Monday, September 22, 2014

Second Death Release Day!

Gwen Gardner, a fellow member of Untethered Realms and the author of the fantastic Indigo Eady series, is here today to talk about her new novella Second Death. Welcome, Gwen!!




Here Comes Da Judge!

Thanks so much for hosting me today, Julie!

Today is release day for Second Death, book I in my Afterlife novella series. Since Julie loves her ghosties as much as I do, I thought she and her readers and followers would enjoy hearing about a certain ghost who makes quite an impression.

Lord Greyheart is a secondary character who only shows up at the beginning and end of the series. Though we don’t see much of Greyheart, he’s really the catalyst that starts the investigation into missing paranormals, the overall theme of the series.

The truth is, we don’t even know what Greyheart looks like! We don’t need to. I’d even go so far to say that the lack of facial features just reaffirms his other impressive attributes. Because Lord Greyheart is an impressive character who rules the proceedings with a disembodied iron gavel.  

First, who is he? He’s the 16th century high court ghost-judge who presides over court proceedings for the spirit community of Sabrina Shores. He’s also the one who drafted Indigo Eady, our living teen psychic-ghost-whispering investigator onto the Missing Paranormal Committee. And when Lord Greyheart says you’ll do something? You do it.

Here’s what happened when Indigo and friends sneak into the old courthouse to attend the spirit community meeting. Indigo’s name had just been put forth for the committee, which caused quite a stir…

A voice exploded and demanded order. “QUIET! There will be quiet or I will clear the courtroom.” Lord Greyheart’s wig bobbed and slipped as he wielded his gavel like a whip, the backlash snapping throughout the room. The room trembled under the BANG, BANG, BANG of a million supernatural hammers reverberating off the walls. I fell back into my seat, covering my ears.
Badger and Simon, and even the paranormals, wrapped hands around or shoved fingers into their ears. We were all dumbstruck into silence.
“Thank you,” said Greyheart, so quietly the maelstrom from a moment before may never have happened. “Miss Eady, will you please approach the bench?”
I gulped. Then reminded myself I sat in the audience, not in the dock. This wasn’t a trial. And so I got to my feet. Trembling, it’s true. But for all intents and purposes, I stood on two legs.
I edged by Simon’s legs, meeting the question in his wide eyes. I shook my head to let him know I was okay. I led with my chin, followed by wobbly legs, down the long crumbling steps. The council members parted like the Red Sea. I trailed through the dusty floor and stood peering up at the faceless Lord Greyheart.
“Now. Miss Eady. You must know that the living and dead working together is highly unusual.”
I snort-coughed into my reply before Lord G could suspect me of my usual sarcasm. “Yes, your honor, to say the least. But—”
“Now who put this young woman’s name forth?” Lord Greyheart scanned the room, but there were no takers. “Come now. Someone submitted Miss Eady’s name for the council, and someone else seconded the nomination.”
If Greyheart had a face, it would be frowning. I felt the frown vibrations from where I stood and feared another outburst. The newly elected council exchanged glances and shook their heads, as did everyone else.
Harrumph. Well, this bears looking into further. As for now, Miss Eady, you will serve on the council.”
“But I—”
BANG!  “This meeting is dismissed.”
  

Now I ask you, would you have said ‘no’ to Lord Greyheart?


Second Death Blurb:

The Sabrina Shores spirit community is in crisis.
Ghosties are mysteriously disappearing at an alarming rate.
They’re simply…gone. A second death.

The clues are limited, but it’s clear that the one common factor is Gertrude’s Garden, the nightclub social center of the spirit community which just happens to adjoin the Sabrina Shores cemetery: the one place Indigo makes a point of not going. Ever. She has her reasons.

Indigo Eady:

Much to her chagrin, Indigo Eady is a celebrity among spirits. She’s the girl who can see and speak with them. She has a proven track record in helping spirits find their murderers, so it’s no surprise when she’s drafted onto the Missing Paranormal Committee. Who better to help them than the experienced teenage ghost whisperer- investigator and her friends?

Buy Links:


Order Second Death on iTunes: https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/id918342752

About the Author:


Gwen Gardner is a native Californian living in sunny San Diego, where her love of reading and writing led to a BA in English literature. Life is now complete with her husband, two dogs and a daily call from her daughter.

Since ghosts feature prominently in her young adult Indigo Eady Paranormal “Cozy” Mystery series, she has a secret desire to meet one face to face - but will run screaming for the hills if she ever does. Gwen adores travel and experiencing the cultures and foods of different countries. She is always up for an adventure and anything involving chocolate - not necessarily in that order.

