A Day In The Life Of…Trish Marie Dawson!

Posted on May 18, 2013 by Miranda Stork

This is the first in our special series of posts, all entitled ‘A Day In The Life Of’. We’ll follow different authors as they go about a normal–for a writer!–day. So let’s welcome Trish Marie Dawson as she fights applesauce and the FBI, just to get to her current WIP.

*Yawn* It’s Saturday morning and do I get to sleep in? Of course not. Because like every weekend, the four year old decides to wake up with the sun and sneak into the living room, where I’ll find him standing on the counter and digging through the cupboards for treats. I roll over and poke the man snoring beside me, but he only groans in protest and rolls over. Dad’s not getting up.

If I squeeze my eyes shut for a few more seconds, I can almost pretend like I’m asleep – until the cat jumps onto my face to say good morning. At this point it’s useless to deny my full bladder a reprieve, so to the bathroom I go. The cat follows, as he does every morning, as if he doesn’t know what I could possibly be doing in there.

The first screams and hollers of the day come from the other room, after the nine year old has denied the four year old access to his favorite morning cartoon. Or perhaps she has sat on his face in an attempt to keep him from sticking his tongue into her third bowl of cereal. I curse as I trip across the laundry on the floor and the size 13 shoes, even though there is a perfectly good laundry basket and closet nearby, to hurry down the hall, weaving around matchbox cars and small toys that have escaped the kids’ rooms. The cat jogs next to me, dodging my slapping feet on the hardwood, coming precariously close to getting stepped on more than once.

I’m still rubbing the sleep from my eyes when the living room comes into focus, and I find the kids sitting on the couch, happily eating out of a carton of ice cream. After confiscating the contraband, the four year old throws himself on the floor screaming and kicking, and the nine year old pouts. I have to nag her to feed the animals and let the dog out to pee. Both cats scream at me for breakfast as I make my way through the room, picking up various items that were left out the day before, including two ties, someone’s bath towel, laundry that was folded and dumped onto the floor so the four year old could play in the basket, random dishes, pencils and papers and textbooks and a plastic toy plane that’s affixed to the ground by something sticky. This is when I remember we are out of paper towels.

When I do make it to the kitchen, I see that the kitchen fairy has skipped my house the night before. I grumble a string of curse words as I pull my favorite mug out of the dishwasher and discover it died during the wash cycle. I wash my mug, rather than get a clean one, because it has my Beauty and the Beast character on it and makes me happy when I sit down at the computer. And then I wash the dishes, because there’s nothing clean to stir my coffee. Explains why the kids were eating ice cream with measuring spoons.

One hour later I’m at the computer. The news is on CNN despite groans from the kids. But I don’t care because this is my time to figure out my schedule for the day. Email – check. Amazon Reports – check. Separate the fighting children – check. Facebook – check. Take the light saber away from the boy before he whacks the dog with it – check. Back on Facebook to check messages and share pictures of cute cats – check. Enroll myself in Pinterest Anonymous – check. Open up Word and decide which WIP I’m in the mood to work on – check. Settle the nine year old down at the table for the fifth time with her school books on a weekend because she didn’t want to do it the day before – check. Open up a separate window on the internet to browse for research on how to turn the safety off a gun, and hope that the FBI is not monitoring my computer surfing – check. Explain why cats don’t like being squirted with water guns or used as pillows – check. Talk shop with the M-7 Authors as they go about their days – check. Take the light saber away from the four year old – again – check. Explain that cats have nipples – check.

After a whopping ten minutes of all of that – I’m ready to settle in and do some writing while the Muse is around. At least another hour passes of me getting up and down – tending to children, animals and chores before I can write. Taking breaks to homeschool, referee and prepare meals, I nearly die twice after slipping in applesauce and a puddle of juice that was left on the kitchen floor. By the time early afternoon arrives, my Muse has become a nag and I can’t find my left flip-flop though it was JUST on my foot. During quiet time I hammer out what I can – editing will come later. Realizing I need to know how an inexperienced person would stitch up a knife wound, I Bing it and then look over my shoulder for the FBI again. In a moment that can only be considered paranoia-induced, I email a writer friend and ask that they delete my browsing history when I die.

Dinner comes and goes in a blur. Bedtime arrives even faster. Probably because I know there’s Moscato in the fridge and chocolate in the cupboard. After the kids have been tucked in and the four year old has been carried back to his room five times, I finally sit back down at the computer to do it all over again.

When the house is truly quiet, I attack the DVR like there’s no tomorrow and weep softly on the couch when I realize the chocolate was eaten yesterday. With a sigh, I pet the cat and stare blankly at the TV. Tomorrow is Sunday, which means I get to do this all over again. But I will do it gladly because I’m a Mom and I’m a Writer. It’s just what I do.

-Trish Marie Dawson

Trish was born and mostly raised in San Diego, California where she lives now with her family and pets. She’s been writing short stories and poetry since high school after an obsession with Stephen King’s ‘The Stand’. After over fifteen years of crazy dreams and an overactive imagination, Trish began her first book ‘I Hope You Find Me’ in December of 2011. When Trish isn’t writing, she’s homeschooling her amazing daughter and mildly autistic son, reading whatever she can get her hands on, or enjoying the Southern California sun. As a strict Vegetarian, Trish holds a special place in her heart for animal rights and dashes into the backyard weekly to rescue lizards and mice from her mini-lab/cocker spaniel mixed dog, Zoey…who is always getting into some sort of trouble.

TRISH’S BOOKS

I Hope You Find Me (2012)
Dying to Forget (2012)
Dying to Remember (2012)
Hawke & the Beast – Once Upon A Twisted Time (2012)
LOST and FOUND (2013)
The Well Collector (2013)

COMING SOON

Dying To Return – Book 3 of The Station Series (Summer 2013)
Behind the Glass
The Last Faerie of Failynn

Please check her Author Pages for more details: http://www.facebook.com/WriterTrishMarieDawson (Facebook) her Amazon page, or follow Trish’s Blog at: http://writertrishmdawson.wordpress.com/

Welcome To The Family Bares Its Fangs Today!

Posted on April 29, 2013 by Miranda Stork

Welcome to the tour for Welcome To The Family! A debut vampire novel by Caroline F Levy, it’s out now at Amazon, Kobo, Smashwords, and Moon Rose Publishing. Why not check out a little more about the book below?

Blurb

“Do you believe in things that go bump in the night?”

At only a few hours old, Angela is left on the steps of St Paul’s church. Alone in the world, the only link she has to her past is a pink blanket bearing an emblem with two crossed swords and a snake.

A troubled childhood spent in orphanages leads to Angela attempting to rebuild her shattered life as an adult. Meeting the priest who found her eighteen years previously, she gets a job and a boyfriend, and settles into her new life.

Until she meets Jack.

Drawn to her new boss, she throws herself into work, feeling an unusual bond with people she hasn’t known very long.

Angela becomes embroiled in this new life, feeling a change within herself. A change which isn’t altogether human. Within this change she finds a terrifying secret…a secret which involves her past, her present, and definitely her future…

Trailer

Author Bio

I was born in Chatham, Kent in 1970. I now live in Yorkshire with my daughter and our five mad cats.

My first memories of any book would have been my mother reading The Enormous Turnip. It must have driven her mad, as it was always our first choice when asked what we should read tonight.

I grew up with the classics; Little Women, The Railway Children, but it would have been The House That Died and Bluebeard that I remember wanting to read.

