Sarah Aisling
Blog Stop and Giveaway: Éire’s Captive Moon by Sandi Layne
Today I’m very excited to share author Sandi Layne’s new release Éire’s Captive Moon. Sandi Layne is no stranger to publishing novels; she’s self-published many stories. This is her first title released by TWCS Publishing House. When the opportunity came up to read an ARC of Éire’s Captive Moon, I jumped at it. You can read my review here.
I had the opportunity to interview Sandi Layne and pick her brain a bit. Sit back, enjoy the interview, and get ready for an exciting adventure!
I’m giving away a copy of this exciting new book!
Want to win an ebook copy? Leave a comment on this post or Tweet about it! If you are a new or existing subscriber to my site, you get an extra entry. Winner to be announced early next week. Good luck!
To start things off, tell us a little bit about who Sandi is—outside of the typical bio details.
Well, according to the MBTI (Myers-Briggs Type Indicator), I’m an INTJ. Meaning I’m an introvert. I’m just not necessarily the kind of person you would immediately peg as being an introvert, because I am lots of fun at parties. But I’m…not inclined to go to them. I’m a fantastic public speaker, though, and do really well in front of an audience. Go figure.
How did the idea for Éire’s Captive Moon evolve?
Well, when I first began writing, I had just read Thomas Cahill’s How the Irish Saved Civilization. Loved that book. I thought I could perhaps create a romance between a man who was a manuscript illuminator, as I read about in Cahill’s book, and a druidic woman of some sort.
After due thought and planning and even prayer I abandoned the druidic plot line and focused on my hero and realized I needed a conflict for him beyond the romance. Well, the Vikings seemed like the most likely, but they came centuries after my budding storyline would have happened so… I had to rework a few things. But since I really wanted Charis to be an herbalist without any faith in the supernatural (though she is of that realm herself) I decided that her village would be remote and rather out of the general stream of the social structure of Éire at that time.
Then, it was just a matter of making a timeline with the Viking invaders and slipping in my story ideas into what history showed me had happened.
Éire’s Captive Moon was originally self-published as Captive Irish Moon. How do the two books differ? Are the endings the same, and did you always intend for this to be a trilogy or were adjustments made to allow for the continuation?
Great question! The books are, in essence, the same save for a prologue being added to ECM. This prologue is reworked from my award winning short story “Turn of the Wheel” which I wrote in 2003 – before I completed CIM. ECM has had the pleasure of being polished by a team of editors, which is lovely. They suggested some slight changes to some names as well as to further illustrate a character. It was very subtle, I think. The ends to both these novels are the same, however. In my mind, back when Charis started becoming who she is in this series? This story arc was something I wanted to write. I was satisfied, though, that CIM ended in a satisfactory manner for a stand-alone as well. I would guess it has, for years. 🙂 The adjustments made for the continuation have largely to do with how one of the key characters is presented in just a few scenes. I think it’s worked out well.
Your descriptions are very rich and poignant. While reading, it’s easy to become lost in your words and feel as if I’m right there. Tell us a bit about the extensive research you must have put in to lend such an authentic “ring” to the story.
Thank you for your kind words. I did indeed work hard to give sensory depth to my story. First thing to know is that ancient civilizations have long been a hobby of mine. I have loved reading about how the world was a thousand-plus years ago since I was in my teens, at the least. The mores of ancient people, their landscape, their warfare — all of it has long fascinated me. Coming to write about these particular places, I used information that was a part of my knowledge-set and added to it extensive investigations into the early Viking raids, Irish poetry of the era, and towns where artifacts have been found so I could see what the people saw then, to the best of my ability.
I also looked up a great deal of vocabulary. *laughing* I love languages and getting the words “right” was hugely important to me. It still is.
Are there any images you used for inspiration when writing Éire’s Captive Moon?
When I wrote this story originally? The only image I had was the one of Charis that had been done for me when that character was an herbalist in a Yahoo Group game back in the year 2000. The artist is Reneé Spahr and I have known her for many years. Otherwise, I really didn’t have a lot of visuals, aside from some old pictures of ruins in Ireland.
Without giving away the bigger story, of course, can you give readers a little taste of what’s coming over the course of the trilogy?
The Éire’s Viking Trilogy is meant to be a microcosm-view (of sorts) of the Viking incursions and settling into Ireland. Sounds horribly ambitious of me, but that’s what I had in mind. First, there was discovery and fighting. There was the time when the Vikings came to the Green Island, intending to bring their gods and customs, and instead married the local Irish girls and became Christians. Additionally, a Viking named Tuirgeis (or Thorgest or Turges…) set himself up as High King in Dublin before he was killed. (The histories do not agree entirely upon the manner of his death.) I will be touching on all of these aspects in the trilogy. Charis is a character in all three books, but as to her prominence, I will leave it to the reader to discover with each new one.
You’re a very busy woman. What advice can you offer other authors out there who struggle to fit writing in between all their other activities and obligations? What’s your writing process like and what do you require for your writing time to be productive?
First thing is to try not to be picky about how you write and your environment. If you’ve got children at home or a job (or both) and social obligations and are taking care of the house it is easy to throw up your hands and say, “I’m too busy! I’ll just wait until…” or to become increasingly frustrated with the way your world won’t accommodate your writing. Prioritize it for those closest to you. If your loved ones know it’s important, and they see that you make it so, they will be more willing to give you the odd moments in which to write.