Connect with Gwen:




Thursday, September 18, 2014

30 Seconds by Chrys Fey

I'm excited to welcome Chrys Fey to the blog today and to shine the spotlight on 30 Seconds, her latest romantic suspense story. Congratulations to Chrys! 




Title: 30 Seconds
Authur: Chrys Fey
Genre: Romantic Suspense
Length: Novella (105 pages)
Format: eBook
Publisher: The Wild Rose Press
Published: September 10th, 2014

Tagline:
When a woman finds herself in the middle of a war between a police force and the Mob, 30 SECONDS is a long time.

Blurb:
When Officer Blake Herro agreed to go undercover in the Mob, he thought he understood the risks. But he's made mistakes and now an innocent woman has become their target. He's determined to protect her at all costs.

The Mob's death threat turns Dr. Dani Hart's life upside down, but there is one danger she doesn’t anticipate. As she's dodging bullets, she's falling in love with Blake. With danger all around them, will she and Blake survive and have a happy ending, or will the Mob make good on their threat?

Book Links:
Amazon US: 
The Wild Rose Press: 
Goodreads: 

Excerpt:
She panted with fear. What if they see the chest? What if we get caught? What if my breath stinks and I’m breathing right into Officer Hottie’s face? She shut her mouth and let oxygen flow through her nose.
Her eyesight slowly adjusted to the darkness and she could see Officer Herro’s silhouette. His head was turned and he was listening to the thuds of heavy boots getting louder; the intruders were coming their way.
Then the thunder of footsteps sounded right next to them. “There’s no one here, Red,” someone announced.
“Look for documents,” a man ordered, who Dani could only assume was Red. “I want the name of the person I’m going to kill.”
A moment later, there was a reply. “All the mail is addressed to a Dr. Hart.”
Hearing her name said aloud by one of the men who had ransacked her place made her want to gasp. Her mouth fell open and her breath was reversing into her lungs, but before she could make a sound, Officer Herro lowered his lips to hers, silencing her. Stunned, she could only lie beneath him with her eyes wide and her body tense. She couldn’t believe he was kissing her. She wanted to push him back, but knew if she did he might hit the inside of the chest, giving away their hiding place. That was when she realized he was kissing her so she wouldn’t gasp.
She let her body relax. After her initial shock faded, she was able to feel his lips. They were comforting and caused a reaction deep inside her. She couldn’t stop her lips from reacting to his. It was an innocent connection, a soft touch of lips. Until his hand slid from her shoulder to her neck and the kiss deepened into something else.

Bio:

Chrys Fey is a lover of rock music just like Dani Hart in 30 Seconds. Whenever she's writing at her desk, headphones are always emitting the sounds of her musical muses -especially that of her favorite band, 30 Seconds to Mars, the inspiration behind the title.
30 Seconds is her second eBook with The Wild Rose Press. Her debut, Hurricane Crimes, is also available on Amazon.

Discover her writing tips on her blog, and connect with her on Facebook. She loves to get to know her readers!

  
Author Links:

Bonus – Dani’s 7 Favorites:
1.     Ice Cream Flavor: Coffee
2.     Rock Band: Led Zeppelin
3.     Horror Movie: The Shining
4.     Form of Exercise:  Running
5.     Car: 1954 Cadillac Series 62 Convertible Coupe
6.     Television Show: Grey’s Anatomy
7.     Prized Possession: Her Photo Album


Tuesday, September 16, 2014

Secrets of Honor by Carol Kilgore

It's always a treat to welcome Carol Kilgore to my blog. Carol is one of the first bloggers I met out here in blogland and it's been a pleasure to be able to cheer her on as she puts out wonderful stories in her patented "crime fiction with a kiss" style. Carol is here today to talk about her latest, Secrets of Honor, as well as the contests she is running as part of its release.

Take it away, Carol! :)



Thanks so much, Julie, for hosting me today. I’m thrilled to be here to talk about my new novel, SECRETS OF HONOR.

My natural instinct is to see mystery and intrigue around every corner, under every shrub, in parking garages – and look at that strange man coming up the escalator!
See what I mean?

In SECRETS OF HONOR, I turned my imagination loose, watched it play, and wrote the story. It was such fun!

I started with the premise of a jewel thief, Kat Marengo, working for the U.S. Government. Far-fetched? Not so much in my world. See above J

For animal lovers like Julie, and I hope some of you, there’s even a brief appearance by a little poodle puppy named Dolly. Not much intrigue there, but a total dose of cute.

