April 6, 2016 by Caroline Barker

Blog Tour, Exclusive Author Post & Review BLOQ by Alan Jones

Released in the last week, we are pleased to be joining gritty, Scottish crime author Alan Jones (The Cabinetmaker, Blue Wicked) for his latest work of fiction, BLOQ, during his release blog tour! Not only do we have the book info and review for you, but the author has written an exclusive piece for us, whereby a main character from the story is being interviewed by a journalist, also a character from Bloq!

Title: Bloq

Author: Alan Jones

Genre: Crime drama, thriller

Release date: April 1st, 2016

Released by: Ailsa Publishing

Length: 300 pages

Blurb: A father waits in Glasgow’s Central Station for his daughter, returning home from London for Christmas. When the last train has pulled in, and she doesn’t get off it, he makes a desperate overnight dash to find out why. His search for her takes over his life, costing him his job and, as he withdraws from home, family and friends, he finds himself alone, despairing of ever seeing her again.

This is a gritty crime novel with some sexual content.

BUY LINKS:

AMAZON UK

AMAZON US

REVIEW ***** (5* rating)

Bloq is an extremely well-written dark and gritty crime novel, telling the story of a widower whose devoted daughter doesn’t come home for Christmas. The father goes to all lengths in the search for her, with twists and surprises that really do shock and create emotion within the reader.

We start where the reader is succumbed to a fantastic, dark-but-gripping prologue, demonstrating foul play and providing us with the curiosity to find out just who the victim is, and who did it. I love it when books reel you in, straight in at the deep end at the very beginning. In this way, there’s no leaving the story until you get some answers. The author has his claws in you, and you’re hooked!

One cannot help but feel completely devastated for Bill. He is a very likable, gentle character, and not only has he been widowed recently, but now his only daughter, Carol, has gone missing with no explanation. Since she moved down to London for her career as a journalist, Carol always took the time to return to Glasgow, visiting her parents, and now just her father. She would always let him know which train she was ready to catch and he would then meet her at the station. When her train arrives with no sign of Carol, he immediately senses that something is wrong; she hasn’t called or texted him. And so he waits for the next; all the time the reader senses his gut feeling that something is wrong.

As the story begins to unfold, and with little help from the police, Bill tries to follow the only lead he has from one of Carol’s friends. To be able to keep track of his search he spends a great deal of his time in London, whilst still trying to maintain his day job in Glasgow. With luck going completely against him, after a few weeks of working flexi-time, he is encouraged to leave due to the fact that he shuts himself off and thinks only of his daughter’s disappearance.

Many doors close in Bill’s face, leaving very little hope. But, the sheer determination that Bill has is admirable. The reader can truly sense that he will find out what happened if it’s the last thing he does. I found myself tearing up due to the gentle and caring manner the author wrote about Bill’s actions and feelings – as if it was the author himself that had undergone this terrible ordeal. It is delicately and beautifully written in the places it needs to be. A truly outstanding read.

I love how in all of Alan Jones‘ books the main character has a skilful trade that is incorporated somewhere into the story. In this case it is more subtle than his previous work, but as a fan of the author I truly appreciated it.

Alan Jones has gone from strength to strength with each book (The Cabinetmaker, Blue Wicked). And, I can see Bloq being his most popular to date. It will definitely stay with me for a long time to come, and I can’t wait to read more from this author.

A copy of Bloq was provided by the author in return for a fair and honest review.

Reviewed by Caroline Barker

EXCLUSIVE AUTHOR POST

To coincide with our blog tour post Alan Jones has kindly provided us with a pastiche of an article written by one of the minor characters in the book, a journalist, about one of the main characters in the book, the owner of the nightclub that gives the book its title – Bloq.

Aleksander Gjebrea – Eastern Bloq Entrepreneur. By Steve Evans The Times, Business section: London Local

I met Aleksander Gjebrea at his up-and-coming nightclub, ‘Bloq‘, a new player in London’s entertainment scene. After hearing good things about the club, bravely located in one of the city’s less fashionable areas, I paid a visit with some friends a week ago. If the evening was anything to go by, the management are pulling out all the stops to attract the cream of London’s clubbers.

While they’re still a way off attracting the A-listers, the club has its fair share of lesser known celebrities and young footballers. And it was busy. Even so, the owner took time to sit down during the evening for a while and chat with our group, and I must say, it would have been hard to imagine a more congenial host. I took advantage of this and asked him if he would be prepared to give me an interview for an article in a series I was writing about young immigrant entrepreneurs who had made their mark on their adopted city, and he kindly agreed.

So, before it opens for the evening’s revelry, we’re sitting in Bloq, drinking coffee and talking about his journey from his first job as a barman after arriving in the UK over ten years ago, to owning a nightclub with multiple zones and a top of the range sound system attracting up and coming DJ’s from all over England.

I asked him first if he’d ever hoped he could have come this far in such a short time. He laughed. “I always knew I would succeed. I would have just kept going until I did. That it happened so soon is just a bonus.” He tells me this in a voice tinted with an accent which is a product of his Albanian origins. I complement him on his English. He smiles and tells me that at first, the accent was detrimental, both in his employment and in social situations, but, the more successful he had become, the more his Albanian tinted speech proved to be an asset, but he stopped short of saying that he deliberately cultivated his accent to appear more charismatic.

He certainly oozed an easy and unaffected charm. A good looking man at 35, he says his single status is largely due to his focus and drive being on the business. He claims to work 18 hour days and, from what I have seen, it would be hard to dispute this.

“When I arrived from Albania, I had three of four jobs in different bars; a day here, a day there, but the owners soon realised that I worked hard and had a good feel for the job. I’d worked in my uncle’s bar back in Vlorë before I left Albania, so I knew the bar trade well. After a few months, I was offered the manager’s job at one of the bars and I increased turnover by £35K in one year. I put the bonus money I’d saved as a deposit on a run-down bar in a not so good area. It was part of a bankruptcy sale and it went very cheap. Within two years I had bought the property next door and expanded out into it. There were lots of students moving into the area and I put in some good audio, hired some decent DJs and did the whole place up as a small club.”

He told me where his first venture was situated, and that his younger brother ran it now. I asked him what had prompted his decision to move on to a new place when he had built up a good business that was doing well for him.

“I knew that I’d taken it as far as it could go. My brother had been over for a few years working for me and I thought of making him the manager, but I decided that he would make a better job of it if he owned it. I know that he’ll pay back the money to me, even though I’ve never asked him for it. It’s in our family make up. So I was happy to hand it over to him. I knew that to achieve my ambition of having a top class club, I needed a bigger venue, in the right location.”

I asked him why he’d chosen Walworth. It wasn’t an obvious place for a top end nightclub.

“It was the building that mattered, and I couldn’t afford one big enough in a more fashionable area. Walworth has good transport connections and is not too far away from central London. This building came up and I knew it was right.”

On the club’s name, he re-told the story I’d heard when I’d visited the club. Originally, he’d intended to call the club Eastern Bloq, a homage to his origins, but the name had been shortened to the more striking Bloq.

We took a break from our interview and he showed me around. The club has four main areas. There’s a sizeable lounge bar with a dance floor; very well decked out with lush seating and a number of tables for diners. The club does a limited menu, but it’s not primarily an eating place. It has a laid back feel to it, and the music is generally smooth, shall we say, and it’s not so loud as to make conversation impossible without shouting. The drinks are priced reasonably for an establishment of this quality, although, for those with too much disposable income, I noticed a few very expensive bottles of wine and some top end spirits on the drinks menu.

A stairway from the main foyer climbs to a terraced seating area overlooking the lounge bar, housing an intimate and quiet corner in the otherwise hectic and noisy venue.

The third area is the main dance zone, and you can tell there’s been a heavy investment in the sound system, and just as importantly, in the sound insulation that allows the music to be as loud as it needs to be without making the rest of the club intolerable. It’s very impressive, as I saw on the night I was there as a clubber, and the lighting was equally attention-grabbing too.

I asked Aleksander how much it had cost him.

Without blinking, he told me the whole place had cost well over three quarters of a million. I’d suspected it might have been more, but he informed me that he could strike a good deal with his contractors! He said that he’d paid off the loans on his previous club within three years and that he’d been able to put a bit of money behind him before he bought the building that he then transformed into Bloq. Despite that, he adds that it will take him a little longer to clear the debt on his latest project.

