Silver to the Heart by Brien Feathers

 Please welcome Brien Feathers author of Silver to the Heart

Brien Feathers will be awarding $30 Amazon/BN GC to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour.

Silver to the Heart

by Brien Feathers

 

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GENRE: Dark fantasy, urban fantasy (adult, not YA)

 

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INTERVIEW:

1. What or who inspired you to start writing?

 

I’m Mongolian, and my grandfather was a famous writer here. I might have picked an interest in literature early on trying to impress my father, but these days, I would say I’m more of a “the story compels me” type of writer. The characters speak to me and I’m a bit insane (nervously laughs). 

2. What elements are necessary components for this genre?

 

I read in all genres, and I have to say, I’m not a big believer in genre-specific tropes. I’m also a screenwriter, so it comes with me watching lots of films. I love sci-fi on the screen, and yes, when I rent a sci-fi film, I want aliens attacking the spaceship and intergalactic war, not a family drama that happens to be in space— so in that regard, audience expectation exists, of course. But I think it’s far more important to have complex characters that compel and drive the plot organically than to try to hit expected beats. 

 

For example, most of the cast for my Light of Adua series are vampires, but the story has a disappointingly little smut. Instead, it’s driven by supernatural war, magic, multiple realms, and character relationships spanning five centuries. 

 

Although most of the story takes place in modern-day New Orleans, I wouldn’t say urban fantasy because the reader expectation for the genre is somewhat different. So, I’d call it a contemporary dark fantasy with content warnings for a bit of smut, but mostly for language and violence.  

4. What expertise did you bring to your writing?

 

I’ve been indie author-ing for a year, so I’m fairly new at this. But I’ve been a working screenwriter, and a poet before that for well over a decade and a half— writing has always been my thing. Poetry teaches you the composition of words, and in screenwriting, you have to understand the architecture of a story, such as beats, characters arcs, set up and pay-offs. One thing is not like the other, of course, and in this craft, we are always learning no matter how long you’ve been writing, but I’d like to think I’m not starting from scratch. 

 
5. What would you want your readers to know about you that might not be in your bio?

 

I love cats. But I have to love them from a distance because my husband is allergic. One of these days I’m going to exchange the husband for the cat, but I have two children and the husband takes them to school. So I need him around for the time being, I suppose. 

 

Also, not in my bio, my seven-year-old son has autism and he’s non-verbal. He’s the light of my soul, but it does stress me out sometimes. Social care in third-world countries such as mine is not so great, and I worry how he might live after I’ve died (well, that escalated quickly). 

6. As far as your writing goes, what are your future plans?

 

As of right now, I’ve published book 4 of my contemporary dark fantasy series, Light of Adua. A little secret revealed here: the series has seven books in total. And as I’m answering this, the first draft of book 5 is done. So, first I finish this series. Then, I have a trilogy in mind: historical dark fantasy. It’s always going to be dark fantasy no matter the setting, and one of my main characters is always going to be a samurai— I love old Japan and warrior culture in general.  

7. If you could be one of the characters from this book, who would it be and why?

 

Giselle. She’s a five-hundred-year-old vampire (called Elders in the book) who teleports, and she’s married to my absolute favorite character: a Japanese warlord, who is also a vampire. 

8. Can you give us a sneak peek into this book?

 

It’s perma-free at all retailers, you guys, go check it out. “Vampire Council guards the earth against ancient magic of a fallen realm. Contemporary dark fantasy series for adults,”—that’s my sales pitch. 

 

I have multiple point-of-view characters, which some readers did not like, but keep in mind that it’s the same characters throughout the entire series and give it a shot. Did I mention it’s perma-free? 

  
9. Do you belong to a critique group? If so, how does this help or hinder your writing?

 

I am on CC (I think it stands for critique circle, but don’t quote on that) and I’ve been making a point to give feedback to new writers on the ‘newbie queue’ once a week. However, I myself take feedback from readers and editors, not so much from fellow authors.  

 

I used to be in a writing group when I was in college and found it to be not my thing. I think a critique group can work but in specific settings such as where all the authors are at somewhat an equal level and write in the same genre. 

