Guest - Carrie Ann Ryan

Good morning all! I hope you're having as good a summer as I've had. The garden is growing and I'm getting ready to can some salsa and other garden goodies for those long dreary months in the winter. But I'm also meeting new authors and reading new books and, hey, what's better than that?

I've got a great guest for you today so enjoy!

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Hello everyone! First, I want to thank you for letting me stop to celebrate my release of Dust of My Wings as I’m sitting and writing this, Shade, who is the hero of Dust of My Wings is sitting beside me and reading over my shoulder. So he too, says hello. Now without further ado, here is what I think makes my heroes sexy. *Yes, Shade, that means you.*

What Makes your Hero Worthy

            You’re sitting on your couch, panting, reaching for a glass of water to cool your aching throat, as you turn to the next page. Your hero walks through the scene’s door, eyeing the crowd. You bite your lip as he fists his hands in frustration and glares at his foe. His muscles bulging under his tight T-shirt, his legs encased in form-fitting jeans.

            Of course, this man is a fictional character and you’re getting worked up and begging for chocolate over him. But who cares right? That man is yours for the 350 or so pages and you only have to share him with the heroine. Or the other hero, or two or three more heroes depending on your tastes. And we all know we love a wide array of romance. That’s what makes this field so amazing.

            The diversity.

            Our heroes come human, vampire, werewolf, alien, mutants, angels, merman, other shifters, psychics , zombies, etc. I’m sure you can name a hero that I didn’t, but you get the idea.

            Its not the species that makes them sexy, nor is it the exact look of them  within that species. The can be short, tall, strong, lean or whatever the author’s desire. They can be white, black, brown, blue or purple. Some may be featured more than others, but if you look hard enough you can find the hero to your taste.

            And even after you find your sexy looking male, it’s not just that. What does he sound like? Taste like? (I mean sweat ladies. Keep your minds out of the gutter please. *wink*) What are his mannerisms? How does he protect himself, his family, his friends, his heroine? How does he act when his heroine is kick-ass and can protect herself? (I like that one.) How does he treat the people around him? How does he lay down the law?

            Its everything.

            Shade is a warrior angel who is the swift sword of justice for his bretheren. Does his power make him sexy? I personally think it’s how he uses that power that makes him sexy. Yes, he is mouth-watering to look at. Believe me. He’s sitting right here. Those blue eyes of his just keep staring at me as I write this, so I know. *sigh* Does the fact that he would protect Lily in all situations – even from herself – make him worthy? I think you’ll have to read to find out. LOL

How your hero’s attributes meld together to a delicious specimen of man is in the end, up to your and the author’s imagination. How worthy is your hero? What makes him that way? Why is it that we keep reading novels like this? What makes a hero unique and yours?

Thank you so much for letting me stop by!

* * *

Carrie Ann Ryan is a bestselling paranormal and contemporary romance author. After spending too much time behind a lab bench, she decided to dive into the romance world and find her werewolf mate - even if its just in her books. Happy endings are always near - even if you have to get over the challenges of falling in love first.

Her first book, An Alpha's Path, is the first in her Redwood Pack series. She's also an avid reader and lover of romance and fiction novels. She loves meeting new authors and new worlds. Any recommendations you have are appreciated. Carrie Ann lives in New England with her husband and two kittens.

Carrie Ann loves hearing from readers. You can find her at:

Website | Blog | Heartthrob Haven | Facebook Author Page | Facebook Friend | Goodreads |

Twitter: @CarrieAnnRyan | Tumblr

An Alpha’s Path Amazon  Barnes & Noble ARe A Taste for a Mate Amazon Barnes & Noble ARe Trinity Bound Amazon Barnes&Noble ARe A Night Away Amazon Barnes&Noble ARe

Dust of My Wings

            Humans aren’t as alone as they choose to believe. Every human possesses a trait of supernatural that lays dormant within their genetic make-up. Centuries of diluting and breeding have allowed humans to think they are alone and untouched by magic. But what happens when something changes?

Neat freak lab tech, Lily Banner lives her life as any ordinary human. She’s dedicated to her work and loves to hang out with her friends at Dante’s Circle, their local bar. When she discovers a strange blue dust at work she meets a handsome stranger holding secrets – and maybe her heart. But after a close call with a thunderstorm, she may not be as ordinary as she thinks.

