Review Coveted by Shawntelle Madison

Coveted by Shawntelle Madison
Released: April 24, 2012
Publisher: Ballantine Books
Age Group: Adult
Pages: 304 pages
Format: Paperback
Source: Bought
Rating: 4/5
Author Site: Shawntelle Madison

For werewolf Natalya Stravinsky, the supernatural is nothing extraordinary. What does seem strange is that she's stuck in her hometown of South Toms River, New Jersey, the outcast of her pack, selling antiques to finicky magical creatures.

I immediately took a liking to Nat. I felt so bad for her being an outcast and getting treated so badly even by her own family just because she wouldn't succomb to the life that was intended for her as a werewolf and because of her hoarding condition for collecting an exorbant amount of holiday ornaments. It's so bad that she has let them totally take over her life and her house by the boxfuls and is ashamed when anybody comes to visit. I can identify a bit of myself over the hoarding because I have to have "ALL" the books! I'm just saying.....LOL

On top of all this she is still very much infatuated with her old flame Thorn but because he leads the pack and she is a shunned member he can barely offer her his friendship much less the love and protection she needs when other clans begin to invade the turf who want her dead.

I am very interested to see what happens in the next book because Nat is in training to try to reclaim a spot in the clan. I can't wait to see if she will rekindle an old flame or start one up with Nick (a wizard) whom I also took a liking to! I am sooo pro Nick at this point because I just felt Thorn could have stood up more for Nat if he had such strong feelings for her?

At any rate this was an awesome debut and totally is going on my keeper shelf!

Guest Post/Book Feature/Giveaway - What Binds Us by Larry Benjamin

Thomas-Edward is only a teenager when he escapes his working-class neighborhood. He's ready for anything—except the arrival of Donovan Whyte in his life. Sophisticated and dazzlingly handsome, Dondi quickly becomes the center of Thomas-Edward's universe, introducing him to a world full of drama, passion and feuding families.

When their relationship fizzles, they remain uneasy friends until Dondi invites Thomas-Edward to his family's summer house. Thomas-Edward is immediately attracted to Dondi's mysterious brother, Matthew—and finds himself hopelessly drawn to both men.

As time passes, Thomas-Edward develops a unique bond with both brothers as they orbit around each other, although he knows only one of them can be his lifelong love. Will the three of them be able to find a way to hold on to each other? Or will love, its loss and the threat of death destroy their connection once and for all?

Writing to Me is ... by Larry Benjamin
Writing is a privilege because I am allowed to make things up, to tell stories. A voice whispers words in the open shell of my ear, words which fall like tears or snow, piling up, forming sentences which rise up and tell a story.

As a writer I have a responsibility to make my characters engaging and tell their truths. I also have a responsibility to readers. Buying a book is a leap of faith. Readers, on the strength of your brand or book blurb, trust you, plunk down their hard-earned cash because they think you will entertain them, will pull them out of themselves, their lives and into another alternate reality—at least for a little while. That makes me want to write the best story I can.

Writing is my salvation, giving me an outlet to express anger, disappointment, grief, joy. My first book, What Binds Us, captures the headiness of youth and first love and sums up the sense of loss and grief that colored so much of the 80s. My next book, Damaged Angels (being released by Bold Strokes Books in October 2012) is my Adele 21. Adele may have set fire to the rain around her faithless, feckless boyfriends, but I had to content myself with setting fire to mine on the page, burning each in an effigy of words. In truth, writing Damaged Angels was more like capturing each one in amber, preserving a moment in time, an experience, capturing a personality, a way of being, so I did not forget.
And finally writing for me is work. There’s more to writing a novel or even a short story than simply creating characters and a story line and dialogue. There’s research that needs to be done to make sure your story is plausible, your characters realistic. Then there’s the business of writing: querying publishers, working with an editor, reviewing a cover to see if it captures the essence of your book, connecting with readers, biting your tongue and holding back tears when you get a bad review.

Yet, writing is something I won’t stop doing. I write because if I don’t, I’m miserable. The words, they come, whether I write them down or not, piling up in my head, making it hard to think of other things, making it impossible to sleep, until I can do nothing but write. I’ve always imagined that the way I feel when I don’t write is the way an asthmatic feels during an attack: gasping for air, unable to think beyond the next elusive breath, waiting for this agony, this impossible feeling of not being able to breathe, to pass.

I would still write, even if no one read a single word I wrote. In What Binds Us Thomas tells the love of his life, Matthew, “I would love you in the dark if I had to.” I would write in the dark if I had to.

I scratch on the wall of my prison, daily, nightly, for I am a writer. Nothing less, nothing more am I. These scratchings, they tell a story if only you will listen, and like all prisoners, words set me, set us, free.

Buy Now @ Amazon Kindle
Genre - GLBT Fiction
Rating - PG15
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Review - Blue Bloods by Melissa de la Cruz

Blue Bloods by Melissa de la Cruz
Released: April 25, 2006
Publisher: Hyperion
Age Group: Young Adult
Pages: 320 pages
Format: Paperback
Source: Bought
Rating: 2/5
Author Site: Melissa de la Cruz

The Blue Bloods vowed that their immortal status would remain a closely guarded secret. And they kept that secret for centuries. But now, in New York City, the secret is seeping out. Schuyler Van Alen is a sophomore at a prestigious private school. She prefers baggy, vintage clothes instead of the Prada and pearls worn by her classmates, and she lives with her reclusive grandmother in a dilapated mansion. Schuyler is a loner...and happy that way. Suddenly, when she turns fifteen, there is a visible mosaic of blue veins on her arm. She starts to crave raw food and she is having flashbacks to ancient times.

I almost put this book down several times because usually if I'm not into a book within at least the first 100 pages then I never will be but I have heard such great things about this series that I stayed with it and Blue Bloods redeemed itself in the last few chapters somewhat. I gave it two stars sadly just for laying the groundwork to hopefully a more meaningful adventure in the second book.

The characters never came to life for me and were just drab and boring. The only one with any finess at all was the evil minded Mimi who basically single-handedly kept the story alive with her jealousy and bad attitude. I kept waiting on Jack to break out of his shell and show me something but even though he had a few spurts of life and interest in Schuyler he always let his father and twin (Mimi) rule his world.

Bliss and Dylan was a relationship that I saw potential in and just when I was becoming involved (FINALLY) in the story, chaos and mystery break out and the book ends.

Schuyler who I would think should be a main character is just flat and at first I was hoping her and Jack would become a team/couple but Jack acts as though he has no mind of his own so then their is Oliver but one minute he is acting like a child and the next he is all knowing so I just easily got disgusted with the characters.

