Tuesday, July 31, 2012

Review - Tidewater Inn

Tidewater Inn
Written by: Colleen Coble
Publisher: Thomas Nelson
ASIN: B007D1TNYS
Pub Date: July 17, 2012
Pages: 320 

While on a video call with her business partner and friend, Nicole, Libby Holladay witnessed the kidnapping of Nicole. She drops everything and travels to Nicole's last known location - Hope Island, a small fishing town.

Her missing friend is not the only mystery for her as she learns that her father has recently passed away, but as far as she knew her father died when she was a child. Apparently, her mother had hid the truth from her. Her father had a life on Hope Island and had other children. Libby's father must have loved her as he leaves his Tidewater Inn to her in his will.

Monday, July 30, 2012

The Vampire Encounters—Shane Chamberlain Part 1



Thank you so much for having me today.

I’d like to share the third installment of my series of short stories, entitled The Vampire Encounters. As I hop around the internet these next few weeks, I’ll be sharing a part of each story. The story has four parts, with each part broken into two—except the last, it’s broken up into three sections. So, come follow me, as I interview (Ann Rice style) the four vampires from A Hunter’s Angel...

Although all of them could be read separately, if you would like to read them all I will also be putting them on my website. Or, if you’d like to follow along, go to http://ceradubois.wordpress.com/a-hunters-angel-the-book-tour/ for the link to the other parts.

The Vampire Encounters

Part 1—Shane Chamberlain


“Crap.” I pounded the steering wheel and guided the car off to the side of the road. That tell-tale flob-flop of a flat tire grated on my nerves until I stopped.

I looked around the dark road and shivered—the chill having nothing to do with the frosty October night. I was heading home from the interview with Ian McHenry, and the deserted road gave me the heebie-jeebies. Of course talking to a real vampire didn’t give me any piece of mind. Sure, he may not kill his prey, but he still had to gnaw on someone’s neck to stay alive—or undead—or whatever vampires were.

Sunday, July 29, 2012

Review - The Sweet Life #4:Secrets and Seductions

Sweet Valley Confidential: The Sweet Life #4: Secrets and Seductions
Written by: Francine Pascal
Publisher: St. Martin's Griffin
ASIN: B0080K3EW8
Release Date: July 29, 2012
Pages: 65

Life is not so sweet for the Wakefield twins, as their lives are still rattling in this fourth part of the e-serial. Bruce Patman has skipped the country in the aftermath of the sexual actuations against him. Elizabeth is forced to resign from her job when she refuses to have her interview with Bruce’s accuser, Robin Platt, published. A part of her still believes that Rick Warner, owner of Warner Gas, is still behind the whole sex scandal. Since Rick already knows Elizabeth, she enlists the help of her new brother-in-law Aaron to go undercover at Warner Gas. After almost coming to a dead end, Aaron may have found out who Robin Platt actually is.

As her marriage's divorce rolls near, Jessica returns to work at VERTPLUS.NET. In her absence, her position is now in the hands of someone else, Tracy Courtright - her enemy. Now she is forced to sit in a cubicle with the other workers, even though she is one that founded the company. Her love life is in the headlines, as she has been seen with the famous actor Liam O’Connor, the same man she had a fling with resulting in Todd leaving her. Jessica feels nothing for Liam and ignores all his texts and calls. She no longer wants to be the good girl, but instead she wants the old high school Jessica back.

Review - Moonblood

Moonblood
By: Anne Elisabeth Stengl
Publisher: Bethany House
ISBN: 9780764207815
Pub Date: 2012 
Pages: 373

In book three of the Tales of Goldstone Wood series, Prince Lionheart must regain the trust of his people, in doing so he must banish one of his most trusted allies, his servant Rose Red. He sends her out into the deadly realm of Arpair, where her own father, King Vahe, who is an evil goblin, kidnaps her.

The Prince is heartbroken of what he had to do to his servant and vows to bring her back. He heads out into the strange Goldstone Wood to find Rose Red, but there are many dangers and trials that he must face, including goblins, a tiger, and even a unicorn.

