Friday, November 30, 2012

GuestPost - Preaching Versus Teaching with Shelly Holt, Paranormal Romance Author


Today, I'm turning my blog over to a guest.  Please welcome paranormal romance author, Shelly Holt, as she introduces her debut novel ~ Tasting Fire ~ and tells us a bit about her love of the Asian Snow Leopard and why she chose this animal as the focal point of her novel.  The floor is yours, Shelly.

Preaching Versus Teaching 

In Tasting Fire I had to walk a fine line between preaching and teaching in my debut paranormal romance. Tasting Fire is about a race of shape-shifters whose ancestor's DNA was accidentally merged with that of an Asian Snow Leopard twenty thousand years ago. The book explores what happens when the leader of the shape-shifters, Tibetan, Kai Tenzin hires an American scientist to try to hide the DNA from modern science. I chose to focus on the Asian Snow Leopard in part because this incredibly beautiful animal is highly endangered. That was where I had to really watch myself. I knew if I wasn't careful I would start to preach to my readers instead of entertain and educate.

Prior to writing my own book, I read the reviews of a paranormal romance, whose title I couldn't tell you now if I tried, but I did remember how angry people were at the injection of personal politics into the plot. Those reviews helped to guide my hand and try to limit my time on my own soapbox, although admittedly it does rear up in the end of the book, on the floor of the U.S. Senate no less.

I was horrified to learn while researching the book that experts believe there are only three to seven thousand of them left in the wild. I watched video after video on You Tube to learn all I could about their habitat and the challenges snow leopards face in the wild. Everything I learned pretty much ended up distilled into the book. I knew that to do justice to my story about shape-shifting Asian Snow Leopards, the characters would have to actually be from cultures that evolved in the habitat range of the animal itself. That's why my alpha male hero, Kai Tenzin is from Tibet, because snow leopards are from Tibet. Many of my secondary characters are from cultures that live in the habitat range of the exotic cat as well. My shape-shifters come from China, Mongolia and Pakistan.

Writing Tasting Fire was truly an illuminating experience. I learned a tremendous amount about the highly endangered Asian Snow Leopard and am in awe at what dangers conservationists in the field face while they do everything in their power to help protect the highest predator attitude wise on our planet. I subscribe to a Facebook feed from a snow leopard conservation group and every time a picture of one of these magnificent cats pops up on my Facebook feed, I fall in love with them all over again.

Tasting Fire ended up reflecting the cultures that live in the habitat range of the Asian Snow Leopard. The story has a deeply spiritual tone and deals with issues ranging from personal development to the evolution of human society. I will warn readers that Tasting Fire is not a light read. If you want a book where the hero and heroine fall into bed together within the first two minutes of meeting each other, this is not the book for you. If you are looking for a rich, textured story and if you wish to lose yourself in an intelligent, romantic, erotic, adventure, this is your book!

My thanks to Chantel Rhondeau for inviting me on her blog today to share my experience of writing Tasting Fire with you. 


Thanks for being here, Shelly! I totally understand why you love these magnificent creatures so much. They really are gorgeous and it would be a tragedy if they became extinct. 

Check out the blurb for Tasting Fire below:

Shape-shifters have always walked the earth. Shrouded in myth and folklore, hiding in the shadows, watching and waiting. Advances in modern science are now about to reveal them to the world. Kai Tenzin is the self appointed leader of the Pari people. He and his kind evolved from the most reclusive predators on earth, the Asian Snow Leopard. They live and hunt in the most fearsome and rugged terrain known to man, the Himalayas. As a young man, Kai left his small village where the mountain touches the heavens, determined to do anything to protect his people. When he is forced to enlist the aid of the beautiful American scientist Dr. Rae Hales, the last thing he expects to find is a woman who will ensnare his heart and endanger them all. Their action-packed adventure will take them around the world to discover the truth behind the legends and reveal the future of humanity.


Shelly Holt's Biography


My name is Shelly Holt and I live in the middle of the harsh and unforgiving Mojave desert. I write my stories looking out of a window that shows sweeping desert views. Outside is a barren and severe landscape, yet inside my head lives a world filled with exotic shape-shifters come to life, pulled from the pages of myth and legend, ready to entice and seduce any reader brave enough to take them on. 

Want to connect with Shelly? Follow her on:




Read on for an excerpt from Tasting Fire.

