Hot Gossip Hot Reviews

Shifter Evolutions book bundle for sell on kindle!!!

2012-01-29T05:48:00.001-08:00

Looking for a long, suspenseful, engaging reading! Try this 430,000 word, 1225 page book! Shifter Evolutions, books 1-5 bundle for only $8.99. Save $4-$14 bucks, depending on season!

For an awesome shifter dystopia. Shifter Evolutions Bks 1-5 bundle $8.99

http://www.amazon.com/Evolution-Dystopia-Romantic-Suspense-ebook/dp/B0072YJPD...

“Ami Blackwelder is a Romantic Suspense author with a Unique Voice and Unpredictable Plots.”

amiblackwelder.blogspot.com

Shifters of 2040 free on kindle Jan 21-23

2012-01-20T06:22:00.001-08:00

Shifters free Jan 21-23 Exclusively on Kindle
http://www.amazon.com/Shifters-Shifter-Dystopian-Evolutions-ebook/dp/B0049U4WTM/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1327069078&sr=8-2
The Shifters of 2040 is a Shifter Dystopian available for free on kindle Jan 21-23. Please check it out!
The Shifters of 2040 is a Shifter Dystopian available for free on kindle Feb 4-6. Please check it out!
BLOG:
“I’m pregnant. Her eyes peered over the edge of the cloth and confronted her mirrored reflection with that truth. I’m pregnant...by a SHIFTER. Oh, god!”
In “The Shifters of 2040,” Scientist Melissa Marn finds her world swirling on its axis with that one revelation. Shifters — a sentient alien species of light — look to Earth for refuge. In doing so, both shifters and humans are forced to confront prejudice, betrayal, adversity and oppression.
Methodical scientist, Melissa Marn, and her coworker, Dr. Bruce Wilder, conduct experiments on the shifters. Through her pregnancy, she becomes more compassionate and humane and finds herself defending the very species she’s supposed to eradicate. One of the hybrids, Diamond, falls in love with Keenan, a soldier trained to kill her. Between the four, the reader is led from conflict to resolution, from despair to hope, from loneliness to love.
Much of the Shifter Evolutions originality lies in the shifters, common characters in science fiction, but whose origins are rarely explained. In this series, their alien DNA allows them to metamorphose into not just wolves, but a variety of animals. As the plot unfolds, the shifters discover they can have children with humans — hybrids.
Strengths of the novel include the complex characters, its writing style of poetic prose and rich description, and the well developed, thought-provoking, yet highly entertaining plot.
This fast paced book will appeal to the young adult and adult market. It fits nicely into the paranormal romance and science fiction romance genres and would make a great movie, a captivating TV series and an intriguing video game.
Readers will enjoy the fresh approach and original concept of the world thirty years from now, and will find the characters come to life in their minds. This story will stay with them long after they read “The End.
“Ami Blackwelder is a Romantic Suspense author with a Unique Voice and Unpredictable Plots.”

amiblackwelder.blogspot.com

THE SHIFTERS OF 2040 by Ami Blackwelder is featured in today's FREE KINDLE NATION SHORTS excerpt; plus a link to enter to win a Kindle Fire!

2012-01-11T08:18:00.001-08:00

Enjoy. Pass along please and thanks for your support!
Date: Wed, 11 Jan 2012 06:31:34 -0500
From: kindlenation@gmail.com
To: kindlenation@gmail.com; touch-of-grace@hotmail.com
Subject: THE SHIFTERS OF 2040 by Ami Blackwelder is featured in today's FREE KINDLE NATION SHORTS excerpt; plus a link to enter to win a Kindle Fire!
Good morning Ami, Just a quick note to thank you again and share a preview of today's FREE KINDLE NATION SHORTS excerpt featuring THE SHIFTERS OF 2040, which is queued up to go out at 2:45 pm Eastern today to 23,000+ opt-in email subscribers. Wishing you success, Steve

Having trouble viewing this email? Click here

Free Kindle Nation Shorts -- January 11, 2012
plus a link to enter to win a brand new Kindle Fire!

In This Issue

About the Author: Ami Blackwelder
KINDLE FIRE Giveaway Sweepstakes!
Five More For Kindle by Ami Blackwelder
An Excerpt from THE SHIFTERS OF 2040 by Ami Blackwelder

About the Author:

Ami

Blackwelder

Ami Blackwelder is a forbidden romance writer in the paranormal and historical romance genre.

Growing up in Florida, she went to UCF and in 1997 received her BA in English and teaching credentials.

Having won the Best Fiction Award from the University of Central Florida (Yes, The Blair Witch Project University;), her fiction :From Joy We Come, Unto Joy We Return" was published in the on campus literary magazine: Cypress Dome and remains to this day in University libraries around the country.

Later, she achieved the Semi-Finals in a Laurel Hemingway contest and published a few poems in the Thailand's Expat magazine, and an article in the Thailand's People newspaper. Additionally, she has published poetry in the Korea's AIM magazine, the American Poetic Monthly magazine and Twisted Dreams Magazine.



Here's a Link to our KINDLE FIRE Giveaway Sweepstakes!

Win a Kindle Fire tablet!

Click here for a link to our KINDLE FIRE giveaway sweepstakes before it closes on Sunday!

An Excerpt from

The Shifters

of 2040

by

Ami Blackwelder

Love-Passion-Betrayal-Sacrfice-Loyalty-Forgiveness-Redemption.



A 6-part SciFi Shifter Dystopian sure to keep you enthralled. The series begins in the middle with Shifters of 2040 and you choose to read the past or future next! Enjoy the ride!

In today's unusual 8,000-word Free Kindle Nation Short, you commence an even more unusual journey....



The Shifters of 2040

by Ami Blackwelder

4.4 Stars - 6 Reviews

Kindle Price: 99 Cents

Text-to-Speech and Lending: Enabled

Click here to begin reading the free excerpt



Here's the set-up for the 6-book series:

This series begins in the middle (Shifters of 2040, Hybrids of 2050) and then the reader decides to read the past (Invasion of 2020, SCM of 2030) or the future (Hunted of 2060, Revolution of 2060).
This is Book #3 in the Shifter Evolutions series:
1-The Invasion of 2020
2-The SCM of 2030
3-The Shifters of 2040
4-The Hybrids of 2050
5-The Hunted of 2060
6-The Revolution of 2060
Here's the set-up for The Shifters of 2040, from which today's excerpt is taken:

America 2040. Three Species. Divided Lovers. The Race is on for Planet Earth.

Set in Alaska in 2040, Melissa Marn and Bruce Wilder must work under the iron fist of the SCM, while still trying to maintain humanity. Discovering a world of shifters and hybrids, the scientists must struggle with human prejudice and betrayal. With the original ancestors, dubbed shifters, still living on earth, humans are in the midst of a fifteen-year-old war. As the eldest hybrids, Unseen and Diamond, learn about humans the hard way, with the loss of loved ones and sacrifices, love on planet earth proves challenging.
With underlying themes of how prejudice breaks human connections and animal/wildlife conservation, this novel-- which has received rave review-- will leave the reader flipping through the pages.
From the reviewers:
"I found this to be a compelling read. The story line is exciting and contains many elements to make it believable. You can tell that the author has done her research well. She writes her characters well... I highly recommend this series. It is very interesting." -Alaska Book Cafe
"This is the story of choices, consequences, desire, fear, hatred, power, control, passion, love, and sacrifice. The emotional intensity of the characters as they deal with their lives is amazing. The theme that children are the future is paramount in this story.
This was my first Ami Blackwelder shifter read and I can't wait to read the rest of the series! My only question now is: Do I start with the past and read 2020 or do I look to the future and read 2060? Don't miss the rest of The Shifter Evolutions series!" - Beverly @goodreads
"When faced by another species that is fully sapient, the definition of humanity comes into question. "The Shifters of 2040" is another entry in a continuing series from Ami Blackwelder as she focuses on prejudice and racism in the bigger picture, as an alien species comes to earth for help and hybrids of humans and the alien species begin to appear. With a riveting debate blended into science fiction, "The Shifters of 2040" is an excellent read that shouldn't be overlooked by science fiction fans." -Micah @MidWest Book Reviews


Click here to begin reading the free excerpt

The Shifters of 2040



By Amy Blackwelder







Price: Just 99 Cents



Visit Amazon's Ami Blackwelder Page





UK CUSTOMERS: Click on the title below to download

The Shifters of 2040

Five More For Kindle
By Ami Blackwelder

The Invasion of 2020

Shifter Evolutions Book 1
Kindle Price: $2.99

The SCM of 2030

Shifter Evolutions Book 2

Kindle Price: $2.99

The Hybrids of 2050

Shifter Evolutions Book 4

Kindle Price: $2.99

The Hunted of 2060

Shifter Evolutions Book 5

Kindle Price: $2.99

From Joy We Come, Unto Joy We Return

Kindle Price: $1.00


Free Kindle Nation Shorts - January 11, 2012

An Excerpt from
The Shifters of 2040
Book 3 of the Shifter Dystopian Evolutions Saga
By
Ami Blackwelder

Copyright © 2012 by Ami Blackwelder and published here with her permission

Breathless

Pushing the loose strands of her mocha colored hair away from her cheek, Melissa fixed them behind her ear. Rose colored lipstick and peach blush hid the lack of sleep. Thick mascara and a well groomed manicure helped distract her from a life she didn't want to remember. Her tightened lips loosened as she repositioned herself in her red satin two piece dress on the sticky bar stool at Kino's Bar in Alaska. Along the coast of Anchorage near the Gulf of Alaska, the bar sat where the sky bleeds with the ocean. In this moment she would be someone else, far from everything she had become.

Today, Saturday, she could be anyone: someone desired, someone emotional, someone free. Anyone she wanted to be. Knocking down a beer, she signaled to the bartender to give her another. As the beer slid down the counter and snug into her palm, she tilted her head upward. Drawing the cold rim of the mug to her lips felt so...wrong, right...rebellious, delicious. She longed for time to herself. A moment of pleasure, a guiltless night. No one respectable from SCM came to this part of town. But no one else at SCM had to deal with as much.

Tilting her head right, her dark locks cascaded around her face, accenting the oval shape. She blushed for a brief moment when she noticed an attractive man on the stool next to her.

The stranger's long lashes flitted over his deep chocolate eyes, elegant nose, and thin lips. His tall figure towered over her, even when sitting. His lean fingers reached for the jug of beer in front of him and as the foam bubbled over the jug's edges, he chugged down the alcohol in a few heavy gulps.

