Tuesday, October 19, 2021

Interview - Smoke and Mirrors: A Vampire Romance by Elise Nelson #PNR

 

- What is your “day” job if you are not a full-time author?

I’m both a full-time writer and an editor for a website that I also write for. I’m also a mom. 😊

- If you wrote a book about your life what would the title be?

It Gets Better, haha. Lots of ups and downs in life. 

- What is the hardest thing about being an author?

Not continuously second-guessing my writing. I have to step away after a certain point or my work will never be finished—I’ll just keep editing it until I die, haha.

- What is the best thing about being an author?

 I love getting lost in worlds that I create, and I also love getting the finished product and being proud at what I’ve accomplished. 

- Have you ever been star-struck by meeting one of your favorite authors? If so who was it? 

I haven’t met any of my favorite authors, unfortunately. I’ve met a lot of actors, but I haven’t met any of my favorite authors.

- What book changed your life?

I’m not sure. I think a lot of books have; I think the accumulation of all the books I’ve read and studied have collectively changed my life, little by little, over time. My degree was focused in English literature, so I did a lot of reading, haha. Poetry has probably hit me and influenced me the most, and I would say the Romantic-era poets are my favorite. 

In regards to writing, the Gothic era of literature definitely spoke to me and aids me in my work. I love that era. I did both a presentation and papers on Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein during my university career. I love that book. My absolute favorite book is Wuthering Heights, though (which kind of overlaps between the Romantic and Gothic/Victorian literary movements). 

- What were some of your favorite books growing up?

I had a lot of favorites at different ages—I loved The Babysitter’s Club, Harry Potter, and A Series of Unfortunate Events. A Series of Unfortunate Events was being published in my tween years, and I was absolutely obsessed with it. It was foreshadowing of the love I’d develop for both gothic themes and satire. 

- What books are currently in your to-be-read pile?

Right now, I’m reading The Lost Wife(historical fiction is one of my favorite genres). I also started A Court of Thorns and Roses and enjoy it a lot. I’m excited to get into the rest of the series. 

- Which do you prefer ebooks, print, or audiobooks?

I prefer print overall, but I tend to read a lot of ebooks because I read in bed a lot. So, I’m pro-print AND pro-ebook, haha. I listen to audiobooks occasionally, but I prefer to hear the characters in the narration in my head rather than hearing one narrator speaking everyone’s lines. I think book narrators do an amazing job, though, and I do enjoy listening to them. I just prefer reading. 

- If you could live inside the world of a book or series which world would it be and why?

Harry Potter! I think many other millennials would say the same, haha. I would love to go to Hogwarts (perhaps the years of peace after the series ends, haha) and learn to do spells, fly, and just have fun and make friends. I feel like I would become a professor at Hogwarts one day, if I were in that world, and I would love it!  


Smoke and Mirrors: A Vampire Romance
Elise Nelson 

Genres: PNR, Gothic Romance, Vampire Romance
Publisher: Shattered Glass Press
Date of Publication: May 25, 2021 
ISBN: 1777632935 
ASIN: B08ZT1JTF9 
Number of pages: 409 pages
Word Count: 120,857 words
Cover Artist: Covers and Cupcakes 

Tagline: In the shadows, nothing is ever what it seems

Book Description:

Caroline Blake is a young reporter with a past almost as cryptic as her future. She never put much stock into her late aunt’s eerie tales of monsters and demons until she takes an assignment to cover the elusive Ashdown family’s Harvest Festival. As part of her assignment, she must live at the family’s mansion for six weeks and help prepare for the event.

No one has seen the family since the tragedy that occurred at the last festival almost thirty years prior. As the only female reporter on-site, Caroline must hold her own while uncovering why the family closed their doors all those years ago.

Perhaps the most challenging part of her assignment is dealing with her working partner, William Ashdown. The handsome lord of the house seems bent on testing her patience every time they meet. Still, there is something intriguing about him that she can’t ignore.

Caroline is soon swept into a world of generational secrets, unsettling mysteries, and unexpected romance. Amidst all the uncertainty, one thing is sure: in the shadows, nothing is ever what it seems. 





Excerpt 2:

“You have each been paired with someone in the house whom you will shadow and work with over the next few weeks . . .” her voice trailed off as someone from across the hall caught her eye.

“Ah, here my brother is now. William, dear, come greet our guests!” Her voice was melodic as it moved through the room. She raised a hand above her head, as if to coax her brother over.

I couldn’t see the man in question; I was in the back of the others, and he was coming from the opposite end of the room. But judging from the fact that he hadn’t been there to greet us, and from his silence now, I’d say he was avoiding this very moment. Soon enough, however, I heard footsteps and Evelyn’s jubilant laugh. “Ah, William, please greet our guests. They wondered why the lord of the house wasn’t there to say hello to them when they arrived.”
There was a brief awkward silence, as it was clear that none of us had asked for him, and
William likely knew it. “It’s a pleasure,” he said finally, his deep voice tight with bored insincerity. I tried surreptitiously standing on my toes but still couldn’t see him very well. The men in front of me were blocking my view. I liked to think they weren’t doing it intentionally, but I had my doubts.

I could only see part of his head and one of his shoulders, fitted in what appeared to be an extremely expensive black suit. Despite how new and crisp it looked, as dark and fine as any suit

I’d ever seen, it still wasn’t as beautifully dark as the hair that fell softly on his forehead. Smooth and thick, like the feathers of a crow. His fingers moved through it as he continued.

