Have you checked out Donna Grants blog today?
Or
Lisa Renee Jones blog?
The ladies are doing giveaways all day..
Interview & giveaway with Pamela Palmer
Books-n-Kisses is extremely pleased to welcome the wonderful Pamela Palmer to the blog today. Pamela has stopped by to talk about her Feral Warriors and maybe we can learn a little more about her too.
Pamela Palmer is the NY Times and USA Today bestselling author of the Feral Warriors shape shifter series, the Esri series and, under the pseudonym Pamela Montgomerie, the Jewels of Time time travel series. When Pamela’s initial career goal of captaining starships didn’t pan out, she turned to engineering, satisfying her desire for adventure with books and daydreams until finally succumbing to the need to create worlds of her own. Pamela lives and writes in the suburbs of Washington, D.C.
Pamela: Hi Kelly! Hi everyone! I’m delighted to be here.
Kelly: Can I get you anything before we begin? Coffee, tea, soda?
Pamela: Ha! Tea, please. A spiced chai, if you have it.
Kelly: One spiced chai tea coming up.. Shall we get started?
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| #1 Feral Warrior Series |
Q1) What would you say is your most interesting writing quirk?
Pamela: Hmm. My most interesting quirk. Probably that I need music to write. Instrumentals only. Usually I write to Keiko Matsui’s new age jazz, sometimes to soundtracks. Some of my favorite soundtracks lately are Inception, HALO 3, Pirates of the Caribbean (which I always pull out when I’m writing the climax of the book), and the scores for the Twilight movies. I’m very Pavlovian about the music. I have to turn it off the moment I do anything but write (answer the phone, check my email, even get up and get another cup of tea). The moment I turn the music on, I’m in the zone.
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| #2 Feral Warrior Series |
Q2) Have you always known you wanted to be an author?
Pamela: No, I had no idea. Growing up, I wanted to be an astronaut until I realized space travel in my lifetime was never going to get me on the Starship Enterprise. Instead, I majored in industrial engineering and went to work for IBM. I hated English and Literature classes in school and avoided them like the plague. I hated the books they made us read. But I’d always been a voracious reader (mostly romances) and a constant daydreamer. It wasn’t until one of my daydreams got too big for my head that I was compelled to head to the computer and try writing it down.
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| #3 Feral Warrior Series |
Q3) Are you a plotter or a pantser?
Pamela: I’m a little of both. The engineer in me wants to be a plotter. I’d love to come to the writing with the book figured out, in detail, down to the last chapter and scene. But when I’ve tried to write that way, it’s never worked. Usually, by the first turning point I’ve found a scene that won’t work the way I’d envisioned, sending the story off in a new direction and my careful plotting notes into the trash. I liken that process to plotting your journey through the city on a map. From the map it appears a simple matter to get from point A to point B—drive three blocks and take a left. But it’s not until you actually get into the city and try to drive that route that you see the detour, or the one-way street going the wrong way, or the sign that says, “No left turns.”
So what I do now is figure out the big picture of the story—the characters (what they need to learn, what they think they could never do), the villain and what he wants, the conflicts (both internal and external), how the story starts and how the story will end. I usually have three or four big, important scenes in mind. My tent poles. And then I start writing. It’s in the writing that the story ultimately unfolds.
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| #4 Feral Warrior Series |
Q4) Who are some of your favorite writers? Who do you feel has influenced your writing?
Pamela: That’s a tough one. My current favorite UF/PNR authors are Nalini Singh, Keri Arthur, JR Ward, Jeaniene Frost, Vicki Petterssen, Larissa Ione, and Karen Marie Moning. My favorite historical romance authors are Anna Campbell and Sarah MacLean.
I’m not sure I can answer the second question. Everyone and everything influences my writing in one way or another. But no one in particular.
Let’s talk books:
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| #5 Feral Warrior Series |
We could be here all day talking about all your dreamy Feral Warriors so let’s jump to your newest release Hunger Untamed.
Q5) Hunger Untamed (book 5) is your most current release of the Feral Warrior series. Can you tell us a little about Kougar and Ariana’s story?
Pamela: Kougar has always been the coldest, most dangerous, most mysterious of the Feral Warriors. Kougar keeps his past to himself, including the fact that his mate, Ariana, Queen of the Ilinas, betrayed him, leaving him to suffer a ruptured mating bond and to believe the love of his life was dead for a thousand years. He knows now she’s not dead and while she’s the last person on earth he wants to see again, she’s the only hope for Tighe and Hawke, two Feral Warriors who’ve been trapped in a deadly spirit trap with no way out.
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| #6 Feral Warrior Series |
Q6) Pamela, Ecstasy Untamed (book 6) of the Feral Warriors series is scheduled for release on October 25th can you tell us a little about this book?
Pamela: In Ecstasy Untamed, Hawke is free of the spirit trap, finally, but not free from it’s damaging effects. He’s suffering a dangerous break with his animal, one that will kill him if he doesn’t find a way to heal the rift. But distraction arrives at in the form of Faith, a darling Therian woman with a smile that lights him up inside. The problem is, she’s the intended mate of the newest Feral Warrior, Maxim.
Q7) How did you come up with the idea for the Feral Warriors Series?
Pamela: The idea for the series sprang from a single scene: a woman finds a huge, gorgeous man standing in her kitchen—a man who tells her she’s not only immortal, but the only one who can save his race. That scene was one of the first in Desire Untamed. From there I had to figure out who he was and what he was, but the rest started spinning and weaving together and the Feral Warriors were born.
Q8) After looking at your blog it looks like we are going to get at least 8 Feral Warrior books. Do you foresee the series going past 8? Do you know whose book 7 & 8 will be yet?
Pamela: I actually know the heroes of books 7, 8, and 9. So, yes, the series will be going past 8. That said, I won’t be sharing that information any time soon. I’ve promised readers that I’ll reveal the hero of book 7 on Dec. 1st. That will give people a chance to read Ecstasy Untamed before I spill the news.