Shade Griffin is a warrior angel sent to Earth to protect the supernaturals’ secrets. One problem, he can’t stop leaving dust in odd places around town. Now he has to find every ounce of his dust and keep the presence of the supernatural a secret. But after a close encounter with a sexy lab tech and a lightning quick connection, his millennia old loyalties may shift and he could lose more than just his wings in the chaos.

EXCERPT

The motorcycle vibrated beneath Shade as he pulled off the side of the road and parked. The rain pelted him, the cold seeping into his bones, but he shrugged it off. He was in northern Washington and this seemed to be the norm in terms of weather.

He lifted his leg and got off the bike, ignoring the stares of the women around him. They watched him stroll, his powerful legs leading to long strides. He’d tucked his wings into the slits into his back to hide the fact he was an angel, but he couldn’t hide his face or the fact that women seemed to fawn over it.

It had been a long time since he had a woman. Not since that were jaguar a century or two ago in a night of deep depression and loneliness for him. But the heat, claws and desperation and only served to fill a physical need that left him even lonelier than before. From then on he left his carnal needs up to his hand. Before the jaguar it had been even longer, but he didn’t want to think about her. The one he’d lost. She was long since gone.

***Giveaway Info***

Carrie Ann is giving away a Dust of My Wings swag pack to someone who comments. Be sure to leave your email address to enter.

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-- Lynda Again,

   I hope you've all enjoyed Carrie's post. Her hero, Shade, sounds like a dream, doesn't he? Make sure you leave a comment to enter her drawing!

   Have a Blessed Day!

Come say Hi

Come say hi while I'm visiting Michelle Miles at her Ye Old Inkwell

http://michellemiles.net/blog/2012/07/26/inkwell-guest-lynda-scott/ 

Leave a comment and your email addy for a chance to win a copy of my interactive adult paranormal Great Escapes - Valentine's Day.

Hope to see you there!

Guest - Susannah Sandlin

Good morning all! Susannah Sandlin is an author of paranormal romance set in the Deep South, where there are always things that go bump in the night! A longtime journalist, Susannah grew up in Alabama reading the gothic novels of Susan Howatch, and always fancied herself living in Cornwall, although she's never actually been there. Details, details. She also read a lot of Stephen King--the combination of Howatch and King probably explains a lot. Currently a resident of Auburn, Alabama, Susannah has also lived in Illinois, Texas, California, and Louisiana.

 Her vampire romance trilogy, The Penton Legacy, begins this year through Montlake Romance. Book One, REDEMPTION, was released June 19. Book Two, ABSOLUTION, comes out on October 9, and OMEGA, book three, will be released in December.

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Breaking the Cover Mold: Tried and True, or On a Limb? 

Susannah Sandlin 

 There’s a joke among writers and readers as to what separates urban fantasy from paranormal romance—two often-overlapping genres. If there’s a half-naked woman on the cover, it’s urban fantasy. If there’s a half-naked man on the cover—or a half-naked couple—it’s paranormal romance.

 I write an urban fantasy series under another name, and have the obligatory woman on the cover, although I did put in an early request to make sure my heroine wasn’t wearing leather or sporting tattoos.

 For my parnormal romance series, when it came time to fill out the publisher’s questionnaire, I looked at a lot of pararom covers. There are some really HOT covers out there. I mean, I can appreciate a good six-pack as well as the next girl, and believe me when I tell you I’m not talking about beer. And, though there is a current trend toward manly back-and-shoulder views, the fab-ab covers still predominate.

 But about the time I was filling the questionnaire out, I happened upon a series of romance covers—some indy-published and some from sizable publishers—that featured the same model in the same pose. On some covers, he’d been given tattoos. On some, half his face had been cut off. There were different backgrounds to make that shot work for those particular books but…still…it was the same guy, and the basic stock image the cover was created from was obviously the same shot. It bothered me. Am I alone in that? Maybe so.

Here’s the problem…all the cover artists out there are plumbing the same mine of stock-photo options, whether it’s iStock or Bigstock or Getty Images. Commissioning original photography or illustration isn’t practical for even the Big Six publishers these days on most books.

Eventually, I asked to not have abs or shoulders on my covers, but faces. One of the things about the vampires in Redemption and the rest of my Penton Legacy series, is that the guys’ eyes lighten or silver out when they’re hungry or upset or, you know, aroused in some way (heh). So it seemed worth the risk to go the face route.


