Original Sin - fun, games and giveaways!

Hi everyone, just wanted to bring you some news and give you a link to some fun, games and freebies.

Author pal, Samantha Towle, has just released her latest book - Original Sin. It's the second book in the Alexandra Jones series.

The first book in the series - First Bitten - is currently riding high in the Amazon charts, and is getting great reviews. (I'm halfway through myself and can vouch it's excellent - one of those book you can't read quick enough!).

To celebrate the release of Original Sin, Samantha is having fun, games and giveaways over on her facebook page today, so I recommend you pop round for a visit! Click here: Books by Samantha Towle

First Bitten blurb: 

A love story with bite …...

Walking home after a night out drowning her sorrows with her best friend, Carrie, Alexandra Jones stupidly takes a phone call from her cheating ex-boyfriend, Eddie, and in her anger hurls her phone into the forest before her.

But when Alex goes to retrieve her phone from the undergrowth, she and Carrie come face-to-face with a monster they never even knew existed, a Vârcolac (a nightmarish vampire-werewolf hybrid) and he's in search of fresh blood. The next thing Alex knows, she is staring at the impossibly handsome but mysterious Nathan who has helped bring her back to life, but not to the life she left.

To her horror, she discovers she has now become a blood-drinking Vârcolac herself and she is the only female of her kind, with the potential for breeding a whole new army of Vârcolacs if they can only track her down and press her into service.

And while Alex gets to know Nathan and his shape-shifting family as they offer her the protection she so desperately needs, unbeknown to all of them, the Vârcolacs are getting closer …

First Bitten on Amazon.com
First Bitten on Amazon.co.uk

Original Sin blurb: 

Original Sin is book two in the Alexandra Jones series, the sequel to First Bitten.

Alex has run. Leaving everything she knows and loves … Nathan, behind. She’s a fugitive; hiding from the Original Vârcolacs who want to claim her for themselves.

Hiding in Italy, she has changed her identity and her appearance; working in a coffee shop in the quiet town of Sassano.

Then Zeff steps into her life. He’s solid, sturdy, but more so he’s human – he’s someone real, tangible, a friend throwing her a lifeline in a world of loneliness.

Believing she's safe from attack, nothing prepares Alex for what's lurking in the woods, on her doorstep, intoxicating her into a web of control and deceit.

Danger is closer than her shadow ... the hunt is on again, forcing Alex into the hardest dilemma yet.

Original Sin on Amazon.com
Original Sin on Amazon.co.uk

Guest Blog - Meet the Characters (First Five Chapters)

Character Interview - Grace Connors from the Paradox Series - Guest blogger Julia Crane

Let me start out by saying that Patti Roberts is 

one of my favorite young adult authors. 

Not only is she a phenomenal writer, she is truly 

a giving person. She is always friendly and willing 

to lend a helping hand. I’m not sure how I 

stumbled across the first book in her series, but 

I’m glad I did. 

I fell in love with Patti’s writing and her characters. 

The below interview takes place with one of the 

main characters from the Paradox series at the 

age of 14. In book two—which I just finished—

Grace is now 16, and I am anxiously awaiting the third book.

Julia Crane - Blog

If you would like to check out Paradox Patti is one authors of First 5 Chapters – Volume 1.

This ebook will give you the opportunity to discover & read the first 5 chapters from 6 new Authors in the very 
popular YA – Fantasy – Paranormal genre. Amazon Only .99 or Smashwords Free!

Good morning Grace, it a pleasure to have you with us today

Thank you, it is nice to be here.

We know it’s been difficult for you and your mother Kate, since your father died. 
How are things going now? Is Kate eating and sleeping normally? 

Oh mum is fine now, we both are.  At first I wasn’t sure if either of us was going to make it – or if we even 

wanted too.  I was so young, eleven, and I felt so lost without my dad.  But with the help of my amazing friends 

Josh and Angela, life has been, well different, but good.  And I never thought I would be able to say that.  I know 

that mum  is really grateful that Wade has been here  – for the both of us.  He is like a surrogate dad.  My dad 

would really have liked him.  When I was little, I used to close my eyes and pretend that my dad was still there.  

That Wade was my dad.

