A Look At Matthew D. Ryan & 'Drasmyr' ( @MatthewDRyan1 @GoddessFish #FF )

Today we have author Matthew D. Ryan visiting. Welcome!

What would you like to tell readers about yourself?

Matthew D. Ryan is a published author living in upstate New York on the shores of Lake Champlain. He has a background in philosophy, mathematics, and computer science. He also has a black belt in the martial arts and studies yoga. He has been deeply involved in the fantasy genre for most of his life as a reader, writer, and game designer. He believes he saw the legendary Lake Champlain Monster (a.k.a Champy) once and he has a cat named Confucius.

What book are you going to tell us about today?
Today is a stop on my book blurb blitz tour for Drasmyr. I will be awarding a set of metal miniatures: 3 Nosferatu Vampires (US only) to a randomly drawn commenter during the tour. To enter, comment on this blog and leave your name and email. For even more chances to win, follow my tour. Participating blogs can be found here: Goddess Fish Promotions. The more blogs you visit and comment on, the better your chances of winning!

A look into the story...

~ Blurb ~ * We vampires do not make easy prey. Our weaknesses are few, our strengths many. Fear is something we do not know, and death but a distant memory. So tread softly, pray to your god, and gird yourself with silver when the moons arise and night’s dark prince awakens. We fear not the wizard, nor the warrior, neither rogue, nor priest; our strength is timeless, drawn from darkness and we know no master save the hot lust of our unending hunger. We long for blood, your blood and no blade, nor spell, nor clever artifice, can keep us long from our prize. Feel our teeth at your throat, your life ebb from you, and know as darkness comes to claim you that the price of your folly is your everlasting soul. *** * In Drisdak, the city on the Sea of Sorrows, the citizens have much to dread. Unease and foreboding has always been associated with the local wizards guild; peasants have an innate distrust of magic and those who use it. But now, something else is on the rise. A mysterious fire at the guild has left two men dead and a third missing. A small matter, you say? Well, one of those men was the guild master, and his successor wants to know what happened to him. Enter Coragan of Esperia, the renowned bounty hunter. If anyone can unravel this mess he can. But is even he prepared to challenge the horrible evil that lurks at the heart of the mystery? An ancient vampire by the name of Lucian val Drasmyr.
~ Excerpt ~ * “Condemn me, then. Howl my sins to the heavens and shriek my crimes to the wind. I am evil, my love. Your pronouncements mean nothing.”
* Silence greets my words. She does not know how to respond to someone who embraces his villainy. Irritated with my remark, she crosses her arms and purposely looks away. At last, she speaks. “Why do you keep calling me that? My name is Clarissa, not ‘love.’”
* “Because I care for you so deeply.” My chuckle does little to lighten her mood. “In truth, I call you that because it amuses me and annoys you... there is no other reason.”
* “Well, stop it, Lucian. I don’t like it.” She seems almost sad, in a human sort of way, almost as if she were reminiscing about an old romance.
* An irritated smile crawls across my face. I have grown weary with her petty human mannerisms and her conviction that what happens to her actually matters. She will learn her place. “You have little choice in what title I call you by, my dear. I, however, have much in mine. By you, I prefer the term ‘master’ to my name. It has a much more pleasing ring to it.”
* Suddenly, her eyes flash in angry rebellion. “I will never call you mas—”
* A moment’s worth of concentration and she is on her knees gripping her skull. Her head bends back, eyes bulging, and she begins to shriek in an inhuman voice. The Children of the Forest go silent as she starts to writhe on the castle stones.

Pick up Drasmyr here...
Smashwords
Amazon
Barnes & Noble

Find Matthew here...
Website/Blog
Facebook
Twitter
Smashwords Page
Goodreads
Shelfari

Thank you for joining us here today, Matthew! It was a pleasure getting a peek into your story.

A Look At Liza O’Connor & 'Saving Casey' ( @Liza0Connor @decadentpub #SO )

Today we have author Liza O’Connor visiting. Welcome!

What would you like to tell readers about yourself?
* I love life-endangering adventures.
* From diving with the great white shark to rafting down a twenty-one foot waterfall, I've done it.
* I can fly a plane, parachute from a plane, and hang-glide out of the way of a plane.
* I have deep sea fished, fly fished and raised fish in the pond I built in my backyard.
* I can kayak whitewater or seas, raft class five rivers, and scuba-dive into the oceans, where once a giant stingray attacked me.
* I have spent grueling hot days carefully unveiling diplodocus bones, riding a suicidal horse up a mountain to fly-fish and almost enticing a dominant male buffalo of a very large herd to run me down. (I just had to get closer for a photo op.)
* Some of these activities, I am actually good at. Others, I was lucky to survive. But all of them make great fodder for my characters to go out there and live life to their fullest.

What book are you going to tell us about today? Is it part of a series? If so, what's the order the books should be read in?
* My first book to be published: Saving Casey.
* Eighty-year-old Cass wakes up in the body of a troubled seventeen-year-old girl named Casey, which all believe has survived a suicide attempt. Cass intends to turn the girl’s life around, only it’s harder than she expects. All Casey’s troubles have now become Cass’s and someone wants her dead.
* Here's a fabulous book trailer, created by Danielle Fine/Definition: http://youtu.be/WxcaMP0Dgzc

How'd you/your muse come up with this story?
Actually, I blame it on all my friends who have teens. I wondered if the teens were ignoring their parents’ good advice on principle or because it’s simply not relevant to their problems. That made me question if our life experiences would help at all if we were in their bodies, living their lives, or if raging hormones simply take over and tramples all that valuable life experience.

Describe the hero in five words.
Protective, loyal, determined, sexy, and honorable.

Describe the heroine in five words.
Stubborn, determined, witty, sarcastic, and alone

Who's your favorite character in the book & why?
* That’s a dangerous question, because if I say my heroine (which I want to say) and my dog reads this blog, then I’ll be in big trouble, because I put my dog, Jess, in the book, in the first and last chapters. Thus, in those chapters Jess is my favorite. In all other chapters, New Cass has to be my favorite. She’s funny, sarcastic, smart, determined, and refuses to be a victim. Although, as time goes along and we know more about Old Casey, I fall in love with her as well. Both are remarkable characters, with a great deal in common with one another. And then there’s hunky, honorable Troy, who loves Cass, but refuses to go there because of their age difference.
* This is an unfair question. It’s like asking a mother which child she loves the most.

