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Friday, November 30, 2012

Poseidon and the Sea of Fury Book Blast


Poseidon and the Sea of Fury 
A young Poseidon must triumph over aquatic terrors in this Heroes in Training adventure. The merciless Cronus and his Titan buddies are in hot pursuit of Zeus, Hera, and Poseidon, who plan to travel across the treacherous boiling sea in order to save a fellow Olympian. They have a boat, but they also have a problem: Poseidon can’t swim and is terrified of the water (well, really of the creatures that lurk in its depths). The group faces danger after danger as they battle singing sirens, a fishy and ferocious Titan named Oceanus, and people-eating monsters sent by Cronus himself. Can Poseidon overcome his fears and help his fellow heroes escape Cronus and his cronies?





Purchase


Heroes in Training by Joan Holub & Suzanne Williams
Authors Joan Holub and Suzanne Williams deliver fun, adventures, and a few surprises as ten-year- old Olympians go on a journey of a lifetime to discover their true identities and defeat their Titan enemies.



Praise for Heroes in Training
"Readers will gobble this down and look for more, make no mythtake." ~ Kirkus
“This is a fun read, casting Zeus in the role of relatable kid, and there is a nice balance between his primary goal of survival and his sense of destiny and adventure. . . Share this title, and likely more to come, with those still too young for Percy Jackson’s adventures.” ~ School Library Journal


The Series
#1 Zeus and the Thunderbolt of Doom
#2 Poseidon and the Sea of Fury
#3 Hades and the Helm of Darkness
#4 Hyperion and the Great Balls of Fire

Aladdin Paperbacks (ages 6-9)
http://series.simonandschuster.com/ Heroes-in-training




Zeus and the Thunderbolt of Doom (Book 1)
After pulling a magical thunderbolt from a stone, ten-year-old Zeus goes on the adventure of a lifetime in this thrilling start to a brand-new series! The terrible Titans--merciless giants who enjoy snacking on humans--have dominated the earth and put the world into chaos. But their rule is about to be put to the test as a group of young Olympians discover their powers and prepare to righteously rule the universe....
   
     Ten-year-old Zeus is mystified (and super-annoyed) by the fact that he keeps getting hit by lightening. Every. Single. Year. He also longs for adventure, as he has never been far from the cave where he grew up.

     Zeus gets his wish--and a lot more than he bargained for--when he is kidnapped by dangerous, giant Titans! In self-defense, he grabs the first thing he sees--an actual thunderbolt he pulls from a stone that is covered in mysterious markings. Zeus is the only one who can decipher the markings, and sets off on a quest to rescue his youthful fellow Olympians from the evil Cronus. Armed with his trusty thunderbolt (named Bolt, of course), Zeus is on an adventure of a lifetime--and a journey to fulfill his destiny as King of the Gods.




Hades and the Helm of Darkness (Book 3 coming April 2013)
The Heroes in Training are entering the Underworld—if Hades can conquer his canine fears, that is.

The Underworld usually isn’t really meant to be a fun place—but tell that to Hades! He loves the dark and the stinky smell of sulfur. However, there is one thing that Hades is not a fan of: dogs. And when Zeus and his fellow Olympians encounter Cerberus—a snarling, three-headed dog—Hades must conquer his fears and tame the hound so everyone can continue into the Underworld and deposit their Titan prisoner, Oceanus, back where he belongs!

But with magical water that causes forgetfulness, hot beds of lava, and another epic battle with two more Titans standing in their way, will Zeus and his heroes make it out of the Underworld with everyone intact?


Author Suzanne Williams
Suzanne Williams is the award-winning author of nearly 40 books for children, from picture books and easy readers to chapter books and middle grade fiction series. A former elementary school librarian, she lives near Seattle. Her picture book Library Lil (illustrated by Steven Kellogg) won the New Mexico children's choice award in 2000 and was on several other state award lists. She is co-author (with Joan Holub) of the popular Goddess Girls series(for ages 8 - 12) and Heroes in Training (ages 6 - 11). Other series include Fairy Blossoms and Princess Power.








Author Joan Holub
I graduated from college in Texas with a fine arts degree, and then freelanced as an art director at a graphic design firm for eight years. I dreamed of working in children's books, so I moved to New York City and became associate art director in Scholastic trade books, where I designed books for children and worked with editors and illustrators. It was a great job.

