Out of the Storm by Kevin Symmons - a Romantic suspense!

War hero Eric Montgomery returns from Iraq, hoping to revive his family's Cape Cod marina and marry his childhood sweetheart. When his wife and unborn child die in a tragic auto accident Eric's dreams are shattered. He spends long months grieving, losing himself in alcohol, isolation, and anger.

Then Ashley Fitzhugh, a young woman he's met only once, appears on his doorstep one stormy night. Eric is annoyed at first, but soon finds himself caring for his visitor and her young daughter--seeing in them a chance to rebuild the life he lost. When threatening phone calls, mysterious strangers, and covert agents invade their peaceful lives, Eric must decide: Is Ashley the answer to a prayer or part of the nightmare he can never escape?

Find Out of the Storm at Amazon and Goodreads

Kevin Symmons is a successful author, college faculty member, and president of one of the Northeast’s most respected writing organizations. His paranormal novel, Rite of Passage, was a 2013

RomCon Reader’s Crown Award finalist and has been an Amazon Best Seller. His latest release, Out of the Storm, a contemporary romantic thriller set on Cape Cod, is already gathering 5 star reviews and will keep you turning pages late into the night. His novel Solo, a sweeping women’s fiction work that exposes the tragedy of domestic violence in America, will be released from his award-winning publisher, the Wild Rose Press, in 2014. Kevin has collaborated with award-winning Boston screenwriter and playwright Barry Brodsky in adapting one of his story ideas for the screen. He is a sought after public speaker who has appeared across New England. Visit Kevin and like his FB Author Page, @KevinSymmons on Twitter, at Goodreads, Amazon, and at his website, www.ksymmons.com

See the trailer for Out of the Storm HERE!

The Witch's Thief is FREE on Kindle!

DECEMBER 21ST MARKS THE LAST DAY TO GET YOUR FREE COPY OF

THE WITCH'S THIEF BY TRICIA SCHNEIDER!

The Witch's Thief is being offered FREE on Kindle from December 17-21.

Hurry over and grab your copy!

Here's what Tricia has to say about her recent release:

 

My newest release, The Witch's Thief, is the third book in the Merriweather Witches series. These books are all set in Regency-era England and follow the lives and adventures of a group of siblings who happen to be witches. My books are paranormal romances with a hint of a gothic feel to them. Besides witches in this world there are vampires, werewolves and demons. And more to come in future books!

Here's a look at The Witch's Thief:

To save her sister’s life, Julia Grey seeks a spell hidden somewhere within Merriweather Manor. Her position as a lady's companion affords her the freedom to search the house. But time is running out. The necromancer she's bargained with is growing impatient. And an unexpected appearance of a man from her past makes matters worse in an already complicated situation.

Basil Merriweather returns to England after ten years abroad to discover his childhood sweetheart living in his home. But, he's no longer the carefree man of his youth and she's hiding something--deadly secrets Basil vows to uncover even as he hides a dark secret of his own.

While neither Basil nor Julia will trust in the other, their hearts speak a truer language.  In a grand attempt to save Julia's sister and Basil's life, the two must finally confess sinister truths. Will their admissions help or hinder any future they may have together? Or will the necromancer destroy all in a vile attempt at revenge.

Excerpt:

"What are you doing?" 

He ignored her frantic questioning. Instead, he blocked out the sound of her voice and raised his arms into the air at his sides, his fingers splayed out as he extended his senses to scan the area. His power eased out, like extensions of his fingertips, stretching into the corners of the room, seeking, searching for the source of the magic he sensed.

It was here...somewhere.

He had sensed it earlier on his arrival, but being that his aunt and siblings practiced magic on a regular basis he'd never given it a second thought.

This room, however, stank with it. He smelled the odor, something strangely like sulfur...

"A spell has been cast in this room," he muttered. A strange spell. Odd. A spell he'd never sensed before, something new. It felt off is some way he couldn't explain. Who would be working new magic of this kind in his home? And, in this room in particular. Aunt Petunia worked her spells in the privacy of her rooms upstairs, or sometimes in the gardens, but never in this room. And his siblings each, practiced in their own private settings, places where they could concentrate without the threat of being disturbed. A fairly difficult task with the number of people normally in residence at Merriweather Manor. 

He took a step closer to the center of the room where he sensed a surge of power. He shivered as coldness seeped into his skin. It wrapped around his arm, sinking into his flesh, right down to the bone. This was not right. 

The magic in his house was always full of warmth and gentleness. Goodness and love. This magic chilled him to the bone. His heart skipped a beat. There was fear, terror, pain. This spell was full of darkness.

