Thank God for Jean - The Evolution of Beauty Within by Jae El Foster

Welcome to the book tour for Beauty Within by Jae El Foster! Do you know how important an editor is to the writing process? I can always tell when an author doesn't use an editor and when someone has a really good editor on their hands. Today, Jae El Foster talks about the importance of an editor and sings the praises of the one he uses. Find out what he has to say and then check out his latest book. Be sure to leave comments and questions all along the tour and download your own copy after you 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.

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I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again: Nothing is better than a good editor, and I have a great one. Without editors like Jean Watkins, our books would not see their potential.

The importance of an editor is extreme, and on my first attempt at a fairy tale, I needed an editor more than ever before. An editor’s job extends further than correcting a writer’s punctuation, grammar and spelling. They see things that we as the authors do not see, and they help us correct them, build on them, or eliminate them if needed. Some writers feel that an editor will rewrite their books, but they are so very wrong on that assumption. A good editor will guide your hand as your tweak your story to make it the best piece of fiction that it can be.

Beauty Within was a book that saw several incarnations on its road to publication. It was the first of several books to hold a clue in my Jae El Fandom Hardcore Easter Egg Competition, and that clue had to be worked seamlessly into the story and still point people in the right direction to the second clue (full details are at www.jaeelbooks.com/contests). I’d never held a contest before where I’d had to hide clues in my books, so this was a challenge for me, and my editor helped me make that clue flow along with the rest of the novel – like it should – but stand out enough to be noticed by participants in the competition.

When it comes to misspellings, sentences that don’t flow, and paragraphs that are too complicated, my editor spots what my own eyes do not see, and she helps me rework what needs to be reworked, and sometimes, that is all because of my dyslexia. In Beauty Within, Jean came across a typo – Sirpiece instead of masterpiece. Not only was Sirpiece – which is not a real word – capitalized, but it was used at least three times throughout the book. I don’t know what the word means or why I created it, but I’m thankful my editor questioned it.

There is a French hair stylist named Pierre that is introduced a few chapters into Beauty Within. His role is to provide my protagonist Natalie with a unique hairstyle for a ball. In the original draft, Pierre did not understand a lick of English and spoke only French, so every time he would speak in the book, his words were in French and poorly translated to Natalie via her nemesis Sarah. While I saw the humor in the conversational situation, my editor pointed out that the only people who would understand what was going on and would get it were me and people who spoke French. I hadn’t thought of that when writing the scene, and so Pierre became a Frenchman with a bad English accent that my readers still enjoyed.

Jean and I worked our way through two – maybe three – edits of Beauty Within until all corrections had been made and the story flowed without pause or loss of flow. Yet, on my final read-through, when the book was set for publication, I realized Beauty Within was not finished. It didn’t feel finished. It lacked something – something big – and it had to do with the ending.

The original ending of Beauty Within is still there, but it is no longer the ending to the book. I drafted a whole new ending, adding a few more chapters onto the otherwise ready-to-go manuscript, and dropped it back to Jean.

The new twist in Beauty Within was so unexpected that even she admitted surprise to it. Yet, even as these new chapters did not much affect what we’d already edited and corrected, they had to be fixed from errors and inconsistencies, and the book as a whole had to be reread as well.

My editor has seen the best of my writing and the worst of my writing. She is why Beauty Within evolved into the wonderful fairy tale that it is, and she is why most of my writing is seamless and makes sense. I do not make life easy on her – especially with my first drafts and sudden ‘hey I had a’ thoughts. Yes, she’s a trooper, and if I have one piece of advice for any and every author out there, it is to get out there and find an editor. And when you do, hope that he or she is as good as Jean Watkins.

By the way – you might be able to tell – I did not let Jean edit this Guest Post beforehand.

My thanks to Books to Light Your Fire for hosting me today! Thanks also to Goddess Fish Promotions and DCL Publications for making this possible. Also, to those of you who have swung by to see what’s up, I hope you enjoy what you see. Thanks for stopping by!

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Beauty Within

An enchanted mask. A harrowing castle. A reclusive dark lord. With the helping hand of the village witch, these three ingredients form a spell that will warm your heart as much as it chills it. Madame Howell makes her second appearance in Jae El Foster’s literary universe in this fairy tale that puts a new twist on an old classic. When a village maiden finds herself in a forbidden castle, she discovers that its sole occupant might be less of a monster than he has been made out to be. However, dark secrets and black magic are afoot, and a ‘happily ever after’ could turn disastrous. Will true love conquer all, or will a dark power make their world come crumbling down?

Read an excerpt:

Hanging his head low, he sighed with a deep sadness, and in a bout of self-anger, he jerked his head up to the ceiling and cried out with an agony and a rage that he had never expressed with such intenseness. His scream ran long, and it echoed loudly throughout every hall and chamber of the castle and even into the blackened air outside. When this scream fell silent, he cried out once again, this time falling down to his knees in bitter self-loathing. His hands fell across his face, touching upon the scars that had sealed his doom. Running his fingers from his face to his hair, he grabbed two fistfuls of the golden locks and pulled hard, adding pain to his already crippling misery.

“Lest he who hath created his hell perish in his hell…” he whispered as the tears began to dry from his eyes. Then, with a leap, he rose to his feet and crossed the foyer to the staircase. With slow, steady movements, he began up the stairs, formulating in his thoughts what his next actions would be. His mind was hazy and in a fog, and thinking made his head only hurt more.

The stairs seemed to continue up for an eternity, but he was used to the climb and he made it to the belfry of his castle with practiced ease. There, he rushed past the old brass bell that had not rang in many, many years, and he forced his hands to brace him as he stopped abruptly at the stone encasing that prevented him from falling to his death below.