12. Do you outline your books or just start writing?

 

I outline first, but it changes… a lot from the outline. For me, an outline is a theory I’m testing out. Sometimes a plot point looks all right in the outline, but when I write the scene, the character just says ‘no’. If it doesn’t make sense for the character to do something, then I don’t push it, rather, I change the plot. So, I’d say my first draft is my actual outline. Then I edit, edit, and edit. Then I pay an editor to edit. 

14. Who is your favorite character in the book? Can you tell us why?

 

Ana, a twenty-seven-year-old human girl who’s the Guardian of the Realm, and Drake a 318-year-old telekinetic vampire are my two main characters; however, my favorite is Ayasu Sasuke— and you guessed it right, he’s a Japanese warlord vampire, with a katana, of course. 

16. Anything else you might want to add?

 

I want you to read. My characters, whom I love dearly, live not when I write but when you read. ‘Silver to the Heart’, Book 1 of the Adua series is perma-free across all retailers. Please give it a shot but remember there is a reader warning for mature content. 

 

And thank you for having here and being awesome. 

BLURB:

 

— So begins the apocalypse, with death and a story of love —

 

An old soul (several centuries old), the lover, fighter, and telekinetic Drake receives an order to safeguard Ana, a mortal with Elder Talent.

Ana, an artist beset by haunting visions, falls for the perfect stranger while venturing home to mediate emergent family chaos.

Past-warlord and present commander Sasuke wields his telepathic might to outwit Council traitors in an effort to save the human realm and its Guardian from a new Dark War.

Criminal and light bender Lou, now sought by the Council to answer for his sins, seeks shelter with the Reverend—an Elder fit to bypass rules of magic meant to be unbreakable.

As time’s last grains of sand deplete, an ancient battle may renew, with pieces of the fractured realm imperiling man’s modern world. Though few on Earth are cognizant, dark days now lie ahead. . .

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One fate, two paths, six singular perspectives, and plethoric danger.  

Contemporary fantasy at its polychromic finest—pure delight.

 

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NOTE: This book is free.

 

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EXCERPT:

 

NBTM: Silver to the Heart by Brien Feathers

 

            Dark fantasy, urban fantasy (adult, not YA)

 

 

            

Enilsa waited at the crosswalk even though there was hardly any traffic. A couple of cars passed by—maybe. The light turned green, and she crossed. A block away, she could already hear her building— the rent controlled block of flats was a massive jukebox that played cheesy music at all hours. She could always hear it before she could see it.

 

A stray lab mix sat by the curb and flapped his dirty tail on the ground when she walked by. “Sorry, buddy. Got nothing on me,” Enilsa apologized.

 

As she walked by, the dog suddenly snapped at something behind her. Contorting its face into that of a monster, it growled— aggressive and eyes glaring. Then it yelped and ran off, limping with its tail tucked between its hind legs.

 

“Jesus, girl, you scared me!” she yelled after the dog. 

 

Startled still, Enilsa took three more steps—maybe—before her legs quit suddenly. Face first, she went down stiff as falling timber. Her jaw crunched when she hit the pavement, and something tugged at her tailbone. A white converse with a red star kicked, and Enilsa rolled over. 

 

Two teenagers, a boy and a girl not much older than thirteen were looking down at her. The boy was wiping blood off a knife, and the girl tilted her head like a broken doll.

 

“Why wipe it if you’re going to use it again?” said the girl, and she sounded normal like a kid.

 

The boy, who appeared to be cleaning his knife mindlessly, looked down at his hands, then sighed. “Right. Forgot. But seeing as how it’s already clean, why don’t you finish her?”

 

 

 

 

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AUTHOR Bio and Links:

 

Brien Feathers is a fantasy author living in the land of permanent frost, horses, and Mongols. She likes reading, writing (of course), riding (horses and husbands), drinking dark beer, and checking things off a to-do list. 

 

Although she claims to love everyone equally, she really loves her youngest son the most. He has autism superpowers that allow him to speak all types of rare languages including drumbeats, elevator dings, and police sirens. 