For me, I find that I keep the stories in my head always cycling. I wrote the book that became ECM while I had two young children underfoot. I finished the novel literally just hours before my computer was packed up for a cross-country move. My younger son is autistic and was absolutely non-verbal at that time, and my older son was still of an age to need his mom. I would sit down at my computer and jot out a sentence at a time and then I had to get up and change a diaper or swap out laundry or whatever. There isn’t a magic wand you can wave to say, “Leave me alone!” You just have to carve out the time for yourself if writing matters that much to you.
To be productive? I give myself short spans of time and refuse to do anything else but type during that time. No research, no web-surfing, just writing. By short, I mean fifteen minutes to half an hour. Almost anyone can do that, if they focus tightly enough. You can write hundreds of words in such a span of time. Good words. They don’t have to be perfect, just good enough to get you through the scene. Give yourself a few of these every day and you can walk away with thousands of words, maybe, in a single day. That’s productivity. I do a lot of writing outside of these spans, understand, but when I find my stomach grinding in frustration at my lack? This is a good method for me.
You self-published quite a few novels before signing with TWCS Publishing House. How has your editing process changed and what do you see as the up and/or downsides to each path?
Well, my overall process hasn’t changed, to be honest. I am just now writing the sequel to ECM (due to finish up any day now, lol) and when it is done, I’ll do as I have done for many years: Read it, tweak it, print-copy-bind it, and send it off to a couple people I know who have an eye for detail who will mark me up unmercifully. ECM was actually read by twenty-odd pairs of eyes with the Writers’ Roundtable of Phoenix when it was in its first draft as CIM. The process was basically the same except that they got it chapter by chapter instead of all at once.
Upsides to self-publishing include the total control one has over one’s material. From character names (I can see my editors laughing at me, now) to the font used for the cover, it’s all on the author. It’s heady. It’s stressful. But in self-publishing, I can dictate when my book comes out and how much I’ll charge for it and where it will be sold. That’s very cool.
Upsides to working with a medium-sized house like TWCS? I love that they have a marketing division. I adore editing with the team. I am thrilled that they put together promotional materials for me like bookmarks and cards. They run on a schedule and I absolutely appreciate that for that means I can work within their frame and that makes me feel really good about my own timelines.
What’s ahead for you? Are there other books already planned beyond the trilogy?
Do you see me rubbing my hands together in glee? 🙂 TWCS has been kind enough to also give one of my contemporary inspirational romances a shot. An Unexpected Woman, also previously self-published, is due to come out this summer. It’s a short and sweet romance between two unique characters. I’m also plotting out a contemporary romance involving a serial killer. . . but as that’s not written, yet, I don’t have a timeframe for it.
As far as historical work? I do not have a continuing arc for Charis & Co. planned beyond this trilogy, but I will confess to you that back in the day I did see her story going on for about ten books, ending in the 19th Century. As to whether they’ll get written, I cannot say at this time. In other historical venues, I have begun research on an 18th Century Colonial America romance, in a time before the French and Indian War.
When it comes right down to it, I see stories everywhere. My imagination flies constantly. The question usually comes down to, “Can I see a book-length conflict for this notion or is it a flight of fancy?” If I can, I talk it out with myself, write a chapter or two and do some research. Then I let it simmer.
So. . .I’m simmering. 🙂
I’m simmering, too! After reading this incredible book, it will be a long wait for the next installment. I’d like to thank Sandi Layne for the terrific interview and TWCS Publishing House for providing the opportunity to read an ARC and participate in the blog tour!
Want to win an ebook copy? Leave a comment on this post or Tweet about it! If you are a new or existing subscriber to my site, you get an extra entry. Winner to be announced early next week. Good luck!
Éire’s Captive Moon, the first book of Sandi Layne’s Éire’s Viking Trilogy, brings you to the unsettled era of the early Viking raids along the coast of Éire – today’s Ireland.
A wounded refugee from the violent Viking raids on Éire’s coast is healed so well by Charis of Ragor that Agnarr captures the moon-pale woman for his own and takes her home to Nordweg to be his slave.
Also captured is Cowan, a warrior gifted with languages. He is drawn to the healer of Ragor and finds himself helpless before her. In more ways than one!
Through the winter, Charis plans a fitting vengenance upon her captor for the men he killed. She also prepares to return to Éire and the children she left behind.
But will her changing feelings interfere with these plans? When two men vie for her heart, will she give way before either – or both?
Having been a voracious reader all her life, Sandi never expected to want to write until the idea was presented in a backhanded manner. Once the notion occurred to her, though, she had to dive in the deep end (as is her wont) and began by writing historical fiction. She has since written more than twenty novels—most of which will never see the light of day.
Sandi has degrees in English and Ministry, has studied theology, spent years as an educator, has worked in escrow and sundry other careers, but research is her passion. She won an award for Celtic Fiction in 2003, but as well as history, she is also fascinated with contemporary research and has self-published several novels in the Inspirational Romance genre.
She has been married for twenty years to a man tolerant enough to let her go giddy when she discovers new words in Old Norse. Her two sons find her amusing and have enjoyed listening to her read aloud—especially when she uses funny voices. A woman of deep faith, she still finds a great deal to laugh at in the small moments of the everyday and hopes that she can help others find these moments, too.
Purchasing info:
Éire’s Captive Moon is available for pre-order on the TWCS site (link below) or iTunes. It will be available in paperback and ebook on Amazon, iTunes, B&N.com and TWCS site on January 10th.