“Thank you all for coming. We look forward to your stay.” His voice was cavalier, and it was clear he didn’t want to be here, which I found odd. Why wouldn’t the lord of the manor want to greet his new employees and shake our hands? Wasn’t he the one who wanted us here?

My acceptance letter had come from him.

“William is very busy,” Evelyn said, the words rushing from her lips, “but he will be joining us for supper tonight. Isn’t that right?”

There was a small pause before her brother replied. “Yes, of course.” He stepped closer in my direction, and I glimpsed his profile briefly before he turned back one more time and added,

“I will see you all then, and we’ll have a proper greeting. Now, if you’ll excuse me.” He smiled stiffly, and I wondered if anyone else could tell how little he wanted to be here. He was about to turn away when he saw me.

Our eyes locked. The faux mask he’d worn to feign pleasantries disappeared like smoke. His mouth fell partly open, and for a moment, it was as if we knew each other. As if we always had but had just forgotten. Yet, he also seemed so new to me. Like I’d never seen someone who looked quite like him before. Someone whose eyes looked into mine so unabashedly. Someone whose single glance left me breathless. A rush like white-hot fire burned against my skin, and I couldn’t look away. I didn’t know what it was about him, but in his eyes I saw something familiar. As if he were a memory or a dream I’d long forgotten.




About the Author:

Elise Nelson is a writer of fiction, non-fiction, poetry, comics, and articles. She has published under a few different pen names since she was nineteen and has been published in literary periodicals, including The Nassau Review and Essig Magazine. She has also worked as an editorial intern for Christopher Matthews Publishing as well as a writer and editor for many other companies, magazines, and websites. She has a Bachelor of Arts degree from Boise State University, where she studied English literature, creative writing, and multimedia storytelling. She is currently a writer and editor for Jotaku.net and enjoys writing Star Wars fan fiction in her spare time.










a Rafflecopter giveaway
Posted by at No comments:

Monday, October 18, 2021

Interview- Release Day Blitz for Healing Magic by Neely Powell #PNR #NewRelease #ReleaseDayBlitz


- What is your “day” job if you are not a full time author?

We’re lucky enough to be full-time writers. Before focusing on fiction, we both worked as writers for advertising, public relations, marketing and publications. 

- If you wrote a book about your life, what would the title be?

I Did That! 

We’ve both been lucky enough to attain many of our personal and professional goals. There are still mountains to climb, but we have a lot of pride in who we are and what we’ve accomplished.

- What is the hardest thing about being an author?

Promotion. It’s easier to write three novels than promote one. 

- What is the best thing about being an author?

Characters that come alive. 

- Have you ever been star-struck by meeting one of your favorite authors? If so, who was it?  

Neely - Mary Higgins Clark was guest speaker at a luncheon in Nashville and signed books after. I not only met her, I spoke with about doing an interview for the magazine I worked on. She agreed immediately and gave contact info for her publicist. We arranged a time for me to call her at her Long Island home. The night before the interview, I didn’t sleep a wink. She was gracious and delightful during the interview, giving me heartfelt answers to questions about her personal life and the many tragedies she survived. Talking with her is something I will never forget.

Powell - Larry McMurtry. Neely had a short story published in an anthology and was signing at the Brooklyn Book Festival. McMurtry, author of Lonesome Dove, was a speaker. I spied him on the street and trailed him, breathless with excitement. He gave me plenty of nervous looks, and who can blame him? Later, when he signed my book, he wasn’t as nice as I had hoped. But taking that book home to my husband was a great thrill. McMurtry was one author we both loved.
 
- What book changed your life?

Neely - I read the biography of Nellie Bly in junior high and immediately realized I wanted to be a newspaper reporter. It was my goal throughout high school and beyond. I fell in love with Nellie’s need to know things and provide objective information for others to evaluate in their own manner. True journalism becomes a passion.

Powell - No Quarter Asked by Janet Dailey. She was the first American author published by Harlequin Romance, and her books were fresh and different with heroines who were strong, independent and liberated. While I had always wanted to be a writer, her books told me I could do it. 

- What were some of your favorite books growing up?

Neely - Fairytales, Little Women, The Five Little Peppers, The Hardy Boys. I sat in the mimosa tree in the front yard reading whenever I got a chance. I used to hide from mother because she thought I read too much. Silly woman!

Powell - Nancy Drew, The Hardy Boys, Dr. Seuss (read aloud to my younger siblings), The Diary of Anne Frank, young adult romances from Scholastic Books and later, every Harlequin Romance or Georgette Heyer book I could find. 

- What books are currently in your to be read pile?

Neely - The Witchcraft series, True Dead by Faith Hunter, the Gunnie Rose series by Charlaine Harris.

Powell - “The Witchcraft Series” by Juliet Blackwell, “Blackbirds & Bourbon” Toil and Trouble Book 2 by Heather R. Blair

- Which do you prefer: ebooks, print, or audio books?

Neely - audiobooks
Powell - ebooks

- If you could live inside the world of a book or series, which world would it be and why?

J.D. Robb’s “In Death” series

It’s New York City in 2059. You can travel around the world or off-planet in a matter of hours. Auto-chefs deliver delicious meals with the touch of a button. The main characters Eve and Roarke are wealthy beyond words, live in their huge, gated mansion in the middle of Manhattan, and have a butler who sees to their every need. Sounds like heaven! Eve always gets justice for her homicide victims, and we’d just like to count her as a friend. 

