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The Likelihood of Lucy Tour Stop & Giveaway

5/24/2015

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London, 1815

Trevor Bailey is on the cusp of opening the greatest hotel in London. His days as a gutter snipe are behind him, as he enjoys a life of wealth, society, and clandestine assignments as a spy in the service of His Majesty. Until one tumultuous night churns up the past he'd long left behind...

Turned out by her employer for her radical beliefs, Lucy Greenleaf reaches out to the man who was once her most beloved friend. She never expected that the once-mischievous Trevor would be so handsome and gentleman-like and neither can deny the instant attraction.

But Lucy's reformer ways pose a threat to the hotel's future and his duties as a spy. Now Trevor must choose between his new life and the woman he's always loved…

~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Excerpt One:
Who was this man? He was the Trevor of her youth, yet he was not. The boy would not have touched her like that. Would not even have noticed her face long enough to bother with a dab of pudding gone awry. The boy had reserved that sort of intense scrutiny for lock picking and cake filching.

The man, by contrast, was causing her stomach to feel like little wings were fluttering inside it.

It was almost as if she wasn’t in the room, which was ridiculous because of course she was. It was her lip he caressed. But he stared so intently at her mouth that the encounter seemed somehow to be unfolding between him and it without her presence mattering at all.

She lifted herself onto tiptoes, and the tiny birds inside her took off, a great flapping flock of them. They were propelling her toward him, and she wasn’t in charge anymore. She pressed her lips against the spot of chocolate near the corner of his mouth. If she’d thought the chocolate tasted sinful before, she’d been naive. The tang of his skin magnified it, made it magnetic.

“Lucy,” he rasped, his lips moving against her skin as he spoke her name. She waited for more, for him to cry halt. He did not. So she remained where she was, her lips pressed against the corner of his mouth but not moving, the roar of blood in her ears a rushing waterfall.

Beneath her mouth, his jaw clenched, became hard like iron, and his breath, already short, took on a ragged quality. Warmth pooled low in her belly like that chocolate, liquefied and hot. Every second they stood there, unmoving, something coiled more tightly inside her. It was almost painful, but it was impossible to imagine stepping away.

He moved only an inch. Less than an inch. His lips grazed hers, and though they barely touched hers, the warmth in her belly became fire. How was that possible? They weren’t even kissing, not really, and yet she felt as if she were at the gates of Bedlam.

A thought crept in. She tried to push it away, but it persisted. This is why Mary had fallen victim to her bouts of suicidal behavior. This—this unnamable compulsion—would grow and grow until it took over, displacing everything else, everything that made her herself. Unlike Mary, she

wasn’t capable of producing great works of philosophy with the potential to change the world, but she did have a life. A hard-won life she’d made for herself through sheer force of will. Trevor was helping her—she’d had no choice but to permit it given his logical argument that their arrangement would benefit them both. But she needed to remember why she had agreed to stay only for six months. Because men were dangerous—even him. Even Trevor. Perhaps especially him.

So she stepped away.


AUTHOR Bio and Links:
Jenny Holiday started writing in fourth grade, when her awesome hippie teacher, between sessions of Pete Seeger singing and anti-nuclear power plant letter writing, gave the kids notebooks and told them to write stories. Most of Jenny's featured poltergeist, alien invasions, or serial killers who managed to murder everyone except her and her mom. She showed early promise as a romance writer, though, because nearly every story had a happy ending: fictional Jenny woke up to find that the story had been a dream, and that her best friend, father, and sister had not, in fact, been axe-murdered. From then on, she was always writing, often in her diary, where she liked to decorate her declarations of existential angst with nail polish teardrops. Eventually she channeled her penchant for scribbling into a more useful format. After picking up a PhD in urban geography, she became a professional writer, and has spent many years promoting research at a major university, which allows her to become an armchair astronomer/historian/particle physicist, depending on the day. Eventually, she decided to try her hand again at happy endings--minus the bloodbaths. You can follow her twitter accounts @jennyholi and @TropeHeroine or visit her on the web at jennyholiday.com. 

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/jennyholidaybooks

Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/jennyholiday    

 
BUY Links:

http://www.amazon.com/Likelihood-Entangled-Historical-Regency-Reformers-ebook/dp/B00WRGWHT2/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1431466263&sr=8-1&keywords=the+likelihood+of+lucy

 

http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-likelihood-of-lucy-jenny-holiday/1121815835?ean=9781633752825

 

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The Dark Summoner Stop & Giveaway

5/21/2015

4 Comments

 

A randomly picked commenter wull win a $10 Amazon/BN Giftcard.

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"Looking at him made me desirous for things I never thought I would want." 

Abby Davenport has spent the last ten years forgetting her past until a fateful night reveals her false reality. Thrust into a new world of dark sorcery and ancient magic, she's shocked to discover her destiny lies as the keeper of a powerful relic. Now everyone wants to control, own, or destroy her. No longer able to discern truth from lie, she’s torn between a charming guardian and a mysterious summoner. Abby finds herself strangely drawn to each man—one sworn to protect and one who calls to her soul. Can she survive the strange and dangerous labyrinth of the first realm, where every move, emotion, and reaction must be a calculated one?
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Excerpt One:
His six-foot-plus frame leaned against the leather walls, arms crossed over his muscular chest, his demeanor casual yet controlled. To say he intimidated me would have been an understatement.

 He seemed like the devil incarnate—a strange combination of wickedly handsome and utterly terrifying.

 A strange black smokiness swirled around his frame, and I couldn’t tell if it was coming from him or somewhere in the club. Everything about him exuded danger. Whoever he was, that thing took one look at this man and disappeared. I couldn’t help but feel slightly grateful. The brief windows of light allowed me glimpses of his dark and brooding features. Much of him remained in shadow. But I noticed his stunning eyes. They glowed unnaturally and danced as he watched me. With abnormal speed, they flashed from crystal gray to black coal and back again. His short, jet-black hair was tousled yet perfect, and a slight stubble bordered his jawline.

