Burn on the Western Slope

by Angela Smith
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
BLURB

On the ski slopes of Montana, deception turns deadly and seduction becomes more hypnotic than jewels.

Reagan McKinney is on a mission to discover more about a deceased uncle who mysteriously left her a sizable inheritance, a condo in the mountains, and a stash of stolen jewels. With both her graphic design career and her love life in shambles, the opportunity to begin a new life couldn’t have come at a better time. When she becomes involved with the sexy FBI agent next door, she finds her struggle is not only to keep her heart intact, but her life.

Grief stricken after an undercover investigation ends in the tragic death of his partner, FBI Agent Garret Chambers goes home to find solace in the arms of his mountain home. That is, until his boss assigns him to investigate the spirited brunette staying in the condo next door. He is assigned to investigate Reagan’s involvement with a large jewel fencing organization, but his investigation becomes comprised when his attraction to her heats up. Will his discovery destroy everything he has come to love, including Reagan?

~~~~~~~~~~~~~
EXCERPT

“I’m not sure I’m ready for that,” Reagan said, running her tongue over her lips as she rested her glass on the counter. “Skiing, that is,” she quickly added. He would never know she’d been thinking of kissing him, but she had to force herself to look away from his mouth. Nudging Naomi, she stood. “It’s time for me to go. I need to settle in. I haven’t even unpacked yet.” And she had no intention of doing so now, but it was a good excuse to leave. She wiped her hands on her jeans before extending her hand to his, praying hers weren’t clammy. “It was great to meet you.”

Garret grasped her proffered hand and nested his other on top, engulfing her hand. She burned. Everywhere. “Meet me on the slopes tomorrow?”

Reagan bit her lip and glanced at the floor. “Tomorrow? I don’t know. I might need a little more time to get used to this place.”

“We’ll start with sledding. You can’t not like sledding.”

She didn’t know, seeing as how she’d never done it, but cozying up to him at a hundred miles an hour would probably be amazing.

“I’m safe,” Garret said as he dropped his hand.

“You’re what?” she asked, meeting his eyes. Maybe he was a good guy in most people’s standards, but he made her heart beat too fast to be anything but dangerous.

“I’m harmless. Several people in town will vouch for me.”

“But I don’t know them either.”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~ AUTHOR Bio and Links:

During my senior year in high school, I was dubbed most likely to write a novel because I always had my nose stuck in a book. I would hide my romance novels under my history book until my teacher called me out on it. Writing has been my dream ever since my mother read Brer Rabbit to my sister and me so often that we were able to recite it back to each other before actually learning to read. I love reading about the adventure of love, and getting involved in the legal field developed my love of suspense. I believe love is a mystery that most people have trouble resolving. While I don’t expect we’ll ever solve that mystery, I love to read and write about characters who work to solve their love’s mystery. See more about me at my website www.loveisamystery.com or tweet me @angelaswriter

. Publisher Website: www.crimsonromance.com

Angela will be awarding one of three prizes: a car mirror hanger or key chain (a seashell as a tie-in to her book), an mp3 album by Pretty Little Blisters, a $10 Amazon gift card, to three randomly drawn commenters during the tour, and an mp3 album by Pretty Little Blisters to a randomly drawn host.

The Gatekeeper's Sons

Excerpt

Whether McAdams injured himself in one of her traps or in some other way, he was nevertheless injured, and this added to Therese’s overall optimism as she scrambled beneath the cliff edge with her arms full of rocks the size of softballs. The noise of the falls thundered as she neared them and the spray hit her bare skin and chilled her, a relief after the sweat she had worked up from building her traps in Demeter’s woods.

“How long till nightfall?” she asked Than in her mind. It seemed like hours had passed, and yet the sun still bore down on them high in the sky. “Wait a minute. We never left Olympus, did we? The sun always shines, right?”

If Than answered her, she could no longer hear him this close to the crashing falls. She hadn’t thought of that! How would she make it without him?

Unlike Than and the other gods, she had no powers of telepathy and could not be sure if voices in her head were inspirations or delusions. She almost turned back. In fact, she changed her mind five or six times and nearly wore herself out beneath the cliff edge with indecision. At last she decided it was her best chance of survival to go on with her plan. “I can’t hear you anymore,” she prayed. “But I’ve decided to go on anyway.”

She reached the falls and found a hidden grotto behind the roaring water, but if McAdams came this way to her decoy camp, she would have no advantage for attack. Although there were many little nooks and crevices back here that she could climb onto, she would be open, visible, and vulnerable to his retaliation. She dropped her rocks in a heap, set down her fruit, and looked around.

At the furthest lip of the grotto on the outer edge of the falls, she found a nook way up high that just might work. If McAdams came through the grotto, she would see him, and she would be above him, with gravity on her side. She would also be hidden until he reached the point where she stood now. It also seemed, from down here, anyway, that she might have a view of the deeper canyon in case he came that route. The trick would be hauling the rocks and fruit up the steep wall nearly twenty feet to the nook. First she would try it empty-handed to see if it was possible.

Book BLURB:

Fifteen-year-old Therese watches her parents die. While in a coma, she meets the twin sons of Hades—Hypnos, the god of sleep, and Thanatos, the god of death. She thinks she's manipulating a dream, not kissing the god of death and totally rocking his world.

Than makes a deal with Hades and goes as a mortal to the Upperworld to try and win Therese's heart, but not all the gods are happy. Some give her gifts. Others try to kill her. /

The deal requires Therese to avenge the death of her parents. With the help of Than’s fierce and exotic sisters, the Furies, she finds herself in an arena face to face with the murderer, and only one will survive.

BIO:

Eva Pohler writes fiction for teens and adults and teaches writing and literature at The University of Texas at San Antonio, where she lives with her husband, three kids, two dogs, and two rats. She’s also an avid lover of books and animals.

ONLINE LINKS:
• Website http://www.evapohler.com/
• Blog http://www.teenbookpix.blogspot.com/
• Facebook https://www.facebook.com/EvaPohler?ref=hl
• Twitter https://twitter.com/EvaPohler
• Goodreads http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/4888434.Eva_Pohler
• Amazon http://www.amazon.com/Eva-Pohler/e/B009D0TAZ4/ref=sr_ntt_srch_lnk_1?qid=1372795492&sr=8-1

BUY NOW LINK:
• Amazon http://www.amazon.com/Gatekeepers-Sons-Saga-ebook/dp/B008YNLXW4/ref=tmm_kin_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&sr=1-1&qid=1373076517 • Barnes & Noble http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-gatekeepers-sons-eva-pohler/1112676640?ean=2940044789807
• Smashwords http://www.smashwords.com/books/view/214128
• Audible http://www.audible.com/pd/ref=sr_1_1?asin=B00CZD1MHU&qid=1373076673&sr=1-1 ,br>
Giveaway:
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Imajin Summer Sizzles

On Writing Two Series a Year

Let me tell you, it ain’t easy.

My latest Rocky Bluff P.D. crime novel is Dangerous Impulses. It came out at the beginning of this year and I spent a lot of time promoting it on the Internet and in person. Some have called this series a cozy police procedural and in some ways I suppose it is. In others, though it is quite different. It has an ensemble cast of characters who appear in each book, though different ones get starring roles. (Sounds like a TV series, doesn’t it? That’s sort of how I see it in my mind when I’m writing.)

In Dangerous Impulses Officer Stacey Milligan and new hire, Lizette Gibbs, are called out to a party where teenagers were sickened by a strange drug. In the meantime, Stacey’s husband, Detective Milligan, and his partner, Frank Marshall, investigate the grisly murder of a mother and her son. Officer Ryan Strickland receives some surprising news from his wife. Officer Felix Zachary’s wife isn’t adjusting well to being a new mother. And of course, Gordon Butler is attracted to Lizette Gibbs.

Over the years, Gordon has gathered many fans despite his bad luck with women and on the job. When I write a new, Rocky Bluff P.D. book I must be sure to include Gordon to let everyone know what’s going on with his life.

That’s what I’m doing right now, writing the next book in the series. I’m actually about ¾ of the way through having reached the most exciting part. I’ve had a lot of interruptions while writing this one: two grandson’s wedding, a week’s vacation, visits from relatives, and a writing conference where I was the program planner.

This fall the next in my Deputy Tempe Crabtree series will be appearing, Spirit Shapes. This series is different from the Rocky Bluff P.D. series in that the stories are primarily told through Tempe’s viewpoint. She is a Native American (she prefers Indian) resident deputy for the community of Bear Creek and its surroundings in the Southern Sierra.

In Spirit Shapes, ghost hunters discover a murder victim in a haunted house. While investigating, Tempe discovers the house harbors many ghosts and evil spirits. Tempe’s husband and her friend, Nick Two John, offer support as Tempe investigates the murder and attempts to find out the secrets harbored in the abandoned structure.

Since this book is already with the publisher, I must get busy planning the promotion for it.

And the cycle continues—finish the Rocky Bluff crime novel, and promote the Tempe mystery, begin plotting the next one and on and on.

Sounds like too much work, doesn’t it? At times it does to me too. But the only way I’m going to find out what happens to these characters that I’ve invested so much of my life in is to continue writing about them.

I love what J. Michael Orenduff said about Dangerous Impulses and the Rocky Bluff P.D.series:

“F. M. Meredith’s has done it again, produced another immensely satisfying episode in her Rocky Bluff Police Department murder mystery series. Think Ed McBain’s 87th precinct series mellowed out in a California beach town…” J. Michael Orenduff.

And Carol Crigger’s comments on the Deputy Tempe Crabtree series: “Meredith has created in this series, an intelligent investigator in Tempe Crabtree. But the protagonist isn’t the only great character here. Tempe is blessed with friends and supporters, not only her pastor husband Hutch, but Nick Two John, owner of the local inn and a Native American who is teaching Tempe about her own heritage.”

Bio: Marilyn Meredith is the author of over thirty published novels, including the award winning Deputy Tempe Crabtree mystery series, the latest Raging Water from Mundania Press. Writing as F. M. Meredith, her latest Rocky Bluff P.D. crime novel is Dangerous Impulses from Oak Tree Press. Marilyn is a member of EPIC, Four chapters of Sisters in Crime, Mystery Writers of America, and serves on the board of the Public Safety Writers of America. She lived in a beach town much like Rocky Bluff for over 20 years and now resides in a town much like Bear Creek.

Webpage: http://fictionforyou.com
Blog http://marilymeredith.blogspot.com/
Facebook and Twitter as Marilyn Meredith

by Jacqui Morrison