To Melissa's military trained mind, his alabaster coloring indicated he didn't get out of Alaska often. She wanted that. Needed that. Someone wholesome with Alaskan values. Risking another glance out of the corner of her eye, she caught him watching her reflection in the mirror over the bar.

Knowing he'd been discovered, he swiveled toward her, his knees brushing against her leg. "What's your name?" the stranger asked with an accent that didn't quite fit.    His rich voice rolled over her like fog on a bayou, covering every inch of her skin, pulling her in.

Join me Today!

2011-12-18T06:56:00.001-08:00

Please join me for a day on CoffeeTime Romance from 12 am-12 am:

http://coffeetimeromance.com/CoffeeThoughts/

I will be blogging about my books, life, publishing, teaching, and more!

Stop by and comment and win copies of my books!!

http://amiblackwelder.blogspot.com

Shifter Evolutions Saga
amiblackwelder.blogspot.com
Paranormal Romance
Historical Romance

Twitter Party this Friday!!!!!

2011-12-14T18:33:00.001-08:00

Check out my twitter party for my new release, a mermaid dystopian -THE MERS
http://www.goodreads.com/event/show/225930-ami-blackwelder-twitter-party-for-...

Shifter Evolutions Saga
amiblackwelder.blogspot.com
Paranormal Romance
Historical Romance

coffeetime romance blogging

2011-12-14T05:29:00.001-08:00

Blogging on CoffeeTime Romance this Sunday!

Please join me for a day on CoffeeTime Romance from 12 am-12 am this Sunday 12-18-11:
http://coffeetimeromance.com/CoffeeThoughts/
I will be blogging about my books, life, publishing, teaching, and more!
Stop by and comment and win copies of my books!!
http://amiblackwelder.blogspot.com

Shifter Evolutions Saga

amiblackwelder.blogspot.com
Paranormal Romance

Historical Romance

Please-favor

2011-11-30T07:04:00.001-08:00

FRIENDS -Please help make this free!
Go to this link, http://www.amazon.com/Shifters-2040-Shifter-Evolutions-ebook/dp/B0049U4WTM/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1322572926&sr=8-2, and hit the lower price button underneath the book next to rankings and put in this link: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/shifters-of-2040-ami-blackwelder/1101304000?ean=2940011190803&itm=1&usri=shifters+of+2040, that will help make it free for the holidays!

This will really help my sales and visibility and thank you in advance for caring and MERRY CHRISTMAS in advanced!:) I hope you have a wonderful holiday season full of live and joy!!

Shifter Evolutions Saga

amiblackwelder.blogspot.com
Paranormal Romance

Historical Romance

Untitled

2011-11-30T07:03:00.001-08:00

Shifter Evolutions Saga
amiblackwelder.blogspot.com
Paranormal Romance
Historical Romance

Untitled

2011-11-26T06:05:00.001-08:00

Snag your FREE Munich, 1930 historical romance: The Day the Flowers Died. BEST SELLER ! #3 in historical romance!http://www.amazon.com/Day-Flowers-Died-ebook/dp/B00375LKC2/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1322315833&sr=8-2

THE MERS book tour, a mermaid dystopian

2011-11-23T22:56:00.001-08:00

Nov 30 Interview

Illusions of Intimacy

http://www.MarshaAMoore.blogspot.com

Dec 18 Promo

Snowdrop Dreams of Books
http://www.snowdropdreams.ca

Dec 19 Spotlight and review

Jasmyn's Reviews
http://jasmynninestuff.blogspot.com

Dec 20 promo and review

Wendy @ Rage, Sex and Teddy Bears

http://ragesexandteddybears.blogspot.com/

Dec 27 Guest Blog

www.pavarti.com

Jan 16 Guest blog and review

Aislynn @ Stitch Read Cook
www.stitchreadcook.com

Jan 17 Book Spotlight

Read 2 Review

Jan 17 Guest Blog

Flutey Words
http://authoraubrie.blogspot.com

Jan 18 Interview

Meredith Allard

www.meredithallard.com

Jan 18 Guest Blog and review

Mama Knows Books

http://mamaknowsbooks.blogspot.com

Jan 19 promo and review

That Bookish Girl

Jan 20 Interview

Kay Dee Royal
http://www.kaydeeroyal.blogspot.com

Jan 24 Guest Post and review

Book Briefs- http://bookbriefs.blogspot.com

Jan 26 Character Interview

http://RavencraftRealm.blogspot.com

Jan 27 review and promo

Beverly @ The Wormhole

http://wormyhole.blogspot.com

Jan 30 Guest Blog

I Just Wanna Sit Here and Read!

http://www.sithereandread.com/

Feb 5 Review

Snowdrop Dreams of Books
http://www.snowdropdreams.ca

Feb 9 Interview

Sarah Ballance

sarahballance.wordpress.com

Feb 10 Promo and Interview

JeanzBookReadNReview

http://jeanzbookreadnreview.blogspot.com/

Feb 13 Promo

www.readergirls.blogspot.com

Feb 13 review

Braintasia Books

http://www.braintasiabooks.com/

Roxanne Rhoads

Publicist for Entangled Publishing

Romance Author, Book Blogger

RoxanneRhoads@aol.com

Where is my Edward Cullen?

2011-11-22T08:33:00.001-08:00

Where is my Edward Cullen?
Yes,
We've all seen it! Wether we hated it or loved it or just saw a passing picture on a billboard, or in a commercial. Twilight is everywhere. When I lived in Thailand, I saw a line for the movie, one of the few in English, never heard of it before, but decided to see it since it was in English. I thought Vampires, UGH! But I wanted to see something.
I saw it.
I loved it.
I bought the book Twilight.
Then bought the sequels.
Yes,
I am a fan.
I read all the books in about a couple weeks. Each book took about 2 days, with exception to Breaking Dawn which I muddled through.
Didn't like the last book as much as the first three; however, I did enjoy the movie.
But I must ask as every girl asks...
WHERE IS MY EDWARD CULLEN?
Patiently, we wait. We pray. We hope. We tend to our bodies, our make-up, and we do everything we can to draw that perfect man to us.
We've kissed frogs, hoping they'd turn into princes and we've kissed princes that have turned into frogs. But inevitably, we end up empty-handed.
How many doors have to shut? How many men have to turn out to be all wrong for us...before we find our Edward Cullen?
Well, here is to all those girls still searching and hoping, and praying....you will eventually. Just, don't give up!

Thailand teaching and living abroad

2011-11-15T15:01:00.001-08:00

Thailand, Teaching, and Living Abroad
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from http://amiblackwelder.blogspot.com
Thailand - The Land of Smiles
I worked as a teacher in Thailand for over six years, specifically in the Pataya/Jomtein/Sattahip/Chonburi areas.
I know why it is called the land of smiles. The people are so friendly and always have a smile to offer you. I fell in love instantly with Thailand.
Perhaps it was the delectable, satisfying coconut soups, green curry soups, chicken with cashew nuts, spicy varieties of dishes, or the cheap prices of only a dollar. Perhaps it was the kind smiles and friendly people, or the way they always offered a helping hand. Or perhaps it was the nearby islands which were only a motorcycle ride and a ferry boat away.
I went on a snorkeling adventure there and had freshly fried squid, caught on the boat while snorkeling. I saw all kinds of fish and beautiful landscape. Amazing!
I went on a couple elephant rides through the jungle and rivers. Wow!
I went on a motorcycle ride over the hills of an island. Fun!
Motels arrangements can be cheap to expense and so can the food and clothing. Just about anything is on a scale of very cheap to very expensive. Depending on what you what you can have just about anything.
There are five story malls, abut ten of them alone in the Pattaya area, but not all that many stories, with a variety of movies to choose from, restaurants from Middle East, India, Russian, Thai, Japanese, and more!
If you are a lady, you want to greet the people with "Swadee Ca!" and if you are a guy, you want to greet the people with "Swadaee Cup!"
If you don't want something you say, MAI (MY) and put that word in front of anything you don"t want.
If they ask, do you want to go to the beach and you don't want to …you can say MAI. Or you might say MAI CHOP. Chop means like, and so you've said I don't like.
I highly recommend going to Thailand for any vacation or working as a teacher. You won;t be disappointed. There is just so much to do and while so much of it is so affordable, you really can't loose! If you want to visit nearby countries, flying out of Thailand is also cheap! Much cheeper from Thailand to America, than from America to Thailand.
The people are for the most part, polite and kind and helpful and I think any western person would be missing out he/she didn't experience the Thai culture at least once in life!

You know You've Self-Publsihed When...

2011-11-12T08:11:00.001-08:00

http://amiblackwelder.blogspot.com/2011/11/you-know-youve-self-published-when...

You know you've self-published when...
You know you're self-publishing when... someone asks you what you want for Christmas and you say: a block of ISBNs.
When you look at a picture and think it would make a great cover.
When too many things you read on the internet make you say, "What would Konrath do?"
when your YA PNR numbers on KDP are so good after KND and DCR, you're thinking about using CS or LSI for a TPB.
you wonder if random strangers in the supermarket would make good beta readers.
When I'm in the supermarket and see veggies for $.99 and $2.99 and think those are the prices of ebooks.
You try to convince everyone you know to buy an e-reader.
When you do the Peanuts happy dance after going from #100,000 something on Amazon to #60,000 something.
Why you type "K" into your browser and KDP sale reports automatically come up.
When an agent asks for a copy of your book and you realize Courier double spaced isn't a format you actually have (so you send pdf and a link to the new $79 Kindle
you give your family daily updates as to how many people have requested your book in a Goodreads giveaway.
when you try explaining to family/friends about ebook conversion and their eyes glaze over like you're speaking a foreign language.
...when the only other people who really 'get it' are found right here on KB.
When you get an email from an agent and delete it - thinking to yourself 'Nah, I'm not signing anything on those terms.'
...when you can automatically convert someone's ranking into sales, and vice versa
when you see the most beautifully designed print book and think, "would never work as a thumbnail."
...when you send the rejection letters to agents.
You see a banner ad for a book and immediately check NovelRank to see how well the ad is working
….your old coworkers ask where you work at now, you answer "I don't."
"Look, look, it just went free!"
You know you've self-published when you know odd facts like Beatrix Potter and Virginia Woolf self-published and keep those at the tip of your tongue in case anyone asks...
-Courtesy of the Kindle Boards (LOL

Free Kindle Books to Followers

2011-11-10T17:09:00.001-08:00

Kindle Gift Books for followers! of http://amiblackwelder.blogspot.com

For reaching 100 followers on my direct following tab for this blog I am offering 10 gifts of The Shifters of 2040 and 10 gifts of the Day the Flowers Died for those interested!
The gift will come straight from kindle to your email to be downloaded onto your kindle!!
COMMENT HERE if you want a copy and tell me which book! While supplies last!!

