GENRE: Dark Fantasy
 
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
 
BLURB:
 
From New York Times Bestseller Mimi Jean Pamfiloff, Comes the New Standalone Story of Mack, a Continuation of the King Trilogy
 
“THEY THINK KING IS EVIL, BUT HE’S GOT NOTHING ON ME.” - Mack
 
MY NAME IS MACK. And if I play my cards right, I will soon be dead. Permanently. Not even my powerful twin brother will be able to resurrect me. A good thing. Because a man like me has no business living. Not when I have killed. Not when I have betrayed everyone I have ever cared for. Not when I know I’m destined to do it again.
 
This is why I have come looking for her—the only one capable of ending me once and for all. But will she think I’m just another insane patient? Or will she believe the truth? I am thousands of years old, my heart too dark to be salvaged.
~~~~~
MY NAME IS TEDDI, short for Theodora. My entire life has been a canvas of grays, whites, and black. I can’t feel, I can’t understand joy, I’ve never truly lived. Until now. His name is Mack, and though he believes he’s cursed, my degree in psychology tells me otherwise. Besides, someone who’s capable of bringing so much light into my life can’t be anything but good.
 
But I can save him. If he’ll let me.
 
(STANDALONE STORY – BASED ON THE USA TODAY BESTSELLING KING TRILOGY)
 
 
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
 
EXCERPTS:
 
Excerpt One:
 
Darkness was the one thing in this world I didn’t care for—probably because I felt most comfortable with facts. Seeing objects equated seeing facts. There is the floor. There is the couch. Facts.
 
Guessing where things were—I think the leg of this table is around here somewhere—ouch!—was inefficient, useless. It was why nightlights were invented.
 
So when I entered John Doe’s dark room, the first thing I wanted was to bring in some light.
 
“Mr. Doe?” I said to the dark figure seated in the corner of the small room, staring at me like an eerie scarecrow waiting to frighten the shit out of anything that crossed its path. “My name is Dr. Valentine. I’m the new director. May I turn on the lights so we can discuss the reason you are here?”
 
“I asked not to be disturbed.” The man’s deep, masculine voice felt like a cold, chilling slap. Yet strangely, it was also…Well, I didn’t know really. Hypnotic, perhaps.
 
I squinted, my eyes straining to see his face but only able to make out his silhouette—broad shoulders, short hair, and fit-looking arms from the shadows of biceps I was able to spot.
 
“That’s exactly why we need to talk,” I said. “It’s come to my attention that you are not here to seek therapy—”
 
“Leave.”
 
My mouth flapped for a moment. “I’m sorry, but did you—”
 
“I said leave,” he growled.
 
Sadly for him, intimidation didn’t work on me. Not that I was stupid and wouldn’t get out of harm’s way. The question was, did he intend to harm me?
 
“And if I don’t?” I asked, testing the waters. His response would tell me everything I needed to know. Reading people’s internal emotional state was another gift of mine.
 
I waited for a reply.
 
And then I waited some more.
 
He’s not going to answer me. Fine. This was silly and a completely unproductive use of my time. I would just have to see him with my own two eyes. My gift would do the rest.
 
“Okay. These lights are going—” I flipped the switch, and the moment my eyes met his, I was hit by a hard wave of…
 
“Holy fuck,” I gasped.
 
I flipped off the lights, turned, and left the room. Fuck. Fuck. Fuck. What was that?

When not screaming at her computer or hosting her very inappropriate radio show (Man Candy Show on Radioslot.com), Mimi spends time with her two pirates in training, her loco-for-the-chili-pepper hubby, and her two rat terriers, DJ Princess Snowflake and Mini Me, in the San Francisco Bay Area.
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.
Sign up for Mimi’s mailing list for giveaways and new release news! :
 
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LEARN MORE:
 
mailto: mimi@mimijean.net
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SHORT LINKS:
Kindle US: http://amzn.to/1HYBxiv
Kindle UK: http://amzn.to/1MV601W
B&N: http://bit.ly/1QuCgQc
iBooks: http://apple.co/1PNSbHW
Kobo: http://bit.ly/1SYuFrz
Print: Coming Feb. 2016
 
DIRECT LINKS:
KOBO:  https://store.kobobooks.com/en-us/ebook/mack-2
Kindle: http://www.amazon.com/MACK-King-Trilogy-Book-4-ebook/dp/B0184ZQLZK/ref=sr_1_1?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1447865090&sr=1-1
Kindle Affiliate: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0184ZQLZK?creativeASIN=B0184ZQLZK&linkCode=w00&linkId=NWP3IPNVHLFAWXAQ&ref_=as_sl_pc_tf_til&tag=mimjearom-20
Kindle UK: http://www.amazon.co.uk/MACK-King-Trilogy-Book-4-ebook/dp/B0184ZQLZK/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1447865343&sr=8-1&keywords=mack+pamfiloff
B&N: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/mack-mimi-jean-pamfiloff/1122961521?ean=2940150991705
iBOOKS: https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/mack/id1024246370?mt=11  ​

Baked
by Colleen Charles
 
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
 
GENRE: Contemporary Romance
 
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
 
BLURB:
 
Ally
 
The first time I saw Gabe in my sensual cupcake bakery, I had no idea who he was. All I knew was chiseled perfection like him could never really want a girl like me. That didn't stop me from craving and lusting after everything I could never have. Success.
Gabe.
