Thursday, October 31, 2013

Woodshed Wishes by N. Wood FALL FIRES BLOG TOUR

Summary:
Ben, a young gay romance author, loses his way in the forest one stormy evening and is found by a ranger. When Ben pitches in to help his new friend Peter in the woodshed, he discovers that he may have met his match. Will Peter make Ben's woodshed wishes come true?

Add Fall Fires (full anthology) on Goodreads

Excerpt from Woodshed Wishes:

 “Come on, Petey,” I whined, teasing him with my personal rendition of his name. I only used it when I was desperate to get my own way. The slight narrowing of his eyes betrayed how little he thought of my chosen pet name for him, but I took the opportunity to argue my point with a pout. “It’s still summer. We won’t need a fire for months with this heat. There's plenty of time to do the work.”
On any other day, my brown puppy eyes could make him crumble and agree to whatever I suggested, but on that day in particular, he appeared to somehow have the strength to refuse.
“You should take a leaf out of your own book — literally,” he jested back, adding a little more pressure to my breast bone to deter my attempt to edge nearer to him. “What was it that Blake said to Trent in Ballboys? ‘Don’t put off until tomorrow what you can do today’?”
I rolled my eyes when he quoted one of my many characters. Trust him to know my stories word for word, not that I could complain. Some scenes from my books gained their inspiration from things Peter and I had experienced together.
“Yes, but you forget that Blake was encouraging Trent to get down on his knees and suck his cock today instead of putting it off until tomorrow,” I corrected him. “So how about we re-enact that scene?”
My hinting words distracted him long enough that I was able to take the last step towards him. Reaching down, I snagged my fingers under the belt that was looped through the waistband of his jeans and started to unbuckle it. Though his eyes contained a slight glaze of lust from the thoughts I’d instilled in him, he snapped out of his distraction and caught a hold of my wrists, prying my hands away from him and holding them there.

“Tut tut, naughty boy,” he scolded with a teasing tone. “I have plans for tonight once all this work is done, but you want to jump the gun and get the party started early? You can’t disrupt my plans like that. You ought to be punished.”



Nat's been a regular here at the blog as she's been at this publishing thing for a little longer and has tasted it from both sides of the process. So, I asked:
What are the pros & cons of self-publishing versus traditional publishing through a house?

Good question.

In my experience and opinion, there are pros and cons to both sides. Some might say that going through a publishing house is easier because then all the work gets done for you, such as editing, book covers, and promotion. Well, that isn't completely true.

To begin with, many traditional publishing houses have set guidelines to format your manuscript to before you even consider submitting to them. Each house is different, so you have to make sure that you get it all right for the specifics they demand. Once that is done, you then have at least an eight week wait just to hear from them about whether or not they like your story and what they intend to do with it. In the mean time, what you should do while waiting is to keep writing, start a brand new story, and never send the same manuscript to more than one publisher at a time. They wouldn't appreciate you telling them that even though they want to sign you, they can't because another beat them to it for that story.

As for all the editing and cover art being done for you, that's half true and half false. Yes, the editing is done, but only in a way that you still need to go over your story several times to alter the corrections made and to make sure you make no further mistakes. If you're lucky, you may get some say on your cover art, depending on the publishing house's preference of how they work things.

For promotion, the publishing house will advertise your book before and during its release, but that doesn't mean you get to sit on your hands and leave them to it. Self promote, but don't do so too much that it will annoy people who view your blog, twitter, and author pages. Mix it up by spreading the love and promoting other authors, who may well return the favour. Pat their back and they'll pat yours.

When it comes to self-publishing, I guess it goes on a person's preference. When you go through a traditional publisher, the cover art and editing are all in the package, whereas when you self-publish, you have to sort that all out yourself. If you want your manuscript to be professionally edited and a really amazing cover made for you, it all costs. When I self-published my books, I made the covers myself using an art programme on my computer and my digital camera. As for editing, I couldn't afford it to be done and several readers flamed my books because of that. There was, however, a handful who didn't care about the editing because the content of the book was more important. You read for the characters and the story, not the missing comma.