Link to purchase book: http://ph.thewriterscoffeeshop.com/books/detail/80
Author Webpage: http://sandyquill.com/
Author Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Sandi-Layne-Author/115692828503745
Author Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/2264252.Sandi_Layne
Got a Secret . . .
Part three of my serial short story Got a Secret . . . Can You Keep it? is now up. You can read all available installments under the Short Stories tab.
I hope you and yours are having a joyous holiday season filled with love. With all the horrors going on in the world, be sure to hold those you love closer and let them know how much they mean to you.
Two new reviews
Two new reviews have been posted; click the book covers to read. Enjoy!
Sugarplum Dreams Blog Stop: Guest Post with Lisa Bilbrey
Today I have a guest post from author Lisa Bilbrey as part of the Sugarplum Dreams blog tour. Read about where she finds inspiration and enjoy an excerpt from Broken Roads and Dusty Dreams.
There are some intriguing stories in this collection. Sneak a peek at who the authors are and their story blurbs. Enjoy!
Inspiration
Several times, I’ve been asked where I get my inspiration for my books. It’s always such a hard question for me to answer. Why? Well, because sometimes I don’t know. Sometimes, it’s a dream that wakes me up in the middle of the night. Others, it’s a song that seeps into my soul, pulling at my tenderness inside of my heart. With Broken Hearts & Dusty Dreams, however, I had a simple picture.
Imagine a man walking down the beach. It’s cold, misty. The wind is blowing, causing the waves to crash onto the shore like a thousand thundering bulls. As he’s walking, he’s struggling to deal with the voices inside of his head: the memories of another life, the struggle to understand the feelings welling up inside of him. Just when he’s ready to crack, he spots her: a woman in a long white dress. Her hair would be whipping around her, she’d have her arms wrapped around her torso and even with the sound of the waves he’d be able to hear her sobbing. The sounds of her tears overwhelm him, nearly knocking him to his knees. He feels the urge to hold her, he feels compelled to make it better, yet he can’t.
Excerpt:
Before Riley could utter a sound, Duke pulled against Riley, and he lost his grip on his leash.
“Duke, stop!” Riley yelled, startling the woman. She scrambled to her feet just in time for Duke to leap into her, knocking her back onto the log.
Riley rushed over and grabbed the leash, pulling the large dog off of her. “Damn it, Duke!”
He knew Duke wouldn’t hurt her; he wasn’t a violent animal, but his size alone often caused people to shrink away from him. “Crap, I’m sorry about him. He’s not usually so aggressive. Are you okay?” Riley asked, wrapping Duke’s leash around his hand.
Using her forearm, the woman swept her hair out of her face and looked up at him. No matter how hard he tried, Riley couldn’t stifle the gasp that left his mouth. Dark, angry bruises covered her jaw, trailing down her neck to where a pair of handprints looked like they’d been tattooed onto her creamy skin. Similar purple and black markings littered her arms, leading down to her scraped knuckles. The woman’s lips were swollen, as was one of her eyes.
Even with discoloration of her skin, Riley knew who she was, having once seen those bloodshot eyes before. He heard himself calling out to her before he could stop himself. “Natalie?”
“Hey, Riley,” she responded, standing up.
That vision, that picture inside of my head, haunted me for days, weeks — months even. I felt the need to get their story out, to find out why Riley and Natalie needed me to give them a voice. And in the end, I felt myself pouring myself into them; their longing to know love, the need to find happiness.
Broken Hearts & Dusty Dreams was an emotional journey, demanding that I open myself up and put my soul into the story. I tried to do that, even though I resisted at first. It was terrifying having to delve into feelings that I hadn’t known I could feel, but in the end, I was happy with what I managed to come up with.
Do you have the shivers yet? I know I do!
About Sugarplum Dreams by Michele Richard, Lisa Bilbrey, M.E. Feeney, R. E. Hargrave
Broken Roads & Dusty Dreams
Riley Farris and Natalie Sloane were the best of friends who spent every summer together on the sandy beach of Mustang Island. Then, just when Riley’s getting set to spend another summer with Natalie, she disappears. As the years pass, he struggles to understand what happened to the girl he knew. Until, one night while walking on the beach, he stumbles upon a woman who is broken and lost.
Right Click, Love
Disheartened about not being able to find “Mr. Right” on the London dating scene, best friends Jodie Lynch and Louise Hewson create a blog to not only document their disastrous dates with the numerous “Mr. Wrongs” and “Mr. Okay-for-nows” but also to help those going through the same experiences and to see where they’re going wrong. How will they deal with everything the dating scene has to throw at them — planned or otherwise?
Sugar & Spice
Lacey Harrison has been dealt an unexpected hand in life: being a single mom. With her father’s help and that of the residents at Royal Hills Nursing Home, she thrives and goes on to become a successful baker. She is content with her life but knows that she and her daughter Candy are missing something. Will things change for the better when Trent Childress moves into town and adds some spice to her sugar?
The Roommates
Spring break changes everything for Daphne Hobbs. A one-night stand leaves her pregnant and alone. She soon discovers that the father is an identical twin, and she’s unsure of which one turned her world upside down. She’ll be forced to share her apartment with them until she can discover the truth. Julius and Jordan Sweet share everything in their lives — almost to the point of living one life. Will Daphne uncover who’s the daddy?
