Tamara Rose Blodgett

A Ginormous Thank You to my Readers for flapping about Death!

2012-02-26T13:42:00.000-07:00

Readers have made this possible: THANK YOU!

Stay tuned for my One Year Indie anniversary contest beginning March 1~!

The PERFECT PACING of the Savages continues HERE!

2012-02-26T10:44:00.000-07:00

Read a NEW passage HERE!
Readers: this is real time, fresh teasers to enjoy! Watch for a new excerpt or two in the next month as VENGEANCE gets ready to UNLEASH!

Read it and WEEP =) Check out an excerpt from Book #4 of DEATH!

2012-02-18T15:13:00.000-07:00

Read a taste of WEEPS HERE

Calia... Oh My~!

2012-02-15T17:18:00.000-07:00

I'm *totally* nuts over this new character in VENGEANCE~!

This is what she feels on page 111:

"Pride propelled her forward even as her heart held her still..."

Here's the deeper question Readers:

What is trapping her love?

Her heart?

Who?

The Savage Vengeance

Coming soon!

Flag on the Play~ BLOOD SINGERS Passed Off to my BETA~!

2012-02-14T09:28:00.000-07:00

Things are going to calm down now that Singers is in capable hands! That means lots-o-writing here in the next, three weeks as VENGEANCE wraps and WEEPS heats up!

Stay tuned for updated page count progression each week!

DEATH INCEPTION~ Where Death Began!

2012-02-05T21:47:00.000-07:00

Coming summer 2012!

Kyle Ulysses Hart and his team of scientists mapped the human genome in the year 2010. As Brain Impulse Technology came online... so did the long arm of the United States government. A covert, military-driven regime was born with genetic manipulation the key to future widespread control.

When pharmaceutical laboratories, funded by the Graysheets, discover a way to unlock paranormal potential through compulsive inoculation, their exploitative dream is realized.

A lone teenager named Jeffrey Parker, falls prey when he manifests the rare, Affinity for the Dead.The Graysheets abandon all pretense of stewardship, ripping him from his family for their nefarious purposes.

Can Jeffrey remain who he was destined to be in an environment exclusively built for mass control?

Readers have spoken! I will begin work on a prequel to the Death Series. Never fear! It will not delay the promised release dates of any of my full-length novels! The plan for INCEPTION will be a novella-length book (that is about 20,000 words or 60-ish pages). My "regular" novels have been between 85-110K. In an effort for my work to remain affordable for my readers I will be offering DEATH INCEPTION for .99 cents.

Thank you, Readers! Your input and interactions are very appreciated. Tamara

BLOOD SINGERS on the Downward slope~!

2012-02-04T10:29:00.000-07:00

Hi Readers! I'm sharing some of my excitement... I wrote this line yesterday:

Love was an errant master, choosing who it would without reason.

Without rationale.

Don't you agree with the above?

Here's the thing, I've passed the 60K word count on Singers and that seems to "flip the writing switch." I'll be in a frenzy of writing; sliding toward 80K in the next 10 days or so. My editor should get this work on Valentine's Day.

Be Mine, right? ;)

VENGEANCE & WEEPS Together at Last~! Weaving the Magic HERE!

2012-02-03T11:50:00.000-07:00

Read *fresh* passage HERE! Written Feb. 2~

Readers: What happens when Vengeance and Death collide?

Deadly Vengeance!

I have combined book #3 (VENGEANCE, Savage Series) with book #4 (WEEPS, Death Series). The Death characters will offer balance, answers and... other things for Clara and the Band.

Never fear! It's *just enough* to have fun and neither faction will consume either installment.

A small passage from VENGEANCE & WEEPS:

Except Tiff, she walked beside Caleb. The pair listened to the low drone of the dead at their feet, everywhere they stepped held the murmur of their discontent.

Nobody mentioned the odds of a handful of teenagers against seventy of the fragment.

Courage is ignoring your fear.

Thank you, Readers~

DEATH Fans... Writing Begins Today on DEATH WEEPS~ Cast your vote!

2012-02-01T08:02:00.000-07:00

How will Caleb escape persecution?

What will happen between Brett and Jade?

Do we find out who Parker really is?

Is Clyde dead or alive?

Watch for an excerpt soon~!

Dear Readers:

I'm looking for feedback on a potential DEATH prequel. A fan has contacted me asking for more details of Parker and the inception of the Pulse Era. Please comment here if you're interested in seeing a novella-length Death Prequel (15-20K words, since I can't seem to write "short"), giving background that may be interesting to tide everyone over until WEEPS. Your thoughts are appreciated !

Thank you Readers~ Tamara

*
Written Monday, Jan. 30th~

A small passage from VENGEANCE & WEEPS:

Except Tiff, she walked beside Caleb. The pair listened to the low drone of the dead at their feet, everywhere they stepped held the murmur of their discontent.

Nobody mentioned the odds of a handful of teenagers against seventy of the fragment.

Courage is ignoring your fear.

Congratulations~!

2012-01-31T21:29:00.000-07:00

Congrats to reader Kalindy Skittles for being my 100th *fan* on my blog! She chose:

...for her title pick! Thanks to everyone who gave the love.

Watch for future, spur-of-the-moment contests like the following:

*Future book title choices to win a signed copy of a future book!

*Future new character names!

*And 200th follower, to name a few...

"BE MINE" 100th "like" and Win Your Choice of Title HERE!

2012-01-31T09:53:00.000-07:00

Haven't tried one of my books? Read all but one? Here's your chance! "Like" my author fan page; the 100th "like" gets a free copy of one of my titles :)

Show me the love~! =D

Got a Taste for Death? Pick up BOOK 2 in the Death Series for FREE TODAY!

2012-01-30T06:50:00.000-07:00

Already read DEATH WHISPERS? Here's your chance to read the next installment in the Death Series:

DEATH SPEAKS -Download HERE

FREE, today ONLY!

Feeling Bloodthirsty? Check Out My Newest Excerpt~!

2012-01-28T16:50:00.000-07:00

Read Excerpt HERE~

My Newest Series, The Blood Series

Blood Singers, (Book 1)

Feeling the Vengeance! New Excerpt for THE SAVAGE VENGEANCE~

2012-01-14T21:07:00.000-07:00

Read Excerpt HERE

Awesome Elizabeth Reyes~! Author of The Moreno Brothers Series...

2012-01-13T10:33:00.000-07:00

For funsies: 10 things about Elizabeth Reyes

1. I'm considerably tall for a woman about 5'9 and I love wearing HIGH heels. Though I don't so much lately. But I used to do the Valerie thing when I was younger BIG shoes! Good thing my husband is 6'3. =)

2. I chew my nails. *sigh* a habit I've sadly never been able to break out of.

3. I love to sing. Yep karaoke is a good friend of mine.

4 . Like in so many of my stories I married my first love. And we're still together after almost 18 years.Unlike most of my stories we've NEVER broken up. Not even for a day. And yes ladies he is an alpha through and through. =)

5. My first job was a cashier at Kmart. My first real (and by real I mean I was counting on it to pay the bills) 411 operator for the phone company. "What city please?" lol

6. I own and love Great Danes. And yes Diesel was the name of my first one. He's passed now =( but now we have Dexter.

7. In case none of you have guessed it by now. I have quite the potty mouth. Writing Manny and Max's and Romero's dialogue was much easier for me than you guys would imagine. In fact toning down the language in my books is actually harder for me. =/

8. I LOVE the holidays! And I mean LOOOOVE the baking, cooking, decorating, shopping, wrapping, playing the songs, choosing the perfect tree you name it. I'm always a little down in January every year when it's all over. =(

9. You may have noticed my characters are always grubbing. (just wait for MYM!) That's because I love to cook. Most of the dishes mentioned in my books are some of my specialties. =)

10. I'm a tree nerd. BIG time. I have a half acre backyard and I love spending time out there planting more and more trees. =)

Chatting with Eli!

Elizabeth, I was absolutely taken with your mature young adult series, The Moreno Brothers!It's fairly common knowledge now for anyone that follows my reviews/blog that I'm a lover of non-homogenized YA Lit. You really fit the bill there, from content to dialogue. To what do you attribute your realistic portrayal of today’s young adults? How were you able to approximate that contemporary edge that makes your work read “real?”

Two things. I started writing Forever Mine when I was a young adult. And even though I didn't get around to finishing it until I was much older by the time I rewrote it I was raising young adults. A lot of the realness I attribute back to the early years of my relationship with my husband. Many times I was the only girl among a group of wise cracking guys since he was one of the first in his group of friends to get involved in a serious relationships.

Where did you get your idea for Forever Mine ? Do you have a plan to take the series beyond the upcoming fifth book, Sal (the oldest Moreno brother)? As I mentioned when I started this I was a young adult myself. Tenth grade to be exact. And there was actually three hot popular brothers who attended my high school. They were well liked by everyone so when I started writing I decided that would be a good premise three popular brothers. Since they were older I was able to relate best with the youngest so that's who I focused on.

I'm getting your second question a lot. Yes there will be more in the form of spin offs. But first I'm going to take a break away from the Morenos to write a couple of stories that have been in my head all this time just begging to be written.

What type/style of a writer are you? Seat-of-Your Pants? Outline Queen? Master Plotter? What's your typical writing day look like? I'm usually a seat-of-my pants type of writer but with these two that I am currently writing I actually did the outline thing. First time for me and I think it's because the stories have been on the back burner so long they've virtually written themselves in their entirety in my head I had to get all the important points down before I forgot them.

Wow what's typical? For the most part when I wake up resigned to do write I put an hour or so into returning emails responding to comments and questions on my blog and fan page and other websites then I "shut it down." I do what me and my writing fellows refer to as "retreating into our caves." on a good day that could be anywhere from 4-8 hours of non-stop writing.

Did you model any characters after real-life people? Is there a character that resonates with you? None of my characters are modeled after one person in my life rather than all are modeled after certain personality traits of many different people in my life or who I've met along the way even ex-corkers. I mesh all these traits together and create one brand new character.

What is your hope for readers to experience by reading your novel? My hope is that they experience what I love to experience when reading something good. Escapism. Getting away from the real world even if it's only for a few hours and living the story. Riding the roller coaster along with the characters, laughing out loud then getting choked up and finally the warm fuzzies.

Is there a playlist that you listen to that inspires you while you're writing? No. I think I'm the minority because I've heard many say they do listen to music when they write. But I need absolute silence. Just like when I read I completely escape into the world I'm writing.

Is there a certain genre you read [in] exclusively? No. Obviously romance is by far my favorite but I can pretty much escape into good story. Once I'm sucked in it doesn't matter what genre I'm reading.

Are you a DTB (Dead Tree Book) reader, or do you use a dedicated reader? What do you predict for the future of these two formats? I just got my kindle fire for my birthday this past November and I gotta say I love it. Before that I was reading on my phone. Honestly I think DTB books will be become rare but I don't believe they will ever go away. Even now there are people that love a book so much on their ereader they will want to own it on paperback. I don't know there's something about flipping pages.

What are a few things the reader can expect from subsequent installments? Lots of drama and few surprises. Revelations if you will that might surprise a few while others might say I knew it! lol

How has your experience as an author been different from what you expected?

No not at all. I think most writers with aspirations of having their work published and others read it never take into account everything that that really comes with this career. While on the one hand you are doing what you love for a living and you get to interact with wonderful readers who enjoyed your work, on the other hand reviews will always be a part of your life—good and bad. You pour your blood sweat and tears into something for hours and hours. Create characters that you spend more time with than your own family sometimes. Fall in love with them and the story, then you put it all out there for the world to judge. And while you have to remind yourself everyone is entitled to their own opinion it’s a tough pill to swallow when you get a particularly harsh critique. But alas it comes with the territory and at the end of the day I have to be grateful that I am living my dream.

Lastly, After having read books one & two, I appreciate your take on the alpha male and wonder if after the Moreno Series, their may be another work that you'd like to write? A series that may be a departure from what you've already written? As a fan, I am hoping that whatever male you write about will be an alpha. Wow... you know what you're doing there! The readers thank you! Thank you! I do have a YA paranormal romance I started a while back and put on the back burner when I decided to go forward and write the MB series. I’ve since had many other stories including my upcoming series come to me that I just have to write but I do hope to eventually get it written. With a paranormal the possibilities are endless with the type of chest pounding, rip-roaring alpha I could write, especially if he’s not entirely human. =)

****

Forever Mine (Book #1)

Mature YA - Aprx 87k words

Seventeen-year old Sarah’s life is turned upside down when her single mom is sent to jail. She’s forced to move, leaving behind everything she’s ever known, including her best friend Sydney. Lost and bitter in a new school, her one goal is to save money and move back home. Then she meets Angel Moreno.

Enigmatic but gorgeous, Angel is almost too good to be true. Except for one thing, his archaic belief that guys and girls can never be “just friends”. The problem? Sarah’s best friend Sydney is not a girl.

With their unexpected romance intensifying to places neither ever experienced, how long can Sarah keep Angel in the dark about the guy waiting for her back home.

Always Been Mine (Book #2)

Adult Contemporary - Aprx 98k words

After one heartache too many, Valerie Zuniga vows to never let Alex Moreno hurt her again. A year later, she is forced to reunite with him at a party where one unexpected sizzling kiss tells her she’s far from over him. No way will she allow herself to get sucked back into that torment. She’ll resist him even if that means using the one thing that’ll stop Alex dead in his tracks: another man.

Alex is coming off one of the worst years of his life. He spent so much time wallowing in self-pity, he never realized how much he’d missed Valerie. That is, until that kiss. Now, he’s determined to get her back one way or another, and no other man will stand in his way. Especially after discovering that Valerie may be in danger, a danger he blames himself.

Sweet Sofie (Book #3)

Mature YA - Aprx 58k words

Her entire life, Sofia Moreno has dealt with overprotective brothers. With her three older brothers always lurking, no boy would dare reach out to her. Luckily for Sofia, the one boy she's got her heart set on has always been within reach: her brother's best friend Eric, even though his loyalty to her brothers runs deep. Sofia knows there is only so much he can do before giving in to her.