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| #1 The Esri Series |
Q9) Can you tell us a little about your Esri Series, published by Harlequin Nocturne. (bk1: The Dark Gate(2007), bk2 Dark Deceiver (2008), bk3: A Warrior’s Desire 2/2012)
Pamela: The Esri series is the story of an invasion of the human world by a race of immortals who are at the heart of the old legends of fairies and elves. But these creatures, the Esri, are man-sized, malicious, and bent on the enslavement of mankind. Only a handful of humans can see them for what they are and can’t be enchanted. They’re the only ones who can save us. The series will be four books in all. Book 3, A Warrior’s Desire, will be out in February and Book 4, Warrior Rising, comes out in April.
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| #1 in the Time Travels Series |
Q10) Tell us a little about your Time Travels Series by Pamela Montgomerie.
Pamela: I wrote two Scottish historical time travels for Berkley a few years ago under the pseudonym Pamela Montgomerie. I actually adore these books. They’re a little lighter than my others, though both have non-stop action, adventure, and romance, of course. The first, Sapphire Dream, is about Brenna who travels to Scotland in our time only to awaken aboard a pirate ship off the Scottish coast, called there by the mysterious dwarf, Hegarty. The pirate captain, Rourke, knows precisely who she is but wants nothing to do with her or the prophesy that Hegarty’s called her to fulfill, a prophesy that’s already destroyed his life once.
In Amethyst Destiny, Hegarty’s machinations are at work again when Talon, who he rescued years ago with the gift of a magic ring, accidentally uses that ring to call Julia from the future to help him on his latest quest. Julia’s not amused, but she has no choice but to stick with the charming con man if she wants any chance of getting home again.
Q11) A Blood Seduction (scheduled release May 2012) is the first book in a new series titled the Vamp City Series. Tell us a little more.
Pamela: Yes, I’m finally writing a vampire series and I’m having a blast with it. The Vamp City series is my first multi-book romance, which means the hero/heroine will be the same for all five books. Think Jeaniene Frost’s Cat and Bones books or Karen Marie Moning’s Fever series. Vamp City is a magical dark city created long ago by a sorcerer, a vampire utopia where the sun never shines and where the vampires can live and hunt in the open. It was created by duplicating Washington, D.C. and is, in fact, Washington, V.C. (Vamp City). The story starts when Quinn Lennox and her brother Zack accidentally stumble through the portal while searching for Zack’s lost friend. Little does Quinn realize she’s the one they’ve been waiting for.
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| #2 in the Time Travels Series |
Q12) You are a very busy girl these days. Tell us about your typical writing day.
Pamela: I am busy! Right now, I’m plotting Feral book #7, revising A Blood Seduction, and working on the page proofs for A Warrior’s Desire while I wait for the copyedits of Warrior Rising. Plus I have a To-Do of other things a mile high. But I like being busy and I love a challenge.
My typical writing day is pretty much every day since I work at home and don’t have an outside job. I see my dh off to work, then start working by 8:00 unless it’s an exercise day, in which case I don’t get started until closer to 10:00. I write/work on and off all day, interspersing an hour of writing with a half-hour to hour of laundry, To-Do list items, etc. I generally don’t stop until about 9:00 at night. After that I either read or I watch one of my taped tv shows or a movie until bedtime.
Q13) What is the best piece of advice you would give to a budding author?
Pamela: Keep writing, keep studying the craft (it takes a lot of work to learn story structure, character development, conflict arcs, etc.). But mostly, don’t give up.
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| #2 The Esri Series |
Q14) I always like to ask what authors have in their To Be Read pile… Tell us the one book you are dying to read.
Pamela: Larissa Ione’s Eternal Rider
Q15) Is there anything else you would like to add?
Pamela: If you’re interested in learning more about any of my series, take a look at my website, www.pamelapalmer.net. You’ll find excerpts, more about the books, more about the worlds, etc. Also, in conjunction with the upcoming release of Ecstasy Untamed, I have some fun things planned including a pajama party at Feral House! Be sure to sign up for my newsletter (on my website), ‘Like’ me on FB, or follow me on Twitter so you won’t miss anything!
Website: www.pamelapalmer.net
Twitter: @Pamela_Palmer
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/PamelaPalmer
Books-n-Kisses: Pamela, thank you so very much for taking time out of your very busy schedule to sit down and chat with me about you and your books. I have enjoyed getting to know you a little better and I am looking forward to reading Ecstasy Untamed.
Pamela: Thanks so much for having me, Kelly! Thanks for stopping by, everyone!
Books-n-Kisses: Oh Pamela, One last thing before you go….. What do you say we giveaway a copy of Hunger Untamed to one of my followers?
Pamela: Absolutely! I’ll sign it and send it out.
GIVEAWAY TIME:
To enter:
Please leave a comment or question for Pamela
Please leave your email (NO EMAIL, NO ENTRY)
Extra points:
+1 share this post on Twitter, Facebook or your Blog (please leave link)
+1 Liking Pamela’s Facebook Page
Giveaway will end Sept 28th
Winner annouced on Sept 30th
Review of Locked in Silence by Shiloh Walker
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| Release day 9/20/2011 |
by Shiloh Walker
Dying is hard enough. Coming back to life is brutal.
Grimm’s Circle, Book 5
Vanya has been hunting and killing demons ever since one of them scarred her face and killed her sister. Correction—since she was forced to kill the demon possessing her sister.
Then some sort of angel offers her a deal she can’t refuse—that if she becomes one of them, she gets to kill even more demons. Tonight, she’s made that choice. The death she smells on the air will be her own—and she welcomes it.
Silence feels a darkness is looming. Change—something he has every reason not to welcome. The deeply hidden memories that robbed him of his past, of his own name, render him unfit to teach anyone the ways of the Grimm. Yet here he is in the dankest sex club in town, waiting to assume his charge—after he stands by and watches her die.
