Jack Canon’s Women of the House by @GregSandora #AmReading #Thriller

“You’d be like the Pied Piper of sex appeal.” He answered, his eyes glued to Sandy’s milky white thighs.

“Thanks, Tip, I guess that’s a compliment –right?”

Tip was looking like he wanted to ask her a question.

“Tip, is there something on your mind,” Sandy asked, being nice.

“I wanted to ask you…I mean see if you would tell me, why I have so much trouble…”

“With women?” Finishing his question, stating the obvious.

“This should be good,” I said, handing Sandy my card, “Get something nice for you, too.”

“Tip, you watching? – Jack knows how to treat a woman. It’s a wonder you haven’t picked up anything—being around him all this time.”

“I just thought he had some sort of special charisma or something I don’t.” Tip answered.

“Well you’re right about the charisma, but really there’s something else – and I think it would help, but you’ve got to be honest.”

“What,” Tip asked anxiously—genuinely wanting pointers.

“The first time I met Jack, he didn’t mention he was a Senator. I walked into an old mattress store – not knowing what I was going to find—Jack looked into my eyes… like an equal. Sure, since then he’s put me on a pedestal, but let me ask you, Tip. What’s the first thing you see when you look at a woman? Be brutally honest – just this once, I won’t mind. ”

“I don’t know – it’s different every time, I usually focus on something that catches my eye—like boobs, hair, legs –Tip explained like he’d be getting extra credit for being thorough.

Sandy shook her head, “It’s worse than I thought. You know what I felt the first time Jack looked at me?”

“What?” Tip asked, curious.

“Like… he saw me – as a person – a whole person, not just an object.”

“Tip, when I look at a woman as parts it’s intimidating for me, too.” I said, trying to make him feel better.

Sandy crossed her leg and starting rolling her ankle, “Tip, what do you see when you look at me?”

“You want me to be honest?”

“Of course—I can’t help you if you’re not.”

“Well today I noticed your hips, but I always love your soft doe face.”

Sandy looked puzzled, “Soft doe face? What is that?”

“He means you have a very feminine pretty face – there’s no hardness in it.”

Tip added, “The women I see usually have rougher facial features.”

“Where are you meeting these girls, Tip?”

“Strip clubs mostly.”

“That’s nasty Tip! Ewe!”

“Beautiful woman are intimidating – at the clubs the girls are really friendly, easy going.”

“They’re friendly because it’s their job – they’re easy because you’re paying them—would you want to marry a girl from one of your clubs?”

“No, but I feel comfortable. I know it’s a job.”

“Gross, Tip, that’s so sad.”

“A lot of agents have trouble meeting women.”

“You need some serious help!” Sandy sounded like a concerned sister.

I coaxed, “He needs a good woman, – do you think you could introduce him to one of your girlfriends?”

“I’d really appreciate any advice you could give me, Sandy.” Tip was sincere.

“Tip’s not ready for one of my friends – seriously the girls I know are very needy emotionally – he’d be lost.”

Trying to help persuade her, “So, you’re basically resigning him to a life of strip clubs and hookers?”
Sandy looked at me wide-eyed, raising her eyebrows, “Crude, Jack, you’re enjoying this aren’t you.” She turned to Tip, “You’re a good man, – you deserve to be happy. Tell me Tip, what do you think women want?”

“I don’t really know – I guess – to be made happy?”

“So how would you do it then – make a girl happy that is?”

“Agree with her, make her feel important, give her things I guess.”

“That’s a start, but a woman needs so much more. She wants someone who can share in her emotions without being swallowed up by them. A man who will take his time with her and make time for her—She doesn’t want to be rushed, but still likes spontaneity and excitement. She wants to feel like your equal and be respected for what she brings to the relationship. And, I’m just scratching the surface here.”

“Men…do all this?”

“Some do—Jack does this stuff—he’s kind… caring—he listens. Jack enjoys what women are all about—He looks with great passion. Tip,—she wants to know that you’re desirable to other women and she didn’t just get stuck with you.”

“What about…?” Tip stopped himself, embarrassed.