Another thing that just bugged me to no end was it was almost midways before any mention of vampires and angels ever came into play. The first half was merely high school kids on their day to day crisis

Book Feature/Giveaway - Blood & Whiskey by Clark Hays & Kathleen McFall

The worst things in life always begin with a phone call.

When a young homeless woman is snatched from the streets of Portland, Oregon, she has time to make one terrified call to her uncle Lenny in tiny LonePine, Wyoming. A way-off-the-grid survivalist and paranoid conspiracy theorist, Lenny turns to his best friend Tucker for help. But Tucker's got his own problems, including a vampire girlfriend.

A perpetually broke, down-on-his-luck cowboy, Tucker has fallen hard for Lizzie, a whip smart, big city girl and hotshot reporter. To everyone's surprise in LonePine (all 438 of them), she's fallen hard for him too.

Their unlikely love is central to The Cowboy and the Vampire: A Darkly Romantic Mystery when Lizzie finds out the awful truth about her heritage. Tucker, with a little help from his Dad, Lenny and an overly-sensitive cow dog named Rex, take on Lizzie's maniacal vampire father and his beautiful consort Elita. It's a blood-spattered undead apocalypse of terror and tumbleweeds.

In Blood and Whiskey, the second book in The Cowboy and Vampire Thriller Series, Tucker, Lizzie and the rest of the gang are back with a vengeance. Lizzie is pregnant, with a growing, unquenchable thirst for human blood and trouble on the horizon. The most powerful vampires from the ruling clans are headed to LonePine to test her new powers. If they find her lacking, Lizzie, her growing baby, and all of LonePine will be destroyed -- not that it would take very long.

It's an inconvenient time for Tucker to take a road trip, but sometimes friendship trumps common sense. With a duffle bag of improvised weapons, he sets out for Portland with Lenny to find the kidnapped girl. They end up in remote Plush, Oregon, where -- smack dab in the middle of the sagebrush desert -- they uncover a human blood farm run by a fearsome cowboy enemy resurrected from the Old West. His name is Henry Plummer and his sights are set on Lizzie.

As the truth about what they have uncovered dawns on Tucker and Lenny, they rush back to LonePine. The Vampire illuminati have already arrived, including Rurik, a handsome Russian vampire angling to take Tucker's place next to Lizzie.

How far will Lizzie and Tucker go to protect their unlikely love? Can a cowboy and a vampire ever hope to find happiness?

Blood and Whiskey is a story of love, loyalty, loss and sacrifice in the modern American West. With meditations on the nature of good and evil, a new cosmology for vampires -- including a meta-consciousness where vampire (and human) minds reside between deaths -- and a cast of gritty, quirky, realistic western characters, Blood and Whiskey tangles the vampire and cowboy myths into a groundbreaking new "modern gothic western" genre.

Buy Now @ Amazon Kindle
Genre - Western / Gothic Horror
Rating - (PG13)
Connect with Clark Hays & Kathleen McFall on Facebook & Twitter
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Review - The Restorer by Amanda Stevens

The Restorer by Amanda Stevens
Released: April 19, 2011
Publisher: Mira
Age Group: Adult
Pages: 384 pages
Format: Paperback
Source: Bought
Rating: 4/5
Author Site: Amanda Stevens

Amelia Gray has always been aware of ghosts, and now she travels all over the South cleaning up forgotten or abandoned graveyards. When an enigmatic yet haunted police detective asks for her help to trap a serial killer, their growing attraction constitutes the very gravest of threats.

The Restorer was way better than I thought it was going to be. I don't know why I felt so intimidated by this book or held back from reading it for so long because it was really really good! I actually bought the trilogy on a whim for the simple fact it was a story based in my state (SC) and of the paranormal genre.

Amelia can see and feel ghosts but has been warned by her father, who can also see and feel them, since childhood to never acknowledge them or else be haunted forever and up until now she has always followed the rules he gave her but while restoring an old cemetery she finds herself wrapped up in a murder mystery and has to help a haunted detective find a killer as the body count rises.

I could not put it down! It was a fresh spin on what I have always been told about dealing with ghosts which is to face them and demand to know what they want. I was guessing until the end on who the culprit was. I had an idea but every time I thought I had things figured out something new would arise or a new angle would be presented and the ending left me wanting to find out more of her father and what he is hiding so yes, I will totally be reading the next book in this series!

Guest Post/Book Feature/Giveaway - Until my Soul Gets it Right by Karen Wojcik Berner

You can’t run away from yourself.

Catherine Elbert has never been good at making decisions, whether it was choosing an ice cream flavor as a small child, or figuring out what she wanted to be when she grew up. The only thing Catherine knew for sure was there had to be more to life than being stuck on her family’s farm in Wisconsin.

While watching a PBS travel show, Catherine becomes entranced by Portland, Maine. The ocean. The lobsters. The rugged coast. Nothing could be more different from the flat, nondescript farmlands of Burkesville. Despite her parents threatening to disown her and her brothers taking bets on how many days until she comes home, Catherine settles on Peaks Island, off the coast of Portland.

She is finally free.
Or so she thought.

A World Without Books? by Karen Wojcik Berner
If you haven’t read for awhile, do any of you get antsy or a little jittery or feel like your world is out of whack? Me, too.
Starting with “Bread and Jam for Frances,” my favorite in the John Mills Elementary School Library at age six, books have played a major role in my life.

I used to sit sideways on my rocking chair, legs draped over the right arm, reading Laura Ingalls Wilder’s Little House series, warm breezes flowing through the open windows. When my mother nagged me to get out and enjoy the beautiful summer day, I merely moved to the front stoop of our apartment building, book in hand, so I wouldn’t miss any of Laura’s pioneer adventures.

Then came the horror phase with the works of Edgar Allan Poe, Anne Rice’s “Interview with the Vampire,” “The Amityville Horror,” and anything by Stephen King, junior high and all of its uncertainty played out in their darkness.

Sophomore year in high school, our assignment was to choose one author, read three of his or her novels, and write about a particular theme throughout the work. Very few females were on the list, but one caught my eye —Jane Austen and the synopsis of “Pride and Prejudice.” I ran up to claim this Jane before anyone else and quickly got to reading. I fell in love with Regency England that day, a love I am reminded of every time I open one of her novels.

Junior year and advanced English’s class discussion of “Moby-Dick” opened my eyes to the possibilities of majoring in literature and writing, amazed that there were college departments in which all they did was read and analyze great works of literature. What bliss! I eventually joined them, majoring in English and communications.

