Friday Friends - Roger Rabbit

This is from the Musa Publishing blog on December 3rd. But trust me, it's so awesome. It's worth repeating.

Musa Publishing Announces Deal With Author Gary K. Wolf For Third Roger Rabbit Novel

Musa Publishing, an independent digital-first publisher, has announced today that they will publish Who Wacked Roger Rabbit? by author Gary K. Wolf, the third book featuring Wolf's iconic character, Roger Rabbit, and the denizens of Toontown.

"When I first got a submission in the inbox from Gary K. Wolf, creator of Roger Rabbit, I must admit that I didn't take it seriously. After all, why would such a well-known author be coming to Musa?" confesses Musa Editorial Director, Celina Summers. "But after I read his submission, all my doubts were erased. No other author in the world has that distinct narrative voice. Rather quickly, we accepted two novels from Gary—The Late Great Show! and Typical Day—and Gary became part of the Musa family. But even then, I never expected he'd bring us a Roger Rabbit novel. "

Who Wacked Roger Rabbit? is the culmination of a twenty year wait for fans of the world that Wolf first created in his 1981 Hugo-winning Who Censored Roger Rabbit? The third installment in the series has been promised to fans for a long time but never released. Now, with the 25th anniversary of Who Framed Roger Rabbit? on the horizon in 2013 and and confirmation of a completed Roger Rabbit 2 script by director Robert Zemeckis last week stirring up excitement among Roger Rabbit fans, the collaboration between Wolf and Musa is coming at a significant time.

"I could easily have published Who Wacked Roger Rabbit? through a major print publishing house. Instead, I choose to make this the first book of the Roger Rabbit series to be published digitally," Wolf states. "That decision evolves directly from the way I work, from the core philosophy of what I write and why I write it. I always push the boundaries in my writing. I invent worlds that nobody else ever thought about. I create unique characters and situations. I try to always be at the forefront of my craft. That includes the way my writing is presented to my readers. Digital publishing is clearly the future. It’s the way books are headed, so I’m heading that way, too."

With his first book at Musa, The Late Great Show!, released in October and his second novel, Typical Day, coming out on December 7, Wolf is no stranger to the Musa system. "I especially like the way Musa has taken digital publishing into areas that I never thought of. Using proprietary software, I’m able to interact with them electronically in real time. My editor, the publicity department, the art department, and everybody else involved with my work all have instant access to everything I submit. And vice versa."

Wolf isn't the only well-known author bringing his works to Musa. USA Today bestselling author Sharon De Vita has a multi-book deal with the publisher, and her romantic mystery The Estrogen Posse has been increasing in sales since its release in October, 2011. Science fiction up-and-comer Gini Koch's serial—The Martian Alliance—is being published by Musa, along with new and backlisted works from well-known authors like Cindi Myers, Vella Munn, Helen Hardt, and Julia Parks. In addition, Musa is responsible for the Homer Eon Flint project, where the entire body of work of this lost American science fiction author is being saved from crumbling 1920s pulp magazines and disintegrating newspaper copy and published as e-books.

"Even two or three years ago, it would have been thought impossible to lure these writers to a small, young publisher," Summers explains. "But because of our author-friendly policies and transparent business model, small publishers like Musa are able to release books like Who Wacked Roger Rabbit? digitally, with both a better product and prices far below what traditional publishers set for their e-books."

Both Summers and Wolf are optimistic about the prospects for Who Wacked Roger Rabbit? The novel reunites all the old fan favorites—Eddie Valiant, his fuzzy sidekick Roger Rabbit, Baby Herman, and Roger’s va-va-voom mate Jessica, who continue their madcap human and Toonian adventures. This time, Eddie is hired to bodyguard for Gary Cooper and Roger Rabbit, the stars of a new movie that's been receiving dire threats—shut down the film or else.

"Musa is thrilled to publish the next installment in the Roger Rabbit world," Summers says. "Toontown and e-publishing are destined to work well together. Gary has such an innovative mind. He takes risks daily with his fiction—he enjoys taking creative risks. He can do that comfortably at Musa because we encourage all our authors to reach further, to attempt things they normally wouldn't. E-publishing is all about trying things that traditional publishers might be uncertain about."

With the release of Who Wacked Roger Rabbit? set for November of 2013, Musa and Wolf are poised to gratify millions of Roger Rabbit fans across the world. The entertainment franchise is worth over $500,000,000 and the fandom is as eager as ever to follow their beloved Roger Rabbit and Eddie Valiant into new adventures—including e-publishing.

"Digital publishing is the wave of the future, and I’ve always been a wave of the future kind of guy," Wolf states matter-of-factly. "For me, going digital wasn’t in any way a last resort. It was a necessity."

Gary Wolf is the NYT Bestselling author of numerous book, articles, and short stories including Who Censored Roger Rabbit?, Who P-P-P-Plugged Roger Rabbit?, Space Vulture, and The Late Great Show! His movie credits include Who Framed Roger Rabbit?, the three Roger Rabbit cartoons Tummy Trouble, Rollercoaster Rabbit, and Trail Mix-up, and—coming in 2014—screen adaptations of his science fiction novels The Resurrectionist and Killerball. Awards for Wolf’s work include the Hugo Award, British Science Fiction Award, SF Chronicle Award, and 4 Academy Awards. Wolf is an avid Yoga enthusiast and lives in Boston where he is a full-time author, screenwriter, lecturer, entertainment consultant, and consummate “grown-up kid.” Look for his next Roger Rabbit installment to be released November, 2013 by Musa Publishing.

The Late Great Show! and Typical Day are available through Musa Publishing, www.amazon.com, www.barnesandnoble.com and e-tailers worldwide.

More information available from Musa Publishing at www.musapublishing.com and www.musapublishing.blogspot.com .

Friday Friends - Holley Trent & Lizzie T. Leaf

Here are two books that will get you in the holiday spirit and liven up your Christmas!