“I also run an import\export business between the UK and Albania. There’s a demand for British luxury goods because of the more open economy out there, and we bring produce back from Albania that competes very well with its UK equivalents. This, with some property development we’re also involved in, has allowed us to reduce the debt burden significantly, just five years into the life of the club.”

As we returned to the lounge bar, he showed me the VIP room, that is available at an undisclosed fee to those of his clientele who preferred a more private and personal experience, but with access to all the club’s other facilities.

“It’s very popular for birthdays, anniversaries and the like, and we’re finding it increasingly being booked by commercial organisations for corporate entertainment.”

I tackled him about the drug scene, and how it affected the management of the club.

“Being completely honest, it’s nearly impossible to stop it altogether, but our security is second to none, and we pride ourselves on the fact that the club has no serious drug issues.”

Returning to the lounge area, I asked him where he thought he’d be in another five years.

“My ambition is to make Bloq one of the premier late night London Venues by 2017. I would like to think that we can accomplish it at this location, because it’s good for the local area, bringing employment and extra footfall for local businesses. After that, who knows. Paris, Rome, Madrid?”

Having spent a few hours with the man, and being given a glimpse of the small but impressive business empire he has built from nothing in a very short time, it’s hard not to believe him when he says that he can achieve this ambitious target, and it’s even harder to rule out the possibility that it may well happen.

March 22, 2016 by Caroline Barker

#FREE until Friday The Unfinished Tale of Sophie Anderson by Martyn J. Pass

From the author of the post-apocalyptic fantasies ‘The Wolf and the Bear’ and Haggart’s Dawn, comes a new romantic read with The Unfinished Tale of Sophie Anderson. Released on March 17th, this fresh read is FREE until Friday, and has been added to my reading list for the near future.

Title: The Unfinished Tale of Sophie Anderson

Author: Martyn J. Pass

Genre: Romance

Release date: March 17, 2016

Length: 133 pages

Blurb: Welding, a Jack Reacher novel and a night in with a bottle of red wine seems to be as exciting as Sophie Anderson’s life gets.
That is until a stint of on-site work brings Tom into her life. He’s been her foreman for years now but when they’re forced to work together for the first time, Sophie begins to see that happiness might have finally taken a chance on her and that the often overlooked manager might just be the man of her dreams.

But Mel, her best friend and flat mate, has a harrowing past that returns with devastating results and Sophie is forced to wonder whether happiness is real or just a fairy tale told to hide the bars and walls of a man-made prison.

Love, heat and passion are as much a part of Sophie’s tale as the grief and suffering which follows her every step. Expect to find her unfinished tale a real and painful journey into the life of someone who might be working a cubicle down from you or in the welding bay on the other side of the workshop.

BUY LINKS:-

AMAZON UK

AMAZON US

Prices are subject to change after Friday, so please order before then for your FREE COPY.

You can find out more about Haggart’s Dawn (with an excerpt), Martyn J. Pass and The Wolf and the Bear by following this link.

February 24, 2016 by Tina Williams

BLOG TOUR with AUTHOR POST & EXCERPT ~ A Killer By Any Other Name, by Mary O’Sullivan (includes giveaway)

Today we are delighted to feature Mary O’Sullivan and her latest release Thicker Than Water, a thriller featuring a serial killer and a town’s search to find a missing teenager and her father. Scroll down to read Mary’s post in which she reveals the extensive research she undertook prior to writing, an excerpt and the book’s blurb. Tina 🙂

A Killer By Any Other Name

My latest book, Thicker Than Water, features a serial killer. This meant doing research on psychopaths before I wrote a word. I had to know which traits my character should have, how they would interact with those around them, how they would conduct relationships. I was surprised to find from my research, that intelligence and charm were dominant traits – very far removed from the image of the sleazy unkempt person you would shun. Their apparent normality helps them to carry out their mission in life. I understood from what I learned that their empathy is nil, conscience non-existent, and their motivation is control. The ultimate power over another person is that of life and death. These angry people feel god-like, in total charge, perhaps for the first time, as they end the life of another human being. That power becomes an aphrodisiac, their life-blood. They live to kill and kill to live.

Infants, vulnerable beings that they are, tug at the heart strings of even the toughest of us. It is difficult to imagine violent murderers as innocent babies – blank canvases. Or are they? Are killers born with murder already imprinted in their genes? Professor Adrian Raine, over the course of many years research on prisoners, discovered that murderers’ brains make them more prone to anger. Conversely, their brains are configured to lower their ability to control that anger. He also believed early childhood abuse to be a factor in causing the brain to develop in this way.

In 1993 along came the amazing discovery of the so-called ‘Warrior Gene’, associated with violent behaviour and present in thirty percent of males. The really interesting finding is that not all of that thirty percent go on to behave violently. Some can, and do, lead law-abiding, productive, lives and form steady relationships. An interesting example of this is told in the book ‘The Psychopath Inside’, by neuroscientist James Fallon. In studying the brain scans of convicted criminals, he discovered his own brain scan matched theirs. He also scored high on the Hare Psychopathy Check List, a set of questions designed to determine anti-social and psychopathic tendencies. He concluded that if his upbringing had not been a positive influence, then he himself would probably have become a criminal. A neat answer to the nature versus nurture question but research is still at an early stage.

For me, Edward Theodore Gein (said to be the inspiration behind the book and film Silence Of The Lambs), personifies the most nightmarish aspects of psychopathy. Not satisfied with murder and cannibalism alone, this Wisconsin handy-man, fashioned lampshades from the flesh of his victims. He epitomises evil and yet, from photos, he appears to be a harmless little man. You can be side by side with a very disturbed psychopath and have no inkling.

That was the case with crime journalist, Ann Rule, as she sat beside the multiple murderer Ted Bundy, in of all places, a Crisis Call centre. She and Ted were friends as she investigated the serial murders of young women. Not for a moment did she suspect the, handsome, clever, well-educated and clearly normal, Ted Bundy. Her book on the subject, The Stranger Beside Me, makes for thought provoking reading. Ted, also known as the Campus Killer, was convicted of three murders, admitted to thirty six, and is believed to have committed at least one hundred. He was executed on 24^th January 1989 but, as with other multiple murderers, people still seem to be fascinated by him.

While I think research very important, I also believe that it should just be a background in a work of fiction – an insurance that I won’t put my character into too implausible a situation. So when I discovered that the term psychopath, which I had studied so diligently, is now out of favour and Anti-social Personality Disorder is in, I abandoned research and let the writing begin.

Below is an excerpt, in the voice of the killer, from Thicker Than Water, published by Tirgearr Publishing.

Thank you to a readersreviewblog for hosting me today and thanks also to Lucy Felthouse (Writers Marketing Services) for organising my visit here.

Excerpt from Thicker Than Water

I control it – the urge, ‘the need’ as I usually call it. It gradually builds from the dreams and the voice and I hold the reins every step of the way from concept to final disposal. I orchestrate ‘the need’ and it fulfils me. That’s our bargain. But of late, ‘the need’ has been a bit too impulsive, too anxious to act before the ground work is properly laid. Like with that student in Dungarvan. Yes, I was in charge enough to ensure there were no CCTV cameras in the pick-up area , no witnesses to our meeting , that I left no traces and that I destroyed evidence but I’m still uneasy at how unplanned the whole thing was . I’m especially perturbed by how helpless I was on that occasion against ‘the need’. I saw her, Andrea McGee, and I knew the instant she stepped off the bus wearing hot pants moulded to her buttocks that she was evil. Her nose ring was the final sign she was one of them. I intended to mark her for processing, to learn more about her and her movements, to plan the where and when for disposal. ‘The need’ had other ideas. It took the chance of following the girl along a country road, of picking her up. It raged and burned inside me, it became me until that glorious moment of release when she let go her hold on life and ‘the need’ let go its hold on me.

And now, ‘the need’ is starting to burn again, to remind me that I have work to do. It hasn’t given me enough time to enjoy the peace. But maybe that’s the price of having a purpose in life. And one thing I know for sure. The world will be a better place when my work is done.

Blurb for Thicker Than Water :

When local teenager, Keira Shannon and her father, business man Gerard Shannon, go missing, the town of Ballyderg unites to search for them.