Two years older than her, Eric Diego has always known there would be hell to pay if he messed with his best friend's kid sister, Sofia. Through the years, he watches as she blooms into a beautiful young lady right before his eyes. With teenage hormones raging and Sofia more than willing, Eric agrees to the unthinkable: a forbidden secret romance. Feeling emotions and a feverish passion that's new to them both, neither is ready for how quickly their romance spins out of control.

Romero (Book #4)

Adult Contemporary - Aprx 89k words

Prim and proper middle school teacher Isabel Montenegro always runs the opposite direction from men like Ramon Romero. A foul-mouthed, uneducated, loose cannon has no place in her careful plans. But instead of running away, Isabel is completely captivated. The intensity of his nature, while a bit daunting, mesmerizes her in ways she can’t begin to understand. She’s unwilling to walk away—even when her instincts are screaming at her to run.

Romero has no idea what he's getting himself into when he first kisses Isabel. Shocked at the passion she invokes in him, he believes he can keep his usual short fuse under wraps. Falling fast and hard for someone so flawlessly sweet only makes him more aware that he’s far from perfect. If she is ever witness to his biggest imperfection, he’s sure she’ll bail. But when her meddling sister does the worst thing imaginable—bring other men between him and his Izzy—that fuse is lit and all bets are off.

Making You Mine (Book #5)

Always in control, the meticulous and professional Salvador Moreno is thrown for a loop when the newly hired bartender Grace Zendejas suddenly invades his family’s restaurant, and infuriatingly, his every thought. For the first time in his life, Sal is fumbling. But after recovering from a few blunders he discovers his feelings for Grace run much deeper.

Things begin to heat up between him and Grace, but then the ever-perfect Sal does something even his brothers never did—screws up royally. Now he’s scrambling to cover up a mistake he knows could cost him dearly. As his relationship with Grace grows even more serious, Sal's secret is a ticking bomb, threatening to destroy the one thing he now lives and breathes for—his relationship with the love of his life—Grace.

About The Author:

I was born and raised and continue to live in sunny southern California. I'm married and have two wonderful teens. My love for writing began when I was just a kid though, I never really had any dreams or aspirations of doing it for a living. Then along came the age of eReaders and I saw an opportunity to get my writing out for the world to read without jumping through hoops and getting past the red tape of trying to get traditionally published. The Moreno Brothers series has literally changed my life. I now wake up to go to work a few yards from my bed.

Forever Mine is the first in the series and is currently still free on Amazon but I anticipate that changing real soon. Always Been Mine is the second in the series, then Sweet Sofie and recently released Romero is the fourth. Making You Mine is the fifth in the series and will be available tentatively this December 2011. I already have another series in mind that will immediately follow this one. (No I won't be taking any vacations from writing!) I will have more info sneak and peeks of that series which will be out in 2012. But I have so many other stories screaming to be told I only wish I could write faster!

I love hearing from my readers and try to always respond as soon as I can, so feel free to reach out!

Enter to Win the Whole Kit&Kaboodle! Death/Savage 5 Book Giveaway!

2012-01-11T10:54:00.000-07:00

Haven't read Death? Savage? Here's your chance! A Book Vacation will be offering a GINORMOUS 5-title giveaway for all five books on Friday the 13th! DEATH SCREAMS will release that day:

Enter Here on Friday: A Book Vacation

Chatting About My Books~!

2012-01-06T12:08:00.000-07:00

Check out my interview for the Seldovia Gazette. Jenny Chissus was gracious enough to allow me to Go On about my stories.

Whatever success I have is due to my readers! Thank you all from the bottom of my heart!

Click HERE~

Delicious Diction~!

2012-01-04T10:51:00.000-07:00

Dear Readers, check out this passage from Singers. Echoes of Pearl with the bite of Death:

***

The vampire moved as a unit, talons extended, fangs sprung free from their houses of flesh.

They came to where the delectable smell of fresh blood was released. A quality without compare. It was if a thousand year old bottle of wine lay breathing.

On a cold stone floor. But paces away from consumption.

Happy New Year 2012~!

2011-12-31T19:59:00.000-07:00

A Prosperous and Happy New Year!

"The Savage Vengeance," Cover Reveal and Contest Winners Announced!

2011-12-25T11:34:00.000-07:00

Congratulations to Kami B. for the winning title selection!

The Savage Vengeance

Book Three of the Savage Series

Here's what Dictionary.com says:

venge.ance

noun

1. infliction of injury, harm, humiliation or the like on a person by another who has been harmed by that person; violent revenge. But have you the right to vengeance?

>Ah-huh

I think our Guys with the Gills can take care of this fragment problem... what do you think Readers?

I wish to thank every reader who entered. My second choice was, The Savage Providence, by Calia. I have already emailed Calia to inform her if I use her title choice in a future Savage installment she will receive a signed copy of that book!

*Honorable mention goes to Calia (pronounced Cal-la like the flower, Calla Lily). Her name pinged around inside my head incessantly so she was gracious enough to allow its use in Vengeance! Thanks so much =D Her character is already coming to life. Sometimes that happens...

Awesome entries!

****

*DRUMROLL*

Congratulations to Shannon for choosing the winning name for Alex's love interest!

Death Screams

Book Three of the Death Series

January 15, 2012

And the name is:

*Merranda*

"Randi" for short.

(Can anyone guess whose daughter she is?)

Bonus!

*Honorable mention goes to Logan Rutherford, who had many name choices I liked. However, it was his name that I will be using for a surprise revealing at the end. Watch for it!

It's noteworthy that many entrants names I loved as much as their entries! Just a coincidence... ;)

I adore my readers XOXO Tamara

MAKING YOU MINE by Elizabeth Reyes~ TEASER if You Please!

2011-12-24T10:38:00.000-07:00

Making You Mine- Amazon $2.99

Tamara: So here's the thing, I sweet-talked completely amazing author, Elizabeth Reyes, into allowing me to post a teaser from her just-released, The Moreno Brothers Series fifth installment. Any happier, and I swear I would have been triplets!

I have loved each amazing book for the following reasons: romantic tension, alpha-male goodness (oh my!), action, dialogue, plot and heavy handed edginess. All these qualities are doled out in delectably, addictive tales that will leave the romance reader weeping for more. Check out a taste of novel #5 below and tell me I'm wrong:

This excerpt is intended for readers 16+ years old~

Elizabeth Reyes: Here's the set up: Grace, who only started seeing Sal exclusively for just over a week, receives a disturbing text from her mother just as she's helping close down the restaurant and Sal picks up on her unease. Aaaand go...!

“Something wrong?”

Grace almost jumped. Her face must’ve been as white as it felt because Sal stared at her, concerned. “Uh… no, it’s just my mom.”

“She okay?”

“Oh yeah, she’s fine.” As inconspicuously as she could, she glanced past his shoulder to the front door and her heart sunk. Frank stood out there, leaning against his car, just like the last time, holding a bouquet of roses. Her eyes were immediately on Sal again. There was no other way out of this but to just tell him. “She set up another date with me and my step-dad’s boss.”

Taylor had hit it on the nose about Sal’s flaming eyes, because she saw them flare now. She reached for his arm. “It’s not like I’m even remotely interested in him.”

His eyes opened wide. “So you’re going?”

She turned towards the front door, feeling defeated. “What am I supposed to do? He’s already here.”

Sal’s head jerked toward the front of the restaurant as soon as she said that. “You tell him you don’t want to go. That’s what.” He started walking. “I’ll fucking tell him.”

Grace squeezed his arm. “No, Sal. Please.”

Sal glared at her. “Do you want to go with this guy, Grace?” His loud words turned the heads of the few employees that were still there cleaning up and they glanced out the front to see who Sal was talking about.

“No. Of course not.”

“Then don’t go.”

“I won’t.” Her heart was going a mile a minute now. She never expected his reaction to be so explosive. “But let me tell him.”

Sal pulled the keys out of his pocket. “Lets go.”

He held her hand firmly all the way to the door then unlocked it for her. He started to walk out with her but she pulled her hand out of his. “Wait here, please.”

He stopped, but obviously had no intentions of going back in without her. She tried to give him a reassuring look but he was busy staring Frank down.

Frank smiled as she approached him. “Hello, Grace. You look very nice tonight.”

“Thank you. Listen Frank I’m really sorry but I can’t go with you tonight. I already had other plans my mom didn’t know about. I didn’t get her text until just now.”

There was no hiding his disappointment. “That’s too bad… and there’s no way you can change them?”

“No, she can’t.” Sal slipped his hand in hers. Grace wanted the earth to split open and suck her in. This was the most awkward situation she’d even been in and it was all her mother’s fault. “Not tonight or any other night. Got it?” Sal pointed at the roses. “And you can keep those. Take them to her mother. She’d probably like them.”

The Moreno Brothers Series

Get all FIVE, $2.99 each~!

Can ya feel the heat here, guys? Reyes really socks it to you. All her books read like this; full of energy and tension. Love them! You will too.

Check out Author Elizabeth Reyes Blog for additional information about The Moreno Brothers Series and her updates for future works by clicking the following link: Elizabeth Reyes

A Ginormous THANK YOU to My Readers!

2011-12-23T16:30:00.000-07:00

My Readers ROCK! As of today, Dec. 23, 2011:

Death Whispers is in the TOP 100 for Children's Science Fiction!

Death Speaks is in the TOP 100 for Children's Mysteries, Espionage and Detectives

Genre Fiction; Occult!

last but not least: The Savage Blood is in the TOP 100 for Romance; Time Travel,
Historical Fantasy
Historical Science Fiction & Fantasy

I'd like to thank all my readers from the bottom of my heart for reading my work!!! It's the best Christmas gift ever! Thank you!

Thanks for the Love, Evie~!

2011-12-23T12:43:00.000-07:00

Check out what Evie from Bookish had to say about myself and two other authors...

A Soul Unsung~ click HERE to read

I have been dying to read these books by the authors Evie mentioned:

Exiled

Zombies Don't Cry

Win a signed copy of THE SAVAGE BLOOD @ Evie's Bookish~!

2011-12-22T11:36:00.000-07:00

eCopy- International/Domestic

Paperback- USA/Canada

Click HERE to Enter~

READ Evie's 5-Star Review for Pearl HERE

Haven't read book one? Pick up The Pearl Savage today FREE at the following links:

Amazon

NOOK

*
BOOK TWO

The Savage Blood

Cover Reveal for books 4 & 5 in the Death Series~

2011-12-07T14:01:00.000-07:00

Death Weeps

Book Four of the Death Series

Publishing- Release 2012

Unrequited Death

Book Five of the Death Series

Publishing- Release 2013

Calling all Death Fans! Calling all Savage Fans! Domestic & International!

2011-11-26T15:34:00.000-07:00

Hi Readers~! Want some input on the next book? I am writing Death Screams right now for a late January release and thought you'd like to pick the FEMALE name of Alex's love interest. What? You ask...the tiny nerd? No. Not so tiny now *winks*
HINT: Alex's love interest is of mixed Asian descent with coal black hair and slightly almond-shaped eyes. She's a little smaller than Jade and a spitfire! Exotic and gorgeous yet not ruled by her looks~

The winner will receive a signed copy of Death Screams after its release.

The selection will be based on me liking the name and [it] suiting the character.

Please post a comment with your female name choice and email.

****

Haven't read Death? No problem! Here is the contest for book 3 in the Savage Series:

I'd love to have the title for book three chosen before Christmas. It's my gift to myself!

Here are the titles of my published books in the Savage Series:

Book One- The Pearl Savage

Book Two- The Savage Blood

Book Three- chosen by clever reader.

The criterion for selection for me is the following:

*It must make sense with what I know will happen in book three

*I have to like the sound of it

*It must have both "the" & "savage" as part of it.

Here are a few suggests that have already been sent:

Fear the Savage

The Savage Fear

The Savage Justice

Justice of the Savage

The winner will receive a signed copy of Book Three after its release this spring.

Please post a comment with your title choice and email.

CONTESTS ENDS MIDNIGHT ON CHRISTMAS EVE!

Pick up Pearl for FREE~!

2011-11-22T22:59:00.000-07:00

Hi Readers! Amazon just made my first book in the Savage Series FREE tonight!

"The Pearl Savage" (Savage Series, #1) Amazon

**********

Book #2 was just released on Nov. 18

"The Savage Blood" (Savage Series, #2) Amazon $2.99

Readers~! "Flat-Out Love" is Flat-Out Brilliant! 5-Stars WoW!

2011-11-15T11:13:00.000-07:00

Click HERE for Review~

5-stars for "Vampire Shift"~! Best .99 cents you'll ever spend!

2011-11-12T10:34:00.000-07:00

Click HERE for Review~

Read Excerpts from book 3, "Death Screams," & "Blood Singers~!"

2011-11-05T17:32:00.000-06:00

Click HERE for excerpt~

Death Screams, (Death Series, Book 3)

Coming Jan./Feb. 2012

Click HERE for excerpt~

Blood Singers (Blood Series, Book 1)

Coming 2012

Congratulations~!

2011-11-02T11:11:00.000-06:00

To Shana at Sizzling Reads for winning an eCopy of Death Speaks from the Spook-A-Delic giveaway.

Sizzling Reads by Shana~

HAPPY HALLOWEEN readers~! Between now and midnight on Halloween, win a FREE eCopy of "Death Speaks" OR "The Savage Blood"...

2011-10-30T13:47:00.000-06:00

Spook-A-Delic Halloween Celebration~!

Leave your comment about WHY Halloween is your fave holiday.

Win an eCopy of either "Death Speaks" OR (when released by Thanksgiving) "The Savage Blood"

*your choice*

Contest closes midnight on Halloween.

Winner chosen by Random.org

Happy Halloween!

Book 2 of the Savage Series

The Savage Blood

Available Thanksgiving 2011!

Book 2 of the Death Series

Death Speaks

Available now!

Hey Guys~! stoked Like a Chimney on Fire! "Romero's" HERE!

