Yesterday, I updated AuthorGraph so if you've purchased one of my ebooks and would like it autographed...
Lemme know!
Friday, August 22, 2014
Thursday, August 21, 2014
Spotlight On Naomi Clark
The Beast of Birch Hill
A Romance on the Go
A Romance on the Go
By Naomi Clark
Buy Links
Blurb
Wildlife photographer and cryptozoology blogger Emma Jordan came
to Birch Hill expecting to find another urban legend. The rumours of a big cat
stalking the woods around this quiet town surely had to be just that - rumours.
But when the evidence starts to pile up that Birch Hill really does have a
killer cat on the loose, Emma finds herself caught in a confusing game of cat
and mouse. And her blossoming relationship with Abi Blakely might just be
pushing her further into danger.
Excerpt
A
couple of hours later, showered, changed, and feeling human again, Emma headed
back to Abigail's Bakes. She told herself she was just looking to grab a quick
lunch and sit somewhere pleasant while she updated her blog. Privately she had
to admit it would be nice to just look at Abi while she worked.
The place was much busier than it
had been that morning; it was full of kids and families jostling for table
space. Abi and a younger girl worked the counter with cheer and ease, and cafe
was filled with chatter and laughter. Emma joined the queue, trying to catch
Abi's eye. When Abi saw her, she waved and favored Emma with that infectious
smile.
“How was your hike? Did you catch
the Beast yet?” she asked Emma as she served her.
“Not yet. Maybe later.” Emma picked
out a bacon and cheese strudel and a spiced apple muffin. “Do you have wifi in
here? I need to get online.”
Abi passed her a slip of paper with
a password on it along with her food. “Help yourself. Catch you later.”
Emma smiled, hoping the words
weren't just a mere formality. She found a table tucked away in the corner and
flipped open her netbook. Her main source of income was her photography,
supplying stock images for websites and brochures, entering as many
competitions as she could, and doing the occasional teaching course if she
wasn't traveling. It was steady money, and a hefty inheritance from a
grandparent she'd never met allowed her to live in comfort and indulge her
other passion – the alien big cat stories. Her blog, After Dark All Cats Are
Leopards, was one of the better-regarded in both the cryptid and sceptic
communities and she had a steady following. When she'd announced last week that
she was heading for Birch Hill, her views had skyrocketed, and even though she
didn't have much news to add yet, it was probably a good idea to update now.
She plugged her digital camera into
the netbook and uploaded the photos she'd taken, eating as she worked. The
strudel and the muffin were both perfectly delicious, and she allowed herself a
brief fantasy of kidnapping Abi and making her bake for her full-time.
She didn't notice Abi had joined her
until the other woman pushed a cup of coffee to her. “Looks like thirsty work,”
Abi remarked.
Emma jumped, then grinned. “Bloggers
are powered entirely by caffeine. Thanks.”
“So I looked you up after you left,”
Abi said. “Why big cats?” She leaned her elbows on the table and rested her
head in her hands. Her dark curls framed her face perfectly, her expression
attentive and interested. Emma squirmed a little under her keen gaze.
“When I was a kid I wanted to find
Bigfoot,” Emma confessed. “My dad used to take me out hiking in the Rocky
Mountains and tell me stories about Bigfoot and skinwalkers, all kinds of
stuff. I just loved it. Then I grew up and decided there wasn't much chance of
Bigfoot really being out there. But big cats? Definitely.”
“You're so sure? Even though
nobody's found a breeding population of wild tigers anywhere?” Abi asked with a
grin.
“America's a big country. There's
plenty of space for wide-roaming animals to hide. And big cats are generally
elusive in their natural territories anyway. Yeah, I'm sure. People brought
lions and tigers over here with circuses in the nineteenth century and there
are thousands of people keeping them illegally today. There are orphanages for
abandoned exotic animals up and down the country. It's not completely
ridiculous that some escape or are released into the wild. And cats are so
adaptable. Even if we're not talking big breeding populations, I think it's
more likely that there are non-native big cats out there than not.”