Why is it risky? Well, there’s a big debate between several of my crit partners as to how different the guy on the cover of the second book, Absolution (out in October), looks from their mental images of the book’s hero. Because when we read, especially romance, we have a mental image of the guy that we fall in love with for three hundred pages or so. A set of manly abs with no visible face looming above is less risky, and for some readers will be preferable because they can make that face look however they want. 


 So…where do you weigh in on the cover image? Does it bother you to see the same basic photo used on multiple covers? Would you rather see a face on your romance cover, or prefer to imagine the hero however you want him?


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 Redemption (Penton Legacy, Book #1) 


For vampire Aidan Murphy, life has never been so desperate. The vaccine used to treat a global pandemic has rendered human blood deadly to his kind, leaving them on the brink of starvation and civil war. In tiny Penton, Alabama, Aidan establishes a peaceful community of vampires and unvaccinated human donors. He dares to hope they can survive until his estranged brother descends upon Penton and begins killing the humans. Determined to save his town, Aidan kidnaps an unsuspecting human doctor and finds himself falling in love for the first time in nearly four centuries. 


Dr. Krystal Harris thought she was coming to Penton for a job interview, but Aidan Murphy has other plans. Infuriated by his high-handed scheme to imprison her in the small town, Krys can't ignore the attraction between them. But is it love? Or does her dangerous, charismatic captor want only to bend her to his will?


Amazon 
Note: The Kindle version of Redemption is currently on sale for $3.99.


Barnes & Noble 


Book Depository 


 Find Susannah at: Website: http://www.susannahsandlin.com 


Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/susannahsandlin 


Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/susannahsandlin ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~


-- Lynda Again, 


That's it for today. Leave a comment or say hi! I'm intrigued by Susannah's question. Face or no face? When I considered covers for my Altered Destiny, I went the 'no face' route ...mostly because I didn't think there'd be a mortal man alive who could be as handsome as Devyn MacGregor, lol, but I digress. 


What are your thoughts?


Have a Blessed Day!


PS I apologize if you saw the earlier 'skunky' display. There was a problem with html or fonts that I didn't catch before it posted. I believe I've got everything back to 'pretty' and all the links work. If you find something amiss, let me know at lynda@lyndakscott.com and I'll fix it asap.

Guest - Cera Dubois

Good morning all! We have author Cera DuBois visiting us today. Cera has a fantastic giveaway so make sure to follow her instructions.

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Vampires—What’s the Appeal?

For a while now, everyone with a finger on the pulse on the publishing industry has been saying vampires are dead (no pun intended). No one is reading them anymore and stories about them are getting harder to sell. That might be slightly true, vampire stories may be harder to find homes with agents and editors of the larger traditional publishers, but they have a solid home with the small-presses and in the hearts of fans.

But what is the appeal? Whether the vampires are undead or alive, they are popular among readers. Authors such as Stephenie Meyer, J.R. Ward, Christine Feehan, Charlaine Harris, and Lindsay Sands have become supper famous for their vampire stories.

Why would any woman want to be involved with a man who not only could kill her, but would also never age? And if the vampire is undead rather than of a different species (as is the case with Feehan and Ward’s vamps), why would any woman in her right mind want him?

I only know why I read and write about vampires, so here are the top five reasons I love them…

1.         They are the ultimate bad boy. Alive or undead, they hold that air of danger and mystery that goes right along with why we all loved James Dean.

2.         They are the epitome of the perfect male—handsome beyond anything human (even with the fangs or sparkly skin). They are virile, experienced and considerate lovers. Who wouldn’t want a man who could really make love to you literally all night long?

3.         Vampires hold the secret to immortality. Sure, if turned you might need to drink blood, but who doesn’t want to be forever young, healthy and strong?

4.         Most vampires are tortured souls who only the love of a good woman can fix. But unlike our real life mates, vampires don’t complain when we try to fix them—they see it is the best thing that could have happen to them in centuries! Now if my hubby would just think this when I tell him not to leave the toilet seat up…

5.         Let’s face it ladies, who wouldn’t fall for a guy like this… No matter how many thousands of women he may have been with or maybe he has been waiting only for you for the past several centuries, he’ll love only his you and no one else for not just the next fifty years, but for eternity. Or at least for the next thousand years…

So, tell me why you either love or hate vampires. If you love the vampires of J.R. Ward and Christine Feehan because they are alive and hate the vampires of Stephenie Meyer and Charlaine Harris because they are living dead, tell us why. And if you hate vampires altogether, why?