~~~~~~~~~~~~~
BLURB:

It isn’t safe for men who work in the porn business in the city of Toronto.

When porn producer Sal Turbit is found dead in his apartment, no one seems to care. No one, that is, except Detective Lynette Wilton. Lynette has been a homicide detective for only three months, and has yet to earn her stripes.

Murder is murder no matter who the victim is—and Lynette is out to catch a killer.

Could the killer be Wanda Chambers, a mentally ill woman who hates the “scumbags” who prey on the vulnerable? Wanda’s beloved sister, Cathy, was one such woman. Cathy became a porn actress and then took her own life when her sleazy manager/boyfriend, Gil Lee, wouldn’t let her go.

Lynette’s sergeant doesn’t think it’s possible. Wanda has a debilitating illness. But Lynette believes that Wanda’s hatred and harsh childhood make her a prime suspect, and she proves it by catching Wanda in the act of attempting to shoot Lee.

Renowned defense lawyer Maxine Swayman takes on Wanda’s case; Maxine has a different view of the accused. She wants to help Wanda get the help that she needs, and it’s not going to happen in a prison cell.

As the trial proceeds, will Maxine prevail and save Wanda, or will Lynette be able to tie Wanda to Turbit’s murder as well?

"Morrison knows how to create suspense! She brings readers on a roller-coaster ride that leaves you breathless from start to finish!" —Trey Anthony, star and producer “Da Kink in Da Hair”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~
EXCERPT

Chapter 1

“Hey,” Sal said, “come on in. You’re right on time. Good to meet ya.” He left the visitor in the living room of his shabby apartment in a grungy, low-rent building, and slipped into the kitchen. The metallic pop of a beer bottle opening echoed in the other room. Then another.

Six empty beer bottles, a heaping ashtray, and assorted marijuana paraphernalia were already strewn across his table. The grandfather clock struck four times. Sal stumbled back into the room. “I got you a beer.”

Glassy-eyed, Sal said, “I’ve got lots of great products for you to move today.” He showed the visitor the cover of a DVD. “This one is new. It’ll sell out. She’s a real sweet thing. Told me she was eighteen ’n had the ID to prove it. Likely just some little tramp from nowhere-ville. Came to the big, bad city for excitement––”

The metal felt cool as the visitor pulled out a gun.

“What the hell?” Sal screamed, just before the bullet penetrated his skull.

He fell onto the sofa, blood oozing out the back of his head. His face was contorted, almost angry looking. Certainly surprised.

The spent cartridge from the handgun ricocheted against a metal garbage can––reminiscent of the pop of a beer cap––and then landed on the carpet.

The murderer studied the victim’s splayed body, feeling a sense of elation and satisfaction. Out came a Swiss Army knife, and the killer wordlessly hacked off a section of Sal’s hair, stuffed it into a small plastic bag, and then threw it into a knapsack. The killer then picked up the half-spilled beer that Sal had been handing over when the shot was fired. Perfect. Grinning, the murderer chugged the beer, retrieved the spent cartridge, and smugly looked at Sal Turbit’s still body, now surrounded by pooling blood.

Still wearing leather gloves, the murderer put the beer bottle and hot metal bullet charge into a knapsack and fled, smiling, into the dense night.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~
AUTHOR Bio and Links:

I am Jacqui Morrison. I started writing poems and short stories as a child. I also enjoyed public speaking in elementary school and at University. In High School, a great teacher, Lenore Hawley, inspired me and in 1995 I pursued my life-long passion for writing.

My career is a complicated web and includes: owning an ice cream parlour and fine food shop, teaching life-skills management to adults, teaching computer applications, social service work and marketing.

From 1994 to 2003, I assisted survivors of domestic violence in both criminal and family court as a support worker. I’ve always had a strong interest in law and justice.

I love to write and I am happiest writing or encouraging others to fulfill their writing dreams. I facilitate writing seminars for Canadore College and various agencies.

I live in northern Ontario, Canada with my daughter Alison, my husband Wayne, and a three-legged dog named Willow. Our daughter has convinced us to adopt four cats so Felix, Sasha, Nikke and Angel round out our family. Angel, at four-months-of-age was abandoned by its owner and we rescued her in -15 degree weather.

Alison has a future in politics, animal rescue work or sales … because I’m not really a cat person and she’s persuaded me to adopt four.

