Friday, January 2, 2015

Online Mating by Evelyn Jules




Hi, everyone! I’m so excited to be here today to talk about my new SilkWords release, Online Mating! This story is unique in that it’s a ‘reader-vote’ story. What does that mean exactly? It means that you, the readers, actually get a say in where I take the story and how the plot is developed. How cool is that?!

I first ventured into the world of creative writing via fan fiction. I was inspired by a quirky little show called Gilmore Girls. After months of reading other writers’ fan fiction about the show, I decided to try my own hand at it. The thing I loved most about writing it was the interaction I had with my readers. Their ongoing feedback and suggestions were unbelievably motivating to me, and in turn, they felt more involved and more invested in the story.

That’s exactly how I find the experience of writing a reader-vote story. Who better to help you decide where to take your characters than the loyal readers who are following their journey? It’s exciting for me too because I don’t know where things are going either, so I’m just as much on the edge of my seat as the readers are.

Online Mating opens with a scene in a coffee shop. My heroine, Sydney, waits patiently for her date, Charlie, to show up. But this isn’t your traditional first date, my friends. This is a hookup. They were matched on a site called Sexcapades.com, a sexual compatibility site that asks questions less akin to ‘What do you look for in a soulmate?’ and more along the lines of ‘What’s your favorite sexual position?’. During their “date”, Charlie excuses himself momentarily to take care of some business, and that’s when Garrett, the tall, dark, and mysterious eavesdropper at the next table over moves in for the kill.

Ultimately, the readers’ choice becomes: Charlie or Garrett? The two men are very different in their personalities, and you get a sense of where the night might end no matter who gets the green light. I can’t wait to see what the readers decide!

Here’s an excerpt from Online Mating:

Sydney Montrose slid into her favorite booth at the coffee house, her eyes darting from one corner to the other. Tensed up and nervous, she tapped her fingernails on the Formica tabletop a whole twenty minutes before her date with Charlie was supposed to begin.
            If you could even call this a date.
            Too many shots of tequila and a very convincing best friend had coerced her into joining an online sexual compatibility site, Sexcapades.com. Not a dating site. She was sick of dating. All that ‘getting-to-know-you’ crap, the fake smiles and feigned interest. Up till now she’d been taking the traditional route to a relationship right along with every other sucker. Yes, she wanted to find love. Eventually. What woman didn’t? But all the other sites out there focused on finding that love through communication and common interests and blah, blah, blah. Sexual compatibility, in her honest opinion, was a critical, too often ignored component.
            There was a reason why they called it the ‘lusty thirties’. Okay, maybe that was just her. Once she reached that particular milestone, though, something inside her shifted. It was a sexual awakening, punctuated by a voracious desire to ‘get off’ that drove her batty most nights. She crossed her legs, feeling that familiar tingle between her thighs that she could never quite shake. An overwhelming urge to visit the ladies’ room took root, but she mentally glued her ass to her seat. She was fed up with servicing herself.
            A smile flitted over her features as she recalled her last failed relationship. Trevor was a spanker. He also played the trombone in the same orchestra Sydney played the piano for. Proximity could be a pain in the ass sometimes. He’d whispered to her during rehearsal one evening that she gave him a tromboner. That should have been a red flag, but one glance at his trousers and all sensibility was lost. Until she found out he was doing the second chair piccolo player. Cheeky bastard.
            Since then she’d been through the entire woodwinds section and most of the brass, in part to seek revenge against Trevor, but mostly because they were the only guys she knew. Quite frankly, she was tired of dating men full of hot air. She was done with guys who were all talk. She needed action. Sexcapades.com, she hoped, was the answer.
            Some of the questions the site asked when she created her profile would be qualified as shocking to most. By the time she’d paid the registration fee, she’d shared her favorite positions, how often she felt horny, and whether she was a cuddler or a love ‘em and leave ‘em kind. Depended on the guy. Sex toys: yea or nay? Yea-ish. Screamer or a silent type? Screamer. Definitely a screamer.
             Though every picture she posted on her profile was of her fully-clothed, she’d never felt more exposed. Or empowered.

Thanks so much for having me here today! Hope everyone gets a chance to read Online Mating!

Online Mating
Evelyn Jules

Genre: Erotic Romance

Publisher: SilkWords

Date of Publication:  December 27, 2014     

ISBN:  978-1-941847-34-3
ASIN:

Word Count:  Reader-vote story

Cover Artist: Indie Designz

Book Description: 

After joining a sexual compatibility site, Sydney finds herself at a coffee shop awaiting her first date.

When bachelor number one makes a bizarre and slightly alarming entrance, will she stick to Plan A or choose the sympathetic stranger?