Healing Magic
The Witches of New Mourne 
Book Three
Neely Powell 

Genre: Paranormal Romance
Publisher: The Wild Rose Press
Date of Publication: Oct. 18, 2021
ISBN Paperback: 978-1-5092-3960-3  
ISBN Digital: 978-1-5092-3961-0
ASIN: B09F3VX1PCB
Number of pages: 279
Word Count: 65,001 
Cover Artist: Debbie Taylor

Tagline: An empathic witch. A magical warrior. Joined by love, they battle a demon and an evil spirit.

Book Description:

Eva Grace Connelly is a witch and a beloved healer. Rodric McGuire, paranormal expert and descendent of faerie warriors, adores the flame-haired beauty. But their future is on hold as a family curse threatens her life. 

Centuries ago, the Witches of New Mourne struck a dark bargain with the Woman in White. In exchange for peace, the malevolent spirit takes a Connelly witch from each generation. 

Eva Grace is convinced she can heal the ghost's troubled spirit and end the reign of terror. But violence and family heartbreak challenge that resolve. As Samhain approaches, the Woman and her vile demon have control. 

Is sacrifice the only road to peace? Can Eva Grace and Rodric uncover the secrets and lies at the heart of the curse?

Amazon     BN

Excerpt 2:

Eva Grace put her hand against the elderly woman’s chest and chanted quietly.

Rodric watched Inez’s color improve.

“Better?” Eva Grace asked.

“Yes, thank you. Now I have something for you.” Inez produced a little velvet bag. “This belonged to my husband Craig. The fae helped him find it.”
Her hands trembling, Inez opened the bag. The arrowhead she held out was of creamy stone and perfectly shaped. The tip was honed to a fine point.

Inez placed the arrowhead in Eva Grace’s palm.  “The day your mother was taken, Craig got out this arrowhead. He held it and cried like a baby. He wouldn’t tell me why. But he was a Connelly, and he had a good sense of magic and of danger. He told me to guard it until I knew it was time to share the power.”

Eva Grace stared down at the arrowhead.

“It’s time,” Inez whispered. “Only you can find the answers.”

The arrowhead glowed, becoming almost translucent. Eva Grace closed her fingers around it and swayed.

Rodric placed his hand on her shoulder. He felt a ripple of magic. She looked up at him, her face alight with beauty and strength.

The front door banged open, followed by a burst of cold wind that extinguished the fire.

“Hide it,” Inez warned Eva Grace. “Now.”

She stuffed the arrowhead in the top of her boot.



About the Author:

Leigh Neely and Jan Hamilton Powell are the writing team of Neely Powell. They met working at a rock ‘n roll radio station, discovered they’d both rather be writing fiction, and have been close friends ever since. Their path to cowriting paranormal romance took some detours. 

Leigh’s resume chronicles a diverse career as a disk jockey, newspaper reporter, advertising copywriter, magazine writer and editor. Jan wrote 24 romance novels as Celeste Hamilton for Silhouette and Avon Books and then built a career in corporate communications and public relations. 

Neely Powell became a successful team when they turned their attention to shifters, werewolves, witches, ghosts, fae and all things supernatural. 

Their first novel was TRUE NATURE from The Wild Rose Press, followed by AWAKENING MAGIC and HAUNTING MAGIC. The Witches of New Mourne trilogy will conclude in October 2021 with HEALING MAGIC. 

Their rules for maintaining a partnership are simple:  be honest, be kind, and bring Diet Coke and chocolate.









a Rafflecopter giveaway
Posted by at No comments:

Thursday, October 14, 2021

Spooktacular Guest Blog by Catherine Stine #BewitchingBookTours #HauntedHalloweenSpooktacular




The allure of creepy, ramshackle beach towns as settings for dark fantasy

What is it exactly that makes edgy beach towns the perfect setting for sinister fantasy and historical suspense? I’ve always been attracted to the dark side, and particularly to strange beach towns. So far, I’ve set two novels in them.

When I first moved to New York City after college and a stint out west, you couldn’t tear me away from the dilapidated boardwalks of Coney Island. This was back before the arcade was renovated, back when the sideshow by the sea with its sword swallower and human pincushion were on full display. It was when a hungry, dirty capybara was caged in a box that read: Only $5 To See the Biggest Rat in the World! This poor critter was a plot point in Dorianna, my paranormal twist on Dorian Grey. And no surprise, I set Dorianna in Coney Island, and installed a sexy villain in Wilson Warren. He was an agent of the devil disguised as a videographer who prowled the beaches, making girls into viral Internet sensations for a very high price.

Fast-forward to my novel Witch of the Cards, set in 1932, about Fiera, a sea witch who has a special talent with Tarot (and not just reading the cards). Of course,I set it in a shady shore town, in this case, Asbury Park, NJ. You see, I’ve been coming to this gentrifying coastal town for years and know it well—its sunny moods but also its spooky, moody shades.

Around the turn of the century, and up until around 1945, Asbury Park used to be the stomping grounds of the glitterati. There were grand concerts in the art deco Convention Center, and people dressed to the nines would stroll on the boardwalk at night. Then came the race riots of the 1960s and the economic crash, and the place fell into major disrepair. Its only remaining claim to fame was The Stone Pony, where Bruce Springsteen rocked into the limelight.