Angela has become your best friend and you admit 
she is a bit odd. Have you ever talked to her about 
her strange behaviour? And do you ever feel 
frustrated by the things she says? 

 At first I did – not that I had any friends to compare her with!  Other 

than Patrick who died so young, Angela was my first real friend.  

Then of course Josh came along… He had a huge crush on Angela

 – he still does!  I was never frustrated by Angela.  Surprised, yes – 

often!  Angela has this special way about her that makes it 

impossible for me not to want to be around her.  And Josh, well he is 

just like a brother.

Do you think your match making efforts with Angela 
will ever work? 

Okay, well that is frustrating!!!  Here is this great guy who just 
adores her to bits and it’s like she just doesn’t get it!  I would do 
anything to have a boyfriend that loved me like that!

 Tell us a little more about Josh? 

Josh is adorable – I could hug him to death.  Mum calls us the three musketeers’, Angela, Josh, and I.   Josh 
is so great, he would make a wonderful knight in shining armour.  And he always makes me make me laugh.   
Not Angela though.  But then no one can make Angela laugh…  Dad would have called her an old soul in a 
young body.

Most children and many adults want a Guardian Angel or an imaginary friend. So I 
was shocked to learn that you sent Hope away when you needed her the most. Hope 
was part of your life for over three years; do you still remember her? and do you miss her?  

Hope was just a dream, an imaginary friend.  I know that now.  Mum needed me.  She used to say that I just 
made Hope up when I was little because I didn’t have any real friends.  Hope sure felt real at times though, 
and dad even used to play along.  He made us both swords when we used to play dress-ups for one of my 
favourite movies The Lord Of The Rings.   I would love to have a real Guardian Angel, that would be great!

Eleven is very young to have to care for an adult when your mother should have been caring for you. We understand she was grieving, but you were so young, 
do you feel robbed of your childhood because of the 
way your mother reacted after your father died? 

 It was a sad and weird time.  I missed dad so much but I was more 

afraid of what would happen to me if mum died too. I used to have 

such vivid dreams about losing both my parents. So just having mum 

there, in any condition, was good enough for me.  And then there was 

Wade, so…

The visions you have are certainly intense, how 
much of these do you remember and can you see 
a connection to your current life?

At the time I have my visions or dreams – I’m really not sure what they 

are – but they always feel so real – like they really happened.  But I 

don’t think they are connected to my real life.  I read somewhere that 

dreams are just your mind trying to make sense of random thoughts 

you have throughout the day.   Maybe I just have a vivid imagination.

What is Darwin like? I have always wanted to visit but it seems like another world 
away.  
Darwin is really great.  I like living here.  Not that I have ever lived anywhere else.  It will always be my home too me.  

Some people don’t like the heat and the rain that much.  Well okay, it does get hot sometimes but I don’t mind, 

I’m used to it.  And the rain, well that can be smothering at times but I really love the thunder storms – they are 

kind of amazing and scary but at the same time they are powerful – energizing!  That does that sound weird?

Wade has been very helpful and supportive. Do you 
think he is falling in love with your mother? 

 When I was little things like that never crossed my mind.  My 

mother wasn’t capable of loving anyone other than my dad.  But now, 

well sometimes I think it would be kind of cool.  She shouldn’t have 

to be alone for the rest of her life.  And sometimes Wade reminds me 

so much of my dad that they could be related.  Like they are brothers 

or something…

Are you still a vegetarian?  

Oh yes, ever since I saw those cows being slaughtered at the abattoir 
I have never been able to eat red meat ever since.  It was just so 
horrible, and the smell…  I feel sick just thinking about it.  I really like 
fish though.

Thanks for talking with us today Grace,

Thank you, it has been fun.  Easiest homework ever…  Well kind of homework.  

Everyone starting high school has to do these interview 

type assignments for the new student councilor, Miss Siena Cintra.  

She is so pretty and I wished I had hair like that.

About the Author

Name - Patti Roberts

Location Cairns Queensland Australia.

On any given day you can usually find me sitting at my desk in 

front of my laptop pounding away at the keys writing another 

chapter in the Paradox series. That would be a run of the mill 

kinda day for me!

A packet of Cruskits and a water bottle, that is now at room temperature, is sitting on the desk beside me. There is also a 

mass of USB cables, notepads, bills to be paid, bills to be filed 

a bunch of pens and a printer that is forever running out of ink. 

