Is It My Imagination . . .?

 

            Or is that Jon Bon Jovi on the cover of my latest book THE SEDUCTION OF SCANDAL? 

            I love the Avon covers.  (No, I don’t have a lot of input and that may be a good thing!) I’ve been a fan as far back as the “ribbon books.”  Anyone remember the ribbon books? 

            Years ago I heard a cover artist tell the story of a lecture he received by an Avon Books Art Director.  The Art Director walked into the class room and, without a word, started putting covers on the board.  Rows and rows and rows.  She then turned to the art illustration class, her back to all of these covers, and announced, “A good cover is one you want to lick.”

    The artist said he “got it.”  He understood what she meant.

    I do too.  I adore the colors on the cover of THE SEDUCTION OF SCANDAL and I also like the “clench.”  For awhile we went away from the clench.  Covers portrayed baskets of flowers or a glove or fan, but now the clench is back with a vengeance.

    However, what I like best on THE SEDUCTION OF SCANDAL cover is the K.I.S.S. and Teal label on the book’s cover.  Avon Books has donated $25,000 to ovarian cancer research and has also committed to donating 25¢ from the sale of each book, physical and eBook, in the “K.I.S.S. and Teal” promotion between 8/30/2011 and 2/28/2012, up to an additional $25,000 toward programs that support ovarian cancer patients and their families. More important, the signs and symptoms of ovarian cancer are printed on the back page of every September book.

             Ovarian cancer is a killer cancer just because there are no early diagnostic tests.  Of the 21,000 women who will be diagnosed with ovarian cancer this year, 15,000 will die because the cancer has been discovered too late.  It is important we learn the signs and share them.  And for your information, those signs are:  bloating; pelvic and abdominal pain; difficulty eating or feeling full quickly; and urinary symptoms (urgency or frequency).  I know, I know, too common, right?  You are correct.  But if you are feeling any of those symptoms on a daily basis, please, get yourself to a doctor.  Or in historical terms, hie thee to a doctor! 

            I know you are busy.  I know you are juggling far too many tasks and heading into the doc for bloating isn’t something you want to do right now.  I know money is tight.  But please do it anyway.  Think about the statistics–15,000 out of the 21,000 diagnosed with ovarian cancer will not survive.  Better the doc tells you it is nothing to worry about than finding yourself one of the 15,000 ovarian cancer patients who will not beat this disease.  

            And so what do you get for your money if you help the cause and buy THE SEDUCTION OF SCANDAL?

            Well, readers met the heroine Corinne in HIS CHRISTMAS PLEASURE.  She is the cousin betrothed to Lord Freddie Sherwin whom she cannot, will not, never, ever, forever abide.  She is determined not to marry him, even if it means running away.  Of course, that is where the real fun begins.  And isn’t life like that?  You finally decide to take a desperate measure whether it is finding a new job, joining a dating service, enrolling the kids in a new school and suddenly things you didn’t plan for begin to happen.

It’s the one thing as a writer you have to be able to do. You might start a story with one expectation but it goes where it wants too. If you don’t learn to adapt then the story can stall on you. That stall can be time consuming and will not let the story go forward. If you try to force something it won’t happen. This is true in anything you do.

Things are ever changing and sometimes beyond your control. What you do with the unexpected is up to you. When things flow one way you can choose to flow on that path or a different one. But ultimately in the end there is no right or wrong way to flow it is what is the best way to you. I’ve had a few things a going on in my story – a flow that I am going with. And so far I am pleased with the ay it is going. I’m sure before I am done with this book I will have a few other flows I go with. That is half of the fun.

McKenna Jeffries
http://www.mckennajeffries.com/
…. sensual, edgy, unexpected

Blog: http://www.mckennajeffries.com/blog
Updates Group: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/McKennaJeffriesList
Free Reads Site: http:/ /www.satinnotes.com/

Conquering Jazz – What’s a woman to do when she unwittingly makes a tantalizing proposition to her best friend?

Be brazen, bold and set some ground rules. Her offer. One night of carnal bliss. No emotion allowed.

His counter offer. A continued affair to fulfill all their sexual cravings.

His hidden agenda. Conquer to make sure their affair never ends.

Buy here at Liquid Silver Book.

Readers: Here is your chance to ask Author Julia Barrett two questions. She will be
around during the day to answer the questions you post. Personal and
inappropriate questions may not be answered at the Authors discretion.
Ask an Author two questions and be entered to win in our monthly
giveaway.

