Emma will be awarding a $30 Amazon Voucher to one randomly drawn commenter, a print copy of Shannon's Law will be awarded to two randomly drawn commenters and a digital copy of Shannon's Law will be awarded to three randomly drawn commenters during the tour. ALL ENTRANTS get emailed a digital cookery book of recipes (including photos!) for meals/food eaten in Shannon's Law. The book is called 'Cops Cuisine'. 

Thank you so much for letting me showcase my forthcoming steamy action-romance novel SHANNON’S LAW. It’s  the second in my PASSION PATROL series - stories where sassy female cops lock up the criminals and always get their man.

February marks the start of my “Pinterest Reveal Virtual Book Tour” in the run-up to the launch on the 28th February 2014. 


Every day there are feature posts on topics relating to SHANNON’S LAW on blogs all around the world.  They’re all linked together on one big Pinterest Board. Each post replaces a ‘mystery’ silhouette that was posted in January. I saved all  my notes and photos as I was writing, on a private Pinterest Board and now I can share them with you.

A 1962 Vespa Motor Scooter

(attribution Creative Commons license  CCBY http://flickr.com/photos/26045503@N05/3876990951)

For a female, some say I have an unhealthy interest in vehicles. How sexist can a woman be? Men never mind me talking to them about cars and motorbikes. It's the girls who turn off when I wave my oily rag, checkered flag or turbo lag. All the same, few would deny that vehicles form part of the social fabric of society and not just because of their function. Just the idea of a pink Cadillac with fins conjures up the notion of  American optimism and exuberance of the late 50's and  60's.

In the UK the motor scooter remains an icon of the “Mod” period. As vehicles they were unreliable and smelly. For a “Mod” the ownership of a scooter was essential.    A “Mod” was a youth of the 1960's driven by notions of fashion and popular music. The scooter represented a stylish Italian design as opposed to the more traditional motorbikes of the “Rockers” with whom the “Mods” fought celebrated street battles.

All this was before my time but various “Mod” revivals have caught my attention. To be honest I think I would have preferred a power bike to a scooter. In terms of media the scooters have won the day. The movie “Quadrophenia”  remains a cult classic forever associated with the music the The Who and the motor scooter.  In “Shannon's Law” one of these machines makes an early appearance. This particular model is called a Vespa which means wasp in Italian.

The motorcyclist had turned off the engine. Shannon spotted the key in case she had to grab it.

BLURB
Wild child inner-city cop Shannon Aguerri walks a dangerous line between her methods and justice. When the bosses lose their nerve, after yet another maverick mission, she is transferred to green pastures to play out the role of a routine village cop. When she encounters signs of slave and drug trafficking she homes in on serious millionaire criminals.

As a loner she has attracted men but nothing has stuck. When she meets Spencer, the hunky and widowed Earl of Bloxington, there is an immediate rapport between them. Their social differences mean nothing to their passion and need. 

Already in the mix is an upper class female rival – who has long plotted her way into the Earl's bed. The jealousy is an evil shade of green and the anger is a violent scarlet. 

Often inhibited by a sense of duty and honour, Spencer is slow to reveal his feelings. When Shannon confronts him with the need to choose between her word and that of her rival, he does not immediately support her.

All issues are set aside, when they are forced together to carry out a desperate rescue mission. Their love is stronger than everything ranged against them.

SHANNON’S LAW comes out on February 28th 2014 in print and digital formats for all e-readers.

 Amazon are offering some great discounts for pre-orders of the paperback version

(29% off in USA,     12% off in the UK).

You can pre-order the digital version at a pre-launch special price from Nook, Kobo, and iTunes. It will also be available in all digital formats on Smashwords

See this post and others from my tour as they go live on Pinterest or click the Goddess Fish panel below to visit the other blogs in the tour.

Follow Shannon’s Law on Facebook

Visit the Shannon’s Law Website for book details and pre-order information.

RAFFLECOPTER DRAW

Win Amazon vouchers, copies of the book PLUS a free gift for every entrant (see prizes below).

Companion Cook-Book

In addition to SHANNON’S LAW, I’m launching a companion digital cook-book with illustrated recipes for all the meals from the novel.

 It’s called  COP’S KTICHEN - Read the love story and taste the romance!

To celebrate the launch of SHANNON’S LAW, there is a special FREE gift for you in my RAFFLECOPTER draw. As well as great, unique prizes to win, EVERY ENTRANT will get their own digital copy of – COP’S KITCHEN. There are many ways to get bonus chances – by commenting on this post, liking Facebook Pages etc.

Main Prizes in the Draw:

$30/£20/€25 Amazon Gift Voucher, 2 paperback copies of Shannon’s Law, 3 digital copies of Shannon’s Law.

Shannon’s Law comes out in paperback and digital formats for all e-readers

on February 28th 2014.

Emma Calin’s Website

Emma Calin’s Twitter

Emma Calin’s Facebook

About.me page: http://about.me/emmacalin

Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/4915751.Emma_Calin

BLURB:  
Annie O'Malley's dream of owning a secondhand bookstore in tight-knit Audubon Springs is coming true. Still reeling from her parents' sudden deaths, she believes that signs or messages can be found within the pages of books. She loves her job and has made plenty of friends but longs for the acceptance only love and a family can provide.

Tony Iuliano is there to fix the wiring in her shop. He doesn't believe in fate, magic, or the power of a good book. All this combined with his sexy-as-sin presence and all-knowing attitude infuriates Annie. The quirky bookworm intrigues him enough to accept her bet to read a book from her shop. When he discovers a stack of fifty-year-old love letters in the book, he wants to leave the past alone, but seeing it as a sign, Annie challenges him to read the letters and search for the long-lost lovers or lose the bet.

