Alex by Dianne Hartsock

This post is part of a virtual book tour organized by Goddess Fish Promotions. The author will award a $15 Amazon/BN GC to a randomly drawn winner. Click on the tour banner to see the other stops on the tour.

Alex is twenty and confused. He always is. The world presses on him with its horrors and pain, with scintillating auras that bewilder his eyes and drive the migraines deeper. He hears the cries of the children, sees the brutal images of tortured victims. He feels out of control and his mind slips…

Severely abused as a child, he is left with horrible scars on his body and even worse scars within his mind. Even though it puts him in danger, he’s compelled to help those who call to him. He’s driven, motivated by his visions to rescue them and hopefully uncover the killer. When he can, he helps the police; yet some detectives suspect he’s involved. Often, Alex finds himself alone and afraid in a world he doesn’t always understand.

Read an Exclusive Excerpt

The movie was stupid and pointless, but with Justin throwing in his caustic remarks, it quickly turned hilarious. Even so, there were times when the movie made no sense to him. He couldn’t understand why a dried-up old man was hoeing a garden in the middle of the desert.

Alex watched intently in case he missed something. The tines of the rake flashed in the sunlight as they dug into the baked earth, stroking back and forth. The movement glittered in his eyes, making him sleepy…

***

He drifted in and out of consciousness until Mama’s stinging slaps roused him. His head pounded.

“You’re a strange child,” she whispered harshly as she yanked him to his feet.

“Y-yes,” he stuttered through chattering teeth. His left arm ached; she’d hurt it again.

Mama slapped him harder and his head struck the wall. He sank to his knees but struggled up. She didn’t like it when he fell.

They were in the garage again. So much pain awaited him on the shelves. He screamed silently and wished she’d just begin.

She paced up and down the cement floor, finally selecting a small clawed trowel she used in the yard. He could see bits of mud and weeds still clinging to it. She smiled. “Just the thing.”

***

He jumped when Justin let out a whoop of laughter, waking him. Startled, he spilled beer on his shirt, surprising himself and everyone else.

Justin threw him a towel.

“Sorry.”

Angie sprang up to save the carpet, and Brad hurried to grab another towel. As he passed it to Angie, he gave Alex a look of disgust.

“I think I’d better go home,” Alex said, plucking at his sticky shirt.

“No, you don’t,” Angie chided. She pushed him toward the hall. “Go into the bathroom and wash up. We’ll stop the movie until you get back. Justin, lend him a clean shirt.”

“Yes, ma’am,” Justin said, grinning. He took Alex’s arm. “This way, young man.”

He led Alex to the bathroom and left him there with a conspiratorial wink, then went to fetch a shirt.

Alone, Alex turned to the mirror and stared at the dark eyes reflected back at him. He reluctantly pulled the sodden shirt over his head, and winced. His chest was a tangled mass of scars, with several deep furrows carved over his heart. With dismay, he realized how vividly the scars stood out in the bathroom light and shut and locked the door.

About the Author:

Dianne grew up in one of the older homes in the middle of Los Angeles, a place of hardwood floors and secret closets and back staircases. A house where ghosts lurk in the basement and the faces in the paintings watch you walk up the front stairs. Rooms where you keep the closet doors closed tight at night. It’s where her love of the mysterious and wonderful came from. Dianne is the author of m/m romance, paranormal/suspense, fantasy adventure, the occasional thriller, and anything else that comes to mind.

She now lives in the beautiful Willamette Valley of Oregon with her incredibly patient husband, who puts up with the endless hours she spends hunched over the keyboard letting her characters play. Dianne says Oregon’s raindrops are the perfect setting in which to write. There’s something about being cooped up in the house with a fire crackling on the hearth and a cup of hot coffee in her hands, which kindles her imagination.

Currently, Dianne works as a floral designer in a locally-owned gift shop. Which is the perfect job for her. When not writing, she can express herself through the rich colors and textures of flowers and foliage.