Julia’s Website:  http://juliarachelbarrett.net

About the Book: Sara Wise is sick of ghosts. They’ve haunted her since she was a child, destroying her family, endangering her life. When an incorporeal being appears in her shower, she curses him soundly and orders him out, but this ghost is sticky. Not only does he invade her shower, he moves into her home, invading her dreams, sharing her bed. The reluctant Sara finds herself falling in love with a dead man.
Despite Sara’s objections, Natan de Manua isn’t permitted to leave. Protecting the woman is both his penance and his means to redemption. She’s not easy to protect, she fights him nearly every step of the way, except in her bed. Nathan may have come to regain his soul, but instead he risks losing his heart. Buy Link
Bio:
I write erotic science fiction, paranormal and contemporary romances for Resplendence Publishing, Siren, Logical Lust, Evernight Publishing, Cobblestone Press, and for myself.  In my other life, I write nonfiction.  If you ever find me sitting in one place, it’s because I’m reading or writing.

What am I up to?  I have another recent release with Siren, Pushing Her Boundaries, an adventure romance about a couple lost in the Boundary Waters wilderness of Northern Minnesota.  I’m currently working on a sequel to Incorporeal entitled, In the Flesh.  Thanks for having me.

You the Readers are the Interviewers. Here is your chance to get answers to the questions you always wanted to ask your favorite Authors. Authors will be coming into the blog for a Speed Date Interview.  They will only be there one day and you can only ask them two questions.

Pull up a chair, put on your best smile and make the best impression of yourself.

Personal and inappropriate questions may not be answered at the Author’s discretion.

Ask an Author two questions and be entered to win in our monthly giveaway. You could win a package of free reads from the RJ book vault. We will be asking Authors to select the best question they were asked on the day they day they posted on the blog. We will also be picking random winners from the general questions.

Once the Speed Date interview is done the Interview staff will be going in and selecting a group of questions and answer to post on the RJ Authors Interview Webpage. 

http://www.romancejunkiesreviews.com/artman/publish/interviews.shtml

Lacie lives in Columbus, Ga with her boyfriend of four years and their dog, Libby.  She spend most of her time reading and writing.  She writes from a very personal place and finds that creating a story based off of things she has been through is very cleansing.  She am extremely close to my family so she tends to use little quirks that she loves from her family members to create characters that are realistic. 

 

Lilly’s entire life has been filled with people who have manipulated,
violated, and hurt her beyond repair.  She is left feeling as though the
numbing affect of drugs is the only way to cope.  She’s back in her
home town now and starting a new job at Tilt.  What happens when
she meets a group of people who understand her pain and love her in
spite of it?  What happens when she meets Jack, her boss and former
addict?  Will she be able to live a life filled with love and people who
support her not tear her down?  Follow Lilly and Jack though their relationship as they fight demons
from Lilly’s past that come back with a vengeance. 

Excerpt:

Jack could see that every second they had her pinned she spun more out of control. Her eyes

were dilated, and she shook violently. She tried several times to get past them, all to no avail.

Jack didn’t know what was said, but when the man spoke, Lilly froze. He could see her check

out mentally. Fear flashed in her eyes, and Lilly screamed.

Jack wouldn’t forget that kind of scream. The sound carried over the music and the crowd,

and it sent a chill up his spine. He pushed people out of the way left and right as they just stood

there and stared.

Cade, the closest, leaped over the bar in seconds. Jack and Cade reached them at the same

time grabbing the men and slamming them against the wall. Jack was lucky enough to get his

hands on the one that touched Lilly.

Jack could see her out of the corner of his eye, crumpled on her knees, her hands fisted in

her hair. Her eyes were on them, but indicated she didn’t know what was going on anymore.

Lilly truly looked trapped inside her own mind. Something frightening to see.

The man Jack had pinned looked stunned. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to…”

Nick, seeing what had happened, ran up to help. He tried to go to Lilly, but she screamed

again when he touched her shoulder.

Cade tightened his grip against the man he was holding. He looked at Lilly then back to his

captor. “You don’t touch a woman unless she asks you to!” Cade shouted as he shoved him to

the exit.

“Nick, get this piece of shit out of my bar!” Jack pulled on the collar of the man’s shirt and

slammed him against the wall again. Jack’s voice was low and steely as he spoke, causing the

man to shiver as Jack threw him towards Nick. “You don’t ever touch her.”

Nick grabbed him roughly, causing the guy to stumble as he dragged him.

Jack looked towards Lilly. Seeing her like that physically hurt—rocking back and forth, her

eyes never blinking as they darted around, with absolute horror flashing across her features.

