The Christmas Tree by Allyson Charles and The Accidental Elopement by Maggie Dallen

This post is part of a virtual book tour organized by Goddess Fish Promotions. The authors will be awarding digital copies of both books on tour to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour. Click on the tour banner to see the other stops on the tour.

It was one little fender bender. Sadie was only in picturesque Pineville, Michigan, for a day, trying to handle the ramshackle house her grandmother left her and juggle the sale of her failing design business at the same time. Her debtors don’t care that it’s almost Christmas. But then neither does the big bad contractor whose truck got squashed.

Colt McCoy might be the least festive person she’s ever met. He’s gruff, rude, and way too upset about a minor accident. Of course, he is nice to look at, with dimples hiding in his scruffy beard and a body like a lumberjack’s. And Sadie will have plenty of time to enjoy the view, since their community service sentence has put the two of them in charge of Pineville’s jinxed Christmas tree.

But as their squabbles over ornaments turn to laughter, anyone can see Colt and Sadie have something electric. The hard part is guessing if they’ll light each other up—or just keep blowing the fuse . . .

First comes love, then comes marriage—or is it the other way around?

Lucia is an Italian spitfire with big dreams like her billionaire grandfather. But she wants to become a top tier fashion designer, not the heir to the family business in Italy. Now is her only chance to forge her own path. And what better place to start than in New York City? But working behind a bar doesn’t exactly pay the rent. Her trust fund would come in handy, but she needs to get married first. Luckily, she may have found the perfect husband candidate in her co-worker, who just happens to be the most charismatic and devastatingly gorgeous man she’s ever met . . .

There’s more to Ryan’s charming smile than meets the eye—he’s out for revenge and working for his enemy is his best bet at getting it. When Lucia comes to him with her crazy plan, he sees a perfect opportunity to make his move. But doing that could mean hurting his new wife. They say nothing’s sweeter than revenge—but “they” never met a woman like Lucia . . .

Read an Excerpt:

Sadie Wilson knew she shouldn’t do it.

It was against the rules, and the key to her ordered life had always been to follow the rules. But the ping of her phone rang in her ears, a siren’s call. It could be what she’d been waiting for.

She peered out her windshield up the street. Maple trees, bare of any leaves and wound with hundreds of white lights, lined the avenue, giving the dark night a cheery glow. Green wreaths with red bows hung from each light pole. And the dark streets were empty of traffic.

She glanced down at her phone. Shoulders slumping, she blew out a deep breath. The text wasn’t the one she’d been praying to see. And because that was just the way her life had been going lately, of course her lapse in judgment would come back to bite her in the end.

The raccoon didn’t even try to avoid her car. It was a stationary shimmer of silver fur, black mask, and a raised paw, and she swore it was giving her the middle finger. She gasped, swerved. She pumped her brakes, knuckles whitening. The Nissan Maxima skidded sideways, executed a perfect pirouette, and slid inexorably toward the sidewalk.

The light pole on the sidewalk didn’t stand a chance. The front end of her car struck the pole, her hood buckling with the crunch of metal. Her body trapped by the seatbelt, Sadie felt her head and limbs snap forward before she collapsed back into her seat.

Groaning, she rolled her head, trying to work through the ache in her neck. The raccoon waddled down the street to her left, unrepentant. But it was the movement she caught from the corner of her eye that stopped her heart. Peering through the windshield, she saw it again. A flutter of red.

Swaying in its moorings, the light pole wobbled like a metronome, the ribbon in its Christmas wreath trailing through the air.

“Please, please don’t fall,” Sadie whispered. The twinge in her neck from the collision forgotten, she prayed for further disaster to be averted.

Luck was not on her side. The thirty-foot aluminum pole tore from its bolts with a shriek and toppled away from the crumpled hood of her car, the ribbon flapping cheerfully. The cab of an F-150 Ford truck broke its fall. “Oh, God.”

A choking sound across the street made Sadie spin. A man stood in front of the large window of a darkened hair salon, mouth gaping, brown paper bag dangling from the tips of his fingers. He swiveled his head from the truck to Sadie and back again. The shock evaporated from his face, his lips pressing into a hard line, his chest expanding with a heated breath.

Roaring, he chucked his bag on the ground and ran across the street. A bear of a man, he was tall and well built, making her own five-foot-nine-inch frame feel insignificant. Or maybe it was his righteous fury that made her feel small. A black knit cap covered his head, but Sadie assumed his hair was the same color as his short beard, dark brown. A blue-checked shirt peeked out from under his worn pea coat, and jeans stretched tight across muscled thighs.

“What the hell happened to my truck?”

About the Authors:

Allyson Charles lives in Northern California. She’s the author of the “Pineville Romance” series, small-town, contemporary romances published by Lyrical Press. A former attorney, she happily ditched those suits and now works in her pajamas writing about men’s briefs instead of legal briefs. When she’s not writing, she’s probably engaged in one of her favorite hobbies: napping, eating, or martial arts (That last one almost makes up for the first two, right?). One of Allyson’s greatest disappointments is living in a state that doesn’t have any Cracker Barrels in it.

Sign up for Allyson’s newsletter at allysoncharles.com/newsletter.

WEBSITE: www.allysoncharles.com
FACEBOOK: http://www.facebook.com/AuthorAllysonCharles

Buy the book at http://www.kensingtonbooks.com/book.aspx/34004

Maggie Dallen is a huge fan of happily-ever-afters. She writes contemporary and YA romance and has been known to rewrite the endings to classic love stories to ensure that they end on a happy note. In Maggie's version, Ingrid Bergman does not get on the plane. She lives in Northern California and works at a yarn store to support her knitting addiction. For more info please visit maggiedallen.com.

Buy the book at Kensington Books

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Vacation to Graceland by Phillip Cornell - Interview and Giveaway

This post is part of a virtual book tour organized by Goddess Fish Promotions. Phillip Cornell will be awarding a $25 Amazon or Barnes and Noble GC to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour. Click on the tour banner to see the other stops on the tour.

Tell us something you hate doing. Why?

I hate repeating myself, after I spend 3 to 5 minutes explaining something. My time is precious! Please do not waste it having me to have to repeat myself. Also, do not hear me explaining an answer to a question, then ask the same question in a different way. This leads me to have to repeat myself, and I do not like that.

Share a funny incident in your life?

My life is an ongoing comedy. Recently I was telling this girl at work how I had to block this girl I was flirting with on social media. She looked at me, and said, “Why did you have to be petty?” I told her that is all she understood. I put my displeasure with her actions in text, but I saw no results. Once I blocked her, her whole attitude changed.

What’s your pet peeve?

A pet peeve, is making plans with me, and canceling in a shady way. An example is, not answering your phone on the day off, or during the time of said plans. If you do not want to do something, just say that, do not waste someone else’s time.

Who was your favorite hero/heroine?

I am a huge Wolverine fan! The guy is utterly imperfect, and I love it. He is confused about who he is, but he does know he has to do something to make things right. I see myself in him sometimes, because I know there is always an opportunity to do something right. The problem is, my way might not be the correct way, just like Wolverine.