Ryan Collings

2011-10-08T08:27:00.001-07:00

Ryan Collings

http://ryancollings.com

RYAN COLLINGS lives in Boise, Idaho with his two children Kaylee and Kasin, his dog Stewie, his cat Rosebud, and the love of his life, Brooke.
About the Book...
Jack Ranis is a fifteen year old orphan who feels out of place in the only home he has ever known. When an accident nearly takes his life, he discovers a stranger from his past that takes him into a world he never imagined, a world where a magical land holds all the answers to his life story and reveals his true destiny.

After many years of war, the land of Brighton is finally at peace, but it is a peace that was never meant to last. Following in the footsteps of his father, Jack, with the aid of his friends, will risk everything to destroy the Book of the Labi and save the lives of all those he holds dear.

About the Author...

RYAN COLLINGS lives in Boise, Idaho with his two children Kaylee and Kasin, his dog Stewie, his cat Rosebud, and the love of his life, Brooke.

Visit Ryan's Blog!
http://www.ryancollings.com/

GIVEAWAY:

1 print (USA only) and 2 ebook copies are available. MUST leave email addy and comment below! Winners picked on Oct. 15th!
Here is the schedule:
September 24 - Meet & Greet at www.vbtcafe.com
September 25 - Spotlight & Giveaway at http://giveawayblogdom.blogspot.com
September 28 - Guest Blogging at http://rhodesreview.com
September 30 - Guest Blogging & Giveaway at www.lorisreadingcorner.com
October 5 - Guest Blogging at http://www.madmoosemama.blogspot.com
October 6 - Author Interviewed at http://lisahaseltonsinterviewsandreviews.blogspot.com
October 7 - Guest Blogging & Giveaway at http://hotgossiphotreviews.blogspot.com
October 11 - Author Interviewed at http://riftwatcher.blogspot.com
October 13 - Author Spotlight at www.assistingauthors.com
October 17 - Guest Blogging at http://louisewise.blogspot.com
October 19 - Author Interviewed at http://margaret-paranormalromanceauthor.blogspot.com
October 21 - Guest Blogging at http://azpublishingservices.blogspot.com
October 23 - Guest Blogging at http://hmweasley-blog.blogspot.com
October 28 - Guest Blogging & Review at http://ink-puddle.blogspot.com
October 31 - Jack Ranis Review & Giveaway at http://writingcrazyme.blogspot.com/
November 2 - Guest Blogging at http://bookreaderaddictsgiveaways.blogspot.com

Denise Verrico

2011-10-06T10:44:00.000-07:00

Cara Mia by Denise Verrico and an eBook GIVEAWAY!

A Different Take on Vampire Mythology
By
Denise Verrico
When I set out to write Cara Mia my first Immortyl Revolution novel, I read a lot of books on vampire legends. I’ve always been attracted to the figure of the vampire. The all-powerful vampire appealed to me as a kind of dark superhero. Although I decided to go with a more sci fi than magical take on vampirism, I do play around a little with the well-known myths in my books and try to give them a biological basis.
Since our early history, people have understood that if a human being lost a great deal of blood he or she would die. It’s not surprising that myths of blood-drinking monsters arose all over the globe. Usually these stories were connected with sudden or early death of a person. Almost every culture has some sort of vampire myth. Like most people, I was familiar with the Eastern European vampire myths. In these stories, the vampire is typically thought of as an “undead” demon or re-animated corpse that feeds on the lifeblood or sometimes the soul or sexual energy of human victims.
As I dug further into the lore, I found that a lot of evidence points to these vampire legends first appearing in India. This gave me the basis of the Immortyl culture of my vampire series. Indian mythology provides many examples of vampire-like spirits and deities, but one deity often associated with vampirism is Kali, a fierce form of the mother goddess (Shakti) and consort of Shiva. Like her husband, Kali both creates and destroys. She’s often shown standing on the body of Shiva, symbolizing that in the scheme of the cosmos the male principle is subordinate to that of the female.
Kali is a scary figure, usually depicted as emaciated with withered dark blue or black skin and three eyes. She wears the body parts of her victims as jewelry and has a blood-red tongue that sticks out in defiance. Her favorite places are battlefields where she and her attendants, the dakini, become intoxicated on the blood of victims.
Because of this fearsome image and some pop-culture references to her, Kali is an often-misunderstood figure in the West. Historically, only one group associated with Kali was known for violence, the Thugees. These devotees would waylay travelers and use them as blood sacrifices to the goddess. The Thugees were the inspiration behind the Kali worshipers in Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom, hence a lot of the western misconception.
However, Kali is the goddess of time, not death and only slays evil demons. Symbolically, she annihilates the selfish impulses and ego that bind us to our material bodies. Her aspect may be ferocious, but she is called Kali Maa (Mother Kali) and is revered in many parts of India. The city of Kolkata (Calcutta) is sacred to her and named for the goddess. Tantric cults often focus on Kali. Tantra is an older religious tradition than Hinduism, dating back before the Aryan tribes migrated into India. These groups center on Shakti worship and sometimes use sex and even blood in their rituals. The idea behind this is to gain control over the body to capture divine energy and gain blessings.
The more I read, the more I became fascinated with the stories surrounding Kali and tantric practices. This led me to imagine the origin of the Immortyls and their own religion based on tantra. In my research, I also came across accounts of the devidasi.  These were female temple devotees, skilled in music and dance and frequently exploited as courtesans. Some of them wielded surprising power. Thedevidasi inspired the adepts of the ancient arts in my novels.   These extraordinarily beautiful male and female Immortyls serve Kali as singers, musicians and dancers. Like their historical counterparts the devidasi, they are employed as courtesans. The sexual aspect of my adepts’ art is an elaborate tantric ritual symbolizing the act of Immortyl creation.
The latest Immortyl Revolution novel, My Fearful Symmetry, is set mostly in India at the chief elder’s court. Here Immortyls live much as they did three thousand years ago. Nineteen-year-old Cedric MacKinnon, fresh from the modern-day streets of London, is trained as an adept and becomes entangled in a web of political intrigue centered on the revolution started by Mia and Kurt in the first two books. The young man soon realizes that the chief elder uses Kali’s fearsome reputation as a tool to exert control over other Immortyls. Cedric is at first highly skeptical of the Goddess’ power, but after much trial and tribulation he begins to question his disbelief. The neat thing about this book is that it can be read first because the saga is seen through fresh eyes. The reader can jump into the series here and go back later and read Mia and Kurt’s story in the first two books.
One of the great pleasures for me in writing speculative fiction is all of the possibilities that exist for the imagination. Urban fantasy, in particular, allows a blending of the real world with the fantastical. I was recently on a panel at a science fiction convention, where one of the writers suggested that urban fantasy is creating mythology for the modern day. He referenced Joseph Campbell’s books, such as The Power of Myth. I’ve always been a fan of Campbell’s theories. If you haven’t read Campbell’s books and you’re interested in mythology, I highly recommend them. You may be surprised by the similarity of myths from cultures around the world and corresponding themes in a lot of stories that are popular today.
GIVEAWAY:

Denise Verrico is giving away 1 eBook copy of her latest novel Twilight of the Gods....the contest will end on October 7th!!!! You have two days, please post your name and email addy and the winner will be picked randomly.

Denise Verrico

2011-10-06T10:43:00.001-07:00

Spotlight Feature on Denise Verrico

Book Spotlight Feature
Tag line: A boy becomes a vampire and fights to become a man.
Title: My Fearful Symmetry
Author : Denise Verrico
Genre: Urban fantasy
Format: Print and multi format ebook
Links to buy:
Amazon: http://amzn.to/nu811n
Nook:  http://bit.ly/qnnjaZ
B&N Paperback: http://bit.ly/qdm73e
Omnilit: http://bit.ly/p25o2x
Allromance: http://bit.ly/paIPje
Fictionwise: http://bit.ly/Oe
Link to trailer: This is a trailer for my first two books:
http://youtu.be/OSGZ1yXXkSY
website: www.deniseverricowriter.webs.com
Blog: www.ImmortylRevolution.blogspot.com
Twitter: http://twitter.com/#!/deniseverrico
Facebook fan page: http://on.fb.me/pwZB5L
Follow Cedric on Facebook: http://on.fb.me/ozVCZq
Cedric on Twitter: http://twitter.com/#!/cedricmackinnon
Excerpt My Fearful Symmetry
I reached for the golden door to the ashram, only to crumple to my knees again swooning and dizzy. With the last of my strength, I inched my way on my belly across the open courtyard to my room. The sky above turned from black to purple to lavender. In another thirty minutes, the rays of the sun would cook my tattered flesh into Bolognese. It seemed like a good idea. I collapsed against the paving stones. Deep inside of me a voice called my name—only it wasn’t my name.
Shardul!
I lifted my aching head. The sacred spring lay between my room and me. The Goddess stood sentinel above the pool. Hers arms beckoned. The waters hastened healing. I pulled myself over and eased in, letting the water bathe my broken skin. It stung and burned, but at least I knew that I was still alive.
Kali’s black face looked down. Her long tongue stuck out as if to taunt me.
I clung with what strength remained to the pool’s stone edge. “Is this what you mean about the tyranny of the flesh?” But she didn’t answer. She remained silent and oblivious as death. “Bitch…” I lost my grasp on the lip of the pool and slipped below the surface, still gazing into her unseeing eyes.
I thrashed, but couldn’t pull myself to the surface. My body sank like a stone. Water filled my throat and nostrils. Consciousness dissipated into an explosion of dots, like colored pixels. My Mum’s voice floated in my head.
Hush a bye, don’t you cry
Go to sleep my little baby
When you wake, you shall have
All the pretty little horses…
The wavering image above me dissolved into golden skin and waves of dark hair. The Mother reached out two arms and pulled me from the water. The avatar’s supple, golden form suggested Parvati, consort of Lord Shiva. An aura of pulsating color surrounded her. I sputtered and coughed the liquid out of my lungs, collapsing into my benefactor’s arms. My head rested against a bosom soft and rounded, not hard and bony.
She lifted me as if I were a child, bearing me away to my room, and rolled me belly-down onto my bed. My head lay on its side. The hand stroking the wet hair away from my face felt warm. Lips full and red with blood kissed mine. Was this real, or was I hallucinating?
The Goddess anointed and bandaged my wounds. She pressed her own wrist to my lips restore me. Blood never tasted so sweet. Warm tears bathed my face as she kissed my mouth again, a sweep of silken hair brushing over my arm. As she drew back, my eyes focused and her image became clear.
A pained hiss passed my cracked lips. “Sandhya?”

