Author Archives: Alicia Dean

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About Alicia Dean

Author of paranormal and romantic suspense. Follow her on Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/pages/Alicia-Dean/131939826889437) or twiiter (https://twitter.com/Alicia_Dean_)
February 12, 2017 · 4:09 pm

Double Trouble by Darcy Flynn – #RomanticComedy #Novel

Please help me welcome fellow AHA author, and friend, Darcy Flynn. Her romantic comedy novel, Double Trouble is an AWESOME read! Check it out…

 

Double Trouble by Author Darcy Flynn

I’ve always loved romantic comedies, especially mistaken identity stories. And what better way to confuse my heroine, then identical twin brothers. Some of my dearest friends have been identical twins, from my early childhood, until now. Six sets, to be exact. I’ve always loved being the one who could tell them apart, the best friend who shared their secrets and their pranks. I thought it was time to write a story for them.

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Blurb:

From the first moment coffee mogul, Will Carrington, gazes into the fiery, green eyes of Clare Sullivan, he’s hit with the feeling she does not like him. Not. One. Little. Bit. Used to being the proverbial prize by some gorgeous gold-digging fortune hunter, he’s learned to be careful. But with his hunter instincts now on high alert, he’s determined to find out the why behind her stormy-eyed glances.

Top home designer, Clare Sullivan, wants absolutely nothing to do with arrogant, self-assured Will Carrington, especially after he called her half-sister a gold digger. When she gets the opportunity to design his multi-million dollar Miami penthouse, she arrives at his office ready to decline his offer, and to tell him exactly what she thinks of his cruel and un-warranted comments.

While there, she overhears his one-sided phone conversation, which seems to further insult her sister. Assuming the worse, Clare makes the rash decision to accept the job and charge him a fortune in the process. Someone needs to teach him a lesson and what better way than with a swift kick in his wallet.

Since she and her sister have different surnames, Clare conveniently hides the connection to her sister. But while she works with Will, she discovers another side to this self-assured, woman-hater. A Jekyll to his Hyde. Charming and professional, he’s nothing like the man she’s heard about. What she doesn’t know is Will Carrington has a few secrets of his own.

Snippet:

Will loved it when a plan came together, and this one was flowing along beautifully. So well in fact, if he wasn’t careful, Clare might be inclined to get up and run. And that wouldn’t fit in with his plans at all.

And if she gnaws any more on her bottom lip, there won’t be much left to kiss.

He held out his arms. “Come here.”

Her eyes widened, and her jaw dropped two inches.

“In your dreams.”

“There is some truth to that.” He made a deliberate show of getting out of his chair, and an equally deliberate one of removing his jacket and tie.

After tossing both on the back of his chair, he took a step in her direction.

“What are you doing?” Alarm filled her eyes.

“Getting comfortable and finishing what you started this afternoon.” He undid the top button on his dress shirt, then the next. “Do you mind?”

“Yes, I mind.” She shot to her feet, snatched up the shawl and held it to her chest. “This has gone far enough.”

He shook his head. “Not nearly.” He stopped in front of her, gave her the slightest of smiles, then scooped her up in his arms as if she were a child.

She sucked in a breath and push hard against his chest. “Put me down.”

“That’s the plan, sweetheart. The question is, where?”

Buy Links:

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Double-Trouble-Darcy-Flynn-ebook/dp/B01CIPKWJI/ref=sr_1_1?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1485824407&sr=1-1&keywords=double+trouble+by+darcy+flynn

Barnes & Noble: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/double-trouble-darcy-flynn/1123581128?ean=9781941925065

 

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Author Bio:

Darcy Flynn is known for her heartwarming, sweet contemporary romances. Her refreshing storylines, irritatingly handsome heroes and feisty heroines will delight and entertain you from the first page to the last. Miss Flynn’s heroes and heroines have a tangible chemistry that is entertaining, humorous and competitive.

Darcy lives with her husband, son, two English Setters and a menagerie of other living creatures on her horse farm in Franklin, Tennessee. She raises rare breed chickens, stargazes on warm summer nights and indulges daily in afternoon tea.

 

Links:

Website/Blog: http://www.darcyflynnromances.com

Twitter: https://twitter.com/darcyflynn

Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/DarcyFlynnAuthor

Amazon Author Page: http://www.amazon.com/-/e/B0077AG3ZM

Pinterest: http://pinterest.com/dflynnauthor/boards/

Google+: https://plus.google.com/116563609469381811624/posts?tab=XX

 

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February 11, 2017 · 11:21 am

Sweetheart of a Giveaway – Win a Kindle!!! Plus – My Wackiest Valentine’s Day Gift Ever

Valentine’s Day is approaching, and while I don’t have a sweetheart, I do have a sweetheart of a deal! I’m giving away a Kindle EReader and offering several ways to enter. Click on the link below and be sure to get your entries in soon.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

And, guess what? I’m offering a quickie (NOT what you’re thinking…) prize to one lucky commenter. Tell me your best, worst, or weirdest Valentine’s Day gift in the comments below, and I’ll draw a name the morning after Valentine’s Day, and the winner will receive a $10 Amazon gift card.