With tear-stained cheeks, he stared down at the foggy ground, barely able to see the dirt of the hill. He looked over just slightly and gazed at the village of Foliage, which was completely lost in the night and the thick of the fog surrounding it. The wind still blew with massive force, rocking against his chilled body but never once ringing the bell behind him. Had the bell decided to ring, it would have rocked up against him with enough strength that he would have been pushed from the belfry and down to the ground below, shattering every bone in his body.

This thought chilled him more than the powerful wind, and he held himself in his arms as he tried to find the cottage of the mistress with the mask. Even though he could see none of the buildings contained within Foliage, he knew now the exact location of the fair maiden’s home, and he stared in that direction for the longest of time.

“What I would give,” he whispered, releasing fog with his breath, “just to touch you… to hold you… to share but one dance with you.”

Available on Amazon 

About Jae El Foster

Jae El Foster is an author with whom you question going to bed with at night, but you dare to venture beneath the sheets with him anyway. As the venture concludes, you are perhaps romanced by it, or perhaps you are frightened by it. Don’t worry, because you are always satisfied by it. Despite the title or genre of the book, Jae El sets out to please you with climatic and unexpected conclusions that will make you tremble with emotion. Hop aboard the Jae El train and give it a good ride.

Author Links:

Website: https://www.jaeelbooks.com

Twitter: https://twitter.com/jaeelbooks

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/authorjaeelfoster/

Google+: https://plus.google.com/communities/105715668467648152419

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jaeelfoster/

Amazon Author’s Page: http://www.amazon.com/author/jaefoster

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/4540432.Jae_El_Foster

Blog 1: https://www.jaeelbooks.com/blog

Blog 2: https://thoughtsbyjaeelfoster.wordpress.com/

Jae El Foster will be awarding a $25 Amazon or Barnes and Noble GC to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour.

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How to Handle Negative Criticism by Sophia Karlson, author of Perfect Mistake

Welcome to the book tour for Perfect Mistake by Sophia Karlson! We have all kinds of fun posts for you here. Read interviews and guest posts. Here, Sophia talks about handling rejection. You can also check out excerpts and reviews. Leave your comments and questions along the way while you also take advantage of multiple chances to enter the giveaway!

Note that affiliate links may be present. Should you make a purchase through one, I may earn a small commission at no additional cost to you.

How to handle negative criticism

When doing anything creative there will always be criticism and writing is no different. Criticism is an opinion, and highly subjective. It’s hard to receive negative criticism on something that came from the heart. I always remind myself that no statue has ever been set up in honor of a critic. Since none of us can escape negative criticism, we must make the most of any that comes our way. Go in with an open eye, a sound ear, a python skin, and your tongue in your cheek.

If you are going to get a beta reader, make sure the person you ask actually reads your genre. My husband is my biggest supporter, but hasn’t read a single page I’ve ever written. He only recently glanced over the e-book version of my book, and mentioned on the side that he likes the nice dedication. When I ask him for advice on plot (or anything really), his recommendations are limited to bringing in Pirates, Zombies, Nazis, or Harry Potter. Not in that order, and sometimes all together at once. Funny, but not very useful.

Find a serious but kind cheerleader. Friends who read your genre are great, especially if they can be honest about the writing too. Fellow writers make the best beta readers and critique partners, because they know the effort that goes into writing a book, they know when something works and when it doesn’t – but the most important thing is, they would know WHY something doesn’t work. And then how to fix it. When we get to make our baby, we get blind to its faults – everybody wants a perfect child. Some drafts need to be put away for a long time before you have the feeling for the issues in a manuscript. And then you need guts and energy to actually fix it.

Not everybody is going to like your book. Make peace with that on their behalf. Luckily they didn’t spend a fortune on your book – imagine this was a bed they bought and had to sleep on for the next twenty years. Take from their comments what you can use, and let it simmer. Some good writing advice come in the form of negative criticism and one only recognize it for what it is after having digested the negative criticism.

Some people just don’t grant you a bit of sunshine. Well, tomorrow is another day and the sun is already up in Australia! Let it go and move on and go catch a tan.

Perfect Mistake

Simone Levin had a dream job as a safari pilot until an unexpected pregnancy clipped her wings. Tired of juggling motherhood with her demanding flight schedule, Simone applies for an office job, unaware that her new boss is Carlo Carlevaro, the man who’d ditched her before finding out he’d knocked her up. Carlo returns to East Africa only to kill another fire—Ivory trafficking from his lodges threatens to destroy his company. Finding Simone back on the payroll comes as a pleasant surprise. As his employee, Simone is off-limits, but she is the only one he trusts to help with his undercover investigation. With time running out, Simone and Carlo strive to expose the trafficking ring, but working together rekindles their mutual desire. When Simone is implicated as a trafficker, revealing her daughter’s existence to Carlo seems inevitable. Acting on her instincts might come too late as the syndicate retaliate and hone in their threat. Will they survive to give their love a chance?

Read an excerpt:

She glanced at him but had to look away from the intensity of his eyes, which held her with such dearness that she knew he’d spoken of her. Inwardly she trembled, her murmur of need escalating to an oscillating quake.

“Simone, there’s something you’re not telling me. If you are in trouble, please–”

She extracted her fingers from his, but he cupped her elbow in his hand. She felt like crying, but the only sound that slipped out was a strangled choke as she jerked away from him. “I’m in no trouble, thank you.” Four years too late for that one.

She wanted to laugh but it hurt too much. She had to phone her mom, but it would only be to confirm her suspicions. Her mother had never passed on the message that Carlo had phoned. Her eyes misted over and she had to blink, looking away. “I just wish someone could show me where I’m to sleep tonight.”