About twenty-seven years ago, when I first ventured into the Asbury convention center, there was a huge hole in its roof that seagulls flew in and out of. And there was only one lonely saltwater taffy store on the boardwalk run by an ancient lady who seemed to have stepped out of a Stephen King novel. In Witch of the Cards the taffy sold in the shop has very odd effects, and I installed an illegal speakeasy in the taffy store basement. I turned the (actual) Paranormal Museum on CookwellAvenue into a place to hold séances that often went horribly wrong. 

In Witch of the Cards, even the ocean hides terrible secrets.

There’s something about the scent of saltwater and hotdogs, the splintered, salt-dried boardwalk and the scream of people hurtling down on the arcade rides that gets my blood charging and my imagination firing. What about you?

Here’s a snippet of a scene when Fiera and her date Peter venture down to the basement speakeasy in the taffy store:


“Perhaps I was far too gone, but I didn’t care. Peter and I danced and danced. The room filled with the overflow from the convention hall dance—young lovers, bootlegger types with wide ties and cigars, older women with twinkling earrings and heavy bosoms, even a prostitute or two. I thought so anyway, because they wore way too much rouge and came alone to sit brazenly up at the bar with the gin rummies.

This time I couldn’t say whether or not I stepped on Mr. Dune’s polished wingtips. This time, he probably couldn’t be sure if he knocked his bony legs into mine. We had many more nips of absinthe, and I wolfed down another green-swirl taffy and before I knew it, I was leaning provocatively against Peter and laughing like a wild banshee. 

I remember gaping up at him to see his black hair all disheveled and him mumbling indistinctly. And I, thinking that he was the most gorgeous human being I’d ever seen. I remember Dulcie grabbing one of my arms, and Peter grasping the other. I remember all of us howling at the crescent moon over the ocean, and the shocked sideways glance of the hotel proprietor as we all stumbled in. 

I recall pulling out the Tarot he’d given me, and laying them out on the bedroom rug. I recall babbling at him—about a witch and a swindler and a boat—not necessarily in that order. I can still picture his expression of shocked surprise but not at what.

And I remember Peter’s lips branding my forehead—how could I ever forget that—while shocks of his lush black hair dangled deliciously on my burning cheeks. The last thing I recall before things went dark was kicking off my shoes.”

Happy Season of the Witch,
Catherine Stine


Witch of the Cards
Catherine Stine

Genre: paranormal historical suspense
Publisher: Konjur Road Press
Date of Publication: March 16, 2016
ISBN 13: 978-0-9848282-6-5    
ISBN-10: 0-9848282-6-5
ISBN 13: 978-0-9848282-7-2  
ISBN 10: 0-9848282-7-3
Number of pages: 265
Word Count: 76K
Cover Artist: Mae I Designs

Tagline: Fiera was born a sea witch with no inkling of her power. And now it might be too late. 

Book Description:

Witch of the Cards is a supernatural romantic suspense set in 1932 on the Jersey shore. Fiera has left the Brooklyn orphanage where she was raised and works in Manhattan as a nanny. She gets a lucky break when her boss pays for her vacation in Asbury Park. One evening, Fiera and her new friend Dulcie wander down the boardwalk and into Peter Dune’s Tarot & Séance, where they attend a card reading. 

Fiera has an unsettling ability to sense future events and people’s hidden agendas. She longs to either find out the origin of her powers or else banish them because as is, they make her feel crazy. When, during the reading, her energies somehow bond with Peter Dune’s and form an undeniable ethereal force, a chain of revelations and dangerous events unspool. 

For one, Fiera finds out she is a witch from a powerful sea clan, but that someone is out to stop her blossoming power forever. And though she is falling in love with Peter, he also has a secret side. He’s no card reader, but a private detective working to expose mediums. Despite this terrible betrayal, Fiera must make the choice to save Peter from a tragic Morro Cruise boat fire, or let him perish with his fellow investigators. Told in alternating viewpoints, Fiera and Peter each struggle against their deep attraction. Secrets, lies, even murder, lace this edgy fantasy. 

From Lovers of Paranormal: “Interesting story of witches, deceit, secrets, romance and friendship. Fun and creative.”

Amazon     Amazon UK     Amazon CA     Amazon AU

iBooks      Kobo      BN      


Excerpt:

If I only had a week in this glorious beach town, I wanted to catch up with sleep and plunge into as many escapades as possible—even bewildering, outlandish ones.

We walked in, to the jangle of Mr. Dune’s door chimes. I skated around, ogling the floor-to-ceiling shelves brimming with leather-bound books on cosmic mysteries, spiritualism, and witchcraft. Two immediate standouts were Ten Ways to Practice Mentalism and Dona Bella, Memoirs of a Southern Witch. These were my fare, similar to a favorite book at the public library—a tome on dark magic. The most stirring part was about each witch dynasty having its own grimoire, a sort of magical recipe book. I had no clue as to why dark tales tickled me so, and often wondered about my taste.

Still, I read everything I could get my hands on, even boring books that drifted me right off to the Land of Nod. At my nanny job, I was so desperate for stories I even read the tedious articles about cooking and how to throw a proper cocktail party in Mrs. Cuthbert’s Reader’s Digest and Home Arts magazines.