 His riveting stare petrified and aroused me at the same time. Looking at him made me desirous for things I never thought I would want. I was recovering from the silent assault when a sudden daze clouded my mind, and my eyelashes fluttered uncontrollably. There wasn’t time for me to panic as it lifted within seconds.

I was no longer in the club.

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AUTHOR Bio and Links:
With her debut novel Dark Summoner, D.D. Miers begins the Relic Keeper Series, a fast-paced romantic saga filled with danger, destiny, and magic, set in her favorite genre, Paranormal and Fantasy Romance.

 Born with a wildly overactive imagination, she’s told stories of enchanted worlds, treacherous villains, and epic love for as long as she can remember. She keeps a watchful eye for the paranormal hiding around every corner and constantly checks the window or rearview mirror for a vampire or fairy.

 Although she has a fondness for all things fantasy, she's an epic romance fan at heart and in everything she asks, “What would Jane Austen do?” The journey to becoming a published author has been a long but exciting one. A fervent desire for taking readers from the ordinary to the extraordinary keeps her motivated, and she believes that everything is better with a good helping of romance thrown in.

D.D. is a proud member of the Romance Writers of America (RWA) and the Fantasy, Futuristic, & Paranormal Sub-Genre of RWA (FF&P). She continues to attend conferences and writers’ workshops in order to help inspire, share, and promote her love for romance.

During her downtime, she loves to spend time with her family, share her obsession of all things romance with other fans, and catch up on her never-ending TBR list. She resides in beautiful Southern California with her wonderful husband, an adorable toddler, two kitties, and the many different characters living in her head.

Google Plus: https://plus.google.com/u/1/+DDMiersAuthor

Website: www.ddmiers.com

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/12069376.D_D_Miers

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/DD-Miers/1559006397689922?ref=hl

Twitter: https://twitter.com/AuthorDDMiers

Dark Summoner on Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/24330047-dark-summoner

BUY Links:
Amazon US - http://amzn.to/1dQPHto

Amazon CA - http://amzn.to/1dQPMgJ

Amazon AU - http://bit.ly/1dQPBlD

Amazon UK - http://amzn.to/1dQPNkI

 


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Charmed, I'm Sure Stop & Giveaway

5/20/2015

6 Comments

 

The author will award a $50 Amazon or BN GC to one randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour.

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Laugh Out Loud Funny...With Just a Touch of Magic

 One minute Maxine Henley is the happy bride-to-be and the next she’s the girl who gets dumped over the phone. Max has never believed in magic and fairy’s tales, but if wearing a love charm can warm her fiancé’s cold feet, she’s happy to stuff that little wooden heart next to her own and wait. The charm came with a promise that the right man will find her, guaranteed, but how can that happen when her teenage crush Sam O’Neal keeps getting in the way!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Excerpt One:
“Excuse me, miss,” a male voice said. “I seem to have lost my phone number. Could I have yours?”

 Max smiled. She’d know that voice anywhere. She just hadn’t expected to hear it in Schomberg. “Your lines don’t get any better with age, O’Neal,” she said, stuffing the charm into her back pocket as she turned around.

 “I’m a little out of practice.” He grinned and stepped from the shadows. “How are you, Max?”

 “Better now,” she said, meaning it.

 Sam O’Neal had been the boy next door, her older brother’s best friend and the one voted most likely to get out of Schomberg. She’d had a crush on him once, the kind of heart-pounding, breath-stealing obsession that fifteen year-old girls do so well. Watching him come toward her now, she wondered if it was her imagination or perhaps some trick of the light that made him look even better than she remembered.

 Max moistened her lips even as she felt the faint shift in her shoulders, the tiny flicker of awareness that was as unexpected as it was inappropriate. This was Sam, after all. The one who didn’t think twice about taking her baby-sitting money in a poker game, or daring her to steal peaches from the Jenkins’s’ orchard, and turned out to be the best friend she’d ever known.

“I can’t believe you’re here,” she said, rising up on her toes to wrap her arms around his neck. “And without even a hint of elf anywhere.”

 “I hid until they ran out of size eleven curly toes.”

She looked up into his eyes and for the first time was glad she’d made the trip. “I have missed you,” she said softly.

 “Me too,” he said, kissing her on the cheek, the way any friend might, and pulling her close for a hug. She held on tight, feeling the strength of his hands on her back, the hard wall of his chest against her breasts and a warmth from both that reached through her fine cotton tank top, making her shiver. She started to step back and wondered for one brief moment if he would stop her, maybe hold on a moment longer, and what she would do if he did.
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AUTHOR Bio and Links:

 

Lynda Simmons is a writer by day, college instructor by night and a late sleeper on weekends. She grew up in Toronto reading Greek mythology, bringing home stray cats and making up stories about bodies in the basement. From an early age, her family knew she would either end up as a writer or the old lady with a hundred cats. As luck would have it, she married a man with allergies so writing it was.

 

With two daughters to raise, Lynda and her husband moved into a lovely two storey mortgage in Burlington, a small city on the water just outside Toronto. While the girls are grown and gone, Lynda and her husband are still there. And yes, there is a cat – a beautiful, if spoiled, Birman. If you’d like to read the legend of Birman cats click here. If you’d like a link to allergy relief, click here.

 

When she’s not writing or teaching, Lynda gives serious thought to using the treadmill in her basement. Fortunately, she’s found that if she waits long enough, something urgent will pop up and save her - like a phone call or an e-mail or a whistling kettle. Or even that cat just looking for a little more attention!