***

The serial killer stalking Clayton, Pennsylvania, isn’t all that has Chief of Police Grace Wallace worried. For a year, she’s tried to forget Special Agent Ian McHenry and now he’s the expert the FBI sent to catch the killer. She can’t stay away from him, but something primal is telling her to run to save much more than just her heart. Despite the strict code of ethics Ian vowed to follow as a vampire hunter, he craves Grace’s blood above all others. If he chooses to stay, Ian risks losing his chance at divine forgiveness. But if he leaves Grace unprotected from the evil he’s hunted for over a century, he loses more than just his soul…

Excerpt:

“I don’t get it. It’s almost like the bodies were drained before he slit the throats,” the coroner said.

Grace let go of the sweater. She sat back on her haunches and stared at the body. “How does he do it?”

Nothing explained the lack of blood or signs of struggle. The use of a drug to subdue the victims was discredited when none was found in their systems. Of course, there was hardly enough blood left in any of them to test. Had this creep simply walked up behind them, drained their blood with some method of phlebotomy, and then slit their throats to mislead the investigation?

She tucked those thoughts away to think on them later and looked across the body to her oldest officer. “I’m sorry, Gordon. Ben said you knew her.”

Grace had never known any of the murdered victims she investigated in the city, which she considered a blessing. It was bad enough that, by the time she was done with a case, she often felt attached, especially to the victim’s family.

With the four murders within her jurisdiction over the past month, she’d either known them personally or their families and friends. Each murder chipped a little more away from her as she shared the town’s collective grief.

With a flash of obvious grief in his blue eyes, Gordon paused with a pair of tweezers and a small baggie poised in his gloved hands.  “Sadly I do. She went to school with my eldest boy. Her name is Christina Murphy. Good student, track star.”

After a moment, Gordon cleared his throat and jutted his chin toward one of the larger plastic bags next to him. “Those are the contents of her pockets. Like the others, nothing seems to be stolen. She was carrying a Visa card and about twenty-five dollars on her.”

“Well, it’s obvious she wasn’t killed here.” Sam finished zipping a bag with what looked like three strands of short dark hair in it and labeled it with a thin black marker. “Where the heck is the FBI? We’ll be done before they get here.”

“I’m glad the Feds are finally on the case.” Jonah stood back with his arms crossed over his wool coat, waiting for the police to finish their jobs.

As a typical big city cop, she always resented when the Feds came breezing in and took over a case, usually after she and her department did all the dirty work. However, she wasn’t in the big city anymore. She didn’t have an expert medical examiner on the case who had years of experience in forensic science. Jonah had held the elected office of coroner for ten years. He was good at determining if a person died of natural causes, but with the grisly side of unnatural death, he was somewhat at a loss.

In a strange way, her quaint little town was perfect for a serial killer. Everyone, including the police, thought it was safe. Grace was fast realizing there were no safe places.

She heaved in a sigh and removed her gloves. “I don’t know anyone from Pittsburgh.”

With a creak in his knees, Gordon stood and stretched his back. “I’d rather have that team you worked with in Philly. According to some of the state cops, they’re the best at catching sickos like this creep.”

No, she wanted to scream. She could never work with Ian McHenry again. Instead, she distractedly muttered, “I’m sure Pittsburgh has good agents, too.”

“But we are the best of the best, Chief Wallace.”

The impact of the lyrical tones hit her square in the chest. She gasped and didn’t want to look up. She didn’t want to see the man to whom the beautiful Irish voice belonged.

Buy Links:

The Wild Rose Press: http://www.thewildrosepress.com/index.php?main_page=index&manufacturers_id=980

Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_noss?url=search-alias%3Ddigital-text&field-keywords=cera+dubois

To find out more about A Hunter’s Angel, check out my website (http://ceradubois.wordpress.com/a-hunters-angel-the-book-tour/) for a schedule of my blog stops over the next month. I will be presenting a series of short stories called The Vampire Encounters. Follow me as I interview Ian McHenry, Master Vampire Lucas Pomeroy, Vivian van Dyke Pomeroy, and have a scary run-in with Shane Chamberlain. Hope to see you along the way.

