Book Blast, Giveaway & Interview: The Talented 2: Past Lives Revealed by Desy Smith

 

 

The Talented 2:

Past Lives Revealed

The Talented

Book Two

Desy Smith

Genre: YA Romance Fantasy Fiction

Publisher: Floebe Publishing

Date of Publication: September 20, 2015

ISBN: 978-1512216714

ASIN: 1512216712

Number of pages: 223

Word Count: 55,377

Cover Artist: Rose Smith

Book Description:

Carmel’s time at the H.O.T hasn’t been all that pleasant. She’s gotten drugged, captured, and had to endure her painful change. When Carmel finally starts to enjoy her life at the H.O.T with her friends and her boyfriend Devon; Queen Ice, her annoying past life, contacts her. Queen Ice not only tells her about the impending battle between the good angels and the evil angels, she also continues to pop up in Carmel’s mind, showing her images from her life in the past. Now, Carmel, her friends along with her boyfriend, race to find a sword that they believe will give them leverage in the battle to come.

Unfortunately it isn’t as easy as it seems. There are others who are aware of the sword, and they’ll do anything to retrieve it before Carmel does. In addition, Carmel can’t use her Water or Ice Talent to help in the battle and she doesn’t know why! On top of that, there’s one or more people in Carmel's group who aren’t whom they say they are. Can Carmel find the sword? Will she be able to figure out why her Talents aren’t working? Can she discover who in the group is lying to her and the others about who they really are?

Be sure to read the second series of The Talented by Author Desy Smith to see how the story unfolds!

Available at Amazon and DesySmith.wix.com

We’re a couple of streets down from the museum, waiting on Devon to issue instructions. Earlier, as we laid in bed, I brought up Ms. Platinum Blonde from the airport. Her name is Tray and as I thought, it wasn’t anything serious. He did sleep with her before he met me and that was it. It was just about sex, and honestly, that didn’t bother me. I knew Devon had a life before he met me. I would be dumb to think otherwise.

“Okay, so here’s the plan, we go in teams of two.” Devon says inside the car outside the museum. I know I should have been overjoyed because this is my first mission with them. But I’m not. My lower back was bothering me. But I endure the pain, because I knew if Devon found out, I would be left behind, again. “Mel and Ricky are one team, and Flora.” He says her name with disgust. “And I are another team.”

“Oh, no sir.” Flora says. “I would rather go by myself.”

“Flora, go with Devon. This will give you two time to bond with each other.” I add. I look at Ricky who is nodding his head in agreement.

“I don’t want to bond with him!” Flora yells. Ricky gently grabs her and they both get out the car and start talking, well, arguing.

“I told you she wouldn’t want to do it.” Devon says. I roll my eyes.

“You weren’t very nice about it.”

“Really? I thought I was.” Liar. Flora and Ricky open the car door.

“Okay, we’re ready, and Flora said she would be honored to be in your company.” Ricky says.

“You’re pushing it.” Flora replies with her arms cross, glaring at Devon.

We make our way toward the back entrance of the museum, where two dead police officers are holding the door open.

“Someone’s already here.” Devon says and Flora gives him a ‘duh’ look. He and Ricky move them both inside the door and close it. I notice the alarm on the right side of the door, smoking.

“The alarm system has been fried, which prevents the alarm from being triggered.” He tells us. “Okay, let’s go ahead and split up. Flora and I will take downstairs, Mel and Ricky will take the second floor and we will meet on the third floor, and divide that equally.” He turns his attention to Ricky. “If anything happens to Carmel, do know I will take your life.” Ricky sighs while I roll my eyes. There he goes again, threatening to kill people.

The museum is really creepy at night without any lighting and people. I and Ricky’s first stop is the Egyptian room.

“Did the Egyptians exist when the angels were here?” I question. Even though my back is killing me, and I want to soak in a bathtub, eating eggs with syrup, I am joyous because I have alone time with Ricky, which means I can grill him.

“Yes, remember the angels came down when Adam and Eve were placed on earth.” Oh yeah. I start to recall the story Flora told me.

“Your great times 10 grandfather knows a lot about the Angels.” I say as I pick up another vase and look inside before tossing it in the ‘don’t need’ pile. “I think it’s amazing how the stories of Queen Ice were passed down from child to child, but maybe they’re a little less than factual.”

“I don’t believe I understand what you’re implying.” I turn to look at him, and try to make out his facial expression but couldn’t because of the moonlight being the only lighting in the museum.