Blog: https://diannehartsock.wordpress.com/
FaceBook: https://www.facebook.com/diannehartsock FaceBook Author Page: https://www.facebook.com/diannehartsockbooks
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/4850270.Dianne_Hartsock
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/diannehartsock/

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Alex-Dianne-Hartsock-ebook/dp/B0CSYN5Y5C/ref=sr_1_1
JMS Books: https://www.jms-books.com/dianne-hartsock-c-224_445/alex-p-4993.html
Barnes and Noble: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/alex-dianne-hartsock/1104468927?ean=9781685506599
Kobo: https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/alex-76
Smashwords: https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/1519070

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The Basement by Dianne Hartsock

This post is part of a virtual book tour organized by Goddess Fish Promotions. Dianne Hartsock will be awarding a $20 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.

Alex is haunted by visions of the dying, but now it seems the ghosts he’s seeing are real as well.

In this sequel to ALEX and THE SHED, Alex wonders if he’s seeing ghosts. His friend Justin has bought the Fulton place, a beautiful old mansion on the edge of Oakton. But something’s wrong in the house. Alex has visions of a small boy, trapped in the basement, and a man at the top of the stairs who won’t let him leave.

And Logan Fulton has come to town, Helen Kramer’s cousin, a psychic medium who wants something from Helen, whatever the cost. He and Helen had spent time in the Fulton house as children and Alex suspects Logan has something to do with the spirits now awakening in the old mansion. But whether Logan is calling them forth or if something else is controlling them, Alex can’t be sure.

The child’s spirit calls to Alex, as do others trapped in the house. There is a dark entity holding them there, keeping the child forever in the basement, the others for his amusement. But Alex has never believed in ghosts, so what is really going on? As he strives to learn the boy’s secret, his friends are one by one pulled to the Fulton place and put in danger while Logan works against Alex, having an agenda of his own. Will Alex be able to solve the haunting of the old house, or will he and his friends be taken one by one, doomed to walk the dark hallways forever?

Read an Excerpt

Alex gasped, the frigid air, a knife in his chest. Where was he? Oh God, where had his vision taken him? His breath came out a plume of smoke when he exhaled, hiding the scarred wooden door in front of him for an instant. The solid wood, once painted white, now peeled in flakes, dark blotches marring the bare wood underneath. Black stains discolored the hardwood floor at its base as if something had splashed against the door and dripped down… Blood.

A shudder swept through Alex, his skin crawling as the cold air congealed. Anticipation, sharp as a razor, scraped his nerves. Something was coming. He blinked his eyes, wanting to wake up, leave the images growing more real by the second. His soul had traveled to that well to see Christopher. Was the same thing happening again? Was he really in this house, the horror forming an actual presence? He wanted to go home.

Too late. Hatred, hot and violent, struck him, and he staggered backward, horror building in his mind as a black shape took form before the door. A hand reached from the darkness, white, old, gnarled, the flesh shriveled into a claw, nails sharp and wicked. Alex took another step back, a scream catching in his throat at the malevolence surrounding him. The thing would rake his flesh, rip his heart out, anything to stop him from…

Alex paused, the world growing still, the cold settling on the ground in a thick fog around his feet. This was about the door.

About the Author:

Dianne grew up in one of the older homes in the middle of Los Angeles, a place of hardwood floors and secret closets and back staircases. A house where ghosts lurk in the basement and the faces in the paintings watch you walk up the front stairs. Rooms where you keep the closet doors closed tight at night. It’s where her love of the mysterious and wonderful came from. Dianne is the author of paranormal/suspense, fantasy adventure, m/m romance, the occasional thriller, and anything else that comes to mind.

She now lives in the beautiful Willamette Valley of Oregon with her incredibly patient husband, who puts up with the endless hours she spends hunched over the keyboard letting her characters play. Dianne says Oregon’s raindrops are the perfect setting in which to write. There’s something about being cooped up in the house with a fire crackling on the hearth and a cup of hot coffee in her hands, which kindles her imagination.

