Tuesday, February 26, 2013

First Glimpse : Reckless Radiance


Well here it is! Your first glimpse at what is almost finished and ready to submit, my new paranormal romance Reckless Radiance. Thanks to everyone who helped me reach my goal of 300 Facebook 'likes'. Now on to 400!! If you haven't already please like my author page on Facebook.
 
After losing her childhood love, Valerie Gilmore runs away from home for a fresh start but feels more alone than before until a mysterious stranger named Russell comes into her life and seems to see beyond her broken heart and into her very soul.

Note: this section has not been professionally edited and is subject to change in the final draft of the novel.


      The ceiling kept her attention and she let her thoughts continue to race. She thought of the moments leading up to the surprise of Russell being alive. She was terrified. Her stomach had been so twisted. She thought of every single day she’d spent with Henry and her stomach began to knot even more. Emotions fluttered inside of her and she let out a sniffle.

       She tried to muffle the sounds of her tears into her pillow. She tried to suppress all of the fear and anxiety that had been building inside of her. Russell shifted and suddenly he was standing next to her bed. She tried not to look up at him towering above her in the dark. Slowly, he pulled a corner of the covers back and climbed in next to her without saying a word. At first he was still, keeping his distance but remaining present. Tears rolled down her cheeks and onto the bed.

       Soon Russell’s hand reached out to smooth over her hair. He tenderly traced her tears away with his fingertip. For a moment it seemed suddenly brighter in the room. Valerie thought the water matting her eyelashes was letting the moonlight sparkle into her eyes. In a quiet moment with her new enigmatic ally, with his warmth near her and his gentle touch upon her face, she felt what she never thought she’d be able to feel on that horrifying day. Peace.

       Her eyes started to grow heavier as calm continued to wash over her. Thankful that sleep was on its way, a smile crept on her face and soon Russell’s fingers were sweeping over her cheek. Again there seemed to be a glimmer of brightness lighting up the room.

       “Russell?”

       “Yes,” he whispered.

       Her eyes sank shut and her voice came out as a breathy sigh. “What are you?”

       Twilight was upon her, she was on the verge of a dream but she heard his reply. She was sure she heard him clearly before she drifted off.

       “I’m yours.”


Reckless Radiance : Coming Soon!

Thursday, February 21, 2013

Brenda Franklin : The Author Interview



What do I always say? Yay Twitter! Twitter has given me the opportunity to connect with some really cool authors and Brenda Franklin is one of them. As you know, I love me some vampires and Brenda just happens to have books about vampires! See what she had to say and be sure to check out all of her links below.
Available on Amazon for $0.99!

Tell us a little about yourself

I was born and raised in Louisiana, where I currently live with my loving family, a few cats, and plenty of wildlife running through the yard from time to time.

I am a fan of the paranormal community and believe in the supernatural having grown up with plenty of my own ghostly tales, which helped to contribute to my free short story, The Lady with Blue Lips on smashwords. I wrote my first horror story when I was in elementary. I think it must have freaked my mother out because the story disappeared shortly after I wrote it. Oh well, I went on discovering the world of vampires and have never looked back. 

Tell us about your series The Pulse Trilogy

The Pulse Trilogy is my Twilight. Haha it’s my story of a human and vampire love, but darker. It’s a journey of love, loss, and betrayal.

My leading characters, Elizabeth Parks (small business owner and woman with the ‘Pulse’ ability) and Virgil Hart (devilishly handsome and annoying vampire) endure the first two books trying to fend off Virgil’s brother from killing Elizabeth. SPOILER: By the end of the second book, Barely Beating, Virgil has accomplished just that, killing William and keeping Elizabeth safe. Of course, with the help of friends and family they can finally have a happily ever after as two-soon to be-vampires. Or can they? I guess we will find out in book three, Flat Line.