“The bedroom…She’ll forgive you. Don’t worry she’ll follow your lead. Just don’t make her feel bad by talking about it later. That’s the one place you can sort of be yourself…I can’t believe I’m saying this—the poor thing …take it slow.”

“Are there classes?”

“A good woman will teach you.”

“Did Jack know all this?”

“Are you kidding? All he had was a smile when I met him – and a wandering eye. It’s taken me years of subtle clues and hints to train him.”

“Some not so subtle,” I said, poking fun.

“She wants a friend – but not a guy that makes her feel responsible to make the first move or like she’s a locker room pal.”

Tip looked puzzled, “I’m lost.”

“Jack, just for fun – tell Tip what you’re really thinking… right now.”

“You’re serious –now? No holds barred – what I’m really thinking?”

“Yes, something you’d normally never share with me.”

Tip chuckled, “This oughta be good.”

“Before you do… let me guess.” Sandy squinted and looked up to the left then to the right –

“Something about my panties?”

“Close—what was left of those cutoffs you were wearing that day by the lake.”

“I was really close then. Tip, what did you think Jack was thinking?”

“I would have said World peace – you know to make you happy.”

“Coward- okay tell the truth what are you thinking right now?”

“The truth… really? – what it would be like – you know…if you were my girlfriend.” Sandy rolled her eyes, pursing her lips.

“Not going to happen- but I’ll help. We just have to start really slow.”

“Jack gets to say what’s on his mind and you’re okay with it?”

“There’s a lot of trust built up that you and I don’t share. Stop whining – that’s a deal killer for sure.”

“You asked though. I thought you wanted honesty?”

“Sometimes…oh forget it…”

Tip cut her off, “Am I a lost cause then?”

“No, I didn’t say…don’t feel like that – we’ve got something to work with. You’re good looking – dangerous – you might be a girl’s worst mistake, at least for the first few, but you’ll learn as you go.”

“So will you set me up with one of your friends? One who looks most like you—preferably?”

“Sweet, Tip…, but wrong. Not when you don’t understand the first thing about a woman. They’d thank me at first, but you wouldn’t last two weeks with one of my friends – try to imagine flying too close to a super nova. They’d burn you up and drag you into an emotional black hole. You’d never escape!”

“I can keep a woman safe, at least.”

“Of course you can. A woman wants to feel safe, understood, but she also wants a man that isn’t afraid of her -someone who can be honest. Tell her the truth once in a while. Then grab her and make love without asking. A woman wants to live the full range—she wants you to be able to feel her emotions with her – from misery to elation. Can you do that?”

“I can try.”

“That-a-boy, let’s go out sometime and find you someone suitable. A starter girlfriend.”

“That will be great, are you free tonight?”

“Tonight? I guess so – you don’t need for anything, do you, Jack?”

“No I’m good – take him out – it’s on me.” I was happy to make the offer. Sandy would have a project and I wouldn’t feel guilty about leaving her behind.

“We’ll find you a girl with a doe face. You’ll have to show me – but once I know – I’m sure we can find you one. If that’s what you want.”

“Really? This will be great. Sandy, I’ll owe you!”

“You’ll owe me big time!”

Womenofthehouse

Two months have passed since the long awaited inauguration of the New President of the United States – Jack Canon. Now he must live up to his promises. The World is wounded, people are hurting, the new President must keep the country afloat. Jack leads a very full life – The first couple’s relationship is hot with passion, but he can never admit that to Sandy, his best friend who is also head over heels in love with him. The Women of the House provide a welcome distraction while helping with the arduous task of running the country.

As President Jack must make tough decisions: Global Terrorism, Human Trafficking, Korea on the brink of war, all while thwarting International Greed. Women of the House is a story of noble sacrifice at extremely high cost. Who’s going to be the first to be strong enough and willing to pay? It’s not all work in Women of the House – Think the Wedding of the Decade meets the Crime of the Century.

Jack Canon’s Women of the House, is a story filled with Love, Lust, and Loyalty where passions can run wild! In Sandora’s monumental sequel, patriotism and valor mingle with an undying love that refuses to quit. Ride along as Jack Canon fights back against the most evil people on the planet. Readers are sure to embrace this unforgettable tale which will appeal to fans of political adventure, suspense and romance alike. Jack Canon’s Women of the House is a story of kindness, passion and courage that can’t be separated.

