Upcoming Release: After Dark by Liz Butcher

What's waiting for you in the shadows?

Ghosts, curses, and creatures of the dark, these stories take you on a journey from the secret whisperings of the trees, to the torments of the subconscious mind.

Release date: May 1st, 2018

Pre-order now for just 99c!

The price will go up after its release.

Find Liz on her website and at Facebook.

Friday Five for September 18, 2015

1. Did you hear my BIG NEWS this week? I'm still in a bit of shock. The first book of The Paramours, Ghost Dancer, will be released in one week. I don't have any links or info yet, so it'll be a rush to prepare for it. But it's so exciting. I had hoped one book would be out by Halloween, and if my publisher keeps being so speedy, maybe I'll have two! I'll wait until all three books are out before touring. I need a lot of time to prepare for that. A week isn't enough time.

2. In the short story realm, I got word from a venue that they were interested in one of my stories if I made a few changes. So I made the changes and resubmitted. Hopefully they'll like what I did.

3. I didn't get much new writing done this week. I'm over halfway done with the first novella in my nine part series. I don't have a name for the series or the novella yet. That's driving me a little batty. I shorten my titles when I work with them. Like Dice & Debauchery is D&D and Of Blood and Sorrow is OBaS. This new project has been shortened to BS. I can't continue on with something I'm referring to as BS! Okay, I can continue writing, but I really need to think of a proper title.

4. I designed and ordered some new postcards and bookmarks this week. They're so pretty! Please tell me I'm not the only person who gets insanely excited about these sorts of things.

5. Big weekend ahead. It's our local fall fair. Good food, games, and a parade. My son has a buddy's birthday party to go to, and I have my critique group meeting. Lots of fun! And speaking of fun, the Untethered Realms authors talked about what we'd do if we were transported back to medieval times. Stop on by and let us know what you would do.

Have a terrific weekend!

Ghost of Death Tour - guest post by Chrys Fey

I'm excited to host the wonderful Chrys Fey. I can't wait to read her newest stories! Love those covers. Take it away, Chrys!

Thank you for letting me borrow you blog for the day, Christine!

Have you ever wondered how to tell whether or a ghost or not? No? I’m the only one? Oh well! I guess as a writer who wrote a short story about a ghost, I can get away with this kind of thinking. So here are 7 signs you’re a ghost:

1. No one can see or hear you.

2. You can’t smell anything. Not even a pile of dog poop at your feet.

3. Your hands pass through objects like mist.

4. You can’t cry. Try as you might.

5. When you try to take a breath, your chest doesn’t rise.

6. You feel nothing, No pain. No sensations. Nothing.

7. You’re standing over your dead body. 

Title: Ghost of Death

Author: Chrys Fey

Genre: Supernatural/Suspense

Format: eBook Only
Page Count: 41 (short story)

Release Date: April 22nd, 2015

Publisher: The Wild Rose Press

Blurb:

Jolie Montgomery, a twenty-one-year-old woman, wakes up in an alley next to her corpse. She has no memories of her murder or the night she died. She didn’t even see the killer’s face before he or she took her life. Wanting justice, Jolie seeks answers in the only way a ghost can...by stalking the lead detective on the case.

Avrianna Heavenborn is determined to find the person responsible for a young woman’s death. She gets closer to the killer’s identity with every clue she uncovers, and Jolie is with her every step of the way.

But if they don’t solve her murder soon, Jolie will be an earth-bound spirit forever.

Book Links:

Amazon US / Amazon UK / The Wild Rose Press / NOOK / KOBO

Excerpt:

            With the sound of her mom’s grief wafting up to her, Jolie came to terms with her present state. I’m dead and now my mom knows it. She eyed the door in front of her. She hadn’t yet walked through a door, but if her hand could pass through metal then she knew she could move

through wood.

If I have to be a ghost then I’ll be a damn good one. All across the afterlife I’ll be known as the Ghost of Death! And I’m going to start by walking through this damn door!