“No, no, no…please.”

The way Lilly cried out was heartbreaking. With almost no volume to her voice, the amount

of pain and fear rang in her tone louder than the music blaring through the club. Jack knew it

would haunt his dreams for the rest of his life. He had never heard anyone sound so beaten.

The pain radiating off Lilly was palpable and felt as though it was his pain as well, crashing

in on him, weighing him down. As if someone knocked the wind out of him, his knees buckled.

Before he knew it, he inched towards her on his knees with an outstretched hand, wanting

nothing more than to pull her into his arms and protect her from everything.

“Lilly.” Jack couldn’t say anything else due to the lump in his throat.

When a lone tear streamed down Lilly’s face, Jack couldn’t stop himself. His hand reached

for her face to wipe the tear away. Lilly came back from where her mind had taken her, if only a

little. Jack felt like there wasn’t anyone else around, like it was just her and him on the floor in

his club.

He picked her up, not thinking it might send her further into her fear, and walked quickly to

his office. Closing the door with his elbow, he gently set her on her feet, still holding on to her.

“You’re safe now, Lilly.” Jack wished with everything in him that she would feel safe.

“I’m tired of being afraid.” Lilly’s voice broke when she spoke. Her eyes pleaded, begging

for it to just go away.

So Beautifully Broken 25

“What are you afraid of?” Jack kept his voice soft, a need to hold her growing stronger with

every tremble of her body.

“Breathing…s-sleeping…” Another tear rolled down Lilly’s cheek. “Life.” She choked on

her words.

Jack wiped the tear away with his thumb. The need to have her in his arms was so strong; he

pulled her into his embrace, fearing for a second that his impulsive move would send her deeper

into the nightmare she was still climbing out of. Instead of cringing away, Lilly shocked him by

pulling him tighter against her, burying her face in his chest. She squeezed Jack, making it hard

for him to breathe.

“I want to help you,” Jack whispered into her hair as he breathed in her scent. She smelled

of apples, sweet candied apples. She fit into his arms perfectly, like she was made for him to

hold.

“You can’t fix me, Jack. I don’t know how not to hurt.”

 

I believe a writer should write what they know, and then research the rest. I am luckier than most fledgling authors in that I started writing toward publication after I had raised a family and was thinking of retirement. A stressful job as a 9-1-1 Emergency Medical Dispatcher was the catalyst. Luckier still, I used the knowledge gained working the phones AND volunteering on a small town rescue squad to write stories.

DESTINY’S MOUNTAIN, which Red Rose Publishing released last fall, was my first attempt using my knowledge of paramedics, firefighters, ambulance emergencies, mountain rescues, and so much more. The book was so fulfilling to write that I had to create a story around two of my secondary characters.  Josie and Pete are partners on the fire department. They grate on each other’s nerves while they drive the ambulance, when not fighting forest fires, house fires, and mountain rescues. Firefighters in many small towns wear ‘two hats’, and I used this fact in creating my characters and used a secret in Pete’s past to fill the book with suspense and danger.

While I served as an EMT on my town’s rescue squad, one of my jobs was to drive our rescue vehicle. I helped with fundraising to purchase a used ambulance to replace an ancient truck. We painted it red and filled it with rescue paraphernalia. The box-style truck had all the bells and whistles. Literally! Switching on the lights and sirens was fun! Hence the bumper sticker on my family’s minivan that read ‘MY OTHER VEHICLE IS A FIRETRUCK’. Driving it once and awhile was a treat, but I usually responded to rescues in my personal vehicle. Our town was large, though contained a population under 2,000. I drove up mountains, around rivers, lakes, and a dam, through nearly impassable back roads during mud season, and I still shiver when I remember having to race through falling snow. I remember every late night call for help. My heart still races when I hear a siren, like when the city fire and rescue arrived at the house across the street, recently. My neighbor’s kitchen fire was minor, but I was itching to help.

Why did I volunteer for such a dangerous job? I was not paid and had to attend refresher courses often. Helping my neighbors stirred me on. Doing something for someone in need was a great feeling. My children grew used to being dumped at a friend’s home or forgotten at school when my pager went off, but they were proud of me. (I waited until the youngest was 10 years old before joining the squad). A few times they went with me. I am sure they have their own stories to tell.

After hundreds of rescue calls and thousands of 9-1-1 calls, I am left with tons of plot ideas, many of which I have incorporated into my latest novel, LOVE TO THE RESCUE. I have written what I know; some joyous moments, several dangerous rescues, and a few horrific fire calls. Watching a neighbor’s home burn to a shell is heartbreaking, but we all did the best we could do. Saving a car accident victim whose only fault was not avoiding the moose walking into the road gave me ideas. Read the book and see!