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Genre – Romantic Thriller

Rating – PG-13

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Treat Rejection Like A Badge of Honour, Says @MccauleyJay #Crime #Thriller

How to Avoid the Rejection Blues

Being a writer, makes one constantly aware of how little people care when reading your book if it is not their cup of tea. Rejection is part and parcel of life. You cannot avoid it. People and their reading ability, their enjoyment of the subject matter, their engagement with your work, is all very subjective. You cannot control people’s feelings. You cannot control their perceptions. Rejection forms a major part of their reaction. How you handle that is how you handle life itself. If you can’t handle rejection then you are in the wrong game. Publishers habitually ignore, dismiss and reject on the basis of nothing more than a whim. Just ask JK Rowling. She needed to beg borrow and steal just to survive. No one wanted to know her. No one wanted to care. It was her own resilience and self-belief that got her through varying levels of rejection.

And it is not always the work that is the problem. It could be the circles you move in. It could be the subject matter is not fashionable. It could be that there is so much content out there that your voice will always struggle to be heard. If you honestly believe that your work is credible then you must believe in the process. Walls are hard to break down. Opinions are difficult to change. Eventually however one person, one voice, one idea will surface to support your work. There is no such thing as an overnight success. Despite what you read. Despite what you hear. There is no fast track to success. To celebrate an achievement, to reach a goal, to deliver on promises, you have to work at it. Nothing comes easy. If it does then you are not trying.

As a writer I can only suggest you soldier on. Never be afraid to learn and always give it your very best shot and then, if people still say no, at least you have tried. Luck is always a major part of the game but I believe you create the atmosphere for that love to manifest itself. If you work at it your ship will come but only if you work at it.

Rejection? Treat it like a badge of honour. It makes us who we are.

King of Sunday Morning

The King of Sunday Morning is a geezer. Not in the traditional sense of the word as in old man. This geezer is a face, a wannabe, a top notch bloke. He is the greatest DJ that never was. He should have been. Could have been. Would have been. Now becoming a has-been.

Tray McCarthy was born into privilege but with the genetic coding of London’s violent East End. Having broken the underworld’s sacred honour code, it is only his family’s gangland connections that save him. But in return for his life, he must deny that which he has ever known or ever will be and runs to Australia where he is forced to live an inconsequential life.

But trouble never strays far from Tray McCarthy and eventually his past and present collide to put everyone he has ever loved in danger. He must now make a stand and fight against those that are set to destroy him and play their game according to his rules.

Set against the subterfuge and violence of the international drugs trade, The King of Sunday Morning is the tale of what can go wrong when you make bad decisions. Tray McCarthy has made some of the worst. He must now save those he holds dear but in the process gets trapped deeper and deeper into a world where he doesn’t belong.

“I want three pump-action shotguns, about twelve sticks of dynamite and a blowtorch”

THIS BOOK CONTAINS EXPLICIT LANGUAGE, FREQUENT DRUG USE AND SEX SCENES – NOT RECOMMENDED FOR PEOPLE UNDER 18 YEARS OF AGE

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Genre – Thriller, Action, Suspense, Gangster, Crime, Music

Rating – PG-18

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10 Things You Didn’t Know About Sarah Krisch #Contemporary #Romance

  1. I am a mother of three boys.  They keep me very busy with their myriad of activities!
  2. My full-time job is a manager in a large corporation, where I am constantly challenged to be a better leader.  I am very fortunate to work with such a great team of people.
  3. My husband is a full-time writer, Glen Krisch.  He writes horror and supernatural thrillers, which is quite a departure from my light-hearted romance.
  4. We have a major case of role-reversal in my home.  My husband works from home full-time, while I work outside of the home.  I am very lucky to have his support in pursuit of my business career, as well as my fledgling writing career.
  5. I am a vegetarian, and have been for more than 20 years.  It’s definitely not for everyone.  One of our kids claims to be a vegetarian, aside from the occasional corn dog.  Another would chase a cow across a field with a knife and fork.
  6. My dream vacation always includes a quiet beach.
  7. I love to craft.  I enjoy sewing, knitting, and painting.  Our middle son tells me he is going to be an artist when he grows up, so now that I have a partner in crime, I can shamelessly spend money on fabric, paint and whatever else strikes our fancy.
  8. My favorite way to relax is with a cup of tea and my Kindle.
  9. My favorite memories always include my siblings.  We have such fun together.  In a few weeks, some of us are going on a research trip to a ghost town for Glen’s next horror novel.
  10. I enjoy the outdoors.  I love to hike in the local canyons, view the waterfalls, and spot the wildlife.