Today is release day for...

Mrs. Roth's Merry Christmas
by Holley Trent

Santa gets more than he bargains for in his marriage of convenience to the queen of snark.

All Gillian wanted was to pick up a third job so she could buy her preschool students Christmas gifts. She didn’t think she’d be the one getting picked up instead.

Her new boss, Nicholas Roth, is the big man in charge at Santa Incorporated—what Gillian thought was a seasonal staffing agency. But the sexy CEO has a holly jolly secret; he’s an equal opportunity employer and most of his staff are elves.

Santa has another secret. When he’s not delivering toys for his charity, he’s contending with political unease in the magic realm. To take his father’s throne as king of the elves, he has to get married…and only magic-proof Gillian will do. Gillian agrees thinking Nick will cut her loose after the busy Christmas rush, but he has other ideas.

Nick wants a permanent Mrs. Roth, but Gillian doesn’t think she’s it.

Forget the Misteltoe

by Lizzie T. Leaf

Marta's cold on the retail holiday season, but warming to the hot hunk from home office, even if he loves Christmas.

Marta Holt hates Christmas and all the fuss that goes with it, which isn’t a good way to feel about the biggest money making season in her chosen career field, retail management.

Linc Blanchard’s family owns the chain of retail stores and shows up in Denver to make sure that Marta, the temporary manager, doesn’t affect the bottom line of that store’s Christmas season with her lack of appreciation of his favorite holiday.

Mix in Claude, an elf with attitude that has been sent into the human world to help Santa correct the mistake he made with Marta when she was a little girl and you have a hot, humorous fantasy to relieve the stress of your holidays.

Blog Revamp for New Year

In anticipation of the new year, I want to let everyone know that I've been brainstorming lately. I've decided to add some structure to this blog, and I'm going to do that by adding two weekly features.

Staring Tuesday, January 1st, I will bring to you "Tuesday Toolbox" where I will discuss one of the many tools a writer should have in her virtual toolbox.

On Fridays, beginning this Friday, I will have a "Friday Friends" feature where I will showcase a book and/or interview a fellow author.

Of course, I will still continue to be part of blog hops and giveaways and sharing my random bits of news. My hope is that this arrangement strikes a nice balances for all readers, aspiring authors, and published authors who stop by.

Merry Christmas, if you celebrate Christmas as I do. Happy holidays to those who celebrate other winter holidays!

Guest Post by S.G. Rogers

What’s In a Name?

Is naming your characters a joy or a chore?

Charles Dickens had a way with names.  Many of his characters had odd, but memorable monikers, such as Wopsie, Winkle, and Spottletoe.  Some were more descriptive, like the bombastic Mr. Bumble or the festive Mr. Fezziwig.  Author JK Rowling has fun with her character names, too.  Gossip columnist Rita Skeeter connotes an annoying mosquito and the cruel Dolores Umbridge isn’t that far a stretch from the word umbrage.

Strangely enough, I find it easier to name secondary or tertiary characters than the main ones.  Perhaps it’s because I feel some sort of pressure to make my main characters somewhat dignified, approachable, or attractive. Since that impression is subjective, it always takes me longer to decide which way to go.

Is it just me?

Even though naming my main characters is always a bit of a challenge, picking names for the remaining residents of my stories is a delight.  My creativity is unfettered and my humor comes to the forefront.   

In my latest fantasy release, Tournament of Chance, my protagonists’ names are the relatively straightforward Heather, Dane, and Joe.  Some of the minor characters, however, have more amusing names like Gumm the troll, Towcheez the fairy, and the one-eyed chef, Piers. Fun details won’t save a weak storyline, but a strong plot can be further enhanced with a little imagination. 

As a reader, do you feel memorable names increase your enjoyment of a novel, or are they a distraction?  As an author, do you agonize over your cast of characters? 

After all, a rose by any other name might just be fantastic.

~ S.G. Rogers

In Tournament of Chance, a hunter’s daughter becomes the spark that ignites a revolution—in time.

When a beautiful commoner enters the Tournament of Chance archery competition, her thwarted victory sparks a revolution in the oppressive kingdom of Destiny. Although Heather never believed the legends about the restoration of Ormaria, after three shape-shifting Ormarian wizards awaken from a long magical slumber, she joins their perilous quest to regain the throne. Heather battles vicious predators and angry trolls to free the wizards’ magic, but at a horrendous cost. She is unexpectedly torn from the arms of the man she loves and hurled back in time to fulfill a prophecy not yet written. The ensuing maelstrom tests Heather’s survival skills, wits, and endurance. Will she become an unwritten footnote in history, or can she trust the magic to lead her back to her one true love?

Now available at Musa Publishing: http://musapublishing.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=6&products_id=396

Author Links:

Facebook - http://www.facebook.com/SuzanneGRogers

Blog - http://childofyden.wordpress.com/

Goodreads - http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/4216062.S_G_Rogers

Guest Post by Clarissa Johal

Thank you for hosting me in your blog, Sara!

I’m happy to share with you my new paranormal release, BETWEEN.

Enjoy!

BETWEEN

by Clarissa Johal

Tagline:

How far would you go to redeem yourself?

Blurb:

As a young girl, Lucinda was able to see spirits, a gift that didn't come without its problems. Now, a dedicated young veterinarian, she is committed to the idea that every life can be saved.

After a devastating accident, Lucinda tries to escape her past by moving to a small town. There, she meets a newcomer and feels an immediate connection with him. But there is another mysterious stranger to the small town, one that stirs within her a mixture of unease and desire.

As Lucinda is drawn into a bitter tug-a-war from the forces around her, she is likewise pulled into a dangerous twist of past and present events. Forced to make difficult choices, she finds that the two men are locked in not only a battle for her life...but a battle for their salvation.