I can remember writing a verse for the school song, and being chosen as a winner for what was then 3rd year juniors. I stopped reading so much in my late teens to my mid twenties. Life seemed to always be too busy for that pile of books I so wanted to read. It was when I went into hospital to have my daughter, that I had time to read again–and thankfully I haven’t stopped since.

However, it wasn’t until my late twenties that I realised I wanted to write. I have spent a few years trying to complete an online creative writer’s course; without much success, but it led me to what I am writing now. So never give up if you really want to write!

I am very influenced by Fantasy fiction / Horror, most of the books I read are in this genre. I have many Authors I like to follow; Anne Rice was very influential in the beginning. I also discovered Laurel K Hamilton and many, many more. I could go on about different Authors I like to read. However, I will say that this year I have also discovered there are literally, well, probably thousands of very talented Indie Authors out there. And a very welcoming and friendly bunch they are too, but I digress–yes, I get very excited about the subject of books!

I have finished my first novel called Welcome To The Family, which will be published April 29th 2013. I also have other novels in the pipeline, Nikki’s Revenge and Protecting The Family, due out later in the year.

Author Links

Book Links

Moon Rose Publishing Wants More Authors!

Posted on April 28, 2013 by Miranda Stork

That’s right! Okay, so now that the title has grabbed you, what the hell did I drag you over here for? Well, Moon Rose Publishing has just launched an Indiegogo campaign to expand their ranks. In less that a year, we have 15 authors signed up, and 12 books out so far, with 10 more planned for late 2013.

But they want to grow naturally, and allow more authors to realise their dream. But extra authors means extra formatting, editing, design, and marketing. And sadly, all of this costs money. So this is where you guys come in! You can help fund the next generation of quality books and their authors through Moon Rose Publishing by giving just a small donation.

BUT WAIT! That’s not all. You DO get perks in return for your wonderful contribution! They range from a thank you on the website, to your choice of free books, to actually BECOMING a character in one of my next books! Yes, you could choose the name, personality, look, and even what part they will play in the story.

So if you love books, authors, and the readers who make it all worthwhile, help out a publisher that wants to make indie books every bit as good as any from the Big 6. Just because they’re indie doesn’t mean they shouldn’t be high quality. And we’re committed to publishing books that have gripping stories, vivid characters, and high-quality throughout.

Thank you, guys! MWAH and hugs!

So click here to go and view the campaign, and see what other perks you could get!

Character Interview With Lucius; The Fallen

Posted on April 26, 2013 by Miranda Stork

Hello everyone! Have we got a treat for you today…none other than Lucius himself is with us, main character of Lucius; The Fallen by Tara S. Wood and Lorecia Goings. So without further ado, let’s introduce him. Ladies, hold onto your pants. That’s all I’m saying.

Welcome to Notes on a Page, Lucius. Grab a drink, settle in. Now, on to the questions. How does it feel to have a book written about you?

Oddly disconcerting. *laughs with an easy grin* Especially the more…intimate moments. That was an eye-opener.

I can imagine. Sounds a bit like Facebook, but on paper. *ahem* How do you think the authors tackled you? Have they penned your personality as you are?

Tara and Lori have been great. I think they captured who and what we are without sugar-coating it. That was hard at times because some serious sh-stuff happens. For all of us. *furrows brow* They could’ve made me sound taller, though.

Six-foot-0dd not tall enough for you? This is Lucius, not Jack and the Giant. That’s why they’re the writers, and you’re the angel. *sniggers* So did you expect to fall in love?

Never. For a long time, I thought my life would never change. That I couldn’t get back anything I lost. But I found something I never imagined. *smiles* Persephone.

Awww. *all the women in the room sigh and sniffle, a few grab tissues* You make a lovely couple. And what about your new wings? You been clogging up airplanes with them lately?

*chuckles* No, I haven’t, humans have a tendency to see what they want when looking at me. Though I have broken a couple of vases in Coriander’s spread. *clears throat nervously* I will admit, getting them back was a dream come true. Between my wings and my woman, I’m whole again.

Hopefully, Coriander will have her hands full with too many other things to notice. That, or I’d stock up on Superglue. On that note, do you have any quirks or unusual abilities?

*sly grin* Abilities? I think that’s more a question for Persephone. *chuckles at the shocked glare, and struggles to maintain a serious expression* I guess I always keep pushing, never being able to be satiated is difficult. I used to keep pushing for something, I didn’t know what…But now I’ve got my woman and my father…and my brothers.

*makes notes* Must…ring…Persephone later. That’s another interview for another day, I feel. Secretly, what do you think of your brothers-in-wings?

*deadpans* Flock of fat, gossipy pigeons. No, seriously. I love them. They’re my brothers. They’re as much a part of me as Seph is. I would lay down my life for all of them. Even Dom, the difficult bastard. *grins*

*giggles* ‘Gossipy pigeons’. That one is going in a Christmas joke somewhere. But you must have some flaws, everyone does. What do you truly fear?

Losing everything I’ve regained. And falling again. I much prefer the graces of the sky than the hardness of the earth.

Must be amazing to be able to fly like that. And I think you’re good with not falling again, you’ve learned your lesson. Are you going to settle down with Persephone and be a home pigeon now?

As much as I can. We still have our work to do, the guys and me. But, it’s nice to have her to come home to. And anywhere Persephone is…that’s home for me now. She was mentioning Indonesia the other day in fact. Sounds like fun to me.

Indonesia, huh? That does lead me to my next question…we know the next book focusses on Jude. What can you tell us about that?

It’s gonna be one hell of a ride. Find something to hang onto and brace yourself. *leans forward and furrows brow in thought* Jude is sort of like a cookie in wax. Once you crack through, you get the sweet stuff, but you’ll have to deal with the taste of candle. That’s about it. I hope Coriander f***s the hell out of him.

Waxy cookies? Seems legit. We’ll brace ourselves like a monkey hanging onto a tree. A sexy, angel-style tree. And finally…has Domniel said anything about me? Not that I’m desperate or anything, but you know, just curious. *flushes, tries to look interested in questions*

*waves a casual hand *He may have mentioned the sexy English chick with a fondness for G&T’s. *leans in* A word of advice, love. If he offers to buy you a drink – say no. I can’t vouch for where your underwear will end up.

Probably the dishwasher. I’ve read the book. I’m fine with that. Well thank you for being here today, Lucius, it’s been a genuine pleasure to have you. Don’t mind the fainting ladies when you leave. And mind the–! *winces as a crash resounds* Never mind. I never liked that vase anyway.

If you want to find out more about this sexy and enigmatic fallen angel, just read down and take a look at the blurb and trailer! You’ll also find buy links, an excerpt, and the awesome contest! Whew!

Blurb

“Relish this moment in My favor. It is your last.”

Six angels once sat at the right hand of The Almighty, but an ill-fated decision cast them out of Heaven. Now they serve Him on Earth, slaying demons for their redemption. They are…The Fallen.

Lucius, once revered at the side of God, fell to Earth with his brothers to pay penance and atone for his lapse in leadership. Wingless and forsaken, they have all paid a price for their complicity. Lucius’ hubris is now a curse, and he cannot rest until they carry out the last of The Almighty’s orders…and stop a war that has been millennia in the making.