 
And I was trapped in a twisted frenemy relationship with my douche bag ex fiancee. I never would have dreamed who Gabe really was, what he wanted and why he wanted it.
 
Gabe
 
My f*cked up family taught me a lot. Take rather than give. Anything. Everything.
 
Ally made me feel clean. Whole. I'd do anything to have her and even more to keep her. In spite of my past but more importantly ... because of it.
 
I took her tenuous control and worshiped her killer curves. I never suspected she'd steal my heart.
 
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
 
Excerpt One:
 
 
“I’m so proud of you, Ally. You’re really doing this.”
 
“It’s been a long time coming,” I murmured, tucking a strand of pale blonde hair behind my ear. I’d wrapped myself in one of those toasty wool ponchos and taken up residence at the front of my new bakery with a mug of hot cocoa sandwiched between my torso and palm.
 
Snow drifted down from the heavens, blanketing everything in a veil of freshness. Of renewal. Like my life.
 
“So, that’s it then. Bakery up and running, professional career on track, all you need now is—”
 
I interrupted Kelly before she hit her stride, giving her a warning grunt. “Don’t even.”
 
She sighed, a deep exhalation that caused static to crackle into my phone. “Aw, come on, let me set you up with someone. I’ve lost count of the hot guys who walk through our front doors. And it’s Christmas. You can’t spend the holiday season alone.”
 
“I’m not alone, I have you and Pat. Besides, Kels, I’m going to be so busy with business, I won’t have time for a social life.”
 
I could almost hear Kelly rolling her eyes. “Ugh, famous last words.”
 
She was my best friend and had been since I’d moved to Minneapolis from Bemidji and wandered into their coffee shop two years ago . She and her husband, Pat , had taken me under their wing. Those had been strange times, before my break up with Matthew. When I’d had nothing to show for myself. A shiver ran through me at the memory.
 
Kelly had encouraged me to pursue my dreams.
 
“Ally?”
 
“Huh? Yeah, I’m here.”
 
“You went quiet for a second there.”
 
A wave of gratitude washed over me. “I don’t know what I’d do without you, Kels, you and Pat.”
 
“Well, you’d be up shit creek without a paddle, of course.”
 
I chuckled. “I’d better get some rest, big day tomorrow. These bank loans won’t pay themselves off.”
 
“Tell me about it,” she replied, then paused, the silence stretching out for a few seconds. “If you need help with anything, give me a call.”
 
“Yeah, yeah,” I said, then stuck my tongue out even though she couldn’t see me. “See you tomorrow.”
 
“Later Allygator,” she said, then hung up.
 
I put my phone in the pocket of my jeans and sighed. This was it, my first real endeavor at being my own damn person. I glanced around the bakery and grinned. Hard to believe where I’d landed from where I’d jumped.
 
I picked out the décor myself — it had a burlesque atmosphere, with velvet cushions on the wrought iron chairs and round tables with glass tops. Very French bistro. In fact, in better weather, I could easily move a couple of tables outside.
 
Silk floral arrangements in lush shades of purple, strung with Swarovski crystals served as centerpieces. The cupcakes would stand up front in the glass front counter, to showcase their sexy designs. And names.
 
Kelly had rolled her eyes at my idea for a racy theme, but it was tough being an entrepreneur and a woman in business had to face the facts. Sex sells.
 
That was the thing about baking, it wasn’t sexy unless you made it that way. And I planned on making it damn sexy. And licking the bowl.
 

​AUTHOR Bio and Links:
 
Colleen Charles is the pen name of Tami Stark, #1 Bestselling Author on Amazon.
 
Colleen Charles held a leadership position for a fortune 500 company for 26 years while writing suspenseful romance by night. Thrilled that she's now able to write full time, she can't wait to spend more time connecting with her readers. She’s also a certified life coach and a Reiki Master. She loves reading and writing stories that entertain and sweep women away from their everyday life. Colleen has shown and bred Arabian horses for over 30 years and lives in the Midwest with her human and furry families. In her spare time, she enjoys volunteering for underprivileged girls and homeless pets.
 
Baked is FREE on Kindle or Nook during the tour.
 
FOUR FREE BOOKS
ColleenCharles.com
 
https://www.facebook.com/Colleen-Charles-1505026199744713/?ref=notif&notif_t=page_fan
 
https://twitter.com/booksbycolleen
 
 
http://www.amazon.com/Baked-Part-Red-Velvet-Rapture-ebook/dp/B019BGIDJ8/ref=asap_bc?ie=UTF8
 
https://itunes.apple.com/no/book/baked-part-1/id1067957164?mt=11
 
https://store.kobobooks.com/en-us/ebook/baked-part-1-red-velvet-rapture
 
http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/baked-part-1-colleen-charles/1123130832
 
 
~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Kiss of a Stranger
by Lily Danes & Eve LKincaid
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
 
GENRE: Contemporary Romantic Suspense
 
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
 
BLURB:
 
Maddie Palmer lost everything when her ex-husband betrayed her. Years later, she’s rebuilt her life. It’s safe and stable—everything she thought she wanted. Until a dangerously sexy ex-con appears in Lost Coast Harbor...
 
Gabriel Reyes just did six years behind bars for a crime he didn’t commit. Now he’s returned, determined to expose the men who set him up. His best chance at redemption is seducing the straight-laced woman working for the enemy…until he realizes he’s the one being seduced.
 
As passion ignites, Gabe and Maddie find themselves drawn deeper into the corruption behind the town’s richest family… even while facing the greatest danger of all—losing their hearts.