With me. He didn’t say the words, but they hung between them, heavy and drenched.

She curled her fingers into her palms, her nails cutting into her skin. Any physical pain that would stop her from showing him where it truly ached. “It’s such a fine bloody line, Carlo. Please understand.” She swallowed the last words, biting hard on her lip to transfer the pain that had settled underneath her heart.

Buy links

Amazon / Barnes and Noble

About Sophia Karlson

Sophia Karlson has lived in France, Germany, East Africa, Madagascar (not the movie, the country) and now finds herself back on home ground in South Africa. As a teenager, she devoured romances with far flung settings, loving to travel through books. After school her itchy feet took her around the world, but now she doesn’t get much further than the school run and the daily walk with her very demanding beagle. She writes contemporary and erotic romance, wanting to take readers on a journey of their own. She loves hearing from readers, follow her on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/sophia.karlson.5, Twitter: @SophiaKarlson, on the web at www.sophiakarlson.com.

https://twitter.com/sophiakarlson

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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Tips for Dealing With Rejection - Guest Post by Joan C. Curtis, author of 'e-Murderer'

Tips for Dealing with Rejection—My Personal Advice

Rejection. With trembling hands we open the email only to find the familiar words, "So sorry, but this isn't for us."

What do you do next?

When I began putting my words on paper, I was a young English student. I expected rejection and ridicule. I had no lofty belief that my English teacher would read what I wrote and rave about my brilliance. Instead, I expected (and rightly so) criticism. At that point in my life, I realized that writing is fraught with the prospect of rejection.

Never did I realize then what I know now--that rejection is a part of a writer's life. Each time a perfectly crafted query goes unnoticed or worse still in the slush pile, I cringe and hide my head. More than once, I've given up on the project and allowed it to disappear among my long list of documents, unread and forgotten.

Withstanding rejection is one of the hardest things any artist has to learn to do. Whether you're a painter, artisan of jewelry, writer or performer, there are people out there who will not love your work. Those people tend to drive us nuts.

As a stand-up trainer I face audiences all the time, and I've learned a thing or two about rejection.

1) For every person out there who frowns at you, there are fifteen who are smiling.

2) If we focus on the frowns, we will not only become paralyzed, but we will also fail those smiling faces.

3) Sometimes the frowns are misinterpreted. Sometimes even they are smiling underneath the frown.

4) Those who persist win.

I'm trying to adapt these insights to my writing endeavors. When someone rejects my work, I remind myself that agent or publisher or reader is not rejecting me. If I persist, maybe someone will look up from the page and smile.

My best personal advice for handling rejection? Keep writing, keep submitting and set up a rejection file.

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e-Murderer

On this anything but typical Monday morning Jenna Scali, who works part-time for a shrink, opens an email that depicts the brutal death of a young girl. On that same day the police uncover a dead coed two blocks from Jenna’s house. The e-murderer’s description creepily echos the death described in the newspapers.

When Jenna receives other emails, she takes what she knows to the police and thus begins her journey in the path of the e-murderer. Her curious nature impels her from e-messages to dead coeds to a ring of prostitutes. With the help of her quirky friends, Jenna learns that she’s more than a conduit for the killer. She’s his target. New secrets unfold, and finally her love life takes a tumble when the true killer emerges.

THE E-MURDERER is a race to find a psychotic killer before he kills again.

This new mystery series with a young female sleuth promises to keep you glued to your seat until the last page.

Buy on Amazon / Barnes and Noble / Kobo Books / MuseItUp Publishing

The author is giving away two prizes: One, a $15 Amazon or BN Gift card (their choice) and Two, a signed copy of the award-winning book, The Clock Strikes Midnight.

About the author:

Joan is an award-winning writer who has published 6 books and numerous stories. Readers compare her to the great Southern writer, Fanny Flagg. “She writes characters and a story that will stay with you.”

Her debut mystery/suspense novel, The Clock Strikes Midnight, won the silver medal for fiction/suspense in the Global eBook Awards for 2015 and is a finalist for the Royal Palm Literary Award. The e-Murderer won first place in the Malice Domestic Grants competition for new writers.



Joan has been an avid reader for as long as she can remember. She reads all kinds of books, including women’s fiction, mysteries, biography, and nonfiction. Mystery/suspense with a psychological twist is exactly the kind of book Joan loves to read.

"I write about characters who remind me of myself at times and my sister at times, but never fully so. My stories are told from a woman's point of view with a destiny. Characters drive my writing and my reading."

Having grown up in the South with a mother from Westchester County New York, Joan has a unique take on blending the Southern traditions with the eye of a Northerner. She spent most of her childhood in North Carolina and now resides in Athens, Georgia.

Author website: http://www.joancurtis.com | Author’s blog: http://www.joancurtis.com/blog

Facebook Author page: http://www.facebook.com/joanccurtisauthor | Twitter page: @joancurtis http://www.twitter.com/joancurtis

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So, you think you want to be a writer? by Ella Adamian, author of 'His Name Is Kilian'

So you think you want to be a writer

Starting Out As a Writer – 5 Things You Should Know

1. People might hate your book.

And many of them will be vocal about it. Many will hate the storyline. Or the characters. Or your writing style. Or the lack of it. And many will miss the point. But you can’t sit near each of your readers and explain to them what you meant or what your characters meant. Try to write as good as possible, treat your readers with respect, and remember that you are not your book. If a reader didn’t like it, it doesn’t mean they don’t like you.