Currently, Dianne works as a floral designer in a locally-owned gift shop. Which is the perfect job for her. When not writing, she can express herself through the rich colors and textures of flowers and foliage.

Blog: http://diannehartsock.wordpress.com/
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/home.php#!/diannehartsock
Twitter: http://twitter.com/#!/diannehartsock
Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/user/show/4707011-dianne-hartsock
Amazon Author Page: http://www.amazon.com/Dianne- Hartsock/e/B005106SYQ/ref=sr_ntt_srch_lnk_1
Facebook Author Page: https://www.facebook.com/Dianne-Hartsock-Author-107985445959828/

Buy Links:

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Basement-Dianne-Hartsock- ebook/dp/B07MCVMFJN/ref=sr_1_18
Barnes and Noble: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/books/1130301217
Solstice Publishing: http://www.solsticeempire.com/products.aspx?categoryid=102

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Birthday Presents by Dianne Hartsock

This post is part of a virtual book tour organized by Goddess Fish Promotions. Dianne Hartsock 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.

Why do you write in your genre? What draws you to it?

I stumbled on my first m/m erotic romance about six years ago, and I have to say, I was instantly hooked! I’ve read plenty of romances, but there was something about the intimacy and passion and strength of their love in a world that doesn’t always except them as a couple, that really got to me. I wanted to write something this touching and intensely personal, really climb into their skin and see what makes them tick. I can’t seem to find this level of intimacy in any other genre.

What research/world-builing is required?

Everything! Birthday Presents is a contemporary story, so I didn’t have to world build for this one. But it’s about a serial killer and his victims and the police/detectives that are tracking him down. I needed to research modern serial killers. What survivors have to say about their horrifying experience. Their family’s ordeal. PTSD. Police procedure. Some of this I already knew from other crime stories I’ve written, but with new characters come more things to research. If I don’t get it right, the story loses credibility, which loses the reader’s interest.

Name one thing you learned from your hero/heroine.

How to be brave. My goodness, the terrible things that were done, the fear and pain and terror they went through. How they didn’t simply fall apart and give in to despair, I’ll never know. But they kept hold of hope, and though they have a long recovery ahead of them, they’re going to make it. They have good friends who will make sure they do.

Do you have any odd or interesting writing quirks, habits or superstitions?

I think if I didn’t have to work and could stay home and write full time, we’d have the cleanest house in the world! When I get into a writing a difficult scene, I get restless and nervous and pace the floor, scrub the counter, straighten a bookshelf, anything while I work out the sequence of events in my head. Sitting still while I untwist a plot point is not an option.

Are you a plotter or pantser?

Panster? I say that hesitantly because I usually am plotting out a storyline for a new book while still working on another one. I usually know the main characters, the beginning, where I’d like the story to go, and the ending. Of course, once I start writing, my characters take over and then it’s like herding cats to get them to go where I want them to. It’s always an adventure and I don’t always end up where I thought we’d be, but it’s also the only way I can write. If it’s too structured, I lose out on the fun and the surprises my characters have in store for me.

Look to your right – what’s sitting there?

My notebook for Birthday Presents! I wanted to make sure I got all the names right and didn’t leave anything important out of this interview. I did have a cup of coffee there about ten minutes ago, but finished it (my third cup) and didn’t think I should have any more. Being a jittery author is not always a good combination. Who knows what my characters would do then!

Anything new coming up from you? What?

Most everything I’ve written up to date has been published. (Lucky me!) At the moment I’m finishing up a psychological thriller and will send that to my publisher at the end of the year to see what they think. After that I’ll start a romantic suspense story based on a winter legend. I won’t tell you which one! I want it to be a surprise.

Do you have a question for our readers?

With so many terrific stories out there, I have a hard time picking which one to buy next. Do you have a favorite author, and if so, which book of theirs would you recommend I read first?

For Tracey, life has become a nightmare. Kidnapped from a nightclub in Boulder, Colorado, brutalized and raped by the killer known as Crimson, he's held captive alongside Kyle, a young man Crimson keeps chained to his bed and is slowly torturing to death. Though Tracey manages to escape with Kyle's help, he is forced to leave Kyle behind.

