Friday Five for July 31, 2015

1. On Tuesday, my son will start kindergarten. I'm still in shock a little. Giddy, nervous, fearful, excited, anxious. Really, a frazzled mess. Will I cry that first day? No, I don't think so. I'm not one for tears, but my heart will be pounding as loud as or louder than his.

2. This means on Tuesday, I get to give it a go as a full time writer! All day to write. With no interruptions. In a quiet house. I need to stock up on the chocolate. I have the same mash of emotions about this as I do with my little guy starting elementary school.

3. It's been a bit of a rough week, but I got some good news. My steampunk Lovecraftian horror tale, "What Lay Below" was accepted by Dragon's Roost Press for their anthology, Eldritch Embraces. It's due to come out spring of next year. They're still accepting submissions if you have a dark little story with a bit of romance in it!

4. Our last big fun day before school starts will be attending Family Day at Gen Con this Sunday. My son is almost old enough to participate in more programming. He's already a gamer through and through! Also at Gen Con, they have an excellent Writer's Symposium. Tons of great seminars and workshops spanning the entire four days.

5. Yesterday, I took my son and a friend to a small water park. They had fun, and one of the last events of the day was a Dangling Donut contest. Donuts were tied up by string and the kids had to eat them without using their hands. My little guy got really angry that he couldn't bite it. Afterward, when he had a moment to calm down, he told me that Anger took over his mind's console. He is a little obsessed with Inside Out!

Have a great weekend!

Simulation cover reveal

I'm excited to share with you Tara Tyler's cover for her newest book, Simulation. Isn't it gorgeous?!

Blurb:

In 2082, androids are an essential part of daily life. Some are helpful, some would make better toasters, and some are so human-like they’re creepy. Back in Atlanta, Detective Cooper’s latest client has him searching for her boyfriend who she thinks was replaced by a simulation, an illegal clone android. The guy also happens to be a popular new congressman.

To make matters more complicated, Cooper keeps crossing paths with his ex, FBI Agent Geri Harper, as they seem to be looking for the same guy. Cooper knows he’s getting close when Geri is kidnapped, but when she resurfaces in Washington and goes on a killing spree, he knows it isn’t her. Now under suspicion himself, Cooper must find the real Geri to prove her innocence, not to mention hunt down the powerful villain behind it all. Never a dull moment.

Coming September 14th at Curiosity Quills!

Mark it to read on Goodreads.

Tweet about it!
Sketch to visualize = idea triggers! Doodle away! @taratylertalks SIMULATION cover reveal http://taratylertalks.blogspot.com/2015/07/simulation-you-wont-believe-your-eyes.html 

Gabriel (Path of Angels 4) is here!

Blurb:

The end is in sight.

To stop Uriel from freeing Lucifer, Gabriel and his brothers must fall and go to Hell. It is a sacrifice Gabriel is not entirely ready to make. Will he fight alongside his brothers or forge his own path? There is only one choice.

Alexander doesn’t want to help Uriel nor does he trust him, but the angel has promised him a better life. He swore to protect Charlie, and he’ll do whatever it takes. When he meets the archangels and learns the depth of Uriel’s lies, he understands the true meaning of sacrifice. If there’s any hope of stopping Lucifer from being freed, Alexander, Charlie, Zephyr and Lake will have to get to Hell and help Gabriel and his brothers in the fight against Uriel. 

The path is finally ending, but the price may be too high.

Buy the book here.

Add it to read on Goodreads.

This book is my favorite in the series.

Read my review here.

About the author:

Patricia Josephine never set out to become a writer. In fact, she never considered it an option during high school and college. She was all about art. On a whim, she wrote down a story bouncing in her head. That was the start of it and she hasn't regretted a moment. She writes young adult under the name Patricia Lynne.

Patricia lives with her husband in Michigan, hopes one day to have what will resemble a small petting zoo, has a fondness for dying her hair the colors of the rainbow, and an obsession with Doctor Who.
 