About the author:

Tricia Schneider is a paranormal and gothic romance author. She worked as an Assistant Manager at a bookstore for several years. Now she writes full-time while raising her 3 young children in the coal region of Pennsylvania. For more information about her books visit:

Website: http://www.triciaschneider.com

Blog: http://www.shadowsofromance.blogspot.com
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/authortriciaschneider
Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/triciaschneider
Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/triciaschneider

To buy her books visit: The Wild Rose Press and Amazon

 

Shifting Your Paradigm -- The Facebook Launch Party

Ever since the success I've experienced during my recent Facebook launch parties, I've been inundated with questions from my fellow authors about how to design and host a successful event. This blog post is in response to those questions about what I did, how I designed my campaign and my suggestions on how you can *hopefully* achieve the same results. I do not guarantee that if you follow these steps, you're suddenly gonna become famous. I'm just all about paying it forward, so I thought to share what I've learned and how I plan to continue my campaign during the launch for books three and four in my series...and maybe five, depending on how this all goes. LOL 

 

Before I get started, though, I want to state right here and now that -- to me -- any Facebook party or promotional event you are considering hosting should be about one thing and one thing only. EXPOSURE. This event is not about garnering sales. It's about getting your name out there, gathering friends and making connections.

 

Personally, I think it's just sorta...I don't know...icky to request people go out and buy my book during a party. To put it into perspective, I look at it as people coming to my home. When they walk in the door as one of my guests, the first thing I say to them is:

What can I do for you? Are you happy to be here? Do you need anything? How can I make you comfortable?

I do not say, Oh, did you bring $5 for admission? Can you imagine? I'd be horrified.

 

Hosting a Facebook party should be handled the same way. These folks are your guests, not potential buyers of your work. You want to ensure they have a great time. You want them to tell all their friends about how awesome the party was and how they can't wait for the next event. There is a difference here that is important to understand and for you to emulate during the party. If you can't do this, then a Facebook party may not be for you. 

 

GETTING STARTED/THE RULES

Some important things you should know as it relates to Facebook and their rules during an event:

 

1. When you originally set up your page or event, Facebook asks that you post a disclaimer in the event description. They do not want to be held responsible for any comings and goings, giveaways, pictures, comments, etc. Mine reads:  Posting any comments or accepting the invitation to participate in this promotion is your acknowledgment that Facebook in no way sponsors, endorses or is administered by or associated with this promotion or AmyJo "AJ" Nuest, HarperImpulse UK or its subsidiaries.

 

2. I set my events up about a week to five days in advance and send out those invites right away. Each invite needs to be done individually, by clicking those names in your contacts/friends list. This does take some time but, for now, I believe it's the only way to get the job done. No blanket invites are allowed. You don't want to wait until the last minute to get this set up. You need time to build buzz and get everyone excited about the event.

 

3. Facebook frowns on anyone asking their guests to "do something" in exchange for being entered into a giveaway/contest. For example, you really shouldn't say, "If you do this, you will have a chance to win this." Facebook warns against such favoritism and may ban future parties if you do not comply with this rule. However, it is acceptable to "encourage" your guests to do something in exchange for being entered into a drawings. For example, I might say, It would be so awesome if you guys shared this post to your Facebook timelines. Comment in this thread and you could win a $5 Amazon gift card.

Please note I did not say, You must share this post to your timeline to be eligible to win the prize.

Honestly, most folks are happy to hit the share button and they know exactly what I'm asking for. However, if they don't share the post, but go ahead and comment in the thread anyway, their name is still entered into the drawing.

 

PARTY SET UP

Just like any real life event, there is prep time involved and it's important.

 

1. Before you even get started, my advice is to find someone who can help you with the event -- a trusted friend or writing partner who can dedicate the time to attending the party with you. At my last party, I actually had two co-hosts because I knew it was going to be insane and I would never be able to field all the comments. My writing partner, Arial Burnz, helped me keep track of the prizes and giveaways, and Wendy Jones, a dear friend and fellow author at HarperImpulse, was given the job of posting pictures of man candy. I know that might sound strange, but nothing attracts drop in visitors more than pictures of half-naked men. I'm not good at posting these. I blush profusely and can never come up with a clever quip to go along with the photo so I delegated this responsibility. And I have to tell you... When I started the party, I had about 100 people who agreed to attend. At the end, my invites list read 150 people had attended. I'm not sure if this was because of the pictures, the fun we had, the sharing of the links or what, but you can bet most women stuck around commenting on those men! (Note:  I made double-dog sure to send friend requests to those 50 folks I didn't know. Based on their comments, they'll remember me--or rather, the party--and hopefully attend the next time as well.) Just food for thought.

 

2. You need a theme. And it should be something fun, something that will connect readers to the book and get lots of buzz going. Again, THIS IS A PARTY! You want lots of comments. You want everyone to laugh and have a good time, right? You want to gear your theme toward the book without overtly doing so or giving away any spoilers. For my last party, I thought about my book and what element I could use that would reflect the plot. There is a pivotal fight scene between the hero and heroine, so I thought it might be fun to host a game of Versus. I showcased famous kick ass heroes from movies (James Bond, Indiana Jones, Neo from Matrix, Snake Plissken) and paired them with famous kick ass heroines (Uma Thurman from Kill Bill, Sigourney Weaver from Alien, Linda Hamilton from Terminator), and then asked guests to vote on which they thought would win in a fight.

