Jungle Beauty Goddesses Series by C.G. Sturges

Welcome to the Name Before the Masses Tour for the Jungle Beauty Goddesses series by C.G. Sturges! She gave us a short interview about herself, plus we have an excerpt for you to enjoy. Check out the whole series and follow the tour for even more fun. Best of luck entering the giveaway!

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Do you have any tattoos? Where? When did you get it/them? Where are they on your body?

I don’t have any tattoos. I plan to get a tattoo –maybe in my 70s. It gives me something to look forward to. I don’t have anything against tattoos—I get bored easily. It would be torture for me not to be able to change it or remove it quickly.

Is your life anything like it was two years ago?

Externally to the casual observer, one could say that nothing about my life has changed. I drive the same car. I have the same address. I wear the same size in clothes and shoes. I have the same people in my inner circle. I have the same job.

However spiritually, psychologically, and philosophically—everything about my life has changed within the last two years. I am in my mid-fifties; however, I feel like I just “grew up” “or have become a full grown “adult” within the last few years. I literally just learned that life isn’t “textbook fair” and that the combination of hard work and being a pushover is not the solution to accomplishing your supreme dream. I have learned within the last two years that being physically touch is the easy part. My mother told me that if someone hits me to hit them back. This has been a breeze in comparison to being psychologically and emotionally tough. I haven’t learned how to pretend that something doesn’t hurt my feelings. I haven’t learned how to not care about negative things that people say about me, my family, or my work.

I have learned that the notion of good and evil is very subjective and that it is very important always to protect your aura, your possessions, your relationships, and your loved ones. I have some very powerful rituals, prayers, candles, oils, and incense.

Gratitude is the most potent emotional energy in the universe. I believe it fuels the angelic and spiritual realm to bring about change into your life.

I started wearing pink hair about six months ago, only on the weekends when I wasn’t teaching in the classroom. I pondered as to whether I should wear my pink hair on campus. I knew that wearing pink hair to work would be a mission statement that says; “I am content with who I am, where I am—and I have no desire to be promoted to administration. My professional advancement and growth stops here.”

I decided that I love teaching and I am a writer so I did the unthinkable—I started wearing pink hair to work. What surprised me is that more people started speaking to me, complimenting my hair, and sharing their life stories with me while riding the elevators or walking to class.

It seems like being true to myself has made me more approachable.

Jungle Beauty Goddesses “Pretty Blue” Book 1

If you were given planet Earth as a gift to develop its life forms—would the world be a better place than it is today? What would your primary expectation and goal be for each human? Would you give them free will or plan their destiny? Would you demand that your humans worship you as their creator? Would you be available to assuage their every desire; and acquiesce to their demands, prayers, and wishes? Would you grow to resent them for living the life you imagined?

The Jungle Beauty Goddesses were free-spirited goddesses who enjoyed their freedom as the youngest children—and the last deities born to their parents—creators of the universe. Per the family tradition of being awarded a planet, the septuplets were given planet Earth as a gift for their birthday. Their siblings, also gods and goddesses of the universe since the beginning of time, warn them about the challenges of selflessness, power, worship, and divine duty.

The seven sisters struggle to maintain their own freedom as limitless beings, while sibling rivalry makes it difficult to accept their collective duty to fulfill the family obligation to the deity-hood as creators for planets.

The entire universe threatens to collapse due to their negligence and disobedience. They question the boundaries of their divine powers as they ponder whether it is possible to mold a being to be superior to its creator.

Available on Amazon

(affiliate links included)

Jungle Beauty Goddesses “Aquatic Ball” Book 2

Sometimes your worst nightmare is having everything you ever wanted. Upon visiting planet Earth, the Jungle Beauty Goddesses discover that the life forms they created are in danger of extinction, and an unforeseen dominant species has positioned itself to take dominion.

Unprepared and disillusioned about how to access their highest vibrational frequency; the Jungle Beauty Goddesses face their own demise.

The only way they can save themselves, their planet, and ultimately the universe is by managing to align with their deity powers and the wisdom of their highest selves in the face of their worst fears, disappointments, and betrayals.

Available on Amazon

Jungle Beauty Goddesses “Dirty Ball” Book 3

If you had the power to make anyone in the world fall in love with you—would you? Jungle Beauty Goddess Afar revokes her deity vows and takes her destiny into her own hands by participating in the life she was born to create for others.

Afar embraces the deepest, darkest nuances of her shadow self with brutality, dignity, and integrity. She brazenly unleashes the murkiest qualities of the human condition and leaves the chaos for her unsuspecting sisters to clean up or suffer the consequences of losing the planet given to them by their parents--creators of the universe.

Jungle Beauty Goddess Afar’s actions give a new meaning to the saying, “Hell has no fury like a woman scorned.”

Available on Amazon

Read an excerpt from the series:

“They will never have to worry about a male demanding to be let into their being or feeling betrayed by another female who decides to do so. Their fishtails represent the wholeness of femininity; nothing can be taken away or added to who they are as complete beings. They are capable of reproducing themselves without males. I have decided that ten percent of the hybrid fish human water beings will be males; however, they will not be capable of reproducing, and they will only be attracted to other males. This is the best way for me to control masculine energy so that it aligns with feminine power and domination.” Afar continued to style the hair on various heads, never looking up at Mada.

Swish. Bloop. Engh.Engh. Engh. Swoosh. Blurp. Blurp. Sheesh. Sheesh. Bloop. Engh.Engh. Engh.