I illustrated my first published children's book in 1992 and soon began illustrating full time. I began completing manuscripts and mailing them out to publishers in the early 1990s. In 1996, I sold my first two manuscripts -- Boo Who? A Spooky Lift-the-Flap Book (Scholastic) and Pen Pals (Grosset & Dunlap). Yippee!

Now I write full time and have written and/or illustrated over 130 children's books. Creating books that entertain, inform, and interest children (and me) is a fabulous job that I truly love.




Book Blast Giveaway
$100 Amazon Gift Card or Paypal Cash
Ends 12/9/12


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Thursday, November 29, 2012

Promo #MistakenBookTour with Nancy S.Thompson

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Join us as we tour the Mistaken Nancy Thompson's debut novel.  With this tour you could win 1 of 6 prizes!  We are giving away 5 ecopies of The Mistaken book. As well as our first PaperWhite Kindle!  






The Mistaken 
by: Nancy S. Thompson
Mini url for tour page:  http://ow.ly/eoBBP 



Tyler Karras is an honest man, a transplanted Brit living the American dream, but his charmed life takes an unexpected turn when his brother, Nick, is coerced into joining ranks with San Francisco’s Russian mafia.  Ty intervenes to secure Nick’s freedom, yet only succeeds in incurring their wrath.  With no choice but to accept Nick’s new life, Ty returns to his own, but his dreams are dashed when his wife—pregnant with their first child—is killed, the victim of a reckless crime. 

Despondent and bitter, Ty macerates his grief in alcohol.  From the depths of the bottle screams a voice, howling for vengeance.  His target is a stranger, the woman who drew his wife toward her death.  He doesn’t know her, but he’ll find her, and when he does, he will make her pay, for a deal has been struck with Nick’s Russian associates, enslaving her into a life of bondage.  But as Ty moves forward in a cloud of alcohol, he mistakes the wrong woman for his intended victim and now all his plans have gone straight to hell.

With his eyes made clear by the stark reality of his mistake, Ty is driven, compelled by remorse and a relentless sense of guilt to make amends and protect Hannah Maguire, the innocent woman whose life he has derailed.  He vows to keep her safe and out of the Russians’ hands, but they’re holding Nick as leverage to force Ty to complete their deal and turn over the girl.  Once again, he must fight to free his brother, miring all three lives in further jeopardy.  But Ty can’t do it all:  Save the girl, his brother and his own soul.  One of them must make the ultimate sacrifice.

Nancy started writing fiction rather suddenly one day in 2010. Inspired by a song, she was struck with an idea she couldn’t shake and just had to write it down. It was while working on this, her first novel, that she discovered just how much she loved writing. She only wishes she had known how much years earlier.
Find Nancy S. Thompson
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Hashtag:   #MistakenBookTour
Mini url for tour page:  http://ow.ly/eoBBP 

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Nov. 29
Crossroad Reviews - Review
Little Library Muse - Promo
Mom Dad 2 Kids and 8 Dogs - Review
Of The Underworld - Review
I Love It OR Hate It- Review
Nov. 30
Andi's Book Reviews - Interview
Colorful Bookshelves - Review
Queen of the Shelves  - Review
Coven Pagans -  Review
Dec. 1
SnifferWalk - Review
Reading in the Nude - Review
Ureeka - Review
Winter Haven Bookclub - Review
Dec. 2
WTF Are You Reading? - Review
Hardbacks - Review
Fallen Angel - Review
Reviews Here! -  Review
3Ps in a Pod - Interview
Dec. 3
Asha Butterflys - Review
Reader Girls - Interview
City of Found Books - Review
I Love It OR Hate It! - Review
Crazy Chapters -  Review
Dec. 4
Hey...Wanna See My Indies - Review
Numbered Pages - Review
Only Reading Books - Review
8 Crazy Books - Review
Doctor's Notes - Interview 
Dec. 5
The Cover Contessa - Review
Cherie Reads - Review
K is for Kechell - Review
Bossy Book Babes -  Review

Monday, November 26, 2012

Tour Excerpt: Dirt by Lori Culwell

About the Book
Lucy Whitley cannot wait to get out of Palm Desert. It’s not a place for a frizzy-haired science nerd, particularly when her fashion-obsessed older sister Sloane is the head of a clique of pretty girls who rule the school—and practically the whole town.Fortunately, life is about to change forever. Lucy’s dad is getting re-married, and then she can transfer to a boarding school in Connecticut, escaping all the mean girls and the endless whispers about the Whitley family scandal. Everything is going to be perfect—as long as the wedding goes smoothly.