Excerpt:



Sydney giggled at the absurd man in blue jeans and clown make-up. She had to admit, he had a nice little wiggle to his walk. Maybe he was a wannabe Wiggle. Despite all his quirks, one thing was undeniable: Charlie was a good guy. If she could get past the make-up and the alarming amount of energy, he could even be the guy. Plus, all that energy could be put to excellent use.
            Her fingers beat out a steady rhythm against the tabletop. She’d always had an ear for music, but ever since her first piano lesson it was nearly impossible to keep her hands still, especially when she was anxious. She eyed the other patrons in the coffee shop, anyone and everyone but the man sitting at the table next to hers.
            “You going for it?”
            The little voice in her head flat-out forbid her to do so, but she was stubborn and prone to curiosity. Once more she turned in his direction. “Excuse me?”
            “You and John Wayne. The hook-up.”
            She took a sip of her drink. “Eavesdrop much?”
            “You can’t really blame a guy. I mean, when you see a gorgeous woman sitting at a table with a clown, you kind of want to know the whole sordid story.”
            She grinned as she lowered her mug. “It’s not so sordid...yet.”
            He took a drink from his own mug then folded his hands on the table. Dark, penetrating eyes fixed on her. “I think you’re going about this...hooking up thing all wrong.”
            “Is that so?”
            “For starters, you shouldn’t dress so well for the first meeting.”
            She glanced down at the summer dress she wore and the cute, strappy heels. “No?”
            “Don’t flirt. Don’t smile. And whatever you do, don’t look at him with those eyes of yours.”
            Those very eyes lifted to his in a hurry, sparkling with awareness. “If I didn’t know better, I’d think you were trying to sabotage my…date.”

            “That’s exactly what I’m doing.” A slow smile followed his words.

About the Author:

Hailing from the Great White North, Evelyn Jules loves curling up on the couch with a hot toddy and a steamy book. Nothing warms a girl up faster than a little hanky-panky. When she’s not reading deliciously erotic tales, she’s weaving her own in hopes of warming her readers’ hearts and other parts!









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SilkWords is the go-to source for interactive romance and erotic fiction.

With gorgeous custom covers and a clean, sophisticated design, the SilkWords site offers a secure, upscale reading environment. In addition to content on their web site, they offer stories for purchase in the standard e-book formats.

SilkWords is owned and operated by a full-time mom with a background in genetics and an RWA RITA-nominated, multi-published sci-fi romance author.

Their technology guy and site designer was the founder of Microsoft Xbox Live.

SilkWords features two formats that allow readers to choose how the stories will proceed.

Pick Your Path:

Will she or won't she? With which man (or woman) in which location? With Pick Your Path romance, you decide. Romance and branched fiction are made for each other, like picking your favorite flavor of ice cream...positions, partners, and paraphernalia, oh my!

Reader Vote:

Readers vote at choice points and decide how the story will continue. These stories are a great way for readers and authors to connect. It’s exciting to be part of a developing story!

Interview and Recipes Based on Our Characters with Father/Daughter Writing Duo Kurt and Jessica Hansen



Please share a little about yourself, your genres, any other pen names you use.

Jess and Kurt Hansen are co-authors of the Computer Love Inc. series. We recently self-published the second novel in the trilogy, Computer Love Inc. II: Gestation, and we are very excited to be part of a Bewitching Book Tour! As a father/daughter team, we are apparently somewhat unique as we haven’t seen many sci-fi father/daughter co-authors out there. Kurt has been donned as the creative genius behind the story, and Jess, in addition to contributing to the creativity aspect, is the English major.

Jess graduated college summa cum laude with a BA in English while Kurt began working on the first novel. Kurt is a songwriter, father, husband, and fisherman. The fisherman part is the issue: storytelling seems to come with the territory.  Together, the two of them worked on the story and have enjoyed every second of the experience in writing this trilogy.  

Tell us a little about your latest or upcoming release.

Computer Love Inc. II: Gestation is the second installment of our series titled Computer Love Inc. It is the story of an imminent biorobotics boom, a technologically advanced company, and characters that experience turmoil as the repercussions of their own creations challenge the boundaries of humanity.

Are you a parent?

As a father/daughter indie team, one of us is a parent. Kurt has worked in the aerospace industry for many years, hence his adoration for technology and sci-fi.
Jess is currently a freelance writer as well as a reporter for a local newspaper.

If yes do you find it hard to juggle writing and parenting?

We have had so much family support while working on this series; we are totally humbled. Our entire family has been there for both of us through the early stages of writing, to the craziness that we now adore. Many discussions before, during or after a family dinner often result in the exchange of more ideas and excitement. So for this father/daughter team, it’s not about juggling family and writing, it’s all about our writing family.