When Vanya awakes, their complicated, dangerous dance begins. And so does something else—a searing need that blisters along their unexpected mental connection. Silence shouldn’t be drawn to his student, but once they touch, he can’t think of a reason to stop. Even though acting out their darkest desires puts them in more danger than they realize.
Warning: This book contains sex-starved demons, lonely angels, demon-angel sandwiches, blood, violence, death and a happy-ever-after.
My thoughts:
Oh Shiloh has done it again. She has sucked me back into the world of the Grimm’s. Once I am there I don’t want to leave. I just want to hang out with the Grimm’s and learn all of their secrets. And I really don’t want to give away any spoilers. So while my review is short let me tell you to LOVED this book.
Locked in Silence introduces us to a new Grimm: Silence. He has been alone for as long as he can remember. Silence thinks alone is good. No one gets hurt when you are alone. But that is all about to change. When his boss Will tells him he is getting a new trainee, Silences world will never truly be silence again.
Locked in Silence gets two thumbs up from me. I truly love Shiloh Walker and her Grimm’s Circle series. For me they can do no wrong. I look forward to seeing where we go next in book 6 *big grin*. If you would like to read an excerpt of Locked in Silence please click HERE and it will take you to Shiloh’s website.
If you have not stepped into Shiloh Walker’s Grimm’s Circle World you are missing out. Please check out Shiloh and her Grimm’s on her website (HERE)
Huge thank you to Shiloh & Nicole for letting me read Silence & Vanya’s book.
Gabriel’s Inferno Tour Stop My Review & a Giveaway
Gabriel’s Inferno
Author: Sylvain Reynard
Professor Gabriel Emerson, a specialist in Dante and the art of seduction, believes he has already earned his exile to the lower circles of hell. Since redemption is impossible, there is no reason to refrain from indulging in a life of pleasurable sin, using his notorious good looks and sophisticated charm as a means to gratify his every whim. But when he meets Julia Mitchell, a brilliant, lovely, and innocent grad student with the achingly familiar eyes of an angel, all of his cynical convictions are challenged. Her mysterious allure and the havoc she wreaks on his self-satisfied existence cause him to lash out at her, while her quiet beauty and innate goodness consistently undermine his control, tempting him beyond measure. Despite surviving a traumatic childhood, nothing has shaken Julia’s faith that redemption is possible for everyone-everyone but her. Her unworthiness torments her, since the only man she will ever love has managed to forget her very existence, failing to even recognize her when they reconnect. Too naive to see that Gabriel’s hostility is a mask for his increasing obsession with her, Julia forces him to come to grips with his past while she continues to unwittingly torment his senses. His fascination grows into a dangerous preoccupation, for Julia is forbidden fruit . . .
Paperback, 514 Pages
Published April 19, 2011 by Omnific Publishing
ISBN: 9781936305629
BUY A COPY HERE:
FIND AUTHOR HERE:
Sylvain Reynard of Goodreads : Twitter : Facebook : Fan Page(Facebook) : Website
My Thoughts:
Let me start by saying when KLB asked me to read this book and be apart of the tour I was extremely excited. I have only heard great things about Gabriel’s Inferno. So when I got started reading I was hoping that the book was going to be as great as everyone said. And I am glad to say that it was and more.
Gabriel’s Inferno was FABULOUS!!!!!! Sylvain Reynard is a great author. Sylvain took me on an emotional roller coaster in this book. There where times I was so pissed at the characters I wanted to throw my kindle. Then they would do something to redeem them self and I was good again. Sylvain even had me crying. Gabriel’s Inferno may be a long book (514 pages) be even at the end I wanted more. I so can’t wait to see what happens next. I would highly recommend this book to anyone who loves a great romance.
GIVEAWAY!
I have 1 e-book copy of Gabriel’s Inferno to giveaway! All you have to do is follow KLB’s blog located here and you’ll be entered into the giveaway. Please leave your email in a comment as well as format of the book you would like. Giveaway ends on 9/27/11 at 12 PM EST and winner will be chosen using random.org. Good luck!
Check out KLB’s schedule located below for you chance at more chances to win!
Author Twitter Chat : Hashtag: #GabrielsInferno
Interview & Giveaway with Liz Crowe
Books-n-Kisses is pleased to Welcome Liz Crowe to the blog today. We will be talking about Liz’s new upcoming book The Tap Room.
The Tap Room by Liz Crowe
Erin Brady’s life has turned inside out.
Her Alpha banker husband, Bradley, has left, claiming she pays more attention to her microbrewery than to him and their two sons.
One business partner, Trent, (The Rookie) is attempting to re-kindle an old flame between them.
Their amazing success has demanded they hire a new brewer, Jeff, (Jockey Box) who takes one look at his new boss and is determined to be something more than an employee.
The daily stresses of running a small business, plus the ongoing turmoil in her personal life are more than she can take. Escaping to Denver for an industry event, she meets Landon, a brewery rock star turned consultant who has been watching her company–and her– for a while.
When family trauma requires an early return to Michigan, Erin is faced with even harder realities plus a thoroughly contrite Bradley, wishing for a reunion. Then, the ultimate sign of success: a buy out offer is tendered from a much larger brewery, just as the owners of Winter Street Brewing are about to be honored by Inc. Magazine as Top Entrepreneurs.
Finally, Erin turns to her other partner, Owen, who has watched the woman he loves suffer long enough and is determined to step in and be the one.
WHO WILL SHE CHOOSE????
Guess what? YOU get to decide…..September 30, 2011 from Breathless Press.
Want to know the exciting part? You the readers will get to choose who Erin ends up with…. Yes you heard me right. You get to pick. What do you say we learn more about Liz and The Tap Room.
Hi Liz, Welcome to Books-n-Kisses. Thank you for taking time out of your busy schedule to sit down and talk with me.
Liz : Greetings all! Thanks for having me B-n-K. I’m delighted to be here (virtually). It’s a crazy month to be sure, but I’m so excited to have The Tap Room ready for release. It’s been a long time coming.