“I’m just saying people tell stories to each other and sometimes they add a little extra in. Who’s to say that didn’t happen?” I’m purposely trying to anger him, hoping his rage will make him spill his secret accidently.

“It didn’t.”

“How would you know? You weren’t there?” I stand up. “Or were you?”

“You’re acting like Devon now. Do you have something to say, or will you speak in riddles for the rest of the night?” Ricky states calmly, showing no signs of anger.

“Were you there, Ricky?” I ask, getting to the point, enough of the bull crap.

“There, as in I was an Angel in the Angel era?”

“Yes.” He laughs.

“That’s unlikely, I would be very old and senile.” Anything is possible, I say to myself, repeating what Ice told me weeks ago.

“Well, I don’t believe we age like humans. Actually, I think we can be century’s old and still look young.” Like Ricky, I thought. “Time doesn’t matter to us.” Suddenly, a light bulb goes off in my mind. I make my way to the wall where a directory is hung. I notice a room on the third floor dedicated to artifacts with no accurate time. Otherwise known as the Timeless room. The vase has to be in there.

“I think I figured it out, Ricky.”

“What, how angels age?” I shake my head.

“Nope, I think I know where the vase is at.” I run out the door, ignoring Ricky as he calls my name, and up the stairs. I walk down the hall until I come upon a cracked door with the words Timeless printed in white calligraphy on the door. I found it.

I’m sitting on the floor, looking through another row of blue vases. I was starting to understand how Devon felt, this whole thing is repetitive and annoying. I want to find the vase and be done with this part of the mission. I keep asking Ice if she sees the vase, but of course, when I need her the most, she ignores me.

I get ready to give up, until a particular vase catches my attention in the moonlight, almost like God was putting a spotlight on it. The vase is round, and blue with snow white flames from the bottom to top. It’s really beautiful. I go to grab it and turn it upside down. On the bottom there is an engraving.

“Engraved it shall say To Queen, From Flame.” Ice says. Look who finally decides to make an appearance. I look at the inscription and it says just that.

Character Name: Devon

Character Bio: He’s 5’10 with green eyes, and short black hair. His skin is golden due to his mixed heritage. He’s 20, and his Talents are Water, Earth, Air and Fire. Nonchalant he may appear to be, but in reality his true nature is kill now, deal with the consequences later. This rash judgement causes many people to hate and fear him; which he’s okay with. His enemies are as numerous as the stars in the sky. His love for his equal Carmel is uncontrollable; he would move mountains for her. Devon believes she sees the good in him and because of her, he knows he can become a better man. Devon would be ultimately satisfied if he and Carmel were the only two people in the whole wide world.

 

Describe yourself what is your worst and vest quality?

My worst quality is being awesome.

I possess all four talents: water, earth air and fire. I’m pretty much indestructible. My worst quality according to my girlfriend is my attitude.

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

I’m misunderstood, and that’s not my fault.

What is your biggest secret something no one knows about?

It wouldn’t be a secret if I told you.

What are you most afraid of?

My destiny, my future

What do you want more than anything?

To stay with Carmel forever.

What is your relationship status?

Taken and very happy.

How would you describe your sense of fashion?

Non-existence, if it were up to me, I wouldn’t wear any clothing.

How much of a rebel are you?

On a scale of 1-10, a 100.

What do you considered to be your greatest achievement?

You’ll have to read book three to find that out.

What is your idea of happiness?

My idea of happiness is being with Carmel alone and forever, not having to deal with angels good or bad, and Flora’s nosy butt.

What is your current state of mind?

Right now I’m worried about Carmel finding out my secret.

What is your most treasured possession?

Carmel

What is your most marked characteristic?

My attitude.

What is it that you, most dislike?

My privacy and Flora, okay maybe not.

Which living person do you, most despise?

I do not know if he could be counted as a living person, but Lucifer Morningstar.

What is your greatest regret?

You guys are asking a lot of question; I can’t answer without giving away the third book.

What is the quality you most like in a man?

Courage

What is the quality you most like in a woman?

Compassion

Who is your favorite hero in fiction?

The monster of Frankenstein, as he was misunderstood and created so was I, and I can relate to that.

Which living person do you most admire?

Good question, and no one. I tend to not admire humans.

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

How I was made.

What is your motto?