Excerpt 

Rae took an admiring look at the vista below as she dropped her heavy pack on the ground. The mountains in the distance looked purple and the desert brush spread out below them like a master oil painting. It was awe inspiring to human eyes. Rae wondered what would it look like to a snow leopard. She suddenly realized many a biologist would sell their very soul for the opportunity she had at that moment. Rae turned to Kai who had been sitting on the ground with his pack and fishing around for lunch and asked him “what is it like when you're in your Shan form out in country like this?” Kai rewarded Rae with the most brilliant smile she had yet seen to grace the handsome shape-shifter's face. He seemed truly delighted to discuss the subject with her. Kai stood up to answer Rae's question. He addressed the human scientist. “It's like nothing you can imagine Rae. Every sense is in tune with the planet. See that tree over there” he pointed a few yards away at an ancient gnarled pinyon. “Yes” Rae replied. Kai walked up behind Rae and put his hands on her shoulders and directed her to look even closer at the tree. He whispered intimately in her ear as if they were in a church or another sacred space “when you look at that tree with your limited human vision, the average person can certainly appreciate its form and color. A biologist like yourself would ask what type of tree is it and how old it is. A philosopher might ask who may have sat underneath it in the past or who might sit underneath it in the future. All of you might even wonder when will it die. That's the limit of your human perception. When you're in Shan form every single leaf will bid you a glorious greeting as you walk up to the tree for the first time. Every drop of sap tells you the history of the tree's life like an intimate biography written in the utterly sensual language of scent. The tree itself will tell you if it's healthy or sick. You can smell if the water that nourishes it is bitter or sweet. If you deeply pay attention you can smell every animal that has ever been there.” Kai looked to Rae like he was experiencing a spiritual moment and Rae suddenly realized he was. The enthralled shape-shifter continued to explain to Rae the nuances of the animal world “when you are ready to move on to another place you reach up with your powerful claws and dig deep into the bark to mark the tree with your scent. It's added harmoniously to the scent of hundreds of other animals. You do this not just to mark your hunting territory, but to tell every animal after you have left this world that you lived and breathed here at one time in the great mystery that is life. That is your only immortality in the animal world. There are no monuments to mark a man's ego, or family albums for a mother to remember her children by, but neither is there hate, nor fear of the future or regret of the past. You are fully alive in each and every moment. It's a wonderfully free existence. I wish I could truly share it with you... words, words pale in comparison.” Kai looked so happy at that moment. Rae was so moved by what he had just shared with her that all she could do was reach out and touch his wrist. “Thank you!” she whispered. Kai nodded at her in acknowledgment, but he was too emotional to even speak.

Once again, Tasting Fire is available on Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Tasting-Fire-ebook/dp/B0098M7OOQ


Happy reading, my friends! Have a terrific weekend!
eeeChantelfff

P.S. Don't forget my policy to read the samples before you buy! Everyone's tastes are different. 

Wednesday, November 28, 2012

What should you EXPECT to pay for when self-publishing?

Last week I posted a warning about unscrupulous 'publishers' charging money to help authors self-publish their books. You can read that here. I thought it might be helpful for some of you to know what kinds of things you should be expecting to pay for, in the event you are thinking of self publishing your book, and some places I know that are reputable to get them done.

There are three main things that need to be done to turn your story into a novel after you have edited it to the best of your ability. You can do some of this on your own, but you want to look professional. I recommend hiring these things out and getting professional help, but if you have knowledge you might be able to handle some of this on your own. 

Cover Art:
The first thing your potential reader sees - can't stress the importance of great cover art enough.  If you're a regular reader of my blog, you know that I endorse hiring out cover art professionally.  This can run anywhere from $20-plus for a pre-made cover to several hundred. For Always & Forever, I used LFD Designs for Authors and their covers run $75 for a custom cover or they have premades available. I know currently they have a waiting list, so get in line. Here's their web site if you're interested http://mycoverart.wordpress.com/services/  They only do front art for a digital book, but you can find other cover artists who do wrap-arounds for print books as well.

I recently had artwork done for the book I'll be working on next, Love & Deception, by a new artist, edh Graphics, and I love her work. She does romance covers and also graphic work for your website/FB page. Her prices are very reasonable. Check out her web site http://edhgraphics.blogspot.com/p/custom-covers.html

Also, if you are looking for a wraparound cover for your paperback or an ebook cover or other graphics work, I've heard good things about http://jayceedelorenzo.com/sweetnspicy/services.html though I haven't used this one myself.

Professional Editing:
I do think you need to hire an editor, though when looking through the quality from various editors, I'm starting to wonder if there is any way to be guaranteed a good editor. They say you get what you pay for, but I had a writer friend pay a significant amount for an editor who didn't seem to get the story and made a lot of suggestions that would have ruined the novel. So I'm feeling a bit dubious about whether you absolutely have to have a content editor. However, I do think you need a proof reader to help with missing words and grammar. 

