The Curse Giver by @DoraMachado #Fantasy #Pararnormal #GoodReads

PROPELLED BY SHEER WILL, BREN GRABBED his saddlebags and made it to the top of the stairs. His blood pounded in his temples. The scar on his face burned like a glowing chunk of coal.

Eleanor had a way of stirring his angry blood into a rapid boil. He was tired of listening to her complaints. No matter how much he allotted to Tolone, it was never enough.

Even so, he was used to enduring her gripes. It was her daring that perturbed him most. She should be smart enough to refrain from tempting him, but she had always been even bolder than all of her audacious ancestors put together. If it would have been in his power, he would have released her from her obligations years ago.

He shouldn’t have come, but a man was entitled to a dry bed and a warm meal, especially if he was paying generously for it. The rainy season had made a mess of his camps and his men deserved a proper roof and a dry pallet every once in a while.

There was also the matter of the woman. She shouldn’t have to spend her last days on a wet horse and her last nights on the soggy ground. She didn’t deserve to be murdered coldly in a back alley among paupers and whores or in the forgotten wilderness of a wind-swept ridge.

There he went again, trying to justify the absurd delay. But he was done delaying. Eleanor’s lewd dance had stirred up his wrath. Wrath was good, the ultimate motivator. A stoked up man was the most efficient killer, a hunter worthy of Laonia and the house of Uras.

He had to do it, now, before he changed his mind.

He entered the room he kept at the seed house of Tolone and dropped his saddlebags by the door. The chamber was still warm, but the fire had died down into a pile of glowing embers. The chamber’s gloom matched his bleakness.

Not for the first time, Bren wondered what type of weakness had earned his father the curse that plagued his house. He might never know, because his father was dead and so was the rest of his line.

He wasn’t feeling very merciful tonight, a change that was bound to help. He came upon the bed in two strides. There was no point in explaining, no benefit to warning, coaxing or compelling. He was angry—at himself, at his fate. He clutched the hilt of his sword and ripped off the blankets from the bed.

The woman was gone.

He stared at the empty mattress in disbelief. A most improbable line was neatly written on the sheet, a flowing trail of ink on white linen.

Whether it was kindness, courage or charity, I thank you, my lord. Farewell. L.

Award-Winning Finalist in the fantasy category of The 2013 USA Best Book Awards, sponsored by USA Book News

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Genre – Fantasy/Dark Fantasy

Rating – PG-18

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Connect with Dora Machado on Facebook & Twitter

Website http://www.doramachado.com/

Angela McGurk Shares Her Thoughts on Book Covers @Angela_McGurk #PNR #Fantasy #Absolution

Why Book Covers Are So Important

Book covers give potential readers a taste of the book before they turn to the first page. They can set the atmosphere, intrigue the potential reader, and in the case of self-published authors indicate how much effort the author has put into creating a finished product.  While the old saying may be “don’t judge a book by its cover” we all do it.  If a cover grabs our attention we might read the blurb, or the first few pages and decide if we want to read further. If we look at a cover and it’s badly composed or not to our taste then we’re less likely to expend effort reading further. 

There are some hideous book covers out there, both for traditionally published and self-published books, although with self-published books the chance of a poor quality cover is somewhat higher. The first impression given by such covers is that the author/publisher couldn’t put the effort into creating an attractive cover or perhaps didn’t feel the book was worth the time, money and effort it could take to produce a good looking cover. 

The industry is flooded with book covers made of stock images or designed to look like every other book in a specific genre. How many katana wielding, tank top wearing girls show up on the covers of urban fantasy? How many bare-chested men do we find on the covers of paranormal romance? That’s fine if the message you want to give to your readers is that your book is fairly standard urban fantasy or paranormal romance, as long as your book does what it says on the tin then it might not be a terrible idea to follow a well used formula for your cover. However, if you have other themes or want to stand out from the crowd then stock images and formulaic covers of leather clad women and oil drenched men may not be the approach for you. It really depends on your needs, but the point is authors/publishers should think about it. Generic is not necessarily bad, and one of a kind is not necessarily good, but it’s necessary to spend some time developing a concept that works for a specific book.