Julia

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Genre – Contemporary Romance

Rating – PG-13

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Author Interview – Laila Ibrahim

Image of Laila Ibrahim

Are you a city slicker or a country lover?

City slicker

How did you come up with the title?

I really wrestled with the title.  Then one day when I was re-reading it I realized how important the flower was to the story. It held so many layers of meaning in the story.  And I suddenly knew that was the title.  I love “The Color Purple” by Alice Walker.  It felt resonant and honoring to have a color in the title.

Why does the cover have a purple crocus?

In my mind I pictured something completely for the cover.  The designers at CreateSpace made two mock ups:  the one I suggested and the one that I chose to be the cover.  I immediately loved their idea.  The background is actually a Yellow Crocus.  It is obscure, yet obviously there when pointed out. That is a great metaphor for the novel.  The story of Mattie and Lisbeth was repeated over and over in plain site, yet it is obscured in history.

How do you feel about self-publishing?

I am very grateful for it.  Yellow Crocus would not be in the world without it.  Ironically when I first published I made the Kindle edition as an after thought.  But that has proved to be the best way to get Yellow Crocus into the world.

Do you know your neighbors?

We are very close to many of our neighbors.  We have weekly potlucks in the spring.  I noticed the other day that I have keys to about 6 houses for the folks around me.  I love being connected to the people around me.

Have you included a lot of your life experiences in the plot?

I think you can tell I am a birth doula when you read Yellow Crocus.  As I wrote the birth scenes I realized how rarely we read about child birth and breast feeding in novels, yet they are such an important part of life.  I wanted to capture the intensity of birth and the intimacy of breastfeeding.

When I imagined Lisbeth at different ages, I channelled different children in my life.

Yellow Crocus 

In 1837, Lisbeth Wainwright is born to the white mistress of a sprawling Virginia plantation. Seconds later, she is delivered into the arms of her black wet nurse, Mattie. For a field hand like Mattie, her transfer to the big house is supposed to be considered an honor—except that the move tears Mattie away from her beloved grandfather and her infant son, Samuel. But Mattie is a slave, with no say in the matter, and so she devotes herself to her master’s daughter, though she longs to be raising her own child. Growing up under Mattie’s tender care, little Lisbeth adopts the woman’s deep-seated faith in God, her love of music and black-eyed peas, and the tradition of hunting for yellow crocuses in the early days of spring.

As the years pass, Lisbeth is drawn slowly back into her white parents’ world and begins to learn the ins and outs of life for a high-born young lady. Still she retains her connection to Mattie, befriending Samuel and drifting comfortably between the two worlds. She accepts her parents’ assertion that their slaves depend upon them for guidance and protection, yet that notion becomes more and more difficult to believe as she gains awareness of the inequality of life in the big house versus the slave quarters. When, on the threshold of her society wedding to debonair Edward Cunningham, Lisbeth bears witness to a shockingly brutal act, the final vestiges of her naiveté crumble around her. Just twenty-one years old, she is forced to choose between what is socially acceptable and what is right, a decision that will change her life forever.

This compelling historical novel chronicles young Lisbeth Wainwright’s coming-of-age during one of the most difficult chapters of American history. Lisbeth’s powerful bond with Mattie makes her loss of innocence in the face of society’s ugly secrets all the more heartbreaking, and yet it is the courage she learns from her stand in mother that enables Lisbeth to blaze a new path for herself. Yellow Crocus offers moving proof of how the greatest social change often blooms forth from small personal acts of love.