As the search continues rumours of domestic violence, extramarital affairs and criminal behaviour are rife. The crisis causes families and lifelong friends to doubt each other.

The only certainty left is that the town has been visited by evil. Or has it? Could it be the evil one has always lived there sharing history, laughter and tears? And if so, who could it be?

Buy Links

Amazon buy links: http://authl.it/3st

Tirgearr Publishing: http://bit.ly/1J6E7ZV

Amazon Author Page: http://amzn.to/1RpGnhf

Author Biography:

Mary worked many years as a Laboratory Technician. Her hobby, her passion, has always been writing. Busy with family and career, she grabbed some moments here and there to write poetry and short stories. She also wrote a general interest column in a local newspaper.

As the demands on her time became more manageable she joined a local creative writing class. It was then, with the encouragement of tutor Vincent McDonald, that the idea of writing a novel took shape. She began to expand on a short story she had written some years previously. It was a shock for her to discover that enthusiasm and imagination are not enough. For the first time she learned that writing can be very hard work.

Mary now has six traditionally published novels, nine eBooks and hopefully more to come, inspiration permitting.

Social Media Links

Please visit my web page at: http://www.maryosullivanauthor.com

Chat to me on Facebook at: http://www.facebook.com/authormaryosullivan

Follow on Twitter at: https://twitter.com/authorosullivan

*****

GIVEAWAY!

Make sure to follow the whole tour—the more posts you visit throughout, the more chances you’ll get to enter the giveaway. The tour dates are here: http://www.writermarketing.co.uk/prpromotion/blog-tours/currently-on-tour/mary-osullivan/

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February 10, 2016 by Tina Williams

BOOK BLAST with REVIEW, AUTHOR POST & GIVEAWAY ~ Discovered (The Forsaken Blood Series #1), by Em Taylor

BOOK INFORMATION

TITLE – Discovered
SERIES (& book #) – The Forsaken Blood Series #1
AUTHOR – Em Taylor
GENRE – Vampire Romance/ Science Fiction Romance/ Futuristic Romance
PUBLICATION DATE – 4th December 2015
LENGTH (Pages/# Words) – 98,000 words
PUBLISHER – Em Taylor
COVER ARTIST – Veronica Fernandez Munoz and Em Taylor

**NOTE – Book can be read as standalone

BOOK SYNOPSIS

Edinburgh is a city that’s slow to change. Which is why in 2061, Professor Lachlan Mackenzie still lives there. He hasn’t changed in the 1000 years since he and his shipmates abandoned ship, forsaken by the Vampyras millions of light years away and left to fend for themselves, feeding off the blood of humans.

Lachlan is drawn to sexy psychologist Kate the moment he steps into her office. He wants to protect her and help her overcome her PTSD. Ignoring the warning signs of his growing attraction he agrees to be her cabin mate on the journey to the new colony on Mars. But when Kate discovers him feeding on bagged blood, all hell breaks loose. Has he been set up by the Vampyr council leader? Will Kate ever forgive his lies? And how does he explain what he is to his long lost daughter who he meets on their journey?

As Kate starts to trust, outside forces threaten to rip them apart. Will Lachlan lose the only woman he’s ever truly bonded with?

BUY & TBR LINKS

GOODREADS

Discovered - Teaser 2

EXCERPT

He forced himself to move his lips across her cheek, peppering light pecks down her jawline as she tangled her fingers in his hair and whispered his name.

Suddenly she started to struggle. “Lachlan, your teeth.”

“What about them?” he asked, pinning her back to the bed and tugging at the shoulder of her white tennis dress. It moved down to her elbow easily, and he revealed the cup of a white lacy bra. His cock jerked and his heart beat speeded up. Soon, very soon his lips would be around the dusky areola he could see just beneath the material.

“Are they in or out?”

He lifted himself slightly off Kate pulling the other side of the dress down, unconcerned with whatever was bothering her.

“My canines are in for now. Why?” Another perfectly-shaped and perfectly-sized breast. “Lift your hips.” She did as she was bid, and he slipped the sexy little tennis dress off, reminding himself he needed to ask Meg to send some hydrogen peroxide.

“I still have blood on me.”

Lachlan leaned on his elbow and surveyed her, cocking an eyebrow. “You do indeed.”
There was a line of dried blood running from just below her collarbone, under the cup of her bra, and probably pooling just under her breast. He touched it lightly with an index finger, tracing it as far as the edge if her bra. “That…my darling Kate, is every male Vampyr’s wet dream.”

He pressed his tongue to the edge of the lace, and Kate sighed, her eyelids fluttering closed.

“What if your teeth pop out again and you bite me by accident?” she asked as she arched her back, reaching for the touch of his tongue. He chuckled against her breast.

“Did your mother never teach you it’s rude to disturb a man when he’s eating, Katie?

My Review – Five Stars!

Fun, Sassy and Sensual – A fab start to a new series!

Em Taylor’s Discovered is a fun, sassy and sensual read which pairs a sexy space Vampyr/university professor Lachlan MacKenzie with human Psychologist Kate Masters. Set in the future, in Edinburgh, in space and on Mars, it will appeal to readers of paranormal romance and sci-fi romance alike. It is a world where humans are still unaware of the existence of an alien species, Vampyrs, who have been living amongst them for hundreds of years since becoming stranded on Earth.

I loved how the attraction between Lachlan and Kate is so instantaneous. However, their relationship is far from plain sailing due not least to Lachlan’s reticence to get involved with a human again on account of unfortunate experiences in his past. There are a number of misunderstandings and some hilarious scenes as the pair circle around each other even before they embark on their mission to Mars.

Lachlan is one sexy Vampyr – he has looks and brains and manages to combine old world charm with an outlook which is not out of place in the world of 2061 when the novel is set. He tries not to give into his attraction to Kate as he wants to protect her from what his true nature is, lest he frightens her. Nonetheless, sharing quarters on board ship inevitably leads to some intimate scenes and the sexual tension and mayhem increase and the inevitable happens! Of course initially Kate has no ideas that Lachlan is an alien, least of all a Vampyr and she is suitably shocked when this comes to light: cue a great deal of soul searching amongst some sizzling love-making scenes as to what their future together will be! The read contains a great deal of humour, but also touches on some dark issues from both Lachlan’s and Kate’s past.

I really enjoyed the premise of the novel, that of aliens having lived amongst us for centuries, giving rise to the vampire myths. The novel contains a lot of humour, in particular the character of Meg, the leader of the Vampyr Council, and her interactions with both Kate and Lachlan were priceless! If Lachlan comes across as a little world-weary from his long life as a Vampyr, Meg is positively jaded and I am curious to know exactly what she is plotting and if she too will find her other half!

I recommend Discovered to readers of sci-fi and paranormal romance. Fans of Lindsay Sands Argeneau Vampire series and Evangeline Anderson’s Brides of the Kindred series will especially love this novel. Readers who up until now are only familiar with Em Taylor’s Regency Romances may also wish to indulge. It is a fab start to what promises to be an addictive series.

Reviewed by Tina Williams

Please note a copy of this novel was given to me by the author for the purpose of a fair and honest review.

AUTHOR POST

What do you love best about writing sci-fi romance and what are the challenges?

Hi everyone and thanks for joining me on this blog blast. I was asked to talk about what I love best about writing sci-fi romance and what are the challenges. That’s a big question. My first foray into writing as an adult was science fiction romance—albeit fan fiction. I hadn’t written since school. English at school put me off. After my first year at secondary school (aged about 12) I never really had an English teacher who inspired me. Don’t get me wrong, most were competent teachers, but they taught the syllabus, no more no less—a bit of Shakespeare, some Arthur Miller (The Crucible was probably the only thing I remember remotely inspiring me), the war poets, Oscar Wilde, and of course, the obligatory Of Mice and Men.

In a slightly alcohol-induced bet one night, I tried my hand at fan fiction and my Star Trek Voyager loving friends seemed to approve. I gave myself a pen name (Libby Kim) and set myself up on fanfiction.net. After a year of writing a prolific amount of Star Trek Voyager—mostly Janeway/Chakotay—fan fiction, I decided I wanted to make the leap and write my own stuff and that meant creating my own worlds and that’s the biggest challenge in Science Fiction Romance.

