HIGHLANDER’S HOPE

By

Collette Cameron

BLURB:  

Not a day has gone by that Ewan McTavish, the Viscount Sethwick, hasn’t dreamed of the beauty he danced with two years ago. He’s determined to win her heart and make her his own. Heiress, Yvette Stapleton, is certain of one thing; marriage is risky and, therefore, to be avoided. At first, she doesn’t recognize the dangerously handsome man who rescues her from assailants on London’s docks, but Lord Sethwick’s passionate kisses soon have her reconsidering her cynical views on matrimony. On a mission to stop a War Office traitor, Ewan draws Yvette into deadly international intrigue. To protect her, he exploits Scottish law, declaring her his lawful wife—without benefit of a ceremony. Yvette is furious upon discovering the irregular marriage is legally binding, though she never said, “I do.” Will Ewan’s manipulation cost him her newfound love?

Giveaway Details:  Collette will be awarding a gift basket that includes a 20.00 Amazon gift card, Cadbury Chocolates, Vintage-looking cameo pendant, Highlander’s Hope bookmark, blue rose china teacup and demi-spoon, blue rose soaps, notepad–all assembled in an attractive vintage decor box.to a randomly drawn commenter during the tours.

EXCERPT:

Highlander’s Hope Excerpt – Carriage Scene

Peeking at him from beneath her lashes, she reached up to straighten her bonnet. It hung askew off the side of her head, like a giant drooping peony. She shoved it back into place but the moment she removed her hand, it flopped over once more.

The stranger’s unrestrained laughter filled the carriage.

“Oh, bother it all.” Yvette’s patience with both her rescuer and the silly bonnet were at an end. She had no choice but to remove the dratted thing to reaffix it. Several strands of hair tumbled to her shoulders when she removed the cap from her head. Suppressing a shriek of annoyance, she placed the hat beside her. She then set about securing the wayward curls. Pinning the last strand in place, her eyes met those of her companion.

Momentarily forgetting her unanswered questions, she stilled, as did the world around her. The air hung suspended in her lungs. Her eyes widened in disbelief, her stunned gaze riveted on his face. “You exist?” Her voice was husky with awe.

Raising an ebony eyebrow, a flicker of humor softened the nobleman’s features. “So it would appear.”

A voice, deep and dark, caressed Yvette’s heightened senses. She stared. Her gaze roved across his handsome features returning, as if compelled by some unseen force, to his eyes.

Those eyes. Fringed by thick lashes, the mesmerizing turquoise pools gazing back at her sent her senses reeling in recognition. Her mouth dropped open. No, it couldn’t be. “Am I dreaming?” Giving a quick shake of her head, she lowered her eyelids for a moment. Lud, but she was befuddled. “Who are you?

Giveaway:  Collette will be awarding a gift basket that include a gift card, blue rose tea cup, blue rose soap, vintage looking cameo pendant, shortbread, tea, and other goodies to a randomly drawn commenter during the tours. http://goddessfishpromotions.blogspot.com/2013/02/virtual-book-tour-highlanders-hope-by.html

AUTHOR INFORMATION:

A life-long Oregonian, Collette Cameron was born and raised in a small town along the northern Oregon coast. Today she makes her home in a rural community, 30 minutes west of Portland. Her Victorian farmhouse sits on a one-acre certified wildlife habit, interspersed with a plethora of gardens: English, rose, butterfly, rock, water, and of course, vegetable.

A voracious reader of romance since her teens, she even named her daughter after a heroine in her favorite romance novel. An enthusiast of times gone by, and anything related to romance, she writes Historical Romance, with a dash of inspiration, a pinch of humor, and a liberal portion of suspense.

Having dabbled in interior decorating in her youth, Collette returned to school, graduating summa cum laude from Oregon State University, and going on to obtain her Master’s Degree in Teaching. She is member of Romance Writers of America, Rose City Romance Writers, The Beau Monde, and Love Faith and Hope, Inc.

Some of Collette’s favorite things include unique blends of coffees and teas, trivia, Cadbury Milk Chocolate, inspirational quotes, and scented candles. Her Christian faith, husband, three adult children, and five miniature dachshunds round out her life quite nicely! When she’s not teaching or writing, she enjoys amateur photography, bird watching, gardening, interior decorating, rock-hunting, boating or fishing on the Columbia River, and reading.

LINKS:

Book URL: http://smpauthors.wordpress.com/meet-collette-cameron/highlanders-hope-by-collette-cameron/

This is not a “buy” link.

My Links:

Website: http://collettecameron.com/

Blog: http://blueroseromance.com/

Facebook Fan Page: https://www.facebook.com/collettecameronauthor

Facebook Page: http://www.facebook.com/collette.cameron.5

Twitter: https://twitter.com/Collette_Author

Google+: https://plus.google.com/110459897284342875390#110459897284342875390/posts

Linked In: http://www.linkedin.com/pub/collette-cameron/60/17a/667

Pinterest: http://pinterest.com/colletteauthor/

Soul Mate Publishing Author’s Blog: http://smpauthors.wordpress.com/

The Cracked Slipper

by Stephanie Alexander

 Stephanie will be awarding a $10 Amazon gift card to a randomly drawn commenter during the tour.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

BLURB:

When Eleanor Brice unexpectedly wins the heart of Gregory Desmarais, Crown Prince of Cartheigh, she’s sure she’s found her happily-ever-after. Unfortunately, Prince Charming has a loose grip on his temper, a looser grip on his marriage vows, and a tight grip on the bottle.

Eight years of mistreatment, isolation and clandestine book learning hardly prepare Eleanor for life at Eclatant Palace, where women are seen, not heard. According to Eleanor’s eavesdropping parrot, no one at court appreciates her unladylike tendency to voice her opinion. To make matter worse, her royal fiancé spends his last night of bachelorhood on a drunken whoring spree. Before the ink dries on her marriage proclamation Eleanor realizes that she loves her husband’s best friend, former soldier Dorian Finley.