Persephone Roberts is always in the right place at the right time, the serendipity allowing her to help people on her travels. When it leads her to cross paths with the band of hard-living fallen angels, she sets her sights on their leader, and is determined to restore Lucius’ faith in their quest. And in himself.

But the ancient evil the angels strive to fight has put Persephone in its crosshairs. It will be up to Lucius and his brothers to save her and destroy the minions of the dark. Can the amber-eyed beauty with her accepting heart heal wounds that cut soul deep, and force him to reclaim a glory he once tossed aside? Is he strong enough to realize the path back to Heaven begins with her, or will he be forever…fallen?

Trailer

Excerpt (18+)

The subtle whoosh of air from the doorway ahead made all five angels turn as one.

“Is there another one?” Lucius muttered. Turning to Domniel, he said, “Can you smell another one?”

Domniel lifted his head and walked toward the doorway. “Hard to tell. That smell’s everywhere. I’ll follow it and see what I find.”

“Good. Elijah, go with him,” Lucius said as he bent toward the pool of goo to begin purifying the remains. From the corner of his eye, Lucius watched Elijah nod and jog off to catch up with Domniel.

Task finished, he placed the vial of holy water in his pocket, and called after the blind angel. “Dom?”

“Yeah, man, out here.”

He motioned to Jude and Mordecai, and they ran across the street to another parking lot. He paused as he realized Domniel and Elijah weren’t alone.

A woman stared at them from across the lot. She looked calm. A dark halo of thick curls was pulled back tight, emphasizing an oval face and high cheekbones. The assassin-chic ensemble she sported could not detract from the feminine perfection she represented.

She laid smoldering eyes on them and growled, her voice smoky and rich, “Figures I would find pigeons here. It is the gutter, after all.”

Domniel’s head tilted and Lucius knew he was trying to locate her. He caught a whiff of sand and something exotic and ancient. He knew the blind angel had found her when he turned, putting his shades on her.

“Where the fuck did you come from?” Domniel snarled.

She laughed, the sultry sound designed to stir men’s loins. “A higher plane of existence, you useless bird.”

His dark sunglasses looked her up and down. “No shit, you a Jersey girl? That explains a lot.”

She glared at him before bringing her arm forward to reveal a flaming scimitar. “You pigeons always have to crap on somebody else’s sidewalk, don’t you?”

Lucius stepped forward and laid a hand on Domniel’s shoulder, urging him to stand down. Apprehension collided with recognition like a shot to his gut, and he gave the deposed goddess a slow, tight smile, hoping that this encounter would leave them with all their limbs.

“Hello, Khemrhy.”

“Do you have any idea what you just screwed up?” Khemrhy laid the scimitar across her back, the fire dying and sword disappearing before she leaned against an old Chevy pickup, one foot planted squarely on the front bumper.

Before anyone could slap a hand over his mouth, Domniel spouted, “Could it be your hot date for this century?”

Khemrhy smiled and stood back up. “No, you fool. You messed with my hunt. He was leading me back to something important. Not that you could ever understand that.”

Always cautious in his dealings with Khemrhy, Lucius put a hand over Domniel’s mouth and said, “We think there’s a second one. Did you see anything?”

“Of course. The other one went that way,” she said, jerking a thumb over her shoulder to indicate the alley behind her. Something about it seemed too simple, but a gust of wind brought the stench of brimstone strong enough that they could all smell it.

As Lucius, Jude, and Mordecai began to head past Khemrhy, they instinctively gave her a wide berth. From behind them, Domniel said, “I’ll stay here and keep an eye on her. I still don’t trust the bitch.”

“Little hard to keep an eye on someone when you’re blind, pigeon,” she quipped. “Maybe you should get a dog.”

Lucius heard Domniel mouthing off in the distance and rolled his eyes, hoping she didn’t remove any limbs. This time.

“A dog, huh? You’ll do. Let me see if I can find a leash and a muzzle,” Domniel snapped back. “Though you might be a little front end heavy to be running around on hands and knees, fetching shit for me.”

As the wind picked up, Lucius could see Domniel’s head swivel as he struggled to locate Khemrhy’s dissipating scent. Elijah signed to him in a panic, the fluttering of his fingers reaching through to the blind angel.

“Shit! Shit! Shit! I lost her! Where is she? I don’t speak finger-fuck!”

Lucius whirled in a circle, hoping that even he could get a quick scent to target the goddess.

Ten feet in front of his sightless brother, Khemrhy growled, “I’ve got a front end for you.” And then the truck came crashing down on Domniel.

From his viewpoint behind Domniel, Lucius watched as Khemrhy planted her boot on the truck’s bumper and pushed down hard to lever it upward. When she started pushing down with her foot, Elijah began frantically signing the word, “Chevy” to no avail. As the truck stood on end, she reached down, grabbed the bumper, and swung the entire vehicle over her head.

The pickup came down in a barrage of creaking steel, slamming Domniel hard into the pavement. He gave a loud, anguished grunt as Elijah ran to his side. Twisted metal groaned as Elijah tried to maneuver chunks of the vehicle up off him.

“Get…off me… fucking bitch!” he gurgled. Khemrhy laughed as she made her way to a Triumph motorbike parked beneath one of the street lights.

Lucius and Jude ran to assist. “What the fuck happened? Dom?”

“Chevy half-ton pickup,” Elijah signed to Lucius.

Lucius winced, reaching for parts of the vehicle. “Ouch.”

The sound of the Triumph’s throttle rumbling got their attention and they turned. Khemrhy smiled back, flipping them her middle finger before roaring off down the street.

Domniel lay on his back, his chest caved in, laboring for enough breath to groan.

Lucius shook his head. “You know better than to piss her off. She could’ve killed you, dumbass.”

Domniel wheezed, turned his head and spat out two bloody teeth. “Get ‘Magic Fingers’ over here – good to go.”

Elijah tapped Lucius on the shoulder and gestured to Domniel.

“Yeah,” Lucius nodded. “Do your thing. And get him to walk. I’m not fucking carrying his wiseass back.”

They came forward and closed ranks, making a circle around him. Elijah knelt down next to the blind angel, stretched out his hands and cracked his knuckles.

“Just fucking get to it, mute. My balls are wedged up in my ribcage.” Domniel’s eyes fluttered closed in between gasps.

Jude snorted. “Why can’t you be the mute?”

Lucius held a hand up, silencing them.

Elijah rubbed his hands together and closed his eyes. The silent angel’s hands trembled for a moment and then glowed with a soft, white light. He placed both of them, palms down, on what was left of Domniel’s chest and took a deep breath.

Domniel lit up, his chest echoing the glow from Elijah’s hands, and he let out a deep, relaxing sigh. “Fuck, yeah. I bet the chicks love that shit.”

“Shut up,” Lucius warned.

Domniel sighed again and gave into the healing.

Author Bios

Tara Wood divides her time between creating domestic bliss and creating hot paranormal romance with the occasional side of kink. When not playing June Cleaver for her hubby and daughter, she can be found at the local Starbucks slamming back Frappuccinos and plotting out her next idea. Or she’s watching the BBC. Tara resides with her wonderful and tolerant family in the suburbs of Houston, Texas. She is currently at work on several projects, one of them being the next book in her In Blood series.

Lorecia is a native Houstonian who did not escape in her adulthood. So she camps out in NW Houston concocting her own special variety of chaos but rarely finishes it without the continual prodding of best friend Tara. She loves to laugh, bead, write, eat and hug kitties. She also loves to have fun and can usually be found on any given Friday night off chatting her head off at Denny’s with her bestie.