Author Bios
Lisa Bilbrey
Lisa Bilbrey is a mom of three and has been married to her high school sweetheart since 1996. Finding a love in the written word, she started writing as a way to express herself. From the first word she wrote, she’d found her heart and soul. Always willing to learn, she’s spends much of her time trying to improve as a storyteller. She’s been blessed to find Michele Richard and Laura Braley, both of whom she spends hours every day writing with.
Author Links
Author Blog * Goodreads * Facebook * Twitter
M.B Feeney
M. B. Feeney is an army brat who finally settled down in Birmingham, UK with her other half, 2 kids and a dog. She’s also a student teacher, a doodler and a chocoholic. Writing has been her one true love since she could spell, and publishing is the culmination of her hard work and ambition.
Author Links
Facebook * Author Blog * Goodreads * Twitter *
Michele Richard
Michele Richard lives in a suburb of Boston, Mass. She’s the mother of two pre-teen daughters and the wife.
Michele Richard has created the Mocked series. From Mocked by Destiny to the trilogy Mocked by Faith, she writes what comes from the heart. A wife and the mother of two preteen girls, she spends her days spinning tales about what happens when what you believe in mocks your every turn.
When she’s not writing, her days are filled with her family, her bunny Geneva, and friends. Her greatest passions are learning new languages and traveling. She currently resides in the Northeastern part of the United States however; her family members live down the east coast as far as North Carolina.
She’s currently learning French and Spanish, and one day hopes to be fluent in both. Learning new things is always something she enjoys.
Author Links
Facebook * Goodreads * Author Blog * Twitter *
R.E. Hargrave
R.E. Hargrave is a fledgling author who has always been a lover of books and now looks forward to the chance to give something back to the literary community. She lives on the outskirts of Dallas, TX with her husband and three children.
Author Links
Facebook * Author Website * Twitter * Goodreads *
Guest Post: ShockWaves by Suzanna Williams
Today I have a guest post by Suzanna Williams, author of ShockWaves. Read about her journey, take a look at her trailers, and stop by her website. Enjoy!
The story of ShockWaves: or how many times can you rewrite without going insane?
A big thank you to Sarah for letting me chat on her blog. I’m sooo excited that my YA action adventure went on sale today. Beneath the shiny cover lies five years of re-writes. Yep … five years of blood, tears and broken pencils.
ShockWaves has reinvented itself so many times, I think if someone suggests I need to change my hero into a fluffy pink rabbit from the planet Zog, I’ll be able to twist the story to make it fit. Why would I want to do that? Here’s a quick spin through the highs and lows of birthing my novel.
Pre-2007 I have more unfinished stories than I’d care to count. I’d start off enthusiastic but plan-less and write myself into a corner from which I couldn’t escape. So what happened in 2007? My dad died, necessitating a weekly six hour round trip until we got my mum settled. And on those trips I discovered my secret weapon; my husband is a master plotter. We beat out a plan that would get me to the end of my current story. Three months and 63,000 words later, I’d finished.
I was naively proud of that first draft. I sent it out to my list of agents straight away. Maybe it was the ‘Die Hard for kids’ analogy I used, but three agents ask to see the manuscript. I was ecstatic … until every one of them sent it back.
Should I cut my losses or keep on trying? I contacted Cornerstones Literary Agency for a professional opinion. My first report (after I’d pulled it, ripped and tear-stained, from the bin) listed every mistake in the ‘Writers Book of Deadly Sins’. I could change Points of View within a single sentence, did more ‘telling’ than ‘showing’ and when should you use ‘past’ or ‘passed’? Bring on the first rewrite.
After my second Cornerstones report and several more drafts, they began to promote ShockWaves for me. The first interested agent wanted some changes. She seemed to the story was about how Paige dealt with her grief over the death of her parents. I flirted with some changes for her but I’m not sure she was reading the same manuscript and we parted company pretty quickly.
Several more missed agents down the line, enter the agent who missed her bus-stop because she was reading the part where my hero saves my heroine from a sinking ferryboat. This agent wanted changes too (including cutting the ferryboat scene which she’d missed the stop for – can you figure that one?). She didn’t like my terrorist bad-guy so I wrote him out and introduced The Spectator, a psychopathic serial killer who liked to watch people die. There were three major rewrites taking over a year before this agent decided not to take on the story.
However, whilst she was making up her mind, I was gaining confidence. I was fed-up with changing things until they were exactly how someone else wanted only to find they didn’t want them anyhow. I researched indie authors, looking to take back control. If I couldn’t get a publisher, I would become one myself. I ditched The Spectator (he gave me the creeps) and rewrote the whole story (yes, again). I hired my own editor and proof-reader. My husband designed the cover and we shot the trailer. It’s been a lot of hard work and a lot of fun. Was it the right decision? Has the constant rewriting really driven me insane? We’ll have to wait and see.
Blurb from ShockWaves:
Lee Banner has one passion, parkour; one secret, he’s telepathic; and one problem, an ex-IRA terrorist, with a thirst for revenge, has kidnapped the girl of his dreams.
Sixteen year old Lee Banner thinks he’s a daydreamer. One minute he’s watching the football, the next he’s seeing a girl in a car crash. It’s so real he can feel her fear, hear her scream. But when he meets Paige Harper, the girl from the crash, and her parents have actually been killed in a hit-and-run accident, can it really be just his over-active imagination?
And then Paige is kidnapped. Will their special connection and Lee’s parkour be enough to save her?
ShockWaves is the first in a new fast-moving action-packed adventure trilogy.
