situation.
Dale’s eyes narrowed.
“Miss Sydney, if you got one of them abnormals in there, maybe I can help. The abnormal’s blood stinks all the way out here. You see, not many people know this about me, but I’m a healer, Miss Sydney.”
“What do you mean by abnormal?” Did Dale really know? I was coming to believe that maybe I was the only one in the city, before I was bitten, that didn’t know vampires and werewolves existed.
“I know all about them dang vampires and werewolves. They’re everywhere around these parts, and well, my granddaddy taught me a few tricks. Sydney, I know you’re different, special. Well, my family has a special streak in its blood, too.” Dale leaned his head closer to the door and whispered, “You see, we got some fairy blood running in us, and we can heal people with our hands. Plus, I got some supplies in my bag might be of some help.”
His sincerity made me smile. Dale looked at me with such genuine concern. Before making a decision on whether to let him into the store or not, Blake called out in pain.
Decision made.
“Fine, but you have to promise you won’t tell anyone about what you see. You said that I’m special. You’re right, and I have a temper to match. So don’t betray me, Dale. If you do, you’ll have a lot of abnormals pissed and looking for you.”
Dale came into the store. The snowflakes melted into his clothes the moment the fabric hit the warm air. He went straight for Blake. Very carefully, he removed Blake’s shirt to see where all the blood was coming from. After cleaning Blake’s chest and face with a cool washcloth from the storeroom in back, Dale made a quick diagnosis and set to work.
“Blake, these gashes look like you’ve been attacked by a fire demon.” Awe and disbelief was written across Dale’s face as he said it.
Blake looked from me to Dale. Suspicion darkened his gaze as he assessed the mailman.
“You’re right. It was a fire demon, and she wasn’t happy to see me. How do you know about fire demons?” Blake attempted to sit up straighter on the couch, but Dale patted his knee in reassurance.
“Wait, what? The fire demon that did this to you is a female?” It was pretty hard to believe a female of any sort could beat Blake in a fight. He was one of the strongest and fastest werewolves in his pack. His strength came straight from the pack leader himself, Blake’s father. Whoever this fire demon was, she must be pretty nasty.
Dale fidgeted where he knelt on the floor in front of Blake. The talk of demons and werewolves seemed to make him uncomfortable. Placing my hand gently on his shoulder only made him squeak in surprise. The mailman was wound more tightly than me.
Blake must have seen Dale’s uneasiness through his fidgety movements. “Ah, yes. I have heard of your family. You don’t have to involve yourself in our business. We know who you are. My pack appreciates what your people do. We’d be fine if you wanted to stay out of the war. We don’t mind that you keep tabs on us. I’m sure your knowledge will come in handy one day when we need it most.” With the recognition of Dale, and what he stood for, Blake sat back against the couch. His body seemed to relax a smidgen. Apparently, he didn’t see Dale’s knowledge of his pack quite as threatening as I would have thought.
There was a clear understanding between the two men. To my dismay, neither one of them bothered to explain it to me.
“Okay, enough secretive, behind-the-scenes action going on. I must say I’m getting pretty tired of it. Dale, help Blake with his injuries. Blake, start explaining what is going on, right now.” Blake stared at me. I could tell he was hesitating because he didn’t know how much information he should divulge to either of us. If he knew what was good for him, it would be all of it.
Dale nodded and dug around in his mail-carrier bag. When he found what he was looking for, he brought out a leather pouch and a small clear vial filled with a blue liquid. He busied himself adding yellow powder to the liquid making a paste that smelled like fresh lemons. He then applied the green-colored concoction to Blake’s chest wound.
The manipulation of tissue made my stomach churn. The pressure Dale was applying to the wound with the applicator caused more blood to leak through the tissue and drip down Blake’s toned abs, soaking the waistband of his jeans. Ordinarily, such things didn’t make me swoon. Seeing someone important to me injured and in pain was a whole other ballgame.
Blake’s face tightened and he clenched his jaw as Dale packed the paste into the deep gash created by the fire demon’s attack. Dale used his fingertip to push the paste into the jagged parts of Blake’s flesh until the wound was completely covered with the green substance.
“Sydney, a few members of my pack and some of Kieran’s Knights have been doing recon on the compound where you were taken by the lightning demons a few months ago. There has been abnormally high activity buzzing around the place, so we’ve been watching who’s been coming and going. It seems the rogue vampires and werewolves are amassing a small army. Unfortunately, it looks like they have recruited more demons than we originally thought.”
“So, that’s why the fire demon attacked you? Because she found you watching the compound? That doesn’t make any sense if she’s really a Judge, like you said.” I thought Judges were supposed to punish naughty vampires and not attack innocent werewolves. I didn’t understand what had started the fight.
He shook his head and continued to explain while Dale made a makeshift sling out of clean towels from the storeroom to secure Blake’s arm. Luckily no customers had arrived on my storefront’s door wanting to do some shopping.
“The fire demon wasn’t one of the demons from the compound. I actually interrupted her recon mission. When she spotted me, she mistook me for the enemy, attacked first, and asked questions later.” It was obvious from Blake’s tone that he was impressed with the fire demon. To my surprise, his admiration of the female who attacked him sparked some serious jealous feelings on my end, and I could feel the tips of my ears burn.
“So, she attacked you for no good reason? Who is her boss?” It wasn’t like a fire demon’s boss would really take a complaint from a human very serious, but her hurting Blake pissed me off. Maybe the awe I saw in Blake’s eyes when he spoke of her ticked me off, too. I was the Selected with powers of my own. Problem was, my powers were taking their own sweet time developing and getting stronger.
“Sydney,” Blake said as he sat up on the couch. He moved his shoulder a bit and nodded thanks to Dale for his efforts. “The fire demon isn’t just an ordinary demon. She’s a Judge.”
“But that doesn’t make any sense, why is a Judge even here? Aren’t they supposed to be watching over the king and his family?” The pieces of the story weren’t falling into place in my very confused mind. Blake didn’t seem all too surprised to run into the demon, only impressed.
Blake nodded as he spoke to both Dale and me. “I’m not sure what the Judges are doing in town. She mentioned that it had something to do with the Blood Rites Ball Kieran is hosting tomorrow night. The vampire royals are planning on attending. That’s the only explanation I can think of for having the Judges in town. Usually, they are very close to the king at all times. It’s not the first time we’ve run into one, but they’re pretty rare, and there’s always a royal around that they are protecting.”