 

Miss Feathers loves grey days, orange cats, and all creatures human or otherwise. And she hopes you will love her world (fantasy) and people (characters) as well.  

 

Links

https://brienfeathers.com/

https://www.facebook.com/Brienfantasy/

https://www.instagram.com/brien_feathers/

https://www.tiktok.com/@brienfeathers

 

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GIVEAWAY INFORMATION and RAFFLECOPTER CODE

 

Brien Feathers will be awarding $30 Amazon/BN GC to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour.

 

RAFFLECOPTER:

 

http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/28e4345f4258

Thumb Fire Desire by Carol Nickles

 Please welcome Carol Nickles author of Thumb Fire Desire

Thumb Fire Desire

by Carol Nickles

 

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GENRE: Historical Romance

 

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INTERVIEW:

A college history teacher in my freshman year told me I “had an intrinsic recognition of the complexities of man’s relationship with humanity” and that I should consider a career in journalism.  My graduate school thesis director awarded my work with one of the only two 4.0 grades she bestowed during her academic career as a thesis director.  “Keep writing,” she said.

The idea for Thumb Fire Desire originated with the realization of the Great Thumb Fire of 1881, the most significant natural disaster in Michigan’s history.  The only narratives of this event were delivered in a flat, monotone style. I wanted to give poetic voice to the people who experienced the days preceding, during, and proceeding this devastation.  

I have a Master’s degree in Historic Clothing and Textiles from Michigan State University.  My thesis earned a 4.0 grade and is a historical narrative of one of Michigan’s woolen mills. I have been a faculty member at two major universities and served fifteen years as a College Administrator. 

Have you ever watched one of those TV shows where the host reveals a hidden heritage to a guest?  Mouths drop.  Guest gasps. OMG!  Who would have ever known that my great-great-great-great-great relative was….TA-DA!  I can relate.  Short version:  I have a ninth great uncle named Johann Valentin Andreae.  Johann Valentin Andreae is credited with being the first writer of the science fiction genre! 

My publishing house, The Wild Rose Press, put out a submissions call for novella-length stories for their Christmas Cookie series. The title had to include the name of a Christmas Cookie.  My manuscript, Beards, Brunscrackers, and Snowflake Kisses, was contracted and is currently in edits. This sweet holiday romance should be available this fall.  A full-length romance, Past Preserve Us garnered a finalist placement in the 2022 Florida West Coast Writer’s Contest.  Past Preserve Us is set on a major university campus and takes us behind the scenes of integrated campus museums and historical collections. The major love interests are a textile curator and a mammologist.  This work has not yet been presented to my publisher.  

Here's a sneak peek into Thumb Fire Desire:  

Ginny sighed.  “I’m going for a little fresh air.” She walked out into the June evening and drifted aimlessly through the sandy arena, smoothed horseshoe prints with her boots, and strolled to the spot Peter straddled earlier in the day.  She climbed to the area she occupied before and tucked her feet behind the lower rung.

A low whinny echoed in the barn.

A soft snickering answered.

Moonlight illuminated the delicate gestures of a black cat licking her milk-soaked paws.

With persistent and beseeching meowing, a slatternly tomcat successfully romanced the ebony feline and lured her into the shadows.

Ginny thought back to the recent lazy afternoon she shared with Nadia and Peter. I would’ve told you what I want in a husband, Peter Nickles. I would’ve told you a man with your hearty laugh, your ability to make distressing work fun, and a man who is loyal to his friends like you are. If we’d been alone, I would’ve asked you how the scars on your back came to be, and I would’ve kissed them in every direction.

She rocked on the top rail of the corral and, with a trembling hand, shifted the braid hanging against her back to the swell of her breast.  Rolling the tail in her hand, she eased off the fence and walked a solitary path back to the house, painfully aware of the coupled world about her.

I sought a freelance developmental editor and sent her the mess of a manuscript.  She culled through it, made organizational and chronological sense, and encouraged me to seek publishers. 