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And….the awesome giveaway!

Click here to find the awesome free stuff!

You can pick the book up from these places!

Cover Reveal of Warrior Unleashed

Posted on April 26, 2013 by Miranda Stork

Welcome to the official cover reveal of Warrior Unleashed, book 1.5 in the Mythrian Realm series! When Breaking the Nexus released on 12/12/12, readers fell in love with the Mythrian Realm and clamored for more. Since the follow up, Waking the Phoenix won’t be ready until sometime this summer, I knew I had to give readers a taste of Mythria.

Warrior Unleashed, a novella featuring Sha’s half brother, will be released on May 7! This novella is set entirely in the Mythrian Realm and while the hero and heroine are not Sha and Connor, I think you’ll all fall in love with this couple. Find out what happens when the sexy panther Chimerae, Achaius Rilke, must team up with feisty Gaelen Sorceri Saia Makan in this action packed novella!

Without further ado, I present the gorgeous cover designed by Blue Harvest Creative!

Blurb:

Nothing is more dangerous than a warrior unleashed.

When Sentinels begin dying under mysterious circumstances, the deaths are believed to be unrelated. Only one man sees the truth: an unknown enemy is targeting the elite group of warriors and no one is safe. As a panther Chimerae, Achaius Rilke recognizes the signs of an unpredictable predator. The only person he can trust is Saia Makan, the tempestuous Sorceri who has driven him crazy for years. But when the killer has set his sights on Saia, Achaius faces the hunt of his life.

Don’t miss the first book, Breaking the Nexus, available now on Amazon, Barnes and Noble, and in paperback!

A warrior trying to save humans. A detective searching for a killer. And a powerful romance neither expected.
Throughout history, myths and legends of extraordinary creatures have been told and retold. Fantastic tales of demons and banshees, gryphons and dragons, and of course, magic. Stories that every child grows to learn are nothing more than fantasy…or are they?

Beyond the world you see lies a hidden realm, the Mythrian Realm, inhabited by all of the creatures you’ve been told are mere fiction. Only one thing lies between humans and the truth: the Nexus. A magical barrier erected millennia ago to separate the two realms, it has stood the test of time. Until now.

For Mythrian Sha Phoenix, magic is nothing new. But when she stumbles upon a portal on the verge of collapse, her fate will forever change. Pulled through the portal into the Human Realm, she lands in the middle of Detective Connor Flynn’s brutal murder scene. Soon it is obvious someone is using blood magic to try to bring down the Nexus. Together, Connor and Sha must work to unravel the secrets before the barrier falls and the realms collide.

The Nexus is breaking and all hell is about to unleash…literally.

Buy it now:

Meet Lindsay Avalon!

I am a wife, a programmer, and now an author. I have an adorable mini Schnauzer and more books than I have room for. I love reading romance because no matter what may be happening in my life, I can always count on my books to end happily ever after. The day I met my husband was the day I truly began believing in happily ever after. After hearing me complain a few too many times that I had “nothing” to read despite the hundreds of paperbacks scattered around the house, my husband began suggesting I write my own stories. When I finally took his advice I discovered that although I enjoy my day job as a software engineer, my true calling is to be an author.

My sister drilled into me an appreciation for fantasy and mythology, something I try to bring to my books. My debut novel, Breaking the Nexus started as a book written for NaNoWriMo and has grown to so much more. It was the conduit that introduced me to a fantastic group of independent authors who have changed my life in unimaginable ways.

When I’m not writing, I’ve found a passion for blogging and interviewing fellow authors. I also love reading, baking, crochet, sewing sock monkeys, playing video games, and all sorts of random crafts. I have an incurable love of rubber duckies and stuffed animals, and I believe nobody should have to grow up if they don’t want.

Connect with me:

Blog
Facebook
Twitter
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HELL’S GIFT IS RELEASED!!!

Posted on February 15, 2013 by Miranda Stork

I’m so excited about today’s post! One of my best friends, who is also a fabulous writer, has released her next book today! Let’s scroll down and find out more about the wonderful HELL’S GIFT…..

About the Author:

Kristie Haigwood (a.k.a. K.S. Haigwood) is currently writing her 8th novel. She lives in Arkansas, US. She is the mother of 2 awesome kids and 2 great dogs. She is happily married to her soulmate who thinks reading is a solid waste of time. Opposites attract. Kristie’s works include ‘Save My Soul’, ‘Forbidden Touch’, ‘Eternal Island’ and ‘Hell’s Gift’ (available on Amazon in ebook and print). ‘Eternal Immortality’, ‘Eternal Inception’, ‘The Last Assignment’ and ‘Good Side of Sin’ are all releasing soon.

About the book!

‘Hell’s Gift’ is Book 2 in the ‘Save My Soul’ series. IT CAN BE READ AS A STAND-ALONE.

Depression consumes the guardian angel, Rhyan, after his human charge chooses her soulmate over him. Filled with anger and despair, he lashes out. And when his hate-filled words land him neck-deep in Hell, he realizes he’s gone too far. He expects trouble, but not to discover his own soulmate in the fiery depths. Abigail is there with good reason, but she’s done her time, and in order to save them both, Rhyan must strike a deal with the Devil. The stakes are higher than ever before, with his soul, his friends and even the fate of Heaven and Earth in jeopardy. If he fails, Rhyan stands to lose more than he ever feared. Will true love be denied? It will take everything he’s got to break down the traps Lucifer puts in his way. New lines are drawn and old scores are settled, and Rhyan is in for the fight of his life. With Abigail as the prize, and humanity in the balance, he will stop at nothing to claim…Hell’s Gift.

Hell’s Gift US:http://www.amazon.com/Hells-Gift-Save-novel-ebook/dp/B00BF0VBKM
Hell’s Gift UK:http://www.amazon.co.uk/Hells-Gift-Save-novel-ebook/dp/B00BF0VBKM

Find the Author:

AMAZON:http://www.amazon.com/author/kshaigwood

FACEBOOK AUTHOR PAGE:http://www.facebook.com/kshaigwoo

TWITTER:http://twitter.com/kshaigwood

BLOG:http://kshaigwood.blogspot.com
Hell’s Gift US:http://www.amazon.com/Hells-Gift-Save-novel-ebook/dp/B00BF0VBKM
Hell’s Gift UK:http://www.amazon.co.uk/Hells-Gift-Save-novel-ebook/dp/B00BF0VBKM

Interview And Blog Stop For Breaking The Nexus By Lindsay Avalon!

Posted on December 19, 2012 by Miranda Stork

Welcome to the official release tour for Breaking the Nexus by Lindsay Avalon! This action-packed paranormal romance will be released on 12/12/12 on Amazon in ebook and print!! To celebrate, Lindsay will holding giveaways throughout the month and a release day party filled with games and plenty of prizes!

The blog tour runs from Dec 1-31 and there are over 40 blogs participating! Join her on each stop as she shares exclusive snippets from the book, answers interview questions, or guest posts, and leave a comment to enter for your chance to win prizes! Don’t forget to enter the rafflecopter grand prize giveaway while you’re at it! Prizes include Breaking the Nexus swag, ebooks, custom jewelry, and more!

For a complete list of blogs participating, dates of special giveaways, the grand prize rafflecopter, and a list of the amazing authors generously donating books and swag, check out the special page on Lindsay Avalon’s blog: http://lindsayavalon.blogspot.com/p/breaking-nexus-blog-tour.html

Take me to the awesome free stuff!