            She would’ve taken a deep breath to brace herself if she could have, so she mentally pumped herself up instead. You can do it! Easy-peasy. Nothing to it. And she took a step forward. Solid matter slipped around and through her form. On the other side, a familiar site confronted her: a black and white bed, the bright green shag carpet in the middle of the room, and a white desk.

            Stepping up to her desk, Jolie eyed her ancient desktop computer, the one she used before her dad gifted her with a laptop when she announced she was accepted to the local university. Wanting to send out the first ever tweet from the afterlife, she pushed the button to bring the device to life, but her finger poker straight through it. Resigning to her Twitter-less fate, she moved toward the full-length mirror hanging on the wall. She saw nothing. Not even a shimmer in the air hinted at her presence.

            Being a ghost sucks!

Available for PRE-ORDER:

Blurb:

Detective Reid Sanders doesn’t believe in the supernatural, but when he’s faced with a crime scene that defies the laws of nature, he has no other choice but to start believing. And solving a magical murder involves working with a witch.

Liberty Sawyer embodies the look of your classic evil witch, so, it’s no surprise when she uncovers the murderer is a witch that she becomes Reid’s number one suspect. If she can’t convince him otherwise, more people could lose their lives to dark magic, including her.

Book Links:

Amazon US / Amazon UK

BIO:

Chrys Fey is the author of Hurricane Crimes and 30 Seconds. She is currently working on the sequel to Hurricane Crimes that’ll serve as book two in the Disaster Crimes series.

When Fey was six years old, she realized her dream of being a writer by watching her mother pursue publication. At the age of twelve, she started writing her first novel, which flourished into a series she later rewrote at seventeen. Fey lives in Florida where she is waiting for the next hurricane to come her way.

You can connect with her on Facebook and her blog, Write with Fey. She loves to get to know her readers! 

Author Links: 

Facebook / Blog / Website / Goodreads 

Thank you all for visiting and hopefully commenting. ;) 

The 13th Floor Collection blog tour & Partners in ParanormalYA Blitz

Today is a big day!

Not only do I have some very special guests on my blog, but I have a special post for you today for my blog tour with the wonderful Annalisa Crawford.

I will be revealing my brand new author photo.

YIKES!

I'm more nervous about this than revealing my cover for the Collection.

Don't forget to enter this week's giveaway on Tania Walsh's blog. You could win a signed copy of the collection!

I'm so very pleased to have here with me today one of my favorite ghosts. I'm a big fan of Franny. You'll see why!

Welcome to Franny Knows Best! I’m your ghost TV show host who should know the most, at least I should after 125 years. Let’s welcome my guest, Badger of Givin’ Up the Ghost and A Guilty Ghost Surprised fame.

*enter Badger from backstage. He settles on the couch beside Franny, who’s hovering ever so slightly above the cushion*

Franny: Thanks for coming on my show today, Badger.

Badger: Glad to be here.

Franny: Now let’s get right down to it. Are you afraid of girls?

Badger: What the bloody…? Um, why…erm…who…what?

Franny: It’s okay if you are. I can give you a few pointers. You know I have a way with men from my time as a madam.

Badger: Wait…no. I’m not afraid of girls.

Franny: Well, I’m quite confused on why you haven’t set about courting Indigo. Is it those baggy sweat shirts she wears? I do try to get her to accentuate her feminine wiles at times.

Badger: Indigo’s bloody wonderful. It’s just…complicated.

*cue the Downtown Abbey intro song http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7XZPt4uKxQo*

Franny: *speaking over the music*: That is all for today’s show. Come back again when another guest gives me a chance to help them because Franny Knows Best.

About A Guilty Ghost Surprised: Indigo Eady and gang are back with a  feather and a Chance setting off another twisting-turning investigation to bring a cold case, and loved ones, closure at last.

AGGS buy links: Amazon and Barnes & Noble

About They All Fall Down: Free of their duties as Cleanser and Harvestor, Abby and Basil try to move on with their lives. But some secrets remain. And what is done in the dark won’t be good when it comes to light.

TAFD buy links: Amazon and Barnes & Noble

About Partners in ParanormYA:

Gwen Gardner and Angela Brown - YA paranormal authors embarking on the adventure of a lifetime. Share with us as we take the Indie journey to bring our works to the world. Buckle up! There'll be mystery, mayhem, action and emotional roller coasters...oh, and a few things that go bump in the night.