Que sera sera

 

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Desiree “Desy” Smith was born and raised in Dallas, Texas. As an avid reader, Desy read several books until she ran out of things to read. Having nothing else to read, at the age of thirteen, she decided to write her own book. Her love for reading soon turned into a passion for writing. She self-published her first book, The Talented, under Floebe Publishing, which she started to give a voice to new and aspiring authors. Desy writes to inspire and to provide an escape for anyone who wants to live in a fantasy world without worrying about the challenges of everyday life. The Talented is part one of a five part series, with the second installment arriving finally here. Currently, Desy is hard at work on her third novel, Supernatural Resident Advisor with an expected release date of October 2015. Desy’s genre of choice is fantasy romance fiction. Aside from reading and writing Desy enjoys various types of food, especially dessert. When she’s not reading she can probably be found eating a cupcake or two.

Web: www.desysmith.wix.com/desysmith

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/authordesysmith

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/40394618-desiree-morrow

Instagram: Author_Desydiva23

Book Blast: With Every Breath by Niecey Roy

PRESENTED BY

 

Title: With Every Breath       
Series: River Bend
Vol or Book #:  1
Author: Niecey Roy                              
Audience: Adult 18+
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Format:  e-Book
Publisher:  River Mist Media
Cover by:  RBA Designs
Pages:  Appox. 200 pgs
Date Published:  October 28, 2015

 

 

 

Jaden Miller had one plan when she left her hometown, and it was simple—never return. She has her dream job, her freedom, and miles separating her from a past she needed to outrun. Only one thing could make her return to River Bend, and that’s her best friend on the verge of a breakdown.
From the moment Cole Brooks realized he married the wrong woman, he’d done his best to not let fantasies of the one who got away haunt him. Now that his marriage is over, and Jaden’s back in town, is the universe giving him a second chance?
Jaden isn’t about to let her guard down around the man who broke her heart, but Cole won’t give up until she admits how perfect they would be together.
 

 

AMAZON / BARNES AND NOBLE / GOODREADS

 

 

 

 

 

Once upon a time, there was a young girl who wrote sappy poetry about every relationship gone wrong. She had her heart broken many times before the man of her dreams stepped off a big Navy ship and swept her off her feet, promising to never hold her shoe obsession against her.
From that day forward, she swore she’d never again write sappy poetry of unrequited love. Instead, a sucker for smooches and happily-ever-afters, Niecey Roy now writes contemporary romance inspired by her sailor’s sexy brown eyes and charming sense of humor.

 

 

     

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Cover Reveal: Mortality by Ava O’Shay @AvaOShay

 

 

Title: Mortality, Book Three of the Serenity Series
Series: The Serenity Series   
Vol or Book #: 3
Author: Ava O’Shay
Audience: New Adult/ Adult +18
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Format: ebook and paperback
Publisher: Raven Books and Design
Cover by: Raven Books and Design, photograph
Editor: Eden Plantz
Pages: 250
Date to be Published: January 2016

 

Leaving his rocky past behind Quill heads out with the band Pick-Six. Quickly thrust into the lime light of a rock and roll super star he finds his past isn’t so easy to leave behind. Alcohol, drugs, and an endless stream of available and willing woman push Quill to his limits of restraint. But he has more at stake than his sobriety, Quill will do almost anything to win Assad back even if it means baring his soul on stage. Just when things seem to be going his way Quill’s mother comes back into his life. A force he has never been able to overcome. Soon Quill’s feeling of responsibility for his family threatens to take him and the band down. Struggling against his demons Quill must learn to take what he wants before it’s too late.
 
 

 

Sweat trailed down Quill’s back, his hair matted to his forehead, the rays of the overhead lights were hotter than the face of the sun but the screams from the row of girls, five deep in front of the stage were making it all worth it.
He pulled the microphone out of its stand. His band, Pick-Six was on the last songs of the set. The rush adrenaline laced with anxiety was the high Quill used to get him through the nerves threatening to destroy each performance.
“It will get easier,” Simon, their manager said before each gig.
It hadn’t.
Each night Quill tried to figure out how he’d ended up the lead singer of a band he’d watched at the local rave bar. Each night he fought his inner demons so he could get through another performance without allowing himself a hit, a drink, or a hard screw. He’d sworn off any type of crutch to get him through. However he’d done it before the band hit it big and he was thrust in front of an overflowing bar full of people every night. He was going to face his fears and God only knew—his feelings—head on even if it killed him.
No more burying.
No more hiding.
And if people didn’t like it they could go fuck themselves.
 