When writing fan fiction, the world is already created. Of course, you can create new planets and species according to your story but the weaponry, ships, technology is already they. How they travel through space is already there. My book, Discovered, is set just 45 years from now. I’d like to think we have better and quicker ways of cooking healthy food by 2061, but I suspect it won’t be quite as technologically advanced as the Star Trek replicator. So I had to come up with something else. I made hover trams instead of regular trams and although we can get to Mars, it still takes three weeks.

I thought that science fiction would be easy and I could just make it up as I went along as you can in fantasy. But when it came to creating the planet that my aliens came from, it turns out I was still bound by the laws of physics. So I spend a couple of hours on the Nanowrimo forums getting help on how I could have a planet that had half the planet always in darkness and half always in the light. Then I had to spend hours learning about nuclear combustible elements on the periodic table—something that’s always a worry if MI5 ever turn up at my door and want to see my browser history. Having spent a few years writing Regency novels and being very aware I had to get the minutia of Regency life correct or I would soon hear about it through my Amazon reviews, I hadn’t quite expected that I would have to become knowledgeable in nuclear science overnight to avoid the same fate again.

But to be honest, creating my own worlds and species is also the best part about writing sci fi romance. Although my hero is a vampyr, I could choose which parts of the vampyr myth I wanted to keep and what could remain as myth in my story. Just as I could, in some instances play with science. I could also play with what will happen in the future. Who will be Prime Minister in the UK in 2061? What will have happened politically? Will Scotland have gained her independence? Let’s just say the PM is very cute, because he’s the hero of book 2.

In some ways writing Science Fiction Romance is the same as writing any other romance. It doesn’t really matter what pegs you hang your story on, they story is still sexy man meets cute girl and things get very hot. I have to say I was never a fan of Science Fiction until I was in my 30s. I still haven’t watched Star Wars. A friend and I were both big fans of The West Wing and I was off sick from work. She told me she’d send me a boxed set of DVDs to cheer me up. When it arrived, I couldn’t believe it. It was nothing like West Wing. It was some sci fi thing called Firefly. I gave it a couple of days then out of sheer boredom I started to watch it. Well…. Nathan Fillion…. There is nothing more to be said. If you’ve never watched Firefly or Castle then you haven’t lived (Castle didn’t exist back then). I was a convert to sci fi. Star Trek Voyager was playing every day at 3pm and I started watching that. I then bought all the DVDs because I couldn’t wait for the stupid TV and had to find out what happened. So if you don’t know if you fancy Discovered, have a look at the reviews. A few of the reviewers weren’t sure and took a chance and loved it. Sci fi doesn’t have to be scary or dull. Happy reading. And thanks for having me.

AUTHOR BIO

Em was born and brought up in the Central Belt of Scotland and still lives there. She was told as a child she had an over active imagination–as if that is a bad thing. She’s traded her dreams of owning her own island, just like George in the Famous Five to hoping to meet her own Mr Darcy one day. But her imagination remains the same.

AUTHOR FOLLOW LINKS

GIVEAWAY PRIZES

18ct White Gold Plated Swarovski Crystal Black Pearl Necklace and Earrings, Red silk scarf and signed paperback copy of Discovered

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January 10, 2016 by Tina Williams

BLOG TOUR & AUTHOR POST & GIVEAWAY ~ Trust the Process, by Leanne Jones

Synopsis

Trust the Process was written to empower women to create a better present and future for themselves. Within these pages, you will discover the inner strength to grow in ways that will inspire positive changes in every area of your life.

Arranged into 30 daily segments, this daily inspirational tool that helps define powerful ways for women to:

Design a quality life

Make each day a productive masterpiece

Get clarity in your life

Set priorities

Keep the faith, while keeping everything else together!

Guest Post by Leanne Jones

7 Steps to Female Empowerment

Women thrive in this fast-paced world, but even so, with so much on our plates it can sometimes be tough to keep motivated enough to reach our goals.

As also mentioned in my new book Trust the Process 30-Days to Enrich, Enhance and Empower Your Life, Today уоu саn begin tо еmроwеr уоursеlf аnd асhіеvе thе suссеss уоu’vе аlwауs wanted. Here are 7 еаsу stерs for the modern woman.

1․ Таkе tіmе оut fоr уоursеlf․

Dаtе уоursеlf аnd sреnd sоmе tіmе аlоnе, оr wіth а fеw оf уоur frіеnds, as thіs wіll hеlр уоu to dіsсоvеr уоursеlf․ You’ll be able to effectively gаthеr уоur thоughts аnd trulу еnvіsіоn thоsе thіngs уоu wаnt tо ассоmрlіsh.

2․ Маkе реrsоnаl dеvеlорmеnt а gоаl.

Always strive to better yourself and realize that there is no end goal. Life is about constantly improving yourself, and this will lead to you living a happy and healthy lifestyle.

3․ Rеаlіzе thаt уоu hаvе оthеr tаlеnts.

Yоu hаvе tаlеnts аnd skіlls thаt соuld bе grеаt іf оnlу thеу wеrе hоnеd аnd usеd рrореrlу․ Рursuе уоur раssіоns: tаkе сlаssеs, usе уоur frее tіmе tо ехрlоrе, оr rеаd tо gаіn mоrе knоwlеdgе оn sоmеthіng уоu аrе іntеrеstеd іn.

4․ Dоn’t bе аfrаіd.

Моst women have faced social pressures that have stopped them from achieving their dreams fоr sо lоng, thеу’vе fоrgоttеn hоw іt іs supposed to be іn thе rеаl wоrld․ Dоn’t bе аfrаіd tо gо оut thеrе аnd dо sоmеthіng dіffеrеnt fоr а сhаngе․ Just gеt stаrtеd․ Ассоrdіng tо Саrl Маthіs’s bооk “Lіfе іs Whаt Yоu Маkе Іt” usе уоur сurrеnt sіtuаtіоn tо mоtіvаtе уоursеlf аnd јumр-stаrt а whоlе nеw lіfе.

5․ Dо nоt trу tо fіll іn thе vоіd wіth mаtеrіаl thіngs․

Тhе bіggеst mіstаkе уоu саn mаkе іn trуіng tо fulfіll уоur реnсhаnt fоr асhіеvеmеnt, іs buуіng thіngs tо improve your mood․ Mоst lіkеlу yоu’ll еnd uр purchasing things уоu wоn’t wаnt, оr nесеssаrіlу nееd․ Κnоw thаt mаtеrіаl thіngs wіll nоt sаtіsfу уоu sріrіtuаllу.

6․ Fоrgіvе уоursеlf․

Dоn’t bе tоо hаrd оn уоursеlf whеn уоu mаkе а mіstаkе․ Еvеrуbоdу fаіls аt оnе роіnt оr аnоthеr аnd уоu јust hаvе tо рісk уоursеlf uр аnd mоvе оn. Might be easier said than done but if you’re willing, you’ll be better for it in the end.

7․ Еmbrасе sроntаnеіtу аnd thе mоmеnt․

Lіvіng іn thе mоmеnt саn bе а truсklоаd оf fun․ Ассерt thоsе іmрrоmрtu іnvіtаtіоns fоr а сосktаіl, аttеnd а sосіаl еvеnt уоu’vе bееn іnvіtеd tо, оr sіmрlу еnјоу thе соmраnу оf оthеr реорlе․ Dо nоt spend уоur dау fосusіng оn thе uglу thіngs thаt оссur, іnstеаd, bе thаnkful fоr thоsе flееtіng mоmеnts оf јоу аnd hарріnеss․

There’s a saying: “You will grow through what you go through” and if you keep pushing yourself, keep reaching for greatness, you will succeed.

Leanne Jones

Author / Life Coach / Entrepreneur

www.Trusttheprocessbook.com / www.OfficialJonesSisters.com

Leanne Jones – Bio

Entrepreneur / Author / Lifestyle Design Coach

Certified Lifestyle Design Coach Leanne Jones is the author of Trust the Process: 30 Days of Inspiration to Enrich, Enhance and Empower Your Life. Inspirited with a goal to teach women to create themselves and learn how to be the designer of their own lives, Leanne Jones empowers women to evolve and elevate to reach success on their own terms for the life they truly want and deserve.