Her Website: http://jacquimorrison.ca/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/jacqui.morrison

Jacqui will be awarding Loose Tea and Chipnuts to two randomly drawn commenters during this tour and the Virtual Reviews Tour combined.

The rest of the tour dates can be found here: http://goddessfishpromotions.blogspot.com/2013/06/virtual-super-book-blast-vigilante-by.html

On the blog tomorrow. . .

Just Perfect

by JoMarie DeGioia
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
BLURB:

William Chesterton, the Earl of Chester, might be the perfect gentleman, but his feelings for Constance Bridgewater are anything but gentlemanly.

Constance Bridgewater, the daughter of the late Earl of Bridgewater, might be the perfect lady, but her feelings for the Earl of Chester are anything but ladylike.

They both know that if they were together, everything would be just perfect.

So what is keeping them apart?

~~~~~~~~~~~~~
EXCERPT

London, England 1825

William Chesterton, the Earl of Chester, sat in his comfortable parlor swirling an untouched glass of brandy in his hand. Spring had come at last to London, though the April evening was still chilled and damp. His staff had seen to the modest fire burning behind the grate, and the warmth lulled him into a false sense of serenity. It did nothing to dispel the turmoil deep inside, however.

Most of the ton, his closest friends included, believed he was a steady man with a calm demeanor. That was true, for the most part. In the whole of his life, from his privileged childhood through his early ascension to the earldom upon his dear father’s passing, he’d been as steady as the Thames. Stalwart companion, dutiful only son, closest confidant. It was all so bloody boring.

He drank from his glass at last, his eyes on the fire. Tonight had gone just as so many nights before. The season was in its early stages and yet the parties and frivolities had already started. He’d joked with his friends, danced with their wives and sisters, and made certain not to show undue attention to marriage-minded young ladies. Their mothers would love to snare the calm and affable Earl of Chester for their daughters. That was certain.

He’d played his part as was expected, and even managed to ignore the urge to dance with one particular young lady more than the allotted two times. It had nearly killed him. Constance Bridges, the late Earl of Bridgewater’s daughter, was the only woman he wanted for more than two dances.

Her lithe body, her pale golden hair and sparkling gray eyes, were like no other woman’s he’d encountered. Last year, at yet another interminable house party, at one of his happily married cohorts’ estates, he’d attempted to make her see she was more than a pleasant diversion. He wasn’t merely a willing dance partner or riding companion, either. He might have acted a bit wild, however, and no doubt frightened her out of her wits.

He lifted the glass to his lips again and smiled. Ah, but that five seconds he’d spent holding her close, her breath warm on his cheek, her pink lips so close to his . . . he still got hard thinking about the heat she hid beneath that alabaster skin. He’d seen burgeoning knowledge in those gray eyes of hers, too. She’d wanted him. He’d stake the considerable estate his father left him on that fact.

She was a puzzle, to be sure. So serene and bashful on the surface, yet he knew she was more than the perfect picture she presented. He downed his brandy and let out a frustrated breath.

He was tired of playing the nice fellow. If he risked his lauded reputation in the process, so be it. He wanted more in his life than polite dinners and mildly pleasant diversions. He wanted love and passion and everything his friends had been lucky enough to find.

He knew Constance was the one to show him that heat. He drained the glass, letting the smooth liquor burn pleasantly down his throat.

He couldn’t wait to find out just how hot the fire inside her burned.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~
AUTHOR Bio and Links:

JoMarie DeGioia has been making up stories for as long as she can remember, and has spent years giving voice to the characters in her head. She’s known Mickey Mouse from the “inside,” has been a copyeditor for her town’s newspaper, and a bookseller. She writes Historical and Contemporary Romances, along with Young and New Adult Fantasy stories. She divides her time between Central Florida and New England. You can contact her at JoMarie@JoMarieDeGioia.com

Buy Link:
Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Perfect-Dashing-Nobles-Series-ebook/dp/B00DDEH2OM

Shifty Magic

by Judy Teel
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
BLURB:

...some people will do anything for revenge.

A tough PI struggles to track down a vengeful serial killer only to discover that the murderer holds the key to her secret magical heritage.

Book One in the YA13 paranormal/mystery series Dangerous Magic by Judy Teel. "Expect action, on-the-edge-of-your-seat suspense, and the perfect touch of romance."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~
EXCERPT

Lord Bellmonte turned toward the intake officer, dripping charm and debonair sophistication as if the unpleasant internal nastiness had never occurred. The five humans who witnessed the unplanned reveal pretended we hadn’t. A reason to hope for the survival of our kind. Apparently, we occasionally let our instincts trump our curiosity.

A thick, folded bundle of papers with a gold seal on it appeared in the vampire’s hand. “Which officer is responsible for the apprehension of these criminals?” he asked as he handed the right-to-claim papers to the officer.

The young cop’s expression was a little startled as she nodded to Jim and Kyle. Kyle started to step forward more than happy to take credit, but I was faster. My desire to stay under vampire radar was vastly outweighed by my desperate need for cash. No way was I going to be cheated out of my bounty fee.

“That would be me,” I said, pushing my way to the front of the group. “Addison Kittner.”

I kept my gaze steady as Lord Bellmonte’s cold eyes swept over me and his nostrils flared as he got my scent. Always a creepy sensation.

“How charming.” The vampire looked at me a moment longer, obviously amused, and then his gaze slid over Lewis and the lumberjack. “The most notorious Church renegades of the last one hundred years defeated by a human woman, a child.”

I felt the lumberjack tense beside me, but with the collar on him and two powerful vamp leaders just waiting for an excuse to throw him around, there wasn’t much he could do about the verbal abuse. Lewis was too preoccupied with staring morosely at the floor to care.

“My lady,” Lord Bellmonte said to me. “The Church is in your debt.”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~
AUTHOR Bio and Links:

Judy Teel lives in North Carolina with her boisterous family (husband, three kids, a dog and a geriatric bunny). When she’s not writing, she’s doing the family thing, horseback riding when she can, hiking occasionally, camping as much as possible, reading, playing video games, and generally pursuing her ambition to someday be impressively lazy.