2. People might love your book.

You might think it’s the best thing that can happen to a writer. Readers loved your book. Yay! They send you emails and ask about the sequel. And you feel yourself the happiest writer in the world. Then your blood runs cold. Can you do that again? Will you be able to write something as good? Will your muse stay with you till the end? Your readers have certain expectations now, what if they will be disappointed. What if they want the ending you hadn’t planned? How are you going to deal with the pressure, with the fear of failing?

3. You might be stoned and bullied.

Internet has let the bullies loose. The World Wide Web is teemed with all the types of bullies (and psychos). Many will use insults you didn’t know existed, will stone the book that took you months to write and cost you $$ (considering your book is well edited and has a good cover). You might feel devastated. You love constructive criticism, but you hadn’t signed up for internet abuse. These people aren’t called trolls for no reason. And remember that the trolls should not be fed.

4. You won’t get away with things that famous authors get away with.

Why? Because you’re not famous. Or maybe because you’re labeled as an indie author. Or because someone wasn’t in the mood today. Or just because. Stephen King has an orgy scene involving six 12-year-olds in one of his books. Do you think you’ll get away with something like that? I highly doubt it.

5. You will be terrified from the amount of competition.

80.000 new books are published on Amazon every month. And the old ones don’t go anywhere. There might come a day when there will be more books than readers. What do you plan doing then?

And tonight, after you write down 5000 words, then go to bed and prepare to sleep, think about this: do you still want to be a writer?

If your answer is YES, then welcome to the family! :))

His Name Is Killian

Erotic Romance
Date Published: November 25, 2014

Killian Stone paints harpies.

Killian Stone is not into vanilla sex.

Killian Stone suffers from mood swings.

Killian Stone has done something very bad.

The day the painter approaches her on the bridge and asks her to pose for him is the beginning of a lust Melissa won’t be able to bridle. When Killian Stone offers her a month of submission, she’s already too captivated to turn him down. His unhinged sexuality lets her explore her own dark fantasies, but his anger outbursts are scary and devastating. As the time goes by, Melissa realizes there’s something more than just irritability and anger. He has done something which doesn’t let him rest.

Read an excerpt:

Killian didn’t say more but ran after Melissa. She had almost reached the exit. When she saw the already familiar erotic images over the walls, she rushed forward, stumbled upon the iron door, told the guard to open it, and threw herself out of the building. The yellow light of the street pole hurt her eyes after they had been too long in the dark. She looked up, as if searching for solace in the dark skies, and at last took a deep breath of the cold air.

“Melissa!” she heard his voice behind. She didn’t turn. Instead, she took a step, but her legs were losing their strength, and she felt weak in the knees.

“Baby.” He was close now, and she turned around and pushed him in the chest.

“Damn it! What the hell was all that for? What for?”

Laughing, Killian tried to envelop his arms around her, but she shrank back.

“Come here.” He made another attempt to hug her and met resistance again. “Come, stop it. Let me hug you, and you’ll calm down.”

“Leave me!” she yelled louder as Killian forced his arms around her. “Leave me, you…pervert.”

“Baby, sweet thing, little angel, I’m sorry if it scared you,” Killian muttered, pressing her to his chest and rubbing her back. “I didn’t think you were so impressionable. Those were just S and M games in a BDSM dungeon.”

“You said it was a museum!” she cried out, trying to get out of his grip. Killian held her tighter, and her efforts became more vigorous.

“Calm down,” he said, feeling her tears on his neck.

“Why would you do that to me?”

“Calm down.”

“Let me go! I can’t stand you!” She pushed him harder, but the steel arms weren’t letting her free. The claustrophobic feeling was back again, and Lessi pushed him with all her force. At last he loosened his grip but didn’t let her slip through his hands and kept her at an arm’s length by her shoulders.

“Calm down, nothing bad has happened,” he said as she again tried to get out of his arms.

“Here, hit me.” Killian cupped her hands in his and balled her palms into fists. “Hit me, and you’ll feel better,” he said, hitting her hands against his chest.

Melissa tried to pull her hands back, but he tightened his grip and once again hit himself with her fists. “Do it! You’re so mad with me. Hit me and you’ll feel better.”

“Stop it.”

“Hit me!”

Available on Amazon

About Ella Adamian

Ella Adamian lives in a small country named Armenia and writes in English. She also hides her identity, so that the local law enforcement bodies won’t fine or detain her for her explicit erotic novel “His Name is Killian.” Currently she’s working on the sequel of her first book.

Google +: https://plus.google.com/u/0/105370046570786569547/posts

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Advice for up and coming writers from Teri Riggs, author of 'Resolutions'

My Advice for Up and Coming Writers

There are so many things I’ve learned on my journey as a writer and so much more to learn. I’ve decided writing is a career you’ll never learn everything about. Right when you think you’ve got it all down pat, BOOM, another lesson is learned. Writing is an ongoing search for knowledge. I believe a writer just beginning their journey could benefit from my three favorite tips.

Tip Number One: Read. Read. Read. You can never read enough books. We all have our favorite genres. My advice is to write in the genre you love to read. I don’t read Steampunk. This doesn’t mean I don’t like the genre, it means I know absolutely nothing about it. How could I possibly write about a something I know zero about? If I tried I’d end up on the floor in a heap of frustration, tearing out my hair. If I happened to actually finish the book, my readers would most likely toss me on the floor and pull out my hair, right before they killed me. Okay, maybe that’s bit overkill. None-the-less, the book would be a nightmare. I could do the research, but I feel it’s not the same as reading books, watching shows, or living the genre. I can’t do it.