 Mr. Dune strode toward us. His handsome aura and towering presence intimidated yet thrilled me. He was dressed in crisp, charcoal gray pants and a vest with a double-breasted pinstriped jacket. “Are you lovely ladies here for the séance?” He held out a long, elegant hand, studded with a silver ring. I barely collected my wits enough to shake it and nod. Dulcie’s hand whooshed out and hardly touched his before she clamped it protectively back to her side.

No doubt about it, he was the most striking man I’d ever seen. His thick mop of dark hair tapered into long sideburns, rendering his jawline a tad dangerous. I guessed he was in his mid-twenties. When his coffee-brown eyes gleamed at me, my breath caught, and a heat greater than any moonshine fired through me.

We paid the dime admission. He escorted us to a round, wooden table with lion-footed legs where we joined a heavyset older couple and a reedy gentleman with thin, blond hair. His lime-fizz eyes darted over to Dulcie, and then away. Two empty chairs still beckoned.

Dulcie looked terrified, so I smiled at her. She calmed enough to take a seat.

Mr. Dune strode to the window, loosened the crimson curtains, and lowered their heavy velvet over the windows, lending the already-pensive storefront a mystical aura. 

About the Author:

Catherine Stine is a USA Today bestselling author of paranormal, urban and historical fantasy. Witch of the Wild Beasts won a second prize in the Romance Writers of America’s Sheila Contest. Other novels have earned Indie Notable awards and New York Public Library Best Books. She lives in New York State and grew up in Philadelphia. Before writing novels, she was a painter and fabric designer. She’s a visual author and sees writing as painting with words. Catherine loves spending time with her beagle Benny, writing about supernatural creatures, gardening and meeting readers at book fests.

Learn more at catherinestine.com

Twitter: https://twitter.com/crossoverwriter

Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/kitsy84557/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kitsy84557

TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@catherinestine7

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/authorcatherinestine

Bookbub: https://www.bookbub.com/profile/catherine-stine

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/1018139.Catherine_Stine

Amazon author page: https://www.amazon.com/Catherine-Stine/e/B001H9TXJC

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCiYPFXTOO0EQ2XRW72PJiyw

Newsletter: https://catherinestine.com/wp/get-the-newsletter-contact-me/





a Rafflecopter giveaway
Posted by at 1 comment:

Wednesday, October 13, 2021

Heavenly Desire by J.L. Sheppard #PNR


Heavenly Desire
Elemental Sisters 
Book Three
J.L. Sheppard

Genre: Paranormal Romance
Publisher: Jeanette L. Sheppard
Date of Publication: October 1st, 2021 2nd Edition
ISBN: 978-1732218154
ASIN: B09D37X1MC
Number of pages: 330
Word Count: 84,607
Cover Artist: Victoria Miller

Tagline: He’s fallen for the woman he’s entrusted to protect, a woman who could never be his…

Book Description:

Jade Ashley has a past she desperately wants to forget and a destiny she isn’t yet aware of. That changes when she meets Clyde, who saves her and inadvertently exposes her extraordinary abilities. She soon learns he’s her guardian angel sent to reunite her with her long lost sisters, who, like her, are part of a new breed of immortals prophesied to determine the outcome of the upcoming war.

Clyde battles the one thing that will lead to his fall from heaven—his newfound emotions, forbidden among his kind. Nonetheless, the Angel Lords promise to promote him to warrior when he completes his last assignment—to find Jade. But finding her, seeing her in the flesh, sparks a new emotion, an emotion too powerful to put into words. For the first time in two thousand years, he curses his existence, knowing she’ll never be his.

Book Trailer https://bit.ly/3Ah5ufE

Amazon     BN      Kobo      iBooks      Google

 Excerpt:

He bent toward her, wrapped one arm around her waist, the other around her back, buried his face in the crook of her neck, and inhaled. Exactly what he wanted, exactly what he needed. Holding her close, giving in to what he wanted, he forgot why he shouldn’t hold her, comfort her.

After a moment, she pressed her full lips against his cheek.
It was an innocent kiss. There was no passion behind it, but an unconscious, consuming need, one he’d never felt, swelled inside him—desire. Exciting, overwhelming, and terrifying, blocking logic and reason.

All he wanted then—a kiss, a real one. How would her lips feel against his?

Marvelous.

And in concluding this, he realized he wanted her not only to be his, but he wanted her in the way a man longed for a woman.

To want what he did and feel what he felt was absurd, ridiculous, and confounding.

Carnal desires were for others, for all others except his breed, and yet he felt it so deeply it seared him.

The desire that gripped him didn’t release him, even after she unhooked her arms from around his neck and the warmth of her body melted away.

There he stood, immobile, battling the desire she’d ignited. He didn’t want to leave yet knew he had to before he did something he’d regret.

He willed his body to move. Finally, he placed one foot behind the other, stepped back, turned, and strode away, praying the yearning he had no right to feel for a woman who’d never be his would fade.



About the Author:

J.L. Sheppard was born and raised in South Florida where she still lives with her sons.

As a child, her greatest aspiration was to become a writer. She read often, kept a journal, and wrote countless poems. She attended Florida International University and graduated in 2008 with a Bachelors in Communications. During her senior year, she interned at NBC Miami, WTVJ. Following the internship, she was hired and worked in the News Department for three years.