I suppose the only other difference between self-publishing and traditional publishing is the time frame. Yes, you could well take a month to edit and produce the cover art for your self-published book, which is quicker than waiting the two months to hear if you've even been accepted by a traditional house. Also, through traditional, the average waiting time from acceptance to the first sale is around six months, which is used up by excessive editing, usually three or four passes worth.  In the time that takes, you could have already made money through self-publishing.

It really depends on how much quality you want your book to hold. Rush it, make money, but probably get flamed for bad editing, or take the time to submit to houses, get some proper edits done and a professional cover, and hope that it pays off in the end.

About the Author:

N. Wood is a budding young author living in Cornwall, United Kingdom. She developed an interest in writing when her poetry was first published at the age of nine. Since then, she has moved onto writing both short stories and novels focusing on gay romantic themes.

Also by N. Wood:

La Cala
Waves Of Healing

Coming Soon from Renaissance Romance Publishing:
Take A Gamble, Second Edition, on November 12, 2013.



Nat's Tour Schedule:
10/22: S.A. Jones – Promo/excerpts
10/23: Elizabeth M. Lawrence – Guest Post
10/24:
10/25: Lorenz – Promo/Excerpt
10/26: Layne Faire – Guest Post
10/27:
10/28: Lily G. Blunt – Guest Post
10/29: Jennifer Garcia – Promo/Excerpt
10/30: Jude Ouvrard – Promo/Excerpt
10/31: R.E. Hargrave – Guest Post
11/1: K.L. Pratt – Promo/Excerpt
         Sam – Promo/Excerpt
11/2: The Hive Book Reviews – Review/Promo/Excerpt
11/3: C.W. Stevens – Promo/Excerpt
11/4: Mich's Book Reviews – Guest Post
          M.C. Rayne -- Review



Wednesday, October 30, 2013

Halloween FREEBIE!

Love, Unexpected by C.W. Stephens FALL FIRES BLOG TOUR

Summary:
As Michael and Chuck's loving union comes to pass, two, gay members of the wedding party discover the sweet bonds of a comfortable companionship. Attraction becomes more as they recognize their true soul mate in each other, which fills the romantic void in their solitary lives. It seems only one, small obstacle stands in their way.


Excerpt from Love, Unexpected:

Chuck slapped me on the back and pulled me into a tight hug, giving me a peck on the 
cheek. “Evan! It’s so good to see you again. What’s it been… four months?” I smiled while 
looking at my friend. 
     “You were up in Oak Harbor helping some friend work on his boat the last time I was here 
for a visit, if I remember correctly,” I reminded him. “You returned the day after I left!” 
     He got me into a headlock and playfully poked me in the ribs. “Yeah, you just couldn’t 
manage to stay one more day until I got back, could you, punk?” 
     With both of us laughing, he released me. When he did, my attention was drawn away; I 
became enraptured by a handsome stranger whose face had the power to make me forget how 
to breathe. My palms became sweaty, and my breath caught in my throat while I took in his 
features. 
     There he stood, long and lean, and looking very toned. I guessed he was around six foot 
two, his dark wash jeans tight enough to accentuate his ass, hugging it in all the right places. 
He had on a deep red, button-down shirt, which seemed created to be worn only by him, the 
top three buttons undone. His hair was long, dark, and pushed behind his ears; it was straight 
and shiny, and the overhead lights sparkled off each strand. Eyes, which were a brilliant shade 
of blue, seemed depthless as they pierced through my soul. Fuck! My jaw had fallen to the 
floor, and I snapped it closed before he could see. Chuck noticed though, smirked at me, and 
then made the introduction. 
     “Evan, I don’t think you’ve ever met my cousin, Jon Schubert. Jon, this is Evan Thomas, 
Michael’s cousin and best friend. He’ll be serving as Mike’s best man.” 
     The stranger captivated me, but I managed to find my voice. “Very pleased to make your 
acquaintance,” I stuttered with a smile while our eyes remained locked together. I was hoping 
he hadn’t noticed my tongue hanging out when he raised his hand to shake mine. It wasn’t 
much of a shake; more like a lingering touch. 
     “Likewise, Evan. Always a pleasure to meet one of Chuck’s boys.” His voice was as smooth 
as satin when he spoke in a low, rich tone, causing the hairs on the back of my neck to stand 
to attention. 
     His eyes sparkled, a smile emerged, and dimples blossomed within his cheeks, his lips full 
and pink. I didn’t miss the fact he was still holding my hand, his eyes never leaving mine while 
I hesitated to pull away. He was beautiful, the darkness of his hair highlighting his pale skin.