Have you ever had one character you wanted to go one way with, but after the book was done the character was totally different?

No! I know who my characters are from beginning to end. The way I write is, I see a character, and put him or her in situations. So the character stays true to themselves, but the situation changes. Sometimes a character with surprise me in how I have them handle a situation. With this being said, I will never change a character midway or near the end of a story. They are who they are, and will either mature in the writing or level out personality wise.

A man, his mother, his sister, his granny, his niece, and his nephew make a trip to Memphis Tennessee for a family reunion. During the course of the trip, the family encounter a series of circumstances that mold the trip into an unforgettable experience. Through the arguing and internal bickering within the group, they come together and strengthen the blood bond they share with each other. Reflecting on each and every situation encountered, the man realizes the trip is an overall social, emotional, and educational journey.

Read an excerpt:

The idea of a family trip started, when my mom devised a plan to take my granny on a weekend trip. This was difficult because my granny was on a weekly dialysis schedule, so my mom had to come up with a way to keep her schedule and transport her from one city to the next without any problems. My grandma had been on dialysis for the past 2 ½ years, and with her increasing age and decreasing health, she needed more attention from care givers and family members.

The living arrangement in my mom’s house was setup like this. My mom, my sister Brandi, and my granny all lived there constantly. My other sister Crissy and her children did not live there, but they would visit often. I myself would visit quite often also. My job was 2 miles from my mom’s house, so it was nothing for me to visit on my lunch break or when I got off work. My granny anticipated me coming over many times. She would cook a meal for me, and place my name on the plate. It was not the perfect living arrangement, but it definitely had a strong family feel tied into it.

My granny kept close tabs on what my mom and sister were always doing, because that is just who she was. She still liked to get out the house ever once in a while. Her favorite pastime was people watching. If there was one thing that she enjoyed, it was talking about other people. This is a trait that has been handed down from generation to generation, and I myself am guilty of doing it also. Discussing people in a humorous light, that downgrades their physical appearance or personality, is second nature to me now. I can easily do it without any effort or stress. The thoughts just come to my head, and I let the mild form of slander flow. I have never been embarrassed of this, and like me, my granny has never been either.

About the Author:

Phillip Cornell is a college graduate. He gained his degree in Biological Sciences, and currently works at a local pharmacy. He is the only son of Harron and Connie Cornell, and the youngest of 3 children. In 2006 his father passed away due to colon cancer, and his mom became an inspiration to him and his family in the way she supported everyone. He has a passion for all types of competitive activity, with sports being the favorite. Overall he lives for different experiences to stimulate the mind, and firmly believes that life is something that has to be lived, read about, and dissected. His biggest weakness is beautiful women, and the thought of being a failure. Firmly believing everyone deserves their moment no matter how long or short it is, Phillip listens to anyone who has something to say. The more he writes. The more he realizes what he creates, is something that needs to be shared with someone other than himself.

Twitter: https://twitter.com/Phillipthedeal
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/phillipthedeal/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/phillip.cornell.5
SnapChat: http://www.snapchat.com/Phillipthedeal2

Buy the book at Amazon or Barnes and Noble.

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The Woven Ring by M.D. Presley - Spotlight and Giveaway

This post is part of a virtual book tour organized by Goddess Fish Promotions. The author is awarding a randomly drawn commenter a handcrafted silver ring. Click on the tour banner to see the other stops on the tour.

A fantasy reimagining of the American Civil War that pits muskets against magic, massive war machines against mind readers, and glass sabers against soldiers in psychic exoskeletons.

In exile since the civil war, former spy and turncoat Marta Childress wants to quietly live out her remaining days in the West. But then her manipulative brother arrives with one final mission: Transport the daughter of a hated inventor deep into the East. Forced to decide between safely delivering the girl and assassinating the inventor, Marta is torn between ensuring peace or sparking a second civil war.

Enjoy an Excerpt:

To her surprise Carmichael blinked uncomprehendingly at the name. It had been rattling around Marta’s head like a Breath in a bottle for the last three months, but to him it seemed meaningless. Then the corners of his mouth curled up, Carmichael finally remembering.

“This is about our older sister? I forgot about her entirely.”

His dismissal of her months of misery infuriated Marta all the more, the girl fighting harder against his grip. Her helplessness stoked her anger further, fanning it into blazing rage.

And with the rage came clarity, Marta suddenly aware of each Breath within her body. There were the usual three all humans were born with, one in the center of the chest to representing the Body, the second in the middle of the forehead for the Mind, and the third at the crown of the head signifying the Soul. But in that moment of clarity, Marta could feel a fourth Breath nestled deep in her chest next to the Body. Were she not so angry, she might have been surprised to find it, to feel it thrumming with its own frequency. It had a resonance, a musical identity all its own that only she could hear.

So she inhaled, filling that Breath with both her air and anger.

The fourth Breath stirred, summoned by Marta’s will and obeying on her exhale. Though its base remained firmly in her chest, she felt it elongate as it stretched through her throat and out towards her mouth. The appendage was entirely new to her, but it felt natural as she experienced each sensation through this fresh limb: the light scrape as it edged over her teeth, the sudden coolness of the air outside her body; the crunch of her brother’s bones as it collided with his nose.

About the Author:

Never passing up the opportunity to speak about himself in the third person, M.D. Presley is not nearly as clever as he thinks he is. Born and raised in Texas, he spent several years on the East Coast and now waits for the West Coast to shake him loose. His favorite words include defenestrate, callipygian, and Algonquin. The fact that monosyllabic is such a long word keeps him up at night.

His blogs and short stories can be found at his cleverly titled website: mdpresley.com
Or join him on Facebook at: facebook.com/solsharvest

And you can always pick up his book here: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01IALGCDE?ref_=cm_sw_r_kb_dp_BouHxbKEZD2BZ&tag=kpembed-20&linkCode=kpe

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Angles by Erin Lockwood - Spotlight and Giveaway

This post is part of a virtual book tour organized by Goddess Fish Promotions. Erin will be awarding a $10 Amazon or B/N GC to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour. Click on the tour banner to see the other stops on the tour.

This story is about friendship and relationship triangles, love and protection, love and understanding, and love and true love.

Read an excerpt:

By the time I get back to dancing with Dean, I feel something, someone, watching me. The feeling I felt before my speech is stronger now. There’s something consuming my surroundings—an invisible, sweltering blanket over me. As soon as I have the chance, I look around and try to find the source of this feeling—the burning eyes I can’t see, yet, but I sense are focused on me.

I casually scan the room between dips and twirls.

My breath catches. There they are—the eyes I’ve been searching for. A man, a gorgeous man, in a perfectly tailored suit is staring at me. It’s no mistake. Now that I see him, I know his eyes are the source of this feeling I’ve been having.