Since I had been writing alongside reading these wonderful works for all of these years, I guess the natural next step was writing my own book, though my novelist days would come many years after college graduation due to a large impediment called “the real world,” in which I was required to make money so I could move out of my parents’ home. Through editing two magazines, a wedding, freelance writing, and the birth of our two boys, I kept reading.

Virginia Woolf’s “A Room of Her Own” saved my sanity when I was struggling to write that first novel while staying at home with my two young children. I took over an extra room in our house and claimed it as my office, despite my family’s protestations to use it otherwise. “A woman must have money and a room of her own if she is to write fiction,” Woolf advised.

Books are like old friends, stories we have shared that have become a part of our society’s collective thought.

Imagine a world without books? I cannot.

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Genre - Contemporary Women's Fiction
Rating - PG13
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Review - Bumped by Megan McCafferty

Bumped by Megan McCafferty
Released: April 26, 2011
Publisher: Balzer + Bray
Age Group: Young Adult
Pages: 336 pages
Format: Paperback
Source: Bought
Rating: 2/5
Author Site: Megan McCafferty

Sixteen-year-old identical twins Melody and Harmony were separated at birth and have never met until the day Harmony shows up on Melody’s doorstep. Up to now, the twins have followed completely opposite paths. Melody has scored an enviable conception contract with a couple called the Jaydens. While they are searching for the perfect partner for Melody to bump with, she is fighting her attraction to her best friend, Zen, who is way too short for the job.

I found Bumped to be just a meh book....it wasn't bad it's just one of those I had gotten all excited about and found it to not live up to my expectations.

The story in itself I found interesting but I couldn't connect with any of the characters. Usually I can at least really hate the villain/bad person but there really isn't one nor one that is particularly that great. They just weren't very likable or easy to relate to.

The story felt rushed and alot of times I found I was sitting there thinking..what the heck? I didn't know who was the most mixed up me or the characters because one minute you got the church raised twin being all holier than thou and the next minute she is doing the very things she supposedly came to talk her twin out of doing.

The ending was no big cliff hanger for me and I am not sure at this point if the next book is in my near future if at all unless my local library happens to have it.

Review - Obsidian by Jennifer L. Armentrout

Obsidian by Jennifer L. Armentrout
Released: May 8, 2012
Publisher: Entangled Teen
Age Group: Young Adult
Pages: 400 pages
Format: Paperback
Source: Bought
Rating: 5/5
Author Site: Jennifer L. Armentrout

Starting over sucks.

When we moved to West Virginia right before my senior year, I'd pretty much resigned myself to thick accents, dodgy internet access, and a whole lot of boring.... until I spotted my hot neighbor, with his looming height and eerie green eyes. Things were looking up.

And then he opened his mouth.

Let me count the times I put this book down before reading it from cover to cover......ummmm I can't get past one!!! This is one of the first books in a long while that just freaking totally blew my mind it was just that doggone awesome and I can't wait for Onyx!

I really hated Daemon in the beginning (I heard a hush of gasps) because he was so obnoxious and mean to Katy but once I came to realize why, I fell in love and my heart would pitter patter at every mere mention of his name...Daemon (see there it went again!)

One of the biggest things that drew me into this book other than omg dare I breathe his sweet name...Daemon hummmmmmmm (daydream break) was the fact that Katy was a book blogger! I loved reading about one of "us"! I can't remember right off ever reading another story that involved a book blogger and it made me feel more involved somehow or maybe better connected is the better phrase? Anyhow it was a total plus!

I came away from Obsidian with the knowledge that they do exist and the truth is out there! (I have been dying to say that like forever!)

Review - Uglies by Scott Westerfeld

Uglies by Scott Westerfeld
Released: February 8, 2005
Publisher: Simon Pulse
Age Group: Young Adult
Pages: 448 pages
Format: Paperback
Source: Bought
Rating: 4/5
Author Site: Scott Westerfeld

Everybody gets to be supermodel gorgeous. What could be wrong with that? Tally is about to turn sixteen, and she can't wait. Not for her license -- for turning pretty. In Tally's world, your sixteenth birthday brings an operation that turns you from a repellent ugly into a stunningly attractive pretty and catapults you into a high-tech paradise where your only job is to have a really great time.

Fantastic dystopian story that had me from the first chapter. I can't imagine living in a world such as Tally's where you get a pretty operation at 16 and and you get to go live with the pretties. I mean I would really hate living in that kind of world because what one perceives as pretty is not always anothers opinion and Tally soon comes to the conclusion that the dream she has had for so long of becoming a pretty may just be a nightmare instead. I rooted for her 100% when she rebels and takes off to find her friend Shay and to discover what is beyond.... Well actually she wasn't given much choice in the matter at first as she was given the choice of giving up her friends location or never being able to become pretty which at the time was what Tally thought she wanted...it was only later she came to see that things were not all as they appeared.

Guest Post/Book Feature/Giveaway - No Remorse by MaryLynn Bast

Due to her unusual birth, Amber has abilities no other werewolf has ever possessed. On the run since childhood, the lone wolf avoids contact with other werewolves at all cost, continually moving, constantly looking over her shoulder and always alone.Everything changes when Amber saves a werewolf from the mere brink of death, Blake, the only werewolf to ever protect her.

Love blossoms, but not without tribulations when Amber realizes she must help her new pack rescue a member who is being held hostage by a rival pack.Warring with emotions of going from lone wolf to the pack leader’s mate, Amber must decide if she is willing to risk Blake’s life to know true family and friendship despite the fact that the Council is hell bent on locating her and will stop at nothing until she is found. Will Amber’s special abilities be enough to keep everyone safe?

What are your long-term and short-term goals? by MaryLynn Bast
AMBER’S (MAIN CHARACTER) RESPONSE:
Honestly, I never really set any short or long term goals. My mother ingrained in me the need to keep running, to stay hidden and away from the far reaching grasp of the Council. My key instinct has always been survival. Short term though, if I really look at it, my mother set that goal for me and I have done nothing but running, tying to find the next job that would give me the money to stay on the move and not be found.

In staying on the road, I cut myself off from having any type of friends, family, security and I certainly lost the love of my life for ten years. When I fled the shelter and left Blake behind, my sole intent was to keep him safe. If he was there when the Council found me, I feared they might kill him and I could not let that happen.

