Feature Author - Naomi Bellina

Here's a look at her latest releast, When Iris Eyes are Evil

A sexy vampire with evil on his mind has Rachel playing detective to find a way to subdue him before he can destroy her.

Sent to the space station in lieu of prison, Rachel longs to escape and return to Earth. An encounter with a charming bartender, Brody, makes her reconsider, until she realises that he is not what he seems. Racing against time, Rachel must find a way to permanently eliminate Brody before she falls prey to his evil plot and is killed in the process.

With the help of a sexy crew member, a friend back home and another of Brody’s victims, Rachel devises a dangerous plan to kill the fiend and save herself and other potential victims.

Sounds like a smokin' hot read! Congrats, Naomi on your latest release:) I wish you lots of sales!

Purchase Link: http://www.total-e-bound.com/product.asp?strParents=&CAT_ID=&P_ID=1378

For more info on Naomi: http://www.naomibellina.com/

Michelle M. Pillow - Featured Author

Degrees of Passion by Michelle M. Pillow
Release: November 25, 2008

Publisher: Virgin Books/Random House
ISBN-10: 0352345004
ISBN-13: 978-0352345004

Buy / Preorder Link:
http://www.amazon.com/Degrees-Passion-Michelle-M-Pillow/dp/0352345004?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1210466136&sr=1-14


Blurb:

The second college student Sasha Matthews spotted Trevor Kingston she knew it was fate. He’s everything a girl could want—handsome, charming, rich. With student loans piling up and no clear idea what she wants to do with her future, he’s the best thing she has going. But, Mr. Perfect’s façade begins to crumble when she sees him photographed with another woman in the newspaper’s society pages. Breaking up with her high society boyfriend, a distraught Sasha finds comfort in the arms of moody, hard working Kevin Merchant whose cuteness is overshadowed by his know-it-all attitude. One drunken night of passion is hardly the start of a relationship and when Trevor wants her back the choice seems clear. In order to graduate Sasha must participate in an important internship. But, she’s paired with the very guy she’s swore never to see again. Forced to work alongside Kevin, long hours in the lab turn into tempting nights of seduction. Should she deny what’s between them and await the return of her ideal boyfriend, or will life teach her lessons this professional student never expected to learn?

Belinda McBride - Featured Author

THK. Tell me about yourself. Anything you would like readers know about you.

Belinda: Well, to start, I’m a parent; I have two adult daughters, one is a Physician’s Assistant, the other is a private chef. I also have a niece that lives with me. She’s severely retarded and autistic, so taking care of KJ is really my full time job at this point in my life. Care giving is demanding, but on the upside, I have time and flexibility to write as much as I want!

I breed Siberian Huskies for show and mushing. I’m not as active in this hobby as I used to be, but still have a couple promising young show dogs. My other hobbies include travel, Chinese martial arts and Qi Gong, soap-making and gem collecting.

I’ve been a writer all my life, but a few years back, my life was growing increasingly stressful, and I began writing as a way to cope with everything that was building up inside. After a year of frantic, nearly non-stop writing, I began to organize my work and look into submitting to a publisher. My first two stories were finished and submitted on literally the same day. They were contracted to different publishers within two days of each other!

THK. Tell me about your current and upcoming releases. Please include a blurb and a link to where the book can be purchased.

Belinda: At Changeling Press, I’m working on two series, the Black Planet series, which is Sci Fi/cyber Punk, and the Imperative series, which is more of a fantasy series. I have two books coming up, one in October, the other in November. I’ve also got a novel coming at New Concepts Publishing. It’s an urban fantasy called Soul Keeper, about mythological creatures living in the modern world.

Here’s a blurb for Imperative: Always You:
In the future, we don’t choose our mates; Nature chooses for us. Nature doesn’t make mistakes. And if you don’t pay attention to Nature’s Imperative, you suffer.

She could always get under his skin. He could always send her spinning into fury. Marilyn and Neil aren’t like oil and water, they’re like dynamite and a match!

They say that Nature doesn’t make mistakes when she chooses a person’s perfect mate, but surely this time Nature wasn’t paying attention. Not only do these co-workers hate each other, Mari’s still in love with her ex-husband, and Neil? Well, Neil is gay.

Nature’s got some explaining to do.


THK. What genre do you write it? What drew you to write in that genre? If you mix genres tell us about that too.

Belinda: I tend to mix genres, you’ll find I write a lot of science fiction and fantasy, that can also include Cyber Punk and Urban Fantasy. I love mythology and legends, and tend to go to those sources for inspiration. Most of what I write is bi-racial or interracial because that’s my personal life experience. I am quite comfortable working with alternate lifestyles, some of my descendents (male and female) were polyamorous, so I grew up aware of that lifestyle.

THK. How many books have you written? How many have been published?

Belinda: Sheesh…at this moment, three novellas and a short are published at Changeling. Two novellas and a novel are under contract, and I’ve got one novel in revisions at a publisher, another novel submitted. I’ve got several novellas and shorts sitting on my hard drive, they just didn’t make the cut for me, so I’ll eventually return to them.

THK. What would you say is your most interesting writing quirk?

Belinda: I multi-task, I’ve almost always got two or three projects open on my screen and I switch back and forth between composing on one, editing on another. I have a very busy mind.

THK. What is the hardest part of writing?

Belinda: For me, its patience. Right now, I’m struggling to not lose patience with a publisher that wants my story, but they’re dragging their feet. Some projects I can send away and forget about until I hear back, but others…well, its driving me crazy being stuck on someone else’s schedule.

THK. What do you read for fun when you’re not writing?