There are worse people to have stare at you. He might be a little older, but he’s very attractive. He wears his dark brown hair slicked and styled up and back. It looks soft enough to run my fingers through and short enough to create a little edge to it. His blackish gray suit blends in with his olive, tan skin. Every part of him is dark and smoky, except his eyes. His turquoise-blue eyes are so bright; they’re like headlights shining at me. A lighthouse warning me not to come too close or my boat will crash.

About the Author:

Erin Lockwood grew up in Castro Valley, California, and attended the University of Oregon where she graduated with a degree in journalism in 2003. From there, she moved to Denver, Colorado, and spent the next seven years searching for the love of her life and building the family of her dreams.

It wasn’t long until, with children starting preschool and more time on her hands, Erin refocused on her career, beginning with a successful entry into the world of residential real estate as a realtor. Free time was spent reading book after book—and binge-watching the subsequent films—in the New Adult genre. Hopelessly in love with her husband, she wrote him a short story for their fifth wedding anniversary. That’s when she discovered her tireless passion to share her experience of falling in love through fictional characters. That story evolved into the first novel in the Angles Trilogy.

Erin still lives in Denver with her husband, Phil, and their three children. They spend most of their summers and holidays on the beautiful island of Coronado where Erin and Phil wish to retire someday.

Learn more about Erin and the Angles Trilogy at www.anglestrilogy.com, Facebook, and Twitter. Buy the book at Barnes and Noble or Amazon. a Rafflecopter giveaway

Mystic Mistletoe Murders by Sally J. Smith and Jean Steffens

This post is part of a virtual book tour organized by Goddess Fish Promotions. Sally J. Smith & Jean Steffens will be awarding a $25 Amazon GC (USA only) to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour. Click on the tour banner to see the other stops on the tour.

'Tis the season at The Mansion on Mystic Isle, and Melanie Hamilton, resident tattoo artist at the resort renown for its supernatural atmosphere, can feel the holiday spirit everywhere in the Louisiana bayou. The festive mood runs deeper than just the tinsel, mistletoe, and twinkling lights, as the milk of human kindness is flowing with gift giving, good cheer, and donations. But when Papa Noël turns up as dead as the Ghost of Christmas Past, and all the bounty from a recent charity drive is stolen, Melanie turns to Jack Stockton, the handsome resort's general manager, to help her find the killer and get it all back.

Who wanted Papa Noël dead and why? Was it the bag of loot they were after, and Papa just got in the way? Or was it a more personal attack on the jolly man in the red suit? Not only does Mel find herself in a fight to prove one of her co-workers innocent, but she's also in a race against a ticking clock to save the life of a sick child. Before long, she closes in on the killer—or maybe it's the killer closing in on Mel!

Read an excerpt:

Jack offered me the crook of his arm, and we entered the Ghostly Christmas Gala.

…The room was alive with charm. Old Marley, the Ghost of Christmas Past, née Lurch, dragged this chains around the salon, dust, née Johnson's Baby Powder from the scent of it, floating off his shredded garb as he moved. His deep and miserable moan was pretty scary and would have frightened children if there had been any in attendance.

Odeo, the Ghost of Christmas Yet-to-Come, lumbered the room as the grim reaper, sickle and all. His face and dark skin sunken back into the cowl made the place where his features should have been look eerily like a black hole.

…And Melvin, the little person who'd performed Lurch's Christmas elf counterpart made a fine Tiny Tim, crutch under one arm, knickers, and knee socks.

He hobbled over when we walked in and glared up at Jack. "I go out to the levee with you and knock a few heads together on your behalf, and this is the thanks I get? What the heck? Tiny Tim? I mean, could we be any more cliché here?"

Jack looked truly repentant. "Hey, Melvin, believe me." He ran one hand from his own head downward. "None of this was my idea. Tonight, we play the roles we're assigned."

Melvin snorted. "Still. I mean, really?" and hobbled away.

"Not a happy Tiny Tim, is he?" I said."

"Hm-mm." Jack said. "Man, I hope he doesn't hit anybody with that crutch."

About the Authors:

The USA Today Best-selling writing team of Sally J. Smith (right brain) and Jean Steffens (left brain) make up equal halves of one totally functional writer’s mind. Creative and intuitive and organized and systematic? What could be better than that?

The two desert dwellers work together side-by-side, literally finishing each other’s sentences, putting together their novels faster and more efficiently than they ever could individually.

When their heads aren’t together over a manuscript, you’ll find them with their families, at a movie, the yoga studio, the mall, or out-to-lunch—in the food sense, not the spaced-out sense, well…most of the time. Their current series include Jordan Welsh & Eddie Marino Novels, Mystic Isle Mysteries, Danger Cove Pet Sitter Mysteries, Aloha Lagoon Gabby LeClair Mysteries, and Digby Sloan Mysteries. Visit our website, look around, and sign up for our newsletter. We love hearing from our readers and always answer our e-mails: smithandsteffens@cox.net.

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Website: http://www.smithandsteffens.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Smith-and-Steffens/406147242823342?fref=ts
Twitter: https://twitter.com/SmithSteffens

Mystic Mistletoe Murder will be $0.99 during the tour - https://www.amazon.com/Mystic-Mistletoe-Murder-Isle-Mysteries-ebook/dp/B01M32CZUL/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1480301619&sr=8-1&keywords=mystic+mistletoe+murder.

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Doc's Codicil by Gary F. Jones

This post is part of a virtual book tour organized by Goddess Fish Promotions. Gary F. Jones will be awarding a $20 Amazon or Barnes and Noble GC to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour. Click on the tour banner to see the other stops on the tour.

Five Things We’d Probably Never Guess About Gary F. Jones

1. Every four years I become a major irritant to the body politic. I volunteer for one campaign or another and make phone calls. The only thing more unpleasant than getting the phone calls is making them. I’m something of an introvert, so I hate doing it. My self-respect barely survives.

I made 110 phone calls in about an hour last week. Ninety-seven people didn’t answer, four told me never to call again, three hung up without commenting, five answered quickly to get me off the line, and one elderly lady spent five minutes telling me about her sciatica and her ungrateful son. I would have been happy to talk to her for twice that long. Just having someone pleased to talk to me helped restore the tattered shreds of ego I had left.

2. We had a British Vice President of research at a company I worked for twenty years ago. I’d written a research report that had been accepted by the American Journal of Veterinary Research. The paper had survived the reviewers and the fussy comments of the editors. Any revision in the paper at that point would have been difficult to make. That was the point at which John, the VP of research, decided to review the paper.

He asked me to stop by his office to discuss the paper. He objected to the spelling of “feces” and “hemorrhage.” Being British, he thought they should be spelled “faeces” and “haemorrhage.” I told him I’d used the American spelling for the words, as it was an American journal.

He got out his medical dictionary and made sure that I, the three reviewers, and the two editors had gotten it right.

Thereafter, my goal in life was to write another paper, use the word, “fortnight,” and spell it incorrectly. John would catch the mistake, and I’d tell him that whatever spelling I’d used was the American spelling. Both John and I left the company before I could do it. Was I setting my sights too high?