Saturday, July 28, 2012

Review - Road Rage

Road Rage
Adapted by: Chris Ryall
Based on the short story "Throttle" by Stephen King & Joe Hill
Artist: Raffa Garres  and Nelson Daniel
Publisher: IDW Publishing
ISBN: 978-1613772829
Pub Date: August 21, 2012
Pages: 120

Inspired by "Duel" by Richard Matheson, the father/son team of Stephen King and Joe Hill wrote the short story "Throttle" that has been adapted into a comic book series by Chris Ryall. NetGalley and IDW Publishing have kindly allowed me to review issue one of the upcoming hardback Road Rage that will contain the entire series.

DVD Review - The Three Stooges: The Movie

The Three Stooges: The Movie
Directed by: Peter Farrelly & Bobby Farrelly
Starring: Sean Hayes, Will Sasso, Chris Diamantopoulos
Studio: Twentieth Century Fox
Release Date: 2012
Rated: PG
Running Time: 92 minutes

I grew up watching Moe, Larry, Curly, and Shemp, so I was more than a little skeptical when I heard about the Farrelly brothers remake (if you can call it a remake). I only saw the movie advertise on television once when it was at theaters and it did not look too good. Then I read a few bad reviews about the movie, making me less likely to go see it. The movie did not do very well at the theaters, barely covering its budget worldwide. I saw the DVD for under fifteen dollars and I talked myself into buying it.

The movie opens up with the same Stooges' tune and similar opening credits. The first episode is titled "More Orphan Than Not," which explains the Stooges back-story, where as babies they are left in basket outside of an orphanage. As they grow up and cause chaos for the nuns (played by Jane Lynch, Larry David, and a few others), Moe is almost adopted by a wealthy couple, but they end up adopting another orphan, Teddy, instead. Twenty-five years later, Moe (played by Chris Diamantopoulos), Larry (played by Sean Hayes), and Curly (played by Will Sasso) have never left the orphanage as they are now handymen, but the home that they have known is going to be closed down as the orphanage owes $830,000 in thirty days.

Friday, July 27, 2012

Guest Post with author P.M. Terrell



BECOMING A WRITER

Sometimes I think my path to becoming a writer was always preordained.

My father was an FBI Agent. In 1967, during the height of the Civil Rights Movement and the demonstrations against the war in Vietnam, he was transferred from New Jersey to the Mississippi Delta.

I had been born in Washington, DC and had spent my life up to that point living in the north. So when I arrived in Mississippi, I was completely ostracized—by adults who wanted the FBI to get out of their state and by other students who culturally were completely different than me.

The principal of my school, Mrs. Alexander, encouraged me to write. I started out writing short stories, which she encouraged me to bring to her office and share with her. By the mid 1970’s, I was writing full-length novels.

I was drawn to suspense and crimes, probably because of my father’s job in law enforcement and the shock of moving to Mississippi when such violence and upheaval was the norm. I found that my own reading was drawn more toward romance and fantasy; both themes that took me out of my present situation into other worlds, other times.

The Friday 56 - Goosebumps Wanted: The Haunted Mask



Rules:
Grab a book, any book. 
Turn to page 56. 
Find any sentence, (or few, just don't spoil it) that grabs you. 
Post it. 
Add your (url) post below in the Linky at http://fredasvoice.blogspot.com/.

Thursday, July 26, 2012

Writing for Honey Creek by Maggie Greene





Thanks so much for having me here today! So, I was asked to talk about why I chose to write for the Honey Creek line of books. 

Most of the time, what I enjoy most about writing is the ability to go wherever my mind takes me. If I need a fancy restaurant, then *poof* I come up with one. Writing for Honey Creek was a little different. The town and cast of secondary characters already existed. I couldn’t simply make up a restaurant or develop a new street for my characters to walk down. I had to stay within the established boundaries of the town.
There was an upside as well though. Sometimes the hardest part of a scene is naming a restaurant or deciding where a person is going to work. With that done for me, I could focus instead on the wants and needs of my characters. 

Writing Nursing Second Chances certainly allowed me the opportunity to work some of my writing muscles. I had to change my fly-by-the-seat of my pants approach to writing and be a little more organized with my process. In the end, I think I found a nice mix between the goals of my individual story and the needs of the community.