Gene has never stopped looking for his brother Kyle, abducted from a nightclub seven months previously. The case breaks open when Tracey comes forward, claiming to have knowledge of the whereabouts of Crimson's hideout.

A manhunt begins, but Crimson's birthday has come and gone, and he will kill again.

Read an excerpt:

"I know." Paige gave him an intense look. "I will find them, Gene."

Gene sighed, scrubbing at his face with his hands. "How many men do we have out here?" he asked, staring into the darkness below them.

"There's a team two ridges over, working their way toward us, and another sweeping from the west. We have Crimson boxed in, as long as no one gets careless. Another reason I wanted to stop. Can't risk him doubling back and getting behind us."

Gene nodded, though his skin crawled with nerves. He let out a long breath and shifted, stretching out on the hard ground.

Paige leaned back on his elbows, his gaze on the dark trees in front of them. He flicked Gene a glance. "You should get some sleep."

"Fuck that." Gene saw him flinch. "Can you find Crimson in this?"

"Yes. He's very good, though. The signs I've been finding have been left by Tracey. A footprint here, bent twigs, a button. "

Gene pictured Tracey as he'd last seen him: beautiful, strong, despite the shadows lurking darkly in his eyes.

"Okay," Genes said, nerves on edge. "We've had Crimson cornered several times and he's managed to get away every time. And now he has Tracey again." He rubbed his aching forehead. "How did that happen, exactly? How'd Crimson find us?"

"I have no idea. You, Craig, Klinton, and me were the only ones who knew the location. My money's on Craig."

About the Author:

Dianne is the author of paranormal/suspense, fantasy adventure, m/m romance, the occasional thriller, and anything else that comes to mind. She lives in the beautiful Willamette Valley of Oregon with her incredibly patient husband, who puts up with the endless hours she spends hunched over the keyboard letting her characters play. She says Oregon’s raindrops are the perfect setting in which to write. There’s something about being cooped up in the house with a fire crackling on the hearth and a cup of hot coffee warming her hands, which kindles her imagination.

Currently, Dianne works as a floral designer in a locally-owned gift shop. Which is the perfect job for her. When not writing, she can express herself through the rich colors and textures of flowers and foliage.

Blog: http://diannehartsock.wordpress.com/
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/home.php#!/diannehartsock
Twitter: http://twitter.com/#!/diannehartsock
Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/user/show/4707011-dianne-hartsock
Amazon Author Page: http://www.amazon.com/Dianne-Hartsock/e/B005106SYQ/ref=sr_ntt_srch_lnk_1?qid=1361897239&sr=8-1
Facebook Author Page: https://www.facebook.com/Dianne-Hartsock-Author-107985445959828/

Buy the book at Amazon, Less Than Three Press, or Kobo.

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Dianne Hartsock -- Guest Blog and Giveaway

This post is part of a Goddess Fish Promotions virtal tour to celebrate the 4th Anniversary of Breathless Press. Lots of prizes are up.. so be sure to check out the Rafflecopter at the end of the post. To celebrate today, Dianne Hartsock has stopped by--enjoy!

*****

Hello! My name is Dianne and I'm supposed to tell you five fun and exciting things about myself. Easier said than done! Even though I write in that very delicious genre, m/m erotic romance, my personal life isn't quite that fabulous. Let's see…

No. 1: I'm the floral designer for an upscale, eclectic gift shop where we sell everything from garden/house plants, gifts, music, books and art, with a tea bar and my own floral shop smack in the middle of it all. I have to admit I love my job; most of my inspiration for my characters comes from my customers. Just the other day I was privileged to create a lovely arrangement from a soldier to his man who lives in our area. Oh swoon! Not only did I get to make something beautiful out of roses and alstromeria and gladiolas, but the card he sent with the flowers melted my heart! So romantic. I think that's what I like best. I get to see the fondness and happiness in a person's eyes when they come into the shop to order flowers for the one they love.