What's your favorite line in the story?
I feel like a comedian working the wax museum crowd.

A look into the story

~ Blurb ~ * Having been diagnosed with cancer, Cass Goldman decides to opt out of any futile medical care and end her life. While she has some thoughts on afterlife, she never expects to reincarnate into the body of a seventeen- year-old girl named Casey Davidson.
* When she awakens in a hospital, Cass discovers two disturbing facts. One, she is now inside the body of a troubled teenager, and two, the former owner of this body committed suicide, but only Cass knows that. Everyone else believes Casey has survived, but suffered a complete memory loss. Cass has two choices: to take on Casey’s life and turn it around, or to confess the truth about her reincarnation and end up in a mental asylum. Cass decides to take on the future life of Casey, a frightening ghoul-faced teen with short, black, spiky hair.
* Every person around Cass has an ulterior motive and discovering the truth of Old Casey’s life is more complicated than the ‘new math’ she is forced to learn in school. In addition, Cass has to contend with raging teenage hormones and the prior crimes of Old Casey, which she might not remember, but everyone else certainly does. However, her biggest frustration concerns her feelings for her father’s rugged security specialist who sees her only as a teenager and doesn’t want to explore the mutual attraction between them.
~ Excerpt ~ * Upon settling down on the toilet, she noticed the floor to ceiling mirror facing her and screamed at the sight of the creature within in it. Short black hair spouted about its head, black circles surrounded both eyes and fell like triangular knives down the cheeks. Black lips, stretched in horror as if in a nightmare. Pulling up her pants, she moved closer to the mirror.
* She was a ghoul, an honest to God ghoul!
* The door crashed open and her father stared at her, fear and panic clear in his eyes.
* Touching her face, she looked up at him. “Please tell me these aren’t permanent.”
* His panic remained a second longer as her words filtered into his brain and then he pulled her into his arms. “Don’t worry; we will get them removed—if you want to.”
* “If? Oh, I definitely want them removed.”
* How the hell could she turn around this life if she looked like the walking dead from a low grade monster movie?

Buy Saving Casey here...
Bono Books, a division of Decadent Publishing
Amazon
Barnes & Noble

Find Liza here...
Website
Twitter

Thank you for joining us here today, Liza! It was a pleasure getting to know you and your story.

Visit me at @KaceyHammell bl0g! ( #MM #Follow @crmoss )

I've been interviewed over at Kacey Hammell's blog! Come on over, give the post a read and say "Hi!" I'd sure appreciate it. Visit: http://kaceyhammellkreations.blogspot.com/2012/11/guest-author-cr-moss_25.html
Happy Reading!
C.R.

A Look At RM Sotera & 'Vegas Vampire' ( @rmsotera @ravenousromance #SO )

Today we have author RM Sotera visiting. Welcome!

What would you like to tell readers about yourself?
R.M. Sotera is a romance vixen stuck in the body of a prim and proper woman. A transplant to Las Vegas, by day she is a wife, mom, taxi driver, counselor, and psychologist to her wild and, at times, crazy friends. But when the family goes to bed and the house is dark, she seeks refuge in her office where her deepest desires take hold. And…ultimately a story is born. RM has 8 books – 1 short story – and several journalistic articles published.

What book are you going to tell us about today? Is it part of a series? If so, what's the order the books should be read in?
Today I’m going to discuss the short story that I have published with Ravenous Romance titled Vegas Vampire. This very short story is about a single woman (a teacher) who keeps having erotic dreams. What she does not realize is that her next door neighbor, a vampire, the man staring in her wildest fantasies, is ready to take dream land into reality land. It’s a story about crossing sexual boundaries into a world where vanilla sex is non-existent. It’s about accepting the odds even if they don’t fall in one’s favor.

How'd you/your muse come up with this story?
I love vampires. Need I say more?

Describe the hero in five words.
Sexy, Driven, Bold, Humorous, Careful

Describe the heroine in five words.
Timid, Humorous, Sexy, Accepting, Understanding

Who's your favorite character in the book & why?
Since there are only two, I love them both for different reasons. Josh Kraven is bold and driven – his traits make him even more desirable since he’s a vampire. Samantha Lanza is a typical teacher. She’s careful and determined for every event in her life to make sense and have a place. Needless to say, Josh upsets that cart early on.

What's your favorite line in the story?
One of my favorite lines is when Josh says to Sam – “I know your fantasy is to tie you up on a bed in the middle of the yard, but baby, I really don’t want to get arrested so the weight bench on the porch will have to do.”

A look into the story Vegas Vampire

~ Blurb ~ * Among the glitz and glamour of fabulous Las Vegas, Samantha Lanza's nightly dreams of naughty sex are increasing. Her dream lover has become extremely bold. Suddenly, the fantasies she shares with her dream lover cross the boundaries from fantasy to reality when her hot next- door neighbor, vampire Joshua Kraven, invites her to share a drink with him on Halloween. Samantha decides to take a chance and makes her darker desires come true when Joshua offers her the choice. With all of her cards on the table, and the odds not in her favor, can she play this game to win? And if she wins, will the price she pays be worth the reward?
~ Excerpt ~ * Champagne? This Halloween just might be a night to go down in the history books, a glass of the bubbly with my hot neighbor in my French maid outfit. New Beginnings. It really couldn’t get any better than this. I glanced his way before heading into my home and had to do a double take because I could’ve sworn he was smirking as he walked away.
* I changed in record time. Actually, I hadn’t realized just how scarce the material of my French maid outfit consisted of until I had to waste time walking from room to room in my home as not to appear overzealous by showing up as soon as fifteen minutes later at his home. My earlier train of thought came back to roll over me once more. Over the past year, I’d had so many dreams where Josh was the star, and of course I’d wake up completely soaked with sweat for two reasons. One, he was my neighbor, and two, I couldn’t believe I’d sexually do the things I’d dreamt about.
* After glancing at the clock above my stove for the umpteenth time I was thrilled to see that thirty-five minutes had passed since my invite. I grabbed a black shawl, my small black leather clutch, and slipped on my stilettos before heading out the door.
* I turned to gaze at my house one more time, just to make sure all of the Halloween lights and mechanical creatures worked, and then I’d glanced around the cul-de-sac to take in the other decorated homes.
* Spooky as shit.
* Our street would surely win the ‘most scary’ street again this year.
* When I reached Josh’s place he stood on the porch tinkering with the blinking neon vampire standing to the left of his front door.
* Serious Aqua eyes met mine.
* “You are fucking hot.” Josh said the words and had invited me inside but it was really hard for me to walk over my lip when it dangled at my feet. “Sam, are you coming inside?”