 

It was hilarious. It was downright laugh out loud hilarious. What fun!!! Some threads had in excess of 35 comments! Each time I posted one of these ROUNDS I suggested the guest either share the post to their Facebook timeline or Click to Tweet. Remember, this event is about EXPOSURE, not sales. In exchange all commenters were entered into the drawing for a prize.

 

Okay...another important thing to keep in mind. Utilizing your guests enthusiasm is a great way to help spread the word about your party in a positive way. However, you also want to make it as simple as possible for them. And you don't want them to "leave" the party by asking them to go do something else -- like reading a review or going in search of an answer to a question from your book. (Note: If this is a launch party, chances are good 99% of the folks attending will not have read your story...yet.) Once people are there, you want to KEEP them there. LOL

 

So I asked myself this question... How could I utilize my guests participation to help me spread the word, without asking them to leave the party or making them work too hard?

 

I came up with two ideas. I asked them to either A.) share my Versus post on Facebook (could be to their timeline or any other Facebook loop they belonged to that allowed promo) OR B.) I gave them a link to "click to tweet." I love this application. It's super easy to use. You can set up all the tweets ahead of time, copy and paste the link to your post and all folks have to do is click the link and they're done. You can find Click to Tweet here: http://clicktotweet.com/home?clicktotweettabs=1

 

Now, again, I can't enforce this enough! THIS IS A PARTY! LOL I did not gear my posts and tweets to Buy my book! Buy my book! (Remember, exposure NOT sales.) Everything I asked my guests to share was about the party. I concentrated my efforts on getting people there to have fun, not selling my book. Here's a sample tweet I composed: 

 

Jason Stratham/Transporter vs. Sigourney Weaver/Alien Who wins? Maybe U! #Candra'sFreedom FB Party NOW! @AJNuest http://tinyurl.com/ngmo2hc

 

That being said, I ALSO designed a Twitter Campaign to run the same day as my release and those were the tweets I geared toward the release. I purposely kept the two separate. One for promoting the book, one for promoting the party. AHA!   

 

3. The budget. My advice is to set one up. The presents don't have to be expensive but, in my opinion, they are an important part of your event. I spent around $100 on my latest party -- which is my top end. This included swag (postcards I ordered from VistaPrint to send out with the gifts), the actual gift items, Amazon gift cards, books I'm giving away, etc. To me, the cost was completely worth it. My release was three days ago and I'm still getting tweeted. I'm also still getting comments at the party, believe it or not. It's sorta insane. I was followed by 100+ people on Twitter during the party and my Facebook friends list increased by 39. 

 

4. The schedule. In both of the parties I've hosted thus far, I set up my posts/giveaways so that they were twenty minutes apart. I did this for two reasons. First, so that there was always something streaming. Folks have a short attention span and want to be entertained at these things. Keep those posts coming. Twenty minutes seems to be the optimum space between posts, but maybe that's just me. Second, this allowed me just enough time to scroll through the comments quick and interact with a few folks before getting ready for the next post. I set most of the posts up ahead of time, searched out pictures and saved those to my desktop, etc. so I wouldn't have to spend a lot of time doing this during the party. All I had to do was copy and paste.

 

In between the posts about the party, I also interspersed other posts to thank some folks who had been instrumental in helping me with the event. For example, a reviewer at Love Reading Romance graciously read both of my stories and immediately posted her reviews. As a thank you to her, I asked folks at the party to like her Facebook page. Same with the folks who supplied my gifts. I asked the guests to like their Facebook pages and then offered up a small prize to the commenters. This is a great way to thank folks for their help. It gets exposure for their pages, lets them know you appreciate their efforts on your behalf, and boy howdy, you have earned a friend for life. Remember, EXPOSURE not sales. This event is about building relationships.

 

5. However long you decide to host your party (I suggest a minimum of four hours, though my last one went almost twelve by the time we got everything done), you need to reserve at least an hour at the end for posting the winners. Again, it is my opinion that you should do this the day of the party. Some folks were there all day and I think it's nice to let them know at the end what and if they won anything. I sorta see it as the least I can do for all their help and support, you know? You don't need to award everything that day, but announcing the winners is always fun and everyone gets all excited. It's a wonderful way to close out the event.

 

ADDITIONAL COMMENTS/SUGGESTIONS

 

1. Remember to be gracious and thank everyone. This sorta goes without saying, but if people are tweeting you during the event, go over to Twitter and either retweet, thank them with a return tweet, or hit "favorite" on the tweet. This let's them know you saw what they did and appreciate their efforts. Same with Facebook. If they share your post, go over and hit that like button on the post. Even though you are crazy busy, this let's them know you saw what they did and appreciate the help. Common courtesy.

 

2. Consider sending out ARCs of your book prior to the event and asking reviewers if they could post their review during the launch. Copy and paste the review into the party. Don't ask folks to leave and go read it. You worked your hiney off to get them there, keep them there.