Hauntings are scary but we love interaction:

Angela’s author FB page | Gwen’s author FB page

Tweet Angela | Tweet Gwen

Angela’s blog | Gwen’s blog

And don’t forget about the giveaway!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Final day of The Ghost blog tour

It's the final day of the tour!
Thank you so very much to all my marvelous hosts and to all of my awesome readers.

Today I'm giving back to you.
You can enter to win the entire 13th Floor series.
There won't be one winner.
Nor will there be two.
There will be three lucky winners!

Join me at Colette Chmiel's review blog and enter the grand giveaway.
Find out the 13 worst places to haunt and let me know where you'd hate to be stuck as a ghost.

Don't forget to pop over to Clare Dugmore's blog where we'll be talking about ghosts. I love our chats, and we're interested to know what you believe.

Today's tidbit: This past year I've wrapped myself in the 13th Floor series. I was happy to be done, but now, I'm finding that my muse is creating prequels and sequels. I don't think either of us really want to let go, but we need to move on to a new project.

Don't forget to answer the poll question I posted last week on my blog about whose origin story you'd like me to write about for the 13th Floor collection. I'll have the results for you tomorrow!

I'm also going to reveal the surprise Cecilia Robert and I have lined up tomorrow. It will be a fabulous Friday!

Day five of The Ghost blog tour and Taking Time excerpt and giveaway

Thank you for joining me on day five of my tour.
 Don't forget to answer the poll I posted last week on my blog.
Whose origin short story would you like to see in the 13th Floor collection?

It's a big day today with three fabulous hosts.

Join me at Cherie Reich's blog for Chiharo and Jeremy's first kiss.

Heather M. Gardner has written her own post about the 13th Floor novellas. Find out what a reader thinks about the series.

My ultimate dream is to have Joss Whedon make my series into a TV show. I've shared a few casting ideas with you at M.J. Fifield's.

Today's tidbit: I dedicated the book to Cherie's mom. When I was discussing the concept of the series with Cherie, I had the six tenants already planned out. Cherie mentioned my idea to her mom, and her mom said the series needed a ghost. She was absolutely right. THE GHOST wouldn't have been written without her suggestion

 

 

Book blurb:

Science fiction stories of time and space...

The future of humanity must be decided in Next Phase. Winning the Planetary Lottery is not as lucky as it first seems in Schrodinger's Gamble. An apocalypse and its aftermath threaten to tear one couple apart in Daiker's Children. In Life As I Know It a reclusive man finds both his heart and home invaded during an alien harvest. In Taking Time a demon seeking shelter on a distant planet finds himself facing a very different kind of demon, after answering a frontier settlement's plea for help.

Stories range from flash fiction to novelette in length.

Excerpt from Daiker’s Children

I picked up the heavy bundle of survival rations left for me in the exit corridor, took one last look at the door to The Facility through which one kind of future was offered, and then walked out into the yellow-tinged atmosphere of Southern England. The aliens’ offer of a safe living environment and human facsimiles stopped being an option the moment I learnt Jen had not made it to their facility. I had to find her even if it cost my life. She was my world, and a world without her was not one I wanted to live in.

During the days of alien-enforced quarantine–I have no idea how long it lasted because there were no clocks to tell the time or date–I forgot just how acrid Earth’s atmosphere had become. The toxic air outside the facility scratched my lungs like cats clawing sharp talons down my windpipe. My breathing slowed and became more laboured. I could hear myself starting to wheeze. As my eyes burned and watered and my vision deteriorated, I dropped my heavy backpack on the ground and pulled out the gasmask they gave me. A few fumbling seconds later, the clear plastic mask covered my nose and mouth, and cool, clean air refreshed me. Within seconds, my breathing returned to normal though the mask could not remove my memory of devastation’s stink–the sweet scent of burned bodies and a burnt-out civilisation.