Belinda: Boy, I have several favorite authors, including Neil Gaiman, Marjorie Liu, JR Ward, Laurell Hamilton…the list goes on and on. I also read my fellow authors, its fun to compare notes and learn what’s going on in genres that I don’t really write in that much.

THK. Any words of encouragement for unpublished writers?

Belinda: I always have advice, and it changes from day to day! Today, I’d say my best advice is to write. So you have lots of great ideas, or you’ve finished and subbed that manuscript…well, keep writing. Don’t stay static or lose the writing habit. Don’t get dependent on your muse, writing is a discipline and a job, not just an art.

My book covers and buy links can be found at http://www.changelingpress.com/author.php?uid=115

You can learn more about Belinda and her books by clicking the following links.

Website: www.belindamcbride.com
Blog: www.belindam.blogspot.com
Email: belinda@belindamcbride.com
My Space: www.myspace.com/belindamcbride

Thanks for taking the time to be here Belinda:) I really enjoyed your answers.

Family Treasures by M.C. Bechum

At my book signing last Saturday I had the pleasure of meeting another local author. Here's a little bit about M.C. Bechum's latest book, Family Treasures.

Private investigator, Pete Masters attempts to solve the murder of a wealthy attorney. Throughout the course of the investigation, the decedent's family uncovers secrets that change their lives forever.

You can purchase a copy of Family Treasures here:

http://www.lulu.com/content/1323996

Mary Winter - Featured Author

THK. Tell me about yourself.

MW. I’m a life-long Iowan who knew even in junior high and high school that I wanted to write romance novels. I think I went from the middle grade books like the Saddle Club directly into Silhouette Desires and Harlequin Superromances, which I happen to consider my “guilty pleasure” reading. My dream in high-school was to work as a groom on a race horse farm and write romance novels. To that end, I have a half a degree in equine science. Then, I realized that at $5 an hour, I was probably the highest paid stable hand in America and I got a “real” job. I still aspired to write romance novels, and in December 2002, I was published.

THK. Tell me about your current and upcoming releases. Please include a blurb and a link to where the book can be purchased.

MW. My most recent release was “The Wrong Woman” from Noble Romance Publishing. This is a re-release of a previously published book.

Blurb: Laid off from her accounting job, Annie Gadbaum has to find a new source of income. Tired of the stuffy corporate life and ready to make some big changes, Annie takes a position as a bartender at a nightclub while she figures out what to do. She throws herself into her work, dressing the part and enjoying the party atmosphere more than she ever thought she would.Nightclub owner, Ridge Warrick, longs for a stable relationship with the kind of woman he can bring home to his mother. So why is he so attracted to the fiery-haired Annie? She's captivated him, but she's the wrong kind of girl.

Buy link: http://www.nobleromance.com/ItemDisplay.aspx?i=7

Coming up in July I have “Good Medicine” from my company, Pink Petal Books. This is a re-release of a book previously published as “Money Man.”

Buy Link: http://jupitergardens.com/product_info.php?cPath=47_48_49&products_id=884

Blurb: Sadie Grissom is still reeling from Devon Markier III purchasing the vet clinic where she works. The practice could have been hers if Sadie had been able to secure funding. She's torn between thankfulness at still having a job and trying to cope with the Devon's privileged upbringing and playboy lifestyle.

Devon bought the clinic to have a place away from his family to practice his veterinary work. The fact that the sexy Sadie came with the facility is a major bonus. He knows she sees him as her boss but he wants much more than a simple business relationship.

This hot doctor is going to prove to Sadie that love is the best medicine of all.

I also have a couple of books that will be released probably within the next couple of months, but I don’t have dates for them yet, so the best thing to do would be to check my website for updates.

THK. What genre do you write? What drew you to write in that genre? If you mix genres talk about that too.

MW. I’m a published erotic romance novelist. My books range from contemporaries to paranormals, fantasy, and futuristic. I also have a nonfiction book on Animal Reiki forthcoming from The Lotus Circle. I also am writing some sweet-sensual romances as well as fantasy novels. We’ll see what happens with those. *grin*

THK. How many books have you written? How many have been published?

MW. I honestly can’t tell you how many books I have written. I have over twenty published, with hopes for many more.

THK. What would you say is your most interesting writing quirk?

MW. My ability to snatch one-two sentences in between doing other things. Those sentences really add up.

THK. What is the hardest part of writing?

MW. Saying that this book is a good as it’s going to get and sending it off into the world. I could fuss and worry over a project forever, but at some point you have to admit that it’s as polished as you (and your critique partners) can make it, and it needs to go find a home.

THK. What do you read for fun when you’re not writing?

MW. I read romance novels, science fiction, and fantasy.

THK. Any words of encouragement for unpublished writers?

MW. Keep trying. Don’t give up. And write the book that you want to write, not what you think the market wants or what is “hot.”

What a great interview and what great advice for unpublished writers. I couldn't agree more:)

You can find out more about Mary and her books here:

Website & Blog: http://www.marywinter.com/

newsletter: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/marywinternews

chat loop: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/marywinterchat

myspace: http://myspace.com/mary_winter

Allie Boniface - Featured Author

THK: Tell me about yourself. Anything you would like readers know about you. This might include how you got started writing, your hobbies and interests – things that will make them feel like they’re getting to know you on a personal level.

AB: Hi, Tracey, and thanks for having me here today! Now that it’s summer, I’ve had the chance to relax and catch up on my reading and writing, since I’m a full-time high school English and Education teacher, 10 months out of the year. My husband and I usually travel during the summer months, but with the crazy gas prices this year, we’re taking advantage of our own backyard instead! When we do travel, our favorite spots include anywhere in the United States west of the Mississippi (since we both grew up in New York), the Outer Banks, and Western Europe. When I’m not teaching, traveling, or writing, I’m also a runner, a pianist, and a volunteer at my local animal shelter. All of my adventures give me plenty of fodder for my books!