Most editors will offer a 5-page sample or so. I suggest you take advantage of this before shelling out the money. Make sure that editor has ideas you agree with and seems like a good fit before hiring them. Unfortunately, I do not have any editors to recommend at this time, but a search on the internet will give you plenty to check out. 

You can actually get fairly decent content editing from critique partners. The place I love to use to get critiques is www.critiquecircle.com. My critique group helps me work out all my content problems and helps brainstorm story ideas for things I'm having issues with. I rely on them a lot to help bring my book from start to finish. Also, critiquing their work helps my improve my own writing skills, so it is a win-win situation. 

Quality editors or even proof readers can cost a lot of money, so you definitely have to shop around if you are working on a budget. You might even interest an English Major at your local college who is looking for something to add to their resume if you don't have the resources to pay for an editor. 

Formatting:
Finally, I think it is important to hire a formatter. I did Always & Forever myself, but couldn't include a table of contents or the code that allows customers to swipe down and jump from chapter to chapter (apparently this is an NCX file). However, it appears that Amazon is slowly changing their minds about this issue and want to start making a TOC mandatory. So, for my piece of mind, I hired a formatter to fix Always & Forever and will do so for my future books. I just do NOT speak computer code. I used Rachelle Ayala, as I was happy with both her prices and the quality of her work http://www.rachelleayala.com/p/book-formatting.html

As stated last week, unfortunately, it seems there are plenty of companies who want to do you the service of uploading your books and charge you a lot for the privilege of this. However, it is simple to do this yourself. Here are the links to the various publishing places and their guidelines and instructions. It is really a super simple process once you get your account set up, and something simple to do for yourself.

USA links for digital books for self-publishing:
Amazon Kindle: https://kdp.amazon.com/self-publishing/help
Barnes & Noble Nook: http://pubit.barnesandnoble.com/pubit_app/bn?t=support
Smashwords: http://www.smashwords.com/about/how_to_publish_on_smashwords
Kobo: http://www.kobobooks.com/companyinfo/authorsnpublishers.html

More resources:
Romance writer, Maggie Jaimeson, was nice enough to send me a list of the services she uses and recommends so I could share them with you all. Thanks, Maggie! Check out her books and website while you are looking around http://maggiejaimeson.com/ 

Maggie says: Here are the people I recommend and other resources I use.

Gilded Heart Designs - Christy created my webpage header, bookmarks, and FB timeline (all the same image). She also does book covers. Though she didn't do any of mine I've seen the ones she's done for others and because of that, I will use her in the future.

Red Circle Ink - This is run by Jessa Slade, multi-published paranormal romance writer. I've known her for 8 years and heard her critiques. I've also seen what type of feedback she gives writers. She's reasonably priced and has a variety of packages. The thing I like most about her is that she is what I would call a "developmental" editor. Meaning she doesn't just copy edit, she understands novel structure, character arcs, tension, turning points, etc.

PrintRunner - This is who I used for my bookmarks. I got 500 for about $50. I really great deal and that was for two-sided, full color glossy print. They are absolutely beautiful. And they were delivered within 5 days. I do not use business cards ever. I tried that before I published and a little after I published my first book. What I found is that people lost them or threw them out. But bookmarks are actually useful, and mine have all the information needed for people to contact me (website, email, QR code that goes to my website) and shows all four of my current books as well as my brand) I used to use VistaPrint, but I like the quality of PrintRunner and the pricing better.

Earthly Charms - For my Signed by Author Labels and Local Author labels for print books. They are the best prices I've found and you can get rolls of only 100, instead of having to buy 500 to get a decent price.

Book Tour:  GoddessFish Promotions - http://www.goddessfish.com/

E-book formatting faeries who do such a good job with the formatting. Here is their website. http://e-bookformattingfairies.blogspot.com/p/services-offered-by-e-book-formatting.html


I hope some of this is helpful. Make sure you read everything carefully and shop around. You can produce a quality book, even on a budget. Good luck and happy publishing. Have a fantastic week, my friends!
eeeChantelfff

Monday, November 26, 2012

#BookReview ~ Willow's Journey ~ Fantasy/YA

Title:      The Legend of the Travelers: Willow's Journey
Author:  Jennifer Donohoe
Genre:   Fantasy/Young Adult
Rating:  3+ stars


Picture
Amazon Product Page

I really love the premise of this book and the idea of the Travelers. Willow is basically the last of her kind (unless her mother is out there somewhere). Travelers have the ability to move in time and see occurrences of the past. One of Willow’s ancestors hid the Four Jewels of legend, and everyone wants their hands on them. As only a Traveler can unlock the secrets to find the jewels, Willow is much sought after and has no idea who she can really trust. 

