Thursday, February 28, 2013

Heaven Scent by Virginia Alison ~Guest Post~

 Heaven Scent

Western Erotica / Romantica
Heaven Scent 
Author - Virginia Alison


Fate has her wicked way in this compelling trilogy set in modern day Texas. Encompassing
strong family bonds within a powerful, yet light hearted romantic saga, from the first lost note and
missed telephone call Evan and Ginny fight against the odds to find their own little piece of heaven.
Seemingly influenced by an old arrowhead and the sweet scent of jasmine, their lives swirl within a
whirlwind of laughter and heartbreak as they rush headlong towards their destiny.


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And now a word with our Author...

Where to start? The question is the easy bit the answer is still unknown.
The Heaven Scent Trilogy is the culmination of a years’ work, which all started with a poem. In July 2011, I met a Cowboy online, from Texas and yes, one of those meetings where you feel you have know this person all your life. Three weeks later he sent me a poem called –On Finding Someone- by Joel Nelson the Cowboy Poet, and I immediately saw a story in it.
If on some better than average day
I should be riding along
Observing—not expecting—well maybe
And should see just as hoof swept by
One flawless arrow point—
If on that bright shining morning
I should step down to lift this point
Turning it delicately—feeling its smoothness
Beneath my fingertips
I would marvel at its perfection
At the way some ancient one
Had tempered and crafted such beauty
At how it came to lie there
All these centuries—covered—uncovered
Re-hidden—re-exposed
Until it came to me
To happen by this place
On this day made now more perfect.
And I would ponder such things
As coincidence and circles and synchronicity,
And I would pocket this treasure near my heart,
And riding on I would recall
Having seen such treasure as this elsewhere
But not this one—not this one.
And for one brief moment I would stiffen with fear
At how one quick glance in another direction
Could have lost this to me forever,
And I would touch my shirt over my heart
Just to make sure.

With permission of © 1998, Joel Nelson
I began writing, the ‘chapters’ just poured out and ten days later had over 20,000 words, at which point said Cowboy disappeared. I duly put the short story onto my website www.breathlessnights.com , which I co-own with Keith David – my writing partner of three years -and started writing something different. Within a month an editor, who I knew from Facebook, messaged me and suggested I make the short story into a novel. It took me about two weeks to look at it again but eventually thought ‘what the heck, in for a penny, in for a pound.’ (Good old English idiom haha) Removing the last 1000 words to keep for the ending, I began filling in the middle.
It took until September to complete the novel. When finished, I decided that the book would benefit from having the poem printed in the front so set about finding the poet. It did not take long and after a few emails and phone calls, he kindly agreed to let me use the poem in the book. Joel also suggested that I attend the ‘Cowboy Poetry Festival’ in Alpine Texas at the end of February. That thought appealed even though I live on a little speck in the Atlantic Ocean known as Madeira Island – over 5000 miles away! Needless to say, not only did I attend the event, I also wrote two more books before I left for the USA, which made up the trilogy.
The Festival was an emotional time. I felt as if I belonged in that little Cowboy town situated in the middle of nowhere in West Texas. During my time there, I discovered all sorts of coincidences pertaining to the book. I described places I had never seen, people I had never met; it all became a little spooky. By the time I got back on the coach five days later, I had decided to buy a house there.
I arrived back on the island and this is where things went downhill. I asked my husband of thirty-two years for a divorce and put my house up for sale. My friends thought I had lost my mind, my family thought I was having a mid life crisis.
In July, I returned to Alpine with my daughter and mother in tow. They understood why I loved the place, which was a bonus and have supported me with my decisions. Joel and his wife are now great friends and I look forward to returning there soon.
So here I am, my life turned upside down because of a poem. I published the first book on Amazon on 31 October 2012, second on 1st December and third on 15th December and the Trilogy came out as one book on the 23rd December. Something is telling me to do this, I do not know why; I am just going with the flow.
They say people come into your life for a reason. The unknown cowboy who sent me the poem did just that however, the person I owe everything to is Keith, I could not have done this without his constant nagging, poking and support. I am in the process of writing and editing a Vampire Erotica Trilogy, the first book of which I will publish in January 2013.A fourth ‘Cowboy’ book is now on its way, based on another of Joel’s poems called ‘The men who ride no more’. I wonder where this one will take me…