Blog Tour and Release Day Party Facebook Event

Throughout history, myths and legends of extraordinary creatures have been told and retold. Fantastic tales of demons and banshees, gryphons and dragons, and of course, magic. Stories that every child grows to learn are nothing more than fantasy…or are they?

Beyond the world you see lies a hidden realm, the Mythrian Realm, inhabited by all of the creatures you’ve been told are mere fiction. Only one thing lies between humans and the truth: the Nexus. A magical barrier erected millennia ago to separate the two realms, it has stood the test of time. Until now.

For Mythrian Sha Phoenix, magic is nothing new. But when she stumbles upon a portal on the verge of collapse, her fate will forever change. Pulled through the portal into the Human Realm, she lands in the middle of Detective Connor Flynn’s brutal murder scene. Soon it is obvious someone is using blood magic to try to bring down the Nexus. Together, Connor and Sha must work to unravel the secrets before the barrier falls and the realms collide.

The Nexus is breaking and all hell is about to unleash…literally.

ebook_cover

Hello Lindsay, it’s a great pleasure to have you here, welcome to my blog! Just pull up that chair and grab a drink. Your debut novel, Breaking The Nexus, sounds fabulous! Can you tell us more about it—wait, wait…in three sentences or less?

Eek, you do like to make things a challenge! Do run on sentences count? Here’s my best attempt:
All of the myths, legends, and fairy tales you grew up with are actually based in reality and the creatures from those stories exist in a parallel realm called the Mythrian Realm. For millennia, a magical barrier known as the Nexus has kept the Mythrian Realm separate from the Human Realm, but now someone is using blood magic to try to break the Nexus which would unleash all sorts of badness on the world. Mythrian Sha Phoenix must team up with sexy Denver detective Connor Flynn to unravel what’s happening and stop the world from descending into utter chaos and mayhem.

So what was the catalyst for this novel? Were you plagued by dreams? Visited by the inspiration fairy?

Visited by the inspiration fairy mostly. I have always wanted to believe magic could be real and exist in the every day world we know, and somehow that evolved into Breaking the Nexus.

A little duckie tells me you like…well…duckies! Is there an interesting reason why for us nosy people?

That’s actually kind of a funny story. One of my friends back in 7th grade gave me an anime ducky keychain and I fell in love with it. Before then, I never had the ducky obsession I do now, so it always cracks me up that it started off with a simple little gift. The rubber ducky embodies everything I believe in, that no matter how old you are, you should never have to grow up if you don’t want to.

If you could have any other ideal job OTHER than writing…what would it be?

I rather enjoy my day job as a programmer, as frustrating as it can be at times, so I’d probably stick with that.

What books do you read? Do you read books in your genre, or books very different from it?

I love to read most kinds of romance, especially paranormal romance and romantic suspense. I gravitate toward books with action, romance, and a happy ending because books are an escape for me from the everyday stresses of life.

Why do you write in the genre you’ve chosen?

My first attempt to write a book was an abysmal failure because I tried to write an epic fantasy and it just wasn’t working for me. My husband gave me the best advice ever: write what you know and love. I decided since I loved paranormal romance so much, I’d try my hand at it. Breaking the Nexus ended up morphing into more of a sci-fi/fantasy romance, but my husband’s advice was crucial in helping me choose the genre.

What advice would you give to others who wanted to become indie authors?

Don’t give up no matter how hard the struggle may seem. This is work and you have to have a thick skin. You need to be willing to treat this almost like a second full time job if you want to try to make it. You’ll need to become proficient at creative ways to promote yourself and make yourself stand out from the crowd, as well as learning to take criticism and the disappointment of not selling 1000 books a week straight off the bat. The reward is huge if you put in the effort, though I don’t mean in book sales. The feeling that comes with the knowledge that you took a risk and are doing something you love is indescribable.

What is the best part of publishing yourself?

I’m a bit of a control freak so I love being able to control every aspect. I know what the cover will look like, who will edit my book, how it’s promoted, what promotions I want to run, etc. I love that feeling of controlling the process and the timeline of everything. Breaking the Nexus was supposed to be a single, long novel, but I ended up having so many plot ideas, I transformed it into a trilogy about a month before my planned release date. I doubt a mainstream publisher would have liked that as much

And now for the quick-fire questions, which I’ve shamelessly stolen from the lovely Trish Marie Dawson. Please try to answer them all; if you don’t like either option for each question, let us know and why!

Chocolate or wine? Chocolate wine! Yes it exists and it is EPIC
Superhero or Supervillain? Superhero
Forest or Beach? Beach
Pool or Ocean? Ocean
Christmas Cake or Christmas Pudding? Uhh, never had either (I don’t think) but I’ll go with cake.
Cinema or TV? Depends on my mood
Irish or Scottish? You know what I’m talking about! *wink* Can I have both? Please pretty please? How could you make me choose?!

Where can we find your lovely novels?

I have 2 books out. The first is a novella, in the anthology Once Upon A Twisted Time along with three other authors, available on Amazon and moonrosepublishing.com. Breaking the Nexus is currently only available on Amazon.

• OUATT – Amazon US: http://www.amazon.com/Once-Upon-Twisted-Time-ebook/dp/B009YW6PLS/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1355849199&sr=8-2&keywords=once+upon+a+twisted+time
• OUATT – Amazon UK: http://www.amazon.co.uk/Once-Upon-Twisted-Time-ebook/dp/B009YW6PLS/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1355849237&sr=8-1
• Breaking the Nexus – Amazon US: http://www.amazon.com/Breaking-Nexus-Mythrian-Realm-ebook/dp/B00AMPXDLQ/ref=sr_1_1?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1355849261&sr=1-1&keywords=breaking+the+nexus
• Breaking the Nexus – Amazon UK: http://www.amazon.co.uk/Breaking-Nexus-Mythrian-Realm-ebook/dp/B00AMPXDLQ/ref=sr_1_1?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1355849280&sr=1-1

What can we expect to see from you in the future?

Breaking the Nexus is the first of a sub-trilogy in my Mythrian Realm series. This trilogy will feature Connor and Sha as the hero and heroin and I plan to try to release the next book, Waking the Phoenix, sometime this spring. Once the trilogy is done, I’ll work on a new book in the Mythrian Realm series featuring a new hero and heroine, though I’m sure Connor and Sha will make an appearance.

You can find out more about Lindsay Avalon on Twitter, Facebook, Goodreads, and her blog. Thank you for being here, Lindsay, any parting words?
Thank you so much for having me! I’m so glad to be able to share my book with the world. Anyone who is looking for a publisher, check out Moon Rose Publishing

I am a wife, a programmer, and now an author. I have an adorable mini Schnauzer and more books than I have room for. I love reading romance because no matter what may be happening in my life, I can always count on my books to end happily ever after. The day I met my husband was the day I truly began believing in happily ever after. After hearing me complain a few too many times that I had “nothing” to read despite the hundreds of paperbacks scattered around the house, my husband began suggesting I write my own stories. When I finally took his advice I discovered that although I enjoy my day job as a software engineer, my true calling is to be an author.
My sister drilled into me an appreciation for fantasy and mythology, something I try to bring to my books. My debut novel, Breaking the Nexus started as a book written for NaNoWriMo and has grown to so much more. It was the conduit that introduced me to a fantastic group of independent authors who have changed my life in unimaginable ways.
When I’m not writing, I’ve found a passion for blogging and interviewing fellow authors. I also love reading (of course!), baking, crochet, sewing sock monkeys, playing video games, and all sorts of random crafts. I have an incurable love of rubber duckies and stuffed animals, and I believe nobody should have to grow up if they don’t want.