Now that I have been drawn unwillingly back into Blake’s life, my long term goal is still to keep him safe. But, I also know my abilities are still growing and there is so much I can do to help other women who have been completely dominated by their pack. I want to create a safe place to live without fear. To have a family that will not turn its back on them and put them out for being different.

The Council will always be an issue, but with Blake at my side, I feel like we can get around this and make this work. Now I just have to figure out a way to help those who need it without jeopardizing Blake’s safety and that of my new family and friends.

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Genre - Paranormal Romance
Rating - R
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Review/Giveaway - 15 Shades of Pink by Lisa Scott

15 Shades Of Pink by Lisa Scott
Publisher: Amazon Digital Services
Age Group: Adult
Pages: 563 pages pages
Format: Kindle
Source: Author/Orangeberry Tours
Rating: 4/5
Author Site: Lisa Scott

15 Shades Of Pink includes all the stories from: Flirts!, Beach Flirts!, and Fairy Tale Flirts! (That’s five stories in each volume. Each short is 8,000-13,000 words long.) But fair warning: the only cheeks that turn pink in these stories are the ones above the shoulders.

This is not my usual reading genre but occasionally I like to take a step on the wild side and read outside my comfort zone. I was pleasantly surprised to have thoroughly enjoyed reading this set of 15 short fluffy tales of romance flirts!

I am not even a fan of short stories but Lisa's writing just flows off the pages and weaves a nice and funny story for each that I felt fulfilled with all of them and found it hard to choose any one as a favorite. I think maybe it was because I could find a tiny bit of myself in most of them and found them easy to relate to but if I absolutely had to choose just one I think it would be "The Hot Girl's Friend" because that was almost a play by play of a page out of my history book!

Kudos to Lisa Scott! You have a new fan!

Buy Now @ Amazon Kindle & Smashwords
Genre - Romance (PG13)
Connect with Lisa Scott on Facebook
Website http://readlisascott.com
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Guest Post/Giveaway - Wings of Shadow by Anna Kyss

In the struggle for survival...

Meghan's graduation gift is one that any eighteen-year-old would dream of: traveling abroad to England. Her journey turns into more adventure than expected when Meghan meets the mysterious Kiernan and is introduced to a strange society hidden beneath the streets of London.

The fittest win out at the expense of their rivals...

When Meghan's life is threatened, she flees the city and seeks sanctuary in a distant village--a place unseen by human eyes for over one hundred years. Not knowing if anyone can be trusted, Meghan tries to determine who is friend, who is foe... and who has captured her heart. Meanwhile, a battle for survival brews all around her.

What are your thoughts on tradition? by Anna Kyss
Two months new to the published world, I am still rather shy about blogging. I asked my favorite villain, Lord Killian, if he would feel comfortable tackling this post. The question presented to him was:
What are your thoughts on tradition?

Tradition… perdition! Did those blasted village Fae send this question my way? The problem with tradition is that people become so focused on recreating old rituals and practices, they never look to the new. I pity those who remain within Solas, for they are on the road to extinction. In the last hundred years, only one set of twins has been born. Not a single birthing has occurred in the last twenty years. All the while, the Fae grow more and more ill, poisoned by the inescapable pollution of our modern world. The sad truth is—we are a dying species.

You call me a villain, but I view myself as a visionary. I was brave enough to break through the binds of tradition, for our archaic ceremonies did nothing but hold us back. Does a true leader watch their people—their entire species—perish? Absolutely not! It is time to break the habits of old. Why sit and pray to Anya when she has done nothing to help us?

The very first time I met Charles, I knew he was a fellow man of science, interested in moving the world forward, rather than holding people back with beliefs that accomplished nothing. Do you know he was also ridiculed for his work? The good people of England ostracized Mr. Darwin, not wanting to be tarnished by association.

Similarly, the “Fae of Light,” as they call themselves, separate themselves from me. But mark my word, the day will come when they thank me for having had the foresight to save our people. Yes, some humans must die in the process, but will they really be missed? After all, humans breed like the rabbits I remember from the English countryside. There are millions of them, perhaps even billions by now. I lose track with each new decade.
Please raise a cup and join me in a toast. Trust me, it is a delicious vintage:
In the struggle for survival,
The fittest win out at the expense of their rivals,
Because they succeed in adapting themselves to their environment.

Author’s note: While Lord Killian freely flings these ideas around, I would like to give acknowledgement and thanks to Charles Darwin for his… um… toast, and inspiring theories.

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Genre - YA Urban Fantasy
Rating - PG
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Website http://www.annakyss.com/

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Guest Post/Giveaway - Excuse Me, My Brains Have Stepped Out by Pandora Poikilos

Anya Michaels is having the time of her life. She has the man of her dreams by her side. She has graduated at the top of her class. She has the job others were lining up for. Between late night drinks at her favourite bar and fancy dinners at the most expensive restaurants, she has a string of adoring friends. Everything changes when she hears the dreaded words, "You are sick."

Pandora Poikilos - Summer Splash Guest Post - Let's Set the World on Fire
What and who are the true measures of Indie publishing success?
By Pandora Poikilos
Deep within each of us, there is a burning desire to leave an immortal mark of ourselves for future generations. Writers are no different. Most of us look forward to the day when our books will outlive us and 1000 or 1 million, if someone in 2055 is reading our books, then our work is done.

So, writing isn't all about the money. But let's be honest, we all want to be paid writers. We don't want to slog at one job when our heart and soul is set on writing. But can it be as successful as some people say it is? Newsflash - you're the only person who can answer that question.

First, how badly do you want it?
As a teenager, I knew I wanted to write, all my life. I got a scholarship for my degree, worked part time all through university and then applied for the journalism internship of a lifetime. But I got sidetracked. Life stepped in. I was diagnosed with IIH (Intracrannial Hypertension). Medical bills piled up, writing took a backseat. Then in 2010, I had my VP shunt surgery. I felt alone, and like the world had caved in on me so I picked up a pen. The words came and so did the books.

Bottomline - don't wait for things to go your way so you can write. Write now, and keep writing. One hour a day, 30 minutes a day. Something is better than nothing. If you want something badly enough, you will find a way. Yes, I've sold close 120,000 books but I've also worked as a cashier, a typist, a proofreader and sold handmade jewellery at a flea market among other things to get to where I am. Frequent Traveller was finished with me dictating and Peas writing for me. He was my eyes when I couldn’t see. If I can do it, so can you. Success is the destination you reach when you know where you're going. But it's your journey so guess who has the answer about your success?