Willow has been brutally attacked and cannot remember her past. Many people claim to be her friends, but she gets conflicting information. No one seems to want to really help her, and Willow struggles to remember her identity and why the young man who lives in the same house as her, Ryuu, seems to hate her and blame her for anything and everything. 

I did have a few issues with this book. There is much mystery surrounding Willow’s past and that seems to go on too long, for me at least. I became impatient with everyone patting Willow’s head and telling her they would tell her things later. Also, Willow made a few questionable decisions that I felt created problems for herself where she didn’t need to. However, I am a reader of fantasy books, not Young Adult, so it could be that some of the things I had a problem with are actually normal for this genre and I am only judging it based on its fantasy elements. 

That said, once I hit about the halfway point, I literally could not put this book down. When Willow started figuring out what was really going on, I was captivated with the events as they unfolded. I like the mixture of different myths and legends woven throughout this book. There are many exciting magic/fantasy elements that are very fun to read. The final showdown is awesome and worth the wait to get there. 

Overall, I really like the concept of this story and can’t wait for the next in the series. Although the mystery surrounding Willow is answered, there is still much for Willow to do and many threads of the story I can’t wait to see played out in subsequent books.

Happy reading, my friends! Have a terrific weekend!
eeeChantelfff

P.S. Don't forget my policy to read the samples before you buy! Everyone's tastes are different. 

Friday, November 23, 2012

Spotlight on H.C. Elliston ~ Suspense Thriller Author

I am so excited to have H.C. Elliston here today for an interview. She recently released her latest book, Shiver Sweet, and it is her third thriller/suspense novel! I’m so happy to have you here! Tell us a little bit about your books. 

Thrillers is the genre that really lights me up, but it has to include romance! Perhaps I am a little twisted, but I enjoy throwing characters into awful situations, and watching them either lose or keep their heads while figuring a way out. There's usually a murder or two in my books, plenty of bad guys (or gals) action scenes and a love story - some light, but in 'Shiver Sweet' I've written far steamier scenes. 


We are definitely of like minds here. I, too, love the thrill, but have to have some romance included. What do you love about writing? What do you hate? 

I love the freedom of letting my imagination run riot, and... killing people for a living!

The first draft is my least favourite part - the scary blank canvas! Yikes. I prefer it when the first draft is done and I have something to pull apart. 

Killing people for a living! That is a perfect answer. I always worry what people would think if they ever checked my computer's browser history. We have to research some weird things to commit so many murders and get away with them! ;-)

Do you ever suffer from writer’s block? If so, what do you do about it? 

Instead of throwing things around the room, I just write dialogue until the scene shapes up. If that doesn't work, I do another activity because ideas tend to pop up when I'm not consciously thinking about them. 

What do you like to do when you're not writing? 

I run a pet art business, so I'd usually be doing some form of doggie artwork or crafting, and then gossiping in the post office while I mail orders. Other than that, I walk my two dogs, watch films in the dark, sing nursery rhymes to my niece, make animations for my sister, or go shopping with my partner and his children. 

I've seen some of your art work on Facebook - beautiful! Sounds like you have a busy, happy life!  What’s next for you? 

I am working on a short story, a romantic thriller about a group of people on a business trip in Singapore in which everyone is out to get everyone else. I've been lucky enough to visit Singapore several times so figured I'd use that knowledge. It's an amazing place! 

I can't wait to read it! I know, I know, I have to wait. Still, sounds exciting!

Thanks so much for hanging out with me for a while and letting my readers get to know you better!  Everyone, read on below to find out more about Helen, her books, and where you can get them.

H.C. Elliston's Biography
Helen was born in Cheshire but now lives in West Yorkshire, UK. She runs a small, but international pet art business, is a trustee for an animal rescue charity, a vegetarian, an aunt, dogmum x2, stepmum x3 (minus the marriage certificate) and has an unquenchable passion for writing. 



Check out H.C. Elliston's books:



US Amazon Link

SHIVER SWEET

DON’T LOOK UP. THEY’RE WATCHING YOU...

Christa has a secret so big that her husband John is using it as blackmail in their divorce. He is out for revenge because - although she won’t admit it - Christa is still in love with the man with whom she shares this secret; the man whose fiery girlfriend slams Christa at every opportunity. 

To protect her teenage daughter from a horrid truth, Christa must agree to John’s demands by the morning. But her world is about to rip wide open, and turn into life or death, when housemate Nicola discovers that John is the least of their problems; he’s not the only one wretched enough to exploit them.




THINK FAST DIE LAST
US Amazon Link
TRAPPED... 
Seemingly unrelated crimes of murder, software scams and drug trafficking collide when two couples on the run take refuge in an isolated forest cabin. They are the victims of an apparent double booking... or was the meet planned?

