Friends & Lovers Trilogy

To promote the release of the Friends & Lovers Trilogy, Bethany Lopez is giving away a Nook, an autographed skin for the Nook, and an autographed paperback of Friends & Lovers. Enter through the Rafflecopter, and earn more chances to win by following everyone who is participating in the promo on Twitter!

Friends & Lovers is Make it Last, I Choose You, and Trust in Me, and includes a bonus ending for each couple.

Check out the Awesome cover by  Allie B Books

You can buy Friends & Lovers here: a Rafflecopter giveaway

Bethany Lopez

Friends & Lovers Trilogy/Stories About Melissa Series

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Zarconian Island #newrelease #cqchat

Today I have fellow Curiosity Quills author, Aja Hannah, dropping in. I've asked her the most wonderful question ever--the same one I always ask. What part of you is in your main character.

Take it away, Aja!

~The first editor who ever read my novel had thick glasses and she towered above me in a splattered-colored chair at the Maryland Writers Conference. I was still painfully shy in those days and I could not keep my eyes on her pink face. Instead, I would repeatedly glance over the open room, searching the other tables and the abundance of professionally dressed people. As if I were waiting for one of them to say, “Is that kid really here? What a waste of time.”

One author at a table adjacent to us was furiously scribbling down everything their editor was saying—I’d forgotten a notepad and a pen—while another author stuck his hand out on his query and pointed, arguing with his chosen agent.

The editor pulled out my papers from a black folder and told me I had submitted too many. “The standard is to double-space the work,” she said.

I probably apologized. Hopefully. But honestly, I can’t remember and I don’t think it mattered to her because all I remember is her talking a lot after that and very fast because I was late and we only had a few minutes.

She pulled the first page out and said something to the effect of: “I can tell you’re using your own voice. Your main character is a lot like you.”

My immediate response was to backtrack. “Attie is more violent than I am.”

The editor grinned at me. “It’s a good thing to have such a distinct voice.”

I don’t know why it bothered me to hear that Attie was like me. I have an affinity for “A” names but aside from that I never meant to make her someone like me.

Still, I’d have to say Attie is not too far from the rough-and-tumble kid I was in high school.

We both hated our hair.
We both wore more modest clothes—more modest than Kate anyway.
We both had a rather blunt way of putting things.

But it goes deeper than that. I kept to myself a lot and had only a few close friends. While I never got in trouble with teachers, peers and adults told me that I looked “intimidating” by the way I walked down the hallways and never seemed to smile.

Trust has never come easy to me, and—while I’m no Zarconian—I kept some serious secrets from even my closest friends.

I am proud to say that that’s no longer the case. I’ve grown a little more open and a little less shy since the start of Zarconian Island. And, as I complete the sequel, I hope readers will see that Attie has too.

My stomach knotted tighter, winding so hard it hurt.

Kate watched me, rubbing a piece of her hair between two fingers.

I bit my tongue, trying to work the words out.

"The boat …we're going under.”

Possessing powers that are feared and shunned, eighteen-year-old Alexandra “Attie” Hotep is no virgin to attacks. Her ancestors, the Zarconians-- mixed-blood inhabitants of Atlantis--were rumored to be the English fairies who kidnapped children, the Caribbean sirens that sunk ships, and the dream-like apparitions who broke into psyches. By the 1850s, they were hunted to near-extinction, leaving the existence of Atlantis and Zarconians little more than myth.

When a class trip turns deadly, Attie and her friends become stranded on an uncharted tropical island in the middle of the Pacific, and Attie finds herself targeted once more. With a jungle full of extinct and prowling animals, she struggles to find a compromise between keeping her friends safe and keeping her family's secret.

Enter Doug Hutchinson—the school’s soccer star, and a handsome boy with his own secrets. But Attie and Doug soon realize the animals aren't the only threat. There is a traitor amidst the group, one that plans to turn all Zarconians into permanent myths. And Attie is next on the list.

You can find her book on Amazon!

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Dreamscape Cover Reveal!

When Christie Rich told me she was looking for help with her cover reveal tour, I jumped at the chance. LOOK AT THAT COVER!