Judy knew she wanted to be a novelist since she was fifteen. She’d always written stories, but it was in 10th grade literature class during a boring lecture on Billy Budd (sorry Mr. Melville) that it hit her—the world needed more magic in it. What would be sweeter than writing fun, exciting stories for a living?

There have been a lot of ups and downs since then and a lot of delays, but she’ll be the first to tell you that you can make your dreams come true. It takes determination and hard work, but it’s never impossible.

Webpage: http://judyteel.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/JudyTeelBooks?ref=hl
Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/judyteelbooks
Amazon Author Page: http://www.amazon.com/-/e/B008K8WHHI
Shifty Magic for Nook: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/shifty-magic-judy-teel/1115409891?ean=2940016703961
Shifty Magic for Kindle: http://amzn.com/B00CXQ7EOE
a Rafflecopter giveaway

Upcoming

Authorsday: Lee Mavin

1. When did you know you wanted to be a writer? I wanted to be writer when I was in Grade 3 when my teacher said he enjoyed my short story.
2. How long have you been writing? I have been writing short stories since I was seven and moody poetry since I was a know-it-all teenager.
3. How did you pick the genre you write in? I picked the genre of Young Adult fiction because I am a teacher and am constantly surrounded and inspired by teenagers and children.
4. How many rejections have you received? The first came from Penguin Publishers when I sent them a fantasy story titled: The Quest For The Sword Of Fire when I was thirteen, (it really wasn't very good) and many followed after that!
5. Why did you pick the publisher that ultimately published your book? I picked ASJ Publishers because they are giving a lot of newer writers and poets a chance, are a legit publisher and are a fantastic talented team of individuals that work together well.
6. If you have a day job, what is it? I am a grade one teacher in Shanghai.
7. Describe your book. My book deals with the sick and twisted thoughts and actions of young students living in Shanghai. Some of these students are very driven and motivated to get what they want. Some crush everything and everyone in their path! It includes twelve chilling short stories, all set in Shanghai China! Based on the extrememly selfish and at times megalomaniac like tendencies of your average Chinese "one child policy" kid.
8. What’s your writing schedule? Anytime between lessons at work. Anytime my daughter and wife are either asleep or distracted.
9. What authors do you admire? I am currently only reading new authors Dianne Fordham
Krystal McLaughlin
Mike Wells
Elaine White
Roy Huff
Gigi Seldymayer and I am loving there work! But I am also a big time Rick Riordan, JRR Toilken, Haruki Murakami, Stephen King, Darren Shaun and CS Lewis fan.
10. What do you do when you are not writing? Watch NBA games and post comments on yahoo sports forums about the games afterward.
Author Bio

Lee J Mavin previously published a collection of poetry titled Reverse the universe: collected poems and unused lyrics and has also published a childrens novel titled The Diary Of A 7th Grade Hybrid.

He is a Japanese language teacher living in Shanghai. Confused? He gets up every morning and cram in to the subway with 25 million other sad souls, eager to teach all those "One Child Policy" children.

He sneaks as much writing he can in between lessons, it helps to ease the pain. He has already polished off a childrens novel, a collection of poetry and has started a series of stories titled "The Students Sold Us Secrets Volume One" with ASJ Publishers. He is also kept on his toes by his feisty wife and three year old daughter both of whom are Chinese. They like to let him know how bad his Chinese is on a daily basis.

Book Blurb

No one is safe! The school has become a war-zone and the innocent are turning fast! A brave and nameless teacher has collected some awful and disturbing documents from the some ghastly students. These are their stories and they will shock and amaze both teacher and student. But they haven't been given away for free. This terrified individual has paid a hefty price to get the truth and is paying for it, with his freedom. In his report he states, 'If you are considering a career in teaching I would advise against it completely. It has become a profession far more dangerous than a police officer or even an army soldier in open war.' 'I'm risking my life giving you this information, but I feel you need to know the truth. On the surface these children appear innocent and well-mannered but it is inside where their darkness dwells.' The Students sold us secrets volume 1 is the first collection of short stories from the writer that brought you Reverse the Universe, Lee J Mavin and will take you down a path you never thought existed. It's packed with twelve short stories, all equally alarming and unsettling, as well as a secret report written by an undercover teacher. Look Inside to find out the truth!

Blood Destiny

BLOOD DESTINY SERIES
by Helen Harper
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
BLURBS:
Bloodfire

Mackenzie Smith has always known that she was different. Growing up as the only human in a pack of rural shapeshifters will do that to you, but then couple it with some mean fighting skills and a fiery temper and you end up with a woman that few will dare to cross. However, when the only father figure in her life is brutally murdered, and the dangerous Brethren with their predatory Lord Alpha come to investigate, Mack has to not only ensure the physical safety of her adopted family by hiding her apparent humanity, she also has to seek the blood-soaked vengeance that she craves.

Bloodmagic

After escaping the claws of Corrigan, the Lord Alpha of the Brethren, Mack is trying to lead a quiet lonely life in Inverness in rural Scotland, away from anyone who might happen to be a shapeshifter. However, when she lands a job at an old bookstore owned by a mysterious elderly woman who not only has a familiar passion for herbal lore but also seems to know more than she should, Mack ends up caught in a maelstrom between the Ministry of Mages, the Fae and the Brethren.

Now she has to decide between staying hidden and facing the music, as well as confronting her real feelings for the green eyed power of Corrigan himself.

Bloodrage

Mack begins her training at the mages' academy in the hope that, by complying, the stasis spell will be lifted from her old friend, Mrs. Alcoon. However, once there, she finds herself surrounded by unfriendly adults and petulant teenagers, the majority of whom seem determined to see her fail.

Feeling attacked on all fronts, Mack finds it harder and harder to keep a rein on her temper. Forced to attend anger management classes and deal with the predatory attentions of Corrigan, the Lord Alpha of the shapeshifter world, her emotions start to unravel. But when she comes across a familiar text within the walls of the mages' library, which might just provide the clues she needs to unlock the secrets of her background and her dragon blood, she realises that her problems are only just beginning...