HUNTED... TAKEN...
Armed men descend upon the retreat at midnight. They hold the couples hostage before shooting their way inside on command. 

But which gang are they? And which couple have they come for?
~~
Think Fast Die Last is a twisty, ACTION-BASED THRILLER.

Ordinary people in an extraordinary situation.
Hostages, chase scenes, gangs, ziplining, an unwitting spy and some romantic themes...



TICK TOCK RUN
US Amazon Link


TRUST NO ONE. SUSPECT EVERYONE.
Someone's coming for Chelsea – a killer who will stop at nothing until she’s dead.

WARN THE PREY...
Instead of enjoying her best friend’s hen evening, receptionist Chelsea Denham is wondering why Lee, a handsome stranger in the bar, is questioning people about phrases she received by email that morning:
‘Tick Tock. Your number’s up. People have to pay for what they’ve done.’
The email contains a ticking countdown timer.

A TENSE GAME OF REVENGE.
While police investigate, Chelsea teams up with Lee. She is about to encounter the worst week of her life, face guilt head-on and have her loyalty tested while frightened out of her home, menaced and used as bait.

COUNTDOWN TO DEATH...
Her troubled best friend is forced to reveal a dark secret and her deepest fears. It puts a new slant on the problem but, according to Lee, the stakes haven’t altered; when the countdown timer in the email reaches zero... you die.

Happy reading, everyone! Have a fantastic weekend!

eeeChantelfff

P.S. Don't forget my policy to read the samples before you buy! Everyone's tastes are different. 

Wednesday, November 21, 2012

How much do you pay to 'self-publish' your book?

I've had an interesting question come up a few times in the past several weeks. Several of my friends who are thinking about self-publishing have told me they are looking at publishers, but they all seem so expensive. 

What? The first time this happened, it took me a little bit to make sure I understood correctly...people are charging to 'help' you self-publish? Apparently that is, indeed, what is happening. So, I decided to post a blog just in case someone else out there is thinking about forking over a huge amount of money to 'self-publish' their book. 

I'm not sure how all of these work, but I did receive an email from a company who wanted to represent me. If you receive an offer, read everything carefully! I'm surprised by the amount of people this particular company represents.  

In essence, this is the offer they had: All I had to do was commission my own cover art, hire my own editor, and get my formatting done. Yes, they wanted me to pay for all of this. Are you curious what they were offering to do for me? I certainly was. They would kindly put their name as my publisher, upload my book to all the various vendors. I think they might have offered to arrange a blog tour. It actually said something like - for all of this, we will only take 60% of your royalties. 

Excuse me? Thank you very much, but if I'm paying for everything anyway, why don't I go through the very simple process of uploading them to the various sites myself and earn 100% of my royalties? Okay, it's not really 100% of what the book makes, but I will take 100% of what the book vendors pays me, not 40%. Also, organizing a blog tour isn't that hard of a process. You can hire a company just to do this. Or, if you don't have that in the budget, it's usually pretty easy to get bloggers to host you. Look around and find bloggers who feature other authors on their blog and then ask them if they would mind hosting you. Many will be willing. 

If it is important to you personally to have a publisher behind you and you are willing to pay for all of these things and take this deal, I would just recommend you see how much it is going to cost and weigh all your options. Avoiding the stigmata of "self-published" is worth it to some people, but make sure you read everything and aren't being taken advantage of.

I am fortunate because I have a very wonderful group of author friends who went through everything before me and told me what I needed to do. However, if I hadn't know any better, I might have been taken in by an offer like this, thinking it was what I had to do to self publish. Don't be taken in. You do need the three things that particular place asked me to get on my own, but after that it is a simple process of signing up for an account at the various vendors and uploading your file. 

Here are links to instructions at the most common book sellers (USA links):
Amazon Kindle: https://kdp.amazon.com/self-publishing/help
Barnes & Noble Nook: http://pubit.barnesandnoble.com/pubit_app/bn?t=support
Smashwords: http://www.smashwords.com/about/how_to_publish_on_smashwords
Kobo: http://www.kobobooks.com/companyinfo/authorsnpublishers.html 

If you want a paperback book available, you have two options that I know of, Amazon's CreateSpace or Lulu. I use CreateSpace and have been very happy with the quality of the books. These are on-demand publishers, so they only print books when a customer orders them. They take care of inventory, customer complaints, shipping, everything. You just upload your book (it does need to be formatted differently than a digital book but there are instructions at CreateSpace on how to do this), check it for quality, and set it live to sell. 

