Tuesday, August 27, 2013

TEASER TUESDAY AND BOLERO



I'm following the lead of Christine Rains  – it's called Teaser Tuesday! Felt like being a copy cat today!

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. Anyone can play along! Just do the following: 

Grab your current read

Open to a random page

Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page


BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!) 


Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!


Bolero is a novel by Joanie McDonell and introduces Private Eye Nick Sayler. It's a great read, fun, fast, and engrossing!

Here's your teaser:

… Julia Carteret had become, over only one decade, an almost mythic figure. Ironically, it took the circumstances of her death to prove that she was human. (page 137 of the book!) 

Blurb:

Bolero introduces Nick Sayler, the private investigator who lives aboard a Hudson River barge with a brilliant savant, a retired psychiatrist and a stunning Creole girl. But Sayler’s haunted by memories of the woman who took a bullet meant for him, so his good life is belied by a bad drinking habit.

Then an emergency room doctor’s desperate call about a ballerina with no memory and nothing on her except his card, changes everything. If he can dip into his notorious past to uncover the secret that will save the dancer, maybe he can finally save himself.

The Author:

Joanie McDonell, who once spent a lot of time aboard a barge very much like the Dumb Luck, now lives on the beach near the eastern end of Long Island. She's written poems, screenplays, the novel Half Crazy, and The Little Book of Hope. She is currently at work on the next book featuring Private Investigator Nick Sayler.

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Happy Tuesday!

Wednesday, August 14, 2013

POLAR NIGHT WITH JULIE FLANDERS



Today I welcome Julie Flanders the author of Polar Night; she's agreed to answer a few questions. 


1.  Tell us a little about the journey of Polar Night – inception to publishing. Based on your journey do you have any advice for novice writers?


The idea for Polar Night came from a dream I had back in 2011. I dreamed that I was on an ocean liner in the 1920s and met a man who talked about a woman he had loved and lost in Russia during World War I. It was a strange dream and involved significantly more detail than the dreams I usually have! I originally planned to set the story in Finland but I realized quickly that I was way out of my depth and it would be much better for me to set it in the United States. Eventually it all came together in Alaska and the Russian history of Alaska fit amazingly well with the story.


Once the ideas were in place I wrote the story fairly quickly and began shopping it around in the spring of 2012. I sent out queries to agents and to small presses and eventually found my home with Ink Smith Publishing in the fall of 2012. The book was released in February 2013 so there really wasn’t a big time gap between the inception of the story and its publication.


I still think of myself as a novice so I don’t know if I am qualified to give any advice, but I would definitely encourage writers to look into all of the different publishing avenues that are available. I have friends who have gone with agents and traditional publishing houses, friends who have published with small presses like I did, and friends who have self-published. I don’t think there is any right way to do it – do your research and decide which path is the right one for you to pursue.


2.  Polar Night is a supernatural thriller, is that your favorite genre? What are your long-term writing goals? Tell us a little about your next project.


I don’t really have a favorite genre, but I definitely enjoy writing stories with some kind of supernatural or paranormal element. My next project is called The Ghosts of Aquinnah and it will be published in December 2013. As you can guess from the title, it features at least one ghost, so while it’s not a thriller it does have a supernatural element. It’s a combination love story, ghost story, and mystery and it takes place in both 1884 and in the present day on the island of Martha’s Vineyard.


One of my writing goals is to continue writing novels and I hope to have the sequel to Polar Night written by next year. I also want to do more freelance writing and hope to write features for print and online media outlets.


3.  If you could change anything about the world today, what would it be and why and if you could change one thing about your life what would it be?


If I could change one thing about my life, I would go back in time and start writing earlier. I didn’t start taking my writing seriously until I was in my 40s and I wish I had realized this was what I wanted to do much sooner. I feel like I wasted quite a few years! But then I also think maybe I needed to make the mistakes I did in order to get to the place I am now.

If I could change one thing about the world, I would stop the treatment of women as second-class (or worse) citizens in so many places. I recently became familiar with the Half the Sky movement, which works to halt the oppression of women and girls worldwide, and it was both eye-opening and horrifying. The gender-based violence, forced prostitution, and lack of education and opportunity for girls that is all too common in many areas is simply infuriating.


4. What is our favorite quote, why, and how have you applied it to your life?


My favorite quote is “It is never too late to be what you might have been” by George Eliot. I went through a difficult period of depression around the time I turned 40 and came upon this quote at that time. I put it up on my refrigerator and it’s been there ever since. It helped me stop focusing on the past and what I hadn’t done and focus instead on the future and what I wanted to do. I started writing and my whole attitude about life changed.  

Thanks Julie, for sharing your journey with us!