THK: Tell me about your current and upcoming releases. Please include a blurb and a link to where the book can be purchased.

AB: I’m a fairly new author of contemporary romance who celebrated her first two releases in 2007. One Night in Boston released with Samhain Publishing in ebook format July 2007 and in print May 2008. Lost in Paradise released with The Wild Rose Press in ebook format in November 2007 and in print May 2008. My most recent novel, One Night in Memphis, just released with Samhain back in early July. It’s available in ebook right now!

o Purchase Link: http://samhainpublishing.com/authors/allie-boniface

THK: What genre do you write it? What drew you to write in that genre? If you mix genres talk about that too.

AB: My novels hover on the line between contemporary romance and women’s fiction (which has a love story but does not necessarily focus on the love story). I have always been a sucker for a happy ending, but I also enjoy exploring the complexities of relationships and the power of the human heart. My novels are all rooted in real life and are inspired by people and events I encounter on a daily basis.

THK: How many books have you written? How many have been published?

AB: I’ve written five as of this blog interview, and three have been published. The other two need a little revising before I submit them, though I hope to find homes for them both before the end of 2008. Fingers crossed!

THK: What would you say is your most interesting writing quirk?

AB: I do not fill out character charts and I do not analyze the GMC (Goal Motivation Conflict) arc of my story. I know, I know – these are things you’re supposed to do before you get started. But I don’t. I just write the story. Of course, sometimes that approach works and sometimes it doesn’t.

THK: What is the hardest part of writing?

AB: The middle of a book, when you suddenly think “This really stinks, the plot is sagging, and there’s no way it’s going to get to the end and be any good.” I get very frustrated with middles.

THK: What do you read for fun when you’re not writing?

AB: Literary fiction, mostly. My latest favorite authors include Jodi Picoult, Jennifer Finney Boylan, and Carolyn Parkhurst. I’ve been reading some different genres of romance, too, including works by Tori Phillips (historical), Kerry A. Jones (paranormal), and Stephenie Meyer (YA fantasy).

THK: Any words of encouragement for unpublished writers?

AB: Be aware that it is very difficult to write a complete novel and to get published – but it is not impossible. Believe in your abilities, take classes in the craft of writing, and find writing partners who support you and write in the same genre as you do. Be open to constructive criticism, as well.
http://www.allieboniface.com/
http://www.allieboniface.blogspot.com/
allieb@allieboniface.com
View my trailers at http://www.previewthebook.com/

One Night in Boston Purchase Link: http://samhainpublishing.com/print/one-night-in-boston-print

One Night in Boston Trailer: http://www.previewthebook.com/book.php?id=204
Lost in Paradise Purchase Link: http://www.thewildrosepress.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&products_id=630
Lost in Paradise Trailer: http://www.previewthebook.com/book.php?id=331

One Night in Memphis Purchase Link: http://samhainpublishing.com/authors/allie-boniface

Mirella Patzer - Featured Author

Please help me welcome Mirella Patzer to the blog today!

THK. Tell me about yourself. Anything you would like readers know about you.

My name is Mirella Patzer, and I'm first generation Italian Canadian. I love to read and write and cook. One day, I'd like to write a cookbook featuring some of the old Italian recipes handed down from generations. I live in Cochrane, Alberta, Canada which is just outside of Calgary and a short drive to the Canadian Rockies. I've been a manager at a local police department for 28 years, have met Paul Newman and Joanne Woodward, and have owned American Saddlebred horses.

THK. Tell me about your current and upcoming releases.

My current release is Bloodstone Castle. It is a medieval romantic suspense and can be purchased on Amazon.com and book sellers. For an autographed copy that comes with a little bag of Italian candies and an actual bloodstone, visit my website at: http://www.mirellapatzer.com/.

THK. What genre do you write it? What drew you to write in that genre?

At this stage of my writing career, I've only written historical fiction. Years of research have kept me writing in the 10th century. However, once I complete a trilogy of books in that era, I'd like to branch out into historical westerns and family sagas. I love the medieval period because life was brutal back then and there is lots of opportunity to learn. But I'd love to write westerns because I live only a 20 minute drive away from Heritage Park in Calgary, an authentic, large historical village complete with bakery, dentist office, barns, mills, forts, etc. I love it there and can easily disappear for hours. With such fabulous research right at my doorstep, I can't wait to start, but only after I complete my current works in progress.

THK. How many books have you written? How many have been published?

I have been very fortunate, because everything I've written, has been published. My first novel, Heinrich the Fowler, was published in 2004. I have had 3 short stories published. And now, I'm so fortunate to have Bloodstone Castle published and released by Enspiren Press.

THK. What would you say is your most interesting writing quirk?

Hm, well, I collect book marks. I keep them all in a mug and when I read, I change my book mark. I also have a quirky way to choose the next novel I want to read from my book shelf by counting to the seventh book after the surname of the last author's book I read. How's that for quirky!

THK. What is the hardest part of writing?

I find the hardest part of writing is completing the first draft. I find it much easier to polish and edit, because that's when I add the descriptions, scenery, and little details that bring a scene to life.

THK. What do you read for fun when you’re not writing?

My bookshelf is full of historicals from some of my favourite authors such as Elizabeth Chadwick, Christopher Gortner, Sharon Kay Penman, Michael Ennis, Wilbur Smith, Pauline Gedge, to name just a few.

THK. Any words of encouragement for unpublished writers?

I recommend that you join and participate diligently in a critique group. I prefer on-online groups with Yahoo. Critique groups help authors see what they themselves are blind to and help authors polish their work. The final product is much more professional with far fewer errors. Often, published authors and editors participate in these groups, so it's a way to get free editing through reciprocation. This will help increase your chances for publication.