2011-10-26T15:45:00.000-06:00

Contemporary Romance~

Check out the latest in the Moreno Brothers Series. Romero is gettin' his groove on :Romero by Elizabeth Reyes for $2.99

I've read two of the Moreno Brothers' books and LOVED them~! Don't miss the latest installment, available today on Amazon...

HiGh, DARK fantasy LOVERS come hither~! "Black Scars" by Steven Montano

2011-10-24T21:29:00.000-06:00

Black Scars (Blood Skies Series, Book 2)

.99 cents through Halloween~!

*treat yourself*

Something ancient has awoken. Primordial and wholly evil, a living shadow emerges from a prison made weak by the magical cataclysm called The Black. Now the Sleeper stalks the land in search of its old enemies, leaving a trail of madness and destruction in its wake.

Eric Cross, a Southern Claw warlock, has been sent to find the Woman in the Ice, the only known means to stopping this evil. Aided by a grizzled ranger and a band of wardens and inmates from a sadistic prison, Cross’ mission will bring him into conflict with an array of foes: the barbaric Gorgoloth, vampire shock troops out of the Ebon Cities, and a cadre of mercenary nihilists called the Black Circle. On a mission that will take him from a lost temple once ruled by insidious wolf sorcerers to the vicious gladiator games of the vampire city-state of Krul to the deadly ruins of an ice city, Cross will play a pivotal role in an ancient conflict whose outcome will determine the future of the world. Return to the world of Blood Skies in this exciting military fantasy adventure!

Review by Tamara

I just finished book two in the Blood Skies Series and feel like I ate my supper...twice! Don't kid yourselves, guys, this is a main entree, no appetizer or dessert served here! Montano really understands how to deliver dark fantasy and make no mistake, it's dark.

In this adventure, Southern Claw Solider, Eric Cross, takes on more than he can handle and becomes a prisoner and gladiator-of-sorts for vampires. Wanting nothing more than to survive, save his comrades and find the Woman in the Ice/Lake he does just that...with the single-minded focus only Cross possesses. I am not a big high fantasy fan but what saves the genre for me is Montano's descriptive prowess. It may not be for all, but a less adept writer could never have managed the weighty material. Look at the following example:

~The undead exploded. Pale animated bodies and jagged skeletal weapons, razor vapors and icy claws, maggot hearts and grave dust, soiled black fire and cursed souls: all of it immolated within the onslaught of primal spirit matter like paper put to the flame~

The entire work is a scene-scape of words. In some parts I desperately wished to escape the vividness of his writing, especially in battles, my heart raced! But there is no escape. You are IN the battle, while the melee swirls around the reader. This is a heavily descriptive work with great pacing and action throughout. Fans of high, dark fantasy are going to love this second installment in the Blood Skies Series.

5 Stars!

Genre: Dark Fantasy

Sub-genre(s): Paranormal, Militaristic

Elements: Strong Violence, some Profanity

Age: 16+

Purchase Link: Black Scars

Cost: .99

Grammatical/formatting issues: Nothing significant.
Paperback: No

"The Savage Blood" in paperback; available soon~!

2011-10-19T19:06:00.000-06:00

Thanksgiving 2011

Matthew and Bracus of the Band travel alongside eighteen-year old queen, Clara Williamson, as she journeys to the sea to unlock the puzzle of her lineage.

Trouble strikes when the fragment absorbs Prince Frederic and undertake plans that involve Clara and her home sphere in a dangerous scheme of coercion.

It isn't long before Clara discovers the Guardians terrible secret through horrible circumstances she must escape from.

Can Clara protect herself from her own destiny?

Enter to Win a Paperback or eCopy of "Death Speaks" at...

2011-10-17T12:13:00.000-06:00

Book Bite Reviews~ click HERE to enter

DEATH SPEAKS

Download "Death Whispers," Book 1 for FREE now~!

Congratulations to the Winners of the "Death Speaks" Giveaway~!

2011-10-16T14:31:00.000-06:00

Congratulations: Mary (paperback copy) &

Darlene and Krystal ( eCopies)

A HUGE "thank you" to Memrie, for hosting my giveaway on her BLOG

Didn't enter? No problem. Becky at Book Bite Reviews will be hosting a new giveaway beginning tomorrow and ending on Halloween!

REVIEW: "Demon Kissed" 5-stars

2011-10-15T18:23:00.000-06:00

Demon Kissed

The Valefar boy tricked Ivy Taylor into kissing him, but he took much more than a kiss – he stole her soul and left her within inches of death. By surviving, Ivy is drawn into the conflict between the Martis and the Valefar. The war between these two immortal forces has raged for millennia without distraction. Until now. Ivy is an anomaly—she is the only person who has ever walked away from a demon kiss alive. Her survival gives her unique and deadly abilities. Too powerful to ignore, Ivy is a threat to both armies. These two ancient enemies will stop at nothing to kill the seventeen-year-old. Surviving is nothing new for headstrong Ivy, but her survival has never depended on another person before. This time it does. And if she misplaces her trust, she's dead. To her horror, she starts falling in love at the worst possible time—with the enemy. He appears to be protecting her. But she can't be certain if he is trying to help her, or help himself to her power. For Ivy, trusting the right person is the difference between love and survival, or a deadly demon kiss.

Review by Tamara

The author invites the reader at the end of "Demon Kissed" to read the first chapter of the sequel, "Cursed," if we "can't wait" to read the next book.

I CAN'T WAIT! There's a reason this book is so popular. Ward's got it all goin' on here: suspense, romantic tension, intrigue throughout, not much not to love in this novel! This is the 5th book I've read with some kind of spin on angelic/demon themes and it is the very best. Tight prose and superb pacing make this an I-can't-put-it-down. Go ahead, I dare you, it was that *fantastic*. I read all but the last three percent (I know,I know, but I fell asleep on the last part and the Kindle hit my face...that happens sometimes). I finally finished the ending today and wOw!

Sophia has a guy she's great friends with that's a lady's man and it's just the way she likes it; "safe." Relationships have been a sore spot in the past and keeping everyone at arms' length really appeals. When Collin tries to get closer, she pulls away. In steps Eric, her lab partner, and he is the perfect foil for the relationship progressing toward intimacy. Soon, Sophia discovers who she really is and more importantly, what her purpose is. The entire novel pokes a dirty stick at trust in relationships, constantly forcing the MC to analyze her decisions at every turn. This alone made the novel a tense, page-turner. The premise was very unique in a sea of "sameness" in this little sub-genre and I was so pleased to try and figure out all the information and how the author tied it together.

I buy the sequel to books that have a series about half the time. Many times I'll read the first in a series but if it's pretty good or mediocre, I won't buy the second. I will be RACING out to buy "Cursed" ASAP. If you like a fast-paced, action-driven novel with an interesting premise, this is the one for you~! People that liked the novel, "The Soulkeepers," will love this.

Genre: Young Adult Paranormal Romance

Sub-genre(s): Angelic, Suspense, Intrigue

Elements: Some profanity, Mild violence

Age: 13+

Purchase Link: Demon Kissed

Cost: .99

Grammatical/formatting issues: Nothing significant.
Paperback: Paperback, $9.35

Enter Memrie's GIVEAWAY for a FREE paperback or eCopy of "Death Speaks"

2011-10-07T20:51:00.000-06:00

Click HERE to Enter

Death Speaks

Paperback or eCopy

5-Stars for "Forever Mine"~! FREE on Amazon.com Right nOw!!!

2011-10-06T12:38:00.000-06:00

Forever Mine

I picked this up for free but had been wanting to purchase it because of the reviews but the cover didn't "say" YA so I didn't get past that.

Wow! Wish I'd read it sooner! This author knows how to write the alpha-male. And I'm nuts for that type of male interest. That alone got the book shoved up to the four-star category. Do not spoon feed me the simp male, it will not work. Reyes crams Angel down our throats and I loved it! He's larger-than-life and never sugar-coats his feelings or intentions, not a game-player. He knows what he wants and it's Sarah...

But can Sarah commit to Angel? That is the strength of the story, there is a lot of intrigue about the past that causes Sarah to pause in desiring lasting relationships. She has one friend she can count on and one HUGE relationship that has failed. She needs to get back to what's familiar and not get entangled in something that may cause her further emotional torment.

Or so she thinks. Ha! Reyes weaves a story that has two or three mysterious sub-plots which float to the surface throughout, keeping the reader engaged for the entire read. I read this book in one sitting. I hear book two is even better and I can't wait to read it. If you like alpha-males, romantic tension with a dash of intrigue/mystery, this is for you! One additional thing is the author doesn't keep this book "clean." There is REAL dialogue that people would actually use. It is not a sanitized version; I really dug that. Keeping it real, keeps me reading.

Although the stories are not similar at all, somehow FM has the same "feel" as "Beautiful Disaster." People that liked that novel should like "Forever Mine."

As an aside: I am really liking that "bridge" genre of YA that is moving into the adult realm but I don't see much of it (YA crossover/Mature YA). FM and BD are fine examples of a YA that is too mature for young teens but is perfect for teens that may not wish to read the "heaviness" of adult romance. FM fits nicely into this niche-genre. Reyes has written a series on the Moreno brothers and they mature with subsequent novels into the Adult Contemporary arena.

5.5 Stars~!

Genre: Mature Young Adult

Elements: Mild: violence, profanity, sexuality & reference
Sub-genre(s):Contemporary Romance, Intrigue, Romantic suspense
Age: 17+

Purchase Link: Forever Mine

Cost: FREE

Grammatical/formatting issues: Nothing significant.
Paperback: No

Tentative Publishing Schedule:

2011-10-02T13:45:00.000-06:00

2011:

The Pearl Savage Book 1, Savage Series, June 15
Death Speaks Book 2, Death Series, Sep 1

The Savage Blood Book 2, Savage Series, Thanksgiving 2011

2012:

Death Screams Book 3, Death Series, winter 2012

Blood Singers Book 1, 2012

Book 4, Death Series, Death Weeps
Book 3, Savage Series

Thanks for your interest and support in my stories!
My readers *rock*!

The Winner for "Six Moon Summer" is...

2011-09-25T19:59:00.000-06:00

*drumroll*

Shana from Sizzling Reads~!

Thanks so much for entering and Happy Reading!

Thursday Focus with author James LePore~!

2011-09-21T22:56:00.000-06:00

"Sons and Princes"

Hi Everyone:

I'm thrilled to welcome author James LePore, who has graciously written a guest post piece about his evolutionary process from lawyer to author! Jim is an absolute professional gentleman and it was my pleasure to work with him. (Okay...I'm a little bit of a fan too!) If you're on the fence about your next read, hop off and read the book I did that made me run out and purchase his entire catalog: "The World I Never Made" Review~ wow!

"The World I Never Made"

Jim's Story:

“Growth comes by shocks. We cannot part with our friends. We cannot let our angels go. We do not see that they only go out that archangels may come in.” Emerson.

When I was fourteen I found a battered paperback edition of The Carpetbaggers by Harold Robbins on my mother’s dresser. Swept away by the sheer adventure of it, I began reading two or three novels a week, most of them purchased off the rotating rack at the corner candy store. There was magic to be found in fiction, just what kind of magic and how it worked I wasn’t sure, but I was hooked on it nevertheless. I read whatever looked interesting, including things like Johnny Got His Gun, Catch 22, Exodus, Alas Babylon, On The Beach, Hawaii and much more, both good and bad, sublime and ridiculous.

In 1982 my father died after a twelve month struggle with lung cancer. I was practicing law then, but still reading novels at pretty much the same rate, although by then I had discovered stores where only books were sold. My response to my father’s sickness and death was to write a novel, which I titled That Archangels May Come In. The experience was cathartic of course, but the interesting thing to me, looking back, was that I chose to tell a long story (about a fictional young lawyer losing his father to lung cancer) as the means of that catharsis. Why write a novel? Because, I realized, I wanted the magic of a story to heal me, to take me from the world where dads die a painful, drawn-out death, to the world where sons go on living.

Archangels was badly written. One professional reviewer said that it was predictable and clichéd, and he was being kind. But it was a start. It got me thinking. I wanted to write a good novel, I wanted whatever power I had to recreate the magic of fiction to appear on the printed page. But how to do this while at the same time fighting to make a living in the real world, the world where first novels are million-to-one shots and where kids have to eat every day and mortgages have to be paid every month? The answer: wait, plan, do your job, pay your bills, and when the time comes, don’t be afraid to pull the trigger, to let your angels go so that archangels may come in. That’s what I did. In 1999, I sold my law practice and began writing. My wife continued to work full time. I occasionally moonlighted as a lawyer, but mainly I wrote. When I picked my head up in 2007, I had written three novels. In 2008, I signed a four book contract with The Story Plant, a small publisher in Connecticut.

"Blood of My Brother"

I’ve left out the hard parts, the pain of multiple rejection, the self-doubt, the worries about money, the wandering around in an industry I knew nothing about. But everyone knows about them. They have to be faced. I decided to face them because, though I loved practicing law, I loved the dream of being a writer more. That dream has come true. My new dream is that as many people as possible—millions would be great—find the magic in my novels that I found in The Carpetbaggers when I was fourteen, the magic that hooked me on reading and that, though I did not know it at the time, has changed me from within and healed me when necessary over all these long years.

Jim can be found at his Author Page on Amazon.com:

Author James LePore

Follow Jim on Twitter

Blog

Like Jim's Author Page on Facebook

Author-Love on goodreads (fan him!)

Cover reveal and Excerpt of, "The Savage Blood" ~!

2011-09-18T22:36:00.000-06:00

The Savage Blood

Book 2 of The Savage Series

Eighteen-year old queen, Clara Williamson, journeys to the sea to unlock the mystery of her lineage. Matthew and Bracus of the Band travel alongside as a safeguard through the Pennsylvania wilderness.

Trouble strikes when the fragment absorbs Prince Frederic and undertake plans that involve Clara and her home sphere in a dangerous scheme of coercion.

It isn't long before Clara discovers the Guardians terrible secret through horrible circumstances she must escape from.

Can Clara protect herself from her own destiny

Excerpt:

Pg. 48:

...“Princess,” Tucker began, “we are not brutes.”