 It was one of Twilight’s strong points that the covers were different, unique, although now the industry is flooded with copycats.  There was another book, Pure, which had awesome covers. One was solid black with the text written in gloss black rather than a colour. It was quirky, different, and the book was also available in white. I haven’t finished the book yet, but I presume the two colours represent the two types of people the book focuses on. I own the book, one of the last hardcopy books I bought, purely because the cover called to the designer in me. 

In a way I’m lucky, I’m a designer in my day job and my husband is a photographer, so with the help of a performance trained model I created my own covers. Between the three of us we had enough experience to create covers which didn’t include irrelevant stock photos and photoshop abuse. However, the process took hours of concept development, prop organisation, photography and editing and design, it was a process that could cost thousands for those without industry contacts. Even for me I had to buy props. Many authors don’t have design training, and may not have contact with photographers and models or illustrators. In such cases it is important for authors/publishers to hire the appropriate professionals in order to obtain a cover that does their book justice. 

LAUNCH DISCOUNT: THIS BOOK WILL BE ON SALE FOR A REDUCED PRICE THROUGHOUT FEBRUARY 2014 TO CELEBRATE ITS LAUNCH.

Allegiance: The Vampire Alliance Book Two

Eve hadn’t wanted a second marriage, she wanted to remain happily unmarried rather than curse another good man to Rob’s fate. If only Tul had listened to her protestations. Instead the Senate are intent on making her relive her own personal hell. Worse, the instrument they seem intent on using to bring about her suffering is the creature, the merciless drone they’d created from all that remained of Rob.

The world seems to be conspiring against Eve and the Alliance, and even among Johan’s band of rebels not everyone is happy to have Eve as part of the group. With Tul missing and friends few on the ground, Eve begins to slip back into the pit of despair which had once consumed her and that may just lead her to behave more recklessly than ever before. Mistakes have consequences however, and for Eve the consequences of her actions may just decide the course of the future.

Is there a way to save Tul? Does anything of Rob remain in the Senate controlled puppet his body’s become? More importantly, why are the Senate determined to take control of Eve and just how far will they go to gain possession of her?

Praise for Allegiance*:
“Wow! I have loved reading this series. You have done such an amazing job writing it Loved the storyline, and the characters. Cannot wait to read the next one.”

“Both books are amazing!! I have read them both in less than 24 hours!! Can’t wait to read Antithesis.”

Praise for Absolution*:
“I enjoyed every chapter haven't stayed up so late for a book in so long I just couldn't put my phone down. Great book.”

“Wow! It's a nice change to read something in the vampire category with a more mature storyline. Your story was interesting and had me captivated from the beginning until the end. It was beautifully written, and falling in love with the characters was easy. Great job absolutely loved it!”

“I have thoroughly enjoyed this book! I think this has been one of the most original, mature vampire stories I have ever read... The lives of your vampires are fully realised, their abilities are believable, and the twists in your story are sublime.”

*All comments are from readers.

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Genre - Urban Fantasy, Paranormal Romance

Rating – R

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Connect with Angela Louise McGurk on Facebook & Twitter

Blog http://angelamcgurk.blogspot.co.uk/

Author Interview - Dora Machado @DoraMachado

When did you start writing and what got you into fantasy?

I think I’ve been writing novels in my head since as far back as I can remember. But it wasn’t until about ten years ago, after my kids were old enough to fend for themselves and I could carve out a little time that I decided to give writing a serious go. I was torn between writing historical fiction and fantasy, so I tinkered with both. In my mind, these two genres have a lot in common. I started reading fantasy in college, when I was smitten by a boy who loved reading fantasy. I fell in love with the genre and married the boy. Or wait; was it the other way around?

Is The Curse Giver your first book?

The Curse Giver is actually my fourth book. I’m known for the Stonewiser series, an award-winning epic fantasy trilogy that includes Stonewiser: The Heart of the Stone (2009), Stonewiser: The Call of the Stone (2010) and Stonewiser: The Lament of the Stone (2012). The Curse Giver is my newest release and my first standalone novel. It’s a fast, plot-twisting fantasy romance about an innocent woman condemned to die for a crime she didn’t commit, who must ally with the cursed lord pledged to kill her in order to defeat the curse giver who has already conjured their ends. It’s a grand, epic story with brawn, brains and lots of heart, something that I think your fantasy romance readers might enjoy.

How did your interest in writing originate?