David Brown

2011-10-01T18:14:00.001-07:00

David Brown

Fezariu's Epiphany
ABOUT THE BOOK
The White Oak, Clarendon's oldest brothel, lured and destroyed men by the thousands. Fezariu was different. He had never been drawn by the White Oak's vices but the brothel had still ruined him when he was just a boy. Salvation came in the form of the Merelax Mercenaries - Elenchera's most prestigious hired hands. They gave Fezariu the chance to escape from his past. Immersed in the world of dangerous assignments in the colonies Fezariu longed to forget everything about his childhood but only in facing the past would he ever be free of it.

About me

I was born in 1982 in Barnsley, South Yorkshire. My passion for history began at primary school but it wasn’t until studying at college that I began writing fiction. In 1998 I discovered the Final Fantasy series and Norse mythology, both of which heavily influenced the birth of my writing. I first conceived the idea of the Elencheran Chronicles in 1999 and in the last decade have written five novels, several short stories and continue to work on an in-depth history of Elenchera that begins with the creation of the world and currently covers more than 47,000 years.
When not working on Elenchera, I enjoy reading (fiction and non-fiction), films (particularly World Cinema), music (mostly artists who are not in the higher echelons of the charts), computer games (mostly RPGs, of course!) and continue my long-suffering support of Barnsley FC whose perennial relegation battles have inspired many a dark tale in the world of Elenchera. Aside from a long-term ambition to be a full-time writer, I hope to one day have an isolated house in the countryside, surrounded by ample land and woodland for my six cats to roam free and to walk dogs daily in pursuit of regular fitness and inspiration.
I live in Huddersfield with my beautiful wife, Donna, our six cats – Kain, Razz, Buggles, Bilbo, Frodo and Charlie – and the fates of millions of lives resting on my shoulders – albeit imaginary ones, but it’s still nice to be omniscient and omnipotent in one world.

Character Interviews every day for October!

2011-09-19T18:30:00.001-07:00

Check out this very cool idea and have fun on the October month!!!

My other blogs-check them out!

2011-09-18T11:16:00.000-07:00

http://authorsatthevirtualpark.blogspot.com

Please visit the website above to win FREE books, six books in all, from new authors and seasoned authors!! Join the blog;)

I'm still working on the edits of The Mers, my first Mermaid Dystopian and while I wrote it as a solo book, after finishing I can see book two and three already...oh, well. I tried.

Please learn more about this YA paranormal romance on my main author blog http://amiblackwelder.blogspot.com

Spirit Seeker

2011-09-14T14:25:00.001-07:00

Jamie Haden

Spirit Seeker
By Jamie Haden
ISBN: 978-1-61706-074-8
Price: $14.99
Genre: Fantasy
Age: Young Adult
Available at: www.pillhillpress.com & most other online retailers!
Book Description:
Life is strange and difficult for the granddaughter of a shaman.
Sixteen-year-old Talisa Santiago was born in the desert underneath the full moon in January—the wolf moon. However, she left the desert with her mother when she was a young girl. She remembers bits and pieces of her past but it isn’t until she and her mom move to a remote barrier island off the coast of North Carolina that she feels fate has finally called—secretive and mysterious he stands alone on the edge of the bank. Her friends tell her to stay away; she hears rumors that he is dangerous. Still, she can’t resist Whether Talisa realizes it or not, she knows a thing or two about boys like Jag Chavez. Fate is funny that way.

For the first time in her life, Talisa meets kids just like her—Native Americans who know the way of the spirit. The closer she gets to Jag, the more she realizes he is hiding a dark secret. He may have the markings of the Thunderbird, but he is named for the powerful Jaguar. Together they embark on a journey that will haunt her forever.

Book trailer links:
http://youtu.be/XFl1xzhOUjY
http://youtu.be/KV6O1JZESQQ
Spirit Seeker Mini Excerpt:

They are flesh eaters.
They elegantly prowl the earth at dusk, listening to the sounds of creation.
Hungry, they wait for hours to pierce the skull of their prey.
It only takes them a few seconds to reach the brain.
I am now binded to them forever. Haunted by desire.
And willing to do the unthinkable.
For them—I give my blood.
For my lover—I give my soul.
Author Bio:
Jamie Haden lives in Wilmington, North Carolina with her husband and three daughters. Jamie has a Bachelor's degree in philosophy and taught special education in Kentucky and North Carolina. Pill Hill Press will release her young adult novel SPIRIT SEEKER-BOOK ONE OF THE TALISA SANTIAGO SERIES August 26, 2011. Jamie is currently working on ILLUMINATE-ALIVE, SHE CRIED, the sequel to SPIRIT SEEKER.
www.jamiehaden.com
http://www.facebook.com/jamielhaden
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Spirit-Seeker-YA-Novel-by-Jamie-Haden/164228800283194
http://twitter.com/sippingbythesea
http://goodreads.com/jamiehaden
http://jamiehaden.blogspot.com

Hunters

2011-09-14T14:24:00.001-07:00

Gregory Marshall Smith

Hunters
By Gregory Marshall Smith
For centuries, vampires have owned the night. And in Fort Worth, Texas, master vampire, Louis Riordan, aims to keep it that way. With the help of Lin Tang, his lethal enforcer, he will unite sixteen of the continent’s top master vampires into the most powerful undead alliance the world has ever seen.
Rumors abound that Lin Tang’s most hated enemy, Cantrell Ryker, has returned from the grave and there are hunters in town, ready to take back the twilight. Vastly outnumbered and outgunned, with dissension in the ranks and a traitor in their midst, these hunters fight for humanity side by side. They now have a weapon that could turn the tide of the age-old war between man and vampire once and for all.
Author Bio
Gregory Marshall Smith, born in Somerville, Massachusetts and raised in historic Medford, is a decorated Navy veteran. Though sports writing is his profession, in his career, he has been, among other things, a national columnist, playwright, engineer, asset protection agent, editor, safety auditor, fingerprinter, training instructor and sometime actor (Heiju trilogy; Life As We Know It; The Odd Life of Timothy Green; Detroit 1-8-7; Contagion; Walker, Texas Ranger).
He is the author of the novellas Crawl and They Call the Wind Muryah, along with two anthologies (Dark Tidings Vol. I & II). He has had numerous award-winning short stories appear in Farspace 2, Writer’s Bump, Far Side of Midnight, Spectacular Speculations and SFH Dominion, among others. Hunters is his first full-length novel.
Ever restless, he currently resides somewhere in America.

The Dark Caravan by Shawn Weaver

2011-08-29T15:56:00.001-07:00

The Dark Caravan by Shawn Weaver is volume three from the Archives of the Tides of War. Tyree, the main character takes us on another journey, after the cliff hanger from the previous book. Author Shawn Weaver knows how to weave a tale of fantasy with characters readers can connect to.
With elves, halflings, dragons, and much more, this novel follows the enriching story telling of the last two novels and if you enjoyed those novels you are sure to enjoy this too.
I especially liked the opening chapters better in this novel than the last, but I really got into the novel at about 100 pages. Tyree likes to take us, as readers, to the edge of our seats, into danger, fantastical worlds, and fall in love with new characters all over again.
I missed some of the old characters, and have a love especially for animals and so was glad to see at least some animals used again. But Tyree keeps the novel well entertaining from beginning to end and I would recommend this novel to anyone who likes fantasy and adventure novels.

Reviewed by Ami Blackwelder
amiblackwelder.blogspot.com
Author of Shifter Evolutions

Werelove Series by Lakisha Spletzer

2011-08-28T08:09:00.000-07:00

http://www.kishazworld.com/

Indie author, Lakisha Spletzer is sharing an excerpt today from the second book in her YA dark paranormal romance series, Werelove. Here is Midnight Revelations:
EXCERPT:
“I have something to show you.” She reached in her backpack and pulled out the picture. She handed to Britta. “It's my mother.”
“Really?” Her friend studied the picture and smiled. “Laylah, your madre was beautiful. And I see where you get your hair color from. Where did you get this? I thought you said your father didn't have any pictures of your mother?”
“My grandmother came to visit and gave it to me.”
Britta hugged her. “I'm glad she did. It's always nice to know what a person's parents look like.”
“Yes, it is.”
Britta handed the picture back and Laylah held it for another moment. Some of her loneliness had eased and she didn't feel as lost. She wanted to know more about her mother. Maybe now, Donil would give her more details.
“We'd better get going to our next class,” Britta reminded her.
“Yeah, I guess so.” She zipped her backpack closed and cradled the picture of her mother close to her body.
They started walking and were almost to the classroom when someone stuck out their foot and tripped Laylah. She cried out, tottered, and crashed into Britta, sending both of them to the floor. She barely managed to keep the d-frame with her mother's picture from breaking.
“Sorry, Britta!” She rolled off her friend and held out a hand to help her up.
“My, my, so clumsy.”
She gritted her teeth. Her nemesis was back. Britta snarled something rude and let Laylah help her up.
“Clumsiness only happens when idiots give it a helping hand,” Britta retorted, an angry glint in her eye as she glared at Violet.
Laylah didn't want to fight. She just wanted to leave. Besides, she hadn't forgotten the principal's threat. She couldn't afford any more trouble. She urgently tugged on Britta's arm. “Let's go, please.”
“Running away with your tail between your legs? That's all you ever do. Well guess what, not anymore!” Violet howled and charged.
Shocked by this unexpected move, Laylah froze. Dimly she heard Britta screaming at her to run away, but it was too late, as Violet slammed into her and she went flying into a locker. She yelped as she hit it hard and slid to the floor. She heard the other girl's malicious laughter and glanced up. Her heart stopped. Violet had her mother's picture!
“What do we have here? A picture, is it? Perhaps, one of your mother?” Violet pretended to study the picture while her flunkies giggled. “You know, this woman doesn't look half bad, which is more than I can say for you, Freak.”
“Give it back!” she shakily stood.
“Oh, are you talking to me? I think that sounded like an order? What do you think, Theresa?”
“I think the little mouse is squeaking again, Violet.”
“I think so, too. The only way to shut up a mouse is to get rid of the reason for its noise.”
“No!” Laylah whispered, horror filling her as she saw the triumphant look in Violet's eyes. She ran toward the other girl.
Violet laughed cruelly, threw the d-frame to the floor and stomped on it. The crack of the plastic casing and then shattering of the glass silenced all noise as the onlookers stared in shock.
Laylah skidded to a halt and dropped to her knees in front of the broken d-frame. “No, no, no,” she whispered brokenly as tears fell.
“Yes, yes, yes! That's what you get, Freak. When you're clumsy, all sorts of things happen.”
Laylah stared at the broken pieces through her tears, that curious roaring in her head and ears rising in volume. Her inner voice yowled its rage as anger sizzled and sparked beneath her skin. She slowly began to rise. “You broke my gift.”
Theresa reacted first and took a step back. “Um, Violet....”
“Not now, I'm enjoying this too much.”
“You evil bitch!” Laylah screamed and her head snapped up.
Violet let out a growl and charged again. Laylah saw her coming but time was slowing as her focus narrowed. She remembered what Mr. Mozar had taught her. Her inner voice was howling in glee. It wanted the enemy's pain to match her own. She felt power surge through her and pain lanced her fingers. She didn't heed it as she threw herself forward. She wanted her claws to rip into the flesh of the one who had hurt her. Everything stopped and the only thing she could hear was the victorious yowling of that inner voice as the roaring in her head reached its peak and crashed over her.
Amazon & Kindle: http://www.amazon.com/Werelove-Midnight-Revelations-Lakisha-Spletzer/dp/1453786899
Smashwords.com: http://www.smashwords.com/books/view/59136