BOOK BLURB

The clashing relationship between tomboy Josie Miller and fellow paramedic-firefighter, Pete Miller, escalates after he realizes Joe is not just one-of-the-boys. Pete has a sketchy history and has earned a reputation for one-night stands in the small town of Parmenter, New Hampshire nestled between the Mercy River, the mountains, and the state college. Since he arrived a year ago, Josie suspects he is hiding something. Something too horrible to share, even with her. Working side by side, Joe loves her job, and Pete.

They respond to accident calls, medical emergencies, and fast-moving forest fires amid sparks of another kind. Joe’s clumsiness and baggy uniform work against her when she yearns to be the kind of woman Pete wants like the pretty blonde they must rescue after her car hits a moose.

Outside influences come to play when the sister of Pete’s alleged victim shows up and accuses him of something even worse…her sister’s recent death. Once on track to be a doctor, the sister’s betrayal and lies caused Pete to run far away and keep women at a distance unless they agreed to share his bed…and nothing more.

Pete plans to skip town while Josie worries she has given her heart to a monster. His boss and the local police back off and he professes his innocence to Joe. After kissing her senseless, she lets him into her bed until her bothers intervene. Both keep an eye on Pete. A suicide note, some well-landed fists, stolen moments of love, and a desire to listen to their hearts lead these two heroes toward a climax filled with tension, pain, bloodshed, and atonement.

EXCERPT

Josie plucked a pen from her breast pocket. With a click, she made a note of their patient’s pale skin and listened to her pause every few words, which indicated trouble breathing.

“Matilda Johnson, but everybody calls me Tilly. I was born right in that house over yonder sixty years ago. I’ve been ‘a thinking of selling off my horses now that my catering business is taking off.”

“Tilly is catering Destiny Blake’s wedding reception,” Josie added.

“I was mucking out them stalls. Sorry if I stink. I usually bathe after I finish my work each morning.” Tilly smiled weakly.

Pete simply smiled back at her and flashed bright white teeth. Any female within one hundred feet generally swooned. Pete’s sensuality seemed to work on Tilly.

“Well, Tilly, your blood pressure is sky high and your pulse is beating a mile–a–minute. Your skin is white as a ghost, and you’re winded. I think today’s the day you get evaluated at the hospital to see what’s causing this.”

Pete’s soothing voice forced her to nod. “Joe, bring the stretcher.”

She flinched, quieted her grumbles, and headed for the ambulance. I know my job. He orders me about like some new recruit.

With a furious shake of her head, and her mind elsewhere, Josie’s feet slipped out from under her. She landed flat on her back a dozen steps from Pete and Tilly. Something wet splashed up and across her chest and thighs.

“Joe? Are you okay?”

Upside–down, she glared at him. He isn’t even looking at me. She shivered as the morning breeze fluttered across damp clothing. A putrid stench drifted up. Disgust propelled her to her feet.

“Yuck! I slipped in manure!” Ignoring the dull pain in her back, she glanced down at her filthy uniform.

AUTHOR BIO

Nancy grew up on New York’s Long Island then earned a bachelor of science degree at a small state college amid the mountains of New Hampshire. She and her husband settled in a tiny rural town nearby, where she served as an EMT and volunteer firefighter while raising two sons. She worked many years as a 9-1-1 emergency medical dispatcher and now lives in North Carolina where she writes full-time. She is a member of Romance Writers of America, Heart of Carolina Romance Writers, Celtic Heart Romance Writers, Fantasy-Futuristic & Paranormal Romance Writers, and Sisters in Crime.

The Continuing Mountain Sage

Title: LOVE TO THE RESCUE

Author: Nancy Lennea
Genre: Romantic Suspense
Length: Novel
Release Date: August 2011
ePub ISBN: 978-1-4543-0079-3

Red Rose Publishing Buy Link

Nancy’s Website
Nancy’s Blog

 Readers: Here is your chance to ask Author Liliana Hart two questions. She will be
around during the day to answer the questions you post. Personal and
inappropriate questions may not be answered at the Authors discretion.
Ask an Author two questions and be entered to win in our monthly
giveaway.

Bio 

Liliana Hart spent five years teaching music in the public education system. She molded America’s youth, busted kids for smoking pot in the restrooms, and broke up illicit affairs behind the stage on a regular basis, so she finally decided to hang up her hat and let someone else have all the fun. (Liliana’s Addison Holmes Mystery Series, about a small town teacher who gets into a whole lot of trouble, is somewhat autobiographical, but she won’t confess to which parts).