Wanna hear mine? I’ll admit, I haven’t received many Valentine’s Day gifts in my day (I’ve been married once, and he was not romantic, and I’ve had very few relationships otherwise), but one of the weirdest was when I was about 21. I received a dozen yellow roses. I know that doesn’t sound like a weird gift, but the circumstances were a little weird. I was waitressing at a restaurant in Oklahoma City. When I was in training, the day I had my first section  on my own, my first customer was a lone man. He ate and we chatted. I presented his $15 ticket to him, and he gave me a hundred dollar bill. He said I could keep the change if I told him my name. Uh…I admit, I freaked out a little. I went to my manager and told him what happened, and I said, “What should I do?” He grinned and said, “Thank him.” 🙂 I reluctantly, nervously, went back to the table to see if he needed anything else, and he ordered a whisky, gave me another hundred, told me to keep the change. Then, he had a third drink and did the same. Crazy, right? Over the next few months, he came in regularly and always tipped nearly $100. Over the course of time, he told me that I reminded him of his first and only love. She broke up with him because he was poor. Now, he’d become wealthy, but he lost her, and he’d never stopped loving her. Awwwww…. On Valentine’s Day, he sent me a dozen yellow roses. I swear, on a stack of bibles, nothing ever happened between us. We had one ‘date’ of sorts, and I had drinks with him at the restaurant where I worked. He invited me to go with him to dinner. To New Orleans, on his jet. I told him I couldn’t because I promised my mom I wouldn’t go anywhere with him. When I told her about it, she said, “Well, good grief, I didn’t know he was going to fly you to New Orleans for dinner. You should have gone.” LOL.

So…that’s my story. Tell me yours.

And, in the meantime, I’ll share a little about my Valentine’s Day Sweet Romance Short Story, Cupid’s Beau:

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Buy here: https://www.amazon.com/Cupids-Beau-Sweet-Valentine-Romance-ebook/dp/B00B0JLKP4/ 

Ivy Pierce is a Cupid who prides herself on doing her job well. Except when it comes to a certain human male–Grant Crawford. Although she doesn’t understand why, each time she’s supposed to shoot her arrow into his heart, her stomach hurts, her chest hurts, and she feels….sad. Cupids are never sad.

Humans who are not looking for love only get three chances to find it. And after Ivy sabotages Grant’s last chance, her boss, Aphrodite, sends her to earth to right her wrong. She has until Valentine’s Day to help him find his soul mate.

But the more she’s around him, the more she wants him for herself, even though she knows that can never be. A Cupid and a human? Unheard of.

As V-Day draws closer, can she sacrifice her own happiness to help the man she loves find his?

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February 10, 2017 · 10:23 am

Friday Fragment Contest – #Giveaway #FunGame #BookLovers – February 10, 2017

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Happy Friday and welcome to my weekly contest –

Below you will find three different books, by three different authors, and beneath each, you will find three different short excerpts. Only one excerpt is from the listed book. Using the form at the bottom of the post, enter your guesses as to which excerpt is correct for each book. Once a month, I will draw a name from all those who attempt a guess on this game, AND on my Facebook SpotaLie game (check it out here: https://www.facebook.com/AuthorAliciaDean/) The winner will receive a $25 Amazon gift card. Each week, the first person to guess all 3 correctly receives an additional entry. (TIP: Click on each link and read the blurbs for a better chance at guessing correctly)

In addition to filling out the contact form, we’d also love it if you would comment, whether it is about your guesses, the books, the authors, etc. Have fun!

Terms and Conditions: No purchase necessary to win. There is no limit on how many times one entrant can win. You do not have to guess correctly to be entered in the monthly drawing.

 

*** The game runs from the day it’s posted through the following Friday morning when the next post goes up, so feel free to send your guesses in and comment any time during that week. In order to stay up to date on each post, follow my blog by signing up in the column to the right.

 

Extra giveaways!!

(Comment to enter – names will be drawn and winners announced next Friday, Feb 17)

Ann Raina is offering a free ebook of: For the Love of Jazmin (#2 series Jazmin & Ethan)

Linda Nightingale is offering a $5 Amazon gift card!

 

Book 1:

The Secretary’s Bodyguard (#1 series Jazmin & Ethan) by Ann Raina

Buy link — http://www.extasybooks.com/The-Secretary-‘-s-Bodyguard/

Find Ann here: https://www.facebook.com/ann.raina.7

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Snippet A:

Sidarra breathed her well-known scent and relished her warm hands on his chest and her tongue in his mouth. Deep down something stirred, a hidden emotion, a wish to be fulfilled, a memory he cherished. He closed his eyes and saw Yisnia in the woods of Ethisan, lifting her dress to find her naked beneath. The desire she had woken in him those days and nights in his small hut lived in him, was part of the memory they shared.

Snippet B:

Kyra took a deep breath. Oliver was such a bad influence! She could imagine Julian too well without clothes. She wanted to perish the thought, but it returned in a loop. “Do you think that Mrs. Bickerham is at her binoculars right now?”

Oliver laughed. “You mean after the demonstration of my domination over Gregory she’ll wait for me to take down Julian?” He wiggled his brows. “Nah, that would be your show, not mine.”

“Not mine, either. Locking up Julian in the kennel, yeah, right. Forget it,” she warned when he turned to continue the daydream.

“But just think of it.”

Unable to stop him, she sighed. Only with a gag. Oh, hell, he might like that.

Snippet C:

She helped him out of his jacket and shirt. The sleeves were bloody.

Jazmin winced. “You were shot! Oh, my god!” She took his face in both hands. “Captain, this isn’t nothing. Come, sit down on the bed. Let me have a look at it.”

“Jaz, it’s all right. The medic already stitched me up. Nothing—”

“If you say nothing to worry about one more time, I’ll give you something to worry about.”