The loud silence of the hybrid half fish half human beings, swimming in the aquariums, fills the air in the room between Afar and Mada.

Mada walks around the table to Afar, places his hands on her shoulders, pulls her close to him, and asks, “Why are you so aloof, distant, and cold?”

“You mean like your kisses, dahling?” Afar quipped, looking deeply into Mada’s eyes.

“What happened to you? Have you gone mad?...Where is the woman? I fell in love with? Hhmm?” Mada asked.

“Under the apple tree waiting for the man who promised to adore her, pacing back and forth searching for him night after night, year after year; listening to the echo of his voice in her head promising that he would love only her,” Afar says nonchalantly before laughing deeply. “She is where you left her, dahling.”

About C.G. Sturges

Cassandra George Sturges is the author of "A Woman's Soul on Paper," "Success & Beauty is an Attitude," "The Illusion of Beauty: Why Women Hate Themselves & Envy Other Women," and "Why Racism is a Mental Illness." For many years, she was an advice columnist for Today's Black Woman Magazine and is currently a full-time psychology and sociology professor at a college in the mid-west. She is a high school dropout who graduated with her General Education Diploma and eventually earned five college degrees including two masters and a doctorate degree. In her late forties, she began making life-size fabric sculpture, cloth dolls that turned out to be the main characters in her Jungle Beauty Goddesses coming of age, modern creation Nubian Mythology fantasy fiction, sensuous, romantic series. She is the mother of two adult children, a grandmother, and for over 20-years has shared her life with her twin flame.

Cassandra George Sturges Social Media Links

https://www.facebook.com/Authentikbeauty

https://www.authentikbeautymagazine.com/c-g-sturges-bio

https://twitter.com/georgesturges

https://www.instagram.com/cassandrasturges/

http://junglebeautygoddess.blogspot.com/

https://www.youtube.com/user/AuthentikBeautyBlogs

https://www.amazon.com/Cassandra-George-Sturges/e/B00AAPRMBK?ref=sr_ntt_srch_lnk_5&qid=1573637943&sr=1-5

One randomly chosen winner via rafflecopter will win a $50 Amazon/BN.com gift card. Follow the tour for more chances to win!

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Interview with Kate Hill, author of Trinity and Jeff (Wild Witches of Beaver Bay 3)

Welcome to the book tour for Trinity and Jeff, an erotic paranormal romance by Kate Hill. Today she is giving us a bit of insight into her book in this interview. You can also take a sneak peek into the book and then enter the giveaway for a $15 Amazon/BN gift card. Be sure to follow the tour for more chances to win and leave questions and comments for Kate along the way!

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Describe your book in one sentence or fewer than 25 words. 

An irritable half-demon tries to deny his love for a brilliant witch.

What was the inspiration behind this book? 

Amelia and Orion have been secondary characters in other Wild Witches of Beaver Bay books. The first time I wrote a scene with them together, I knew they had to have a story of their own.

Which character was your favorite to write? 

In this particular book, I loved writing Orion, but he has always been a difficult character, so there were times when he wasn’t easy to write. I also loved writing about Orion’s mentor, Lucas, who will be getting his own story in the upcoming Heaven’s Demons series.

Will we see these characters again? 

You’ll definitely be seeing Amelia and Orion again, both as secondary characters and in another story that focuses on them in the Heaven’s Demons series.

What do you hope people will get out of your book? 

I hope people will be entertained and find characters they either love or hate. Sometimes you connect strongly to characters as a writer, but that doesn’t always mean others will feel the same way. I always hope readers feel some kind of emotion for my characters.

On what are you currently working? 

Right now I’m working on the last story in the Fangs and Fists series. It focuses on David and Jinx, a witch warrior and a demon, and also Maddy and Haylen, the hero and heroine of Fangs and Fists 4. Fangs and Fists, Wild Witches of Beaver Bay, and the upcoming Heaven’s Demons series are all part of the Pandemonium multiverse.

What is your favorite part about writing? 

Getting to know my characters.

What is your least favorite part about writing? 

Writing blurbs and titles.

What are you currently reading? Up next on your TBR? 

Right now I’m reading several different things. I’m reading a comic book series called Zorro and the Swords of Hell. I’m also reading The Merman’s Kiss by Tamsin Ley and Killer Cupcakes by Leighann Dobbs.

When not writing, what can we find you doing? 

I enjoy working out, reading, and watching horror movies. On my Compelling Beasts blog, you can find monthly posts about the horror movies I watched during the previous month, and also occasional recommendations for movies and comics I’ve enjoyed. The blog also has guest posts from authors highlighting their antagonists, antiheroes, and paranormal characters.

Is there anything else you would like to add? 

Thank you for hosting me and thank you to your visitors for reading my post.

Denying her love for her childhood friend, Jeff, Trinity visits her family’s ancestral land, believing the Wild family magic has called her there to meet her soulmate. Instead she finds danger at every turn, but she won’t have to face it alone.

Jeff has loved Trinity his whole life, but settled for friendship after she broke his heart on prom night. Now this soldier turned firefighter faces the supernatural to protect Trinity and convince her once and for all that they belong together.

Read an excerpt:

“Jeff --”

“Trinity, I know you and I will never be a couple, but I will always be your friend. That means I can’t let you come up here alone to meet this guy. If he’s the one for you, if he’s safe, then I promise you that I will back the hell off and will never interfere. Just let me stick around until you’re sure everything is okay.”