Trailers:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t5jE_qiU_f0&feature=plcp
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yiqZCaWRnAc&feature=plcp
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uZO4WXLpl30&feature=plcp
Stalk Suzanna: www.suzannawilliams.com
ShockWaves on Amazon:
Guest Post: Their First Noelle by Cara Michaels
Today we have a guest post from talent, Cara Michaels. She knows how to spin a tale, as I can attest from her writings at the Daily Picspirations blog, and now she’s releasing her first title from Evernight Publishing! Enjoy the guest post and an intriguing excerpt from her story Their First Noelle.
Sex, Love, and Coffee: The Perfect Blend in ‘Their First Noelle’ by Cara Michaels
This Thursday (the 13th) sees the release of my new short story, Their First Noelle. A largely lighthearted sex romp (call a spade a spade), part of the story takes place in my lady MC’s favorite coffee shop, Heavenly Brew. Noelle Duncan, a retired North Pole elf, loves coffee (write what you know, they say). Her tale of lust, romance, and happily ever after even starts said coffee shop.
Coffee is a staple in many a writer’s diet. I barely know my name most mornings without it.
#6, baby. That’s my favorite number, too. Coincidence? Well… yeah. But, I’ll take it.
Fall and winter have to be the best times of the year for coffee fanatics. Pumpkin, gingerbread, cinnamon, peppermint, apple (True story… had a caramel apple coffee thing from Dunkin Donuts a couple years back. It was shockingly yummy and just the thing for a walk in wintery weather)… and that’s not even touching the creamers for home brews. This is the time of year when every coffee purveyor rolls out flavors to delight and perplex (Eggnog? You stay away from my coffee, mister.).
As a working writer (read: desperately underpaid), I don’t get to indulge often in the brewed delights available at any of the dozen Starbucks within 10 miles of my home (Seriously, people… The first step to recovery is admitting we have a problem.).
My solution to this is experimenting with my homebrews. If you’re like me and lurve the seasonal coffee fetish but lack the gold plated bills required to purchase one from your local coffee shop of choice, there are some things you can do at home to zest up your java fix.
There’s booze in this, right?
When you’re spooning the grounds of the gods into the filter, try adding some extras. 1 tsp of cinnamon for every ‘6’ cups on my coffee maker unleashes a cinnamon-flavored java bonanza. Powdered cocoa yields a homemade mocha. For your inner Peppermint Patty obsession, try some peppermint extract and cocoa.
Now. If your brain is ready to rock and roll, here’s an excerpt from Their First Noelle. Meet the proprietors of Heavenly Brew, Nick and Kris. Nick might have a teeny tiny caffeine buzz…
“Damn, it’s busy today. Didn’t think I’d ever get away from the counter. We ran through the Christmas Blend an hour ago. Customers are fiends for the stuff. Mrs. Forrest promised to rename her kids after us if we stock more next year.”
Nick rapped his knuckles against Kris’ computer.
“Noelle dyed her hair again, did you see it?”
“She changed it last week,” Kris said. “Winter solstice.”
“Okay, Mr. Stoic. Just pretend she and her seasonal fetish are not the hottest act in town. I wonder how she got it so white. It’s fucking gorgeous.”
“How much coffee have you had?”
“Enough to keep up with the ravenous hordes while you bury your nose in spreadsheets.”
“Might have to tie you up and leave you in the back room until you calm down.”
“I like the part where you tie me up.” Nick laughed. He propped his chin on his hand and watched Noelle. “Damn, she’s so pretty.”
“I’m not looking,” Kris said. “I’m working. You have a one track mind, I swear.”
“Not that you blame me.”
About Cara: Cara Michaels is a dreamer of legendary proportions (just ask her about the alien pirate spaceship invasion). Her imagination is her playground and nothing is quite so much fun for her as building new characters and new worlds with at least an edge of the fantastic. She’s writing whenever the opportunity presents itself and can typically be found tinkering with half a dozen projects. Occasionally all at once.
Connect with Cara: Website | Facebook | Twitter | Tumblr | G+
Their First Noelle – Available 12/13/12 from Evernight Publishing, Amazon, and Barnes & Noble.
Monday Mixer Entry: Canyon Song
“Canyon Song”
Ian poised at the bottom of the chasm, soulful notes pouring forth from his ocarina. He prayed Charity would hear and understand, that the music might stem her regressive behavior.
Hesitating by the rocky rim, Charity cocked her head, listening to the song echoing from the vast space below. The notes swirled and danced, but the tune eluded capture like wisps of smoke. It morphed into an ear splitting, nerve jangling sound that sliced through her.
“Nyaaaackff!” She pawed at the air.
When the scent wafted over, she was on it. Hunger she understood. Lurching from the shadows, she threw herself on the unsuspecting hiker and bit deeply, severing muscle and sinew. The music faded beneath terrified screams and the frenzy of her feeding.
Ian heard the snarls and sighed. “Tomorrow’s another day.”
Charity’s decaying mind sought out the source of the music with the intention of ending it.
Read the rest of the Monday Mixer entries here: Monday Mixer
Guest Post and Giveaway: Forged by Becky Banks
Today we have a fascinating guest post from author Becky Banks. Pay close attention . . . you never know when you might need to get creative with duct tape! STICK around afterward for an excerpt from the book and a chance to enter the giveaway, which includes some cool rolls of printed duct tape. Let’s meet Becky Banks . . .