Very pretty, and makes me want to know what the heck she has in her hand. Right?

Check out the blurb:

Every night before Amelia falls asleep she makes a wish to dream of him – the man who calls her to their beautiful private oasis, her sanctuary where she is free of her greedy landlord’s threats. But tonight, he will not call Amelia to him. Tonight, another man will step into her world to claim her. Tonight, Amelia’s shattering reality will crumble - and disappear into the Dreamscape…along with her freedom.

When Amelia dreams tonight, her nightmare becomes her new world where Seth is her captor and anything is possible…except escape. Seth needs Amelia to break the curse that binds him to the Dreamscape. He must convince her that she was made to free him, that she was made to join him.

For if he fails, he will never escape his prison, and he will lose Earth to the Netherworld where the evil Erobos wait to consume the human realm and everything in it. If he fails, Seth will lose the one thing that matters to him: Amelia.

Doesn't that sound AWESOME?!

I grew up daydreaming about fairytales, and my love for discovering new worlds has never died. I am not one of those writers who always knew I would write. I thought that was what other people did until one day a few years ago, I took a challenge from a friend and typed my first words. My journey has been wonderful, and I cannot imagine a day where I would ever give up writing. My love for reading is what fueled my imagination in the first place and still does. When I am not writing or reading, I am enjoying family time with my husband and two children. I also dabble in painting but writing has taken over my creative time right now.  I hope to get back to it at some point in my life, but I'm not sure when I'll have time for it.  My family and I live in a quiet community  in Northern Utah, and I am so thankful for the rich life I have been blessed with.

Where you can find Christie:

Website  l  Blog  l  Goodreads  l  Pinterest  l  Twitter  l  Facebook

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Shared Quirks

Join me in welcoming Ayden Morgen, author of Fade. Ayden is a dear friend of mine, someone I've been through a lot with in our publishing careers. I also had the pleasure of editing her novel, and I hope you all enjoy Fade as much as I did.

I asked Ayden what character traits she shares with her main character Arionna, and this was her response.

Shared Quirks

Conventional wisdom says that a first novel is a bit autobiographical. If that's the case, Arionna Jacobs, Fade's heroine, is probably thanking her lucky stars that Fade is the first novel I've published, and not the first I've written. Those I've buried beneath old textbooks, in a pile labeled "what was I thinking?" It's for the best, trust me!

I have to admit though, Arionna and I do have a few things in common. We're both college students in love with gorgeous, mystery men . . . Oh wait. That's my dream world, isn't it?

In reality, I married my not-so-mysterious mystery man when I was Arionna's age, and finished graduate school this year, leaving her behind to wrangle Dace Matthews on her own. The man is a menace, but Arionna holds her own. I'd have tied him to a chair and left him long ago, but that's just me. ;)

You can find little pieces of me in Arionna's quirks and passions though. We both firmly believe that patience is for the birds. For the birds, I tell you! We both over think things far too often, and lack anything remotely resembling a verbal filter. She shares my love of the outdoors, especially the woods. And I may have also shared my love of history and fear of metal sinks with our stubborn heroine.

Yes, you read that right. Fear of metal sinks. More specifically, the area where the rim of the sink overlaps onto the cabinet. That area is lethal! Especially when it's not settled quite right. *shudders*

But I digress. Despite sharing a few quirks with me, Arionna is very much her own person. Her world is falling apart, but that doesn't stop her from going after the things she wants. She's a little bit broken, but meets each new challenge and loss with her head held high. She's courageous, intelligent, and has no intention of letting her mystery man make choices for her. And no matter how much she hurts, nothing keeps her down for long.

Not even the fact that her boyfriend is part wolf and can access her mind in the blink of an eye.

Me? Well, you're more likely to find me hiding under the bed with a shot of vodka and a shoe, speed-dialing the husband to come save me from anything that creeps, crawls, or goes bump in the night. Arionna? She prefers to save herself, no matter how scary things get or how much life hurts.