Invasion of 2020 on Kindle!!

2011-08-25T09:34:00.001-07:00

Invasion of 2020 out on Kindle!!
Invasion of 2020 just released on Kindle!

Kindle Invasion of 2020 Link

Order the book that started it all.
Shifter Evolutions : Book one!

You may read the series chronologically or read the series as it was written.
Shifters of 2040 as the first read. Hybrids of 2050 as the second read.
Then, the reader decides to read the past first or the future.
Invasion of 2020 and SCM of 2030 are the past.
Hunted of 2060 and Revolution of 2060 are the future.
REvolution of 2060, the last book, will be out in 2012!!!

amiblackwelder.blogspot.com

Invasion of 2020, out now!

2011-08-25T09:21:00.001-07:00

Invasion of 2020 out now!
Orders for the print of Invasion of 2020 are out now! Just click the link:
https://www.createspace.com/3678084 or click the icon to the left scroll bar.

amiblackwelder.blogspot.com
The first book in the Shifter Evolutions saga is out now!!
Buy books 1-5 ! Next year the concluding book 6 will be available!

Learn how it all started!

"Are you one of them?"

Introducing Ami Blackwelder

2011-08-25T08:45:00.001-07:00

If you missed the interview on Off the Book Shelf, catch it here!

http://offthebookshelfblog.webnode.com/news/introducing-ami-blackwelder/

Introducing Ami Blackwelder

2011-08-10 17:46

Writing for the age group of ‘tweens’ and teens is not an easy task. The work has to be captivating enough to keep their attention but not so complex that it causes them to lose interest. There is a fine balance between the two, especially when writing a fantasy novel blended with a bit of teen romance. Ami Blackwelder’s new novel, The Gate of Lake Forest, is sure to please both groups of readers as well as adults. I recently had the opportunity to ask Ami a few questions about her lifelong passion; writing.
What was it that attracted you to writing fictional works such as fantasy, romance, and paranormal based novels?
“I am attracted to writing fiction, because it allows the writer and reader to explore emotional truths in an array of situations and cultures and lives. It allows the reader to go into another world for just a moment, to forget his or her on frustrations, and have a time of relaxation.”
What would you say has been the most formative in your writing?
“I have an eclectic background with eight years overseas in Asia, many years of teaching and I write historical as well as science fiction/paranormal. This provides the reader with a plethora of genres, themes, as well as perspectives. My writing is not typical, and you will get a unique story for your entertainment.”
Do you have any interviews that you have done that you would like to share so readers who are new to your writing can get to know you better?
“Yes, I have done many interviews with newspapers, magazines and locally at schools, libraries, and bookstores. You may find all that info at my blog amiblackwelder.blogspot.com. simply find the tab: Appearances. You will be directed to all I have done.”
What was is it that drew you to try an ebook through Off the Bookshelf?
“Off the Bookshelf looks like a new kind of provider for readers and writers and incorporates many interesting ideas. I'm glad to be a part of it!”
Are you offering any special promotions or discounts currently?
“Most of my books are priced at .99 cents on kindle and nook and so please take a look before the price increases!”
Who would you say is your favorite character from one of your books?
“Melissa Marn is someone who doesn't get a good rap, but I find her fascinating. She is very complicated. “
Ami’s latest release, The Gate of Lake Forest is available as an ebook through http://www.offthebookshelf.com. Here is the back page teaser:

The Gate of Lake Forest-

When a human and an elfin fall in love, what happens in forbidden romance?
Within the small town of Green Mountain Falls, Colorado, there exists a quiet forest where a world undiscovered awaits. When soccer player, Michael Cole, of high school Green Mountain Falls sees the new girl Evelyn, coy yet intoxicating, walk into his senior English class he is forever changed.
His passion for her takes him deep into her heart and deep into her mystical world. Will their forbidden love be able to sustain them as their separate worlds collide, taking Evelyn and Michael on a magical journey into adventurous and perilous realms where dangerous creatures are determined to defeat them?
High school will never be the same...

Invasion of 2020 out now!

2011-08-25T08:08:00.001-07:00

Invasion of 2020 out now!
Orders for the print of Invasion of 2020 are out now! Just click the link:
https://www.createspace.com/3678084 or click the icon to the left scroll bar.

amiblackwelder.blogspot.com
The first book in the Shifter Evolutions saga is out now!!
Buy books 1-5 ! Next year the concluding book 6 will be available!

Learn how it all started!

"Are you one of them?"

Night Owl Book Giveaway!!

2011-08-23T08:55:00.001-07:00

Win Para/Sci-Fi Romance Books! NightOwl Reviews!
http://nightowlromanceblog.blogspot.com/2011/08/ami-blackwelder-shifter-evolutions.html

Don't miss your chance to win my books on http://www.nightowlreviews.com BLOGS!
Follow the link above and just a leave a comment!!

Night Secrets by B.K. Walker

2011-08-22T17:07:00.001-07:00

Night Secrets by B.K. Walker

Night Secrets

Keara Crosby had the perfect life. Her family was not hurting for anything. When her parents are suddenly killed, Keara must learn to live without them. After mourning their death for two months, Keara starts to live again. She follows her favorite band, hangs with her best friend Jared, and falls for the new kid on the block.

When her favorite band is playing at Night Secrets, a new club downtown, she takes her first outing since her parents death and finds this mysterious boy watching her. Mesmerized by his lapus blue eyes, she can't help but feel drawn to him. Her body responds to him in ways she never thought possible, and she needs to figure out why. What is it about Channing that has her yearning for his touch?

Not only is Keara drawn to Channing, but the owner of Night Secrets seems to be drawn to her. Giving her special treatment, she can't help but wonder what he's hiding, and the sense she's seen him before. When she's attacked in the parking lot, her world turns inside out, literally. Keara will soon learn that secrets of the night, just may be the death of her.

Bio

About B.K. Walker

BK Walker is currently living in Central Pennsylvania with her three children, Brittney, Hunter, and Daniel. She works as a pediatric home care nurse which she truly enjoys. Always having a love of writing, she has created a world of her own through her imagination and her muse. She loves to write paranormal romance and has also dabbled in dramatic romance. BK is working on her first Young Adult Paranormal Fantasy, and has learned so much through her writing endeavors. Helping other authors to promote and market their work, she also founded The Virtual Book Tour Cafe' and a book review site at BK Walker Books. With a huge love for animals, supporting Animal Rescue Organizations such as ASPCA and Pit Bull Rescue, she loves spending time with her dogs, a pit bull named Rancid and daschshund named Sadie, an adoptee. BK also owns a kitten named Whiskers and a goldfish called Fat Albert with room in her heart and home for more.

Romancing Your Dark Side Book Tour!

2011-08-21T17:30:00.001-07:00

Romance YOUR Dark Side
We have had the pleasure of kicking off this tour with some fantastic hosts! There are giveaways at every stop and every comment is entered to win our Grand Prize Giveaway for a brand new Kindle. Romance your dark side and stop in to check out our schedule at theVBT Cafe' Blog.

Next stop - August 22 with Brenda and Steve
August 22 - Jaz Primo Guest Blogging at Wise Words
August 22 - BK Walker Guest Blogging at Immortyl Revolution
August 23 - Amber Scott Guest Blogging at Wise Words
August 23 - Stacey Kennedy interviewed at The Golden Pen Review
August 24 - Kristie Cook Guest Blogging atUnnecessary Musings
August 24 - A Jacob Sweeny Guest Blogging atRomance That's Out Of This World
August 24 - Jaz Primo and BK Walker Guest Blogging at Lori's Reading Corner
August 25 - Jamie Magee interviewed at Taking It One Book At A Time
August 25 - Jaz Primo's Sunrise at Sunset Reviewed at Sassy Book Lovers
August 26 - Stacey Kennedy and BK Walker Interviewed with Louisa Bacio
August 26 - A Jacob Sweeny Guest Blogging at Live To Read
August 27 - Amber Scott Guest Blogging at A ll Things Books

Katie Salidas and Pandora's Box

2011-07-12T15:19:00.000-07:00
Happy to welcome Katie Salidas tonight! She has two posts, so be sure to peruse both!
Here is her article to help other authors out there! The second post about Katie is focused more on her current release: Pandora's box, so please enjoy!