We all have at one point or another bore witness to the creative uses of duct tape. Starting with MacGyver in the ’80s showing us how to fix a C40 airplane wing with just a paperclip and duct tape. Later in life we began to find it useful when we needed to repair that lamp in college that broke when it fell on the ground the last time you had a party at your place. It fixed pipes, couch cushions, wrapped gifts, pulled pranks, all that good stuff. Enter the field now a days and duct tape is doing much more than repairs, it’s a:
Babysitter (of sorts),
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| Babysitter. Yes, this baby is taped to the wall. |
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| Beer holder! |
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| Hair clip! [via] |
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| Purse! Yes, it’s all duct tape. |
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| A wallet. [via] |
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| A dress!? Yes, this entire dress is made of duct tape. |
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| And you guessed it! PROM GEAR!! YAY! [via Duck Brand Duct Tape] |
You might be wondering what all this has to do with an author who’s on tour with her latest book, and I’ll tell you. There’s a scene in Forged where Eva, the main character, is getting ready to head out to a high-end night club. The dress she’s wearing is rather revealing and like most designer dresses it’s made without the predilection that the wearer should be concerned about a bra. Not to worry, our heroine knows her way around a roll of duct tape and with creative application is able to wear her dress. Here’s an excerpt:
It was after ten by the time I was ready to take on Wellington and his officious attitude. It was just for a couple of hours, and I debated between the oversized turtleneck and reading glasses with floppy hair and no makeup and the black dress I bought my last day in Manhattan. The latter was black second-skin with a zipper down the entire front separating two inches of gray snakeskin on either side of it. It came up into a mandarin collar and was sleeveless. I’d bought matching snakeskin platforms—the outfit was a showstopper. I’d worn it just once and that was in my room in front of the mirror. It required work to wear, as the zipper stopped low, making the only way to wear it without losing the girls was an old trick I learned from a drag queen that involved duct tape and creative application. The result was magnificent, with breasts that curved and popped like the cover model on Maxim.
When applied, the duct tape application would look something like what the woman is wearing below. Of course, sans the export stamps and the stray strap of it on the arm there. I’d be remiss to not mention, however, that once duct tape goes on, it must come off. It’s best if you have someone to help you with removal. Let’s say, a hot ex-boy who has a score to settle, for example . . .
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| Plunging neckline in your designer dress? No problem! Use duct tape! |
It goes without saying that duct tape has become even MORE versatile over the years. The next time your clothes or bras are all in the wash, don’t worry! Just grab your trusty roll of duct tape.
Thank you Sarah for hosting me! Y’all have been great, and I hope you had a fun and inspired time! :0)
~Becky
PS – don’t forget! There are three rolls of designer duct tape in the giveaway prize bag!!
About Forged:
First loves, dark pasts, and fast cars collide in this high-octane adventure.
Eva Lynn Rodgers, the daughter of a mechanic, grew up with a need for speed. So did her best friend,
and later boyfriend, Nathaniel Vellanova. But when Eva left the drizzling rain of Portland, Oregon, for a
high-powered career in New York, she left both Nathaniel and her past behind.
Now Eva’s back, and her BMW—like her life in general—could use a little love. Her new mechanic is the
right man for the job, but he’s got some scores to settle with the girl who peeled out for the East Coast
when he needed her most.
It’s time for Eva and Nathaniel to confront their demons. Passionate and dangerous sparks ignite as
Nathaniel’s brutal youth rises up and pulls Eva Lynn back to him—forging a bond that, this time, won’t be
denied.
Excerpt CHAPTER 1
The memories flicker by like the frames of an old film. Unfocused and dark at the edges. A punch to his
gut, to his face. The wall behind him in the yellowing kitchen seems to punch him as well. It slams against
his back and smacks his head to the tabletop as the fist from his father throws it there. He’s seven.By ten he learns to dodge the fists, to know when tension in the apartment would erupt. Eleven, he has
one foot out the door, has found a second life, a best friend. Twelve, he has already left home to live with
his aunt. Twelve slides into fifteen and fifteen into freedom.Freedom? It was never free.
The memories of that final day came unbidden, as they always did—and slippery. That day he was
twenty-seven and holding the phone to his ear, listening to a foreign sound. His father’s sobs echoed over
the line; they begged him home. To please come, it was his mother… These sobs, from the man who met
every sobering morning with a toast of his golden can of Olympia and every sunset with his fist in his
wife’s face.Could the son have known then? He’d always ask himself that. Was there any way to know what his
father had in store for him when he returned home, for his mother, for the man who was his father? The
scars on his skin and the wounds within that had yet even to scar told him not to go, but he had
unfinished business with the old man. He’d go, and maybe this time it would be a different.Nate opened the door to the dark apartment he’d once called home. It was after work, the sun had gone
down, his boots were slick with the rain he had just come in from. They slipped on the linoleum floor. A
smell rose up and enshrouded his body like a cloak. It clung to his nose and at the back of his throat,
tangy rusty tincture of blood. Warm, as if it were being pulsed from the veins of a being. Automatically he
reached for the light behind him, his stomach clenching, his mind telling him no.No. NO!That was when the memory got slick. Even now his mind recoiled, and the details of that night faded back
into the black mist.Eva, he thought to distract himself. Where are you now, Eva? Her name rolled around in his mouth softly,
whispered to no one. An entirely different set of emotions consumed him as his parents faded away once
more. She was seven when he was ten, and she was there for him every time he showed up with a black
eye or a new burn. She’d shown him his first fast car, and later he taught her how to fix them, to make
them go faster. At sixteen she rocked his world in a way he would never recover from.