Sound familiar.

On most days I have to remind myself to eat and drink. I Should be thinner!!!

I am sure my housemates are very thankful that I still manage (usually at some ungodly hour) to bathe, brush 

my hair and clean my teeth.

I don’t know about you. But I am usually mortified when visitors just pop around, only to find me sitting at my 
desk and still in my PJ’s. I don’t even want to broach the hair situation! Did I remember to put last nights dishes away???

Now, they say to be a good writer, you must read, read, read. Then read some more…

Thankfully, due to the invention of the electronic reader (I have a kindle and love it) I get to read more these 
days. Correction… I have my kindle read to me! The only thing is, I have so many great books on my kindle that
it is so hard to know where to start. So many choices.

A little more about me… And how you can contact me.

Born in Brisbane Qld Australia.
Grew up in Darwin in the NT.
Now living in Cairns Qld.  Where the Rainforest meets the Great Barrier Reef.

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/pages/The-Paradox-Series/150822348341990?sk=wall

Blog: http://theangelsarehere.wordpress.com/readers-questions-answered/

Twitter: http://twitter.com/PattiRoberts7

Thank you to all those souls that have read my book – you make my day!

PS: If you are thinking about popping a round for a coffee, that might be nice. But please give me a quick call 

first so I can brush my hair and smear a bit of colour across my lips.

Magic Eye Video

This first picture is not the Magic Eye - please don't waste time trying to see it. This is the beautiful Winter wonderland outside my window.

My kids and I were thrilled to see snow falling again last night, although hubbie was a bit grumpy, as it interferes with his work. Youngest son was awake early checking the school closures website, and was gutted to find his school was open today. At least he was happy to wrap up warm for his (short) walk to school. But it was a full-on battle to get oldest son - who has a cold - to wear the right gear for his twenty minute walk. Apparently it's not cool to wear a coat at secondary school... And when I suggested wellies, he actually laughed. The youth of today, eh :o/  Hopefully he'll find the dry socks I shoved in his bag when he wasn't looking.

As for me; I'm staying in the warm, writing, getting through my work chores and hoping there will be time for sledging and snowball fights later... that is if I can actually move around in my thermals, big coat, scarf, gloves, hand-warmers and thick socks... 

Now, here's the Magic Eye, and it's a video one; the first I've ever seen. Enjoy! (It does look like interference, but keep looking and you should see him, right in the centre of the picture).

I

Have a fab weekend everyone!

Introducing... Stephanie Judice

I'm thrilled to be able to introduce you to talented author, Stephanie Judice. Stephanie resides in Louisiana, USA, and is the author of the YA novel, RISING (Saga of the Setti).

On a personal note, Rising is one of the first books I read on my Kindle, and I can't recommend it highly enough.


The book's video trailer is included after the interview below.

Amazon.com
Facebook
Website

BOOK EXCERPT: I stepped steadily through an endless field of sugar cane in a haze of night fog.  I’d been here before in this eternal nightmare.  Knowing I wouldn’t wake up until I saw them, I walked on.  I gripped the cold, black stone in my palm, disturbed by its familiar presence.  The stone was always there in this nightmare, freezing my palm till it burned.  I never knew what it was or why I held it, but there was deep power in it.  Something compelled me to move on.  The thin blades of cane sliced my exposed skin.  The row of green stalks lashed at my arms and bare chest as I pushed my way farther into the field ahead.  Abruptly, the cane field ended.  I found myself standing alone at the edge of a brackish swamp.  Pain seared through every vein in my body, pulsating from the burning stone in my hand.  I stood still, staring into the darkness.  A storm was brewing.  Lightning flashed, revealing cypress trees bending in the wind and waves of rippling black water.  I held the stone tightly in my fist.  A sudden gust of wind swept across the water.  I stood firm although the gale threatened to topple me.  A whispering, rustling sound began to build.  A streak of purple lightening split the sky.  To my horror, hundreds of ghastly shapes flew toward me.  The whispering was not the wind, but the movement of these creatures drawing closer.  I was frozen to the spot, doomed to watch them advance.  Another flash of lightening.  One of the creatures hovered right in front of me.  At first, I thought it wore a sleek, gray cloak, then realized instantly that it was not cloth, but wings that fluttered with every breath of wind.  A sheet of ashen skin hung in tatters over its skeletal body.  Its cloak-like wings were dry, cracked and frayed at the edges.  What horrified me most about the monster was the lack of any facial features at all, except for a black, gaping hole for a mouth.  It hissed once then inhaled deeply.  I felt excruciating pain, like needles pricking along every surface of my skin.  I looked down at my chest, which began to break like glass.  My skin literally shattered into tiny shards and pulled away from my body. The creature inhaled again, sucking the pieces toward its mouth.  Instinctually, I pressed the black stone to its head.  Piercingly, the creature screamed as smoke rose from seared ghastly flesh, then—