Q1) Tell us a little about yourself.
Liz: I own a small business by day (and most nights). The Wolverine State Brewing Company is a craft microbrewery, in a state that ranks fifth in the nation (behind California, Oregon, Washington and Colorado) in the number of licensed breweries and brew pubs. I am one of three owners and handle all aspects of sales, marketing, promotions and distributor relations.
My first three published short stories were pulled from this longer book (The Tap Room) and published by Breathless Press. The Rookie was pubbed last fall, XXXMas Ale last December and Jockey Box last spring.
I have 3 teenaged kids, one in college, one who plays Olympic Development level soccer, 2 standard poodles and a spouse who can’t decide if it’s cool to have a brewery owning erotic writer around or just annoying.
I’m a HUGE fan of football, both American and European so needless to say “fall” is my favorite season. From Nashville Tennessee originally I got an English degree at the University of Louisville and love BOTH of those amazing cities. I currently live in Ann Arbor. Go Blue.
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| www.breathlesspress.org/Book/ |
Q2) What would you say is your most interesting writing quirk?
Liz: Once a story is “head written,” usually on a day I’m in the car traipsing around SE Michigan in the name of beer sales, I MUST get in front of a computer and get it out. If it’s a short story, it will take me about 48 hours. A novel, of course takes longer. I don’t set daily word count goals. I can’t write every day unfortunately. But once I’m on a new project, you’re lucky if I realize you are even in my general vicinity. Just ask my family.
Q3) Who are some of your favorite writers? Who do you feel has influenced your writing?
Liz: I think Gone With The Wind, which I read at 13 years old is the seminal romance and I still can “hear” lines from it that stick in my head. I also adore Margaret Atwood, Stephen King and Anne Tyler for their amazing magic with prose. As for romance, I’m a huge huge huge fan of both Shayla Black and Lauren Dane. I’ve also recently come to enjoy Lee Brazil, Anne Mayburn, Desiree Holt, Em Petrova, Katalina Leon and Cindy Spencer Pape.
Q4) The Tap Room is your newest Release. Tell us a little about how you came up with the idea for this book.
Liz: This was literally a serialized project on my blog, brewingpassion.com. I would add to it as the mood struck me and time allowed over the course of about 18 months. As I said, I pulled 3 of what I thought were the hotter, stand alone chapters and submitted them. Breathless Press took a chance on me and then optioned the entire story. I’ve spent many many hours turning it into the “choose your romance” format. It’s been an amazing exercise of the writing and revision and editing muscle I can assure you.
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| www.breathlesspress.org/Book/ |
Q5) How does it work asking the readers choose who she ends up with?
Liz: Readers will follow Erin’s story from one year after she’s split with her husband. She is six years into a successful run as part owner of a microbrewery. One business partner, Trent, and she have a history dating back to high school. They lost touch, then when he asked her to join the company as marketing director, she jumped at it. The other partner, Owen, has developed a very serious crush on her, but doesn’t want to push her. They’ve all experienced the difficult break up of hers (and Trent’s) marriages over the time they put into their brewery.
The story unfolds over the course of the following six months. Readers will be introduced to Owen, Jeff (the hot, young, new brewer they’ve hired who also is smitten with his boss) and Landon (the rock star brewery consultant who has befriended her on line and later on a more, um, direct contact basis).
At a crucial point in the story after all men are introduced, Erin must make a choice. That’s where the reader will choose a path: 1, 2, or 3 and finish the last ¼ of the book to the end with that man. I have made each man pretty distinctive in traits, desires, and personality. It’s a tough choice and NO she can’t have all 3—it’s not that sort of book, sorry! But I believe readers will identify with one or the other man and want to see her with him. There will be an option (I’m told) to go back and read the others of course…
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| www.breathlesspress.org/Book/ |
Q6) Do have a favorite you want Erin to end up with?
Liz: yes. Ask me after it’s released and I’ll tell you who.
Q7) What is up next for you?
Q7) What is up next for you?
Liz: In addition to this novel, I have another novel coming out from Rebel Ink Press, Vegas Miracle—a really romantic m/f/m (Oct. 17) plus a short cougar story in their Claw Marks Anthology on Oct. 1. There will also be 4 novellas with Decadent Publishing, three of them as a trilogy as part of their 1NightStand series. Those will all release in Nov/Dec.
Q8) Is there anything else you would like to add?
Drink craft beer. Anything else and the terrorists win. Seriously, if you are a fan of craft beer I also blog at www.a2beerwench.com which has gotten me national notice. My website is www.lizcrowe.com. And I’m on the Breathless Blog every Friday usually using the Eff word a lot about various topics in writing and life. www.breathlessblog.com.
And while this is not an entirely autobiographical story, it does pull from many personal and unique experiences I have had working in the man’s world of beer.
Books-n-Kisses: Liz, Thank you so very much for stopping by and talking with us. I enjoyed learning more about you and your books. I look forward to reading The Tap Room and finding out who Erin will end up with.
Liz: Don’t forget—you get to choose her man. I’m sure your choice will be a good one!
I’m happy to be here. The short stories already published with Breathless are all available on their site www.breathlesspress.org, on Good reads, Amazon and ARe. Just search by name: Liz Crowe.
Get a head start on The Tap Room Brewing Passion Series with The Rookie, Jockey Box, XXXMas Ale
Get a head start on The Tap Room Brewing Passion Series with The Rookie, Jockey Box, XXXMas Ale
Liz’s buy links for:
The Rookie: www.breathlesspress.org/Book/
Jockey Box: www.breathlesspress.org/Book/
XXXMas Ale: www.breathlesspress.org/Book/
Pre-Order The Tap Room: http://www.allromanceebooks.
Pre-Order The Tap Room: http://www.allromanceebooks.
