COVER REVEAL: TORN by Christine Hughes

Hey Peeps! 

My good friend, Christine Hughes, has BIG news.  Her debut novel. TORN, has a new home!!!!!  And Crushing Hearts and Black Butterfly Publishing has a new AWESOME author!!!!

So without further ado....

 

 

 

 

Release date TBD.

Blurb:

 

 

With the sudden, mysterious death of her father, Samantha discovers her life isn’t what it seems. Not only isn’t she the normal teenage girl she thought she was, Sam must now take her father’s place in the fight between two groups of fallen angels, the Faithful and the Exiled, in a race to save humanity. In addition to dealing with a devastating betrayal—and having feelings for someone she’s forbidden to love—Sam must also fight the growing darkness within her as she struggles to make a choice between fighting alongside the Faithful or succumbing to the temptation of the Exiled. Both sides require sacrifices Sam isn’t sure she can make.

Congratulations Christine!!!!

BLOGGER BOOK FAIR: Author Spotlight, Lily Bishop

Hey all!  Today is the last day of the Blogger Book Fair and I have to say I enjoyed it.  It’s been great meeting so many awesome writers and adding tons of books to my TBR list. 

The last author featured on my blog is….. Lily Bishop, author of No Strings Attached.

 

Far Away Places in No Strings Attached

No Strings Attached was born when Lily Bishop and her husband took a tenth anniversary trip to Las Vegas. Laura Todd lives in Miami and Fox Thornton lives in Atlanta. During part of the book they travel to the Bahamas on a yacht, and they travel in private jets.

Fox moves in some pretty expensive circles. When writing this book, it was exciting doing research on how the other half lives. I looked at some exclusive hotel suites in Las Vegas that have butlers, and I looked at actual yachts and private planes that were listed for sale online. Of course, I didn’t buy either, but it was fun to look.

I wanted to think about what would happen if a traditional, “good” girl hooked up with a guy in Las Vegas. Would she feel guilty, since this is something she never does, or would she just go with the flow, knowing she would never see him again? What if what happened in Vegas doesn’t stay in Vegas?

Blurb:

Can romance survive embezzlement charges?

Laura Todd attends a conference in Las Vegas and meets Fox Thornton, a consultant to the hotel industry. Far away from her normally quiet life, Laura is swept away by her strong attraction for Fox. They both know the score, and neither expects to see the other again. After their hot weekend, circumstances bring them back together in Miami, where Fox is investigating a suspected embezzlement and Laura is the prime suspect. Can their brief romance rekindle in the real world, where suspicions and misunderstandings lurk behind every corner? Will their no-strings-attached affair evolve into a strong relationship, or is it destined to stay in Vegas?

Excerpt:

Fox Thornton stared at the cards nestled against the green felt. Focus, man, focus. Something had to change. A fun hand of blackjack had turned into a bloodbath. After being in meetings all day, he had planned a quick hand of blackjack, but two hours later, he had lost more than he intended. He blamed his losses on the gorgeous blonde at the end of the table and her sexy silver dress. How could he leave with her if she made no effort to leave?

Her hair reminded him of wheat in summer and it curled around her shoulders with a devil-may-care attitude. Her eyes shone like dark amber whiskey and glowed with an inner fire when she smiled—which was often—and frequently in his direction. She leaned forward and he caught a glimpse of a little dark hollow between her breasts. He stifled a groan.

He shifted position to relieve the pressure caused by a wave of desire. How long had it been since he'd been this hard for a stranger? Not since college ten years ago. As she considered the cards, her tongue peeked between rosy lips. What a turn-on.

Fox looked for any of the managers he knew from the remodel, and saw James, a pit boss who had joined him for drinks one night. He sent him a text and then moved over to the vacant seat beside her.

"The luck's better over here," he said with a smile, but then he cut his eyes away, not wanting to appear too eager. She spared him a quick glance before turning back to her cards.

Sitting beside her made things worse. He smelled roses every time she moved, and now he had a full view of her long, tanned legs. One of her legs bounced up and down, betraying her nervousness. He blocked out the image of those legs wrapped around his waist or he would never be able to stand. As soon as James closed the table, he would ask her to dinner.

Her bizarre play was screwing up the natural order of the cards. She laughed when the cards fell her way, and when they didn't, she seemed stunned, as if she should be able to predict the card order.

If anyone else had been playing that inconsistently, he would have switched tables and cut his losses. Now he was so intrigued he couldn't walk away without a phone number.

The girl's strapless dress fit against her like a second skin, and he couldn't look away. While they waited for the next round of cards, she fidgeted with a silver-threaded scarf. He could imagine that scarf in his hands as he pulled her to him ... He had to get control of himself.

When the waitress brought drinks, he took care of the tip, and his blonde beauty flashed him a smile. When she won for the third time in as many hands, he saluted her with a flourish. She repaid him by blowing him a kiss. Now he had her attention.

Bio:

Lily Bishop was born in a small town near Athens, Georgia. She attended the University of Georgia and received a Bachelor's in English, and then enrolled in the MFA program in Creative Writing at Purdue University. After a year, she left the program and moved to Atlanta. Like a siren's call, Athens wanted her back, and she returned to Athens where she received her Master's in Public Administration. She now lives in the Upstate of South Carolina and works full-time as a database administrator for a university. She is married to her best friend, and they have two children. When she is not writing, she and her family are playing German or Euro-style board games.

Lily writes contemporary romance and romantic suspense, and her goal is to blur the lines between romance, chick lit, and women's fiction. Her books are peppered with family members who make things complicated and couples who can't seem to find a way to be together. Lily writes with a Southern flair, but her characters find themselves in exotic locations and sometimes dangerous situations. She loves to interact with readers about her characters and stories.

Contact Information:

Website/Blog: www.lilybishop.com

Twitter: @bishoplily

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AuthorLilyBishop

Buy Links:

Amazon US (print and digital): http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00D0UN0T0

Amazon UK (print and digital): http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B00D0UN0T0

Thanks for stopping by, Lily! 

BLOGGER BOOK FAIR: Paula Hrbacek Spotlight

Good morning!  Today, I’m spotlighting author, Paula Hrbacek.   Her novel, Stars Shine After Dark is available for purchase.

Stars Shine After Dark takes romance past the wedding and into the conflicts that lie ahead.

Stars Shine After Dark, by Paula Hrbacek is a sweet love story that has faith woven through the plot and used as a means of making decisions.  Faith is the compass that guides them through their problems. 

Mona is an actress who grew up in Hollywood.  She is trying to revamp her image from a child actor to a mature woman.  She decides to go to college, and makes friends with her agent’s niece.  The niece introduces her to Tim, a football star for UCLA.

They are both stars, both successful.  It should be a fairy tale romance, but someone is leaking stories to the press that aren’t true.  Mona intends to find out who is leaking the stories, and stop it.

Tim is offered a contract to play professional ball, but before he can sign the contract, his career is ended by a car crash.  Mona reacts by being strong, and kicking her own career into high gear.  Tim goes into real estate, and hates his job.  He is jealous of her success.  He thinks about divorce, and comes up with a plan that will let them separate without harming Mona’s image in the eyes of her conservative fans.  He still loves her, he just isn’t happy with his life.  He discusses his problems with a friend, a woman who also has broken dreams and unfulfilled ambitions.  Because of her insights, Tim turns to meditation and examines his heart.

Mona finds her answer by reading the book of Hosea.  She realizes that she has lost sight of what is really important to her, and decides to change her relationship with Tim.  They may have been going through a dark period, but if they are stars, they will find a way to keep their love shining.

“Stars Shine After Dark is a unique story.  I don’t think I’ve read anything quite like it before.  There are some exciting moments from twists in the plot, and not torrid sex scenes.  It is a book both men and women can enjoy.” Says Laura V. Hilton, The Road to Romance, Oct. 22, 2003.

“Very highly recommended,” writes Liana Metal.  “It’s an exciting story that will satisfy those who like romance.  It is certainly a very modern, yet, romantic story that includes elements of the every-day student lifestyle.  This book caters for everyone who loves romance and it is an easy and enjoyable read.” http://liamet.tripod.com

“The author has a vocabulary and doesn’t need smutty gutter language and explicit sex to tell a good story,” says Rosemary Stanovsky.  “It’s a feel good book.”

“Not your typical romance, Stars Shine After Dark is more about relationships and the issues that all too often ruin a marriage.  This is a very well written book, addressing the conflicts faced by the characters and how they deal with them.  It is, after all, not the problems that life hands us in marriage, but how we face and handle them that matter.  You will enjoy this book,” writes Peggy Phifer, editor, Wordsmith News, wordsmithshoppe.com.

“It handles the love scenes so nicely,” says Betty Del Gallo.  “I got to the scene where they go off together and said to myself ‘oh boy, her it comes.’  But it wasn’t like the other books out there.  It was refreshing.”

“…compelling, well-written and contains a valuable message.”  The Writer’s Edge.

 Stars Shine After Dark

Sweet, contemporary Christian romance

Available in paperback, Nook and Kindle from Amazon and B&N and ebooksonline.com

Amazon

Barne's and Noble

eBooks-Online

About Paula:

Paula Hrbacek majored in journalism and art at the University of Missouri-Columbia.  She is the author of three trade books: St. Louis Is for Families, Bethany Press; Created in Faith, Concordia; and Bible Verses for Young Children, CBP Press.  Her latest release is Day Camp in Hawaii, a program guide for any type of summer camp or recreational program, published by Create Space.  Paula writes two newspaper columns for the Examiner; Children’s Arts and Crafts, http://www.examiner.com/childrens-arts-and-crafts-1-in-panama-city/paula-hrbacek  and Book Reviews http://www.examiner.com/book-review-8-in-panama-city/paula-hrbacek .

She is married, has four children (three Eagle Scouts and one Gold Girl Scout) and is the grandmother of five.  She and her husband reside in Pensacola Florida.  You can follow her on Twitter as @PHrbacek.

It’s been a pleasure getting to know you, Paula! 

BLOGGER BOOK FAIR: Meet Emma Calin

Hey Peeps!  It’s been a pleasure to meet so many wonderful authors in this journey.  And my guest for today is one of them.  Let’s welcome Emma Calin!

Hi Leslie – thanks so much for letting me post here for the Blogger Book Fair. 

My name is Emma Calin and I am an author of hot steamy romance and gritty short stories and novellas.  My theme for the Book Fair has been 'Three Sentence Seduction' - where writers give me three sentences from one of their books to seduce the reader.  A character, a location and a favourite final scene sentence. Leslie has done hers on my blog today if you fancy going for a look.

I have just launched a collection – a 'boxed set' of five of my novelettes and short stories.  It is called the 'Love in a Hopeless Place Collection'.  I would like to share my 'Three Sentence Seduction' across the stories from the set.   Since my sentences tend to be short, I am going to cheat and allow myself the luxury of two or more sentences for each.  It is my show after all!

A character (Alan from Escape to Love): He must have been about 6’4”, a foot taller than her. His broad shoulders almost filled the doorway as he stepped out of the shadows. She let him pass, he smelled of man sweat, mud and wet clothes.

A location (Sub-Prime): Even the snow wasn’t real snow. At first it sparkled like tinsel, giving the grubby old town that X-Factor moment of fame before the gods laughed you off. Now grey slush soaked into Mike’s cheap trainers as he walked from the job centre.

A scene-ending sentence (from Love in a Hopeless Place): Things had gone out of control, but I was where I was. Now, there was no going back.

The five titles in the collection are all novelettes or short stories.  They stand alone in their own right but are linked by a common theme:  the universal quest for survival, love, passion and respect against the gritty backdrop of working class life. 

Sub-Prime  - a gritty short story

The Chosen  - a short story with a twist

Escape To Love – a novelette, a suspense romance with a twist

Angela  - a short story

Love in a Hopeless Place  - a novelette, a romance.

To celebrate the Blogger Book Fair ALL of my books are reduced to 99c/76p/89€

In addition, during July and August 'ANGELA' the short story from the collection is FREE – so you can even try one before you buy the set!

Thanks for having me Penelope, regular readers of this blog can visit Penelope's post on my blog here: http://www.emmacalin.blogspot.com

Author Links

For more books by Emma Calin:  http://www.viewAuthor.at/EmmaCalin

Emma Calin Blog: http://www.emmacalin.blogspot.com

Emma Calin Website: http://www.emmacalin.com

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/emma.calin

Facebook Page for book: https://www.facebook.com/EmmaCalinBoxedSet

Twitter:@Emma Calin

Pinterest: http://pinterest.com/emmacalin/

Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/4915751.Emma_Calin

For my next stop on the Blogger Book Fair, see below, there will be more excerpts from my books.

22ndJuly         Caitlyn Nicholas http://www.caitlynnicholas.blogspot.com

                        Jamie Campbell http://jamiecampbell.com.au/blog/

23^rd July           Emily Tippets http://www.emtippetts.com/search/label/Blog

                        Penelope Reece http://penelopereece.blogspot.co.uk/

24^th July           Leslie R. Wright http://thebasementlevelfive.blogspot.co.uk/

25^th July           Aria Glazki http://ariaglazki.blogspot.co.uk/

                        Barbara Billig http://www.thenuclearcatastrophe.blogspot.com/

26^th July           Don Wooldridge http://www.donwooldridge.com

Thanks for stopping by Emma!  It’s been so much fun!

Meet Julie Flanders!

Hi all!  I'm participating in the Blogger Book Fair this week!  Don't miss out on all the giveaways, Freebies, and more.  Check here for more information.

My first guest for the week is Julie Flanders, Author of Polar Night.

Hi Julie, can you tell us a little bit about yourself?

I live in Cincinnati, Ohio and I work as a librarian when I’m not writing. I am an animal lover and I share my home with my dog and my cat.

Is there any particular author or book that influenced you in any way either growing up or as an adult?

I’m a big fan of Elizabeth George and her Thomas Lynley mystery series because I like that she makes her stories about her characters and has them grow and change through her novels. I tried to go by that approach with my Polar Night story; it’s more about the characters than it is about the crime or mystery. In recent years I’ve become a huge fan of George R.R. Martin and I’m obsessed with his A Song of Ice and Fire series. I love dark stories and admire how fearless he is when it comes to taking dark turns with his characters.