And then there’s Dave Krizak – he’s just plain intriguing without doing anything at all. But he does plenty.

Moving along, ahem. Husband says I can complicate the process of boiling water, so I got right to work complicating Kat’s life. Part of Kat’s job is stealing, but another part is looking for people trying to disguise themselves.

Kat doesn’t spot a spy at every gathering, but she’s always aware of anything out of the norm. My goal was to give her plenty of opportunities to notice things – even things I created. Like mic dots. And yes, you’ll need to read SECRETS OF HONOR to learn about these J

In addition to being able to spot attempts at disguise, Kat is adept at disguising herself. She uses this talent in a different part of her job, which is to assume the identities of others.

Is it any wonder that her title is Forward Solutions Specialist?

She gets the job done in any way she can.


CONTEST INFO

Monday through Friday this week, I’m visiting five different blogs to promote my just-released novel, SECRETS OF HONOR. You can visit my blog, http://www.underthetikihut.blogspot.com, to see where I am each day. On each blog, I’ll give away a $5 Amazon Gift Card.  Everyone who comments on my posts will be entered into a drawing for a $5 Amazon Gift Card for that blog. So there will be five separate contests, and it will be possible to win all five, for a total of $25. Although what are the odds of that? Don’t ask me – math isn’t my BFF!

Winners will be announced next Monday on my blog, and I’ll make an effort to contact the winners over the weekend prior to the announcement.


SECRETS OF HONOR

By the end of a long evening working as a special set of eyes for the presidential security detail, all Kat Marengo wants is to kick off her shoes and stash two not-really-stolen rings in a secure spot. Plus, maybe sleep with Dave Krizak. No, make that definitely sleep with Dave Krizak. The next morning, she wishes her new top priorities were so simple.

As an operative for a covert agency buried in the depths of the Department of Homeland Security, Kat is asked to participate in a matter of life or death—locate a kidnapped girl believed to be held in Corpus Christi, Texas. Since the person doing the asking is the wife of the president and the girl is the daughter of her dearest friend, it’s hard to say no.

Kat and Dave quickly learn the real stakes are higher than they or the first lady believed and will require more than any of them bargained for.

The kicker? They have twenty-four hours to find the girl—or the matter of life or death will become more than a possibility.


AUTHOR BIO

Although Carol has deep Texas roots, she’s lived up and down the eastern seaboard and in other locations across the U.S. as a Coast Guard wife. She sees mystery and subterfuge everywhere. And she’s a sucker for a good love story—especially one with humor and mystery. Crime Fiction with a Kiss gives her the latitude to mix and match throughout the broad mystery and romance genres. Having flexibility makes her heart happy. 

You can connect with Carol here:

Under the Tiki Hut blog:  http://www.underthetikihut.blogspot.com
Website with Monthly Contest: http://www.carolkilgore.net





Wednesday, September 10, 2014

The Rifters & The Turnagain Arm

I'm excited to be helping to spread the word today about the launch of The Rifters, the start of the new series by the super talented M. Pax. But first I wanted to share a bit of news of my own. I decided on a publication date for my Polar Night prequel The Turnagain Arm and will be releasing the novella on Kindle on October 6. My first foray into self-publishing!

Like Polar Night, the prequel takes place in Alaska and the title refers to a waterway near Anchorage called, appropriately enough, the Turnagain Arm. The story takes place in 1917 during the building of the Alaskan railroad.

The Turnagain Arm (source: Wikimedia Commons)

I am anxious to share more about the story as I get closer to the release and particularly excited to show off another amazing cover by the wonderful Michael Di Gesu. But for now I'm shining the spotlight on The Rifters!


Blurb:


The Gold Rush trickles to a fool’s quest and a string of stagecoach heists. In 1888, Earl Blacke decides to make a new start and become a better man. He escapes into the mountains, heading north. In the wilds of Oregon, a rift inside an ancient volcano opens and sends him into the future, into the present day. It also shaves forty years off his age, forty years to live over again and atone for what he’s done.

Starting over is hard to do. In current day New York, Daelin Long’s dream job at a publishing house goes the way of the dinosaurs her sister chases. With no money and nowhere else to go, Daelin accepts the librarian position in her sister’s dinky town in the middle of Oregon. Nestled inside ancient volcanic peaks, the town of Settler holds onto many secrets. Residents roam the streets with weirdly fashioned devices, and odd lights pulse in the night skies. People whisper of a phantom outlaw and start dying, murdered and missing their heads. On top of it all, Daelin’s sister is missing, and Daelin doesn’t know who to trust.