Excerpt 
Sloane opens the door and walks in and a hush falls over the room. Girls are draped everywhere in the great room of the huge house, and they all turn to stare at us at once. I glance around the room, trying not to stare back. Amanda Billington, who graduated last year, is sitting over by the
fireplace, drinking a cappuccino. Beside her is Pansy Westlake, who looks like Gabrielle Reece and is the star of the volleyball team.
Everyone you’d think would be in this group totally is. Even though it’s an unofficial group, from the looks on everyone’s faces, they are very serious about it. Seniors I only see at football games or in Homecoming Court at dances, who know how to apply mascara and have sex with their boyfriends, are there. Girls with expensive designer clothes and jewelry, girls who fly on private jets, girls whose parents are movie stars.
 
Some of them look older, but most of them are like me, only way more naturally pretty.

And my sister is their leader.  I had no idea how big this thing really was, and now I’m on the inside.   I have to try to keep a lid on myself.  


Click here for the tour schedule


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12 Days of Books Giveaway!



So, I have A LOT of books to give away and what better time than for Christmas. I wanted to go ahead and open up entries because 12 days before Christmas I will begin picking winners. Some winners may get to pick one book or two...just depends on the day. Anyhow, I will post the mystery books choices closer to when the drawing begins. Unfortunately, this is a US ONLY giveaway as I have the books here but I will do something special for my International followers as soon as I can. Much Love!


ARCS
Destined by Aprilynne Pike
BaSatai Outside In by Suzan Battah 
Kiss & Make Up by Katie D. Anderson 
Fool by Frederick G. Dillen
Sound the Heart by Genevieve Graham
Little Did I Know by Mitchell Maxwell
Blue by Lou Aronica
Fury of Fire by Coreene Callahan
City of Slaughter by Cynthia Drew
Sleeping Tigers by Holly Robinson

PAPERBACKS
Defiance by  Lili St. Crow

HARDCOVERS
A Passion for Victory by Bobrick
Diva by Jillian Larkin
Happy Families by Tanita Davis 
Poison Tree by Amelia Atwater Rhodes
Jersey Angel by Beth Ann Bauman 
Laugh with the Moon by  Shana Burg
The Little Woods by McCormick Templeman 
On the Day I Died: Stories from the Grave by Candace Fleming
Spirit's Princess (Princesses of Myth) by Esther Friesner
The Queen's Lady (The Lacey Chronicles, No. 2) by Eve Edwards
Lorenzon & the Pirate by Lila & Rick Guzman
Sisters of Glass by Stephanie Hemphill 






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Sunday, November 25, 2012

Interview with Mary Parker Author of The Awakening of Leeowyn Blake


Mary Parker is an award winning writer and speaker. Born into a theatrical family, she is
comfortable on the stage. While still in elementary school she appeared in a regional stage production of The Best Christmas Pageant Ever in the pivotal role of Imogene Herdman.
While still in high school she was cast in the iconic role of Mary Warren in The Crucible,
and she created the role of the American socialite, Hetty Merton in the world premier stage production of Oscar Wilde’s Dorian Gray.

Mary tried college, but after experimenting with degree programs in art, English, broadcast media and marketing – and ending up bored out of her skull – she determined college was not her calling. At least not for the foreseeable future.

Waiting tables for the rest of her life didn’t appeal to her either.

A story-teller at heart, Mary turned her attention to her first love – books. The result is her critically-acclaimed debut novel, The Awakening of Leeowyn Blake.

An Interview with author Mary Parker

Tell us a little about yourself.

Mary - I'm a Texas-born girl living in Murfreesboro TN. I love to do anything artistic (write, draw, dance and of course read). I love traveling and going out, but mostly I'm a homebody and I just enjoy hanging out with my friends.

A lot of people think they can write a novel, just because they’ve read a lot of novels in a particular genre and figure, ‘how hard could it be?’ How hard was it for you to write “The Awakening of Leeowyn Blake”?

Mary - It was honestly a lot easier than I anticipated. I had just gone through a rough patch in my life and I've always used writing as a way to escape, and before I knew it the story started writing itself. I hadn't even set out to write a novel, but the characters came to life and basically told the story themselves.