 

After many years trudging through the social awkwardness of high school and the whirl wind of college romances I finally landed in the Seattle area writing about the hell, horror, and don't forget the hot romance of youth. I love all things outdoors and can be found hiking, kayaking, mountain biking or doing anything active. I am a former Mrs. Washington United States but hung up my crown to focus on family and career. I love to learn and possess many degrees. I am a Christy McCullough Excellence in Education Award winner and I am Nationally Board Certified. I love to interact with my readers and meet them at signings so never be shy to come up and give me a hug and ask me anything.
 
 

 

       

WEBSITE / FACEBOOK / TWITTER / GOODREADS / AMAZON / PINTEREST

Book Blast, Giveaway & Interview: The Vampire, The Handler, and Me by Eileen Sheehan @AuthorSheehan

 

 

The Vampire, The Handler, and Me

Eileen Sheehan

Genre: paranormal romance

Publisher: Eternal Press, LLC

Date of Publication: September 1, 2015

ISBN: 978-1629293110

ASIN: B01494XZB8

Number of pages: 202

Word Count: 100 k

Cover Artist: Dawne Dominique

Book Description:

In a romantic triangle of good and bad, it's hard to tell who is good and who is bad.

Lizzy Ewing is caught in a romantic triangle between a two enemies; the handsome vampire, Nevi, and the hunky handler, Geoffrey. A handler herself, Lizzy must choose between Nevi and Geoffrey. One wants her for all the right reasons and one doesn't.

Will she discover who is who before the bad destroys the good?

Book Trailer: https://youtu.be/_uPA_tE9aU8

Amazon BN Eternal Press

“My name is Nevi, Nevi Sharpe,” he said with a deep, sultry accent. “May I ask with whom I have the pleasure of sharing scratch-off tickets?”

I wanted to answer him but I was still stuck on stupid. I opened my mouth to speak and absolutely nothing came out.

How embarrassing.

How ridiculous.

How mortifying.

He was just a man, after all. What was my issue?

I just couldn’t move past the sense of magnificence that permeated the air around him. It was both electrifying and nerve wracking.

“You have a phone call,” blurted the bland voice of Miss Congeniality as she approached my newly discovered god-man with a cordless phone.

“Please excuse me,” he murmured in my direction as he snapped the phone from the clerk’s hand, obviously unhappy to be disturbed.

“Lizzy. Lizzy Ewing,” I forced past my lips as he stood up. “My name’s Lizzy Ewing.”

I could feel flames consume my cheeks when I realized how desperate my voice must have sounded. He studied me with dancing eyes—momentarily forgetting his annoyance about the phone call.“Nice to meet you, Lizzy Ewing,” he said warmly. “Please excuse me.”

With that, he lifted the phone unceremoniously to his ear and disappeared through a doorway behind the counter. I assumed it led to his office. At the faint sound of another door shutting behind that door, I felt I assumed right.

The clerk shuffled through the array of lotto tickets spread out on the counter in front of me with a notable smirk on her broad, acne infested face before looking up at me. “That’ll be twenty-five dollars,” she stated smugly.

I stood there looking at her for a brief moment while it registered with me…I was getting stuck with the entire bill of my not so private scratch-off tryst!

 

Character Name: Lizzy Ewing

Character Bio: Born in Westchester County, NY, Lizzy Ewing grew up enjoying the luxury of travel and rubbing elbows with the elite at the local country club. The daughter of a retired chef, she went to a culinary institute only to utilize her education and talents in a small town diner as the cook and part-time waitress. Sharing the same birthday as her older, beautiful, and ever so popular sister, she suffered sibling rivalry and taunting while living in her shadow. This resulted in a bruised ego and inferiority complex. She finally came into her own around her twenty-fifth birthday when she met vampire Nevi Sharpe.

If you can add a dreamcast pic of the character that would be greatJ

Describe yourself what is your worst and vest quality?

I would have to say my best quality is my ability for compassion when others can't find the means to offer it. My worst quality would have to be my lack of confidence that I'm working on lessening but has been with me a long time so may take a while to shift.

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

I wish I could tell the world that I'm a powerhouse when it comes to hunting down vampires, werewolves and such, but that's a side of me that has to stay low profile.

What is your biggest secret something no one knows about?

I sometimes wish I was a vampire so I could see the world through their eyes and live as long as the ones I love, yet I'm fearful of becoming one. Crazy, huh?

What are you most afraid of?

Dying before Nevi and our son, Bobby.

What do you want more than anything?

To live a good life with Nevi and Bobby and possibly have more children.

What is your relationship status?

Waiting for that marriage proposal I know is on the tip of Nevi's stubborn tongue.

How would you describe your sense of fashion?

I can dress for the occasion quite nicely, but most of the time I go casual.