Wednesday, July 25, 2012

Guest Post with authors Clark Hays & Kathleen McFall



And God said, let there be Vampires
Are vampires a new religion?


A few days back, a tweet passed through our stream that asked the question: Are vampires the new religion? It got the Cowboy and I to thinking and then to talking. (Well, mostly it got her to thinking and talking. Cowboys already have the whole good versus evil things mostly worked out. But I was willing to listen. Love requires certain sacrifices.)

Eons ago, like the ancient Gods and Goddesses occupying Mount Olympus, vampires served a functional purpose for a largely illiterate and overwhelmed population — these mythical creatures helped explain mysterious aspects of life and death. 

The black plague? A vampire bite. Mysterious disappearance of loved ones? Stolen by a vampire. Uncontrollable lust for the neighborhood butcher? Wayward vampires leading good women (or men) astray. Lava-spewing volcanoes? Underground vampires. (Volcanoes? She’s gone a little bit off the deep end, but you get the drift.) 


Review - Tales of the Not Forgotten


Tales of the Not Forgotten
Written by: Beth Guckenberger
Published by: Standard Publishing
ISBN: 78-0784735282
Pub Date: 2012
Pages: 208


I did not really know what Tales of the Not Forgotten was about when I signed up to review it courtesy of Liftuse and Standard Publishing. This is a non-fiction book about the lives of four orphans, Joel, Seraphina, Ibrahim, and Christiana, all from other countries - Mexico, Haiti, Nigeria, and India. These young children are unlike any I have ever read about, as, for such a young age, they have so many unthinkable challenges thrown at them everyday.

The book is written for both children and adults to understand what these orphans go through and what we can do to help. The author and her husband go on missionaries to other countries, where they offer their help to those in need, from food to medical supplies.

DVD Review - Blossom: Season 1 & 2

Blossom: Season 1 & 2
Starring: Mayim Bialik, Joey Lawrence, Jenna von Oy, and Ted Wass
Released by: Shout! Studio
Release Date: January 27,2009
Number of Discs: 6
Running Time: 840 minutes

I never saw Blossom during its original run. I only started watching it when it went into syndication and aired in the late afternoons. Shout! Factory released the first two seasons on a six discs set back in 2009, in which I was thrilled to be able to see the quirky comedy again.

The original pilot aired in July of 1990 on NBC as a special and served as a backdoor pilot. Thanks to impressive ratings, the series was picked up, aired its first season in January 1991, and ran for five seasons, ending on May 22, 1995.

Review - If I Were You


If I Were You
Written by: L. Ron Hubbard
Published by: Galaxy Press  
Pub Date: September 8, 2008
ISBN: 978-1592122905
Running Time: Approx. 2 hours

    Some of the best writing came out of the 1930s and 1940s, or known as the golden age, in which writers would publish their works in Pulp magazines, which was the opposite of the glossy magazines at the time. A few of these great authors were H.P. Lovecraft, Edgar Rice Buroughs, Robert E. Howard, Max Brand, Elmore Lenard, L. Ron Hubbard, and Ray Bradbury. The economy was tough back then, well it still is today, and these provided a much-needed income for the writers.

Recently I had a chance to work with Galaxy Press who publishes a line of audiobooks from the stories by L. Ron Hubbard called Stories from the Golden Age. Galaxy Press sent me a few audiobooks in exchange for an honest review.

If I Were You originally appeared in the February 1940, issue of Five-Novels Monthly and is about 90-minutes, in which the main character is a midget named Little Tom Little or otherwise known as The King of the Midgets. Tom hates being a little person and a sideshow freak. He has a wonderful attitude toward everyone else, except for the ringmaster Herman Schmidt, who is a terrible human being and treats Tom like dirt.

Tuesday, July 24, 2012

Guest Post with author Nancy Straight




Character Interview with Max and Lauren 

1. What’s your Favorite Movie? 

Max: Transformers
Lauren: Erin Brockovich, but I’d love to see Samael go up against Optimus Prime!
Max: These guys don’t know who Samael is.
Lauren: Oh, should I tell him who he is and what he did to you?
Max: No, you don’t want to spoil the story for them.