What in your background prepared you to write a novel?

Mary - Both of my parents are professional writers, so for as long as I can remember it’s what I've always wanted to do.

Leeowyn Blake feels like a real teenaged girl. Did you pattern her after any particular person; perhaps after yourself?

Mary - A lot of her quirks and mannerisms are things I do myself, but that's not to say I based her after me. She's a lot more outspoken than I am, and she has way more courage. She's her own person.

The Awakening of Leeowyn Blake is obviously a young adult fantasy novel, but it also incorporates elements of romance, horror, mythology and humor. Did you set out to create such a conglomeration of elements, or did it all just kind of happen?

Mary - I knew I didn't want to write a run of the mill YA fantasy novel, but beyond that I didn't really think past that. I love everything creepy and dark, but I also love humor and romance.
With so many different characters it’s easy to have them each bring their own elements to the story.

What was the hardest part of writing the novel?

Mary - Editing. Editing. Editing. Editing. Ugh.

Do you have any secret rituals that help you get into the flow of the story? A bottomless cup of coffee or music that you listen to that puts you in the mood to write?

Mary - I definitely had to have music. I would be driving to work or to the store when a song would come on the radio and suddenly a whole new scene would pop into my head. I can listen to a song from Muse, or Radiohead or even Ke$ha and be like, "I wrote a scene to this song." I'm also a little bit addicted to Red Bull, so it became part of my ritual.

There’s got to be a sequel in the works, right?

Mary - Yes, there finally is. I've been writing, and rewriting, and deleting, and rewriting some more, but I can finally say that yes, a sequel is on the way.

The Awakening of Leeowyn Blake, by Mary Parker is published by WordCrafts Press and
is available in both trade paperback and all major eBook formats.

Connect with Mary online at:
www.facebook.com/AuthorMaryParker
www.MaryParker.info
www.WordCrafts.net

Buy The Awakening of Leeowyn Blake in Trade Paperback:
Amazon | Books-A-Million
Buy The Awakening of Leeowyn Blake in eBook:
Amazon Kindle | BN Nook | Sony eReader | Kobo

Click here to read an excerpt from the Awakening of Leeowyn Blake


Saturday, November 24, 2012

Interview:Tabitha Short Author of The Corpses of Old Farm Hill Road: The Arrogant Man



About the Book
She lures them to her farm with her sensual voice and mischievous eyes and they willing go with her every single time. It never fails. This time she’s caught the attention of a man who knows the world was created to serve him. He’s built a life of ease and luxury, but when he’s in the hands of the tiny girl he met online he’ll find he’s not the man he thought he was. Where does all his distain and contempt go when Ms. Alice Roundtree has him strung up in her barn loft? What happens when his handsome face is no longer handsome? Better yet, will he make it to see tomorrow?

The Corpses of Old Farm Hill Road is a series of horror fiction short stories about a mother and daughter serial killer pair. They live on a self-sustaining farm slash winery in the middle of nowhere and find entertainment in leading people to their torture chambers where cell phones lose service, screams can’t be heard and people just disappear. The Arrogant Man is the first in the series, followed by The Lost Soul.

Interview with Tabitha Short Author of The Corpses of Old Farm Hill Road: The Arrogant Man
What intrigues you about this genre?  I am intrigued by horror fiction writing because it requires a working knowledge of the human psyche. I love coming up with new ways to make a reader's jaw drop. Sometimes I stop and think, "Did I really just write that?" I know it's especially good if I make myself queasy while writing it.
What literary character would you like to be your bestie? Luna Lovegood, she's just so weird!
What is your favorite book and/or author of all time? Why? Not fair :D I can't choose just one. I adore old English novels, though.
Have you ever had a character you've written do something that surprised you? Can you tell us what that was? Creating Mathew in The Corpses of Old Farm Hill: The Arrogant Man was fun. He's such a jerk and it creates unease in the reader because they can't decide if they want to be on his side or not.
What is your favorite holiday? Why? My favorite holiday is Halloween because it comes in the fall. I love the fall season. I love the smells, colors and cooler air.
Are there any projects in the works? Yes, I have a number of works in progress. I'm working on the second book in The Corpses of Old Farm Hill Road series. It will be subtitled The Lost Soul. I'm also getting to release a young adult crime book titled Her Sister's Murderer. Mostly I've been working on the ending of Arena Games: Petrova's Legacy, which will be a young adult fantasy fiction novel.
Most loved quote or moment from your book? I just finished writing an inspirational scene where one character is convincing another character to forgive someone. Here it is: 
“Sorry doesn’t stay drunk because it can’t handle the reality, Klara. Sorry isn’t someone who sleeps all day so she doesn’t have to feel anything. Someone who isn’t sorry would have moved past all of that, they would have carried on with their life. Someone who wasn’t sorry wouldn’t be retreating inside herself and isolating herself against the world, Klara. Those aren’t things that someone who wasn’t sorry would do. If there’s one thing Petrova is, it is sorry. And you need to go to her because believe it or not, she needs you right now. She needs you so bad and you can’t even see it. I’ve seen her. She’s dying inside right now and to tell you the truth I don’t even know how she’s alive. Go to her, Klara, go to her, for the gods’ sakes, Klara, go to her.”
If there was a question that you wished an interviewer would ask you,what would be the question and the answer? Of all the things you've written, which story or character are you most partial to? My answer would be: I'm very attached to Arena Games: Petrova's Legacy. Both Petrova and Klara are my favorite.