Excerpt:

A young woman stood beside the bed, anguish on her face. She looked vaguely familiar, though Lucinda couldn’t place her. The forgotten colors of her blousy dress had faded into indistinct shades of grey. The woman grasped Lucinda’s hand and pressed a key into it. Lucinda felt the jagged, metal edges pricking her skin. Somewhere in the distance, a car engine roared to life. The woman’s lips moved but the growling engine drowned out all other sound. The sound became louder.

Growling. Darwin was growling.

“Darwin?” Lucinda woke with a start.

The shepherd growled again and hopped off the bed, padding into the living room.

A quiet knock sounded from the front door. Lucinda rolled out of bed to answer it.

Pushing Darwin aside to open the door, she peered sleepily into the moonlit night. A breeze blew across the clearing, stirring the grass. Confused, she shut the door before the breeze could make its way inside.

“Come on back to bed, Darwin. Nobody there.”

As she pulled the blanket up to her chin, the knocking started again.

Lucinda slipped out of bed and walked back into the living room. The sound clearly came from the other side of the door, faint but unmistakable. She slid her hand quietly over the knob. At once, the knocking stopped. Turning the knob slowly, she pulled the door open a crack, heart pounding in her chest.

“Hello?” An icy breeze slipped by her thigh as the scent of ozone assailed her senses. Her heart beat erratically. “Darwin, no!” The dog tried to push past her, growling once more. Rattled, Lucinda closed the door with a bang and locked it.

Lucinda lay in bed and shivered, unable to get warm. A chill slipped under her covers, stealing up her spine. The smell of roses clung to her blanket, the warmth from their scent seemed to be at war with the cold. An hour passed and she finally dropped off to sleep.

For the remainder of the night, the two unseen presences in her room remained at an impasse.

Bio:

Clarissa Johal has worked as a veterinary assistant, zoo-keeper aide and vegetarian chef. Writing has always been her passion. When she’s not listening to the ghosts in her head, she’s dancing or taking photographs of gargoyles.

Clarissa shares her life with her husband, two daughters and every stray animal that darkens the doorstep. One day, she expects that a wayward troll will wander into her yard, but that hasn’t happened yet.

Author website:  http://clarissajohal.com/

Author Blog:  http://clarissajohal.blogspot.com/

Author Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/clarissa.johal.9

Twitter https://twitter.com/#!/ClarissaJohal

Between buy links:

Amazon

Christmas Wishes Blog Hop

I'm very excited that the Christmas Wishes Blog Hop coincides with the release date for my latest book Wyatt's Guilt. Wyatt's Guilt picks up with the story of the siblings of the hero and heroine from Zane's Art.

Wyatt's Guilt

Nicole trusted Wyatt with her heart once. She won’t make the same mistake twice.

Nicole DeMonde’s car breaks down the moment she returns to her hometown for her brother’s wedding. The cop who stops to help her is none other than local hottie Wyatt Truman, who slept with her then dumped her when they were teens. She has no choice but to accept his help. However, she knows better than to trust him with her heart twice.

Wyatt is determined to earn Nicole’s forgiveness and make amends for his callous past. Once he lays eyes on her, he can’t help wanting a lot more than forgiveness, despite his intention never to hurt her again.

Just as Wyatt starts thinking his best intentions are of the forever variety, Nicole decides to work Wyatt out of her system with a one night stand. Can either of them make peace with the past in a single weekend, let alone survive with their hearts intact?

I will be giving away a copy of  Zane's Art to one random person who leaves a comment telling me their romance Christmas Wish. To be entered to win a copy of Zane's Art, subscribe to my newsletter by entering your email address in the upper right corner of this blog and leave a comment telling me your romance Christmas Wish. For extra Brownie points, like my page on Facebook, follow me on Twitter, and follow my blog here. I'll pick one random winner. Make sure to include your email address and your preferred file type (Kindle, Nook or pdf) in your comments. Contest is open internationally.

Return to blog hop here

Hosted by Book & Trailer Showcase (BTS Virtual Book Tours), Coffee Beans & Love scenes (CBLS Promotions), and Full Moon Bites (FMB Blog Tours).

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Entangled Under the Mistletoe Blog Hop

Did you miss your chance to win the custom manicure kit that Veronica would have loved? Never fear! I have one more that I'm giving away.

Construction Beauty Queen
Chicago socialite Veronica Jamison is determined to shake off her sheltered lifestyle and overbearing parents. She heads to her grandfather’s small town of Kortville, ready to roll up her sleeves and work for the family construction business. She’ll prove her worth, even if it means answering to the company’s ruggedly handsome co-owner, Matt.

Matt Shaw just wants to run his business, spend time with the niece he’s raising on his own, and give back to the townspeople who have stood by him. Managing a spoiled-rotten princess he knows he’ll never be good enough for? Not part of his plan. But as he gets to know Veronica, he learns there’s more to her than her beautiful looks and designer clothes. She’s got a heart as rich as her background.

With the quirky townspeople rallying against Veronica inheriting her grandfather’s business, it’s up to Matt to try to drive her out of town. But how can he, when instead she’s driving her way into his heart?

To be entered to win the custom manicure kit, subscribe to my newsletter by entering your email address in the upper right corner of this blog and leave a comment telling me your dea of a great holiday romance. For extra Brownie points, like my page on Facebook, follow me on Twitter, and follow my blog here. I'll pick one random winner. Make sure to include your email address, so I can email the winner to get your snail mail address. Contest is open US residents only.

Don’t forget to check out what the other authors participating in the hop are giving away!

Win a Nook from Decadent Publishing

I am blown away by this awesome giveaway from Decadent Publishing. You can win not just a Nook, but a Nook preloaded with 45 amazing Decadent Publishing ebooks. That's incredible!!! One of the books is More Than a Fantasy.

Regina’s fantasies about her hot marketing assistant, Gabriel, are interfering with her focus at work. In desperation, she turns to Madame Eve to give her a one-night stand with a man who looks just like him. When the Gabriel arrives in her hotel room, she must choose between walking away and playing out her daydreams with the real thing. Their one night becomes a wrestling match for control as Regina strives to keep the upper hand. But Gabriel is just as determined to show her how to work together for business and for pleasure.