With an education and background in Business and Entrepreneurship, she is the Co-founder of “The Jones Sisters” which is at the center of all of Leanne’s projects, including acting as CEO and COO of her and her sisters own fashion and natural beauty businesses.

A young mogul in the making, Leanne Jones is richly committed to family, fitness and travel. A former Miss Black California contestant and winner of Miss West Coast’s Entrepreneur 2014, Leanne Jones offers immeasurable potential with her outgoing and outstanding personality that makes her unstoppable at achieving beyond her own highest expectations.

For more information about The Jones Sisters please visit: www.officialjonessisters.com

Connect with Leanne

WEBSITE: www.trusttheprocessbook.com or www.officialjonessisters.com

Email: books@officialjonessisters.com or info@officialjonessisters.com

Instagram: @TheJonesSisters

Facebook: www.facebook.com/OfficialJonesSisters

Twitter: @2JonesSisters

The website for exclusive Pre-Order (signed copies and free gifts) is: www.trusttheprocessbook.com

Available on Amazon on 12/15/15

Giveaway: US Only

1 Autographed copy of Trust The Process: 30 Days of Inspiration to Enrich, Enhance and Empower Your Life.

1 Bookmark

1 Keychain

a Rafflecopter giveaway

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December 11, 2015 by Caroline Barker

Blog Tour w/Guest Post, Review & Giveaway Blue Wicked by Alan Jones

It was a year ago when I reviewed Alan Jones‘ first novel, The Cabinetmaker. I was absolutely intrigued by the author’s writing style and the in-depth research that I felt had been undertaken. He certainly knows how to write a great crime thriller/drama! And so, it is with great pleasure that we have the chance to be a part of the blog tour and review for his second novel, Blue Wicked.

Included is an exclusive GUEST POST written by Alan Jones, a four-chapter sampler, and he is kindly offering a GIVEAWAY, where one lucky winner will win a paperback of Blue Wicked, and another will win an e-copy! For further details, please scroll below!

Blurb:

‘Blue Wicked’ is a gritty thriller set in the south side of Glasgow. Eddie Henderson finds himself as the unlikely investigator with information that there’s a serial killer targeting the substance dependent underclass who inhabit the notorious Glasgow housing estates. The police force ignore his warnings but one young detective believes him and she helps him search for the truth, despite putting her own career at risk. Their desperate search for the truth on their own proves Eddie right and sparks off a massive manhunt, with Eddie and Catherine, the young detective, at the forefront of the investigation. The book contains a fair bit of strong language and Glasgow dialect, and has some very violent passages.

Amazon UK buy link

Amazon US buy link

GUEST POST – ALAN JONES

Writing and me: motivation, inspirations and ideas.

What makes me want to write?

Probably like most book junkies, I read incessantly from an early age. As a child, I was brought up in a very religious household, where television was deemed inappropriate. Oddly, reading was encouraged and even more strangely, not censored, and with plenty spare time not glued to a TV screen, I became a voracious devourer of books of all types. My dad had a reasonable collection of books and we lived close to a good library; when I outgrew children’s books faster than my peers, a perceptive Librarian let me use my junior library ticket to borrow books from the adult section without particularly screening what I was reading. (I was a fount of knowledge for my fellow pupils on sexual matters when we all discovered it existed, though most of them overtook me in turning theory into practice, with my being what you would call a ‘late developer’.)

All that reading improved my writing as well. I always enjoyed and thrived on creative writing at school, the only part of the English curriculum that suited me. When I started secondary school, the dissection of literary classics, poems and plays spoiled some of them for me, although I enjoyed most of the ones I re-visited as an adult, appreciating them for being the good read they were, and not as an academic exercise.

The joy of reading a good book, and the pleasure I got from writing, ignited in me the idea that I should give writing stories a go, but life got in the way, with a career, a wife, four children and a house that I populated with restored and hand-built furniture, all conspiring to leave me little time for writing. And we had a TV! I have to confess that I did a lot of catching up, and even my reading dipped a little while I was watching a backlog of TV series like MASH and Porridge, and all the films that I’d missed over the years.

About fifteen years ago, I had a run of reading what I thought were mediocre books, some from authors that I’d previously liked, that left me disappointed and restless and, in my own mind, I thought that I could do better than that. Only, I never did. Then, one day, I told myself that I should put my money where my mouth was, and actually write something.

I got as far as jotting down a few ideas for books, but none of them grabbed me until I came up with a rough plot for The Cabinetmaker. I wrote in fits and starts for the next ten or twelve years, often doubting that I could finish it, but it reached a critical mass about half way through, and it all fell into place, taking less than six months to complete.

Write what you know is the old adage, so that’s what I did. The first book was about making furniture, playing football and living in Glasgow; subjects that I knew a lot about.

My second book, Blue Wicked had its roots in my job working with animals. Having the confidence that I could write, I self-published it within a year of sitting down to start it. The third book is taking a little longer, but it is almost at the first draft stage and should be going to my lovely freelance editor, Julie Lewthwaite, by Christmas. Part of the reason that it has taken longer is that I have spent more time this last year trying to promote my first two books and, although enjoyable, this has been more involved than I’d anticipated.

I get ideas for stories from a number of areas. The biggest so far have been the things like my job, my pastimes, my passions other than reading and writing, but I also love talking to people, or listening to banter in pubs and at social gatherings of all kinds. I make quick notes whenever I hear something interesting or witty, and some of these jottings eventually make their way into my books, heavily disguised to protect the guilty.

The bottom line is that I love writing and, when I’m in the mood and the words just flow from my imagination on to the screen, and I like what I read, there aren’t many things that can surpass that!

Contact Alan:

email alanjonesbooks@gmail.com

Twitter @alanjonesbooks

Facebook https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100006737580444

REVIEW *** (5* rating)**

Blue Wicked is completely engrossing; the grittiness, dialogue and sheer suspense kept me gripped throughout. The reader follows vet, Eddie Henderson, who specialises in animal abuse and poisoning, when he comes across cases where cats have been subjected to antifreeze and been abused under it’s influence. However, when Eddie hears of a murder with similar circumstances he begins to suspect that maybe the animal abuser has turned to harming humans. Is he right? If so, will the police take him seriously?

The story begins with Eddie looking into the death of a cat, and I must warn all animal/cat lovers that there are some graphic and brutal scenes from early on. However, the reason I was so intrigued was because of how well-written the scenes are, the sense of how realistic it felt to read, and the enthusiasm that Eddie has to get to the bottom of just how these poor animals have come to die. Eddie is very thorough in his work, pushing as many boundaries as he has to in order to reach the truth.

When human bodies begin to be found, and victim identities are revealed, it becomes clear that many of them were the victims of drug abuse and/or alcoholism, with many of them being homeless or unemployed; people that not too many would notice have been missing. Their lives were desperate, yet when faced with death they were extremely fearful, which leads to extremely suspenseful and brutal scenes. I couldn’t help but think of Blue Wicked as Val McDermid (Wire in the Blood series) with a twist of Irvin Welsh (Trainspotting). I can very easily picture Blue Wicked as a tv detective drama, due to the dark, intense atmosphere, mixed with the relationships that Eddie has with the police.

Although the police are not very open to Eddie’s theories, this does not prevent Eddie from wanting to look further into each case. And when young officer, Catherine, shares his belief, she takes it on herself to investigate in her own time with Eddie. In Eddie’s otherwise lonely life at home, Catherine brings with her warmth and friendliness, a belief in what he is doing, and a unity whereby they work together, complimenting each other’s work along the way.

The way in which their relationship builds is fascinating in itself. With Eddie concentrating just on the work alone, he finds it a little more awkward to be sociable, coming across as cold even at times. However, just as friendships develop, the more time they spend together the more they expand on varying topics. Catherine begins to see more in him than just the investigative vet; she begins to understand his set ways and mannerisms. Meanwhile, he appreciates her help and eagerness to find more solid leads, at a time when many others are almost ignoring any connections, thus making it a risk for Catherine to go out on a limb to help him in terms of her career.

I am so glad I have had the pleasure to read both Blue Wicked, and The Cabinetmaker; both of which are stand alone novels. Fans of gritty crime thrillers will appreciate the writing that Alan Jones provides in both story-telling and character building. I am looking forward to reading more from this author in the future.

