Thursday, December 15, 2016

DRAGONFLY

So close that I could reach it with my fingers, a blue dragonfly with velvety black wings hovered above the greenery, reluctant to settle. I turned to see what bothered the graceful insect.



Chris stood on the path...Shadows circled his troubled eyes. This morning, he wasn’t given time to shave, to have a cup of coffee. Looking at his pale, drawn face, I wondered if he had touched his lunch or dinner. 

“A brave man,” I said. “Taking one for the team?”


“You can’t avoid us forever.” 

SOUL OF THE UNBORN    ON AMAZON



American college students. Russian countryside. A guide addicted to supernatural energy. Their professor wants to help her, but maybe he is saving a monster.


Friday, December 2, 2016

BRIDGE

At the foot of the bridge, patches of tall weeds stood at attention like troops protecting a classified site. Water dripped from the rough surface of the arch. Eddies licked the walls.

“Spoo-o-oky. Luke hurled a stone into the stream. A gulping sound accompanied the splash. Tiny birds raced through the brush on the opposite bank.


“Don’t do that,” Valya said. “The inhabitants of the bridge sleep during daylight. Be very, very quiet.”

SOUL OF THE UNBORN     ON AMAZON




American college students. Russian countryside. A guide addicted to supernatural energy. Their professor wants to help her, but maybe he is saving a monster.



Thursday, December 1, 2016

SHEPHERD BOY

A curious assortment of collectibles was piled up in a plastic crate by a coffee table in need of fresh polish. A Chihuahua-sized bronze moose with a missing antler peeked from the top. From underneath, Chris extracted a plaster figurine of a shepherd boy with his face delicately sculptured and his feet broken off. Chris debated whether he had found a Russian version of a voodoo doll. The idea of Valya casting spells over a symbol of an unfaithful boyfriend didn’t seem farfetched. 

SOUL OF THE UNBORN      ON AMAZON



American college students. Russian countryside. A guide addicted to supernatural energy. Their professor wants to help her, but maybe he is saving a monster.




Wednesday, November 30, 2016

BIRCHES

She jogged along the edge of the ravine until she reached the dirt-and-timber stairs leading to the spring. As she descended through the passageway between the walls of weeds, clouds snuffed out the moonlight.


Prascovia gripped the weatherworn pine railing and listened. The birches gossiped in whispers with the faint wind. Encouraged by darkness, the ferocious pests of her emotions bored holes in her composure. The idea of going home, curling under a thick blanket to block out sounds and lights and thoughts and fears was as tempting as a hot bowl of kasha on a rainy autumn day.

SOUL OF THE UNBORN      ON AMAZON



American college students. Russian countryside. A guide addicted to supernatural energy. Their professor wants to help her, but maybe he is saving a monster.


Tuesday, November 29, 2016

NIGHT-SCENTED STOCK

The night rolled up her sleeves, ready for the bash. Darkness alighted on the front yard like an owl on a mouse, thick and final. Chris slowed on the brick-paved path, waiting for his eyes to make out the surroundings. A cacophony of frogs roared by the river. Clok-krrr. Clok-krrr. Clok-krrr.


The cooling air ran riot with an intoxicating scent. Along the concrete foundation, the plants Chris had thought were dying weeds perked up. A moth hovered above mauve petals. They glowed like tiny stars in the trickle of light from the curtained windows where Valya’s silhouette stood motionless in the middle of the veranda. 

SOUL OF THE UNBORN      ON AMAZON



American college students. Russian countryside. A guide addicted to supernatural energy. Their professor wants to help her, but maybe he is saving a monster.



EGGS

“Prascovia sent me eggs,” Lydia announced with the solemnity of a mafia don who had just received a dead fish.

I peeked under the cloth. Two baking-powder-white eggs rested on a layer of straw—Prascovia’s favorites for spells. The old witch should know better than bestow pearls of her craft to a neighbor. My hour of quiet had expired.

SOUL OF THE UNBORN     ON AMAZON




SOUL OF THE UNBORN: Can you call yourself human if supernatural forces control your every breath, every emotion, every desire?