“You’re on vacation, Jeff, and you work hard all year long. Don’t you at least want to relax and do what you want instead of wasting your time babysitting me?”

“You don’t need a babysitter, and if there’s a chance you might not be safe up here, then there’s no way I’m going to enjoy myself.”

“You think about me too much.”

“We’re friends. I’d be worried about any of my friends in this situation.”

Trinity raised an eyebrow and smiled knowingly. “So if your buddy Carl from the firehouse was up here to meet the woman of his dreams, you’d follow him to make sure she wouldn’t slip poison into his beer?”

Jeff’s expression stiffened. “Fine. Make jokes. I don’t care. Once we meet Mr. Right and he seems like a normal guy, I’ll go.”

She shouldn’t feel guilty about poking fun at him, but she did because she knew he cared about her. She cared about him, too, and he was right. No matter what happened, that would never change.

Book links

Amazon * Barnes & Noble * Changeling Press * Kobo * iTunes

(affiliate links included)

About Kate Hill

Kate Hill is a vegetarian New Englander who started writing over twenty years ago for pleasure. Since 1996, she has sold over one hundred short stories, novellas, and novels.

She prefers to blend genres, and she loves horror and a happily ever after, so her books can be a bit unusual. If you're looking for romance with witches, aliens, vampires, angels, demons, shapeshifters and more, there's a good chance you'll find something to your taste in her backlist.

When she's not working on her books, Kate enjoys reading, working out, and watching horror movies. She also writes under the name Saloni Quinby.

Author Links:

Website:
https://kate-hill.com/

Blogs:
https://kate-hill.com/blog/https://kate-hill.com/compellingbeastsblog/

Amazon:
https://www.amazon.com/Kate-Hill/e/B002BLS7OW

Bookbub:
https://www.bookbub.com/authors/kate-hill

Goodreads:
https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/16157.Kate_Hill

Twitter:
https://twitter.com/katehillromance

Youtube:
https://www.youtube.com/user/KateH02

Kate Hill will be awarding a $15 Amazon or Barnes and Noble GC to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour.

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Meet MF Sullivan, author of The Hierophant's Daughter

Welcome to the book tour for The Hierophant's Daughter by M.F. Sullivan! Today she's letting us get to know her a little bit better, while also giving us some insight into her latest book. Please also enjoy an excerpt before you download your own copy. Follow the tour and leave plenty of questions and comments for the author as you continue to get to know her. And then be sure to enter the giveaway at the end!

Have you ever had an imaginary friend?

Of course! I give them whole worlds to ruin. Now that I’m into the occult (tarot was clearly an influence on, if nothing else, the structure of The Disgraced Martyr Trilogy—my cover artist, Nuno Moreira, did a wonderful job evoking tarot cards with the covers! The Hierophant’s Daughter is only the first beautiful example.

Do you have any phobias?

Heights, flying, needles—but I’m doing immunotherapy so I won’t be as allergic to my new black cat, Israel, so hopefully by the end I’ll be immune to phobia 3!

Do you listen to music when you're writing?

I must. I’ve talked in the past with another blogger about how important music is to me. The best thing a writer can do for themselves is to create a playlist and listen to it constantly, always envisioning the scenes of their story as inspiration calls. Listen to it so much that your knowledge of these images becomes routine, and when you sit down to write with this playlist, all your work will be second-nature to you.

Do you ever read your stories out loud?

Absolutely. Every third or fourth draft is like that—it helps me fix a lot of intolerable wording I wouldn’t have noticed otherwise.

Tell us about your main character and who inspired him/her.

General Dominia di Mephitoli, Former Governess of the United Front and the Bitch of Europa, is not just The Hierophant’s Daughter—she’s one of the most feared martyrs on the planet due to her prolific military career. That said, what I love about Dominia is her emotional complexity. While she thinks like a soldier, her political career—and her love of her dead wife, Cassandra di Mephitoli, whose death drives the plot of all three books even before the story has begun—has made her more emotional than that, and more attached to the human race than the rest of her cannibalistic martyr brethren. Part of her journey is about learning to honor those emotions, and learning to honor the horrors committed by the person that she was while acknowledging her ability to change into a new, better person.

I think one of the things I wanted to accomplish with this story was an LGBTQ protagonist, but I didn’t know any of that stuff about Dominia’s personal life going in. The most important thing for me was that the character’s problems not arise out of being gay—I respect YA coming-of-age tropes and the absolute bravery with which gay people must face the world to admit to being themselves, but I think the best way to create a world where LGBTQ people are normalized is to show them a world where they already are. So, when writing the plot, I basically wanted Dominia’s experience to be comparable in every way to that of a male sci-fi hero rescuing his wife. One of the ways I did that was by looking at one of the strongest people I’ve ever known, a young woman who’s a lesbian long after she’s a dynamic, reliable, intelligent and powerful human being. While she and Dominia are two very different people, I think I found that initial spark of the General’s motivations and self in the heart of my friend, Amber.

The Hierophant's Daughter

By 4042 CE, the Hierophant and his Church have risen to political dominance with his cannibalistic army of genetically modified humans: martyrs. In an era when mankind's intergenerational cold wars against their long-lived predators seem close to running hot, the Holy Family is poised on the verge of complete planetary control. It will take a miracle to save humanity from extinction.