Friday, November 23, 2012

Excerpt:The Man With the Green Suitcase by Dee Doanes


The Man With the Green Suitcase by Dee Doanes
Excerpt from Chapter 13
THE NIGHT ISN’T OVER  
Gerald
As soon as Gerald’s head hits the pillow sleep comes to him. One side of his mind senses someone is in the bedroom staring at him from across the room. One the other side of his mind, dreams float closer to him like ocean waves on a shoreline. Whoever is in his room steps closer to the bed. Gerald can tell that the person is irritated. Gerald isn’t scared. He knows instinctively the person won’t hurt him.

“Damn!” a male voice curses. Gerald instantly recognizes the old man’s gravely voice.

Suddenly, Gerald feels a burst of energy coming from the side of his bed—from the old man. The energy pushes down on Gerald, heavy like a weight. He sinks into the bed until he falls out of the bottom and lands feet first inside a very bright room. He squints and covers his eyes because it’s so bright. There’s a large window completely filled with the sun. It’s as if the room is sitting directly inside a ray of sunshine. The old man is outside the window, his face is glowing, the wrinkles moving, alive with beams of sunlight. His chest also emanates with sunlight. The green suitcase is next to him and the pieces of red and white fabric sticking out of it glow like fireflies at dusk on a summer night.
Gerald asks, “What’s going on?” The old man doesn’t answer. He asks again. There’s still no answer. The old man’s unblinking eyes stare back at him.
Gerald looks at his hands and the rest of his body. He’s infused with the sunshine coming from the old man. The entire room is a piece of sunshine. Gerald isn’t sure what this place is. He looks around the room. There’s a brown sofa with an Oriental rug in front of it. A woman encircled in darkness is on the floor digging through the old man’s green suitcase, oblivious to Gerald standing there. The sunshine doesn’t reach the woman and Gerald can’t see her face, so he leans in to see her better. She throws shirts, underwear, and other items in a big pile onto the floor. The woman gets up and turns toward him. The sunshine begins to penetrate the darkness surrounding her, like a spotlight. It moves up her arm, her chest, and just as it gets to her face, the woman disappears.
Then the room becomes dark as if a switch has been turned off. But, Gerald is still bright with sunlight. He walks carefully across the room to see if the old man is outside the window or if the mystery woman has reappeared in a different part of the room. Once again, Gerald hears the same laughter from when he was awake in his office. It’s not the old man’s voice. It gradually gets louder until it sounds like it’s playing on surround-sound speakers. Then, Tony appears directly in front of him sitting on the brown sofa, sunlight spotlighting him.
Tony laughs, flashing his white teeth in a sarcastic smile as he says, “Bankruptcy is bad, but you’ll be okay. Bankruptcy is bad, but you’ll be okay.” His lips move over and over again repeating the phrase like a skipping CD.
Gerald covers his ears and screams, “Shut up!”
Tony keeps on, “Bankruptcy is bad, but you’ll be okay.”
“Nooo…damn you!” Gerald runs toward him, charging with balled up fists. His fist connects with Tony’s face. He feels the bones in Tony’s cheek beneath his knuckles. The bones crack like walnut shells. The sunlight from Gerald’s fist slices through Tony’s cheek and Tony evaporates into the air.
Gerald screams, “Come back! Come back, you bastard!” Breathing heavily like a wild beast, rage seeps from every pore of Gerald’s body. He walks back and forth hoping Tony will come back so he can beat the crap out of him.
After a few minutes, he calms down and that’s when the room brightens again. A light breeze blows across his face. Gerald looks back at the window. It has disappeared along with the old man. Gerald looks at his hands and body and sees that the sunlight has left his body. He looks to see if the old man will reappear. He doesn’t. He’s by himself.