With a possible apocalypse hanging over her head, that's probably a good thing.

xoxo,
A.K. Morgen

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EVER

Eight plus months ago, I took on a part time job with an Independent Publisher. Eight months ago, I never imagined how quickly that job would grow into something so rewarding, so amazing, that I'd find myself becoming friends with uber-talented authors such as Jessa Russo. I mean, I already knew the writing community is a strong, supportive one--My best friend is a writer and my crit partner. My other best friend is a writer, a publisher, and a new mother. Oh, and before I forget, my other best friend is my mother-in-law (hi, Nana!)

BUT

I never knew how absolutely motherly I'd feel after signing an author, editing her book, talking her off a few ledges, nearly crying with her when the first 5-star review from an ARC came in, and finally getting the email that said, "I LOVE MY COVER!" My heart swelled as if I was watching Kid #1 get on the bus for the first time.

With that said, I am proud of Jessa Russo. I believe this book will be huge, and I'm just happy she allowed me to be a part of her experience.

So without further rambling, here's EVER'S blurb and gorgeous cover!

 

Seventeen-year-old Ever’s love life has been on hold for the past two years. She’s secretly in love with her best friend Frankie, and he’s completely oblivious.

Of course, it doesn't help that he’s dead, and waking up to his ghost every day has made moving on nearly impossible.

Frustrated and desperate for something real, Ever finds herself falling for her hot new neighbor Toby. His relaxed confidence is irresistible, and not just Ever knows it. But falling for Toby comes with a price that throws Ever’s life into a whirlwind of chaos and drama. More than hearts are on the line, and more than Ever will suffer.

Some girls lose their hearts to love.

Some girls lose their minds.

Ever Van Ruysdael could lose her soul.

Add Ever to your Goodreads TBR list HERE!

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One Ghost Per Serving

Nervous about Friday the 13th? Want to make sure your luck stays good? I have a solution. Enter the One Ghost Per Serving Good Luck Giveaway. The more entries you have, the more good luck you are guaranteed. The luckiest THIRTEEN entrants will win a free digital copy of One Ghost Per Serving by Nina Post.

Possessed by Rex, a mischievous spirit, Eric Snackerge’s life has careened out of control. Losing his scholarship and getting blacklisted from the legal profession are just the start – now his best-friend-turned-enemy is in danger of stealing away his family, too.

An unusual contest may be his last chance to make his daughter’s dreams come true. But he’ll have to overcome his own self-doubt — not to mention the seemingly impossible odds — in order to achieve that goal.

As Eric and his ghostly companion soon learn, this isn’t your run-of-the-mill sweepstakes. When the sponsors begin dispatching spy cameras, attack helicopters, and the kitchen sink – all to make sure that Eric doesn’t get any further – it becomes clear that the contest is only the first phase of a much larger, sinister plan to spread a supernatural pathogen throughout the food supply.

Do Eric and Rex have what it takes to foil the villains’ plan and protect the Snackerge family from becoming the next victims?

 a Rafflecopter giveaway

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Why Does Charlaine Harris Hate Me?

Why Does Charlaine Harris Hate Me?

Since Krystal deigned take a well deserved vacation (Hmph!), I've decide to borrow her blog for a day and rant about something that's been eating me lately: Why does Charlaine Harris hate me?

For those of you who faithfully have followed the Sookie Stackhouse novels, as Krystal and I have, you'll know why the end of Deadlocked has many of us scratching our heads. Charlaine—yes, after twelve books we're on a first name basis—seems to be taking the series in a disappointing direction. With only one book remaining in the series, many of us fear Sookie may well end up with someone other than Eric. Readers are pissed, and her ratings reflect their ire. 65% of her reviews on Amazon for Deadlocked were 3 stars or less, with 51% on Goodreads. While this may not seem significant, her past books have enjoyed 4 and 5 star reviews. Let's face it, we feel as if she's pulled the rug out from under us. We've suffered through Sookie and Eric's trials and tribulations, believing—based on clues from Charlaine herself—they'd end up together. If she chooses not to give us an HEA for them, I swear I will never read another novel by her again.

All of this leads me to another question. Does an author owe it to their readers to give them what they want after they've faithfully devoted themselves to a series? Or should the author always stay true to their story regardless of the fallout?