It will also take a miracle to resurrect the wife of 331-year-old General Dominia di Mephitoli, who defects during martyr year 1997 AL in search of Lazarus, the one man rumored to bring life to the dead. With the Hierophant's Project Black Sun looming over her head, she has little choice but to believe this Lazarus is really all her new friends say he is--assuming he exists at all--and that these companions of hers are really able to help her. From the foulmouthed Japanese prostitute with a few secrets of her own to the outright sapient dog who seems to judge every move, they don't inspire a lot of confidence, but the General has to take the help she can get.

After all, Dominia is no ordinary martyr. She is THE HIEROPHANT'S DAUGHTER, and her Father won't let her switch sides without a fight. Not when she still has so much to learn.

The dystopic first entry of an epic cyberpunk trilogy, THE HIEROPHANT’S DAUGHTER is a horror/sci-fi adventure sure to delight and inspire adult readers of all stripes.

Read an excerpt:

VIII

Miki Soto

What couldn’t a person access from the Japanese Internet? The question inspired Dominia to get out of the bathtub for another look at the card. There was no address, whether web or physical, as there hadn’t been an address on the ad floating across that billboard; instead, when she studied the lotus embossed upon the card, the DIOX-I highlighted it as though it were a link. How fascinating, this augmented reality! After fixing the device’s settings back to manual control, she “clicked” on the link with an unsteady wink, and her right field of vision was covered by the floating window of a browser. Had she cochlear implants, she would have heard some sort of music, or even a voice accompanying the woman’s writhing in and out of the browser’s dark: less a whole person, and more a disembodied assortment of lips, fingers, lower backs, and thighs. At last, the vision disappeared to present her with the crimson words, “WELCOME TO THE RED MARKET.”

A button appeared: “Connect Your Halcyon for Age Verification.” The idea of giving the women of the international and highly loathed illegal organization any information might have stopped her in a simpler time, as it surely stopped 70 percent of potential Red Market customers—the ones able to access the site, anyway, inaccessible from Europa and the Front through traditional routes. That had been all the Hierophant could do to combat in any meaningful way the world’s oldest profession-cum-cult. Far trickier than hampering Internet access was controlling in-person transactions in gold or silver, or the off-brand cryptocurrency, Redcoin; and because there were almost no freelance prostitutes left in the world, catching a working girl was difficult.

Buy/Review Links:

Amazon * NetGalley * Goodreads * Barnes & Noble  

Hardback: 978-0-9965395-6-2

Paperback: 978-0-9965395-7-9

eBook: 978-0-9965395-8-6

About M.F. Sullivan

M.F. Sullivan is the author of Delilah, My Woman, The Lightning Stenography Device, and a slew of plays in addition to the Trilogy. She lives in Ashland, Oregon with her boyfriend and her cat, where she attends the local Shakespeare Festival and experiments with the occult. Find more information about her work (and plenty of free essays) at https://www.paintedblindpublishing.com!

Author Links:

Blog: https://www.paintedblindpublishing.com

Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/TheRealMFS

Amazon Author Page: https://www.amazon.com/M.-F.-Sullivan/e/B013DDEQVE

Goodreads Author Page: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/14199461.M_F_Sullivan

One randomly chosen winner via rafflecopter will win a $50 Amazon/BN.com gift card. Follow the tour for more chances to win!

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Meet Lilith Thorn, Author of The Becoming

Welcome to the virtual book tour for The Becoming by Lilith Thorn. She took some time out of her busy schedule to let us really get to know more about her and her writing, plus a couple of interest trivia bits about her as a person. Then check out an excerpt from the book and follow the tour for even more fun!

What is your favorite ice cream flavor?

Traditionally I like ice cream with something crunchy mixed into it. Chocolate Chip mint would be my classic favourite. Though, recently, I’ve taken a shine to the salted Carmel cashew ice cream. Its dairy free and arguably better than real ice cream. Even my husband likes it.

Which mythological creature are you most like?

Wow! If only. I’d have to pause on this one for a minute to think. How I see myself, how others see me or who I really most resemble? ☺ Medusa comes to mind for the mornings, especially if woken up before I need to be up. And who wouldn’t want to be compared to a goddess. In the end I’m likely more of a fairy or a pixie. Cute in theory, but a whole lotta trouble in reality, oh and often appeased with a little something sweet.

First book you remember making an indelible impression on you.

It must have been a good one, because I’ve been reading ever since. I really couldn’t name a single book that left that kind of impression on me from my early years. I know I was a big Nancy Drew Fan. Anything by Christopher Pike I gobbled up. I remember having a stack of 14 books at the beginning of one summer vacation and finishing them before the new school year started.

How do you develop your plot and characters?

A lot my writing comes from natural character development. I have an idea of who they are and where I’d like them to land, but as the story line progresses and their personalities develop things might pan out a bit differently than I had originally planned.

As for plot, these are developed internally. They spin around in my head for months before they make it to paper. Often in pieces waiting for the glue that brings each important scene together, that will come once I start putting it to paper.

Describe your writing space.