Have you ever based your book or characters on actual events or people from your own life?

Naturally some of the characters are based on experiences we have had and personalities or traits of others. But we are not saying who! Lol

Is there a theme or message in your work that you would like readers to connect to?

Thanks for asking this question!

We open the book with a quote from Albert Einstein: “Concern for man and his fate must always form the chief interest of all technical endeavors. Never forget this in the midst of your diagrams and equations.”

The entire series examines the moral dilemma of exceeding our technology and the underlying effect it will have on humanity. The characters are faced with many situations where morals become nebulous.

What would your readers be surprised to learn about you?

Kurt is a songwriter. The concept of the Computer Love Inc. series germinated from a song that Kurt wrote many years ago. He had an idea to compose a rock opera using the song as a basis for the story, but realized that he needed a story first. The song has been recorded and can be heard at our website by clicking on the music tab at www.computerloveinc.com
Jess is an English major and loves to write as much as she adores hazelnut coffee and running 5Ks (and half marathons!) for charities. During her senior year in college, Kurt and Jess started discussing the potential of creating a novel to self-publish.

When you’re not writing what do you do? Do you have any hobbies or guilty pleasures?

Our entire family has a love for water - salt or fresh, pools, lakes, or the ocean, as well as any and all activities related to water. We’ve gone boating, fishing, swimming, and snorkeling. Jess also enjoys running, yoga, or really just any form of exercise in general. She is a coffee addict, and loves the scent of hazelnut coffee just as much as she adores the aroma of a book store.  Together, we have caught salmon while fishing on the Great Lakes, swam among fish while snorkeling in Florida, enjoyed the food and entertainment at the North Turn (the restaurant located at the original north turn in the first Daytona 500 races), and laugh together as much and possible. If we have a “guilty” pleasure outside of writing, it would be enjoying time with our family; though we never feel guilty about spending time together.

 Which romance book or series (or other genre, if you don’t write romance) do you wish you had written?

As we are currently sci-fi writers this is a tough question - but then again, we are book lovers.  We both read the Harry Potter series together while Jess was growing up, so we’d probably pick those. J.K. Rowling’s imagination is truly admirable.

Is there a genre(s) that you’d like to write that you haven’t tackled yet?

We are indie authors and currently have no boundaries. As indie writers, we always have something in the works!

Of all the characters you’ve ever written, who is your favorite and why?

Marius is our favorite, for sure. He is quirky yet kindhearted, and he’s also complex because his inner voices are constantly at odds with one another. It’s always been interesting to present him with complex moral situations and see how his character works through them.

If this book is part of a series…what is the next book? Any details you can share?

Love this question!

The Computer Love Inc. series is currently planned as a trilogy. CL Inc. II: Gestation is our second novel in the series, and we are currently working on the third installment of the series. The story continues throughout each novel and we love to build on subtle ideas throughout the trilogy that end up being poignant later on in the story. I must say as authors, it is both exciting and painful to know the outcome of the trilogy before our readers do!

What is next for you? Do you have any scheduled upcoming releases or works in progress?

We are currently working on the third installment of the Computer Love Inc. series and we expect to self-publish it sometime before next summer.

What book are you reading now?

Jess is reading Yes Please by one of her favorite actresses, Amy Poehler. Kurt’s “to read” pile is overflowing, but Jess has recently passed along Dave Eggers’ The Circle, which he intends on reading over his winter break.


Recipes Based on Our Characters

If you’ve read Computer Love Inc. II: Gestation, you’re probably familiar with the fact that M2 is quite the chef, while most of the other male characters are lacking in cooking abilities. Specifically, John, Zak, and Marius enjoy his meal of sea bass and rare sea scallops, despite the tension in the scene during which they are eating.

Below, you’ll find drama-free recipes that will have your diners praising your cooking skills as if you were a flawless Companion yourself.

M2’s Sea Bass

This is a simple recipe that calls for ingredients that you may already have in your kitchen. Along with about 2 lbs. of sea bass, you’ll need:

-1.5 tbsps. extra virgin olive oil
-3 tbsps. butter
-2 cloves of minced garlic
-1 tbsp. of fresh parsley, chopped
-1/4 tsp.  each of garlic, paprika, and onion powder
-pepper and salt to taste
-a squeeze of fresh lemon (optional)

Combine the seasonings (paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, salt and pepper) in a bowl. 

Apply to both sides of the sea bass. For the sauce, you’ll need to combine the butter, minced garlic, and parsley in a pan, heating just until the butter melts. 