Buy Vegas Vampire here...
Ravenous Romance
Amazon
All Romance eBooks
Bookstrand
Barnes & Noble

***Find RM here***
Website
Facebook
Twitter
Amazon Author Page

Join us at A Reader's Event in Las Vegas ~ Hot Mojave Knights

Thank you for joining us here today, RM! It was a pleasure getting to know you and your work. RM is also doing a drawing! Two lucky winners will each recieve a PDF copy of Vegas Vampire. To enter, comment on this post & leave your name and email address. Winners will be drawn and contacted on Friday, November 30 after 6PM PST.

A Look At Doris O'Connor & 'Masks of a Tiger' ( @mamaD8 @evernightpub #SO )

Today we have author Doris O'Connor visiting. Welcome!

What would you like to tell readers about yourself?
* Glutton for punishment would be a good description for Doris... at least that's what she hears on an almost daily basis when people find out that she has a brood of nine children, ranging from adult to toddler and lives happily in a far too small house, cluttered with children, pets, dust bunnies, and one very understanding and supportive husband. Domestic goddess she is not.
* There is always something better to do after all, like working on the latest manuscript and trying not to scare the locals even more than usual by talking out loud to the voices in her head. Her characters tend to be pretty insistent to get their stories told, and you will find Doris burning the midnight oil on a regular basis. Only time to get any peace and quiet and besides, sleep is for wimps.
* She likes to spin sensual, sassy, and sexy tales involving alpha heroes to die for, and heroines who give as good as they get. From contemporary to paranormal, BDSM to F/F, and Ménage, haunting love stories are guaranteed.

What book are you going to tell us about today? Is it part of a series? If so, what's the order the books should be read in?
* Masks Of A Tiger is book three in my Club Ink series. You can read it on its own but you get a better feel for Grisha if you read the others first. Riding Her Tiger is Book one and Tiger Scars is book two. Grisha stars in them all, and in Masks Of A Tiger he finally gets his happy ever after. :)

How'd you/your muse come up with this story?
* Ah, well, Grisha muscled into the scene in book one of my series, when my heroine went to the bar, to order a Black Russian. He literally popped into my brain out of nowhere, and he refused to leave. He's part of a ménage in the first two books and he's got the rep of being a bit of a playboy Dom. Charming, sophisticated, but not looking to settle down. He shows us a bit of his vulnerable side at the end of book two, and I started to get an inkling of the demons that drove him. I had the beginning of book three in my head from the minute I stopped writing book two, but Grisha kept his cards close to his chest. So I got on with other projects, and waited patiently until he was ready to tell m
* When he did, I cried a few tears and tried my best to do his story justice. He needed a complicated heroine and Neeve fitted the bill perfectly. They both wear masks, and together they heal each other.

Describe the hero in five words.
Dom, charming, complex, passionate, tortured

Describe the heroine in five words.
Sassy, successful, hurt, complicated, lonely

Who's your favorite character in the book & why?
Without a doubt it has to be Grisha. He was one of my favourites of the series from the minute he made his presence known, and I'm so glad he finally got his own sub. There is nothing not to like about him. He's loyal, passionate, incredibly inventive, and as Estelle says in this book, "Grisha has a way of making your fantasies come true, Neeve. He would never push you into something you weren't ready for, you know."

What's your favorite line in the story?
* Oh there are so many…
* Grisha says this to Neeve, and it has a profound effect on her.
* "I leave marks that fade, never scar. Marks that tease, and arouse, and get you so damn turned on, you'll have the hottest sex you ever had. Marks that will proclaim I own you, at least whilst in a scene. Think on that, sweetheart, next time you stare into the flame."

