'Tis More Blessed

With the success of Creepy Freebies in October,

Milo James Fowler is hosting 'Tis More Blessed this December!
It's the final Friday of the month. Get yourself a late Christmas present.

Click on the generous folks on the list below giving stuff away today!

FREE stories and raffles.

'Tis the season for giving.

1.	Milo James Fowler - Every Friday	2.	James Garcia Jr. - 27th
3.	Christine Rains - 13th	4.	Alex J. Cavanaugh - 16th
5.	Madeline Mora-Summonte - 20th	6.	Stephen V. Ramey - Every Friday
7.	Yolanda Renee - Every Friday	8.	Gay Degani - 20th
9.	M.K. Theodoratus - Every Friday	10.	PK Hrezo - 6th
11.	Stephanie Loree - 27th	12.	Jeff Beesler - 27th
13.	Jeff Chapman - 27th	14.	M Pepper Langlinais - 27th
15.	Jay Lake - 6th	16.	L. Diane Wolfe - 13th
17.	KV Taylor - 20th	18.	Julie Flanders - 13th
19.	Simon Kewin - 13th	20.	Gini Koch - 20th
21.	Sherry Ellis - Every Friday	22.	Rhonda Parrish - 6th
23.	Helena Soister - 13th	24.	Martin Willoughby - Every Friday
25.	Michelle Ann King - 6th	26.	Mary Rajotte - 13th
27.	Anthony J. Rapino - 6th	28.	Cherie Reich - 6th
29.	E. Catherine Tobler - Every Friday	30.	Anne E. Johnson - 20th
31.	Tyrean Martinson - Every Friday	32.	Cat Rambo - 13th
33.	Peter Coleborn - Every Friday	34.	T. B. Markinson - 13th
35.	Madeleine Sara - 6th	36.	Camille G. Campbell - 20th
37.	Cat Sparks - 20th	38.	Chrysoula Tzavelas - Every Friday
39.	Stevie Carroll - Every Friday	40.	Anne Barwell - 27th
41.	Kristy Gillespie - Every Friday	42.	Misha Gericke - 27th
43.	Dona Watson - 6th

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

I wish each and every one of you a very happy Christmas and a wonderful new year!

I'll be back in January with my regular blogging schedule.

Don't forget there's still one more 'Tis More Blessed event this coming Friday.

Click on over to the Untethered Realms blog to see our group holiday greetings with adorable pets dressed up and my adorable boy with Santa.

'Tis More Blessed and Giveaway Winners

With the success of Creepy Freebies in October,

Milo James Fowler is hosting 'Tis More Blessed this December!

Click on the generous folks on the list below giving stuff away today!

FREE stories and raffles.

'Tis the season for giving.

1.	Milo James Fowler - Every Friday	2.	James Garcia Jr. - 27th
3.	Christine Rains - 13th	4.	Alex J. Cavanaugh - 16th
5.	Madeline Mora-Summonte - 20th	6.	Stephen V. Ramey - Every Friday
7.	Yolanda Renee - Every Friday	8.	Gay Degani - 20th
9.	M.K. Theodoratus - Every Friday	10.	PK Hrezo - 6th
11.	Stephanie Loree - 27th	12.	Jeff Beesler - 27th
13.	Jeff Chapman - 27th	14.	M Pepper Langlinais - 27th
15.	Jay Lake - 6th	16.	L. Diane Wolfe - 13th
17.	KV Taylor - 20th	18.	Julie Flanders - 13th
19.	Simon Kewin - 13th	20.	Gini Koch - 20th
21.	Sherry Ellis - Every Friday	22.	Rhonda Parrish - 6th
23.	Helena Soister - 13th	24.	Martin Willoughby - Every Friday
25.	Michelle Ann King - 6th	26.	Mary Rajotte - 13th
27.	Anthony J. Rapino - 6th	28.	Cherie Reich - 6th
29.	E. Catherine Tobler - Every Friday	30.	Anne E. Johnson - 20th
31.	Tyrean Martinson - Every Friday	32.	Cat Rambo - 13th
33.	Peter Coleborn - Every Friday	34.	T. B. Markinson - 13th
35.	Madeleine Sara - 6th	36.	Camille G. Campbell - 20th
37.	Cat Sparks - 20th	38.	Chrysoula Tzavelas - Every Friday
39.	Stevie Carroll - Every Friday	40.	Anne Barwell - 27th
41.	Kristy Gillespie - Every Friday	42.	Misha Gericke - 27th
43.	Dona Watson - 6th

Now for the winners of last week's giveaway!