Dale stood to repack the supplies into his overly large bag. His secret history surprised me. One day I would make him sit down and tell me all about how his family is involved with the war between the vampires and werewolves. Did Dale and his family have a side they were on? I never would have thought he had special healing powers. He’d never bothered to mention that before, even though he came into the store six days a week and personally hand delivered me the mail.
Before leaving, Blake said that he heard the rogues talk about Ley Lines and power points. The compound was situated over a demonic power point, an energy vortex that allowed the rogues to call forth demons from the Underworld. Once the demons were called forth, they were obligated to complete a task before being set free upon our world. The Judge was tracing the Ley Lines to the compound that originated from the underground royal palace located a few miles outside of the Kenosha city limits.
“Blake, so the rogues are calling forth these demons, making the demons beholden to them, but what for? What sort of task do they plan on making the demons perform before they are set free?” My mind was running wild with the possibilities. The rogues seemed to be focused on creating mayhem and destruction among all the vampires and werewolves. They also wanted to live without the rules the Elders and the leaders of the werewolf packs instilled upon them. They wanted to be their own bosses, but right now, they weren’t strong enough to carry out their goals without help from beings stronger than them, such as demons from the Underworld.
My guess was that’s what they wanted to use the demons they were calling forth for; they wanted to rid themselves of any governing body that hindered their lawless lifestyles. Could the rogues demand the demons, as their price for free passage into our world, to kill all the coven and pack leaders? I hoped not. Having out of control vampires and werewolves running amok would be madness.
“We’re really not sure yet, but it’s looking like they have something planned for the Blood Rites Ball. The Judge I ran into also believes that. Sydney, you should really reconsider and not go.” Blake used every opportunity to try talking me out of dealing with the vampires. He knew my obligations to them were just as important to me as my obligations were to the werewolf pack, but he didn’t like it.
Dale decided at that moment to hand me my mail. On the top of the stack sat a crimson-colored envelope. After opening it and pulling out a piece of paper made from thick card stock, I studied the blood-red ink glistening off the bright white paper. Blake leaned over my shoulder to see what had made me stop short. A grumble came from his throat.
“Sydney, I’m telling you that you should not go to that ball. The rogues are clearly brewing up something, and we don’t know what it is. It would be safer for you if you were far away from that ball. Having the Elders, members from the royal family, leaders from other covens, and the Judges all in one place? That’s going to be a very target-rich environment. If the rogues are going to make their move, the ball would be the perfect place and time to do it.” Blake’s forehead crinkled in frustration. I knew that look. He was going to say anything he could think of to try and talk me out of going.
“How are they even going to know where it is? Kieran put right on the invitation the location of the ball will be disclosed one hour before it is to start. The rogues will have a pretty hard time putting their plans in action if they don’t even know where the ball is going to be.” I put my hands up when Blake began to interrupt me. “Don’t worry. There will be plenty of people there to make sure nothing happens to me.” Blake didn’t need it pushed in his face that Kieran, the leader of the local vampire coven, made it his personal responsibility for my protection and safekeeping, so I kept that fun fact to myself.
Blake roughly readjusted the sling Dale made for his injured arm. “You hanging out with the bloodsuckers is bad enough. Having to sit around while you’re surrounded by the worst of them is going to drive me nuts. I’ll have Morris contact Kieran and figure something out. I’ll have him see if there is anything my pack can do to help with the security detail of the ball. Helping them keep you safe would be better than sitting on my hands doing nothing.”
The concern in his gorgeous, bronzed-gold eyes made my heart melt. Even though he insisted we were meant to be together, no matter how much I wanted to run into his arms and accept his mark, it wouldn’t be a good idea. Having a werewolf for a boyfriend would surely piss the vampires off.
Being the Selected meant having to stay neutral and not divulge secrets of one side to the other. In the recent past, the vampires and werewolves were able to work together to rescue me from the lightning demons, but that was pretty much the extent of their working relationship. Otherwise, they tended toward hating each other, both wanting to rule Kenosha for their own selfish needs.
With my being the Selected, I was the only one able to fulfill both of their prophecies that would enable them to dominate the other. If I gave my blood freely to the vampires, it would allow them to walk in the sunlight. If I mated with the heir to the werewolf pack, and a child was conceived, then that child would have complete control of their change, no longer being prisoner to the moon phases. That child, my child, would then be able to infect all werewolves through their saliva. Once that happened, all werewolves would be able to change on a whim. That would give them the strength, speed, and healing capabilities to wipe out the vampires.
As the Selected, it was my decision who I was going to help. I’ve decided to help both the vampires and the werewolves, by not fulfilling either of their prophecies. Neither species deserved to lord over the other. The decimation of the covens or the packs wasn’t an option in my book, so neither one would get any assistance from me on the matter.
I had to go to the Blood Rites Ball no matter how bad Blake wanted to keep me away from it. Since I received the invitation, my presence became required and expected. My worrying about being invited, or not, was over.
The last time Kieran had thrown a small gathering for the vampires, Aaron, Kieran’s second hand, had explained that if I didn’t show up, Kieran would personally come and find me. I didn’t particularly care for Aaron. He was an uptight, overbearing, jerk of a vampire, who thought he could boss me around, and he did it while wearing a fancy suit. Aaron had made it quite clear when he’d come to the store prior to the last gathering that Kieran’s invitations were to be seen as a summons, not a request. I had no choice but to attend the ball, not unless I wanted to be hunted by a very old vampire that I’d personally offended.
No, thanks.
I’d go.
Well, I hope you enjoyed the first chapter of Betrayal Bites :) I have enjoyed creating the complex supernatural world Sydney has been thrust into all while being pursued by the sexiest werewolf in town. 