A look into the story Masks of a Tiger

~ Blurb ~ * Neeve doesn't understand why any normal person would choose to wear a collar, like a common house pet. So, the collaring ceremony of her best friend's sister in law is the last place she wants to be, even if the hot men watching her send her insides aflame.
* Never one for missing the opportunity to teach a bratty sub manners, Grisha intends to show the fiery little redhead the error of her ways. He doesn't expect to see her drawn to the flame like the proverbial moth. When she hurts herself in ways that even a Dom of his experience finds hard to witness, he knows he needs to help her.
* Will their sexual chemistry be enough to chase away their demons and burn away their masks? Or is the submission Grisha demands too much for Neeve to accept?
~ Excerpt ~ * The deep, animalistic growl erupting from his chest caused more of her juices to flood her pussy, and she hastily followed his order of, "Hang on to me, sweetheart. We need to take this to the dungeon."
* The way he said the word dungeon sent a shiver down her body, as images of him in another dungeon filled her mind. The barely functioning rational side of her brain screamed at her what the fuck she was doing, but her body just wasn't listening. Being this close to him, the need to stay in his arms consumed her. Her empty pussy ached to be possessed by this man. The heat of his thick, rock hard cock burned her through his jeans, and when he placed her on the huge bed dominating one side of the room, she didn't want to lose the contact. He chuckled into her neck and licked the sensitive skin. The curiously rough texture of his tongue sent her nerve endings tingling, and she locked her ankles behind his butt, and ground her clit against him again.
* God, she was so close, so damn close, if only…
* Her eyes flew open, and the world tilted when he disentangled himself from her in one easy move. Before she knew what happened he had her lying over his knees, her dress pulled up to her hips, thong pulled down to her knees pinning them together. One of his arms over her back held her down.
* "Don't move, sweetheart, or this will hurt." She froze. Surely he wouldn't spank her? And why did the thought of that make more of her juices leak out of her? Why was she not screaming no, or red, or whatever the hell one screamed in such circumstances? Instead, she was in danger of staining his jeans with her arousal.
* "Don't you dare spank me. I'm not five years old!" Even to her own ears the protest sounded feeble, and Grisha swatted her ass several times in quick succession. The force behind those swats pushed her further into his lap, and tears sprang to her eyes. He massaged her ass cheeks, and the hot burn eased and spread in tingles of awareness. Her pussy clamped, and she felt the wetness on the top of her thighs.
* "Bastard! You have no right, you … oh—What are you doing? Oh God, yes, don’t stop."
* Grisha's amused chuckle vibrated through her, as he trailed something cold and smooth along her slit repeatedly. He followed the object with his fingers, the heat of those digits burning a path of awareness along her labia. She jumped when he circled her clit, and he murmured his approval at her panted reaction. She tried to push herself against that hand, and she screamed in surprise when he pinched her clit.
* "That's not the way this works, sweetheart. You'll come when I let you, not before, and not until you tell me the truth."
* Again he traced her slit with the object, and Neeve bucked when it started vibrating. He pushed the toy slightly into her channel, and her cunt clamped around the barely there invasion, her internal muscles desperately trying to pull it in further to no avail. Grisha kept it there on the edge, driving her insane with the need to come. The orgasm hovered just out of her reach, and she groaned her frustration to the floor, pummeling his legs in the process.
* Another swat to the ass was her reward. Her tender flesh stung and burned, the slight pain adding to the assault on her senses.
* "So, what will it be, Neeve? Are you going to tell me the truth, or do I carry on with your punishment?"
* "P-punishment?" Neeve panted the words as her body climbed again. "You call this punishment? Is that all you've got?"
* Why she felt the need to goad him she couldn't say, but by God, her body might be betraying her, but that didn't mean that she would give in that easily.
* "No, sweetheart, I call this torture, and I can keep this up for hours."

Buy Masks of a Tiger here...
Evernight Publishing
Amazon
Bookstrand
All Romance eBooks

Find Doris here...
Website
Blog
Twitter
Facebook
Pinterest

Thank you for joining us here today, Doris! It was a pleasure getting to know you and your story.

Black Friday Bl0g H0p ( #DecadentBFHop @decadentpub #FF )

* The Beauty and Romance of a Sunset...
* Sunsets. Viewing them is a simple pleasure of mine. The phenomena are such a beauty to behold and so varied in their coloring depending upon location, season, and atmospheric conditions. It’s due to living in Las Vegas that spurred on my love of sunsets. [See, it’s not all about the strip and gambling! ;)] I’ve seen some spectacular ones with gorgeous fiery reds, oranges, and yellows or amethyst and fuchsia to name a few.
* In the summer of 2008 I went on my first cruise. We stopped at ports in Cozumel and Grand Cayman. It was so nice enjoying the beauty of the water, the beaches and the sunsets, especially since we live hours from an ocean beach in a desert area. One late afternoon we were hanging out on a patio just off one of the ship’s dining rooms and experienced a beautiful golden sunset.
* Did you know that there is a little place called Hell on Grand Cayman? In Hell you’ll find a group of short, black, limestone formations roughly the size of half a soccer field. There are two viewing platforms for tourists since people aren’t allowed to traverse in the area. It’s claimed that the name derived from the fact that if a pebble is thrown out into the formation, it echoes amongst the limestone peaks and valleys and sounds as if the pebble is falling all the way down to hell. But I digress… We spent the bulk of our time on Seven Mile beach and had food and drinks at a little bar/restaurant. The open air, pub-style beach bar reminded me of a Southern-style wraparound porch except this place had a tin roof. The experience of the cruise and visiting Grand Cayman inspired me to write a few stories, including my first Decadent Publishing 1NS release Sunset Desires.
* Sunset Desires ~ A blind date. A hot tropical evening. She’ll be someone he can’t forget. He’ll fulfill her ultimate fantasy.

* Back to Las Vegas… I love setting stories in the city, not just because I live here but also because, like sunsets, it’s such a diverse place—lots to do and see on the strip and off. My next sunset story, Sunset Seduction, takes place in a hotel room in Las Vegas. The characters have a view of the city and mountains and both take note of the setting sun. I describe the sunset’s colors as the sun settles and dips behind the western range, setting the scene for romance. And, the cover—done in the spirit of the story, sunsets and the exciting city of Las Vegas—is hot!
* Sunset Seduction ~ One evening. One date. Easy right?

* Aside from my love of sunsets, there’s another reason ‘sunset’ is used in the titles for the stories I’m writing, but you’ll have to read them to find out what it is. ;)
* To celebrate Black Friday, I’m giving away either an e-book copy of Sunset Desires or Sunset Seduction ~ winner’s choice. To have a chance to win this prize, all you need to do is comment on this post and leave your name and email. For extra chances to win, follow this blog and/or follow me on Facebook and/or Twitter (each follow is an extra entry.) I will choose a winner on Monday, November 26 after 6PM PST and email the winner to discuss details. International respondents are welcome too!
* Want chances to win more great prizes? Visit these blogs...

* And don't forget to check out Decadent Publishing's awesome giveaway: http://www.decadentpublishing.blogspot.com/p/giveaways.html For a chance to win lots of books and an e-reader for a friend!
* Good Luck!
* C.R. Moss

Welcome special guest: author Brad C. Hodson ( #horror @BradCHodson @badmoonbooks #SO )

Today we have horror author Brad C. Hodson visiting. Originally from the dark hills of Appalachia, BRAD C. HODSON is a screenwriter and author living in Los Angeles. He is a history buff, enjoys lifting heavy things, and likes writing about himself in the third person.

So, Brad, what inspired you to become a writer?
I honestly couldn’t tell you. My earliest memories are of reading and writing. I like to quote Byron on this one. When Shelley asked him, “What makes you write?” Byron replied: “My inability to prevent it.”