Q&A

What/who inspired you to write?

From as early as I can remember, I’ve been in love with stories and lost in my own imagination. I even remember my 1^st grade teacher Ms. Newman writing on every report card that I “daydreamed too much.” Little did I know this “flaw” would eventually flourish into writing my own stories.

It was not until 10^th grade when my English teacher asked the class to write a creative short story where I first realized my deep love for this craft.  I have been writing ever since.

What is your writing process/when do you find the time?

Well, Ms. Newman was right. I daydream too much. Any spare moment I have to wander away inside my own in my head, while driving to work or fetching kids, I think about my characters and things they will do.  I spend countless hours just thinking about things they would say or just observing nature and considering how it would fit into the imagery of my stories.

Because I’m a teacher, wife, and mother of four, I have to snatch any moment I can to put the words down that float around in my head during daytime.  Usually, it’s late at night when the house is quiet and still that I get my best writing done.

Any triumphs/eureka moments?

I’m not sure if this counts as a “eureka” moment, but there’s one thing that has helped me in the process of writing this series. I’ve given myself permission to write any part of the story when the inspiration comes upon me, no matter that it may not fit into the series until later on.  Inspired pieces shouldn’t be ignored because you’re not chronologically there yet.  For example, I have a rather bewitching scene for Book Two that was written nearly two years ago. And, on the way to work last week, I watched a rather magnificent sunrise pushing back gray clouds to reveal pinks and purples illuminating the landscape. I wrote the final page of the final book (Book Five) for my Saga of the Setti series that very day. Sometimes, it’s important to get the words down and make them fit into a sequential pattern later. I’ve discovered that the inspiration must not be ignored and put off until later. Snatch the words from your mind and keep them for when they’re needed.

What advice would you give someone wanting to write their first book?

Be patient.  The process is long and requires patience in every stage. Be patient with your writing, your editing, the publishing process, and the marketing process. I’ve discovered that being an author isn’t about finishing and producing a product then wiping your hands with a glorious, “It’s finished. I did it.” While there are moments of pride in your work and what you’ve accomplished, being an author is a never-ending process that requires patience all along the way. Just enjoy the ride. 

Thanks for stopping by, Stephanie. And don't take too long with that next book, I can't wait...

Instead of a Magic Eye... what's wrong with this picture?

Happy Friday! Hope everyone is okay and looking forward to the weekend.

Instead of posting a Magic Eye this week, I wanted to share this picture. Can you see what's wrong with it?

When I first saw it I couldn't see anything wrong at all... but after a while it becomes clear...

I've had a productive week this week. My boss (hubby) has given me Wednesdays off to write, and it's been really helpful. But I had to be ultra-disciplined to avoid the temptation of 'social-networking,' instead. I think next Wednesday I'm going to unplug and take the laptop to a nice coffee shop, and that way I can't be distracted (And I just love the thought of spending hours writing in a coffee shop!).

I was thrilled to be interviewed on the The Book Hookup yesterday, by the lovely Celeste. If you have a chance, go and check it out. The Book Hookup is a great book blog site, so you may want to go ahead and give them a follow anyway.

Have a great weekend everyone!

Picture Source

Introducing... Marie Landry

What a stunning day I've woken up to. It's one of those cold, bright, crisp mornings with a twinkly frost covering everything in sight. I've just waved goodbye to the kids as they venture out on their chilly walk to school, and now I'm settled in front of the computer with a nice, warm latte. Do I feel guilty? ;o)

As promised on Friday, I have the pleasure of introducing you to Marie Landry, whose debut novel Blue Sky Days is officially launched tomorrow. Blue Sky Days is a contemporary YA romance and coming-of-age story. Marie is also a book blogger and you can find her over on Ramblings of a Daydreamer .