Monday, October 1, 2012

Winter's Magic by Cynthia Gail - new release contest!


Thank you for inviting me to join you and your fans today. I’m so excited to finally reveal the cover to my debut novel, Winter’s Magic. It’s the first in a four-book series called Music City Hearts.

It’s kind of ironic that I decided to keep the cover under wraps until my contest launch, because I’m rarely able to keep secrets. When I was in grade school, I was the daughter who snooped around in closets before Christmas, trying to find out what my presents were, before Mom had time to get them wrapped. Maybe that’s why I love to read romance so much. I can enjoy the story – all the ups and downs, the tears and laughter, breakups and black moments – without anxiety, because I know the end is always happily-ever-after.
So, the wait is finally over. Today is October 1st and I’m kicking off a month-long contest with the unveiling of Winter’s Magic:


Back Cover Blurb:
Owner of La Bella Vita, a five-star day spa nestled in the affluent suburbs of Nashville, Tennessee, Beth Sergeant knows her elite clientele first hand. She attended their private schools. She was even engaged, although briefly, to one of their most recognized bachelors. But she never fit in to their social-elite world.
After losing his parents to a car accident at a young age, Nick Chester was raised by his grandfather, the wealthiest man in Nashville. When he chooses to socialize, he has a never-ending list of exclusive events and beautiful women vying for his attention. Yet he never lets himself forget that everyone has an agenda.
Beth can’t resist Nick’s charm and accepts an invitation to dinner, despite her deep-seated insecurities. She proves she’s nothing like other women Nick's dated and learns to trust him in return. But just as the last of their resistance crumbles and true love is within reach, challenges from Nick's past threaten to destroy everything and force Beth to reveal her most guarded secret.


Did you catch that? There’s a secret!
But I’m not going to tell you what it is.
I can’t.
I won’t.
No matter how hard it is to keep it inside, I have to make you wait until October 24th, when Winter’s Magic goes on-sale, so you can read the book, meet Beth and Nick, and experience their story first-hand.

In the mean time, I’m hosting a fantastic contest. All you have to do is follow my blog or like my Facebook page (you receive an entry for each) and you’re automatically entered in the drawing.

The prizes? I CAN tell you what those are: 5 copies of my ebook, a $25 Visa GC, and a $50 Visa GC. Oh, and of course lots of swag. (If your name is drawn and you’ve already purchased my ebook, I’ll give you one copy of any ebook from the Soul Mate Publishing website.)

But that’s not all. Join me at my launch party, November 2nd from 3pm – 6pm EST, on Facebook.  We’ve got lots of games lined up – each with more great prizes. And at the end of the launch party, we’ll announce the winners of the October drawing.
So, tell me - Do you peek or wait?

Okay, the temptation is huge, so I can't say if I do or not  :)

Congrats on your upcoming release and I can't wait to read all the novels in this series!


Feel free to visit Cynthia's website, if you leave a post, let her know who recommended you :)

Winter's Magic coming October 24th from Soul Mate Publishing
Spring Surprise coming 2013 from Soul Mate Publishing


Saturday, September 29, 2012

Adrienne Clarke is Celebrating Her New Release - To Dance in Liradon


Please welcome one of my Soul Mate Sisters, Adrienne Clarke, as we celebrate the release of her new novel! Thanks so much for visiting today, Adrienne, and I have to say that I absolutely love your cover! I'm a huge Fae fan, can't get enough of it, so I can't wait to read your new release :)
Please join in with Adrienne and find out what inspired her to become a writer!