No. 2: Even though I drool over a hot sexy m/m romance story, my first love is the simple sweet romances of the turn of the last century. I have a collection of romance novels ranging from the 1880's to the 1920's. Oh gosh, could those authors write! Such pathos and heartache and angst. Such joy and celebration at the endings! You think authors put their characters through the wringer these days? But back then, wow! True love at its finest, with all the drama of self-sacrifice and honor and betrayal and friendships lost that a person could wish for in a romance. They're probably why I make sure all my stories have a happily ever after with their true loves. I wouldn't dream of writing anything different.

No. 3: I have a confession to make. I absolutely and hopelessly love junk food. True! My perfect dream for a foodfest day would be a maple bar with bacon breakfast with cups of hot strong coffee. Lunch would be a feast of nachos and guacamole, tacos and ice cold stout beer. Dinner would be ribs, cornbread slathered with butter, baked beans and more beer. (Anyone else getting hungry?) I'm not a big desert eater, but a rich chocolate cake with layers of chocolate frosting would hit the spot.

Okay, I don't eat like this! But I do indulge on occasion. I mean, come on! These are the simple pleasures of life, right? *wink*

No. 4: Don't tell anyone, but I have a giant crush on one of my gay customers. I know, very silly of me, considering I'm way too old for him and well…not a man. There's that. But anyway, what a doll! Enormous shy blue eyes that can pierce my heart from across the room. Longish black hair that swings down to hide his perfect face. Tight compact body. Oh sigh. His boyfriend's a cutie and hovers protectively around him when they shop. Not jealously, but as if his man is the most precious thing to him in all the world. Buddy, I'd be hovering too! And touching and licking… Well, you get the idea! I haven't used them as characters yet, saving them for something special I have in mind for later this year. *wink, wink*

No. 5: Yes, a love potion! Not really. My last secret, at least for now, is that I'm a huge sci-fi geek. Not that I've ever dressed up and gone to a convention or anything, but I have most episodes of Star Trek, Stargate, and Firefly memorized. Oh, and I own and have read most of Ray Bradbury's stories, more than once, I might add. We have a parade in our town once a year called 'Alien Daze' where aliens from all over the galaxy come to march. And yes, I have dressed in my Starfleet uniform a couple of times, science officer of course in honor of Spock. My husband and I are also planning a visit to Roswell, NM, one of these days to see the big UFO parade there. Yes, I'm a nerd, but harmless!

So! Thanks so much for stopping in. Don't forget to enter the contest for the Kindle give-away. And since I'm a big believer that dialogues should work both ways, please leave me a comment telling me a something about yourself. I'd love to get to know you!

About the AuthorAfter growing up in California and spending the first ten years of marriage in Colorado, Dianne now live in the beautiful Willamette Valley of Oregon with her incredibly patient husband, who puts up with the endless hours she spends hunched over the keyboard letting her characters play.

She says Oregon’s raindrops are the perfect setting in which to write. There’s something about being cooped up in the house while it pours rain outside, a fire crackles on the hearth inside, and a cup of hot coffee warms her hands which kindles her imagination.

Currently, Dianne works as a floral designer in a locally-owned gift shop. Which is the perfect job for her. When not writing, she can express herself through the rich colors and textures of flowers and foliage.

Blog: http://diannehartsock.wordpress.com/
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/home.php#!/diannehartsock
Twitter: http://twitter.com/#!/diannehartsock
Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/user/show/4707011-dianne-hartsock
Amazon Author Page: http://www.amazon.com/Dianne-Hartsock/e/B005106SYQ/ref=sr_ntt_srch_lnk_1?qid=1361897239&sr=8-1

About the Publisher:

Breathless Press is an e-book publisher specializing in Romance and Erotic(a) stories.

Our mission statement is simple: To provide the opportunity for readers to connect with romance authors through the purchasing of quality e-books at a low price.

Starting in the summer of 2009, Breathless Press came into existence. Since then, we have been producing top end romance and erotic stories for valued readers to enjoy.

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