Contest:

Two Lucky Posters will get a PDF copy of Bloodwine. (for info on this short story check out my website)—Drawing to happen July 20.

1st Stalker Prize: Every Poster will also be entered into a drawing for either a custom-made pair of angel wing earrings, charm bracelet, or necklace (check out my website for photos)—drawing to happen on September 1.

2st Stalker Prize: Every Poster will also be entered into a drawing of a $10 gift card from either Amazon or Barnes and Noble (winner’s choice)—drawing to happen on September 1.

About Cera:

Cera duBois has a strong belief in never giving up on your dreams…

Although Cera was unable to read due to dyslexia and a learning disability until she was in the fourth grade, she always had a story to tell. She wrote her first novel in eleventh grade when she had to keep a journal for her academic English class. Since her life was far from exciting growing up as a farm girl in West Central Pennsylvania, she decided to rely on her imagination to give her something to write about. Over the course of the school year, she wrote a tangled romance set in the Deep South during the Civil War.  Becoming an author was her ultimate dream. Despite holding a BS in secondary social studies education from Penn State University, she currently works full-time as a medical secretary. A mother of a teenage son and pre-teen daughter, she lives near Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, with her husband of nearly 20 years. If she isn’t sitting in a quiet corner with her laptop, warm days will find her in the English garden surrounding her house. Cera loves to read and is interested in history, romance, science fiction and the paranormal. She also writes contemporary Westerns under her real name of Sara Walter Ellwood.

Website Links:

Website: http://www.ceradubois.com

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/sarawalterellwood.ceradubois/

Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/sara_w_ellwood

To Sign up for my newsletter: http://eepurl.com/mVxXf

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-- Lynda Again

    That's it! Cera's book sounds fantastic. If you've read it or you're planning to read it, let me know how you like it. I'm always in the market for a good read!

     Have a Blessed Day!

Setting More Than Just a Pretty Place

Good morning everyone! It looks like it's going to be a bright, sunny (and probably hot) day here in Michigan. My tomatoes are starting to ripen. At least the cherry tomatoes are, the bigger tomatoes are still in the embryonic stage. We've been pretty busy enjoying the weather and some great new movies. I've also done a round of contest judging (and sure hope a couple of these get published soon because I want to see how they end) and a round of editing for my latest interactive adult paranormal Great Escapes - Summer Solstice. 

At any rate, I thought I'd share one of my earlier posts about settings. Hope you find it entertaining and informative!

Setting More Than Just a Pretty Place

by

Lynda K. Scott

According to Wikipedia:

In fiction, setting includes the time, location, and everything in which a story takes place, and initiates the main backdrop and mood for a story.

That's a fairly decent definition. But we, as authors, can't just say "Star Date: 8900.3, Starship Enterprise, Captain's Log" at the beginning of our story or whenever we have a scene change...though it would make things a lot easier, lol.

When I begin writing a story, I start with characters (who are they, where did they come from, what do they look like) but right behind them is the Setting. Why so? Because the answer can lead to Why Are They Here and that is invaluable to the plot.

Many authors use the setting as a character itself. Setting can lead to opportunities to add to the characterization or the plot. In my short story, Magician's Tale, the characters are scientists doing a quick study on a planet that rotates around a binary star system. In my novel, Heartstone, the characters travel to two planets totally different from Earth in climate and/or life forms.

My preference is to use the setting to help show mood or lead in to conflict. Here are some examples and a brief description of why I used it.

Weather Related Setting Descriptions

 The sky turned storm-silver and he heard the muffled roll of thunder, accompanied by the closer whine of a man-thing. (Heart of a Dragon – introduced the conflict)

 An ocean breeze, faintly laced with brine and damp, rolled up the mountain to chill his sweat-dampened skin. (Heartstone – leads into a scene showing internal fear)

Time of Day Setting Descriptions

A shadow, long and sharp in the sun's slanting rays, moved and vanished before Keriam could identify it. (Heartstone – shows contrasting mood)

Far out to sea, a pale line of fog rose out of the ocean depths.  High above the fog, a star pulsed in the indigo sky. (Altered Destiny – leads to characters mood)

But what if (my favorite phrase, lol) what if your character is on another planet?