 

3. Have a back up plan. It's always a good idea to have a Plan B. If, for some odd reason, your original theme doesn't take off or get the kind of participation you were hoping for, make sure you have something else you can post or talk about that is book related. My Plan B for this last party was the fighting style my heroine uses (Parkour). Thankfully, I didn't have to use it, but you'd better bet I had that subject ready to go in case the need arose. You don't want dead air.

 

4. It's my opinion that you should not leave your party. Call me crazy, but if you're going to take a break and leave for an hour to eat lunch or call your husband (no offense, Scott) why would your guests stay? Again, THIS IS A PARTY! Would you leave your house when it's full of guests? I wouldn't. For you to do so during a party, in my opinion, is bad form. And the momentum is completely lost. I've seen it time and again and it always makes me shake my head but, again, that's just my opinion.

 

5. Bring your A Game.You need to give all those in your surrounding vicinity fair warning that this is a day you are working and will not be available to make sandwiches, do laundry, answer the phone, cart them to basketball practice, pick out a splinter or clean up the cat puke. Your concentration belongs at the party, not anywhere else. Thank the nine goddesses, I have a husband who thoroughly supports and appreciates all the work that goes into these parties. You may want to consider arranging something if you have small ones that will need your attention. Just my advice.

 

I think that's it. If you have any questions, please feel free to leave me a comment. I'm sure there's something I missed...

 

Hugs!

AJ 

 

Candra's Freedom, Book Two in The Golden Key Chronicles!



Click to purchase!

RELEASE ANNOUNCEMENT!

Candra's Freedom, Book II

The Golden Key Chronicles

Available NOW on Amazon

 

The key would unlock his future,

and the safety of his kingdom,

but he never imagined the sorceress

would unlock his heart...

 

Lost in a world she doesn't recognize, Rowena struggles to find her place. Yet her abilities with a blade and the loyalty of a fierce falcon don't discourage the heated advances of the handsome Prince Caedmon, and the connection between them seems much deeper than her troubled heart can recall.

If you are still in love with the Disney princes of your youth, and wish one would show up in your bedroom late at night, then you will love this breathtaking fantasy romance series from AJ Nuest!

~ * ~

 
Water rained down his body. His sodden shirt clung to each sharply defined muscle in his chest, his leather pants glued to the contours of his rigid thighs. Her heart tripped a beat at the magnitude of sheer, gritty determination forged in the scowl on his brow.

Prince Caedmon was a man on a mission. That was a nice idea for a change.

He finally made landfall, fisted his hands and increased his pace. A few trumpeters blew a half-hearted attempt at announcing his arrival, but their notes blurted like a fat man’s flatulence and faded listlessly in the air. Some people knelt, others remained standing, and several bobbed like apples in a rain barrel, unsure which action to take.

Another victory at denouncing their absurd rituals. Rowena chuckled under her breath. Bravo, sir. Well done.

He locked onto her and she grinned, even when his penetrating stare pierced her like an arrow and he clenched his scruffy jaw. The real icing on the cake would be if he ignored his father. But no, that would never happen. Even as the thought occurred, Prince Caedmon strode straight for King Austiere’s open arms.

Except…wait a second. He wasn’t heading for his father. He marched straight for her.

Oh no…

All the amusement fled her body. She glanced left, then right before meeting his formidable gaze a second time. Of course. Distracted by his gallant swim to shore, she’d forgotten. His dismissal of the pageantry didn’t have anything to do with defiance. He thought them still engaged.

She withdrew a step, but her shoulder blades bounced off the front of Marcelene's ample bosom. Dammit! Pressed inside the crowd, no other escape route was available. And time was quickly running out. Her pulse leapt and her fingertips tingled as if she'd touched Fandorn's lightning catcher. She couldn't seem to draw any air. Great tits above, what was the man planning to do?

~ * ~

 

Praise for Rowena's Key,

Book I in The Golden Key Chronicles

 

Love Reading Romance calls Rowena's Key "an enchanting fairy tale for adults!"
Cosmochicklitan says Rowena's Key is a "must read!"

 

The author slowly leads Rowena and Caedmon into love, so slowly and sweetly it's romantic and classic...and breathtaking. I cannot wait for the second installment of this series. 5 Stars

It was like watching a Cinderella story come to life. Or living one. 5 Stars

Like the best fairy tales, Rowena’s Key captures the imagination and the heart with a bonus undercurrent of spicy romance. 5 Stars

With all the components of a star crossed lovers story, Rowena's Key is a genuine Romance. A.J. Nuest pulls the reader into fantasy alongside Rowena with a realness that will have you hopeful, teary eyed and longing for the next installment. 5 Stars

You need to realize this is a novella, because you will get to the end of this story and be desperate for more. Thankfully, HarperImpulse is releasing each novella in this series in month by month installments, so we don’t have long to wait for the next development of Rowena and Caedmon’s fantasy romance. 5 Stars

The Golden Key Chronicles Release Schedule:
Rowena’s Key:  November 7, 2013
Candra’s Freedom: December 12, 2013
Caedmon’s Curse: January 9, 2014
Braedric’s Bane: February 13, 2014

AJ is a multi-published, award-winning author who lives in the middle of a cornfield in NW Indiana. Her loving husband, two beautiful children and a bevy of spoiled pets have agreed to stay and, in exchange for three rations per day and laundry service, tolerate her lunacy. While she spends most days happily ensconced in crafting romance across a multitude of genres, an underground coup has been percolating. The dogs just informed her the cat is secretly vying for dictatorship.