Writing and the Unlived Life
People often ask me what attracted me to writing. My usual answer is that I loved reading so much writing became a natural extension of that passion. Equally powerful, however, was the feeling that writing allowed me to see and do things I couldn’t experience in my real life. When I was little I used to spend hours in my mother’s walk in closet hoping to find the way into Narnia. I stopped doing this when I discovered writing was a more heady and satisfying way to transport myself to all the magical places I longed to visit.
I’d been dreaming about the setting for my novel To Dance in Liradon long before I sat down to write it. Although I’d never been to Ireland, I’d devoured so many Irish fairy tales, ballads, and mythical retellings that the Ireland of my imagination had become as real to me as my own small Canadian town. Of course, the real Ireland is very different from my fantasy world of Liradon, but I was greatly inspired by Irish tales of the Sidhe or ‘Fair Folk,’ as I refer to them in my novel.
Brigid, the heroine of To Dance in Liradon, is a perfect example of my living vicariously through my characters. Although I always dreamed of becoming a writer I had another passion as well, ballet. I loved everything about it, the music, the costumes, the artistry, and most of all the mysterious, often tragic, and fairy tale like stories. I wasn’t good enough to become a professional dancer, but the dream remained, and when I began thinking about Brigid I knew she would be a dancer; someone whose body tingled “with the familiar urge to dance until she felt her very soul underneath her feet.”
Brigid’s love of dance fitted beautifully with Irish faerie mythology where dance and music are considered the special gifts of the Fair Folk. One of the scenes from the novel has Brigid competing for “the cake.” The dancers take their place in the ring and dance around and around in a circle showing off their fancy footwork until they can’t take another step. The last dancer standing wins a beautiful cake festooned with ribbons and meadow flowers, and more importantly, the distinction of being the best dancer in the village. I discovered this early form of competitive dancing in my research of Irish culture, and I knew I wanted to include it in the novel.
If I have a wish for To Dance in Liradon it’s that readers have the feeling of being transported to another time and place. That like Brigid, they enter the world of Faerie, and in spite of all their human ties, a part of them never wants to leave. I think that’s what the best stories do, take you somewhere you long to go, even if you didn’t realize that place was for you until you started reading about it.
Despite my best efforts, sitting in wardrobes, hiding behind oak trees, and leaving gifts of milk and soda bread (faeries have a fondness for soda bread), I’ve yet to meet a real fairy. I haven’t given up hope though. My daughter, Callista, is convinced they’re biding their time waiting for the right moment to reveal themselves. “Faerie’s are quite haughty mommy,” she told me recently, they don’t come out for just anyone. I suspect she’s right. In the meantime, I shall continue to read and write about faeries, and hope that one day when I least expect it, one of the fair folk will make their appearance.

Here's where you can find out more information about Adrienne and her upcoming events: 

And here is where her novel, To Dance in Liradon, can be purchased: 


Thanks again, Adrienne, and I wish you nothing but success in all your writing adventures!

Wednesday, August 29, 2012

Bizarre Life of Sydney Sedrick - Now in Print!!!

Bizarre Life of Sydney Sedrick, Book 1 in the Tales of Sydney Sedrick, is now officially available in Print through:
www.barnesandnoble.com
www.amazon.com
www.soulmatepublishing.com

Here's the back cover blurb:

After a rogue werewolf attack triggers her latent powers as the Selected, Sydney Sedrick is reluctantly dragged into a war of vampires and werewolves, both battling for total species domination. Each try to use her as their pawn and are willing to use any force necessary to gain control of her special gifts. For her protection, Sydney is armed with only her grandmother's journal and Blake, the sexy werewolf who insists they are meant to be together. In order to succeed, Sydney must embrace her destiny and join the battle to protect both sides from genocide. Caught between two very different worlds, belonging to neither, Sydney is forced to risk it all, or lose everything and everyone she holds dear.

Betrayal Bites - Book 2 in the Tales of Sydney Sedrick is now available on ebook

Tuesday, July 10, 2012

The Delphi Bloodline by Donna Del Oro


I'd Like to welcome Donna Del Oro to my blog today!

Donna, what inspired you to write The Delphi Bloodline? 

Behind THE DELPHI BLOODLINE: My Personal Research into ESP Phenomena
                                    By Donna Del Oro


            It started with my cousin. She was a full-time, practicing psychic. People came from all over California for her “readings”, at which she claimed an approximately 85% accuracy. One day, while in my 40’s, I decided to get a reading from her.  Extremely skeptical—although I’d known her all my life and knew she wasn’t a con artist—I arrived, fully expecting a lot of lucky guesses on her part.  An hour later, I left dazed and confused. How did she know that my husband and I were deliberating over which of two investment opportunities to take. We hadn’t mentioned this to anyone, not even anyone in my family or my husband’s.   The one my cousin advised against—and which we didn’t take, fortunately—ended up in bankruptcy a year later. There were other revelations that day that proved true in the months to come.
            And so, I became intrigued by this strange phenomena known as ESP, or sometimes psi. Whatever you called it, it was known as “extrasensory perception”. My cousin claimed to be a “clairvoyant”, or able to “see” what most humans cannot see. Her insights into people, their health, and other personal facts were amazing to me. People in my family both welcomed and dreaded her phone calls. It was often: “You’ve got diabetes,” “You have a cancerous tumor in your bladder. See a doctor immediately”, “Your appendix is infected. Get yourself to a hospital now!” One close friend of the family received one of her calls. She told her that her brother was dying of cancer and that this friend should call him as soon as possible. The friend insisted that her thirty-five year-old brother was perfectly healthy and they’d just spoken days before. However, my cousin persisted and prevailed, even over objections of the friend’s brother. Two weeks later, the friend’s brother called back. He’d seen a doctor, had gotten a series of tests, and his prognosis was grim. He died a year later after a valiant battle against cancer.
            When I probed my cousin, she explained the genesis of her visions and revelations. As a child of eight, she began having dreams. Some occurred at night while she slept, while others happened as daytime visions.  A recurring vision puzzled her but one day it suddenly made sense. Her parents—my aunt and uncle—had announced that they were moving to Hollister, California and had just bought a house with property attached. My cousin “knew” what it looked like and proceeded to describe it to her parents, who hadn’t shown pictures of it to anyone. What she described, from the house to the trees, driveway and outbuildings, matched the place her parents had just put a down payment on.
            After that, the family believed my cousin to have a gift from God. That experience prompted me to open my mind and begin a thirty-year exploration into ESP. What I’ve learned has convinced me that clairvoyance does exist, and that perhaps to some extent, precognition. Many people have incredible, intuitive abilities and many share this gift with others, at no intent of monetary gain but simply a desire to help others. A poll cited in the Journal of Parapsychology showed that at least sixty percent of Americans believe that they have had at least one psychic experience in their lives.
            The difference between a true psychic and a charlatan, or someone who uses trickery and seeks profit or notoriety?  Only one does it for monetary gain. True psychics, as do the psychic women in THE DELPHI BLOODLINE, share their gifts quietly and gratuitously.
            Like my cousin.