CreateSpace: https://www.createspace.com/
Lulu: http://www.lulu.com/ 

If you are going the traditional route, money should flow from the publisher to the writer, and you should not be responsible for the costs associated with publishing your book. legitimate publisher will pay for the cover art, editing, and formatting.

Read every offer carefully. Whether you self-publish or go with a publisher, I wish you all luck. 

Happy writing, friends. Have a great week!

eeeChantelfff

Monday, November 19, 2012

#BookReview ~ Sixth South by Michele Shriver

Book:    Sixth South
Author:  Michele Shriver
Genre:  Women's Literature/Fiction
My rating:  5 stars

Sixth South is such a great book! I loved the way the lives of these four women were interwoven, blending together as these friends shared (or hid) their various problems from the others. The thing I love about Michele Shriver's writing is she always tackles issues that I think are relevant and interesting. Re-entering the dating world after being widowed? Abuse? Addiction? Equal rights? Each women has their own trials to deal with, and it is interesting to watch them work through their problems. Friendships are destroyed, love blossoms, political battles are faced. There is a lot to this book, and I couldn't read it fast enough.

If you read Shriver's first book, After Ten, you will be delighted to see some of your favorite characters back in the spotlight. I especially love Sarah and Kelsey. They are so funny, often making me laugh out loud. You don't need to have read After Ten to enjoy this book, though. I read Sixth South first and liked it so much I went back to read After Ten. Each one stands alone. The other characters in this book are great as well. I love Olivia! She is an awesome character and her scenes are so sweet!

One of the ways I judge a book is whether or not I would read it again. I will most certainly be reading Six South again in the future! Another terrific book from this author. I look forward to her next one. In the meantime, I'll have to be content re-reading After Ten and Six South.

Amazon Product Link
Barnes & Noble Product Link

Happy reading everyone!
eeeChantelfff
P.S. Don't forget my new policy and read the samples before you buy! Everyone's tastes are different. 

Saturday, November 17, 2012

Come Celebrate the Re-Release on EMBERS AT GALDRILENE ~ Fantasy bestseller!

Get The Re-release Of "Embers At Galdrilene" By A.D. Trosper For Only $1.99 From 11/17/12 Through 11/24/12 - Don't Miss The Dragon's Call! 

Embers at Galdrilene has undergone a huge transformation! It now sports a beautifully redesigned front cover, spine and back cover. It also has an awesome custom designed interior and has been professionally edited. All thanks to the incredible team at Blue Harvest Creative. And as an added bonus, when you read the final page of Embers at Galdrilene, you'll get an exciting sneak peek for the prologue Tears of War, the second book in the Dragon’s Call series.

In celebration of its re-release, Embers at Galdrilene will be available for only $1.99! But this price only lasts from November 17th to November 24th. Embers won’t turn into a pumpkin at the end of its re-release promotion, but it will return to its regular price of $3.95. Don't miss out on this bestselling fantasy book. Wrap up the holidays with the gift of reading!

Click HERE to buy at Amazon


“A ray of light, a stain of shadow, shall endure to breathe life and death into the future” 

The war between the Guardians and the Shadow Riders ended in total devastation. The final battle killed all the dragons and left nothing but fields of ash. A small clutch of dragon eggs was all that remained to provide hope for the future. 

Five hundred years later, the ability to use magic is a death sentence and dragons are remembered as a curse. But the unhatched dragons sing for their riders...and soon six lives will be changed forever. 

The elements of magic are drawn together as the dragons’ call leads them on an epic and dangerous journey of discovery. They soon learn everything they’ve been taught to believe about magic and dragons is wrong. 

With the last of the dragons and the world at stake, they will risk everything to heed the call. 

But an evil from the past soon threatens their discovery and newfound joy. Shadow Dragons ride the dawn once more... 


WHAT PEOPLE ARE SAYING ABOUT EMBERS AT GALDRILENE 

“Evil lurks at every corner and eventually bursts, bringing forth a vivid confrontation that kept me at the edge of my seat, turning page after page.” ~ Annamaria Bazzi

“The characters are well thought out, and the plot is great. I loved Galdrilene itself, and the idea of the dragon eggs singing to those who are meant to hatch them.” ~ The Crooked Word

“I was so impressed by this excellent story! The characters and setting were vividly detailed, and the storyline was unique and enticing. I loved that the characters had strong bonds and connections to other beings, and Trosper did a magnificent job with pacing and stringing together the plot.” ~ Katie Jennings (author of the Dryad Quartet and When Empires Fall) 

“There is something about dragon stories that is truly captivating and Trosper has certainly encapsulated this in her novel. This story follows the lives of young men and women as they escape a life of control and fear to find their true talents and true selves… Expect to be entertained with dragon fights, romance and witty comebacks in Trosper's creation of an idyllic world. You are even given a rare insight into the workings of a dragon's mind.” ~ Elizabeth Wright of Bestchicklit.com 

“Anne McCaffrey's Legacy… I was extremely wary when this book was immediately evocative of every story Anne ever told about dragons, their 'Impression' on their destined riders, and the immutable bond between the two. Like Asimov's laws of robotics, Pern's dragon lore is indelibly etched as 'fact' in my psyche and anything markedly different does not sit very well with me at all.