www.amazon.com/author/deedoanes Kindle 0.99 cents, Paperback $14.99
www.barnesandnoble.com/c/dee-doanes Nook 0.99 cents, Paperback $14.99

Thursday, November 22, 2012

Interview & Giveaway: Marked for Vengeance by S.J. Pierce


SUMMARY:
“Isaac was more than just precious to her, he was precious in ways the world could only fathom. If she failed, she failed everyone.” –Marked for Vengeance
Alyx Rayer’s existence in Atlanta, the eternally bustling capital of Georgia, is one of routine and blending in among the worker bees. But her ‘normal’ life is actually a façade for a higher calling; she's a three hundred year old soul, encased in a human vessel and sent from the darkness between heaven and Earth to capture her Marked when summoned by her superiors.
During the initial, routine stake-out of her Marked, a dream prophet named Isaac Walsh, Alyx is thrown for an emotional loop when his allure captivates her heart from two rooftops away. The event marks the very instance when her sense of what’s right and what’s wrong is brutally challenged as her contact with him is strictly forbidden.
While already trapped between honor and desire, her emotional struggles are further challenged by a man in a black suit who continually pops up when she least expects it, his presence evoking a strange response from the scar she was branded with at birth. The scar tingles like a warning beacon, alerting her that something is amiss. Because her superiors never told her what this would mean, or much of anything except what to do when they summon, she can only conclude to try and keep her sanity, and her life, from completely shattering to pieces.
This engaging first book of the series is a Paranormal Romance novel interlaced with twists, turns, and thrilling suspense that is sure to satisfy readers of any genre.

Author Bio
S.J. Pierce has a degree in Marketing Management, works for a Fortune 500 company in Atlanta, Georgia, and devotes her precious, spare time to writing Fantasy novels as an indie author. 

Even though her full-time career has nothing to do with books at all, she has always enjoyed complex story telling with fascinating characters, and has had a penchant for the written word since grade school. As a matter of fact, her only publishing credit to date was a poem she wrote at the age of twelve. Why her love for writing never translated into a career, she can only attribute to 'life happens', but her wish is that she can redirect her career path into something that satisfies her creative inner-self. 

Chat with Author S.J. Pierce
Blog | Facebook | Goodreads | Amazon
Tell us a little about you.
I was born and raised in the South between two brothers, which I’m thankful for because it kept me from being too obnoxiously prissy. Even though I work in the city of Atlanta and love the culture and variety of restaurants there, my heart forever belongs in the clean, open spaces of the country and is where I choose to live along with my extraordinary family and five fur-babies. It makes for a long commute but is well worth it.

What inspired you to write this story?
So many things. I’m afraid if I get too specific, I’ll give away details of the book that is best discovered blindly, so I’ll try to keep it as discreet and brief as possible.  It began as a daydream, which isn’t too surprising since my mind seems to always be in the clouds, but this one recurred so often that I mapped out an entire storyline. This is also the story that inspired me to become a writer in the first place because it eventually pled with me to sit and type it out in hopes that it would one day be shared. 
I also have an eternal fascination with the stars, and much like the letter to my readers in the first book states, have caught myself dreaming up scenarios of who else might be out there as well as who among us might not be who they say they are –two big contributors to the creation of my story, as well.

Where is your favorite place to vacation?
Right now my family is in love with cruising, and in particular, Disney cruises. We’re going on our second one in 2013 to Grand Cayman.

What is your favorite quote from your book?
“You obviously have something wrong with you, Alyx Rayer.” This quote comes from a heated argument between Alyx and her human boyfriend, Benjamin. It holds so many truths.

What is your favorite song right now?
“Some nights” by Fun. To me, it’s about second guessing the decisions you’ve made regarding love and passion, but that some good can always come from the worst of relationships. I think that resonates with everyone. I also love the anthem-type feel of the song with its strong drum beats and lively background vocals. When I listen to it, I feel like I can go out and conquer!