While shaking the dust off several ill-fated romances and fighting their attraction at every turn, the pair soon become the town gossip daily special. If they can stop arguing long enough, they may just discover this particular sign was meant for them all along.

Excerpts 

“I thought you were the best electrician in town and this would only take one day?” Annie cocked her head to one side, eyebrows raised.

“Your wires are fairly complicated, which comes as absolutely no surprise. I need a few parts.” The damn woman drove him nuts.

With her eyes fixed on his she deliberately pulled the string from the stack of old letters in her hand.

“What are you doing?”  He reached across the counter, but Annie hastily moved the letters behind her back. “Hey! According to you and fate, I’m supposed to read those.”

“You are, but seeing as you’re too chicken, I’m going to have to.”

“It has nothing to do with being chicken. It’s a matter of privacy and respect, something you’d understand if you grew up in this town.”

“Tomato, tom-ah-to.” She shrugged.

Tony charged behind the counter and lunged for the documents. She jumped out of his reach and turned to run, but he wrapped an arm around her tiny waist and pulled her back. When she tried to wriggle free, he turned her until she was pinned against the wall. With his body hovering dangerously close to hers, he inhaled the scent of her hair – oranges and sunshine – and when she emitted a slight gasp, his groin tightened.

Damn. 

AUTHOR INFORMATION:

 

RoseAnn DeFranco grew up in upstate NY with her nose in a book and a song in her heart. Following the pursuit of a musical theatre career in NYC, she turned her creative energy to writing romance. RoseAnn blogs about her writing experiences with her critique partners at www.the violetfemmes.com. A NJ shore transplant, she enjoys time spent at the beach with her family. She would love to one day live in a quaint shore town like the fictional town Audubon Springs from her BROTHERS OF AUDUBON SPRINGS series.  More information about these Contemporary Romantic Comedies can be found at www.radefranco.com.

Web links: www.radefranco; www.thevioletfemmes.com; @radefranco; https://www.facebook.com/#!/roseanndefrancoauthor

 Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/18586846-return-to-audubon-springs

Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Return-Audubon-Springs-Brothers-ebook/dp/B00FDSL792/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1380163799&sr=8-1&keywords=return+to+audubon+springs

Buy Links:  Grab it now, while it's only .99. I downloaded my copy. MKW

Amazon

Blurb 

Two friends face danger in the cold Colorado mountains.

M.J. Stewart has written an entertaining adventure story featuring two young teens who are easy to like and easy to relate to. Derek is struggling with very serious issues and his best friend Janae is right there with him the whole way. Even with terrible blizzards, abandonment, dangerous tough guys after Derek, and an almost-step-dad that he doesn't like or trust, Derek, along with Janae, takes on the tough job of doing what needs to be done. 


 

Excerpt One:

“You know we’re missing an ultimate powder rush, because we have to ride in this goofy sleigh,” Derek said to Janae.

“Here you go,” Janae said. “Ruining this amazing experience because of your grumpiness.”

“Not grumpy on the slopes today,” Derek said. “Thomas spent lots of bucks on this trip, but I wish he’d stop acting like my dad, or really my Fake Dad.”

“Be nicer to your mom’s friend.”

“Easy for you to say,” Derek retorted. “Want to do the rails with me tomorrow?”

“Maybe. You were so full of yourself ripping through the pow,” Janae teased. “You’re a hucker, and you’ll try whatever trick you see another guy doing. You charge fast, fly through the air, and sometimes you even land upright.”

“I’m not a hucker. Wish I could lay down some cool tricks like the pros do,” Derek said.

“I saw you rolling down the windows a couple of times,” Janae said. “I’ll stick to the jumps.”

“Guess you’ll do anything to catch your balance. I like my cool Burton board I got at the rental shop. Except the left strap gave me trouble,” Derek complained.

“So that’s your excuse for not landing tricks,” Janae said.

AUTHOR Bio and Links:

M.J. Stewart is a Colorado author and lives in Colorado Springs. Her love for the outdoors has provided many exciting adventures and include downhill skiing, biking, hiking, camping, and nature photography.

Facebook   Twitter   Amazon Buy Site

 

BLURB:

I’d always been different. I saw objects in the night where others saw emptiness. Large, human shaped shadows, fierce yet beautiful, melting into the darkness. I collected secrets like other women collected bells; afraid to fully trust lest my oddities be exposed.

Until I saw him. He’d been gliding down the street, unshakable confidence in every step. It wasn’t just that he was breathtakingly handsome with perfect features. Something about him drew me. Sucked my focus to him and then tugged at my body. As his eyes met mine, I was entrapped.

No one had noticed him. He’d been right there, just beyond the light, but only I had perceived.

I had to know if he was real. Or maybe I really was crazy. And even when my secret box was blasted wide open, dangers hurled at me like throwing knives, I couldn’t stop until I unraveled his true identity.

I just had to know.

“She was fated to live.”

“Then why must you save her?”

“Often Fate is struck down by dumb luck.”

Excerpt:

As I met his black eyes, his puzzled expression deepened. “You’re human…”

“We established that, yes. What I want to know is, if I am human, what does that make you? And why do I notice you when others usually don’t?”

His head cocked to the side. His easy balance, his lethal edge; he was like a blade resting on billowing silk. “Very few humans are able to withstand our pheromones. Fewer still to break a Kolma once it has been placed. You’ve not been trained, that’s obvious, so how is this possible when you’re definitely human? Do you possess the blood of another species?”

I could barely think past the pounding ache of my body, begging to touch him. I needed to get a grip! He was revealing some very interesting factoids that I needed to jot down in my mental notebook.

His nostrils flared. “Charles was right; your arousal is a unique scent. Like a spicy, warm drink on a mid-winter’s night. It rises above other smells, entrancing the mind.”