I am immensely pleased to say that A.D. Trosper did not let me down. There was enough of Pernish dragon-lore to satisfy my need for continuity, whilst at the same time enough differences to make this clutch of dragons her very own. Well done Ms. Trosper!” ~ Richard King 

ABOUT THE AUTHOR: 

Here is where I'm supposed to talk about myself in third person for whatever reason. But, even though there are a lot of people in my head, referring to myself in third person still sounds too strange. 

Born in Kansas, I spent a lot of my childhood moving around. I lived in Kansas, Oklahoma, Washington State (around Seattle), and southern California. I had many great adventures growing up. I'm now settled down in Kansas with my wonderful husband, three children, my wonderful dog Katie, assorted cats, and small flock of chickens. 

I've been an avid lover of fantasy since I was young child. Dragons, elves, fairies, dwarves, and other denizens of the fantasy world as well as magic have always fascinated me. As I grew up, I developed an interest in vampires, zombies and my interests branched out to take in paranormal and urban fantasy. 

I don't have any special writing credits to my name other than a wildly active imagination and the ability to form that imagination into written stories. 

Want to know more or connect with me? Follow the links, I promise there is no wicked witch of the west at the end…most of the time. 

CONNECT WITH A.D. TROSPER:
Website 
Blog 

Thanks for being here and sharing this great sale with us, Ms. Trosper! 

Yay! I am so excited to read this book! I absolutely loved The Dragonriders of Pern series and I can't wait to get EMBERS AT GALDRILENE to the top of my TBR pile! Happy reading everyone!

eeeChantelfff

P.S. Don't forget my policy to read the samples before you buy! Everyone's tastes are different. 

Friday, November 16, 2012

Spotlight on Deborah Palumbo and The Undeparted Series

I am so excited to have Deborah Palumbo here today. Deborah is a very prolific writer with eight--soon to be nine--books available! She writes in many genres, including paranormal, mystery, and historical. So, without further ado, let’s get to it! 

Tell us a little bit about your paranormal/romance/mystery series, The Undeparted


So far I have three books in the series: The Undeparted, The Ascent of the Undeparted and the soon to be released The Banished One.

Starting with book one, the beautiful mortal Cassandra is trying to figure out if she was actually bitten by a handsome vampire and whisked away to his castle and then laid gently back in her own bed, or if it was a very vivid dream, one which has left her to contemplate her own sanity. The question is soon answered for her when the sexy, rich Quentin Castle, the father of all vampires pursues her. She just doesn't trust him, is scared to death of him and does her best to avoid him because quite honestly, she's drawn to him, really attracted to him but is trying to remain faithful to her boyfriend; not to mention the fact she wants to remain mortal. 


I have to admit, I’ve been bitten by the vampire love going around. Are your vampires scary, traditional vampires, or hot, want-to-date-that-undead-man vampires? 

My vampires are definitely those hot, "want to date that undead man" vampires. They're definitely not your typical cape wearing, can't come out during the day vampires; nor do crosses make them cower or stakes kill them. In fact, Quentin drives a million dollar McLaren and lives in a gorgeous castle on the hill and could be on the cover of GQ; unless of course, he's angry and the veins in his cheeks streak red and his skin turns to a white pallor and his fangs protrude. Other than that, you definitely want to jump in bed with him! 

Sounds dreamy when he's not mad! I'm going to need to move these ones up on my TBR list (why is that list always so long? I need more reading time!).

Will you tell us about your upcoming release of book 3 in The Undeparted series, The Banished One

Well first off, The Banished One is a sexier, steamier sequel in spite of it being filled with murder and mayhem….vampire murder and mayhem that is. 

It's about a serial killer vampire named Lucius who's still wreaking havoc on the sleepy town in Tower City, and since he's supernatural he can't be captured by normal police procedure 

A frustrated Lieutenant Welby refuses to believe that the elusive Lucius, the one responsible for those dead bodies in his town, is a vampire; that defies logic. There's got to be another explanation for those fang marks in the victims' throats. 

Welby remains a staunch disbeliever in vampires until the coroner, Doc McMahon, causes him to change his mind! 