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Genre – Historical Fiction

Rating – PG-13

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Things You Didn’t Know About #Author Ramz Artso @RamzArtso #SciFi

Things You Didn’t Know About Ramz Artso

I was raised in a small, fairytale-like village in the Swiss Alps, which is why I love camping and skiing, both mountain and cross-country. I’ve always wanted to try snowboarding, but somehow never got around to doing it. Snowblades look very promising, too. The sheer speed gets my blood moving. I love hot chocolate and sliced bread with Nutella scraped all over it for breakfast. Also, I cannot live without pain au chocolat, cup noodles, sushi and Chinese cuisine. I think Red Bull is the best drink on Earth, followed by Powerade.  Inferno chips – best snack known to humanity, and Haribo gummies, particularly the bears, Smurfs and frogs, are to die for. I used to work out and lift weights a lot, but I don’t anymore.

My favorite movies are Inception, all of the Jurassic Parks, Back to the Future films, 1998 Godzilla, Christopher Nolan’s Batman trilogy and many, many others. I think the best books I’ve read so far are the Harry Potter, Twilight, Millennium Trilogy and The Lord of the Rings books. I also really like reading classics, like Dostoyevsky, Bulgakov and Charles Dickens, as well as Jane Austen. I prefer dogs over cats, and want to get myself a Norfolk Terrier sometime in the future. If I could be anyone, I’d become a genius inventor and put together a flying broomstick, then fly around racing against sports cars. I imagine broomsticks aren’t exactly comfortable, but that doesn’t change the fact that they’re awesome.

I love all types of music, but Lana Del Rey, Pink and Mozart, as well as many other classical composers, have a special place in my heart.  Fall is probably the most beautiful time of year, what with all the multicolored leaves. I love writing most during autumn and winter, of course spring and summer are just as great. But the former two carry some sort of magic in the air that the other seasons lack.

I’ve watched a lot of series in my life. Family Guy, Southpark, Futurama, American Dad, The Simpsons, Friends, How I Met Your Mother and The Sopranos are by far the best ones I’ve seen so far. People often recommend Rome, so I think I’ll give it a try when my schedule allows it.

In my opinion, Batman and Ironman are the two best superheroes. My favorite villains are of course Bane and the Joker.

My favorite games of all time are all the Elder Scrolls, Sims and Uncharted.  I play my games on PS3, Nintendo Wii and on an Alienware laptop – if you can call it that, ‘cause it’s so huge, it’s crazy.

I really enjoy anything with vampires, werewolves, fairies, wizards, dragons, giants, elves, dwarves and trolls. Norse mythology is my most favorite. The reason being I like Thor and other creatures mentioned in their myths. I’m also very fond of the Viking attire.

Tigers and bears, as well as monkeys, wolves and lions, are the most interesting animals. I could watch their lives on TV for hours on end.

Ramz_cover_3_blueBG_1800x2560

Peter Simmons thinks he is an ordinary boy, before he is abducted by a man with certain special abilities, learns of his inescapable destiny, befriends immortals and becomes famous worldwide. Why? Because Peter Simmons is mankind’s last hope for survival.

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Genre – Young Adult, Action and Adventure, Coming of Age, Sci-fi

Rating – PG-13

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Website http://ramzartso.blogspot.com/

Author Interview – A.M. Griffin @AMGriffinbooks #LovingDangerously

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Are you reading any interesting books at the moment? I’ve got about 150 books in my TBR. They all sound interesting and I’m hoping to finally get through them all. I keep telling myself that I won’t buy another until I can get this list down, but I just picked up Breeder by Cara Bristol the other day. I think maybe I’ll remove the “Once Click” option on Amazon and see if that helps to curtail my buying spree.

What contributes to making a writer successful? Readers! A writer cannot be successful without a reader base. Keep in touch with readers, engage them. Readers will let you know if your characters are on point or if you’ve missed the mark. While we can’t make everyone happy, a collective reader base will help to guide a series.

Do you have any advice for writers? Never give up on their dreams. Writing is often solitary. I would suggest making writer friends. Friends will help you bounce ideas around and they can also help serve as emotional outlets or comic reliefs. With friends you’ll find that what you are going through, they probably are or have before.