 

AUTHOR Bio and Links:

A wine country native, K.F. Breene moved to San Francisco for college just shy of a decade ago to pursue a lifelong interest in film. As she settled into the vibrant city, it quickly became apparent that, while she thought making and editing films was great fun, she lacked cinematic genius. For that reason, her career path quickly changed direction. Her next goal was a strange childhood interest, conjured at the dining room table while filling out a form. For some reason, her young self wanted to be an accountant. Thinking on it now, she often wonders how she had any friends. Regardless, it was the direction she finally took.

While she could wrangle numbers with the best of 'em, and even though she wore the crown as the most outspoken, belligerent accountant in the world, her mind got as stuffy as her daily routine. It was here that she dusted off her creative hat and began writing. Now she makes movies in her head, not worried about lighting, shutter speed or editing equipment. Turns out, a computer is much easier to manage than a crowd of actors. She should know, she was an actor at one time.

 Website: KFBreene.com

Twitter: @KFBreene

Facebook for friending: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100005776656934

Facebook author page (for liking): https://www.facebook.com/AuthorKF


During the tour INTO THE DARKNESS is free at Amazon and Barnes and Noble.

Buy  links:
BN  http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/into-the-darkness-kf-breene/1118174619?ean=9781494968526

Amazon  http://www.amazon.com/Into-Darkness-1-K-F-Breene-ebook/dp/B00HZLCINE/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&am p;qid=1391690818&sr=8-1&keywords=into+the+darkness+breene

iTunes: https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/into-the-darkness/id754780178?mt=11

BLURB:

Jeb, a former slave, rescues his brother-in-law Crispus from the Ku Klux Klan, only to be drawn into a world of Creole Voodoo, racism, time travel, and redemption.

Verdiss, the leader of the Ku Klux Klan has gained possession of the Pharaoh's Staff, a magical artifact from ancient Egypt and concocted a diabolical plan far more insidious than himself.

In the end, Jeb and Crispus must stop an entire people from eradication and each find redemption for their own past sins.

 





 

Excerpt One:

Small rib bones clattered on the wooden table, where several black and red candles burned, their flames dancing like a company of elegant danseuses. There was a sense of power in the air. The old conjure-woman felt its prick at the back of her throat as she studied the animal bones. La’Rita was a Haitian woman with a cape of dreadlocks. She would have been beautiful were it not for the boils covering her face—and that her eyes were devoid of any color. La’Rita leaned over the table, shifting her weight in the chair. Shelves and desks filled with jars of grotesque, rotten items surrounded her. Foul-smelling roots and herbs filled some. Rancid liquids filled others to preserve the dead animals they held. Leather-bound books occupied some of the shelves, many etched with strange, archaic symbols.

“Ah, yes,” La’Rita whispered as she looked deeper into the bones. Images danced and twirled across the table, outlined by the dim candlelight. Her empty eyes poured over the phantasms, one by one. Stiff metal birds soared through the open sky, dropping massive pipes. La’Rita shuddered, feeling a sinister force was responsible for the contraptions. The form of an ancient staff passed through her vision. It held within it a great power. Metal boxes on wheels and metallic belts rolled across broken and burning landscapes, fire bursting from their elongated snouts.

Her body shook, spasms rushing up from her feet.

Apparitions whirled around La’Rita, changing, appearing, and dissipating into air. The tremors grew. La’Rita’s entire body shook. She struggled to stay in her chair.

A grizzled man wisped by her eyes. Then the fit ceased. He’d gone by fast enough that La’Rita hadn’t a chance to notice his features. Only his dark skin. She squinted her eyes, spotting the faintest aura in the air. A man with a fine mustache. La’Rita’s head throbbed as if a miner were taking a pick to it. The room shook. Was it her moving or the room?

Her gaze met the phantasmal man’s wretched eyes. The ghostly image made La’Rita sick to her stomach. Utter evil oozed out of this simple-looking man. Too much to bear. Her eyes rolled back. Darkness descended.

AUTHOR Bio and Links:

Lane earned a BA in Liberal Arts with a focus on literature and history. He also holds a double minor in psychology and business. He is a literary assistant with The Seymour Agency, and also has several short stories. He is a member of the Horror Writers Association, Historical Novel Society, and International Thriller Writers.

Links:

Website (www.laneheymont.com)

Twitter: @LaneHeymont ( https://twitter.com/LaneHeymont )

Facebook: www.Facebook/Lheymont

Amazon:  http://www.amazon.com/The-Freedman-Pharaohs-Staff-ebook/dp/B00BH4RDX0

B&N: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-freedman-and-the-pharaohs-staff-lane-heymont/1114586485?ean=9781620061626

Sunbury Press, Inc.: http://www.sunburypressstore.com/The-Freedman-and-the-Pharaohs-Staff-9781620061626.htm

BLURB:  

 
Meet Robby Aihn, the newest star in the self-help universe and author of the runaway bestseller, Realizing You, now struggling with his first taste of fame. Though his five principles for good living are changing other people’s lives, his own life is starting to fall apart. When Robby stages a lavish self-help conference in Dallas, he attracts others with their own secrets: his estranged wife and unhappy teenage daughter; the businessman pursuing his own agenda; the all-star pitcher facing the end of his career; and the shy co-author Robby never acknowledged, who is searching for meaning in her own life. Join Robby and the others on their journey toward understanding and fulfillment, in this truly novel approach to changing YOUR life.




 




Excerpt 
Liz liked him like this—listening to other people’s problems, thinking about how to help them. This was the Robby whose principles in coaching and teaching had been the basis of his bestselling book. They were solid principles, and he’d taught them for years, and Liz knew herself that they did change people’s lives.