Ethan smiled. “Okay, do what you have to do.” She directed him to the bed and he lay down slowly. He was exhausted suddenly, and Jazmin’s warm hands were consoling. He melted on the warm covers and his eyes closed all by themselves.

 

Book 2:

Morgan D’Arcy: A Vampyre Rhapsody by Linda Nightingale

Buy link;   https://www.amazon.com/Morgan-DArcy-Rhapsody-Linda-Nightingale/dp/1509209093/

Find Linda Here:  http://www.lindanightingale.com

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Snippet A: 

The most beautiful man in the world froze with his hand on the door. “Please don’t. This is a misunderstanding.” He blew out a long breath. “However, if that is what you want, I must advise you that Mayfair Electronics, 21 Dover Street, London, W1S 4LT will accept return of a flawed unit for a full refund.”

“Stop! You sound like a robot.” Her fisted hands struck the air.

He didn’t flinch. “I am a robot. That’s why this is an inane conversation.”

“Inane? I find you with another woman in the bedroom, and this conversation is silly? Oh, no, Christian. Did you invite her here?”

Snippet B:

From The Night Before Doomsday:    I groaned in the exquisite pain of desire. My mouth opened, taking her tongue inside, dominating the kiss. Desire was death, a living rigor mortis. As my feverish hands explored her body, she moaned and whispered. Thought sizzled to fog. Spellbound, I kissed her lips, her eyes, her cheeks. When I pressed my mouth to her velvet throat, she shivered in my embrace, and I was lost.

The walls of my house closed in on me. Folding Magdalene in a wing, I lifted her and took her into the garden. Here darkness and my wings would hide our sin.

Snippet C:

“Morgan, I really must go.” She hesitated. “John will be here in a few minutes.”

“John,” I spat. Indeed, the man was top of my hit list. “How is the pregnancy progressing?”

“I’m fine.” She sighed, but her hard tone softened somewhat. “Goodbye.”

Her voice trembled. Was she crying? My heart ached to think of her in tears.

“I love you,” I said. “And it isn’t goodbye.”

Book 3:

Raw Silk by Lisabet Sarai

Buy link: https://goo.gl/ZrwNNO

Find Lisabet here: http://lisabetsarai.blogspot.com

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Snippet A:

The elegance of my hotel room compensated to some extent for its modest size. Gold-fringed tiebacks held the brocade drapes on either side, revealing lace sheers. Outside the tall windows, a wrought iron balcony protruded over the narrow street. The bed was barely double width, but piled high with fluffy feather pillows. Art Deco curlicues of gleaming brass twined at the head and foot.

Before I’d met my Master, I would have admired the furnishings for the quality of the materials and the exceptional taste that had influenced their selection. Now all I saw were bondage possibilities—the headboard, the steel rings securing the tiebacks, even the balcony rails.

Snippet B:

“Having second thoughts, little one?” He flicked her earlobe with his tongue and sent electric currents streaking down to her sex. Although the gesture seemed playful, his tone was serious, without his characteristic mockery.

She turned her back to the dawn, seeking his eyes. “To be honest, yes.” The ache under her sternum made it hard to speak. “Last night, everything seemed so clear. This morning…”

“This morning you have doubts.” He combed his fingers through her curls, massaging her scalp. “Ah, pet! When I woke to find myself alone in our bed, I knew you’d been thinking too much.”

Snippet C:

The Domme’s face was gorgeously exotic, high cheekbones and a wide, crimson-painted mouth. One forgot all that beauty, though, when captured by the woman’s eyes. They were an icy emerald green. Like jade knives they penetrated her soul. She felt hopelessly weak and exposed, frightened and guilty. At the same time, they made her secret parts ache. She had a sudden urge to run to the woman, begging forgiveness, offering herself for punishment. Still, she remained transfixed, frozen in the Mistress’ gaze like a rabbit before a snake.

Finally, Mistress Clara nodded, as if satisfied. She gestured toward an empty table near the platform.

 

← Back

Thank you for your response. ✨

Which Snippet is from Book 1 - The Secretary's Bodyguard?

Which Snippet is from Book 2 - Morgan D’Arcy: A Vampyre Rhapsody

Which Snippet is from Book 3 - Raw Silk

 

Correct answers & winner of the extra entry from last week:

The first person who guessed correctly was Mary Anne Landers, who wins an additional entry in the February contest. Congrats, Mary Anne!

Last week’s answers:

Book 1 – Training Tessa: Correct Snippet: B

Book 2 – Lily and the Gambler: Correct Snippet: A

Book 3 – Prey for Me: Correct Snippet: B

 

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February 9, 2017 · 1:00 am

“10 Moments That Changed My Life” by Author Laura Strickland and 99¢ Sale: Steampunk Novel

I am pleased to introduce today’s guest, Laura Strickland, who is sharing the moments that changed her life, and a fabulous bargain…

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10 Moments That Changed My Life by Laura Strickland