Eleanor can’t resist Dorian’s honesty, or his unusual admiration for her intelligence, and soon both are caught in a dangerous obsession. She drowns her confusion in charitable endeavors, but the people’s love can’t protect her from her feelings. When a magical crime endangers the bond between unicorns, dragons, and the royal family, a falsely accused Eleanor must clear her own name to save her life. The road toward vindication will force a choice between hard-won security and an impossible love.

The Cracked Slipper is a book club friendly fairytale retelling in the vein of Gregory Maguire, with a dash of romance. Set in a pseudo-renaissance, corset-and-petticoats enchanted kingdom, The Cracked Slipper brings a magical twist to women’s fiction.

Excerpt One:

“He tugged at his earlobe. “I can’t, Mistress, and I would, just to get you out of this hallway, but Prince Gregory is not here.”

“Not here? What do you mean? It has to be—”

“Two in the morning.”

“Two in the morning,” she said. Something icy formed in her chest, and it wasn’t from the cold tiles beneath her feet. “I see. Well, I’ll be going.” She turned slowly.

“I’m sorry, Mistress.” The gruff voice followed her, but she didn’t want to turn around and see the sympathy on his face. She started up the steps but stopped midway.

There must be an explanation. She could not face tomorrow not knowing. She would wait and see, and it would all be revealed. Probably just some late-night meeting with his advisers, a problem that must solved before the wedding. She would wait until he returned, and then go back to bed happy.

Exhaustion caught up with her and she sat on the bottom step out of view of the guard. She wrapped her arms around her knees and in spite of the cold she nodded off. After some time, maybe ten minutes or maybe an hour, she heard voices. She sat up.

They were male voices, and some of them sounded familiar. She rocked forward on her numb toes and peered around the corner again.

She recognized Dorian first, and then Brian, Raoul, and several of Gregory’s other friends. Dorian struggled to hold someone up. Her heart sank as she recognized Gregory’s auburn hair.

He could barely stand. His legs kept buckling underneath him. Each time they crumpled he reached up with both arms. He grabbed Dorian’s neck and nearly dragged them both to the floor. The other men kept up a constant stream of harassment. She lost track of who said what, but their words rang painfully clear.

“What’s that Gregory? Those two Talessee girls where too much for you?”

“We should have quit after the redhead. She took care of him quite nicely.”

“Did you see the tits on that one?”

“Old Greg was probably seeing four of them. He was so smashed he was already falling over.”

“But his flagpole was standing up!” They all roared with laughter.

“A fine tribute to Cartheigh!”

“Tell me, Gregory, how will your sweet little maid compare with those last two?”

Gregory’s head swung up. “See, what you boys don’t realize…is I can have the sweet little maid and still bang as many whores as I see fit. Benefits of the crown.”

Eleanor could barely breathe. She head Dorian’s voice for the first time. “All right, all

right, let’s get you to bed or you’re liable to pass out on the altar.”

Gregory spoke again. “And you know, boys, little Eleanor is not quite as sweet as you may think— I’ve already had my hands on her—”

“Enough, Gregory,” Dorian said. He thrust the stuttering prince off on Brian and Raoul. He took the keys from the guard, who gazed resolutely at the wall.

“Tonight was just practice for tomorrow—”

“Enough!”Dorian exclaimed.

Eleanor couldn’t take any more. Without any further thought she stepped out into the hallway.

They all froze, a bunch of possums blinded by a woodsmen’s torch. Eleanor couldn’t speak. She simply stood there, staring at Gregory strung between Brian and Raoul like a pair of wet stockings left out to dry. Her hands clenched at her sides in tight fists. Blood roared in her ears, but her eyes were dry.

Dorian finally broke the silence.“Eleanor.”

Gregory cocked his head. “Sweetheart, how good to see you.”

His body jerked and he vomited. It covered his boots, and the sentry’s. The guard never moved. The acidic scent hit Eleanor’s nose and broke her paralysis. She fled up the steps. She heard Dorian calling after her but she didn’t stop. She brushed past her own sentry, threw the door open with both hands, closed it and drew the latch. She leaned against it. She had left her candle in the hallway, but she’d built the fire well and it still burned. She jumped at a gentle tap on the door behind her.

Dorian’s voice through the thick wood loosened the tears that had not come downstairs. “Eleanor,” he said, “please open the door. Let me explain.”

“No, go away.”

“He’s just drunk. It’s just talk among men. He didn’t mean any of it.”

“So where were you all? You weren’t out pitching lawn bolls!”

“I don’t deny it, or defend it. But Gregory loves you. He never meant to hurt you. ”

She leaned her head against the door. There was no way she could open it. “I don’t know what to believe,” she said. And then, louder, “Please go away, Dorian. Please.”

“As you wish.”

She sensed him standing on the other side, and then his footsteps moved down the hallway.”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

AUTHOR Bio and Links:

Stephanie Alexander grew up in the suburbs of Washington, DC, the oldest of three children. Drawing, writing stories, and harassing her parents for a pony consumed much of her childhood. After graduating from high school in 1995 she earned a Bachelor of Arts in Communications from the College of Charleston, South Carolina. She returned to Washington, DC, where she followed a long-time fascination with sociopolitical structures and women’s issues to a Master of Arts in Sociology from the American University. She spent several years as a Policy Associate at the International Center for Research on Women, a think-tank focused on women’s health and economic advancement.

Stephanie embraced full-time motherhood after the birth of the first of her three children in 2003. After six wonderful years buried in diapers and picture books she returned to her childhood passion and wrote her own fairytale. Her family put down permanent southern roots in Charleston in 2011. Stephanie is an adjunct professor of Sociology at the College of Charleston.

www.thecrackedslipper.com

blog.thecrackeslipper.com

www.facebook.com/thecrackedslipper

twitter: @crackedslipper

http://www.amazon.com/The-Cracked-Slipper-Series-ebook/dp/B007FLG8KS/ref=sr_1_1?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1364778060&sr=1-1&keywords=the+cracked+slipper

Where do you hail from and what do you love most about your hometown? A small agricultural town in Washington. I don’t love it, but I happen to have moved back here about ten years ago. I seem to have put down roots! My parents and sisters are here as well. Family always seem to draw you…

As a child, what did you want to be when you grew up?  A writer! A superhero! A wild sexy woman. Well two out of three isn’t bad.