I recall being interested in writing since as far back as I can remember. I also recall being fascinated by books as a child and making up stories in my mind all the time. It helped that I came from a family of avid readers who loved books and that my grandfather was a poet.

What do you consider the most challenging part about writing a novel, or about writing in general?

For me, the biggest challenge comes after the novel is written. I mean, I love to talk about my books, and I absolutely relish the pleasure of getting to know my readers; but self-promotion? Yikes. It doesn’t come naturally to me.

What made you decide to write fantasy?

I’ve always been intrigued by the fantasy genre. I love the genre’s creative freedom, the opportunity to rethink, redesign and reinterpret the human experience, the creative challenges that arise from world building, and the mysteries that magic brings to the human equation. I grew up in the Dominican Republic and my life always felt kind of magical in many ways. I’ve always straddled different worlds. Fantasy is a perfect fit for me.

Describe your creative/writing process.

I tend to fixate on an idea and think on it subconsciously for a while, until it transforms into a specific concept, scene, or character, which usually comes out pretty well formed. At that point, I might make some notes, which might include a loose outline and maybe a few scribbled paragraphs that wouldn’t make sense to anyone but me. Typically I know the beginning and the end of a story before I start writing and I have a general idea of where the story needs to go. Writing is always a process of discovery for me, which might be one of the reasons why it’s so enjoyable to me. 

Your book is set in an imaginary world. Can you tell us why you chose this setting in particular?

At the heart of every great fantasy, there is a rich and complex world. I like to create fantasy worlds that feel “real,” interesting geographies with diverse and unique populations that have their own cultures and beliefs, and worlds riddled with conflict, discord and controversy. Sound familiar?

How long does it usually take you to write a book, from the original idea to finishing writing it?

It takes me about four months, give or take. Keep in mind that the time invested is not always consecutive when you are working on a novel. Sometimes I’ll advance one project and then shift to another novel, before going back to complete the first one.

Can you tell us a little about your publishing journey?

Sure! My publishing journey began somewhere around 2008, when a very new, very small independent press decided to publish the Stonewiser series as a test run. I love working with independent publishers. I like working closely with the team putting together the book and having frequent opportunities to influence the outcome. I guess I like the personal connection too. The Curse Giver was published by Twilight Times Books, http://twilighttimesbooks.com/, a dynamic, top-of-the-line, quality-oriented independent publisher based out Kingsport, Tennessee, that specializes in critically acclaimed mystery, science fiction and fantasy novels.

How about the social networks?  Which ones do you believe help and which ones do you wish you could avoid?

You know, I kind of like having different choices to stay in touch with my readers, but I’ll admit that keeping all of the social networks active and current takes a lot of time. For that reason, I rely on my website, blog and newsletter to communicate directly with my readers. I also like Facebook, Goodreads and Twitter, although I have been known to neglect a post or two in favor of writing.

What do you like to do when you’re not writing?

I love to travel and I do so whenever I can. I also love walking and hiking. I’m slow on the uphill, but I enjoy it. I like stories and therefore I love movies, books and any other medium that tells stories. I really like theater and in particular, I love Broadway productions, the more lyrical and epic, the better.

What’s the best writing advice you’ve ever received that you’d like to pass to other authors?

Write like the wind, write often, diligently and continuously, write for yourself and my favorite, write all the way to The End.

Is there anything else you would like to share?

If you haven’t given fantasy romance a chance, go ahead, try it now. Whether you pick up The Curse Giver or another one of the epic stories that the genre has to offer, you are bound to be surprised and satisfied by the heart-warming combination of romance, adventure and passion. 

What are the best ways to connect with you, or find out more about your work?

To learn more about me and my novels, visit my website at www.doramachado.com or contact me at Dora@doramachado.com. You can also subscribe to my blog at http://www.doramachado.com/blog/, sign up for my newsletter at http://doramachado.com/newsletter.php, or find me on Facebook and Twitter. For a free excerpt of The Curse Giver, visit  http://twilighttimesbooks.com/TheCurseGiver_ch1.html.

Buy Now @ Amazon

Genre – Fantasy/Dark Fantasy

Rating – PG-18

More details about the author and the book

Connect with Dora Machado on Facebook & Twitter

Website http://www.doramachado.com/