Website www.lyndasimmons.com 

Facebook https://www.facebook.com/pages/Lynda-Simmons-Author/149740745067442
 
Twitter @LyndaMSimmons

Amazon Link http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_noss?url=search-alias%3Daps&field-keywords=charmed%2C%20i'm%20sure%20lynda%20simmons

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Welcome to Temptation Tour Stop & Giveaway

5/18/2015

11 Comments

 

Take advantage of $25 Amazon Giveaway & the Kindle version is only .99! Follow the tour by clciking on the sidebar banner.

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With a hurricane closing in on Temptation, Louisiana, Michelle Thurston fails to convince her stubborn grandmother to leave her home on the bayou. Sheriff Gator Landry arrives by boat, hell-bent on forcing the elderly recluse to evacuate. He is stunned to find Michelle, who was just 16 years old when he courted her one steamy summer.

Now, at 32, Michelle comes face-to-face with the man whose kisses tempted her to lose control, only this time there is no place to run. Although Gator is not about to leave the two women defenseless, Michelle can’t help but wonder if he is more dangerous to her than anything the storm can do.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Excerpt One:
“We need to get out of these wet things,” Michelle said, crossing her arms in front of her in an attempt to hide herself. She shivered as Gator continued to stare. He still had the power to make her body go berserk when he looked at her that way. Those glittering black eyes didn’t miss a thing. It was as though he were capable of seeing past flesh and bone to her inner workings, all of which shook at the moment as violently as the tree limbs outside the window. She was certain he knew what that look did to her. He had it down to an art. And if it had had a powerful effect on her at sixteen, it was doubly so now at thirty-two.

“That’s the best idea I've heard all day," Gator said, shrugging out of his shirt. He mopped his brow and chest with it and ran it across the back of his neck.

Michelle wondered if he had any idea how sensual that simple act was. He was all rippling muscles and taut flesh. Goose pimples stood out on his shoulders and his nipples puckered from the chill in the room. His arms were lean and as brown as the rest of him. The room seemed to shrink to the size of a shoe box. Michelle had seen enough male bodies in her job to know that the one before her was one of the best she’d ever laid eyes on.

Gator would have had to be blind not to notice her perusal. The grin he shot her was brazen. “Like what you see, Mic?”

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Charlotte Hughes published her first category romance in 1987, a Bantam Books’ Loveswept, titled Too Many Husbands, which immediately shot to #1 on the Waldenbooks Bestseller list. She went on to write almost thirty books before the line closed in 1998.

Although Charlotte is widely known for her laugh-out-loud romantic comedies, she went on to pen three Maggie-Award winning thrillers for Avon Books in the late nineties, before resuming her first love, funny stories about people falling in love. She thrilled readers with her hilarious books, A New Attitude and Hot Shot, the latter of which won the Waldenbooks Greatest Sales Growth Achievement in 2003.

Her books received so many accolades that she was invited to co-author the very popular Full House series with mega-star author Janet Evanovich.  

With that series behind her, Charlotte began her own, starring psychologist Kate Holly; What Looks Like Crazy, Nutcase, and High Anxiety, creating a list of somewhat kooky but always loveable and funny ensemble characters.

To keep current with Charlotte and her projects, please sign up for her newsletter - http://readcharlottehughes.com/newsletter.htm.

You can also visit her website at http://readcharlottehughes.com and follow her on Twitter  @charlottehughes. Her Facebook page is at https://facebook.com/authorcharlottehughes

BUY Links:
http://www.amazon.com/Welcome-Temptation-Charlotte-Hughes-ebook/dp/B00X1V760W/ref=sr_1_8?ie=UTF8&qid=1431517229&sr=8-8&keywords=charlotte+hughes


ONLY .99 on Kindle

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Mermen Tour Stop & Giveaway

5/17/2015

1 Comment

 

The author is giving away the following 10 prizes:

PRIZE #1:Mermen Pillow + Signed Mermen

PRIZE #2: Mug + Signed Mermen

PRIZES #3-7: Tote + Signed Mermen

PRIZES #8-9: Signed Set of KING Trilogy + Signed Mermen #1&2

PRIZE #10: KING TRILOGY Audiobooks on CD + Signed Mermen #1&2

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From New York Times Bestseller Mimi Jean Pamfiloff

These Mermen Don't Have Tails, They're Deadly as Hell, and They've Got Something He Wants...

INFAMOUS BACHELOR and SELF-MADE BILLIONAIRE ROEN DORAN IS A BASTARD. Yes, he knows it. And no, he doesn't care. He's got money and power, and he depends on no one. But when his estranged father dies, willing him a secret island, Roen will come face to face with an even bigger secret: its occupants. And these savage, sea-obsessed warriors are quick to make their position clear: Leave now or die.

 There's only one problem. Nobody tells Roen what to do. Ever. Oh, and one other thing. He's just met the island's other new "guest" and something about her brings out his possessive side.

 SOLE SHIPWRECK SURVIVOR LIV STRATTON had been adrift at sea for ten grueling days when salvation miraculously appeared: an uncharted island. Only, the deceivingly beautiful men who live there aren't interested in saving her. No, not at all. Because they somehow believe she is their property, a gift from the ocean to do with as they please. This is not good.

Her only hope? Billionaire Roen Doran, of all people. A man who's said to care for nothing and no one. But if he's so heartless, then why is he about to risk everything to help her?
~ ~ ~
NOTE FROM MIMI ABOUT MERMEN: Anyone who has read the Accidental Series or King knows I love to flip things on their heads. Mermen is no exception. THIS IS NOT A FLUFFY STORY ABOUT men with fins and tails who sweep ladies off their feet and make them long to be mermaids. Uh-uh. This is NOT that kind of story. Nobody in their right mind would want to hang out with these very beautiful yet dangerous men (who don't actually have tails, fins, or gills, by the way) NOR would anyone want to be their mates. Well, at least, not me! Run. Away!!