Monday, November 28, 2016

SANDBAR

The trail ran downhill, bringing Chris to a rickety wooden structure Valya had called a bridge. A number of its weary supporting pillars had collapsed into the river. They rested, stuck in muck, moss-covered above the surface and algae-wrapped below.

A bird screamed from the willow that leaned over the sandbar extending out from the bank. Another one screeched back.

Blop. By the time Chris turned his eyes to the water, he only saw an expanding circle of ripples. 

SOUL OF THE UNBORN      ON AMAZON



 American college students. Russian countryside. A guide addicted to supernatural energy. Their professor wants to help her, but maybe he is saving a monster.



Sunday, November 6, 2016

AUTHOR SPOTLIGHT: DANIELLE DEVOR


Book 2 in the fascinating series The Marker Chronicles!

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Sorrow's Edge (The Marker Chronicles, Book 2)

Uncovering the truth will take an exorcist.
Jimmy Holiday, defrocked priest turned exorcist, is trying to get his life in order. With his on-again off-again witchy girlfriend moving in, the spirit of the little girl from his last exorcism hanging around, and a secret organization of exorcists hounding him, Jimmy equals stressed.

When a stranger calls in the middle of the night asking for help with a possession, Jimmy is about to land in a mess of trouble. Especially since the man on the phone claims to have gotten his number from Jimmy’s old mentor. Too bad his mentor has been dead for years.

After a mysterious silver flask arrives at his doorstep, Jimmy is left with two options: either ignore the newest enigma the universe has tossed him, or listen to Lucy and travel to Arizona to solve the mystery before all hell breaks loose…again.


 

You can buy SORROW'S EDGE at these retailers:

 Amazon     |     Barnes & Noble



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Danielle DeVor


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Named one of the Examiner's 2014 Women in Horror: 93 Horror Authors you Need to Read Right Now, Danielle DeVor has been spinning the spider webs, or rather, the keyboard for more frights and oddities. She spent her early years fantasizing about vampires and watching "Salem's Lot" way too many times. When not writing and reading about weird things, you will find her hanging out at the nearest coffee shop, enjoying a mocha frappuccino.  

1.     What was the most challenging thing about creating a character as complex as Jimmy Holiday?

Ironically, Jimmy is the least complicated thing about the Marker Chronicles. He is a combination of me and my father’s personalities. So, when I need to know how he would react, I just use my impulse. Everything else is hard.

2.     Who did you trust to read your very first story?

My mother and a teacher at school. All of my early writing was related to school work.

3.     Is there a fictional character who made you think, Gosh I wish I could meet this person in real life?

Definitely Lestat. He is my favorite fictional character.

4.     If you could bring a person from the past to our time and show him or her one modern invention, who would that person be and what would you choose to show?

Charles Darwin. I would show him a cell phone. I think the evolution of technology would fascinate him.

5.     One of the places I miss since I left the East Coast is Harpers Ferry. What are your favorite places in West Virginia?

Buckwheat Festival in Kingwood, WV. I had many years of fun and fresh cut French Fries there.
The Core Arboretum in Morgantown, WV. Truly beautiful display of tree types. Seeing all the colors in the fall is really lovely.


6.     What is the most mysterious place you’ve ever visited?

The East Oak Grove Cemetery in Morgantown, WV. It once had a coffin rise up out of the ground with a body inside completely preserved.

7.     If you were offered to witness a supernatural manifestation, travel back in time, or take a ride in a UFO, what would you choose?


Since I have already witnessed a supernatural manifestation (I really need to write down that story someday.), I would choose travelling back in time. It would be interesting to see England during Queen Victoria’s reign.