Links where you can find out more about Mirella and her books.
http://www.mirellapatzer.com/

http://mirellapatzer.blogspot.com/

http://bloodstonecastle.blogspot.com/

http://bestofitaly.blogspot.com/

http://historicalnovelreview.blogspot.com/

http://authorcookies.blogspot.com/

Shelley Munro - Featured Author

From the moment I saw an article in the New Zealand Herald about sightings of a mystery black cat in Canterbury, South Island, I knew it would make a good story. I cut out the article and kept it for about three years while I wrote about other things such as talking dogs, aliens and military men. It wasn’t until I saw a human interest story on our local television about a small South Island town called Middlemarch that I recalled the cat article. Evidently, the town of Middlemarch had a severe shortage of females and to help the young farmers and other men in the area find partners, the town intended to organize a dance.

The two ideas blended inside my head and a story idea bloomed about a community of leopard shifters who lived in Middlemarch and suffered from a shortage of women of marriageable age.

The first book in the series, Scarlet Woman, was one of the most difficult stories I’ve ever written. It started life as a short story. My editor liked it but thought there was too much story for the length I’d written. She suggested that I lengthen it, which I did, although my characters kicked up a fuss. So did my muse. I’m pleased I persevered because it’s now one of my favorite stories.

This week I finished writing the seventh book in my Middlemarch Mates series. I’m not sure why I enjoy writing about feline shifters so much. Maybe it’s because my husband isn’t a cat fan and we have a dog instead. My cat of choice is the black leopard, although I have introduced a brother and sister in Stray Cat Strut who are lion shifters.

Here are a few leopard facts:

Leopards are the most widespread of all big cats.
They are also the most secretive.
They live in different habitats ranging from rocky country to savannah lands and forests.
Leopards are nocturnal and hunt at night.
They usually sleep all day in a tree.
Their spotted coat is excellent camouflage in the patchwork of light and shade in the forest.
A leopard’s spots are actually small rosettes.
Leopards are loners and only come together to mate.
The mother brings up the cubs until they can fend for themselves.
They are built for bursts of speed and for climbing trees.
They have strong jaws, chests and front legs and can move an animal as big as themselves.
Leopards like to ambush their prey, waiting in a tree for an animal to walk underneath.
Leopards drag their meals up into trees to keep it safe.
Black leopards are often called panthers. They are the same species, but their spots are hidden. They are more common in Asia.

In my Middlemarch series, I’ve taken some of the above facts to use in my stories and also given my own personal twist. Middlemarch leopards mate for life and they are a close knit community. They’re alpha characters but are putty in the hands of the right woman. The first three stories are currently available from Ellora’s Cave with the fourth story, Assassin due out on 6 August.

Cat and Mouse, the fifth story is due out in October 2008. To read excerpts, visit my website at http://www.shelleymunro.com/ and to learn about the real town of Middlemarch, where the dance takes place on a yearly basis because the first was so successful go here. http://www.middlemarch.co.nz/

Michelle M. Pillow - Featured Author

Recipe for Disaster by Michelle M. Pillow

Release: June 10, 2008

Publisher: Virgin Books/Random House
ISBN-10: 0352341777
ISBN-13: 978-0352341778

Aspiring chef, Zoe Matthews has lost her job and all hopes of a satisfying future. If that wasn’t bad enough, she’s just publicly shot down her one and only chance at culinary redemption. Restaurant mogul, Jackson Levy is determined to teach the rude city-slicker a lesson in manners. What she thinks will be a head chef position at one of his fancy restaurants turns out to be a small town diner. Can this city girl and a country boy find common ground? Or is this just a recipe for disaster?


Buy / Preorder Link:
http://www.amazon.com/Recipe-Disaster-Michelle-M-Pillow/dp/0352341777?ie=UTF8

Sapphire Phelan - Featured Author

Thanks to Tracey Kitts for letting me blog here today.

Today I like to talk about writing urban fantasies, both with romance and without. I wrote one, Being Familiar with a Witch that I submitted to Phaze, that hopefully will be out in 2009.. It is set in a city, and has paranormal elements in it, like a witch, and also demons, in particular, a demonic hero.

Urban fantasies have become popular, not just with fans of science fiction, fantasy and horror, but also with those who read romance. They are a sublet of contemporary fantasy, with a sprinkle of urban grittiness. The modern urban fantasy protagonist will face extraordinary circumstances as the plots unfold in where magic or paranormal events are commonly accepted to exist or where magical powers or creatures are concealed. Urban fantasy takes a metaphorical idea of many conflicting elements that is a city and weaves it into a literary framework with typically one central conflict. It is rock and roll, where fantasy is classical music and dark fantasy is Goth. It is more than battles between the world of Faerie and humans in a fantastical world, this time the battles are dropped into the mean streets of places like Chicago, London, New York, L.A., and San Diego. You name a city, and you might find fairies and werewolves hiding out in supermarkets and the clothing department at Wal-Mart’s. The heroine or hero can be a kick-ass type, or an ordinary woman or man.

Modern urban fantasy can be traced as far back as the 1920s (particularly in the field of children's fiction), it was in the 1980s that the term became widely used among adult fantasy writers and readers--and that the form grew in popularity to become a sub-genre of its own.

Pioneers of this genre were:

Charles de Lint—Moonheart and the Newford series, plus other books of his.
Emma Bull—War for the Oaks
John Crowley—Little, Big
Megan Lindholm a.k.a. Robin Hobb—Wizard of the Pigeons

Jonathan Carroll—The Land of Laughs

Matt Ruff—Fool on the Hill
Terri Windling in her role as editor of the Ace Books fantasy line and as creator of the Borderlands series.

