Promo: CONSPIRACY by Kat Martin!!!

ABOUT THE BOOK:

Harper Winston’s brother has disappeared.  Pursuing his dream of sailing the Caribbean, Michael hasn’t responded to texts or emails, and even the Coast Guard can’t find him.  Desperate, Harper is forced turn to private investigator and wealthy owner of Maximum Security, Chase Garrett, once her brother’s best friend. 

Dealing with the Winston crime family goes against everything Chase stands for, but old loyalties die hard.  As the case progresses, he’s drawn closer to Harper and deeper and deeper into trouble.  With time running out, Chase must find a way to keep Harper safe…and both of them alive.

GUEST POST:

The Texas Mystique

Since my new book, THE CONSPIRACY, Chase Garrett and Harper Winston’s story, is set in Texas, I thought it might be fun to talk about one of my favorite places.

There is something special about Texas.  My husband and I lived in Houston for a couple of months one summer and it was a wonderful experience.  The people in Texas are extremely friendly, and always seem to be in a good mood. 

We stuffed ourselves on gourmet meals in some of the country’s finest restaurants, ate a ton of delicious Tex Mex, enjoyed Asian, Indian flatbread, and just about everything else.  We visited art galleries, the beach, and drove past some of the beautiful ranches in the area. 

That was the good news.  The bad news was Houston in August is HOT.  It’s also muggy and sticky and you just can’t wait for October to arrive.  Or maybe September.

Two years ago, we traveled to Lubbock for a Western Writers of America conference.  I was reluctant to go in the summer, but it turned out to be a really great trip--hot but dry.  We visited the Museum of Texas Tech and met some fun people, including old-time movie star, Barry Corbin, who’s been in everything from Urban Cowboy to The Best Little Whore House in Texas.   

For the past few years, I’ve been setting my stories in Dallas, one of my favorite cities.  In THE CONSPIRACY, out January 22^nd, Harper Winston’s brother has disappeared.  Desperate to find him, Harper is forced turn to the wealthy owner of Maximum Security, private detective, Chase Garrett, once her brother’s best friend.

But dealing with the Winston crime family won’t be easy.  With time running out, Chase must find a way to keep Harper safe...and both of them alive. 

Texas is a place that captured my soul long ago.  If you don’t have time to visit, I hope you look for Harper and Chase in THE CONSPIRACY and that you enjoy. 

Till next time, all best and happy reading, Kat

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Guest Post: Aidee Ladnier, author of WOLF AROUND THE CORNER!

Wolf Around The Corner

By Aidee Ladnier

Aidee is giving away a $5 Amazon GC, $10 Amazon GC, Ebooks from her backlist, print books from her backlist. The winners will be chosen by Rafflecopter. Please use the RaffleCopter below to enter. Don't forget you have a chance to enter every day so be sure to visit all the stops on this tour. You may find those locations here.

Wolf shifters are very popular. In fact, there are thousands of books out there in this genre. How do you write a shifter story that stands out as distinctive and original? What will readers find in Wolf Around the Corner that's new and exciting?

Hi! And thanks for having me on your blog.

This is a great question! Actually, the shifter book saturation issue is why I never thought I’d write a werewolf protagonist. I’ve read a lot of werewolf books and most of the shifter tropes like alpha males, the wolf pack in danger, and fated mates never appealed to me as an author.

But then I imagined a world where lycanthropy was treated more like a very rare medical condition.  I renamed the malady Galen’s Syndrome, using the medical convention of naming a disease after the first person to describe it. In late antiquity, the Greek physician Galen described a patient with a ravenous appetite and other qualities of a wolf. If I made Galen’s Syndrome a condition that appeared in less than 1 in 2,000 individuals, it would classify it as a rare disorder and 80% of rare disorders have a genetic component. So I could keep a bit of the magic of werewolves, I made my shifter the possessor of a genetic curse. In other words, if someone is cursed with lycanthropy, the curse becomes a mutation passed down as a recessive gene. Therefore, although individuals could become carriers of the curse and still be normal, if someone gets the recessive cursed gene from each parent, they’ll be able to shift into a wolf.

So I have my werewolf, but I’m still not fond of the shifter tropes. Just to be contrary, I set out to make his story the opposite of all the shifter romance conventions. My shifter, Frank Braden, is insecure and awkward—the opposite of an alpha. He also doesn’t have a pack. In fact, he doesn’t have any friends with the same disorder and he’s even been asked to leave his family home because his father and stepmother are afraid he’ll be a danger to his half-siblings. He’s essentially, a lone wolf. And there are no fated mates in this universe. I love the idea of a fated mate, but if I personally have to go through the embarrassing and excruciating dating dance, I’m going to make sure my characters do too. I won’t give my protagonists any shortcuts to love.

I also made my werewolf the lead actor in a theatrical version of Beauty and the Beast. I’ve known several actors and the transformation scene for this particular fable has always been either to use a mask or a double to allow the main character to run off stage and take off their makeup. I thought a director might faint with joy at having a real life werewolf shift onstage during the transformation scene. Who wouldn’t buy a ticket to see that? Especially in a world where many people think werewolves are folktales. The play would be part sideshow and part theater. Which leads to a built-in conflict—because there’s a person behind that transformation not just a spectacle to gawk at. I wanted to raise the moral question of how a director could both have an actor use a special trait without making them feel used. Where do you draw the line at exploitation and performance?