3. I enjoy cooking. One of my favorite soups is prepared by poaching a chicken breast in beef bouillon with carrots, celery, and onions. The vegetables and broth are discarded and the chicken breast chopped. The chopped chicken is simmered in chicken broth with apples, onions, and bananas that were sautéed in butter and curry powder.

Puree the soup in a blender. Pour the thick, green soup into a heavy pan and begin cleaning the soup you spilled off the oven, counter, and even the wall if the blender lid wasn't held down. Is the soup on the walls? Good. Everything's going according to plan then. The dog will help clean the floor.

This ends the first evening. You’re tired, and your wife won't be on speaking terms with you for a week once she sees her kitchen, but worry about that tomorrow. Isn't cooking fun?

Did I mention that this is snail soup? Don’t skimp on the escargot. Cheap cans of escargot have an odor all their own. Let them keep it.

Chop the escargot and sautée in butter with shallots. Chop the escargot finely so your guests don’t figure out what they’re eating. Flambé the escargot mixture with brandy (Taste the brandy to verify quality. Be aware that wives often don’t understand the care you’re taking.) Quench the flames with beef bouillon, unless you’ve managed to ignite the drapes. Use water on those.

Add the escargot mixture to the soup base, salt and pepper to taste, and heat. Ladle individual servings of curried soup into oven proof bowls. Cover each bowl of soup with unsweetened whipped cream and slide into the oven under the broiler.

Brown the point on the whipped cream and serve immediately, or whenever the EMT folks leave if you were careless with the flambê and had to have your burns treated.

Describe the soup to your guests slowly, so that you come to the escargot only after they’re finished eating. Some may be queasy about eating snails.

4 and 5. A shopping trip and a seminar. These are in the memoir part of Doc’s Codicil. Each has a chapter of its own.

When Wisconsin veterinarian Doc dies, his family learns that to inherit his fortune, they must decipher the cryptic codicil he added to his will—“Take Doofus squirrel-fishing”—and they can only do that by talking to Doc’s friends, reading the memoir Doc wrote of a Christmas season decades earlier, searching through Doc’s correspondence, and discovering clues around them. Humor abounds as this mismatched lot tries to find time in their hectic lives to work together to solve the puzzle. In the end, will they realize that fortune comes in many guises?

Doc’s Codicil is a mystery told with gentle humor. It tells the story of a veterinarian who teaches his heirs a lesson from the grave.

Read an excerpt:

The house was dark except for the pool of light thrown by a lamp behind my chair and small multi-colored Christmas lights surrounding the window on my left. The lights gave a dim but cheerful glow to the edge of the room. The crystal, silver, and pastel globes on the Christmas tree standing against the opposite wall reflected that light, and as the furnace kicked in, the reflections danced across the wall, betraying currents of warm air moving gently about the room.

Heat, wonderful heat. I gave my wine glass a twist to celebrate feeling my toes again. The liquid ruby swirled round the glass, as I offered a silent toast to Mary, may she sleep soundly tonight. On the second glass, I was startled by a swoosh of air exhaled by the cushion of a wing-backed chair to my left. I glanced at the chair, but couldn’t bring it into focus. Contacts must be dirty, I thought and returned to my book.

I . . . poured a third glass. This had to be the last. Tomorrow would be another fourteen-hour workday. I took another bite of Stilton, crumbly yet creamy, a pungent and savory blue with a background of cheddar, when I heard a throat clear.

I put my book down and looked around the room. Empty.

. . . A shadow moved in the dining room . . . “Who’s there? What the hell is going on?” I whispered.

A man’s voice came from the kitchen. “Cripes, some host you are.”

About the Author:

According to Gary Jones, his life has been a testament to questionable decisions and wishful thinking. His wife of forty years, however, says she knows of nothing in the record to justify such unfettered optimism. Jones says the book is a work of fiction; that's his story, and he’s sticking to it. He’s part of the last generation of rural veterinarians who worked with cows that had names and personalities, and with dairymen who worked in the barn with their families. He’s also one of those baby boomers, crusty codgers who are writing their wills and grousing about kids who can be damned condescending at times.

Gary practiced bovine medicine in rural Wisconsin for nineteen years. He then returned to graduate school at the University of Minnesota, earned a PhD in microbiology, and spent the next nineteen years working on the development of bovine and swine vaccines.

Doc's Codicil is the bronze medal winner of Foreward's INDIEFAB Book of The Year awards, humor category.

Website: http://www.garyfjones.com
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/25774974-doc-s-codicil?from_search=true
BQB Publishing: https://bqbpublishing.com/product/docs-codicil/
Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_noss_2/154-2736874-7210510?url=search-alias%3Dstripbooks&field-keywords=Doc%27s+codicil
Barnes & Noble: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/docs-codicil-gary-f-jones/1121269584?ean=9781939371836

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The Naughty List by various authors - Spotlight and Giveaway

This post is part of a virtual book tour organized by Goddess Fish Promotions. The author will be giving away a Christmas present as a prize for the tour. Like any good Christmas present its contents are a surprise but it will include at least one signed book, something homemade, and a bunch of other fun goodies. Click on the tour banner to see the other stops on the tour.

Six holiday romances, from sexy to sweet, prove that love is better on the Naughty List.

A Christmas Maggie by Tiffany Reisz

All Daniel wanted for Christmas was to spoil his new girlfriend, Anya, make love under the tree, and ignore all his old heartaches. But the ghosts of Christmas past aren’t so easily forgotten especially when Maggie, his late wife, shows up to remind him why the past should stay in the past and why his Christmases-future could be the best of his life if he can finally let himself live and love in this Christmas present. (A Christmas Maggie is the final story in the Daniel trio [from the Original Sinners series] beginning with The Gift and followed by Daniel Part Two.)

Christmassy by Alexa Piper

When taotien Valerion and witchling Cora get together sparks fly. But on the way to visit Cora’s family for Christmas, they encounter a supernatural predator that will not only test their individual powers and abilities, but also their connection to one another.

My Midnight Cowboy by Pumpkin Spice

If chocolate is the way to a man’s heart, then pastry chef Lucy Baker has the recipe for success. But will her culinary skills melt the most hard-hearted bachelor in Wyoming? A chance encounter on a New Year’s Eve flight leaves two strangers to discover unbound pleasure and a hunger for sexual discovery.

In the Doghouse by Elizabeth Black

Nicky and Angela had just begun to add a little kink to their lives when, caught up in the influence of his dudebros he forgot their anniversary and broke Angela’s heart. Angela wants Nicky’s strong arms around her again, but first she wants him to fight for her. Can one night, a paddle and some restraints bridge the gap between them?

Winter’s Daughter by Doug Blakeslee

A child of the Fae—bound to winter and a promise given to her chosen mate. She must claim him before time runs out and all she loves in the world falls to ruin. A child of mortals—forgotten and discarded by the world, then torn from the most amazing woman he’s ever met. Trapped in the sort of fae-tale that rarely ends in happily ever after, are they strong enough to defy the odds and find love?