Hope you enjoy the ride. - MIMI

Excerpt Three:
Roen opened the envelope and found a letter paper-clipped to an old map that looked straight out of a ridiculous Looney Tunes episode—a few landmarks and a giant “X” right in the middle of the page. He skimmed the letter—some random garble about an island in the North Pacific. Clearly, his father had been a crazy asshole right until the bitter end. Case in point…

Roen, my boy, this island and its treasures will become yours if you choose to claim it. And I hope you do because there is no greater cause on this earth than protecting it. However, you must always remember, whatever you do, to never turn your back on that which the island asks of you. Never question the island, son, because--

 Roen chucked the letter into the wastepaper basket along with the map. He wanted nothing to do with it or his father. Leave the past where it belongs.

He picked up the stack of insurance papers and began skimming through them before signing. Page after page of affidavits, cargo valuations, waivers, and…

“What the hell?” The report filed by the Coast Guard showed the approximate location of where they believed the cargo vessel went down.

 He dug his father’s map from the trash. There were no lines of longitude or latitude, but the position was the same: approximately two thousand miles west of San Francisco and a thousand miles south of the Delarof Islands, the most southern point of Alaska.

Roen dialed Cherie. He knew she wouldn’t really go home until he told her to leave because she doted on him like a lovesick puppy. No, he’d never laid a finger on the woman and never would. She was under his employ and that meant something to him. Even selfish pricks needed to draw the line somewhere.

“Yes, sir?”

“What ships do we have on the Seattle to Shanghai route?”

“One moment.” Cherie clicked away on her keyboard. “You’ve got one ship departing Chinese waters now and an empty vessel unloading at port.”

“Here in Seattle?”

“Yes,” she replied.

“Tell the crew I’m sailing with them.”
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AUTHOR Bio and Links:
New York Times and USA Today bestselling Romance author, host of the radio talk show, Man Candy, on Radioslot.com.

When San Francisco native Mimi Jean went on an adventure as an exchange student to Mexico City, she never imagined the journey would lead to writing Romance. But one MBA, one sexy husband, and two rowdy kids later, Mimi would trade in corporate life for vampires, deities, and snarky humor.

She continues to hope that her books will inspire a leather pants comeback (for men) and that she might make you laugh when you need it most.

She also enjoys interacting with her fans (especially if they're batshit crazy). You can always find her chatting away on Facebook, Twitter, or saying many naughty words on her show MAN CANDY on Radioslot.com !

Find out more about Mimi and upcoming books at www.mimijean.net.


BUY Links:

Book is priced at  $0.99

http://www.amazon.com/MERMEN-Mermen-Trilogy-Book-1-ebook/dp/B00TYNANIS/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1430433097&sr=8-1&keywords=mermen+mimi+jean+pamfiloff

http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/mermen-mimi-jean-pamfiloff/1121333650?ean=2940151313155


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Talking With Author Marcus Dino

5/15/2015

6 Comments

 

Enjoy an interesting read & win $20 Amazon/BN Gift Card

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Follow tour by clicking on the banner

Tell us about yourself: 

I'm a writer of three fiction books that deal with the life of 21st century actress/heroine Cheryl 'Fifi” Larouche.   I'm semiretired and work part time as a teacher/tutor out here in Santa Maria, California. I taught for a number of years mathematics in the Los Angeles Public School system,  Before that I worked as an engineer in Aerospace,  Living in Hollywood for a number of years inspired me to write the 'Fifi' books which became the trilogy starting with the Hollywood novel Fifi, followed by the anthology Diary of a Mad Gen Yer, followed by Practical Advice from an Evolved Soul.  The last few years I have been a very ardent student of spirituality and that gave me the idea to write the spiritual part for Evolved Soul.   
What was your first book? 
The Hollywood novel Fifi, unlike my 2 preceding books, Diary of a Mad Gen Yer and Practical Advice from an Evolved Soul, is basically a straightforward novel describing Fifi arriving in Hollywood and trying to make it as an actress.  I introduce Fifi and a few other major characters like Biff, her boyfriend, Charles, her obstinate father who thinks she is wasting her time pursuing an acting career, Jerry, her agent, and a Hollywood rival, Kerry Krowley.  Diary and Evolved Soul are anthologies of poems, tweets, and short stories and definitely have more of a fantasy angle than Fifi.

Describe your first break.
 Break?  What Break?  Maybe I'm still thinking why I'm not yet as well known as Stephen King.  All kidding aside the place where I started to receive success in selling my books are the numerous book fairs that my publisher has had me participate in such as the Los Angeles Times Festival of Books.

What is your favorite genre to read? To write?  
No genre stands out in terms of reading.  I love great suspense, great SciFi, a great crime novel like The Godfather,  or a great adventure like The Old Man and the Sea.  The most important thing in any book I read or any movie I see is great plot, dialogue, and characterization.  That's what I try to do when I write any 'Fifi' story.  As for writing obviously love writing Young Adult genre.   As a kid I a great SciFi came to my mind, maybe one of these days I will write it.

Are Happy Endings a must in your stories?
 Absolutely not.  While it would be nice to always have happen endings I'm more concerned about an interesting ending,  For instance Fifi really doesn't have the perfect happy ending.   Not every great book or movie  had a 'happy ending.'  To me what makes the ending important is for the author to capture the reader's curiosity.  Will there be a sequel?  If something tragic happened to the main character perhaps there is a hint of a prequel? 

What makes a protagonist interesting? 
 OK a Realtor says “location, location, location.”  As a writer I say what makes a protagonist interesting is characterization, characterization, characterization.  I try to make Fifi an interesting as possible with all of her 'quirks.'