When did you attempt your first story? What length was it? What's become of it?
The first story I remember was some kind of detective story involving friends in my second grade class working for a detective agency I owned. I remember it had something to do with a girl that was found dead hanging from a noose and a big shootout in a warehouse with 1930’s era gangsters. I think I was seven. I have no idea where that is today, but would love to find it.

How many stories did you complete before you sold your first?
When I actually started taking writing seriously, I think I sold my fourth or fifth story. I had a little jaunt where I left prose writing and pursued stand-up comedy, improve, sketch, and acting. I saw a lot of things I’d written staged and then, eventually, I realized I hated being in the spotlight and hated rehearsing. But I loved writing material. This led me back to writing fiction around the time I moved to Los Angeles. Being in LA definitely helped, too, as you can’t throw a rock without hitting someone whose business card reads: “Actor / Screenwriter / Stand-up Comic / Musician.” Rather than fall in with an army of “Jack-of-all-trades, master of none,” I dove headfirst into literary pursuits and have never looked back.

What are the best and worst pieces of writing advice you ever received?
* The single worst piece of writing I’ve ever heard is that anyone can do it. This is not only insulting and infuriating to anyone has spent the time and effort to hone their craft, it also implies that no one needs to spend the time and effort necessary to become a good writer (let alone a great one). Writing is hard. Damn hard. Any yahoo with an idea can spill it onto the page, but that’s not writing.
* As for the best advice, I guess it would be the opposite of the “anybody can do it” myth. When I first read authors and heard others speak who talked about the craft, about eliminating excess, about character development and engaging dialogue and the musical qualities of language, I took my first real step on the path to be a writer. Talent alone only gets you so far. You have to constantly be learning, growing, advancing. Especially in this e-book self-publishing environment where there are literally tens of thousands of books released every year. How do you set yourself apart? By at least trying to be better than 90% of your competition. I may have failed at actually doing so every time out of the gate, I don’t know. That’s the reader’s decision to make. But what I do know is that I try and, by virtue of trying, I’ve gotten much farther along than if I just sat back and rested on pure talent.

The book you’re promoting, is it a stand-alone story or part of a series? If it’s part of a series, please list the order the books need to be read in for maximum reading enjoyment.
* DARLING is currently a stand-alone. I’ve tinkered with the idea of revisiting Raynham Place, maybe as a collection of short stories, but for now she’s all by her lonesome.
* As for the idea… I’m originally from East Tennessee. The area is overflowing with dark folklore and it has a real history to match. I wanted to explore some of these tales. At the same time, I’ve always wanted to write a haunted house story. So I threw all of these things into a blender together, added a dash of something original, and hit the “High Speed” button. In the end, DARLING isn’t a haunted house story at all. But it feels like one for a good portion, hopefully taking the reader along a familiar and comfortable (and dark and frightening) path before twisting the road in another direction entirely.

*** Now for some fun info… ***
What’s your favorite ice cream flavor?
Chocolate Peanut Butter. It’s the foundation of my marriage.

Are you a morning person or night owl?
I wish I was a morning person. I love early morning, the way the entire world seems to stretch and yawn and slowly start its day. I get so much more done when I get up early. Unfortunately, I’m a night owl. My body wants to sleep late and stay up until 3am. This is why I drink…

If you were stranded on a desert island and were only allowed to have five modern conveniences with you, what would they be?
A Kindle loaded with thousands of books, an iPod with thousands of songs, a refrigerator, crates of matches, and a speed boat to get the hell off the island. Hey, you didn’t say I couldn’t…

*** About Brad’s book… ***

~ About DARLING ~ Raynham Place has been home to a number of mysterious occurrences. From its start as a battlefield through its time as a tuberculosis hospital and even in its current incarnation as an apartment complex, the grounds here have been awash in blood and instability. When two friends decide to move in to Raynham together, a wound that they share opens wide and threatens their sanity. But they’re not alone. Something is off here at Raynham, something that goes beyond the local legends of ghosts and serial killers and Black Hounds, something that gets inside of everyone who ever lives here. When a sacrifice is made, the first freely given in ages, the truth behind Raynham’s legends finally surfaces and the building fills to bursting with all the dreams of Hell…

~ Praise for DARLING ~ One of the creepiest settings I’ve ever experienced…DARLING is deeply unsettling, in your face horror.
— Nate Kenyon, Award-winning author of SPARROW ROCK and DIABLO: THE ORDER
Hodson delivers with passion and intensity.
— Scott Nicholson, LIQUID FEAR and THE RED CHURCH
Have you had the pleasure of meeting Brad C. Hodson’s work yet? His short stories in HORROR FOR GOOD and John Skipp’s WEREWOLVES anthology were amazing, and now here comes his first novel, DARLING. We should all hate him. Buy the books and read them first…then hate him.
— Lisa Morton, Bram Stoker Award winning author of CASTLE OF LOS ANGELES and THE HALLOWEEN ENCYCLOPEDIA
You know that feeling you get as the Bigwheel clicks slowly down the hall? Something awful is waiting just around the corner and your skin crawls with dread because you’re too scared to look away. Well, Brad Hodson knows how to scare you like that. Weird and unsettling, but hauntingly perceptive, Hodson’s DARLING is a rare accomplishment, a finely-honed study in mounting tension that keeps readers turning pages despite their fear. This is how you do it, folks. Hodson knows how to deliver the scares, and he’s got a nightmare just for you.
— Joe McKinney, Bram Stoker Award-winning author of FLESH EATERS and DEAD CITY
DARLING was a great read. It had all the elements I enjoy in a horror novel and Hodson has succeeded where many fail in that he’s managed to actually make it creepy. Like comedy, creepy (real creepy) is harder than it looks, but DARLING raised the small hairs on my arms a few times. Brad has a knack to unnerve and I’m officially a Hodson fan. I eagerly await his next book. Excellent debut.
— Michael Louis Calvillo, acclaimed author of I WILL RISE, AS FATE WOULD HAVE IT, and LAMBS
Bong, bong, bong. Quasimodo, does that ring a bell? Of course! How about Brad Hodson, does that ring a bell? Uh-huh, well check out my enthusiastic reaction to DARLING. The straight forward, reader accessible prose, with no downfield literary juking reminds me a lot of Richard Laymon. Simple, right? Uh-uh, don’t be fooled. Accomplished always looks easy. Hodson gets his simple effects by using precise language, including always picking the exact verb not the first serviceable, which eliminates the need for lots of adjectives and adverbs. His fast-paced plotting with no fluff makes for an engaging and compelling story arc, with great closure, perfect last line. Snag a copy of DARLING on my recommendation, read it, and then: Bong, bong, bong Brad Hodson, does that ring a bell? You bet your sweet ass!
— Gene O’Neill, Bram Stoker Award winning writer and author of IN DARK CORNERS, THE BLUE HERON, and THE BURDEN OF INDIGO