ABOUT VIRGINIA ALISON
Born in Bournemouth, England, Virginia’s gypsy heritage led her to a rather unusual childhood. Her father worked within the oil industry and she spent much of her younger years travelling. Schooled in several countries until the age of eight, and fluent in several languages, on attending boarding school in the UK, she found delight in the extensive ‘English’ library, and her love of reading was born. From there the travelling continued, around the UK, Wales and then finally finishing in Canada, where she attended, and graduated from St John High school in New Brunswick. Her love of the English language was due partly to the inspiration of her English Tutor. An Oxford Don, he despaired of the American/English idioms, and as she was the only English student in the school, found her a delight to teach.
Spending another year in working in Canada, life then returned her to England and on to the remote Shetland Isles for three years. Following her return to the UK, she threw herself into floristry for fifteen years, and her artistic talents took another turn when she picked up a pen for the first time to write her first dragon fantasy novel. It took another ten years and the passing of her artistic father, to discover her talent for painting. Setting out on a new path, she now paints celebrity portraits to raise money for charities. Through Face book in 2010 she met a friend who encouraged her to take up writing again, shortly after this inspiration which rekindled her spiritual beliefs, she met her (writing collaborator and co-conspirator) Keith David. They now combine their sensual words drawn from the depths of their souls, to captivate the imagination, and entice the reader to discover their innermost desires.

Leap Into Books Giveaway Hop


Thank you to I Am A Reader, Not A Writer and Jinky is Reading for hosting this wonderful hop.
I won't say much since I've been under the weather lately ....The entry is easy...Just fill out the Rafflecopter and then on the 8th of March I will have a random winner chosen.
Please visit all the other blogs involved after you enter mine...You never know when you might LEAP into LUCK.
The complete list is here

Tuesday, February 26, 2013

The Darkening by Caris Roane ~Book Tour~

     THE DARKENING

A tortured warrior and a peace-loving counselor battle to protect Second Earth against a powerful dark force…
He thwarted connection of any kind…
Fearing that his newly emerged grayle power will kill innocent ascenders, Samuel Daman struggles to keep his distance from beautiful Vela Stillwell.  But the breh-hedden has struck and her light floral scent tears at his restraint.  When the enemy draws them both into the darkening, a place of secret travel for Third ascenders, will Samuel learn to control his power, or will he destroy what he desires most?
She hid from grief…
Vela Stillwell wanted a new life, away from Militia Headquarters, away from the reminder of all she’d lost when her husband died five years earlier.  Seeking a more reclusive occupation, she finishes her last day of work only to have Samuel Daman and the infamous breh-hedden sweep through her life.  Though trying to disconnect from her new emerging power and from Samuel, the call of the darkening pulls Vela into an adventure that both terrifies her, yet reveals the truth about her deepest desires.  Will she succumb to the breh-hedden, or will her fears prevent her from living life to the fullest?


THOUGHTS
Adventure meets one heck of a HOT romance!
This is one wild ride and I was more than happy to go on it.
Vela and Samuel are an interesting couple. I totally LOVED Vela and her determined spirit. Samuel with his over protecting and warrior insistent was a definite character to dream about.
The twists and turns made for a wonderful story. Falling in love for the main characters was something of a rough, smack in your face. The traveling through the darkness for both helping and trouble was down right exciting!
Caris Roane did a wonderful job with this story. I can honestly say I would read this again just to relive it all over.
I look forward to more from Caris!

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR

CARIS ROANE

I was ten when I first watched an old movie version of PRIDE AND PREJUDICE and loved it!  Movies led to books, which led to writing and after a good long while, publishing.  I wrote sweet Regency romance for Kensington for 19 years and recently fell in love with paranormal, although I’ve always had a thing for vampires.  I currently write paranormal romance for St. Martin’s Press but I self-publish as well.  Building an online platform has been an enormous but rewarding challenge.  I think all the changes in publishing will alter how authors approach the business going forward and I for one am thrilled to have so many options.  
Caris Roane has published over fifty Regency romance novels and novellas under the pen name, Valerie King.  In 2005, Romantic Times gave her a Career Achievement award in Regency Romance.  Having had a long-time love affair with vampires, Caris tackled the paranormal genre and built a unique vampire world based on ascending dimensional earths.  Her series is called Guardians of Ascension.  
Her most recent self-published project, The Blood Rose Novella Series, launched in May of 2012 with the first title:  Embrace the Dark.  
Currently, Caris is working on a new vampire series set to launch in the Fall of 2013:   WARRIORS IN CHAINS with the first novel, BORN IN CHAINS.
Caris lives in Phoenix, Arizona, with her two cats, Sebastien and Gizzy.
BRIEF BIO:
Caris Roane has published nine paranormal novels and novellas and writing as Valerie King, fifty Regency works.  In 2005, Romantic Times gave her a Career Achievement award in Regency Romance.  As Caris Roane, she currently writes paranormal romance for St. Martin’s Press and also dabbles in a few self-pubbed projects.  www.carisroane.com  
Caris Roane Links:
    Website
    Blog
    Facebook
    Twitter
    Goodreads