What is the best thing about being a writer? 

The sense of accomplishment after you have completed the book, the short story, or even the 'silly poem.'

 What is the worst thing?  
Clearly writer's block.  I wish to mention that at times I could actually create a story while waking up from a dream at 4 am or driving around in my car listening to old 70s pop better than sitting in front of a lap top.  I think a lot of other writers probably would say the same thing.  Stories just don't come easily for me sitting in front of a laptop or typewriter.


Pantser or plotter?
Definitely a pantser.  I get a 'Fifi' story in my head and then I write it.  This is what especially did in Diary and Evolved Soul.  Yes I did some planning and outlining for Fifi but a lot of what I put into that book was also 'spontaneous.'

 What do you see the direction of your future writing taking? What can we expect next? Give us a little taste.
The next project is after three 'Fifi' books I'm looking into writing a screenplay.  It's jut that I need to take some classes in writing screenplays.  Also I'm thinking about a YA adult/children's book involving perhaps Fifi as a kid and her spirit guides Goth and Au.

Just for fun

Cat or dog person.
 

Let's see the curiosity of the cat combined with the enthusiasm of the dog?  I still favor dogs, cats are just too sneaky.  Of course I'm a little sneaky.  Fifi sure isn't.  She's hates cats and is definitely a dog person.


Favorite food? 
Yes I am trying to be more vegetarian and couple of days a week

go vegan' but favorite foods?  Come on it's tough, a few candidates and none of them 'rabbit food.'   A juicy porterhouse steak, spaghetti or lasagna and sausage, especially 'my mother's,' spareribs, and I'll never complain about a pizza.  I also love Asian food like sukiyaki, again my mother is pretty good at cooking that.

Favorite book? 

The Godfather, a close second is To Kill a Mockingbird, a close third is The Martian Chronicles, a close fourth is Jaws.
 
Favorite movie?
 The Treasure of Sierra Madre, a close second is The Godfather, a close third is The Exorcist, a close fourth is Giant.Favorite holiday?  By far Christmas.  Family get together s, the best movies of the year are out around that time, the spirit of giving, and of course all my Twitter followers get to read a new 'Fifi' Christmas story or poem.

Would you rather be the princess or the villain? Why?

Do you mean for my gender the prince or villain.  Both?  Just like in Robert Louis Stevenson's The Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde, there is good and evil in all of us.  I convey that with Fifi.  I certainly don't make her Ms. Perfect Goodie Goodie.  There is a good but also evil in Fifi's persona such as her intense jealousy of successful actresses. 
 
Who has more fun, orcs or hobbits? 
Since the orcs were soldiers and henchman of The Hobbit and Lord of the Rings always doing evil deeds it clearly sounds like the hobbits had a lot more fun.

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"Fulfill your destiny Fifi, as you wander through the Wilderness," Goth her spirit guide tells her....
Marcus Dino's latest book 'Practical Advice from an Evolved Soul', an anthology like it's smash hit predecessor, 'Diary of a Mad Gen Yer.' has 21st century actress/heroine Cheryl 'Fifi' Larouche coming back outrageous as ever introducing new 'Silly Stories,' 'Silly Poems,' and 'Silly Blogs', plus an added new twist using the world of Twitter, Fifi's 'Silly Tweets.'

'Practical Advice from an Evolved Soul' is third in a series of 'Fifi's stories following Marcus Dino's top ten Amazon Bestseller 'Diary of a Mad Gen Yer' in addition to his original Hollywood novel 'Fifi.'

Many of the major characters from Mr. Dino's two earlier book are back in 'Evolved Soul' including Fifi's boyfriend Biff, her obstinate father Charles, and her two alien friends from the planet Zatoris, Alocki and Helos. In addition there are some very interesting new characters in 'Evolved Soul' including a long dead Englishman who said he knew great literary figures such as Dickens and Keats called 'The 200 Year Old Great Writer,' and two entities who say they are 'Fifi's Spirit Guides' Goth and Au.

 Both Goth and Au write very inspirational blogs that convey a strong message in the 'Blogs' section of 'Evolved Soul.'

'Practical Advice from an Evolved Soul' is both humorous and inspirational and like it's two predecessors will entertain the reader from beginning to end.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Excerpt One:

 Excerpt from 'A Midsummer Night's Silliness'

QUEEN LYMPHAMA
This is a night when strange demons and vampires arrive to doth try to steal the soul of the innocent…Tonight oh Neptune after the party we shall call the Royal Apothecary who will doth conduct a potient out of bat wings and garlic and the tongues of TV talk show hosts and politicians and other vile and smelly things…And whoever I praytell drinks of this potient will scare off all evil souls and who ever drinks of this potient will be strong as anyone who drinketh such foul and smelly stuff would have to be strong…and crazy…Now.. Come my good king and my subjects let us now go to the party at the palace to intake in wine and merriment….

 (Image of Ghost from Hamlet appears)

 GHOST

What noblest of misfortunes that hath cursed my son Hamlet partakes thou fair Queen? I praytell that I shalt make amends for my son to be of assistance to thee…My son Hamlet at times hath not believed in me…I praytell thou noblest of Queens believe in me as I was once King Denmark…

 QUEEN LYMPHAMA
I hath no misfortune oh Ghost of the King of Denmark…I praytell that thou may get into the minds of casting directors of good theater and good movies and good TV shows of which there are so few in 2012 and convince them of my acting abilities…Now Ghost of the King of Denmark a place where they doth are well known for changing men into women and women into men I doth praytell thou join us at the palace for an evening of wine, song, and merriment….


AUTHOR Bio and Links:
Marcus Dino has always wanted to be a fiction writer as long as he can remember. Living in Southern California plus his being a die hard movie buff has led him to write stories dealing with the struggles and conquests of heroic up and coming Hollywood actress Cheryl 'Fifi' Larouche.