I work from home. I also write from home. I prefer a desk top to a laptop, its more comfortable for my hands while typing. I have a comfy desk chair on rollers. To my left my husband has his home work space set up, to my right is a shelf of puzzles and random toys for the kiddies. My day planner and notes are neatly piled in the space between my keyboard and monitor. My speaker and phone sit opposite both serving as a distraction and a way to fill an otherwise quiet room. Neatly standing behind those are notebooks and files from my various jobs, social media, marketing, administration, a box of pins holding them in their standing position. On top of the box is a picture of my husband and two children taken four years ago, bellies to the floor eating my son’s first birthday cake, they’re laughing. The walls feel bare but display memories. A framed papyrus from Egypt, an aluminum photo of the view we had from our apartment while living in Hawaii and a canvas print of a Cessna from my husband’s first job which props up a long, rectangular piece of Styrofoam, pulled from something shipped to us recently, that my son has transformed into a four year old’s interpretation of the Aurora using crayons.

The Becoming

Niamh is a good wife. She learned early on that crossing her husband had consequences. Living quietly in the shadowed cage he has formed around her, Niamh suffers his secrets and bares the scars they leave behind.

On the night of her biggest humiliation Caleb enters the ballroom changing Niamh’s course forever. He brings safety to her dark world and introduces her to the possibility of escape. Will Niamh’s love for Caleb be the key to her freedom or will it be her undoing?

Read an excerpt:

Chapter One – Pg. 1

He is the man I would have noticed first, had he been in the room when I arrived. As it was, he arrived “fashionably late”, as we’d say now. Men and women alike stole glances as he strode through the doors; we were too polite a society to stare.

He is the kind of creature that draws all eyes to himself without doing much to deserve it. Though this was not his home, he was the king of the castle. Even in my distracted state, I soaked in his energy, felt him before I saw him and, like a magnet pulling me, my body turned toward him.

Had I been anyone but my demure self, my jaw may have hung open or I may have walked toward him to embarrass myself with a bumbled, unasked for introduction. Instead, as his eyes met mine, I quickly glanced away and blushed. Later – much later – he would tell me it was the blood rushing to my cheeks that drew him to me.

Book links:

Amazon Canada - Amazon US - Amazon UK - Amazon Australia - Chapters/Indigo - Book Depository - Boutique 130 - Foyles - Waterstones - Kobo - SmashWords - Bol 

About Lilith Thorn

Born in Dundas, ON, Lilith Thorn is a restless wanderer. Her first move was to St. Catharines where she earned a Theatre degree at Brock University. Despite her parents’ wish that she would return home and work at McDonalds after graduating, Lilith refused and instead moved to Toronto to give acting the ‘Old College Try.’ After years of sacrificing her other passions for the stage and an empty bank account, she put away those dreams to say “Yes” to a different adventure. This took her to Dublin, Ireland for a few years where she met, fell in love with, and married another Canadian who took her to the one place she said she’d never live: Yellowknife. After nearly a decade in Canada’s Great White North, Lilith looks forward to further adventures with her husband and two children, just about anywhere.

Lilith Thorn is a pen name, the pseudonym used to protect the innocent; that is, so she hopefully never has to explain to her mother-in-law over dinner that she has written an erotic novel.

Social Media:

Twitter - @liliththorn

Instagram - @byliliththorn

Facebook Page - @liliththornwrites

Good Reads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/39675321-the-becoming

One randomly chosen winner along the tour via rafflecopter will win a $50 Amazon/BN.com gift card.

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Meet Jenn Hughes, author of Love at the Electric with Review and Giveaway

Welcome to the Name Before the Masses Tour for Love at the Electric by Jenn Hughes. I fell madly in love with this quirky romance and am sharing my thoughts and an excerpt with you. To add to the fun, Jenn took some time to answer some questions to take us deeper into the story and herself. Please leave her comments and questions of your own and then follow the tour for multiple opportunities to enter the giveaway.

Please note that affiliate links are present within this post. Should you make a purchase through one, I may earn a small commission at no additional cost to you. I also received a complimentary copy of this book in exchange for my honest review. All opinions are my own.

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What was the inspiration behind this book?

I started writing this story the day after Christmas. The holidays were a big inspiration, but since it was post-Christmas and I was in that zone of being “over it,” I created characters that weren’t initially holly, jolly types. Mix that with the fact that video games were high on wish lists in 2016, and a holiday story about a geek-in-designer-clothing who falls for an attorney across enemy lines was born.

Which character was your favorite to write?

Ravi was a lot of fun. He doesn’t have that emergency brake that keeps someone from blurting out socially inappropriate things, so he gets to say all the things I think from time to time…all the time.

What was one of your favorite scenes?

I laughed to myself when I was writing the scene where Lillian has dinner with Richard at the farm-themed restaurant. There’s this strange trend of restaurants serving food on everything but plates (they use shoes or bricks or shingles instead), so Lillian is not having it when her meal is served on a shovel. She would have been better off having popcorn at The Electric with Sam. :)

Will we see these characters again?

Absolutely. They pop up again in the second book in the Port Bristol series and join a new cast of characters who are just as entertaining. Besides, Sam and Lillian didn’t quite get rid of Preston Lavery in Love at The Electric, so he’ll be back to throw a digital wrench into everyone’s plans in the second book.

What do you hope people will get out of your book?

I hope it makes them smile. Best case scenario, they laugh out loud. It’s supposed to be a quick, fun read with a 100% happy ending, so I want people to enjoy it.

On what are you currently working?

I’ve finished the first draft of the second book in the Port Bristol series, and now I’m working on rewrites. There are two other separate series I have on the backburner that occasionally attempt to lure me away, but I’m on a deadline, so I’m staying focused on Port Bristol.

What is the best writing advice you ever received?