Since then, others to enter this field range from Laura K. Hamilton to China Mieville to Neil Gaiman to Jim Butcher to Kelley Armstrong to Jeri Smith-Ready and many more. Television and Films too have entered the urban fantasy field with Beauty and Beast (I watched this one faithfully back in the ‘80s) Dresden Files, Blood Ties, Moonlight, The Crow, Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Angel, Big Trouble in Little China, Supernatural, Neverwhere, and more every day.

So now with summer upon us and the beach beckoning, or even your own back yard or air conditioned house/apartment, why not check out some urban fantasy from your local library. Or buy some from a bookstore in town, or download from an e-publisher or Fictionwise or Amazon?

Beware though, the next time you head downtown and walk the mean streets of the city to your favorite bar. There just might be a vampire or a ghost or even an ogre hidden in that dark alley you have to pass. Maybe even a vortex. Just be prepared for adventure.

Sapphire Phelan is an author of erotic and sweet paranormal, fantasy, and science fiction romance. She also writes as Pamela K. Kinney, for horror, fantasy, science fiction, and a nonfiction ghost book, Haunted Richmond, Virginia. She lives in Virginia with her husband and two cats, Ripley and Baste. You can find out more about her and what she has or will be coming out at her website: http://fantasticdreams.50megs.com/

Check out her MySpace at http://www.myspace.com/SapphirePhelan,
her blog at http://sapphirephelanspassioncorner.blogspot.com/,
and subscribe to her newsletter at http://groups.yahoo.com/group/SapphirePhelansParanormalNewsletter .

She admits she can always be found at her desk and on her computer, writing. And yes, the house and husband sometimes suffers for it!

Sapphire Phelan's Backlist

"Jack"-Sinister Tales Magazine, Issue #1
“Wedded Magic”—LoveYouDivine: http://www.loveyoudivine.com/index.php?main_page=document_product_info&cPath=22_28&products_id=16

"Soul Seduction" in Forbidden Love: Bad Boys--Under the Moon: http://www.amazon.com/Forbidden-Love-Bad-Boys/dp/1934153141/sr=1-1/qid=1169420587/ref=sr_1_1/103-4820911-4322244?ie=UTF8&s=books

"Being a Predator is a Bitch" in Forbidden Love: Wicked Women-Under the Moon: http://www.amazon.com/Wicked-Women-Forbidden-Love-2/dp/1934153370/ref=sr_1_1/103-0687312-5804636?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1179883563&sr=1-1

"To Save the Day"—Amazon Shorts: http://www.amazon.com/To-Save-the-Day/dp/B000R7GA50/ref=sr_1_4/103-0687312-5804636?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1180489026&sr=1-4

"Costumed Scare" and "Full Moon Lover" (Poems) in Phaze in Verse—Phaze: http://www.king-cart.com/Phaze/product=Phaze+in+Verse+by+Phaze+Authors

"The Dark Man" (m/m) in Forbidden Love: Sacred Bands-Under the Moon: http://www.amazon.com/Forbidden-Love-Issue-Sacred-Bands/dp/1934153222/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1197296147&sr=1-1

Beast Magic-Phaze: http://www.king-cart.com/Phaze/product=Beast+Magic+by+Sapphire+Phelan

"Old Friends" in December 2007 PDF issue of Cobblestone Press Quarterly: http://www.cobblestone-press.com/catalog/cpq.htm

"Shadow Lover" in the charity anthology, Coming Together: Under Fire—Phaze: http://www.kingcart.com/Phaze/product=Coming+Together+Under+Fire+by+Alessia+Brio+and+Will+Belegon,+eds
Crimson Promise—Phaze: http://www.king-cart.com/Phaze/product=Crimson+Promise+by+Sapphire+Phelan

“To Teach an Ancient God”—free read from Romance All eBooks : http://allromanceebooks.com/product-toteachanancientgod-8477-180.html

Mandy Roth - Featured Author

Magical Seductions

Witches, werewolves, things that bump in the night...And three arousing tales of sexual delight.
CATHRYN FOX

Web of Desire

Good witch Ally gets naughty when she discovers her long-lost high school sweetheart caught -- literally -- in a web of lust and seduction.

MANDY M. ROTH

Solo Tu

When Francy shows up after five years of separation to tell her beloved Dante, a werewolf, that she's engaged to a vampire, he seduces her with a steamy surprise of his own.

ANYA BAST

Tempted by Two

Not only did Miranda just learn that she's a half-blood fae, but she's also got two -- two! -- deliciously muscular mates. She'd better adjust to all the sexy attention before a vengeful goblin tries to get in on

Buy Link:
http://www.amazon.com/Magical-Seduction-Elloras-Cathryn-Fox/dp/1416577211/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1202583784&sr=8-1

Melissa Lopez - Featured Author

Behind the creation of Netherworld.

I’m still stoked over the release of my first novel titled Dark Sentinel a paranormal romance. And the launch of my series site Netherworld.
http://nether-world.net/ the back drop for Dark Sentinel. While Netherworld offers a new romance with every installment it’s a dark, foreboding world. I mixed a little horror and urban fantasy elements into the series.

Sometimes authors have real clear ideas of what’s in store for their characters and worlds. Other times details come more slowly.

Netherworld sparked to life with a whispered word. Redemption. What’s necessary in the process of redeeming? What kind of act would redemption take? This led to my central concept. The forsaken. The forgotten. And with that concept I just knew I wanted a world with multi dimensional layers like that of the Dark-Hunter world of Sherrilyn Kenyon. I wanted a world I could build on and expand as the series unfolded.