Practical Advice from an Evolved Soul is an anthology and inspirational book and is Mr. Dino's third 'Fifi' series book. His first book, Hollywood novel Fifi was first published in 2003. His second book in ebook format, Diary of a Mad Gen Yer, an anthology and Amazon best seller in it's category, was published in 2009.

Mr. Dino has a Masters degrees in Education and Engineering and is a graduate of Chapman University.   He has a distinguished career as an electronics engineer working for several Aerospace companies and also as a mathematics teacher in Los Angeles area schools.  He currently resides in Santa Maria, California. 

Website: www.summertimeproductions.net

 'Evolved Soul' can also be purchased on major on line bookstores such as www.amazon.com: 


http://www.amazon.com/Practical-Advice-Evolved-Soul-Marcus-ebook/dp/B008X0803S/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1422819096&sr=8-1&keywords=Practical+Advice+from+an+Evolved+Soul&pebp=1422819098393&peasin=B008X0803S

  and Smashwords:  http://www.smashwords.com/books/view/217466

 The printed version of 'Evolved Soul' has just been published and is currently being placed into numerous bookstores.

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A Promise Kept Tour Stop & Giveaway

5/14/2015

3 Comments

 
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BLURB:
Quinn McGuire only wanted to lay her mother to rest. She planned to hustle out of Hayden County, Kentucky once it was all done. The town held nothing but bad memories for her. She’d never forget the echoes of children’s taunts calling her poor trash and whispers about her daddy's crimes. With the exception of her best friend, Jack Lassiter, there was no one in Hayden she cared about - and she’d even been hiding from him for the last two years. But in less than 24-hours after her arrival, Quinn’s brother gets arrested for murder, derailing her plans for a quick exit. Quinn has to find a way to clear his name, but shadows from her past threaten her efforts and her sanity. As she moves closer to the truth, she just may be putting herself in the path of the real killer.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Excerpt One:
Jack was an intentional man who rarely did anything that didn’t serve a purpose. When he trained his shrewd green eyes upward, I realized it had been his aim to touch me. My reaction to his hug earlier hadn’t gone unnoticed.  

 Taking the swing next to him, I pushed off gently and moved back and forth.  

 “How long are you going to be home this time?” he asked. There was no reservation in his voice - no indication there had been a break or shift in our friendship. His easy way belied the fact that we hadn’t spoken in over two years.


Shrugging, I said, “Dunno, a couple of weeks I guess. I figure it will take that long to settle Ava’s affairs - sell the house and do something with the salon.”

 The answer seemed to satisfy him, and an awkward silence settled between us as an afternoon breeze whistled and tossed dry leaves across the yard. We shared the same birth date, but at thirty-eight, there was wisdom in Jack’s face that made him seem wiser than his years.  

I sighed and looked at the sky before speaking. “I’m sorry for not staying in touch.”

He took a sip of coffee and nodded toward me. “And.”

 “And…” I hesitated, “you are… my best friend, and you deserve more than that.”  

 He rolled his eyes. “And... you are going to tell me why you disappeared without a word for two years.”

 Taking a deep breath, I shook my head slowly before looking at him. “No,” I said quietly. “Not yet. I will tell you one day but not right now.”


AUTHOR Bio and Links:
K. S. David lives in the Mid-Atlantic with her husband, their three children and a menagerie of pets.

New storylines are constantly running through her head and she keeps notebooks tucked in pockets of the car, the nightstand and makes voice recordings just about all day long. She's addicted to true life mysteries and crime shows, both of which marry well with a great romance. Some of her favorite things are long walks, reading in bed, baking and of course, writing her next novel.

http://kurdymay.wix.com/k-s-david-romance

https://twitter.com/ksdavidromance
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Permanent Spring Showers Tour & Giveway

5/12/2015

3 Comments

 

Scott D. Southard will be awarding a $10 Amazon/BN GC to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour. Follow the tour by clciking on the sidebar banner.

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BLURB:
Professor Rebecca Stanley-Wilson is having a very bad season.  The ramifications of one torrid evening with one of the great upcoming painters of his generation, will not only be felt across her life but over the entire art world. Sexy, funny, and very surprising, Permanent Spring Showers is the tale of one very memorable springtime and how it impacts a group of unique artists and dreamers. From the the hopeful Olympian with the failing marriage to the writer who is creating a new literary movement (through outright manipulation) to the romantic wondering what he did wrong to drive away the love of his life, each tale walks the line between reality and fantasy. And waiting at the end of the line is a very important painting... and possibly the revolver used in the Lincoln Assassination.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Excerpt One:
“What are you thinking? She’s an escort!”

“I’m in love, Steve. After sitting through the first twenty minutes of this lunch, it’s obvious you certainly still remember what that feeling is like.” He pushed his plate forward.


"But Clark…” I began.

 He interrupted, “And it’s not like she wants to do that her entire life, Steve, if that is what is troubling you. She is doing it to pay for college.”

 I stopped, the car of my mind shifting gears again. “Wait, did you say ‘is’? Do you mean she is still doing it?”

 “Well, times are tough all over,” Clark replied far too calmly for my taste. “Have you seen college tuition rates this year?”

 “And she’s really in college?” I asked, shocked. I began to wonder if I was on one of those TV shows and a camera was hidden in a bush nearby me.

 My shock was perfectly mirrored by the opposite reflection of the casualness of my brother.

 “You didn’t think I would marry an idiot did you, Steve? I need to be mentally challenged, you know that. She is studying education; her dream’s to teach third graders.”

 “You’re engaged to a hooker…”

 “Escort,” he corrected quickly for a third time.