How much of a rebel are you?

I stand up for myself when need be but I wouldn't call myself a rebel.

What do you considered to be your greatest achievement?

Giving birth to a beautiful half- vampire boy.

What is your idea of happiness?

Being Nevi's wife and raising our son together.

What is your current state of mind?

I'm happy to have Nevi back safe and sound and to be free of Geoffrey.

What is your most treasured possession?

Bobby

What is your most marked characteristic?

My waist long hair

What is it that you most dislike?

The fact that it takes so long to wash, dry and style my thick waist long hair!

Which living person do you most despise?

Geoffrey. I regret calling 911 for him.

What is your greatest regret?

Having to be the one required to cut mys sister's head off her dead body.

What is the quality you most like in a man?

Honesty

What is the quality you most like in a woman?

The same but compassion runs a close second.

Who is your favorite hero in fiction?

That would have to be Van Helsing. I love vampires who are lovers but not vampires who are evil and viscous so you go Van Helsing!

Which living person do you most admire?

Nevi. Since he's half human and vampires aren't the hollow chested creatures story tellers make them out to be, but very much alive, he's definitely the one I admire the most. He's compassionate, worldly, wise, rich, handsome and really sexy.

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

I'd get my psychic abilities under control.

What is your motto?

Listen to your heart, not your head.

 

 

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Eileen Sheehan lives in her native upstate New York where she enjoys the beauty of the New York Countryside.

When she is not sitting at the computer creating a new fantasy, she can be found helping her clients through her holistic business as Lena Sheehan a.k.a. Psychic Lena.

She takes advantage of her experiences, wisdom and knowledge of the paranormal and often finds ways to insert them into her writings.

http://www.sheehan-author.info

https://twitter.com/AuthorSheehan

https://www.facebook.com/sheehan.author

https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/14219489.Eileen_Sheehan

Book Blast, Giveaway & Interview: Idol of Glass by Jane Kindred @JaneKindred

 

 

Idol of Glass

Looking Glass Gods

Book 3

Jane Kindred

Genre: Dark fantasy with erotic

and romantic elements/LGBTQ

Publisher: Samhain Publishing

Date of Publication: October 27, 2015

ISBN: 978-161922-373-8

ASIN: B0118ZFO4W

Number of pages: 268

Word Count: 91,000

Cover Artist: Kanaxa

Book Description:

Madness didn't destroy her; atoning for it might.

Ra has ruined everything. Returning to life through “renaissance” was her first mistake. Magical excess was her second. Now she must face the consequences of her reckless conjuring. Her beloved Ahr is dead by her hand, and the comfort she’d found in gender-rebel Jak seems lost to her forever.

Ra takes solace in punishment—and in communion with her punisher, the mysterious and merciless MeerShiva. But Shiva has spun a skein of secrecy over centuries—secrets about Ra’s origins and the origins of the Meer themselves. And as the secrets begin to unravel, someone else’s magic is at work from the hidden realm. Someone with the ability to redraw the fabric of the world itself.

As the picture becomes clearer, Ra must face some harsh realities: not everything is about her, and punishment isn’t enough. She must stand before Jak and try to atone for what she’s done. But seeing Jak will reveal one more secret Ra never saw coming—and one that may mean her own undoing.

Product Warnings: Contains scenes of intense BDSM, non-binary genders, and a preponderance of kick-ass women.

Amazon ARe BN BooksaMillion iTunes Kobo Samhain

Even spattered in dried blood and pieces of the dead man’s flesh, they cut a striking pair of figures on the dunes of the falend. Jet and dark poppy, their hair hung down their backs in the colors of atrocity. Light caressed them, knowing they were more than human, rippling iridescent over their tresses like quicksilver in the presence of the divine.

As in the youth of her former life, Ra was attired in the manner of a Meeric prince, the plain kaftan of black silk muting much of the violence that covered her.

MeerShiva was less subtle, the pearl-embroidered train of her sheer citrine gown, from the same ancient era, dragging behind her, caked in mud from the heath they’d left behind. They were two livid strokes of pigment on the canvas of sun-blanched sand.

Satisfied with the decimation of the remains they’d dumped in the marsh outside the small trading post beyond Mole Downs, they had simply walked away, and continued walking until they’d left the high country altogether. Coming down out of the mound-riddled moors and across the lowland heath, they followed the Filial River toward the east, past the falls that plunged beneath the bluff at the wasteland’s edge, and into the high desert north of the Anamnesis delta, until at last even Meeric sensibility demanded rest.