I personally struggled with this exact question when I wrote the last chapter of my first book, Colour Wielders. I ended the book on a big cliffhanger, one I felt rather proud of. However, after receiving a rather angry text from Krystal, who's my critique partner, I began rethinking my strategy. Why? Because I was worried I'd piss off readers I don't even have yet. In the end, I caved, deciding it was best to not anger my future readers. So, I wrote an epilogue. Krystal was happy, I was happy, and hopefully the book will do well.

Did I do the right thing? I don't know. Will Charlaine Harris do right by her readers and give us what we want? Don't know the answer to that either. As with life, a happy ever after is never guaranteed. What I do know is as authors, we ask our readers to take an emotional journey with us. When they do, it's crucial for authors to value that and not screw us over because they can. So, I really hope that Charlaine Harris doesn't hate me!

Sookie and Eric forever! (Yes, I'm 15!)

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Dawna Raver is the author of Colour Wielders, and one of my closest, dearest friends. You'll find her work on a shelf soon, if I have anything to say about it! You can follow Dawna on Facebook, Twitter, or . . . umm, that's it because I haven't quite convinced her to start her blog. Sigh. A girl can try!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

If you still haven't purchased a copy of Wilde's Fire, you can get yours today: B&N, Amazon, Kobo, & iTunes.

There's a new Who Said It contest running.

Wilde's Army is now on Goodreads! Make sure you add it to your TBR list!

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Oh, Arland Maher!

Kate and Arland are participating in A Midsummer Night's Blog Hop. They are interviewing characters from Author Kinley Baker's books, Ruined & Denied.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Arland: Nice to meet you, Caleb. Kate tells me we have many things in common. If your Tabitha is anywhere near as headstrong as her, I know you must be exhausted trying to keep her safe.

Caleb: We share a similar history. Sorry to hear about the loss of your people. The women and children of my race were slaughtered in a savage invasion, so I know how hard it is to lead when it feels like there is little hope. And yes, keeping Tabitha safe is exhausting.

Tabitha: Oh please. Don't listen to him, Arland. We keep each other safe. Nice to meet you, Kate. Don't you dislike when the men talk about us as though we aren't here?

Kate: Honestly, this is the first time he's ever done that. I'll make him pay . . . somehow.

Arland clears his throat: I believe the point here is how our two worlds are similar, and eerily so. We suffered a daemonic invasion twenty years ago. Knowledge of my duty to Kate was the only thing that kept me going after they murdered my mother.

Kate: And he had to keep me a secret, even after I arrived. Did you lose anyone close to you during the invasion, Caleb?

Caleb: None of my family during the invasion. But watching the men who lost their destined mates was painful for all of us. We experienced their loss with them. None of those men will ever take another woman as their own again. I did lose someone later on.

Tabitha: You don't have to talk about it, Caleb. They'll read Ruined if they want to know more, since it's so painful for you to talk about.

Caleb: Let us talk no more of loss. How about the two of you tell us how you met.

Tabitha: Oh, that's a good question! How did you two meet, Kate? And aren't you glad they don't usually talk about us like we aren't here? I would never be able to handle that.

Kate: He'd be in deep trouble if he always did that. And about our meeting . . . well, it is kind of embarrassing. I'd just found myself alone, scared, and worried my best friend Brad was going to die. I went in search of answers but found food. I loaded a plate and turned around to take some to my friend and bumped right into Arland. I couldn't believe the man I'd dreamed about for six years stood in front of me—

Arland: We met before then, Kate.

Kate: But how am I supposed to remember that? I was two-days old, and my parents were about to escape to Earth.

Arland: I remember our first meeting clearly.

Kate: He was five. So, we have different memories. What about the two of you? And what was the hardest obstacle you had to overcome?

Caleb: I found Tabitha training in the woods. I’d never seen a woman wield a blade with such skill. She was extraordinary. I knew then that she was mine. Simple.

Tabitha: Ha! There was nothing simple about it. In Caleb's culture, the women didn't even touch weapons, which is similar to the Shadow Shifter Kingdom where I grew up. He didn't want me to fight, and there was a lot of conflict. A lot.