Okay, I'd definitely listen to your cousin!

Now, can you tell us a little about your novel, The Delphi Bloodline? 


Present day descendants of the ancient, psychically powerful Delphi bloodline face the threat of extinction when an evil tycoon hunts them for his own nefarious intent, a global spy network.
When artist Athena Butler, the modern-day descendant of a powerful, ancient bloodline of psychic women, realizes she’s the target of mysterious and dangerous kidnappers, she gets help from strange sources—the spirit of an ancient ancestor and a handsome man who claims to be one of her bloodline’s Guardians. Her mental powers and his brawny skills keep them one step ahead of the mastermind behind these kidnappers. Until the time when an FBI task force decides to use Athena as bait.

Sounds like a great read, Donna!

Now, let's get a sneak peak into your novel :) 

“Maybe you’re too focused on that homicide case,” Athena stressed. Her mother had no idea the danger she was putting herself in. First-hand experience had taught Athena that working with the cops was a dangerous business. Let them do their work and solve their own cases.
I’m done with all that.
Her mind darted back to the vision in her dream. She took a deep breath and steadied her voice.
“I saw you in your car, Mama. You stopped to get out. A black car pulled in front of you and another one—a long white one—blocked you in back. There was a woman driving the car in front and she was with men who had guns.  Someone grabbed you and carried you to the white car. I could smell salt water and then they took you away. Some place far away. And then I was in the mountains, the Sierras, searching for you.”
Athena bent over, clutching the cell phone, her lifeline to the one person she loved most in the world.  Her stomach cramped into a hard ball.
There was silence. “Mama, go home,” she repeated.
“Okay, Thena, I’m turning back toward the freeway. The harbor shops are on my left. Remember that eight-sided tower, the one with a great view of the harbor and breakwater. The octogon tower. You remember going there on your last visit here, don’t you?”
More silence followed then as an image sprang to Athena’s mind. Yes, they’d had lunch there…
Her mother gasped loudly.  A screech of brakes, metal crunching, glass breaking. Her mother cursing a blue streak in her native Italian.
“What happened, Mama? Are you all right?”
“Yes, dear. Just a stupid fender bender. Merda! Daniel’s going to throw a fit. My second one this year! I’m getting so distracted with these cases—not paying attention to what I’m doing. I swear this car pulled right in front of me, cut me off. It’s not my fault this time.”
More angry muttering followed.
“Dio, I really smashed up that rear end! Thena, I’ll call you right back as soon as I exchange insurance information with the driver. Be right back, Thena.”
“Mama, don’t get out of the—”
The line went dead.  With a cry, Athena sank to her knees on the cold, tile floor. Shivers of dread rippled through her. Her mind went numb with panic.
For God’s sake…Think! Get help!

This sounds like a great read, Donna, can't wait to get my copy! Best wishes in all your writing adventures and thanks so much for visiting on my blog today :) 

Sunday, July 1, 2012

Sizzling Summer Reads Party July 1 - July 31

http://www.theromancereviews.com/event.php

Okay all you romance lovers and paranormal fans who just can't get enough, you have got to check out the Sizzling Summer Reads Party over at The Romance Reviews blogsite. Over 400, yes, that's 4 times 100, authors and publishers are giving away great prizes! There are games to play and points to rack up, so go on over and get started! Personally, I love the match game with all the cool covers :) Good luck, hope you find some new authors/novels that you can fall in love with. Happy reading :)

Wednesday, June 20, 2012

Where to Draw the Line: Romance vs. Erotica





In honor of the release of my second novel, Betrayal Bites - yes, release date is today! - I decided I wanted to delve into the discussion of when a novel is categorized romance, and when it's slapped with the label of erotica. Personally, I think I write romance, and there's always heavy paranormal elements to it. But then I got to thinking, maybe what I write could be considered erotica? I mean, if a love scene is built up to, and then the big 'penetration experience' is missed or only implied, that's considered romantic, right? I've begun to think that's no longer the case. While writing Betrayal Bites, I have to admit, my goal was to make the reader want to go and find their lover and go at it, I wanted to make the reader so hot they had to do something about it ;) Is that erotic? I don't think so. For me, and how I look at my writing compared to others, well, I think the best way to look at it is if there is penetration, fine, still romantic, but the inclusion of toys, and I'm not talking to pain inducing kind in the BDSM novels that are now rampant in the top sellers' lists, I'm talking stimulation toys, 'enhancing' items that help explode one's level of pleasure they experience during love play, now that's erotic.