Build bridges, don't burn them
A few weeks ago, fellow author Paul Rega was doing a promo for his book, he asked if I could help him send out some tweets. I did. Last week when Peas and I launched our recipe book, he returned the favour. He is one of the many authors I know who has helped me on my journey.

Bottomline - Don't harass people into buying or reading your book. Don't expect your book to sell because you purchased one advertising campaign. A fruit tree doesn't grow and yield fruit overnight. Plan, work, tweak, adjust, talk to other writers, connect, build relationships ... books are forever. Learn what works for you. It'll take time and patience but again how badly do you want this to work?

Stay away from negativity
As readers or writers, it is extremely easy to be negative about someone else's work. "This is how it should be" and "that is how it shouldn't be" Yes, for spelling, grammar and punctuation, there are only so many acceptable variations but ideas ... these are the very essence that signifies who a person is. In all my more than 30 years, I have slept through every Star Wars movie I have ever seen.

I cannot name ten differences between Star Trek and Star Wars because it almost feels the same to me. How I can hear the gasps of shock. But yes, neither appealed to me. I had an elder brother who tried to educate me, and many friends and at least one ex-boyfriend who failed miserably. It just never sank in. Imagine me telling George Lucas or George Roddenberry that their shows were the worst thing ever.

Bottomline - Just because you don't like an idea, that doesn't make it the worst book written. If you can't say something nice, then don't say anything at all. Strangely enough, negativity has a way of coming back to you one way or another. If you must point out flaws then be constructive, not negative. On the other end, when you have received a negative review, don't get your knickers in a twist. Some people think it is essential to throw pebbles in your shoes. Ask yourself three questions - Did you give it your all? Did you give it your best? How could you have done it differently? Not all of us write to be loved, sometimes a story needs to be and told it shall be.

But my publisher said ...
As the process of self-publishing becomes more accessible, numerous people are seen to take advantage of this situation and not in a good way. Take for example Publisher X. A few weeks ago this publisher swapped Author A's book on Amazon. Publisher X used the same cover and author’s name but changed the synopsis to erotic content. Overnight, reviewers found themselves linked to a book they had never reviewed and wouldn’t want to review. The author was bad-mouthed and all promotional work for her book seemed to be flushed down the toilet. Drama nobody needed.

This was the same publisher that publicly shamed one of his authors over the Thanksgiving holiday to the point she filed a restraining order against him. There are also numerous 'independent' publishers who use this status to sidetrack royalty issues and treat an author's book like it's the least important thing in the world. Their excuses are endless - not enough funds, not enough manpower, they know the industry better. But again, it’s your book and it’s your story. How do you want it to be remembered?

Bottomline - Yes, it isn't easy to do book cover design, editing, formatting and marketing on your own. Most times, it is impossible. But publishers aren't the only people who can help you. There are numerous freelancers who are good at what they do. Do a bit of research. Join some writing groups. Ask around. Yes, it'll take time and yes, it'll cost you money. But put some cash aside, do it step by step. A little hardship in the beginning saves you from a lot of unnecessary drama later on.

Be creative
When I was a freelance reporter, my interview request for one particular personality was repeatedly rejected. I was distraught. A quote from him was crucial to add credibility to the article. My editor wasn’t at all sympathetic and only told me that there's more than one way to skin a cat. So I kept trying, and he finally agreed to meet me at the airport before a flight to South Africa. I had 30 minutes to ask him at least 10 questions.

Bottomline - things aren't going to fall from the sky and into your lap. Sales will slow down. Things can and will go wrong. Be creative. There's always one more road to take. Writing is a journey, no one said it'll be an easy, straight road. Sales are low? Organise a book tour, put together a twitter campaign, work on book store appearances, look at sites like eReader News and Kindle Nation. Possibilities are endless and there are people who can help you. So, again how badly do you want this to work?

I wish you success and perseverance. You and I separately are just one different book but together and in the words of the band Fun, "Let's set the world on fire, we can burn brighter than the sun.

Buy Now @ Amazon Kindle
Genre - Women's Fiction
Rating - PG
Connect with Pandora Poikilos on Twitter
Website http://moonstarluxury.com/

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Review - Pretty When She Dies by Rhiannon Frater

Pretty When She Dies by Rhiannon Frater
Released: November 24, 2008
Publisher: Createspace
Age Group: Adult
Pages: 227 pages pages
Format: Kindle
Source: Free on Amazon
Rating: 4/5
Author Site: Rhiannon Frater

Amaliya wakes under the forest floor, disoriented, famished and confused. She digs out of the shallow grave and realizes she is hungry...

I was not expecting to like this book as much as I did. I actually only have a copy because it was a freebie for a short while on Amazon and was recommended by a fellow book blogger who raves about Rhiannon Frater books!

Well Rhiannon Frater has a new fan! I was immediately drawn in with her descriptiveness coupled with the alarming situation Amal finds herself in! Yea, it was another vampire story but it just had a different feel to it for me. I could almost imagine myself drifting alongside Amal, like I was there with her in her grave and adventures afterward. I also relished the fact that it just wasn't another one of those Mr nice guy vampire swooners. (which I am not knocking but I enjoyed having a break from) Here we get to actually experience some realization that vamps are not all cuddly and sweet!

Review - Cold Light by Traci L. Slatton

Cold Light by Traci L. Slatton
Released: June 27, 2012
Publisher: Parvati Press
Age Group: Adult
Pages: 212 pages
Format: Paperback
Source: Publisher
Rating: 4/5
Author Site: Traci L. Slatton

The end of the world brings chaos, madness, and psychic powers. For Emma and Arthur, separated by an ocean, it brings a love that demands everything.

I have long awaited this second book, Cold Light, after the way Fallen ended. I was NOT dissapointed! Emma's daughter has been kidnapped by a rogue group and she goes on a suicide mission to get her back. I was very excited to be reunited with a few of the cast from Fallen and am still in anxious need of book three now to see how this all wraps up.

Emma is one strong and determined woman but Arthur is just as determined. I am torn on which way I want Emma to go because with the one man her husband she has the strong history and children but she shares something with Arthur that I dont think she and her husband ever really had or ever will.

I can't say much more without a spoiler comment but I will say I didn't really like the way Cold Light ended. I would not want to be in Emma's shoes and have to make the choices she is being forced to but it's time.... there can be only one victor in this war.

Review - The Restorer by Amanda Stevens

The Restorer by Amanda Stevens
Released: February 21, 2012
Publisher: Mira
Age Group: Adult
Pages: 368 pages
Format: Paperback
Source: Bought
Rating: 4/5
Author Site: Amanda Stevens

Never acknowledge the dead.
Never stray far from hallowed ground.