***Buy Brad's book here***
Bad Moon Books
Amazon

***Find Brad here***
Website
Facebook
Twitter
Amazon Author Page

Thank you for joining us here today, Brad! It was a pleasure getting to know you and your work.

Sunday Sp0tlight w. Robin Badillo & 'Family Ties' ( @Robin_Badillo @evernightpub #SO )

Today we have author Robin Badillo visiting. Welcome!

What would you like to tell readers about yourself?
* Robin Badillo is a down to earth mother of four, born and raised in a small Texas town where she still resides with her nearly grown kids and two spoiled dogs.
* After years of being a wife and mom, complete with company picnics and fundraisers for the P.T.A., Robin found herself starting over when her husband of fifteen years suddenly passed away in 2006. With no particular skills to speak of, Robin took the advice of friends and family and followed her heart and passion for writing into the publishing world.
* A fan of paranormal and southern romance novels, Robin does her best to offer up a plethora of tasty morsels to satisfy her reader’s appetite. Whether vampires, werewolf shifters or just good ol’ country boys, Robin strives to create heroes to die for and heroines to who will knock your socks off.
* Adversity is Robin’s motivation, which explains why she’s a true believer that grey hair is simply God’s graffiti.

What book are you going to tell us about today? Is it part of a series? If so, what's the order the books should be read in?
* Family Ties is the first book in a series titled, Under the Texas Moon and tells the stories of a shifter wolf-pack in a fictitious southeast town in Texas, Beacon Hill, similar in size to where I live in real life.
* The second book isn’t quite finished yet, but it’s titled, Beta Heat and picks up a few months after Family Ties with other members of the same pack.
* Book three, tentatively titled, Crossing the County Line will take us to a rival pack mentioned in the first two books, but will still include all of the same wonderful characters from the Beacon Hill Pack, and a few new faces as well.
* As of now, three may be all there is to the series, but only time will tell.

How'd you/your muse come up with this story?
* Good question. Would you believe me if I told you an old wolf walked up and sniffed his human grandson’s hand? Well, it happened just that way.
* I wanted the hero to have strong roots, but still be a stranger to his own kind, and in order to welcome him home, somebody had to be his mentor. His grandpa, Hank, rose to the occasion and the two make quite the pair, sealing the gaps between generations quite nicely.
* Next, I imagined two wolves meeting in an open hay field. Strangers in the night, if you will, both intrigued, and both instantly attracted to the other. They had chemistry all right, and in an instant, Tucker and Tegan were born.

Describe the hero in five words.
Determined, Sexy, Lost, Honorable and Fair

Describe the heroine in five words.
Stubborn, Flirty, Beautiful, Loyal and Curious

Who's your favorite character in the book & why?
I really have a soft spot for Hank. He’s modeled after an older version of how I see my own father. His downhome, uncomplicated, country charm is rather similar to how my dad is in real life, right down to the overalls!

What's your favorite line in the story?
* I have two favorite lines in the story.
* One, said by Hank to Tucker: “There ain’t no shame in bein’ naked, boy.”
* The other, said by Tucker to Tegan after he helps her out with a little problem: “I ate him.”
* I cracked myself up when I wrote both scenes.