It wasn’t until 2011 that she set her heart and mind into writing her first completed novel, Demon King’s Desire, which was first published in January 2013.

Website: https://www.jlsheppard.com

Blog:  https://www.jlsheppard.com/blog-1

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/J.L.SheppardAuthor

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jl_sheppard/

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/J.L.-Sheppard/e/B00CXDFEIK/

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/6894176.J_L_Sheppard



a Rafflecopter giveaway
Posted by at 2 comments:

The Care and Feeding of Kelpies with Judith Crow #YAMagicalRealism



First things first – and let’s be clear on this – kelpies don’t need you. They look after themselves and are much more likely to drown you than to become your friend. That said, there are plenty of examples of humans and kelpies living together in harmony, even if that is mostly achieved by a mutual indifference or ignorance to one another.




Also known as waterhorses, Kelpies are well-known figures in Scottish mythology and, in the past, had various dealings with humans. However, as human society began to move away from nature and become increasingly focused on urbanization, the kelpies started to get disillusioned. 

No one knows how many kelpies still remain in the wild. Rumour has it that a Rendelf (the individual in charge of the Rite for a country) in the sixteenth century actually stole the kelpie young and presented them to the king. After that, kelpies stopped being disillusioned and became downright ticked off with humanity. Probably not too surprisingly.

Knave’s Thaumaturges have always been able to summon a kelpie. It’s a tough task though as kelpies are very willful and can’t be forced to do anyone’s dirty work: they decide who and when they help. They are also notoriously difficult to banish: they may love to be in their loch (and, in fact, can’t survive out of water for any great length of time) but they are going to decide when they go back in the water!

It is believed that kelpies can communicate on a psychic level with their own kind and, occasionally, with other species too. This means that a kelpie who lives in a loch in the northwest of Scotland may be able to communicate directly with another kelpie living hundreds of miles away. Despite this, kelpies are definite individuals, who showed varied characteristics, although a deep connection with one kelpie is likely to lead to (at worst) a grudging acceptance from another one.

People in Scotland, as well as further afield, love kelpies. In Falkirk, you can visit the beautiful Kelpies sculpture, two thirty-metre-high horses’ heads. Although these amazing sculptures are breathtakingly stunning, they do overestimate the kelpies’ size. In reality, kelpies usually measure around thirty feet in height, around twice the size of a giraffe. Kelpies appear to be made up of the water they came from – twisting into a skinless equine form which is both beautiful and horrifying in equal measure.

The kelpie plays a significant role in The Rite Way trilogy. In Honour’s Rest, it is first called from the water by Marley Shipperbottom, who then accidentally calls it again, leading to a near-disaster. As the story goes on, it is Pendragon who begins to develop a deeper connection with it, as Marley leaves behind the Knave’s Rite and the ability to summon a waterhorse. In many ways, the kelpie becomes the mentor which Pen wishes Napier would be, providing encouragement and support with slightly less open criticism of his ideas.

Picture: artist’s impression of a kelpie by Judith Crow

Thank you so much for inviting me to share a blog on Paranormalists.


Honour’s Rest
The Rite Way
Book 1
Judith Crow

Genre: Young Adult Magical Realism
Publisher: Crowvus
Date of Publication:11th October 2021
ISBN:978-1-913182-33-5
ASIN:B09FVM4KTW
Number of pages:289
Word Count:84525
Cover Artist: Clemency Crow

Book Description:

“So, it’s – what – like magic?” 

No, according to Pen’s uncle, the Rite is not magic at all. But, if it’s not magic, then how could Pen push the school bully into a pond while he was really studying alone in the library? 

When Pen’s family realise he has the Rite, he is sent to live with his Uncle Napier, who can help him control his ability. 

But Napier has other duties. He is the Rendelf, in charge of the Rite in the UK, and he has gathered many enemies over the years… 

…enemies who would be delighted to use Pen against him.

Amazon     Crowvus

Except One (950 Words):

Pen knew that Marley had been studying from different books, books that had highlighted the role of how to interpret and use the Rite, whilst he had only been reading about the importance of the thaumaturge and the history of different Rendelfs who had lived and died in Honour’s Rest. Nothing would come naturally to him, he was sure, but he thought of what he would most like to do and was both shocked and pleased when he heard a cry of impressed surprise from Marley.

He turned around and saw that, just as he had intended, Marley was being harassed by a curtain which had taken the form of a lady in crinoline, just as those in Orkney had done. However, the curtains in Honour’s Rest were far larger, so Pen couldn’t help but laugh as the curtain-ladies almost enveloped his friend in their voluptuous folds.

“Now something darker, I think,” he heard Napier’s voice say, but Pen tried to close his mind to his uncle’s words and focus only on the laughter of his friend. He would not be tricked into using the Knave’s Rite, he told himself. For the first time, he found himself breathing the Rite. He could feel it flowing through him, permeating every sense he possessed and filling his mind with the knowledge and freedom it offered.

Suddenly, he felt a sharp stinging sensation against his cheek and his left eye began to water. He heard Marley’s laughter stop and turned around to face his uncle, in time to duck as Napier flicked an elastic band straight at his face.

“Stop it!” Pen shouted, desperate not to lose the Rite he was only just beginning to find. Napier paid him no attention but just flicked another band into his face. It hit the lid of his watering left eye and Pen felt the pain mixing with the Rite which was coursing through his body. It no longer felt like a freeing experience, but he and it were wrapped around one another to take revenge on the man who was causing him pain. Another elastic band whipped against his ear and he turned back to face his uncle, his eyes burning with anger.

