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.

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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).

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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.

Return to blog hop here

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.

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