Maureen McKinna’s polarized faceplate darkened as she looked toward the ominous red giant rapidly sinking behind the serrated teeth of the horizon.  (Magician's Tale – lead in to upcoming danger)
Mood Related Setting Descriptions

 The trees grew in an odd triad formation, three boles rooted companionably together. (Heartstone – shows viewpoint characters' intrigue with new world)

 The only signs of life were low, sulky bushes and a sooty yellow grass that hugged the ground stubbornly. (Heartstone – shows not only the desolate landscape but reflects the viewpoint characters' mood)

These are just a few ways to show the setting. Yes, they're brief and in their stories they're usually accompanied by an extra two or three sentences. But even when describing an alien world, you don't need paragraph on paragraph devoted to the setting. (Unless you write like James Michener who devoted pages and pages to describe the place his novel was set.) 

Whether it's to enhance characterization or plot, mood or theme, setting is more than just pretty place. It's a vital component in the writer's arsenal. 

Where to find me on the web:

Website http://www.lyndakscott.com.

To join my newsletter, send a blank email to: LyndaKScott-Newsgroup-subscribe@yahoogroups.com

Myspace: http://www.myspace.com/lyndakscott

Twitter: http://twitter.com/LyndaKScott

Facebook Author Page:  http://www.facebook.com/pages/Lynda-K-Scott/201599553208653

Blog         http://www.lyndakscott.blogspot.com

Blog         http://www.star-crossedromance.blogspot.com

Heartstone

By Lynda K. Scott

Mundania Press

Eric d'Ebrur is out of time. He must fine the legendary Heartstone and fulfill the ancient Gar'Ja bond he shares with the Stonebearer. But when he finds her, he discovers that love can be more dangerous than the Gawan threat. Eric can defeat the mind-controlling Gawan but will it cost him the woman he loves? 

After terrifying episodes of hypersensitivity, Keriam Norton thinks she's losing her mind. When handsome shapeshifter Eric d'Ebrur saves her from the monstrous Gawan, she's sure of it. But insane or not, she'll find the Heartstone and, if she's lucky, a love to last a lifetime.

Available in print and ebook format

Buy Links: Mundania Press (use MP10 at checkout for 10% discount)

http://www.mundania.com/book.php?title=Heartstone

Amazon http://www.amazon.com/Heartstone-Lynda-K-Scott/dp/1606592335/ref=ntt_at_ep_dpt_3

  

Altered Destiny 

by Lynda K Scott

Science Fantasy Romance

Available in ebook formats

Stranded on an alternate Earth, architect and Jill-of-all-trades, Liane Gautier-MacGregor must find her way back to her homeworld before she's enslaved...or falls in love with a man who is the exact duplicate of her ex-husband. 

Devyn MacGregor's alter ego as the Reiver Lord is the only way he can fight the Qui'arel and their nefarious Bride Bounty, a tax paid with human females...until he meets the oddly familiar woman who claims he is her husband. And who sets in motion the rebellion that will either free his countrymen or destroy them.

Buy Links: 

Amazon http://www.amazon.com/Altered-Destiny-ebook/dp/B00579FKFO/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1308920443&sr=8-1

Nook http://search.barnesandnoble.com/Altered-Destiny/Lynda-K-Scott/e/2940012882417

Smashwords https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/79552

GrEat escapes – Valentine's Day (First in Series)

By Lynda K. Scott and Linda Wisdom

Coliloquy

Interactive Adult Paranormal Fiction

The heartbroken and lovelorn come to Great Escapes B&B in search of a relaxing getaway, only to embark on a weekend of sexual self-discovery, courtesy of the inn's resident ghosts, who bring to life each guest's deepest desires.

Just as the ghosts transform to meet the needs of each guest, Great Escapes leverages the Kindle platform to deliver what each reader wants. Do you like your erotica steamy or romantic? Your hero to have blue or brown eyes? Anonymously fill out your preferences, and we'll deliver the best version of hundreds of combinations prepared by the authors.

In Great Escapes: Valentine's Day, Rose's best friend gives her a weekend stay, where an invisible lover helps her to rediscover her sexuality. But will she open her eyes enough to see who is right next door?

Buy Link

http://www.amazon.com/Great-Escapes/dp/B007P4365K/ref=sr_1_6?ie=UTF8&qid=1332913900&sr=8-6

That's it for today! Hope you all have a Blessed Week!

Guest - Britt Bury

Good morning all! Happy July and for our USA readers, Happy Independence Day (a few days early but what the heck?)