A look into the story Family Ties

~ Blurb ~ * Every pack needs an alpha and every alpha needs a pack.
* Tucker Wilde, a lone wolf, returns to the town where his shifter lineage first began, only to discover his rightful place as alpha has been handed down through another blood-line. To make matters worse, old family secrets threaten the fate of the love he’s destined to find.
* Shifter, Tegan Blaid is the key to saving her pack by joining with the son of a powerful pack member, but her heart belongs to Tucker, the one wolf she was never meant to know.
* Can Tucker and Tegan fight the forces against them to secure their positions in the pack, or is history determined to repeat itself despite their family ties? ~ Excerpt ~ * She held her breath when the oversized wolf emerged into the clearing. Every muscle in his broad shoulders flexed and she could see the rise and fall of his chest with every heavy breath he took.
* Tegan rose to her feet and reached for the thick fur around his neck. God, he’s so beautiful.
* Not nearly as breathtaking as you.
* “Wait?” She withdrew her hand. “You really can read my thoughts.”
* Can’t all wolves hear each other’s thoughts? He nudged her hand with his snout.
* “No.” Tegan splayed her fingers through his coat, tugging on it as she massaged the firm muscles between his shoulder blades. “I’ve never heard another wolf’s thoughts and as far as I know, none have ever heard mine.” This is crazy.
* We’re just special, I guess.
* “Yeah, I guess.”
* Tucker moved closer, rubbing himself against her thigh. Run with me.
* “Tucker, I…” Tegan drew his warm body near, hugging him to her leg. “Okay. Okay”
* Tucker eased back and sat on his haunches.
* Tegan swallowed hard as a flurry of angst dashed through her body. In order to run, her clothes had to go.
* Keenly aware of Tucker’s intense stare, Tegan removed his jacket and let it fall to the ground, her eyes fixated on his. “Are you going to watch me undress?” Her heart raced and she struggled to control the goose-bumps rippling across her skin as she awaited his reply.
* Do you want me to watch you?
* Tegan nodded. But not like that.
* Tucker immediately transitioned back into his human form and stood across from her, naked, and glistening with beads of perspiration.
* As her gaze trailed downward, moisture gushed between her legs when her eyes feasted upon his massive erection jutting upward toward his stomach. Holy Hell.
* Tucker ran his hand up the length of his shaft and thumbed the slit. He bit his bottom lip as though pleased to present himself to her. “Your turn.”
* “God, you’re beautiful.”
* “Nowhere near as breathtaking as you.”
* Tegan stepped closer, unbuttoning her blouse. “Have you ever been with a shifter?”
* Tucker swallowed hard, his eyelids lowering to half-mast as he visually took her in. “Didn’t even know I was a shifter until recently.”
* Dismissing his reply, Tegan moved on to her next question. “Why can’t other wolves hear me?”
* “I don’t know. Maybe no other wolf is meant to.”
* Good answer. She licked her lips, giving her instincts free reign over her body as she slinked toward him. “I can’t stop thinking about you. Your scent is everywhere.”
* Tucker reached out and cupped the back of her neck with his right hand, drawing her face closer, inches from his. “Not everywhere—yet.” With that, his mouth crashed into hers and a growl like none she’d ever heard echoed into the night.
* Tucker tore away her top and ran long, thick fingers up and down her back, pulling and tugging at her bra as his hot kisses trailed along her throat.
* “God, you smell so good.” Tucker dropped to his knees and quickly unfastened her jeans, jerking them down from side to side, licking her stomach and nipping at the tender skin on her hip bones as he ventured lower.
* Her panties were next and she stepped out of them as he guided them past her knees.
* “Now let’s see how you taste.”
* Tegan shuddered as he selfishly lapped at her freshly waxed mound. She sucked air through her teeth when he parted her lips and probed her clit with the hardened tip of his tongue.
* “Shit.” Her knees weakened and she felt herself losing the battle to stand.
* Tucker stopped and lowered her to the ground.
* In seconds, his lips found hers again. His tongue plunged deep and she sucked it, tasting her own tangy juices. “I want you so bad.” Tegan moaned.
* “Then have me.”

Buy Family Ties here...
Evernight Publishing

Find Robin here...
Blog
Robin’s Evernight Author Page
Amazon Author Page
Twitter

Thank you for joining us here today, Robin! It was a pleasure getting to know you and your work.

Welcome special guest: author Paul Hinton ( #horror @badmoonbooks #FF #SO )

Today we have author Paul Hinton visiting. Paul Hinton is a 49 year old English Golf Professional working in Wallasey where he lives with his wife Jenny and his three daughters Sara, Samantha and Shannon. He started writing as a hobby to fill his time during the long snow filled winters while working abroad but soon discovered a passion for story telling.

So, Paul, what inspired you to become a writer?
My wife. She got tired of me always talking about writing a book and insisted I either sit down and write or shut up.

When did you attempt your first story? What length was it? What's become of it?
Way back in 2006. I wrote it in pencil on A4 paper. It was about 200 sides long. After it was finished, I realised I couldn’t do anything with it so I rewrote it on the computer. Unfortunately, I was pretty dumb in those days, at least in relation to computers. As I finished each chapter the second time, I printed them out and erased the memory. During the process, the story obviously changed but, at the end of the day, I still didn’t have a copy on hard drive. That meant sitting in front of the computer yet again only the second time I saved it which was just as well as the story continued to develop over the following several months. During the process, the book turned into a fourteen hundred page trilogy, the first part of which has been published.

How many stories did you complete before you sold your first?
I was on my fifth novel by the time the first one was published.

What are the best and worst pieces of writing advice you ever received?
Best: Never stop trying! Worst: Give it up, stick to Golf.

The book you’re promoting, is it a stand-alone story or part of a series? If it’s part of a series, please list the order the books need to be read in for maximum reading enjoyment.
The Reaper is a standalone story with the option to continue. Whether it does obviously depends on how it’s received and what my publisher thinks. What sparked the idea is quite simple. I remember watching several news reports at the time about injustice and thought at the time wouldn’t it be nice if victims had another option. At that moment the Reaper was basically born.

*** Now for some fun info… ***
Are you a cat, dog or both kind of person?
As we have three cats and a dog, I have to admit to being a cat and dog person although two of the cats in question don’t really come near me.

Would you/have you own(ed) a snake or some other exotic pet?
We also have two chinchillas sharing our bedroom. Seeing as they are night active, sleeping can be difficult sometimes but we utilise the time reading and writing.

If you were stranded on a desert island and were only allowed to have five modern conveniences with you, what would they be?
Stranded on a desert island I would take a generator, a full fuel tanker, a television, a dvd player and a microwave.

*** About Paul’s book The Reaper… ***

~ Blurb ~ Charles Osborne is a happily married, highly successful businessman. Normally speaking his life should be perfect but a twist of fate followed by a miscarriage of justice has forced him into a seemingly never ending fight against the Consortium of lawyers that are apparently controlling the justice system. He has adapted a secret identity in an attempt to keep his family safe, a character that is feared by both the lawyers involved and the criminals they represent… The Reaper.

~ A brief look into The Reaper ~ * Charles Osborne is happily married with two wonderful daughters. He owns a very successful Broker business in London that has made him rich beyond normal expectations. Normally speaking his life should be perfect but a tragic miscarriage of justice - involving the deaths of his parents - has persuaded him to invest his time and considerable wealth in fighting a seemingly never ending battle against a local firm of lawyers - The Consortium. The immoral lawyers that work for the company are prepared to go to any lengths for the good of their clients - as long as the price is right. This fact has resulted in several guilty parties escaping punishment for crimes they are guilty of - a fact that Charles is unable to accept.
* Well aware that his identity must remain hidden, Charles has created the Reaper, an unforgiving figure that represents the consequences for anybody that dares to cheat justice. Over the years he has gathered a group of specialists around him that support his efforts - Jerry, personnel and security - Sid, computer expert and hacker extraordinaire - Mr Smith, judicial expert - Peter, weapons and specialist equipment - Mary, medical expert and Francois, Interpol contact. After his team have confirmed the accused is guilty and the victim’s families have agreed to the intervention, the Reaper concocts a punishment that fits the crime and visits the guilty party. It has become a ritual that has had a positive effect on the criminal underground controlling parts of the city before the unrelenting vigilante appeared on the scene. Because of this, the police have more often than not turned a blind eye but pressure is slowly rising for them to act. The Consortium themselves are trying desperately to find the man behind the Reaper, driven on by the brutal criminals that secretly own the law firm.