“You love this stuff, don't you?”
Abi said, looking thoughtful.
Emma flushed. “Was I rambling?”
“No, it's interesting! I wish I
could come out big cat hunting with you, but Jed probably wouldn't let me.” She
stuck her tongue out as if she'd eaten something distasteful.
“Well, he's not coming either,” Emma
said. “I take it he's more than just prickly with you?”
Abi shuffled Emma's empty plates
around, looking embarrassed. “Oh, we just...clash. He's pretty conservative and
I'm not. He thinks I lower the tone of the neighborhood.”
“Not a fan of baked goods?” Emma
joked.
“Baked goods or lesbians,” Abi said
with a shrug.
Emma's heart gave a little twist,
but she kept her tone calm and amused as she replied. “Oh dear. I'd better not
answer any personal questions he asks me then.”
Abi gave her a thoughtful look again
that turned into a shy smile. “So what are you doing for the rest of the day?
I'm off this afternoon.”
“I'm going back into the woods this
evening but I'm free til then. Maybe...” Emma searched for something that
didn't sound too forward but still made it plain she liked Abi. “Maybe we could
hang out?” Ugh. Lame.
Abi didn't seem to notice. She
flashed a dazzling smile. “How about a guided tour of Birch Hill? There's not
much to see, but with the right company it has a certain charm.”
“It's a date.”
Abi stood, grabbing Emma's plates.
“Give me an hour and we're on.”
Emma watched her sashay away with a
flutter of excitement. If the Beast of Birch Hill didn't show up, Abi might
prove just as exciting.
About the
Author
Naomi likes writing,
perfume, fancy tea, and unfathomable monsters from the dark spaces between the
stars, not necessarily in that order. She has been writing stories ever since
she learned how to write, but is still trying to master the art of biography
writing. When she's not dealing with werewolves, demons, or sea monsters, she's
hanging out with her cat and probably watching a documentary about Bigfoot. If
the cat isn't available, she's with her fiancé watching cookery shows and
silently plotting her next book.
Online:
Wednesday, August 20, 2014
"No one finds us accidentally."
Yesterday was so chock full of fun, I couldn't begin to explain in a facebook posting. Actually, it is even going to take a couple blogs. We'll start at the first stop...
The Hill
When I woke yesterday, I very nearly immediately herded the older kids to the car and we headed to Euclid, Ohio. On autopilot, I very nearly drove to my deceased Uncle JuJu's house--since if I'm headed to Euclid, my brain still thinks we're going to see him even if he has been dead and gone for years now.
Once I got back on the right track, I headed to Kristen and Brad's--my son's aunt and uncle and family to the rest of us after years of friendship--to snag my boyo. We chatted for a bit and then headed off on a planned expedition to visit Lake View Cemetery, East Cleveland, Ohio.
On the way, however, I noticed a big hill I hadn't really ever paid attention to before. "I don't think I knew Euclid HAD a hill. What is up the hill, anyway?" I asked Kristen.
"Drive up. It is pretty cool, actually, I'll show you."
Once up the hill, I saw a huge parking lot and some nondescript tan buildings. Still no clue where we'd landed, we headed down a blacktop path until we came to a plethora of flowers and paths and tiny shrines. "What is this place?" I asked her. "Go into the gift shop, find out," recommended Kristen.
Full of all things Catholic, I still wasn't sure where we were...very nice reliquary box with a bit of someone inside, but no real clues. A nun asked where we'd come from for our visit and offered to tell us a story.
She began in the distant past when the property functioned as a winery and vineyard. The Harms family owned the land back then, and Mrs. Harms apparently prayed frequently in the grotto up the hill. One day, she told her husband that she'd been visited by the Blessed Virgin who advised she'd give birth to a child and then she'd come for her. Mrs. Harms begged her husband to keep the land sacred.