Tell us about your latest book.  My book Sweet Cravings, release from Decadent Publishing in March, is about a plus-sized woman with a craving for pastry and something more… she finds that something more in pastry chef Max, but it takes her a while to accept it. At first, she can’t really believe her luck! Then, she’s also afraid she doesn’t deserve it. Max shows her how truly wrong she is for thinking that way. He likes her just the way she is.
Do you have anything new in the works and can you tell us a bit about it? I am working on a bull riding Western series. Who doesn’t love a sexy cowboy? I also have a M/M story set in Mumbai, India that will come out from Decadent Publishing later this year. I am so excited about that since it’s a multi-cultural love story. I also am working on (2) self-published works rights now. One is a M/F science fiction romance about a captain with memory loss after his Mars Mission, the other is a F/F series about a hooker with secrets and the accountant that loves her.
Is there anything you find particularly challenging about writing? Keeping from starting too many projects at once. I seem to have many going at the same time. I can’t help it. But if I don’t finish one, I can’t turn it in!
What advice would you give to writers just starting out? Make sure you read a lot. Read out of your comfort zone. I personally don’t read a lot of BDSM but I’ve read it. I’ve explored it. Taken some things from it. I almost always throw a spank or two into a story! It’s hot! But I’ve never actually tied up a character … yet.
What tools do you feel are must-haves for writers? A vivid imagination and a dirty dirty mind. : ) In that order. Heh.
Where do you as an author draw the line on gory descriptions and/or erotic content? Hmm I am not a fan of blood and gore onscreen and I’m not a fan of murder or mayhem in general. That said, I have a high tolerance for the spooky eerie type stuff. Hauntings are good. Alternative universes. Etc. I rather fancy the erotic as well. As you can probably tell if you’ve read any of my work! I even work erotic into the horror!

Bio:

Eva Lefoy writes and reads all kinds of romance, and is a certified Trekkie. She’s also terribly addicted to chocolate, tea, and hiking. One of these days, she’ll figure out the meaning of life, quit her job, and go travel the galaxy. Until then, she’s writing down all her dirty thoughts for the sake of future explorers.

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Eva-Lefoy/344907072265234

Twitter: https://twitter.com/Eva_Lefoy

Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/6656950.Eva_LeFoy

Amazon Author Page: http://www.amazon.com/Eva-Lefoy/e/B00CE0EY0G

Blog: http://writery.wordpress.com/

Just the Messenger

By

Ninette Swann

Blurb:

When Graciela Merced fumbles a package she’s delivering for her mysterious and sexy boss, Gene Hardy, she finds out he’s more than just a wealthy photographer. Prepared to lose her job, she confronts him…and ends up embroiled in the tricky takedown of a powerful drug cartel pushing cocaine into the heart of New York City.

Marco Valencia is an undercover agent, working against time—and against Gene Hardy—to crack Angel’s Drug Cartel before the story makes it to the press. When Hardy’s luscious Venezuelan messenger literally falls at his feet, he has no idea just how well he’ll get to know the beauty or how difficult it will be to drop her.

Hardened by experience, Gene Hardy takes his undercover work seriously, and charges a hefty price. When Grace makes a careless mistake and hurls him back into the visage of Marco Valencia, he must either fire her, or involve her in a twisted plot that could kill them all.

As the two men battle over their feelings for Graciela—and their attraction to each other—one thing becomes perfectly clear.

Grace is much more than just the messenger.

Buy Links:

NBP Store: http://noboundariespressstore.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&products_id=262

Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00BOYYKXO

ARe: https://www.allromanceebooks.com/product-justthemessenger-1098125-152.html

Barnes & Noble: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/just-the-messenger-ninette-swann/1114763651?ean=2940016263878

Kill Shot

by Anne Patrick

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 BLURB:

Former combat medic Kory Wagner survived four war zones. Now she’s home and out of the Army for good and someone is trying to kill her in her own backyard. Just as disturbing is the handsome sheriff who’s on the case. Sheriff Sean Harding doesn’t quite know what to think of the decorated veteran that managed to outsmart an entire search party. What bothers him more is the body of a PI, whom she hired, was found dead in a building she owns. And Kory isn’t being very cooperative with helping him find the answers as to why someone would kill her sister and want her dead. Will he be able to keep her alive along enough to discover the truth?

Excerpt One:

Kory heard a sound a few yards in front of her. She quickly scanned the area. Three rows of huge metal shelves lined the interior. She inched forward, peering around the corner of the second row. Mr. Urlik lay on his side, facing her, clutching his chest. His eyes were opened and his mouth moved, but no sound came out. A heart attack? She ran to him, knelt down on the cement floor, and took his hand. It was wet, slimy. She looked down and saw his hand covered in blood. Her eyes shifted to his chest. A large crimson stain spread across the width of his white shirt from a small hole near the center. He was breathing erratically. Experience told her a bullet had pierced at least one lung and he didn’t have much time. She immediately pressed the heel of her right hand against the wound.

“I’m sorry,” he murmured.

“Where’s your cell phone?” Hers was in her backpack but she didn’t want to waste valuable time digging it out.

“No time. Get out.”

“Who did this, Mr. Urlik?”

He grabbed her right hand and squeezed it tightly. “You were right — no accident.”

His hand went limp.

Kory felt something in the palm of her hand, looked down and saw it was a key. She shoved it into her jeans pocket. A whizzing sound buzzed past her, followed by the unmistakable clink of a bullet ricocheting off metal. She instinctively threw herself over his body as another bullet struck metal. Kory felt for a pulse. There was none. She lowered her hand to his chest and felt under both arms and along his waist. I thought all PIs carried guns. Just my luck this one didn’t.