Thank you to everyone who participated.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Still time to enter The 13th Floor series anniversary giveaway!

Enter now to win a great collection of paranormal romance tales!

Get hooked on the series.
Get the first book, THE MARQUIS for free!
Smashwords * Amazon * Kobo

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Teaser Tuesday with How To Date A Nerd

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. Anyone can play along! Just do the following:

• Grab your current read
• Open to a random page
• Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page
• BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)
• Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!

This is a book that has been on my TBR list for a while. I needed a good fun book that would indulge my inner geek and make me laugh. Cassie Mae's book has done that so far. It's so much fun!

Here's your teaser:
Okay, so I lied. He's nothing like Peter Parker. He's a bajillion times sexier than Peter Parker. Spider-Man ain't got nothing on Zak Gibbons. (9% on my Kindle)

Lurking about

Marking our Christmas tree with a flag!

Good morning, friends. Yes, I'm still lurking about the blogosphere. I've been taking it easy, though. I haven't been online that much. I'm trying to relax this month when it comes to net stuff since October and November were so incredibly busy. So don't think I've forgotten about you if I haven't visited your blog in a little while. I want to set up a regular schedule for myself starting in the new year for blog posts and blog visiting.

I finished a supernatural western Christmas short story for my local critique group meeting this Saturday. Now I'm working on my first round of revisions for one of my WIPs. I hope to get it out to my CPs at the latest by the end of January.

Don't forget to enter to win a copy of The 13th Floor Complete Collection! You can also find more freebies and raffles this month with 'Tis More Blessed. Treat yourself.

The 13th Floor Complete Collection giveaway!

Have you entered to win yet?

"Be on the lookout because it will not be long before Christine Rains is giving Sherrilyn Kenyon and Christine Feehan a run for the crown of Queen of the Paranormal Realms." - Night Owl Reviews

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Marionette blog tour and 'Tis More Blessed BIG giveaway

Blurb:
Paige Alexander is seventeen and has her whole life in front of her. One day her girlfriend comes home to discover that Paige has slit her wrists. Paige isn't insane, but she acts like she is. Why?

After the incident, Paige agrees to go to therapy to appease her girlfriend, Jess. However, Paige doesn't believe that therapy will help her. She believes she’s beyond help. Paige doesn't want to find herself and she doesn't want to relive her painful past in order to come to terms with it. What Paige wants is control over her life, which she hasn't had since her birth.

During her childhood, Paige is blamed for a family tragedy, when in fact, her twin sister, Abbie was responsible. Abbie doesn't come forward and Paige becomes the pariah of the family.

To add to Paige’s woes, while attending a college in a small town in Colorado, the residents are in the midst of debating whether or not gays and lesbians should have equal rights. Tension is high and there’s a threat of violence. She isn't out of the closet and pretends to be straight at school since she fears what will happen if her parents find out she’s a lesbian. Will she end up dead like her best friend, Alex?

My review:
Paige Alexander is heading off to college and in love with her incredible girlfriend Jess. But then she slits her wrists. As a promise to Jess, Paige agrees to see a therapist while going to school. No one truly knows her and she likes it that way. Yet she never breaks her word. Some promises are easier to keep than others.

MARIONETTE is honest and original. There are a lot of stories out there of teen angst, but many are written with rose-tinted glasses. Not this one. The reader is taken on a real and emotional journey with suicide, abuse, and gay issues. Nothing is held back nor is it overly done. The fact that there's no pretense won me over and sucked me into the story.