  1. The first time my sister took me to the library. My older sister, Dot, was an avid reader and fortunately she infected me with the bug. She also shared her more advanced books with me, which stretched both my reading ability and my imagination. Thanks, Sis!
  2. The moment I realized I could write my own stories, just like those in the library. I loved reading so much I often grieved when a story ended. Once it occurred to me that writing the story meant I could continue it for as long as I wanted, a writer was born.
  3. The day I got my own first dog. For years I’d longed for a canine companion but I was the youngest of three girls and my mom had reached her limit on furry mess by the time I came along. Not till I graduated from High School did she (finally!) give in.
  4. The day I met my best friend, who’s still my best friend today. We’ve spent uncounted hours sharing dreams and flying our fancies together, and she helped me hone my storytelling skills when I created serial tales and told them to her by the hour.
  5. The first time I heard the song “Mother Goose” by Jethro Tull. This song opened my ears and my mind, and quite literally stopped my world for a moment. I still listen to Tull when I write Steampunk.
  6. The night I met the man who would become my husband. We were pen pals first. Yes, my entire life has pretty much revolved around writing.
  7. The (very early) morning my daughter was born. Little did I know that wee elf would soon become my friend, playmate and traveling companion.
  8. The day I realized my beloved dog, Mac, had returned to me in the far larger body of yet another dog. Spirit is spirit, and bonding is bonding. ‘Nough said.
  9. The day I stood in a glen in Scotland, the exact spot where I’d set several books of my Celtic Series but had never before visited. It was just as I’d pictured—pure magic.
  10. The day I clicked on an email and learned I’d received my first contract from The Wild Rose Press. A fortunate moment for me indeed!

Oh wow, wonderful list! I can totally relate to the feeling of bringing a child into this world, both the human kind and the book kind. 🙂 Thanks so much for sharing, Laura, now tell us about your book… (LOVE the cover…and the premise!)

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Book Blurb

Clara Allen needs a husband in order to keep a roof over the heads of her assorted dependents, a roof her nasty grandfather will re-appropriate unless she is married by her 21st birthday, only a few days away.  Strong-minded, unwilling to take orders from any man, she decides to solve her problem by raising a murdered prisoner from the dead and marrying him.  She expects an empty-headed puppet; she certainly never dreams he’ll be so devastatingly handsome.

Liam McMahon doesn’t recall much about his life before his hanging in the prison yard, other than being Irish.  He does remember the kiss Clara bestowed as she brought him back to life.  Every time he looks at her, his desire gets out of hand.  But his former life is chasing him down like a steam engine, and when a couple of mad geniuses decide he’d make a fine experiment, he wonders if he’ll live long enough to claim Clara’s heart or if he’ll die all over again.

Excerpt:

The room needed to be warm–she had learned that during past experiments. It helped if the subject awakened in an environment that was moist and heated, akin to the womb. And the breath of life was more easily received by warmed flesh.

Still obviously uneasy, Georgina rejoined Clara at the table. “You know you’re going to have to touch him.”

“I’ve already touched him. Ruella and I stripped and washed him down.”

“You’re going to have to kiss him.”

“It isn’t a kiss. It’s a resurrection.”

The room had warmed quickly. Now clouds of steam billowed and surrounded the table, lending an unreality to this thing she undertook. It blurred the edges of her vision and her reason.

She rested her fingertips lightly against the corpse’s chest and closed her eyes. He no longer felt cold but he did feel quite dead. She’d learned the difference over these many months. Against all the distractions she quieted her mind and reached for the power within.

It slept much the way the man’s flesh did, resting in oblivion. Like a separate entity within her, it mellowed and simmered until she called upon it, when it flared to life, bringing life.

She let the power grow and flare and burgeon inside of her because she would need a great quantity of it, more than ever before. When it threatened to overspill her like hot water in a steaming kettle she opened her eyes.

She felt full; she felt ready. She drew a deep breath–deep, deep, deeper than ever before–leaned down and placed her mouth upon that of the corpse.

 

Author Web site: www.laurastricklandbooks.com

Author Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100000002632317

Author Amazon page:  http://www.amazon.com/Laura-Strickland/e/B001KHSACW/ref=ntt_athr_dp_pel_1

Buy link Amazon:  http://amzn.to/2kAdcxC

Buy link Barnes & Noble: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/dead-handsome-laura-strickland/1121179536?ean=2940150186538

Buy link KOBO:  https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/dead-handsome-a-buffalo-steampunk-adventure

Buy link The Wild Rose Press: http://www.wildrosepublishing.com/maincatalog_v151/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=242_177_139&products_id=6082

Good Reads link: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/24951557-dead-handsome?ac=1

 

Author bio:

Born in Buffalo and raised on the Niagara Frontier, award-winning author Laura Strickland has been an avid reader and writer since childhood. To her the spunky, tenacious, undefeatable ethnic mix that is Buffalo spells the perfect setting for a little Steampunk, so she created her own Victorian world there.  She knows the people of Buffalo are stronger, tougher and smarter than those who haven’t survived the muggy summers and blizzard blasts found on the shores of the mighty Niagara.  Tough enough to survive a squad of automatons? Well, just maybe.

 

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February 8, 2017 · 9:53 am

I Love You More by Josie Riviera

Today’s guest is sharing a special novel…

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Handsome, self-assured, every inch the successful billionaire, Luciano is out of Anastasia’s reach. But when a hurricane strands them together and they must trust each other to survive … things heat up despite the driving rain and gale winds.

Can Valentine’s Day bring this unlikely pair together … this time for good?

Author’s Note: Thousands of families around the world have opened their homes and hearts through international adoption. Soo-Min is the embodiment of many, many fortunate adoptive children and parents who’ve together created forever families.

Don’t miss this poignant story of love, loss and renewed hope—get your copy of the novella today!