.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

AUTHOR Bio and Links:

Anne Patrick is the author of more than a dozen novels of Romance, Mayhem & Faith, including the award winning and bestselling WOUNDED HEROES SERIES, FIRE AND ASH, and TIES THAT BIND. Her books have garnered four-star reviews from Romantic Times, ‘Top Pick’ and ‘Best Book’ honors from Night Owl Reviews and Long and Short of It Reviews, and Five-Heart reviews from The Romance Studio. When she isn’t working on her next novel she enjoys spending time with family and friends, and traveling to foreign countries to experience new cultures and adventures. Born and raised in Oklahoma, she now makes her home in Kansas.

Contact links:

Website: http://www.annepatrickbooks.com

Blog: http://www.suspensebyanne.blogspot.com

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/anne.patrick.98

Twitter: https://twitter.com/suspensebyanne

Amazon page: https://www.amazon.com/author/annepatrick

Buy Links:

Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Wounded-Heroes-Book-One-ebook/dp/B0067DE258

B&N: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/wounded-heroes-book-one-anne-patrick/1111903857

CBD: http://www.christianbook.com/wounded-heroes-book-kill-shot-ebook/anne-patrick/9781612521022/pd/24251EB

Publisher: http://www.desertbreezepublishing.com/wounded-heroes-book-one-kill-shot-epub/

Writing the “bonus” Sequel

by Claire Gillian

Thank you for hosting me on my blog tour and for giving me the opportunity to talk about about my latest book:  Purely Relative, a follow-up novella to my debut, The P.U.R.E.

When I wrote The P.U.R.E. (which stands for Previously Undetected Recruiting Error, by the way), I had zero intentions of ever writing a sequel. The main characters had their happily ever after, the bad guys were either dead or in jail, and the final chapter revealed that the heroine had restarted her career in a new city with a new job and was doing quite well, thank you very much. Plus, writing a mystery is work, hard work from a plotting standpoint. Between the positives and the negatives, it seemed I had homesteaded The P.U.R.E. in Completion City.

Yet, a handful of requests for more Gayle and Jon, the protagonist and her swoon-worthy hero / love interest, got me wondering:  Could I write another story about them without it being a romantic mystery like its predecessor? What ground was there left to coverfor the lovebirds?

As with television series, everyone knows that once a slow burn couple finally succumbs and enters into a relationship, all that delicious sexual tension drains away. The television soon”jumps the shark” if it keeps running. I didn’t want that for Gayle and Jon.

Turns out, I’d left a loophole.

The final chapter of The P.U.R.E. is actually an epilogue that occurs almost a year later than the chapter immediately preceding it. That’s where we get a few final details about the mystery, explain away any remaining red herrings and provide proof of the HEA or happily ever after.

But what happened during that off camera year? How did the couple end up in Washington DC when we last saw them in Dallas, Texas?Were they married or just living together? What happened when Jon told his family he had split up with his fiancée and lifelong family friend and had fallen in love with Gayle?

A-ha! There was my story. All I needed to do was pull back the plunger and shoot Gayleinto the bosom of the Cripps family as the “other” woman. And thus the loud, lively and colorful pinball game that is Purely Relativebegan.

Purely Relative released April 30th. While it can be read as a stand-alone, a reader should be prepared to be spoiled somewhat for The P.U.R.E.

Blurb:

Unemployed and living far from home, Gayle Lindley is nevertheless lucky to be alive after narrowly escaping her murderous ex-employer. She’s also thankful to the boyfriend gods for having blessed her with a former co-worker. Jon Cripps is brains, brawn and bedroom-certified, all in one delectable package. Life is finally on the uptick.

…Or so Gayle thinks until Jon pops the big question—no, not marriage, but meeting the rest of his family. What he neglects to mention is his loose familial definition also includes the parents of his ex-fiancée. And too bad Gayle has already met one sibling while engaged in a vigorous mattress inspection with Jon. Everyone will think she’s a man-stealing hussy!

As Gayle tiptoes into the bosom of Jon’s extended family, she is deluged with more secrets than even her curious nature can absorb. But the drama hits hardest when Jon, mysterious as ever, drops a bombshell that threatens to unravel every single stitch of progress she has made with him and his … ‘interesting’ relations.

Book Trailer:

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PurchasePurely Relative at these fine booksellers:

Amazon|  All Romance eBooks  | Smashwords |  Kobo  |  AppleiBookstore

About the Author:

Claire Gillian is the pen name for a number-crunching executive by day. By nights and weekends she writes smart, witty stories for smart, witty readers. Her debut novel, The P.U.R.E. released in April 2012 and its sequel, Purely Relative, is hot off the press as of April 30, 2013. She also writes fifty shades of naughtier stuff under the pen name of Lila Shaw, but please don’t tell her mother.  No matter which name she uses, Claire is happiest penning romance drenched in humor with a dash of intrigue and loads of spice.

Interact with Claire:

Email |  Website  |  Goodreads  |  Twitter |  Facebook  |  Pinterest

Where do you hail from and what do you love most about your hometown?

I am from Canton, New York. Canton is a relatively small town in northern N.Y. I like the small town atmosphere.

As a child, what did you want to be when you grew up?

I wanted to be a police officer. I thought that would be a cool job because of shows like Miami Vice, 21 jump street and Starsky and Hutch. Nine years as a deputy sheriff taught me differently.

Tell us about your latest book.

Search for the Lost Realm, my first novel, available now, is about a young man’s quest to find a mystical power the world has been without for thousands of years.

Do you have anything new in the works and can you tell us a bit about it?

I do have a book in the works. It is a fantasy novel revolving around a bounty hunter seeking his own brand of justice. I know that sounds cliché or maybe extremely generic but, I have trust issues. It should be out hopefully by the end of the year and more information will be released prior to the book becoming available.

Is there anything you find particularly challenging about writing?

I am my own worst enemy. I think of an idea and then I counter it several times. I may spend two weeks thinking about one chapter before I actually sit down to write. The other thing that I find challenging is getting the motivation to actually type if I already have the whole thing in my head. I prefer to sit down with maybe a sentence and let things unfold as I write.

What advice would you give to writers just starting out?

If you think it is worth doing, then do it and never give up. Don’t let excuses fill your day. Life can be demanding so before you begin, make sure you really want it.

Do you ever suffer from writer’s block? If so, what do you do about it?

I do. The way I deal with it is to ignore it. The brain will do amazing things if you don’t try too hard. I focus on other things and suddenly something will hit me and I’m off again. Sometimes it takes a while, so don’t get frustrated.

Who is your favorite author and why?

Many authors get their start or motivation from others. I don’t think that I have a favorite but I like the work of Robert Frost.

What books have most influenced your life?

That’s a tough one. I don’t know. I have read more than three hundred books but I’m not sure that one really stands out.

How did you deal with rejection letters?

You assume that I have been rejected. O.K., you got me. I learned to expect the rejection. Plan for it, it’s gonna happen. Then I moved on.

What tools do you feel are must-haves for writers?

Besides the basics, the most important tool is motivation and that one is hard to come by. Finding a quiet work space when you’re a single parent is important as well. If you’re looking more for the tangible, a dictionary and thesaurus are key.

Where do you as an author draw the line on gory descriptions and/or erotic content?

I hate todays movies that are total gore. I talk of blood and bludgeoning but it can be done without being overly graphic. As far as eroticism goes, I stick to a PG 13 formula. They know what’s happening without the detail.

What’s the weirdest thing you’ve ever done in the name of research?

I do most of my research online. I can’t really think of anything over the top.

Don’t forget to give us links to your website etc.

Thank you. You can find me at www.kraigdafoebooks.com

About the Author:

Kraig Dafoe was born in Potsdam, New York and grew up in Canton. He played high school football and joined the United States Army Reserves at the age of seventeen.

Kraig married at the age of nineteen and moved to Virginia Beach, Virginia where he worked as a Private Security officer for The Christian Broadcasting Network and also attended the Tidewater Community College for business.

After five years as a security officer, he became a Deputy Sheriff for the city of Chesapeake Virginia.

Kraig left the Sheriff’s office after nine years of service and pursued a couple of different business opportunities before he went on to publishing his debut novel.

Kraig is the father of five children and he currently resides in Kansas, raising his youngest son.

His latest book is the fantasy/adventure, Search for the Last Realm.

Visit his website at www.kraigdafoebooks.com

Connect with Kraig:

FACEBOOK

About the Book:

Search for the Lost Realm is an epic journey in which a young man named Varan wants to find a power which has been missing from the world of Kantania for thousands of years.

Varan sets out but soon discovers his true mission is to save the worlds creator from a spiritual bond placed upon him by the powerful demon, Eldrok.

From demons to dragons and sorcerers to soldiers, battles erupt and Varan must hurry or the world could be lost to darkness forever.

This story does not consist of action alone as Varan faces dilemmas of the heart, struggles of the flesh and complex issues of the mind.

AMAZON | BARNES & NOBLE | ITUNES

Book Excerpt:

A sound normally dismissed during mid-day, the lock’s scarce clatter rang out like church bells, trespassing on a death like serenity. As tumblers aligned, Varan hoped his crouched frame went undetected on the sage’s porch. With his remaining eye, the thief peered over his right shoulder at ghostly shadows cast upon a vacant street. Choking down his heart, he ever so cautiously swung open the door and, after easing into the shop, he gently returned it to its frame. A shaft of moonlight pierced shutters flush, as the lurking thief, through dusty air, investigated a dreary interior. To his left, shelves of musty books, with their worn bindings, all stood erect by ornately carved bookends. In the near corner, to his right, a large silver‑blue sphere, dimly glowing, sat upon a heavy wooden pedestal.

Rafflecopter Code for $100 Amazon Gift Card/Paypal Cash:

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The beauty of being a writer is you can totally live more than one life. I’ve been very brave in the last few years. I’ve moved to new places, I’ve taken new jobs, I’ve fallen in love multiple times. But ya know…not really.

The problem with living these grand, adventurous and yes, brave, lives in my head is that I—the me that is here every day wearing a giant sweatshirt, leggings and swilling coffee—am stuck with normal every day stuff like the laundry and banking and errands.

My heroine in The Boys Next Door, Ferrell, moves to a new place and starts a new life and gives herself permission—yes, permission—to get to know a few men. Try them on for size. How shall I say…take them for a test drive.

Thing is, they’re all very different, these wonderful men. And I’ve had quite a good time reading the input from readers who were rooting for one versus the other. Some people were happy with who won Ferrell’s heart. Some, not so much.

The Boys Next Door Breakdown goes like this:

Team Deke (The Butcher).  They like their men sexy and hot with the ability to be dominant but the ability to let the I’m-in-charge thing go. They love dark haired men who look a little evil but are oh so good on the inside.

Super Power: Love in an Elevator.

Team Stephen (The Baker). Ah…they like their men sort of shy, slightly submissive and so pretty he might as well be a Yaoi character. They dig a man who likes the ladies and  the men.  They love beautiful—on the inside and out—men with a heart of gold. And a pretty mouth.

Super Power: Stuns the eye and the heart with some secretive boy on boy action.

Team Cooper (The Candlestick Ma—okay, so he works for the power company). They like their men gruff and hot and a bit rough around the edges. A guy you almost love to hate. But love to fall into bed with even more. A dominant through and through, sexually and otherwise. They like sandy haired men with mysterious tattoos who know how to teach a girl about sump pumps. And other things…

Super Power: Accidental clothesline bondage.

Now I won’t give away the ending, but I will say that even for me, as the writer, it was a hard, hard choice. That was part of the bravery I mention. Choosing who gets the girl in the end when all the choices are all just so damn yummy.

As for real life bravery, I’m still trying to convince myself to go speak at a writing conference I’ve been invited to. I can’t tell if the part of me that wants to go or the part of me too scared to go is winning. I guess I’ll find out eventually!

XOXO

Sommer

Excerpt from Boys Next Door by Sommer Marsden

‘Much better than just sugar, right?’ He put a plate with a biscotti and a donut on it in front of me.

The chicken salad had been impeccable, the croissant damn near orgasmic. Paired with some chips and a pickle plus water and coffee, I was ready to bust, but I picked up the biscotti and nibbled it.

‘I feel like the suckling pig at the luau,’ I laughed.

‘Nonsense. You’re darn near too thin.’ Stephen took my plate and I handed him my empty coffee cup. Our fingers touched again. An unmistakable zing that only came with attraction sizzled up my arm. I had to focus hard to keep from shaking myself to throw off the sudden charge of energy.

‘That is the nicest thing anyone has said to me all day,’ I joked.

‘Eat your sweets.’ He turned from me and I watched him walk away. Fine, fine ass moving with measured ease as he walked behind the counter. His chef whites showed off the tan on his forearms from being outside.

And speaking of those forearms, they made me think dirty things. I was a slut for forearms.

‘Did you make these too?’ I cooed, nibbling more flaky buttery biscotti.

‘I made everything,’ he said.

I heard him put my dishes in a small dishwasher. The place was so small that even at a table I could see past the counter into the small kitchen and to his work space. A metal table and two large ovens dominated the back room. Up front, one large stand-up case, then a wall of baskets to the right of the front door. Floor-to-ceiling bins of fresh bread, bagels, rolls and croissants. The place smelled like heaven – where good, clean eating folks went to die, living out eternity gorging on buttery, decadent baked goods.

‘Chicken salad?’ I countered.

‘Yep.’ He came back in, wiping his hands on a towel. ‘Croissant, yep. Biscotti, yep. Coffee, yep.’ He grinned at me and I felt that free-falling feeling in my middle again.

‘The table?’ I tried to keep a straight face.

‘Yep.’

I blinked. ‘Oh –’

‘Kidding, kidding,’ he said. ‘I’ll bring you some leftovers tonight. Judging by the looks of you, you have no food in your house.’

‘The looks of me!’

‘Skinny,’ he said again.

‘Not too skinny,’ I countered.

‘Well, you do have a fine ass,’ he said. But then his cheeks coloured brilliantly, as if he wasn’t usually so forward and it felt foreign to him. Which was both sweet and sexy at the same time.

I blinked again – this man put me off balance, and I liked it. ‘Um . . . thanks?’

He nodded. ‘No problem.’

‘I do have to go. I have to get to my house and actually get inside it.’ I wiggled my keys at him. ‘Now that I have this, I can.’

Stephen Vogel nodded and said, ‘Let me wrap some donuts up for you. Hold you over till dinner.’

Who was I to argue with complimentary ‘welcome-to-the-neighbourhood-I-like-your-ass’ donuts?

Blurb:

Never in her hottest dreams did Farrell McGee expect a move to Tower Terrace to be such an erotic roller coaster ride. Indulge in another hot story from Mischief.

‘Good luck getting your key. I’m the middle house across the road should you need anything. At all,’ he said. The tone, the words, the accent on the anything. Oh god, he was one of those men. Men who had tons of self assurance and sexual prowess and total faith in their bedroom abilities. Those men were dangerous.’

Starting over at twenty eight, Farrell McGee discovers sleepy Tower Terrace teeming with handsome men. Well, maybe not teeming, but three heart-stopping men do live across the road from her.

Despite feeling she’s fallen backwards into a fairytale, complete with a big stone tower, a local legend and missing love letters, it becomes clear that all three of her neighbours have a sensual grip on her. She’s powerless to choose just one, and just as powerless to get them out of her head or her bed. Deke, the devilish good boy who’s superb at being bad. Coop, so often annoying in his gruffness, but oh so dominant where it counts. And Stephen the pretty, sweet, slightly submissive one. Her sex life has never been so good and her heart never so torn. She needs to choose one man, when she’s not ready to give up any of them. But deep down she knows who she wants.

US link: http://www.amazon.com/Boys-Next-Mischief-Books-ebook/dp/B008LQ9MJ0

UK link: http://www.amazon.co.uk/Boys-Next-Mischief-Books-ebook/dp/B008LQ9MJ0

Author Bio:

Sommer Marsden’s been called “…one of the top storytellers in the erotica genre” (Violet Blue), “Unapologetic” (Alison Tyler), “…the whirling dervish of erotica” (Craig J. Sorensen),and “Erotica royalty…” (Lucy Felthouse).

Her erotic novels include Restless Spirit, Boys Next Door, Learning to Drown, Wanderlust and the Zombie Exterminator series. Sommer currently writes erotica and erotic romance for Xcite Books, eXcessica, Ellora’s Cave, Pretty Things Press, Resplendence Publishing and Mischief Books. The wine-swigging, dachshund-owning, wannabe runner author writes work that runs the gamut from bondage to zombies to humor.

Sommer’s short works can be found in well over one hundred and thirty (and counting) erotic anthologies. Her short stories have also been included numerous adult and romance magazines–both in print and online.

Where do you hail from and what do you love most about your hometown?

I was born and raised in northern Illinois in a town that borders Iowa. I love my hometown because it’s familiar to me and it holds all sorts of awesome memories as a child. And the best part is that now my three girls get to experience it for themselves.

As a child, what did you want to be when you grew up? 

I was always obsessed with the weather and weather channel believe it or not, and had high hopes of becoming a meteorologist someday. Definitely a far cry from an author and stay-at-home mom J

Tell us about your latest book.

My latest book is actually my debut novel. It’s entitled When It’s Least Expected. It’s more of a mature contemporary young adult romance. Of course it deals with that sweet young love/first love, but it also takes on a few heavier issues that are close to my heart like depression, anxiety, and self-forgiveness.

 Do you have anything new in the works and can you tell us a bit about it?

I do! I have the second book in this series in the works, and I also have a Young Adult, paranormal romance coming out June 14^th through Sunshine press. This book is the first in a trilogy and it’s called Resisting Fate.

Is there anything you find particularly challenging about writing?

My biggest problem is finding the time to actually sit down and write. I am a mom of three girls, I watch my niece all day, I work for Sizzling PR, and help out at the sites Sizzling Hot Books and Sizzling Hot YA Books. Basically my time is very limited anymore.

What advice would you give to writers just starting out?

Grow a thick skin, write what you love to read, and have fun! I’m new to this business, but these are the three things I wish someone would have told me when I first started out.