Caleb: Maybe not simple. But I still knew you were mine.

Tabitha: Well, we figured it out, but I can't believe you would call anything about the experience simple. This relates to my hardest obstacle. As the first female Warrior in the kingdom who wanted to be accepted as a Guard, I had to prove I was stronger than the men in order to be accepted. Actually, I overcome a lot in Denied, but some of it's kind of personal and probably best left for you to read, where I don't have to see your reactions.

Caleb: Yes, you did. And my hardest obstacle was saving my people and being denied over and over by circumstances.

Tabitha: What challenges did you two face during the early parts of your relationship?

Kate: My identity would have tipped off a few people of my arrival into Encardia, and that would've been a bad thing. So, Arland kept me, and his feelings for me, a secret.

Arland: All while trying to discover her magic. Her prophecy stated she would become the most powerful Draíochtan of our time and overcome Darkness, but she was scared and confused, and to an extent, so was I. From my prophecy, I knew Kate needed protection, but I did not realize how underprepared she was.

Kate: If my mom had shared anything about my true life with me, maybe it wouldn't have been so difficult. I'll let the readers figure that one out. Next to finding my powers, learning to control them and my emotions were the biggest obstacles.

Arland: By the way, Tabitha, Kate is fairly handy with a sword.

Tabitha: We should practice together. That's my weapon of choice.

Caleb: She's better with a sword than an arrow.

Tabitha: Caleb! Don't tell them that story.

Caleb: Fine. It's not like they can't read it anyway. Denied outlines the whole amusing event.

Tabitha: Well, they'll just have to read it then. Kate, tell us one thing we should all know about Arland.

Kate: Sounds like you and I should swap embarrassing archery stories, but definitely not today!

Arland: I believe she asked about me.

Kate: Ahh. Yes. Arland loves his people, deeply, maybe as much as he loves me. Protecting me and saving Encardia are two things he will never give up on, and sometimes he beats himself up when he doesn't think he's doing enough. Do you guys have time for one more question? Just a teensy little question?

Arland: No matter your answer, she will ask.

Kate: He's right. So, if the war was over, and you could go anywhere in the world, where would that be, and what does it look like there?

Caleb: I can answer that one. After years of traveling the realms, I know exactly where I'd go. It's a realm full of shadows and darkness, greenery and fresh waters. There is struggle there and things are not always easy, but the kingdom has a lot of heart.

Tabitha: Sounds like the Shadow Shifter Kingdom.

Caleb: That's right. I wouldn't want to go anywhere else.

Tabitha: Me neither. It was so nice talking to you, Kate and Arland. We definitely have a lot in common and your story sounds great. Can't wait to hear more about it. As a last question, why don't you both tell us one of your favorite moments in the story, or at least give a little hint?

Kate: The moment I discovered my magic—

Arland: Or what fuels it. That was my favorite moment as well, but we should not give away any details.

Kate: We definitely need to allow the readers to discover this scene for themselves. The details are too intimate to share. Thank you so much for sitting down with us. Hopefully we'll do this again soon.

Please, visit the other participant's sites!

And remember, Wilde's Fire is available at: B&N, Amazon, Kobo, & iTunes. Wilde's Army is now on Goodreads! Make sure you add it to your TBR list!

The Interviews!

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Gregor Caine + Circe (Christine Ashworth & Claire Gillian)

Sydney + Poseidon (Cindy Young-Turner & Sasha Summers)

Caleb + Arland and Kate (Kinley Baker & Krystal Wade)

Leigh Baxton + Micah Fuller (Lindsay Loucks & Diane M. Haynes)

Shayla Dormyr + Kara Magari (Raven Bower & S.M. Boyce)

Kellyn O’Brien + Julianna (Louann Carroll & Siobhan Muir)

Ivory + Sara Wiley (Rebecca Hamilton & Sandra Bunino)

Xylia and Landon + Avant (Avery Olive & Kary Rader)

Asar + Matty Ducayn (Jean Murray & Wendy Russo)

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#DEFY

For those of you who've read my blog for a while, you know I'm a fan of Raine Thomas. She's friendly, supportive, fun, and a great writer--she also thanked me in the credits of her novel, so let's show her a warm welcome!