The Robby she had trouble admiring had emerged as the book shot up the bestseller lists. Always neat and well groomed, he’d now become fanatically clothes-conscious. He’d recently begun to order custom-made suits and add monograms to his expensive English shirts. While she decided how many new computers they needed for the office, he flew to New York for fittings with the city’s most exclusive tailor. She hired and trained new staff, and he consulted a professional colorist and lightened his hair.

When Robby solicited her opinion afterward, Liz asked, “What about the people who were fans before, some of our biggest customers? Won’t these flashy changes bother them?”

“You’re not looking at the big picture,” he said patiently. “These people are coming to me for answers. They expect to see someone who has them.”

Liz chose her words carefully. “And someone who has the answers is—attractive? Youthful? Using a facelift?”

“Stop it.” He glared at her. “The spa people I talked to said weekly facials were a good idea. They said it would make my skin softer and make me seem more approachable.”

Liz couldn’t think of any polite answer to that.

The current Robby had shown up after Marie moved out. It didn’t help that Liz knew why. But what did his wife expect him to do, now that he was finally creating a national impression?

It’s difficult seeing him humbled, Liz thought. Robby had worked a long time for success and done whatever was necessary, cheerfully and willingly, to achieve it. Yeah, he’d gone overboard with the glitzy success guy. It was still hard watching him hurt—not because he’d failed, but because he’d succeeded, after years of striving.  And seeing him hurt over his family’s defection upset Liz. It wasn’t right, but there was nothing she could do about it.

Liz thought all these things while she watched Robby stare out the window. Sad that things hadn’t been good for him personally since the publication of Realizing You.

Professionally, things were fantastic. The book was a runaway bestseller, the website hits had gone crazy, Robby’s online presence had gone viral. One month after the book shot to number one, Liz arranged joint ventures, after five years of trying, with three of the top personal-development people in the country, all who eagerly endorsed Robby’s work and sought his endorsement as well.

They’d taken a huge step forward. Robby’s plan, scrawled on a piece of paper torn from a dime-store notebook, was starting to come true, in a big way. He’d been aiming at this success for a decade, and he’d brought in Liz five years ago to set up the structure and foundation while he set about becoming the persona in whom people could put their faith.

Both of them had succeeded, but now Robby was failing in all the important areas of his life.

 

AUTHOR INFORMATION:RON DOADES is president of Ronald Doades & Company, a consulting firm that, since 1977, has helped the people of large and mid-size energy companies improve their individual and corporate performance results by learning from the best-practice experiences of others. A popular speaker on the topic of managing change for optimal results, he holds an MBA from Columbia University and an MS in Psychology from The New School in New York City. Visit him at www.realizingyoubook.com

SUSAN SLOATE is the author of twenty published books, including STEALING FIRE, a #2 Amazon bestseller and Quarter-Finalist in the 2012 Amazon Breakthrough Novel Award Contest, and FORWARD TO CAMELOT (authored with Kevin Finn), which in its first edition was a #6 Amazon bestseller, took honors in 3 literary competitions and was optioned for film by a Hollywood production company. She lives in Mount Pleasant, SC. Visit her online at http://susansloate.com. 

BLURB:
A sixteen-year-old on her first heist to steal an ancient Egyptian amulet inadvertently receives the soul of King Tut…and the deadly curse that comes with it.

 And Olivia is not alone at the museum.
 
A member of a secret Society, Xander believes it is his place to inherit King Tut’s soul and justly rule. He knows nothing about the society’s evil plan to control the world or the curse. Now, he must deal with the female imposter who stole the amulet.

Xander convinces Olivia they must form a temporary partnership. The two teens develop a connection, and together they must figure out how to end the curse before it turns deadly. On the run, unable to touch because of the curse, and dealing with a male soul inside her female body, Olivia must learn to trust Xander. 

As the mystery surrounding the amulet unfolds, Olivia and Xander start to fall for each other. But is love enough to save them and the world from destruction?


Follow the tour by clicking on the book cover.

Talking with Allie Burton

Are you a romantic?  Yes. I love romantic gestures, romance novels, and sappy movies.

Do you listen to music when you’re writing?
No. I think it was Nora Roberts who said, “Silence is my music.”

Do you read your stories out loud?
Scenes that have been particularly difficult to write or that I’ve revised drastically I read out loud. That way I can hear the rhythm

What are your future ambitions?
I’ve been working on a couple of middle grade stories that I’d loved to get published.





AUTHOR Bio and Links:

Allie Burton

Allie didn’t realize having so many jobs would become great research material for the stories she writes. She has been everything from a fitting room attendant to a bike police officer to a professional mascot escort. She has lived on three continents and in four states and has studied art, fashion design, marine biology, and advertising.

When her kids asked, “when are you going to write a story we can read?” she switched from adult novels to Young Adult and Middle Grade and hasn’t looked back.

Allie is a member of the Society of Children’s Book Writers & Illustrators, Romance Writers of America including the Young Adult, Dallas Area Romance Writers and Heart of the Rockies chapters. She is also a member of Rocky Mountain Fiction Writers. Currently, she lives in Colorado with her husband and two children.

www.allieburton.com

www.twitter.com/Allie_Burton

www.Facebook.com/AllieBurtonAuthor

www.wattpad.com/AllieBurton

Excerpt Three:

(from Chapter Twenty-Seven)

My spot of defiance hadn’t stopped him. My elation plummeted like my spit. X now had the final ingredient.

Smoke rose from the cup. Colors swirled, mixing and combining like a wacky rainbow. My gaze followed the motion unwillingly entranced. I couldn’t take my gaze off of this creation. The contents glowed with a strange aura.

A light flashed sending a bolt of lightning through the room. I flinched from the heat.

The goons’ hold loosened. X watched with an awed expression on his face.