LindsayAvalon

Blog Stop For The Island (Now and Forever 2) By Tammy Dennings Maggy

Posted on December 14, 2012 by Miranda Stork

That’s right everyone! Today we have a very special blog stop post for Tammy Dennings Maggy’s new book, The Island! Not only do we have an awesome excerpt (adult rated, so don’t say I didn’t warn you!) but we also have a fabulous character interview! Enjoy, everyone!

After losing her brother in a fatal motorcycle accident, Quinn’s life spins out of control. Shutting herself off from friends and family in Michigan, she buries herself in her work, wishing for the pain to end. In her dreams she’s finally able to find the peace her heart craves on The Island.

Driven to recklessness over a heartbreaking betrayal, Jacob races his motorcycle on a rain slick California freeway. Near death in the hospital, he’s given a choice. Stay on The Island or go back for a second chance at love.

Destined to be together, but repeatedly torn apart, these two lost and melancholy people draw the attention of the Goddess Fate. As Quinn and Jacob’s lives hang in limbo, the soul mates are given a very special gift from the Gods, and the chance to finally have their love of a lifetime.

bookcover

The Excerpt-Adults Only!!!!

His eyes found hers once again and she began to fall. She didn’t care. Thoughts of going back or staying there on The Island disappeared. All she wanted to think about, to feel, and taste was Jacob. Quinn pulled his mouth back to hers. The sweet taste of the berries, mango, and papaya dazzled her taste buds as their tongues teased and danced with each other, fighting for control one moment and surrendering to each other the next.

Jacob finally freed her tits from the laces of her bodice. Watching him tug at the strings with his teeth made her heart beat faster and she giggled before she could stop. He winked and kept up the slow pace. Quinn giggled even more. “I stand by my first assessment. You’re a tease, Jake.”

“Baby doll, you haven’t seen anything yet.” He pushed her dress down to her waist and simply stared. “I’m not the only tease here.”

“What are you talking about?” Quinn slid her fingertips up and down his arms. His muscles twitched and pulsed at her touch. She wanted those arms wrapped around her and to never let go.

“You are the most beautiful woman I’ve ever met. You don’t flaunt it, but every move and noise you make turns me on. I wanted to take this slow, but I can’t.”

“Stop thinking so much and kiss me.” She pushed herself up to meet his mouth once again as they moved on the bed so she was now on top of him. Jacob’s hands slid up her thighs, leaving hot trails with his fingertips. Her body quaked and her pussy clenched as a rush of fluid soaked her panties completely.

Jacob hooked his thumbs in the band of her underwear, snapped them off, and tossed them onto the floor. His hands slid up her body, pulling the dress up and over her head in a flash. He sat up, holding her in his lap, nuzzling first one breast and then the other with his stubbly chin and cheeks. The roughness of his skin against her rock-hard nipples sent her rolling toward another orgasm. She clung to him as he suckled harder on her right nipple while kneading her left breast with his hand. Quinn arched her back and bit her lip before crying out. “Jake, please don’t—”

He pulled back quickly, moving his hands to cradle her face. Concern filled his eyes. “Did I hurt you?”

Her eyes glistened with tears. “No. Please don’t stop.”

* * * *

The catch in her voice nearly broke his heart. The raw passion was there. Her body given freely to him, and yet she still questioned his desire for her. He knew that pain all too well. Here with Quinn though, it all faded away. She did that for him and he wanted so badly to do the same for her. He wiped away the tears that spilled onto her flushed face. He kissed her softly and held her close. “I want you, now and for however long we can be together. I need to be with you. I won’t stop as long as you want the same.”

Quinn slid off his lap and knelt up on the bed, pulling him up with her. She held his gaze as her fingers unfastened his shorts and then slid them down over his hips. Jacob quickly took off his tank top before crushing Quinn’s chest against his. She smiled and his heart beat quickened. “I need you, too. Make love with me, Jake.”

He slid out of his shorts as Quinn eased back onto the pillows. Jacob took in her entire sun-kissed body, naked before him. God, she’s so beautiful. Quinn welcomed him into her arms as he joined her on the pillows, his mouth finding her left nipple this time as his right hand trailed down her stomach.

She arched her back and moaned as soon as his fingers found her throbbing clit. Another wave of fluid gushed out of her and over his fingers. Jacob brought them up to his mouth to taste her. “Mmmm. You taste fucking fantastic. Your sister was right. Wanna try?”

Quinn giggled and licked his fingers clean. That move sent his body over the edge. His cock was bouncing with his need for her, a fact that didn’t go unnoticed by his lover. She reached inside the nightstand for the box of condoms, spilling several over the bed. Jacob smiled as he placed one in her open palm. Quinn slid her hands down his abs to his pulsing member. She wrapped her fingers around his shaft and squeezed a little, eliciting a gasp from him. Carefully she tore open the wrapper with her teeth and quickly covered his cock with the ribbed latex sheath. He thrust his hips forward, causing her hand to slide up and down his shaft. “Oh, now who’s teasing?” Jacob moaned.

He eased Quinn all the way back onto the pillows, and slid down her body toward his prize. He wanted more than just a taste. He wanted to feast on her cunt until she begged for him to take her. He positioned himself between her thighs and looked up to see her watching him, her chest rising and falling rapidly. He winked before popping her clit into his mouth and sucking hard. Quinn nearly bucked him off but he held her hips in place, enjoying her squirming and sighs. It wasn’t long at all before he was rewarded once again with her sweet nectar.

He teased her a bit more with his tongue and then slipped one, two and then three fingers inside of her hot folds. Her pussy clenched repeatedly over his fingers and her body convulsed over and over again. Quinn’s skin flushed from her tits to her toes, because of him, because of what he was doing to her. He wanted more, so much more. He couldn’t wait any longer. He wanted to bury his cock deep inside her, go over the edge, and never come back.

And now the interview! Hold onto your panties, people–and some ice! O_O

Today, I thought I would change gears a bit and interview the villainess of Tammy’s new book. You first learned about her briefly in For the Love of Quinn. Some of you may recall the mention of Julia Santos as the cause for Jacob’s near fatal motorcycle accident. What the hell did she do to be blamed for that? We won’t get all of the story until the third book in Tammy’s Now and Forever series called The Surrender of Julia. Until then, I’ve invited the wickedly beautiful self-proclaimed villainess to join me today here so she can tell her side of the story. Welcome, Ms. Santos.

Thank you, Lia. Please. Call me Julia.

Okay, Julia.

Wickedly beautiful? You are quite stunning yourself. In fact you, you remind me of another curvaceous woman in my life.

(Now I’m blushing. Sheesh! What sort of vixen blushes at the slightest compliment? Tammy isn’t going to ever let me live this one down!) You wouldn’t happen to be talking about the love of your life, now would you?

Maybe. Just so you know, if she wasn’t in my life, I would be all over you in a heartbeat. (Julia licks her lips and squirms in her seat a little bit.) There is nothing like the feel of a woman’s curves under your fingertips.

Uh huh. hmmm…I bet that comes in handy when you create your sculptures. The feel of a woman’s curves I mean.