SPECIAL
Everyone who purchases at least 1 of Caris’s previous books, print or e-book, beginning from the date of this post, will receive a free e-copy of "The Darkening"!  Simply email your Proof of Purchase to Caris, tell her that you want your free e-copy of "The Darkening", and she'll send it to you!  Here is her E-mail: carisroane@gmail.com . Caris would love to see your reviews posted on Amazon for the books you purchase and for "The Darkening" once you have a chance to enjoy them.

GIVEAWAY


*Disclosure of Material Connection: no payment was received by me in exchange for this review. There was no obligation to write a positive review. All opinions expressed are entirely my own and may not necessarily agree with those of the author, publisher, publicist, or readers of this review. This disclosure is in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255, Guides Concerning Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising*

Monday, February 25, 2013

The Grimm Chronicles Volume 1 by Isabella Fontaine and Ken Brosky


Tour Schedule


The Grimm Chronicles

200 years ago, the Brothers Grimm unleashed their stories upon the world. Literally. Now the characters of the Grimms' stories walk among us. With every day that passes, they grow more evil. They are the Corrupted, and only a hero can stop them.

For 18-year-old Alice Goodenough, that means taking precious time off from her summer vacation. In addition to volunteering at the local l ibrary, Alice must stop the Corrupted who are now actively hunting her down. With the help of her magic pen and her trusty rabbit friend, the world has suddenly gotten a lot more complex. The Corrupted are everywhere, and only Alice can see them for what they truly are.




This book contains the first 3 episodes of the critically acclaimed series
Episode 1: Prince Charming Must Die!
Episode 2: Happily Never After
Episode 3: Revenge of the Castle Cats

Additional features for this special edition:
- An introduction
- Two special "Lost Diaries"
- A behind-the-scenes interview
- A collection of original Grimms' Fairy Tales

The Grimm Chronicles is intended for Young Adults aged 13 and up. The goal is to provide Young Adult readers with a strong, charismatic young woman in the role of the hero and provide readers with a positive protagonist who uses her brain to overcome obstacles life throws in her way.

Thoughts~
The added twist to fairy tales that we already know and love is AMAZING. Anyone that love fairy tales will definitely enjoy reading this.
Alice is SMART....engaging and exciting. Just a wonderful creative character. I love that the authors included so much of Alice's day to day life. It made the fantasy all that more real.
I look forward to reading Volume 2!
Wonderful writing, keeps the pages turning all the way to the end. 

Also Available Volume 2 of the Grimm Chronicles


Book 4: The Orphanage of Doom
Book 5: Blood and Thunder
Book 6: The Order of the Golden Dragon


Praise

“5 stars!” ~ Bookies Book Blog

"Highly recommended for all who love fairy tales and the YA genre." ~ My Cozie Corner

"All in all the books were excellent." ~ LilyElement

"If you love fairy tales and them being turned into modern day stories you will love these short stories." ~ Mom With a Kindle

5 stars (out of 5) ~ I Am, Indeed

“Isabella Fontaine and Ken Brosky’s incredible talent for storytelling takes the reader on an amazing action-packed ride fueled by endless creativity and limitless imagination. TGC is like a high-stakes version of Harold and the Purple Crayon meets a contemporary, above ground Alice in Wonderland. “ ~ Bookfetish

“I absolutely loved this book! No, let me rephrase that, I FREAKING LOVE THIS BOOK! Nope, that doesn't even do it justice. Vol. 1 has the first three stories from the 12 that will ultimately make up the chronicles.” ~ Jesse Kimmel-Freeman




Purchase:


About the Authors
Ken Brosky received his MFA in fiction writing from the University of Nebraska-Omaha. He also teaches English at Madison College. This is his first Young Adult series.

Isabella Fontaine owns a farm in Wisconsin and enjoys reading weird books like House of Leaves. This is her first Young Adult series.