Preheat the grill to medium high, and oil the grate lightly. Grill the fish for about 7 minutes, flip it, and then coat it with the butter sauce. Continue to grill for about seven additional minutes. Remove it from the heat, coat it with any remaining butter sauce or olive oil, adding a squeeze of lemon if you like. The recipe should yield four servings.

Even though Shonda is a Companion, her “original” grew up on boats, and thus, is very familiar with rum. She says that secretly, her father always wanted to be a pirate, and used this is as his excuse for drinking rum before 10 am. We think Shonda’s Painkiller Boat Drink is better suited for the later hours of the day, but we’ll let you decide.

Shonda’s Painkiller Boat Drink

2-4 oz. of Pusser’s Rum, depending on how pirate-like you’re feeling
4 oz. pineapple juice
1 oz. cream of coconut
1 oz. orange juice
Top with fresh grated nutmeg
Garnish with an orange slice and cherry.

Although the Computer Love series takes place during an unspecific time in the future, we describe meat and seafood as “rare” throughout the novels, saying that most food is plant-based or created by mankind. Thus, when M2 cooks up a dish of rare, real scallops for Marius and the boys, it really blows them away. We think his sesame sauce scallops will impress you and your guests, too.

M2’s Rare Sea Scallops

For this recipe, you’ll need:

1.5 - 2 lbs. large scallops
1 green onion, sliced (green and white parts separated)
1 tsp. minced garlic
2 tbsps. soy sauce
1 tbsp. rice vinegar
3 tsps. sugar
½ tsp. cornstarch
1 tbsp. sesame oil
Dash of crushed red pepper
1 tsp. canola oil
Dash of black pepper

Allow scallops to reach room temperature by letting them sit out for about 10 minutes. Combine the sliced white onion with garlic, soy sauce, rice vinegar, sugar, cornstarch, sesame oil, and crushed red pepper in a small bowl. Set aside.

Heat the canola oil in a cooking pan over medium heat. Add the scallops, sprinkling them with the black pepper. Cook on one side until golden brown; about 3 minutes. Flip the scallops over with a pair of tongs, again until golden brown or for about 2-3 more minutes. Once cooked, put them on a separate plate, covering them with foil. Keep the pan on the heat.

Add the sauce mixture from before to the heated pan. Cook until it thickens, or for about 45 seconds. Remove from heat, and drizzle over scallops. Garnish with the sliced green onions.






Computer Love Inc. II: Gestation
Computer Love Inc. Series
Book II
Kurt and Jessica Hansen

Genre: Science Fiction    

ISBN: 978-0989068338
ASIN: B00O05VR6C

Number of pages: 215
Word Count: 46,095

Cover Artist: Steven J. Catizone

Book Description:

After the sudden deaths of two previous Computer Love Inc. CEOs, Marius takes control of the company. Embracing the talents of his godson, John, and his best friend, Zak, he hires the boys to oversee the Companion Services Division.

Marius refines his breakthrough technology, the Brain Machine Download, and as a result, creates his double, M2, as the prototype. Together, they ignite the future of
Computer Love Inc. by acquiring an elite team of scientists to expand the company’s technological boundaries. Meanwhile, Marius struggles with the government’s demands for a clandestine initiative - the Secret Service Companion.

Between the looming government presence and the overwhelming force behind his new team of inventors, can Marius survive the outcome of his own creations?

Available at Amazon and BN

Excerpt #2:
The room remained silent.  Ten pairs of eyes were fixed on Marius, not even a single person consumed with a hangnail or discreetly checking messages on his or her unit.
“So then – and please forgive me when I say this, because often it seems that social delicacies elude me; I’m sure you all possess unique and likeable personalities, but really – it’s your brains that we’re after here.”
Again Marius paused.  By now, some gazes had shifted: faces looked amongst one another, gauging reactions – animals measuring a threat by observing the rest of the pack.
“Have you ever heard someone say, ‘Can I pick your brain’?  Essentially, that’s what I’d like to do here.  I need your brilliance, and I implore you to consider this proposal.  I would like to perform a Brain Machine Download on each of you in order to capture your intelligence.  Is everyone familiar with what the theory of the BMD is, or what it entails?”
If they were not familiar, no one spoke up or raised a hand.  Again, the looks flashed around the room – there were a few who wanted to know more, but, seeing that no one else had first spoken up, they remained quiet.  Marius had seen it.  Even in the wisest, cowardice lives…


About the Authors:

Kurt and Jessica Hansen reside in northern New Jersey . Kurt has worked in the aerospace electronics industry for over three decades and enjoys the outdoors, writing, and composing music. Kurt is easily recognized with a guitar in his lap, a pencil in his mouth, and a piece of paper in front of him.