But, the book is still very light-hearted and sweet. I grew up in a small town and tried to put my favorite things about small towns in the fictional Waycroft Falls. From niche bookstores, to strange statues, and Founder’s Day bed races. Frank and Tom’s romance doesn’t run smooth, but it does skip along awkwardly to a hopeful beat.

About Wolf Around the Corner:

Frank’s family taught him that his wolf was dangerous, unwanted. Now his best friend’s brother wants him in bed and on stage. But giving into his wolf’s need for love could risk the quiet life Frank has created for himself—and his heart. Settled in the small town of Waycroft Falls, Frank is content to be a lone wolf among the white picket fences and dollar book bins until he finds himself sniffing his best friend’s brother. Tom smells like hot apple pie and his Broadway smile has Frank lolling his tongue. But when the visiting actor learns Frank’s secret and plies him with hot kisses to get him to star in his play, Frank can’t help but wonder if Tom is only acting. Tom ran away from family obligations to be a Broadway star. If he could make it there, he could make it anywhere…but he didn’t. Trudging home to Waycroft Falls to open his sister’s new performance space brings him face to face with a werewolf—a werewolf that would be perfect for Tom’s shoestring production of Beauty and the Beast. Staying in Tiny Town USA would be worth it if he can somehow convince the sexy wolf to expose his furry condition on stage and howl privately in Tom’s bed. Wolf Around The Corner, a paranormal semi-finalist in Passionate Ink’s 2017 Sexy Scribbles Contest, is a full-length fairytale romance with a side of wolf shifter. If you like your romance with gorgeous men, humor, and small town magic, you’ll love Wolf Around the Corner! Buy your copy now and settle in to watch the drama unfold! Genre: M/M Paranormal Shifter Contemporary Buy Links: Amazon  | B&N | iBooks | Kobo | Smashwords | 24Symbols | Indigo | Angus & Robertson | Mondadori ~*~*~*~*~*~ Excerpt:  The first thing he always did was take a large lungful of air. It reoriented him to the outside. His animal cataloged the smells—car exhaust, grass, tree pollen, and wait, a mouse skittering in the Dumpster out back. Frank’s urge to run built. He circled the apartments, looking for the storm drain near the landscaping wall. Inside him, his animal wiggled in excitement at the prospect of being freed. Frank shucked his clothes behind the wall and tucked them into the shelter of the pipe, out of view. Then he shifted, his hands lengthening, hair sprouting, and muzzle growing. His point of view shortened, now three feet from the ground as he blinked through the eyes of his wolflike animal. Frank couldn’t stand still any longer. He sprang into the woods. Frank ran, crashing through the underbrush and into the darkening shelter of the trees. He leaped over a shrub, felt the give of a sapling as he plowed through the brushwood. The animals and birds quieted at his loud, headlong dash, knowing he wasn’t of the forest, only disguised and playing at being a creature of the wood. His paws skidded on a pile of old leaves. Frank almost lost his balance as he skipped up and over a fallen log. Around him, the scents of the forest all pushed in on him. Here a whiff of mold, there an astringent sniff of decay, everywhere the menthol of evergreen sap and wild herbs growing scattered on the forest floor. Dry twigs snapped beneath his paws. His tongue lolled from his mouth, the fresh taste of the woods painting the back of his throat. The sun dipped below the horizon, the sky inking the tops of the trees. And Frank ran on until his limbs stopped, shaky and trembling. He collapsed onto a blanket of pine needles and leaves, moss and fungi cradling him as he panted. As he caught his breath, the sounds of the woods lapped back around him. Insects and birds first. A harsh caw from a crow shrieked a hundred yards to his right. The chirp of a cricket sawed a few feet away. The rat-a-tat of a woodpecker echoed above. And the still of twilight calmed him. When he’d rested enough that his legs would support him again, Frank began the slow jog back to the apartments, letting his nose guide him through the darkening visibility of the woods. He could smell Mrs. Reynolds’s nighttime cocoa, and Mr. Reynolds’s liniment that stank of capsaicin. The lighted windows of the apartment building led him the last few feet, and he scurried up to the storm drain. But his clothes weren’t there. The sky darkened into night. Frank knew Mrs. Anderson was out, but he could try to get the elderly Reynolds couple to buzz him inside. And hope they didn’t ask why he was naked trotting up the stairs. Or he could stay in wolf form without a tag, which meant a night outside running from animal control and/or dodging every human that would mistake him for a stray dog. Or wait, a third option. There was an oak that almost reached the ledge of his apartment window on the second floor. He never bothered to lock the window. Frank shifted back to human and sprinted across the yard. He leaped for the lower boughs of the tree, grunting as the bark dug into the flesh of his palms. Frank swung himself up to straddle a branch, regretting it as the rough wood scraped his thighs. He crouched in the tree, awkwardly trying to shield his more delicate parts from the smaller whiplike twigs. He skirted around the trunk, grimacing as a low branch brushed a little too close to his groin. There. He was now on the side that faced the apartment house. Frank balanced upright, his arms pinwheeling until he caught another branch higher up to steady himself. The leaves around him shivered on their stalks, the rustling loud. Please don’t let Mrs. Reynolds look out her window. Using the taller branch as a guide, Frank placed one bare foot in front of the other and inched away from the security of the trunk. The limb beneath his feet shook as his weight tested its strength. He slid a foot farther out on the branch. It dipped, the leaves at the tip brushing against the side of his window. Just a few feet more. An ominous crack sounded beneath him, and Frank froze. The branch popped again. It wouldn’t hold. He could make a jump for it. Frank swallowed hard. He should make a jump for it. Frank jumped. And missed the house, falling into the azalea bushes. Just as his hunky new neighbor from across the hall walked out of the apartment building and down the front steps. Frank had seen Tom in the hall that morning, carrying boxes. Trying to be neighborly, Frank had introduced himself and offered to help. Tom had turned Frank down but flashed the whitest, most even teeth at him. Frank had seen nothing whiter outside of a movie theater big screen. They’d exchanged pleasantries, commented on the weather, and then gone their separate ways. Or