Tour Giveaway
5 Kindle ebook copies of The Grimm Chronicles Volume 1
Ends 3/15/13


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Thursday, February 21, 2013

The Three Lost Kids & Cupid's Capture by Kimberly Kinrade ~Book Tour & Giveaway~

The Three Lost Kids & Cupid's Capture

Lexie is very unhappy this Valentine’s Day. She can’t get anything right, and her hearts all look horrible. In fact, everyone at school seems to be in an extra grumpy mood.
When she and her sisters consult her magic Mirror of Ice to find out what’s going on, they are transported to Heartland, the home of Cupid herself, which is under attack by a scary monster.
When Cupid is captured, the girls must navigate the Maze of Misdirection, pull themselves out of Apathy, and survive against attacking Cruel Crawlies in order to find the Chasm of Broken Hearts… and save Cupid.
But first, Lexie has to learn to love herself just as she is, otherwise Valentine’s Day will forever be filled with broken hearts. 

'

Thoughts
I love The Lost Kids series...I honestly can't get enough of Lexie, Bella and Maddie!

The adventure of saving "Cupid" was proving...each girl had to help the other. Showing that even though Bella and Maddie are older and bigger....Lexie was still good at so many things and was needed just for who she was!
It was really reassuring towards the end when Lexie finally realized...
"I'm not perfect, but I don't have to be. I'm okay just the way I am."
(Great lesson for any child!!!)
I have to say I was a bit surprised by Cupid...I always though he was a guy in a diaper, but in Kimberly's writing....She's a she with soft fuzzy wings (Too Cool).
Kimberly does an AMAZING job once again. I really do hope she continues the kid's adventures.


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About the Author

Kimberly Kinrade


Born with ink in her veins and magic in her heart. She writes fantasy and paranormal stories for children, YA and adults and still believes in magic worlds. Check out her YA paranormal novels Forbidden Mind and Forbidden Fire and her illustrated children's fantasy chapter books Lexie World, and Bella World, all on Amazon.

She lives with her three little girls who think they're ninja princesses with super powers, her two dogs who think they're humans and her husband, also known as the sexy Russian Prince, who is the love of her life and writing partner.

For a list of her books, check out: http://Amazon.com/author/kimberlykinrade
For a fun fan experience, join the team at I.P.I. at http://IPIAcademy.com
For kids and parents of young kids, join the Lost Kids at http://ThreeLostKids.com
ONLINE LINKS:


Awesome Giveaway

Wednesday, February 20, 2013

A Little Bit of Madness by Sheryl Browne ~Promo & Guest Post~


A Little Bit of Madness

Contemporary Romance / Comedy
Title: A Little Bit of Madness
Author: Sheryl Browne
Date Published: 2/14/13

Celia Summers, intrepid mother of two, loves her work as an art therapist at The Harbour Rest Home.  She’s proud of her elderly independents’ artwork, even if her partner, Martin, is disparaging of their efforts.  But then, Martin is preoccupied, trying to get his hands on his mother’s home, Charlton Hall, to bail himself out of debt.  To which end, he has to get Celia on side with a fabrication of lies.
Meanwhile, Celia fights to keep The Harbour from being closed.  She’s ready to abseil from a church steeple to bring attention to the plight of her old people, no matter that she might fall and end up splattered all over the flagstones.  When she does fall, however, it’s much more painfully.  Police Constable Alex Burrows, son of Colonel Burrows, is considerate, caring and chivalrous.  He has a wicked sense of humour, which makes Celia laugh, though when she learns of the circumstances surrounding his disabled daughter, she wants to cry.  Alex also has a reputation as a womaniser, which Celia tries to ignore.  His trying to influence his father’s Will though, she can’t.  Alex, who little by little has stolen her heart, appears to be just as much a liar as Martin. 
Will Alex be able redeem himself?  Or is evicting Celia from Charlton Hall, which she and her elderlies have laid siege to, the final straw?

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And now a word from our Author.....

As part of my book blog tour I was invited to offer practical advice for beginning to write Romantic Comedy