Jessica graduated from Montclair State University, summa cum laude, with a B.A. in English. Her favorite pastimes include reading, running and spending time with her family. She can usually be found with a book in one hand and a hazelnut coffee in the other.



twitter: @ComputerLoveInc

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Thursday, January 1, 2015

Interview and Giveaway Rory’s Love by Donna Butler



Please share a little about yourself, your genres, any other pen names you use.

I live in the Kansas City area with my husband, my daughter and 3 cats. I have two children and one grandchild who is three. We have a blast together. She has a great sense of humor. When I’m not writing I like to garden and read. Until Rory’s Love I was writing literary women’s fiction. I don’t use a pen name. 

Tell us a little about your latest or upcoming release.

Rory’s Love is a paranormal romance about a psychic medium who falls in love with a client. Aurora (Rory) Alexander is a gifted medium whose clients are celebrities. Some of her clients are spoiled and eccentric, but Rory manages to satisfy their paranormal needs. Curtis Love is a platinum selling recording artist and producer and a client of Rory’s. He’s wealthy and a bit arrogant, but sensitive and honest. When he and Rory fall in love, he’s determined to spoil her lavishly. He’s also determined to protect her from danger, but in Rory’s line of work, danger is a risk she’s come to accept. The two strong willed lovers clash when Rory puts her life on the line to save a client.

Do you find it hard to juggle writing and parenting?

It has always been difficult to juggle writing and parenting, even though my children are in their late twenties. There’s always that tug of war between writing and family, writing and housework, writing and cooking. One of my cats bites me when he feels I’ve been writing for too long. Staying up late works for me, although that carries consequences. You have to steal the time however you can.

Have you ever based your book or characters on actual events or people from your own life?

Rory’s Love was inspired by Kanye West’s courtship of Kim Kardashian. However one may feel about Kim and Kanye, his courtship was one of the most romantic I’ve seen. It gave me goosebumps and made me smile.

When you’re not writing what do you do? Do you have any hobbies or guilty pleasures?

I like to play online games with my granddaughter. For a 3 year old, she’s awesome. I watch a lot of reality television. I love to read and garden.

Is there a genre(s) that you’d like to write that you haven’t tackled yet?

I would love to someday write a horror novel. I adore Stephen King and the way he uses language to set an ominous tone. He can make the most mundane objects seem terrifying. I would love to give that a try.

Of all the characters you’ve ever written, who is your favorite and why?

Right now, I am just so in love with Curtis Love. He’s funny and sexy and bossy and sweet and sensual. He’s just adorable.

If this book is part of a series…what is the next book? Any details you can share?

I’m working on Chasing Mr. Love, the sequel to Rory’s Love. There’s more romance, ghosts and thrills to come.

What is in your to read pile?

Deeply Odd by Dean Koontz and Last Night in Twisted River by John Irving.


Rory’s Love
Aurora, Psychic For the Stars
Book One
Donna Butler

Genre: Paranormal Romance

ISBN: 13-978-1503377257
ASIN: B00PUDMXMA

Number of pages: 197
Word Count: 60,547

Cover Artist: Donna Butler and Sander Cha
Book Description:

As a psychic medium to the stars, Aurora Alexander believes her life is about as full of glamor and excitement as it can get. Until she falls in love with a client, the multi-platinum selling performer and record producer, Curtis Love. Even though Curtis has a girlfriend, he and Rory share an attraction that proves to be irresistible. Once Curtis breaks up with his girlfriend and they give in to their passion, the story takes them from St. Tropez to Manhattan, Maui, Paris, Milan and elsewhere. Rory’s life becomes every woman's dream come true, filled with designer clothes, jewels, glam squads and a personal bodyguard. But in spite of all the glamor and globe-trotting, Rory can’t outrun the suspicion that Bella, one of her clients, is in grave danger.

Rory's devotion to her sometimes dangerous line of work begins to cause friction in her relationship with Curtis. Despite Curtis’s warnings, when the ghostly victims of a serial killer come to Rory for justice, she can't help but chase down their killer. But as she puts her life in jeopardy to expose a killer and rescue Bella, she also jeopardizes the greatest love she's ever known.