~~~~~~~~~~~~~
EXCERPT from Bloodfire:

I scanned the bookshelves again, looking for something that might help and was about to pull down a precious gems and magical objects encyclopaedia when I suddenly heard voices and the slamming of doors from outside. Bugger it. Quickly closing down the computer, I stepped back into the outer office. I was just in time because Staines came suddenly striding in with the Lord Alpha. They were in mid conversation and didn’t see me at first.

“My lord, we need to focus on the magic trail before anything else,” Staines was saying.

The Alpha growled. “The mage can do that better than us. It’s the tree markings that interest…” his voice trailed off as he saw me and his green eyes narrowed.

“Hi!” I said brightly. “Found it!” I held up my mug for display.

They both just stared at me silently. I cleared my throat. “Well, I’ll get out your way then.” I moved towards the door but the Alpha was blocking it. I looked up at him, waiting for him to move out my way. He folded his arms and continued to stare.

I felt a flicker of irritation from my bloodfire. This was my keep, not his. I moved to brush past him, registering the hard steely curve of his muscles as my arm touched his. He moved further back, blocking the doorway completely.

“Miss Mackenzie,” he drawled softly.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~
AUTHOR Bio and Links:

Helen Harper is an English teacher currently living abroad in Malaysia. As a long time reader of urban fantasy, she finally bit the bullet and began to develop her own series of novels.

Helen has always been a book lover, devouring science fiction and fantasy tales when she was a child growing up in Scotland. "I always loved the escapism provided by those genres," states Helen. "No matter how bad life gets, you can always find a route out, even if only temporarily, in the pages of a good book."

The growth of urban fantasy fascinated her - the mix of reality and fantasy along with strong heroic female characters appealed from the very beginning, and inspired her to write her own.

Facebook Author page: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Helen-Harper/101590660022586
Twitter: HarperFire
Amazon.com buy links:

Bloodfire
http://www.amazon.com/Bloodfire-Blood-Destiny-1-ebook/dp/B00AU43ZXK/ref=cm_cr_pr_product_top

Bloodmagic
http://www.amazon.com/Bloodmagic-Blood-Destiny-2-ebook/dp/B00AU0O00G/ref=pd_sim_kstore_1

Bloodrage
http://www.amazon.com/Bloodrage-Blood-Destiny-3-ebook/dp/B00BQEFTPK/ref=sr_1_1?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1362894945&sr=1-1&keywords=bloodrage

ExcerpTuesday: Genie Gabriel

Legacy Reborn

by Genie Gabriel
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
BLURB:

An attorney devoted to social causes and a burned out women's advocate help save their home town while struggling not to fall in love. However, an unintended pregnancy and a gift from the heart lead them on a journey to new possibilities and love.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~
EXCERPT

Once more dressed in jeans and her well-worn cowboy boots, with a jacket thrown on to ward off the chill evening air, Phoenix walked.