Links:  
Twitter: https://twitter.com/plynne_writes  
Website: http://www.patricialynne.com  
Google+: https://plus.google.com/u/0/108938106639683446081/posts/p/pub  
Wattpad: http://www.wattpad.com/user/patricialynne07  
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/13460894.Patricia_Josephine
Path of Angels: http://www.patricialynne.com/path-of-angels.html

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Selective Mutism - By Patricia Josephine

 

When I was writing book four in the series, I knew right off that Charlie wouldn’t speak. She can speak, but chooses not to because of an event in her past. It was a slow evolution to being mute too. Little by little, she said less and less until by the time Alexander meets her, she barely speaks. (When she was in school, she would if called upon, but she never went out of her way to talk.)

 

In the first draft, she did have one line, but then I cut it. After getting beta notes and editor notes, I ended up having her speak again when I completely rewrote chapter four. I thought it would add a little weight to the scene. If she was saying that then it was important.

 

What causes Charlie not to speak isn’t shown in the story because Alexander accepts it as part of who she is. He’s spent his whole life being judge, so he vowed never to judge her when she offered friendship so freely. I also didn’t want to make it a big deal, like it was something to pity her for. Charlie doesn’t speak, but she knows how to be heard.

Friday Five for July 24, 2015

1. A few more short story rejections came my way this week, but one with an offer to send something else. My local critique group liked my horror flash piece. I'll be sending that out today. This year has been a much better one for me writing and submitting short stories. I'm still working on longer tales, but I feel good that I'm practicing the craft and getting myself out there.

2. This week was rough in some aspects, and I settled my soul by watching a bunch of B rated movies. Zombeavers gave me exactly what I expected from a low budget horror flick about zombie beavers. Sharknado 3, well, I watched the whole thing, but it's my least favorite of that series. I laughed, but I groaned far more. The top one which I highly recommend to B movie fans is Dead Snow: Red vs. Dead. It's a ridiculous idea (zombie Nazis) taken over the top and done incredibly well. Much better than the first film. I also saw Inside Out with my son this week. Thumbs up!

3. Two reviewers responded to my queries. There are a lot more that I haven't heard from, but two is far more than the zero I had in response to my queries last December. It's like pulling teeth trying to get stories reviewed.

4. I was over at the Untethered Realms blog this week talking about the joy of listening to stories. Click on over and tell us about listening to your favorite storyteller.

5. As I'm sitting here, the light keeps flickering. Just now, accompanied by absolute silence, it went out. Only the lights. Not the computer. I know it's probably just the light bulb, but what a great ambiance for the ghost story I'm working on!

Have a wonderful weekend.

Review for Impure Bargains

Blurb: 

Desiderus has served Ba'al faithfully for nearly one hundred years. When Haven Rowe put a gun to his head and pulled the trigger, her fierce nature stirred emotions he hadn't felt since before Ba'al claimed him. With his sight set on consuming her body and soul, he'll use every deceptive idea at his disposal to make sure she belongs to him.

When Haven walked in on a demon stealing her brother, Jeremy, her entire world unraveled. Born to a family of magic users, yet unable to use magic of her own, Haven will do anything to get her brother back from the depths of hell, even if it means she has to bargain her soul.

With the help of a witch, Haven seeks out loopholes to the soul bargains that have been made. She either finds a way out for her and Jeremy, or they both might be lost forever. What she doesn't count on is the betrayal of her own body and the insurmountable attraction she has for the demon she's trying to escape.

My review:
All Haven has left in this world is her brother, and when a demon steals him, she'll stop at nothing to get him back. Having magic in her blood, she summons the demon and offers a deal for her brother's life. Haven thinks she's being smart, but her own body betrays her when the gorgeous demon, Desiderus sets his sights upon her. While she tries to find a loophole in the deal, the sizzling attraction shows her she realizes that she has something more to fear than just losing her soul.

Impure Bargains is the first in this paranormal erotica series and it starts off the series with a bang. In more ways than one! Haven is supernatural hunter that kicks butt. She's smart, strong, and sexy. I love heroines like her. Desiderus is everything she loathes and yet incredibly hot. A few of their scenes had me fanning myself. He's loyal to his lord as she is to her family, and I'm eager to find out just what they can be to each other.