***Buy Paul's book here***
Bad Moon Books

***Find Paul here...***
Facebook
paul_hinton01@yahoo.de
Already published: The Undiscovered Paul's The Undiscovered
Already published: Rammy Paul's Rammy
Coming soon: The Splinter Paul's The Splinter
Coming soon: The Pack Paul's The Pack
Coming soon: Splitters Paul's Splitters

Thank you for joining us here today, Paul! It was a pleasure getting to know you and your work.

A Look At Raven McAllan & 'Silver Silk Ties' ( @RavenMcAllan @evernightpub #SO )

Today we have author Raven McAllan visiting. Welcome!

What would you like to tell readers about yourself?
* Ever since I won not one but two, Cadbury, ‘where does chocolate come from’ competitions in primary school, I was convinced, one day I would write a book. My parents encouraged me. My schoolteachers despaired of me. Flowery. Romantic. Not factual. Hey I loved weaving stories about anything and anyone.
* So what happened to my grand ideas?
* Life got in the way.
* So more years later than I am prepared to disclose (hey a woman has to have some secrets) Here I am, an author. Not even that, a published author!
* Happy or what?
* Married to my own hero (how cheesy is that) we live on the edge of a Scottish Forest.
* I write on my lap top in my study, watching the birds on the bird table, the strange big black fluffy ‘ I’m pretending to be a bird’ cat, sitting on it and trying to convince the many birds he is invisible, occasionally seeing deer and red squirrel moving past. I am privileged.
* As a non-closet romantic, sometime neurotic, and lover of words, I so enjoyed getting involved with my hero and heroines. I hope you do too.

What book are you going to tell us about today? Is it part of a series? If so, what's the order the books should be read in?
* I'm in the happy position of having the first in a series of rather hot (well it made me fan myself and that was writing it) Regency Romances…with a twist.
* Silver Silk Ties is published by Evernight Publishing, and I'm over the moon.

A look into the story Silver Silk Ties

~ Blurb ~ * Araminta knew what she wanted, and being left on her wedding night was not it. Finding her husband in the notorious house on Silk Street, she hoped her luck had changed. Perhaps this would not be the marriage of convenience she feared. If only she could persuade him that she was indeed the sub he needed.
* Meeting his new wife at the one place all deep dark desires could be satisfied, Felton wondered if he had been mistaken? Was this a marriage of mutual passion and ideals? Would she truly obey? There was only one way to find out, test her submission.
~ Excerpt ~ * Left alone, she tried to calm her quivering body, and took several deep breaths. The gown was a soft slither of silk, deep blue, the color of the finest sapphires with a sheen of a peacock's wing. She slipped it on, savoring the way it embraced her body.
* Hanging from a hook on the wall, next to a mirror unseen unless you were behind the screen, was a hairbrush. With swift, economical movements she drew it though her long tresses and winced at the pain as she untangled knots. There, she was ready. As she went to replace the brush, she saw the parchment fixed to the wall. 'Bring it with you.' Who was that meant for? Ara decided she may as well begin to remember her chosen role. Ara slipped it into a deep pocket in the robe and began to walk to the door she had yet to access. Stopping, she turned on her heels and went back behind the screen to lift the parchment, fold it and place it next to the hairbrush in her pocket. Now she was ready.
* Felton looked up as she entered the room. The fire glowed, the coals settled and not sparking.
* "Join me here." He indicated the seat next to him on a long day bed. She noticed he was also wearing a robe. His was a dark maroon. It scarcely covered him as he sat sprawled in studied insolence, masculinity personified.
* Obediently, she walked across the oriental-patterned carpet and sat next to him, the skirt of her robe wrapping across her knees.
* Felton handed her a goblet. Its golden-pink contents bubbled and fizzed. He must have noticed her quizzical expression for he chuckled. "I have relations who survived the Corsican and prospered. This wine is the wine of the future of France. At present they are able to bottle and store very little, but as times change and methods improve, it will become the king of wines."
* Ara took a sip. The bubbles teased her nose and she sneezed. "Sweetish, and I taste summer," she said. She took another cautious sip. "I like it."
* "Good.” He took the glass from her hands and set it down on a table. "So now, we talk." It was not a question. "Honesty and truth now, Ara. We hold on to nothing. Between us we must be open and true. If we admit and disclose everything now, we will be free to move on together. What say you?"
* "I say yes, my lord." His face relaxed, and Ara's cunt did the opposite. How could he make her want to plead for him to take her? To show her paradise once more? All with one relaxed, open look.
* "So, I will start. Will you go to the set of drawers over there?" He pointed to a cupboard commonly called an elbow chest. "Inside is a box. Bring it to me, set it on the floor between us, and seat yourself again."
* Puzzled, but interested, Ara rose and tightened the belt on her robe. Silk was not known for holding a lose tie, and in her eagerness to join him, she had not secured the ends tightly.
* "No, leave it. If it loosens, it is your fault. And I am desirous of seeing all of you, my wife."
* Ah, well, if he puts it like that. Ara walked slowly to the furniture he had mentioned, and opened the cupboard on one side. The box was not overlarge. Big enough for her to have difficulty maneuvering it through the aperture and onto the floor. As she bent to lift it, the belt, which had been slipping away from its mooring with each movement she made, fell apart and her robe gaped. She shrugged mentally. If he demanded her not to retie it, she wouldn't.
* "Slip it off, Ara. It will hinder you otherwise. As you will spend most of our time together naked, you may as well start now."

Buy Silver Silk Ties here...
All popular e-book formats are available at Evernight Publishing

Find Raven here...
Website
Blog
Facebook
Twitter

Thank you for joining us here today, Raven! It was a pleasure getting to know you and your book.