To celebrate her recent release of Defy, we're posting a nice teaser for everyone here to read!

Enjoy!

~

The pain was unimaginable. She dragged herself along the ground with her one working arm, at turns scrabbling at tree roots or shrubs and at others digging her hand as deep into the earth as she could manage before hauling her broken body as far as possible. In the past hour, she had moved approximately fifteen feet.

She knew she was going to die. The horrors that had been visited upon her were so atrocious that she couldn’t even think of them now. It was as though a black haze coated her memory.

But her attackers had left her in sight of a platform that could get her to Central. They had no way of knowing it because, being Mercesti, they were unable to see the heavily enchanted travel system. The platform glimmered to her like a taunting beacon, however, bouncing lightly on the waves. If she’d had the required energy left, she would have extended her wings and flown to it.

Animal-like sounds left her throat as she struggled for the strength to move. If she could somehow get to the platform, perhaps someone at Central could help her. And if she was very fortunate, kyria Amber or archigos Gabriel might even be in attendance. They could heal her.

Once more, she stretched her right arm in front of her. The ground onto which she was emerging from the forest was sandy and open. If any of her attackers remained nearby, they would see her. While that thought terrified her, she couldn’t fight the instinct to survive. She knew she had to try. So she pressed her hand into the blazing hot sand until she had enough of a grip to pull herself. Then she strained her already aching bicep and heaved herself forward as much as she could.

She didn’t even move a foot.

Although she thought her attackers had wrought all of the tears from her, she realized now that wasn’t the case. They tracked down her bruised and broken face, joining with her sweat and plopping into the sand beneath her head. Heat radiated from the unforgiving surface beneath her, burning her already punished skin.

A sound to her right had her stiffening in fear. She made a whimpering sound as distinct footfalls grew nearer.

Her enemies must have returned to finish what they started. The tears continued unchecked as she carefully removed her hand from the sand in hopes she could do at least a little damage to the next male who hurt her. She would fight until she couldn’t.

But the being approaching her stopped on her left side. She tried to move her head toward her left and couldn’t. Another pained sound escaped her.

The presence knelt. He said, “Ah, Luvania. What have you gotten yourself into?”

She couldn’t turn her head and her vision was blurred by tears and exhaustion, but recognition was immediate. Although she hadn’t heard that voice in over fifty years, she could identify it. He still managed to sound both impatient with the world and infinitely bored by it. And at the moment, there was a gentleness beneath his tone she would never have expected.

“I am afraid your injuries are beyond my ability to repair,” he said. “I have seen others emerge from the water where you appear to be trying to reach. I can get you to the platform with your assistance.”

She couldn’t find the energy to speak, so made another sound in her throat and moved her head in a form of a nod.

“This will hurt.”

He lifted her. Pain screamed through her body. She squeezed her eyes shut against it. When she again opened her eyes, she realized they were in the water. She must have passed out.

“Thought I might have lost you there,” he said. “Are you ready for placement on the platform?”

Why would he not get on it with her? The thought floated through her head and then faded as insignificant. They had only a couple feet more to go. Extending her right arm toward the platform, she indicated she was ready. He obligingly moved forward. When her hand came into contact with the platform, more tears welled in her eyes. He settled her on it and stepped away.

“Good fortune to you, Luvania,” he said.

She once again thought to ask why he wasn’t accompanying her, but by then she was lifting into the sky.

The trip took an eternity. She lost consciousness more than once. Each time, she saw her rescuer’s face in her mind, though she hadn’t actually glimpsed him during their encounter. Thoughts of him from the past as well as what he had just done for her kept her focused, overriding the brutality she had endured.

She wanted to thank him. Wanted to praise him for giving her hope merely moments after she had given up and decided she was going to die. She wanted to help him as he had helped her. Surely he needed her help if he was living on the mainland and had removed himself from existence for over five decades.