Stealing Time by Wendy Sparrow

As Father Time’s son, Zeit must sacrifice a mortal’s lifetime to the Fates each New Year’s Eve. Last year—inexplicably, really—he made an 11:59 substitution. The Fates are pissed and they’re after his mortal Hannah. With the year ending, he ought to figure out why he’d saved her—and and why he keeps doing it. Following an unlucky year, Hannah needs a week’s holiday in a lodge to unwind. What she gets is near-death experiences and a sexy immortal who can’t avoid kissing her, but might have to kill her. After all, even Zeit can’t hold back time indefinitely.

Enjoy an Excerpt from A Christmas Maggie by Tiffany Reisz:

Daniel sat forward in the chair, suddenly more awake than he’d ever been in his entire life. In front of him kneeling on the floor by his feet with her chin on his knee was Maggie, his wife who had been dead and buried for years.

“What?” he asked again, his heart pounding wildly in his chest. “What are you doing here?”

She gave him a wicked blue-eyed smile, her chestnut hair falling in waves around her oval face. She didn’t look a day over thirty-five, younger than he’d ever seen her. In fact she looked breathtaking—so young, so beautiful, so untouched by the pain and suffering the cancer had inflicted on her, the cancer that had killed his beautiful wife.

“Merry Christmas, Daniel.”

About the Editor: In addition to being an Assistant Editor for World Weaver Press, Cori Vidae likes to write steamy stories and collect shiny things.

Website: http://www.corividae.com/shiny/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/CoriVidae
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/CoriVidae/

Buy the book for only $0.99 at World Weaver Press, All Romance eBooks, Amazon, Barnes and Noble, or Kobo

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Blood Shackles by Rosemary A. Johns - Interview and Giveaway

This post is part of a virtual book tour organized by Goddess Fish Promotions. One randomly chosen winner via rafflecopter will win a $50 Amazon/BN.com gift card. Click on the tour banner to see the other stops on the tour.

If you could apologize to someone in your past, who would it be?

Firstly – thanks for having me on your site today!

Je ne regrette rien.

It doesn’t mean I haven’t made mistakes (too many to mention). But I have a tendency to over apologize. Not under. And we are only who we are today because of the tough times in our pasts. Pain is art and all that.

I love vampires. I love fantasy. Rebel Vampires is my new fantasy series. Write what you love to read. Then you get to write, read and be passionate about it.

Rebel Vampires is set in the supernatural world of Blood Life, in a hidden London of vampires, rebels and romance, where vampires are both predator and prey. I may love vampires. But I wanted to write a vampire book for adults. Where they weren’t simply the hunters but also the hunted. And death drives desire.

Blood Dragons was developed from the idea of a British Rocker vampire with a photographic memory called Light. Light’s extraordinary memory is based on my son’s. My son is an autistic savant – meaning he has a photographic memory. I wondered whether being a vampire with such a gift would be a blessing or a curse.

Light is caught between his century old love for a savage Elizabethan Blood Lifer and his forbidden human lover. I’ll let Light have the last word on this:

‘So you have to deal with it. Deal with what you decided to do. You and no one else. That fight you took on or didn’t. The time you walked away or stayed to the bitter end. The love you stuck with or gave up on. Every one you and you alone.

No one takes responsibility – First Lifer or Blood – but the hard truth is yours is the ugly face behind every shred of pain. The paths you took or never walked. No one and nothing to blame or praise, apart from yourself.

We’re all alone with that reality, when everything’s said and done. Alone every breath.’ -Blood Dragons (Rebel Vampires Volume 1)

Blood Dragons is out now (e-book and paperback): http://viewbook.at/BloodDragons

If you could keep a mythical/ paranormal creature as a pet, what would you have?

Can you keep vampires as pets? OK – I’m claiming Light. Before someone else does. Although I have a feeling that ship has sailed… One of the reviews, from someone who doesn’t usually read or review vampire fiction (The Good Writer) wrote, “If I was going to fall in love with a vampire, it would have to be Light.”

Blood Shackles is the second book in the Rebel Vampires series and is currently available on pre-order. Light has been enslaved and defanged by a secretive group of humans, called the Blood Club. The hunters become the hunted. It’s like Taken. But with vampires. Light finds a ragtag family and love for the first time in 150 years. In the unlikeliest of places.

Grayse – the commanding daughter of the slaver in Blood Shackles – takes a good shot at keeping Light as a pet:

‘You swung open the fridge, pulling out a baby’s bottle - thick with crimson - which you held towards me with an expectant expression.

Starved though I was, a bloke’s still got to draw the line somewhere.

I raised my eyebrow. And didn’t reach for the bottle.

After a moment, you lowered your arm. ‘I don’t get it. She said this is what you needed on account of your fangs having been removed.’

Suddenly I found myself off the stool and right in your face. To give you your due, you didn’t back away, although your fingers clutched at the marble kitchen top. I didn’t miss that. ‘What’s next? Pretty little bowl with Light printed on the side for my din dins? Or a leash?’

‘At least it’d go with the collar I’ve got you.’ I drew back to study you. Your grey peepers were coolly amused. ‘Joke.’

‘Right. Ha-bloody-ha.’ ’ Blood Shackles (Rebel Vampires Volume 2)

Blood Shackles is out now. Click here: http://viewbook.at/BloodShackles

But that said – Light’s no pet. He can’t be tamed. He proves that in Blood Shackles. To find out how..? You’ll have to read the book. And to be honest? I don’t want him tamed. I like Light unleashed.

How do you keep your writing different from all the others that write in this particular genre?

The one word critics have used about me is ‘unique’. They always have.

I have a distinctive voice. I don’t sound like other writers. My new fantasy series could only have been written by Rosemary A Johns. Dark, intelligent, subversive. Romance and anti-heroes.

In the case of Rebel Vampires? A hidden paranormal London. I worked hard to create a twist on the vampire myth and urban fantasy. Critics have commented on this: the invention of Blood Lifers as an evolutionary species alongside but hidden from humanity. To tell you more is spoilers. Read the series yourself to discover the truth behind the camouflaged predators. And how it threatens the world.

And I’m passionate. About the genres. About the paranormal. About books. I write what I want to read. What I wish I could read but can’t discover – then I know my readers will love it too. Because it’s the book they’ve been searching for too.

Blood Dragons and Blood Shackles are vampire books for adults. Vampire books for readers, who don’t normally even read vampire fiction. But love fantasy or romance. Or just a great tale told from and to the heart.

What are the best and worst pieces of writing advice you ever received?

Best and worst is the same thing.

‘Write what you know.’

This came from a teacher. I was always writing. I wrote my first novel when I was eight. My first fantasy novel when I was ten. My first published short story when I was fourteen. But a school teacher insisted we all only wrote from life experience.

Even as a teenager I knew this was wrong. How did anyone write fantasy or science fiction – which I devoured even then – if they had to live it? Why weren’t all books about writing homework and listening to music sprawled on your bed? I rebelled – and wrote fantasy. No surprises, then.