Against a backdrop of blue-green mountain peaks and the lightly wooded hillsides closer to the farm, the hens were settling in their coop, with only an occasional soft clucking.

Inside the boldly painted red barn, horses whickered in their stalls. She breathed deeply of the scents of horse and hay as she ambled through the dusty structure, then opened the side door and walked into the llama's pasture.

The male immediately approached her and nuzzled her cheek as she slung her arm around him. "I love you too, Romeo."

She closed her eyes and relaxed against the animal's woolly neck. However, her relaxation ended abruptly when the animal stiffened and emitted a shrill cry.

Following the animal's gaze, Phoenix saw CJ standing on the other side of the corral with his arms folded on the top board. "Will your llama spit in my face?"

"It's alright, Romeo." Phoenix patted the llama, then walked slowly toward the man who had occupied too much of her thoughts lately. "What brings you out this way?"

"You left the Governor's presentation right after you talked to Mitch. I wanted to be sure you were okay."

All the memories she had been trying to walk off slammed into Phoenix once more. "What is okay? I'm not sure I've ever been okay or ever will be. How can I find normal or happy when I don't think I've experienced those things?"

"You come up your own version of what makes you happy."

"A woman is dead because of me. How can I ever be happy knowing that?"

"Mitch said Swaggerty was waiting for Charlene. If it hadn't been that night, he would have killed her another way."

Phoenix let that statement sink in. One part of her brain knew that was true. So why did she cling to the blame for Charlene's death? Maybe she was afraid to move forward.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~
AUTHOR Bio and Links:

I'm an optimist whose rose-colored glasses have bent frames and cracked lenses. When life kicks me in the teeth, I find miracles and lessons I refused to learn an easier way. In fact, I live with a small herd of miracles in the furry forms of dogs, who are constantly trying to teach me to forgive, to play more, and to love without limits. I write about people who find courage and integrity in the darkest times of their lives, who rescue stray dogs and kittens, who find a person they would willingly give their lives for, and who make their little corners of the world a better place. People have remarked my stories "aren't what they expected." With rose-colored glasses firmly in place, I take that as a compliment. I invite you to share a piece of my world in the pages of a book, and hope you find some surprises, some tears, some laughter, and always a happy ending.

My Web site: http://www.GenieGabriel.com
My blog: http://oshealegacyseries.blogspot.com
NOTE: All nine books in the Halo Legacy Series will be $0.99 the day of the tour!
http://shop.roguephoenixpress.ieasysite.com/category.aspx?categoryid=82

Tara Fox Hall

Excerpt:

“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to offend you. But I want to be clear that I don’t expect you to give me money because we…because we’re—”

“Intimate?” he supplied with a leer. “Lovers?”

I blushed, glad my back was to him. “Yes,” I said curtly.

“It’s my feelings for you that make me offer. I understand you’re independent and used to taking care of yourself. But I want you to have an easier time of it than you had trying to go it alone. I want to take care of you. It’s your right, as befitting your station.”

“What station?”

“As my lover.” He nibbled the back of my neck, his hands sliding down my arms. “That is, if you still want to be.”

Did I ever. God, his lips felt good. I could feel little pricks where his fangs brushed against me...

Focus! “What about the shirt?”

Danial paused what he was doing. “What about it?”

“Did you take some of my life force? Did you deliberately try to seduce me with a spell to get me to feed you?”

He didn’t reply. I shifted back from the fire and made to get up, but he pulled me off balance and I went down, falling into his waiting arms. I struggled in vain as he rolled me over on the carpet and straddled me, holding both my arms over my head with one hand, while the other caressed my cheek. I fumed as I looked at him above me, his upper half silhouetted by the fire. His eyes sparkled, his face in shadow. “Now, Sarelle,” he purred, “why would I need to seduce you to get you to feed me?”

He stretched down against me. I felt my body betray my anger as my breasts hardened and my breaths came faster.

“You gave me your blood when I was a stranger, willingly.” He leaned in closer as if to kiss me, but remained just out of reach. His dark eyes were locked on mine, filled with desire and familiar arrogance. He bent down to kiss my throat. “You gave yourself to me a night later, with no hesitation.”

His lips moved to the side of my throat. He ran a fang down my neck. I writhed, both in desire and a touch of fear.

Tara Fox Hall-Author

Tara Fox Hall is an OSHA-certified safety and health inspector at a metal fabrication shop in upstate New York. She received her bachelor’s degree in mathematics with a double minor in chemistry and biology from Binghamton University. Her writing credits include nonfiction short stories, flash, short and novella-length horror stories, and contemporary and historical paranormal romance. Her horror stories have appeared in Deadman’s Tome, Flashes in the Dark, Ghastly Door, The Halloween Alliance, Black Petals, SNM Horror Magazine, Microhorror, Dark Eclipse, Cemetery Moon, and various anthologies, including the recently published charity works Fear (Vol. 1) and Shifters. She also coauthored the essay “The Allure of the Serial Killer,” published in Serial Killers - Philosophy for Everyone: Being and Killing (Wiley-Blackwell, 2010). She is the author of the paranormal fantasy Lash series and the paranormal romantic drama Promise Me series. Tara divides her free time unequally between writing novels and short stories, chainsawing firewood, caring for stray animals, sewing cat and dog beds for donation to animal shelters, and target practice.