Ms. Stephens is another new author to the blog and I just had to pick her brain regarding her ink. Y'all know how much I love it!
Considering your debut publication is a m/m romance, I'm curious about the story behind your LGBT tattoo. It's a gorgeous piece of work, and I'd love to know more about it!

Thank you! I love it, and had a small hand in the designing process. The design came from something I’ve always supported: Equal rights for the LGBT Community. The signs for male and female, along with the inverted pink triangle; the international symbol of gay pride and the gay rights movement, which is second in popularity only to the rainbow flag.
The idea of getting the tattoo was something I’d thought about for a long time but, at the same time, ended up being sort of an impulse. My friend Karen and I had talked about getting one for the past couple of years but neither of us had a clear vision of what we wanted. We’d talked about having them done together, but we lived over eight hundred miles apart. Unless one of us found time to take a vacation, it would never happen.
As I got more and more involved writing m/m tales, I read a lot of short stories from the genre and began to do research of my own about how difficult life can be for members of the gay/lesbian community. Some of the things I saw, and read, were despicable. Bullying, beatings, ridicule, even killings are a few of the things I read about, which made me nauseous and broke my heart. It’s wrong. People have no right to judge anyone, or to take it upon themselves to “right” a situation they believe is wrong. Everyone has the right to live, love, and have the kind of life they want, and to be treated with respect; how we all want to be treated.
During this time, I had started to plan a personal vacation to Philadelphia, to visit Karen. A week before I departed, I related to her the symbols I saw in my head via email. She took our designs to a parlour on the other side of town. While there, she checked the place out, made sure the place was spotless, read up on the artists and their certifications, and how long they’d been in the business. Satisfied with all her findings, she made our appointments for the day I arrived. The artist she’d chosen had already made our stencils. We loved them and he went straight to work.
That was a year ago. Today I still wear my tattoo like a badge, and take the opportunity to talk up equal rights to the people who don’t get it. At work, at home in the neighborhood, even to my eighty-three year old mother. I would have to say through all I’ve learned, all the research I’ve done, and finally getting the tattoo, it’s definitely had an impact on my ability to write a better m/m story because I draw from the people I speak with; some of their attributes end up belonging to my characters.
I hope to continue to educate myself and, some day, volunteer my time to this specific cause, to help in any way I can.
The tattoo brought it full circle.

About the Author:


C.W. Stevens lives in the United States, in the Midwest, where the winters are cold and icy, and the summers are disgustingly hot and humid. Spring and fall are her favorite times of the year.
Reading is one of her favorite pastimes.

She enjoys writing and loves meeting new people along the way. Music and Abstract are a couple of her favorite Arts. She enjoys the challenge of trying to unlock the meaning of what the artist is trying to express. She enjoys solitude and hates crowds.

C. W. has two, grown sons, and loves spending time with her three grandchildren. 
Life is good!




 Cheryl's Tour Schedule:
10/22: Elizabeth M. Lawrence – Guest Post
10/23: S.A. Jones – Promo/excerpts
10/24: Lorenz – Promo/Excerpt
10/25:
10/26: N. Wood -- Interview
10/27: Layne Faire – Guest Post
10/28: Jennifer Garcia – Promo/Excerpt
10/29: Lily G. Blunt – Guest Post
10/30: R.E. Hargrave – Guest Post
10/31: Jude Ouvrard – Promo/Excerpt
11/1: K.L. Pratt – Promo/Excerpt
         Sam – Promo/Excerpt
11/2: The Hive Book Reviews – Review/Promo/Excerpt
11/3: Mich's Book Reviews – Guest Post