Liliana began reading romance novels with all her new found free time, and when she ran out of things to read, she decided to write her own novels. The result was a 150,000 word thriller–a dazzling adventure–where the heroine was a thirty-year-old virgin assassin (Yes, you read that right). She couldn’t imagine why people weren’t knocking down her door to read it, but she persevered and began writing a second book. She finally got the hang of things, and eventually learned that losing one’s virginity wasn’t all that romantic after all. All of her books involve some kind of suspense (she just can’t help herself), laughter, and a lot of steamy sex.

Since the failure of her first attempt, Liliana’s books have won awards such as: The Daphne Du Maurier, The Suzannah, The Linda Howard Award of Excellence, The Maggie, and many others. Her affiliations include Romance Writers of America and Mystery Writers of America. Liliana loves to cook, and is addicted to reading, Internet Boggle, kickboxing, and Bones. She lives in a big, rambling house in Texas with a couple of cats to keep her company. 

J.J. Graves has seen a lot of dead bodies in her line of work…

She’s not only in the mortuary business, but she’s also the coroner for King George County, Virginia. When a grisly murder is discovered in the small town of Bloody Mary, it’s up to J.J. and her best friend, Detective Jack Lawson, to bring the victim justice.

The murders are piling up…

The residents of Blood Mary are dropping like flies, and when a popular mystery writer shows up on J.J.’s doorstep with plans of writing his new book about the Bloody Mary Serial Killer, J.J. has to decide if he might be going above and beyond the call of duty to create the spine tinglers he’s so well known for. It only clouds the issue and puts her reputation on the line when the attraction between them spirals out of control.

And passions are rising…

J.J and Jack are in a race against time. They discover each victim had a shocking secret, and the very foundation of J.J.’s life is in danger of crumbling when it turns out she’s harboring secrets of her own—secrets that make her the perfect victim in a deadly game.

You can read chapter one here :  http://www.lilianahart.com/dirty-little-secrets/

website : http://www.lilianahart.com/

Facebook  : http://www.facebook.com/people/Liliana-Hart/100002543194607

Twitter: http://twitter.com/#!/Liliana_Hart

There’s a commonly accepted theory among both readers and writers that every book (and specifically in romance novels, possibly every heroine) has a piece of the author in them. If we understand this theory to be true, then it would appear that the heroine of my upcoming book, Romancing the Countess, is somewhat similar to me.

We’ll soon answer the question of who Leah George is, but to better understand her character, let me briefly tell you about the book Leah is in.

In Romancing the Countess, Leah George and Sebastian Madinger, the Earl of Wriothesly, are acquaintances at the beginning. Actually, they are a little more than acquaintances, simply for the fact that Leah’s husband is Sebastian’s best friend. However, when both Leah’s husband and Sebastian’s wife die in a carriage accident at the beginning of the book, Sebastian discovers that they were having an affair and determines to keep it a secret from the rest of the world. The only other person who knows of the affair is Leah, and she informs him that she’s known for a year.

They both loved their spouses, but whereas Sebastian feels the immediate sense of grief and betrayal because he just discovered the truth, Leah has had an entire year to process her anger. And while she does grieve a little, she also feels a great sense of relief at being able to move on, especially when she’d thought she would have to live the rest of her life hiding the secret of her husband’s affair. The love story begins between Leah and Sebastian when Sebastian tries to keep the affair a secret even after their deaths, and Leah’s actions to make herself happy for once risk this plan.

Going back to the question, then: Who is Leah George? She’s a woman who, after finding out about her husband’s affair, decided to keep secret about it. She didn’t confront him, and she didn’t ask him to stop because she could tell that he loved Sebastian’s wife and doubted he would have stopped regardless. Instead, she made a bargain with him, one that while he lived tore her soul apart.

Now I’ve never been in any of Leah’s circumstances, but I have faced situations where others would find it easy to be hopeless. And if pieces of the author portray themselves in the heroine, then I suppose I am like Leah in that I would prefer to suffer alone than let the entire world know of my shame and embarrassment. There are some women who go on rants to everyone about those who wronged them so they can show that they won’t be the victim—I’m not one of those women. I want people to think I’m strong, even when I’m at my weakest. I don’t want them to know everything about me and my private life. This is who Leah is, too, and this part of her personality drove her motivation and her actions while her husband was alive.