Definitely. You can’t create something so visual if you haven’t experienced the passion you are trying to depict. Take Rodin’s The Kiss, for example. When you look at that sculpture, you FEEL a part of it. You can feel his arms around you, his lips on yours, and your breath leaving you as you surrender completely to the moment.

That’s exactly what I felt when I saw this sculpture for the first time and some of your own pieces. I heard your model was Jacob Hartley. How did the two of you meet?

I was at a club in Los Angeles about 15 years ago with some friends. I noticed a group of people celebrating someone’s graduation. I was immediately drawn to Jacob. He looked comfortable in his own skin. I loved that. Many people act awkwardly when they are in large groups. Not Jacob. His entire demeanor exuded confidence and he was the hottest man in the place. I wanted him, even if it was just for a quickie in the bath room, I wanted to feel his hands all over my body.

I’ve met him. I can totally understand your animal attraction. When he walks into the room, all eyes are on him, but he doesn’t know it. In fact, if you point it out to him, he laughs it off and asks you how much you’ve had to drink.

Exactly! Jacob oozes raw sex and I wanted to capture that in my art. A few days after the night at the club, I showed up at his hotel room in nothing but my high heels and very skimpy lingerie. I convinced him he had what I wanted as my model.

How did you convince him to say yes? I’m sure I can guess. If you showed up on my doorstep dressed in high heels and lingerie, I would do anything you asked.

Have you ever been with two women, Lia? The more I talk to you, the more I would like to introduce you to my girlfriend, Carmen. She’s my Mistress as well. I’m thinking she’d love to take you in hand…

Oh my…sorry. I couldn’t resist.

Carmen is much more than Christian Grey could ever hope to be. Come with me after the interview. I have to pick her up at the airport. She’ll be so surprised.

I’m not sure. I don’t want to intrude. (Now it’s my turn to squirm. It’s been my fantasy to be taken in hand, so to speak.) Why don’t we jump right to the question all of us want to know? Were you the cause of Jacob’s accident?

(Julia lowers her eyes a moment before answering.) Yes. I’m afraid I was. I mean, he did catch me in our bed with another man.

Whoa! In the bed the two of you shared? That’s pretty cold.

Yes, it was. Not that I intended for that to happen, but it did. I knew I wasn’t the one for Jake. I realized it after the first few months we were together, but I loved being with him. He brought out all of my artist instincts. I needed him to be my muse. He was that and so much more to me, but I couldn’t give him what he really wanted.

And what was that?

A happily ever after. I couldn’t give him my heart. It belonged to another.

Apparently too many others according to Tammy’s notes. You really get around there, Julia!

True. I was never what one would call a wallflower. I love sex with both men and women. Sometimes with both at the same time. I don’t think there’s anything wrong with that as long as everyone involved are consenting adults.

You’ll get no argument from me on that point, but if you had Jake why did you continue to have sex with other people? Did you ever involve him in these encounters?

(A sly smile spreads slowly across her face as she sighs.) Yes I did. It was his idea actually. We had several nights with my assistant. She was always panting after him so I thought it would be fun to help fulfill a fantasy or two for her. Jake and I both took turns pleasuring her. She was a complete vanilla if you know what I mean. Not that there’s anything wrong with being vanilla, but there are so many different flavors to taste. I have to say we taught her a few things over those days and I wanted to explore more with her. Unfortunately, she couldn’t keep her mouth shut about it.

What do you mean?

She blabbed about it to another lover of mine while he took her on top of my desk at the gallery. Apparently she felt she could sample from all of my lovers. Ha! She didn’t choose wisely if you ask me. He wasn’t one to keep a secret either. He took great pleasure informing me of their tryst. From what he told me, she couldn’t walk well for a week afterwards. In his dreams if you ask me.

Is this the same lover that holds your heart?

Not a chance in hell, but if you hear him tell it we were engaged and planning our wedding. Ugh! What a nightmare that one was! Let’s just say it took me a while to figure out I was trying to turn Jake into this other person. Although he loved me and I cared for him deeply, I couldn’t return his love. Mine belonged to this other person from the moment we first met.

Would you say this person is your happily ever after?

Yes. Yes, she most definitely is my happily ever after. You still haven’t answered my question about going with me to pick her up at the airport.

So it’s your current girlfriend, Carmen who’s your always and forever? (Julia nods and smiles.) I’m not sure it would be a good idea for me to go with you.

Didn’t you say you would do anything I asked if I showed up on your doorstep in high heels and lingerie? What about if I showed up to the interview like this? Is this what you had in mind for your fantasy, mi amor? Carmen has a matching outfit all in hot pink leather…

Ohhhhhhh….you are so not playing fair! Well, that’s it for us today folks!(Julia’s deep sultry laugh makes my stomach flutter out of control.) Make sure you click on Tammy’s links to find out her next stop on the blog tour. Speaking of that, I’ve promised to help out with a few more stops along the way.

Maybe you should have Tammy take over the blog touring and hopping for tomorrow. I have a feeling you will be a little…tied up for the next few days.

Oh my…

About the Author

author

As far back as I can remember I have had two dreams: become a veterinarian and a world-famous author. So far I achieved the first one and have enjoyed a wonderful career as a small-animal veterinarian. But something has always been missing. I’ve never stopped writing; that has never been an issue. The problem was getting up the nerve to actually finish one of my novels and submit it to a publisher. What a scary thought to send a stranger something I had poured my heart into. Would they like it? Would they see the characters the way I saw them in my head? Writing For the Love of Quinn was like giving birth to my first child. I had to let my characters go to see if they would take off, and boy have they ever!

Jacob and Quinn’s story is far from over. They’ll pop in from time to time to check in with their friends and family in the next books in the Now and Forever series. They got their happily ever after, and now it’s time for the others to find theirs, too!

Having grown up in Michigan and now living in Northern California, I have had the privilege to experience life in a small town and a big city. Everyone who I’ve met along the way has influenced my writing in one way or another. Their experiences as well as my own help make up the characters that I hold near and dear to my heart. Helping them find the loves of their lives as well as fulfilling a few fantasies along the way is just frosting on the cake!

Where to Find Tammy

Siren Bookstrand Author Page

Amazon Author Page

Behind Closed Doors Website/Blog

Not Enough Time in the Day Blog

Sassy Vixen Publishing Blog

Goodreads Author Page

Pinterest Page

Follow Me on Twitter

Facebook Author Page

Youtube Video Book Trailers

From Where I Stand Blog Tour–Guest Post From Rob Zimmermann!

Posted on December 5, 2012 by Miranda Stork

Good morning everyone! I’m happy to welcome the awesome and talented Rob Zimmermann over to the blog today, to take over as part of his book tour for his début book of poetry, From Where I Stand! So without further ado, grab your coffee or tea, get comfy, and I’ll hand over….

Robert has been writing poetry since the eleventh grade. His writing started as impulsive rambling, but soon became a passion. A few years later he attended SUNY Potsdam where he received a B.A. in Creative Writing.
His main focus is poetry, but at times you can find him dabbling in short fiction. Robert has also created the blog A Life Among The Pages, where he posts his writing as well as book reviews.
When he’s not reading or writing, Robert enjoys spending time with his dog, Deuc. Deuc ran out of the woods in August 2011 and they have been inseparable ever since.