11/4: M.C. Rayne -- Review

Tuesday, October 29, 2013

Our Walk to Remember by M.C. Rayne FALL FIRES BLOG TOUR

Summary:
For the Robinson-Shae family, an annual charity walk means more to them than any expensive holiday abroad. After all, it’s where Elisha’s fathers met, and this year it’s even more important to her. Sammy couldn't make it this time, so she asks Charlie to share memories of how they met, and fell in love.


Excerpt from Our Walk to Remember:

Elisha looks back at me and pulls on our adjoined arms, giggling happily to herself while dancing her knee-length, yellow summer dress around her body so it moves with the warm breeze. I forget how much she loves this annual event. We’ve always done it together. She gets excited to see all the people she’s grown up around. I hope she never grows tired of this venture, never loses herself to the world of television and computer games when she could make a difference doing something small, yet huge. 
Such thoughts make me shudder, thinking someone as delicate as little Elisha could ever be a slave to the mediocre. Not our baby, no way!
“Tell me again, Dad,” she interjects, turning towards me and smiling with joy. “Tell me about when you met Daddy?” 
Her brown eyes sparkle when she looks up at me, lighting her porcelain face. Can a father ever refuse his daughter? How do you say ‘no’ to the product of your love, the person who found a home in your heart without trying and looks to you to lead them along the right paths?
“Again?” I tease. “You know this story so well, you can probably tell it better than me.”
Warmth fills my cheeks, bringing colour back into this aging man’s face while he toys with the light of his life, the only other person he loves without question. So many times Sammy and I have sat before a roaring fire while Elisha recounted our history like she’s reading a book. Her voice is always filled with such passion that we hang on her every word. One would be forgiven for thinking it’s her past she is detailing, but I guess my husband and I never get bored with sharing how we came to be the lovers we are today.
“I like it better when you tell it, Dad. Don’t worry; I will fill in any parts you miss,” she chimes in an assertive manner, and I know without a doubt she will.
“Okay, baby,” I commence, drawing her in close so I don’t have to shout too loud. 
I don’t need unwanted ears to hear something that will forever remain unwritten, a story that’s stamped into my heart and is ours alone. Sammy has his own version of the life we share, but this is all from the very soul of Charlie Shae — this is how I found my love. 
This shouldn’t be so hard to recollect, but I’ve never had to share our story without my counterpart sitting next to me, relishing my retelling. While the warm breeze runs through my free fingers again, I try to grab onto the emptiness and envision that Sammy isn’t very far away. Sadly, my mind isn’t that creative.
Swallowing the pain, I lose myself to the words flowing from me and find myself on auto pilot. 
“It was the summer of 1996. I had just finished college. . .” 


Please welcome debut author M.C. Rayne to the blog. As the only male author in this collection of six, I asked him to tell us about being the one man writing m/m amongst a group of ladies.

I love this question, and was really hoping someone would ask me this. Reading the lovely R.E Hargrave's guest post idea had me smiling.

When you’re a homosexul man, and a new author, you expect that all other M/M stories are written by other gay men. Well this is what I believed anyway.

Had someone told me that most of the stories I loved were written by hetrosexual woman, then I wouldn’t have believed them. Initially I found it difficult to comprehend that the books I were reading were by women, and that the majority of the M/M market was led by them. I would be reading a story and thinking how could a woman know something like this, how would they be able to tell how it feels for a man to be with a man, but they did. Granted, some of the authors I have read do stick to the stereotype of gay men jumping into bed with one another after the first five seconds, but these stories are few and far between - well the ones I read are anyway. I avoid books with half naked men on the cover, because I want something more than sex, sex, sex, this is something I don’t want to be reading about. I’m not a prude, I just like a good story and only like sex in a book if I feel its needed.