GIVEAWAY TIME
Breathless Press is offering an e-copy of The Rookie book on in the Brewing Passion Series
If you would like a chance to win
Please leave a comment/question for Liz
Please leave your EMAIL (NO EMAIL, NO ENTRY)
Be a follower of my blog is good too
Extra Points for
+1 sharing this post on Facebook, Twitter or your blog
+1 Friend Liz on Facebook
+1 Like Books-n-Kisses Facebook page
Extra Points for
+1 sharing this post on Facebook, Twitter or your blog
+1 Friend Liz on Facebook
+1 Like Books-n-Kisses Facebook page
Giveaway ends Sept 24th.
Winner announced Sept 26th
Winners
Sorry I am late… Crazy weekend..
here are the winners from last week.
The winner of Ava Riley’s two e-books
A Lifetime to find love
&
Sacred Surrender
is Natasha House
Tasha please verify your email
The Winner of the Teresa D’Amario’s winners choice of an e-copy of SheWolf, Dark Succession or Blood Moon Betrayed is:
Na
Please verify your email address along with which book you would like to read
The Winner of Holden Granger’s e-book of Armature Night is
Books4me
please verify your email
Winner of Keri Ford’s e-book Satisfying Her Taste is
Amanda W
Please verify your email address
Please send all emails to books.n.kisses(at)gmail(dot)com
I will forward your information to the author/publisher and they will get your e-book
winners chosen by random.org
Interview & Giveaway with Kathleen Gallagher
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| Learn more about this tour click pix |
Hi Kathleen, Welcome Back to Books-n-Kisses. Last time you were here I let you take over the blog and talk about your book Echoes at Dawn’s play list. Shall we talk some more about you?
Kathleen: Hi Kelly, It’s great to be here. Thank you for inviting me back to Books-n-Kisses. I had an amazing time on my last visit. I’m happy to have the opportunity to chat a little more.
Q1) Tell us a little about yourself
Kathleen: Well, let’s see… I’m a woman who has many roles, as so many of us have today. First, I’m a wife, mother and grandmother of three boys. I’m also a registered nurse, who works in an emergency room. The rest of the time, I write romance and women’s fiction. We have two furry friends, a lovable dog Chaz and a feisty cat, named Cairo. They give us unconditional love, especially when we offer them extra treats.
Q2) Describe Echoes at Dawn in 140 characters or less.
Kathleen: Echoes at Dawn is my debut novel released by Decadent Publishing.
It is a story about a man and a woman who find each other in the midst of change and struggle to free themselves from their tumultuous pasts.
The strangely intertwined lives of a widowed woman, and a charismatic bachelor come together in order to show that in life, there are no coincidences…only destiny.
Waterfront restaurant chef Madeline Young adores her job. If only her love and family’s lives were as successful as her career. With a teenage son, who spends time in the emergency room for alcohol poisoning and a dementia-plagued mother, Madeline doesn’t know how much more she could handle. Then her mother enlists the help of her deceased twin sister, Mary, to guide Madeline to find happiness. An early dawn visit from the spirit directs Madeline to volunteer at the local hospitals center for addiction recovery, where she comes alive for the first time in many years under the attention of Nat Griffin.
Nathaniel Griffin, a part-time counselor and contractor, fascinates his clients with his lectures. In keeping with his philosophy of professionalism, Nat prefers to keep his personal life private. When attraction tests his beliefs, Nat must confront his marred past. Is he willing to face his demons or take the easier path and remain isolated?
Can unworldly ghosts save this couple from their own self-destructive behavior? Will they be able to accept change and move forward, or allow secrets to stand in the way?
Q3) How did you come up with the idea for this story?
Kathleen: Old black and white photos have always fascinated me. One day while rummaging through the basement, I came across a family portrait from the early 1900’s. I’m not sure what the occasion was, but the relatives gathered together adorned in their fancy outfits. The expressions on their faces lacked enthusiasm and were absent of smiles. The little girls in the front row even looked somber. No matter how I tried, I could not get the people in the snapshot out of my mind. Eventually, I found a vintage frame for it and displayed it in my house.
As time went on, I began to wonder more about the lives of the people in the picture. Were the little girls anxious to return home to play with their dolls? On the other hand, were they tired from doing their chores? Could they be anticipating a party afterwards? Were the husbands and wives arguing, or exchanging fond embraces earlier in the day? After staring at the girls wearing party dresses with high top shoes, my imagination took over. They became sisters with a special bond. Do sisters have a connection unlike other siblings? What would happen if one of them left this world early? I began to piece together what turned out to be the premise for my paranormal romance, Echoes at Dawn.
Q4) What did you find most challenging about writing this story?
Kathleen: I found the character of Nat Griffin quite a challenge. He’s a complex guy who has a rough exterior, yet a tender heart. To create a balance between the two was not easy. His strong independent nature did not want to follow the path I created for him. You’ll simply have to read Echoes at Dawn to find out more.
Q5) Have you always wanted to be an author?
Kathleen: Actually, I wanted to be an actress when I was younger. I would gather my group of girlfriends and arrange a show production in my back yard. When I got a little older, I turned to reading and wrote poetry and short stories. The dream of being on Broadway ended quickly, especially since I couldn’t sing. I suppose I’ve always been a writer at heart. I adore romance and all the challenges the characters face in an attempt to find love.
Q6) What do you do when you are not writing?
Kathleen: Besides spending time with my family, one of my favorite things to do is to relax on the beach with a good book. I could sit on the water’s edge with a romance novel for the entire day. Since I live in the state, I can visit the wonderful Jersey Shore often.
Q7) Favorite book and why?
Kathleen: My favorite book is The Notebook by Nicholas Sparks. He captivated me with his beautiful tale of endless love. When I read the tender story of Noah and Ali, the passion of a love that lasted a lifetime touched me deeply and inspired me to attempt to do the same for my readers.
Q8) Favorite inspirational quote and why?
Kathleen: The best and most beautiful things in the world cannot be seen or even touched – they must be felt with the heart.
Helen Keller
This is a simple statement, yet powerful and true!