 
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
 
EXCERPTS (Please choose only ONE to use with your post):
 
Excerpt Four:
 
Gabe walked straight to the corner and ran his fingers across the leaves of a ficus, his eyes almost soft.
 
He moved around the room, studying each plant, touching a few others with gentle fingers. “It’s like a jungle in here.” Gabe’s hand hovered near the orchids she kept on the mantel, but he resisted the urge to stroke the temperamental plant. “They’re all real, too.”
 
“Of course they are,” Maddie said, indignant. She might not be able to keep a relationship alive, but plants were another matter. They thrived under her care.
 
She wasn’t prepared for his expression when he turned to her. He looked…grateful?
 
“You don’t realize all the things you miss.” It didn’t seem like he was talking to her.
 
“Not a lot of plants in prison, huh?” She fought a shudder at the thought. Life without a bit of dirt and a few seeds sounded so sterile, though her rational mind knew it was nothing compared to the other things prison took from him.
 
“Not a lot of all sorts of things.” He shook off the melancholy, and she could practically see his inner devil return. Gabe’s eyes raked her, a smile tugging at his lips. “This isn’t the home I expected from a straight-laced professional woman.”
 
Maddie winced. “New furniture isn’t cheap.”
 
His laugh was unexpected. “I don’t think I’ve sat in a new piece of furniture in my life. No, I mean this.” His gesture took in everything, from her plants to her clothes to the afghan spread across her sofa. “Are you secretly a softie, Maddie?”
 
She glowered, and he laughed. “Don’t worry. I’ll keep your secret,” Gabe assured her.
 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~
 
AUTHOR Bio and Links:
 
Like so many good ideas, Lost Coast Harbor was inspired by a few rounds of margaritas. One sunny afternoon, Lily Danes and Eve Kincaid went to a Mexican restaurant for snacks and tequila and left with the idea for a new series. Inspired by their love of noir movies and 1940s crime novels, they imagined a gritty small town full of crime and corruption, where intrigue and mystery can lead to love and passion.
 
www.lostcoastharbor.com
www.lilydanes.com
www.evekincaid.com
 
LINKS:  https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/28183199-kiss-of-a-stranger

GENRE: Nonfiction, Motherhood, Travel Memoir
 
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
 
BLURB:
 
When sisters, Deborah & Nancy, discovered that motherhood was a temp job they decided to run away from home. After packing up that last kid for college, and facing the sad stillness of their suddenly quiet homes, they decided to leave the country. 2 BROADS ABROAD: MOMS FLY THE COOP is a funny, irreverent, occasionally poignant travel tale of their impulsive road trip around Ireland.

In this witty warm-hearted adventure, they experienced some of Ireland’s quirkier history while sharing universally relatable stories of maniacal school coaches, neurotic neighbors, and tiger moms. Having kicked that empty nest into their rearview mirror, the sisters took off careening down the wrong side of the road, making questionable choices, getting trapped in a medieval tower, sneaking Chinese take-out into a famous cooking school, drinking way too much, and gaining a changed perspective on their lives ahead

~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Excerpt One:
 
“Your youngest is leaving for college? Aw, empty nest?”  Then, sappy eyes followed by a plaintive grin and, “What will you do?”
 
Before my sister and I decided to run away from home we were bothered by that question.  There was something minimizing about it, minimizing and not completely untrue. Motherhood had been so deceptive, the greatest paradox in life: every single bleary-eyed day felt a month long, and the years went by in an instant. They flashed by like lightning and left a desiccated scorch mark wearing my clothes.  It was disagreeable to imagine what life would be like childless:  there would be the family tree, and there would be the mom who’s the center of the family tree, standing leafless, bare (and it has been a while since I looked good bare). There was some solace as I glanced around me to see my younger sister, Nancy, would be standing there bare as well.  We were embarking on this progeny-shedding calamity simultaneously as both of our youngest daughters, Nicole and Olivia, were leaving for college the same week.
 
I knew that Nancy hadn’t really focused on it yet.  And then, we met at Fashion Island in Newport Beach near her home to get a birthday gift for our mom. We ran into two of Nancy’s neighbors, Vicki and Susan.
 
“Nancy,” Vicki asked, “doesn’t Nicole graduate from Corona Del Mar High School this June?”
 
“Yes,” Nancy said.  “She’s going to the University of Washington.”
 
“Oh,” Susan lifted her eyebrows, “you must be devastated.”
 
“What?”  Nancy looked confused.  “No, actually I was happy for her.  She worked really hard. It was her first choice school.”
 
“But so far away!” Susan added in that annoying singsong tone.
 
Nancy shifted her feet, a move I knew well as her sister.  It was something she always did when she was being told something she did not like to hear.
 
“It’s not that far.” Nancy said.
 
“It’s a plane ride. You need an airplane to see your daughter.” Susan said loudly.
 
“Yeah.”  Nancy turned to me in an effort to change the subject. “You remember my sister, Deborah?”
 
“Of course.” Vicki smiled.  And we exchanged hellos.  Vicki seemed normal, but I had an inkling that I might have to slap Susan.
 
Susan continued on with her one thought. “With your son gone already, and soon Nicole, well, Nancy, I guess you’re all alone now.”
 
Nancy shifted her feet again. “I’m still married, Susan.”
 
“Sure.  Sure.  Right.  So that’s better than nothing, huh?”