Clara held her tongue. She had been present in the battlefield the day that two of the fragment had been absolutely brutish.

“However, it has come to my attention from Prince Frederic that you are quite concerned,” he let that word lengthen, “with your people. Now, that includes both peoples', eh? The savages and the sphere-dwellers alike.” He waited for her to respond.

“They are clan, Mr. Tucker, not savages,” Clara clarified.

“You are so wrong,” he said, waving away her comment. “You're <spoiler>, they're ordinary, but necessary.” He moved toward Sarah and she glared at him as he reached out and grasped a hunk of her wheaten hair.

“Do not touch me,” she hissed, jerking away from him and he slapped her face, her head slamming into the male that held her. She spat blood onto the ground and her eyes met Clara's. Clara shook her head slightly.

“Tell her to remain still or I will make what I just did look like affection.”

Daniel squeezed Clara's shoulder and she quickly said, “Sarah, try to remain calm. Do not antagonize this man.”

Tucker turned to look at her. “I don't think I like the way you say man, Princess.”

Clara shrugged the shoulder Daniel's palm rested on. “I care not. I followed your command, now do as you said you would; cease this abusive behavior.”

“I'm going to enjoy the breaking of you, Princess. Very much.” his jaw clenching as he spoke.

Clara was struck by how much he reminded her of the prince.

Daniel saw the plan form in Tucker's eyes and had an inkling of what it might be, having seen him brutalize whatever female he took a liking to.

That would not be the purpose for Clara he promised himself. Somehow, she would escape that end.

Clara looked on in despair, her fate and those of her subjects uncertain. She was fast losing hope for The Band as an avenue of assistance. She was at once back in the bowels of her childhood. At the mercy of others, no one her advocate save herself. She trembled as the familiar suffocation of futility and helplessness overwhelmed her.

Then her gaze was captured by Anna, Sarah and Evelyn. Hope rode their expressions with surety.

They believed in her.

She straightened. The resolve to fight taking hold like a rod of steel keeping her rigid...

Thursday Focus with author S.M.Reine & Giveaway~!

2011-09-15T00:34:00.000-06:00

Six Moon Summer (Seasons of the Moon, Book 1)
Enter to win an eCopy of SMS below!

Pick up Book 1 for just .99 cents!

Rylie's been bitten.

She's changing.

And now she has three months to find a cure before becoming a werewolf... forever.

Rylie Gresham hates everything about summer camp: the food, the fresh air, the dumb activities, and the other girls in her cabin. But the worst part is probably being bitten by a werewolf. Being a teenager is hard enough, but now she's craving raw flesh and struggles with uncontrollable anger. If she doesn't figure out a way to stop the transformation, then at the end of summer, her life is worse than over. She'll be a monster.
Fans of Christopher Pike will love this hot new series.

Author-Interview with Sara Reine:

TRB: Sara, you're doing fantastically well with both your debut novella, Six Moon Summer, as well as its sequel, All Hallows' Moon. To what do you attribute to your growing success?

SMR: It’s all about the support of my Twitter friends, book bloggers, and readers. People say that writing is an isolating experience, but I don’t believe that to be true at all. I have found this amazing, supportive group of friends all over the world who not only help me spread the word about my books, but help me write them, too. I couldn’t have finished All Hallows’ Moon without hundreds of people cheering me on when I expressed sentiments of faltering confidence on Twitter, or without the great reviews and recommendations people make on Goodreads. It’s been incredible, and I’m so grateful.

TRB: What made you choose to go Indie? What is your advice to other authors that don't wish to go the “legacy publishing” route?

SMR:Until recently, independent publishing wasn’t a viable business model because there was no good way to distribute your books to a large audience. The internet has revolutionized publishing, though, and now it’s one of the best ways to reach readers. Since I’m a big geek, the technology side of it really appeals to me. Eventually, everybody will be reading books on their cell phone or tablet, and I wanted to be a part of that.

TRB: Where did you get your idea(s) for your novel, Six Moon Summer?

SMR: Ironically – considering I’m now an indie writer – it was a remark from a literary agent on a different werewolf project. She lamented that the idea of a teenage girl as a werewolf was interesting, but she wanted to see the character struggling to control herself around other teenagers. It sparked a whole different story idea, and that has since turned into Six Moon Summer and All Hallows’ Moon.

TRB: What type/style of a writer are you? Seat-of-Your Pants? Outline Queen? Master Plotter?

SMR: I’m a daydreamer. I fantasize all the time, and when enough of my fantasies start orbiting the same characters and situations, I’ll start doodling scenes in notebooks. When I finally get about 50% of the way through a project and lose momentum, I’ll outline the rest of the book and take it from there. I wish I was a master plotter!

TRB: Did you model any characters after real-life people? Is there a character that resonates with you?

SMR: None of my characters are based on anyone I knew in particular, although one could argue that they’re all a lot like me. Writing is very therapeutic. I’m sure a psychiatrist would have a field day extrapolating my life experiences from what I’ve written about!

TRB: What is your hope for readers to experience by reading your novel?

SMR: I want to be the kind of writer you seek out when you’re having a bad day. Or when it’s sunny outside and you want to relax in a lounge chair and “turn off” the outside world for awhile. I hope my books will let people disappear into fantasy for a little while, and my ultimate goal is to write the kind of book that sticks to your ribs and follows you around for a couple days after you finish it.

TRB: Is there a playlist that you listen to that inspires you while you're writing?

SMR: It varies widely from book to book. I have really weird music tastes (think Scandinavian pop music, musicals, 80s hair metal, opera…) so I’ll set my vast music library to random when I write and bounce around between genres until I come across an album that really suits the book. All Hallows’ Moon was written almost entirely to VAST and Bruno Mars.

TRB: Who is your favorite author? Is there a certain genre you read [in] exclusively?

SMR: My favorite author is actually Edgar Allan Poe. Don’t tease me! I love him. There’s a claustrophobia to his writing that’s so pleasantly creepy. But I’m loyal to the entire genre of urban fantasy.

TRB: I adore Poe!

TRB: Are you a DTB (Dead Tree Book) reader, or do you use a dedicated reader? What do you predict for the future of these two formats?

SMR: I’ve been welded to my Kindle since I received one for my 21st birthday. Even though “dead tree books” aren’t going anywhere, they will become much less common, and I think that’s a good thing from an ecological standpoint. I can’t imagine a house without at least a few shelves of books, but it’s better for forests if personal libraries (like mine, which used to take up 2.5 rooms of my old apartment) become obsolete.

Book 2, All Hallows Moon (Seasons of the Moon)

TRB: Is there a plan for a third installment? What are a few things the reader can expect from book three? I'm also aware that you have a full-length novel in the works, Shattered. What can you tell us about that?

SMR: Those are very loaded questions!

Yes, there’s a plan for a third installment, which is called Long Night Moon. If I can use a geekism, this will be The Empire Strikes Back for the series. It’s going to be intense, moody, and address some huge issues—both fantastical and otherwise. But I promise there will be no Ewoks in the final book (since I have four planned for the entire series).

Shattered is a special in-between project. I usually write series-length stories, so I need to take a breather occasionally to do a standalone and give my brain a rest. The 19 Dragons, my steampunk novella, was one of these in-between projects too. I don’t want to give away too much about Shattered, but it’s kind of a cross between paranormal romance and contemporary raygun gothic. It’s a really fun mashup. Fans of Six Moon Summer will go nuts for it.

Shattered, Publishing 2012

TRB: How has your experience as an author been different from what you expected?

SMR: Honestly, as a child, I never thought of independently publishing my books. I remember my mother, who is also a writer, on the phone with editors in New York as a child, and that was what I expected it would be like. Instead, my books go straight from my brain and hard drive into the hands of the readers. And because of it, the experience is much more complex. I also have to handle all the editing, the formatting, the design, and the publicity. Writing is only one small part of the process. I never saw that one coming, but I really love it—so much that I hope to launch my own small publishing company soon.

TRB: Lastly, can you quantify the margin of difficulty between writing your novella and that of your longer works that ranged in the 55K word range? Was transitioning between longer works and shorter difficult? What degree of challenge did you face?

SMR: The novella was easy, but intense. It came out of me all at once, which is probably why the story is so bizarre. I completely turned off my mental filter and let the world go crazy on the page. Longer works are harder, in that they take much more dedication, but they’re also kind of easier because I don’t lose myself as much. It’s hard to compare the two experiences. They’re very unique.

Reine's Steampunk novella, The 19 Dragons

SMR: Thanks so much for having me! Those are some really great interview questions.

TRB: It was totally my pleasure, Sara! My only regret is I haven't read SMS yet but I KNOW I'll love it!

Author Bio~

SM Reine is an author of dark fantasy for teen and adult audiences. Her most widely known work is "Six Moon Summer," which has been hailed as "fresh and fast-paced" and "captivating." She lives in Nevada with her husband, the Helpful Baby, and too many black animals to count.

Connect with Sara:

Blog

goodreads

Twitter

Enter to win by posting your comment below with your email address. Winners will be selected using Random.org on September 23, 2011. Thank you! :)

"Blood Singers" Cover Reveal~!

2011-09-10T12:04:00.000-06:00

Blood Singers coming in 2012

A young adult paranormal romance:

A sub-species of human beings...

Twenty-year old, Julia Wade, a young woman tragically widowed, is in the middle of a bizarre bid between two mythical species who are vying for the unique properties she offers; her blood. The vampires need her to balance the food load of the human species and give them their coveted “Lightwalkers.” The Were wish to be moonless changers; a Rare One can make that a reality.

Julia wants to belong to herself.

Can she free herself and begin a new life?

Enter to win a FREE eCopy of "Death Speaks" @ A Book Vacation!

2011-09-08T16:26:00.000-06:00

A TREMENDOUS thank you to my Readers! Thanks for reading Death Whispers and continuing the series with Death Speaks *XOXO*!

A Book Vacation- Click HERE to enter~

Download "Death Whispers" for FREE on Amazon.com~!

2011-09-01T23:22:00.000-06:00

Click HERE to download

Book One

Death Whispers is also FREE on NOOK and Smashwords

Book Two for $2.99

Death Speaks (Death Series, Book 2)

I want to read "Descended by Blood" (!!!) & have entered the giveaway here:

2011-09-01T12:39:00.000-06:00

Click link to enter:

Dark Angel 188

"Death Speaks" available in paperback~Plus review links!

2011-08-29T20:24:00.000-06:00

Death Speaks (Death Series, Book 2)
Death Speaks- eBook $2.99 Amazon.com

Death Speaks- Paperback $12.99 Amazon.com

Latest review for The Pearl Savage:

The Blogger Girlz

Latest review for Death Whispers:

Once Upon a Twilight

Thank you Aaron and Yara for reviewing my books~! =D

"Death Speaks" eBook giveaway on September 1 at A Book Vacation:

2011-08-17T11:56:00.000-06:00

A Book Vacation

Death Speaks, (Book 2 Death Series)
Available September 1:
$2.99
Amazon.com
Nook
Smashwords
Paperback ($12.99)

Desitheblonde is the winner for the Bone Dressing Giveaway~!

2011-08-13T15:21:00.000-06:00

Congratulations!

"Death Speaks" to Publish before September 1!

2011-08-10T10:25:00.000-06:00

Book two of the Death Series available before September 1!

The winner for "The Pearl Savage" and "Death Whispers" is:

2011-08-08T16:19:00.000-06:00

Samantha for Livingston Hall Publishers~! Congratulations!
I will email Samantha directly. If she cannot be reached, a new recipient will be awarded within three days! Thank you Google Friend and Network Blog followers! :D

100th GFC follower reached~! Yea and Thanks everyone!

2011-08-07T12:14:00.000-06:00

In honor of my fantastic followers I will use random.org to choose one lucky recipient to receive an e- copy of both The Pearl Savage and Death Whispers. I will announce the winner tomorrow~! Thanks so much for following me~ :D

Bone Dressing Giveaway~! Domestic & International...

2011-08-04T12:37:00.000-06:00

Please leave your email and name in the comment section. One extra point awarded for following both our blogs: Tamara Rose Blodgett and Michelle I. Brooks.
Thanks for your participation!
A winner will be picked by random.org. on August 12, 2011 and gifted a Smashwords coupon.

Bone Dressing

TIME IS RUNNING OUT … THE DARK THAT’S BEEN CHASING SYD FOR MANY LIFETIMES HAS FINALLY CAUGHT UP WITH HER … Sydney Roberdeau lost her parents as a young girl. Waiting for her life to start and the freedom that will come with her eighteenth birthday, Syd spends much of her time haunting the local cemetery. It is there, stretched out among the dead, that she feels most alive, most at home. Until one rainy night when Beau, Sarah and T.J. crash her ghostly sanctuary, appearing out of nowhere, turning her already inside-out world one degree past upside down. Syd must now revisit past lives, dressing in the bodies of her previous selves … bone dressing. Her only chance to outrun the evil breathing down her neck is to face her own worst nightmares and her strongest desires. But if she can’t stay out of trouble in this life, how can she possibly fix mistakes from past lives? And just how many lives has she lived, loved and lost? What is Syd exactly, and what will she risk for the life of a man she doesn’t remember, the man she spent a lifetime with, the man she loves? Everything … including her very own life? Bone Dressing, the first in a series of seven books, will carry Syd and Beau on an adventure that transcends life itself.

Michelle's Thoughts; author of the Bone Dressing series

What do I like most about writing? Wow. That’s a tough one. I love it all – but I guess that’s not playing fair, too much not an answer to really count as an answer.

Okay. So, think, think, think, Michelle. What is it that drives me to write? Hmmm … I suppose it could be the connection I feel to the world around me. And no, I don’t mean the idiot honking his horn, or the guy you know had to have choked down a whole glass full of green chunky milk this morning, or even just those poor, lost, miserable souls who can’t stop staring at the concrete long enough to say, “Good morning.”