Do you ever suffer from writer’s block? If so, what do you do about it?

Ugh, yes. I just recently suffered a big bout of it. Not fun. I stayed away from my computer – an entire week at that. And then boom, out of the blue, my words just came back and it’s like they were never gone. Phew!!

Who is your favorite author and why? 

This question is so hard for me honestly, because there are soooo many authors out there that I love! So I’m going to break the rules and write my favorite three: Kelly Gendron, Karen Y. Bynum, and Jennifer Armentrout/J Lynn.

How did you deal with rejection letters?

I brushed them off to be honest. I knew when I first started writing, how hard this author business was, so I prepared myself for disappointment. I was always, and still occasionally am, a glass half empty kind of girl. But in the end, things happen for a reason and I am good with where I’ve wound up.

What tools do you feel are must-haves for writers?

Knowledge about what you are writing is a must, I’d say and add in a little self-motivation as well to that mix.Those two tools are very, very important. (at least to me they are…)

Where do you as an author draw the line on gory descriptions and/or erotic content?

I haven’t had the opportunity to write any erotic content yet, but that doesn’t mean I don’t want to! As a matter of fact, that’s the one genre I really want to write someday. As far as drawing a line? Well, I would have to just go with what I felt was comfortable for me and my characters at the time.

Don’t forget to give us links to your website etc.

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When It’s Least Expected By Heather Van Fleet

Moving on after a tragedy can be impossible – especially when you’ve been dealing with those tragedies for over two years. But it’s her senior year, and Harley Anderson is more than ready to do just that, even though the skeletons in her closet can’t exactly be hidden.

Enter Mason Daniel, the egotistical, sexy, surfer boy from California – a boy with his own hidden demons, and even bigger secret agenda.

Mason isn’t right for Harley. He knows this better than anyone. He’s the epitome of a runner–a guy who takes what he can get, only to split a short while later. But he can’t deny the emotions that Harley brings out of him, so he’s going to break his rules for once.

He should have known what it would lead to… Two kindred souls – both lost and then found. Will they fail, once again, in their search for contentment and happiness, or will they finally find true love, when it’s least expected?

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About the Author:

Heather Van Fleet currently resides in northern Illinois, with her three daughters, Kelsey, Emma, and Isabella, and her fabulous hubby (and high school sweetheart) Chris, with whom she’s been blissfullymarried to now for ten plus years. She’s a stay at home mom by day, and an avid and completely obsessive writer and reader by night.

Ten Successful Tips For Independent Authors

With as much humility as I can muster, I think it is safe to say that I have written a successful novel. Collapse is closing in on 6K paid downloads and has 221 reviews, 172 of which are 4 and 5 stars.  My point is not to brag, but to give you the qualifications to write this post.  I would like to impart to you what I think are some tips to success.

1.  Recognize the limits of your genre.  Take a peek at this article.  What genre does your work fall under?  The most successful fiction genre is Mystery, Thriller, and Crime.  I must say that surprises me, I would have picked Romance as the top genre.  If your genre is towards the bottom of the list, it is unrealistic to expect great financial or critical success.  My advice, approach your writing with realistic goals in mind based on these figures.

2.  Hire an editor.  Let’s be perfectly clear, your spouse is not an editor, your best friend is not an editor, your friends and family are not editors unless they edit professionally and have professional experience.  They can still serve a vital function as proofreaders, which we will discuss in the next point. It doesn’t matter if you made straight As in English or even have an English degree.  Professional editing has lots and lots of rules and you need someone who knows those rules backwards and forwards.  Let’s take a little test to prove this point.  Take the number 1309.  How do you put that on the page?  Do you type the digits or the words?  How do you type the words?  One thousand three hundred nine or one thousand three hundred and nine?  Another example:  You reference a TV show and a particular episode like Star Trek: The Next Generation with the episode The Inner Light.  How do you put that on the page?  Is the TV show italicized or underlined?  Is the episode also italicized or is it in quotation marks?  Is your head spinning yet?  Here’s one more:  president.  When do you capitalize it?  “President of the United States” or “president of the United States?”  “Someone needs to contact the president” or “Someone needs to contact the President?”  I could list many, many more examples.  Afraid of the semicolon?  I am.  I still have trouble trying to figure out when to use it.  How confident are you that you know all of these rules?  Hire an editor.  Mistakes on the page yank the reader out of the story when they notice them.  My editor is Susan Hughes, visit her website and consider hiring her.

3.  Use proofreaders.  You need as many sets of eyes to read your work prior to release and proofreaders can help you to clarify confusing elements of the storyline or even point out factual errors in your work.  In my latest work, one of the chapters deals with a naval encounter.  I was never in the Navy, my knowledge of naval officer dialogue is limited to Kirk and Picard on the bridge of their respective Enterprise.  I sought out a valuable resource I had at my disposal – a former navy officer.  He read the chapter and sent me back notes on what naval officers would say and pointed out a glaring mistake on what goes on in a torpedo attack.  Proofreaders can also give you honest input on what portions of the story are too slow or might even wound your pride and tell you that a particular chapter is pointless and needs to be cut.  Listen to the input and take it to heart.  Your proofreaders are representatives of every reader that will read your work.  If portions of your work confuse or bore them, the same will be true for any reader.

4.  Have your book cover done professionally.  I am a horrible artist.  There, I said it.  Terrible doesn’t even begin to describe how bad I am.  I was so terrible at the game Draw Something that I deleted it from my phone.  I’m that bad.  My next plan was to utilize my computer skills and become proficient at a graphic design program.  I figured I could come up with something simple yet elegant.  After six hours I had a solid black background with the word “Collapse” in a cool font right in the center of the image.  My name was at the top, the tagline “America Will Fall” was at the bottom.  It looked awful.  It was time to hire a professional, which every indie author should do.  I found a wonderful graphic designer on Twitter by the name of Laura LaRoche.  Visit her website at www.llpix.com at take a look at her work.  Her rates are very affordable.  I simply gave her a detailed description of what I wanted and after some more input from me, I had an amazing cover.