Never get close to the haunted.

Never, ever tempt fate.

My name is Amelia Gray. I'm a cemetery restorer who sees ghosts. In order to protect myself from the parasitic nature of the dead, I've always held fast to these rules passed down from my father…until now.

The Restorer was way better than I thought it was going to be. I don't know why I felt so intimidated by this book or held back from reading it for so long because it was really really good! I actually bought the trilogy on a whim for the simple fact it was a story based in my state (SC) and of the paranormal genre.

Amelia can see and feel ghosts but has been warned by her father, who can also see and feel them, since childhood to never acknowledge them or else be haunted forever and up until now she has always followed the rules he gave her but while restoring an old cemetery she finds herself wrapped up in a murder mystery and has to help a haunted detective find a killer as the body count rises.

I could not put it down! It was a fresh spin on what I have always been told about dealing with ghosts which is to face them and demand to know what they want. I was guessing until the end on who the culprit was. I had an idea but every time I thought I had things figured out something new would arise or a new angle would be presented and the ending left me wanting to find out more of her father and what he is hiding so yes, I will totally be reading the next book in this series!

Giveaway/Guest Post/Book Feature - Cancelled by Elizabeth Ann West

Robotics engineer Johnathan Michaels knows all about biding his time. For three years he's worked next to his best friend and idea of a perfect woman, Alexis Rodriguez. Their friendship sparks into a heated attraction while saving the company's first multi-milion dollar contract. Johnathan's life appears to be on track. He owns a successful company and he's won the woman of his dreams. Life is perfect until a previous one-night stand returns Johnathan's shirt.

Pregnant. And it's his.

Summer Splash Guest Post - Managing Your eBook Library: Methods for the Madness by Elizabeth Ann West
My Kindle 4 is on the charger right now. It takes a rest there about every other day, and yes, I DO turn off Wifi (now turning ON airplane mode thanks to the latest update). This is how much I read. Wish it was how much I wrote... ;)

So raise your hand if you can identify with this dilemma: too many ebooks to even remember what you bought last week, let alone possibly yesterday. Guilty as charged over here. My ebook addiction is MOST tempting when we are talking about Jane Austen continuations and re-imaginings. I know! Thank god I don't have to walk into a bookstore anymore and ask where is the published fan fiction section?

I want. I click. I have.

And I have hundreds, literally hundreds of ebooks in my digital libraries thanks to the free books and the fact that I've been reading ebooks on my computer for years, even before ereading devices were remotely affordable. I also own both a Kindle and a Nook, with plans to buy a Kobo for quality control purposes.

Now my problem is I have the digital equivalent of a massive clearance bin. To be read pile? No such thing. Most of these books weren't even guaranteed reads, just a “hmmm, it's a good deal and interesting, I might read it when I have nothing else...”

Only that never happens, because I always find NEW shiny books that I want to read. And when I want... I click and I have.

If you're like me, with way more reading material than your eyes can possibly devour, a linked credit card to your ereader account that gets nickeled and dimed to death, take this for hope. I have come up with a few tried and true ways to master the madness.

One Touch Is All You Get

Being an author myself, I know days in advance when a book will go free. Why? Because I'm asked, begged, and pleaded with to help get the word out. Authors I haven't even so much as a shared a smiley with on social media will add me to Facebook groups for their novel's debut or friend me on Goodreads and voila! There in my email inbox is “Help Celebrate the Release of the Best Book I've Ever Written Tomorrow!!!”

At first I would get all of the free books I could, you know, just in case.... I don't know, ebook prices skyrocket to hard back prices or something (I know this is silly... there will always be someone giving out free samples). Now my policy is much like my email inbox policy from my days of keeping my head down in Corporate America.

One touch is all you get.

I will download, I will read the sample or as far as I'm interested to read. If I quit voluntarily–I am a person who will sit and a read a book all the way through in one spell, and only stop if I HAVE to do something... like feed my kids–so if I quit voluntarily then I voluntarily delete the book from my ereader and go into my account and delete the book from my account. I do not archive it. Archiving what I can't get through is saving junk in the junk drawer for later.

Now, just because I don't like a book doesn't mean it's a bad book, not at all. It's just bad to me. I won't come across it again and say “Oh, I want this” because it was never a want in the first place, it was a “I'll check this out.” I gave the book the benefit of the doubt, but once the doubt is fact, deleting is the only way to go.

Use a Good Review System

After you become free of your digital clutter, willing to delete and not worry if you'll regret it later (and it IS hard, we are taught to be digital pack rats, but remember, the book will still be available if you ever do change your mind), the next step is to celebrate that which you love. If I finish a book and it was okay, I just archive it. I might read it again someday, especially in the case of a series to reread once book two or three comes out. Some series vastly improve as they grow. Some don't.

But books I love? Those I review. I like Goodreads for a few reasons. The first is that as an author, it's really difficult for me to review on sites where my book is for sale and not come across as either a sycophant or a jerk. It's a no-win situation.

Goodreads is pretty neutral as far as author reviewing goes, though I don't do the pompous “as an author myself, I felt the symbolism of the color red played into the motivation of the main character's obsession with cheese..” or any such nonsense. I had to do that crap to flesh out papers in college. That was enough.

No, Goodreads rocks because when I say I love or hate something, Goodreads has a more accurate further reading suggestion than any other site that I've found. Amazon's calculations largely go on what other people buy who bought what you bought. Yeah, I buy a ton of stuff I didn't like. So that data isn't very precise. Barnes and Noble shows me what it wants me to buy, not what it thinks I will want to buy. My book is titled Cancelled. For a long time, anytime I searched that name, while signed in mind you, it gave me noise-cancelling headphones as the #1 result.

This act of reviewing brings greater precision to my “oooooh SHINY” book buying experience, meaning I still buy impulsively, but it's a much higher statistical chance that I will love what I just clicked to get and didn't feel the pain of purchasing.

At least not until my credit card bill comes in.

Thank you Gimme the Scoop for allowing me to visit as a part of the Orangeberry Book Tours Summer Splash! It's been fun and I hope we keep up the conversation below in the comments. Come on fellow book addicts, tell me how you cull the crap and organize your digital libraries. I'm all ears! :)

Oh, and as long as you're willing to give my book a one touch, because that's all an ebook should get to decide if you want to read it or not, pop on over to eawestwriting.com/newsletter to get a free, signed copy of Cancelled for any ereader you need it for! Each file is 100% unique as I sign a .jpg picture, insert it behind the cover, and compile each file individually. I personally email each one and the files are serialized, so you even know which # signed ebook you are!