Book Blurb:
A year after graduating from high school, nineteen-year-old Emma Ward feels lost. She has spent most of her life trying to please her frigid, miserable mother - studying hard, getting good grades, avoiding the whole teenage rebellion thing - and now she feels she has no identity beyond that. Because she spent so many years working hard and planning every moment of her life, she doesn't have any friends, has never had a boyfriend, and basically doesn't know who she is or what she really wants from life. Working two part-time jobs to save money for college hasn't helped her make decisions about her future, so she decides it's time for a change. She leaves home to live with her free-spirited, slightly eccentric Aunt Daisy in a small town that makes Emma feel like she's stepped back in time.

When Emma meets Nicholas Shaw, everything changes - he's unlike anyone she's ever met before, the kind of man she didn't even know existed in the 21st century. Carefree and spirited like Daisy, Nicholas teaches Emma to appreciate life, the beauty around her, and to just let go and live. Between Daisy and Nicholas, Emma feels like she belongs somewhere for the first time in her life, and realizes that you don't always need a plan - sometimes life steers you where you're meant to be.

Life is wonderful, an endless string of blue sky days, until Nicholas is diagnosed with cancer, and life changes once again for Emma in ways she never thought possible. Now it's time for her to help Nicholas the way he's helped her. Emma will have to use her new-found strength, and discover along the way if love really is enough to get you through.

First paragraph:

It was infatuation at first sight. An infatuation that quickly turned into love, but at that moment I didn’t know what love was.

I was sitting on a hilltop in the park when our eyes met, making my stomach flip like it had never done before. He was the most beautiful boy I’d seen in my entire life and he was looking at me. When he stood up from the bench at the bottom of the hill and walked in a slow, almost lazy gait toward me, my heart raced. I told myself to stay calm; he probably just wanted to know the time, or ask for a quarter to make a phone call. He wasn’t interested in me—he couldn’t be, things like that just didn’t happen to me. In fact, I was so sure it wasn’t about to happen to me that I ducked my head and cast a look around to see if there was anyone else nearby that he might be heading for.

It sounds great, but before I start reading, I'm definitely going to need a box of tissues at my side!

So Marie, what made you decide to write a book?

First, I’d like to say thank you so much Mandy for having me on your blog! I’m honoured.

I’ve always been a writer. I’ve been writing stories for as long as I can remember, and before I could write, I would tell stories to anyone who would listen. It wasn’t something I decided to do one day, it was something I always knew I would do.

I was in my teens when I wrote my first novel, and I was about 20 when I wrote the first draft of Blue Sky Days. I’ve written several other novels over the years, but there were times I worried I would never be able to write a full-length novel. Most of my novels, including the original draft of Blue Sky Days were novella length, but after setting BSD aside for seven years, I was able to triple the word count and finally have a completed novel.

When do you fit writing into your day?

I’m lucky enough to work from home, so I can fit writing in any time. I try to treat it like any other job, and work at it 8-12 hours a day, sometimes more. Although, with finishing Blue Sky Days and getting it ready for publication, I haven’t done any proper writing in quite a while!

Self-published or traditional?

I always figured I would be traditionally published, but once I started researching self-publishing, I knew it was the right path for me. I like the idea of taking my future into my hands and running with it. I like having complete control over my own work and what I do with it. When I originally researched self-publishing several years ago, there were only bad things said about it. It used to be the only option for hacks, wannabes, and generally people who could never cut it in traditional publishing. Now, there are many extremely talented people who could be traditionally published, but choose to do it on their own for a variety of reasons.

How was your experience?

The publishing process has been a whirlwind. I’ve done pretty much everything on my own: designed my own cover, did the formatting, created the book trailer, found people who were willing to beta read and proofread, and even made an exchange with an editor - she edited my book for free so she could put on her resumé that she helped a debut author. I knew it would be a lot of work, but I had no idea just how much work it would be. With the exception of a 3-day weekend in late November, I’ve been working seven days a week for the last few months. I can’t really complain though, because I’m living my dream - how many people can honestly say that?