The palette of the sky behind the scattered stars held the deep lack of pigment that came with the hours after midnight, and they were in the center of nothing, a vast stretch of arid land that separated mound country from the Deltan lowlands. With a few murmured words, Shiva raised a single tower around them, round and made of stone, with windowless walls that stretched up over them into immeasurable heights. Meeric conjuring was often merely out of whim, influenced by the current state of mind and body. They lay on a floor of heather, an anomalous afterthought, with barely a pause between waking and sleep.

§

Jak lay at Geffn’s side, staring at the ceiling. They shared a bed for comfort, though nothing more. The question of their long estrangement had been settled once and for all in the formal dissolution of their bond after Ahr’s body had been consigned to the elements in the Bone Fire. During all that ceremony—the harvest rites marking the turn of the year, the final parting with Ahr, the unbinding rite in which Jak and Geffn had cut the red braided strings they’d worn around their wrists to symbolize their union and set each other free—Jak had been in a state of stasis. Unable to feel anything, unable to fully comprehend the loss of Ahr, despite the grand Deltan memorial.

In mound culture, funeral rites were less dramatic. Haethfalters didn’t believe in the necessity of the destruction of the body by fire to free the spirit for its next life. Hadn’t, at least, until Ra had come, having effected her own cremation from the grave in order to hasten her return, “renaissanced” as a fully formed adult in an instant on a cold winter night. But that was an exception to the rule. Ra’s renaissance was devilry and madness, and Jak should have recognized it from the start.

Haethfalters practiced a form of sky burial, building a platform for the deceased and laying the body out in the elements to be excarnated by carrion birds. Burying bodies below ground was impractical in a place where the ground was frozen half the year and where underground real estate was at a premium for their souterrain dwellings. When the bones were picked clean, they were taken and placed in the family’s burial cairn—a place that didn’t require such deep digging, and which they had to dig only once, during the warmer months.

They’d used the sky burial platform as Ahr’s crematory, and Jak had watched his elements spiral up into the warm autumn wind. Smoke and embers and ash. It hadn’t seemed real. It hadn’t seemed like Ahr’s body wrapped in fragrant oils and spices and covered in flower garlands. It hadn’t seemed like anyone’s body at all as the platform was consumed in bright flames against the dusk sky. It had all been too surreal.

But there’d been no denying the reality once the urn was placed in Jak’s hands. Within the unassuming clay vessel was all that was left of Jak’s dearest friend.

Jak had led that final ceremony, the procession to the family cairn, the slow march alone down the dank steps beneath the circle of stones, accompanied by Oldman Rem’s mournful highland fiddle from above, to place Ahr’s vessel in the narrow vault that normally held the bones of the dead. By custom, and not belief, Jak murmured prayers to the ancestors—Jak’s mother, Fyn, and Fyn’s parents, whom Jak had never known—and then tried to say good-bye to Ahr somehow. The finality made it impossible, and Jak dropped onto wobbly knees before the vault and wept.

Ahr was family to Jak, and no one had questioned his interment under the cairn. Family, after all, was a broad term in mound society, having little to do with blood. In the niche beside Ahr’s were the bones of Fyn, the last person Jak had said good-bye to here. And on Fyn’s other side lay the remains of Geffn’s brother, Pim, who’d died before Geffn was born. They were all connected to Jak in one way or another. But kneeling there among the sputter of tallow candles as the sobs receded into sighs, Jak had felt the wrongness of it. Ahr was a Deltan. His ashes didn’t belong below the highland moor.

Jak sighed, still staring up at the stone ceiling. There was still so much damage in Haethfalt from the rains. It was a terrible time to leave. But Jak couldn’t let this wait until spring.

“I have to take him home.” Jak spoke in the darkness beside Geffn. “I know I’m needed here to help rebuild, but Merit deserves to know. They were lovers. He should have the ashes.”

“You do what you need to.” Geffn squeezed Jak’s hand atop the blanket. “The moundhold will be here for you. Whatever you decide to do will be all right.”

But it wasn’t true. It would not be all right. Nothing could ever be all right with so much gone wrong.

 

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

Yes. Since I wrote my first short story in grade school, I’ve wanted to be a writer. I toyed with the idea of going to medical school, but the studying got in the way of writing novels.

When did you first consider yourself a “writer”?

If you mean a professional writer, I guess that would be when I sold my first short story. But I’ve considered myself a writer since I started writing.