Doc shows Welby his ancestral journal from the 1700's regarding Quentin Castle, the father of all vampires. 

Welby is whisked back in time as he reads those yellowed pages filled with encounters of beautiful women being lured to their mortal doom and transformed into vampires by the handsome and charming Quentin. 

But what causes Welby to finally be convinced, is a series of preternatural events and the coroner's scientific evidence! 

Welby then follows the old town rumors about vampires right to Quentin and his gothic castle to enlist Quentin's supernatural aid in capturing Lucius. 

Will Quentin, the only one who can stop Lucius' vampire tirades, help the Lieutenant or make him one of The Undeparted? 

Will Quentin battle Lucius and send Lucius to the bowels of hell for eternity, finally ensuring that Cassandra is safe from her old beau? Will the old coal mining town be safe at last? 

When will The Banished One be available? 

The cover was released on Halloween for the week on my blog: http://deborahpalumbotheundeparted.blogspot.com/ and on various friends' blogs: 


10/31 I had stops at:
http://www.chantelrhondeau.com/
www.thevampirequeen1.blogspot.com
http://www.pendarielraye.blogspot.com/
http://www.jhgaines.blogspot.co.uk/
http://zaria-kline.blogspot.co.uk/
http://lilianasoare.blogspot.com.au/
http://www.prbookreviews.blogspot.com/ ,
http://teahoneysbookcafe.blogspot.com/,
http://readingpassion03.blogspot.com/

On 11/1 http://michellemiles.net/
On 11/8 http://maeclair.net/ 

Let's keep our fingers crossed and hope the book goes live in December.


We'll be hoping it comes out on time! When did you start writing? What made you want to be a writer? 

Talk about fate. I had always wanted to write novels since I was a kid, but it took a period of long confinement to bring about that dream. 

I started writing hot and heavy in the 90's and it wasn't until 2010 that I dusted off my files, edited and self-published my work. I wrote extensively in 2011 and through this year, publishing 8 novels. The 9th, The Banished One as you know is soon to be released. 

Sounds like it has been a long journey, but you have sure accomplished a lot! Congratulations! That is amazing. What do you like to do when you're not writing? 

Think about what I'm going to write next! I live a very quiet, subdued life. When I'm not writing I enjoy relaxing at home; occasionally in front of the TV watching the old black and white shows or listening to 70's music. I'd prefer to play cards or Scrabble rather than go to a club. I'd rather take a long drive on a country road than jet off somewhere. I love to cook for friends. 

I understand you also have a 1948 crime noir novel available, When the Temperature Rises, of which you are currently working on the sequel. What to tell us about this? 

Well, I'm introducing Detective Humphrey Hilton McAllister. Humphrey was constantly skirt chasing; blonde dames were like magnets and he had absolutely no self-control. His other device was consuming too much of the funny water. Yeah, yeah he shook those nasty habits like dance hall girls doing the hoochie coochie, but not before his wife divorced him or before he ruined his relationship with his boss. Potbellied Captain Milroy has lost all faith in his Detective and reluctantly turns over the Santino case to Humph. Humph has 48 hours to solve it or he's gonna be demoted from homicide to following bed jumpers at sleazy motels. But Humphrey has taken a few spins with corpses in his time, so he's confident he can do it. 

The clues take Humphrey on a journey to some pretty interesting people; some are voluptuous blonde dames that attract the Detective like magnets, others are boxers who could lay Humphrey out with one right hook. But the most interesting suspect comes right out of left field like some fly ball: Roberta, Humphrey's ex-wife. 

Now what you have to understand about Humphrey is he's still carrying a torch for Roberta, so hauling her in is the last thing he wants to do. In fact, Humphrey's thinking he'll see ice skating in hell before he slaps handcuffs on her. 

But he does have a job to do and the law to uphold. 

Now I can't tell you bupkis about what happens for obvious reasons; whether or not he slaps a steel bracelet on his ex and hauls her off or not or let's her walk into the sunset.... you'll have to read the novel WHEN THE TEMPERATURE RISES.



Deborah's books are available on her website, ebook and paperback, on








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Click below to buy any of the books featured here on Amazon.  While you're there, check out Deborah's other books too!



Thanks for being here, Deborah! Good luck with all your many projects! We'll be looking forward to The Banished One

Visit Deborah's blog on 12/1, as celebrity guest, Jordan Rhodes, will be there to support Deborah and her books and new release, The Banished OneHe will also discuss his new theatrical film release and his play-turned DVD! You don't want to miss that!

Have a great weekend everyone!
eeeChantelfff
P.S. Don't forget my new policy and read the samples before you buy! Everyone's tastes are different.