What are you reading?

Right now I’m reading Hot Flashes and Cold Lemonade by Susan Flett Swiderski. She’s a friend of mine who I met through blogging and I love her work. She’s a very funny and charming lady.

What do you do when you’re not writing?

I love to read and I watch way too much television. I’m also a big sports fan and love the Cincinnati Reds and the Ohio State Buckeyes. I enjoy walking and taking my dog with me to the parks and walking trails in our area.

When did you first start writing and when did you finish your first book?

I got started writing relatively late in life – I was around 40 when I first started taking my writing seriously. I always loved concocting stories in my head but for most of my life I told myself I wasn’t creative enough to write them down. I finished my first book Polar Night in 2012 and was fortunate to sign a publishing contract later that year.

Where do you get your ideas?

The idea for Polar Night came from a dream. I’ve had other ideas that started out as dreams and some just come to me while I’m out walking with my dog. There is a park near my house that is very quiet in the morning and I often get ideas when we are walking there in the morning hours. The idea for my upcoming novel The Ghosts of Aquinnah came when I was looking at a webcam of Martha’s Vineyard before going there on vacation.

Are you a pantser?  Or do you outline?

A little of both. I jot down ideas and try to plan out the story somewhat but I don’t do a formal outline. I like to have an idea of what I’m working towards but I make changes constantly while I’m writing.

Can you tell us the challenges in getting your first book published?

My biggest challenge was that I had no idea what I was doing! I was totally new to the publishing world and had no idea what to expect. I definitely learned as I went along and I still feel like I have a great deal to learn.

Tell us about your novel.

Polar Night is a supernatural thriller that takes place in Alaska during the dead of winter. Danny Fitzpatrick is a detective in Fairbanks who is working on cases involving missing women and stumbles upon some ominous connections. His investigation leads him to the Arctic town of Coldfoot and a hotel proprietor named Aleksei Nechayev. The truth about Nechayev and the missing women shakes Danny to his core and changes his whole view of the world and what’s in it.

How did you come up with the title?

The title refers to the phenomenon of 24-hour darkness in the Arctic regions during the winter months.

Who designed the cover?

An artist named George Cotronis

What was the hardest part of writing your book?

The editing and the revising, no doubt.

If you had it to do all over again, would you change anything about your latest book?

I don’t think so, I’m very happy with the book and the characters.

What project are you working on now?

I’m going through final edits and revisions for my upcoming novel The Ghosts of Aquinnah.

Any new books coming out? 

The Ghosts of Aquinnah will be published by Ink Smith Publishing in December of 2013.

Awesome!  Do you have any advice to give to aspiring writers?

Only that it’s never too late to start writing! I wish I had started earlier but I’m glad I finally did and the writing has been a gift to my life in ways I never could have expected.

Rapid Fire Questions:

Favorite Song? One by U2

Favorite Movie? The Shawshank Redemption

Favorite Season? Fall

Favorite Food? Anything Mexican

Favorite Quote? “It is never too late to be what you might have been.” – George Eliot

Any parting words? Thank you for interviewing me; it’s been fun to answer your questions!

Thank you!  It's been a pleasure having you visit the basement!  Folks, if you haven't checked out Polar Night, be sure to get your copy!

Book Blurb:

When Detective Danny Fitzpatrick leaves his hometown of Chicago and moves to Fairbanks, Alaska he wants nothing more than to escape the violence and heartbreak that left his life in pieces. Numbed by alcohol and the frozen temperatures of an Alaskan winter, Danny is content with a dead-end job investigating Fairbanks' cold cases. That all changes when a pretty blond woman goes missing on the winter solstice, and Danny stumbles upon some surprising connections between her disappearance and that of another Fairbanks woman three years earlier. Forced out of his lethargy, Danny sets out to both find the missing woman and solve his own cold case.

The investigation points Danny towards Aleksei Nechayev, the handsome and charming proprietor of an old asylum turned haunted tourist attraction in the Arctic town of Coldfoot. As he tries to find a link between Nechayev and his case, Danny's instinct tells him that Nechayev is much more than what he seems.

Danny has no idea that Nechayev is hiding a secret that is much more horrifying than anything he could ever have imagined. As his obsession with finding the missing women grows, Danny finds his own life in danger. And when the truth is finally revealed, the world as he knows it will never be the same. 

Purchase Links:

Amazon
Barnes & Noble
Amazon UK 
Smashwords 

Kobo

About the Author:

Julie Flanders is a novelist and a freelance writer. Her debut novel, the supernatural thriller Polar Night, is now available from Ink Smith Publishing. When not writing fiction, she loves writing about animals and animal-related issues and she runs the animal rescue blog Cincinnati Tails. Find Julie online at http://julieflanders.blogspot.com.