For a more in-depth inspiration, I was struck by one of my early college classes and one of my very favorite pieces of literature. Dante’s Inferno. This story is truly a masterpiece! I read it three times before the semester was up. The premise of Dante’s Inferno stuck with me from the first reading. Truly fascinating! Imagine circles in Hell. As I was toying with Dark Sentinel’s premise another story came to mind. One written by Kate Hill centered on a demon. Demons! Yes! I needed demons! I wanted lots and lots of demons. I nearly flipped my computer chair over when Pinhead from Cliver Barker’s Hellraiser popped into my head for a visit. Truly, this is not a character you want to know intimately. And neither is my Dark Prince. Seriously a purely evil being. My muse was in Heaven as the bits and pieces of Netherworld started falling into order.

Once I had a partial done for Dark Sentinel Netherworld literally spilt wide opened while I was in an Ohio hotel in June of 06. Working with pen in paper story plots poured out. I honestly didn’t see the dark world coming until it was there. The next day, I had an impulsive pitch to Samhain Publishing. I still remember my Netherworld unfolding during my live pitch to Christina Brashear nearly two years ago. Christina was absolutely fabulous while I was absolutely nervous!
Now thanks to Samhain Netherworld has come alive. So do you believe in redemption?

Dark Sentinel excerpt link below.
http://samhainpublishing.com/romance/dark-sentinel

Thanks so much for having me, Tracey!
Melissa Lopez
http://melissa-lopez.com/
JOURNEYS OF LOVE every woman needs to take.

Kissa Starling - Featured Author

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Marly Mathews - Featured Author

Blurb:

Arabella had inherited her mother's gift of witchery,
but the one man that presented the greatest threat to
her, the man who called himself the Wolf, seemed
immune to her powers.

Having fled the mobs of the revolution to England as a
child, when Arabella returns to France she is enlisted
to aid Napoleon's cause as a spy-until the man known
only to her as the Wolf abducts her and returns her to
England once more.

Buy link:
http://www.newconceptspublishing.com/thewitchandthewolf.htm

Author Website: http://www.marlymathews.com/

Earl Ofari Hutchinson - Featured Author

Hillary Obama Roadshow

There were also mixed signals if whether being a woman would help more than hurt Clinton even with women in a wide segment of America. In a Newsweek poll in July 2007, fewer voters said they would vote for a woman candidate for president than a black candidate. Hillary scored just as dismal when asked whether the country was ready for a female president. More said no to this question than said no for a black president. The gender reluctance by big chunks of voters was in part offset by the experience factor. Hillary scored big on this in the polls.

The Hillary distaste in part explained why in February 2007 Hollywood mogul David Geffen, a long time Clinton family cheerleader and campaign bankroller sucker punched Clinton with the knock that she would polarize voters. The implication was that she would be a disaster for the Democrats if she were to get the party presidential bid. Geffen rapped Clinton at the moment that he and some other Hollywood movie big shots pumped a reported cool million dollars into Obama’s campaign coffers.

At the same moment, a slew of conservative hit groups loudly announced they had sunk loads of cash into a pack of “stop Hillary” websites, muckraking pieces and scheduled attack ads on her. They vowed this was just the start of a freewheeling, no holds barred disinformation effort to sabotage her campaign.

For much more information about Earl Ofari Hutchinson and The Ethnic Presidency: How Race Affects the Race to the White House, visit his blog blitz homepage - http://inspiredauthor.com/promotion/Ethnic+Presidency+Blitz.

To order your copy of the Ethnic Presidency, visit http://www.ethnicpresidency.com/ orwww.amazon.com/Ethnic-Presidency-Decides-White-House/dp/1881032256

Earl Ofari Hutchinson is an author, syndicated columnist, political analyst and commentator.
He has been a frequent guest on Hannity and Colmes, The O’Reilly Factor, The Big Story, EXTRA, and numerous CNN News and Talk Shows.

He was a regular commentator on CNBC’s The Dennis Miller Show.

He has been a guest on the Today Show, Dateline, The Lehrer Hour, and BET News, America’s Black Forum. He is a frequent commentator for the American Urban Broadcast Network and Ed Gordon’s News and Notes on NPR

He is a featured columnist for http://www.blacknews.com/, http://www.blackamericaweb.com/, and http://www.alternet.org/.

He is associate editor of New America MediaHis op-ed columns appear in the Baltimore Sun,L.A. Times, Los Angeles Daily News, Washington Post, Chicago Tribune, Newsday, the Philadelphia Inquirer, the San Francisco Chronicle, and the Christian Science Monitor, and other major newspapers.He is the author of nine books that include:

Black and Reds: Race and Class in Conflict, 1919-1990 (Michigan State University Press, 1995)Betrayed: A History of Presidential Failure to Protect Black Lives (Westview Press, 1996)

The Assassination of the Black Male Image (Simon & Schuster, 1996).

Beyond O.J.: Race, Sex and Class Lessons For America (Middle Passage Press)

The Crisis in Black and Black (Middle Passage Press, 1998)

The Disappearance of Black Leadership (Middle Passage Press, 2000)

For more information, visit this link
www.amazon.com/Ethnic-Presidency-Decides-White-House/dp/1881032256
or visit http://www.ethnicpresidency.com/ to order your copy.