Because today is a big release day for me, I wanted to also include the back cover blurb for Betrayal Bites, available at www.soulmatepublishing.com, and amazon and BN.com in the next few days!







Blurb: Sydney Sedrick, cursed with the powers of the Selected, is monitored by the vampires and werewolves who covet her abilities to rid the city of one another. Sydney receives a summons to attend the Blood Rites Ball, an Elder vampire ceremony to determine her fate. The Midwestern Werewolf Pack demands her loyalty, while Blake, the heir to the wolf pack, is adamant she is his life-mate, meant to be together, forever. To make matters worse, an insider is betraying the vampires, leaking information to the rogues, who want Sydney dead.



Thursday, June 7, 2012

For The Love Of A Gypsy Lass - by - Juliet Chastain

Greetings, fellow romance readers and writers. I am in the middle of writing a series of short stories called Gypsy Lovers. One has been released and more to come each month. These are sexy 99-cent novellas, set in the Regency period about Gypsies and the English men and women love them.





I wanted to do some stories in which totally inappropriate, culturally, and socially mismatched men and women find love together. I've always been fascinated by the Romani people, Gypsies, who for a thousand years traveled around Europe and were very separate from, and often despised by and even persecuted by, the people among whom they lived.



A Proper Lady's Gypsy Lover is available at Breathless Press!

Amazon
All Romance eBooks and at many e-book stores

For Love of a Gypsy Lass will be released soon and available as above

To learn more about upcoming stories or about me: julietchastain.com While you're there, check out my other short romances: The Captain and the Courtesan and The Cry of the Wolf. You can also find me on www.facebook.com/JulietChastain or Twitter@julietchastain


In the first book, A Proper Lady's Gypsy Lover, we have Lady Lucy-Ann who is a hellion. She does not want to be a proper lady although her relatives require it. What she wants is to roam free and swim and fish and ride astride. And most of all she wants to be with her childhood sweetheart the handsome Gypsy, Liberty Wood. Liberty is the caring kind of man who will do anything for the people he loves, but he's also a gambler, a horse trader, and an adventurer. Of course, he adores Lucy-Ann but is a totally unsuitable suitor.


In the second book, For Love of a Gypsy Lass, we have a bored-out-of-his-skull English nobleman, Lord Harry Beresford who has simply had it with his luxurious and dull existence and the noble and dull ladies he is supposed to court. He falls hard for an itinerant Gypsy singer called Talaitha Grey. He assumes she can be easily seduced by his wealth and prestige, but to his surprise she's not the least bit interested in any of that—although she is, against her will, attracted to the man behind it all.

Somehow these characters must find their way to happily ever after—and they do so in unexpected ways.





And Thank you Juliet for taking time out of your very busy writing schedule! Can't wait to see what's coming next!

Friday, June 1, 2012

Effective Dialogue Tags by Ann Montclair

I have a problem. I like dialogue tags. Why simply “he said,” “she said,” when he can “shout,” “aver,” “repudiate” or “concur”?


My editor taught me this simple lesson. The more complicated the dialogue tag, the more the author is telling not showing. In fact, she believes no dialogue tag is the best dialogue tag. It should be clear from what is being said who is saying it and how.

‘“I don’t care about you,” he frostily declared before exiting the room.’ is better as ‘”I don’t care about you.” His shoulders rose as he inhaled sharply, turned his back, and strode out the door.’

The first way tells, and the second way shows. Big improvement, huh?

I love big, fancy, complicated words. Being a professor, they are my cache, my favorite currency. But if my reader needs a dictionary to read my book, I’ve failed. I can expound in the classroom, but in my novels, I have to be clear, concise, and evoke emotion. And since frustration is not what I’m after, the fancy dialogue tags had to go.

If you read my newest book, you’ll see I’ve learned her lesson…well, almost learned it anyway. I’m a work in progress, and I hope as time goes by, my writing and my stories get better and better.



Ann’s latest book is One Wet Summer

Maura Fields loves her uncomplicated, independent, single life, but things quickly change when a summer vacation opens the door to an unexpected world of passion and desire. Wealthy Savannah hotelier Ben Driscoll had his playboy lifestyle upended when his ex-wife died, entrusting him to care for their daughter—a child he sequesters and vows to protect from future heartache and disappointment. Can the wall Ben has built around his heart withstand the assault from the intriguing, beguiling Maura, or will it crumble, leaving him vulnerable to the undeniable attraction and unbridled need to make her his own?



One Wet Summer is available at--

Musa Publishing

http://musapublishing.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=12&products_id=285

Amazon

http://www.amazon.com/One-Wet-Summer-ebook/dp/B008600R6S/ref=sr_1_1?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1337956948&sr=1-1

All Romance ebooks

http://www.allromanceebooks.com/storeSearch.html

Please visit her at http://www.annmontclair.com/

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/AnnMontclairFanPage

Twitter: https://twitter.com/#!/AnnMontclair


Ann, thanks again for taking time out to visit my blog today, I absolutely love your discussion on dialogue tages! Great tips from a great author :)   Can wait to read One Wet Summer!