However, after her husband died, Leah began her transformation. Suddenly she realized that she was not only free of the bargain she had made with her husband, but she could also be free of complying with Society’s expectations that she be a proper, obedient wife. No longer did she care what others thought of her—finally, for herself, she wanted to seek her own happiness. Even if that happiness came with consequences.

I am also similar to Leah in this regard. Although I can keep to myself about things that are bothering me, I will try to find a way to be happy. I’m an optimist; there’s something in me that refuses to accept that a current situation will make me miserable for the foreseeable future. No matter the difficulty or that other people might just accept something as their fate, I will try to change my circumstances so I can be happy again. I respect myself too much.

But underlying both of these similarities, there’s something more in Leah with which I can identify the most.

Above all, the answer to the question of who is Leah George is this: she is a woman of strength. It takes strength to know the husband who you loved decided to betray you with another, and more strength to continue on, showing a brave face to the world as if nothing’s wrong. It takes strength after he dies to do what’s best for you instead of leaning on others and their opinions of what is right and what is wrong. As women we could all learn from Leah about this—about making our happiness a priority. And finally, it takes strength to choose to love again, after you’ve been hurt and your heart has been broken and you don’t know if you even want to trust another person again.

Who is Leah George? She is vulnerable, yes. She is hurt, yes. But like every romance heroine that I as a writer want to write and I as a reader want to read, she is strong. And if you get the chance to read Romancing the Countess when it comes out on September 6^th, I hope that, as I did, you will find yourself cheering her on to find a new happiness, too.

I’d love to hear with what characteristic of heroines you most identify yourself, too! Is it strength? Cunning? Bravery? Something else? What, to you, is the most important trait a heroine should have?

One random commenter will be chosen to win a copy of my newest book, ROMANCING THE COUNTESS, and will get a chance to send a copy of my debut, SEDUCING THE DUCHESS, to a friend (open internationally)! Also, find out how to win the ROMANCING THE COUNTESS Book Tour Grand Prize of 50+ romance novels by visiting www.ashleymarch.com! 

You the Readers are the Interviewers. Here is your chance to get answers to the questions you always wanted to ask your favorite Authors. Authors will be coming into the blog for a Speed Date Interview.  They will only be there one day and you can only ask them two questions.

Pull up a chair, put on your best smile and make the best impression of yourself.

Personal and inappropriate questions may not be answered at the Author’s discretion.

Ask an Author two questions and be entered to win in our monthly giveaway. You could win a package of free reads from the RJ book vault. We will be asking Authors to select the best question they were asked on the day they day they posted on the blog. We will also be picking random winners from the general questions.

Once the Speed Date interview is done the Interview staff will be going in and selecting a group of questions and answer to post on the RJ Authors Interview Webpage. 

http://www.romancejunkiesreviews.com/artman/publish/interviews.shtml

 

Blurb for Dawn’s End Betrayed by her fiancé, Nicole Newman has put her love life on hold. She loses herself in fantasy, becoming isolated and despondent. When a voice from the woods identifies himself as the man of her dreams and asks for her help, Nicole is unsure whether she being stalked or about to embark on the adventure of a lifetime. Who, or what, is this mysterious being? 

Dawn’s End, a place of simplicity and goodness, is being overcome by a gruesome darkness. Possessing bits of information, Nicole and the dark man are told they must complete the quest before Nightfall becomes permanent. How far can she trust this not-quite-human? Can they save a world, possibly two, when Nicole isn’t sure she can save herself?

 

BIO 

Bonnie Ferrante writes fiction and non-fiction for young people. Her fantasy romance novel, Dawn’s End was released May 30, 2011. (The sequel, Dawn’s End: Poisoned will be released within the month.) Gordon Korman selected her story The Amida Tree as a winner in a 2010 NOWW writing contest. Also, her story on bullying was chosen by Anne Coleman. She has been published in the YA anthologies Many Cultures, Many Voices: Collection Two, Takes, and Close Ups: Best Stories for Teens. Her work has appeared in various children’s and adult magazines and anthologies. She wrote for a regional newspaper for three years and her work is posted on CBCNews.ca. 

Bonnie loves living in Northern Ontario, Canada even though she spends most of the long winter indoors writing. She chants, bikes, gardens, reads, stitches, volunteers, studies the Dharma, paints, plays/works on the computer, attends live theatre, enjoys being trounced in scrabble by her husband, Fred, and is often found ripping up pieces of her yard or stripping furniture. She hates cooking and cleaning and loves her robot vacuum, (too bad it can’t move the furniture). Her son, stepsons, and extended family keep her young. Once upon a time, she was a grade school teacher. She has entirely too much imagination and not enough opportunity to indulge it. 