You can follow Danielle at these links:

Blog   |   Twitter   |   Facebook   |   Instagram

 

Excerpt


I got the phone call at three. Just as Lucy said I would. I was really starting to hate the true “witching hour.” I needed sleep, dammit.
I let the phone ring a few times, hoping that whoever was on the other end would just hang up. I wasn’t that lucky. I dragged my tired-ass body up, grabbed my phone off the nightstand, and swiped the screen.
“Mr. Holiday?” the man asked when I grunted into the phone.
“You realize it’s 3:00 AM, right?” My head hit the pillow. I did not want to be doing this right now.
The man sighed. “It couldn’t be helped. We need you.”
I twitched. Who the hell was this guy anyway? Kind of presumptuous to call somebody at random this late at night when you’d never met the person on the other end. Apparently, manners weren’t his strong point.
I glanced around the room. The lamp in the corner was on. The light glowed just enough to keep my mind at ease. I’d gotten into the habit of sleeping with a light on ever since Sorrow’s Point. Yeah, it was irrational, but hey, I was trying to keep the beasties at bay. From the dim light, I could see Lucy sitting on the floor in front of the TV. I, just barely, made out the program through her. Her hair was as pale as usual and so blond it seemed almost white. She wore the same white nightgown she always did.
“How did you get my number?” I had to know. I mean, I doubted Will would suggest me to someone else. Things hadn’t exactly ended on a positive note.
“You came highly recommended.”
That was news to me. A very small group of people even knew I did something besides graphic design. “By who?”
“That’s not important right now. You’re needed. That’s what should matter.”
I sat up. Not important to him, maybe, but it sure as shit was important to me. I squeezed the phone so hard my knuckles began to ache. If I broke it, this asshole was going to owe me another phone. “Listen. I’m not about to traipse around and do whatever the hell it is you want me to when you won’t tell me who you are or who told you about me.”
“O’Malley said you’d be difficult.”
I froze. Father O’Malley had been the one who allowed me to see the church as a vocation when I was a kid. But there was one problem. He’d been dead since before I left the church. I didn’t care where he got the information. That was a low blow. I clenched my teeth.
“I’m going to hang up now. I’d appreciate it if you didn’t call here again—”
“No, wait!”
The desperation in his voice was the only thing that kept me from hanging up the phone. “All right. I’m listening.”
“O’Malley told me about you in a dream. When I woke up, your phone number was scrawled on my hand.”
Yeah, I knew that kind of weird. I had firsthand experience with it. Having a dead person talk to him in a dream wasn’t that different from a disembodied soul speaking to me in a nightmare. Yeah, my life was really interesting. Though I’d never drawn on myself in my sleep. That was a new one. “Who is it who needs an exorcism?”
The guy hung up. I literally heard the phone hitting the cradle. Who used an old phone like that anymore? I almost threw my cell phone against the wall. I mean, what the hell? Wake me up in the middle of the night for what?
I scratched the sleep out of my eyes and glanced over at Lucy. “Don’t you ever sleep?”
She stared at me and grinned. Her blue eyes almost sparkled. “I don’t have to.”
I shook my head. Of course a kid would think it great to not sleep. I, on the other hand needed my rest—strange phone calls or not. And if someone else called, I’d probably be facing a murder charge.
“Do you think Tabby will like me?” Lucy asked. She stayed dressed in this little white frilly nightgown. I wasn’t sure if it was her favorite or if there was something else at work keeping her dressed that way. When I’d done her exorcism, she sure wasn’t in frills.
Now that was the question, wasn’t it? I’d been toying with the idea of not telling Tabby about my ghostly child, but it appeared that was no longer an option. And with my luck, Tabby would eventually see her, freak out, and the whole thing would be blown out of proportion.
“I’m sure she will…” I hoped that was true. “After she gets used to the idea.”
Lucy stared at me for a bit. I could tell she wasn’t buying it. Best I start remembering there was more to her than to a regular six-year-old.
“It will all work out,” I told her. “Eventually.” Part of that was me trying to convince myself. There was only so much oddness a normal person could take, and I figured I was probably getting close to the threshold.
“Uh-huh,” Lucy said, back to watching the TV. How she could just sit in front of the TV for hours on end, I didn’t know. It was almost like she became somehow hypnotized by it.
I laid my head back on the pillow. Hopefully, I could go back to sleep. Hopefully, I could stop worrying about that odd phone call. Hopefully…who was I kidding? I was seriously screwed. Again.
 

Giveaway

Open internationally. Must be 13+ to win.