Who was the hardest character to write?
Micah, Isaac’s son. As I mentioned before, I grew up with two brothers so the fact that he was a challenge surprised me a little. He’s thirteen, and finding that fine line between child and teenager without making him sound TOO juvenile proved to be a chore, but I think I did him justice.

If you had to choose between invisibility and flight… which would you choose?
What a fun question! I think both would be pretty amazing, but I’m going to have to go with flight. I’ve had many a vivid dream about being able to fly. I’ve also always had a fascination with birds and wonder what our world must look like to them from up there. 

Are there any projects in the works?
Oh, are there! So many, in fact, that I would have to write forever to get them out of my head… which would be just fine with me! But to be more specific, I’m currently working on the novella to the Alyx Rayer series as well as the third and final book, both to be published in 2013. 

Finish this sentence. “I would love _______.”
I would LOVE to be able to write full time. 

If there was a question that you wished an interviewer would ask, what would be the question and answer?
Why do you write?
I write because it’s something that gives my creative soul an outlet and because it gives me a sense of purpose. You’ll know when you find that one thing that you were born to do because it grabs hold of your heart and never lets go. My wish is that everyone finds this “something” because it makes you come alive. Even if I never “make it big”, I’ll still be content just writing and sharing it with others. That’s how I know its love.
One of my favorite quotes:
"Don't ask yourself what the world needs; ask yourself what makes you come alive. And then go and do that. Because what the world needs is people who have come alive." -Howard Thurman

Excerpt
CHAPTER 11: Marked for Vengeance, The Alyx Rayer Chronicles
Isaac zipped the bag closed and rounded the corner to the kitchen, snatching the butcher knife from the counter on his way to the door. When he emerged from behind the cabinets, he halted. Alyx stood in the middle of the living room between the staircase and the sofa, staring through the broken door.  “Where’s my son, bitch!” he barked. Seeing her there was of no surprise to him now, he had almost expected her to show up.    At the sound of his voice, she spun around. He dropped his bag, pointing the knife in her direction to show that he meant business, her frightening appearance not deterring him in the least. Because she had occupied his dreams for so long, this didn’t seem any different.Her dark, polished eyes studied him intently as her body positioned into a careful stance, like a lioness sizing her opponent – or her prey – anticipating her next move. Fairly certain that his face didn’t reveal it, he now felt hunted and vulnerable. “Hello again, Isaac,” she said with a caginess to her voice that harmonized with her posture.The feral tone in her words almost unraveled him. “Do you know where my son is?” he asked again, and hoped she hadn’t noticed the crack in his voice.Her eyebrows pinched together as she searched the flat, his question taking her by surprise. “Your son?” “Yes, I have a son! Don’t play around with me,” he said, waving the blade violently through the air. “Why would I know?” “Well don’t you?!” Her brows pinched tighter. “I wasn’t aware you had one.”  Oh I’m sure.She placed one foot in front of the other, carrying her smoothly in his direction, reminding him again of a feline.“Do you know who I am?” He jutted the knife toward her. “I know that you look like a demon and that your name is Alyx.  Is that even your name?” “Yes, that is my name,” she said calmly. “But do you know why I’m here?” She took another indulgent step, and Isaac lunged forward. “I will use this, I’m not playin’ around!” She fought an amused smile and held up her hands. “I don’t think that will be of much use to you.”“All I want is my son, so if you can’t help me with that you need to get out of my way,” he said, grabbing the bag he had dropped, and marched for the door. “You don’t want to do that,” she warned as she moved into his path. He stepped around her. “Watch me.” “No, you don’t understand… you don’t want to do that!” she shouted desperately. He had almost made it there when she gripped his upper arm, pulling him back with the strength of a man three times her size. Clang! The power behind her quick grasping had launched the blade into the wall and onto the concrete floor. He hollered under the vice of her death grip and dropped to his knees. “Oh, Isaac, I’m so sorry!” she cried and released her hold. “I didn’t mean to hurt you. I don’t know my own strength yet.” He rubbed his throbbing arm as he stood, and when he glared at her, a burning remorse showed in her eyes. She told the truth, his pain upset her. “You care that you hurt me?” “It was a reaction. I’m sorry.” Isaac’s anger slowly withered away. Maybe he should listen to what she had to say. After all, if she had come to harm him, she wouldn’t be upset over his pain.


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