What do you do to unwind and relax? I like to read for pleasure and watch mindless television. Since I’ve become a writer it’s been harder and harder to read for pleasure. Instead of reading I begin editing the book which makes it seem like work. If I can get past the first few chapters of a book I’m happy. That means I’m so engrossed in the story that I’m forgetting about “work”. There’s a few authors that I know can get me wrapped up in the story, Dean Koontz, Sherrilyn Kenyon, Joey W. Hill are just a few.

Do you have any upcoming appearances that you would like to share with us? In May I’ll be in New Orleans for RT. This is my first time at RT and I’m excited about it. I’m even hosting a party with some other author friends. I’m looking forward to meeting with readers and signing books.

What made you want to be a writer? My mother writes so it was something that I grew up seeing and being around. I remember growing up and she’d always be at her desk on her typewriter. I didn’t know then that’s what I wanted to do, but as the stories in my head began to take shape and my characters became louder and louder I knew what I had to do. Eva from Dangerously Mine (Loving Dangerously #1) was the first character that I wanted to complete. She’s so strong that it was no way that I couldn’t have ignored her any longer.

Dangerously Hers

Jess hates aliens. After the invasion that destroyed Earth, the extraterrestrial bastards sold her to a brothel as a sex slave. She may have escaped but the old memories and fears still linger in the dark corners of her mind. Supposedly Sonis is just the place for her—somewhere safe, where she can heal and start fresh. She’s almost hopeful…until she meets Rasha, her new boss.

Rasha, captain of the Sonis Royal Guard, is a warrior through and through. He’s huge, sinfully sexy and could have any woman on Sonis—but the woman he wants is Jess. He’s very much an alien and Jess knows she should hate him or at least be wary, but whenever he’s around, she loses control. She tells herself it’s only sex—amazing, mind-blowing sex like nothing else she’s ever experienced—but there’s something about Rasha that shakes her soul. The feel of his skin against hers, the look in his eyes as he touches her—they make her want to believe it’s possible to find love and begin again.

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Genre – Science fiction

Rating – R

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Author Interview–Derick Parsons @1_DerickParsons

Image of Derick Parsons

What’s your favorite meal?

Ham, cabbage and roast potatoes, cooked by my wife.

What color represents your personality the most?

Red.

What movie do you love to watch?

I’m not a big movie lover –books are infinitely better- but I loved As Good As It Gets, with Jack Nicholson.

How do you feel about social media websites such as Facebook and Twitter? Are they a good thing?

I have no interest in Facebook or Twitter. I don’t use them and I don’t see any point to them. I don’t feel the need to share my every thought and move and I have no interest in following the random burblings of other.

If you could do any job in the world what would you do?

I’m already doing it; writing is everything to me.

What are you most passionate about? What gets you fired up?

Almost everything, from racism to pollution to sport. Ask me a question and watch me rant!

What makes you angry?

Bad drivers and politicians.

What’s your most embarrassing moment of your life?

That’s way too private to ever share, but it happen in Egypt, on the Nile, and involved a chef with sketchy notions regarding hygiene.

Are you a city slicker or a country lover?

A bit of both; I like to have every convenience nearby but with plenty of fresh air and open spaces on my doorstep. Which, conveniently, I have.

How do you think people perceive writers?

As nutcases. Which is hard to argue with.

Hidden

Why has a beautiful young woman been committed to an insane asylum? What is the truth behind a shadowy past containing drug use, promiscuity and murder? What secrets does she hold that others will kill to keep HIDDEN? These are questions that psychologist Kate Bennett must answer if she is to save her patient’s sanity…and both their lives. But Kate has secrets of her own, and a dark past of her own that will come back to haunt her.

HIDDEN is a thriller, set in Dublin, but it is also a voyage of self-discovery for Kate, as she uncovers not just the truth about her patient but some truths about herself.

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Genre – Mystery, Thriller

Rating – PG-18

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Website http://www.derick-parsons.com/

The Island of Lote by Emily Kinney @theshadylady

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How do you think people perceive writers? I don’t think people perceive writers, and it annoys me. We really aren’t in the general consciousness of the populace. Unless you are a lit-head yourself, you aren’t going to care about or consider a writer. For the most part, we are a mysterious species, mostly referenced, but rarely discussed and seen even less. Which is so stupid. Writers, author, what have you, are awesome. We’re rock stars. It’s about time people started realizing it.