What impressed me most about the story is the worldbuilding. It's contemporary, but not a world as we know it. There are several magic users. So many that some get addicted to it and have to be rehabilitated. Haven works for DAIS which is an organization that hunts down supernatural creatures to study them. (I think there's something sinister about DAIS no matter Haven's trust of it!) There's a fanatical cult against magic that lives underground. So many delectable details in this world that all weave together wonderfully.

This book hooked me with its fascinating world and fiery tension. I can't wait to read more from Decadent Kane.

Impure Bargains will be released in print only on July 27th!
You can find it on Amazon here.

Add it to read on Goodreads.

And enter to win your own copy here!

You can find Decadent Kane here:

Amazon Author:  www.amazon.com/author/decadentkane
Authorgraph: https://www.authorgraph.com/authors/DecadentKane
FB : www.facebook.com/DecadentKane
Twitter: https://twitter.com/DecadentKane
Blog: http://decadentkane.blogspot.com/           
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/DecadentKane
Newsletter: http://eepurl.com/FDtsL
Street Team: https://www.facebook.com/groups/746945411992459/

Friday Five for July 17, 2015

1. I've managed to catch up on my sleep and some online things. I think I have to realize that I'm not going to catch up on it all and just let it go. Sometimes that's difficult for me. I'm still learning to be easier on myself.

2. I wrote a flash horror piece for my local critique group tomorrow. A Christmas story with a monster in the closet. Perfect for July! And no, it's not a Fearless story. I wanted to write another Christmas tale because right now is the time of year to submit them to magazines and other venues. I still have six stories out there under consideration, and hopefully after this weekend, I can send out a seventh.

3. I've been sending out my Dice & Debauchery series to reviewers. It's hard to find people that review erotica. I sent out a batch of queries in December and didn't receive one reply. I've only received one reply from the dozen I sent out this week. One of my dream reviewers would be Felicia Day. She and three other geeky women have a book club called Vaginal Fantasy. It's absolutely hilarious and fun.

4. Only two weeks until Gen Con! Will any of you be attending this year? I'll be going on Sunday for Family Day. Their writer guest of honor this year is Terry Brooks.

5. A reminder for two fantastic giveaways: Win 5 awesome ebooks and an Amazon gift card from T.B. Markinson, and celebrate Tara Tyler's book birthday with an incredible giveaway that includes prizes of a signed print copy of her book, an ecopy of my book, Of Blood and Sorrow, and an Amazon gift card.

Don't forget about the Smashwords Summer Sale!

Why Sherlock Holmes?

You don't want to miss M. Pepper Langlinais' newest Sherlock Holmes story!

It comes out tomorrow, but you can pre-order it for just 99 cents!

Blurb: When Elise Clayworth disappears from a hotel room in Paris, Holmes and Watson work against a seeming dearth of clues: no ransom has been demanded, no one has seen or heard anything, and there appears to be no way out of the hotel without being seen. Only a small bit of masonry in Miss Clayworth's room can shed light on what happened to her. Can Holmes deduce the lady's whereabouts before it is too late?

To celebrate this new release, Sherlock Holmes & The Mystery of the Last Line is FREE through Wednesday! M writes fantastic mysteries and her Sherlock stories are told in the traditional style. Here's a little about why she writes these tales.

Why Sherlock Holmes?

My History with Holmes

So the one question I get asked most often is why I write Sherlock Holmes stories. Or, really, what I get told most often is that I must write them because they sell. Right?

I’ll admit I’m fortunate that Holmes has a readership. But I’d write these stories even if he didn’t. I’ve loved Sherlock Holmes since I was a girl and was always just a little sorry there weren’t more of Doyle’s stories. Of course, where Doyle left off many took up the slack.

But I didn’t start with Doyle. Even though my dad is a great lover of Holmes himself and his library extensive, my first real introduction with the Great Detective was through the 1985 film Young Sherlock Holmes. I was nine, and the adventure spoke to me. Plus, I fell hopelessly in love with Nicholas Rowe. To this day my ideal man is tall and thin, with messy hair and a British accent.

I would come home from school every day and pop Young Sherlock Holmes into the VCR, letting it run while I sat at the coffee table and did my homework. And I’m not exaggerating. I mean every day. My best friend and I would play Holmes and Watson, too. (Today we have matching bracelets; mine says “Sherlock” and hers says “Watson.”)