2. Name one book you could read over and over again. 

Max: Lone Survivor by Marcus Luttrell
Lauren: Just one? How about ten?
Max: We don’t have all day.
Lauren: Okay just a few, Significance by Shelly Crane, Inescapable by Amy Bartol, Enchantment by Charlotte Abel.

3. Who would you like to meet, (dead or alive)? 

Max: John McCain
Lauren: Vin Diesel
Max: Vin Diesel? Kind of shallow of you, don’t you think?
Lauren: Just call me “baby pool.”

Review - Love Finds You in Mackinac Island, Michigan


Love Finds You in Mackinac Island, Michigan
Written by: Melanie Dobson
Published by: Summerside Press
ISBN: 978-1-60936-640-7
Pub Date: 2012
Pages: 320


Mr. Bissette’s business is about to go under, along with his fortune, so he takes his family on last trip to their cottage on Mackinac Island, which is reserved for the higher class. His wife knows that this may be the last opportunity for their daughter, Elena, to find a wealthy husband and she is determined to find one for her.

And that certain someone happens to be Chester Darrington. Marrying into a wealthy family could solve all their families’ financial problems. Chester figures out their scheme and walks away from them, even though he never actually met Elena.

Elena does not want to marry someone for his money; she wants to marry for love. She disapproves of the fact that her parents want her to marry for money. She sometimes wanders the island, usually ending up at the old lighthouse, where she can be alone with her thoughts.

Win a Kindle Fire during Beth Guckenberger's Tales of the Not Forgotten Giveaway! RSVP for 7/31 Author Chat Facebook party!

Monday, July 23, 2012

Review - The Company

The Company
By: Chuck Graham
Publisher: WinePressPublshing
Pub Date: 2012
ISBN: 978-1-4141-2090-4
Pages: 254


    An apocalypse is upon the world as a meteor crashes into the planet, causing earthquakes, tsunamis, and volcanoes to erupt. It seems that only the small town of Brigos Glen has survived the devastation, with blackness covering the once beautiful sky. There is no electricity, causing the people to depend on batteries and generators, but they can only last so long. The elders of the town send out a search party, but they disappeared without a trace.

    When all hope was lost, an unknown voice could be heard offering the people a new source of life, therefore bringing The Company into the fold, creating The Plan and giving the town a new source of light. The Company brought in the power and taught the people how to run it.

DVD Review - Law & Order: Criminal Intent: The Seventh Year

Law & Order: Criminal Intent
The Seventh Year '08-'09 Season
Starring: Vincent D'Oofrio, Kathryn Erbe, Chris Noth and Julianne Nicholson
Number of Discs: 5
Studio: Shout! Factory
Release Date: June 26, 2012
Running Time: 960 Minutes
ASIN: B007I1Q54O


I first started watching Law & Order Criminal Intent in the spring of 2007 when USA use to have nightly mini-marathons of CI and SVU. The series first aired on NBC on September 30, 2001 until May 21, 2007, when it moved to its sister network USA in the fall of 2007 until it finally ended its run on June 26, 2011. NBCUniversal have been extremely slow about releasing Law & Order: CI's ten year run to DVD. Luckily for us fans, Shout! Factory bought the DVD rights, releasing season 7 exactly one year to the date that the series ended.

Just like the previous few seasons, every other episode is split between the detective combo of Goren/Eames and Logan/Wheeler. Actually, Megan Wheeler (played by Julianne Nicholson, who was on maternity leave) is missing for half the season as the character went to Europe to teach a course on American Police Procedure. During this time, Mike Logan (played by Chris Noth) teams up with Detective Nola Falaccia (played by Alicia Witt).

Review - Transformers: Autocracy

Transformers: Autocracy
Written by: Chris Metzen and Flint Dille
Artist: Livio Ramondelli 
Publisher: IDW Publishing
Pub Date: August 7, 2012
ISBN: 9781613772904

Transformers: Autocracy was originally released as a digital-only twelve part series. IDW will be releasing the entire series in one collection on August 7, 2012. Courtesy of NetGalley an IDW, I was able to review the first six issues of the series, consisting of Law & Disorder, Parasites, The Hunt for Soundwave, Cause & Effect, Ruins, and Purge.