Each character was crafted wonderfully, layer upon layer to their personalities. These are people all of us could know. No stereotypes or flat cardboard players. I liked just when you thought you had someone figured out, another layer was revealed. Nothing happened fast. It was a slow unveiling and suitable to the damaged soul Paige is.

It took me a little bit to get into it, but once I did, I was hooked. It's not fast-paced nor does the mystery keep waving right in your face. You find out something new, get comfortable with it, and then there's the next twist. I thought I knew where it might end, but I was surprised where the tale took me. It's not often a book can surprise me anymore.

Purchase MARIONETTE here:
Amazon US * Amazon UK

Mark it to read on Goodreds!

About the Author:
T. B. Markinson is a 39-year old American writer, living in England, who pledged she would publish before she was 35. Better late than never. When she isn’t writing, she’s traveling around the world, watching sports on the telly, visiting pubs in England, or taking the dog for a walk. Not necessarily in that order. Marionette is her second novel. A Woman Lost was her debut novel.

Sign up to TB’s New Release Mailing List here. Your email will never be shared and you will only be contacted when a new book is out.

Twitter * Facebook * Blog * Goodreads

With the success of Creepy Freebies in October,

Milo James Fowler is hosting 'Tis More Blessed this December!

Click on the generous folks on the list below giving stuff away today!

FREE stories and raffles.

'Tis the season for giving.

1.	Milo James Fowler - Every Friday	2.	James Garcia Jr. - 27th
3.	Christine Rains - 13th	4.	Alex J. Cavanaugh - 16th
5.	Madeline Mora-Summonte - 20th	6.	Stephen V. Ramey - Every Friday
7.	Yolanda Renee - Every Friday	8.	Gay Degani - 20th
9.	M.K. Theodoratus - Every Friday	10.	PK Hrezo - 6th
11.	Stephanie Loree - 27th	12.	Jeff Beesler - 27th
13.	Jeff Chapman - 27th	14.	M Pepper Langlinais - 27th
15.	Jay Lake - 6th	16.	L. Diane Wolfe - 13th
17.	KV Taylor - 20th	18.	Julie Flanders - 13th
19.	Simon Kewin - 13th	20.	Gini Koch - 20th
21.	Sherry Ellis - Every Friday	22.	Rhonda Parrish - 6th
23.	Helena Soister - 13th	24.	Martin Willoughby - Every Friday
25.	Michelle Ann King - 6th	26.	Mary Rajotte - 13th
27.	Anthony J. Rapino - 6th	28.	Cherie Reich - 6th
29.	E. Catherine Tobler - Every Friday	30.	Anne E. Johnson - 20th
31.	Tyrean Martinson - Every Friday	32.	Cat Rambo - 13th
33.	Peter Coleborn - Every Friday	34.	T. B. Markinson - 13th
35.	Madeleine Sara - 6th	36.	Camille G. Campbell - 20th
37.	Cat Sparks - 20th	38.	Chrysoula Tzavelas - Every Friday
39.	Stevie Carroll - Every Friday	40.	Anne Barwell - 27th
41.	Kristy Gillespie - Every Friday	42.	Misha Gericke - 27th
43.	Dona Watson - 6th

Today is the one year anniversary of the 13th Floor series!

Last year on December 13th, I released 1301 - THE MARQUIS.

It remains one of the most popular stories in the series, and you can read it for FREE!

Get yourself hooked.

In celebration of its anniversary, I'm giving away one signed copy of The 13th Floor Complete Collection (US only) and a digital copy (open internationally).

a Rafflecopter giveaway

The Ghosts of Aquinnah review

Blurb:

A brilliant flash of light transcends through time.

Another freezes a cloaked figure within a frame of salty mist as waves crash against a rocky shore. Her harrowing expression shadows the beacon to a pinprick.

By the next blaze, she is gone. Only the lighthouse remains.

Hannah’s eyes blink in step with each heartbeat. Images of her deceased parents and Martha’s Vineyard explode like firecrackers inside her mind.

She shakes her head.