The Pulse Trilogy is on the lighter side of things. The other world of the vampires that you don’t see in this series is much darker and if you have followed the books so far, you may wonder what exactly Garrison and Andreal hunt? Or why Garrison is gone a lot? There is a lot more to the world than meets the eye and one day I plan to write a new series to show you just that, but until then I hope you enjoy my Pulse Trilogy as much as I have writing it!

Available on Amazon

What draws you to the paranormal genre? And more specifically vampires?

When I was younger, perhaps around the sixth grade range, my father had an old bookshelf in our living room. From top to bottom it was filled with combat related books, old westerns, a stack of magazines (I’m not sure he ever read them), several Dean Koontz (my sister’s favorites), a few Stephen King books, a book called, My Brother John, the Necromancer series by Brian Lumley, and a whole bunch of other things. But the one book I remember most was a book by Anne Rice (Howard Allen Frances O’Brien if you didn’t know). It was Interview with a Vampire. It was this book that introduced me into the world of vampires and I haven’t been the same since.

I think I fell in love with the romanticism behind being a vampire and the dark consequences that come with it. The struggle of drinking blood from humans, the sexual appeal of their perfect structures, and their ability to sustain their life. Of course I was still in the sixth grade and I have read many books since then, turning my writing in more of a lighter version than Anne Rice’s vampires, but I do have her to thank for giving me that push towards loving vampires. I guess I should also be thankful that my dad had a copy. God only knows what I might be writing now if I hadn’t of read that book. 

Who are some of your favorite vampires aside from your own, of course?

Some of my favorite vampires would have to be from the mind of author Lynsay Sand’s--who calls them Immortals. Her explanation, that they were once from Atlantis before the fall, is such a wonderful concept and can best explain why they are immortal, why they heal, why they are essentially what we call ‘vampires’. Not to mention that every one of them are downright sexy. I can’t keep myself away from re reading Vampire, Interrupted or Bite Me if You Can. Delicious!

Is there another genre you would like to try at some point?

I have many ideas always fluttering about my head and when I have finished The Pulse Trilogy book three, Flat Line, and placed the final touches on my 2012 NaNoWriMo book, Guardian, a Fated Pairing, I plan to step in the YA Genre with a new series. It’s going to be a busy year!

Do you have a writing ritual or a certain way you like to get ready to write?

I make playlists. I have to have a background noise of some kind. Not too over powering, but there. It’s like watching a movie. Try watching Twilight, Thor, Iron Man, or any movie without the music. The scenes don’t have the same sort of impact. So to get myself ready for a scene I have playlists ready to get my mind in motion. When my character needs a little pick me or is struggling internally I have been listening to Mumford and Sons. Just an example.

Routine: get up with Shawn in the morning around four, grab coffee, Dr. Pepper, or Cinnamon apple spiced tea, grab a snack, I always tie up my hair, struggle to find my glasses, turn on my music for a few minutes, and begin! 

Do you have a day job? If so, how do you find the balance between day job and your writing career?

I currently do not have a day job, but my sweet husband has filled that part allowing me the freedom to write. I don’t know what I would do without him.

What is your current obsession (absolutely anything)?

Current obsession? That’s such a hard one, so I came up with a short list of things I’m obsessed with at this very moment.

Food: Making lasagna. People: My husband, Shawn Franklin. Games: Borderlands 2 and Harvest Moon, A Knew Beginning. Books: The Love Lines Series by Diana Nixon. Social media: Facebook.


You can find more of Brenda on Facebook, Twitter, her blog, Amazon, Smashwords and her work is available on Amazon and Smashwords (Bonus: two free short stories are up on Smashwords!)

Thanks again for stopping by Brenda!!



Tuesday, February 12, 2013

Christine Johnson : The Author Interview

Okay, I cannot even begin to tell you how excited I am to have this author on my blog today. Not only is she an amazing writer and one cool lady, she happens to be a new friend of mine! The best part about this interview is that it is also a release celebration!!! Christine's newest YA novel, The Gathering Dark, is out today! See what she has to say and then go buy her book!