Set after the events of Megatron: Origin, during the beginning of the Great War, the Decepticons are trying to take over Cyberton through terrorist actions. Going by Zeta Prime’s orders, Orion Pax leads a team of Autobots, which includes Hound, Ironhide, Bumblebee, Prowl, and Silverbolt, as they hunt down Swindle and Laserbeak. The Autobots barely survive the battle with them.

Sunday, July 22, 2012

Review - The Sweet Life #3: Too Many Doubts

Sweet Valley Confidential: The Sweet Life #3 : Too Many Doubts
By: Francine Pascal
Published by: St. Martin’s Griffin
ASIN: B007XSOAK8
Pub Date: July 22, 2012
Pages: 92


    After finding out where his accuser, Robin, lived, and in a drunken rage, Bruce Patman bangs upon the accusers house demanding answers. What he gets is a night in jail. The media goes berserk with it, forcing Bruce to step down as president of his company's board. Worst yet, he may have lost his only love, Elizabeth Wakefield.

    Elizabeth is going through an emotional rollercoaster herself, as she wonders whether her boyfriend is a rapist. Surely, he did not attack this poor young woman, whom she is starting to believe is telling the truth. Could one of Bruce’s enemies, like Rick Warren, be behind this? On the other hand, does Bruce have a dark side?

Review - Yahoo! Income


Yahoo! Income: How Anyone of Any Age, Location, and/or Background Can Build a Highly Profitable Online Business with Yahoo!
Written by: Dana E. Blazis and Sharon L Cohen
Published by: Atlantic Publishing Group, Inc.
Pub Date: 2009
Pages: 334


Yahoo! blasted onto the worldwide net in 1994 and has grown into much more than just a search engine, by providing a new unique ways for people to purchase products and services from anywhere around the world.

Yahoo! Income: How Anyone of Any Age, Location, and/or Background Can Build a Highly Profitable Online Business with Yahoo! is written in nonprofessional’s terms, so anyone with any educational background can learn how to get the best experience on there. Yahoo! helps businesses connect with new customers, and some businesses earn close to one million dollars a year by using these services.

Saturday, July 21, 2012

Guest Post with author Louisa Bacio


Writing Time 

by Louisa Bacio

Lights darkened. Quiet settles through the house. An occasional snore breaks the silence. Finally, I’m able to breathe. It’s past midnight, and it’s writing time!

As a mother, it’s a tough sell to my kids. I’d like to go “off-duty” around 10 p.m. The late nights during the summer, though, kills the curfew. They sleep in later, which means they stay up later. No idea where they inherited the trait to be night-owls-in-training. (Not me! *cough*)

So when I get up by 7:30 every morning, how do I manage to stay up until 2 a.m. working? Ah, the joys of caffeine. Yes, I can relate to a Coffee Addicted Writer. I’m right there with you – hooked.

A certain type of peace exists at this time of the evening. Not only does the inside quiet down, but the world outside does, too. There are no interruptions by telemarketing fools trying to remodel our home, or sell the latest season at the philharmonic. I don’t hear from recordings pimping a political candidate. And certainly, no one knocks on the door to give me some “free” discount pizza coupons, or to lure me into a new religion.

At the end of the day, the mental to-do list has been put on the backburner. Even if something hasn’t gotten done, by a certain time I give myself the night off (and the item moves to tomorrow). Ever weigh what’s actually important to get done? Amazing how when time gets tight, suddenly making that pizza dough isn’t as necessary as finishing some grades. (And many stores now sell some awesome ready-made dough.)

Review - The Great Secret


The Great Secret
By: L. Ron Hubbard
Published By: Galaxy Press
ISBN: 978-1592122493
Pub Date: September 8, 2008
Approx. 2 hours

The Great Secret is one of five audiobooks that Galaxy Press sent to me free of charge for an honest review. These audios are from the Stories of the Golden Age, which represents the periods of the 1930s and 40s. During the years, writers such as L. Ron Hubbard published numerous short stories in pulp magazines. Included in each two CD set is a thirty-seven page booklet about L. Ron Hubbard.