Katie Salidas is a Super Woman! Endowed with special powers and abilities, beyond those of mortal women, She can get the munchkin off to gymnastics, cheerleading, Girl Scouts, and swim lessons. She can put hot food on the table for dinner while assisting with homework, baths, and bedtime… And, She still finds the time to keep the hubby happy (nudge nudge wink wink). She can do all of this and still have time to write.
And if you can believe all of those lies, there is some beautiful swamp land in Florida for sale…
Katie Salidas resides in Las Vegas, Nevada. Mother, wife, and author, she does try to do it all, often causing sleep deprivation and many nights passed out at the computer. Writing books is her passion, and she hopes that her passion will bring you hours of entertainment.

http://www.katiesalidas.com/
Facebook
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Katie-Salidas-Author/214780936916

LinkedIn
http://www.linkedin.com/profile?viewProfile=&key=58814031&trk=tab_pro
Twitter
http://twitter.com/QuixoticKatie

I started the series with Immortalis Carpe Noctem in March of 2010.
Since then I’ve sold over 10,000 copies (combined total of print and ebooks in the series. Immortalis Carpe Noctem and Hunters & Prey) Now that I’m releasing Pandora’s Box, I hope to make that number grow!
Book sales didn’t happen overnight. I’ve been plugging away at this for the last year. I put in a good ten hours a day at my computer between writing, marketing, networking, and blogging. Writing for me is a full time job!
When I first published Immortalis Carpe Noctem, I sold a grand total of 37 books.
I had to learn how to market my books and reach out to readers who had no clue I existed.
And that’s where I ran into my first stumbling block. I had no clue what to do.
I was a true novice and wasted money on paid review services (Do Not Do This!!), buying ad space on blogs (this can be effective if done properly), signed on for expensive blog tours (you can find many cost-effective options for this. It doesn’t need to cost and arm and a leg to do a great blog tour), and set up a website for my books (blogger is free and works just as well).
So, since I have made many-a-mistake, and hope to save another author the heartache, (or is it wallet ache?) I thought I’d give you some advice to help you avoid some pitfalls of marketing your book.
(For information on Self-Publishing your books, please stop by my blog www.katiesalidas.com and click on the self-publishing link in the side bar. I regularly blog on the tips and tricks you’ll want to know.)
Let’s start with Book Reviews
Never, ever, ever, ever, ( I can’t say this enough) pay for a book review.
For starters, they are never truly unbiased. If you’re paying someone to review your book there is an expectation of a great review on your part. No one wants to pay for a 1-star review, right? And if you take a look at the review-for-pay services out there, you’ll notice a trend of nothing below 3 stars. Other people will notice this as well and they will recognize that your book is being misrepresented as “great,” when it might not be. (I’m not saying your book won’t be great.)
So, how do you get your book reviewed?
The single best resource I have found for this is
http://hampton-networks.com/
This listing includes tons of bloggers who devote their time to reading and reviewing books. Peruse the list for your specific genre and check out the individual sites review guidelines. Not all of them will look at self-published works, but many of them will. If you find one suited for your book, shoot them an email requesting they consider reviewing your book. Be sure to include your:
Genre
Publishing date and publisher name (if it’s you, say so. Be proud to be an indie)
Word Count
Synopsis
If there is any adult-related material in the book (Some sites will not review anything with sex or foul language. Best to state it upfront)
Format available (print or ebook)
Book Cover Image (People often judge a book by its cover so let yours help sell it.)
You’ll be surprised how many bloggers are out there, willing to look at your book. And it will only cost you at most, the book plus shipping. At the least, it could be as cheap as emailing a PDF.
Many of these bloggers don’t just publish their reviews on their blog. Often times they also publish them on well trafficked sites like Goodreads, Shelfari, Library Thing, and on occasion, right on your Amazon.com book page.
Blog Tours:
Blog touring is an interesting concept. Instead of traveling the world for book signings with your print book, you can travel the blogosphere with your ebook. It gives you the potential to reach thousands upon thousands of people right from the comfort of your own home.
This is something you can set up yourself, using the resource I mentioned above (as a blog reviewer if they offer interviews or giveaways). It is a time consuming process though, arranging all of the tour dates, and you may not have the time available to set it up. If that be the case, you can have someone help you. That’s where cost comes in.
Hiring a blog tour service can be extremely expensive or cost effective depending on who you go with. The choice is yours. You have to factor in how much it will cost vs how much interest it will gain for you and your book.
I’ve used a couple of tour services over the last year. My favorite by far is
Virtual Book Tour Café http://virtualbooktourcafe.weebly.com/
Some things to consider when choosing a blog tour service:
What blogs are they affiliated with? (check out their links. They should provide a listing of blogs they regularly work with.)
Do those blogs have a good following? (Most blogs have a “followers” widget on the side. You can see how many people publically follow them there. Along with that, take a look at the comments section and see if people are participating in the bloggers post. This will give you an idea of how active members are.)
Do they offer reviews with your tour? (reviews are really the biggest seller in these tours, people trust their bloggers opinion. An interview is great to introduce yourself, but a “thumbs up” from a blogger who has read your book can help people decide if they want to take a chance on you and your book.)
Does the blog tour offer giveaways for your book? (Giveaways are another key to blog touring. People like to win things. If your tour includes giveaways of your book or Amazon gift cards, etc… it will attract more attention.)
Spreading the word & Social Networking
I’m sure you’ve heard this a million times, but you need to be active online. However there is a caveat.
Active means being a participant, not a spammer.
It’s a good idea to have accounts at all of the standard social networking sites.
Facebook
Twitter
Linkedin
Myspace
Beyond those there are a few other book related ones you should join as well.
Goodreads
Library Thing
Shelfari
Authors Den
Amazon Author Central
Kindleboards (The single best resource I have found for Indie Authors. (Just spend an hour combing through the Writers Café and you will learn so much about writing, promoting, getting reviews, etc… I wish I had found this resource sooner. )
Consider these all as places to interact with your peers and readers. Notice I said interact.
Remember, don’t be a spammer.
It’s ok to mention your books and the good things happening with them, but don’t make that the only thing you talk about. No one wants to read a thousand lines of
“My book is out.”
“I just released this book.”
“I sold a copy of my new book.”
“Did you know I have a new book out?”
“Have you bought my book yet?”
“Buy my book.”
It gets old really quickly.
I was guilty of that in the beginning. And guess what, it didn’t help my sales at all. In fact, I lost followers when I did that.
I’m not saying you can’t mention your work, because you have to spread the word, but do it as part of your interaction with others, not as the intent of it.
If you’re on Facebook, before you even think to post something about your work, go through your friends list and make sure you have given their post time and consideration. You’re not the only one out there.
The same applies to Myspace and Linked in. Look at your followers first and reach out to them. They are your audience and your readers. Keep them close. They are the ones who will (hopefully) buy your next book, you want them to know you care about them.
Make a Press Release!
All of the traditionally published authors have the backup of a publishing house and a marketing team. One of the tools they use to help get the word out is a Press Release. It’s effectively a nice, simple to read, text advertisement that can be sent to news outlets to let them know about your book.
But you don’t have to fret, because you’re an indie. There are ways for you to create and distribute a great Press Release too!
One of the places I use is PR Log http://www.prlog.org/
It’s a free service that lets you create a nice looking Press Release that can be shared via a wide variety of social networks.
To make a nice, official Press Release, you will want to do a few things.
Write a great eye-catching head line.
This should include your: title & genre
Your first line should “announce” whatever you’re promoting.
Be sure to include: Book title, Release date, & Author name. Make it catchy
Author releases the exciting sequel to Book Name, available at Book Store on Release date.
Include your jacket cover/Synopsis.
Include an image of the book (where if the news site allows it).
Include any quotes or review snippets you have for the book.
Include a listing of previous works.
Include contact info (email address) and link to purchase the book.
Websites & Blogging
An author needs a web presence. A place where people can find you.
When I started, I thought I had to have a professional-looking website, but I was also limited on funds. I compromised and paid for a Yahoo site and used one of their templates. It’s not hideous, but it’s not eye-catching either, and it doesn’t get enough hits per month to make it worthwhile. That made me realize I didn’t have to pay to have a web presence. I already had a Blog which gets a decent number of hits per day. Once my contract is up, I’ll be switching everything related to Rising Sign Books, over to a new blog and taking down the site I am currently using.
Learn from my mistake. Rather than setting up a website that carries cost like: Webhosting, Domain registering, and often needs site designing, why not create a free place on the web via Blogger?
It cost nothing to set up a blog (no web hosting fees required), they have templates available (no need to pay a designer), and it gives you a place to talk about your work.
Also, with Bloggers easy to use design templates and additional widgets, you can add anything from PayPal buttons (to purchase print copies of your books), links to the various e-retailers carrying your book, or even reviews from sites like Goodreads.
Your blogger post can also be configured to link to all of the other social networking sites such as:
Facebook
Twitter
Goodreads
Amazon Author Page
Myspace
LinkedIn
So, there you have it. I’ve made plenty of mistakes in this last year and learned very valuable lessons the hard way. Here’s hoping you can benefit from all I’ve learned. And, good luck with your own book marketing.

Pandora's Box by Katie Salidas

2011-07-12T15:13:00.000-07:00

Katie Salidas
Author
Urban Fantasy, Paranormal Romance & Erotica
http://katiesalidas.com
Publisher - http://www.risingsignbooks.net

*Disclosure of Material Connection: I am a member of The Virtual Book Tour Cafe' and a copy of this book was provided to me by the author. Although payment may have been received by The Virtual Book Tour Cafe', no payment was received by me in exchange for this review nor was there an obligation to write a positive one. All opinions expressed here are entirely of my own and may not necessarily agree with those of the author, the book's publisher and publicist or the readers of this review. This disclosure is in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255, Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.*

Pandora's Box:
Alyssa thought, after a few months as a vampire, that she’d learned all she needed about the supernatural world. But all that will change when a mysterious package shows up on her doorstep - a Pandora's box. An ancient prison, created by powerful magic, the box was used to trap the most dangerous and deadly creatures on earth.

Once opened, it releases an ancient evil, with an insatiable lust for vampire blood. Within moments of its release it the feeding frenzy begins.

Alyssa must find a way to return the creature to the box. If she doesn’t, it will not only destroy her clan, but the rest of the vampires in existence.

Katie Salidas:
The youngest of four children, Katie has always had a desire to entertain. Since, early childhood, she's dreamed fantastical characters and scribbled them into pages of various journals and notebooks. Taking an interest in vampires, she devoured every book, featuring those blood sucking creatures, in any genre she could find.
It was only natural that a love of reading vampire stories, turned into a love to write them.