Reviewed by Caroline Barker

You can check out our review of The Cabinetmaker here.

And, here you can enjoy the first four chapters of Blue Wicked, courtesy of Alan Jones.

BLUE WICKED sample

GIVEAWAY

To be in with a chance to win a paperback or an e-copy of Blue Wicked all you need to do is type your name in the comments box below. (You can also enter on our Facebook page.)

Two winners will be picked at random on Tuesday, 2nd February 2016 at 5pm GMT.

The first to be picked will receive a paperback, and the second an e-copy, direct from the author.

The winners will be contacted as soon as they are picked out.

We would like to thank everyone in advance for entering, and wish you all the very best of luck! 🙂

Caroline & Tina

November 18, 2015 by Tina Williams

AUTHOR POST ~ Nicholas Boyd Crutchley on the inspiration behind Dream Alchemy (Life and Shadow series) ~ includes excerpt

Dystopian Fantasy/Sci-Fi

We are delighted to welcome author Nicholas Boyd Crutchley to our blog. Nicholas is the author of Dream Alchemy, an exciting dystopian fantasy/sci-fi adventure which is part of the Life and Shadow series, a labyrinth of interconnected stories through deep time. The novel explores the impact of human minds interfacing with artificial intelligences, the long-term effect of humankind on natural ecosystems and compassion in society.

I will be reviewing Dream Alchemy in the coming weeks and in the meantime Nicholas has kindly submited a post where he reveals what has influenced him on his writing journey. He has also very kindly shared an excerpt. Tina 🙂

Book Blurb

A warrior battles hydra.

The Blood Plague liquefies eyes.

A rapper rails against Earth’s ecological ruin.

From the pitch Abyss, Chaos corrupts our dreams.

On stealing the dreams of an old warrior and priestess, Chaos discovers them to be essential ingredients for his dream alchemy. With their souls the dark god can control Sol, Dragonland’s angelic ruler, and release his wanton daughter, Babalon, from Hell. If the devil queen returns and swallows the angel’s soul, the veil separating reality from the pitch Abyss will tear, and Chaos will pour forth and warp reality. Can Sol defeat Chaos? Or will Babalon’s poison kiss seduce him?

Through the psiqnet, a network of human minds and quantum artificial intelligences (QAIs), consumers shop Earth towards ecological ruin. The preachers of Gaia, ecoterrorists woven within the system, seek to bring economic and ecological harmony through Gaia QAI. Yet as Gaia begins to infect other QAIs with compassion, the Blood Plague rises, intent on exterminating humankind.

What force connects Dragonland and Earth?

The Life & Shadow Series explores how genetic engineering, synthetic biology and nanotechnology will impact humankind and Earth’s ecology. More specifically, themes include the outcome of human minds interfacing with artificial intelligences, the long-term effect of humankind on natural ecosystems, and compassion in society.

Purchase Links

Amazon UK e-book Amazon UK paperback

Amazon US e-book Amazon US paperback

Author Post

Seeds of Dystopia

At eighteen my first breakdown began, which continued throughout my degree and beyond. After graduation, I painted factory roofs, peddled Betterware, and sold computers, easels, music tapes, videos, and other junk bought cheaply.

At age twenty-four, a second breakdown conjured voices. Reeling from the chatter, I fled for five years, until I became a high school teacher. The voices pursued me to a teaching post in the Middle East, after which I returned to the UK. There, while hiking in the Scottish Highlands, a Canadian lass wearing sturdy hiking boots met me and said, “Hey, fancy living in the Rockies?”

Twice yearly, thousands of golden eagles migrate from Alaska to Mexico via the valley I lived in. While watching them from atop a frost-weathered ridge, my heart married the girl with sturdy hiking boots, and soon so had my legal status. Together we lived, tenting below -20°C, while conjuring in campfires wondrous imaginings. As she cooked up new recipes for wild camping, I imagined stories to write while waiting for a work permit.

At age thirty-six, a third breakdown conjured another me, who provoked a divorce. After signing my love away, I found myself back in the UK and no longer able to teach. While retraining through an MSc in Ecology and Conservation, I explored environmental contamination and habitat destruction, and wondered whether humankind’s avarice would continue to overharvest natural resources, and how synthetic biology might replace and enhance such resources. Could biologists and ecologists tailor organisms and ecosystems to create self-renewing resources for humankind’s industrial machine? Could humankind interface the biological world with the industrial complex, as researchers now splice flesh with machines? And what about nanotechnology, social networks and cybernetics? Would consumers and corporations connect via neural interfaces woven into brains by injected nanomachines? Facebook on LSD?

For some, the above may appear closer to utopia than dystopia, especially with probable advances in fusion power, industrial ecology, aggregate manufacture and artificial intelligence. Imagine a guilt-free throw-away society that efficiently recycles manufactured goods. A person, mentally linked to Prime, Amazon’s Quantum Artificial Intelligence (QAI) computer, finds no product that quite meets their specific need. With help from Prime, she designs a new product, and has it 3D-printed using locally sourced recycled materials and inputs harvested from renewable synthetic organisms. Fusion powers the process so no greenhouse gases are emitted or further planetary warming occurs.

Perhaps because of my PhD in mental illness (Paranoia, hallucinations and Delusions), and MSc in Ecology & Conservation, I saw the shadow side of the above. Dream Alchemy begins the telling of this shadow.

Excerpt from Dream Alchemy

Prophecy

Noah leans back against rock, sweat beading down his naked body. Ruby light, cast by gemstone scales adorning a colossal statue, bloodies his skeletal features. Beneath the effigy’s gaze, in the pit at the centre of the mine, fornicate slaves. Their rapture climbs rough-hewn walls, claws towards him, whispering for him to join them. The choice, to either crack rock for emeralds or debase oneself in the pit, all slaves endure.

Temptation draws the slave’s stare to the pit, and the statue of Queen Babalon, Whore of Hell, watching over it. The devil queen’s indigo hair caresses her scarlet flesh and voluptuous breasts, and trails along her ruby-encrusted serpent’s tail. The demon’s emerald eyes desire his descent into the pit, where lust consumes.

Around the pit, with scourges in hand, watch two slavelords. The bull-headed giants stand on cloven hooves, snorting approval at the debauchery below. One casts down a length of knotted rope, bellowing, “Use this.” Noah flinches on seeing the rope, as the slavelord booms, “I bet she survive; one urn snakebite grog.” The other brute responds by pawing the ground, crying, “Done.” Together, they each lift an urn and drink alcoholic aphrodisiac. Noah can almost taste the blend of naga venom and alcohol. The memory cascades into scarlet-lit images of a girl, bound by his hand. The slave’s head sinks as he recalls her screams.

The snores of a nearby slavelord, punctuated by hammer blows that punish rock, lifts the suffering slave from shame. Looking up, he sees the sleeping beast, drunk on snakebite grog, and beyond, Nombuso, whose muscles flex across his gangly frame. Noah studies the ebony adolescent’s thick lips, broad nose, and the rag swathing his missing eye, and wonders how he continues to resist the pit. Does Nombuso also believe slaves are brothers and sisters, who should care with gentle touch, not caress with a lascivious one? From the boy’s gritted teeth and wild eye, and the emotion behind each hammer blow, Noah understands anger, welling rage, not belief in compassion, fortifies Nombuso against the devil queen’s desire.

‘Athuen, Queen of radiant form …’

Noah’s eyes snap to the dark recess from where the whisper emanates.

‘Joined Alta, sunbeam on the storm …’

Standing, he leaves his hammer and approaches the shadowed alcove. The pit, Nombuso and the slumbering slavelord forgotten, he reaches the recess.

‘Together stars filled her womb …’

Where a pale rock face meets a charcoal-grey face, a vein of black rock meanders. There, Noah senses the source of the voice.