Tip Number Two: Take the advice of editors, beta readers, and critique partners. You may not always like or use their suggestions, but at least be open-minded. If you don’t want their advice, why ask for it to begin with? I know this first hand. I submitted one of my manuscripts to several editors and publishers. They all seemed to have plenty of suggestions. Some were awesome, some not so much. I noticed one particular suggestion I wasn’t a big fan of was offered over and over. Okay, I decided, maybe these people with the similiar critiques are on to something. I made the change and the next publisher I sent the MS to, offered me a contract.

Yep, there may be something to this. Again, you may not always make or like the changes—that’s your choice, but when more than one or two editors, critique partners, or beta readers mention the same problem, you should take a closer look at the glitch.

Tip Number Three: Never give up! No matter how many times you hit a wall while writing and need a break, get your butt back in the chair as soon as you can. I’m not talking the let me grab a coffee kind of break here. I’m talking a break that goes on for days. Your manuscript is not going to get written while you’re playing hooky.

Never give up! No matter how many rejections letters you get. I always say I have enough rejections to wall paper a small bathroom. Rejections hurt. But in the end you have to pick yourself up and park your rear back in the seat. If you’re lucky, you’ll eventually get rejected by an editor who takes a moment to tell you what they see as a problem. Like I said in tip #2, think their ideas over and see if maybe they’re right. You have to roll with the punches and grow thick skin if you want to be a writer.

Did I mention, never give up! Remember if you don’t swing the bat, you’ll never hit a homerun.

Resolutions

By Teri Riggs

BLURB:

DEA agent Eve Taylor has had her fill of alpha males. When Resolutions’ operative and former lover, Dillon “Mac” McKenna, threatened her hard-earned independence, she ran. On a mission to gather evidence against a Colombian drug-lord, Eve discovers the drug-lord is helping terrorists plan an attack on American soil. Before she can escape with the vital information, she’s captured and comes face to face with her mortality…

As a teen, Mac watched his family fall apart after his mother died doing dangerous U.N. work. The possibility of losing Eve to a mission ignited an overwhelming need to protect her. When he forced her to choose him or her job, she walked away. Two years later, it seems all his nightmares have come true and he’s tasked with rescuing her from a Colombian prison. Mac has never stopped loving Eve, but does he dare risk his heart when he’s so terrified of losing…

On the run, Mac and Eve must learn to trust each other again in order to stay alive.

Read an excerpt:

Occasional bursts of gunfire echoed in the distance as the distorted voices of Mendoza’s men moved closer. The damned monkey started chattering again. She flipped onto her back and forced her breathing and heart rate to slow. The night’s stars faded into the orange-red sky of morning sunrise and a welcomed calm washed over her. For the first time in her life, Eve wished she was still back home in Duncan Falls, Iowa with her four overprotective brothers. The Alpha Four, she called them. They’d be royally pissed if she didn’t somehow get out of this mess.

Her mind turned to thoughts of Mac, the only man she’d ever loved. Maybe he’d been right after all. Maybe she wasn’t cut out for this line of work. Maybe she did need him. So many maybes.

Eve closed her eyes and the maybes and darkness took her.

Available on Amazon

AUTHOR INFORMATION:

Teri Riggs was destined to be a writer. As a small girl she didn’t read bedtime stories, she made up her own. Who needed Little Red Riding Hood or The Three Little Pigs when there were so many great tales bouncing around in her head? When she grew up and became a mother to three little girls, she continued the tradition of making up bedtime stories. On the occasions she chose to tell conventional fairytales, Teri usually gave them a bit of tweaking here and there or added a new ending. Her girls loved it.

After her daughters had the nerve to actually grow up and leave home, Teri discovered she had a passion for writing and jumped right in. It came as no surprise she chose to write mysteries and happily-ever-after’s since that’s the genres she loves to read.

Teri lives in Marietta, Georgia with her husband, one of her daughters and two dogs that seem to think they rule the world. And some days Teri thinks maybe they do.

Teri still frequently tells herself stories as she falls asleep. The only difference now is she wakes up the next morning and turns her bedtime stories into books.

Links:

Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/The-Eyes-Die-Last-ebook/dp/B005Z5FZGE/ref=sr_1_1?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1346084828&sr=1-1

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Teri-Riggs/329379907142621

Twitter: @TeriLRiggs

Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/terilriggs

Teri is giving away a $50 Amazon gift card. Enter the Rafflecopter and follow the tour for more chances to win!

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Ann B. Harrison, author of 'Two for One' shares her humble beginnings as a writer

My humble beginnings as a writer

I never set out to be a writer. My favourite thing was snuggling up in a corner with a good book to read, my idea of heaven. Being the lazy person I am, it was easier to leave all the creative stuff to those that knew what they were doing.

Until that day - the day I woke up with a sentence running around in my head. It was like the bad song that won’t go away, the song that annoys the heck out of you and won’t let go. Each day the sentence grew until I was pondering my sanity. Over a chance discussion with my kids-in-law I mentioned my dilemma.

“Write it down.” Sure, easier said than done.

I set my office up, shut the door and sat in front of my computer. Blank, absolutely nothing happened. Guess this wasn’t the way after all, I mused. So I set about doing what I normally did, looking after children from home and ignored the little voices. My computer came out onto the kitchen bench again and things started to happen.

In between wiping dribbles and feeding youngsters the words started to flow. When the little wildlings were sleeping, the characters came to life at a rate of knots that scared me. It was a huge learning curve being a writer. Once I had my first book published it became easier. I had the support of my publisher and the wider writing community.

In eighteen months, I had six books published and more sitting waiting for edits. My brain has not stopped since. Its rather amusing, once you give that first story life the rest follow right on its tails.