Buy Links for I Love You More

Amazon:
Ebook: http://a.co/bQ7xmZ5

Paperback: https://www.amazon.com/Love-You-More-Contemporary-Romance/dp/0996954112/ref=tmm_pap_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=14831

Youtube:

https://youtu.be/BSLnp0KNq_4

Universal buy link for Itunes, Nook, etc.:
https://www.books2read.com/u/meY1rm

 

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Author bio:

Josie Riviera is a USA TODAY Bestselling Author of contemporary, inspirational, and historical sweet romances that read like Hallmark movies. She lives in the Charlotte, NC, area with her wonderfully supportive husband. They share their home with an adorable Shih Tzu who constantly needs grooming and live in an old house forever needing renovations.

Check out her website and subscribe to her newsletter for a free ebook:
http://josieriviera.com/

Social media:
“Like” her Author Facebook Page:
https://www.facebook.com/Josie.Riviera/

Connect with her on Facebook:
https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100010936808977

Follow her on twitter: @josieriviera
https://twitter.com/Josieriviera

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/josie_riviera/

Pinterest:
https://www.pinterest.com/josieriviera/

youtube:
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCgqixF8IuUaTgE9lEUnnRQA

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February 6, 2017 · 5:00 am

Author Interview with Kate Hill – PLUS – Fangs and Fists 1: Bolt

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Today’s guest is Kate Hill, with her new release and a fun interview…

 

Please tell us a little about yourself, where are you from? Where do you live now? Family? Pets?

My name is Kate Hill, but I also write as Saloni Quinby. I’m a vegetarian New Englander. My hobbies include reading (of course!), watching horror and action movies, working out and spending time with my family and pets. I have two dogs and two cats.

Where did you get the idea for FANGS AND FISTS 1: BOLT?

I wanted to write a series about werewolves and demons that is different than the Witches and Wolves/Witches and Demons series that I write under my Saloni Quinby pen name. I knew that I wanted the werewolves to be gladiators as well. Keeping these things in mind, I outlined the Fangs and Fists series.  

Are there any tricks, habits or superstitions you have when creating a story?

When I’m writing a first draft, I like to listen to music. It helps me block out this world and step into the fictional world. When I’m working on edits, though, I prefer quiet.

Do you collect anything?

Books, comic books and movies (mostly horror and action).

What was your first job?

From the age of twelve to sixteen, I worked for my father. He was a painting contractor, so I swept a lot of floors and sanded a lot of walls!

Have you written any other books that are not published?

Yes! Many.

If you could spend time with a character from your book, whom would it be? And what would you do during that day? (PG-13 please 🙂 ) 

Blaze from my out of print Knights of the Ruby Order series. He’s hard to communicate with, but I’d like to talk to him.

What do your friends and family think of your writing?

My family and friends are incredibly supportive. I’ve been very lucky in that way.

What character in your book are you least likely to get along with?

Master Zigor from the Blood and Soul series. I’ve always called him my problem child. LOL!

How did your interest in writing originate? 

For as long as can remember I’ve loved to read and tell stories. When I was a kid, reading was my favorite thing to do and I wanted to write stories of my own to entertain people.

Who is your favorite author and what is it that really strikes you about their work?

Alexandre Dumas. His stories had everything–action, romance, great heroes and villains.

What is your favorite…

Movie – This one is too difficult to narrow down.

Music – I like mostly metal.

Place you’ve visited – The White Mountains

Place you’d like to visit – Hawaii

TV show from childhood – Scooby Doo

TV show from adulthood – This one is hard to narrow down, too.

Food – Peas

Sports team – I don’t like to watch team sports.

Which do you prefer: Board games/card games or television? Television.

Thank you so much, Kate. I enjoyed getting to know you. Now, Kate has a question for our readers…

What is your favorite supernatural creature?

 

 

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Blurb

Kiara remembers what life was like living free–before she was taken by demons and bred to gladiators so that the new generations of wolves would retain their ferocity but forget their freedom. Mated to top gladiator Grit, she has a son with this surprisingly gentle lover who is also planning their escape. When Grit is killed in the arena, his close friend Bolt upholds his promise to protect Kiara and the cub.

Bolt and Kiara have loved each other from the moment they met, but they buried their feelings because she was mated to his best friend. When Grit dies, despite their guilt, Bolt and Kiara surrender to their desire for each other. Will their love be strong enough to help them win freedom from their evil masters?

Excerpt

“You haven’t even had time to grieve,” he said.

“Grit was a good man. I couldn’t have found a better friend here in this disgusting place, but we were thrown together. We didn’t choose each other. We decided to make something out of what we had.”

“And if you had a choice?” he whispered in a voice rough with emotion and so close to her that his breath tickled her ear.

“After what just happened, you have to ask? Haven’t you always known?”

“I want to hear it.” He grasped her upper arms and turned her to face him. His gaze burned into her. “I need to hear it, Kiara.”

“I would have chosen you, Bolt. For the times Grit and I actually mated, I would do so with you every night in my dreams.”

“Kiara.” He pulled her into a possessive embrace. Then he pulled back enough to hold her gaze again. “I’ve loved you for so long. Grit was my closest friend, but seeing you together gnawed at my heart. I didn’t want him to die, but I love you. I can’t help feeling it’s somehow wrong.”

“It’s not. I feel the same way.”

From the adjoining room came Jett’s voice.

“I have to check on him,” she said, wrapping the towel around her middle.

She left the room and Bolt followed, putting a towel around his waist.

They found the cub sitting in his crib, smiling.