As passion trumps protocol, their one night stand quickly becomes much more than a fantasy.

For your first Rafflecopter entry to enter to win the Nook and ebooks, leave a comment telling me if you've ever lusted after someone at your job and how you acted on that attraction (or why you didn't act on it).

This spring I will have another 1Night Stand book tentatively titled "One Night with the Bride" available from Decadent Publishing. For the latest information about this book and all my titles, please add your email address to the subscribe box in the top right corner of this blog.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

http://decadentpublishing.blogspot.com/p/giveaways.html

Hot Autumn Nights Blog Hop

After Thanksgiving, autumn is pretty much history, as winter takes over outside and in my mind. So, I would love to warm up with a cup of hot cocoa in front of the fireplace. Recently, instead of cocoa, I've taken to drinking hot tea, thanks to Elizabeth Silver, amazing editor of the Wiccan Haus series, who teamed up with Adiago Teas to create a series of special blends for Musa Publishing and the Wiccan Haus. 

The Wiccan Haus is a magical island enshrouded in fog supposedly off the coast of Maine. Good luck finding it on a map, though. It’s run by four siblings. Sage and Cemil are known as “the light ones,” not just for their light complexion but for their sunny, positive demeanor. Cyrus and Sarka, on the other hand, are known as “the dark ones” and can be more than a bit surly on occasion.

Cyrus, in particular, comes with a truckload of baggage. He has a “retro-cog” ability that allows him to see the history of an object just by touching it. Sounds cool, right? Until everyone starts bringing items to him to touch and he has no idea what grisly image is going to flood his brain next. Until the Synidcate government uses him as a one-man crime-solving machine. Until government enemies decide he must be stopped and kill three of his sisters in an attempt on his life.

So, the Syndicate gave Cyrus and his remaining siblings the Wiccan Haus island as compensation, and they retreated there for both safety and healing.

Armando Verdad, who possesses the truth-finding power, stepped up to take Cyrus’s place in the government. When Armando touches a person who is speaking, their words mentally play back in his head followed by the word “truth” or “lie.” Not quite as amazing as Cyrus’s power, perhaps, but Armando is determined to prove his power is capable of solving crimes and protecting the Syndicate.

The Syndicate Commander’s daughter has just been murdered on her wedding night. If Armando cracks this high-profile case before the police do, he will save his truth-finding department and prove his power is equal to Cyrus’s. So, he follows the victim’s lifebond Vetter to the Wiccan Haus. He’s sure she’s hiding something, and he’s going to figure out exactly what and bring her to justice.

The Wiccan Haus: Psychic Lies: Fiona must keep her ability to read minds during sex a secret from those determined to exploit her, especially a sexy truth-finding investigator who needs her psychic power to save his job.

To be entered to win a copy of  Psychic Lies, subscribe to my newsletter by entering your email address in the upper right corner of this blog and leave a comment telling me your favorite hot drink to cuddle up with. For extra Brownie points, like my page on Facebook, follow me on Twitter, and follow my blog here. I'll pick one random winner. Make sure to include your email address and your preferred file type (Kindle, Nook or pdf) in your comments. Contest is open internationally.

Return to blog hop here

WRITING A SERIES by Sharon Ledwith

Face it. If you’ve written a great book filled with equally great characters, readers will want more. Much more. And the sooner the better. Then, you start to panic. Sweat drips off your face and onto your keyboard. You’re committed now. Legions of readers are waiting in the wings for your next installment.

Stop.

Don’t worry.

You’ve got this.

The most important thing to remember in creating a series for any genre is to connect the dots, create a common thread to tie your individual stories together into a nice, shiny bow at the series end.

Complicated? Not really. Read on…

First: Make sure your characters have enough problems going on both individually and together to carry through at least five books. The entire series needs to get from A to B to Z dragging your characters along (sometimes kicking and screaming) until, by the end of the series he or she or they need to come out changed. They need to have shown growth, they need to have evolved through the course of their adventures.

Second: Don’t put any elements into your first story that you don’t want to live with through five or more books. It’s a long haul to drag unnecessary fillers such as a troublesome pet, a psychotic boyfriend or an ongoing health problem for the ride. Like they say, “Use it or lose it”.

Third: Don’t solve the big mysteries or resolve all their problems in the first book. Too much, too soon. The idea is to hook’em with that first book, and get your readers begging for more. Your characters should still have dreams and goals and ambitions to work toward through the length of the series. Oh yeah, and as you do answer the burning questions and resolve the terrible conflicts, make sure you replace them with additional—hopefully more serious—ones.

Fourth: Remember—it’s all about building relationships between your characters. Throw obstacles their way and create the necessary tension between them to get your readers to care about them. It’s all about the journey and how they work together to resolve their problems. You want readers to be as invested at the end of the series in how that relationship is working out as they were in the first book.

Fifth: Keep a series guidebook stuffed with all the vital information on your main characters— and recurring side characters. The color of their hair and eyes, their brother’s or sister’s names, or any allergies is vital to log. Believe me readers know when something is amiss and will call you on it.

Sixth: Make sure you’re writing a series for the right reason—because you love your characters enough to tell their story over a period of years to come. And hopefully, that could be a long, long time.

Sharon Ledwith is the author of the middle-grade/YA time travel series, THE LAST TIMEKEEPERS, available through Musa Publishing. When not writing, researching, or revising, she enjoys reading, yoga, kayaking, time with family and friends, and single malt scotch. Sharon lives in the wilds of Muskoka in Central Ontario, Canada, with her hubby, a water-logged yellow Labrador and moody calico cat.