Have you checked out my 2 minute promo video yet? http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5Or8GHBuea8 

Buy Dawn’s End at https://www.nobleyoungadult.com/Books/291 or at the Amazon Kindle store. 

Visit my site at http://my.tbaytel.net/bonnieheather/index.htm

You the Readers are the Interviewers. Here is your chance to get answers to the questions you always wanted to ask your favorite Authors. Authors will be coming into the blog for a Speed Date Interview.  They will only be there one day and you can only ask them two questions.

Pull up a chair, put on your best smile and make the best impression of yourself.

Personal and inappropriate questions may not be answered at the Author’s discretion.

Ask an Author two questions and be entered to win in our monthly giveaway. You could win a package of free reads from the RJ book vault. We will be asking Authors to select the best question they were asked on the day they day they posted on the blog. We will also be picking random winners from the general questions.

Once the Speed Date interview is done the Interview staff will be going in and selecting a group of questions and answer to post on the RJ Authors Interview Webpage. 

http://www.romancejunkiesreviews.com/artman/publish/interviews.shtml

 

BIO: Meg Mims is an author, artist and amateur photographer. She writes historical mysteries and romantic suspense, and is a staff writer for RE/MAX Platinum in Michigan – writing articles about the real estate market, community events and Realtors – and for Lake Effect Living, a West Coast of Michigan tourist on-line magazine. Meg’s article about the one-legged Civil War veteran and lighthouse keeper of South Haven, James S. Donahue, appeared in Vol. 34, No. 2 Summer 2011 issue of The Chronicle, the Historical Society of Michigan magazine. DOUBLE CROSSING is available at Astraea Press, Amazon and B&N.

Websites:  http://www.double-crossing.com  http://www.megmims.com

BOOK BLURB:

A murder arranged as a suicide … a missing deed  … and a bereft daughter whose sheltered world is shattered.

August, 1869: Lily Granville is stunned by her father’s murder. Only one other person knows about a valuable California gold mine deed — both are now missing. Lily heads west on the newly opened transcontinental railroad, determined to track the killer. She soon realizes she is no longer the hunter but the prey.

As things progress from bad to worse, Lily is uncertain who to trust—the China-bound missionary who wants to marry her, or the wandering Texan who offers to protect her … for a price. Will Lily survive the journey and unexpected betrayal?