 
Nancy and I both froze.  Did she just say that?
 
“You know,” Vicki tried to cut off Susan, “when Terrie’s youngest left she bought a Chihuahua puppy.  Cutest thing you’ve ever seen.  And the Walkers gave a room to an exchange student from Sweden,” she explained happily.
 
Nancy nodded. “That sounds like a good plan.”
 
Susan opened her mouth to speak again and I wasn’t sure whether I should just smack her now and be done with it, or let her continue.  I made the wrong choice.
 
“Remember Pam Winthrop?” Susan leaned in. “When her son left she started eating a pint of Ben & Jerry’s every day until she put on 60 pounds. Sad, really, tragic. Even her kneecaps were fat.” Then Susan turned to me, “So, Deborah, isn’t your youngest graduating, too?”
 
“I’m leaving the country,” I said.
 
Susan cocked her head. “What?”
 
“I’m leaving the country,” I repeated matter-of-factly.
 
“So am I,” Nancy said. I looked at her.  I saw the decision in her eyes. “I’m going with Deborah.  We’re taking a long trip together – a sisters trip.”
 
“You are?” Susan sounded a little thwarted, which Nancy found gratifying.
 
“Yup, in the planning stages.” Nancy smiled at Susan who was clearly disappointed that we were not miserable as anticipated.  “Nice to see you though, Susan, Vicki.  Got to go. In the middle of booking flights and stuff. So much to do!”
 
We turned away and strode with purpose toward the door.
 
I whispered, “Susan’s a real gem.”
 
“She did me a favor.”
 
“Yeah?”
 
“I’ve been so busy I just wasn’t thinking about it.”
 
“And I haven’t been able to think about anything else,” I said.  “When I’m awake in the middle of the night it runs over and over in my mind.”
 
Nancy said, “When I heard that crap Susan was dealing, all of a sudden I realized, there’s no way am I plodding into that sunset with fat kneecaps carrying a Chihuahua.”

****REVIEW**** 
Two Broads Abroad is a non-fiction of account of two sisters who went from stay at home moms to empty nesters. They battle with pity from other mothers with kids at home to the quandary of what to do with the rest of their lives. The sisters decide to embark on a trip of a lifetime. It’s not an easy journey, but a needed one.

This memoir section touches on the hardship of being a mother after the kids are gone. The travelogue part deals with the hardship of having two different types of travelers, the planner versus the discoverer. Throughout the book, humor, empathy, and a sense of renewal embody each chapter.

Two Broads Abroad would be a great read for empty nesters and full nesters alike.

​AUTHOR Bio and Links:
 Deborah Serra has been a sought-after screenwriter for twenty-five years having written for NBC, CBS, Sony, Lifetime, Fox, and others. She was a recipient of the 2012 Hawthornden Literary Fellowship. Her first novel was a semi-finalist for the William Faulkner-William Wisdom Creative Writing Award given by the Faulkner Society in New Orleans, LA.
 
Nancy is a graduate of San Diego State University. She worked in medical sales before stepping away to raise her two children, at which point she became: Team Mom, Snack Mom, PTA member, Assistance League Volunteer, and the list is never-ending. Nancy was the editor and publisher of the Buffalo Hills Echo newsletter with a circulation of 1400. She also designed and managed her community website.
 
​
www.2BroadsAbroad.com
 
Buy Link:
  
Amazon: www.amazon.com/Broads-Abroad-Moms-Fly-Coop-ebook/dp/B016DVCWBY/
 
Facebook Page: www.facebook.com/2-Broads-Abroad-Moms-Fly-The-Coop-214434485258098

Simmer and Smoke is such a fun read. It has been a long time since I read a book and truly enjoyed it. Usually I complain about the author’s lack of knowledge of the subject matter, grammar, pacing, and unlikable characters, at least to myself.

Ms. Lampman creates a likable underdog in Shelby who can cook, but comes from a poor background. In Mallory, she creates a driven woman who leaves her daughter with her mother to enter the culinary world. A great balance of internal and external conflict as the characters work their way through myriad challenges and temptations in the food industry.

The struggles of the two women is reminiscent of The Valley of the Dolls if it happened south of the Mason-Dixon Line and food was involved.

The author must be a wonderful Southern cook by her loving description of food. If she isn’t, then she’s one of the best researchers in town. Simmer and Smoke made me hungry just reading it.  Ms. Lampman uses words,  dreams, and raw emotions to cook up an amazing tale. 

Simmer and Smoke is a wonderful gift for your imagination. It allows you in a matter of hours to live out a dream. It also satisfies an internal yearning for the characters to realize what's important in life. The reader may also have an epiphany in the course of the book too.
​
Author Lampman had me at bacon. 

GENRE:  women's contemporary fiction
 
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
 
BLURB:
 
A single mother who dreams of becoming a chef.

A food writer who just lost the love of her life.

Two women discover what's worth fighting for in this deliciously rendered novel that illuminates the power of food, love, friendship and family on the human heart


1. ASSEMBLE INGREDIENTS:

Shelby Preston--a young, single mother trapped in a hardscrabble life in rural Georgia--escapes her reality as she fantasizes herself a respected chef in a kitchen of gleaming stainless steel and pans shimmering with heat. Mallory Lakes--an Atlanta newspaper food writer--may lose her job, and searches for her muse in a shot glass of illusion. 