rather, that was what Frank wished had happened. What went down was: “Need help?” Frank barely got the words out when his new neighbor turned in the doorway. Frank froze. God, the man was gorgeous. “Naw, man. I got it.” Tom shifted the box in his arms to hold out his hand. “I’m Tom Davidson.” Frank wiped a clammy hand on his jeans and shook Tom’s hand. “Hot.” And Frank knew his mouth had disclosed the exact thing his brain was thinking. Idiot. Who said that to a guy he’d just met? A guy like Tom already knew he was hot. Tom tilted his head as if he hadn’t heard Frank right. “Yeah. The temperatures are a little warm for this time of year.” Frank didn’t dare correct him and kept his mouth shut, afraid he’d say something worse. “Okay, well then, see you around, Frank.” Tom chuckled and continued into his apartment. Meanwhile Frank beat it down the stairs, unsure how he managed not to walk into traffic as his mind ran over the exchange fail again and again. So yeah. That was the less than stellar first impression he’d given Tom this morning. And now Frank followed that up by hunkering down naked in the azalea bushes. “Are you okay?” The gleam from the safety light caught Tom’s dark gold hair as he tilted his head to peer over the shrubs. The shadows sank into his chiseled cheekbones. He looked like a brooding movie star ready to sweep a celluloid damsel off her feet. Too bad Frank was a naked man trying to keep from exposing himself. Frank crouched down farther, making himself as small as possible, hoping the azalea’s pink blooms would distract Tom from looking at his hairy backside. “I’m fine.” “Are you sure?” Tom leaned closer. “Are you… Do you have any clothes on?” Frank racked his brain for some reason he’d be naked and hiding in the bushes. “Um, I, uh, just got out of the shower, and I leaned too far out my window.” “Oh my God. Did you fall from that height?” Tom glanced up to the second floor, to Frank’s closed window and then back down. “Do you need an ambulance?” Frank sighed. This conversation was only getting worse. Cupping his hands over his privates, Frank rose from behind the bushes. “I’m okay. Just need to get back inside. I have a hidden key if you can get me past the front security door.” Tom’s eyes widened when Frank stood. Frank winced, sure he looked like one long scrape covered in leaves. He blew at the hair in his eyes. A twig dangled, caught in an auburn strand, but Frank was unwilling to expose himself to yank it out. “Sure. Sure.” Tom fumbled for his key and opened the door. Frank half hopped over the acorns and chestnut burrs to slide past Tom. Tom wrinkled his nose as Frank passed. Good old wet dog smell. It always clung to him after a run in the woods. Frank took the stairs two at a time to escape. After a shower and shave—why did going furry always lead to needing a shave? The rest of his hair receded. Why didn’t his beard?—Frank spent thirty minutes in front of his bathroom mirror, trying to psych himself up to knock on Tom’s door and invite him over the next day for coffee or to watch football. He scratched behind an ear, feeling the healing scab from a graze he’d gotten when he’d fallen into the azalea bushes. Staring at his reflection, he tried to look earnest and approachable. He could do this. He had game. “Hey, I know you don’t know many people in town, and I’m a loser, but would you like to spend time with me?” Frank made a face at himself. Probably shouldn’t label yourself as a loser. “Yo, you want to watch football? No, how about basketball? Baseball? No? What about Mexican wrestlers?” Oh God, what if Tom doesn’t like sports? “I ordered two large pizzas by mistake tonight, and I could use some help, or I’ll be gorging on pepperoni for a week.” Lame. Frank’s own gaunt features stared back at him from the mirror. Who was he kidding? He’d always be the guy who lost the genetic lottery and ended up with the family curse. Galen’s syndrome was rare, only affecting about one in 2,000, but well-known enough that most people had at least heard of it. The Greek surgeon Galen had coined the word lycanthropy to explain the shape-shifting curse that traveled down through a family tree. Like most recessive gene disorders, it only manifested when two genes were passed down to a child, leading early scholars to think the afflicted had been re-cursed or spared for a generation due to divine providence. It was only with modern medicine that curses were found to be attached to DNA, breaking and molding chromosomes like magical radiation. But despite better understanding of the disorder, the stigma remained, not helped by the occasional local television feature linking the disorder to werewolf mythology. All Frank knew was the recessive curse gene made him even more different from his family. He’d already been pushing it when he came out as gay. Turning into a wolf at sixteen had been…well, more than his father and stepmother could handle. She wanted to protect the kids, she told him. He loved his half siblings, didn’t he? It wasn’t safe to have a wild animal around children. It had gutted him. They turned him out of his own home. He’d been angry. He’d done something stupid, lashing out, snapping at his sister Robbie. It still hurt, remembering the tears on his baby sister’s face, her eyes wide and scared. Of him. It was then he knew his stepmother had been right. Dangerous animals didn’t belong in a family. So he’d left, traveling all the way across the state until he landed in Waycroft Falls. It had been hard that first year. There were a lot of adult things he still hadn’t figured out. Like how to ask out a guy who he hadn’t known his whole life. Moving from one small town to another had been a bad idea. Frank bonked his head against the mirror, gazing down into the white porcelain sink. He rubbed at a stray hair that clung to the side. But on the plus side, small towns meant he rarely needed a car. And he could shift and run if he needed. He should take his clothes with him ~*~*~*~*~*~ About the Author:  Aidee Ladnier, an award-winning author of speculative fiction, believes that adventure is around every corner. In pursuit of new experiences she's worked as a magician’s assistant, been a beauty pageant contestant, ridden in hot air balloons, produced independent movies, hiked up a volcano, and is a proud citizen scientist. A lover of genre fiction, Aidee's perfect romance has a little science fiction, fantasy, mystery, or the paranormal thrown in to add a zing. Social Links:  Website: http://www.aideeladnier.com/ Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/6570769.Aidee_Ladnier Amazon: amazon.com/author/aideeladnier Tumblr: http://aideemoi.tumblr.com/ Pinterest: http://pinterest.com/aideelad/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/aideelad/ Instagram: http://instagram.com/aideelad/ a Rafflecopter giveaway