 “Oh, I’m sorry,” I said sarcastically. “You are engaged to an active escort who wants to be an elementary school teacher?”

 “Yes,” Clark said with a dramatic point across the table at me. “And Steve, this is where you come in. You need to help me introduce her to mom and dad.”


enter to win a $10 Amazon/BN GC - a Rafflecopter giveaway.
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Permanent Spring Showers is a fast moving tale of life, frustration, cheating spouses and consequences.  As in real life, everyone seems to want something or someone they don’t have. Cheating is the tool they resort to getting what they think they want. The characters do not foresee the consequences of their actions, which are often long-lasting. More like a rock thrown into a pond that makes concentric circles to the edge.

Most readers will feel sympathetic toward Rebecca as she discovers her cheating spouse and loses her precious books in one fell swoop. They’ll also understand her impulsive need for revenge too. The book is a guilty pleasure for anyone who has wanted revenge on an unfaithful partner.

This serious subject that could turn maudlin is handled in a humorous and page-turning fashion. If all infidelities, heartaches, and divorces could be handled in such a succinct and upbeat fashion, then the world would be a more pleasant place. All that said, it is an entertaining novel, that at times, is also romantic too.

Permanent Spring Showers is a good vacation or weekend book when you want to get away from everything. 


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AUTHOR Bio and Links:
Scott D. Southard is the author of A Jane Austen Daydream, Maximilian Standforth and the Case of the Dangerous Dare, My Problem With Doors, Megan, 3 Days in Rome and Me Stuff in addition to his latest release, Permanent Spring Showers. His eclectic writing has also found its way into radio, as Scott was the creator of the radio comedy series The Dante Experience. The production was honored with the Golden Headset Award for Best MultiCast Audio and the Silver Ogle Award for Best Fantasy Audio Production. Scott received his Master's in writing from the University of Southern California. Scott can be found on the internet via his writing blog “The Musings & Artful Blunders of Scott D. Southard" where he writes on topics ranging from writing, art, books, TV, writing, parenting, life, movies, and writing. He even shares original fiction on the site. His blog can be found at http://sdsouthard.com. Scott is also the fiction book reviewer for WKAR's daily radio show Current State.

http://www.amazon.com/Permanent-Spring-Showers-Scott-Southard-ebook/dp/B00T74HH0Q

https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/permanent-spring-showers/id964243135?mt=11

http://www.smashwords.com/books/view/512831

http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/permanent-spring-showers-scott-d-southard/1121151697?

ean=2940149923335  



enter to win a $10 Amazon/BN GC - a Rafflecopter giveaway.
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The Soul Retrieval Stop & Giveaway

5/11/2015

5 Comments

 

Scroll down to enter $75 Amazon GC Giveaway & follow the tour by clicking on the sidebar banner.

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NOTE: The book will be free on Amazon on May 12, the date of the book blast!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~
BLURB:
Inspired by a true story, The Soul Retrieval is a suspenseful tale of love, loss and healing which follows traumatized southern beauty Henrietta Clayborn as she moves between her home in a small South Carolina town and the New Mexico Native American reservation whose spontaneous healings keep drawing her physician husband back. Tortured by her awful secrets, Henrietta struggles to thrive in either locale, but it is her unlikely friendship with Joe Loco––an eccentric Native American mystic with an Elvis fetish and a gift for healing––that shows her the way to be whole again.

Set in the late 1950s, The Soul Retrieval is richly woven with spiritual insights but also deadly secrets, forbidden healings, a murder mystery, stunning scenery and an unforgettable cast of characters.

 A story of transcendent and inspiring power that is both entertaining and enlightening, readers will be cheering for the uptight woman from South Carolina to push through her fears of the forbidden as she searches for truth and healing, faces great obstacles on the frontier of self and ultimately becomes more than she ever thought possible.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Excerpt One:

“It’s just as Bear foretold,” the Apache said. He closed his eyes and moved his hands in small circles with palms out. “The fire’s burning, but no one’s home in your teepee.”

“Excuse me?”

 “You don’t feel like yourself, you’re feeling vacant and disconnected, like something’s missing.” Joe spoke as he opened his eyes.

She gaped at him in stunned silence before whispering: “How … why would you say something like that?” Henrietta’s heart thumped in her chest as she nervously glanced toward the living room. Her husband was still talking on the phone.

 “Your soul speaks volumes through your eyes.”

 “You see something in my eyes?” And she rubbed them again with her handkerchief.

 “I see what was there, what should be there, but is not now.”

 “Don’t be silly. I’m fine. My eyes were just watering, that’s all.” She winced, knowing that it wasn’t true, hating that she’d become such a liar.

 “It’s okay, I’m here to help,” Joe said. He placed his folded hands on the table after sitting down.

 His smile and disarming empathy surprised Henrietta, but she wasn’t going to be moved by what seemed like a sweet and insightful gesture. Joe Loco was absolutely the last person in the world she’d choose to confide in.

“Don’t worry. It’s obvious your soul has fragmented and is in need of repair,” Joe said with a calm certainty, as if it was an everyday matter to be dealt with.

“What?” Henrietta put her hands down and stared into space, bewildered by his words. In the quietude, the sizzle of the frying eggs and bacon filled the room like a choir of rattlers. My soul has what? When she looked again at Joe, planning to demand exactly what he meant, his eyes were closed, and he was whispering and holding his palms up as though in prayer.

So she placed the cooked food on a plate, poured a glass of milk and put both down in front of him. He opened his eyes and smiled up at her.

 “That’s one of the strangest things I’ve ever heard—a soul fragmenting,” she said. “How would something like that even be possible?”

 “It can happen when we believe or experience something bad we don’t want to face.” He took a bite of eggs and grits, closing his eyes again to savor the combination. “Oh, this is yum-yum,” he said.