‘This world’s beginning, love’s bloom …’

The slave claws at the black vein, scraping free flake after flake. Blood stains torn fingers as from within the created cavity emerges rainbow fire. The volcano of colour overflows, then erupts—a plume of myriad hues. The hammers of slaves fall silent, leaving only bovine snorts to echo through ruby shadows. Before frightened stares Noah pries more foliated rock away, uncovering a multifaceted diamond, the source of the heatless flame. The gemstone’s triangular facets paint his face vivid crimson through deepest violet, and hypnotise. Forgetting all else, he frees the jewel and presents it to those gathering around him. The diamond’s psychedelic mushroom cloud coalesces into a gold sun cupped by a crescent moon. A mellifluent voice resonates:

Athuen, Queen of radiant form

Joined Alta, sunbeam on the storm

Together stars filled her womb

This world’s beginning, love’s bloom

So we blessed with joyous prayer

Nights with dreams, truth laid bare

The other miners see the vision, hear the voice, and do not see the waking slavelord. Eyes full of hope, hearts courage, they watch as sun and moon morph into their ruler, Queen Babalon.

Then woke Chaos, pitch Abyss

Who conjured evil, poison kiss

Serpent enchantress of dark desire

Whose forked tongue, made all a liar

Whore of Hell he named Babalon

Devil queen, corruption’s paragon

Babalon enslaved, people cursed

Corrupting all, in lust immersed

With emerald eyes and scales of scarlet

She seduced souls, gorged the harlot

This wanton whore so devilish

We lost hope, made no wish

The slavelord stands, whip in hand. Neither Noah nor the other miners notice him as a winged warrior, armed with sword and shield, morphs from Queen Babalon. Noah weeps at the majesty of the shimmering angel, awed by eyes radiating sunlight and outstretched wings that shine moonlight. Shaking with emotion, he believes words that prophesy:

Now Sun and Moon, Gods of Light

Give their son, angel of might

And through Sol smite devil queen

Forge kingdom true, peaceful dream

Where wise children forever grow

Beyond the stars, forever go

Seek your saviour, where hydra roam

Through toxic mists, choke and groan

Find Paradise Portal sparkling gold

In circle’s centre, seven stones old

Within soars freedom’s peace

From Beyond, angel Sol release

“I said what that?” A crack of the slavelord’s whip flays Noah’s forearm, and sends the Prophecy Stone sailing. Holy vision and divine voice fade.

“Magic?” the beast snorts, bloodshot eyes wide. “Slave no magic. You die.”

Noah does not cower as the monster draws back his whip: emboldened by the Prophecy, he stands proud.

A dread sound silences the cavern.

The slavelord topples forwards, his skull caved in. Shocked, Noah looks up from the twitching beast to the boy with one good eye. “Nombuso?” he whispers.

“I heard the words,” Nombuso says. “I saw the moon and sun, and their angel child.”

The slaves glance at one another, overwhelmed by the power of the Prophecy. Then, they turn to the ebony boy wielding a sledge hammer, who eyes approaching slavelords.

About the Author

Nicholas studies ecology, plays chess, exercises and hikes. He writes science fantasy novels and short stories from a variety of genres. He spends his spare time identifying plants and trying to understand humankind’s impact on ecosystems. He lives with himself, barely.

Connect with Nicholas

http://www.nbcauthor.com

http://www.goodreads.com/nbcauthor

October 26, 2015 by Caroline Barker

Promo ABOUT WRITING by Suz deMello

Amazon: http://goo.gl/cZeDMJ

Perfect for the advanced or aspiring author, ABOUT
WRITING includes both Write This, Not That! Suz deMello‘s bestseller, and the
newer Plotting and Planning, a primer on the basics: conflict and character,
point of view, scene and sequel…plus much, much more, written in deMello’s
engaging style.

ABOUT WRITING: your essential writing manual!

About Writing by Suz deMello is a small, but powerful
book for beginners and experienced writers alike. This little book is an
excellent reference to remind all authors of the goals of becoming a better
author.

I love that Ms. deMello started with this quote,

“There are three rules to writing a novel. Unfortunately, no one knows what they are.” –
Somerset Maugham.

Is this not the truth?

How many times have we endeavored to learn the correct way to write and
then we pick up a best seller and the author has broken all the rules? This being said, Ms. deMello explains in
clear language and with excellent examples the building blocks of writing. She offers excellent ideas for developing
characters, plot, conflict, and even how to stir up an author’s creative juices.

I believe the most important message in this book is “everything in a story
should contribute to it, from the biggest monster to the tiniest comma.”

I highly recommend this book to anyone
interested in improving their writing. Keep it close and read it often.

Best-selling, award-winning author Suz deMello, a.k.a Sue
Swift, has written seventeen romance novels in several subgenres, including
erotica, comedy, historical, paranormal, mystery and suspense, plus a number of
short stories and non-fiction articles on writing. A freelance editor, she’s
held the positions of managing editor and senior editor, working for such firms
as Totally Bound and Ai Press. She also takes private clients. Her books have
been favorably reviewed in Publishers Weekly, Kirkus and Booklist, won a
contest or two, attained the finals of the RITA and hit several bestseller
lists. A former trial attorney, her passion is world travel. She’s left the US
over a dozen times, including lengthy stints working overseas. She’s now
writing a vampire tale and planning her next trip.

Find her books at http://www.suzdemello.com

For editing services, email her at suzdemello@gmail.com

Befriend her on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/SuzDeMello

She tweets @Suzdemello

Pinterest: http://www.pinterest.com/suzdemello/

Goodreads: http://bit.ly/SuzATGoodreads
Her current blog is http://www.TheVelvetLair.com

Brought to you by:

https://www.facebook.com/TurnedOnByWords?ref=bookmarks

http://wtmowordsturnmeon.blogspot.com/

August 21, 2015 by Tina Williams

Raven Pirate Assassin Spy, by Landra Graf

Raven Pirate Assassin Spy

The Final Stop

First off, thanks to areadersreviewblog (Tina and Caroline) for hosting me today. It’s been a whirlwind of a tour with lots of excerpts, fun facts, and talking about myself and my story. The great news is readers can buy a copy at any ebook retailer as of today. If you do purchase a copy, please drop me a line and let me know what you think. Feedback is the one true validation for a writer.

As for the actually blog topic let’s talk plot and inspiration. The plot in a sentence is: Sorella, a raised assassin and air ship captain, is searching for her brother who acted as her ransom to a mercenary gang called The Cursed.

The plot was mainly inspired by the Grimm Fairytale, The Seven Ravens. But the story is also inspired by my love of Steampunk and alternate history/realities. I wanted to touch on something I hadn’t read yet. A time period not often in the NYT Bestsellers romance books. So the 1930’s popped into my head. A serious time between the two world wars that involved a lot of pain and sorrow. It saw the beginnings of German renewed dominance, and a country in the throes of a Great Depression. The only problem, I didn’t want to write about the Great Depression. I wanted things to be different.

In Sorella’s world Germany has won World War One and the United States has closed their borders. This is a world where the U.S. never got involved and Britain survived the insanity by seceding to Germany’s domination of the main European continent. This opened a world of possibilities for me, and I had a lot of fun playing with the details.

My question to readers: What are your favorite time periods to read about? If there was alteration to history you could make in a book what would it be?

Book Blurb:

Once Upon A Time… Sorella Corvino lost her brother to The Cursed years ago. Sorella is so determined to find him, she’ll make any deal, rescue the outcasts and those like him, and risk flying into any port to rescue him. When her latest pirate efforts partner her with a bounty hunter who’s too charming, sexy, and handsome for his own good, she knows she’s in trouble.

Ian Marshall no longer believes in fairy tales… Disowned and a marked criminal in the United States, this merchant turned bounty hunter, is one bounty away from freedom; and freedom’s price is handing over one person to the most cutthroat gang in the world, The Cursed. Yet, he can’t get to them without Sorella’s help. Too bad she’s gorgeous, aggravating, and a little trigger happy.

As the attraction mounts, the danger grows and the pair find themselves invading a skin trader den, the ballrooms of dictator-ruled Germany, and fighting battles in the sky in the hopes of getting everything they want. Only thing they didn’t plan on… falling in love.

About the Author:

Landra Graf consumes at least one book a day, and has always been a sucker for stories where true love conquers all. She believes in the power of the written word, and the joy such words can bring. In between spending time with her family and having book adventures, she writes romance with the goal of giving everyone, fictional or not, their own happily ever after.