2. SIMMER:

Mallory secures her job by crafting a zealous doppelgänger to satisfy the expectations of an illusive cyber audience. This also mollifies the memories of her lover who recently bolted; no warning. Shelby persuades her mother to take care of her daughter so she can pursue her dream of going to chef school in Atlanta. She cooks them a special dinner said to bring good luck; Lord knows her family could use a pot of something good. 

3. SMOKE:

Chasing desires and ambitions, the women's lives unravel down a path beyond the kitchen, then weave together in an unsettling culinary landscape of organic farms and shadowy borders--some borders not meant to be crossed. As Mallory combats her demons with booze and pills, and Shelby battles the odds stacked against her for becoming a chef, the women discover what's really worth fighting for.
 
 
Excerpt Two:
 
Mallory
 
Memos from the edge, self-help hieroglyphics, throwaway lines galloping off paper, most of them unfinished. These are the words I should have said to Cooper the day he left, bade farewell, adios, arrivederci—however you say goodbye. Itchy, my dearest friend, is returning a platter and will ignore them, assuming they are recipe scribbles. But if these tourniquets had a voice, their banshee wail would rant, rage and scream, shaking the foundations of Atlanta.
    
Dearest Cooper. What a splendid feast you made of me. A sprinkle of salt, a grind of pepper, you chewed me up then spit me out. Was I that abhorrent?
               
Visceral, grisly, teeth-gnashing words; much better script. I write, post, then return to my cutting board. Chopping furiously, I collect, examine, and discard words much too ordinary to assuage my grief. Words...words...I need more words; what words can I write that will ease the pain of what you’ve done?
 

​AUTHOR Bio and Links:
 
Peggy Lampman was born and raised in Birmingham, Alabama. After graduating from the University of Michigan with a degree in communications, she moved to New York City, where she worked as a copywriter and photographer for Hill and Knowlton, a public relations firm. She moved back to Ann Arbor, her college town, and opened up a specialty foods store, The Back Alley Gourmet. After selling the business, she wrote under a weekly food byline in The Ann Arbor News and MLive. This is her first novel.
 
Amazon Buy Link
 
http://www.amazon.com/Simmer-Smoke-Southern-Tale-Spice-ebook/dp/B0128KSSLW/ref=tmm_kin_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=1447022165&sr=1-1
 
Goodreads Link
 
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/25826817-simmer-and-smoke?from_search=true&search_version=service_impr
 
 
Author Page
 
http://dinnerfeed.com/simmer-and-smoke-a-culinary-tale/
 
Blog
 
http://dinnerfeed.com

GENRE: Fantasy
 
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
 
BLURB:
 We vampires do not make easy prey. Our weaknesses are few, our strengths many. Fear is something we do not know, and death but a distant memory. So tread softly, pray to your god, and gird yourself with silver when the moons arise and night’s dark prince awakens. We fear not the wizard, nor the warrior, neither rogue, nor priest; our strength is timeless, drawn from darkness and we know no master save the hot lust of our unending hunger. We long for blood, your blood and no blade, nor spell, nor clever artifice, can keep us long from our prize. Feel our teeth at your throat, your life ebb from you, and know as darkness comes to claim you that the price of your folly is your everlasting soul.

​Excerpt One:
 
Excerpt from Drasmyr
 
There’s a woman in chain mail standing across the room from me; her sword is leveled at my chest. I can smell the enchantment on the blade, it’s a strong one; maybe even strong enough to cause me harm. Still, I’m not too concerned; it’s at least a ten foot lunge and I know I move faster than she does. Indeed, she’s the one who is looking worried. My display of strength and the death of her comrade have shaken her resolve.
 
She’s got a pretty face, flushed with excitement but strong and in control. It is her neck that really draws me, though, so soft and inviting, filled with the warm blood I desire. The curve of her flesh glistens, waiting for a well-placed gentle kiss.
 
She’s breathing rapidly now, her breath coming in shallow gasps. Her trek up through the castle has sapped much of her strength. And the fear she feels is naked in her eyes. Now, she’s getting ready to pounce, just a little too much tension in her stance, her eyes just a little too focused. She couldn’t give me more warning if she were to ask my permission first.
 
She moves in with remarkable speed, her blade striking out like a serpent’s tongue. Even winded, she still manages to cut my cape, then prances away with her back toward the wall, ready for anything. Anything, except me.

​Excerpt Three:
 
Excerpt from The Children of Lubrochius
 
Several hours later, Gaelan stood at attention in the Fire Hawk Sparring Arena in the Western Guard Barracks of the city of Drisdak. Prinson and Retlin, the two other young guild guardsmen from his earlier assignment were with him. Each of them still wore his chain mail armor and the now sweaty undercoat, but had relinquished his steel sword at the entrance to the arena. Anduri stood in front of them with several wooden practice swords lying at his feet. Behind them, about thirty city guards busily worked on a calisthenic routine.
 
Gaelan watched Anduri unclasp the real sword at his side, place it on the floor behind him, and then bend to pick up one of the wooden ones.
 
Gaelan stood at attention. I’m ready, he thought. Finally, I’m going to learn to fight … to kill. The thought lodged in his breast, hard and solid like a chicken bone in his throat. He knew what he wanted. He wanted this. But …
 
Better to die a peaceful man, than live with the stains of murder. His father had taught him that. It was the last line of the Aspallan peace oath. Aspalla of the White Palm, Lord of Healing and Counsel, was one of the most revered gods of the Paradisian Circle. He was the father of the goddess Auraria and the personal counselor of Mardikkar Evilbane, King of the Gods. He was also Gaelan’s patron deity, the deity he’d worshipped his whole life.