What I find hardest now, is finding time for snuggling with those books that keep me company. It’s my alone time to recharge my batteries. But you know what? I wouldn’t change it for anything. I love doing what I do.

Two For One – Book One in the Club Series

by Ann B. Harrison

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

BLURB:

Nothing is going Lizzie’s way. Her sex life is unsatisfying, her job sucks and she has more debt than she needs thanks to her loser brother. Against her better judgment, she lets her best friend sign her up to be auctioned off at a high-rolling venue called the Club. Agreeing to a weekend of adventurous sex with a stranger is one thing, but being bought by the brothers who own the Club means Lizzie is up for a weekend beyond her wildest fantasies.

Ryan and Lizzie hit it off, in bed and out, but it’s his quiet brother, Trace, that has her heart pounding and her panties in a twist. But is Lizzie what Trace needs? Having been burned before, will he take a chance on what his heart is telling him or trust his instincts and send her home after their weekend is over?

Read an excerpt:

“That can’t be legal, surely. And even if it was, no. No way am I going to let you auction me off to the highest bidder for a weekend of sex.” Lizzie sat stunned on the couch, her gaze on Bel.

“Do you have a better idea? There is no way you can lay your hands on that sort of money in a hurry anywhere else, not unless you become a drug mule or something totally gross.” Bel pouted her lips in distaste.

“And being sold for sex isn’t on your gross-out meter?”

“No, of course not. Sex is natural anyway, and you’re always complaining you never get anything worth talking about. Why not use your God-given charms to earn a decent living. It’s not like you have to do it all the time, but this auction is a big deal.” Bel ran a finger down a long, slim leg, feigning disinterest, and then looked up with a smile. 

“All the high rollers come out to play, and there are some very hot guys amongst them too, I might add.”

Available on Amazon

AUTHOR Bio and Links:

Ann swears she was born with a book in her hands and has never put it down. A lifelong love of reader has finally culminated in achieving her dream of writing...and publication.

She lives in the beautiful Hunter Valley with her own handsome hero of many years. Ann has always loved the ups and downs of life in small communities and she shares this with readers in her rural romances.

Strong sexy heroines with a good dash of sass thrown in feature in her stories. Of course these women need an equally strong hero. Bring on the outback hero and watch the passion ignite.

When not writing Ann enjoys reading, gardening, walking her very large dog Hugo and fighting with her computer.

https://www.facebook.com/pages/Ann-B-Harrison-Author/311207972338638

https://twitter.com/AnnBHarrison

https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/5929783.Ann_B_Harrison

http://www.annbharrisonromance.com/

http://www.annbharrisonromance.com/ten-minutes-with.html

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What does author Tigris Eden's ('Bonded in Shadows') office look like?

What does your office look like…. 

A HOT MESS!

There is no rhyme or reason to my office at the moment. If you saw it, you’d tuck tail and turn the other way. There are boxes everywhere and books strewn across my floor open or dog eared on various pages. I have a huge book of Synonyms that sits at my feet and I pick up all the time that its starting to fall apart…

There is an open box of Grape-Nuts that I chew on as well as about three empty ones next to my over flowing trash can… Granted the trash just has paper in it, but it’s still over flowing. I have two laptops and four screens total that I can work from at any given time. Posters of my books, two white boards. One small the other one huge. I have a swim chart of post it notes on my wall of various sizes for the next book I’m currently working on. Beneath that is a cubby with, well, cubbies… two office chairs one I use as a desk the other I sit in and I have book cases over flowing with books and then there is the dreaded closet….. OMG Its stuffed full with books I should probably donate to the library but refuse to part with because I swear I’m going to read them again… That’s my office in a nutshell…

Paranormal Romance
Date Published: 5/6/2014

Blurb:

When a family celebration threatens to turn into a disaster, there is only one person to blame- Asia Thompson, a member of the pack who also holds the title of Draven’s former first love.

After fighting almost impossible odds, Jes and Draven are finally together, but emotions are high strung now that Asia has shown up unannounced with the intention to take what she thinks she’s entitled to, including Draven.

Dealing with the protocol of Draven’s pack leaves a sour taste in Jes’ mouth. She’s battled every inner demon she has in order to be with her man. She wants their family to be first, not second which is easier said than done when she feels Draven is choosing his pack over family.

The pack has a way of digging their claws into their happily ever-after, pulling Draven further and further from his family’s needs. With Asia’s manipulative schemes combined with the conflict over their daughter’s birthday ritual, the couple’s bond is truly tested.

Join the members of Shadow Unit as they celebrate Family, in Bonded in Shadows a Shadow Unit Novella.

Read an excerpt:

“Dude, you totally fucked up. Had I done something like that, Bells would have my nuts crushed between her palms.” 

Royce wasn’t making the situation better, Draven thought to himself. Yeah, he fucked up, had admitted he fucked up, but she still wanted to sulk in it. He was not that guy. You fucked up, you apologized, and you moved on. Not dwell on it. 

Ronin as always was silent. 

“Who is this Asia broad anyway? And why did she think it was okay to climb you like a stripper pole?” 

Did he really have a good answer for the second half of Royce’s question? Nope. 

“My ex-girlfriend. We were going to be mated until she left me for my brother Aidan.” 

“Fuck.” Ronin said under his breath. Royce pulled out one of his red cigarettes lighting it, he took a puff, spit out some of the stuffing that stuck to his lips before coughing. 

Yeah, that pretty much summed it up. He was fucked. 

Royce placed a hand on his shoulders while blowing out his smoke. His eyes filled with concern. 

“That’s tough. Why would she come here now?” 