You can find Landra at: Twitter, Facebook, Pinterest, Website, Silken Sheets & Seduction, or Newsletter

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January 29, 2015 by Tina Williams

The Lady Smut Book of Dark Desires ~REVIEW,TOUR & AUTHOR POST

Temptation: The Lady Smut Book of Dark Desires

Adult/18+ read

A HUGE welcome today to The Lady Smut Book of Dark Desires. We are thrilled to be participating in the blog tour for this publication which includes erotic and sometimes chilling paranormal tales. I was fortunate to be given a review copy and you can read my review and find out more about the book and the Lady Smut blog by scrolling down. Before you do though over to one of the authors, Elizabeth Shore, to share her thoughts on a subject which is *cough* *cough* one of my secret fantasies – outdoor sex. Tina ❤

Welcome to A Reader’s Review Blog Elizabeth.

Thanks so much for having me on your blog today! Seeing as we’re still very early into the new year, many of us in the western hemisphere remain shivering from the cold and dreaming about the day when we can walk outside into gorgeous warm weather. So how about if we really crank up the heat factor and think about the delicious decadence known as outdoor sex. C’mon, I dare you.

Oftentimes when people fantasize about really hot sexual scenarios, the great outdoors factors into the equation. And why not, right? It’s such a free feeling to be outside. No walls to close us in, no rules that must be followed. Walk around a tranquil forest and it can feel like you’re the only person in the world. What better place, then, to share the seclusion with the one you love than by doing the lovin’ thang? Or so the thinking goes. But then reality hits.

Picture this: there you are in a dense thicket of trees, wrapped in your lover’s arms, thrilled by the illicit moment. Clothes are recklessly shed, lips and tongues feasting away on each other, soft breezes blowing over your naked skin. It’s sooooo sexy! Except . . . wait. Ow! What just bit you? You begin growing aware of the painful stab of tree bark digging into your back. And . . . shit. Is that a spider crawling toward your leg?! Suddenly the allure of the outdoors holds as much appeal as a tooth extraction and your formerly sexy thoughts turn dark and foul. Same scenario holds true if you’re on the beach. The sand sticks to your skin, covers your clothes, it’s even in the crack of your – ah, you know what I mean. Damn sand is everywhere. And talk about no hiding places on the beach, so be prepared to flaunt it if someone happens to come along. It’s at that moment that outdoor sex, you decide, is literally for the birds.

Of course, in my story Divine, in the Lady Smut Book of Dark Desires, outdoor sex is indeed the steamy treat we imagine. It’s a fictional story, after all, an escape from the harsh realities of everyday life. My female character has uber hot sex outdoors in a forest – and in a bed! Imagine that. 🙂

The thing is, having scorching outdoor sex in a romance novel means we authors can screen out bugs crawling up our characters’ tushes, or contracting a case of poison ivy, or – as a friend wisely pointed out – having the beady eyes of a squirrel staring down at you from the tree branch above your head. In books those issues aren’t issues at all. The heroine in my story gets seduced by a hot guy in an abandoned insane asylum, of all places. And before you start thinking that that’s the least sexy place you’ve ever heard of … well, just because it starts as an insane asylum doesn’t mean it stays that way …

I know that part of the appeal of outdoor sex for some folks is the same thing that makes others stay far far away: the possibility of getting caught. Sparks of interest light an exhibitionist’s eyes that someone might be watching him getting down and dirty. The bark and the bugs are of no concern if part of the experience’s allure is knowing that you might get caught.

The truth is, some people just like being naked outside. If you’re like-minded and couldn’t care less about staring squirrels or sand in your crack, be sure to check out my story Divine for sexy fun in the great outdoors

Hope you check out all our links below – come say ‘hi’ to us at LadySmut.com. And thanks again for having me on your blog.

The Lady Smut Book of Dark Desires

When a vampire materializes through her computer, successful vampire-romance romance author Brenna Bang finds herself marked for inescapable passion with a tech savvy bloodsucker. (THE IMMORTAL LONGING OF BRENNA BANG, by Liz Everly)

REVIEW: Tongue-in-cheek Vampire Erotica

I loved this sexy and humorous stake on vampires and writers of vampire romance! It is told in the first person POV, the narrator being Brenna Bang, a successful author of vampire erotic romance.

Brenna is shocked when it appears that one of her smexy vamps has taken shape. If this is the case how can this be so? At first she thinks he is a figment of her lurid dreams, but he soon ensures that she regards him as 100% real in some scorching scenes! The heroine is a sassy author and I enjoyed her being paired with a sexy and possessive vamp, who considers her his and educates her in the ways of vampires! The dialogue between Brenna and her vamp is entertaining and there are some yummy erotic scenes and an element of suspense.

Jeanie tries to figure out how to unlock her grandmother’s wardrobe and uncover what happened all those years ago when the goblins came to offer their sensuous erotic fruits. (THE LYING, THE WITCH & THE WARDROBE by C. Margery Kempe)

REVIEW: Maelstrom of Magic and Desire

This is a very clever and well researched erotic read, which draws inspiration from Goblin Market, the Victorian poem by Christina Rossetti and the otherworldly art of Arthur Rackman.

In it Jeanie, a young woman, returns to her childhood home and is compelled to reveal the secrets of her family’s old oak wardrobe, which is securely locked and sealed. The tale is full of mystery, magic and burgeoning desire as Jeanie gets ever closer to her goal of opening the wardrobe and finding out its connection to the stories she heard as a child, telling of magic and goblins. The tale contains some sizzling scenes as Jeanie finally succumbs to curiousity, lust and temptation.

Jeanie feels little excitement in everyday mundane activities and comes from a long line of those skilled in magic. I loved how the author describes her reconnection to the magic that hums in her veins. The imagery used in the tale is powerful and I enjoyed the sexual awakening and liberation of the heroine. An original read.

Jenny needs to unravel the mystery of what she does at night and who she does it with in order to subdue the sexual demon inside her. (SEXSOMNIA by Madeline Iva)

REVIEW: Scarily Sexy!

This is the longest tale of the anthology and for me one of the most disturbing. Rest assured though it is also a very sexy and erotic tale with a satisfying conclusion.

In it the heroine Jenny, an academic, is suffering from severe sleep deprivation. A chance encounter with Nadia, who is researching sleep disorders, offers her a lifeline and a chance to get to the bottom of her lack of sleep which she is convinced is due to her sleepwalking. She is especially concerned about her activities whilst she is in this state. What follows is a tale which is erotic, romantic, sometimes humorous but also disturbing and downright menacing the closer that Jenny gets to the truth.

This tale sizzles and there is also the development of a romance between the shy and retiring Jenny and the outgoing Turner, who Jenny is attracted to but too shy to pursue. I loved the twist in their relationship and how it subsequently pans out, A really sexy and satisfying erotic read, with a hint of menace that added a delicious frisson of fear and excitement.

Locked in an abandoned mental asylum, an ambitious filmmaker soon discovers she’s trapped with a Dionysian god. He offers her a glimpse of astounding future artistic success—but it will only come true if she’ll perform an erotic ritual to free him. (DIVINE by Elizabeth Shore)

REVIEW: Destiny and Decadence

This read took me on a real adventure, from a creepy and abandoned mental asylum with some deliciously gothic scenes to the decadent and debauched court of the powerful and sexy god Dionysus. There are some spine chilling and scary moments and also a host of highly erotic scenes involving the heroine Faith, Dionysus who wants to claim her and others. All you would expect from the Greek god of merriment and madness!

I liked that Faith, did not immediately capitulate to Dionysus’ desires, I enjoyed the banter between them and I loved the sizzling erotic scenes, which satisfied some of my secret desires. In all it is a fabulous debauched read with a spunky heroine and a tasty immortal who needs her to free him.

Reviews are by Tina Williams

Please note, a copy of the book was given to me for the purpose of fair and honest review.

About Lady Smut:

Lady Smut is a blog for intelligent women who like to read smut. On this blog we talk about our writing, the erotic romance industry, masculinity, femininity, sexuality, and whatever makes our pulses race.

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B&N: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-lady-smut-book-of-dark-desires-liz-everly/1120377587?ean=9780007594504

Kobo: http://store.kobobooks.com/en-us/books/the-lady-smut-book-of-dark-desires-an-anthology-harperimpulse-erotic-romance/fCtjgCGlmkC54QZGh9A1pg?MixID=fCtjgCGlmkC54QZGh9A1pg&PageNumber=1

Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Lady-Smut-Book-Desires-Anthology-ebook/dp/B00NS9USNE