No, I’m talking about the breath of the world, that part that is, the part that’s alive and has been for a billion years. When I sit down to write, it starts at the tips of my fingers and toes. Huh, even my nose … a whispered tickle, a tiny little tingly feeling. And after a few minutes that tingling slips inside my skin and slowly pours through my body as comfortably as stepping into a deliciously warm hot tub at the end of a day that was forty-eight hours too long. Stripping away all the grime clinging desperately to my soul, it leaves me all clean and shiny on the outside and I know if I had Superman’s vision, on the inside I’d be glowing like Haley’s comet on a night without a moon.

But, then again, maybe what turns me on so much about writing is the feeling of creation as I break my pencil scribbling like a mad woman on my notepad, or drum out an ancient tribal beat as I click away on the keys at my computer. Everything, what I eat, drink, say, do, decide, decline, hate, enjoy and love affects what I write … fundamentally and profoundly. A similar act to that of reproduction. The creation of a singular being, one ultimately dependent upon me for its very being … conception through birth … and at least part-way through life. The only problem with that idea is that I don’t so much feel like the owner of what I write, but rather simply the means by which it is written. Which is, in fact, pretty much how I feel about being a parent, actually. It’s as if, once the universe tickles its way inside my head, the words that spill out of me come from a place infinitely deeper than my body has depth, from an eternal ocean of love and life and the million stories that risk the light of day trying to capture them and serve them up for we mere mortals to devour.

Still, at other times, I must admit, writing gives me more a feeling of destruction. Of annihilation. Those would be the times when my characters are fighting or fretting or simply simmering in their own karmic baths.

Or perhaps it’s the healing sensation that pours over me and through me as I write. Somehow by giving life to my characters, by letting them laugh and love and scream out in rage, my own emotions slip out as well and stretch their toes. Case in point, recently I was in tears writing a blog post for my Bone Dressing series from Queen’s and Jack’s perspective. It’s nothing that will be in the books, but delves into their feelings of love, and loss, for Syd. And yet now I’m back at work on Bone Dressing: The Dreaming, knee deep in Syd’s crazy, mixed-up feelings for Beau and completely overboard (literally!) into the blood, and bones, of her next past life.

But, no. In fact, none of these are what I love most about writing. What moves me, what thrills me about what I do, is the adventure. Words are powerful. Whether they be spoken, or silent, written on slabs of stone or scrawled on a dinner napkin. We are a species that … at times … communicates with one another. And every word, spoken or otherwise, is magnified over time. Much like when I was younger, and would toss a pebble into a pond …circles of ripples, ever expanding and concentric would spread outward in the water, feeding on their own energy, ultimately affecting everything around them. The human word tends to be a highly underestimated entity. Together they can give us wings and take us to places we never imagined we could go, or they can bring us to our knees, shatter our heart and scar the soul. I lose myself in the words when I write. It’s an aphrodisiac … and I’m in love. For now, The Dreaming is my bed pillow … and it’s calling me …

Kindle

NOOK

Smashwords

Author Bio~

Michelle was born in the pre-dawn hours of a crisp February morning in 1966 in a little one-bedroom apartment behind the Alabama Theater in Montrose in the heart of Houston. She first saw the world as Brian Westworth Brooks until her grandmother informed Michelle’s mother that the number of protruding body parts had been drastically miscalculated, that her grandchild was a she, not a he. As it turned out, Michelle’s mother had been much too busy counting fingers and toes to bother with other jiggly bits. So, Brian Westworth became Wendy Lynn, another fine name which served Michelle well for all of two days. Upon signing the birth certificate, Michelle’s father surreptitiously changed her name one last time, ultimately introducing the world to Michelle Irene Brooks, one little girl big enough to have already lived the lives of three.

While being totally Texan and living in or near Montrose the majority of her life, Michelle has traveled the world and lived a life rich with love, laughter, heartache and adventure. She came into the world seeing it through different eyes and carries with her to this day a rich, unique perspective of the life breathing all around her and within her.

Connect with Michelle~

Blog

Twitter

Facebook

goodreads

Bone Dressing Book Trailer~

Check out my Author-Interview at Natalie Wright's Blog~!

2011-08-03T17:24:00.000-06:00

Natalie did a *fantastic* job~! Thanks, Natalie!

Click HERE for Author-Interview

Enter to Win a FREE e-copy of The Pearl Savage~!

2011-07-31T11:16:00.000-06:00

Book Bite Reviews

Read Becky's Review of TPS HERE~

One International and One Domestic will be gifted~!

Love all my readers; globally! Thank you!

When the 100th Google Friend Connect follower is reached, a FREE e-copy of both...

2011-07-31T11:03:00.000-06:00

The Pearl Savage and my newest book, Death Speaks (Death Series, Book 2) will be gifted.

The selection of the winner will be done through Random.org and will include my Network Blog followers as well~

Death Speaks, has an expected publication date of August 15, 2011. Please follow my blog for updates about new releases of the following titles for 2011:

Bloodsingers- Oct. 2011
The Savage Blood (Savage Series, Book 2)
Death Screams-Dec./Jan 2011-12 (Death Series, Book 3)

Thursday Focus: Alan Edwards talks about, "The Curse of Troius..."

2011-07-27T23:33:00.000-06:00

The Curse of Troius

TRB: Alan, my other reviewer, Malryk, loved The Curse of Troius. Would you tell us a little about its premise?

AE: Certainly! The Curse of Troius is a zombie horror novel set in a fantasy world I’ve created. I wanted to go that route since the idea of a horde of Romero-esque infectious zombies that you couldn’t face with modern weaponry seemed appealing to me. It’s also a pretty low-magic fantasy world, so there isn’t much in the way of abra-ca-dabra-ing a way around the danger, and focuses on a typical small village and the devastation a group of zombies could wreak there.

TRB: What made you choose to go Indie? What is your advice to other authors that don't wish to go the “legacy publishing” route?

AE: Rejection, rejection, rejection. I found that writing query letters and synopsizes, err, synopsi, err, summaries and submitting manuscripts in the mail was sapping all the joy I get from writing, so I stopped after reading an article about CreateSpace and the changing world of self-publishing. I liked the idea that in a few weeks of work I could have an actual published book that my friends could buy. I didn’t think much beyond that. I knew it was a good story, and if some random person wanted to buy it, I thought it would at least entertain them.

My advice? Write the best thing you can. Get some feedback. Then polish it. Then publish it. Don’t spend the rest of your life editing it and trying to make it perfect, especially if it’s your first novel. Your first novel will always be the worst novel you’ve ever written. Publish it, and start writing another one, or a group of short stories, or something. Keep publishing.

TRB: You're my hero.

TRB: Where did you get your idea(s) for your novel? Is it a predominately “zombie novel,” or does it have zombies as a part of it with other supporting elements?

AE: A lot of elements came from dreams I’ve had. Every now and again, I get what I call a Zombie Dream. It’s like my brain plays me a movie. Sometimes I’m a character, sometimes I’m just a floating perspective like a camera. They are incredibly long, vivid, and stay with me. I love those dreams. One particular scene from a dream stuck with me enough that I knew I needed a story to house it. Thus, Curse.

It’s definitely a zombie novel, but it’s also a fantasy novel. I wanted it to have a slow build-up, so the reader could get to know some of the people involved, get a feel for them, and maybe begin to care about them before I have them messily devoured. Just having a bunch of strangers get eaten isn’t entertaining, to me. The fantasy setting made it more of a challenge to get people to identify with the characters quickly – there is no shorthand like “single mother working as a nurse” or “rugged doctor” that you can do in a modern setting. So, I had to build up a little more around them, make them identifiable and unique. Then have them eaten.

TRB: What type/style of a writer are you? Seat-of-Your Pants? Outline King? Master Plotter?

AE: My entire archive of notes would easily fit on one side of 8” x 11” paper, so I am definitely a Pantser. I found that even the rough ideas I had in my head would change as I actually reached the point in the story they took place. I think it helps me let the story grow organically and realistically instead of trying to stick with what might be a flawed outline or pre-conceived plot.

TRB: again, * Hero *

TRB: Did you model any characters after real-life people? Is there a character that resonates with you?

AE: One of the favorite games of friends of mine who’ve read it is to guess who some of the characters are based on. I used a many of my friends as a visual reference in my head, like I was casting a movie. That way, I knew how each character stood, gestured, spoke, things along those lines. Some of them have their personality traits blown up to an 11.

I have 4 characters that resonated the most with me: Comrick, Tevas, and Domic are all based on people I know, and since they’re role-players, I’ve seen them as characters beyond themselves. They are definitely the most fun to write. The fourth is Min, a young seer with an unfortunate past and bad choice in companions. She wasn’t based on anyone at all, so I had to work hard to truly identify with her. I ended up very attached to her.

TRB: What is your hope for readers to experience by reading your novel?

AE: I have one hope: that every reader will be inspired to send me ten thousand dollars in unmarked bills. Actually, no. The one hope I have is that they enjoy the story, and it entertains them for however long it takes to read it. I want them to be scared sometimes, grossed out sometimes, laugh sometimes, but in the end, just have a good time with it.

TRB: Is there a playlist that you listen to that inspires you while you're writing?

AE: I tend to listen to electronic music a lot, mostly trance. When I want a good atmospheric spooky sound for a scary bit, I like Midnight Syndicate or Nox Arcana or the like.

TRB: Who is your favorite author? Is there a certain genre you read [in] exclusively?

AE: My favorite author is Tolkien. He set the standard for world-building that I think can never be matched.

I read a lot of fantasy and horror, which is probably where I got the peanut butter and chocolate idea for my novel in the first place.

TRB: Are you a DTB (Dead Tree Book) reader, or do you use a dedicated reader? What do you predict for the future of these two formats?

AE: I love them both. My Kindle is awesome since it goes where I go. But when I’m sitting in bed, I like the feeling of pages in my hand. I think both will be around for a long time, even if the publishing industry itself changes radically. The allure of paper is too strong for a lot of folks, me included.

TRB: When can we expect the exciting sequel for, The Curse of Troius, to publish? What are a few things the reader can expect from the next installment?

AE: The sequel, The Storm of Northreach, should be published before the year is out. Since there is no magic-happy-la-la ending to Curse, the reader will see the effects of a spreading zombie horde over a large area, including a nearby city. It’ll be zombie mayhem on a large scale, but with a focus still on some of the survivors of Curse along with new perspectives to show the effects that a bunch of murderous people-eating monsters can have.

TRB: Malryk will be pleased. And, I may have to give “Curse” a try as I do fancy a book that doesn't tie things up neatly in the end...I sort of like a mess (even thought I tie up my own work...haha).

How has your experience as an author been different from what you expected?

I thought I’d be rich and provided with a pipe, tweed jacket, and sycophants by now. Honestly, though, it’s proven to be both easier and harder than I ever would have thought before doing it. Writing can be easy - a thousand words that ring true can just fly off the fingertips. It can also be impossible – staring at a blank page with no clue as to which word could possibly fit there. It’s been a fun ride, though, one I’m enjoying immensely.

Author Bio~

Alan Edwards majored in English at the University of Florida for approximately four weeks, until the endless daily grind of non-stop investigations into whether every single mention of a long straight object was nothing more than a phallic symbol made him quickly realize that he would never make it through to actually get an English degree. He determinedly became a drunkard and dropout afterwards.

Later, he learned the fine art of bookkeeping, decided he enjoyed it, and eventually went back to school, this time for an Accounting degree, which he was able to complete while working full-time and attending night classes for the simple reason that there was no discussion of phallic symbols.

Becoming a stalwart and valiant accountant, he set the world afire with the speed of his T-accounts, the precision of his reconciliations, and uncanny way of balancing debits and credits. By night, he dazzled and amazed all and sundry by reading, playing computer and console games as well as tabletop role-playing games, watching TV, and playing with his dogs.

Nearly all of his time is spent with his lovely wife and companion Lisa, whose patience and love quite seriously carries him through the tribulations of life.

Connect with Alan~

He’d appreciate if you’d stop by for a chat.

Blog

Twitter

Facebook

goodreads

Thanks for guesting on my blog, Alan...you're super-funny and were a great interviewee! :)

Peruse attached 5-STAR review by Malryk for Curse...

June 15, 2011
The Curse of Troius (A Zombie Fantasy Novel)

Review by Malryk

Enhanced zombies, Prime medieval setting, Insidious magic, and a Catastrophic shovel - all the makings of the word EPIC!

This book was recommended to me by a good friend of mine, and I freely say that I was excited. One just needs to look at the title of the review. When we start out with the, Curse of Troius, we get a glimpse of not so much magical nature as the last days *of* magic. When this happened, I was more than a little sad of what we would be missing - especially after the tavern scene (you'll know it when you see it ;) ). However, this did not seem to impede nor take away from the progression and style of the story. We're thrown into a variety of folk, some who have experienced horrible scenarios, some with mysterious pasts, and some who have yet to show that they're worth anything more than the ale they have on the table. The story is compelling, the characters range from mildly-amusing to enigmatic (think "first encounter of "Stranger").

As the story progresses, we feel the slow building up of the release that we know is the zombie apocalypse. There-is-no-hope, that warm fuzzy feeling we get when the end of the world is neigh. Characters you may have hoped to have had a happy ending may or may not be gone - characters you may want to die in horrible way may or may not survive. It's up to you guys to read the book and see for yourselves the awesomeness that is the walking dead. A forewarning - there is not immediate carnage. If you want a book that gives you blood and guts from start to finish, go play Halo or re-watch Dawn of the Dead. If you want something with zombies and an actual story, read this book.

Hope all who read it enjoy it!

Oh, and a note to the author:
"If I don't see a sequel within the next two years, a zombie-pox upon you :)"

Stars: 5 of 5

Genre: Fantasy

Sub-genre: Horror

Elements: Strong profanity, Strong Violence

Age: Mature

Purchase Link: The Curse of Troius: A Zombie Fantasy Novel

Cost: $3.99

Grammatical/formatting issues: Nothing significant.

eBook: Yes

Paperback:Yes
Hardcover: No

Book Bite Reviews gives "The Pearl Savage" 5-stars!

2011-07-26T20:28:00.000-06:00

Becky's going to host a giveaway for The Pearl Savage to begin soon. In the meantime, check out her review of TPS at the following blog:

Book Bite Reviews

When the 100th GFC follower is reached, a FREE e-copy of both...