What’s the reason for your life? Have you figured out your reason for being here yet? Absolutely. I’ve known for a long time. I’m here to love and serve God with my whole being, and to bring glory to His name with everything I do. Beyond that, I want to become a Master Storyteller and join the ranks of the Greats. Plus, just be a kind and loving person; put some goodness in the world.

How important are friends in your life? Extremely important. I wouldn’t be who or where I am today without my friends. They don’t even realize how important they are to me. Even though I try to show how much I love them, I fear it doesn’t always translate clearly. And I want it to. I often worry about stuff like that.

What does love mean to you? Everything. ‘We are driven by love’, as it says in The Story-Artisan’s Creed. It drives everything I do.

What social issues interest you the most? I’m big on education and nutrition. I would love to help out with school reading programs. The education system in America is simply atrocious right now, and it makes me so angry.

Who do you admire? A lot of amazing people. Maya Angelou, my angel, Toni Morrison, Eminem, Catherine M. Valente, Doris Day. They’ve all impacted my life in one way or other.

What are you most proud of accomplishing so far in your life? Not giving up when I could have.

The Island of Lote

Milo Hestler is a lonely, unusual, fourteen-year-old girl. She is constantly moving from home to home with her oblivious parents. The only friend she has is her conscience, whom she has named Bob. Her only comforts are cooking and listening to hip-hop.

When her family moves yet again, Milo is bullied mercilessly by her classmates. Such treatment prompts her to travel to Australia for summer camp. During the plane ride, Milo awakens to find the plane deserted and about to crash.
After parachuting into the ocean, she discovers she is near an island. Milo passes out, and upon waking, learns she was rescued by a boy named Simon, who is cute, but can’t speak English. Not able to understand him, she accidentally says yes when he asks her to marry him.

He leads her to a small town on the island, where they locate someone who can translate for them. Milo is outraged to hear that she is engaged to Simon and wants to call it off, but learns that this island has rules that cannot be broken. She must go through with the marriage against her will.

After learning about the trick he played on her, Milo hates Simon, though it is obvious that sixteen-year-old Simon really likes her. What will happen next on The Island of Lote? From her earliest memories, Emily Kinney has wanted to be a writer. She lives in Maine. “This book is just the first of many to come, rest assured.” Publisher’s website: sbpra.com/EmilyKinney

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Genre – Young Adult Fiction

Rating – PG

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Quality Reads UK Book Club Disclosure: Author interview / guest post has been submitted by the author and previously used on other sites.

Why Did a Major NY Literary Agent Agree to Represent an Unknown Author? – Michael J. Webb @mjwebbbooks

Why Did a Major NY Literary Agent Agree to Represent an Unknown Author?

A couple of years ago, I was finishing up my fifth novel, wondering if I would ever make it as a full-time writer, when I received an invite to a writer’s conference being held in Denver, CO and decided to attend.

Don Maass was doing a pre-conference seminar: Writing the Break-Out Novel.  I had no idea who he was, but the day-long seminar sounded interesting, so I signed up, along with over 500 other writers.  I’d brought the novel I was working on, Infernal Gates, and made furious notes for eight hours.  Whew!  That was the BEST money I’d ever spent toward polishing my craft.

At the opening dinner, I sat two tables away from Don and other guest speakers, wondering how I could get a few minutes of his very valuable time. Amazingly, after dinner, as the room emptied out, Don was sitting alone at the table, having coffee.  I didn’t need a prompt to go over and introduce myself.

(During the break I’d checked him out on the Internet and discovered that he was a well-known NY Literary Agent who divided his time between representing authors like James Scott Bell, writing, and teaching his seminar, Writing the Break-Out Novel.  He’d just published a new book entitled The Fire in Fiction, which I immediately ordered online.)

Now I was telling him about my vision for writing and asking lots of questions.  Turns out, he was interested in my take on Fallen Angels, also known as Nephilim.  I was more than a little shocked at that!  I pitched my storyline to him, and he told me to send him the synopsis and first chapter when it was finished.  I got his card, gave him mine, and we parted company.