Book Blurb:  Polar Night

When Detective Danny Fitzpatrick leaves his hometown of Chicago and moves to Fairbanks, Alaska he wants nothing more than to escape the violence and heartbreak that left his life in pieces. Numbed by alcohol and the frozen temperatures of an Alaskan winter, Danny is content with a dead-end job investigating Fairbanks' cold cases. That all changes when a pretty blond woman goes missing on the winter solstice, and Danny stumbles upon some surprising connections between her disappearance and that of another Fairbanks woman three years earlier. Forced out of his lethargy, Danny sets out to both find the missing woman and solve his own cold case.


The investigation points Danny towards Aleksei Nechayev, the handsome and charming proprietor of an old asylum turned haunted tourist attraction in the Arctic town of Coldfoot. As he tries to find a link between Nechayev and his case, Danny's instinct tells him that Nechayev is much more than what he seems.


Danny has no idea that Nechayev is hiding a secret that is much more horrifying than anything he could ever have imagined. As his obsession with finding the missing women grows, Danny finds his own life in danger. And when the truth is finally revealed, the world as he knows it will never be the same.




Julie Flanders is a novelist and freelance writer who has written for both online and print publications. She is an animal lover and shares her home in Cincinnati, Ohio with her dog and cat. Her debut novel Polar Night, a paranormal suspense thriller, is now available from Ink Smith Publishing at Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and Smashwords. Her second novel, The Ghosts of Aquinnah, will be published by Ink Smith in December, 2013. Find Julie online at her website, and on her blog, Twitter, Goodreads, Pinterest, and Facebook.



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Julie is hosting me today on her blog as I talk about my Alaskan Adventure and the inspiration for my books.

Tuesday, August 13, 2013

THAT FATAL KISS

Today I am thrilled to be presenting the debut novel of Mina Lobo of the blog Some Dark Romantic.

Mina Lobo has long held a passion for Greek mythology. The story of the goddess Persephone's marriage-by-kidnap to Hades, Lord of the Underworld, has particularly fascinated her, and thus came about Mina's debut novel, That Fatal Kiss. Coming September 2013, the revisionist tale features a fiery and noble heroine, a handsome and broody hero, and some heated, earth-shakin' lovin'!

Given Mina's self-professed neurotic nature, it took her and cover artist Steven Novak a few go-arounds before settling on the cover design for That Fatal Kiss. It had to be curiously compelling, slightly spooky, and yet super sexy—and so it is!


The Book:

Feared by mortals for his inexorable power, and loathed by his fellow Greek gods for the same, Hades rules the Underworld alone. A stark eternity looms before him until he discovers Persephone. Struck by the youthful goddess’ beauty, kindness, and spirit, he must have her. But Hades believes Persephone could never love him, and so he conspires with his powerful brother, Zeus, to take her by force.

Persephone too seeks a mate but her possessive mother, the goddess Demeter, frustrates her husband hunting. Then Hades abducts Persephone, tearing her away from the Upperworld she loves to reign with him in the dank depths below. Though outraged, Persephone cannot deny the desire ignited within her by the dark lord’s touch. And even as she hopes that Demeter will unearth her, Persephone aches to surrender to the heat in Hades’ immortal soul.

The Teaser:


“Enough,” Hades said, closing the distance between them. “I have taken you with your father’s consent, as custom allows. You are in my kingdom, under my rule, and if you have any care for your continued well-being, you will get into my bed. Now.” And with the removal of the pins that held together the black cloth about his waist, he stood naked before her.


The anger warming Persephone clashed with another fire that roared to life within her. She choked on a breath and turned her face from him. “Be warned; I will resist you with the full force of my being, through violent means, if necessary.”

His large, unyielding hands encircled the soft flesh of her upper arms as he said, “If you must. Though your surrender to me would prove more satisfying to us both.”

The Author:


Mina Lobo has a lot of Scorpio action going on in her natal chart, which makes for a rather sybaritic and lust-driven Sagittarian. She aims for a wildly successful future as a writer of dark and whimsical romance while dodging the slings and arrows of her outrageous teenaged son, who's buggered off to college (hence the "Lite" in her Twitter handle, below). She enjoys comedic horror and alt rock, goth, & new wave music, as well as quality Belgian chocolates.

Mina invites you to keep abreast of updates regarding That Fatal Kiss, as well as the development of any new neuroses, by stalking her at her usual haunts:





On Facebook: mina.lobo.1


On the Twitter: @GothMomLite



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Wow! That is one hot introduction! Congratulations Mina!

Wednesday, May 29, 2013

MEET PHARAOH AKHENATEN


KATIE HAMSTEAD

Pharaoh Akhenaten reigned during the 18th Dynasty of Egypt. He is famous for being the "heretic King" because he abandoned the traditional religion for monotheism and worship of a minor god, the Aten. Akhenaten is the Pharaoh which Naomi/Kiya is forced to marry in Kiya: Hope of the Pharaoh.

1. What do people notice first about you?

My appearance. My physical deformities are pronounced, and make people avert their eyes so they do not stare. I sense my wives' disgust with me, even if none of them say it.

2. What one physical attribute would you change? 

My long fingers and toes.

3. What are you most afraid of? 

Betrayal. As Pharaoh, every day I must keep vigilant for those who would have me dead. Even people closest to me could turn at any moment.

4. What's the most important thing in your life? What do you value most?

The most important thing in my life is my loyal wives and children. I love each of them, but the ones who give me their allegiance in return are my favorites. Loyalty is a rare commodity in a royal household.

5. What is your idea of perfect happiness?

Where everyone is happy, and no one lives in fear. That is my vision, why I built my city, so all could start anew under the wise and gracious Aten.

6. What is your most treasured possession?

Nefertiti and our daughters, but Kiya is also rising in my graces as she holds a strong loyalty to me.

7. What is the quality you most like in a woman?

Loyalty, charm, grace and fertility.

8. What do you most value in your friends?

Again I would say loyalty. I have very few friends as a Pharaoh. Most men wish to use me for my power,and give me their daughters for treaties and trade agreements. Finding loyalty among such circumstances is difficult, so when I find it, I hold it close to my heart.

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

My health. Although I am Aten's offspring, my body is weak. I am terribly limited as a result, and sense that I will not live to old age.

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Oh yes, Kiya. Make him love you, make him hold you in his highest regard....

When Naomi’s sisters are snatched up to be taken to be wives of the erratic Pharaoh, Akhenaten, she knows they won’t survive the palace, so she offers herself in their place. The fearsome Commander Horemheb sees her courage, and knows she is exactly what he is looking for…

The Great Queen Nefertiti despises Naomi instantly, and strips her of her Hebrew lineage, including her name, which is changed to Kiya. Kiya allies herself with Horemheb, who pushes her to greatness and encourages her to make the Pharaoh fall in love with her. When Akhenaten declares Kiya will be the mother of his heir, Nefertiti, furious with jealousy, schemes to destroy Kiya.

Kiya must play the deadly game carefully. She is in a silent battle of wills, and a struggle for who will one day inherit the crown. If she does bear an heir, she knows she will need to fight to protect him, as well as herself, from Nefertiti who is out for blood.


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 Introducing - Katie Hamstead

Born and raised in Australia, Katie's early years of day dreaming in the "bush", and having her father tell her wild bedtime stories, inspired her passion for writing.

After graduating High School, she became a foreign exchange student where she met a young man who several years later she married. Now she lives in Arizona with her husband, daughter and their dog.


She has a diploma in travel and tourism which helps inspire her writing. She is currently at school studying English and Creative Writing.


Katie loves to out sing her friends and family, play sports and be a good wife and mother. She now works as a Clerk with a lien company in Arizona to help support her family and her schooling. She loves to write, and takes the few spare moments in her day to work on her novels.

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Thank you Katie, it was an honor to have the Pharaoh visit today!

Congratulations!

Saturday, February 26, 2011

ISLAND GIRL by LYNDA SIMMONS



REVIEW OF

ISLAND GIRL

by

LYNDA SIMMONS


It is a question that makes you think – What Would You Do If You Were Told You Had Alzheimer’s – it is also a question that Lynda Simmons answers, at least for her protagonist Ruby Donaldson.

Ruby has just learned that she has a new friend, Big Al, (Alzheimer’s) and her immediate thoughts are of her family. How can she prepare them, protect them, and still maintain her independence? However, her family is estranged and stubbornly uncooperative. Even after they find out that she is ill, they find it hard to be sympathetic. Raising yet another question-- when a terminal illness hits is it really that easy to forgive and forget the misdeeds of the past.

Lynda delves into all those questions with skill, heart, and thoughtful reality. Her characters are people you know, the family dynamics genuine, but with any terminal illness, there is no happy ending. Yet Lynda Simmons gives you an ending that you will find satisfying, because it is selfless and filled with the warmth of genuine compassion. It brought tears to my eyes and required a handful of tissues to get through, but it was one of the most beautiful stories I have ever read of love and forgiveness, while staying true to the strength of its main character.

I highly recommend ISLAND GIRL. Ruby Donaldson will be someone you will recall fondly as a friend who touched your heart because Lynda Simmons created her that way.

Yolanda Renee
02/24/2011


To learn more about Lynda Simmons and her book ISLAND GIRL go to www.lyndasimmons.com

Join us Thursday afternoon for a fascinating conversation.

Just follow this link to listen via your computer:



http://www.blogtalkradio.com/yolandarenee/2011/03/03/a-conversation-with-author-lynda-simmons-1

Or call (347) 215-9536 – you can listen to the show or ask Lynda a question. All shows are downloadable from iTunes.