Prizes:

1 Winner - Amazon $5 Gift Card
2 Winners - ebook copy of SORROW'S POINT


This tour is brought to you by

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  Please check out our other tour hosts for Excerpts, Interviews and more chances to win!
11/6/16 Natalia Brothers mycookbookofwriting.blogspot.com
11/6/16 Cheshire Cat cheshirecatlookingglass.com
11/6/16 Jennifer Theriot http://jennifertheriot.blogspot.com/
11/6/16 Em shotwell EmShotwell.com/blog
11/6/16 Leigh Anderson www.leighandersonromance.com
11/7/16 Steven Ramirez http://stevenramirez.com/
11/7/16 Randi Perrin www.randiperrin.com
11/7/16 Mindy Wall http://dream-reader-dreamer2229.blogspot.com/
11/8/16 Maer Wilson http://maerwilson.com/
11/10/16 Maryanne Fantalis mfantaliswrites.wordpress.com
11/10/16 E. J. Wenstrom www.ejwenstrom.com/blog
11/10/16 Ashley Pomykala parsimoniouspash.com
11/10/16 Kathleen Kelly http://www.celticladysreviews.blogspot.com
11/10/16 Miriam Greystone www.miriamgreystone.com
11/10/16 Craig Comer http://craigcomer.com
11/12/16 Christina Mandara http://christinamandara.com
11/12/16 Ronelle Antoinette http://www.redhotbooks.com
11/12/16 Tina Traverse https://writersonthewharf.wordpress.com

Tuesday, September 27, 2016

AUTHOR SPOTLIGHT: SHARON M. JOHNSTON



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SHATTERED: An Open Heart Novel Book 2 Healing a battered heart will risk her last link to humanity Mishca needs to save her sisters, but only Ryder can save her. The truth about Mishca’s past shattered her heart. She deals with the pain by focusing on a new mission: saving her newfound family from their creator. With her sisters scheduled for termination, Mishca and her friends set out on a journey up the North Queensland Coast to save them before someone else dies. Ryder understands the need driving Mischa. It’s in her DNA. But he’s not giving up on the chance they can still be together. She’s the only one to have seen him levitate. The only one to watch the sparks dance across his skin. The only one he trusts enough to know what is in his heart. And now, he might be the only one who can stop Mishca from losing her humanity. Driven apart by secrets, will they come together in time? 


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 BUY LINKS 

 Buy SHATTERED on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, iBooks, Kobo, Fishpond, Indie Bound, Booktopia or via the various outlets found on the City Owl Press website. Don't forget to add it on Goodreads! Haven't read DIVIDED yet? Find it at Amazon, Barnes & Noble, iBooks, Kobo, Fishpond, Indie Bound, Walmart, Booktopia, Boomerang Books, or via the various outlets found on the City Owl Press Website. And you can add it on Goodreads! To celebrate the impending release of SHATTERED, you could win a $20 gift voucher. Check out all the ways to enter in the Rafflecopter Link a Rafflecopter giveaway 

About the author:



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 YA & NA author, Sharon M. Johnston, hails from sunny Queensland, Australia. When she's not writing, Sharon works in PR, spends time with her family, and plays far too much Pokemon Go. You can find her on Twitter, Facebook, and on her website.

1.     You write YA and NA, and you mentioned in a blog post you “love championing New Adult.” What attracts you to these categories?

Often readers like to ‘read up’ – check out protagonists that are just that little bit older than them. Part of this is readers informing themselves on the next stage of life. To me, there was a gap in the market that NA can fill. But it’s important that there’s variety in the category. I hadn’t actually even heard of NA when I wrote the first draft of DIVIDED: Open Heart Novel Book 1, but it fits in the category perfectly, and offers reader something different with the SciFi/Fantasy twist.

2.     What is your favorite part about being a Pitch Wars mentor? What is the most difficult aspect of a mentor-mentee relationship?

I love reading the entries, and going ‘Wow, can the writer pull this off?’ and then reading that they can! I love working with writers, pushing them to take their manuscript to the next level. The most difficult part would be falling in love with a concept, but the prose doesn’t match, and having to pass, or falling in like with a writer on twitter and then not picking them as my mentor. Pitch Wars peeps are just so nice.