 When he looked up, it was Henrietta who was staring.

 “The good news is that lost soul fragments can be recovered and healed. It’s not hard, if you know how, if you know the secret,” Joe said.

 “Are you saying you know how to do that? That you know the secret?”

 “The Great Spirit works hitherto and I work.”

 She crossed her arms. “So what are you, some kind of soul repairman?”
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AUTHOR Bio and Links:
Ann W. Jarvie has a B.A. in journalism and more than twenty-five years’ experience as an award-winning writer in advertising and public relations agencies, both in South Carolina and Chicago. She now lives near Phoenix, Arizona, where she spends part of her time as a freelance copywriter and the rest writing fiction.

The Soul Retrieval was inspired by Jarvie’s maternal grandmother’s fascinating life on Indian reservations, where she lived with her physician husband until his mysterious and untimely death.

www.annwjarvie.com

https://twitter.com/annwjarvie

https://plus.google.com/104972649617453739149/posts

https://www.facebook.com/ann.jarvie1 

Buy link: Book is free from Amazon on the date of the tour.

http://www.amazon.com/Soul-Retrieval-Ann-W-Jarvie/dp/0692368205/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1429907546&sr=8-1&keywords=ann+jarvie+the+soul


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Summer's Family Affair & Giveaway

5/6/2015

3 Comments

 

Cynthia Gail will be awarding a $15 Amazon/BN GC to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour. Make sure to click on side bar banner to follow the tour.

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Summer's Family Affair

by Cynthia Gail

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

BLURB:

Jenny Cohen defines successful independence: she put herself through college, couldn’t ask for better friends, owns a consulting firm, wears designer clothes, and just moved into her dream home . . . But she’s alone, except for her ailing mother whom she supports in a nursing home. As the marketing consultant for Chester, Dorsey & Tanner, she’s surrounded by male attention. Too bad it’s the overly-protective big-brother type.

 Architect, Craig Stone, hasn’t looked at another woman since his wife passed away four years ago. His time is taken—building a career while trying to be both mother and father to his eight-year-old son. But when his appointment with the largest development firm in Nashville is double-booked with a black-haired beauty, he finds himself reaching for new possibilities.

The attraction sets off more fireworks than the Fourth of July. Yet, their relationship is riddled with issues neither one of them expected. Somewhere in the middle they must find a way to compromise or let go of a chance for love they may never find again.

 ~~~~~~~~~~~~

Excerpt One:

 All thought froze, as a beautiful voice cut through the near-silence of the room. Craig stared at the portfolio for just a second more before turning his attention to the front desk. He couldn’t see far enough around the corner to get a good view. What he did see . . . a pair of black strappy stilettos.

 "Better you than me. He’s in an awful mood. Jeffry was out for just three days and his temp messed up the entire week’s schedule.”

 Craig quietly moved down the row of chairs. Though his line of sight was much improved, he still couldn’t see the face behind the voice.

 “You know it’s only going to get worse. It’s just Monday. How bad is it, really?”

 She must be leaning over the desk, because her voice was now a faint whisper and the scene that greeted him was a firm derriere and a pair of runner’s legs that made his heart skip a beat.

 “I’m not sure. I do know that you’re double-booked with the gentleman sitting across the room. Don’t look now.” Someone cleared their throat. “He’s a new architect Nick’s consulting with on the expansion designs. Too expensive to reschedule. Sorry.”

 “Oh.”

 “Brandon’s supposed to be part of their meeting and the temp had it on his calendar for noon tomorrow, instead of nine today.”

 “I guess I can take second place. Only because it puts Brandon at my mercy. Tell Jeffry to come to the lobby and we’ll work it out. I’m always flexible, especially when it gives me an edge.”

 The women laughed, a beautiful melody that rang through his entire being. Craig watched as she straightened and he could now see long, wavy black hair, falling against a ruby-red silk blouse. She reminded him of a Victoria Secrets model—long and lean, with a hint of curve.

 “That’s why I like you so much. It’ll be a few minutes, if you’d like to have a seat.”

 Craig shifted his attention back to the contract in his hand and purposefully read the title five more times. Slowly. He listened as her shoes clicked across the hardwood floor, waiting until the sound stopped before turning in her direction. She’d taken the chair he’d previously occupied and was sliding her phone into a black designer clutch.

 Then she greeted him with a smile that still held a spark of amusement. He took a deep breath and swallowed. She had a hint of summer tan that made her skin glow, a touch of sheer gloss on her lips, and chocolate-brown eyes that instantly warmed him to the core.

 His throat went suddenly dry and his mind raced for something to say. He stared silently, feeling like a teenage boy who’d never spoken to a girl before. Somehow, he found his footing and stood, then walked over to the chair next to hers. “Craig Stone.”
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 AUTHOR Bio and Links:

My husband and I live in the suburbs of Nashville, Tennessee with our three dogs. When I'm not working or writing, I can be found with family and friends. I love to bake in the winter, grill in the summer, and on occasion, I sneak away from everyone and curl up with a good book.

Website:  http://cynthiagail.com/

Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/CynthiaGailRomance

Twitter:  https://twitter.com/CynthiaGailBook

Goodreads:  https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/6564818.Cynthia_Gail

Amazon Author Central:  http://www.amazon.com/Cynthia-Gail/e/B009WQTTQE/ref=sr_ntt_srch_lnk_1?qid=1426743860&sr=8-1

Amazon buy link:  http://www.amazon.com/Cynthia-Gail/e/B009WQTTQE/ref=sr_ntt_srch_lnk_1?qid=1426743860&sr=8-1

Other Books in the series:

Winter’s Magic   http://amzn.to/1Gsi6OM

Spring’s Surprise   http://amzn.to/1Np002k

 


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