The best writing advice I received was to keep writing. I never thought I’d get published because it seemed like no matter what I wrote or how hard I tried, it didn’t connect with an editor or publisher or agent. From no responses to outright-cruel rejections, it’s not an easy industry for new writers. But, I kept writing because I enjoyed it, not the queries or submissions—the writing. And I improved. It took time, but eventually a story that I wrote for my own enjoyment and then rewrote numerous (15+) times ended up being my first published work.

What are you currently reading? Up next on your TBR?

The Black Lyon by Jude Deveraux. I like historical romance, and this has been on my list for a while. I only have time to read when I’m waiting in the car pick-up line at school, so it takes me a while to finish a book. After that, maybe Kay Scarpetta #9. It depends on my mood.

When not writing, what can we find you doing?

Working. Working. More work. Okay, I’m not that bad. When not writing or working, I can be found cooking, spending time with family, repairing computers (that’s for fun, don’t judge), and I play around with mixed media artwork on occasion.

What is something readers may be surprised to learn about you?

Hmmm… I’m cross-dominant. That means I favor one hand for some tasks and the other hand for others. I write with my left hand, but I throw with my right. It’s a problem in archery, but since I don’t have aspirations for a superhero secret identity involving a bow and arrow (or do I? *cue theme music*), it’s not a big deal.

Love at the Electric

Walking wildfire Sam Owens gets Lillian hot in all the right ways, but there's more to the software CEO than just a pretty face. And a great body. And… Oh, right. He’s the enemy, according to the contract she signed with his rival. So when they secretly meet up for movies at The Electric, Lillian can't get too involved with Sam. She could lose her job. Her reputation. And her heart.

Sam is in love with his company, his image, his video games, and his ability to avoid commitment--at least until he levels up with attorney Lillian Walker. With her love of campy horror flicks and a body that makes him want to howl like a cartoon wolf, Sam’s found his leading lady. Too bad getting close to Lillian means tangling with her boss, a supervillain in the making.

In the nights leading up to Christmas, movies at The Electric mean more than just mutant toads and cannibal fruitcakes. Between shenanigans with old flames and an arch nemesis out to destroy any future they might have, Sam and Lillian learn the hard way that falling in love isn’t as easy as it looks on screen. When the past gets in the way of a perfect “the end,” there’s really only one solution--if werewolf Santas can bring them together, zombie ex-girlfriends can keep them together.

After all, anything’s possible at The Electric.

Read an excerpt:

Beneath a tailored tuxedo jacket, Ravi wore a printed-on tuxedo T-shirt and an LED bow tie slowly cycling through a rainbow of colors. The left pocket of the coat bulged out, and Sam didn’t even have to ask why. Ravi slid his hand down into the pocket, deftly pulled out a chocolate chip cookie, and then took a bite out of it.

“Nothing illegal about it,” he mumbled, cookie crumbs tumbling out of his mouth.

“Isn’t the T-shirt a little redundant?”

Ravi held up a finger and swallowed his mouthful. “It’s ironic. And you know I hate dress shirts with cuff links. Makes my wrists feel—”

“Like they’re suffocating. Right. I know.” Sam turned back to the window and took another sip of his drink.

“Where’s Lillian?”

Sam tugged on his bow tie. “Not coming, I guess. It’s after nine, and not even the limo driver will text me back, so she must have changed her mind.”

A normal friend might have slapped him on the back and said, “Sorry, bro,” or something similarly empathetic. But if normal was a single color, Ravi was an LED rainbow. Sam looked over at him. They stared at one another for a few seconds. Ravi took another bite of his cookie, and twisted his mouth into an uncomfortable frown.

“You should leave,” he finally said.

“What? Why?”

“Because this is a party and you’re bumming everyone out.”

“Wow, thanks for the sympathy.”

“Sympathy. Such a human emotion…” Ravi deadpanned. He finally flashed Sam a grin. “Okay. Fine. I’ll simplify this for you—why are you moping around here when you could be moping around Lillian? Get outta here. Go get the girl.”

Available on Amazon

**My thoughts**

It took me a couple of chapters to warm up to this book, as I am not one who dabbles in sci-fi and other "geek" topics. But then all of a sudden, I found myself head over heels in love with it and didn't want to put it down. 

Sam and Lillian are two of the realest characters I have read in a long time. It probably helps that they are about my age, a group which seems to be often overlooked in romance books. They have their fancy jobs, but with each other are completely willing to drop the facade and just be themselves. It's how so many of us live our lives. Sam may take the dual persona a little farther than the rest of us would, but he can afford to do so.

They are a doomed couple in some respects. Sam tends to be a playboy and Lillian is eager to do anything BUT get her heart stomped on by another man. And they literally legally aren't even supposed to be hanging out with each other, as Lillian's boss Preston and Sam have a nasty history. But they are drawn to each other from deep within and share a love for strange, horrible Christmas-themed horror movies being shown at the local independent theatre. It's not often that you find someone who shares your quirky hobbies, so of course they want to spend time together, even if it's "accidentally" bumping into each other.

They play almost a sort of chess game, doing a bit of a dance back and forth subtly teasing and flirting with each other, while also being cognizant of why they shouldn't be together. At the same time, they find themselves saying to hell with it because they are most free to be themselves and give a hefty boost to each other's self-esteem. Isn't that what we all want in our relationships? I enjoyed watching them stumble along, trying to figure it all out and rooted for them from the get-go.