2011-07-24T15:14:00.000-06:00

Death Whispers and The Pearl Savage will be gifted using Random.org! Thanks for following my blog everyone :D

Both Network Blog and GFC followers will be included in the drawing~!

Thursday Focus: Kimberly Spencer talks about, "Shimmerspell..."

2011-07-20T22:14:00.000-06:00

Shimmmerspell~ download your Kindle copy for FREE

Limerick~ Book 2, a .99 Cent Title!

TRB: Kimberly, you're doing fantastically well with both your debut novella, Shimmerspell, as well as its sequel, Limerick. What do you attribute to your growing success?

KS: Giving away free copies of Shimmerspell has been a tremendous help. Doing so has allowed me to garner new reviews and has even boosted the sales of Limerick.

TRB: What made you choose to go Indie? What is your advice to other authors that don't wish to go the “legacy publishing” route?

KS: I chose to go Indie because I liked the creative control it provided. I’m able to write what I want and transmit it directly to readers without waiting for a publishing house to back my ideas. My advice to other authors is to do your homework. Kindleboards is a great place to start learning about the publishing process. Create the best product you can. And finally, edit, edit, edit!

TRB: Where did you get your idea(s) for your novella, Shimmerspell?

KS: I have always loved stories about King Arthur, but they never really told what happened next. How was Morgen Le Fae punished? What happened to the Lady of the Lake? For Shimmerspell, my goal was to answer those questions by stressing the fairy side of the legend.

TRB: What type/style of a writer are you? Seat-of-Your Pants? Outline Queen? Master Plotter?

KS: Seat-of-my-pants all the way. I usually start with a general idea for the beginning and the end, then wing it from there.

TRB: I hear that!

TRB: Did you model any characters after real-life people? Is there a character that resonates with you?

KS: Physically, I imagine Liam as a younger version of Jensen Ackles. You know, the really hot guy that plays Dean on Supernatural. But other than that, no. All of the other characters are just figments of my wild imagination.

The MC Jensen is definitely my favorite character. She’s sarcastic, funny, and so incredibly flawed. I’ve always loved imperfect characters—the ones that have to struggle to achieve their goals rather than have everything come naturally. Flaws make them feel real and Jensen is as realistic as it gets.

TRB: Agree with the mindset of the MC having challenges to overcome.

TRB: What is your hope for readers to experience by reading your novel?

KS: I hope readers laugh so hard they snort. I hope they become so enchanted by Jensen’s world that they can’t even go to the bathroom without dragging their e-readers along with them. Honestly, I just want my books to be the escape they need from the craziness of real life.

TRB:Is there a playlist that you listen to that inspires you while you're writing?

KS: Save the Hero - Beyonce

I Don’t Know if I Should Stay - Alexz Johnson

Brick by Boring Brick - Paramore.

Those three songs always get me in the mood to write for the Faerie Tale Girl Trilogy.

TRB: Who is your favorite author? Is there a certain genre you read [in] exclusively?

KS: I inhale paranormal and urban fantasy books. Seriously, I can’t live without them. My favorite authors are Rachel Vincent, Gena Showalter, and Cassandra Clare.

TRB: Are you a DTB (Dead Tree Book) reader, or do you use a dedicated reader? What do you predict for the future of these two formats?

KS: Other than textbooks, I can’t even remember the last time I bought an actual book. My kindle has been a godsend. With the high cost of books these days, having it has saved me a ton of money. I believe that paperbacks will always be around, but e-readers will become the norm in the next few years.

TRB: When can we expect the exciting sequel for, Limerick, to publish? What are a few things the reader can expect from book three? I'm also aware that you have a full-length novel in the works, Tether. When do you anticipate that will publish? How has it been to work on both a novella (at 20K-ish words), then transition into a full length work?

KS: Triquetra is slated to be released late August/early September. In it, readers can expect to see Jensen finally owning her powers. Everyone knows her secret now, so both courts want to control her. Jensen has made up her mind that she’s gonna fight them all. Also, the infamous Lorelei Le Fae will finally reconnect with Jensen and Dermott and a lot of questions about Liam’s behavior in Limerick will be answered.

I expect to publish my first full-length novel, Tether, late October. I’m really excited about it. It’s a young adult vampire romance with a twist and I actually came up with the idea while doing research for Shimmerspell.

So far, transitioning from a novella to a novel has been fun. But once I get deeper into writing it, I imagine it will become frustrating since there’s so much I need to include to make the story feel complete.

TRB: How has your experience as an author been different from what you expected?

KS: Honestly, I expected the social networking part to be a lot easier, but I truly suck at it. I have a blog and a twitter page, but I never know what to say. Is it crazy for someone to feel shy over the internet?

TRB: *Laughs* ah...no~!

TRB: Tell us your secret(s) of coming up with the to-die-for cover art for your books!

KS: Eye-catching, bold colors! I’ve always been drawn to covers like that, so I had to have them for my own books. For authors on a budget, Dreamstime has a really nice selection of photos and you can use Gimp (a free program) to alter them to your liking.

Kim's full length novel, Tether...due in autumn, 2011~!

TRB: Fantastic! Having read Shimmerspell, I was taken with how exactly the cover reflects the feel of the story...can't wait to read Limerick! Thank you so much for being a guest on my blog, Kim! I'm so fortunate to have met you... :D

Author Bio~

Kimberly hails from Alabama and is a self-proclaimed: Avid Reader :: Writer of Edgy Faerie Tales:: and Non-Arithmeticer.

Connect with Kim~

Blog

Twitter

goodreads

See how it all began with Kim's newly released Fae prequel:

Lore: A Faerie Tale Girl Prequel

Click HERE to read my REVIEW of "Shimmerspell"

love to my INTERNATIONAL readers! Mel, from the UK won...

2011-07-18T14:54:00.000-06:00

...a copy of Death Whispers in Ashley's giveaway! Thanks for entering readers (!) and don't forget the sequel to DW publishes in mid-August!

And a tremendous "thank you" to Ash as well~!

Thursday Focus: Michelle Muto talks about, "The Book of Lost Souls..."

2011-07-13T20:22:00.000-06:00

The Book of Lost Souls

TRB: Michelle, you're consistently RANKED in the top 100 for your category, Mystery, Espionage & Detectives and the top 100 for top-RATED in Love & Romance (both Young Adult). Besides having a unique and compelling story, what do you attribute to your growing success?

MM: I make myself available to readers on Twitter, my blog, and on a couple of message boards. A good cover and friends who are professional editors don't hurt, either.

TRB: What made you choose to go Indie? What is your advice to other authors that don't wish to go the “legacy publishing” route?

MM: There's never been a better time to be a writer. I decided to go indie after a lot of close calls with agents. My number one rejection was "in this economy." My advice to future indies? Make sure you've had beta readers and critique partners go over your story. Try to have more than one book ready. You won't release them at the same time, but one will help sell the other and two will give you ample time to write a third. Also, I can't stress enough that they'll need to have a good cover, a rock-solid blurb, professional editing and clean formatting. If you want to have any sort of success, I believe an indie book needs to rival what the Big Six offers.

TRB: Where did you get your idea(s) for your novel, The Book of Lost Souls?

MM: I've always loved witch stories. I watched old reruns of Bewitched growing up and am a die-hard Harry Potter fan. Magic has always fascinated me. Couple that with my love of small towns and a sense of humor, and I suppose the rest was inevitable.

TRB: What type/style of a writer are you? Seat-of-Your Pants? Outline Queen? Master Plotter?

MM: I used to be seat-of-the pants. Now I'm an outliner and master plotter. That's not to say I don't change things as I write, but I do go back and change my outline (index cards and my own variation of the Snowflake Method). If the outline doesn't make sense, then no amount of creative writing will save the story.

TRB: Did you model any characters after real-life people? Is there a character that resonates with you?

MM: Ivy definitely resonates with me. She's neither weak nor bitchy. She feels real to me. But, Devlin is the only character that was modeled closely to someone in real life - my own dog, Ronan. Ronan was the original Beezlepup from the time he was ten weeks old. It just felt natural to make him into a fictional character.

TRB: What is your hope for readers to experience by reading your novel?

MM: That a feel-good, humorous story with dark undertones is a lot of fun to read. That not every book has to be so dark and brooding. Not that there's anything wrong with that - my next novel certainly fits this decryption. It's just that a good, fun story is a wonderful change of pace.

TRB: Is there a playlist that you listen to that inspires you while you're writing?

MM: Definitely. Although I don't create most of them until I've put together the skeleton of the book.

TRB: Who is your favorite author? Is there a certain genre you read [in] exclusively?

MM: J.K. Rowling, Stephen King, Dean Koontz , Kelley Armstrong, Melissa Marr, Shirley Jackson, Janet Evanovich and David Sedaris are my favorites. I read just about anything, but tend to read more young adult, urban fantasy, horror, humor, and thrillers than anything else.

TRB: Are you a DTB (Dead Tree Book) reader, or do you use a dedicated reader? What do you predict for the future of these two formats?

MM: I read both, but since we bought an iPad last year I'd say 90% of the books I read are ebooks. I predict that print is going to be around for a long time, but ebooks will continue to gain market share.

TRB: When can we expect the exciting sequel for, The Book of Lost Souls, will publish? What are a few things the reader can expect from book two?

MM: I'm working on the sequel now. The reader can expect more mischief and mayhem from Ivy and her friends, and a big reveal about Ivy herself. I'm very excited about this particular plot line!

TRB: How has your experience as an author been different from what you expected?

MM: I thought I'd have a lot more time to write. Unfortunately, promotion and social media take up more time that I thought.

Author Bio~

Michelle has always loved storytelling. When she was a child, her favorite stories were of monsters and things that lurked in the dark. Telling stories often frightened her classmates and got her into a lot of trouble with her teachers. They had no sense of humor.

As an adult, Michelle traded her love of writing for the corporate life where she was an IT professional. Today, she's doing what she loves best - writing and storytelling.

Michelle grew up in Chicago, but currently lives in NE Georgia with her husband and their two dogs. She loves scary books, funny movies, sports cars, chocolate, dogs, and changes of season.

Connect with Michelle~

BLOG

Twitter

goodreads

Facebook

TRB: Michelle was one of the very first Indie authors to welcome me "into the group;" offering advice, info and some kind words. It's been my pleasure to "give back" a little here on my blog. Great job, Michelle~!

The Winner for the Death Whispers Giveaway is...

2011-07-12T12:44:00.000-06:00

CMDalton~! Congratulations and thank you all for entering! (Winner chosen using Random.org)

Don't forget that my 100th GFC follower will win their choice of an e-copy of either Death Whispers or The Pearl Savage. I appreciate my readers!!!

Tremendously Excited~! Blogger, I Am A Reader, Not A Writer...

2011-07-08T20:09:00.000-06:00

...is hosting a month-long giveaway for both my titles: Death Whispers and The Pearl Savage!

I AM A Reader, Not A Writer~Click HERE to Enter

Thursday Focus: Author/Interview~ Amy Lunderman

2011-07-07T09:43:00.000-06:00

Purchase Book 1 in the trilogy for .99 cents~ "They Walk"

TRB: Amy, how do you find time to write with a small child to raise?

AL: Very stealthily, kind of like a ninja! Lol! Sometimes it feels that way, but for now I take advantage of sleeping time. Hers not mine; since she is still young she has a nap and is in bed early. I try to write as much as I can during that time, and lucky for me she loves her sleep.

TRB: What made you choose to go Indie? What is your advice to other authors that don't wish to go the “legacy publishing” route?

AL: With the demand of e-Books, this is the most used and professional form of self-publishing. It definitely makes it easier for a first-time writer to give it a try. The best advice for anyone choosing to go "indie" is to edit! I revise a first draft so many times that the words blur together, and sometimes I feel like it isn’t even enough. So edit like it’s going out of style!

TBR: I hear that!

TRB: Where did you get your idea(s) for your novels, They Walk, and the sequel, They Stumble? Is it a predominately “zombie novel,” or does it have zombies as a part of it with other supporting elements?

AL: I’ve been a hardcore zombie fan for a while now, and a couple months ago I had a marathon of the AMC series, The Walking Dead. That night I ended up have crazy dream about a girl named Maggie who had to fight dozens of zombies. The next morning I started writing right away, and even though I changed most of the plot and outcome (because it wouldn’t make sense, the dream was wacko; seriously) it still stuck with me to keep [it] going! I’d say it’s most definitely a “zombie novel,” but without giving anything away, there is a twist I added that will make it it’s own.

TRB: What type/style of a writer are you? Seat-of-Your Pants? Outline Queen? Master Plotter?

AL: I’m a little bit of all three actually, but mainly an outline queen, for sure. I usually take my main plot idea and outline the entire book out before I write anything. Most times when I get into the writing, I’ve noticed that the plot can change as I go; almost like it’s taking me for the ride and not the other way around.

TRB: Did you model any characters after real-life people? Is there a character that resonates with you?

AL: It’s funny that you ask that, because yes I do! I use a lot of characteristics from some of my family members, and sometimes I don’t even change the name. I find that it helps to use someone familiar when trying to create a character, it helps when you’re trying to find depth. It’s hard for me to pick one character from my writing that really sticks with me, but if I had to choose I’d pick the MC Maggie. She is the one character that I really had to get close to, since she is the MC and all.

TRB: What is your hope for readers to experience by reading your novel?

AL: My ideal reader is someone like me, I suppose. Someone who loves a suspenseful book that is filled with plot twists, new love, and teenage angst. I hope that the reader of my book can have all of the above, as well as a fun read by jumping on the ride of zombie craziness.

TRB: Is there a playlist that you listen to that inspires you while you're writing?

AL: Is there a playlist? Of course there is! I always make it a point to listen to something while I am writing, and it really helps me set the mood of the book. When I wrote the first book, They Walk, I listened to a lot of Within Temptation. I’d say their “Heart of Everything” album is the soundtrack with the song “What Have You Done,” as the theme. I listened to other [artists] for the other two books, but this one really stuck with me.