Q9) What is your current work in progress?
Kathleen: Thanks for asking that question, Kelly. I’m working on a contemporary romance entitled, A Single Word. It’s a story about an aspiring anchorwoman, Savannah Mason, and the challenges she encounters while faced with the disapproval of her career by her affluent family.
Savannah dreams of being a headliner on the evening news, but her estranged father Dr. Stuart Mason will not accept it. He had big plans for his only child to take over his medical practice one day.
The last thing Savannah wants is to meet a doctor; however, an opportunity to advance her career and interview the bestselling author Dr. Rob Sinclair takes her on a journey to places in her heart that have been closed for years.
Rob Sinclair may be a top cardiac surgeon, with a new book about to be released, but his doubts as a parent escalate after his wife abandons her family for a hippy musician she dated in high school.
Will Savannah be able to offer her heart, as she battles the recurrent nightmare of a life changing decision she made in college? How does a man who has always placed his work above his personal life, learn to love again, and will he ever be able to trust a woman?
Q10) Anything else you would like to share with us?
Kathleen: Echoes at Dawn was released as an e-book in March 2011 and the paperback copy of Echoes at Dawn was released on August 28. It has been so exciting and I look forward to hearing what people think of my story. It is available HERE
I enjoy making new friends.
Blog: http://kathleensplacetoreflect.blogspot.com/?zx=254bc48f9a5c4876
Website: http://kathleenanngallagher.net/Home.html
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100000735541011
Twitter: https://twitter.com/#!/Kathleenwrites
Kelly: Kathleen, Thank you so much for taking time out of your busy schedule to sit down with me and share your story. I look forward to reading more of your books in the future.
Your welcome and it’s always a pleasure to visit Books-n-Kisses.
Giveaway Time
Kathleen has been very generous and is offering one follower a paper copy of her new book Echoes at Dawn
if you would like to enter please leave a comment of question for Kathleen
PLEASE leave your EMAIL address
Extra Points:
+1 Share this giveaway on Facebook or Twitter
+1 Like Kathleen’s FB page
Giveaway ends Sept 26th
Winner announced Sept 28th
Giveaway ends Sept 26th
Winner announced Sept 28th
AUTUMN HARVEST: FALL BETWEEN THE PAGES BLOG HOP TOUR (Sept 19-26)
Fall… My love hate relationship with fall…
Fall means the end of Summer which to me is the end of boating season
and camping
while the end of summer makes me sad Fall brings
FOOTBALL
the change of the leaves
taking that road untraveled
getting a good book and a hot cup of joe
and enjoying the crisp cool weather.
Giveaway time
Got some fun stuff to giveaway.
Cari Quinn has offered one winner any two of her e-book. If you don’t know Cari, she is fun, witty and very sweet. To check out Cari swing by her website HERE
The Super Sweet Larissa Ione has offered up a Swag package to one lucky person (photo is not a guarantee of what will be be in swag pack)
and I have a set of signed Laurie London Sweetblood books
To Enter:
Please leave me a comment..
Tell me what you love or hate about fall.
Please leave email address
Be a follower of my blog.
Extra point if you share this giveaway on Facebook, Twitter or your own blog, but please leave link.
Want more chances to win?
Check out the other 53 blog hosting contests
Giveaway will end on Sept 26th
Winner will be announced on Sept 28th
Pamela Palmer’s Feral Warrior Series
Desire Untamed
Book 1 in the Feral Warriors Series
Kara MacAllister’s quiet small-town life is transformed forever the night a powerful stranger rips her from her home, claiming she is the chosen one – the key to his survival. Spiriting her away into the rain-soaked night, Lyon reveals a truth Kara can barely credit. She’s immortal, and the only one who can save his race. And deep within her, he arouses a fierce, primal hunger beyond anything she’s ever imagined. But only when their lives are threatened by an ancient evil will Kara and Lyon realize they have found a love they would risk their immortal souls to claim…and a powerful desire that could never, ever be tamed.
Obsession Untamed
Book 2 in the Feral Warrior Series
Every time she closes her eyes, Delaney Randall suffers another nightmare. A brutal serial killer has found his way inside the tough, take-no-prisoners FBI agent’s head. Now she lives the murders through his eyes, from his deadly approach, to his victims’ screams. Until the night he breaks into her apartment and she fears she’s going to be the next to die. But the man who snatches Delaney from her home isn’t the murderer. He’s Tighe, a dangerous Feral Warrior who needs her and her visions to stop the rampages of a creature as inhuman as he is evil. Tighe has little use for humans, but as he and Delaney join forces to track the dark fiend, he falls for the intense beauty and becomes wild with an obsession as untamed as his heart.
Book 3 of the Feral Warriors Series
Though the Mage witch Skye has a gentle heart, demonic forces have enslaved her, forcing her to kidnap Paenther, a powerful and dangerous Feral Warrior. Even chained and naked, Paenther is a cunning prisoner who seduces her, body and soul, turning captive into captor. Paenther’s pride demands revenge against the enchantress who emerged from the deep woods like a sensual vision and enthralled him, even as she makes his body burn with passion. Despite his fury over her treachery, Skye’s gentle beauty calls to his soul, calming the wild chaos within him, and stealing his heart. But when evil threatens, Paenther and Skye’s only chance at survival is to trust in one another…and the power of love.
Book 4 in the Feral Warriors Series
The most combative – and tormented – of all the Ferals, Jag is a predator who hunts alone – until daemons terrorize the human population. To stop them, he partners with Olivia, a flame-haired Therian temptress as strong as she is beautiful. But Olivia is no ordinary immortal. The survivor of a vicious supernatural attack, she possesses a deadly and forbidden skill – one that must remain hidden, especially from the powerful Feral Warriors.
As Jag and Olivia’s sensual dance of dominance and seduction gets wilder and hotter, a dark force sets its sights on Olivia, threatening to destroy everything she has vowed to protect. And the only one who can save her soul is the arrogant jaguar shifter she lusts for but dares not love.