Guest Post: KAT MARTIN, author BEYOND CONTROL!

Today, I have a wonderful guest post for you all from Kat Martin, author of Beyond Control! Be sure to check below for more goodies - links, blurbs, and more!

The Texas Mystique

Since my new book, BEYOND CONTROL--Josh Cain and Victoria Bradford’s story--is set in Texas, I thought it might be fun to talk about one of my favorite places.

There is something special about Texas.  My husband and I lived in Houston for a couple of months one summer and it was a wonderful experience, though at times it was sort of good news and bad.  The people in Texas are extremely friendly, and they always seem to be in a good mood. 

We gorged ourselves on gourmet meals in some of the country’s finest restaurants, but also ate a ton of delicious Tex Mex, Asian, Indian flatbread, and just about everything else.  We visited art galleries, the beach, and some of the beautiful ranches in the area. 

That was the good news.  The bad news was Houston in August is HOT.  It’s also muggy and sticky and you just can’t wait for October to arrive.  

Two years ago, we traveled to Lubbock for a Western Writers of America conference.  I was reluctant to go in the summer, but it turned out to be a really great trip--hot but dry.  We visited some great museums and met some fun people, including old-time movie star, Barry Corbin, who’s been in everything from Urban Cowboy to The Best Little Whore House in Texas--along with forty-three other movies.   

For the past few years, I’ve been setting my stories in and around Dallas, one of my favorite U.S. cities.  In BEYOND CONTROL, Victoria Bradford and her four-year old daughter are on the run from Tory’s abusive ex-fiancé.  Seventy miles north of Dallas, the Iron River Ranch is pretty much nowhere, exactly what Josh Cain wanted when he came back from Afghanistan.  Big skies, quiet nights, no trouble.

When Tory shows up with her adorable little girl, Josh realizes he is in for trouble of the most personal kind.  But Josh has seen trouble before, and he doesn't scare easy.  Not when “accidents” start happening around the ranch.  Not when Tory’s best friend is abducted--not when it looks like things are going to get worse.

I’ve had great fun writing books set in Texas, including BEYOND REASON and BEYOND DANGER, the first in my Texas Trilogy.  Fortunately, I get to write four more novels set in Dallas around the Maximum Security Agency.  Chase Garrett (You meet him in BEYOND DANGER) runs the company and is the hero of my first book.  It’s out in January of next year.

Texas is a magical place that captured a piece of my soul long ago.  I hope some day you get to visit.  If not, perhaps you might enjoy Josh and Tory in BEYOND CONTROL.  Till next time, all best and happy reading, Kat

BEYOND CONTROL BLURB

Victoria Bradford and her four-year old daughter are on the run from Tory’s abusive ex-fiancé.   Seventy miles north of Dallas, the Iron River Ranch is pretty much nowhere, exactly what Josh Cain wanted when he came back from Afghanistan.  Big skies, quiet nights, no trouble.

When Tory shows up with her adorable little girl, Josh realizes he is in for trouble of the most personal kind. But Josh has seen trouble before, and he doesn't scare easy. Not when “accidents” start happening around the ranch. Not when Tory’s best friend is abducted.  Not even when he realizes their troubles are only the tip of the iceberg.