TRB: Who is your favorite author? Is there a certain genre you read [in] exclusively?

AL: I live to read paranormal romance! Whether they are adult or young adult, I love to read them all. I started reading Fear Street, by R.L. Stine when I was younger and even now I still reread all the works by Laurell K. Hamilton. I still love going back to read each of them both, no matter that I could read them with my eyes closed. I enjoy the fast paced action mixed in with the paranormal, and it inspired to me use that sort of thing with my own writing.

TRB: I love Hamilton.

Other favorites are everything by Kelley Armstrong, Lauren Kate, Richelle Mead, Cassandra Clare, Carrie Ryan, Karen Chance, Lili St. Crow, Sophie Jordan, Julie Kagawa, Rachel Caine, L. J. Smith, Catherine Fisher, Melissa De La Cruz, Patricia Briggs, and Kim Harrison.

TRB: Are you a DTB (Dead Tree Book) reader, or do you use a dedicated reader? What do you predict for the future of these two formats?

AL: It’s a toss-up for which format I love to read, but I do like them both. I love the feel of having an actual book in my hands, that doesn’t have to be plugged in to charge, but I do like the convenience of having everything on demand. See? It’s a toss-up! Using a dedicated reader is something that is going to be everywhere pretty soon, which is nice for an e-Book writer such as myself. One of these days I’d actually like to have my own works in print, which is definitely something I am striving for.

TRB: When can we expect the exciting sequel for, They Stumble, will publish? What are a few things the reader can expect from book three?

AL: They Fall, book three in the trilogy, was just released actually! One thing the reader can expect is to be ready for a startling conclusion. Again, I don’t want to give anything away but…..be prepared to be shocked. Did I mention that I love a plot twist? *enter sinister laugh here*

TRB: Awesome! More-to-love!

TRB: How has your experience as an author been different from what you expected?

AL: Not to sound lazy, but it’s a lot more work than I expected! So far I’ve been doing it all myself; with the helpful guide of the internet. Since I am sans publisher and editor, I have to really make myself buckle down and try to get the word out about my writing, as well as find the time to write.

I have created my own blog though, and got my own twitter account, as well as Facebook; so that helps tremendously. It’s definitely worth all the hard work; I love getting lost in the writing process and story world building.

Book 2, They Stumble

Author Bio~

Amy Lunderman is a stay-at-home mom, with a passion to write paranormal romantic thrillers, whether they be adult or young adult. She lives in Rhode Island with her fiancé and their beautiful daughter. She enjoys writing, reading, being a mom, watching movies and television, having dance party, you tube, and status updates on Facebook.

TRB: I have not yet had the pleasure of reading Amy's zombie trilogy but hope to in the near future...Thanks for being a guest on my blog, Amy~! :D

They Fall, Book 3

Connect with Amy~

Blog: http://amylunderman.blogspot.com/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/#!/AmyLunderman

goodreads: Click HERE

"Death Whispers" is #57 top-RATED for teen, Love & Romance~!

2011-07-02T12:15:00.000-06:00

"The Pearl Savage," #86 in top 100 bestselling for past 30 days!
The Pearl Savage was published on June 15, 2011.

First: thank you readers!!!

Here's how things are breaking down for TPS as of July 2:

#76 in the top 100 Bestselling for Young Adult paranormal romance in the past 90 days!
#23 for YA PNR for the past 30 days!

Great start for my second book...thank you so much for reading my stories!

As a "thank you" for my followers: My 100th GFC follower will receive a gifted eCopy of their choice of either DW or TPS!

This is in addition to the giveaway listed below! Feel the love!

2011-07-01T09:11:00.000-06:00

GIVEAWAY for Death Whispers~! Enter Below...

Death Whispers Virtual Book Tour Giveaway.

In celebration of my virtual book tour for Death Whispers, I've decided to do a big giveaway! Just for stopping by, you will be entered to win an E-copy of Death Whispers. Also up for grabs by one lucky commenter is a chance to win your very own, Free 10-Stop Virtual Book Tour, donated by BK Walker from The Virtual Book Tour.

It's really simple to enter: simply post a comment telling me what you love about reading Young Adult fiction. Don't forget to include your email address so I have a way to contact you. Contest will end on July 10, and winners will be chosen using Random.org and announced on July 11, 2011.

As an added bonus, one lucky follower of my blog tour will win a print copy of Death Whispers. Simply visit my Meet & Greet page at:

Virtual Tour Book Cafe

Visit each blog listed for my tour and leave a comment. Then, stop back here and let me know that you have commented (or you can have them email you to keep it separate). I will verify that you stopped at each blog and at the end of my tour I will draw from the entrants to win a signed print copy of Death Whispers.

*I'd like to take this opportunity to gush a little about BK. I won my virtual tour and she has been gracious, responsive and helpful at every turn, thanks so much, BK~!

Thursday Focus: T.R.Graves talks about, "Warriors of the Cross..."

2011-06-30T09:36:00.000-06:00

Warriors of the Cross: FREE through June 30~

TRB: Tina, are you still active in nursing or have you transitioned into writing full time?

TR: I am an RN administrator within a public healthcare system for one of the nation’s most populous counties. I’m disclosing my administrator position because there are those who believe I am no longer a ‘nurse’ because I don’t perform direct patient care. Of course, I disagree. I work tirelessly at being a business office advocate for patients while making sure the system gets paid for the excellent care provided to the people of our community. Almost every ounce of my nursing career has been devoted to hospitals caring for people who can’t afford their needed healthcare. For that privilege, I am honored.

I work AND write full-time. A typical week for me is tiring. It consists of me commuting 10-12 hours, working at my administrator job 40-60 hours, editing Guardians of the Cross while marketing Warriors of the Cross around 40 hours, and raising an active seven year-old son and a driven seventeen year-old daughter before falling exhaustively into bed for sleep with the remaining few hours. Without my devoted husband, I would not be able to do any of this.

TRB: What made you choose to go Indie?

TR: In the beginning, I had no idea I had options. I assumed the only path included traditional publishing. I sent Warriors of the Cross to a handful of literary agents. Each query was instantly declined without any information that would help me understand what the query letter (or book) was missing or what I could do better. I won’t lie: there were hours after each generic "thanks-but-no-thanks" when I wondered why I was putting myself through the rejection ringer.

Last year, I discovered CreateSpace, and I realized there may be other options for authors. A few months later, I bought Switched by Amanda Hocking. When I saw she published her book through Smashwords, I realized there definitely were other options. On that site, I found a whole population of people who had "taken the bull by the horns" and accomplished their goals without literary agents or traditional publishers. Instantly, I was fascinated and began my extensive research into the Indie Publishing movement. As they say, the rest is history.

TRB: What is your advice to other authors that don't wish to go the “legacy publishing” route?

TR: I would encourage them to research both options extensively. Then, they need to go with the one giving their book the best chance of succeeding. I’m sure you can attest that Indie Publishing is not for the faint of heart. As you can see by my schedule listed above, Indie Publishers have to be willing to pretend this is a full-time job no matter what other obligations they have.

TRB: Amen, sister...

TRB: Where did you get your idea(s) for your novel, Warriors of the Cross?

TR: First, I'm a nurse by profession and choice…and passion. I spent years working in pediatric/cardiac/medical/surgical intensive care units. During those years, I took care of the sickest of the sick. For the rest of my life, I will vividly remember every man, woman, and child dying on my watch. I recall each tear shed (mine and theirs) while I stood by and watched the families grieve for their loved ones. These extraordinary patients and families impacted me and made me the person I am today. They sparked a desire in me to want to change the world into one where people can be healed with the touch of a hand and the merging of souls. I get excited when I think of a universe where this power is a possibility.

TRB: What type/style of a writer are you? Seat-of-Your Pants? Outline Queen? Master Plotter?

TR: I am definitely a fly-by-the-seat-of-your-pants kind of gal. I tried outlines and realized they squelched my creativity. It prevented the story from flowing naturally because I was trying to make it fit into a predetermined place. The write-as-you-go method is wonderful when you commute as many hours as me. I’ve spent hours in traffic mentally planning and plotting what I would write the second I made it home. I bet the great people driving through Houston with me wondered what in the world was going on when I worked my way through a challenging spot…while dealing with rush hour traffic. You can’t help but get excited when you think of a unique storyline.

TRB: Did you model any characters after real-life people? Is there a character that resonates with you?

TR: I embedded the interesting and endearing mannerisms of my friends and family into the characters of this fantasy. Besides The Sisters, there are no, one-to-one matches. Instead, the individuals of the story are layered with lots of peoples' characteristics in order to make them more dramatic. Because of this, I truly love reading Warriors of the Cross. It makes me feel like I have just had a homecoming visit with wonderful friends/family (dead and alive) by the time I make it to the end.

Without a doubt, Allison La Crosse is my hero. She’s an independent, strong, and powerful woman who wants to take care of the world. When she loves, she loves unconditionally. She is a role model for young women.

TRB: What is your hope for readers to experience by reading your novel?

TR: I truly hope it helps them to escape from their everyday troubles for a few hours while they become enthralled in this very exciting story. Most of all, I hope they love the story and its characters as much as me.

TRB: Is there a playlist that you listen to that inspires you while you're writing?

TR: While there are many, many singers that I admire, there is something about Kings of Leon that is critical to my ability to write. In fact, it is almost impossible for me to type without their songs humming along in the background. You can see from the Warriors of the Cross book trailer, I love Beautiful Design by Trading Voices. I adore Just Save by Sarah Reeves so much that I used that song in the Guardians of the Cross book trailer. Other recording artists I respect include Diane Birch, Sheryl Crowe, Eminem, Macy Grey, Alanis Morissette, Alison Krauss, Audra Mae/Curtis Stigers and The Forest Rangers, and U2.

TRB: Who is your favorite author? Is there a certain genre you read [in] exclusively?

TR: While I could fill your entire blog page with Indie names like Amanda Hocking, Tamara Rose Blodgett, Jayde Scott, Addison Moore and Beth Harris, there are a few writers who inspired me to begin my writing career. Those role-models include but are not limited to: J. K. Rowling, Cassandra Clare, Richelle Mead, Charlaine Harris, P. C. & Kristin Cast, Stephanie Meyer, Melissa Marr,…

TRB: Thanks for including me...you're such a gracious person, Tina...

As you can tell, my favorite genre is Young Adult Paranormal Romance. I’ve read lots of books from all sorts of genres, but this is the one preferred by my seventeen year-old daughter. I use our common interest as an opportunity to open the lines of communication between us. She is very supportive of me and loves Warriors of the Cross. After she read the book the first time, she told me she loved it, and I was very creative. Because she is my toughest critic, her honest review will forever be one of my proudest moments.

TRB: Are you a DTB (Dead Tree Book) reader, or do you use a dedicated reader? What do you predict for the future of these two formats?

TR: I’ve been conditioned to love holding a book in my hand. At the same time, I’m addicted to technology. After I found I could buy a book anytime/anyplace with my Nook/IPAD, I was instantly "e-hooked." The author in me loves the immediate gratification of providing an e-book to someone who wants a copy. A bonus is the fact that I never could have given paper copies away by the hundreds like I have with e-books.

TRB: When can we expect the exciting sequel, Guardians of the Cross, to publish? What are a few things the reader can expect from book two?

TR: Guardians of the Cross is written. I am editing it now and hope to have it released by the end of the summer. I’ve started Enemies of the Cross and should have it completed by the end of the year or early next year.

In my very subjective opinion, Guardians of the Cross is more exciting than Warriors of the Cross because the reader already knows the characters. I didn’t have to spend a lot of time introducing each character and detailing their connection to Allison. With Guardians of the Cross, there are going to be some heart stopping shocks at the end. It will have everyone thinking: "What in the world? When can I get my hands on Enemies of the Cross?"

TRB: Who was responsible for your eBook cover art? Also, what a FANTASTIC blog and trailer you have. Can you tell us a little about how you went about choosing and constructing such and appealing site?

TR: Phatpuppy Art designed the book covers for both Warriors of the Cross and Guardians of the Cross. Landing Claudia (the kindest person ever) was one of those things I will forever be grateful for. It is as if her designs were meant to be on the cover of my books. Even more amazing is the fact that she does Amanda Hocking’s covers and still has time to devote toward me and my humble story.

Thank you for complimenting the blog and book trailer. The trick is to find sites that will do the work for you. For the trailer(s), I used Animoto. I’d spent hours trying to create a trailer worth posting. Nothing worked. Finally, I found Animoto. All I did was: decide on the back ground, download pictures, add words, and select a song from their library. Once finished, Animoto produced the video. The ease of the process was amazing given the hours that I had spent trying to do it on my own without having anything to show for my efforts.

Blogger makes the creation of blog sites as easy as it can be. Even then, it took hours and hours to design something visually appealing. During the creation process, I had to educate myself on gadgets, widgets, RSS feeds, hyperlinks, clouds, and graphics. Amazon associates gave me the tools to create wonderful carousels and slide shows to showcase books/songs that my site visitors can purchase with a click of a mouse. I’m pleased with it - so far - but realize it is still a work in progress.

TRB: I absolutely LOVE Blogger and feel the same about what they've provided for me as well~!

Now, Tamara, I want to take a few minutes to thank you for doing this interview, for supporting me, and for being my virtual friend/follower/fan. You are a wonderful mentor for authors. Since you have done this interview for me, I will make sure to pay it forward in the true spirit of Indie Publishing. What a wonderful community to be a part of.

TRB: You're so welcome, Tina, you've been a gracious and responsive guest. As you know, I'm a fan and think you've been a savvy marketer as well as a terrifically talented author. Thanks so much~!

THANKS! THANKS! THANKS!

Author Bio~

T. R. Graves was born in North Louisiana. She currently lives near the coast in Texas with her husband of twenty-four years. Together, they raise their seventeen year-old daughter and six year-old son. Besides being the author of The Warrior Series, she counts her eighteen year career as a registered nurse in not-for-profit hospitals among her most fulfilling accomplishments. She enjoys embedding realistic medical emergencies within a world filled with paranormal fantasy.