Tips for would-be authors

If you really want to be an author, don’t let anything or anyone stop you. If you want to write a book, but don’t know if you can do it, do it anyway - you might surprise yourself. The first draft might be garbage - in fact, it will almost certainly be garbage - but that’s what second and third and fourth drafts are for. That’s what beta readers and editors are for. Don’t let fear and self-doubt stop you. There are times when you might be terrified and wonder what you’re doing, or why you’re doing it, but that’s normal. Keep at it, dream big, and let your imagination run wild.

That's great advice. Thank you, Marie, and best of luck with the book launch!

Amazon.com

Amazon.co.uk

Smashwords

Superstitions and Magic Eyes

                              magic eye source


A Magic Eye for Friday 13th. Does this date ever cause you problems? Are you superstitious, or is it all stuff and nonsense?

I must admit, even though I don't think of myself as superstitious, there are things I do that suggest otherwise; crossing my fingers for luck, not walking under ladders, always finishing a bottle of red wine once it's opened. That's not a superstition..?

So I was thinking, how did Friday the 13th become such an unlucky day?

On National Geographic website, according to Donald Dossey, you can trace the fear of 13 to a Norse myth about 12 gods having a dinner party at Valhalla, their heaven. In walked the uninvited 13th guest, the mischievous Loki. Once there, Loki arranged for Hoder, the blind god of darkness, to shoot Balder the Beautiful, the god of joy and gladness, with a mistletoe-tipped arrow.

"Balder died and the whole Earth got dark. The whole Earth mourned. It was a bad, unlucky day," said Dossey. From that moment on, the number 13 has been considered ominous and foreboding.

I don't know about you, but I think people should worry less about the number 13 and more about this Loki character. So what about you, do you have any strange superstitions?

Have a great weekend everybody. I'm back on Monday with an interview from author Marie Landry, whose debut novel 'Blue Sky Days' is being published on 17th January 2012.

Heads, You Lose - short excerpt, and Magic Eye

Hi everyone, and a belated Happy New Year to you all. Hope you had a wonderful festive season and are now ready to make the best of 2012. The Cowley family had a lovely time, eating too much, drinking too much and staying in our PJs way too long! It made a lovely change from the usual hustle and bustle.

Please enjoy the Magic Eye above. I very nearly posted a rude picture. The green swirly patterns were pretty, but when I looked closer, there was a... erm... let's just say a certain part of male anatomy and it was having a good time :o/

In-between all the eating and drinking I've been doing, I did, manage to get on with writing a few chapters of the next book in the Soul Protector series, so for anyone who may be interested, here's a short excerpt...

I sat in a corner of the Lakeside Café, a position where I could watch all the comings and goings without being noticed. There was no real need to hide away. What did it matter if he saw me when I was switched into Ruth’s body?

I twiddled the biro between my fingers, unable to take my eyes off the door. I’d intended to jot down prompts for Ruth’s current project, but fighting to keep her mind pushed into the background, ignoring the guilt at slipping into bodysnatching territory and watching for Dan, I was at my multi-tasking limit. I had no idea how this was going to play out. The best case scenario, the one I was praying for, would be Dan not showing and me having wasted my time.

On my second latte, he walked in. I shrank back into my seat as I watched him. Even though it was obvious he wouldn’t be switched, it was a relief to see no aura. I couldn’t shake the uneasy feeling though; like he would turn and somehow know it was me.

He was wearing a thin Navy sweater over a white shirt, rolled up at the sleeves. His tanned forearms contrasted with the cold steel of his watch and as he rubbed a hand over barely-there stubble, the gesture was so familiar I wanted to jump out of my seat and go to him. Instead I sat still, barely breathing as I waited to see if my lover was cheating.

He walked purposefully across to the large windows overlooking the lake. I wasn’t the only person to notice; several women turned their heads as he walked past.

He came to a halt and I followed his line of sight towards a woman with long dark hair. She was seated alone at a small table. Her gaze was steady on him, a hesitant smile under the lip gloss. I only saw Dan’s side profile at this point, but I could tell there was no return smile for her and I let myself breathe a little more easily.