Blurb

When 13-year-old Amanda Sault and her annoying classmates are caught in a food fight at school, they're given a choice: suspension or yard duty. The decision is a no-brainer. Their two-week crash course in landscaping leads to the discovery of a weathered stone arch in the overgrown back yard. The arch isn't a forgotten lawn ornament but an ancient time portal from the lost continent of Atlantis.

Chosen by an Atlantean Magus to be Timekeepers--legendary time travelers sworn to keep history safe from the evil Belial--Amanda and her classmates are sent on an adventure of a lifetime. Can they find the young Robin Hood and his merry band of teens? If they don't, then history itself may be turned upside down.

Want more info on The Last Timekeepers series? Check it out on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/#!/pages/The-Last-Timekeepers-Time-Travel-Series/373953795955372

Buy Links: http://musapublishing.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=5&products_id=277

Amazon 

Barnes & Noble

Learn about Sharon Ledwith on her website and blog:

www.sharonledwith.com

http://sharonledwith.blogspot.com/

Stay connected with Sharon on Facebook and Twitter:

Facebook Page 

Twitter: @sharonledwith

Black Friday Blog Hop

I started writing for my first multi-author series (The Wiccan Haus) one year ago. After I finished A Man Worth Fighting For, I started checking out my fellow Wiccan Haus sisters and realized Kate Richards and Dominique Eastwick had both written for Decadent Publishing's 1Night Stand series. In fact, Kate is one of the editors and creators of the series. Naturally, I had to learn more.

As soon as I read about Madame Eve's 1Night Stand service, I was captivated. Regina and Gabriel's story immediately took hold in my imagination.

MoreThan a Fantasy

Regina’s fantasies about her hot marketing assistant, Gabriel, are interfering with her focus at work. In desperation, she turns to Madame Eve to give her a one-night stand with a man who looks just like him. When the Gabriel arrives in her hotel room, she must choose between walking away and playing out her daydreams with the real thing. Their one night becomes a wrestling match for control as Regina strives to keep the upper hand. But Gabriel is just as determined to show her how to work together for business and for pleasure.

As passion trumps protocol, their one night stand quickly becomes much more than a fantasy.

Excerpt:

The balcony door slid open. The trim, broad-shouldered backside of a man with Gabriel’s basic frame entered. He was dressed in jeans and a dress shirt with the sleeves rolled up his forearms. Her fingers tingled at the prospect of touching his hard, muscled body and claiming it for the night.

The man secured the glass door then rotated toward her. Backlit by the setting sun, he had the same profile as Gabriel. Perhaps his hair was a tad darker, but she could overlook that. The lack of dimples was more disappointing.

He strolled toward her, blocking the sunset and bringing his gorgeous blond curls into the full view of the overhead lights. A charismatic smile lit up his brown eyes, denting tiny grooves on each of his cheeks. “Regina.”

No. Not possible. Not funny, either. She hadn’t wanted the Gabriel. She wanted a fake, one with no career ambitions and a staggeringly low IQ. She’d spelled out her wants on the matchmaking form. “How did you get in here?”

“I checked in, same as you.”

Her mental agenda said she should be heavy petting her way to a blowjob. It did not include arguing semantics with her assistant or a potential sexual harassment suit.

She had to get him out of here before he ruined the match Madame Eve had set up. No matter how much the other guy looked like him, the more time she spent with Gabriel, the less she wanted anyone else in his place. “Where’s the man who’s supposed to be here?”

“I’m him.”

Desire hit her hard. Everything she wanted was in her reach. And as far away as ever.

For a chance to win MoreThan a Fantasy, please enter your email address on the upper right-hand side of this blog to subscribe to my newsletter and leave a comment below telling me what awesome Black Friday deal you snagged/intend to purchase (or how you spend the day if you don't go shopping). Please also leave your email address and preferred ebook format (Kindle, Nook or pdf).

Return to blog hop here

Giveaway Fit for a (Construction) Beauty Queen

I am so, so, so excited to host my very first non-book giveaway. In honor of the ultimate girly heroine Veronica from Construction Beauty Queen, I am giving away a handmade manicure kit made by Michelle Bousley of O.C. Styles and a $20 gift card to Ulta Beauty.

So enter to win this fabulous gift for yourself or to pass on to that special beauty-conscious someone in your life!
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Men and Women of the Military Giveaway Hop

I am so lucky to live in a country that allows me the freedom to do what I love. For me that love consists of writing and raising my family in a peaceful town where we can come and go without being afraid for our safety or our freedom. Thank you to every single United States serviceman and servicewoman -- past, present and future -- who have made my peaceful, joyful life of freedom possible.

In honor of the great men and women who serve our country, I am giving away a copy of A Man Worth Fighting For. Justin Lawson is a special ops serviceman who has dedicated his life to serving our great country and is both physically and emotionally devastated when a bullet brings an early end to his military career.

The Wiccan Haus: A Man Worth Fighting For

He has nothing left to offer. She's determined to show him just how much he's worth.

Shot by a member of his military team, Justin Lawson retreats to the Wiccan Haus. Holly Walters refuses to accept her boyfriend's out-of-the-blue rejection without an explanation, even if getting the answers forces her to be trapped on a bizarre island for an entire week. She's going to use every minute to work Justin out of her system once and for all. Justin's body and spirit begin to heal under Holly's loving ministrations. As she talks about never seeing each other again, he realizes he never wants to let her go. But the rogue assassin who had gone after Justin before is after him again. Before he can fight to make Holly believe in their love, he'll have to fight for both their lives.

To be entered to win, leave a comment telling me what Veterans' Day means to you. Then enter your email address in the top right hand corner of this page to receive my newsletter. I'll pick one random winner to receive a copy of A Man Worth Fighting For. Make sure to include your email address and your preferred file type (Kindle, Nook or pdf) in your comments. Contest is open internationally.

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Don't forget to check out my newest Wiccan Haus release, Psychic Lies. Fiona must keep her ability to read minds during sex a secret from those determined to exploit her, especially a sexy truth-finding investigator who needs her psychic power to save his job.