In addition to our quirky starring couple, with whom I can see myself being friends with in real life, you have their even more quirky friends and family who add another layer of entertainment to the story. And then there are the settings. The town of Port Bristol is a clash between old-fashioned charm and new convenient technology. And the restaurants that Lillian visits while hanging out with her ex-boyfriend Richard made me laugh out loud at their descriptions. But most important is that theatre. I just wanted to go there and hang out, even if it meant watching weird Christmas horror movies like reindeer fighting wars with each other while speaking reindeer language.

I found out that there is going to be a second book in the series, and I am so excited for it. I want to go back to this town and hang out with these characters again.

About Jenn Hughes

Jenn Hughes writes romance with a heavy dose of humor. A lifelong love of all things sci-fi, combined with her day job in marketing, IT, and graphic design, infuses her writing with tech-centric and geeky references.

When not reading and writing, she enjoys spending time with her family and gardening at her home in North Carolina. You might also find her gaming, repairing computers and electronics, experimenting with mixed media art, or finishing furniture.

You can find her online at:

Author Website: jennhughesbooks.com

The Bristol Beagle, Port Bristol’s Trusted Source for News: portbristol.com

Twitter: twitter.com/jennhughesbooks

Instagram: instagram.com/jennhughesbooks

Jenn Hughes will be awarding a $50 Amazon/BN GC to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour.

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Book Tour Grand Finale for NY Doc Under the Northern Lights by Amy Ruttan

On Tour with Prism Book Tours

Welcome back! I had a lot of fun with this tour, being able to host it at three of my sites. I did a character interview, an author interview, and I reviewed the book. There's a lot more about this title for you to enjoy, and it's all collected here for you. Plus there's a giveaway at the end!

Book Tour Grand Finale for

NY Doc Under the Northern Lights

By Amy Ruttan

We hope you enjoyed the tour! If you missed any of the stops

you can see snippets, as well as the link to each full post, below:

Launch - Note from the Author

I knew for my twentieth novel I had to write something fun and special. And what is more fun than a fish out of water story? One of my favourite romantic comedies is The Proposal, which is a definite fish out of water. City girl in Alaska. And I also am obsessed with the north and that’s how NY Doc Under the Northern Lights came about...

Thoughts of a Blonde - Excerpt

Dr. Sturlusson didn’t seem the type to leave her high and dry, but perhaps something unavoidable had happened and he hadn’t been able to contact her.

She should’ve told him not to bother picking her up and she should’ve gone with the car-rental plan in the first place.

Betty glanced up at the signs overhead, trying to figure out where to go to rent a car when she saw something move out of the corner of her eye.

She looked over her shoulder and her mouth hung open a little as an over-six-foot Viking of a man came marching toward her. Quickly.

Andi's Book Reviews - Review

"...a fun twist on an old storyline that has all kinds of unique elements to keep the pages turning. I needed something easy and uplifting the weekend that I read it. And how can you beat spending time together under the famed Northern Lights?"

My Life Loves and Passion - Excerpt

“Dr. Jacinth?” he asked, almost in disbelief, his voice deep and rumbling.

“Yes. And who might you be?”

“Dr. Sturlusson,” he snapped back in annoyance. “I thought that would be obvious.”

“No, it’s not obvious. I’ve seen Dr. Sturlusson and he’s at least seventy. Are you telling me you’re seventy?”

He rolled his eyes. “You mean my father. I am Dr. Axel Sturlusson, his son.”

Declarations of a Fangirl - Guest Post

Northern Lights—FUN FACTS!!

So, I’m obsessed with the Northern Lights. The first time I saw them I was about 13 years old and even though I knew that the northern lights existed, I still didn’t know what I was looking at when I saw them...

Hearts & Scribbles - Excerpt

“Fine,” she said. “Lead the way.”

He looked down at her shoes. “You do know this is Iceland in winter?”

“I’m aware.”

“You’re wearing ridiculous heels.”

She glanced down at her boots. “They’re boots.”

“It’s icy outside,” he stated gruffly.

“Oh, I’m surprised to hear that a place called Iceland is icy,” she snapped back. She was too tired to be bandying words about with a gigantic behemoth of a Viking in the middle of the airport.

Books to Light Your Fire - Guest Post

An Interview with Dr. Axel Sturlusson

I’ve decided to poke and prod the hero of NY Doc Under the Northern Lights with an interview of sorts and he’s agreed, as long as I make it quick and he can get back to work.

*Axel walks in, arms crossed over his deep blue sweater, looking slightly annoyed*...

Jorie Loves A Story - Review

"The beauty of the novel is how it is a lesson in self-care, in the time we all need to heal and in the joyfulness of the unexpected. Ruttan pulls you into the lives of two surgeons who are each on the footsteps of re-finding themselves after their lives fractured. . . . As you move forward with them, your treated to a beautiful back-story of a family in crisis, a teenager who has a sharp wit and wisdom ahead of her years and the allure of Iceland itself. You won't want to exit this story until you find out what romanced a New York City doctor to become enchanted underneath the Northern Lights!"

E-Romance News - Guest Post

An Interview with Dr. Betty Jacinth.

Betty comes into the room. She’s bubbly and happy. She’s also visibly pregnant.

Thanks for letting me interview you today! I have to say Axel wasn’t amiable as you are...

Harlie's Books - Review

"The romance in the book is a slow burn and very subtle. Both Axel and Betty have battle scars that needed to heal before they could truly be together. . . . You just have to read the book to find out what I’m talking about."