Thanks again and don't worry, I'll be lurking to answer any feedback below. :)

Elizabeth Ann West is a Jane-of-all-trades, mistress to none! After writing non-fiction professionally for four years, she made the jump to fiction in 2011 with her debut novel, CANCELLED. A chicklit/romance from the male POV, Elizabeth’s novel challenges the conventions of modern romance. Elizabeth has also joined thirty other talented female writers at the Indie Chicks Cafe where she is a regular contributor. She also has a contribution in the latest Indie Chicks Anthology: Ms. Adventures in Travel where she talks about living in 4 different states in a span of 5 years!

When she isn't writing, or reading, she's chasing her toddler off whatever piece of furniture she has climbed on now, making pasta from scratch, or rationalizing why she can wait a little bit longer to clean up the house. One day her royalties will go towards the cost of a Roomba.

Buy Now @ Amazon Kindle
Genre - Contemporary Fiction
Rating - PG13
More details about the book
Connect with Elizabeth Ann West on Facebook & Twitter
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Guest Post/Book Feature - Open Heart by Emlyn Chand

Simmi Shergill's life is a mess. Her powers of psychic feeling are on the fritz, and Grandon Township's sudden population boom has brought quite a few unsavory characters to town. She also looks like an over-blown balloon in her size 14 pants, but not even starving herself seems to be working as a diet plan. Well, at least her boyfriend, Alex, loves her so much he'd do anything for her. Last summer he even risked his life to protect her from the mysterious boy everyone was convinced wanted to kill her.

The problem is, she's not so sure she feels the same way. Is Alex really the man of her dreams? And why can't she stop fixating on her would-be killer, Dax? Whenever he's around, part of her wants to run screaming in the other direction while the other part longs to run into his embrace, no matter who she'd hurt or what she'd risk.
Simmi's loyalty is on the line. Who will she choose--the blind seer who loves her, or the charming telekinetic with "bad idea" written all over him? Emotions run high as the tension mounts in book two of the Farsighted series.

Guest post - Emlyn Chand - Dax Lafache's Guide to Getting Any Girl You Want

Dear beautiful ladies of the world, please stop reading this post and go take this fun online quiz to find out who your Open Heart boyfriend is (http://www.emlynchand.com/quiz/boyfriend). My guess is, it’s me, and if that’s the case, leave your phone number in the comments section below ;-)

If you’re a guy, read on. I’m about to drop some knowledge that will change your life...

It’s true: I have money, looks, charm; I can get any girl I want. But did you know that you can, too? Follow this three-step guide to becoming the man your dream girl wants you to be, and you’ll be falling in love in no time.

Step #1—Look the Part. If you expect your girl to prep and preen and take pride in her appearance, you need to do it, too. Put your machismo aside, and go get a manicure. Drink lots of water for skin that glows, and always smell good, always. How about clothes? Well, you want to give off the impression that you have your act together. Start with a solid-colored button-up shirt, roll the sleeves up to the elbows, and leave a few buttons undone. Pair with a dark v-neck undershirt and a pair of dark wash skinny jeans. If the weather demands a jacket, go with leather or something else that has a polished edge—like an Armani or Hugo Boss motorcycle jacket. Never wear sports apparel, unless the message you’re trying to send is, “Hey, I have no brain.” Top off your look with something unexpected in the hair department. I wear mine in a faux hawk, because there’s something primal in every girl that craves a bad boy. The faux hawk will give you just enough of that dark sexiness to contrast your high style outfit. The studied contradiction of your appearance will get both sides of her desire purring.

Step#2—Do your Research. Does your girl like the theater? Classic literature? French cuisine? Hey, guess what? So do you. Take the time to learn about these so that when she asks you don’t have to feed her a lie—you really do like these things now, and she’ll appreciate the fact that you have something in common. You also want to find little ways to take something she already loves and make it new and exciting. Her emotional attachment to said thing will then transfer on to you, and if you make it different enough, she won’t even realize that’s what you’re doing. For example, Alex liked to bring Simmi lilies, so to get her attention I started folding origami roses for her. Somewhere in the back of her brain, she made the connection and understood my interest. It helped us to get closer than we might have otherwise gotten—and quicker. This strategy really works, guys. Go ahead, try it.

Step #3—Give her the Fairytale. Girls want to be dazzled, wooed, romanced. They want to feel special, like they have your attention. Take that same tactic from before—find something she already likes and change it up enough to be different but not enough where the transfer effect doesn’t happen. Does she love romantic comedies? Watch a couple of those and just copy whatever the lead actor does to sweep the actress off her feet. You know, the grand romantic gesture he has to make in order to apologize for whatever cruddy thing he did to send her away earlier in the movie? When in doubt, girls love the following: flowers, poetry, dancing, and wordy awkward speeches about how much you like them. If you can find a way to personalize your romantic overtures for your specific love interest, great! If not, don’t worry. Any canned romantic approach with work as long as you keep her so dazzled she doesn’t notice the similarities to her favorite book, movie, or TV show.

So... that’s it. It really is this simple! Don’t waste your time doing a whole bunch of little things for your girl of choice. The big romantic moments are the ones that will sweep her off her feet. Did it work for me? Did I get the girl in the end? Well, read Open Heart to find out for yourself.

Dax Lafache’s unstable telekinetic powers have a tendency to get him in trouble. Not everyone in Grandon trusts him, but he won’t let that stop him from trying to gain acceptance. Dax enjoys the theater, reading classic literature, fashion, and wooing his crush with grand romantic overtures. He’ll get the chance to tell his story in book #5 of the Farsighted series, Refrain.

Buy Open Heart now at Amazon
Genre - Fantasy / Futuristic & Romance
Rating - PG13
More details about the author & the book


Connect with Emlyn Chand on Twitter & Facebook
Website http://www.emlynchand.com/

Product Review - Steps4Kids to Draw

Our little girl has worn this dvd out,(and me to) begging me to draw with her! She didn't have to twist my arm to much though because it is alot of fun if I do say so myself! I never knew how simple it was to draw alot of the objects on here especially the animals! We have spent many hours using it to draw as it teaches us using step by step instructions and then we compare our art work and giggle usually over whose turned out best and so forth. Amazingly she usually has the better image no matter how hard I try!

For more information on this and other wonderful video's visit their website at http://www.steps4kids.com/ or their Facebook page at http://www.facebook.com/Steps4Kids

I received one or more of the products mentioned above for free using Tomoson.com. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers.