I will never know why an assistant professor told me, “You know, Dr. Creekmore feels you are incapable of writing a Master’s thesis.” For three years, that opinion went unchallenged as I met with Dr. Creekmore, my thesis advisor, and worked on my thesis. Every week for three years, I submitted my work in progress and gracefully and gratefully accepted criticism and direction.  Shortcut to the ending.  Dr. Creekmore awarded my thesis a 4.0 grade and told me, “Keep on writing!” 

I just start writing!  

I nurture all facets of my creativity – sewing, performance (I’m a professional Mrs. Claus and I like to sing in choirs), comedy, graphic arts, and photography.  One facet fuels the others!

 

BLURB:

 

In the Spring of 1881, indigent seamstress Ginny Dahlke arrives in one of the earliest Polish American settlements-Parisville, Michigan. Deemed charmless and awkward by her mean-spirited sister-in-law, Ginny disparages her chance of securing love. But sought-after widowed farmer Peter Nickles is enamored by Ginny's perseverance, her pioneer spirit and, her inclusive acceptance of the indigenous peoples of Michigan. The seductiveness of a buxom heiress, a twisted story of an old-country betrothal, and the largest natural disaster in Michigan's history-The Great Thumb Fire of September 5, 1881, challenge their fledgling attraction and ultimate committal.

 

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EXCERPT:

 

“Watch your step. Watch your step, please,” the steward beckoned from his place on the platform, offering his arm to leave-taking passengers. Ginny stepped down. The heel of her kid leather pump caught in the juncture of the aisle floor and the train ladder’s top step. The blankets in her arms dropped onto the backs of the descending nuns. Her valise—weighted with a treasured book collection, conveyed from her father’s study, and two pounds of beef jerky wrapped in butcher’s paper—whacked the starched veil of the woman who spoke on her behalf. The target’s knees buckled. The nun tumbled face down on the back of her traveling sister.

 

Ginny toppled next. Mark Twain’s bestseller, the Dahlke family Bible, and a cracked leather-bound copy of Aesop’s Fables fluttered open and sailed into the congregation of the fallen.

 

From behind them, platform-roosting farmers rushed to retrieve the books, the butcher paper, and the integrity of three ladies.

 

A man resembling her father’s daguerreotype tugged Ginny by the shoulders and plucked her from the rubble. She clasped his neck and crushed her bonnet against his cheek. “Joseph,” she whispered, kissing a prickly cheek and whiffing aromatic cedar. She sneezed.

 

“Ginny, so glad you made it safely, even though the very last step of the journey is a sure-as-hell chance you’re going to Purgatory.” Her brother laughed, claiming her. “I mean, Ginny, you almost killed some nuns—nuns, for God’s sake,” he whispered as he tipped his hat to the black-and-white-clad women scurrying to a waiting wagon.

 

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AUTHOR Bio and Links:

 

Carol Nickles is the sixth generation of a German textile aficionado family.  In 1881, her great-great-great-grandfather founded Yale Woolen Mill—the longest-lasting of Michigan’s once twenty-nine woolen mills.  Carol earned a Master’s degree in Historic Clothing & Textiles at Michigan State University.  Her thesis is a narrative of the Yale Woolen Mill. She held faculty positions at both Utah and Michigan State universities. She lives in West Michigan and enjoys spinning a tale, weaving a story, and threading a luring hook. 

 

Website: www.carolnicklesauthor.com

Email:  carolnickleswriting@gmail.com

Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/Author-Carol-Nickles-102231548918144

Tik Tok:  @authornickles

Twitter:  @CarolNickles

 

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GIVEAWAY INFORMATION and RAFFLECOPTER CODE

 

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

 

RAFFLECOPTER:

 

http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/28e4345f4237

The Accidental Detective Series by Kris Bock

 Please welcome  Kris Bock author of The Accidental Detective Series

Kris Bock will be awarding Ebook copies of the first four books in the Accidental Detective Series. This includes Something Shady at Sunshine Haven and Something Deadly on Desert Drive (out now), plus early copies of books 3 and 4, Someone Cruel in Coyote Creek (not available publicly until September 29, 2022) and Someone Missing from Malapais Mountain (not available publicly until February 28, 2023) to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour,

The Accidental Detective Series

by Kris Bock

 

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GENRE: Humorous Mystery

 

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BLURB:

 

The Accidental Detective book 1

 

Something Shady at Sunshine Haven

 

Injured in a bombing, Kate returns to her hometown in Arizona with new scars, a limp, and pain meds that give her brain fog. For the first time in her life, she's starting to feel her age (49), even though she's living like a teenager again: staying with her father, trying to understand why her sister resents her so much, and running into old friends who still think of her as Kitty.