The years had passed like lightning after that day, each one spent with Eva more mind blowing than thenext. But as everything in his life tended to do, that too would come to an end.
The pain, now cathartic, motivated, consumed him. His dark past closed up shop and faded away, leaving
him with his future. His future, where he was in control.
About the Author:
Becky Banks grew up, like the generations of Bankses before her, in the Hawaiian Islands. With the
Islands as her roots, Becky was raised within the time-honored tradition of “talking story” amid a backdrop
of grassy fields, blue waters, and cloud-clad mountains. She moved to the mainland after high school to
attend Oregon State University, where she studied forestry, natural resources, and science education.
Becky’s first novel, The Legend of Lady MacLaoch, received Night Owl Reviews’ Top Pick Award and
achieved #8 on the Amazon Bestsellers list for Historical Romance
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/AuthorBeckyBanks
Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/beckybanks
Goodreads: : http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/15845411-forged
Google +: https://plus.google.com/100850922676975702322?prsrc=3
Website: http://www.beckybanksonline.com
And now on to the giveaway information:
Tour giveaway* includes: one smokin’ FORGED tote, a fabulous assortment of printed duct
tapes (you’ll need them to re-enact a certain scene in the book…), a super awesome personalized
and autographed copy of FORGED!
*Fine print: this giveaway (bag, designer duct tape, and paperback copy of Forged) is for US and
Canadian participants only (due to shipping costs). Click below to enter the giveaway!
Good luck, everyone! Thanks for stopping by.
Hump Day Hotness… and a Giveaway!
Today I have a little Hump Day Hotness for you from L.V. Lewis, author of Fifty Shades of Jungle Fever, the first book in The Ghetto Girl Romance Quadrilogy. Enjoy the guest post, get an eyeful of the excerpt, and then enter the giveaway! Let’s meet L.V. Lewis…
WHY I WROTE FIFTY SHADES OF JUNGLE FEVER
By L. V. Lewis
When the wildly popular Fifty Shades of Grey books took off into the stratosphere, I wondered: How might a similar scenario have gone with a woman of color?
That question wouldn’t stop nagging me, as I read all three books of the Fifty Shades of Grey trilogy. Ana came across as such an innocent, and one who didn’t have the mettle to stand up against Christian Grey. She was simply too enamored with him and, quite frankly, afraid of him in the beginning. I wanted to know how a sassy, irreverent girl from the hood, a woman of a totally different ethnicity might have handled a mover and shaker like Christian Grey. I wanted to write a woman who would talk back to him, and give him a little piece of her mind before she gave him little pieces of other things. Pun totally intended!
A writer friend and I were discussing on GChat one night how another author had written a spoof of Fifty Shades of Grey called Fifty Shades of Alice in Wonderland, and I suppose that’s when the wheels really began to turn in my head. So, after a marathon of writing for about two months, I came up with my parody of the famous trilogy from the viewpoint of a young woman from the south side of Chicago. This is Fifty Shades meets “Keisha from the Block,” if you will.
Keisha Beale doesn’t have a Subconscious; she has a Ghetto Good Girl or Triple-G who tries to keep her out of trouble. However, when the opposite or naughty part of her psyche gets involved, all bets are off. These minor characters provide much of the fun and humor in the story, as well as Keisha’s random thoughts about pop culture.
Tristan White was so aptly named because I wanted his name to be the personification of his ethnicity. This is a card-carrying gazillionaire, and lifetime member of the country club set, born with a silver spoon in his mouth—a whiter man than Keisha’s ever known. She’s bewildered by her attraction to him in the beginning. In fact, it scares the hell out of her. However, Keisha’s need for venture capital to get her dream business off the ground, and her desire to “scratch an itch,” compels her to take Tristan up on his indecent proposal.
Follow Keisha on her journey into the world of BDSM. This story pokes fun at some of the stereotypes that used to piss me off as a woman of color, and takes readers a little further into the lifestyle, and in some instances makes the vanilla original FIFTY SHADES BLACKER.
This story is not intended to offend, but to entertain, and get readers hot and bothered. I hope readers of all ethnicities will read and enjoy it!
Fifty Shades of Jungle Fever (Excerpt)
“I want you, Keisha.”
Those four words are my undoing. I crash into him. His arms go around me, and our mouths connect, followed by hips fusing, and my legs winding around him. There are definitely hard feelings now. Throbbing, hard feelings, touching me right there.
He finds the bed without looking, and we fall, our lips still locked, bodies writhing, hungry to create the glorious friction we felt for a few seconds last week. We kiss forever while our hands explore as much as they can of each other with clothes impeding our progress.
Tristan hauls us both further up onto the bed, and kneeling, we lock lips again while anxious fingers begin to remove clothing as quickly as we can. We only stop kissing long enough to raise arms and remove tops, then we fall onto the bed again. I can feel the heaviness of his need pressing against my belly, but only for a few fleeting seconds. Immediately, his pants and boxers are gone, and I’m eager to be naked myself because if he doesn’t enter me soon, I fear I’m going to spontaneously combust.
He stretches to reach into a drawer in a table next to the bed and returns with a condom, which he slides onto his humongous straining cock.
My Triple-G sees it and faints. My fairy hoochie mama does the Beyoncé’ “Crazy In Love,” booty dance, “uh oh, uh oh, uh oh, oh no, no!” her tiny round apple bottom bouncing like a rubber ball.