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

I had written six novels and a novella before any of them were accepted for publication. I started querying on the first novel in 1999 and the second novel in 2000. It was a novella I wrote in 2005 (The Devil’s Garden, the prequel to Looking Glass Gods) that was finally published in 2011, the same year my first novel was published a few months later—which was actually the third novel I’d written. (My second novel, which I’d started querying on in 2000, became the Looking Glass Gods trilogy that was published this year, of which Idol of Glass is the third part.)

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

My day job is editing for a multinational consulting firm. Not nearly as interesting as writing erotic paranormal romance and romantic fantasy.

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

My latest book is Idol of Glass, in which a reincarnated goddess seeks atonement for crimes committed in madness brought on by absorbing too much pain from others.

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

The Looking Glass Gods series is published by Samhain Publishing.

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

I try to write 1,000 words a day, which means it takes me about three months to complete a novel. Pre-work is usually a week or two, and I don’t usually plot out the whole story in advance.

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

I have a book in a slightly different genre coming out in December, The Lost Coast, which is m/f gothic paranormal romance. My next m/m fantasy romance, The Water Thief, comes out in March 2016.

What genre would you place your books into?

Most of my books are romantic fantasy or paranormal romance.

What made you decide to write that genre of book?

I write in the genres I’ve always enjoyed reading.

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

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

I’ve been writing since I was 11, and I was inspired by the books I read, particularly The Chronicles of Narnia, which was the first fantasy series I started reading at age 7.

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

I don’t have a hard-and-fast ritual that I have to follow, but I like to burn candles while I write, and I need it to be quiet. Very, very quiet.

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

I read them if I come across them, but I no longer seek them out. I used to check Goodreads obsessively to see if anyone had reviewed my books, but I don’t find it useful, because everyone’s taste is different and personal. I tend to take the bad reviews to heart despite the good reviews that outnumber them, so it isn’t healthy for me to keep looking for external validation that will just be crushed by a single, snarky DNF.

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

Usually, the book idea and the title come to me at the same time, though recently, I’ve been having a lot of trouble coming up with titles.

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

Again, they usually just come to me as I write, but sometimes I’ll want names that go with a particular language or culture, so I’ll search on baby name websites or sites related to that culture.

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

It’s mostly a simultaneous process.

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

The characters tell me who they are as the story progresses.

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

I wouldn’t say they’re hidden, no.

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

I have a slight preference for paperbacks just because I like to have a physical object to hold, but I enjoying reading just as much when it’s an ebook. I usually can’t afford to buy hardbacks, and they’re heavy, so while they’re a much nicer physical object to own, they’re not as much fun to hold and cart around.

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

The Silver Chair by C.S. Lewis. I’ve read it dozens of times. I think I enjoy reading about men who are tied up. ;)

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

It depends on how it’s done. If people get hung up on putting every moment of a book on film, it isn’t going to work. The Harry Potter books are probably the best translation to film that I’ve seen. The worst in recent memory is the obviously money-motivated stretching of The Hobbit into three movies. By the third one, it was absurd and tedious.

Your favorite food is?

Chocolate, the darker the better. Extra points if it’s cake.

Your favorite singer/group is?

My current favorite is Daft Punk. Longtime favorites are Kate Bush and Prince.

Your favorite color is?

Purple. (See Prince.)

Your favorite Author is?

Shakespeare.

 

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Jane Kindred is the author of epic fantasy series The House of Arkhangel’sk, Demons of Elysium, and Looking Glass Gods. She spent her formative years ruining her eyes reading romance novels in the Tucson sun and watching Star Trek marathons in the dark. She now writes to the sound of San Francisco foghorns while two cats slowly but surely edge her off the side of the bed.

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Book Blast: Halloween: Henry, Saddara and the Neighborhood by Juli Draney

 

 

Halloween: Henry, Saddara and the Neighborhood

Juli Draney

Genre: Fiction, Fantasy, Paranormal, Halloween

Date of Publication: October 2012

Word Count: 9,868

Cover Artist: Mark Garcia

Book Description:

Looking for another fun Halloween story to add to your repertoire? "Halloween: Henry, Saddara and the Neighborhood" is a fictional chapter book for children of all ages! The story depicts the colorful scenes of a legendary Halloween night through the eyes of Henry, a rugged, but sophisticated black cat. The story takes the reader to the quaint town of Greenwood. Henry enjoys his human family and the sights in the town on Halloween, but ventures out into the foothills to his favorite place, the haunted Hostetler mansion.