“I know he’s not yours,” Kiara began, picking up Jett, but Bolt took him from her.

“Now he is,” Bolt said with as much feeling as when he’d confessed his love for her. Jett snug in his arms, he leaned closer to Kiara and whispered in her ear, “Grit told you of our escape plans.”

Buy link

http://changelingpress.com/product.php?&upt=book&ubid=2562

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Bio

Always a fan of romance and the paranormal, Kate Hill started writing over twenty years ago for pleasure. Her first story, a short erotic vampire tale, was accepted for publication in 1996. Since then she has sold over one hundred short stories, novellas and novels.

When she’s not working on her books, Kate enjoys reading, working out, spending time with her family and pets and running the Compelling Beasts Blog, dedicated to antagonists, antiheroes and paranormal creatures. She also writes under the name Saloni Quinby.

Contact links

http://www.kate-hill.com

http://www.kate-hill.com/blog

http://www.kate-hill.com/compellingbeastsblog

https://www.amazon.com/Kate-Hill/e/B002BLS7OW/ref=sr_tc_2_0?qid=1485103167&sr=1-2-ent

http://www.facebook.com/katehillsaloniquinby

https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/16157.Kate_Hill

https://plus.google.com/110359814167605096582

http://www.twitter.com/katehillromance

http://www.twitter.com/compbeastsblog

https://groups.yahoo.com/neo/groups/katehill/info

 

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February 4, 2017 · 5:00 am

Stolen Secrets by Elizabeth Alsobrooks

Check out a new release from fellow AHA Author, Elizabeth Alsobrooks – Welcome, Elizabeth!

 

Stolen Secrets is a romance spinoff from my Illuminati (Urban Fantasy) series, so is much more character driven and oriented than what is usual for me. It’s steamier, of course, and the hero is hot, hot, hot, if I do say so myself.  Here is who I pictured when writing this:

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I’m sure you can see how princely he looks? What English gal stranded in Cairo could resist such a persuasive hunk? Well, the heroine, Lady Isabella Valentine tries, but being a romance I guess you know how it ends . . . .

Here’s how it begins:

Everything about the shop was irregular, including the displays which projected at odd angles, supported by ornate wooden brackets and the occasional book case or other Egyptian artifact. Its merchandise had been collected and added to over a lifetime of adventures, and the result was vastly eclectic and often mismatched and even mysterious. The windows of the cluttered antiquities dealership, not yet shuttered, allowed slanted sunlight to illuminate dust motes, thick and insidious, seeking every crevice and ornate feature in which to drift. Brushing her hand across the table to clear it of its most recent layer, Isabella unrolled the map and traced the route with her fingertip.

She heard the bell above the front door jingle, waited for the expected greeting, and sighed. Five minutes later and Misha would have arrived to clean and bar the entrance, and then she could begin preparing for the dig of a lifetime.

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Offered an enormous sum by an anonymous benefactor for the acquisition of an ancient ceremonial relic, a sum that would keep the antiquities shop in Cairo her father left her afloat while she continued her own archaeological pursuits, Lady Isabella Valentine was distracted rather than tempted, then suspicious, when the dashing young Bedouin slipped in just before closing and promised her a deal she couldn’t refuse–for the very same relic. Despite his sensual appeal, she did refuse him, sending him away.

Prince Mukhtar, son of Sheikh Abdul Kummel al-Rahman, leader of the Hassana, is on a sacred Illuminati mission for Queen Isis to retrieve something stolen from one of her temples over a thousand years ago. This mortal disbeliever though an enchanting English rose, however beautiful she might be, is clearly in the power of the Usurper and must be persuaded to help him, one way or another. But neither of them know of the evil power they are up against, or what hidden dangers await them in the tomb of the high priest.

Available for preorder on Amazon, for sale in kindle, nook and trade paperback on Valentine’s Day!

Author Website: www.elizabethalsobrooks.com

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February 3, 2017 · 11:59 am

Friday Fragment Contest – #Giveaway #FunGame #BookLovers – February 3, 2017

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Happy Friday and welcome to my weekly contest –

Below you will find three different books, by three different authors, and beneath each, you will find three different short excerpts. Only one excerpt is from the listed book. Using the form at the bottom of the post, enter your guesses as to which excerpt is correct for each book. Once a month, I will draw a name from all those who attempt a guess on this game, AND on my Facebook SpotaLie game (check it out here: https://www.facebook.com/AuthorAliciaDean/) The winner will receive a $25 Amazon gift card. Each week, the first person to guess all 3 correctly receives an additional entry. (TIP: Click on each link and read the blurbs for a better chance at guessing correctly)

In addition to filling out the contact form, we’d also love it if you would comment, whether it is about your guesses, the books, the authors, etc. Have fun!

Terms and Conditions: No purchase necessary to win. There is no limit on how many times one entrant can win. You do not have to guess correctly to be entered in the monthly drawing.

 

*** The game runs from the day it’s posted through the following Friday morning when the next post goes up, so feel free to send your guesses in and comment any time during that week. In order to stay up to date on each post, follow my blog by signing up in the column to the right.

 

Book 1:

Training Tessa by Debra Doggett

Buy  Link:  https://www.amazon.com/Training-Tessa-Debra-Doggett-ebook/dp/B01GAF0EYK/

Find Debra Here: www.onefoolsjourney.com

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Snippet A:

His voice was low and full of everything that scared her about his kind, full of everything that drove her need and her body to a panting want that curled her toes. It made her mad enough to bite.