I found it hard to believe there was ever a world, a safe world, as I gazed in horror at the toxic wasteland before me. A sea of atomic destruction blinked back. Nothing remained standing or intact except for the ruins of Exeter in the distance. I’d allowed myself to bask in a happy kind of naivety, ignorant of the destructive power our governments and military harboured. Now I faced the consequences. I vowed never to be so naive or stupid again. To find her meant questioning everything. 

BUY TAKING TIME NOW AT AMAZON AND AMAZON UK

Author bio: A life-long addiction to reading science fiction and horror meant writing was the logical outlet for Ellie Garratt’s passions. She is a reader, writer, blogger, Trekkie, and would happily die to be an extra in The Walking Dead. Her short stories have been published in anthologies and online. Passing Time: Nine Short Tales of the Strange and Macabre was published in March 2013 and contains nine previously published stories. Taking Time and Other Science Fiction Stories is her second short story collection. 

Great stalking places:

Website | Amazon | Facebook | Goodreads | Twitter

Ellie's having a fantastic giveaway! Win one of two $25.00 (£15) Amazon gift cards and a character named after you in an upcoming novella. 

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Day four of The Ghost blog tour and Homecoming cover reveal

It's day four of the tour, and I have three fantastic writers hosting me today.

I'm sending one of my ghosts, Jeremy Emerson, to Carolyn Brown's blog to chat with you.
I told him to watch his mouth and behave himself. That guy rarely listens to me, though!

It's the final post in my villains series. Find out what horrifying thing goes bump in the night in THE GHOST over at Nick Wilford's blog.

Join me for another great excerpt at Graeme Ing's blog.
It includes my comments on my own writing.

Today's tidbit: I don't like to have any of my key characters unnamed in my books, but the monster in THE GHOST has no name. You can't see or hear it, but if you feel it, I fear for your soul. I didn't plan on having the monster evolve this way, but it's creepy and works very well with a story that features ghosts.

Now on to Cecilia Robert's beautifully stunning cover reveal!

Blurb:

Five years ago, twenty-three-year-old panther shifter Sera Czedar left her home and her newly mated groom in a humiliating position after a mating ceremony gone wrong. She built a new life for herself in Varselles, the City of Outcasts where shifters exiled from their clans in the Seven Kingdoms can go for sanctuary.

Five years ago, panther shifter Levian Grayson was abandoned on the bonding bed by his bride, Sera. After years of tracking her, he arrives in Varselles, intent on staking his claim on her once and for all, even if it means hauling  his slippery woman over his shoulder just to make sure that happens. 

Sera has always known her homecoming would eventually catch up with her one day. The one thing she can’t bear to do is hurt Levian, which will happen as soon as he finds out the reason she left him. Is she ready to take that path? Most of all, will Levian still want her when the truth comes out?

Book Title: Homecoming (A Cloaked Devices short story)

Expected release date: October 2013

Genre:  Steampunk paranormal romance

Age group: +17 appropriate due to language and mature content

Cover done by: Ravven

Mark it to read on Goodreads.

Visit Cecilia at her blog and tell her how awesome her new cover is!

Come back here on Friday. Cecilia and I have some big news for you!

Day three of The Ghost blog tour, Cloaked in Fur cover reveal, and W4WS Event for July 2013

Is it day three of the tour already?

There's lots of fun to be had, but don't forget to buy your copy of THE GHOST.

Amazon * B&N * Kobo * Smashwords

Also, don't forget to answer the 13th Floor series poll about whose origin story you'd like to see in the collection!

I have two amazing hosts who have been generous enough to lend me their blogs today.

It's the final book of the series. How do I get this one right?

Pick up a few tips on Nutschell's blog.

You love the tenants of the 13th Floor,

but there could have been a different cast of characters.

Find out who didn't make the cut on Heather Holden's blog.

Today's tidbit: I've been really nervous about THE GHOST being the last book of the series. My CPs and beta reader loved it, but I'm anxiously waiting to hear what readers think. Did I give them an ending that emotionally touched them? Was it satisfying?

Now onto T.F. Walsh's awesome cover reveal!

Blurb:
As a moonwulf, Daciana never expected to fall in love with a human. Hell, she never imagined that she’d abandon her pack, endanger everyone around her, and break the worst rule possible. But she did.