 

Website:  http://ajnuest.com

Blog:  http://ajbooks.blogspot.com
Email:  ajnuest@yahoo.com
FaceBook Page:  https://www.facebook.com/amyjo.nuest
Author FB Page:  https://www.facebook.com/amyjo.nuest#!/pages/Tattered-Pages/259835887466
Twitter:  @AJNuest

I a very lucky girl today because I get to host one of the most talented writers I know, talking about one of her most favorite topics! If you haven't had the pleasure of meeting Vonnie Davis or, heaven forbid, read her work, I'm gonna come right out and peer pressure you (like the of kind peer pressure your mother always warned you about) to read her recently released Santa Wore Leathers! I promise you will be a fan of Vonnie's work before you get to "the end"! Don't believe me? Keep reading and be sure to check out the excerpt below!

~ * ~

I’m so thrilled to be on your blog today to talk about a subject I adore: Men. I don’t care if they’re wearing suits, a tuxedo, flannel and jeans, a uniform or next to nothing. There’s nothing like a well-muscled man, well, except for maybe a group of well-muscled men like the firemen at a certain station in Clearwater, Florida.

These men are the focus of my next couple stories for HarperImpulse, beginning with my Christmas novella, Santa Wore Leathers. The hero in this story is Dan “Wolf” Wolford, an ex-SEAL who serves double duty at the fire station as both fireman and head of the Marine Rescue Unit.

Wolf recently moved into a townhouse on Seashell Lane. His first morning there, he’s captivated by his next-door neighbor, Becca, playing in her backyard with her German shepherd. Over the next few days, Wolf unwittingly attracts her attention too. So much so that she makes him the new topic of her blog.

There’s only one thing on Becca Sinclair’s Christmas list this holiday season – her very own column in the local paper. And if she can build a huge blog following, her wish just might come true.

Enter Dan “Wolf” Wolford aka the man-whore next door and the new star of Becca’s popular, post-divorce blog about men. A Navy SEAL turned commander of the Florida Marine Rescue Unit, Wolf’s the very definition of the word alpha – and with an endless rotation of women on his doorstep, this hunk on a Harley has Becca and her female followers all hot and bothered!

All Becca wants for Christmas is her newspaper column, right? But when she finds herself the target of Wolf’s irresistible attentions, her snarky comebacks become less and less convincing and, suddenly, she’s not so sure anymore…

~ * ~

 

Wolf strode to her townhouse, rang the doorbell and waited.

Finally, her door opened, and he was greeted with a scowl.

“What?” She tugged the lapels of her short white silky robe together.

“I…ah…” His gaze snagged on all those ample curves showcased by the slinky material. I…ah…”

“You said that already.” She fisted a hand on her hip.

Einstein cannonballed around Becca with something red clamped in his jaws. He streaked across the grass, his strong muscles propelling him as he circled both of their yards.

“Get back in here!” Becca pointed into her house.

Einstein loped across the grass and shrubbery, ignoring his owner’s command.

Maybe if he acted the hero and returned the pet to its owner, he’d gain a few brownie points. “Stay here. I’ll get him.” Wolf took off after the dog. Seeing he was being chased only made Einstein run faster. Wolf followed him twice around the yard in front of Becca’s house. The dog leapt over a flowerbed and stopped, his head lowered, shaking his prize, his hind end elevated, wiggling in excitement.

“Give me that.” Wolf stepped to the right around the flowerbed. The dog trotted to the left. In a quick move, he sprinted to the left and the dog dashed to the right. “Think you’re smart, don’t you?” He could have sworn the dog smiled. Wolf leapt across the blooms, hoping to grab the smartass canine. Once he’d grabbed the collar, they rolled, and Einstein yelped. Wolf grimaced as he, too, rolled across a low-growing cactus and into the trunk of a palm tree. “Dammit.”

The dog whined and dropped the fabric to lick and bite at the prickly thorns in his groin.

“Easy now, Einstein.” Wolf cooed as he slipped his Swiss army knife from the front pocket of his jeans.

“What’s wrong? What’s going on? What are you doing with that knife?” Becca tugged on the hem of her short robe and glanced up and down the street as if she thought to run out into the yard.

“Stay where you are. He’ll be fine. He’s got some thorns in his hide.” Wolf removed the tweezers stored in a slot of the knife and began extracting the offending needles. “We can’t have an awesome fella like you in pain now, can we?” He worked as quickly as he could. “One more, big guy, and then you’ll be fine.” The dog licked him several times. “Yeah, I like you too. Let’s keep what I’m about to do just between us, shall we?” He ran his fingers over the affected groin area, keeping his attentions on the dog’s reactions. “Looks like we got them all.”