“Stop that!” he screamed again, and he felt the force of his anger leave him for a second and strike Napier. He thought his uncle would fall, but Napier seemed to catch Pen’s anger in his hands and, after moulding it slightly for a moment, he threw it back at his nephew.

Pen felt himself growing angrier. He could almost visualise the Knave’s Rite weaving its way around his body, his blood coloured by it and his watering eyes glowing as furiously red as they felt. He could see his uncle winding that invisible skein around his fingers, and Pen wanted to snatch it away and leave Napier helpless to whatever revenge he chose to take against the man who had so painfully dragged him from the happiest state he had ever known.

He glanced up at one of the enormous swords which was hanging on the wall and imagined himself severing the Rite which kept it there. His own was more powerful, as it lived and breathed along with him. Pen could see his uncle still winding the ridiculous invisible skein around his fingers and felt a sudden superiority. He did not need music or ridiculous hand gestures to wield the Rite. He could do whatever he wished just by thinking, breathing, knowing…

“That’s enough,” he heard Napier say, but that only made him angrier.

It was fine then, he thought bitterly, for his uncle to make him experience the Rite like a performing monkey and then shock him out of the experience through pain.

The sword began to shuffle away from its moorings, causing a cascade of dust and spiders’ webs to fall the twenty feet. He heard Marley calling his name, but he didn’t care. At that moment, he just wanted to show his uncle that he had the power, ability and focus to punish him for his actions.

“Stop that!” Napier shouted, just as his nephew had done seconds before. But Pen was no less stubborn than his uncle, and the sword continued to move across the room. “Stop that now!”

The hint of panic in Napier’s voice gave Pen a sense of satisfaction. He had achieved what Marley had not. He could see Napier’s fingers working frantically as he wound the Rite around them. The sword was now above his head, the pointed tip of the blade only six feet above him. With an angry cry, Pen sent it crashing down, commanding it to reach its target no matter whether or not Napier stepped out of the way.

There was a loud crash of metal as the sword fell on the floor, and the noise seemed to bring Pen back to his senses. The anger was gone, but it had been replaced with a sickening feeling of remorse and guilt which was already feasting on his insides.

“I’m so sorry,” he said.

His uncle’s face was almost as white as his right index finger, around which he had pulled the Rite tightly to prevent the sword from hitting him. Napier looked at him in silence for a few moments before shaking his head.

“It can’t be helped,” he said, his voice as calm as ever. “I should have known you had it in you. And every Rendelf must face the darker side of his apprentice sooner or later. I should be grateful it happened before you have full control of the Rite. I’ll tidy this place up. You two go and enjoy what’s left of the sunshine.”


About the Author:

Judith was born in Orkney, grew up in Lincolnshire and now lives in the far north of Scotland. Her work draws inspiration from folklore, experience and the natural world.

The Backwater, Judith’s debut book, was a finalist in the Wishing Shelf Book Awards 2019.
Judith followed this with Dance With Me in 2020 and her next novel, Honour’s Rest, will be published in October 2021.

When she isn’t writing, Judith is a teacher at a primary school in Caithness. She sometimes finds that writing gets usurped by crafting, music, and being a generally doting spaniel owner.

https://www.crowvus.com/

https://www.facebook.com/JudithZKCrow





a Rafflecopter giveaway
Posted by at 2 comments:

Tuesday, October 12, 2021

How to survive a zombie apocalypse with Merrie Destefano



As an avid fan of The Walking Dead and the former editor of Zombies magazine, you better believe I’ve thought long and hard about how I could survive a zombie apocalypse. The bottom line? I know I won’t survive without help. So, below are my tips, my list of supplies, and the type of team I would need—and you’d probably need them to—if I want to stay alive when the dead come back to life.

1. First, it isn’t going to be what you think. Very few movies or books take into account the fact that zombies are made out of rotting meat. Scavengers, carnivores, and carrion-feeders come in all shapes and sizes, from bears to hyenas to birds to insects. These creatures are your friends. That zombie outbreak will lose its steam once the crows and dogs get hungry and smell meat everywhere. That means, after a while, you’ll only need to focus on the “newly dead” zombies, like Uncle Harold in the back bedroom.

2. Second, you’ll still need to survive until nature runs its course. Make sure you have a well-stocked bug-out bag. Here’s a suggested list of items to have inside: air filtration mask, sleeping bag, space blanket, tent, MREs [explain], water bottle, filtration system, change of clothes, gloves, waterproof jacket, matches, flashlight, first aid kit, compass, map, knife, pepper spray, prescription drugs, burn gel, pain killers, small shovel.

3. Either form a team or join a team. If you plan to form a team, then you’d better have strong leadership skills. If you plan to join a team, then make sure you bring something indispensable to the table. Consider learning CPR or taking up archeryor practice building a fire in the wilderness.

Who do you want on your team?

Brains: Imagine Ripley from Aliens, tough, smart, and capable. Can make decisions on the fly, has a built-in GPS and never gets lost, can sniff out danger before it’s a serious threat. This person should be able to find you all a safe haven and have an escape route ready so you can survive to fight another day.