Blurb

From Robert Zimmermann comes From Where I Stand, an emotional debut poetry collection. Zimmermann explores strained parental relationships, loss of life, and the despair associated with grief. Alongside these darker themes, he delves into the small areas of life that often go unnoticed but become the hope we are searching for.

Discussion
Poetry: Fiction or Non-Fiction

When I started paying more attention to the way books are classified on various sites, something strange hit me. My observation may be because poetry is the main discipline in which I write, but either way I think this is an interesting subject to bring up.

Poetry: should it be classified under Fiction or should it be labeled Fiction-Fiction? When I look on the Amazon book listing, poetry falls under:

• Fiction > Poetry (in Kindle categorization)
• Literature & Fiction > Poetry (in “normal” book categorization).

When looking at this, you see it’s at least consistent for the two ways books work on Amazon (Book and Kindle e-book). But is poetry REALLY just Fiction?

Let’s take a look at a few other booksellers online for a second. Over on Smashwords, poetry is also listed under Fiction. And guess what Barnes & Noble has it under…you probably guessed right. B&N has it under Fiction & Literature.

What do you all think? Which “label” would you place on Poetry? I’d like to open this up for discussion in the comments below. I’d also like to stir the pot a little by stating my view on this topic.

I feel that there is enough variety in poetry to warrant its own category on the same level as Fiction and Fiction-Fiction. And if that can’t happen I feel that most poetry could easily go under Fiction-Fiction.

Why is this? For those who read poetry regularly enough, I think you can back me up when I say that more often than not, a poet is writing words that border on being considered a memoir. Whether it’s an autobiographical poem or based on an event that was witnessed, I think more real life goes into the poems than Fictional elements.

This isn’t always the case. I’ll openly admit that. Who’d really argue that Paradise Lost is based strongly on fact? (Please, don’t start a religious tangent here.) There are poems that fall clearly on one side of the spectrum and poems that fall on the other. Yet, there are also poems that blur the lines and don’t have a clear home in either camp.

Where does my book, From Where I Stand, fall in all of this? I would consider my poetry to be Fiction-Fiction. It does have fictional elements in a few poems, but the main focus of the work is autobiographical. Yet, when you look for it on any site, you’ll find it under Fiction.

I don’t feel that it’s misleading a reader, exactly. I think it’s more that poetry becomes hidden if it’s under the vast expanses of Fiction. I also think that if it were under the Fiction-Fiction umbrella only, not enough readers would bother for it there. I personally rarely look under the Fiction-Fiction section of e-bookstores. Based on this, I wouldn’t expect many other readers would either (at least those in my group of acquaintances).

One last thing to consider when you think about your own stance in this matter. When I’ve walked into numerous bookstores, whether it was a Borders, Barnes & Noble, or any of the great used bookstores I frequent, Poetry has ALWAYS had its own section just like Fiction and Fiction-Fiction. So why does this change when labeling books online? It’s much easier to organize online considering there’s no need to consider where to place that extra bookcase for the poetry books.

Please, I’d love to hear what you all think. Don’t hesitate to disagree either. Just keep it clean and friendly. I think we’ll all learn something from the discussion

LINKS:

Blog – http://alifeamongthepages.wordpress.com/
Twitter – https://twitter.com/miztrebor
Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/Robert.Zimmermann.Writer
Goodreads – http://www.goodreads.com/user/show/6435657-rob-zimmermann
PURCHASE LINKS:
Amazon US – http://www.amazon.com/From-Where-I-Stand-ebook/dp/B00A5AVLO4
Amazon UK – http://www.amazon.co.uk/From-Where-I-Stand-ebook/dp/B00A5AVLO4
Smashwords – https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/253778

AND DON’T FORGET THE AWESOME GIVEAWAY!

Robert will be giving away 5 ebook copies (.mobi, .epub, or PDF) of From Where I Stand at the end of the tour. To enter, please leave a thoughtful comment on this post and be sure to leave an email to be contacted with if you’re a winner.
One comment per person per post, feel free to comment on multiple posts for an extra entry for each. Winners will be gathered together from all the blog tour stops and then chosen randomly.
Giveaway ends December 9th at 12:01AM. Winners to be announced soon after they are selected.

The Next Big Thing!

Posted on November 21, 2012 by Miranda Stork

My lovely friend Kristie Haigwood accosted myself and four other authors one night, and asked if we would take part in this thing called ‘THE NEXT BIG THING’. Thank you, Kristie! It is designed to raise awareness of our work, or work in progress. We do that by answering ten questions about it. We graciously thank the person who nominated us, and tag five other authors whose work could well be that NEXT BIG THING.
Without further ado, I give you a small taste of me and my characters -

Q#1: What is the title of your book?
Vigilante of Shadows…take a gander at the cover!

Q#2: Where did the idea for the book come from?
Tough question…I’m not sure I can remember that well, as I began writing it two years ago, and left it for a long while until recently. I think the idea came from the moral issues surrounding criminals and how we deal with them. The idea of vigilantes is a strange one, as they are people who use ‘morals’ in place of law…but then usually end up breaking those morals themselves through that very act. It’s a Catch 22. On top of that, Shadow People are something that have always fascinated me. It’s too big a subject to go into here, and I don’t want to bore anyone, but look them up. They are a subject just begging to be used in a book–or a series, as I’m doing now.
Q#3: What genre does your book fall under?
Paranormal Thriller/Romance
Q#4: Which actors would you choose to play your characters in a movie rendition?

I love this question! When I write my books, I always have them play out in my head like a play, so it’s a natural thing to have to think of who would play them. I would love Arianwen Harris to be played by Julianne Moore. I think she’s a fabulous actress, and she has the right looks and mannerisms to boot. For Aodhan…it would have to be Gerard Butler. Apart from being one of the sexiest men ever, I think he could pull off the bad guy/good guy thing needed. And for Shiner, it couldn’t be anyone else other than Kevin Whatley–he’s who I had in mind when I wrote the part
Q#5: What is the one sentence synopsis for the book?
When a known criminal is found viciously killed, Arianwen Harris finds herself trailing a hit-man who has seemed to escape clutches again and again…
Q#6: Will your book be self-published or represented by an agency?
A bit of both. My book will be published through my own publishing company, Moon Rose Publishing.
Q#7: How long did it take you to write the first draft of your manuscript?
It took me about six months–but then it did sit for a while before I went back to do the second draft.
Q#8: What other books would you compare this story to, in your genre?
Hmmm…is it big-headed to say I can’t think of any? I’m sure there ARE, but none that I’ve read. And I’ve read a lot of books. All my books are often a smash-together of different genres, so in this book there is a crime thriller, a paranormal romance, and shadow people. Answers on a postcard, please?
Q#9: Who or what inspired you to write this book?
It could have been anything–I can’t remember! But sometimes the oddest thing will set my imagination off. I tend to ~~daydream~~ story plan a lot, so often it’s something silly, like something that a person said to me, a vase, the TV, or any other number of random objects. I’ve always been interested in the paranormal, so when I find out something new about it, I ~~want~~ need to write another book.
Q#10: What else about the book might pique the readers’ interest?
Sexy men, sexy women, fast cars…yes, they all make an appearance in this book, but you gotta love those creepy yet funny Shadow Men. That should pique it enough to at least take a look and find out what they are! Well, okay…maybe this trailer will help

I’d like to pass the torch to five deserving authors, and let them tell you all about their work. Their posts will bear the same title and will be live on or around 28th November. Here they are: