Spotlight on...Celia Breslin!

I'd like to introduce you all to a new author who wrote a book I really enjoyed reading...

Vampires, love, and mayhem...from Celia Breslin

Haven

Tranquilli Bloodline Series, Book 1

by Celia Breslin

Blurb

San Francisco nightclub owner Carina Tranquilli works hard, plays hard, and never allows the death of her parents and her twelve-year memory gap to get her down. But her life takes a left turn when a witch attacks her on her twenty-fifth birthday.

Three hauntingly familiar vampires emerge to reveal she possesses a latent power. To protect her from their enemies, they admit to wiping her memories clean and abandoning her as a child, but now they need her help. As she struggles to evade her new protectors and even newer enemies, she meets Alexander, an enigmatic, undead musician. Insta-lust flares, leaving her wanting more.

With evil’s minions hounding her every move, and everything she thought she knew turned on its head, Carina must harness her burgeoning power, unravel her vampire family’s web of deceit, and fight to have a love life...without getting killed in the process.

Buy Links

Amazon | All Romance Ebooks | B&N | Champagne | Smashwords | Kobo

Excerpt

Turn around.

I froze, my moment of weakness chased away by a jolt of adrenaline. I resisted Adrian’s pull. “Did you hear that?”

“Hear what?”

Silence.

“Nothing, I guess.” A wave of energy rolled into me, curled itself possessively around my body, and gave me one hell of a head rush. “Oh, wow.” I bit my lip, bracing against reaction.

Adrian tightened his grip on my waist. “Rina?”

Mark and Ren stalked over, faces grim.

“Did—? Do you—?” My mouth was so dry I could barely speak. “Do you guys feel that?”

Adrian squeezed, capturing my wandering attention, concern etched in the stern set of his jaw. “Feel what? What’s wrong?”

I started to tell them the Invisible Man hugged me against an electrified fence, but a second wave of energy bowled into me, making me tingle from head to toe. The sensation walked the line between pleasure and pain. A moan escaped me.

Mark took me from Adrian. “That’s it. We’re out of here.” He tried to pick me up, but I shook my head. Bad idea. Dizziness took the hall, and me, for a little spin.

Turn around. Turn. Around.

Was it a voice or instinct urging me on? Either way, the desire proved irresistible. I pulled away from Mark, pivoted, and forgot how to breathe.

The electric energy pulled back. The dizziness abated. All extraneous noise and people drained out of my perception until there was only Him.

Tall, fit, and bad-boy handsome with skin like pale honey, his thick, walnut brown hair hung tousled in a sexy, I-just-got-out-of-bed way. A hip, black, button-down shirt accentuated a sculpted upper body before it tucked into slacks painted on long, lean legs. The whole package made my mouth water.

Hot. Yummy. Totally my type.

“Who are you?” I whispered.

His mouth twitched in a hint of a smile as if he heard me—impossible given the distance between us. Heat spread, loosening my muscles, and my pulse sped up. Nerves. What’s wrong with me? Guys never made me nervous, not even gorgeous ones.

I nibbled my lower lip, mind racing to make sense of my reaction. His gaze tracked the movement and then slid back up. The heat from his stare hit me full force, driving a shaft of need through me. Energy rocked me again, a warm, electric breeze bathing my skin. My eyes widened in comprehension. The energy came from him.

About the Author: 

Celia Breslin writes urban fantasy and paranormal romance. She grew up enchanted by stories of vampires and the Fae, including her Irish grandma’s encounter with a Banshee in her root cellar. Imagination fueled, she penned many stories as a youth. She later earned a masters degree in French Lit. and worked as a teacher, producer, (nonfiction) writer, editor, and copyeditor, but vamps and the Fae kept calling her back to fiction writing. Celia lives in California with her family and two feisty cats. When not writing, you’ll find her exercising, reading a good book or indulging her addiction to Joss Whedon’s TV shows and movies.

Find out more online!

Website | Twitter | Facebook | Goodreads  

Interview with debut author, Graeme Brown!

   Today we have a guest on the blog! Graeme Brown is joining us to talk about writing, inspiration and his new release, The Pact. Thanks so much for joining us, Graeme, and happy book birthday!

      Tell me about yourself and the books you write.

I would call myself an adventurous soul. Very artistic, but also a designer at heart. This has led me to study math and computer programming, and has led to several years making a living as a free-lance web designer. All of these things, though, feel auxiliary and add to my desire to express; writing is my heart.

I have been a story-teller since I was old enough to talk. I have a very active imagination. All it took for me was the discovery of Tolkien, then some of the other masters after him, to realize what I wanted to do with that imagination.

I write because I have a world full of stories, and I want to share it with people. But I quickly learned that this “writing” isn’t just about sitting down and putting pen to page (or phosphors to screen). It’s an active process of development, refinement, and it takes commitment. So, I guess you could say I write because I know if I want to get those stories out, I need to get myself in shape. For example, The Pact was my first story, something small where I could learn how to hold a tale together; my current work, a novel, is a little more complex, but I have intentionally grounded it in one POV so that I can learn how to succeed with a story about one character before moving onto the next novel, which will have many.

·         Describe your hero in three words.

Naïve, frightened, betrayed

·          

·         Do you have any Works in Progress?

A Thousand Roads, the above-mentioned novel, has been in progress since November. I began it as a longer novella for NaNoWriMo, but quickly discovered it was a different sort of beast. I am moving into the last quarter and expect, after it has gone through beta readers and some polishing, to have it submitted by the fall.

·         What inspired The Pact and Will?

I attended a workshop on outlining which really struck home. I had never understood outlining before this. Usually, I just started at the beginning, and this was always the beginning of a very long story that I was hopelessly lost in by page 100. One of the topics stressed at this workshop was the prudence of starting with a short story and getting some credit before moving to something ambitious.

The following morning, while walking to work, I tried to think of the one-sentence premise we learned is the main container for a good outline. Several came to me, but one really stuck. I met two boys, both brothers, who lived next to the mountains, a place full of goblins and trolls and wicked creatures who were going to come and destroy their home. As I followed the steps for expanding the outline, I stayed grounded in one of them, the frightened, cowardly one, and soon the rest of the tale started taking shape around him.

·         What is the most challenging part of storytelling for you?

Doubting myself. I am by far my worst critic, and I’m very sensitive to criticism. If it wasn’t for the encouragement of a good friend, who is a fan of George R. R. Martin, I would have put ThePact away. Taking the risk and submitting – having to believe in myself – was a big step and it helps me even now while I am writing The Pact’s sequel as I deal with a story that’s ten times more complex. But I’ve learned that, when it comes to writing, I’m not bad at it, and, more importantly, because I love it so much and I do it every day, I’m always getting better. I’ve learned to have good beta readers, and my partner, Craig, is a great support by giving me fresh feedback on each chapter as I finish.

·         When did you know you were a storyteller?

Very recently. It was the follow-up to becoming an author and getting into a daily writing routine that I realized, amidst full-time studies and ambition to be a mathematician, that writing is the thing I would choose, if I could only choose one. Basically, I’m in the position now that, given every opportunity I can, financially speaking, I would like to invest more in the writing life. I am extremely disciplined, and like to have structure in how I work, and, being a lover of organization, there would be nothing neater than starting the “Office for the epic.” That would be cool, and a life dream realized.

·         Who is your favorite author? Who inspired you?

That changes with time. Usually, I encounter a new author every couple of years and am profoundly altered. The first was Tolkien, who created a yearning that led to the fantasy world I’ve been developing for the last seventeen years. Next it was Robert Jordan, who showed me how to deepen the narrative landscape of an epic. Lastly, and most recently, George R. R. Martin came along and, though studying his prose, I discovered a tone very similar to mine; in the process of reading him, I had that epiphany every writer hopes to have, where I finally figured out how to connect to my voice, so that, when I sit down and write, it’s not just words coming out on the page – it’s a drama unfolding that’s as real as anything else.

·        Quick Questions:

Coffee or Tea? Coffee, and LOTS of it!

Plotter or Pantser? A bit of both. I like to plot the best way to pull the pants down

Traveler or Writing Cave Dweller? Traveler (seeking out a good cave-tour for places to write in)

Ebook or Paper? Paper

Favorite color? Green

Favorite movie? The King’s Speech

Cats or Dogs? Cats

Night or Day? Hmm...depends on my mood

·         What is your daily writing routine? What do you do when writer’s block strikes?

I write every day. The exception is sometimes on weekends, when it my self-imposed rule to take a break (I am a recovering work-a-holic). Usually, I write in the earlier part of the day, or else I find, with my many blog and school commitments, writing gets shoved aside.

When writer’s block strikes, I strike back. I find that having a good outlining strategy presents many ways to overcome writing block. When I can’t think of what to write next, I will look at my notes, ask questions about what I’ve just written. Sometimes this means the cursor goes back several pages. Other times I might pop ahead to the frames for scenes to come. Something always jogs me and several dozen new words come out. Usually it’s more than that, but on rough days, this process means that, if I don’t turn out a lot of new words, at least I have spent time developing the draft.

·         Is there anything else you’d like to say to the readers?

I’m grateful for your love of reading. One of the biggest struggles I face when I think about the time spent as a writer is the feeling that it’s irrelevant. I have to quiet that little voice that tells me I should get a real job and contribute something useful. Why should someone get paid to write stories? It’s impractical.

Readers are the evidence against this. You never know what impact a book is going to have on someone, how it might shape their world. It could be the comfort needed during a hard time, it could be the insight that helps someone get out of a slump. It might be just plain fun, in which case, poo-poo to those who think there are better things to do in life than enjoy it.

Thank you, readers, for being the cheer that’s helped me to be who I really am, that’s given me the courage to give this passion me all. All the hard work I do, I do for you.

Links:

Website | Twitter | To buy The Pact  | Amazon | Kobo

Thanks, Virg, for this opportunity to share. It’s been great working with you, and I look forward to our next project together.

Thank you for stopping by the blog!!

New Release- Kristy Denice Bock -The Light

I have been a fan of Kristy Denice Bock's since way back in my reviewer days when one of her Divine books crossed my desk.  Her ability to mix snark, mythos, romance and characters that leap off the page enchanted me. So when I heard she had a new series...one with angels and demons, I had to read it.

Now you can, too, since the first book of this engaging new series, The Light, is available NOW!!

Blurb:

When Madison goes to sleep at night, she transcends into the body of another woman. Each night she wakes as a victim of a violent, senseless crime. With each waking day she bears their pain, experiences their death, and is helpless to stop it from happening. With only her aging butler at her side, Madison tries to survive each day without falling into madness.
Brian Brinkley chose to save the life of his young ward marked for death. Thrust from the heavens because he dared disobey God, he tries to find some type of life quiet life among the humans. One chance meeting with Madison and his tranquility is shattered.  When she becomes the target of a sadistic man, he vows to do everything in his power to protect her.

Grab your copy today!!

Amazon |  All Romance Ebooks  |  Champagne Bookstore

About the Author:

       I’ve learned that Life isn’t what you make of it. It’s what you can roll with, survive, rob Peter to pay Paul for, and still manage to find joy in the little things like high heels that don’t pinch, or there actually being toilet paper in the bathroom. If I can have a good hair day now and again, well color me happy. I took up writing at an early age. As the mom of 4, it just made sense to escape.  To most people this was a career choice, but really I’m an eternal daydreamer who happens to enjoy being the center of my own literary universe.

Check out her Website Here.

 

New Release!! ~ Earth Witches Aren't Easy by Heather Long

I have to say, I love this title.  When I got to read the book, I got totally wrapped up in the world of Chance Monroe and I'm thrilled this is a series and there is more to come.

With a voice that reminds me, in all the best ways, of Kim Harrison or early Laurell K. Hamilton, Long lets us step into the head of earth witch, Chance, while she delves into her past.  Sometimes the past won't stay buried, after all, and to overcome it, you've got to face it head on.