Fast forward to prohibition and the land began to get sold off, wine grapes not being nearly as easy to sell in an alcohol free country. Nuns bought the land and were gifted a piece of the stone from Lourdes, France, a place of healing waters due to a visit from the Blessed Virgin years and years before. They made an American healing spot, a place for prayers and reflection, on the hill in Euclid which is visited to this day by pilgrims from all over the world.
The nun said no one found the grotto accidentally and regaled us with tale after tale of the healing property of the water. She suggested we tour the property, perhaps drink or wash where needed with the healing waters, and left us to our own devices. We toured, beautiful land, and brought some healing water back to my mother (the sister had advised we were welcome to do so, we weren't robbing a shrine) who is Catholic and still occasionally sleeps with her mother's rosary. Hopefully it helps a bit! You can find out more about the Our Lady of Lourdes shrine in Euclid on their website here.
An Ancient Labyrinth
On our way out, we found a 2500 designed labyrinth, which didn't impress my daughter but fascinated my sons and me. We walked the labyrinth and found our way to heaven a few times before we headed, sweltering in the heat and my car's lack of ac, to the cemetery. (Post on that tomorrow)
The Hill
When I woke yesterday, I very nearly immediately herded the older kids to the car and we headed to Euclid, Ohio. On autopilot, I very nearly drove to my deceased Uncle JuJu's house--since if I'm headed to Euclid, my brain still thinks we're going to see him even if he has been dead and gone for years now.
Once I got back on the right track, I headed to Kristen and Brad's--my son's aunt and uncle and family to the rest of us after years of friendship--to snag my boyo. We chatted for a bit and then headed off on a planned expedition to visit Lake View Cemetery, East Cleveland, Ohio.On the way, however, I noticed a big hill I hadn't really ever paid attention to before. "I don't think I knew Euclid HAD a hill. What is up the hill, anyway?" I asked Kristen.
"Drive up. It is pretty cool, actually, I'll show you."
Once up the hill, I saw a huge parking lot and some nondescript tan buildings. Still no clue where we'd landed, we headed down a blacktop path until we came to a plethora of flowers and paths and tiny shrines. "What is this place?" I asked her. "Go into the gift shop, find out," recommended Kristen.
Full of all things Catholic, I still wasn't sure where we were...very nice reliquary box with a bit of someone inside, but no real clues. A nun asked where we'd come from for our visit and offered to tell us a story.
Fast forward to prohibition and the land began to get sold off, wine grapes not being nearly as easy to sell in an alcohol free country. Nuns bought the land and were gifted a piece of the stone from Lourdes, France, a place of healing waters due to a visit from the Blessed Virgin years and years before. They made an American healing spot, a place for prayers and reflection, on the hill in Euclid which is visited to this day by pilgrims from all over the world.
The nun said no one found the grotto accidentally and regaled us with tale after tale of the healing property of the water. She suggested we tour the property, perhaps drink or wash where needed with the healing waters, and left us to our own devices. We toured, beautiful land, and brought some healing water back to my mother (the sister had advised we were welcome to do so, we weren't robbing a shrine) who is Catholic and still occasionally sleeps with her mother's rosary. Hopefully it helps a bit! You can find out more about the Our Lady of Lourdes shrine in Euclid on their website here.An Ancient Labyrinth
On our way out, we found a 2500 designed labyrinth, which didn't impress my daughter but fascinated my sons and me. We walked the labyrinth and found our way to heaven a few times before we headed, sweltering in the heat and my car's lack of ac, to the cemetery. (Post on that tomorrow)
Monday, August 18, 2014
Write It Now! (A Writer's Parody of Let It Go!)
So, uh...
Sometimes I write parodies for songs for writers. For instance, I've done:
Jingle Bells (Writing Sells)
Sexy and I Know It (Writer and I know it)
We Are Young (We Are Writing)
12 Days of Christmas (12 Days of Writing)
But I haven't done one for quite some time. If there are other songs you'd like me to parody, lemme know in the comments section below and I'll try to get to them asap.