3.     When you became a published author, what kind of impact did it have on your life?

Because I write part time, a lot is business as usual, but it’s opened up opportunities as well. I’d never been out of Australia until I went to Las Vegas for Romantic Times where I was part of the Pitch Wars Roadshow. But the biggest impact has been the bigger opportunity to share my stories with other people.

4.     Are you a “disciplined” writer? Do you write daily? What kind of surroundings are the best to boost your creativity?

I’m not very disciplined, but I’m trying to work on that by doing something in my writing world every day, whether it’s writing, editing or working on a special project like Literary Love for Louisiana. I also recently participating in a plotting webinar so I can try to shed my pantser ways and be more disciplined with my craft.

5.     You design beautiful bookmarks and earrings. Did you come up with the style immediately, or did you try several different ideas?

I’m a very spontaneous person. I’ll sit down with all my beads and charms in front of me and simply put together whatever catches my eye.

6.     What’s your favorite Mexican Dish?

I love Fajitas. I make them basically every week for the family. But when I was in Vegas I fell in love with Trash Can Nachos!

7.     How would you name a unicorn?

Every time I name one of my pets, it either comes to me straight away or I notice something about their personality. Like my Ragdoll x Chinchilla is called Dash because he regularly races us down the hall. It would be the same for a unicorn, I’d match something to the personality.

8.     Why do you love socks?


I have O.C.D. and one of my compulsions is collecting stuff. And one of the things I like to collect is socks. There are just so many cute designs out there. But another thing is they’ve become part of my branding as an author. At Romantic Times I was the Aussie with the pink hair and cute socks.


Sunday, September 25, 2016

SHARON M. JOHNSTON'S DIVIDED: AN OPEN HEART NOVEL



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In preparation for the release of SHATTERED: An Open Heart Novel Book 2, you can grab DIVIDED: An Open Heart Novel Book 1 for only 99c! A new heart should mean new life, instead it’s a living nightmare. Mishca Richardson’s life is at an all-time high after her heart transplant. With new boyfriend, Ryder, she has the perfect summer romance. Even the nightmares plaguing her sleep since her operation can’t dull her new dream world. Yet, life starts to unravel when Mishca develops superhuman abilities. She does her best to hide them so as not to end up a science experiment in a lab, but she can’t ignore the strange instant attraction she experiences when she meets her university professor, Colin Read. Torn between love and obsession, Mishca must unite her divided heart and decide between the two men. But when the truth about her weird powers comes to light, she’ll have a lot more to worry about than romance. Some thoughts on DIVIDED
"...authors like Sharon M. Johnston keep the genre (NA) from getting stale by taking a creative bent and exploring overlapping elements."- LIBRARY JOURNAL
"This story by Sharon M Johnston will tug at your heart strings and leave you raw, and yet wanting desperately to read more!" - READERS' FAVOURITE


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To celebrate the impending release of SHATTERED, not only is DIVDED down to 99c, but there's also a giveaway! You could win a $20 gift voucher. Check out all the ways to enter in the Rafflecopter Link a Rafflecopter giveaway 

About the author:


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YA & NA author, Sharon M. Johnston, hails from sunny Queensland, Australia. When she's not writing, Sharon works in PR, spends time with her family, and plays far too much Pokemon Go. You can find her on Twitter, Facebook, and on her website.

Saturday, September 10, 2016

AUTHOR SPOTLIGHT: MIRIAM GREYSTONE



Debut author Miriam Greystone writes urban fantasy stories filled with magic, romance, and the occasional centaur. She fuels her creativity with an insatiable appetite for reading and frequent episodes of Doctor Who. She lives just outside Washington DC with her husband and children, and when she isn't hunched over her laptop, she can often be found baking or going on long hikes with her family.


1.     What is the most exciting thing for you about being a published author?

I really love my characters – they’re like friends and family to me. I care about them, and I want them to get a chance to share their stories with others. The most exciting thing for me about finally actually being published is excited by the idea that there might be other people out there who can relate to these people who have become so real and important to me. That readers might empathize with them, find inspiration through them, or see themselves reflected through the struggles and triumphs of these characters.