“My father has it in his head I should be with her instead of Jes. That’s the only thing I can think of, the only thing that makes sense. It doesn’t help that Jes and I haven’t exchanged blood. I’ve marked her, but that was it. I don’t smell like her, but she smells like me. To the pack she isn’t even recognized as my mate, more so because she’s not a Lycan. It’s like saying she’s my mistress” 

“Well fucking exchange blood.” Ronin said. To the point. Problem fixed. He had an answer for everything. It wasn’t like Draven had no intention of doing that, but she’d gone bat-shit crazy back at the house. His anger made him leave, If he’d stayed he would have said worse things. He was a hot-head, he knew that, but he wasn’t going to take it out on her. Never. 

He was reminded of how they’d run into each other back when she was looking to escape her ex-husband. She’d been scared of him then. She’d also been human. But because of what some bastard did to her while she’d been trapped in that warehouse, torturing her for his own pleasure, she was now immortal. Her life no longer fleeting. Now she didn’t care who the male was, if they did something she didn’t like, she went ballistic. He’d seen her fight in the cage the night she’d almost died at Enri’s hands. She’d been ruthless and hadn’t even used her full power. A small part of him didn’t wish this kind of life for her or his daughter, but a bigger part of him was glad they were with him. He was selfish for thrusting Jes into his world without explaining the intricacies of pack law. He’d reasoned they’d only be here a few days and after that everything would go back to normal. 

He’d been wrong.

Buy links

Amazon \ Barnes & Noble \ iTunes

About the author:

One of Tigris’ fondest memories, was in the sixth grade, when her teacher read her story, “The Case of The Missing Pepperoni”, out loud to the class. It was then she decided she wanted to be a writer when she grew up. But like all childhood dreams, reality has a way of crashing in and disrupting plans. But her imagination and the voices inside her head never stopped talking. Every dream she could remember was jotted down in her dream journals.

Tigris is currently working on the Shadow Unit Series, Romantic Tales: Bedtimes Stories, and has expanded on the Genesis Project which will now be a trilogy introduced in 2014.

Tigris is a military brat who’s done her fair share of travelling, thanks to her Army father. She’s married to the infamous LL and has three boys. She currently resides in Houston and is actively seeking a book-buddy for the end of the world.

You can find Tigris on Twitter, Facebook, and at her website.

Website: authortigriseden.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TigrisEdenAuthor
Twitter: Tigris_Eden
Blog: tigriseden.com

"How to write a steamy sex scene" by Judy Serrano, author of 'Linked'

How to write a steamy sex scene

When I first started writing, I wondered how much I could actually get away with as far as sex scenes go. I read all kinds of books where the sex scenes were “dirty” or a little out of my comfort zone. So, I decided to change it up a bit. I think that dirty language is simply a lack of creativity. Sex can be exciting without being dirty. Christian couples must have sex. If they bring up children, their secret is out. So, how do I create sex scenes without crossing the line?

First of all, sexy love scenes are enjoyable as long as people become engaged. So far, I have written all my novels in the first person. I do this so that people will feel what my main character is feeling and identify with him or her. Once they feel engaged, they get aroused. No explicit craziness is necessary, just good old-fashioned lovemaking. Maybe there is kissing, caressing, and even a little delayed release. It is all about pleasure. If the reader feels the intimacy and the anticipation, the reader will be experiencing all the excitement that the protagonist is feeling. There is nothing wrong with that. These kinds of experiences usually bring the reader closer to their significant other, which is my intention.

So, a little sex in the morning, afternoon, or evening is totally acceptable. Sex scenes that are identifiable, moving, and maybe create a little fantasy, can only spark a relationship that needs a little facelift. So dig your fingers into his hair, or wrap your lips around his… fingertips. Live to love, love to live, no matter how you do it, make sure you read about it first. Get yourself a little love in the afternoon.

About Linked

Daphne Foster is a substitute teacher stuck in an English class, waiting for that dreaded parent-teacher conference. With much preparation and anxiety, she encounters the unforgettable Charlie Cross. His charm and good looks, win her over but rumors of his involvement with organized crime make his continued disappearances disturbing.

In walks Heathcliff Vanderpool, creating a love triangle of unusual sorts. Unknown to Daphne, Heathcliff and Charlie are old friends: Older than she could have imagined. With Charlie away on business, Daphne and Heathcliff discover a passion between them lying beneath the surface. As their souls link, pulling away from Charlie becomes next to impossible. Will his involvement in organized crime consume them both before she’s able to get free? When you become “linked,” the choice may not be your own.

-- Author of The Easter's Lilly Series and Linked published by Black Rose Writing Believe.com

Believe.com 
www.JudySerrano.com 
Amazon.com 
Dallas Parenting 
Dallas Book Reviews

Judy Serrano graduated from Texas A&M University, Commerce with a BA in English. She is a substitute teacher at her children’s school district and teaches developmental writing at a local college. She is also a freelance writer for certain on-line periodicals and does editing for indie authors. She is the author of The Easter’s Lilly Series, The Linked Series, and The Ivy Vines, Visions Series.

Although she is originally from New York, she currently resides in Texas with her husband, four children, (all boys) and five dogs. She is also a singer/songwriter in her spare time.

http://www.judyserrano.com/ 
Amazon.com  
Barnesandnoble.com 
Facebook 
Twitter 
Goodreads 
Smashwords with Black Rose Writing 
Smashwords, Ivy Vines, Visions

Post courtesy of Dark Scream Book Tours

International Giveaway

For a chance to win One of Ten e-books of Easter's Lilly

The winner will be announced at the end of the tour.

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Balancing reality and romance with Maria K. Alexander, author of 'Untangle My Heart'

As a little girl, I fell in love with falling in love. I’d absorb as many books as I could that involved the girl getting swept off her feet by the prince on the white horse and carrying her off into the sunset.