Available at Amazon

Excerpt:

When we got back to the hotel, he was still amped up and wanted to make love in the Jacuzzi in our suite. What should have been a romantic interlude turned into a lot of playful splashing, dunking and laughing. We’d wrestle for a little, then make love, start wrestling again and suddenly that would turn into more lovemaking. By the end of it, we were soaked and exhausted.
Later that afternoon, I spoke to Bella again and we settled on dinner at her boyfriend’s restaurant at seven. On the drive over, Curtis and I were cuddled in the backseat of the rental car like childhood sweethearts when suddenly I felt a familiar tightness in my chest. Breathing deeply didn’t help. Predictably, I started trembling and began to feel weak.
“Are you shaking, baby?” Curtis asked. “Dave, throw me one of those bottles of water.” Unable to speak, I watched, as if from a great distance, as Dave passed a bottle of water to Curtis. Curtis grabbed my purse and pulled out several bottles. He selected one containing the fast acting, anti-anxiety pills. “Open your mouth, baby,” he told me. He slid a pill into my mouth, opened the bottle of water and held it to my lips until I drank. Then he held me and stroked my forehead until the pill took effect. “Any idea what caused it?”
I shrugged. “I feel like it has something to do with this dinner. Or Bella. I don’t know.” I sighed. “I just got a bunch of warning signals all at once.”
“Do you want to call her and cancel?” Curtis asked.
“No,” I said, pausing to cough. “I need to be there.”

When we walked in, Bella was waiting at the hostess station looking camera ready in a form fitting, black mini dress. Her bright red locks had been flat ironed to perfection, and her makeup was flawless. She grabbed a stack of menus and quickly ushered us through several elegant dining rooms and up a small flight of stairs. On the way, I noticed the brass railings that edged the upper level dining rooms. “You okay?” Curtis asked when I stumbled on the stairs.
“I’m fine,” I said as we continued to a private dining room near the back of the restaurant. I knew that brass railing. I knew it from that awful dream.
Now that Curtis had gotten through the place unrecognized, there was time for greetings and introductions. “I’ve seen you work,” Curtis told Bella as he removed his sunglasses. “You’re very good.”
“Thank you,” Bella said with an enchanting smile. “I’ve seen you in concert six or seven times. Australia, England, Germany, New York. You rock, man. You just get out there and spit fire. And the things you do with beats are sick. Hey, why don’t you guys have a seat and I’ll let the chef know you’re here.” She grinned and headed off to the kitchen.
When she returned with her boyfriend, I reached over and grabbed Curtis’s hand as we stood for the introductions. My heartbeat was so violent, I imagined it was visible through my dress.
“Rory, Curtis, this is my boyfriend Cliff Wexler.”
I took in the dark hair on his head and on his knuckles when he reached out to shake my hand. I nearly drew back my hand when I saw the manicured fingernails. Cliff. Cliff? How could Bella have ignored that? “Pleased to meet you,” I said as a sea of blood roared through my ears. He was pleasant looking, in the way a conservative Republican politician can look pleasant. He had dark brown hair, a high forehead, close set brown eyes and thin, thin lips.
“Yeah, pleased to meet you Cliff,” Curtis said as he instinctively took my arm and allowed me to sag against him. To me, his voice sounded like it was coming from the far end of a ten mile tunnel.
Cliff’s eyes widened as he stared at me with speculation.
Suddenly, two female spirits appeared on either side of Cliff. They were nude and foggy white. Each wore a gruesome necklace of blood that dripped down, past their breasts. As my eyes moved lower, I saw that, unlike the white hair on their heads, their pubic hair appeared in lifelike shades. One woman had been a brunette and the other had had black hair. Then I noticed huge clots of blood sliding from between their legs. 
“Rory is such an awesome medium,” I heard Bella say, from what seemed like a thousand miles away. “Dead people contact her all the time with warnings for the living. She’s amazing.”
 Every ounce of strength left my legs as I blacked out.





About the Author:

Donna lives in the Kansas City area with her husband and three cats. She wrote her first novel at fourteen and has had a love affair with writing ever since. In addition to writing, she loves gardening, laughing at reality television and playing with her three-year-old granddaughter.




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December 29 Guest blog
Fang-tastic Books

December 29 Spotlight
3 Partners in Shopping

December 30 Review
Paranormal Romance and Authors That Rock

December 31 Interview
Roxanne’s Realm

January 1 Interview
The Creatively Green Write at Home Mom

January 2 Spotlight
Lisa’s World of Books

January 5 Interview
Deal Sharing Aunt

Interview, Excerpt and Giveaway Banewolf by Eden Ashley


Please share a little about yourself, your genres, any other pen names you use.

I’m a southern girl with a city girl affinity for spiced tea lattes. My love for science fiction/fantasy/paranormal started a very young age, and my dad is probably to blame for that. He would always let us watch scary, weird movies that we kids had no business watching because it us all sorts of nightmares! Writing paranormal romance seems to be a natural fit for me thus far, but maybe one day I’ll write a completely normal contemporary romance. Maybe.

Is there a theme or message in your work that you would like readers to connect to?

The Dark Siren series really explores what truly makes a family and the bonds within them. When the strength of those bonds is tested, people are forced to make difficult choices that may not be for the greater good. I wanted to see where the characters would go if they couldn’t make the heroic choice, if they couldn’t make the sacrifices heroes typically make in order to save the world. How would the chips fall then?