A sphere formed in the cup. Colors of red and blue and yellow shaped the orb. The colors flamed and burned into a bright yellow. The shiny ball rose on a layer of smoke like the sun on a cloudy day.

I’d never seen anything so fantastical. I held my breath as the orb rose above the alabaster cup and floated like a balloon.

X stepped toward the globe. “Did you know glass was first developed around the time of King Tut’s reign?” He angled his head examining the glass globe of sun. “The golden glass will act like a controller.”

“You can’t control a king.” Or a pharaoh. Or me.

“While I was promised to host King Tut, the conditions weren’t right the year I turned sixteen.” X’s voice grew bitter. His eyebrows came together in a straight line mourning the loss of his own power. “The Society didn’t even read the chant, already knowing through advances in science that an eclipse would not happen on the summer solstice of that year. I became a regular person, just another man in the Society.”

Having the power had been cool, but not if I couldn’t control it. Not if I couldn’t touch the people I loved. Xander’s name whispered through my chest.

“I was promised the soul and the power but never told about the burn out until later.” X’s voice rose higher, angrier. “The Society betrayed me, betrayed every Xander throughout the centuries.”

“Then why are you doing this to me?”

BLURB:

Leanna Matthews enjoys flying below the radar. She does well in school, has a few close friends and hides the fact she’s an astral-traveling telekinetic. But there’s no escaping her creepy dreams or Simora, the bizarre little spirit lady, that suddenly pops out of nowhere to warn her against keeping secrets and predicts an encounter with a sinister evil. For the first time in forever someone…or something…is on to her.

But life turns around when Leanna meets Piper one sunny afternoon. She’s inexplicably drawn to him, almost as if she’s been waiting for him to come. Forbidden to have a boyfriend Leanna throws caution to the wind, lying to her family and friends to be with him, while ignoring Simora’s ominous message.

Yet Piper has a secret of his own. He is on a mission and Leanna, unwittingly, is the key.

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

EXCERPT 
Leanna Matthews craved for ordinary in the least extraordinary way.  She enjoyed a few close friends, shopping at the mall and perhaps a nice romance novel every now and again.  Routine was good, early mornings were better…and life was extremely complicated.

She squirmed restlessly in Biology – the final, insufferable class of the day – listening to Ms. Alvarado drone on-and-on about non-polar bonds in her last, torturous act of the term.  Somewhere between ‘atom’ and ‘electronegativity,’ Leanna nodded off, nearly conking her head on the desk while daydreaming of summer vacation:  shopping, beach, friends, shopping, vacation, shopping, sun, shopping, but not necessarily in that order. 

Someone snickered from behind, no doubt amused by her wobbly head, as her eyelids grew heavier.  Shut-up Ms. Alvarado, she thought bitterly.  Thank God that in less than 20 minutes ninth grade would be officially over!  School, and all its stupid inhabitants (present company included), would be history for a good two months; or rather two months too short - but it didn’t matter.  Somewhere a beach chair sat waiting on white, fluffy sand and a plane ticket had her name stamped all over it.  The fun was just about to begin!

Or so she thought.

That next morning, instead of awakening to the sweet taste of freedom, Leanna lay whimpering, shivering feverishly in her sleep.  She curled tightly into a knot as a tiny beam of light crept through the shutters while she slept, casting eerie shadows on the wall - one of which grew abnormally in size until completely encircling the white canopy bed.  

Interview with Author Kiera Des Anges

1. What have you got coming soon for us to look out for?

Leanna isn’t finished with her story!  There are lots of adventures yet to come.  I’m hoping to be finished in the next couple of months.

2.  Which Star Trek or Star Wars character are you most like?

I think I am a lot like Spock.  I’m not as smart, but I tend to all on the logical side.  Things just have to make sense.

3.  Who would you most like to be stranding on a desert island with?  Least?  Why?

If I was stranded on a desert island I want to be with my husband.  He is smart, resourceful and always has my back. 

4.  First book you remember making an indelible impression on you. 

Are You There God?  It’s Me, Margaret.  It’s still an idyllic coming of age story.  Judy Blume is a wonderful storyteller.

5.  If you could only eat one food the rest of your life, what would it be?

Chocolate Cookies from Toll House.  They’re definitely my weakness!

6.  If you were a shifter, what animal would you like to be?

The Bald Eagle.  They are powerful fliers and fearless and strong.  That sounds cool.
AUTHOR Bio and Links:

By day, Keira des Anges has the distinct pleasure of assisting teenagers with disabilities find employment, empowering one life at a time. By night, she is a chew toy for her dog and cat and avid reader of anything spooky, magical and totally out of this world.  She lives in sunny Florida with her husband and two kids.

Twitter:  @KeiradesAnges

Facebook:  www.facebook.com/KeiraDesAnges

Website:  www.keiradesanges.com

Amazon:   http://www.amazon.com/Flick-ebook/dp/B00D8MW7EE/ref=la_B00DCFJYB6_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1379722174&sr=1-1

The authors will award a digital copy of the book to five randomly drawn commenters and one grand prize of a $50 Amazon GC will be awarded to a randomly drawn commenter from this tour and the review tour.

Click on book cover to follow tour and improve odds.

BLURB:
Once and Forever -  An anthology

By Mary Blayney, Elaine Fox, Emelle Gamble, Lavinia Kent and introducing Evie Owens

From five compelling authors, five original novellas which will make you laugh and cry, and believe in a love that once found will last forever. Meet a duke, a psychic, a bodyguard and a professor…and one "guardian fairy" in absorbing stories ranging from regency and contemporary romance to paranormal and women's fiction.