LINKS

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Kat's Website
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Kat Martin Bio

New York Times bestselling author Kat Martin is a graduate of the University of California at Santa Barbara where she majored in Anthropology and also studied History. Currently residing in Missoula, Montana with her Western-author husband, L. J. Martin, Kat has written sixty-five Historical and Contemporary Romantic Suspense novels. More than sixteen million copies of her books are in print and she has been published in twenty foreign countries. Her last novel, Beyond Danger, hit #4 in Mass Market fiction on the Bookscan National Bestseller list. 
Kat is currently at work on her next Romantic Suspense.

Happy Reading!

~!~ Amanda, Novel Addiction ~!~

Guest post: CHRISTOPHER DRAVEN, author of HUNTED!

Today we have an awesome guest post from Christopher Draven, author of Hunted, and the upcoming Confessions!

GUEST POST:

A Male Author’s Method of adding in convincing Romantic Themes / Storylines

Without a doubt, writing romantic elements into my novels is a challenge. While I wouldn’t say I’m a complete failure in the romance department, it is the hardest stuff for me to write. It can take me an entire day to write one scene of dialogue between two ‘entangled’ characters. In comparison, the words teleport onto the screen when I’m writing an action scene or some aphoristic dialogue that drips with snarky humor.

Building romantic elements in an Urban Fantasy/Supernatural Thriller is a core component to creating three-dimensional characters. Relationships like those between Karin and Harry, and Merry and her harem of male sidhe, are not plotlines I’m eager to read. Getting to the good stuff – the action, magic, and defeating the villain – are delayed when we are forced to deal with some new lover’s spat.

However, my journey into authorhood has taught me those ups and downs are a vital component of the story. Without the ‘entanglement of feelings’ between Karin and Harry, there is no payoff in her saving him, or him saving her. If there is no connection, then the drama of the story stays stagnant – if the person being saved is always a stranger.

With the relationship moving between ups and downs, the stakes of the game change. That adds complexity and layers to the character’s motivations. The characters transform into someone worth relating to on a deeper level.

Developing this aspect of my craft has been a challenge. In writing the Jonathan Harker novels, I received positive feedback from readers about the relationship between Jonathan and Clover. The credit for this success goes to a fool-proof way of writing convincing romance themes and/or storylines. It is an approach that relies heavily on other people to help keep me in line.

Here is my approach:

•    The first step is understanding the progression in the relationship. As an author, I spend a lot of time outlining the story, what scenes are coming up, and what surprises I have for readers along the way. The relationships between your characters need to be part of that outline.

You need to take the time to figure out how the action would impact the relationship(s). This ensures your characters don’t  stagnate.

Karin loved Harry from the start, but he did a lot of things that scared her. She never left his side, but the love factor rose and fell based on her experiences with Harry.

•    When writing the scene, channel the physicality into something emotional.

In Hunted, I included a scene where Jonathan is leaning on Clover. He feels her against him, but it isn’t only her physical body that feels good. He discovers he can rely on her. He can give in and let her help him. An awareness the hero could let someone else be in charge, even if for that moment, began as physical stimulus but ended as emotional.

•    There are a lot of senses attached to romance. Remember that showing your readers is preferable to telling. By engaging more senses, you are pulling them in and painting a more romantic picture.

Touch, taste, smell, sight, and sound are the usual standby senses writers use. However, think about other options – we humans are reported to have over twenty different senses.

Try using some of these other options to spice it up:
Emotions, Time, Pressure, Heat, or Balance.

•    Finally, and this should just be a standard part of your process, ask for feedback. I’m lucky enough to have two very accomplished editors. No matter how good you are, every author needs an editor who gives tough love. Far too many writers have fallen by the sword of their own ego. If only they had asked someone for feedback before publishing.

Writing romance full-time is not in my future. It is a genre that requires a lot of study and finesse to do well. However, I do feel that any author should consider the human element when writing in Urban Fantasy/Supernatural Thriller. It’s easy to focus on saving the day, but sometimes it’s nice to add a few lines on who makes it worth saving.

ABOUT THE BOOK: 

Slinging Spells with Broken Ribs Isn't Easy 

Jonathan Harker, mage and life-long demon hunter, wakes to find himself tied to a chair and severely wounded. His captor, a demon in service to a summoner who wants Harker alive.

Armed with impossibly powerful magic and a gang of demon toughs, the summoner has snared Harker in a deadly trap. Nothing is ever easy, and being new in town has left Harker with few allies. However, with help from a Fortune-Teller named Clover and a self-described "Kitchen Witch" named Momma Dee, Harker fights back.

To prevail, Harker must walk unprepared into a pit of demons and black magic - and come out alive on the other side.

Get your copy from Amazon.com today!

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Got my start as a technical manual and instructional material designer for Corporate America.

Eventually they gave me a team to manage. One day I had enough, reclaimed my soul, and left to follow my passion.

AUTHOR'S WEBSITE:

Christopher Draven

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Happy Reading!
~!~ Amanda, Novel Addiction ~!~

Guest Post: WARRIOR OF FIRE by Shona Husk!

With Australian winter just around the corner I broke out the knitting needles and made myself a new hoodie cardigan. I don’t knit very often and some of the terminology and fancy stitches meant I ended up looking at knitting videos on line so I could figure out what I needed do. Where would we be without online crafting resources these days?

All that information is at the tips of my fingers (or it is when my internet connection is working). It wasn’t that long ago that I would’ve had to go to the library to get a book in knitting and work it out from photographs. I’m lucky enough to have a good library—which I use on a regular basis when researching as it doesn’t pay to just rely on what is online.

While I’m not the quickest knitter I did manage to finish the cardi in time for the cooler weather (it doesn’t ever get really cold where I live in Perth, Western Australia but we do complain when it gets to 10C/50F because we’re so used to the heat).

There is a scene in Warrior of Fire where the heroine is wearing flip flops and a coat because it’s cold…I see that quite a bit and it always makes me smile as the body loses a lot of heat through the feet and head. But that is how many people dress for winter here.

This is my cardi. Variegated wool is my favorite and my youngest kid picked out the crayon buttons because they were bright and I’m an author J. Every time I’ve worn it gets a lot of comments.

WARRIOR OF FIRE

by Shona Husk

Genre: Paranormal Romance 

Pub Date: 6/20/17

Is theirs a love match?

For Leira Venn, her future is a given foretold by the oracle of the Albah, the ancient people she was born to. Which is why she knows from the moment she meets Dr. Julian Ryder that he is fated to be hers. But nothing else about the prophecy feels right. For the handsome doctor is shrouded by darkness, and intimately involved with a woman who seems intent on killing Leira …

Or a death wish?

Sorrow has shadowed Julian Ryder for as long as he can remember. But from the moment he meets lovely Leira, his heart is filled with hope for the future—a future that is as combustible as the powerful attraction between them. For Leira is marked for death by the very forces who killed his mother. The very darkness that stole everything he held most dear. Only this time, Julian is stronger, more in control of his powers than ever. But will it be enough to save Leira from those who would destroy her?

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Shona Husk lives in Western Australia at the edge of the Indian Ocean. Blessed with a lively imagination she spent most of her childhood making up stories. As an adult she discovered romance novels and hasn’t looked back. With over forty published stories, ranging from sensual to scorching, she writes contemporary, paranormal, fantasy, and sci-fi romance.

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Guest Post: Author KAT MARTIN!

Author Kat Martin is joining us once again to share her thoughts on research and promote her newest book, Into The Firestorm! Check out the post, learn a bit more about the book itself, and be sure to visit the buy links at the bottom!

    The Perils and Joys of Research

I got the idea for a trilogy set in Seattle as I worked on my Alaska Trilogy.  Nick Brodie needed a place to work and live, so I created Brodie Operations Security Services, BOSS Inc, the guys called it. 

In the office, I put two more Brodies, cousin Ethan and cousin Luke.  INTO THE FIRESTORM is Luke Brodie’s story.  What made it fun and interesting was the twist it took during the research phase. 

Luke Brodie is a bounty hunter.  A fat $600,000 is the 20% bail enforcement fee he'll collect if he brings in international criminal, Rudy Vance. 

Emma Sullivan is also hunting Vance.  It's been almost a year since she arrived at her sister's home to find the housekeeper murdered and her young niece the victim of Vance's sick assault. 

Emma is determined to find Vance and make him pay.  And no one--not even the infamous Luke Brodie--is going to stop her.

There was plenty of story to work with, but as I was developing the plot, I stumbled across an interesting tidbit.  Turns out there is a group in Seattle called the Yakuza, an organization often referred to as the Japanese Mafia.

What caught my eye was that members of the group are completely tattooed--even their genitals!  I thought, wow, wouldn’t they make interesting bad guys?

So the thing about research is that it can twist your story in unexpected directions.  It’s difficult but the results can be astonishing. 

I hope you'll watch for Luke and Emma in INTO THE FIRESTORM, book #3 in the BOSS, Inc. Trilogy.  And if you haven’t read INTO THE FURY and INTO THE WHIRLWIND, I hope you’ll give them a try.  Very best wishes, Kat    

INTO THE FIRESTORM

ABOUT THE BOOK

Luke Brodie is a bounty hunter.  A fat $600,000 is the 20% bail enforcement fee he'll collect if he brings in international criminal, Rudy Vance.

Emma Sullivan is also hunting Vance.  It's been almost a year since she arrived at her sister's home to find the housekeeper murdered and her young niece the victim of Vance's sick assault. 

Emma is determined to find Vance and make him pay.  And no one--not even the infamous Luke Brodie--is going to stop her.

PURCHASE LINKS

Amazon

Barnes & Noble

Indiebound

Books A Million

Kobo

Google Play

CONTEST LINKS

http://www.katmartin.com/contests/

SOCIAL MEDIA LINKS

website

mailing list

Facebook  

Twitter 

Goodreads  

Happy Reading!

~!~ Amanda, Novel Addiction ~!~

Guest Post & Book Promo: RARITY FROM THE HOLLOW by Robert Eggleton!

Today we have a guest post from author Robert Eggleton, as well as a promo for his book, Rarity from the Hollow! Rarity has been featured here before, but the book is new and improved, so be sure to check it out below.

Guest Post:

Hi Amanda. Thanks for the opportunity to talk about books that I like and some of my favorite books.

Of Great Appeal – Books, Books, Books

Like a roller coaster ride, a beach vacation, or, well, use your own imagination here, the enjoyment of some books ends once the last page has been read. Other stories, like a lasting love, linger on for days, weeks, maybe for years, consciously or subliminally adding to our enjoyment or understanding of life itself in a much deeper way. Depending on my mood, that’s the books that I like the best, the stories that linger and resurface unexpectedly – books of any genre that have a literary element. 