“What in blue blazes are you doing to that dog? Are you performing some kind of ‘beasty-wildy’ on him?” Mrs. Minelli, his neighbor, punctured the air with her cane, her white eyebrows arched in question.

He fought the urge to laugh. “No, Mrs. Minelli. I was taking out thorns.”

She cocked her head to the side, her cataract-clouded eyes widened. “In his penis?”

I told you that excerpt was awesome! Here's where you can get your very own copy of Santa Wore Leathers!

BUY LINKS:

AMAZON ~ http://bit.ly/SantaLeathers

BARNES & NOBLE ~  http://bit.ly/1846Aau

Please visit Vonnie at her blog: http://www.vintagevonnie.blogspot.com

Or follow her on Facebook: Vonnie Davis.

She tweets under VonnieWrites, if you care to follow her in the twitterverse.

THANKS FOR VISITING! AND MAY YOU FIND YOUR VERY OWN WOLF UNDER THE CHRISTMAS TREE THIS YEAR!

XO AJ XO

12 Days of Christmas with Jane Lark!

Welcome to the 12 Days of Christmas Tour with Jane Lark.

After signing with publisher Harper Impulse, Jane, author of the smash-hit Marlow Intrigues series, has decided to end 2013 with a bang! She’s gathered together some of the industry’s best authors to create one enormous Christmas giveaway.

The huge prize is made up of more than 30 books, a combination of signed paperbacks and eBooks, and two gorgeous book bags. It’s the perfect early Christmas present for any bookworm and all you’ve got to do to win is feast your eyes on the details below and enter via the Rafflecopter . . .

To kick off the prizes, Jane is giving away copies of her much loved The Illicit Love of a Courtesan and its highly anticipated follow-up The Passionate Love of a Rake

 

Jane's books have been a huge hit with fans, leading to an ever-increasing fan base and comments such as:

"Jane Lark has an amazing talent to draw the reader in from the first page onwards."

- CosmoChickLitan

And to celebrate her upcoming December release of NA novel I Found You, you could also win a unique rucksack.

The book is already causing excitement among readers and looks set to be the must-read NA of 2014.

 

 

But that's not all folks! As if Jane's books weren't enough, check out the other amazing books included in the prize pot, you're sure to find one or two of your fav authors getting involved . . .

 

   

Entry to Jane Lark's 12 Days of Christmas giveaway extravaganza is easy, just follow the authors on Facebook or Twitter, plus maybe give the comp a shout-out tweet (or two) all via the Rafflecopter below and you're golden. But don't forget to keep your fingers crossed too!

  a Rafflecopter giveaway

 

Please take a moment to read through the giveaway terms and conditions:

This is an international giveaway.

Signed paperbacks are to be sent from the authors themselves. Jane Lark, BestChickLit and/or any authors involved accept no responsibility for delivery failures. The winner must be open to accepting eBooks in any format i.e. Kindle copies and via iTunes voucher, from different sources. In the event of .mobi copies, the winner must have an Amazon Kindle account and be prepared to add selected addresses as approved emails on their Personal Document settings.

Some of the books involved in the giveaway contain adult and sexual content and this should be taken into consideration before reading. Jane Lark, BestChickLit, Harper Impulse and any of the participating authors are free to amend any of the giveaway details at any time.

Good luck!

Tattered Pages Welcomes Learning to Fly by Melissa Snark!

I'm thrilled to have Melissa Snark here today with her latest release Learning to Fly! Whoo Hoo! Check this cover (loving it!) and be sure to read the excerpt!

Learning to Fly by Melissa Snark

Genre:  Erotic Suspense
Published:  September 7, 2012
Publisher:  The Wild Rose Press
ISBN:   978-1-61217-595-9
Amazon ASBN:   B0099AIEIW

Cassandra Claeys is a bohemian artist with a passion for shoes and architecture. Her past wasn't pretty and she's got the scars to prove it, but she's determined to live and love again and she's hoping her newest client is just the man for the job. But the crazed serial killer that once held her captive escapes from prison, willing to kill again to make his maniacal fantasies come true.

Architect Kyle McCloud hires the fiery redhead to illustrate his latest project, never dreaming that she would bring passion and danger to his door. Cassie is easily spooked and as flighty as one of his injured birds, but he's willing to work overtime to make her soar for him alone.

“I can take you.”

Her front teeth sank into her lower lip and her green eyes widened. “Oh no. I mean—no thank you. I’d like to go alone.”

His brow rose; suspicion glimmered in his eyes. Too late, she realized how her response must seem both rude and inappropriate. She needed to buy enough clothes to last through her stay and wanted to do so without drawing undo attention to her predicament.

She turned red. “It’s just—I’m going to be a while. I have a lot to do.”

His lips curved up in a bland smile. “I only thought you might appreciate a ride, Ms. Claeys, since you don’t have a car.”

Crap. He had her.