 

Seeing her mother in an Alzheimer's unit is the hardest part – until an old friend asks her to investigate suspicious deaths at that nursing home. Is a self-appointed "Angel of Mercy" killing patients to end their suffering? Are family members hastening their inheritance? Is an employee extorting money and killing the witnesses? Kate uses her journalism skills to track clues, but the puzzle pieces simply won't fit. If Kate can't uncover the truth, her mother could be next on the killer's list.

 

Kate has followed the most dangerous news stories around the world. But can she survive going home?

 

 

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EXCERPT:

 

My childhood home had faded in the harsh Arizona sun and now showed its age—rather like me. I’d never dreamed of living here again after thirty years of traveling the world. But I needed to rest and heal, and where better to do that than in my parents’ house? In a few weeks—I promised myself weeks, not months, and definitely not years—I would be well enough to return to journalism. “How’s Mom?” I asked.

 

“Good,” Dad said. “Well, you know. She’s settled in. She can’t wait to see you.”

 

I didn’t ask if she’d remember me. I hadn’t noticed signs of Alzheimer’s on my last visit, but that had been a year ago. 

 

“Hey, a friend of yours runs the care home. She gave me a message for you. Said it was urgent.” Dad shuffled through the mail on the little table by the door.

 

I couldn’t think of any friends in Arizona. I hadn’t had any here since my childhood. My friends were scattered around the world, wherever news was happening. 

 

Dad handed me an envelope. I propped my cane against the table so I had two hands to tear open the envelope. The handwritten message inside was brief:

 

Kitty—Please come see me ASAP. I need your help.

 

—Heather Garcia

 

“She sounded . . .” Dad hesitated. “She asked about your journalism and begged me to bring you in as soon as possible.”

 

 

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AUTHOR Bio and Links:

 

Kris Bock writes novels of mystery, suspense, and romance, many with outdoor adventures and Southwestern landscapes. Get a free Accidental Detective short story and bonus material when you sign up for her newsletter. You’ll also get a free 30-page sweet romance set in the world of the Furrever Friends cat café and a printable copy of the recipes mentioned in the cat café novels

 

Kris also writes a series with her brother, scriptwriter Douglas J Eboch, who wrote the original screenplay for the movie Sweet Home Alabama. Follow the crazy antics of Melanie, Jake, and their friends a decade before the events of the movie. Sign up for our romantic comedy newsletter and get Felony Melanie Destroys the Moonshiner’s Cabin. Or find the books on Amazon US or All E-book retailers

 

 

Kris Bock

Website: https://www.krisbock.com/

Blog: https://swarmchairtraveler.blogspot.com/ 

Twitter: https://twitter.com/kris_bock

Amazon US page: https://www.amazon.com/Kris-Bock/e/B006WV4I5O/

 Amazon UK page: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Kris-Bock/e/B006WV4I5O 

 

Where to buy Something Shady at Sunshine Haven 

Tule Publishing: https://tulepublishing.com/books/something-shady-at-sunshine-haven/ 

Amazon Kindle: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B097WJYYBZ

B&N Nook : https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/something-shady-at-sunshine-haven-kris-bock/1139733398

Apple Books: https://books.apple.com/us/book/something-shady-at-sunshine-haven/id1573825348

Kobo : https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/something-shady-in-sunshine-haven

Google Play: https://play.google.com/store/books/details/Kris_Bock_Something_Shady_in_Sunshine_Haven?id=br00EAAAQBAJ&hl=en_US&gl=US