For weeks this eerie woman dressed in nineteenth century garb has been haunting my webcam, but tonight she stared into my soul.

Why? ...

Who is she? ...

Casting aside months of research on historic lighthouses, Hannah drives to the coast and boards a ferry.

What is the strange connection she has to this mysterious woman suspended in time?

Hannah finds out.

But, it’s not at all what she expects ...

Hannah unravels a century old murder.

My review:
Researching a story on Martha's Vineyard, Hannah spots a strangely dressed woman out alone at night one of the of the lighthouse webcams. She sees this apparition more than once and cannot resist the call. Hannah travels to discover who this mystery woman is and why she's reaching out to her. Yet she hasn't been back to Martha's Vineyard since her parents' deaths. What will Hannah find when she digs into the past? Something much more than an unsolved murder awaits her.

A marvelously written story with tremendous atmosphere and characterization. One of the author's strengths is setting. The little details that were wonderfully New England helped draw the reader into the story. Even with the story told from two different time periods, I never felt lost or thrown back and forth.

The plot was carried by an amazing cast of characters. I especially sympathized with Stella and Christopher. I loved their sweet banter. And even the few characters that I loathed, they had layers to them that made them more than flat villains.

Two stories from different times woven together with elegance and emotion.

Buy The Ghosts of Aquinnah at:

Amazon ~ Barnes & Noble ~ Smashwords ~ Ink Smith Publishing

Author Bio: Julie Flanders is a novelist and freelance writer in Cincinnati, Ohio. She has a life-long love affair with the ocean and has spent more summer vacations than she can count on the island of Martha’s Vineyard. When not writing, Julie can be found reading, cheering on her favorite sports teams, and watching too much television. She is an animal lover and shares her home with her dog and cat.

Find Julie at:

Website ~ Blog ~ Facebook ~ Twitter ~ Pinterest ~ Goodreads

The Ghosts of Aquinnah blog tour - The Top Ten Things I Love About Martha's Vineyard

I'm happy to host the awesomely talented Julie Flanders today. I've been lucky to have read THE GHOSTS OF AQUINNAH already and I loved it! I'll be posting my review for it tomorrow. Here Julie is to share with you a great top ten list.

Thanks for having me here at your blog, Christine! I am here to share my favorite things about the island of Martha's Vineyard, which is the setting for my novel The Ghosts of Aquinnah. I can never resist a Top Ten List!

The Top Ten Things I Love about Martha’s Vineyard

10. Riding the ferry from the mainland to the island

Source: Wikimedia Commons

9. West Tisbury, the town where my family’s cottage is located

 
8. Lobster rolls from Nancy's restaurant in Oak Bluffs


7. The fishing village of Menemsha

6. Chilmark Chocolates (homemade on the premises and absolutely fantastic)

5. The Gay Head Lighthouse

 

4. Sea gulls

Source: Wikimedia Commons

3. The harbor of Vineyard Haven

 2. South Beach

1. Aquinnah (how could I choose anything else for number one?)

About The Ghosts of Aquinnah:

 

Blurb:

A brilliant flash of light transcends through time.

Another freezes a cloaked figure within a frame of salty mist as waves crash against a rocky shore. Her harrowing expression shadows the beacon to a pinprick.

By the next blaze, she is gone. Only the lighthouse remains.

Hannah’s eyes blink in step with each heartbeat. Images of her deceased parents and Martha’s Vineyard explode like firecrackers inside her mind.

She shakes her head.

For weeks this eerie woman dressed in nineteenth century garb has been haunting my webcam, but tonight she stared into my soul.

Why? ...

Who is she? ...

Casting aside months of research on historic lighthouses, Hannah drives to the coast and boards a ferry.

What is the strange connection she has to this mysterious woman suspended in time?

Hannah finds out.

But, it’s not at all what she expects ...

Hannah unravels a century old murder.