Bruce Boxleitener, who starred in such popular television shows as Scarecrow and Mrs. King and Babylon 5, narrates The Great Secret that was originally published in the April 1973 issue of Science Fiction Stories. While searching for the mythological city Parva, a starship crashes leaving only one survivor, Fanner Marston, who wants to control the universe. He has heard the stories of The Great Secret that lies within the walls of Parva and he knows that city really does exist. The Sun’s rays are extremely hot on this unknown planet. He has no supplies, and he could die of thirst at any minute, but obsession with power force him to beat the odds as he continues the search for the great city.

Review - The Messenger

The Messenger
By: Siri Mitchell
Publisher: Bethany House
Pub Date: March 1st, 2012
ISBN: 978-0764207969
Pages: 384


    In this Christian historical novel, set during the Revolutionary War, Hannah Sunderland is devoted to her Quaker faith, in which she is not to get involved in political affairs, the war, or her twin brother, who joined the Colonial effort, but is now in a prison cell. She wants to stay loyal to her faith, but she so desperately wants to help him.

    Jeremiah Jones served as a soldier during the French and Indian War, in which he was severely injured. Medical supplies were limited due to the British involvement, resulting in Jeremiah losing his arm. He now spends his day’s bartending at a Pub, where he happens to come across Hannah, who wants him to help her break her brother and the other Colonial prisoners out of the jail.

Friday, July 20, 2012

Review - Inescapable

INESCAPABLE
Written by: NANCY MEHL
Published by: BETHANY HOUSE
ISBN: 978-0-7642-0927-7
Pages: 336
Pub Date: 2012


    In book one of the Road to Kingdom series, Lizzie Engle is a single mother living in Kansas City working at the Harbor House. Money is tight, but she is able to get by. When her boss becomes ill and takes a leave from work, the new boss, Reba, accuses her of stealing money, in which she did not take. To make things worse, there has been a stranger following her and leaving her strange notes.

    Afraid that charges will be pressed against for the crime she did not commit, Lizzie and her five-year-old daughter Charity pack up their belongings and drive to the small (really small) Mennonite town of Kingdom, Kansas. Five years earlier Lizzie promised herself that she would not return home, as her elder father was very strict in the old school Mennonite ways.

Review - Blood and Whiskey


Blood and Whiskey: A Cowboy and Vampire Thriller
By: Clark Hays & Kathleen McFall
Publisher: Pumpjack Press
Pub Date: April 20, 2012
ISBN: 978-0983820017
Pages: 362


    Lizzie’s life has recently turned bizarre as she has become a newbie vampire and to top that off she is carrying Tucker’s child, in which he insists that they tie knot. Of all the places in the world to live, she is living in the small town of Lonepine, Wyoming, population 438. Since her father is deceased, she is forced to become the Queen Vampire, but in order to keep the throne she must impress the corrupted Council of Nine by turning a human into a vampire.

    Despite being a creature of the night, she is disgusted by the taste of blood, even the new manufactured kind. If Lizzie cannot turn a human into one of her own, then chaos will be released upon Earth, and the Reptile clan will rise to power bringing death to the humans.

The Friday 56 - Love Finds You in Mackinac Island, Michigan



Rules:
Grab a book, any book. 
Turn to page 56. 
Find any sentence, (or few, just don't spoil it) that grabs you. 
Post it. 
Add your (url) post below in the Linky at http://fredasvoice.blogspot.com/.

Thursday, July 19, 2012

Eric Griffith, interviewed by Eric Griffith



Here’s me interviewing myself, being asked all the questions I wish others would ask me. Enjoy. 

Eric: Eric, thanks for being here and answering some questions.

Eric: It’s my pleasure, Eric. We should try to say “Eric” a few more times. 
 
Eric: I know, right? So, Eric, let’s get started. What’s the first thing you ever wrote?

Eric: It was called “The Snidey Spider and Eric the Elephant” story. I was lucky to have a transcriber named “Mom” take down my words, since I couldn’t type yet. The first and only edition, complete with illustrations, is still in her possession.

Eric: That’s a tear jerking story. Did you always want to be a writer?

Review - Cancer on the Brain

Cancer on the Brain
By: Jay Lefevers
Publisher: Emerald Book Co.
Pub Date: June 1, 2012
ISBN: 978-1937110246
Pages: 240



    When I signed up to review Cancer on the Brain, courtesy of Emerald Book Company in exchange for an honest review, I really didn’t know what expect as I don’t read memoirs, but I thought I would give the memoir genre a try. Surprisingly the author never tries to push a spiritual revelation onto the reader, but instead he uses humor, and creative narration to tell his inspirational journey.