Locks, Hooks and Books - Excerpt

Axel held out his arm, gesturing in the direction to the terminal doors, and she followed him, pulling her suitcase behind her. She was very aware of the sound of her heels against the airport floor, but she wasn’t going to back down to Axel Sturlusson. She hadn’t got where she was as a surgeon by backing down. She’d learned how to stand her ground.

Except when it came to Thomas. She’d let Thomas walk all over her and she hated herself for that.

Colorimetry - Excerpt

And her heart skipped a beat. It was as if those eyes had pierced her very soul. It was unsettling how much the intensity of his gaze affected her.

“I told you those were ridiculous boots. I knew that you were going to slip,” he grumbled as he set her upright.

“I didn’t see the ice,” she said, but she still clung to him.

“Well, you’re going to kill yourself walking around in those.”

Candrel's Crafts, Cooks, and Characters - Author Interview

What was the inspiration behind this book?

I really wanted to set a book in a different location and I’ve always wanted to go to Iceland. It also gave me an excuse to add my favourite thing to the story, which is the northern lights. I love the northern lights and have been privileged to see them countless times, including one special one where they were right above me and I was standing under them. I also love writing and reading fish out of water stories. It was fun to plop Betty down in the middle of Reykjavik and have to deal with my brooding, alpha hero.

Book Lover in Florida - Guest Post

Playlist

Playlists. I listen to music and I am very thankful for my Apple Music subscription. Every book I listen to a set playlist and I thought I would share some of my favourite songs that were on repeat when I was writing my 20th book NY DOC UNDER THE NORTHERN LIGHTS.

Jorie Loves A Story - Author Interview

1) What initially attracted you to write Medical Romances and what did you hope to focus on as you worked on new stories for the Harlequin imprint as it looks like you've had a lovely career writing for them?

I always wanted to write for Harlequin. I loved category romances and when I was actively pursuing writing for them I noticed that Harlequin Medicals was holding a Fast Track. A way to get your partial in front of an editor instead of waiting in the slush pile. I thought, why not? I love Grey’s Anatomy. I am a super fan of that show. So I thought, I can try my hand at it. I mean, you don’t know unless you try right? I wasn’t expecting much. I set my story in Nunavut (which is a territory in Canada up in the arctic) and I had a request for a revised partial. That turned into a request for a full. I had a few rounds of revisions and then I finally got an email asking for my phone number and when was it a good time to call? The rest was history. I love writing about surgeons. I love their intensity and drive.

Wishful Endings - Excerpt

“Treat you like what? I got you to the vehicle safely. This way you won’t be laid up with a broken ankle during your first month of work in Reykjavik. My father would not be happy if I let harm come to you.” He motioned for her to slide her legs into the foot well so he could shut the door.

Fuming, Betty begrudgingly did as he asked, her eyes tracking him as he climbed into the driver’s side and buckled in. He glanced at her.

Becky on Books - Review

"A sweet romance–this was actually my first medical romance, and it served as a nice intro to the genre! . . . an entertaining read."

Nicole's Book Musings - Guest Post

The Christmas Book Flood

The Icelandic Christmas tradition of Jolabokaflod is known as the Christmas Book Flood. This is one of the reasons I want to go to Iceland, because they love books as much as I do. I think the idea of exchanging books and spending the rest of the night curled up with that book and a cup of chocolate appeals to the introvert in me.

Inside The Mind of An Avid Reader - Review

"NY Doc Under The Northern Lights by Amy Ruttan is fabulous. I loved this sweet romance. Love at first sight between two people..."

Reading On The Edge - Excerpt

She clambered out of bed, jammed her glasses on her face, threw a sweater over her tank top, pulled on her heavy woolen socks and made her way downstairs, bumping into a wall as her eyes adjusted to the daylight.

She cursed under her breath and then peeked through the peephole and groaned when she saw a familiar six-foot Viking standing on her porch, looking just as good and put together as he had yesterday.

What does he want?

Teatime and Books - Review

"A truly amazing tale, the plot is thick with intrigue and passion and the characters are deeply developed. I'd highly recommend to anyone looking for a sweet, romantic story to warm your hearts this coming winter season!"

Don't forget to enter the giveaway below, if you haven't already...

NY Doc Under the Northern Lights By Amy Ruttan

Contemporary Romance

Paperback & ebook, 256 Pages

October 1st 2018 by Harlequin Medical

Escaping the big city…

For love under Icelandic skies

When surgeon Betty Jacinth’s heart is broken once again, she takes a job in Iceland for a change of scenery. She expects cold weather—but not the frosty welcome she receives from gorgeous but brooding Dr. Axel Sturlusson! Now father to his orphaned niece, Axel gradually thaws, and a flame ignites—but when Betty’s ex begs her to return, can she make the right choice for love?

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About the Author

Born and raised just outside of Toronto, Ontario, Amy fled the big city to settle down with the country boy of her dreams. After the birth of her second child, Amy was lucky enough to realize her life long dream of becoming a romance author. When she's not furiously typing away at her computer, she's a mom to three wonderful children who use her as a personal taxi and chef.

Website│Goodreads│Facebook│Twitter│Newsletter

Tour Giveaway

1 winner will receive a swag bag from Romancing the Capital 2018. It’s full of awesome swag from the event plus 3 of Amy's books: NY Doc Under the Northern Lights, A Date with Dr Moustakas, and The Surgeon King’s Secret Baby

Open to US only

Ends October 24th

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