She swallowed and quelled the urge to apologize. She doubted her attractive employer heard the word “no” very often. She sensed he wasn’t trying to gaslight her on purpose. However, he made her nervous, and as her boss, he had power over her. If he changed his mind about having her here and told her to leave, then she had nowhere else to go. She didn’t like it at all.

“Thank you, Mr. McCleod. That’s a very thoughtful offer, but I’d hate to take up your entire day with trivial errands. Perhaps someone could drop me in town?”

 He gulped the rest of his orange juice and set down the glass, regarding her with unblinking brown eyes. “I appreciate your concern for my time, but I don’t mind at all.”

Approaching the table, the housekeeper stopped and surveyed them, curiosity written all over her face. Cassie felt Shelly’s eyes on her face and she avoided eye contact, well aware of how her expression gave everything away. She sucked in a deep breath and tried to quell her rising panic. The last thing she needed was to make a scene, but thanks to Kyle’s stubborn determination to have his way, they were well on the way.

She forced a smile. Time to resort to scare tactics. “I’m going shopping.” She paused and lingered on the S word, allowing the implication to sink in. “I’ll be trying on clothes and shoes. I love shoes. I’m going to be a long time. Hours, I imagine.”

Kyle licked his lips and Cassie stared at the tip of his tongue as it emerged past his teeth. Her cards were on the table. If he refused to back off, then she resolved to drag him through every store in the entire town, especially the embarrassing ones full of frilly things.

“No problem, I’m not in a hurry,” he said.

Cassie flushed. All too aware of Shelly’s amusement, she made one final try. “That’s funny. Most men I know hate shopping. You’re an unusual man, Mr. McCleod.”

He smiled and replied, quick and glib. “I assure you, I love to shop, Ms. Claeys.”

Shelly chortled hard enough to knock her off her feet. Startled, they turned toward the housekeeper who pressed one hand to her side and grasped a chair back with the other for support. “Good Lordy, Kyle! My boy!” Shelly wiped tears from her cheeks with her apron. “That’s the biggest lie I’ve heard pass your lips since you were twelve ‘n claimed a lumberjack put that pick axe through the dining room table!”

Kyle’s ears turned red and his lips compressed. Cassie hid a smile behind her hand. Thank goodness for Shelly Arthur.

“God should strike you down in your tracks. You’re a terrible liar.” Shelly lectured with a wagging finger.

Buy links:

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The Wild Rose Press

Melissa Snark is an erotic romance and paranormal fantasy novelist. She lives in Northern California with her husband, three children and a glaring of domestic house cats.

Where to find Melissa Snark on the Internet:
Website
Blog
Email:  melissasnark at gmail.com
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Cover Reveal: LIFE AFTER DEATH by Sharon Saracino

I'm thrilled to be among the first lucky bloggers who get to show the amazing cover for Life After Death by Sharon Saracino to the world! PA-DOW! Soak up some of this gorgeousness! Thank you, Sharon, for giving me this honor. I love, love, love this cover!! See below for the blurb and details!

Genre: Paranormal/Fantasy
Publisher: Whiskey Creek Press
Release Date: January 2014

LIFE AFTER DEATH

After artfully arbitrating her return from the dead, Max Logan considers her experience with the afterlife a thing of the past. But Max’s success as a temporary Superintendent of Spiritual Impediment was no accident as she discovers when the permanent SSI shows up in the middle of the night to reveal that Max has a genetic predisposition to a supernatural calling. When Max’s ex-husband and current boyfriend, Roger-the-Proctologist is lost in a plane crash due to an inept Reaper gone rogue, Max has no choice but to venture back into the sweet hereafter in an attempt to rescue him. Throw in a freak blizzard, a hot Grim Reaper, and the last person on Earth Max would choose to save, and Max will be lucky to escape before her time runs out and she becomes a permanent resident of the Between.

Sharon Saracino resides in the anthracite coal country of Pennsylvania with her long suffering husband, funny and talented son, and two insane dogs. When she is not reading, writing, or enjoying photography and genealogy, she brews limoncello, dreams of living in Italy and works as a Certified Registered Rehabilitation Nurse.

All roads lead to happily ever after, some just have a few unexpected turns!

WEBSITE   FACEBOOK   GOODREADS   TWITTER

 

The Hopeless Blog Tour is HERE with a GIVEAWAY!!!

On her seventeenth birthday, Jade is filled with hope for the future. She and her boyfriend Pen are in love, she is finishing her final year of high school, and she is finally safe from the Fallen, who wanted her blood to fulfill an age-old prophesy. Pen is not as comfortable with the truce they made to protect her, so he makes a new deal with the Arches and leaves Jade alone.

 

But not for long.

 

A new Guardian is assigned to protect Jade. Blake is rude and offensive, his methods unconventional. Because of his dedication to her she trusts him with her life. Best of all, he knows about the Surge—her telekinetic ability—and is eager to teach her how to control her power. With Blake’s help, Jade learns she can defend herself, with or without the Arches protection, against the evil forces that want her blood.

 

Then . . . Pen comes back.