Fun to read? Absolutely.

Realistic? Definitely not!

Reality is not the neatly packaged up happily-ever-after created in books. Real world heros do not always have six-pack abs, thick wavy hair, and sparkling blue eyes. Real world heroines don’t always have the perfect figure. While fiction doesn’t necessarily mirror real world, it is important to make your characters feel real. A reader should be able to identify with the characters. Whether it be their situation (i.e. tragedy in their past) or their family (i.e. large, noisy Italian family), a writer should invoke emotions from the reader that make them want to care about the characters and want them to get their happily-ever-after.

One way to help the reader relate to the characters is to give them flaws. Sometimes these weaknesses may hold the main characters back from achieving their happily-ever-after. In these cases, the character will need to overcome the flaw in order to find their happy. In the case of physical flaws, other characters will need to see beyond the flaw to the person inside. In either case, the story is about the character’s journey past life’s challenges to happiness.

So, how do you balance romance in real life with the fictional world?

I’m not sure you do. If real life had as many happily-ever-afters as there were in books, we wouldn’t be reading books. I read romantic fiction to take me to another place where good overcomes evil, and yes, where love prevails. I want a book that makes me feel happy when it’s over. I want to have faith that happiness does exist, even though I know real life is not a fairy tale.

For me, the balance is in not expecting to find the heros from the books I read in the real world. The perfect mate is not the same thing as the perfect mate for you. We all have flaws. But true love is about seeing beyond those flaws to the person inside. Not so different from a romance book, right? So maybe your husband forgets your birthday or your wedding anniversary. It happens. But maybe this is the same guy who will sit and entertain the kids while you do something for yourself. Maybe you’re both carrying that extra twenty pounds you can’t seem to shuck. So what? You can’t look for the ideal mate when looking for romance in real life. Look for the ideal mate for you.

I recently re-watched Disney’s Enchanted with my kids. And while this is a fictional fairy-tale, I like it because although the handsome prince is supposed to be Giselle’s true love, he isn’t. And who wouldn’t want James Marsden to come up from a manhole to rescue you? But no matter what they tried there was no chemistry between them, and when Giselle needed the magic of true love’s kiss to wake her, it wasn’t the handsome prince to the rescue. It was the flawed New Yorker with a boatload of baggage.

We define our own happily-ever-after and what works for one couple doesn’t work for another. My advice is not to measure your relationships based on fictional characters. There’s no harm in dreaming, though.

Thanks for visiting with me today. If you’re so inclined, please leave a comment and tell me about your real life hero or heroine.

Untangle My Heart

by Maria K. Alexander

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

BLURB:

When her marriage ended in tragedy, Kate DiFrancesco rebuilt her life, but has never gotten over the pain of what she lost. Seeking the help of an ex-lover ignites feelings she’s promised never to have again. She’ll need to untangle herself from dangers in her past in order to break the hard shell around her heart.

Edward Weston has a lot to prove, both to his stuffy upper-crust British family, and to himself. Working alongside Kate, a woman he had a casual relationship with, stirs unexpected feelings. Helping her family makes him realize what he's missing. For the first time, he wants more than a one-night stand.

When Kate is threatened, Edward must overcome feeling unworthy to protect the woman he loves and fight for the family he never thought he’d have.

Read an excerpt:

Edward raised an eyebrow toward her. “Are you sure you’re up for sledding?” he asked, with a glance down at her black high-heeled boots.

She shot him a challenging look. “Only if we race against you.”

“Me?”

“Lucas and I against you. Loser buys dinner.”

He studied her, almost as though he were weighing how he could turn this contest in his favor. Then he turned to Lucas. “Why don’t you grab two sleds, sport, while I negotiate with Kate?”

Lucas nodded and ran off.

Edward hooked his fingers in her jacket pockets and pulled her closer. “How about if I win, you go on a date with me?”

“That’s playing dirty.”

“Very well. You can explain to Lucas why we’re not racing.”

“I can’t do that. Just look at how excited he is.” She nodded over to where Lucas stood waiting for available sleds, jumping up and down and an enthusiastic grin on his face.

“My sled, my rules, or are you afraid you’ll lose?”

He struck a nerve and he knew it. She couldn’t back down from the challenge. Besides, she’d been rethinking the whole not-dating thing and almost convinced herself she was being ridiculous for fighting their attraction. So no matter what happened, she’d figured she’d win.

She met the challenge of his gaze. “One date—and don’t expect sex.”

He attempted to look shocked, but one side of his mouth twitched. “Certainly not.”

“Fine. Be prepared to lose.”

Available on Amazon

AUTHOR Bio and Links:

A romantic at heart, Maria K. Alexander spent hours as a young girl getting lost in and wishing to be one of the heroines in the stories she read. Books gave her the ability to go to another world where she loved meeting new characters, learning about their problems, and watching them fall in love.

Maria blogs and shares her writing journey with her critique partners at: http://thevioletfemmes.com.

When not writing, Maria loves to read, bake, downhill ski, visit the beach, and watch romantic comedies. Maria lives in New Jersey with her husband and children, and writes in her “spare” time between juggling a full-time job and her kids’ busy schedules.

You can keep in touch with her at: http://mariakalexander.com.

Web Links

Website: http://mariakalexander.com
The Violet Femmes Blog: http://thevioletfemmes.com
Twitter: https://twitter.com/MKAlexander1
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Maria-K-Alexander-Author/201236689917319
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/mariakalexander

Maria will award a $25 Amazon/BN GC to a randomly drawn commenter during the tour. Follow the tour for more chances to win!

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