Blurb:
He’s supposed to be dead…
Nearly a decade ago, hedge witch Chance Monroe’s life irrevocably changed. She survived the attack of a serial killer. His death should have set her free.
But he’s killing again…
When her ex-lover shows up on her porch, Chance isn’t ready to hear Randall Oakes is still alive and less prepared for the sea of emotion swamping her. One man wants her dead and the other just wants her. When the FBI offers protective custody, Chance refuses. Connected to the earth, Chance must rely on her supernatural senses and her wits to survive this game of cat and mouse.
This time, she plans to teach her hunter a lesson…
In the farm rich countryside of her native Northern Virginia, Chance must confront her troubled past, a supernatural adversary and a sizzling passion that’s lain dormant for years to survive….
Earth witches aren’t easy targets…

For an excerpt of this story, check out Heather's website here.

Pick up your copy today! 
Amazon   | All Romance Ebook | Champagne Bookstore | Bookstrand
Happy Writing!

Cover Art Reveal - Taming of a Sex God

I'm super excited about this upcoming March release with Carnal Passions.  Launching their sexy Aphrodite's Island line, Taming of a Sex God was a blast to write and hopefully readers find it just as fun to read.

Blurb:

Being a sex god isn't easy...

Yes has been a sex god for centuries. No one wrote stories or songs about him but they sure do remember to call out his name at the peak of pleasure. Satisfying the world by fulfilling their carnal needs, he is no stranger to Aphrodite's Island. When his sister, troublemaker that she is, calls him home for what she deems a 'special' job, he shudders to think what she could want.

Being frigid is worse...

Katie can't get off. She's determined it's physically impossible. She's tried everything--toys, men, women, flogging. It's just not happening. Finding an ad for a tropical island promising 'ultimate fantasy experiences' she figures it's worth a shot. It's not going to work, but it's worth a shot.

Passion beyond her wildest dreams...

Who knew the one man who can trip her trigger would refuse to touch her? The more he backs off, the more he tempts her. Katie is fascinated by the man Miss A has sharing her hotel room but, although he seems attracted, he won't do the deed.

Can Katie manage Taming a Sex God?

Thanks all and look for this coming March 4th, 2013 from Carnal Passions!

Happy Writing!

The Next Big Thing Blog!! ~ Rumor Has It

I got tagged in the Next Big Thing blog hop by Mary J. Mccoy-Dressel!  So this is my Next Big Thing blog, featuring my April release with Champagne Book Group.

      1)      What is the working title of your novel?

Rumor Has It

      2)      Where did the idea for the novel come from?

I was listening to a song, actually.  I live in a very small town where everyone knows your name, backstory, and projected future.  Whether their opinion on any of these things are correct or not has little bearing on what everyone ‘knows’ so rumors tend to make the world go round.  Just thinking back to some of the more interesting things I’ve heard about myself—most stranger than any fiction I could concoct—I found the premise for this fun erotic romantic story.

3)      What genre does your novel fall under?

Contemporary Erotic Romance

4)      Which actors would you choose to play your characters in a movie rendition?

Well, it’s sort of got a romcom feel, so Sandra Bullock and Ryan Reynolds would be awesome.  I adore Ryan’s chest.  *purrs*

5)      What is the one sentence synopsis of your novel?

An Elvis Impersonator, a single mother/former showgirl, The World’s Longest long game, and one precocious child…Rumor Has It things are getting interesting.

6)      Will your novel be self-published or represented by an agency?

Rumor Has It will be out in April from Champagne Book Group.

7)      How long did it take to write the first draft of your manuscript?

Oh, two days?  It’s a shorter story.  Edits took longer than writing it.

8)      What other novels would you compare this book to within your genre?

Um…I don’t know.  I’ve not really tried to compare my work to others.

9)      Who or what inspired you to write this novel?

I have a friend who asked if I wrote a book about him.  So, this one is very, very loosely my response.  Lol!  He also lives in this small town and the rumormills have run him through their storytelling before so I figured he would see the humor there.

10)  What else about your novel might pique the reader’s interest?