 

AUTHOR Bio and Links:
 
Matthew D. Ryan lives in northeastern New York on the shores of Lake Champlain. He has been deeply involved in the fantasy genre for most of his life as a reader, writer, and game designer. His writing has been featured at Aphelion.com and YesteryearFiction.com. He is the operator of the web-site matthewdryan.com which features his blog, “A Toast to Dragons,” (http://matthewdryan.com/a-toast-to-dragons-the-blog/) a blog dedicated to fantasy literature, and, to a lesser extent, sci-fi. He is the author of the dark fantasy novels “Drasmyr,” “The Children of Lubrochius,” and “The Sceptre of Morgulan,” as well as a growing number of fantasy short stories including: “Haladryn and the Minotaur,” “The River’s Eye,” and “Escape.”
 
Drasmyr:
Smashwords: https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/131156
Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_noss_1?url=search-alias%3Daps&field-keywords=Drasmyr
Barnes & Noble: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/s/Drasmyr?store=allproducts&keyword=Drasmyr
 
 
The Children of Lubrochius:
Smashwords: https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/415779
Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_noss?url=search-alias%3Daps&field-keywords=The+Children+of+Lubrochius&rh=i%3Aaps%2Ck%3AThe+Children+of+Lubrochius
B&N: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-children-of-lubrochius-matthew-d-ryan/1118892860?ean=2940045744942
 
 
The Sceptre of Morgulan:
Smashwords: https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/574196
Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_noss?url=search-alias%3Daps&field-keywords=the+sceptre+of+morgulan
B&N: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-sceptre-of-morgulan-matthew-d-ryan/1122611024?ean=2940152331127
 
 
My Mailing List: http://www.matthewdryan.com/cgi-bin/dada/mail.cgi
My Website: http://matthewdryan.com
Twitter: https://twitter.com/matthewdryan1 
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MatthewDRyanAuthor
Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/mryan_author/
​

Things Learned from Writing Sky Garden
 
One of the reasons I started writing Sky Garden was to prove to myself that I could write an 80,000 word novel. Tick!
 
I learned that writing to that length requires my brain to expand and hold a far more complicated plot than the short novellas I’d been focussed on. Novellas are about emotional punch and strong, focussed plots. Writing Sky Garden was about maintaining tension, multiple plot threads and revealing character growth. A wonderful challenge. Careful note-keeping was required.
 
Many of the lessons from writing Sky Garden were common to other writing projects:
 

1. Write to a theme. Sky Garden’s was about belonging. Where do we feel at home? Where do we feel safe enough to be our true selves? Who will value our vulnerable self-revelation?
2. Have a schedule for your writing. Life is chaotic, so schedules have to be flexible, but I like a weekly word count goal to keep me honest.
3. Don’t forget to have a life outside of the book being written! This one was tough as I found Sky Garden all-absorbing.
4. Write to genre conventions, or to put it another way, meet readers’ expectations. This includes being aware of similar books and authors.
5. Don’t get hung up on minor issues in the first draft. Power through everything except major plot holes. Those have to be fixed! Everything else can be added, deleted, and improved in subsequent drafts. Don’t give your internal editor a critical veto power too early.
6. Write with passion. If you’re not interested in what you’re writing, why on earth would a reader be?
7. Rejoice at every stage! First line written. First draft finished. Cover. Blurb. Revisions done. Whatever the milestone, enjoy it. A sense of accomplishment is powerful incentive for future activity.

 
Researching details of London life was a bonus to writing Sky Garden. I’m now determined, utterly, that I have to visit Kew Gardens. It looks so beautiful online.

​BLURB:
 
On the rooftops of London, you can be anyone.
 
A year ago, Lanie Briers escaped a serial killer. She grew up in a theatre family and her act was mediumship, but not anymore. Life, now, is a hidden retreat above a quirky Bloomsbury museum, where she waits and watches.
 
Nick Tawes is an unexpected intrusion. He's a landscape architect filming a television series on roof gardens, and he intends to build one in Lanie's aerial territory. He has his own demons, old family troubles, that lure Lanie out of her refuge and into living again.
 
But as summer progresses and the sky garden grows, Lanie's enemy is closing in--because some secrets must go to the grave.
 
 

Tell us about yourself:
 
Hi! I am Alex Disanti.  Thank you for having me as your guest and for hosting A Separate Heaven. It’s a pleasure to be here with you.
 
I am a Texan who grew up in the West Texas oil patch. The Hill Country is beautiful and I love living there but a piece of my heart will always belong to West Texas.  Hmmm. Maybe a book someday.  I have three beautiful, wonderful grown children.  I enjoy reading, writing, country, rock, and Americana music, and stargazing is at the top of my list of likes.  (Those in the sky!)  Tee shirts and jeans are my favorite attire. I worked in the past as a histologist (tissues and slides) and in engineering (quality assurance) for an E&C firm which built gas plants and specialized in cryogenics. Was also a welding inspector.  I learned to read at the age of four and have always loved words. 


What was your first book?
 
A Separate Heaven is my first book, a series of seven books.

Describe your first break.

I think my first break was a conversation with an agent named Bob Diforio.

What is your favorite genre to read? To write?