Playing for Keeps by Mary Blayney

Actress Kendall Marshall is determined to get an autograph for her sick sister from famous TV personality Mike O’Hara, the Oprah Winfrey of sports. In the process she meets his brother, security consultant Steve Marshall, lands a job on O’Hara’s show and gets in the way of a man set on causing big trouble. As the stalkers attacks escalate, Steve and Kendall are thrown together and find it impossible to ignore the chemistry between them.

The Princess & the Pinot by Elaine Fox

When a beautiful woman shows up at the Vineyard Inn, wine manager Kim is certain she’s been sent by fate for the inn’s owner, Cooper. Self-effacing to a fault, Kim knows she can’t hold a candle to Principessa Bella, who also seems to know even more about wine than Kim herself, but her heart has belonged to Cooper since they shared one kiss as teenagers.

While Prin sweeps easily into the job of sommelier at the renowned inn, Kim is afraid Prin will sweep just as surely into Cooper’s arms if she doesn’t do something about it. Can she tell Cooper how she feels without losing even his friendship?

Kim is willing to try except for one problem: she’s almost certainly losing her mind. Or is that belching, swearing, smoking, farting fairy – who claims to be trying to help her – real?

Duets by Emelle Gamble

Duets offers alternating looks into the lives of two women who would seem to have little or nothing in common.

Screen star Molly Harper is on the verge of marrying a man who has swept her off her feet, thought perhaps hasn’t swept all her feelings for her first love away. Anne Sullivan, happily married for twenty-five years, is fighting to hold onto the man she loves, and hold off a confrontation that could shatter her family’s image of what they are.

Duets confronts a past secret that ties these two women’s lives together, just as chance events turn Molly and Anne’s worlds upside down. 

Never and Forever by Lavinia Kent           

Never and Forever is the beginning of the love story of two people who shouldn’t belong together.  Molly, Miss Wilkes, runs an employment agency helping women of quality find positions perfected suited to their characters.  Although her father held the title of Earl for just over a week before his death, Molly has never wanted to be a lady.  She knows her place in this world – and it is not at the center of society.

The Duke of Radford also knows his place in this world – and it’s above everybody else’s.  He cannot imagine a world without all the privilege and power that comes from being Radford.  He’s had foreign princesses and heiresses dangled before him for years.  Why would he ever have interest in a simple woman who doesn’t even understand that she should want to be a duchess?

Can these two overcome the obstacles of their own beliefs and realize that love can make all things possible?

Never and forever are both a very long time.  Where will their love fit?

The Psychic Detective by Evie Owens

Psychic Martin Sterling doesn't trust cops--and the feeling is mutual. Detective Erin Healy needs more than a ghost story to save her job and reputation. Her partner is dead, a million dollars in drugs and money is missing, and all the evidence points to her.

Can a sexy psychic and a by the book cop, trapped between the living and the dead, unearth the truth? Or will a cold-blooded killer get away with it all...

~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Excerpt One:

“All we want is an autograph for Cassie. Who would turn down the wish of a girl waiting for a heart transplant? It can’t hurt to ask.”

Jessica rolled her eyes and Kendall knew her sister was almost convinced.

“Kendall, he’s a mega talk show host and will have a boatload of security.” Jessica nodded toward the edge of the set. “For example, who’s that guy over there watching us?”

Kendall looked over and stopped short. He was leaning against one of the old trees that lined the street, wearing a black lightweight jacket and apparently enjoying the scenery. No way was he part of a security team.

He smiled at her. It was a combo of friendly and come-on and Kendall only nodded back. But her whole body registered his whole body in a way that made her wish he was something other than a guy who had nothing better to do than pretend he was a part of a tree.

Apparently her glance was all he needed. Kendall swore very quietly when he straightened and came toward them.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
ONE MORE KISS:
“Mary Blayney’s newest Regency romance is a genuine pleasure to read”(NY Journal of Books)
“One More Kiss is a delightful combination of social comedy, slight mystery, and sweet romance. It’s a thoroughly charming novel, well worth a read.” . . .(NY Journal of Books)
MIRROR MIRROR anthology, “If Wishes Were Horses”
Debut at #3 New York Times Mass Market List October 2013
“Blayney's wish-granting coin entwines a pair of lonely adventure seekers in romance beyond their lives as a servant and a sergeant in her charming 1816 fantasy, If Wishes Were Horses. . . .” (Publishers Weekley, October 2013)

12-20-13 Writer Wonderland blog tour for Once and Forever

Interview with Mary Blayney

Tell us about yourself:

What was your first book? Is that my first book that sold? Cause there were a few that didn’t before I finally sold TRUE COLORS to then Silhouette Desire a long, long time ago.  Set in a small town in Wisconsin it’s the story of a very famous TV actor who meets the one woman whose never heard of him.

The attraction is there from the first confrontation but what surprises them both is the values that they share.

Describe your first break. Moving from Juneau Alaska, where I had three great part time jobs. A place I wanted to stay forever. Then my husband got transferred and I really did love him more than Juneau. So I decided to try my hand at writing, something I had always wanted to do. It was a consolation prize for leaving Alaska. In time I saw that move as my first big break!

What is your favorite genre to read? 

 I want to read stories that make me feel better about the universe in whatever genre. When it comes to writing I love the regency world I have created but also have found renewed pleasure in a return to the sweet contemporary romances that were my first success.

What makes a protagonist interesting?

 Great question which means I’m not really sure. Here are two thoughts off the top of my head (though I would prefer to discuss this with a group before answering) I would say honor at the core of their being especially when it is well hidden. I love characters who find life an adventure in the best possible way and share it with others.


What is the best thing about being a writer?