“You’ve got trouble and I’m the one you come to?” She folded her arms across her chest and looked him up and down with a sneer. “From your reaction, I guess I came to the right place.”

“And you can go straight back out the door you came in too.”

“Not until we talk.” She cocked her chin up.

Snippet B:

As his hand slid over her shoulder, his fingers nudged her dress down, letting the fabric glide to the top of her dress, though careful not to expose her. He leaned in close, and for a moment she thought he might kiss her. Then his fingers dipped below her bodice to caress her breast and her breath caught in her throat. She could not find words to protest, couldn’t make her mouth move to tell him to stop. He removed his fingers and she sighed.

Snippet C:

“So now you propose that I strip my clothes off and let you have at me with all the skill your people devote to

such things?”

He paused to stare at her. Something twinkled in his eyes that was part lust and part amusement. “And is that what you think I want to do with you, have at you?”

She folded her arms across her chest. “Of course. That’s the reason we’re in this godforsaken place, so that you can get your hands on me and dazzle me with the supposed skill you have in luring women into your bed.”

Book 2:

Lily and the Gambler by Linda McLaughlin

Buy Link: https://smile.amazon.com/dp/B01MYMEKMD/

Find Linda Here: http://lindalyndi.com

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Snippet A:

Cupping her chin, he stared at her, his eyes full of half promises. “Oh, hell, I may get my face slapped for this, but…” His hand moved to the back of her neck as he lowered his head and captured her lips in a kiss that stole her breath away.

For a moment, she closed her eyes and gave herself up to the kiss. Then a door slammed somewhere in the house, reminding her of where they were. She pushed him away. “How dare you?”

He gave her a lazy grin. “What’s that old saying? Nothing ventured, nothing gained?”

Snippet B:

A laugh burbled up from her throat and her cheeks warmed at the reminder of his kiss. She hadn’t expected such a romantic gesture from him. It wasn’t as if he were born a gentleman. Perhaps she needed to change her assumptions. She’d expected boorishness from him simply because of his birth, not taking into account that he’d been educated in the same schools as her brother. She’d best start thinking of her prospective bridegroom as a social equal.

Lud, was she such a snob?

Snippet C:

Scant minutes later, Mr. Chaplin led her outside to a closed traveling carriage standing in the inn yard. He must be a gentleman of some means, she mused, to have his own carriage. He supervised the loading of their luggage then held out his hand to help her into the carriage. As she stepped up, the wind caught her veil and blew it upwards. For a second she had a clear glimpse of his startled face.

He had seen the bruise.

Book 3:

Prey for Me by TR Fischer

Buy Link for Prey For Me: https://www.amazon.com/Prey-Me-Colorado-Tempest-Book/dp/099649362X

Find TR Here: www.TRFischer.com

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Snippet A:

“Enrique, this is Skylar.”

A man behind the counter got to his feet. Not the same sandy blond from the day before. This guy had dark hair, darker eyes. His yesterday-morning shadow was split by a brilliant smile that probably got him whatever he wanted whenever he wanted it. Gorgeous.

Suddenly the smile fell away and his golden-brown face darkened like the sky in a sudden summer storm. Skylar’s steps faltered at the onslaught of black emotion that emanated from this man. She blinked, filled her lungs, struggling to make sense of it. A set-up gone south?

Enrique said nothing.

Snippet B:

Patrick crouched behind Lacy in the open cargo area behind the driver’s seat. The muzzle of his gun jabbed the nape of her neck. She followed his commands until she neared the end of Center Street. They were headed out of town. Her gut told her not to go. But her gut didn’t have a solution for the weapon aimed at her brain stem. On the other hand, if she did as he said, she would end up dead. Or worse.

As Lacy ferried herself closer to that fate, fear somehow gave way to reason. Why wait? And why give Patrick the reins?

Snippet C:

“Hello.” Tara wanted to say more but her brain shorted out. This guy was not from Pine View. He looked like he’d stepped out of a magazine. Rugged and clean-cut at the same time. His wavy blond hair was longer than most businessmen wore theirs, but his jeans and button-down shirt weren’t the kind a laborer could afford. They looked as though they’d been tailored to fit. His sleek leather jacket probably cost more than she made in three months. Must be a tourist who took the wrong exit.

He flashed a slightly crooked smile that made her breath catch.

 

← Back

Thank you for your response. ✨

Which Snippet is from Book 1 - Training Tessa

Which Snippet is from Book 2 - Lily and the Gambler

Which Snippet is from Book 3 - Prey for Me

 

Correct answers & winner of the extra entry from last week:

The first person who guessed correctly was once again Elf – Who wins an additional entry in the February contest. Congrats, Elf!

Last week’s answers:

Book 1 – A Year of Light and Shadows: Correct Snippet: B

Book 2 – Immortal Savior: Correct Snippet: A

Book 3 – The Captain and the Cheerleader: Correct Snippet: A

 

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February 3, 2017 · 6:54 am

Anatomy of A World of Gothic: Ghost in the Rain (Scotland) by Marie Treanor

Check out this great interview about one of our A World of Gothic books. It’s an excellent read!

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February 2, 2017 · 5:22 am

Taking a Chance by Judi Phillips – New Release

Please help me welcome today’s guest, Judi Phillips with her new release, Taking a Chance

First off, thanks, Alicia, for inviting me to visit with you.  It’s great to be here.

You’re welcome. Happy to have you!