Amazon Kindle UK: https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B097WJYYBZ

 

 

Buy links for Something Deadly on Desert Drive – June 21, 2022

 

Amazon:   https://www.amazon.com/Something-Deadly-Desert-Accidental-Detective-ebook/dp/B09QRYQDBY/ref=sr_1_1

 

Kobo: https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/something-deadly-on-desert-drive

 

 

 

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GIVEAWAY INFORMATION and RAFFLECOPTER CODE

 

Kris Bock will be awarding Ebook copies of the first four books in the Accidental Detective Series. This includes Something Shady at Sunshine Haven and Something Deadly on Desert Drive (out now), plus early copies of books 3 and 4, Someone Cruel in Coyote Creek (not available publicly until September 29, 2022) and Someone Missing from Malapais Mountain (not available publicly until February 28, 2023) to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour,

http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/28e4345f4188

SMALL TOWN PRINCE CHARMING by Megan Slayer

Please welcome Megan Slayer author of  SMALL TOWN PRINCE CHARMING

A prize pack featuring a bracelet and necklace made by the author.

SMALL TOWN PRINCE CHARMING

by Megan Slayer

 

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GENRE:  Contemporary Erotic Romance

 

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BLURB:

 

Can a high school romance that never happened have a second life in a small town?

 

Tracey Baker got out of Blakes Creek to find her purpose in life. She found it in the theatre scene in New York, but after ten years, she’s ready for a change. Working for the community theatre in her hometown is just what she needs—until she sees Ryan Greene.

 

Ryan Greene crushed on Tracey Baker in school, but he never thought she’d come back to Blakes Creek. When he sees her at the theatre, he’s determined to win her heart. His daughter Maisey is just as determined. She likes Tracey and sets out to prove her dad is Tracey’s Prince Charming.

 

Love might conquer all, but with the eyes and ears of the town focused on their relationship, Ryan and Tracey will have to prove they can set the stage alight together.

 

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EXCERPT:

 

“Okay. Well, why don’t you change out of your costume and into your school clothes for me, then I’ll get you some warm-ups?” Tracey asked. “I’ll have your costume ready for you tomorrow.”

 

“Thank you.” Maisey skipped to the changing room. 

 

Tracey admired her spunk. The girl did have enthusiasm and rhythm. Tracey turned her attention to Donnah. “I’ve got them all and a few notes. Erin’s fits perfectly now and Maisey’s will be adjusted tonight. It’s nothing drastic.”

 

“Erin Simec and Maisey are friends, and Erin’s mother is one of the troupe’s biggest benefactors.” Donnah sighed. “She’s also pushy as all get out.”

 

“And Maisey?”

 

“She’s here because her father needed somewhere for her to go while he worked. You know her father—Ryan Greene.” Donnah shook her head. “He tries, but he’s got his hands full.”

 

“Oh?” She remembered Ryan Greene very well. She’d crushed on him all through high school. “Does he need help?” The last she knew he’d married Carol. Was Maisey their daughter?

 

“With this, yes.” Donnah lowered her voice to a whisper. “Maisey is Jessica’s little girl. She lost custody when she went to jail this last time, but everything hit the fan when she died without a will. Thank God the courts allowed Maisey to be placed with Ryan. He’s all she’s got left. It’s a mess and sad, but he tries so hard, and his two jobs aren’t enough.”

 

“What about Carol?” 

 

“They split ten years ago. He works for Tom’s Renovation Services and here at the theatre. He’s the head of construction, but you’d think he’s not much more than a worker the way Derek shouts at him. Derek knows Ryan’s a good hard worker and dependable,” Donnah said. “Tom runs him ragged, but so does Derek. Then he’s raising Maisey because his sister was too busy sticking God knows what up her nose then overdosed.”

 

“Ryan?” She couldn’t wrap her mind around what she’d learned. Ryan wasn’t with Carol, but he’d gained custody of his sister’s daughter, and Jessica had died? It was too much to think about.