To a writer half our lives are lived in our heads. I have worlds in there. I love Light because he exists in my mind. I see the novels played out like films. I am writing what I know…

But it’s also the best advice if it means your emotions. Pain is good. If you’re a writer. You can take it - and use it in your work. If you need to know how a character would react – sad, angry, in love – using your own responses? To grief, shame, your very worst day? You have to be brave enough to do that. That’s when writing is authentic. It bursts off the page. Because in a way? It’s real. One reader wrote that part of Blood Dragons had led to “ugly crying”. When you touch someone like that? With an emotion, which has come from you? Then it’s worked.

Are the experiences in this book based on someone you know, or events in your own life?

Blood Shackles is Spartacus meets vampires. What would happen if Blood Lifers were the ones being trafficked and enslaved? So no, not based on someone I know or my own life…

But my husband’s a police officer. And the rise of human slavery is something we discussed. It sparked me to research it – and to write Blood Shackles.

Freedom is something I’ve always been fascinated with. It doesn’t seem much – until we lose it. Not just the physical. But mental. Sexual and in relationships. The bonds that tie us. And how we can set ourselves free.

Blood Dragons is a book about love – and how it can both control and free. Blood Shackles is about family. How you can discover it when you least expect. How it can be ragtag. Misfit. And self-created – not biological. But sometimes those bonds are stronger than blood. And they can set you free.

That fascination with freedom – as well as love and family? That comes from my own life and experiences. I think the heart of what you write always does. And most people identity with that.

If you could have one paranormal ability, what would it be?

I’ve spent no time daydreaming about this at all… Spot the lie in that last sentence.

I’ve had dreams about shapeshifting. They were cool. But as a fantasy writer? Subjective reality. The power to manipulate the boundary between reality and fantasy. Blur the line. And create… impossible things. Your own worlds. The fantastical.

Writing a fantasy series allows you to do that without any paranormal ability. The worlds inside my head escape out into the world. The hidden paranormal London, where death drives desire and vampires are both predator and prey? It exists in Rebel Vampires

That door has already been opened…

What is one thing your readers would be most surprised to learn about you?

I’m married to a police officer. Him and Light – the British Rocker Blood Lifer with a photographic memory in my Rebel Vampires series? Wouldn’t see eye to eye. But Light is a James Dean style anti-hero (although throw in a young Michael Caine Alfie accent). Not a copy of my husband. Although the two men in my life have to share me - love triangle style. I fell hard for Light

The two guys do share one characteristic: courage. Police officers show bravery every day. In Blood Shackles fear (and the courage to overcome it) is the book’s guts. There’s no true bravery, if there’s no terror to face first. And enslaved by the human Blood Club, defanged and embroiled in a dark conspiracy, Light has more than his fair share of terror to face. But it’s how he does it, which is redemptive.

Think Taken. With vampires. Or Spartacus meets vampires. Either way, Light isn’t alone. He discovers both love and family in the unlikeliest of places. And it’s the drive to set them free, which gives him the courage to face his very worst fears…

Blood Shackles is available now. It’s released (e-book and paperback) on 1st November. Click here: http://viewbook.at/BloodShackles

When writing descriptions of your hero/ine, what feature do you start with?

As Light would say, I do like a ‘blinding coat…’

To be serious, there’s no one place because it depends on that character. The feature isn’t determined by me. Here’s what I mean: Light loves his coats. In the First World War a Military Great Coat or in the 1960s his iconic leather motorcycle jacket. So…the very first description of Light in Blood Dragons (the first standalone book in Rebel Vampires):

‘Rough leather motorcycle jacket, studded and faded, decorated with a worn gold Ace of Spades, collar firmly turned up, over a black t-shirt, jeans and tall motorcycle boots, topped by a light brown pompadour, tamed with Brylcreem.’ Blood Dragons (Rebel Vampires Volume 1) http://viewbook.at/BloodDragons

But sometimes you want to give more of a gut feel. It doesn’t need to be physical. You can paint that picture in…emotions.

‘Ruby. My red-haired devil, Author, muse, liberator, guide: my gorgeous nightmare.’ Blood Dragons (Rebel Vampires Volume 1)

The best descriptions? They’re the one lines, which capture a character whole.

‘M.C. slunk towards me, which was like being stalked by an anarchist tiger with added attitude.’ Blood Shackles (Rebel Vampires Volume 2)

Are you a plotter or a pantser?

Plotter!

Rebel Vampires is set in the supernatural world of Blood Life, in a hidden London where vampires are both predator and prey. I may love vampires. But I wanted to write a vampire book for adults. Where they weren’t simply the hunters but also the hunted. And death drives desire.

It’s a secret world of vampires, rebels and romance. In Blood Dragons Light is caught between his century old love for a savage Elizabethan Blood Lifer and his forbidden human lover.

The character of Light – and the world I wanted to build around him – came to me first. But then building the plot and outline comes next. I know the end of the book before I write the first line! I want to add richness. Depth. You need to know where you’re going to do that. In Rebel Vampires the books are standalone but they’re part of an arc. There are characters and situations, which I set up in book one and two – because I know what’s happening in book three… and later books!

I like a plot with strong propulsion – so everything moves it forward. There’s a thriller edge along with the romance… But it can also be emotions or what’s happening between the characters. I’m drawn to power dynamics. That shift in relationships, often between love and hate. That’s what I created between Grayse and Light in Blood Shackles.

Did you learn anything from writing this book? If so, what?

As a police officer, my husband had pointed out that human trafficking was still happening. And human slavery. In England and America. How could that be possible? In the twenty-first century. But it is. And it’s going on right now all around the world.

So I wondered: what would that be like if it was Blood Lifers as the slaves? If it was the humans as the monsters capable of such cruelty? Like Taken. But with vampires. And then how Light would survive and save not only himself – but his species – from slavery.

I researched the psychology behind how to break a slave – and rebuild them. I learned what about the choices and decisions we all make every day. The ways our minds work. Freedom – and how it seems such a small, insubstantial thing. Until you lose it.

Light discovers (for the first time in 150 years), family in the unlikeliest of places. Love too. And ultimately it’s love and family, which set him free. Although – the thriller-like plot helps too. Yeah, this one’s compelling.

Blood Shackles is out now at the promotional price of $0.99. Click here: http://viewbook.at/BloodShackles.

Want to read Blood Dragons first? Click here: http://viewbook.at/BloodDragons.

WELCOME TO THE BLOOD CLUB

Light is a Rocker Blood Lifer with a talent for remembering things. He’s meant to be the predator. It’s been that way since Victorian times. But not now. Not since someone hunted him. Enslaved him. Ripped out his fangs. Who are these ruthless humans? Who’s their violent leader? And who betrayed the secret of the Blood Lifer world?

WHERE THE PREDATORS

London, Primrose Hill. Grayse is the commanding but alluring slaver’s daughter. The enemy. She buys Light, like he’s a pair of designer shoes. So why does Light feel so drawn to her? Especially when his family is still in chains. Will he risk everything – even his new love – to save them?