Fiona has spent her life hiding her sexual mind-reading power at the risk of being exploited by the government. Instead, she pretends to have lifebond vetting powers like the rest of her family. When her fake power results in the death of an innocent woman, her life of lies unravels and she retreats to the Wiccan Haus.

Armando is the head of the Department of Truth-Finding for the Syndicate. To prove his unit’s worth to the government, he follows Fiona to the Wiccan Haus to expose her as an infiltrator of an enemy faction. The truth about Fiona is even more valuable to his people and his career.

Fiona uses her power to seduce Armando and stop his plans to betray her. But nothing is strong enough to keep her from falling in love with this man whose power threatens to destroy her. Now she must trust him, not only with her life and her psychic lies, but also her heart.

Guest Post by Sloane Taylor

My new standalone book is hot off the Musa Publishing e-press!

With a gorgeous cover designed by Kelly Shorten and the unbeatable editing skills of Elizabeth Silver, that boosted the book to a level 4 Heat Rating, MASQUERADE brings true romance and all the delicious personal bits to life. Read on and see for yourself.

Behind every mask is a fragment of truth.

BLURB:
Chicagoan Clancy Marshall has planned her dream vacation in Venice down to the last detail. From gondola rides to masked balls, and anything else that just happens along, she is determined to experience all pleasures. But those careful plans fly out the door when she literally falls into the arms of a masked stranger.

Vittore Ricci comes from an old Venetian family that claims two doges in their lineage. A straight-laced Count and owner of a prestigious hotel, he never does anything without serious consideration. Until a sexy American tourist offers an opportunity no man can refuse.

EXCERPT:
Green eyes sparkling behind delicate shades of purple feathers held him hostage. Vittore thought he had recognized her the moment she walked onto the pier. When she spoke, he knew his search had finally ended. Determination and desire had persevered. The gods had delivered her into his hands and he wanted to learn more about this mystery woman with her gay laugh and quick wit, even if it was only for one night.

Clancy opened her door, then switched on the entry light. At the bedroom, she glanced over her shoulder, the long plumes brushing her creamy bare shoulder. “Make yourself comfortable. I’ll be just a moment.”

He wandered around the room, straightening the pillows on the sofa, adjusting a wing backed chair and, finally, the magazines scattered across the pecan desktop. It was there he found a handwritten note caught between the pages. A little guilt crept in for snooping, but he shoved it aside, eager to discover more about this sensual woman who intrigued him.

Note to Self — Loving Venice
1. Ride in a gondola
2. Climb the Campanile in St. Mark’s Square
3. Attend a masked ball
4. Dance under the stars in St. Mark’s Square
5. Tour a professional kitchen
6. Buy one special piece of Murano glass
7. Fall in love—at least for the night
8. Hear a Vivaldi Concert
9. Attend an opera at the Fenice
10.

Vittore reread the paper, paying close attention to number seven. He looked out at the waning moon and sent a prayer of thanks to Raphael the Archangel, the patron saint of happy meetings, for his good fortune.

BUY LINK

The Love and Terror of Our Lives

by Lisa Greer

I have a new release an historical gothic romance, The Montmoors 2: The Bastard Returns—second in a set of serials that focuses on a cursed line of male heirs condemned to life inside a crumbling castle in Cornwall. The series moves through generations of Montmoors, and readers will learn whether the curse that rests upon the family—and dozens of other intrigues that pop up—will lead to happiness in the end.

I've been thinking a lot about gothic romance lately and why it's loved by fans old and new. What's so appealing about this genre, and why should you give gothic romance a try?

I think we've all experienced love—the sensation of your heart bumping faster when you see him or her, wondering if you can live without the beloved, feelings so strong for someone else that you don't need to eat or sleep, at least not much. And of course, mature love that is tested and stands strong through the years.

And if not love, then surely you've felt terror. That thumping sound you hear in the middle of the night that makes your heart stop for a minute or how you go looking behind the door after watching a scary movie. If those types of terror aren’t for you, then there’s always the icy grip of death, of impending loneliness, or any number of things perhaps that only frighten you. Terror and love are emotions, states of being, even actions that we all understand.

That is why I write what I do—gothic romance. The beloved authors of the genre like Victoria Holt, Barbara Michaels, and Emily Bronte understood that intersection of fear and desire.

Gothic romance in its most common, pure form, the type that makes its fans swoon, deals in scary realities—haunted houses, castles and troubled lords aside. A critic once said, in fact, that gothic romance is the choice between two men. And it is, isn't it? And isn't that choice an all too real one in life, if we broaden the scope a bit? The choice between opposites? For good or evil...one path or the other.

Gothic romance reached its zenith in the 60s and 70s with authors like Mary Stewart and Victoria Holt. They kept going strong in some circles even into the early 90s with their mix of romance, Byronic heroes, ghosts, suspense, and danger—in spite of the fact that they should have been outmoded before they ever became popular.

But that wasn't the case. The genre adapted to the modern and post modern eras and still does and harkens back to the Victorian Era in some cases. Love and terror worked then, and they work now. The characters who play out the dramas of desire and fear are ones we can identify with, too—or at least that we love reading about.

The heroines of most gothic romances are hip and intelligent, but they don't mind relying on a man to do some of the fighting for them when it comes to ghosts or being trapped in the family mausoleum. They drink sherry and beer, smoke cigarettes, and wear miniskirts—or they don't. They write masters theses, act as dutiful daughters to their ailing professorial fathers, or work as art gallery owners. They are orphans, governesses, and heiresses, alone, yet strong. They are all of us as women.

And the heroes, well, the heroes are often Byronic—dark, isolated, secretive. They are mad with old loves and losses or haunted by sordid pasts. But sometimes they're not. Sometimes, the hero is the good friend, the guy who stands beside the heroine, the one who is the picture of mental health. And that's part of the fun. In many gothic romances, you'll have your doubts about the heroine's choice, and she will for a while, too.