 

“Ryan tries to get Maisey into activities, but everything is so expensive. He can’t afford the gear or doesn’t have time to drive her to the practices. He’s here, so she hangs out with me at the dance studio. I’d love to have her fulltime in the troupe, but if I let everyone dance for free, I wouldn’t be able to pay my bills.”

  

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AUTHOR Bio and Links:

 

Megan Slayer, aka Wendi Zwaduk, is a multi-published, award-winning author of more than one-hundred short stories and novels. She’s been writing since 2008 and published since 2009. Her stories range from the contemporary and paranormal to LGBTQ and white hot themes. No matter what the length, her works are always hot, but with a lot of heart. She enjoys giving her characters a second chance at love, no matter what the form. She’s been nominated at the LRC for Best Author, Best Contemporary, Best Ménage, Best BDSM and Best Anthology. Her books have made it to the bestseller lists on Amazon.com. 

When she’s not writing, Megan spends time with her husband and son as well as three dogs and three cats. She enjoys art, music and racing, but football is her sport of choice. She’s an active member of the Friends of the Keystone-LaGrange Public library.

 

Website: http://wendizwaduk.com/indexMegan.htm 

Newsletter: http://ymlp.com/xgjmjumygmgj 

 

 

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GIVEAWAY INFORMATION and RAFFLECOPTER CODE

 

PLEASE MENTION THE PRIZE THAT THE AUTHOR WILL BE GIVING AWAY:  

A prize pack featuring a bracelet and necklace made by the author.

 

http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/28e4345f4268

The Virus of Beauty Series by C.B. Lyall

 Please welcome C.B. Loyal author of The Virus of Beauty Series

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

The Virus of Beauty Series

by C.B. Lyall

 

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GENRE: YA Fantasy

 

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INTERVIEW

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

I don’t have any tattoos and have never wanted them. One of my first short stories to be published was about a woman whose husband had left her. As she came to terms with the situation and began to move on, she decided to get a butterfly tattoo. It’s nice having characters to experience things for you.

Is your life anything like it was two years ago?

 Two years ago, the world went crazy with lockdowns, so I’m happy to say it’s nothing like then. We finally managed a trip back to see our parents in the UK and life is slowly getting back to normal. This summer I’m looking forward to the birth of two grandchildren. One in the USA and one in the UK.

How long have you been writing?

Since I was young, but it is only recently that I began to take my writing seriously. Before then I would send short stories to my family and friends for entertainment. After completely some writing course my writing journey took a more professional turn. During these courses, I met several talented debut authors who I’m pleased to call friends. We formed our own support group, and they are my first readers on any new project.

What advice would you give a new writer just starting out?

Take some classes and connect with other writers. Also write every day, even if it’s only one paragraph or page. A page a day gives you a first draft in a year.

Tell us something about your newest release that is NOT in the blurb.

In the Vassal of Magic – The Virus of Beauty Book 3, Myra discovers who her biological father was and discovers a secret about her origins and her connection with Nipits, her cat.

BLURB:

 

The Virus of Beauty – Book 1

 

Ugliness is power, and the Virus of Beauty is spreading causing panic throughout the witch population.

 

Wilf Gilvary is a teenage wizard who is terrified of using magic. When his father dies under mysterious circumstances, the same day the Mages Crystal shatters, Wilf is plunged into the middle of a political struggle between the witches and wizards in the Magical Realm. He’d rather play soccer than practice magic, but he’s forced to make a choice between the life of a normal Hong Kong teen and one of wizardry after a powerful virus begins to decimate the witch community. The cure is spellbound in a journal Wilf inherited from his father and when his friend Katryna contracts the virus, Wilf understands that he must overcome his fear of magic to unlock the journal’s secrets – but will it be too late to save her?

 

 

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EXCERPT:

 

The Virus of Beauty – Book 1

 

“Wilf, is that you?” Reginald’s shout was followed by a creaking sound from the basement stairs.

 

Wilf bolted for the front door. His shoes crunched on the broken glass. He jerked open the door and the bell gave a traitorous jingle. He shot out of the store and back into their living quarters. He barged into the kitchen.