I have asked so many male romance authors how they get their ideas, and how they know what to write in an intimate scene and most of them agree - they watch a lot or gay porn! This was something which shocked me, that these mothers and grandmothers were watching more of it than I do, and were shocked by how little I do. Most of them were even suggesting websites to me for ‘research’ purposes.

Being the only man in the anthology is probably clear evidence on how females rule the M/M market, but its something I kind of like. I love the fact my story is surrounded by these great women, the ones who have produced such amazing stories that I know I will never get bored of. In fact, I don’t think my story is the best in the book, because there is so much talent to be envious of. Each offering by the other ladies is so different to the last, showing the reader love from both angles and I am proud to stand amongst them.

I may be the only man, and more importantly, the only gay man, but its probably me that is learning from them. Yes, I would love to have had more male authors in the anthology, but the book is about wonderful romance stories - it doesn't matter which gender wrote the thing!

There should always be equal opportunities, both in life and literacy. These ladies are showing just this to the world of readers how you don’t have to be gay, to write about gay love, you just have to love and feel loved in returned.

About the Author:

M. C. Rayne got into writing after the passing of his mother, and used it as an outlet to get through the difficult time. He never really thought about becoming an author, but since putting pen to paper he has never looked back

Currently he lives in Leeds with his two best friends Dae and Pete, and his guinea pig, Bean. He spends a lot of time reading and writing, and far too much time procrastination online.



Matt's Tour Schedule:
10/22: Lorenz – Promo/Excerpt
10/23: Jude Ouvrard – Guest Post
10/24: Lily G. Blunt – Guest Post
10/25: N. Wood -- Interview
10/26: S.A. Jones – Promo/excerpts
10/27: Jennifer Garcia – Promo/Excerpt
10/28: Elizabeth M. Lawrence – Guest Post
10/29: R.E. Hargrave – Guest Post
10/30: Layne Faire – Guest Post
10/31: C.W. Stevens – Promo/Excerpt
11/1: K.L. Pratt – Promo/Excerpt
         Sam – Promo/Excerpt
11/2: Mich's Book Reviews – Guest Post
          The Hive Book Reviews – Review/Promo/Excerpt
11/3:

11/4:

Exit Strategy by LV Lewis RELEASE DAY BLITZ


Cover Design by:
CoverMeCreative.com by © krischarbonneau@yahoo.com 


 Photo Credits:
Cover Image - Passion © Chris Schmidt - Track5 Photography via iStockPhoto.com
Vintage Carriage Return © Editorial via Dreamstime.com




BUY LINKS for Exit Strategy:
Amazon I Barnes & Noble I Smashwords

Author L.V. Lewis revisits the world of Keisha Beale and Tristan White from her Fifty Shades of Jungle Fever in Exit Strategy!



Ex•it Strat•e•gy (noun) 1. A preplanned means of extricating oneself from a situation that is likely to become difficult or unpleasant. 2. The method by which a venture capitalist or business owner intends to get out of an investment that he or she has made in the past.

Will Keisha and Tristan exercise their elaborate EXIT STRATEGY and end their unorthodox arrangement?

Assailed by demons she thought she had conquered, Keisha Beale has uttered the words to end her tumultuous relationship with Tristan White. Separated, they grapple for a time with their personal demons. However, when their lives apart become unbearable, a credible threat brings them back together prematurely.

As they seek to discover who is responsible for the threats, several seemingly unrelated incidents throw them into a tailspin. Will Keisha’s youthful indiscretions or Tristan’s un-reconciled feelings for a former sub derail their tenuous arrangement?

In the meantime, trouble in Nathan and Jada’s paradise send dramatic ripples that hint of future difficulties in the idyllic pairing.

Nothing Ventured…

Tristan uses his vast wealth and connections to correct a gross miscarriage of justice, while Keisha makes herself utterly vulnerable to Tristan and fears he has chosen to exercise his own exit strategy.

…Nothing Gained!


Will this be the end of the indecent arrangement that became a fairy tale? Or will Keisha and Tristan reveal the trauma from their pasts so they may heal and completely embrace their relationship?