2.     What was the most challenging thing about writing TRUTHSIGHT?

When I first started on Truthsight, I planned for there to be a section of the novel where Amy returns to her childhood home. I spent a lot of time on those pages – researching for them, picking an actual town and finding pictures and information about it before I wrote them. I had this idea for a town run and inhabited completely by mages. I had lots of fun ideas about how they ran their community, supported themselves and, most importantly, kept their existence a secret. Eventually though, I realized that the storyline didn’t fit into the novel. It slowed the pacing down too much, and there were other ways for me to move the plot forward. But it was super hard to let go of that section. Once I did, though, the plot flowed and the pacing was better, and writing the novel went faster and more smoothly after that.

3.     Who did you trust to read your first draft?

I am very lucky to have a wonderful critique group. We’re a small group – there’s only three of us, but we are a great team. I worked with them the whole time I was writing the first draft, often talking through plot points with them when I got stuck, or bringing back the same scene over and over as I went through multiple revisions. They were very patient with me, and I benefited a lot from their guidance and advice!

4.     Are you a plotter or pantser?

I am pantser, one hundred percent!!  The times that I have tried to plot out everything in advance have always lead to disaster. I have abandoned entire books after forcing myself to outline. I find that the more I plan, the more locked in I feel, and the less excitement the writing generates. I much prefer to write it wrong and then revise, because that keeps my excitement going. I admire plotters – but I am definitely not one of them.

5.     How different is TRUTHSIGHT’S world from the one we live in?

To me, it doesn’t feel that different. Yes, there are centaurs and pixies and humans with the ability to mold reality to their will. But the fundamental elements of the story are ones we can all relate to. Amy is struggling to forgive herself for past mistakes, another character’s relationship with his father with deeply troubled because he has made choices that his father objected to deeply. Ultimately, my goal is to create a world that is fascinating and full of completely new things – while simultaneously feeling completely relatable, and more or less like home.

6.     What is your ideal weekend?

Hurray – easy question! Cabin camping with my family, someplace that has a lake with a beach and hiking trails that are accessible for my kids.

7.     You love baking. Do you mind conquering elaborate recipes? Do you and your family agree on which dessert you make is the best?

My homemade Challah is pretty great, I won’t lie. J And my daughter is an expert Challah braider, and can make really beautiful, elaborate, challah with six braids! But mostly I keep my baking simple. I like to experiment and try to take recipes we all love and make them healthier, or just make things different than they were the last time I made them. My biggest problem is that I seldom write down my innovations, and then I have trouble re-creating it if my family asks me to make the same thing again!

8.     I used to live just south of you, less than an hour away, and I miss the Great Falls, Harpers Ferry, Calvert Cliffs…What are your favorite places to visit in the area?

We also love great falls – it is an amazing place for bird watching! The National Arboretum is also beautiful, and one of my favorite places to go. We also live close to Rock Creek Park, which is great, and we end up at Sligo Creek all the time!

9.     If you could spend this afternoon anywhere in the world, where would it be?

I’m not supposed to say at home in my pajamas, right? I’ve always wanted to visit the Amazon rain forest. I guess if I could go anywhere for just one afternoon, I’d want to go there!

10.  If you were offered to witness a supernatural manifestation, travel back in time, or take a ride in a UFO, what would you choose?

Great question! Supernatural manifestation, of course! I do write fantasy, after all.

Visit Miriam Greystone online:

www.miriamgreystone.com

Facebook: Miriam Greystone

Twitter: Miriam Greystone


TRUTHSIGHT



Synopsis:


Doctor Amy spends her nights running a secret clinic for supernatural creatures. When she is forced to use her magic to save the lives of a centaur infant and its mother, she vows never to regret her decision, no matter what the consequences. Not even when the Mages capture her, beat her, and condemn her to die. Before the sentence can be carried out, she is abducted by a mysterious being named Rowan, who demands that she use her healing abilities to save his father. When Amy fails to save the ailing man, her actions unintentionally force Rowan into an exile that will soon turn into a death sentence. Now, Rowan and Amy must join forces with the creatures who were once her patients and fight to uncover the one secret that may be powerful enough to save them all. 

Link:     Amazon