BECOME THE PREY

Does a chilling conspiracy lie behind it all? A stunning revelation leads Light to an inconceivable truth. If he can face his worst terrors, he can save his family and his whole species from slavery.

Maybe he can even save himself.

The third book in the series, BLOOD RENEGADES, will be out Spring 2017

About the Author:

ROSEMARY A JOHNS is a traditionally published author of short stories under the name R. A. Johns. She is the author of Blood Dragons the compelling first instalment of the Rebel Vampires series.

Rosemary A Johns wrote her first fantasy novel at the age of ten, when she discovered the weird worlds inside her head were more exciting than double swimming. Since then she’s studied history at Oxford University, run a theatre company (her critically acclaimed plays have been described as "uncomfortable, unsettling and uneasily true to life"), and worked with disability charities.

When Rosemary’s not falling in love with the rebels fighting their way onto the page, she heads the Oxford writing group Dreaming Spires

Rosemary is a Goodreads Author: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/31348711-blood-dragons
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51 Love by Jeremy T. Ringfield - Spotlight and Giveaway

This post is part of a virtual book tour organized by Goddess Fish Promotions. Jeremy T. Ringfield will be awarding a $75 Amazon or B/N GC to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour. Click on the tour banner to see the other stops on the tour.

This story is about Abram, a hopeless romantic who enrolls into college and begins leaving love notes for the girl, Jec, who works at the front desk of his student apartments. About why they know each other when neither have even met. That's right, she had seen his face only two weeks earlier, when he tossed his book bag in the middle of the street, holding up traffic like a mad homeless man. But what she doesn't know is that just before he came to grab his keys to move in, the handsome albeit strange eyes and the person they belong to had just been released from the county jail.

The jail cell talk without any cameras around to record make his last 51 minutes in the pen with a sketchy bunkmate a do or die conversation that may explain why he became homeless, why he wrote the love letters in the first place, and if both were random at all.

Enjoy an Excerpt:

I think, for the price of a pizza, the experience of the novel is priceless.

A literary ecstasy, this was not a book I wanted to lend. I had to have it.

My co-worker interjects my thoughts, “Is that lighter fluid? What is he burning out there in our fire pit? I’m telling you Jec, that dude killed somebody. You haven’t seen him around as long as I have. The way he’s always scrunching his face, looking like a stone cold killer with all that stinking thinking. Some people struggle with who they really are. And when it goes foul, you know they don’t always catch these people.”

He picks up and holds out the book I am reading titled Wait For You, and says, “Some novels you have to read twice to really see all the beauty in the nuances, but these plots don’t always end beautifully Jec. You should start reading more of them.”

I take a bite out of an apple and stop scratching my thumb across a squiggled smear on my permanent marker to look out the window as I reply to my front desk co-receptionist, “Bobby, you’re being ridiculous. It just looked like he pulled some papers from a box and threw them into the pit. Hey, where’d he go?”

Bobby answers quickly, “No really, have you seen him using his hands on the street? He’s probably practicing some lethal judo that nobody knows right now. Hi-yah!—”

Ding-Ding.

At the sound of the front door bell I tried to smother my giggle in professionalism, but I no longer found it necessary to suppress as the blurry silhouette of the person entering the front door became clear and my laughter came to a sudden halt.

About the Author:

Jeremy lives in Colorado Springs, Colorado. He grew up in the south Atlanta area, where he eventually earned a football scholarship to Duke University. After experiencing enough life to form his own opinions, he enjoys sharing some with friends, reading, watching fantasy thriller and romance films, listening to music, and jogging when he is not writing. He writes new adult fiction.

Website: http://www.jeremytringfield.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/jeremytringfield
Twitter: https://twitter.com/JTRingfield

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The author is also providing a special giveaway:

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The Bulls of War by E. M. Thomas - Interview and Giveaway

This post is part of a virtual book tour organized by Goddess Fish Promotions. E.M. Thomas will be awarding a $25 Amazon or Barnes and Noble GC to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour. Click on the tour banner to see the other stops on the tour.

How old were you when you wrote your first story (not book but story) and what was it about?

Around 6 or 7. My second grade curriculum actually required students to write stories every day, which in hindsight is a pretty extraordinary ask of young kids. I always enjoyed it, however; it couldn’t compete with Nintendo or anything like that, but writing was never something I saw as a chore. Handwriting, on the other hand, was not one of my strong suits – I don’t think my legibility has increased since the second grade, now that I think about it.

Who inspired you to become a writer (or what, if not who)?

I’ve thought about that often and can’t really place a finger on it. My mother is a wonderful writer, so she was certainly at least one influence. I won’t say which, but there was a descriptive phrase she used in one of her stories maybe 20 years ago that stuck out in my mind so much that I paid homage to it in The Bulls of War. Beyond individual influences, I’ve always had a love for creating worlds in one form or another. When I was younger it took the form of drawing, but by my 20s, it had fully morphed into writing. The genre of fantasy is the ultimate in world-building possibilities, so it seemed like a perfect fit when I started putting to pen to paper on Bulls.

How old were you when you published your first book and what book was it?

Well, this one’s easy – 34. The Bulls of War is in fact my first publication, soon to be followed by an anthology of short stories and a historical fiction by the name of Fortress of the Sun. As is always the case, I learned an incredible amount through this process, with a checklist of things I’ll do differently next time already a mile long.

You've written many books, did you ever think, back when you were getting started, that you'd be where you are now? Are you one of those people who think 'I'm going to be a star!' and then go out and do it or were you just lucky? *wink*

I haven’t written as many books as I’d like just yet, so I will hold this question in escrow until the time is right. :-) I’ll be back!

What's the weirdest and/or funniest email(s) you've gotten from fans?

Probably the one from an individual who raved about The Bulls of War, quoted and recounted favorite portions of the book, demonstrated a detailed, working knowledge of the plot – then proceeded to cite to other “highlights” which were nowhere to be found in my manuscript. Like different names, different action scenes, different plot resolutions, different… everything. To this day, I’m not sure how that happened.

Tell us about your books, what do you have on the horizon? Any little hints you can give us?

Looking at the series from 30,000 feet, Chronicles of the Andervold Thrones (of which Bulls is Book 1) is similar to George Martin’s Song of Ice and Fire series – it’s going to be a multivolume exploration of an ancient land racked with turmoil, rival kingdoms balancing their truces on the edge of a sword, powerful realms beginning their decline from their peak power. At a more personal level, however, it’s a story of friendship, a story of love, a story of war and what it means to the men and women who bear witness to it, what it does to those forced to choose sides.

The horizon is split into basically three parts: first is the release of a short story anthology set in parallel to time in which Bulls takes place, providing for different perspectives of some of the events in the book; second is the release of my historical fiction, Fortress of the Sun (more on that below); and third, of course, is Book 2 of the Andervold series. In other words, exciting times ahead!

If The Bulls of War was made into a movie and/or tv show tomorrow, who would you cast as the main characters?