When you’re not writing what do you do? Do you have any hobbies or guilty pleasures?

Unfortunately, I am an incorrigible television addict. Netflix just announced that they are adding the entire run of Friends to their lineup in January 2015. My social life is about to become nonexistent!

Is there a genre(s) that you’d like to write that you haven’t tackled yet?

Yes! Lately, I’ve dabbled at writing a few chapters of a steamy adult romance. I like the way the story has evolved so far and will probably finish writing the full novel by the end of this year. This title will published beneath a different pen name though. (Laughs) I’ve got to keep the erotica separate from the teen fiction.

If this book is part of a series…what is the next book? Any details you can share?

Banewolf is the second book in a four part series. Books 1-3 are currently available on all major online retailers. Banewolf is immediately followed by Blood Chained, which picks up right on the heels of where the story leaves off. The fantasy world within the Dark Siren series expands quite a bit, revealing more about where Rhane comes from, and that really helps to explain many things about his character. Book 3 also answers a lot of questions that are raised in the first two books. So far, reader feedback for Blood Chained has been great! So I’m excited.

What is next for you? Do you have any scheduled upcoming releases or works in progress?

I’m working on the fourth and final book in the Dark Siren series. This word is probably overused, but the last book is going to be epic. Rhane and Kali have come so far on their journeys together and apart. So much has happened since the two were reunited—the final book has to lend justice to that. I’m determined to give readers a satisfying conclusion to the story. 

What is in your to read pile?

Oh that pile is huge! I’m one of those bibliophiles who will continue to buy books even when her shelves at home are filled with unread selections. I’ll give you the list of the ones I’m really anxious to read next. Abraham Lincoln, Vampire Hunter by Seth Grahame-Smith, Warprize by Elizabeth Vaughan (This one is actually a re-read.), The Smoke Jumper by Nicholas Evans (Though after reading The Horse Whisperer, I know I’m in for heartbreak). I’m also eager to start Karen Marie Moning’s Darkfever series.


Banewolf
Dark Siren Series
Book Two
Eden Ashley

Genre: paranormal romance, young adult

ISBN: 9780989963237
ASIN: B00GTT3RDI

Number of pages: 395
Word Count: 90,000

Cover Artist: Nathalia Suellen

Book Description:

New enemies are made.

New allies must be forged.

Kali is beginning to regain her memories. In doing so, she discovers old secrets and betrayals that threaten to unravel her present and shake the foundation for Rhane’s belief in her innocence. While her maturing abilities present unique challenges, a bigger problem arises when Kali learns her ex-boyfriend has made a misguided deal with the enemy in order to win her back—a decision that may ultimately cost him his humanity.

Keeping Kali safe has become a full time job for Rhane. And struggling to gain control of the immortal Banewolf isn’t making that task any easier. The power to eliminate the growing threat against Kali lies at Rhane’s fingertips, but using it means risking his friends to the insatiable blood lust of a monster. So Rhane is forced to forge a shaky alliance with creatures he has sworn to destroy. Despite these new allies, the danger pressing on their borders intensifies, culminating in a heartbreaking and shocking finale.

The strength of the bond between young and ancient lovers will be tested…and if Kali and Rhane are to survive, they must find a way to be unbreakable.