Tell us a little about yourself, Christine
Oh, gosh. Okay, aside from the fact that I write young adult fiction, I Iive in Indianapolis, Indiana, I’m perpetually cold, and I’m a die hard Manchester United supporter. That was all sort of random, but that’s also very appropriate. So.

Christine's first novel. A Paranormal/ YA story.


What was the querying/agent search process like for you? 
I’ve been with my agent for a long time - yay! - so it was quite different than it is today. I did my querying via snail mail, not email. There was a lot of waiting involved. And a lot of checking the mailbox. I queried about twenty agents before signing with Caryn Wiseman of the Andrea Brown Literary Agency, Inc.



Is there another genre you would like to try at some point?
Not particularly. I tried middle grade before I found my way to YA, and when I got here, I knew I’d found my place in the writing world. I’m happy. I do love a good regency romance, but I’m not sure I have it in me to write one!



Do you have a writing ritual or a certain way you like to get ready to write? 
Nope. Having kids beat that out of me. Also, Holly Black once said that the more things you NEED to write (candle, certain hours of the day, particular chair, whatever,) the less writing you’ll actually get done. She’s totally right.

The sequel to Claire de Lune



Tell us about one of your characters you loved writing:
Smith kicked my @$$. Seriously. I have a love/hate relationship with him, because it took me so long to figure out who he was and what he was doing in my book. Once I got there, though, I was so happy to have him in the story. Now, he’s one of my favorites.



Was there ever a time you felt like giving up? If so, what changed? 
Actually . . . no. There are projects I’ve abandoned, but writing itself is just part of who I am. Getting published is super-awesome, but it’s the putting-words-on-a-page that I love.



Tell us a little about The Gathering Dark...
The Gathering Dark is a romantic sci-fi about a girl named Keira who’s a concert-pianist in the making. When she meets Walker at her favorite music store, she begins having strange visions. At first, she think’s they’re hallucinations, but when it turns out they might be real, Keira’s world is turned upside down - quite literally.





What draws you to the science fiction genre? 
..... Geekery? Nerdtopia? Seriously, though, there’s so much in science that I find fascinating and fantastic, and those things just lend themselves to story-making in my own particular head.



What are you currently reading? 
One Good Earl Deserves a Lover by Sarah Maclean and Quicksilver by R.J. Anderson. Obviously wildly different books, but I’m loving them both. R.J. Anderson wrote my favorite unreliable narrator of all time in her book Ultraviolet.



What can we expect from you next? 
The Grim anthology! It’s a collection of fairy tale retellings from a slew of fantastic authors. It’s due out in 2014, and I cannot WAIT for everyone to read these stories. They’re dark and twisted and FABULOUS.



What is your current obsession (absolutely anything)? 
Kale chips. Seriously. Tear the tender parts of a kale leaf (not the stem or ribs) into bite sized pieces. Make sure they’re dry. Drizzle with olive oil and massage to coat. Spread on a parchment lined cookie sheet and bake at 250 degrees for 30 minutes. Sprinkle with salt. Inhale. If it’s possible to eat so much kale that it actually becomes UNHEALTHY, then I’m doing that. Because YUM.



Where can readers find more about you? 
I’m pretty much all over the Internet. You can find me at www.christinejohnsonbooks.com, @cjohnsonbooks on Twitter, Pinterest, and on Facebook. I love hearing from people, so do come say “hi!”

As of today you can buy The Gathering Dark here on Amazon (or fine bookstores across the US). Christine's first novel, Claire de Lune and it's sequel Nocturne are also available 

ALSO...If you happen to be local to the Indianapolis area you can meet and purchase a signed copy of The Gathering Dark this Saturday February 16th at Bookmamas in Irvington from 3-5pm!

Thanks again for chatting, Christine! 