Buy The Ghosts of Aquinnah at:

Amazon ~ Barnes & Noble ~ Smashwords ~ Ink Smith Publishing

Author Bio:

Julie Flanders is a novelist and freelance writer in Cincinnati, Ohio. She has a life-long love affair with the ocean and has spent more summer vacations than she can count on the island of Martha’s Vineyard. When not writing, Julie can be found reading, cheering on her favorite sports teams, and watching too much television. She is an animal lover and shares her home with her dog and cat.

Find Julie at:

Website ~ Blog ~ Facebook ~ Twitter ~ Pinterest ~ Goodreads

Diamonds and Dust is here!

It's Launch Day! 

 

Diamonds and Dust 

 

by River Fairchild

Book 1 of the Jewels of Chandra series

 

Magic is real. So is betrayal.

Two heirs. A Kingdom of dust on a troubled world. One might resurrect it. One might destroy it all.

Archaeologist David Alexander investigates the cave where his father disappeared and hurtles into another world, one filled with magic and bizarre creatures. The mad ravings in his father's journals of icemen and dragons may not be fantasies after all.

Convinced his father may still be alive, David begins a treacherous journey to find him and discover a way home. Along the way, he encounters a few unlikely friends. A Dreean warrior, a beautiful thief and a satyr join him as he searches.

David's arrival into this new world sets off an explosive chain reaction of events. Faced with powerful adversaries and few clues, he may not get the chance to rescue his father before disaster strikes, condemning both of them to death. Or worse.

Buy it here:

AmazonUS

AmazonUK

AmazonDE

Kobo

Barnes & Noble

Apple

SmashWords
Paperback

**********************



About the author:

River Fairchild is somewhat odd, brandishes a dry sense of humor, owned by several cats. Lives in a fantasy world. A fabricator of magic. Makes stuff up and spins tales about it. Believes in Faerie crossings and never staying in one place for very long. Speculative Fiction wordsmith. The secret to her stories? Spread lies, blend in truths, add a pinch of snark and a dash of tears. Escape into her world. She left the porch light on so you can find your way down the rabbit hole.

Blog / Facebook / Twitter / Amazon /

'Tis More Blessed

With the success of Creepy Freebies in October,

Milo James Fowler is hosting 'Tis More Blessed this December!

Click on the generous folks on the list below giving stuff away today!

FREE stories and raffles.

'Tis the season for giving.

I'm happy to be taking part.

On December 13th, (Friday the 13th) I'll be raffling off a signed copy of The 13th Floor Complete Collection (US only). It's the anniversary of when I released the first book in the series. Can you believe it's been a year already?

1.	Milo James Fowler - Every Friday	2.	James Garcia Jr. - 27th
3.	Christine Rains - 13th	4.	Alex J. Cavanaugh - 16th
5.	Madeline Mora-Summonte - 20th	6.	Stephen V. Ramey - Every Friday
7.	Yolanda Renee - Every Friday	8.	Gay Degani - 20th
9.	M.K. Theodoratus - Every Friday	10.	PK Hrezo - 6th
11.	Stephanie Loree - 27th	12.	Jeff Beesler - 27th
13.	Jeff Chapman - 27th	14.	M Pepper Langlinais - 27th
15.	Jay Lake - 6th	16.	L. Diane Wolfe - 13th
17.	KV Taylor - 20th	18.	Julie Flanders - 13th
19.	Simon Kewin - 13th	20.	Gini Koch - 20th
21.	Sherry Ellis - Every Friday	22.	Rhonda Parrish - 6th
23.	Helena Soister - 13th	24.	Martin Willoughby - Every Friday
25.	Michelle Ann King - 6th	26.	Mary Rajotte - 13th
27.	Anthony J. Rapino - 6th	28.	Cherie Reich - 6th
29.	E. Catherine Tobler - Every Friday	30.	Anne E. Johnson - 20th
31.	Tyrean Martinson - Every Friday	32.	Cat Rambo - 13th
33.	Peter Coleborn - Every Friday	34.	T. B. Markinson - 13th
35.	Madeleine Sara - 6th	36.	Camille G. Campbell - 20th
37.	Cat Sparks - 20th	38.	Chrysoula Tzavelas - Every Friday
39.	Stevie Carroll - Every Friday	40.	Anne Barwell - 27th
41.	Kristy Gillespie - Every Friday	42.	Misha Gericke - 27th
43.	Dona Watson - 6th

Dream Destination Blog-hop

To celebrate the launch of their books Soul Cutter and The Ghosts of Aquinnah, Lexa Cain and Julie Flanders invite you to a Blog-hop and Giveaway.