Of course, gothic romance has been around since well before the 20th century. The mother of the gothic, Ann Radcliffe, and others were writing Gothic and gothic romance in the 18th century. My favorite gothic romance is still Wuthering Heights by Emily Bronte. What novel captures the solipsism of first love and the terror of its loss as well as that book? What Byronic Hero is better drawn than the gypsy Heathcliff? The macabre, mysterious, and frightening have always attracted readers. We do understand love... and terror, or at least we want to feel we are not alone with either emotion.

Here's a little from The Montmoors 2: The Bastard Returns for your reading pleasure.

BLURB:
The mysteries of Montmoor Hall deepen with each passing day…and night. A ghost haunts governess Catherine Roth while the master, Andrew Montmoor, is away.

To make matters worse, Catherine is falling in love with the troubled master of Montmoor Hall even though she knows Andrew is lying to her…but about what? And what will happen when the bastard brother, handsome Benjamin Smitt, returns to claim what is his?

EXCERPT:
She woke up in the night, not sure what had roused her. Catherine opened her eyes, and in front of her shimmered the image of Monroe Montmoor. He appeared exactly as he had in his portrait, and glowered with what could only be fury, and his green eyes blazed at her. He stood, silent and strangely translucent.

“No.” The whisper escaped Catherine's lips before she could stop it.

A twisted grin crossed his full lips, and she wanted to scream. A smile on his face struck her as more terrible than a frown. If he was so grotesque in death, what manner of monster must he have been in life?

With his gnarled, blue veined hand, he reached out toward her, and his mouth worked soundlessly, even as Catherine's mind screamed that his hand coming toward her was impossible. She didn't want him to touch her, would go mad if she heard what such a specter had to say. He shuffled a few steps closer to the bed.

He's going to touch me, to do something...

Jolted from her paralysis, Catherine screamed, a gut wrenching sound that made her own ears ring. The figure disintegrated, disappearing by degrees.

Her door burst open within seconds, and a disheveled Montmoor appeared at her side wearing a silken nightshirt that, thankfully, covered his body down to his calves.

“What in God's name is going on?” He sat on the edge of the bed and took her in his arms, and she didn't resist. Catherine sobbed against his warm neck, aware of his arms holding her tight.

“I saw something.”

“What?”

“I think it was a spirit, a ghost, though I've never seen one before. I don't even believe in them!” She heard her voice rise to a hysterical pitch.

His arms tightened around her, and she felt his breath against her hair as his hands twined in the silky strands.

“It's the curse.”

“Why do you say that?” She remembered his words from the night before with a shudder.

“Because I believe what you saw was my great grandfather, his spirit. He’s vengeful. He never rests. He walks the halls.” His voice grew louder with each terrible word, and a wild look entered his eyes.

Catherine pulled away from him, frightened even more by his strange reaction.

“That's foolish. I couldn't have seen a spirit. It must have been a nightmare from being in a new and different place.” She almost believed it herself as long as she avoided looking at him.

“Tell me exactly what you saw.” He ground the words out, and all at once Catherine grew uncomfortable with his closeness to her on the bed. She crossed her arms over the thin chemise she wore, one of the lacy ones left by his sister, Alice. And did she really elope? There was something so strange about the story, about the way Lord Montmoor had not met her eyes when he had told it.

He leaned back, looking into her eyes.

“I saw the man in the portrait. Your great grandfather.” She forced herself to meet his gaze. The skin at the nape of his neck glowed in the light from the brass candelabra he had laid on the bedside table.

“As I assumed. He doesn't want you here.”

“Why wouldn't he want me here? And how do you know?”

Montmoor broke the intense gaze between them. “My destiny is sealed—or that is his wish—for me to be cursed and lonely.”

BUY LINK

Watch the YouTube trailer HERE.

Learn more about Lisa Greer on her website. Stay connected with Lisa on Facebook and Twitter.

The Wiccan Haus: Psychic Lies Release Day!

Today is release day for The Wiccan Haus: Psychic Lies. I started following the Wiccan Haus series from the moment it debuted almost one year ago with Shifting Hearts by Dominique Eastwick. Psychic Lies is currently the fifth book in the series.

This summer while I was writing Psychic Lies, I needed some inspiration and decided to visit the Wiccan Haus myself. Don't believe me? Look at these stunning pictures.

Okay, I admit, they're not from the Wiccan Haus, that magical island only accessible by ferry boat. But they are from an island. It is only accessible by ferry boat. And I came back amazingly refreshed and relaxed.


I had the pleasure of visiting Mackinac Island this summer. The top picture is the natural feature Arch Rock. Below is the coast with its crystal clear water and beautiful colors. I have been staring at these pictures ever since I returned, mostly because I couldn't stay and stare at them in person nearly as long as I wanted to!


The Wiccan Haus: Psychic Lies
Fiona must keep her ability to read minds during sex a secret from those determined to exploit her, especially a sexy truth-finding investigator who needs her psychic power to save his job.

Fiona has spent her life hiding her sexual mind-reading power at the risk of being exploited by the government. Instead, she pretends to have lifebond vetting powers like the rest of her family. When her fake power results in the death of an innocent woman, her life of lies unravels and she retreats to the Wiccan Haus.

Armando is the head of the Department of Truth-Finding for the Syndicate. To prove his unit’s worth to the government, he follows Fiona to the Wiccan Haus to expose her as an infiltrator of an enemy faction. The truth about Fiona is even more valuable to his people and his career.

Fiona uses her power to seduce Armando and stop his plans to betray her. But nothing is strong enough to keep her from falling in love with this man whose power threatens to destroy her. Now she must trust him, not only with her life and her psychic lies, but also her heart.

Inspiration Behind the Book

by Patricia Yager Delagrange

How many times have I seen an Amber Alert on the news which ends in the child’s death?  How many times have I been driving down the freeway and read about another child kidnapping in yellow lights across a billboard?  How many times have watched on the news that another child has been murdered?