BN       Amazon Print      Amazon Kindle
Excerpt from Banewolf

I Want You to Remember…

After seeing the Cal who wasn’t Cal, Kali’s mind was far too harried to focus on class. Skipping the last block of the day, she went to the swimming pool and sat at the bottom for a long time. Her eyes were closed. Her body was motionless. The pressure of the water became a loving caress, helping to relax everything except her mind. Those anxious thoughts just wouldn’t let go. Even with all Rhane had revealed, the past remained hidden like it had never existed.
But you didn’t forget.
That was right. An entire lifetime…taken. And it wasn’t just her life with Rhane. Kali had lived well over a dozen lives in stolen human bodies. Yet she couldn’t remember a single one of them. Each of those little girls had been stripped from the arms of a family who loved them, only to be replaced by a soul-sucking, fire-setting siren. And for what reason? If Rhane knew, he wasn’t telling. Why won’t he talk to me? I’ve proven my trust.
Well, she amended the thought. I did push him away at first, but only for like fifteen minutes. Then Gabriel showed up and started ripping more of my life to pieces.
Kali took a breath and then another, but not with her lungs. Her skin absorbed oxygen from the water and exchanged it for carbon dioxide waste in her blood. The process didn’t come automatically. It took a lot of focus to make underwater breathing happen. In her two weeks on the lam, she’d discovered this new talent. And it had proven very useful, practically allowing her to live in the water. Holding her breath was certainly easier, but that came with time limits. After twenty minutes, she had to surface.
She was determined to master underwater breathing. Concentrating on the task left her brain severely limited in the number of other things it could worry about. And that was a plus.
Feeling the faintest tremble in the water, she opened her eyes. The lights were flickering. After a few cycles of an ebbing and surging glow, they went out completely. She tried not to panic in the darkness, expecting the underwater lighting to illuminate soon. But instead, there came a muted thud. All of the lights suddenly flooded the pool arena. And Kali screamed.
Bodies were everywhere. Hundreds of them littered the swimming pool floor. Parts of their skin were burned. Charred chunks broke apart from decaying flesh. Tentacles of black liquid snaked into the water. The body of a child rose up, a bloated mass set adrift in a nonexistent current. Kali stared into the film of the corpse’s dead eyes with absolute horror. Black hair floated around his head in a dark halo of death. Even with blanched, greying and puckered skin, Kali saw in the child a startling resemblance to Rhane. Bubbles spurted from her mouth as she screamed again.
She kicked hard, trying to get as far away from the corpse as fast as she could. When her back slammed into solid concrete, she turned to scramble up the pool wall. Fingers slipping on the wet ledge, she finally managed to pull herself out and flop onto her stomach. Trembling with a dozen more screams welled up inside, Kali shook with the effort of not releasing them.  
Pushing to her feet, she looked down into the water, needing desperately to believe she was not going crazy. There were no dead people. There was no dead boy. The pool was empty.
#
Icy water pounded from the showerhead, streaming into her eyes as it washed the chlorine from her body. All Kali could see was the boy. His lifeless face floating before hers, dark and grey and distorted in death. It took both hands to smother her sobs. She couldn’t understand what was happening. Was it possible that the vision was a real memory like the nightmares of the horseman had been real memories?
The lights in the shower room flickered and went out just as they had in the pool auditorium. Her breath caught in her chest as she waited for what would happen next. She didn’t have to wait long.
“Kalista,” a male voice sighed into the darkness.
She backed away. She was naked and blind. And in the shower was a stranger who probably meant her harm. The vulnerable state made Kali’s movements very clumsy.
“Darkesong.” 
This time the voice was closer. So close, she could feel the whisper against her skin. She knew it was the thing pretending to be Cal. Kali bit her lip. She was too frightened to scream. But screaming wouldn’t have helped anyway.
At first, his touch was light. Kali reacted, flinching away violently. Then “Cal” grabbed her. He was an irresistible force shoving her against the wet shower wall. His hard body pressed against hers. The heat from him completely dispelled the cold that fell around them.
Kali felt his face against her skin. His hot breath steamed next to her cheek.
“Don’t,” she whispered.
Strong fingers slipped around her throat, but their hold was gentle. The lights partially returned, and she could see him. Physically, everything was the same…except for the eyes. Gone was the shocking blue of Cal’s stormy stare. In its place were two red orbs that reflected abnormally in the dim light. She would have recognized those eyes anywhere.
“Gabriel.”
He nodded. His body still had her pinned. His right hand grasped her throat, while the other rested idly against the wall. She waited for him to say or do something, but he didn’t. Nothing happened. Open malice and rage emanated from Gabriel’s still form, but Kali wasn’t entirely sure those emotions were aimed at her.
She inhaled a shaky breath. The action squashed her breasts against his chest. “What did you do to Cal?”
Another unnerving smile slashed his face. “He’s still here.”
“What do you want?”
Pressing his nose into the curve of her neck, Gabriel inhaled a dramatic whiff of her scent. Trembling, Kali tried to push away, wedging her body painfully into the wall. When Gabriel’s left hand moved, she went rigid. But the hand never touched her. It hovered next to her head, holding a tiny yellow stone.
“I want to help you remember.”
The events that followed would remain a blur of varying shades of grey darkness for some time. When Kali came to, she was standing in the rain, completely drenched. Rhane stood in front of her, lips moving soundlessly as he shouted, the words swept away by an unforgiving wind. She had never seen his eyes so black or so deadly focused as he leveled a gun directly over her heart.



About the Author:

Cynic, realist, and hopeless romantic all rolled into one, Eden was born and raised in a small, sunny town in South Carolina, but thunderstorms have inspired her best ideas. There are few things she loves more than curling up with a good book and a cup of coffee on a rainy day, (except maybe chocolate cake. She loves cake.) often reading into the wee hours of morning when something really grabs her attention. She pretty much loves anything with supernatural elements, so writing paranormal romance and fantasy romance seems to be a natural fit.






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