Are you looking for short-term thrills or true love in literature?

Life can be tough, that’s for sure. Most of us need to escape reality at least every now and then, in one way or another, and to some degree. Some people get totally blitzed on drugs or alcohol…. Of course, all of life’s problems are still there, maybe worse, when these folks sober up. Other people will binge on food, video games…. Of all addictions, reading is the least harmful, and often healthful or beneficial during our individualized pursuits of happiness.

Sometimes, depending on my mood, I will pick a quick escapist novel, stay up all night reading, feel awful the next day, and forget about the experience the next day afterward. I read books in all genres, including romance. I don’t finish them all, however. If it’s a cookie-cutter novel with only the names of the characters changed from other similar stories, I’m sorry but life is too short to relive the same fantasies over and over again. Even if I’m in the mood for a short-term escape from reality, I try to pick something that at least sounds different based on book reviews.

Rarity from the Hollow, my debut novel, was likely the result of my interest in most genres. It is adult literary science fiction, sort of, but, mostly, this novel is genre bending and reflective of my broad reading interests and disinterests. One found: “…soon I found myself immersed in the bizarre world… weeping for the victim and standing up to the oppressor…solace and healing in the power of love, laughing at the often comical thoughts… marveling at ancient alien encounters… As a rape survivor… found myself relating easily to Lacy Dawn… style of writing which I would describe as beautifully honest. Rarity from the Hollow is different from anything I have ever read, and in today’s world of cookie-cutter cloned books, that’s pretty refreshing… whimsical and endearing world of Appalachia n Science Fiction, taking you on a wild ride you won’t soon forget….” http://kyliejude.com/2015/11/book-review-rarity-from-the-hollow/

I like books that include real-life issues, like racism or poverty, or metaphors and allegories of such in fantastical setting, and that are character-driven. Like I said before, I’ll read simple escapist novels with fast action plots sometimes, but mostly as filler between my major investments of time in more literary reads. After all, even Harry Potter addressed racism when he gave a sock to Dobby, the House Elf, to free him from slavery.

I’ve read so many books in my lifetime, representing every genre that I know about, it would be impossible to pick the ones of greatest appeal. I’m looking forward to reading more in the relatively new genre, “CliFy” – science fiction with climate change as a predominate theme. Daniel Bloom, a journalist living in Taiwan and who also posted a glowing review of Rarity from the Hollow on Amazon, has been credited with coining the term for that genre, similar to how Wikipedia also credited Ursula K. Le Guinn with coining the term “Social Science Fiction.” With so much political debate about climate science after the 2016 presidential election, I bet that Clify takes off with readers.

Okay, I’ve stalled long enough. I’ll give you one title of a favorite book: The Color Purple. I especially loved the genuine sounding colloquial dialogue of this story. Other than that book, don’t ask me about why I picked this book a minute from now because I would likely give you a different title as the most appealing novel that I’ve ever read, and another title, and another title, and …………………….

Take care and I hope that you appreciate Rarity from the Hollow.   

Blurb:

Lacy Dawn's father relives the Gulf War, her mother's teeth are rotting out, and her best friend is murdered by the meanest daddy on Earth. Life in the hollow is hard. She has one advantage -- an android was inserted into her life and is working with her to cure her parents. But, he wants something in exchange. It's up to her to save the Universe. Lacy Dawn doesn't mind saving the universe, but her family and friends come first.

Rarity from the Hollow is adult literary science fiction filled with tragedy, comedy and satire.

“The most enjoyable science fiction novel I have read in years.”

—Temple Emmet Williams, Author, former editor for Reader’s Digest

“Quirky, profane, disturbing… In the space between a few lines we go from hardscrabble realism to pure sci-fi/fantasy. It’s quite a trip.”

—    Evelyn Somers, The Missouri Review

. "…a hillbilly version of Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy…what I would have thought impossible; taken serious subjects like poverty, ignorance, abuse…tongue-in-cheek humor without trivializing them…profound…a funny book that most sci-fi fans will thoroughly enjoy." -- Awesome Indies (Gold Medal)

“…sneaks up you and, before you know it, you are either laughing like crazy or crying in despair, but the one thing you won’t be is unmoved…a brilliant writer.” --Readers’ Favorite (Gold Medal)

“Rarity from the Hollow is an original and interesting story of a backwoods girl who saves the Universe in her fashion. Not for the prudish.” —Piers Anthony, New York Times bestselling author

“…Good satire is hard to find and science fiction satire is even harder to find.” -- The Baryon Review

Comfort Zones: Please note that there is a mention of a child having been murdered in this novel, by the meanest daddy on Earth. However, there is no scene and she plays a comical and annoying ghost most of the story. Here's a finding by Awesome Indies about the first edition to help you decide if this novel is too far outside of your comfort zone: “a hillbilly version of Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy, only instead of the earth being destroyed to make way for a hyperspace bypass, Lacy Dawn must…The author has managed to do what I would have thought impossible; taken serious subjects like poverty, ignorance, abuse, and written about them with tongue-in-cheek humor without trivializing them…Eggleton sucks you into the Hollow, dunks you in the creek, rolls you in the mud, and splays you in the sun to dry off. Tucked between the folds of humor are some profound observations on human nature and modern society that you have to read to appreciate…it’s a funny book that most sci-fi fans will thoroughly enjoy.” http://awesomeindies.net/ai-approved-review-of-rarity-from-the-holly-by-robert-eggleton/ The early tragedy feeds and amplifies subsequent comedy and satire.