 

“What happened?” Myra asked, putting down the bread knife.

 

He threw himself onto a chair, poured cornflakes and milk into a bowl, and shoveled a spoonful into his mouth.

 

“Wilf,” Myra said, taking on the adult tone she’d started using two years ago, when she’d turned eighteen. “I take it you didn’t find your card in the store.”

 

“It wasn’t me,” he mumbled through his mouthful of cereal. “But I’ll be blamed. Tell him I was here, having breakfast.”

 

“Why am I covering for you again?” She folded her arms and tried to look more imposing than her five-foot, two-inch height would allow.

 

Wilf’s spoon leaped from his hand and splashed into the bowl with the first heavy footstep on the stairs. The faucet stopped dripping and the clock held its next tick. The small kitchen in the Gilvarys’ Hong Kong apartment held its breath.

 

The kitchen door flew open, and revealed his father, shaking with rage. After a moment, Reginald thrust his hands into his pants pockets.

 

“You’ve shattered the Mages Crystal.” His lips formed a thin line on his angular face. “It’s been in our family for generations.

 

 

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AUTHOR Bio and Links:

 

Carolyn Lyall was born in Stockton-On-Tees, United Kingdom. As a child Carolyn growing up in Northern England in the sixties Carolyn loved sports, reading and amateur dramatics. She joined a renaissance group, practiced the broadsword and dreamed of visiting other worlds. Her

passion for what could be drove her forward when faced with everyday struggles. Her first memorable skirmish with gender inequality came at nine-years old when she was told that only boys were allowed to play soccer. In response, she simply refused to do any classwork until

they changed their old-fashioned policies. She won that battle.

 

At the age of 18, she took a role as typist for a nursing school in Middlesbrough. She then moved to London and enrolled in night school. She was quickly recognized for her ability to fit in anywhere and for not being afraid to push back on the predominantly male leadership. She

eventually became a project manager in software development and micro-computers, bridging the gap between computer programmers and management.

 

Her dream to travel was finally realized in 1990 when she moved to New York City, USA with her husband and the first of three sons. This was the steppingstone to a lifelong adventure that has taken her and her family to India, Belgium and Hong Kong.

 

Raising her family in multiple countries around the world, she saw that each move, while a shock, was an opportunity for her sons to redefine themselves against new challenges and different cultural norms. Now, that her sons have left home, Carolyn has used her passion for

the fantastic to create a world where every day gender inequalities are at the forefront of a world ending conflict. She shares this story through the eyes of a young man who is suddenly thrust into this new world along with all of his own woes and prejudices. The introduction to this world

is in Carolyn’s debut YA fantasy novel, “The Virus of Beauty,” due to be released July 31, 2019 under C B Lyall.

 

Carolyn has published two short stories in an annual anthology by 25 Servings of Soop. She wrote a number of articles for the American Women’s Associates Magazine. Fueled by her love of the works of Terry Pratchett, Sarah J Maas, Cassandra Clare, Brandon Sanderson and

others, Carolyn has completed a number of writing courses, which included a Master Fantasy/Science Fiction writers course with Gotham Writers’ Workshop, a YA Voice class and Advance Novel Writing course at Sarah Lawrence College’s Writing Institute.

 

Website: cblyall.com

Facebook: @CarolynBLyall

Twitter: @cblyall

Instagram: @carolynlyall

 

Amazon buy link:

Book 1: https://www.amazon.com/Virus-Beauty-Book-1-ebook/dp/B08NF1L94T/ref=sr_1_1

Book 2: https://www.amazon.com/Veil-Corruption-Virus-Beauty-Book-ebook/dp/B08LW57DXQ/ref=sr_1_4?crid=2QEJZOZM75KKV

Book 3: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B09WZJ18R5?notRedirectToSDP=1&ref_=dbs_mng_calw_2&storeType=ebooks

Series Link: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B08NGNYQL3?ref_=dbs_p_mng_rwt_ser_shvlr&storeType=ebooks

 

 

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GIVEAWAY INFORMATION and RAFFLECOPTER CODE

 

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

 

http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/28e4345f4219