Janet Lane Walters - Featured Author

All Our Yesterdays

Twenty plus years ago, I was working as a ghost writer for doctors and had the great fortune of meeting editors in New York, Several of them were willing to look at the manuscript and also to give me the names of agents. Here's what happened on both instances. The editors loved the foreign stories and hated the modern one. The agent loved the modern story and hated the historical events. Discouraged, I put the book to rest. The problem was that due to the aging of the yellow paper, this was in the days of typewriters and carbon paper, very little of the manuscript was able to be read. I threw up my hands and threw it away. One day I was looking through some old notebooks and came across the handwritten story, complete with the books I'd used for research. So I sat down and completely changed the modern story and heated up the historical. The book was originally published as a serial since I wondered if the number of fully consummated scenes wouldn't be too much for a reader. The serial took off and NCP decided to put it together as a single volume. The object of my tale is "Never throw any of your writing away. You never know when you can complete it successfully. Janet

Blurb:
Captive of an ancient curse, Astrid must journey through the ages, through deceit and betrayal, to find true love and break the curse....

Egypt.... When the touch of an ancient Egyptian necklace hurtles her back through time into the turbulent life of another woman, she discovers the trap holding her spirit captive....

Babylon.... When Astrid touches an ancient Babylonian necklace, she's thrust into the the life of a priestess in the temple of Marduke. When the temple is captured by an Assyrian warrior, he claims all inside as his own ... including her.

Britain.... The heat between Astrid and Duncan becomes incandescent. When she finds a pair of Viking gold medallions, she re-lives her life as Starr, daughter of a village headman about to be forced into marriage with a man she doesn't like or trust. Her flight sends her into the arms of Ragnar, a Viking.

Eight realms await her. Eight chances to redeem herself and break the curse holding her spellbound...perhaps for eternity....

ISBN 1-58608-810-6
Trade Paperback - ISBN 1-58608-787-8
http://www.newconceptspublishing.com/allouryesterdays.htm

Pamela S. Thibodeaux - Featured Author

Pamela S Thibodeaux
Author, Speaker

Co-Founder/President
Bayou Writers Group

“Inspirational with an Edge!”

I've always been an avid reader, from Dr. Seuss before school age, to Walter Farley's "Black Stallion" series as a preteen, then on to romance where I found my passion. Mainstream, contemporary, historical...it did not matter. If it was a romance, I read it! They say 'don't judge a book by its cover' but I refused to listen....if it looked good, I read it.
One day while pregnant with my daughter I flung the book I currently attempted to devour in disgust and muttered, "I can do better than that!" I'm still not sure if the book was really that bad or if I merely had a hormonal moment, but thus began my writing journey.

That incident occurred more than twenty-five years ago and I must say I, as an author as well as a human being, have evolved a great deal in a quarter of a century.

For years I was a closet writer who wrote in 5-subject notebooks, shy and afraid of what people would think. I had no idea that there were rules to writing or anything similar. I simply wrote as the characters and story unfolded in my mind. Once I bought my first word processor, my secret was out. The one defining moment when I thought I just may be on to something was when my mother, also an avid reader but a sports fanatic, missed the Super Bowl to read my manuscript. If you know any sports fanatics you'll know that it takes something very special or drastic to pull them away from that game.

I've come a long way since those years as a closet writer. Today I am multi-published in romantic fiction and creative non-fiction. My writing has won awards such as Coeur de Louisianne’s 1999 Diamond in the Rough and their 2000 Ruby and in 2001 I earned my RWA Pro Pin.

My romantic fiction novels have been tagged as, "Inspirational with an Edge!" and reviewed as, "steamier and grittier than the typical Christian novel without decreasing the message" and consistently receive high praise and good reviews.

My short stories have received awards such as Reviewers Top Pick from Night Owl Romance & Recommended Read from My Book Cravings
My non-fiction has been featured in publications such as Cross & Quill, Fellow Script, and Vocational Biographies and much of it can be found online at Associated Content
I’ve also contributed to publications such as Bylines Writers Desk Calendar, Crumbs in the Keyboard; Stories from Courageous Women Who Juggle Life & Writing and Penned from the Heart Daily Devotionals (volumes xi, xiii, & xiv)
In 2002 I Co-founded Bayou Writers’ Group in Lake Charles, Louisiana and currently serve as President and Treasurer for the group.

Full-length Titles are available in Ebook from the Publisher’s Website and Print from Amazon

Tempered Hearts Tempered Dreams
© 2005 © 2005
Publisher: ComStar Media Publisher: ComStar Media
ISBN# 0-9769960-2-2 ISBN# 0-9769960-3-0

Tempered Fire The Inheritance
© 2006 © 2007
Publisher: ComStar Media Publisher: The Wild Rose Press
ISBN# 1-933866-08-X ISBN# 1-60154-055-8
Link for Tempered Ebooks Link for Ebook

Short Stories Include: Up Coming Releases!
Cathy’s Angel Tempered Joy from ComStar Media
© 2007 The Visionary from Enspiren Press
Publisher: The Wild Rose Press
Where To Find Me:
Choices My Website: http://www.pamelathibodeaux.com/
© 2008 My Space: www.myspace.com/pamelasthibodeaux
Publisher: The Wild Rose Press My Blog: http://pamswildroseblog.blogspot.com/

A Hero for Jessica
© 2008
Publisher: The Wild Rose Press


Links needed for post:

Night Owl Romance: http://www.nightowlromance.com/nightowlromance/reviews/Review.asp?ReviewId=1143

My Book Cravings:
http://www.mybookcravings.com/shara_cathysangel.htm

Associated Content:
http://www.associatedcontent.com/user/27703/pamela_s_thibodeaux.html

Bayou Writers Group:
http://www.geocities.com/bayouwritersgroup

Link for Tempered Books:
http://www.comstar-games.com/csg-store/index.php?main_page=index&cPath=25_27

Link for Amazon:
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/search-handle-url/002-3165282-8434425?%5Fencoding=UTF8&search-type=ss&index=books&field-author=Pamela%2C%20S%20Thibodeaux

Link for The Inheritance:
http://www.thewildrosepress.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&products_id=410

Link for Cathy’s Angel:
http://www.thewildrosepress.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&products_id=613

Link for Choices:
http://www.thewildrosepress.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&products_id=701

Link for Com Star Media:
http://www.comstar-media.com/

Link for Enspiren Press:
http://www.enspirenpress.com/

Featured Author - Jamaica Layne

Market for Love

ISBN 978-1-60394-098-6
http://www.newconceptspublishing.com/marketforlove.htm

Always straight as an arrow conservative, Miranda had no idea what got in to her the day her stocks crashed. Actually, she knew what got in to her-Max-a tall, drop dead gorgeous stranger. She just didn't understand how she could've completely lost control.