When I read I want something with some edge to it, nothing fluffy. I enjoy women’s fiction, commercial fiction, and good mysteries. The memoir by Karen Blixen, Out of Africa, is one of my all-time favorites, along with The Godfather. Some of Lillian Hellman’s work as well.
 
To write, commercial fiction is a favorite. 

Are Happy Endings are must in your stories?

No, it doesn’t have to be happy, but the loose ends need to be tied.

What makes a protagonist interesting?


To me, it would be that he/she isn’t always the “good guy.”  I think it is more interesting when the protagonist is a multifaceted personality.

What is the best thing about being a writer?


If you write fiction, then it is the ability to escape to another world.

What is the worst thing?

Those who assign real life situations to your fiction.  It is fiction. Not a recommendation on how to behave or to live one’s life. Nor is it an endorsement of particular behavior.

Pantser or plotter?
 
This is a tough one for me! I never use an outline. I write in my head sometimes for weeks before writing it down.  BUT I am a stickler for certain details so I research too.  Not sure research equates to plotting! 

What do you see the direction of your future writing taking? What can we expect next? Give us a little taste.
 
Well, I have to finish the final three episodes of A Separate Heaven. That will occupy 2016. My ultimate goal for it is a television series.  Also have a collection of short stories I would like to publish.  Beyond that a novel about a Texas family and a book about a blue collar worker whose life takes a dramatic turn when his wife leaves him.


Just for fun

Cat or dog person? Dog

Favorite food?                       Steak

Favorite book?                      Can’t pick just one.  Out of Africa, The Horse Whisperer, The Lover


Favorite movie?                    So many.  Unfaithful, Out of Africa, Giant, Julia, Under the Tuscan Sun,

Favorite holiday?      Christmas.  Left to my own devices I would have Christmas trees and Christmas lights up year round. 

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

I would be the villain who rescues the princess. I am convinced princesses need rescuing!

Who has more fun, orcs or hobbits?    The hobbit, I suppose.

​GENRE: Fiction/Romance
 
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
 
BLURB:
 
Step into a world of riveting drama.  Enter A Separate Heaven, a story comprised of power, wealth, and romance, multifaceted characters, and complex relationships.  A novel by Alex Disanti.  From Long Island to the shores of the Mediterranean, this exciting series spanning twenty five years in the lives of the Gianelli and Hamilton families will hold you spellbound.

​Excerpt one from Book One
 
On October 2, 1980, Dominic Gianelli entered the offices of Carson, Wiehls and Fullerton. A client for only weeks now, his arrival caused a flurry of activity among the staff.  Even the most experienced members of the investment firm were on edge. Henry Carson, owner and senior partner, was nervous and unsettled, completely out of character for him, but this was no ordinary client.
 
Gianelli was an enigma, recognized internationally in the business world and his accumulated assets were reported to be prodigious. Little else was known about him, although his penchant for two things, accuracy and privacy, had been evinced at their first meeting.  He seemed to have come on the scene quickly, yet his profile revealed more than twenty years of steady, well-planned acquisitions and disposals.  With as many European contacts as domestic, he was well respected here in New York.  After all, one did not ignore this kind of wealth and, therefore, power.
 
He was a big man, six-feet, three inches in height, 270 pounds. Immaculately groomed, he had brown eyes and short, dark, slightly thinning hair combed back from his forehead.  He seemed, by nature, a rather quiet man with low tolerance for the frivolous or inept.  He had an air of confidence that was not lost on those who met him.  Gianelli was a man comfortable with himself. When he entered a room, he owned it, and he knew it.
 

AUTHOR Bio and Links:
 
Alex Disanti lives in the Texas Hill Country.  While writing has been a lifelong love for her, A Separate Heaven is her first novel.  Early works were mainly poetry and short stories.  As A Separate Heaven progressed from thought to paper, friends and family began reading the manuscript.  Then, in an effort to test the marketability of the material, she enlisted the aid of what she calls her “test readers.”  These readers vary in age, occupation and background.  It simply grew from there.  Alex’s rich detail brought the characters to life, and the ensuing chapters could not come quickly enough for her readers.
 
Facebook:     https://www.facebook.com/alex.disanti.5
Facebook:     https://www.facebook.com/ASeparateHeaven 
Twitter:        https://twitter.com/AlexDisanti  
Website/Blog   http://alexdisanti.com
 
http://www.amazon.com/Separate-Heaven-Alex-Disanti-ebook/dp/B0036RTYW4/
http://www.amazon.com/Separate-Heaven-Book-2-ebook/dp/B008MOYTPS
http://www.amazon.com/Separate-Heaven-Book-3-ebook/dp/B009CICPZY/
​

GENRE: Romance
 
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
 
BLURB:
 
For Katie Benjamin, finding the perfect soul mate was just a fairy tale until a chance encounter on a train changes everything. What she discovers takes her on a journey that spans lifetimes.
 
Excerpt One:
 
It felt so peaceful to just sit quietly beside John after the bustle of the rest of the party. The silence felt…well, she wasn’t sure how it felt. The best way to describe it was that it felt just right. The music and chatter from the other rooms drifted on the edge of their ears, but otherwise it was peaceful and restful. She realized John was still holding her hand in his. And that felt right, too. She turned to look at him and found his eyes on her. Their eyes met and the world faded around them. It was just the two of them.