Elvis? Check.  Showgirl? Check.  Small town? Check.  Hot romance? Check.  Um, besides that, it’s full of snark and humor…

Blurb:

Elvis left the building a long time ago…

Liz knows that there are some things you just can’t live down. Marrying an Elvis impersonator was one of her biggest mistakes yet when he comes rolling back into town, needing a place to couch surf, she can’t say no to the father of her child.

And someone else took his place…

Jeremy has been engaged in the world’s longest long game. For thirteen years he has loved Liz and her daughter but never made a move, waiting for the right moment. When her ex-husband shows up out of the blue, he realizes it is time to put up or shut up.

But now that Elvis is back, the rumors are flying.

Jeremy makes his move, leaving Liz in a tailspin. Elvis comes back, the man she has always secretly loved is making moves…but why now? The sparks fly and the gossips mouths are running…but will Liz find the love she has been waiting for or will the small town gossips destroy her like they did so long ago?

I tag and nominate the following bloggers as The Next Big Thing:

Heather Geoffries

Heather Long

Megan Slayer

Wendi Zwaduk 

Kristy Bock

Excerpt:

Liz made some dumb mistakes in her life...marrying an Elvis impersonator in Vegas, for instance. That shit they tell you about stuff staying in Vegas? Lies. Just sayin’.

The Elvis was a guy she knew since high school. Vernon decided he was going to be a professional poker player, moved to Vegas and became an Elvis after he was there but still…

No one lived down being the small town girl who married Elvis. Not where Liz lived.

Small town Ohio is good for one thing. Gossip.

Slamming her car into park, Liz glared at the man outside her window. “This better be good.”

“You know I am good, baby. We had a few years solid of good and—”

Glaring at her ex-husband, Vernon, the Elvis impersonator, Liz let her lips turn up in a smile which said nothing about being happy and a whole lot about being threatening. “For starters, I spent about four thousand dollars to stop having good times about a decade ago, Vernon. Call me baby again and I am gonna shove my foot up your ass sideways.”

Clearing his throat, he tried another route. “A child needs her father and I came back to—”

“You can stop that line of bullshit right there. Don’t tell me after seven years of running around doing everything to avoid child support, and anything else considered parental, you are having a sudden wash of caring for your child. How about you try again, sans bullshit?”

“Lizzie, you don’t know how hard my life has been and—”

“Vernon, if this is why you called me, I am driving away and leaving you and your bag right here at the Greyhound station and you can just plop your ass on the next bus outta here. I don’t want to hear about your life.”

As if someone flicked a switch, his inner asshole shone through his plaintive expression. Angrily, he jabbed a finger at her. “You never did understand me. You always were judgy and superior and did everything just perfect, didn’t you?”

At this, she laughed but the laugh held as little humor as her earlier smile. “Apparently not. I married you.”

Silence fell as they glared at each other. Liz couldn’t be sure what he thought but her brain whirred with possibilities, all of which ended with his demise. Cutting his black heart out with a spork gained high marks in the pro column. He sighed, shoving one hand through his Elvis-thick hair. “I need a place to stay. Just for a week or two. Until I can get on my feet.”

She snorted. “I have known you thirty-four years, Vern. You have yet to get on your feet. What is going to change in the next two weeks?”

“I don’t want to fight, Lizzie.”

“Elizabeth,” Liz corrected, but she weakened. “If I let you stay with us for a couple weeks, you can only sleep above the garage, not in my house. You are not confusing Sara with your bullshit.”

“Baby, if you want me in the garage after a couple days of having me around the house, I will gladly stay there. You are looking good, by the way.” His smile practically leered.

Rolling her eyes, she tilted down her sunglasses so she could give him a quick once over. “I can’t say the same. The years have not been kind. And quit calling me baby.”

Snagging his bag, he moved to her passenger side and slid in the car. “Whatever makes you happy, Lizzie.”

“We aren’t doing what makes me happy. If we were, I would be driving away from the bus station and you would be still standing there.”

He laughed. “I always loved your sense of humor.”

Slamming the car back into gear, she ignored him. Shit. This was not how I planned to spend spring break.