Sensual, suspenseful, and still infused with the riotous levity of Triple-G and Fairy Hoochie Mama, the Ghetto Girl Romance Quadrilogy departs from full parody with a distinctive take on love, loyalty, sacrifice, redemption, and acceptance.

EXCERPT

“Tell me again why you can’t stay?” Tristan says as we stand in front of the elevator.

“Because it’s just not a good idea. And I don’t have anything to wear.”

“Actually, you do,” he says. “Mrs. Naven found some things in the laundry after you left. Problem solved.” He takes both my hands and backs up into the sitting room.

“Tristan, we still have some things to sort out. Tonight was great, but I still don’t think I’m cut out to be your submissive.”

“Just my submissive, Keisha?”

I drop my head. “No. Anyone’s.”

“You’re afraid you’ll have panic attacks again, aren’t you?” 

I feel like I’m about to be swallowed up by the sincere blue eyes tracking and pinning mine so effectively I can’t look away. “Yes. And I’m no use to you if I can’t endure the scenes, particularly the occasional disciplinary consequences.”

“What if there was a way you could?” His finger traces a gentle path down my cheek.

“What do you mean?”

“Just what I said. If there was a way we could work around the panic attacks, would you come back? For good?”

“You mean until you perfect your exit strategy? That’s what you venture capitalists call it, don’t you?”

“Ah, someone’s been paying attention at our semiannual business meetings?”

“I have a rather exacting mentor who insists on being heard.”

“Asshole,” he says and pulls me close. 

I place my hands on his chest in an effort to sustain some emotional equilibrium, but he doesn’t let me go. “I’m the one who’ll be ass-out when you lose confidence in your investment and decide it’s time to diversify your portfolio again.”

“I don’t think that’s going to happen anytime soon.” He draws me closer, palming my hips, and I get his point. Pun intended. “I can’t seem to get enough of you.” 

I slip out of his arms and put some space between us. “Chemistry has never been an issue for us, Tristan. I know your lifestyle is important to you, and I don’t know if I’ll be able to keep up.” 

The truth is, I’m hopelessly in love with a man who hasn’t given me any indication that he will ever want a real relationship. Nothing has changed on that front. He still just wants just a Dominant/submissive relationship, which might enjoy a longevity his other arrangements haven’t had, but it will eventually end.

Can I really do this? I certainly don’t think I’ll become any less in love with him over time. Reentering a sexual relationship with Tristan now would be exceedingly counterproductive to the reasons I left in the first place, but I am hard-pressed to make myself walk away again. 

Tristan moves so close behind me that I can feel the warmth of his skin, his breath wafting over my ear as he speaks. “We’ll take things slow—again.” 

He runs a finger along my arm, and gooseflesh sprouts like ivy in its wake. I feel a pull toward him that can only be described as magnetic—my body eager to be reunited to his. Even though it could conceivably be more painful for me this time around, I’m not sure if leaving him again is within the realm of possibility. I can’t rationalize staying, but leaving becomes increasingly more difficult with each second I remain in his presence.

I turn to face him. “Slow isn’t necessarily going to keep the attacks at bay.” Or guard my heart if he decides he’s done with me.

“We’ll figure out a way to do that together.” He takes me into his arms again. “These three weeks have been  . . . just please stay.”

I look into his eyes, and all I want to do at that moment is kiss him senseless. He may not have given me a declaration of love, but somehow I know this is as close as I’m going to get with a man like Tristan White. For now.

As an answer, I stand on my tiptoes, throw my arms around his neck, and kiss him with everything in me.



L. V. Lewis doesn't have the financial means of Tristan White, but she wouldn't want readers to go away from this new release empty handed, so she's giving all readers the chance to win some fabulous prizes.

This time there are too many to list, but you can read the list and “Like” or “Follow” the Authors participating in my Release Day to enter the attached rafflecopter giveaway!

a Rafflecopter giveaway
The giveaway will run from now until November 28, so like and follow my friends, then tweet about the giveaway daily to increase your odds of winning!

The giveaway will run from October 29th - November 28th. 