 
 

​AUTHOR Bio and Links:
 
I am a CPA, CGA and live in Southern Ontario. After working for many years in the high pressure worlds of banking and IT, I decided that it was time to have a change in pace. Leaving Toronto behind I embarked on a new career in retail sales. The change was wonderful, but I felt something was missing.
 
Then, the unthinkable happened, and I was widowed at 46. That was a truly life altering experience. In time, I was introduced to the books and work of Dr. Brian Weiss. I discovered in his research a new purpose in life, and was driven to start writing, something I had always enjoyed, but never thought of as a career choice.
 
And now here we are in 2015, and my first novel is ready to be published. My second, also in the Past Lives series, will follow shortly.  I continue to write and dream of a future that I had never even considered in my wildest dreams.
 
LINKS:
 
www.acchenier.com
 
http://www.facebook.com/ACChenier
 
Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Loves-Our-Lives-Novel-Past-ebook/dp/B01AMLI0GW/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1452822698&sr=8-1&keywords=loves+of+our+lives

http://amzn.to/1RAaYZP
http://amzn.to/1Oefs4m
Can Theo outmaneuver her high school nemesis, a persistent ex-boyfriend, and a wayward pup to win affections of the town’s newest vet?
 
Theo decides to give up on love when she catches her sister in bed with her husband.

Her son inadvertently pushes her back into the dating game when he drops off his puppy, Ollie, as he heads out to deployment abroad. He fails to inform her that the puppy isn’t even close to being trained or even somewhat obedient.

Ollie brings the dating-phobic Theo into contact with Westvale’s hottest bachelor, Dr. Brent Knight. Despite her best friend Lorna’s urging to go after him, Theo hangs back due her past romantic history, but it doesn’t stop Ollie from barreling ahead.


When her high school rival Jenny shows up, Theo decides to fight for her man with comic and passionate results.

​amzn.to/1NXXfI6
A mysterious man gives Darla the weekend of her life.
      Darla never had time for love. Even though she worked in the perfume industry that epitomizes romance. No appropriate male ever wandered into the picture. Maybe that’s why she accepted her friend’s suggestion to fix up her up.  Desperation and a desire to make sure she even remembered how to act like a woman as opposed to a corporate warrior.
      Too bad, her arranged date fell on the eve before her meeting with some hot shot Italian nobleman she needed to sign for her company’s continued success. Even more ironic, her blind date Alex besides being the poster child for all things delicious had a sexy Italian accent. The accent alone should have reminded her of the need to prepare for her meeting. Instead charmed by his old world manners and animal magnetism she allows him to take charge and forgets about business. Two things she’s never done before.

​amzn.to/1mr8lwD
http://amzn.to/1T5D12y
A sexy, younger man pursues Ashlee; she’s almost decided to let him catch her.
The very last thing Ashlee expected was to meet a hot, younger guy Nick, at her boyfriend’s funeral. The tall, soft-spoken man comforted her with stories of her boyfriend since he studied under him. Grateful for Nick’s help and the mutual connection they both shared with the deceased, they kept in contact.


Ashlee managed to ignore his hints for drinks and meetings, putting it down to politeness. He felt sorry for her. There was no way he could be interested in a woman at least a decade older than he was. That was until her work posse caught scent of the story and urged her to give the man a chance. Ashlee knew she had to be the most reluctant cougar in the history of womankind, but what did she have to lose? 

​Deidre takes a walk on the uninhibited side.
http://amzn.to/1W0UPvs
 
What if all your life consisted of was, work and therapy dates where middle-aged men talked about their fears in a home cooking restaurant? Maybe it would even make you long for something new, even, a little wild. It did Deidre. Call it an impulsive choice, but she finally caved into Curt, a police officer who just returned to duty after being wounded in a sting operation, who wasn’t taking no for an answer.
 

Going out with a cop, fourteen years her junior was irrational according to her friends. Meeting Curt for drinks was just the beginning. What she didn’t expect was the flash fire that developed between them and the possibility it could burn out of control.

Marcus’ appearance in her writing class is bogus, but his effect on Teresa is very real. Who will end up teaching whom?
Dating’s tough in small towns. The smart women gobbled up the town’s eligible bachelors while Teresa obtained her degree out of state. Back home in Kentucky and teaching at the local high school, she finds herself competing for the attention of the taxidermist with a tricked out truck and a dentist who thinks he’s the reincarnation of James Dean.
​ 
A sexy stranger appears in her adult education class. The man is definitely no townie with his exotic looks and even stranger accent. It’s obvious he’s lying about why he’s in her class, but that doesn’t dampen his appeal. There was a rule against staff and students fraternizing, but she might be tempted to break it.

​
http://amzn.to/1OefYPG
Cinda is a practical woman with a very impractical Christmas Desire.
 
Cinda isn’t ready to become a glorious butterfly.  She’s still in the caterpillar stage with her generous curves.  All she really wants is for a man to appreciate who she is.  The way Jack did when they met at the airport. They shared a romantic day as they both waited for their flights. He kissed her goodbye and tucked his card in her suit pocket with instructions to call. It figures she’d lose his card. Luck never dealt her a romantic winning hand, but it’s time to reshuffle the cards.
Six months fantasizing about Jack was enough. Raven determines not only to help her friend to become the butterfly she is, but also to give her friend a gift she’ll never forget.  Cinda voices her doubts about attending the masquerade ball. Raven reveals that Santa left her special gift at the ball. Her job is to retrieve it.