Too may times.  One time is too many.

And each time this occurs I wondered how in the world do the parents make it through such a tragedy?  How do they go on?  How can they return to work?  How can they face interacting with family and friends after their child’s death?  How do they go on living?

This question had burned in my mind for years and I wanted to write about it.  People have asked me how I can write about something that’s never happened to me.  I counter with: I write fiction.  All fiction writers tell a story they’ve made up in their heads.  But they imbue that story with their own feelings.  Which is what makes a good book.  And I have a wealth of feelings that I used when I wrote Moon Over Alcatraz.  I have two children.  I know what it’s like to love two human beings unconditionally, with no reservations.  My kids often ask me, “Do you love me, mom?”  And my answer is, “Always and forever.”

So I took a happily married couple, excited to have their first child, placed them in the delivery room, and had the umbilical cord wrapped around the baby’s neck, which produced a still birth.

And that’s pretty much what happened to that couple - their life stood still.  They didn’t know how to move on from there.  Instead of looking to each other for solace and renewal, they turned away from each other.  Both of them, unbeknownst to the other, dealt with their grief in a way that broke them apart, instead of pulling them together.

Losing a child is devastating.  And each person deals with that emotional turmoil in their own particular way.  I’d go so far as to say that no one can predict how they would act in that circumstance.  Emotions can be unpredictable, surprising even to the person who’s experiencing them.  This is what happens to Brandy and Weston.  You have a difference in their emotional upheaval.  One character is the mother who carried her baby to term, and the other is the father who didn’t have that same physical experience.

BLURB:

Following the death of their baby during a difficult birth, Brandy and Weston Chambers are grief-stricken and withdraw from each other, both seeking solace outside of their marriage; however, they vow to work through their painful disloyalty.  But when the man Brandy slept with moves back to their hometown, three lives are forever changed by his return.

EXCERPT:

Three days later we were standing at the edge of a hole in the ground at Holy Sepulcher Cemetery in Hayward, the silence so thick, the insides of my ears buzzed like a distant swarm of angry bees.  Mr. Peralta and another gentleman stood off to the side while Weston and I held hands next to a tiny casket.

Weston had chosen a simple mahogany box with gold handles, a bouquet of white lilies graced the top of the small box.  I knelt down and laid a kiss on the smooth wood then wiped off the tears that had fallen on top.  Weston joined me, placing a single red rose in the middle of the lilies.

He helped me up and we stood side-by-side in silence, my guilt over her death like a stone in my empty belly.  I missed everything I’d dreamed would be happening right now, yearned for all that could have been.

Weston nodded at the man standing next to Mr. Peralta and our baby was slowly lowered into the gaping maw.  She reached the bottom, and a bird landed on the rich brown dirt piled next to the grave.  It pecked around, chirping a little song then flew off - as if saying goodbye.  My heart squeezed inside my chest.

I picked up a small handful of soft dirt.  “Goodbye, Christine,” I whispered, throwing it on top of her casket.

Weston wrapped his arm around my waist and pulled me in close to his side.  Why her?  Why my baby?  Was this supposed to make sense?  And, if so, to whom?

We drove home in silence.  No words existed to express my grief.

BUY LINKS

Musa Publishing

Amazon 

Barnes & Noble 

Learn more about Patricia Yager Delagrange on her website and blog. Stay connected on facebook and Twitter.

Children are the Keys to the Future

And now, children are the only hope for our past.

Sharon Ledwith is a brand new, uber talented author you definitely want to read. Her writing is YA, but pleases readers from every generation are sure to enjoy The Last Timekeepers and the Arch of Atlantis.

BLURB:

When Amanda Sault and her four classmates are caught in a major food fight at school, they are given the choice of suspension or yard duty. It was a no-brainer. A two-week crash course in landscaping leads the kids to discover a weathered stone arch buried in an overgrown backyard. Instead of a forgotten lawn ornament, it turns out to be an ancient time portal from the lost continent of Atlantis. Chosen by an Atlantean Magus to be Timekeepers—legendary time travelers sworn to keep history safe from an evil force—the five children, along with two offbeat adults, are sent on the adventure of their lives to save the Earth from an uncertain future. The Timekeepers’ first mission lands them in England in 1214, where they must find an adolescent Robin Hood and his band of merry teens before history is turned upside-down.

EXCERPT:

Amanda Sault silently studied the words she just scrawled: May 1st, 1214—Games and songs and revelry, act as the cloak of devilry. So that an English legend may give to the poor, we must travel to Nottingham to even the score.

She frowned. She was the Scribe. Amanda knew that meant she was supposed to understand what this riddle meant. But she didn’t have a clue. All she knew was that she, her four annoying classmates, and two offbeat adults were standing in what was left of the lost continent of Atlantis and they were supposed to be the Timekeepers, the legendary time travelers handpicked by destiny to keep Earth’s history safe from evil. But no one had told them how they were supposed to do it.

Their problem: no matter what happened—good or bad—they weren’t supposed to mess with the past. Period. Dot. End of story. Amanda felt hot liquid build in her throat. Her thumb traced the words of the arcane riddle. Their first Timekeeper mission. Amanda knew this wasn’t the end of the story.

This was just the beginning.

Sharon Ledwith is the author of the middle-grade/YA time travel series, The Last Timekeepers. Book one, The Last Timekeepers and the Arch of Atlantis, debuted May 18 from Musa Publishing. To read more about the book, or purchase, please click HERE. Keep up with Amanda and the world of The Last Timekeepers series on Facebook.

When not writing or digging up the past, Sharon enjoys reading, yoga, kayaking, time with family and friends, and single malt scotch. She lives in the wilds of Muskoka in Central Ontario, Canada, with her hubby, a water-logged yellow Labrador and moody calico cat.

Visit Sharon on her blog and Facebook. She is only a tweet away. Feel Free to click HERE.