Katie is also a Las Vegas native, having grown up in the famed City of Sin. She loves to feature it as a recurring setting for many of her stories.

Modern girls by Gary Griffin

2011-07-04T15:16:00.000-07:00

Modern Girls
Stevie Garrett Beautiful Girls (Book One)

Gary S. Griffin

Stevie Garrett is a young business investigator looking forward to a short vacation. When Stevie's phone rings, he's told a Hollywood celebrity has been murdered and his ex-lover, model Andi Anderson, was found lying next to the dead body holding the smoking gun - and apparently he's Andi's only hope.

Overwhelmed by Hollywood, his inexperience and the women of a gentlemen's club named Modern Girls, Stevie tries his best to remain true to his heart and himself while sorting through the ill-fitting puzzle pieces of murder, love-affairs, kidnappings and a seemingly smoking gun.

ISBN ebook: 978-1-926760-23-0
FICTION | Mystery & Detective
Word Count: 80,000
List Price: $2.99
Published: April 7, 2010

Buy: Amazon; Barnes & Noble; Kobo

Excerpt

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, 16th & Chestnut Streets, Two Liberty Place, 44th Floor, August 25, 1995

My name is Stephen Garrett. I’m a business investigator who works in Philadelphia and lives in the State of Delaware. I’d just finished my first year at Center City Investigators in The Liberty Place, the great blue sky scrapers of center city Philadelphia. Center City was hired by our clients to solve their frauds and other problems. I was the new kid and the financial man. I was twenty-eight years old and single.

On a warm morning, I was counting the hours before my day and week would be over and my late summer vacation would begin. I planned to paint the entire outside of my recently purchased home. It was located in Delaware, just south of the Pennsylvania state line, and was a bit of a fixer-upper. It was priced well, and I liked its location - close to the freeway, in my home state, and away from the big city that I lived and breathed during business hours. I counted on some fun too; a few rounds of golf, a day at the beach in Rehoboth, at least one Phillies game, some long rides in my new blue Mazda Miata, and a few dates with my new girlfriend, Dee Dee Cho. Dee Dee was my hair stylist at a shop in the Liberty Place, called Smart Looking Men. All the stylists were young, beautiful women, and Dee Dee was no exception to that rule. I also planned to invite Dee Dee to my home for the first time after my outdoor work was completed. My week off was right before the Labor Day weekend, so I wouldn’t need to be back in the office until the following Tuesday. Plus, no investigations were red hot right, and I would only need to do a little follow up work over the next 10 days. It looked so good, I couldn’t wait.

Then, my phone rang. It was my friend, Cyndie Myst, who had recently started working at a Philadelphia modeling agency.

“Stevie, can we meet for lunch today. I need to talk to you, it’s urgent.”

“What’s the matter?”

“I need to tell you in person. Can you make lunch?”

I opened my calendar and saw that my lunch and afternoon were open, and said, “Sure, Cyn, where would you like to meet?”

“The Devon Grill, I’ll meet you there at 12:30.”

***

So, that’s how this unusual and unexpected mystery began. My fashion model friend and I met three years earlier when we were both living and working in New York City. We never dated, but it crossed my mind, from time to time.

Cyndie Myst’s one big modeling break was a spread she did in an alternate life-style magazine. It was for a Goth clothing designer and Cyn totally got into the part, from lipstick, to makeup, to hair, to clothes - she went all black. She looked terrific. With her natural dark brown hair, dramatic stares, and well-proportioned body, she was a natural for the Goth look. After her years of struggles in New York, she got an opportunity at the largest modeling agency in Philadelphia and it changed her life. One of the Grayson Agency’s specialties was to provide models for the Goth and Fetish industry. Apparently it was an interest of the modeling agency’s owner, and Cyn fit right in.

***

The Devon Grill is a curbside seafood bistro serving the business and up-scale, residential crowd. People go here to be seen and to see others. It’s located on the east side of Rittenhouse Square and is a prime viewing spot of Philadelphia’s beautiful people. The seafood is terrific, but the talk, sights and drinks are the real attraction. The Grill is also a short walk from the modeling agency.

It was a warm and breezy Friday lunchtime. Cyndie was seated at one of the outside tables when I arrived. She looked great. She was wearing a short black dress, black calf-high boots and a silver necklace with a large cross that rested between her large breasts. Her hair was dyed black and longer than I ever saw it before, going down below her shoulders. Her dramatic make-up included black eye liner that emphasized her large brown eyes. She reminded me of a witch, a hip, sexy, provocative witch. She stood as I approached and gave me a kiss and a tight hug.

We ordered and exchanged a few comments about our lives, and then Cyndie got right to the point. “Stevie, a friend of ours needs help. It’s truly crazy!”

At that moment, the waitress arrived and brought our drinks. I asked, “Who needs our help?”

Twenty minutes later, Cyn had finished the story. I stretched out my legs to the side of the table, closed my eyes, exhaled a long sigh and said, “Poor Andi.”

Andi Anderson had been accused of murdering her agent. Before I made any commitment, I told Cyndie that this investigation would be very hard, because, first, I had never investigated a murder. Second, I didn’t know the area or Andi’s life in Los Angeles. I’d be starting at square one. Plus, my feelings about Andi rushed through my brain. I had always found Andi hard to resist but didn’t know how to act on it. And, it wasn’t just because she was beautiful. No, that doesn’t come close to describing Andi, she was gorgeous! It was something else, too. We always had this connection, this electricity between us. It was that way from the moment we met in New York City. I had true lust for Andi and this feeling we could really hit it off, completely! And, that would be a huge, potentially dangerous distraction in a murder investigation. Cyndie’s next comments heightened my anxiety.

We;ve Seen the Enemy by Paul Dayton

2011-07-01T06:42:00.001-07:00

We've Seen the enemy by Paul Dayton
We’ve Seen The Enemy
Paul Dayton

An alien ship crashes on Earth; its contents make it clear that the dead ant-like aliens inside were on an offensive mission. As humanity is presented with the prospect of their doomed world, construction begins on hundreds of World Federation ships and extrasolar defense weapons to be used in the inevitable war.

We’ve Seen The Enemy is set 700 years after the Great War and is a desperate race by a suicide team that may finally lead to the end of this interstellar war. Meanwhile, pockets of left-over human tribes on Earth have their own struggles, as they face power-hungry dictators and warped religious leaders. Behind all this are multiple alien forces, each with their own agenda. As truths turn into lies and friends become enemies, can humanity unite together to fight their common enemy?
ISBN ebook: 978-1-926760-32-2
FICTION | Science Fiction - Space Opera
Word Count: 207,000
List Price: $4.99
Published: June 24, 2010

Buy: Amazon; Barnes & Noble; Kobo

Paul Dayton is an adventurer, traveler and volunteer. When he's not writing or reading the works of Isaac Asimov and Arthur C. Clarke, you'll find him on a motorcycle, bike or at the top of a mountain.

Amazon Ranking! Shifters of 2040

2011-06-23T10:11:00.001-07:00

http://www.amazon.com/gp/top-rated/digital-text/158574011/ref=pd_zg_hrsr_tr_kinc_1_6_last#2
Top Rated in Romantic Suspense
The best in Romantic Suspense based on Amazon customer reviews. (Learn more)
RANKED #35 out of 500,000 titles!

The Shifters of 2040 (Shifter Evolutions saga)
Ami Blackwelder (Author), Belle Magnolia (Editor)
4.6 out of 5 stars
   (17) Auto-delivered wirelessly $0.99

What I chose and Why- A story of publishing...

2011-06-20T10:31:00.001-07:00

What route I chose and why?

I began writing fiction novels at the start of 2009. I wrote short stories, poetry and non-fiction before that time. After completing my first novel The Gate of Lake Forest I pursued epublishing and found an epublisher www.ireadiwrite.com with Michelle. She accepted me and took my sequel novel Prisoners of Pride as well. I then wrote my first historical romance title The Day the Flowers Died and submitted it to Whiskey Press. They accepted it. But at that time, I was really looking into self-publishing and noticed a trend in that direction with many writers, good writers, successful writers. After learning a lot from Michelle, I decided to go my own route and said no to Whiskey Press.

I discovered something all writers should know!
epublishers, small publishers, indie publishers cannot do anything for your brand and your novel that you cannot do better. With minimal promos, they will take at least 50% of your profits.

I don't sign with publishers now unless they offer non-exclusive rights, so that I may publish/distribute with whomever and wherever I wish. The only exception to this rule is if you are accepted by a BIG-House-Publisher who is also willing to put Money behind the Promos for your book. Which usually means you need an agent.

If you can get an agent-great! Make sure they get you a good deal with a big publisher who has the vision you have so they see the potential and are willing to money where their mouth is.

Otherwise, do it yourself! You can learn!! You will have total creative freedom, get to work intimately with an editor you chose, chose the cover design you want, distribute to where you want, and get all the profits while having the ability to distribute the book as soon as you want as well as stop distribution and make changes whenever you want. No such luck with a publisher.

So, make sure you pay attention to how much you are giving up in exchange to how much you are getting before you sign the dotted line.

That is What and Why. Perhaps many of you are asking...HOW?
Tips:

Find a good editor or two! Find an illustrator or graphic artist!

Createspace.com
Lulu.com (ipad)
dtp.amazon
pubit.com

Promote on a few sites you've researched and like and build your loyal base of fans from there

Get a website on blogger, or wordpress or weebly (all for free)

Have a presence online on twitter, facebook, kindle and nook forums and pick a few more forums you like related to your book genres.

Build a fan base in your local area with distribution of your books to schools, universities, libraries, and book events everywhere! Ask and you'll be surprised how many say "yes" !
Learn more on my website: http://amiblackwelder.blogspot.com very Sunday!

Neighborhood News

2011-06-20T10:29:00.001-07:00

Book Swap Book Event in Neighborhood News, June 18th.

New Tampa, Florida!

Find Ami Blackwelder's books at the new Book Swap of New Tampa!

Only $9.99!!