Her delirium grew. Thinking became difficult. But at long last, through vision that was slowly fading to gray, she saw the outline of Central approaching.

She had made it.

The platform eased its way into Central’s loading bay. The darkness of the underground cavern had her blinking to try and focus. It did her no good.

Her brain registered the sounds around her, but couldn’t interpret them. The pain had leeched from her body. She understood then that it had all been for nothing. Her efforts. His efforts. For nothing.

“Holy light!” she heard.

There were other sounds. Other exclamations. People touching her. But she no longer felt anything. She registered only one lingering image.

“Luvania, can you hear me?”

Something flickered in her mind at the echoing voice. Caoilinn.

“Luvania, can you tell us who did this to you?” the Lekwuesti commander asked, her words filled with urgency.

She wanted to tell them. They needed to know. Others would be at risk as she had been. There were dangers beyond any Estilorian’s knowledge lurking on the mainland.

So she struggled to work her strained vocal chords as darkness clouded her mind. There was something important she had to tell them. Wasn’t there?

Then she remembered. The image she had carried with her on the ride to Central. Someone she needed to help.

And with her last breath, she told them.

“Zachariah.”~


Awesome, right? Now get out there and pick up your copy of this amazing book!
Amazon - B&N - Smashwords

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Janey Means a lot to Me

Nearly a year ago, I stumbled onto the blogging, Twitter, Facebook scene . . . for the author me anyway. I was timid, afraid of what kind of people I would meet in the writing world. But settling in was easy after discovering people like Derek Flynn. We laughed. We cried. We red-penned each other's work. Most of all, he was real.

Real is important, guys. Very.

One of the first conversations I had with Derek was about music. He claimed his tunes to be dark, and I wanted him to prove it. So, after about a month of pressuring him, he did it. Derek Flynn started a blog and posted New Music Mondays.

When he shared Janey with the world, I cried. This song touched my soul, reached in and said . . . YOU CAN RELATE TO THIS, KRYSTAL WADE! And boy, was that song right.

Today, I'm happy to announce Derek has released a CD, and Janey's video is premiering to the world here on my blog.

I might sob like a baby all over again.

So, please, have a listen and leave Derek a comment of congratulations. He deserves it.

You can listen to samples or buy the CD here.

Or you can discover more about Derek at his website, blog or you can Twitterstalk him.

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Tide of Lies #newrelease

Life has a way of putting amazing people in our . . . well . . . life. When I met Sarah Ballance, we were pregnant and due around the same time. Then I began writing, and realized she was a writer as well. There are few people who can claim responsibility for molding the mechanics of my words on paper. Actually, there is only one person who can claim responsibility for that, and that person is Sarah Ballance.

She is an amazing writer, mother, friend, cake baker (I had to mention that), and I'm sure her husband would admit she's a pretty amazing wife. So, if you don't know Sarah, you should get to know her. If you do know her, you're lucky.

And today she's here to tell us about her new book!

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This week I'm celebrating the release of my new romantic suspense, TIDE OF LIES. For the most part I've kept my clothes on, but the day isn't over yet, so consider yourself warned, LOL.

Truth is, this is a big deal because TIDE OF LIES has been a long time coming. It started with the idea for FAMILIAR LIGHT, a story I was supposed to keep to 10k.  However, my muse is about as stubborn as my husband *might* think I am (ahem), and not surprisingly it refused to be contained. My subsequent frenzied writing streak for a second book was met with unending delays (<slight exaggeration) but now it's all *so* totally worthwhile. I have a shiny new *published* copy of TIDE OF LIES, which, although it continues the action from FAMILIAR LIGHT, is a complete stand-alone story. If you want to see the LIGHT (ha!) it's on sale for just $1.50 from Noble Romance. If not, your journey starts here. Shall we?

TIDE OF LIES | blurb

A devastating secret. A shocking betrayal. A deadly obsession.

Haunted by three unsolved murders, Detective Holden Whitlow is stunned when his cold case takes a heated turn. Julia Cohen, his ex-lover, is back in town, and in the face of a brutal attack she’s ready to run. No matter how tightly she holds her secrets, for Holden, turning away from the woman he’s spent a decade trying to forget isn’t any more an option than walking away from his job . . . even when it threatens to cost Julia her life.