During the week of October 29th - November 5th, 
Fifty Shades of Jungle Fever 
will be on sale for $.99!

DISCLAIMER:  If for some reason the book doesn’t load on all the platforms by the release date, this will be due to circumstances beyond my control. I apologize in advance for any snafus that might occur.


ABOUT THE AUTHOR

L. V. Lewis has one foot in South Georgia and the other in North Florida. She's been blessed with a husband who's put up with her for a lot of years and has given birth to four children, two of whom she has raised to adulthood and one to near adulthood. She delights in her almost empty nest status so much that she writes the kinkiest novels she can conjure up.

L. V. Lewis’s Exhaustive List of Contact Info:


L. V. Lewis’s Buy Links for Fifty Shades of Jungle Fever:

Monday, October 28, 2013

COVER REVEAL The Halleluiah Baby by Kathleen Martin



Summary:
Treez McDuffy is a single woman who’s recently retired from a  forty-year-long-lifeless job. She’s now faced with facing herself.  The wounds from her childhood  re-open, having never really healed. They’re responsible for her unwillingness and inability to have formed any type of meaningful relationship. She is alone without any sense of purpose or belonging and consoles herself with endless cigarettes, liter-boxes of Merlot and micro-waved frozen dinners.   

Something happens that ignites a transformation.  One morning she hears the sound of Canada geese flying over her apartment on their way home. They’re calling her to join them. She rushes out onto her balcony and is overwhelmed by the momentous display of this huge flock of geese flying overhead.   It stirs something inside her which has lain dormant for years – hope to change her life. But to change, she has to change everything.   

She terminates the lease on her the rent-controlled apartment she’s had for thirty years, cashes in her retirement savings, buys a new car, adopts a dog, aptly named, Guido, from the local pound and sets out to travel the Trans Canada Highway on a tentatively planned journey to the Badlands of South Dakota.

On day of her departure, she suffers an extreme anxiety attack after travelling only a few blocks from her old apartment. Somehow the realization of what she’s done has remained safe in her imagination but now it’s reality. She fears she’s made a very reckless and foolish decision but it’s too late to turn back. 

What starts off as a trip to the Badlands veers dramatically off course as she encounters people and events, both natural and supernatural that steer her in a whole new direction.She is challenged in ways she has never experienced before. She is on an odyssey of rebirth and self-discovery.

ON SALE November 26, 2013
but you can add it on GOODREADS now!



Author Bio and Links:
Kathleen Martin is a Gemini-nominated writer for film, novelist and playwright. Her first book “Penny Maybe” was published in Canada and in Germany. She lives in Phoenix, Arizona with her husband and a little herd of little dogs.


Sunday, October 27, 2013

If This is Wrong by K.L. Platt FALL FIRES BLOG TOUR

Summary:
As children, Thomas and Caleb formed an unlikely friendship, which has continued through tragedies and celebrations and into manhood. They have grown together over the years, but now their relationship is changing into something more. Can their bond survive the challenges that life will bring them? Is it wrong to risk everything for the chance of something more?

Fall Fires (full anthology) on Goodreads

Excerpt from If This is Wrong:

“Why would you say that? I’m here ‘cause you’re my friend. It’s not like you did it on purpose.” Thomas couldn’t look at his friend. What would he think if he knew he had kind of done it on purpose? All he had wanted to do was get muddy so he could change his stupid clothes; now he had spoiled everything.
“Tommy?” Caleb enquired.
“I’m sorry, it’s all my fault; I just didn’t want you to see me like this.” He winced, pulling on his now dusty clothes.
Caleb didn’t understand what Thomas was saying. See him like what? “Tommy?”
“Look at me, Caleb, I’m dressed like I’m going to church, not a picnic. I want to be in jean shorts, like you, and baseball shirts,” he whispered, so his father couldn’t hear him. “I don’t want this stupid Brylcreem in my hair...I want it messy.” Thomas slammed his good hand onto the car seat, sending a shockwave through his injured one.
“Tommy, I don’t care what you wear. I’m not your friend for your dress sense; I’m your friend because you're funny and smart.” Caleb looked towards Benjamin and he swore he saw his mouth turn up at the corner.