Monday, February 11, 2013

Author Spotlight : Anna Kristell

Welcome my fellow Rebel author Anna Kristell. She's here to chat about her latest releases and a few upcoming works too. But first, here is the description and an excerpt from Unlikely Lovers, just released by Rebel Ink Press.
When Army Major Jessica Walsh meets local factory worker, Cody Jones, she finds herself staring straight into the eyes of the man who’s been haunting her dreams for the past few nights. Fresh from a breakup with her cheating ex, Jessica sets out to seduce the sexy brown-eyed man in the hopes of a brief rebound affair. Getting more than she bargained for, she falls in love with him, but has kept a secret about who she really is.

On the night she plans to tell him the truth, Cody plans to propose. But before either of those things can take place, they run into Jessica’s ex, who cruelly spills the beans. Angry and heartbroken, Cody ends the relationship, turning to a bottle for comfort. Jessica’s hurt, she accepts his decision. While they find they can't stay away from each other, they can't seem to work out their differences, either. Will the unlikely lovers be able to overcome the obstacles in their lives and find their happy ever after?



Excerpt:


“And I’m Cody,” the sexy man with the brown wavy hair said, flashing a smile that sent shivers up and down Jessica’s spine. He extended his right hand.
She took it saying, “I’m Jessica and this is Missy, nice to meet you both.” The simple touch of his hand was enough to make her want to get closer to him, much closer. Her hand felt as though it had been scorched as she pulled it away.
“Thanks for the beer. You two ready to get beat by a couple of girls?” Missy looked at Andy, laughing.
“Bring it on,” he answered with a wink.
They bowled two games, girls winning one, and guys winning the other.
“How about a rematch to break the tie and the losers take the other team out for pizza afterward?” Cody challenged.
“You’re on. Right, Missy?” Jessica looked at her friend.
“Right, let’s show ‘em what we can do, girlfriend.”
To prove her point, Missy threw three strikes in a row.
“I think we’re in trouble, man.” Andy chuckled as he looked at Cody.
“We’ll see about that!” Cody threw the next strike as the four of them burst into uncontrollable laughter.
The girls won by two pins, much to their delight.
“We’ll let you off the hook and go Dutch since you came so close,” Jessica said as she changed out of the ugly shoes and back into her boots.
“Sounds like a deal,” Cody answered with a smile that set her pulse racing again. And then she knew. His eyes. There was something about them.
They decided where to meet and as Missy drove to the pizza parlor, Jessica turned to her and said, “Thanks for talking me into coming out tonight. I haven’t had this much fun in ages.”
“I haven’t either. But let’s not tell them too much about ourselves. Okay?”
“I agree.” The girls knew from experience some men were intimidated by a female officer.
“Aren’t they hunks, both of them?”
“Oh, yeah, especially Cody,” Jessica said dreamily.
“I prefer the blonde look, myself.” Missy giggled as she pulled into the parking lot.
“That’s good, since I have my eye on Cody.” The mere thought of sharing a bed with the wavy haired man was almost more than Jessica could bear.
When they got out of Missy’s car, the two men were already there waiting for them in the parking lot.
“After you.” Cody opened the door of the restaurant for Jessica, following behind her.
After they’d all decided on a supreme deluxe pizza complete with anchovies and ordered a pitcher of beer and soft drinks for the two drivers, they began to talk.
“Why haven’t we seen you two ladies around before?” Cody inquired as he looked at Jessica with that same sexy smile that had first drawn her to him.
“We’ve not been bowling for a while.” She returned the smile shyly.
“We keep pretty busy with work,” Missy added, looking at Andy.
“I hear that. We’ve been putting in all kinds of overtime at the plant,” Andy replied.
“So you both work at Goodyear?” Jessica asked.
“Yeah, like most folks around here that aren’t lucky enough to get out of town.”
“What do you girls do?” Cody asked.
“Uh, we both work on post,” Missy answered vaguely as she took a sip of the Coke that had just arrived.
“Ah, another place a lot of folks around here work,” Andy observed.
Jessica was incredibly intrigued by Cody. He had the most gorgeous brown eyes she had ever seen, like huge drops of chocolate candy...almost identical to the man in her dream. She began to imagine his hard working hands roaming her body, rocking her world, taking her to the ends of the earth and back…Jessica, get a grip, she told herself as she found herself staring into those beautiful eyes again.
The other three continued with light banter as they enjoyed the pizza while Jessica tried to concentrate on what they were all saying. It wasn’t easy with the brown eyed man sitting next to her. And long before she was ready, the evening was coming to an end.
Andy and Missy had exchanged cell phone numbers already as Cody asked Jessica for hers. She gave it to him and watched as he put it in his phone. She did the same with his.
“I’ll call you soon. Count on it, Jessie,” Cody said as he waved goodbye.
“That’d be great. I’ll talk to you soon.” She flashed him her sexiest smile.