Tuesday, May 22, 2012

Knee Deep - Jolene B Perry - New Release Blog Tour



Thanks for stopping on my blog today, I know how busy it can be with a new release, can you tell me a little about Knee Deep?

Knee Deep Summary
Shawn is the guy Ronnie Bird promised her life to at the age of fourteen. He's her soul mate. He's more uptight every day, but it's not his fault. His family life is stressful, and she's adding to it. She just needs to be more understanding, and he'll start to be the boy she fell in love with. She won’t give up on someone she’s loved for so long.
Luke is her best friend, and the guy she hangs with to watch girlie movies in her large blanketopias. He's the guy she can confide in before she even goes to her girlfriends, and the guy who she's playing opposite in Romeo and Juliet. Now her chest flutters every time he gets too close. This is new. Is Ronnie falling for him? Or is Juliet? The lines are getting blurry, but leaving one guy for another is not something that a girl like Ronnie does.
Sawn’s outbursts are starting to give her bruises, and Luke’s heart breaks as Ronnie remains torn. While her thoughts and feelings swirl around the lines between friendship and forever, she’s about to lose them both.



Here's a post from Jolene about her writing experience:
Sometimes a story is more personal than you expect it to be.

I read an article in an online newspaper that talked about the YA books coming out that year which dealt with abusive relationships.
I'd part mapped one out a while back, and thought maybe I'd work on it - all evidence that the market had just gotten an influx of them didn't sway me the way it should have…
The more I wrote in the story, the more personal it became.
I was not ever hit by my boyfriend in high school. He never screamed and yelled at me - though I heard him trashing his room a few times when I left after an argument, and he didn't hesitate to show me when he was pissed about something.
He'd pick fights with me over the phone and hang up, knowing it meant I'd sneak out to "straighten things out."
There was one really horrible night with him that I'd blocked from my mind for a long time, that I remembered when I was writing, so I used it.
I see these cases my husband talks about with women who are beaten and bruised and making up excuses and going back over and over. One ended in murder a couple of weeks ago. A case my husband will be prosecuting when it goes to trial.
The abuse story I told is nowhere near that dramatic, but so much of Ronnie's story was mine. WAY more than I realized while I was writing it. When I got to the end, and started writing down the parts of her story that were real (I always do this for my author site), I realized more and more how much of me was in that girl.
I stared at my computer screen in shock.
I had one of my best friends, who was a guy, who I shared more with than I probably did to most of my girlfriends - (like Luke from Knee Deep) and a boyfriend I'd known since I was a kid (like Shawn from Knee Deep) And I felt this draw to my boyfriend, only because I'd known him for so long, not because we really had anything left in common.
I felt more like I was stuck in this relationship, and didn't even realize I didn't want to be there until I visited a friend in college and saw how much more LIFE was out there. It was just that the idea of this one person had been in my head for way too long.
And where did I end up? Married to the best friend.
People talk about writing what you know, and then talk about keeping yourself out of your books. But you know what? I KNEW that situation - and I know I'll get some bad reviews (like you always do - ESPECIALLY when you tackle a tough topic) that are going to say that Ronnie's actions weren't believable.
But here's the thing - I told her story, the best way I knew how. Ronnie's reactions with pieces of my truth. And there are some drastic differences, but there are also some startling similarities. So, to me, Ronnie's actions were completely and totally understandable.
And that's the story of how Knee Deep came to be.