As mentioned elsewhere, my road to publication has been a long one and it’s only now I feel qualified to impart such advice.  My first ever romantic comedy was picked up by an agent, you see, who hailed it as a bestseller and was then possibly reduced to tears – along with yours truly – when it didn’t sell.  Overuse of barbed wit and slapstick I gleaned from feedback was the reason why.  I’ve been told by the BBC I have a flair for comedic situations vis-à-vis sitcom, but in regard to novel writing, back then, it was obvious I had some lessons to learn.
I wrote, embarked on a creative writing course, took on board every piece of advice and, finally, I think I got there.  I’d like to share some of what of learned along the way, in the hope it might help make the road a little less bumpy for anyone else starting out on the romantic comedy writing journey.
So what is romantic comedy?  It’s a boy-meets-girl, falling in love story.  And as we know from as far back as Greek Tragedy, falling in love never goes smoothly.  People do strange things when cupid’s arrow strikes.  As much as any sensible woman knows that true love should be more than skin deep, she will probably decide her bum is too big and go on a crash diet – and then indulge in copious amounts of pleasure-inducing chocolate-coated endorphins when the relationship goes wrong.
Men flounder when love throws their carefully organised emotions into chaos.  Suddenly, they’re indecisive.  They don’t know what women want.  They’re vulnerable.  They’re human.
Based on my own experience then, along with feedback from publishers and agents, we have to stay away from slapstick and keep our characters real.  When we laugh at characters in a romantic comedy, we’re actually laughing at ourselves.  We’re amused because it’s familiar, comedic or embarrassing situation we could – maybe have – found ourselves in.  That heart-freezing is-my-dress-tucked-in-my-knickers moment when exiting the loo at a posh do?  
So, we’re highlighting the situation with caricature, yes, but in order for the parody to work, our characters need to be fully formed people our readers can relate to.  Sex And The City pulled it off beautifully but, in reality, most women have never owned a Jimmy Choo shoe, nor could they aspire to.  If a woman is a secretary, home-maker, mother, care-giver or bank-teller, she’s not likely to have a wardrobe stuffed full of designer – unless she’s robbed the bank, of course.  Hmm?  Could  there be a story in there somewhere?   Your heroine might be the ditzy blonde no man understands. She might be uber-efficient but emotionally deficient, but she has to have depth.  
To illustrate my point – and at the risk of blowing my own trumpet, I’d like to use a couple of snippets from reviews for one of my books, Somebody to Love, a story around a single father and his autistic little boy:
Characters jump of the page & make you instantly care about them. Captures the essence of love, life, family & highs and lows of parenting a special needs child.
Jonty -  Associate Reader/Reviewer at Loveahappyending.com

…Autism spectrum disorder - the child in question quickly became my favourite character.
Me, My Books and I

Sheryl’s writing is fabulous. She manages to make you laugh out loud constantly and her stories are so natural and true to life.
All things Books – Kim The Book Worm

I feel that this story has been written with real warmth and heart, with a wry humour at the ups and downs that life throws at people.
The Little Reader Library

Time and time again, these lovely reviewers talk about the ability to portray real people they can relate to.  Women, as we know, come with a whole gamut of emotion, as do men.  They are real people with all the faults and flaws on show.  Someone your reader identifies with and wants to get to know.
Readers want compelling characters, people they care about.  They might seem to be incompatible, they might think that they are, but we need to believe love will find a way.  The might start out as emotionally vulnerable, incomplete people with necessary inner and outer conflict – think Notting Hill.  William and Anna, worlds apart and the odd stacked against them.  Plenty of outer conflict there.  The inner conflict? Could a lowly bookshop owner from Notting Hill ever really be good enough for a film star from Beverley Hills? Could Anna ever hope to make him see she was ‘still just a girl standing in front of a boy, asking him to love her’?  Basically then, we need to see the characters conflicts.  We need to see them confronted and ideally resolved by the relationship.  
And so, to the climax. Again, keep it real.  Unless you can come up with a fresh take on kissing in the snow in your underwear, chances are it’s already been done, and done well.
In summary, Romantic Comedy tends to follow a formula: boy meets girl, boy gets girl, despite all obstacles, eventually.  The difficult bit is making your reader laugh with your character as he/she falls over those obstacles, because the reader is empathising with the character, because they’ve been there.
Happy writing!

ABOUT OUR AUTHOR
Sheryl Browne
Now residing in Worcestershire, Sheryl Browne grew up in Birmingham, UK, where she studied Art & Design. She wears many hats: a partner in her own business, a mother, and a foster parent to disabled dogs. Creative in spirit, Sheryl has always had a passion for writing. A member of the Romantic Novelists' Association, she has previously been published in the US and writes Romantic Comedy because, as she puts it, "life is just too short to be miserable."
Sheryl's debut novel, RECIPES FOR DISASTER - combining deliciously different and fun recipes with sexilicious romantic comedy, is garnering some fabulous reviews! Sheryl has also been offered a further three-book contract under the Safkhet Publishing Soul imprint. SOMEBODY TO LOVE, a romantic comedy centring around a single policeman father’s search for love, his autistic little boy and the boy’s Autism Assistance Dog, launched July 1 with an immediate 5* review.  WARRANT FOR LOVE, bringing together three couples in a twisting story that resolves perfectly, released August 1, and A LITTLE BIT OF MADNESS releases on Valentine’s Day 2013.
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