Book 5 in the Feral Warrior Series
For a thousand years she has haunted him—Ariana, queen of the Ilinas, a beauty of mist and light. His love, his life mate… Kougar believed her lost to him forever until the truth of her stunning betrayal left him bitter and hungry for revenge. Now she alone holds the power to save two trapped and desperate Feral Warriors.
Ariana, caught in a deadly battle of her own, is neither the soulless creature Kougar believes her to be, nor the savior he seeks. And when darkness threatens to annihilate both races, the greatest danger of all becomes the glorious love Kougar and Ariana once shared. A love that must never rise again. A love that has never died.
Ecstasy Untamed
Book 6 in the Feral Warrior Series
(release date Oct 25)
Shattered by recent nightmarish events, Hawke feels his bond with his animal spirit weakening—and once it breaks, he’s finished. The arrival of Faith sends his life spinning even further out of control, for although she delights him and enflames his deepest primal passions, she’s promised to Maxim, the newest Feral Warrior.
Faith is drawn to Hawke from the start, but Maxim holds her in his thrall and has secretly bent her to his malevolent will. Though gravely damaged, Hawke is the only one who can end Faith’s slavery and protect the Feral Warriors from Maxim’s evil designs. But first they both must embrace the wild…and surrender body and soul to a forbidden, all-consuming ecstasy.
#7 & #8 still to come…. ☺
Interview & Giveaway with Leslie Dicken
Books-n-Kisses is pleased to have Leslie Dicken to the blog today.
Welcome Leslie, I am so excited to finally have you here.
Leslie: Hi, Kelly. Thanks so much for having me. I really appreciate your interest in my books! 🙂
Q1) Leslie, Can you tell us a little about you?
Leslie: I’m a mother of three and work full time. I also enjoy making jewelry when I can manage to find time!
Q2) How did you get into writing?
Leslie: Like many authors, I read a lot as a child and a teen and decided one day (while still in high school) that I wanted to write my own book. And so I did – a whole book, long hand. I’m sure it’s dreadful but I’m still proud of it.
Also, there are other authors in my family, so I believe that like “athleticism,” the desire to write can be inherited.
Q3) What do you find the most rewarding part of being an author?
Leslie: When a reader tells you how much they enjoyed your story. NOTHING tops that! I wish more readers would feel comfortable sending an email or somehow letting me know their thoughts.
Let’s talk about your books
Q4) Tell us where you came up with the idea for Taboo?
Leslie: Believe it or not, the core of TABOO started with a dream. I dreamt of a large building, which was impassible in the central floors. So there were people who lived on land and the sea and others who were stranded at the top. From there, I developed a background, plot and characters. The theme is like Romeo & Juliet, with lovers from opposite cultures.
Q5) Will we see more of these characters?
Leslie: Honestly, I had intended to write more of this world, but life and job and kids took over and by the time I could get back to it, my muse had switched to a different story idea. One day when I have more time…
Q6) The Price of Discovery, is a little more sci-fi-ish (is that a word). Tell us about this book.
Leslie: This book also started out from a dream. A pretty Victorian house in the middle of no where, but it had no bathroom! LOL! My mind couldn’t stop thinking about it, so I created a reason for this house and developed my humanoid aliens. The hero, Drakor, does not like Earth but is responsible for his family and a disease that is ravaging the people on his planet. My heroine is a reporter, just the right character to expose these aliens.
Q7) A Tarnished Heart. This is a great story of an accidently in love. Can you tell us a little about this story?
Leslie: This story idea came from the first RWA conference I attended in 2000. Jo Beverly said in a workshop that a bastard son could not inherit a title from his father. What a conflict! So my hero in this story thought he was the true earl until his father’s death, when he learns that the local vicar changed the birth records to conceal his bastard birth. This vicar has a daughter he wants to marry off to the aristocracy and so he blackmails the hero to court the heroine and have her fall in love with him. But nothing is ever that easy!
Q8) Beauty Tempts the Beast. I have not read this one yet but it is on my kindle to read. Tell us a little more about this story.
Leslie: This story finalled in RWA’s Golden Heart contest as MARK OF THE MONSTER. It was a blast to write. I have always had a mad love for Gothics and finally had the perfect plot to write one. My scarred (literally and figuratively) hero keeps himself isolated in his manor with only a handful of servants, his son and his son’s tutor. But then the heroine arrives and she refuses to believe in monsters or the rumors. Her presence changes all of their lives in ways none ever expected.
Q9) Do you have a favorite book that you have written? If so which one and why.
Leslie: Gosh, that’s like saying which of my kids I like best! LOL! I think BEAUTY might edge out the others because it seems to be the most popular one.
Q10) What is the one piece of advice you would give to anyone just starting out as a writer?
Leslie: It sounds cheesy, but it’s really the basics: believe in yourself, keep writing, learn all you can, and never stop reading
Q11) What is a typical writing day like for you?
Leslie: Unfortunately, I don’t often have “typical writing” days anymore. Now that my kids are older, they stay up later and need more help with homework, etc. My goal is grab moments when I can throughout the day: on breaks at work, when kids are watching TV, after they go to bed. Eventually, the pages pile up and a book is written.
Q12) What is the one book you think everyone should read?
Leslie: I’m assuming you mean a book that is not my own? If so, I’m a HUGE Harry Potter fan. It may not be everyone’s cup of tea, but as an author, I am beyond impressed by the world JK Rowling created. She has probably a hundred characters to keep straight, plus charms, spells, creatures, and more. And in all that she’s created character arcs and conflicts and resolutions. I’m completely amazed by the scope of it all.
Q13) can you tell us what your Current Work in Progress is?
Leslie: I’ve just started a new Gothic, A TOUCH OF MADNESS. My heroine has spent time in an asylum and still questions her sanity. The hero is a doctor who has come to care for her schizophrenic father. Of course, they both have many, many secrets to hide. 😉
Q14) I always like to ask what are you currently reading or what new release are you most excited for?