Okay, I want more! Here's more from Knee Deep, check it out!
My front door opens. “Hello?” Shawn calls.
“In here!” I say back. Suddenly this feels weird. Why would this feel weird? This is just what happens when one of us is stuck at home. Why would today be any different? But my heart’s beating against the inside of my ribs, trying to tell me this is different.
Luke scoots away from the couch. Does he feel it too? That maybe him and me hanging out alone for the day might not have been the best idea?
Shawn steps through the hallway and scowls when his eyes meet mine and then pass to Luke. This shouldn’t be a big deal. Except...I’m so stupid. I was just thinking how I needed to make Shawn’s life outside of his house less stressful, and part of me knew it was weird that Luke was here without Shawn. I thought it, and did nothing. But again, it is just Luke.
“What’re you doing here?” Shawn asks. His dark eyes fix on Luke.
“I figured you’d be here, man.” Luke stands up. “It’s like we always ditch together, right?”
Romeo and Juliet kissing in the pool on the TV screen probably isn’t helping anything. Maybe Shawn won’t notice, or maybe it’s just sending my heart into crazy flutters because this tension between Shawn and Luke and, I guess, me, is happening during the most romantic scene of the movie.
“Uh, I don’t know.” Shawn’s still scowling, his brows pulled low and his jaw tight.
“You would’ve hated it,” I say. My eyes catch his, but his are as black as his mood seems to be. I’m so stupid. Why did I have to let Luke stay?
“Yeah, maybe.” Shawn’s narrowed eyes go from Luke to me, back and forth, as if judging the situation. Really? What did he think could possibly happen between Luke and I? Even if this is suddenly on my top three ‘most awkward moments’ ever. I can’t even think about what the other two might be. Maybe I’ve just found number one.
“Romeo and Juliet all day.” Luke laughs, but I know him well enough to see he’s trying really hard to be relaxed. His shoulders are too stiff, and his normal stance is too rigid. I wonder if Shawn sees it too. “Guess I’ll leave you two alone.” Luke’s trying hard to keep his voice light.
“Yeah.” Shawn has yet to return Luke’s smile. “I almost never see my girl anymore.”
It’s like I’m on the edge of my seat, tension pinpricking every part of me. I’ve never seen Shawn like this.
“Well, I should get my ass to rehearsal anyway.” Luke gives Shawn a friendly pat on the shoulder before heading outside.
I don’t watch him go. My eyes are on Shawn, trying to figure out what to expect next.
"What the hell was that?” His sharp gaze is now pointed directly at me.
to the side, trying to be relaxed. “It didn’t seem like a big deal this morning.” Maybe if I play it off as nothing Shawn won’t be so mad. He knows Luke and I are friends. No big deal, I tell myself again. But I don’t know if I’m trying to convince myself or Shawn.
“Was he here when we were texting?” he asks. His voice may be low, but not in a good way. It’s low in a way that makes him sound like he’s past the edge of reasonable anger.
My body’s screaming for me to take a step back, which makes no sense. This is Shawn. My Shawn. “No.” But I’m weakening by the second, almost shaking inside. His jaw tightens again.
It was as I remember, and dread fills my chest. “He got here as I sent my last one.” Is that bad? Good?
“And you didn’t think to tell me? What the hell is that?”
I jump at the sharpness of his voice. Shawn doesn’t need this stress. I know this. I reach forward to put my arms around him. We just need to hold one another for a minute, then it’ll all be fine.
He stops me, grabbing my arm—hard—just above my wrist.
“This is not okay.” His jaw is set.
“Hey.” My voice shakes. My body shakes. I’m actually scared of Shawn for the first time ever. I jerk my hand once, but he tightens his grip...impossibly tight. My lungs can’t pull in a breath; there’s just not enough air in the room anymore. “Shawn, you’re hurting me.” He can’t mean to hurt me. He can’t.
His face is stuck in a sharp scowl.
“He’s your friend.” My voice is crying. I want to try and pull my shaky arm out of his grasp again, but I’m afraid to; he’s squeezing so hard. Tears are hot against the back of my eyes, threatening to spill over. How would you feel if I spent all day with some chick?” The words come out as angry spit from between his teeth.
I open my mouth to answer but can’t, the lump in my throat has taken over. All I can think about is that I need to find something to say so he’ll let me go. Some way to get the air through my throat to form words. “It’s just Luke,” I plead, sucking in a breath.
“Whatever.” He throws my arm back at me, turns, and walks out the door, slamming it hard behind him. My body jumps at the sound.
I stumble backward onto the couch. I’m like a leaf battered about in the wind. Nothing’s working right. I need to sit. Normally I’d run after him, but I have no idea what to expect. And I’m afraid. Of Shawn.
He’s never been that way before. Ever. He’s moody and particular, but this seems...extreme. I’m cradling my wrist with my other hand, afraid to look at any possible damage. It hurts to move it. What just happened here? How did it happen?
It’s like there suddenly must be something fundamentally wrong with the universe. But the TV’s still on. My house looks normal and quiet. I’m still breathing, but Shawn, my Shawn, just hurt me. Lying down seems so anti-climactic, but I can’t bring myself to do anything else.
When Juliet realizes Romeo’s dying the sobs take over, and I pull my knees to my chest as if making myself smaller will somehow dull the pain.
It doesn’t.



Here's a little about the author:
Jolene Perry's Bio:
Jolene grew up in Wasilla, Alaska. She graduated from Southern Utah University with a degree in political science and French, which she used to teach math to middle schoolers.
After living in Washington, Utah and Las Vegas, she now resides in Alaska with her husband, and two children. Aside from writing, Jolene sews, plays the guitar, sings when forced, and spends as much time outside as possible. - Wow, Jolene sure if a busy lady :)

She is also the author of Night Sky and The Next Door Boys.

Here are some cool websites to check out to learn more about Jolene and her new release!
Knee Deep web site:
http://knee-deep-book.blogspot.com/

Knee Deep Twitter hashtag:
#KneeDeep

Knee Deep GoodReads page:
http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/12987551-knee-deep

Jolene Perry's Facebook:
https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100002038196677

Jolene Perry's Twitter:
https://twitter.com/#!/JoleneBPerry

Jolene Perry's Website:
http://www.jolenebperry.com/

Jolene Perry's Blog:
http://www.jolenesbeenwriting.blogspot.com/

Jolene Perry's GoodReads:
http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/4944599.Jolene_B_Perry

Tribute Books website:
http://www.tribute-books.com/

Tribute Books Facebook:
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Archbald-PA/Tribute-Books/171628704176

Tribute Books Twitter:
http://www.twitter.com/TributeBooks

Tribute Books Blog Tours Facebook:
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Tribute-Books-Blog-Tours/242431245775186

Okay, where can we buy your book?
Kindle Buy Link - 2.99$
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B007XW8JLK/ref=as_li_tf_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=tributebooks-20

Nook Buy Link:
http://click.linksynergy.com/fs-bin/click?id=dcSBhG3Rj8w&subid=&offerid=239662.1&type=10&tmpid=8432&RD_PARM1=http%253A%252F%252Fwww.barnesandnoble.com%252Fw%252Fknee-deep-jolene-perry%252F1110433794%253Fean%253D2940014556149