If you could travel anywhere in the world, where would you go?
Beaches of Hawaii? Slopes of Vail? Cancun, Paris, or Rome?
Where is your Dream Destination?

On Dec 5 or 6, post about your Dream Destination
(with blog-hop badge and links to Lexa and Julie's blogs)
Go to Lexa and Julie’s blog to enter the Rafflecopter Giveaway
and from Dec 5 - 8, use the Linky tool to visit the other bloggers
to see the wonderful places they want to visit.

I'd love to travel to so many places in the world. I'd be a gypsy if I could afford to do so. But if I could travel to just one place it would be the United Kingdom.

 

Of course I want to see London and all the famous landmarks, museums, and historical sites. But I really want to just wander around. Take long drives through the country. See the ruins of castles few tourists go out of their way to explore. Experience the magic and beauty of the land. Oh to have a view like the one in this picture!

And maybe have an adventure with the Doctor.

Or indulge my inner cougar and hunt down Rupert Grint.

IWSG for December 2013

The Insecure Writer's Support Group (IWSG) is the brilliant idea of Alex J. Cavanaugh. The purpose of the group is to share doubts and insecurities and to encourage one another. Please visit the other participants and share your support. A kind word goes a long way.

The new year is looming in front of me. This year has been a good one. I pushed myself and managed to get the 13th Floor series out. Just seeing the collection, holding that heavy book, leaves me in awe of how much I accomplished.

I can't push myself that much again. It was unfair to my family, CPs, and betas. (I'm so thankful to all them for sticking with me through it.) I'm trying to set much more realistic goals for myself in 2014. I want to publish two novels be they with a publisher or on my own. The first drafts of both are written. The thought of querying makes me very nervous, but I'm going to try.

I'm worried that I set some precedent for myself, though. Will people expect more of me because of what I've done? Will I be lost and forgotten in the ocean of writers because I'm not producing stories so quickly?

This journey can be frightening at times. We can never know for certain which step is the right one. We just have to take a chance and walk forward. We must persevere. And I'm so thankful to you for sharing it with me. You guys are awesome!

Teaser Tuesday with Shadows

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. Anyone can play along! Just do the following:

• Grab your current read
• Open to a random page
• Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page
• BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)
• Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!

I've been surprised by Robin McKinley again. She writes beautiful fantasy, but once in a while, she'll put out something completely different. SUNSHINE was one of those books. One of the weirdest vampire tales I've read in a long time. Now she's done the same thing with SHADOWS. It's hard to describe this book. It's YA, definitely, but mature YA. Science-fiction, fantasy, dystopian, horror. Marvelous speculative fiction. This is unlike anything I've read before.

Here's your teaser:
They were curling around the windows and Mom's geraniums and Takahiro's and my paper things, perched on the picture frames, half-tucked behind the legs of furniture, lying raggedly along the gap between the tops of books and the shelf above them. I think I whimpered. I'd never seen them this bad before - never seen this many of them - although they weren't moving around much, and Val's shadows usually moved. (page 76)

I am a 2013 NaNoWriMo winner!

WOO-HOO!

I pushed myself the last few days before the American Thanksgiving and I made it!

My tenth year participating in NaNoWriMo and I did it.

Congratulations to all those who won too.

The story is nowhere near finished. I left it off right at the beginning of a fight scene. That just makes it easy for me to pick it back up. I love writing action! I suspect this book is going to be near 80,000 words. Maybe more. While I loved writing novellas, it feels good to be writing novel sized stories again.

For those of you still tapping away, you can do it! You still have two days. Write, write, write!