 The woman pressed perfectly manicured hands onto the table and stood up in one graceful movement. She was wearing a simple blue silk dress, and in her heels she was almost as tall as Dan. I’d heard that Claire had done some modelling, but for some reason I’d pictured her less perfect than this.

Without taking her eyes off Dan, she moved slowly towards him. He stood completely still, neither encouraging or discouraging her.

When she was just inches from him, her smile dropped and she wrapped her arms around him, burying her head into his chest. I couldn’t tear my eyes away, waiting for him to disentangle himself, wondering if he was going to let her down gently, or, as I hoped, make it blatantly obvious he was tired of her stalking.

I watched his arms peel away from his sides and that was when everything seemed to slow down. He placed one arm around her back and the other round the small of her waist before drawing her in tighter. My eyes were stinging, but I couldn’t blink. And just in case there was still any doubt in my mind, he tilted his head so that his face nestled into her hair.

They stayed that way for a long time.

I felt the burn of bile rise up my throat. I forced my hand to remain steady while I placed the full glass of latte back on the saucer, stood up, and quietly made my way out of the café.

Christmas Magic Eye

Hey, everyone! This is my last Magic Eye of the year, so I thought it should be a festive one...

I'm finishing on a high note - my kids are happy and excited about Christmas, hubbie's business is going well and we're hopefully going to exchange contracts on the new-build Bungalow any day now, my WIP is coming along nicely and I'm looking forward to cracking on with it over the Christmas holiday, and to top it off, I've just received another 5-star rating on Goodreads (Soul Protector's 19th) and a lovely 4-star review on Zoe's Corner.

So, last but not least, I'd like to wish everyone reading this a very Merry Christmas and a happy and healthy New Year. xxx
             
Magic Eye Source

Introducing... Kathryn Brown

Happy Monday everyone. It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas... tra la la la la. Hope you're enjoying the twinkly lights everywhere, and getting into the festive spirit. 

Today I'm pleased to introduce you to fellow author Kathryn Brown. Kathryn's book Discovery at Rosehill is available in Paperback and Kindle.

Paragraph (taken from the end of Chapter One after Camilla has moved into Rosehill) -  And when I stood at my new ceramic kitchen sink, looking at the distant orange glow of horizon lights, I was alerted once more to a soul with no face; the silence broken in the wake of a repetitive knocking on my new kitchen table. "Do you like it?" I asked after turning round to face the answer. The reply: two knocks, knuckle bound on ancient Pine.

Amazon.co.uk - paperback

Amazon.co.uk – Kindle

Amazon.com – paperback

Amazon.com – Kindle

Signed paperback copy direct from Kathryn (via her website)

So Kathryn, what/who inspired you to write?

 

The real inspiration came from my father, after his death.  It took me a few years to write my debut novel, Discovery at Rosehill, but I knew that when I did start to write it, it was the right time to start. I guess you say it was a calling. But inspiration also came from the house in which I live. It’s an old farm house, built in 1750 and containing beautiful Georgian features. I moved here ten years ago after falling in love with the farmer (who is now my husband). The house has a wonderful atmosphere; it’s original character which surrounds the magnificence of its structure, oozes with paranormal embrace and draws anyone sensitive to spirit, like myself, to the recorded history within its walls. Each room has a certain ambience, perhaps a little eerie in some cases, but always welcoming and friendly. This is exactly how I have described Rosehill to be and have based the mansion in the book on my fascinating home.

What is your writing process/when do you find the time?

I try to start writing in the morning, usually around 10am; this is generally when I feel at my best. I tend to carry on until I feel no longer able to concentrate, or, if time is running away with me, it will be when my daughter is due home from school. I did a massive amount of research for Discovery at Rosehill and got to know several mediums due to my main character being one herself. This helped me to develop my own abilities and gave me more confidence about what I felt able to write with regards to spirit communication, manifestations and mediumship. As a subject I’m most interested in together with living in what I describe as a spiritually active house, choosing to write about the paranormal wasn’t a difficult decision.

Any triumphs/eureka moments?