In the meantime, my son (like, uh, everyone's kids) had a big Frozen phase and that song played and played and played and... So here is my parody of Frozen's "Let It Go."
It is called,
"Write it Now"
Sometimes I write parodies for songs for writers. For instance, I've done:
Jingle Bells (Writing Sells)
Sexy and I Know It (Writer and I know it)
We Are Young (We Are Writing)
12 Days of Christmas (12 Days of Writing)
But I haven't done one for quite some time. If there are other songs you'd like me to parody, lemme know in the comments section below and I'll try to get to them asap.
In the meantime, my son (like, uh, everyone's kids) had a big Frozen phase and that song played and played and played and... So here is my parody of Frozen's "Let It Go."
It is called,
"Write it Now"
The cursor glows white in my word
file tonight
Not a sentence to be seen
An office of isolation,
And it looks like I'm not Stephen King.
The wind is howling like this swirling storm inside
Couldn't write a word, heaven knows I tried!
Can’t think of plot, can’t think of scenes
Write the stories like you’ve always dreamed
Reveal, don't feel, don't ever slow
Don’t tell, just show!
Write it now, write it now!
Can't hold it back anymore
Write it now, write a book
And then you can publish for Nook!
I don't care
What reviewers say
Let the storm rage on,
It could be a bestseller anyway.
It's funny how some grammar
Makes everything seem wrong
And the characters who wouldn’t shut up before
Won’t say a peep at all!
It's time to see what I can do
To test the limits and break through
No right, no wrong, no rules for me, I'm free!
Write it now, write it now!
I am one with the keyboard and screen.
Write it now, write it now!
You'll never see me cry!
Here I sit
And here I'll stay
Let the plot rage on!
My story scurries from my fingers to the file
My soul is spiraling in run on sentences all around
And one thought crystallizes like an epic task
I'm never going back,
Page one is in the past!
Write it now, write it now!
And I'll write till the break of dawn
Write it now, write it now!
That panicked girl is gone!
Here I sit
Until the light of day
Let the story rage on,
The critics never bothered me anyway!
Not a sentence to be seen
An office of isolation,
And it looks like I'm not Stephen King.
The wind is howling like this swirling storm inside
Couldn't write a word, heaven knows I tried!
Can’t think of plot, can’t think of scenes
Write the stories like you’ve always dreamed
Reveal, don't feel, don't ever slow
Don’t tell, just show!
Write it now, write it now!
Can't hold it back anymore
Write it now, write a book
And then you can publish for Nook!
I don't care
What reviewers say
Let the storm rage on,
It could be a bestseller anyway.
It's funny how some grammar
Makes everything seem wrong
And the characters who wouldn’t shut up before
Won’t say a peep at all!
It's time to see what I can do
To test the limits and break through
No right, no wrong, no rules for me, I'm free!
Write it now, write it now!
I am one with the keyboard and screen.
Write it now, write it now!
You'll never see me cry!
Here I sit
And here I'll stay
Let the plot rage on!
My story scurries from my fingers to the file
My soul is spiraling in run on sentences all around
And one thought crystallizes like an epic task
I'm never going back,
Page one is in the past!
Write it now, write it now!
And I'll write till the break of dawn
Write it now, write it now!
That panicked girl is gone!
Here I sit
Until the light of day
Let the story rage on,
The critics never bothered me anyway!
heehee...so, yeah. That happened. Happy Writing!
Sunday, August 17, 2014
Touch of Desire/Dark Fates Anthology ~ Lia Davis
Touch of Desire
Ashwood Falls 4.5
By Lia Davis
Part of the Dark Fates Anthology
As the wolf senior enforcer, Torin Fisher’s job is to protect the
pack and each of its members. That includes the beautiful submissive wolf, Cora
Rivers. He’s known for a while she belongs to him, but he decided to wait for
her to come to him willingly. Since her brother’s death, he’s watched her
withdraw from the Pack little by little. Tired of sitting by watching her
suffocate her wolf, he decides the time has come to claim her.