Earl knows more than he’s saying. He shares a notorious history with the phantom, one he’ll see remains buried. Keeping Daelin’s sister’s secrets is his only chance at redemption, and the only way to keep this world safe.


The Rifters is available at an introductory price. The second book in the series, The Initiate, will be available October 20, 2014. It’s up for preorder for a special price at iTunes, Amazon, and B&N. Check HERE for links. Giveaways and events are ongoing through October 31, 2014. Check HERE for details.




Excerpt:
A woman in a long flowered dress hurried forward carrying a paintbrush. “Hello, hello.” She waved. “Excuse the mess. I’m renovating… again.” She laughed with little snorts, stumbling in a little circle, defying her years. She couldn’t be younger than forty. “Inside joke, man, sorry. What groovieness can I help you find? I know where everything is.” She gestured at the piles of castoff merchandise strewn about.
If not for the goose bumps on her goose bumps, Daelin would have left. “A winter coat? Earl Blacke mentioned you might have some.”
“Oh man! What a tragedy about him, huh?” She wore her amber hair in two braids, tied with twine and decorated with plastic flowers.
Tragedy? What had happened to Earl? Daelin clutched at her knotting stomach. “What do you mean?”
“There was a murder last night. Umm, wow. Didn’t you hear?” She set the paintbrush down on a plate that had been used for the purpose before. Bracelets covered her arms, clinking with her simple movements.
“In Settler?” Violent crime wasn’t what Daelin expected to hear. She didn’t know what she had expected, but not murder.
The thrift store woman leaned in closer, whispering in a conspiratorial tone. “Yeah, they’re saying Earl Blacke killed Susan Leeds. Took her head plum off, man. Only thing is…,” she glanced at the shadows then wet her lips, “her head is missing.” The soft scent of melon accompanied her words.
Earl had murdered somebody? Daelin gulped, getting a lungful of paint fumes. Right, the paint. The fumes had to be messing with her mind. “Are you serious?”

BIO:


M. Pax is author of the space adventure series The Backworlds, plus other novels and short stories. Fantasy, science fiction, and the weird beckons  to her, and she blames Oregon, a source of endless inspiration. She docents at Pine Mountain Observatory in the summers as a star guide, has a cat with a crush on Mr. Spock, and is slightly obsessed with Jane Austen. Learn more at mpaxauthor.com.

Wednesday, September 3, 2014

IWSG, Big Thanks, & The Walking Dead


It's hard to believe it's time for another meeting of the IWSG, hosted by Alex J. Cavanaugh. I'm also amazed that this month is the three year anniversary of the group! It's been an amazing three years and I hope for many more. Visit here if you'd like to sign up and join us!

Before I get to my IWSG post I just want to say thank you to everyone who commented on my post last month about my mom and her cancer fight. I appreciate all of your kind words so much. August went by in a blur but we made it through the month and are feeling positive and optimistic, so here's hoping that continues. I really missed blogging and checking in with everyone out there so I am hoping to get back to the blog and other social media now that we've developed a routine here on the home front.

Which brings me to my topic for this month's meeting. Before I took the month of August off I barely blogged all summer and part of me is feeling insecure about getting back to it. I want to, but I feel like it gets harder and harder to think of anything to post about.

So I think I am going to go back to how I felt when I started this blog in the first place. At that time I didn't have any ideas about publishing or marketing or even novels. I just wanted to write about things that interested me or that I found fun. Now I want to figure out how to go back to that while also writing about my books and helping to promote other authors. The things that interested me then - animals, history, sports, tv - still interest me now, so you may see more posts here about animal rescue or tv shows or anything else that gets my attention. While I love to share about other authors and their books, as well as my own books, I want to mix that in with just writing about topics that interest me. We'll see how it goes!

Since I brought up tv shows, I can't resist sharing my latest obsession. I don't know why I waited so long to start watching The Walking Dead but now that I have (thank you Amazon Instant Video!) I can not stop. This show is incredible and so very addicting. I'm on the third season now and definitely want to be all caught up in time for the start of the new season in October.

I didn't need another show to be obsessed with but this has honestly been a godsend for me over the past month as it's been a fantastic way to get my mind off worrying about my mom. I love binge watching a great show and this definitely fits the bill.

Anyone else a fan of The Walking Dead? (I know you are, Madeline! :D)
How was your August? I am totally anxious for the fall and the end of the heat and humidity. Fall has always been my favorite time of year.

Looking forward to catching up with everyone! :)