Once they were on the road, Missy said, “Wow, Jess, that Andy is one sexy hunk of man. I’d love to see him again.”
“And I could get real cozy with Cody, if you know what I mean,” Jessica remarked thoughtfully. What would be the harm in a brief fling with a sexy local factory worker?
Missy glanced at her friend. “Jess, that doesn’t exactly sound like something you’d do. Are you really considering it?”
“Maybe, we’ll just have to see now, won’t we? All I can say is Cody Jones is one hell of a sexy man.”
After Missy had dropped her off at home, she prepared for bed with a smile as she remembered what he’d said. I wonder if he really will call.  She was just settling in between the cool sheets when her cell rang. She answered sleepily, “Hello.”
“Hey, Jessie, it’s Cody, calling to say goodnight.”
“Hi. When you said you’d call soon, you weren’t kidding.” She giggled and continued, “I’m glad to hear from you so soon.”
He chuckled. “I had a great time tonight, just had to call and tell you. I’m looking forward to seeing you again soon.”
“I had fun, too. We’ll definitely get together soon. Call me.”
“You can count on that, baby. Sweet dreams.”
“Goodnight.”
She soon fell asleep, dreaming that a handsome, wavy haired man with huge, velvety chocolate brown eyes was sharing her bed. He kissed her lips then moved down her body, nuzzled her neck, stopping to whisper love words in her ear as he’d done in her dream the night before. She awoke, alone again, more determined than ever to make this particular dream become a reality, and the sooner the better.


 ***


Hi, I'm Anna and I write romance. My newest release, Unlikely Lovers, is from Rebel Ink Press. It's the story of two people, Jessica and Cody, who are nothing alike, have nothing in common, yet they fall in love. They could probably get past the differences except for one thing. Jessica has been lying to Cody since the night they met about who she really is. And the way he finds out the truth sets off a reaction that is totally unexpected of the character. After that, things go south very quickly, although these two just can't seem to stay away from each other, hard as they try. You'll want to shake them both senseless. You'll cry with them, laugh with them, and  root for them to work it out. Will they?

A long time fan of romance, it seemed only natural that when I decided to try my hand at writing, it would be love stories.

I have two more releases coming soon from Rebel. Sunny's Love in April and Remember Our Promise in the summer. Remember Our Promise was my first attempt at NaNoWriMo and was a story that basically wrote itself....



I also am in the midst of writing a contemporary drama romance series for Lazy Day Publishing. The first was released in January, Crossroad to Love, and has done well so far. The second, The Road to Her Heart, will be out in March. I have contracts signed for four so far and am working on the fifth. There will be several before the series is completed. It centers around the lives of four friends who have been friends since childhood, their loves, their children, their other friends, their jobs...like I said...drama!

You can find Anna on Facebook, Twitter, her website, Amazon.

Unlikely Lovers can be purchased on Amazon, Barnes & Noble Nook, ARe, and Bookstrand
Crossroad to Love can be purchased on Amazon, Barnes & Noble Nook, and ARe