Cora Rivers is no stranger to pain. Just as she comes out of her
mourning over her parents’ brutal murder, her brother—and best friend—suffers
the same horrifying death. Grief cripples her and in attempt to learn to be
independent, she inadvertently stifles her wolf by not letting her out to play
on a regular basis. When Torin Fisher, begins the mating dance, her only choice
is to run.
Together they have a chance to not only release her wolf, but
find the connection and future they both deserve.
Ashwood Falls reading order:
Dark Fates: An All New Paranormal
Romance Boxed Set
Six brand new, hot paranormal romance stories from USA Today and
bestselling authors. Alpha heroes and heroines with dark pasts and the need to
find their own happy ever after will draw you in and make you turn to the next
page.
THE HUNTED HEART by USA Today Bestselling Author Carrie Ann Ryan
Emeline might have been alive hundreds of years, but she’s never really
lived. Noah has known Emeline was his mate since he first saw her, only he
doesn’t know if she feels the same. When he finally takes that final step,
he’ll have to pray she finds the connection and overcomes the past she thought
she’d lost years ago.
JACKAL’S MEASURE by USA Today Bestselling Author Marie Harte
Tortured by the god of chaos for centuries, Tariq knows only duty to numb
the pain. When he’s sent to collect Eden, a sexy human accused of interfering
in the Games of the Gods, his missing heart beats again. But love may not be
enough to save them.
ALPHA’S SACRIFICE by Rebecca Royce
Hayden Chaucer is determined to make the best life possible for his pack
and is ill-prepared to discover his true mate waiting for him in his home.
Worse, his mate, Chelsea, has fled the True Believers, and her ability to see
the future may cost them their present.
TOUCH OF DESIRE by Lia Davis
A submissive wolf who lost it all finds herself in a mating dance with the
very dominant senior enforcer who will stop at nothing to claim her.
SANGUE FEVER by Ann Mayburn
Drifting without a purpose, vampire Lisabetta finds herself yearning for
something more. She finds it while hunting for her next donor. Things are not
quite as they seem when she seduces an older mortal man and finds herself in
danger of falling in love for the first time in centuries.
FORBIDDEN RESCUE by Heather Long
All Jubilee Spector wants is to save her brother. The last thing she
expects is to stumble into a dark world and another’s war. But Fox Arada is so
much more than a man, and her secret threatens to change the Watchers’ world
forever.
Bio:
Lia Davis is the author of the bestselling shifter series,
Ashwood Falls, a mother to two young adults and three kitties, a wife to her
soul mate, and co-owner to Fated Desires Publishing, LLC. She and her family
live in Northeast Florida battling hurricanes and very humid summers. But it’s
her home and she loves it!
An accounting major, Lia has always been a
dreamer with a very active imagination. The wheels in her head never stop. She ventured into the world of writing and publishing in 2008 and loves it more than she imagined. Writing is stress reliever that allows her to go off in her corner of the house and enter into another world that she created, leaving real life where it belongs.
Her favorite things are spending time with family, traveling,
reading, writing, chocolate, coffee, nature and hanging out with her kitties.
Social media links:
Website: http://www.authorliadavis.com/
Newsletter: http://eepurl.com/mBWx5
Facebook author fan page: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Author-Lia-Davis/137761469629592
Facebook Fan Club: https://www.facebook.com/groups/368820509920377/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/novelsbylia
Tumblr: http://novelsbylia.tumblr.com/
Pinterest: http://www.pinterest.com/liadavis35/
Amazon author page: http://www.amazon.com/Lia-Davis/e/B007Z0BH7S/ref=ntt_dp_epwbk_0
About.me: http://about.me/AuthorLiaDavis
Get your eBook personalized at
Authorgraph. http://www.authorgraph.com/authors/novelsbylia
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