I would have to say most of the book I wrote was like having a eureka moment. It felt natural to tune into the world of spirit, albeit as an author writing about a medium. I remember many occasions when I would be sitting at my desk and suddenly hear someone in the next room. Then there were times when I would actually feel someone standing over me, breathing beside me, their eyes perhaps looking at my computer screen. I felt that often and those times always switched on the light bulb in my head, enabling me to write about yet another finding in my already chaotic mind. I think the triumphs started when the book had been published and people were actually buying it. That was one of the biggest achievements of my life and something I am immensely proud of.

What piece of advice would you give someone who wanted to write a book?

The same piece of advice I gave myself when I started working on my current novel; plan, structure and research. I meticulously planned my new work-in-progress, having everything ready, including my notes, characterisations and plot, before my daughter broke up for the summer holidays this year. When she returned to school in September, I was able to start writing. Less than two months on, I am now almost at 70,000 words and feel I’ve sailed through the first draft. I find that if you don’t have a plot sorted out before you start writing the manuscript, it will take twice as long because you’ll keep going back to change bits here and there. I know they’ll be a colossal amount to change once the editing starts, but this time I’m just getting on with the writing. Just to write a book without it being edited is an achievement in itself.

When I was researching Discovery at Rosehill I remember an established author telling me, “don’t worry too much about your facts”. What she meant was this: if the book is fiction, it’s make-believe, therefore, we can get away with creating a few facts from our imagination. I probably went a little over-board with research the first time round because I wanted to make sure whoever read my work would be satisfied I’d done all the necessary research for such a complex subject as mediumship. But it can also be the case that a reader can get confused if the author digresses too much with facts and information instead of just telling the story. Personally, I’m not keen on reading a fiction book where I have to keep turning back a few pages to remind myself of what was happening, and filling a reader’s head with facts is, in my humble opinion, best kept to reference books.

Blog: www.crystaljigsaw.blogspot.com

Twitter: @CrystalJigsaw

Facebook: CrystalJigsaw

Thanks, Kathryn!!

Introducing... Jennifer Snyder

Happy Monday everyone. Hope you are all well and looking forward to Christmas. We put our tree and lights up yesterday so the house is looking very festive. All I need to finish the ambience is to bake something nice and cinammony. Or maybe I'll just buy a scented candle...

Today I have the pleasure of introducing you to Jennifer Snyder. Jennifer is the author of Touch, a paranormal novella.

Seventeen-year-old Rowan Harper knows her life is forever changed the moment her schizophrenic mother commits suicide. What Rowan doesn’t realize is how much her mother’s choice altered her own fate. It’s not until after meeting Jet, a sapphire-eyed dead boy, Rowan begins to learn of her new destiny as becoming her mother’s replacement for something she never knew existed. Touch is an approx. 18,115 word novella.

He stood at the edge of my yard, leaning against an old oak which had been dead for years, watching me in an unabashed way. Even holding my gaze, his cheeks never reddened and he remained eerily still and silent. A flurry of snowflakes began falling and a whistling wind blew across my face as I continued to meet his gaze. My eyes watered, but I refused to blink, afraid that if I did he’d disappear.

Q&A

Jennifer, what made you decide to write a book? I've always had an overactive imagination and always loved to read, so writing just seemed like the natural thing to do for me.

When do you fit writing into your day? I am a stay at home mother of two, so it can be a bit of a struggle, but I do kind of have a system. I write everything by hand in a notebook first. I start with any plot ideas, scenes, or clips of dialogue that pop into my head... then I write it all out a chapter at a time. When nap time rolls around, which is usually around 1:00, I then sit at my desk and type up as much as I can before the hour is up.

Self Published or Traditional? Self Published.

How was your experience? Bumpy, but I think that goes with either path you choose. They both have their up and down moments. I'm really happy with my choice to steer down the self published road, though. I've learned an incredible amount of information in the last year that I never thought I would be able to learn in ten years.

Tips for would-be authors? Which ever path you choose, do not just dive right in head first. Take some time to study.

If you're wanting to go the traditional route then check out a place called QueryTracker.net. They have a forum that is filled with wonderful, friendly people who are very knowledgeable.

If you prefer to go the self published way there are tons of books you can purchase to learn all the how-to's from. Because believe me, there is a TON you will have to learn! If you poke around my website, http://jennifersnydersblog.blogspot.com , some of my earliest blog posts are about tips for newbies.

Touch on Amazon.com

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That's great advice. Thanks, Jennifer, and best of luck with the book.