I allow him to whisk me out of my pants and panties as if he’s a fucking magician, and without stopping to look to align us, Tristan hits the sweet spot.
“Aargh!” We grunt in concert as he fills me. His breathing is harsh, and his eyes are cloudy with lust. He squeezes out words with difficulty. “You’re tight. How long’s it been for you?”
“Three and a half . . . years,” I say through a groan. He’s only taken three strokes when I am convinced, this will be, hands down, the best sex I’ve ever had.
I cry tears of ecstatic joy as I grasp his forearms, and join in the syncopated rhythm, when he begins to move in earnest. We both seem to have lost the ability to form words because all we are capable of at the moment is movement and sound. Words are superfluous anyway. All that matters right now is what we’re doing to each other. He speeds up, and I match him thrust for thrust.
I make so much noise, it’s embarrassing. Tristan has this way of moving his hips that’s so sensual, so carnal, it’s like dancing and fucking at the same time. He doesn’t know the meaning of simple up and down, he gets a serious swerve on that I can’t match, but I hold onto him and keep up as best I can. The sensation is unlike anything I’ve ever experienced.
He grasps my head and kisses me hard, his tongue dueling with and arresting mine. He releases my lips with a pop and kisses a trail to my neck, still moving, never missing a beat. He shifts his weight onto his elbows and grasps the sides of my torso with his large hands, and his thumbs find my nipples and begin to make frenzied circles on the hardened nubs. This man takes multi-tasking to a whole ‘nother level! I can feel my orgasm building deep inside me as he thrusts on and on.
I knew it would be different with Tristan, but I didn’t know it would be as good as this. He kisses me again as he continues the onslaught. Oh, man he has superb stamina! But, who’s complaining? Certainly not me. His tongue should be registered as a weapon because it’s lethal in its ability to exact pleasure. I feel so many sensations all at once, I fear I may explode into a gazillion pieces.
Somehow, Tristan knows what’s about to happen. “Give it up, Keisha,” he growls. My body vibrates in an uncontrollable quiver beneath his, and if he weren’t on top of me, holding me down, I’m positive I would’ve jack-knifed off the bed. My climax is so forceful, I scream his name like a litany, not a cliché. With a final scream to rival Zena, the Princess Warrior’s, I clamp my legs around Tristan’s ass and give up the ghost.
He follows a few seconds later with a more dignified grunt and collapses onto me. Our bodies are slippery with a fine sheen of sweat, but I don’t care. I am so well-fucked, I’d drink a glassful of Tristan’s sweat right about now. My Triple-G feigns gagging herself with two fingers, but my fairy hoochie mama, naked and sweat-slippery in her own right, lies comatose in her little bed.
Tristan and I are panting, attempting to slow our breathing, and bring our riotous thumping heartbeats back to normal.
“Wow . . . That was . . .” I don’t know if there are words in the vocabulary to voice such indescribable pleasure. We are forehead to forehead, and I can feel, rather than see his smile. I’m afraid to open my eyes as if doing so will erase the experience.
AUTHOR BIO
L. V. Lewis is a married, mother of four who lives in South Georgia, and works in the Florida Panhandle. A new author who decided that stories like Fifty Shades of Grey needed a little more diversity and comedy in them, she penned Fifty Shades of Jungle Fever as a parodied response from a woman of color. Lewis loves romances that involve interracial couples because she envisions a world one day where it won’t matter to anyone else who you love (because despite the civil rights movement, and a biracial US President, we aren’t there yet).
L.V. and spouse are political junkies. One leans right, the other left. Thankfully, this has never caused any issues in their relationship. If Lewis told you which of them was the Democrat and which was the Republican, you just might be able to figure out which is Dominant and which is submissive.
Where to stalk find L.V. Lewis:
GoodReads http://www.goodreads.com/
Blog: http://lvlewis.wordpress.com
Twitter: https://twitter.com/lv_lewis
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/lv.
Pinterest: https://pinterest.com/
Thanks to L.V. Lewis for the great post and excerpt! I’ve also read the first chapter of the book, and it was hilarious! I thoroughly enjoyed the crisp, witty writing. Keisha and the gals sitting on her shoulders offering constant commentary are extremely entertaining and will have you laughing from the first.
Want to win a copy for yourself? *This is a Kindle only giveaway* Leave your twitter handle or email address in the comments of this post. New and existing followers of my blog get their name tossed in an extra time. Tweet this post out or Like it on Facebook, and you’ll earn another entry! This is a drama free zone; if your comment is not of the respectful variety, kindly restrain yourself. You have until this Friday at high noon. Go!
Giveaway Winners and Upcoming Featured Authors and Giveaways
Coming Soon:
I’ll have a guest post from author L.V. Lewis about her debut novel Fifty Shades of Jungle Fever. We’ll also be giving away an e-book copy. I’m sure you can guess which well known series she’s written a parody of, and it has an interesting twist.
On November 17th I’ll have a guest post from author Becky Banks from her new novel Forged. It’s going to be a fun one involving . . . duct tape. There will also be an opportunity to enter in her big giveaway!
And now on to our current giveaway winners!
The winner of the In the Red e-book is Wendy! Congratulations! You’ll be contacted by Jitterbug PR about claiming your prize.
The winner of the Damaged Goods e-book is Iris! Congratulations! Someone from TWCS Publishing House will be contacting you about claiming your prize.
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