Happy Thanksgiving to all my American friends!

The Vanished Knight blog tour stop - Guest post by Misha Gericke

Today I'm happy to host the talented Misha Gericke.

I've asked her to talk about the romance in her debut book, THE VANISHED KNIGHT.

Thanks for letting me post here, Christine!

Romance is one of my favorite aspects to a book. I mean, who doesn’t love then the chemistry between two characters sizzles and we’re all waiting to see how it all ends up. And please please please let the ending be happy.

I left the issue open-ended in The Vanished Knight, though. Chemistry I have in spades. As well as some delicious guys. The thing is, there’s one girl and four guy main characters. And they all have a ton of stuff going on for the whole book.

Two are on the other side of the continent for most of the book, and the two who are with Callan are… well, a bit distracted by the fact that they have to find a missing prince or all hell will break loose.

But like I said, there’s plenty of chemistry, especially where Gawain’s involved. I guess I could have put in more romance as well, but the fact is, I didn’t want to.

Firstly, it would pretty much have gone against Callan’s character. She has a secret that pretty much forestalls any attempt she makes at getting closer to people. Besides that, her have-a-clue-meter about male interest is pretty much stuck on zero.

The other big reason: With so much going on, their romance would have been pretty much an instabond. While I get why writers do that, I don’t have to, since I have four more books in which to develop their relationship. I much prefer that. Although saying this, I’ve already sown the seeds to threaten what they’ve got going.

Don’t take this as a spoiler, though. I honestly don’t know for sure whether or not Gawain manages to win Callan over. There’s too much that can change between now and the next few books. I do hope you’ll read The Vanished Knight though. And let me know if you think Gawain is the one for Callan.

Who else prefers long-burn romances to develop over a series?

Blurb: 

Since the death of her parents, Callan Blair has been shunted from one foster family to another, her dangerous secret forcing the move each time. Her latest foster family quickly ships her off to an exclusive boarding school in the Cumbrian countryside. While her foster-brother James makes it his mission to get Callan expelled, a nearby ancient castle holds the secret doorway to another land...

When Callan is forced through the doorway, she finds herself in the magical continent of Tardith, where she’s shocked to learn her schoolmates Gawain and Darrion are respected soldiers in service to the king of Nordaine, one of Tardith's realms. More than that, the two are potential heirs to the Black Knight—Nordaine's crown prince.

But when the Black Knight fails to return from a mysterious trip, the realm teeters on the brink of war. Darrion and Gawain set out to find him, while Callan discovers there is more to her family history than she thought. The elves are claiming she is their princess.

Now with Darrion growing ever more antagonistic and her friendship with Gawain blossoming, Callan must decide whether to stay in Nordaine—where her secret grows ever more threatening—or go to the elves and uncover the truth about her family before war sets the realms afire.

Bio: M. Gerrick (AKA Misha Gericke) has basically created stories since before she could write. Many of those stories grew up with her and can be seen in her current projects.She lives close to Cape Town, with a view over False Bay and Table Mountain.

If you’d like to contact her, feel free to mail her at warofsixcrowns(AT)gmail(DOT)com, Circle her on Google Plus or follow her on Twitter. If you'd like to see her writer-side (beware, it's pretty insane), please feel free to check out her blog. You can also add The Vanished Knight on Goodreads.

Links: 

Amazon

Amazon UK

Barnes & Noble

Kobo

All Romance Reads

Amazon France

Amazon Germany

Teaser Tuesday with The Ocean at the End of the Lane

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. Anyone can play along! Just do the following:

• Grab your current read
• Open to a random page
• Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page
• BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)
• Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!

This book is pure magic. I was immediately sucked in by Neil Gaiman's storytelling and the wonder of the tale. I can't stop reading!

Your teaser:
"I'm going to tell you something important. Grown-ups don't look like grown-ups on the inside either. Outside, they're big and thoughtless and they always know what they're doing. Inside, they look just like they always have. Like they did when they were your age. The truth is, there aren't any grown-ups. Not one, in the whole wide world." (page 112)