Connect with T.R. Graves:

Like/Follow/Friend/Fan Me:

Blog: http://thewarriorseries.blogspot.com/

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/#!/WARRIORSERIES

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

goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/4699869.T_R_Graves

Links mentioned in article:

Createspace: https://www.createspace.com/

Smashwords: http://www.smashwords.com/books/view/44277

Phatpuppy Art: http://phatpuppyart.com/

Animoto: http://animoto.com/

Blogger: http://tinyurl.com/3hkh9s3

Catch T.R. Graves Trailer~!
Warriors of the Cross~ Click HERE

Catch my review for, "Meant to Be," featured on Kiki's blog...

2011-06-29T09:48:00.000-06:00

Hi guys~! As part of my blog tour Kiki features what fave authors are reading. I chose, Meant to Be...
Kiki Howell~ Click HERE

The Pearl Savage now available in paperback~!

2011-06-25T22:18:00.000-06:00

Dead-Tree-Book fan? No worries; suck up a copy of The Pearl Savage at Amazon.com for $8.99:

The Pearl Savage~ Click HERE

Check out what John Locke is saying about Self-Pubbing! brilliant

2011-06-24T14:22:00.000-06:00

Lower expectations? NO! click~ HERE

Thursday Focus: Tiffany King talks about, "Meant to Be..."

2011-06-22T18:13:00.000-06:00

Meant to Be

A .99 cent title on Amazon.com

Paperback: $8.99

TRB:Tiffany, you're just finishing your education. Now that, Meant to Be, has been met with TERRIFIC success, have your plans changed?

TK: It's funny how much my plans have changed. For four years the plan was to finish school and get a better paying job with good benefits. Meant to Be has changed all that, LOL! The new plan is to hold off on switching jobs until the summer is over. Depending on how Meant to Be and the sequel, Forgotten Souls are doing; [that] will determine which direction I will head.

TRB: What made you choose to "go Indie?" What is your advice to other authors that don't wish to go the “legacy publishing” route?

TK: I chose the "indie" route because it fit my plans the best, which was to get my books in the hands of readers. The marketing aspect is tough but the idea that I was the one that got my book in the hands of readers is pretty cool.

TRB: Where did you get your idea(s) for your novel, Meant to Be?

TK: Meant to Be came from the desire to create a love story that my daughter and her friends would enjoy reading. The paranormal angle I took is one that has always appealed to me, I was curious to see what I could do with it.

TRB: What type/style of a writer are you? Seat-of-Your Pants? Outline Queen? Master Plotter?

TK: I'm a mostly a Seat-of-My Pants kind of writer. The only plotting I do is when I step away from my WIP and analyze my next scene in my head before I go to sleep at night.

*I feel you there, Tiffany! TR

TRB: Did you model any characters after real-life people? Is there a character that resonates with you?

TK: Krista and Sam are both a mix of me. I get embarrassed easily but I'm also a huge jokester. Krista's love of chocolate is all me though hehehe.

TRB: What is your hope for readers to experience by reading your novel?

TK: My hope is for them to fall in love with the characters like I did and to go to bed thinking about the story that they have read.

TBR: Is there a playlist that you listen to that inspires you while you're writing?

TK: I have come to realize I can't write to music :o(. For, Meant to Be, I wrote with the Harry Potter movies playing quietly in the background. I guess you could say HP inspired me the most.

TBR: Who is your favorite author? Is there a certain genre you read [in] exclusively?

TK: JK Rowling's is my favorite author, I'm a Potter geek all the way. That being said, I read lots of different genres so there are many other authors that I admire greatly also.

*The flogging shall begin...I have never read HP! TR

TRB: Are you a DTB (Dead Tree Book) reader, or do you use a dedicated reader? What do you predict for the future of these two formats?

TK: I love my Kindle!! I love the fact that it holds all my favorite books and that I can also link it to my iPhone. Yes, it means I miss out on seeing beautiful book covers but truthfully I don't miss lugging book around with me at all. The only drawback for eReaders lately is that most mainstream eBooks are crazy expensive. I am also sad that Harry Potter is not yet available on any eReader.

TRB: When can we expect the exciting sequel for, Meant to Be, to publish? What are a few things the reader can expect from book two?

TK: Forgotten Souls, the sequel to Meant to Be, will be out in July 2011. Readers can expect more interaction with characters that were introduced in Meant to Be, and a lot more of the paranormal aspect.

TBR: How has your experience as an author been different from what you expected?

TK: My experience as author has been different than I expected, in the aspect that it is a non-stop, roller-coaster ride with lots of ups and downs. The ups are seeing your book move up on the charts and knowing that people are actually enjoying what you wrote. The lows are the times you feel the pressure to get your next book out there and when you find out that someone hated what you wrote. It is a crazy ride but so very worth it if you choose to get on.

Author Bio~

Hi, my name is Tiffany King, the author of the Paranormal/Romance YA novel "Meant to Be" and I'm practically a native Floridian. My family and I have been here for the last fourteen years and have gotten quite used to the mild winters and scorching summers. I went back to school when I turned 31 and will finish up this spring. I wrote my book, "Meant to Be," two years into my degree program and put it on hold while I finished school. Of course my degree has nothing to do with writing *drat* but that doesn't mean that I'm not going to keep writing. During this process with, "Meant to Be," I discovered just how much I love to write and I have many story ideas tucked away.

Tiffany is super-active in both the author and reader communities; connect with her at the following places:

Twitter

goodreads

Blog

Facebook

TRB: When I've mentioned, "authors giving back," it has never been truer than with Tiffany; she gives more than she gets and is deserving of whatever great things happen in her writing career~! Congratulations and good luck, Tiffany. Thanks so much for visiting my blog!

Margaret is slaying me on her blog...check out the sense of humor~!

2011-06-22T14:11:00.000-06:00

My fave, guys: Gnome Genocide

Yeah, baby...all over that~!

I TOTALLY love what Bob Mayer has to say about selling 1K books a DAY!

2011-06-20T13:37:00.001-06:00

Check this link out to hear what this aMaZiNg Indie has to say about his Hocking-like success! wOw!

Write it Forward- click HERE

"Death Whispers" #60 top-rated for YA Love & Romance!

2011-06-18T12:20:00.000-06:00

Thank you readers! Your ratings have propelled "Death Whispers," into the top 100 for "highest-rated" under Children's Fiction, Love and Romance...it's all because of you. :D

Giveaway for your choice, "Death Whispers," or "The Pearl Savage"

2011-06-17T10:31:00.000-06:00

This giveaway begins TODAY; don't miss it for a choice of either of my YA novels! My debut urban fantasy novel, Death Whispers or my paranormal romance, The Pearl Savage~!

darkangel188~ click HERE

Read a review of The Pearl Savage ~ click HERE

Read the most recent review (6/16) of Death Whispers~ click HERE

The Pearl Savage (Book 1 Savage Series) now Available~!

2011-06-15T23:06:00.000-06:00

Amazon.com/Kindle .99 cents

Barnes & Noble/NOOKbook .99 cents

Smashwords .99 cents

young adult paranormal romance * epic * Victorian * steampunk * fantasy * futuristic

Publishing Schedule tentative

2011-06-12T12:14:00.000-06:00

Hey everyone~!

Thanks for stopping by my blog. Recently, I've had a few readers ask when I plan to publish future books in the (different) series' I'm writing. And while it's not "cast-in-concrete," I think it will be pretty close to the following:

2011:

The Pearl Savage Book 1, Savage Series, June 15
Death Speaks Book 2, Death Series, Sep 1

Death Screams Book 3, Death Series, winter 2012

The Savage Blood Book 2, Savage Series, Thanksgiving 2011

2012:
"Bloodsingers:" Book 1, 2012
Book 4, Death Series, Death Weeps

Book 3, Savage Series

Thanks for your interest and support in my stories!
My readers *rock*!

"Death Screams," (Book 3 Death Series)

2011-06-09T23:30:00.000-06:00

New Book Cover: Death Screams (Death Series Book 3)

Expected Release Jan./Feb. 2012

Tamara Rose Blodgett

A Ginormous Thank You to my Readers for flapping about Death!

The PERFECT PACING of the Savages continues HERE!

Read it and WEEP =) Check out an excerpt from Book #4 of DEATH!

Calia... Oh My~!

Flag on the Play~ BLOOD SINGERS Passed Off to my BETA~!

DEATH INCEPTION~ Where Death Began!

BLOOD SINGERS on the Downward slope~!

VENGEANCE & WEEPS Together at Last~! Weaving the Magic HERE!

DEATH Fans... Writing Begins Today on DEATH WEEPS~ Cast your vote!

Congratulations~!

"BE MINE" 100th "like" and Win Your Choice of Title HERE!

Got a Taste for Death? Pick up BOOK 2 in the Death Series for FREE TODAY!

Feeling Bloodthirsty? Check Out My Newest Excerpt~!

Feeling the Vengeance! New Excerpt for THE SAVAGE VENGEANCE~

Awesome Elizabeth Reyes~! Author of The Moreno Brothers Series...

Enter to Win the Whole Kit&Kaboodle! Death/Savage 5 Book Giveaway!

Chatting About My Books~!

Delicious Diction~!

Happy New Year 2012~!

"The Savage Vengeance," Cover Reveal and Contest Winners Announced!

MAKING YOU MINE by Elizabeth Reyes~ TEASER if You Please!

A Ginormous THANK YOU to My Readers!

Thanks for the Love, Evie~!

Win a signed copy of THE SAVAGE BLOOD @ Evie's Bookish~!

Cover Reveal for books 4 & 5 in the Death Series~

Calling all Death Fans! Calling all Savage Fans! Domestic & International!

Pick up Pearl for FREE~!

Readers~! "Flat-Out Love" is Flat-Out Brilliant! *5-Stars* WoW!

*5-stars* for "Vampire Shift"~! Best .99 cents you'll ever spend!

Read Excerpts from book 3, "Death Screams," & "Blood Singers~!"

Congratulations~!

HAPPY HALLOWEEN *readers*~! Between now and midnight on Halloween, win a FREE eCopy of "Death Speaks" OR "The Savage Blood"...

Hey Guys~! *stoked* Like a Chimney on Fire! "Romero's" HERE!

HiGh, DARK fantasy LOVERS come hither~! "Black Scars" by Steven Montano

"The Savage Blood" in paperback; available soon~!

Enter to Win a Paperback or eCopy of "Death Speaks" at...

Congratulations to the Winners of the "Death Speaks" Giveaway~!

REVIEW: "Demon Kissed" *5-stars*

Enter Memrie's GIVEAWAY for a FREE paperback or eCopy of "Death Speaks"

*5-Stars* for "Forever Mine"~! FREE on Amazon.com Right nOw!!!

Tentative Publishing Schedule:

The Winner for "Six Moon Summer" is...

Thursday Focus with author James LePore~!

Cover reveal and Excerpt of, "The Savage Blood" ~!

Thursday Focus with author S.M.Reine & Giveaway~!

"Blood Singers" Cover Reveal~!

Enter to win a FREE eCopy of "Death Speaks" @ A Book Vacation!

Download "Death Whispers" for FREE on Amazon.com~!

I want to read "Descended by Blood" (!!!) & have entered the giveaway here:

"Death Speaks" available in paperback~Plus review links!

"Death Speaks" eBook giveaway on September 1 at A Book Vacation:

Desitheblonde is the winner for the Bone Dressing Giveaway~!

"Death Speaks" to Publish before September 1!

The winner for "The Pearl Savage" and "Death Whispers" is:

100th GFC follower reached~! Yea and Thanks everyone!

Bone Dressing Giveaway~! Domestic & International...

Check out my Author-Interview at Natalie Wright's Blog~!

Enter to Win a FREE e-copy of The Pearl Savage~!

When the 100th Google Friend Connect follower is reached, a FREE e-copy of both...

Thursday Focus: Alan Edwards talks about, "The Curse of Troius..."

Book Bite Reviews gives "The Pearl Savage" 5-stars!

When the 100th GFC follower is reached, a FREE e-copy of both...

Thursday Focus: Kimberly Spencer talks about, "Shimmerspell..."

*love* to my INTERNATIONAL readers! Mel, from the UK won...

Thursday Focus: Michelle Muto talks about, "The Book of Lost Souls..."

The Winner for the Death Whispers Giveaway is...

Tremendously Excited~! Blogger, I Am A Reader, Not A Writer...

Thursday Focus: Author/Interview~ Amy Lunderman

"Death Whispers" is #57 top-RATED for teen, Love & Romance~!

Thursday Focus: T.R.Graves talks about, "Warriors of the Cross..."

Catch my review for, "Meant to Be," featured on Kiki's blog...

The Pearl Savage now available in paperback~!

Check out what John Locke is saying about Self-Pubbing! *brilliant*

Thursday Focus: Tiffany King talks about, "Meant to Be..."

Margaret is *slaying* me on her blog...check out the sense of humor~!

I TOTALLY *love* what Bob Mayer has to say about selling 1K books a DAY!

"Death Whispers" #60 top-rated for YA Love & Romance!

Giveaway for your choice, "Death Whispers," or "The Pearl Savage"

The Pearl Savage (Book 1 Savage Series) now Available~!

Readers~! "Flat-Out Love" is Flat-Out Brilliant! 5-Stars WoW!

5-stars for "Vampire Shift"~! Best .99 cents you'll ever spend!

HAPPY HALLOWEEN readers~! Between now and midnight on Halloween, win a FREE eCopy of "Death Speaks" OR "The Savage Blood"...

Hey Guys~! stoked Like a Chimney on Fire! "Romero's" HERE!

REVIEW: "Demon Kissed" 5-stars

5-Stars for "Forever Mine"~! FREE on Amazon.com Right nOw!!!

love to my INTERNATIONAL readers! Mel, from the UK won...

Check out what John Locke is saying about Self-Pubbing! brilliant

Margaret is slaying me on her blog...check out the sense of humor~!

I TOTALLY love what Bob Mayer has to say about selling 1K books a DAY!

Publishing Schedule tentative