Over the next two days I’d scheduled appoints with a total of seven agents and publishers, all Christian focused.  I met each of them for fifteen minutes and did my best to get them “hooked.” I’d done my homework, called in a few favors from other writers who knew some of the agents and publishers personally, and expected that I would not leave the conference without at least a couple of them asking for more of my novel.

Out of seven, five seemed very interested.  I was more encouraged than I had been in over a decade.  I returned home, sent out the requested information–and waited.  Something I had grown accustomed to over my long years in the writing “desert.”€

Three months later, I’d added another five rejections to the dozens I’d accumulated over the years, well on my way to a Ph.D. in Rejection.

Then, I remembered what Don Maass had offered.  Without much hope of success, I sent off my synopsis and the first chapter of Infernal Gates . Don really liked the novel, and seven months later, exactly one year to the day after we’d met and talked at that dinner table in Denver, I signed a contract with him.

Infernal Gates

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Genre – Christian Thriller, Fantasy, Adventure

Rating – PG-13

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Connect with Michael J. Webb on Facebook & G+ & Twitter

Website http://www.michaeljwebbfiction.com/

GIVEAWAY

The author is giving away the following prizes — mailed directly to the winner’s email address from Amazon.com.

PRIZES:

5 Kindle copies of Infernal Gates http://amzn.to/18HrDjY

5 Kindle copies of The Oldest Enemy http://amzn.to/RWyv4c

5 Kindle copies of The Master’s Quilt http://amzn.to/Z2SJQS

Author Interview – Beca Lewis @becalewis

Image of Beca Lewis

How do you feel about social media websites such as Facebook and Twitter? Are they a good thing?

I think they are useful, and I am happy they exist. However, It’s a balancing act to find a way to be professional with them, and still build a community of people that care what you do.

If you could do any job in the world what would you do?

Happily, I would do exactly what I am doing now – writing, coaching, speaking.

What makes you angry?

Injustice!

Are you a city slicker or a country lover?

I am both. I have happily lived in downtown Los Angeles, and happily in the country. Home is definitely where the heart is, and not an environment. I do admit now though, that the country and quiet has seeped into my soul and it would take some adjustment to go back to the hustle bustle of a city.

Who designed the cover?

I design our covers, but with design help (and photos) from my daughter Laurie Lewis-Knoedler at hedgerowrose.com

Who is your publisher?

I had a “regular” publisher for my first book, but ended up forming my own publishing company (perceptionpublishing.com) and publishing myself.

Why did you choose to write this particular book?

Living In Grace: The Shift To Spiritual Perception is the book I had to write. I knew if nothing else happened in my life, if I wrote and published that book, I would have accomplished what needed to be done.

What was the hardest part about writing this book?

Getting it right was the hardest part.  I kept teaching The Shift® System to test out what I was writing about, and then putting the book in the order that worked the best in classes.  I wrote the book over at least 4 times, and over a 5 year period before I was satisfied with it.

Living In Grace

“A refreshing and powerful new look at the results of shifting perceptions to your true spiritual nature.” Alan Cohen, author of My Father’s View

A profound, thought provoking guide to shifting perceptions to reveal what is hidden in plain sight: heaven on earth.

If you are tired of fooling around with material-based thinking that only puts Band-Aids on problems, and if you are ready to choose spiritual perception and the spiritual solution, than Living In Grace: The Shift to Spiritual Perception is the answer.

In this book, I will guide you through powerful-proven-practical-perception-shifting exercises and personally teach you useful tools for shifting anytime, anywhere, and any situation.

You will find yourself restudying the book over and over again because each time your perception shifts you will experience greater insight into Reality.

Living In Grace, provides practical tools like The 7 Steps To Shift and an eight step-by-step system based on the word GRACIOUS, which makes the necessary process of perception-shifting easy to remember and simple to use.

Chapter by chapter, the reader is taken on an inner journey that encourages her to achieve her goals, and in so doing, lead a spiritual life.

This book will be a constant companion for every advanced or beginning student of spirituality. It provides answers about the nature of God, and his children, for every honest seeker of Truth simply and elegantly.

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Genre – Spirituality, Non-Fiction

Rating – G

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Website http://www.becalewis.com