Today's guest is author Britt Bury, who writes paranormal romance where the immortals are fierce, the stakes are high, and desire can be deadly. Britt was raised in Corvallis, Oregon and attended Oregon State University majoring in Liberal Studies. When her dream of being a professional karaoke star and Elvis impersonator didn't pan out, she turned to writing. She currently lives in the Silicon Valley with her brilliant husband, two sons and an obscene amount of fish.

Britt's first paranormal romance releases July 3, 2012 with Grand Central's imprint: Forever Yours. Britt is represented by Jill Marsal of Marsal Lyon Literary Agency.

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Thank you so much Lynda for having me! It’s nice coming over to chat with you and take a break from the sweltering sun. Even the characters in my head are complaining about the heat. That’s when you know you’re either a little crazy, or it’s that frickin’ hot! 

I’m from Oregon originally, so I like the rain. This California sun takes some getting use to. Does anyone else have “writing weather?” For me, I write best during the overcast, cloudy times of year. It’s small things like that, that make me wonder how much of my personal preferences leak into my writing. For instance, a lot of my scenes take place in the rain and the dark. But it’s not just that, I think a lot of the author gets poured into the book they are writing. I know this probably seems like a “duh” statement, but I was hoping to get some feedback about how readers feel—not just about the books they read, but the authors that write them.

Today, I’m here as a reader, hoping to get some insight. While I love writing, I devour paranormal romances and wonder what others think about as they read. When I’m done with a book, I tend to think about the author and how/if their personal preferences influence their story.

Can a reader pick up on an author’s personality through their book? Do you feel like you get a glimpse of the author through their writing? Maybe develop an idea about how they are in real life. Or, have you read a book, then met the author and were surprised because their demeanor seemed different than the characters they write?

I love reading and imagining what influences a writer to use certain language or how they come up with various personalities for their heroes and heroines. Paranormal is especially fun because you can have all kinds of different creatures and species. For me, there’s an extra escape element in paranormal and fantasy novels. Reading them takes me away from the real world and I constantly wonder how an author came up with their unique spin on the “ordinary.” 

However, once I’ve finished the book and am thrown back to reality, I tend to think of the author as a character herself. For example, Larissa Ione is one of my favorite paranormal authors. Her characters are tough, witty and all around bad-asses. When I met Larissa, she was kind, laid back and hilarious. I realized then that I had a vision of how she would be in real life based on her books and when I saw her, a real person, it was awing. I equate it to meeting the Disney princesses when I was young. I watched and read Cinderella over and over. I felt like I knew her through the book and movie. But when I met her at Disneyland, it was like staring down the best part of my imagination. For me, it’s the same thing with meeting authors. Real people inspiring creativity and invoking emotions without ever being present. 

When I go to conferences, I have to remind myself that stalking is illegal and take an extra dose of anti-anxiety meds because I get star struck every time! Am I a total nutter-butter? Does anyone else feel this way?

Contact Britt

Website: www.BrittBury.com
Twitter: @BrittBury
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Britt-Bury/343830518982602
Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/The-Darkest-Day-ebook/dp/B007SQUNII/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1340231025&sr=8-1&keywords=britt+bury
B&N: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-darkest-day-britt-bury/1108820139
Publisher's Website: www.forever-romance.com

ALL-CONSUMING DESIRE . . .

Izel Campbell was raised to believe she is an immortal Fionn with the magical skills fo persuasion. But when she travels to Scotland to visit her ancestral home, Izel discovers that she is actually the world's last living human. Forced to run for her life, Izel crosses paths with Kelvin Kerr, the Campbells' greatest foe-and the most magnificent warrior she has ever seen.

BURNS BRIGHTEST . . .

A thousand-year-old battle chief of the Kerr clan, Kelvin lives only to avenge his father, who died at the hands of the bloody Campbells. Honor demands he kill the Campbell heir, but when he learns that the lovely Izel is both Campbell and human, Kelvin is torn between duty and desire . . .

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-- Lynda Again
    Wow, nice cover, Britt! Thanks for visiting us. And, I hear you. I once met Nora Roberts at a conference. I forgot how to speak. I'm sure she thought I was a few cards short of a full deck. But she was gracious as she always is...and I let her escape without me having to be restrained by the police, lol

     Have a Blessed Day and Happy July 4th!