Wednesday, July 18, 2012

Guest Post & Giveaway with author Terri Ann Armstrong


Writing has always been in my blood. It’s only been over the last ten to fifteen years where it’s been cathartic for me. Inspiration comes from every corner of my life from health, to family and friends, to even a lack of inspiration at times. Writing is not what I do, it’s who I am. My characters drive me, they steer their stories and show me where it’s supposed to go as opposed to where I “think” it should go. 

Writing in first person has been an eye-opening experience and one that is not as easy as I thought it would be, but is indeed as rewarding as I hoped it would be. I have learned more about my characters and myself writing this way. POV, whether it be first, second or third person is very important no matter which one you use. It’s as important as tense and time-frames. Writing in first person POV is harder because the reader should feel like you’re talking directly to them, telling only them a story and if you can accomplish that, they trust what they’re reading. When trust comes into focus, the story and characters become real and that’s where the fascination with your story begins and hopefully doesn’t end until the end. It will also leave them waiting with baited breath for the next book. 

Tuesday, July 17, 2012

Guest Post with author Leia Shaw





10 reasons you should buy my book, Destiny Bewitched:

1.) It’s funny.

Her sister had been dragged away to some hideous supernatural version of Fight Club and she was daydreaming about the love of a demon. Someone ought to smack her.
Ow!” She rubbed her forehead where she’d just bumped it on a low hanging tree root. “Stupid karma.”

2.) It’s sexy.

They were panting and sweating, bruised and bloody and desperate as hell. He looked into her eyes, a stark look of pure lust – dark and sensual but full of possession. He was taking his war prize. And she was it.

3.) Its adventurous.

Then the worg charged. There was no way her lame protection circle would do a lick of good against such a powerful attack. So she did what every other red-blooded American girl would. She ran like hell.

Review - The Crossroads by L. Ron Hubbard



The Crossroads
By L. Ron Hubbard
Published by: Galaxy Press
ISBN: 978-1-59212-241-7
Release Date: June 28, 2010


    I recently had the opportunity to review some audio books, courtesy of Stories from the Golden Age in exchange for a few reviews. I’ve written book reviews and DVD reviews, but never an audio review, so I was intrigued and agreed to review a few of the titles. Within a week, I received a box with five audios (each on two Cds), a free copy of the ASI Magazine, and a small calendar.

    The Crossroads was originally published in the February 1941 issue of Unknown magazine. The story involves a farmer Eben Smith, who was told by the government to destroy his crop’s surplus to help stabilize the failing economy. He is tired of the government controlling everything while people are starving. He loads his wagon with fruits and vegetables and heads for the city. His plans come to halt when he comes upon a bizarre crossroads, consisting of four odd roads. Each of these roads takes Eden to different realities, where he comes across soldiers and strange beings. Just because he cannot reach the big city does not mean Eben cannot barter his goods.

Monday, July 16, 2012

An Interview with author Jamie Salisbury



What or whom inspired you to become a writer?

I have always written, but I took a creative writing class in high school. I had the most awesome teacher. She was great at inspiration and mentor to her students. She had some “out there” sort of ideas for the time (write something about a song on an album of her choosing). It had to be a short story if I recall correctly. In her eyes no one was a bad writer. She encouraged me to pursue the craft further.

What were your writing habits while writing Timeless Sojourn?

They stayed pretty much the same. I try to do all my social media, pr work, emails in the morning and spend the afternoons and evenings writing. This way if I’m really on to something in the afternoon I don’t have to quit I can continue to write well into the night.

How did you come up with the plot?

I thought it was something that needed to be written and it’s sort of autobiographical in parts. Which ones, I’ll never tell! But I spent a lot of time handwriting ideas, etc. on paper and then one afternoon I just flew with it. Once I started it, the story just evolved.

What is your favorite part in Timeless Sojourn?

Probably where the main female character, Anne decides to cast aside her self doubt and look forward and accept whatever comes, rather than be chained by some of her past fears and experiences. She takes the big step and decides to live in the moment rather than in the fear of what could happen.