5.  Go exclusive with Amazon with the KDP Select Program.  I can’t emphasize this enough.  My success both financially and in terms of downloads is owed to KDP Select.  Once enrolled in the program, you get paid per borrow in the Kindle Owners Lending Library (KOLL).  If you are not enrolled in KDP, you get nothing from the KOLL program.  At roughly $2 per borrow, I’ve had months in the $300 to $500 range simply from KOLL alone.  Some of you might be wary of this, thinking that you will find more success making your work available across all platforms.  In my own personal experience, for every 1 download from Barnes & Nobles, I have 20 from Amazon.  In my non-KDP months, I’ve had 1 download from Kobo, Smashwords and 0 from iTunes.  The numbers are there and they speak for themselves. The money I make from KOLL will never be made up from the other platforms.  If you have found great success from other platforms, I’d love to hear about it in the comments with some tips on how you did it.  During your free promos, it is imperative that you put the word out.  Author Rachelle Ayala has a wonderful resource on her blog that will help tremendously.

6.  Social Media.  This outlet is a must for any indie author.  I have sold a great many books from Twitter as detailed in this post.  As I mentioned in that post, I highly recommend the program TweetAdder.  It does all the heavy lifting for you and can gain you 200-300 followers a day if done right.  You can also create lists of tweets talilored to certain needs like free promos, pushing your audiobook, pushing your novel, or pushing your blog.  This blog gets 600-800 views a day and over half of them come from Twitter.

Facebook can also be a valuable tool if used successfully.  Create an author page on Facebook and use it to promote your work.  FB also has very effective advertising options to reach the masses.  You can create a post about your novel and for increments of $5, $10 and up to $50 you can promote that post to thousands of people.

Do you have a blog?  You should.  Over the past year I’ve put a lot of work into this blog and have done my best to tailor it to advertise my book on every visit, no matter the content.  Someone visits this blog, they will see the details for Collapse.  Use your blog to promote other indie authors as I have done.  The indie community is a very open and sharing one, use that resource to your benefit.  I promote other indies on this blog for no monentary compensation, the only thing I ask in return from them is to help me promote my free promo days when they come around.

7.  Master the very tiresome art of advertising.  Advertising is a full time job by itself.  Get your name out there whenever you can.  It might seem like a complete waste of time that gives nothing in return at first, but plant those seeds early on and they will bear fruit in the future.  I have been very, very lucky to cultivate some influential people in my advertising ventures.  You never know when that one special someone will read your book and contact you for an interview or a podcast.  A few weeks ago a wonderful woman by the name of Lisa Bedford, aka The Survival Mom, read Collapse during a free promo and she loved the book.  She contacted me for an interview and I was honored to be the first guest on her upcoming podcast.  When she posted her review of Collapse, my Amazon ranking was in the 9K range, in the days following her review, the ranking shot up to 1,353, almost breaking my record.  Her review also caught the eye of Lew Rockwell, a prominent political commentator, who reposted her review on his blog.

Along with The Survival Mom’s podcast, I have done two others.  The first was with The American Preppers Network which helped boost my rankings in the early first few months of release.  My most recent podcast was just a few days ago with Jim Harold, the top paranormal podcaster on iTunes.  He featured the interview in The Consipracy Corner.  Jim also gave me some very exciting news.  He has a contact at Fox News, a man he used to do podcasts with, and he is going to pass along the word of Collapse and gave him my contact info.  He made no guarantees, but having my book plugged on the weekend edition of Fox and Friends would be HUGE in terms of exposure.

Put yourself out there, never turn down a promotional opporunity and constantly search for advertising ventures.  That lucky break is around the corner.  I cerainly never dreamed I would be so lucky as I have mentioned above.

In terms of paid advertising, my primary piece of advice is to never gamble what you can’t afford to lose because there is no guarantee that you will get it back.  If you have the funds to do so, there are many affordable resources out there.  Kindle Nation Daily has some of the best in the business.  They even have the numbers to back it up.  Do your research and find out what best suits your budget.  I have recently offered a $25 monthly promotional packet here on this blog.  I think you can get a lot for your money, please look over the details and consider it.

If you are willing to spend a decent amount of money, I highly recommend BookBub.  They have very large email lists and you can really get the word of your novel out there to tens of thousands of potential readers.

Another piece of advice in terms of paid advertising is not to over-saturate the market.  It is unwise to use Kindle Nation Daily three times in one month, chances are you’ve reached the majority of their readership on the first one.  Space it out.  BookBub knows this and they only let you use their services every three months.

8.  Interact with your readers as much as possible.  At the end of Collapse, I included all of my contact info to include email address, FB, Twitter, and blog.  I have been fortunate to interact with many fans over the last eight months.  Glowing emails simply make my day, however, be wary that by putting yourself out there you are open to negative interaction as well.  I receive dozens of tweets a day from readers and potential readers and I always reply to each one.

9.  Receive praise, ask for a review.  I have received a few negative reviews that make accusations that all of the four and five star reviews are questionable if not fraudulent.  This is not the case.  I honestly can’t explain the current 221 reviews my novel has received in just eight months.  I certainly have not paid for reviews or created fake accounts to give myself positive reviews. I honestly wouldn’t know how to do that if I were so dishonestly inclined.  One thing I have done in my interactions with fans is to ask them to leave an honest review on Amazon.  I greatly appreciate complementary emails, tweets, and posts on FB, they truly make my day.  I reply to them with my gratitude and a humble request to leave a review on Amazon.  Since I am not actively soliciting people for reviews and instead interacting with fans, I see no issue with it.  I’m certainly not telling them what to put in the review or asking them for five stars, so I see no harm.

10.  Advertise your other works at the end of your novel.  A reader has finished your work and enjoyed it, what’s the next logical thing they are going to do?  They will seek out your other work.  Between books 1 and 2, I have written a short story that deals with one of the characters from book one.  At the end of Collapse, I provide a link to that short story.  I also provide links to the audiobook version of Collapse.  If you have written multiple books, advertise them at the end of the book and make it easy for your reader to find them.