Guest Post/Book Feature - Sundered by Shannon Mayer

A miracle drug, Nevermore, spreads like wildfire throughout the world allowing people to eat what they want, no matter how unhealthy it is and yet still lose weight. It is everything the human population has ever dreamed of and Mara is no different. Only a simple twist of fate stops her from taking the drug.

As the weeks roll by, it becomes apparent that Nevermore is not the miracle it claimed. A true to life nightmare, the drug steals the very essence that makes up humanity and unleashes a new and deadly species on the world, a species bent on filling its belly. Locked down within their small farm home, Mara and her husband Sebastian struggle against increasingly bad odds, fighting off marauders and monsters alike.

But Sebastian carries a dark secret, one that more than threatens to tear them apart, it threatens to destroy them both and the love they have for each other.
The secret forces Mara to make the ultimate choice. Will she live for love, or will she live to survive?

******Guest Post - Shannon Mayer - My Muse Is On Vacation******
"My muse is on vacation. I can’t write/draw/create while my muse isn’t with me.”
by Shannon Mayer

Stop me if you’ve heard this one before. “My muse is on vacation. I can’t write/draw/create while my muse isn’t with me.”

Simple answer to this. Stop starving you muse. No, really, it is that easy. If you don’t piss your muse off, it won’t leave.

But, because I’m here, taking on Kriss’ blog (*Gulp* Daunting beyond belief to try and fill her shoes even for a moment ) I’m going to share with you a few tips to get the muse moving again, for any type of creative endeavour.

First of all, you have to FEED it and I don’t mean junk food. Let me explain. Your muse is like any other muscle in your body, and if you feed it crap, it’s going to give you poop. Seriously. So sitting on the couch, watching “Married with Children” re-runs is going to make your writing sound like Al and Peggy arguing over the fact that they have no money. Irritating.

So, step 1. Avoid brain food junk. For me this is primarily TV. I avoid it. There are a few channels (History, Biography ) that can actually feed your muse, but even so, in small doses please and thank you. It can also come in the forms of anything that will cause you to procrastinate, things that will tie up your brain power. Another one for me is gaming. *Sigh* I love gaming, but haven’t done much simply because it takes my muse in a direction that makes it weak and slothful. Everyone will have different things that will slow the muse down, you need to figure out yours.

Now, I’m sure you’re wondering what kind of things you can feed you muse, I mean, after all, this is Kriss’ blog and there’s always a recipe, right? Well, have no fear, there will be a recipe! But before we get there, let’s continue with building up your muse.

You might find your muse hiding on you because you overworked it (this is has been my case more than once) so the best thing is to first give it a rest., Literally. Do something different, out of your comfort zone that has NOTHING to do with your creativity. Need some examples?
*Go evil bunneh hunting ;p
*Try an extreme sport (this may only happen once)
*Skydiving
*Prep for the Iditarod
Okay, so maybe those are a bit much. Go for a walk, read a book by someone you admire, try a new, healthy recipe (like the one at the bottom of the post), engage with people on your social networks, start a group that supports your type of creativity (Writers group, photography club, etc)

But what if you have a hard time getting started with your project, manuscript, or photo shoot right from the beginning. Well, just like training your physical muscles to run or lift weights, you can train your muse too.

Figure out what your muse likes. (For more on this see “Muse Food” by Amber Scott, a must have for any creative person)

Type of music, a particular chair to sit in when you work (I have a zebra striped bean bag chair that has become “THE CHAIR” for when I write), type of lighting (candles, overheads, lamps) and even certain smells. When you have certain things that always pertain to your muse going to work, they become cues.

So even on a day that I don’t feel like writing, if I sit in my zebra bean bag chair, my muse turns on, I’ve cued it to go to work.

Now, that’s a quick course on the Muse. For more, you really should check out “Muse Food” by Amber Scott. It’s a must have for the library of any creatively minded person.

BACON, SOURCREAM, & AVOCADO OMLETTE
2 eggs
milk and/or mayonnaise
half of an avocado
sour cream
bacon, chopped
onions (optional)
salt and pepper
butter
cheese (optional)

In a separate bowl combine 2 eggs with mayonnaise and/or milk.
Meanwhile, cook bacon in separate skillet and cut into pieces.
In a large skillet, stir together butter and eggs, and cook over medium heat.
When the eggs are done, turn off the heat and add the bacon, sour cream, and avocado. Sprinkle on cheese. Mmm, melty cheese!
Fold over the egg carefully to finalize the omelette, let it cool and enjoy!

Buy Now @ Amazon
Genre - Fantasy & Horror
Rating - PG13
More details about the author


Connect with Shannon Mayer on Twitter & Facebook
Blog http://shannonmayer.blogspot.com/
Check out where this author will be talking about her latest release!

Guest Post/Book Feature - Don't Fear The Reaper by William F. Houle and J.E. Taylor

The day Nick Ramsay’s eighth-grade teacher drops dead in his classroom, Nick sees his first reaper. When another cloaked figure appears at his grandmother’s bedside, Nick issues an order for the vile creature to leave her alone.

This simple act of defiance creates a domino effect that brings Fate and Death to Nick’s door and reveals his true lineage, throwing his world into chaos. To make matters worse, a group of rogue reapers declares war on humanity and Nick is the only one who can stop them.

Guest Post - William F. Houle - On writing Don’t Fear the Reaper with my mom…
The idea for the book came from a dream I had when we were up at our beach home in Maine. When I woke up, I thought it would be a great idea for a book and that day my parents and I took a long walk down the beach. That’s when I told my mom about the plot and the idea for the trilogy and she loved it.

I loved working with my mom on this heart pounding adventure. The experience taught me there is a whole lot more to writing then just thinking of something and writing it down. It’s about more than just ‘this happened then that happened’. It’s about writing with every sense and not just what the characters see. It takes time both in writing a scene and then reading it over and over, fixing it here and there until its right.

It was a lot more work than I imagined, but the coolest thing besides writing with my mom, was actually holding the paperback in my hand for the first time. That’s when it was real, and I was filled with an odd mixture of pride and awe that we actually made that idea into a really great story. One that people would read.

It’s the kind of book I love to read, along the lines of the Percy Jackson series and Harry Potter. It’s filled with adventure and thrills and I hope you like it.


Buy Now @ Amazon & Smashwords
Genre - YA Dark Fantasy
Rating - PG
Connect with William F Houle & JE Taylor on Facebook & Facebook