Review - The Sweet Life #2 : Lies and Omissions

Sweet Valley Confidential: The Sweet Life #2 : Lies and Omissions
By: Francine Pascal
Published by: St. Martin’s Griffin
ASIN: B007XSNFAE
Pub Date: July 15, 2012
Pages: 82


 The lives of the Wakefield twins and their friends continue to unravel in book two of this six-part e-serial. The sexual accusations of Bruce Patman become public, causing a media outbreak for the multi-millionaire. Elizabeth has made contact with the accuser and helped her find a safe house. She thought Bruce was the love of her life, but the more she investigates the accusations, the more she starts to question his alibi.

    Meanwhile, Jessica is trying to help Bruce’s image by having female celebrities to say how nice Bruce is and how he would never harm anyone. Elizabeth’s actor friend, Liam, is still after Jessica, especially since she has separated from her husband, Todd. After a one-night mistake with Liam, Jessica realizes that she wants Todd back even if it means sacrificing her career.

Sunday, July 15, 2012

Review - The Sweet Life #1 An E-Serial

Sweet Valley Confidential: The Sweet Life #1 An E-Serial
By: Francine Pascal
Published by: St. Martin’s Griffin
ASIN: B006ZLAFXU
Pub Date: July 15, 2012
Pages: 121


After the horrible Sweet Valley Confidential: Ten Years Later novel last year, here comes six new e-serials picking up three years later. Jessica Wakefield is now a mother of a two-year-old named Jake, and she is recently separated from her husband, Todd. She now has a successful job as vice president of VERTPLUS.net and a big deal with Revlon is coming up.  She still loves Todd, but he is now dating a co-worker.

Elizabeth Wakefield is still adjusting to the whole Jessica/Todd situation, as Todd is her ex, but she is happy writing a small column for the L.A. Tribune, and spending time with her multi-millionaire boyfriend, Bruce Patman.

Win a Handmade Mennonite Quilt from @NancyMehl! RSVP for her INESCAPABLE Facebook Party 7/26!

Saturday, July 14, 2012

Review: The Seduction of Phaeton Black by Jillian Stone

*This is a sponsored post. All opinions are 100% mine.


Shortly after the Jack the Ripper killings came to an abrupt stop, more killings start to occur in the streets of Victorian London, but this time the victims are left with two small puncture marks on their necks. Scotland Yard has no choice but to bring back their best investigator, Special Agent Phaeton Black, who was recently fired.

During his break from Scotland Yard, Phaeton has spent many of days seducing the prostitutes as he lives under a brothel. He eagerly takes on the case, which he believes a vampire is responsible for the killings. While hunting for the night creature, a beautiful woman named Miss America Jones, a half Cajun witch, runs into him as a gang of ruthless pirates, who stole her father’s shipping company, are chasing her. With no other choice, Phaeton helps America escape the pirates.

America is a smart, strong-headed young woman, unlike many of the other women Phaeton has seduced, and she may be just what he needs to catch the killer. He always shuts off his emotions when it comes to women, but there is something about America that sends his heart a racing. Could it be that he has feelings for her? On the other hand, is she just using him for her own gain?

Friday, July 13, 2012

Review - Home Fires



HOME FIRES
Written by: JANA RICHARDS
Published by:  The Wild Rose Press, Inc
ISBN: 978-1-61217-240-8
Pages: 100
Pub Date: 2012


A young British woman, Anne Wakefield, who served as a nurse during WWII, arrives in Emerald, Saskatchewan, a tiny village on the Canadian prairies to meet up with her fiancé, Anders Gustafson, a soldier whom she met during the war. To her surprise Anders doesn’t pick her up at the train station, but instead his older brother Erik, was also a solider and has a bad limp to prove it, does. He basically keeps quiet and takes her to the family farm where she meets his mother, Astrid, and his sister, Ingrid. But there is no sign of her dear Anders, all except for a letter that would change her life.

    It seems when Anders returned home, he married a local girl, Signe, and took a job in another city. Anne is embarrassed, but not as much as the Gustafson’s family, whom are left to cleanup Anders's mess.