Muscle: Take your pick. Tom Hardy, Liam Neeson, Arnold Schwarzeneggar. Somebody who will scare away bad humans and rip zombies apart, limb by limb. If this team member also happens to be eye candy, then that’s a bonus!

Guts: Someone who knows how to handle weapons and isn’t afraid to use them. This person won’t give up or leave a team member behind. They always keeps their objective in mind: kill the zombies before they bite. 

Handy: Someone who can fix anything with a paper clip and a pack of chewing gum. Why do need someone like this? Because before long, everything will be broken. You’ll need someone who can get a generator running, knows how to filter water, can fix a leaky radiator, and can make a bomb to kill zombies.

Heart: Someone with a heart bigger than the world with the faith that you will all survive, somehow. Someone who can pray their way out of any battle, but isn’t afraid to pitch in and do the hard work too. Someone who might just play the role of Mom, since most of you have lost your family.

Healer: Florence Nightingale: A compassionate, brave nurse who can patch up your team members, deliver babies, and knows where to find antibiotics when your supply runs out. Someone who will know what plants are safe to eat, what medicines will cure what diseases, and who will have the stomach to put you down if you’re bitten by a zombie.



A Place of Magic
Merrie Destefano

Genre: Fantasy, Urban Fantasy, Paranormal Fantasy
Publisher: Ruby Slipper Press
Date of Publication: October 12, 2021
ASIN:B09FNSVKZJ
Number of pages:320
Word Count: 73,000
Cover Artist: Elona Bezooshko, 
Psycat Digital Ink and Motion

Book Description:

Halloween is the wrong time to visit Ticonderoga Falls.
Dangerous monsters hunt in the nearby woods.

The Prey...

Maddie MacFaddin.
For her, the nearby forest holds many memories, some joyous, some forgotten. But she has no recollection of Ash, the dark, magnificent creature who saved her life as a child, or that his kind preys upon humanity.

The Monster...

Ash, a Darkling fae.
Trapped in Ticonderoga Falls for a century, he’s required to host a Hunt once a year. Then, hungry, shapeshifting faeries will descend upon the villagers and harvest their dreams.

The Hunt...

There are rules about harvesting humans; the poor creatures are so delicate. If you take too much, they’ll die. Without dreams, they perish. And perish they do—now and then—despite Ash's efforts to keep them safe. Then he realizes Maddie is the prey his unwanted guests are after. But, try as he might, this time he’s not strong enough to protect her. The entire village is in danger.

Soon the Hunt will begin. And no one will be safe.

Amazon

Excerpt:

He nodded, head lowered. Then he lifted his gaze until he was staring into her eyes. One hand rested on her shoulder. “I won’t tell anyone your secret, Elspeth. You’re safe with me.”

Then he leaned closer, his scent overwhelming, his thoughts like the wind through the leaves, a wild rushing, his skin like the embrace of the forest. His lips touched hers and she could hear his heart beating. She slid her arms around his waist, leaning into the kiss, suddenly wanting more. She wanted to cast an enchantment, to lead him into sleep, to harvest his dreams. Wanted to walk into a dream with him, to see the hidden world on the other side of his eyelids. Wanted to know everything about him.

The kiss had only just begun and already she wanted another.

His arms were around her then, and the winter chill disappeared. In its place, fire crackled through her limbs, from her fingertips to her feet.

She could see it then, the world inside him. Tender and gentle as a spring morning, the shadows of night lingering at the edge of the wood, a handful of stars scattered across a pale sky.

She never knew that humans could be filled with so much magic.

It was her first Hunt and she had chosen her prey wisely.



About the Author:

Multiple-award-winning author Merrie Destefano writes lyrical tales of magic, mystery, and hope. Her traditional books have been published by HarperCollins, Entangled Teen, and Walter Foster, while her indie imprint is Ruby Slippers Press. Her novels have won awards in both the science fiction and fantasy categories.

She worked for Focus on the Family, The Word For Today, Engaged Media, and PJS Publications, and her magazine experience includes editor of Victorian Homes magazine, Zombies magazine, Haunted: Mysteries And Legends magazine, American Farmhouse Style magazine, Vintage Gardens magazine and founding editor of Cottages and Bungalows magazine. Her co-authored art books include How To Draw Vampires, How To Draw Zombies, and How to Draw Grimm’s Dark Fairy Tales. Her edited books include The Man God Uses by Chuck Smith, Oil Pastel Step-By-Step by Nathan Rohlander, and The Art of Drawing Fantasy Characters by Jacob Glaser.

Born in the Midwest, Merrie now lives in Southern California, where she runs on caffeine, and shares her home with rescue dogs and cats. And although she dearly loves science fiction, in her heart of hearts, she still doesn’t believe airplanes should be able to fly.

WEBSITE: http://www.merriedestefano.com/

BLOG: http://merriedestefano.blog/

NEWSLETTER: http://www.merriedestefano.com/newsletter1.html

INSTAGRAM: https://www.instagram.com/merriedestefano/

TWITTER: https://twitter.com/MerrieDestefano

FACEBOOK: https://www.facebook.com/Merrie-Destefano-127750623906184/

BOOKBUB: https://www.bookbub.com/profile/merrie-destefano

AUDIOBOOKS: https://www.audible.com/author/Merrie-Destefano/B0048L6NYO



a Rafflecopter giveaway
Posted by at 3 comments:
Labels:
Subscribe to: Posts (Atom)