A rogue werewolf is killing Daciana’s friends, and she sets on capturing the creature. She’ll do whatever it takes to stop the beast. The police and her boyfriend, Inspector Connell Lonescu, are starting to question her involvement in the murders, which is endangering the pack’s secret existence. But when the pack alpha kidnaps Connell, revealing the awful truth about the creature and its connection to the pack, Daciana must choose between saving the man she loves and saving her pack family from certain death.

Paranormal suspense with strong romance.

Publisher: Crimson Romance

To be released August 5, 2013.

Pre-order it on Amazon.

About the Author
T.F. Walsh emigrated from Romania to Australia at the age of eight and now lives in a regional city south of Sydney with her husband. Growing up hearing dark fairytales, she's always had a passion for reading and writing horror, paranormal romance, urban fantasy and young adult stories. She balances all the dark with light fluffy stuff like baking and traveling.

Author Links

Website * Twitter * Facebook * Pinterest * Goodreads

Welcome to the July 2013 W4WS event! I'm honored to co-host this event with three talented writers, Mary Pax, C.M. Brown, and Stephen Tremp.  The mission of this group is simple: we have a spotlighted author(s) that we strive to help bring awareness of their book(s) to tens of thousands of new people, increase the sales of their book(s), drive new traffic to their blogs and increase followers, and create verbal and viral buzz.
 
We've made this simple and fast. It's as easy as a tweet or a RT, and sharing a status on Facebook. Go to the writer's blog and copy a tweet or RT from the posts with the tag #W4WS. The W4WS Facebook page will have all the updates and links for you.
 
To join the W4WS event, click here for the linky list. It will only take a minute of your time, and you'll have talented writers take a step closer to their dreams. 

Catherine Stine writes fiction for kids, teens, and new adults. Her newest book RUBY'S FIRE has a fabulous cover and a great hook. You can find Catherine on her blog, Facebook, and Twitter.

Brinda Berry is the author of YA books, THE WAITING BOOTH and WHISPER OF MEMORY. Be prepared for a wild ride when you pick up one of her books! You can find Brinda on her site, Facebook, and Twitter.

Day two of The Ghost blog tour

Another fantastic day of THE GHOST tour.
It is the final book in the series. If you haven't read any of them yet, you can get the first book, THE MARQUIS free on Amazon and Smashwords.

I have two more wonderful hosts lined up for today.

I'll be continuing my series on character romance with Kyra Lennon.
Do you think a sweet ghost can make it work with a vengeful one?

Read an awesome excerpt from THE GHOST
on Aubrie Dionne's blog.

Today's tidbit: I never expected Chiharo and the romance in this book to become so sweet. I wanted her to be more calculating, and the romance to be hotter. Yet who am I to tell my characters how to live their lives, or rather, their deaths?!

Day One of The Ghost blog tour

It's here! It's here!
The final book of the 13th Floor series.
I can't believe it. It's been a wild ride. I loved writing this series, and I really hope every one of you gets a chance to read it.

Get your copy of THE GHOST now!
Amazon * B&N * Kobo * Smashwords

There are two awesome stops on this the first day of my tour.

Join me at TF Walsh's blog for the final post in my supernatural creatures series. Can you guess what I'll be talking about this time?

Then come on over to M. Pepper Langlinais' blog. M shares with us her own ghostly experiences. Have you ever seen a ghost?

Today's tidbit: Chiharo's voice didn't come to me right away. I knew exactly how I wanted to start her story, and she sounded stiff and formal. Wooden. Yet when her voice did come, it was sweet and smart, and it surprised me with how powerful it became in my head. 

Don't forget to answer the poll about whose origin story you'd like to read in the 13th Floor series collection.

The Final Book in the 13th Floor Series Cover Reveal and Best & Worst Movie Remakes Blogfest

Title: The Ghost (The 13th Floor series, #6)

Genre: paranormal romance

Release date: July 13th, 2013

Blurb:
Chiharo Black lives with six supernatural tenants in a haunted building's mysterious thirteenth floor. Of course, no one knows she's there except the cats. Being a ghost can be a bit frustrating and lonely, but it isn't as bad as her mother made it out to be.