 Today I want to share with you my latest release, Taking a Chance.  This is the second book in the Chances Are … Series.

A little backstory.  Ghost of a Chance is the first book in this series, where the heroine is denying any psychic abilities and the hero unknowingly buys a haunted house.  Halfway through the story, the heroine’s mother, Aerial, arrives.  Frankly, she takes over the story.  I had to sit down and have a serious conversation with her, reminding her I was telling her daughter’s story, and if Aerial would just be patient, I’d tell her story.  And here it is.

 

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Blurb for Taking a Chance:

A psychic.  A cop.  A lover of conspiracy theories.  And a kidnapping cold case.  Available now.

Can Aerial Bonné, a free-spirit psychic, and Frank O’Malley, a skeptical cop, work together to solve an abduction that happened over thirty years ago?

She’s all about feelings and wants a fling with no commitments.  He’s all about protection, strength and being in control.

The bad guy kidnapped a little girl, who’s now his “daughter”.  Over the years, he’s become increasingly paranoid and believes every conspiracy he’s heard about.  Now he believes Aerial is plotting against him.

Even though they’re falling for each other sparks fly when things go wrong, will his job, her temporary visit in Minnesota and the bad guy keep them apart?

Excerpt from Taking a Chance:

“I know you’re off-duty, but do you mind if I ask you a possible work-related question.”

Frank was thankful for the change of topic. “Another missing music box?” he asked with a smile, remembering the first time they’d met. She had insisted the police department be called about Sara’s missing music box.

“No, this time it’s about a missing girl.”

His smile faded at the solemn expression on her face. “What about it?”

“I had the oddest dream last night.”

He folded his arms across his chest. “Oh?”

Aerial waved her hand dismissively.  “Never mind. Probably just my overactive imagination. I won’t bother you with it.”

“It’s no bother.”

“No, it’s nothing. Just a silly dream.”

“Are you sure? I’m a good listener.”

She shook her head.

“You’ve probably watched one too many reruns of Without a Trace.”

She stared at him a minute as if she intended to say something, then closed her mouth firmly. “You’re probably right.”

Son of a gun. He’d obviously said something wrong. “Look, I’m sorry for teasing you. I do want to hear what you have to say.”

“It’s okay. I know. It was a crazy question.”

Her reluctance to say anything more tweaked Frank’s interest. What had stopped her? No matter the situation, he always wanted to pull the loose thread to see what unraveled. She’d given him an opening, and he decided that was a good excuse to see her again. “How about we go out to dinner? I can check around, and we can talk about this more.”

She hesitated a moment, just long enough for him to realize he really wanted her to say yes. “I’d like that. When are you thinking?”

“How about Saturday?”

“That will work. I’ll ask Betty if she can watch Jenny. My granddaughter,” she added in response to his raised eyebrow.

“Great.” What a doofus. Couldn’t he come up with something better to say? He couldn’t believe how tongue-tied he was around her. Good thing he wasn’t in the dating market. And he hadn’t just asked her for a date. He merely wanted to satisfy his curiosity about her.

“I’ll let you know for certain. I’m sure we will see each other at the Bean.”

* * *

As he exited the door, he nearly bumped into a guy loitering outside. Frank quickly assessed him. Middle-aged, mussed hair, rumpled clothes, refusing to meet his gaze. Might mean something — or nothing at all. The guy didn’t smell like a homeless person. Likely just lived on his own. Probably not a threat. But he didn’t look like the usual kind of customer Frank expected to see at The Herbal Emporium. He’d keep an eye out for the guy, see if he showed up here again.

 

Buy links for Taking a Chance:

Amazon Kindle:  Amazon

iBooks:  iBooks

Nook:  Nook

Kobo:  Kobo

Trailer:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aLUhIBbtA1E

 

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Bio:

Judi has had stories in her head as far back as she can remember. However, being lazy (her friends like to point out that she’s efficient), and being a legal assistant, she knew she could never complete a manuscript if she had to write it on a typewriter. Then, along came word processors, and those magic cut and paste and delete icons. There was no stopping her after that. Within a few weeks of her first job with a computer, she started her first story, a house-beautiful, vogue thing about lawyers. Needless to say, it will never be published — but she honed her description skills on that project, so nothing is ever wasted.

Judi has recently relocated to New Mexico and is living in the foothills of the Sandia Mountains.  No more Februarys in Maine for her. She lives with two dogs, a Yorkie, Mishka, and a MinPin, Gizmo, who have acclimated easily. Despite their small size, they rule the house.

Currently, Judi  has 13 books published in varying lengths and from sweet to spicy to very hot.  Seven are by Judi Phillips and six are by Pepper Goodrich.  Judi and Pepper each have at least one more book to be published this year.  In addition, the Campfire Circle stories, four of them previously published in serial form in the Windham Eagle newspaper, will be republished this year. A fifth short story, involving multiple wedding disasters, has been added to the series, plus a novella.

Night of Turmoil is my favorite.  It’s set in Tunisia at the beginning of the Arab Spring.  My daughter-in-law is Tunisian and I was in Morocco when it started.

You can find Judi on the web at:  http://judiphillips.com/

or Pepper at http://www.peppergoodrich.com/

and on Facebook:    https://www.facebook.com/judi.phillips.50

follow her on Twitter:  @judiphil

and read her random blog posts at:   http://sugarspice-judi.blogspot.com/

or e-mail her at:  judiphil65@gmail.com

 

 

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