Around the same time, my dad capitalized on my interest and introduced me to the Jeremy Brett series, and I got absorbed enough to finally go and read the big collected works Dad kept on his bookshelf. I used to flip through his Sherlock Holmes Scrapbook, too. Then I moved on to Nicholas Meyers’ novels and eventually would browse the second-hand bookstore for any odd Sherlockiana. The result has been an eclectic collection.

Finally, in 1999 I began applying to grad school, which meant having to send writing samples. One was a research paper on the portrayal of villains in television via their bad habits (think Cigarette Man from X-Files as a premium example), and the other was a Sherlock Holmes story titled “The Mystery of the Last Line.” That story is now available on Amazon (free today through Wednesday!) along with another Holmes story I’ve written called “The Adventure of Ichabod Reed.”

And now, after many emails from readers asking for more, I’ve written another Holmes story titled “The Monumental Horror.” It can be pre-ordered and releases on Tuesday, July 14^th.

By the way, I did get into grad school. Though I’ll never know if “Last Line” is what won them over. Maybe it was the Cigarette Man thing.

Keep up with M Pepper Langlinais at http://pepperwords.com or @sh8kspeare on Twitter.

Friday Five for July 10, 2015

1. I'm back from my trip up north. We had a great time celebrating Canada Day with my family. I finally got to meet my adorable niece and equally as cute baby cousin. We were tremendously busy and totally exhausted. I still haven't caught up on sleep or anything else. My brain is all foggy. I just need one night of really good sleep.

2. Thank you to everyone who helped spread the word of Masked Kiss' release. You guys are awesome! Though I wasn't around for the release, it was top rated at Ellora's Cave for two weeks. I need to regain my focus and start to plan a tour for the series.

3. I sent out seven short stories before I went away, and I've had three rejections. I submitted the stories elsewhere. It's difficult at times to keep pushing forward, but we must do so to achieve our dreams.

4. I haven't had a chance to write lately and I'm starting to get the writer shakes. The kind that make you want to start typing away at any keyboard you see! There's less than a month before my son starts school. (Yup, he starts on August 4th. Crazy!) So things on my blog will still be slow until then, but I'm eager to jump back into my writer's life come August.

5. It's finally Friday. Yay! It's been a long week. What's on your agenda for the weekend? Minions is out in theaters. It's at our local drive-in. I think it's time for our little guy's first drive-in movie experience!

Smashwords Summer Sale, Giveaway, & The Miracle Girl

Don't miss out on getting these two amazing collections of stories from the talented authors of Untethered Realms. I've read them all and I'm honored to be included in this group.

Nine twisted stories from nine twisted worlds.

Twisted Earths.

A collection of nine fantastic, spine-tingling stories. Magic. Mystery. Murder. Heartbreak and Hope. Defeat and Victory. The incredible and Horrific. Fantasy Uprising delivers a heaping serving of the best in fantasy.

Be on the look out for the next fantastic anthology from UR coming this fall called Mayhem in the Air.

* * * * *

What's better than a sale? A giveaway!

Enter to win five awesome ebooks and an Amazon gift card.
Click HERE.

I've read all but one of the books in T.B. Markinson's July giveaway, and they're fantastic.

* * * * *

This is one of the books that have wowed me this year. T.B. Markinson is an incredible character writer. I can't say enough great things about this book! Read my review here.

Tagline: To secure a loving future, she must shed an addicting past.

Blurb:

Newspaper publisher and world traveler JJ Cavendish continually feels pressured to live up to her Miracle Girl nickname. Not many people know she’s living a carefully crafted lie. She may not hide ties to the LGBT community, but she does hide past struggles with addiction.

When the Colorado native is handpicked to take the helm at a dying Denver newspaper, she ends up reconnecting with her long lost love in this contemporary lesbian romance. Only there’s a catch. If JJ fires the most belligerent editor at the paper, she risks losing the love of her life.

Mid-afternoon office romps abound in this romantic comedy while also focusing on what it takes for a newspaper to remain relevant in this age of social media.

Must JJ lose everything in order to gain a life more fully her own?