Great question! For Kyrus, I picture a younger Jason Isaacs or Tim Roth. For Tyghus, a younger Christian Bale or Daniel Day-Lewis; someone more contemporary might be Sam Heughan. Antinax would be well-suited by Anthony Hopkins. Connie Nielsen or Caitriona Balfe should be Tygha; Lena Headey or Susan Sarandon should be Wollia. This is going to be an expensive cast, so I hope the studio will go for my suggestions…

Do you have any plans to branch out into any other genres in the future? If so, what are they?

Indeed, and in fact I’ve already expanded from fantasy to historical fiction with Fortress of the Sun, which is still in the querying stage. Fortress takes place in third century B.C. Greece, centering around the great Battle of Corinth. I’m an ancient history fanatic, so I had a blast writing that as well, though it is a very different process than writing fantasy, as I go into detail on my site.

Beyond historical fiction and fantasy, I have an itch to write a space tale, and I have a few already storyboarded. But for now, that will have to wait.

Do you have a playlist that you use when you write? If so, can you give a few of the songs from it?

My writing environment is incredibly boring – ideally perfect quiet, no TV, no music, nothing. It’s tough enough trying to stay focused with constant internet access on hand, so I really try to limit the distractions in any way possible. On the few occasions where I do listen to music, it’s typically classical – songs with words distract me too much from the project at hand. Seeing a pattern here?

If you could go anywhere in the world, where would you go and why?

Right this second? I’d say returning to Europe. As I mentioned, I am an ancient history buff, and specifically Ancient Rome and Greece. I’ve been to both locations once, but that really only lets you scratch the surface of the ruins out there. I could spend a month at Pompeii alone.

After (or if) I’ve finished with those ruins and then climbing Europe’s medieval castles, I’d like to venture out to sightsee in Japan and China.

What's your favorite flavor of ice cream?

Vanilla ice cream whipped Blizzard-style with Oreos and Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups. If you need a way to regretfully yet deliciously blow through a thousand calories, I beseech you to try that out.

What kind of toppings do you like on your pizza?

Pepperoni and mushroom with lots of crushed red pepper. Extra sauce too, I don’t like dry pizzas. I’m officially hungry now from pondering this question.

As clouds of civil war gather over a dying empire, two friends and generals find themselves on opposite sides of the factional divide. Now, they must sacrifice everything to save themselves from their realm and their realm from itself.

Read an Excerpt:

Tyghus kept low to the ground as he headed for a patch of tall grass just on the camp’s edge. He hadn’t a shred of armor on him, only his sword.

His heart quickened as the rider quickly closed, his hooded brown cloak fluttering from his speed. Tyghus was intent on baiting the approach, certain he was safely blurred amongst grassy stalks.

Ten yards. The heavy gallops were loud now. Blade in hand, he sprang to his feet –

“General, no!”

About the Author:

E.M. Thomas is the author of two novels - an epic fantasy (The Bulls of War) and a historical fiction set in Ancient Greece (Fortress of the Sun).

E.M. Thomas was born and raised on the East Coast of the United States but is a world traveler at heart. He caught the writing bug early on and has a passion for all good fiction, but especially that of the fantasy and historical variety. One of his favorite moments thus far in his young career was writing a chapter of his latest book about the great battle of Corinth - while sitting amidst the ruins of ancient Corinth.


Twitter: https://twitter.com/EMThomas1
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/EMTHOMASAUTHOR1
Google+: https://plus.google.com/109634057185323716008
Amazon Author Page: http://www.amazon.com/author/emthomas

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Luke's Redemption by Anni Fife - Spotlight and Giveaway

This post is part of a virtual book tour organized by Goddess Fish Promotions. Anni will be awarding a $15 Amazon or B/N GC to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour. Click on the tour banner to see the other stops on the tour.

Chased by her criminal kingpin father, Katya Dalca runs to New Orleans and straight into the arms of Luke Hunter. Sucked into the carnal world of the French Quarter, she succumbs to Luke’s potent sexuality. He not only steals her breath, he steals her heart and the only leverage she has against her father. She is left with no choice except to pick up the pieces and rebuild her life alone.

Undercover DEA agent Luke Hunter thought his newest assignment—recover a stolen flash drive to gain the trust of the Russian mob—was like any other. But his target brings him to his knees, and after one taste of her intoxicating beauty, he's in too deep. Doing his job means walking away, leaving his heart behind with nothing but a promise to reunite. It's a promise he can't keep.

When Katya's past reaches out and her world unravels, her only hope is the one man she is most vulnerable to—Luke.

Read an Excerpt:

The smell of beignets wafted up and distracted, I lifted the bag and took a deep breath. Whoosh! Fine sugar blew up out of the bag and coated me.

“Shit, honey, you look sweet all over.”

Oh, just great.

Blinking sugar out of my eyes I looked up. And up. He was tall, well over six foot. Midnight-blue eyes rimmed by a deeper blue-black smoldered lazily down at me. “You’re holding the best beignets in the world. You gonna stand there or you going to take a bite?”

“Umm.” Jeez, Katya. Say something.

“Here, let me hold that for you.” He took the coffee from my hand. “Go on, babe. Take a bite. It’ll be the best thing you’ll ever taste.”

Still struck dumb, I did what he asked and lifted a beignet out of the bag and took a big bite. Oh! It was like sinking my teeth into a sweet pillow of ambrosia.

“Good huh?”

I nodded and stared back at him. Then, without uttering a word, I stuffed the rest of the beignet into my mouth. He grinned at me, shaking his head. “Want to wash it down with this?” He held out my coffee.

My fingers brushed against his. Yikes! I couldn’t stop the slight tremor caused by his touch. I took a gulp of coffee - half rich chicory, half hot milk - and finally found my voice. “Would you like one?” I offered the bag of beignets to him.

“Would be like taking candy from a baby,” he grinned. “But don’t worry, I’ve got my own.” He dangled a packet like mine in front of me.

Then we both stood there and smiled at each other while we gorged on sugary donuts. He would reach for my coffee to free my hand. Then after I ate some fluffy yumminess, he’d hand it back to me so I could take a sip. We swallowed the last of our beignets and licked our fingers.

I didn’t even know his name, yet I was more turned on than I had ever been in my life.

About the Author:

Last year, Anni Fife closed the door on a twenty-year successful career in television production, to fulfill her lifelong passion, writing. In the space of one month, she closed her business, packed up her city life and moved to a small seaside village. ‘My writing has always been constrained by client briefs,’ Anni says. ‘Now, I finally have the opportunity to write to the beat of my own heart.’ LUKE’s Redemption is Anni’s debut novel and she hopes you enjoy it as much as she loved writing it. Anni loves to spend hours walking on the beach searching for pansy shells, more hours drinking red wine with her gal posse, and the most hours writing romance novels filled with women you can relate to and men you love to dream about. She is currently working on her second novel, GRAY’s Promise.

Anni is published by The Wild Rose Press.

Website: http://www.annifife.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AnniFifeAuthor/
Mail the author: mailto:info@annifife.com

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