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August Blog Tour – Week # Two My virtual office has been transformed into the bridge of the good ship Milford-Haven: charts spread out, compass guiding us to each new set of coordinates, a series of friendly ports behind us, and gleaming water ahead. My crew and I hope you’ve been enjoying the sights and sounds, feasts and snacks, and many new friends we’ve all been meeting. If you’re just joining us, here’s how this works. You come on board, sit at the Captain’s table, and enjoy a delicious feast of words and ideas. Sometimes we’re talking about mystery, sometimes about romance; sometimes we talk about creating, sometimes about sitting back to enjoy. Thanks to the variety of bloggers hosting us, we provide a mix of sweet and savory—humorous and serious.(To find out more about how the tour works, you can click here http://marapurl.wordpress.com/2011/08/01/launching-the-blog-tour-boat/) So grab your straw hat, flip-flops, and sun screen, then head for the dock and climb aboard the sailboat Milford-Haven. . . . Blog Visit #4 – Flip Flops & FABS Speaking of flip-flops . . . I had a fantastic time connecting with Kathy Holmes—a California girl who now lives in Las Vegas. (As you can tell from her blog image, you can take the woman out of California, but you can’t take the California out of the woman.) FABS, by the way, are Frosty Alcoholic Beverages. But I think what’s FAB is the way Kathy has identified a key element in life that sometimes goes missing: fun! She figured out this is a critical ingredient not only to life in general, but to our working life, so for her this has become a kind of compass check to see whether or not she’s on the right track. To read her insightful questions and the answers I gave, visit Flip Flops here. And to read my blog about Kathy, her own books, and her fantastic blog site, read my Flip Flop post. Blog Visit #5 Works In Progress You have to admire a person who worked at a steady job until she was within sight of a comfortable retirement, then was suddenly laid off, who then embarks on an entirely new career. Betty Carlton is an author now, but not one who sits in an ivory tower. Instead, she asks questions of colleagues, and thanks them by creating her wonderful Works In Progress blog. She interviews all kinds of interesting people, learning along the way and sharing the wealth. Her posting about me revealed such an unabashed enthusiasm that it made me feel as refreshed as if I’d just had a lovely swim. When I interviewed her in return, we got into an interesting conversation about genres. I keep discovering that “Romance” can no longer contain the richly multitudinous kinds and styles of books that make up Women’s Fiction, and Betty’s experience was another confirmation. Enjoy reading my blog about Betty. Blog Visit #6 – Lady Killers How does a group of successful, wickedly smart, mystery-writing women keep themselves amused, inspired and connected? By joining together to create The Lady Killers Blog. Headed by Ann Parker, the group take turns blogging on themes, and inviting others as occasional guests. I got to choose the theme for my guest shot: When Smart Characters Do Stupid Things. This was great fun to write, but got at some important issues too . . . for characters, for writers, and for readers. See what you think by reading my guest post. Read more about Ann and her wonderful historic mysteries on my Lady Killers blog. Blog Visit #7 – Reading Group Choices I’ve noticed that the women I’ve met who belong to book clubs value their membership and take it quite seriously. The commitment they make is not only to reading the agreed-upon books, but also to pondering what they’ve read deeply enough to participate in real discussions. There seems to be another aspect to their commitment too, a kind of fierce devotion to the special time carved out of busy schedules. Reading Group Choices has become a major resource for anyone who runs or participates in a book club. They post reviews, reading guides, interviews, suggestions. They have a great database searchable by author, title, or subject. And they answer individual questions personally. They list the reading guide for my new book What the Heart Knows, and it’s a superb springboard either for discussion with others, or just for your own thought-process. Barbara Mead invited me to share an experience I had while being the guest at a dynamic book club, which I loved sharing with a wider audience. And to read more about Reading Group Choices, read my RGC Blog. Blog Visit #8 – Art Biz Blog Artists are people who work from the inside, rather than from the outisde. We don’t get paychecks from external sources like companies, but we do receive payment for the things we create. How, though, shall we value our work? How present it to the world? How find the resonances that will bring that value into the lives of our readers, viewers, clients, customers? Alyson Stanfield has built a marvelous business coaching artists, teaching classes, and making it possible for artists to be living the artist life they’re meant to live. All this resonated with me both because, as a writer, I’m an artist in the broad sense. And also because my protagonist is a painter. When Alyson and I talked about what would be of value for her followers, I came up with the “Be’s of the Artist Biz.“ I held back Be #7: Be Whole. And I’ll blog about that soon. Meanwhile, you can read more about Alyson and her terrific activities at my Art Biz Blog. Full Tour Schedule in the Press Room! The full blog tour schedule is posted and constantly updated. Enjoy finding out where I’ll be day by day during the month of August. http://www.cisionwire.com/mara-purl/r/author-actress-mara-purl-touching-hearts-with-august-blog-tour,c9149149 If you’d like to find out anything about the new book and the new book launch, join us in the Press Room! Here the media can find photos, press releases, and all the latest news about my books and events. The symbol is a link to allow you to subscribe via RSS feed to my news. We have some great new VIDEOs! We’re already getting a wonderful response from the press! Is there a newspaper in your town or city that you think might be interested in topics like: What do women read? What is Women’s Fiction? Is there Men’s Fiction? What’s the difference between Women’s Fiction and Romance? Is fiction relevant to today’s world? And . . . many other related topics . . . let me know! My wonderful marketing team will be happy to schedule an interview. Contact Dianemarie or Doug DMProductionsLLC. Blog Tour First Lessons Mostly what I have to say is WOW! What an experience! The generosity, creativity, and connectivity I’m discovering with each blog that hosts my tour is so impressive and inspiring! In the “Old Media” paradigm, there wasn’t much opportunity for reciprocity.  For example, when Jane Pauley interviewed me on “Today” some years ago, what could I do in return? (I sure wrote her a swell thank you note!) In the “New Media” paradigm it’s all about connection, synergy and reciprocity. It’s a world of peers where appreciation begets appreciation. This being the case, I decided to double my blog tour by “blogging back” each blog host who scheduled me for a stop on my tour. This, too, has been a joy as I’ve gotten to know and respect new colleagues. Perhaps reading blogs is something outside your realm of experience. Perhaps it’s something you do frequently. Either way, I hope you’d join me on the tour. It’s a journey meant to inspire. And a sail through the blogosphere is a lovely way to complete the summer! I would love to hear what you’re thinking, or how you’re feeling. If you’d like to share this part of my journey, you can read or subscribe at MaraPurl.WordPress.com I hope you’ll join me and find yourself in . . . Milford-Haven!