Praise for The Miracle Girl: 

“The Miracle Girl is phenomenal!” Christine

“The best one yet.” Shellie

“I don't often give 5 stars to books, but I loved this book.” Heidi

“Impossible to put down.”  Windowwasher

“I was hooked by the first sentence.” Cheryll

Buy Links: Amazon US  / Amazon UK   / Amazon Canada

 

Author bio:

T. B. Markinson is an American writer, living in England. When she isn’t writing, she’s traveling the world, watching sports on the telly, visiting pubs, or taking the dog for a walk. Not necessarily in that order.

Mailing List:

To 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.

Where to find T. B. Markinson:

Twitter        Facebook        Blog        Goodreads     Amazon Author Page

Pop Travel's Geri on being a Lazy Housewife

Thanks so much for letting me invade your blog today, Christine!

Christine requested a Lazy Housewife post - well, I'm putting a twist on it, of course. Today we are going to hear from Geri Harper, Cooper's love interest in POP TRAVEL. Before I let her take over, I'll tell you a little about her. Geri is an FBI agent. She's tough, sarcastic, and doesn't have a lot of patience. Her favorite relaxation is watching late night TV with a big juicy sandwich in a bubble bath. And now, here's Geri's stance on being a Lazy Housewife...

Can you see me as a lazy housewife?! I'd have a lazy house-husband before I'd wait on a man or give up my career to stay home and take care of kids and all that goes with that. Cooper will make a wonderful lazy house-husband, at least the lazy part. So here are my anti-lazy housewife tips:

• Buy a personal android - If I had a messy family, I'd get one or two to do the cooking and cleaning and driving around. I don't have one for just me because I'm never home. It would collect more dust than it would actively dust.
• Use a service - whether android or human, a weekly or monthly service is the next best thing to owning one, this is what I do and it's worth it. (if that makes me a lazy housewife, so be it.)
• As for food, I have my order delivered weekly and it's mostly meal pellets. I love my rehydrator.
• And my last bit of advice - don't have kids. I know some women can't resist the little cherubs, but as I was cursed by my dad, mine would be just like me. I can't risk it, so no kids in my future.

DISCLAIMER! The views expressed above by Geri Harper do not reflect the opinions of Tara Tyler or Christine Rains. We are happy Lazy Housewives with wonderful children we adore. It ain't always easy, but it's totally worth it!

Thanks again, Christine for letting me come over and helping me reveal my new POP TRAVEL cover - it's to die for! And the re-release has a sneak peek at the first chapter of SIMULATION which comes out Sept 14th!

POP TRAVEL
by Tara Tyler
Re-released July 1, 2015

In 2080, technology has gone too far for private detective J. L. Cooper. He thinks he can avoid pop travel teleportation, until he stumbles onto a video of a pop traveler who turns to dust.

Sparking a series of murders, attempts on his life, and threats to his brother, Cooper wants to pass off the evidence but knows he’s being watched and can’t trust anyone. And who would believe him?

With help from the neurotic genius “Creator” of pop travel and a beautiful Southern charmer, Cooper must expose the deadly glitch and shut it down or die trying. No problem.

Amazon ~~~ B&N ~~~ Goodreads

Tara Tyler has had a hand at everything from waitressing to rocket engineering. After living up and down the Eastern US, she now writes and teaches math in Ohio with her three active boys and Coach Husband. Currently, she has two series, The Cooper Chronicles (techno- thriller detective capers) and Beast World (MG fantasy) She's an adventure writer who believes every good story should have a moral, and a few laughs!

Twitter ~~~ Facebook ~~~ Blog

Also by Tara Tyler, MG/YA Fantasy series, Beast World,

Book One: BROKEN BRANCH FALLS

a Rafflecopter giveaway

IWSG for July 2015

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 awesome co-hosts for this month are: S.A. Larsen, AJ, Tamara Narayan, Allison Gammons, and Tanya Miranda!

 To all my Canadian friends and family,

Happy Canada Day!

And a little early to all my American friends and family, Happy Fourth of July!

Enjoy time with your family and friends, eat lots of good food, and maybe see a fireworks show. Watch a parade, go to the beach, or enjoy some time camping. Have fun and drink it all in, and then use the best bits for material in your stories!