Henry experiences many supernatural events on his adventure to the old mansion near the woods, including interactions with and sightings of witches, werewolves, musical vampires, ghosts, goblins, and zombies. Henry has a dear friend who inhabits the Hostetler mansion, the ghost of a little girl named Saddara. Saddara's touching story is told in this tale and receives a powerful resolution. Henry somehow escapes this incredible adventure with his life, a scarred ear and wise lessons to impart.

“Halloween: Henry, Saddara and the Neighborhood” is Halloween fun with beauty and wisdom brewed in!

This book is also a Rock Opera Dance Musical!

Available at Amazon

Excerpt from “Meet Henry”

“Do you take one lump of sugar or two? Or seven?” asked little Saddara. Then she erupted into a high pitched giggle.

“I’ll take seven sugars and I would like a mouse on the side,” I answered as we both laughed and sighed. Our pretend tea parties in the rose garden of the old mansion were delightful!

“Well, I guess it’s time for me to go now,” said Saddara. “I don’t know when mother and father and the boys will be here, but I will wait. I am sure they are coming!” With a pet on my head, she would fade away back into her bedroom. I would then make my way home through the lovely, wooded foothills. Those were fun times I had with Saddara. I’ll tell you all about her later on.

I’m Henry, the beloved cat of the Rodriguez-Haskell family. I’m a black cat and a Tom. That and my scruffy, torn ear add to my irresistible charm. I live in the quaint town of Greenwood, named for its beautiful, green foothills. I’m a mix of ruffian and spoiled house cat (though I hate to admit the latter). I’ve garnered quite a bit of street smarts from my nightly cat adventures. I know every back alley and criminal joint in Greenwood, as well as the swanky, uptown parts. My family allows me to roam at night wherever I please, thanks to the cat door they installed. It’s nice to have my true nature recognized. We cats are complex characters, just like humans. I can enjoy a Shakespearean sonnet as well as dumpster diving for a delicious, discarded meal. By the way, you humans should try scavenging more. You’re missing out on all the fun!

I certainly didn’t receive my scruffy, torn ear from a human. I got it from a zombie in an epic battle on a legendary Halloween night. Halloween is my very favorite night of the year as it’s a night when my irresistible charms seem to frighten people out of their mind. If you have more time, I’ll share with you the story of one of the most incredible nights of my life - a night when my fierce scrappiness and sharp intellect were fully used. I must say, I’ve had many such nights. After all, I’m a cat.

Excerpt from “Vampires”

I saw something black lift up from the ground in the cemetery, like a hinged door. Then another one just like it opened a small distance away, still in the cemetery, then several more. They all seemed to open and close in unison. Open-slam-open-slam-open-slam-open-slam! They looked like coffins! I saw a cloaked, human-looking figure emerge from one, then another. These figures all seemed to be men in black cloaks, rising and moving rather calmly and gracefully in the moonlit fog of the night. Vampires.

The total count was eight. They were quietly walking and walking, slowly, without expression around the beautiful garden veranda near the cemetery and the front lawn of the mansion. They had shiny, groomed black hair that glistened in the moonlight, and a pale hue to their skin in cool tones. Some had white streaks blazing through their black hair. Their garments were impeccably beautiful. They wore woolen, pin-striped suits, with the finest tailoring I had ever seen. Long black capes draped from their necks around suit vests and slacks. They wore red roses on their lapels. Their shoes shone in the night like their hair.

After a bit of their calm pacing, I saw one go back to his coffin and produce a chair, then of all things, a beautiful cello and bow.

Excerpt from “The Return”

Exhausted, I walked over right in front of the guitar god zombie, still playing his guitar ferociously. I could still hear the howls of the werewolves and the cackle of the witches in the forest. Catrina and the vampires had fused their music with the zombies forming a type of Halloween heavy metal, funk tango dirge which was truly exhilarating. This was musical fusion as I had never heard before! It was like a rock concert in heaven and hell at the same time. The haunting yet extremely alive music, the cackling, the howling…it all climaxed into a great musical sound that seemed to summon the very sky and enter beyond time. It was totally overwhelming and reached an almost unbearable level of exhilaration. Then, suddenly it all stopped - dead silent. The vampires ceased their playing and dancing. Catrina and her partner stopped mid-turn.

 

Juli is a freelance musician, piano teacher and author living in Boise, Idaho. She has accompanied professional dance for many years. She was inspired to write her book in order to compose a Halloween ballet, which turned into a “Rock Opera Dance Musical”. She enjoys teaching, performing, writing, composing, and hanging with her daughter and two dachshunds.

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