How to Prepare for a Book Release

2011-06-17T11:29:00.001-07:00

How to Prepare for a Book Release
There are many things that authors can do long before their book is released, but it is never too late to begin or enhance a marketing plan.
My first suggestion is to get a great stack of paper to jot notes on. Personally, I reuse sheets of paper that have only been printed on one side. Make sure you have a couple of pens handy; using two colors is helpful for organizing and grouping ideas. Oh! – And have a thermos of any kind of refreshment you choose next to you, because this is going to take a while!
OK. Got all those? Now is the time to sit at your computer and scan through the last 6 months worth of the previous postings on every section of your favorite writer's forum and your publisher's author forum. It is important to read the messages with headings like "new author" because the actual message may have crucial information. I know, this sounds like a lot of reading, but you will get efficient at scanning messages and determining if they hold useful information without having to digest every single word.
The reason for all this reading?
You will learn about reviews, marketing, promotion materials, media kits, book production processes, resources, the publisher's policies, royalty information, distributor information... it is all there. With this information you can easily get a head start on your marketing plan. Another reason for doing this is to find reliable mentors in your field of interest.
Effective, long-term networking through interacting with your peers on forums can easily lead up to exchanging of links, promotion materials and multi-author book events. These individuals will soon become your online friends who show up and support your media events, tell others about your work and will help you if they can. Of course, this means that you might have to offer something first to get the ball rolling for networking.
~ Lillian Brummet: Award winning author, book marketing guru, owner of the award winning Brummet’s Conscious Blog, and both the host and executive producer of the Conscious Discussions Talk Radio show. (www.brummet.ca)

The Banishing, guest post and review

2011-06-15T10:17:00.000-07:00

The Banishing by Fiona Dodwell

Book Description:
When Melissa first notices the change in her husband - subtle at first - she thinks it may be the stress of moving into their new home. Or working long hours. But soon her husband turns into something far darker, far more sinister. Who or what is the dark shadow living beneath her husband? What is haunting him? Melissa must quickly find the answer to these questions, because Mark is changing, and fast. Soon her fight will be for her life, as well as for her marriage.
Genre: Horror

Author Bio:
Fiona Dodwell lives in the UK with her husband. She has studied an unusual mixture over the years, from film studies, theology and drama to psychology.
She grew up with a deep passion for horror, both in film and literature, and greatly admires the works of Stephen King, Susan Hill, Adam Neville and Bill Hussey.
She began entering fiction contests at a young age, winning several, and had some of her poems published.
Her first novel to be published, The Banishing, is a dark story exploring demonic possession and domestic abuse. She is currently submitting her second novel, The Obsession, for possible publication and is enjoying writing her third.
www.fionasfiction.wordpress.com

Review:

I had a chance to read this book, given to me by the author/publicist and I have to admit it was better than I thought it would be. I review many books for Indie authors and many of them still have work to do on their craft, but Fiona has a very clear voice and a very enjoyable writing style. Descriptive, yet engaging. I loved reading her prose, how she constructed her sentences, images, metaphors.
The story was also very intriguing! It is not your usual men-beats-wife-who-stays-with-him story. The mystery kept me wanting to read more and more to find out exactly what was going on with her husband and I loved the characters. They were fleshed out well enough for me to care about them.
I recommend reading this author and as a first read from her, I look forward to more novels by her!

My review will also be posted on amazaon, nook, and goodreads!

Ami Blackwelder

Prepare for a press release

2011-06-11T09:36:00.001-07:00

How to Prepare for a Book Release
There are many things that authors can do long before their book is released, but it is never too late to begin or enhance a marketing plan.
My first suggestion is to get a great stack of paper to jot notes on. Personally, I reuse sheets of paper that have only been printed on one side. Make sure you have a couple of pens handy; using two colors is helpful for organizing and grouping ideas. Oh! – And have a thermos of any kind of refreshment you choose next to you, because this is going to take a while!
OK. Got all those? Now is the time to sit at your computer and scan through the last 6 months worth of the previous postings on every section of your favorite writer's forum and your publisher's author forum. It is important to read the messages with headings like "new author" because the actual message may have crucial information. I know, this sounds like a lot of reading, but you will get efficient at scanning messages and determining if they hold useful information without having to digest every single word.
The reason for all this reading?
You will learn about reviews, marketing, promotion materials, media kits, book production processes, resources, the publisher's policies, royalty information, distributor information... it is all there. With this information you can easily get a head start on your marketing plan. Another reason for doing this is to find reliable mentors in your field of interest.
Effective, long-term networking through interacting with your peers on forums can easily lead up to exchanging of links, promotion materials and multi-author book events. These individuals will soon become your online friends who show up and support your media events, tell others about your work and will help you if they can. Of course, this means that you might have to offer something first to get the ball rolling for networking.
~ Lillian Brummet: Award winning author, book marketing guru, owner of the award winning Brummet’s Conscious Blog, and both the host and executive producer of the Conscious Discussions Talk Radio show. (www.brummet.ca)

The Mers ...coming Seot 2011

2011-06-09T18:39:00.000-07:00

Coming Sept. 1st 2011
The Next Release from author Ami Blackwelder....

http://amiblackwelder.blogspot.com

Breaking Dawn Trailer

2011-06-06T07:22:00.001-07:00

Ednah Walters...Slow Burn

2011-06-04T08:12:00.001-07:00

Author of Betrayed and Awakening....

Ednah Walters brings us a new novel!

SLOW BURN!!

She doesn’t want to deal with the past...
Ten years ago, Ashley Fitzgerald witnessed the death of her parents in a tragic fire and blocked the memory. She pretends to have moved on, is a successful artist and photographer, until the morning she opens her door to a stranger she assumes is a model and asks him to strip to his briefs .
He wants to expose the truth...
Wealthy businessman Ron Noble has the body, the jet, the fast cars and the women, but he hides a deadly secret. His father started the fire that killed Ashley’s parents. Now someone is leaving him clues that could exonerate his father and they lead to Ashley’s door. Blindsided by the blazing attraction between them and a merciless killer silencing anyone who was there the night of the fire, Ron dare not tell Ashley the truth. Yet the answer he seeks may very well tear them apart.
While a demented arsonist...SLOW BURN(s)...and plots his ultimate revenge.

The Vampire Who Loved Me

2011-06-01T15:04:00.000-07:00

The Vampire Who Loved Me

The Vampire Who Loved Me
Book #2 in the Sons of Midnight mini-series from Harlequin Nocturne
By Theresa Meyers
ISBN: 0373618603
ISBN13: 978-0373618606
Releases: May 24, 2011
FROM SWORN ENEMIES…
Dr. Rebecca Chamberlin hated nothing more than the vampires who had turned her loved ones into creatures of the night…until she became one herself. Now her experimental vaccine has become more urgent than ever, and has made her the target of vampire security chief Achilles Stefanos.
TO FORBIDDEN LOVERS.
Built like a god with golden hair and an irresistible allure, Achilles made her feel passion the way no mortal man had before. Beck could no more deny her craving for him than she could the hated bloodlust in her veins. But when her vaccine fell into the wrong hands, Beck has a difficult choice to make—one that challenged everything she’d always believed…..
Dark and dangerous, the Sons of Midnight are a temptation that few can resist!
Theresa Meyers Bio:
Raised by a bibliophile who made the dining room into a library, Theresa has always been a lover of books and stories. First a writer for newspapers, then for national magazines, she started her first novel in high school, eventually enrolling in a Writer's Digest course and putting the book under the bed until she joined Romance Writers of America in 1993. In 2005 she was selected as one of eleven finalists for the American Title II contest, the American Idol of books. She is married to the first man she ever went on a real date with (to their high school prom), who she knew was hero material when he suffered through having to let her parents drive, and her brother sit between them in the backseat of the car. They currently live in a Victorian house on a mini farm in the Pacific Northwest with their two children, three cats, an old chestnut Arabian gelding, an energetic mini-Aussie shepherd puppy, several rabbits, a dozen chickens and an out-of-control herb garden. You can find her online on Twitter, Facebook, at her Web site or blogging with the other Lolitas of STEAMED!
http://www.theresameyers.com/

http://www.theresameyers.com/blog/

http://twitter.com/Theresa_Meyers

http://www.facebook.com/TheresaMeyersAuthor

http://www.ageofsteam.wordpress.com/

SCM of 2030 book released!

2011-05-30T15:01:00.000-07:00

SCM is finished and will be printed and distributed within days! Her is the first chapter excerpt
"Reflections"

With careful precision, she lowered the delicate silver teacup between her forefinger and thumb to the fine mahogany table in front of her. Long brunette hair draped like a curtain about her. Never peeling the almond shaped, deep, chocolate eyes away from him, she bit into the croissant. Maroon lips parted with minuscule necessity. Glazing over her soft porcelain-like skin, his eyes touched her, invaded her space. But never with the hard callousness or coldness she had been told.
As he watched her, she remembered how five years prior she had been warned about his character from her peers, her protectors. Informed about his strict adherence to military law, his apathetic quality, and hatred for humanity. But when she watched him watching her, all the foreboding words vanished like a magic spell cast over them. He made her feel vulnerable, safe...cautious, wild.
When he extended his hand to hers, meeting midway on the table, she blushed.
“I have to be going soon. The...” he cleared his throat, uneasy to talk about such matters with someone of such fragile disposition, “military needs me.”
“Another mission?” Her big brown eyes widened.
“Yes.” He lifted her hand in his, clasping hers with such warmth, and security, she forgot for a moment who she was, who he was. “Shifters have been spotted in the Denali Wilderness. We’re going to send a convoy of soldiers to infiltrate the area and...” he stopped himself mid-sentence. The past five years together only strengthened their relationship, his trust in her. He afforded his companion more latitude than the military allowed and she had become privy to a few missions over the course of their union, yet, with her, he regarded the incidental disclosure without regret.
“I understand.” She lowered her eyes and then her head.
“But I will see you later tonight?” he emphasized as he rose from his chair. She grew silent. “Veena?” She nodded at the sound of her name and then lifted her head almost with force, curled her lips in a taut smile and drew in a fresh breath of the Alaskan air.
“You most definitely will, Major Raul.” She noted his rounded cheeks spotted with red from the cold. A finely combed mustache dressed his upper lip.
“Please, when we’re not on base, call me Carl.”
“Carl,” she whispered as he turned and left. The wind caught her words which floated after him.
Left alone, her head fell. Her eyes caught the silver teacup and she saw her reflection. Nothing and no one stood by to keep her heart from pounding, her head from throbbing, dizzy. To her, the sound of her heart beat like a loud tabla drum. Her head pulsed like a fist against a wall. And she could not pull herself away from her own reflection.