Leslie: I’ve just picked up my friend, Terri Garey’s DEVIL WITHOUT A CAUSE. I can’t wait to start it!
Q15) Anything else you would like to add?
Leslie: I have a new release, THE IRON HEART, coming out Valentines Day, 2012. It’s my first foray into Steampunk and includes murder, deception and automatons. 🙂
Books-n-Kisses: Leslie, Thank you so very, very much for sitting down and talking with me a for a little while. I look forward to reading more of your work.
Leslie: Thanks again for having me. These were great questions. I’m happy to come by anytime.
GIVEAWAY TIME..
Leslie is going to giveaway one e-book of the winners choice.
If you would like to have a chance to win:
Please leave a comment or questions for Leslie
Please leave your email
Giveaway will end Sept 21st.
Winner announced Sept 23rd
Want to learn more about Leslie?
Check her out here:
Website http://lesliedicken.com/
"Awaken Your Inner Witch Costume Contest" Hosted by Regan Hastings
Halloween is right around the corner – and what a fun way to live out our fantasies for a night! To help you celebrate, Regan is holding the “Awaken Your Inner Witch Costume Contest” for the Best and Most Pathetic Halloween Costumes. Email your picture with “Best Costume” or “Pathetic Costume” in the subject line to guesswho(at)reganhastings(dot)com before September 30. The picture must be of you, but it can be of you at any age.
On September 30, Regan will post the pictures in two separate albums at www.facebook.com/reganhastings for everyone to enjoy. Be sure to tell your friends to come click like! The winner in each category will receive a copy of VISIONS OF MAGIC, Book 1 of The Awakening, and delicious brownies from Fat Witch Bakery in New York.
(The contest is open to international fans, who, if they win, will receive a $25 e gift card to Amazon.com in place of the other prizes.)
The witches are Awakening…
Order links:
Interview & Giveaway with Jaye Raymee
Hi Jaye, Welcome to Books-n-Kisses. Thank you for taking time to sit down and talk with me about your new story Get Away Weekend
Jaye: It’s a pleasure to be here! I really like your site and I’m happy to share my love of books and writing with you and your visitors.
Q1) Tell us a little about yourself.
Jaye: I’m a bit of a world traveller, and have just recently settled back in the US after living in Dublin, Ireland. I’m a regular at coffee shops and cafes in the small town I live in near the California coast, and your readers in that area have probably crossed paths with me and never realized it. I’m the one sitting in the corner scribbling away in my notebook, as I imagine all the things that brought the people I can see to that particular point in their day.
Q2) Describe Get Away Weekend in 140 characters or less.
Jaye: Cara invites herself on a trip with the older Jack, who tries to keep his feelings at arm’s length. She has three steamy nights to convince him that love has no age limit.
Q3) How did you come up with the idea for this story?
Jaye: I was asking a young woman to tell me about some of the music and trends that were popular with her peers, and her response was “I have no idea what my ‘peers’ listen to. I don’t really connect with anybody my own age, all my older friends are much, much more interesting.”
So I started wondering what kind of man she would find attractive, and what would happen.
Q4) What did you find most challenging about writing this story?
Jaye: Jack and Cara take a path together that is both physical and emotional. It was tricky to make sure that the reader got to experience both aspects of that journey, and not get lost in either the intense heat of the love scenes or the more internal emotional voyage.
Q5) Have you always wanted to be an author?
Jaye: I absolutely have. I recently uncovered some school essays from my early teens where I talk about wanting to be a writer, and the first time I filled a notebook with a story was in 5th grade. It was about a knight, a lion, and a damsel in distress.
Q6) What do you like to do when you are not writing?
Jaye: I do a lot of hiking, I love wine tasting, and I drink a lot of coffee. I’m fortunate to have a job I love that pays the bills and I can follow my writing passion wherever it takes me, whether or not a story is “marketable”.
I also try to challenge myself to learn new things and stretch my personal experiences. I recently completed a sprint-distance triathlon. My goal was not to win, it was to finish without drowning.
Q7) Favorite book and why?
Jaye: It depends on my mood, but my two top books are Paolo Coelho’s The Alchemist, and Lynn Eisenberg’s My Life, Uncovered.
The Alchemist is such a beautiful fable of self-discovery, listening to the universe, and being true to one’s nature that I re-read it at least once a year and always find something new in it. I always buy it for friends who are starting to question their lives and their choices.
My Life, Uncovered was the book that reminded me that I needed to write what I was inspired to write, even if that was something that somebody else might think was too explicit or not “the right kind” of writing. It taught me that there is one, fundamental thing to being a writer. Just. Write.
Q8) Favorite inspirational quote and why?
Jaye: “Better to write for yourself and have no public than to write for the public and have no self” (Cyril Connolly).
The quote keeps me honest. When I write something and I start thinking “Gosh, what if nobody likes it?” I remember that what’s important is that I like it, and then I’m happy even if the story never gets read.
The secret, of course, is that the more the writer loves what they have written, the greater the odds are that readers will love it, too.
Q9) What is your current work in progress?
Jaye: I’m working on an urban paranormal romance about the Dubh Sidhe, or the Fey Folk of Dublin. A prince is about to lose his throne to his evil brother, and only the action of one human woman can save it and the power of his clan. If she chooses to.
Q10) Anything else you would like to share with us?
Jaye: I love reader feedback, and I welcome everybody to follow me on Twitter @JayErotica and get some free peeks at my writing on Jaye’s Erotic Notebook www.jayeraymee.blogspot.com.
Books-n-Kisses: Jaye, Thank you so much for taking time out of your busy schedule to sit down with me and share your story. I look forward to reading more of your books in the future.
Giveaway Time:
Breathless Press is offering an e-copy of Get Away Weekend.
To enter:
Please leave a comment
Please leave your email
Giveaway will end on Sept 19th
Winner will be announced Sept 21st