Julia is still reeling from a past she can’t bear to face. When she becomes the target of a killer, fate throws her back into Holden’s arms, but she’s yet to recover from a truth that has stripped her of everything—and everyone—she loves. Will she tell him the secret that will destroy him, or will her lie destroy them both?

TIDE OF LIES | excerpt

Julia Cohen. The name wasn't familiar, but the nagging feeling Holden should know it tailed him all the way to the hospital. The unease kept him company in the otherwise empty elevator where he now stood, thumbs hooked in his pockets with his fingers tapping his thighs. The numbers above the doors lit in rapid succession before landing on six with a quiet ping.

Julia . . . Julia . . . .

The doors slid open to reveal a bustling nurses' station. Ahead, a uniformed officer leaned against the wall, saving Holden the trouble of asking directions. He flashed his badge to the desk nurse and made his way down the hall, sidestepping an elderly woman in a wheelchair and food cart with a stack of covered dishes. The smell of the waiting dinners made his stomach rumble, reminding him he'd skipped lunch.

His stride faltered as he neared the room. He should have stopped for an update on Ms. Cohen's condition. Now, thanks to his bull-nosed curiosity, he had no idea what to expect. With a nod to the officer, Holden knocked lightly on the door, and then waited a few seconds before letting himself in.

Afternoon sunlight bathed the room in an earthy glow, casting a deep shadow over her face and masking her identity from him. His only clue was the shape of the blankets draped over her, which suggested her frame was slight, her height petite. Lacking anything else to go on, Holden took her name for another spin. Julia . . . .

"You cut your hair," she said.

Startled, Holden drew his hand to his head, his palm pressing the soft spikes aside.

Quiet laughter met his ears. "You didn't know?"

Holden squirmed inside, feeling every bit the schmuck for not recognizing her, though she clearly felt she knew him. But her voice . . . it might have been familiar if not for the dry, raspy undertones—a beating could do that to a person, though. Damn. His victim knew him—or thought she did—and he hadn't a clue who she was. After the trio of murders hit Barrier Shoals, he'd had plenty of cameras shoved in his face. Was she one of those so-called murder groupies? Either way, she had the advantage. If he could only see her . . . he struggled with the urge to turn on the overhead light, eliminating the shadows. Grasping, he tried to remember when he'd last made a change to his hair.

Seventeen. Right before his first semester of college, his mom pleaded with him to ditch the shaggy surfer cut—something to do with the world not taking him seriously with his hair in his face. She equated grooming with respectability, and Holden had fast learned the fine art of choosing his battles. Maybe that's why he felt for the kid standing in his socks at the crime scene—Holden had been there and done a little too much of that.

But choosing battles wasn't the only thing Holden had done that summer.

He'd been engaged . . . .

Recognition slammed into him.

##

And no, Julia was *not* his fiancée! LOL. There's a whole lot more to the story, and if you want to check it out you can read the first chapter in its entirely for free (no registration required) on Noble's website. 

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Now let me tell you guys, I've read FAMILIAR LIGHT and most of TIDE OF LIES (Miss Sarah wanted to drive me absolutely insane). These books are amazing. She is truly a talented writer!

What are you waiting for? 

OH! LINKS! ;-)

TIDE OF LIES: https://www.nobleromance.com/Books/409/Tide-of-Lies

FAMILIAR LIGHT: https://www.nobleromance.com/Books/344/Familiar-Light

SARAH BALLANCE | bio & links

Sarah and her husband of what he refers to as "many long, long years" live on the mid-Atlantic coast with their six young children, all of whom are perfectly adorable when they're asleep.  A full time homeschooling mom, she often jokes she writes to be around people who will listen to her, but her characters aren't much better than her kids.  Fortunately her husband is in her corner. Quite supportive of her writing career, he's generously offered to help her research "the good parts."  She's never had to ask twice.

Weekly gift card giveaways @ http://sarahballance.wordpress.com/

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