Blurb:

When young widow Sarelle McGarran finds the vampire Danial Racklan unconscious and hurt in her woods, intuitive concern quickly becomes passionate love. Together Danial and Sar work to overcome their own past heartbreaks, their vastly different lifestyles, and Danial's relentless enemies. Yet Danial needs more; an Oath of forever. But can Sar give Danial his greatest desire?

Your website? http://www.tarafoxhall.com
Your blog? http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/5286654.Tara_Fox_Hall/blog
Other websites? Twitter: https://twitter.com/#!/TerrorFoxHall
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Tara-Fox-Hall/151813374904903
Smashwords: https://www.smashwords.com/profile/view/TaraFH
Barnes and Noble: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/s/tara-fox-hall
Melange Books: http://www.melange-books.com/authors/tarafoxhall/index.html
Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Tara-Fox-Hall/e/B005YPAA4W/

Where can your book be found?
Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Taken-For-His-Promise-ebook/dp/B00CZ4IGC8/
Amazon UK: http://www.amazon.co.uk/Taken-For-His-Promise-ebook/dp/B00CZ4IGC8/
Smashwords: https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/319416
Melange/lulu link for Print, PDF and HTML copies: http://www.melange-books.com/authors/tarafoxhall/takenforhisown.html
All Romance E-books: https://www.allromanceebooks.com/product-takenforhisown-1215939-140.html
Barnes and Noble.com: not there yet

Legacy Reborn

Authorsday: Cynthia Woolf

1. When did you know you wanted to be a writer?

I never intended to be a writer. When I started writing as more than a hobby, it was very hard to make a living as a writer. You always had to have another job. With the advent of indie self publishing the whole world has been opened up to you. Anyone can buy your book from just about anywhere in the world. I have readers in Indonesia, Japan, Germany, Australia and many other places that would have been unavailable to me before.

2. How long have you been writing?

I wrote my first story at the age of ten. I started writing in earnest as more than a hobby in 1990. I didn’t publish until 2011

3. How did you pick the genre you write in?

I write in two genres, historical western romance and scifi romance. The genre’s picked me. I’d always loved western romance. Then my mother told me the story of how she and Dad met on a ranch in southern Colorado. It fired my imagination and Tame A Wild Heart was born.

The scifi series started as a dream I had when I was a teenager. Like all teenagers, I thought sure I was adopted because I just couldn’t belong to the crazy family I had. I dreamed I was a princess from Alpha Centauri and someday my real family would come back for me. That’s how Centauri Dawn was born.

4. Do you plot or do you write by the seat of your pants?

I’m a definite pantzer. I’ve taken all kinds of classes on plotting and none of them have clicked for me. No matter how much I try, I can’t write the story from a plot outline. I have the beginning and end of each story in my head when I start. I have some of the middle but not all. This causes me to have a ‘sagging middle’ which is something that most pantzers suffer from when they write. But we come out of it and end up with great stories that are as fresh to us as they are to you.

5. What was the name of the first novel you wrote? Did you try to publish it?

My first novel is Tame A Wild Heart and I did publish it. It was the second book I published.

6. If you could ask your readers one question, what would it be?

I would ask them what they liked least about the story.

7. What authors do you admire?

A few of my favorite authors are Johanna Lindsey, Jill Barnett, and Julie Garwood

8. What three things would you want with you on a desert island?

My kindle fire, an unlimited power source for it and my husband

9. What is your favorite word?

My favorite word is ‘can’ because I can do anything I set my mind to.

10. What place that you haven’t visited would you like to go?

I would love to go to Great Britan and visit all the countries it encompasses. Scotland and England especially.

Author Bio

Cynthia Woolf was born in Denver, Colorado and raised in the mountains west of Golden. She spent her early years running wild around the mountain side with her friends.

She was and is an avid reader. Her mother was a librarian and brought new books home each week. This is where young Cynthia first got the storytelling bug. She wrote her first story at the age of ten. A romance about a little boy she liked at the time.

Cynthia credits her wonderfully supportive husband Jim and her critique partners for saving her sanity, allowing her to explore her creativity

Book Blurb

Rosie Stanton climbed on a west-bound train to answer his ad for a wife and mother, everything she wants to be. But Tom Harris lied. He doesn't want a wife, merely a mother for his two abandoned children and a cook and cleaner for his ranch. Betrayed once, he's vowed never to let another woman into his heart. Sexy Rosie upsets all his plans and threatens to invade his scarred heart. How will he maintain his vow to keep his hands off her as she charms his children, his cow hands, his life?