Two hours later, they arrived at the park, with Thomas sporting a very smart blue cast on his arm. His father hadn’t argued when he was asked whether he wanted a plain one or a coloured one. Polly fussed over her son, saying she wished they had indeed used a plain one. Benjamin winked at his son and they laughed.



Knowing Platt was going to be stopping by during her tour, I posed her with the following:
Having known you in the Twilight fandom for a few years now, I know that publishing has been a long-time dream of yours. Now that it's happened, what's the next dream you plan to tackle?

Wow where to start, I have a number of projects on the go at the moment in the same genre of writing a compilation of short stories about love and loss names Love and other endings.
I am attempting my first fantasy story named Nephlim, I am enjoying allowing my imagination to take flight in this one, building cities and characters of another world is amazing.
I am re writing one of my favourite fanfics and making it into a full book.
Eventually I wish to move into young adult fiction with an idea of an academy of tween witches, a number of fantasy fiction has been aimed at I feel towards the mid to late teens and with the help of my niece I shall be writing for the lower teens.
I would love to finish writing my fanfics, after all as you said this is what brought me to where I am today and I feel I owe my readers to finish their favourite stories.

Excerpt from Nephlim:
Taking my final look at the place I had called my home for eons, a place I was now being exiled from; merely for loving someone and her bearing my child. In front of me Soryan glows in its early morning magnificence. The lush greenery of the hills that stretch out to the outer realms of the kingdom, the temperate forest of Lei with its golden leaves and amber tree barks looked ethereal in the sunrise. The gossamer river that flowed through the centre of Soryan sparkled like a jewelled ribbon as it curved its course through the village.
“It is time,” Bradox barked behind me causing me to tense as he grabbed my wings roughly, closing my eyes I took a long breath then exhaled.
“Let’s get it over with,” I responded curtly “He’s safe? Jayden my son you promised.”
“We said he would be, we do not break our promises.” Bradox chided as he pushed me to my knees.
Bending my head I waited for the first cut of the sharp blade that was to relinquish me of my wings, rendering me human, able to grow old, become sick and eventually pass on.
The first cut felt like a hot blade searing my skin causing me to cry out and fall forward grasping the dew covered grass with my hands. White feathers billowed around me and I closed my eyes to the sight.
Panting I held still while they finished their work, cauterising the roots so stop infection. Faces flooded my mind of Alexa her raven coloured hair blowing in the warm evening breeze as we strolled through Central Park, next the expression on her face as she came apart in my arms, these were soon replaced by the horror of red, thick liquid that drained from my golden beauty.
I started as a hand clapped my shoulder and another pulled me from the ground.


About the Author:





K. L. Platt lives with her family in the Devonshire countryside in the UK. She is a nanny, but her dream is to be a full time author. She can’t remember a time when she didn’t have a pencil, pen, or book in her hand. It was, however, the likes of J K Rowling and Stephenie Meyer that gave her the fire to drive herself to where she is today.
Always encouraged to follow her dream as a child by her own parents and grandparents, her grandma told her, “If you believe you can do it, then you can.” Her uncle was also a writer but sadly never got to have any of his stories published.



Karen's Tour Schedule:

10/22:
10/23: Lorenz – Promo/Excerpt
10/24: N. Wood -- Interview
10/25: Jude Ouvrard – Guest Post
10/26: Jennifer Garcia – Promo/Excerpt
10/27: R.E. Hargrave – Guest Post
10/28: C.W. Stevens – Promo/Excerpt
10/29: Mich's Book Reviews – Guest Post
10/30: Elizabeth M. Lawrence – Guest Post
10/31: Lily G. Blunt – Guest Post
11/1:  Layne Faire – Guest Post
          Sam – Promo/Excerpt
11/2: The Hive Book Reviews – Review/Promo/Excerpt
11/3: S.A. Jones – Promo/excerpts
11/4: M.C. Rayne -- Review