The book will also be released in August 2008 by Virgin Cheek Books.

INTELLIGENT DESIGN. Semi-Finalist, 2007 Julie Harris Playwriting AwardINTELLIGENT DESIGN. Finalist, 2007 Christopher Brian Wolk Playwriting AwardTHE DEVIL IS IN THE DETAILS. Included in BEST AMERICAN SHORT PLAYS 2004-2005. Forthcoming in 2008 from Applause Books.

Visit my blog: http://jillelainehughes.blogspot.com/

Mechele Armstrong - Featured Author

The birth of a trilogy

by Mechele Armstrong

Back about a year ago, I submitted a Christmas story to Loose Id to make sure I got it in by Christmas. It was a fun quickie, The Six Curses of Christmas. I wanted to do a Christmas story because I love the holiday and started thinking about my childhood Christmas tradition of going in the woods to get a cedar tree. I thought, “What if the tree wasn’t alone? What if a woman had been cursed into it?” I played with that concept and came up with the character of Deidre. She’s been cursed into a tree for centuries by a man, so she hates all men, and wreaks havoc on Casey and the woman he just met, Brietta. Had a lot of fun writing her evil self into my story and breaking her curses to help my couple find a romance.

Loose Id accepted my quickie and said, “Hnmmm, you know, we’d love to see a trilogy about Deidre.”

I said, “Okay!” I was excited because, even though I haven’t planned on writing more with her, she was a hoot to write.

I decided her next installment should be set in spring with a boy next door kind of romance. I planned to do a story very similar to The Six Curses of Christmas with Deidre tossing out curses left and right to protect a woman from a man. Only it wouldn’t flow. It wasn’t until I changed the concept, that she’d done five curses before in the spring to keep apart Jake and Mckenzie, and this story involved her sixth curse to deal with their relationship, that the story flowed. The story became the Sixth Curse of Spring.

I wrote the third part right after The Sixth Curse of Spring and again, the story wouldn’t let me write something too similar to what I’d already done. This was Deidre’s story, too, and I had to find a way to bring romance to her. Not easy for the cranky woman presented in either of the earlier stories. In both the first parts, Deidre isn’t heard by anyone. But I couldn’t have a guy fall for a plant that he can’t interact with. Halloween is always a mystical time so I decided on Halloween, she could find a way to communicate with the owner of her tree. Again, I had to play with how she could be a part of this man’s life. A bonsai tree was the answer, and The Sixth Cursed Halloween was born. Brad is one special guy to not only fall for Deidre, but to make her fall for him.

Deidre’s character arc goes through all three. In the Six Curses of Christmas, she’s a lot more cranky and unrepentant. In The Sixth Curse of Spring, you see a human side of her. A vulnerability. In The Sixth Cursed Halloween is when you finally get to see Deidre turn from angry to more emotional.

It’s been a run ride writing these three stories. I hope to do more trilogies in the future.
Mechele author of The Six Curses of Christmas available now, The Sixth Curse of Spring, coming March 18th, and the Sixth Cursed Halloween, coming this fall
http://www.mechelearmstrong.com/

Melissa Walker - Featured Author

Violet by Design by Melissa Walker

Sometimes people ask me why I like to write for teenagers, and I always tell them it’s because in those years were the most emotionally raw and honest time of my life so far. Remember your first dance? The day you got your driver’s license (Yes!)? Your best friend whom you’ve known since kindergarten and don’t keep any secrets from? Your first broken heart? Remember leaving that all behind? I do.

Here’s a scene from my new book, Violet by Design, out in March. It’s about a small-town girl who grows up tall and gawky—and ends up becoming a successful model. And even though Violet lives in the fashionable world of runways and playboys and couture, she’s still 18, with a hometown and best friends and memories that are hard to part with.

This is a quick look at the scene when Violet’s leaving home, and saying goodbye to her best friend, who is heading off to college:

After leaving Julie’s, I drove over to Roger’s to deliver the mix CD, which I called “Last Goodbye” after our favorite Jeff Buckley song (and because I’m completely over-the-top like that). I handed it to him and he said, “I will cycle each and every one of these songs through my myspace profile, in tribute to you.” Then he pulled me into his chest and we just stood in his driveway hugging. I could feel his sweater getting wet as I teared up, and I stepped back and sniffled, saying something about how I didn’t want to ruin an Original Penguin. He looked at me for a second and then pulled me back in without saying a word. We hugged for a good 10 minutes in total silence before I finally got in the car drove away.

It sounds weird, but I’m not just going on vacation or away for summer camp—we’re all leaving now. And although I don’t doubt that we’ll be friends forever, I know it’ll never be the same as it was when we were growing up at home. And I feel like that time ended, like, today.

VIOLET BY DESIGN, sequel to VIOLET ON THE RUNWAY
· Paperback: 224 pages
· Publisher: Berkley Trade (March 4, 2008)
· Language: English
· ISBN-10: 0425219402
· ISBN-13: 978-0425219409

melissacwalker.com