 Living in that alternate universe where the world is mind to command (barring a few really annoying characters like Marguerite in HIS LAST LOVER and William Bendasbrook in several of the Pennistan books)

What is the worst thing?
 Rejection

Pantser or plotter?
 Panster

What do you see the direction of your future writing taking? What can we expect next? 
Give us a little taste. 
Ooooh there are so many stories I have to tell! But what is happening next for sure is the release of FATHER CHRISTMAS which is the back story of Kendall Marshall the heroine  in my ONCE AND FOREVER novella “Playing for Keeps” That will be followed this winter by her sister, Jessica’s story. Here is the opening few lines from that “The rest of my life began with a kiss. My sister Kendall does not agree. ‘Jessica, the rest of both our lives began when we met Steve and Mike O’Hara.’ And for her that’s true. But not for me. It took a lot longer for me to see Mike O’Hara for the wonder he is.”

Just for fun

Cat or dog person?
 Dog

Favorite food? 
Hot fudge sundae at Serenditpity

Favorite book? 
CORDELIA’S HONOR by Lois McMaster Bujold                                    

Favorite movie? 
Impossible to chose just one. My most recent favorite was The Avengers

Favorite vacation destination  (you just have to want to go there)  
Barryar (see Lois Mc Master Bujold science fiction series the Vorkosigan Saga)

Blurb for Once and Forever:

Once and Forever   An anthology

By Mary Blayney, Elaine Fox, Emelle Gamble, Lavinia Kent and introducing Evie Owens

From five compelling authors, five original novellas which will make you laugh and cry, and believe in a love that once found will last forever. Meet a duke, a psychic, a bodyguard and a professor…and one "guardian fairy" in absorbing stories ranging from regency and contemporary romance to paranormal and women's fiction.

Blurb for Playing for Keeps by Mary Blayney

Actress Kendall Marshall is determined to get an autograph for her sick sister from famous TV personality Mike O’Hara, the Oprah Winfrey of sports. In the process she meets his brother, security consultant Steve O’Hara, lands a job on O’Hara’s show and gets in the way of a man set on causing big trouble. As the stalkers attacks escalate, Steve and Kendall are thrown together and find it impossible to ignore the chemistry between them.

Excerpt from Playing for Keeps by Mary Blayney

“All we want is an autograph for Cassie. Who would turn down the wish of a girl waiting for a heart transplant? It can’t hurt to ask.”

Jessica rolled her eyes and Kendall knew her sister was almost convinced.

“Kendall, he’s a mega talk show host and will have a boatload of security.” Jessica nodded toward the edge of the set. “For example, who’s that guy over there watching us?”

Kendall looked over and stopped short. He was leaning against one of the old trees that lined the street, wearing a black lightweight jacket and apparently enjoying the scenery. No way was he part of a security team.

He smiled at her. It was a combo of friendly and come-on and Kendall only nodded back. But her whole body registered his whole body in a way that made her wish he was something other than a guy who had nothing better to do than pretend he was a part of a tree.

Apparently her glance was all he needed. Kendall swore very quietly when he straightened and came toward them.

 

Bio for Mary Blayney

NY Times Best Selling author Mary Blayney’s first two romances were contemporaries published by Silhouette Books. Since 2000 she has been writing regency set historical novels and novellas for Kensington, Bantam and Berkley. Returning to the contemporary market with her novella in ONCE AND FOREVER, Mary hopes to continue to tell stories set in both the regency and the 21st century.

     Married to a retired Coast Guard officer, Mary has lived all over the US from Alaska to Puerto Rico, but is now settled near Annapolis, Maryland within sight of the Chesapeake Bay. Her life close to the Coast Guard and its mission to search and rescue, has convinced her that life is best lived with joy, love and a generous heart. Those convictions are what she most wantS to share with her readers. Family will always play a strong part in her books since she believes that family relationships are as fundamental as the love between a man and a woman.

Links for Mary Blayney

http://maryblayney.com/

https://www.facebook.com/AuthorMaryBlayney

Available on Kindle

BLURB:  
Strong personalities—volatile marriages—stressful careers—conflicting goals—difficult children.

Contemporary challenges facing close-knit families form the crucible that forges a new generation.

Brandis, Gabriel, Blair and Lillian emerge from the entanglement of their parents’ longstanding emotional connections, but one’s star will burn brighter – and hotter – than the others.

With a personality that consumes everyone and everything in its path, Brandis Gordon struggles to maintain control as he ricochets between wild success and miserable failure. His life proves how even the strongest relationships can be strangled by the ties that bind.

Brandis and Gabe Frietag are as close as any brothers, bound by both loyalty and fierce rivalry. The strength of their ultimate alliance is tested time and again by Brandis’ choices.

Companions from birth, Blair Frietag and Lillian Robinson share loner tendencies, but come to rely on each other through adolescence. As they mature, both are forced to confront their feelings for the men they knew as boys.

Somewhere between the tangle of good memories and bad, independence and addiction, optimism and despair, the intertwined destinies of the new generation finally collide, leaving some stronger, others broken, but none unscathed.

As a chronicle of three families navigating the minefields of teen years into the turbulence of young adulthood, Good Faith holds up a literary mirror to contemporary life with joys and temptations unflinchingly reflected. Its fresh, real-life voice portrays the sheer volatility of human nature, complete with the hopes, dreams, and unexpected setbacks of marriage, parenthood and “coming of age.”



Excerpt 

That morning his father had roused him from a sound sleep. He’d blinked, confused, by the angle of the sunlight. He rarely slept much past eight since he usually had some sort of training or the other.

“Let’s go son. Time for lunch.”

Brandis had dragged himself up, his limbs feeling like they weighed a thousand pounds each. His brain buzzed with a strange sort of energy, his typical state, and not at all welcome considering it normally didn’t hit him until later in the day. The conversation his father began as soon as they were seated at their usual diner did not help.

“So, listen, Brandis. These girls…Katie’s friends from college….”