Please also note that the character mentioned above (Faith) is a victim of sexual abuse. Sexual content in the novel:

• While the protagonist occupies the body of an eleven year old, she is the product of genetic manipulation by Universal Management for millennia;
• Lacy Dawn began her trainings via direct download into her brain five years before the beginning of this story, so she has been fed information about every known human subject, including biology, reproduction, economics…for years before readers are introduced to her (ET involvement is an opening chapter reveal);
• Her best friend, Faith, as a sexual abuse victim, has a sad and unhealthy awareness of sexuality;
• The android has no private parts, "not even a little bump," and is much less mature emotionally than Lacy Dawn throughout the story;
• There are no sex scenes in the novel and only references, including the disclosure about Faith's victimization by a reference and as a flashback with no scenes;
• As the android pursues humanity and starts going through an accelerated human development stage, he never develops any actual sexual interests but does try to kiss Lacy Dawn on the cheek once;
• Lacy Dawn vows not to have sex for the first time until after she is married -- a traditional and now unusual family value;
• She is fourteen years old when the novel ends and has typical teenage interests but remains untouched, not even a first real kiss;
• There are normalized sexual references and innuendos between Lacy Dawn parents after their romance was rekindled -- the father was cured of PTSD and the mother's self-esteem improved, in part, because she got new teeth as part of the deal to save the universe;
• But, the above sexual references are presented as puns, nothing on screen, and are milder than most romance novels that I've read, such as by Nora Roberts.  

Piers Anthony, best selling fantasy author during the '80s and '90s, found that my novel was “…not for the prudish.” Kevin Patrick Mahoney, editor of the once noteworthy site, Authortrek, found that my story was, “…not for the faint hearted or easily offended….”   An early voice in the first chapter speaks about things that no child should know. It is that of a traumatized child – a voice most of us never listen to, or want to hear, but in real life is screaming. I'm a retired children's psychotherapist. The language and concepts in this story are mild in comparison to some of the stuff that kids have said during actual group therapy sessions that I have facilitated over the years. By child developmental stage, it is similar to the infamous early adolescent insult in E.T.: “penis breath.” It is tame in comparison to the content of the popular television series, South Park, which has been devoured by millions of teens. My story does include marijuana smoking, but that subject has been frequently broadcast in the news as state move toward legalization, when legislation is introduced, or debates emerge. Except for a scene involving domestic violence in the third chapter, there is no violence or horror -- no blood, guts, gore, vampires, or werewolves. The “F word” is used twice, but the all other profanity is mild colloquialism. Rarity from the Hollow is a children's story for adults with a HEA ending like a romance novel.

Political Allegory: You may be interested in this press release:  http://www.pr4us.com/pr-2618-trump-presidency-predicted-in.html. The original © was 2006. You would have to read the novel to find out how Lacy Dawn, the protagonist, convinced Mr. Rump (Bernie Sanders) to help talk Mr. Prump (Donald Trump) into saving the universe. The political allegory includes pressing issues that America is fighting about today, including illegal immigration and the refuge crisis, extreme capitalism / consumerism…. Mr. Prump was a projection of Donald Trump based on the TV show, The Apprentice. Part of the negotiations in the story occur in the only high rise on planet Shptiludrp (Shop Until You Drop), a giant shopping mall and the center of economic governance, now more easily identifiable as Trump Tower. There is no political advocacy in the story, other than sensitizing readers to the huge social problem of child maltreatment, but the allegory is much more obvious now that Donald Trump is a household name. A similar press release: http://www.pr.com/press-release/695122 .

Positive Reviews of the first edition: The first edition of this novel had a formatting error that has been corrected. The second reads much smoother. Despite the formatting problem, the first edition was awarded two Gold Medals by major book review organizations, was named one of the best releases of 2015 by a Bulgaria book critic, and received twenty-six five star reviews and forty-three four star reviews by independent book review bloggers. An unsolicited Top 100 Amazon Reviewer found:

"Rarity from the Hollow written by Robert Eggleton, to be fully honest, was much more than expected and a great read – semi-autobiographical literary work full of beautiful and ugly things, adventure, romance, pain and humor…."

About the Author: I recently retired after 52 years of contributions into the U.S. Social Security fund so that I could write and promote my fiction. I’m a former mental health psychotherapist in West Virginia. But, after coming home drained from working with child abuse victims, I didn't have the energy left to begin its self-promotion. Author proceeds have been donated to a child abuse prevention program in my home state. http://www.childhswv.org/ A listing of services that are supported can be found here: http://mountainrhinestones.blogspot.com/2015/06/review-giveaway-rarity-from-hollow-by.html.  

 BUY LINKS:

www.lulu.com/shop

Amazon - eBook
Amazon - Print

DogHornPublishing

Find Robert Online:

http://www.lacydawnadventures.com

Goodreads

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Happy Reading!
~!~ Amanda, Novel Addiction ~!~