 

He doesn’t like the idea of someone else looking out for Jade, but an army of evil is on its way to destroy her, and Jade needs all the help she can get.

~ * ~

  

     Tap.

The subtle noise woke me out of deep sleep. I stared into the darkness of my bedroom and waited. After a few minutes I heard it again.

Tap. Tap.

Something was scraping my window. The Santa Ana winds were always heavy this time of year, but the sounds it caused never bothered me before. This was different. Keeping my eyes on the window, I slid out of bed and dug the Louisville slugger out from behind my nightstand. I gripped it hard and tiptoed to the source of the noise.

Tap. Tap.

It wasn’t getting louder, but I knew without a doubt something, or someone, was outside my window. I approached with caution, ready to start swinging. Then something caught my eye. It was a leaf. I tilted my head to get a better angle, and the rest of the twig took form.

Breathing a heavy sigh, I tossed the bat onto my bed and put my head in my hands. My dreams had been so restless lately. I was starting to hallucinate. I laughed at my paranoia and opened the window to retrieve the stray twig.

The moon was an amazing presence in the clear sky. Summer was ending, signaling the beginning of cooler nights in the Southern California desert. I sucked in the clean air and let it fill my lungs. I loved this time of the year, when most of the smog was chased away by gale-force winds. Leaning out the window I watched the leaves dance on the Mulberry tree. A pair of glowing eyes glared back at me from deep within the branches.

I leapt back. Remembering the open window, I made a grab for the sill to slam it shut. I wasn’t quick enough. The eyes grew a body and pounced. I screamed until I heard footsteps in the hallway. Gary reached into the room and flicked on the switch, filling the room with a light that caused me to wince.

When my eyes adjusted to the room, I noticed several things at once. Gary was standing in my doorway, his Chargers pants and white t-shirt vibrating as he fought to catch his breath. In his left hand was a nine iron. The intruder was unmistakably male. Despite the ski mask, his muscular figure was well defined by a too-small black t-shirt. Both men ignored me as they stared each other down from separate ends of my room.

“Jade had a nightmare. You came to check on her. She was fine. You went back to bed.” The guy’s voice lilted with an accent I didn’t recognize.

The golf club fell out of Gary’s hand and hit the floor. I was having an out-of-body experience. There was no way Gary would fall for this guy’s impression of the Jedi mind-trick. But even as I thought it, he turned on his heel and scuffled back to his room at the end of the hall. I began to panic, the giggling bubbling up from my gut making my breath choppy. If my Surge was ever going to cooperate, this would be the time.

Holding my breath, I closed my eyes and focused on the center of my gut where the Surge originated. Nothing happened. It didn’t make sense; if I lost control when I was upset, then I should’ve been blowing the doors off the hinges. But I didn’t, I just stood there stunned as a feeling of dread washed over me. Behind my eyelids I saw Pen, his beautiful face staring back at me with adoration. He would never know how much I loved him. I was going to die and I was all alone. I opened my eyes with a determination to face my death. The intruder hadn’t moved except to turn his head.

The floor creaked as he shifted his weight and ambled toward me. He reached up and tore off the mask, revealing spiky black hair. His smile was cocky, as if he was proud of himself for being so clever.

Suddenly a pair of arms wrapped around me from behind. I blinked up into the intruder’s eyes, and in the next moment he was gone. I was somewhere else. It was dark, but I could smell pine needles and hear branches crackle as the wind blew through them high above me. I was almost certain I was in the mountains somewhere, but it was too dark to tell. Whoever had brought me here still held me tightly.

Pen.

I spun around to throw my arms around him. He’d come back! Somehow I knew he wasn’t gone for good. He wouldn’t just leave me forever. Not after what we’d been through. But instead I was faced with dark eyes the color of onyx. A stranger, not Pen, had saved me from the supernatural being. I should’ve been grateful. Maybe shook his hand and exchanged emails. He seemed nice enough as he stared back at me with his head tilted in that way Pen did when he was trying to feel my thoughts.

All of these reactions would have been a normal way to react to someone who had just saved your life. I, however, was not a normal girl.

“Who the hell are you?”

FIND HOPELESS ON THE WEB AT:

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Keri Neal designs book covers. Flightless is her fourth published book. She lives near Austin, Texas with her husband, two children, two hamsters and a snake. She crochets, sews, reads, paints and loves all things artsy & craftsy.    

Contact info

Blog: writingas.kerineal.com

Cover Artist: bookcoversby.kerineal.com

Twitter: @authorkerineal

Facebook: facebook.com/authorkerineal

Instagram: @kerineal

Snail Mail: PO Box 453, Cedar Park, TX 78613
 

Available at http://kerineal.com/author/books/hopeless

Genre: Young Adult Paranormal Romance

Release date: November 1, 2013

ISBN: 1492272221

ISBN13: 978-1492272229

 

HERE'S WHAT YOU CAN WIN!

 

http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/share-code/ZjQ4ZjgzMzU3NGY2ZTIyODFlOTBjNTY0ODRjOGY4OjI=/