Until another ghost intrudes on her territory. Jeremy Emerson wants revenge on the vampire that killed him and won't stop until he has it. To top it off, a nightmarish shade sneaks in and leeches the energy from the building's residents before setting its sights on Chiharo and the thirteenth floor. She can't decide which one is more frightening: the one wanting to eat her soul or the one who might win her heart.

Chiharo must convince Jeremy to stand with her against the hellish parasite. If they cannot work together, the greedy fiend will not only drain their energy but everything that supports the thirteenth floor's existence.

Add THE GHOST to read on Goodreads.

Thank you to all my wonderful hosts during my tour this week and to all of you who have followed along. One more book to go. I can't believe it! Don't forget about the BIG giveaway at M Pepper Langlinais' blog. You could be the first to own the entire 13th Floor series.

If you would like to be a part of THE GHOST blog tour in July, please send me an email. I will also be releasing the entire series in The 13th Floor collection in September, and I'll be doing another tour then as well. 

Today is another spectacular blogfest about movies. I also love that it's quick and easy! A tremendous thank you to the fantastic hosts, Alex J. Cavanaugh, Livia Peterson, Al Diaz, and Stephen Tremp.

BEST MOVIE REMAKE: Casino Royale. Daniel Craig is my favorite Bond. Yes, even more so than Sean Connery. He's suave, dark, and dynamic. The Craig 2006 film is a remake of the 1967 film of the same name.

WORST MOVIE REMAKE: Godzilla. How could they do that to the classic 1954 film?! *gasps* And looking up the link, I see they're doing another remake to be released next year. NOOOOOO!

The Renaissance of Hetty Locklear review

Blurb:

Graduation from community college isn’t the magic elixir Hetty Locklear counts on for becoming an adult. Her parents, who work the Renaissance fair circuit, insist she spend part of the summer with them. Hetty doubts pretending to live in the Middle Ages will help her find her way.
 
 To make it worse, an entity haunts her at her dead-end job, warning her of a dangerous man she doesn’t know. The ghost leads her to a lover who has a lot of secrets. He pulls her farther into peril and into a strange, hidden world of genetic experimentation.

 

My review:

It's Hetty Locklear's big day. She's graduating from college and starting her life as an adult. But when her diploma's in her hand, nothing changes. She's still sharing an apartment with her cousins, working at a convenience store, and eating too many sweets. Her only escape is through her fantasy worlds, but that's where the surprises in her life begin. Two new members join Hetty's online role-playing game and a gorgeous man at a bakery offers to help her find a job. Her estranged parents contact her and want her to visit as they work at Renaissance fairs. If that isn't enough to drive a woman to too many donuts, a ghost stalks Hetty at the shop and sends her chilling warnings. Hetty's fantasy worlds begin to look tame compared to her real life, and she can only hope to survive the strange secret life she's being dragged into.

 

Mary Pax's newest book is a weird and wonderful ride. It begins on a familiar note. Trying to find one's place in the world and start life as an adult is something we can all relate to. From the ordinary, we slowly spin into a tale of the extraordinary. Mysterious men, ghosts, psychics, and then we're hit with a sci-fi twist. I had wondered how everything would fit together, but Mary Pax weaves a clever tale.

The biggest hook for me was Hetty Locklear herself. She's not your typical heroine. She's a real woman with flaws and too many curves. She's creative, geeky, and loyal to her friends, but insecure and way too nice. Sometimes she's far too emotional, but she's brave when she needs to be. I immediately connected to her. It was as if the story could be about me. I love reading about woman who are real. Most urban fantasy heroines I might enjoy reading about, but I can't relate to them. There needs to be more books out there with ordinary woman who rise to great challenges.

The Renaissance of Hetty Locklear is very different from Mary Pax's other science-fiction stories, but it stands proudly apart. Bravo!

 

Mary Pax's newest novel is now here!

The Renaissance of Hetty Locklear is available at

Amazon

Amazon UK

Kobo

Smashwords

iTunes

Diesel