Brandis sipped his ice water, waiting for his father to finish the thought. His heart pounded, and his face flushed hot with embarrassment.

Jack sighed, as if exasperated that Brandis didn’t pick up the thread on his own, leaving him to carry on with the awkwardness about to ensue. Then he leveled his gaze, his face open, not angry or judgmental. “I think that you may be in for some…I mean, they’re…shit.”

“If you are gonna tell me where babies come from again,” Brandis said, after deciding to ease his father’s obvious distress. He cocked an eyebrow and half a smile. Jack seemed to relax somewhat as Brandis continued. “Don’t bother. I already know.”

He flashed his brightest smile up at the middle-aged woman who stood at their table, coffee pot in hand. She blinked rapidly at him, and at that precise moment, Brandis got his first flash of…something…about his power. Up until now he’d merely been “Brandis the trouble maker, the causer of strife.” Suddenly, he felt strong, amazingly so, stronger than even the man sitting across from him, a taller, older version of himself. His body tingled all over, as he tested the smile out again on the woman, making her slop some coffee out onto the table. His father frowned, but then chuckled as the woman walked away after they gave their orders.

“Son,” he said, leaning back and cradling the coffee mug to his chest. “Your adventure has only just begun.”

“Huh?” Brandis picked up his cup but didn’t drink any. He hated coffee, but had ordered it in a burst of need to be more like Jack. As he sipped the bitter stuff, he was transported back years before when he and his dad would spend every single Saturday morning together, eating breakfast at this very diner. He had adored the man, he remembered distinctly. His chest hurt at the simplicity of their relationship then. He looked away from Jack’s deep blue, knowing gaze.

The subject changed of its own accord, and Brandis let it. Although part of him wanted to ask for advice, a much bigger part would not allow the words past his lips.

They ate, discussing the upcoming football season and Brandis’ part in it. The recruiting company Jack had contracted last year to video his every move would start up with the first game. He’d made varsity again, technically as backup quarterback to a senior boy. Brandis didn’t see this as a setback and had every intention of starting under center by the second or third game.

Finally, when they pushed their empty plates back and sat looking at each other, Brandis felt more comfortable in his father’s presence than he had been in a long time. Jack said, “I am pretty sure at least one of those girls sleeping in the basement is determined to change the status of your virginity for you probably as soon as tonight.”

Brandis choked on the last sip of lukewarm coffee. His face burned, and his body tingled again. “I’m…it’s…uh….” He clutched the napkin in his lap unable to meet his father’s eyes.

“No need to say anything. Let’s just say your mother is an astute reader of female intent. While I was busy admiring your sister’s friend’s ass, she apparently read the girl’s mind or something.” Brandis’ face flushed even hotter.

He resisted the urge to protest, to proclaim his innocence of such things. Because he wanted it back—those mornings between them, father and son, man and boy, not this awkward, man and almost-man bullshit. Because while the thought of one of his sister’s college friends popping his cherry remained a pleasant fantasy, it also made him feel older than he wanted to be right then.

“So, I bought a box of condoms this morning,” Jack went on. “Put some downstairs in the side table drawer and the rest in your room. Use them please.” He sipped the last of his coffee, looked as if he were about to get up, then leaned forward, touching Brandis’ wrist. “Have fun. Don’t be an asshole to women. Let every experience teach you…something. Because you are nothing as a man if you don’t learn from every woman you…love.” Jack looked out the window onto the nearly empty parking lot. Then he turned back, tightened his grip on his son’s arm. “God, you are so…young.” His face fell a moment, then he perked up again, his eyes twinkling. “Okay, so, your mother told me to tell you not to let them corrupt you. But all I’m gonna say is this: always wear protection, no matter what, no matter how much you don’t want to. And don’t let your mom catch you in the act. I’ll handle her otherwise.”

Then he let go, stood and smiled, draping a friendly arm around Brandis’ shoulders as they exited the restaurant.

“You really didn’t tell me you were admiring Katie’s friend’s ass, did you, Dad?”

“No, son. I most certainly did not. You obviously misheard me.” Jack winked as he stood by the passenger’s side of his classic Corvette convertible and tossed the keys to Brandis. “Remember what I told you. Don’t ride my clutch.”

AUTHOR INFORMATION:
Amazon best-selling author, beer blogger and beer marketing expert, mom of three, and soccer fan, Liz lives in the great Midwest, in a major college town.  She has decades of experience in sales and fund raising, plus an eight-year stint as a three-continent, ex-pat trailing spouse. While working as a successful Realtor, Liz made the leap into writing novels about the same time she agreed to take on marketing and sales for the Wolverine State Brewing Company.   

Most days find her sweating inventory and sales figures for the brewery, unless she’s writing, editing or sweating promotional efforts for her latest publications. 

Her early forays into the publishing world led to a groundbreaking fiction subgenre, “Romance for Real Life,” which has gained thousands of fans and followers interested less in the “HEA” and more in the “WHA” (“What Happens After?”).  More recently she is garnering even more fans across genres with her latest novels, which are more character-driven fiction, while remaining very much “real life.”

With stories set in the not-so-common worlds of breweries, on the soccer pitch, in successful real estate offices and many times in exotic locales like Istanbul, Turkey, her books are unique and told with a fresh voice. The Liz Crowe backlist has something for any reader seeking complex storylines with humor and complete casts of characters that will delight, frustrate, and linger in the imagination long after the book is finished.

If you are in the Ann Arbor area, be sure and stop into the Wolverine State Brewing Co. Tap Room—but don’t ask her for anything “like” a Bud Light, or risk serious injury.

www.lizcrowe.com

www.brewingpasssion.com

www.a2beerwench.com

www.facebook.com/lizcroweauthor

www.twitter.com/beerwencha2

www.facebook.com/groups/lizcrowefans